Hearts and hearts

I've been thinking a lot about hearts turned to God, and about the word "heart" in the scriptures. It seems to me that when I see or say that word, in verses from the words of God, I'm mostly thinking of the kind of heart that pumps blood. Lately I've been wondering about associating it more with the kind of heart in "heart of the forest," "heart of the night," and "heart of the matter." One meaning recorded in dictionaries is "the central or innermost part."

It might be that one meaning is derived from the other. Also, in some cases I see a clear reference to a blood-pumping heart, as in "shall cause the heart of every righteous man to throb.

In any case, I want to practice thinking of "the central or innermost part" of me, when I'm memorizing verses about hearts, like "Possess a pure, kindly and radiant heart," for example.

Doing things in the right spirit

Reading some discussions about anti-racism has confirmed my interest in promoting doing things in the right spirit, and in continual awareness of that among people who are doing that. At the same time it has helped me see hearts possessed by God as only part of the picture of people turning to God, and of the people of Baha. It might please God for me to pursue this interest as long as I keep in mind that it's only part of the picture.

I want to continue:
1. Developing friendships with people of all religions and ideologies.
2. Improving my practice of doing things in the right spirit, with the love of God.
3. Memorizing verses about doing things in the right spirit, and the possibilities and responsibilities of hearts possessed by God.
4. Improving my practice of continual attention to doing things in the right spirit, and responding favorably in words and actions to other people doing things in the right spirit.

I also want to learn more about how people who think in non-theistic terms talk about doing things in the right spirit.

I'm imagining that it would include doing things in a spirit of all-inclusive friendliness and fellowship, that doesn't draw any fixed lines between people, racial or otherwise.

Some verses about doing things in the right spirit, with the love of God

The first duty prescribed by God for His servants is the recognition of Him Who is the Dayspring of His Revelation and the Fountain of His laws, Who representeth the Godhead in both the Kingdom of His Cause and the world of creation. Whoso achieveth this duty hath attained unto all good; and whoso is deprived thereof hath gone astray, though he be the author of every righteous deed. It behoveth every one who reacheth this most sublime station, this summit of transcendent glory, to observe every ordinance of Him Who is the Desire of the world. These twin duties are inseparable. Neither is acceptable without the other. Thus hath it been decreed by Him Who is the Source of Divine inspiration.

(Baha'u'llah, The Kitab-i-Aqdas, p. 19)

O people of Baha! Subdue the citadels of men's hearts with the swords of wisdom and of utterance. They that dispute, as prompted by their desires, are indeed wrapped in a palpable veil. Say: The sword of wisdom is hotter than summer heat, and sharper than blades of steel, if ye do but understand. Draw it forth in My name and through the power of My might, and conquer, then, with it the cities of the hearts of them that have secluded themselves in the stronghold of their corrupt desires.

(Baha'u'llah, Epistle to the Son of the Wolf, p. 54)

O people of Baha! Ye are the dawning-places of the love of God and the daysprings of His loving-kindness. Defile not your tongues with the cursing and reviling of any soul, and guard your eyes against that which is not seemly. Set forth that which ye possess. If it be favourably received, your end is attained; if not, to protest is vain. Leave that soul to himself and turn unto the Lord, the Protector, the Self-Subsisting. Be not the cause of grief, much less of discord and strife. The hope is cherished that ye may obtain true education in the shelter of the tree of His tender mercies and act in accordance with that which God desireth. Ye are all the leaves of one tree and the drops of one ocean.

(Baha'u'llah, Tablets of Baha'u'llah, p. 27)

O friends! Be not careless of the virtues with which ye have been endowed, neither be neglectful of your high destiny. Suffer not your labors to be wasted through the vain imaginations which certain hearts have devised. Ye are the stars of the heaven of understanding, the breeze that stirreth at the break of day, the soft-flowing waters upon which must depend the very life of all men, the letters inscribed upon His sacred scroll. With the utmost unity, and in a spirit of perfect fellowship, exert yourselves, that ye may be enabled to achieve that which beseemeth this Day of God. Verily I say, strife and dissension, and whatsoever the mind of man abhorreth are entirely unworthy of his station.

(Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, p. 195)

I beseech Thee, O my Lord, by the sighs of Thy lovers throughout the world, and by their lamentation in their remoteness from the court of Thy presence, and by the blood that hath been shed for love of Thee, and by the hearts that have melted in Thy path, to protect Thy loved ones from the cruelty of such as have remained unaware of the mysteries of Thy Name, the Unconstrained. Assist them, O my Lord, by Thy power that hath prevailed over all things, and aid them to be patient and long-suffering.

(Baha'u'llah, Epistle to the Son of the Wolf, p. 35)

"Glory to Thee, O my God! But for the tribulations which are sustained in Thy path, how could Thy true lovers be recognized; and were it not for the trials which are borne for love of Thee, how could the station of such as yearn for Thee be revealed? Thy might beareth Me witness! The companions of all who adore Thee are the tears they shed, and the comforters of such as seek Thee are the groans they utter, and the food of them who haste to meet Thee is the fragments of their broken hearts. How sweet to my taste is the bitterness of death suffered in Thy path, and how precious in my estimation are the shafts of Thine enemies when encountered for the sake of the exaltation of Thy Word! Let me quaff in Thy Cause, O my God and my Master, whatsoever Thou didst desire, and send down upon me in Thy love all Thou didst ordain. By Thy glory! I wish only what Thou wishest, and cherish what Thou cherishest. In Thee have I, at all times, placed My whole trust and confidence. Thou art verily the All-Possessing, the Most High. Raise up, I implore Thee, O my God, as helpers to this Revelation such as shall be counted worthy of Thy Name and of Thy sovereignty, that they may remember Thee among Thy creatures, and hoist the ensigns of Thy victory in Thy land, and adorn them with Thy virtues and Thy commandments. No God is there but Thee, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting."

(Baha'u'llah, Epistle to the Son of the Wolf, p. 94)

Say: O ye lovers of the One true God! Strive, that ye may truly recognize and know Him, and observe befittingly His precepts. This is a Revelation, under which, if a man shed for its sake one drop of blood, myriads of oceans will be his recompense. Take heed, O friends, that ye forfeit not so inestimable a benefit, or disregard its transcendent station. Consider the multitude of lives that have been, and are still being, sacrificed in a world deluded by a mere phantom which the vain imaginations of its peoples have conceived. Render thanks unto God, inasmuch as ye have attained unto your heart's Desire, and been united to Him Who is the Promise of all nations. Guard ye, with the aid of the one true God -- exalted be His glory -- the integrity of the station which ye have attained, and cleave to that which shall promote His Cause. He, verily, enjoineth on you what is right and conducive to the exaltation of man's station. Glorified be the All-Merciful, the Revealer of this wondrous Tablet.

(Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, p. 5)

Every time My name "the All-Merciful" was told that one of My lovers had breathed a word that runneth counter to My wish, it repaired, grief-stricken and disconsolate to its abode; and whenever My name "the Concealer" discovered that one of My followers had inflicted any shame or humiliation on his neighbor, it, likewise, turned back chagrined and sorrowful to its retreats of glory, and there wept and mourned with a sore lamentation. And whenever My name "the Ever-Forgiving" perceived that any one of My friends had committed any transgression, it cried out in its great distress, and, overcome with anguish, fell upon the dust, and was borne away by a company of the invisible angels to its habitation in the realms above

(Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, p. 308)

Say: From My laws the sweet smelling savor of My garment can be smelled, and by their aid the standards of victory will be planted upon the highest peaks. The Tongue of My power hath, from the heaven of My omnipotent glory, addressed to My creation these words: "Observe My commandments, for the love of My beauty." Happy is the lover that hath inhaled the divine fragrance of his Best-Beloved from these words, laden with the perfume of a grace which no tongue can describe. By My life! He who hath drunk the choice wine of fairness from the hands of My bountiful favor, will circle around My commandments that shine above the Day Spring of My creation.

(Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, p. 332)

Be unrestrained as the wind, while carrying the Message of Him Who hath caused the Dawn of Divine Guidance to break. Consider, how the wind, faithful to that which God hath ordained, bloweth upon all the regions of the earth, be they inhabited or desolate. Neither the sight of desolation, nor the evidences of prosperity, can either pain or please it. It bloweth in every direction, as bidden by its Creator. So should be every one that claimeth to be a lover of the one true God. It behoveth him to fix his gaze upon the fundamentals of His Faith, and to labor diligently for its propagation. Wholly for the sake of God he should proclaim His Message, and with that same spirit accept whatever response his words may evoke in his hearer. He who shall accept and believe, shall receive his reward; and he who shall turn away, shall receive none other than his own punishment.

(Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, p. 339)

O Thou Whose face is the object of the adoration of all that yearn after Thee, Whose presence is the hope of such as are wholly devoted to Thy will, Whose nearness is the desire of all that have drawn nigh unto Thy court, Whose countenance is the companion of those who have recognized Thy truth, Whose name is the mover of the souls that long to behold Thy face, Whose voice is the true life of Thy lovers, the words of Whose mouth are as the waters of life unto all who are in heaven and on earth!

(Prayers and Meditations by Baha'u'llah, p. 12)

O God! The trials Thou sendest are a salve to the sores of all them who are devoted to Thy will; the remembrance of Thee is a healing medicine to the hearts of such as have drawn nigh unto Thy court; nearness to Thee is the true life of them who are Thy lovers; Thy presence is the ardent desire of such as yearn to behold Thy face; remoteness from Thee is a torment to those that have acknowledged Thy oneness, and separation from Thee is death unto them that have recognized Thy truth!

(Prayers and Meditations by Baha'u'llah, p. 78)

For Thine ardent lovers Thou hast, according to Thy decree, reserved, at each daybreak, the cup of Thy remembrance, O Thou Who art the Ruler of rulers! These are they who have been so inebriated with the wine of Thy manifold wisdom that they forsake their couches in their longing to celebrate Thy praise and extol Thy virtues, and flee from sleep in their eagerness to approach Thy presence and partake of Thy bounty. Their eyes have, at all times, been bent upon the Day-Spring of Thy loving-kindness, and their faces set towards the Fountain-Head of Thine inspiration. Rain down, then, upon us and upon them from the clouds of Thy mercy what beseemeth the heaven of Thy bounteousness and grace.

(Prayers and Meditations by Baha'u'llah, p. 143)

I know not, O my God, whether I should speak forth the wonders of Thy praise among Thy servants, and lay bare before them the secrets of Thy mercy and the mysteries of Thy Cause, or keep them wrapped up within the receptacle of my heart. Though the lover be loth to share with any one the intimate conversation of his beloved, yet at whatever time Thine inescapable commandment to declare Thy Cause reacheth me, I will unhesitatingly obey it. I would proclaim Thee, undeterred by the darts of affliction that may rain down upon me from the clouds of Thy decree.

(Prayers and Meditations by Baha'u'llah, p. 184)

I beseech Thee, O my God, by Thy Name through which Thou hast hearkened unto the call of Thy lovers, and the sighs of them that long for Thee, and the cry of them that enjoy near access to Thee, and the groaning of them that are devoted to Thee, and through which Thou hast fulfilled the wishes of them that have set their hopes on Thee, and hast granted them their desires, through Thy grace and Thy favors, and by Thy Name through which the ocean of forgiveness surged before Thy face, and the clouds of Thy generosity rained upon Thy servants, to write down for every one who hath turned unto Thee, and observed the fast prescribed by Thee, the recompense decreed for such as speak not except by Thy leave, and who forsook all that they possessed in Thy path and for love of Thee.

(Prayers and Meditations by Baha'u'llah, p. 292)

By the righteousness of God! It is not Our wish to lay hands on your kingdoms. Our mission is to seize and possess the hearts of men.

(Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, p. 211)

The utterance of God is a lamp, whose light is these words: Ye are the fruits of one tree, and the leaves of one branch. Deal ye one with another with the utmost love and harmony, with friendliness and fellowship. He Who is the Daystar of Truth beareth Me witness! So powerful is the light of unity that it can illuminate the whole earth. The One true God, He Who knoweth all things, Himself testifieth to the truth of these words.

Exert yourselves that ye may attain this transcendent and most sublime station, the station that can insure the protection and security of all mankind. This goal excelleth every other goal, and this aspiration is the monarch of all aspirations. So long, however, as the thick clouds of oppression, which obscure the daystar of justice, remain undispelled, it would be difficult for the glory of this station to be unveiled to men's eyes. These thick clouds are the exponents of idle fancies and vain imaginings, who are none other but the divines of Persia. At one time We spoke in the language of the lawgiver; at another in that of the truth-seeker and the mystic, and yet Our supreme purpose and highest wish hath always been to disclose the glory and sublimity of this station. God, verily, is a sufficient witness!

Consort with all men, O people of Baha, in a spirit of friendliness and fellowship. If ye be aware of a certain truth, if ye possess a jewel, of which others are deprived, share it with them in a language of utmost kindliness and goodwill. If it be accepted, if it fulfill its purpose, your object is attained. If anyone should refuse it, leave him unto himself, and beseech God to guide him. Beware lest ye deal unkindly with him. A kindly tongue is the lodestone of the hearts of men. It is the bread of the spirit, it clotheth the words with meaning, it is the fountain of the light of wisdom and understanding.

(Baha'u'llah, Epistle to the Son of the Wolf, p. 14)

It is Our wish and desire that every one of you may become a source of all goodness unto men, and an example of uprightness to mankind. Beware lest ye prefer yourselves above your neighbors. Fix your gaze upon Him Who is the Temple of God amongst men. He, in truth, hath offered up His life as a ransom for the redemption of the world. He, verily, is the All-Bountiful, the Gracious, the Most High. If any differences arise amongst you, behold Me standing before your face, and overlook the faults of one another for My name's sake and as a token of your love for My manifest and resplendent Cause. We love to see you at all times consorting in amity and concord within the paradise of My good-pleasure, and to inhale from your acts the fragrance of friendliness and unity, of loving-kindness and fellowship. Thus counselleth you the All-Knowing, the Faithful. We shall always be with you; if We inhale the perfume of your fellowship, Our heart will assuredly rejoice, for naught else can satisfy Us. To this beareth witness every man of true understanding.

(Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, p. 314)

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.

(Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, p. 322)

Lines of action for spreading the love of God

Some of my current lines of action:

1. Learning Chinese, to improve my capacity to develop friendships.

2. Memorizing verses about turning to God, lovers of God, doing things in the right spirit, and the possibilities and responsibilities of hearts possessed by God.

3. Improving my practice of continual attention to doing things in the right spirit, with the love of God, and encouraging and supporting other people doing the same, in all religious and ideological contexts.

4. Applying what I'm learning with RVCBard, about performance, to performances of hearts possessed by God.

----

Some performance issues: Visions of possibilities of human life, visions of possible performances of hearts possessed by God, visions of possible responses, ideas about how to represent performances and how to work with performers and audiences on creating and presenting them.

Other ways of representing a performance, besides writing a script

I've been thinking about RVCBard's efforts to go off the beaten paths of dialogue-oriented analytical plays. I've been thinking that it might require going off the beaten paths of scriptwriting, and that it might require a cast and crew who have had some experience with what the performance is about, and who participate in developing the performance.

I tried googling "other ways of representing," with "plays" and "scripts," and a lot of results are about visual representations. A few other ideas came up using other senses, but one result was in a different direction altogether:

"Thus 1.0 and 0.999... are two different decimal numerals representing the natural number 1. There are infinitely many other ways of representing the number 1, for example 2/2, 3/3, 1.00, 1.000, and so on.

(Number, in Wikipedia)

Infinitely many ways of representing, yes . . .

I wonder, has anyone ever tried writing two or three scripts for the same play? What about a comic strip representation and a musical representation for the same performance, developed and applied separately? The performers might practice the two performances separately, then combine them into one, or present them one after the other. That might mean two or three times as much work for everyone. The performance might need to be shortened and simplified, but the possibilities might make it worthwhile.

It reminds me of front, side and top views in mechanical drawing. One flat drawing can not convey all the information needed to construct a solid object. One representation of a performance might not be enough to give a cast and crew everything they need to create the kind of performance Bard wants to create.

I'm wondering how all this might be applied to my performances.

Baha'u'llah wrote:

"Deal ye one with another with the utmost love and harmony, with friendliness and fellowship. . . . Exert yourselves that ye may attain this transcendent and most sublime station, the station that can insure the protection and security of all mankind. This goal excelleth every other goal, and this aspiration is the monarch of all aspirations. . . . At one time We spoke in the language of the lawgiver; at another in that of the truth-seeker and the mystic, and yet Our supreme purpose and highest wish hath always been to disclose the glory and sublimity of this station."

(Baha'u'llah, Epistle to the Son of the Wolf, p. 14)

Some God-centered performances might revolve more around what He says in the language of the lawgiver, others more around what He says in the language of the truth-seeker and mystic. Looking at it that way might help improve my relationships with some people.

Promoting the love of God

O thou son of the Kingdom! All things are beneficial if joined with the love of God; and without His love all things are harmful, and act as a veil between man and the Lord of the Kingdom. When His love is there, every bitterness turneth sweet, and every bounty rendereth a wholesome pleasure. For example, a melody, sweet to the ear, bringeth the very spirit of life to a heart in love with God, yet staineth with lust a soul engrossed in sensual desires. And every branch of learning, conjoined with the love of God, is approved and worthy of praise; but bereft of His love, learning is barren -- indeed, it bringeth on madness. Every kind of knowledge, every science, is as a tree: if the fruit of it be the love of God, then is it a blessed tree, but if not, that tree is but dried-up wood, and shall only feed the fire.

(Selections from the Writings of Abdu'l-Baha, p. 180)

I'm writing this with an imaginary reader in mind, someone who sees her heart possessed by Baha'u'llah. It could also possibly mean something to someone who sees her heart possessed by God, without thinking of it in Baha'i terms, or even without thinking of it in theistic terms.

I'm thinking of the activities of Baha'is and other people in the framework for action of the House of Justice. I'm imagining that some of that activity is joined with the love of God, and some isn't. As I understand it, that makes all the difference between the good and harm it can do.

I'm not imagining that it makes no difference what we do, as long as it's joined with the love of God. I'm intensely interested in promoting devotion to the interests of the House of Justice, and in that context the framework for action. I'm just turning my attention for now to the spirit of hearts possessed by God, and how to help develop and spread that spirit. Maybe it's as simple as practicing more awareness of when there's more of that spirit in what I'm doing, and doing more of that.

Another idea:

"From the texts of the wondrous, heavenly Scriptures they should memorize phrases and passages bearing on various instances, so that in the course of their speech they may recite divine verses whenever the occasion demandeth it, inasmuch as these holy verses are the most potent elixir, the greatest and mightiest talisman."

I might memorize passages about doing things in the right spirit, and recite them in my conversations with myself.

People of Baha, and the House of Justice

"Our mission is to seize and possess the hearts of men."

(Baha'u'llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, p. 211)

Now I'm imagining myself talking to people who feel their hearts possessed by Baha'u'llah, and who see themselves devoted to the interests of the House of Justice, as part of their devotion to Baha'u'llah. I'm imagining that in order for the framework for action to serve His purposes, it needs to be done in the right spirit. I'm imagining that that spirit is the spirit of a heart possessed by Baha'u'llah. I'm imagining that it needs to grow and spread, and be freed from its shackles.

In "One Common Faith," the House of Justice discussed some of those shackles, and what to do about them. The framework for action is itself a response to those needs, but in my understanding it can be misused and get in its own way. I want to consider what possibilities might come with a heart possessed by Baha'u'llah, to help develop and spread that spirit, and to help free it from its shackles.

I have a master strategy now for everything I want to promote:
1. Multiply and deepen my friendships.
2. Improve my own practice of what I want to promote.

Not that I invented it. I see both of those ideas permeating Baha'i writings.

I'm currently living in China. One idea I have for developing friendships is learning to speak Chinese! Another is to start what people call an "English circle." A periodic gathering of people who want to practice English with a native speaker. Another is to try to develop friendships with people I meet at the monthly devotions for foreign Baha'is.

I'm considering what I can do to help develop that spirit in myself, and bring it with me more and more into everything I do, including what I do in the framework for action.

"Subdue the citadels of men's hearts"

"O people of Baha! Subdue the citadels of men's hearts with the swords of wisdom and of utterance."

(The Summons of the Lord of Hosts, p. 76)

Some things become a lot easier when I imagine myself talking to someone who has agreed for God to subdue her heart.

Say: We have ordained that our Cause be taught through the power of utterance. Beware lest ye dispute idly with anyone. Whoso ariseth wholly for the sake of his Lord to teach His Cause, the Holy Spirit shall strengthen him and inspire him with that which will illumine the heart of the world, how much more the hearts of those who seek Him. O people of Baha! Subdue the citadels of men's hearts with the swords of wisdom and of utterance. They that dispute, as prompted by their desires, are indeed wrapped in a palpable veil. Say: The sword of wisdom is hotter than summer heat, and sharper than blades of steel, if ye do but understand. Draw it forth in My name and through the power of My might, and conquer then with it the cities of the hearts of them that have secluded themselves in the stronghold of their corrupt desires. Thus biddeth you the Pen of the All-Glorious, whilst seated beneath the swords of the wayward.

(The Summons of the Lord of Hosts, p. 76)

In my understanding, at least part of drawing forth the swords of wisdom and of utterance is memorizing some words of God that we might be able to use in our conversations.

The sanctified souls should ponder and meditate in their hearts regarding the methods of teaching. From the texts of the wondrous, heavenly Scriptures they should memorize phrases and passages bearing on various instances, so that in the course of their speech they may recite divine verses whenever the occasion demandeth it, inasmuch as these holy verses are the most potent elixir, the greatest and mightiest talisman. So potent is their influence that the hearer will have no cause for vacillation. I swear by My life! This Revelation is endowed with such a power that it will act as the lodestone for all nations and kindreds of the earth. Should one pause to meditate attentively he would recognize that no place is there, nor can there be, for anyone to flee to.

(Tablets of Baha'u'llah, p. 200)

"The sanctified souls . . ."

That brings up a lifelong inhibition that I need to reconsider, and maybe I'm not alone in that. I don't dare think of myself as one of "the sanctified souls," or "the people of Baha," or "the true lovers." I can't do it. I just can't. And yet, if He's talking to me . . . how I wish for it to be so . . . then I need to understand it that way. All I can think of to do now, is imagine that it might be so, and respond accordingly.

Scripts and the spirit

Now I'm thinking of the framework the House of Justice is promoting as a script for a performance by the Baha'i community, and I see some of the same issues coming up with that, that I've seen RVCBard dealing with. It gives me some ideas about the people of Baha and the framework for action.

In order for the framework to serve Baha'u'llah's purposes, it needs to be used in the right spirit. That might be the spirit of a heart subdued by God. We might help by cherishing, nourishing and exercising that spirit in ourselves and others.

With Bard, if people try to explain why the characters are doing what they do, or speculate about what she's trying to say, it will only get in the way. With the framework, it can get in its own way in a variety of ways. I've discussed some of those ways in my Wayfarer's blog. Here I want to focus on possibilities for a heart subdued by God. I don't need to know if my heart is being subdued by God. It's enough to imagine that it might be, and to hope so.

Self-awareness and mutual awareness of people whose hearts God has turned to Him

I'm exploring the idea of promoting self-awareness, and mutual awareness, encouragement and support, among people of all religions and ideologies, whose hearts God has turned to Him. That might include talking to each other about what we're doing and about the responsibilities and possibilities that come with that.

I'm not imagining that I'll be doing that much on line, least of all in this blog. This is mostly to help me organize my thoughts. I'm doing it on line, because, well, why not? Everything to gain, and nothing to lose.

I'm thinking now of talking to some people in my family, and other people in my life, who might understand what I'm talking about.

Performance issues

Some of the issues I see RVCBard struggling with seem very relevant to some of my interests.

I see her wondering how to write a script that will help performers and cast members give an audience what she wants to give them, without prescribing what they will see. One way I'm thinking of it is that she wants to help people see the magic all around them. What she wants to give people is not in the motives and purposes of the characters, or in some statement she might be making. Speculating about the motives and purposes of the characters, or about what she's trying to say, will only get in the way.

I'm not trying to write a script, but I am trying to propose some ideas for a kind of performance by people whose hearts God has turned to Him, which includes helping people see the magic all around us, and putting a new spirit into the life of society. I want people to see their own possibilities for themselves, and not read too much into the specifics of our performances.

"Be not careless of the virtues with which ye have been endowed"

Here's an example of what I've been thinking about:

O friends! Be not careless of the virtues with which ye have been endowed, neither be neglectful of your high destiny. Suffer not your labors to be wasted through the vain imaginations which certain hearts have devised. Ye are the stars of the heaven of understanding, the breeze that stirreth at the break of day, the soft-flowing waters upon which must depend the very life of all men, the letters inscribed upon His sacred scroll. With the utmost unity, and in a spirit of perfect fellowship, exert yourselves, that ye may be enabled to achieve that which beseemeth this Day of God.

(Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, p. 195)

"With the utmost unity, and in a spirit of perfect fellowship . . ."

That might include talking to each other about what we're doing.

Responsibilities and possibilities of hearts turned to God

I see myself trying to follow Baha'u'llah, trusting Him, subordinating my interests and ideas to His, trying to continually improve my understanding and practice of His purposes and prescriptions. I feel welcome to follow my own interests and ideas, within the limits of His prescriptions, but I never equate my interests or ideas with His, and I imagine His are better than mine, and always will be. I hope to continually improve in understanding and following them.

I see a possibility that this is what God means by turning to Him. A Christian might feel the same way about Christ, and that might be what salvation means in Biblical terms. A Jew might feel the same way about some or all of the Hebrew scriptures, and a Muslim might feel the same way about the Qur'an. I don't know. I have an idea what it looks like when a heart is turned to God in a Baha'i or Christian context. I don't have much of an idea in other contexts of what it looks like, conceptually. In terms of action I imagine that in any context I would see a person using some scriptures to help her improve herself, to spread the knowledge and love of God, and to help improve the world.

I'm not sure there's any way for me, or anyone else, to know if any particular person, including me, is turned to God, or saved, or whatever. I hope I am or will be, and I want to act accordingly.

To put it in the context of practicing and promoting better conduct, different people might have different reasons and conceptual frameworks for doing that. There could be a variety of discussions in the contexts of those reasons and frameworks, and I would welcome any comments from anyone in any context, about practicing and promoting better conduct. I'm particularly interested just now in the context of turning to God, and that might continue for some time, but I imagine I would be thrilled to have any kind of discussion with anyone in any context, about practicing and promoting better conduct.

Back to the topic of this post: I want to discuss with people of all religions and ideologies who think God might have turned their hearts to Him, the responsibilities and possibilities that might come with that. As an example from my own experience, I'll be discussing some words of Baha'u'llah addressed to the people of Baha, and some ideas about practicing and promoting devotion to the interests of the House of Justice.

For people who don't think in monotheistic terms, or any theistic terms at all, I haven't learned yet how to describe the condition I'm talking about. I would welcome any help that anyone would like to offer. I imagine some kind of deep, abiding interest in improving yourself, and in helping to improve the world. Some kind of idea of some kind of force for good. Some body of writings that speaks for that force, where you find wisdom and moral support and a standard of conduct, and where your interests and ideas are continually challenged and improved.

People of Baha, and the House of Justice: about the discussion

I was going to write a series of posts about the people of Baha and the framework for action of the House of Justice. Now I'm thinking of it as a series about the people of Baha and the interests of the House of Justice, with the framework as an example.

Some thoughts, at random:

- I have an idea that there are some responsibilities and possibilities associated with having a heart turned to God, and that it might help to discuss them.

- I want to help promote more devotion to the interests of the House of Justice.

- More specifically, I'd like to discuss promoting the interests of the House of Justice, with people whose hearts are turned to God.

- I don't want this discussion to be for Baha'is only.

- I will be discussing Baha'u'llah's words addressed to the people of Baha, and promoting the interests of the House of Justice. That might make it uninteresting for anyone but Baha'is to follow the discussion. It might be possible for other people to see it as a discussion about responsibilities and possibilities of having a heart turned to God, using examples from my own experience. I would want them to feel welcome to respond with examples from their own experience.

- I'm not imagining that the discussion I want to have will happen much in this blog. I'm imagining that I will be reading and commenting in the blogs of some people of other religions and ideologies, and that what I write here will help me organize my thoughts for those discussions.

- Possibly some followers of Baha'u'llah will eventually find this blog, and post some of their ideas and experiences here. I might write with them in mind, to help me organize my thoughts.

Improving ourselves to improve the world

In an earlier post, in response to a comment from RVCBard, I wrote about the Jewish concept of Tikkun Olam, and Sen McGlinn's discussion of islah-e ‘aalam.

I did some research to learn more about those concepts.

The Israeli Tikkun Blog
Understanding the world we live in, so we can make it better.

This means that the Jewish people have been praying for world Repair for at least a thousand years. But for many years this was understood by the Sages to mean "Repairing the Character”, or perfecting the moral character of the Jewish believer. Many tracts were written about "Tikkun Midot" attempting to explain the working of the human soul and how to perfect yourself . . .

I see improving myself as an indispensable part of helping to improve the world.

Islah-e-Batin
Purification of the inner self

Islah literally translated in English means purification. As in any language, word for word translation cannot justify the essence of the meaning between languages. Islah also denotes the meaning of repair or fix. A more detailed analysis also reveals the meaning of reform. So in essence Islah means to purify by fixing or reforming.

According to Sen McGlinn, Shoghi Effendi translated Islah-e 'aalam as "ever-advancing civilization,” “the reformation of this age,” “rehabilitate the fortunes of mankind,” the “betterment of the world” and “to reconstruct the world."

Learning what moves each person to loving action

In a comment to an earlier post, RVCBard wrote:

"For some, life is the ultimate value. For others, it's truth. And even more people value freedom. Understanding each person's values, and how they influence their attitudes and behaviors, does a lot to put your mind in the proper perspective for understanding them and helping them understand you."

Yes. In my relationships with people of different religious and ideologies, I would like to learn more about what moves each person to loving action.

"Ever-advancing civilization" aka . . .

In a comment to an earlier post, RVCBard wrote:

"This is closely in line with what Judaism calls tikkun olam - repair of the world (or - perhaps more accurately - perfection of the world).

That reminded me of Sen's post about the betterment of the world. He wrote:

to carry forward an ever-advancing civilization” in the original is islah-e ‘aalam. Elsewhere the Guardian translates the same phrase as “the reformation of this age”, “rehabilitate the fortunes of mankind,” the “betterment of the world” and “to reconstruct the world.

Trying not to deliver a message

I've seen some artists working very hard to avoid saying anything with their works. I might be starting to understand that better. For example, I would like people to learn to see the magic all around us, beyond the impoverished routine meanings of daily life. I can see how it might seem self-defeating to try to tell people specifically what they will see. I face a similar challenge with the writings of Baha'u'llah. For most of my life I've avoided trying to tell people what they mean to me, because I don't want them to be limited by my imperfect or even deformed understanding. If I tell them what I see, they might not look any farther, and simply reproduce my mistakes.

In my experience and observation, trying to avoid saying anything might only result in hiding from ourselves what we are saying to people. Often when I've seen people saying that they don't try to control or change people, it seemed to me that they were fooling themselves, which can have even worse results than consciously seeking to change other people's behavior and ideas. It certainly is harder for me to deal with, when I'm the person whose ideas and behavior someone is trying to change. If the person is doing it frankly, consciously and deliberately, then we can discuss and resolve any problems that might come up. Also, it's very confusing and frustrating for me when someone is trying to change me, and denying it even to herself.

If we try to avoid saying anything in our performances, rather than giving them the freedom we want to give them, to discover their own magic, we might make it even harder for them to escape from the confines of our own thoughts and feelings.

What else can we do? Maybe communicate more, rather than less. Maybe tell people what we see, and invite them to look for something else. Maybe give them examples of how to do that, and invite them to look for better ways. Maybe learn to do it better ourselves. How do we see possibilities in other people's works that they might not see themselves? How can we do it better? It seems to me that if I want to see something in a person's work besides what she sees, it would help me to know what she sees. Otherwise, how would I know if I'm seeing something that she didn't see?

Here's another thought: Even if we aren't fooling ourselves, in spite of our denials, people might be too busy trying to guess what we mean, what we're trying to say, to look beyond it. If we tell them our own thoughts and feelings right from the start, and invite them frankly to look beyond that, we can give them a head start.

I'll be thinking about that.

RVCBard and me

I just realized that what RVCBard is trying to do is all about deeds, not words.

In a comment to the previous post, RVCBard asked some questions that interest me very much.

One question was:

"What does support and encouragement look like for you?"

In response to my statement that I can easily imagine people responding to what God says to hearts that are turned to Him, in a Christian context, not so easily in other contexts, she wrote:

"Could you be more specific?"

I'll try to give examples of what support looks like to me, but it's easier for me to say what it feels like. It feels like stopping in Rivendell on the way to Mordor, and people listening eagerly to my story, and caring about what has happened to me and what's ahead of me, and giving me some information and supplies that I might need. It feels like someone walking beside me on the trail, and sharing hardships, adventures and good times along the way.

Examples of what it looks like:
- Someone to talk to about where I've been and where I'm going, and showing friendly interest and asking friendly questions.
- Someone who is trying to do something like what I'm trying to do, and talking to me about it.
- Someone giving me information and ideas that I can really use.
- Someone doing something that I might have wanted to do if I had thought of it and could have done it.

More concretely, some examples I've seen were some books and materials that someone gave us sometimes in Richmond that helped us with Patty's Kindergarten class and helped me with what I was trying to do with children in our neighborhood.

Another example was when I was learning to work and walk with marginalized people in my community, and I noticed other people doing that too, and talking to me about it.

Another example is in help forums when people give you answers you can actually use, without making you feel stupid, and without scolding you for not knowing all the information they'll need in advance.

----

I can easily imagine a Christian context for responding to what God says to hearts that are turned to Him, because I can relate it to Christian concepts of salvation and giving your life to Christ, and I've known Christians who seem to me to be turned to God, and moved to loving action by His words. I can easily imagine in what terms a Christian might describe the relationship with God that I'm thinking of. I don't have any ideas about how other people might describe it. I understand that "Islam" means submission to God, that could be a way of describing the relationship I'm talking about. I can imagine people being moved to loving action by words from the Koran or from the Hebrew scriptures or from any other scriptures, but I don't have any experience with that. I have some experience with that from the Hebrew scriptures, but only in a Christian context. I can easily imagine others besides Christians being moved the same way, but I don't imagine they would describe their feelings in the same terms, and I have no personal experience with any other conceptual framework for those scriptures.

For example, Baha'u'llah writes with intense feeling about Zion and Carmel, but I have no idea what those feelings are all about. I went through the Hebrew scriptures looking for something that would help me understand. I got some vague ideas about precious memories of peace, justice, prosperity and beauty, but I have no idea if I came anywhere close to what Baha'u'llah is talking about.

Some more thoughts about the people of Baha

Before I continue studying words of Baha'u'llah addressed to the people of Baha, I want to look some more at some possible implications of "people of Baha."

I hesitate to think of "the people of Baha" as specific people who can be identified, even by each other, and I hesitate to think of myself as one of them. Even if I did so, I would want to avoid depreciating other people's relationships with Baha'u'llah. At the same time, I have an idea that it might be good for the people of Baha to encourage and support each other in promoting the framework for action, and that it might help to set that in the context of what Baha'u'llah says to them about their responsibilities and possibilities.

For now I'll just think of the feelings I have when I see "O people of Baha," and imagine some other people might feel the same way, and that we might encourage and support each other somehow in learning to follow Baha'u'llah.

I don't want this to be for Baha'is only. In my understanding this is really about our hearts being turned to God. I would like to see people of all religions and ideologies, including nontheistic ones, encouraging and supporting each other in responding to what God says to hearts that are turned to Him. I can easily imagine what that might mean in a Christian context, not so easily in other contexts. I'm wondering how we might talk to each other about our feelings, ideas, aspirations and experiences in responding to God's call.

I might try to spend some time with some Christians, Buddhists, pagans and other people, looking for signs of hearts turned to God and stirred to action by His words, trying to learn from them and learn to encourage and support them.

People of Baha, the framework, and better conduct

This blog is supposed to be about practicing and promoting better conduct on the Internet, and responding to harmful conduct and to questions it raises in people's minds. I decided to use it for a series of posts about the people of Baha and the framework for action. I don't have any ideas for now about how that might fit into the description.

People of Baha

I'm a little confused about what I want to do with a series of posts about the people of Baha and the framework for action.

I would would like to see a growing and spreading love for the framework, and for everything the House of Justice is promoting. Currently my strategy for promoting something is to deepen my friendships with people, develop more friendships, and try to improve my practice of what I want to promote. In the case of the framework for action, an idea came to me to write about the framework in the context of what Baha'u'llah says to the people of Baha. I'm not sure why. It might do something to help the people of Baha promote the framework.

I have an idea that one question that needs to be addressed is the diversity among Baha'is in their relationships with Baha'u'llah. In particular it looks to me like many or even most Baha'is think very little in terms of following Baha'u'llah and serving His purposes. I have a habit of imagining that "Baha'i" means "follower of Baha'u'llah," someone who is devoted to serving His purposes, in accordance with His prescriptions. That has repeatly led me to dead ends, communication gaps, and sometimes distrust and estrangement.

I'm trying to learn to be aware of possible differences in the relationships of Baha'is with Baha'u'llah, without depreciating other people's relationships with Him.

When I think of the words "O people of Baha," or "O ye moth-like lovers of His light," a loving, yearning feeling wells up inside me, with a wish to respond in action. I'm imagining some other people feeling the same way sometimes, and that it might be good for us to study the framework for action in the light of Baha'u'llah's words addressed to the people of Baha. I would like to learn to do that without being confused and distracted by the lack of personal interest in Baha'u'llah that I see among Baha'is, and without depreciating their relationships with Him. Maybe some others who feel the way I do towards Baha'u'llah have had the same problem. If so, it might help to discuss it.

Now I'm not sure what else to say about it. I've learned some ways to manage my temptations to depreciate people's interests and ideas. Maybe I just need to consider how to apply those specifically to this case.

One thought that comes to me now is, if some Baha'is are not moved the way I am by personal feelings towards Baha'u'llah, it might help me to learn more about what does move them to want to serve His purposes. I already see that people can be moved to serve His purposes without ever having heard of Him. One way to stop depreciating something is to learn to appreciate it. Maybe I can try to learn more about what moves other people, and learn to appreciate it more.

Relationships with Baha'u'llah

Now I'll discuss my understanding and practice of turning to Baha'u'llah, and some different kinds of possible relationships with Baha'u'llah.

"Turning to Baha'u'llah" might mean different things to different people. First I want to discuss what God means by it. In saying that I'm not imagining that I know what God means by it. I'm imagining that what Baha'u'llah says about the supreme importance of turning to Him has to do with whatever God means by that, and not with what anyone else might mean by it.

I'm not imagining that there's any way to know who has turned to God and who hasn't, including me. I'm not even sure that it's as simple as some people being turned to Him and others not. Maybe I'm turned to Him sometimes and sometimes not. Maybe part of me is turned to Him and part of me is not. Even though He invites us to turn to Him, I'm not sure it's something we can do deliberately, the way we can turn our bodies. Certainly we can turn our thoughts to the Kingdom as I've seen Abdu'l-Baha inviting us to do, and our efforts to turn to Him might be an indispensable part of turning to Him.

Thinking in Biblical terms of salvation and grace, I'm imagining that turning to God is not entirely our own doing. It's something that's given to us. If it comes through His grace, then maybe we can help each other by learning to help surround each other with His grace.

I've been thinking recently about a possible difference I see between my relationship with Baha'u'llah, and the relationship of some other people with him who call themselves Baha'is. I subordinate my interests and ideas to His, and it looks to me like they subordinate His interests and ideas to theirs, or possibly equate His with theirs. That came into focus for me while I was thinking about what it means to turn to Him, but I'm not sure how closely the two are related. Even if I'm mistaken about the people I have in mind, there might be people who are interested in Baha'u'llah, who love some of His writings and some of what they see Him promoting, and who even look up to Him, without subordinating their interests and ideas to His.

If the people I have in mind are subordinating Baha'u'llah's interests and ideas to theirs, or equating His with theirs, that would do a lot to help explain some things in their attitudes and behavior that have sometimes puzzled me and troubled me. Considering that possibility might help improve my relationships with them.

Apart from that, it's easier for me understand the possibilities in my relationships with people who don't call themselves Baha'is but who approve of some of Baha'u'llah's writings and purposes, and would like to help practice and promote them.

The people of Baha and the framework for action

I need to take a break from Internet discussions, but I'm planning to continue reading some blogs. One is a blog that I had chosen for systematic and sustained efforts to practice encouragement and support. Another one is one that I just discovered, that I also want to continue encouraging. There are a few others that I want to follow.

I might also take a few more steps in the series of articles I wanted to post about the people of Baha and the framework for action. I still don't have a clear idea of what to do. Maybe I'll write about some of my ideas and experiences as I try to deepen my own understanding, and improve my own practice, in using the framework for action to serve Baha'u'llah's purposes.

I'll try describing where I am now in my understanding and practice.

One way I've thought of the framework for action is that it provides a continually improving environment for people who are interested, to improve their capacity to serve Baha'u'llah's purposes. I might discuss how the various components contribute to that, and how they work together. I might discuss different kinds of relationships people might have with Baha'u'llah, and how that might affect what they can do with the framework for action.

For most of my life a recurring question for me has been what I might do to make my life more pleasing to God. I was eager to go through the Ruhi courses because I saw in them a way to systematically improve my knowledge, understanding and capacity. Then I wanted to help individuals who were interested in the courses but who weren't ready to participate in organized classes with other people. I wanted to go through tutor training to improve my work with individuals. After I went through some of the books I realized the importance of the practices and that I hadn't done much with them. I went back and tried to do them, and I did some research to learn how to help other people do them. I also decided that one way to improve my capacity to serve intensive growth programs would be to develop a passion for teaching, and more specifically to learn to invite people to activities.

Before I moved to China, I was going to a friend's house for prayers once a week, and we were working through Ruhi Book 1 together and discussing plans for some work we wanted to do with some children and junior youth. I tried to find some intensive growth programs somewhere that I could participate in, so I could bring the spirit and some ideas about it back into my community. I was trying to get together with some people who had been through the tutor training but who were having trouble doing anything with it, so we could help each other to take some beginning steps. I was having a lot of trouble getting started.

I was also trying to help develop ways for people who weren't participating in institute courses to get part of the training some other way if they were interested, through mentoring for example.

When our community started practicing for intensive teaching campaigns, I didn't participate in the initial teaching, but I started visiting one of the homes.

Besides practicing and promoting all the components of the framework for action, at the same time I was promoting some ideas and pursuing some initiatives of my own, and practicing and promoting encouragement and support of others doing the same, regardless of how anyone thought they fit into community goals and plans. I was also trying to prevent and counteract people being stigmatized for not participating in institute courses, or in any other part of community goals and plans. In my understanding it is contrary to Baha'u'llah's purposes and to the interests of the House of Justice to stigmatize people for not participating in community goals and plans, or to depreciate initiatives outside of them.

My own inititatives revolved around neighborhood community service and development, working with children and junior youth, and walking and working with people in the margins of the Baha'i community, online and offline.

It would please me very much to see more and more people voluntarily starting their own core activities, going through the sequence of institute courses including the practices, fully participating in reflection meetings, inviting non-members into the core activities, preparing to participate in intensive teaching campaigns, promoting their own ideas and pursuing their own initiatives, and learning to encourage and support each other in all that, in ways that really help and without stigmazing anyone who isn't interested.

It would please me very much to see individuals and institutions learning to offer the kind of encouragement and support to people that really helps, in the challenges they're facing and in what they're trying to do with their lives, regardless of how it fits into community goals and plans.

Responding to acrimonious debates

As I see it, what divides people in acrimonious debates is not what they're debating about. What divides them is their divisiveness. In that case it might be worse than futile to try to resolve the conflicts by reasoning with the people involved. Appealing to them to change their attitudes and behavior towards each other might be just as futile.

One way I see to try to improve the situation is by developing friendships with individuals, and participating in any beneficial discussions that might come up.

Baha'i Epistolary

I just discovered Baha'i Epistolary.

Not that I've never heard of it before. I have, but I've just now discovered it.

I see in it a lot of the better conduct that I would like to promote. More than that, I see in it some of the better conduct that I would like to learn myself.

Reading people's blogs

Some time ago I said I would like to help organize the Internet to facilitate networking among people who are learning to help spread peace, justice, beauty and kindness. Now I'm looking into the other end of the telescope. I want to look for people who are learning to help spread peace, justice, beauty and kindness, to learn from them, to learn to offer encouragement and support that really helps, and to help them find and use support networks.

What good we might do on the Internet

I want to do all the good I can do, and be the best person I can be.
I want everything Baha'u'llah wants for me.
That might include what good I can do on the Internet.
I'd like to be part of some networks of people who are trying to do all the good they can do, and be the best people they can be, encouraging and supporting each other, and learning from each other.
I'd like to be part of some support networks of people who are following Baha'u'llah.
I'd like to help develop those networks.
I'd like to learn what good we can do, individually and together, on the Internet.
I'd like to practice and promote reading people's blogs, learning from them, and learning to offer encouragement and support that really helps.

What can I do next, to make my life more pleasing to God?
Maybe study the dynamics, looking for ideas for developing and applying my capacities.

What can I do next, to do make better use of the Internet?
Maybe study BIA documents some more, looking for ideas.
Maybe browse through some blogs, looking for ideas.

Subdue the citadels

I want to write a series of posts about what Baha'u'llah says to the people of Baha, and a series about the framework for action, which I imagine will be progressively intertwined. This is about what Baha'u'llah says to the people of Baha.

"Say: We have ordained that our Cause be taught through the power of utterance. Beware lest ye dispute idly with anyone. Whoso ariseth wholly for the sake of his Lord to teach His Cause, the Holy Spirit shall strengthen him and inspire him with that which will illumine the heart of the world, how much more the hearts of those who seek Him. O people of Baha! Subdue the citadels of men's hearts with the swords of wisdom and of utterance. They that dispute, as prompted by their desires, are indeed wrapped in a palpable veil. Say: The sword of wisdom is hotter than summer heat, and sharper than blades of steel, if ye do but understand. Draw it forth in My name and through the power of My might, and conquer then with it the cities of the hearts of them that have secluded themselves in the stronghold of their corrupt desires. Thus biddeth you the Pen of the All-Glorious, whilst seated beneath the swords of the wayward."

(Baha'u'llah, The Summons of the Lord of Hosts, p. 77)

Some thoughts about putting this into practice:

1. Imagine people's hearts imprisoned in citadels guarded by their corrupt desires. Think of wisdom and utterance as swords to use against those corrupt desires.

2. Think of temptations to dispute with people as veils that someone tries to wrap around you, to blind you.

3. Learn more about what God means by "hearts," "wisdom," "utterance," "dispute" and "desires," in this context.

Framework for action: A panorama, Ridvan 2008

This is a panorama of a lake near Kinderhook, Michigan, where my sister and I went swimming sometimes when we went with our family to visit our great grandmother, who had a cottage on Dragon Lake. We didn't swim in Dragon Lake because of the snakes.

I'm thinking of using Ridvan letters from the Universal House of Justice to discuss the framework for action, and its history.

Ridvan 2008

The letter begins with a panorama:

* study of the creative word * increasing capacity for service * lives of devotion * visits * spiritual education of children * empowerment of junior youth * betterment of the world *

* serious, uplifting environment * action, reflection, consultation * worshiping, praying, awakening spiritual susceptibilities, shaping our lives, together * discussing, deepening, sharing, welcoming * children's classes * junior youth programs * expanding human resources *

To see the panorama I wanted to paint, imagine the first series sitting on top of the second one, with "study of the creative word" on top of "serious, uplifting environment," "increasing capacity for service" on top of "action, reflection, consultation," etc. Imagine not only members of the Baha'i Faith, but a growing number of other people also, who may or may not become members.

Imagine that the fruits of any activity depend partly on the spirit in which it is done. That would apply to our activities in the framework for action. The spirit might include what we're aiming for, our understanding of what is happening and where we're going, our attitudes and ways of doing things, and the spiritual qualities we're practicing. The 2008 Ridvan letter from the House of Justice contains some ideas about the spirit in which we might conduct activities in the framework for action.

Some examples of aims:
- Advancement in the process of entry by troops.
- Conditions conducive to the expression of the spiritual energies of a growing number of believers in pursuit of a common goal.
- An environment in which individual effort and collective action can complement each other in order to achieve progress.
- Doors more widely open for any receptive soul to enter and receive sustenance from Baha'u'llah's Revelation.
- Learning to apply the teachings to the growth of the Faith.
- Spiritual vitality of communities.
- A healthy pattern of growth.
- Material and spiritual human progress.
- Extending the process of systematic learning to encompass a growing range of human endeavours, with the same degree of coherence that characterizes our pattern of growth.
- Sustaining growth in cluster after cluster.
- Struggling against the myriad forms of corruption, overt and subtle, eating at the vitals of society.
- Championing the cause of justice.
- A refuge in the Baha'i community for the masses of humanity.

Some examples of what is happening and where we are going:
- The framework defined by the current series of Plans lends consistency and flexibility to our endeavours.
- It enables us to seize opportunities, to build relationships, and to translate into reality a vision of systematic growth.
- It gives shape to our collective powers.
- The believers in Iran, under the most arduous conditions, have arisen boldly to serve their country and are bending their energies toward its revitalization
- Given the restrictions placed on the administration of the Faith, they have set out on an individual basis to acquaint their fellow citizens with the teachings of Baha'u'llah, directly engaging them in conversations about His redeeming message.
- They have received unprecedented support from enlightened souls.
- They have encountered a receptivity far beyond anything they would have imagined possible.
- Receptivity to the Faith in all parts of the globe will increase as the agonies of humanity deepen.
- The magnitude of the demands will test the capacity of the Baha'i community to its limits.
- The continued prayers of the Universal House of Justice surround us.

Some examples of attitudes and ways of doing things:
- A humble posture of learning.
- Neither hesitate nor falter.
- Neither overstress nor whittle down the truth which we champion.
- Neither fanatical nor excessively liberal.
- Wary or bold, according to receptivity.
- Act swiftly or mark time, according to receptivity.
- Direct or indirect in the methods we employ, according to receptivity.
- Thoughts and actions so free of any trace of prejudice—racial, religious, economic, national, tribal, class, or cultural—that even the stranger sees in us loving friends.
- A standard of excellence so high, and lives so pure and chaste, that the moral influence we exert penetrates the consciousness of the wider community.
- Rectitude of conduct.
- Perceiving honour and nobility in every human being, independent of wealth or poverty.
- Administrative processes of our institutions governed by the principles of Baha'i consultation.
- Confidence that the Concourse on high is marshaling its forces and stands ready to come to our aid.

Some examples of spiritual qualities:
- courage
- wisdom
- zeal
- acuity
- fervour
- circumspection
- determination
- trust in God

To the people of Baha

This is re-posted from my wayfarer's blog.

----

December 12

One of my ideas to help me rediscover Baha'u'llah is to study and practice passages addressed to the "people of Baha." I'm starting with The Summons of the Lord of Hosts" because I've been wanting to read that. I read the whole tablet in which I found the first passage. Then I thought about how I could practice subduing the citadels of people's hearts with the swords of wisdom and of utterance. Then I thought about memorizing more of Baha'u'llah's words. I chose a passage from Ruhi Book 6, which led me to the tablet to Siyyid Mihdiy-i-Dahaji. In that tablet, Baha'u'llah says:

"In such manner hath the Kitáb-i-Aqdas been revealed that it attracteth and embraceth all the divinely appointed Dispensations. Blessed those who peruse it. Blessed those who apprehend it. Blessed those who meditate upon it. Blessed those who ponder its meaning. So vast is its range that it hath encompassed all men ere their recognition of it. Ere long will its sovereign power, its pervasive influence and the greatness of its might be manifested on earth. Verily, thy God is the All-Knowing, the All-Informed."

(Baha'u'llah, Tablets of Baha'u'llah, p. 199)

Now I'm going through the Kitab-i-Aqdas again, trying to memorize one paragraph each day, and think about it throughout the day.

To the people of Baha

This is re-posted from my wayfarer's blog.

----

December 9

The verse I'm trying to practice now is:

"O people of Baha! Subdue the citadels of men's hearts with the swords of wisdom and of utterance."

(Baha'u'llah, The Summons of the Lord of Hosts, p. 76)

I thought it might help me to memorize some more of Baha'u'llah's words. I looked in Ruhi Book 6, because I'm currently involved in a Book 6 study circle. I memorized this:

"Say: To assist Me is to teach My Cause. This is a theme with which whole Tablets are laden. This is the changeless commandment of God, eternal in the past, eternal in the future. Comprehend this, O ye men of insight."

(Baha'u'llah, Tablets of Baha'u'llah, p. 196)

Now I'm reading the whole tablet (Tablet to Siyyid Mihdiy-i-Dahaji).

Baha'u'llah's words addressed to the people of Baha

This is re-posted from my wayfarer's blog. I've decided to move this project back to this blog.

----

November 19

I've started my search in The Summons of the Lord of Hosts because I've been wanting to read that.

"O people of Baha! Subdue the citadels of men's hearts with the swords of wisdom and of utterance."

(Baha'u'llah, The Summons of the Lord of Hosts, p. 78)

In the other blog I posted some of the context of that passage. I won't re-post all that here. It's from a letter to Napoleon. Among other things, Baha'u'llah says to Napoleon: "Adorn the body of Thy kingdom with the raiment of My name, and arise, then, to teach My Cause." Then he says some things that seem to be addressed to all people, along with some things addressed specifically to the people of Baha. After that he addresses the priests and monks.

After I read the whole letter, I'd like to consider this section addressed to the people, one sentence at a time, and look for ways to improve my practice of what Baha'u'llah is saying.

I'm sitting here wonder how I might do that. What can I do, for example, to improve my practice of "O people of Baha! Subdue the citadels of men's hearts with the swords of wisdom and of utterance."? I just remembered that I can always practice in make believe if I don't find any other way. I can try to think of examples of subduing the citadels of men's hearts with the swords of wisdom and of utterance, and act them out