The Plight of Mankind

 

 

The plight of mankind, the condition and circumstances under which we live and labor are truly disheartening, and the darkness of prejudice and ill-will enough to chill the stoutest heart. Disillusion and dismay are invading the hearts of peoples and nations, and the hope and vision of a united and regenerated humanity is growing dimmer and dimmer every day. Time-honored institutions, cherished ideals, and sacred traditions are suffering in these days of bewildering change, from the effects of the gravest onslaught, and the precious fruit of centuries of patient and earnest labor is faced with peril. Passions, supposed to have been curbed and subdued, are now burning fiercer than ever before, and the voice of peace and good-will seems drowned amid unceasing convulsions and turmoil.
What, let us ask ourselves, should be our attitude as we stand under the all-seeing eye of our vigilant Master, gazing at a sad spectacle so utterly remote from the spirit which He breathed into the world? Are we to follow in the wake of the wayward and the despairing? Are we to allow our vision of so unique, so enduring, so precious a Cause to be clouded by the stain and dust of worldly happenings, which, no matter how glittering and far-reaching in their immediate effects, are but the fleeting shadows of an imperfect world?

 Are we to be carried away by the flood of hollow and conflicting ideas, or are we to stand, unsubdued and unblemished, upon the everlasting rock of God’s Divine Instructions? Shall we not equip ourselves with a clear and full understanding of their purpose and implications for the age we live in, and with an unconquerable resolve arise to utilize them, intelligently and with scrupulous fidelity, for the enlightenment and the promotion of the good of all mankind? Humanity, torn with dissension and burning with hate, is crying at this hour for a fuller measure of that love which is born of God, that love which in the last resort will prove the one solvent of its incalculable difficulties and problems. Is it not incumbent upon us, whose hearts are aglow with love for Him, to make still greater effort, to manifest that love in all its purity and power in our dealings with our fellow-men? May our love of our beloved Master, so ardent, so disinterested in all its aspects, find its true expression in love for our fellow-brethren and sisters in the faith as well as for all mankind. I assure you, dear friends, that progress in such matters as these is limitless and infinite, and that upon the extent of our achievements along this line will ultimately depend the success of our mission in life.

Shoghi Effendi
Bahá’í Administration
www.bahai.org/r/777849006

Contradiction between true religion and science. 2

 

A small child cannot comprehend the laws that govern nature, but this is on account of the immature intellect of that child; when he is grown older and has been educated he too will understand the everlasting truths. A child does not grasp the fact that the earth revolves round the sun, but, when his intelligence is awakened, the fact is clear and plain to him.

It is impossible for religion to be contrary to science, even though some intellects are too weak or too immature to understand truth.

God made religion and science to be the measure, as it were, of our understanding. Take heed that you neglect not such a wonderful power. Weigh all things in this balance.

To him who has the power of comprehension religion is like an open book, but how can it be possible for a man devoid of reason and intellectuality to understand the Divine Realities of God?

Put all your beliefs into harmony with science; there can be no opposition, for truth is one. When religion, shorn of its superstitions, traditions, and unintelligent dogmas, shows its conformity with science, then will there be a great unifying, cleansing force in the world which will sweep before it all wars, disagreements, discords and struggles—and then will mankind be united in the power of the Love of God.

`Abdu'l-Bahá, Paris Talks

Contradiction between true religion and science. 1

 

There is no contradiction between true religion and science. When a religion is opposed to science it becomes mere superstition: that which is contrary to knowledge is ignorance.

How can a man believe to be a fact that which science has proved to be impossible? If he believes in spite of his reason, it is rather ignorant superstition than faith. The true principles of all religions are in conformity with the teachings of science.

The Unity of God is logical, and this idea is not antagonistic to the conclusions arrived at by scientific study.
All religions teach that we must do good, that we must be generous, sincere, truthful, law-abiding, and faithful; all this is reasonable, and logically the only way in which humanity can progress.
All religious laws conform to reason, and are suited to the people for whom they are framed, and for the age in which they are to be obeyed. Religion has two main parts:

(1) The Spiritual.
(2) The Practical.

The spiritual part never changes. All the Manifestations of God and His Prophets have taught the same truths and given the same spiritual law. They all teach the one code of morality. There is no division in the truth. The Sun has sent forth many rays to illumine human intelligence, the light is always the same.

The practical part of religion deals with exterior forms and ceremonies, and with modes of punishment for certain offences. This is the material side of the law, and guides the customs and manners of the people.


`Abdu'l-Bahá, Paris Talks

The King and the Dervish

 

Whereas riches may become a mighty barrier between man and God, and rich people are often in great danger of attachment, yet people with small worldly possessions can also become attached to material things. The following Persian story of a king and a dervish [1] illustrates this:

Once there was a king who had many spiritual qualities and whose deeds were based on justice and loving-kindness. He often envied the dervish who had renounced the world and appeared to be free from the cares of this material life, for he roamed the country, slept in any place when night fell and chanted the praises of his Lord during the day. He lived in poverty, yet thought he owned the whole world. His only possessions were his clothes and a basket in which he carried the food donated by his well-wishers. The king was attracted to this way of life.

Once he invited a well-known dervish to his palace, sat at his feet and begged him for some lessons about detachment. The dervish was delighted with the invitation. He stayed a few days in the palace and whenever the king was free preached the virtues of a mendicant's life to him. At last the king was converted. One day, dressed in the garb of a poor man, he left his palace in the company of the dervish. They had walked together some distance when the dervish realized that he had left his basket behind in the palace. This disturbed him greatly and, informing the king that he could not go without his basket, he begged permission to return for it. But the king admonished him, saying that he himself had left behind his palaces, his wealth and power, whereas the dervish, who had preached for a lifetime the virtues of detachment, had at last been tested and was found to be attached to this world -- his small basket.

The possession of earthly goods is often misunderstood to be the only form of attachment. But this is not so. Man's pride in his accomplishments, his knowledge, his position, his popularity within society and, above all, his love for his own self are some of the barriers which come between him and God. To rid oneself of these attachments is not easy. It can be a painful process and may indeed prove to be a spiritual battle which lasts a lifetime.

- Adib Taherzadeh (‘The Revelation of Baha'u'llah’ vol. 1)

Detachment

We can appreciate without attaching ourselves to the things of this world. It sometimes happens that if a man loses his fortune he is so disheartened that he dies or becomes insane. While enjoying the things of this world we must remember that one day we shall have to do without them.
 
Detachment does not consist in setting fire to one's house, or becoming bankrupt or throwing one's fortune out of the window, or even giving away all of one's possessions. Detachment consists in refraining from letting our possessions possess us. A prosperous merchant who is not absorbed in his business knows severance. A banker whose occupation does not prevent him from serving humanity is severed. A poor man can be attached to a small thing.

 ‘Abdu’l-Bahá,
Divine Philosophy, p. 135-136

دعای مخصوص رهائی مسجونین بهائی از زندان

 

Prayer for the Release of the Baha'i Prisoners 

. إنّهُ لَهُوَالمُقتدِرُ المُختار يا مالِکَ الأسْـماء و فاطِـرَ السّـماء خَلِّصْ أَحِبّاء مِنْ سِـجنِ أَعـداء اِنَّکَ سلطانَُ القَضـاء و المُشرقُ مِن اُفُقِ البَـداء يا اَصلَ البَقـاء لَعَمرُ البَهاء لا تَقطَعُ الرِّجـاء فَانصُر هـؤلاء اَنتَ الحاکِمُ عَلی ما تَشاء و فِی قَبضَـتِکَ مَلَکوتُِ الإنشاء قَـد شُحِذَ الاَنيابَ لِلَحْمِ الاَحبابْ اَنَ احْفَظِ الأصحابَ يا مالِکَ الـرِّقابِ و الحاکِمُ فِی المَآبِ .

 مضمون فارسی: 

بدرستی که او مقتدر و دارای اختیار است. ای مالک اسمها و ای گشاینده آسمانها، احبا را از زندان دشمنان رهایی بخش. براستی که تو سلطان قضا هستی و از افق حکم الهی اشراق نموده ای. ای اصل (ریشه) بقا، قسم به جان بهاء که رجا قطع نمیشود. پس اینان را یاری نما. تو حاکم هستی بر هر آنچه که بخواهی و ملکوتِ عالمِ آفرینش در زمام قدرت تو است. به درستی که دندانها برای گوشت احبّا، تیز شده است. احبّایت را حفظ کن ای مالک گردنها و ای کسی که در یوم آخرت، حکم کننده هستی.

تفسیر حضرت عبدالبها درباره ی عید پاک و قیام حضرت مسیح بعد از سه روز

 

عید پاک که از اعتقاد به رستاخیز و قیام مجدد حضرت مسیح پس از به صلیب کشیده شدن نشات می گیرد، یکی از بزرگترین اعیاد مسیحیان است. این برنامه شامل توضیحات مختصری در معرفی این عید به علاوه تفسیر حضرت عبدالبها در مورد مفهوم قیام حضرت عیسی مسیح بعد از سه روز است

The Universal House of Justice "A UNIQUE INSTITUTION"

 

 The elected members of the Universal House of Justice are described in the Bahá’í Sacred Writings as the “Trustees of God among His servants and the daysprings of authority in His countries”,as the “Men of Justice”, the “Deputies of God”, the “Trustees of the All-Merciful.” They must be “shepherds unto His sheep”, protecting and preserving the unity and well-being of Bahá’u’lláh’s followers, as well as “manifestations of the fear of God and daysprings of knowledge and understanding”,“steadfast in God’s faith and the well-wishers of all mankind.”

The Universal House of Justice is charged with the affairs of the people. It must apply the Bahá’í teachings to “the training of peoples, the upbuilding of nations, the protection of man and the safeguarding of his honor.” It must have the utmost regard for the interests of the people at all times and under all conditions, and ensure the protection and safeguarding of men, women and children.

The promotion of peace in the world is also among the responsibilities of the Universal House of Justice, “so that the people of the earth may be relieved from the burden of exorbitant expenditures.” Its members must additionally “endeavor to the utmost of their power to safeguard” the position of religion, “promote its interests” and “exalt its station in the eyes of the world.”

Since “change is a necessary quality and an essential attribute of this world, and of time and place”, Bahá’u’lláh has invested the members of the Universal House of Justice with the authority to consider matters that He did not specifically deal with in His own Writings and “enforce that which is agreeable to them.”

“Inasmuch as for each day there is a new problem and for every problem an expedient solution,” wrote Bahá’u’lláh, “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.”
The Bahá’í Sacred Writings give the guarantee that the Universal House of Justice will take decisions and establish laws through the “inspiration and confirmation of the Holy Spirit”. For Bahá’ís, “obedience to its decisions is a bounden and essential duty and an absolute obligation”.

https://www.bahai.org/the-universal-house-of-justice/unique-institution

THE BAHÁ’Í CALENDAR

 

The Bahá’í calendar, known as the Badí‘ calendar, was introduced by the Báb. Bahá’u’lláh confirmed and adopted this calendar, fixing its commencement at the year of the Báb’s declaration in 1844.
 In a message regarding the universal implementation of the Badí‘ calendar, the Universal House of Justice states:

 “The adoption of a new calendar in each dispensation is a symbol of the power of Divine Revelation to reshape human perception of material, social, and spiritual reality. Through it, sacred moments are distinguished, humanity’s place in time and space reimagined, and the rhythm of life recast.”

 As the Bahá’í Era (designated B.E.) was inaugurated by twin Founders, the Bahá’í Holy Days include events related to the birth, declaration, and passing of both Bahá’u’lláh and the Báb.
 This calendar consists of 19 months of 19 days each, with the addition of intercalary days known as Ayyám-i-Há. The number of these intercalary days varies according to the timing of the vernal equinox in the northern hemisphere in successive years.
 The Báb named each of the 19 months, listed below, after certain attributes of God. The Bahá’í New Year (Naw-Rúz) is astronomically fixed, coinciding with the vernal equinox. Holy Days are fixed within the solar calendar, except for the observance of the Festival of the Twin Birthdays—the Birth of the Báb and the Birth of Bahá’u’lláh—which moves year to year, taking place on the first and the second day following the occurrence of the eighth new moon after Naw-Rúz.

THE BAHÁ’Í CALENDAR

"What is the object of life to a Bahá'í?"

The other day a man asked Shoghi Effendi: "What is the object of life to a Bahá'í?" As the Guardian repeated his answer to me (I had not been present with the visitor), indeed, before he did, I wondered in my own mind what it had been. Had he told the man that to us the object of life is to know God, or perfect our own character? I never really dreamed of the answer he had given, which was this: the object of life to a Bahá'í is to promote the oneness of mankind. The whole object of our lives is bound up with the lives of all human beings: not a personal salvation we are seeking, but a universal one. We are not to cast eyes within ourselves and say "Now get busy saving your soul and reserving a comfortable berth in the Next World!" No, we are to get busy on bringing Heaven to the Planet. That is a very big concept. The Guardian then went on to explain that our aim is to produce a world civilization which will in turn react on the character of the individual. It is, in a way, the inverse of Christianity which started with the individual unit and through it reach out to the conglomerate life of men.
This does not mean we must neglect to prune our personalities and weed out our faults and weaknesses. But it does mean we have to do a lot of radiating out to others of what we know to be true through the study of Bahá'u'lláh's teachings.

Ruhiyyih (Mary Maxwell) Khanum

Story of The Tablet of Ahmad

 

The Tablet of Ahmad (or Lawh-i-Ahmad) is a tablet written by Bahá'u'lláh, the founder of the Bahá'í Faith, while he was in Adrianople. While the exact date is not known, the Tablet is believed to have been written in 1865 to a Bahá'í from Yazd, Iran, named Ahmad.Baháʼís often recite it as a prayer to dispel afflictions and inspire perseverance in the face of hardships. In a letter written on his behalf, Shoghi EffendiBlogThis!