Luminous Realities: Exploring the Creative Process

"Lotus Temple": An Architect's Creative Process

2011-12-31T21:13:00.008-05:00

The Baha'i House of Worship in New Delhi, India - photo by permission of Baha'i Media

This stunningly beautiful building – people call it the “Lotus Temple” – is the Baha’i House of Worship in New Delhi, India. I cannot leave 2011 without a mention of this iconic temple – and the creative process of the award-winning architect who designed it.

The temple was in the news in November when more than 5,000 visitors from 60 countries gathered on its grounds to celebrate the 25th anniversary of its opening. Open to people from all religions and walks of life – as are all Baha’i Houses of Worship – the Lotus Temple has welcomed an estimated 70 million visitors, which makes it one of the most visited buildings in the world.

The lotus, architect Fariborn Sabha would explain, represents the Manifestation of God and is a symbol of purity and tenderness. What I find especially interesting is the architect’s own words about how he came to this unique design. It reflects very nicely the creative paradigm I discuss in this blog. I am struck particularly by how his process exemplifies the paradigm triad: Pay Attention – Create Connection – Walk a Path of Service.

When he began the project, Fariborz Sabha had no idea he would design a building to resemble a lotus flower. What he did know was that he wanted to create connection 1) with the cultural heritage of India and 2) with a central Baha’i principle – unity of religions. His goal was to design something new but familiar – something that would be “loved by the people of different religions.” With this in mind he set about traveling throughout India, visiting hundreds of temples, and all the while praying for guidance.

Mr. Sabha tells the story of how his travel plans changed unexpectedly, bringing him into contact with a Baha’i man who first suggested the design. Sabha did not embrace the idea at once but gradually, as he tells it. With his attention now subtly tuned, he saw lotus flowers depicting the throne of gods in India’s cave art. At a pond filled with magnificent blooms, he saw for himself how the beautiful lotus emerges from common mud. And finally as he researched the art, culture, and religions of India Sabha learned how deeply-rooted the lotus, this evocative emblem of purity, is in the minds and hearts of the Indian people.

Of course, translating the lotus flower into a building was a supremely challenging task, and its amazing accomplishment won more than one award. You can read the architect’s own inspirational words about the building’s 27 petals, the skylight effect of the whole superstructure, the use of water, the environmentally-friendly design for cooling without air conditioning.

Farizorz Sabha was already an accomplished architect, having long before put in his “10,000 hours.” But coming to this new creative project, he had paid attention, found a true connection, and gone on to design a House of Worship that would connect deeply with people of India and beyond.

You will also see the Lotus Temple in One Common Faith, an insightful 11' video set in richly-diverse India. You might be surprised at what these leaders of different religions say about our one human family and the oneness of religious truth.

It’s a nourishing perspective to bring into a New Year.

Sale! The Story of Baha'u'llah + Reader Reviews & Resources

2011-10-25T21:42:00.013-04:00

Cover by Robert Reddy

One more week! October 31^st is the last day to get 40% off The Story of Baha’u’llah: Promised One of All Religions (and other Baha'i titles). Where? Online at the U.S. Baha’i bookstore. Buy one for yourself, or stock up with several copies to share with friends, give as gifts. Many readers say they do just that. See what else Readers Say about The Story of Baha’u’llah.

For book clubs and study circles, in addition to study on your own, spark conversations with these Reader’s Guide Questions, written with readers of diverse faiths in mind. Get help with this brief TOPIC GUIDE. To see the journey of Baha’u’llah’s exile, view this MAP. Click on the phrase tabs at the top of this blog to find each of these resources as a permanent Luminous Realities blog page.

Like the “Look Inside” feature when you shop? Read an excerpt from The Story of Baha’u’llah in my last blog post. For more excerpts see Related Blog Posts below.

I would love to hear from more readers. What stays with you when you read The Story of Baha'u'llah? How do you share it with friends? With community?
Related Blog Posts:
* Bridges of Understanding
* Happy Naw-Ruz! Reflections & A Story
* The Twelfth Day of Ridvan
* Peace & Imagination
* Blog Action Day-Poverty: FreeRice & A Story

The "sun of knowledge . . . moon of wisdom . . . stars of understanding . . . shone brightly"

2011-10-20T14:09:00.008-04:00

Shrine of the Bab at night

Last night, in our local Baha'i celebration of the Birth of the Bab, we enjoyed a selection of stories about the Bab (which means “the Gate” in Arabic). To set the stage we began with this excerpt from Chapter 39 of The Story of Baha’u’llah, in which Bah'au'llah links together all of the Messengers of God:

A human being is “the noblest and most perfect of all created things,” wrote Baha’u’llah in the Kitab-i-Iqan (Book of Certitude), and “the most distinguished and the most excellent” of all men are the Prophets, who are the Messengers of God. They are the “Birds of Eternity,” He wrote, sent by God to educate the souls of humankind .

He told the stories of Abraham, whom He called the “Friend of God,” and of Moses, “He Who held converse wih God.” He told about the light of Jesus and the beauty of Muhammad. There were other Prophets of God, too, in the far reaches of time and human history. One and all, Baha’u’llah wrote, They were “Treasuries of divine knowledge.”

Like clearly polished mirrors reflecting the light of the sun, They reflected “the light of unfading glory” – the spiritual light of God Himself. Their lives and teachings revealed “the names and attributes of God,” Baha’u’llah explained, “such as knowledge and power, sovereignty and dominion, mercy and wisdom, glory, bounty and grace.” Through Them “the sun of knowledge, . . . the moon of wisdom, and . . . the stars of understanding and utterance” shone brightly.

“Human tongue can never befittingly sing their praise,” wrote Baha’u’llah in the Book of Certitude, “and human speech can never unfold their mystery.”

The birth of each Prophet of God was heralded by various signs in the heavens and on earth. A new star appeared in the sky, and a special teacher prepared the way, instructing others how to recognize the new Messenger of God. Each Prophet, “a pure and stainless Soul,” appeared with God’s guidance at a different time and place in human history. It was part of God’s Covenant with humanity – His promise that He would never leave them without guidance.

“Not for a moment,” wrote Baha’u’llah, “hath His grace been withheld, nor have the showers of His loving-kindness ceased to rain upon mankind.” . . . .

. . . . . A Prophet demonstrated the truth of His message, wrote Baha’u’llah, through His own life, through His revelation of the Word of God, and through the wondrous effects of His revelation on the hearts of His followers. He was steadfast in proclaiming the Cause of God, no matter how bitter the opposition. Each Prophet – the Messenger of God – accepted the Prophets before Him and predicted the One who would follow Him after a certain period of time.

All of these things were true of the Bab, Baha’u’llah explained in the book of Certitude. Astronomers had found a new star in the heavens. Shaykh Ahmad and Siyyid Kazin, “those twin resplendent lights,” had prepared the way among men. The Bab Himself “was afraid of no one” in proclaiming the Cause of God. “All have known and heard this,” wrote Baha’u’llah. “He was regardless of consequences.” The more severe the persecution they inflicted on Him, “the more His fervor increased, and the brighter burned the flame of His love.” Already, people who had been strangers had been brought together as believers in the Bab. Could such a thing take place except through the power of God? . . .

The compelling story of the Bab, Whose life and Revelation was closely intertwined with that of Baha’u’llah, is told in “Part One – The Dawn” of The Story of Baha’u’llah. For more on the Bab see these blog posts:
The Bab: "Afraid of No One" - stories of the Bab's early life
The Bab: 'Gate" to an Era of Maturity - story of the Bab at Mah-Ku & video link to life of the Bab
'The Gate' to an Era of Maturity (author essay)

The Destiny of America & the Promise of World Peace - Pressing the Refresh Button

2011-10-15T13:14:00.009-04:00

In our collective American life we are going through a rough patch. We feel beseiged by forces without and battered by forces within, as the solid ground of the American dream shifts beneath our feet. Our united remembrance of the heroic and sacrifical on September 11th was followed all too quickly by the divisive voices of politics as usual. Like me, you may have skipped right over International Peace Day. Peace seems so very far away.

UN Photo #15153 by Helena Mulkerns

As we struggle in the current milieu of challenges on every horizon, there is a great collective desire to press the refresh button – to renew our vision of ourselves and our nation, to take a true reading of where we stand and where we are headed.

Which is why I invite you to read The Destiny of America and the Promise of World Peace: “At this time of world turmoil, the United States Baha’i community offers a perspective on the destiny of America as the promoter of world peace,” it begins.

The complete statement was written in response to the September 11th terror attacks and originally published in newspapers across the nation in December 2001. But when I saw it referenced in a recent interview, it struck a chord all over again. It feels exactly like what we need to hear now.

The opening passage provides a refreshed context for world events, outside the box of daily news: “More than a hundred years ago, Baha’u’llah, the founder of the Baha’i Faith, addressing heads of state, proclaimed that the age of maturity for the entire human race had come. The unity of humankind was now to be established as the foundation of the great peace that would mark the highest stage in humanity’s spiritual and social evolution. Revolutionary and world-shaking changes were therefore inevitable. . . . ” [Read more]

UN Photo

Want peace? More is required than the mere signing of treaties. First and foremost Baha’u’llah defined the basic need for “universal acceptance of the spiritual principle of the oneness of humankind.” That one change will let us look with new eyes at issues that stand in the way of peace.

Even as Baha’i writings envision America as “the promoter of world peace,” the American nation is called to “a new level of commitment to resolving issues not customarily associated with the pursuit of peace.” Racism, the inordinate disparity between rich and poor, unbridled nationalism, religious strife – these are matters in critical need of attention. The full equality of women and men is indispensable to peace, as well as a wider loyalty – a love for humanity as a whole.

Destiny is not a passive thing. The quality of change America can make in the world will come from the quality of changes we make in the life of our nation. We have to tackle the hard stuff.

The Baha’i view of America is as realistic as it is encouraging: “The American nation, Baha’is believe, will evolve through tests and trials to become a land of spiritual distinction and leadership, a champion of justice and unity among all peoples and nations, and a powerful servant of the cause of everlasting peace . . . the peace promised by God in the sacred texts of the world’s religions.”

During these days of tests and trials we might find comfort in knowing that we are taking a new step forward with our entire human family.

Related Blog Posts:
* Peace & Imagination
* “to abolish all disputes, war, and bloodshed from the face of the earth”
See these Chapters from The Story of Baha’u’llah: Promised One of All Religion:
* Chp.50 – For the Healing of All the World
* Chp.64 – These Fruitless Strifes, These Ruinous Wars
* Chp.65 – The King of Days

Black Butterfly Moon

2011-09-30T15:10:00.002-04:00

BLACK BUTTERFLY MOON

I step into September -- Black Butterfly Moon --
like a diver steps with quickening heart to the edge,
springs into the sweet pulse of air,
reaches and arcs into the last hovering
moment before descent. So many moments

gather into the soft, black wings
of September, gleanings of moons gone by --
Leaf Moon, Mulberry Moon, Yellow
Flower Moon -- bundled like sheaves of light
ripened into this one taking-off moment,

gathering strength to strength like prayers unfolding
between heaven and earth. It is not yet the hard
lean Moon When the Wolves Run Together, not yet
the Ice Moon. It is the Black Butterfly
Moon of September and all things are possible.

- Druzelle Cederquist [pub in World Order Magazine 2003, Vol.35, No.1]
[The moon names in the poem refer to Native American names of the months of the year. The names, in order starting with Black Butterfly Moon, come from the Cherokee, Kiowa, Creek, Osage, Cheyenne, and Tewa Pueblo Indian tribes.]

I share this poem once again on this last day of September – a month which always feels to me like a time of beginnings. Left-over from school days, no doubt. But in the places where I grew up and lived for most of my life, September is the month that turns its face from summer to autumn. Even with a scattering of warm, summer-like days, there is no going back. There are new harvests waiting ahead, harvests that thrive in elements which require tougher skins. Autumn is my favorite time.

But in the life of the American nation this September has felt difficult – a time of hard remembrance, a time of transition toward unknown seasons. What will be the harvests ahead? Will they keep us against the fears of winter? My next post will offer a perspective that I hope will nourish your spirit as we move ahead.

Related Posts: Black Butterfly Moon - 2007

Ridvan: What is Paradise?

2011-05-02T23:56:00.006-04:00

Webshots: Outdoor

The slender pear tree in my front yard is a sudden bouquet of delicate, white flowers. Azalea bushes next to the door mound in purple blossoms that hum with the buzz of fat bees come to dine. Behind our home the woods has taken on a green haze that will ripen, nearly overnight, into summer foliage. Bird songs fill its branches by day, while evening offers up the sweet sound of peepers – frogs calling to each other in high, dulcet tones. It is spring, when the wonders of transformation seem almost commonplace.

It was another season of renewal, April 1863, that was transformed by Baha’u’llah Himself. When a garden on an island in the River Tigris, outside Baghdad – air rich with the fragrance of roses, nights embellished with the songs of nightingales – became the setting for His greatest Announcement. When the sorrow caused by the machinations of His enemies turned, instead, to unbounded joy. For Baha’u’llah chose this occasion, as He prepared to leave Baghdad, to disclose openly for the first time what so many had longed to hear.

Baha’u’llah was not simply Mirza Husayn-‘Ali, a Persian noble who had suffered torture and unjust imprisonment in Tehran; not merely a man who had endured, with his family, a mountainous winter journey into exile; not simply the one who had faced down an assassin in Baghdad and stood up to the challenge of mullas bent on waging holy war.

Baha’u’llah – “the Glory of God” – was the Promised One whose advent the faithful of every Faith had prayed to witness: a Divine Messenger in that rank of Holy Messengers before Him – Abraham and Moses, Krishna, Buddha and Zoroaster, Christ, Muhammad, and the Bab.

“The Divine Springtime is come,” declared Baha’u’llah, and those who were with Him for His Announcement named the garden on the Tigris, “Ridvan” - which means "Paradise." Surely there could be no greater bliss than to stand in this spot, at this Hour, with the Promised One of God! (For more of the story read On the Banks of the Tigris.)*

Baha'u'llah linked His greatest Announcement to a law. He forbade the use of force in spreading the Word of God. The mightiest sword is the tongue, He said, for speech can remove the veils of ignorance from the human heart.

Each year, as Baha’is world-wide celebrate this holiest of Baha’i period of days – the Festival of Ridvan – from April 21 to May 2, it is not simply a story of history that is celebrated, but a powerful shift in vision unveiled by Baha’u’llah: that the religions called by different names are, in reality, one religion unfolding over time, their separate Prophets inspired by one Source, their sacred guidance flowing together into one divine purpose – the upliftment of the human spirit and the evolution of human consciousness.

It is a vision that creates a new mind, a new heart within every soul who embraces Baha’u’llah. A transformation that leads, indeed, to paradise.

*For complete story of that first Ridvan see chapters 39-41 in The Story of Baha'u'llah

nineteen days: to fast, pray, pay attention

2011-03-02T22:57:00.005-05:00

“It is not Our wish to lay hands on your kingdoms,” Baha’u’llah assured the kings and rulers of the world, for God, He wrote, “hath singled out the hearts of men as His Own domain."

Today the 19-day Baha'i Fast begins the last month of the Baha'i year, a time particularly set aside each year to listen, tune into, pay closer attention to the heart's sacred domain.

It is a simple truth that while the Baha’i physical fast is the same for all Baha’is – to refrain from food and drink between sunrise and sunset -- the spiritual heart of the fast is an intimate, singular experience for each individual. I never know exactly what a particular fast will bring. Which prayers will speak to me. What challenges will rise up. It is always an archeology of the spirit.

The boon of fasting with community is companionship in the process, which can come in various ways. One of the delights for me has been the beautiful nineteen days blog. It is a collaborative photo blog whose daily posts include photos from around the world, inspirational Baha’i passages, and comments from that day’s particular photographers about their fasting experience. Truly a welcome companion.

Whether you are fasting or not, I encourage you to visit and enjoy. Check out notes on this year's photographers. You might also enjoy the Naw-Ruz (New Year) photos from the end of last year's project.

Founders Amy and Leila have dedicated this year’s nineteen days project to “those Baha’is who live in Iran” including the seven Baha’i leaders unjustly imprisoned for the last three years.

Grow a Writer's Brain -- New Blog Page for Sustained Creative Process

2011-02-18T11:00:00.006-05:00

Creativity, Craft & Connection: Attitudes & Strategies
to Grow a Writer's Brain

Have you put in your 10,000 hours?

Writers, have you noticed the tab “Grow a Writer’s Brain” at the top of this blog? It links to a new permanent page which features my paradigm for sustained creative process – the visual you see here – and links to previous blog posts that explain and explore what it means. The idea is to make this practical encouragement easily accessible. Here is how the page begins:

Behind writer tips of the day, what are the deeper attitudes and strategies that not only foster creativity, but sustain it over the long haul? Or more simply, What do we pay attention to, and how do we do it? This nine-pointed star is a handy mnemonic that highlights key areas for attention. Think of it as a motion-stop frame of a dynamic, ongoing process that fairly crackles with energy. At its heart is KNOWLEDGE – ENDEAVOR – NETWORK. It draws support from science, the arts, and Baha’i writings.

What does it look like in real life? Writers discover new levels of learning and insight as we revisit familiar practices: write on a regular basis, learn more about our craft and our self, network with writers engaged in the learning process.

The exciting thing is that, with every venture into new territory, the brain creates and strengthens new synapses of learning. The more awareness I bring to the process, the more systematically I engage in new learning, the more certain it is that I will not only connect with my creative spirit, but also grow a writer’s brain!

Click through the Grow a Writer’s Brain tab at the top of this blog for links to the blog posts in which I open up the paradigm in more detail -- posts like You Get the Brain You Choose; Does it make you want to write? or Writers & Creative Process: What’s science got to do with it? Of course what will make it all the more interesting -- as with any conversation -- are your own questions and comments. And if you like it, please do share it.

"The Warmth of Other Suns"

2011-02-06T15:33:00.020-05:00

The Warmth of Other Suns is a captivating story that lifts the veil on a part of American life hidden in plain sight for six decades: from 1915, the era of World War I, to the 1970’s. Author Isabel Wilkerson calls it “the biggest under-reported story of the 20th century.” It was the Great Migration – black Americans leaving the South and moving North. It changed everything – for all of us – and Isabel Wilkerson tells the story as we’ve never heard it before. She also brings our attention to what we have in common as Americans: the immigrant heart. What does she mean by that? Find out from the author herself in this brief video clip:

Read more about the author's three large projects that went in the making of this extraordinary book. Reviewers call the book "Mesmerizing" and are eloquent in their praise of Wilkerson. I agree. Already a Pulitzer prize-winning writer, who long ago put in her 10,000 hours, Wilkerson brought it all to this book - and it shows. The magic of The Warmth of Other Suns is spun from both the transporting power of her writing and her choice to tell the larger story of six million black Americans through the intimate stories of three individuals. It is a mind-altering read, and in the words of the New York Times, “sure to hold many surprises for readers of any race or experience.”

The thing is, you can argue politics, economics, but not personal story. To learn from the inside about the tough choices people made, the stories behind them and the stories of their consequences, becomes the stuff that binds us together as human beings. We need to take in these stories, be willing to share our own. It becomes a process that softens our hearts towards one another with empathy, compassion, respect. It becomes the basis for dialogue, understanding, justice. It leads us to genuine unity, which Baha’u’llah tells us is at the heart of our reality, and at the center of solving every other problem.

Isabel Wilkerson’s work and the attitude she brings to it is a valuable contribution along this path, which is why, I think, it resonates so deeply with others. Let me leave you with her words, in this passage from The Warmth of Other Suns:

“The actions of the people in this book were both universal and distinctly American. Their migration was a response to an economic and social structure not of their making. They did what humans have done for centuries when life became untenable – what the pilgrims did under the tyranny of British rule, what the Scotch-Irish did in Oklahoma when the land turned to dust, what the Irish did when there was nothing to eat, what the European Jews did during the spread of Nazism, what the landless in Russia, Italy, China, and elsewhere did when something better across the ocean called to them. What binds these stories together was the back-against-the-wall, reluctant yet hopeful search for something better, any place but where they were. They did what human beings looking for freedom, throughout history, have often done.

They left.”

Related Posts: Race in America: The Standard
Writers & Creative Process: What's science got to do with it?

As we move on: A Gaggle of Blog Posts from 2010

2010-12-31T22:14:00.006-05:00

Neighborhood Geese Moving On

As we move from the neighborhood of 2010 to a new patch called 2011 it's a good practice to recall some of where we've been. Here are a few blog highlights from Luminous Realities - with many thanks to you as readers. I hope my blog has been a light, however small, on your journey through the days.

1. The Roses We Bring to Our Friends
2. “Oasis” – A Sonnet on Meditation
3. A Mirror “upon which no dust has fallen”

4. The Chihuahuas are running amuck – O my! One Writer grapples with the Digital Age
5. Twinkies, Brussels Sprouts & Digital Sabbaticals: ‘Is this working for you?’
6. When you see a RED FLAG, Say Something

7. Bridges of Understanding & the Power of Social Networking
8. ‘That tall black one over there.’ Race, Writers & Creating Connection
9. On the Page and Off – Race, Writers & Creating Connection

Bridges of Understanding & the Power of Social Networking

2010-12-31T20:18:00.016-05:00

Courtesy of interfaithresources.com

It’s not often that a news feature grabs my attention the way this CBS Sunday Morning segment did -- for so many reasons. The 7-minute video is titled Finding a Religious Common Ground, and while not mentioning the Baha’i Faith at all, surely does speak the same language. It also challenges us, as we move into 2011, to consider what we will do with the days that are given to us in this coming year.

Consider the opening story. Three women who were not friends decided, after 9/11, to come together and learn from one another about the religions that seemed to divide them – Judasim, Christianity, Islam – an initiative that eventually grew far beyond themselves (see more in video). This individual grassroots intiative took courage, and speaks volumes about the power we hold in our own hands and hearts, a power that does not need to wait on outside direction.

“If the silent majority got active, and instead of talking about their religion, started doing what their religions tell them to do, they could change the world.” That from Karen Armstrong, reknowned religious historian.

And from E. Patel: “Cooperation is a value within every particular Faith tradition.” Patel is the founder of Chicago Interfaith Youth Corps, which promotes dialogue and action on 150 college campuses. Here is an interesting exchange:

Interviewer: “Why not just say giving back is important, volunteering is important? Why see it through a religious lens?”
Patel: “My religion of Islam inspires me to serve others. Poll after poll after poll shows that the United States . . . a huge number of its citizens are inspired to do good work for other people through their religions.”

Early in the piece Armstrong identified the Golden Rule* as a teaching of each major religion, which came around again in the wrap-up:

Interviewer: “Religion as a force for good – just as the Bible tells us, and the Koran, and the Torah. Just remember the Golden Rule.”

Armstrong: “Unless we learn to treat all peoples, all nations, as we would wish to be treated ourselves, we’re not going to have a viable world to hand on to our children and grandchildren.”

Permission of BIC - Baha'i Media

That is the truth, simple and real, a truth we ignore at our peril. Baha’is, too, not only believe that religion plays a crucial role in building a peaceful world, but are already at work on it – and most often hand in hand with our neighbors. The invitation to bring one’s own faith to devotional gatherings with Baha’is and friends from every Faith, or to engage in study and spiritual conversations that often lead to service, is both respectful and heart-felt. Together we are beginning to learn the practices and skills that truly transform individuals and create communities reflecting the diversity of humankind.

In the 19th century Baha'u'llah clearly laid down the basis for creating Bridges of Understanding, which readers will find in The Story of Baha'u'llah. He is quoted in a message sent by the Universal House of Justice to the world’s religious leaders, calling all to work together:

“There can be do doubt whatever that the peoples of the world, of whatever race or religion, derive their inspiration from one heavenly Source, and are the subjects of one God," wrote Baha’u’llah. "The difference between the ordinances under which they abide should be attributed to the varying requirements and exigencies of the age in which they were revealed. . . . Arise and, armed with the power of faith, shatter to pieces the gods of your vain imaginings, the sowers of dissension amongst you. Cleave unto that which draweth you together and uniteth you.”

* The Golden Rule: Click on the banner at the U.S. Baha’i site (the one with the same symbols as those at the top of this post). As you roll your mouse over each symbol, you will see the Golden Rule as stated in that Faith, each a variation of “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”

Related Blog Posts:
The Roses We Bring to Our Friends
Bridges of Understanding

It is only natural then to ask "How did Baha'u'llah live His life?"

2010-11-13T12:48:00.008-05:00

Entrance to the Shrine of Baha'u'llah adjacent to the Mansion of Bahji in Acre, Israel

Reprinted with permission of the Baha'i international community: Baha'i Media

Baha’is around the globe celebrated the Birth of Baha’u’llah on November 12. What better time than now to peruse The Life of Baha’u’llah: A Photographic Narrative? A beautiful glimpse into a compelling life, this website showcases historical photos that include Baha'u'llah's birthplace (Tehran), the cities of His exile, the cell in which He was confined for two years, and more, including current photos of the Baha'i World Center.

Then I invite you to visit this beautifully-designed photo site for a contemporary look at how Baha'i communities world-wide are "promoting at the grassroots the well-being of the entire human race" -- how "these citizens of the world are rallying with their friends and neighbors, their families and co-workers to participate in the transformation of society."

For more striking photography with the most current scenes of the Baha'i World Center, along with text about the significance of it all, check out the beautiful new book Hasten Forth -- and the interesting story behind the book about the young couple who made it happen.

Of course it is also a good time to read The Story of Baha’u’llah: Promised One of All Religions. Why did I choose to tell this story? I answer that question in this excerpt from my essay Journey to a Sacred City:

“Truthfully, there are more reasons than I have room here to write. But equally true is that I wrote The Story of Baha’u’llah to answer questions, the questions that must arise in response to so great a claim as that advanced by Baha’u’llah – that He is God’s Messenger to humankind for this day. What constitutes the proof of a Prophet of God? In the words of Christ, “You will know them by their fruits.” (Matt.7:16)

“It is only natural then to ask: How did Baha’u’llah live His life? How did His actions correspond to His words? What were the choices by which His days were measured? How did He treat those who loved Him or respond to those who betrayed Him? How were others – whether friend or enemy, believer or nonbeliever – affected by His presence? What effect did He exert on the larger world?

“These are the questions by which we evaluate any life. My hope in relating not only the public events of Baha’u’llah’s life, but the more intimate facts as well, is to enable the reader to gain insight into a life that is compelling by any standard – and which continues to inspire countless souls. . . .”

To learn more about Baha'i community and beliefs visit the U.S.Baha'i and Baha’i Internatonal sites.
Related Posts:
Asking Questions, Seeking Answers & Celebrating Baha’u’llah
A Handful of Holy Day Gifts (with video)

On the Page and Off -- Race, Writers & Creating Connection

2010-11-13T09:57:00.023-05:00

Author Lynn Capehart -
photo by Brian Goodloe

This is Part 2. For Part 1 see “That tall black one over there.” Race, Writers & Creating Connection.

“Out of many, we are one.” Lynn Capehart opens her article The Importance of Inclusionary Writing with this reference to candidate Obama's speech on race, and suggests that “by making subtle changes in their prose to become inclusionary, writers can contribute to America’s dream of unity.” To me this sounds like the opening of a valuable dialogue. A writer of color has taken the time and effort to bring a point of craft – and of larger awareness – to the attention of white writers. What will we do about it?

What I particularly value in Lynn Capehart’s article is her thoughtful connection between words on the page – in this case, character description – and the effect they wield off the page, their real-life impact on readers. A writer strives to engage a reader’s imagination, to create response – that is why we learn the craft – but what if the effect we create is not what we intend? What if the flow of my reader’s imagination is abruptly interrupted by what feels like a lack of respect from me, the writer?

Every time a fictional character of color is NOT described with the nuanced detail a writer gives to his story’s white characters, but rather in a simple, generic way – Black, Asian, Mexican – the reader of color is zapped, says Capehart, jolted out of the fictional world with a real-world reminder of an “exclusionary” reality. He cannot help but be reminded – because it is intrinsic to our American history – “of white society’s inability to really ‘see’ [the person of color] as a fully developed human being – an equal, and not an ‘other.’”

“Writers are supposed to look at the world and blend their observations into their prose,” Capehart reminds us. “To do that well, white writers have to start really “looking at” their characters of color. If the creator can’t see the person, how can she describe that character to the reader?”

That question leads, I think, to other questions that writers might want to ask themselves. What about our own real-world lives? How diverse are our friendships? Within any ethnic group outside our own, what is the range of our acquaintances? How well do we know anyone of another race or ethnicity? I suspect that when diversity is a natural part of our off-the-page experience, it will more naturally reflect in our on-page descriptions.

Back to Lynn Capehart, who more than once frames the topic of character description as an area in which a writer can serve the reader – help the reader ‘see’ with new eyes – which, I would add, relates to creating new, more perceptive reader minds. By bringing a new writerly mind to the page, the writer becomes a spark for change. What better way to wield the power of the pen?

My own motivating standard comes from The Baha’i writings, which state that “the solution of so vast a problem” as race in America requires “a supreme effort” by white and black and clearly lays out the attitudes and qualities needed by both. Read my post Race in America: The Standard. A bit of fictional character description may not seem like a supreme effort, but a consistent effort - and the questions it might lead a writer to ask of herself - can only lead forward.

So how do other writers respond to Lynn Capehart? Check out online comments on The Writer website – and leave your own comments. For a little back-and-forth, check out The Writer’s current December issue and Lynn Capehart’s response to a writer who calls her biased.
Related Posts:
Race: Election, Dialogue & What We Really Believe
Black Butterfly Moon - a poem & discussion of color in writing
Writer Paradigm: "That's good enough to cut out and pin up over your typewriter."

'That tall black one over there." Race, Writers & Creating Connection

2010-10-23T16:42:00.011-04:00

In the October issue of The Writer magazine I found an article about character description that every writer in America should read – absolutely every one. It’s that important. But first a related bit of personal story from years ago, which begins in the middle of things:

I stopped to ask a woman vendor if she knew the fellow who sold jeans here at the Samaru market. "That tall, black one over there," she answered, and gestured toward people milling about the shops across the way. "Right," I sighed to myself. "That’s about as clear as mud." I was a white person in a Nigerian marketplace, for goodness’ sake. Half the people around me looked tall and black.

Later, a Nigerian friend laughed when I told him, and recalled his first student trip to North America. He never forgot getting off the plane in this strange, new place and looking into a sea of white faces -- faces that, to him, all looked alike.

Eventually both of us would graduate from our initial states of embarrassment, as we began to see with new eyes, to distinguish the shades and features among the diverse peoples in our adopted environments. For each of us that meant a brain that grew new neural connections, a brain physcially altered by new experience, so that we looked at the world with eyes informed by a new mind.

As writers, too, we need to look with new eyes at the characters in our own stories – and perhaps develop a new mind in the process – if we are to get beyond stories in which people of a different race or ethnicity “all look alike.” Lynn Capehart brings our attention to this very real writer awareness gap in her excellent article "The Importance of Inclusionary Writing." In her discussion Capehart shares an example and would have us ask, “What’s wrong with this picture?”

“Detective Winn applied the match to his pipe and watched the suspects enter the room. Through a haze of smoke he sized up each man. The leader, Riley, was first through the door, tall as timber, bald head marked with the scars of a fight he almost lost, dangerous eyes searching every corner of the room. Behind him was his stooge, Tram. Squat and round and hard like a boulder, his small glasses sat awry on his mean face. Bringing up the rear was Solomon, a tall black man.”

“The writer does not mention the race of Dectective Winn, Riley and Tram because the writer is white and these characters are white,” says Capehart. “The description for Solomon is summed up by a racial label. . . . . Ask yourself,” Capehart adds, “If you were in a room with several tall black men, how would you pick out Solomon? The answer is that you couldn’t, because the writer has not given you any real description of Solomon, the individual, who happens to be black.”

Hmmm, very much like my experience in the Nigerian marketplace, and by the way, as Capehart points out, not good writing. “Asian” and “Mexican” show up as character descriptions in another example as “generic stand-ins” for the race. Capehart notes that writers of color also need to avoid labeling characters as merely “white.”

Think this is just a problem of bad writers? Think again. Capehart offers specific examples of “best of” compilations, pieces in highly-regarded publications, and uninformed comments from mentoring authors. Taken altogether, the evidence more than suggests an authentic need for working that important piece of the creative paradigm : PAY ATTENTION!

Because this is not about political correctness.” It is all about the writer’s most basic work: creating connection with the reader. The one you want to read your book. The one whose imagination you want to engage from first page to last. Who will recommend it to others, if she likes it, or put it down and never come back, depending. To forge this connection is the writer’s primary motivation for learning craft – and there is always more to learn.

So you probably want to know, “What is the real-life effect on readers who encounter this awareness gap in our writing?” And to consider, perhaps, how a writer's life beyond the page might better inform characters on the page. See my next post On the Page and Off -- Race, Writers & Creating Connection.
Related Posts:
Race & Writers - with links to poetry, blog posts & resources
Black Butterfly Moon - a poem & discussion of color in writing

The Bab: "Afraid of No One"

2010-10-19T14:16:00.011-04:00

Shrine of the Bab in Haifa, Israel. [Baha'i Media with permission of Baha'i International Community]

This evening begins a Baha’i Holy Day, the Birth of the Bab (which means “the Gate” in Arabic) celebrated by Baha’is world-wide. The compelling story of the Bab, Whose life and Revelation was closely intertwined with that of Baha’u’llah, unfolds in “Part One – The Dawn” of The Story of Baha’u’llah. In honor of the occasion, let me share an excerpt about the early life of the Bab, Whose given name was ‘Ali-Muhammad:

“While people in many parts of the world had been preparing for the coming of a new divine Messenger, ‘Ali-Muhammad – the Bab – had been growing up quiety in Shiraz, Persia. Born October 20, 1819 . . . He was blessed with innate knowledge and extraordinary wisdom. . . . and from His childhood the Bab showed deep attraction and devotion to spiritual pursuits. When other boys played games in the orchards, the gentle-natured ‘Ali-Muhammad might be found in a shady spot beneath a tree, away from the others, deep in prayer and meditation.

“Sometimes He was late for school. When His teacher asked why, ‘Ali-Muhammad would answer that He had been in the house of His grandfather – a reference to His ancestor, the Prophet Muhammad. His meaning was that He had been at prayer. . . .

“From the age of fifteen the Bab worked as a merchant . . . Always considerate, courteous, and truthful, fair in His dealings and generous to the poor, He earned a reputation as one whose character was above reproach. . . . Later the Bab married the purehearted Khadijih Bagum, whom He had known since childhood. Their only child, a boy named Ahmad, died in infancy.

“The dawn of each day, when others turned in prayer toward Mecca, found the Bab gazing north, in the direction of Tehran as He prayed. With what feelings of love and joy He greeted each day’s rising sun – to Him the brilliant symbol of that Daystar of Truth who was soon to brighten the world – Baha’u’llah.

From the age of twenty-five, for the last six years of His life, ‘Ali Muhammad would be known as the Bab, “the Gate.” He was the dawn, the light of His revelation like the first light of day, opening a great new spiritual cycle. The Bab would send His followers to proclaim far and wide the coming of “Him Whom God will make manifest,” Who was the "Most Great Light" -- Baha’u’llah.

The Bab Himself “was afraid of no one” in proclaiming the Cause of God, Baha’u’llah would later write in the Kitab-i-Iqan (Book of Certitude). “He was regardless of consequences.” The more severe the persecution they inflicted on Him, “the more His fervor increased, and the brighter burned the flame of His love. . . .No understanding can grasp the nature of His Revelation, nor can any knowledge comprehend the full measure of His Faith,” declared Baha’u’llah. “How great and lofty is His station!”

On this Holy Day Baha’is gather to celebrate the Bab and the new era He ushered in. For more about what that means see The Bab: ‘Gate’ to an Era of Maturity essay or blog post.

Here are a few prayers from the Bab, including one of my favorites:
“Praised and glorified art Thou, O God! . . . Cheer our hearts through the potency of Thy love and good-pleasure . . ."

Twinkies, Brussels Sprouts & Digital Sabbaticals: ‘Is this working for you?’

2010-10-03T13:39:00.013-04:00

“The global society to which we all belong is dramatically more connected than it was a decade ago, and becoming more so each day. . . This is not a small matter. It’s a struggle that’s taking place at the center of our lives. It’s a struggle for the center of our lives, for control of how we think and feel. When you’re scrambling all the time, that’s what your inner life becomes: scrambled.” -- William Powers in Hamlet’s Blackberry

Or what I call the chihuahua effect (my last post). As I grapple to adjust the balance between life online and life connected to my interior creative self, I keep in mind the Dr. Phil question: “Is this working for you?” The good news, I discovered, is that I am not alone. Other people are asking the same question and experimenting with creative answers. Yes, I admit I found these folks online - a touch of irony, perhaps, but I am going for balance, not abandoning life online.

How about a “digital sabbatical”– a week-end (or more) away from online life? That’s what Tammy Strobel (author of Smalltopia) does on a regular basis. (Today Show sees how Tammy declutters her whole life!) Her insightful reflections might inspire you to try it yourself. See A Magical Block of Time: Lessons Learned from my Digital Sabbatical and related posts in her blog Rowdy Kittens: social change through simple living.

These 2-minute VIDEOS are great! Tap into the experience of a diverse set of folks who responded to The Unplugged Challenge from The New York Times. Each one gave up technology for a period of time, and shared how it went and what they learned. Not only do we see just how plugged-in some of us are -- one woman reported reading her wedding vows from her Iphone – we also find out what surprised them. Several chose to make real changes in their daily life with technology.

More than one person reported being more present to real life, especially to friends in the room. One woman decided to write more letters to friends instead of facebook blurbs. Most reported feeling more relaxed away from technology. Not right away, but in a surprisingly short time. Is it the 3-Day Effect?

Several scientists who study the brain took a wilderness vacation together with one rule – no cell phones, no Internet access, no technological distractions -- and noticed “something significant happening on the third day away from technology . . . You start to feel more relaxed,” explained one scientist. “Maybe you don’t reach for your phone pinging in your pocket. Maybe you wait a little longer before answering a question. Maybe you don’t feel in a rush to do anything – your sense of urgency fades.”

Although it was personal experience, not scientific study, the scientists agreed our questions deserve a closer scientific look. Is there anything to this 3-day effect? What happens to us “when we’re overwhelmed with data” vs “when we get away from it?” What happens to our brains on gadgets? In a global society we need technology, but we need it to serve, not enslave us.

“The average person today consumes almost three times as much information” as the typical person in 1960, writes technology journalist Matt Richtel (who coined the “3-day effect”). He uses an analogy we can all get our teeth into: “We know that some food is Twinkies and some food is Brussels sprouts. And we know that if we overeat, it causes problems. Similarly, after 20 years of glorifying technology as if all computers were good and all use of it was good, science is beginning to embrace the idea that some technology is Twinkies and some technology is Brussels sprouts.”

While we wait on scientific studies, William Powers in Hamlet's Blackberry reminds us of an important truth: “Every crowd is just a collection of individual selves, and to understand what’s happening to those selves right now, we all have instant, no password access to the most reliable source of all. Our own lives can teach us things that no data set ever can, if we’d just pay attention to them.” And that, my friends, is at the heart of working the creative paradigm.

The Chihuahuas are running amuck - Oh my! One Writer grapples with the Digital Age

2010-09-24T12:32:00.014-04:00

America’s Got Talent was my summer’s guilty pleasure. (I actually voted for the winner!) But this 50-second chihuahua fiasco (in Portland) was my favorite bit of the entire summer. I laughed till I cried. And for days afterward the vision of Chihuahuas Unleashed would run across my inner movie screen and leave me chuckling at odd moments. It still makes me smile – so I share it here with you.

Ok, maybe it’s not that funny, except to me. Because there it was – a perfect metaphor for my writer self this summer as I grappled with a writing process that seemed about as controllable as a frenetic pack of chihuahuas!

View the doggie audition tape and you’ll see there really was a plan. Then came the BIG NIGHT. Equipment in place. Judges ready. And ON STAGE! BRIGHT LIGHTS! A ROOM FULL OF PEOPLE! Those doggies were not in their backyard Kansas anymore. There was NEW STUFF TO EXPLORE! Who wouldn’t go a little wild? The onstage distractions were just too tempting!

Much like being a writer in the digital age. Internet, Facebook, Twitter, Blogs, Email, Cell phones - all those great distractions from the writing task at hand. When The Story of Baha’u’llah was published in 2005, Facebook was a year old and had not gone public. Twitter was nonexistent. No cell phone apps or Ipad, blogging was new, and my email felt manageable.

What a different milieu exists in which to write my current book. In 2006 I entered the blogging world, joined life on Facebook a bit later, forayed into the Twitterverse, and added texting to my phone skills. For someone who loves to connect and communicate, life was looking good – until it wasn’t.

In the middle of all that outreach I had started work on my current book project. With a large creative project I need time for immersion; for long stretches of time to grapple with problem-solving, whether at the page or away from it; for mind and spirit to rest in deep stillness, freed from distraction, in order to concentrate or simply be receptive to inspiration. All of which is the antithesis of life online.

Fast forward to this summer. Working my own paradigm for a creative life, I began to pay closer attention to my first writing tool, myself. What I noticed was a distinct difference between how I feel online and how I feel immersed in creative work. Online is more wound-up, scattered energy in response to the 10,000 prompts to go here, see that, share, comment. Working offline feels more settled; concentration deeper, even my breathing more relaxed.

But my online energy state would stay with me and beckon like a siren call for my return, running interference with the more difficult need to stay focused, go deeper, in the complex work of creative process. All of which pushed me into making a choice. I could stay connected with others or connect to my own creative self. How much book-writing would happen with my chihuahuas onstage?

I chose to let go, a piece at a time, of all that other-connectedness. Not absolutely - I value online connections - but to a much greater degree. I opted out of the ubiquitous notion that I might be missing something whenever I’m not connected. Now I turn off the internet, including email, for much of my work time. I took a little blog sabbatical and now plan to post, but less frequently than I did previously. Facebook and Twitter will carry on just fine with only occasional visits from me – especially as I write my book. Even my cell phone gets less play.

There is a great relief, I find, in the simple act of turning off and letting go of the group.

Does all of this sound familiar? If you are grappling with this issue you are not alone. Writers and other folks, including scientists, are examining the digital age and weighing in with some very interesting stuff. More on that in my next post: Twinkies, Brussel Sprouts & Digital Sabbaticals: 'Is this working for you?'

A Mirror "upon which no dust has fallen"

2010-07-28T15:16:00.008-04:00

Pictures from VIDEO by Frank Robinson

“Spiritual souls! Tender souls! The hearts of all childlren are of the utmost purity. They are mirrors upon which no dust has fallen.”

-- ‘Abdu’l-Baha

Earlier this month I went to the six year-old birthday party of a young friend, Johnny,* which featured a great balloon release – an amazing number of balloons brought by an amazing number of friends! Johnny was thrilled. The next evening Johnny passed peacefully from this life to the next in the arms of his loving parents. He had come to the end of a long battle with illness.

A friend of the family who filmed the balloon release wove into it a beautiful passage of consolation, the words of 'Abdu'l-Baha, to create this touching short video for Johnny’s family. Our hearts go out to this dear family, as do the hearts of all who know them..

The loss of a child "is indeed heart-breaking and beyond the limits of human endurance,” wrote ‘Abdu’l-Baha to a grieving mother. Heart-felt words indeed from ‘Abdu’l-Baha, who had lost five children of His own. Yet in consoling the grieving mother of another era He opened a vision of the larger reality: “that son hath not been lost, but rather has stepped from this world into another.”

“The inscrutable divine wisdom underlies such heart-rending occurrences,” wrote ‘Abdu’l-Baha. “It is as if a kind gardener transfers a fresh and tender shrub from a narrow place to a vast region. This transference is not the cause of the withering, the waning or the destruction of that shrub, nay rather it makes it grow and thrive, acquire freshness and delicacy and attain verdure and fruition.”

About the world beyond He assures us, “A love that one may have entertained for any one will not be forgotten in the world of the Kingdom . . . Likewise thou wilt not forget (there) the life that thou hast had in the material world.” It is not the length of a life in this world, He tells us, but the fruits of it that are important.

What I saw at the party, the funeral, and in the Caring Bridges Journal kept by his parents was a life, however short, that left a joyous, tender imprint of love on this world. I saw a family who, at every difficult step, opened their hearts to others in so many wonderful ways that it is not at all surprising young Johnny would do the same.

I will never forget the priest’s story of Johnny at his church’s healing Masses: how he liked to be among the first to go to the front and receive the blessing, and then stay there to be part of the healing ritual of prayers and laying on of hands for the others who came.

In closing I will share these words of consolation from ‘Abdu’l-Baha, which are part of Frank Robinson's video. “That beloved child addresseth thee from the hidden world:

'O thou kind Mother, thank divine Providence

that I have been freed from a small and gloomy cage

and, like the birds of the meadows,

have soared to the divine world

– a world which is spacious, illumined . . . jubilant.

Therefore, lament not, O Mother, and be not grieved;

I am not of the lost . . .

Following this separation is everlasting companionship.

Thou shalt find me in the heaven of the Lord,

immersed in an ocean of light.”

*PHOTOS of Johnny

My Birthday Wish? Play a Game at Free Rice

2010-06-17T15:23:00.070-04:00

Today is my birthday and I’d like a present, but not for me. I invite you to visit one of my favorite websites: FreeRice. Play a game – feed a hungry person. Everybody wins.

Did you know that malnutrition is not simply about enough food? It’s also about getting the right food at the right time – especially critical for children. Watch this 2-minute video. Did you know that women are on the front line against hunger? Watch this 1-minute video for some startling – and encouraging -- facts. Did you know that you can make a difference by playing a simple game?

FreeRice began in 2007 as a simple multiple-choice vocabulary game. Each right answer earns 10 grains of rice. Three right answers bump up the level of difficulty. Just enough challenge to keep it interesting. Now FreeRice is expanded. This morning, for my birthday, I had fun with a locate-a-country geography version. You can match famous paintings with their artists; learn world capitals, brush up on math, science, other languages, and more. Play solo or with friends.

What about feeding the hungry? The rice you earn for right answers is distributed in the real world by the United Nation’s World Food Programme (WFP), paid for by the sponsors displayed at the bottom of the FreeRice screen. Rice goes to countries that need it most, often not in the news, but where chronic hunger is part of daily life.

How much rice does it take to feed a person for a day? “In countries where rice is a staple part of the diet, WFP provides an average 400 grams of rice per person, per day,” says FreeRice, which is “intended for two meals that include other ingredients.

"There are about 48 grains of rice in one gram." Doing the math . . . . 19,200 grains in 400 grams. Whew! That’s a lot of rice to earn 10 grains at a time! It’s not surprising to see question #1 on the FreeRice FAQ page: “Do I really make a difference by playing FreeRice?"

“The rice you donate makes a huge difference to the person who receives it,” answers FreeRice, and reminds us that “while you are playing, so are thousands of other people at the same time. It is everyone together that makes the difference.”

FreeRice has fed millions of people since October 2007. Watch a 3-minute video of the game, a food distribution in Myanmar, and listen to John Breen, the award-winning creator of FreeRice. So for my birthday – and maybe yours? – how about a game of FreeRice?!

RELATED BLOG POST: From the Heartland on FreeRice beginnings

Global Day of Action: Call for Release of Iranian Baha'i Leaders

2010-06-12T11:33:00.243-04:00

One of United4Iran's photo billboards has been launched in London, England. It features the image of the seven Baha'i leaders and the slogan, "Unjustly jailed for their religion." -- Baha'i Media. News story from Baha'i International Community

Today's Global Day of Action -- an initiative coordinated by United4Iran and cosponsored by many nongovernmental organizations such as Amnesty International and the Baha'i International Community. Global Day of Action calls for Iran to release seven Baha'i leaders held for 20 months without charges, and to end human rights abuses in Iran. Simultaneous events are being hosted in cities and on campuses around the globe by local, student and Internet-based groups. See video of some events here.

Photos from video footage - Baha'i Media. News from Baha'i International Community

Images of the seven imprisoned Baha'is featured prominently in the United4Iran march through the streets of New Delhi, India. The photos show the peaceful procession led by social activist and spiritual leader, Swami Agnivesh, through the streets of New Delhi yesterday, on the eve of the fourth court hearing for the imprisoned Baha'is. Campaigners carried banners and placards depicting the seven Baha'i leaders, jailed without charge in Tehran's Evin prison for 20 months.

The initiative in India captured my attention. Not only the procession, but the fact that India's diverse religious leaders -- such as Swami Agnivesh and the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Delhi, expressed the same call for love, tolerance, and justice. It reminds me of one of my favorite short videos, set in India, which highlights both the religious diversity of that vast country and the wisdom of its diverse religious leaders. It is one of the video gems from doubletake.tv. Let me share it with you here: One Common Faith | doubletake.tv .

And in the spirit of love and justice, whatever your Faith, please keep the seven Iranian Baha'i leaders in your prayers.

More Photos & Report on Global Day of Action here.

"It felt like being whisked away . . ."

2010-06-11T14:48:00.036-04:00

Next Retreat for Writers and Other Creating Souls: October 7-10 at Lake Shore Farm*

Phyllis Ring was our retreat facilitator and her lightly structured approach proved just the right touch for attending writers. As friends and writing colleagues, Phyllis and I have facilitated writer workshops together, where we emphasize the process inherent in writing. As pictured in my Paradigm for a Sustained Creative Life writing is a multi-faceted, ongoging process of learning about craft, about one’s self – about what will work for the writer at this moment, with this particular piece of writing.

Phyllis and I share little discoveries and helpful hints with each other along the way. So when I noticed Phyllis using a mind-mapping technique at our writer retreat, I asked if she would share something of her process. Here is Phyllis in her own words:

“The goal [of the retreat] is that all will be freed up to really get involved with our work, feel inspired and empowered, and have an elevating and constructive experience. After all, we have set an intention in coming, and brought ourselves to it, and for me, that feels like holy ground.

“The project I brought with me, a novel with historical components, is one I’ve been engaged with for nearly two years. . . . I sat down to the writing time each day, open-handed, open-hearted, and accompanied by my fellow participants’ positive energy and spirit....

“. . . It felt like being whisked away by something for several hours at a time and immersed in worlds and impressions and discoveries – an experience a little like lucid dreaming, or movie-viewing. Within it I felt like a scribe who needed to train all of my attention on – attending . . . Being as present as possible. The fruit of this was a pivotal chapter . . . it allowed me to begin to see more of the book’s story whole and entire, something I hadn’t yet been able to do. I still couldn’t see the ending, but I was beginning to feel that vital thrust of momentum . . .

“On the final day . . . something seemed to suggest: Why not sit down with one of these big pieces of easel paper and do some story-mapping? You still may not know everything that’s going to happen in the story, but . . . you can sketch in the scenes and chapters you do know, and see how they connect. I sat down on the floor with this, promising myself that I would keep it light and fun. After I had jotted down all the story elements that I knew, each in its own little circle scattered around the big page, I found that it became very easy to connect them. . . .

“I can recognize now that the entire process, as I encountered and experienced it, was profoundly affected by encouraging others to open up to a similar process, traveling this road together, and also, taking ownership of the writing aspect of our life as a valid – inseparable – part of our highest, spiritual life.”

Phyllis Ring is author of Life at First Sight: Finding the Divine in the Details. You can read my blog review of it here.

*A U.S. holiday weekend – Arrival Thursday afternoon/eve – Departure Sunday mid-day

For Writers: A Few Good Books

2010-06-09T11:48:00.106-04:00

We began our retreat days together with devotions that included inspiration from Baha’i prayers and passages, as well as selections from writers about writing. Then we went our separate ways, each one finding just the right spot to settle in for an uninterrrupted spell of writing. Here you see Paul and Anne, who staked out different corners of the Green Acre parlor.

Paul Bellefeuille: “Coming together brought a united spirit of working toward a common goal. . . . to inspire one another and to discover what makes us do our best work. Sharing our progress at the end of the day helped feed that spirited feeling.”

Anne Jennison: “The environment that Phyllis created for our writers' retreat at Green Acre was so supportive and productive that I'm still glowing from the experience! It was incredibly affirming to be received so respectfully into a community of diverse, creative, and spiritually-centered writers - whose work I view with the utmost respect.”

One enrichment in our retreat environment was a table of books about writing – Phyllis Ring’s recommended resources to explore. As we develop our craft and our writer selves, reading what other writers have to share can be a kind of mentoring. We seem to resonate with those elements that speak to our individual writer needs at any particular time. Rob and I, for example, were attracted to different titles.

These were Rob's favorite picks:
On Writing by Stephen King
Manuscript Makeover: Revision Techniques No Fiction Writer Can Afford to Ignore by Elizabeth Lyon
Self-Editing for Fiction Writers: How to Edit Yourself into Print by Renni Brown & David King

These were my favorite picks:
The Daily Writer: 366 Meditations to Cultivate a Productive and Meaningful Writing Life by Fred White
Deep Writing: 7 Principles that Bring Ideas to Life by Eric Maisel

Since I write creative nonfiction I have also added these excellent resources to my writer library:
Telling True Stories: A Nonfiction Writer's Guide from the Nieman Foundation at Harvard University - Editted by Mark Kramer and Wendy Hall
Now Write! Nonfiction: Memoir, Journalism and Creative Nonfiction Exercises from Today's Best Writers - Edited by Sherry Ellis

Most of these title links have Amazon's Look Inside feature, so you can check them out for yourself. Rob and I decided these titles are good enough to add to our own writer library at home. Of course, one of the perks of being married to a writer is that we get to share stuff.

Phyllis Ring, who has published widely as a free-lancer and more recently as a book author, also reads widely about the craft of writing. Phyllis really works the Knowledge domain of the Paradigm for Sustained Creativity! I asked Phyllis to share a little about her own writing process at the retreat. It’s always interesting to get a glimpse inside another writer’s process. Find it in my next post.

View GREEN ACRE PHOTO ALBUM (Scroll Down a bit on web site)

Writers 'Decriminalized!'

2010-06-06T16:56:00.024-04:00

Front Row: Robert, Druzelle, Jane, Kathy; Second Row: Paul, Patti Rae, Phyllis, Anne. (Not in photo: Ronnie, Pamela & Nelle)

"I love what my dear friend Ronnie said – feeling that when you’re writing you’re stealing time away from somebody or something else. This retreat decriminalized us.” – Patti Rae Tomarelli

Not so long ago I packed up my writing gear and biography book notes, while my husband Rob packed up his netbook with fantasy book files, and we drove to Green Acre for our first writer retreat together. Rob has just completed writing the first draft/first volume of a fantasy trilogy, and this was his first foray to join other writers outside the four walls of his own study. How would a retreat work for the two of us? As it turned out, each of us came away with new insights and fresh appreciation for writer friends.

This spring retreat, like the one last fall, was facilitated by Phyllis Ring. I blogged already about writers in retreat, and how a writer retreat differs from a workshop. This time I want to share a few words from the other writers who came to this retreat. Most, but not all, are in the photo above. Ok, here are the writers in their own words:

Kathy Gilman: “What I liked about it was the communal commitment we all brought to writing. There were no distractions, there was nothing else to do but write. I was well fed, and when I did venture from my room I saw other writers writing. The facilitator Phyllis Ring created a cozy, inviting atmosphere that lead me into the writing process . . .

Jane Harper: “On a practical note: Headed into the retreat, I set myself a goal--to get through an impasse in my first draft. Not only did I meet that goal, I was astonishingly pleased to find myself finish the first draft. On a personal note: Hours and hours dedicated to writing, knowing that delicious sustenance awaits at meal-time, writing at Green Acre (Green Acre!) in the nurturing silence of other writers, permission to daydream and let the inner vision unfold, meeting, praying, and connecting with other writers, all adds up to writer heaven.” (Read my blog interview with Jane Harper and excerpts from her book The Universe within Us.)

Ronnie Tomanio (not shown in photo): “I benefit from being around writers. I learn from them and become excited by their progress.” (To get a true flavor of Ronnie’s humor and his delicious poetry visit his blog, Things that fall off my head.)

Robert Cederquist: “I enjoyed both the periods of solitude and the periods of interaction. This was my first experience with other writers . . . The diversity among the small group was striking, and broadening. Two things, in particular, I appreciated: My first reading of a scene from my attempt at a novel, which was positively received; and the selection of books on writing that Phyllis Ring brought, which allowed me to preview titles that I plan to add to my resources.

Hear from more retreat writers and check out writer resources in my next post For Writers: A Few Good Books.

"When you see a RED FLAG, Say Something"

2010-05-10T22:11:00.184-04:00

“Many people want the support and companionship that comes with being in a relationship. But not every relationship is healthy or positive. In fact dating violence happens in 1 out of every 5 college relationships. Sometimes it takes a friend to see that one person is being hurt and the relationship is unhealthy. As friends, we have a responsibility to watch out for each other. That's why when you see a RED FLAG, say something.” – Virginia’s Red Flag Campaign

With abuse and violence in 1 in 4 homes in America, is it surprising that 1 in 5 dating relationships are abusive? Which brings up a few critical questions. How can you tell when a relationship is healthy? Do you know signs of an abusive relationship?

Abuse may not be what you think; it does not always wear a violent face. Abuse is about control and control comes in many forms: emotional and psychological, financial, sexual. Physical abuse usually kicks in when other controls stop working.

Abuse in the name of love is never justifiable. When relationships that are intended to be a our haven and support, instead batter spirits and bodies, the consequences reach deeper and ripple out wider than we can imagine – until all of a sudden we are confronted by the unimaginable.

If the friends and adults in Yeardley Love’s life could re-wind to the weeks and months before her violent death, would they know what to say or what to do to make a difference? Would you? How do you help a friend?

“If you are concerned about a friend, perhaps you feel the problem will work itself out. This is very unlikely," says Virginia's Red Flag Campaign website. “Violence and abuse in relationships usually continues and often gets worse over time if no action is taken to stop it. You can help your friend by being honest about your concerns. Say something.”

What do you say? You can find excellent answers at Virginia’s Red Flag Campaign – created for college students by college students, college personnel, and community victim advocates. It is the first statewide campaign to address dating violence and promote its prevention, and is now offered to colleges nation-wide. The Red Flag Campaign website offers important information – including suggested dialogue – in a very user-friendly approach.

I encourage you to visit the Virginia website. Learn the red flags; learn how to listen and respond; learn about resources -- where to turn for help. Share with your friends. The more we learn and talk together about this uncomfortable but very real topic, the more we create an environment that will feel safe for friends to open up, ask for help. You may be surprised to hear the stories of friends you think you know.

RELATED BLOG POST: Becoming the Standard Bearers

The Roses We Bring to Our Friends

2010-05-04T08:43:00.044-04:00

As our Ridvan celebration drew to a close, the beautiful roses in the center of the room were distributed as gifts to those present – roses as a remembrance of that first Ridvan, roses as a colorful reminder of our diverse beauty as human beings. But beyond remembering a moment in history, why celebrate Ridvan? What benefit is gained by the individual, by humankind, from Baha’u’llah’s claim to be a Manifestation of God?

In the words of Baha’u’llah: “The object of every Revelation is to effect a transformation in the whole character of mankind, a transformation that shall manifest itself both outwardly and inwardly, that shall affect both its inner life and external conditions. For if the character of mankind be not changed, the futility of God’s universal Manifestations would be apparent.”

In reality we live with transformation every day. Small seeds grow into towering trees. Cycles of birth, maturity, decline mark the lives of every species. Our own lives unfold in ever-changing stages of transformation: the child becomes a youth, an adult, a parent, an elder. The youth in need of guidance becomes the mentor who shares experience.

Whether we are witness to trees or human beings, transformation is not an instant, slight-of-hand, voila! kind of thing, but a profound experience. It is not surprising then that Baha’u’llah does not promise instant transformation of the human race. True religion is not a magic show, but a learning process, both deeply intimate and far-reaching. The exciting thing is how we humans fit into the process.

“Human beings are not passive observers of reality,” writes Paul Lample in Revelation and Social Reality. “In a very specific way we may consider ourselves – collectively – as co-creators of reality, for through the power of the human mind and our interactions, the world undergoes continued transformation.” Not a point of arrogance but a humble admission, says Lample, that “the attributes of God the Creator, the Fashioner are reflected in human beings.”

In the poetic words of ‘Abdu’l-Baha: “He [God] has chosen the reality of man and has honored it with intellect and wisdom, the two most luminous lights in either world . . . all these . . . sciences, arts, industries and inventions – all are emanations of the human mind.”

“Material civilization has reached an advanced plane, ‘Abdu’l-Baha also observes, “but now there is need for spiritual civilization. Material civilization alone will not satisfy; it cannot meet the conditions and requirements of the present age.”

The roses that Baha’is bring to our friends – our fellow human beings – come from our own participation in the spiritualizing process. It begins with the Divine Manifestation. It unfolds in the world as a rose unfurls from its bud. Among our roses are communities where we learn how to truly welcome our diverse neighbors, and how to engage together – whatever our differences – to transform ourselves, our families, our neighborhoods, and eventually, our world.

It is, as one friend said, “a different kind of magic” – gifts of roses grown from labors of love, creating ever greater circles of unity, ever deeper bonds of friendship.

Ridvan: Roses & Nightingales

2010-05-03T10:49:00.380-04:00

Ridvan carries a joyful spirit, and my Baha'i community celebrated the Twelfth Day of Ridvan with poetry, prayers, story, and music -including old favorites and a rousing new song - Rejoice by Eric Dozier - from our energetic new choir! The song comes from these words of Baha'u'llah: "In this Day a great festival is taking place in the Realm above for whatsoever was promised in the sacred Scriptures hath been fulfilled." (See a performance VIDEO of Rejoice with Eric Dozier and a larger One Human Family Choir.)

The historical setting of Ridvan was spring of 1863, on an island in the Tigris River that runs through Baghdad, in a beautiful rose-laden garden -- evoked in our own celebration with fresh roses and the songs of warbling nightingales. Our nightingales via the internet and a little tech savvy - and their songs even attracted the interest of birds outside our own windows!

The Story of Baha'u'llah describes how the believers gathered each morning in Baha'u'llah's tent where, in the center, freshly picked roses were heaped so high that the friends "could not see one another over the mound. The fragrance sweetened their morning tea." Each day when they left Baha'u'llah, “they carried away armfuls of roses to deliver in Baghdad. The velvet-petaled flowers were gifts of remembrance from Baha’u’llah to His friends in the city. . . ”

And finally the scene as Baha'u'llah rode out of the city of Baghdad:
“Mounted on a regal steed and wearing His crown-like taj, Baha’u’llah made His way through Baghdad. All of Baghdad, it seemed, turned out to bid Him good-bye. The day was filled with the sounds of weeping and lamenting. Many bowed their heads to the dust in respect as he rode by. On every side people crowded close to embrace His stirrups or kiss the hooves of His horse in their last grief-stricken farewells. . .

“Even Baha’u’llah’s enemies, in the face of such devotion by the people of Baghdad, were sorry to see Him leave. They had expected Baha’u’llah to go in disgrace. What a bitter surprise to see Baghdad pour out is love for Him! Baha’u’llah had transformed an occasion of disgrace into a procession of triumph, and His enemies regretted their actions. . . .” **

**Excerpts from Chapters 40-The Garden of Paradise and Chapter 41-One Hundred and Ten Days of The Story of Baha'u'llah

Ridvan: Baha’u’llah’s Announcement Forever Linked to a Law

2010-04-21T16:07:00.023-04:00

Webshots Outdoors

The white rose was Baha'u'llah's favorite flower, and roses are part of the story of Ridvan – which means “Paradise.” Today is the First Day of the twelve days of Ridvan, celebrated by Baha’is as the holiest time of the Baha'i calendar. What was the significant change of vision introduced by Baha’u’llah? And what was the particular law that Baha’u’llah chose to accompany His announcement?

Find these answers, as well as what Baha'u'llah said about evil, and the intrinsic connection of justice to unity, in my essay On the Banks of the Tigris, re-published in The Baha’i Road blog and viewable on today's front page of RelgionAndSpirituality. Read an excerpt here:

“For Baha’u’llah was not simply Mirza Husayn-‘Ali, a Persian noble who had suffered torture and unjust imprisonment in Tehran; not merely a man who had endured, with his family, a mountainous winter journey into exile; not simply the one who had faced down an assassin in Baghdad and stood up to the challenge of mullas bent on waging holy war. Now in a garden on the Tigris, the air rich with the scent of roses, Baha’u’llah announced to a few what so many had longed to hear. He, Baha’u’llah, was a Messenger from God in that rank of Holy Messengers before Him – Abraham and Moses, Krishna, Buddha and Zoroaster, Christ, Muhammad, and the Bab.

“But the whole truth, the greater joy, opened from this: With Baha’u’llah the ancient promises of God were fulfilled. Baha’u’llah – “the Glory of God”– was the Promised One whose advent the faithful of every Faith had prayed to witness. Through Him God would shower humankind with so great a measure of guidance that the kingdoms of men would mirror the divine kingdom, and the peace for which humanity longed would become reality.

“The Divine Springtime is come,” declared Baha’u’llah, and those who were with Him for His Announcement named the garden on the Tigris “Ridvan” which means Paradise. Surely there could be no greater bliss than to stand in this spot, at this Hour, with the Promised One of God! Baha’u’llah linked His greatest Announcement to a law. He forbade the use of force in spreading the Word of God. The mightiest sword is the tongue, He said, for speech can remove the veils of ignorance from the human heart. . . .” [Read complete essay]

Baha’u’llah lived a full and dramatic life by any standard. Even if you have read The Story of Baha’u’llah, I encourage you to enjoy photos, video, and more at these websites: The Life of Baha’u’llah: A Photographic Narrative and Baha’u’llah and the Baha’i Faith from the U.S. Baha’i Video Library.

These websites are also among my permanent links to the right. Look for the White Rose and the Shrine of Baha’u’llah (with open iron gates and vases of red flowers). Also find between the two images links to this and other essays about Baha’u’llah and the Bab. You can read the complete story of the first Ridvan in Chapters 39-41 of The Story of Baha’u’llah: Promised One of All Religions.

Happy Naw-Ruz! 9 Intentions for the New Year & a little Brain Science

2010-03-21T16:20:00.018-04:00

Gardens at Baha'i World Center - Baha'i Media, permission Baha'i International Community

As the sun set yesterdy I gathered with Baha’is and friends to celebrate Naw-Ruz, the Baha’i New Year. Our celebration was enriched with the arts of local friends who shared what they loved – live music, dance, photography. From The Story of Baha’u’llah I read about the Naw-Ruz observed by Baha’u’llah and His family on the outskirts of Baghdad after their severe mountainous winter journey into exile from Tehran. Then it was time for a delicious pot-luck dinner and enjoying the company of friends old and new.

New Year naturally brings to mind “Resolutions.” Hmmm, aren’t resolutions those things that people try to force on themselves in January, only to find them impossible to keep and so stealthily, guiltily, drop them? I decided “intentions” is the word I prefer – not resolutions imposed by a parade of “shoulds,” but what do I choose for myself? And it seems natural to ride the wave of self-awareness, however small or large, that comes with the Baha’i Fast. Or in other language, to continue in the creative process of that archeology of the spirit.

So yesterday morning, the last day of the Fast, I spent time reflecting and writing down a few things I want for myself in this new year. Maybe you’d like to write a few things down yourself? Here is a gentle prompt for this kind of reflection and focus. I have used it in writer workshops at Green Acre, where we focused on personal writing life, but you can focus on whatever you choose.

Write down:
3 things you want to let go of

3 things you want to keep/increase

3 things you are grateful for

Why is it a good idean to write down your intentions and gratitude? In her book Write it Down, Make it Happen Henreitte Anne Klauser describes the brain science behind it. She identifies the RAS – reticular activating system – a group of cells at the base of the brain stem “whose job it is to sort and evaluate incoming data. . . like a filtering system of the brain. Writing it down sets up the filter,” explains Klauser. Things start to appear.”

Ever buy a blue Honda? she asks. “If you . . . buy a blue Honda, all of a sudden you see blue Hondas all over town. You might wonder, Where are all these blue Hondas coming from? But they were there all along; you were just not paying attention to them.

“Putting a goal in writing is like buying a blue Honda; it sets up a filter that helps you be aware of certain things in your surroundings,” writes Klauser. “Writing triggers the RAS, which in turn sends a signal to the crebral cortex: “Wake up! Pay attention! don’t miss this detail” Once you write down a goal, your brain will be working overtime to see you get it, and will alert you to the signs and signals that, like the blue Honda, were there all along.”

Paying attention is a key point in the paradigm for sustained creative process, so write down your intentions to clue in your brain on where to pay attention – and give yourself a little New Year’s gift. Happy Naw-Ruz!

"Oasis" - a Sonnet on Meditation

2010-03-11T15:53:00.039-05:00

Photo from Wikimedia

“Baha’u’llah says there is a sign (from God) in every phenomenon,” said ‘Abdu’l-Baha, “the sign of the intellect is contemplation and the sign of contemplation is silence. . .” For this contemplative time of Baha'i Fasting I offer a sonnet from my poetry archives:

OASIS

When night has cast her shawl around my day,
enfolding those diversions for a time,
and croons her quiet to my clamorous way
to ease those constant tuggings at the mind,

then, unoccupied by outside force,
unfettered from the world's ten thousand things,
do I discover comforting discourse
in silence and the world it richly brings --

a pool of quiet to lap the noisy shore,
a cool oasis, nourishing and sweet,
whose waters soothe, replenish, and restore
my wilted soul -- a balm of lush retreat.

Sequestered there from this hard, grappling place
I hear the heartfelt whisperings of grace.
-- Druzelle Cederquist [published in spsm&h 1999)

Prayer and meditation are the burnishings of spirit that energize the Baha’i Fast, and meditation is something I am learning more about. Baha’u’llah did not prescribe a particular form of meditation, leaving that open to individual preference. I weigh whatever is presented with what I know from Baha’i writings, but it is compelling to see how universal the meditative experience is.

I have sat with friends in Buddhist meditation. I took a three-session meditation class via telephone set up as a conference call on speaker phone! That teacher came from a Hindu perspective, but with a welcoming attitude and respect for people who come from various spiritual traditions. I found good practical wisdom in her book The Heart of Meditation.

A very approachable Baha'i book is Seeking the Wisdom of the Heart by Patrica Romano McGraw, who brings her own warmth and humor to the topic. Her book includes the complete text of The Seven Valleys, a mystical work by Baha'u'llah.

Here are a few Baha'i notes on meditation from Baha'i sacred writings
“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.”

“The spirit of man is itself informed and strengthened during meditation. . . "

"Meditation is the key for opening the doors of mysteries. . . in that state man withdraws himself from all outside objects . . . he is immersed in the ocean of spiritual life and can unfold the secrets of things-in-themselves. . . think of man as endowed with two kinds of sight; when the power of insight is being used the outward power of vision does not see."

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

Related Posts:
* Archeology of the Spirit: A Writer’s Note on Fasting
* Happy New Ruz! Reflections and A Story

"Ye are the letters of the words . . .": Baha'i Bloggers on Fasting

2010-03-09T14:21:00.028-05:00

Gardens at Baha'i World Center - permission Baha'i Media, Baha'i Internatioanl Center

“This is the day to make mention of God, to celebrate his praise, and to serve Him; deprive not yourselves thereof. Ye are the letters of the words, and the words of the Book. Ye are the saplings which the hand of Loving-kindness hath planted in the soil of mercy, and which the showers of bounty have made to flourish. He hath protected you from the mighty winds of misbelief, and the tempestuous gales of impiety, and nurtured you with the hands of His loving providence. Now is the time for you to put forth your leaves, and yield your fruit. The fruits of the tree of man have ever been and are goodly deeds and a praiseworthy character.” – Baha’u’llah (from Illumine My Spirit: Baha’i Prayers and Meditations for Women)

Today begins the second week of the Baha’i 19-Day Fast, a spiritually reflective time which falls each March 2-20, during the last month of the Baha’i calendar. The Fast is an intensely personal time, with a focus on prayer, meditaton, and the reading of sacred writings -- an opportunity to take stock, spiritually speaking, before the arrival of the March 21st New Year.

Where am I in my spiritual journey? In my connection with my Creator? In putting forth “leaves” and yielding “fruits?” Support for this intensely spiritual practice comes from Baha’i community - perhaps as activities, like the modest devotion and dinner gathering that we will hold in our home this week. Or in feelings of connection to Baha’is around the globe who are observing this time of restraint and spiritual reflection, as each and all strive to draw nearer to a loving Creator and to align their lives with His infintely higher purpose.

Community support – and exploring the diversity of Fasting experience – can also come from Baha’i bloggers. Here are three blogs with very different approaches to this year’s Fast:

* nineteen days – A beautiful artistic, collaborative blog you don’t want to miss! Amy and Leila describe it as “a way to share . . . moments of our early mornings and early evenings for the nineteen days of the Baha’i Fast. . . Every day a different pair of photographers (world-wide) will be sharing their images.” Daily postings include photographers’ personal thoughts and selections from Baha’i Sacred Writings. NEW - THE BOOK! nineteen days is available for purchase at the blog site.

* One Baha’i’s Approach – Have you ever thought of a prayer telling a story? Or wondered about the meaning of a word, a phrase, an image? Simon Mead takes an in-depth look at the long fasting prayer in a series of posts that are thought-provoking and approachable. Mead is a blogger with a touch of humor on many occasions; I recommend a blog visit.

* Baha’i Thought – Phillipe Copeland displays mouth-watering photos of food as he tracks how this Fast is going for him. KUDOS to Phillipe, whose blogging has garnered a 2010 Award of Excellence in Internet Communication from the Religion Communications Council. Phillipe brings to his blog englightening commentary on the infinite aspects of race in America – well worth reading. On a personal note, Phillipe and Maura were first to encourage me enter the blogosphere as it was getting off the ground. Thank you, both!

See my next post on the Baha'i Fast for a bit of poetry and words on meditation.

Exploring the Blogosphere

2010-03-06T07:22:00.093-05:00

Photo from Writers in the Schools Alliance (WITS Alliance). Visit their BLOG.

My last post To Write – To Blog? was all about blogging – getting started, getting better. Whatever you write, you need to get familiar with the genre. Want to blog? Read blogs! Explore the blogosphere and you will quickly see the diversity of blogging voices – certainly one of the best encouragements to join the conversation!

Granted, the vast array of blogs can be overwhelming. So many blogs, so little time. Where to start? One strategy is to visit a blog aggregate, which compiles a number of blogs, often under subject headings, where you can look for blogs under a topic and find a blog title that beckons. Blog aggregates themselves vary. Two first-rate aggregates are Alltop and Baha’i Explorer.

Alltop covers a wide range of topics. You can access by key word or alphabet search: click through a letter, find a topic, go to the page of blogs. Here is a page of writers blogs, and here a page of Baha’i blogs, each with links to the most recent posts. Alltop also allows you to create your own page to track blogs of interest.

Baha’i Explorer is an aggregate which shows the most recent posts of a host of Baha’i bloggers, plus more aggregate pages of Baha’i videos, talks, quotes and other resources. A cornucopia of good things! Baha’i Views, an individual blog, also carries the Baha’i Explorer blog feed.

Write to Done offers something a little different. Blog hosts Leo Babauta and Mary Jaksch invite guest bloggers to contribute posts in various categories: Writing Habits, Writing Craft, Fiction, Journalism, and more – a good networking practice that emerged in the blogosphere. Bylines include links to the contributing bloggers, with an amazingly diverse array of blogging voices, such as A Little Better.net and Pun Intended.

Individual bloggers will often display a blog roll , which links to blogs they read, and may also display blog followers. If you enjoy a blog, it’s a good strategy to sample these links. I can’t possibly share all the blogs I read or visit, but here are a small handful of blogs I have enjoyed recently, each as unique as the blogger who writes it:
* One Baha’i’s Apporach
* Things that fall off my head
* Los Angelista’s Guide to the Pursuit of Happiness
* Baha’i Thought
* Hoosierinthelandofcotton’s Blog
* The Garden of Heart

A few more blogs for Writers:
* Cynsations - NY Times best-selling author Cynthia Leitich Smith
* Plot Whisperer for Writers and Readers - by Martha Alderson, a Writers Digest Top 101 Best Sites for writers
* Blogalicious: Notes on poetry, poets, books – by award-winning poet Diane Lockward
* The Write Stuff – Ron Seybold of The Writer's Workshop (AWA) - Austin

Already have a few favorite blogs? Share them in comments here for other readers.

To Write - To Blog?

2010-02-23T11:36:00.097-05:00

A couple of writer friends started blogs in the past year, and others are working up their courage to jump into the blogging waters. I encourage all kinds of friends to try blogging – especially those who love to write. The options are endless.

A writer can journal for herself, develop work online, share work with others. A group of writers can connect in a group blog – a great way to augment a face-to-face writer group. Share pictures, words from writer-mentors, writing prompts, author activities. Or simply write about what you enjoy – family, nature, music, books, social commentary, life notes. Blogging keeps you writing, and one of the great things about blogging is that you do whatever you decide to do. Have fun with it!

Another great thing about the blogosphere is its forgiving nature, allowing for easy changes tech-wise and learning most things as you go. When I began Luminous Realities in 2006 blogging was a new internet venture. Bloggers learned a lot on their own – and from one another. Today blogging platform technology is more user-friendly than ever and the aspiring blogger can find whole books on blogging, not to mention – what else – blogs about blogging! Bloggers learning from one another is still a good working principle.

One blog resouce I recommend is Write to Done – a good all-around writer resource which features multiple contributors. Click through their clearly displayed Blogwriting category for a range of posts that speak to beginners, experienced bloggers, and those who aspire to the next level of blogging. Something for every blogger to learn here. I especially like How to Find Your Message and Stand Out by Justin Dixon, a post with a handful of good questions to help you answer the BIG Question: What do I have to say?

Mainly I recommend letting go of the angst about “getting it right” in the blogosphere. Of all places, this is a venue to experiment. Learning naturally involves making “mistakes” or more accurately, moving from not knowing to a new awareness – and there is always more to learn. Let your own creativity be the engine – and get inspired by other bloggers! It’s worth a little time to visit blogs and leave comments, which will invite others to visit your blog. Blogging is social, too. Ideally it’s about dialogue, not just monologue.

As to the angst of What will the world think? Here is the paradoxical truth about blogging: your words may be on the internet for all to see, but few may ever see them. Bloggers must put energy into attracting readers. Good content attracts readers. Social networks like facebook and twitter let you share blog links and connect with others. But as in the non-virtual world, the virtual paradigm is not so much about a few famous blogs with thousands of readers, but rather like neighborhoods around the globe - thousands of blogs, each with a cirlce of regular readers and a healthy stream of visitors.

So if you are a newbie blogger relax, experiment, explore. Your own unique blog voice will emerge as you go, and you will discover your neighborhood of readers. Of course to be a creative blogger you'll also want to get familiar with the territory. See my next post Exploring the Blogosphere!

*PHOTO: My thanks to Jeanne-Marie Fleming Marma, who took this photo in her kitchen, where she hosted our last writer's group meeting.

When is a Magazine more than a Magazine? Working the Creative Paradigm

2010-01-30T22:35:00.143-05:00

“Don’t let your scenes rest serenely like a string of pearls. Make sure they ripple with the energy and impact of falling dominos, one scene launching another.” – Dorothy Wall

I found that pearl of writer wisdom, among others, in More ways to use fiction techniques in nonfiction, an article in the January 2010 issue of The Writer Magazine. I’ve always liked this magazine, the uncluttered look of it for one thing. And now that my husband and I are both writing, but in different stages and genres, I appreciate the range of its reach as a magazine that "seeks to cover all the major writing genres” and that “inspires, instructs and informs writers at all levels.” I’m not the only appreciative one. The Writer recently received its seventh Eddie award for editorial excellence.

To subscribe or not – actually, not a question you need to answer instantly. Visit The Writer’s newly-designed web site to get a taste of what it offers. Use the drop-down menu at top to find articles of interest – though you won’t find current articles. They are in the magazine business, after all, not in the business of giving it all up for free. Still there are a number of articles, plus staff blogs, columns like Web Savvy, Watch your Language, Writing for Children, Q & A, and forums where you can converse with other writers. Explore writing groups, too, or create one of your own.

If you involve yourself in each of these dimensions as you continue to write, you are working the creative paradigm: Endeavor - Knowledge - Networking. Network is the new dimension to a periodical these days. The world is no longer an exclusively top-down place. Social networking has changed the landscape. Why not try social networking with a purpose? It might take courage to step into a forum or connect with a group, but it presents a risk worth taking.

Online at The Writer you must register to leave comments or participate in forums – a usual requirement for online forums, and it is free – not the same as subscribing to the magazine. Magazine subscribers do get exclusive access to certain articles and forums (listed as premium), as well as market listings, which can feel annoying if you are not a subscriber, but there is still much to be had for a simple registration.

Of course, if you buy the magazine you get the best of both worlds. Enjoy a hard copy to underline, carry with you, and that routinely provides web site url’s for contributing authors and other sites - all stuff that appeals to me. Beyond that, the online presence expands magazine content and allows you – the writer at home – to interact with other writers wherever they may live.

For a good subscription rate to The Writer via Amazon, click through here or on the magazine cover at the top of this post. Also scroll down my perma-links on the right to find it on the slide-show of My Favorites for Writers.

Here is a sample of my own process with The Writer. December: discovered Will Write For Chocolate, a delightful writer comic created by a writer I am now following on Twitter; read article When and how to connect with editors on Facebook, Twitter and other sites, and online column Is the Web a Negative Influence on Writing? January: article Four ways to use fiction techniques in nonfiction; marked for reference Great Web sites for writers. February: read book review of Now Write! Nonfiction and purchased book, which I am avidly reading now. I always read the author interviews. My writing schedule is intense, so not doing much with forums just now, but I do plan to share this in one or two of them.

How about you? How are you working the creative process?

I'm an Amazon Associate - it's mostly about the widgets

2010-01-24T11:09:00.033-05:00

If you scroll down just a bit, beneath the blog subscription form on the right, you will see a rather tiny Amazon logo topped with “I’m an Amazon Associate.” Click on the logo and you’ll find yourself in the book section of Amazon. Oh-oh, has Luminous Realities gone commercial, you ask? Not so much. While potentially income-producing for me, it is not a deal that will take me to a warm climate during the New York winter, which is to say it is Not my motivation for becoming an Amazon Associate. It’s really all about the widgets.

It began some time ago when I replaced long book-title link-lists with three different slide-shows via widgets from Amazon. The slide-shows are an efficient and colorful way to share titles that I personally recommend. (Scroll down perma-links on right.) The gallery-display format of each slide-show lets a reader click on any book cover at the bottom of the frame to bring it to full display. Click on the displayed cover to link to Amazon for description, reader reviews, price. If you purchase the book after clicking through from Luminous Realities, I get a small percent of the sale.

But my main intent is to provide a service for blog readers. The first slide-show features titles for writers; the next, science titles for “writers and other curious beings;” and the third highlights Baha’i titles. These are books I have enjoyed and found useful. I quote from them in my blog and recommend them in writing workshops. The Baha’i books are resources I use for community activities or are written by author friends. I will add or change titles as new ones come to my attention, and I plan to talk about a couple in upcoming posts.

Today I also added a set of click-through Amazon banners. If you scroll all the way down to the bottom of this blog, you will see banner links to books, magazines, and mp3’s – I’ve also talked about music here, such as Andy Grammer and the Dawnbreaker Collective. For good measure I’ve included links to textbooks: Higher Learning, Lower Prices and to the new Amazon Shorts -- “exclusive short stories and essays from favorite authors delivered digitally” which I plan to sample very soon. More on that later.

In the meantime, a reminder that acquiring knowledge is part of the paradigm for a sustainable creative life. And never fear, I will also be recommending blogs which you can read for free.

Luminous Realities 2009: A Blogger's Dozen

2009-12-31T22:46:00.030-05:00

Even though my Baha’i new year is March 21, Blogger rolls over into 2010. So from the 52 posts I wrote this year, let me highlight a blogger’s dozen – reader favorites and my own. Like the bakers who add an extra for their good customers I’ll begin with an extra post -- FreeRice – my all-time favorite site, where you play a word game online and feed a hungry person in real life. Good fun as you gather with friends or family. Here are the rest of my blogger’s dozen:

Readers' Favorite Video Posts:
1. A Cherry Blossom Day – Sunrise to sunset, with the haunting strains of a Japanese instrumental folk song.
2. "The birds are in their trees/ the toast is in the toaster,/ and the poets are at their windows." A sampling of poetry from poets of different cultures and bygone times – Rumi, Ryokan, and Neruda – brought to life in evocative videos.
3. "Validation" – a surprising little film. Award-winning “fable about the magic of free parking.” Fun, insightful, warm- hearted.

Online Updates:
4. Luminous Realities on Alltop - New "Online Magazin Rack" - latest posts are now listed on the Baha’i Faith page of this excellent aggregate. I encourage you to check it out.
5. Listen to my Blog Talk Radio Interview with Anjuelle Floyd, west coast fiction author (and therapist) who is also Muslim. A good range of questions – and after the interview she got me on Twitter! Find me at LuminousMusings.

Writing Process:
6. Does it make you want to write? – on what makes a good writers group
7. Writers and Creative Process: What’s science got to do with it? – about growing a writer’s brain
8. Workshop or Retreat? – posts on writers and process at the Green Acre writers retreat I attended.

Social Comment:
9. Inauguration Thoughts – the grand view and an intimate moment come together
10. Iran: Baha’is & Human Rights – written in March, but the situation remains grave. Trial for the seven Baha’is pictured is set (once again), this time for January 12, 2010.
11. Climate Change: Thinking at a Much Higher Level – Where survival and the spiritual intersect. See what you think about the words of Baha’u’llah here.

12. Finally, remembrance is part of our look back on 2009. Sadly, this year saw the passing of my editor and friend, Terry Cassiday. She is remembered with warm affection by so many. I captured a few of my own thoughts in Terry Cassiday: A Remembrance.

All the best to my blog readers, whenever you celebrate your new year.

Last Call for Poetry & Prose Getaway

2009-12-27T15:06:00.014-05:00

“This intensive three-day conference features a variety of poetry and prose workshops, each with 10 or fewer participants. This is a conference where you write! Of course you will receive feedback, but our workshops emphasize creating new material or revising works in progress.” --Winter Poetry & Prose Getaway

There is still time to register for this January 15-18 conference, but only a little. What’s it all about? Read on.

Some years ago Peter Murphy, high-school English teacher and family man, started taking one week-end a month to write in a hotel room away from it all. Writer friends who saw how well it worked for Peter, started begging to go with him. What developed, 17 years ago, was Peter Murphy’s Winter Poetry & Prose Getaway – a three-day, workshop-oriented conference which takes place each January at the Grand Hotel in Cape May, New Jersey.

The conference draws 100-150 writers each year, and I have been among them on occasion. Lots of good energy there, with a “challenging and supportive atmosphere which encourages imaginative risk-taking and promotes freedom and transformation in each participant’s creative work.” That’s from the website, but it’s more than hype.

Peter, and the writer-mentors who work with him, are all about being supportive, even as they present challenges. Creative prompts for writing; time to write on one’s own; intimate workshop time, where informed critique is handled with respect – everything is designed so that writers feel freed to plunge into creative process without the fear or intimdation that can so often attend writer workshops – or muddle around inside a writer working at home in isolation. And a ballroom of other writers altogether in one place is its own kind of support! See Schedule and How you spend your time at the Getaway.

A nice bonus, too: The Winter Poetry & Prose Getaway is always held during the three-day holiday weekend honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and Peter always plans a beautiful program for the day. So the conference comes to a close each year with another dimension of support.

If you can’t make this January 2010 conference, I encourage you to save your pennies for the next one – and sign up early! It fills up fast, for good reason. Here are a few words from writers who love the Getaway.

A New Year: Six-Word Resolutions Anyone?

2009-12-21T20:48:00.026-05:00

I have to start this post with an apology for overlooking a contest deadline. (Really sorry - I hate when that happens.) But you can still particpate in this interactive site and take the fun home. This month SMITH Magazine - online magazine of the Six-Word Memoir - put out the challenge to write your New Year intentions as a Six-Word Resolution: "Tell us your plans, dreams, hopes and mistakes you hope not to repeat in 2010 in just six words." Check out what others wrote. (The contest was linked to a radio program in NY City.)

SMITH started with Six-Word Memoirs - which you can always submit. (See my earlier post Six-Word Memoirs: Tackle the Challenge!) You can set up your own page on the Smith Magazine site, check out the Six-Word projects on various topics: on the Digital Life, on America, on Love and Heartbreak, Momoirs, for teens, and more. Read what others have written. Add your own. Careful - it can get addictive!

There has been so much interest in this little six-word slice of writing approach that Smith has published collections in few books. The latest is Not Quite What I Was Planning: Six-Word Memoirs by Writers Famous and Obscure. A book of teen memoirs is titled I Can't Keep My Own Secrets. You'll find quite a range of things contained in these small packages - a little haiku-ish that way.

But the fun is in the process. So, any Six-Word Resolutions - or Memoirs - you'd like to share?

Wrestling with the Amygdala

2009-12-06T20:29:00.044-05:00

Whenever you take on something new, a part of your brain – the amygdala – reacts with FEAR. We may say anxiety or angst, but at root the feeling is still FEAR. While our frontal lobe is all conscience and enlightenment, the less-evolved amygdala was with us long before writing and books, when venturing into new territory required staying alert for life-threatening danger and being ready to FIGHT or RUN. That part of your brain has no clue that you really do want to write this book–essay–poem–you name it. [For more see Can You Become a Creature of New Habits? in the science links of this blog.]

As I write my second book it surprised me to be visited by old fears – dragons I thought I had already slain. After all, I’ve done it before so I can do it again, right? Well, new book, new territory, so the amygdala comes to the party, too. (sigh) This is one of those times when the company of other writers can be a balm to the writer soul. Especially when I discovered two experienced and award-winning authors who shared their own hard truths.

In The Writer (July 2009) this Q & A from an interview with Alice Hoffman caught my attention. Interviewer: When you’re writing a novel, what part is the hardest? Alice Hoffman: “The beginning is the hardest. Every time I start a novel, I think: ‘I don’t know how to write a novel. I don’t know how to make it come alive. I don’t know how to tell a story. I don’t know what I’m doing.’ I feel like it’s a process of relearning every time.”
Hoffman has published 19 novels, plus books of short fiction, as well as books for children and young adults, so you might think this is a case of false modesty.

Then just last week I listened to my favorite contemporary mystery author Sue Grafton via video on the Borders Books site (seen here in blog photo). I enjoy re-reading her mysteries to see how she handles things like dialogue, description, character. Grafton’s latest book U is for Undertow is the 21st novel in her alphabet series, so you’d think she should be free of writer anxieties, right?

About three minutes into the interview Sue Grafton says she keeps a journal for each mystery novel she writes. Each journal is close to 400 pages, and in it she notes her research, questions, thoughts about pace and other things – including her anxious feelings. “I try to own all my emotions,” says Grafton, who says it keeps her from sabatoging her writing work.

“So if I’m in the middle of a book and get scared I can go back to any book I’ve written and see the same process. I’m bursting into tears over D is for Deadbeat; I’m anxious about H. And it reminds me that it is part of the process and that I need to trust the process, even as uncomfortable as it can be.” Sue Grafton generously lets you peek at a few journal samples on her web site. A good behind-the-scenes glimpse of one writer's brain at work.

“My father wrote mystery fiction in the 40’s,” Grafton reveals at the close of the video. “Watching his hard work, his dedication to the craft, was a great influence on me.” Interesting to hear what Sue Grafton learned from her writer-father.

Two experienced, award-winning writers. Both remind me that the process of writing is a continual learning process, and that it helps to love it if you’re going to engage in the work. On those days when fear/anxiety rears its dragon head, I know that I am in good company, and that there are many writer ways to slay the dragon. I am also reminded of ‘Abdu’l-Baha’s words about those who love learning: “To their discerning taste . . . mountains of gold and silver could not outweigh the successful solution of a difficult problem.”

"Is there anything you've never told me, but want to tell me now?"

2009-11-23T09:53:00.030-05:00

No, I don’t mean you need to tell me. But it could be a question you ask a loved one on the National Day of Listening this Friday, November 27. That is the day StoryCorps invites you to "set aside one hour to record a conversation with a grandparent, an aunt, a neighbor, a veteran, or a client at a local soup kitchen and ask the big questions, such as, ‘How do you want to be remembered?’ or ‘What was the proudest moment of your life?’” The sort of questions that rarely come up around the dinner table or on a family visit.

StoryCorps provides nearly 150 questions, broken into small bundles, as prompts to get you started. Questions for anyone. Questions for grandparents, parents, friends. Questions about growing up, work, war, love and relationships, religion, school, marriage, raising children, serious illness, family heritage. Select a few questions that appeal to you for the person you would like to interview. Or customize with the Question Generator tool.

Here is a small sample of the Great Questions List – Questions for Anyone:
What was the happiest moment of your ife? the saddest?
What are the most important lesson you’ve learned in life?
What is your earliest memory?
What are you most proud of in your life?
How would you like to be remembered?
Is there anything that you’ve never told me but want to tell me now?
Is there something about me that you’ve always wanted to know but have never asked?

For helpful hints, download the simple Do-It-Yourself Guide from StoryCorps, and perhaps watch the short how-to video. Read or listen to other StoryCorps interviews for inspiration, like this one with journalist Daniel Schorr. To record your conversation, use whatever works for you – from computer to cell phone, tape recorder to pen and paper. Keep it as simple and inexpensive as you wish.

You can register as a participant in the National Day of Listening, share your interview, hear the stories of others. Don’t feel daunted. No need to be an expert interviewer. People naturally want to share their stories with someone who will listen. "It may be the most meaningful time you spend this year," says StoryCorps.

If this one day does not work for you, make time in December, or at your family reunion. The point is to capture the stories before they slip away with the lives of those who carry them. “If we take the time to listen, says Dave Isay, founder of StoryCorps, we’ll find wisdom, wonder, poetry in the lives and stories all around us.” Look for Isay’s book Listening is an Act of Love, a collection of the best interviews.

Related Blog Post: “Listening is an Act of Love”

Asking Questions, Seeking Answers & Celebrating Baha'u'llah

2009-11-11T15:39:00.034-05:00

Formal gardens surrounding Bahji, where Baha'u'llah spent His last years. Also His resting place, the holiest place to Baha'is. [Baha'i Media]

"I never dreamed, when I first encountered the Baha'i Faith as a young adult, that one day I would write a book about the Founder, Baha'u'llah, whose birthday Baha'is celebrate around the world November 12. Yet hearkening back to that time of search I clearly recall that my attention was captured by two things: the extraordinary life of Baha'u'llah and the exquisite beauty of His writings. How could someone who lived the better part of His life as a prisoner and exile - often in the most deplorable and hostile conditions - not only endure, but consistently produce the most inspiring and insightful writings?"

You can read the rest of Journey to a Sacred City, a short essay about my spiritual questions and how I eventually answered them in The Story of Baha'u'llah: Promised One of All Relgions, on the U.S. Baha'i site.

I enjoy listening to other people's personal stories, too, like this short video of a handful of new Baha'is who share a few of their own questions and something of their spiritual journeys - part of the new U.S. Baha'i Video Library.

Baha'u'llah Himself took seriously the questions of those sincerely looking for the truth. He wrote the Book of Certitude in response to the questions of the Bab's eldest uncle - whom Baha'u'llah told to write down all of his questions and bring them to Him. In answering this one man's questions, Baha'u'llah changed profoundly our vision of the religions we thought we knew.

As Baha'is celebrate this Holy Day we celebrate this new vision brought by Baha'u'llah: that the religions called by different names are, in reality, one religion unfolding over time, their separate Prophets inspired by One Source, their sacred guidance flowing together into one divine purpose - the upliftment of the human spirit and the evolution of human consciousness.

But don't take someone else's word for it. Investigate for yourself. You might like to begin with this video on the life of Baha'u'llah, with highlights of Baha'i community. Of course, for more compelling detail I recommend you read The Story of Baha'u'llah.

Blog Talk Radio Interview

2009-10-27T11:42:00.017-04:00

A few months ago Francine Silverman, author and creator of the Book Promotion Newsletter – one of my favorites – connected me with Anjuelle Floyd on BlogTalkRadio. Anjuelle is a fiction author (and therapist) on the west coast, who also interviews authors on her radio show Book Talk, Creativity & Family Matters. The great thing about the net is you can listen to these interviews anytime. Listen here to my October 3rd interview with Anjuelle.

Let me share a few highlights and generally where they come up in the interview. First let me say that I appreciated Anjuelle’s approach. She was courteous, asked interesting questions, listened well, and drew from her own experience, so that the interview warmed up as we went along, and felt more like a conversation between friends. Anjuelle’s questions opened topics that became lines of discussion throughout the interview.

The interview began, naturally enough, with questions about Baha’u’llah and how I came to write The Story of Baha’u’llah. Had I always been a Baha’i? she asked, and I talked briefly about my spiritual journey, how it connected to that of my ancestors, and what I had found compellng about Baha’u’llah.

About Baha’u’llah: Who was He and how did His life and message compare to that of the Prophet Muhammad? To Buddha? Early on Anjuelle shared the fact that she is Muslim. and her natural interest allowed us to discuss how my book can bridge understanding between Christians and Muslims.

About writing: What was my process? What worked for me? See 12’-18’ and 66’-69’ for answers and what I share with other writers about creative process.

About Baha’is: How do Baha’is practice their faith? How does the Baha’i Faith differ from Islam? How is it the same? See 19’-49' for a conversation that touched upon a range of topics here: Baha’i marriage, gossip, race relations, community life and attitudes that embrace all children.

“I wonder what would Baha’u’llah say to this?" Anjuelle would say, and at the end, remarked that our interview had “opened up another reality for me.”

Finally, Anjuelle suggested I really needed to get on Twitter!! – She was not only persuasive but after the interview she actually helped me sign up. Now I have another whole new world to explore. So if you’re on Twitter, look me up! I'm @LuminousMusings. You can also find Anjuelle at her blog The Writing Life.

The Bab: 'Gate' to an Era of Maturity

2009-10-19T16:27:00.022-04:00

Upper terraces of the Baha' gardesn and the golden-domed Shrine of the Bab in Haifa, Israel. [With permission of Baha'i Media, Baha'i International Community] View Slideshow for more on the Shrine of the Bab. View Video of the Bab's role in the early history of the Baha'i Faith. (begins at 5 minutes in) - on new U.S. Baha'i Video Library

This evening begins the Birth of the Bab, a Baha'i holy day. The life of the Bab is a compelling story, which you can read in Part One of my book The Story of Baha’u’llah: Promised One of All Religions. The excerpt below is from my short essay for the holy day and gives you a taste of that story and of why the Bab is a key figure in the story of Baha'u'llah. (Read the whole essay here.)

“Today’s sun is the same sun that rose, over a century ago, on the Kurdish villagers of Mah-Ku in a remote corner of Persia, where, in the summer of 1847, a mountain-fortress kept a new prisoner, the Bab, whose name means “Gate” in Arabic.

“Mah-Ku’s villagers knew nothing about the Bab’s claim to be a Messenger of God. They had not heard about His Mission: to prepare the way for the Promised One of all religions. What they did hear, reverberating from that fortress-prison set in a pocket of the mountain, was the voice of the Bab, strong and melodious, as He chanted verses of such soul-stirring beauty that the villagers were captivated.

“Surely this must be a holy man, they said to one another, and they gathered at the foot of the mountain to begin each day with a blessing from the Bab.

“For nearly a year the Bab was kept in Mah-Ku, housed in a mud-walled cell without even a lamp for light, through the sweltering summer when the sun baked the rocky mountain, through the harsh winter when water froze in droplets on the Bab’s face as He washed. But the Bab let nothing deter Him.

“Day after day He revealed new divine teachings – 8,000 verses – and woven throughout, a myriad allusions to the great Divine Messenger soon to appear – “Him Whom God will make manifest” – eventually known to humanity as Baha’u’llah, the Founder of the Baha'i Faith.

“Two Messengers from God in one lifetime: because humanity was about to step over a critical threshold and enter a whole new era – the maturity of the human race. It was ’Ali Muhammad of Shiraz, Persia, Who by divine appointment took the title “the Bab” meaning “the Gate” and opened the way.

“Maturity? Our own human wisdom acknowledges that maturity does not visit us overnight, on a particular birthday. So it should not be surprising to learn that maturity of the human race does not appear instantly, in one historical moment. Maturity by its nature is the fruit of process, with its own cycles and seasons. [READ the rest of the essay.]

Blog Action Day Follow-Up

2009-10-16T13:08:00.012-04:00

If you missed it, do watch this cool video (2 minutes) for Blog Action Day ‘09 Climate Change – which claims to be the “largest social change event on the web EVER.”

Here are the numbers from their wrap-up page. By the end of yesterday Blog Action Day had 27,000 posts on 13,231 blogs from bloggers in 155 countries – with posts from the UK’s Prime Minister, the government of Spain, and The White House blog.

In one day over 17 million readers read about climate change. Whether they gained new knowledge, were inspired to take action, or connected via blog with a real-world project, all were part of a planetary grassroots organized initiative, powered on the internet, and providing a voice for the billions whose lives are affected by climate change.

Grassroots initiative is exactly what is called for, according to Dr. Rajendra K. Pachauri, chairman of the Nobel Prize-winning Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. “I feel you really cannot rely on the leaders . . . the nation states,” says Dr. Pachauri. “You really need a groundswell of grassroots action and grassroots consciousness on what needs to be done. If that is happening, then leaders will follow.” Let’s hope that Copenhagen will be listening.

Blog Action Day | Climate Change: Thinking at a Much Higher Level

2009-10-15T16:22:00.019-04:00

In 1860 the first ever aerial image of a city was photographed from a hot-air balloon over Boston and published a few days later in the Boston Herald. Just over a century later, in 1968, Apollo 8 gave us Earthrise, the photo of Earth from the moon that “began to bend human consciousness.”**

Even before that first aerial image Baha’u’llah was born in Tehran in 1817; and long before we could begin to wrap our minds around the image of a planet with no political boundaries, Baha'u'llah had called the peoples and nations of the world to the next step in our collective life: to establish the unity of the entire human race and from that to raise up a new, world-wide civilization of peace and justice. Not only a call, but with specific guidance on how to get there.

Fast forwad to today and our Blog Action Day topic: Climate Change. Do I care about only the climate around my house or in my neighborhood? How foolish. Such a mind-set not only draws too small a circle, but is out of touch with reality. Climate is global. And solving the climate challenges that now confront us requires a new mind-set, one with a vastly different ethic.

“The impacts of climate change are going to be inequitable, unequal, and severe in many parts of the world,” says Dr. Rajendra K. Pachauri, Chairman of the Nobel Prize-winning Panel on Climate Change. “We have to think at a much higher level.”

In fact, we need a mind-set that fits the image we now hold of the planet we all call home. In the words of Baha’u’llah: “The world is but one country and mankind its citizens.” Words that embrace a wider set of people to care about, that suggest a larger neighborhood.

But the biggest leap in mind-set from Baha’u’llah seems at first counter-intuitive: “The well-being of mankind, its peace and security, are unattainable unless and until its unity is firmly established.” Unity first, then peace; or unity first, then climate change. Gee, if we wait for world unity before we address climate change, a good many of us may be under water. Then again, think of unity, not as a single historical event, but as a process, and the picture changes, expands.

Consider this view from a document of appeal to world leaders, drafted by the Baha’i International Community at the United Nations: “. . . the quest for climate justice is not a competition for limited resources but part of an unfolding process towards greater degrees of unity among nations as they endeavor to build a sustainable, just and peaceful civilization.”

Unity defined as a process of learning how to work together, even as we strive to solve this grave global challenge. That we can do. Because solving difficult problems is what we do as creative beings. Because working together is what we do, too. The science of evolution has discovered that survival actually favors the most cooperative.

So, to tackle the crisis of climate change we must take it in hand as an opportunity to create a new mind – in us as individuals, in the human race as a whole; and choose to work together in ever “greater degrees of unity.” And we must never forget the relationship of unity to justice. “The purpose of justice is the appearance of unity among men,” Baha’u’llah has written, and states “No radiance can compare with that of justice . . . The organization of the world and the tranquility of mankind depend upon it.”

**Quote in first paragrah from Whole Earth Catalogue
RELATED POST: Blog Action Day Follow-up

"Resistance always has Meaning"

2009-10-12T19:47:00.018-04:00

This nine-pointed star is a paradigm for how to develop a sustained creative process - and a writer's brain!

I came home from my writer retreat disappointed. I had enjoyed peaceful surroundings, the company of other writers, and time to focus. But I did not bring home the sheaf of pages I had hoped to write. Instead I carried the same nagging question: Why did writing in these last few weeks feel like slogging through thigh-high mud? Where was the joy – and the pages?

“Resistance always has meaning,” writes Henriette Klauser in Writing on Both Sides of the Brain. When my writing feels stuck I experiment. Do I need to do more research on the topic? To find out more about craft? To spend more hours BIC – butt in chair (Jane Yolen) simply writing?

At home I picked up two books on writing craft to explore story structure. Both were mentioned at our retreat. New to me was BAM - Book a Month by Cyn Mobley, who writes and sells/publishes “six to seven books a year.” Not quite my intended pace, but I wanted to read what she had to say about story “fly-to points” – dramatic points to write toward. An old favorite was the book Writing for Story, a classic on creative nonfiction by Pulitzer prize-winning author Jon Franklin. His insights on craft and connecting with readers is wisdom worth revisiting.

In the days that followed I was reading, writing, and still frustrated. I had a conversation with my spouse. Since he is writing a fantasy novel these days he has a better understanding of a writer’s challenges and offers a more compassionate ear, even if he can’t supply all the answers. I had a conversation with God, too, one morning on my back porch. Not that I expect a divine post-it note to appear with how-to-write-the-book answers, but the retreat reminded us that we do receive divine assistance, that we can ask for what we want – and that we need to pay attention. As I sat on the porch and poured over notes for my book, I felt a growing sense of rebellion, as though I had a big homework assignment which I simply did not want to do.

And then I realized – I didn’t have to! Are there rules here? Who says I have to write this story in just this way? Well, actually, the only one who had been saying that was me! I had set up certain parameters which apparently held no appeal for the creative spirit that needed to do the work. But those parameters could be changed. All of a sudden I saw the material with fresh eyes. A new approach, a new plan, emerged – as though a fuzzy picture had just come into focus. In that moment resistance dissolved, my creative energy was recharged – and the joy returned!

I say “all of a sudden” but it is also clear that this flash of insight was the fruit of process. The writers retreat – where I focused on the endeavor of writing, networked with other writers, and pursued knowledge of craft – was integral to my own creative process. So was listening to myself, really tuning in, as well as making a larger spiritual connection. The whole experience is a good example of the creative process paradigm that I share with writers in workshops, which came together from what I learned in writing my first book.

The nine-pointed star that represents the paradigm is made of straight lines, but the actual path of creative process is not a straight line so much as a winding spiral, one that fairly crackles with moving energy. We discover new levels of learning and insight as we visit familiar practices again and again: I write on a regular basis, continue to read about craft, network with other writers engaged in learning process – and all of it nourishes my evolution as a writer. The more awareness I bring to the process, the more systematically I engage it, the more certain it is that I will connect to my creative spirit, and in the process, grow a writer’s brain – and that makes all the difference.

Writers: Kill the Dragon & Write Letters of Love

2009-10-05T22:40:00.051-04:00

The Sarah Farmer Inn at Green Acre and a view from between the fir trees that stood on the grounds when 'Abdu'l-Baha walked there in 1912.

We began each writing day of our writer retreat with breakfast together, then gathered for inspiration from Baha’i prayers and passages, along with words of writing wisdom from other authors.

‘Abdu’l-Baha, who had in 1912 walked the very grounds we walked now, encouraged many an artist. To one He wrote: “I rejoice to hear that thou takest pains with thine art, for in this wonderful new age, art is worship. The more thou strivest to perfect it, the closer wilt thou come to God.” He exhorted individuals to "acquire knowledge and the sciences and arts . . . to be . . . piercing rays of the mind shedding forth their light in this, 'the first life.'"

One morning we read words from Joseph Campbell, reknown for his writing about mythology, who said about the writing process: “You have to suspend all criticism to do your work . . . Suspending criticism is killing the dragon Thou Shalt. Kill him. . . then think of someone you know who would resonante to your statement and write for that person. . . .

. . . . "The two things, then, that I’d say are necessary for breaking through what’s called writer’s block are, first to have a person to whom you are addressing yourself and, second, to set aside a couple of hours a day when . . . you’re writing letters of love to that person.” [A Joseph Campbell Companion]

Even in that small group of ten writers we shared resources, information, contacts. We had no idea of the value of these to one another until we came together. That is the bounty and wisdom of networking: one of the three core domains -- Knowledge – Endeavor – Network -- at the heart of a creative life. We simply do not know where we will find valuable nuggets, or what priceless piece we hold that will serve another. Networking uncovers pearls.

You might say networking, like friendship itself, is a form of love, and love is a reflection of the divine. “All things are beneficial if joined with the love of God,” wrote ‘Abdu’l-Baha, “and without His love, all things are harmful and act as a veil between man and the Lord of the Kingdom. When His love is there, every bitterness turneth sweet, and every bounty rendereth a wholesome pleasure.”

So what did I get out of this writer’s retreat? See my next post Resistance always has Meaning.

Workshop or Retreat?

2009-10-01T13:44:00.022-04:00

Our writers retreat space at Green Acre let us each find a writing spot that worked for us. We wrote at table or ensconced in a comfy chair, alone or in pairs or threesomes as we scattered about in our favorite nooks and crannies. If you walked by you might hear the light tapping of laptop keyboards or the soft sound of pencil capturing a flow of thought on paper.

I usually joined another writer in a small parlor of the main Sarah Farmer Inn, sharing an occasional few words, but mostly working, each immersed in our own creative world until mid-morning/afternoon break, then back to work again.

Another writer friend asked if a retreat is a good thing for amateurs. It’s not so much about your level of expertise, but about what you need at a particular juncture of your writing process. Do you need a retreat or a workshop? What’s the difference?

A workshop teaches. Experienced authors share specific writing principles, resources, practical how-to’s, and may or may not provide time to write. (I prefer the ones that do.) A retreat is for the writer who has a project in hand, or wants to generate specific work– a poet who wants to generate poetry, a fiction writer with a particular novel to develop. A retreat writer needs to be able to write for stretches of time and feel comfortable with the time unstructured.

A writer in early stages of learning craft might enjoy workshop experience before attending a writer retreat. Even an experienced writer will attend a workshop to learn more about her craft at one time, and at another time retreat to focus on specific work.

If you would like to experiment with a retreat you can always do what I did. Plan to take different things to do: perhaps research for note-taking and books to read on writing craft, as well as the writing you want to generate. Trying something new is one way to discover what works best for your writing process.

Related Posts:

Writers in Retreat

Writers: Kill the Dragon & Write Letters of Love

Resistance always has Meaning

Writers in Retreat

2009-09-28T13:45:00.011-04:00

Here we are around the table: Phyllis, Jane, Ilona, Patti, Rick, Mary Lou, Faye, Laura. (Not in the picture: Ollie and myself)

Writers in retreat indeed – not from the endeavor of writing, but from the 10,000 distractions that tug at our attention every day: phones, families, friends, work, pets, email, facebook – all the stuff we love (or don’t). Ten of us gathered around the large table on Thursday evening in a lovely cottage just for us. How we all looked forward to a long week-end of quietude, and a little socializing with other writers – “my people” said one writer with a contented sigh.

But first introductions all around, which included a little about our current writing projects and what we hoped to glean from this time of retreat. We came from states in the northeast and from Canada, with familiar faces from previous writer workshops. And what an interesting array of writing work we brought: Biography, memoir, suspense, children’s literature, fiction, nonfiction. A lot of creative process represented around that table at Green Acre.

How do you know if a writer retreat is for you? See my next post Workshop or Retreat?

Luminous Realities in Top 100 - The Daily Reviewer

2009-09-16T08:25:00.026-04:00

Top Blogs

Click on badge to go to The Daily Reviewer

My thanks to The Daily Reviewer– a blog aggregate – for selecting Luminous Realities as one of the top 100 blogs on its Baha’i Faith page. I appreciate being included in the company of some very fine fellow bloggers. Of course the Baha’i Faith is only one of many topic pages on The Daily Reviewer. An aggregate is a handy tool for a reader to peruse a variety of topics, delve more deeply into one, and even set up a personal page to follow your favorites.

One of the features I like about The Daily Reviewer is its slide-show of sample blog pictures on each topic page, which is an attractive way for a reader to see what looks interesting. Run your mouse over a blog post link for its opening lines.

One small critique of this aggregate. Although it has topic pages on various religions, its headline links do not include “Religon” or “Spirituality,” which seems something of an oversight and a navigational hurdle for the browsing reader. Here’s how it works as I write:

To find a particular blog, or a blog page for a particular religion, you need to use the alphabet links. To find my blog, for example, first select “B.” From the tags presented on that page select “baha’i faith.” Luminous Realities appears as one of the blogs on that page. The same works for blog pages related to other religions.

For a kind of aggregate within the aggregate on the topic of religon check out Beliefnet, which you can access on the “religion” topic page. Beliefnet is also a permanent link on my blog. Scroll down to find it as a link under my Amazon-linked slideshow “Explore Baha’i Books.”

Enjoy exploring The Daily Reviewer. More when I return from my Green Acre writer retreat.

Writer Retreat "On the rim of the Piscataqua"

2009-09-06T10:33:00.026-04:00

A window in the Sarah Farmer Inn overlooking the Piscataqua River

As summer steps into fall, and school buses begin their noisy rounds again, I will pack my writing instruments and paper, and my handy little netbook too, for a writer retreat in Maine next week. It will be at one of my favorite and familiar spots, the lovely and peaceful Green Acre “on the rim of the Piscataqua” river.

I have gone to writer conferences and workshops, but this will be my first retreat. And I am so looking forward to it! I plan to write and write – away from phone calls, pets who need attention, and the ten thousand distractions of home life. Green Acre provides delicious meals, too – that I don’t have to cook -- and surroundings of natural beauty that “refresh and gladden” the creative spirit.

“The very breath of Green Acre . . . is the breath of Art,” wrote Sarah Farmer, the remarkable woman who shaped Green Acre into a place of learning.

Writing and Spirit Shape Each Other, and Us is the title of this writer retreat, which was designed by my friend Phyllis Ring. It is not a completely solitary thing, as some retreats are. Here writers are invited to come together, yet have as much solitary time as we choose – which for me offers the best of both worlds. I plan to opt out of the few optional sessions and focus on the writing work of my current book. But there will be morning devotions, sociable meal-times, and evening conversations, I’m sure, that will have a different flavor in the company of fellow writers.

Of course a writer retreat is only as useful as the work a writer puts into it. The point is to detach from distractions and connect more deeply to the creative process– it’s still about the 10,000 hours. So will have to see how it all works for me. But like a warm sweater that wards off autumn chill, it feels like just the thing at the turn of this new season.

"Dawning Place of the Mention of God"

2009-08-23T09:01:00.048-04:00

Reprinted with permision of Baha'i International Community- Baha'i Media

Before I leave my Chicago trip let me share one last stop: the Baha’i House of Worship. Tourists from around the world visit this recognized landmark, but my friend and I went for a time of prayer, that sweet conversation so essential to the spirit.

The space inside the Baha’i temple is open from floor to the lofty reach of the dome overhead. Long windows in three tiers look out onto sky, and the lace-like design of the dome weaves natural daylight into its solid strength. The effect in that quiet, peaceful place is at once spacious and intimate, making the infinite feel close at hand.

No sermons are preached here – Baha’is have no clergy – and the only music comes from a capella voices. (See full 2009 choral concert at the Baha'i House of Worship here.) Sunday prayer services include readings from Baha’i writings and from the sacred scriptures of each major religion, to uplift the hearts of whoever may enter these doors. The Arabic title for a Baha’i House of Worship is Mashriqu’l Adhkar, meaning "Dawning place of the mention of God."

Even before one enters, the ornamental architecture welcomes. “In the tracery of the towers are intertwined all the religious symbols of the past,” wrote architenct Louis Bourgeois, “demonstrating to each beholder of any religion: welcome to this Temple exemplifying universal brotherhood.”

Inscriptions over the nine entrances outside and the nine alcoves within are from the writings of Baha’u’llah, gracing the soft curves and light-filled structure with the illumination of the Word of God. "The real temple is the very Word of God," say Baha’i writings, "for to it all humanity must turn, and it is the center of unity for all mankind." One who enters here may meditate on these:

*Thy heart is My home; sanctify it for My descent.
*Thy Paradise is My love; they heavenly home is reunion with Me.

*The earth is but one country, and mankind its citizens.
*Ye are the fruits of one tree, and the leaves of one branch.

*All the Prophets of God proclaim the same faith.
*Consort with the followers of all religions with friendliness.

*The light of a good character surpasseth the light of the sun.
*The best beloved of all things in My sight is Justice; turn not away therefrom if thou desirest Me.

“Temples are the symbols of the divne uniting force,” say Baha’i writings. Each Baha’i House of Worship is designed with a dome and nine sides, and yet how amazingly varied they are, as beautiful and distinct as the peoples welcomed into their sacred space.

Terry Cassiday: A Remembrance

2009-08-16T06:42:00.021-04:00

Terry Cassiday was my editor for The Story of Baha’u’llah. When my birthday came during the months we worked together, she sent me this slender bookmark – a simple, thoughtful gift that has been a small treasure, marking a favorite prayer or passage from week to week. Now it serves as another kind of marker, a gentle reminder of the cherished friend who is no longer with us in this world. Terry was the reason for my Chicago trip with writer-friend Phyllis Ring. Terry’s passing on August 7, after a long battle with lymphoma, came one short week after we hugged her good-bye in her home.

Terry, who was senior editor and director of acquisitions at Baha’i Publishing, had joined us in our writer workshops at Green Acre, where she offered writers practical advice and encouragement. When I was paired with Terry in a workshop ice-breaker, she told me about her two years as a school-child in the U.K. where every child in her class had to write and illustrate a story – every day! Terry enjoyed listening to the other children’s stories, she recalled, as much as writing her own. What a great beginning for a future editor!

Terry brought exceptional knowledge and skill to the editing process, and always, always treated the author with respect. Working with her as an editor brought out the best in me as a writer. Beyond the obvious nuts and bolts comments, I learned to trust in Terry’s attunement to the nuances which served both the work in hand and the reader who would come to it. And she did it all without a hint of the harsh, critical voice so ubiquitous in these arenas and so poisonous to creative souls.

Terry’s respect for the writers she worked with was a daily, working quality. Alongside the high standards she valued, Terry was comfortable with author-editor consultation and creative solutions to revision needs. An editor, like the authors she works with, brings the essence of who she is to the process. How fortunate for me to work with such a remarkable human being.

There were others who knew Terry longer, better. That she allowed for friendship between author and editor was an unexpected pleasure, with the intense workload she carried. How I cherish the lovely discoveries of her insight, her humor, her strong spirit in its gentle wrappings. How I deplore the fact that she will not be in her editor’s chair for the book I am writing now, or to take a little break for conversation.

In my hand I hold the bookmark Terry gave me, its waxed turquoise thread lightly weighted at the ends with two carved pieces of pure white – a serrated leaf at one end, and at the other, a bird in flight – spare emblems of earth and spirit, and the slender tie between body and soul that is not intended to last forever. It is the bird of the soul that soars onward to its true home, to enter the many worlds of God. It is this reality that Terry herself believed.

Now this slender memento marks in my prayer book a beautiful prayer that seems especially suited to say for Terry: “O Lord . . . Robe her in the mantle of Thy grace, bright with the ornaments of the celestial Paradise, and, sheltering her beneath the tree of Thy oneness, illumine her face with the lights of Thy mercy and compassion.”

Baha’i writings assure us that not only do our prayers assist those souls who have left this life, but those faithful souls assist us here. They are "responsible for the progress of the world and the advancement of its peoples;" they “furnisheth the power through which the arts and wonders of the world are made manifest,” wrote Baha’u’llah. “Through them the clouds rain their bounty upon man and the earth bringeth forth its fruits.”

As much as I will miss her presence here, I have no doubt that Terry will be in the forefront of those blessed souls, joyfully at work.

A Conversation with Artist Robert Reddy

2009-08-09T13:36:00.031-04:00

Robert Reddy's Progress Gallery

While I was in the Chicago area I had the unexpected pleasure of a visit with Robert Reddy – the artist who designed my book cover – at his art gallery. I can’t tell you how gratifying it is for an author to have a great book cover, a detail totally outside of author control. I loved my own book cover from the first time I saw it – the colors, the softly-curving arches of Bahji, where Baha’u’llah spent His last days. In addition to his other work as an artist, Robert has designed book covers for Baha’i Publishing since 2003 – each cover compelling in its own way for the title it is meant to speak for.

So, how does that work? I wondered. What is Robert Reddy’s creative process for creating cover art that is so beautiful or evocative that it makes a person stop and take notice of a book? I asked him about this and a few other things in an email interview, and here is what he said:

Robert: “My goal with each cover is to create something appropriate to the meaning within the book, but also to have a cover design that elicits a response from the viewer when first seen. That response may be curiosity, warmth, or a sense that there is valuable knowledge inside the covers.

“Since I am a graphic designer and a fine artist, in most cases my first step is to search my own files of finished or partially developed artwork to see if there is an evocative match between the book title and some art. If so, then I adapt the art and incorporate the typographical elements to complete the cover -- and hopefully, people are compelled to pick it up and read the back cover or page through the introduction. That is all you can ask of a paperback book cover, really.

“For your book cover -- The Story of Baha'u'llah -- I tried a number of abstract ideas first. My thought was to make it intriguing and powerful, a cosmic event, a blast of light. But everything I tried seemed too vague and difficult to link to such a pure and straight-forward title. So I found a small digital photo I had taken of the Mansion where Baha'u'llah lived (outside the town of Akka, Israel) during the last years of His life. . . I enlarged the file and began giving it the texture and roughness of a watercolor, in order to make it more timeless and attractive.”

Question: What mediums do you prefer to work in?
Robert: I was trained in school as an oil painter, but have worked as a graphic designer for 30 years. Now I find that the two pursuits can overlap and complement each other quite well within the digital tools that I use each day. So my Mac laptop with its software, my digital Nikon camera and my large-format inkjet printers form the foundation of my working tools.

“I may draw something and scan it, I may photograph a scene or take a photo of a beautiful textured surface that I happen upon. Almost anything can begin the process, but the internal conversation I have with my head and heart then move forward as the piece develops and I explore and manipulate it through the software on my laptop.

“I love finishing a piece of art. It comes alive when the permanent inks hit the soft cotton printmaking paper. Some pieces look best on silk. I have even printed on 64th-inch thick wood veneer.”

Question: What about plans for the future?
Robert: Over the past year and a half, I have created an art gallery in Evanston, Illinois, and filled it with my own fine art prints and with antique impressionist paintings, antique prints and objects of interest. As a professional, I have recently turned my full-time attention to producing fine art – to printmaking. The works have been pouring out of me and filling my gallery at a healthy pace; and after 30 years of producing graphic design for commercial and institutional clients, I now understand that I have finally reached a safe destination in making this fine art—a home for my unusual capacities and perspectives.

“So my goal is to continue to develop my own artwork and make a viable second career of it. While I am working on the art, I am in paradise -- there is no better way to describe it."

Related Blog Post: A Visit with Our Publisher

A Visit with Our Publisher

2009-08-06T13:43:00.021-04:00

Last week I visited friends in the Chicago area with friend and fellow author Phyllis Ring. One of the pleasures of the trip was having lunch with our publisher Tim Moore of Baha'i Publishing. Here you see him reading both of our books* at once! There's multi-tasking for you!

Tim may be a kidder, but he keeps an eagle-eye on the cutting edge of the book publishing world, and what will work for Baha'i Publsihing. He told us over coffee that e-books will be added to the repertoire of Baha'i Publishing in the not-too-distant future. Will definitely announce it here when e-books are unveiled.

In the meantime take a look at the newest books from Baha'i Publishing. Just now I am reading an earlier release, Hope for a Global Ethic, as well as The Universe Within Us and Life at First Sight. One of the things that attracts me to the first two books is that I am learning what the sacred writings of other religions say on the issues addressed, and how that connects to Baha'i writings.

I'm an eclectic reader, so the range of topics really appeals to me -- from prayers and sacred writings to topics as diverse as psychology and personal tranformation, governance and social issues, biography and history, women, race relations, marriage and family, philosophy and science. I enjoy the diversity of author styles, too.

While all of these titles are available both online and through local bookstores, I find that bookstores -- even stores in the same large chains -- vary in how user-friendly they are to a reader looking for them. By that I mean some stores have a Baha'i section in their relgions, while others shelve Baha'i books under different categories that you may or may not think to look in. The Story of Baha'u'llah, for example, may show up in "Religious History" or in "Comparative Religion," or you could find it in "Eastern Relgions."

Whether I visit my local bookstores or those I encounter when I'm on the road, I make it a point to look for my book and for other Baha'i titles. Sometimes I have a conversation with the booksellers who work in the stores, whom I find are usually friendly and helpful - especially if you ask for a specific title. As with any book title, if enough readers ask for it, booksellers will recognize the interest and respond with books on shelves.

Our next stop? An intriguing little art gallery and A Conversation with Artist Robert Reddy.

Poetry Out Loud - Listen to This!

2009-07-25T09:37:00.044-04:00

Top Three: 2nd place winner Barbara Gooding, 2009 National Champion William Farley, and 3rd place winner Kareem Sayegh. Watch Farley's full recitation of Theme for English B by Langston Hughes (smaller video on the linked page).

My last post On Reading Aloud & Honing Craft brings me naturally to share this Poetry Out Loud Best Performances video. It features, along with three other videos, just a few of the stellar high school winners in the Poetry Out Loud National Recitation Contest. And what a field of competition! These featured students emerged from a field of 300,000 students and more than 1,700 high schools. The final 53 champions, and the diversity they reflect on every level is as illuminating as it is gratifying.

Reading aloud, like playing a musical instrument, invites interpretation – for the individual to sift the words, like notes, through the instrument of one’s own spirit, of “breath and mind (and) . . . soul,” even while striving to capture the essence infused by the original author.

“. . . our idea of reading is incomplete, impoverished, unless we are also takng the time to read aloud,” says the essayist in Some Thoughts on the Lost Art of Reading Aloud, and observes, “In one realm – poetry – reading aloud has never really died out.”

Of course, Poetry Out Loud recitations are more than simply reading aloud. They are dramatic monologues. But perhaps their captivating examples of bringing poems vividly to life will inspire the rest of us to begin to read to one another again, if only the occasional passage – to replace the ubiquitous voices that spill into our ears, day to day, with our own.

On Reading Aloud & Honing Craft

2009-07-19T08:24:00.025-04:00

Do you ever read out loud? In a NY Times opinion piece Some Thoughts on the Lost Art of Reading Aloud* a teacher hearkens back to the early 19th century, the era of Jane Austen, when “literate families and friends read aloud to each other as a matter of habit.” It was a socially engaging practice, notes the writer, which contrasts sharply with “solitary 21st century individuals hearkening to earbuds and car radios.”

“Reading aloud recaptures the physicality of words,” the writer notes. “To read with your lungs and diaphragm, with your tongue and lips, is very different than reading with your eyes alone. The language becomes a part of the body . . . The words are not mere words. They are the breath and mind, perhaps even the soul, of the person who is reading.”

If you are a writer, do you read your own work aloud? In my writer’s group we take turns reading aloud our works-in-progress which we bring to the group for comments. A long chapter may be read silently in part, but a good portion is always read out loud while the group listens. “What do you remember, what stays with you?”** we ask when the reading is done. Following that supportive round of response, we go on to offer specific creative suggestions where they might be needed. The reading-and-listening focus helps everyone hone in on what’s working and what needs work.

Reading aloud is a good practice for a writer away from the group, too. When I wrote The Story of Baha’u’llah I read aloud every paragraph and page – and listened. For the rhythm and flow of words, for the life of a scene, the pace of a chapter, for the underlying energy.

Reading aloud lets a writer hear flat places that need work, scenes that call for more dramatic build, sentences to be shortened or rearranged, klunky phrases that twist the tongue, boring words that cry out to be traded for more evocative language, and words that simply don’t need to be there. Reading aloud is an inherent part of the editing/revision process for many writers.

One gratifying result, I discovered, is that many of my readers actually do read The Story of Baha’u’llah aloud to one another – husbands and wives, parents and children, reading groups, Baha’is at holy days or in classes for youth or children. A group of youth volunteers, serving at a Baha’i school, met on a regular basis to study and read the book aloud as they met, week to week. One reader took the time to record himself as he read the entire book aloud, so that he could share it with his dear friend who was gravely ill.

I am moved beyond words when I hear these stories, and can only say that I am grateful to be a small part of what I hope is a true pleasure for these readers, one and all.

*Thanks to blogger Liz who brought this article to my attention.
** From Amhert Writers & Artists (AWA) method by Pat Schneider

The Bab: An Astonishing Turn of Events

2009-07-09T20:50:00.043-04:00

The Shrine of the Bab and its terraces at night. Reprinted by permission of Baha'i International Community, Baha'i Media. View a multi-media Meditation on the Martyrdom of the Bab.

Each July 9th Baha’is in every part of the planet gather to commemorate the martyrdom of the Bab, Who was executed in Tabriz, Persia, 1850 by order of the grand vizier of Persia. The true cause of His death, wrote Baha’u’llah, were the people’s “vain imaginings . . . converted into bullets and aimed at Him Who is the Prince of the world.”

There is always a sense of amazement for listeners when they hear the story of that day – how the first firing squad with 750 rifles missed their target entirely, and when the smoke cleared, found the rope which held the Bab severed, and the Bab Himself nowhere to be seen. Yet the execution of the Bab did go forward a short time later. Read more of this dramatic story in An Astonishing Turn of Events, my guest column in The Baha'i Road blog.

The Bab had walked upon the earth a mere thirty-one years. His only “crime” was His claim to be a Messenger of God, with the sole Mission of preparing the way for One even greater -- the Promised One of All Religions – Baha’u’llah.

What I find most compelling about this story is not the “miracle” but the mind-set of those like the grand vizier, who presumed that killing the Bab could destroy His message; that those in positions of power had power over minds and hearts; that Truth could be so easily extinguished. What is compelling is what happened in the years following the martyrdom of the Bab.

Despite the grand vizier’s plan, the Bab and His Faith were not forgotten. News traveled to Europe, where many were moved by His story. From Paris to London to St. Petersburg, poets and playwrights honored the noble Bab with their arts.

Little more than a century later, on the slopes of Mount Carmel in the Holy Land, a shrine of pure white stone crowned with a dome of gold entombed the Bab’s sacred remains. Today amid resplendent terraced gardens the shrine is visited by pilgrims who come from every place on the planet to give homage to the Bab, to remember the beauty of His character and the splendor of His revelation.

As for the grand vizier who ordered the Bab’s execution? Find out what became of him in An Astonishing Turn of Events. For a more complete story of this episode and much more on the life of the Bab see Part 1- The Dawn in The Story of Baha’u’llah: Promised One of All Religions.

"Life at First Sight: Finding the Divine in the Details"

2009-06-29T15:42:00.023-04:00

Author Phyllis Ring signs copies of her book Life at First Sight: Finding the Divine in the Details (pictured lower left) at this year’s BookExpo America (BEA) in the Jacob Javits Center, New York City. Each year BEA brings together publishers, booksellers, librarians, authors and everyone related to books for networking and learning. U.S. Baha’i Publishing is respected as a quality small publisher.

What I find irresistible about Phyllis Ring's collection of personal essays (previously published columns) in Life at First Sight is that each one is really a story, told in the warm and intimate voice of a good friend – the kind of easy companion you might invite for a walk or sit with over coffee. Yet the stories she shares about family, people she meets, or something further afield, have none of the flavor of the gossip so ubiquitous these days. Far from it.

These stories draw the reader along a different kind of path, where, with a practiced eye, Phyllis guides us to look through the mundane to find the unexpected beauty, the deeper meaning, that might have otherwise eluded us. And when you think you have come to the end of a particular story, she leads you one step further – which is one reason why these essays are not simply filed away in the mind, but become companions of the heart.

Phyllis Ring writes from a spiritual orientation that she conveys with a light touch. "First sight" is a term she uses for looking at life with spiritual eyes. In the book’s introduction Phyllis identifies three kinds of “sight” – physical, intellectual, and spiritual. “We acquire a more complete picture of human reality – body, mind, and soul,” writes Phyllis, “by gradually learning to use all three kinds of seeing to the best of our abilities and discovereng how they are designed to work together.”

“Like love at first sight, using our spiritual vision involves an immediate ‘recognition’ and irresistable attraction, a sense of something mysteriously familiar,” says Phyllis. “It is that feeling of coming into contact with what is of God. And how do we know, feel, and recognize what is of God?” she asks. “By coming into contact with the attributes of God – such divine qualities as kindness, courtesy, generosity, and courage.”

“The liberating light of these divine attributes, and the love they bring with them, can glimmer in all sorts of places and circumstances,” notes Phyllis. “Cultivating the ability and the desire to perceive these in the everyday may be one of the most life-sustaining and liberating things we’ll ever do.”

The joy for the reader is in looking through the eyes of an author who has cultivated this capacity, and whose telling of these jewel-like vignettes can make us smile or laugh or weep, and on occasion take our breath away to see how truly amazing the details of life can be.

Visit the Religion and Spirituality Forum (UPI) to read sample columns by Phyllis Ring.

Birthday Flowers, Birthday Reflections

2009-06-17T22:39:00.008-04:00

What a delightful surprise to answer the door and be presented with this beautiful basket of birthday flowers! Other deights were a birthday-singing phone call from a friend and her daughters, a bundle of facebook greetings from well-wishing friends, and a singing Hoops & Yoyo card from my husband (love it!) – who was also game enough to let me sign us both up for a beginners kayaking session to come.

This is not just any birthday for me, but a decade-rounding birthday, which prompts more than a little reflection, and gratitude for a life enriched in so many ways by so many people, more than I can do justice to in this blog.

It is so often the little things that open a momentary door to those memories – like the taste of hot, sweet tea with milk that brings to mind days lived in Kenya, India, Nigeria.

Or the sound of Chinese music, sweeter to my ear now because of a Chinese friend.

Or the rich scent of certain flowers that recall Indian streets: with sidewalk vendors whose fragrant flowers lay in neat rows on cloth squares, and the women in brightly-colored saris walking in their graceful way, ankle jewelry jingling its gentle music, long black hair braided down the back and adorned with flowers wafting their perfume.

Or English spoken with an accent – so many different accents, or English that simply owns a different dialect in a different place – all of which can make me pause and remember life stories shared by ESL students I have taught, other friends I have known. Love the accents, love the people who belong to them; cherish the stories of their struggles.

Or the faint déjà vu evoked when meeting someone new who seems familiar, as though I must have met them before. This occurs so often that I decided, after a certain age, everyone does indeed look a little like someone I knew. After all, the human face, whatever its color and features, resembles other faces. Meet enough diverse people and the brain simply wants to connect the dots somehow. That’s my personal theory. Of course, asking someone about where we might have met can also lead to an interesting conversation.

Even an author’s voice from the pages of books are among my memories. So many insightful and wise words filling the pages of my reading life – from a range of nonfiction, biography, poetry, a smattering of fiction – like so many late-ngiht conversations about the world and the people who navigate it.

What I know today is that I am grateful for more than I can say, and that there is more, so very much more, still to learn. I can only hope, as the days and years blend one into the other, that I will be counted as a true friend along the way, and a voice of encouragement in the lives of other people.

"The Universe Within Us" - Interview with the Author

2009-06-15T20:54:00.011-04:00

Jane E. Harper, author of The Universe Within Us: A Guide to the Purpose of Life, recently took the time to do an email interview with me. Her thoughtful answers about the behind-the-scenes process of writing her book makes it all the more interesting. (Read an excerpt from The Universe Within Us.)

Q. What prompted you to write the particular book you did? Did it start out as something else smaller or different?
A. My book started out as an essay I wrote for my Dad while he was in the last phases of cancer. I wanted to explain to him in a logical way how he could know for sure that life continued after death. It was written quickly, and while it made sense to me, I felt the need to explore the sciences and religions and see how and where these two fields of knowledge clashed or agreed. As time went by it went from essay to outline to book, although as it evolved it fell apart several times. As a "book" it went through three radical transformations before being sent to the Baha’i Publishing Trust for review.

Q. What were one or two major hurdles you had to overcome?
A. The biggest hurdle was the sheer scope of the topic. I was trying to take something huge—the purpose of life and the existence of a world beyond this one—which required delving into many spheres of knowledge, both scientific and religious—and create an overview. It was difficult to know what to cover and what to leave alone. I couldn't actually talk about "everything" even though I was trying to explain how everything fit together.

The other hurdle I had to overcome was my tendency to look at the world as a collection of objects, and at life as a span of time during which events happen. Once I began looking at the world as "processes" and life as a process during which our potential develops, everything became clear and began to fit together.

Q. Where did you get your support? your best support ?
A. My best support was from my good friend, Sherry. . .Even when I doubted the value of it myself (which was often) she would always tell me, "This is important." My sister, Anne, was also a great support, as she is someone I can talk over all kinds of ideas with.

Different phases of the writing require different types of support. The feedback by my editors during the revision phase was invaluable, and helped me tighten and clarify my writing. And in more practical terms, my husband kept me fed during the final phases when all my energies were focused on meeting deadlines. My managers at work also graciously let me come into work late during that time, which allowed me to work on revisions in the morning, my best time for writing.

Q. What did the Writer Workshop at Green Acre contribute to your process?
A. I was able to talk to (Editor) Terry Cassiday about my book, so connecting with her exactly when I needed to was invaluable. I also learned the importance of illustrating the points of my book with personal narratives, in order to to avoid dry nonfiction. It is also wonderful to have the opportunity to meet with other writers. Writing is a solitary endeavor, and it was great to realize I belong to a community of writers.

Q. What makes this work gratifying for you to have written and published?
A. I think the purpose of life is the most important topic for a human being to investigate, as our actions are determined by our beliefs about our place and purpose in the universe. I hope my book can bring comfort and hope, as well as change people's behavior positively as they come to understand life as an opportunity to prepare for the next world.

Q. What is one bit of wisdom /encouragement you would share with other aspiring writers?
A. If you have an idea, just begin. Write. Work on it now. Don't wait until you have time. If I had waited until I had time, 20 years would have passed and I would still be waiting to have time. Get up a half hour early: that's 30 minutes for writing. All those 30 minutes eventually add up to hours.

"The Universe Within Us"

2009-06-14T21:50:00.028-04:00

Author Jane E. Harper is another freshly-published writer from our workshop with her intriguing book The Universe Within Us from the U.S. Baha'i Publishing Trust. A broad description of the book falls short in conveying Jane’s appealing voice and style, so this post shares an excerpt to give readers a taste of the book’s flavor. My next blog post will be an interview with Jane.

First, a brief description drawn from the book jacket: In her book The Universe Within Us: A Guide to the Purpose of Life Jane has drawn on the sciences, the world’s sacred scriptures, and personal experience in “a provocative look at the purpose of life.” Questions about our purpose have long been “the domain of priests and clergy, and, more recently, scientists,” yet their answers are often “less than satisfying,” either to intellect or to heart and soul. Author Jane Harper “offers a unique map of the universe, and an explanation of life’s purpose that is truly satisfying.”

Now a selection from her opening chapter (elipses for text left out):
“’There’s the Big Dipper,’ says my dad. He is looking up, his arm outstretched, pointing into the night sky. . . .
“I didn’t know it then, but when I followed his gaze toward the Big Dipper, I was gazing out to infinity. Some people naturally look up. They are the wonderers. My dad was a wonderer. and when he pointed upward, out into infinity, it felt like a natural direction for me, the way my head was supposed to tilt. . . .
“I was also a big rock collector in my childhood. (So, yes, I could look down as well.) . . . I lived in a valley that had once been a glacial lake, a fact that sparked my imagination. Before that the valley had been covered by an immense ice sheet. Before that, unfamiliar animals had roamed. . . . Before that. . . .

‘Somehow, looking backwards was easier than looking forwards. At least when I was going backwards, I had something to look at. But I knew that infinity worked in both directions. . . .

‘These are only two aspects of my attempts to map the universe I had found myself in and turn it into something I could understand. We all do this to some degree. We try to map out the world and create models that tell a person, “You are here.” A good model tells us where we came from, where we are headed, and – most importantly – what the whole point is, anyway.

‘But infinity is a big place. There’s lots of room for variety. Models and maps inevitably differ from one culture to another, and every person’s model will be unique, at least in its details. In truth, it’s not actually possible to contain infinity in a model any more than it’s possible to contain a country in a map. Our maps and models are only representative, something people put together to help them navigate. . . .
‘The drive behind all this mapmaking and model-building, though, should be the hunger to know the difference between what is imagined to be real and what is actually real. Not the hunger to be sure . . . but the hunger to constantly push back that reef of ignorance that separates us from the ocean of knowledge. In this condition, it doesn’t matter what culture a person is born in or how a person is raised. Wonder, openness, and opportunity can lead anyone ever closer to the truth. And in this condition, the map changes as the mapmaker changes.
‘But it has to start somewhere. . . .”

Look for my interview with Jane Harper in the next blog post.

"Take My Love to the Friends"

2009-06-12T10:32:00.021-04:00

Author Marlene Macke with her book Take My Love to the Friends: The Story of Laura R. Davis

It is a pleasure to invite writers out of their solitary work to come together for a workshop, a continuing pleasure to see those writers progress -- and a celebration when one of them achieves publication! This month I have the privilege to introduce, in my next three posts, three workshop writers who are now published authors. Check out these new voices in the book world.

My first introduction is for Canadian author Marlene Macke, who traveled to Maine to attend our 2006 writer workshop held at Green Acre Baha'i School. Marlene is a Baha’i and was writing her first biography about Canadian Baha’i Laura Rumney Davis. The book is titled Take My Love to the Friends, and it seems that our writer workshop played a welcome role in the writing of it.

First a note on the biography. Marlene describes Laura Davis as “the most delightful person -- intrepid and adventurous, humorous, and life loving.” Laura (1895-1990) played a significant role in the development of the Baha’i Faith in Canada, which included her election to the first National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha’is of Canada, all of which led Marlene to write about this outstanding and accomplished woman.

In the midst of writing her book, Marlene came to our workshop – and made one of those great networking connections that writers love. In Marlene’s words: “New Yorker Marcia Owen surprised both herself and me when she said she had known Laura Davis very well. Marcia had lived in Toronto for a time in the 1970s. Marcia . . . emailed me with several stories about Laura, and most of them ended up in the book.” Marlene also discovered more useful details from another workshop participant.

Knowledge – Endeavor – Network: all necessary ingredients in the systematic development of a writer's brain. That was the message in our workshop, and what a gratifying example of networking at work!

Marlene goes on to say, “I am also grateful to the workshop itself as it confirmed and validated what we writers and poets were doing, in such a supportive and loving atmosphere. . . This book took me ten years from start to finish. After several years of on-again, off-again work, I decided to become more purposeful and get the book written. I'm now committed to a disciplined approach in my writing.” Marlene is hard at work on her next biography.

“Now that the book is published,” says Marlene, “I am most gratified by the response from the readers who knew Laura Davis and many of the other friends who are featured in the book. We Baha'is thirst for our own stories and thrill to see our more contemporary history in print.” For more book details see Take My Love to the Friends: the Story of Laura R. Davis.

"Validation" - a surprising little film

2009-05-09T10:32:00.020-04:00

Validation is described as "a fable about the magic of free parking." This multi-award-winning short film is magical in the connection it makes, from the first surprising and delightful bit of dialogue through the unexpected twists and turns of plot. A lot is packed into this short film. Parking is just a stepping-off place. The biggest surprise is how far it takes you and how flawless - and enjoyable - is the journey.

Validation is now on my list of all-time favorite films of any length. It creates the kind of connection that lingers, invites reflection and hungers for conversation. It makes me remember why art is as necessary to the life of the spirit as breathing is to life. My thanks to the friend on facebook who brought this gem to my attention.

So set aside a little time to view this award-winning little film - maybe as dessert for your lunch break? with a few friends? I promise you won't be sorry. I don't make that kind of promise lightly. And I would love to hear what resonates with you.

Guest Blogger: A Poet on "where the rubber of reality hits the road"

2009-04-28T21:40:00.016-04:00

Poet Rhonda Palmer

Since April is poetry month I invited friend Rhonda Palmer – also one of my favorite poets – to share a few words about poetry as a guest blogger. My thanks to Rhonda for her thougtful words in today’s post. To sample Rhonda’s poetry see In the Days after the Earthquake in Camroc Press Review and The Lessons of War in Holly Rose Review. Now, here is Rhonda in her own words:

“Today the true journey takes us to some deep place in ourselves where we can finally see out into the universe, and beyond. “Universe within a universe. I look out, and see in.” Or, we look in and see out. Poetry is a way to try talking about this process of seeing everything twice, and those of us who love reading it and try writing it would admit that it’s a pleasant occupation and confusing. We find ourselves where the rubber of reality hits the road; the place where air, fuel and oxygen meet.

The impact of life happening through us gives weight to poetry, but if we merely make it about our experiences then we have weakened the moment---lost the truth. When we open ourselves softly and invisibly to the moment, and breathe silently or with ragged gasping through the bloody birth of the poem, then we manifest the attribute of creation as a human can know it. This generative, germinal event has so little to do with the events of our lives, and yet these events can be doorways for the reality.

James Joyce wrote, "Every life is many days, day after day. We walk through ourselves, meeting robbers, ghosts, giants, old men, young men, wives, widows, brothers-in-love, but always meeting ourselves."

Poetry is using the things that happen to us (this universe, this experience) to teach ourselves that it is NEVER about us. It's like prayer, that way. And poetry only reaches others when they look at the words and know they come from a deep well into which their own heart dips a bucket.

We change when we write poetry. We see bigger, smaller, more intensely. Maybe we become more like our selves. We write because we need to, and we would write even if it were on water, with letters of light.”

"to abolish all disputes, war, and bloodshed from the face of the earth"

2009-04-24T10:52:00.043-04:00

Window of Baha'u'llah's room at Bahji. Reprinted with permision of the Baha'i International Community.

“Even as I join Baha’is around the globe to celebrate the Festival of Ridvan, the holiest period among Baha'i holy days, I take pause to wonder why Baha’u’llah chose Baghdad in which to make His greatest announcement.

Baghdad was for Baha’u’llah a place of exile and hardship. But it was also in Baghdad that Baha’u’llah began to reveal the Word of God, which He called “the master key for the whole world,” for with this key, He wrote, "the door of the hearts of men, which in reality are the doors of heaven, are unlocked.”

You can find the story of the first Ridvan, when Baha’u’llah prepared to leave Baghdad, in my blog post Ridvan: The Divine Springtime; it continues in On the Banks of the Tigris, Part two, which opens Baha’u’llah’s unique vision of the religions we thought we knew. Here the conclusion casts an eye to the future of humankind (with a video glimpse of a beginning):

“It is Our purpose,” Baha’u’llah wrote, “through the loving providence of God . . . to abolish . . . all disputes, war, and bloodshed, from the face of the earth.” It was not an empty promise. In over one hundred volumes Baha’u’llah provided the tools to do the work, and called on the world’s peoples (video) and their nations to take the future in their hands. Already Baha’is who come from peoples at war are learning how to create communities of peace.

Baha’u’llah made it clear that there can be no peace without unity, no paradise without justice. “The well-being of mankind, its peace and security, are unattainable unless and until its unity is firmly established,” He wrote and stated, “The light of men is Justice . . . The purpose of justice is the appearance of unity among men.”
“No radiance can compare with that of justice,” Baha’u’llah declared. “The organization of the world and the tranquility of mankind depend upon it.”

Our noble task is to transform our societies and ourselves, and lest we be discouraged, Baha’u’llah assures us that we will meet the challenge. “Yet so it shall be; these fruitless strifes, these ruinous wars shall pass away,” He promised, “and the ‘Most Great Peace’ shall come."

This is not a vision supplied by the nightly news, but by the newest Messenger of God."

For complete essay go to The Story of Baha’u’llah: Promised One of All Religions and scroll down to pdf file On the Banks of the Tigris.

On the Banks of the Tigris: Part two

2009-04-23T09:18:00.026-04:00

A terrace fountain at the Baha'i World Center. Used with permision of Baha'i International Community.

The story of the first Ridvan begins in my last post: Ridvan: The Divine Springtime. Here the essay continues, with particular focus on the unique vision of the world’s religions brought by Baha’u’llah. I also invite you to view an engaging short video set in India entitled One Common Faith which higlights religious diversity and the wisdom of diverse religious leaders on this topic.

On the Banks of the Tigris, part two:
“Baha'u'llah linked His greatest Announcement to a law. He forbade the use of force in spreading the Word of God. The mightiest sword is the tongue, He said, for speech can remove the veils of ignorance from the human heart.

Every one of the five million Baha'is in today's world, who come from the peoples of every land, also honor this truth laid out by Baha’u’llah: The religions called by different names are, in reality, one religion unfolding over time, their separate Prophets inspired by one Source, their sacred guidance flowing together into one divine purpose – the upliftment of the human spirit and the evolution of human consciousness.

“Human tongue can never befittingly sing their praise,” Baha'u'llah wrote of those Divine Educators, “and human speech can never unfold their mystery.” It was in Baghdad that He first opened up, in His Book of Certitude, this profound shift of perspective on the religions we thought we knew.

Still, we are jaded by what we see in the name of religion, and it is hard to believe that Baghdad was called “the Abode of Peace” by its founder or “the City of God” by Baha’u’llah. That Baghdad, and the world, is so far removed from this reality reflects not the inadequacy of the Divine, but the slowness of humanity to pay attention.

“For were men to abide by and observe the divine teachings,” wrote Baha’u’llah, “every trace of evil would be banished from the face of the earth.”

To turn away from the light of divine guidance, however, is to be filled with darkness. The hearts that are portals to heaven can become the pathway to hell, for the Evil One is not an outside enemy, said Baha’u’llah, but the unbridled lower nature within us.

“The actions of man himself breed a profusion of satanic power . . . The prevalence of sedition, contention, conflict and the like . . . provoke the appearance of the satanic spirit,” wrote Baha’u’llah. “Yet the Holy Spirit hath ever shunned such matters.”

Read the conclusion of On the Banks of the Tigris in my next post. I also recommend Religion, the modern age, and the coming global society, a short essay by Brad Pokorny and this very interesting message from the Universal House of Justice: To the World’s Religious Leaders, which was presented to a number of religious leaders.