Befriended Stranger

I have seldom acknowledged the inspiration I get from reading the blogs of other souls. In reality, I am grateful for so many people sharing their insights and encouragement through blogging.

Last night I reflected on a post by Laura who is at that singular crossroad of life, deciding to become a Baha’i or not. I am, of course, past that question although my challenge is trying my best at being a Baha’i. But there is so much in common between all of us, people who have certitude and people who are only beginning on the path of search.

So I was reflecting on the question of re-creation. Not recreation as in recreational activities although these, when you think of it, have the same purpose of renewing our true self; re-creation as what we observe when a root from a dying plant is replanted and then blossoms in all its glorious beauty (I got that from a talk this morning with a colleague, about office plants).

Baha’u'llah in a Tablet recalling the Festival of Ridvan, praises the re-creation of the whole creation:

This is the Day whereon naught can be seen except the splendors of the Light that shineth from the face of Thy Lord, the Gracious, the Most Bountiful. Verily, We have caused every soul to expire by virtue of Our irresistible and all-subduing sovereignty. We have, then, called into being a new creation, as a token of Our grace unto men. I am, verily, the All-Bountiful, the Ancient of Days.
(Baha’u'llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha’u'llah, p. 27)

In another tablet He states:

Thus have We created the whole earth anew in this day, yet most of the people have failed to perceive it.
(Baha’u'llah, The Summons of the Lord of Hosts, p. 24)

As I opened my prayer book this morning, I was guided to a long and profound prayer for service. Although it is worth reflecting on each single paragraph of this prayer, I am quoting here the one that deals with recreation because it addresses exactly the question of when recreation happens — in every single moment of my life, as long as I cleave to the cord of His grace:

Do Thou destine for me, O my God, what will set me, at all times, towards Thee, and enable me to cleave continually to the cord of Thy grace, and to proclaim Thy name, and to look for whatsoever may flow down from Thy pen.  I am poor and desolate, O my Lord, and Thou art the All-Possessing, the Most High.  Have pity, then, upon me through the wonders of Thy mercy, and send down upon me, every moment of my life, the things wherewith Thou hast recreated the hearts of all Thy creatures who have recognized Thy unity, and of all Thy people who are wholly devoted to Thee.

God is all glorious! Have a blessed day!

Purify, O my God, the hearts of Thy creatures with the power of Thy sovereignty and might, that Thy words may sink deep into them.
(Baha’u'llah, Prayers and Meditations by Baha’u'llah, p. 197)

I beseech Thee by Thy Lastness which is the same as Thy Firstness, and by Thy Revelation which is identical with Thy Concealment, to grant that they who are dear to Thee, and their children, and their kindred, may become the revealers of Thy purity amidst Thy creatures, and the manifestations of Thy sanctity amongst Thy servants.
(Baha’u'llah, Prayers and Meditations by Baha’u'llah, p. 228)

If a picture is worth a thousand words, then a video must be worth a million words. But what if these are words by the Blessed Beauty:

Armed with the power of Thy name nothing can ever hurt me, and with Thy love in my heart all the world’s afflictions can in no wise alarm me.
(Baha’u'llah, Prayers and Meditations by Baha’u'llah, p. 207)

A powerful new video of a beautiful new song by Devon Gundry:

Devon Gundry - “Armed” from Justin Baldoni on Vimeo.

Spiritual laws work, just as the laws of physics. Today I have witnessed a powerful proof of God’s Justice. I know God is merciful too but there is a certain resignation and relief in knowing that His Justice is also unfailing. I don’t want to write much; just to remember this day.

He who dealeth faithlessly with God shall in justice meet with faithlessness himself; he, however, who acteth in accordance with God’s bidding shall receive a blessing from the heaven of the bounty of his Lord, the Gracious, the Bestower, the Generous, the Ancient of Days.
(Baha’u'llah, The Kitab-i-Aqdas, p. 55)

Nothing is accidental in my life, it seems, including the timing of the events, for today is the Birth of Baha’u'llah. Very timely too, is this video of the song “The bird which soareth” by Elika Mahony:

O My servants! Could ye apprehend with what wonders of My munificence and bounty I have willed to entrust your souls, ye would, of a truth, rid yourselves of attachment to all created things, and would gain a true knowledge of your own selves — a knowledge which is the same as the comprehension of Mine own Being. Ye would find yourselves independent of all else but Me, and would perceive, with your inner and outer eye, and as manifest as the revelation of My effulgent Name, the seas of My loving-kindness and bounty moving within you. Suffer not your idle fancies, your evil passions, your insincerity and blindness of heart to dim the luster, or stain the sanctity, of so lofty a station. Ye are even as the bird which soareth, with the full force of its mighty wings and with complete and joyous confidence, through the immensity of the heavens, until, impelled to satisfy its hunger, it turneth longingly to the water and clay of the earth below it, and, having been entrapped in the mesh of its desire, findeth itself impotent to resume its flight to the realms whence it came. Powerless to shake off the burden weighing on its sullied wings, that bird, hitherto an inmate of the heavens, is now forced to seek a dwelling-place upon the dust. Wherefore, O My servants, defile not your wings with the clay of waywardness and vain desires, and suffer them not to be stained with the dust of envy and hate, that ye may not be hindered from soaring in the heavens of My divine knowledge.
(Baha’u'llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha’u'llah, p. 326)

I’ve been longing for peace of heart today. I found the perfect quote to guide me:

The purpose underlying the revelation of every heavenly Book, nay, of every divinely-revealed verse, is to endue all men with righteousness and understanding, so that peace and tranquility may be firmly established amongst them. Whatsoever instilleth assurance into the hearts of men, whatsoever exalteth their station or promoteth their contentment, is acceptable in the sight of God. How lofty is the station which man, if he but choose to fulfill his high destiny, can attain! To what depths of degradation he can sink, depths which the meanest of creatures have never reached! Seize, O friends, the chance which this Day offereth you, and deprive not yourselves of the liberal effusions of His grace. I beseech God that He may graciously enable every one of you to adorn himself, in this blessed Day, with the ornament of pure and holy deeds. He, verily, doeth whatsoever He willeth.

(Baha’u'llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha’u'llah, p. 205)

As I am contemplating how exactly to write about what’s in my heart, I am looking at the joyous smile on the face of my almost 5 year old daughter, beaming at me from a photo calendar on the wall. I ask myself, what will her life be? Will it be peaceful? And I mean more than the external, political peace, we all wish for humanity, but the peace that resides in the heart touched by God and never let empty of His grace. There are so many stories of lives shaped through war and love. A very touching one, of faith as recognition and heritage, was just shared with me via Baha’i Views and The Washington Post. And it made me think again about how the lessons I am learning these days will hopefully benefit my children and help shape their identity.

When last Monday’s study circle served food for thought — and the soul — I was not aware yet how timely Abdu’l-Baha’s words would be:

When a thought of war comes, oppose it by a stronger thought of peace. A thought of hatred must be destroyed by a more powerful thought of love.
(Abdu’l-Baha, Paris Talks, p. 29)

Now looking back after a tumultuous week, I am so grateful for all that enabled once again my inner peace — God’s grace, the help of friends, long walks, mindful breathing, and two books. But I also reflect on the fact that peace is not an easy thing — it indeed requires work and effort. “A stronger thought of peace… a more powerful thought of love.”

The two books I have found so helpful are The Anatomy of Peace: Resolving the Heart of Conflict by the Arbinger Institute: a very important book which by explaining the dynamics of how we box ourselves into warring hearts, we render ourselves impotent to invite peace in others, until and unless we reach that peace within our own hearts; and Peace Is Every Step: The Path of Mindfulness in Everyday Life by Thich Nhat Hanh, the Vietnamese Buddhist monk who reminds us that the choice between peace and everything else, joy and everything else, life and everything else, happens in every little step, in every little breath, in every little moment. Do yourselves a favor, read these books. But more importantly, reward yourselves with a deep, calming, soothing breath. “Breathe, you are alive!”

Sometimes an insight comes immediately after hearing an inspiring thought; sometimes it takes time. Yesterday I attended a wonderful tutor encounter — a gathering of people who facilitate Baha’i classes and share thoughts and inspiration of how to become better at sharing Baha’u'llah’s healing message. I was particularly struck by Riva’s observation that the institute process is a tool for spiritual transformation on an individual and community level and how the litmus test of faith is having it become your daily life.

It was exactly 18 years ago (probably to the day) that over a phone call to Odessa, the former Soviet Union, I declared: “I want to be a Baha’i”. This morning I was reflecting on the meaning of that declaration and the fact that the declaration of Faith starts with the belief in Baha’u'llah. But it does not stop there. The declaration card itself emphasizes the importance of recognizing principles, institutions and laws that must be obeyed. So my reflection this morning was on how critical it is to bridge the gap between intent and action. How different a belief would be if left as a belief alone, with no action. How being is more than just believing.

Now symbolically entering the age of spiritual maturity, 18 years after that fateful declaration, I am reflecting on it again and confirming that yes, I do want to be a Baha’i, in the being sense of the word, just as Abdu’l-Baha advised upon his departure from this country:

Now the time has come when we must part, but the separation is only of our bodies; in spirit we are united. Ye are the lights which shall be diffused; ye are the waves of that sea which shall spread and overflow the world. Each wave is precious to me, and my nostrils shall be gladdened by your remembrance. Another commandment I give unto you, that ye love one another even as I love you. Great mercy and blessings are promised to the people of your land, but on one condition; that their hearts be filled with the fire of love, that they live in perfect harmony and kindness like one soul in different bodies. Never forget this; look at one another with the eye of perfection; look at me, follow me, be as I am; take no thought for yourselves or your lives, whether ye eat or whether ye sleep, whether ye are comfortable, whether ye are well or ill, whether ye are with friends or foes, whether ye receive praise or blame; for all these things ye must care not at all. Look at me and be as I am; ye must die to yourselves and to the world, so ye shall be born again and enter the kingdom of heaven. Behold the candle, how it gives light. It weeps its life away drop by drop in order to give forth its flame of light. The time has come when we must part, but the separation is only of our bodies; in spirit we are united forever.

I say unto you that any one who will rise up in the Cause of God at this time shall be filled with the spirit of God, and that He will send His hosts from heaven to help you, and that nothing shall be impossible to you if you have faith. And now I give you a commandment which shall be for a Covenant between you and me: that ye have faith; that you faith be steadfast as a rock that no storms can move, that nothing can disturb, and that it endure through all things even to the end; even should ye hear that your Lord has been crucified, be not shaken in your faith; for I am with you always, whether living or dead; I am with you to the end. As ye have faith so shall your powers and blessings be. This is the standard — this is the standard — this is the standard.
(Abdu’l-Baha, Baha’i Scriptures, p. 503)

What a pleasant surprise! God is all glorious and I experience His presence in most unexpected ways. I got this morning two comments on my blog from a very special friend who years ago touched my heart in immeasurable and lasting ways. Dawn and her brother Grant came to my hometown in the summer of 1991 to be the first travel teachers in the southwest of Bulgaria. In fact, they arrived on the anniversary of the Bab’s declaration, May 23rd, only few months after I had learned about the Baha’i Faith in the summer of 1990 in Odessa, Ukraine.

I was a young merchant then (no pun intended) selling pirated music (at the time the idea of copyright was very foreign to a former communist country) on the main street of my home town. Dawn and Grant helped me set a table with Baha’i literature and we would talk to all people who stopped by and invite them to a fireside inside the store at the end of each day.

I was a newly declared (over the phone) Baha’i, with very little understanding of what it actually meant. Dawn was my first deepening teacher. I still treasure the memory of a talk with her, sitting on a bench next to these tables, listening to her guidance that the source of Faith is in the Writings and that one must pick spirituality and stick with it and not flutter back and forth between the material and the spiritual. I have no clue if she had an innate instinct of what I needed to hear or it was simply God guiding her in diagnosing what would the struggle — and the healing — of my life be but I am truly grateful for this surprising reunion of the hearts this morning… For Dawn to me has always been one of those treasured examples of the ability to connect heart to heart, just as Abdu’l-Baha exhorted us.

From a talk Abdu’l-Baha gave in Washington, DC, on November 6, 1912:

O Thou compassionate Lord, Thou Who art generous and able! We are servants of Thine sheltered beneath Thy providence. Cast Thy glance of favor upon us. Give light to our eyes, hearing to our ears, and understanding and love to our hearts. Render our souls joyous and happy through Thy glad tidings. O Lord! Point out to us the pathway of Thy kingdom and resuscitate all of us through the breaths of the Holy Spirit. Bestow upon us life everlasting and confer upon us never-ending honor. Unify mankind and illumine the world of humanity. May we all follow Thy pathway, long for Thy good pleasure and seek the mysteries of Thy kingdom. O God! Unite us and connect our hearts with Thine indissoluble bond. Verily, Thou art the Giver, Thou art the Kind One and Thou art the Almighty.
(Abdu’l-Baha, The Promulgation of Universal Peace, p. 397)

Thine eye is My trust, suffer not the dust of vain desires to becloud its luster. Thine ear is a sign of My bounty, let not the tumult of unseemly motives turn it away from My Word that encompasseth all creation. Thine heart is My treasury, allow not the treacherous hand of self to rob thee of the pearls which I have treasured therein. Thine hand is a symbol of My loving-kindness, hinder it not from holding fast unto My guarded and hidden Tablets…. Unasked, I have showered upon thee My grace. Unpetitioned, I have fulfilled thy wish. In spite of thy undeserving, I have singled thee out for My richest, My incalculable favors…. O My servants! Be as resigned and submissive as the earth, that from the soil of your being there may blossom the fragrant, the holy and multicolored hyacinths of My knowledge. Be ablaze as the fire, that ye may burn away the veils of heedlessness and set aglow, through the quickening energies of the love of God, the chilled and wayward heart. Be light and untrammeled as the breeze, that ye may obtain admittance into the precincts of My court, My inviolable Sanctuary.
(Baha’u'llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha’u'llah, p. 322)

If this is too long, try this:

Let your eye be chaste, your hand faithful, your tongue truthful and your heart enlightened.
(Baha’u'llah, Tablets of Baha’u'llah, p. 138)

Oh, and if you are interested in the recipe for disaster, reverse the instructions above and watch for the consequences…

Blessed is the one who discovereth the fragrance of inner meanings from the traces of this Pen through whose movement the breezes of God are wafted over the entire creation, and through whose stillness the very essence of tranquillity appeareth in the realm of being. Glorified be the All-Merciful, the Revealer of so inestimable a bounty. Say: Because He bore injustice, justice hath appeared on earth, and because He accepted abasement, the majesty of God hath shone forth amidst mankind.
(Baha’u'llah, The Kitab-i-Aqdas, p. 76)

My God, Whom I worship and adore! I bear witness unto Thy unity and Thy oneness, and acknowledge Thy gifts, both in the past and in the present. Thou art the All-Bountiful, the overflowing showers of Whose mercy have rained down upon high and low alike, and the splendors of Whose grace have been shed over both the obedient and the rebellious.

O God of mercy, before Whose door the quintessence of mercy hath bowed down, and round the sanctuary of Whose Cause loving-kindness, in its inmost spirit, hath circled, we beseech Thee, entreating Thine ancient grace, and seeking Thy present favor, that Thou mayest have mercy upon all who are the manifestations of the world of being, and to deny them not the outpourings of Thy grace in Thy days.

All are but poor and needy, and Thou, verily, art the All-Possessing, the All-Subduing, the All-Powerful.

(Baha’u'llah, Prayers and Meditations by Baha’u'llah, p. 250)