Origin of the symbols used in the Baha'i faith

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If a member would kindly display pictures of the symbols ued by the Baha'i faith, there meaning and origin I would appreicate.

Thanks
 
Postmaster said:
If a member would kindly display pictures of the symbols ued by the Baha'i faith, there meaning and origin I would appreicate.

Thanks
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You may want to visit this site Baha'i Symbols

It gives a pretty good explanation of the symbols commonly associated with the Baha'i Faith as well as good graphic representations.


Mick
 
I am going to try to post a file as well
 

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Postmaster,

I found a site a while back which gives the different calligraphy of the Greatest Name designed by Mishkín-Qalam. The site is located at Dedicated to "The Greatest Name"

Here is another site about the ring symbol and the Greatest Name. http://bahai-library.com/index.php5?file=faizi_symbol_greatest_name
On this site, you will find "Some Derivatives of the Name Bahá" which I found very interesting since some of these derivatives are found in the different Greatest Name calligraphy.

I hope you find these sites helpful.

warmly,
Sass
 
Symbols on the House of Worship in Illinois

Bah%C3%A1'%C3%AD(Bahai)House of Worship.jpg
 
That's the Baha`i Temple of North America in Wilmette, Illinois on the north shore of the lake, near Chicago.

Regards,
Scott
 
This is a picture I downloaded with the webcam that used to be on the internet. I visit this House of Worship a few times a year. It is only a 200 miles from where I live around Lake Michigan or abou 100 miles across Lake Michigan.

Mick
 

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BruceDLimber said:
Uh, much as I hate to disillusion you, Scott, it's on the west shore of the lake! (There isn't much of a "north shore.")

:)

Bruce
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You're right, Bruce. Being a Michigander, I should have caught that. It is actually north of Chicago. But there is a pretty significant shoreline on the north end...150 miles, at least. Sassafras and I are moving there this spring to St. Ignace, MI. on the east tip of the shoreline where Lake Huron and Lake Michigan meet.

Mick
 
Who funded the buildings and elaborate designs of the baha'i world center?

And all other Baha'i house of worship. Isn't this an age old problem of religions practising social equality only waist money on iconary.
 
Postmaster said:
Who funded the buildings and elaborate designs of the baha'i world center?

And all other Baha'i house of worship. Isn't this an age old problem of religions practising social equality only waist money on iconary.
Click to expand...

Postmaster,

Good question. The House of Worship in Wilmette, Illinois was built by donations from Baha'is from around the world, as all of the Houses of Worship are built. This particular House is called the Mother Temple, as it was he first one built. I have a prayer book, bought by my mother at the dedication and given to me in 1954.

I don't see the connection to social equality and this or other structures. As a Baha'i, I am proud of these structures. They represent Unity, Equality, and Knowledge simply standing there. They are open to the public. I have sat many times in them meditating and silently praying with others from all over the world. I love sitting on the steps and basking in the sunlight watching the endless streams of people in costumes from around the world entering the Temple. It makes my heart warm.

Thank you for the question.

Mick
 
Baha'i buildings and social developement projects..

Baha'i buildings of significance usually take years to complete at some sacrifice to the friends themselves and you can count their number on both hands...and maybe a foot. There are eight (I think that's the right number) Houses of Worship and the World Center... Bahji is actuallyt still the structure built from what then nineteenth century.. The gardens though require upkeep and that is done by workers hired for that purpose probably under supervision.

Considering that there are say seven millions Baha'is eight Houses of Worship and the World Center are not so many buildings..

Each House of Worship is designed in the future to have as dependencies around it a hostel, a hospital, a university and other social services for people generally...so the social service aspects were never forgotten.

Also you may have heard that Baha'is have many social developement projects around the world inspired and encouraged by us...

Check out:

www.bahai.org/article-1-8-0-1.html

- Art
 
what im trying to say is, the bahai world center seems like alot of money was pumped into it. All them designs of symbols, birds and even simple things as light holders look very very expensive to produce, who funded them and wouldnt money have better spent on serving the poor? I seen videos on Youtube, the gardens are amazing and they I can undertsand by purely artistic skill of a good gardener they can be be cheaply created and maintained. But all them artifacts, monuments need alot of expensive and experienced work and material to produce and they are very elaborate. I just find it hypocritical that Baha'i faith preaches new world order of social equality and to do as older religons hyprocritcally pumped money into there iconary instead of giving it to the disenfrachised.
 
Hi Postmaster,

One thing to understand is that the World Center was built to last 1000 years. And honestly, it probably cost less than one extravagant building in the US, which if they're lucky will last for 50 years.

I have not gone on pilgrimage yet, but have heard that that they really are not extravagant inside. Very minimal furnishings.
 
Greetings redux, Postmaster! :)

As Amy already pointed out, these building are to last a millenium! So when you divide their cost by their lifespan, they're really quite a bargain.

Further, the Baha'i temples (currently seven with an eighth currently under construction) are our gifts to the rest of the world: no specifically Baha'i activities are held in them. (For example, a Baha'i can't get married in one.)

And a point to bear in mind is that we're taking great pains, at our sole expense, to design and build the most perfect places possible! (If you read any of the reviews about our temples and world center, I hope this will become obvious.) I humbly suggest to you that most religionists of any faith would very likely endeavor to do the same sort of thing. None of this is "iconry," please note--just beauty for the love and worship of God.

Nor has this hampered our development projects, which again are funded solely by us and of which there are well over a thousand around the world! And these benefit society at large, not the Baha'is. (They're things like irrigation projects, schools, and disease-eradication measures. Screwworm investation was completely wiped out of NE Africa through the efforts of the Baha'i development program there, for example.)

I would also humbly suggest that others really aren't in a position to dicatate too much how our money is to be spent given that it's 100% our own money, voluntariliy contributed, and that we neither solicit nor accept funds from anyone else.

One quibble for a third party, BTW: the Wilmette temple is in fact the second one ever built. The first was in Ishqabad, and was confiscated by the Soviet government (later an earthquake destroyed it).

Many regards,

Bruce
 
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