Every year, around the vernal equinox, the world seems to come alive. Depending on where you live in the Northern Hemisphere, trees and bushes that were once icy and barren begin to bear buds, leaves, flowers, or fruit. The grass becomes greener, hibernating animals come out to explore, and insects that were burrowed under the ground hatch from their eggs and emerge to the surface.

“In the spring there are the clouds which send down the precious rain, the musk-scented breezes and life-giving zephyrs; the air is perfectly temperate, the rain falls, the sun shines, the fecundating wind wafts the clouds, the world is renewed, and the breath of life appears in plants, in animals and in men,” said Abdu’l-Baha, one of the central figures of the Baha’i Faith. “Earthly beings pass from one condition to another.”

If all of this rebirth and renewal is happening during spring to every plant and animal in the world, what kind of spiritual transformation is happening to people?

The Significance of Spring for Our Spiritual Transformation

I remember my winter during the height of the coronavirus quite clearly…

Just like many other living beings, I spent the winter hibernating and staying cooped up indoors — because I had no interest in being out in the cold unless I had to, and I also happened to be a germaphobe during COVID-19. So, when the clouds disappeared, and the temperature finally hit 70 degrees, I couldn’t help but step outside and take a few long deep breaths. I inhaled and exhaled — the air was so sweet, I felt like I could taste it. As I walked and soaked in the warm heat of the sun, my body felt soothed, and my mind felt at ease. I knew that my spirit was being revived just like the rest of the world.

Abdu’l-Baha said it’s as if the Earth is dead and lifeless during the winter. But when spring comes, “it finds a new spirit, and produces endless beauty, grace and freshness. Thus the spring is the cause of new life and infuses a new spirit.” 

I could feel that I was becoming alive with this new spirit. Of course, this spiritual regeneration and renewal didn’t happen like clockwork once the sun came out. I spiritually recuperated for 19 days from the beginning of March until the first day of spring – the Baha’i new year.

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During these 19 days, Baha’is fast — we do not eat or drink anything from sunrise to sunset. But this abstention from food is merely symbolic and is, as Shoghi Effendi, the Guardian of the Baha’i Faith, explained, “ a reminder of abstinence from selfish and carnal desires.”

He also wrote that the fasting period is “essentially a period of meditation and prayer, of spiritual recuperation, during which the believer must strive to make the necessary readjustments in his inner life, and to refresh and reinvigorate the spiritual forces latent in his soul. Its significance and purpose are, therefore, fundamentally spiritual in character.” 

Every year during March, I make sure to prioritize my spiritual health and tune into my spirit. I engage in self-reflection, clarify what goals I’d like to accomplish in the coming year, and work on breaking old unwanted habits. I thank God for my blessings, ask forgiveness for my wrongdoings, and strive to cleanse and purify my heart and soul. That way, when I emerge from my hibernation, I feel both physically and spiritually refreshed and transformed.

“Jesus Christ said ‘Ye must be born again’ so that divine Life may spring anew within you,” said Abdu’l-Baha at a talk in Bristol, England in 1911.

Be kind to all around and serve one another; love to be just and true in all your dealings; pray always and so live your life that sorrow cannot touch you. Look upon the people of your own race and those of other races as members of one organism; sons of the same Father; let it be known by your behaviour that you are indeed the people of God. Then wars and disputes shall cease and over the world will spread the Most Great Peace.

The Spiritual Meaning of Spring for Humanity

Baha’is believe that world peace is not just a naïve hope or wishful thinking, but it is actually inevitable. We understand that the world is going through very turbulent and trying times, but as Shoghi Effendi wrote:

We stand on the threshold of an age whose convulsions proclaim alike the death-pangs of the old order and the birth-pangs of the new.

“The whole earth,” wrote Baha’u’llah, the prophet and founder of the Baha’i Faith, “is now in a state of pregnancy. The day is approaching when it will have yielded its noblest fruits, when from it will have sprung forth the loftiest trees, the most enchanting blossoms, the most heavenly blessings.”

Just like the Earth goes through different seasons and cycles, Baha’is believe that humanity goes through various stages of development. And in every stage, God sends Messengers (i.e., Zoroaster, the Buddha, Krishna, Moses, Jesus Christ, Mohammed, the Bab, and Baha’u’llah) to reveal more of His unfolding revelation to society. 

Right now, humanity is in its turbulent adolescence age. But Baha’is believe that “when the impetuosity of youth and its vehemence reach their climax,” we will reach maturity and enter the stage of adulthood. We believe that the revolutionary teachings of Baha’u’llah — such as the equality of men and women, the harmony of science and religion, the elimination of the extremes of wealth and poverty, the abolition of all forms of prejudice, and the oneness of humanity — will help usher humanity towards maturity.

As Abdu’l-Baha wrote: 

This period of time is the Promised Age, the assembling of the human race to the “Resurrection Day” and now is the great “Day of Judgment.” Soon the whole world, as in springtime, will change its garb. The turning and falling of the autumn leaves is past; the bleakness of the winter time is over. The new year hath appeared and the spiritual springtime is at hand.

The black earth is becoming a verdant garden; the deserts and mountains are teeming with red flowers; from the borders of the wilderness the tall grasses are standing like advance guards before the cypress and jessamine trees; while the birds are singing among the rose branches like the angels in the highest heavens, announcing the glad-tidings of the approach of that spiritual spring, and the sweet music of their voices is causing the real essence of all things to move and quiver.

This “spiritual spring” is so meaningful and significant because, as Abdu’l-Baha said, it’s the “age of spiritual awakening” where “the world has entered upon the path of progress into the arena of development, where the power of the spirit surpasses that of the body. Soon the spirit will have dominion over the world of humanity.”

Growing up during segregation in the United States, my grandfather, who was Cherokee, Black, and Irish, had a difficult life, to say the least. But, my mother told me, while he chanted his Cherokee chants, he seemed happy. In fact, that Cherokee chant was one of the few cultural traditions that he passed down to his children.

“It was the string that kept us connected…,” my mother says. She taught me and my siblings this chant and shared a Cherokee story she had learned later in life, one filled with wisdom and guidance — a testament to the enduring spiritual legacy of Indigenous people. 

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A letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi, the Guardian of the Baha’i Faith, to the National Spiritual Assembly of Central America and Mexico echoed this sentiment, highlighting their transformative potential: 

If the light of Divine Guidance enters properly into the lives of the Indians, it will be found that they will arise with a great power and will become an example of spirituality and culture to all of the people in these countries.

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Native American Proverbs and Stories About Life

The Cherokee story emphasized the importance of the choices we make in life in the battle between our higher and lower natures. As Abdu’l-Baha, one of the central figures of the Baha’i Faith, wrote:

For the inner reality of man is a demarcation line between the shadow and the light, a place where the two seas meet…

This timeless truth is beautifully illustrated in the story, which goes as follows: 

A young boy, angry with another boy for treating him badly, went to his grandfather, who proceeded to tell him a story. “I too, at times, have felt a great hate for those that have taken so much, with no sorrow for what they do. But hate wears you down, and hate does not hurt your enemy. Hate is like taking poison and wishing your enemy would die. I have struggled with these feelings many times,” he said. 

“It is as if there are two wolves inside me; one wolf is good and does no harm. He lives in harmony with all around him and does not take offense when no offense was intended. He will only fight when it is right to do so, and in the right way. But the other wolf is full of anger. The littlest thing will set him into a fit of temper.”

He continued, “He fights everyone, all the time, for no reason. He cannot think because his anger and hate are so great. It is helpless anger, because his anger will change nothing. Sometimes it is hard to live with these two wolves inside me because both of the wolves try to dominate my spirit.”

The boy stared deeply into his grandfather’s eyes and asked, “Which wolf will win, Grandfather?” 

Smilingly, the grandfather replied, “The one I feed.”

So, are we feeding the wolf of love, harmony, and hope, or anger, hatred, and hopelessness? 

I know that it can be challenging to be optimistic in depressing and dangerous times, but as Louise Profeit-LeBlanc’s grandmother told her, “Whatever you need is around you! It is not what you want, but what you need that will be provided to you.”

Louise Profeit-LeBlanc, a storyteller, artist, and member of the Nacho N’yak Dän First Nation of central Yukon, Canada, shared that this Native American proverb reminds her that “the Creator provides for us, and it might not be what we want, but it will be what will make us grow.”

She added, “It makes us less material and more appreciative of everything we might need in terms of our livelihood, our well-being, and also, for the happiness and joy we bring to others.”

Native American Proverbs About Oneness

“We are all related” is Nadema Agard’s favorite Native American proverb. A Cherokee, Lakota, and Powhatan artist, educator, consultant, curator, and storyteller, Nadema often highlights this teaching in her work.

Moreover, the Baha’i writings emphasize humanity’s oneness and interconnectedness:

This limitless universe is like the human body, all the members of which are connected and linked with one another with the greatest strength. How much the organs, the members and the parts of the body of man are intermingled and connected for mutual aid and help, and how much they influence one another! In the same way, the parts of this infinite universe have their members and elements connected with one another, and influence one another spiritually and materially.

Not only are we all members of one human family, but we are all also connected to the heavenly kingdom. One of Medicine Eagle’s favorite Native American proverbs is from the Hopi people, which states, “The one is the all. The all are the one.” 

This Hopi proverb reminds Medicine Eagle — a holistic healthcare practitioner and member of the Anishinaabe nation — that “there is but a veil of separation between us and the spirit realm.” 

He wrote, “We all act as though there is a separation from the divine, yet there is no such thing! All created things come from God, and all things are good. We condition things to be not good through our gift of free will. This is the biggest illusion we face as beings.” 

To overcome this illusion, all we have to do is turn towards God and look within ourselves. Baha’u’llah, the prophet and founder of the Baha’i Faith, revealed a powerful admonition, encouraging us to rise to our higher nature:

Turn thy sight unto thyself, that thou mayest find Me standing within thee, mighty, powerful and self-subsisting.

I hope these Baha’i teachings and Native American proverbs inspire you to look within, uncover your strength, and awaken the vast potential waiting to be tapped. These gems of guidance remind us that we are all part of something greater — a divine oneness that unites us with each other and with our Creator. The choice is ours: Which wolf will we feed, and how will we reflect this unity in our lives?

There is an African proverb that says, “When there is no enemy within, the enemies outside cannot hurt you.” So, how do you find peace of mind and heart?

In a world of distracting chaos, depressing conflict, distressing challenges, and addictive consumerism, finding inner peace can feel elusive. Yet, timeless spiritual and religious teachings offer helpful insights and comforting prayers to guide all of us on our journeys. 

Explore how the following quotes and prayers from world religions and ancient spiritual traditions can unlock a peaceful, resilient spirit and bring tranquility to both your heart and mind.

Baha’i Quotes About How to Find Peace of Mind and Heart

If you’re wondering how to find peace of mind and heart, the Baha’i writings offer helpful guidance on this subject. 

First, we can’t have a peaceful mind and heart without having a loving mind and heart. At a talk in New York in 1912, Abdu’l-Baha, one of the central figures of the Baha’i Faith, was asked, “Is peace a greater word than love?” 

Abdu’l-Baha exclaimed, “No! Love is greater than peace, for peace is founded upon love. Love is the objective point of peace, and peace is an outcome of love. Until love is attained, peace cannot be…”

When we are kindled by the fire of the love of God in our hearts and look for the loveable divine qualities in every person and created thing, we will find that we are more at peace with ourselves and everyone around us. 

In a treatise written by Abdu’l-Baha in 1875, he identified the different capabilities that an individual needs to develop to experience pleasure and peace. He explained that “the happiness and greatness, the rank and station, the pleasure and peace, of an individual have never consisted in his personal wealth, but rather in his excellent character, his high resolve, the breadth of his learning, and his ability to solve difficult problems.” 

It’s important that we strengthen and develop these qualities, as they enhance our personal happiness and peace and build the resilience that we need to navigate the challenging moments in our lives.

A Buddhist Quote About the Importance of a Peaceful Mind

It’s fascinating that breadth of learning not only fosters peace but that peace of mind is also conducive to greater knowledge. 

In the Dhammapada, the Buddha states, “If a man’s thoughts are unsteady, if he does not know the true law, if his peace of mind is troubled, his knowledge will never be perfect.” 

When our thoughts are flighty, unsettled, and anxious, it’s difficult to focus, think deeply, and meditate on divine guidance. So, we have to clear and calm our minds to receive greater insights and understanding.

Yogic, Buddhist, and Cherokee Quotes About the Importance of a Peaceful Heart

As a yoga fan, I enjoy the peace of mind and body that yoga often brings. However, I was even more excited to learn about the spiritual teachings that ancient yogis have shared about how important a peaceful heart is for fostering harmonious relationships.

In “The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali,” it says, “Where the heart is full of kindness which seeks no injury to another, either in act or thought or wish, this full love creates an atmosphere of harmony, whose benign power touches with healing all who come within its influence. Peace in the heart radiates peace to other hearts, even more surely than contention breeds contention.”

Likewise, The Sutra Collection, a sacred Buddhist text, asks us to abstain from calumny and slander —also regarded as grievous sins in the Baha’i Faith — and avoid repeating what would “raise a quarrel against the people.”

A Cherokee proverb beautifully captures this spirit of compassionate silence and open-hearted communication: “O Great Spirit, help me always to speak the truth quietly, to listen with an open mind when others speak, and to remember the peace that may be found in silence.”

Continuing in this spirit, The Sutra Collection concludes, “Thus he lives as a binder together of those who are divided, an encourager of those who are friends, a peacemaker, a lover of peace, impassioned for peace, a speaker of words that make for peace.”

A Taoist Prayer for Peace of Mind and Heart

“Lao-Tsu’s Peace Prayer” beautifully illustrates how important peaceful hearts are for creating a peaceful world. He wrote:

If there is to be peace in the world,

There must be peace in the nations.

If there is to be peace in the nations,

There must be peace in the cities.

If there is to be peace in the cities,

There must be peace between neighbors.

If there is to be peace between neighbors,

There must be peace in the home.

If there is to be peace in the home,

There must be peace in the heart.

A Baha’i Prayer for Peace of Mind and Heart

As we strive to cultivate inner peace, turning to prayer can be a powerful balm and refuge. The following Baha’i prayer offers profound words of solace and strength, imploring our Creator to renew your spirit and restore peace to your mind and heart: 

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 Best-Beloved, and by the light of Thy glory reveal unto me Thy path, O Thou the Goal of my desire! Through the power of Thy transcendent might lift me up unto the heaven of Thy holiness, O Source of my being, and by the breezes of Thine eternity gladden me, O Thou Who art my God! 

Let Thine everlasting melodies breathe tranquillity on me, O my Companion, and let the riches of Thine ancient countenance deliver me from all except Thee, O my Master, and let the tidings of the revelation of Thine incorruptible Essence bring me joy, O Thou Who art the most manifest of the manifest and the most hidden of the hidden!