The Alisaurus Blog

For anyone who’s not aware, Bahá’ís in Iran have been suffering a great deal of persecution from the government, simply for being Bahá’ís. Most recently we recieved the news that:

“Six Bahá’í leaders in Iran were arrested and taken to the notorious Evin prison yesterday in a sweep that is ominously similar to episodes in the 1980s when scores of Iranian Bahá’í leaders were summarily rounded up and killed.” - Bahá’í World News Service

My friend Rory has been gathering together a number of articles on the issue here and here, and pointed me in the direction of As if Natural Disasters were not Enough!, which mirrors just what I’ve been thinking these last few days. For the last few months I’ve been fairly out of touch with world news, but after the earthquake, I checked BBC News and was glad I hadn’t done it more often. It’s so depressing to see so many people inflicting pointless suffering on other human beings. It really hit home, seeing a story at the top of the Scottish news page that day about a murder in Orkney, where I come from (though reassuring that murders are so rare there that one that happened in 1994 is still news.) Natural disasters like the typhoon in Burma and the earthquake in China really put it in perspective. There are so many natural causes of death and suffering that we have little to no control over, why do we add more? Our petty causes of war and dissention shrink into obscurity in the face of massive natural disasters. Who cares if our skin colours, beliefs, customs are different? Earthquakes and typhoons don’t. They transcend national borders. It doesn’t matter what you look like, where you come from, how much money you make, if you’re in their path, you’re all in the same boat. I’d really like to see something positive come out of these horrific events, namely that more people will realise that we’re all the same. All human. And that our man-made divisions are actually non-existant.

A week ago, I was going to write about how some people here in China have reacted to the attack on the Olympic Torch in France, and other events (there have been protests here in Kunming against French supermarket Carrefour), but I just couldn’t get my head round the extent to which logic went out the window in the face of national pride, in some cases. A lot of people fail to see that the views or actions of a few individuals do not reflect the views of all those in the same non-existant category, eg. Not all French people hold the same opinions about China, and not all Chinese people hold the same opinions about France. I saw one reply to a blog post urging the boycott of Europe, listing, amongst other human-rights offences, the Holocaust. Do I even need to point out that the victims were also European? Apparently I do. But the fact that all those involved were European is insignificant. These categories don’t mean a thing. That’s a clear example that all Eurpeans don’t hold the same views, just because they’re European. I’m certain that not all Nazis or Jews hold the same opinions on everything. It’s like an international game of generalisation pingpong, but there can be no winners.

“An eye for an eye will make the whole world blind.” - Mahatma Gandhi

“Anger breeds anger, and bitterness will destroy my family if I’m not careful - and I won’t allow that to happen.” - Margaret Mizen, mother of a 16-year old boy murdered in London earlier this month.

“When a thought of war comes, oppose it by a stronger thought of peace. A thought of hatred must be destroyed by a more powerful thought of love.” - ‘Abdu’l-Bahá

I’d strongly recommend reading ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s Paris Talk, “The Pitiful Causes of War, and the Duty of Everyone to Strive for Peace”, which can be found online here. It’s amazing.

One year old on Monday. I declared on May 12th 2007. I’ve experienced so much in that time, and grown immesurably. Sometimes I’m so glad I became a Bahá’í before I came to China, because it’s helped me cope with all the challenges and get so much from my time, and sometimes I’m glad I came to China after becoming a Bahá’í because it gave me all the challenges I needed to grow spiritually. Whichever way round it is, it worked out kinda nicely. :)

edit: I also got a mention on Bahá’í Views. :)

The Festival of Ridván (April 21 - May 2) has just ended. It is the most important Bahá’í festival and commemorates the 12 days Bahá’u'lláh spent in the Garden of Ridván, during which he announced his mission as a manifestation of God for this day, the one who’s coming was foretold by the Báb. It is during this time that the Bahá’í elections take place.

I’ve been studying a book about the history of the Báb and Bahá’u'lláh and learned about the significance of the festival just before it started, which was nice timing.

Here is a lengthier article about it.

Today is Naw-Rúz, the Bahá’í and Iranian new year. Because Bahá’í days start at sunset “the previous day”, the fast ended at sunset yesterday, and the new year began. It’s the third new year I’ve celebrated in as many months. If I want to continue this tradition, I could observe the Hindu new year next month.

Fasting and having new year in March may seem a bit strange to a lot of Westerners, but for Christians, Easter falls just 2 days after Naw-Rúz this year, (as they are both pinned to the vernal equinox), and is preceeded by Lent. I think the point of both is the same - a time of renewal.

Wendi Momen has written a wonderful piece about different religious holidays at this time of year. It’s much better than mine. Go and read it!

Rory has written a great post about fasting. You should read it. Last year, I went to his flat most mornings to eat breakfast and say prayers with several others. I found it difficult to get up before sunrise, and making promises to be there, bearing food, was pretty much the only thing motivating me to get up in the morning. I really enjoyed being with the people, and there was something very special about being out and about before dawn. This year, my sole motivation is the love of God, and I’ve totally kept the fast so far. (last year I ate some toffee waffles one day.) I’ve proved a lot to myself.

I’m finding the fast physically less difficult and spiritually more rewarding as it’s going on. My breakfasts are getting smaller, my dinners less punctual, my stomach less rumbly, and I’m happier in the middle. I had been worried about starting term during the fast, but it’s actually been quite a blessing, because it means I’m always up and relatively fresh and on-the-ball for my 8am classes. One thing I really like about the fast is how it seems to bring people together. All Bahá’ís everywhere are doing it, which is an amazing thought. I have a word clock on my phone, and every now and then I look at it and see where in the world people are getting up for their breakfast, and where in the world people are breaking the fast. Whenever my facebook status has been a little negative, I’ve received several supportive messages from people.

These last few nights, people in the dorm have been quite noisy and I’ve not been able to get to sleep until really late, and by this morning I was pretty tired and frustrated because of it, as well as having a sore throat, but when I flipped open my prayer book, I was met with the words:

“Be patient under all conditions, and put your whole trust and confidence in God.” - Bahá’u'lláh

What can I say? They don’t call Him the All-knowing and the All-wise for nothing.

“¡Oh Señor, mi Dios! Ayuda a tus amados a ser firmes en tu Fe, a caminar por tus senderos y a ser constantes en tu Causa. Concédeles tu gracia para que puedan resistir los asaltos del egoísmo y la pasión y seguir la luz de guía divina. Tú eres el Poderoso, el Bondadoso, el que subsiste por Sí mismo, el Donador, el Compasivo, el Todopoderoso, el Todo Generoso.” - `Abdu’l-Bahá

Less than an hour ’till sunset, and though my stomach has been rumbling for a good few hours and my head hurts, I’m really not bothered. :D

“O Lord, my God! Assist Thy loved ones to be firm in Thy Faith, to walk in Thy ways, to be steadfast in Thy Cause. Give them Thy grace to withstand the onslaught of self and passion, to follow the light of Divine Guidance. Thou art the Powerful, the Gracious, the Self-Subsisting, the Bestower, the Compassionate, the Almighty, the All-Bountiful.” - `Abdu’l-Bahá

“Some people lay stress on fasting. They affirm that in augmenting the weakness of the body they develop a spiritual sensibility and thus they think to approach God.

Weakening one’s self physically does not necessarily contribute to spiritual progress. Humility, kindness, resignation, and all these spiritual attributes emanating from great physical strength are acceptable to God. That an enfeebled man cannot fight is not accounted a virtue. Were physical weakness a virtue the dead would be perfect, for they can do nothing.

If a man be just, kind, humble and merciful and his qualities are acquired through the will-power — this is Godlike. A child cannot kill a man; but a Bonaparte can abstain from war, from shedding blood, from devastating countries. A dumb person will not speak ill of any one, a paralyzed hand cannot strike; but a strong arm can refrain from striking. Justice, love and kindness must be the instruments of strength, not of weakness.

Exaggerated fasting destroys the divine forces. God has created man in a way that cannot be surpassed; we must not try to change his creation. Strive to attain nearness to reality through the acquisition of strength of character, through morality, through good works and helping the poor, through being consumed with the fire of the love of God and in discovering each day new spiritual mysteries. This is the path of intimate approach.” - `Abdu’l-Bahá

This is related to what I was saying yesterday. Eating until I’m full, not just content, in the morning, drinking lots in the morning and evening and taking a little nap during the day are the ways to go. :)

I was soooo hungry by sunset, and my stomach hurt. When I ate, it made my stomach hurt even more. Sunset here is around 7:15pm, which doesn’t leave much time for eating before getting to bed at a decent time, so I’m struggling to eat enough in the evenings. I spoke to a friend briefly, and they’re finiding the same. I think I need to ask someone who’s lived here a couple of years for some advice.

This evening I came across this article, Dilemas of the Fast, by Dale E. Lehman. His main point is basically don’t get hung up on little details about the fast. It’s personal opinion, along with some quotes, but I think he has some very good advice.

The first thing to remember about the Fast is that although it is a Bahá’í law, it should be observed merely out of love for God and the pure desire to do His bidding. Bahá’u'lláh expresses this truth in the following prayer revealed for use during the Fast:

“I ask of Thee by Thy Self and by him who hath fasted out of love for Thee and for Thy good-pleasure—and not out of self and desire, nor out of fear of Thy wrath…”
(Bahá’í Prayers, 2002 U.S. edition, p. 259)

and also:

Sometimes the sickness clause gives people trouble, not so much because they are uncertain about it but because they feel guilty or frustrated by not being able to obey the law of fasting. If that is you, I have some good news for you: when you do not fast due to illness, you are obeying the law of fasting. Don’t take it from me. Take it from Bahá’u'lláh Himself:

“In truth, I say that obligatory prayer and fasting occupy an exalted station in the sight of God. It is, however, in a state of health that their virtue can be realized. In time of ill-health it is not permissible to observe these obligations; such hath been the bidding of the Lord, exalted be His glory, at all times. Blessed be such men and women as pay heed, and observe His precepts. All praise be unto God, He who hath sent down the verses and is the Revealer of undoubted proofs!”
(Kitáb-i-Aqdas, “Questions and Answers”, #93, p. 134)

Read that very carefully. He doesn’t say sick folks can skip the fast if they feel like it. He says: it is not permissible to fast when ill. That’s the law of God. So if you have a legitimate health reason for not fasting, then by not fasting you are doing exactly what the law requires. There is no reason to feel guilty or ashamed or downhearted by this.

I hadn’t read that quote before, but I’d been thinking about exemptions a lot lately, and came to the conclusion that it’s probably better to be eat and drink than to make yourself ill by keeping the fast. If you’re at the point where you can’t concentrate, then you won’t be able to keep the spiritual part of the fast, and if you’re physically incapacitated, you can do less to help the cause than if you’re not. Also, you can still do the important part, even if you can’t keep the physical fast.

I was thinking about all this in the shower the other day, and wondered, along the same lines: Bahá’u'lláh says “Be generous in prosperity“. Say there’s a level of wealth and food on which people can survive, and the wealth of those above that line divided between everyone leaves everyone below the level. Is it better to divide the wealth equally and have no one really getting by, or is it better for those above the level to give their excess to those below and have some people surviving, and able to be of service, and other people still below the level, better off than they were, but not as well off as they could be in the first example? It seems unfair, but I think the latter would be better.

“The Spirit breathing through the Holy Scriptures is food for all who hunger. God Who has given the revelation to His Prophets will surely give of His abundance daily bread to all those who ask Him faithfully.” - `Abdu’l-Bahá, Paris Talks

This was the quote that randomly displayed when I opened Ocean today. How appropriate.

I shall call this post “Life in the fast lane“. Ahahaha I’m so witty!

Materially, things went better today. My bank card is working again, I paid my rent and got my visa application in (after 2 hours in the office!) and made some friends along the way. There’s a special bond you make with someone when you go through Chinese bureaucracy together. And I spent a good 5 hours on homework.

However, I spent too much time thinking about those things. They’re important, but not so much so in the grand scheme of things.