Hello, I'm new here. You can read my introduction at: Jumping Into the Deep End.

I lead a meditative/interfaith service every Sunday. During this service we read texts from the different world traditions. Our texts are always around one central principle. The main texts are chosen from World Scripture: An Anthology of Sacred Texts. You can link to it here: http://www.unification.net/ws/as.

In addition to our main texts, I always like to include readings, sayings, etc... for take home and discussion.

This coming Sunday the theme is: Parents and Children

Do anyone of you have any suggested readings, sayings, verses, poems, songs, etc.. around this theme from your particular tradition?

Thank you in advance.

P.S. These sayings will be printed in our regular service bulletin, so people can take them home. So, if it's possible, please provide the source of your contribution - it makes easier for folks if they decide to look up more information. Thank you.

all from Bahá’í Prayers: A Selection of Prayers Revealed by Bahá’u’lláh, the Báb, and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, US Bahá’í Publishing Trust, 1991 edition. Available online in several places including

http://reference.bahai.org/en/t/c/BP/

"I beg Thy forgiveness, O my God, and implore pardon after the manner Thou wishest Thy servants to direct themselves to Thee. I beg of Thee to wash away our sins as befitteth Thy Lordship, and to forgive me, my parents, and those who in Thy estimation have entered the abode of Thy love in a manner which is worthy of Thy transcendent sovereignty and well beseemeth the glory of Thy celestial power.

O my God! Thou hast inspired my soul to offer its supplication to Thee, and but for Thee, I would not call upon Thee. Lauded and glorified art Thou; I yield Thee praise inasmuch as Thou didst reveal Thyself unto me, and I beg Thee to forgive me, since I have fallen short in my duty to 65 know Thee and have failed to walk in the path of Thy love." p. 64-5.

"My Lord! My Lord! I praise Thee and I thank Thee for that whereby Thou hast favored Thine humble maidservant, Thy slave beseeching and supplicating Thee, because Thou hast verily guided her unto Thine obvious Kingdom and caused her to hear Thine exalted Call in the contingent world and to behold Thy Signs which prove the appearance of Thy victorious reign over all things.

O my Lord, I dedicate that which is in my womb unto Thee. Then cause it to be a praiseworthy child in Thy Kingdom and a fortunate one by Thy favor and Thy generosity; to develop and to grow up under the charge of Thine education. Verily, Thou art the Gracious! Verily, Thou art the Lord of Great Favor!" p. 66-7.

"O God! Rear this little babe in the bosom of Thy love, and give it milk from the breast of Thy Providence. Cultivate this fresh plant in the rose garden of Thy love and aid it to grow through the showers of Thy bounty. Make it a child of the kingdom, and lead it to Thy heavenly realm. Thou art powerful and kind, and Thou art the Bestower, the Generous, the Lord of surpassing bounty" p 35.

"O God! Educate these children. These children are the plants of Thine orchard, the flowers of Thy meadow, the roses of Thy garden. Let Thy rain fall upon them; let the Sun of Reality shine upon them with Thy love. Let Thy breeze refresh them in order that they may be trained, grow and develop, and appear in the utmost beauty. Thou art the Giver. Thou art the Compassionate." p.35-6

"O God, guide me, protect me, make of me a shining lamp and a brilliant star. Thou art the Mighty and the Powerful." p.37

"Glory be unto Thee, O my God! Verily, this Thy servant and this Thy maidservant have gathered under the shadow of Thy mercy and they are united through Thy favor and generosity. O Lord! Assist them in this Thy world and Thy kingdom and destine for them every good through Thy bounty and grace. O Lord! Confirm them in Thy servitude and assist them in Thy service. Suffer them to become the signs of Thy Name in Thy world and protect them through Thy bestowals which are inexhaustible in this world and the world to come. O Lord! They are supplicating the kingdom of Thy mercifulness and invoking the realm of Thy singleness. Verily, they are married in obedience to Thy command. Cause them to become the signs of harmony and unity until the end of time. Verily, Thou art the Omnipotent, the Omnipresent and the Almighty!" p.107

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Possess a pure, kindly and radiant heart!
They that believe in vain thoughts forsake their own mercy.

Hi Rose, here are some links for you:

Islamic Poetry
http://www.islamicedfoundation.com/material.htm

Hindu Poetry
http://www.poetseers.org/themes/hindu-poems

Buddhist Poetry
http://www.gardendigest.com/zen/index.htm

Native American Poetry
http://www.ewebtribe.com/NACulture/poetry.htm

Jewish Poetry
http://www.jewishvoices.org/

Sikh Poetry
http://www.sikhspirit.com/

Taoist Poetry
http://www.gardendigest.com/zen/quotes8.htm

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InterfaithForums.com-Where your ideas and beliefs count.

Thanks SmKolins ... these two are my favorite and I will definitely use them.

Lightkeeper ... I checked out the links you gave. They're very good, I was especially interested in the Native American links.

Are you at all familiar with World Scripture: an Anthology of Sacred Texts?

This is our main source of text readings for our Sunday services. http://origin.org/ucs/ws/ws.cfm.

Each of the leaders has a hard copy - it only costs around $25.00. A link to this Anthology would be a wonderful addition to the library on this site.

Thanks SmKolins ... for your suggestions. The verses you suggested were well received. In fact so well received, that I thought I'd post another request for verses.

On Sunday of Memorial Day weekend the theme will be: Family and Society

Any suggestions from any spiritual tradition - or from an atheist/agnostic perspective around Family and Society are welcome. All I ask is that a reference be included.

Thank you in advance.

The fruits of the tree of existence are trustworthiness, loyalty, truthfulness and purity. After the recognition of the oneness of the Lord, exalted be He, the most important of all duties is to have due regard for the rights of one's parents. This matter hath been mentioned in all the Books of God....
(Bahá'u'lláh, from a Tablet-translated from the Persian and Arabic) cited in http://bahai-library.com/?file=compilation_family_life

Beware lest ye commit that which would sadden the hearts of your fathers and mothers. Follow ye the path of Truth which indeed is a straight path. Should anyone give you a choice between the opportunity to render a service to Me and a service to them, choose ye to serve them, and let such service be a path leading you to Me. This is My exhortation and command unto thee. Observe therefore that which thy Lord, the Mighty, the Gracious, hath prescribed unto thee.

(Bahá'u'lláh, from a Tablet-translated from the Arabic)

The Great Being saith: O ye children of men! The fundamental purpose animating the Faith of God and His Religion is to safeguard the interests and promote the unity of the human race, and to foster the spirit of love and fellowship amongst men. Suffer it not to become a source of dissension and discord, of hate and enmity. This is the straight Path, the fixed and immovable foundation. Whatsoever is raised on this foundation, the changes and chances of the world can never impair its strength, nor will the revolution of countless centuries undermine its structure. Our hope is that the world's religious leaders and the rulers thereof will unitedly arise for the reformation of this age and the rehabilitation of its fortunes. Let them, after meditating on its needs, take counsel together and, through anxious and full deliberation, administer to a diseased and sorely-afflicted world the remedy it requireth.... It is incumbent upon them who are in authority to exercise moderation in all things. Whatsoever passeth beyond the limits of moderation will cease to exert a beneficial influence. Consider for instance such things as liberty, civilization and the like. However much men of understanding may favorably regard them, they will, if carried to excess, exercise a pernicious influence upon men.... ("Gleanings From the Writings of Bahá'u'lláh", (Haifa: Bahá'í World Centre, 1982), p.215)

It is seemly that the servant should, after each prayer, supplicate God to bestow mercy and forgiveness upon his parents. Thereupon God's call will be raised: "Thousand upon thousand of what thou hast asked for thy parents shall be thy recompense!" Blessed is he who remembereth his parents when communing with God. There is, verily, no God but Him, the Mighty, the Well-Beloved.
("Selections from the Writings of the Báb", [rev. ed.] (Haifa: Bahá'í World Centre, 1982), p. 94)

Note ye how easily, where unity existeth in a given family, the affairs of that family are conducted; what progress the members of that family make, how they prosper in the world. Their concerns are in order, they enjoy comfort and tranquillity, they are secure, their position is assured, they come to be envied by all. Such a family but addeth to its stature and its lasting honour, as day succeedeth day. And if we widen out the sphere of unity a little to include the inhabitants of a village who seek to be loving and united, who associate with and are kind to one another, what great advances they will be seen to make, how secure and protected they will be. Then let us widen out the sphere a little more, let us take the inhabitants of a city, all of them together: if they establish the strongest bonds of unity among themselves, how far they will progress, even in a brief period and what power they will exert. And if the sphere of unity be still further widened out, that is, if the inhabitants of a whole country develop peaceable hearts, and if with all their hearts and souls they yearn to co-operate with one another and to live in unity, and if they become kind and loving to one another, that country will achieve undying joy and lasting glory. Peace will it have, and plenty, and vast wealth."
('Abdu'l-Bahá, Selections from the Writings of 'Abdu'l-Bahá (Haifa: Bahá'í World Centre, 1982), p. 279

The most vital duty, in this day, is to purify your characters, to correct your manners and improve your conduct. The beloved of the Merciful must show forth such character and conduct among His creatures, that the fragrance of their holiness may be shed upon the whole world, and may quicken the dead, in as much as the purpose of the Manifestation of God and the dawning of the limitless lights of the Invisible is to educate the souls of men, and refine the character of every living man."...
('Abdu'l-Bahá quoted in Shoghi Effendi's "Advent of Divine Justice" (Wilmette: Bahá'í Publishing Trust, 1990), p. 26

If a small number of people gather lovingly together, with absolute purity and sanctity, with their hearts free of the world, experiencing the emotions of the Kingdom and the powerful magnetic forces of the Divine, and being at one in their happy fellowship, that gathering will exert its influence over all the earth. The nature of that band of people, the words they speak, the deeds they do, will unleash the bestowals of Heaven, and provide a foretaste of eternal bliss. The hosts of the Company on high will defend them, and the angels of the Most Glorious Paradise, in continuous succession, will come down to their aid.
('Abdu'l-Bahá, Selections from the Writings of 'Abdu'l-Bahá (Haifa: World Centre Publications, 1982), p. 81)

__________________
Possess a pure, kindly and radiant heart!
They that believe in vain thoughts forsake their own mercy.