Search for Meaning - with the Oxford Baha'i Community

Listen to a summary of the conversations we had on Wednesday January 13th and 20th 2021 in the fifth of our series on "Reflections on the Life of the Spirit". In this series we talk about the quotations from the Baha'i Writings that are found in the first book in the series from the Ruhi Institute. The quotes in this episode are about the importance and power of prayer in our lives. The Ruhi Institute describes Reflections on the Life of the Spirit as being "largely concerned with the question of identity. What is the real identity of the “I” in the sentence “I walk a path of service”? Three aspects of individual identity are explored in the book: “The reality of my existence is my soul which passes through this world to acquire the attributes it needs for an eternal and glorious journey towards God. My most cherished moments are those spent in communion with God, for prayer is the daily nourishment that my soul must receive if it is to accomplish its exalted purpose. One of my principal concerns in this life is to study the Holy Writings, strive to increase my understanding of the divine teachings, and learn to apply them to my own daily life and to the life of the community.” The book consists of the units “Understanding the Bahá’í Writings”, “Prayer”, and “Life and Death”." In our Search for Meaning Oxford free online events we discuss the spiritual perspective offered by the Bahá’i teachings on important themes. We aim to create an opportunity for the community to talk about the things that matter most to us all, with the intention of promoting unity and fostering a spirit of love and fellowship. For more about these meetings: www.facebook.com/searchformeaningoxford For more about the Baha'i Faith: www.bahai.org For more about the Ruhi Institute books and Reflections on the Life of the Spirit: https://www.ruhi.org/institute/path.php?link_id=1#1

Listen to a summary of the conversation we had on Wednesday January 6th 2021 in the fourth of our series on "Reflections on the Life of the Spirit". In this series we talk about the quotations from the Baha'i Writings that are found in the first book in the series from the Ruhi Institute. The quotes in this episode are about the dangers of backbiting both to the self and to others. The Ruhi Institute describes Reflections on the Life of the Spirit as being "largely concerned with the question of identity. What is the real identity of the “I” in the sentence “I walk a path of service”? Three aspects of individual identity are explored in the book: “The reality of my existence is my soul which passes through this world to acquire the attributes it needs for an eternal and glorious journey towards God. My most cherished moments are those spent in communion with God, for prayer is the daily nourishment that my soul must receive if it is to accomplish its exalted purpose. One of my principal concerns in this life is to study the Holy Writings, strive to increase my understanding of the divine teachings, and learn to apply them to my own daily life and to the life of the community.” The book consists of the units “Understanding the Bahá’í Writings”, “Prayer”, and “Life and Death”." In our Search for Meaning Oxford free online events we discuss the spiritual perspective offered by the Bahá’i teachings on important themes. We aim to create an opportunity for the community to talk about the things that matter most to us all, with the intention of promoting unity and fostering a spirit of love and fellowship. For more about these meetings: www.facebook.com/searchformeaningoxford For more about the Baha'i Faith: www.bahai.org For more about the Ruhi Institute books and Reflections on the Life of the Spirit: https://www.ruhi.org/institute/path.php?link_id=1#1

Listen to a summary of the conversation we had on Wednesday December 16th 2020 in the third of our series on "Reflections on the Life of the Spirit". In this series we talk about the quotations from the Baha'i Writings that are found in the first book in the series from the Ruhi Institute. The quotes in this episode are about the importance of kindliness and love as we try to build a better world. The Ruhi Institute describes Reflections on the Life of the Spirit as being "largely concerned with the question of identity. What is the real identity of the “I” in the sentence “I walk a path of service”? Three aspects of individual identity are explored in the book: “The reality of my existence is my soul which passes through this world to acquire the attributes it needs for an eternal and glorious journey towards God. My most cherished moments are those spent in communion with God, for prayer is the daily nourishment that my soul must receive if it is to accomplish its exalted purpose. One of my principal concerns in this life is to study the Holy Writings, strive to increase my understanding of the divine teachings, and learn to apply them to my own daily life and to the life of the community.” The book consists of the units “Understanding the Bahá’í Writings”, “Prayer”, and “Life and Death”." In our Search for Meaning Oxford free online events we discuss the spiritual perspective offered by the Bahá’i teachings on important themes. We aim to create an opportunity for the community to talk about the things that matter most to us all, with the intention of promoting unity and fostering a spirit of love and fellowship. For more about these meetings: www.facebook.com/searchformeaningoxford For more about the Baha'i Faith: www.bahai.org For more about the Ruhi Institute books and Reflections on the Life of the Spirit: https://www.ruhi.org/institute/path.php?link_id=1#1

Listen to a summary of the conversation we had on Wednesday December 9th 2020 in the second of our series on "Reflections on the Life of the Spirit". In this series we talk about the quotations from the Baha'i Writings that are found in the first book in the series from the Ruhi Institute. The quotes in this episode are about the importance of truthfulness as the foundation of all human virtues. The Ruhi Institute describes Reflections on the Life of the Spirit as being "largely concerned with the question of identity. What is the real identity of the “I” in the sentence “I walk a path of service”? Three aspects of individual identity are explored in the book: “The reality of my existence is my soul which passes through this world to acquire the attributes it needs for an eternal and glorious journey towards God. My most cherished moments are those spent in communion with God, for prayer is the daily nourishment that my soul must receive if it is to accomplish its exalted purpose. One of my principal concerns in this life is to study the Holy Writings, strive to increase my understanding of the divine teachings, and learn to apply them to my own daily life and to the life of the community.” The book consists of the units “Understanding the Bahá’í Writings”, “Prayer”, and “Life and Death”." In our Search for Meaning Oxford free online events we discuss the spiritual perspective offered by the Bahá’i teachings on important themes. We aim to create an opportunity for the community to talk about the things that matter most to us all, with the intention of promoting unity and fostering a spirit of love and fellowship. For more about these meetings: www.facebook.com/searchformeaningoxford For more about the Baha'i Faith: www.bahai.org For more about the Ruhi Institute books and Reflections on the Life of the Spirit: https://www.ruhi.org/institute/path.php?link_id=1#1

Listen to a summary of the conversation we had on Wednesday December 2nd. 2020 in the first of our series on "Reflections on the Life of the Spirit". In this series we talk about the quotations from the Baha'i Writings that are found in the first book in the series from the Ruhi Institute. The quotes in this episode are about the importance of "holy words and pure and goodly deeds" in contributing to our own spiritual improvement as well as the betterment of the world. The Ruhi Institute describes Reflections on the Life of the Spirit as being "largely concerned with the question of identity. What is the real identity of the “I” in the sentence “I walk a path of service”? Three aspects of individual identity are explored in the book: “The reality of my existence is my soul which passes through this world to acquire the attributes it needs for an eternal and glorious journey towards God. My most cherished moments are those spent in communion with God, for prayer is the daily nourishment that my soul must receive if it is to accomplish its exalted purpose. One of my principal concerns in this life is to study the Holy Writings, strive to increase my understanding of the divine teachings, and learn to apply them to my own daily life and to the life of the community.” The book consists of the units “Understanding the Bahá’í Writings”, “Prayer”, and “Life and Death”." In our Search for Meaning Oxford free online events we discuss the spiritual perspective offered by the Bahá’i teachings on important themes. We aim to create an opportunity for the community to talk about the things that matter most to us all, with the intention of promoting unity and fostering a spirit of love and fellowship. For more about these meetings: www.facebook.com/searchformeaningoxford For more about the Baha'i Faith: www.bahai.org For more about the Ruhi Institute books and Reflections on the Life of the Spirit: https://www.ruhi.org/institute/path.php?link_id=1#1

Listen to a summary of the Meaningful Conversation we had on Wednesday 11th November 2020. Our conversation this week was about Encouragement - In a world where we are so ready to criticise and find fault with each other, we can forget what a powerful force encouragement can be.  How can encouraging others empower them? How can we be encouraging in our words and actions? How does creating the habit of encouraging people change our own outlook and orientation on the world? In these free online events we discuss the spiritual perspective offered by the Bahá’i teachings on important themes. We aim to create an opportunity for the community to talk about the things that matter most to us all, with the intention of promoting unity and fostering a spirit of love and fellowship. For more information go to: www.facebook.com/searchformeaningoxford/

Listen to a summary of the Meaningful Conversation we had on Wednesday 4th November 2020. Our conversation this week was about Consultation - In a world where matters of debate are increasingly polarised, and constructive dialogue is all too rare, we’ll explore how the idea of true consultation can help us in our homes, organisations, and communities. Is it possible to deliberate with those whose opinions are different from our own? How can a discussion be a search for truth? What kinds of qualities and attitudes characterise fruitful conversation? How can positive conversations lead to constructive action? In these free online events we discuss the spiritual perspective offered by the Bahá’i teachings on important themes. We aim to create an opportunity for the community to talk about the things that matter most to us all, with the intention of promoting unity and fostering a spirit of love and fellowship. For more information go to: https://www.facebook.com/searchformeaningoxford/

Listen to a summary of the Meaningful Conversation we had on Wednesday 28th October 2020. Our conversation this week was about: Living a Coherent Life - It’s quite natural to think about our personal spiritual growth and development in terms of improving our own life, but how does that relate to the real world around us? What if our own personal growth is closely connected to the growth and progress of others? What if selflessness is of the greatest means of self-development?  And what if turning our gaze towards focusing on the progress of others and of our communities not only helps make the world a better place but also helps us grow?  How important must it be therefore for our words and deeds, our thoughts and actions, to be coherent? “We cannot segregate the human heart from the environment outside us and say that once one of these is reformed everything will be improved. Man is organic with the world. His inner life moulds the environment and is itself also deeply affected by it. The one acts upon the other and every abiding change in the life of man is the result of these mutual reactions.” Baha’i Writings In these free online events we discuss the spiritual perspective offered by the Bahá’i teachings on important themes. We aim to create an opportunity for the community to talk about the things that matter most to us all, with the intention of promoting unity and fostering a spirit of love and fellowship.

Listen to a summary of the Meaningful Conversation we had on Tuesday 15th September 2020. Our conversation this week was about: Truthfulness - In an age of fake news and disinformation, it seems increasingly difficult to distinguish truth from falsehood. It is perhaps in this climate of distrust that many of us have come to appreciate the value of truth. Why is truthfulness important on an individual and institutional level? How does it impact our relationships? Has truth become a negotiable commodity? What can we do in our own lives to develop this quality? In these free online events we discuss the spiritual perspective offered by the Bahá’i teachings on important themes. We aim to create an opportunity for the community to talk about the things that matter most to us all, with the intention of promoting unity and fostering a spirit of love and fellowship.

Listen to a summary of the Meaningful Conversation we had on Tuesday 15th September 2020. Our conversation this week was about Community - in our fast-paced and individualistic world, it is easy to take the idea of a community for granted. Many of us may feel isolated and disconnected from those around us. How has a neglect of community affected our spiritual and social well-being? What has the pandemic taught us about community? How can we find and build a sense of community around us? Can local action create lasting change? In these free online events we discuss the spiritual perspective offered by the Bahá’i teachings on important themes. We aim to create an opportunity for the community to talk about the things that matter most to us all, with the intention of promoting unity and fostering a spirit of love and fellowship.