“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.
Soul Café Victoria
Monday 30 September 2024
Friendship
Monday 3 June 2024
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?
Sunday 28 January 2024
Transformation: Self & Society
How change in society and change in us are inextricably connected.
Is there a ripple effect?
Tuesday 17 October 2023
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
Sunday 12 June 2022
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?
Monday 28 June 2021
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.
Monday 31 May 2021
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