tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4657047121415401044.post8301267551163576427..comments2022-05-07T17:54:10.719-07:00Comments on Unenrolled Baha'i: White Knuckles and TransformationKarenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15915968995957299554noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4657047121415401044.post-56830296951235192282008-05-19T18:33:00.000-07:002008-05-19T18:33:00.000-07:00Hi Karen, Love that talk about not being in contro...Hi Karen, <BR/><BR/>Love that talk about not being in control. I remember you saying once that anger was about being in control. I grudging admitted to myself that you were right, and then was reminded of my past failings. But what you taught me helped me to by-pass anger phases. Now I think: no, no, Al, just let it go.<BR/><BR/>You said: "I don't think the Ruhi books are even trying to promote spiritual development; they are trying to promote community development."<BR/><BR/>This is interesting. I don't think the community sees a difference between personal spiritual development and community development. They believe that if they give themselves fully all their lives to community work, that will bring them personal salvation. The idea that there is a whole other sphere to the religious experience, which Baha'u'llah wants us to develop, is entirely lost on them. <BR/><BR/>Baha'u'llah talks about 'degrees' of salvation, which fits in with all this. It's not that working all your life isn't rewarded.<BR/><BR/>AlisonAlison Marshallhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00790904580464149790noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4657047121415401044.post-23891695266966059452008-05-18T09:47:00.000-07:002008-05-18T09:47:00.000-07:00Dear Alison,Thank you for stopping by!That's just ...Dear Alison,<BR/><BR/>Thank you for stopping by!<BR/><BR/>That's just it -- there's no way to impress God, and we shouldn't be trying to impress anyone else. Spiritual work can so easily become ego-invested. We want to do well, to make progress, to feel good about ourselves.<BR/><BR/>But in the end, the real work is to realize that we aren't in charge here, and to let go of trying to control. The work is for us to create the space for God to do His -- to let go, to surrender.<BR/><BR/>Surrendering to God, is, of course, a very different thing than surrendering to religious authority figures. I don't think the Ruhi books are even trying to promote spiritual development; they are trying to promote community development -- which can have its merits, but is a very different kettle of fish than what we're talking about.<BR/><BR/>Love, KarenKarenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15915968995957299554noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4657047121415401044.post-90393019745431879882008-05-17T15:38:00.000-07:002008-05-17T15:38:00.000-07:00Hi Karen, I think you've hit on a very important i...Hi Karen, <BR/><BR/>I think you've hit on a very important issue here. This is one I've struggled with for years. I often talk about it on my blog in terms of the Protestant work ethic. You said about "white knuckling" our way to salvation. My way of putting it is that we apply the Protestant work ethic and assume that that's what'll get us there. But as you argue, that alone isn't what gets us there. It's grace. We don't realise that the path is the development of an intimate relationship and our Beloved is going to be only mildly impressed if all we do all day is work! We need to examine our inner selves to find out why we're not the sort of person that God would fall in love with and want to be intimate with.<BR/><BR/>Another way to white knuckle our way to salvation is to work through the Ruhi books. <BR/><BR/>AlisonAlison Marshallhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00790904580464149790noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4657047121415401044.post-65414177376910222382008-05-04T08:13:00.000-07:002008-05-04T08:13:00.000-07:00Karen, thank you for reminding me about some "God ...Karen, thank you for reminding me about some "God time" every day. It helps to be reminded some times.Jim Habeggerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09320817826382769445noreply@blogger.com