Daily Frameworks for 31 August 2024

Jalál, 13 Asmá’ (Names), 181 B.E.

Releasing the Powers of Junior Youth

Quotes for Reflection:

He hath extended assistance to every wayfarer, hath graciously responded to every petitioner and granted admittance to every seeker after truth. In this Day the Straight Path is made manifest, the Balance of divine justice is set and the light of the sun of His bounty is resplendent, yet the oppressive darkness of the people of tyranny hath, even as clouds, intervened and caused a grievous obstruction between the Daystar of heavenly grace and the people of the world. Blessed is he who hath rent the intervening veils asunder and is illumined by the radiant light of divine Revelation. Consider how numerous were those who accounted themselves among the wise and the learned, yet in the Day of God were deprived of the outpourings of heavenly bounties. — Bahá’u’lláh ¹

Therefore, you must thank God that He has bestowed upon you the blessing of life and existence in the human kingdom. Strive diligently to acquire virtues befitting your degree and station. Be as lights of the world which cannot be hid and which have no setting in horizons of darkness. Ascend to the zenith of an existence which is never beclouded by the fears and forebodings of nonexistence. When man is not endowed with inner perception, he is not informed of these important mysteries. The retina of outer vision, though sensitive and delicate, may, nevertheless, be a hindrance to the inner eye which alone can perceive. The bestowals of God which are manifest in all phenomenal life are sometimes hidden by intervening veils of mental and mortal vision which render man spiritually blind and incapable, but when those scales are removed and the veils rent asunder, then the great signs of God will become visible, and he will witness the eternal light filling the world. The bestowals of God are all and always manifest. The promises of heaven are ever present. The favors of God are all-surrounding, but should the conscious eye of the soul of man remain veiled and darkened, he will be led to deny these universal signs and remain deprived of these manifestations of divine bounty. Therefore, we must endeavor with heart and soul in order that the veil covering the eye of inner vision may be removed, that we may behold the manifestations of the signs of God, discern His mysterious graces and realize that material blessings as compared with spiritual bounties are as nothing. The spiritual blessings of God are greatest. When we were in the mineral kingdom, although we were endowed with certain gifts and powers, they were not to be compared with the blessings of the human kingdom. In the matrix of the mother we were the recipients of endowments and blessings of God, yet these were as nothing compared to the powers and graces bestowed upon us after birth into this human world. Likewise, if we are born from the matrix of this physical and phenomenal environment into the freedom and loftiness of the spiritual life and vision, we shall consider this mortal existence and its blessings as worthless by comparison. — ‘Abdu’l-Bahá ²

O respected personage! Thy second letter dated 19 December 1918 was received. It was the cause of great joy and gladness, for it showed thy firmness and steadfastness in the Covenant and Testament and thy yearning to raise the call of the Kingdom of God. Today the call of the Kingdom is the magnetic power which draweth to itself the world of mankind, for capacity in men is great. Divine teachings constitute the spirit of this age, nay rather the sun of this age. Every soul must endeavor that the veils that cover men’s eyes may be torn asunder and that instantly the sun may be seen and that heart and sight may be illumined thereby. — ‘Abdu’l-Bahá ³

Question for Consideration

What veils hinder the inner eye from seeing the reality of things? ⁴

Gemini Response:

The passages provided emphasize the importance of removing the veils that obscure our inner vision so that we can perceive the divine reality. Here are some of the veils that can hinder our spiritual perception:

Materialism and Worldliness

• Excessive Focus on Material Possessions: Prioritizing material wealth and possessions over spiritual growth.
• Attachment to the Physical World: Being overly attached to the material world and its limitations.
  

Ego and Self-Centeredness

• Pride and Arrogance: Allowing ego and pride to hinder spiritual progress.
• Self-Absorption: Focusing on personal desires and neglecting the needs of others.
  

Fear and Doubt

• Fear of the Unknown: Allowing fear and doubt to limit our spiritual growth.
• Lack of Faith: Doubting the divine purpose and the power of spiritual forces.
  

Prejudice and Judgment

• Preconceived Notions: Holding onto preconceived notions and judgments that cloud our perception.
• Intolerance: Being intolerant of different beliefs and perspectives.
  

Superstition and Dogmatism

• Blind Following: Following traditions and rituals blindly without understanding their spiritual significance.
• Rigidity: Adhering to rigid interpretations of religious teachings.
  

Lack of Service

• Self-Centeredness: Focusing on personal desires rather than serving others.
• Spiritual Stagnation: Neglecting spiritual practices and service to humanity.
  

Negative Influences

• Harmful Relationships: Associating with people who promote negativity and doubt.
• Negative Media: Exposure to negative media that can distort reality.
  

By recognizing and addressing these veils, we can clear the path for our inner vision and perceive the divine reality more clearly.

ChatGPT Response:

The “veils” that hinder the inner eye from perceiving the reality of things, as described in the passages from Bahá’u’lláh and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, can be understood as the various material, intellectual, and spiritual barriers that obscure our vision and prevent us from recognizing the deeper truths of existence. These veils can include:

• Material Attachments: Excessive attachment to material possessions, wealth, and physical comforts can blind a person to spiritual realities and the more profound aspects of life.
• Self-Centeredness and Pride: Ego, arrogance, and a focus on one’s achievements or status can prevent an individual from being open to divine guidance and wisdom.
• Cultural and Social Prejudices: Preconceived notions, biases, and stereotypes shaped by culture or society can obstruct a person’s ability to see the truth about others and the world.
• Ignorance and Lack of Spiritual Knowledge: A lack of understanding or awareness of spiritual principles and teachings can prevent one from perceiving the signs of God and the reality of spiritual existence.
• Emotional Distress and Negativity: Fear, anxiety, anger, and other negative emotions can cloud judgment and obscure the inner eye, making it difficult to see the good in situations and others.
• Mental Distractions and Overreliance on Reasoning: Overemphasis on intellectual reasoning without spiritual insight can limit one’s perception of what is logical or tangible, missing the spiritual dimensions of reality.
• Worldly Desires and Temptations: Pursuing worldly desires and temptations can lead to spiritual decline and obscure the true purpose of life.
  

These veils are often the result of the interplay between the material and spiritual aspects of human life, where the former can dominate and obscure the latter. To remove these veils, individuals are encouraged to cultivate virtues, seek spiritual knowledge, and remain steadfast in their spiritual journey, striving to purify their hearts and minds to receive divine guidance.

Claude Response:

Based on the passages you’ve shared, several types of veils can hinder the inner eye from perceiving spiritual realities:

• Mental and mortal vision: The text mentions that “veils of mental and mortal vision” can render a person “spiritually blind and incapable.” This suggests that our limited human perspective and material-focused mindset can obstruct our perception of deeper spiritual truths.
• Oppressive darkness and tyranny: The first quote refers to the “oppressive darkness of the people of tyranny,” intervening like clouds between divine grace and people. This implies that oppressive societal conditions or tyrannical systems of thought can veil spiritual realities.
• Fear and foreboding: The passage encourages ascending to an existence “never beclouded by the fears and forebodings of nonexistence.” This suggests that fear, especially fear of mortality, can act as a veil.
• Material focus: The texts emphasize that material blessings are “as nothing” compared to spiritual bounties. An excessive focus on material existence and physical blessings can veil one’s perception of spiritual realities.
• Lack of inner perception: The passages suggest that one remains uninformed of significant spiritual mysteries without developing inner perception.
• Unconsciousness or unawareness: The “conscious eye of the soul” must be unveiled to witness “the eternal light filling the world.” This implies that a lack of spiritual consciousness or awareness acts as a veil.
• Attachment to the physical world: The analogy of birth from the “matrix of this physical and phenomenal environment” into spiritual life suggests that attachment to the physical world can veil higher spiritual realities.
• Lack of capacity or effort: The texts emphasize the need to “endeavor with heart and soul” to remove the veil, indicating that a lack of spiritual effort or developed capacity can be a hindrance.
  

These passages from Bahá’u’lláh and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá emphasize the importance of spiritual perception and the need to remove these veils to witness the “manifestations of the signs of God” and realize spiritual bounties. They encourage developing inner vision, conscious awareness, and spiritual effort to transcend the limitations of material existence and perceive higher realities.

Pi Response:

In the Bahá’í writings, the concept of “veils” refers to the barriers that prevent individuals from recognizing spiritual truths and perceiving reality as it truly is. These veils can be of various natures, including:

• Materialism: An excessive focus on material possessions, worldly pursuits, and physical pleasures can create a veil that obscures spiritual perception and hinders individuals from recognizing the importance of spiritual realities.
• Ego and Self-Centeredness: The ego can act as a veil, clouding one’s understanding and preventing individuals from perceiving the unity of humanity and the interconnectedness of all things.
• Prejudices and Attachments: Preconceived notions, biases, and attachments to personal beliefs can act as barriers that hinder the development of spiritual perception and impede one’s ability to discern the truth.
• Lack of Education or Understanding: Insufficient knowledge or understanding of spiritual concepts and teachings can prevent individuals from appreciating the profound nature of spiritual realities.
• Fear and Doubt: Fear of the unknown or doubt in one’s ability to connect with the Divine can limit spiritual growth and hinder the development of spiritual perception.
• Complacency and Inaction: Failing to seek spiritual growth and understanding actively can maintain the veils obstructing the inner eye from perceiving spiritual truths.
  

To lift these veils and cultivate spiritual perception, individuals are encouraged to strive for detachment from worldly pursuits, engage in regular prayer and meditation, study sacred texts, cultivate virtues and noble qualities, and serve others. Through these efforts, the veils that obscure spiritual perception can be gradually removed, allowing individuals to experience the transformative power of spiritual insight.

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, 255-256. https://www.bahai.org/library/authoritative-texts/bahaullah/tablets-bahaullah/2#420808045. ↩
2. ’Abdu’l-Bahá. The Promulgation of Universal Peace: Talks Delivered by ʻAbduʼl-Bahá during His Visit to the United States and Canada in 1912. Edited by Howard MacNutt. 2nd ed. Wilmette, Ill: Baháʼí Publishing Trust, 1982, 89-90. https://www.bahai.org/library/authoritative-texts/abdul-baha/promulgation-universal-peace/4#018271400. ↩
3. ’Abdu’l-Bahá. Selections from the Writings of ʻAbduʼl-Bahá. Translated by Marzieh Gail. Reprint. Wilmette, Illinois: Bahá’í Publishing Trust, 1996, 309-310. https://www.bahai.org/library/authoritative-texts/abdul-baha/selections-writings-abdul-baha/10#324266167. ↩
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, 97. https://www.ruhi.org/en/walking-a-path-of-service/#JY1. ↩