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Celebrating the two hundredth Anniversaries of The Birth of Baha'u'llah and The Bab |
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Introduction In 2017 Baha'is around the world will celebrate the two hundredth anniversary of the Birth of Baha'u'llah. Then in 2019 they will celebrate the two hundredth anniversary of the Birth of the Bab. This journal will contain poems and prose inspired by these two anniversaries. In addition, I will include thoughts and poems inspired by the scriptures revealed by Baha'u'llah and the Bab. Before Naw-Ruz of 2015, the Baha'i or Badi calendar "was synchronized to the Gregorian calendar".1 After Naw-Ruz of 2015, the date of the vernal equinox was established as the birthplace of Baha'u'llah which unlocked the Baha'i calendar from the Gregorian calendar.2 Because of this the dates of the celebrations are now calculated according to the Baha'i/Badi calendar instead of the Gregorian calendar which was the case before Naw-Ruz 2015. Bicentenary of the Birth of Bahá’u’lláh  Bicentenary of the Birth of the Bab Remembering 'Abdu'l-Baha Twin Holy Days Celebrated on the fist and second day following the eight new moon after Naw-Ruz The Celebration of the Birth of the Báb occurred on October 21, 2017. The Bicentenary of the Birth of the Báb will occur on October 29, 2019 Born: 1 Muharram 1235 AH - 20 October 1819 The Bicentenary Celebration of the Birth of Bahá'u'lláh occurred on October 22, 2017 The Celebration of the Birth of Bahá'u'lláh will occur on October 30, 2019 Born: 2 Muharram 1233 AH - 12 November 1817 Centenary of the Ascension of 'Abdu'l-Baha More information as 2021 progresses. Links to Articles Articles in the Huffington Post Baha’is Prepare for Bicentennial in 2017 By Shastri Purushotma (December 30, 2016)Baha’is To Celebrate “Twin Holy Days” For First Time Worldwide By Shastri Purushotma (November 5, 2015)200 Years Since His Birth: Who Is Bahá’u’lláh? by Genevieve Seri (September 9. 2017)Articles in Baha'i Chronicles http://bahaichronicles.org/ Articles in Beyond Foreignness 200 Articles in 200 Days for the 200th Anniversary of Bahá’u’lláh’s Birth by Michael Curtotti The Short Obligatory Prayer Revealed by Bahá'u'lláh "I bear witness, O my God, that Thou hast created me to know Thee and to worship Thee. I testify, at this moment, to my powerlessness and to Thy might, to my poverty and to Thy wealth. There is none other God but Thee, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting." Prayers and Meditations by Bahá’u’lláh, CLXXXI The Remover of Difficulties Revealed by The Bab "Is there any Remover of difficulties save God? Say: Praised be God! He is God! All are His servants and all abide by His bidding!" Selections from the Writings of the Báb Prayer for America Revealed by 'Abdu'l-Baha "O Thou kind Lord! This gathering is turning to Thee. These hearts are radiant with Thy love. These minds and spirits are exhilarated by the message of Thy glad-tidings. O God! Let this American democracy become glorious in spiritual degrees even as it has aspired to material degrees, and render this just government victorious. Confirm this revered nation to upraise the standard of the oneness of humanity, to promulgate the Most Great Peace, to become thereby most glorious and praiseworthy among all the nations of the world. O God! This American nation is worthy of Thy favors and is deserving of Thy mercy. Make it precious and near to Thee through Thy bounty and bestowal." Baha'i Prayers Footnotes |
Feast of Might August 11, 2017 at 7:02pm Feast of Might:
To the Blessed Beauty
"Thus do I say: There is no power or might save in God, the Protector, the Self-Subsistent."
Bahá’u’lláh, The Seven Valleys and the Four Valleys , The Third Valley
Blessed Beauty,
I give thanks for the fruit of glory
revealed through the Pen of God's love.
Mighty Lord,
I raise my voice in exaltation
proclaiming the sovereignty of God
reflected though mirror of His Manifestation.
Mightiest One,
I give thank... [Read more] The King of Glory August 11, 2017 at 7:00pm The King of Glory:
To The Blessed Beauty
“Lift up your heads, O ye gates; even lift them up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of Glory shall come in. Who is this King of Glory? The LORD of Hosts, He is the King of Glory.”
Psalm 24: 9 – 10
The King of Glory
has stepped through the Gate of God
uniting humanity.
Rejoice,
lift up your voices,
shout: “Yá Bahá’u’l-Abhá!”{footnote:#}“O Thou Glory of Glories!”
The Lord of Host has come,
He who is th... [Read more] Feast of Names August 11, 2017 at 6:58pm Feast of Names:
To The Blessed Beauty
"Magnified be Thy name, O my God, for that Thou hast manifested the Day which is the King of Days, the Day which Thou didst announce unto Thy chosen Ones and Thy Prophets in Thy most excellent Tablets, the Day whereon Thou didst shed the splendor of the glory of all Thy names upon all created things. Great is his blessedness whosoever hath set himself towards Thee, and entered Thy presence, and caught the accents of Thy voice.
I beseech Th... [Read more] Listen to the Nightingale August 11, 2017 at 6:56pm Listen to the Nightingale:
To The Blessed Beauty
Listen
to the voice of the Nightingale,
as he sings
in the Garden of Paradise.
He is inviting
God's lovers
to enter through the Gate,
which stands open
to all
who hear the trumpet proclaiming
a New Heaven and Earth.
{dropnote:"About This Poem:"}I wrote the first stanza of this poem as the July 9 entry in my blog "Poet 999 - A Butterfly Emerges from Her Cocoon {link:https://poet999.blogspot.com/2017/07/... [Read more] Feast of Perfection August 11, 2017 at 6:52pm Feast of Perfection:
To the Blessed Beauty
"Consider, moreover, how the fruit, ere it is formed, lieth potentially within the tree. Were the tree to be cut into pieces, no sign nor any part of the fruit, however small, could be detected. When it appeareth, however, it manifesteth itself, as thou hast observed, in its wondrous beauty and glorious perfection. Certain fruits, indeed, attain their fullest development only after being severed from the tree."
Bahá’u’lláh, ... [Read more] Hermeneutics August 11, 2017 at 6:50pm Hermeneutics:{footnote:#}Dictionary.com defines this as "the science of interpretation, especially of the Scriptures."{link:http://www.dictionary.com/browse/hermeneutics}
To The Blessed Beauty
Forgive me,
Blessed Beauty,
my feeble attempt
to explain
the sacred scriptures.
I cannot
arrive at an authoritative
interpretation of Thy Holy Words.
In my study
of the sacred text,
I can discover
a personal explanation
of the revealed verses.
For an authoritative inte... [Read more] Feast of Splendour August 11, 2017 at 6:48pm Feast of Splendour:
To the Blessed Beauty
"O Son of My Handmaid!
Quaff from the tongue of the merciful the stream of divine mystery, and behold from the dayspring of divine utterance the unveiled splendor of the day-star of wisdom. Sow the seeds of My divine wisdom in the pure soil of the heart, and water them with the waters of certitude, that the hyacinths of knowledge and wisdom may spring up fresh and green from the holy city of the heart."
Bahá’u’lláh from The... [Read more] Wayfarer's Journey August 11, 2017 at 6:47pm Wayfarer's Journey:
To The Blessed Beauty
"A true wayfarer will not be kept back by the bludgeon of words nor debarred by the warning of allusions."
Baha'u'llah, The Seven Valleys, page 56 sentence 4 (From an app on my smartphone.)
The wayfarer,
in her search
for the Beloved One,
passes through seven valleys.
Though disappointed
at every turn,
she doesn't give up,
she pushes on
knowing
that the next stop
may reveal a trace
of the beloved.
... [Read more] Feast of Glory August 11, 2017 at 6:40pm Feast of Glory:
To the Blessed Beauty
"Son of Man!
Upon the tree of effulgent glory I have hung for thee the choicest fruits, wherefore hast thou turned away and contented thyself with that which is less good? Return then unto that which is better for thee in the realm on high."
Bahá’u’lláh from The Hidden Words {footnote:#}Baha'i Words for June 27, 2017
Gathered
beneath the effulgent tree
we consumes the Supper of the Lord.
Word by word
we sip the... [Read more] Haifa, The Magnificent City August 11, 2017 at 6:39pm Haifa, The Magnificent City:
To the Blessed Beauty
{embed:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BKOzrj2lOlI}
The Magnificent City
on the side of the mountain.
The Holy City,
the New Jerusalem,
her nine terraces ascend
Mount Carmel
and overlook the metropolis
of Haifa.
{dropnote:"Poet's Note:"}I got the idea for this poem from a prompt see . This is Poem 19 of 200 Dedicated to the Blessed Beauty.
... [Read more] Feast of Beauty August 11, 2017 at 6:37pm Feast of Beauty:
To the Blessed Beauty
"Say: This is the Day of Bounty! Bestir yourselves that I may make you monarchs in the realms of My Kingdom. If ye follow Me, ye shall behold that which ye were promised, and I will make you My companions in the dominion of My majesty and the intimates of My beauty in the heaven of My power forevermore. If ye rebel against Me, I will in My clemency endure it patiently, that haply ye may awaken and rise up from the couch of heedlessness. Thus... [Read more] Go Forward, Press Onward August 11, 2017 at 6:35pm Go Forward, Press Onward:
To the Blessed Beauty
“When the swords flash, go forward! When the shafts fly, press onward!”
Baha’u’llah, The Fire Tablet, Baha’i Prayers , pp. 218-219
To recant
is neither to go forward
nor to press onward,
rather
it is to deny Baha'u'llah,
the Glory of God.
The lover
cannot deny the Beloved
even when confronted with death.
One at a time,
they were asked
to apostatize their faith,
to renounce the Blessed Beauty.
... [Read more] Feast of Grandeur August 11, 2017 at 6:33pm Feast of Grandeur:
To the Blessed Beauty
"The tabernacle of unity hath been raised; regard ye not one another as strangers. Ye are the fruits of one tree, and the leaves of one branch."
Bahá’u’lláh{footnote:#}Baha'i Words for March 13, 2015.
In the Tabernacle of Unity
the Blessed Beauty
sets the table of grandeur
with the fruits
of glory.
We gather around the table
to celebrate
the Divine majesty
of the Promised one of all religions.
{dropnote... [Read more] The Dreamer's Scent Awakens the Soul of the Seeker August 11, 2017 at 6:31pm The Dreamer's Scent Awakens the Soul of the Seeker:
To the Blessed Beauty
It is the scent
of the Divine Beloved
that--both day and night--
flows through my dreams,
to awakens my soul
to a New Heaven
and a New Earth.
I am the seeker,
inhaling the bouquet of love
from scriptures revealed by God's Glory.
The perfume of roses
wafts through the Garden of Ridvan
accompanied
by the songs of nightingales.
I am the dreamer
exhaling the incense of unity
to the scat... [Read more] Feast of Light August 11, 2017 at 6:30pm Feast of Light:
To The Blessed Beauty
"With the hands of power I made thee and with the fingers of strength I created thee; and within thee have I placed the essence of My light. Be thou content with it and seek naught else, for My work is perfect and My command is binding. Question it not, nor have a doubt thereof."
Bahá’u’lláh from The Hidden Words {footnote:#}Baha'i Words for June 6, 2015.
Verse by verse I consume
the radiance of God's love
from... [Read more] The Word of God August 11, 2017 at 6:28pm The Word of God:
To The Blessed Beauty
God's word
is reveal through His Manifestation,
the mirror of his attributes
to humanity.
In this day,
the word made flesh
is the Blessed Beauty,
Baha'u'llah
(The Glory of God).
{dropnote:"Poet's Note:"This is Poem 13 of 200 Dedicated to the Blessed Beauty.
... [Read more] God's Way, Not My Way August 11, 2017 at 6:26pm God's Way, Not My Way:
To the Blessed Beauty
God's way, not my way:
My first duty is to believe,
and my second to obey;
twin duties, inseparable.
In my struggle to obey
God's way rather than my way
my soul is strengthened in its obedience
to the divine laws and ordinances
revealed by the Blessed Beauty.
Each day,
I walk the narrow stone strewn road
of God's way, not my way...
sometimes I stumble,
sometimes I fall,
but through the grace of the living Go... [Read more] Lost In Translation August 11, 2017 at 6:24pm Lost In Translation:
To the Blessed Beauty
Something is lost
when I attempt to translate
the language of my soul
into the language
of my brains.
No words of matter,
save those revealed
by the Blessed Beauty,
can adequately express
spiritual concepts.
{dropnote:"Poet's Note:"}This is Poem 11 of 200 Dedicated to the Blessed Beauty.
... [Read more] Feast of Mercy August 11, 2017 at 6:22pm Feast of Mercy:
To the Blessed Beauty
'The whole earth is one home, and all peoples, did they but know it, are bathed in the oneness of God's mercy."
‘Abdu’l-Bahá{footnote:#}Quote for the Feast of Mercy
At the table of the All-Merciful,
We consume the fruits of the Tree of Life,
And drink the wine of the love of God.
Gathered at the table of Divine Mercy,
We intone the word of the Blessed Beauty,
Inhale the fragrance of the Holy Spirit.
Immersed in t... [Read more] Where I Got the Inspiration For These 200 Poems August 11, 2017 at 6:19pm Where I Got the Inspiration For These 200 Poems:
To the Blessed Beauty
The sacred scriptures
reverberate through my mind,
and I meditate
upon their inner meaning
seeking to find
fresh metaphors and similes
to inscribe
in stanzas and lines.
Blog prompts rain
into my meditating soul,
merge with words
swimming in the ocean
of my spirit,
and rise into my mind
forming stanzas and lines.
Feast and Holy Day celebrations
encourage the composition
of metaphors and similes,
... [Read more] Prayer for Steadfastness August 11, 2017 at 6:17pm Prayer for Steadfastness:
To the Blessed Beauty
"O ye loved ones of God!
Be ye firm of foot, and fixed of heart, and through the power of the Blessed Beauty’s help, stand ye committed to your purpose. Serve ye the Cause of God. Face ye all nations of the world with the constancy and the endurance of the people of Bahá, that all men may be astounded and ask how this could be, that your hearts are as well-springs of confidence and faith, and as mines so rich in the love of God.... [Read more] That We Might Be Free August 11, 2017 at 6:15pm That We Might Be Free:
To the Blessed Beauty
"The Ancient Beauty hath consented to be bound with chains that mankind may be released from its bondage, and hath accepted to be made a prisoner within this most mighty Stronghold that the whole world may attain unto true liberty..."
Bahá’u’lláh, Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh , XLV: “The Ancient Beauty hath consented to be…”
Oh, Thou Blessed Beauty,
In your prison cell
God revealed your ... [Read more] The Way I Wrote These 200 Poems August 11, 2017 at 6:14pm The Way I Wrote These 200 Poems:
To the Blessed Beauty
Before I began
I said the prayer for teaching
which 'Abdu'l-Baha
revealed for the Western States.
As I wrote the poems,
I meditate
upon the revealed Word of God,
then I contemplated each line and verse,
I considered
the way the poem looked
on the page,
and wondered
what the reader would think
about the odes I wrote.
{dropnote:"Poet's Note:"}This is Poem 6 of 200 Dedicated to the Blessed Be... [Read more] Awakening August 11, 2017 at 6:09pm Awakening:
To The Blessed Beauty
"One night, in a dream these exalted words were heard on every side: “Verily, We shall render Thee victorious by Thyself and by Thy Pen. Grieve Thou not for that which hath befallen Thee, neither be Thou afraid, for Thou art in safety. Erelong will God raise up the treasures of the earth—men who will aid Thee through Thyself and through Thy Name, wherewith God hath revived the hearts of such as have recognized Him.”
Bahá’u’lláh{foot... [Read more] Feast of Words August 11, 2017 at 6:06pm Feast of Words:
To the Blessed Beauty
"O Son of Man!
Thou art My dominion and My dominion perisheth not; wherefore fearest thou thy perishing? Thou art My light and My light shall never be extinguished; why dost thou dread extinction? Thou art My glory and My glory fadeth not; thou art My robe and My robe shall never be outworn. Abide then in thy love for Me, that thou mayest find Me in the realm of glory."
Bahá’u’lláh – from The Hidden Words {footnote:#}Baha'... [Read more] |
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