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I am so glad you all have read my last post,Thank you.
and hello! , again, to all of you.
For some time I have been so tired when coming home from my new, rather hard, work that I have just rested. But I'll be with you again, surely I will, though not every day.
In the book "Bahaullah and the New Era" is a chapter called: What is a Bahai?
We will let Abdu'l-Baha answer:
"To be a Bahai simply means to love all the world; to love humanity and try to serve it; to work for universal peace and universal brotherhood."
A Bahai is "one endowed with all perfections of man in activity." In one of His London talks He said that a man may be a Bahai even if he never heard the name of Bahaullah. He added," the man who lives the life according to the teachings of Bahaullah is already a Bahai. On the other hand , a man may call himself a Bahai for fifty years, and if he does not live the life of (a Bahai) he is not a Bahai....". He also says, "One who does not know God's Messengers, however, is like a plant growing in the shade. Although it knows not the sun, it is nevertheless, absolutely dependent upon it. The great Prophets are spiritual Suns, and Bahaullah is the Sun of this "day" in which we live. The suns of former days have warmed and vivified the world, ...but it is the sunshine of today that alone can ripen the fruits which the suns of former days have kissed to life.
A friend of mine laughed and said "a man who doesn't know His Creator is like a hard working horse who cannot ever see the result of its hard work."
"The Bahai worships not the personality of" the Founder of the Faith" but the Glory of God manifest through that personality". And this is how we worship Christ too and Muhammad and so forth. The Bahai "reverences"Christ and Muhammad and all God's former Messengers to mankind, but he recognizes Bahaullah as the Bearer of God's Message for the new age in which we live, as the Great World teacher Who has come to carry on and consuummate the world of His Predecessors."
I have found, on the net, that some believers of the old religions refuse to believe that we believe in the former Messengers. I can only say, those people should examine the matter themselves! That is the only way to know.I'd like to say to them:This is the land of mystery, where you are alone with your God! -enter into it and turn to God for divine Guidance. Pray constantly if you are eager to come to this knowledge, that is, whether we believe in the former Messengers or not. Because -why should you believe in what somebody else believes? You only have to believe in the Messenger Himself. Haven't you.?
Jesus said to the Pharisees: Had you believed in Moses you would believe in me! (My translation.)
As always we have to be sincere.Of what use are you to God and what do you get from a religion if you are not sincere at heart and mind and understanding. I have found that most people would aggree with me in this. So, "Bahaullah requires of His followers wholehearted and complete devotion. God alone has the right to make such a demand, but Bahaullah speaks as the Manisfestation of God, and the Revealer of His Will.
Previous Manifestations have been equally clear on this point. Christ said: "If any man come after me. let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: (I'd say the worldly life) but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall have it." (life in Christ eternal spiritual life).
I'd like to add: when you turn to the Messenger of God, you only receive more life, real life, so it is hardly a sacrifice, but joy and understanding, or rather Insight and with it patience, where you stand:: in front of the world.
..."as long as "this demand" has been frankly recognized and accepted., religion has fluorished, despite all early opposition, persecution and martyrdom of the believers. On the other hand, whenever compromise has crept in, and 'respectability' has taken the place of complete consecration, then religion has decayed. It has become 'fashionable', but it has lost its power to save and transform, its power to work miracles. "(which is to give love of heart, my addition)"True religion has never yet been fashinable. God grant that one day it may become so; but it is still true, as in the days of Christ, that "strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it".
And how true this is: "The gateway of spiritual birth, like the gateway of natural birth,(I'd say even in the case of twins being born)) admits men only one by one."
We have to seek God on our own. And when we seek seriously He takes "a thousand steps towards you if you just take one "is Bahaullahs promise.
Bye for now
Best regards to you all from
Laila
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