Wednesday, 28 June 2017

Infusing Soul into our Communities

"...strive that your actions day by day may be beautiful prayers. Turn towards God, and seek always to do that which is right and noble. Enrich the poor, raise the fallen, comfort the sorrowful, bring healing to the sick, reassure the fearful, rescue the oppressed, bring hope to the hopeless, shelter the destitute!" 
- ‘Abdu’l-Bahá




“The community which has neither poverty nor riches will always have the noblest principles.”
-Plato
 


“An act to make another happy, inspires the other to make still another happy, and so happiness is aroused and abounds. Thousands of candles can be lighted from a single candle, and the life of the single candle will not be shortened. Happiness never decreases by being shared. Those who seek Enlightenment must be careful of each of their steps. No matter how high one’s aspiration may be, it must be attained step by step. The steps of the path to Enlightenment must be taken in our everyday life.”

-Buddha



“A person with ubuntu is open and available to others, affirming of others, does not feel threatened that others are able and good, for he or she has a proper self-assurance that comes from knowing that he or she belongs in a greater whole and is diminished when others are humiliated or diminished, when others are tortured or oppressed.” 

  Desmond Tutu



“And if thine eyes be turned towards justice, choose thou for thy neighbor that which thou choosest for thyself.”
-Baha’u’llah



“Communication leads to community, that is, to understanding, intimacy and mutual valuing.”
-Rollo May



“The purpose of life is not to be happy. It is to be useful, to be honorable, to be compassionate, to have it make some difference that you have lived and lived well.” 

  Ralph Waldo Emerson



“We can do no great things - only small things with great love.”
-Mother Teresa



“It's the action, not the fruit of the action, that's important. You have to do the right thing. It may not be in your power, may not be in your time, that there'll be any fruit. But that doesn't mean you stop doing the right thing. You may never know what results come from your action. But if you do nothing, there will be no result.” 

 -Gandhi

“A healthy social life is found only, when in the mirror of each soul the whole community finds its reflection, and when in the whole community the virtue of each one is living.”
-Rudolf Steiner



“Be ye a refuge to the fearful; bring ye rest and peace to the disturbed; make ye a provision for the destitute; be a treasury of riches for the poor; be a healing medicine for those who suffer pain; be ye doctor and nurse to the ailing; promote ye friendship, and honour, and conciliation, and devotion to God, in this world of non-existence.”
-Abdu’l-Baha

“In a gentle way, you can shake the world.” 



“I've learned that you shouldn't go through life with a catcher's mitt on both hands; you need to be able to throw something back.”
-Maya Angelou



“I desire that your hearts may be directed to the Kingdom of God, that your intentions may be pure and sincere, your purposes turned toward altruistic accomplishment unmindful of your own welfare; nay, rather, may all your intentions center in the welfare of humanity, and may you seek to sacrifice yourselves in the pathway of devotion to mankind.”
 Abdu’l-Baha


“No work is insignificant. All labor that uplifts humanity has dignity and importance and should be undertaken with painstaking excellence.” 
-Martin Luther King Jr.



“The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.”
-Gandhi


“How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity!”
Psalm 133:1 



-Buddha


“One should never do that to another which one regards as injurious to one’s own self.”
– Hinduism



“You give but little when you give of your possessions. It is when you give of yourself that you truly give.”
-Gibran



“All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of their possessions was their own, but they shared everything they had.”
-Acts 4:32



"When we have inner peace, we can be at peace with those around us. When our community is in a state of peace, it can share that peace with neighboring communities." 
-The Dalai Lama


"With all my heart I believe that the world's present system of sovereign nations can only lead to barbarism, war and inhumanity, and that only world law can assure progress towards a civilized peaceful community." 
-Albert Einstein



“A generous heart, kind speech, and a life of service and compassion are the things that renew humanity.”
-The Buddha




“We are not our brother’s keeper we are our brother and we are our sister. We must look past complexion and see community.
-Maya Angelou




“O God! Make this assemblage radiant. Make the hearts merciful. Confer the bounties of the Holy Spirit. Endow them with a power from heaven. Bless them with heavenly minds. Increase their sincerity, so that with all humility and contrition they may turn to Thy kingdom and be occupied with service to the world of humanity. May each one become a radiant candle. May each one become a brilliant star. May each one become beautiful in color and redolent of fragrance in the Kingdom of God.”
-Abdul-Baha




“Hurt not others in ways that you yourself would find hurtful.- Buddhism 



And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise.”
–Luke


“As you would have people do to you, do to them; and what you dislike to be done to you, don’t do to them. “
– Islam


“And if thine eyes be turned towards justice, choose thou for thy neighbor that which thou choosest for thyself.”
 Baha’u’llah


“Be thou loving to every afflicted one, a dispeller of sorrows to every grieved one, a refuge to every fearful one, a heavenly food to every destitute one, a balm to every wounded one, a consolation to dejected hearts, a blessing to unfortunate souls, a treasure to every begging one and a succor to every lamenting  one – so that thou mayest be a banner of guidance and the essence of piety among the maid-servants of thy Supreme Lord.”
-Abdu’l-Baha




“Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited.”
-Romans 12:16



“Before giving, the mind of the giver is happy; while giving, the mind of the giver is made peaceful; and having given, the mind of the giver is uplifted.”
-Buddha




“We have appointed a law and a practice for every one of you. Had God willed, He would have made you a single community, but He wanted to test you regarding what has come to you. So compete with each other in doing good. Every one of you will return to God and He will inform you regarding the things about which you differed.”
-Islam




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