Baha’u'llah ordained that The Declaration of the Bab is one of two “Most Great Festivals” (the other being Ridvan) and it is celebrated by Baha’is around the world as a Holy Day from the evening of May 22nd to the evening of May 23rd.

In The World Order of Baha’u'llah Shoghi Effendi emphatically explains the station of the Bab and the significance of His Declaration, and so I thought it befitting to leave you with a selection of excerpts from this book.

Not only in the character of the revelation of Baha’u’llah, however stupendous be His claim, does the greatness of this Dispensation reside. For among the distinguishing features of His Faith ranks, as a further evidence of its uniqueness, the fundamental truth that in the person of its Forerunner, the Bab, every follower of Baha’u’llah recognizes not merely an inspired annunciator but a direct Manifestation of God. It is their firm belief that, no matter how short the duration of His Dispensation, and however brief the period of the operation of His laws, the Bab had been endowed with a potency such as no founder of any of the past religions was, in the providence of the Almighty, allowed to possess. That He was not merely the precursor of the Revelation of Baha’u’llah, that He was more than a divinely-inspired personage, that His was the station of an independent, self-sufficient Manifestation of God, is abundantly demonstrated by Himself, is affirmed in unmistakable terms by Baha’u’llah, and is finally attested by the Will and Testament of Abdu’l-Baha.

Nowhere but in the Kitab-i-Iqan, Baha’u’llah’s masterly exposition of the one unifying truth underlying all the Revelations of the past, can we obtain a clearer apprehension of the potency of those forces inherent in that Preliminary Manifestation with which His own Faith stands indissolubly associated. Expatiating upon the unfathomed import of the signs and tokens that have accompanied the Revelation proclaimed by the Báb, the promised Qá’im, He recalls these prophetic words: “Knowledge is twenty and seven letters. All that the Prophets have revealed are two letters thereof. No man thus far hath known more than these two letters. But when the Qa’im shall arise, He will cause the remaining twenty and five letters to be made manifest.” “Behold,” adds Baha’u’llah, “how great and lofty is His station!” “Of His Revelation,” He further adds, “the Prophets of God, His saints and chosen ones, have either not been informed, or in pursuance of God’s inscrutable Decree, they have not disclosed.”

The marvelous happenings that have heralded the advent of the Founder of the Babi Dispensation, the dramatic circumstances of His own eventful life, the miraculous tragedy of His martyrdom, the magic of His influence exerted on the most eminent and powerful among His countrymen, to all of which every chapter of Nabíl’s stirring narrative testifies, should in themselves be regarded as sufficient evidence of the validity of His claim to so exalted a station among the Prophets.

However graphic the record which the eminent chronicler of His life has transmitted to posterity, so luminous a narrative must pale before the glowing tribute paid to the Báb by the pen of Baha’u’llah. This tribute the Báb Himself has, by the clear assertion of His claim, abundantly supported, while the written testimonies of Abdu’l-Baha have powerfully reinforced its character and elucidated its meaning.

Where else if not in the Kitáb-i-Íqán can the student of the Bábí Dispensation seek to find those affirmations that unmistakably attest the power and spirit which no man, except he be a Manifestation of God, can manifest? “Could such a thing,” exclaims Baha’u’llah, “be made manifest except through the power of a Divine Revelation and the potency of God’s invincible Will? By the righteousness of God! Were any one to entertain so great a Revelation in his heart the thought of such a declaration would alone confound him! Were the hearts of all men to be crowded into his heart, he would still hesitate to venture upon so awful an enterprise.” “No eye,” He in another passage affirms, “hath beheld so great an outpouring of bounty, nor hath any ear heard of such a Revelation of loving-kindness… The Prophets ‘endowed with constancy,’ whose loftiness and glory shine as the sun, were each honored with a Book which all have seen, and the verses of which have been duly ascertained. Whereas the verses which have rained from this Cloud of divine mercy have been so abundant that none hath yet been able to estimate their number… How can they belittle this Revelation? Hath any age witnessed such momentous happenings?”

Wishing to stress the sublimity of the Bab’s exalted station as compared with that of the Prophets of the past, Baha’u’llah in that same epistle asserts: “No understanding can grasp the nature of His Revelation, nor can any knowledge comprehend the full measure of His Faith.”

He then quotes, in confirmation of His argument, these prophetic words: “Knowledge is twenty and seven letters. All that the Prophets have revealed are two letters thereof. No man thus far hath known more than these two letters. But when the Qa’im shall arise, He will cause the remaining twenty and five letters to be made manifest.” “Behold,” He adds, “how great and lofty is His station! His rank excelleth that of all the Prophets and His Revelation transcendeth the comprehension and understanding of all their chosen ones.” “Of His Revelation,” He further adds, “the Prophets of God, His saints and chosen ones, have either not been informed, or, in pursuance of God’s inscrutable decree, they have not disclosed.”

Of all the tributes which Baha’u’llah’s unerring pen has chosen to pay to the memory of the Báb, His “Best-Beloved,” the most memorable and touching is this brief, yet eloquent passage which so greatly enhances the value of the concluding passages of that same epistle. “Amidst them all,” He writes, referring to the afflictive trials and dangers besetting Him in the city of Baghdád, “We stand life in hand wholly resigned to His Will, that perchance through God’s loving kindness and grace, this revealed and manifest Letter (Baha’u’llah) may lay down His life as a sacrifice in the path of the Primal Point, the most exalted Word (the Báb). By Him, at Whose bidding the Spirit hath spoken, but for this yearning of Our soul, We would not, for one moment, have tarried any longer in this city.” [The World Order of Baha’u’llah, Shoghi Effendi, p.62; p.124-126]

This simple act said it all about Alvin’s very real belief in the oneness of humanity.

The everyday greeting of shaking hands was not practiced between Europeans and locals in the Solomons in the 1950s. There still existed an insidious “master-boy relationship” produced by colonialism.

But Alvin, like his wife Gertrude, was a true Baha’i and was having none of it.

Not only did Alvin shake the man’s hand, but he invited him home for a meal where Gertrude’s delicious stew and hot tea accompanied discussions of spiritual things in an atmosphere of love, laughter and equality.

“The news of this event soon spread through the village networks,” writes Keithie Saunders in Of Wars and Worship, her emotionally gripping biography of her parents, who were named Knights of Baha’u’llah for introducing the Faith to the Solomon Islands.

The man Alvin greeted with a handshake, Bill Gina, became the first Baha’i in the Solomons.

As the book recounts, over the decades to come – in their everyday spontaneous acts of kindness as well as in their planned activities in business and for the Baha’i Faith – the Blums demonstrated their heartfelt commitment to the fundamental principle of Baha’u’llah, that all people are equal members of one human family.

With the assistance of professional writer Prue Rushton, Keithie Saunders has written a book that moves away from the standard biography of spiritual heroes.

Using the techniques of a novelist, she breathes life into the characters, surrounding the facts with the thoughts and feelings of the protagonists. Some of those thoughts and feelings come from the Blums themselves, some are clearly inferred and are added with literary licence to keep the story alive and moving.

Hollywood could not have thought up this story. A US military medic who had such traumatic experiences in the war torn Solomons’ island of Guadalcanal in World War 2 that he never spoke about them returns to the island with his equally impressive wife to bring Baha’u’llah’s message of world peace through world unity.

The author describes her parents and their lives in a frank manner, not hesitating to portray their difficulties and weaknesses as well as their strengths and triumphs.

In doing so, the couple emerge as very real people, not super humans, but as folk who conquered themselves and achieved superhuman results.

Coming from a Jewish background in the United States, the Blums first lived, taught and proclaimed their faith in the racially divided Southern States. The book has absorbing accounts of Jewish life in New York that reach back into the history of both Alvin and Gertrude’s families. Disturbing as well as happy incidents are described.

We learn how Alvin (1912-68) and Gertrude (1909-1993) became Baha’is, how they served the Faith together, how they fell in love, and later how they married.

There is a lovely pen portrait of Mary Maxwell as a young woman long before she became Amatu’l-Baha Ruhiyyih Khanum, the wife of the Guardian: “she is the freest spirit Gertrude has encountered, untamed and untainted”. Decades later, Ruhiyyih Khanum visited Gertrude in the Solomons.

The first Local Spiritual Assembly of Honiara, Solomon Islands 1957. Back row from left to right: Geoff Dennis, Shebual Mauala, Alvin Blum, Bethuel Bama, John Mills .Front row from left to right: Harry Chandra, Gertrude Blum, George Kwota, Ruhi Mills.

For the Baha’is of New Zealand, now celebrating the centenary of their community, there is important historical information about the Baha’i activities of Alvin Blum when he was a medic stationed in Auckland in World War 2. He returned with Gertrude after the war had ended.

For Australian readers there is a funny anecdote about how Hand of the Cause Collis Featherstone, Mr Frank Khan (father of Dr Peter Khan) and Alvin Blum had to share the same room at a Baha’i conference because they were unable to afford individual accommodation. It had only one double bed. “Well here we are,” he [Alvin] chuckles. “A Muslim, a Jew and a Christian all sharing a bed. If that is not the oneness of mankind what is?”

As a study of personalities the book is intriguing. Alvin is a dynamic, go-getter businessman always coming up with ideas and then putting them into practice. He is restless, full of energy. Gertrude on the other hand is ethereal and contemplative—and cautious in the practical matters of life.

Alvin and Gertrude could exasperate each other but there was no question that what they had in common was an unshakeable faith in the teachings of Baha’u’llah.

This combination of opposites, a living example of the Baha’i principle of unity in diversity, had a power that will humble most readers

As a businessman, Alvin dedicated himself to the development of the Solomons. He introduced into the country a taxi service, a “hometel”, a dry cleaning business, a bakery, an ice cream and soft drink business. He was also a member of the Honiara Town Council, established the Chamber of Commerce and the Scout Movement.

His energy for new enterprises was astounding, his bravery incredible — he once rescued a shark attack victim amidst a sea of blood.

Gertrude helped establish the National Council of Women and the Red Cross Society, but her contributions were far more widespread at a personal and organisation level than that description can cover. Her services to the Faith in themselves were extraordinary. Mrs Blum was named a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in 1989. The Governor-General attended her funeral and throughout the islands there were memorial gatherings in her honour.

One of the most touching aspects of the book is the theme of the love and support of the head of the Faith, Shoghi Effendi, for their service.

There is a truly tear-jerking account of what happened when the Blums— with Gertrude particularly apprehensive—were about to sail to their pioneering post.

A friend on the wharf shouted out to Alvin, who then walked back down the gangplank to where he was handed a telegram, the words of which were to sustain the Blums forever and which today are emblazoned on Gertrude’s resting place.

The cable contained these simple words:

“LOVING PRAYERS SURROUNDING YOU. SHOGHI.”

Of Wars and Worship: The extraordinary story of Gertrude and Alvin Blum, by Keithie Saunders with the assistance of Prue Rushton. George Ronald Publishers.

You can purchase a copy of this wonderful book from your local Baha’i book store, or online from George Ronald Publishers and other online bookstores.

Unfortunately however, the luxury of religious freedom is not shared by Baha’is everywhere, and in Iran, the birthplace of our Faith, Baha’is  (as well as other religious minorities) continue to face discrimination and persecution.

It has now been five years that seven Baha’is were imprisoned by the Iranian authorities, and they are serving a 20 year sentence. Yes, a 20 year sentence!

Five years behind bars is a long time, in fact it’s five years too many, especially, when you consider that these individuals were arrested and imprisoned simply because of their religious beliefs.

As I look at a picture of these seven imprisoned Baha’is, I wonder what they are like as individuals – mothers, fathers, sisters and brothers, each with their own likes and dislikes, fears and aspirations, skills and passions, humor and personalities. There’s Fariba, a developmental psychologist and a mother of three; Jamaloddin, a once-successful factory owner who lost his business after the Islamic Revolution because of his belief in the Baha’i Faith; Afif, who ran his father-in-law’s textile factory because as a Baha’i he was unable to pursue his dream of becoming a doctor; Saeid, father of three and an agricultural engineer who was running a successful farming equipment business; Mahvash, mother of two, a teacher and school principal who was dismissed from public education for being a Baha’i; Vahid, a father, an optometrist and the owner of an optical shop; Behrouz, a former social worker who lost his government job in the early 1980s, also because he was a Baha’i. 

The seven imprisoned Baha’is. Seated from left, Behrouz Tavakkoli and Saeid Rezaie, and, standing, Fariba Kamalabadi, Vahid Tizfahm, Jamaloddin Khanjani, Afif Naeimi, and Mahvash Sabet. The photograph was taken several months before their arrest.

I think about what they and their families have, and continue to go through. I think about the stark difference of what the last five years of my life has been like, compared to theirs behind bars.

During the first year of their imprisonment, the seven Baha’is were not told of the charges against them and they were denied access to a lawyer. Finally, when the seven eventually did go to trial, the court was illegally closed to the public, and according to the lawyers representing the seven Baha’is, the trial was based on non-existent evidence, and demonstrated extreme bias on the part of the prosecutors and judges. Mahnaz Parakand, one of the lawyers representing the Baha’is said:

The bill of indictment that was issued against our clients…was more like a political statement, rather than a legal document… It was a 50-page document…full of accusations and humiliations leveled against the Baha’i community of Iran, especially our clients. It was written without producing any proof for the allegations.

Unfortunately discrimination and persecution is nothing new to the Baha’is in Iran, and since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, persecution has intensified. In fact, in a recent report on the situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran dated 28 February 2013, the United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, stated:

Serious discrimination in law and in practice against ethnic and religious minorities, continues to be reported, especially against the Baha’i community… An ongoing anti-Baha’i media campaign resulted in increasing attacks on its members and their properties. This national campaign that consists of Anti-Baha’i pamphlets, posters, seminars and the broadcasting of anti-Baha’i speeches on radio networks appears to be tacitly condoned by the authorities. In addition, anti-Baha’i speeches reportedly delivered to different audiences including schools, youth organizations and the general public.

In order to mark the five year anniversary of the wrongful imprisonment of these seven Baha’is, the Baha’i International Community [BIC] has launched an international campaign titled Five Years Too Many. The campaign is calling for the immediate release of the seven Baha’is, and it also hopes to draw attention to human rights issues in Iran. Bani Dugal, the principal representative of the Baha’i International Community to the United Nations stated:

On 14 May, the seven innocent Baha’i leaders will have been behind bars for five full years, unjustly imprisoned solely because of their religious beliefs… The arrest of the seven Baha’i leaders on false charges, their wrongful imprisonment, and severe mistreatment while in detention are emblematic of the suffering of the Iranian Baha’i community as a whole – and, indeed, the situation of the hundreds of other innocent prisoners of conscience who have been incarcerated for their beliefs… Their long sentences reflect the Government’s determination to completely oppress the Iranian Baha’i community, which is the country’s largest non-Muslim religious minority… We are asking people of good will around the world to raise their voices in an effort to win their freedom and the freedom of other innocent prisoners of conscience in Iran.

To aid the efforts of the ”Five Years Too Many” campaign, the BIC has created a special section on its website to focus on the campaign. It features articles and documents about the lives and situation of the seven Baha’is, including images for download, a video, and a blog providing updates on events and activities as they happen. The BIC explains that the purpose of the website is to…

…encourage people of good conscience everywhere to raise their voices in support of that call, asking that the Iranian Government to live up to its international obligations and to release the seven immediately – along with their 100-plus co-religionists and countless other prisoners of conscience – and to take other steps to end religious persecution in Iran.

There has already been a great deal of international support by people of good will and conscience across the globe, and the team at Baha’i Blog and I would like to personally encourage all of our readers to support this important campaign in whatever way you can.

I’ll sign off with this quote from Firuzeh Mahmoudi, United4Iran’s director and founder:

The plight of these seven is representative of the countless Iranian men and women who have been jailed for defending their freedom and human rights. Our message to the seven is this: The world has not forgotten you, and we will continue to fight for your freedom and that of other Iranian prisoners of conscience.

In the Baha’i Writings, mothers are referred to as the first educators of the children. Abdu’l-Baha wrote:

If the mother is educated then her children will be well taught. When the mother is wise, then will the children be led into the path of wisdom. If the mother be religious she will show her children how they should love God. If the mother is moral she guides her little ones into the ways of uprightness. It is clear therefore that the future generation depends on the mothers of today. Is not this a vital responsibility for the woman? Does she not require every possible advantage to equip her for such a task? (Abdu’l-Baha, Paris Talks, p. 161)

Considering the importance of mothers, I think Mother’s Day is as good of a day as any for husbands, kids, and relatives to thank mothers for all their hard work throughout the year. It is a great idea to show love and kindness to one who is so instrumental in the life of everyone in her family! However let us not think that the appreciation and support of mothers can end here.

The world has in many ways moved beyond the stereotypical roles for men and women leading to a blending of duties in the home and, sometimes, confusion and stress from the weight of the responsibilities that are not so obviously assigned any more. But whether she’s a stay-at-home mom or a working mom, every mother has a tremendous influence on her child’s life and future.

Abdu’l-Baha reminds us:

For mothers are the first educators, the first mentors; and truly it is the mothers who determine the happiness, the future greatness, the courteous ways and learning and judgement, the understanding and the faith of their little ones. (Abdu’l-Baha, Selections from the Writings of Abdu’l-Baha, p. 126)

Besides structural changes within the family unit, there are many trends in current society that are affecting the inner workings of the home. More families are separated from extended relatives because they have moved across the state or to another country altogether. Neighbors do not even necessarily know each other by name. A majority of “friends” are media based and people are missing out on the value of face-to-face connection. Basically the family’s age-old support system – practically and even emotionally – has broken down.

As we build the New World Order, I personally suspect that old roles will not just be readjusted but totally recreated. Who said “work” has to be 8 hours on five days a week? Or that schools can’t be 5 hours a day and based in the neighborhood, so that families can spend the rest of the day living and serving the community together? What about communities sharing the work load so that childcare, farming, and neighborhood needs are woven into the structure of everyone’s daily routine? Will stay-at-home mothers eventually be paid by the government for their labor, similar to daycare workers?

But the future, whatever it may be, is still a long way off. For now, let us consider if we have truly broken free from the old mold where work at home is not valued and being a mother is not seen as a “real job.” Does the configuration of our current society allow everyone in the family to work together for the common good, regardless of title or the money they make? Do we, as a society at large, show respect for mothers as educators of their children, keepers of their homes, and valuable contributors to the progress of humanity?

Mothers everywhere are struggling with the repercussions of these questions, and are torn in a society that expects so much of them but does not give them the support they need to “do it all.” They are trying to balance their responsibilities at home with their passions outside the home, working to give their children a moral education in a world plagued with materialism, seeking to serve their communities in their limited “free” time, wondering if they are “wasting” their education by staying at home with their children, and the list goes on…

We need more than cards and chocolates to support mothers today. What I, and I suspect many mothers out there, really want for Mother’s Day is a change in mindset and to take steps forward to change the structure of the world.

We need a society where childrearing is deeply respected. We need a community where motherhood is treated as a “real job” and therefore education and training are provided to prepare us for the workload. We need creativity and flexibility with jobs and childcare so we do not have to choose between staying at home and going to work, allowing us to use our talents and education in both arenas. We need hands-on help from neighbors and the community around us, so we can be part of a village working together to raise our children. We need fair pay and access to healthcare, whether working inside or outside of the home. We need people who respect us for our choices, no matter what they are, and try to help out whenever they can.

Motherhood is a hard job. And so I ask you, on this Mother’s Day, to resolve yourselves in your work that is building a world that will truly support it:

Continue your children’s classes, your junior youth groups, your study circles and your devotional gatherings… they are all contributing to making a brighter future for mothers, fathers, and children everywhere. Through them, and service to our communities, we are learning about what it means to be global citizens, servants of humanity, and each day we are moving towards a New World Order.

Respect and support mothers in whatever ways you can, every day of the year. Truly they are doing a magnificent service to society, even if the world is not currently set up to recognize or support them in their role. We will get there eventually. For now we can take heart in this beautiful selection expressing admiration for the work of mothers everywhere:

O ye loving mothers, know ye that in God’s sight, the best of all ways to worship Him is to educate the children and train them in all the perfections of humankind; and no nobler deed than this can be imagined. (Abdu’l-Baha, Selections from the Writings of Abdu’l-Baha, p. 139)

In a letter addressed to the Baha’i world on May 1st, 2013, The Universal House of Justice wrote:

“So overwhelming has been the response of the Baha’i youth and their friends―indeed, of Baha’i communities worldwide―to the announcement of 95 conferences to be convened around the world between July and October, that existing arrangements now seem unlikely to accommodate the number of youth wishing to attend, and it is apparent that a further complement of gatherings is therefore required.”

The additional 19 conferences will be held in the following locations: 

1. Bertoua
2. Bidor
3. Biratnagar
4. Brisbane
5. Cagayan de Oro
6. Georgetown (Guyana)
7. Houston
8. Kampong Thorn
9. Kigoma
10. Los Angeles
11. Mahikeng
12. Milne Bay
13. Minneapolis
14. Montreal
15. Nuku’alofa
16. Nundu (Democratic Republic of the Congo)
17. Seattle
18. Vientiane
19. Washington, D.C.

This uplifting film captures the insights and experiences of four different communities on four different continents. In these communities, children, junior youth, youth, and adults are all taking part in a process of community building based on concepts enshrined in the Baha’i Teachings.

Filmed in Canada, Colombia, India, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Frontiers of Learning is divided into four main parts and it is approximately 90 minutes in length. The film also has subtitles in 5 different languages, and you can either stream or download the film for free.

Watch or download Frontiers of Learning here: http://www.bahai.org/frontiers/

Happy viewing!

The Seat of the Universal House of Justice in Haifa, Israel (Photo courtesy Adib Roy via Flickr).

As Baha’i's around the world continue to celebrate the 12 days of Ridvan, and local Baha’i communities in cities, towns and villages elect their Local Spiritual Assemblies, an important event, which only takes place once every five years is currently underway in Haifa, Israel: The election of the Universal House of Justice.

The Universal House of Justice is the supreme administrative body for the Baha’i international community. In reference to the role of the Universal House of Justice, Baha’u'llah stated:

The men of God’s House of Justice have been charged with the affairs of the people. They, in truth, are the Trustees of God among His servants and the daysprings of authority in His countries… Inasmuch as for each day there is a new problem and for every problem an expedient solution, such affairs should be referred to the Ministers of the House of Justice that they may act according to the needs and requirements of the time.¹

The first election of the Universal House of Justice was 50 years ago in 1963, and it coincided with the centenary of the declaration of Baha’u'llah which took place in the Ridvan Gardens in Baghdad in 1863. Since its inception, the Universal House of Justice is elected every five years by members of National Spiritual Assemblies worldwide, and these members gather together at what is called the International Baha’i Convention. The electoral process is carried out by these attendees (or ‘delegates’ as they are also known) in a spiritual atmosphere of prayer and reverence. All delegates cast their votes via a secret ballot, and, as in all Baha’i elections, any form of nominating or electioneering for candidates is strictly forbidden in the Baha’i Writings. Those who cannot attend the International Baha’i Convention in person must cast their ballot via mail.

The election of the Universal House of Justice was ordained by Baha’u'llah in The Most Holy Book (Kitab-i-Aqdas), and delegates are able to vote for any nine males over the age of 21 from around the Baha’i world. The fact that the election is based on ‘male members’ of the community has often been a point of much discussion in light of the explicit Baha’i belief that men and women are equal (and perhaps this can be looked at in more depth in a future article); but Baha’is view positions on Baha’i institutions as roles of service rather than power, and Abdu’l-Baha clearly states that the reason for this law “will erelong be made manifest as clearly as the sun at high noon.”²

In Abdu’l-Baha’s Will and Testament, He writes that members elected to serve on the Universal House of Justice…

…must be manifestations of the fear of God and daysprings of knowledge and understanding, must be steadfast in God’s faith and the well-wishers of all mankind.³

As mentioned, much emphasis is placed on delegates approaching the election process in a prayerful attitude, and the team here at Baha’i Blog hopes that you will join us in keeping the delegates during this very special event in our thoughts and prayers.

1. Tablets of Bahá’u'lláh Revealed after the Kitáb-i-Aqdas, [rev. ed.] (Haifa: Bahá’í World Centre, 1982), pp. 26-27
2. Abdu’l-Baha, Selections from the Writings of Abdu’l-Baha, p. 80
3. Will and Testament of Abdu’l-Baha p. 14

It is all too easy to pinpoint the obvious differences between the modern practices of Buddhism and the Baha’i Faith. But it isn’t all that difficult to draw profound parallels either. After all, Abdu’l-Baha described the Buddha as ”the cause of the illumination of the world of humanity”, and for the Baha’is, Buddha was nothing less than an earlier Messenger of God — a notion that will not be quite as easily swallowed by your average Buddhist monk.

Yet it turns out that one can even draw parallels between the lives of these two Manifestations of God. Both the Buddha and Baha’u'llah came from families of nobility, and were guaranteed positions of wealth and power in the societies in which They lived, but Both forfeited the ‘good life’ in order to be among the poor and to share with others Their higher calling. 

But there’s more. No two bodies of scripture emphasize detachment from the impermanent as much as the Pali Canon (an ancient collection of suttas or ‘discourses’ attributed to the Buddha) and the Writings of Baha’u’llah.

Thus shall ye think of this fleeting world; a star at dawn, a bubble in a stream, a flash of lightning in a summer cloud, a flickering lamp, a phantom, and a dream. -The Buddha Gautama, Diamond Sutta

Live then the days of thy life, that are less than a fleeting moment, with thy mind stainless, thy heart unsullied, thy thoughts pure, and thy nature sanctified… -Baha’u’llah, The Hidden Words

The Four Noble truths of Buddhism are simple yet profound. In a nutshell, they state that the cessation of suffering (dukkha) is the ultimate goal of human existence, and detachment from transient things is the only way to attain it. The attainment of complete detachment from selfish attachment is called ‘nirvana’ — a term that is frequently likened to a state of bliss and happiness which the freedom from attachments gives rise to.

Luminous is this mind, brightly shining, and it is free of the attachments that visit it. This the noble follower of the way really understands. -The Buddha, Anguttara Nikaya

The fourth noble truth is unique. For it is in fact an eight-step path of eight virtues — such as right thinking, right speech and right action — the disciplined observance of that which is instrumental to attaining nirvana. The similarities to the Message of Baha’u'llah are striking.

Blessed and happy is he that ariseth to promote the best interests of the peoples and kindreds of the earth. -Baha’u’llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha’u'llah

The Baha’i Faith, of course, suggests there is no way to become detached from the impermanent unless there is something permanent and eternal to put our trust in instead. But in fact the famous Udana passage in the Pali scriptures also states the same thing. This passage is a favourite among theists who wish to demonstrate that Buddhism may also have had a monotheistic origin, as indeed Abdu’l-Baha unequivocally affirms.

There is, O monks, an Unborn, Unoriginated, Uncreated, Unformed. Were there not, O monks, this Unborn, Unoriginated, Uncreated, Unformed, there would be no escape from the world of the born, originated, created, formed. Since, O monks, there is an Unborn, Unoriginated, Uncreated, Unformed, therefore is there an escape from the born, originated, created, formed. What is dependant, that also moves; what is independent does not move. -The Buddha, Udana 8:3

Yet the fact remains that Buddhism, in its current ‘official’ forms, is non-theistic. It regards the existence of God or gods as irrelevant to the achievement of its central goal. ‘Non-theism’ is not to be confused with ‘atheism’. According to most current forms of Buddhism, a Buddhist is free to believe in God, or to disbelieve, if one or the other helps him on his path to reduce suffering in the world. Again, this is not entirely unlike the Baha’i Writings in which it is written:

If religion becomes the cause of enmity and bloodshed, then irreligion is to be preferred.-Abdu’l-Baha, The Promulgation of Universal Peace

Furthermore, as in the Baha’i Faith, a significant level of religious tolerance is in-built into Buddhism as well. Although one could perhaps qualify the Buddhist brand of religious tolerance as a kind of a “cool tolerance” as opposed to a more active and world-embracing tolerance prompted by Baha’u’llah. The latter brand involves a commandment, from God none other, to consort with all religions with friendliness, to establish their essential unity, and to regard them all as absolutely necessary historical revelations of the same world-civilizing Truth. Yet, despite its non-theism, traditional day-to-day Buddhism in the rural areas of most Buddhist-majority countries continues to be palpably theistic in character. Villagers across South-East Asia and South Asia treat Buddha, Himself, as a prayer-hearing and prayer-answering being in much the same way as the so-called Abrahamic religions regard God.

So I ended up bringing much more back home with me from Sri Lanka than vibrant-coloured batiks and a mouth numbed by the hottest curries known to man. Owing to our shared principles of tolerance and rational examination of all truth-claims, I discovered how easy it was, as a Baha’i, to find a common language of constructive dialogue with Buddhists well-versed in their own scripture. Indeed, in the present global turmoil, I cannot think of more natural partners in the promotion of interfaith harmony than Buddhists and Baha’is. Yes, what a privilege it is to have such elder brothers.

Put away all hindrances, let your mind full of love pervade one quarter of the world, and so too the second quarter, and so the third, and so the fourth. And thus the whole wide world, above, below, around and everywhere, altogether continue to pervade with love-filled thought, abounding, sublime, beyond measure, free from hatred and ill-will. -The Buddha, adapted from the Digha Nikaya

“Going anywhere special for The Festival this year?”

“Usually we spend Paradise at home, but this year we’re going on a 12-day luxury cruise to Baghdad.”

“Really? Oh, I’m jealous. My husband just can’t miss the Ridvan golf junket in Las Vegas, so it’s going to be more reading and pomegranate tea by the pool for me…”

No, I haven’t heard many conversations like this at devotionals or reflection meetings, either! (And aren’t we lucky? Our Holy Days still focus on the holy part.) Still, it is the Most Great Festival, and who knows what it will be in futures that more or less distantly shine in our imaginations? As with the 19 Day Feast, so with Ridvan: we have only the barest notion of how to celebrate them. As with everything, we’re learning, and nothing stops our education more quickly than the thought that we know how to celebrate our festivals and nineteen-day spiritual gatherings. They will be “unimaginably glorious”, as the Guardian might have said, but for now we do the best we can.

For me, Ridvan started on the number 27 bus to a hotel where some friends had gathered to celebrate. Manning and Andrea were in charge of the program. There were dozens of roses strewn ‘round the central pillar (a tall coatrack) of a flowing white tent (curtains, I think, anchored by chairs). We sang. Children prayed. “Mirza Asad’u’llah” told his eye-witness story from a century and a half ago, in the voice of a gentle, blonde and blue-eyed American daddy. Children gaped and wondered. As the sun set, and the first day of Paradise commenced, the food was splendid and the fellowship was better. This was our big Ridvan celebration together, as by the next time we meet, Baha’u’llah will have already mounted that red stallion and begun His triumphant exit from Baghdad, on a day that had been intended to tarnish His reputation and discourage His followers. (Good luck with THAT, powers of the earth!)

Ridvan is 150 years old this year. For us, it has so far included study circles and a devotional gathering; at the latter, since we live in China and we can eat strawberries in April, we did as we fashioned a gorgeous bouquet of roses, home-made from wire and ribbon and crepe paper. (Chopsticks, you may wish to know, are indispensable to the proper curving of each petal.) That’s not the only distinctive thing about Ridvan in China of course.

Here’s the thing that has always fascinated me about this whole festival. Baha’is kick off their biggest annual wing-ding, in most places in the world, by holding their local (and later their national) Baha’i elections. Oh, there is feasting, song and dance and drama and generally boat-loads of roses and other beauties, but a sacred kind of voting is typically how it all begins. As a young Baha’i, this was one of my first clues that this new community I was lurking on the edges of was organized a little differently than others. We are learning to love the electoral process, as well as the institutions themselves. Before I came to China, I genuinely looked forward to this process every year, because it is one that induces hope, requires prayer, deepens friendships and forms the basis of, as the Universal House of Justice termed it recently, “a complete reconceptualization of the relationships that sustain society”. Even the way we celebratecontributes to this!

Back home in Ottawa, Canada, and likely where you live  – though not, we remember, in the land where the Faith was born – they gathered to select the nine members of the Spiritual Assembly. There were no campaign slogans, placards, or nominations, no multi-million-dollar campaign warchests or vicious attack ads, for heaven’s sake. Just this, among many other calls to an electoral process that is oddly simple but incredibly profound:

“Consider, without the least trace of passion and prejudice, and irrespective of any material consideration, the names of only those who can best combine the necessary qualities of unquestioned loyalty, of selfless devotion, of a well-trained mind, of recognized ability and mature experience.” -Shoghi Effendi

So they did. And so the process begins, and so it evolves and specializes and builds its capacity – and ours. And isn’t that better than a golf holiday?

“In the rose garden of changeless splendour” – and in my home and adopted towns, and yours, too – “a flower hath begun to bloom, compared to which every other flower is but a thorn, and before the brightness of whose glory the very essence of beauty must pale and wither…” -Baha’u'llah

The best of the season to you, wherever and however you honour it.

The most holy time of year in the Baha’i calendar is almost here, so that means it’s also time for another Baha’i Blog trivia quiz!

Ridvan is a time of celebration and jubilation for Baha’is around the world, and if you’re still trying to come up with ideas on how you can celebrate it with your community, then check out this Baha’i Blog post for some great ways to celebrate: 16 Novel Ideas for Your Next Holy Day

You may also want to have a read of these past two Baha’i Blog articles about Ridvan in order to brief yourselves on the significance of Ridvan before you jump head-first into the quiz!

1. What is Ridvan and why does it have 12 days?
2. The Two Gardens of Ridvan

We hope you enjoy the quiz, and of course, the team at Baha’i Blog would like to wish everyone a very happy Ridvan!

One of the things I absolutely love discovering is new Baha’i inspired music, and one of the wonderful benefits of running Baha’i Blog is that we get to share these awesome musical discoveries with the rest of the Baha’i world!

A friend of mine recently introduced me to the beautiful music of Natasha Chiang, a new Baha’i artist in Australia who just released her debut album a few weeks ago entitled Kindle.

Kindle was produced and arranged by musical legend Louie Shelton, and the whole album is based on Baha’i prayers.

There are also a couple of tracks where Natasha sings in Mandarin, and it’s really great to hear the Baha’i Writings being sung in Chinese.

I decided to catch up with Natasha Chiang to find out more about her and her music.

Baha’i Blog: Hi Natasha, can you tell me a little about yourself and why you decided to record this album?

Throughout my school years, my life revolved around band practice, piano and flute lessons, choirs and competitions. In short, I was a band geek! Singing was more of a hobby compared to the music playing and I’d only sing in a group or when nobody was around… It wasn’t until I picked up the guitar and started learning a couple of tunes from some older youth when we used to have jam sessions, that I started to break out of my shell a little bit.

Personally I feel that when the Creative Words of God are expressed in the form of music, it is enriched with a special ingredient that penetrates the hearts of the listener by a hundred times more. Throughout different times of my life, these Words have helped me get through things. So this album is a token of my gratitude to the Baha’i Faith and my family. Without them I wouldn’t have gotten this far.

Baha’i Blog: Why was making this album so important to you, and what are you hoping to achieve with your music?

Music is the ladder for the soul! My best memories at any Baha’i gathering were those times when people’s hearts were connected through music. My hope is that my music will do the same.

Baha’i Blog: How do you hope your music will effect others, and what’s the response to your music been like so far?

The response has been positive. As you know, two of the tracks on the album are sung also in Mandarin, and one other track actually has elements of oriental music in there. I hope that my music can touch the hearts of people not only from English-speaking backgrounds but also to friends with a Chinese background. I was so stoked to see Baha’i friends from Asia hearing about the album through Facebook! There needs to be more Baha’i music in Mandarin!

Baha’i Blog: You had mentioned that this album has taken you three years to complete. What was your journey like when writing music based on the Baha’i Writings?

The first time I sang on my own with just the guitar on stage – singing my own stuff – was three years ago. After coming back from my Youth Year of Service in Haifa, I became more confident and have matured more as a person, and also in the way I express myself through music. Each of these songs all played a part in my life throughout these last couple of years, and this album is sort of an expression of my journey as a Baha’i as well.

Baha’i Blog: Do you think we need more Baha’i inspired music, and do you have any suggestions to other aspiring Baha’i artists or musicians who are out there?

DEFINITELY! For a while, I actually stopped listening to the radio when I was driving because some of the music was giving me a headache. I used to not pay attention to the lyrics and just bobbed to the beats, but I don’t think that we should give in to the influences of society. We have so much potential to be better and we should strive for excellence in all that we do. This includes excellence in the arts.

Baha’i Blog: Are you working on any new initiatives and what are your plans for the future?

At the moment, I don’t plan to record another album. I’m currently completing my Bachelor degree in Industrial Design and I hope to make a positive change through the use of design. However, I’m still going to continue creating music!

Baha’i Blog: Where can everyone buy your album?

The album Kindle is available on Bandcamp: http://natashachiangmusic.bandcamp.com
It is available both digitally and physically, the hard copies will be ready for shipping in a few days.

Baha’i Blog: Thanks so much Natasha for taking the time do this interview, and congratulations on creating such a wonderful album!

But any mere words we try to use to describe it will always fall short. It is imperative, however, that we find a way to tune into that mystery because this is what makes our lives meaningful, happy and enriched. And getting there is not nearly as hard or as painful or as elusive as we might think.

The only real obstacle is us, because we have such pocket-sized attitudes to our own potential. But Baha’u'llah makes it very clear – in the Hidden Words - that all we have to do is reach within and find it.

O SON OF UTTERANCE! Thou art My stronghold; enter therein that thou mayest abide in safety. My love is in thee, know it, that thou mayest find Me near unto thee.

O SON OF BEING! Thou art My lamp and My light is in thee. Get thou from it thy radiance and seek none other than Me. For I have created thee rich and have bountifully shed My favour upon thee.

O SON OF BEING! With the hands of power I made thee and with the fingers of strength I created thee; and within thee have I placed the essence of My light. Be thou content with it and seek naught else, for My work is perfect and My command is binding. Question it not, nor have a doubt thereof.

Whether we know it or not, inside every one of us is mirror that reflects the essence of an inner Light, and every great religion tells us that this Light is the very essence of who we are. People on the Indian subcontinent know this. That is why they greet each other with a traditional ‘prayer’gesture that is thousands of years old.

But when we look at our ordinary selves in a very ordinary mirror, we are likely to think, “Yuck! There’s just too much in there that’s too murky even to think about!”.

Perhaps this is because we live in a Westernised, secularised, consumerised economy that has persuaded us to value outward appearances, to satisfy the ego, to acquire material wealth and then totally identify who we are with whatever it is we do. Not only are these demands shallow and distractive; but they have become so utterly all-pervasive that it requires substantial insight and effort to get below them and find out what really matters.

Why are we alive? What are we really meant to be doing with our lives?

Every genuine spiritual teacher has said that the answers to these questions lie just below the surface of the rational mind. Words can only hint at their meaning, and that meaning can only be uncovered by sustained and lively spiritual practice.

That is why Baha’u'llah asks us to:

1. Use the revealed prayers because they model how we ‘connect’with this Light.
2. Immerse ourselves in the Writings and thoroughly enjoy them until they impact on how we think, feel and act.
3. Set aside a time, every day, to consider what we have said and done in order to bring ourselves to account. But we do it very gently; in order to better understand how and why we act the way we do. We do NOT get judgemental and bash ourselves up! Rather, we aim to cultivate a mindfulness that allows us to be increasingly alert to our inner processes in order that we may also learn to be increasingly aware of the needs and responses of others.
4. Try out the annual Fast in order to examine what it has to tell us about becoming more detached from food, but more importantly, from persons and places and things.
5. Meditate in order to quieten down our minds so we can begin to access this insight, clarity and energy.

And woven into these practices, we can also choose to:

1. Listen to music that elevates or grounds us; enjoy the best plays and films, learn to appreciate great art and read widely and deeply from a variety of sources, including the very finest literature; and enquire into the depths of psychology and the marvellous innovations of science and technology.
2. Appreciate what is wondrous and beautiful in our surroundings and take time out to thoroughly enjoy them.
3. Exercise, avoid alcohol and eat the right foods to improve our health.
4. Above all, we need to act in ways that strive to enrich the lives of those who come into contact with us.

Yet Baha’u'llah insists that all these practices can ever do is polish the inner mirror that reflects our Inner Light because what we are doing is opening up what is already there inside us; utterly free and infinite.

The mythologist Joseph Campbell, after a lifetime of exploring the common threads running through all the sacred stories, beliefs and rituals of diverse indigenous peoples and major civilisations, concluded that:

People say that what we’re all seeking is a meaning to life. I don’t think that is what we’re really seeking. I think that what we’re seeking is… the rapture of being alive.

The challenge, however, at the very heart of the human condition, is this.

Our inner Light uncovers places inside us that we would much rather keep dark, tucked away and secret. These places do not like being aroused or exposed. They are used to doing fairly much what they want, so it is very disquietening to open them up and let the sun and fresh air come in.

It takes time and effort to rub away layer after layer of resistance, which is what many of us refer to as “sins”. Most of these however, are only dross and blotches that can be easily washed away if we just allow the radiance of detached observance to shine in on them, even though, at first, we seem to face one damned and awful humiliation after another.

But Baha’u'llah is very reassuring about this. He tells us: “outwardly it is fire and vengeance, but inwardly it is light and mercy.”

Spiritual growth requires courage, because layer after layer after layer of obstructive ego needs to be peeled off – desire, fancy, anger, hate, guilt, lust, materialism, illusion, heedlessness, silliness: you name it – they all make this a very time-consuming project.

Whenever we confront another barrier, we need to avoid self condemnation and just try and see it for what it is; then unpack it, take it down, let it go, bring it out, give it up – and always – to go with wherever the experience takes us. Eventually, we can reach a point where can laugh at ourselves, but this is only possible when we are kind enough and lowly enough to see how petty and mean our own obstructions really are.

Because this Light – just like the sun in the early morning  – is endlessly kind. And Baha’u'llah tells us that it is vital to understand that it is also filled with an infinity of utterly unconditional love.

This most great, this fathomless and surging Ocean is near, astonishingly near, unto you. Behold it is closer to you than your life-vein! Swift as the twinkling of an eye ye can, if ye but wish it, reach and partake of this imperishable favour, this God-given grace, this incorruptible gift, this most potent and unspeakably glorious bounty.

Once we actually experience that peace for ourselves, we are released to grow and develop and change and be shaped in ways that we had never even considered before.  That is why it is so vital to understand that this experience really is utterly, totally unconditional love.

That is why the Buddha went through such terrible extremes of effort to reach it, why Jesus allowed Himself to be crucified, Mohammed to be vilified, the Bab to be executed and Baha’u'llah to be chained and flogged and imprisoned.

Baha’is believe that these men were amongst the most consummate of spiritual teachers. Each was capable, within their own presence and being, of fully revealing and radiating Divine power.

That is why they were called ‘Manifestations’ of God. That is why they were able – perfectly and purely – to mirror the light of unconditional love by taking on, and transcending, the very worst burdens of human suffering. They each “drained to its dregs the cup of sorrow, that all the peoples of the earth may attain unto abiding joy, and be filled with gladness”.

That is why, for the rest of us, it is such a very short walk to get there, but because we are so resistant to the journey, it takes a lot of patience and grit and time. But careful and intelligent spiritual practice will enable us to grow ever deeper, quieter and more realistic. The signs of arrival are often paradoxic: we discover that we can be happy yet insightful – relaxed and yet alert – open-minded but focused – impressive and yet very vulnerable.

Baha’u'llah has made it very clear that this is a gift which we cannot earn because it is the birthright of every single human being. The only reason there is any talk about a “chosen few” is because, so far, relatively few of us have chosen to take up the offer. As the poet T.S. Eliot said, “Humankind cannot bear very much reality”.

Here “…if we but wish it…” is a truly mysterious reality for us to explore, the realm of wonder where opposites blend; and where deep humility and sound praxis allow us to see beyond our limited notions of who we are as human beings; so we can reach inwards to touch Divine Transcendence.

One of the most important principles of the Baha’i Faith is the oneness of religion, or the belief that all of the major world faiths teach the same fundamental truths and are entirely in agreement. Being raised Baha’i, this principle seemed so intuitive that I never really questioned it when I was young. But during my time as an undergraduate in university I was surprised to encounter a number of people who disagreed with the teachings of the Baha’i Faith precisely because of our belief in the principle of the oneness of religion. Oftentimes people of a particular faith would take issue with this principle because they were raised to believe that religions other than their own were inherently wrong. While I disagreed with their perspective, this didn’t necessarily surprise me as such views are somewhat common. But other times I would meet someone who wasn’t particularly religious, who loved all of the other teachings of the Faith, but who disagreed with the principle of the oneness of religion because it implied our acceptance of the principles from older religions that they disagreed with.

“How can you say you accept other religions when their teachings are the complete opposite of yours?” they’d ask. “Could you give me an example?” I’d reply, “I’m not sure exactly what you mean.”

One person’s response was particularly interesting: “Just look at how women have been treated in so many other religions,” He said. “I thought Baha’is believe in the equality of men and women. Other religions obviously don’t, right? How can you believe that all religions are in agreement when the status of women differs so much between them?”

It is absolutely true that the Baha’i Faith professes the complete and absolute equality of men and women. As Abdu’l-Baha states:

The world of humanity has two wings – one is women and the other men. Not until both wings are equally developed can the bird fly. Should one wing remain weak, flight is impossible. Not until the world of women becomes equal to the world of men in the acquisition of virtues and perfections, can success and prosperity be attained as they ought to be.¹

Yet it is also true that the equality of men and women is a particularly novel teaching in the Baha’i Faith compared to the religions of old. As Abdu’l-Baha stated, this principle “is peculiar to the teachings of Baha’u’llah. Former religious systems placed men above women.”² Never before was the equality of men and women significantly promoted in older faiths, and in many instances previous Messengers of God seemed to describe men and women as occupying fundamentally distinct stations with dissimilar rights and responsibilities.

However, the ostensible conflict between the principle of the equality of men and women and the principle of the oneness of religion is easily reconciled when one considers these principles in light of another one of the Faith’s fundamental tenets: the principle of progressive revelation. Baha’u'llah taught that every religion consists of both spiritual teachings and social teachings. Spiritual teachings are eternal truths that are only reiterated, refreshed, and restated in each new religious dispensation. For example, every Manifestation of God has exhorted mankind to be kind, generous, sacrificial, just, detached from this world, and the like. These are considered to be the central spiritual teachings of all Faiths.

In contrast, the social teachings of religions are updated and modified during each new dispensation given the current state of humanity’s development. The Messenger of God reveals whatever truths and principles mankind has the capacity to understand at the time and reveals social laws that are appropriate to the needs and exigencies of that particular age.

The analogy that is often used likens the social and spiritual development of humanity to the physical development of a child. Messengers of God promote humanity’s spiritual development just as a medical doctor promotes the child’s physical health. Upon birth, most physicians would likely recommend that an infant is fed a diet consisting solely of milk given the child’s limited ability to digest other foods. But as the child grows and its capacities increase, the physician will likely recommend an increasingly complex diet suited to the child’s capacity. Additionally, at different times the child may also experience specific maladies, illnesses, and diseases that require treatments that are uniquely suited to its current condition. The medicine that is prescribed by a capable physician is likely to cure that malady. However, that same medicine might have no effect at all, or might even do the child harm, if taken at a different time. The social teachings of religions operate the same way – they are gradually unfolded as the needs and capacities of humanity evolve. This is precisely why Baha’is believe it is important for humanity to turn toward the latest Messenger of God in order to better understand the most current social teachings and apply them to the needs of this day.

Given my belief in this idea of progressive revelation, it is easier for me to understand why the principle of the equality of men and women was not emphasized in previous religions but is a central teaching of the Baha’i Faith. Only recently has the dramatic increase in literacy and the promulgation of universal education allowed the majority of humanity to develop and cultivate its social and mental faculties. Before that time, few individuals engaged in “intellectual” pursuits, and the majority of work consisted of manual labor. Given humanity’s lack of education and intellectual development, it was wrongly assumed that women had less capacity than men as physical strength was the primary expression of human capacity. Even if previous Messengers had proclaimed that men and women were fundamentally equal, humanity would not have possessed the social and scientific understanding needed to accept that principle.

What Equality Means in the Baha’i Faith

It is obviously extremely important that Baha’u’llah made the equality of men and women one of the fundamental principles of His Faith, but equally important is His vision for how this principle should be adopted and promoted in society. As Baha’u’llah stated, it is not sufficient for us to hold lofty ideals:

It is incumbent upon every man of insight and understanding to strive to translate that which hath been written into reality and action.³

So what does this principle look like in practice for Baha’is?

First and foremost, women have played a central role in the history of the Faith since its inception. In fact, women’s rise to prominence began even before Baha’u’llah declared His mission in the example of Tahiríh, who was one of the first individuals to recognize the Báb, whose title “The Pure One” was granted to her by Baha’u’llah, who became a leader of the Bábi community along with Quddus when the Bab was imprisoned, who gave her life for the Faith, and who eventually became a symbol of women’s liberation and gender equality in Iran even among non-Baha’is. Since that time women have been at the forefront of the teaching efforts of the Faith, were frequently named Hands of the Cause (individuals appointed by Baha’u’llah, Abdu’l-Baha, and Shoghi Effendi to promote and protect the Faith), and have served and continue to serve on Local Spiritual Assemblies and National Spiritual Assemblies around the world. Abdu’l-Baha even stated that one of the miracles of the Baha’i Faith is that “women have evinced a greater boldness than men when enlisted in the ranks of the Faith.”⁴ This participation of women in the central affairs of the Faith is not only an end in and of itself, but also evidence of the capacity of women to enter into all important areas of human affairs:

In this Revelation of Baha’u'llah, the women go neck and neck with the men. In no movement will they be left behind. Their rights with men are equal in degree. They will enter all the administrative branches of politics. They will attain in all such a degree as well be considered the very highest station of the world of humanity and will take part in all affairs. Rest ye assured. Do ye not look upon the present condition; in the not far distant future the world of women will become all-refulgent and all-glorious. For His Holiness Baha’u'llah hath willed it so!⁵

Second, the Faith teaches that girls must receive the same education and training as boys in order to develop their potentialities and demonstrate their capacities. The Universal House of Justice has emphasized that “no nation can achieve success unless education is accorded all its citizens,” and that parents, communities, and decision-making agencies around the world “would do well to consider giving first priority to the education of women and girls.”⁶ Mothers are viewed as the “primary educators” of children, and by placing a priority on educating the girls of this generation, mothers will be able to more effectively educate their children in the future.

Finally, one thing that the principle of the equality of men and women does not imply is that men and women are exactly the same. The Faith teaches that men and women, in general, do have naturally different strengths and proclivities, and that the cultivation of both elements leads to a healthier and richer society. While positions of power and influence have often been associated with the more “masculine” characteristics, women do not need to demonstrate their equal capacity by possessing these characteristics historically associated with influence. Rather, the world is in need of the more “feminine” qualities at all levels of society. As Abdu’l-Baha explained:

The world in the past has been ruled by force, and man has dominated over women by reason of his more forceful and aggressive qualities both of body and mind. But the balance is already shifting – force is losing its weight and mental alertness, intuition, and the spiritual qualities of love and service, in which woman is strong, are gaining ascendancy. Hence the new age will be an age, less masculine, and more permeated with the feminine ideals – or, to speak more exactly, will be an age in which the masculine and feminine elements of civilization will be more evenly balanced.⁷

Thoughts? Questions? What does the equality of men and women mean to you?

1. Baha’i World Faith – Abdu’l-Baha Section, p. 288
2. Abdu’l-Baha, Divine Philosophy, p. 27
3. Baha’u'llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha’u'llah, p. 249
4. From a letter written by the Universal House of Justice to all National Spiritual Assemblies May 25, 1975
5. Abdu’l-Baha: Paris Talks, 1961 U.K. edition, pp. 182-184
6. The Universal House of Justice, Lights of Guidance, p. 616
7. Abdu’l-Baha: “Baha’u'llah and the New Era”, 1976 U.S. edition, p. 156

In this day and age it’s become much easier to get a hold of new information and materials. Years ago, if you wanted to play an instrument like your guitar or keyboard at a gathering or camp, you’d have to get things like sheet music off other people and from books at Baha’i stores. Now, all you have to do is get online, grab the music yourself from the comfort of your own home and print it off!

Music is a important ingredient at feasts, firesides, devotionals, childrens classes, and many other Baha’i meetings, as it is a ladder to the soul. So getting those upbeat tunes to sing along with and liven up your events is a must!

As Baha’u'llah says,

We, verily, have made music as a ladder for your souls, a means whereby they may be lifted up unto the realm on high.
-Baha’u'llah, Kitab-i-Aqdas

Baha’i sheet music can be found on these handy dandy websites:

1. Baha’i Songs, which has chords and lyrics for 100 songs. Songs are organised in alphabetical order and are super easy to find.

2. Baha’i Songs with Guitar Chords has a nifty file with a large number of songs and guitar chords. The songs here are very popular at Baha’i camps and childrens classes! Scribd is a paid service however, so if you want to fully access the songs they host on their website, you’ll have to subscribe.

3. Manifold Melodies has sheet music for piano on a small selection of songs such as ‘God is sufficient unto me’ and ‘Dastam Begir’.

I thoroughly recommend checking out these sites because they host a great selection of songs; the very same songs you’d sing along to at friendly gatherings!

I hope you find them useful!

Image Credit: ESO/L. Calçada/Nick Risinger (skysurvey.org)

Last year, when NASA’s robotic rover, Curiosity, successfully made its way to our planetary neighbor, everyone celebrated. Unsurprisingly, on the Internet, some people tweaked: “Dear Religion, While you were debating what chicken sandwiches were okay to eat, I just landed on Mars. Sincerely, Your Pal Science.”

To be fair, Science and Religion have been taking jabs at each other for some centuries now.

When Galileo Galilei turned his telescope to the heavens, and discovered several moons in orbit around Jupiter, this didn’t quite make sense for the Church orthodoxy of his day. How could the Earth not be the center of creation, around which all of its cosmic spheres revolved?

Galileo asked the clergy to look through the telescope for themselves, but they declined. They already knew everything they needed from divinely revealed scripture. Therefore, anything not in accordance with their interpretation or understanding of the Holy Bible was heresy. In the case of Galileo – for his reliance on verifiable observation to explore our natural world – he was confined to house arrest for the remainder of his life.

A contemporary of Galileo, Giordano Bruno, took the notion further. When he looked up at the evening sky and considered its myriad pinpoints of light, he imagined them as faraway suns like our own, around which must circle other worlds such as ours. This was clearly not referenced in the Bible, and thus it was ever deepening heresy. For his supposed sacrilege, the Church ordered Bruno to be burned at the stake.

As it happens, of course, both Galileo and Bruno were right. In the past few years, observational studies such as those with the Kepler telescope, have confirmed that thousands of planets are orbiting around other stars. Extrapolating from these preliminary data, our Milky Way galaxy alone (among virtually innumerable galaxies in the observable universe) could be home to billions of habitable worlds.

In the Beginning

While Religion seems to languish in the past, Science is growing up fast. Every passing decade brings greater technological innovations and advances in our understanding of this glorious, mathematical structure that is our cosmos. At first, a younger, innocent Science was happy to correlate its newfound insights with a religious worldview. The natural laws of the world were the language by which God ordered the universe. Nowadays, however, Science no longer requires the comforting assurances of its early years. It has seemingly outgrown the need for a “God hypothesis.”

As far as Science is concerned – in its cautious, rigorous pursuit of truth – one’s perception of the divine has more to do with tickling some “God spot” of the brain than with any supranatural reality. People argue that Science and Religion, at best, represent “non-overlapping magisteria,” or domains, of human thought and authority. As Science continues to illuminate our understanding of reality, pushing back the boundaries of our ignorance, the province of Religion is reduced to a “God of the gaps.” That is, the gaps in our understanding are where religious dogma must retreat, beneath the bright lamp of scientific reason.

It is a reversal of roles from the days of Galileo. Scientists are weaving together a new creation story based in observation and experiment. They have become, de facto, the high priests lifting the veils of mystery shrouding our worldview. They are the arbiters and stewards of truth, shepherding the masses toward civilization, if not salvation.

Looking back over the shoulder of time, it appears that religious (or mytho-poetic) thought was the first stirrings of human imagination, as we tried to make sense of our world and our place within it. The inspiration to align ourselves with, and submit to, a higher (albeit invisible) dominion was born of our survival instinct. It is a practical desire, wanting to keep in the good graces of whatever powerful forces are ordering the world. Moreover, religion clarifies and strengthens the bonds of unity among different groups of people and widespread communities. It fulfills our psychological and social need for identity and belonging.

And so it has come to pass. Bound to the stake of empiricism, sacrificed on the altar of reason, Religion is being devoured in the rhetorical fire of modern day “free thinkers.”

The Twin Pillars

Unless you are an astronaut, dear reader, it almost goes without saying: You are on a planet. We take this for granted now. Our gorgeous blue marble of a world, careening through the void, is in orbit around an average yellow star. Our sun, in turn, spirals around the galaxy with hundreds of billions of other suns. The galaxy, itself, dances among a local cluster of galaxies. On and on, and on, seemingly out to infinity.

In the blink of the cosmic eye, humankind has crawled out from the darkness of its cave into a dawning awareness of its place within the universe. Gifted with intellect and imagination, unlike any other life on our planet, we have fathomed the smallest particles of physical reality and journeyed to other worlds. What kind of creatures are we, really, that we should have such perspective on our existence? What are the limits of our understanding, and of our ability to create? Clearly, there is something unique and remarkable about human beings.

Some people are wary of Religion, and others are suspicious of Science. Whereas physical fundamentalists cavil with a narrow conception of Religion and its role in society, religious fundamentalists, for their part, remain blithely ignorant of the scientific process and its insights. The two camps raise high their banners of certainty, loudly trumpeting their privileged access to truth, and dismissing each other out of hand. Yet, as Albert Einstein once observed: “Science without Religion is lame… and Religion without Science is blind.”

It is time to regard history with fresh eyes. The purported rivalry between Science and Religion is a false dichotomy, and a hindrance to the maturation of our species. The claims of Science and Religion must ultimately conform to the same reality – for truth, in the final analysis, is unified. And if truth is not amenable to reason, how can we hope to understand our experience or justify our belief?

According to the Baha’i Faith, the very purpose of Religion is to safeguard humanity and to ensure the progress of civilization. From Abraham to Jesus, from Buddha to Muhammad, each revelation infuses the world with renewed life and deepened capacity. The evolution of culture, the flourishing of arts and sciences, follows in the wake of this redemptive revelation.

It was only 50 years ago, with the advent of the space program, that we first glimpsed our planet as a whole. Some 130 years ago, the prophet-founder of the Baha’i Faith, Baha’u’llah, exhorted His followers to know and to live this truth: “The earth is but one country, and mankind its citizens.”

Truth is eternal in the past, eternal in the future. As humanity continues to mature, truth unfolds according to the needs of the time and place in which we find ourselves. Truth is revealed according to our capacity to understand. No one has a monopoly on truth. It is in the clash of differing perspectives that sparks of truth emerge. Science and Religion are not combatants, but compatriots in this enterprise. As such, we need more dialogue and less diatribe.

In the Baha’i writings, there is mention, once and again, of the “twin pillars” upholding civilization. This complementarity of influences has reference in many contexts. The world of existence, itself, is described as arising from the interaction of an active force and that which is its recipient, which are the same yet different. On another level, for society to be strong and healthy, the essential equality of women and men must be firmly established. As we deepen our understanding of our place (even purpose) in the universe, there is a necessary balance at work. Like two wings of one bird, moving together in harmony, Science and Religion can soar to such great heights.

One of the foundational principles of the Baha’i Faith is the independent investigation of truth. We are called to explore, discern and verify truth for ourselves; to weigh the human condition with our minds and hearts, our reason and faith, and to judge fairly.

Suffice to say, we should not judge Science or Religion by the standards current amongst us. Look through the telescopes of science and scripture for yourself, without prejudice or assumption. See with your own eyes and hear with your own ears, rather than through the lens of your neighbors, religious leaders, academic scholars, or some inherited worldview. Engage in experiments with truth. Wherever the data may lead, wherever the truth shall be found, your search will not be in vain.

Kahlil Gibran (Jan 6, 1883 – April 10, 1931)

In 1912, Hudson Maxim, the one-handed American inventor of explosives, went to see Abdu’l-Baha at His hotel in New York. It’s possible that his morning interview with the “Prophet of Peace” was a kind of reconnaissance mission for the great scientist, research for his work of war: know thy enemy. Elements of their conversation read like a comedy of opposites:

“What do you think of modern warfare?” demanded Maxim.

“Everything that prevents war is good,” replied Abdu’l-Baha.

“Do you consider the next great national war necessary?” Maxim asked.

“Why not try peace for awhile?” Abdu’l-Baha answered. “If we find war is better, it will not be difficult to fight again.”

The combative approach Maxim took was met with a gentle, finding-the-good-ness spirit in Abdu’l-Baha, which Maxim seems to have found hostile in its mildness. He resorted to drawing a picture for Abdu’l-Baha of the range of an exploded bomb, to illustrate the physical limitations of its destruction.

This man was a product of his age, thoroughly believing and, in fact, invested in the vain imaginings of 19th-century theories about war. The Master turned to the light in Hudson Maxim, appealing to him to use his exceptional talents in instead “invent[ing] guns of love” that “God will be pleased with you and from every standpoint of estimation you will be a perfect man.”¹

This story serves as a contrast to the entirely different sentiments and circumstances surrounding the introduction, in the same city and during the same year, of our real subject: the meeting of a young Lebanese poet Kahlil Gibran and that life-long Prisoner from Persia Abdu’l-Baha.

Far from justifying the business of mutual human destruction, Kahlil Gibran for years sought common ground between peoples. As a student, at the turn of the century, he had devised “plans for a Beirut opera house with two domes symbolizing the reconciliation of Christianity and Islam.”² It was no wonder that he was drawn to Abdu’l-Baha’s universal message of the oneness of religions:

All the divine Manifestations have proclaimed the oneness of God and the unity of mankind… The fundamental truth of the Manifestations is peace. This underlies all religion, all justice… Read the Gospel and the other Holy Books. You will find their fundamentals are one and the same. Therefore, unity is the essential truth of religion and, when so understood, embraces all the virtues of the human world.³

Suheil Bushrui and Joe Jenkins, biographers of Gibran, note, “Coming from a part of the world that only twenty years before his birth had been convulsed by religious strife, [he] constantly expressed his conviction that beneath the various forms of religion was an underlying unity”⁴

Raised in poverty, with no means for formal education, as a child Kahlil Gibran had been visited frequently by priests, who, it seems, took it upon themselves to teach him the Bible in addition to reading and writing the Arabic and Syriac languages. He grew up to be a lover of His Holiness the Christ. “For Gibran Jesus was the supreme figure of all ages: ‘My art can find no better resting place than the personality of Jesus. His life is the symbol of Humanity. He shall always be the supreme figure of all ages and in Him we shall always find mystery, passion, love, imagination, tragedy, beauty, romance and truth.’”⁵

Gibran’s portrait of the Christ evolved through his writings and the years, culminating in what some consider his work of greatest spiritual intensity: Jesus, the Son of Man. He began writing it, with a tiny bit of kismet, on the commemoration of the Birth of Baha’u’llah in 1926⁶, and he spent the last of his failing energy finishing it before his death in 1931. In Gibran’s mind, Jesus was a “raging tempest” of strength,⁷ “the most ‘real personality’ in human history, ‘a man of might and will, a man of charity and pity’.”⁸

His meeting with Abdu’l-Baha was an inspiration to and template for Gibran in his attempts to capture the personality of Christ in his writings, as he envisioned Him: “For centuries Humanity has been worshiping weakness in the person of the Savior. The Nazarene was not weak! He was strong and is strong! But people refuse to heed the true meaning of strength.”⁹

Abdu’l-Baha and Kahlil Gibran were both known as “the Master”, the former to Baha’is and the latter to followers of his existential poetry. They met through Juliet Thompson, an early American Baha’i, when Abdu’l-Baha was almost 68 and Gibran 29 years old. Of The Mystery of God, poetic Gibran declared: “For the first time I saw form noble enough to be a receptacle for the Holy Spirit.”¹⁰

Juliet says, with characteristic bluntness, “How Gibran got in touch with the Baha’i Cause: I’ll just frankly tell you the story, just as it was. I hastened to tell him; he listened.”¹¹ The two artists lived across the street from each other, in Manhattan’s Greenwich Village, an area that had already become a haven for artists and writers. West 10th Street is lined on both sides with mostly tall residential brownstones (and, now, parked cars) and fringed with an assortment of trees whose branches and leaves arch towards each other to create a corridor of variegated greens.

Since they were close neighbours (Juliet at number 48 and Kahlil at number 51), and considering Juliet’s effervescent personality, it is no surprise that they became “very, very great friends.” “Kahlil always said [Juliet] was his first friend in New York.”¹² She, for her part, infuriated him by saying that he was the “spitting image” of Charlie Chaplin.¹³ Her friendship, however exasperating, extended to a fervent encouragement of not only his writing but also his drawings.

A view of present day West 10th Street in Manhattan’s Greenwich Village, New York, where Kahlil Gibran and Juliet Thompson were neighbours.

After meeting the Baha’i leader upon His arrival in the United States, Gibran requested, and was granted, permission to draw a portrait of Abdu’l-Baha. The session began very early, at 6:30 am, on 19 April, only four days after the Titanic sunk and eight days after Abdu’l-Baha landed in New York. It is no wonder that Kahlil was plagued with insomnia the night before. On the one hand, the magnitude of the nautical disaster and the epic, tragic loss of life had shaken everyone to the core. On the other hand, the young mystic poet was perhaps in awe of the prospect of being in such close contact with the son of One Whom he felt wrote “the most stupendous literature that ever was written.” Gibran had told Juliet, “There was no Arabic that even touched the Arabic of Baha’u’llah.”¹⁴

Of Abdu’l-Baha Himself, Kahlil wrote close friend Mary Haskell, “He is a very great man. He is complete. There are worlds in his soul. And oh what a remarkable face—what a beautiful face—so real and so sweet.”

Abdu’l-Baha said to Gibran, after seeing the portrait the poet made of Him: “Those who work with the Spirit work well. You have the power of Allah in you,’ and, quoting Mohammed, said: ‘Prophets and poets see with the light of God.’”¹⁵

Juliet remembers, “[Kahlil] simply adored the Master. He was with Him whenever he could be. He would come over here to this house (48 West 10th) to see the Master. In Boston, he was often with the Master.” “He often talked of Him, most sympathetically and most lovingly.” “When he wrote The Son of Man he thought of Abdu’l-Baha all through. He said that he was going to write another book with Abdu’l-Baha as the center and all the contemporaries of Abdu’l-Baha speaking. He died before he wrote it. He told me definitely that The Son of Man was influenced by Abdu’l-Baha.”¹⁶

Although there is not much information about what Abdu’l-Baha and Gibran talked about with each other, Juliet’s note that he spent as much time with Him as he could is supplemented with his status as the Master’s occasional, unofficial interpreter from Arabic to English. It seems that this young man enjoyed simply being in the Master’s company, observing His Being and learning from Him, as did countless others.

One anecdote of Gibran’s time with Abdu’l-Baha, conveyed through Juliet, gives us a glimpse into the intimacy of his time with the Master: “Two women came in [to the room when Gibran was with Him]. They were women of fashion, and they asked trifling questions. One of them wanted to know whether she was going to be married again. The Master was pacing the floor. Drawing in His breath, expelling it, His eyes turning from side to side. When they left, ‘Gilded dirt!’ He said.”¹⁷

Since Kahlil was a young man in forbidden love with Mary Haskell, an intelligent and independent woman, the affirmation of the equal station of woman by Baha’u’llah—proclaimed in the United States by Abdu’l-Baha—must have been a tonic to the claustrophobic sexual mores of Victorian New England:

The world of humanity is possessed of two wings: the male and the female. So long as these two wings are not equivalent in strength, the bird will not fly. Until womankind reaches the same degree as man, until she enjoys the same arena of activity, extraordinary attainment for humanity will not be realized; humanity cannot wing its way to heights of real attainment.¹⁸

Gibran wryly visited this theme when he wrote Jesus, the Son of Man: “women are weak and empty-headed, and they follow the man who would comfort their unspent passion with soft and tender words” …and put these words in the “mouth” of “A Young Priest in Capernaum”.¹⁹

Gibran once said, “Spare me the political events and power struggles, as the whole earth is my homeland and all men are my fellow countrymen,”²⁰ so one can only imagine how his peaceful heart was set afire, “enthralled and electrified”²¹ by Baha’u’llah’s visionary, unifying message, brought by Abdu’l-Baha to the United States a century ago:

…all mankind are the servants of one God; God is the Father of all; there is not a single exception to that law. There are no people of Satan; all belong to the Merciful. There is no darkness; all is light. All are the servants of God, and man must love humanity from his heart. He must, verily, behold humanity as submerged in the divine mercy.²²

In the end, Juliet remembers Kahlil’s last mention of Abdu’l-Baha, as told to Marzieh Gail:

“One night, years afterward, the Master’s motion picture was going to be shown at the Baha’i Center… He sat beside me on the front row and he saw the Master come to life again for him in that picture. And he began to sob. We had asked him to speak a few words that night. When the time came for him to speak, he controlled himself and jumped up on the platform and then …still weeping before us all he said: ‘I declare that Abdu’l-Baha is the Manifestation of God for this day!’ Of course he got it wrong—but… he was weeping and he didn’t say anything more. He got down and he sat beside me, and he kept on sobbing and sobbing and sobbing. Seeing the picture—it brought it all back. He took my two hands and said, ‘You have opened for me a door tonight.’ Then he fled the hall. I never heard anything about it again. He never referred to it again. The only thing was, he couldn’t accept an intermediary for himself. He wanted his direct contact [with the Divine].”²³

1. http://239days.com/2012/04/15/an-arms-dealer-tries-to-sell-war-to-abdul-baha/
2. Kahlil Gibran: Man and Poetby Suheil Bushrui and Joe Jenkins, Oxford: Oneworld, 1998, p.9
3. Abdu’l-Baha, The Promulgation of Universal Peace, US Baha’i Publishing Trust, 1982 second edition, page 32
4. Kahlil Gibran: Man and Poetby Suheil Bushrui and Joe Jenkins, Oxford: Oneworld, 1998, p.9
5. Kahlil Gibran to Mary Elizabeth Haskell, April 29, 1909, Chapel Hill papers, found in Bushrui and Jenkins, Kahlil Gibran: Man and Poet
6. Young, “This Man from Lebanon: A Study of Kahlil Gibran”, 1945, page 102
7. http://www.spiritualsisters.com/page202.htm
8. Kahlil Gibran: Man and Poetby Suheil Bushrui and Joe Jenkins, Oxford: Oneworld, 1998, p.9
9. http://www.spiritualsisters.com/page202.htm
10. Kahlil Gibran: Man and Poetby Suheil Bushrui and Joe Jenkins, Oxford: Oneworld, 1998, p.9
11. http://bahai-library.com/gail_thompson_remembers_gibran
12. ibid
13. ibid
14. ibid
15. Kahlil Gibran: Man and Poetby Suheil Bushrui and Joe Jenkins, Oxford: Oneworld, 1998, p.9
16. http://bahai-library.com/gail_thompson_remembers_gibran
17. ibid
18. The Promulgation of Universal Peace, page 375
19. Gibran, Jesus, the Son of Man, 2008, Oxford: One World, page 51.
20. Najjar, “Kahlil Gibran, a biography”, Saqi, 2008, p.110
21. Kahlil Gibran: Man and Poetby Suheil Bushrui and Joe Jenkins, Oxford: Oneworld, 1998, p.9
22. “The Promulgation of Universal Peace”, page 266
23. http://bahai-library.com/gail_thompson_remembers_gibran

Baha’i Blog has just turned two years old (Yippee!) and the team at Baha’i Blog would like to say a big THANK YOU to everyone from around the world for their wonderful and continued support!

Over the last year Baha’i Blog has continued to soar – in fact, with thousands of readers located in 193 countries (we’ve literally had over 100,000 unique visitors!), we’ve been doubling our numbers in every way!

Our Calendar of Events and the Resource Directory also continue to grow, with users adding more and more content every week!

Our Facebook page followers and Mailing List subscribers have also more than doubled, so if you haven’t done so already, follow us on Facebook and join our mailing list if you want to be notified when we post something new.

So far we’ve published 193 original posts written by dozens of authors, and these posts continue to cover a wide variety of topics relating to the Baha’i Faith. We’re also always looking for good writers, so if you’re interested in writing for us, you can find out more about how you can write for us here.

Now, without further ado… (Drum roll please!) …Baha’i Blog is proud to present to you our 10 most popular posts of the year:

10) 21 Stunning Photos of Baha’i Houses of Worship

If you’ve never visited one of the seven Baha’i Houses of Worship are not only a serene place to pray and meditate, but are also simply stunningly beautiful to look at. The temples are spread out across the world, with an eighth currently under construction in Chile and sites chosen in forty five more countries. It would be difficult to get out to the seven locations spread out from Uganda to Australia, so we’ve collected a sample of great photography from Flickr to get you started.

9) New Songs Available for Ruhi Book 3, Grade 1 & 2

The Ruhi Institute has made available for download, recordings of the songs contained in the new lesson plans for Grades 1 and 2 of the Teaching Children’s Class book. These songs can be downloaded for free, and you can also download a page which contains both the lyrics and the chords for each song – that’s pretty cool!

8) Top 10 Signs You Are a Baha’i

Wondering if you’re a real Baha’i? Wonder no more! Collis’ hilarious post listing the top ten signs you know you’re a Baha’i continues to get the laughs and will have you laughing out loud and nodding your head as you read through it!

7) 6 Accomplished Baha’is in Film and Television

With some five to six million Baha’is in the world it’s no surprise that some of the most accomplished people in any discipline are bound to be Baha’i. Being a bit of a television and movie junkie, Collis decided to find out if there were any famous Baha’is in Hollywood. Sure enough shows like Heroes and The Office have featured Baha’i actors, as have movies like The Interpreter and The Godfather!

6) 4 Things the Fast Helps Us Strengthen

Naysan reflects on the Baha’i Fast on a personal level, and shares four of the ‘spiritual muscles’ (or qualities) the fast has helped him strengthen. This post sparked some great discussion, so check out the comments section of the post as well.

5) 8 Creative Ideas for Your Next Devotional Gathering

Getting together to share prayers and writings from the Baha’i faith, other scriptures and enlightened souls, is a staple of Baha’i life. These devotional gatherings are one of our core activities and all Baha’is are encouraged to not only attend, but to host them. There is no set format or formula for running a devotional, and they run the gamut from organized public events through to informal sharing of prayers and readings around a coffee table. And since there is no particular way that a devotional should be held, it’s open for creativity and inventiveness!

4) Where to Find Free Baha’i eBooks Online

Thanks to the Kindle and iPad, paperless reading is becoming more and more common. Even without these devices it’s sometimes handy having an ebook on your laptop or PC. Thanks to Baha’i eBooks Publications, you can get more than 70 Baha’i eBooks completely free in both ePub (iPad, iPhone, Android suitable) and Mobi (Kindle suitable) formats.

3) Soulboy: An Interview with Khalil Fong

Which Baha’i musician has millions of fans and concerts that pack out stadiums? Khalil Fong – that’s who! ”Who?” you ask? Well, to many of the English speaking world, the name Khalil Fong may not ring a bell, but to the Mandarin speaking world in China, Singapore and Taiwan, Hong Kong based pop-star Khalil Fong has been playing to packed-out stadiums and he continues to pump out the hits!

2) New Talks by Tom Price: Recreating Ourselves in the Image of The Master

Baha’i music composer Tom Price delivered six great talks at the 2012 Tennessee Bahá’í School, called “Recreating Ourselves in the Image of the Master”. In these wonderful talks Tom Price shares six of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s attributes and looks at how we can learn from them and adopt them into our own lives.


…and the number one post of the year is…

1) 5 Year Plan Talks by Tom Price

The study of the 5 Year Plan is something we’ve all been encouraged to do, and Baha’i music composer Tom Price gave a series of three talks about the Five Year Plan at the Tennessee Baha’i School. With his permission, Baha’i Blog is pleased to share with you the talks to stream from our site or to download – and best of all, it’s completely free! We know that anyone who has ever heard Tom Price speak will be frantically clicking away at the download buttons, and for those of you who have yet to tune in to one of his talks, you’re in for a treat!

Well that’s the list, and we hope you’ve enjoyed what you’ve seen on Baha’i Blog so far!

Once again we appreciate everyone’s support, and please let us know what your favourite post of the year was in the ‘Comments’ section below.

Also, please feel free to contact us by emailing editor@bahaiblog.net to share any thoughts, feedback, or if you’d like to get involved or contribute a post!

Happy reading!

-The Baha’i Blog team

Naw-Ruz has arrived, and the team at Baha’i Blog has come up with ten questions to test your knowledge of this Baha’i holy day.

Go ahead, take the Naw-Ruz quiz and see how you do!

If you don’t manage to get 100%, don’t fret. There’s always next year!

Feel free to familiarise yourselves with Naw-Ruz through these articles below – or see how you go without reading through them first.

1) A Time For Renewal

2) Is Naw-Ruz an Iranian Holiday or a Baha’i Holy Day?

3) Naw-Ruz: Spiritual Springtime

But most importantly, the team at Baha’i Blog would like to wish you all a very happy Naw-Ruz!

One important component of building an ever-advancing civilization that merits careful reflection is the role of language in this process.

There are certain words one hears repeatedly—in the messages of the Universal House of Justice, in reflection gatherings, in conversations among friends, and in society at large. Some examples are ‘organic’, ‘empowerment’ and ‘coherence’. Perhaps at times, it would be fitting to pause and ask “Do I know what these concepts mean?” “Am I using these words carefully or am I treating them like jargon-du-jour?”

‘Organic’ and ‘empowerment’, notably, appear to have been appropriated by wider society, and are used so frequently and thoughtlessly as to render them virtually meaningless. For instance, a well-known singer recently described her new album as an exercise in “female empowerment”. Almost every track on that album was about sex and the objectification of one or both genders. How empowering?

Is this just a matter of semantics, or is there something more important at stake here?

In Revelation and Social Reality, Paul Lample advances the argument that…

…language is the brick and mortar for construction of civilization; certain standards for its use are necessary, therefore, to ensure that the edifice does not collapse.

In other words, it’s not just a matter of semantics. Language is the ‘brick and mortar’ of the civilization we are striving to construct: it is essential.

In the publication One Common Faith, prepared under the supervision of the Universal House of Justice, we are reminded that the misuse of language is a grave matter, indeed:

…as words have been drained of meaning, so have the very material comforts and acquisitions for which truth has been casually sacrificed.

When we think of the educational process that we are engaged in around the world—one that has at the center of its curriculum the Creative Word—we realize just how powerful language can be. The Word of God has the power to recreate us, and the way we consult about the Word of God affects the way we perceive it, the way we enact it, and ultimately, reality itself. Our conversations, consultations and discussions around the guidance we receive from our institutions follow this same principle. The Universal House of Justice speaks to this matter:

We cannot help noticing, however, that achievements tend to be more enduring in those regions where the friends strive to understand the totality of the vision conveyed in the messages, while difficulties often arise when phrases and sentences are taken out of context and viewed as isolated fragments. The institutions and agencies of the Faith should help the believers to analyse but not reduce, to ponder meaning but not dwell on words, to identify distinct areas of action but not compartmentalize. We realize that this is no small task. Society speaks more and more in slogans. We hope that the habits the friends are forming in study circles to work with full and complex thoughts and to achieve understanding will be extended to various spheres of activity.

Another important aspect of the language we use has to do with freedom and obedience. Although we are each free to reach our own understanding of the implications and meaning of the Writings, this freedom does not extend to insisting on viewpoints that clearly contradict the explicit meaning or authoritative interpretation of the Text. Bahá’ís do not adhere to the belief that their own opinion holds primacy over all else, and must be careful not to use their words to try to insist on their own opinions or to subvert the views of others. The Universal House of Justice explains:

Beyond contention, moreover, is the condition in which a person is so immovably attached to one erroneous viewpoint that his insistence upon it amounts to an effort to change the essential character of the Faith. This kind of behavior, if permitted to continue unchecked, could produce disruption in the Bahá’í community, giving birth to countless sects as it has done in previous Dispensations. The Covenant of Bahá’u’lláh prevents this. The Faith defines elements of a code of conduct, and it is ultimately the responsibility of the Universal House of Justice, in watching over the security of the Cause and upholding the integrity of its Teachings, to require the friends to adhere to standards thus defined.

Language also plays a pivotal role in molding the relationships we will build among our friends and fellow co-workers. It can determine whether these will be sweet or acerbic, forgiving or retaliatory, unified or discordant. While language can be used for construction, it can unfortunately be just as powerful of a tool for destruction. Bahá’u’lláh tells us that we must…

…observe silence and refrain from idle talk. For the tongue is a smoldering fire, and excess of speech a deadly poison. Material fire consumeth the body, whereas the fire of the tongue devoureth both heart and soul. The force of the former lasteth but for a time, whilst the effects of the latter endureth a century.

Shoghi Effendi also says that if Bahá’ís…

…paused for one moment to think for what purpose the Báb and the Martyrs gave their lives, and Bahá’u’lláh and the Master accepted so much suffering, they would never let such [severe] definitions and accusations cross their lips when speaking of each other.

Furthermore, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá admonishes us to:

…never speak disparagingly of others, but praise without distinction. Pollute not your tongues by speaking evil of another.

He further says:

Do not complain of others. Refrain from reprimanding them, and if you wish to give admonition or advice, let it be offered in such a way that it will not burden the bearer. Turn all your thoughts toward bringing joy to hearts. Beware! Beware! lest ye offend any heart.

Ours is the inestimable privilege of working side by side, shoulder to shoulder, to construct a spiritually and materially prosperous world civilization. With kindly tongues, beautified with truthfulness, through meaningful and distinctive conversations, and with deeds that seek to reflect our noblest conceptions and aspirations, we build.

Australian singer and songwriter Shadi Toloui-Wallace was raised in a musical family, but her own musical journey with the Faith really came to fruition when she recognised the need within the Baha’i community for more contemporary forms of music that are inspired by the teachings of the Baha’u'llah. With the support and encouragement of her family, and the legendary Louie Shelton coming on board to produce the album, Shadi launched her debut album called Leather Bound Book, which quickly took the Baha’i world by storm.

I first met Shadi about four years ago when I had just moved to Melbourne, Australia, and Shadi had just released her debut album. She had come to Melbourne to perform at the Parliament of the World’s Religions, and her captivating music swept the audience right off their feet!

It was obvious from my conversations with her that she was someone who was driven to share the Words and Teachings of Baha’u'llah with the world through her music, and about eighteen months later Shadi released her second album called Verdant Isle, which is a collection of songs and prayers inspired by the Baha’i Writings and her personal experiences as a Baha’i. (The album is named after The Ridvan Gardens).

Shadi has since moved to Vancouver, Canada, and I’ve been wanting to interview her on Baha’i Blog for quite a while now, but unfortunately for one reason or another, it never happened… We finally managed to touch base again and I was able to pick her brain about her music and what she’s been up to since moving to North America.

Baha’i Blog: So tell me a little about yourself and why you decided to pursue music?

Pursuing music was never really a conscious decision that I made. I studied public relations and media communications at uni, and always felt that this education would always support my music as a side hobby and a way to connect with my local community. It wasn’t until I began performing at conferences and local gatherings that I recognised a need for the kind of music I was creating. I’ve always been singing and picked up the guitar when I was about 12. I tried writings songs but what came most naturally to me was putting the word of God to music. I was about 19 and had newly arrived home from my year of service at the Baha’i World Centre when my parents came to me with the idea of recording a Baha’i inspired album, based on the material that I’d been working on over the years. It was something that many others talked to me about but my parents were the first and only ones that came through. Music has always been my main avenue of service, I’m just fortunate enough that I’ve able to support myself for as long as I have doing what I do.

Baha’i Blog: What are you hoping to achieve with your music and how do you hope it influences others?

My main goals with the projects I’ve worked on up until now, are to promote concepts of the Faith through my music and personal experiences, and to provide an alternate ways for the friends to be connected to prayer and the Creative Word. I personally always feel I can relate to the writings better when they’re put to music, and know that many others feel the same way. I feel it in my heart and soul. It’s that feeling of transcendence. It’s even more powerful when you can get a group of people singing together. I currently live in East Vancouver, Canada, which is a very dynamic and vibrant community. We often start our meetings with collective singing and could sometimes go on for hours before we start the administrative portion. I guess my hope is that more and more communities begin to value the role that music plays in our activities. Music is a universal language and we can see first hand the impact it has on our community life when we value it as an integral part of our gatherings and interactions. Whether its engaging the friends in collective song or supporting artists in our communities to create music of a higher nature, we can all play a part in making it happen, and this is what I’ve been trying to promote in my travels and at my shows over the years.

Baha’i Blog: What’s the response to your music been like so far?

We’ve been very happy and humbled by the responses we’ve gotten from friends all over the world, at shows, conferences, over facebook and email. It’s been overwhelming at times, but always positive. Both albums were completely family driven, and it wouldn’t have happened without the enthusiasm, brains and imagination of my brother, sister and parents. I’m eternally indebted to them. I’ve had many friends ask if they could cover our songs, and have even heard choir versions of some of the tracks I do with my mum sung at community gatherings and online.

Baha’i Blog: You recently left your home in Australia to live in Canada. Why did you do this and what’s the experience been like both personally and musically?

Hmmmm… I’d say adventure and discovery. I spent much of my years in high school and university traveling the country (Australia), and once I’d finished university, I really just wanted to move on and explore other parts of the world and I had this fear of getting stuck. For the first time the world was my oyster and my choices were simple, stay and begin a life that was already pretty defined, or leave into the unknown and pray to GOD that I would have divine guidance on my side. My mum is Persian and migrated to Canada in 1974. All it took was a letter to the Canadian Consulate in Sydney and I was all set. I have lots of family in this part of the world so it made the transition a lot more seamless. Apart from the practicality of moving to North America, I never thought about the impact that it would have on my identity. Since moving here I’ve been able to spend so much time with my family and learn about my heritage and family history, which has really helped in developing a stronger personal and Baha’i identity.

Baha’i Blog: What are some of the challenges you’ve faced in writing Baha’i inspired music, and in getting your albums made and out there?

I don’t like to dwell too much on some challenges, so I’ll try and keep this short but frank. As an artist who’s inspired by the Holy Writings and teachings of the Baha’i Faith, I’ve found that my main challenge has been in creating an economy that supports and sustains my work. I often find myself having to explain to people how much time and money goes into writing, composing, producing and promoting to give it value. My work has often been passed up as something that should be done for free or on a voluntary basis, which to me is a very old world train of thought. The way I and many other Baha’i artists see it, is that we’re currently pioneering this new train of thought that enables us to be paid for our shows, devotionals meetings, musical firesides etc, and the albums we produce which we shed blood, sweat and tears over. There’s yet to be a framework that supports us at the institutional level, so all we can do now is do our best in educating the friends at the grassroots, persist, and be patient. I personally try to use my shows as an opportunity to explain the process of making an album and how much the audience can play a part in supporting us in creating more music of this nature in future.

Baha’i Blog: Why do you think we need more Baha’i inspired music, and do you have any suggestions to other aspiring Baha’i artists?

Have you heard what’s on the radio these days?! I don’t even want to get into it incase my eye starts to twitch insistently and my neck spasms. But if you have, you’ll know why. Sure the beats amazing and the melody is pretty catchy, but do you hear the words that you’re singing? I just feel that we can do much better and we have it within our capacity and knowledge to know that. I don’t mean putting the healing prayer to music with the intention of getting it on the iTunes top seller list, but we’ve basically been handed the written word of GOD and we all serve humanity on a daily basis in some shape or form, surely that could be inspiration for something? I just hear the stuff that my own Junior Youth Group listen too and it makes me even more motivated to change that. And as I said earlier, music is such an incredible way to connect people’s hearts to the Creator and can be utilized as such an amazing teaching tool.

In regards to my fellow colleagues, don’t wait for someone to come to you to make it happen. We all have access to a microphone and most likely an instrument of some kind, don’t be afraid to record something and put it up online. I guarantee you that there’s a village in Rwanda that’s been transformed by your interpretation of the Creative Word. Most importantly, encourage your communities to engage in and support the music that you’re creating. This is where I’ve witnessed first hand, the most significant transformations. I think that we can also start working on being a little bit more original and creative. I love what people like MJ Cyr have done with creating live loops at her shows, or Nabil and Karim integrating Hip Hop, or what the guys from Badasht have done with mixing Blues and Gospel melodies into their interpretation of the Sacred Writings of the Faith. I tried to do something different with incorporating my mum’s skills as a Persian chanter into a few of the tracks, which have been really well received, so much so that she was able to get enough support to record her own album which I make a few appearances on. It’s been awesome amalgamating Eastern and Western styles, cause we’ve been able to stay true to the writings in presenting them in their original form, whilst also making it accessible to Western ears. I’m so lucky to have such a talented and willing mother!

Baha’i Blog: Are you working on any new initiatives or do you have any new albums coming out soon?

Right now I guess you can say I’m taking a break and trying to work out my next move. I’m in the process of recording a single titled ‘This is Faith’ – a poem by Ruhiyyeh Khannum, which many of my friends have heard and requested that I make available to them. I’m still touring and performing when I get the chance, I think that will always be part of my life. I’m currently planning a tour/travel teaching trip to Ireland and Iceland in the summer. But for now I think I’m in that sort of lull creatively where I just need to sit back, reflect, live a little, and pray that it just comes. I’m always jamming with friends though, playing around with new gadgets and technology, its all part of living.

Baha’i Blog: You had mentioned to me that you’re working at the Sarah McLachlan School of Music. Can you tell us a little bit about that?

YES! I really feel blessed to have scored such an amazing job with such an incredible organisation. I work in the administrative office at the Sarah McLachlan School of Music, which is a not-for-profit that offers music tuition at no cost to those who would otherwise not have access. There are about 450 students learning voice, percussion, guitar, piano, and music production, ranging from ages 9-17. I’ve been able to create such close bonds with the students and their parents, and am surrounded by an incredibly supportive team of staff and instructors, who are all very likeminded and share a very similar vision. I’ve been exposed to much of the local music scene through the people I work with, and have better understood the realities of many of the neighborhoods I serve in as a result of my job and the students that attend the school. The plan now is for me to continue working at the school with the hopes of my responsibilities slowly increasing.

Baha’i Blog: Where can our readers buy your albums?

My website, www.shaditolouiwallace.com will lead you to iTunes and Bandcamp to download the albums, or if you’re a little old fashioned like me you can purchase a compact disc direct from the website too.

Baha’i Blog: Thanks so much Shadi for agreeing to do this interview, it was great catching up with you again and keep up the great work with your music and your endeavours to serve the Faith through this important  ”ladder for the soul”!