Kamál, 10 Masá’il (Questions), 178 B.E.

Seen

My sister’s Christmas cactus (Schlumbergera truncata) has been blooming for several weeks, now. The colors certainly can get one into the spirit of the season!

Done

Updated the OS on my mid-2012 MacBook Pro as far as it can be with Catalina.

Admitted that I am probably going to stay in an Apple / Google universe for the long haul. So, I removed Backup and Sync, which Google no longer supports, and downloaded and installed Google Drive on the Pro as well as the iMac. Now, ALL my files are accessible on either computer and backed up to an external drive as well as on cloud servers. Should have done this some time ago, but procrastinated. I was lucky.

Noted

Here are the steps Astral Prospector took when he started to craft his very first ever miniature over the weekend!

See the finished product at …

Astral Prospecting on Instagram and Astral Prospecting on Facebook

Looking forward to seeing how his mastery of this medium unfolds!

Marc Bosserman on Instagram Marc Bosserman on Facebook, and Marc Bosserman Music and Musings on YouTube

Tab’s Galaxy on YouTube

Quoted

Bahá’u’lláh’s teachings on spiritual reality cover a broad range of subjects. These include the nature of the human being, the journey of the soul, the spiritual life, the relationship between the physical and spiritual reality, the progress of the soul and the means for humanity’s spiritual education. This volume can only provide a sampling of the many passages from the Bahá’í writings that address these important themes. The aim is to present an introduction to Bahá’u’lláh’s teachings on spiritual reality; the interested reader is encouraged to investigate further, through a more detailed study of the Bahá’í writings, Bahá’u’lláh’s offering to quench the spiritual thirst of humanity.

For ease of reference, this book is divided into five parts, each divided further into sections. Within each section, extracts from the Bahá’í writings are shared to illustrate the topic. The passages are numbered; references are provided in the back of the book to enable the reader to find the extract in the original text. A brief commentary introduces each part of the book.

“Immerse yourselves in the ocean of My words,” is Bahá’u’lláh’s invitation to all humanity, “that ye may unravel its secrets, and discover all the pearls of wisdom that lie hid in its depths.” 1 He encourages ”every seeker to bestir himself and strive to attain the shores of the ocean” so that he may reap the benefits “in proportion to the eagerness of his search and the efforts he hath exerted.” 2 In these teachings Bahá’u’lláh offers a new and renewed understanding of self, of society, and human purpose. 3

My sister and brother-in-law recently relocated and chose to donate several books in their library rather than move them. Many of these volumes are not well-known, but due to the topics they cover and the manner in which their authors explore them, they warrant a nod of recognition before being sent on their way. Accordingly, most quotes referenced in the “Quoted” section come from these books. Maybe they will stir (or renew) your interest, too.

  1. Bahá’u’lláh. Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh. 1952. Translated by Shoghi Effendi, Revised Edition, Bahá’í Publishing Trust, 1971, 136. https://www.bahai.org/library/authoritative-texts/bahaullah/gleanings-writings-bahaullah/4#538672141. [return]
  2. Bahá’u’lláh. Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh. 1952. Translated by Shoghi Effendi, Revised Edition, Bahá’í Publishing Trust, 1971, 326. https://www.bahai.org/library/authoritative-texts/bahaullah/gleanings-writings-bahaullah/8#820091057. [return]
  3. Lample, Paul, editor. Bahá’u’lláh’s Teachings on Spiritual Reality. 1st Edition, Palabra Publications, 1996, vii-viii. [return]