# Baha'i Essays in the Times Colonist

*Exported from [Holy-Writings.com](https://www.holy-writings.com/) on 2026-06-19 — 1 clipping.*

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> Source: Bahá'í Library Online (bahai-library.com), curated by Jonah Winters. Used by permission of the curator. Original citation: Badi Shams, Baha'i Essays in the Times Colonist, bahai-library.com.
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> 
> Baha'i Essays
> in the Times Colonist Newspaper
> 
> Badi Shams
> 
> Table of Contents
> 1. Generation Gap can be Overcome Through Respect                            4
> 2. The Spiritual Cost of a Higher Standard of Living                         7
> 3. Religious Prejudice: A Personal Journey from East to West                10
> 4. Delayed Gratification A Path to the Next World                           13
> 5. The Connection Between Spiritual Principles and Financial Planning       16
> 6. Learning to Love God, Rather Than Fearing Him                            19
> 7. Why the Lessons of COVID-19 Give Me Hope for Global Unity                22
> 8. The Spiritual Meaning of Wealth                                          25
> 9. We Grow When We're Uncomfortable                                         27
> 10. Ditching the "Survival of the Fittest" Mentality                        30
> 11. The World Needs Meaningful Conversations                                32
> 12. Finding the Right Home for the Seniors in Our Lives                     35
> 13. Solidarity, Not Just Charity for Street Community                       39
> 14. Simple Living a Solution in Times of Crisis                             42
> 15. Spiritual Solutions Needed for Economic Problems                        46
> 16. Living in an Age of Miracles                                            48
> 17. Gross National Happiness & Other Alternative Economic Approaches        51
> 18. Three Spiritual Ways to Avoid Financial Regrets                         54
> 19. Small Town’s Simple Approach to Peace                                   57
> 20. Do We Need to Justify Our Spending?                                     59
> 21. What Can Be Done with the Widening Gap Between the Rich and the Poor?   61
> 22. How Does the Philosophy of Karma Fit into Science and Religion?          63
> 23. Mass Shootings: What Can We Possibly Do About Them?                      66
> 24. Spirituality, Morality and Economics Rely on Each Other                 69
> 25. The Role of Spirituality in Economics                                   72
> 26. Please God, Put it on My Account                                        75
> 27. Two Effective Ways to Fight Your Ego, that Dangerous Enemy Within        78
> 28. Making Sense of Confusing Times                                          80
> 29. Fasting a Time of Spiritual House Cleaning                               82
> 30. Why We Can’t Forget the Pandemic’s Hard-Earned Lessons                   85
> 
> 31. Can We Have a Flag for Our Planet?                                            88
> 32. Making Economics Serve Humanity                                               90
> 33. Is 'Fighting' still the only way of dealing with a problem?                   92
> 34. "The Russians Love Their Children Too"                                        95
> 35. The Beauty and Benefits When East and West Meet: A Personal Experience        97
> 36. Humanomics Is the Solution to Economic Problems                              100
> 37. Alleviating Poverty Through Virtues                                          102
> 38. Butter Chicken and Oneness of Religions                                      105
> 39. My Brother’s Keeper: 9 Economic Tips for Uniting Humanity                    107
> 40. We Need to Replace Money as a Measure of Success                             110
> 41. Trauma: How Can We Heal Our Wounded Souls?                                   112
> 42. Defending the Essence of All Religions                                       115
> 43. Hummingbirds Teach a Lesson on Thankfulness                                  117
> 44. Have the Rich Accepted the Call to Help the Poor?                            119
> 45. My Little Fighter and his Message                                            122
> 46. Are Economic and Political Changes Leading Us Towards a Global Government?   125
> 47. Building a Community that Includes Everyone                                  128
> 48. Our Economic System can be Based on Compassion                               131
> 49. Serving Our Community Is Everyone’s Moral Duty                               133
> 50. My Lessons in Detachment and Reliance on a Higher Power                      136
> 51. My Two Baha’i Communities                                                    138
> 52. The Spiritual Benefits of the Misinformation Boom                            140
> 53. Seeking Truth in a Sea of Misinformation                                     144
> 54. We need a shift to serving stakeholders                                      146
> 55. Serving our aging population needs a change in attitude                      149
> 
> Generation Gap Can Be Overcome Through Respect
> 
> In most societies, it’s common for older people not to trust the judgement of younger people. The
> reason usually given is that youth lack experience. And this is true — young people don’t have
> the same amount of experience. But this reasoning never satisfies me because it ignores some of
> the insight and courage of younger generations.
> 
> Working with young people most of my professional life, I’ve observed an increase in criticism
> of millennials and the generation after them, Generation Z. I see this on social media and hear it
> in my conversations, and I feel this attitude has become more extreme.
> 
> In recent years as the confusion and problems of the world have increased, younger generations
> are getting more than their share of criticism. Many Baby Boomers wonder if there will be
> enough workers to take care of them when they have to depend on the services that should see
> them throughout their lives. At the same time, millennials and Generation Z wonder if there will
> be any future at all for them.
> 
> I think millennials are not following in the footsteps of older generations because the world’s
> problems have led them to believe that they alone understand the gravity of the situation. After
> all, it directly affects them. They are the ones who have to solve it. In that way, I say, thank God
> they are not like my generation.
> 
> My aim is not to discredit the Baby Boomers, my generation, or the generations that came
> before. We worked hard and attained some significant achievements, but sadly it often feels like
> those were mainly material achievements, and some of them came at a great price. The mistake
> that was made was an overemphasis on achieving wealth at any cost, believing that wealth
> signified progress.
> 
> What previous generations missed — and what we are still missing — are the spiritual and moral
> goals to offset the damage created by an excess of material progress.
> 
> “For man two wings are necessary. One wing is physical power and
> material civilization; the other is spiritual power and divine
> civilization. With one wing only, flight is impossible. Two wings are
> essential. Therefore, no matter how much material civilization
> advances, it cannot attain to perfection except through the uplift of
> spiritual civilization”. – Abdu’l-Baha
> 
> This lust for material progress has brought us to such a critical state that younger generations feel
> there will be no future left for them to enjoy. Their cries and protests can now be heard all over
> the world.
> 
> I am very clear about my attitudes towards young people and have devoted my energies to
> encourage and support them in any way possible.
> 
> The world’s present problems are overwhelming and beyond our generation’s capacity because
> our solutions are outdated and ineffective. The world is in need of a fresh and fundamental
> change in its outlook and approach to tackling the ever-increasing crises of the world.
> 
> I believe the recent challenges of our time have awakened the youth and have brought forward
> many individuals that have exemplified passion, wisdom and devotion to such an extent that they
> inspire admiration in all. Our future depends on the tender shoulders of the millennials and
> 
> Generation Z. They can certainly use all the help and support they can get from my generation to
> undo the mistakes that we have made.
> 
> The Spiritual Cost of a Higher Standard of Living
> 
> Undoubtedly, the standard of living has improved since the industrial revolution, particularly for
> many in the West.
> 
> Not long ago, there was a time when phones, colour TVs, and cars were only for the rich, and the
> poor could only dream of having them. But now even poor people in developed nations own cell
> phones, colour TVs and computers.
> 
> Even children from poor or rich families, as early as the age of three or four, have cell phones
> and assorted sophisticated electronic toys. Of course, the adults also have their toys: airplanes,
> ride-on lawnmowers, boats and motorcycles.
> The sad part about all these expensive toys: you do not have to have money to buy them because
> you can get a loan. With all our material possessions, we have come to believe we are better off
> than before and that we have improved the material quality of life. We think that acquiring more
> possessions will make us feel happier and more comfortable—but unbridled acquisition only
> 
> starves the soul and makes us less and less happy. Our souls feel trapped in the clutter of material
> goods. The Baha’i teachings tell us:
> 
> “All around us today we see how man surrounds himself with every
> modern convenience and luxury, and denies nothing to the physical
> and material side of his nature. But, take heed, lest in thinking too
> earnestly of the things of the body you forget the things of the soul:
> for material advantages do not elevate the spirit of a man.
> Perfection in worldly things is a joy to the body of a man but in no
> wise does it glorify his soul.” – Abdu’l-Baha
> 
> If we use happiness as a criterion, many of us have begun to realize that in spite of our higher
> standard of living, we are less happy than people were before. Why?
> 
> Perhaps because the more we have, the harder we have to work to maintain that standard of
> living—and the more we work, the less time and energy we have to nurture our minds and our
> souls through meditation, reading books, playing music, painting, spending time with family and
> friends, and helping others. Those things can bring us true happiness.
> 
> Almost all agree that our current economic system provides more goods and money—but having
> more may not necessarily be the best. The philosophy of “more is better” has led to a mentality
> of acquiring as many material goods as possible. That mentality has created a sickness in society
> that measures achievements based on having more possessions and disregards the emotional and
> spiritual aspects of one’s life.
> 
> This lack of spirituality is the root cause of most of the problems in the world, and Baha’is are
> encouraged to introduce spirituality in any way possible into their economic activities. This can
> be as simple as saying a prayer for the poor or as grand as initiating a multi-billion dollar project
> to eliminate poverty or eradicate the disease. It could be by paying fair prices, avoiding wastage,
> being honest in insurance claims, or giving charitable funds.
> Some mistake a higher standard of living for prosperity. To have more does not translate into
> being happier. According to the Legatum Prosperity Index, prosperity:
> 
> •   Is a home to grow, to raise a family, a community where we belong, is people who
> care.
> 
> •   Is compassion and generosity, is health, is education, is truth and integrity, in politics,
> in media, in business. Is peace and safety.
> 
> •   Is in opportunity to work, to earn, to save, to get ahead, to innovate, to take risks, to
> succeed (or fail).
> 
> •   Is freedom from hunger, disease, slavery, poverty, conflict, to speak our minds, to
> vote, to follow our beliefs. Is hope, space to breath and time to recharge and re create.
> 
> •   Is becoming the best I can be and helping others to be the best they can be.
> 
> The question remains: do we want a higher standard of living at any cost, or do we want true
> prosperity for ourselves and all? The decision is ours, and the price to pay is ours, too.
> 
> Religious Prejudice: A Personal Journey from East to West
> 
> The world at the moment faces many difficulties, and the foundations of our civilization have
> been threatened. One of those challenges is religious prejudice. But during a recent trip to India,
> I witnessed something inspiring: people from different faiths coming together in unity. It
> reminded me that fostering the understanding that all religions are one and come from the same
> divine source is key to solving the challenges of this world.
> 
> I travelled to India to get away from the consumerism of Christmas. Once there, one of the
> churches in town invited me to celebrate Christmas with them. I really like the idea of
> commemorating religious occasions with followers of any religion since it creates unity.
> 
> My dedication to eliminating racial and religious prejudice comes, in part, from my own
> experience. I was born in Iran to a family that was all Muslims — except for my father, who was
> a Baha’i. My family exposed me to all the Islamic ceremonies and events, and my father tried to
> connect me to the Baha’i teachings.
> 
> But when I chose to become a member of the Baha’i Faith, I became a target. At a tender age, I
> experienced a rude awakening — my family members, cousins, and even my grandma saw me
> as an inferior being. I heard many negative comments made about the followers of other
> religions but never about Moses or Jesus. Jesus’ name is mentioned more than 51times in
> Qur’an. That is because Jesus and Moses have been given the same station as Mohammad as one
> of the Prophets of God, sent by God to guide humanity.
> 
> Later in life, in the 1980s, I moved to Canada. I had all these ideas about meeting people with
> whom I could talk and even disagree. That was my second — and perhaps worse — a rude
> awakening. To my shock, I witnessed a lack of knowledge and prejudice towards Muslims in
> particular and other minorities in general. I faced some problems, and now people called me
> “Muslim” and told me to go back where I had come from.
> 
> I could not believe Westerners were so unaware of the truth about Islam. Most interpreted the
> actions of some Muslims as Islamic laws. In a peace walk and on other occasions, I tried to
> remind my fellow peace lovers about the role religious prejudice plays in creating wars and the
> importance of fighting them. After all, silence on prejudice is equal to supporting it and enabling
> it.To me, the problem of religious prejudice is addressed by a concept that is emphasized in the
> Baha’i teachings: the individual independent investigation of truth. I’ve seen firsthand how
> searching for truth for oneself — rather than following what others say — changes hearts and
> ends prejudice.
> 
> “…every individual member of humankind is exhorted and
> commanded to set aside superstitious beliefs, traditions and blind
> imitation of ancestral forms in religion and investigate reality for
> himself. Inasmuch as the fundamental reality is one, all religions
> and nations of the world will become one through investigation of
> reality.” – Abdu’l Baha
> With that in mind, the Christmas observance in India turned out to be very special.
> 
> The church also invited local dignitaries and other representatives from federal and local
> governments alongside all the leaders and representatives of all the religions in town. They even
> requested that a religious leader who belonged to no religion be present.
> 
> Everyone talked about the message of love that Jesus preached and reminded us how that
> message is still relevant and needed.
> 
> One of the speakers who represented a mosque in town surprised me by addressing followers of
> his own religion by quoting from the Quran and said that you are not a true Muslim if you do not
> believe in Jesus and give Him the reverence befitting His station.
> 
> I was touched by this gesture of fighting prejudice from within — a Muslim speaker reminding
> other Muslims in what light they have to see Jesus.
> 
> We must hold on to basic truths such as the oneness of God, and the oneness of the source of all
> religions is one, and, most important of all, the oneness of humanity. As a way of offsetting the
> harm of religious prejudice, let’s investigate the truth about other faiths. There is so much
> common ground in all religions — much more than any differences.
> 
> Delayed Gratification a Path to the Next World
> 
> Life has gradually taught me the benefits and the joy of delaying my gratification. Why put off
> enjoying the immediate rewards for my efforts? Allow me to explain.
> 
> Delayed gratification didn't come naturally to me. I had to learn it by trial and error. Suppose
> you're not familiar with the concept. In that case, delayed gratification refers to the ability to put
> off something mildly fun or pleasurable now and gain something even more fun, pleasurable, or
> rewarding later. For example, you could relax and watch TV the night before an exam. You
> could practice delayed gratification and study for the exam—waiting to relax only after the exam
> is over. Some say the discipline of delayed gratification creates real success in life:
> 
> The ability to discipline yourself to delay gratification in the short
> term to enjoy greater rewards in the long term, is the indispensable
> prerequisite for success. – Brian Tracy
> 
> Everyone wants to enjoy the rewards of their efforts, and there is nothing wrong with that. When
> we want instant gratification, the problem arises, rewarding ourselves right after half of the work
> is done and often before the job is finished. In extreme cases, one rewards oneself even before
> the work begins!
> 
> This kind of instant gratification indicates a lack of self-discipline and self-control, an absence of
> purpose in one's life and the inability to set goals and see them through. It also sets up a selfdefeating pattern: if we reward ourselves before finishing a task, we train ourselves not to
> complete it.
> 
> Those who practice delayed gratification demonstrate a clear purpose in life and the need for
> accomplishing worthwhile goals. Delayed gratification means accepting the awareness of life's
> journey as a long one and planning it.
> 
> So, as I was thinking about how much I enjoy my quality time after doing everything on my todo list for the day, I had an "a-ha!" moment: I realized that our lives, with all their complications,
> present us with a massive exercise in delayed gratification.
> 
> Our comfort and progress in the next world depend on sacrificing many human desires. To
> progress spiritually, we must value our own will less than the will of our Creator. That way, we
> can enjoy our journey, fully aware that we've delayed receiving the rewards of this physical
> world for the next one. This process, in my estimation, represents the greatest delayed
> gratification one can imagine.
> 
> The Baha'i teachings remind us about our purpose for preparing for the next world:
> 
> “Therefore in this world, he must prepare himself for life beyond.
> That which he needs in the world of the Kingdom must be obtained
> here. Just as he prepared himself in the world of the matrix by
> acquiring forces necessary in this sphere of existence, so likewise the
> 
> indispensable forces of the divine existence must be potentially
> attained in this world.”      – Abdu'l-Baha
> 
> In this material world, we spend our lives doing things, hoping for the rewards they will
> generate. We sacrifice mental and physical energy to earn money so that we can acquire the
> things we need and want—but some of us spend it without much thought for the future. Only a
> small percentage of people save money to accumulate until they can exchange it for the things
> they desire the most.
> 
> In the same way, no reward or gratification is more magnificent than entering the next world
> with a clear conscience, knowing that we have exerted our spiritual energies to the service of
> humanity and spiritual growth.
> 
> The Connection Between Spiritual Principles and Financial
> Planning
> 
> I have often been asked by young people or their parents how they should plan to start their
> economic journey. It is a journey that has caused the ruin of many wise and spiritual individuals
> as they sink into the depths of the bottomless ocean of materialism.
> 
> There is nothing wrong with planning for a successful financial life and becoming wealthy,
> provided we realize that wealth can be a beautiful and a God-given tool to use to support our
> families and give service to humanity. The emphasis has to be that it is a tool and not the goal of
> our creation.
> 
> We can teach the next generation to plan for their future and not feel guilty about acquiring
> wealth, provided they include spirituality in their financial plans. A balanced financial plan
> consists of both material goals and spiritual aspirations. Such a plan has the potential of guiding
> young people to the full enjoyment of the fruit of their hard work through success financially and
> spiritually.
> 
> The pressure to plan for the future in our materialistic world is a great challenge even for mature
> adults, so it must be more challenging for the young. With so many crises going on in the world
> 
> today, it is difficult for many young people to imagine themselves in the future and to see their
> place in it. I think about them and worry for their future — a future that seemingly does not look
> as bright as it did for me. Added to the age-old sentiment of not being taken seriously by the
> older generation, they face environmental challenges, fewer job opportunities, and a lack of job
> security. This pandemic also is a reminder that they may face more challenges of that kind in the
> future.
> 
> In many countries, parents plan for their kids to become doctors, engineers, or follow the family
> business. Here in the West, the trend is to plan to earn lots of money. In this way, parents have
> decided their child’s life’s plan for them, and this support system is outdated. My heart goes out
> to young people who, pressured by the old ways, are trying to chart their path to the future.
> 
> Parents may also fail to teach their children the concept of delayed gratification. Delayed
> gratification means accepting the awareness of life’s journey as a long one and planning for
> it. As Canadian motivational speaker, Brian Tracy put it, “The ability to discipline yourself to
> delay gratification in the short term in order to enjoy greater rewards in the long term, is the
> indispensable prerequisite for success.”
> 
> But to protect their children, parents may avoid creating such conditions and seek to protect their
> children from any form of hardship. In addition, the education system, which should be
> preparing youth for the future, seems to be failing them. Many of my ex-students confessed that
> their years in school were wasted since they did not learn the basics of economic life and how to
> plan a practical economic path for their future.
> 
> Unfortunately, the education system has become a stepping stone for material success without
> considering other aspects of young people’s lives — the moral and spiritual aspects. Their
> schooling may lead them to material success but at the cost of their spiritual and human duties to
> themselves and humanity as a whole. They become one-sided individuals who have put all their
> energies into material achievements, forgetting to nurture their souls. Why? Because when they
> chart their future, they do not consider their spiritual goals.
> 
> I am reminded of this quotation:
> 
> “For man two wings are necessary. One wing is physical power and
> material civilization; the other is spiritual power and divine
> civilization. With one wing only, flight is impossible. Two wings are
> essential. Therefore, no matter how much material civilization
> advances, it cannot attain to perfection except through the uplift of
> spiritual civilization.” - Abdu’l-Baha
> The most significant benefit of a balanced economic plan in life is that no matter who charts the
> financial goals, whether parents or the social trends, youth have the power to attach to it their
> spiritual and moral goals. If their financial goals fail, spiritual goals can give them peace of mind
> 
> that they did not waste God’s precious gift of life chasing only economic aims. Spiritual goals
> also help them avoid the world’s material traps.
> 
> We can offer our young generation the best gift by reminding them that they should not forget
> their spiritual goals, duties, and obligations and make sure that a spiritual plan is an integral part
> of their future economic planning.
> 
> Badi Shams is a Baha’i and a mystic at heart, whose field of interest is in
> economics. He has published a compilation "Economics of the Future", and also more recently
> the book "Economics of the Future Begins Today". He is retired from the educational system.
> You can read more of Badi's materials on his website www.badishams.net
> 
> Learning to Love God, rather than Fearing Him
> 
> The phrase “fear of God” creates strong feelings in the hearts of most people. Yet it has been
> used in the writings of religions throughout history.
> 
> According to Wikipedia, fear of God “refers to fear or a specific sense of respect, awe, and
> submission to a deity.” People subscribing to prevalent monotheistic religions might fear divine
> judgment, hell, or God’s omnipotence.
> 
> Growing up, my knowledge of the fear of God was very elementary. Like most people, I had a
> fear of going to hell and suffering for eternity. I used to think that when I did something terrible,
> God the All-Seeing would see my actions and sooner or later would think of a punishment. And
> then I would pay for my sins. Gradually I came to understand it better.
> 
> I am sure people who do not believe in a higher power see the whole concept of the fear of God
> as a gimmick to control the ignorant. I do not blame them for thinking that since sometimes, I
> struggle to understand it.
> 
> After referring to the Baha’i writings, however, my vision has changed. First, I realized that God
> is not someone who is waiting for us to make a mistake and punish us.
> 
> “God is the Father of all. He educates, provides for and loves all;
> for they are His servants and His creation.” -Abdu’l-Baha
> 
> Recent personal experiences also made me think differently. I have a beautiful garden with many
> varieties of flowers and fruit trees. It has been my prize material possession and a source of
> fantastic pleasure. I share the fruits with everyone in the community. Flowers attract birds and
> insects, and among them are a few families of hummingbirds who enjoyed the flowers that I
> have planted for them. I have put out a feeder specifically for them. I was not surprised to see
> that they enjoyed the feeders so much that they decided not to migrate. Instead, these
> hummingbirds have stayed the winter with me for the past few years. I put out the feeders for the
> whole winter since there are no flowers or other food sources.
> 
> Last year was extremely cold, and for more than a month, the temperature went below zero. The
> feeder would freeze at night, which meant that I had to defrost the feeder every morning and put
> it out again. They knew the routine and were always waiting for me, chirping to tell me to hurry
> up.
> 
> One day, as I was putting out the feeder for them and watching their happiness, I realized that
> they would die if I did not feed them. Then I realized how much I loved them and how sad I
> would be without them. I had even cancelled a trip to take care of them. How I wished that they
> knew how much I loved them. They didn’t realize that their life was in my hands — or that I
> made sure they were provided for — because of my love for them. Nobody asked me to do that.
> 
> At that moment, I felt how God must think about us. He loves us, and because of that love, he
> created us. He did not have to do it, but he created the whole universe, and all he wished was that
> we try to know him and show our love to him.
> 
> That opened my spiritual eye, and the fear of God disappeared. I thought about how all I have to
> do is follow his teachings that have been given to humanity by his manifestations. Without
> divine guidance, humanity cannot find the right path to spiritual progress.
> 
> In life, we have people that are our role models — someone we love, respect, and admire
> immensely. They could be our parents, our coach, our teacher, or our mentor. We do everything
> to please them, and disobeying them is the last thing in our minds. We do that because we know
> that they love us, and listening to them is for our benefit.
> 
> In my spiritual immaturity and limited brainpower, I see God’s love and the fear of God as the
> same. So, in my mind, when I read the Holy writings on this subject, I replace the word “fear”
> with “love,” and then it all makes sense to me.
> 
> “We have admonished Our loved ones to fear God, a fear which is
> the fountain-head of all goodly deeds and virtues.”       -
> Baha’u’llah
> 
> Again, in my mind, I replace the word “fear” with “love.” You can try replacing the word “fear”
> with “love,” too.
> 
> My fear of God is the fear of me not measuring up to his expectations, knowing that by not
> following his teachings, I have deprived myself of his limitless blessing — his love — and that
> creates great fear in my heart. I believe that fear of God is an essential policing tool to help keep
> my conscience in check. It serves to remind me of the consequences of not following the right
> path.
> 
> Why the Lessons of COVID-19 Give Me Hope for Global
> Unity
> 
> When I was a child, my parents taught me that the goal of my faith, the Baha’i Faith, was
> the oneness of humanity, and my primary duty was to serve humanity in achieving that goal.
> Even as a child, I understood it was important work and thought everyone would see it that way.
> To motivate me, I memorized quotes about unity from Baha’u’llah:
> 
> “Ye are all the leaves of one tree and the drops of one ocean.”
> 
> Soon society taught me that these ideas were just for dreamers who do not understand people’s
> lives and real problems in the world. As I grew older, though, I never questioned my goal. I
> became more and more aware of the obstacles. I knew that there were serious problems, but I
> believed that solutions could be found if humanity would really try.
> 
> Without getting into its politics, I’ve been focused on the will to find a cure. The way the world
> has dealt with COVID-19 by finding a vaccine in a short time has proved that when we want
> something badly, we will find a way to get it no matter how hard it is.
> 
> Despite serious problems finding a cure for COVID-19 and manufacturing a vaccine, it was
> amazing to observe the efficiency with which different governments communicated and shared
> information. How quickly all the barriers and obstacles were removed! How the world’s
> governments cooperated and, more importantly, worked willingly with vaccine-making
> companies.
> 
> On the part of manufacturers, some decided not to follow profit-making practices for the vaccine.
> 
> As the vaccines were being developed, the most impressive deliberations, to me, were
> discussions about how the world’s developing nations should not be left behind in terms of
> access to the vaccine and the need for its affordability. That demonstrated a consciousness and
> sympathy for the countries that do not have the technology or the financial resources. We have
> proven that humankind can deal with huge problems and overcome them when we tap into our
> humanity and solve the issues that threaten the world.
> 
> The time has come to understand that humanity's oneness is not a dream or empty slogan but
> instead an essential element for facing our problems. We need to continue to unite using an
> international approach rather than a narrow view of nationalism. This pandemic, like the issue of
> the environment, made boundaries between countries irrelevant. If we widen our horizons, it will
> not be at the cost of love for our country. It shows that we love our country and want it to prosper
> and thrive along with the rest of the world.
> 
> “Glory not in love for your country, but in love for all
> mankind.” - Baha’u’llah
> 
> The urgent task now is to bring the world’s attention to the importance and urgency of uniting as
> one human family so that with our collective energies, we can deal with the challenges facing us.
> It is clear that many world problems would not have started if there had been unity and
> cooperation between people and the world’s governments.
> 
> The time has come to accept this vital fact that the world’s survival and prosperity depend on its
> people’s unity. Science and technology have created the tools for the unification of the world,
> 
> and this pandemic proved how closely we are connected and how we are in it together.
> Technology has removed the physical barriers, and now we need to remove the obstacles in our
> hearts and minds and see ourselves as one race, one people, and one family.
> 
> The Spiritual Meaning of Wealth
> 
> One of the world’s greatest driving forces is the desire for wealth. So many wars have been
> fought for money, and millions of lives have been lost in the pursuit of it. Every aspect of
> modern life is under its spell, and yet we really cannot define it. Wealth and money mean
> different things to different people, and they serve different purposes.
> Investopedia defines wealth as: “the value of all the assets of worth owned by a person,
> community, company or country. Wealth is determined by taking the total market value of all
> physical and intangible assets owned, then subtracting all debts. Essentially, wealth is the
> accumulation of resources. Specific people, organizations and nations are said to be wealthy
> when they are able to accumulate many valuable resources or goods.”
> 
> In economic terms, wealth is explained in many ways — net worth for individuals and gross
> national product “GNP” for countries.
> 
> Before money was introduced, different societies had their exchange systems to create wealth
> and used wheat, rice, salt, cattle, and livestock. Silver and gold were used before currencies came
> to being, and since then, money has become the most common means of measuring wealth.
> 
> Considering all that, I’ve been thinking about defining wealth from a Baha'i point of view.
> 
> “The essence of wealth is love for Me; whoso loveth Me is the
> possessor of all things, and he that loveth Me not is indeed of the
> poor and needy. This is that which the Finger of Glory and
> Splendour hath revealed.” - Baha’u’llah
> 
> This is the spiritual definition of true wealth. I understand it to mean that we acquire spiritual
> wealth when we work to develop virtues such as trustworthiness, truthfulness, assertiveness,
> compassion, honesty, honour, prayerfulness, etc.
> 
> If we spend our lives developing virtues, we will have something to show for it when our time in
> this world of material existence comes to an end, as these developed qualities will assist us in our
> next stage of existence.
> 
> Developing these virtues will naturally affect our financial and material lives.
> 
> I see wealth as an amazing tool for service to humanity, and I have not shied away from using
> my God-given abilities to strive to create wealth with this in mind.
> 
> The materialistic and capitalistic world that we live in tries to convince us that there is no higher
> goal in life than buying and consuming. In these confusing times where “the cancer of
> consumerism” has taken hold of humanity, the Baha'i teachings tell us to look at wealth and life
> differently. Rather than living solely to maximize our pleasure, we can try our best to love the
> Creator and seek God's pleasure, and therefore love His creation — humanity. Instead of
> focusing only on personal satisfaction, we can turn away from ourselves and focus on a higher
> purpose. In this sense, we will be truly wealthy.
> 
> At that end of life, wealth loses its glitter and its charm, and the only thing that will satisfy our
> soul would be the fact that we understood the true meaning of wealth and used our material
> wealth for the good of others.
> 
> We Grow When We're Uncomfortable
> 
> I always thought that life has to be without difficulties and full of happiness because God wanted
> it that way. I also observed in my dealings with friends and family, and later on, in my
> involvement with the education system, that we have imparted this expectation to the next
> generation.
> In schools, we would be alarmed if we saw the sign of unhappiness and would start making
> arrangements to remedy this condition and, in some cases, use the aids of professionals and
> medications, which of course, are essential in severe and chronic cases. In most cases, it was an
> interruption of the process of the individuals finding in a hard way their place in the universe
> trying to figure a course of action.
> 
> I was not sure that our interference and interrupting were the right thing to do. Knowing how the
> difficulties, such as facing religious prejudice, racial prejudice, health issues, poverty, and being
> a refugee for a long time, helped me be the person who I am today. Those experiences purified
> my soul and toughened my ability to deal with unexpected events and happenings.
> 
> I am so grateful for those difficult times and happy that nothing interrupted that process even
> though I hoped it would end.
> 
> So the question is if this has been so good for me and how it has made me more reliant on a
> higher power than relying on my parents, family, and friends, then should I not share it? I am so
> thankful to have experienced them, and I wish that I could impart that feeling to others and
> explain the benefits of hardships and tests in life. That would be my gift to the next generation.
> 
> The cause of most of the problems in our life is our mistakes, but if we were not allowed to make
> mistakes, why would God give us the free will knowing full well that we will not listen to His
> teachings and guidance, which He has sent through His Manifestations?
> 
> I believe that there is a pearl of wisdom and blessing in tests and difficulties, and there are many
> writings from all religions that support this.
> 
> Industrialization brought freedom from the physical world, and humanity started to master the
> elements with the help of inventions. With the invention of the steam engine, the process of
> conquering the forces of nature accelerated. It led to the construction and improvement of roads,
> railways, ships, airplanes, and other means of comfort.
> 
> The sciences opened up new opportunities to improve humanity’s quality of physical life, which
> was extremely hard until then. These processes stepped up after the second war. Humanity was
> intoxicated with a great desire to have more of whatever made life more comfortable. Movies
> — Hollywood in particular — newspapers, television, radio and other mass media promoted this
> trend. The education system became a path to achieving money to live a life without discomfort
> since money could supposedly solve all problems.
> 
> Every generation wants the best for the next and tries to make it as easy for them as possible,
> believing that it is the best way to raise children or educate them, and they go to great lengths
> and put so much energy into making things easy for their kids. Parents use their influence and
> wealth to get them to where they want them to go, living a life of ease and comfort so that they
> can live happily ever after.
> 
> The Baha’i writings remind me of the crucial elements of educating the children, and one of the
> factors is to “accustom them to hardship.”
> 
> “While the children are yet in their infancy feed them from the
> breast of heavenly grace, foster them in the cradle of all excellence,
> rear them in the embrace of bounty. Give them the advantage of
> every useful kind of knowledge. Let them share in every new and
> rare and wondrous craft and art. Bring them up to work and strive,
> and accustom them to hardship. Teach them to dedicate their lives
> to matters of great import, and inspire them to undertake studies
> that will benefit mankind.” -Abdu’l-Baha
> 
> Going through challenges and overcoming them gives young people self-esteem and confidence,
> which is essential for their growth. These difficult times are tough and rough on the outside but
> have a precious gift inside them.
> 
> Overcoming challenges are a learning process in the classroom of life. The ignored point is that
> obstacles, setbacks, sadness, illness, losses, and many more things are essential for understanding
> ourselves and our role in this world.
> 
> I have not yet heard anyone complaining or questioning why everything is going so right for
> them. No one goes to a doctor or other professionals to get rid of the extreme feeling of
> happiness. We have been taught that life has to be a bed of roses, so it is natural to be happy. We
> have not been taught that difficult times are also crucial and vital for our growth.
> 
> We can change our mindset. All religions and great minds have taught us that life is a series of
> tests and difficulties. The creator designs them to test our physical, emotional, intellectual, and
> spiritual aspects of life to find out and realize how we have done at the end of our lives. The
> price of failing and the reward of overcoming them are too high.
> 
> Ditching the "Survival of the Fittest" Mentality
> 
> Most people think that human beings are fundamentally competitive, and they may be right if we
> look at human history. Industrialists and economists believed that Darwin’s theories justified
> an economy of vicious competition and inequality. This has left us with a legacy that says that
> the corporate economy — wealth stays in the hands of a few — is best for humanity. This was
> always a distortion of Darwin's ideas. Darwin, in his book "The Descent of Man," states that the
> human species had succeeded because of qualities like sharing and compassion:
> 
> “Those communities, which included the greatest number of the
> most sympathetic members would flourish best, and rear the
> greatest number of offspring.”
> 
> He was not an economist, but wealth-sharing and cooperation have always looked more
> consistent with his conclusions.
> Humanity began its existence from the Stone Age, where survival of the fittest was the rule of
> the time. It had to compete with the elements and hunt for food for its survival. Unfortunately, as
> man’s intellect developed and his economic circumstances improved, he did not have to be the
> fittest to survive, but he behaved in the same manner. It is an accepted philosophy that
> competition is praiseworthy at any cost and in all manners without considering the consequences.
> Economic theories are constructed on this philosophy. The Baha’i writings explain it this way:
> 
> In the world of nature we behold the living organisms in a ceaseless
> struggle for existence. Everywhere we are confronted by the
> evidences of the physical survival of the fittest. This is the very
> source of error and misapprehension in the opinions and the
> theories of man who fail to realize that the world of nature is
> inherently defective in cause and outcome and that the defects
> therein must be removed by education. -Abdu’l-Baha
> 
> Although collaboration is getting more recognition these days, it still has been entirely ignored in
> the economic field. The recent pandemic has highlighted both sides. We have seen the ugly side
> when different countries and states compete to buy the equipment to fight the virus, which led to
> skyrocketing prices that the developing countries can never afford. We can find countless
> examples of collaboration between individuals, communities, nations, and companies. People
> went out of their way to cooperate and share their resources. I read a social media statement that
> caught my attention: “Collaboration is our world’s most essential value right now.”
> 
> It explains the importance of collaboration instead of competing. It looks to me and many others
> that the survival of humanity depends on this essential human quality instilled in our soul’s DNA
> by the Creator.
> 
> The time has come to do away with old habits of competition that have stayed with us from our
> primitive days. Even though the scenario has changed, we still compete for territory instead of
> hunting and fighting. Firms, businesses, and corporations compete in the same spirit of
> destruction. The big fish eats the small fish, and this is considered to be a success. But it is time
> for the fish to live and collaborate. We have to educate ourselves to get rid of this remnant of
> Stone Age behaviour which has no place in modern society.
> 
> There is nothing wrong with competing. If we want to compete, it should be in the spiritual
> realm; we should strive to be the most generous person, to be the most kind. That is the real
> competition. I wish for the day when “Survival of the Nicest” becomes popular and appreciated.
> 
> The World Needs Meaningful Conversations
> 
> We sometimes spend hours talking to people without it amounting to anything concrete. Those
> conversations have the potential to build community and friendships, and we need to have them
> feel we are part of society. Small talk helps us connect with people safely without offending or
> contradicting them. That is why in many countries people talk about the weather — which to
> visitors seems strange, irrelevant and a waste of time.
> 
> As people get used to making meaningless small talk as a means of connecting, they’re also
> forced to tolerate and observe conversations that are hateful, divisive, and hurtful. These harmful
> conversations are mostly based on the supremacy of one political view, ideology, race, religion,
> and nationality over others. These subjects and many more have been used to put one set of
> people down by criticizing them so that they feel good about themselves. Observing these
> conversations is so painful that I’ll take meaningless conversations about the weather at any
> time.
> 
> The art of meaningful conversation is being gradually forgotten and has become a rare
> commodity. Humanity seems to be losing its way of communicating with each other and is
> choosing confrontation instead. Hurtful words are often used to inflict the most harm to the
> opposite views. The Baha'i Writings remind us about the importance of being courteous and
> sensitive in choosing our words while addressing others.
> 
> “Every word is endowed with a spirit, therefore the speaker or
> expounder should carefully deliver his words at the appropriate
> time and place, for the impression which each word maketh is
> clearly evident and perceptible. The Great Being saith: One word
> may be likened unto fire, another unto light, and the influence
> which both exert is manifest in the world.” - Baha’u’llah
> Social media, with all its benefits, has given a new dimension to this problem. It provides an
> avenue for anyone to say whatever comes to their mind under the pretext of "Freedom of
> Speech." As a result, some people have replaced logic and common sense with erratic emotional
> outbursts that achieve nothing except creating pain and hate.
> 
> The other side effect of this phenomenon is when people reject any logical and scientific idea
> which does not coincide with their views by labelling it "fake." Though misinformation and
> propaganda have been part of media since the beginning of newspapers, only recently has now
> reached its highest peak. It has entered areas of life that were untouched before.
> 
> By calling other points of view “fake,” we escape the chance of learning something new or
> finding a new way of looking at the issues, and that will lead to a war of words. These warring
> parties fight a bitter battle of conversations as if they are on the battlefield having one goal: the
> destruction of the other's point of view at any cost.
> 
> What we need is:
> 
> “…with words as mild as milk [and] with utmost leniency and
> forbearance so that the sweetness of his words may induce everyone
> to attain that which befitteth man’s station.”   -Bahá'u'lláh
> The world is going to destroy itself if it continues to tread in this path of inability to have a
> meaningful conversation. We need to see each other not as enemies instead as fellow human
> beings and be forgiving in dealing with one another.
> 
> They say from the clashes of ideas comes the spark of truth. However, the problem lies in
> bringing the ego into the conversation, and then it becomes the clashes of egos rather than ideas,
> and that leads us to conflict and hatred.
> 
> Finding the Right Home for the Seniors in Our Lives
> 
> As I get older, I am more mindful of the end of my physical life. There are so many things that I
> am grateful for: I do not worry about work and money, and I live the retired life of my dreams.
> No matter how comfortable and content I am, I am also aware of the eventual fading of my
> bodily powers and my effectiveness and that I will be looked upon as someone who needs to be
> taken care of and in need of help.
> 
> For a long time, I have thought of elders in the senior homes, who, even though they are still
> capable, are just passing the time before their next journey comes.
> 
> I believe that the integration of elders has to be the goal of each community since the treasures of
> the elders’ experience and wisdom will serve the young generation who need it so desperately.
> 
> That is why I want to build a home for the elders and try to make it a place where integration and
> collaboration between different age groups become commonplace rather than merely a dream.
> 
> Growing up in the Middle East and living in Iran, India, and China, I was exposed to different
> cultures and witnessed how the elders were viewed and treated. They were looked upon with
> respect and reverence. I remember that as children, we were taught how to behave in front of the
> elders because that was a sign of the proper upbringing of the children. I am surprised to see the
> approach that the West has taken towards our elders. Even in North America, with the exception
> of Native American culture, elders are often seen as a burden on social programs.
> 
> Our culture — especially social media — gives the impression that the whole world revolves
> around young people. Hollywood reinforces an unspoken reality that the world is the playground
> for the young. It is so hard to imagine a productive place for the elders in modern society. It
> often seems like every movie, television show, and commercial caters to the young. Frankly, it
> feels like the only thing left for older people to do these days is to take their medicine and wait
> for their turn to die.
> This is such a contrast to my awareness as a Baha’i that our souls never age. The body’s
> condition should not distract us from nurturing the soul, no matter how old we are. Our elders
> have been separated from society to efficiently take care of their physical needs that their
> spiritual and human needs have been overlooked.
> Baha’u’llah, the prophet and founder of the Baha’i Faith, wrote:
> 
> “Know thou that the soul of man is exalted above, and is
> independent of all infirmities of body or mind. That a sick person
> showeth signs of weakness is due to the hindrances that interpose
> themselves between his soul and his body, for the soul itself
> remaineth unaffected by any bodily ailments.”
> We should approach older people as spiritual beings and ignore their physical frailties. So much
> can be accomplished through our elders’ resources and wisdom — if only society could begin to
> see them in the right light. Rather than allowing them to waste away in sanitized homes where
> dreams die faster than bodies, we should provide them with the means to achieve goals that they
> may have set for their golden years.
> 
> In 1982, at the first United Nations World Assembly on Ageing, the Baha’i International
> Community, an international non-governmental organization that represents the members of the
> Baha’i Faith at the UN, offered some suggestions that I recently came across.
> 
> “That there must be full integration of the aging in the human
> community, since the community should be an extended family in
> which everyone, of any age, is an essential part, and not only
> allowed, but encouraged, to make the fullest possible contribution to
> the wellbeing of the whole; and that in considering the needs of the
> aging in the process of development we must take into account the
> wholeness of the human being, the moral and spiritual dimension,
> besides his emotional, intellectual, and physical nature when
> discussing the special contributions of older persons to development
> and their sharing in the resulting benefits.”
> In recent years the cancer of materialism has eroded some of the old traditions of respect and
> care for the elders but not entirely. My visit to India earlier this year was proof. Before I visited
> India, I had never considered building a home for the elders there because I thought that the rich
> Indian culture with its deep roots in tradition would reinforce the idea of taking care of elders. I
> was shocked to be informed by friends that this was not the case anymore. Also, adding to the
> elders’ sad plight was that there was no monetary help from the government.
> 
> I can picture myself in a home with limited interaction with the outside world. No matter how
> physically comfortable I would be, my soul would be starving for other generations’
> companionship. I have spent a lifetime of learning, travelling to different places, and doing
> amazing things in my life. I’ve gained so much experience that I would love to share, and I have
> many stories to tell.
> 
> My dream, which is based on the goal of full integration, is a home where there will be classes
> for children, youth activities, art classes, and visitors coming from near and far to see the
> vegetable garden and flowers that the elders have helped grow. I see each elder spiritually
> adopted by a family who takes care of them and includes them as a member of their families. I
> see a home of creative activities where classes are taught by the young and the elders according
> to their interests. Yes, it is a dream, but it is a sweet dream that is worth our energy and
> resources. After all, without dreams, so many of humanity’s achievements would not have
> happened.
> 
> We must consider integrating elders into day-to-day life not just for the sake of respect and love
> for them but because in no time if nothing changes, we each will be an elder experiencing
> loneliness and isolation. We have to change our mindset to see the elders as a source of untapped
> wisdom and knowledge. For the benefit of society, we can create an environment of comfort
> 
> with an emphasis on integration so that before their final flight, none of their dreams are
> unfulfilled.
> 
> Solidarity, Not Just Charity for Street Community
> Joshua Goldberg
> 
> Badi Shams recently wrote a beautiful piece in the Times Colonist about the spiritual roots of
> economic disenfranchisement – “Spiritual solutions needed for economic problems”. (Published
> May 16th). I was inspired by his work to share what I’m learning from the street community
> about spiritual balance in pandemic times.
> 
> When the COVID health emergency was declared, survival services abruptly closed or reduced
> spaces. In Victoria, 500+ people have left with even less than usual -- no access to shelter,
> bathrooms, showers, laundry, handwashing stations, drinking water, or a way to stay in touch
> with loved ones.
> 
> None of the root issues are new; people who are homeless experience injustice daily. But
> COVID has intensely exacerbated the situation. I have been doing work on homelessness for 30
> years and have never seen so much harm done in such a short period of time.
> 
> Unsheltered people in multiple cities are currently living under constant threat of displacement,
> without access to basic survival necessities. People are being pushed from park to park, having
> 
> tents and belongings destroyed, constantly vilified by housed people who don’t want homeless
> people living anywhere near them. Distressingly this was normalized pre-COVID, but it has
> reached fever pitch in recent months.
> 
> I am ancestrally Jewish, and a convert to Buddhism. Both paths are ones I am grateful for and
> love deeply. Both have similar teachings.
> 
> In Buddhism we talk of three poisons that are the root of all evil. Our distorted misunderstanding
> of the nature of inter-being (ignorance) gives rise to two polarized reactive states. One is
> aversion -- fear, hatred, dehumanization, or otherwise pushing away something that we don’t
> want to have to face. The other is avarice, a state of greedy clinging or grasping.
> 
> All three are very human experiences. And each of them, when combined with power, can cause
> profound harm.
> 
> Over the past two months I have seen incredible harm. That is not to say that the people causing
> this harm are evil people, but their actions are evil, violent, and devastating.
> 
> And I wonder, in the face of such evil, where are my Buddhist and Jewish people?
> 
> Individually there has been tremendous outpouring of generosity, kindness, and compassion.
> These are the beautiful qualities I love about Buddhist and Jewish teachings. We must always be
> heart-centred and firmly grounded in the aspiration for liberation of all beings -- including those
> causing harm.
> 
> But we must also access other aspects of our teachings that point to the need for fearless, bold
> willingness to say no to violence and abuse. It is not enough to cultivate beautiful qualities like
> generosity, kindness, and compassion. Out of balance, these qualities become cloying.
> 
> Even with good intention, a lot of harm can be done in the name of helping. Generosity can
> become a malformed paternalistic kind of charity that positions poor people as weak or broken,
> and wealthier people as saving them. This has particular painful impact in the context of
> colonialism which has made many Indigenous people homeless, largely due to ideas around
> saviorism which so profoundly shaped residential schools, “Indian hospitals”, and the child
> welfare system. These distorted ideas continue to shape how housing and health services are
> approached today, where homeless people are assumed to be incompetent and in need of police,
> social workers, and others to control, contain, and assimilate them.
> 
> A Jewish teaching is tzedek tzedek tirdof: Justice, justice shall you pursue. In these times of grave
> injustice we must support: but from solidarity not charity. We must open our hearts in all
> directions, including actively blocking government harm, and lifting up street community
> power.I hope you will join us.
> 
> Joshua Goldberg is a volunteer with Poverty Kills 2020, a network of people who came together
> in mid-March to address the crisis of COVID-19 and the street community. We share a common
> solidarity/justice orientation that recognizes that while COVID-19 is new, the harms that are
> happening are not.
> 
> Simple Living a Solution in Times of Crisis
> 
> The events of the world in these recent times turn our attention again to what is essential for our
> existence and what things are mere distractions and not necessary.
> When we face a situation where we have to decide what is necessary, we are surprised to see
> how simple our needs are. You can listen to the stories of people who have faced death or a
> deadly disease and realize how wealth and possessions lose their charms and don’t matter at all.
> 
> Throughout human history, we have examples of great people like the Sufis and the followers of
> other religions who practiced simplicity and advocated living a simple life and avoiding the
> complications that excess materialism brings with it. Manifestations of God like Jesus,
> Mohammad, Buddha, Moses, and Baha’u’llah, the Prophet-Founder of the Baha’i Faith,
> exemplified simple living.
> 
> However, we also have the example of other people who were regular people like you and me
> — such as Gandhi, who famously said:
> 
> “Live simply so that others may simply live.”
> They showed us how simple living is made by practicing it.
> 
> The industrialization has brought with it the ability to have things that past generations could not
> dream of. It has led to us accumulating things that seemed necessary, and yet, in reality, we
> could easily do without them. This has brought us to where we are now. When a pandemic
> suddenly makes us think about what is essential and what is not. It teaches us how we can do
> with so little. Living a simple life brings peace of mind and removes some of the distractions of
> our life’s journey. Many studies indicate that simplicity reduces stress in life and creates a sense
> of freedom from the burden of unnecessary possessions.
> 
> There is a movement called " voluntary simplicity " for those of us who prefer other ways than
> the religious approach of denouncing material possessions. There is a movement called
> “voluntary simplicity.” It encourages people to live a simple life by downsizing their lives. This
> movement has been described as “an anti-consumerist way of life that opposes the high
> consumption lifestyles prevalent in consumer societies today and voluntarily embraces ‘a simpler
> life’ of reduced consumption.”
> 
> Voluntary simplicity counters the effects of collecting possessions and believing that they are
> necessary for our survival. In reality, possessions often complicate our lives by making us feel
> dependent on them. This way of thinking has led us to forget our spiritual destiny. The Baha’i
> Writings tell us:
> 
> “Consider to what a remarkable extent the spirituality of people has
> been overcome by materialism so that spiritual susceptibility seems
> to have vanished, divine civilization become decadent, and guidance
> and knowledge of God no longer remain. All are submerged in the
> sea of materialism”. – Abdu’l-Baha
> It should be noted that voluntary simplicity does not mean living in poverty, becoming an ascetic
> monk, or indiscriminately renouncing all the advantages of science and technology. It does not
> involve regressing to a primitive state or becoming a self-righteous puritan. And it is not some
> 
> escapist fad reserved for saints, hippies, or eccentric outsiders. Instead, advocates of voluntary
> simplicity suggest that we examine our relationships with money, material possessions, the
> planet, ourselves, and each other. Voluntary simplicity is about discovering the freedom and
> contentment that comes with knowing how much consumption is enough.
> 
> This is a theme that has something to say to everyone, especially those in consumer cultures
> who are bombarded every day with thousands of cultural and institutional messages insisting that
> more is always better. Voluntary simplicity is a philosophy of living that advocates a countercultural position based on notions of sufficiency and simplicity.
> 
> Voluntary simplicity can create a sense of peace of mind and free us to spend time on the goals
> that matter more in life. Some of the benefits of living this way are:
> 
> Conscious Consumption: Living a simpler life isn’t just about spending less — it’s also about
> spending consciously. That means taking a careful look at every purchase and asking yourself
> whether it’s worth the money you’re spending and the hours you’re spending to make that
> money.
> 
> Fewer Belongings: One side effect of consuming consciously is that you end up with fewer
> belongings.
> 
> Smaller Homes: Housing is the biggest expense in most families’ budgets, accounting for 26%
> of total spending. So it makes sense that families that want to downshift their spending often start
> by downsizing their homes. Choosing a small house can also simplify a family’s life by giving
> them less space to maintain and clean, as well as less room to accumulate more stuff.
> 
> Lower Energy Use: Another benefit of smaller homes is that they use less energy to heat and
> cool. By choosing to live small and cutting back on the number of electrical gadgets, people can
> reduce their electricity use to the point where they can power their homes with solar panels or
> other forms of renewable energy.
> 
> Conscious Eating: For most downshifters, living simply also means eating simply: homecooked meals made with whole, unprocessed foods.
> 
> Shorter Work Hours: Voluntary simplicity isn’t just about spending less money. The main
> point for most downshifters is that, by spending less, they can afford to work less. If we
> 
> reconnect with what is vital in our lives and worthy of our attention — and what is not — we can
> simplify our lives. That, in turn, could lead to living a less complicated existence based on solid
> personal principles. Those principles are what can guide us to through times of crisis without
> feeling any sense of panic and help us stay firmly focused on the things that matter to our
> individual and collective progress, both spiritually and materially.
> 
> Spiritual Solutions Needed for Economic Problems
> 
> Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the world around us and our way of life has totally changed.
> New attitudes, and a new way of thinking, have to be adopted. What is happening has
> highlighted the plight of the poor and the need for the governments and other agencies to step up
> and do all they can to help — because this epidemic is killing more of the underprivileged and
> people living in poverty.
> 
> However, there is some good news too; for example, celebrities, sports figures, and other
> wealthy people have got their wake-up call and are realizing that there is more to life than
> accumulating wealth. Financial institutions have relaxed their lending rates and brought credit
> cards interest to zero. There is a sense of unity, even with some warring parties across the world.
> They have ceased fighting because they have found a bigger enemy in the virus. Though these
> changes of attitudes have not come organically, nevertheless, they are welcome changes, and
> they make me happy in these stressful times.
> 
> Despite all these positive changes, the problems of the poor remain unchanged and instead have
> become worse. The problem lay in the failure to grasp that each of us, from the poorest person to
> the richest, are the stakeholders in all the affairs of humanity, and we all are in it together.
> I have tried to address the nature of economic problems through spiritual solutions. According to
> the Baha’i Writings:
> 
> “The secrets of the whole economic question are Divine in nature,
> and are concerned with the world of the heart and
> spirit.” – Abdu’l-Baha
> 
> In recent decades, many religious and political leaders, philosophers, and economic experts have
> attempted to bring changes to a system built on the idea of promoting self-interest and
> individualism without any thought given to creating prosperity for the whole of humanity?
> Now, this universal disease, Coronavirus, is tearing into all those barriers of nationalism, racism,
> and religious differences and making everyone think, "Oh my God, we all are in this together."
> This realization weakens those barriers but does not destroy them.
> The question in my mind is, do we need a disaster like this one that has paralyzed the whole
> world or a meteor from space to wake us up to the fact that this universe, this earth, has been
> created by one creator. We are all its occupants, so why don't we act as neighbours or family
> members?
> 
> “The earth is but one country and mankind its citizens” –
> Baha’u’llah
> 
> Why can’t we create an economic system in such a way that all the citizens of the world would
> live fulfilling lives in prosperity?
> In this health crisis and other disasters, whether natural or otherwise, it is poor and the
> underprivileged who are the ones who suffer the most due to not having the material means to
> protect themselves against diseases and disasters. You may ask why? I say because our economic
> system is set up that way. After all, the economic system is deprived of moral values. This is
> because we have separated morality and humanity from our economic system and economic
> activities. This caused the economic system to almost crash in 2008, leading to a financial crisis
> and yet this system continues to ignore the plight of the poor.
> 
> I believe that humanity has reached that level of maturity. It is my hope that it won’t take crises
> and disasters to inspire us to find a better way of organizing our affairs — including economics.
> 
> Living in an Age of Miracles
> 
> We live in an age of miracles—and we don’t even know it.
> I've often wished I lived in the times of some of my heroes who participated in great historical
> events and to fight beside them in their battles. How I admired and idealized them. How I would
> have wanted to be with them and help them any way I could in their battles with ignorance and
> injustice, and by doing that, take part in an important event in human history.
> 
> Recently, though, I've become more focused on what is happening now. The news concentrates
> on the negative events, but I try to see the positive side of our present day. As I continue doing
> that, I realize the wonders of our modern-day world are totally overlooked because of the
> negative slant prevalent in much of the news.
> 
> I found it fascinating as I searched more and observed with an investigating eye. I am from the
> generation that did not grow up with the many amazing gadgets that are so commonplace today,
> such as TVs, phones and the internet, so I see them not with a jaded eye but with a sense of
> wonderment. I don’t take them for granted, so you can imagine why I call the present time an age
> of miracles.
> 
> After thinking about it, I realized how my heroes would have loved to experience the present, not
> just because of new inventions and discoveries, but rather to see how much closer we are to the
> promised day when humanity becomes united and establishes a new world commonwealth.
> 
> It may sound too optimistic to write about these things at a time when it looks as if the world is
> falling apart when numerous wars and conflicts rage—but as a follower of the Baha’i Faith, I
> believe these events, both positive and negative, are all part of a bigger plan:
> 
> The world’s equilibrium hath been upset through the vibrating
> influence of this greatest, this new World Order. Mankind’s ordered
> life hath been revolutionized through the agency of this unique, this
> wondrous System—the like of which mortal eyes have never
> witnessed. – Baha’u’llah
> 
> Look at it this way: to build your dream house, you have to dismantle the old, dilapidated one
> and start building a new, well-designed and beautiful structure. In the same way, the old order—
> with its failing theories, systems, and structures in the economic, political, education, health and
> other realms—can not satisfy the needs of the present generation of humanity. All of these
> upheavals are the signs of its malfunctioning and the sounds of its destruction. This doesn't
> signal the end of the world; instead, it signifies the coming of a beautiful new world. We are on
> the edge of these profound changes. Most people now agree that things are not working today
> and don't require convincing that we need a better system.
> 
> Now, we can endeavour towards a more unified, peaceful and loving future civilization, and we
> can devote our energy to laying its foundation.
> 
> Who from the past generations would not want to witness the advent of a new age? We are
> witnessing the old structure crumbling down, and every day a new tool is invented. We have the
> blueprint of the new structure in hand and are preparing our equipment as we eagerly wait to
> start construction. We now have the design for that future structure—but first, humanity as a
> 
> whole needs to join hands to participate in this venture because this new world belongs to every
> single person on Earth.
> 
> Gross National Happiness & Other Alternative Economic
> Approaches
> 
> We live in an age in which new ideas are born each day in every field of learning. I find quite
> interesting the many alternative ideas and theories suggesting new ways of solving our economic
> problems. As a member of the Baha’i Faith, I like to examine these theories from
> a religious point of view.
> 
> Of all the new concepts, I am especially attracted to Gross National Happiness and barefoot
> economics.
> 
> Gross National Happiness
> 
> As you probably know, the Gross Domestic Product (GDP)—the total production of a given
> country—is the yardstick typically used to measure the economic progress or growth of a nation.
> A higher GDP means more production and more growth in a given country. However, the GDP’s
> effectiveness has been challenged by other concepts such as Gross National Happiness (GNH).
> 
> A system introduced by the king of Bhutan in 1972, GNH is calculated by an index that
> measures the collective happiness and well-being of a population. GNH is the goal of the
> government of Bhutan, as stated in its constitution, enacted on 18 July 2008. The Bhutan GNH
> Index was first published in 2012.
> 
> GNH values collective happiness as the goal of governance by emphasizing harmony with nature
> and traditional values as expressed in nine domains of happiness and four pillars of GNH. The
> four pillars are:
> 1. Sustainable and equitable socio-economic development
> 2. Environmental conservation
> 3. Preservation and promotion of culture
> 4. Good governance
> 
> The nine domains of GNH are psychological well-being, health, time use, education, cultural
> diversity and resilience, good governance, community vitality, ecological diversity, and living
> standards.
> 
> Barefoot Economics
> 
> Acclaimed Chilean economist Manfred Max-Neef introduced the concept of “barefoot
> economics” in the 1980s. He explained, “The point is, you know, that economists study and
> analyze poverty in their nice offices, have all the statistics, make all the models, and are
> convinced that they know everything that you can know about poverty. But they don’t
> understand poverty.”
> 
> He believes we have to look at economics with a new approach and change it fundamentally—or
> else humanity is bound to have a disastrous future. He says a good economic system has to be
> desirable to everyone since it is supposed to be designed and implemented for everyone. He is
> disappointed that most governments and economists in the world failed to learn from the
> financial crisis of 2008.
> 
> Max-Neef suggests we build a new economic system based on five postulates and one
> fundamental value. The five postulates are:
> 1. The economy exists to serve the people, rather than the people existing to serve the economy
> 2. Development is about people and not about objects
> 
> 3. Growth is not the same as development, and development does not necessarily require growth
> 4. No economy is possible in the absence of ecosystem services
> 5. The economy is a subsystem of a larger finite system, the biosphere, and so permanent growth
> is impossible
> 
> The fundamental value for sustaining a new economy should be that economic interest will never
> be allowed, under any circumstances, to be valued above reverence of life.
> 
> The central themes of GNH and barefoot economics—humanity’s happiness and respect for
> nature.
> 
> It’s exciting to me that so many people with great awareness are looking at the economic
> problems of the world and offering remedies for its ills. I believe some of these wonderful ideas
> offered by so many amazing people will be considered for and incorporated into future economic
> systems. For now, let us look for new ideas to solve our economic problems.
> 
> Three Spiritual Ways to Avoid Financial Regrets
> 
> As I get older, I spend more time reflecting on my life—on the right choices I've made and the
> regrets about the wrong decisions I could have avoided.
> This reflection often takes me back to the innocence and ignorance of my youth and the things I
> could have done differently, knowing what I know now. How deeply I wish someone had guided
> me to the ideas that would have helped me have fewer regrets now.
> 
> So I’ll try to reach out here with a reminder and a few tips that will hopefully help reduce the
> percentage of your regrets in those later years:
> 
> 1. Know yourself—then Plan for your Economic Needs
> 
> To have a plan or a goal, one has to know for whom they are planning. When we plan for
> ourselves, we should first understand who we are—and ask ourselves: What is the purpose of our
> lives?
> After answering that fundamental question, you’ll need to find the answer to a second big
> question: What do I want? Examining who you are will help you answer what you want.
> What we want applies not just to our spiritual needs and aspirations—it means deciding the
> financial needs we require to live a fulfilling life. Contrary to popular opinion, that you can never
> have too much money, many people accumulate wealth that is thousands of times more than their
> 
> needs. They spend all their energies to get more, while the spiritual elements of life pass them by
> due to their preoccupation with gathering and managing wealth. Can you imagine a sadder
> tragedy when we know we do not live on this Earth forever, and our days are numbered? The
> Baha’i teachings advise me to:
> 
> “Live then the days of thy life, that are less than a fleeting moment,
> with thy mind stainless, thy heart unsullied, thy thoughts pure, and
> thy nature sanctified, so that, free and content, thou mayest put
> away this mortal frame, and repair unto the mystic paradise and
> abide in the eternal kingdom for evermore.” – Baha’u’llah
> 
> 2. Make Sound Financial Plan, Spiritually
> 
> With the pressure of the world's many problems weighing on us, we all need guidance—both
> financial and spiritual. People are looking everywhere to find the solutions to problems that have
> baffled them and have made the experts confused and helpless, too. When we recognize that
> financial planning is not just a material consideration but needs to take into account our moral
> and spiritual values, we can then plan for financial goals that not only support our physical
> existence but smooth the path of spiritual growth. Do our financial goals support our belief
> system? Do they reflect integrity and honesty? Do they take into consideration the welfare of
> others?
> 
> 3. Plan not Only for yourself but for the Poor
> 
> We live in a world with extremes of wealth and poverty. We can all contribute to eliminating this
> problem by reaching out to others less fortunate and easing their load. This changes our outlook
> and gives the mind and soul a sense of peace. Reducing the sufferings of the poor may seem a
> small task, and yet every day, more and more people are becoming poor, destitute and homeless.
> Why? Because not enough people plan beyond their self-interests and do something about the
> plight of the poor.
> In our next journey, none of us will need money. The material world dies the moment we die.
> The only reality left at that point is the inner spiritual qualities we have been able to gain through
> our hard work, meditation, service, and sacrifice.
> That's the essence of real planning for the future—not only making sure we have sufficient
> material resources for retirement, but making sure you have the spiritual resources you'll need for
> your eternal existence. How sad to reach the end of our physical journey and realize that we have
> 
> not accumulated enough for the next world because we were distracted, overwhelmed and
> obsessed by the material world and forgot to put away something for our spiritual journey.
> 
> Small Town’s Simple Approach to Peace
> 
> Nineteen years ago, one of the churches in our little town started organizing a Peace Walk on the
> first day of each year. They invited everyone to join. As a Baha’i, I welcomed the invitation
> since Baha'is all over the world actively work for the oneness of humanity and peace on Earth, so
> with great joy, I attended the first Peace Walk and have participated in each one since the
> beginning.
> The Peace Walk’s route takes us through the center of town, and the cars on the road mostly
> honk in support of peace. Each of my fellow peace walkers—all from different groups—hold
> their homemade signs quoting sayings from their religions or ideologies. My sign said:
> 
> “The earth is but one country and mankind its citizens                                 -
> Baha’u’llah
> After the walk, we all go to a cozy hall of a senior housing facility. There is no set program since
> we all know why we're there. We come from different religions, and some of us have no faith at
> all, but we each know that peace is essential to all of us. That shared conviction creates a feeling
> of togetherness sensed by everyone. We spontaneously sing religious and non-religious songs,
> recite poetry and give short talks on peace. After that, everybody is invited to go for lunch at a
> Sikh temple nearby to enjoy the delicious homemade food prepared by the Sikh community.
> 
> I like many aspects of the Peace Walk but mainly appreciate its practical, simple approach to
> creating peace and oneness by sharing ideas, prayers, music, and food with people from different
> backgrounds. This unity in diversity appeals to me immensely. It feels like a small family, with
> each member representing a different country and religion, sitting down to eat and enjoy each
> other’s company together.
> After a few songs, we all listened to a talk about the need to take care of the refugees and then
> came the turn of one of the Baha’is, a refugee himself, who talked about the biggest hindrance to
> peace—prejudice. He paid particular attention to the harm religious prejudice can inflict on
> society. His talk gave a chance to the audience, who were mostly religious, to take stock of their
> own feelings about other religions.
> 
> One of the main hindrances preventing us from attaining peace today has involved only talking
> about peace and not taking real, substantive actions. We have many talks, books, conferences,
> treaties, and noble thoughts about this subject—but not enough actual effort to achieve true
> peace:
> 
> “Love ye all religions and all races with a love that is true and
> sincere and show that love through deeds and not through the
> tongue; for the latter hath no importance, as the majority of men
> are, in speech, well-wishers, while action is the best.” – Abdu’l-Baha
> 
> I hope that more people use the example of the multi-faith action of our little town and
> participate in projects and processes that ensure peace by acts and not only words. Peace these
> days seems like an unattainable dream, but it should not be that way. People on our Peace Walk
> have simplified it to small steps of coming out, being visible and being heard—then showing that
> we can peacefully unite despite any differences we may have. There is no reason why we all
> cannot do the same by reaching out to like-minded people or organizations and facilitating
> similar events. In this way, we can be the active catalysts of peace and not just passive
> bystanders on the sidelines.
> 
> Do We Need to Justify Our Spending?
> 
> Do we have to justify our spending to anyone? Most people would answer, “No—my money is
> mine, I earned it, and I can spend it any way I want!”
> There are some people who consider themselves hedonists; hedonism is a school of thought
> which argues that pleasure and happiness are the primary or most important intrinsic goods and
> the proper aim of human life. Hedonists strive to maximize net pleasure, so for them spending
> any amount of money in the pursuit of pleasure would seem justifiable.
> 
> Entire philosophies have been built around this idea, including one that is called ethical
> hedonism—the idea that all people have the right to do everything in their power to achieve the
> greatest amount of pleasure possible. Ethical hedonism maintains that every person's pleasure
> should far surpass the amount of pain. Started by Aristippus of Cyrene, a student of Socrates,
> ethical hedonists hold the idea that pleasure constitutes the highest good.
> 
> While not denying the importance of pleasure in our lives, the Baha'i Faith and most religions
> look at life differently. Rather than living solely to maximize our own pleasure, we should be
> trying our best to love the Creator, seek God's pleasure, and therefore love His creation—
> humanity. Instead of focusing solely on personal pleasure, the religious writings say, we should
> turn away from ourselves and focus on a higher purpose in life. I personally know people who
> 
> are mindful of their spending in order to save so that they can give to charitable causes. My
> personal guidance is:
> 
> “You must assist the poor as much as possible, even by sacrifice of
> yourself. No deed of man is greater before God than helping the
> poor. Spiritual conditions are not dependent upon the possession of
> worldly treasures or the absence of them." -Abdu’l-Baha
> So let us try to look at our personal spending in that light.
> 
> In one way, my spending reflects my values. "You are what you buy," as one writer put it. If I
> spend primarily on myself and my pleasure, it may indicate a lack of empathy for or awareness
> of other people's needs. On the other hand, if much of my spending goes to help others,
> obviously, I have come to recognize the extreme poverty in the world. If I am fully aware of the
> great poverty in the world today, I soon recognize that I'll have to answer to my conscience for
> any unnecessary or selfish spending. That compassionate awareness and the actions that
> accompany it can shift my material choices to reflect spiritual decisions. An added benefit of this
> is combating materialism and consumerism, which weaken our sense of humanity.
> 
> No power in the world can force people to re-examine or justify their spending habits, except the
> power of our own realization and awareness of the level of poverty of our fellow human beings,
> many of whom are barely surviving.
> 
> If only I could see others as members of my human family, then I would not let my relatives live
> in abject poverty, hunger and want, while I spend my resources on luxuries and pleasures for
> myself.
> 
> I believe that humanity is gradually waking up to the fact that we have a very important
> responsibility and duty to look after the poor and needy, to make sure that they are cared for and
> live happily. This is a God-given duty. They have been entrusted to us, and by caring for them,
> we take a step towards a future society in which there are no poor.
> 
> What Can Be Done with the Widening Gap Between the
> Rich and the Poor?
> 
> This was the title of a news item:
> 
> “The 26 richest people on earth in 2018 had the same net worth as
> the poorest half of the world’s population, some 3.8 billion people.”
> This reminded me of another report:
> 
> “A CEO from one of the world's top five global fashion brands has
> to work for just four days to earn what a garment worker in
> Bangladesh will earn in an entire lifetime.”
> Some may argue that is not true because, in general, people have more than they had in the past,
> the standard of living has improved for most of the middle class so that they are richer. This is
> not always true because they may not know all the facts. As standards of living improved for
> most of them, so did the level of their debts. That increase in debt is due to more access to
> credits, loans and mortgages. People are spending more than they make. But I am thinking of the
> poor who do not have enough to live, so getting a loan or credit is out of the question for them.
> 
> There can be many arguments about the accuracy of the data and the methods of collecting it, but
> no one can deny that the rich are getting richer and the poor poorer.
> 
> These headlines are often on TV, newspapers and other social media. This is not the first time
> such numbers highlight the sad economic situation of the world. As I stared at these statistics, my
> mind was focused on the plight of the poor, and I considered how a fraction of that wealth could
> change the lives of billions of poor people.
> 
> It was the only conclusion that I could draw from these tragic statistics, which made me
> extremely sad. Then the thought came to me that the rich see these articles and it has not affected
> the lifestyles of the majority of them, and that thought made me feel helpless. I felt that the
> widening gap between the rich and the poor would continue growing, and no one could stop it. I
> questioned our humanity that allows these disparities to continue.
> 
> Then I decided that I could only do my part as a Baha'i and citizen of the world to call attention
> to this story in an attempt to reach as many people as possible, in the hope that we can all take a
> small step to remedy this economic imbalance.
> 
> I am reminded of these words:
> 
> “Why, then, exhibit such greed in amassing the treasures of the
> earth, when your days are numbered and your chance is well-nigh
> lost? Will ye not, then, O heedless ones, shake off your slumber?”
> 
> “O ye rich ones on earth! The poor in your midst are My trust;
> guard ye My trust, and be not intent only on your own
> ease.” – Baha’u’llah
> I hope that we wake up to the reality of this situation which is an indication of a sick economic
> system that favours the rich and ignores the plight of the poor while the majority of humanity
> stands helplessly on the sidelines.
> 
> Each of us can be an instrument of change, however small, by creating in our hearts empathy for
> the poor and then working in whatever ways we can to remedy this inequity.
> 
> I cannot close my eyes to these statistics and do nothing. I am sure millions feel the way I feel,
> and that gives me great hope for the future.
> 
> How Does the Philosophy of Karma Fit into Science and
> Religion?
> 
> As a Baha'i, I have always tried to believe in the harmony of science and religion and wanted to
> see the two sides of a given concept. The law of karma is one of them, and I wanted to see a
> scientific explanation for it. In my years of stay in India, I could see the effect of this belief on
> people and how it made them conscious of their actions. For those who have not heard about it is
> a concept familiar to Buddhists, Hindu, Jain and many other religious traditions—essentially that
> every action has a consequence, that good actions will inevitably have good consequences.
> 
> Most people believe in this law, which basically states that the intent and actions of any
> individual will influence his or her future. That's a wonderful thing because any concept that
> makes us think about the consequences of our actions will help us become better people—which
> in turn will make the world a better place.
> 
> In a scientific sense, the closest I came to compare the law of karma was Newton's third law of
> motion. Simply put, this law states that for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.
> Newton proposed it in order to describe the laws of physics in the material universe—but it also
> 
> expresses the truth of our spiritual reality. In fact, karma and Newton's third law both express the
> same thing, and when combined together, they express something even more profound—the
> essential harmony of science and religion.
> 
> The Baha’i writings explicitly endorse that harmony.
> 
> “Religion and Science are inter-twined with each other and cannot
> be separated. These are the two wings with which humanity must
> fly. One wing is not enough.” – Abdu’l-Baha
> According to the basic Sanskrit definition, karma simply means “action.” In essence, everything
> 
> We do create a corresponding energy that comes back to us in some form or another-or, as the
> 
> The common phrase says, "what goes around comes around." Newton's third law states: For
> every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. We know that physical force, when applied,
> will cause a reaction, and that no force or energy vanishes into nothing.
> 
> These two laws may explain why all the religions and philosophers have universally agreed on
> the concept of the Golden Rule, which has been expressed in different wordings in many
> religions. What one puts in, whether physical or spiritual, that same energy will eventually come
> back. The Golden Rule makes us aware of our actions.
> 
> Treat not others in ways that you yourself would find hurtful. – Buddhism
> 
> In everything, do to others as you would have them do to you, for this is the law and the
> prophets. – Christianity
> 
> This is the sum of duty; do naught onto others what you would not have them do unto you. –
> Hinduism
> 
> Not one of you truly believes until you wish for others what you wish for yourself. – Islam
> 
> What is hateful to you, do not do to your neighbour. This is the entire Law; all the rest is
> commentary. Go and learn it. – Judaism
> 
> So to me, whether I look at my actions through Newton’s law, the law of karma, or the Golden
> Rule, the conclusion becomes very clear. Those immutable laws tell me that I should be very
> 
> considerate and mindful of my actions because they always have consequences. In a sense, I
> create my own happiness, misery, or my hell and heaven.
> 
> Mass Shootings: What Can We Possibly Do About Them?
> 
> A dear friend of mine, who knows that I write articles, said: “There was another shooting in the
> US. What about an article relating to this?”
> 
> My field is economics, so I initially felt hesitant—but I reminded myself about the many years I
> worked in the school system, where my first and foremost responsibility was protecting my
> precious students from the usual dramas and bullying.
> 
> I told my friend that I would try, so this is my attempt to share what is in my heart about these
> horrible mass shootings.
> 
> At the outset, I admit that I don’t have all the solutions. I’m uncomfortable even tackling the
> subject due to its explosive and political nature, the emotions it evokes and especially my
> personal experience with violence. Also, as a Baha'i, I will not insert myself into the party
> 
> politics that have become so tied up in this issue. But these horrific killings must stop, so let’s
> see if we can come up with some starting points.
> 
> We have to remember these mass shooters—these killers of children—did not come from the
> moon or other planets. They were and are our kids, students, neighbours, cousins, and even
> friends. Many of them were almost invisible to us, but yet they existed, and most of us missed
> the signs of their struggles. We failed to see how ill-equipped they were to deal with the realities
> around them, and as a consequence, we did not help them.
> 
> As you can already see, I want to take a self-examining approach first and foremost, although
> there are other contributing factors. I believe we spend very little time exploring our own roles in
> this crisis, and consequently, we don’t do enough to discover how we can empower ourselves to
> do our part in avoiding these tragedies.
> 
> There are things we can do as individuals. We can pay attention to those who are ignored,
> bullied, or ostracized; we can show them that we care, build alternative activities that allow them
> some respite from their negative environments, connect them to positive, welcoming people and
> courses and group activities. For example, we can connect them with youth activities that focus
> on spiritual exploration and on serving the community. There are countless things we could do if
> we cared enough and loved enough.
> 
> The Baha'i teachings ask us to love everyone because God knows that love is the real solution in
> His wisdom. Abdu’l-Baha, who exemplified love all his life through his actions, said:
> 
> “Love gives life to the lifeless. Love lights a flame in the heart that is
> cold. Love brings hope to the hopeless and gladdens the hearts of the
> sorrowful. In the world of existence, there is indeed no greater
> power than the power of love.” – Abdu’l-Baha
> When I worked in the school system, I had some sleepless nights worrying about some of the
> kids who were so full of anger and frustration that I was afraid that they might do some harm to
> themselves or others. You might ask: Why were those students so hurt and angry? I would say
> because they were not getting enough love, care and attention. Most of them were deeply lonely,
> believing strongly that nobody understood them or cared about them. They craved love, but what
> they were getting was anger, punishment and disciplinary rules that aimed to set them right
> without addressing the root cause of their problems.
> 
> I am not trying to portray the mass shooters as innocent victims. I am fully aware that there are
> complex issues involved and deeply rooted personal as well as societal problems. Yet, in some
> ways, they are, perhaps like you and I, victims of a very common disease, a deficiency in love. In
> most cases, the essentially spiritual remedy of love can work much more effectively and preemptively than legal deterrents, although both are needed.
> 
> We could arm more people to protect the schools, install more metal detectors, do more body
> searches to confiscate weapons, but those approaches would never have more than a limited
> effect at best. I wish we would also spend time and resources on how, as a society, we can reach
> out to those angry and hurting individuals before they choose violence.
> 
> How can we as human beings lessen the emotional burden of people that may lead them down an
> awful path? The Baha'i teachings say we can take action to truly begin to address the problem:
> 
> “Love manifests its reality in deeds, not only in words—these alone
> are without effect.” – Abdu’l-Baha
> If we cared for and loved all human beings and did so with deeds rather than words, I believe
> most of those shooters would choose a different path. I witnessed the drastic change that loves
> and caring made for many of my own students, who I honestly thought might do some harm. In
> all my years of dealing with troubled kids, I learned to look beyond their anger and bad
> behaviour and the barriers they put up to not get hurt because behind all that, usually, a scared
> person just wanted to be accepted and loved.
> 
> Issues such as a lack of proper gun control, easy availability of weapons, violent video games,
> and other suspects in this sad affair are legitimate concerns. But I suggest we also look at
> ourselves and resolve to befriend the sad and alienated before they become a danger to society.
> 
> By being aware of our potential power as a preventive agent in these mass shootings, combined
> with proper legal prevention measures and reasonable safety precautions, we can dream of a day
> when these tragedies will be nothing but a bizarre footnote in a sadder and darker period of
> human history.
> 
> Spirituality, Morality and Economics Rely on Each Other
> 
> How does humanity and morality—spirituality, really—fit into an economic system? To most
> people, spirituality and economics are completely separate subjects.
> I’m an economist, so it surprised me when I learned that the first book written by the 18th
> Century Scottish economist Adam Smith, widely considered to be the father of modern
> economics, was The Theory of Moral Sentiments. It was published seven years before his
> magnum opus The Wealth of Nations, which founded modern economic theory and virtually
> invented the idea of the free market.It never occurred to me that morality might be part of his
> philosophy.
> 
> Every economist studies The Wealth of Nations, and most will tell you that Adam Smith’s work
> is all about the science of making wealth. His ideas have formed the guidelines for so many
> economists, and his words are still the accepted authority on the subject. His influence is still felt
> and his assumptions are still the foundation of economics.
> 
> But Adam Smith certainly recognized the inherent danger of wealth, even as he provided ideas
> for generating it:
> 
> “This disposition to admire, and almost to worship, the rich and
> powerful, and to despise or, at least, neglect persons of poor and
> mean conditions, though necessary both to establish and to maintain
> the distinction of ranks and the order of society, is, at the same time,
> the great and most universal cause of the corruption of our moral
> sentiments.”
> One of the most prevalent concepts in the economy, and one of Smith’s most significant
> assumptions, was the concept of the “Invisible Hand,” which brooked no interference from the
> government in the economic marketplace—because Smith’s invisible hand would solve the
> problems, balance supply and demand and also fix prices in an unregulated economy. Smith has
> thus been called the founder of “laissez-faire capitalism” and denigrated for his lack of a moral
> component in his economic theories.
> But suppose you combine this “invisible hand” idea with Smith’s Theory of Moral Sentiments,
> where he says that human beings have a natural tendency to care about the well-being of others.
> In that case, you get a different picture of this conceptual framework:
> Smith’s quotations indicate that he strongly believed in morality. He discussed the welfare of the
> individual, saying it depends on the welfare of all: “No society can surely be flourishing and
> happy,” he wrote in Moral Sentiments, “of which the far greater part of the members are poor
> and miserable.”
> The Universal House of Justice, the international governing body of the Bahá’ís, recently
> reminded us of the same important point:
> 
> “The welfare of any segment of humanity is inextricably bound up
> with the welfare of the whole. Humanity’s collective life suffers
> when any one group thinks of its own well-being in isolation from
> 
> that of its neighbours’ or pursues economic gain without regard for
> how the natural environment, which provides sustenance for all, is
> affected.”
> Smith himself said:
> 
> “To feel much for others and little for ourselves; to restrain
> our selfishness and exercise our benevolent affections,
> constitute the perfection of human nature.”
> 
> I am so grateful that I discovered the moral side of economics—and how I wish more economists
> would explore it too. We can talk about this in our universities and make it an essential part of
> economic studies to learn the relationship between morality and economics.
> 
> Morality and economics, to me, have to balance each other rather than competing for organizing
> and governing economics. They need each other to be complete.
> 
> The Role of Spirituality in Economics
> 
> Whether at the individual level or the national level, everyone is trying to solve their economic
> problems. The economic situation of the world at present is in a state of confusion, and we are
> looking down many avenues for a solution. As a member of the Baha’i Faith and an economist, I
> believe that the answers may be found in conceiving of economic systems as spiritual
> enterprises.
> 
> “The secrets of the whole economic question are Divine in nature,
> and are concerned with the world of the heart and spirit.” -Abdu’l-
> Bahá
> Every individual has a role to play, using honesty, integrity and fairness as a yardstick, as does
> society as a whole. The international governing body for the Baha'i Faith wrote the following in
> 2010 regarding the necessary connection between morality and wealth:
> 
> “Many would readily acknowledge that the acquisition of wealth
> should be governed by the requirements of justice, which, as a
> principle, can be expressed to varying degrees, on different levels.
> An employer and employee, for example, are bound by the laws and
> 
> conventions that regulate their work, and each is expected to carry
> out his or her responsibilities with honesty and integrity. …
> The wide margin, often unjustifiable, between the production costs
> of certain goods and the price at which they are sold likewise
> requires attention, as does the question of the generation of wealth
> through measures that “enrich the generality of the people”. What
> such reflection and inquiry will no doubt make abundantly clear is
> that certain approaches to obtaining wealth—so many of which
> involve the exploitation of others, the monopolization and
> manipulation of markets, and the production of goods that promote
> violence and immorality—are unworthy and unacceptable.”
> 
> Adam Smith, the father of our economic system, declared that self-interest should be the driving
> force behind every economic activity in order to achieve material prosperity. This has led to a
> philosophy of individualism, creating detachment and lack of empathy and an economic
> disparity that most people recognize as unjust.
> 
> In 2008 the economic system of the world almost collapsed due to greed and a lack of morality
> in the system. The governments spent billions to avoid the collapse of the system, but nothing
> has been done to remedy the root cause of the problem, which was greed and self-interest.
> 
> The need for a new and better economic system is felt both by the layperson and the expert.
> Perhaps it is time to approach our participation in economic activities in a spiritual way and
> thereby take steps to improve the economic prosperity of the world.
> 
> In March of this year, the Baha’i international governing body wrote that "even if current
> approaches to economic life satisfied humanity's stage of adolescence, they are certainly
> inadequate for its dawning age of maturity...there is an inherent moral dimension to the
> generation, distribution, and utilization of wealth and resources."
> 
> Through the study of the spiritual principles of religions and great philosophers, we can increase
> our understanding of the importance of the changes that are needed in our lives to become better
> human beings and to implement them in our economic dealings.
> 
> Small changes in our attitude will change our daily economic activities, and that will eventually
> lead us to a new economic system where there is economic justice, and all people have the means
> to pursue their true potential.
> 
> Please God, Put it on My Account
> 
> Sometimes we’re very hard on ourselves and can’t forgive our mistakes in certain areas of life.
> As a result, many of us lack self-esteem and consequently lose sight of life’s big picture.
> 
> When that happens to me, I often forget that life represents a collection of my good and bad
> actions—sort of a balance sheet that keeps track of my deeds, both good and bad. The negative
> side or the bad deeds are like an open account I have at a store or with a credit card company that
> keeps track of my purchases and payments. The expectation? Payments must be made by the end
> of the week or month at the most.
> 
> Our life’s open account is no different—because we are spiritually brought to account by the end
> of our physical existence. So when we know this tab is open, and understand that we are going to
> make many mistakes until we die, then why do we suddenly pick one mistake and become
> obsessed with it to the extent that we cannot forgive ourselves? Why one, when many could be
> singled out and made to be the stumbling block on the way of our human journey?
> 
> Forgiving others for what they have done is much easier for me than forgiving myself.
> The Baha’i teachings have a wealth of insight and knowledge on this subject to help us to forgive
> others—and ourselves. But my problem has always been being unable to forgive myself. For
> whatever reasons, my self-esteem has rarely been high enough to take me to the happier side of
> self-forgiveness. Even after finding out some great people also felt like me, did not help me with
> my struggles. But when I read the holy scripture of many different Faiths, they take away some
> of the pain.
> 
> Even the great apostle Paul looked at his past with great regret:
> “For I am the least of the apostles, who am not worthy to be called
> an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.”
> – 1 Corinthians 15:9.
> 
> Maybe we need to be reminded that our account with the Creator remains open and not let one
> mistake stop us from moving on with our lives. He has not given upon us, so why are we writing
> ourselves off? We will eventually balance our account.
> 
> As a result of doing so many wrong things in my life, I sometimes feel paralyzed, filled with
> deep regret. This negativity becomes so intense that I find ways not to deal with it, postponing
> that intense and difficult reckoning to some future time so that hopefully, by then, I am better
> equipped to face it and deal with it. So when those intense guilt attack moments occur, I repeat
> this to myself: “Please God, put it on my tab.”
> 
> That way, I buy myself some time to deal with it later—to pray, to silently ask God for
> forgiveness, to find the inner strength to resolve to be a better and more spiritual soul.
> 
> By using this method, I have survived many moments of utter despair. It also proved to me that
> God’s account with us is very flexible. He is kind because he sees our weaknesses and gives us
> opportunities to try again. Were it not for His flexibility; we would have had to give up trying.
> 
> The Baha’i teachings say that the spiritual Writings can wash our consciences clean if we let
> them:
> 
> “Now hath the Truth appeared, and falsehood fled away; now hath
> the day dawned and jubilation taken over, wherefore men’s souls
> 
> are sanctified, their spirits purged, their hearts rejoiced, their minds
> purified, their secret thoughts made wholesome, their consciences
> washed clean, ...” – Abdu’l-Baha
> 
> I finally resolved this inner problem later in life, when I made a pilgrimage trip to the Holy Land.
> There I met a very wise man who noticed my troubles when I could not find myself worthy. This
> wise person asked me if I believed God is forgiving, and I said yes. He said do you think He has
> forgiven you for the bad things you have done? I said I am sure He has. Then he looked at me
> with a look of disappointment and said, “then who the heck do you think you are? Are you
> higher than God? Forgive yourself! He has!”
> 
> At that moment, my spiritual eye opened for the first time, and I could see my life clearly.
> 
> When we occupy our minds and souls obsessively with negative thoughts, we lose sight of the
> big picture and forget who runs the show. If God has forgiven all your shortcomings, please do
> yourself a favour and accept it with gratefulness. After all, our lives are God’s gift to us, and He
> wants us to live wisely, cheerfully and free from guilt and regrets.
> 
> Two Effective Ways to Fight Your Ego, that Dangerous Enemy
> Within
> 
> No matter how we succeed in any field, a great danger exists within us all—the human ego. That
> common inner enemy has destroyed the relationships, careers and lives of millions.
> 
> Our ego—the insistent, grasping, demanding lower self inside everyone—can make a lifetime of
> achievements disappear in an instant. It can manifest itself in the form of a gesture, a look, a
> word or an action, but the result is often the same.
> 
> When the ego dominates our behaviour, it usually results in a victory for negativity and the
> forces of passivity or evil. Like a volcano ready to erupt, our egos constantly require the
> supervision of our higher, more spiritual nature.
> 
> In our human history and the history of different religions, we can find many examples of how
> this hidden enemy victimized even good-hearted and spiritual men and women, destroying the
> great achievements earned in a lifetime. It has been the cause of the downfall of a great many
> leaders and learners in all walks of life. They could not see it coming or recognize its imminent
> danger until it was too late. Great religious figures, philosophers, poets and people of vision such
> 
> as Rumi have recognized this truth and warned us to be aware of this invisible and elusive
> enemy.
> 
> We need to be aware of our egos’ demands and recognize its signs. This awareness is essential
> for those who want to progress in life both materially and spiritually. Though very difficult, there
> are ways that insistent self can be contained and subordinated with the help of two age-old
> methods used by different spiritual disciplines:
> 
> 1. Self-knowledge
> 
> Because it lets us take an inventory of our minds and souls, with honesty and the intention of
> discovering more about who you truly are, self-knowledge represents a valuable tool for
> controlling the ego. It allows us to find out what abilities we have to face our insistent self; and
> also helps us find the areas where we will likely be tested, where possibilities of failure exist.
> This ongoing process of self-examination requires the courage to face ourselves as who we are
> and not who we might wish to be. It requires honest self-examination, which the Baha’i
> teachings advise us to implement on a daily basis:
> 
> “Bring thyself to account each day ere thou art summoned to a
> reckoning; for death, unheralded, shall come upon thee and thou
> shalt be called to give account for thy deeds.” – Baha’u’llah
> An added benefit of self-knowledge is the spiritual growth and depth of understanding of that
> ongoing process. It requires a lifelong conversation that we need to have with ourselves.
> 
> 2. Meditation
> 
> Research has proven that meditation can strengthen the powers of your higher nature to deal with
> the challenges of life—and no challenge is bigger than the insistent self residing within.
> 
> We have to deal with our insistent self or ego; otherwise, it can undo any success or progress.
> Once we recognize it as a serious threat to our good efforts—that our lives and our efforts in this
> world and our progress in the next world depend on the decisions we make—we will recognize
> the necessity to be vigilant.
> 
> If we do not make the right decisions and give our higher nature the upper hand, we can easily
> fall victim to our lower nature. So we need to tune ourselves spiritually to make the right choices
> and receive the rewards and benefits of those choices. When we read the spiritual writings and
> meditate on their meaning, our souls are uplifted, affecting our decision-making. Our souls are
> tuned by reading, praying and meditating, and bringing ourselves to account each day. This
> important matter has great consequences in our lives, and we need to take the opportunity to
> adequately deal with it so that our lifelong achievements are not left to our egos.
> 
> Making Sense of Confusing Times
> 
> The events in the world these days baffle both the learned and the ignorant, confuse the young
> and the old, and perplex people of all ideologies and religions.
> 
> People ask what I think about the world’s seemingly unresolvable problems. I tell them that
> Baha’is believe humanity’s future is bright and that humanity cannot resolve these upheavals
> using ideologies of bygone days or even today’s digital database solutions.
> 
> I tell them the root cause of problems is the lack of morality and lack of spirituality.
> 
> Humanity has lost its moral compass, and even human history cannot help us find our way out
> because the rate of change has accelerated so fast that we have no historical reference point for it.
> But we do know how many times humanity has reached the point of no return and has found a
> way out of seemingly impossible situations. World War II is an excellent example of when
> everything seemed very dark and hopeless, yet the forces of good managed to prevail.
> 
> Regardless of history, though, it’s hard to deny the gravity of our present world situation: the
> plight of millions of refugees who are running from terror and economic misery; the extreme
> nationalism leading to the election of governments throughout the world that enforce strict
> border controls, leaving migrant populations to endure in demeaning conditions; climate change
> 
> that threatens the existence of the world to the point that the young generation wonders if it has a
> future; the religious fundamentalism and fanaticism spreading in every corner of the world, the
> glut of misinformation and propaganda that has replaced decency, respectful discourse and facts.
> 
> I see the present situation in the world as one in which humanity has turned its back to
> spirituality and morality and has chosen materialism to achieve its goal.
> 
> "That nothing short of the fire of a severe ordeal, unparalleled in its
> intensity, can fuse and weld the discordant entities that constitute
> the elements of present-day civilization, into the integral
> components of the world commonwealth of the future, is a truth
> which future events will increasingly demonstrate." – Shoghi
> Effendi
> Humanity today stands at a crossroads, and every individual has the privilege to be part of the
> plan to lead it towards unity and harmony.
> 
> So I tell my friends that though they have an accurate picture of the problems in the world, they
> are wrong to give up and accept defeat while the struggle between the forces of construction and
> destruction plays out all around us. These upheavals send us signals so we can play our part in
> preparing for a new spiritually-based system of global governance.
> 
> As for the present time trends, it seems that in most cases, kindness and cooperation towards our
> fellow man have taken a back seat to nationalism and self-interest. I believe that these trends are
> the “last hurrahs” of the decaying old order, whose followers are making a desperate attempt to
> hold on to political control. Yes, the changes in the world are rapid and confusing, and most of
> the people in charge of making policies and laws cling to short-sighted goals instead of working
> for the betterment of the conditions of the world in all areas of life.
> 
> But all of this upheaval provides us with the opportunity to re-examine our values, to take hold
> of the vision of a united and peaceful world, and become a powerful part of its construction of a
> better future.
> 
> Fasting a Time of Spiritual House Cleaning
> 
> Those who know me are aware of my love for fasting. I have participated in the Baha’i Fast, 19
> days of abstaining from food and drink between sunrise and sunset, every year since the age of
> 15.
> 
> Please don’t misunderstand me. Even with all these years of experience, my body has never liked
> it and has made it clear to me that it does not share my enthusiasm.
> 
> Baha’i fasting is both a physical and spiritual exercise, which is why I am so attracted to it.
> 
> I love fasting because I know as a human being during my daily life, I unknowingly subject my
> soul to many impurities, and with this awareness, fasting has become my annual “House
> Cleaning.”
> 
> In the same way that people clean their houses in the West before Christmas or in Iran before the
> New Year (Naw-Ruz), I do the cleaning with my soul.
> 
> My friends who are from different religions cannot understand why I put myself through this
> hardship. They think the Fast is not a good idea, but their concern allows me to inform them that
> fasting has been a part of most religions. When food is always available in modern life, people
> have forgotten about fasting to the extent that now they find it a strange practice. However,
> history gives us evidence of the existence of fasting in most cultures and religions.
> 
> Fasting has been part of coming-of-age preparations for adulthood. Boys from native cultures in
> North America would fast in the wilderness, seeking a vision of a guardian spirit. Hindus have
> some form of fasting, which is an avoidance of a particular food. Generally, the ladies fast for the
> sake of their husbands. The Sadhus of India and Sufis fast and meditate for enlightenment.
> Modern Jews fast for 24 hours as a penance.
> 
> Fasting is also very much part of the life of priests — holy men of various societies would fast in
> preparation for particular rituals. In most mystical and monastic traditions, fasting is practiced as
> a means of purification. Roman Catholics traditionally abstain from meat on days associated with
> the passion of Christ. Added to that list are the Manifestations of God, who fasted and meditated
> to commune with God.
> 
> Islam is one religion that strictly tries to observe the law of fasting. In addition to obligatory
> prayer, fasting is the essential ritual obligation of the Muslim; it is one of the five pillars of
> Islam. Fasting in Islam consists of deliberately abstaining from all food, drink, and sexual
> relations from the time of the first light before dawn until the last light after sunset. The Qur’an
> explicitly states that fasting is an obligation and has been central to earlier religions.
> 
> It is important to remember that the essence of fasting is the spiritual part of fasting. If depriving
> oneself of food was a sign of spirituality, then all the food insecure people in the world would be
> holy men and saints.
> 
> “For this material fast is an outer token of the spiritual fast; it is a
> symbol of self-restraint, the withholding of oneself from all appetites
> of the self, taking on the characteristics of the spirit, being carried
> away by the breathings of heaven and catching fire from the love of
> God.” –Abdu’l-Baha
> I believe that all the spiritual laws of God are for the benefit of humanity, and the direct gain is
> for the individual who obeys them and follows them.
> 
> Each year I pretend that I do not know anything about fasting and read the Holy Writings with an
> eager soul to uncover their mysteries and, combined with meditation, to try to get rid of the filth
> that has attached itself to my soul. In a way, it is a time of self-examination, and as I get older, I
> find more benefits in fasting.
> 
> Science has now found that intermittent fasting is very beneficial for our bodies. It maintains that
> by not eating for a length of time, the body gets to direct its energies towards repairs. This does
> not surprise me at all because I am discovering the wisdom and physical benefits of it. I am
> waiting for the day when humankind gets the chance to experience the sublime feeling of
> detachment from the body’s need for food and focuses on cleansing the spiritual aspect of their
> lives so that we can start the process of the unification of humanity.
> 
> It may look strange to connect fasting with unity, but if we think deeply, we realize that most
> conflicts and problems are caused by the lack of a spiritual approach to the issues. That makes
> fasting and praying the most effective tools. Souls are linked together with a string of divinity.
> 
> I hope this year I can again introduce my mind and soul to fasting and experience the sense of
> purification by following this instruction for my spiritual betterment.
> 
> Why We Can’t Forget the Pandemic’s Hard-Earned Lessons
> 
> Some countries are gradually lifting COVID-19 restrictions, and soon, we hope, life will get
> back to normal – but what will that new “normal” look like?
> 
> As painful and challenging as the pandemic is, it has brought many issues to the forefront for
> humanity to ponder and resolve. We obviously haven’t adequately dealt with those issues in the
> past. But as people speak about going back to “business as usual” when we can fully stop fearing
> COVID-19, I worry that the lessons the pandemic brought will be soon forgotten.
> 
> Human Fragility — and Our Spiritual Resilience
> 
> The COVID crisis has shown us that we are not invincible. No matter how many inventions and
> discoveries we make or how many gadgets we create to make life more convenient, we cannot
> protect ourselves from future pandemics that will kill millions of people if we do not come
> together and overcome our differences. A tiny virus, we now know, could jeopardize the survival
> of humanity. That stark fact has created a rude awakening for many.
> 
> However, the pandemic also proved the ingenuity and resilience of the human spirit gifted to us
> by God, as we rushed to heal the sick, create and distribute vaccines, and support each other
> through a global economic crisis.
> 
> This resilience has helped humanity progress since the very beginning of our species, when we
> faced fierce animals, survived famines, and endured wars. The human spirit can solve problems
> no matter how difficult and complex they are.
> 
> The Beauty and Tenderness of Humanity
> 
> We took many things for granted until the pandemic reminded us how vital they are for our
> emotional and physiological well-being.
> 
> For me, the biggest loss was the smiles. I love smiling, and I joked about how my smiles were
> wasted since nobody saw them under my mask. It was such a tragedy to not touch or hug our
> loved ones, and I hope that we never forget how essential that is for our happiness.
> 
> As we realized that there are other things in life, money became less important. We became less
> concerned with physical appearances. It was interesting for me to see so many singers that I
> admired sing in virtual concerts without all the tools to enhance the quality of their voices. I
> could listen to their natural voices and appreciate them more than the professionally produced
> versions. Hopefully, this time has helped us accept ourselves and others as we are.
> 
> The Importance of Nature
> 
> This lesson was an interesting one for two reasons: one, it affirmed the benefits of nature’s
> healing powers for humans’ psyche and happiness; two, it reminded us of the power of nature to
> heal itself. During the pandemic, nature made a remarkable recovery, proving that we can solve
> our environmental crisis if we take steps to reduce our carbon footprint.
> 
> I hope that seeing these changes has made us more sensitive to nature’s needs and motivated us
> to try to protect our environment before it is too late.
> 
> “We’re In This Together”
> 
> Ordinary people and politicians repeated this phrase time and again. Some used it as a slogan
> without fully understanding its implications.
> 
> The pandemic exposed to a greater degree the disparities in opportunity, healthcare, and financial
> security between communities of different races and genders in the workforce. People of colour
> suffered a greater infection rate and the greatest economic devastation, on top of a new wave of
> racially motivated violence in the United States, while women were forced to abandon the
> workforce at a greater rate than men. While we should have all been in this together, many found
> themselves at a disadvantage. Supporters of change convey that the time of talking has passed,
> and we need to take action to correct past errors.
> 
> We also learned that we could not depend on national boundaries to solve the problem of the
> pandemic. Although we put in place restrictions to movement, they exist because we all know
> that as long as the whole world isn’t vaccinated, the problem will not be solved.
> 
> We have lost so much during this pandemic. Millions of lives were cut short. Billions of dollars
> have been spent, and more will be spent for economic recovery. There are emotional scars to
> heal. It would be even more tragic if all the suffering goes for nought, and the lessons are
> forgotten.
> 
> The Importance of Prayer and Meditation
> 
> During the toughest moments of the pandemic, many of us found solace in prayer and
> reconnected with our meditation routines. Many adopted meditation into their daily lives or
> strongly felt the need for prayers for their spiritual health — even those who had not considered
> prayer as an option for their spiritual health before.
> 
> For me, meditation and prayer became an essential part of my daily routine. These
> words reassured me and helped me see the light at the end of the tunnel as I strived to function
> with a positive attitude:
> 
> “The darkness of this gloomy night shall pass away. Again the Sun
> of Reality will dawn from the horizon of the hearts. Have patience,
> wait but do not sit idle; work while you are waiting; smile when you
> are wearied with monotony; be firm while everything around you is
> being shaken; be joyous while the ugly face of despair grins at you;
> speak aloud while the malevolent forces of the nether world try to
> crush your mind; be valiant and courageous while men all around
> you are cringing with fear and cowardice … Continue your journey
> to the end. The bright day is coming.” - Abdu’l-Baha
> The suddenness of the pandemic and the speed with which it spread made us realize how
> uncertain life is and how, in no time, our world can drastically change. It has given us a hint of
> the problems that could develop if countries do not work together to solve problems, leaving
> behind political and financial greed, and showed us how we might prepare for such events in the
> future.
> 
> I hope that, even if we fully return to “normal” soon, we can carry these lessons with us so that
> tragedy may be averted and we can create a more peaceful, unified world.
> 
> Can We Have a Flag for Our Planet?
> 
> Lately, I’ve been wishing that we had a flag for our planet, along with our national flags.
> Wouldn’t it be great to have one universal banner that offers the Earth our commitment,
> allegiance, respect, and love?
> 
> Actually, the topic of flags has been occupying my mind and soul for a long time, but I have to
> start with a disclaimer to avoid misunderstanding or accusations of being unpatriotic: I am not
> against any flag or country and have nothing against loving one’s motherland or fatherland. I
> think that kind of patriotism shows the existence of passion, gratefulness, and loyalty.
> 
> But I do have a problem when those feelings of patriotism come at the cost of forgetting our love
> for our bigger home, our love for the whole Earth.
> 
> This feeling is very personal. While watching the Olympics or other sports, I sometimes feel like
> I have divided loyalties since I have lived in Iran, India, China, Latin America, and Canada.
> Wherever I lived, I felt that it was my country, and it was home to me.
> 
> How I wish we had a flag for the whole Earth – to show our love for it, salute it and even shed
> tears for its sad situation. By doing that, in reality, we show love for our individual countries,
> too.
> 
> How I wish we would not kill in the name of a small portion of the planet or wouldn’t hate
> people who live on the other side of a borderline drawn, not by God, but by man.
> 
> How I wish some of those tears shed when the national anthems are played would be shed for a
> flag that represented our entire planet. It saddens me to see so much love being misplaced. I fear
> that these strong national sentiments block our love for the wider world and humanity itself.
> They may stop us from expanding our minds and souls to see how we need each other, no matter
> which side of a border we live on.
> 
> How I wish humanity had not divided our God-given planet into different pieces, which have
> changed throughout human history due to conflict, violence, and bloodshed.
> 
> My feelings, like all Baha’is who consider humanity as one family and the whole Earth as one
> country, try to expand our horizons beyond our national and religious allegiances.
> 
> “A fundamental teaching of Baha’u’llah is the oneness of the world
> of humanity. Addressing mankind, He says, “Ye are all leaves of one
> tree and the fruits of one branch.” By this it is meant that the world
> of humanity is like a tree, the nations or peoples are the different
> limbs or branches of that tree, and the individual human creatures
> are as the fruits and blossoms thereof.” - Abdu’l-Baha
> There is no shame in loving our home country, but not at the cost of making that a reason to
> dislike or hate or make war against others from other parts of the planet.
> 
> Sadly, those ready to kill and die for their homeland ignore the needs of our real home, the Earth.
> Due to our narrow view of nationalism, our home is in danger of being destroyed.
> 
> Humanity has come a long way. I hope that soon we will reach our collective maturity and
> accept that we are all citizens of Mother Earth. She is our true country. Then we can direct our
> energies and resources to the world’s unification and healing the damages our ignorance and
> conflict have caused.
> 
> Making Economics Serve Humanity
> 
> Photo by Towfiqu barbhuiya on Unsplash
> 
> The recent pandemic has highlighted the glaring disparities in the economic system between the
> rich and the poor. On the one hand, we have the plight of poor people living under the poverty
> line and trying to survive the onslaught of miseries caused by financial hardship. In contrast, a
> small percentage of people continue to add billions to their already colossal wealth.
> 
> It upsets me because it looks like humanity has lost its consciousness and has become numb to
> the sufferings of the poor and underprivileged. I see the ever-widening gap between the poor and
> the rich getting wider and wider, yet there seems to be no solution in sight. That makes me more
> determined than ever to keep this issue alive and continue to address it.
> 
> We need Humanomics: a human system with human values, and less of economics to solve the
> inequalities in our economic system because a lack of humanity has been with the system since
> its inception and has had devastating effects on millions of lives.
> 
> The Baha’i Writings remind me to be aware of my role in taking care of the poor since my moral
> and spiritual duty is to protect and care for them:
> 
> “O Son of Man! Bestow My wealth upon My poor, that in heaven
> thou mayest draw from stores of unfading splendour and treasures
> of imperishable glory. But by My life! To offer up thy soul is a more
> glorious thing couldst thou but see with Mine eye.” -Baha’u’llah
> In addition to helping on an individual level, we need to work towards changing the economic
> system to make it more sensitive to people’s needs and inject morality and spirituality into it to
> serve humanity rather than humanity being sacrificed to make the system work.
> 
> This can only be done by practicing truthfulness, trustworthiness, and other moral values in our
> actions, especially in our economic activities. These activities are not just economical but
> spiritual.
> 
> The economic problems of the world will not be solved if we do not change the system. The
> present financial system is a by-product of the old order and was built on wrong assumptions. It
> is assumed that people only think of their interests and do not concern themselves with the plight
> of others. This assumption has been the engine for driving the system, and it has become a fertile
> ground for greed to spread in every aspect of human life, and we can see the result is the present
> economic injustices in the world.
> 
> The sad part about this is that every single day that this continues, thousands of people in the
> world will be dragged into a life full of economic challenges without any hope of remedy.
> 
> The essential element missing in the present economic system is justice, which should be its
> foundation. Economic justice these days is the scarcest commodity in the world.
> 
> I feel that every individual is responsible for trying to do his or her utmost to lessen the burden of
> poverty from the shoulders of our fellow humans so that every person in the world has the
> economic means to live a comfortable and fulfilled life — which is a fundamental human right
> for everyone.
> 
> Though the possibility of the economic system becoming more humane looks like a far-fetched
> dream, if we desire it and strive to attain it by playing our small part, we can transform this rigid
> system, which is currently devoid of spirit into a fantastic tool for the prosperity of humanity.
> 
> Is 'Fighting' still the only way of dealing with a problem?
> 
> Photo: Georges de la Tour - The Musicians' Brawl: Wikimedia Commons
> 
> There comes a time when, as human beings, we are powerless to solve some of our problems.
> The question remains, how do we want to deal with them? Having seen my loved ones going
> through cancer, the words “fighting cancer” have really struck a chord.
> 
> When we talk about ending the world’s injustices — poverty, racism, and sexism, we tend to use
> the same language. We often say we are “fighting” these things. And we absolutely should do
> everything we can to end these social and spiritual ills and ensure humanity’s unity, peace, and
> prosperity.
> 
> The question in my mind is, is “fighting” the only way to face the problems given to us?
> 
> I understand that anger can be the first reaction in grasping the reality of what has happened, and
> it is natural to react with rage for a short time. But scientific research shows that allowing this
> emotion to dominate for long periods has a negative effect on the body.
> 
> Common sense and the law of karma (for those who believe in it) encourages us to live with a
> positive view since whatever energy we put into the universe will eventually come back to us.
> You are what you think. Fighting needs anger, and when we are sick, we need peace more than
> anger because there is so much that needs our attention.
> 
> I wonder if there are other ways of approaching these situations rather than dealing with them
> with so much anger, especially since anger and high anxiety are the last things that the body and
> soul need.
> 
> When one of my most cherished friends got cancer, she was given little chance of surviving. She
> deliberately used the word “dealing” rather than “fighting” when talking about her condition.
> 
> Humanity has had to face many difficulties throughout the ages, such as fighting big animals in
> the Stone Age or enemies during the great wars in our history. We needed a fighting mentality
> that gave us motivation or the force to overcome adverse situations.
> 
> We live in a different world now, and our awareness has improved dramatically, and we know
> what our body and soul need to gain the strength to overcome or deal with difficult situations in
> life.
> 
> We know that peace of mind through meditation and prayers is an essential tool to solve lifethreatening problems. They give us guidance and strength to empower ourselves to follow a
> healthy diet of food and exercise and research other medical treatments that will help us to
> overcome the disease. There are a wealth of Writings that guide us to approach tests and deal
> with them.
> 
> I know so many cancer survivors (including my dear friend) and survivors of accidents and other
> tragedies. When asked what helped them, mostly they mentioned prayer and their family and
> friends good wishes that gave them the strength to deal with these challenges.
> 
> This logic helps me see the situation with a better frame of mind and soul to face the challenges
> that will always be part of our lives. Sometimes our language reflects our mentality. When we
> want to fight, we are angry. When we want to do the best we can, it may reflect a certain sense of
> serenity and acceptance.
> 
> We can also consider the “Will of God” and whether we should learn about it. I believe that it is
> a critical approach that some have found useful to help them to do the things within their powers
> and be detached from the outcome. Following this practice has created great contentment in me
> since I am satisfied that I have played my part and acknowledged that my efforts are not the only
> deciding factor. It can enable us to continue our efforts to serve humanity by relying on a higher
> power for assistance.
> 
> “Wert thou to consider this world, and realize how fleeting are the
> things that pertain unto it, thou wouldst choose to tread no path
> except the path of service to the Cause of thy Lord. None would
> have the power to deter thee from celebrating His praise, though all
> men should arise to oppose thee.” -Baha’u’llah
> I hope we can become more aware of our limited powers and use them wisely with a more
> mature and peaceful approach. The world is full of wars and can do without my declaration of
> 
> war on a disease or ideology. We need a new race of men and women who will do everything to
> bring about justice and unity and spend those energies to educate themselves and others.
> 
> "Badi Shams is a Baha’i and a mystic at heart. His field of interest is economics; he has
> published "Economics of the Future" and "Economics of the Future Begins Today" and recently
> written the books "Random Thoughts of a Mystic Economist" and "Towards a New Spiritual
> Economic System." You can find Badi's website at badishams.net called "Baha'i Inspired
> Economics" He is retired from the education system
> 
> "The Russians Love Their Children Too"
> 
> For those of us who are old enough to remember, this was the title of Sting’s song, "The
> Russians Love their Children Too" at the height of the Cold War, when the level of hatred for
> Russians had reached its highest. The song gently reminded us about the fundamental fact that no
> matter what country or political ideology we belong to, we are human first, and we have the
> same human emotions, such as love for our children.
> 
> The message in the song is still fresh and clear. It points us to the universal fact that parents
> everywhere love their children, worry about their future, and fear losing them.
> 
> Once again, the world has so much hatred and negative feelings. In particular, negative feelings
> toward Russia because of the war and the destruction in Ukraine.
> 
> The mass media’s coverage of this devastating war is comprehensive and detailed. Every death
> and bombarding is shown. Every tear shed, every story of Ukrainian suffering is reported.
> 
> Sadly, what is missing is seeing the faces of the dead Russian soldier’s mother and father, who
> do not even know where their son’s body lies. These soldiers were forced to leave home away
> from their parents to fight a war they most likely did not want. They were killed and left behind
> 
> the heartbreak for their grieving parents. The media has no access to these parents so that they
> can share their pain and agony, and that is a tragedy because “The Russians love their children
> too.”
> 
> Any human death is a tragedy. It does not matter if they are Ukrainian, Russian, American or
> German. The savagery of war has to stop.
> 
> “For thousands of years men and nations have gone forth to the
> battlefield to settle their differences. The cause of this has been
> ignorance and degeneracy. Praise be to God! In this radiant century
> minds have developed, perceptions have become keener, eyes are
> illumined and ears attentive. Therefore, it will be impossible for war
> to continue. Consider human ignorance and inconsistency. A man
> who kills another man is punished by execution, but a military
> genius who kills one hundred thousand of his fellow creatures is
> immortalized as a hero. One man steals a small sum of money and is
> imprisoned as a thief. Another pillages a whole country and is
> honored as a patriot and conqueror. A single falsehood brings
> reproach and censure, but the wiles of politicians and diplomats
> excite the admiration and praise of a nation!” -Abdu’l-Bahá
> How long does humanity need to realize that there is no winning for those who died and left
> behind their families to grieve? It is so sad that the young who have their whole lives ahead of
> them must pay the ultimate price of life in every war. How much longer will we glorify killings
> in our psyche and culture through songs and movies? We can if we want to put all these energies
> into educating humanity on ways to settle disputes through reasoning and peaceful methods.
> 
> We can not even imagine the amount of money and resources that could be saved by the nations
> not stockpiling weapons. All these savings could be used for constructive purposes such as
> eradicating diseases and eliminating poverty.
> 
> As we mourn every death in Ukraine, mourn the destruction of the country and other parts of the
> globe, let us also grieve with the mothers and fathers of the dead Russian soldiers who died by
> following orders. Those parents loved their children too.
> 
> Badi Shams is a Baha’i and a mystic at heart. His field of interest is economics; he has
> published "Economics of the Future" and "Economics of the Future Begins Today" and recently
> written the books "Random Thoughts of a Mystic Economist" and "Towards a New Spiritual
> Economic System." You can find Badi's website at badishams.net called "Baha'i Inspired
> Economics" He is retired from the education system
> 
> The Beauty and Benefits When East and West Meet: A
> Personal Experience
> 
> I have spent precisely half of my life in the global East, and the other half living in the West.
> East and West functioned as schools of learning for me, educating me in unique ways.
> 
> I feel like a lucky plant rooted in the soil of the East and watered and nurtured by the West, and
> the recipient of the best of both worlds.
> 
> History is full of records of the past contributions of the East in culture, art, music, architecture,
> sciences and literature. The physical evidence of some of the East’s rich cultures can still be seen
> today. The East is the birthplace of Zoroastrianism, Hinduism, Judaism, Islam, Buddhism,
> Christianity and many more religions.
> 
> On the other hand, the West has been the birthplace of many scientific discoveries and
> innovations that have advanced humanity and led to a better and more prosperous standard of
> living. Western science has discovered the smallest parts of atoms, mapped the DNA of the
> human body, and sent spaceships to distant planets looking for signs of life.
> 
> If I could describe the relation between East and West simplistically, I would use the metaphor
> of the heart and brain in the human body. With its deep roots in spirituality, the East functions
> like the heart, pumping the lifeblood of guidance and values; and the West, with its
> advancements in science and finance, functions as the brain.
> 
> “In these days the East is in need of material progress and the West
> is in want of a spiritual idea. It would be well for the West to turn to
> the East for illumination, and to give in exchange its scientific
> knowledge. There must be this interchange of gifts. The East and
> the West must unite to give to each other what is lacking. This union
> will bring about a true civilization, where the spiritual is expressed
> and carried out in the material.” - Abdu’l-Baha
> I do not think I fully understood the implications until our Baha’i community decided to adopt
> the community of Jaipur in India as its twin sister community and join forces and share
> experiences.
> 
> Soon, we found out that we are lucky in the West to have the financial means, but we lack
> human resources in our small community. In contrast, our friends in Jaipur have ample human
> resources, but they struggle with the finances to carry out activities.
> 
> Each member of our community feels a sense of pride and accomplishment due to this beautiful
> involvement and experience, helping with activities such as children’s classes, junior youth
> activities, and devotional gatherings there. Friends in Jaipur are very grateful for our financial
> support.
> 
> Although humanity is connected by physical means, people’s hearts are very distant from each
> other. Many walls, such as skin colour, nationality, religion, political views, and language, are
> hindering the East and the West from getting closer.
> 
> Whether from East or West, we all recognize that our world is getting smaller thanks to
> improvements in communication and transportation. This highlights the need for unified efforts
> by all countries to share resources for the betterment of the world.
> 
> I am not sure that our community’s small attempt to reach out to a community in the East will
> reduce the weight of the world’s problems. Still, it surely has given us a sense of pride that at
> least we are working to cooperate with our brothers and sisters on the other side of the planet.
> 
> "Badi Shams is a Baha’i and a mystic at heart. His field of interest is economics; he has
> published "Economics of the Future" and "Economics of the Future Begins Today" and recently
> written the books "Random Thoughts of a Mystic Economist" and "Towards a New Spiritual
> Economic System." You can find Badi's website at badishams.net called "Baha'i Inspired
> Economics" He is retired from the education system
> 
> Humanomics Is the Solution to Economic Problems
> 
> The recent pandemic has highlighted the glaring disparities in the economic system between the
> rich and the poor. On the one hand, we have the plight of poor people living under the poverty
> line and trying to survive the onslaught of miseries caused by financial hardship. In contrast, a
> small percentage of people continue to add billions to their already colossal wealth.
> 
> It upsets me because it looks like humanity has lost its consciousness and has become numb to
> the poor and underprivileged sufferings. I see the ever-widening gap between the poor and the
> rich getting wider and wider, yet there seems to be no solution in sight. That makes me more
> determined than ever to keep this issue alive and continue to address it.
> 
> I like to use the word "humanomics" to describe the solution to the inequalities in our economic
> system because a lack of humanity has been with the system since its inception and has had
> devastating effects on millions of lives.
> 
> The Baha'i Writings remind us to be aware of our role in taking care of the poor since our moral
> and spiritual duty is to protect and care for them.
> 
> "O SON OF MAN! Bestow My wealth upon My poor, that in heaven
> thou mayest draw from stores of unfading splendour and treasures
> of imperishable glory. But by My life! To offer up thy soul is a more
> glorious thing couldst thou but see with Mine eye." -Baha'u'llah
> In addition to helping on an individual level, we need to work towards changing the economic
> system to make it more sensitive to people's needs and inject morality and spirituality into it to
> serve humanity rather than humanity being sacrificed to make the system work. We need
> Humanomics: a human system with human values and less of economics.
> 
> This can only be done by practicing truthfulness, trustworthiness, and other moral values in our
> actions, especially in our economic activities. These activities are not just economical but
> spiritual.
> 
> The economic problems of the world will not be solved if we do not change the system. The
> present financial system is a by-product of the old order and was built on wrong assumptions. It
> is assumed that people only think of their interests and do not concern themselves with others'
> plight. This assumption has been the engine for driving the system, and it has become a fertile
> ground for greed to spread in every aspect of human life, and we can see the result is the present
> economic injustices in the world.
> 
> The sad part about this is that every single day that this continues, thousands of people in the
> world will be dragged into a life full of economic challenges without any hope of remedy.
> 
> The essential element missing in the present economic system is justice, which has to be its
> foundation. Economic justice these days is the scarcest commodity in the world
> 
> I feel that every individual is responsible for trying to do his or her utmost to lessen the burden of
> poverty from the shoulders of our fellow humans so that every person in the world has the
> economic means to live a comfortable and fulfilled life — which is a fundamental human right
> for everyone.
> 
> Though the possibility of the economic system becoming more humane looks like a farfetched
> dream, if we desire it and strive to attain it by playing our small part, we can transform this rigid
> system — which is currently devoid of spirit — into a fantastic tool for the prosperity of
> humanity.
> 
> Badi Shams is a Baha’i and a mystic at heart. His field of interest is economics; he has
> published "Economics of the Future" and "Economics of the Future Begins Today" and recently
> written the books "Random Thoughts of a Mystic Economist" and "Towards a New Spiritual
> Economic System." You can find Badi's website at badishams.net called "Baha'i Inspired
> Economics" He is retired from the education system."
> 
> Alleviating Poverty Through Virtues
> 
> For many years, I’ve tried to emphasize the need for humanity and morality in our economic
> systems – because I believe that lack of morality is the root cause of misery in the lives of
> billions of people.
> 
> Those people struggle daily to survive in the face of immoral economic injustice.
> 
> So in this brief essay, I will try to define economics as it is now practiced in most places, point
> out its problems, and suggest a remedy.
> 
> The complex subject of economics is hard to define, so here’s an easy way to understand it by
> going to the original root of the term: economics is derived from the Greek word “Oikonomia,”
> which refers to managing a household or family. This means, obviously, that an economic
> system is supposed to help us manage our households – not only in the individual sense but in
> the collective one, as well.
> 
> Every economic system, then, should exist to help sustain the welfare of all the human family
> members so at a minimum, they can live comfortable lives and share their resources and
> earnings. That way, no family member lives in poverty or privation, and humanity as a whole
> can live a stable and productive existence. Historically, when great disparities in wealth exist, it
> destablizes entire societies, provoking war and revolution – so a good economic system doesn’t
> only ensure prosperity, it also keeps the peace.
> 
> Sadly, as most of us know, this lack of reciprocal kindness means our current economic systems
> do not work well – in the human family, one in ten people lives on less than $2 a day. Globally,
> one-third of urban dwellers live in slums. What is the problem? Where did the system go wrong?
> 
> Perhaps the problem was exacerbated when Adam Smith, who observed economic activities in
> the marketplace as they relate to people’s behavior, made some assumptions and came up with a
> system. He assumed that everyone wants to maximize their satisfaction or profits, with selfinterest as the major motivation. He also said the market could correct itself, so no governmental
> intervention is necessary.
> 
> This made sense to many, but Mr. Smith’s system left little room for morality or human virtues.
> 
> In today’s economic reality, money has become like a religion; therefore, we follow the practice
> of everyone in it for themselves, making as much money as they want by any means. Nobody
> asks if someone is a good person or evinces praiseworthy actions. Many consider someone who
> is poor a failure because they believe we have been created to make money and get rich.
> 
> It is easy to criticize the system itself, but that does not solve the problem.
> 
> Instead, we can all have a hand in reforming the system when we start injecting virtues gradually
> and slowly into it so that it revives itself to become a system that is sensitive to the needs of
> humanity, sensitive to the poor people of the world, and responsive to the spiritual aspiration of
> human beings.
> 
> Every day we can practice virtues like truthfulness, kindness, generosity, and honesty in our
> economic activities. These spiritual virtues, common in all religions, create an environment of
> generosity, caring, and cooperation – all necessary for the poor to prosper. We can do the same
> by injecting human values into the political, educational, and other systems because all systems
> suffer from the same afflictions.
> 
> We must take action – because our inaction is partly responsible for the suffering of the poor. If
> we don’t change the system, millions of people will continue to live in misery every day,
> deprived of God’s purpose for them because they are too busy finding a few dollars to survive.
> 
> We need “Humanomics” – economics with human elements – because we are humans, and we
> all aspire to have those qualities and values. You may ask: how can we do this? What is my role?
> It is impossible to change a system, so why should I even try? All systems are subject to change,
> so, in countless small ways and some large ones, too, we all can make a difference.
> 
> We can create a yardstick that measures our material and spiritual achievements. A yardstick,
> which considers spirituality as well as material things, changes our perspective. At present,
> sadly, our measurements are incredibly lopsided.
> 
> That personalized economic yardstick involves an important measurement: simple living.
> Throughout history, a great many people were symbols of simplicity and lived a simple life,
> avoided materialism, and shared whatever they had with others. Simplicity also makes financial
> sense, which can relieve us of so many headaches.
> 
> The pandemic highlighted the poor’s plight, widening the gap even more between the rich and
> the poor, and now the war in Europe has dragged millions more into poverty and starvation. The
> need for action is dire and urgent. The Baha’i teachings urge every human being not to close
> their eyes to the sufferings of members of our human family:
> 
> “Fear the sighs of the poor and of the upright in heart who, at every
> break of day, bewail their plight ... They, verily, are thy treasures on
> earth. It behoveth thee, therefore, to safeguard thy treasures from
> the assaults of them who wish to rob thee. Inquire into their affairs,
> and ascertain, every year, nay every month, their condition, and be
> not of them that are careless of their duty.” -Baha’u’llah
> By introducing spiritual virtues into our economic life, we begin to revolutionize the economic
> system from within and change it to a humane system that meets the material needs and spiritual
> aspirations that God meant for everybody.
> 
> Badi Shams is a Baha’i and a mystic at heart. His field of interest is economics; he has
> published “Economics of the Future” and “Economics of the Future Begins Today” and has
> recently written the books “Random Thoughts of a Mystic Economist” and “Towards a New
> Spiritual Economic System.” You can find Badi’s website at badishams.net called “Baha’i
> Inspired Economics” He is retired from the education system.”
> 
> Butter Chicken and Oneness of Religions
> 
> I am very blessed to still be in touch with my ex-students. They are from all walks of life, and
> most of them now have children of their own. One of them is Derek, who has the purest heart
> and regularly visited me in my office during his school years, and we kept in touch after my
> retirement.
> 
> He has been to my house helping me with my garden work, and I have cooked food for him. He
> told me that he wanted to cook for me and bring it to my home.
> 
> I asked what he was planning to cook, and he said, “butter chicken.” On my part, I told him that I
> would cook rice and make the salad.
> 
> On the appointed date, Derek called to say that his father had come to visit him from another
> town and asked if he could come too. I said that he was very welcome.
> 
> On that day, I had promised an Iranian Muslim lady that she could come to my house to pick
> some fruits and I invited her to eat with us also. She is new to town, and her work has brought
> her here.
> 
> After eating the food, we started to talk about the sad situation of the world and all the crises.
> Both the Muslim lady and Derek’s father are strong in their beliefs.
> 
> The Iranian lady was furious at the situation in Iran and how the mullahs had lied to people and
> misled the public. She believed that they had done things that had damaged Islam.
> 
> Derek’s father, a Catholic, was not happy about the role of the clergy in his church. He felt the
> same as the Iranian lady and said that he was disappointed with what had happened in the name
> of Christianity.
> 
> I mentioned that the Baha’is believe that all religions are fundamentally one and differ only in
> their social laws. I used the metaphor that religions are like pure healing water streaming down
> the mountain, and leaders use it as a political means, polluting the water.
> 
> At the end of our two-hour discussion and sharing our feelings and ideas, we agreed that the only
> solution to solving the world’s problems is for all nations to become united in their efforts and
> find a religion that combines all the religions in one.
> 
> After they left, I realized what an amazing thing had happened. A Muslim, a Baha’i and a
> Christian of different ages agreed on the need for a universal and all-inclusive religion.
> 
> It was a miracle that three different people who did not know each other and with solid religious
> beliefs expressed views respectfully and lovingly. There was harmony and friendliness in the air.
> 
> What made all of us with different age groups and views experience this? As if a mysterious
> force took over the discussion and led us to that conclusion. Maybe it is because of helplessness
> felt worldwide due to overwhelming crises that highlighted the need for a solution. With all its
> unsolved issues and barely recovering from the pandemic, humanity has been forced to reflect
> and do some soul-searching to counter the dangers ahead. The spirit of unity and oneness is at
> work with full force. The unity of humankind is not an ideal or empty slogan anymore. It is the
> only way out left for the survival of wayward humanity.
> 
> Now I am left with the memory of that beautiful night when we relished our oneness and the
> delicious food – butter chicken for the body and the soul.
> 
> "Badi Shams is a Baha’i and a mystic at heart. His field of interest is economics; he has
> published "Economics of the Future" and "Economics of the Future Begins Today" and recently
> written the books "Random Thoughts of a Mystic Economist" and "Towards a New Spiritual
> Economic System." You can find Badi's website at badishams.net called "Baha'i Inspired
> Economics" He is retired from the education system
> 
> My Brother’s Keeper: 9 Economic Tips for Uniting Humanity
> 
> “Am I my brother’s keeper?” Cain asked God after slaying his brother Abel. That famous
> question from Genesis forms one of the primary moral lessons of Judaism and Christianity – and
> of all religion.
> 
> In the Torah, Abraham and Moses asked us to be our brother’s keeper. In the New Testament,
> Christ asked everyone to be their brother’s brother.
> 
> Can you imagine a world where most people follow that spiritual advice?
> 
> Along those lines, one of the solutions to contemporary issues explained in the Baha'i writings
> deals with solving our economic problems using spiritual solutions. We need that approach to
> inequality, because economic injustices have reached a critical level in today’s world. Millions
> of our brothers and sisters suffer, dragged into a life of poverty every day.
> 
> Since my field of interest is economics, I concentrate on the sufferings caused by the
> mismanagement of the world’s economic resources, which has left billions of people in misery,
> not having enough to eat – and others who have billions and find ridiculous ways of hoarding it
> or wasting it.
> 
> The rest of us, who are neither rich nor poor, can feel powerless about this unjust disparity. We
> may think we cannot do anything to bring about a change, and must wait for the arrival of a new
> system. I do not accept this excuse, and believe we can gradually change the economic system by
> 
> injecting morality and humanity into it, all while participating in our own economic activities.
> The global, democratically-elected administrative body of the world’s Baha’is, recently wrote:
> 
> Every choice a Baha'i makes — as employee or employer, producer
> or consumer, borrower or lender, benefactor or beneficiary —
> leaves a trace, and the moral duty to lead a coherent life demands
> that one's economic decisions be in accordance with lofty ideals, that
> the purity of one's aims be matched by the purity of one's actions to
> fulfil those aims. - The Universal House of Justice
> My book “Economics of the Future Begins Today” has a chapter called "Practical Economic
> Suggestions for Everyday Use." Here are 9 of them:
> 
> 1. Changing our mindset. The first action we call all take is internal – by changing our
> mindset and recognizing that the moral economics is fundamentally different and is based
> on spiritual and moral principles. “The secrets of the whole economic
> question are Divine in nature, and are concerned with the
> world of the heart and spirit.” - Abdu’l-Baha
> 2. Pay a fair price. If you feel that the price of something is too low, pay more than the
> asking price. One of the most beautiful things related to economic activities is the
> commitment of fair-minded people to disregard existing prices and pay more, because
> they believe their estimate of the price to be just.
> 
> 3. Share profits with employees. The workers need to have a share of the profits. Besides
> profit-sharing, there are many ways to help. Get medical coverage for employees.
> Support the emotional and physical well-being of employees. Taking care of workers is a
> privilege and an opportunity to serve people. Looking for such opportunities is a beautiful
> act.
> 
> 4. Pay fair wages, not based on what society dictates. We do not need to follow the
> minimum wage guidelines. Society's wage guidelines should not prevent us from paying
> more if we think that is fair.
> 
> 5. Require reasonable interest rates. If you lend money, ask for a reasonable interest rate,
> not the maximum one. The interest rate has to be fair and reasonable. Banks should not
> be the only ones setting interest rates.
> 
> 6. Participate in social and economic projects. We can help change the world for the
> better by getting involved in these kinds of projects – they can represent a valuable way
> of learning and contributing.
> 
> 7. Create a consciousness of the human family. Your welfare, well-being and happiness
> ultimately depend on the welfare, prosperity and happiness of every poor, needy, and
> underprivileged person in the world. The real meaning of the oneness of humankind will
> come into being when we see others as members of our family.
> 
> 8. Give generously to those working for minimum wage or earning very little. We can
> find ways to pay more to all those working for a minimum wage, be it in the form of a
> generous tip or giving more than the asking price to street sellers who earn a pittance
> from their sales. How can we otherwise reduce the gap between the rich and the poor if
> we do not make selfless contributions?
> 
> 9. Be considerate to those who rent from you. Be sensitive to the situation of everyone. If
> they are in trouble, be flexible with their rent payments. Let them miss a payment or part
> of a payment. Besides the spiritual satisfaction you feel, you also gain a tenant who cares
> for you and your property and will use it as if it's theirs. It makes economic sense since
> you will probably lessen the cost of repairs.
> 
> Each of these tips can help us apply spiritual counsels to prefer his brother above himself. First,
> though, we all must evolve to the point where we see the oneness of the human family, and see
> all people as our brothers and sisters.
> 
> "Badi Shams is a Baha’i and a mystic at heart. His field of interest is economics; he has
> published "Economics of the Future" and "Economics of the Future Begins Today" and recently
> written the books "Random Thoughts of a Mystic Economist" and "Towards a New Spiritual
> Economic System." You can find Badi's website at badishams.net called "Baha'i Inspired
> Economics" He is retired from the education system."
> 
> We Need to Replace Money as a Measure of Success
> 
> Humanity needs a new yardstick to measure achievement—today, we quantify it with money and
> material gain, the worst possible way to evaluate true success in life.
> 
> Money serves as an inadequate way to measure life’s achievements. How can a solely
> materialistic tool pass judgment and render a verdict on our life’s attainments?
> 
> We need to replace money as a measure of success with a more spiritual or humane one.
> However, that would necessarily involve a revolution in our current system of values in fighting
> the cancer of materialism that has eaten into every fabric of our lives and endangered the future
> of humankind and the planet.
> 
> One of the most significant driving forces globally is and has traditionally been the desire for
> money. So many wars have been fought for it, and millions of lives have been lost for it. No
> aspect of modern life seems immune from its spell.
> 
> Accordingly, we must look for a better place to invest our God-given gift of life with all its
> talents and abilities. This gift of life—meant to be spent on acquiring spiritual qualities,
> knowledge, and the sciences and arts—does not focus on transitory achievements and material
> goods. Life serves a higher cause than money.
> 
> So the time has come to try to create and define a new and comprehensive yardstick that covers
> all areas of our lives, reflecting our spiritual and human achievements alongside the material
> ones. This new yardstick will help us understand and work on all aspects of our lives—not just
> material prosperity. Then we can rationally decide the importance of money or lack of money in
> our lives and to what extent we have to invest our energies in it.
> 
> The Baha’i teachings say there is nothing wrong with money as a tool as long as we know its use
> and its danger to our life goals. It can be given value for measurement, then, as long as it serves
> its purpose:
> 
> “Wealth is praiseworthy in the highest degree, if it is acquired by an
> individual’s own efforts and the grace of God, in commerce,
> agriculture, art and industry, and if it be expended for
> philanthropic purposes. Above all, if a judicious and resourceful
> individual should initiate measures which would universally enrich
> the masses of the people, there could be no undertaking greater than
> this, and it would rank in the sight of God as the supreme
> achievement, for such a benefactor would supply the needs and
> insure the comfort and well-being of a great multitude. Wealth is
> most commendable, provided the entire population is
> wealthy.” – Abdu’l-Baha
> If we move our measurement of achievement away from money, what should our yardstick
> measure? We might want to change our focus to spiritual qualities or virtues such as
> trustworthiness, truthfulness, tolerance, generosity, compassion,
> love, faithfulness, flexibility, forgiveness, friendliness, gentleness, helpfulness, honesty, honour,
> humility, idealism, joyfulness, justice, kindness, loyalty, mercy, moderation, tact, thankfulness,
> tolerance, trust, and unity among others.
> 
> Suppose we adopted trustworthiness and truthfulness as moral measuring tools to reflect more on
> our spiritual progress than money. In that case, that new yardstick could become a source of
> encouragement for many people who think they have failed in life. This would create a new way
> of getting rich in a real sense and leaving the rat race of material acquisition—a step in the right
> direction that would lead towards transformation into a new race of more spiritual human beings.
> 
> Badi Shams is a Baha’i and a mystic at heart. His field of interest is economics; he has
> published “Economics of the Future” and “Economics of the Future Begins Today” and
> recently written the books “Random Thoughts of a Mystic Economist” and “Towards a New
> Spiritual Economic System.” You can find Badi’s website at badishams.net called “Baha’i
> Inspired Economics” He is retired from the education system.
> 
> Trauma: How Can We Heal Our Wounded Souls?
> 
> You’ve likely heard of PTSD – post-traumatic stress disorder – but have you heard yet about
> PCSD? That acronym stands for post-Covid stress disorder, a newly emerging effect of the
> pandemic.
> 
> Increasingly, mental health professionals recognize that the global Covid-19 pandemic has
> wounded the entire world’s emotions. Our souls suffer from that trauma. That seems logical
> since millions have died from the disease, and billions are at risk, causing severe stress, anxiety,
> depression, and fear.
> 
> Do you feel it? Most people do, and it has led to a wider recognition of the role trauma plays in
> our lives.
> 
> The Impact of Mental Trauma
> 
> Many societies around the world have begun to recognize the impact of mental trauma, no matter
> the cause. Athletes who have recently withdrawn from the Olympics and other events emphasize
> the importance of their emotional health and well-being by highlighting the stress they feel. This
> is a healthy sign – their withdrawal from these events sends a signal that emotional health is
> 
> more important than fame, medals, and trophies and permits more people to recognize their own
> trauma.
> 
> Medical science has made tremendous achievements in curing our physical diseases, but sadly
> we have little advanced understanding of the causes of mental and emotional ills. However, with
> greater knowledge of the brain’s functioning in the future, we will hopefully have a better chance
> of receiving the correct remedies for the myriad of mental illnesses and traumas people
> experience.
> 
> Humanity has long dealt with emotional issues at every level in every profession, but the general
> advice so far has been to “toughen up.” That approach doesn’t work, which means failing to
> recognize and then forcibly moving on through the pain and stress. Of course, to achieve a goal
> in life, one must expend effort, go through some difficulties and stress, and make sacrifices. The
> question is, to what extent do the limits of emotional endurance have to be pushed to achieve
> those goals?
> 
> We have made heroes of people who ignored extreme stresses and pains to achieve their goals,
> but few cared enough to find out later about the emotional and psychological cost of that course
> of action. What price did those people pay with their bodies and their emotional health?
> 
> Medicating Emotional Problems
> One of the few currently available alternatives to just ignoring the inner pain of trauma –
> psychoactive medications – has helped many. So far, in our fairly limited knowledge of how to
> treat psychological and emotional trauma, the remedies have generally involved pills of different
> varieties for every disorder. In many instances, individuals consult professionals who prescribe
> medications along with their counselling sessions. Some of these medications work well, but
> others have significant side effects and may ultimately create more problems than they solve.
> 
> During my own work in the public school system, it surprised me that many of the students who
> could not cope with the system were given medicine to calm them down. Sadly, many of them
> behaved like zombies after taking those medications, which left them without sufficient energy
> or drive to accomplish anything.
> 
> The reality: emotional health is very complicated. Many experts are looking for solutions, but we
> have not yet progressed to the point that we know how to determine the root cause of emotional
> issues, so, in the meantime, we resort to medicines that may be band-aid solutions. Thankfully
> there is increased awareness in this field, and more books have been written, and more support
> groups are created every day. There have been significant improvements in finding new ways of
> talking about and tackling these issues.
> 
> So far, Western medicine has mostly avoided treating these kinds of afflictions with anything but
> medication. However, we need to further explore the spiritual methods and solutions for these
> problems, like counselling, consultation, and other kinds of more spiritually-based therapies. If
> we do not approach these challenges with the right tools, the present solutions may end up as
> good attempts but failures nevertheless.
> 
> There is no doubt that medical sciences have made significant progress. But it is time to face
> trauma and the emotional issues it produces with a new and different approach – to acknowledge
> that the root cause of many of these issues is spiritual, and then introduce spiritual methods to
> deal with them permanently. For example – we now have countless proven and effective
> methods of relaxation and meditation in every corner of the world based on some ancient
> philosophies, traditions and religions. New techniques are also being invented every day. Thanks
> to social media, they are easily accessible in the comforts of our homes.
> 
> Prayers are essential for any healing. Almost all religions have healing prayers.
> 
> “Thy name is my healing, O my God, and remembrance of Thee is
> my remedy. Nearness to Thee is my hope, and love for Thee is my
> companion. Thy mercy to me is my healing and my succor in both
> this world and the world to come. Thou, verily, art the All-
> Bountiful, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.” -Baha’u’llah
> Most emotional problems can be remedied temporarily with the help of medicine, but the
> question remains whether they sufficiently address the origin or the causes of these issues. The
> future direction of solutions to mental and emotional challenges is essential for humanity’s
> happiness, well-being, and progress. We have to widen our horizons in search of the most
> effective answers, and that search deserves wholehearted and earnest striving on everyone’s part.
> 
> Badi Shams is a Baha’i and a mystic at heart. His field of interest is economics; he has published
> "Economics of the Future" and "Economics of the Future Begins Today" and recently written the
> books "Random Thoughts of a Mystic Economist" and "Towards a New Spiritual Economic
> System." You can find Badi's website at badishams.net called "Baha'i Inspired Economics" He is
> retired from the education system
> 
> Defending the Essence of All Religions
> 
> Recently I revisited this profound quote from the Baha’i writings, and this time it penetrated my
> soul and made me clearly see what is happening all around us in every part of the world:
> 
> “The vitality of men’s belief in God is dying out in every land;
> nothing short of His wholesome medicine can ever restore it. The
> corrosion of ungodliness is eating into the vitals of human society;
> what else but the Elixir of His potent Revelation can cleanse and
> revive it?” - Baha’u’llah
> He diagnoses humanity’s primary problem in two sentences and suggests the remedy. It makes
> me realize that humanity’s peace and salvation are in God’s hands – and in our hands, too.
> 
> We need to retain the great spiritual laws taught by all Faiths – while, at the same time, adjusting
> the social laws inspired by those religions to the needs of the time.
> 
> In recent times, I’ve found myself defending Islam from the criticisms of Muslims themselves –
> those who feel fed up with the mullahs and the fanaticism of some other Muslims and who no
> longer want anything to do with Islam as a result. Mounting that defence has proven difficult
> since most people cannot or will not differentiate mullahs’ actions from Islam’s inherent
> spirituality and essential teachings.
> 
> By the same token, I have defended Christianity from Christians who want nothing more to do
> with the priests and other Christians who have damaged the image of Christianity with their
> actions.
> 
> This has made me more determined to counsel disheartened Muslims, Christians, and followers
> of other religions, urging them not to “throw the baby out with the bathwater.” That’s where the
> rejection of religion generally comes from, in my experience – people cast doubt on the spiritual
> laws of their Faiths when they simply need to re-examine the social laws inspired by their
> religions, which are subject to change.
> 
> So the spread of irreligiousness today has added another role to the principal aim of the Baha’i
> Faith, which is to work towards achieving the oneness of humanity. Since the magnetism of
> religion is losing power and becoming more irrelevant in the eyes of the world, Baha’is defend
> each religion’s essence and the sacredness of the Holy Books and their Authors – because
> Baha’is believe that all religions are one. Therefore Baha’is defend the spirituality of all of the
> great religions.
> 
> Humanity needs to face the unprecedented crises of today with all of its spiritual tools at the
> ready, and its future rests on the degree of the unification of all countries and of all religions.
> Sadly, the pure water of the messages of spiritual healing has been combined with so many
> impurities that it no longer possesses all of its original healing qualities.
> 
> What the world needs today is not the destruction of all things sacred and moral in the name of
> freedom of speech and action. That sense of the sacred is the cause of our salvation – and it
> stems originally from the holy books of all religions.
> 
> Defending those spiritual values and the origin of those teachings in all religions is our moral
> duty. Since all Faiths are essentially one, they’re all part of our Faith. As I maintain friendships
> with people of different Faiths, I try to ensure that they know my respect for their Messengers,
> and their Holy Books, because they are all part of my religion.
> 
> Badi Shams is a Baha’i and a mystic at heart. His field of interest is economics; he has
> published "Economics of the Future" and "Economics of the Future Begins Today" and recently
> written the books "Random Thoughts of a Mystic Economist" and "Towards a New Spiritual
> Economic System." You can find Badi's website at badishams.net called "Baha'i Inspired
> Economics" He is retired from the education system.
> 
> Hummingbirds Teach a Lesson on Thankfulness
> 
> Today the world is experiencing great confusion that has made humanity forget some
> fundamental values that could save us from great misery – one of these forgotten values is
> thankfulness.
> 
> A sense of entitlement pervades many cultures and prevents them from appreciating the gifts
> given to them. Sadly, for many, that sense of entitlement has replaced gratefulness.
> 
> Some people spend more time pointing to the things they demand and not enough time
> appreciating their blessings for the things they have. Regrettably, gratefulness and thankfulness
> have become scarce commodities.
> 
> God wants nothing from us but our love, and in return, He provides us with the vast universe and
> everything in it as our playground to enjoy.
> 
> “Consider what a kind Father He is. He bestows His gift before you
> ask. We were not in the world of existence, but as soon as we were
> born, we found everything prepared for our needs and comfort
> without question on our part. He has given us a kind father and
> compassionate mother, provided for us two springs of salubrious
> milk, pure atmosphere, refreshing water, gentle breezes and the sun
> shining above our heads”. -Abdu’l-Baha
> I am incredibly grateful for the gifts of the Baha’i writings that guide me throughout my life.
> 
> All religious guidance sent for our benefit can help us. In return, we must try to know God and
> show our gratitude. Understanding God and our relation to Him is complex, and we will never
> get to know Him due to our limited ability to comprehend Him. But luckily, a recent personal
> experience helped me see what my relationship with my Creator could be and reinforced my
> gratefulness for His gift of life.
> 
> I have a beautiful garden, my prize material possession, with a wide variety of flowers and fruit
> trees. Flowers attract birds and insects, and among them are a few families of hummingbirds who
> enjoy the flowers I have planted and the feeders that I have put out for them. I felt happy to see
> that they enjoyed the feeders, but the fact that they fought over them saddened me. I wished they
> would stop fighting, start sharing and live peacefully together in this beautiful garden.
> 
> The hummingbirds liked the feeders so much that they decided not to migrate. Instead, they have
> stayed the winter with me for the past few years. I kept the feeders full for the whole winter since
> there were no flowers or other food sources. One winter was extremely cold, and the temperature
> went below zero. The feeders would freeze at night, so I had to defrost them every morning and
> put them out again. One day, as I was putting out a feeder for these tiny birds and watching their
> happiness, I realized they would die if I did not feed them.
> 
> How I wished that they knew how much I loved them. They didn’t realize that their life was in
> my hands — or that I made sure they were provided for — because of my love for them. Nobody
> asked me to do that. At that moment, it dawned on me that this is what God wishes for us:
> recognition and gratitude in return for His gifts.
> 
> Unlike the hummingbirds who have no idea of the gifts given to them, I hope we recognize the
> Creator’s gift of life and His love for us. He has made provisions for all our needs. All we have
> to do is to acknowledge them and be grateful for them.
> 
> “Badi Shams is a Baha’i and a mystic at heart. His field of interest is economics; he has
> published “Economics of the Future” and “Economics of the Future Begins Today” and has
> recently written the books “Random Thoughts of a Mystic Economist” and “Towards a New
> Spiritual Economic System.” You can find Badi’s website at badishams.com called “Baha’i
> Inspired Economics” He is retired from the education system.”
> 
> Have the Rich Accepted the Call to Help the Poor?
> 
> We’ve all noticed the contrast between the constructive and destructive forces at play in our
> lives. They affect all aspects of life, including the world’s great poverty and wealth disparities,
> for good and bad.
> 
> Sadly, our media outlets generally cover negative news and even sensationalize it, which means
> the news of so many remarkable, uplifting events and positive philanthropic works do not get the
> coverage they need or deserve.
> 
> One of these positive developments, which has been largely ignored or met with a suspicious
> mindset, is the emerging trend in which an increasing number of rich people voluntarily give
> their wealth to the needy. The statistics show that a growing number of billionaires, millionaires,
> and yes, even regular folks are actively donating more money to charitable causes.
> 
> In our world today, wealthier people and nations have begun to be more concerned with playing
> their role in solving some of the problems of the poor and needy..
> 
> This news has not filtered down to most people, however. Many still believe that the wealthy do
> not care for the poor at all, and that their donations have selfish motives, such as tax deductions.
> That’s certainly true of some wealthy individuals, but today more money is flowing to charities
> and relief organizations than ever before – and much of it comes from the massive donations
> wealthy individuals and corporations make.
> 
> We can view this trend as the first clumsy step of a child learning to walk since the rich are in
> uncharted territory of giving rather than taking. Like a child trying to walk who repeatedly falls,
> mistakes are part of learning; however, this early attempt is moving in the right direction, no
> matter how imperfect it might look now.
> For example: when it was reported that Bill Gates had given $6 billion to charities, the news
> generally went unnoticed. Few saw his act as positive and worthy of praise. This indifference
> occurred despite ample proof that some of the wealthy do care deeply for their fellow human
> brothers and sisters. They should be recognized for this and praised and encouraged. As
> responsible citizens, we must give credit where credit is due.
> 
> The Baha’i writings speak very clearly about the moral obligation of those who possess great
> wealth and the heavenly rewards awaiting those rich people who help the poor through charitable
> acts.
> 
> “Man reacheth perfection through good deeds, voluntarily
> performed, not through good deeds the doing of which was forced
> upon him. And sharing is a personally chosen righteous act: that is,
> the rich should extend assistance to the poor, they should expend
> their substance for the poor, but of their own free will, and not
> because the poor have gained this end by force.” - Abdu’l-Baha
> Not every wealthy person is selfish and heartless. I believe as humanity gradually evolves, the
> rich will start changing their attitudes toward wealth, finding the most satisfaction when they
> spend their wealth on their fellow human beings rather than hoarding it or spending it on
> themselves. Below are some stats on the spending of the wealthy.
> 
> Statistics on Philanthropy.
> As an example from just one country, Americans and U.S.-based organizations gave about
> $484.85 billion to national charities in 2021. That number increased 4 percent from the previous
> year’s estimated $466.23 billion, according to Giving USA, as the Lilly Family School of
> Philanthropy reported. Some of the wealthiest Americans gave as much as $15 billion during the
> year, which represented 5 percent of all giving by individuals.
> 
> A few of the highlights from Giving USA's annual report include:
> 
> •   Roughly $326.87 billion in donations by individuals
> •   An estimated $90.88 billion by foundations and other organizations
> •   More than $46 billion through bequests, which are made through trusts and wills
> •   More than $28 billion in corporate donations
> 
> The Giving Pledge
> 
> The Giving Pledge, started in 2010 in an effort by Bill Gates, Melinda French Gates, and Warren
> Buffett, aims to get billionaires to donate more than half of their wealth to charity. That Pledge
> has set a new standard of generosity among the ultra-wealthy – to date, 230 individual
> billionaires from 28 countries have signed the pledge.
> 
> Today, more than ever in history, negativity has darkened people’s minds. In the face of that
> force, our moral duty is to remind ourselves and others about the daily positive actions around us
> and magnify them to offset the negative forces. The rich, too, need our support and
> encouragement. Who can judge and say that the rich have no heart? Many wealthy individuals
> have proven that it is possible to become attracted to God’s mercy.
> 
> Badi Shams is a Baha’i and a mystic at heart. His field of interest is economics; he has
> published "Economics of the Future" and "Economics of the Future Begins Today" and recently
> written the books "Random Thoughts of a Mystic Economist" and "Towards a New Spiritual
> Economic System." You can find Badi's website at badishams.net called "Baha'i Inspired
> Economics" He is retired from the education system.
> 
> My Little Fighter and his Message
> 
> I am a bird lover and have had many birds as pets, and I let them fly around the house. But
> starlings are on my hate list.They come in great numbers, like a gang of ruffians, attack my fruit
> orchard and, in a few minutes, destroy the result of my hard work and leave a devastating scene
> behind. They eat and throw away my black cherries, my black and white prized mulberries, and
> my figs.
> 
> I spend most of my summer rushing out of the sunroom into the garden to shoo them away. The
> recent sound of their chirping raised a sense of urgency to go to the garden to discourage them
> from hanging around the garden.
> 
> Irritated, I clapped hard and threw water at the big cherry tree, thinking they were there, even
> though I could not see them. The chirping continued, and I felt helpless to defend my fruits. This
> went on for a couple of days, and I could still hear their loud voices, but I couldn’t find them. On
> the third day, in the early morning, I heard very close to me the sound of movement in the wall
> of the bathroom.
> 
> My house is 110 years old with many places where different creatures can enter for a visit. I have
> accepted that I must co-exist with them, even though it makes me unhappy. I listened carefully,
> realizing the sound was behind the wall and the creature could not go anywhere. I thought it
> could not be a rat since they run away fast when they hear a sound and I make a noise to scare
> them. My efforts were useless, and the noise sounded like a bird flapping its wings.
> 
> After some thought, I concluded that it could be a bird that had fallen through, meaning there
> was a nest in the attic. I knew it must be the pesky starling nesting there and babies torturing me
> with their cries and ready to destroy more of my fruit. So, in anger, I took a flashlight and went
> to the dark and narrow attic, where I could hear the chirping. There he was, a loud mouthpiece of
> meat with eyes closed and beak open, making a scene as if being beaten by me. I lifted him and
> he tried to bite me, wanting to get away. I was angry and confused. My enemy in my house at
> my mercy and fighting me. How dare he? What does this little thing think he is? He was away
> from any nest. With a little distaste I put the loudmouth baby on the floor, thinking the parents
> would take care of him. Later I realized that was a mistake since, for some reason, no parents
> appeared and there were two chicks left hungry and out of the nest. The quiet one found a hole
> between two wooden studs that were a few inches apart and fell to the floor behind the wall.
> Because he was quiet and did not make a sound, I assumed that he had died shortly after.
> 
> On a later visit, I found the nest, which was on a platform half a meter from the floor. The nest
> was not deep, and any movement of the chicks would have caused them to fall and that’s exactly
> what happened.
> 
> I felt terrible for the chick’s death and thought to do something for the other one, and against my
> dislike for starlings, I decided to take care of him, remembering these words:
> 
> “Ye must not only have kind and merciful feelings for mankind, but
> ye should also exercise the utmost kindness towards every living
> creature.” - Abdu’l-Baha
> So, I went up to the attic and looked for him and could hear him but could not see him. It was
> then that I discovered a poorly constructed nest.
> 
> I looked for him everywhere, but he was under the insulation underneath the attic floor and could
> not be reached. I gave up and returned, but I could hear him, which made me miserable since I
> could not help him. I felt he was calling me for help, and since his parents had abandoned him, I
> was his only saviour.
> 
> I made the TV sound loud so I could not hear his cries. He was a bundle of energy and cried
> loudly and continuously without breaks. It tore my heart out. I did not know what to do except
> repeat saying, “I am so sorry, I cannot help you,” or “It is not my fault that your parents built a
> bad nest.” I talked to him to ease my conscience.
> 
> I knew there was a lesson in this for me, but I did not know what kind of lesson. Maybe he was
> born to teach me a lesson about the love and the preciousness of life.
> 
> I was in emotional hell, and I knew the end. But the end was not coming soon enough for him
> and me. I heard his flapping now; he was also on the floor behind the wall.
> 
> My misery knew no limits since now I clearly understood the agonizing end of my unwanted
> guest, who I now deeply cared for, wished for, and prayed for his survival, which was impossible
> because he had fallen behind the wall behind the bathtub.
> 
> I called him the “Little Fighter”, who would not give up easily and was fighting for his life. I
> cannot describe the change in my feeling from indifference when I held him in my hand and now
> my praying for the cries to stop.
> 
> The cries mercifully stopped the following day and, as I pondered on this sad event and tried to
> find the lesson in it, I realized that the little bird taught me that the gift of life is precious and
> worth fighting for. He taught me not to hate the starlings that destroyed my fruit. They, like me,
> want to live. HE taught me that I can still love even those people and creatures I perceive as
> enemies.
> 
> I say thank you to my Little Fighter for showing me that I am still emotionally alive and capable
> of loving and changing my attitude. In your short life span of a few days, you triggered emotions
> I did not know I had.
> 
> Badi Shams is a Baha’i and a mystic at heart. His field of interest is economics; he has
> published "Economics of the Future" and "Economics of the Future Begins Today" and recently
> written the books "Random Thoughts of a Mystic Economist" and "Towards a New Spiritual
> Economic System." You can find Badi's website at badishams.com called "Baha'i Inspired
> Economics" He is retired from the education system.
> 
> Are Economic and Political Changes Leading Us Towards a
> Global Government?
> 
> Due to the war in Ukraine, Global warming and the coronavirus pandemic, the world around us
> and our way of life have totally changed. New attitudes and a new way of thinking must be
> adopted. What is happening has highlighted the plight of the poor and the need for the
> governments and other agencies to step up and do all they can to help — because this epidemic is
> killing more of the underprivileged and people living in poverty.
> 
> Many celebrities, sports figures, and other wealthy people have gotten their wake-up call and
> realized that there is more to life than accumulating wealth. Financial institutions have relaxed
> their lending rates and reduced credit card interest. There is a sense of unity even with some
> warring parties worldwide. They have ceased fighting because they have found a bigger enemy
> 
> in the virus. Though these attitude changes have not come organically, they are welcome
> changes, making me happy in these stressful times.
> 
> It makes me happy because these are steps toward the right path.
> 
> The arrangements of the circumstances of the people must be such
> that poverty shall disappear, and that every one as far as possible,
> according to his position and rank, shall be comfortable. Whilst the
> nobles and others in high rank are in easy circumstances, the poor
> also should be able to get their daily food and not be brought to the
> extremities of hunger. – Abdu’l-Baha
> It is not just the ordinary and the rich who have re-examined their priorities. The leaders of all
> levels of government — from the local level to the international level — have started to see the
> world in a very different light. They’re changing their ideas and, more importantly, their vision
> to correspond with the new demands of communities.
> 
> These changes have necessitated the need to do away with the old and narrow view of the past.
> Many people are instead sensing a need for an international body to coordinate the efforts and
> resources to ensure the welfare of the whole of humanity that has been so drastically affected.
> 
> To Baha’is, the world government has been foreseen, and its need is emphasized since it is an
> essential means of unifying humankind.
> 
> The concept of world government has been envisioned by religions, philosophers, poets, writers
> and great enlightened men and women, but it has been a hard sell to politicians. However, recent
> events have made experts and seasoned politicians raise the alarm for a need for universal efforts
> to deal with what we are experiencing.
> 
> “We face a crisis unlike any other. To overcome it, we must unite,” António Guterres, the
> Secretary-General of the United Nations, said in a recent statement. In addition, Guterres asked
> “for a global ceasefire to focus on our common enemy — the virus” and called for collective
> action. “Together, we will defeat this virus and rebuild a fairer world — as united global citizens
> and united nations.”
> 
> Gordon Brown and Tony Blair, both ex-Prime Ministers of the United Kingdom, have called for
> a global fund to fight coronavirus spread and highlighted the need for a universal body to deal
> with it. Brown also called for a temporary global government to manage the medical and
> economic crises caused by the pandemic.
> 
> For me, based on the Writings of the Baha’i Faith, there is only one solution: the unification of
> the world because, united, we are stronger to face the challenges that the future has stored for us.
> May these challenges eventually lead us to a brighter future.
> 
> Badi Shams is a Baha’i and a mystic at heart. His field of interest is economics; he has
> published "Economics of the Future" and "Economics of the Future Begins Today" and recently
> written the books "Random Thoughts of a Mystic Economist" and "Towards a New Spiritual
> Economic System." You can find Badi's website at badishams.com called "Baha'i Inspired
> Economics" He is retired from the education system.
> 
> Building a Community that Includes Everyone
> 
> To achieve happiness for humanity, we need to build communities worthy of a bright future. Our
> society is rapidly changing, and we need to keep up with the changes and be aware of society’s
> current needs to address its challenges.
> 
> To achieve happiness for humanity, we need to build communities worthy of a bright future. We
> must lay the foundation of these communities with essential spiritual requirements of meditation,
> prayer, love and selfless service. Our society is rapidly changing, and we need to keep up with
> the changes and be aware of society’s current needs to address its challenges.
> 
> Each community is different and consists of people of different ages, cultural backgrounds,
> religious beliefs, sexual orientations, political views, and financial means. The diversity in our
> population requires special attention so everyone may experience peace, harmony, and love; after
> all:
> 
> “Ye are all leaves of one tree and the fruits of one branch.”
> -Baha’u’llah
> The world is currently unsuccessfully dealing with many social issues that have paralyzed its
> progress to move forward in harmony.
> 
> I have observed a few social issues that have caused a divide in our society and have caused
> estrangement and misunderstanding. These are a few issues that I wish to address:
> 
> Mental and Emotional Health
> 
> The fast pace of modern life has created many problems, including an increase in the number of
> people suffering from anxiety, depression, and other disorders. Millions are affected by it,
> causing suffering to them and those connected to them. Millions more are at risk of developing
> mental and emotional issues for many reasons. Sadly, in most societies and communities, there is
> a stigma attached to people with mental and emotional problems. We need to search our hearts
> and minds to find ways to make them feel that they are part of our community. By helping them,
> we allow ourselves to build a caring and loving community.
> 
> Elderly and Their Integration
> 
> I have observed in some senior homes that still capable elders are just passing the time before
> their journey to the next world. Integrating elders must be each community’s goal since the
> treasures of their experience and wisdom will serve the community that needs it.
> 
> Our culture and social media give the impression that the world revolves around young people.
> 
> We should approach older people as spiritual beings and ignore their physical frailties. So much
> can be accomplished through our elders’ resources and wisdom.
> 
> We must consider integrating elders into the day-to-day life of the community. We must change
> our mindset to see the elderly as a source of untapped wisdom and knowledge.
> 
> Youth and Our Future
> 
> Our young generation is paying the price for the mistakes of my generation, and I have great
> sympathy for them. In pursuit of material gain, my generation, and the generation before,
> sacrificed natural resources and beauty; we damaged the environment without considering the
> future of the planet. We left the legacy of global warming for them to tackle. I do not envy the
> young generation with a less bright future, job security, and opportunity to live comfortably and
> more securely than my generation.
> 
> The young generation is sometimes criticized for not following in the footsteps of older
> generations. This is because the world’s problems have led them to believe that they alone
> understand the gravity of the situation. After all, it directly affects them. They are the ones who
> must solve it.
> 
> The recent challenges of our time have awakened the youth and brought forward many
> individuals that have exemplified passion, wisdom, and devotion to such an extent that they
> inspire admiration. Our future depends on the tender shoulders of the young generation. They
> can certainly use all the help and support they can get from my generation to undo the mistakes
> that we have made.
> 
> Badi Shams is a Baha’i and a mystic at heart and has an MA in economics. He has published
> “Economics of the Future” and “Economics of the Future Begins Today” and recently written
> 
> the books “Random Thoughts of a Mystic Economist” and “Towards a New Spiritual Economic
> System.” You can find Badi’s website at badishams.com called “Baha’i Inspired Economics” He
> is retired from the education system.
> 
> Our Economic System can be Based on Compassion
> From every indication, the present economic system in much of the world has failed to distribute
> wealth justly and equitably.
> 
> The Baha’i concept of economics asks humanity to eliminate the extremes of wealth and poverty
> through a fair means of distribution of wealth.
> 
> The distribution of wealth is one of the primary functions of any economic system. From every
> indication, the present economic system in much of the world has failed to distribute wealth
> justly and equitably. This fact – clearly evident from an ever-widening gap between the rich and
> the poor – means that billions of people live below the poverty line. At the same time, multibillionaires accumulate enormous wealth every day.
> 
> From an economic point of view, it’s clear that this system has failed to deliver and fairly
> distribute wealth. The question is why. The Baha’i writings explain that one of the main reasons
> is the lack of spirituality and morality in the economic system.
> 
> The secrets of the whole economic question are Divine in nature,
> and are concerned with the world of the heart and spirit. ~Abdu’l-
> Baha
> I’ll briefly share my understanding of the principles of the distribution of wealth.
> 
> Individual Actions to Improve Distribution of Wealth
> 
> All religions have many souls who are the essence of selfless giving - giving love and all their
> material possessions, generously contributing to charitable organizations. Each case of generous
> giving offers an example to follow if we want to see the voluntary distribution of wealth on a
> small scale. We need small, person-to-person steps to reduce the gap between the poor and the
> rich everywhere. In this way, we can all make a difference in the lives of those who struggle
> materially.
> 
> We can find ways to pay more to all those working for a minimum wage, whether by a generous
> tip or more than the asking price to street sellers who earn very little from their living. We can
> pay in full or part of the medical expenses of those who do not have the means. We can support
> those who are struggling to pay their rent. We can buy groceries for people in need and provide
> food for hungry people. We can provide accommodation for the sick and needy. We can pay for
> the education of poor children.
> 
> Guaranteed Basic Income
> 
> Baha’is support a kind of universal basic income. GBI, or Guaranteed Basic Income, is a
> relatively new economic concept that many economists and governments are now implementing
> or considering. It ensures that every citizen who needs it is guaranteed a minimum income to
> cover the basic costs of all the essentials for their living. This concept, supported by leaders and
> philosophers as diverse as Thomas Paine, Bertrand Russell, Thomas More, and William
> Beveridge, bundles all social policy and welfare measures into a single instrument designed to
> exemplify the idea that “a rising tide lifts all boats.”
> 
> Profit Sharing, Wages, and Pensions
> 
> Another method for fair distribution of wealth is sharing the profit of the business or factory with
> the workers – and paying them fair wages that enable them to live comfortably and have enough
> for their rainy days and old age.
> 
> When these suggested practices, that are, small means of distributing wealth, become more
> common, a new economic system will emerge based on compassion, love, and morality, bringing
> solutions to remedy the unjust distribution of wealth. But until then, we each need to play our
> part. We can find many ways to participate.
> 
> If we sincerely want to find ways to eradicate poverty by contributing toward a more just and
> equitable distribution of wealth in the world, then we can all start in our own lives by giving to
> others.
> 
> Badi Shams is a Baha’i and a mystic at heart and has an MA in economics. He has published
> “Economics of the Future” and “Economics of the Future Begins Today” and recently written
> the books “Random Thoughts of a Mystic Economist” and “Towards a New Spiritual Economic
> System.” You can find Badi’s website at badishams.com called “Baha’i Inspired Economics” He
> is retired from the education system.
> 
> Serving Our Community Is Everyone’s Moral Duty
> 
> To serve humanity is one of the moral duties of every human being, and now, service is needed
> more than ever before. We have been reminded by all religions, poets and great humanitarians
> to devote our time and energy to providing service to improve the world for all its
> citizens. Service also allows us to get to know and connect to like-minded people, organizations,
> and people of different religions and ideologies.
> 
> Though providing a service may sound like one more commitment to fit into our busy lives, it
> does not necessarily need to become a big project. It could be a look, gesture, word or action that
> helps others as an act of service.
> 
> Most of us want to do some service but do not know where to start. So perhaps it is a good idea
> to revisit this concept and, with the help of the list below, look at the possibilities of service open
> to you. We can serve in countless ways, and you can explore many other ways to serve your
> fellow human beings.
> 
> The concept of service is nothing new to most of us since we have a wealth of spiritual teachings
> on this subject.
> 
> For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom
> for many. – Mark
> 
> And do not forget to do good to one another. – Quran
> 
> The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others. – Mahatma Gandhi
> 
> Service to humanity is service to God. – Abdu’l-Baha
> 
> How else can our world unite if its citizens don’t try to help each other? How else can the
> sufferings of the world be reduced? The ordinary people of the world like you and me will
> ultimately make a difference and make this earth a better and more peaceful place - if we take
> one extra step to help our fellow human beings.
> 
> So, let us revisit this concept of service in our lives, and with the help of the list below, look at
> the many possibilities of service open to us. You can get involved with a service that fulfils your
> commitment and connects you to the larger community.
> 
> This abridged list of service opportunities may help you find a service matching your talent or
> your passion:
> 
> •   Doing one’s job the best way possible is not only a great service—the Baha’i teachings
> considered it an act of worship.
> •   Offering others your best self with a kind gesture, word, or act. Give random acts of
> kindness: paying for someone in front of you in line, giving your place in line to someone
> in a rush, presenting a stranger with a bouquet of flowers, mowing the neighbour’s lawn.
> •   Visiting and volunteering in senior facilities, group homes and hospitals.
> •   Driving people to appointments or shopping and cleaning for your neighbours.
> •   Volunteering in women’s centres, treatment facilities, homeless shelters and
> organizations.
> •   Teaching classes: dance, music, art, sports, literacy, computers and many other subjects.
> •   Calling or visiting those in need - offering your companionship to people.
> •   Teach house repair, appliance repair, or car repair.
> •   Helping refugees and newcomers, volunteering with the Welcome Wagon.
> •   Offering counselling, medical or legal services.
> •   Building the sets, makeup or costumes for plays.
> •   And simply remember, in your thoughts and prayers, those who are going through a
> difficult time in life.
> 
> If you approach the opportunity to serve others with pure motives, kindness and love, you’ll find
> that the gifts you give will come back to you thousandfold.
> 
> Badi Shams is a Baha’i and a mystic at heart and has an MA in economics; he has published
> “Economics of the Future” and “Economics of the Future Begins Today” and recently written the
> books “Random Thoughts of a Mystic Economist” and “Towards a New Spiritual Economic
> 
> System.” You can find Badi’s website at badishams.com called “Baha’i Inspired Economics.”
> He is retired from the education system.
> 
> My Lessons in Detachment and Reliance on a Higher Power
> 
> One of the benefits of becoming older is that you tend to reflect on the events in your past and
> how they changed the direction of your life. This process is a good learning tool to analyze your
> life and its direction. I always thought I had tried to follow the principle of detachment- to avoid
> accumulating too many material possessions or following the pathways of lust and greed, in
> other words, to run away from the material world since it would pollute my soul. My approach
> was classical or black-and-white, which meant all or nothing. This is the path Sufis, Monks,
> Nuns, and Sadhus adopt. They attempt to reach higher planes of spirituality, renouncing the
> material world out of devotion in pursuit of spiritual happiness.
> 
> This Writing and others from different religions and philosophies motivated me on the path of
> detachment:
> 
> “Beware lest ye cling unto that which ye possess, or take pride in
> your fame and renown. That which behoveth you is to wholly detach
> yourselves from all that is in the heavens and on the earth.” -
> Baha’u’llah
> As time passed, I re-evaluated my concept of detachment. By studying the Baha’i Writings, I
> realized a new way of approaching it. I was trying to detach, escape from reality, and take the
> easy way out by not facing life’s challenges. But really, detachment means living a responsible
> and productive life with all its demands and still being detached.
> 
> While taking inventory of my successes and failures, I discovered that my life had been steered
> positively and fruitfully. I realized that His mercy had guided my life for the better and, most of
> the time, against my better judgment and lack of cooperation. My approach to detachment was
> lopsided because I tried to be detached, but I didn’t know how to ensure that my spiritual journey
> was heading in the right direction.
> 
> Detachment implies that our inner being must be spiritual regardless of our material
> achievements. It means we should be unaffected by gains or losses and detached from blame or
> praise. It means detaching from selfish desires and our ego.
> 
> I reflected on extraordinarily tragic and painful events from my childhood up to today and asked
> myself how I managed to go through each painful and sad event. I could not think of any logical
> answer except for a feeling that an invisible force had aided and guided me throughout my life. I
> realized He had been with me all my life without my awareness, like a good Friend, a Father. He
> had chosen what was best for me.
> 
> I always thought detachment meant that while driving my car (a metaphor for my life) to my
> destination, I should not take my hands off the steering wheel even for a second, or I would crash
> and ruin the gift of life given to me by His mercy. My human duty now is to ensure the vehicle is
> well-maintained through meditation and service and by following the spiritual writings. I had
> forgotten that I always had a better Driver with me, One Who knew the road to my destination.
> All I had to do was to hand over the wheel to Him, leave the driving to a more experienced
> Driver with greater wisdom, knowledge, and skills, and enjoy the ride to my destination in peace
> and happiness. My life is in perfect Hands, in my Beloved’s Hands.
> 
> Badi Shams is a Baha’i and a mystic at heart and has an MA in economics; he has published
> “Economics of the Future” and “Economics of the Future Begins Today” and recently written
> the books “Random Thoughts of a Mystic Economist” and “Towards a New Spiritual Economic
> System.” You can find Badi’s website at badishams.com called “Baha’i Inspired Economics” He
> is retired from the education system.
> 
> My Two Baha'i Communities
> Actively living our faith both within our faith community as well as with others of different
> faiths, or no faith, in the larger community helps us all to embrace the fact that we are one
> wonderful, diverse family
> 
> As a Baha’i, I put energy into my community’s activities. Also, I am very involved with the
> community at large, and my activities there result in sacrificing my Baha’i involvement, which
> creates an uneasy feeling in me, especially when Baha’i friends notice that I am not in the Baha’i
> meetings as often.
> 
> My continued involvement in the larger community has been going on for years with no solution
> to my unsettled feelings and guilt that I am falling short as a Baha’i. I have been trying to
> simplify this dilemma to grasp it. Who is a Baha’i, Christian, Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist or atheist
> and what about those who do not believe in organized religion? Recently, after reading a
> quotation, I realized that I have two Baha’i communities and not one.
> 
> “It makes no difference whether you have ever heard of Baha’u’llah
> or not, the man who lives the life according to the Teachings of
> Baha’u’llah is already a Baha’i. On the other hand a man may call
> himself a Baha’i for fifty years and if he does not live the life he is
> not a Baha’i.” -Abdu’l-Baha
> It does not matter what you call yourself; your actions should speak. This applies to people of all
> religions and ideologies, emphasizing the actions and not the followers’ claims.
> 
> This new realization helped free me and experience a joy I had not felt for a long time. The sense
> of loneliness of living in a small Baha’i community was transformed into a vision of myself as
> part of a huge community in which I worked and volunteered, meeting so many beautiful souls
> working for the betterment of the world. This realization changed my entire view of what
> community means to me. I feel that now I belong to a bigger community that includes thousands
> of members with whom I share a common cause, who are a vital part of my life and have become
> my extended family members.
> 
> I have been called an optimist who ignores the realities all around him, realities like the world is
> falling apart and misery is all around, in which poverty, wars, conflicts and the spread of
> misinformation take hope away from millions. My optimistic view is the result of reading the
> Baha’i Writings, which promise the coming of inevitable oneness of humanity that will solve our
> problems and ensure a bright future.
> 
> When religion is just a label or an inheritance and is taken lightly and accepted without
> investigation or thought, or when followers of different religions are ready to kill or be killed but
> ignorant of the fundamental principles of their Faith as written in their Holy Books, I have been
> given a vision by my Faith to see all Faiths as one and see their message as of love.
> 
> I joyfully realize that now I have two Baha’i communities. One is my life in the context of my
> Faith through meetings, celebrations, study and prayer. The other Baha’i community lives and
> exemplifies the spiritual teachings of the Baha’i Faith and of all Faiths since all religions, in
> essence, have the same message of love, oneness and service to others. This awareness has
> encouraged me to perceive like-minded friends, colleagues, and neighbours who live a Baha’i
> life as my fellow Baha’is. What a blessing to belong to two communities that may look different
> on the surface but are the same in the spirit.
> 
> Our human family awaits your involvement and building a bright future. We can learn to see all
> religions as one and humanity as one diverse family.
> 
> Badi Shams is a Baha’i and a mystic at heart and has an MA in economics.He has published
> “Economics of the Future” and “Economics of the Future Begins Today” and recently written
> the books “Random Thoughts of a Mystic Economist” and “Towards a New Spiritual Economic
> System.” You can find Badi’s website at badishams.com called “Baha’i Inspired Economics” He
> is retired from the education system.
> 
> The Spiritual Benefits of the Misinformation Boom
> 
> The spread of misinformation and lies has now extended into multiple aspects of our lives,
> eating away at humanity’s fundamental realities. But how do we find a way to discern what is
> reality?
> 
> The spread of misinformation and lies has now extended into multiple aspects of our lives, eating
> away at humanity’s fundamental realities. It has paralyzed so many that they have lost hope for
> the future.
> 
> People feel confused about what to believe and struggle to find the truth everywhere.
> 
> Not long ago, people were used to getting their news from newspapers, radio, and television. For
> the most part, they trusted those sources – but now information comes filtered through so many
> untrustworthy, commercialized, partisan outlets that convey the exact opposite. Finding the truth
> requires searching through a plethora of outright lies to discover what all the contradicting views
> and facts really mean.
> 
> Independently Investigate Reality
> 
> This principle represents a great challenge facing humanity. What we need is a higher level of
> personal investigative abilities, so we can each find the truth.
> 
> The invention of printing and later mass media like radio and television, and now the internet,
> has made it easy to spread lies and half-truths to a large number of people – but hopefully, our
> understanding and intellectual abilities will keep pace with these changes.
> 
> Now, in order to determine the truth, we must train ourselves and our intellects to do more
> research and dig deeper to find the facts. It requires us to learn not just the bare facts, but what
> those facts actually mean. Investigating more deeply will serve us well and benefit our collective
> human development.
> 
> Our God-Given Truth-Seeking Capabilities
> The Creator has given us this ability to determine what is true and what is not, and it is up to us
> to use it.
> 
> “God has given man the eye of investigation by which he may see
> and recognize truth. He has endowed man with ears that he may
> hear the message of reality and conferred upon him the gift of
> reason by which he may discover things for himself. This is his
> endowment and equipment for the investigation of reality. Man is
> not intended to see through the eyes of another, hear through
> another’s ears nor comprehend with another’s brain.”             -
> Abdu’l-Baha
> The truth, however, isn’t just a set of concrete circumstances – it goes far beyond mere facts and
> crosses over into the realm of values. This means we each have to adopt a set of over-arching
> principles or values that allow us to measure what is right and compare it to what is wrong.
> 
> When we make these changes in our thinking and in our approach to reality, they allow us to
> evolve to a higher level of understanding.
> 
> No one can afford the luxury of being indifferent to the present environment. When we don’t try
> to investigate the truth independently, we take on the easy or lazy attitude adopted by many these
> days. If we want to base our lives on fact, we need to work hard for it, investing physical and
> spiritual energy.
> 
> Suppose we adopt a rigorous practice of separating fact from fiction and develop a set of spiritual
> principles and values to rely on to guide us through the turbulent world of our existence. In that
> case, we can stand firm and face all the misinformation that comes our way.
> 
> We have the opportunity to use the misinformation that comes our way to our advantage – we
> can make those lemons into a refreshing lemonade and quench our thirst for truth with it in these
> trying and politically-charged times. There is no reason we should give up now and reject these
> God-given challenges that, in the end, will take us to a higher level of maturity.
> 
> Seeking Truth in a Sea of Misinformation
> 
> We live in a world of confusion — one politician or another, in different parts of the world,
> lashes out with great anger, strong words, and untruths, and the backlash builds as if on a
> battlefield.
> 
> Sure, we can blame the politicians for all the outrage, but no one wants to admit that these
> individuals are the by-products of our time. They result from humanity’s choices and our
> collective failure to seek the truth.
> 
> Anger, grievances, and the individuals who give voice to them are gaining popularity and
> momentum due to our inability to discern reality. We have elected them; we pay attention to
> them; we give them a free pass; as a result, they spread misinformation, outrage, and even hatred
> with the speed of light, wrapping a blindfold around many people’s eyes and souls.
> 
> This widespread glut of misinformation and lies has now extended into multiple aspects of our
> lives, eating away at humanity’s fundamental realities. It has paralyzed so many that they have
> lost hope for the future. People feel confused about what to believe and struggle to find the truth.
> 
> The root cause, the Baha’i teachings point out, is a lack of spirituality, morality, and proper
> education.
> 
> “God has given man the eye of investigation by which he may see
> and recognize truth. He has endowed man with ears that he may
> hear the message of reality and conferred upon him the gift of
> reason by which he may discover things for himself. This is his
> endowment and equipment for the investigation of reality. Man is
> not intended to see through the eyes of another, hear through
> another’s ears nor comprehend with another’s brain. Each human
> creature has individual endowment, power and responsibility in the
> creative plan of God. Therefore, depend upon your own reason and
> judgment and adhere to the outcome of your own investigation;
> otherwise, you will be utterly submerged in the sea of ignorance and
> deprived of all the bounties of God.” ~Abdu’l-Baha
> Truth, however, isn’t just a set of concrete circumstances — it goes far beyond mere facts and
> crosses into the realm of values. This means we must adopt principles or values that allow us to
> measure what is right and reject what is wrong. When we make these changes in our thinking
> and our approach to reality, they allow us to evolve to a higher level of understanding.
> 
> In the present environment, no one can afford the luxury of being indifferent. When we don’t try
> to investigate the truth independently, we take on the easy, lazy attitude that allows lies to
> flourish.
> 
> If we want to base our lives on reality rather than fiction, we need to work hard for it, investing
> physical and spiritual energy in our investigation of the truth. We make wrong choices because
> of our confusion in seeing the truth. It requires real efforts to lead us in the right direction. Only
> then can we start discerning reality from falsehood and become a lighthouse in the darkness of
> the ocean of confusion. So, in a way, this swimming through a sea of misinformation is a
> beautiful process that humanity is going through — painful, no doubt, but not necessarily
> without its benefits.
> 
> When we adopt a rigorous practice of separating fact from fiction and develop a set of spiritual
> principles and values to guide us through our existence’s turbulent world, we can stand firm and
> face all the misinformation that comes our way. Misinformation, whose primary goal is to create
> confusion and mislead people, can be used to our advantage by improving our truth-seeking
> abilities and creating a yardstick to measure the truth in all aspects of our lives.
> 
> This positive attitude has been the hallmark of humanity down through the ages, so there is no
> reason we should give it up now. We can accept the challenges instead of blaming and cursing
> those who spread falsehoods, whether politicians or other public figures, so let us take on first
> 
> the responsibility of educating ourselves and then lovingly and with patience educating and
> helping those lost in the sea of misinformation.
> 
> Ultimately, this hopefulness and positive attitude will save us from going down the road of
> hatred and division.
> 
> We need a shift to serving stakeholders
> 
> We are all aware of the economic crisis in the world, where the gap between the poor and the
> rich is getting wider by the minute, leaving billions of fellow human beings struggling to survive.
> 
> There are many ideas and discussions about how to solve these problems, and different economic
> systems have been passionately analyzed in detail with no solution in sight.
> 
> I try to simplify the problem to grasp it better without getting lost in the ocean of data and
> details.
> 
> I have realized that in almost all cases, the goal of a company or firm is to please the
> shareholders and not the people they eventually affect.
> 
> To clarify this concept, we should first define these two terms.
> 
> Shareholder:
> A person or institution has invested money in a corporation in exchange for a “share” of the
> ownership.
> 
> Stakeholder:
> A person or a group with a stake in the decision-making and activities of a business, organization
> or project. Based on these criteria, stakeholders often include customers, employees, investors,
> and suppliers.
> 
> For simplicity, I use “shareholders” to symbolize the self-interest that has been the driving force
> or the engine of the system (suggested by Adam Smith, who has been called by many the father
> of the economic system) and “stakeholders” to symbolize the welfare of the public—ordinary
> members of a community or country that the economic system is trying to serve. The system
> should target and strive to achieve the welfare, happiness, and financial security of those rather
> than increase share prices or higher profits.
> 
> If humanity is to achieve happiness and unite, there must be a fundamental shift in our thinking
> process and vision. The different institutions of the world must change their direction to one that
> is new and filled with human and spiritual values.
> 
> The Baha’i teachings imply a shift in the mindset, seeing the bigger picture and seeing the whole
> of humanity rather than a small portion of society who have accumulated a vast majority of the
> financial resources and revisiting the wasteful expenditures on war industries and military
> purposes and redirecting them to humanitarian purposes and the advancement of sciences that
> promote the well-being of humanity.
> 
> “The economic resources of the world will be organized, its sources
> of raw materials will be tapped and fully utilized, its markets will be
> coordinated and developed, and the distribution of its products will
> be equitably regulated.
> 
> … The enormous energy dissipated and wasted on war, whether
> economic or political, will be consecrated to such ends as will extend
> the range of human inventions and technical development, to the
> increase of the productivity of mankind, to the extermination of
> disease, to the extension of scientific research, to the raising of the
> standard of physical health, to the sharpening and refinement of the
> human brain, to the exploitation of the unused and unsuspected
> resources of the planet, to the prolongation of human life, and to the
> furtherance of any other agency that can stimulate the intellectual,
> the moral, and spiritual life of the entire human race.” ~Baha’i
> writings
> A new approach and insight into looking for a solution is needed. Hopefully, we realize that
> human and moral values must be included in formulating and applying the economic system to
> 
> remedy the crises of this ailing world. The economic system should serve humanity and not
> humanity be sacrificed to make the economic system work.
> 
> Serving our aging population needs a change in attitude
> 
> I read this sad story on social media, and it made me more determined to follow my dream of
> building a shelter for underprivileged elders who have no assistance from their children or any
> government support.
> 
> This is the gist of the story that highlights the plight of millions of our elders.
> 
> “Today is my 89th birthday, and I am sitting in the nursing home with a plate of meatballs in
> front of me. I don’t know who made these for me or who is wishing me a happy birthday today. I
> have three kids but haven’t seen them in a long time. They brought me here and told me it was
> for my own benefit, but time flies, and the phone doesn’t ring. I just want a hug, one word, one
> “Happy birthday, Daddy.”
> 
> The world’s aging population is increasing every year, thanks to the miracles of modern
> medicine and technology. People live longer and wish for a fulfilling life and to be part of the
> community’s everyday life.
> 
> Due to financial factors, the prevailing practice in the West is to provide service on a large scale
> by having our elders and caring for them in big complexes. In some underdeveloped countries,
> elders are not so lucky. They are left at the mercy of their children, who in most cases have no
> time for them, or financial and other priorities of their lives do not allow them to take care of
> their parents and, in many cases, the elders have been left to themselves without help from
> government agencies or any other organization. I have always thought that the homelessness of
> elders exists in underdeveloped countries, but I have witnessed them on the streets of Canada
> begging or living in extreme poverty.
> 
> That made me dream of building Nazz Rest Home in India. This idea is based on the writings of
> the Baha’i Faith to cover all aspects of our elders’ physical, spiritual, emotional and intellectual
> needs, who spent their lives making the world a better place for the next generations.
> 
> Our generation must reflect on their needs and develop a holistic approach to caring for our
> elders. We should allow them to be productive by imparting their knowledge, wisdom, and the
> long-lasting lessons they have learned.
> 
> There are many experiments and new methods of providing service, and Nazz Rest Home
> focuses on older people who are poor and disadvantaged. But these innovations will not change
> the minds and hearts of the world. We need to re-examine the needs of these precious souls who
> may be weak in body but are treasuries of wise advice required for the young generation to get
> started on the right path to maturity.
> 
> Our aging population needs our care and support to contribute to the community’s quality of life.
> Sadly, the spiritual and emotional needs of the elderly have been ignored and forgotten in the
> process of planning for them. Our elders have been, in most cases, separated from society to care
> for their physical needs efficiently, and their spiritual and human needs have been overlooked.
> The body’s condition or age should not distract us from nurturing the soul, no matter how old we
> are.
> 
> Let us dream of a future where, in every community, the elderly, based on the goal of full
> integration, can be involved in activities with people of all ages, such as arts, gardening, and
> various community events. They can be involved in planning activities and a source of guidance
> to impart their life experiences to younger generations. We can imagine each elder spiritually
> adopted by a family who takes care of them and includes them as members of their families.
>
> — *Baha'i Essays in the Times Colonist (Used by permission of the curator)*