Bahais Online 
Here is the text of another pamphlet I wrote recently.
Given that it is Easter, I have decided to post some more quotes from the Gospels over the next week. After that, Ridvan!
Alison
We have learned from Abdu'l-Baha that, in meditation, we abstract ourselves from this world and focus on the spiritual world - the Sun of Reality that is Baha'u'llah. We do this because the soul is like a mirror, which reflects whatever is put in front of it. So in meditation and worship, we put the Word in front of us and, in that way, come to reflect the Sun of Reality.
At the heart of this scenario is the fact that we have to make a choice about what to focus our attention on. We can't reflect both worlds at the same time. Remember the analogy Abdu'l-Baha gave us: a person who is meditating has their outer eyes closed; you can't see with your inner sight if your outer one is still working.
Baha'u'llah puts an interesting slant on this idea that we have to choose:
On my last blog message, I quoted extensively from Abdu'l-Baha. In his talk, he described the process we need to follow in order to grow spiritually. He explained that meditation was crucial for attaining eternal life because, in meditation, we abstract ourselves from this world by closing off our outer sight and concentrating solely on our inner sight. This process causes us to turn our souls toward the spiritual world. This is important because our souls are like mirrors, which means that they reflect whatever is put in front of them. If we put worldly things in front of them, then they will reflect worldly things. If we turn out attention to the spiritual realities - that is, the reality of the Word - then we will reflect that reality.
This admonishment to close our eyes to this world and open them to the spiritual world is everywhere in the writings. Baha'u'llah says it so often that it is easy to miss. And it takes some thought to figure out what he means by it and why it is important to do it.
Recently, someone put me onto a talk Abdu'l-Baha gave about meditation. It is the address he gave at the Friends Meeting House, St Martins Lane, London, Sunday, January 12th, 1913 and it is published in Paris Talks.
In this talk, Abdu'l-Baha explains the role meditation plays in the process of attaining eternal life. He states categorically that it is through meditation that we attain eternal life. Through reflection and meditation, we receive the breath of the Holy Spirit and the bestowal of the spirit:
"Through the faculty of meditation man attains to eternal life; through it he receives the breath of the Holy Spirit - the bestowal of the Spirit is given in reflection and meditation." (page 175)
Why?
I am in the process of reading the fourth Gospel, that of St John. It's amazing. Jesus really gave those Jews a hard time. He wasn't one to mince words, that's for sure. He spoke with real authority, although he frequently makes it clear that he is saying only what his Father tells him to say. And I can hear that same voice of authority in the Kitab-i Iqan, where Baha'u'llah gives the hypocrites a hard time.
Anyway, in John 8:31-35, Jesus talks about sin and what he says is interesting in the light of what Abdu'l-Baha says about freedom from sin in Some Answered Questions.
