The Baha'i Faith from A to Z
From a wonderful website from Comox on Vancouver Island, BC. (Thx to my Canadian friend for this.,)
http://www.bahaisofcomox.org./A-D.asp
Due to a most wonderful event, my daughter's wedding, and the opportunity to spend the weekend celebrating with family, I did not participate in the children's class on the Hilltop as I normally do. The class was in very good hands, however, as this Monday morning report from one of the Baha'i teachers is a clear indication. -gw
Photo: "December 7, 2007 - Kenya. Notice the Baha'i Greatest Name on the wall." Uploaded on February 1, 2008 by Departure Lounge on flickr
Last weekend when I taught the class, one of the children from this Muslim family asked me, "Are you Muslim?" I said that I was a Baha'i and believed in all of God's Manifestations. His sister said, "Baha'is are like Muslims." -gwThree of us along with four children visited with dear Kenyan friends Sunday afternoon. The delightful young mother was home together with her mother, two teenage boys I’d not previously met, and four children who had participated previously in classes. Their uncle was not in thehome as he’d gone to teach an Arabic class in Kent. We visited a while with mother & the baby while the grandmother worked on embroidering a bedspread and the teenagers were watching a soccer match on TV.
Then we offered to share some prayers. The kids were called to come join us and we began our class, with the grandmother and teenagers in the room. The mother was fully engaged and kept the baby in the heart of the action too. We shared some prayers, but the boys felt too shy to share today in spite of their mother’s encouragement. Then we sang “We are drops” a couple of times and the boys began to join in. We reviewed some of the quotes they’d already learned like the “prefer your brother” quote and “So powerful is the light of unity..” and then reviewed the hand actions that went along with it.When we saw how engaged the boys were with the hand motions, we decided to teach them how to sing “Blessed is the Spot” while using the hand motions, and sang that together a couple of times in English and once in Spanish. We talked about the meaning of that prayer and then introduced the quote from lesson #2 “O Son of Spirit! My first counsel is this: Possess a pure, kindly and radiant heart.”
We said the quote together a couple of times and then sat on the floor in a circle and rolled a small, soft ball from one person to another while saying the quote one word at a time. Then we said the quote all together a couple more times and then used the ball-rolling technique to learn each other’s names: rolling the ball to a person and asking them to say their name.
Then we pulled out the coloring sheet and while everyone colored, we used the technique in Ruhi Book 3 to illustrate the meaning of key words in the quote. Where appropriate I substituted the kids’ names for the unfamiliar names in the examples which they all enjoyed; e.g., “Hasani has to decide whether to spend his money on cookies or on a story book. His parents counsel him to buy the story book. His parents give Hasani wise counsel.”
After coloring we played a game together: I brought a small stool and challenged the kids to see how many people could fit on the stool together, using their pure, kindly, and radiant hearts to work together. They had a lot of fun trying to figure it out. We left their home at about 4.45pm. I was so happy we were able to use 4 of the 5 elements of the Ruhi-style children’s class: Prayers, songs, coloring and playing a game.
by haxhinexha on flickrMay 4, 2008
This is a video from a Bahá'í cluster in Brasil. All the Brazilian clusters have a name and this one, Canto do Rouxinol (Nightingale's Song), has created this "news" broadcasting service, to encourage and thank the people who assisted them during the last cycle. In one of the sketches they mention the 27 declarations, 3 study circles, 2 pre-youth groups, various devotional meetings, children's classes and home visits that were the results of their intensive teaching campaign.
“Soon will the cry, ‘Yea, yea, here am I, here am I’ be heard from every land. For there hath never been, nor can there ever be, any other refuge to fly to for anyone.” “And when the appointed hour is come, there shall suddenly appear that which shall cause the limbs of mankind to quake. Then, and only then, will the Divine Standard be unfurled, and the Nightingale of Paradise warble its melody.”
Last night at Baha'i Feast there was consultation on following-up on our recent Intensive Program of Growth. Today there was action. -gw
Hi Friends –
A short report of today’s activities (so far!):
Deb K called me this morning and said she had some free time from 11:30-3:00 and did I want to go try some follow ups. I said “sure!” I called Betty and she was home and said we could come by around 1:30.
We met at the Safeway and drove together over to the home that Mauricio had made a few efforts to follow up on. The lady who remembered Mauricio’s visits said they were just getting ready to go out. There were a few children there. There’s more info to share, but the upshot is, she invited us to come back tomorrow at 4pm to do a children’s class and pray. ...
Next we went to visit at the home where Kimberly and David live. The number we had didn’t match the house that Deb K thought was the right one, so we tried the house with the number we had. Turns out it was the wrong house, but a nice young woman answered so we went ahead and struck up a conversation with her. She said she and her roommates would like to hear more, so we made a date to come back tonight. ...
We went to Betty’s. Had a nice visit with her, and she and Debbie made a good connection. We talked about how best to proceed there and decided to go ahead with a children’s class this Saturday, 1pm, but if it ends up being mostly parents with small children, we will be flexible. I’m hoping we will be getting to know folks better and things will go forward from there. While we were there, we stopped by and visited with the apt manager and told her we’d be there on Saturday. We also revisited Shi, who had been the most enthusiastic person we’d met when we did our door-to-door visits. She remembered me, said she would be there at 1pm on Saturday for sure, and she would let others know. Such a friendly gal! She is 19 years old and has two young children.
Deb K went back to work and I decided to stop by Mary D’s, since I hadn’t spoken with her since Shadi and Alonso had visited. Oschai was there with his baby and Mary, so I got to visit with both of them. I talked with him about a study circle and he continues to be interested. He can’t come to George’s tonight as the baby is sick, but said Wednesday is his day off, so normally it would be good. I said we could arrange something there if that would work better for him. I asked him about what interested him about Shadi’s presentation and he mention about God being unknowable and several other things that let me know he really was taking it in. Mary also commented on how they all had been very attentive and that Shadi’s presentation was so good.
Love, Deb
Download this widescreen desktop background (1280x800) by hovering over the image and hit "Download Full Size" Based on Baha'u'llah's words "Let deeds not words be your adorning".
DavariAbstrakt: "the proof is not going to be in words. Its going to be in deeds." @barakobama @bahaiviews http://tinyurl.com/yewlpxn "
Rahalewis: "the proof is not going to be in words. Its going to be in deeds." @barakobama @bahaiviews http://tinyurl.com/yewlpxn Barak Obama's words regarding Afghanistan rang a bell for Baha'is and others familiar with one of Baha'u'llah's most quoted Hidden Words. -gw "Deeds Not Words" Desktop Background
Click to view large Download this gallery (ZIP, undefined KB) Download full size (379 KB)
From Hari, this item.The downloadable document begins with the paragraph excerpted at the botttom of this post.-gw
Bahais in Scotland were involved in the production of a multi-faith resource called "Values in Harmony" - the promotion of good community relations described by 11 religions and beliefs in Scotland" This includes the Golden Rule as found in the 11 different faith and belief traditions. The Project was funded by the Equalities and Human Rights Commission and launched by the Scottish Government Minister for Community Safety. The result of this collaboration, led by Geoff Lachlan of the Scottish Inter Faith Council is available for download (pdf, 2994 Kb) It is intended to be a tool for promoting better social cohesion especially between Faiths and beliefs. Its target audience is youth and women. Though it is for workshops it is an excellent stand alone resource that enable us to celebrate our commonality with other beliefs, rather than focus on what divides us. The aims were obviously resonant with Bahai values and we were happy to be involved.http://scottishinterfaithcouncil.org/resources/VALUES+IN+HARMONY.pdf
PROMOTING “GOOD COMMUNITY RELATIONS” -
THE CONTEXT
THE FAILURE OF MULTICULTURALISM
In his most recent book,
The Home That We Build Together, the Chief Rabbi Jonathan Sacksstated:
“Multiculturalism has run its course, and has not led to integration but segregation. It has
allowed groups to live separately with no incentive to integrate……Culture is fragmenting into
non-communicating systems of belief in which civil discourse ends and reasoned argument
becomes impossible.”
http://scottishinterfaithcouncil.org/resources/VALUES+IN+HARMONY.pdf
It is thanks to the study of the life and work of the beloved Master ‘Abdu’l-Bahá that we know how to live the Covenant in its totality, comprehending the univocal vision of our reality as Bahá’ís. It is thanks to the stimuli given by the Servant of Bahá that we learn to be awaken, indefatigable and constant, faithful and firm to the Covenant, parting away with those souls that distort the truth, that discretely whisper, that seek no other pleasure but the one from their own egos (
nafs-i-sheytání). And it is due to the love for this Covenant that we arise to silently burn as candles, in the service of the Cause of God, the Cause of the well-being of mankind, under the shadow of Truth and Love of God, demonstrating such virtues as shall make the enemy a companion and the stranger a friend: love, sincerity, rectitude, faithfulness, benevolence, good will, friendship, justice, attraction, candor, healing, and truthfulness.It is here that we learn about coherence and we penetrate the death of dichotomies between “us” and “them”, that we join together out of love, the generatrix force that binds together the very own universe, and we demonstrate that both our beliefs and appearance are one and the same: not only do we believe; we act!!
Those of you who had the opportunity to immerse yourselves in the study of this unity from Book 8 will surely agree that the study of this volume, the manifold memorizations of the passages within it, the perusal of three works by ‘Abdul’Bahá, the research concerning the life of one of the early Bahá’ís and the recollections of Haifa had the celestial impetus of making us see that the Covenant is not merely an expression, just one more expression, one more abstract theological expression. To follow the orientations of the Universal House of Justice is to follow the Covenant. To participate in Study Circles, despite the fact we may not dully grasp their purpose at first, is to be firm in Covenant. The respect shown the friends (whether Bahá’í or not) is to be firm in the Covenant.
Photo: Uploaded on August 28, 2007by mararie on flickr, licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic
A recentsinking of a Japanese trawler following a jellyfish attack is only the first event of the coming End of the World. Dogs & Jeans Crack Religious Scholars have analyzed the catastrophes prophesized in Revelations and determined that, following, the uprising by colonial marine life, an unstoppable sequence of tribulations will bear witness to Armageddon itself: ...
Hummingbirds will knock over wine glasses at outdoor cafes throughout South America and New England. ... Jesus and Mohammad will return to Earth to tell us that only the Baha’i church got it right and everyone else can burn.
http://idolos.sic.sapo.pt/videos/video/273Dear Baha'i Friends,
Can you imagine a young Baha'i going to the "Idol" TV Show and singing «Dastam Begir Abdu'l-Baha»?
It happened here in Portugal:
Move to 50 sec, to start watching Natacha Santos.
Probably you may have seen Natacha also here:
Baha'i greetings,
Marco Oliveira
That settles it. I'm moving the Portugal. You guys got the best "Idol" competition. -gw
It's election day all over the country. Governance in the world today is pretty messy. The election process is adversarial pretty much all over the world. Those who run for office are often those with the largest egos. Humility goes unrewarded in the old-world-order system of things. All this brings to mind Susan Tedeschi's "People." Thanks to Alexander for turning me on to this artist in the first place. -gw
http://popup.lala.com/popup/432627065033795385&ei=aXzwSqSPO5T0sgPe3uGGBg&sa=X&oi=music_play_track&resnum=1&ct=result&cd=2&ved=0CA0Q0wQoADAA&usg=AFQjCNHYxkL5cXr-BxJ3pUVgy-NZ7F9hsQ
People, People 2x
Don’t you know you have a voice?
People, People
Don’t you know you have a choice?TV screens and corrupt magazines 3x
Man on the radio
Says he knows what you need
Planting seeds that just mislead
Can’t be taken back
You watch them grow and then you’ll know
How much you’ve been lead
Oh how can you say there’s nothing wrong
when it’s gone on too long?People, People 2x
What more can I say?
Let’s get ourselves together
Too much at stake to look awayDon’t buy him don’t bump for her 3x
She’s likely to be bought
Don’t buy her don’t bump for him
Power’s his only thought
Confusion and disillusion
Proud of your mind
Until a big decision is too hard to find
How can you say there’s nothing wrong?
When it’s going on too longPeople, People 2x
They said you’d free your mind
People, People
Don’t you think it’s about time?
The songs are from a Bahá’í from El Salvador who now lives in Colombia. The body of his email says: “Dear friends, I hereby share the songs I’ve written. I hope you, too, share and use them in your gatherings. With much love, Carlos Rosa”.
Today was the bridal shower for her in our home. I was given permission to be out of the house, however. What's a guy to do? 
I didn't.
. I'll have to look into them.
A Baha'i Perspective of the Term "Angel""Heaven and Earth Become Harmonized with the Golden Strains of the Music of UnityA collection of passages from the Baha'i Writings about the meaning of the term "angel".
Bismillah al rahman al rahimThe Arabic phrase shown above is pronounced as Bismillah ir-Rahman ir-Rahim, and is a beautifully poetic phrase which offers both deep insight and brilliant inspiration. It has often been said that the phrase Bismillah ir-Rahman ir-Rahim contains the true essence of the entire Qur'an, as well as the true essence of all religions. Muslims often say this phrase when embarking on any significant endeavor, and the phrase is considered by some to be a major pillar of Islam. This expression is so magnificent and so concise that all but one chapter of the Qur'an begins with the words Bismillah ir-Rahman ir-Rahim. The common translation: "In the name of God, most Gracious, most Compassionate".fails to capture either the true depth of meaning or the inspirational message of this beautiful phrase. So, let's look deeper into the meaning of these wonderful words.Today one of the children in Baha'i children's class recited this Arabic phrase and then translated it into English. -gw
 | ||
 The Baha'i Faith | ||
One of my many college roomates was from Rwanda Africa by way of Paris, France, and Iran. She practiced this faith and was a lovely person. I wasn't too concerned about my Christian walk back then and didn't pay much attention to her business but she was very peaceful and productive.Quote:
Has anyone ever heard of this religion? I saw it on Nightline. Rayne Wilson of "The Office" is really into it. Their saying all religions are under one God. They don't show a picture of the founder because he is too sacred to look at and their goal is world peace. They say the founder is the same as Jesus, Moses, Abraham, etc. http://www.bahai.org/
Section 4
Having recognized Bahá’u’lláh’s greatness and being conscious of our nearness to the ocean of His Revelation in the depths of which lie invaluable pearls, we fill our souls with the spirit of faith and share these pearls of divine guidance with others, pearls that we continually discover in our own study, prayer and meditation. In doing so, we use the power of His own Word. It is important, then, that we meditate deeply on the power of the Word of God and its effect on the human heart. The following quotation of Bahá’u’lláh will help us to appreciate this great power:
“The Word of God may be likened unto a sapling, whose roots have been implanted in the hearts of men. It is incumbent upon you to foster its growth through the living waters of wisdom, of sanctified and holy words, so that its root may become firmly fixed and its branches may spread out as hight as the heavens and beyond.”
– Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh (Wilmette: Baha’i Publishing Trust, 1983), XLIII, p. 97Exercises:
1. To what may the Word of God be compared?
2. Where have the roots of the tree of the Word of God been planted?
3. How should we foster the growth of this tree?
4. Mention some of the qualities we will show forth when the Word of God is firmly established in our hearts.
5. What does the phrase “its branched may spread out as high as the heavens and beyond” mean?
6. Explain in a few sentences why sharing the Word of God is of the most importance.http://www.shuiziliu.com/blog/bahai-faith/rh2p1-book-2-arising-to-serve-20091029.html
Leaders of Israel's Baha'i community will next week commemorate the recent passing of Murray Smith, former Deputy Secretary General of the Baha'i International Community. Smith, a New Zealander who served in Israel from 1994 to 2007, died last month of cancer at the age of 67 in New Zealand. A former Labor member of parliament in his native land, Smith was a well-known and well-liked figure at diplomatic receptions and events in Israel. ...Smith served as an MP for three years until 1975. In 1989 he converted to the Baha'i faith, moving to Israel in 1994 with his wife, Miette Smith, who took up the Baha'i faith some years before he did and volunteered at the Baha'i center in Haifa as a librarian. Believers of the Baha'i Faith refrain from alcoholic drinks, drugs, gambling, theft, violence, adultery and defamation. The Baha'i, for whom Haifa is a major holy site, are forbidden to participate in partisan activities and consider themselves to be apolitical. "From my experience I have learned that the party political system will not solve the problems of humanity", Smith said in an interview in 2007. During the Second Lebanon War, Murray announced the Baha'i Garden will remain lit at night beyond the normal hours, as a way of "lifting the morale of the people of Haifa."
National Secretary and CEO, National SpiritualAssembly of Baha’i of New Zealand
Earlier this year, I came home to New Zealand after almost
13 years in Haifa, Israel, at the Baha’i World Centre. I
was Deputy Secretary General of the Baha’i international
community, responsible for managing relationships with
the host country and with the diplomatic community.
Haifa has been a highlight in a varied career that included
time in the public sector, three years in Parliament,
shepherding two government-owned entities through
privatisation and consulting for Roger Douglas Associates.
My wife and I returned to New Zealand to retire, but I was
asked to take up my former job as Secretary of the New
Zealand Assembly, and here I am – back full on. It is a
challenging job, but a very interesting one. The basic goal
of the Baha’i faith is world peace. This makes the work very
meaningful which helps a lot to cope with the pressure.
Assignment #53
Dear Friends:
A tribute to the lives of Bahiyyih Khanum The Greatest Holy Leaf the blessed daughter of Bahá’u’lláh, and for the photos of Amatu’l-Baha Ruhiyyih Khanum the wife of Shoghi Effendi, and a biography of Dr. David Ruhe a former member of The Universal House of Justice, click http://www.teachingandprojects.com/preciousgems.htm and scroll down to them.
TaliaSafa ~ Bahá’í Music for Souls & Hearts, click http://www.teachingandprojects.com/prayerandmeditation.htm and scroll down to it.
Introduction to Baha'i Books Baha’i Stories Blog Reflecting on Baha'i Writings
http://www.teachingandprojects.com/othersites.htm
For your Persian friends we have Abdu'l-Baha traveling to America video of happenings, please click here
http://www.teachingandprojects.com/ArabicandPersian.htm and scroll down to it.
Best regards,
Vahid and Jeanette
Darrell Rodgers – Coordinator, Guitar, vocals
Deb Rodgers – Photographer (and audience advocate)
Jordan Rager – Bosch Deputy Administrator, guitar, drums, piano, vocals
Tyler Thompson – Piano, vocals, guitar
Robert Gillies – Piano, vocals, guitar & bass!
Alan James – Guitars, vocals
Russ Salton – Guitar, vocals
Chuck Thrapp - Guitar, vocals
Jon Rezin – Bass, Percussion, expertise
Auntieclaire Rezin – Vocals & motherhood
Jerome Matthew – Percussion and wisdom
Borna Khavari – Percussion and youth
Nima Jalali – Guitar, vocals
Faraz Ghoddosi – Sax, Piano, Guitar, Vocals
Sena Ghoddossi – Drums & percussion
Ian McAleece – Guitar, Drums, vocals, percussion
Karen McAleece - Guitar, vocals
John Armour – Native Flutes
Walter Heath - Guitar, vocals
Angela Owens – Piano, vocals
Kyra Platte – Vocals
Jon Butah – Piano
With the discovery of DNA it was the double helix, then, with changing corriculums it was the double cogort, now, it's the uber-super-fun-japanese-canadian-not really japanese at all-double-fireside-weekend-EXTRAVAGANZA! Two firesides, Saturday at 7 we have Martin Braithwaite (He's baaaack...) talking on virtues and how to get good and why being good ain't so bad and the like, and Sunday at 7 we have a Professor of Native Studies from Alberta to talk about Native Spirituality Meets Baha'i Faith. Very cool.
Bill Fernandez
Mention of the Baha'i Faith by co-founder Steve Wozniak co-Founder of Apple
http://www.woz.org/letters/general/71.html
________________E-mail to Wozniak:
I am a devoted mac user and as long as Apple makes it, I will loyaly use it. I love the fact that a man of your stature in the computer world makes himself so available to general public. I am delighted to find out that you are such a down to earth person. Having read your responses to most letter, I must say that your beliefs closely mirror mine. I am a Bahai, that is my religion. Have you ever heard of the Bahai Faith or have any familiarity with it?Woz:
Yes. Our third Apple employee (badge number 4, but he was hired before number 3), Bill Fernandez, has been a Bahai since high school. Bill was my technician at Hewlett Packard (I'd helped get him in there) before we started Apple. Bill lived a few houses down from me on the same street, and is the one that built the "Cream Soda" computer with me, not Steve Jobs as portrayed in "Pirates of Silicon Valley." Bill is also the person that introduced Steve and myself. Bill has also helped in my current computer class, teaching 3D drawing. So I know something of the Baha'i Faith and I appreciate it but I won't get into that."Bruce Rothaar
Bruce and two other engineers, Robert B. Ingebretsen and Prof. Thomas Stockham of the University of Utah invented technology that translated analog sound into a digital format -- a discovery that eventually led to the development of compact discs._______________Laurence G. LundbladePioneered PINE a widely used email program with Mike Seibel at the University of Washington.
Check out the new Baha'i iPhone (and web and Windows) software at http://BahaiResearch.com.
Interfaith Explorer for Windows PCs [FREE download]
This free software has over 5000 books in 20 languages including all the newest letters from the House and ITC updated automatically. Add your own content too!
Cool feature! Create a USB stick version. It'll copy your current setup to a USB stick which can then run on any PC simply by plugging it in. Leaves no trace on the PC!
Interfaith Explorer for iPhones and iPods [FREE download]
A free app! Just got published by Apple. Finally a good reason to buy an iPhone or iPod touch! Search and read 5000 books in 20 languages including all the newest letters from the House and ITC as they are published. New books and documents added automatically.
You must have the newest OS, 3.1 or higher.Join our Facebook group to get new feature updates: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=64517472704
View Video: How to use this web site, do simple searches and navigate the library at http://bahairesearch.com/Pages/Help/Web/Introduction/Introduction.html
