In its truest form, religion is intended to release human potential and bring unity to the human family. In the last Tea House discussion, Suzan and David Gould explored what  form of education will enable each and all of the human family to realize their potential- “as mines rich in gems of inestimable value"- and how such a process contributes to the advancement of  communities  and our world. You can watch the discussion on YouTube or listen to the audio below, or on the Sifter of Dust podcast stream at the various podcast outlets.



 

In this Tea House discussion, Monette Van Lith led a discussion on how we can make our families the building blocks of a just and peaceful society. The family unit, the nucleus of human society, provides an environment within which essential capacities and world-embracing principles can be taught and nurtured. In her presentation and discussion, Monette explored some of the Baha’i Teachings on spiritual principles, as well as the habits and patterns of conduct that can contribute to building a just society.

You can listen to it below or by finding the Sifter of Dust podcast on the various podcast outlets.

A YouTube video version may be found here.

In a recent Tea House session, Chitra Golestani-Maghzi joined to present on the "Interconnected Elements of Social Change"- the idea that real change occurs with holistic changes in both human hearts and external conditions. We then discussed some of the elements of how religion is so critical in creating this kind of change.

Please enjoy the YouTube video here or find the audio link below. The audio may also be found through our the Sifter of Dust podcast through the various podcast outlets.

Enjoy our recent Tea House discussion with Karen Eshraghi on "Consultation- A Tool for Creative Problem Solving".  As the world becomes more complex, we need tools to help humans solve problems collaboratively and peacefully. Consultation- as outlined by Baha'u'llah and 'Abdu'l-Baha'- is one of the most potent of those tools. In this presentation, Karen Eshraghi introduced the major elements of Baha'i consultation The YouTube video may be found here, or listen to the audio version below. The audio is also available through podcast outlets under "Baha'i Sifter of Dust", where you can listen to previous and future sessions.

In this Tea House discussion, we were joined by Mr Mark Jolly to discuss the Baha'i concept of the independent investigation of truth- a fundamental and far-reaching concept. Please watch the full presentation on YouTube or link to the audio below. You can enjoy both past and future discussions on the Sifter of Dust podcast channel. Enjoy!

What is spiritual growth?  What does it mean when we say that the purpose of life is to grow "spiritually"? We tackled this question in our most recent Tea House discussion. Have a listen and please join us for our future Tea House discussions.

That recording is now available in audio format below as well as on our podcast through the various podcast outlets (search "sifter of dust Baha'i"). You can watch the youtube video here.

Please join us this Thursday evening when we address the question of the investigation of the search for truth with Mr Mark Jolly.  For more on that event, click here.

In our last Tea House, Peter Gyulay joined us from Australia and discuss the nature of spiritual life and how we can follow a spiritual path. Peter is a Baha'i author, novelist, and teacher who has written several articles on bahaiteachings.org on spiritual growth and development as well as his own book- "Walking the Spiritual Path with Practical Feet". He studied philosophy academically and has a wide-knowledge of the great religions of humanity and how they relate to the Baha'i teachings.

We had a wide ranging and enriching discussion. You may find the youtube version on the Sifter of Dust YouTube site and the audio attached, or you can subscribe to the Sifter of Dust podcast. We hope you enjoy it!

 

Early mathematicians like Pythagoras were fascinated with the mystery of numbers and believed that they were the basis of the world, revering them with an almost mystical significance. As we have learned more about the world, the truths of this idea has become more prominent- the world is based on mathematical principles.  In thisTea House session, Vahid Houston Ranjbar presented on how the nature of the world can best be understood, not as material objects, but the relations between things, relations that are themselves eternal. We then discussed some of the implications of this idea in light of the Baha'i teachings. No firm conclusions were drawn, but an enlightening discussion was shared by all. The video has been uploaded to youtube at this link and the audio is below and on the sifterofdust podcast.  Enjoy!

As part the Tea House, we did three separate sessions introducing the major sources of the Baha'i Writings so that people new to those writings could have a road map to exploring them. The final introduction we did was on the writings of Shoghi Effendi and the Universal House of Justice.  In this presentation, Dr Williams gave a brief presentation on who Shoghi Effendi was and his major writings, punctuated with discussion from among the friends present. We then reviewed the Universal House of Justice and highlighted some of the letters of the House of Justice. These presentations and discussion were intended to be informative and help people new to the Baha'i Faith get oriented to some of the major sources of the Baha'i Writings. We hope you find them helpful in your exploration!

'Abdu'l-Baha' is of indescribable importance to the Revelation of Baha'u'llah and one of the most remarkable humans to ever live.  For anyone interested in life's most important questions, 'Abdu'l-Baha' is a friend, a guide, and a loving father. He is beloved by everyone who has taken the opportunity to know him. As part of the Tea House program on Sifter of Dust, we hosted an introduction and orientation to the life and writings of 'Abdu'l-Baha'. A video version is available on the Sifter of Dust youtube site. We hope you enjoy the presentation and discussion!