Silence the Mind & Build Capacities

“The reality of man is his thought, not his material body. The thought force and the animal force are partners. Although man is part of the animal creation, he possesses a power of thought superior to all other created beings.” – Abdu’l-Baha, Paris Talks, pp. 17-18

“Like the animal, man possesses the faculties of the senses, is subject to heat, cold, hunger, thirst, etc.; unlike the animal, man has a rational soul, the human intelligence. This intelligence of man is the intermediary between his body and his spirit.” – Abdu’l-Baha, Paris Talks, p. 96

“in the young people of the world lies a vast reservoir of capacity to advance the constructive transformation of society.”
transformation of society.

“The earth is but one country and mankind its citizen.”

HELP the POOR.… “befriend him and suffer him to recount the tale of the woes with which God's inscrutable Decree hath caused him to be afflicted . . . “

"If ye meet the abased or the down-trodden, turn not away disdainfully from them, for the King of Glory ever watcheth over them and surroundeth them with such tenderness as none can fathom . . .

Flee not from the face of the poor that lieth in the dust, nay rather befriend him and suffer him to recount the tale of the woes with which God's inscrutable Decree hath caused him to be afflicted . . .

Whilst ye consort with him, the Concourse on high will be looking upon you, will be interceding for you, will be extolling your names and glorifying your action."

~ Bahá’u’lláh, Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh, p. 314-315

As COP28 approaches we are “anxiously concerned with the needs of the age”. The Bahá'í International Community (BIC) will regularly share here views related to humanity’s relationship with the natural world. “Building a sustainable and flourishing world holds the promise of providing a point of unity not only in shared endeavor, but in joyful celebration as well.”

The meaning of Oneness in the spiritual sense:

“If the oneness of the human world were established, all the differences which separate mankind would be eradicated. Strife and warfare would cease, and the world of humanity would find repose. Universal peace would be promoted, and the East and West would be conjoined in a strong bond. All men would be sheltered beneath one tabernacle. Native lands would become one; races and religions would be unified. The people of the world would live together in harmony, and their well-being would be assured.”
—‘Abdu’l‑Bahá

Joy Gives Us Wings Music put together by the friends of AucklandChords: D G AJoy gives us wings! In times of joy our strength is more vital, our intellect keener, and our under...

"The Blessed Beauty often remarked:

'There are four qualities which I love to see manifested in people:

first, enthusiasm and courage;

second, a face wreathed in smiles and a radiant countenance;

third, that they see all things with their own eyes and not through the eyes of others;

fourth, the ability to carry a task, once begun, through to its end.'"

~ Ali-Akbar Furutan, Stories of Baha'u'llah, #60

Bahá’í World Publication: New articles explore reconciliation, identity, modernity

The online publication The Bahá’í World has released three new articles.

“The Crisis of Identity” explores how the Bahá’í principle of the oneness of humanity can resolve the seemingly intractable tension between oneness and diversity. “Paradoxically,” writes the author, “even as the need for a deeply felt sense of human oneness has grown more obvious, categories of ‘us’ and ‘them’ have multiplied and become more salient around the globe.”

Another article, titled “Rising to the Challenge of Reconciliation,” analyzes the legacy of colonialism and racism in Canada and examines the profound, multifaceted process of social transformation that genuine reconciliation implies.

The essay “Modernity as an Age of Transition” asks the question: What if “modernity” were to be reconceptualized as a period of humanity’s collective adolescence? Such a perspective, proposes the author, opens the way for new and far-reaching patterns of intellectual activity that can contribute to building the foundations of a civilization befitting humanity’s collective maturity.

Full story on: https://news.bahai.org/story/1639/