Baha'i Perspectives

nooshin August 25th, 2008

Having started the course in May 2007, and after some unforeseen stops and starts, I have finally finished Ruhi Book 5 (Releasing the Powers of Junior Youth), and am now officially an “animator”. I explained my enthusiasm for the course and its spiritual underpinnings in my previous post. In the collaborative spirit of the Ruhi method, I have asked my classmates to share their views of Book 5. All three are in their twenties, and all three have been raised and brought up in Africa. Two are doctors and one is an international relations consultant. Once you read their insightful responses, you’ll see why I loved going to class: I felt more enriched every time.

Me: Why do you think Book 5 is an important class? Is it different from the other Ruhi books?

Well, truth is I only did the book initially for the sake of doing it. I was a bit curious to see what it was like but never thought I would want to do it myself. By the time the book finished, I was dying to have my own experiences. I think the book gives you a taste of what it could be like but you know that the real exciting part would be to get out and do it. By doing my class, I think I learnt a lot about encouragement it helped me in a lot of aspects of my life to take an individual and be a part of their growth. Here you are helping build a generation that will be better than ours was, one which will have a whole new focus. It is a privilege, I think.

Book 5 is a very specific training manual with a concrete practical component, the formation of junior youth animator groups; a peer group that meets regularly, serves as an environment of mutual support for its members, where youth are systematically guided to listen, speak, reflect, analyze, make decisions and act on their decisions in an atmosphere free from fear of censure or ridicule, and encouraged to enhance those qualities and attitudes that a life of service to humanity requires.

What is important for me is the focus on a previously neglected age group. The series of material that has been developed to accompany Book 5 is great for animators, and provides a consistent and systematic methodology.

Me: Are you a fan of the Ruhi process? Do you think it is successful?

A true fan! It is the core to a systematic sustainable growth and development pattern that the international Baha’i community has embarked on. It is globally recognizable and yet locally adaptable and sensitive. It has been successful in deepening the knowledge of the Baha’i community, growing human resources internally, focusing on a specific plan of action, and mobilizing the global community around this. It is clearly a process that is equipping every community with the next level of building blocks required to support the spiritual needs of the entire human race.

Me: Why do you think it is important to focus on this particular age group?

It is a period of transition. Prior to this, their choices are made for them, their morals are imposed on them rather than being their choice. This is the first time they start to question and be critical and really find out why things are done rather than blindly following what they are told to do. They also often shift their focus of guidance, which makes this a very critical time, because a wrong choice here could have disastrous consequences for the future. But if they choose to adopt a positive world outlook and a sense of spirituality, this will remain with them.

Junior Youth require firm mentoring but with open debate, so that they can develop their own thought processes and opinions but based on important spiritual values that will stay with them their entire life. Youth have often already formed this, and it is challenging to steer their pattern of development towards a positive direction.

Junior youth are in the shadows of the age of maturity and the animator youth group casts a light to guide them in the right direction. Abdu’l-Bahá says of the age of maturity (15 years): “Having arrived at this stage it acquireth the capacity to manifest spiritual and intellectual perfections. The lights of comprehension, intelligence and knowledge become perceptible in it and the POWERS OF ITS SOUL UNFOLD“.

Tags: Ruhi books, youth

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