Tag: intention

Daily Frameworks for 13 August 2026

Istijlál, 13 Kamál (Perfection), 183 B.E.

Quotes for Reflection

First, that the oneness of humanity shall be recognized and established. All men are the servants of God. He has created all; He is the Provider and Preserver; He is loving to all. Inasmuch as He is just and kind, why should we be unjust toward each other? As God has quickened us with life, why should we be the cause of death? As He has comforted us, why should we be the cause of anxiety and suffering? Can humanity conceive a plan and policy better and superior to that of God? It is certain that no matter how capable man may be in origination of plan and organization of purpose, his efforts will be inadequate when compared with the divine plan and purpose; for the policy of God is perfect. Therefore, we must follow the will and plan of God. As He is kind to all, we must be likewise; and it is certain that this will be most acceptable to God. — ‘Abdu’l-Bahá [1]

Question for Consideration

From a Bahá’í perspective, how do intention, purpose, and planning establish a set of alternative future scenarios that prompt commitment? [2]

Perplexity Computer Response:

From a Bahá’í perspective, intention, purpose, and planning do not chiefly create a fixed forecast of the future. They establish a moral and practical field of possible futures—then invite a person or community to commit to the next constructive course of action, learn from its results, and adjust in light of reality.

The three functions

Element

Function

Relation to future scenarios

Intention

Clarifies the inner motive: What spirit and values will govern this action?

It rules out futures that depend on manipulation, self-aggrandizement, injustice, or indifference, even if they appear efficient

Purpose

Identifies the enduring end: What human or spiritual good are we trying to advance?

It makes some possible futures more desirable and intelligible than others—for example, futures marked by unity, justice, capacity, and service

Planning

Selects and coordinates immediate, feasible steps toward the purpose

It considers conditions, capacities, opportunities, risks, and alternative paths—but remains revisable rather than pretending to control outcomes

In this sense, intention supplies the ethical criterion, purpose, direction, and planning, the provisional pathway.

From possibilities to commitment

A Bahá’í approach would normally ask not, “Which future can we guarantee?” but, “Given what we know, what is the most constructive next step we can take in service to a worthy purpose?”

That produces something like this sequence:

Intention → Purpose → Discernment of possibilities → Consultation → Commitment to action → Reflection and learning

The commitment is real, but it is not blind attachment to a plan. ‘Abdu’l‑Bahá’s formulation—knowledge, volition, and action—indicates that recognition of a good does not itself accomplish anything; it must become a deliberate resolve and then a concrete act. [3]

Thus, alternative scenarios are valuable not because they enable endless deliberation, but because they make choice more conscious. They reveal, for instance:

  • What may happen if we act now, act later, or do nothing.
  • Which available actions express the purpose most faithfully.
  • What capacities, relationships, and resources each path requires.
  • What must be learned before a larger commitment is warranted.
  • Which next step is both morally sound and actually possible.

Planning without abstraction

Contemporary Bahá’í guidance emphasizes that planning should not be formulated in the abstract. Rather, people consult on the actual conditions they face, examine experience and guidance, identify immediate next steps, act, and learn. [4]

This is why the characteristic mode of operation is described as action, reflection, consultation, and study. Planning is therefore neither pure prediction nor a once-and-for-all decision. It is disciplined collective learning: a hypothesis about how a purpose may be advanced under present conditions. [5] [6]

For example, a neighbourhood group seeking to strengthen the educational life of children might consider three futures:

ScenarioLikely implicationAppropriate commitment
Wait until substantial resources and formal expertise appearThe need persists and local capacity remains undevelopedUsually not the preferred starting point
Begin a modest activity with current capacityLimited reach, but immediate service and experienceCommit to a small, sustained effort
Begin modestly while systematically developing more people’s capacityService occurs now and capacity for wider action growsOften the most generative path

The point is not to claim certainty that the third scenario will succeed. It is to make a reasoned commitment to a worthy, learnable course—and to refine it through experience.

Commitment and freedom

In this framework, commitment is not the surrender of agency to a predetermined future. It is agency at its maturest: a freely chosen, morally oriented, and socially responsible willingness to carry a line of action forward over time.

At the individual level, this appears as initiative. At the collective level, it becomes shared resolve or collective volition: the power of many people acting in a coherent direction. Bahá’í guidance describes the power of action as being unlocked through individual initiative and intensified through collective volition. [7] [8]

So the essential shift is:

Intention and purpose transform “the future” from a set of events to be predicted into a set of consequences for which one accepts responsibility; planning then turns that responsibility into a tested commitment to act.

Footnotes

[1] ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. THE PROMULGATION OF UNIVERSAL PEACE. Bahá’í Reference Library. https://www.bahai.org/r/460932427

[2] Perplexity Computer. “How do intention, purpose, and planning establish a set of alternative future scenarios that prompt commitment?” Edited by Steve Bosserman. August 12, 2026. https://www.perplexity.ai/search/f17aebd7-b4ec-4d81-86e6-671ba14bb97e#1

[3] ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. THE PROMULGATION OF UNIVERSAL PEACE. Bahá’í Reference Library. https://www.bahai.org/r/820079356

[4] Universal House of Justice. “29 December 2015 – To the Conference of the Continental Boards of Counsellors.” Bahá’í Reference Library. https://www.bahai.org/r/275100978

[5] Turning Point Selected Messages of the Universal House of Justice and Supplementary Material 1996-2006. Bahá’í Reference Library. https://www.bahai.org/r/698748084

[6] Universal House of Justice. “Riḍván 2010 – To the Bahá’ís of the World.” Bahá’í Reference Library. https://www.bahai.org/r/178319844

[7] Research Department of the Universal House of Justice. THE NATIONAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLY. August 2020. Bahá’í Reference Library. https://www.bahai.org/r/014506443

[8] Universal House of Justice. “9 January 2001 – To the Conference of the Continental Boards of Counselors.” Bahá’í Reference Library. https://www.bahai.org/r/276324419

Be the Voice of…

Therefore, all souls should consider it incumbent upon them to investigate reality. Reality is one; and when found, it will unify all mankind. Reality is the love of God. Reality is the knowledge of God. Reality is justice. Reality is the oneness or solidarity of mankind. Reality is international peace. Reality is the knowledge of verities. Reality unifies humanity. — ‘Abdu’l-Bahá The Promulgation of Universal Peace | Bahá’í Reference Library.

Daily Frameworks for 12 August 2026

Fidál, 11 Kamál (Perfection), 183 B.E.

Quotes for Reflection

The attainment of any object is conditioned upon knowledge, volition and action. Unless these three conditions are forthcoming, there is no execution or accomplishment. In the erection of a house it is first necessary to know the ground, and design the house suitable for it; second, to obtain the means or funds necessary for the construction; third, actually to build it. Therefore, a power is needed to carry out and execute what is known and admitted to be the remedy for human conditions—namely, the unification of mankind. Furthermore, it is evident that this cannot be realized through material process and means. The accomplishment of this unification cannot be through racial power, for races are different and diverse in tendencies. It cannot be through patriotic power, for nationalities are unlike. Nor can it be effected through political power since the policies of governments and nations are various. That is to say, any effort toward unification through these material means would benefit one and injure another because of unequal and individual interests. Some may believe this great remedy can be found in dogmatic insistence upon imitations and interpretations. This would likewise be without foundation and result. Therefore, it is evident that no means but an ideal means, a spiritual power, divine bestowals and the breaths of the Holy Spirit will heal this world sickness of war, dissension and discord. Nothing else is possible; nothing can be conceived of. But through spiritual means and the divine power it is possible and practicable. — ‘Abdu’l-Bahá [1]

Question for Consideration

From a Bahá’í perspective, how do the terms “intention,” “purpose,” “initiative,” “volition,” “agency,” and “will” relate to one’s thoughts and actions? [2]

Perplexity Computer Response:

From a Bahá’í perspective, these terms describe a connected movement from inner awareness to responsible, purposeful action. They are not merely psychological capacities: ideally, they are developed through knowledge, prayer, consultation, moral discipline, and service to humanity.

The basic movement

A useful way to map the relationship is:

thought/understanding → intention → will or volition → initiative → action → learning and refinement

‘Abdu’l‑Bahá gives the central practical formula: accomplishment requires knowledge, volition, and action. Knowing that justice or kindness is good is insufficient unless one chooses and acts to manifest it. [3]

How the terms differ

Term

Meaning in this framework

Relation to thoughts and actions

Intention

The moral and spiritual orientation behind an act—what one is inwardly aiming at, and why

It gives ethical quality to thought and action. An outwardly useful deed can be shaped differently if motivated by service, love, justice, vanity, domination, or self-interest

Purpose

The larger end toward which one’s life or a particular undertaking is directed

It organizes intentions across time. Bahá’í thought places personal purposes within the broader aims of knowing and worshipping God and contributing to humanity’s advancement

Will

The human capacity to choose, decide, and persist rather than merely react to impulse or circumstance

Will turns a recognized good into a chosen commitment. It entails accountability: people can cultivate virtues and redirect conduct

Volition

The actual exercise of will—the decision or resolve to undertake a course of action

In the formulation “knowledge, volition, and action,” volition is the necessary middle movement between understanding something and doing it [3] [4]

Initiative

The capacity to begin constructive action without waiting passively for instruction

It is volition expressed outwardly: noticing a need, forming a plan, inviting others, and starting a service effort

Agency

A contemporary term, rather than a central technical term in the authoritative Writings, for the human capacity to act meaningfully and responsibly

Bahá’í agency is neither isolated individual autonomy nor passive obedience. It is the growing capacity to act, learn, consult, cooperate, and contribute to social transformation

Individual and collective action

The Bahá’í framework strongly affirms personal initiative, but not individualism. The Universal House of Justice distinguishes between the authority to direct the affairs of the Faith, which belongs to elected institutions, and the power to act, which “resides primarily” in the body of believers. That power is “unlocked” through individual initiative and strengthened through collective volition. [5]

In practice, this means a person may take initiative—such as starting a devotional gathering, tutoring a child, helping neighbours organize a local project, or opening a thoughtful conversation—while also consulting, learning with others, and respecting collective decisions where a matter affects the community. The aim is coordinated action without suppressing conscience, creativity, or responsibility. [6] [7]

The ethical direction of will

The key qualifier is that will is not regarded as admirable merely because it is forceful. A strong will can serve ego, prejudice, or domination; its spiritual value depends on what it is aligned with. The Bahá’í ideal is a will educated by truthfulness, justice, humility, love, and service—and increasingly aligned with the divine purpose for human life.

So, in compact form:

  • Thought discerns possibilities and realities.
  • Intention supplies the inward moral aim.
  • Purpose situates that aim in a larger life direction.
  • Will/volition makes a free and deliberate choice.
  • Initiative begins the concrete response.
  • Agency is the sustained, growing human capacity to act effectively with others.
  • Action tests thought and intention in reality, generating learning for the next cycle.

This is why Bahá’í action is often framed less as self-assertion than as conscious, disciplined, consultative service: an individual acts freely and energetically, yet learns to place that freedom in relationship with collective wellbeing and the oneness of humankind. [5] [8]

Footnotes

[1] ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. THE PROMULGATION OF UNIVERSAL PEACE. Bahá’í Reference Library. https://www.bahai.org/r/969069370 

[2] Perplexity Computer. “How do the terms “intention,” “purpose,” “initiative,” “volition,” “agency,” and “will” relate to one’s thoughts and actions?” Edited by Steve Bosserman. August 11, 2026. https://www.perplexity.ai/search/from-a-baha-i-perspective-how-8Xrr17TsTYGG5mcboUu5fg 

[3] ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. THE PROMULGATION OF UNIVERSAL PEACE. Bahá’í Reference Library. https://www.bahai.org/r/820079356 

[4] Research Department of the Universal House of Justice. SOCIAL ACTION. August 2020. Bahá’í Reference Library. https://www.bahai.org/r/974297387

[5] Research Department of the Universal House of Justice. THE INSTITUTION OF THE COUNSELLORS. August 2020. Bahá’í Reference Library. https://www.bahai.org/r/748748084

[6] Universal House of Justice. “9 January 2001 – To the Conference of the Continental Boards of Counselors.” Bahá’í Reference Library. https://www.bahai.org/r/276324419 

[7] Turning Point Selected Messages of the Univeral House of Justice and Supplementary Material 1996-2006. Bahá’í Reference Library. https://www.bahai.org/r/698748084 

[8] Research Department of the Universal House of Justice. THE NATIONAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLY. August 2020. Bahá’í Reference Library. https://www.bahai.org/r/014506443

Be the Voice of…

Therefore, all souls should consider it incumbent upon them to investigate reality. Reality is one; and when found, it will unify all mankind. Reality is the love of God. Reality is the knowledge of God. Reality is justice. Reality is the oneness or solidarity of mankind. Reality is international peace. Reality is the knowledge of verities. Reality unifies humanity. — ‘Abdu’l-Bahá The Promulgation of Universal Peace | Bahá’í Reference Library.

239 Days in America, Day 171: September 28, 1912 | Salt Lake City

‘Abdu’l-Bahá Crosses the Continental Divide 1

‘ABDU’L-BAHÁ, AS WAS HIS usual practice, arose from his bed before dawn at the Shirley Hotel, Broadway and 17th Street, Denver, on Friday, September 27, 1912. He said goodbye to a number of early visitors and then took an automobile — perhaps a carriage — fourteen blocks northwest to the train station.

A wall of rock still separated ‘Abdu’l-Bahá from the Golden State. In 1912 the advanced technologies of the century of motion had not yet fully subdued the Rocky Mountains; the cliffs due west of Denver were still too steep for the railway to climb. The train that departed Union Station at 9 a.m. that morning, therefore, headed due south, skirted the treed foothills of the eastern edge of the Front Range, and completed the first leg of its long and winding route to Salt Lake City when it reached Colorado Springs, seventy miles from Denver.

The snow-capped summit of Pikes Peak receded into the distance as ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s train continued south across the desert toward Pueblo. The town of Pueblo, Colorado, which produced both steel and saddles, bridged not only the Arkansas River, but also the changing transportation technologies of the era. From there the railroad jackknifed right, pulled west around the southern tip of the Front Range, and began to make a slow, 640-foot ascent to Canon City, nestled among the low mountains.

The route of the Denver and Rio Grande Railway snaked northwest along the Arkansas River, threaded the needle of Royal Gorge, and then climbed a full mile straight upward toward Leadville, Colorado, the highest incorporated city in the United States, at 10,152 feet. …

Minnesota, Nebraska, Colorado, Utah 2

‘Abdu’l-Bahá left Glenwood Springs on the train about midnight and arrived in Salt Lake City the next afternoon, September 28, where an agricultural convention was in progress. Newspaper reporters, learning that He was unexpectedly in the city, sought Him out the following morning and interviewed Him. Then He visited the agricultural exposition, looking at the equipment for ploughing and irrigation, asking about their uses and prices, and surveying the displays of vegetables, grains, and fruits. He bought some seeds to send to the Holy Land.

Saturday, September 28, 1912 3

The train passed through the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. Some of these rose precipitously like walls from the railway bed, formidable and immense. Gazing at their summits one felt as if the mountains would fall down. There were some special roofless observation cars on the train so that passengers might have a full view of the majestic mountains. In these observation cars the passengers could see the mountains on the right and the serene river on the left. As the train passed through these beautiful scenes, the Master said:

“Dear friends, the waves of the bounties of the Blessed Beauty are surging. As I look I see the ocean of His favor swelling and saying, ‘I am with you.’ Truly, were it not for these glad tidings and His assistance, what could I have done? Just one person alone in the east and west of America, in the mountains and wilderness –it is no light matter. It is easy to say these things but it was unimaginable that they would let us into these churches. See how His aid and favor descend upon us. This trip fills us with wonder! Offer thanks to the Blessed Beauty that He has bestowed such confirmations upon us.”

Later, the Master told stories about the time of Muhammad, the Messenger of God, and mentioned the cave and His words, ‘God is indeed with us’.

The train reached Salt Lake City in the afternoon. The Master decided to stay in the city for one night. By chance, even as the city was being blessed by His footsteps, a large national agricultural convention was being held and the entire city was festively decorated.

24 September 1912, Talk at Home of Mrs. Sidney E. Roberts , Denver, Colorado 4

This evening we were speaking of the fellowship and unity of the Persian Bahá’ís. They can truly be called lovers. For example, if one of the friends of God arrived in their city, all the friends would rejoice and assemble together in a meeting with him. If he were ill, they would care for him; if sad, they would comfort him. They would care for him in every way and give unmistakable evidence that there is a spiritual relationship amongst them.

Strangers and outsiders are astonished at this love and radiant affection existing among the Bahá’ís. They inquire about it. They observe the unity and agreement manifest among them. They say, “What a beautiful spirit shines in their faces!” All envy it and wish that such a bond of love might be witnessed everywhere. Therefore, to you my first admonition is this: Associate most kindly with all; be as one family; pursue this same pathway. Let your intentions be one that your love may permeate and affect the hearts of others so that they may grow to love each other and all attain to this condition of oneness.

’Abdu’l-Bahá in America, 1912-2012: Calling America to It’s Spiritual Destiny

“This trip fills us with wonder! Offer thanks to the Blessed Beauty …”

Celebrating the Centenary: The Master in America

Curated by Anne Perry

September 28, 1912

  1. Menon, Jonathan. “‘Abdu’l-Bahá Crosses the Continental Divide.” 239 Days in America, 28 Sept. 2012, https://239days.com/2012/09/28/abdul-baha-crosses-the-continental-divide/. ↩
  2. Ward, Allan L. 239 Days: ʻAbdu’l-Bahá’s Journey in America. Wilmette, Ill: Bahá’í Publishing Trust, 1979, 158-159. ↩
  3. ’Abdu’l-Bahá, and Mirza Mahmud-i-Zarqani. Mahmúd’s Diary: The Diary of Mírzá Mahmúd-i-Zarqání Chronicling ’Abdu’l-Bahá’s Journey to America. Edited by Shirley Macias. Translated by Mohi Sobhani. Oxford: George Ronald, 1998. https://bahai-library.com/zarqani_mahmuds_diary&chapter=7#section188 ↩
  4. ʻAbduʼl-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, 336-337. https://www.bahai.org/library/authoritative-texts/abdul-baha/promulgation-universal-peace/26#961584862 ↩