So calm, and serene is the main gathering hall which is also shown on this website.  I long for the peacefulness that I felt there, and seeing these pictures brings me about as close as I can to actually returning.

http://www.p4panorama.com/panos/lotustemple/index.html

The sovereign soul
Of him who lives self-governed and at peace
Is centred in itself, taking alike
Pleasure and pain; heat, cold; glory and shame.

~ Bhagavad Gita (Edwin Arnold tr)

I find the poetry of the Hindu verses to be beautiful in its simplicity and indirectness.  These verses speak to me that to maintain a holy and spiritual life, I must take all things that come along and yet remained peaceful and in control of myself and my emotions—something that can be a bit of a challenge for me.

Knowledge is love. Study, listen to exhortations, think, try to understand the wisdom and greatness of God. The soil must be fertilized before the seed can be sown.

~ Abdu’l-Baha, “Star of the West” Vol. 20, No. 10, p. 314

To the Baha’is, the Independent Investigation of Truth and devotion to studying the word of God are very important.  In order to learn and understand, to be true receptacles of such knowledge, we must become educated.  All Baha’is are asked to read something of the many volumes of authoritative texts every day.  There is no specified amount to satisfy this obligation—simply enough to cause the reader to pause, reflect and think about the wonders of God.

O my Lord and my Hope! Help Thou Thy loved ones to be steadfast in Thy mighty Covenant, to remain faithful to Thy manifest Cause, and to carry out the commandments Thou didst set down for them in Thy Book of Splendours; that they may become banners of guidance and lamps of the Company above, wellsprings of Thine infinite wisdom, and stars that lead aright, as they shine down from the supernal sky.

Verily art Thou the Invincible, the Almighty, the All-Powerful.

~ Abdu’l-Baha, Baha’i Prayer

I like to read this prayer whenever I feel myself losing my way and straying from the path that God has set forth for me.  More than just asking for firmness in the covenant for myself, this prayer leads me to request the strength to carry out God’s commandments in order to set an example for the children I teach and the youth I mentor.  By becoming a star that will lead this next generation aright I have taken on a responsibility that is bigger than myself.

Immerse yourselves in the ocean of My words, that ye may unravel its secrets, and discover all the pearls of wisdom that lie hid in its depths.

~ Baha’u'llah, The Kitab-i-Aqdas, p. 85

I have appreciated this quote since I first ran across it.  Having (almost) always lived near the ocean, I find the imagery of immersing myself into an ocean of words to be comforting.  The salty ocean water does not allow a person sink—it envelops the body, yet supports it.  I was also fascinated, yet intimidated by the vast depth of the ocean and the mysteries that lay beneath that dark water.  In this directive from what the Baha’is call ‘the Most Holy Book’, we see how we are encouraged to seek out the truths that lie beneath the surface of the Baha’u’llah’s words.  When we do, we will discover beautiful pearls of wisdom.

It is not just by means of morality and religious observances, not by great learning nor by attainments in meditation, nor by living alone, nor by thinking,"I am enjoying a spiritual happiness which ordinary people do not know" that a bhikkhu* achieves peace if he has not achieved the elimination of inflowing thoughts.

~ Dhammapada – Sayings of the Buddha 1 (tr. J. Richards)

I imagine those “inflowing thoughts” to be the temptations and desires of this world.  The Baha’is are instructed to resist the desires of materialism and placing the accumulation of things above service to others and to God.  But, in this Buddhist text we see that no matter what else we do in our efforts to become closer to God, such as adherence to observances, prayer and meditation will mean nothing if we cannot eliminate the inflowing thoughts.

* Bhikku is the term for an adult Buddhist monk. 

There are events that happen to all of us that seem a mystery.  They are God’s mysteries and not meant for us to understand.  What is important to take away is that even if little Fiona lived for only a few minutes, she lived.  Considering the shortness of her life, the impact she had on others was infinitely more than other people who lived for decades.  As painful as the experiences can be, we never come away from them the same.  As was also mentioned in yesterday’s post, as mortal beings we do not have the capacity to understand all of God’s plan for us, but that does not mean that He is not there with a plan.  It is because of God’s love for us that we experiences both the joys and hardships and joys of life, and it should be out of love for Him that we accept the good with the bad and have faith and trust in his wisdom.

O CHILDREN OF THE DIVINE AND INVISIBLE ESSENCE!
Ye shall be hindered from loving Me and souls shall be perturbed as they make mention of Me. For minds cannot grasp Me nor hearts contain Me.

~ Baha’u'llah, The Arabic Hidden Words #66

The Hidden Words were meant to contain spiritual truths in their most elemental forms.  Combined with the King James English that they were translated into, the terse statements become almost enigmatic.  This is what I appreciate most about them—I cannot simply breeze through them, but must spend some time pondering their meaning in order to understand, although I cannot understand them completely.  Each time I read one, and reflect upon it, I discover something new.  Today’s selection reminds me that, try as I might, I am simply incapable understanding all of God’s message for us.  For many this could be a source of consternation and frustration as it hinders mankind’s attempts at understanding the world.  I prefer to look at this differently though—as a source of comfort.  It enables me to turn things over to God in His wisdom.

Lauded by Thy name, O my God! I entreat Thee by the fragrances of the Raiment of Thy grace which at Thy bidding and in conformity with Thy desire were diffused throughout the entire creation, and by the Daystar of Thy will that hath shone brightly, through the power of Thy might and of Thy sovereignty, above the horizon of Thy mercy, to blot out from my heart all idle fancies and vain imaginings, that with all my affections I may turn unto Thee, O Thou Lord of all mankind!

I am Thy servant and the son of Thy servant, O my God! I have laid hold on the handle of Thy grace, and clung to the cord of Thy tender mercy. Ordain for me the good things that are with Thee, and nourish me from the Table Thou didst send down out of the clouds of Thy bounty and the heaven of Thy favor.

Thou, in very truth, art the Lord of the worlds, and the God of all that are in heaven and all that are on earth.

~ Baha’u’llah

I really appreciate the somber tone and plea to God to remove the “idle fancies and vain imaginings” from one’s heart so that it will be possible to put all of one’s affections towards Him.  What a beautiful sentiment, and a nice reminder to know that, at times, even Baha’u’llah, a Prophet of God needed to ask for help to keep his thoughts on God.

There is such a confusion in the world today, so much uncertainty, so much materialism, that it is very hard to hold the attention of even the more spiritually minded people.

~ Shoghi Effendi, High Endeavours -  Messages to Alaska, p. 48 (May 16, 1947)

Even when this was written, the great-grandson of Baha’u’llah could see how complicated this world had become.  Making the right choices and keeping our mind centered on God can be difficult.  The acknowledgement of this fact from the spiritual leaders of the Faith shows great compassion as we do our best to look past the un-illumined objects and resist the vain desires that surround us.

O MAN OF TWO VISIONS!
Close one eye and open the other. Close one to the world and all that is therein, and open the other to the hallowed beauty of the Beloved.

~ Baha’u'llah, The Persian Hidden Words, #12

I appreciate the brevity, yet profoundness of this utterance from the founder of the Baha’i Faith.  Baha’u’llah wrote this while exiled in Baghdad from his native Tehran.  As Baha’is have been directed to read from The Hidden Words every day, I like to imagine us all reading doing just what these two sentences direct us to do—shut out the material world and focus upon the spiritual world.  Even if we have just a few precious moments during the day, spending them in prayer and meditation will bring a return much greater than we could ever imagine.

O SON OF SPIRIT!
I created thee rich, why dost thou bring thyself down to poverty? Noble I made thee, wherewith dost thou abase thyself? Out of the essence of knowledge I gave thee being, why seekest thou enlightenment from anyone beside Me? Out of the clay of love I molded thee, how dost thou busy thyself with another? Turn thy sight unto thyself, that thou mayest find Me standing within thee, mighty, powerful and self-subsisting.

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

I love the first two questions posed here, and the analogies that lie within them.  Surely we were not all born as wealthy royalty.  On the other hand, we are provided with all of the things we need to live a healthy, and rewarding life.  But, we have a tendency to turn away from those gifts from God.  We become confused by the trappings of this world and begin to think that riches are equal to money and goods. consequently we begin to focus on comparing ourselves to others, and trying to fill voids with things we now perceive to lack.  However, Baha’u’llah tells us here that if we stay focused on those wonderful abilities, talents and wonders that have bestowed upon each of us by God, we will see how wonderful they are, and, in turn, see God working with us.