The duty to strive for peace...

[arthra]

Full talk available here.


On October 21, 1911, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá spoke to a small group of friends about the pitiful causes of war, and the duty of everyone to strive for peace. He said,

I charge you all that each one of you concentrate all the thoughts of your heart on love and unity. When a thought of war comes, oppose it by a stronger thought of peace. A thought of hatred must be destroyed by a more powerful thought of love.



Also in this podcast is the story of Thomas Breakwell, as told from the perspective of May Maxwell.

Source:

http://www.thejourneywest.org/2011/10/21/podcast-striving-for-peace/

 

[NiceCupOfTea]

thats interesting but if you are striving then are you at peace yourself ?

 

[radarmark]

Striving for peace and non-violence has a long history in most religions. Jainism and Buddhism, certainly. Believe it or not, Sikhism (I beleive their warrior roots are the kind of protectiveness of their own and the rights of others--so they have the choice of peace or violence as manifested by their choice driven by duty). In Christianity, the Brethern, Mennonites and Quakers have a pretty long history (and there are precidents in tradition). And I believe they (and any others I failed to mention) strive for non-violence of action and peace within.

Pax et amore vincunt omnia!

 

[arthra]

Thanks for your posts!

Baha'u'llah had a "peace plan" He proposed in 1871 and addressed the then world powers with a proposal to set up a world parliament and an international court of arbitration..He proposed this to reduce armamnets and lower taxes..

As Baha'is we avoid partisan politics and don't register in parties.. we're non-partisan but we do support say United Nations and ways that try to resolve conflicts. We also are non-combatants when registering for selective service..

This year we Baha'is are celebrating the travels of Abdul-Baha to the West and His efforts at the time to establish peace on the planet.

Peace

 

[Bhaktajan II]

Ending the killing and eating of Cows is the only way to bring peace to Human society.

The Cow is mother-nature incarnate. So she is also the mother of Human Agraian culture too ---to symbolically and then actually EAT her and her husband (Bull, with testies; Oxen, without testies) ---is to create an enviroment that culminates with future generations facing war and strife.

Mother-nature picks the time and place for when karmic lessons are taught enmass --else, karmic pay-back is on a one-to-one basis.

But, mass butcher and rendering plants commingle flesh from multiple animals ---the Kramic payback is countless.

The Vedas alone state, "The shepard, the butcher, the cook and the server and all other accessories to the act of eating Cows ---will take (1) re-birth, here in the matherial world, for each hair on the body of the cow eaten"

Then, the POV is the Teaching-Moments and the lessons learnt ---after all those manditory re-births further entangle and ensnare the soul in mundane pursuits life-after-life . . . the lesson will be learnt by the stick rather then by the carrot. So be it, since there is so much time to spend in the world of time and space ---there is no lose or diminuation, beacuse the sinfull/karma-laden soul in question, is not seeking the Absolute Truth aka, The Supreme Personality of Godhead, but rather sence-enjoyment for enjoyment's sake.

Think not? Then I'm reminded of the saying,
"A tiger has fangs, so the tiger will use them".

In-contradistinction:
Cow killing and eating brings war, famine and idiot behavior to Human society. Sentiments will not stop suffering caused by man upon man nor mother-nature ---especially when there are veal-chops etal festering in the bowels of Humans ---like a Dante's infernal intwined with one's gastric juices.

 

[arthra]

Thanks for your post Bhaktajan and welcome to the Baha'i forum!

Regarding kindness to animals see:

KINDNESS TO ANIMALS

Then, O ye friends of God! Ye must not only have kind and merciful feelings for mankind, but ye should also exercise the utmost kindness towards every living creature.

The physical sensibilities and instincts are common to animal and man. Man is, however, negligent of this reality and imagines that sensibility is peculiar to mankind, therefore he practices cruelty to the animal. In reality what difference is there in physical sensations! Sensibility is the same whether you harm man or animal: there is no difference. Nay, rather, cruelty to the animal is more painful because man has a tongue and he sighs, complains and groans when he receives an injury and complains to the government and the government protects him from cruelty; but the poor animal cannot speak, it can neither show its suffering nor is it able to appeal to the government.

If it is harmed a thousand times by man it is not able to defend itself in words nor can it seek justice or retaliate. Therefore one must be very considerate towards animals and show greater kindness to them than to man. Educate the children in their infancy in such a way that they may become exceedingly kind and merciful to the animals. If an animal is sick they should endeavor to cure it; if it is hungry, they should feed it; if it is thirsty, they should satisfy its thirst; if it is tired, they should give it rest.

~ Abdu'l-Baha, Baha'i World Faith, p. 373

Truly, the
killing of animals and the eating of their meat is
somewhat contrary to pity and compassion, and if one can
content oneself with cereals, fruit, oil and nuts, such
as pistachios, almonds and so on, it would undoubtedly
be better and more pleasing.[68]

- Abdul-Baha

(Compilations, The Compilation of Compilations vol. I, p. 80)