Motivation by love versus by fear

This enlightening story shared yesterday by an active teacher-friend Richard Hoff ties in with yesterday's blogpost "You have fear", in that it highlights the importance of entertaining the right motive for one's actions in life. Needless to say, fear is not a fitting motive! It is strange indeed that I should have encountered the story the very same day of that (to me) very significant dream. At one point he refers to the injunction given by the beloved Guardian to each believer: "Never must they let a day pass without teaching some soul, trusting to Baha'u'llah that the seed will grow." (Guidelines for Teaching, #1995)

Dear Friends,

My wife agrees with me that in my case "teaching is the dominating passion of my life." I am not disagreeing but often it is not as simple as it seems.

I put teaching a new soul every day above purity of heart. Example. decades ago I was so immature that I would get mad and rebellious. [My wife] says, even then I was better than I was when she married me.

This one time I committed to go reservation teaching and decided to back out. [My wife] pushed me into going. I was mad. I was driving the car with her and two youth. I saw a hitchhiker! I stopped and had [my wife] get in the back and had the hitchhiker sit by me. Bla, bla, bla and I got his card signed.

Then I had the others deepen him and we took him with us to the Baha'i home on the reservation. When we got there, I knew [my wife] was upset. She took me aside and told me how offensive that teaching experience was to her. She said you didn't love him, you just wanted another notch on your gun handle (an old western term).

I went from being mad at the world to thinking, WOW! I realized I taught him because I had not been obiedent to teaching some soul that day. I instantly changed into being engaged and loving again. I taught out of obiedence to teach someone every day.

Was I a pure channel? No I was antaganistic, mad and angry. That experience has had a profound effect on my life.

BUT I WAS OBIEDENT TO TEACHING A SOUL EACH DAY!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!! !!

Therefore for me, I make it a point to get involved with a new person every day that I am able to do so. Often I even get out bed when I am sick and got to a store to meet new people. By the way, it physically helps me to get well.

I don't think one can be a pure hearted teacher unless they learn to talk to new people, no matter if they are in a spiritual low, they do it anyway. The Spirit Of Baha'u'llah gudies us when we are engaged in delivering the message. We do it right and we flub it. That's the way we learn.

The writings say the twin pillars for our growth are REWARD AND PUNISHMENT.

love you,
J. Richard Hoff

"You have fear"

This night I had a remarkable dream where I was in a healer's consultation room expecting him or her to arrive. She came to me in the person of an angelic, prominent woman I happen to have met (still very much alive, by the way!) and intuitively massaged some point on my body by my right arm saying, "You have fear." I was expecting to feel pain on the point she was massaging but felt nothing. It all took just a very short moment, and I was left on my own.

So I wake up and forget about the dream until I hear a beautiful strain of music on the radio, my heart is touched and it recalls the dream - of course very significant to me personally (in ways I won't go into!).

It allowed me a deeper understanding of Bahá'u'lláh's passage from "The Four Valleys", of which it reminded me:

"Love is a light that never dwelleth in a heart possessed by fear."

If I can say anything in thanks for this blessing, it is this prayer:

My God, my Adored One, my King, my Desire!

What tongue can voice my thanks to Thee? I was heedless, Thou didst awaken me. I had turned back from Thee, Thou didst graciously aid me to turn towards Thee. I was as one dead, Thou didst quicken me with the water of life. I was withered, Thou didst revive me with the heavenly stream of Thine utterance which hath flowed forth from the Pen of the All-Merciful.

O Divine Providence! All existence is begotten by Thy bounty; deprive it not of the waters of Thy generosity, neither do Thou withhold it from the ocean of Thy mercy. I beseech Thee to aid and assist me at all times and under all conditions, and seek from the heaven of Thy grace Thine ancient favor. Thou art, in truth, the Lord of bounty, and the Sovereign of the kingdom of eternity.

—Bahá'u'lláh

The habit of discerning people's virtues

Learning to look for the virtues in others, such as these:

assertiveness caring cleanliness commitment compassion confidence consideration cooperation courage courtesy creativity detachment determination diligence enthusiasm excellence flexibility forgiveness

friendliness generosity gentleness helpfulness honesty honor humility idealism integrity joyfulness justice kindness love loyalty moderation modesty orderliness patience

peacefulness perseverance purposefulness reliability respect responsibility self-discipline service tact thankfulness tolerance trust trustworthiness truthfulness understanding unity

http://www.virtuesproject.com/virtues.html

To be poor in all save God is a wondrous gift

On the occasion of today's Blog Action Day on the theme of poverty, I offer the following verse from the Hidden Words, which underscore the fundamental difference between material and spiritual riches:

O SON OF MY HANDMAID! Be not troubled in poverty nor confident in riches, for poverty is followed by riches, and riches are followed by poverty. Yet to be poor in all save God is a wondrous gift, belittle not the value thereof, for in the end it will make thee rich in God, and thus thou shalt know the meaning of the utterance, “In truth ye are the poor,” and the holy words, “God is the all-possessing,” shall even as the true morn break forth gloriously resplendent upon the horizon of the lover’s heart, and abide secure on the throne of wealth.

Bahá'u'lláh, the Hidden Words, # P51

Here's the story on Blog Action Day: http://www.bahaiworldnews.org/story/658

...seek none else but Me

Some useful things to consider today:

He that hath Me not is bereft of all things. Turn ye away from all that is on earth and seek none else but Me. I am the Sun of Wisdom and the Ocean of Knowledge. I cheer the faint and revive the dead. I am the guiding Light that illumineth the way. I am the royal Falcon on the arm of the Almighty. I unfold the drooping wings of every broken bird and start it on its flight.

Bahá’u’lláh, ToB p. 169

The essence of wealth is love for Me; whoso loveth Me is the possessor of all things, and he that loveth Me not is indeed of the poor and needy. This is that which the Finger of Glory and Splendour hath revealed.

Bahá’u’lláh, ToB p. 156

Expansion vs. consolidation: Bringing oneself to account each day

I find that in my studies this maxim can be very useful, in that I sometimes forget which subjects I have already covered (showing a lack of consolidation). At times I may be too eager to expand my knowledge without conscious attention to consolidating what was previously learned.

These two quotations seem to reflect the principle at work here:

O SON OF BEING! Bring thyself to account each day ere thou art summoned to a reckoning; for death, unheralded, shall come upon thee and thou shalt be called to give account for thy deeds.

- Bahá’u’lláh, The Hidden Words, A31

Whoso ariseth among you to teach the Cause of his Lord, let him, before all else, teach his own self, that his speech may attract the hearts of them that hear him... Take heed, O people, lest ye be of them that give good counsel to others but forget to follow it themselves.

- Bahá’u’lláh, Gleanings p. 277

To live in a state of prayer

The power of prayer can profoundly influence our environment, in ways that only God knows, but the results of which will surely become evident in hindsight!

'Abdu'l-Bahá said:

There is nothing sweeter in the world of existence than prayer. Man must live in a state of prayer. The most blessed condition is the condition of prayer and supplication. Prayer is conversation with God. The greatest attainment or the sweetest state is none other than conversation with God.

and

Spirit has influence; prayer has spiritual effect...

I especially like to use this prayer of the Báb:

Is there any Remover of difficulties save God? Say: Praised be God! He is God! All are His servants, and all abide by His bidding!

What is your favorite prayer?


References:
http://www.bostonbahais.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=23:devotional-gatherings&catid=16:institute&Itemid=14
http://www.bahaiprayers.org/assist3.htm