The opportunity to study a mystical masterpiece by Baha’u’llah, the Founder of the Baha’i Faith, drew participants from all States of Australia to the southern highlands of New South Wales last month.
The participants, ranging from teenagers to the elderly, took part in a five-day “Sacred Steps Retreat” at the Baha’i Centre of Learning in Yerrinbool.
The retreat focused on The Seven Valleys, a work written in the late 1860s, in which the journey of the soul through seven stages is described.
Baha’u’llah identifies those stages as the valleys of Search, Love, Unity, Contentment, Wonderment, and True Poverty and Absolute Nothingness.
The program has been held annually since 1994 when it began as part of the curriculum for a Baha’i Studies program.
One of the founders of the program, Marjorie Tidman, said the objective of the retreat is to increase the participants’ attraction to the Creator and to gain a greater love for humanity.
Dr Tidman said that to cater for different learning styles, she and co-founder John Davidson employ various activities, including focused study, reflection, discussion, artistic expression, story-telling and experiential learning.
“Some people learn more through visual stimuli, whereas others learn more through auditory or kinetic experiences so the program aims to provide special pathways for everyone regardless of their learning styles,” Dr Tidman said.
The program calls upon the talents of musicians and artists to help participants discover their own hidden artistic talents. The co-facilitators were Peter Tidman, Erica Davidson, Carol Eddington and Daryl Braund.
The retreat has attracted positive feedback from participants, including Michael Roberts of North Sydney.
“I have read The Seven Valleys many times but really struggled to understand it or relate to it. Sacred Steps has renewed my faith, rekindled my interest and given me the confidence to continue my study of the Baha’i Writings,” Mr Roberts said.
For more information see Sacred Steps Retreat