...continuation
Week 1/introduction (click here)
Week 2 (click here)
March 16, 2018
Food for the soul: Qawl (Speech)
"Whoso ariseth among you to teach the Cause of his Lord, let him, before all else, teach his own self, that his speech may attract the hearts of them that hear him. Unless he teacheth his own self, the words of his mouth will not influence the heart of the seeker. Take heed, O people, lest ye be of them that give good counsel to others but forget to follow it themselves. The words of such as these, and beyond the words the realities of all things, and beyond these realities the angels that are nigh unto God, bring against them the accusation of falsehood."
Bahá'u'lláh, Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá'u'lláh
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| Breakfast drink: banana + milk/peanut butter/ chia seeds shake |
When I logged into my social media accounts last night to share my previous blog entry, I stumbled across several photo uploads (on a group/forum) of what some of the Bahá'is all around the world have been eating for breakfast during the Fast! There are people who only need two mugs of coffee to get through the entire day; a lot of people with colorful plates (toasted bread and avocado; Greek yoghurt with strawberries and blueberries); granola/protein bars; cereal and oat meal; some people just munch on a handful of nuts; MOST people have egg-full breakfasts (boiled, scrambled, poached); a couple of vegetarians/vegans showing their healthy salad bowls; some just have a piece of fruit or make a fruit shake; and some, like my aunt in Iran, just have two dates and a cup of tea. I haven't seen any photo/comment of someone eating rice + a savory dish for breakfast (my Filipino friends, where you at?!) The food posts, in my opinion, really show the diversity/the multi-cultural background of the worldwide Bahá'i community. It was also funny reading comments of people from different time zones saying that the posts were making them hungry, as they had 3 or 4 more hours to go; some would share that they missed breakfast because they slept in; and the comments that I could very well relate to were about how many alarm clocks we set for each morning (haha!). It's very comforting and strengthening to see how we're all in this together!
A man in the comments section wrote something that really stood out to me. Here's what he wrote: "I think the main purpose of physical fast may be to actually feel the hunger and to feel discomfort, as a metaphor to understand how our soul gets starved and unhealthy if we don't nourish it with spiritual food and meditation regularly." I think this was so beautifully put together. And today's quotation is about how our speech and utterance should attract the hearts of men!
Coincidentally too, one of the quotations I have to memorize this week, before our Ruhi Book 6 session on Sunday, is "O thou seeker of the Kingdom of God! If thou wishest thy speech and utterance to take effect in the hardened hearts, be thou severed from all attachment to this world and turn unto the Kingdom of God. Enkindle the fire of the love of God in the heart with such intensity that thou mayest before a flame of fire and a luminous lamp of guidance. At that time thy speech will take effect within the hearts, through the confirmation of the Holy Spirit."
✦
March 17, 2018
Food for the soul: Masa'il (Questions)
"O thou maid-servant of God! Whenever thou art desiring to talk and answer questions,
turn thy face toward the Kingdom of Abhá and beseech for assistance; then loosen thy tongue. Thou wilt behold at that time how thou art able to answer all the questions!"
Abdu'l-Bahá, Tablets of Abdu'l-Bahá
Food for the body:
Today is my Dad's birthday, and even though he is not here with us, we still celebrated at home with a few friends. My parents, brother and I always celebrate each other's birthdays, no matter where we are/even when we're all in four different places. We'd always invite a few friends over, have dinner and cake, take pictures (to send to each other) and sometimes video call to greet each other's guests. #LongDistanceFamilyLife
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| Dinner by my mom: khoresht bademjan, lechon paksiw, pinakbet, pancit, dynamite. Pizza by me. Cakes from Mona and Rita |
✴ I'd like to share our Dynamite recipe -- this was the first time my mom has ever prepared this popular Filipino street food and it was literally da bomb! First you cut open a big chilli pepper and remove the seeds inside, then stuff it with slices of mozzarella and ground meat (ground meat that has been sautéed with diced garlic and onions), then wrap is all up with spring roll wrapper. Deep fry and enjoy! ✴
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| Dynamite (stuffed chilli peppers) |
I was extremely impressed with how my Mom was able to cook ALL these dishes without accidentally tasting anything (because she started preparing early in the afternoon). When I was reading a thread on funny fasting stories, it was very common to read comments by people who have accidentally licked their fingers while cooking to check the salt/pepper level, and absent-mindedly picked up and ate tiny pieces of ingredients that fell on the table. Here are some of the really funny stories I read:
Today and yesterday's quotation are very well related. Yesterday's was about how our action and words must be coherent, and how our words have the power to affect the hardened hearts or influence others. Today's quote goes deeper into the quality of speech we utter. It's not all the time that we're the only ones to do all the talking. Most times, we get questions thrown at us. Sometimes we can answer these questions if we really prepare before hand, but there are times too that we won't have the chance to prepare and need to rely on Divine intervention. This Divine intervention can only come to us when we create room in our hearts and minds for it and humbly exhort it. "...turn thy face toward the Kingdom of Abhá and beseech for assistance..."
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March 18, 2018
Food for the soul: Sharaf (Honour)
"They who are possessed of riches, however, must have the utmost regard for the poor, for great is the honor destined by God for those poor who are steadfast in patience. By My life! There is no honor, except what God may please to bestow, that can compare to this honor. Great is the blessedness awaiting the poor that endure patiently and conceal their sufferings, and well is it with the rich who bestow their riches on the needy and prefer them before themselves.
Please God, the poor may exert themselves and strive to earn the means of livelihood.
This is a duty which, in this most great Revelation, hath been prescribed unto every one,
and is accounted in the sight of God as a goodly deed. Whoso observeth this duty, the help of the invisible
One shall most certainly aid him. He can enrich, through His grace,
whomsoever He pleaseth. He, verily, hath power over all things..."
and is accounted in the sight of God as a goodly deed. Whoso observeth this duty, the help of the invisible
One shall most certainly aid him. He can enrich, through His grace,
whomsoever He pleaseth. He, verily, hath power over all things..."
Bahá'u'lláh, Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá'u'lláh
Food for the body:
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| Cooling down my hot chocolate. The last few minutes before the sun sets are always the brightest ✴ My mug has a story! CLICK HERE to read |
Like I wrote a few times over the last two weeks, one of the biggest things we get to reflect on during this period is about the conditions of the less fortunate. The little physical discomforts we feel when we don't get to eat or drink for 12 hours are nothing compared to what a large number of people in our world go through every day. So who are we to complain? Who are we to ever think that being able to afford three square meals a day makes us more honorable than those who can't? Suddenly all these hashtag "first world problems" memes seem relevant: a person who opens their fridge that's full of food and snacks and can't decide what to eat/doesn't have an appetite for anything that exists in the fridge complains more or appears more ungrateful than a person who does not even have a fridge or literally has nothing to eat. I love this part of the quotation so much "Great is the blessedness awaiting the poor that endure patiently and conceal their sufferings..." What matters more than what we have is our attitude. We can have so little, yet we need not be sad; we can still be happy. We can have so much, yet we need not keep it all; we can still be generous.
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March 19, 2018
Food for the soul: Sultan (Sovereignty)
"Place not thy reliance on thy treasures. Put thy whole confidence in the grace of God, thy Lord. Let Him be thy trust in whatever thou doest, and be of them that have submitted themselves to His Will. Let Him be thy helper and enrich thyself with His treasures, for with Him are the treasuries of the heavens and of the earth. He bestoweth them upon whom He will, and from whom He will He withholdeth them. There is none other God but Him, the All-Possessing, the All-Praised.
All are but paupers at the door of His mercy; all are helpless before the revelation of
His sovereignty, and beseech His favors."
Bahá'u'lláh, Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá'u'lláh
Food for the body:
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| My mom prepared a Nigerian-inspired breakfast this morning, Nigerian because of the yam and egg stew, but not exactly... because here we used purple yam, and a lot more veggies (egg plant and green pepper) |
There are many little things that happened during these Fasting days that normally don't happen on regular days, and I know I'm going to miss them. Waking up before my mom; Drinking tea (not so sure I'll miss this though. Story behind the tea is in last week's blog post); Saying prayers with my mom before eating in the evening; Watching the sun go down (I always thought 20 minutes is short and goes by quickly, but now I know how slooooowwww 20 minutes actually is haha).
Today's quote, again, is about true wealth. I find this little part interesting "Let Him be thy helper and enrich thyself with His treasures, for with Him are the treasuries of the heavens and of the earth..." I'm so accustomed to reading about treasures in the spiritual sense, but here it talks about material treasures too! Then I came across another quotation by Bahá'u'lláh where this concept seems to be expounded: "Should a man wish to adorn himself with the ornaments of the earth, to wear its apparels, or partake of the benefits it can bestow, no harm can befall him, if he alloweth nothing whatever to intervene between him and God, for God hath ordained every good thing, whether created in the heavens or in the earth, for such of His servants as truly believe in him. Eat ye, O people, of the good things which God hath allowed you, and deprive not yourselves from His wondrous bounties. Render thanks and praise unto Him, and be of them that are truly thankful."
It's really beautiful because it helps us understand that the aim was never to make us give up, throw away or neglect the things we are fortunate to have. Yes, during the Fast we learn about moderation, we learn about detachment, we learn about starving (physical and spiritual), but more than anything, we learn about being thankful for EVERYTHING that we have.
It's really beautiful because it helps us understand that the aim was never to make us give up, throw away or neglect the things we are fortunate to have. Yes, during the Fast we learn about moderation, we learn about detachment, we learn about starving (physical and spiritual), but more than anything, we learn about being thankful for EVERYTHING that we have.
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March 20, 2018
Food for the soul: Mulk (Dominion)
"Say: True liberty consisteth in man's submission unto My commandments, little as ye know it. Were men to observe that which We have sent down unto them from the Heaven of Revelation, they would, of a certainty, attain unto perfect liberty. Happy is the man that hath apprehended the Purpose of God in whatever He hath revealed from the Heaven of His Will, that pervadeth all created things. Say: The liberty that profiteth you is to be found nowhere except in complete servitude unto God, the Eternal Truth. Whoso hath tasted of its sweetness will refuse to barter it for all
the dominion of earth and heaven."
the dominion of earth and heaven."
Bahá'u'lláh, Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá'u'lláh
Food for the body:
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| Nawruz celebration at the South Luzon Regional Bahá'i Center (Manila cluster) |
When I got to the Bahá'i Center this evening, I saw some friends whose faces I had last seen exactly one year ago - last Nawruz! We had quite a laugh, realizing this. After a few prayers, we dived right into dinner. Even though there was SO much food laid out on the table (potluck), I had very little appetite. I only had sopas (a Filipino soup with chicken, macaroni, evaporated milk and a few veggies --prepared by my mom) and a little slice of cake and a scoop of ice cream. After about an hour, we headed back upstairs to continue the program. The readings I selected were all from talks given by Abdu'l-Bahá, about the history of Nawruz and the significance of the vernal equinox. Here's one of my favorite (a talk Abdu'l-Bahá gave on March 21st, 1913, in Paris), which I published in two parts on instagram:
I then encouraged the friends to share their insights on the readings as well as reflections from their Fast. Here were the stories that were shared:
One lady said that this was the first year that she fasted alone (at home). She'd always give herself a whole hour to eat her breakfast, so that she could digest slowly. Every single morning while having breakfast, she'd turn on the internet and listen to web-talks on the Wilmette Institute website. She said that she really enjoyed listening to talks about members of the Hands of the Cause of God, early pioneers and the history of the Faith. She encouraged us all to explore the website and try listening to some of the web-talks.
One man, who happens to work in the Department of Agriculture, said something very interesting! He said that every year on vernal equinox (March 21st) the oceans all around the world are at its calmest - there's no high tide or low tide on this day. Therefore, it's the perfect time for fishes to breed. More fishes means more food for us! He said this shows how wonderful God is!
A doctor in our midst educated us on the health benefits of the fast -- how science has proven that fasting detoxifies our digestive system and gives it a chance to rest and regenerate.
Another lady shared that the Fast has given her so many opportunities to teach the Faith because her colleagues (and even office visitors) would constantly ask why she wasn't having lunch, and so she'd have to explain why...
I shared that one of the greatest things that happened was the release of two members of Yaran from prison this month! In fact, one was released just today! (Read here). Nawruz is not just the Bahá'i New Year, but it's also the Iranian New Year, and it is a big celebration in Iran (over the next two weeks, families will be together, giving gifts, visiting each other, playing music, having feasts...) it's a very special and elaborate holiday so it's really wonderful that these Bahá'is get to be at home with their loved ones for this occasion. Though we should remember that there is still one more member of Yaran, as well as a couple dozen others in prisons around Iran... JUST BECAUSE of their Faith. A few days ago my aunt in Iran shared with us a photo of a huge banner that was placed in front of the Bahá'i cemetery in our city, stating that no one is allowed to be buried there anymore. When Bahá'is are alive, they have no place in universities, in government offices, in private businesses, not even in their homes, and now they don't even have a place for when they're dead?! We should continue to pray for the Bahá'is of Iran, and hope that all this senseless injustice will finally come to an end.
May our Fast be accepted.
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| also please follow @BahaiPhilippines on Instagram! |
I then encouraged the friends to share their insights on the readings as well as reflections from their Fast. Here were the stories that were shared:
One lady said that this was the first year that she fasted alone (at home). She'd always give herself a whole hour to eat her breakfast, so that she could digest slowly. Every single morning while having breakfast, she'd turn on the internet and listen to web-talks on the Wilmette Institute website. She said that she really enjoyed listening to talks about members of the Hands of the Cause of God, early pioneers and the history of the Faith. She encouraged us all to explore the website and try listening to some of the web-talks.
One man, who happens to work in the Department of Agriculture, said something very interesting! He said that every year on vernal equinox (March 21st) the oceans all around the world are at its calmest - there's no high tide or low tide on this day. Therefore, it's the perfect time for fishes to breed. More fishes means more food for us! He said this shows how wonderful God is!
A doctor in our midst educated us on the health benefits of the fast -- how science has proven that fasting detoxifies our digestive system and gives it a chance to rest and regenerate.
Another lady shared that the Fast has given her so many opportunities to teach the Faith because her colleagues (and even office visitors) would constantly ask why she wasn't having lunch, and so she'd have to explain why...
I shared that one of the greatest things that happened was the release of two members of Yaran from prison this month! In fact, one was released just today! (Read here). Nawruz is not just the Bahá'i New Year, but it's also the Iranian New Year, and it is a big celebration in Iran (over the next two weeks, families will be together, giving gifts, visiting each other, playing music, having feasts...) it's a very special and elaborate holiday so it's really wonderful that these Bahá'is get to be at home with their loved ones for this occasion. Though we should remember that there is still one more member of Yaran, as well as a couple dozen others in prisons around Iran... JUST BECAUSE of their Faith. A few days ago my aunt in Iran shared with us a photo of a huge banner that was placed in front of the Bahá'i cemetery in our city, stating that no one is allowed to be buried there anymore. When Bahá'is are alive, they have no place in universities, in government offices, in private businesses, not even in their homes, and now they don't even have a place for when they're dead?! We should continue to pray for the Bahá'is of Iran, and hope that all this senseless injustice will finally come to an end.
May our Fast be accepted.
✦✦✦
I wish you all a HAPPY NAWRUZ!
and a big thank you to everyone who made it this far in my blog!
'til next year...
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