Springtime Reflections March 26, 2009

6:31 am, 6:08 pm.  Then, courtesy of Daylight Savings, 7:29 am to 7:09 pm, 7:27 am to 7:10 pm, and so on…

For 19 days each year, I know *precisely* when the sun will rise and set.  I bear daily witness to its majestic displays — the spectacular splashing of golds, pinks and purples across the horizon with every entrance and exit.

In fact, I think I might catch more sunrises and sunsets during those nineteen days than I make time to truly appreciate during the entire remainder of the year.  Symptom of not eating or drinking from sunrise to sunset I guess, but from March 2 to March 20 each year, Baha’is the world over definitely have a heightened awareness of that same single, ever-present, life-giving (S)source around which we each, conscious of it or not, revolve.

“As the light of the sun shines on the whole world, so the Mercy of the infinite God is shed on all creatures. As the sun ripens the fruits of the earth, and gives life and warmth to all living beings, so shines the Sun of Truth on all souls, filling them with the fire of Divine Love and understanding.” ~ ‘Abdu’l-Bahá

Powerful metaphor, no?  Not something to be read into too literally perhaps, but a number of striking parallels between our physical existence/social interactions and spiritual truths!

“It is a lovely day, the sun shines brightly upon the earth, giving light and warmth to all creatures. The Sun of Truth is also shining, giving light and warmth to the souls of men. The sun is the life-giver to the physical bodies of all creatures upon earth; without its warmth their growth would be stunted, their development would be arrested, they would decay and die. Even so do the souls of men need the Sun of Truth to shed Its rays upon their souls, to develop them, to educate and encourage them.  As the sun is to the body of a man, so is the Sun of Truth to his soul.” ~ ‘Abdu’l-Bahá

Arriving each year at winter’s cusp and often at a time when, at least personally, the dross and grind of life’s less important (and all-too consuming!) aspects have built up, these nineteen days of feasting on prayer, meditation, reflection, action, and service exercise a revitalizing influence and remind me of the basics which unite us all.

“Mere abstention from food has no effect on the spirit. It is only a symbol, a reminder.” ~ ‘Abdu’l-Bahá

“This material fast is an outer token of the spiritual fast; it is a symbol of self-restraint, the withholding of oneself from all appetites of the self, taking on the characteristics of the spirit, being carried away by the breathings of heaven and catching fire from the love of God.” ~ Bahá’u’lláh

It’s a time to think about habits, character traits, relationships, interactions, and so on; and a time to read from Sacred Text and reflect on whatever in our own lives might becloud the “mirrors of our hearts” and prevent us from reflecting the light of the sun.

“…this physical fast is a symbol of the spiritual fast. This Fast leadeth to the cleansing of the soul from all selfish desires, the acquisition of spiritual attributes, attraction to the breezes of the All-Merciful, and enkindlement with the fire of divine love.” ~ ‘Abdu’l-Bahá

It’s also mind-boggling to know this season is imbued with forces beyond our comprehension and which we may not perceive!

“These are, O my God, the days whereon Thou didst enjoin Thy servants to observe the Fast… Thou hast endowed every hour of these days with a special virtue, inscrutable to all except Thee, Whose knowledge embraceth all created things…” ~ Bahá’u’lláh

And then comes the first day of Spring, the arrival of Naw-Ruz (New Year) and, of course, reunion with that old familiar (tastier than ever) friend… Lunch!

“… This sacred day, when the sun illumines equally, is called the equinox, and the equinox is the symbol of the Manifestation of God. The Sun of Truth rises on the horizon of Divine Mercy and sends forth its rays. This day is consecrated to commemorate it…” ~ Talk by ‘Abdu’l Bahá, March 21, 1913: Star of the West, Vol. 5, No. 1, p. 4

This photo was taken by an exceptional artist whose work, regardless of the medium, has an unmistakable and distinct quality deriving from the inner beauty of its creator. Click on the image above to see more of her work!

Happy Spring!

Whatcha doing now?… How ’bout now? March 25, 2009

I once spent a summer tracking my life in six-minute increments. Sounds neurotic, no? I was working at a corporate litigation firm and on the first day my supervisor handed me a clipboard and instructed me to periodically sit down throughout my workday and record what I had been working on and which client/case should be billed for each six-minute increment thereof.  She also handed me a stack of associated paperwork to complete at the end of the day in order to elaborate upon my mini-records.  The concept seemed absurd — all of us taking a substantial portion of time away from actually working to sit down and write about what we were working on.

Enter: Twitter. No?

Ok Ok — the billable hour has its purpose, and the potential for awesome data-mining/uses of technologies like Twitter is mind-blowing.  BUT, in both cases, it can be funny every once in a while to take a step back and laugh at ourselves!

Well, courtesy of a forward from Kat (a 2.0 queen who consistently serves as a fantastic source of under-exposed news, comic relief, and useful links) here’s a clip others may enjoy:

The principle of moderation in all things comes to mind

“Whatsoever passeth beyond the limits of moderation will cease to exert a beneficial influence. Consider for instance such things as liberty, civilization and the like. However much men of understanding may favourably regard them, they will, if carried to excess, exercise a pernicious influence upon men.” — Bahá’u’lláh

President Obama’s Naw-Ruz Message March 19, 2009

Wow.

Responses to HFCS Commercials February 19, 2009

There’s something very sneaky about the series of commercials by the Corn Refiners Association defending high fructose corn syrup. Have you seen them? I was surprised to see how many spoofs people have posted on YouTube, and guess I’m not the only one aggravated by this advertising campaign…

“The Mothers”

“The Couple”

“The Brothers”

Get the facts.

Change in America January 29, 2009

Each day and all across the United States, two powerful sentiments — In God We Trust and E Pluribus Unum (“out of many, one”) — are exchanged on a near continuous basis between people of increasingly diverse and intermixed heritages.  But how deeply do our actions reflect these ideals?

Signs abound of a common recognition that we, all of humanity, are one and come from the same Source; and at the same time tremors continue reminding us how deeply the fault-lines of racism run.

“Our work is not yet finished, but future generations will mark this morning as the turning point for real and necessary change in our nation. They will look back and remember that this was the moment when the dream that once echoed across history from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial finally reached the walls of the White House.” Those were Senator Feinstein’s words last week and, come what may over the course of the next four years, there certainly were innumerable layers of significance embodied in the moment a man “whose father may not have been served in a local restaurant” stood upon the steps of a building constructed by slaves, across the Potomac from a former bastion of slavery (now a state which voted for him), and assumed such a weighty position of power within a relatively (imagine the day we can rise above partisanship and campaigning?) peaceful transition.

I was moved by a link my friend Eleanor posted on how this moment impacted the perspective of a six-year old boy and how he chose to complete a coloring assignment.  At the same time, and as has been stressed repeatedly, racism is obviously not cured; nor have we addressed its social and economic ramifications in our society and individual lives.

Aboard my flight home last week, I came across this disturbing video about a New York City baker’s offensive cookies.  I’ve since been following public reaction to it and the varying viewpoints expressed make clear we have much further to go.

I’ve also been reading over a statement, published nearly 20 years ago, entitled “The Vision of Race Unity: America’s Most Challenging Issue”.  It states, “In no other country is the promise of organic unity more immediately demonstrable than in the United States because this country is a microcosm of the diverse populations of the earth. Yet this promise remains largely unrealized even here because of the endemic racism that, like a cancer, is corroding the vitals of the nation.” It further states,

“The fundamental solution—the one that will reduce violence, regenerate and focus the intellectual and moral energy of minorities, and make them partners in the construction of a progressive society—rests ultimately on the common recognition of the oneness of humankind. It is entirely human to fail if that which is the most important to people’s self-perception is denied them—namely, the dignity they derive from a genuine regard by others for their stature as human beings. No educational, economic, or political plan can take the place of this essential human need; it is not a need that businesses and schools, or even governments, can provide in isolation from the supportive attitude of society as a whole.

Such an attitude needs to be grounded in a spiritual and moral truth that all acknowledge and accept as their own and that, like the oxygen that serves all equally, breathes life into their common effort to live in unity and peace. Absence of the genuine regard for others fostered by such truth causes hopelessness in those discriminated against; and in a state of hopelessness, people lose the coherent moral powers to realize their potential.”

Hmm… definite achievements to celebrate thus far, but what will it really take?  These ideals are too potent to be left upon bills and coins and pass between us in words alone.

One essential avenue, I think, involves the attitudes we pass along — the spiritual and moral education of children and pre-teens.  Another rest with us each individually taking honest stock of prejudices within our daily interactions and conversations.  Towards that end, I find reflection on the practical implications of the following extremely helpful:

“Know ye not why We created you all from the same dust? That no one should exalt himself over the other. Ponder at all times in your hearts how ye were created. Since We have created you all from one same substance it is incumbent on you to be even as one soul, to walk with the same feet, eat with the same mouth and dwell in the same land, that from your inmost being, by your deeds and actions, the signs of oneness and the essence of detachment may be made manifest. Such is My counsel to you, O concourse of light! Heed ye this counsel that ye may obtain the fruit of holiness from the tree of wondrous glory.” ~Bahá’u’lláh

What about you? Do you think we will realize a day when, through our words and deeds, we evince the notion that we are all one and come from the same Source?

Unity’s Cool Factor January 24, 2009

Have you noticed how trendy unity’s become lately? It’s like mainstream media has suddenly conferred the prom king AND queen crowns upon the now uber popular principle of the oneness of humankind.

Payam and I were flipping through channels last night and were stunned by how many companies — from banks to clothing retailers to fast food chains to life insurance companies and beyond — are suddenly jumping on the unity bandwagon.

A friend forwarded a link to Pepsi’s euphoric new marketing campaign, and then this morning I saw a new Burger King billboard reading “One World. One Whopper.”

Huh? Curious just how far this trend had swept, I googled various combo’s of “unity”, “we are one”, “marketing”, “ad campaigns”, etc. and was astonished.  This “CKone” struck me as the most odd:

Don’t get me wrong. I think it’s fantastic that such a consciousness is stirring and I rejoiced (without feeling enmeshed in something inherently partisan) at the sentiments cheered by crowds of millions at the We Are One concert on the Lincoln memorial on the January 18th. In fact, I still get chills watching clips of the concert or seeing this image:

But, at the same time and whilst partaking in moments truly worthy of celebration, I find something sobering in these words:

“Let there be no mistake. The principle of the Oneness of Mankind — the pivot round which all the teachings of Bahá’u'lláh revolve– is no mere outburst of ignorant emotionalism or an expression of vague and pious hope. Its appeal is not to be merely identified with a reawakening of the spirit of brotherhood and good-will among men, nor does it aim solely at the fostering of harmonious cooperation among individual peoples and nations. Its implications are deeper, its claims greater than any which the Prophets of old were allowed to advance. Its message is applicable not only to the individual, but concerns itself primarily with the nature of those essential relationships that must bind all the states and nations as members of one human family. It does not constitute merely the enunciation of an ideal, but stands inseparably associated with an institution adequate to embody its truth, demonstrate its validity, and perpetuate its influence. It implies an organic change in the structure of present-day society, a change such as the world has not yet experienced. It constitutes a challenge, at once bold and universal, to outworn shibboleths of national creeds — creeds that have had their day and which must, in the ordinary course of events as shaped and controlled by Providence, give way to a new gospel, fundamentally different from, and infinitely superior to, what the world has already conceived. It calls for no less than the reconstruction and the demilitarization of the whole civilized world — a world organically unified in all the essential aspects of its life, its political machinery, its spiritual aspiration, its trade and finance, its script and language, and yet infinite in the diversity of the national characteristics of its federated units.

It represents the consummation of human evolution — an evolution that has had its earliest beginnings in the birth of family life, its subsequent development in the achievement of tribal solidarity, leading in turn to the constitution of the city-state, and expanding later into the institution of independent and sovereign nations.

The principle of the Oneness of Mankind, as proclaimed by Bahá’u'lláh, carries with it no more and no less than a solemn assertion that attainment to this final stage in this stupendous evolution is not only necessary but inevitable, that its realization is fast approaching, and that nothing short of a power that is born of God can succeed in establishing it” (Shoghi Effendi, The World Order of Baha’u'llah, p. 42).

I’ve also been reflecting over a statement called The Prosperity of Humankind, which offers extremely timely insights on the “deceptively simple” concept that humanity constitutes a single people.

As obvious as this might sound, the unification of our planet will not be sustained by Pepsi or Calvin Klein.  It’s definitely exciting to see pop culture and marketing exec’s adjust to a growing global consciousness, but this trend seems a reflection of something deeper our souls have been craving.

What Struck You? January 21, 2009

Personally, my goosebumps got goosebumps (in the areas of my body where blood was still circulating and I had any sensation at all) when “we reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals” was met with an uproar of support; and when, standing between the Capitol and the Lincoln Memorial and just in front of the White House at the foot of the Washington Monument, I heard “This is the meaning of our liberty and our creed — why men and women and children of every race and every faith can join in celebration across this magnificent mall, and why a man whose father less than 60 years ago might not have been served at a local restaurant can now stand before you to take a most sacred oath.”

I also felt sad when the camera would pan to George W. Bush (or when he and Laura flew overhead in a helicopter) and the chorus of boo’s (and, where we were standing, “na-na-na-na, na-na-na-na, hey-hey-hey, goodbye…”) would resound.  I’m aware of international sentiment against the previous administration and its associated justifications — courtesy of Comedy Central, the Onion, Oliver Stone, Saturday Night Live, a steady stream of political cartoons depicting (in, for the most part, unoriginal fashion) all-too-easy targets… the list is endless… how could we not be? Yet the booing, much like the shoe-throwing, lacked class.

My friend Sean said he had been especially moved during the We Are One concert on Sunday (which you can watch here) by the footage of Marian Anderson singing at the Lincoln Memorial in 1939.  Another friend remarked how humbling it was to see images from across the nation of people (including of the then president-elect Obama) celebrating Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy through deeds on the National Day of Service.

I’ve also been pleased to stumble across a number of original and insightful news articles in recent days, and I particularly appreciate the article in the New York Times entitled “A Portrait of Change“.  It explores the many faces represented by the new First Family, and I was struck by how it is becoming increasingly common for members of our human family to trace similarly beautiful and intermixed lineages.  Here’s a link to one of the graphics included in the article:

And finally, I’ve also been reflecting a great deal this morning (aboard the Bolt bus, which has power outlets and free wifi!!) back to something else which appeared in the New York Times on 21 December 2001.

How about you? What has struck you about the inaugural weekend and the events leading up to it?

A Day to Remember January 20, 2009

GeoEye-1 took this satellite photo of the inauguration ceremony (click image to go to source)

Update: Our friend, Nancy Wong, is an exceptional photographer who managed to capture some of the electricity and emotion of the weekend.  She has shared a selection of her images here.

Happy Holidays? December 26, 2008

Though children giggled and glided with glee astride a gorgeously illumined tree and an equally enormous menorah; an anxious, frantic mob of holiday shoppers circled a frenzied underground battle for parking as a general foul mood stink cloud seemed to hang over the entire square!

It was exactly the type of scene I try to avoid around this time of year, but a meeting in the city and some last minute inspiration for a birthday present landed me smack in the heart of San Francisco’s holiday shopping this week.  After a dizzying yet fruitless foray down-up-back down-and back up the labyrinth that is the Union Square underground parking lot, I decided to cut my losses and head for the exit.

“That’ll be $3.00 maam.”

“But I didn’t even get out of my car?”

“Well, you’ve been in here for 15 minutes so you need to pay for a full hour.”

“But I’ve been searching for parking this whole time.”

“Well, I’m sorry but you need to pay if you want to exit.”

“Me pay you for 15 minutes of aggravation? If we’re insisting, shouldn’t you be paying me for 15 (or, by your rules, 60) minutes of my wasted time?”

“Ok, maam.  This time I will void your fee, but next time you have to pay…”

Just breathe, it’s the holidays, people are stressed, just be polite,  just get outta here…

After more stop-and-go-but-mostly-stop on the exit ramp, I reemerged into daylight and starting thinking of how best to use my time and where next to head.  Well, apparently there was only one option: nowhere.

With complete disregard for the honking horns or changing lights, a steady stream of shoppers scurried around the square.  I was waiting to make a right, and it seemed those ahead of me had been waiting to do the same for quite some time.  A woman driving a minivan at the front of the queue rolled down her window and pleaded with the pedestrians to no avail.  Then she got out of her car and screamed, “Can you please wait for your F*#!!*# light? I’ve been waiting to make a beep-beep-da-beep-beep right forever!!”  Would you believe? We moved!

I was happy to escape the square, but wound up in a similarly tense scene a few days later at the airport.  Delays, lost luggage, long lines, the dumping of gels and removal of shoes, and travelers desperate to arrive on time…. a tried and tested recipe for frustration.  But what really seemed to push folks over the top were the added fees for checked luggage.

I’m not sure how much revenue has been generated by United (et al)’s decision to charge passengers for checked luggage, but I am sure it resulted in aggravation at the check-in counter and delays on-board as tired travelers struggled to smoosh their gift bags, coats, and overstuffed carry-on’s into any available crevice.  I overheard one agent condescendingly inform an annoyed passenger (who had been caught unawares by the fee), “Sir. Nothing is free anymore.” Didn’t go over too well.  Another exasperated family was trying to understand why they all had to pay to check their bags within their multi-leg Air Canada (which doesn’t assess a fee for checking a bag) journey, just because one of the hauls was actually aboard an Air Canada flight operated by United.  Star Partner Alliance, you say?  More like one very fractured and dimming constellation.

In any case, I know that the real joy of this season comes from religious reflection and time with loved ones, but at times doesn’t it seem we’ve let layers of stress, aggravation, and anxiety separate happiness from these holy days?

Recession December 20, 2008

Really?