Baha Quotes

Sevmedim okulu önce, "Öğretmenim" tutmadı yerini annemin (bence.) Beni çingenelere vermek istemeseydi Babam, bir dev anası gibi Görünen öğretmenden kaçardım (ne iyi olurdu). Korkuyu Bahçedeki huysuz ve parlak kanatlı Horoz tanıttı bana. Bir de "öğretmenim" Rana. "Kulağını çekerim, konuşma, terbiyesiz, Yakarım ağzınızı, çişim geldi derseniz. Kırarım notunuzu haylazlık ederseniz. Yarına satır satır ezberlensin dersiniz." Yorganı üstümden attım o gece, Çıplak ayakla taşlara bastım o gece. Kırk derece Ateşim çıksın diye bekliyordum. Sakın Göndermesin babam beni okula yarın, Olur mu Allahım -Allahım diye başlamışken Dua edeyim hemen: Allahım ne olur Sen anneme Babama, bana ve nineme Ve apartmandaki Baha Beye, karısına ve oğluna Ve mahalledekilere ve rahmetli dedem Hüsrev kuluna Ve Ankara'dakilere ve Türkiye'dekilere Ve dünyadaki bütün iyilere Rahatlık ver. Onların içinde (varsa eğer) Hırsız, fena Ve kötülük etmek için insana Fırsat bekleyenlere Ve beni azarlayan kapıcımız Kamber'e Ve beni bahçede korkutan horoza Ve ezberimi bilmezsem ceza Verecek öğretmene Rahatlık verme. (Ceza vermezse rahatlık ver.) Yeter Bu kadar. Allah kızar sonra çok istersen. Yalnız unuttum; ne olur rahatlık versen Galatasaray takımı oyuncularına. Yarın Maçları var da; yenilmesinler sakın. "Bu çocuk ne olacak böyle. Müzeyyen? Yaramaz Olsaydı pısırık olacağına. Hiç kimseyle konuşmaz Sınıfta. Tek başına koşar durur bahçede. Onu Eve kapatmak doğru mu? Çalışkan fakat korkak." Annem üzüldü Fakat belli etmedi. 'Öğretmenim' çok güldü Çarpınca ağaca 'Affedersiniz' Dediğimi anlatırken. Annem sözü kısa kesti: "Dersiniz Başlayacak. Vaktini aldım Rana. İnşallah büyüyünce lazım olur vatana." Olmadı kimseye lazım. Aranmadı Aramayınca. Okul boyunca Ne futbol takımına alındı, ne sınıf mümessili olabildi. Nedense bir yönüyle -belki de her yönüyle- saf kalabildi. Yalnız bir korku kaldı kuşkuyla karışık; Sonunda kötü bir şey olur korkusuyla yaşadı Selim Işık Her olayı. Eski bir yara izi içinde sızladı, her eğilişinde İnsanlara. Dünyaya bir daha gelişinde Çocuk ve korkusuz yaşamak ister sürekli. Büyümek, yalnız tutunanlara gerekli. İkinci gelişinde çırıl çıplak dolaşacak Kelimenin bütün anlamıyla çırıl çıplak

Kung binabasa mo ito at bahagi ka ng Build, Build, Build Team, ako na mismo ang magsasabi sayo—kung wala ka, hindi tayo makagagawa ng 29,264 kilometrong kalsada, 5,950 na mga tulay, 11,340 na mga estrukturang pang-iwas ng baha, 222 evacuation centers, 150,149 na mga silid-aralan, 214 na mga paliparan, at 451 na mga daungan. Ang Pilipinas ay nasa mas magandang katayuan ngayon dahil sa inyong husay, trabaho, at sakripisyo. Kung hindi dahil sa tulong ninyo sa pagtatayo ng Pigalo Bridge, ang mga magsasaka sa Isabela na gustong dalhin ang kanilang mga produktong pang-agrikultura sa Maynila o Tuguegarao, ay kailangan pang tahakin ang 76-kilometrong Alicia-Angadanan-San Guillermo-Naguilian Road. Ngayon, naaabot na ng mga magsasaka ang parehong pamilihan sa loob lamang ng sampung minuto.” - Night Owl: Edisyong Filipino (p. 1, Sa 6.5 Milyong Kasapi ng Build, Build, Build Team)

eucalyptus

Not understanding that great circles are the shortest paths on earth has caused some bizarre arguments. Many religions have preferred directions in which to pray. For example, the ancient biblical tradition among Jews was to pray facing Jerusalem. However, this was usually taken to mean that if one were west of Jerusalem, one should face east. Baha'i tradition states that one should face to Acre to pray. And early Christian practice was to face east. However, these practices were not entirely uniform, and not binding.

Bahá’u’lláh taught, that Religion is the chief foundation of Love and Unity and the cause of Oneness. If a religion become the cause of hatred and disharmony, it would be better that it should not exist. To be without such a religion is better than to be with it.

Every man of discernment, while walking upon the earth, feeleth indeed abashed, inasmuch as he is fully aware that the thing which is the source of his prosperity, his wealth, his might, his exaltation, his advancement and power is, as ordained by God, the very earth which is trodden beneath the feet of all men. There can be no doubt that whoever is cognizant of this truth, is cleansed and sanctified from all pride, arrogance, and vainglory.

The sundering of science and religion is but one example of the tendency of the human mind (which is necessarily limited in its capacity) to concentrate on one virtue, one aspect of truth, one goal, to the exclusion of others. This leads, in extreme cases, to fanaticism and the utter distortion of truth, and in all cases to some degree of imbalance and inaccuracy. A scholar who is imbued with an understanding of the broad teachings of the Faith will always remember that being a scholar does not exempt him from the primal duties and purposes for which all human beings are created. All men, not scholars alone, are exhorted to seek out and uphold the truth, no matter how uncomfortable it may be. But they are also exhorted to be wise in their utterance, to be tolerant of the views of others, to be courteous in their behaviour and speech, not to sow the seeds of doubt in faithful hearts, to look at the good rather than at the bad, to avoid conflict and contention, to be reverent, to be faithful to the Covenant of God, to promote His Faith and safeguard its honour, and to educate their fellowmen, giving milk to babes and meat to those who are stronger.

Another cause of dissension and disagreement is the fact that religion has been pronounced at variance with science. Between scientists and the followers of religion there has always been controversy and strife for the reason that the latter have proclaimed religion superior in authority to science and considered scientific announcement opposed to the teachings of religion. Bahá’u’lláh declared that religion is in complete harmony with science and reason. If religious belief and doctrine is at variance with reason, it proceeds from the limited mind of man and not from God; therefore, it is unworthy of belief and not deserving of attention; the heart finds no rest in it, and real faith is impossible. How can man believe that which he knows to be opposed to reason? Is this possible? Can the heart accept that which reason denies? Reason is the first faculty of man, and the religion of God is in harmony with it. Bahá’u’lláh has removed this form of dissension and discord from among mankind and reconciled science with religion by revealing the pure teachings of the divine reality. This accomplishment is specialized to Him in this Day.

O YE THAT PRIDE YOURSELVES ON MORTAL RICHES! Know ye in truth that wealth is a mighty barrier between the seeker and his desire, the lover and his beloved. The rich, but for a few, shall in no wise attain the court of His presence nor enter the city of content and resignation. Well is it then with him, who, being rich, is not hindered by his riches from the eternal kingdom, nor deprived by them of imperishable dominion. By the Most Great Name! The splendor of such a wealthy man shall illuminate the dwellers of heaven even as the sun enlightens the people of the earth!

The point was the most dangerous place we would have to negotiate in the kayak. It was also a great confluence of life, and this combination of peril and substance sent the spirit spinning off into various ethereal regions, in which a man might be tempted to commit philosophy. From Baha by Kayak

BOOKS THAT GREATLY INSPIRED ME AND THAT YOU SHOULD CONSIDER READING (in no particular order) Beyond the Culture of Contest by Michael Karlberg A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life’s Purpose by Eckhart Tolle Black Elk Speaks by John G. Neihardt The Family Virtues Guide by Linda Kavelin Popov, Dan Popov, and John Kavelin The Second Mountain by David Brooks High Conflict by Amanda Ripley The Myth of Normal: Trauma, Illness, and Healing in a Toxic Culture by Gabor Maté and Daniel Maté Zen and the Art of Saving the Planet by Thich Nhat Hanh The Seven Mysteries of Life by Guy Murchie Viral Justice by Ruha Benjamin The More Beautiful World Our Hearts Know Is Possible by Charles Eisenstein The Story of Our Time by Robert Atkinson Global Unitive Healing by Dr. Elena Mustakova What the Buddha Taught by Walpola Rahula The Road Less Traveled by M. Scott Peck How Should We Live? by Roman Krznaric The God Equation by Michio Kaku Einstein’s God by Krista Tippett What We Talk About When We Talk About God by Rob Bell Team Human by Douglas Rushkoff Help, Thanks, Wow by Anne Lamott See No Stranger by Valarie Kaur Plays Well with Others by Eric Barker Narrow Road to the Interior by Matsuo Bashō The Soul’s Code by James Hillman The Experience of God: Being, Consciousness, Bliss by David Bentley Hart The Power of Myth by Joseph Campbell New Seeds of Contemplation by Thomas Merton The Awakened Brain by Lisa Miller, PhD The Hidden Words by Baha’u’llah

One of my favorites is from ‘Abdu’l-Baha. He said, “If a man has ten good qualities and one bad one, to look at the ten and forget the one; and if a man has ten bad qualities and one good one, to look at the one and forget the ten” (italics mine). This is the kind of spiritual life hack that resonates for me.

Bumi hanyalah satu negara dan umat manusia adalah warganya.

I remember one time, when members of a particular sect of Christian Protestant came to our house on a Sunday afternoon, my father asked them to describe their concept of the kingdom of heaven. A well-groomed man with a Ned Flanders mustache said, sipping some coffee, “Well, sometime in the near future, there will be a great rumbling from above, lightning will strike, and there will be terrible storms. The sky will open up, and down will come Jesus Christ on a cloud with a great trumpet blast. There will be an incredibly beautiful city with gold and silver turrets that descends with angels on it, and this is the kingdom of God. The good Christians will get into the city, and it will float away with Jesus to be with God, the Father, and the rest of the people will be left behind, left on earth to perish.” And then he politely responded with something to the effect of, “What is the Baha’i concept?” My dad, a wise spiritual teacher and public speaker, responded, “Well, in a lot of ways, it’s very similar. There will be great storms and lightning and thunder, and the skies will open up. Down from a hole in the clouds doesn’t come a city or Jesus or anything but rather a bunch of bags of cement. Some shovels and hammers. Bricks and mortar and nails and lumber. And finally, at the very end, a note floats down on the breeze and lands on top of all the supplies. It reads: ‘Kingdom of God on Earth: Build-It-Yourself Kit.

Unless one accepts dire vicissitudes, not with dull resignation, but with radiant acquiescence, one cannot attain this freedom.

You may get a sense of what this means by asking yourself another series of questions: What steps do you plan to take to reduce the conflict in the Middle East? Or the rates of inflation, crime and unemployment? What are your plans for preserving the environment or reducing the risk of nuclear war? What do you plan to do about NATO, OPEC, the CIA, affirmative action, and the monstrous treatment of the Baha’is in Iran? I shall take the liberty of answering for you: You plan to do nothing about them. You may, of course, cast a ballot for someone who claims to have some plans, as well as the power to act. But this you can do only once every two or four years by giving one hour of your time, hardly a satisfying means of expressing the broad range of opinions you hold. Voting, we might even say, is the next to last refuge of the politically impotent.

You may get a sense of what this means by asking yourself another series of questions: What steps do you plan to take to reduce the conflict in the Middle East? Or the rates of inflation, crime and unemployment? What are your plans for preserving the environment or reducing the risk of nuclear war? What do you plan to do about NATO, OPEC, the CIA, affirmative action, and the monstrous treatment of the Baha'is in Iran? I shall take the liberty of answering for you: You plan to do nothing about them. You may, of course, cast a ballot for someone who claims to have some plans, as well as the power to act. But this you can do only once every two to four years by giving an hour of your time, hardly a satisfying means of expressing the broad range of opinions you hold. Voting, we might even say, is the next to last refuge of the politically impotent.

The religions of the world made room for Jesus, but Jesus never budged. His teaching mattered to the other religions, but Krishna, the Buddha, Muhammad, Baha'u'llah, and Ahmad combined didn't have a similar impact on Christianity. *That,* I thought, was remarkable.

This is why we need a spiritual revolution! The solutions to the global pandemics that face us as a species don’t lie in the halls of government but in every human heart and soul. Jesus asked us to “love thy neighbor as thyself.” The Buddha once said, “Whoever would think, on the basis of a body like this, to exalt himself or disparage another: What is that if not blindness?” The Quran states, “Allah loveth the just dealers.” Baha’u’llah writes, “Let your heart burn with loving-kindness for all who may cross your path.” The Hindu teacher Sri M says, “Love is a many-splendored entity.… You want to give, want to sacrifice your personal convenience for the sake of your beloved.… I plead, please, that we fall in love with humanity as a whole.” In Judaism, tikkun olam refers to the divine prerogative, or a type of aleinu (our duty), toward repairing the world.

I heard the phrase ‘ ladkiyan bahas nahin kartin ’, girls don’t argue, ad nauseum. When having an opinion is bad, having an argument is just awful. It can lead to a mahabharat and the destruction of families. The capacity to argue, particularly among girls, is severely discouraged, as it can lead to possible disagreement, conflict, loss of control and independence. Non-existing selves do not argue.

The most common Hindi word for argue is bahas . A girl who argues is considered bahaensi ; it is not a compliment. Arguing is also associated with being ziddi , stubborn, to want something your way. To be ziddi is the opposite of the cultural ideal of a woman who is malleable, docile and who does not have an independent mind. Ifra, 24, says quietly, ‘I have a clear understanding of what is expected of me – don’t shout back, don’t argue, talk politely, balance your emotions, don’t be too ziddi

To state the obvious, conventional folk have always had their problems with spiritual teachers. The neglect or even oppression of the Hebrew prophets and the Christian mystics is well known to historians. Mohammed, founder of Islam, was badly treated by his own people. So was Jesus of Nazareth. So was Baha’ullah, founder of the Baha’i faith. Gautama the Buddha survived a murderous plot against him by his own cousin. His older contemporary Vardhamana Mahāvīra, founder of Jainism, was ill treated in his younger years as well. Socrates, an early European guru, was forced to drink the poison cup, as his philosophical wisdom was felt to corrupt the youth and thus threaten the very fabric of Athenean society.

Jasion, Jan Teofil. Never Be Afraid to Dare: The Story of ‘General Jack’. Oxford:

Strive ye to knit together the hearts of men.

Masih ingat dulu? Dipenghujung malam kita habiskan waktu bahas apa saja yang mengasyikan, mengucap kata sayang. Kita tidak mempermasalahkan jarak, karena selalu membahas pertemuan. Kapan dan dimana. Sekarang kita sudah punya dunia sendiri, kau sibuk dengan duniamu, aku sibuk dengan kesendirian.aku baik-baik saja? Tidak. Aku tersiksa dengan bayangmu...

Wherever hunger and/or environmental devastation are evident, one is sure to find corruption, nepotism, cronyism, greed, self-interest and similar breaches of public trust as underlying causes.

His message, unique in its comprehensiveness and scope, is wonderfully in accord with the signs and needs of the times. Never were the new problems confronting men so gigantic and complex as now. Never were the proposed solutions so numerous and conflicting. Never was the need of a great world teacher so urgent or so widely felt. Never, perhaps, was the expectancy of such a teacher so confident or so general.