Falta de libertad religiosa en Iran

(English below)

Hoy salió un artículo en el periódico español, El País, acerca de la falta de libertad religiosa en Iran. Habla especificamente de la discriminación de los Bahá'ís, tanto como de los cristianos protestantes y otros minoridades religiosas: "La libertad de religión no existe en Iran". Gracias a Marco O., amigo Bahá'í de Portugal, que me hizo el amable favor de compartir este enlace.

Today an article came out in the most widely circulated newspaper in Spain, El País, that addresses the lack of religious freedom in Iran. It speaks specifically about the discrimination of the Bahá'ís, as well as of Protestants and other religious minorities: "Freedom of religion doesn't exist in Iran" (it's in Spanish).Thanks to Marco O., Bahá'í friend from Portugal, who kindly sent me this link.

Here's a snippet:
"For the Islamic Republic, the Bahá'ís don't constitute a religious community but rather a political organization, often linking them to the regime of the Shah and accusing them of espionage, despite their local origins and also that they were discriminated against during the time of the Shah. Their 300,000-350,000 loyal followers, the largest non-Muslim religious minority, have difficulty obtaining identity documents (on which one has to record one's religion), which impedes them from finding work and getting married, an extreme that can lead to being condemned for adultery in a country that prohibits any extramarital sexual relations."

The Power of True Education

"Regard man as a mine rich in gems of inestimable value. Education can, alone, cause it to reveal its treasures and enable mankind to benefit therefrom." -Bahá'u'lláh, Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá'u'lláh, p. 260

This quote beautifully expresses the importance of education, that is, true education.
Questions for the reader: What is meant by true education? What are the aims of this kind of education? In what spirit should such education be conducted? (both by the teacher and the learner)

Peace of Soul

"O God! Make me ablaze, like unto the fire of Thy love, and make me free from attachment to this mortal world, until I find the peace of soul and the rest of conscience." 'Abdu'l-Bahá, Tablets of Abdul Baha Abbas, vol. 1, p. 196).

Awareness II

This weekend was one of cultivating greater awareness...

From being of service
From collecting data
From picking up trash
From looking with new eyes
From fixating on particular details
From a stiff neck
From screaming hamstrings
From centering in the body
From being part of a powerful community for change
From concentrating my thoughts on peace and unity
From being present in the moment
From energizing rays of divine sunlight, dancing through the shadows of trees
From honest communication
From looking deeply into another person's eyes
From unleashing the heart
From the power of touch
From saying prayers

This is just the beginning. Awareness begins in each moment.

Awareness I

This weekend was one of cultivating much greater awareness in many new dimensions.

Participating in a beach clean-up through Save Our Shores (part of an International Coastal Cleanup) opened my eyes to detail... caused me to look down with new sight... I became particularly conscious of the little pieces of trash that get torn off of bigger pieces of trash. Take the example of a juice box (like the kind your dad used to pack in your lunch for school): most people these days, at least in California, are good about throwing away the box and even the straw, but what about that little piece of plastic that encases the straw before you use it? We found tons of these wrappers and similarly sized pieces of plastic, which often get ingested by seabirds and can block their passageways and cause suffocation. I also gained a new level of appreciation for the fact that even little microscopic pieces of plastic can never biodegrade, which means that every time more plastic gets produced, that's more trash that will remain in the environment forever. I've also become much more keenly aware of noticing litter since Saturday morning... e.g., in passing by a triathlon on Sunday, I found myself picking up cups strewn about, noticing participants simply throwing their trash on the ground (and being aware of the lack of easily accessible receptacles for all that waste that was being produced through this event)... it's important to not to let go of awareness, even though it can be so easy to slip back into our past habits of blindness. My coworker and I are planning on writing a letter to those who planned the triathlon -- are not the cups and bright, shiny, metalic packages from gel shots consumed by the triathletes the same kinds of culprits we were so mindful of at the beach cleanup?
Another lesson gained from the beach cleanup came through the body-- bending over, even just for these three hours, with neck craned down to search for trash, increased my appreciation and compassion for our farm workers. As we drove back past Wastonville strawberry crops, I felt greatly humbled by all the strawberry pickers out in the fields, who bend in such backbreaking work for far more hours and days on end. What was my stiff neck relative to their aches and pains? I will hopefully carry that awareness into a much greater mindfulness as I eat things like strawberries in the future, thinking of the sweat required for me to have access to enjoy that sweetness.

Further awareness also came this weekend through engaging in far more sun salutations than I ever have at one time before as part of a Global Yoga for Peace event I attended here in Santa Cruz. My hamstrings screamed (and are still stiff) from repeated lunge after lunge as we moved through one surya namaskar sequence after another. How, even in the midst of such physical discomfort, can we concentrate our energy on thoughts of peace, unity, gratitude? One of the yogis leading us through 27 of the 108 sun salutations called our awareness to developing gratitude for those individuals who challenge us in our lives (often our greatest teachers), towards whom we may feel anger / annoyance / resistance... how can we bring our mindfulness from the mat into those interactions and be more loving and kind?

An Instant of Certainty

This morning I rise
to effulgent streams of light
a moment of yes!
- an instant of certainty.
My heart leaps up for the Friend.

On this cold, dreary morning (of which we've had many here lately) I discovered a surefire way to lift the spirits: proclaim "Weeeeee!" as you're biking. I hypothesize that full abandon with this exclamation is necessary to maximize said results. It definitely produced a smile on my face, and even a chuckle. If you're interested in conducting your own experiment, perhaps even while standing still or in any other mode of transport, I'd love to hear about the results. ;)

A Prayer for Fellow Seekers of Certitude

Thank you N & V.

"Cast upon this poor and desolate creature, O my Lord, the glance of Thy wealth, and flood his heart with the beams of Thy knowledge, that he may apprehend the verities of the unseen world, and discover the mysteries of Thy heavenly realm, and perceive the signs and tokens of Thy kingdom, and behold the manifold revelations of this earthly life all set forth before the face of Him Who is the Revealer of Thine own Self. Direct, then, his eyes, O my God, towards the horizon of Thy loving-kindness, and make steadfast his heart in its attachment to Thee, and unloose his tongue to praise Thee, and make him able to hold fast the cord of Thy love, and to cling to the hem of Thy bounteousness, and to proclaim Thy name amidst Thy creatures...

Hold Thou the hand of this seeker who hath set his face towards Thee, O my Lord, and draw him out of the depths of his vain imaginations, that the light of certainty may shine brightly above the horizon of his heart..." -Bahá'u'lláh, Prayers and Meditations

I love the mystical nature of this prayer, particularly the image of the heart being flooded with the light of divine knowledge (a useful image for centering in prayer and meditation).

Yoga for Peace, this weekend!

A number of sites throughout the world are joining together this weekend to participate in an event called Yoga for Peace (to locate a site near you, go to: www.yoga-for-peace.org). We'll all join together in 108 sun salutations (why 108?), a symbolic gesture of unity and peace. Peace begins within with each one of us! As a bumper sticker I once had said: "There is no way to peace, peace is the way." I propose that each one of us use the occasion to focus our thoughts on unity and peace. Even if you can't get to an official event, please consider doing a few sun salutations on your own this weekend (here's a basic surya namaskar sequence) and focus your energy on thoughts of unity and peace!

There's an event here in Santa Cruz on Saturday, Sept. 20th @ noon in San Lorenzo Park. I'm planning to attend -- would love to have you join me! (I'm going to a beach cleanup beforehand, 9am - noon, which you're also welcome to join!) My fabulous yoga instructor will be leading some of the sun salutations. The Santa Cruz event will help raise money to buy yoga mats for kids and teens in Santa Cruz, as well as for women at the Blaine Street Jail.

Pueblos Mancomunados

Let us be pueblos mancomunados. pueblos is Spanish for peoples or villages, mancomunados refers to joining together and being united. The term is a reference to a network of villages in the Sierra Norte mountain range in Oaxaca State of México that have pooled their resources together and built trails through the mountains from one village to the next to promote ecotourism and the economic development of their communities. May we live by their example, working together hand in hand, mano a mano, especially on this day of remembrance, to focus our energy on the power of unity!

"O my God! O my God! Unite the hearts of Thy servants, and reveal to them Thy great purpose. May they follow Thy commandments and abide in Thy law. Help them, O God, in their endeavor, and grant them strength to serve Thee. O God! Leave them not to themselves, but guide their steps by the light of Thy knowledge, and cheer their hearts by Thy love. Verily, Thou art their Helper and their Lord." Bahá’u’lláh

"I charge you all that each one of you concentrate all the thoughts of your heart on love and unity. When a thought of war comes, oppose it by a stronger thought of peace. A thought of hatred must be destroyed by a more powerful thought of love. Thoughts of war bring destruction to all harmony, well-being, restfulness and content. Thoughts of love are constructive of brotherhood, peace, friendship, and happiness." 'Abdu'l-Bahá, Paris Talks

"How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity!" Psalm 133:1

"The earth is but one country, and mankind its citizens." Bahá’u’lláh

"Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to one hope when you were called— one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all." Ephesians 4:3-6

"Strive for universal peace, seek the means of love, and destroy the basis of disagreement so that this material world may become divine, the world of matter become the realm of the Kingdom and humanity attain to the world of perfection." 'Abdu'l-Bahá, The Promulgation of Universal Peace

"Have we not all one Father? Did not one God create us? Why do we profane the covenant of our fathers by breaking faith with one another?" Malachi 2:10

"O my God! O my God! Verily, I invoke Thee and supplicate before Thy threshold, asking Thee that all Thy mercies may descend upon these souls. Specialize them for Thy favor and Thy truth. O Lord! Unite and bind together the hearts, join in accord all the souls, and exhilarate the spirits through the signs of Thy sanctity and oneness. O Lord! Make these faces radiant through the light of Thy oneness. Strengthen the loins of Thy servants in the service of Thy kingdom. O Lord, Thou possessor of infinite mercy! O Lord of forgiveness and pardon! Forgive our sins, pardon our shortcomings, and cause us to turn to the kingdom of Thy clemency, invoking the kingdom of might and power, humble at Thy shrine and submissive before the glory of Thine evidences. O Lord God! Make us as waves of the sea, as flowers of the garden, united, agreed through the bounties of Thy love. O Lord! Dilate the breasts through the signs of Thy oneness, and make all mankind as stars shining from the same height of glory, as perfect fruits growing upon Thy tree of life. Verily, Thou art the Almighty, the Self-Subsistent, the Giver, the Forgiving, the Pardoner, the Omniscient, the One Creator." ‘Abdu’l-Bahá

Saint Teresa's Prayer

May today there be peace within.
May you trust God that you are exactly where you are meant to be.
May you not forget the infinite possibilities that are born of faith.
May you use those gifts that you have received, and pass on the love that has been given to you.
May you be confident knowing you are a child of God.
Let this presence settle into your bones, and allow your soul the freedom to sing, dance, praise and love.
It is there for each and every one of us.

Faith and Deeds

"What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, 'Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,' but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead." James 2:14-17

"Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash." Matthew 7:24-27

Clarity of Vision and Perseverence

"...With clear vision we are enabled to struggle onward and upward, ever progressing in the paths of virtue and holiness, and becoming the means of light to the world." -'Abdu'l-Bahá

In the past 4 days I rediscovered how powerful it can be to mindfully set intentions (see my 9/5/08 post), for with purity of heart and divine guidance, it's hard to go astray when we have clarity of vision!

The above quote feels highly relevant to me in light of three key questions that came up over the weekend at a retreat on Mt. Hermon that I had the privilege of attending with my dear friend, M.

1) What is my next step of faith? I found this question to be very powerful, and also practical. A step of faith doesn't imply a leap -- each one of us can open our hearts to little baby steps of faith every day. And by faith I don't mean blind faith; rather, I understand it to mean seeking to further align our actions with the teachings that have been revealed to us through humanity's greatest teachers, whom Baha'is refer to as the "Manifestations" (a.k.a. folks like Jesus Christ, the Buddha, Krishna, Mohamed, Abraham...)
2) What dreams do I have that I need to hand back over to God? Having clarity about our dreams is the first step in learning to detach them being fulfilled only in our narrowly prescribed way/time frame. But, as I was discussing with my stepmom last night, detaching doesn't mean giving up one's vision/dreams. One still perseveres... while also leaving room for "God's final authority" to answer our dreams in a way that leads to our greatest spiritual growth.
3) In what things is God asking us to persevere? Again, it seems necessary to first clarify what things God really has destined for us. Or, one could pray to be shown in what things to persevere. It seems that questions 2 and 3 are intricately connected.
I'd love to hear folks' thoughts on how we go about clarifying the answers to any of these questions. I will say, from my experience this weekend and the rewards of the efforts of preparing for today, that setting clear intentions definitely helps!!!

Opening the Heart

Lord, open my heart this weekend...

To purity of heart
To humility
To patience
To freedom from judgment
To being fully present in the experience
To centering in prayer
To spiritual growth
To being of service
To rejoicing in God's beauty
To discerning Truth
To honest conversations
To loving everyone I meet
To loving deeply
To receiving God's love and grace
To casting off fears and expectations
To moving towards greater clarity and certitude

Pure Heart

Psalm 51:10-12

Create in me a pure heart, O God,

and renew a steadfast spirit within me.

Do not cast me from your presence

or take your Holy Spirit from me.

Restore me to the joy of your salvation

and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.

Create in me a pure heart, O my God, and renew a tranquil conscience within me, O my Hope! Through the spirit of power confirm Thou me in Thy Cause, O my Best-Beloved, and by the light of Thy glory reveal unto me Thy path, O Thou the Goal of my desire! Through the power of Thy transcendent might lift me up unto the heaven of Thy holiness, O Source of my being, and by the breezes of Thine eternity gladden me, O Thou Who art my God! Let Thine everlasting melodies breathe tranquillity on me, O my Companion, and let the riches of Thine ancient countenance deliver me from all except Thee, O my Master, and let the tidings of the revelation of Thine incorruptible Essence bring me joy, O Thou Who art the most manifest of the manifest and the most hidden of the hidden!

-Bahá’u’lláh