2011
Paris Talks Revisited: The Relation Between Man and God
What is the relation between man and God? I find this to be a ‘big’ question because, as ‘Abdu’l-Bahá explains, God is the Infinite, the Unknowable: Things which are understood by men cannot be outside their capacity for understanding, so […]
Paris Talks Revisited: Beauty and Harmony in Diversity
I wonder how ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s talk on the 28th of October 1911 stood in contrast with the widespread and generally accepted nationalistic and racist ideas of the time. While we have made progress since then in letting go such ideas, the ways […]
Paris Talks Revisited: The Two Natures in Man
As humans, we are, or should be, well-accustomed to the two sides of a coin. Objective and subjective; literal and figurative; justice and mercy – these are a few examples of dual processes that surround our lives. This is not […]
Paris Talks: The Perfect Human Sentiments and Virtues
The Heavenly Father gave the priceless gift of intelligence to man so that he might become a spiritual light, piercing the darkness of materiality, and bringing goodness and truth into the world. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá made this striking remark in a talk […]
2011
Paris Talks: Pain and Sorrow
“Take thou the step of the spirit,” Bahá’u’lláh wrote in 1861, “so that, swift as the twinkling of an eye, thou mayest flash through the wilds of remoteness and bereavement …” (The Book of Certitude, p.43). Fifty years later, on […]
2011
Paris Talks: Working for the Betterment of the World
This talk by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, given on November 19, 1911, emphasizes and further defines the purpose of a Bahá’í, and provides a general recipe for the time designated and known by Bahá’ís as the Most Great Peace. He lays out an […]
Paris Talks: Spiritual Aspiration in the West
In the West, we aspire for many things. A young child aspires to grow up to be an astronaut, doctor, lawyer, or a professional athlete. A mother aspires to raise her children to be strong contributing members of society. A […]
The Language of the Master
It goes without saying that the Master communicated the principles of the Bahá’í Faith through His actions whilst in the West: generosity, for example, was articulated when coins were placed in the hands of destitute men at the Bowery Mission […]
2011
‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s Example of Forgiveness
An excerpt from Vignettes from the Life of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá p 51-52: In 1911 the Master spent a few quiet days in the French Alps, presumably to rest, before continuing to London. Here took place a remarkable encounter which illustrates the […]