sunshine smiles

The internet isn't working right now. I am not upset since it really isn't my internet; I have just been picking up wireless from my neighbours since we moved into this apartment. It reminds me of living on the boat when I would write my ridiculously long emails in Microsoft Word and then when they were all ready I would hook up to the cellphone that we had as a modem and spend less than five minutes actually online sending emails and downloading new ones to read onto my desktop.

As relaxing as life at sea can be, I learned how to complete many every day tasks in unfathomably short periods of time. For example, showering became an art form which I was able to master; I could wash my hair, face, body, condition my hair, and shave in four minutes. The need for speed here was that on the boat we had limited water, and when we were at a marina the showers generally cost two dollars for two minutes. So two twoonies later I would be squeaky clean and ready for another week at sea. I also became adept at washing dishes and preparing meals at an amazingly efficient rate. Like I mentioned before we had limited fresh water on board so the quick dishwashing was to remedy the water situation, and the quick cooking was because the stove and oven only worked when the large generator- not something that happened frequently or lasted for any substantial duration. Oh the woes of a cook at sea.

It was almost a year ago exactly that I was working on the boat and my memories, as they always seem to be, are quite joyful ones. Joyfulness can be easy to find in memories, and I also find it easy to become joyful when thinking of things to come in the future. Something for me to practice then is to be joyful in the present.

I am planning my move to China right now and I am having a hard time narrowing down where I should move. China is a relatively large country and I really am armed with no specific needs to send me to any one city. I know I am going to be quite lonely there at times, and as always being so far away from home and anything familiar I have no doubts that there will be times when I get homesick. Abdu'l-Baha has a quote that I came across this week that says joy gives us wings; and that in times of joy we are actually stronger than when we are sad. So, I like the sound of having wings, and I don't particularly like redbull, so I figured I could begin to narrow down my chinese hometown by making a list of things that bring me joy, which can then be transferred into what a certain chinese place has to offer.

So far my joy list is:

sunshine
fruit

ocean
young children
old people
smiles
coffee

What I have come to conclude as of recently is that I will most likely be living in the Guangdong Province, perhaps Fujian Province. And hopefully in a coastal city. I think my list needs to become more specific now tho.

I got to spend some time with a two year old earlier this week, and she really knew how to be joyful. The simplest things, like handing out cards, re-collecting the cards and then handing them out again made her gurgle with joy, or an elastic being spun between an older girls fingers that had her in fits of giggles. I have learned from the elderly and the toddler. Us neither elderly nor toddlers are useless except to learn I guess.

The virtue for this week now is courtesy.

PS I am now at my parents house where I have a valid internet connection and I wanted to add a joyful moment that I just had this evening. My mom and I had a few friends over and watched part one of a talk on the Baha'i Covenant by Dr. Ali Nakhjavani. We had some beautifully uplifting prayers and wonderfully spiritually conversation. All three parts of the talk can be found here.

http://video. google.com/ videosearch? q=nakhjavani&emb=0&aq=f#

integrity illumination

I had a hard time this week trying to put integrity into practice in my life. I did some thinking, and I figured out that the majority of my difficulties stemmed from the fact that integrity is a noun. There is no use of the word integrity as a verb, and so it is therefore, difficult to put into action. It is in fact, quite difficult to use in a sentence because there are no other forms of the word...integritable, integritally... they just don't work. 

As a side note: I became aware of how hard it is to put something into action when you are unable to really internalize, understand, or even have a replete vocabulary for it. This is something that a series of courses by a Baha'i foundation is hoping to combat as young people in our world are growing up not having a vocabulary for positive qualities, and therefore being unable to manifest them. I understood how it could be a problem before, but now I can relate to it.

So I tried to put integrity into broader context to gain a better idea. Most of the quotes in the book Sacred Moments, pertaining to this virtue, had to do with the idea of a strong foundation. There was a quote from Matthew 7 which talked about building your house on rock instead of sand. Those who build their homes on rock will withstand the rain and wind and storms. 

I know the rock that I want to build my life on is Baha'u'llah's teachings, and so when I came across an address that Abdu'l-Baha gave to some american believers in December of 1912 I thought it was worth sharing. His words are powerful and straightforward, and He is calling all people to a higher level of integrity. It reminds me of the poem Desiderata, good words to live by.

"You must manifest complete love and affection towards all mankind. Do not exalt yourselves above others but consider all as your equals, recognizing them as the servants of one God. Know that God is compassionate towards all, therefore love all from the depths of your hearts, prefer all religionists to yourselves, be filled with love for every race and be kind towards the people of all nationalities. Never speak disparagingly of others but praise without distinction. Pollute not your tongues by speaking evil of another. Recognize your enemies as your friends and consider those who wish you evil as the wishers of good. You must not see evil as evil and then compromise with your opinion, for to treat in a smooth, kindly way one whom you consider evil or an enemy is hypocrisy and this is not worthy nor allowable. No! You must consider your enemies as your friends, look upon your evil-wishers as your well-wishers and treat them accordingly. Act in such a way that your heart may be free from hatred. Let not your heart be offended with any one. If some one commits an error and wrong towards you, you must instantly forgive him. Do not complain of others. Refrain from reprimanding them and if you wish to give admonition or advice let it be offered in such a way that it will not burden the heart of the hearer. Turn all your thoughts towards bringing joy to hearts. 

Beware! Beware! Lest ye offend any heart. Assist the world of humanity as much as possible. Be the source of consolation to every sad one, assist every weak one, be helpful to every indigent one, be the cause of glorification to every lowly one and shelter those who are overshadowed with fear.

In brief, let each of you be as a lamp shining forth with the virtues of the world of humanity. Be trustworthy, sincere, affectionate, and replete with chastity. Be illumined, be spiritual, be divine, be glorious, be quickened of God. Be a Baha'i."

muddiness and the Master

Over the past couple of weeks I have been falling and now find my face planted firmly in the wet mud of May. It doesn't feel like the worst place to be, although breathing can sometimes be difficult, but I think it is about time to get back up again and go have a shower- or perhaps a pressure wash would be more appropriate.

I am now refraining from a theatrical and over extended metaphor on the mud of life.

An early believer in the Faith of Baha'u'llah once went to Abdu'l-Baha distraught about how he as such a weak and selfish human could ever hope to attain to the standard of being which Baha'u'llah called all humanity. Abdu'l-Baha assured him that it can only be accomplished little by little; little by little. The believer was encouraged and thought to himself, 'I have all eternity for this journey from self to God. The thing to do is to get started.'

So here I am, little by little, trying to figure things out. 

The virtue of this week is integrity.