As we explore spiritual concepts with children, youth and adults, we don’t only develop more spiritual habits—we also begin to find our own self-worth. Society often gives material qualities excessive value, measuring an... Read more »
Humans love the idea of exploring the vastness of the universe and finding evidence of life on other planets. So how much do we really know about it? To date, NASA has... Read more »
Dear God, I know I said those prayers asking to have a pure heart and to be a happy and joyful being and told you that I would no longer be full... Read more »
This is the second segment of my answer to my atheist comrade “Maynard’s” question as to the existence of the spiritual which, I believe, is quite literally supernatural. Religion has given us... Read more »
The symbolism and mysticism of a prayer from the Baha’i writings about marriage has forever intrigued me: Wherefore, wed Thou in the heaven of Thy mercy these two birds of… The post... Read more »
O ye loving mothers, know ye that in God’s sight, the best of all ways to worship Him is to educate the children and train them in all the perfections of humankind;... Read more »
The pressure of the working world can feel immense—but how can I make my work meaningful, whether employed, between jobs, or unsure of what to do next? Work gives us… The post... Read more »
Before we can study the central issues of life today, we must destroy the prejudices and fallacies born of previous centuries. – Leo Tolstoy The individual has always had to struggle to... Read more »
A rather dramatic storm occurred in the early afternoon of July 9th, 1850, in the land of the Lion and the Sun. Although there are no meteorological records to confirm the fact,... Read more »
When Mahvash flies from Tehran to the provincial city of Mashhad, one chilly morning in March, 2008, she fully expects to be home by evening. But she never returns. For she is... Read more »
Baha’u’llah began his mystical treatise called The Hidden Words with this powerful passage: O Son of Spirit! My first counsel is this: Possess a pure, kindly and radiant heart, that thine may... Read more »
Create in me a pure heart, O my God, and renew a tranquil conscience within me, O my Hope! Through the spirit of power confirm Thou me in Thy Cause, O my... Read more »
Throughout our lives, we go through seasons of crisis and victory, of progress and failure, and of happiness and heartache. We also mark the passage of time by the changes we see... Read more »
I remember hanging out with a friend in Oregon that I had recently met who was about 10 years older than me. We’d hung out several times at community events with entire... Read more »
In many ways, a falcon’s physical senses and abilities are much more impressive than ours. This two-pound bird can reach speeds higher than most small airplanes and is the fastest animal ever... Read more »
Have you ever fallen in love—and then, a while later, fallen right out again? If so, you may have started to question your initial feelings, or even the idea of love itself. ... Read more »
We see and live based on our physical eyes. But what do we mean by seeing with “spiritual eyes”? What do our spiritual eyes see, and how can we improve our spiritual... Read more »
There are moments in art when a work does more than tell a story. It invites reflection. It opens space for dialogue. At times, it can even help us see the world,... Read more »
Know then that the Lord God possesseth invisible realms which the human intellect can never hope to fathom nor the mind of man conceive. When once thou hast cleansed the channel of... Read more »
(This conversation took place on an American Airlines flight on Memorial Day.) I get on the plane and find my aisle seat. A GI in digital desert combat fatigues sits at the... Read more »
Religions begin when a prophet first announces a new revelation, just as Christ did to John the Baptist or the Buddha did to his first two disciples, Trapusa and Bahalika. That’s how... Read more »
We all have moments of joy in life – but how would you like to live in a lasting state of joy, rather than just experiencing those quickly passing moments of transitory... Read more »
I was struck with a severe mental illness—rapid cycling bipolar disorder, Type I—at the age of 51. Most people who get bipolar—which used to be called manic depression—have their first… The post... Read more »
Modern society puts an inordinate amount of pressure on mothers, expecting them to ensure that their children are “successful” — that they have every advantage, that they have money, status,… The post... Read more »
O SON OF MAN! Divest not thyself of My beauteous robe, and forfeit not thy portion from My wondrous fountain, lest thou shouldst thirst for evermore. O SON OF BEING!… The post... Read more »
Do you ever think “I really need more spirituality in my life?” You’re not alone—just about everyone feels that way, at some point in their development. But how, and where,… The post... Read more »
Some BahaiTeachings.org readers, after reading my recent essay called Dreams and Visions of the Soul, wondered about human dreams and how they compare to animal dreams. They left these comments… The post... Read more »
…in the search for truth man must weigh religious questions in the balance of science and reason. God has given us rational minds for this purpose, to penetrate all things,… The post... Read more »
Have you ever done something you deeply regretted? We all have. Afterwards you probably asked yourself: how can I avoid doing that again? We can scarcely get through life without… The post... Read more »
Today, more and more people recognize that we are spiritual beings, that we can only obtain the ultimate happiness if we learn how to live an inner life. How can… The post... Read more »
We’ve all been through this: you go somewhere, and even though you’ve never been there before, you know you’ve been there before. Or you have a new experience, meet a… The post... Read more »
The Baha’i teachings advise everyone to seek competent physicians when they’re ill — yet another reflection of the primary Baha’i principle of the agreement of science and religion. Seeking the… The post... Read more »
Every religion asks us an important question: what’s our spiritual responsibility? In other words, does each person have a personal duty to God? In our modern, individualistic, materialistic, largely ego-centered… The post... Read more »
We can only understand the afterlife by analogy – because we can’t describe the soul in absolute terms like the physical phenomena of this world, or explain it in conditional… The post... Read more »
Why are we here? What’s our purpose? What is it that we’re supposed to do in this life? Have you ever asked yourself these perplexing questions? You’re not alone –… The post... Read more »
Spring, that joy-drenched season when the heart feels that all things are once again imaginable, renews our inner and outer worlds. Everything grows, blooms and begins to bear fruit. Rain… The post... Read more »
Who remembers “the Thumperian Principle,” also known as “Thumper’s Rule?” If you ever saw the Disney film Bambi, you already know the answer. In the movie, Thumper the young rabbit… The post... Read more »
We can seek guidance from prayer and meditation, but even when we get inspiration, we can’t be guided if we don’t take action. Shoghi Effendi, the Guardian of the Baha’i… The post... Read more »
Our words can create a mini-reality for us. How do our lives change if we wake up in the morning and say, “Today is going to be so wonderful” versus… The post... Read more »
Lately I’ve tried to think more intentionally and carefully about how I expend my energy—almost like conducting an energy inventory of sorts. This reflection has made me pay more attention… The post... Read more »
Baha’i consultation – an essential tool for reaching an agreement or consensus and deciding a course of action – asks every participant to master a set of communication skills based… The post... Read more »
You’ve definitely heard the term “politically correct” a lot lately—but what do you think it means? To get a clear, unbiased definition, let’s look at the roots of the phrase…. The post... Read more »
In this installment of our extensive series of BahaiTeachings.org articles on Indigenous messengers of God, Chris Buck and Kevin Locke consult together on why those messengers matter to the modern… The post... Read more »
In his book Some Answered Questions, Abdu’l-Baha offers a stunning explanation of the story of Adam and Eve in Genesis – one that makes the myth meaningful and relevant at… The post... Read more »
To say that Buddhism is atheistic may be an overstatement, a generalization, and a misunderstanding of the Buddha’s purpose, so let’s look at that subject in a different way. RELATED:… The post... Read more »
When I’m fearful, when I’m not so sure of things, my simple daily mantra comes from a Baha’i prayer that says; “Be calm, be strong, be grateful.” That brief, reassuring… The post... Read more »
As an actor and a writer, I present workshops related to art and spirituality. Invariably, at least one participant admits to suppressing their artistic urges to give more time to… The post... Read more »
Looking out over the Great Plains of North America from an airplane, I’m always struck by the way a rigid grid pattern has been superimposed on the vast prairie biome…. The post... Read more »
If a single sentence can summarize an entire Faith, these thirteen words from the Baha’i teachings do it quite nicely: The religion of God is one religion, but it must… The post... Read more »
The arts, according to the Universal House of Justice, the democratically-elected leadership body of the Baha’i Faith, are an “integral … part of the development of a community.” What does… The post... Read more »