Yesterday I wore the green glass rectangular pendant with the Ringstone Symbol in gold, and it attracted at least five individuals who asked about it, and I was able to teach them about the Baha'i Faith. For people who know how reticent I am about this, this is a miracle in itself. Two out of the five people I spoke with had heard of the Baha'i Faith, and one, a youth with contest entries for a cash drawing, had been to the Baha'i Gardens, i.e. the Terraces around the Shrine of the Bab on Mount Carmel, as well as to the temple in India, lotus-shaped. I tried to describe for him the new temple being built in Chile, near Santiago, with the sail-shaped alabaster panels and the chili-pepper shape, and how it will glow with light.
My first goal was the Hatterdashery, a talented maker of hats and a permanent fixture at the Festival. I had bought a leather cap there years ago which stayed faithfully with me many years and then wandered off to seek its fortune at some point, as all my caps eventually do. I selected a cap made of soft suede, which later I returned to have resized a little smaller, telling him I had been to a psychologist.
I spoke with a very talented vender of hand-made pins etc made with enamel and then silver in the desired shape afixed to that, very beautiful. She had one camel pin, which she found. I mentioned my husband is in New York for his daughter's graduation from Columbia University graduate school. She had paid her way through Columbia University with her art. She said, "I worked like a dog."
While my hat was resized I sat above the fountain watching people play. Before it was redone, the fountain used to consist of several hundred cones, each a spigot for water erupting at random intervals, and the chief amusement was to place cups over the cones and wait for them to shoot into the air, as well as climbing on the fountain. Now the face of the fountain is a giant, smooth dome; more attractive, and safer.
After all this wandering, I came to the Northwest Court, the usual stage for Celtic music. As I approached, I thought, "That band sounds like Lindsay Street. That looks like my nephew Robin on the stage!" This is a band so good I would seek it out even if it wasn't one-quarter populated by my relative, so it was a double pleasure to listen to their music, watch my nephew on stage and feel proud, and a triple pleasure for the serendipity of it all. Then Robin mentioned to the audience that his twins were there. They are almost a year old, and I haven't been to Bellingham to meet them yet.
So here I was beaming and ogling the party in the front row, who probably thought I was a stalker; after the set I came and introduced myself as Robin's aunt. So I got to hold two babies at once for a photo, and allow Hewson to suck on my glass pendant, as it would hurt neither him nor it [Hazel was in the wagon], and see Robin again, too, and meet his wife and her sister and mother. I'm quite pleased with the babies, and they will definitely make the grade. This year I was great-aunt to three babies in all, and now I am glad to have met them all.
Yesterday was a winner, with ample Vitamin D, good music, great shopping [I found a bag from Guatemala with an earth circled with multihued children holding hands. I feel like adding, "Mankind is One" in embroidery.] And several scarves. And actually connecting with people. And it terms of general exhaustion, outstanding.
Showing posts with label Baha'i Shrines. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Baha'i Shrines. Show all posts
Saturday, May 23, 2009
Monday, February 16, 2009
Pilrimage Day #6 February 7, 2009
2-7-9 Saturday 2130 Nof Hotel
0930 Met Mrs. Imani and family + other family at the Dan Carmel: sherut to Akka. We bought about 50 lbs of enormous pomegranates, grapes, then bought fresh-pressed pomegranate juice at a vendor. Looked at an Arabic bookstore, hung out at Rabin Peace Park looking for our connections, me trying to quell my anxiety.
Eventually we walked back closer to town and met up with our party. We all took 3 taxis to Bahji. Tip # 4: Supposing hypothetically that one eats a lot of pomegranates and grapefruit and little else, and sits inside the Shrine in a side room, one may discover that due to the acoustics and silence inside the shrine, every tiny sound emited from the digestive process becomes magnified greatly. So one leaves to try again later.
Today at the Bahji Visitors Center there were fresh, ripe avocadoes from the property. Perfect.
Returning to the Shrine: more prayers for unity and for individuals, the departed, the intensive programs of growth teaching efforts. This time I stayed in the main hall of the Shrine, mainly saying the Greatest Name and soaking up the spirit.
The Haram-al-Aqdas is the greater area surrounding the Shrine at Bahji, and considered just as holy. In the photos taken of the Shrine there is always a black metal gate in front of the door of the Shrine. Past the gate is the Haram-al-Aqdas. The gate appears like a veil before the Beloved. Seeing the door without the gate is like seeing the Beloved without the veil.
We caught a sherut to the PRC where I ate some cheese, the cauliflower and tahini. Enayat made one more call and was able to get messages from his cell at last. Taxi to the Nof: the driver gave us his card with a poem he wrote.
Unity prayers help.
0930 Met Mrs. Imani and family + other family at the Dan Carmel: sherut to Akka. We bought about 50 lbs of enormous pomegranates, grapes, then bought fresh-pressed pomegranate juice at a vendor. Looked at an Arabic bookstore, hung out at Rabin Peace Park looking for our connections, me trying to quell my anxiety.
Eventually we walked back closer to town and met up with our party. We all took 3 taxis to Bahji. Tip # 4: Supposing hypothetically that one eats a lot of pomegranates and grapefruit and little else, and sits inside the Shrine in a side room, one may discover that due to the acoustics and silence inside the shrine, every tiny sound emited from the digestive process becomes magnified greatly. So one leaves to try again later.
Today at the Bahji Visitors Center there were fresh, ripe avocadoes from the property. Perfect.
Returning to the Shrine: more prayers for unity and for individuals, the departed, the intensive programs of growth teaching efforts. This time I stayed in the main hall of the Shrine, mainly saying the Greatest Name and soaking up the spirit.
The Haram-al-Aqdas is the greater area surrounding the Shrine at Bahji, and considered just as holy. In the photos taken of the Shrine there is always a black metal gate in front of the door of the Shrine. Past the gate is the Haram-al-Aqdas. The gate appears like a veil before the Beloved. Seeing the door without the gate is like seeing the Beloved without the veil.
We caught a sherut to the PRC where I ate some cheese, the cauliflower and tahini. Enayat made one more call and was able to get messages from his cell at last. Taxi to the Nof: the driver gave us his card with a poem he wrote.
Unity prayers help.
Pilrimage Day 4, 2-5-9, Part 2
2-5-9 Day #4
In the Visitors' Center: lunch of bread, hard cheese, tea and sugar and milk, yogurt, recently-foraged grapefruit, pomegranate. Delicious as are all meals here.
Second visit to the Shrine of Bahji: because we are blessed with a very small group of 114 [versus about 400] there is no waiting to enter the Shrine.
Tip #3: practice sitting on the floor with and without back support. [Note: before my divorce in 2005 I used to say the Long Obligatory Prayer, ending on the floor, then stretch and say the rest of my prayers every morning. Now sitting on the floor is very difficult.]
Very uncomfortable physically on the floor. My other challenge was the acute intensity of feeling I am now aware of while within the Shrine. Yet it is also hard to leave.
A thought crossed my mind, the possibility that progress in the next world may involve the increasing ability to "tolerate" the intensity of being close to the Lord. Only a thought.
In the Visitors' Center: lunch of bread, hard cheese, tea and sugar and milk, yogurt, recently-foraged grapefruit, pomegranate. Delicious as are all meals here.
Second visit to the Shrine of Bahji: because we are blessed with a very small group of 114 [versus about 400] there is no waiting to enter the Shrine.
Tip #3: practice sitting on the floor with and without back support. [Note: before my divorce in 2005 I used to say the Long Obligatory Prayer, ending on the floor, then stretch and say the rest of my prayers every morning. Now sitting on the floor is very difficult.]
Very uncomfortable physically on the floor. My other challenge was the acute intensity of feeling I am now aware of while within the Shrine. Yet it is also hard to leave.
A thought crossed my mind, the possibility that progress in the next world may involve the increasing ability to "tolerate" the intensity of being close to the Lord. Only a thought.
Sunday, February 15, 2009
Pilgrimage Day 1 February 2 2009
We arose and ate the buffet breakfast in the Nof, which was varied and delicious, most particularly the rosemary roasted potatoes. I never saw those potatoes again, though. It was a nice day so we walked, thinking to walk down the Terraces. After finding one of the gates at the top of the hill, it was explained to us that we could not enter before obtaining our Pilgrim name badges. We walked all the way down Yefe Nof, around the corner at the light, and all the way down Hazionut, which took at least an hour. Enayat's first views of the shrines and the buildings on the Terraces, as well as the stunning view of the Bay of Haifa were spoiled by my impatience.
At last we reached the Pilgrim Reception Center, registered in several steps, and I spent a long time in the upstairs room of the PRC poring over our schedule and making friends with another pilgrim, drinking my first cups of tea with Persian sugar cubes and milk. I think Enayat was making phone calls and visiting. Much later I discovered the second floor cafeteria at the PRC; when I first encountered it, it was filled with Persians and Enayat was in his element. We went to the International Teaching Center Auditorium for an orientation film, then walked to the Pilgrim House where we gathered in the courtyard and the Prayer for Visitation was recited, facing the Shrine of the Bab. Then we walked to the Shrine of the Bab.
[Crow Time: in Tacoma at my last residence, I discovered that all the crows in the area converge for the night in a large grove of trees in the Tideflats, hundreds of them circling around and settling down. At dawn, when I looked out of my bedroom window, it was possible to see dozens of crows streaming back from this point in all directions, flying from the sunrise and cawing as they returned to their posts for the day. In the evening, the crows all fly back from their daytime habitations and return to their nests. To me, it is magical.]
4 PM, sunset, approaching the Shrine of the Bab. It's Crow time. For reals.
There are two shrines within the ground floor of the large, golden-domed building referred to as the "Shrine of the Bab": the room where the holy remains of the Bab are interred, and the room where the holy remains of 'Abdu'l-Baha are interred. Shoes are removed before entering, and bags, purses, coats etc remain outside the Shrines, under the watchful eye of an attendant on the outside.
I entered the Shrine of 'Abdu'l-Baha and began praying. Then I opened my prayer book to the Babs Prayer for Protection where I have the most recent photograph of my daughter, Pearl, taken December 28 days prior to her suicide attempt. I lost it, silently praying and blubbering, the whole wound opening up in my heart ungrieved. [From then on, I always came prepared with tissues or a handkerchief in my hand.]
Tomorrow, 0715, we meet to go to Bahji.
At last we reached the Pilgrim Reception Center, registered in several steps, and I spent a long time in the upstairs room of the PRC poring over our schedule and making friends with another pilgrim, drinking my first cups of tea with Persian sugar cubes and milk. I think Enayat was making phone calls and visiting. Much later I discovered the second floor cafeteria at the PRC; when I first encountered it, it was filled with Persians and Enayat was in his element. We went to the International Teaching Center Auditorium for an orientation film, then walked to the Pilgrim House where we gathered in the courtyard and the Prayer for Visitation was recited, facing the Shrine of the Bab. Then we walked to the Shrine of the Bab.
[Crow Time: in Tacoma at my last residence, I discovered that all the crows in the area converge for the night in a large grove of trees in the Tideflats, hundreds of them circling around and settling down. At dawn, when I looked out of my bedroom window, it was possible to see dozens of crows streaming back from this point in all directions, flying from the sunrise and cawing as they returned to their posts for the day. In the evening, the crows all fly back from their daytime habitations and return to their nests. To me, it is magical.]
4 PM, sunset, approaching the Shrine of the Bab. It's Crow time. For reals.
There are two shrines within the ground floor of the large, golden-domed building referred to as the "Shrine of the Bab": the room where the holy remains of the Bab are interred, and the room where the holy remains of 'Abdu'l-Baha are interred. Shoes are removed before entering, and bags, purses, coats etc remain outside the Shrines, under the watchful eye of an attendant on the outside.
I entered the Shrine of 'Abdu'l-Baha and began praying. Then I opened my prayer book to the Babs Prayer for Protection where I have the most recent photograph of my daughter, Pearl, taken December 28 days prior to her suicide attempt. I lost it, silently praying and blubbering, the whole wound opening up in my heart ungrieved. [From then on, I always came prepared with tissues or a handkerchief in my hand.]
Tomorrow, 0715, we meet to go to Bahji.
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