The Road to 65, Mile 92: Balance

Posted by Sagittarian Seeker on March 2, 2015 in Personal goals, Social

February 28, 2015, Prescott- Over the past several days, we Baha’is have been participating in Ayyam-i-Ha, the gift-giving days signaling the approach of our liturgical year’s end. We then will fast for the final month of the year, at least those of us who are between the ages of 15-70, and whose physical circumstances do not pose a risk to health.

During this time, people have indulged in a bit of fol-de-rol, online, regarding a certain multi-coloured dress. I’ve weighed in on the matter, tongue in cheek, and see no harm in such activities. All the same, the heinousness of many, around the world, also continues. Angry, misanthropic men indulged themselves in the wanton destruction of ancient treasures, in a museum of Mosul, Iraq, much as they savage Christian and Muslim alike, in the territories unfortunate enough to have fallen under their control. The same process repeats itself in northern Nigeria, western Myanmar and pockets of the resurgent nation of Somalia. No one in those places is safe.

Here at home, a human monster is using a motor vehicle as a weapon, aiming it at other drivers, striking their parked vehicles and generally trying to instill fear in a peaceful neighbourhood, towards God knows what end.

Every community has to deal with the unbalanced. For me, it is well that I have personal faith and its various avenues towards achieving balance in my life. I am grateful for my friends and family, for the essential oils and organic foods that have kept me out of harm’s way, physically, over the past year or two. It’s a tough row to hoe, being mildly autistic yet capable of holding positions of responsibility and, most importantly, being able to see other people’s point of view.

The Hopi world view was presented, nearly thirty years ago, in a film entitled “Qoyaniqatsi”, or “World Out of Balance”. Man’s departure from the world of nature was a central theme of this film. Nature, by itself, struggles to maintain balance, and by itself is generally successful in that regard. Humankind can maintain balance, in itself and with nature, only by following physical and natural laws, of which “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you” is the most basic. To achieve and maintain balance, one must feel connected with all things.

It is the disconnect that many have felt, for some time, that underlies the savagery we see, continuously, in so much of the world. There are no easy answers to resolving the rage of Islamic State, Boko Haram, the Burmese Buddhist extremists, al-Shabab or any of the bullies who who cause distress, to a lesser extent, in communities around the Earth. There is, however, a slow process of regeneration taking place, simultaneous to the destruction. Balance will be restored, and in one state of being (physical or spiritual), each of us will see it.

The Road to 65, Mile 91: Fervour

Posted by Sagittarian Seeker on March 2, 2015 in Personal goals, Social

February 27, 2015, Prescott- A university education is pretty much seen as a right, in this day and age- albeit a right that has elements of privilege, including payment of one’s own tuition. In the Islamic Republic of Iran, however, this right is denied members of my Faith: Baha’i. There are various ruses and pretexts for this government policy, but the bottom line is: Baha’i has no clergy, which the mullahs, hojatoleslamim and ayatollahs take to mean- “You’re fired!”. Given their track record, would that were the case.

In reality, however, we Baha’is respect the right of other Faiths to maintain clergy, as long as the members of those Faiths regard them as necessary. We just have a system of elected assemblies, to handle our administrative affairs, with individuals being responsible for their own spiritual growth, through daily prayer, meditation and study of Scripture.

This has never gone over well with those for whom a career in the Cloth entails making relatively large sums of money, as well as amassing considerable personal power. Such a blur between the sacred and the profane exists in Faiths other than Islam- It was a wealthy Hindu priest who arranged the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi, after all, and it remains that the Vatican is a repository of vast wealth. Yet, no opponents of Baha’i in countries outside Iran’s sphere of influence have gone to the extent of denying us basic human rights.

This evening, sixteen of us gathered in a large room at Yavapai College, on the east end of town, and viewed a film entitled “To Light A Candle”. The persecution of Baha’is began with the emergence of Baha’u’llah, our Faith’s Founder, in 1853. It was pre-dated by the persecution of the followers of Baha’u’llah’s immediate Predecessor, Al Bab (Arabic for “The Gate”), from His Declaration, in May, 1844, through the 1840’s and ’50’s. This persecution, rife with torture, imprisonment and death, continues to this day.

It’s largely about money and power, as all religious pogroms are, in essence. Common believers in Islam are duped into participating in the carnage, by appealing to their religious fervour and tailoring sermons to include lies and half-truths. This is nothing new- commentary on Scripture is frequently filled with gibberish and fabulism. We have only to recall the medieval Inquisitions and “How many angels dance on the head of a pin?” Christianity, however, has not, for the most part, gone in for savagery, since the Age of Enlightenment.

It’s time for a new Enlightenment, with people of goodwill and sincere devotion to truth leading the charge. Baha’i represents individual investigation of truth, and devotion to the concept of Progressive Revelation. As do all other human institutions, religion progresses gradually. Attempts to bring humanity backwards invariably lead to heartache and suffering, all of it unnecessary. Look for example, at the plight of the Assyrians and Chaldeans, in Iraq. They are kindred to us Baha’is, and deserve the support of every righteous soul.

“To Light A Candle” is being shown in various locations across the planet, over the next several weeks. It is worth seeing and pondering, regardless of one’s Faith.