Daily Frameworks for 19 July 2024

Istiqlál, 08 Kalimát (Words), 181 B.E.

Releasing the Powers of Junior Youth

Quotes for Reflection:

Say: O people of God! Adorn your temples with the adornment of trustworthiness and piety. Help, then, your Lord with the hosts of goodly deeds and a praiseworthy character. We have forbidden you dissension and conflict in My Books, and My Scriptures, and My Scrolls, and My Tablets, and have wished thereby naught else save your exaltation and advancement. Unto this testify the heavens and the stars thereof, and the sun and the radiance thereof, and the trees and the leaves thereof, and the seas and the waves thereof, and the earth and the treasures thereof. We pray God to assist His loved ones, and aid them in that which beseemeth them in this blest, this mighty, and wondrous station. Moreover We beseech Him to graciously enable those who surround Me to observe that which My Pen of Glory hath enjoined upon them. — Bahá’u’lláh ¹

Believe thou in God, and keep thine eyes fixed upon the exalted Kingdom; be thou enamored of the Abhá Beauty; stand thou firm in the Covenant; yearn thou to ascend into the Heaven of the Universal Light. Be thou severed from this world, and reborn through the sweet scents of holiness that blow from the realm of the All-Highest. Be thou a summoner to love, and be thou kind to all the human race. Love thou the children of men and share in their sorrows. Be thou of those who foster peace. Offer thy friendship, be worthy of trust. Be thou a balm to every sore, be thou a medicine for every ill. Bind thou the souls together. Recite thou the verses of guidance. Be engaged in the worship of thy Lord, and rise up to lead the people aright. Loose thy tongue and teach, and let thy face be bright with the fire of God’s love. Rest thou not for a moment, seek thou to draw no easeful breath. Thus mayest thou become a sign and symbol of God’s love, and a banner of His grace. — ‘Abdu’l-Bahá ²

Three brief years remain until the centenary of the Master’s passing, when Bahá’ís the world over will gather and take account of the distance traversed over the first century of the Formative Age. May His loved ones, individually and collectively, little by little and day by day, increasingly embody His counsels: to be united in the Cause and firm in the Covenant; to avoid calumny and never speak ill of others; to see no strangers but regard all as members of one family; to set aside divergent theories and conflicting views and pursue a single purpose and common goal; to ensure that the love of Bahá’u’lláh has so mastered every organ, part, and limb as to leave no effect from the promptings of the human world; to arise with heart and soul and in one accord to teach the Cause; to march in serried lines, pressed together, each supporting the others; to cultivate good character, perseverance, strength, and determination; to know the value of this precious Faith, obey its teachings, walk in this road that is drawn straight, and show this way to the people. — Universal House of Justice ³

Question for Consideration

What insights do the quotes above give us about how we should strive not to enter into conflict with others? ⁴

Gemini Response:

The quotes from Bahá’u’lláh, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, and the Universal House of Justice offer several insights on how to avoid conflict and build harmonious relationships:

Focus on Spiritual Qualities

• Trustworthiness and Piety: Bahá’u’lláh emphasizes adorning oneself with “trustworthiness and piety.” Building trust and acting with integrity creates a foundation for peaceful relationships.
• Goodly Deeds and Praiseworthy Character: He encourages helping God with “hosts of goodly deeds and a praiseworthy character.” Focusing on positive actions and developing character fosters cooperation and reduces potential conflict.
  

Unity and Love

• End Disagreements: Bahá’u’lláh explicitly forbids “dissension and conflict.” He emphasizes unity and cooperation as essential for human “exaltation and advancement.”
• Love for Humanity: ‘Abdu’l-Bahá calls for being a “summoner to love” and “kind to all the human race.” Cultivating love and kindness helps overcome differences and build bridges.
• Serving Others: He encourages acts of service, such as being “a balm to every sore” and “medicine for every ill.” Prioritizing the needs of others reduces competition and fosters collaboration.
  

Universal Perspective

• One Human Family: The Universal House of Justice urges us to see “no strangers but regard all as members of one family.” This broadens our perspective and encourages empathy and understanding.
• Common Goal: They emphasize pursuing a “single purpose and common goal.” Working towards shared objectives reduces competition and creates a sense of unity.
  

Living the Teachings

• Embodying Counsels: The Universal House of Justice stresses the importance of “increasingly embodying His counsels.” Practicing Bahá’í teachings is crucial for building a peaceful and loving community.
• Spreading the Faith: ‘Abdu’l-Bahá encourages “teaching the Cause” and “marching in serried lines, pressed together.” Sharing the principles of peace and love with others contributes to a more harmonious world.
  

Overall

The message is clear: Avoiding conflict goes beyond simply avoiding arguments. It requires a conscious effort to cultivate spiritual qualities, act with love and kindness towards others, and work towards a common goal: building a more peaceful and unified world.

ChatGPT Response:

The quotes from Bahá’u’lláh, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, and the Universal House of Justice provide profound insights into avoiding conflict and fostering a harmonious community. Here are some key points derived from these passages:

• Adorn with Trustworthiness and Piety: Bahá’u’lláh emphasizes the importance of adorning oneself with trustworthiness and piety. By embodying these virtues, individuals can contribute to a peaceful and trustworthy environment, reducing the likelihood of conflict.
• Goodly Deeds and Praiseworthy Character: Actions and character are highlighted as fundamental in assisting the cause of God. Engaging in good deeds and maintaining a praiseworthy character naturally discourages conflict and promotes unity.
• Forbidden Dissension and Conflict: By explicitly forbidding dissension and conflict, Bahá’u’lláh underscores that these behaviors counter the advancement and exaltation of individuals and communities.
• Unity and Peace: ‘Abdu’l-Bahá calls for believers to be summoners to love, kind to all, and foster peace. Individuals can prevent misunderstandings and disputes by offering friendship and being worthy of trust.
• Binding Souls Together: Being a balm to every sore and medicine for every ill, as ‘Abdu’l-Bahá suggests, encourages empathy and support, which are crucial in resolving and preventing conflicts.
• Avoid Calumny and Never Speak Ill of Others: The Universal House of Justice advises avoiding slander and negative speech. This guidance helps to create a respectful and understanding community where conflicts are minimized.
• See All as Members of One Family: By regarding everyone as members of one family, individuals are encouraged to look beyond differences and conflicts, fostering a sense of unity and belonging.
• Single Purpose and Common Goal: Setting aside divergent theories and conflicting views to pursue a common goal helps to focus efforts on unity and progress rather than division and discord.
• Cultivate Good Character: Good character, perseverance, and determination are essential qualities. These attributes help individuals navigate conflicts with integrity and patience, striving for resolution and harmony.
• Obedience to Teachings: Obedience to the teachings of Bahá’u’lláh, walking in the straight path, and showing this way to others guide individuals in living harmoniously and avoiding conflict.
  

These insights collectively encourage individuals to adopt virtues and behaviors that promote unity, understanding, and peace, thereby striving to avoid conflict and build a harmonious community.

Claude Response:

These passages from Bahá’í writings offer several profound insights about avoiding conflict and fostering unity:

• Emphasis on trustworthiness and good character: The quotes stress the importance of adorning oneself with trustworthiness, piety, and praiseworthy character. This suggests that developing these virtues can help prevent conflicts from arising.
• Explicit prohibition of dissension and conflict: Bahá’u’lláh directly forbids dissension and conflict, indicating that avoiding such behaviors is a core principle of the faith.
• Focus on unity: The passages emphasize unity within the faith and among all people. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá encourages believers to “bind thou the souls together” and to “see no strangers but regard all as members of one family.”
• Promotion of love and kindness: The writings advocate for being “a summoner to love” and showing kindness to all humanity. This attitude can help prevent conflicts from developing or escalating.
• Encouragement of peace-fostering: ‘Abdu’l-Bahá explicitly calls on believers to “be of those who foster peace,” suggesting an active role in conflict prevention and resolution.
• Avoidance of gossip and backbiting: The Universal House of Justice advises to “avoid calumny and never speak ill of others,” which can often be a source of conflict.
• Setting aside divergent views: There’s guidance to “set aside divergent theories and conflicting views and pursue a single purpose and common goal,” which can help prevent ideological conflicts.
• Self-mastery: The quotes suggest that by ensuring “the love of Bahá’u’lláh has so mastered every organ, part, and limb as to leave no effect from the promptings of
• Focus on spiritual growth and service: By encouraging believers to focus on teaching the faith, worshipping, and serving others, these passages redirect energy that might otherwise be spent on conflict towards more constructive ends.
• Mutual support: The imagery of marching “in serried lines, pressed together, each supporting the others” emphasizes the importance of mutual support in avoiding and overcoming conflicts.
  

These insights collectively paint a picture of conflict avoidance through personal spiritual development, active promotion of unity and love, and focusing on serving a higher purpose rather than getting caught up in worldly disagreements.

Pi Response:

The quotes provided emphasize the importance of unity, love, and service as central principles guiding our interactions, discouraging conflict and disunity. Here’s a summary of the key themes found in these quotes:

• Promoting unity and trustworthiness: Bahá’u’lláh calls on individuals to adorn their lives with trustworthiness and piety, engage in good deeds, and exemplify a praiseworthy character. By doing so, they contribute to the exaltation and advancement of humanity, avoiding contention and conflict.
• Emphasizing love and kindness: ‘Abdu’l-Bahá encourages believers to be enamored with the love of God, foster peace, offer friendship, and be trustworthy. He further calls for individuals to provide comfort and healing, promoting unity by binding souls together and guiding people toward righteousness.
• United in purpose and action: The Universal House of Justice underscores the significance of unity in the Bahá’í community, urging believers to pursue a single purpose and common goal. By cultivating good character, determination, and obedience to the teachings of the Faith, Bahá’ís are encouraged to set aside differences and walk a straight path together, sharing the message of unity with others.
  

In summary, these quotes provide insights into how individuals and communities can strive to avoid conflict by prioritizing unity, love, and service. By embodying trustworthiness, kindness, and perseverance, they contribute to the betterment of society and the spiritual progress of humanity, fostering peace and harmony in the world.

1. Bahá’u’lláh. Tablets of Baháʾ’u’ʾlláh, Revealed after the Kitáb-i-Aqdas. Translated by Habib Taherzadeh. 1st ed. Haifa: Bahá’í World Centre, 1978, 120-121. https://www.bahai.org/library/authoritative-texts/bahaullah/tablets-bahaullah/4#731230661. ↩
2. ’Abdu’l-Bahá. Selections from the Writings of ʻAbduʼl-Bahá. Translated by Marzieh Gail. Reprint. Wilmette, Illinois: Bahá’í Publishing Trust, 1996, 26. https://www.bahai.org/library/authoritative-texts/abdul-baha/selections-writings-abdul-baha/3#381285282. ↩
3. Universal House of Justice. “26 November 2018 – To the Bahá’ís of the World” Bahá’í Reference Library, Accessed July 18, 2024. https://www.bahai.org/library/authoritative-texts/the-universal-house-of-justice/messages/20181126_001/1#923897221. ↩
4. Ruhi Institute. Releasing the Powers of Junior Youth. 2.1.21.PE July 2022. Vol. Book 5. 6 vols. Embarking on a Path of Service. Cali, Columbia: Ruhi Foundation, 2021, 26-28. https://www.ruhi.org/en/walking-a-path-of-service/#JY1.