Baha'i Association at Tufts

Circles of study, open to all

Picture
We get together on a weekly basis with individuals from all religious backgrounds to study the sacred writings and how to apply them to our lives. The current theme of study is "Reflections on the Life of the Spirit." We may start a session, for example, by studying the quote from Baha'u'llah: "The betterment of the world can be accomplished through pure and goodly deeds, through commendable and seemly conduct." Then we reflect on what the quote means, how it applies to our every day actions, and what it implies for the life of society. Each theme we study has an act of service associated with it. Please contact us if you are interested in participating!

Holy Day Celebrations

Picture
Who doesn't love to rejoice, celebrate, and eat yummy food?  Every year we try to hold events for the major holy days in the Baha'i calendar. In the fall, some of these days include the Birth of the Bab, the Prophet-Herald of the Baha'i Faith (October 20); the Birth of Baha'u'llah, the Prophet-Founder of the Baha'i Faith (November 12), and the Day of the Covenant (November 26), where we celebrate the Eternal Covenant between God and humanity - that God will never leave us alone and without guidance, and that humanity will always turn towards God and follow the guidance brought to us by the Manifestations of God (those Divine Educators who are sent from age to age to make manifest or reveal the Word of God). In the spring, we have a lot of fun at Ayyamiha, a time set aside for gift-giving and charity (Feb 26-March 1); the Fast, where we forgo material desires and focus on spiritual reflection and growth (March 2-20); Naw-Ruz, the Baha'i New Year (March 21); and the Festival of Ridvan (April 21-May 2), celebrating when, in 1863, Baha'u'llah proclaimed to the world His Mission and Station as the Manifestation of God for this Day and the Promised One of previous religious dispensations.

Occasional Events

Picture
The Baha'i Association at Tufts is also involved in a number of occasional events that will be advertised on campus as they occur. Some examples follow:

"How can religion build unity through diversity?": an introduction to the Baha'i Faith
"Environmental sustainability and the faith community": Baha'i writings on combating the global problem of climate change
"Tell the rich of the midnight sighing of the poor": an exploration of socioeconomic development and the Baha'i writings
"A ladder for the soul": musical devotional with drumming, guitars, singing, etc
"The Baha'i Faith in Israel and Palestine": a session explaining the history of the Baha'i Shrines in the Holy Land
"Race unity": an interfaith prayer session on healing racism