Product Description
In these magnificent documents written between 1868 and 1870, Baha'u'llah, the Prophet and Founder of the Baha'i Faith, invites the monarchs and religious leaders of His time to accept the basic tenets of His Faith; sets forth the nature of His mission; and establishes the standard of justice to which those entrusted with civil authority should adhere. Among the leaders specifically addressed by Baha'u'llah were Napoleon III, Czar Alexander II, Queen Victoria, Nasiri'd-Din Shah, and Pope Pius IX. The Summons of the Lord of Hosts is an invaluable resource for those interested in the scripture and history of the world's great religions. ... Read more

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we need to instill values, morals, ethics, spirituality
At the 2002 Johannesburg World Summit on Sustainable Development it was decided to declare a decade of Education for Sustainable Development, starting in 2005. Reintroducing values back into the curriculum for school children is an important part of education for a better world and the Oxfordshire Education Authority is paving the way as described in the book "The Quiet Revolution: Encouraging Positive Values in our Children" by Frances Farrer. I turned to "Brilliant Stars" to determine if Dr. Rost's ideas, taken from the writings of the Bahai Faith, might be a worthy contribution to education for sustainable development.

The author starts by looking at some of the things which are wrong in the world today and which have brought the world into crisis. Many of our problems have their root in two things - our loss of spirituality and our education system. A growing number of thinkers agree that if mankind is to survive we must have better human beings in a world of peace, in a world of unity. In fact we need a new world order.Education must address itself to these problems, with child education playing a key role.

It seems to me that this quotation, taken from the Bahai writings clearly identifies the problem: "In man there are two natures: his spiritual or higher nature and his material or lower nature. If he allows his lower nature to overcome him, he is no better than an animal. The child must be lifted up from his lower nature through education. Spiritual education is essential for the victory of man's spiritual nature over his lower nature." Our current education system is obsolete in that it has given such great emphasis to our material or lower nature that many on the fringe of Enron-type fiascoes feel that the only thing that is wrong is getting caught. We really must redress the balance and that is what this book is all about.

It is still unfashionable to talk about ethics, morals and spirituality and most people are afraid to stick their neck out by using such words. However, at the Johannesburg Summit there were a handful of papers such as "Globalization and Sustainable Development: Is Ethics The Missing Link?" and "Sustainable Development: the Spiritual Dimension" showing that leading-edge thinkers have identified the lack of the spiritual dimension as the underlying reason for the world's troubles. The chapters "Education and the Nature of Man" and "Education for Perfections" and "Education for a Unified World" get down to the nitty gritty, the author telling us that the basic purpose of man is to know and to love God and to acquire qualities, attributes and characteristics needed when we pass to the heavenly kingdom. Our attainment of love of God is the key to our attainment of love of mankind.

We need to agree on a general picture of the future of mankind and an educational approach to match. Society is ill and is in need of a highly skilled physician - but who is the physician who can prescribe the remedies for the illness? Unlike the world's thinkers and leaders, handicapped by their inadequate man-made ideologies, theories and practices, the Bahai writings shed the clear light of divine guidance on the problems of the world and lay great emphasis on the education of children and youth. As a result, Bahais are deeply concerned that their children should receive proper character education, proper moral instruction, and proper spiritual education; from an early age Bahai children learn love for all humanity. This kind of education is taking place right now in Bahai houses, Bahai communities and Bahai summer schools. This kind of education has been developed and fine-tuned over many decades. The author believes that it is this kind of education that should spread to the public and private education systems around the world.

The universal crisis facing mankind is essentially spiritual in its causes. Both the individual and society need to acquire spiritual virtues and powers, for the laws and institutions of the future will become effective only when the inner spiritual life of man has reached a much higher plane. A truly spiritualized, unified peaceful world requires the emergence of masses of spiritualized individuals. If you are a person who has concluded that ethics, morals and spirituality are the missing links or if you are a person who believes that our over-materialistic approach has lead us down the wrong path, then you should read this book. You will find the arguments and the template for a new and vastly improved approach to education of children, an approach that postulates a future world society whose characteristics will be peace, unity, and spirituality. If we are to lead the world out of crisis, we need to do a better job of educating our children and instilling values, morals, ethics and spirituality. We should be open to give the author's views a fair hearing. ... Read more

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compilation of Baha'i writings
This book is a compilation of tablets written by Baha'u'llah, founder of the Baha'i Faith, that were responses to questions posed to him.

Questions for Divine Wisdom
Some thoughtful, and smart, people asked questions about how religion functions, and why we get the results (discord, persecution, denial) from a new message being delivered to humanity.Baha'u'llah answered these question, and then, on at least one occasion, elaborated on the answer when it wasn't understood, for people of very different backgrounds.In this book there is a level of compassion for the confused seeker that is warming and inspiring.Baha'u'llah understands and cherishes the questioners. ... Read more

Product Description
Never before told in its entirety here is the story of the first pilgrimage of Western Bahá ís to the Holy Land.

That journey of fifteen souls during the winter of 1898 1899 has come to be recognized as a pivotal event in the history of the Bahá í Faith; more than a pilgrimage a turning point that would have far-reaching implications many centuries into the future for millions of people.

Based on all available sources, including handwritten journals and letters never previously published, this story is not a mere recounting of history, it is a tale that inspires and instructs. Those privileged to take part in the first Western pilgrimage were, in the main, ordinary people with extraordinary spiritual insight. With almost no resources available to them, they took what they gained from their time in the Holy Land, established the Faith in Europe and reestablished the American Bahá í community on a rock-solid foundation.

Above all, the Hearst pilgrimage provides a brief glimpse of Abdu l-Bahá Himself and how patiently and lovingly He nurtured those from America and Europe whose religious background and ethnic culture were so different from the main body of Eastern believers at the time. The lessons he taught during that winter, the messages he conveyed, still resonate today, for he saw the end in the beginning. These were not simply fifteen pilgrims; they were the vanguard of waves of the whole of humanity. Their achievements will remain an inspiration to all future generations. ... Read more

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History brought to life
The book is very well written and is in a style that brings history to life for the reader.It is written for general audiences yet is well researched, and I would encourage every reader to peruse the footnotes, as they are in themselves, a story within the story.

Ms. Hogenson expounds upon and clarifies the role played by Phoebe Apperson Hearst, yes, of the Hearst family, in the development of the Baha'i Faith in the West in general, and the United States in particular.While the import of the first visit of Westerners to the center of the Baha'i Faith located in Akka and Haifa in the Holy Land during the winter of 1898-99 is well known within the Baha'i community, the actual story of that visit has never been told in its entirety in print until now.The book contains a wealth of previously unpublished photographs from that period, and new information, including letters of Abdul-Baha, a central figure of the Faith, which are published for the first time.

The book is enjoyable to read and a cornucopia of information.

History as it should be written
Kathryn Jewett Hogenson has written an extraordinary book.The Hearst pilgrimage was a seminal event in the subsequent spread of the Bahá'í Faith to the western world.Extensively researched, the book lays a solid foundation for future scholars to build upon in studying the people and events of that time; this alone makes the book worth reading.But what makes this academic achievement extraordinary is the way in which the story is told: the reader is captivated from the first page as characters come to life and events unfold in a way that makes you feel you are there, a century ago, seeing history made. The book reads like a novel, except that it is all true, and you are able to see firsthand how events so long ago have lasting influence today. ... Read more

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For anyone seeking to learn more about the Baha'i faith and its wisdom
Selections from the Writings of Abdu'l-Baha is a compilation of correspondence and written works by one of the major figures of the Baha'i faith. Abdu'l-Baha (meaning "Servant of the Glory") is the title adopted by 'Abbas Effendi (1844-1921), the eldest son and designated successor of Baha'u'llah, the prophet and founder of the faith. Selections from the Writings of Abdu'l-Baha includes works about physical and spiritual health, death, the afterlife, spiritual reality, and how to combat and overcome prejudice. Skillfully translated into English and presented in a pocket-sized paperback form, Selections from the Writings of Abdu'l-Baha is an absolutely indispensable resource not only for Baha'i practitioners and scholars, but also for anyone seeking to learn more about the Baha'i faith and its wisdom, directly from the mouth of one of its most influential leaders. Highly recommended.
... Read more

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Review of Leo Tolstoy and the Baha'i Faith
This is a fascinating book, drawing heavily from Tolstoy's own letters and diaries, highlighting his fluctuating and ever-increasing understanding of and respect for the Baha'i Faith. It also shows what roles the Babi and Baha'i Faiths had to play during various stages in Tolstoy's own spiritual journey. ... Read more

Product Description
This is a reproduction of a book published before 1923.This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process.We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide.We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ... Read more

Product Description
Originally published in 1912.This volume from the Cornell University Library's print collections was scanned on an APT BookScan and converted to JPG 2000 format by Kirtas Technologies.All titles scanned cover to cover and pages may include marks notations and other marginalia present in the original volume. ... Read more

Product Description
How can social change come about? Is it possible to have democratic government without political parties? Can we have a productive economy without unfettered and aggressive competition? How can social and ecological ills be addressed without resorting to a 'culture of protest'?Adversarialism has become the predominant strand in contemporary western-liberal societies. Throughout the public sphere, competitive and conflictual practices have become institutionalised norms.In his analysis of present-day society, Michael Karlberg puts forward the thesis that our present 'culture of contest' is both socially unjust and ecologically unsustainable and that the surrounding 'culture of protest' is an inadequate response to the social and ecological problems it generates. The development of non-adversarial structures and practices is imperative.Dr Karlberg considers various historical and contemporary expressions of mutualism, including expressions within feminism, systems theory, ecology and environmentalism, communication theory and alternative dispute resolution, and presents a case study of the Bahá'í community and its experience as a working, non-adversarial model of social practice. The prescriptions and practices of the Bahá'í community provide a viable and workable alternative to the culture of contest. ... Read more

Product Description
This book examines the extensive writings and documents about the history of the Baha'i Faith by Western authors not themselves Baha'is. The first part of the book is a survey of these Western accounts. The editor describes how news of the Babi and Baha'i Faiths reached the West, considers the contributions of various scholars and authors, and examines some of the misconceptions that abounded in the early reports. The second part consists of reports, mainly by Europeans. The reports concern episodes in Babi and Baha'I history of which the writers were eye-witnesses or had been given firsthand accounts. ... Read more

Product Description
As the title indicates, Divine Journey: Exploring the Baha'i Faith, takes one on a guided tour of the Baha'i Faith and its teachings. While not intended to proselytize (Baha'is are strictly forbidden to do so) it seeks to gently share with those who are interested in learning about the Baha'i Faith what it means to be a Baha'i and to live a Baha'i life via an exploration of some of the central teachings of that religion on love, peace, world unity, the purpose of life, life after death, and race unity and the elimination of prejudice. The book explores the implications and applications of the teachings of the Baha'i Faith and how they relate to the individual on a personal level and to society and the world on a global level, while examining the reciprocal relationship between them.Permeating the book is the cardinal teaching of the Baha'i Faith, that being the essential oneness of humanity and our spiritual transformation as lovers of the diversity that beautifies our human family. It is the ultimate aim of the book to illustrate that, to be true, this spiritual transformation must manifest itself in loving fellowship and service to humanity. ... Read more

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Hensen's Divine Journey
Hensen has written an topical account of the Baha'i Faith by devoting a chapter each to such major concepts such as peace, love, morality, and the afterlife.It is well done -- and notable for its excellent appendices, particularly the comprehensive bibliography of Baha'i literature. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

How sweet it is. But it could use a TOC.
How can you go wrong with writers like these? The prayers are so beautiful. IT is great to be able to carry a searchable edition in my Kindle for sharing with others. :-)

The only thing lacking in this edition is a live table of contents, and a live index of first lines.

Still, in this Kindle edition of the prayer book, there is an index of first lines (text only) that can serve to jog the memory and make a search for that perfect prayer for the occasion just a little easier.

Note: there is another (the 2006 edition) which lacks the list of first lines. By preference you should buy only this one. SFAIK there is nothing in that one that is not also included in this one. ... Read more

Product Description
This volume offers a short introduction to the history of the Baha'i faith, from its roots in 19th-century Iran to its present position as one of the world's fastest-growing religions. The book traces the development of this faith through to its emergence as an independent religion, with adherents from many diffferent cultures and established communities all over the globe. ... Read more

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The story of Bahá'u'lláh's followers in Iran. ... Read more