'Abdu'l-Baha and the World of Nature

'Abdu'l-Baha was often inspired by the beauty of nature. His writings and talks are rich with descriptive imagery of the splendors of the natural world.

When writing of His visit to the Western states, He said the following:

During My journey and traveling in those parts, I beheld wonderful scenes and beautiful panoramas of nature, orchards and rivers; national parks and general conclaves; deserts, plains, meadows and prairies; and the grains and fruits of that region greatly attracted My attention; even to the present moment they are in My mind.

 'Abdu'l-Baha, Tablets of the Divine Plan

For some more inspiring stories of 'Abdu'l-Baha's love of natural beauty, see The Master and the World of Nature.

What are some of your favorite passages from 'Abdu'l-Baha's writings which use metaphors from the natural world?

'Abdu'l-Baha sets sail for America on March 25, 1912!

Photo source: Wikimedia Commons

Today is the 100th Anniversary of the date that 'Abdu'l-Baha set sail for America!

You can read more about it on 'Abdu'l-Baha's Journey in America. You can also listen to a podcast commemorating the event on The Journey West.

Imagine how exciting it must have been to the Baha'is living in America at that time! Are you doing anything special to remember the day, perhaps saying a special prayer or reading a memorable passage?

Being in Love with the Poor

'Abdu'l-Baha had much to say about poverty and the protection and assistance of those who are struggling economically.

Read this beautiful post over at Common Ground about 'Abdul-Baha's love for the poor:

On Being in Love with the Poor

Here is the talk 'Abdu'l-Baha gave at the Bowery Mission in New York City:

Tonight I am very happy, for I have come here to meet my friends. I consider you my relatives, my companions; and I am your comrade.

You must be thankful to God that you are poor, for Jesus Christ has said, "Blessed are the poor." He never said, "Blessed are the rich." He said, too, that the Kingdom is for the poor and that it is easier for a camel to enter a needle’s eye than for a rich man to enter God’s Kingdom. Therefore, you must be thankful to God that although in this world you are indigent, yet the treasures of God are within your reach; and although in the material realm you are poor, yet in the Kingdom of God you are precious. Jesus Himself was poor. He did not belong to the rich. He passed His time in the desert, traveling among the poor, and lived upon the herbs of the field. He had no place to lay His head, no home. He was exposed in the open to heat, cold and frost-to inclement weather of all kinds-yet He chose this rather than riches. If riches were considered a glory, the Prophet Moses would have chosen them; Jesus would have been a rich man. When Jesus Christ appeared, it was the poor who first accepted Him, not the rich. Therefore, you are the disciples of Jesus Christ; you are His comrades, for He outwardly was poor, not rich. Even this earth’s happiness does not depend upon wealth. You will find many of the wealthy exposed to dangers and troubled by difficulties, and in their last moments upon the bed of death there remains the regret that they must be separated from that to which their hearts are so attached. They come into this world naked, and they must go from it naked. All they possess they must leave behind and pass away solitary, alone. Often at the time of death their souls are filled with remorse; and worst of all, their hope in the mercy of God is less than ours. Praise be to God! Our hope is in the mercy of God, and there is no doubt that the divine compassion is bestowed upon the poor. Jesus Christ said so; Bahá’u’lláh said so. While Bahá’u’lláh was in Baghdád, still in possession of great wealth, He left all He had and went alone from the city, living two years among the poor. They were His comrades. He ate with them, slept with them and gloried in being one of them. He chose for one of His names the title of The Poor One and often in His Writings refers to Himself as Darvísh, which in Persian means poor; and of this title He was very proud. He admonished all that we must be the servants of the poor, helpers of the poor, remember the sorrows of the poor, associate with them; for thereby we may inherit the Kingdom of heaven. God has not said that there are mansions prepared for us if we pass our time associating with the rich, but He has said there are many mansions prepared for the servants of the poor, for the poor are very dear to God. The mercies and bounties of God are with them. The rich are mostly negligent, inattentive, steeped in worldliness, depending upon their means, whereas the poor are dependent upon God, and their reliance is upon Him, not upon themselves. Therefore, the poor are nearer the threshold of God and His throne.

Jesus was a poor man. One night when He was out in the fields, the rain began to fall. He had no place to go for shelter so He lifted 34 His eyes toward heaven, saying, "O Father! For the birds of the air Thou hast created nests, for the sheep a fold, for the animals dens, for the fish places of refuge, but for Me Thou hast provided no shelter. There is no place where I may lay My head. My bed consists of the cold ground; My lamps at night are the stars, and My food is the grass of the field. Yet who upon earth is richer than I? For the greatest blessing Thou hast not given to the rich and mighty but unto Me, for Thou hast given Me the poor. To me Thou hast granted this blessing. They are Mine. Therefore am I the richest man on earth."

So, my comrades, you are following in the footsteps of Jesus Christ. Your lives are similar to His life; your attitude is like unto His; you resemble Him more than the rich do. Therefore, we will thank God that we have been so blessed with real riches. And in conclusion, I ask you to accept ‘Abdu’l-Bahá as your servant.

At the end of this meeting, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá stood at the Bowery entrance to the Mission hall, shaking hands with four or five hundred men and placing within each palm a piece of silver.

 'Abdu'l-Baha, Promulgation of Universal Peace

Audition for the Centenary Commemoration in Philadelphia

The Baha'i Spiritual Assembly of Philadelphia is looking for up to ten actor/speakers for the Commemoration of the Centenary Visit of Abdu'l Baha to Philadelphia Program which will take place at 3 pm on June 9. We are looking for a diversity of voices--men and women, young and old, black and white, yellow and tan--as diverse a range as we can gracefully handle. Not younger than nine years old. There will be significantly long passages to memorize in this powerful sixty minute tribute, and all participants will need to have to have a mature work ethic and able to work collaboratively.

Please come to the Philadelphia Regional Baha'i Center, 2462 Bryn Mawr Avenue Philadelphia, PA 19131-1411, ready to read at 6:30pm on Friday, March 30th.

Thank you for considering this, and we hope to see anyone with even the slightest curiosity. Don't be shy; if any of your humble friends that you enjoy hearing read dramatically aren't signed up--encourage them to come speak for us. The entire audition process shouldn't last longer than an hour and a half. As this production is being mounted entirely as an act of love, performers will not be paid.

With loving greetings,
Susannah Beckett for the Program Director, Bill George.

This Is Your Story

'Abdu'l-Baha traveled to America in 1912 to advise, counsel, instruct, inspire, unify, teach, and empower not only the early Baha'i community, but American society. Our community is one of the legacies of His visit.

I would like to include your experiences on this blog! I'd like to hear your voice not only in the comments, but in upcoming blog posts. What does it mean to you that 'Abdu'l-Baha visited our shores? What are some of the lessons that inspire you today? Are there any of His speeches that especially warm your heart or inspire your soul? Do you find that you relate in a special way to a particular early believer?

Please send me your thoughts and reflections to include in upcoming blog posts to anne99@rcn.com. You can write a few sentences about one of the questions above (or something else you think of), or you can even just send me a favorite quote that is meaningful to you. You can also remain anonymous or include your name, the choice is yours!

'Abdu'l-Baha's visit raised the capacity of the entire community, and His example and teachings had a direct impact on our lives. I would love to encourage people to talk about this, and share their thoughts with others. This invitation is open to all, not just readers who profess the Baha'i Faith, but anyone who has a few words they wish to share about this visit.

Can't wait to hear from you!

Love and unity are the needs of the body politic today

From a speech given by 'Abdu'l-Baha in New York City on June 8,1912

The body politic today is greatly in need of a physician. It is similar to a human body afflicted with severe ailments. A doctor diagnoses the case and prescribes treatment. He does not prescribe, however, until he has made the diagnosis. The disease which afflicts the body politic is lack of love and absence of altruism. In the hearts of men no real love is found, and the condition is such that, unless their susceptibilities are quickened by some power so that unity, love and accord may develop within them, there can be no healing, no agreement among mankind. Love and unity are the needs of the body politic today. Without these there can be no progress or prosperity attained. Therefore, the friends of God must adhere to the power which will create this love and unity in the hearts of the sons of men. Science cannot cure the illness of the body politic. Science cannot create amity and fellowship in human hearts. Neither can patriotism nor racial allegiance effect a remedy. It must be accomplished solely through the divine bounties and spiritual bestowals which have descended from God in this day for that purpose. This is an exigency of the times, and the divine remedy has been provided. The spiritual teachings of the religion of God can alone create this love, unity and accord in human hearts. 

Therefore, hold to these heavenly agencies which God has provided so that through the love of God this soul-bond may be established, this heart-attachment realized and the light of the reality of unity be reflected from you throughout the universe. If we do not hold fast to these divine agencies and means, no result will be possible. Let us pray to God that He will exhilarate our spirits so we may behold the descent of His bounties, illumine our eyes to witness His great guidance and attune our ears to enjoy the celestial melodies of the heavenly Word. This is our greatest hope. This is our ultimate purpose.

'Abdu'l-Baha Promulgation of Universal Peace

How are these words relevant to the needs of today?

Invitation to Celebration of 'Abdu'l-Baha's visit to Milford PA, June 3, 2012

This is an invitation to join the Baha'i communities of Bethlehem and North East Pennsylvania  on Sunday June 3, 2012 at 10:00 AM for the 100th anniversary of the visit of 'Abdu'l-Baha to Milford PA.  (Near intersections of Routes 84 and 209 in PA and 206 in NJ)

Please open the link below and read all the details but basically the day will have two parts to it.  The first is a picnic, fellowship and commemorative activities on the shores of the beautiful Delaware River in the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area beginning at 10:00 AM.

We then will travel to the second part (about 5 minutes ride) for a special tour at 2:00 PM at  the estate of Grey Towers which is the very building that 'Abdu'l-Baha visited in 1912.  For this part you will need to be pre-registered with us. Please do not try to register with Grey Towers.  Grey Towers  was the home of Gifford Pinchot, a minister of forestry under President Theodore Roosevelt.  

To register please open the link below and follow the directions.

Finally, if you would like to help in the organizing of this event, please contact Laura Lawrence at
610-868-5604 or respond to this email.   

This should be a wonderful and magical day.  How fortunate we are to have the spirit of the Master in our midst.

Register here