… the reality of man is … the center where the glory of all the perfections of God shine forth… -- ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Some Answered Questions, p. 196.

One must see in every human being only that which is worthy of praise. When this is done, one can be a friend to the whole human race.
-- Selections from the Writings of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, p. 169.

RAINBOW OF ATTRIBUTES

Stand.
Follow with your eye upwards
Passing the thorns with oblivion
To the beauteous blossom
Of summoned springtime

Consider the smile or sigh
As your senses are pleased
By the reflection of light
Limited to the one undulation
Of red

Sit.
Follow with your eye throughout
Forgetting the harshness of the bark
To the loftiness of the foliage
Of flowing flutter

Ponder on the breeze of belief
Which swells in your soul
By the reflection of light
Limited to the one undulation
Of green

Kneel.
Follow with your eye thither
Ignoring the dirt and the dust
To the impregnable space
Of vainless vastness

Reflect on the exultation
Of utter nothingness within
Before the reflection of light
Limited to the one undulation
Of blue

Prostrate.
Follow with your heart beyond
Pretermitting human imperfections
To the Primal Prism
Of the All-Encompassing One

Know of the felicity
Of submission to greatness
To the Source of light
Containing all undulations

In one.

Haifa, Nov ‘93

Music: a combination of notes and silence

To listen to a piece of music that would have no silence in it, no pauses, no rests, would be very stressful. We wouldn't know when to breathe, there would be nothing to rest upon in order to start up again. In other words, rests are a crucial part of music itself. Music without rests would no longer be music, but a piece of chaos.

Likewise, in our life, we need silence. If we spend our lives rushing from one thing to another without taking time to contemplate or our life, on our decisions on the way we are leading our life, then we are indeed living a life of stress and chaos. We need to pause, to sit and contemplate. Just allow ourselves to be, alone, silent, and still. This will give us energy to move on to the next step.

I would like to take this opportunity to quote from the Writings of 'Abdu'l-Baha, Son of the Founder of the Bahá'í Faith. About meditation, He says the following:

"...the sign of the intellect is contemplation and the sign of contemplation is silence... Through the faculty of meditation man attains to eternal life... The spirit of man is itself informed and strengthened during meditation; through it affairs of which man knew nothing are unfolded before his view. Through it he receives Divine inspiration, through it he receives heavenly food.

Meditation is the key for opening the doors of mysteries. In that state man abstracts himself: in that state man withdraws himself from all outside objects; in that subjective mood he is immersed in the ocean of spiritual life and can unfold the secrets of things-in-themselves...

This faculty of meditation frees man from the animal nature, discerns the reality of things, puts man in touch with God.

This faculty brings forth from the invisible plane the sciences and arts. Through the meditative faculty inventions are made possible, colossal undertakings are carried out; through it governments can run smoothly. Through this faculty man enters into the very Kingdom of God.

(Abdu'l-Bahá, Paris Talks, p. 174)

Even nature pauses and remains silent for the winter months before it is born again in the splendour of spring. Let us learn to appreciate silence and make contemplation part of our daily lives.