Project Conversion

The second week of every month with Project Conversion will cover various aspects of the arts and culture associated with that month’s particular faith. What makes the Baha’i Faith so interesting is that while the Faith was born in Persia (what is now Iran), it rose out of a need to create a world community, tethered by an impetus for social and religious change. The result is a Faith that quickly becomes global and therefore a nebulae of different cultures and tastes. Few aspects of Baha’i culture and art exemplify this blending of the world’s tastes and vision than in the Houses of Worship found all over the world. 

House of Worship outside Frankfurt, Germany

House of Worship in Apia, Western Samoa

House of Worship in New Delhi, India

Although each breath-taking structure reflects the culture of its native soil, such as the unmistakable lotus design of the New Delhi House of Worship, each House must adhere to a few common attributes. 

• Each must have nine sides/entrances. This symbolizes that there is no “back door” and that all of mankind is welcome, no matter where they come from.
• The interior of each House of Worship is used for meditation and prayer–regardless of religious background. Separate buildings for other functions such as teaching, discussion, and/or community work are to be located nearby to serve the locale in which they stand.
• No pictures, statues, or images are displayed, nor any pulpits or alters incorporated into the design.
• No offerings/donations are expected nor taken, as each House is seen as a gift from the Baha’is to humanity. Only Baha’is may contribute to the building funds.
• The House is to be surrounded by gardens so that all who come are surrounded by beauty.
• The only instrument permitted inside the House of Worship is the human voice.

House of Worship in Sydney, Australia

House of Worship in Kampala, Uganda

House of Worship in Panama City, Panama

House of Worship in Wilmette, Illinois, USA

Model for the House of Worship in Chile

As symbols of unity in brotherhood and religion, the Baha’i Houses of Worship are visited by millions of people every year. There are no rituals, sermons, or clergy. The doors of these structures are open–not as an invitation to convert those who enter–but as a way to allow all who would come to worship God in a beautiful, safe, free, and inspiring way. In the words of Baha’u'llah concerning the Houses of Worship: 

O people of the world! Build ye houses of worship throughout the lands in the name of Him Who is the Lord of all religions. Make them as perfect as is possible in the world of being, and adorn them with that which befitteth them, not with images and effigies. Then, with radiance and joy, celebrate therein the praise of your Lord, the Most Compassionate. Verily, by His  remembrance the eye is cheered and the heart is filled with light. 

–Baha’u'llah, from The Kitab-i-Aqdas 

Here is an interview of the architect who designed the House of Worship in India. For more information regarding the Baha’i Houses of Worship, including service times and programs, please visit the International Baha’i Website and locate the House of Worship near your country of origin.

Yesterday my Baha’i Mentor and I were invited to spend the day with some of her Baha’i friends of the Cary Community for the 19 Day Feast. The event is observed every 19 Days on the first day of each Baha’i month (which run in 19-day cycles) as prescribed by Baha’u'lla in the Kitab-i-Aqdas. Each new day begins at sunset, thus the Feast is held at that time. In addition, each month in which a Feast is held is named after one of the Names of God. For the February 7th month, it is called Mulk, or, Dominion.

Verily, it is enjoined upon you to offer a feast, once in every month, though only water be served; for God hath purposed to bind hearts together, albeit through both earthly and heavenly means.  –Baha’u'llah, from the Kitab-i-Aqdas

There are three components which make up every feast, though due to Baha’i membership being so diverse across the globe, some cultural nuances may express themselves.

• Devotional: this is a time when scripture, prayers, and chants (from the Baha’i writings and other faiths) are shared with the group.
• Consultation, or Administrative: at this point, the business affairs of the Assembly or news from National Assembly and/or International House of Justice is shared. Topics might include treasury/fundraising, community outreach, special new regarding individual members, and Baha’i videos. Everyone has a chance to be heard.
• Fellowship: this is where the food and fun begins. The word “feast” may imply that a banquet is prepared, and while that may be the case, “feast” more appropriately describes the gathering and nurturing of the heart, minds, and spirits of all Baha’is present. But the food is pretty awesome too.

One of the greatest parts of yesterday was the pre-Feast get-together my Mentor’s friends held for us in their family’s home. This home represents several generations of Persian Baha’is. The home belong to the senior couple of the family, the great grandfather whom everyone called “Baba”, a Persian term of endearment that means “father.”

From left to right: Baba, Andrew, Nima

Baba is originally from Iran and shared many stories about his life and that of his family, as well as his wealth of knowledge regarding the Baha’i Faith. His sister was martyred for being a Baha’i. Nima is a law student at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and, along with many other young men and women, is greatly involved in youth advocacy and human rights issues.

Nima and others who have followed Project Conversion’s progress wanted to attend the event once they discovered I would be present. This was a wonderful surprise! It’s one thing to receive so much support and guidance via email from people around the world, but to meet folks like Nima and Sally (hey guys!) after only having contact with them online…I was humbled to be part of the event and that these young people wanted to meet me. Thanks to you, and to all the others who took the time speak with me about your experiences. I truly believe that your efforts in the communities you serve are changing lives. I salute you.

Though my part of the 19 Day Feast ended at a few minutes after 8pm, perhaps the most, uh, “interesting” part of the evening was yet to come. Our hosts for the Feast live an hour and a half away. My Mentor and I made it to within 10 miles of home when, oh yeah, we ran out of gas! The fuel gauge was completely off. My Mentor called her daughter to bring us a can of gas as we waited on the shoulder of the road along Interstate 95…at 10pm.

Before Project Conversion began, I would have been livid. Anger would have swelled within my chest and…but I’m different now. So different. Like instinct, my Hindu training of detachment kicked in. The situation, the cold, the fear of our proximity of cars going by at 65-70mph only five feet away was an illusion. What was real was karma, and my reaction at that very moment would determine the state of my karma for the future. In addition, my Baha’i training so far also came into play. In a previous post I mentioned the miracle of how the Baha’u'llah and his son, Abdu’l'Baha were able to produce the wealth of scripture we have today all while in exile and/or prison for over 40 years. Never a complaint, they astounded their captors and tormentors with their capacity to love and their overwhelming joy in even the darkest of situations. Indeed, I remembered two quotes by Abdu’l'Baha:

The only prison is the prison of the self.

My home is the home of laughter and mirth

In addition, he is credited with this prayer, the first one I’ve memorized for the Baha’i Faith:

O God! Refresh and gladden my spirit. Purify my heart. Illumine my powers. I lay all of my affairs in Thy hand. Thou art my Refuge and Guide. I will no longer be sorrowful and grieved. I will be a happy and joyful being. O God! I will no longer be full of anxiety; nor will I let troubles harass me. I will not dwell of the unpleasant things of life. O God! Thou art more friend to me than I am to myself. I dedicate myself to Thee, O Lord.

I felt no angst, no frustration. Sure, I was tired and really wanted to get home to my wife and kids, but getting angry about the situation wouldn’t get me there any faster. Besides, it gave my Mentor and I another chance to talk about the Faith and the people I had just met. Plus, in the pitch-black cold by the shoulder of the road and a not a cloud in the sky, thousands of stars pierced the deep, dark floor of the heavens and winked from an eternity away. With my heart aglow, all I could do was smile and wink back.

Allah-u-Abha.

Allah-u-Abha and good morning!

While catching up over the phone last night, my old friend asked me concerning Project Conversion, “Dude, how’s it going–I mean–how are you holding up?”

I thought for a moment, trying to clear my head of the prayer I had just memorized and say, “Jumping between the faiths is like making the ‘red eye’ flight between every month.”

To those of you who aren’t privy to airline lingo, a “red eye” flight is one that takes place late at night, and because one often traverses various time zones, you end up looking like a zombie for a few days due to extreme fatigue and disorientation.

Baha’i month on Project Conversion began Tuesday, February 1st. I didn’t actually start sleeping until that Friday. Why? Because this is about changing one’s perspective from the inside out. The only way to do that is to “become” the change. Gandhi was right about this. Each month I have to put on new clothes, so to speak. If the beginning of Project Conversion was like doing a cannon ball into ice-cold water, transitioning from month to month is like changing identities every month and trying to keep up with yourself.

Hinduism for me was a huge adjustment. I had to think about things I’ve never thought about, do things I’ve never done, believe things that only a few years ago I would have sworn would send me straight to Hell. It’s a highly visual, tactile, and colorful faith–a sensory overload for someone coming from the Western tradition. It took me a while, but I grew to love it and just when I was starting to understand it and really groove on the whole concept…

I have to rip myself away. When I wake on the first day of the next month, I have to untrain myself in the ways of the previous month to make room for the next. This is tough. Every night of this past week was a turbulence of dreams. I dreamt of Lord Shiva (my deity for Hinduism) all while chanting “Allah-u-Abha” (the Greatest Name for Baha’is). Even though I had carried over practices such as meditation and vegetarianism from the Hindu month, I was having a hard time “moving in the new furniture.”

Sure, it looks easy on here with every post. You get some descent info about the faiths and snapshots into my daily life, but I never anticipated the challenges associated with every transition. Just yesterday I mastered a short Baha’i prayer, and this will do wonders for me because it will replace the Hindu one that typically plays on “repeat” in my head due to constant chanting. This is what I do day in and day out. I wake up and fall asleep (sometimes) with Project Conversion. When I said I would immerse myself in each faith, I meant just that. Am I complaining? No. I love this. I’m learning more than ever. I love the reactions and the interaction with everyone who emails me. The stories and guidance and comments folks–complete strangers!–are sharing is what makes this worth waking up to. I can no longer see life any other way. Each month, when I put on the clothes of each new faith, I fall in love again–I’m enraptured.

The world will never look the same, but it is because of the fires I set inside myself to burn away the ignorance and misconceptions, until there is nothing except a smooth, polished sheet of gold on which to write these new impressions and ideals. This is what we must do within ourselves if we want peace. This isn’t a march on humanity, this is an assault on our very being. We must burn the chaff that is ignorance and prejudice. I’m making an extreme example of this so that even if you perform a fraction of what I’m doing, the world is suddenly that much closer to peace.

A reader recently sent this quote from Baha’u'llah and I think it fits perfectly with what is going on here.

Consort ye, O people, with all religions with joy and fragrance.

The guy certainly knew how to throw down some words. I hope this post has given you some insight into what is going on and what it takes to make this happen. Of course, much of that is due to the involvement of you, the reader. Without your input, this is just one man’s journey–a curiosity. But your feedback has helped me to believe that this is humanity’s journey, and therefore we don’t have to do this alone.

Now, maybe a quick nap.

Allah-u-Abha, and peace.

But after this month, with your help, everyone will know about the Baha’i. 

When the Baha’i faith began in Shiraz, Iran in 1844, its followers were not called “Baha’is”, they were Babi’s. The faith was born of a young man in his early 20′s who in 1844 declared his mission as “The Bab” or The Gate for the one to come; the next Manifestation of God. Though immediately persecuted by Islamic authorities, his ministry lasted for six years until he and thousands of his followers were martyred in 1850. He was thirty years old at the time of his death. 

Outside of the Baha’i faith, there is a tradition of those who view The Bab in a different and more elevated light apart from the Baha’i tradition. For more information, go here. 

Shrine of The Bab on Mt Carmel in Haifa, Israel

Born Mirza Husayn Ali Nuri, Baha’u'llah (which means The Glory of God) was born to a noble family in Iran. From an early age he was recognized as highly intelligent, perceptive, and kind to all. As a young man, he became known as the defender of the oppressed and refuge to the poor. Though he never met The Bab, he accepted the message immediately via The Bab’s first disciple, Mulla Husayn, and gave up his position in the nobility to join the young Babi’ movement. 

Just as Baha’u'llah was gaining prominence as a member of the faith, violence broke out between Babi’ groups and the Qajar government. The fighting led to an assassination attempt on the Shah which failed and resulted in the slaughter of many Babi’s and the imprisonment of Baha’u'llah himself. While in prison, Baha’u'llah claimed to have been visited by a handmaiden of God and told of his station as the promised one of The Bab. Baha’u'llah was released from the “black pit” four months later and began what would be a life of exile. 

Though his mission was revealed to him in the “black pit,” Baha’u'llah did not announce his status until years later in 1863 while he and his family lived in a tent in a garden outside of Baghdad along with many followers. Because of his growing popularity and influence, he was exiled farther and farther from his homeland and throughout the Turkish Empire. He spent last 40 years of his life in exile and prison. The writings Baha’i all over the world regard as scripture, including the Kitab-i-Aqdas, Kitab-i-Iqan, The Seven Valleys and the Four Valleys, and collections of hundreds of prayers and letters to followers and world officials alike, were all composed while in prison or in exile. 

The Baha’i faith, though by the time of Baha’u'llah’s death in 1892 had reached the shores of nearly every continent, was passed down in leadership to Baha’u'llah’s son, Abdu’l'Baha, whose name means “Servant of Glory.” Abdu’l'Baha spent much of his life in exile with his father. From the age of 8, he hopped from prison to prison for 40 years–by his own free will–and came to be known for his wisdom, humor and good spirit in the face of dispar, and care for the suffering. Baha’u'llah eventually passed on the duties of administration and discourse over the faith to his son, whom he affectionately called “The Master.” Abdu’l'Baha is regarded as the exemplar of all good qualities every Baha’i and indeed, person, should uphold. He is quoted to have said, “My home is the home of laughter and mirth.” 

Abdu'l'Baha

After 40 years in prison, Abdu’l'Baha set out to spread the message of his father into Europe and America. He spoke at mosques, churches, and temples and soon many were filled with a zeal to spread the message throughout their part of the world. 

When Abdu’l'Baha died in 1921, the Faith was handed down to his grandson, Shoghi Effendi, and was given the title of “Gaurdian of the Cause.” Effendi’s mission was to keep the Faith together against division and to set up an administrative body from the top down to carry out the propagation and maintenance of the Baha’i message. 

Shoghi Effendi, Guardian of the Cause

Organization: 

• The Universal House of Justice: located in Haifa, Israel, this is the supreme institution of the Baha’i Faith to which all Baha’i turn. Think of it as the Supreme Court here in the States. Nine members are elected to this body by Baha’i National Assemblies around the world. Their duty is to direct and guide the faithful in light of the teachings of the Baha’i Faith.
• Continental Board of Counsellors: these individuals are appointed by the Universal House of Justice to aid National Spiritual Assemblies in the teaching and maintenance of the Baha’i Faith in their corner of the world.
• Auxiliary Board Members: these appointed members work with administrative bodies to further the teaching of the Faith and to release the power of the Baha’i faithful.
• National Spiritual Assembly:  this body of nine individuals are elected each year by delegates of the National Convention. These individuals guide the faithful and spiritual matters within their home country. Every Baha’i has one vote to contribute to this election. There exists no campaigning or nomination.
• Local Spiritual Assembly: any local where nine or more Baha’is are present and gather is called a Local Spiritual Assembly. These bodies conduct business on a local level and often host a number of outreach and teaching events such as Study Circles, where Baha’i teachings are discerned and propagated.

No clergy exists within the Baha’i Faith, as all individuals are responsible for their spiritual growth through study, prayer, and consultation. 

Three Primary Principles: 

• The Oneness of God
• The Oneness of Religion
• The Oneness of Humanity

Laws and Obligations: 

• No backbiting or gossip
• Avoid alcohol and drugs (outside of medicinal instruction from a doctor)
• Propagate and teach the Cause of God
• Contribute to the Baha’i Fund
• Pray and study the Holy Writings
• Observe the Fast from March 2-20
• Regard work as worship
• Observe the marriage laws
• Respect and obey the government and avoid partisan politics

Other Principles and Teachings: 

• The foundation of all religion is one
• There is no conflict between science and religion
• All are responsible for the independent investigation of truth
• Absolute equality between men and women
• The abolition of all forms of prejudice
• Universal peace, education, and an auxiliary world language

This is a sampling of the Baha’i Faith and its teachings. One fairly unique aspect of this young and vibrant religion is that while in most faiths, the mode of revelation stops at the death of its prophet or leader, Baha’i believe in the continuity and progression of God’s word. In other words, Baha’u'llah wasn’t the first and only prophet or “Manifestation” sent by God to mankind…and he won’t be the last. He is considered the Manifestation for this age. Baha’is generally believe that each age is given a Manifestation of God according to man’s understanding and circumstances at the time. In this way, figures such as Moses, Krishna, Buddha, Jesus, and Muhammad are all regarded as Manifestations of God for their age. Baha’is insist that a careful look at the history, ministry, and lives of these individuals–while some differences in delivery and practice exist–the central message of unity of Man and oneness with God are the same. 

Again, my purpose in providing this information is not to offer a comprehensive picture, but a sampling. I want to pique your interests, whet your palate, and encourage you to set out on your own to discover more. This isn’t limited to religion. Perhaps your office just hired a new co-worker who is culturally different from yourself and others. My mission is that through Project Conversion, I inspire you to resist spreading rumors or teasing and take a stand to get to know this new and unknown co-worker. Welcome them. Respectfully ask questions. This is what peace is made out of. Individuals doing small things. Individual snowflakes are soft and fragile, but together and backed by the wind of change, love and wisdom, can sweep across the land in a blizzard. 

For more information, I encourage you to visit the Baha’i International site here. From there, you can find links to Baha’i websites maintained on the National level. 

Until next time, Allah-u-Abha!