Converging on Canada’s Vancouver Island, songwriter/recording artists Eric Dozier (Harlem Gospel Choir, One Human Family) and JB Eckl (Santana, WAR, Ozomatli) set out to bring their diverse musical backgrounds together for a music-infused devotional experience. Drawing on the Baha’i sacred Writings for lyrics and inspiration, and incorporating elements of soul, rock, Gospel, folk and world music, this first collaboration weaves a rich tapestry of sound at once expansive and intimate, introspective and jubilant.

The Badasht Project seeks to explore how the use of beauty, music and the arts can serve as a catalyst for change, consciousness, revolution, and insight.

Healing Suite Parts I-IV

Healing

Thy name is my healing, O my God, and remembrance of Thee is my remedy.  Nearness to Thee is my hope, and love for Thee is my companion.  Thy mercy to me is my healing and my succor in both this world and the world to come.  Thou, verily, art the All-Bountiful, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

From Prayers and Meditations by Bahá’u'lláh, CLXX

Year of the Nightingale

Healing

The Sign of Love

O Son of Man! For everything there is a sign. The sign of love is fortitude under My decree and patience under My trials.

From The Hidden Words of Bahá’u’lláh, Part 1, No 48

The Sign of Love

Turn Thy Face

O Son of Utterance! Turn thy face unto Mine and renounce all save Me; for My sovereignty endureth and My dominion perisheth not. If thou seekest another than Me, yea, if thou searchest the universe for evermore, thy quest will be in vain.

From The Hidden Words of Bahá’u’lláh, Part 1, No 15

Turn Thy Face

Create in Me a Pure Heart

Create in me a pure heart, O my God, and renew a tranquil conscience within me, O my Hope!  Through the spirit of power confirm Thou me in Thy Cause, O my Best-Beloved, and by the light of Thy glory reveal unto me Thy path, O Thou the Goal of my desire!  Through the power of Thy transcendent might lift me up unto the heaven of Thy holiness, O Source of my being, and by the breezes of Thine eternity gladden me, O Thou Who art my God!  Let Thine everlasting melodies breathe tranquillity on me, O my Companion, and let the riches of Thine ancient countenance deliver me from all except Thee, O my Master, and let the tidings of the revelation of Thine incorruptible Essence bring me joy, O Thou Who art the most manifest of the manifest and the most hidden of the hidden! 

From Prayers and Meditations by Bahá’u’lláh, CLV

Create in Me a Pure Heart

Reveal Thyself

Reveal then Thyself, O Lord, by Thy merciful utterance and the mystery of Thy divine being, that the holy ecstasy of prayer may fill our souls—a prayer that shall rise above words and letters and transcend the murmur of syllables and sounds—that all things may be merged into nothingness before the revelation of Thy splendor.

‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Bahá’í Prayers

Reveal Thyself

Baha’i Blog’s “Studio Sessions” is an initiative where we invite Baha’is and their friends from around the world to come into a studio and share the Baha’i Writings put to music.
 
In this Baha’i Blog Studio Session, we’re in Vancouver, Canada with Sahar Zandieh and Hoda Toloui-Wallace who sing “Find Me” based on the Writings of Baha'u'llah.
 
You can also watch the recording of this song on Baha’i Blog’s YouTube channel here: 
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OY_McHozqFk
 
This song was filmed and recorded in Vancouver, Canada, January 2017.

Discover more Baha'i-inspired content on BAHAIBLOG.NET

Here is the quotation used for the lyrics below followed by the quotation and chords:
 
"Pass by whatever exists in this world and find Me. I am the Sun of Perception and the Ocean of Science. I revive the withered ones and quicken the dead. I am that Light which illumines the path of Insight. I am the Falcon of the Hand of the Almighty; I bear healing in My wings and teach the knowledge of soaring to the Heaven of Truth."
- Baha'u'llah
 
----------------------
 
Repeat: 
Am F Am E
Am F Am E Am

Pass by whatever exists in this world and find Me
I am the Sun of Perception and the Ocean of Science
I revive the withered ones and quicken the dead
I am that Light which illumines the path of Insight
I am the Falcon of the Hand of the Almighty; 
I bear healing in My wings and teach the knowledge of soaring to the Heaven of Truth

"Find Me" by Sahar & Hoda

Baha’i Blog’s “Studio Sessions” is an initiative where we invite Baha’is and their friends from around the world to come into a studio and share the Baha’i Writings put to music.
 
In this Baha’i Blog Studio Session, we’re in Tilburg, in the Netherlands with Sabria Schouten, Efe, Rafael van der Hoeven and Maarten Noordzij who sing “Rely Upon God” based on a prayer by Abdu’l-Baha.
 
You can also watch the recording of this song on Baha’i Blog’s YouTube channel here: 
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=whpbfKHPzMw
 
This song was filmed and recorded in Tilburg, Netherlands, November 2017.

Discover more Baha'i-inspired content on BAHAIBLOG.NET

Here is the quotation used for the lyrics below followed by the quotation and chords:
 
"Rely upon God. Trust in Him. Praise Him, and call Him continually to mind. He verily turneth trouble into ease, and sorrow into solace, and toil into utter peace. He verily hath dominion over all things."
- Abdu’l-Baha
 
----------------------
 
Capo 4
C G x5
Intro 
C G C G
Rely upon God. Trust in Him. 
C G Am Em
Praise Him, and call Him continually to mind. 
F G
continually to mind. 
F G
continually to mind. 
C G Em G 
He verily turneth trouble into ease,
C G Em G 
and sorrow into solace, and toil into utter peace. 
Am 
He verily 
Em
He verily 
F C G
hath dominion over all things.
Am 
He verily 
Em
He verily 
F C G
hath dominion over all things.

"Rely Upon God" by Sabria, Efe, Rafael & Maarten

We have these powers
To face the tears and fears we meet
We have these talents
And have these hopes and dreams to reach
I pray for courage
I pray for faith
Make every effort
Show me the way
Just hold my hand
Help me to see
These confirmations
That surround me

I’m tired of thinking about myself
I see the good in people, they mean well
I can’t find the words to explore the truth
But service serves as more than proof
Everyone’s kindness shines through
And I come to find it defines you
Now I see each person’s qualities
And I start to believe in equality
Can I play a part in progress?
And be patient with the process
Why does love give way to fear?
Why doesn’t difference draw us near?
I call on strength and call on courage
See confirmations as we flourish
Let me choose a noble goal, make every
effort to grow my soul

We have these powers
To face the tears and fears we meet
We have these talents
And have these hopes and dreams to reach
I pray for courage
I pray for faith
Make every effort
Show me the way
Just hold my hand
Help me to see
These confirmations
That surround me

What lead to words, that were so unkind
She's got a pure heart, and a brilliant mind.
Nur and I, we have always been close
Had me on track, when I needed it most
But now she's hanging out, with the girls
next door
Our friendship isn't what, it was before
She has said words, that have caused me pain
I don’t know what I've done to deserve this change.
I gotta decide, what I need do to
Do I lose a friend, or a friend pursue?
I pray to God, please give me a clue
So I follow the path, that I know is true
Prayers inspire me, to do my part
I reach out to her, with an open heart
As we speak, I look into her eyes
The sun of friendship, begins to rise.

Rise, oh rise up 
Rise, oh rise up 
Rise, oh rise up 
Rise, oh rise up 
Rise, oh rise up 
Rise, oh rise up 
Rise, oh rise up 
Rise, oh rise up 

We have these powers
To face the tears and fears
We have these talents
And have these hopes and dreams

I pray for courage
I pray for faith
Make every effort
Show me the way
Just hold my hand
Help me to see
These confirmations
That surround me
I pray for courage
I pray for faith
Make every effort
Show me the way
Just hold my hand
Help me to see
These confirmations
That surround me

Show me the way
Show me the way
Show me the way
Show me the way
Show me the way
Show me the way
Show me the way
Show me the way

Show Me The Way

Tablet of Ahmad

He is the King, the All-Knowing, the Wise!  

Lo, the Nightingale of Paradise 
singeth upon the twigs of the Tree of Eternity, 
with holy and sweet melodies, 
proclaiming to the sincere ones 
the glad tidings of the nearness of God, 
calling the believers in the Divine Unity 
to the court of the Presence of the Generous One, 
informing the severed ones 
of the message which hath been revealed by God,
 the King, the Glorious, the Peerless, 
guiding the lovers to the seat of sanctity 
and to this resplendent Beauty.

Verily this is that Most Great Beauty, 
foretold in the Books of the Messengers,
 through Whom truth shall be distinguished from error
and the wisdom of every command shall be tested.
Verily He is the Tree of Life that bringeth forth the fruits of God, 
the Exalted, the Powerful, the Great.

O Ahmad! Bear thou witness 
that verily He is God and there is no God but Him,
 the King, the Protector, the Incomparable, the Omnipotent.
And that the One Whom He hath sent forth by the name of ‘Alí
was the true One from God, to Whose commands we are all conforming.

Say: O people be obedient to the ordinances of God, 
which have been enjoined in the Bayán 
by the Glorious, the Wise One.  
Verily He is the King of the Messengers 
and His book is the Mother Book did ye but know.

Thus doth the Nightingale utter His call unto you from this prison.
He hath but to deliver this clear message.
Whosoever desireth, let him turn aside from this counsel 
and whosoever desireth let him choose the path to his Lord.
O people, if ye deny these verses, 
by what proof have ye believed in God?  
Produce it, O assemblage of false ones.

Nay, by the One in Whose hand is my soul, 
they are not, and never shall be able to do this, 
even should they combine to assist one another.

O Ahmad! Forget not My bounties while I am absent.
Remember My days during thy days, 
and My distress and banishment in this remote prison.
And be thou so steadfast in My love that thy heart shall not waver, 
even if the swords of the enemies rain blows upon thee 
and all the heavens and the earth arise against thee.

Be thou as a flame of fire to My enemies 
and a river of life eternal to My loved ones, 
and be not of those who doubt.

And if thou art overtaken by affliction in My path, 
or degradation for My sake, be not thou troubled thereby.

Rely upon God, thy God and the Lord of thy fathers.
For the people are wandering in the paths of delusion, 
bereft of discernment to see God with their own eyes, 
or hear His Melody with their own ears.
Thus have We found them, 
as thou also dost witness.

Thus have their superstitions become veils 
between them and their own hearts 
and kept them from the path of God,
 the Exalted, the Great.

Be thou assured in thyself that verily, he who turns away from this 
Beauty hath also turned away from the Messengers of the past 
and showeth pride towards God from all eternity to all eternity.

Learn well this Tablet, O Ahmad.  
Chant it during thy days and withhold not thyself therefrom.  
For verily, God hath ordained for the one who chants it, 
the reward of a hundred martyrs and a service in both worlds.
These favors have We bestowed upon thee 
as a bounty on Our part and a mercy from Our presence,
 that thou mayest be of those who are grateful.

By God! Should one who is in affliction or grief 
read this Tablet with absolute sincerity, 
God will dispel his sadness, 
solve his difficulties 
and remove his afflictions.

Verily, He is the Merciful, the Compassionate. 
 Praise be to God, the Lord of all the worlds.

From Bahá’í Prayers: A Selection of Prayers 
Revealed by Bahá’u’lláh, the Báb, and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, p.209

--

Gate of Heaven was composed and produced in honour of the Bahá'í community's 2019 celebration of the Bicentenary of the Birth of the Báb.

Tablet of Ahmad

Luke Slott

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