The Baha'i Studies Listserv
Dear Stephen,
Just my opinion: I think this would be a great topic for the Baha'i
Community website, also.
It might be more fitting were I to answer these in private to you.
However, in case it is the source for any confirmations or meditations
on the part of the friends--and to show that you have gotten at least 1
answer to your questions!-- I generally do the daily obligatory prayer
and the 95 Greatest Names every day. I am weaker about doing the other
"countable" items. However, I do find that, since I spend a lot of time
on the computer, subscribing to the various Baha'i Writings-type email
services puts some of the Writings in front of me on a regular basis, so
it increases my compliance. I think there may be a quote about reading
the Writings morn and eve being necessary to be faithful to the Covenant
(!), so that is something we should pay attention to. Occasionally, I
get the time and discipline to do more in-depth reading, which I
personally feel is more in the proper spirit.
If you do not seek to act in alignment with morality and with service to
humanity, what are you doing here on this earth?? LOL. This does not
mean you do not occasionally miss the mark. Actually, doing active
service for my mom when she was ill, and with some of her elderly
friends after her passing, has given particular focus and meaning to my
life of the past few years. It has been a real gift from God. These
ladies are not Baha'is, but the Faith has a good stature in their eyes
(and in the eyes of many observers) due to this service. Such service is
definitely an important kind of teaching, even tho' I do not mention the
Faith all the time. Likewise, teaching a neighborhood children's class
has been a great personal reward for me.
"If thou seekest eternal glory, let thyself be humble and meek in the
presence of the beloved of God; make thyself the servant of all, and
serve all alike. The service of the friends belongs to God, not to them."
(Abdu'l-Baha, Tablets of Abdu'l-Baha v1, p. 61)
I particularly like the last sentence: that our service belongs to God,
not to us. As for fasting, I have never sought to do it outside the
month designated. (For medical reasons, I can no longer fast in the
correct month, either!) I believe there are some other quotes about not
doing it in other months, but I can't recall any right now.
I say the Greatest Name all the time. Most often: to try to silently add
to a spiritual atmosphere during a fireside occasion, or to praise God
in awe of some gift He has given (that I happened to specifically
notice; every breath is a gift, and so is the ceasing of breath, isn't
it??).
Bringing one's self to account each day is something I tend to forget to
do by the end of the day. It has been extremely humbling most of the
time when I remember to do it. It is harder to do all these things when
you suspect you have Attention Deficit Disorder, but we do what we
can... ;-) I think a big part of being human is simply to remind one's
self of what one already knows, and then to do it.
Thanks for the reminders.
Yours,
Jeanine
> This, is the original topic:
> *"Polishing one's soul is done by:*
> *praying, including the daily obligatory prayer (Most Holy Book, paras
> 10-14) and reciting the Greatest Name (Allah'u'Abha) 95 times per day
> (Most Holy Book, para 18) fasting (Most Holy Book, paras 10-17)
> reading the holy writings every morning and evening (Most Holy Book,
> para 149) bringing ourselves to account each day (Arabic Hidden Word
> no 31) teaching the faith (Gleanings, CXLIV) acting in a moral way
> working in a spirit of service (Most Holy Book, para 33). *
>
> * *
>
> *Please reply by talking about your own experiences with polishing
> your soul. Also, specify how each point impacts your life. Also, do
> you fast outside of the required month? (An extreme example would be
> fasting like David according to some Hadith. The Hadith say that David
> consider every day to be a fast day.) How often do you pray general
> prayers? How often do you recite the Greatest Name (as dhikr, well
> over and beyond the dialy 95 requirement)? How do you exactly bring
> yourself to an account each day? (I do, but I never know if I am doing
> it correctly.)"*
>
> The topic got derailed by the fact that this topic was based on info
> from Allison's website. PS. The problem between Allison Marshall and
> the Universal House of Justice in Haifa, Israel is a technicality
> dispute over the nature of infallibiity. It's on her "/Commentary on
> the Divine Unity/".
>
>
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