Nahid V. Meshgin - The Journey

THE JOURNEY

Treading the path of love, faith and service

NAHID VAHDAT MESHGIN

First Published in 2020 by Marena Holdings

This book is copyright and all rights are reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means - electronic, mechanical, photocopying or otherwise - without the prior permission of the publisher. No responsibility can be accepted by the author or publisher of this book for any action taken by any person or organisation relating to any material contained herein.

The moral right of the author has been asserted.

Copyright 2020 Nahid Vahdat Meshgin. All rights reserved.

National Library of Australia Cataloguing-in-Publication data:

ISBN-13: 978-0-6487910-0-3 (paperback edition)
ISBN-13: 978-0-6487910-1-0 (e book)

Cover design Celeste Njoo
Cover Photo and Author Portrait - Rob Frith, Acorn Photo

Printed by EnviroPrint Australia on PEFC certified paper containing 30% recycled fibre.

This book is dedicated to all the people who have positively influenced my life; my parents, family members and ancestors who have been instrumental in guiding me to a Faith and way of life which also inspires myriads of hearts around the world.

What tongue can voice my thanks to Thee?
The Bah Writings

I would like to thank the Creator, who has enabled me to make my lifelong dream of documenting my memoirs, a reality. Over the years, I had recorded my experiences of the extensive travels I have enjoyed with my husband around the world, in private journals. My purpose for recording these memories has always been to share the wisdom and insights gained from meeting many people who have stood firmly in their Faith and their belief in the importance of the unity of mankind.

I would also like to acknowledge my three children, Deena, Neda and Amir, who have assisted me in bringing this book to life. Also, Jennifer Marr for her assistance and guidance in the process of writing and publishing this book, as well as her dearly held friendship.

Nahid Meshgin invites us to accompany her on a personal journey, a reflective contemplation of certain critical events in her life. Her moral compass, inspired by the teachings of the Bah Faith, enables her to navigate lifes exigencies and to tread a path of love, faith and service. She weaves her experiences and the insights to which they give rise, into a rich tapestry of family and community life.

The trajectory of Nahids life swept across four continents (Asia, North America, Europe and Australia) and is marked by contrasts and frequent challenges. She experienced both privilege and loss, religious persecution, exile from the land of her birth, the struggle to build a new life in a foreign land (not once but twice), to finally regain a sense of security in her chosen country of residence.

A unique feature of her book is the way in which Nahid links her description of life events to particular spiritual qualities that either capture the learning inherent in a specific situation or shed light on the way in which a matter was resolved. In this way she demonstrates the relevance of such virtues as courage, trust, hope, honesty, justice, faithfulness, excellence, reverence, generosity, humility, loyalty, respect and courtesy to family life, interpersonal relationships, and more broadly to social cohesion. Her analysis expands our conception of the connection between spiritual activities and social transformation as well as indirectly suggests creative practical solutions for restoring a sense of true and loving fellowship, personal wellbeing and security in the world at large.

In recounting her travel experiences and her interactions with a number of embryonic Bah communities in diverse parts of the world, such as Greenland, Central Asia, Albania, and Mongolia, she skilfully identifies elements essential to stimulate immediate community building activities and to foster the ultimate creation of a future society characterised by peace, diversity and justice; a society that is bound to be radically different from any established in the past.

Ultimately, Nahid emerges as an inspiring example of a strong, resilient, talented and charming woman who has embraced lifes journey. The episodes of her life not only make interesting reading but also provide a rich testimony to her vision, spiritual orientation, optimism in the face of difficulties, her faith in the future, her sense of gratitude, her commitment to service to humankind and to the development of the worldwide Bah community.

Dr Janet Khan

The Earth is but one country, and mankind its citizens.
Bahullh

As I look back over my life and think of where it started in the centuries old city of Tehran, in Iran during the 1940s, I am filled with wonder at how it all unfolded. Never did I imagine that I would spend the majority of my life living half a world away from my country of origin. However, I was forced to flee Iran many years ago, under fear of religious persecution, and seek to make a new start in life. At first my husband and I, with our young family, settled in the United States of America (USA) and then later on, we chose the distant, sunny shores of Perth, Western Australia as our home. After settling in this new and unfamiliar country, we were able to build a safe, stable foundation for our growing family. Now, at the age of 73, it has been over forty years since I last stepped foot on the land of my birth, since I felt its ancient soil beneath my feet or smelt the unique scent of its winds upon my face. Yet, it is with gratitude that I reflect on all that has passed since this time as I know that I have had a blessed and rich life.

That is not to say that my journey has been without challenges, as it most certainly has, but with the wisdom of age I can now see that some of the most difficult of times have added a greater depth and meaning to my experience of it. Perhaps most importantly, throughout it all, I have been gifted with the love and support of my family and the enduring strength of the Bah Faith. I feel this is what has made all the difference, because Bahs are encouraged to not only embrace and respect the different peoples of the world, but to also travel and reach out to experience these first-hand. Therefore, I have journeyed widely across the globe and have had the opportunity to live with and work alongside those of my Faith as well as people from other spiritual and cultural backgrounds. These experiences have impacted me deeply and helped shape the person I am today.

Over the years, I have kept journals of the many unique events and fascinating journeys I have enjoyed and have often shared these stories with others. In fact, it is upon these journals that I have based the book you now hold in your hands, as a way of sharing my story with you. I have done so in the hope that you may find some commonality in my journey, an appreciation of the beauty I have witnessed in the places I have visited and within the hearts of the people I have met. It is also my heartfelt wish to encourage a deeper understanding of the bonds which join us all as members of humanity, for I have come to learn that we are each more similar than different, more connected than separate and we all share an underlying desire to live in peace. This has been a truth which I have seen expressed and personally experienced among people from all around the world.

I also hope to provide an insight into a few of the ideas, values and philosophies upon which the Bah Religion is founded. The Bah Faith is one which has not only provided me with a solid base and central guiding light in life, but also fostered within me a great wonder at the richness of existence. With this in mind, I have included some of my favourite virtues, short prayers and quotes. These brief faith-based writings contain the principles and insights which have most assisted me in my journey, providing me with a greater sense of courage in the face of adversity as well as a willingness to look for love and gratitude in all that Ive encountered. I trust that they may do the same for you, whoever you are and wherever you find yourself along your path in this life.