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This blog contains responses to blog prompts, & thoughts on spiritual or religious themes |
Disclaimer: Any views, about religion or sacred scriptures, expressed in this blog are my own and not the official views of the Baha'i Faith or any other religion. If you wish to know more about the Baha'i Faith, please check one of these websites: The Baha'i Faith: The Official Website of the Worldwide Baha'i Community ![]() ![]() "The gift of God to this enlightened age is the knowledge of the oneness of mankind and of the fundamental oneness of religion. War shall cease between nations, and by the will of God the Most Great Peace shall come; the world will be seen as a new world, and all men will live as brothers." Abdu'l-Baha1 ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Other Blogs and Journals Content Rating 18+ "Writing in Snow" ![]() "The Snowflake Chronicles" ![]() "Snow Melt" ![]() "More Snow Melt" ![]() "Welcome to My Life" ![]() "Melting Snow" ![]() "Memories of Snow" ![]() "Dreams of Snow " ![]() "Poem Experiments" ![]() "Devotional Poetry" ![]() Other Journals Content Rating ASR "Bicentenary Poems and Prose" ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() "Treasures lie hidden beneath the throne of God; the key to those treasures if the tongue of poets." The Bab ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() "O my God! O my God! Unite the hearts of Thy servants, and reveal to them Thy great purpose. May they follow Thy commandments and abide in Thy law. Help them, O God, in their endeavor, and grant them strength to serve Thee. O God! Leave them not to themselves, but guide their steps by the light of Thy knowledge, and cheer their hearts by Thy love. Verily, Thou art their Helper and their Lord." Bahá’u’lláh2 ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Footnotes |
Jamál (Beauty), 4 Mashíyyat (Will) 175 B.E. - Sunday, September 30, 2018 What Does it Mean to be a Baha'i? I meditate upon this question, read the sacred writings of The Bab, Baha'u'llah, and 'Abdu'l-Baha, and attempt--as best I can--to follow 'Abdu'l-Baha's example. This is an unending spiritual journey of prayer, meditations, reading the sacred scriptures, and taking action to follow Baha'u'llah's prescription for living and 'Abdu'l-Baha's advice on living "As A Baha'i". Sometimes I succeed, and sometimes I fail. The idea is to never give up, and to bring myself to account each day. "To Live The Life As A Bahai Is" a) To be no cause of grief to anyone b) To be kind to all people and love then with a pure spirit c) To look always at the good qualities and not at the bad qualities of man d) To do all of our deeds in kindness e) To cut our hearts from ourselves and from the world f) To be humble g) To be truthful h) To be reverent i) To be a cause of healing for every sick one Abdul Baha3 Each day is a battle between my lower material/physical nature and my higher spiritual nature. Each day is a battle to question and dispel the prejudices, superstitions, and dogma I was taught as a child, in order to reflect the divine attributes mirror by Baha'u'llah, the Manifestation of God for this day. My weapons in this battle are prayer, reading sacred scriptures, meditation, deepening on the sacred scriptures, and action. If I have questions about anything I have discovered, I can go to the writings of Shoghi Effendi, the letters from the Universal House of Justice, the letters from the National Spiritual Assembly, or ask a member of the Local Spiritual Assembly. However, in the end I am responsible for using my mind to determine the answers for myself. Baha'is Believe In 1. One God 2. The Oneness of humanity 3. Independent investigation of truth 4. The common foundation of all religions 5. The essential harmony of science and religion 6. The equality of men and women 7. The elimination of prejudices of all kinds 8. Universal compulsory education 9. Spiritual solution to economic problems 10. A universal auxiliary language 11. Universal peace upheld by a world government From a card I carry in my wallet. What does it mean to me to be a Baha'i? It means to accept Baha'u'llah as the promised one of all religions. It means to accept the validity of the Divine Messengers or Manifestations who appeared in the past. It means to accept the validity of their sacred scriptures because they were revealed by the Holy Spirit to the Divine Messengers. It means to polish the mirror of my soul so that it can reflect the light of Baha'u'llah, the Glory of God. Baha'u'llah Titles (These are all I can think of or discover right now.) The Glory of God, The King of Glory, The Promised one of All Ages, The King of kings, The Lord of lords, The Lord of Hosts The Lord of the Ages, The Great Trumpet of God, The Divine Physician, The Sun of Truth, The Sun of Reality, The One that God made Manifest, The Pen of Glory, The Ancient Beauty, The Blessed Beauty, The Supreme Mediator, The Well-Beloved of all worlds The Everlasting Father. Author's Note: ▼ Footnotes |