Unite The Hearts: Why I Love The Baha’i Faith

5 Minute Video from Portugal on Humanity as Flowers of One Garden, Immaterial Souls of the Human Race

One of the reasons why I love the Baha’i Faith is the illustration of humanity being flowers of one garden. This metaphor illustrates unity in diversity in a poetic and practical way.

ʻAbdu’l-Bahá says: ‘Consider the flowers of a garden. Though differing in kind, color, form and shape, yet, inasmuch as they are refreshed by the waters of one spring, revived by the breath of one wind, invigorated by the rays of one sun, this diversity increaseth their charm and addeth unto their beauty. How unpleasing to the eye if all the flowers and plants, the leaves and blossoms, the fruit, the branches and the trees of that garden were all of the same shape and color! Diversity of hues, form and shape enricheth and adorneth the garden, and heighteneth the effect thereof. In like manner, when divers shades of thought, temperament and character, are brought together under the power and influence of one central agency, the beauty and glory of human perfection will be revealed and made manifest.’

When we consider the plant world, there are companion plants and antagonistic plants. Companions are pairs or small groups that often mutually benefit one another.

Planting companions can be compared to the process of cocreating healthy friendships in which both friends practice good virtues.

In the same manner, family members need proper spacing in order to have a healthy kinship.

Some plants, like people, don’t get along. For example, strawberries and cabbages are antagonistic plants.

The roots of cabbage secrete a substance that prevents strawberries from growing to their full potential and producing fruit.

And even cabbages need to be spaced generously to produce a bountiful harvest. Likewise, companions need to be spaced wisely.

With youth in my local community, we planted containers of food and flowers, specificially mint, geraniums, and petunias.

Their benefits to one another are practical and aesthetic in nature.

The scent that geraniums produce repels some pests and attracts beneficial insects… and the height of the plant shades the mint in the hottest time of the year, producing a balanced ecosystem.

Also, geraniums are set apart from the differing texture and contrasting color of the petunias.

Last year at the Desert Rose Baha’i Institute in Arizona, we deepened on virtues like Self-sacrifice.

For example, the Geranium flower surrenders to a beetle infestation so that the rest of the food and flowers can live just like Jesus Christ sacrificed himself for us to live.

We also deepened on the virtues of Problem Solving, Teamwork, Creativity, and Patience.

Our guiding prayer for youth at the camp was:

‘O Thou kind Lord! Graciously bestow a pair of heavenly wings unto each of these fledglings, and give them spiritual power that they may wing their flight through this limitless space and may soar to the heights of the Abhá Kingdom. O Lord! Strengthen these fragile seedlings that each one may become a fruitful tree, verdant and flourishing. Render these souls victorious through the potency of Thy celestial hosts, that they may be able to crush the forces of error and ignorance and to unfurl the standard of fellowship and guidance amidst the people; that they may, even as the reviving breaths of the spring, refresh and quicken the trees of human souls and like unto vernal showers make the meads of that region green and fertile. Thou art the Mighty and Powerful; Thou are the Bestower and the All-Loving.’

-‘Abdu’l-Bahá

Baha’is believe in the societal, spiritual forces of disintegration and integration. In the context of gardening, death makes way for new growth as we deadhead wilting blooms and engage in the process of composting.

Meanwhile men, women, and children, as stewards tending to the garden, encourage growth and fertilization.

We can think of the garden as God’s third work of art (which he created after the heavens and the earth).

On my journey, I’ve been inspired to bring to light the metaphor of humanity being flowers of one garden — or food and flowers of one garden.

Ultimately, why I love the Baha’i Faith is due to its prayerful calls to action to cocreate a more beautiful world.

Watch the short video

Humbled to be releasing this short video for Nabil Moghaddam’s new project, Unite The Hearts. Thanks to him and Emmy-nominated filmmaker Jafar Fallahi for guiding the recording process to uplift the Baha’i Writing on the spiritual power of unity in diversity in “God’s Garden” where each individual is loved in their full humanity as members of the human race (not to be confused with seemingly similar slogans in the secular world).

Watch the 5-minute video recorded in Madeira Island, Portugal below, and feel free to leave a comment and subscribe to this new channel. Check out the photos from my latest virtues-based gardening workshop for youth at Little Pond Retreat Center on Facebook.