水自流

RH2P1: The Joy of Teaching
Purpose: To understand that the joy of teaching is in the very act of sharing with others the Word of God, independent of immediate results.

Section 3

Knowing that Bahá’u’lláh’s Revelation is like an ocean in whose depths lie pearls of great value, we each exert the utmost effort to partake of its benefits and to help others reach its shores. But how far a journey is it to the shores of this ocean? Bahá’u’lláh says:

“O My servants! The one true God is My witness! This most great, this fathomless and surging ocean is near, astonishingly near, unto you. Behold it is closer to you than your life-vein! Swift as the twinkling of an eye ye can, if ye but wish it, reach and partake of this imperishable favor, this God-given grace, this incorruptible gift, this most potent and unspeakably glorious bounty.”
– Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh (Wilmette: Baha’i Publishing Trust, 1983), CLIII, p. 326

Exercises:
1. Complete the following sentences:
a. The most great ocean of Bahá’u’lláh’s Revelation is near, _______________ , unto us.
b. The ocean of Bahá’u’lláh’s Revelation is _______________ to us than our life-vein.
c. Swift as the _______________ , we can, if we only wish it, _______________ and _______________ of the ocean of His Revelation.
d. Swift as the twinkling of an eye, we can, _______________ , reach and partake of the ocean of His Revelation.
2. To what does the phrase “this most great, this fathomless surging ocean” refer?
3. How close is this ocean to us?
4. How quickly can we reach this ocean?

Section 4

Having recognized Bahá’u’lláh’s greatness and being conscious of our nearness to the ocean of His Revelation in the depths of which lie invaluable pearls, we fill our souls with the spirit of faith and share these pearls of divine guidance with others, pearls that we continually discover in our own study, prayer and meditation. In doing so, we use the power of His own Word. It is important, then, that we meditate deeply on the power of the Word of God and its effect on the human heart. The following quotation of Bahá’u’lláh will help us to appreciate this great power:

“The Word of God may be likened unto a sapling, whose roots have been implanted in the hearts of men. It is incumbent upon you to foster its growth through the living waters of wisdom, of sanctified and holy words, so that its root may become firmly fixed and its branches may spread out as hight as the heavens and beyond.”
– Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh (Wilmette: Baha’i Publishing Trust, 1983), XLIII, p. 97

Exercises:
1. To what may the Word of God be compared?
2. Where have the roots of the tree of the Word of God been planted?
3. How should we foster the growth of this tree?
4. Mention some of the qualities we will show forth when the Word of God is firmly established in our hearts.
5. What does the phrase “its branched may spread out as high as the heavens and beyond” mean?
6. Explain in a few sentences why sharing the Word of God is of the most importance.

Section 5

Now think of the various activities which occupy us in our daily lives. We nourish our bodies. We work and gain our sustenance. We participate in sports and other recreations. We study to acquire new knowledge and to expand our mental capacities. We develop skills to help us improve the conditions of our lives. Numerous activities like these, all important for our intellectual progress and material well-being, occupy a large portion of our time. But how would we compare the time spent in these activities with those moments charged with spirituality, when we pray, when we deepen, when we share the Word of God with our fellow human beings? Are not the hours we dedicate to studying the Writings of our Faith alone or with friends, the time we devote to teaching children, ensuring that the roots of the tree of the Word of God are firmly implanted in their hearts, and the moments in which God bestows upon us the bounty of guiding souls to the shores of the ocean of Bahá’u’lláh’s Revelation and helping them discover the pearls that are hidden therein — are not these moments precious beyond measure? Is there any greater joy than being able to partake of these heavenly blessings? We should always remember how ‘Abdu’l-Bahá dedicated His energies to teaching and longed to take His Father’s Faith to every corner of the world.

“O that I could travel, even though on foot and in the utmost poverty, to these regions, and raising the call of ‘Yá Bahá’u'l-Abhá’ in cities, villages, mountains, deserts and oceans, promote the divine teachings! This, alas, I cannot do. How intensely I deplore it! Please God, ye may achieve it.”
– ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Tablets of the Divine Plan (Wilmette: Bahá’i Publishing Trust, 1993), p. 41-42

Exercises:
1. Make a list of some of the things you have to do in your life, whether you want to or not.
2. Think of the things you like to do and list them in order according to the joy they bring you.
3. Undoubtedly, the things you enjoy doing are beneficial to you an to others. Does the joy you derive from them come only from the results they come only from the results they bring or also from the act of doing them?

昨晚GXY“恶补”了Book 1后加入我们的“队伍”。由于时间的关系，进行到第六课的前半部分。大家谈到祈祷的力量，我还是赞同GF说的应该把祈祷的作用从需求陷阱中拉出来，祈祷只能是作为一种人生的常态来执行。虽然用人生的经历来说明祈祷的作用具有很大的诱惑性以及说服力，但是这样处理的结果很有可能会脱离了祈祷的本质。祈祷从某个意义上来说可以起到安慰的作用，以及平静自己浮躁的心态，对灵魂进行一个校正的尝试（GF语）。另外，背诵祷文对下个世界有没有帮助只有到时候才知道，不过在任何时候能够念出整篇的祷文还是显得很牛B（B for Bangkok）的。当然我也赞同要背诵的观点，不知道为什么对这个说法感到不以为然：1. 下个世界没有载体（比如纸质）可以看祷文，记得越多就越有帮助；2. 要么在这个世界上“培养”一个会帮你祈祷的人。

抱歉，整个过程都昏昏欲睡而且神游四方。罪过罪过。

谢霆锋 – 因为爱所以爱