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A hopeful future put into action by Tufts students
By Eric Sullivan
Published: Thursday, November 19, 2009
Updated: Thursday, November 19, 2009
There were certainly a number of great events at Tufts over the past couple of weeks. There were three that didn’t garner much, if any, attention in the Daily, but that nonetheless exemplified the best of what Tufts has to offer.
On Monday, Nov. 9, Leon Rubinstein, a Holocaust survivor and author of “Escape to Freedom,” spoke at Tufts Hillel on the 71st anniversary of Kristallnacht, which marked the start of the organized campaign of inhuman brutality that had scarcely been seen before. Hillel and Tufts CAF (Conversations Action Faith Education) worked hand-in-hand over several months to bring Rubinstein to Tufts from his home in Florida so students here would be able to listen to his remarkable story. It was the first time Rubinstein spoke to a college audience, and a full 24 hours before that, the cross-town rival in Cambridge had a chance to hear him speak. It was an understandably moving event for the 80 or so in attendance, who listened attentively to the still vibrant and intensely poignant story of a man who had lived in times and suffered personal losses that many of us could scarcely comprehend. And all of it was made possible because two distinctly diverse student groups worked together in a way that paid tribute to the legacy of the Holocaust.
Then on Friday, Nov. 13, there was a fundraiser in the Sophia Gordon Multipurpose Room for Computers for Careers, a charity that provides impoverished children with the opportunity for a livelihood beyond poverty through information technology. Computers for Careers is a praiseworthy product of the Tufts experience produced by an even more esteemed product of Tufts. Current Fletcher student Constantin Sabet d’Acre started the organization while he was an undergraduate at Tufts a couple years ago. At the event, performances by Tufts’ own BlackOut and the Tufts Garba Team were impressive and the Nepalese food was, of course, delicious. However, the most impressive and most delicious part of the evening (for the soul) was the fact that all of us there knew exactly where all the proceeds were headed and that they would bring to impoverished children the 21st-century skills needed to have a real chance at life.
And finally, on Monday, Nov. 16, there was the annual Interfaith Thanksgiving Dinner at the Interfaith Center where students of all faiths gathered together to celebrate Thanksgiving as a diverse community. Hindu, Buddhist, Jewish, Catholic, Protestant, Latter Day Saint, Unitarian, Muslim and Baha’i students, as well as those of no particular faith or creed, came together in a demonstration of unity despite diversity for a common expression of gratitude. This was especially visible when the opportunity arose to perform an act of service by writing short notes or letters to children with terminal illnesses. It was truly a neat sight to behold and akin to observing a garden of great variety in which such diversity creates the beauty and charm of that garden.
And as we approach Thanksgiving, I realize that despite any issues we may have with things here and there at Tufts (including the price of tuition), it is nonetheless a remarkable place with unique opportunities for us to bring into action the world that we want to encounter each day. Tufts fosters a world where the horror of the Holocaust will never be repeated, where children in dire poverty have a real chance at life, and where people of all nations, faiths and creeds live in peace and harmony. This is what most of us hope for, and this is what I saw put into living action the past two weeks at our university.
It is clear and evident, therefore, that the first bestowal of God is the Word, and its discoverer and recipient is the power of understanding. This Word is the foremost instructor in the school of existence and the revealer of Him Who is the Almighty. All that is seen is visible only through the light of its wisdom. All that is manifest is but a token of its knowledge. All names are but its name, and the beginning and end of all matters must needs depend upon it.
Baha'u'llah
The Tabernacle of Unity, p. 3
Me, my self and I<o:p></o:p>
The world seems to be completely smitten with the idea of getting to know one self all of a sudden. Or at least it appears that way to me.<o:p></o:p>
I just returned to <st1:country-region w:st="on">Namibia</st1:country-region> after having lived in <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Israel</st1:place></st1:country-region> for the better part of the past three years. In catching up with a number of friends I have been surprised to find that a common topic of discussion with people nowadays is the question, How do I get to know myself better?Ӕ<o:p></o:p>
At first I thought it may have just been a Namibian thing, but to be sure I decided to go online to see if this was a global trend I somehow missed.<o:p></o:p>
I found astaggering 140 thousand news articles that had written about the concept in one way or another last month alone! I found a further166 million Web pages that had content relating to the concept.<o:p></o:p>
Now these numbers may not be as big as the526 thousand news articlesthat were written containing the name Barack Obama last month, but they were significantly higher than the 53 thousand articles written with the words climate change. Therefore I came to the conclusion that this was a topic that merited investigation.<o:p></o:p>
As always, the source of my initial enquiry into this matter was theBahai writings. And it is here that I found the gems that inspired this post.<o:p></o:p>
It seems the BahaҒi Faith takes a different approach to the issue of knowledge of selfӔ to that of contemporary society. One can find thousands upon thousands of sites and articles on-line that suggest true happiness comes from finding out who you really are as an individual and then designing your life to fit that self-informed identity.<o:p></o:p>
Though the Bahaגi writings do not disagree with this entirely, they do offer a nugget that I have not expressly found in other sources: The only way to truly find ones self is to find God!<o:p></o:p>
BahaҒu'llah says,<o:p></o:p>
O My servants! Could ye apprehend with what wonders of My munificence and bounty I have willed to entrust your souls, ye would, of a truth, rid yourselves of attachment to all created things, and would gain a true knowledge of your own selves a knowledge which is the same as the comprehension of Mine own Being.<o:p></o:p>
Therefore true knowledge of ourselves is the same as that of knowing God! In the words of one of my heroes, דput that in your pipe and smoke it!<o:p></o:p>
It is with this understanding that my mind truly began to swirl. God is everything! How can my reality be the reality of every other thing too?<o:p></o:p>
The question betrayed a paradox between my understanding of how the contemporary world defines ԓself and the BahaԒi writings definition of this same concept. On the one hand the world sees ғself as an entirely subjective and highly individual state of being. On the other, the BahaԒi writings see selfӔ as an integral part of one of the broadest concepts our minds can conceive of - everything!<o:p></o:p>
Case in point:Abdul-Baha says to master self is to become part of the ғuniverse and the inhabitants thereof.<o:p></o:p>
Full quote:<o:p></o:p>
Today the confirmations of the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placetype w:st="on">Kingdom</st1:placetype> of <st1:placename w:st="on">Abha</st1:placename></st1:place> are with those who renounce themselves, forget their own opinions, cast aside personalities and are thinking of the welfare of others. Whosoever has lost himself has found the universe and the inhabitants thereof. Whosoever is occupied with himself is wandering in the desert of heedlessness and regret. The ԑmaster-key to self-mastery is self-forgetting. The road to the palace of life is through the path of renunciation.<o:p></o:p>
My understanding of the BahaҒi writings regarding this point is not that we all become monks and meditate until we become one with the world. Rather it is that we become the living embodiments of this principle and strive to employ it in all of our daily activities.<o:p></o:p>
Further my investigation into the writings uncovered a deeper nuance. The writings suggest that all individuals consist of two selves. One of which we commonly know as Ego. The other is the Higher Self.<o:p></o:p>
Shoghi Effendisaid,<o:p></o:p>
self has really two meanings, or is used in two senses, in the Bahšҭ writings; one is self, the identity of the individual created by God. This is the self mentioned in such passages as he hath known God who hath known himselfӔ, etc. The other self is the ego, the dark, animalistic heritage each one of us has, the lower nature that can develop into a monster of selfishness, brutality, lust and so on. It is this self we must struggle against in order to strengthen and free the spirit within us and help it to attain perfection.<o:p></o:p>
How do we do this? An answer I found was in meeting the challenge BahaŒu'llah gave us when He raised the bar on the golden rule. He said,<o:p></o:p>
Blessed is he who preferreth his brother before himself.<o:p></o:p>
Do onto others as you would have them do onto youӔ is no longer good enough.<o:p></o:p>
Of course the other part of this answer is a good dose of daily prayer.<o:p></o:p>
After writing and looking back at all of this, I felt that we were being asked to do something super human. Apparently I was right! In explaining these ideas to a believer, Shoghi Effendi said meeting these challenges would be impossible for a human being. However, as human beings it is our responsibility to try.<o:p></o:p>
The only people who are truly free of the dross of selfӔ are the Prophets, he said. ԓfor to be free of oneŒs ego is a hallmark of perfection. We humans are never going to become perfect, for perfection belongs to a realm we are not destined to enter. However, we must constantly mount higher, seek to be more perfect.<o:p></o:p>
So now that I had an informed perspective on how to find oneŒs self and all the different implications that had, I decided to call one of my friends who asked me the question that started this all in the first place.<o:p></o:p>
The phone rang.<o:p></o:p>
kerii www.bahaiperspectives.com April 26th, 2009<o:p></o:p>
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O thou who hast quaffed the wine of Mine utterance from the chalice of My knowledge! These sublime words were heard today from the rustling of the divine Lote-Tree which the Lord of Names hath, with the hand of celestial power, planted in the All-Highest <st1:place w:st="on">Paradise</st1:place>:<o:p></o:p>
The first Taraz and the first effulgence which hath dawned from the horizon of the Mother Book is that man should know his own self and recognize that which leadeth unto loftiness or lowliness, glory or abasement, wealth or poverty. Having attained the stage of fulfilment and reached his maturity, man standeth in need of wealth, and such wealth as he acquireth through crafts or professions is commendable and praiseworthy in the estimation of men of wisdom, and especially in the eyes of servants who dedicate themselves to the education of the world and to the edification of its peoples.<o:p></o:p>
(Baha'u'llah, Tablets of Baha'u'llah, p. 34)<o:p></o:p>
World Politics Review Joins Calls for the Release of Iason Athanasiadis<o:p></o:p>
World Politics Review friend and contributor Iason Athanasiadis wasarrested by the government of Iran this week, and World Politics Review joins the Washington Times, thePulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting, Global Post, theNeiman Foundation, and Iason's friends and family in calling for his release.
A Greek citizen who lived in Iran as a journalist and student for three years, and who obtained fluency in Farsi during that period, Iason's coverage of Iran and regions beyond for World Politics Review and numerous other publications has been characterized by a rare dedication to objectivity, intellectual honesty and cultural understanding. His love for <st1:country-region w:st="on">Iran</st1:country-region> is obvious in his coverage of that country, and his sensitivity to the shared humanity of all the world's people -- from the Kalash of Pakistan to <st1:country-region w:st="on">U.S.</st1:country-region> soldiers in <st1:country-region w:st="on">Iraq</st1:country-region> to Roma in <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Istanbul</st1:place></st1:city> -- particularly comes through in his photography.
Iason's news, analysis and photo essays for World Politics Review (released from behind the firewall that limits archive access to subscribers) are available here.<o:p></o:p>
HAMPTON STEPHENS www.worldpoliticsreview.com/blog/blogs.aspx 25 JUN 2009<o:p></o:p>
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Magnified be Thy Name, O Lord my God! I am the one who hath turned his face towards Thee and hath placed his whole reliance in Thee. I implore Thee by Thy Name whereby the ocean of Thine utterance hath surged and the breezes of Thy knowledge have stirred, to grant that I may be graciously aided to serve Thy Cause and be inspired to remember Thee and praise Thee. Send down then upon me from the heaven of Thy generosity that which will preserve me from anyone but Thee and will profit me in all Thy worlds.<o:p></o:p>
Verily, Thou art the Powerful, the Inaccessible, the Supreme, the Knowing, the Wise. .<o:p></o:p>
(Baha'u'llah, Tablets of Baha'u'llah, p. 267)<o:p></o:p>
Religious persecution in <st1:country-region w:st="on">Iran</st1:country-region> is felt in <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">America</st1:place></st1:country-region> and across the world<o:p></o:p>
<st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Iran</st1:place></st1:country-region> is prominently featured in our news these days. Much of that news is not good.
For instance, interviews following the imprisonment and release of American journalist Roxanna Saberi from an Iranian prison gave a disturbing glimpse of the human rights abuse that has characterized the ruling regime in <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Iran</st1:place></st1:country-region>. Although she spent much of her time in solitary confinement and was threatened repeatedly, she mentioned that among the heartening experiences was time spent with fellow female prisoners, who showed remarkable faith and courage. Among those women were members of the Baha'i Faith, whose adherents are routinely persecuted and arrested by the Iranian regime solely on religious grounds.
The Lehigh Valley Baha'i community recently marked the one-year anniversary of the imprisonment of seven Baha'i leaders in <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Iran</st1:place></st1:country-region>. Approximately 30 others are in prison throughout the country. Baseless charges, including conspiring with Zionists and ''spreading corruption on earth,'' carry the potential penalty of death. Their only crime is their faith. Their one hope of justice -- Nobel Peace Prize winner Shirin Ebadi -- is prevented from meeting with prisoners.
More than 35 years ago as a young college student, I came across the Baha'i House of Worship while driving inWilmette, Ill. Intrigued by this architectural gem of a building, I entered and learned of a religion whose principal message is the elimination of prejudice and the essential oneness of the human race. The religion also teaches equality, harmony of science and religion, interconnectedness of the world's religions, moral basis of economic relationships, need for universal education and independent investigation of truth. There is no clergy.<o:p></o:p>
Dr. James West www.mcall.com June 24, 2009<o:p></o:p>
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Lauded be Thy name, O Lord my God! I entreat Thee by Thy Name through which the Hour hath struck, and the Resurrection came to pass, and fear and trembling seized all that are in heaven and all that are on earth, to rain down, out of the heaven of Thy mercy and the clouds of Thy tender compassion, what will gladden the hearts of Thy servants, who have turned towards Thee and helped Thy Cause.<o:p></o:p>
<o:p>Keep safe Thy servants and Thy handmaidens, O my Lord, from the darts of idle fancy and vain imaginings, and give them from the hands of Thy grace a draught of the soft-flowing waters of Thy knowledge.</o:p>
<o:p> Thou, truly, art the Almighty, the Most Exalted, the Ever-Forgiving, the Most Generous.</o:p>
<o:p>(Baha'u'llah, Prayers and Meditations by Baha'u'llah, p. 71)</o:p>
<st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Iran</st1:place></st1:country-region>: Two Kinds of Islam, Two Kinds of Religion<o:p></o:p>
There is the Islam of the dictators and their religious allies, used to keep people in their place, used to justify their own power, used to shame and threaten those who question their authority. And there is the Islam of the protestors, calling out to God in hopes of liberation. Whose prayers are heard? Which group has a more true vision of God?<o:p></o:p>
Ive been saying for several years that I think there are two kinds of Christianity, along with two kinds of Islam, Judaism, and every other religion and non-religion too: one of social control and one of social transformation ҅ one to hold people down, one to lift them up one an opiate to pacify people into compliance, the other a stimulant to empower people to imagine a better world, a better future, a better life ŗ giving them the courage to live in peaceful defiance of violent, corrupt, and greedy powers-that-be.<o:p></o:p>
Neither kind is perfect, and both kinds contain good and sincere people. But if those who use God and religion for social control are left to define faith, then the religion they define will be a false one, an ugly one, an idolatrous one. God bless humanity and God help us find a way of being faithful that opens the door to a better future.<o:p></o:p>
Someonesent me this link to Andrew SullivanŒs blog, a powerful iReport from Tehran. Very moving, and well worth your time to watch and add your prayers to those of Iranians seeking freedom from dictatorship.<o:p></o:p>
Brian McLaren blog.sojo.net 6-22-2009<o:p></o:p>
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52. O CHILDREN OF NEGLIGENCE AND PASSION!<o:p></o:p>
Ye have suffered My enemy to enter My house and have cast out My friend, for ye have enshrined the love of another than Me in your hearts. Give ear to the sayings of the Friend and turn towards His paradise. Worldly friends, seeking their own good, appear to love one the other, whereas the true Friend hath loved and doth love you for your own sakes; indeed He hath suffered for your guidance countless afflictions. Be not disloyal to such a Friend, nay rather hasten unto Him. Such is the daystar of the word of truth and faithfulness, that hath dawned above the horizon of the pen of the Lord of all names. Open your ears that ye may hearken unto the word of God, the Help in peril, the Self-existent.<o:p></o:p>
(Baha'u'llah, The Persian Hidden Words)<o:p></o:p>
