My experience with the Baha'i Faith.

[GreytoWhite]

Hi Mith,

 

I'd like to hear more about your experiences in the Baha'i Faith if you'd care to share, especially how it led you to Sufism. Baha'i is something I don't know much about, so anything you have to share would be appreciated.

 

Aaron

 

Well, I don't mind talking about it. I first encountered the Baha'i Faith a little less than five years ago. I was shopping for religion. I had been abusing alcohol pretty heavily and cannabis for a good period of time. I moved in with my mother to dry up and get away from my "friends." Of course my first bit of information was Wikipedia. It sounded like what I was looking for.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bahai

 

I posted on Tucson Craigslist wondering if someone could talk to me about the religion. I met a very understanding fellow originally of Jewish faith. We spoke for a good three hours. I was very impressed with his answers, he had scripture to quote to back his viewpoints on everything, he was a very empathetic and understanding individual. He gave me a prayer book and the book below The Challenge of Baha'u'llah.

 

http://www.bahaibookstore.com/productdetails.cfm?PC=7353

 

I read that book in one night. It was like a revelation had been dropped in my lap. When I was first presented an opportunity to attend a Fireside or devotional meeting open to the public I jumped. The meeting was quite fun. The people were incredible as was the food. I was asked what religion I considered myself and when I answered, "I currently think myself Baha'i" there was a great cry of joy and people rushed to get me things. I was given a comprehensive prayer book and a few scripture books as well. I think I received the Kitab-i-Iqan or in English, The Book of Certitude. Someone also burnt me a copy of Ocean. Ocean is a very comprehensive religious library full of works from many spiritual traditions.

 

http://bahai-education.org/ocean/

 

My mother was much dismayed. Her fundamentalist Christian beliefs are something I rejected and have tried to deprogram myself from since I was 17. She quickly deemed me and my friends "terrorists." This was the first time I began to think of her praying aloud as "offensive religious muttering," when I was growing up it was a normal occurrence to pray for whatever little thing anyone in the church may have wanted or felt.

 

Firstly I have to say that I was quite overwhelmed with it all. The lifestyle change was certainly interesting. I had devoted myself to celibacy outside of marriage and sobriety as the religion deems necessary. Shortly after my declaration of faith I had a "cougar" begin to stalk me both online and over the phone, offering to fly me to San Diego or meet up with me in Tucson. I have to say this was quite unnerving. Sobriety was extremely difficult as my mother is an alcoholic. Also I was going through an incredibly tough time health wise. As I was detoxing and eating differently I sunk into a deep depression. It was so pervasive that I was unable to work. The prayer practices were uplifting and there was a lot of material for me to read.

 

My study of the faith kept chugging. I met another follower who was about my age who was raised Baha'i. He was a wonderful resource. Every time I attended devotional meetings, holiday celebrations, and Feast (the local community comes together to discuss furthering the faith's goals and issues within the region) I felt more attuned to the positive energy that the people seemed to exude. I met linguists, psychologists, engineers, and people of all different backgrounds. Persian food was always something I looked forward to and I had started learning Farsi through the Pimsleur courses.

 

After being a member of the Baha'i Faith for about four months my mother kicked me out of her house. I stayed with my grandfather in North Carolina for a few weeks but in his senility he expelled me from his house for trashing a rotten sweet potato. I moved back to Phoenix and stayed with a friend of mine.

 

In Phoenix the good friend I met who was about my age had relocated as well. I quickly connected with the local community and there were quite a few Baha'is that were closer to my age. ASU students mainly. I was working myself quite hard. Electrical in the mornings and tech school at night. Taking the bus was my usual study time away from prayer meetings and other events. My Farsi quickly progressed. I was very pleased when Persians kept asking if I were Persian myself which I still find entertaining; while I may be quite hairy, the blue eyes and pale skin give away my Caucasian (well a good chunk of the mix anyway) descent.

 

I did not get into Sufism until I met a fellow Baha'i whose hobby was translating ancient Persian. He introduced me to Rumi and Atta. I quickly found in Sufism the heart that the extensive Baha'i writings seemed to lack. Although I must admit that I never read The Seven Valleys and The Four Valleys which is Baha'u'llah's address to a well regarded Sufi.

 

http://www.bahaibookstore.com/productdetails.cfm?PC=5495

 

When I started working for AT&T U-Verse I found my religious beliefs fading quickly. The job was so stressful and the hours were long. I was unable to attend meetings, devotionals, Feast or just about anything related to the local Baha'i community. I will admit that I am still dealing with misanthropy and working U-Verse's second tier technical support quickly stoked that fire beyond any previous heat. After working there for a few months I encountered a couple who I had become friends with in my Baha'i community. They didn't recognize me. It was an emotional blow as they were people I had spent time with and they were my usual carpool in the months before.

 

I began to slowly reexamine my reasons for joining the faith and came to the conclusion that I was looking for a crutch to get me away from alcohol. I began to drink again but this time with awareness of my limits and not as an emotional mute button. Unfortunately the drinking had a terrible reaction with the antidepressant I was taking (agomelatine phase III trial) and I had a minor heart attack which left me with a heart murmur. It was at this point that I abandoned religion entirely and decided to be an atheist.

 

Since I've typed all of this up, it's rather interesting to reflect on it. Over the past year as I have been studying qigong spiritual feelings have reawakened and I have been making parallels between cultures and practices which I previously dismissed as hocus pocus or superstition. Recently I have been considering returning to the Baha'i community here in Mesa. I had a rather harrowing experience a little while back when I had my third eye and crown open unexpectedly and long before my body was ready. I'm sure I would not be alive today were it not for Baha'u'llah's assistance. I would certainly be a rather unorthodox Baha'i what with my experiences over the past few years and my regular usage of medicinal cannabis. I still think that the Baha'i Faith is the only religion I could consider following whole heartedly but I think it could greatly benefit from an infusion of guided meditative practice to many of its followers.

[Aaron]

Well, I don't mind talking about it. I first encountered the Baha'i Faith a little less than five years ago. I was shopping for religion. I had been abusing alcohol pretty heavily and cannabis for a good period of time. I moved in with my mother to dry up and get away from my "friends." Of course my first bit of information was Wikipedia. It sounded like what I was looking for.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bahai

 

I posted on Tucson Craigslist wondering if someone could talk to me about the religion. I met a very understanding fellow originally of Jewish faith. We spoke for a good three hours. I was very impressed with his answers, he had scripture to quote to back his viewpoints on everything, he was a very empathetic and understanding individual. He gave me a prayer book and the book below The Challenge of Baha'u'llah.

 

http://www.bahaibookstore.com/productdetails.cfm?PC=7353

 

I read that book in one night. It was like a revelation had been dropped in my lap. When I was first presented an opportunity to attend a Fireside or devotional meeting open to the public I jumped. The meeting was quite fun. The people were incredible as was the food. I was asked what religion I considered myself and when I answered, "I currently think myself Baha'i" there was a great cry of joy and people rushed to get me things. I was given a comprehensive prayer book and a few scripture books as well. I think I received the Kitab-i-Iqan or in English, The Book of Certitude. Someone also burnt me a copy of Ocean. Ocean is a very comprehensive religious library full of works from many spiritual traditions.

 

http://bahai-education.org/ocean/

 

My mother was much dismayed. Her fundamentalist Christian beliefs are something I rejected and have tried to deprogram myself from since I was 17. She quickly deemed me and my friends "terrorists." This was the first time I began to think of her praying aloud as "offensive religious muttering," when I was growing up it was a normal occurrence to pray for whatever little thing anyone in the church may have wanted or felt.

 

Firstly I have to say that I was quite overwhelmed with it all. The lifestyle change was certainly interesting. I had devoted myself to celibacy outside of marriage and sobriety as the religion deems necessary. Shortly after my declaration of faith I had a "cougar" begin to stalk me both online and over the phone, offering to fly me to San Diego or meet up with me in Tucson. I have to say this was quite unnerving. Sobriety was extremely difficult as my mother is an alcoholic. Also I was going through an incredibly tough time health wise. As I was detoxing and eating differently I sunk into a deep depression. It was so pervasive that I was unable to work. The prayer practices were uplifting and there was a lot of material for me to read.

 

My study of the faith kept chugging. I met another follower who was about my age who was raised Baha'i. He was a wonderful resource. Every time I attended devotional meetings, holiday celebrations, and Feast (the local community comes together to discuss furthering the faith's goals and issues within the region) I felt more attuned to the positive energy that the people seemed to exude. I met linguists, psychologists, engineers, and people of all different backgrounds. Persian food was always something I looked forward to and I had started learning Farsi through the Pimsleur courses.

 

After being a member of the Baha'i Faith for about four months my mother kicked me out of her house. I stayed with my grandfather in North Carolina for a few weeks but in his senility he expelled me from his house for trashing a rotten sweet potato. I moved back to Phoenix and stayed with a friend of mine.

 

In Phoenix the good friend I met who was about my age had relocated as well. I quickly connected with the local community and there were quite a few Baha'is that were closer to my age. ASU students mainly. I was working myself quite hard. Electrical in the mornings and tech school at night. Taking the bus was my usual study time away from prayer meetings and other events. My Farsi quickly progressed. I was very pleased when Persians kept asking if I were Persian myself which I still find entertaining; while I may be quite hairy, the blue eyes and pale skin give away my Caucasian (well a good chunk of the mix anyway) descent.

 

I did not get into Sufism until I met a fellow Baha'i whose hobby was translating ancient Persian. He introduced me to Rumi and Atta. I quickly found in Sufism the heart that the extensive Baha'i writings seemed to lack. Although I must admit that I never read The Seven Valleys and The Four Valleys which is Baha'u'llah's address to a well regarded Sufi.

 

http://www.bahaibookstore.com/productdetails.cfm?PC=5495

 

When I started working for AT&T U-Verse I found my religious beliefs fading quickly. The job was so stressful and the hours were long. I was unable to attend meetings, devotionals, Feast or just about anything related to the local Baha'i community. I will admit that I am still dealing with misanthropy and working U-Verse's second tier technical support quickly stoked that fire beyond any previous heat. After working there for a few months I encountered a couple who I had become friends with in my Baha'i community. They didn't recognize me. It was an emotional blow as they were people I had spent time with and they were my usual carpool in the months before.

 

I began to slowly reexamine my reasons for joining the faith and came to the conclusion that I was looking for a crutch to get me away from alcohol. I began to drink again but this time with awareness of my limits and not as an emotional mute button. Unfortunately the drinking had a terrible reaction with the antidepressant I was taking (agomelatine phase III trial) and I had a minor heart attack which left me with a heart murmur. It was at this point that I abandoned religion entirely and decided to be an atheist.

 

Since I've typed all of this up, it's rather interesting to reflect on it. Over the past year as I have been studying qigong spiritual feelings have reawakened and I have been making parallels between cultures and practices which I previously dismissed as hocus pocus or superstition. Recently I have been considering returning to the Baha'i community here in Mesa. I had a rather harrowing experience a little while back when I had my third eye and crown open unexpectedly and long before my body was ready. I'm sure I would not be alive today were it not for Baha'u'llah's assistance. I would certainly be a rather unorthodox Baha'i what with my experiences over the past few years and my regular usage of medicinal cannabis. I still think that the Baha'i Faith is the only religion I could consider following whole heartedly but I think it could greatly benefit from an infusion of guided meditative practice to many of its followers.

 

Hello Mith,

 

Thanks for the response. I'm sorry to hear about all the troubles you've had. Family can be a big downer when it comes to discovering "truth". I'm glad you've come to an understanding of what you believe. I guess I'm an atheist too, in the sense that I don't believe in an intelligent higher being, i.e. God in the Christian sense, but I do have faith that there is more out there than I can understand. Vedanta, without the trappings of mythology and religion really seems to be more in line with my own experience.

 

But this thread is about you, so I want to say, thank you again. You wrote exceptionally well and I enjoyed reading about your experience. Good luck with school. Also, I worked for AT&T's customer support division in the receivables management department, too long there will kill your soul. No one can survive in that kind of stress and perpetual abuse. I would not recommend you stay there long if you can help it.

 

Aaron

[GreytoWhite]

Aaron, I left AT&T about three years ago with a lighter heart. I left school a little before I left AT&T. The changing schedule at work ruined my schooling: ITT Tech only allows so many schedule changes a year so I was unable to complete my course of study. Ah well.

 

As to the nature of God, Baha'u'llah's description is very interesting. From my understanding the idea is that God is not something a normal human mind can comprehend. Baha'is strive to reflect God in all ways, something akin to my understanding of rigpa. I'm of the opinion that Baha'u'llah's torture in the Siyah-Chal led him to an incredible understanding of Sufi meditation and the nature of the universe whilst trying to overcome pain.