annas presentation booklet 2007 edt bc
Post on 30-May-2018
223 Views
Preview:
TRANSCRIPT
-
8/14/2019 Annas Presentation Booklet 2007 Edt Bc
1/15
AnasPRESENTATION
-
8/14/2019 Annas Presentation Booklet 2007 Edt Bc
2/15
Page
AnasPRESENTATION
TheBahFaithisaworldreligionwhose
purposeistounitealltheracesandpeoplesin
oneuniversalCauseandonecommonFaith.
BahisarethefollowersofBahullh,Who
theybelieveisthePromisedOneofallAges.
Asyouknow,thetraditionsofalmostevery
peopleincludethepromiseofafuturewhen
peaceandharmonywillbeestablishedonearth
andhumankindwillliveinprosperity.Webelievethatthepromisedhourhascomeand
thatBahullhisthegreatPersonageWhose
Teachingswillenablehumanitytobuildanew
world.InoneofHisWritings,Bahullhsays:
That which the Lord hath ordained as the
sovereign remedy and mightiest instrument
for the healing of all the world is the union
of all its peoples in one universal Cause, one
common Faith.
If it is all right with you, the rst of Bahullhs
TeachingsIwilldescribeforyouisaboutGod
andourrelationshipwithHim.Bahullh
teachesusthatGodisunknowableinHis
Essence.Thismeansthatweshouldnotmake
imagesofGodinourmind,thinkingofHim,for
example,asaman.Ingeneral,thatwhichhas
beencreatedcannotunderstanditscreator.For
instance,atablecannotunderstandthenature
ofthecarpenterwhomadeit.Thecarpenters
existenceistotallyincomprehensibletotheobjectshemakes.
GodistheCreatorofallthings.Hehasmade
theheavensandearth,withitsmountains
andvalleys,itsdesertsandseas,itsrivers,its
meadowsandtrees.Godhascreatedthe
animalsandGodhascreatedthehumanbeing.
Thereasonbehindourcreation,wearetoldby
Bahullh,islove.Hesays:
O Son of Man! I loved thy creation, hence
I created thee. Wherefore, do thou love Me,that I may name thy name and ll thy soul
with the spirit of life.
SoalthoughGodsexistenceisfarbeyond
ourunderstanding,Hislovetouchesourlives
andourbeingsceaselessly.Thewaythislove
ows to us is through His Eternal Covenant.
AccordingtothisEternalCovenant,God
neverleavesusaloneandwithoutguidance.
A world religion
Promised One
of all Ages
God is unknowable
God is the Creator
We were createdout of love
Eternal Covenant
-
8/14/2019 Annas Presentation Booklet 2007 Edt Bc
3/15
Page
AnasPRESENTATION
WheneverhumanitymovesawayfromHim
andforgetsHisTeachings,aManifestationof
GodappearsandmakesHisWillandPurpose
knowntous.
Thewordmanifestmeanstoreveal,tobring
forthsomethingthatwasnotknownbefore.
TheManifestationsofGodarethosespecial
BeingsWhorevealtohumanitytheWordandtheWillofGod;thuswhenwelistentoThem,
wearerespondingtotheCallofGod.
Thereisanexamplefromthephysicalworld
thathelpsustounderstandtheconceptof
ManifestationastaughtbyBahullh.In
thisworld,thesunisthesourceofallwarmth
andlight,withoutwhichlifewouldnotexistonthe
planet.Yetthesunitselfdoesnotdescendtoearth,
andifwetriedtoapproachit,wewouldbetotally
consumed.Butsupposewetakeawell-polished
mirrorandpointittowardsthesun.Initwewillseetheimageofthesun,andthemoreperfectly
polishedthemirror,themoreperfecttheimagewill
be.TheManifestationsofGodarelikeperfect
Mirrors that reect the Light of God in all its
Splendor. And all these Mirrors reect the same
Light. While God is beyond our reach, these perfect
Beingscometousfromtimetotime,liveamong
us, give us guidance, and ll us with the energy
weneedtoprogress,materiallyandspiritually.
YouarefortunatetohavebeenraisedaccordingtotheTeachingssentbyGodtohumanitysometwo
thousandyearsagothroughHisManifestation,
Christ,WhoseStationisthatoftheSonofGod.
NowyoucanreceivetheTeachingsofanew
Manifestation,Bahullh,Whosetitlemeans
theGloryofGod.BahullhsTeachings,then,
areinperfectharmonywiththeTeachingsof
Christ,buttheyaddresstheconditionofhumanity
today.Ifyouthinkforamomentaboutthe
plightofhumanity,Iamsureyouwillagree
thatthetimeisrightforanotherManifestation
of God to have appeared. Let me recite for you
apassagefromtheWritingsofBahullhthat
speaksabouttheDayinwhichwelive:
This is the Day in which Gods most
excellent favors have been poured out upon men, the
Day in which His most mighty grace hath been infused
into all created things. It is incumbent upon all the
peoples of the world to reconcile their differences, and,
Manifestation
of God
Time for a new
Manifestation
-
8/14/2019 Annas Presentation Booklet 2007 Edt Bc
4/15
Page
AnasPRESENTATION
with perfect unity and peace, abidebeneath the
shadow of the Tree of His care and loving-kindness.
Beforegoingon,perhapsIshouldstophereso
thatwecandiscussanyquestionsyouhave.
WhatdoyouthinkaboutwhatIhavesaidup
tonow?
ThenextofBahullhsTeachingsthatIwouldliketopresenttoyouisrelatedtothe
aimoftheBahFaith,whichistounify
humanity.IntheBahTeachingswearetold
thatwearethefruitsofonetreeandtheleaves
ofonebranch.Althoughwedifferfromone
anotherphysicallyandemotionally,although
wehavedifferenttalentsandcapacities,weall
springfromthesameroot;weallbelongtothe
samehumanfamily.
Humanitycanbelikenedtoavastgardeninwhich grow side by side owers of every form,
colorandperfume.Thecharmandbeautyof
thegardenlieinthisdiversity.Weshouldnot
allowthedifferencesthatexistamongusin
ourphysicalcharacteristics,ourtemperaments,
ourbackgrounds,ourthoughtsandopinions
to give rise to conict and strife. We should see
themembersofthehumanraceasbeautiful
owers growing in the garden of humanity and
rejoiceinbelongingtothisgarden.
Althoughtheonenessofhumankindisan
undeniabletruth,thepeoplesofeartharesofar
fromitthatunifyingthemisnoeasytask.If
youchoosetojointheBahcommunityand
itwouldbringmesomuchhappinessifyou
woulddosoyouwillparticipatewiththerest
ofusinoureffortstobuildandmaintainunity.
Weareallstrivingtobringourthoughtsand
actionsinlinewithourbeliefintheonenessof
humankind.Wearetoldthat,whenathoughtof
warentersourminds,weshouldimmediatelyreplaceitwithathoughtofpeace.Whena
feelingofhatebeginstotakeshapeinour
hearts,weshouldimmediatelyreplaceitwith
afeelingoflove.Weshoulddoeverything
possibletoovercomeourprejudices.Prejudices
ofrace,color,nationality,culture,religion,and
sex,theseareamongthegreatestobstaclesto
buildingabetterworld.Somanypassagesin
Unity of Mankind
Join us in striving to
bring His vision
-
8/14/2019 Annas Presentation Booklet 2007 Edt Bc
5/15
Page
AnasPRESENTATION
theBahwritingsteachushowtowalkinthe
waysofunityandhowtohelpotherstakethe
samepath.Thereisawonderfulpassagefrom
oneofthetalksof`Abdul-Bah,ofWhomI
willspeaklater,whichIhavememorized.
Hesays:
Bahullh has drawn the circle of unity,
He has made a design for the uniting of allthe peoples, and for the gathering of them
all under the shelter of the tent of universal
unity. This is the work of the Divine Bounty,
and we must all strive with heart and soul
until we have the reality of unity in our
midst as we work, so will strength be given
unto us.
Bahullhwasbornin1817inTihrn,the
capitalofIran.FromHisearlychildhood,He
showedsignsofgreatness.Hereceivedsome
instructionathome,butdidnotneedtoattend
school,forHewasendowedbyGodwithinnate
knowledge.Bahullhcamefromanoble
familyandwhenhewasayoungman,was
offeredahighpositioninthecourtoftheKing,
butHerefusedit.HewishedtodedicateHis
timetohelpingtheoppressed,thesickandthe
poor,andtochampionthecauseofjustice.
TherearetwoaspectsofBahullhslifewhich
Iwouldliketomentioninparticular.Oneisthe
sufferingHeendured.Theotheristhe
tremendous inuence He had on the hearts and
mindsofpeople.Theseactuallycharacterizethe
livesofalltheManifestationsofGod.
BahullhssufferingsbeganthemomentHe
arosetoproclaimtheCauseofGod.Hislifewas
oneofexile,imprisonmentandpersecution.He
wasputinchainsinadarkanddismaldungeon
inTihrn.Hewasexiledfourtimesfromland
to land, nally being sent to the Prison City
of`AkkintheOttomanEmpire.Sointense
wereHissufferingstherethatHehasreferred
to`AkkastheMostGreatPrison.Inoneof
HisTablets,weread:
Remember My days during thy days, and
My distress and banishment in this remote
prison. And be thou so steadfast in My
love that thy heart shall not waver, even if
Signs of Greatness
Suffering & Inuence
-
8/14/2019 Annas Presentation Booklet 2007 Edt Bc
6/15
Page
AnasPRESENTATION
the swords of the enemies rain blows upon
thee and all the heavens and the earth arise
against thee.
Ialwayscarryinmybagasmallnotebook
inwhichIwritemyfavoritepassagesfrom
the Bah writings. Let me read for you what
BahullhhassaidaboutHissufferings:
The Ancient Beauty hath consented to be
bound with chains that mankind may be
released from its bondage, and hath accepted
to be made a prisoner within this most
mighty Stronghold that the whole world
may attain unto true liberty. He hath drained to
its dregs the cup of sorrow, that all the peoples
of the earth may attain unto abiding joy, and
be lled with gladness. This is of the mercy
of your Lord, the Compassionate, the Most
Merciful. We have accepted to be abased,
O believers in the Unity of God, that ye maybe exalted, and have suffered manifold
afictions, that ye might prosper and ourish.
He Who hath come to build anew the whole
world, behold, how they that have joined
partners with God have forced Him to dwell
within the most desolate of cities!
Everyeffortwasmadebytwopowerful
courtsthoseoftheKingofIranandthe
OttomanEmperortoopposeBahullh
and His Teachings. But the Light of Truth is
noteasilyextinguished.Theverywaterthatis poured on this re to put out its ame turns
into oil, and the re burns with more intensity.
NothingcouldbedonetostopBahullhs
growing inuence. The farther the authorities
banishedHim,thegreaterthenumberof
peoplewhowereattractedtoHisTeachings
andrecognizedHisPowerandMajesty.Inspite
ofconstantpersecution,Bahullhcontinued
torevealtheWordofGodformorethanforty
yearsandbroughtsomuchloveandspiritual
energy into this world that the nal victory of
HisCauseiscertain.
Bahullhpassedawayin1892.HisShrine,
whichweconsidertheHoliestSpotonearth,
islocatednearthecityofAkk.Herearesome
postcardsIhaveoftheentrancetotheShrine
andthegardenssurroundingit.Youdontknow
howmuchIwouldliketogoonpilgrimageto
Light of Truth is not
easily extinguished
-
8/14/2019 Annas Presentation Booklet 2007 Edt Bc
7/15
Page
AnasPRESENTATION
the Holy Land. I hope, someday, you will be
abletodosoaswell.
SeveralyearsbeforeBahullhproclaimed
HisMission,Godsentaspecialmessengerto
announceHiscoming.Thisgreatmessenger
tookthetitleTheBbwhichmeansthegate.
HewasindeedagatetotheknowledgeofGod
andtoanewerainhumanexistence.Forsixyearshetaughtceaselesslythattheappearance
ofthenewManifestationofGodwasnearand
preparedthewayforHiscoming.Hetoldthe
peoplethattheywerewitnessingthedawnofa
newAge,thedawnofthePromisedDayofGod.
Hecalleduponthemtopurifytheirheartsfrom
earthlyvanitiessothattheycouldrecognize
HimWhomGodwouldsoonmanifest.
Thousandsuponthousandsofpeopleaccepted
theMessageoftheBbandbegantofollowHisTeachings.ButthegovernmentofIran
andthepowerfulclergywhoruledoverthe
massesroseagainstHim.Hisfollowerswere
persecutedandlargenumberswereputto
death.TheBbHimselfattheageof31was
martyredbyaregimentofsoldierswho,atthe
ordersofthegovernment,suspendedHimina
public square and opened re on Him.
SothatyoucanseehowpenetratingtheWords
oftheBbareIwouldliketorecitetoyoutwo
ofHisprayers:
Is there any Remover of difculties save God?
Say: Praised be God! He is God! All are
His servants, and all abide by His bidding!
Say: God sufceth all things above all things,
and nothing in the heavens or in the earth but God
sufceth. Verily, He is in Himself the Knower,
the Sustainer, the Omnipotent.
Many Bahis know especially the rst prayer
byheartandsayiteitheraloudormentallyin
times of difculties. If you want, we can pause
alittleandyoucanmemorizeit.Itisreallyeasy
todoso.
FollowingHismartyrdom,theremainsof
theBbwererecoveredbyHisfollowersand
takenfromplacetoplace,alwayshiddenfrom
theenemiesoftheFaith.Finallytheywere
transferred to Mount Carmel in the Holy Land.
Messenger to
announce
His coming
-
8/14/2019 Annas Presentation Booklet 2007 Edt Bc
8/15
Page
AnasPRESENTATION
Here,IhavesomepostcardsthatIwouldliketo
showyouofHisShrineinHaifaandafewother
HolyPlacesinthatcityandinAkk,whichis
acrossthebay.Thesetwincitiesaretodaythe
spiritualandadministrativeworldcenterofthe
BahFaiththespiritualcenterbecauseitis
herethattheShrinesoftheBbandBahullh,
aswellasmanyotherHolyPlaces,arelocated,
andtheadministrativecenterbecausetheSeatofthesupremegoverningbodyoftheFaiththe
UniversalHouseofJustice,isalsoon
MountCarmel.
TheideamostcentraltoourlivesasBahis
isthatwehaveenteredintoaCovenantwith
Bahullh.Asyouknow,inallotherreligions,
afterthepassingoftheManifestation,His
followershadthousandsofdisputesamong
themselvesand,asaresult,splitthereligionintomanysects.Thecauseofdisunitywas
sometimesthedesireforleadershipofcertain
ambitiousindividuals.But,whendifferencesof
opinionarosebetweenevensincerebelievers
aboutwhattheWordsoftheManifestation
meant,noonehadbeenauthorizedby
theManifestationHimselftosettlethe
disagreements, and this contributed to conict
anddissension.Eachsetofinterpretationsled
tothecreationofadifferentsect.
BahullhhasprotectedHisFaithagainstsuchdivisionbyendowingitwithaunique
power,thepoweroftheCovenant.Before
Hispassing,Hestatedintheclearestterms,in
writing,thatafterHim,allBahisshouldturn
to`Abdul-Bah.
`Abdul-Bah,HisoldestSon,wasthus
namedthesoleInterpreterofHisWordsand
theCenterofHisCovenant.Hehadbeen
raisedbyBahullhHimself,hadrecognized
HisStationevenasachild,andhadsharedthesufferingsofHisFather.Hewasamost
preciousgiftgiventohumanity,theperfect
ExemplarofallBahTeachings.
`Abdul-Bahlivedonthisearthfor77
years.Hewasbornonthesamenightthe
BbdeclaredHisMissionin1844andpassed
away in November 1921. His life was lled
with afiction, but to everyone who entered
sharing
Holy Land images
Center of the
Covenant
-
8/14/2019 Annas Presentation Booklet 2007 Edt Bc
9/15
Page
AnasPRESENTATION
HispresenceHebroughtthegreatestjoyand
happiness.AfterthepassingofHisFather,
theresponsibilityfortheBahcommunity
fellonHisshoulders,andHelaboredday
andnighttospreadtheFaiththroughoutthe
EastandtheWest.Hewrotethousandsof
Tabletstoindividualsandgroupseverywhere
and claried the Teachings of His Father. His
interpretationsarenowanessentialpartoftheWritingsoftheBahFaith.
Byfocusingon`Abdul-BahastheCenter
ofBahullhsCovenant,theBahisofthe
worldremainunitedintheireffortstolivea
Bahlifeandtocreateanewcivilization.
Werememberthataspartofourpromiseto
Bahullh,wearetoloveoneanotherand,
inAbdul-Bah,weseetheperfectexample
ofonewholoves.Werememberthatwemust
upholdjustice,thatwemustbegenerous,thatwemustoverlookthefaultsofothers,and
fromtheexampleof`Abdul-Bahwelearn
justice,generosityandforgiveness.More
thananythingelse,bykeepingourfocuson
`Abdul-Bah,wearealwaysawareofour
covenantwithBahullhthatwewillnot
allowtheunityofHisfollowerstobebroken
andthat,unitedasaworldwidecommunity,we
willlaboruntiltheonenessofhumankindhas
been rmly established.
InHisWillandTestament,`Abdul-Bah
namedHisgrandsontheGuardianoftheFaith
andafterHispassing,ShoghiEffendibecame
theauthorizedinterpreteroftheTeachings.
For36years,hecontinuedtheworkofHis
Grandfather,clarifyingtheWordsofthe
Manifestation and rmly establishing His
Faithinallpartsoftheplanet.Fiveanda
halfyearsafterhispassing,theBahisofthe
worldelectedtheUniversalHouseofJustice,
asenvisionedbyBahullhandclearly
describedby`Abdul-BahandtheGuardian.
TheUniversalHouseofJusticeisthesupreme
institutionoftheFaithtowhichalltheBahis
oftheworldnowturn.
ManyoftheideasIhaveexplainedonthislast
subjectrequireagreatdealofthought.Ifyou
agree,someothertimewecandiscussthisin
The Guardian
-
8/14/2019 Annas Presentation Booklet 2007 Edt Bc
10/15
Page
10
AnasPRESENTATION
moredepth.Forthatdiscussion,Iwillbringa
fewpassagesfromBahullhsBookofthe
CovenantaswellastheWillandTestamentof
`Abdul-Bahsowecanreadthemtogether.
Butletmegoonandpresenttoyouafew
otherideasyouwillwanttoknowaboutthe
BahFaithrightfromthebeginning.Amost
importantaspectofeveryreligionisthelaws
thattheManifestationbringstohumanityinordertoguideitintherightpath.Someofthese
lawsandcommandmentsareeternal,others
changeashumanityprogressesandevolves.In
theFaithwearetaughtthatweshouldnotthink
ofBahlawsasaseriesofdosanddonts.
BahullhtellsusthatHislawsare
the lamps of My loving providence among My
servants, and the keys of My mercy for My
creatures.Norshouldweobeytheselaws
outoffearofpunishment,forHeclearlyhasstatedinHisMostHolyBook:Observe My
commandments, for the love of My beauty.
TheseideaswillbecomeclearerifIgiveyoua
fewexamplesofBahlaws.Inthephysical
world,humanbeingshavetoeateveryday.
Thisisarequirementofthehumanbody;ifwe
dont,wewillgetsickandquicklydie.Wecan
say,then,thateatingdailyisalawofphysical
existencewhichhastobeobeyed.Inthesame
wayoneofthecommandmentsofBahullh
is that we should pray every day. Like our
body,oursoulneedsconstantnourishment,
andprayerprovidesthenourishmentforour
spiritualgrowth.Therearemanybeautiful
prayersrevealedbytheBb,byBahullh
andby`Abdul-Bahwhichwecansaywhen
wearealoneorreciteinmeetings.Some
oftheseprayersarespecial,andsomeare
obligatory.Oneobligatoryprayerisrecitedby
Bahiseverydaysometimebetweennoonand
sunset.Itsays:
I bear witness, O my God, that Thou hast
created me to know Thee and to worship Thee.
I testify, at this moment, to my powerlessness and
to Thy might, to my poverty and to Thy wealth.
There is none other God but Thee, the Help in Peril,
the Self-Subsisting.
Itisashortandbeautifulprayerandhavingseen
howeasyitisforyoutomemorizeverses,Iamsure
youwillknowitbyheartafterrepeatingitafewtimes.
Observe My
commandments,
for the love of My
beauty
Obligatory Prayers
as an example of
Bahaullhs laws
-
8/14/2019 Annas Presentation Booklet 2007 Edt Bc
11/15
Page
11
AnasPRESENTATION
Inanothercommandment,Bahullh
prohibitsbackbitingandcalumny.Thisis
importantbecause,ifyouthinkaboutit,oneof
thegreatestenemiesofunityisbackbiting.And
unfortunately,ithasbecomeanestablished
practiceamongmostofhumanitytotalk
aboutotherpeoplesfaultsintheirabsence.
Everybodyseemstobeconcernedwith
everybodyelsesshortcomings,whicharemadebiggerandbiggerastheyareconstantly
mentioned.`Abdul-Bahtellsustodojust
theopposite.Ifweseetengoodqualitiesin
someoneandonefault,weshouldconcentrate
ontheten,andevenifapersonhastenfaults
andonlyonegoodqualityweshouldfocuson
thatonequality.
Emilia,whoislisteningwithspecialinterest
toAnnaslastcomments,rememberssome
recentincidentsatschoolinwhichbackbitingresusltedinmanypeoplebeinghurt.Thetwo
friendstalkforsometimeabouthowgossipcan
destroyafriendshipandthenAnnasearchesin
hernotebookandreadsthefollowing:
O Companion of My Throne! Hear no evil,
and see no evil, abase not thyself, neither
sigh and weep. Speak no evil, that thou
mayest not hear it spoken unto thee, and
magnify not the faults of others that thine
own faults may not appear great; and wishnot the abasement of anyone, that thine own
abasement be not exposed. Live then the
days of thy life, that are less than a eeting
moment, with thy mind stainless, thy heart
unsullied, thy thoughts pure, and thy nature
sancti ed, so that, free and content, thou
mayest put away this mortal frame, and
repair unto the mystic paradise and abide in
the eternal kingdom forevermore.
Althoughthisdoesnotaffectusmuchatour
age,youshouldalsoknowthatBahullhprohibitsthedrinkingofalcoholand,ofcourse,
substanceabuse.Drinkingalcoholisreallyone
ofthegreatestsocialillsthatexiststodayinthe
world.Itisoneofthemostcommoncausesof
violenceandtheruinofhealthyfamilylife.To
tellyouthetruth,Ihaveneverunderstoodwhy
peoplewouldtakesomethingthatinterferes
withtheirmindsandmakesthemlosetheir
Backbiting Prohibited
Drinking alcohol as
one of the greatestsocial ills today
-
8/14/2019 Annas Presentation Booklet 2007 Edt Bc
12/15
Page
1
AnasPRESENTATION
abilitytothinkclearly.Drinkingmakespeople
capableofactinginshamefulways,whenwe
haveactuallybeencreatednoble.Iknowabeautiful
quotefromBahullhsWritingsaboutnobility:
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 nd Me standing within thee, mighty,
powerful and self-subsisting.
AnothercommandmentofBahullh,which
isoneofmyfavorites,isabouttheobligation
ofparentsandsocietytoeducatechildren.
Here,Ihaveinmynotebookashortpassage
from`Abdul-BahsWritingsthatexplainsthiswell:
Therefore, the beloved of God and the
maid-servants of the Merciful must train
their children with life and heart and teach
them in the school of virtue and perfection.
They must not be lax in this matter; they
must not be inefcient. Truly, if a babe
did not live at all it were better than to let
it grow ignorant, for that innocent babe,
in later life, would become aficted with
innumerable defects, responsible to andquestioned by God, reproached and rejected
by the people. What a sin this would be and
what an omission!
The rst duty of the beloved of God and
the maid-servants of the Merciful is this:
They must strive by all possible means to
educate both sexes, male and female; girls
like boys; there is no difference whatsoever
between them. The ignorance of both is
blameworthy, and negligence in both cases
is reprovable. Are they who know and theywho do not know equal?
You know, after I reected on this great
commandment,Idecidedtodosomething
aboutit.SoIholdaBahchildrensclass
withafriendonceeveryweekandwehave
seventeenstudents.Iwouldlovetoinviteyou
tocomeandhelpuswithourclass.Doyou
havetimethisSaturdayafternoon?
Obligation to
educate children
-
8/14/2019 Annas Presentation Booklet 2007 Edt Bc
13/15
Page
1
AnasPRESENTATION
IamsureyouareawarethatIaminviting
youtojoinareligionandnotjustaccepta
collectionofniceideals.Infact,theBah
Faithisaveryorganizedreligionwhoseaim
is nothing less than the unication of the entire
humanrace.Itwillbehelpfulforyoutothink
oftheworkoftheBahisasthebuildingof
aworldcivilization.TheUniversalHouseof
Justicetellsusthattherearethreeparticipantsinthiswork,eachwithaveryimportantrole.
The rst participant is the individual believer.
It is the duty of this individual to remain rm
intheCovenant,tostrivedailytobringhisor
herlifeinlinewithBahullhsTeachings,
andtoservehumanity,alwaysconsciousof
thefactthatlifedoesnotendwithdeathand
thatonesrelationwithGodiseternal.After
death,oursoulsbecomefreeandcontinueto
progresstowardsGodforalleternity.Ourliveshereareverymuchlikethelifeofaninfantin
thewombofthemother.Forsomeninemonths
thechilddevelopsfacultieseyes,ears,hands
andsoontobeusedlaterinthisworld.Inthe
sameway,wearetodevelopherethespiritual
facultiesthatweneedtoprogressintheother
worldsofGod.Ofcourse,wedonotachieve
ourpurposebyjustthinkingaboutit.Wehave
towork,serveourfellowhumanbeings,and
sharetheknowledgewegainwithothers.
Thesecondparticipantisthecommunity.
Humanbeingswerenotcreatedtoexistalone.
Weliveincommunitiesandmustworktogether
tobuildthenewcivilization.Thecommunity
closesttousisthelocalonewhichconsistsof
theBahisofourvillageortown.Itisinthe
localcommunitywherewelearntocooperate
withoneanother,togrowtogetherandbecome
united.Inadditiontobeingmembersofthe
localcommunity,wearealsomembersofthe
nationalcommunityandthentheworldwide
Bahcommunitywhichisconstantly
expandingandattractingpeoplefromevery
religiousbackground,race,andnationality.
TheinstitutionsoftheFaith,theUniversal
HouseofJusticetellsus,representthe
thirdparticipantinthebuildingofthenew
civilization.Thisisasubjectaboutwhichwe
Invitation to join
this religion
Individual as the
1st participant
Life here compared
to an infant in
the womb
Community as the
2nd participant
Institutions as the
3rd participant
-
8/14/2019 Annas Presentation Booklet 2007 Edt Bc
14/15
Page
1
AnasPRESENTATION
willhavetotalksomemorewhenwediscuss
theCovenant.Fornow,letmejustmentionthat
includedinthecommandmentsofBahullh
aremanyrelatedtothewaysocietyshould
beorganized.Inthepast,theManifestations
ofGodhavenotsaidmuchabouthowtheir
followersshouldorganizethemselvesand
peoplehavehadtodiscoverhowtodothis
bythemselves.But,inthecaseoftheBahFaith,BahullhhasbroughtHisown
AdministrativeOrder,whichmeansthatHe
hastolduswhatinstitutionswemustcreate,
howtheyshouldfunction,andhowhumanity
shouldbegoverned.
Wehavealreadyspokenaboutthesupreme
institution,whichistheUniversalHouseof
Justice.Ineachcountry,Bahiselectoncea
yeartheNationalSpiritualAssembly,andin
each locality, the Local Spiritual Assembly.Thisistheinstitutionthatyouwillgetto
knowthesoonest.Therearenopriestsorclergy
in the Bah Faith, and it is the Local Spiritual
Assemblythatguidestheaffairsofthe
communityandwatchesoverthewell-being
of the individual believers. A Local Spiritual
Assemblyconsistsofninememberselectedin
aprayerfulatmospherebysecretballotbyall
theadultbelieversinthecommunity.Spiritual
AssembliesareextremelyimportanttoBahis.
Throughthemwelearnhowhumanaffairsare
tobeadministeredandhowanewordercanbe
establishedinsociety,anorderwhichistobe
knownastheWorldOrderofBahullh.
Annatakesasmallprayerbookoutofher
bagandgivesittoEmiliaasagift,suggesting
theysayaprayertogetherbeforetheygotheir
separateways.Emiliaopensthebookandreads:
O God! Refresh and gladden my spirit.
Purify my heart. Illumine my powers. I lay all my
affairs in Thy hand. Thou art my Guide and my
Refuge. I will no longer be sorrowful and grieved;
I will be a happy and joyful being. O God! I will no
longer be full of anxiety, nor will I let trouble harass
me. I will not dwell on the unpleasant things of life.
O God! Thou art more friend to me than I
am to myself. I dedicate myself to Thee, O Lord.
Gift of a
prayer book
-
8/14/2019 Annas Presentation Booklet 2007 Edt Bc
15/15
Page
1
AnasPRESENTATION
If the friends always waited
until they were fully qualied
to do any particular task, the
work of the Cause would be
almost at a standstill!
But the very act of striving to
serve, however unworthy
one may feel, attracts the
blessings of God and enables
one to become more tted
for the task.
(Written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi,
dated 4 May 1942 to an individual believer)
ContentsfromRuhiBook6
SomeofthePhotography:
BahiMediaBank
BahInternationalCommunity
http://media.bahai.org
OtherPhotography
&GraphicDesign:
2007NeginKhoshkhesal-Etemadi
cyberzeeba@yahoo.com
WhendoI
make my rst
presentation?
top related