If you were excited about the Fast, then you are going to love the promises of Spring! The Fast was like spring cleaning for the soul. Now we get to celebrate and be enriched by the beauty we help create in the world!

Spring is here, a seasonal change of astronomical proportion in the Northern Hemisphere that coincides with the vernal equinox, marking a time of equilibrium when both day and night are roughly equal. It is a time of hope, a time when all things are renewed. Spring represents change — change of the seasons, change of weather conditions — and brings with it the joyful expectation of new physical growth on earth and is a time for celebration. It is the first day of the Baha’i New Year Naw-Ruz and is a holy day where work and school are suspended. An excerpt from the Naw-Ruz prayer by Baha’u’llah explains it.

Praised be Thou, O my God, that Thou hast ordained Naw-Rúz as a festival unto those who have observed the Fast for love of Thee and abstained from all that is abhorrent unto thee.  Grant, O my Lord, that the fire of Thy love and the heat produced by the Fast enjoined by Thee may inflame them in Thy Cause, and make them to be occupied with Thy praise and with remembrance of Thee.

Since thou hast adorned them, O my Lord, with the ornament of the Fast prescribed by Thee, do Thou adorn them also with the ornament of Thine acceptance, through Thy grace and bountiful favor.  For the doings of men are all dependent upon Thy good-pleasure, and are conditioned by Thy behest.  Shouldst Thou regard him who hath broken the Fast as one who hath observed it, such a man would be reckoned among them who from eternity had been keeping the Fast.  And shouldst Thou decree that he who hath observed the Fast hath broken it, that person would be numbered with such as have caused the Robe of Thy Revelation to be stained with dust, and been far removed from the crystal waters of this living Fountain.

…He Who is Thy Branch and all Thy company, O my Lord, have broken this day their fast, after having observed it within the precincts of Thy court, and in their eagerness to please Thee.  Do Thou ordain for Him, and for them, and for all such as have entered Thy presence in those days all the good Thou didst destine in Thy Book.  Supply them, then, with that which will profit them, in both this life and in the life beyond.
Thou, in truth, art the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.
Bahá’u’lláh

Nowruz however, (spelled with an o instead of an a) has been celebrated by many Middle Eastern cultures for thousands of years. I have watched my Persian friends for decades retreat to their cultural families during Naw-Ruz to celebrate this holiday and never really quite understood it. I had grown up in Christian communities and this practice was foreign to me. I wasn’t sure in the beginning what was culture and what was religion. Naw-Ruz is a spiritual holiday for all the Bahais and is different from Nowruz which is a cultural holiday.

A Harvard resource helped me to understand it best. Nowruz is a festival designed to bring together families and communities, share traditional food, dance, and music, and introduce the tradition to the next generation. The most important cultural activity is the haft-seen table. On this table are placed seven things starting with the letter S. The seven items represent: sunrise and the spice of life, love and affection, patience and age, health and beauty, good health, fertility and sweetness of life, and rebirth and renewal of nature. In addition, a mirror represents reflection on the past year, an orange in a bowl of water symbolizes the earth, a goldfish in water represents new life, colored eggs for fertility, new coins for prosperity, fresh hyacinths to symbolize spring, and candles to radiate light and happiness.

With each new year, comes the potential to renew the beauty in all things. We too get a chance to start anew, to put the old behind us, much like last year’s withered blooms and dead leaves. For, while a dried flower arrangement can be beautiful and long lasting, nothing compares to the beauty, freshness, and fragrance of new flowers. Perhaps we can also consider renewing our faith, renewing our commitments to oneness and justice, and sacrificing our lives for “the betterment of the world.” Spring is a time to be joyful, if we could but appreciate it, a time for freshness and growth in all the kingdoms — plant, animal, and man — all coming to us at this time as a gift from our Creator.

In the same way our physical eyes witness a new spring time, so does humanity from time to time, when God renews His religion, and sends us new teachers to spur us on to our next level of our development. Abdul-Baha explains:

This is final lesson of our 19 Day Fast. It was my honor to walk the spiritual path with you this year. The following lesson will hopefully guide you as you continue on your spiritual journey.

‘Abdul-Baha’ has likened the vast ocean of Baha’u’llah’s, and all the divine Manifestation’s, revelations to the “school of God.” Makes sense, doesn’t it? A material education is vital for taking care of material needs. And, for spiritual souls aspiring to nobler heights and a spiritual world, a spiritual education is vital. In the school of God, there are expectations and clear guidance.

Abdul-Baha is like our spiritual counselor and guides us: 

“O thou true friend! Read, in the school of God, the lessons of the spirit, and learn from love’s Teacher the innermost truths. Seek out the secrets of Heaven, and tell of the overflowing grace and favour of God.” (1)

Let’s pause and immerse ourselves in this guidance.

First, ‘Abdul-Baha is addressing the “true friends.” You will have to decide if you are a “true friend,” and God will decide what that friendship entails. And then ‘Abdul-Baha instructs those friends to obey the following actions:

1. “READ IN THE SCHOOL OF GOD.” That is why Baha’u’llah commands us to: 

“Read the Verses of God every morning and evening, and he who does not read will not be known by the Covenant of God and His Testament. .. O ye servants, fear God! Be not deluded by meaningless repetition of prayers, but worship by day and by night. Should any one read but one Verse of the Verses with fragrance and spirituality, it shall avail more unto him than to read with slothfulness all the Books of God, the Protector, the Self-existent.” (2)

Know your purpose, and value every moment of this time on earth. Know that we are the students. Read, read, read; for we need spiritual input, if we wish to have spiritual output. So many don’t read more than a few sentences these days, but only in reading and reflecting, do we get our own ‘Ah-ha’s’ and understandings. Just like physical muscles, spiritual capacity grows when you exercise it.

2. DISCERN “THE LESSONS OF THE SPIRIT.” The Spirit is our tutor, our instructor, and our mentor. Don’t just read for knowledge. Read to discern the lesson. In every divine lesson, there is a purpose, a message, a warning, an example, or an instruction.

“Encourage the children from their earliest years to master every kind of learning, and make them eager to become skilled in every art — the aim being that through the favouring grace of God, the heart of each one may become even as a mirror disclosing the secrets of the universe, penetrating the innermost reality of all things; and that each may earn worldwide fame in all branches of knowledge, science and the arts.” (3)

“Their lessons consist in spiritual unity of mankind, in the refinement of character, in the etherealization of the soul so that we may learn common sense and live side by side with the spirit of fellowship, kindness and comradeship.” (4)

“Although to acquire the sciences and arts is the greatest glory of mankind, this is so only on condition that man’s river flow into the mighty sea, and draw from God’s ancient source His inspiration. When this cometh to pass, then every teacher is as a shoreless ocean, every pupil a prodigal fountain of knowledge. The sciences of today are bridges to reality; if then they lead not to reality, naught remains but fruitless illusion. By the one true God! If learning be not a means of access to Him, the Most Manifest, it is nothing but evident loss.” (5)

3. “LEARN FROM LOVE’S TEACHER.” What can love teach us? Love teaches a very different lesson than hate does, even though we learn from both. What is love? Can you recognize it? Are you attracted to it? Which gets most of your attention: love or hate? What do we learn from love? What do we learn from hate?

“The aim is this: The
> intention of the teacher must be pure,
> his heart independent,
> his spirit attracted,
> his thought at peace,
> his resolution firm,
> his magnanimity exalted and in the love of God a shining torch.

Should he become as such, his sanctified breath will even affect the rock; otherwise there will be no result whatsoever. As long as a soul is not perfected, how can he efface the defects of others! Unless he is detached from aught else save God, how can he teach the severance to others!” (6)

“And among the teachings of His Holiness Bahá’u’lláh is, that religion must be the cause of fellowship and love. If it becomes the cause of estrangement then it is not needed, for religion is like a remedy; if it aggravates the disease then it becomes unnecessary.” (7)

“If priests of religion really adored the God of love and served the Divine Light, they would teach their people to keep the chief Commandment, “To be in love and charity with all men.” But we find the contrary, for it is often the priests who encourage nations to fight. Religious hatred is ever the most cruel!“

“All religions teach that we should love one another; that we should seek out our own shortcomings before we presume to condemn the faults of others, that we must not consider ourselves superior to our neighbours! We must be careful not to exalt ourselves lest we be humiliated.” (8)

4. [LEARN] “THE INNERMOST TRUTHS.’

 “That is why we consult: “…consultation must have for its object the investigation of truth.” (9)

We are here to learn and not just surface learning, but to seek the innermost truths. We are constantly disturbed and distracted by the volumes of false information that the world spins daily to cover its ineptness, perversity, and evils. We have been given this ocean to discern what is true or false.

Loosen thy tongue, expound the truths, and establish the validity of the verse: “The All-Merciful hath taught the Qur’án.”[1] The Holy Spirit speaketh through the innermost essence of the human tongue, God’s Spirit which desireth communion with the human soul unfoldeth the truths, the Faithful Spirit writeth down and the Spirit of the Ancient of Days confirmeth. [1 Qur’án 55:2] (10)

5. “SEEK OUT THE SECRETS OF HEAVEN.” Baha’u’llah instructs us,

 “Immerse yourselves in the ocean of My words, that ye may unravel its secrets, and discover all the pearls of wisdom that lie hid in its depths.” (11)

The pearls of wisdom are hidden in the depths. We are promised that if we seek we will find. But notice, that seeking is an action which we must direct. Also notice the choice of the words “secrets of heaven.” We are not seeking earthly secrets as one does in back-biting and fault-finding, instead we are seeking heavenly secrets. A secret is something that is not disclosed to everyone, in this case perhaps, just to the “true friends,” who are seeking.

6. “TELL OF THE OVERFLOWING GRACE AND FAVOR OF GOD.” This is not only about individual enrichment and salvation, we must TELL others of the grace and favor of God. However, sometimes our egos make us think that somehow we are special and more deserving than others. Also, to tell of the “overflowing grace and favors” we must be in a state of gratitude to recognize them and appreciate them. Justice is giving you what you deserve, grace is giving without deserving.

I swear by that Peerless Beauty, Who is in the Unseen Kingdom, that when the leaves loose their tongues in praise and glorification of the All-Loving Lord, and in teaching the Cause of the Kind Lord, the concourse of the Kingdom and the inmates of the Unseen Realms will give ear, and cry out with exclamations of extreme joy and jubilation.
[1 Qur’án 55:2] (10)

There are people who are smarter than us, who work harder than us, who are perhaps more deserving than us, and yet we have more or less material bounties, which many flaunt with pride or feel despair. But, if we realized that all we have is because of God, then we will be quick to share and tell others that our source of bounty is God’s grace and favour and that what we each have accomplished is solely because of the grace and favor of God.

O maid-servant of God! The radiance of favor is (cast) upon thy head and thou art clad with the robe of gift. Praise be unto God, that the breeze of the divine spring maketh the soul thrive and the fragrances of holiness are quickening the heart of man. Favor is perfect and bounty is overflowing — the doors of prosperity are opened and hearts are expanded and dilated. The drops of the cloud of favor are continually (falling) and the lakes of graces are successively overflowing. The wine of the love of God is circulating, and the melodies of thankful birds are astonishing all people distant and near. (12)

In this lesson, we have been reflecting on six specific actions in this very short verse and expounded on them with other texts. We close with Baha’u’llah’s admonition:

“It is incumbent upon every man of insight and understanding to strive to translate that which hath been written into reality and action. ” (13)

Walking the spiritual path together

Barbara Talley

1. (Abdu’l-Baha, Selections from the Writings of Abdu’l-Baha, p. 110)

2. (Compilations, Baha’i Scriptures, p. 156)

3) (Compilations, Lights of Guidance, p. 144)

4) (SOW – Star of the West, Star of the West – 7)

5) (Abdu’l-Baha, Selections from the Writings of Abdu’l-Baha, p. 109)

6) (Abdu’l-Baha, Baha’i World Faith – Abdu’l-Baha Section, p. 427)

7) (Abdu’l-Baha, Baha’i World Faith – Abdu’l-Baha Section, p. 286)

8) (Abdu’l-Baha, Paris Talks, p. 147)

9). (Abdu’l-Baha, The Promulgation of Universal Peace, p. 72)

10) (Compilations, The Compilation of Compilations vol II, p. 398)

11) (Baha’u’llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha’u’llah, p. 136)

12) (Abdu’l-Baha, Tablets of Abdu’l-Baha v2, p. 279)

13) (Baha’u’llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha’u’llah, p. 249)

The goal of the fast (after all the prayer, meditation, and spiritual recuperation) is that we will arise to perform praiseworthy deeds.” And, what deed could be more praiseworthy than caring for and helping those who are in need?

The late Wayne Dyer wrote, “When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.” So, let’s for a few moments look upon wealth and poverty through the lenses of the Holy Manifestations of God throughout the ages. Most people look at what they have as their own, and believe that they have achieved their good fortune and wealth solely on their own merits and worth, and not that they have been blessed by God in order that they may be a blessing to others.

“Be generous in prosperity, and thankful in adversity. Be worthy of the trust of thy neighbor, and look upon him with a bright and friendly face. Be a treasure to the poor, an admonisher to the rich, an answerer to the cry of the needy, a preserver of the sanctity of thy pledge.” (1)

A very few give as a sacrifice; most give what they no longer want, can get a tax benefit from doing so, or only when they have extra. Sadly, far too many refuse to give anything at all, even when they have abundance, saying things like, “pull yourself up by your bootstraps,” or “the poor don’t work hard enough or are lazy.” They haughtily spew selfish words like, “every man for himself and God for us all.” This is pure ignorance, for Bahaullah warned that what we have been given is through God’s grace:

“Be ye trustworthy on earth, and withhold not from the poor the things given unto you by God through His grace. He, verily, will bestow upon you the double of what ye possess. He, in truth, is the All-Bounteous, the Most Generous. … O ye rich ones on earth! If ye encounter one who is poor, treat him not disdainfully. Reflect upon that whereof ye were created. Every one of you was created of a sorry germ.” (2)

During the Fast we are to focus on prayer, meditation, and spiritual recuperation. It is a time “refresh and gladden our spirits”, tame the animal impulses within, and to align our will with the Will of God. Each of these actions focus our thoughts inward, encourage us to clean up our own acts, and remind us to tame our own tenacious egos. We are also told that the Fast will generate heat, and increase our love, joy, and radiance, as we “arise to perform praiseworthy deeds.” The focus today however is one of the few that is asking us to look outward, and to be God’s mercy to the poor and destitute, as one of those “praiseworthy deeds.”

As our 19-Day Fast draws close to an end, we will now focus our minds and hearts on another duty of the Fast, to become more aware of the poor and destitute. While the Fast has innumerable benefits for the individual, it is also a time that we are to focus on the unfortunate poor who are caught in the choking tentacles of a society that is not founded on divine principles. Instead, we are to do what we can to lift their burden when we are able. Clearly the Fast is more than a personal commitment to simply give up an addiction or joy.

From Baha’i Prayers

“All praise be unto God, Who hath revealed the law of obligatory prayer as a reminder to His servants, and enjoined on them the Fast that those possessed of means may become apprised of the woes and sufferings of the destitute.”(3) — Bahá’u’lláh

Fasting, as you see, is a time for those who have been blessed to have resources to look beyond themselves and care for those who are suffering. Saying a prayer for them at a distance, studying with them, or giving them words of encouragement is not enough as Abdul-Baha explains:

Knowledge is not enough; we hope by the Love of God we shall put it into practice. A spiritual universal Force is needed for this. Meetings are good for engendering spiritual force. To know that it is possible to reach a state of perfection, is good; to march forward on the path is better. We know that to help the poor and to be merciful is good and pleases God, but knowledge alone does not feed the starving man, nor can the poor be warmed by knowledge or words in the bitter winter; we must give the practical help of Loving-kindness. (4)

Consider this guidance from the Bible:

In Isaiah, more wisdom of the Fast is explained. The followers are admonished about wickedness, heavy burdens, freeing the oppressed, and that feeding the poor is not enough, they must also bring them into their houses. They were promised, that If they were obedient, health and the Glory of the Lord would be their reward.

The Prophet [Muhammad] also spoke of Fasting and looking after the poor:

“The one who looks after a widow or a poor person is like a Mujahid (warrior) who fights for Allah’s Cause, or like him who performs prayers all the night and fasts all the day.”

So you see, consideration of the poor is highly prized in the eyes of God. And, this regard for the poor goes beyond just food and shelter, it extends to the education of the children of the poor.

Abdu’l-Bahá explained, “that …if a man educated the children of the poor, who could not themselves afford to do so, it was, in the sight of God, as if he had educated the Son of God.” (5)

So we have been talking about the virtues of generosity, kind-heartedness, love, and magnanimity when serving the poor, and that it pleases our God. However, this must be done voluntarily from the heart and not coerced.

“The virtue of man made manifest through voluntary philanthropy based upon the idea of human solidarity is as follows: Rich men give to the poor-that is, they assist the poor, but by their own desire. It is not well that the poor should coerce the rich to contribute to them. Such coercion would be followed by disintegration and the organization of the affairs of society would be disturbed.” (6)

Hopefully you will reflect on this guidance today and in obedience to Baha’u’llah’s admonition, “strive to translate that which hath been written into reality and action.”

Happy Fasting
Barbara

1. (Baha’u’llah, Epistle to the Son of the Wolf, p. 93)
2. (Baha’u’llah, Epistle to the Son of the Wolf, p. 54)
3. (Abdu’l-Baha, Abdu’l-Baha in London, p. 60)
4. (in “The Importance of Obligatory Prayer and Fasting,” compiled by the Baha’i World Centre)
5. Volume 7, Book 64, Number 266: (Hadith, Bukhari Vol 7)
6. (SOW – Star of the West, Star of the West – 9) – (Compilation, war, peace and government, p. 94.)