A King for Quito
Part Four: NEDA
The same
year Neda was born, the Bi-Centenary of the
Passing of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá
was held throughout the world; but when she grew up, she had no memory of the
events. Still, she had been told so often how important it was, she kept the
photos with her, and carefully transferred them to each new computer.
She
remembered forever when she and Alberto (Amir)went to theEcuadorian space port,
boarded the shuttle and took off on their honeymoon. They brought gifts of wood
paneling, tea, and Ecuadorian chocolate; and they packed their swimming suits for
the low-gravity pool.
The
enormous space-port included pads for vertical launches and runways for the
ram-jet space-planes and shuttles. Plans were carefully being considered for a
space-elevator, which would be a ribbon of carbon, stretching from an orbital
station to a locked position on the ground, flung out continuously by the
equatorial centrifugal forces.
The
administrators hurried them away from the media cameras, and loaded them on to
the sleek blue and white shuttle. It took off like a conventional aircraft, but
continued mounting higher and higher, out over the Pacific, until the ramjets
kicked in, and the blue atmosphere gave way to black void.
After a
period of adjustments in orbit, which took longer than the climb up, they
docked with the orbital station from which the lunar lander would launch. They
made their way through the station, obeying the directives of the operatives,
and eventually settled themselves into the Lander, for the 36 hour flight.
Upon
arrival, the lander was moved by machines from the spot of touch-down into a
sub-lunar hangar, into which they emerged, and moved to their quarters in the
tunnels leading away from the port.
In the “morning”,
after their honey-moon night, they were taken out on the surface during the
lunar night, in pressure suits, for the view of Earth.
They stood
outside the air-lock, watching the silt slowly settling from any movement they
made, and looked up at beautiful blue Terra.Neda knew how the kings had
encouraged not only the space port, but started schools whenever possible, to
invite and encourage the capable students of Ecuador to come forward in the
space service. Neda’s heart told her:
Help protect the human race to develop into space.
When they
returned to Earth, they flew like a peregrines to the Holy Land, to Haifa and
Akka, on a special pilgrimage. It was late February, during the annual Ayyám-i-Há festival, before the
nineteen day period of the Fast. Since Bahá’u’lláh had called Haifa Arz-i-Há(Land of Há) the pilgrims considerably enjoyed the double reference, because the
letter Há stood for Hovalláh (He is God!) and Háhút, (the Essence of God), in the City of God.
Joining
with many other Bahá’í Heads of State, she ascended “Jacob’s Ladder,” the stairway to heaven,”
to the Throne of the Most High, on Mount Carmel, secretly desiring to be an ascending
angel,feeling the angelic heritage coming down, and sowing it in the soil of
humanity.
Eagerly they ascended the stairway to the Throne that Jacob
had dreamed of over four thousand years before. Flowering plants and trees flourished
on all sides in the Bahá’í Gardens. The delicate lavender and red
bougainvillea’s attracted her. When she reached the level
where the Shrine of theBáb itself
rested, she took time to catch her breath, but it seemed to be stolen again
from her. She was in the Presence of the Lord Himself! She could read the
sacred Arabic inscriptions that had been engraved on the panels around the
Shrine, which had remained so long strangely blank. Some of the words were
difficult, but she could sound them out. Then, she removed the thin gold band
she wore, in her hair, as heir to the throne of Ecuador, and tossed it, with
symbolic abandon, onto the pile with the rest of the crowns. Thenshe carefully
removed her shoes and set them neatly next to all the rest, before filing into
the fragrant sanctuary to pray.
The large
Persian carpet covered the floor. A dome-shaped aperture appeared in the far wall,
and beyond, another chamber with Persian carpet and candelabra. The memory of
this devotion to Bahá’u’lláh, the Holy
One of Israel, before she obtained the crown, bode very well with her after she
obtained the crown.
When she
and Amir emerged, the sun was glittering on the sea, at the foot of the
mountain, and the blossoms of frangipani and palms waved in the breeze. The
white walls and red rooves of the “Templar colony” were beautiful with the
various greens of the verdure, and the blue of the sea. At the pilgrim center,
they were met by the members of the Universal House of Justice. Together, the
crowd moved up to the white Mashriqu’l-Azkar, on the crest of the mountain. A
youth with a heavenly voice chanted the Arabic prayers, and caused their hearts
to fly up even higher, as they pondered their position socially and
geographically and spiritually.
Reading a
flyer at hand, she came across the passage from the Master, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá: “Thousands of Mashriqu'l-Adhkars,
dawning points of praise and mention of God for all religionists will be built
in the East and in the West…” All these, because of the first Temple Himself, and the dhikr of Bahá’u’lláh.
From
there, they moved toward the specially designated auditorium where the affairs
of the Bahá’íCommonwealth were discussed,
and carefully consulted upon, with tea and wafers.More and more countries raised their faces to
the guidance of the Universal House of Justice. Kings and Presidents within the
Bahá’íCommonwealth
concentrated on spiritualizing the curriculum of their schools and obliterating
every form of prejudice and superstition with friendliness and hospitality. To
guarantee benevolent statesmanship into the future, an institute was conceived,
to be built on the West Bank, to train diplomats so that raw ambition would no
longer be the motivation. Those pompous
kings who resisted the Oneness, and built up their armaments again. And their
successorswere vetted and were not allowed to begin ruling, unless they had
sterling reputations and intentions. Wise men and women were deterring humanity
from a course beyond our ability to overcome. The God-born Force now ruled in
the world; it was greater than nations, but as humble as the Earth.
More
conclaves of Kings were planned to assist in the impact of the divine heat on the “worms” of the world,
those individuals and communities anchored in prejudice and blind to the
dawning divine civilization. The leaders of the American regions stood in
unison for unity and peace and continued disarmament. Atheists could not stop
the City of God. It seemed suspicious to them. It was “too good to be true”and
there had to be a corrupt core; but there was no corrupt core. As they were
suspicious of God, God would be suspicious of them in the next world.
The
logic of coming under the aegis of the benign, and benevolent Bahá’íCommonwealth became more and more a
certainty. The humble kings continually mingled with the weakest, lowest levels
of society, seeking the children of capacity, and supporting just causes,
establishing centers of learning, moral discretion, teaching of Hope and Fear
with stories-when they are relevant, admonishing the rich with pressure when they
are careless, and rewarding them when they show benevolence. Establishing the
honor due to Virtues, loving kindness, and tender compassion towards Gaia Earth
dominatedthe curricula. Then came study of the universal script. This had a
cumulative effect.
When people
flattened themselves to the new kings, they were obliged to say: “Don’t do that! Do you think I am some
pharaoh? Bow down only to the Lord God in private prayer, and never again
embarrass your king in public!”Many of the honest and sincere Heads of
State had such experiences.
The ruler
of Western America had the ‘’talking stick” and passed it with humor and love
to Neda, who spoke in turn:
“I am
happy to be on our Gaia Earth, Pachamama, and to be alive at this time! What a
wonderful age this truly is! Out of tragedy, truce and truth! Wise Rule became
a tradition in our family, and schools are still constantly striving to create
states closer to perfection, in the hearts, in the home and in the community.
Departments dedicated to Statesmanship have sworn that never again will the
world be vulnerable to the caprices of uneducated, over-ambitious, selfish
tyrants, who cared for no one but themselves. The fostering of justice is
possible, and it can go hand-in-hand with balanced progress.”
It was concluded
that a distinctive university was be founded on land near the Jordan River,
that it would have an institute for philosophical studies, an academy for
training heads of state, the holding of events and labors of positive result, and
the training of body-guards and lawmen, who went out to serve from a spiritual
orientation, with understanding of protection from the forces of darkness and employment
of the God-born Force. Other departments
would also combine the pursuits of science and religion.
The first
child born to Amir and Neda was a daughter they named Venus (pronounced
VAY-nus). Later, a sister for her was born and was named Oranus (pronounced
OR-a-nus). These two girls were very fortunate, because they wereclose with
their mother all their lives, and were prepared to continue learning. So, when Neda’s
father was shot on the stairs at Baños, it was only natural that the girls would be her
allies in her dream to strike back at the illness that motivated the terrorists. And when she became Queen of el
ecuador, they were her constant counsel.All the mamas of Jamime’saylluhad more children, but their
stories do not come into this account. But Neda had her two teenagers when she
assumed the throne.
Leo the
King was horribly slain by the persistent haters, and slept with his ancestors,
yet flew with his friends, in Malakut-i-Abhá. It changed everything for the women in his family. Something arose in
them that made them determined to put away much of the indigenous tradition to
be quiet, to be submissive, to be self-effacing.
All her
life had been blessed with peace, and full of the light of education and
service. Until the assassination, she had always sought to be with her father
when he travelled to different cities. Her memories of him, were filled with unquestioned
confidence and faith, even in those last few weeks of terror. Her mother Ana,
so tightly bound to Leo romantically, had also died within the year, sadly
hoping to dance again with Leo in the Beyond.
Neda had grown up in the extended Rumiñawi ayllu, under the aegis
of Leo’s mature approach to the corona.
But there was a story of Jaime’s father,José Rumiñawi,that had been re-told many
times in the family, and it went like this:
It was a still, mild night and Josénever tired of the sweetness of the Andean evenings.
Elena and Jaime were not at home. The windows and the back door were open.
There was no car in the driveway because someone had borrowed it.
He had turned off the lights and was enjoying the peace and
quiet –his thoughts reaching the rarified level they did sometimes, when it was
like this. He was not consciously baiting a thief. But it was then that the thief
came.
José saw a
movement, and a man crawled over the old mud wall. He paused and looked around
and adjusted a shoulder bag with a long cloth strap.
José went
into a silent crouch, the hunter’s stance. At last! He peeked over the window
sill enough to see the intruder scurrying towards the house. As quickly as he
could José secreted himself in the shadowed
niche between the stove and the corner, and threw a poncho and a blanket over
himself.
When the thief entered the house, he made straight for the radio
on the table and unplugged it. José could see his face. He smiled and mumbled something to himself, and
placed it into his bag. As his attention was in the bag, Jose was on him like a
tiger, startling him badly.
Jose was ready. He had waited. Now, he exulted while they
struggled.
“Did you like the radio so much? Huh? Did you think you
needed it more than me?” He twisted the man’s arm behind him till he squealed.
“Huh?” he hollered, like hammer blows. “Huh?”
After studying the swarthy man’s face closely, he hissed
through his teeth with terrible fury, “Now. I want you to Put. That. Radio.
Back. Where. You. FOUND. IT!” And he screamed FOUND IT, with such anger, as
loudly as he could, right in the man’s ear, that the unlucky thief gurgled
“aa-AGH” in despair.
With his arm still wrenched behind him, Jose forced him to a
drawer where he had stored plastic cable ties for just this thing. Then, his
captor pushed him over to the table and repeated in a tone as sharp as icicles
in Iceland, “NOW! Put. That. Radio. Back. Where. You FOUND IT!”
With his flailing free arm, he took the bag up and fumbled
into it, and pulled the radio out, and set it on the table. “Now, plug it in!” José commanded, giving him a bit more room to move. He
plugged it in. Then, Jose quickly threw him on his face again, knocking the
breath out of him. “Hoo-of!” José grabbed the free arm and brought it around behind and connected to two
ends of the cable tie. Backing up somewhat he did the same to the ankles; and he
felt like a gaucho on a calf; and waited for the police to come.
In its own
way, this story taught her how to face her national responsibilities, and the tradition
of thefriendly home life Jaime had established.Leo and her mother Ana, had
carried that forward; but both were now tragically gone from the world. Neda
had, from the beginning, a light upon her brow. It could not be concealed.
But the
horror of the last weeks of her dear father’s life altered her distinctly. She
was no less loving; but she had become determined and somber. After the
cheerfulness she had shown previously, it was apparent to everyone who knew
her, that she was driven by something. The nation as a whole began to hear of
her vision; and she succeeded in touching them deeply.
She
gathered her two daughters to her and drew on those fountains of inspiration
which had been built into her. “You have never been bullied. But I want you to
always remember to defend someone if they are a victim of bullying, or any
injustice.”
Her heart was shattered. No longer would she walk with her tall, good father, watching his love for the people express itself. She found something deep within her Kichwa heritage that came to the surface. With this white-hot hope, she wanted to respond by starting something that would go on long after her.
Her heart was shattered. No longer would she walk with her tall, good father, watching his love for the people express itself. She found something deep within her Kichwa heritage that came to the surface. With this white-hot hope, she wanted to respond by starting something that would go on long after her.
She found
healing in being with the children, who conveyed an uncanny understanding of
her vision which sustained her. She showed such love to everyone’s’ children
that the other mothers would look wonderingly at each other.
Neda was
always known as a lady of great wisdom and sagacity. Because her name meant
“Call” in Persian, this emboldened her to continue the divine Call. She
delighted in associating with the lowly in the land; and she was adored by the
people. It can be said that few have been so well prepared for the throne as
Neda. She made herself the best qualified to rule. She always knew it was in
her future; but destiny made her wait patiently for it, -when Jaime had not
even expected it!
Now, at
the age of thirty-nine, in the year 2160 C.E., or 316 B.E., Neda “assumed the
throne” -although no one had bothered, or would ever bother, to make such an
elaborate thing for her to sit in. She pulled up her own chair. There was no
time for Ecuador’s rulers to sit pompously on an actual throne. There was
always a task, a reunion, a party, a meeting, or an event, and she wouldnot be enslaved
by frivolous traditions.
Neda
Rumiñawi Shirazí, Queen in Quito, having given
her heart to the Lord of the Age, and to her Persian love Alberto, still
happily married after twenty years, and devoted to the people of Ecuador and
the planet, - arose to beautify, even more, thefirdaws (paradise) that she dreamed Gaia Earth could be.
Her first
step was to show by example what she intended, no matter how long it took. She
sought out a martial arts dojo, where she could quietly begin training. Before
long Venus and Oranus wanted to join her. Putting their anakos aside, they assumed the warm-ups everyone else wore; and
Instead of allowing themselves to become stout from too much starch, they
monitored their diets more closely until they became lean and muscular,
energetic and confident.
During
this time, she began gathering information from the internet about Jedda, about
martial arts for women there. When there wasn’t much to find, she searched for
available property that could be acquired and made into a dojo.
Then she
gathered more information about qualified instructors, both men and women, and
laid her plans for a modest dojo. A place was built on open land, on the north
side of the city, close to the coast. A structure both simple and strong was
raised, unassuming on the exterior, forty feet by forty feet inside, with a
double door, and windows around the sides, set high in the walls. Athletic mats
were acquired,a lunch room equipped, and a schedule of training initiated.
Amír had been supportive in all of
this. His Arabic was much better than the basics that had been taught in Quito.
He acted as translator. He undertook the training regimen. When they decided to
go to Arabia and witness the progress of the work, Venus wanted to accompany
them.
“I’m old enough to go and you know it!” she asserted
forcefully.
“You will certainly be part of it,” her mother assured
her. “But for this trip, I want you to stay and ‘cover for me’ as best you
can.”
Neda and Amír undertook the unadvertised
“vacation” to witness the work and meet the sensei,
who had been there for several days already. He was a dour Japanese man named
Bunji Hiromitsu. Bunji said little but listened much. He was hard as a rock, vigilant
and fearless. When he did speak, it was surprisingly gentle. Even Amír was
impressed with his considerate manners.
Neda sat down and examined the man’s face and hands
closely, yet in a friendly manner. He was also studying her. Frankly, she
confided in him, and told her story personally.
“I realize” she
said, “it may seem out of place for an indigenous woman, a head of state, to
pursue such a vision. But what do you think of it?”
“There is
something else you must tell me.” he said smiled.
She paused,
considering this carefully.
“I understand
your family studies the Arabic” he prompted.
“Yes. It is a
natural result of hunger for the Lord Bahá’u’lláh’s teachings!”
“And what is
the name of power, in that language, that He gave you that will be your
greatest motivation in your vision’s fulfillment?”
“Alláh-u-Abhá!”
she said, clearly pleased at his perspicacity.
“Ah.“Alláh-u-Abhá!” he repeated carefully. “Now we may
proceed confidently. You want to raise
up karatekas, who are also Bahá'ís,
and forge a new path here in Jedda!”
“Yes!” she replied with deep joy.
“Out of tragedy, truce and
truth!” said Bunji-san.
Now, suddenly Neda hurriedly bowed and came at
Bunji-san with swift aggressive lows. But he gave her immediate defense,
smiling minimally, and gracefully deflecting all her blows. Her desire to test
him morphed into him testing her.
With a sigh of great relief, Neda backed off and bowed
curtly. She and Amír knew they had found the man
who could help them implement their plan. They were not just founding a dojo
for women.
Over the next month, Amír and Neda trained steadily with
sensei Bunji Hiromitsu. His subtle mind and courtly manners conveyed, in a fine
style and with beautiful tokens, his respect for their mission. A modest effort
was made by word of mouth to meet women who wanted both physical practice and
social change. Because of their personal inquiries, fourteen women came to the
first scheduled meeting, at the dojo.
The three organizers stood in a row at the front,
clothed in their karate gis.
Sensei Bunji had them form two rows and spoke briefly
about karate’s codes.
Then, Neda began to softly explainher vision as well
as she could, in English, since most of them understood it. When necessary Amír translated
into Arabic.
“You
know that my father Leo, the king of Ecuador before me, was killed by
assassins. I learned that the shooter was from here in Jedda. I became certain
that if I began a new enterprise for women like you, I would be successful.
Now, I want to form a very important core group. Perhaps you will dedicate
yourself to it. Perhaps you will not. But this group will grow, I am sure of
it.
“Later,
there will be a group for men.It is so important that we all operate together as
one body. All the strengths we have, the talents and traditions, and the wisdom
we have can be brought to this enterprise. This training and wisdom, stored up
over the ages, is like the seeds that were protected in underground vaults
against catastrophe. We must bring together all the good aspects of continuing deep
education, meditation, silent retreats into Nature, vision quests, research,
journaling, physical and mental energy practices like Sensei Bunji’s Karate, Yoga,
Qi Gong, as well as inter-ethnic friendships, abolition of residual race
prejudices, equal rights for women, and language studies. I am looking for
those who want a cause they can dedicate themselves to.
“We
want to raise up women rainbow warriors!We
will work with the Indigenous around the world, who are trying to preserve the
resources. We willprepare ourselves to be defenders of justice. This idea of
defending justice is more than just karate. If you feel it is too much, you may
leave now, and we will not be upset at all. This is not just karate training.
We will foster continuing spiritual education.”
She
paused again when she saw the interest obvious in some faces, and doubt in
others. She knew that because she was Queen of Ecuador, there would be the
novelty factor. She nodded and prayed that her words would sink in.Amír leaned over
to her and whispered “Tell them the story of ‘Alí ibn Abu-Talib who was hit in
the leg by a poisonous arrow in battle.” She told him to tell them.
“…He was in too
much pain to allow them to remove it. The Prophet told them to wait until his
concentration was engaged during the prayer. When he prayed his concentration
was total. They waited for him to prostrate himself and quickly removed the
arrow. That is the degree of concentration that we intend to strive for here.”
“We
also cherish utter devotion to Bahá’u’lláh, the Lord
of the Age,” said Neda, resuming her outline of goals. Some of the faces
expressed puzzlement or disgust.
“If
this is a stumbling block for you, you are free to go. But, if you want to stay
and keep your own creed, and still do the other personal work, you are welcome.
We want to follow a path that leads us closer and closer to harmony with the
“God-born force.” This spirit will make us a force of good in the world, to
deter the “forces of darkness.” This is our core motivation and our core goal.
We will create teams of focused people who can demonstrate personal speed and
strength, as well as a high standard of virtue. We will all practice vigilance
of the little ones, the old and infirm, and show the way to healing for the
world, which is stillemerging from the tortuous apocalypse. We will become protectores for the human world, which
is like theprodigal who reaches the bottom of his misery, and desires to come
home.We want to guide the human world home again. We want to protect the
innocent with great mindfulness and power, so that it never descends into such
darkness again; and we want to helpEarth become a paradise of increasing peace.”
She
knew that their purpose here would now become known in the city, and she could
go home, trusting in Bahá’u’lláh. Nowthat
Neda was done speaking, the women were given the opportunity to express
themselves.There was silence for a while, and then people began to move. Some
sat down. Two small groups formed, and the girls were talking animatedly among
themselves in Arabic. The three organizer knew this had to happen and waited
patiently.
An apt approached Neda and said “We are all
part of the divine”
And Neda answered “Actually, honestly, and
courteously no, we are not. The Divine Unity is One Eternal Mind, and we are
only potentially acceptable creatures.”
Some took their leave immediately.
Others came forward and said they would not be Bahá'ís, and then left. A few expressed doubt that so much was
expected, and they were not prepared to devote their lives.
Finally,
eleven had left and only three women still remained.Amína, Iman and Lila. Bunji
outfitted each one of them with their own thick white karate gi. He asked
them to form a small circle, in the middle of the dojo, and taught them, with Amír translating
if necessary, how to bow and acknowledge each other and the occasion, to be
clear what they were doing, and to dedicate their future practice to a
particular goal.
With Bunji, Amír and Neda, the three
prospective applicants then sat where they were, cross-legged. All were serious and silent, sensing that something new was
beginning.
Bunji-san
was not intent on formal class yet, and demonstrated the various responses to
aggression in a funny manner, with the not-so-shy Arabic girls.
“Pay
attention to my response to each of your attempted strikes!” And they realized
he was playing somewhat, and demonstrating skills too.
None
of their blows landed. All were dissuaded with such grace that he remained
breathing normally. Then, the sensei
moved to the cafeteria and helped prepare international tacos.
Neda lingered with Amína, Iman and Lila. Iman was an
east African Baha’i. The two others were Arab girls from Najd, and theyhad not
quit. Neda prayed. She prayed again
silently and hard that these would be firm and the endeavor would flourish.Neda
and Amír could now return to Ecuador, confident that the beginning had
been made, even if it was only with three women.
After
a month, Neda returned with Venus and Oranus. Oranusintended to stay and devote
themselves to the vision, by studying Arabic and supporting the country’s Bahá'ís, who were building a
House of Worship in the Asír mountain
town of Abhá.Abhá had become the new heart of a mixed-race Arabia. The girls
travelled back and forth between Jedda and Abhá. Arabic was made easier to learn with
ear-buds, and the Tablets of the Báb and Bahá’u’lláh were studied academically along with the
Qur’án. Arabic teachers were sent out to all parts
of the world. At first they were refugees, but more and more they were simply
world citizens taking advantage of the re-establishment of travel. Eventually
Venus was called to Quito.
Learning
that the queen had once again visited her project a crowd had gathered outside
the dojo, to see and hear her speak. Sensei Bunji was worried there may be an attempt to sabotage
the dojo. Had it been before the wars, before the sanctuary in Mecca had been
obliterated, it may have been a real concern; but since that time, the people
were simply trying to stay alive, and many had migrated, but many others had
come to Arabia from all parts of the world, and the mentality of the country
was quite different from the oppressive time of Wahhabist rulers.In her remarks, which were similar to what she
had averred previously, she swore this oath:“…we testify that our purpose here
is to raise up protectoresboth moral
and physical, who have first conquered themselves, and who go on to take posts
in police stations around the world, to oppose evil, even within their ranks, to
defeat terrorist plots, to interdict the opium trade and abolish slavery completely
from the face of the earth!”
It
was then she began distributing flyers featuring a few basic principles of the
Force that the devotees should pursue, saying that there would surely be more
discovered in the future, as the protectoresadvanced
in perfection.
Amína, Iman and Lila, the three girls who stayed and
trained, each eventually became adepts. They went to various posts in the
world, dressed in uniform tunics, and began to use their skills. A report was
emailed to the dojo from Amína about a minor incident that happened at an airport
in Brazil, the gist of which was this:
A couple was arguing in a corner of the concourse. The
man was pushing a piece of luggage on the woman as if he expected her to take
it, but she refused. Their voices were getting louder and more urgent, and
adept Amína began moving in their direction. Just then, the couple began to
slap each other, first the woman, and then the man. As he raised his arm to
deliver a greater back-handed blow, he found himself on his back, eyes wide
with surprise. Amína had brought his arm back around his neck without him suspecting
she was even there. The women moved back surprised herself.
Amína explained calmly that she could not allow him to
complete a strike that might have done some damage. He sat up and scrutinized
her tan tunic with the insignia of the dojo on her sleeves, and thought she was
perhaps some kind of security officer at the airport. He also perceived she was
coiled to spring again, if necessary, but otherwise behaved with exemplary
self-resraint.
He slowly stood up. His face registered contrition. He
blew out his cheeks, and lowered his head, shaking it in incredulity.
When the couple showed that they were able to resolve
their differences without further fighting, adept Amína retreated and left them
to themselves.
The Principles of the
God-born Force
1)
There is no god but God, the
Omnipotent Source of the God-born Force.
“Know ye that to be killed in the
path of His good pleasure is better for you than to kill.” (Baha'u'llah, SLH, #213) “So if a savage Arab were to enter the room
at this moment brandishing a sword and bent upon assaulting, wounding, or
killing you, I would of course prevent him. Were I to abandon you to that man,
this would be oppression, not justice. But if he were to harm me personally, I
would forgive him.” (Abdu'l-Baha, SAQ #77:10)
Die
before you die. "It behoveth the
people of Baha to die to the world and all that is therein, to be so
detached from all earthly things that the inmates of Paradise may inhale from
their garment the sweet smelling savor of sanctity, that all the peoples of the
earth may recognize in their faces the brightness of the All-Merciful, and that
through them may be spread abroad the signs and tokens of God, the Almighty,
the All-Wise." (Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, XLVI)
"I beseech Thee, O my God, by Thy Beauty that shineth
forth above the horizon of eternity, a Beauty before which as soon as it
revealeth itself the kingdom of beauty boweth down in worship, magnifying it in
ringing tones, to grant that I may die to all that I possess and live to whatsoever
belongeth unto Thee." (Prayers and Meditations by Baha'u'llah, p. 289)
2)
Perfect strength against evil
requires training in meekness & vigilance.
3)
To hinder evil in one’s self & in
the world, serve only the God-born Force. That is, annihilate the dark ego
self, and exalt the glorious angelic self.
This can be done through deep meditation and energy practices. The
practice of the Science of the Love of God becomes developed.
4)
The beauty of the God-born Force is
an array of virtues; the
weakness of evil is heedlessness and vice.
5)
The God-born Force does not compete
with Itself; but the forces of darkness oppose each other.
6)
All the visible material events are
inter-related with invisible spiritual forces. (Abdu'l-Baha, Divine Philosophy)
7)
All the forces of the universe, in
the last analysis serve the Covenant. (Selections from the Writings of Abdu'l-Baha, #192)
8)
All the peoples of the world are
powerless to resist its force… (P&M by Baha'u'llah, LIII) The God-born Force will
ultimately be victorious
9)
"Be nothing then and walk upon
the waves."
They
found among the crowd that other Bahá'ís, including men, had joined the dojo, and therefore
more classes had to be scheduled.
In
her final address to the seekers gathered, Neda spoke about the love of God.
She spoke to the believers, wherever they might be. It molested her not at all
to release the statement to the press, because she was convinced it was in the
best interests of Humanity, including Ecuador.
“There
is no secret that this is a Bahá'í inspired endeavor –to find the people of capacity who
will seek devotion to Bahá’u’lláh first, which implies dedication to the protection
and service of others, dutiful mastery of the martial arts tradition with
superior physical skills, and individual specialization in education, medical
treatment, and travel. Aptsremain in groups at the dojos, but Adepts are free
to go into the world, and need only occasionally gather with others. The Adepts
operate alone, or in pairs. Every cell in their bodies should be oriented, by
means of the power of Life in it, as to harmonize with the purpose of protecting
and advancing the human race, individually and collectively. The object of our
“science of the Love of God” is to manifest the good-pleasure of God and to
make Pachamama into an Eden paradise. You may seek employment in other law
enforcement agencies –to help them succeed in apprehending genuine malcontents,
and to assure those agencies remain moral. As
always, if such demanding requirements seem to demanding, you are free to
leave; but if people hope to stay, they will be helping us evolve a new way.You
are not seeking to glorify yourself. You are
seeking to become utterly selfless, and therefore utterly fearless. What is the
source of this courage? Steadfast love of God and promotion of the teachings!
That is more than mere martial arts training. ‘Abdu'l-Bahá said “The honor of
man is through the attainment of the knowledge of God….”
The
meeting ended with an enthralling performance by Oranus and Venus. They sang
harmony in a style never done before, of the following prayer, in Spanish:
"All that I beg of Thee, O my God, is to
enable me, ere my soul departeth from my body, to attain Thy good-pleasure,
even were it granted to me for a moment tinier than the infinitesimal fraction
of a mustard seed. For if it departeth while Thou art pleased with me,
then I shall be free from every concern or anxiety; but if it abandoneth
me while Thou art displeased with me, then, even had I wrought every good deed,
none would be of any avail, and had I earned every
honor and glory, none would serve to exalt me.I earnestly beseech Thee then, O
my God, to graciously bestow Thy good-pleasure upon me when Thou dost cause me
to ascend unto Thee and make me appear before Thy holy presence, inasmuch as
Thou hast, from everlasting, been the God of immense bounty unto the people of
Thy realm, and the Lord of most excellent gifts to all that dwell in the
exalted heaven of Thine omnipotence."(The Bab, SWB
7:18)
Most
of the people who came, left again, feeling it was too much to expect. But the
ones who stayed were interviewed by the Queen herself, scrutinized gently and engaged
in various moves.
The time came for Neda to leave and she embraced Venus and
Oranus. Now, their mother was confident that they were where they belonged.
“We will email you,” Oranus promised.
“Pues, when you
have time.” Neda shrugged.
“I am so proud of you” added Oranus, “for blazing a new path
for our people, who have covered their faces for too long.” She embraced her
mother once more.
When Neda returned to Ecuador, she discovered a great
interest in her new project, which was being called the Jeddaischool, since it
began in Jedda. A group of tall, lean afro-ecuatorianocosteñomen were received who were
already proficient in Brazilian martial arts. Other people came forward in
groups to be tested and accepted.
“Are you willing to dedicate your lives to beingprotectores?” she asked them. “Are you
willing to combine intense spiritual and academic improvement with physical
practice?” They were willing. So she began the first of many dojos around the
country which became known for improving the character and behavior of the idle
youth, and some adults who had strength and agility. Everywhere she went she
unabashedly spoke about the task of religion to raise up the people.
“If it does raise up and bind together, it is not
religion.”
She became more challenging because of the fire that
was within her. More and more levels of choice in education were added to that
which was available to the average ecuatoriano. In
this way the Jeddai school of martial arts spread to other countries, working
its way down from the top, as she acquainted other leaders with her vision. And
all the while, Neda had, in the back of her mind, the expanding presence of
humanity in the solar system, and the leading role the Bahá'ís should play in
colonizing other worlds.
To Yachay University she went to speak about the
Ecuadorian presence in space, demanding more dedicated effort for accomplished
disciplines, in schools of all kinds. Everywhere her message was Intensity.
TIME-LINE OF EVENTS
2020 Covid-19 Pandemic quarantine, 30
year Bad Time ensues
2021 Jaime Rumiñawi born. Centenario (Centennial) of the Passing of ‘Abdu’l-Baha
2033 Permanent bases established in
Mars space
2044 Bi-Centenario of the Declaration
of the Bab
2050 Jaime accepts crown at age 29.
“Good Time” said to begin
2053 Jaime finally marries Luz at age
35. Bi-Centenario of the Revelation of Baha’u’llah in the Siyah Chal
2063 Bi-Centenario of the Declaration
of Baha’u’llah in the Ridvan
2064 Pedro born to Jaime and Luz.
Jovian moon bases established
2086 Pedro marries Olga at age 22
2092 Leo born to Pedro and Olga.
Bi-Centenario of the Ascension of Baha’u’llah
2094 At age 73, Jaime abdicates to
Pedro, age 30
2110 Leo befriended by Joon at age 18&
travels worldwide. Leo returns and forms alliance with Rastus for usable
asteroids
2114 Jaime dies at age 93. First
interstellar ion probe launched
2117 &
2119 Tri-Centenarios del Nacimientos del Manifestaciones Gemeles
2120 Pedro dies at age 56, Leo
crowned at age 28, and marries Ana
2121 Neda born to Leo and Ana.
Bi-Centenario of the Passing of ‘Abdu’l-Baha
2140 Marriage of Neda, age 19, to
Amir Shirazi, age 20
2141 Daughter Venus born to Neda and
Amir
2143 Daughter Oranus born to Neda and
Amir
2160 At age 68, Leo killed at Baños, and Ana also dies soon after. Succession of Neda, age 39, who pursues a
vision of synchronicity and holism, and begins the Jeddaischool of martial
arts, whichVenus age 19, Oranus 17 promote and support.
2161 Halley’s comet
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