I just finished reading this terrific book by Nathan Rutstein, that I picked up from Summer School last year (can't believe it's been that long!! and for the majority of the past 10 months, it's just been sitting on my shelf gathering dust!!) It's so good, that Charlie has now taken it on board to peruse and glean knowledge. Let me just bullet point some of the great learnings that I've taken away from it (which you can reflect on, whilst you are awaiting your newly ordered copy to arrive). Actually, now that I've started typing... it's shaping up to be chapter summaries. But I'm still enjoying reviewing the content of the book... enjoy! :) And I am so ready to do Ruhi Book 6 again. #inspiration. |
Here's a little excerpt from the back of the book...
Chapter 1 - Success in Teaching
- People are searching for internal peace and means for an ideal world.
- As we deepen in the Baha'i teachings - we further our understanding of how to bring about this internal peace and this ideal world.
- Teaching the Baha'i Faith is a mysterious process, and it is God that confirms peoples hearts - not us.
Chapter 2 - Creating a Spiritual World
- .The objective of Baha'is is spiritualizing the planet and unifying humankind.
- God "doeth whatsoever He willeth, and ordaineth that which He pleaseth."
- We can't fulfull this vision by ourselves - and we are given these Plans.
- This Faith grows - it doesn't expand, like the growth of a tree as opposed to the building of a wall.
- We possess a massive potential for growth - achieved through regular prayer and study of the Writings
- Need to triumph over intertia, apathy, develop confidence in the Teachings and ourselves.
- The Baha'i Faith has been growing steadily around the world.
- Through spiritualizing oneself and sharing the Message with others, the Kingdom of God is being built.
- This Cause is a grass-roots movement: it leaps from heart to heart.
- Hard work is rewarded, and the greatest reward is to witness a fellow human being discover Baha'u'llah and embrace Him.
- Forces greater than ourselves will determine how many people will become Baha'i.
- By concentrating on our right spiritual responsibilities, results will always come.
- We have concrete direction in form of the Plans - we cannot fail if we sincerely follow them.
- These Plans had a humble beginning - they were like planting seeds.
- Prayer and meditate on the task at hand, and don't get caught up with our own perceive personal shortcomings.
Chapter 3 - Overcoming Fear
- "The unseen divine assistance encompasseth those who deliver the message." ('Abdu'l-Baha)
- Teaching is essential for our spiritual growth - if we ignore it, we aren't assisted, no matter how busy we are as Baha'is.
- In Baha'u'llah's dispensation, clergy is considered an outdated institution - humanity has grown up, and people are encouraged to search for truth independently.
- The responsibility of teaching the Word of God has been given to all.
- It is springtime in the world.
- "At all times we must look at the greatness of the Cause, and remember that Baha'u'llah will assist all who arise in His service. When we look at ourselves, we are sure to feel discouraged by our short-comings and insignificance." (Shoghi Effendi)
- Pray to Baha'u'llah for opportunities - and they will come. Pray for His assistance - and it will come.
- Overcoming the fear of rejection takes detachment.
- "If one is turned toward heavenly things he will become like a rock. But if his heart be attached to anything in this world it will become subject to change. Attachments are like ropes which drag us to the earth when we try to fly. To be detached is to be free, is to be flying in a new ether, is to be light, is to be joyous—and a Bahai should be joyous. He should attain to such a station of joy that the world will enquire as to his secret. If he be entirely detached and emptied of self he will be enabled to start in a cold heart a great fire." ('Abdu'l-Baha)
- "If one arises to promote the Word of God with a pure heart, overflowing with the love of God and severed from the world, the Lord of Hosts will assist him with such a power as will penetrate the core of existent beings." ('Abdu'l-Baha)
- Beautiful story about overcoming prejudice, and not judging people on their appearances. It's about the love deep down.
Chapter 4 - Awakening the desire to teach.
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Chapter 5 - Why we teach
- We are all endowed with the capacity to teach. Not to teach is to neglect to develop our human potential, to fial to grow into a complete person, for teaching is a divine gift.
- "Of all the gifts of God the greatest is the gift of Teaching. It draweth unto us the Grace of God and is our first obligation. Of such a gift how can we deprive ourselves? Nay, our lives, our goods, our comforts, our rest, we offer them all as a sacrifice for the Abha Beauty and teach the Cause of God." ('Abdu'l-Baha)
- We teach, also, to be divinely assisted.
- The growth of the Faith is due to Baha'is arising to share the healing and unifying Message of Baha'u'llah.
- "What 'oppression' is more grievous than that a soul seeking the truth, and wishing to attain unto the knowledge of God, should know not where to go for it and from whom to seek it?" (Baha'u'llah)
- Find words to talk about empty materialism, hope, purpose of life, spiritual solutions to economic problems - elimination of extremes of wealth & poverty
- People are praying, striving for find this Message.
Chapter 6 - Training our spiritual selves
- It takes more than raw talent - it takes conditioning.
- Just like marathon runners need to run, we need to utilize prayer and deepening.
- Developing our capacity requires spiritual discipline.
- It should be integral to our daily schedule, that if we miss it, the day would feel incomplete, uneasy, more tense than usual.
- Finding time to pray and deepen seems to be our greatest problem.
- We know what happens when we neglect our physical selves... and our spiritual selves, in the long run, is all that we're left with.
- **NEED TO INCORPORATE INTO DAILY ROUTINE**
- **SAY OBLIGATORY PRAYER DAILY**
- **READ FROM THE CREATIVE WORD MORNING AND EVENING, AND MEDITATE ON IT**
- *BRING OURSELVES TO ACCOUNT EACH DAY**
- **RECITE T THE GREATEST NAME 95 TIMES DURING THE DAY**
- How we incorporate all that is up to us.
- It might be painful at first - losing that little bit of extra sleep, but our spiritual energies will be bounds greater - will have a spiritual magnetism: irresistible to pure hearts.
- Having developed our spiritual nature - we are more susceptible to receiving divine confirmations.
- Strive to uphold Baha'i ideals - e.g. oneness of humanity: people from all walks of life being able to converse with love and understanding, and feel comfortable with each other.
- Rely on God - ask God for assistance at all times. Be praying for others at all times.
- Regular firesides.
Chapter 7 - Attaining a prayerful condition
- Pray before approaching a seeker
- Prayer brings us closer to wisdom - without it, we rely on human will and instincts.
- "...this supplication is by itself a light to his heart, and illumination to his sight, a life to his soul and an exaltation to his being." ('Abdu'l-Baha)
- Teaching without prayer is like driving without fuel: a prayerful condition, not a hurried supplication moments before engaging in a teaching event.
- "Increase my wonderment and amazement at Thee, O God!" (Baha'u'llah)
- "They should put their trust in God, and, holding fast unto Him, follow in His way. Then will they be made worthy of the effulgent glories of the sun of divine knowledge and understanding, and become the recipients of a grace that is infinite and unseen..." (Baha'u''lah)
- Developing a prayerful attitude takes time and effort: means turning to God when confronted with a crisis, a problem, a decision in any aspect of life. #RelyOnGod. Put all of our affairs in His hands. We don't attract people, we are simply the vehicle for the Holy Spirit that penetrates a seeker's heart.
- Prayer is powerful. Enough said.
Suggested 5 steps for prayer:
- Pray and meditate about it. Use the prayers of the Manifestations as they have the greatest power. Then remain in the silence of contemplation for a few minutes.
- Arrive at a decision and hold this. This decision is usually born during the contemplation. It may seem almost impossible of accomplishment but if it seems to be as answer to a prayer or a way of solving the problem, then immediately take the next step.
- Have determination to carry the decision through. Many fail here. The decision, budding into determination, is blighted and instead becomes a wish or a vague longing. When determination is born, immediately take the next step.
- Have faith and confidence that the power will flow through you, the right way will appear, the door will open, the right thought, the right message, the right principle, or the right book will be given to you. Have confidence and the right thing will come to your need. Then, as you rise from prayer, take at once the 5th step.
- Act as though it had all been answered. Then act with tireless, ceaseless energy. And as you act, you, yourself, will become a magnet, which will attract more power to your being, until you become an unobstructed channel for the Divine power to flow through you.
- Many pray but do not remain for the last half of the first step. Some who meditate arrive at a decision, but fail to hold it. Few have the determination to carry the decision through, still fewer have the confidence that the right thing will come to their need. But how many remember to act as though it had all been answered? How true are these words “Greater than the prayer is the spirit in which it is uttered” and greater than the way it is uttered is the spirit in which it is carried out.
Chapter 8 - The importance of deepening
- Deepening: the mainstream for spiritual energy. Read the Creative Word and meditate on that which we read.
- "O My Brother! Hearken to the delightsome words of My honeyed tongue, and quaff the stream of mystic holiness from My sugar-shedding lips. Sow the seeds of My divine wisdom in the pure soil of thy heart, and water them with the water of certitude, that the hyacinths of My knowledge and wisdom may spring up fresh and green in the sacred city of thy heart." (Baha'u'llah)
and that is all because I've now given the book away. lol.