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")

The Scattered Beads

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.

The Twin Pillars of Baha'i Faith

Center of the Covenant

November 28: Anniversary of the Ascension of 'Abdu'l-Bahá

Obey “The Summons of the Lord of Hosts”

From the Desk of the Living Guardian:

It was brought to my attention that the illegitimate organization which is headquartered in Haifa and which undeservedly calls itself “the Universal House of Justice”, recently has organized a Web-page and claims that it is the “Official website of the Bahá’í Faith”! 

They should have honestly clarified that they meant a version of the Baha’i Faith modified and manipulated by Ruhiyyih Khanum and those former Hands of the Cause who followed her; a faith which repudiates the “Center of the Cause” and does not adhere to the sacred provisions of the Will and Testament of Abdu’l-Baha, a faith that is based on imitation, herd instinct and mind control, and by scare and hate-mongering rhetoric; a version of faith which is compatible with the ill wishes of “The Center of Sedition, the Prime Mover of mischief, Mirza Muhammad Alí,”, by “interpolating and falsifying the words and verses of the Sacred Text,” and consequently they “inflicted a grievous loss upon the true Faith of God,” by ignoring writings of the first Guardian of the Cause of God, especially his Proclamation of 9 January 1951 the only Proclamation during his own life; and opposing the descendant Guardians of the Cause of God. <>

Mason Remey from Those Who Were There

Accepting Mason Remey's Proclamation, long-time Baha'is Frank and Carole Schlatter, James and Marilyn Meyer, and Stephen Rhodes talk about their acceptance of Mason Remey as the second Guardian, and how they knew him in 1960 and can attest from their own knowledge that he was neither senile or self-centered as the Hands had accused him.

Martyrdom of the Báb

Orthodox Baha’i Community of India Commemorate the Martyrdom of the Báb

On May 23, 1844, a young man, surnamed the Báb (the Gate), proclaimed the advent of a new Era and announced that He was the "Forerunner" of the Promised One, the One Who had been the "sole Object of all previous Revelations."

In spite of the overwhelming forces of opposition within His native land, the Báb succeeded during His six year ministry in winning to His Cause the adherence of several thousand believers, including some of the ranking divines and scholars of Persia. His turbulent ministry ended with His martyrdom at the hands of a military firing squad in the public square of Tabríz in 1850.

-(Joel B. Marangella,The Third Guardian of Bahai Faith)-

On 9^th July 1850 at Noon Bab martyred. Although the widespread persecution and martyrdom of His followers had reduced their ranks to a remnant, the spiritual flame which the Báb had ignited in Persia could not be extinguished. This flame was destined to burn with renewed intensity with the appearance of the One foretold and heralded by the Báb.

The remains of the Báb, secretly kept in a plain wooden box and hidden in various places over many decades, in 1909 were finally laid to rest by 'Abdu'l-Bahá in a beautiful shrine on the slopes of Mt. Carmel.

The National Baha’i Council of India has announced a central program to commemorate the martyrdom of Bab on Monday 8^th July 2013 at Vasai Road.

A. Parikh, Secretary NBC of India.

God's Glorious Bounty Prevails in this Troubled World

Divine Springtime of Thy tender mercies

Glory to Thee, O my God! The first stirrings of the spring of Thy grace have appeared and clothed Thine earth with verdure. The clouds of the heaven of Thy bounty have rained their rain on this City within whose walls is imprisoned Him Whose desire is the salvation of Thy creatures. Through it the soil of this City hath been decked forth, and its trees clothed with foliage, and its inhabitants gladdened.

The hearts of Thy dear ones, however, will rejoice only at the Divine Springtime of Thy tender mercies, whereby the hearts are quickened, and the souls are renewed, and the trees of human existence bear their fruits.

The plants that have sprung forth, O my Lord, in the hearts of Thy loved ones have withered away. Send down upon them, from the clouds of Thy spirit, that which will cause the tender herbs of Thy knowledge and wisdom to grow within their breasts. Rejoice, then, their hearts with the proclamation of Thy Cause and the exaltation of Thy sovereignty.

Their eyes, O my Lord, are expectantly turned in the direction of Thy bounty, and their faces are set towards the horizon of Thy grace. Suffer them not, through Thy bounty, to be deprived of Thy grace. Potent art Thou, by Thy sovereign might, over all things. No God is there but Thee, the Almighty, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting.

Bahá’u’lláh

(Posted by our guest Hand of Cause of God Mr. David Maxwell on 2nd June 2013)

Behold the Evidences of His Power and Paramount Influence

"Consider at all times the sovereignty exercised by the Ideal King, and behold the evidences of His power and paramount influence.
Sanctify your ears from the idle talk of them that are the symbols of denial and the exponents of violence and anger. The hour is approaching when ye will witness the power of the one true God triumphing over all created things and the signs of His sovereignty encompassing all creation. On that day ye will discover how all else besides Him will have been forgotten and come to be regarded as utter nothingness.

It should, however, be borne in mind that God and His Manifestation can, under no circumstances, be dissociated from the loftiness and sublimity which They inherently possess. Nay, loftiness and sublimity
are themselves the creations of His Word, if ye choose to see with My sight not with yours.

(-- Bahá'u'lláh, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, p. 72 - 73)

To Live............The Life

"To be no cause of grief to anyone.

To be kind to all people and to love them with a pure spirit.

Should opposition or injury happen to us, to bear it, to be as kind as ever can be, and through all, to love the people.   Should calamity exist in the greatest degree, to rejoice, for these things are the gifts and favors of God.

To be silent concerning the faults of others, to pray for them, and to help them, through kindness, to correct their faults.

To look always at the good and not at the bad.  If a man has ten good qualities and one bad one, look at the ten and forget the one. And if a man has ten bad qualities and one good one, to look at the one and forget the ten.

Never to allow ourselves to speak one unkind word about another, even though that other be our enemy.

To do all of our deeds in kindness.

To cut our hearts from ourselves and from the world.

To be humble.

To be servants of each other, and to know that we are less than anyone else.

To be as one soul in many bodies, for the more we love each other, the nearer we shall be to God; but to know that our love, our unity, our obedience must not be by confession, but of reality.

To act with cautiousness and wisdom.

To be truthful.

To be hospitable.

To be reverent.

To be the cause of healing for every sick one,
          a comforter for every sorrowful one,
          a pleasant water for every thirsty one.
          a heavenly table for every hungry one,
          a star to every horizon,
          a light for every lamp,
          a herald to everyone who yearns for the kingdom of God"

Abdu'l-Baha

International Conference of the Orthodox Baha'is

An international conference of the Orthodox Bahais of the world held at Albuquerque, New Mexico on 9th and 10th June 2012.
Conference opened with the reciting of several prayers by the friends including the Healing Prayer for all of those who are currently facing health problems.
The friends were delighted to welcome Hand of the Cause, Nosrat’u’llah Bahremand, from Australia, to share their conference experience. He is the Vice President of the Third International Baha’i Council and the appointed successor of the Third Guardian.

Deepening
This conference was a very successful gathering with the view point of devotionals and deepening. The following subjects discussed by the friends present in the conference:
The Necessity for a Mediator.
Prayer Indispensable and Obligatory.
Prayer the Language of Love.
Love, Jewels from the Words of Abdu’l-Baha.
Why do bad things happen to good people?
Prayer and Natural Law.
The Seven Mouths of God.
Seven major faiths Hinduism, Judaism, Buddhism, Zoroastrianism, Christianity, Islam and Bahai’ism must be united from around the world. 
The History of the Tablet of Ahmad. Who was Ahmad?  What was happening historically when this tablet was revealed?
Khalil Gibran and the Baha’i Faith.
The Creative Power of the Word of God.

Administration & Future Vision
Publishing and Feast activities of Orthodox Baha’i’ Community of Roswell discussed. Same will continue to invite people to the Baha’i Topics. As the Feast is the bedrock of the community and the main purpose of feasts is consultation, will continue in Roswell and in Indian Community of Orthodox Baha’is.
As per the directives of Guardian, as far as possible new technologies will be utilized to deliver the message of guardianship. Video-conferencing, possibly using ‘Hang-out’ on Google+ and… will be encouraged everyone to use social networking sites, such as Google+, where you can distinguish groups of people through ‘circles. All friends are encouraged to develop a personal page or blog.
The topic Suggested for future conferences are:  Love, the Will and Testament of Baha’u’llah (Kitab-I-‘Ahd or the Book of the Covenant). Review of part I of the Seven Valleys, Tahirih, more from the New Era such as Science and Religion, a discussion of The Bible  Code. The Orthodox Baha’is of Colorado offered to host the summer 2013 conference in Colorado Springs.
The appointed successor of the Third Guardian, the Vice President of the Third International Baha’i Council the Hand of Cause of God Mr. Nosrat’u’llah Bahremand delivered a message of Third Guardian Joel Bray Marangella that: “the Guardian has asked us to create a presence on the internet.  He said everyone can have a blog, or get onto Facebook, Google+ or any social networking site.
Conference ended with the prayer by Mr. Nosrat’u’llah Bahremand.