“O God, refresh and gladden my spirit. Purify my heart. Illumine my powers. I lay all my affairs in Thy hands. Thou art my Guide and my Refuge. I will no longer be sorrowful and grieved. I will be a happy and joyful being. O God, I will no longer be full of anxiety, nor will I let trouble harass me. I will not dwell on the unpleasant things of life. O God, Thou art more Friend to me than I am to myself. I dedicate myself to Thee, O Lord”–Abdu’l-Baha.
This prayerful plea was among the first that I was inspired to memorize upon investigating the Baha’i Revelation for a new maturity of mankind (42 years ago).
The first major point brought out at the time by a more mature Baha’i was, “Do you know what you are saying or praying when you say “purify my heart,” as you need not be a scientist to know that the purification process is usually by fire or some other painful method. Yet, I would strongly recommend learning it. Through the required repetition it necessitates, you will have stored many points of reference applicable to the ever worsening plight of today’s society at home and abroad.
All current daily newscasts continue to lead with and accentuate “the unpleasant things of life” that surround us–to be added to the multitude of everyday things of life that make us sorrowful and grieved. Therefore the process of being “a happy and joyful being” places sole responsibility upon one’s attitude toward not only the things we can control but especially those over which we have no control–which in reality is most things.
Considering the gravity of learning to control one’s attitude it becomes quite evident that it is nothing that one could masterfully do without prior training. Hence the dire importance of the spiritual education of children. According to the Holy Writings of this new Day, children must be given good, systematic training from their earliest childhood which will further their daily development, enable them to receive greater insight and broaden their spiritual receptivity. This spiritual education by no means suggests spiritual indoctrination–God forbid! The latter is a primary cause of many of the wars that exist throughout the world throughout time that continue today. The major components of a spiritual education are Knowledge, Wisdom, Spiritual Perception and Eloquent Speech–the last of which is totally foreign in today’s modern, unbridled society.
The concept is certainly not new, only its well calculated, organized and orchestrated approach–and timing. It was Teddy Roosevelt that penned the phrase, “To educate a man in mind and not in morals is to educate a menace to society.” That evidence abounds!
As we approach the most celebrated of seasons (by different organized groups and religions for different occasions), may we all join in mutual respect for the respectable differences in others that we may initiate a season of “happy and joyful beings” that will continue throughout the ensuing year. It could begin with less talk–and something as simple as “FREE HUGS! ~(Investigate! – 1-800-22unite)
