Saturday, August 29, 2009

Regarding crime, the Baha'i Writings state,

Regarding crime, the Baha'i Writings state,


"...the communities are day and night occupied in making penal laws, and in preparing and organizing instruments and means of punishment. They build prisons, make chains and fetters, arrange places of exile and banishment, and different kinds of hardships and tortures, and think by these means to discipline criminals, whereas, in reality, they are causing destruction of morals and perversion of characters. The community, on the contrary, ought day and night to strive and endeavor with the utmost zeal and effort to accomplish the education of men, to cause them day by day to progress and to increase in science and knowledge, to acquire virtues, to gain good morals and to avoid vices, so that crimes may not occur. At the present time the contrary prevails; the community is always thinking of enforcing the penal laws, and of preparing means of punishment, instruments of death and chastisement, places for imprisonment and banishment; and they expect crimes to be committed. This has a demoralizing effect.

But if the community would endeavor to educate the masses, day by day knowledge and sciences would increase, the understanding would be broadened, the sensibilities developed, customs would become good, and morals normal; in one word, in all these classes of perfections there would be progress, and there would be fewer crimes" (Abdu'l-Baha, Some Answered Questions, p. 271).



Thursday, August 20, 2009

Cold Water Therapy for Strength, Energy and Healing

Cold Water Therapy for Strength, Energy and Healing

On these long, hot summer days, I find myself looking for excuses to be in cold water -- and in fact, based on past conversations with Daily Health Newscontributing medical editor Andrew Rubman, ND, I know that there are many good ones that relate to health and well-being.

Dr. Rubman has studied the 19th-century European Kneipp and Priessnitz methods of cold water healing to improve circulation, promote lymphatic drainage and speed healing. In fact, all naturopathic physicians are formally trained in the use of hydrotherapy, which starts with two very simple premises: Heat relaxes and cold stimulates. Dr. Rubman told me that cold water is an excellent, fast and easy treatment for inflammation because it constricts veins while also making blood vessels less permeable. Heat, on the other hand, supports circulation and immunity and helps the body move cellular waste through the system.

COLD WATER WALKS

An easy and appealing (at this time of year at least) health ritual is to walk barefoot in cold water to stimulate your resistance to infection. If you live near the beach, you can wade at the water’s edge... or you can just walk in dewy morning grass. Though less spiritually invigorating, you could also do this by dangling your feet in a swimming pool... or filling your bathtub with cold water and "walking" in place for a few minutes. Use cool tap water (about 50° F or so).

Immediately afterward, put cotton socks over your damp feet, don shoes and walk some more to warm up your feet again. The process of cooling off then rewarming activates circulation, which helps your body mobilize to fight infection.

COLD SHOWERS & BATHS

Another good place to do hydrotherapy is right in your bathroom. Try a quick-shot cold shower to get circulation revved up -- when you’re done with washing, turn off the hot water briefly and run cool water first over your front and then your back, for about five seconds each.

After the cool showers get easier and more comfortable, you may want to consider trying a cold bath, which may help your body fight off a cold, if you feel one coming on. (Note: Do not do this if you have cardiovascular disease, peripheral vascular disease or are pregnant.) Again aiming for about 50° F, draw a cold bath in a warm bathroom with cotton pajamas, socks, a bathrobe and two towels ready. Climb into the cold water and stay for just five seconds, then get out and immediately put the pajamas and socks on your wet body. This creates a compress that starts cool, then turns warm. Over the pajamas, wrap your upper half in one towel, put on the robe, wrap your lower half with the other towel and climb in bed.

COMPRESS TECHNIQUE

You can increase circulation to any part of your body that feels tired or is sore or bruised by covering it with a cold compress and then covering that with dry layers. The blood vessels in the affected area first constrict and then rebound and dilate, sending blood to the site you’ve cooled and then warmed via the compress. Once you feel warm again, you can take it off.

Here are some other ways you can use a cold compress:

  • Soothe a sore throat. Wring out a clean dish or hand towel in cold water, folding it in thirds lengthwise, and placing it over your throat. Cover the compress with another folded -- but dry -- dish or hand towel.
  • Help sprained ligaments or strained tendons and muscles to heal. Make a compress from a hand towel soaked in cold water. Wring it out, fold it in thirds lengthwise, wrap it around the sore area, wrap a dry bath towel over that and tie a wool scarf or ACE bandage around both towels to keep them in place. Be sure it is held firmly in place but is not so tight as to restrict circulation. Leave on overnight.
  • Cool down high fevers. Soak a sheet or tablecloth in cold water, wring it out and fold it lengthwise so it will cover your torso. Now wrap it from your underarms to your hips, then wrap that area with a large, dry bath towel. Climb in bed and cover up with warm blankets. Sitting upright in bed, sip some hot herbal tea flavored with a bit of fresh powdered ginger. This combination of hot tea inside your body and the slow warming compress on the outside should warm you further. You may even find that you begin to sweat, which can help break the fever.

COLD WATER FOR MINOR BURNS

You can use hydrotherapy to treat minor burns, too. Either apply a cold compress or take a cool-water shower or bath, dry off and then put aloe vera onto the burn. If you have an aloe plant it’s best to break off a branch and use that -- if you don’t, use pure aloe vera gel. A cool bath is also a good way to soothe a painful sunburn -- try pouring in a half-cup of witch hazel for added relief.

For more information on hydrotherapy, Dr. Rubman recommends two of his favorite books -- Hydrotherapy Theory & Technique (Pine Island) by Patrick Barron, ND, and Rational Hydrotherapy (Kessinger) by John Harvey Kellogg, MD.

Source(s):

Andrew Rubman, ND, medical director, Southbury Clinic for Traditional Medicines, Southbury, Connecticut. www.naturopath.org

Wednesday, August 19, 2009

"... the time has come when religious leadership must face honestly andwithout further evasion the implications of the truth that God is one and that,beyond all diversity of cultural expression and human interpretation, religion is likewise one."

--Universal House of Justice

Tuesday, August 11, 2009

Tests of God Notions of Suffering, Health, and Healing in the Bahai Faith--- by Shreena Niketa Gandhi

WHEN A TRUE SEEKER determineth to take the step of
the search, the path leading unto the knowledge of
the Ancient of Days, he must, before all else, cleanse his
heart, which is the seat of the revelation of the inner mysteries
of God, from the obscuring dust of all knowledge,
and the allusions of the embodiments of satanic fancy.
—Baha’u’llah, “Guidance for a Seeker of Truth,” The
Hidden Word
The following paper, the product of a fruitful
process of research that involved numerous interactions
with members of the Greater Boston Baha’i
community and the reading of Baha’i histories and
scriptures, focuses on Baha’i notions of suffering,
healing, and health.
Through my research I found out how important
the Baha’i scriptures are to the followers of the
Baha’i Faith, and that is the reason that I start each
section of this paper with a different Baha’i passage
that is relevant to that particular section.
I
And since there can be no tie of direct intercourse to bind
the one true God with His creation, and no resemblance
whatever can exist between the transient and the Eternal,
the contingent and the Absolute,He hath ordained that in
every age and dispensation a pure and stainless Soul be
made manifest in the kingdoms of earth and heaven.
—Baha’u’llah, “The Purpose of Creation and the
Station of God’s Messengers,” The Hidden Word
A Baha’i is a believer in the revelations of
Baha’u’llah, meaning they believe that Baha’u’llah is
a manifestation of God and that God spoke through
him, just as God has spoken through other manifestations
in the past. It is interesting to note that
Baha’is believe in all the other former manifestations
of God, whether they be the Son of God
(Jesus), the Prophet of God (Muhammad), or the
incarnation of God (Krishna), for they believe there
is but one God who shows himself through various
manifestations at various times.
A brief history of the Baha’i Faith is needed
before beginning any discussion of the Baha’is or
their notions of suffering, healing, and health
because, for Baha’is, their history is another act in
the divine drama, which narrates the relationship
between humankind and God. The central figure in
the Baha’i Faith is Mirza Husayn Ali Nuri, otherwise
known as Baha’u’llah. The Baha’is believe that
Baha’u’llah, which means Glory or Splendor of God,
was a manifestation of God, and they use the scriptures
revealed to Baha’u’llah by God as guidance for
action in everyday life. Baha’u’llah was born in Iran
in 1817. While Baha’u’llah was alive, he drew quite a
following in Iran, and also in parts of the Ottoman
Empire, where he went after he was exiled from
Iran. Before he died, Baha’u’llah designated his son,
Abdu’l-Baha, as his spiritual inheritor. During the
period of Abdu’l-Baha’s leadership, the Faith began
to spread beyond the borders of the Ottoman
Empire and Iran. Abdu’l-Baha traveled all over
Europe and America, spreading the teachings of the
Baha’i Faith. His writings, though not from a divine
source like Baha’u’llah’s, clarified much of his
father’s teachings, and thus are regarded as very
important to Baha’is. From 1866 to the present day,
the Baha’i Faith has grown so much that it has
“more than five million members from at least 2100
ethnic, racial and tribal groups” (Christianity and
the Baha’i Faith, a pamphlet).
It is fair to say that Baha’i history and scripture
bind Baha’is the world over. This is not only evident
in the worldwide diversity of Baha’is and the number
of translated scriptures and histories written in
various languages; it also came out in the interviews
I did with Boston-area Baha’is. They consistently
referred to their scriptures and to their history to
explain their beliefs. Thus, it is through an understanding
of their history and their scriptures that we
are better able to understand the Baha’i’s theology
and views on suffering, health, and healing.
II
O God! Recompense those who endure patiently in Thy
days, and strengthen their hearts to walk undeviatingly on
the path of Truth. Grant then, O Lord, such goodly gifts as
Tests of God
Notions of Suffering, Health, and Healing in the Baha’i Faith
Shreena Niketa Gandhi
52 / Religious Healing in Boston
would enable them to gain admittance into Thy blissful
Paradise.
—The Bab, from Baha’i Prayers, 21.
Two of the resources I used for my research were
histories written on the Baha’i Faith and the various
Baha’i scriptures.While these two sources were crucial,
because Baha’is regard them as most important,
what was most useful, and what brought the various
histories and scriptures alive, were the people I was
able to talk to about their faith, suffering, healing,
and health.
Over a period of three months I was fortunate to
be able to interview sixteen people using a structured
interview, all of whom were informed on healing
in the Baha’i Faith. They were all excited about
sharing their views on the subject. Though there is
much cultural, ethnic, religious, and generational
diversity in the Boston Baha’i community, I found
many of the answers to be similar, which was most
interesting, especially in light of the importance of
history and scripture in the lives of the Baha’is. In
the following sections of this paper, I will try to
show how, in the immense diversity of the Baha’is,
there is much unity in belief. However, one thing is
certain: in no way are their similarities the cookiecutter
variety.As we shall see, each of my informants
related to their faith in a different way, though all
held the same beliefs. And, when it came time to
make a call on whether they were healthier than
non-Baha’is, the pool was decisively split.
I I I
O Thou Whose tests are a healing medicine to such as are
nigh unto Thee, Whose sword is the ardent desire of all
them that love Thee, Whose dart is the dearest wish of
those hearts that yearn after Thee, Whose decree is the
sole hope of them that have recognized Thy truth! I
implore Thee, by Thy divine sweetness and by the splendors
of the glory of Thy face, to send down upon us from
Thy retreats on high that which will enable us to draw
nigh unto Thee. Set, then, our feet firm, O my God, in Thy
Cause, and enlighten our hearts with the effulgence of Thy
knowledge, and illumine our breasts with the brightness
of Thy names.
—Baha’u’llah, Kitab-i-Aqdas, 152:5.
All of my informants mentioned that suffering was
a type of test, given by God to his devotee. One of
my informants, Dr. Clare Levesque, told me that
“Baha’is believe there are tests given to us all the way
throughout out life on this plane of existence”
(Levesque interview, p. 2). She goes on to mention
that a test can be anything, from personal issues to
maybe an illness. Naseem Alizedeh, told me she
thinks “people need suffering,” for suffering is the
“cleansing that makes your spirit grow and develop”
(Alizedeh interview, p. 2). Eleanor Mitten, who had
recently miscarried her twins told me:
Even though tests are incredibly difficult to go through,
they really improve who you are. All the things I have been
through since 1996, all those things, through drawing
upon my faith, have assisted me in coming to a better
understanding of why I am here, and given me a better
ability to serve people. I would not have the kind of
understanding I have, the kind of gratefulness I have
about even being alive, without tests. Abdu’l-Baha says
sometimes sickness happens to prevent worse things from
happening to you, and that is one interesting way of looking
at it. (Mitten interview, p. 2)
Last, on the nature of tests, it was said to me best by
Courtney Craig, that “God never gives you a test you
cannot handle,” which Courtney thinks is “another
benefit to being Baha’i, because you have that
understanding that you have the capacity” (Craig
interview, p. 2).
These views on suffering come from two sources:
the Baha’i scriptures and Baha’i history. Since
Baha’is seem to be very aware of their history, they
know that Baha’u’llah and his followers were persecuted,
and it seems that they in some way identify
with the suffering of Baha’u’llah and the early
Baha’is. Saeed Khase told me a story of a letter being
written to Abdu’l-Baha, which said “he [the follower]
has to leave the city, a lot of people are getting
martyred” (Belotti/Khase interview, p. 4). Saeed told
me that Abdu’l-Baha wrote back: “Don’t worry,
Baha’u’llah is with you. You will be successful” (4).
Saeed then said, “Shreena, I remember those words
and everyday I feel that Baha’u’llah is walking with
me” (4). If Baha’u’llah, the splendor of God, suffered,
then why would the present followers of the
Baha’i Faith also suffer? Suffering was a way for
Baha’u’llah to access God; thus, naturally, suffering
become a way for Baha’is to become closer to God.
As Courtney Craig told me, Baha’is know they are
suffering for a reason, they have an understanding
of why they suffer, and part of that understanding
comes from the in-depth knowledge Baha’is seem to
have of their history and the strong identification
they also have with Baha’u’llah and what he went
through (Craig interview).
The writings of Baha’u’llah also reinforce that suffering
is a necessary part of being human and being
Baha’i, and suffering is God’s will and good for his
cause. Baha’u’llah writes:
I sorrow not for the burden of My imprisonment. Neither
do I grieve over My abasement, or the tribulation I suffer
at the hands of Mine enemies. By My life! They are My
Tests of God / 53
glory, a glory wherewith God hath adorned His own Self.
Would that ye know it! (Baha’u’llah, Gleanings from the
Writings of Baha’u’llah, 100:1)
Baha’u’llah seems to be welcoming the suffering: he
is steadfast when confronted with it, for he knows
that it is a test from God, a test that he has to draw
meaning from. It becomes clearer that Baha’u’llah is
stalwart and will not be brought down by the suffering
inflicted upon him. He writes:
Dost thou imagine, O Minister of the Shah in the City
(Constantinople), that I hold within My grasp the ultimate
destiny of the Cause of God? Thinkest thou that My
imprisonment, or the shame I have been made to suffer,
or even My death and utter annihilation, can deflect its
course? Wretched is what thou hast imagined in thine
heart! Thou art indeed of them that walk after the vain
imaginings which their hearts devise. No God is there but
Him. Powerful is He to manifest His Cause, and to exalt
His testimony, and to establish whatsoever is His Will, and
to elevate it to so eminent a position that neither thine
own hands, nor the hands of them that have turned away
from Him, can ever touch or harm it. (Baha’u’llah,
Gleanings from the Writings of Baha’u’llah, 19:1)
It is clear that Baha’u’llah is accepting this suffering,
these tests, just as the people I interviewed accept
them as natural consequences in life. The use of the
word “test” also implies that action needs to be
taken, that the test needs to be addressed in some
way. And this is where healing comes in, to which
the Baha’is have a two-fold approach.
IV
Thou art He, O my God, through Whose names the sick
are healed and the ailing are restored, and the thirsty are
given drink, and the sore-vexed are tranquillized, and the
wayward are guided, and the abased are exalted, and the
poor are enriched, and the ignorant are enlightened, and
the gloomy are illumined, and the sorrowful are cheered,
and the chilled are warmed, and the downtrodden are
raised up. Through Thy name, O my God, all created
things were stirred up, and the heavens were spread, and
the earth was established, and the clouds were raised and
made to rain upon the earth. This, verily, is a token of Thy
grace unto all Thy creatures.
—Baha’u’llah, Prayers and Meditations, 236:1.
Just as suffering comes from God, so does all healing—
and just about everything else. For Baha’is,
God is the source of all. This does not mean that
Baha’is just sit around and wait for God to heal
them when they are sick. The people I interviewed
were most clear about the fact that they take action
when they or someone else is sick or suffering.
First, it is important to note that sickness is not in
any way indicative of the state of a person’s soul.
Philippe Copeland told me, “illness is like when a
cloud passes over the sun, and the sun is the soul
and illness sort of impedes the powers of the souls,
but I know they are fundamentally healthy because
God made them that way” (Copeland interview, p. 1).
This sentiment is reinforced by a passage written by
Baha’u’llah. He writes”
Know thou that the soul of man is exalted above, and is
independent of all infirmities of body or mind. That a sick
person showeth signs of weakness is due to the hindrances
that interpose themselves between his soul and his body,
for the soul itself remaineth unaffected by any bodily ailments.
Consider the light of the lamp. Though an external
object may interfere with its radiance, the light itself continueth
to shine with undiminished power. In like manner,
every malady afflicting the body of man is an impediment
that preventeth the soul from manifesting its
inherent might and power.When it leaveth the body, however,
it will evince such ascendancy, and reveal such influence
as no force on earth can equal. Every pure, every
refined and sanctified soul will be endowed with tremendous
power, and shall rejoice with exceeding gladness.
(Baha’u’llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha’u’llah,
80:2)
Since the human soul is always seen as healthy,
despite the existence of physical and mental illnesses,
Baha’is use two methods to combat attacks on
the body. Brian Aull informed me that “The Baha’i
teachings say that we should rely on a combination
of spiritual and physical remedies . . . following spiritual
and ethical teachings of the faith are the path to
healing, but at the same time when you have a cut
on your hands, you put something physical on it to
stop the bleeding” (Aull interview, p. 1). Eric Walker
mirrored these sentiments, saying, “Baha’is believe
that healing can be achieved through spiritual and
physical healing, and they are not separate” (Walker
interview, p. 1). Courtney Craig related healing to
some of her everyday situations. She said: “I have
been sick, and I found myself saying prayers over
and over, and it makes me feel better . . . but you
know what, God gave us Advil—take the Advil.
There is a reason that God gave us Advil” (Craig
interview, p. 2). Physical remedies do not necessarily
mean consulting a doctor trained in the West or
taking pharmaceutical drugs. All those I interviewed
said that they were open to other forms of physical
healing, and one even pointed out to me that “there
are so many Baha’is that are not Western, that I am
sure are using old-school remedies” (Craig/Diehl/
Sani/Schuster/Walker interview, p. 3).
A two-fold approach is not only used when one is
sick, but also when others are sick. Many of my
informants told me that they prayed for the well54
/ Religious Healing in Boston
being of people who were sick, even people they did
not know. This does not mean they prayed for the
curing of those that were sick. Susan Boyd told me,
“Abdu’l-Baha wrote that sometimes if a person is
sick and they pray for a cure, God will give them
whatever is the best solution” (Boyd/Majzoubi/
Tomarelli interview, p. 2). I was informed by
Sharona Schuster that “The long healing prayer is
actually endowed with special potency, like if someone
is ill, people will gather together and say that
prayer or other healing prayers” (Craig/Diehl/Sani/
Schuster/Walker interview, p. 2). Baha’is not only
pray for those who are sick; they also do their best to
help out. Saeed Khase said that Abdu’l-Baha “would
always visit the sick, always ask about them, always
try to send something if he could not visit” (Belotti/
Khase interview, p. 7). Naseem Alizedeh takes physically
helping one who is sick to mean “to show love
and nurture the person, if they need your help or
assistance, whether that is a ride to the hospital or
some facility or just keeping them in your heart and
praying for them” (Alizedeh interview, p. 2).
What my informants do when they or someone
else is sick comes straight from the writings of
Baha’u’llah and Abdu’l-Baha. Baha’u’llah requires
that: “Whenever ye fall ill, refer to competent physicians.
Verily we have not abolished recourse to
material means, rather have We affirmed it through
this Pen which God hath made the Dawning Place of
His luminous and resplendent Cause” (Baha’u’llah,
Kitab-i-Aqdas, 60). Abdu’l-Baha adds to this teaching.
He informs Baha’is that
The prayers which were written for the purpose of healing
are both for the spiritual and material healing. Therefore
chant them for the spiritual and material healing. If healing
is best for the patient surely it will be granted. For
some who are sick, healing for them shall be the cause of
other ills. Thus it is that wisdom does not decree the
answer to some prayers. (Abdu’l-Baha, Daily Lessons
Received at Akka, 86)
I believe that I received such similar responses
from people on the subject of healing in part
because of the clarity of the Baha’i teachings and the
importance of consulting the scriptures in times of
guidance. Baha’is do not just fall back on prayer
when it is needed. The Baha’is I talked to follow
what the teachings say on a daily basis, not just in
times of crisis. That, for them, is a major factor in
living and staying healthy.
V
My servants! Through the might of God and His power,
and out of the treasury of His knowledge and wisdom, I
have brought forth and revealed unto you the pearls that
lay concealed in the depths of His everlasting ocean. I have
summoned the Maids of Heaven to emerge from behind
the veil of concealment, and have clothed them with these
words of Mine—words of consummate power and wisdom.
I have, moreover, with the hand of divine power,
unsealed the choice wine of My Revelation, and have wafted
its holy, its hidden, and musk-laden fragrance upon all
created things.Who else but yourselves is to be blamed if
ye choose to remain unendowed with so great an outpouring
of God’s transcendent and all-encompassing
grace, with so bright a revelation of His resplendent
mercy?
—Baha’u’llah, Gleanings from the Writings of
Baha’u’llah, pp. 327–28
Following the teachings revealed by Baha’u’llah is
not merely seen as obligatory when one is a Baha’i;
many Baha’is believe that by following the teachings,
they maintain a good level of health. The
teachings prohibit Baha’is from sex before marriage,
the consumption of alcohol, and the abuse of drugs
and strongly discourage the use of tobacco. These
are just some of the physical things mentioned in
my interviews that Baha’is are told to adhere to.
Clare Levesque also said, “We are told we are supposed
to pray and read the writings everyday, and I
think that centers you and gives you a spiritual cord
in your life” (Levesque interview, p. 1). Again we see
that there is also a two-fold approach to staying
healthy, which is also reinforced in the writings. I
want to reiterate that the answers I received were
fairly uniform. That is, they were uniform, until I
asked the one question which explicitly solicited an
opinion from the informants. To answer this question,
no one was really able to draw upon the scriptures
or on history to justify their response. The
question was: “Do you think Baha’is are more or less
healthy than non-Baha’is?” Seven said, yes, Baha’is
are healthier.Another seven said, no, that the Baha’is
are not protected from the ills that other communities
suffer from. One informant said that the Baha’is
may lead a healthier lifestyle than non-Baha’is, for
there are such specific guidelines for Baha’is to follow.
The most interesting answer was from Philippe
Copeland. Philippe felt that it was too early to say
one way or the other, whether Baha’is were healthier
or not. He said: “I think the Baha’i community is
very young, and it’s a global community, so I would
say that the Baha’is are in a process of learning a new
culture and new ways of being in the world. We
bring all our different cultural gifts and problems
with us” (Copeland interview, p. 2). I found this to
be a very astute observation. I interviewed an array
of Baha’is, from different faith backgrounds, ethnic
backgrounds, and generations. Because the question
“Do you think Baha’is are more or less healthy than
Tests of God / 55
non-Baha’is?” produced two such different sets of
answers, it is even more amazing to me that all the
other questions produced very similar answers from
all my informants. I think that in order to understand
why this unity exists in such diversity, one
must go back to the importance of Baha’i history
and scripture in the lives of the Baha’i. Because they
have a common, written history and common, written
scripture, which is so specific and detailed, from
which to draw, their approach to suffering and healing,
at least, is uniform. I do not mean to suggest
that all Baha’is think alike, nor that their history is
not contested in any way. One thing that came out
in all my interviews was that, although the answers
were similar, the ways in which each individual
informant related his or her answer to a certain
Baha’i passage or event in history was unique. Also,
as I delved deeper into Baha’i history, I did find that
many groups do challenge the Baha’i reading of history.
The Baha’i community is a young community,
and it will be fascinating to see the ways it develops
as the years progress.
The important point that can be extrapolated
from this initial research is the unique approach that
Baha’is have toward suffering and healing. To
Baha’is, suffering is a test from God, and overcoming
that test, healing from the pains of any test—
whether this means full recovery or death—is a
means by which an individual moves closer to God.
I also think that their two-fold approach to healing,
to overcoming tests, is a unique fusion of religion
and science, in that Baha’is do not see the two as
independent of each other, but rather as complementary
to each other; for the two come from one
source—God.
Interviews
Alizedeh, Naseem. Interview by author. Harvard Square
Coffee Shop, Cambridge, Mass., 8 February 2002.
Aull, Brian. Interview by author. Harvard Coop Coffee
Shop, Cambridge, Mass., 17 February 2002.
Belotti, Frank, and Saeed Khase. Interview by author.
Boston Baha’i Community Center, 30 January 2002.
Boyd, Susan, Naghmeh Majzoubi, and Tomarelli Dawn.
Interview by author. Boston Baha’i Community Center,
10 March 2002.
Copeland, Philippe. Interview by author. Ras, Central
Square, Cambridge, Mass., 18 February 2002.
Craig, Courtney. Interview by author. Harvard Square
Chocolatier, Cambridge, Mass., 11 February 2002.
Craig, Courtney, David Diehl, Yasii Sani, Sharona
Schuster, and Eric Walker. Interview by author. Boston
Baha’i Community Center, 10 March 2002.
Levesque, Claire. Interview by author. Ground Round,
Needham,Mass., 15 February 2002.
Mitten, Eleanor. Interview by author. Algiers, Harvard
Square, Cambridge, Mass., 11 February 2002.
Walker, Eric. Interview by author. Chinese Restaurant in
Harvard Square, Cambridge, Mass., 2 February 2002.
Additional Sources
Christianity and the Baha’i Faith. A Pamphlet. Stonehaven
Press, 1997.
MacEoin, Denis. The Sources for Early Babi Doctrine and
History. Leiden: E. J. Brill, 1992.
Miller,William McElwee. The Baha’i Faith: Its History and
Teachings. South Pasadena, Calif.: William Carey
Library, 1974.
Smith, Peter. The Baha’i Religion. Oxford: George Ronald,
1988.
Smith, Peter. A Short History of the Baha’i Faith. Oxford:
Oneworld Publications, 1995.
Sours, Michael. Without Syllable or Sound. Los Angeles:
Kalimat Press, 2000.
Weller, Susan C. “Structured Interviewing and
Questionnaire Construction.” In Handbook Of Methods
in Cultural Anthropology, edited by H. Russell Bernard.
Walnut Creek, Calif.: AltaMira Press, 1998.
http://bahai-library.org.Website, visited from 2/02 to 5/02,
for the scriptures and writings of Baha’u’llah and
Abdu’l-Baha.

Sunday, August 9, 2009

Thank You, God, For Everything
By Helen Steiner Rice
This is a reference to the arrival of Bahá'u'lláh and His companions in the Najíbíyyih Garden outside the city of Baghdád, subsequently referred to by the Bahá'ís as the Garden of Ridván. This event, which took place thirty-one days after Naw-Rúz, in April 1863, signalized the commencement of the period during which Bahá'u'lláh declared His Mission to His companions. In a Tablet, He refers to His Declaration as "the Day of supreme felicity" and He describes the Garden of Ridván as "the Spot from which He shed upon the whole of creation the splendours of His Name, the All-Merciful". Bahá'u'lláh spent twelve days in this Garden prior to departing for Istanbul, the place to which He had been banished.

The fountain in the center of the garden near Akká where its believed Bahá'u'lláh revealed the Lawh-i-Bágh-i-Ridván (Tablet of the Garden of Ridván).

Thank you, God, for everything-
the big things and the small,
For "every good gift comes from God"-
the giver of them all-
And all too often we accept without any thanks or praise
The gifts God sends as blessings each day in many ways,
And so at this Thanksgiving Time we offer up a prayer
To thank you, God, for giving us a lot more than our share...
First, thank you for the little things
that often come our way,
The things we take for granted
but don't mention when we pray,
The unexpected courtesy, the thoughtful, kindly deed,

A hand reached out to help us in the time of sudden need...
Oh, make us more aware, dear God, of little daily graces
That come to us with "sweet surprise"
from never-dreamed-of places-
Then, thank you for the "Miracles"
we are much too blind to see,
And give us new awareness of our many gifts from Thee,
And help us to remember that the Key of Life and Living
Is to make each prayer a Prayer of Thanks
and every day Thanksgiving.

Passages in the Holy Writings That Give Reference to Extraterrestrial Life
This elongated feature found in Meteorite ALH84001 that is believed to be from Mars, possibly represents a microfossil of a primitive form of life. The photomicrograph image is courtesy of Science
MEMORANDUM From: Research Department of The Universal House of Justice Date: 6 August 1996

"And among His Signs Is the creation of the heavens and the earth, And the living creatures that He has scattered through them: and He Has Power to gather them together when He wills". (7)
(Qur'án 42: 29, Al Shura, "Consultation")
Also see the footnote (a) Bottom of page.


"Thou hast, moreover, asked Me concerning the nature of the celestial spheres. To comprehend their nature, it would be necessary to inquire into the meaning of the allusions that have been made in the Books of old to the celestial spheres and the heavens, and to discover the character of their relationship to this physical world, and the influence which they exert upon it. Every heart is filled with wonder at so bewildering a theme, and every mind is perplexed by its mystery. God, alone, can fathom its import. The learned men, that have fixed at several thousand years the life of this earth, have failed, throughout the long period of their observation, to consider either the number or the age of the other planets. Consider, moreover, the manifold divergences that have resulted from the theories propounded by these men. Know thou that every fixed star hath its own planets, and every planet its own creatures, whose number no man can compute."
(Bahá'u'lláh:
"Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá'u'lláh," pp.162-63)


"Regarding the passage on p.163 of the 'Gleanings'; the creatures which Bahá'u'lláh states to be found in every planet cannot be considered to be necessarily similar or different from human beings on this earth. Bahá'u'lláh does not specifically state whether such
creatures are like or unlike us. He simply refers to the fact that there are creatures in every planet. It remains for science to discover one day the exact nature of these creatures
."

(
From a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer, February 9, 1937)

A composit astronomical image showing several hundred galaxcies from less than 3 percent of our sky.
A composite astronomical image showing several hundred galaxies from less than 3 percent of our sky. Image is courtesy ofScience News.
"O people! I swear by the one true God! This is the Ocean out of which all seas have proceeded, and with which every one of them will ultimately be united. From Him all the Suns have been generated, and unto Him they will all return. Through His potency the Trees of Divine Revelation have yielded their fruits, every one of which hath been sent down in the form of a Prophet, bearing a Message to God's creatures in each of the worlds whose number God, alone, in His all-encompassing Knowledge, can reckon. This He hath accomplished through the agency of but one Letter of His Word, revealed by His Pen--a Pen moved by His directing Finger--

His Finger itself sustained by the power of God's Truth."(Bahá'u'lláh,

"Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá'u'lláh", p.104.)


"‘Abdú'l-Bahá stated there are other worlds than ours which are inhabited by beings capable of knowing God."

(From a letter dated March 31, 1949, written on behalf of the Guardian to an individual believer, cited in McCulloch, Kenneth C, Mankind: "Citizen of the Galaxy" (Rings of Saturn Publishing: "The Pas", 1985), p.238.)

Another note of interest, this time a "pilgrim's note" ("Though not strictly official, and in some instances inaccurate and misleading, these notes, as experience has shown, can be of tremendous help, guidance and inspiration to many individual believers, and their value as such should therefore be readily admitted" (from a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer, April 28, 1939))

Notes taken at the dinner table in the Pilgrim House in Haifa from the words of the Guardian, by Agnes B. Alexander, April 22, May 12) As found at: http://bahai-library.org/pilgrims/alexander.html

"This is the coming of age of this planet. Just as America was discovered so other planets may be discovered and in conjunction with them we may become a member of a greater entity."

The above notes and quotation have been provided by Glen Little
.


This might be of interest... Glen Little

From the Utterances of Abdú'l-Baha:
"The earth has its inhabitants, the water and the air contain many living beings and all the elements have their nature spirits, then how is it possible to conceive that these stupendous stellar bodies are not inhabited? Verily, they are peopled, but let it be known that the dwellers accord with the elements of their respective spheres. These living beings do not have states of consciousness like unto those who live on the surface of this globe: the power of adaptation and environment moulds their bodies and states of consciousness, just as our bodies and minds are suited to our planet.

For example, we have birds that live in the air, those that live on the earth and those that live in the sea. The sea birds are adapted to their elements, likewise the birds which soar in the air, and those which hover about the earth's surface. Many animals living on the land have their counterparts in the sea. The domestic horse has his counterpart in the sea-horse which is half horse and half fish.

The components of the sun differ from those of this earth, for there are certain light and life-giving elements radiating from the sun. Exactly the same elements may exist in two bodies, but in varying quantities. For instance, there is fire and air in water, but the allotted measure is small in proportion.

They have discovered that there is a great quantity of radium in the sun; the same element is found on the earth, but in a much smaller degree. Beings who inhabit those distant luminous bodies are attuned to the elements that have gone into the composition of their respective spheres."

(I. F. Chamberlain, comp. "Divine Philosophy" (Boston: The Tudor Press, 1918), pp. 114-15.)
As quoted in a letter of the Universal House of Justice, 8 June 1992 Found at:
http://bahai-library.org/uhj/gaia.html


"The earth has its inhabitants, the water and the air contain many living beings and all the elements have their nature spirits, then how is it possible to conceive that these stupendous stellar bodies are not inhabited? Verily, they are peopled, but let it be known that the dwellers accord with the elements of their respective spheres. These living beings do not have states of consciousness like unto those who live on the surface of this globe: the power of adaptation and environment moulds their bodies and states of consciousness, just as our bodies and minds are suited to our planet." (8))
'Abdu'l-Bahá



MEMORANDUM
From: Research Department
The Universal House of Justice
Date: 6 August 1996
To: ___________

AFRICAN-BASED RELIGION IN THE AMERICAS; VISIONARY APPEARANCES OF THE VIRGIN MARY; UFOS, ABDUCTIONS, ALIEN GENETIC ENGINEERING (Letters of The Universal House of Justice, 1996 Aug 06, Sabeans, UFOs, Alien Abduction and Genetic Engineering)

UFOs, Alien Abduction and Genetic Engineering

Mr. _____ refers to a book entitled Abduction, written by a Harvard psychiatrist, Dr. John Mack, which posits that

... alien beings of a vastly superior intelligence, who are possibly from other planets or dimensions, or from our own distant future, have been conducting genetic experiments on unwilling humans to produce a crossbreed between humans and aliens (reportedly to repopulate our planet with a more peaceful species after we destroy ourselves).

Mr. _____ comments on the popularity of this topic and mentions that a number of Baha'is claim to have had experiences similar to those associated with abduction by aliens. He requests guidance concerning how to respond to such matters.

The Baha'i Teachings do not deal specifically with the subjects of alien abduction and genetic engineering. The following extracts concerning unidentified flying objects might be of assistance to Mr. _____:

There is nothing in the Teachings about spaceships; and the Guardian does not feel this is a subject on which he can offer the friends any advice whatsoever. Indeed, to be frank, he is so busy with the work of the Cause that he seldom has time to devote much thought to speculation of this nature, however fascinating it may be.
(From a letter dated 15 February 1957 written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to several believers)

As you rightly state, Bahá'u'lláh affirms "that every fixed star has its planets, and every planet its own creatures".* The House of Justice states however, that it has not discovered anything in the Baha'i Writings which would indicate the degree of progress such creatures may have attained. Obviously, as creatures of earth have managed to construct space probes and send them into outer space, it can be believed that creatures on other planets may have succeeded in doing likewise.

Regarding the attitude Bahá'ís should take toward unidentified flying objects, the House of Justice points out that they fall in the category of subjects open to scientific investigation, and as such, may be of interest to some, but not necessarily to everyone. In any case, Bahá'ís have a fundamental obligation at this stage of the development of the earth's people, that is, the responsibility of spreading the unifying Message of Bahá'u'lláh.
(From a letter dated 11 January 1982 written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice to an individual believer)


Notes

[1] (Letters of The Universal House of Justice, 1996 Aug 06, Sabeans, UFOs, Alien Abduction and Genetic Engineering)
"Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá'u'lláh," pp. 162-163.

Return

Footnote (a):
1. Bahá'u'lláh, "Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá'u'lláh," pp.162-63.

2. From a letter dated February 9, 1937 written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer, cited in"Lights of Guidance," 3rd revised edition, edited Helen B. Hornby (Bahá'í Publishing Trust: New Delhi, 1994), p.479.

3. Bahá'u'lláh, "Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá'u'lláh," p.104.

4. From a letter dated March 31, 1949, written on behalf of the Guardian to an individual believer, cited in McCulloch, Kenneth C, "Mankind: Citizen of the Galaxy" (Rings of Saturn Publishing: The Pas, 1985),p.238.

5. "Dabbatun: beasts, living, crawling creatures of all kinds. Similarly in Qur'án 2:45, and other passages, the word is used for living creatures of all kinds, life generally, whose material basis is the mysterious thing which science calls protoplasm. The more our biological knowledge increases, the more do we marvel at the unity of Life on the one hand, and its diversity on the other." Footnote 4568, edited, 'Abdullah Yusuf 'Alí, "The Meaning of The Holy Qur'án," (Amana Corporation: Maryland, 1993).

6. "Life is not confined to our one little Planet. It is a very old speculation to imagine some life like human life on the planet Mars. Though no scientific demonstration is possible, it is reasonable to suppose that Life in some form or other is scattered through some of the millions of heavenly bodies scattered through space. What a wonderful Sign of Allah! the Almighty Who created such countless beings has surely the power to bring them together." Footnote 4569, 'Abdullah Yusuf 'Alí, "The Meaning of The Holy Qur'án," (Amana Corporation: Maryland, 1993).

7. Qur'án 42:29, Al Shura, "Consultation", 'Abdullah Yusuf 'Alí translation.

8. 'Abdu'l-Bahá quoted in "Divine Philosophy" (Boston: The Tudor Press, 1918),

PRAYER EARING GOD

FROM ANOTHER GROOPS
JUST WANTED TO SHARE IT

--------
I want to thank everyone who prayed for young Chinese Chris who was on his death bed a short while ago with Cancer of his colon and a month old baby girl and his family

Because the doctors had told his wife and parents that he had just days or weeks to live. He has been on a life support machine.



However Prayer is such a strong healer and evidently God has work for them to do because he has just been told his liver cancer is benign and he can go home next week.

Thank you dear Bahá’ís all over the world

Saturday, August 8, 2009

Question. -- It is said in the Kitáb-i-Aqdas "...whoso is deprived thereof, hath gone astray, though he be the author of every righteous deed." What is the meaning of this verse?

Answer. -- This blessed verse means that the foundation of success and salvation is the knowledge of God, and that the results of the knowledge of God are the good actions which are the fruits of faith.

If man has not this knowledge, he will be separated from God, and when this separation exists, good actions have not complete effect. This verse does not mean that the souls separated from God are equal, whether they perform good or bad actions. It signifies only that the foundation is to know God, and the good actions result from this knowledge. Nevertheless, it is certain that between the good, the sinners and the wicked who are veiled from God there is a difference. For the veiled one who has good principles and character deserves the pardon of God, while he who is a sinner, and has bad qualities and character, is deprived of the bounties and blessings of God. Herein lies the difference.

(Abdu'l-Baha, Some Answered Questions, p. 238)
Elucidation of the Meaning of "The Greatest Name"

By Mirza Abu'l-Fadl, with words of Abdu'l-Baha

(copied by May Maxwell)

In every age the Manifestations have revealed a Name by which Their followers could call upon the Infinite Power of the Almighty. This name expresses the attributes of God, and His Revelation for that age. It is the epitome of that mysterious Power which the Messenger of God has brought to earth.

In the time of the Jews it was Jehovah. In the time of Buddhah it was OM. In the time of the Christians it was Christ. In the Book of Revelations it says, "In that Day I will write upon them My new Name."

Now in this great Day that Blessed Bab has revealed this New Name of ABHA, which is in the Persian and Arabic language, the superlative of Glory, the Most Glorious.

The Name by which Baha'is call upon the Power of the God (in worship) is Allah'u'Ahba, meaning God the Most Glorious; and in the Book of Akdas, the most Holy Book of Baha'u'llah, we are instructed to call upon the Power of the Greatest Name 95 times, preferable at dawn, but sometimes during the day.

The wisdom of repeating the Greatest Name 9 times before each prayer and 95 times daily, is as follows: Abdu'l-Baha said that there is in man a power of concentration not fully developed, which power rightly directed can lead him to great heights of knowledge, understanding and illumination. Prayer and supplication are the ladder, He said, "by which the soul ascends and as the power of sustained communion with God develops the capacity to receive the influx of The Holy Spirit and to penetrate, the hidden mystery unfolds". Prayer and communion is the only direct approach of the should to God, and Baha'u'llah has likened it unto "a river of milk" which is the perfect nutriment, and the more we partake of this lifegiving food, the more the soul shall advance in the path of God and the greater will be its progress.

Abdu'l-Baha has likened the power of concentration to a cubic crystal. He said, "If you place a ruby, the hardest stone, in a seven times heated furnace, the heat will have no effect, but if you place that ruby in a cubic crystal in the rays of the mid-day sun, it will be dissolved." This, He has likened to the powers of concentration in man. He said, "Whatsoever man concentrates upon, he will draw to himself." Therefore in prayer and supplication he must close the door to all the outer world and turn his whole being to the Focal Point, the Manifestation of God in his day and thus draw into his soul the burning rays of the Sun of Truth, the Infinite Love, Light Beauty and Perfection of God.

Therefore, before each prayer, man should repeat the Greatest Name 9 times and each morning he should repeat it 95 times (successively) seeking the Divine Beloved with all his heart and soul.

(Copied by M.S. Perry; 1945)

Thursday, August 6, 2009


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mona video reach more than 136000 visits

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X4aFDVlNkrw

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