The question I think everyone must answer at some point is, how do I live my life? If you are a follower of religion or a believer in God, the question changes a little to become: how do I live my life, in a way that is acceptable to God? And what's most interesting is the answer to this question is one simple sentence. But while the question is answered the hearer is likely to be left unsatisfied, so let me use an analogy to explain a little better first.
Imagine that you drive to work, and your commute is 30 minutes long (and no, this is not a math problem). Someone comes to you with the following question: You need to get to your workplace in 30 minutes, how do you do it? The answer is obvious, you get in your car and you drive there. But how valuable is that answer to the person who needs to travel the same distance but can't drive? The answer, while true, has no practical application to such a person.
‘Abdu’l-Bahá when asked what it meant to be a Bahá’í [and a Bahá’í is one who walks in the path of God] gave this answer on one occasion, and it represents our one simple sentence: "To be a Bahá’í simply means to love all the world; to love humanity and try to serve it; to work for universal peace and universal brotherhood."
I think this statement is analogous to the just get in your car and drive there answer from above. It tells you what to do, but not how to do it. It carries all the meaning for someone who can drive, very little meaning for the one who can't, and virtually no meaning for the one who doesn't know cars exist. This series of pages is really meant to introduce you to the car, and teach you enough about how the car works so that you can begin to operate it yourself. Each component of the car has a function, and a time and place for its application. So too do the laws and teachings of the Bahá’í Faith. These pages are not meant to be comparable to an owners manual for the car, that would be the primary source material I and others draw from, so you will eventually want and need to explore the teachings of Bahá’u’lláh on your own.
On the next pages meditation and prayer are discussed. These are foundational components of our relationship with God. If we continue the car analogy, meditation might be the gas tank and prayer the gasoline. For in meditation we seal our minds to concerns of the material world and focus our thoughts on God. Meditation may be like the container which we fill with our prayers, our questions for God and spiritual concerns. Prayers themselves provide us with the power to initiate movement, and continual prayer would provide continual movement, both for us and for others.
Just a note on analogies in general, they are all themselves limited, they will all break down at some point and thereafter fail to represent truth. So take from them their obvious meanings, and expect at extremes they will no longer be useful. If you have questions or would like to email me a link can be found at the top of the page with my name.
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