Bahá'í Fast Day Twelve - Awareness of Abundance
Generally during the Fast food shopping is just another chore to be completed, best scheduled before the hungry time of day. But today was different. When I went to the food store this afternoon, I was so aware of the abundance of food we have available. Mangoes! Papaya! Strawberries! Who knew collard greens could be so beautiful?
I think I felt this way because of the contrast of the terrible images coming out of the devastation in Japan. Millions without food or even water. It is heartbreaking to watch the news these days.
This year during the Fast I have been aware that I am temporarily hungry and thirsty because of choice, and that in the evening I have a wonderful meal and plenty of fresh water available to me. Tragically, many do not have that choice. That awareness always comes to me some time during the Fast every year, and I am grateful for the abundance in my life. This year I am also sorrowfully reminded of those suffering, especially in Japan and the Middle East right now.
In the evening I broke the Fast with Haitian Rice and Red Beans and Caribbean Sweet Potatoes with coconut milk, lime, cilantro and peanuts. All recipes were from Joy Tienzo's "Vegan for Lent" which can be downloaded for free here.
Labels: Baha'i
11 Comments:
By far, a memorable fast. There is so much that I have read and heard from my wife on the Japanese news, I don't think it is possible to keep it all. So, I should just let it go. I went to one of the univ. I teach at by the only shuttle bus going in the morning. I sat in a empty teacher's room and studied Japanese by window light as the electricity was cut off. I had to stay until mid afternoon as there was no way to get back home until the next shuttle bus to the station. When I got to the station I checked the train schedule, all trains were canceled for the rest of the day until 10Pm when there are 4 trains going into Tokyo. So I wonder why would anyone want to go into Tokyo from 10pm unless they are staying overnight??? outbound trains are 2 or 3 from morning til night, then I think later there are several who will bring those people who want to leave their companies. In about an hr. and a half our electricity will be cut for 4 or so hours.
I wonder about the Weather in Sendai now, Here we have gusts of 20mph winds and I am sure the wind chill is in the 20's, as soon as it gets dark, it will be lower. Now for all that cheerful news, I am glad to be here, perhaps I will contact you again tomorrow, or not.
Hi EdoRiver,
That is very serious news out of Japan, we are all saddened and watch the news with great interest and concern. I hope you and your family stay safe, my friend. I can only imagine the difficulties you must be facing. My best to you and your family.
hi again.
Just as you have been thinking about the people here, I have been thinking about the people in Haiti and in New Zealand. Yet, we still, for the most part live in a dreamworld. By this I mean we are struggling to wake up with intellectual tales of what we are thankful for or what we think we should begin to care about. Its hard to wake up, I think, when we aren't raised with stronger, sharper meta-cognitive tools from the beginning. ...This is going off your topic. :-)
Today I decided I had done enough worrying about the effects of radiation and empty supermarket shelves (cheaper foods only). So I went for a long walk in the bright sunshine with the wind stilled.
While I was walking I thought about what I had been reading in the Qur'an I have found this umtenth reading of the first third of the Qur'an very encouraging. (I am now ready to lead a deepening on the subject and do a kind of dialogue with any of the Persian Friends in your community who have studied it more closely than I have about it contents.) I'm thinking that I may actually continue and finish reading it this year.
By the way have you read the Bible all the way through ? ;-)
Hi EdoRiver, Glad you are doing okay and have been enjoying some sunshine. Glad you're finding some encouragement.
I read the New Testament a couple of years ago....
Anne
The title of your posting, Awareness of Abundance, is particularly appropriate in my opinion, regarding the experience of the tsunami and earthquake, or for anyone who is facing adversity which from their point of view, threatens to overwhelm them. As Baha'u'llah says that we should be thankful in adversity and generous in prosperity. I think if we meditate on the meaning of this concept, "thankfulness" and then as it is applied to adversity, we can gain some valuable insight into the way our souls already interact with the physical plane of existence.
Thanks for your comment EdoRiver, that's very insightful. I cannot imagine that extent of the adversity being faced in Japan right now, my heart goes out to the people living there. We are hearing some amazing stories of courage and loyalty out of this tragedy.
I want to add another news blurb about my progress through the Qur'an. I am at 40%, another 50 sections and I will be at the half way point. It is very very sustaining and nurturing for me. Again I must say that my copy is in chronological order, the first 18 are the oldest Surahs, and in those there is alot for some people to get support for their bias against the Qur'an. After that is a large middle section, the Surahs are much much longer, and very beautiful in their sustaining message of support for the new vulnerable Muslim community.
Hi EdoRiver, That sounds fantastic! Glad you are finding it meaningful!
Did you get the email about the UN human rights council in Geneva to have a special guy to monitor events in Iran? I am predicting that something will happen involving Iran by the end of this year. Also I am wondering what has happened with progress on the film about Mona?
March is a spiritual message for me. The weather is usual, which means a temp of about 35-45 degrees F, and a wind chill that feels like about 10 degrees or more. As I say this is usual, of course Sendai is much colder. This weather will continue with the mid afternoons getting a little warmer until May! Truly warm weather, according to the usual pattern will not happen consistently until late June, or early July depending on how long the rainy season here lasts. This talk about the weather is because I am trying to write about Spring being a traditional ancient sign of hope, for all people everywhere. However a cold wind doesn't feel hopeful, but a kind of test to be endured. Have you noticed that not until the end of the first 1/3 of the Fire Tablet does Baha'u'llah mention the Joy of the Worlds, the Delight of the Worlds, I think this says something about man's general outlook on the current situations we see around us. Of course the Fire Tablet is not known for cheerful optimism....oh another announcement by the Mayor of Sakado about the situation here. ... I have to go.
no chance to make the connection between the weather and Fire Tablet. later.
regards,
Thomas
Hi EdoRiver, Hope you are doing well. It is still quite cold here although technically we are in Spring. We had a few warm days, then another cold snap. We even had snow! This time of year is quite changeable, one day can be warm and sunny, and the next will be cold and windy. Hope you are doing okay,
Anne
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