A movement to help free the Baha'i spirit from its shackles
Posted: Wed Apr 02, 2008 11:27 am
I decided to start a separate thread on this topic, to help avoid it being obscured by other issues.
This about what I'm calling a movement to help free the religious spirit from its shackles within the Baha'i community. Some time ago there was some interdisciplinary networking going on among some Baha'is with widely diverging views who were pursuing a variety of initiatives that I see as helping to free the religious spirit from its shackles within the Baha'i community. Ever since I became aware of that, I've been trying to learn what happened to the movement, and if it died, how it might be revived.
The initiatives I see were mostly related to the arts, to translations of the writings, to the Mashriq'ul-Adkar and to the mystical and devotional dimensions of the Faith. The networking I see was happening mostly on the Talisman list.
What I'm talking about can best be seen in the 1996 mysticism conference at Bosch Baha'i school.
I've learned that some of those people are still pursuing what I see as liberating initiatives, and that there is still some networking going on among some of them. All I can think of to help now, is to try to help increase awareness of it.
Generalizing that, I've decided that I'd like to help organize the Internet to facilitate networking among all people who are working to spread peace, justice, fellowship, beauty and kindness.
Jim
This about what I'm calling a movement to help free the religious spirit from its shackles within the Baha'i community. Some time ago there was some interdisciplinary networking going on among some Baha'is with widely diverging views who were pursuing a variety of initiatives that I see as helping to free the religious spirit from its shackles within the Baha'i community. Ever since I became aware of that, I've been trying to learn what happened to the movement, and if it died, how it might be revived.
The initiatives I see were mostly related to the arts, to translations of the writings, to the Mashriq'ul-Adkar and to the mystical and devotional dimensions of the Faith. The networking I see was happening mostly on the Talisman list.
What I'm talking about can best be seen in the 1996 mysticism conference at Bosch Baha'i school.
"From February 23 through 24th, a remarkable conference took place at Bosch Baha'i School, Santa Cruz, California. Envisioned as the first in an annual series of conferences focusing on the mystical teachings of the Bab, Baha'u'llah and 'Abdu'l Baha, the Baha'i Mysticism Conference enabled the 97 participants to develop a greater sense of devotion and mysticism in their personal lives, and to explore ways to enrich the devotional aspects of Baha'i community life in general. Although mysticism has always been part of the religious experience, until Islam it existed at only the individual level. With the rise of the Sufis (Islamic mystics) mysticism became a major flow of thought pursuing the knowledge of transcendent truth through meditation and prayer. By chanting verses from the Writings, the presence of God is invoked. Musical repetition of sacred verses sets up a rhythm which naturally unites people, uplifting them so that they are more receptive. Borrowing from this Sufi tradition, one of the highlights of the Mysticism Conference was its use of zikr (chanting sacred verses) in the devotional portions of the program. The program itself was an eclectic combination of scholarly presentations and uplifting experiential activities such as group zikr, song, art, nature walks and meditation."
- from the Talisman archives
( http://www-personal.umich.edu/~jrcole/t96mar10.htm )
I've learned that some of those people are still pursuing what I see as liberating initiatives, and that there is still some networking going on among some of them. All I can think of to help now, is to try to help increase awareness of it.
Generalizing that, I've decided that I'd like to help organize the Internet to facilitate networking among all people who are working to spread peace, justice, fellowship, beauty and kindness.
Jim