...

...
Spread Peace
Showing posts with label bahai faith. Show all posts
Showing posts with label bahai faith. Show all posts

Wednesday, September 9, 2015

Who Are Covenant-Breakers

601. Covenant-Breakers, Defined

"People who have withdrawn from the Cause because they no longer feel that they can support its Teachings and Institutions sincerely, are not Covenant-breakers—they are non-Bahá’ís and should just be treated as such. Only those who ally themselves actively with known enemies of the Faith who are Covenant-breakers, and who attack the Faith in the same spirit as these people, can be considered, themselves, to be Covenant-breakers. As you know, up to the present time, no one has been permitted to pronounce anybody a Covenant-breaker but the Guardian* himself."
(From a letter written on behalf of the Guardian to the National Spiritual Assembly of Canada, March 30, 1957)

602. Covenant-Breaking is a Spiritual Disease

"… Covenant-breaking is truly a spiritual disease, and the whole view-point and attitude of a Covenant-breaker is so poisonous that the Master likened it to leprosy, and warned the friends to breathe the same air was dangerous. This should not be taken literally; He meant when you are close enough to breathe the same air you are close enough to contact their corrupting influence. Your sister should never imagine she, loyal and devoted, has become a 'carrier'."
(From a letter written on behalf of the Guardian to an individual believer, July 29, 1946)

603. Covenant-Breaking Like Contagious Consumption and Cancer

"… Thou hadst asked some questions; that why the blessed and spiritual souls, who are firm and steadfast, shun the company of degenerate persons. This is because, that just as the bodily diseases like consumption and cancer are contagious, likewise the spiritual diseases are also infectious. If a consumptive should associate with a thousand safe and healthy persons, the safety and health of these thousand persons would not affect the consumptive and would not cure him of his consumption. But when this consumptive associates with those thousand souls, in a short time the disease of consumption will infect a number of those healthy persons. This is a clear and self-evident question."
(‘Abdu’l-Bahá: Tablet to an individual believer, October 1921: Star of the West, Vol. XII, No. 14, p. 
233)

Wednesday, December 17, 2014

The List of Nineteen Letters of Living


First                         Mullá Husayn-i-Bushrú’í
Second                    Muhammad Hasan (His Brother)
Third                       Muhammad-Báqir (His Nephew)
Fourth                    Mullá ‘Alíy-i-Bastamí
Fifth                       Mullá Khudá-Bakhsh-i-Quchání (later named Mullá ’Ali)
Sixth                     Mullá Hasan-i-Bajistání
Seventh                  Siyyid Husayn-i-Yazdí
Eighth                    Mírzá Muhammad Rawdih-Khán-i-Yazdí
Ninth                    Sa’íd-i-Hindí
Tenth                   Mullá Mahmúd-i-Khú’í
Eleventh                Mullá Jalíl-i-Urúmí
Twelfth                 Mullá Ahmad-i-Ibdal-i-Marághi’í
Thirteenth             Mullá Báqir-i-Tabrízí
Fourteenth            Mullá Yusif-i-Ardibílí
Fifteenth              Mírzá Hádí (Son of Mullá ‘Abdu’l-Vahháb-i-Qazvíní)
Sixteenth      Mírzá Muhammad-i ‘Alíy-i-Qazvíní
Seventeenth         Táhirih
Eighteenth      Quddús
Nineteenth            The Báb Himself

Saturday, December 13, 2014

World of Thought

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.
If a man's thought is constantly aspiring towards heavenly subjects then does he become saintly; if on the other hand his thought does not soar, but is directed downwards to centre itself upon the things of this world, he grows more and more material until he arrives at a state little better than that of a mere animal.

Thoughts may be divided into two classes:
      
(1st) Thought that belongs to the world of thought alone.
     
(2nd) Thought that expresses itself in action.

Some men and women glory in their exalted thoughts, but if these thoughts never reach the plane of action they remain useless: 
the power of thought is dependent on its manifestation in deeds. 
A philosopher's thought may, however, in the world of progress and evolution, translate itself into the actions of other people, even when they themselves are unable or unwilling to show forth their grand ideals in their own lives. 
To this class the majority of philosophers belong, their teachings being high above their actions. 

This is the difference between philosophers who are Spiritual Teachers, and those who are mere philosophers: 
the Spiritual Teacher is the first to follow His own teaching; He brings down into the world of action His spiritual conceptions and ideals. His Divine thoughts are made manifest to the world. His thought is Himself, from which He is inseparable. 
When we find a philosopher emphasizing the importance and grandeur of justice, and then encouraging a rapacious monarch in his oppression and tyranny, we quickly realize that he belongs to the first class: for he thinks heavenly thoughts and does not practise the corresponding heavenly virtues.
This state is impossible with Spiritual Philosophers, for they ever express their high and noble thoughts in action. (Excerpt from "Paris Talks")

Thursday, December 4, 2014

‘Abdu’l-Baha’s Affection and Love for Mason Remey:


. . ."Praise be unto God, that the model of the Mashrekol-Askar [current transliteration: Mashriqu'l-Adhkár] made by Mr. [Louis J.] Bourgeois was approved by his honor, Mr. Remey, and selected by the Convention. His honor, Mr. Remey is, verily, of perfect sincerity. He is like unto transparent water, filtered, lucid and without any impurity. He worked earnestly for several years, but he did not have any personal motive. He has not attachment to anything except to the Cause of God. This is the spirit of the firm and this is the characteristic of the sincere."
(Star of the West, Volume 11, No. 9, 20 August 1920 p. 139):
Mason Remey’s attachment to the Cause was well known at the time.  He travelled extensively to promote the Baha’i Faith during the ministry of ‘Abdu’l-Baha.  Shoghi Effendi in “God Passes By” (1950 edition p261) recorded that Mason Remey and his Baha’i companion, Howard Struven, were the first Baha’is to circle the globe teaching the Faith. Mason Remey visited ‘Abdu’l-Baha in the Holy Land several times and received numerous Tablets from The Master. “Star of the West”, a Baha’i periodical, published many of these letters during the years 1913-1922.   ‘Abdu’l-Baha’s high regard for Remey is evident in these letters.  Samples of ‘Abdu’l-Baha’s greetings and words to him illustrate this affection.
"O thou illumined youth and my spiritual beloved!” (SOTW, April, 1913)
"O my dear son!  Numerous letters have been received from you and their contents have all been conducive to happiness. Praise be to God, thou art confirmed in service to the Kingdom, art promulgating divine teachings, art raising the call of the oneness of mankind, art detaching the souls from ignorant racial prejudices, art summoning them to the investigation of truth, art showing forth unto them the light of guidance and art offering them the chalice of the wine of the love of God. This blessed purpose of thine is the magnet of the confirmations of the Abha Kingdom."   (July 1919 – translation by Shoghi Effendi)
"O thou enlightened beloved son!"  (November 1920)
"O thou herald of the Covenant! Thy letters have been received and an answer has been written. Verily thou art firm in the Covenant, art self-sacrificing, art the son of the Kingdom and dost deserve the confirmations of His Holiness Baha’u’llah." (December 1920 – translation by Shoghi Effendi)

Monday, December 1, 2014

Sectarianism and Schism



The world's extant religions have without exception fallen prey to sectarianism and schism that have preoccupied and divided their followers to such an extent that the true spirit of the Teachings of the Authors of their respective Revelations has been so obscured that the spiritual effect which these Teachings have had on the hearts of men has been progressively weakened. Sectarianism and schism have stemmed from differences over interpretation of the Holy Scriptures and the introduction into the original Teachings of man-made dogmas and rituals. 
Had the Founders of the past great religions made specific provisions concerning the matter of succession; that is, had they formally designated a successor or established a system whereby a successor or series of successors would have been endowed with unequivocal authority to interpret Holy Writ, there would have been no basis for the divisive interpretations that have sundered these Faiths, even in early Christendom, the institution of the Papacy and hierarchy of the Church had as the sole basis for its authority their interpretation of the meaning of a verbal statement that Christ had made to His Apostle, Peter. 
While this authority remained unchallenged for centuries during which time the Church remained united, it was ultimately challenged by the Protestant movement with the result that today Christianity finds itself divided into hundreds of sects.

Friday, November 28, 2014

The Time Hath Come

O ye peoples of the Kingdom! How many a soul expended all its span of life in worship, endured the mortification of the flesh, longed to gain an
entry into the Kingdom, and yet failed, while ye, with neither toil nor pain nor self-denial, have won the prize and entered in.

It is even as in the time of the Messiah, when the Pharisees and the pious were left without a portion, while Peter, John and Andrew, given neither
to pious worship nor ascetic practice, won the day. Wherefore, thank ye God for setting upon your heads the crown of glory everlasting, for
granting unto you this immeasurable grace.

The time hath come when, as a thank-offering for this bestowal, ye should grow in faith and constancy as day followeth day, and should draw ever
nearer to the Lord, your God, becoming magnetized to such a degree, and so aflame, that your holy melodies in praise of the Beloved will reach upward
to the Company on high; and that each one of you, even as a nightingale in this rose garden of God, will glorify the Lord of Hosts, and become the
teacher of all who dwell on earth.

Selections from the Writings of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá

Wednesday, May 22, 2013

Declaration of the Báb

In the Persian Bayán, the Báb has fixed the exact moment of the beginning of His revelation as two hours and eleven minutes after sunset on the evening of May 22, 1844. 

Every year on that date, Bahá'ís around the world gather to commemorate this event--the dawn of a new era in religious history.


Sunday, May 27, 2012

YOU ARE NOT A BAHA’I IF…


You are not a Baha’i,
 if you don’t believe in Shaikh Ahmad Ehsaa’i and Syed e Rashti.

You are not a Baha’i,
 if you don’t believe in Syed e Bab, The forerunner.

You are not a Baha’i,
 if you don’t believe in Baha’u’llah and His writings and commands.

You are not a Baha’i,
 if you don’t believe in Abdu’l Baha and his “Will and Testament” and all his Writings and Commands. You are a “Covenant Breaker”.

You are not a Baha’i,
 if you don’t believe in the First Guardian of Baha’i Faith, Shoghi Effendi. You are a “Covenant Breaker”.

You are not a Baha’i,
 if you don’t believe in the Second Guardian of Baha’i Faith, Charls Mason Remey. You are a “Covenant Breaker”.

You are not a Baha’i,
 if you don’t believe in the Third Living Guardian of Baha’i Faith, Joel Bray Marangella. You are “Covenant Breaker”.

Attention:

He is not a Baha’i who believes in any SANS GUARDIAN Universal House of Justice.

Divine Administration of Baha’i Faith is based on Twin Pillars – (1) Guardian as a Head of Baha’i Faith and (2) Universal House of Justice.

Come on:

Let us investigate the Truth independently on this holy occasion of Ascension of Baha’u’llah.

Vinod Kumar,
Secretary,
National Teaching Committee
(Orthodox Baha’is of India),
Rohini-New Delhi.

Saturday, May 12, 2012

Guardianship – The Heart of the Bahá’í Faith


Every living organism has a heart. Upon the healthy action of which these organisms are dependent for their proper functioning, so does the Bahá’í Faith have a heart upon which its life depends and this heart is the Guardianship of the Faith. But the Hands of the Faith in their dilemma at the death of our beloved Guardian (Shoghi Effendi) were so confused and upset that they thought the Cause must get along without any more Guardianship -   thus setting up a substitute for this Guardianship in their present-intending leadership of the nine Hands of the Faith in the Holy Land, for which body there is no authority whatsoever in the administrative plan of Bahá’í government as given us in the “Will and Testament” of the Master, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá.


Hands of Faith destroyed the 36 years labor of Shoghi Effendi 


The beloved Guardian labored for thirty-six years to establish the Administration. The Guardianship is the heart of the Cause and now, in less than two years after his death, the Hands of the Faith are doing what they can to destroy any hopes that believers may entertain of our ever having another Guardian. Until this present time this destruction seems to be having results that please the Hands of the Holy Land, all but with the exception of myself. The Hands are constantly calling my attention to the success of their program. 
Those who in their hearts oppose the Guardianship will in the end fall short…? 


Let each one of us face and see his own problem, a problem that rests between himself and God, whether or not he or she wants a Guardian or not, for if the Hands of the Faith unitedly want a Guardian, they will have no difficulty, but if they, in their hearts don’t want the Guardianship, God help the Cause and God help them too. We know that in the end, the Cause will prevail. The Administration of the Cause cannot live without its heart that is the Guardianship, therefore those who in their hearts oppose the Guardianship will in the end fall short of that to which they were called to perform.


Charles Mason Remey,
Second Guardian of Baha’i Faith

Friday, November 12, 2010

12th November, Birth Anniversary of Baha'u'llah

Celebrating the Birth Anniversary of Baha'u'llah let us think upon collectively on the continuity of the guardianship, walking on the path of the Covenant.
As our living guardian says:
"The distinguishing characterstic of the Revelation of Baha'u'llah is a Covenant which Baha'u'llah made with His followers to preserve and safe-guard the Faith, following His Ascension, from the divisive and baleful effect of varying interpretations which, have plagued the religions of the past and destroyed the unity of their followers. This Covenant embodied in a specific written Testament designated by Him as the Book of His Covenant (Kitab-i-'Ahd) has no parallel in the Scriptures of any previous Dispensation. In this unique Document, Baha'u'llah conferred the mantle of authority upon His Ascension on the shoulders of His son, 'Abdu'l-Baha, Whome He designated as the Center of His Covenant and "The Most Great Branch" Further in the Most Holy Book of His Revelation (Kitab-i-Aqdas) He proclaimed:"When the ocean of My presence hath ebbed and the Book of My Revelation is ended, turn your Faces towards Him Whom God hath purposed, Who hath branched from this Ancient Root."
Lest there be any misunderstanding as to the intent of the above quoted passage, Baha'u'llah clarified it in the Book of His Covenant (Kitab-i-'Ahd) in these Words:
"The object of this sacred verse is none other except the most Mighty Branch ('Abdu'l-Baha)."

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

The Birth of the Báb


Every religion has a herald, or forerunner, to prepare people for the coming of  that great Spiritual Counselor who is periodically sent by God to humankind to foster our spiritual development – that One whose divinely appointed mission it is to remind people to re-focus on what really matters, the eternal human spirit rather than the physical world, and to be helpful, kind, and loving to one another, rather than brutish, selfish and hateful, and to act with regard to one another responsibly and with justice in all aspects of life.
The Báb is that Herald for Bahá’ís – for those who recognize Baha’u'llah as the Creator’s guiding Voice and Spirit for this age. Today the 20th October, is the anniversary of the Báb’s birth, according to the Gregorian calendar, the date on which He was born in 1819 in the city of Shiráz, Iran.

The National Baha'i Council of Orthodox Baha'is of India, National Teaching Committee and Local Council of Thane and Mumbai extend the hearties greetings to all the Baha'is of the world.
On this special occasion we pray for the long life of beloved living guardian of the Baha'i Faith Joel Bray Marangella.

Thursday, July 8, 2010

Martyrdom of the Bab

July 9th is a Bahá'í Holy Day, commemorated at noon as the anniversary of the martyrdom of The Báb. Siyyid 'Alí-Muhammad, Forerunner of Bah u llah, a merchant of Shíráz, declared himself to be The Báb, meaning Gate of God, the Promised One of Islam, on May 23, 1844.

The Báb, having told His secretary a few days before that He was looking forward to the bounty of martyrdom. One of his converts had literally thrown himself at his Master’s feet in the streets of Tabríz and begged not to be parted from Him, so the guards obligingly arrested him, too.

Early in the morning of July 9th, The Báb was engaged in a confidential conversation with His secretary when the prison official in charge of the execution interrupted. The Báb rebuked him, saying, "Not until I have said to him all those things that I wish to say, can any earthly power silence Me. Though all the world be armed against Me, yet shall they be powerless to deter Me from fulfilling, to the last word, My intention."
Báb's declaration on 23rd May 1844

Báb announced that He was the Bearer of a long- promised Divine Revelation destined to transform the spiritual life of the human race. "O peoples of the earth," the Báb declared, "Give ear unto God's holy Voice...Verily the resplendent Light of God hath appeared in your midst, invested with this unerring Book, that ye may be guided aright to the ways of peace...",

Love and Compassion

The Báb's declaration that spiritual renewal and social advancement rested on "love and compassion" rather "than force and coercion," aroused hope and excitement among all classes, and He quickly attracted thousands of followers.

The central theme of His major work the “Bayan” was the imminent appearance of a second Messenger from God, one Who would be far greater than the Báb, and Whose mission would be to usher in the age of peace and justice promised in Islam, Judaism, Christianity, and all the other world religions.

Bahá'u'lláh paid tribute to the Báb

"Behold what steadfastness that Beauty of God hath revealed. The whole world rose to hinder Him, yet it utterly failed. The more severe the persecution they inflicted on that Sadrih [Branch] of Blessedness, the more His fervour increased, and the brighter burned the flame of His love. All this is evident, and none disputeth its truth. Finally, He surrendered His soul, and winged His flight unto the realms above."
The Sacred Head of the Baha’i Faith?

The Bab is the forerunner of Baha u llah
Baha u llah.
Abdu’l Baha.
Shoghi Effendi, the First Guardian of Baha’i Faith.
Mason Remey, the Second Guardian of Baha’i Faith.
Joel Marangell, the Third Guardian of Baha’i Faith.

Joel Marangella is the LIVING GUARDIAN OF BAHA'I FAITH. We the Indian Orthodox Baha'i will commemorate on 9th July 2010 in Vasai Road, New Delhi and Lucknow in morning between 10 to 12.

Friday, August 21, 2009

THE ILLEGITIMACY AND FRAUD OF THE BOGUS UHJ IS EXPOSED THROUGH ALI NAKHJAVANI'S BLATANT PERVERSION OF THE TRUTH. (Part Five)

Nakhjavani has written:
“In his personal conversations with pilgrims Shoghi Effendi was reported to have repeatedly said that his ‘Dispensation’ was like his Will and Testament. The closest statement made by him in writing, however, hinting at such a conclusion, is a letter, written on his behalf, dated 10 January 1935 to Dr. Mühlschlegel, in which he states that his ‘Dispensation’ constitutes “an invaluable supplement” to the Will and Testament of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, as well as to the Book of the Covenant, which is Bahá’u’lláh's Will and Testament. (LDG Vol. 1, 65)”

Comment:
The Hand of Cause of God Nosratullah Bahremand replies to the cunningly and diabolically attempts of Mr. Ali Nakhjavani to mislead the believers:
It is true that Shoghi Effendi considered “The Dispensation of Baha’u’llah” as his spiritual Testament, as recorded in the jointly authored and renown Haifa Notes of May Maxwell and her daughter, Mary Maxwell (later his wife, Ruhiyyih Khanum) but it is noticeable that Nakhjavani cunningly and diabolically attempts to mislead the new believer, who undoubtedly is unfamiliar with this publication, and unmindful of the fact that the term Dispensation may only be correctly applied to the Dispensation of the Manifestation, when reference is made to “His Dispensation. ” He has done this with the obvious intention of creating an erroneous belief in the mind of the reader that the ministry of Shoghi Effendi should be considered as a “Dispensation” during which he faithfully exercised the function of Guardianship according to the terms of the Will and Testament of ‘Abdu’l-Baha and therefore ended with his passing, instead of a reference to Shoghi Effendi’s letter in which he has so strongly emphasized the absolute essentiality of, and the imperative need for the enduring continuance of the Guardianship as a permanent and irreplaceable Institution, in the World Order of Baha’u’llah. Nakhjavani would certainly not want the believers to be familiar with Shoghi Effendi’s letter of 10 January 1935 addressed to Dr.Mühlschlegel in Germany for in this letter he has written:

Sunday, September 7, 2008

“The Center of the Cause”

Series of Questions continued from the posting of August 5, 2008
Q.3.
How, or on what basis, did he become Guardian of the Faith?

Ans:
A very pertinent question to which there is a clear and unambiguous answer. His accession to the Guardianship was on the basis of his appointment in 1951 by his predecessor in Office, the second Guardian of the Faith, who had been appointed himself by the first Guardian of the Faith, Shoghi Effendi, the Grandson of Abdu’l-Baha, the Son of the Founder of the Baha’i Faith, Baha’u’llah, Who had been named by Him the Center of His Covenant with the believers. Abdu’l-Baha delineated the Institutions of the Baha’i Administrative Order in His Will and Testament in which the Guardianship is designated as “The Center of the Cause” and an Institution that is occupied without interruption by a succession of Guardians, each appointed by his predecessor in that Office throughout the duration of the Dispensation of Baha’u’llah, promised by Him to endure at least a full thousand years.

Q.4.
You maintain therefore that Joel Marangella became the third Guardian of the Faith strictly on the basis of the provisions of the “Will and Testament of ‘Abdu’l-Baha?

Ans:
Yes. But, although none of the Baha’is deny the authenticity of the Will and Testament of Abdu’l Baha and recognize it as Baha’i Holy Writ and a Document, in accordance with whose terms, Shoghi Effendi became the first Guardian of the Baha’i Faith, those Baha’is, under the leadership of the Haifa organization, have not recognized the fact that Shoghi Effendi, faithfully provided for the continuation of the Guardianship, in accordance with these same terms, in appointing as his successor, Mason Remey, a highly distinguished Hand of the Cause, who then, in turn, dutifully appointed as his successor, the present third Guardian of the Faith, Joel Marangella, also in accordance with these terms.