smkolins
Bahá'í
It occured to me that one could investigate the Baha'i Faith in another way than has been done of late. We have tried to cover various theological issues, scriptural issues, historical issues and the like. But what kinds of things do Baha'is pray about?
Of course we are, as everyone, well, human. We have our faults and seek forgiveness and to better our character and all such ideals. But a unique quality of the Baha'i Faith it seems to me is that there is a vast body of prayers written as part of our scripture - there are hundreds, probably thousands, of prayers written by the Bab, Baha'u'llah, and 'Abdu'l-Baha all of which Baha'is and non-Baha'is have access to thanks to compilations published and made available online. Of course it may seem strange to viewers that a great many prayers are written out. It might seem somehow less sincere, or less mindful of one's heart, to say prayers others have written rather than one's that spring from our own heart and lips more simply out of our feelings and thoughts. It is one thing to be in pain and confusion, and to seek God. Giving voice to such concerns can tend towards the primeval - we are at where we are at after all and need to reach out from that place so that God might find us here, inside us, inside our troubles and faults. But prayer isn't just about where we are at - it's about reaching out and wanting to be held, answered, guided, in otherwords, and I speak only for myself here, prayer in a funny way really isn't about where we're at and the concerns that are right in front of us. Prayer is about longer range issues - implied in a prayer offered in times of danger is a sense of wanting to be in eternity, always safe. Implied in a prayer for being free of a disease is a wish for endless wellness. Implied in a prayer for dealing with sadness is a hope of joy unalloyed. Baha'i prayers, it seems to me (and I'm not saying other religions prayers aren't this way) are more about that other place we want to be in. But it can seem odd to be in peril or overwhelming sadness or shame and speak words we do not feel. We do not feel safe, we do not feel well, we do not feel happy, and yet the words so often say exactly that. There are things said in these prayers that are not mentioned in the other forms of scripture we have - and they are here because, well I don't know, prayer is one of the avenues of being closer to God, where things are said closer to the heart, even, mind you, even if they are said to rooms full of people or silently standing in a garden.
We could go about sharing our favorite prayers but I would encourage people to explore the depth and breadth of the topics and comments and character of the prayers of the Baha'i Faith. You can of course get a physical book - and this would be more conducive to reading and saying those prayers when we need to - but to get a view of the prayers (and print one's that strike one worth a more careful or needful read) consider reading through them here.
Alas a harder angle is to learn the circumstances that lead to the prayer being revealed. Clues are far and few between. The only work I know that relates what was going on for this prayer or that one to be said is a set of volumes not available online or in any search engine I've ever seen. There is a four volume set typically seen under history headings in catalogs. It's called _The Revelation of Baha'u'llah_, by Abib Taherzadeh. However one of it's most remarkble qualities compared to other histories, however important they may be, is that this series often states what is known about who asked the question, what question did they ask, or similar ideas, about whichever Tablet or Book or Prayer (thought often prayers are part of Tablets or Books sometimes they are complete Works unto themselves) which was Revealed at that time. So it is a history - it speaks of events and circumstances and choices people make, but it paces that history by the Scripture Revealed at that time.
Perhaps the Baha'i Faith can be known by what we pray for. I'm sure Baha'is here would love to review prayers and share our thoughts and understandings about our prayers as much as we do our theology, our history, and our scripture in general.
Of course we are, as everyone, well, human. We have our faults and seek forgiveness and to better our character and all such ideals. But a unique quality of the Baha'i Faith it seems to me is that there is a vast body of prayers written as part of our scripture - there are hundreds, probably thousands, of prayers written by the Bab, Baha'u'llah, and 'Abdu'l-Baha all of which Baha'is and non-Baha'is have access to thanks to compilations published and made available online. Of course it may seem strange to viewers that a great many prayers are written out. It might seem somehow less sincere, or less mindful of one's heart, to say prayers others have written rather than one's that spring from our own heart and lips more simply out of our feelings and thoughts. It is one thing to be in pain and confusion, and to seek God. Giving voice to such concerns can tend towards the primeval - we are at where we are at after all and need to reach out from that place so that God might find us here, inside us, inside our troubles and faults. But prayer isn't just about where we are at - it's about reaching out and wanting to be held, answered, guided, in otherwords, and I speak only for myself here, prayer in a funny way really isn't about where we're at and the concerns that are right in front of us. Prayer is about longer range issues - implied in a prayer offered in times of danger is a sense of wanting to be in eternity, always safe. Implied in a prayer for being free of a disease is a wish for endless wellness. Implied in a prayer for dealing with sadness is a hope of joy unalloyed. Baha'i prayers, it seems to me (and I'm not saying other religions prayers aren't this way) are more about that other place we want to be in. But it can seem odd to be in peril or overwhelming sadness or shame and speak words we do not feel. We do not feel safe, we do not feel well, we do not feel happy, and yet the words so often say exactly that. There are things said in these prayers that are not mentioned in the other forms of scripture we have - and they are here because, well I don't know, prayer is one of the avenues of being closer to God, where things are said closer to the heart, even, mind you, even if they are said to rooms full of people or silently standing in a garden.
We could go about sharing our favorite prayers but I would encourage people to explore the depth and breadth of the topics and comments and character of the prayers of the Baha'i Faith. You can of course get a physical book - and this would be more conducive to reading and saying those prayers when we need to - but to get a view of the prayers (and print one's that strike one worth a more careful or needful read) consider reading through them here.
Alas a harder angle is to learn the circumstances that lead to the prayer being revealed. Clues are far and few between. The only work I know that relates what was going on for this prayer or that one to be said is a set of volumes not available online or in any search engine I've ever seen. There is a four volume set typically seen under history headings in catalogs. It's called _The Revelation of Baha'u'llah_, by Abib Taherzadeh. However one of it's most remarkble qualities compared to other histories, however important they may be, is that this series often states what is known about who asked the question, what question did they ask, or similar ideas, about whichever Tablet or Book or Prayer (thought often prayers are part of Tablets or Books sometimes they are complete Works unto themselves) which was Revealed at that time. So it is a history - it speaks of events and circumstances and choices people make, but it paces that history by the Scripture Revealed at that time.
Perhaps the Baha'i Faith can be known by what we pray for. I'm sure Baha'is here would love to review prayers and share our thoughts and understandings about our prayers as much as we do our theology, our history, and our scripture in general.
