Concerning Agriculture and Resources.

Baha'u'llah had told us that among the classes of society are two occupations, we should put our greatest energies, that of the teacher and the farmer. Look how we treated the native peoples on first entering North America. This is a quote from the book 'Faith Physics And Psychology: Rethinking Society and the Human Spirit' by John Fitzgerald Medina.

'When John Locke published his most important writings in the late seventeenth century, most societies were still largely rural and agrarian. Thus the ownership and productive use of land were paramount goals. Indeed, Francois Quesnay, the influential head of the Physiocrats, the first group to call themselves economists, stated, "Land is the only source of wealth, and... agriculture increases wealth." Thus societies were judged largely by how well they could develop and utilize their agricultural resources. In light of this, an important question arises: Were the Indians of the Americas agriculturally inept and unable to make productive use of their lands as Locke and the colonists claimed? The answer is important, because this claim provided the rationale for the seizure of Indian lands.

'Contrary to the American colonists' misinformed judgments, much evidence now exists to show that the American Indians were, in fact, quite adept at cultivating a large variety of plants in a diversity of climates, soils, and environmental conditions. They utilized the Earth's resources wisely, gently, and reverently. Over thousands of years, Indian farmers learned how to use natural herbicides, pesticides, and fertilizers. Furthermore, through trial and error they learned how to create new plant hybrids. As the cover of Weatherford's book Indian Givers describes, "some 60 percent of the foods eaten in the world today were first harvested by the Indians of the Americas."

'Over many generations, the Indians carefully selected, domesticated, and cultivated many vegetables, fruits, nuts, and berries. They also developed grains such as amaranth and quinoa, which modern nutritionists sometimes call "miracle grains" because of their high nutritional value compared to grains such as rice and wheat. Weatherford writes, "Few cooks or gourmets... recognize the... extent to which American Indian cuisine radically changed cooking and dining in every part of the globe from Timbuktu to Tibet. Sichuan beef with chilies, German chocolate cake, curried potatoes, vanilla ice cream, Hungarian goulash, peanut brittle, and pizza all owe their primary flavorings to the American Indians... The American Indians remain the developers of the world's largest array of nutritious foods and the primary contributors to the world's varjed cuisines." ...

'The perspectives of American Indians, Bahá'ís, and modern holistic advocates all emphasize the importance of conservation of the earths resources and protection of the environment. All three perspectives promote the idea that use of the land and its resources must be grounded in the belief that nature is sacred. The following verse from the Bahá'í writings, for example, is highly consistent with the American Indian view of the sacredness of the natural environment: "Nature in its essence is the embodiment of My Name, the Maker, the Creator."[41] According to the Bahá'í writings, in the future, agriculture will be returned to its rightful place as the most important sector of the economy. This stands in direct contradiction to the current Western model, which views agriculture as necessary but inferior to the industrial sector.'

Things are getting weird.

You have rejected the present world
Its violence and ignorance
But what are you but the centre of not knowing
There is much to learn among the hoodies
The letting go of control and living with fear

That fast reactions to the feeling of hate
He has given his senses control and flown south
The bullet flies and he is clueless
Is she even a person when she is absent
Glued to stimulation and lies moving her.

The knives fly so keep your head down
Do not take this personally
This is the space of discovery
Senses acting out of hate with there own will
Or eyes loving his nose and lips his eyes

The world is revealing in the land of crime
New knowledge that humility revealed to
The Fishermen of Galilee
Waters flowing, falling in splendor upon heads
Love is the message and will the channel

Waiting for the hammer, surprise
Let not the thought of hate survive
Tender lips and tongue clean the eyes
The race has push the rhythm to a new pace
Trust the teacher, this world is your place.

A.G.W.

Is the Universe a Spiritual Realm

In his book "Faith, Physics and Psychology" John Medina describes how Physics and Psychology are discovering a world like the Baha'i writings have been pointing out for over one hundred and fourty years.

'Many of the early physicists who first probed into the mysterious world of atoms assumed that these so-called "fundamental building blocks" of all matter, would be solid, simple, inert, and essentially "dead." However, over the span of many decades, as physicists have delved deeper into the atomic and subatomic quantum realm, they have discovered increasing magnitudes of complexity, sophistication, organization, and even intelligence. Many physicists, bolstered by massive volumes of experimental data, now support the view that quantum entities such as atoms, electrons, protons, and other subatomic particles do not even exist in physical reality until someone tries to observe them. In fact, many physicists now support the view that quantum entities do not even have independent existing objective properties until someone observes them. Since all matter is composed of atoms and other mysterious quantum particles, this means that all objects, including human beings, are made up of "not-so-real" quantum entities. In a nutshell, physical matter can no longer be considered the fundamental reality. Thus the primary discoveries of quantum physics have finally brought science back in line with what mystics have been telling us for thousands of years-namely, that this physical universe is just a manifestation of a deeper and more true spiritual reality.

'Along these lines, physicist Fritjof Capra states, 'An increasing number of scientists are aware that mystical thought provides a consistent and relevant philosophical background to the theories of contemporary science, a conception of the world in which the scientific discoveries of men and women can be in perfect harmony with their spiritual and religious beliefs."'

Behind the Veil

Is it any wonder that
a religion should fear a new face
when it will not allow
its daughters to expose theirs.

The beauty of the beloved,
The new face of religion
has them in great confusion
She is banished from her homeland.

Yet she wanders unhindered
in the gardens of the west
They admire her and fear her
but few know the wisdom within.

A.G.W.

Raising the Banner of Search

From the book 'King of Kings' by Motlagh are some thoughts on obvious problem that many Christians are told not to search and investigate, especially if it is outside the Christian faith.

"The purpose of discussing the topic of rejection at such great length is this: Christians often simplify and minimize their responsibility in finding their expected Redeemer by viewing it in simple terms. Since, they assume, everything will be visible, the faithful need not take any action; when the advent happens, surely they will know it. How could anyone miss the Armageddon? How could anyone miss flying angels? How could anyone miss the dead coming out of their graves? This illusion of visibility creates apathy, self-satisfaction, unawareness, and even avoidance and escape. It destroys any desire to search.

The faithful are told that all they need to do is to be good Christians: go to church every Sunday, pay their tithes, be born again, and make sure they accept no other Lord and Savior except Jesus Christ. If they do all these, they are told, their bodies will be lifted into the sky and saved from all the tribulations that fall on the "unsaved." What about the command that Christians must watch, must be awake and alert? That command, they are told, does not imply that Christians should pay attention to any news that originates outside the church. The command indicates that they should watch the news and be in touch especially with Christian sources: scholars, writers, respected evangelists, Christian universities, Christian radios
and TV stations.

Consider this response from Hal Lindsey, perhaps the best known and most popular author of prophecy books, to those who ask, "How can I be sure that when Jesus comes from the sky, I am good enough to be taken to heaven?"

"But, Hal," you might ask at this point, "how can I be sure I will be one of those taken?" You've got to remember that salvation is a gift of God. All you have to do is be willing to accept it and let His Holy Spirit change your life. I know, I know. You're not ready to change your life. You don't think you can do it. That's not the point. This is not something you can do anyway. Just let God do it. Trust Him. He will change your heart and its desires to conform with His. And He will assure you of eternal life the instant you receive Him and His pardon from sin.

see http://www.globalperspective.org/

William Miller's Dream

William Miller is the man who discovered the year 1844 in the Bible. He would be disgraced because Christ did not return in the manner expected.

(Below is quoted from the book 'I Shall Come Again' by Motlagh)

I dreamed that God, by an unseen hand, sent me a curiously wrought casket about ten inches long by six square, made of ebony and pearls curiously inlaid. To the casket there was a key attached. I immediately took the key and opened the casket, when, to my wonder and surprise, I found it filled with all sorts and sizes of jewels, diamonds, precious stones, and gold and silver coin of every dimension and value, beautifully arranged in their several places in the casket; and thus arranged they reflected a light and glory equaled only to the sun.

I thought it was not my duty to enjoy this wonderful sight alone, although my heart was overjoyed at the brilliancy, beauty, and value of its contents. I therefore placed it on a center table in my room and gave out word that all who had a desire might come and see the most glorious and brilliant sight ever seen by man in this life.

The people began to come in, at first few in number, but increasing to a crowd. When they first looked into the casket, they would wonder and shout for joy. But when the spectators increased, everyone would begin to trouble the jewels, taking them out of the casket and scattering them on the table.

I began to think that the owner would require the casket and the jewels again at my hand; and if I suffered them to be scattered, I could never place them in their places in the casket again as before, and felt I should never be able to meet the accountability, for it would be immense. I then began to plead with the people not to handle them, nor to take them out of the casket; but the more I pleaded, the more they scattered; and now they seemed to scatter them all over the room, on the floor and on every piece of furniture in the room.

I then saw that among the genuine jewels and coin they had scattered an innumerable quantity of spurious [fake] jewels and counterfeit coin. I was highly incensed at their base conduct and ingratitude, and reproved and reproached them for it; but the more I reproved, the more they scattered the spurious jewels and false coin among the genuine.

I then became vexed in my physical soul and began to use physical force to push them out of the room; but while I was pushing out one, three more would enter and bring in dirt and shavings and sand and all manner of rubbish, until they covered every one of the true jewels, diamonds, and coins, which were all excluded from sight. They also tore in pieces my casket and scattered it among the rubbish. I thought no man regarded my sorrow or my anger. I became wholly discouraged and disheartened, and sat down and wept.

While I was thus weeping and mourning for my great loss and accountability, I remembered God, and earnestly prayed that He would send me help.

Immediately the door opened, and a man entered the room, when the people all left it; and he, having a dirt brush in his hand, opened the windows, and began to brush the dirt and rubbish from the room.

I cried to him to forbear, for there were some precious jewels scattered among the rubbish.

He told me to "fear not;' for he would "take care of them."

Then, while he brushed the dirt and rubbish, false jewels and counterfeit coin, all rose and went out of the window like a cloud, and the wind carried them away. In the bustle I closed my eyes for a moment; when I opened them, the rubbish was all gone. The precious jewels, the diamonds, the gold and silver coins, lay scattered in profusion all over the room.

He then placed on the table a casket, much larger and more beautiful than the former, and gathered up the jewels, the diamonds, the coins, by the handful, and cast them into the casket, till not one was left, although some of the diamonds were not bigger than the point of a pin.

He then called upon me to "come and see."

I looked into the casket, but my eyes were dazzled with the sight. They shone with ten times their former glory.

I thought they had been scoured in the sand by the feet of those wicked persons who had scattered and trod them in the dust. They were arranged in beautiful order in the casket, every one in its place, without any visible pains of the man who cast them in. I shouted with very joy...

Interpretation

The jewels, gold, and silver symbolize the truths revealed to us by God's great Messengers:

Thus We... bestow upon thee the gems of divine wisdom, that haply thou mayest soar on the wings of renunciation to those heights that are veiled from the eyes of men. - Bahá'u'lláh

He [Bahá'u'lláh] it is Who hath laid bare before you the hidden and treasured Gem, were ye to seek it. - Bahá'u'lláh

At the beginning, the gems are pure and radiant, but as time goes on people begin to tamper with them. They "trouble the jewels," take them out of their context, conceal them under their illusions, scatter them, and abuse them for their selfish ends. They devise their own counterfeit doctrines, denominations, and sects, and then package them, and present them as genuine. This desire to abuse the divine truths entrusted to the human hand is so powerful and pervasive that no one can stop it. William Miller felt frustrated at his inability to protect the jewels. We can see a clear example of this in his life. He was the first to discover and proclaim the date of Christ's return. After the Great Disappointment, although perplexed and disillusioned, he remained loyal to the Word of God. He continued to believe in the accuracy of his findings, supported by so much evidence that no one could refute them. But those around him distorted his findings by saying that the great event associated with 1844 happened in heaven. The purity of the truth he had discovered was lost under the dust of selfish ends, theological assumptions, arguments, and illusions. Despite his strenuous efforts, Miller failed to keep people on course. In the end, he experienced rejection and ridicule. He was abandoned by the very people who had followed him. He became an outcast.

A true seeker who carries enough "oil" of wisdom (Matthew 25:1-13) can always find his Beloved. He can always recognize the gems of true knowledge. He can always see the difference between the genuine and the fictitious:

Each and every thing, however small, would be to him a revelation, leading him to his Beloved, the Object of his quest. So great shall be the discernment of this seeker that he will discriminate between truth and falsehood, even as he doth distinguish the sun from shadow. If in the uttermost corners of the East the sweet savors of God be wafted, he will assuredly recognize and inhale their fragrance, even though he be dwelling in the uttermost ends of the West. He will, likewise, clearly distinguish all the signs of God - His wondrous utterances, His great works, and mighty deeds - from the doings, the words and ways of men, even as the jeweler who knoweth the gem from the stone...[4] - Bahá'u'lláh