Friendship

“Your friend is your needs answered. He is your field which you sow with love and reap with thanksgiving. And he is your board and your fireside. For you come to him with your hunger, and you seek him for peace.

When your friend speaks his mind you fear not the "nay" in your own mind, nor do you withhold the "ay." And when he is silent your heart ceases not to listen to his heart; For without words, in friendship, all thoughts, all desires, all expectations are born and shared, with joy that is unacclaimed. When you part from your friend, you grieve not; For that which you love most in him may be clearer in his absence, as the mountain to the climber is clearer from the plain. And let there be no purpose in friendship save the deepening of the spirit. For love that seeks aught but the disclosure of its own mystery is not love but a net cast forth: and only the unprofitable is caught.

And let your best be for your friend. If he must know the ebb of your tide, let him know its flood also. For what is your friend that you should seek him with hours to kill? Seek him always with hours to live. For it is his to fill your need, but not your emptiness. And in the sweetness of friendship let there be laughter, and sharing of pleasures. For in the dew of little things the heart finds its morning and is refreshed.” ― Kahlil Gibran, The Prophet 

“When you meet those whose opinions differ from your own, do not turn away your face from them. All are seeking truth, and there are many roads leading thereto. Truth has many aspects, but it remains always and forever one. Do not allow difference of opinion, or diversity of thought to separate you from your fellow-men, or to be the cause of dispute, hatred and strife in your hearts. Rather, search diligently for the truth and make all men your friends.” -‘Abdu’l-Bahá

“Wishing to be friends is quick work, but friendship is a slow ripening fruit.” - Aristotle

“A faithful friend is the medicine of life.” – the Bible

“Do not be content with showing friendship in words alone, let your heart burn with loving kindness for all who may cross your path.” ‘Abdu’l-Bahá

“Don’t walk in front of me.. I may not follow. Don’t walk behind me.. I may not lead. Walk beside me.. And be my friend.” - Albert Camus “People say true friends must always hold hands, but true friends don’t need to hold hands because they know the other hand will always be there.” - Mahatma Gandhi

“True friends are even as skilled physicians, and the Teachings of God are as healing balm, a medicine for the conscience of man. They clear the head, so that a man can breathe them in and delight in their sweet fragrance. They waken those who sleep. They bring awareness to the unheeding, and a portion to the outcast, and to the hopeless, hope.” ‘Abdu’l-Bahá

“With every true friendship, we build more firmly the foundations on which the peace of the whole world rests.” -Mahatma Gandhi

“To keep a friend, you must be a friend. To be a friend, you must be open-hearted, understanding, and forgiving.” - the Buddha

“One must see in every human being only that which is worthy of praise. When this is done, one can be a friend to the whole human race. If, however, we look at people from the standpoint of their faults, then being a friend to them is a formidable task.” - ‘Abdu’l-Bahá “An insincere and evil friend is more to be feard than a wild beast; a wild beast may wound your body, but an evil friend will wound your mind” – the Buddha

“Cleanse ye your eyes, so that ye behold no man as different from yourselves. See ye no strangers; rather see all men as friends, for love and unity come hard when ye fix your gaze on otherness.” – Abdu’l-Baha

The Light of the Soul

How do you feel when you are out of alignment with your soul’s purpose?  What is the soul after all?  Does it actually exist? And if so, does it have a purpose? How often have you considered such questions?  

“Consider the sun which hath been obscured by the clouds. Observe how its splendor appeareth to have diminished, when in reality the source of that light hath remained unchanged. The soul of man should be likened unto this sun, and all things on earth should be regarded as his body. So long as no external impediment interveneth between them, the body will, in its entirety, continue to reflect the light of the soul, and to be sustained by its power. As soon as, however, a veil interposeth itself between them, the brightness of the light seemeth to lessen.... The soul of man is the sun by which his body is illumined, and from which it draweth its sustenance, and should be so regarded.”

- Baha’u’llah

“You don’t have a Soul. You are a Soul. You have a body.
”

- C.S. Lewis

“When you do things from your soul, you feel a river moving in you, a joy.”

—Rumi 

“Your purpose in life is to find your purpose and give your whole heart and soul to it” 

– the Buddha

“The Supreme Soul (who is one), resides within all his creations (as many). Herein lies the true source of morality; the unifying principle that connects us all; that we are all children of one Supreme God, and by hurting another, we are in reality hurting not only God but ourselves.
” 

- Upanishad.

“It is the nature of the ego to take, and the nature of the spirit to share.”

-Proverb

“The rays of the sun must shine upon the earth, and the solar heat develop the earthly beings; if the rays and heat of the sun did not shine upon the earth, the earth would be uninhabited, without meaning; and its development would be retarded. In the same way, if the perfections of the spirit did not appear in this world, this world would be unenlightened and absolutely brutal. By the appearance of the spirit in the physical form, this world is enlightened. As the spirit of man is the cause of the life of the body, so the world is in the condition of the body, and man is in the condition of the spirit.”

– Abdul’baha 

“For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul?” 

– Book of Matthew

“Because the Soul is not made of matter, since it is spiritual, it cannot obey the laws of matter, it cannot be judged by the laws of matter.”

-
Swami Vivekananda

“Prayer is not asking. It is a longing of the soul. It is daily admission of one's weakness. It is better in prayer to have a heart without words than words without a heart.”

- Mahatma Gandhi

“The soul is not a combination of elements, it is not composed of many atoms, it is of one indivisible substance and therefore eternal. It is entirely out of the order of the physical creation; it is immortal!” -– Abdul’baha 

“In the attitude of silence the soul finds the path in a clearer light, and what is elusive and deceptive resolves itself into crystal clearness.”

-Gandhi

“Spirituality means respecting and honoring the spirit or life force within us.”

- Narasimhan

“Realize your true nature. That is all there is to do. Know yourself as you are — infinite Spirit. That is practical religion. Everything else is impractical, for everything else will perish.”

-Swami Vivekananda.

“May your faces, being steadfastly set towards the Divine Light, become so luminous that all your thoughts, words and actions will shine with the Spiritual Radiance dominating your souls, so that in the gatherings of the world you will show perfection in your life.”

– Abdul’baha 

“Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and right doing, there is a field. I'll meet you there.

When the soul lies down in that grass, the world is too full to talk about.

Ideas, language, even the phrase each other doesn't make any sense.”

- Rumi

“The word Atman (Soul) means the “breath of life”. Atman is the principle of man’s life, the Soul that pervades his being, his breath, his intellect and transcends them. Atman is what remains when everything that is not the self is eliminated. It is the unborn and immortal element in man, which is not to be confused with body, mind or intellect.”

- Radhakrishnan

“What the material world values does not shine the same in the truth of the soul. You have been interested in your shadow.”

– Rumi 

“All spiritual progress is the growth of half-knowledge into clear illumination. In our inspired moments we have the feeling that there is a greater reality within us, though we cannot tell what it is.
”

- Radhakrishnan

“Let your ambition be the achievement on earth of a Heavenly civilization! I ask for you the supreme blessing, that you may be so filled with the vitality of the Heavenly Spirit that you may be the cause of life to the world.”

– Abdul’baha

“We are not a body, but a Soul. Our Soul is a spark of the Divine (God). Just as a wave is distinct from the ocean only in name and form, so too are we joined with the Infinite Divine. Our separation is merely an illusion; we falsely identify our True Self with the body. We fear death and remain miserable.”

-Unknown

“Happiness lies in understanding that we are not a mortal body, but an immortal soul – that is never born, which never dies. Therefore, do not confine your identity to the boundaries defined by the body, let your spirit soar into the infinite beyond, in union with the Creator.”

-Unknown 

“Soul receives from soul that knowledge, therefore not by book nor from tongue. If knowledge of mysteries come after emptiness of mind, that is illumination of heart.”

- Rumi

“Say not, "I have found the path of the soul." Say rather, "I have found the soul walking upon my path." For the soul walks upon all paths. The soul walks not upon a line, neither does it grow like a reed. The soul unfolds itself, like a lotus of countless petals.” 

-Gibran

“Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? “ 

- Corinthians

“When a soul has in it the life of the spirit, then does it bring forth good fruit and become a Divine tree.”

– Abdul’baha

“The dream is the small hidden door in the deepest and most intimate sanctum of the soul, which opens to that primeval cosmic night that was soul long before there was conscious ego and will be soul far beyond what a conscious ego could ever reach. “

– Carl Jung

"Dost thou reckon thyself only a puny form when within thee the universe is folded?"

- Baha’u’llah

Transformation: Self & Society

Let's reflect on Spirituality and Social Change: 

How change in society and change in us are inextricably connected. 

Is there a ripple effect? 

Spirituality & the Arts

 Could the arts be a creative way to communicate with the sacred? Paintings, poetry, symbols, dances & chants often invite us to a special encounter -one that brings us into a deeper connection with the Divine.

Arts, crafts and sciences uplift the world of being and are conducive to its exaltation.” – Baha’u’llah

“It is natural for the heart and spirit to take pleasure and enjoyment in all things that show forth symmetry, harmony, and perfection. For instance: a beautiful house, a well-designed garden, a symmetrical line, a graceful motion, a well written book, pleasing garments - in fact, all things that have in themselves grace or beauty are pleasing to the heart and spirit - therefore, it is most certain that a true voice causes deep pleasure.” -‘Abdu’l-Bahá

"All Art is a gift of the Holy Spirit. When this light shines through the mind of a musician, it manifests itself in beautiful harmonies. Again, shining through the mind of a poet, it is seen in fine poetry and poetic prose. When the Light of the Sun of Truth inspires the mind of a painter, he produces marvelous pictures. These gifts are fulfilling their highest purpose, when showing forth the praise of God." -‘Abdu’l-Bahá

"I rejoice to hear that thou takest pains with thine art, for in this wonderful new age, art is worship. The more thou strivest to perfect it, the closer wilt thou come to God. What bestowal could be greater than this, that one’s art should be even as the act of worshipping the Lord? That is to say, when thy fingers grasp the paint brush, it is as if thou wert at prayer in the Temple." -‘Abdu’l-Bahá

Vision for Humanity

In light of the current state of the world, how do you imagine a better future for your children and grandchildren? Perhaps a world where we organize ourselves beyond boundaries of nationalism seeing each other as a global family? A world where we engage in higher levels of compassion? A world where companies contribute positively to the wellbeing of all? A world where individuals measure riches by attributes rather than stuff? A world where individual rights are balanced with collective responsibilities? A world where religion is a sacred space for the heart and not exclusive to a race, creed or place of worship?  etc. What’s YOUR vision for the future of humanity and what role can we each play in it? 

Awakening the Creative Spirit

Creativity is a powerful force that is greater than us.  It moves through us and takes us beyond our own limits.  It requires us to slow down, to create space for stillness and to listen. Whether we’re painting, writing a poem, creating music or finding solutions to everyday challenges, we have to surrender to a life force that exists in all of us.  Awakening the creative spirit is one of the most powerful ways to connect with the divine.

Every conversation can evoke the spiritual if it’s informed by a sense of compassion, curiosity, imagination, humility, and wonder. In healthy conflict we find ways to work with others even if they hold opposing views or paradigms.  Conversations, however, that do not evoke the spirit or give rise to compassion and cooperation tend to be adversarial in nature, operating from an ‘us vs them’ modality. 

“In this Cause consultation is of vital importance, but spiritual conference and not the mere voicing of personal views is intended. ... consultation must have for its object the investigation of truth. He who expresses an opinion should not voice it as correct and right but set it forth as a contribution to the consensus of opinion, for the light of reality becomes apparent when two opinions coincide.”
 Abdu’l-Baha

“A spark is produced when flint and steel come together. Man should weigh his opinions with the utmost serenity, calmness and composure. Before expressing his own views he should carefully consider the views already advanced by others. If he finds that a previously expressed opinion is more true and worthy, he should accept it immediately and not willfully hold to an opinion of his own. By this excellent method he endeavors to arrive at unity and truth.”
 Abdu’l-Baha

“The shining spark of truth cometh forth only after the clash of differing opinions.”

-Abdu’l-Baha

“The members who are consulting should behave in the utmost love, harmony and sincerity towards each other.” 
-Abdu’l-Baha

“The prime requisites for them that take counsel together are purity of motive, radiance of spirit, detachment from all else save God, attraction to His Divine Fragrances, humility and lowliness amongst His loved ones, patience and long-suffering in difficulties and servitude to His exalted Threshold.”
-Abdu’l-Baha

“The members thereof must take counsel together in such wise that no occasion for ill-feeling or discord may arise. This can be attained when every member expresseth with absolute freedom his own opinion and setteth forth his argument. Should any one oppose, he must on no account feel hurt for not until matters are fully discussed can the right way be revealed.”
-Abdu’l-Baha

“They must in every matter search out the truth and not insist upon their own opinion, for stubbornness and persistence in one’s views will lead ultimately to discord and wrangling and the truth will remain hidden.”
-Abdu’l-Baha

“If they agree upon a subject, even though it be wrong, it is better than to disagree and be in the right, for this difference will produce the demolition of the divine foundation.
Though one of the parties may be in the right and they disagree that will be the cause of a thousand wrongs, but if they agree and both parties are in the wrong, as it is in unity the truth will be revealed and the wrong made right.”
-Abdu’l-Baha

“It is again not permitted that any one of the honored members object to or censure, whether in or out of the meeting, any decision arrived at previously though that decision be not right, for such criticism would prevent any decision from being enforced.”
-Abdu’l-Baha