April, 2008
The gift of continuity
The new members of the Universal House of Justice have been elected and announced. Many have posted on this dignified process and momentous event and some have expressed eloquently the things I tried to convey in my own comment at the Arlington Baha’is website, by visually illustrating the difference between the Baha’i electoral process and [...]
9th Day of Ridvan
Life is unpredictable. No matter how much here in the West we might fool ourselves that we can control life, there is just no way to predict it. I am telling myself all this because I want to remind myself when I catch myself thinking that I am living through the most difficult days of [...]
Gratitude for a Garden
More than a year ago I started this blog with an entry quoting a book review of “In Defense of Food”, the book by Michael Pollan which was succinctly captured by the healthy advice mantra “Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.” Today I came across an interview with the author of this book which [...]
The price of vainglory
I just finished reading “Gems of Divine Mysteries” by Baha’u’llah. This was one of the required reading for a class which also includes study of the “Kitab-i-Iqan”. The Gems is similar in style to the Seven Valleys and it describes severals Cities of God as stages of spiritual development. These Cities are, of course, metaphors [...]
Ridvan showers
There is a flood warning in Northern Virginia. The rain pours and the air is pure. The gentle sprouts of the grape vines we planted last year are becoming more confident and opening the petals of their soft-green and purple leaves. It is the first day of Ridvan! Verily, all created things were immersed in [...]
Shoghi Effendi on the struggle to overcome ego
I am only starting to discover the depth of Shoghi Effendi’s writings! Here are few profound statements by him on the subject of overcoming ego: The more we search for ourselves, the less likely we are to find ourselves; and the more we search for God, and to serve our fellow-men, the more profoundly will [...]
The power struggle between the mind and the heart
Last night I attended a thought-provoking discussion on what hinders our ability to build capacity — spiritual, mental, intellectual. The brief answer was: a power struggle. I was reflecting on the self-prejudice we subconsciously impose on our inability to recognize our inner wisdom and inner value. Today, I read a most intriguing interview with a [...]
On justice and unity
I’ve been struggling lately to clarify for myself the interdependence between justice and unity. What kept on coming to my mind was this Hidden Word: 2. O SON OF SPIRIT! The best beloved of all things in My sight is Justice; turn not away therefrom if thou desirest Me, and neglect it not that I [...]
