In a way, going to war as a teenager gave me a gift – it taught me that our physical lives are short and that they inevitably end, sometimes very...
The post What to Do When Death Approaches appeared first on BahaiTeachings.org.
Have you ever tried to fast but were quickly discouraged by the difficulty of finding a suitable fast or the challenge of following through on your intention to fast? There...
The post 14 Spiritual Benefits of Fasting appeared first on BahaiTeachings.org.
As a neuroscientist, I’m always trying to understand how our brain deals most effectively with the daily issues we encounter. So once the end of February rolls around and...
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Every year at about this time, I get asked by friends: “If I wanted to take part in the Baha’i fast, could I do it?” “Sure,” I tell them. One...
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William Shakespeare famously asked: What’s in a name? So do certain names have meanings that give them intrinsic or potential power? Do names have the ability to influence, ideally for...
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Time, as we all know, moves in just one direction — forward, always forward. Could it ever stop, or slow down, or even move backwards? Throughout history countless curious writers,...
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Baha’is all around the globe recently celebrated four Baha’i Intercalary Days, also called “Ayyam-i-Ha,” and many dedicated some of the time during those days to serving others. In act, we’ve...
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In his song Ballad in Plain D, Bob Dylan famously asked “Are birds free from the chains of the skyway?” Half a century before, in a talk he gave in...
The post The Main Message of the Baha’i Intercalary Days: Joy! appeared first on BahaiTeachings.org.
For four days this week, Baha’is around the world will celebrate with festivities, gifts, parties, service projects, and charitable humanitarian work. Why? Well, we’re celebrating the Baha’i holiday called “Ayyam-i-Ha.”...
The post Happy Ayyám-i-Há: Days of Gifts, Gatherings and Service appeared first on BahaiTeachings.org.
The old world of classical or Newtonian physics presented us with a universe that could be described as working like clockwork in its behavior—but the universe turned out to be...
The post Miracles are Impossible—Right? appeared first on BahaiTeachings.org.
Do you follow your intuition? We all have it, but many people fail to follow their innermost feelings. The dictionary defines intuition as “The ability to understand something immediately, without...
The post Believing in the Magic—and the Reality—of Intuition appeared first on BahaiTeachings.org.
I just didn’t get it. (My son often tells me this.) We’d had a good time at the basketball courts, my 13-year-old son and me and a half dozen temporary...
The post Fathers, Sons and Solace appeared first on BahaiTeachings.org.
Sometimes we make mistakes; occasionally we make very serious mistakes. We get angry at ourselves. We kick ourselves for being “so stupid.” We wish we could undo what we’ve done....
The post Learning to Forgive Ourselves appeared first on BahaiTeachings.org.
We all know that contemporary Western culture has largely rejected religion, despite the fact that when not perverted or hollow, religion builds societies and sustains individuals. Of course, religious belief...
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People hurt each other with their words and actions—should we forgive them? If someone hurts us deliberately, how is it possible to forgive? Basically, when we’re hurt, we have two...
The post Why Should I Forgive? So I Can Live appeared first on BahaiTeachings.org.
During my practical work as a mental health specialist, I’ve realized that one of the most significant factors of wellbeing is a holistic life vision. What do I mean by...
The post Can You Truly Love Yourself Without Believing in Unity and Diversity? appeared first on BahaiTeachings.org.
In this series of essays, we’ve discussed how Baha’is worship—but now, in the final essay, we’ve come to the ultimate form of worship: selfless service to humanity. The Baha’i teachings...
The post What is the Best Way to Worship? Selfless Service to Humanity appeared first on BahaiTeachings.org.
When I was 5, I saw the words “God Is Dead” on a record jacket at one of my parents’ parties. Knowing nothing of Nietzsche, existentialism, or other 20th century...
The post Was God Dead? I Was Determined to Find Out! appeared first on BahaiTeachings.org.
Children’s eyes glistened under the glaze of red and yellow lights beneath a wintry sky. Families stood shoulder-to-shoulder, waiting in line at a children’s amusement park. Parents chatted as the...
The post The Ultimate Gift in the Month of Love appeared first on BahaiTeachings.org.
Fearing Friday the 13th, panicking when you see a black cat, or believing that bad luck comes in threes. Superstition is all around us — but are these beliefs really harmless...
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