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Instead of using our prayers for such hateful purposes that cause division between us, we could instead prayer for the unity of mankind.

The purpose of the creation of man is the attainment of the supreme virtues of humanity through descent of the heavenly bestowals. The purpose of man’s creation is, therefore, unity and harmony, not discord and separateness.

~ Abdu’l-Baha, The Promulgation of Universal Peace, p. 4

We started with the three questions:

1. What is innocence?, What is it not?
2. Are we born innocent?
3. Can we become/stay innocent?, How?

This progressed nicely, and the discussion centered around how we define innocence and what it is that takes it away from us. We eventually moved on to the concept of ‘Original Sin‘ and the idea that we are all born not only with the desire to do things that would be an affront to God, but that we carry with us the burden of all of the sin that was committed before we were alive. That would hardly make us innocent. However, Christians believe that Jesus dies for our sins, which does raise the concern over whether or not we need to be careful about not sinning, or if it is okay because we will be forgiven anyway.

In the end, we came around to look at how we have allowed our differences such as whether or not a baby is born carrying the sins of his ancestors all the way back to Adam & Eve, who a piece of land belongs to, or who has the right to wear a scarf on her head and where she is allowed to do so. These are all differences created by man and may represent the true lack of innocence. However, all we truly need to do to receive God’s love is to love Him back.

The earth has one surface. God has not divided this surface by boundaries and barriers to separate races and peoples. Man has set up and established these imaginary lines, giving to each restricted area a name and the limitation of a native land or nationhood. By this division and separation into groups and branches of mankind, prejudice is engendered which becomes a fruitful source of war and strife. Impelled by this prejudice, races and nations declare war against each other; the blood of the innocent is poured out, and the earth torn by violence. Therefore, it has been decreed by God in this day that these prejudices and differences shall be laid aside.

Abdu’l-Baha : The Promulgation of Universal Peace, p. 316

Love Me, that I may love thee. If thou lovest Me not, My love can in no wise reach thee. Know this, O servant.

Baha’u'llah : The Persian Hidden Words #5

O SON OF BEING!
Busy not thyself with this world, for with fire We test the gold, and with gold We test Our servants.

~ Baha’u'llah, The Arabic Hidden Words #55

I recently used this quote in some devotions that I hosted focused on the topic of fire.  In particular with this quote, we contemplated using fire to test the purity of gold and in turn using gold as a temptation to test the loyalty and honesty of servants.  Upon further viewing of this passage I noticed something I missed the first time around though – the way that ‘We’ begins with a capital letter signifying that perhaps it is referring to God and and us alike.  Could humanity be like the gold that God is referring to being tested by the fires of hard experiences in our lives, while also being the servants of God and tested by the trappings of materialism?  Detachment is often associated with this quote and can be seen in the beginning words where we urged not to pay too much attention to the mundane things of this world, but to focus on the spiritual world.

Photo credit: Baha’i Media Bank: Award-winning fire dancer, Hogan Toomalatai, performing at the Baha’i jubilee festivities in Samoa.

In every age and cycle He hath, through the splendorous light shed by the Manifestations of His wondrous Essence, recreated all things, so that whatsoever reflecteth in the heavens and on the earth the signs of His glory may not be deprived of the outpourings of His mercy, nor despair of the showers of His favors. How all-encompassing are the wonders of His boundless grace! Behold how they have pervaded the whole of creation. Such is their virtue that not a single atom in the entire universe can be found which doth not declare the evidences of His might, which doth not glorify His holy Name, or is not expressive of the effulgent light of His unity.

~ Baha’u'llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha’u'llah, p. 61

The principles of the Teachings of Bahá’u'lláh should be carefully studied, one by one, until they are realized and understood by mind and heart

~ Abdu’l-Baha, Paris Talks, p. 22

I LOVE this quote.  There is something very special to me about the way that we are encouraged to slow down and focus on the meaning of Bahá’u’lláh’s teachings—not to rush through, but to reflect.  However, there is encouragement that we can actually understood them by mind and heart by doing so.

O SON OF SPIRIT!
Noble have I created thee, yet thou hast abased thyself. Rise then unto that for which thou wast created.

~ Baha’u'llah, The Arabic Hidden Words #22

We spend so much time and energy doing things that degrade our position in this world.  Instead, we should funnel those efforts into the service of God—the purpose for which we were created.

Lauded be Thy name, O Lord my God! I entreat Thee by Thy Name through which the Hour hath struck, and the Resurrection came to pass, and fear and trembling seized all that are in heaven and all that are on earth, to rain down, out of the heaven of Thy mercy and the clouds of Thy tender compassion, what will gladden the hearts of Thy servants, who have turned towards Thee and helped Thy Cause.

Keep safe Thy servants and Thy handmaidens, O my Lord, from the darts of idle fancy and vain imaginings, and give them from the hands of thy grace a draught of the soft-flowing waters of Thy knowledge.

Thou, truly, art the Almighty, the Most Exalted, the Ever-Forgiving, the Most Generous.

~ Bahá’u'lláh, Baha’i Prayer

This prayer for protection is more about protecting us from some of the hidden and intangible dangers of this world than the more obvious threats to our safety and health.  Perhaps prayers like this are even more important as they emphasize the dangers of the things which we may overlook in our lives, such as materialism, greed, jealousy and prejudice.

Regard man as a mine rich in gems of inestimable value. Education can, alone, cause it to reveal its treasures, and enable mankind to benefit therefrom.

~ Baha’u'llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha’u'llah, p. 259

This is one of my favorite quotes because it tells us that not only are their hidden treasures within all of us, but the only way that we can see them is to first educate.  By doing so, these treasures will be made available not just to the one who holds them, but to all of mankind.

O SON OF EARTH!
Wouldst thou have Me, seek none other than Me; and wouldst thou gaze upon My beauty, close thine eyes to the world and all that is therein; for My will and the will of another than Me, even as fire and water, cannot dwell together in one heart.

~ Baha’u'llah, The Persian Hidden Words #31

Having God in our lives and placing nothing else but Him at such a high station is both a challenge and a reward.  It is not possible for both the supreme goodness of God to coexist alongside the darkness and evil of temptations of other facets of our earthly lives.  Once again, this impossible duality makes it difficult for us to not only choose one or the other, but to fully commit to it, though once we have have chosen God, it is what will keep us on a spiritual path.

With fixed and steady gaze, born of the unerring eye of God, scan for a while the horizon of divine knowledge, and contemplate those words of perfection which the Eternal hath revealed, that haply the mysteries of divine wisdom, hidden ere now beneath the veil of glory and treasured within the tabernacle of His grace, may be made manifest unto you. The denials and protestations of these leaders of religion have, in the main, been due to their lack of knowledge and understanding. Those words uttered by the Revealers of the beauty of the one true God, setting forth the signs that should herald the advent of the Manifestation to come, they never understood nor fathomed.

~ Bahá’u'lláh, The Kitab-i-Iqan, pp. 16-17

Today is the Feast of Kalimat, which means ‘words’.

Beautify your tongues, O people, with truthfulness, and adorn your souls with the ornament of honesty.

~ Baha’u'llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha’u'llah, p. 297

In so many of the writings, the poetry of the words hits me just as hard as the message.  The imagery of making one’s tongue more beautiful through adorning with an ornament of honesty is magical.  I can almost picture little ornaments made of honesty and truthfulness that could be hung upon the soul.

With dedication and will power you can rise to great heights!

~ Shoghi Effendi, Directives from the Guardian, p. 87

I believe that people can accomplish anything.  What is necessary, however, is the utter devotion to a mission as well as concentration and focus on a particular goal.  With that, anything can be accomplished.

There is no paradise more wondrous for any soul than to be exposed to God’s Manifestation in His Day, to hear His verses and believe in them, to attain His presence, which is naught but the presence of God, to sail upon the sea of the heavenly kingdom of His good-pleasure, and to partake of the choice fruits of the paradise of His divine Oneness.

~ The Bab, Selections from the Writings of the Bab, p. 77

Today is a Baha’i holiday commemorating the day in which the Báb was executed for his beliefs.  It always reminds me of one of his young followers, known as Anís, who threw himself at the feet of the Báb and begged to be killed alongside him the night before his execution.  Consequently, Anís was arrested, jailed and sent to the firing squad alongside the Báb.  This story always makes me wonder if I would have such faith.

On the Dawnbreaker Collective CD Arise, Tara Ellis sings a beautiful song about Anis.

O SON OF SPIRIT!
My claim on thee is great, it cannot be forgotten. My grace to thee is plenteous, it cannot be veiled. My love has made in thee its home, it cannot be concealed. My light is manifest to thee, it cannot be obscured.

~ Baha’u'llah, Arabic Hidden Words #20

So great and powerful is God that His effect and influence on us cannot be ignored, hidden, avoided, nor denied.  He is not just there for us when we need Him—He is in us.

With the utmost friendliness and in a spirit of perfect fellowship take ye counsel together, and dedicate the precious days of your lives to the betterment of the world and the promotion of the Cause of Him Who is the Ancient and Sovereign Lord of all. He, verily, enjoineth upon all men what is right, and forbiddeth whatsoever degradeth their station.

~ Baha’u'llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha’u'llah, p. 183 (XCII para. 3)

Together, with dedication, we can make a difference in the world.  Imagine if we coordinated the efforts of humanitarian aid missions around the world—if they would share information, resources, and human energy—that dedication and fellowship could better the world and promote even more unity.

The best way of arriving at this global vision and achieving commonly-held values across the world is through education.  What is needed is a world programme of education that fosters in all the peoples of the world an understanding of the underlying unity and inter-dependence of the world and an appreciation of the rich diversity of its cultures.

~ Dr. Moojan Momen, Baha’i Focus on Development

Education is the answer to many of the world’s problems.  By learning not just academic skills, but also about the diversity that is us—humans, we can improve our whole society and learn from each other as we learn how much we rely on each other.  So many things we do affect each other, i.e. buying products made in a certain country, supporting a war in another country, the environmental effects of not recycling a product or of burning rain forest to clear it for farm land to raise the beef that will be made into hamburgers for consumption in another part of the world.  If we were able to realize how we are related, and that we are all one culture, with the same values, then maybe we could address these issues through a global vision, but the first step is to ensure education for all.

O Thou kind Lord! This gathering is turning to Thee. These hearts are radiant with Thy love. These minds and spirits are exhilarated by the message of Thy glad-tidings. O God! Let this American democracy become glorious in spiritual degrees even as it has aspired to material degrees, and render this just government victorious. Confirm this revered nation to upraise the standard of the oneness of humanity, to promulgate the Most Great Peace, to become thereby most glorious and praiseworthy among all the nations of the world. O God! This American nation is worthy of Thy favors and is deserving of Thy mercy. Make it precious and near to Thee through Thy bounty and bestowal.

~ Abdu’l-Baha, Baha’i Prayer

Today can be seen as America’s birthday… the day that this democratic state was born by revolting from what was seen as an unfair and oppressive government.  In the more than 200 years that has passed since that day, the United States of America has become a great nation in the world that serves as a example of the democratic process.  Although it is far from perfect, there are many ways in which it has served to further the progress of humankind.

The real means of eliminating race prejudice, is to spread and establish the Faith; for in it, there is no prejudice whatsoever, as the Faith itself holds as its cardinal principle, the Oneness of Humanity.

~ Written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi, in The Power of Unity: Beyond Prejudice and Racism, pp. 105

I was reminded of this quote when I ran across an article yesterday in the University of Wisconsin-Madison student newspaper (coincidentally enough) The Daily Cardinal, that there is no biological basis for racial distinctions. There is only one race, the human one, but unfortunately we seem to allow petty distinctions to classify us.

In 1998, Alan R. Templeton, a biology professor at Washington University, published a paper demonstrating that “race is a real cultural, political and economic concept in society, but it is not a biological concept, and that, unfortunately, is what many people wrongfully consider to be the essence of race in humans—genetic differences.”

Race is an invented concept that is used to define, to limit and to separate the “others.”  The Baha’is believe in the elimination of racial discriminations and prejudices of all kinds.  If the faith were to spread and more people to adopt this particular viewpoint, than humanity would have the opportunity to come together, to unite, and put it’s attention towards solving larger problems.

O MY CHILDREN!
I fear lest, bereft of the melody of the dove of heaven, ye will sink back to the shades of utter loss, and, never having gazed upon the beauty of the rose, return to water and clay.

~ Baha’u'llah, The Persian Hidden Words #13

I had to read this one through several times… the images that stand out to me are the ‘dove of heaven’ and to ‘sink back to the shades of utter loss’.  I can see in this the sadness and disappointment if we were to never see the beauty of God, or to hear that wonderful ‘melody of the dove of heaven’.  If we were never to do those things, it would seem that we would even cease to be human and return to our elemental materials.