Meditation and Progress of Insight Related to a Baha'i Audience

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Jason Snyder, modified 10 Years ago at 1/25/14 12:43 PM
Created 10 Years ago at 1/25/14 12:43 PM

Meditation and Progress of Insight Related to a Baha'i Audience

Posts: 186 Join Date: 10/25/13 Recent Posts
Thought I would share this. I used to be a Baha'i and still contribute to a Baha'i blog. In the first post I make the case that Baha'is should start meditating. in the second I discuss the Three Trainings and Three Characteristics, and in the third I discuss the progress of insight map.



Part 1

Part 2

Part 3
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Florian, modified 10 Years ago at 1/26/14 11:37 AM
Created 10 Years ago at 1/26/14 11:37 AM

RE: Meditation and Progress of Insight Related to a Baha'i Audience

Posts: 1028 Join Date: 4/28/09 Recent Posts
Very interesting, thanks!

Would you like to add a few notes for those of us not familiar with Baha'i terminology and practice?
Cheers,
Florian
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Jason Snyder, modified 10 Years ago at 1/26/14 2:19 PM
Created 10 Years ago at 1/26/14 2:17 PM

RE: Meditation and Progress of Insight Related to a Baha'i Audience

Posts: 186 Join Date: 10/25/13 Recent Posts
Hi Florian,

Yeah, basically Baha'is form of spiritual practice is prayer. It sprang from the Islamic tradition in Iran and so its roots are squarely Abrahamic - with all of the monotheism that that entails. But it espouses unity of religion and unity of science and religion...many Baha'is are open to incorporating Eastern and more secular approaches as well. Meditation is encouraged but it isn't expounded upon or systematically practiced - although there is some serious mysticism going on. For example one of the texts written by the founders of the Baha'i Faith - Baha'u'llah - is a commentary on the Sufi map of spiritual progress - The Seven Valleys towards God: Search, Love, Knowledge, Unity, Contentment, Wonderment, and True Poverty and Absolute Nothingness. Here they are if anybody is interested: Seven Valleys

As I write in the third post, there is some similarity between some of the Progess of Insight stages and the Valleys. For example I think that the A&P through the Dark Night line up pretty well with the Valley of Love, Equanimity lines up with the Valley of Knowledge, and 1st path Stream entry lines up with the Valley of Unity.

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