“Recite the Greatest Name at every morn, and turn thou unto the Kingdom of Abhá, until thou mayest apprehend my mysteries.”
— `Abdu'l-Bahá (Tablets of Abdu'l-Baha v3, p. 674)
Бахаи Символ на звънене Йога Нидра Медитация е създадена специално за отбелязване на Двегодишнината от раждането на Баб. Той повтаря щамповането или маркирането на Символа на камъка на пръстена Бахаи върху всяка част на тялото, като форма на защита и символично духовно обединение. Той е създаден и вдъхновен, за да ви доближи до по-близък съюз с божественото.
Photo credit: Farzam Sabetian (instagram: @farzam09) click on photo to link to his personal website
Significance of Baha'i Ringstone Symbol
This pictorial image of the Baha’i Ringstone Symbol may be used in the meditation as a reference.
The following excerpts are the “Explanation of the Symbol of the Greatest Name” by Abu'l-Qasim Faizi published in Conqueror of Hearts 1968:
“Who Designed the Symbol?
One of the believers who had the bounty and privilege of attaining the presence of the beloved Master has recorded one of His oral statements which shows that this emblem was initiated by Him. No less a person than 'Abdu'l-Bahá could have designed this emblem, for who else could have condensed so much of the divine mystery into so little space and into so few letters! Some of the mystic divines among the Israelites have emphatically drawn the attention of their followers to the two letters "b" and "h" indicating that they have some idea about the Greatest Name. It has been said that the Greatest Name was the leading decoration of the Temple. The Muslims were better acquainted with it but not in this form and finality. One finds in the Islamic laws governing worship and reverence that whoever possesses a ring bearing the symbol of the Greatest Name must wear the ring on their right hand.
The friends are not obliged by Bahá'u'lláh to wear a ring carrying this emblem since there is no specific law by Bahá'u'lláh in the Aqdas or in His Tablets regarding this. The beloved Master told the friends in the West that the ring should be placed on the right hand, which is a perpetuation of the Islamic law referred to above.
Some Derivatives of the Name Bahá
Bahá – Light or Glory
Abhá – Most Glorious.
Al-Abhá (sometimes used as ElAbhá)
The All-Glorious – The Most Glorious.
Bahiyyih, meaning Full of Glory.
The Greatest Holy Leaf.
Alláh'u'Abhá.
Explanations.
We will begin with basic pattern of the design and, as we proceed, the picture will be complete:
This part of the symbol comprises three levels, each level indicated by a number. Together they represent the underlying belief which is the basis of all the religions of God. They are as follows:
(1) The World of God – The Creator
(2) The World of the Prophets or Manifestation – Cause, or Command
(3) The World of Man – Creation.
The followers of all religions believe that man, left to himself, can never recognize God and attain His presence; nor is man able to fathom the mystery and purpose of his own creation. God, in His unlimited bounty has singled out His Chosen Ones and will continue to do so, sending them to man at different times and ages in order to grant him penetrating insight and to enable him to have a glimpse of the unfading glories of the innumerable worlds beyond.
The Prophets accept descent from their realms on high and suffer the abasement of living in human temples, walking amongst men and speaking their languages. The Manifestations are invariably denied, ridiculed, humiliated and even put to death. Were it not for their spiritual upliftment and leadership, man would have continued to live as a wild beast and would have been eternally doomed to deprivation and loss.
These functions of the Prophets are clearly demonstrated in the design of the Greatest Name by having the world of the Prophets (shown in horizontal line) repeated in vertical line, thus joining the world of the Creator to that of His creation.
Contrary to this, mystics believe in only two worlds; the world of God and the world of man. They proclaim that should man cleanse himself from all worldly desires and earthly attachments, he will be enabled to attain the presence of his Lord, the Creator. The mystics claim there is no need for an intermediary link between God and His creation. They therefore believe in, and practise, ascetic life which sometimes takes them to secluded corners of the world, occasionally in the mountains, forests, and jungles. This hermit's life is utterly forbidden by the mighty Pen of Bahá'u'lláh because He desires every man to be a fruitful member of the society he lives in.
The Bahá'ís believe that no matter what height of spiritual, scientific and material success man may reach, he is and will forever be in need of divine guidance bestowed upon him by the Prophets of God. It is only through Them that man can comprehend the secrets of true civilisation and recognize the Will of God and His Purpose. The Bahá'ís also believe that it is through a complete understanding and the full establishment of Their highly valued and vital precepts and teachings that man can attain the highest state of happiness, and eventually rejoice in the presence of his Lord.
Let us ponder once more upon this design and behold with our own eyes the perfect realization of Christ's prayer. The lights of the Kingdom on High are mirrored forth by the Manifestations of God upon the plane of creation, thus fulfilling the promise of the appearance of God's Kingdom on earth, as it is in heaven.
The Letters it Contains
Let us study the letters in the symbol to discover what they signify.
The letters "b" and "h" in the Original script are written as ب and هـ respectively. "b" stands for the name of Bahá and "h" stands for the name of Báb.[14]
To grasp the significance and the important implications of this beautiful and artistic combination, we must bear in mind that among the Near-Eastern people the Phoenicians were the first to sail their boats to distant lands. Wherever they travelled, they established trading centres, and as traders found themselves forced to adopt some practical way of recording their commercial transactions. The characters they adopted became their alphabet and in the course of centuries this alphabet developed and gradually became a pattern of alphabets used in both the East and the West. Gibbon says "Phoenicia and Palestine will forever live in the memory of mankind; since America as well as Europe, have received letters from the one, and religion from the other."
"The use of letters was introduced among the savages of Europe about fifteen hundred years before Christ; and the Europeans carried them to America about fifteen centuries after the Christian era. But in a period of three thousand years, the Phoenician alphabet received considerable alteration; as it passed through the hands of the Greeks and Romans."[15]
Will Durant, in his monumental Story of Civilisation, describes this contribution as the most precious legacy of the ancient cultures.
The Names of the Báb and Bahá'u'lláh
We repeat that the two letters "b" and "h" stand for the names of Bahá'u'lláh and the Báb respectively.
The numerical value of "Báb" is:
B = 2
A = 1
B = 2
5
The numerical value of Bahá is:
B = 2
A = 1
H = 5
A = 1
9
Nine is the perfect number, on the top of the ladder of the numerical progressive elevation. It is very mysterious, and more than any other number, full of special qualities and potencies. The numbers end with nine. After nine whatever we write in the form of digits is repetition of the same figures. Mankind throughout ages will gradually fathom the mysteries of this special number which is the numerical manifestation of the Greatest Name: Bahá.
The Essence of Sacrifice and the Essence of Servitude
The two five pointed stars on both sides of the emblem represent the human body: a head, two hands and two feet. These two stars represent the twin Manifestation of God in this Day. Their advent is the fulfillment of all the writings of God's prophets in bygone ages, Who, emphatically, repeatedly and often, in a language clearer than the light of sun, assured mankind of the undoubted appearance of these Twin Luminaries, Who would rescue the world from the fetters of prejudice and the dictates of self.
In conclusion, may I venture to suggest another approach to the meaning of the two stars. This approach is merely a personal one, therefore not authoritative. Could we not visualize God as manifested in His most resplendent glory in the majestic figure of Bahá'u'lláh, and standing on either side of Him, two towering personalities of unsurpassed beauty: the Báb, the Herald, the incarnation of sacrifice and of self-effacement and the highest expression of true love ever possible in this contingent life; and Abdu'l-Bahá, the Centre of the Covenant, the true Exemplar of the teachings and the highest embodiment of servitude. These two exemplify the mysteries of sacrifice and servitude, calling on all men to hasten and offer their potentialities as humble gifts for the establishment of God's redeeming Order, the very reflection of His Kingdom on earth.”
If you would like to learn more about the Symbol of the Greatest Name itself, click here to be directed to a detailed explanation by Hand of the Cause Abu'l-Qasim Faizi.
What is Yoga Nidra?
Yoga Nidra is a form of a meditative yogic sleep technique.
According to the 8 Limbs of Ashtanga Yoga, it is considered under the umbrella of Step 5, Pratyahara, the type of meditation that focuses on withdrawal of the physical senses.
It is said that 20 minutes of Yoga Nidra meditation is equivalent to 2 —3 hours of sleep, bringing one into a very relaxed state, in between consciousness and unconsciousness, awake and asleep.
The Baha'i Ringstone Symbol Yoga Nidra meditation repeats the visualization of the Baha’i ringstone symbol on each part of the body, as a form of remembrance, protection and symbolic spiritual union with the divine. It was created to remove all forms of a false sense of self, and for there to remain in the body, only the symbol of God.
Baha'i Ringstone Symbol Yoga Nidra
Meditation Script
The Bicentenary Meditation Project is a community karma-yoga-celebratory project and resource bank, which provides free meditations and their corresponding meditation-scripts based off of the Sacred Writings and Teachings of The Bab & Baha’u’llah for world-wide dissemination and use.
The purpose of the meditations are used primarily to draw a closer spiritual connection through the Manifestations of God to God.
One of the primary principles that The Bab & Baha’u’llah proclaimed is the Oneness of Humanity and how interrelated we are.
As host and coordinator of the project, Yoga Avec Moi would like to kindly request for those who will be downloading the meditations scripts, to used them in circumstances with the utmost dignity, reverence and respect for the Sacred Teachings and Personage of The Bab & Baha’u’llah.
You have permission to use them in devotionals, prayer gatherings, children’s virtues classes, junior youth animator gatherings, meditation classes & retreats, Hatha, Yin, Vinyasa yoga classes and retreats.
If you would like to use them in contexts that have not been mentioned above, please drop us a line at yogiavecmoi@gmail.com to say hi and to double check if in doubt that it would be appropriate.
This is primarily run on an honorary role basis, we have deep love in serving and providing for humanities spiritual needs, we ask that in return you respect our wishes to hold the Personages and Sacred Teachings of The Bab & Baha’u’llah with reverence and utmost dignity .
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MEDITATION SCRIPT
Baha'i Ringstone Symbol Yoga Nidra
Бахаи Символ на звънене Йога Нидра Медитация
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Meditation Contributor
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