Posts Tagged Andrew Bowen
Thus Spoke Zarathushtra
Posted by admin in Zarathushti on March 4, 2011
When Friedrich Nietzsche, a German philosopher of the 1800′s, wrote the novel Thus Spoke Zarathustra as an attempt to turn our concepts of God and morality on their heads, he selected his protagonist, a man called Zarathustra, because:
Zarathustra was the first to consider the fight of good and evil the very wheel in the machinery of things…Zarathustra created this most calamitous error, morality; consequently, he must also be the first to recognize it.
A lofty task for a man who also announced to the world that “God is dead.” But if Nietzsche was going to end the battle of morality and effectively bury mankind’s worship of the God who established himself as the creator of this system, Nietzsche picked a good target. Indeed, many historians and theologians credit the prophet Zarathushtra (using the traditional spelling now) as the “founder” of our modern concept of monotheism.
But who was this Zarathushtra, and what did he really say?
Most historians set Zarathushtra’s birth at the dawn of the Iranian bronze age at around 1400 BC. But if you asked Aristotle, he’d tell you “6,000 years before the death of Plato.” Tomatoes, tomahtoes, right? The point is that Zarathushtra is old school, in fact for monotheism, he’s part of the first school.
You said it, Zarathushtra.
As with many prophets and holy men, a great deal of legend surrounds the birth of Zarathushtra. At the time of his birth, he is said to have laughed instead of cried. While these legends add color to the life of this great man, more often than not they are tools which add dimension to the life and teachings of the man and the religion founded upon his name.
Zarathushtra was born into a family of priests, and was therefore raised to propagate and officiate the religion of his people. However–as with most of our prophets–something didn’t quite mesh for Zarathushtra. So he set out on his own to find answers. For ten years he wandered through the Iranian countryside, searching for answers about life and the inequalities around him.
This spiritual journey sounds familiar, doesn’t it? What did the prophet of your faith do before his enlightenment? Where did they meditate? What problems racked their brains–their souls, and how many years did they toil before receiving their answer?
How many of us go on our own quest–to varying degrees–around the time we enter the threshold of adulthood? We’ll visit that later, but keep these questions in mind as they help better connect us with the subject and the people we explore here.
So, Zarathushtra is tired of the status quo, the daily grind, and pulls his own On the Road. He wants to find Oz, he wants to hear the voice on the mountain, and after 10 long years of searching, that’s exactly what he gets…and some.
In his thirtieth year of life, Zarathushtra is visited by Vohu Manah, the “Good Mind,” one of six personified attributes of the supreme deity, Ahura Mazda. Zarathushtra was then taken to the court of Ahura Mazda and His Bounteous Immortals, or Amesha Spentas. Their presence was so bright, so intense that Zarathushtra “did not see his own shadow on account of their brilliant lights.”
The question and answer session between Zarathushtra and Ahura Mazda was set down in a series of poetic verses called the Gathas. At only about 6,000 words, the Gathas form the core and skeleton of the Zarathushti faith and is said to be the words of Zarathushtra himself.
With this amazing experience, Zarathushtra was compelled to teach his countrymen about the truths he gleaned from Ahura Mazda. But the truth is hard to swallow. Twelve years passed and no one accepted his message. Destiny intervened when Zarathushtra won an audience with King Vishtaspa following a miraculous cure of the king’s favorite horse. With the king’s acceptance and blessing of Zarathushtra’s teachings, the Faith spread like holy fire throughout the land and became the official faith of the Iranian empires for generations to come.
Give it up for Zarathushtra!
This is just a brief overview of the man who essentially fathered our modern concept of monotheistic religion. Zarathushtra is described as a happy man, driven to do good and eternally optimistic. The religion he taught calls us to live life to the fullest and to actively engage in the struggle between good and evil, right and wrong, with the weapon of goodness itself. Indeed, he enjoins us to join Ahura Mazda and work toward frashokereti, the “making wonderful,” a state where good prevails and evil no longer exists. The only path by which frashokereti can be reached is through the path of Asha (the divine justice, order, holiness, perfection, etc) which is Humata, Hukhta, and Huvareshta, meaning Good Thoughts, Good Words, Good Actions.
We will explore the concept of Asha as it pertains to Good Thoughts, Good Words, and Good Actions next time we meet. Until then, thanks for reading and come back soon.
Welcome to the Zarathushti Faith
Posted by admin in Zarathushti on March 2, 2011
With that out of the way, let’s give the Zarathushti Faith a nice, big, Project Conversion welcome and look into what I’ll get into this month.
To begin with, I’ll walk around looking like this:
Me wearing the topi (prayer cap)
This is a topi or prayer cap. As with many faiths, head coverings are an essential piece of religious gear that typically symbolize humility. In the Zarathushti tradition, the topi serves two purposes: 1) the crown of the head is the location of the Lahian, a Center of spiritual knowledge. A constant temperature is needed here to maintain balance and creative thought. 2) There are many influences, both physical and spiritual, that interact with our bodies and soul (Urvaan). These include everything from the sun’s rays to negative thoughts and spirits. The topi then serves as a selectively porous membrane to filter good material from negative.
Keep in mind, my explanation here is very basic and I am still trying to wrap my mind around many concepts. If you’re interested in going much, much deeper, visit this Parsi website. Zarathushtis are enjoined to wear a head covering at all times–not just during prayer. Many are electing not to wear the topi due to social pressure via Western style and influence. I will wear the topi at all times.
Prayer:
There are many prayers. Many, many prayers. Part of the reason I didn’t make a post on Day 1 was because I spent most of the day trying to discern what prayers are said when and how and…there’s a prayer one should do before and after visiting the bathroom. Exactly. So where do you begin?
Mentors are awesome. My Mentor, who is the former editor of Fezana Journal, a publication that serves Zarathushtis across the United States, helped me to understand that while all of the prayers are important, only a few are actually required or Farajyat. She recommended that I start each day with the Padyab-Kushti prayer and end the day with the same to get me through the month. It’s pretty long, so I won’t write it out here. For details on all prayers, go to this site. The source material for many if not all prayers comes from the Gathas and Avesta. More on that later.
Reciting the Kushti prayer
Here I am reciting the Kushti prayer at 5:30 this morning. All prayers are performed either after a shower or ritual ablution. There are several parts which include the Ahsem Vohu (invocation of Asha) and the Ahunwar (most sacred manthra of the Faith). The latter segments are short and can be found at www.avesta.org. Notice that I am reading the prayers from a page. In most cases, prayer is performed while standing with hands together (common prayer position) if you are a Parsi, and hands out in front with palms facing you if you’re from Iran. Different flavors. I love it.
There are other, more important aspects of the Kushti prayer that I cannot perform. This includes the tying and untying of the kushti (sacred thread made of lamb’s wool) around the waist over the sacred under-shirt called the sudreh. I cannot stress enough the importance of these two items. They are given to a young Zarathushti during an initiation ceremony and worn for life. For me to even wear a substitution would be a great insult to the faith. As you all know, I’m not here to insult or intrude upon anyone; but to learn and come to a higher level of respect for those around me. Therefore, I will not wear these items.
Here are a few images for your reference.
The kushti thread over the sudreh under-shirt
Tying the knot of the kushti while in prayer
Zarathushti homes also have common religious features. Among them is an alter. Light in general and fire in particular are powerful symbols of the divine (Ahura Mazda). In fact, Zarathushti places of worship are refered to as “fire temples.” Zarathushtis are dedicated to knowledge and the defeat of evil and ignorance. Light then, symbolizes the displacement of evil by the warmth and illumination that comes from both the grace and power of Ahura Mazda and the work of mankind. The three-fold call to action of all Zarathushtis are “Good thoughts, Good words, and Good deeds.”
My Mentor recommend a simple altar for me, the center of which is a candle that remains lit so long as someone is home:
From left to right, the altar includes: a flower to represent Ahura Mazda’s creation. Top-center: an image of Prophet Zarathushtra, candle, a picture of my departed grandfather.
Not every altar is the same. In fact, many homes have only a hearth in which to stir the holy flame that is to burn continuously. My Mentor said that keeping a photo of special ancestors on the altar is not only a source of comfort, but reminds us to pray for them and to remind us of their spiritual presence in our lives. My grandfather was a Baptist minister and died when I was four years old. I don’t remember him physically, but I have always felt a spiritual bond between us.
So, this should get us started. It’s only the tip of the iceberg folks. The first week is always the most difficult because I must shed the garments of my previous religion and dive right into the next. Of course the first week of every month deals with rituals and practices, so stay tuned for more details and thanks for reading along.
A Gift to my Mentor
I had no intentions of making an entry today. Honestly, I’m worn out. I gave two talks today at two colleges about Project Conversion and my Zoroastrian month begins in a little under three hours.
But something amazing happened this evening at the last talk–in my Intro to World Religions class–that made this whole month worth the effort.
My Baha’i Mentor is the only Baha’i that we know of within many, many miles. She is a diaspora all to herself. In fact, I have been her sole Baha’i companion for the whole month. She lit up when I arrived every week at her home for Study Circle, ready to share the wisdom of her faith. We laughed over tea and delved into the teachings of Baha’u'llah. I could tell there was something missing every time we visited the Baha’i community in “Triangle” one and half hours north of us; the way she interacted with her Baha’i family, it was like a family reunion with gatherings too rare for comfort.
I wanted to do something for her to repay her for the kindness and dedication she showed for me and Project Conversion. I wanted to give her a Baha’i community of her own.
But this is near to impossible. How can a non-Baha’i (though my Baha’i friends call me otherwise) help someone come–or at least become interested–in the faith? Turns out, all I have to do is teach. The message does the rest.
So tonight, as I finished giving my last talk about the Baha’i Faith in the last hours of the last days of the month, I showed the class the Baha’i Declaration Card and a registration card asking for more information about the faith. One woman approached me and asked to fill out the card, and if possible, to speak to my Mentor. I was floored. This was the spark I was looking for. The spark that could become a new Baha’i. She filled out the card and I will personally hand it to my Mentor tomorrow afternoon. I called my Mentor about what had happened and I could feel the joy flowing off her voice. Not because she might get the chance to “convert” someone, but because she gets the chance to share her faith.
So, looks like I have been the best Baha’i I can be to the end. It’s been a wonderful month, an insightful month, and folks…we are only two months in. Who knows what’s around the corner. When I wake up, I’ll be a Zoroastrian. Until then,
Allah-u-Abha!
Baha’i: Conclusion
Here it is, my humble attempt to recap my month with the Baha’i Faith. My words, nor this footage, suffice to describe the experience I’ve had. The lessons I’ve learned, friends I’ve gained, and wisdom I’ve gleaned will last a lifetime. Please join me in this farewell. I hope you enjoy this short clip:
Allah-u-Abha, and thank you, my Baha’i friends.
Death in the Family
I’m not sure where to start with this. Sometimes we forget just how powerful we are–the potency of our being . Our words, deeds, and even our thoughts resonate throughout the lives of those we interact with everyday. Indeed, no man is an island. Every life is a ripple upon the great ocean of existence.
One of my Hindu Mentors, Prof. Bharat Gajjar, was fully aware of this. His teachings for Hinduism still buzz in my mind, even beyond our short January together. I had plans to meet him one day soon, to sit at his feet and hear his voice–like those spiritual seekers who learned from the rishis of the Upanishads–as he spoke and anointed me with the sweet teachings and philosophy of Yoga, Meditation, and Dharma.
But that day won’t come, because I just found out that Mentor Bharat has passed away.
Of course, I never met him, and I only knew of him for these last two months. So why am I so grieved? Why is it that when I found out about his death upon waking at 5:28 this morning that my heart collapsed and I nearly fell to my knees? Because he gave himself–his teachings–to me. He and his daughter, Mentor Meeta, offered themselves to me as my Mentors freely and without any thought of reward. My betterment–my learning–was the reward.
I look at this image and I am nearly brought to tears. I am tempted with anger, with thoughts of how unfair it is that I just missed the chance to meet him. But his teachings won’t let me go there. Mentor Bharat would remind me of the importance of detachment from the material world so that we might fully realize our union with the divine ocean of the Self via the teachings of our guru. I am trying, Mentor, I am trying so hard…
So just when I thought Project Conversion couldn’t throw another curve ball, here it is. This is real. This is what I’m facing. One of my Mentors has passed away and I had the chance to learn from him only by the slimmest of margins. I now have another opportunity to give thanks, to give thanks for the life Mentor Bharat lived. I give thanks for his Mentorship and for raising his wonderfully talented, wise, and nobel daughter, Mentor Meeta Gajjar Parker, whom I am sure will carry the flame of her father’s wisdom and love.
Though I sorely wish I could attend the funeral services tomorrow, I am separated by an insurmountable gulf of distance and resources. So to honor Mentor Bharat, I will observe a fast over this weekend until sunset tomorrow, February 27th, the day of his funeral. If you feel so compelled, the Gajjar family, their friends, and I would appreciate your thoughts and prayers regarding his passing. My only hope is that I have honored him by showing others what he has shown me.
Namaste, Mentor Bharat, Namaste.
Om…shanti, shanti, shanti
Baha’i Week 4: Lessons for the Future
Project Conversion is a dynamic process, and it seems like changes are occurring every second. Indeed, to adopt a faith for a month–to drape oneself in the garments of a brand new perspective–is a dramatic metamorphosis. The only question is, what will I transform into at the end of the process?
For each Week 4 period, part of this evolutionary process is to review what was done, the outcome, and what (if any) changes I’ll make going forward. My month with the Baha’i Faith has given me an amazingly new outlook on life in general and how to possibly approach/adapt/practice other faiths. Here are a few of those points.
– This point seems obvious, but how many of us really think about our religious/spiritual
Some of my Baha'i Family
communities and set them on par with concepts like worship or scriptural study? I can tell you that I would have never have made the progress I have without the support of my new Baha’i family. Entire revelations stemmed just from having a leisure cup of tea or chat with other Baha’is. The importance of communal life is something I will carry forward. The Baha’i Faith places a large emphasis on this community life, as we see in the following quote by Abdu’l'Baha in The Tablets of the Divine Plan:
Or how about for every, single, breath? We take our existence–the very operative function of our bodies–for granted. For Baha’is, mankind is the only creature on the planet who can discern God. Look at what we are doing now. I am participating in the very journey Baha’u'llah talks about in The Seven Valley and the Four Valleys, an essay describing the spiritual journey of the seeker of God. You are here with me, participating as a fellow oarsman in this quest for
understanding. Is the fact that we have this capacity–this ethereal curiosity–not a reason to give thanks? My wife is reading a book in which the Christian author says “the heights of our joy are measured by the depths of our gratitude.”
The plight of those brave Baha’i souls in Iran and elsewhere, past and present, imprisoned for their Baha’i faith, effected me deeply this month. Strangely so. Their faith and grace even in their darkest hour humbles me to my knees to give thanks for the freedoms I enjoy. Would Project Conversion exist in some of these other countries? Would you have the freedom to read along? It doesn’t matter if you believe in a divine presence, the very act of gratitude, of humbling oneself to the point where every blessing received is viewed as a tool to bless another, is a lens through which peace is no longer a pipe dream, but a reality. I will give more thanks…I will give so much more.
I Will Not Change:
–Huh? Let’s not kid ourselves. Project Conversion is one of those things that often make it to the spotlight. But that isn’t the goal. Never was. There are folks who claim this is a publicity stunt to get attention. Really? Come on over to my house. Really. I get up at 5:30 AM everyday and study until my eyes get sore, pray until my voice goes out, meditate until I cannot feel reality…and that’s all before my wife and kids wake up. I don’t have a camera crew (I don’t want one), I’m not on a reality show, and my budget for this whole thing is well…let’s just say that I do depend on the kindness of others. I’m doing this to make a difference, not to make dividends.
But I wouldn’t have it any other way.
So what does this mean for the long run? What you see is 100% authentic. There is no filter. And that is the way it will stay. My loyalties lay with the people who have dedicated their time and shown me kindness for Project Conversion. They believe in me–in what I’m doing–and to that, I…give thanks.
The Last Study Circle
Yeah, yeah I know. In the last post I promised to talk about changes I might include going forward with Project Conversion, but I thought you folks would be interested in the events of last evening. They were special because for the last month, my Mentor and I have met every Tuesday evening for what the Baha’is call a Study Circle.
Mentor and me
A Study Circle is a time where folks of the Baha’is faith (and even other faiths!) get together and study scripture. Prayers are recited, songs might be sung, there’s food, maybe tea…it’s just a relaxed way to study and consult one another regarding God and the teachings of His Manifestations (messengers to mankind, such as Krishna, Jesus, and most central to Baha’is, Baha’u'llah).
The only difference with our Study Circle is that my Mentor is–as far as we know–the only Baha’i around. So every Tuesday it’s just been the two of us. More like a Study Line I suppose.
We use the Ruhi Institute workbooks–the standard for most Study Circles–to learn about the faith. The last third of book one is particularly intense compared to the rest of the book, so much of the 3 1/2 hours I was there last night was spent by my Mentor’s valiant attempt to field my bombardment of questions and ceaseless curiosity. She also served her signature blend of English and orange peel teas…something I’ve come to look forward to upon every visit. And because my Mentor has insisted upon giving me as much instruction as possible during our time together, she gave me even more books to take home! She certainly has earned the title of Mentor. Thank you, Dr. McCormick.
I bring all of this up because I want you to understand that studying the scriptures and performing the rituals of a particular faith is only half the journey. Religions involve people, and despite the rules and regulations of a faith, each person brings a particular and unique nuance to the faith. I could not appreciate what it is to be a Hindu or Baha’i had it not been for the intense interaction with the people of the faith. Religion is indeed a relationship with the divine, but also with its people. I will certainly miss this interaction next month for Zoroastrianism, as the number of believers is few and my Mentor is in Chicago. March indeed, will be a bitter test, and through that test I’ll come to know exactly how those who belong to a scattered and shrinking diaspora live.
Wrapping up Social Issues Week
I’ll be honest, this has been one of the hardest weeks of Project Conversion thus far. This month in and of itself is filled with learning curves, lessons learned, and unexpected realizations (more on that next week), but the emotional charge carried by this month’s Social Issues Week has left me drained and humbled.
I’ve become so close to the people of this faith, and while I’d love to take credit for that connection, it has been the Baha’is who have reached out to me. The number of emails and comments I’ve received regarding Baha’i persecution–just in Iran–is staggering. The Baha’i community may be small compared to their older spiritual brethren, but each individual member is a steel poll in the scaffolding that is the Baha’i Faith. I was embraced and thanked for my exposure of this serious issue. It didn’t matter that I’m not technically “one of them”, because as so many Baha’i have told me, the situation in Iran isn’t just a Baha’i issue, but one for humanity. Indeed, when Baha’is serve their communities, it isn’t with the goal of converting their neighbors, but to help their neighbors help themselves.
Of course, there are more social issues within the Baha’i Faith that I simply cannot cover due to time constraints. But the point is to introduce you to these issues so that you might take the torch from my hand and run on your own. I’ve suggested writing to members of our government, starting an interfaith discussion, attending a Baha’i Study Circle, and others, but there is always more. What can you do in your community to improve the lives of others? That’s a social issue that transcends religion and yet, is the common thread within them all.
I’ll close today with a few links to Baha’i-related news regarding persecution that some of Project Conversion’s audience members have sent in. Allah-u-Abha, and have a blessed week.
Professor Abbas Milani on the arrest of seven Baha’i leaders in Iran.
A story of Baha’i grace and perseverance while in prison for their faith.
Baha’i Persecution: Day 4
Here is the last account by the four individuals referenced to me by the National Spiritual Assembly of Baha’is of the United States. His name is Iraj Kamalabadi, brother of Fariba Kamalabadi, an imprisoned Baha’i leader.
Personal Statement:
I was born in 1958 and was raised in a Bahá’í family in northern Iran. After obtaining my high school diploma in 1976, I moved to the United States in January 1977 to pursue higher education. I earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering from Northeastern University in Boston, Massachusetts in 1982. After graduation, I began my professional career as a civil/transportation engineer, working with a number of consulting firms in various capacities, both in the United States and abroad. I currently work with URS Corporation as a transportation department manager in Southern California.
Relationship with my sister, Fariba Kamalabadi:
I am the elder brother of Ms. Fariba Kamalabadi, one of the seven Bahá’í leaders who was summarily arrested in the spring of 2008. These seven Bahá’í leaders are currently being held in Gohardasht prison in Iran, solely for their religious beliefs.
The Kamalabadi family’s experience with religious persecution dates back to the late 1980s when our father, Dr. Vali Kamalabadi, was arrested and imprisoned, following his dismissal from work without any pension or retirement; simply for being an active member of his local Bahá’í community. While in prison, he was severely tortured and brainwashed with electric shocks, which caused him to suffer a series of strokes after being released from prison and eventually resulted in his death in 1992.
My sister Fariba, who is a developmental psychologist and a mother of three, was arrested twice previously because of her active involvement in the Bahá’í community and her voluntary service to society at large. As a Bahá’í, she holds a very strong conviction and desire to be of service to her country and fellow citizens — a common belief shared by all Bahá’ís in the world.
No evidence was presented at my sister’s trial to support the accusations leveled against her, or any of the Bahá’í leaders who are currently serving 10-year sentences in Iran. This injustice has prompted me to speak publicly to journalists and at various human rights events to raise awareness about my sister’s case, and that of all the Bahá’ís in Iran.
—————
Photo taken by CNN
Here is a photo of the four individuals we’ve heard from this week. Each of them speak around the country to media outlets and government officials in an effort to bring awareness to the lack of human rights suffered by Baha’is and other religious minorities in Iran. You can find additional coverage here and here.
What we must understand and take from these stories isn’t one of animosity or hatred toward the Iranian government. Baha’is have a strict moral code to obey their government, which is why many stay to try and foster change from within. They are patriots. Despite the torture and loss of life and freedom, the Baha’is there aren’t asking for your anger or outrage, because they exhibit none. Like Baha’u'llah and Abdu’l'Baha before them, the tighter the authorities squeeze them and increase their suffering, the more their light spills between the fingers of Iran’s fist. What we can do–from the outside–is increase awareness and political pressure on Iran. There is no room in our world for behavior like this. Visit the Iran page at the United States Baha’i site to learn more and find out what you can do to help with this cause.
On a local and everyday level, I want you to walk away from this with a new appreciation for your rights as a free citizen to worship as you please. However, while our laws do not discriminate based upon one’s faith, we as individuals too often do. Much of this is due to misunderstanding and a failure to communicate. Why not set up a prayer meeting for multiple faiths? Or how about a local seminar and invite leader from different faith organizations from around your area to share information about their religion? Organize an interfaith community outreach program…these are only the tip of the iceberg. The point here is to rise to action. Instead of feeling sorry for the Baha’is imprisoned in Iran, take the torch they have extended to us and run. If enough of us take up the fire of change, unity and love, the whole world will be illumined.
Here is a prayer we can all say:
With great humbleness and entire devotion I pray to Thee to make me a minaret of Thy love in Thy land, a lamp of Thy knowledge among Thy creatures, and a banner of divine bounty in Thy dominion.
Interview with Jon Rezin, founder of Next Movement Records
Photo credit: Dino Antoniou
Every once in a while, someone comes along with an idea or a passion that establishes your faith in the human spirit. Jon Rezin, founder of Next Movement Records, is such a man…and he’s bent on making the world a better place through music. A Baha’i and just cool in general, he agreed to take some time out of his busy schedule and talk about how exactly he plans to turn the world upside down for the better.
Andrew Bowen: So, tell us a little about Next Movement Records.
Jon Rezin: Well… It has gone through several transformations, but I’ll give you a bit of the background.
I have been an audio engineer for about 15 years…
I was working with lots of artists on records and pouring lots of sweat into helping make their products great, but unfortunately not enough people were hearing these artists. I had experience on the business side of music from working for several indie labels and decided to form Next Movement Records so that I could work with these artists…create great music which was uplifting and inspiring but still rocked and help be the machine behind their careers.
It started out with several Baha’i artists and was going fine…but it somehow was missing something.
That is when I saw a video of the guy behind http://www.roomtoread.org/
He went to Nepal for vacation and ended up creating a social business to help create schools, libraries, and scholarships for children around the world. It wasn’t a story of a philanthropist with amazing means taking on a problem, but rather a normal guy with a decent job realizing a problem existed and finding a simple way he could address it.
Simple steps that have made huge differences in the lives of thousands of children and adults.
Andrew Bowen: Sounds pretty incredible. So what was the missing ingredient?
Jon Rezin: My love of Socio Economic development led me to modify the business to focus more on that aspect of becoming a social business (i.e. A business that has social ills at the heart of its endeavor, pioneered by Muhammed Yunus of Grameen bank). So we decided to have each artist find their passion which of the ills of the world got them really impassioned and that they want to address.
They are then linked with organizations and like-minded groups so that they can be a part of the movement to address that ill.
Whether through benefit concerts, music support, and simple contributions from music sales. A portion of each artist’s sales go to address that ill. The artist and the label are making financial contributions directly to those organizations to help. Now the artist has an outlet to use their music and directly support a cause. The label also contributes money to www.kiva.org which helps raise people out of poverty through micro loans.
We are still in the process of transition including several new projects (which have not been announced) but that mission is very important and seems to fill that need to use our resources and careers to help serve others.
Andrew Bowen: Appears to be the antithesis of the entertainment industry today.
Jon Rezin: Well… possibly. We still want to make music that is commercially viable, but I think that often people in any walk of life are looking for meaning and purpose that leads to crazy lifestyles and attaching too much importance to un-important things. Our hope is that by focusing that energy we can help our artists fulfill that part of their being that wants to be a part of something greater; wants their music to do something greater.
Wow…that sounded almost like therapy.
Andrew Bowen: Truth is good medicine. That’s a great attitude to have. How many artists are currently working under the Next Movement label?
Jon Rezin: Right now we have one artist who is actively releasing things (Badi) we have a couple others that we have worked on which are not yet released. We don’t have a lot of artists; it takes a lot of time and resources to help push an artist, so we have to choose carefully and sometimes we have started relationships only to find out that it wasn’t a great fit. We look at the whole endeavor as something quite new and something that will take some time to gel into its final configuration.
Andrew Bowen: Are you running the ship solo, or do you have others helping out?
Jon Rezin: It is me and my wife as well as the artists who are doing the heavy lifting. We have others who come in for specific aspects, but mostly it is a fairly small circle.
Andrew Bowen: Badi is a talented artist, and also a Baha’i, is that right?
Jon Rezin: Yes on both counts.
Andrew Bowen: There are many labels that cater to a specific spiritual market, so to speak. There’s Christian music or Hindu remixes of old hymns…Is Next Movement the Baha’i answer to those markets or another beast entirely?
Jon Rezin: Well, it has never been a label focused toward a Baha’i audience. Our thought with the label was to take great artists and create music which could kind of be like a Trojan horse… infiltrate popular music and have an underlying message. Badi is a Baha’i and so his music, while being secular in nature is a reflection of his experience of being a Baha’i in a world that often times goes the opposite way. The underlying message is more about having a purpose to what you say rather than talking about things that are transitory. Some industry veterans have called his music “conscious rap,” which kind of makes me chuckle at what it implies all other rap as being. But that is the idea… no preaching… just having conviction about something and sharing that with the world.
Andrew Bowen: Great answer. I’ve listened to a few of his songs and, the way you’re speaking here, this sounds a lot like old school hip-hop--when the music was about something rather than being “in tha club” ad nauseum.
Jon Rezin: Yeah, nothing wrong with having some danceable tunes… but it is good to have an alternative. I enjoy the fact that I can refer parents to our music without any worry that their children might get bad ideas or language from it.
Andrew Bowen: It’s like they get the treats…without all the preservatives.
Jon Rezin: Cake without the calories!
For those who haven’t checked out his music I set it up so you can download the album for whatever you feel like paying for it. (even 0.00)
http://badi.bandcamp.com/album/the-depar…
Andrew Bowen: Awesome.
Jon Rezin: Just select “digital download” (pay what you want)
Andrew Bowen: For “Culture and Arts” week here on Project Conversion, I made a post about service being a part of Baha’i culture. Something I learned was that Baha’is are switching their efforts from programs of giving (such as donations) and focusing more on helping others help themselves or educating folks on getting to the root of the issues. Does this philosophy play a role in your work at Next Movement? If so, can you give specific examples?
Jon Rezin: That is true. It is a challenge to combine commerce and socially focused businesses, so we created a hybrid I think. As a label we are investing in organizations that are not really charities. Kiva.org for example if a micro loan organization… so if we make a loan of our money to someone through Kiva we will actually get paid back (without interest) then we can loan that money to another individual. Essentially that same investment can be recycled to help lift people out of poverty indefinitely… and as we add to that investment we are able to help more people simultaneously.
Andrew Bowen: Brilliant
Jon Rezin: Aside from that, we are working at actively establishing relationships with organizations that have a particular ill as their mission, who ideally approach the ill through more of a social business aspect than charity. Charity has its place, but when contributions dry up so does the charity. With social business, it is combining commercial endeavors with social missions, so they are in fact businesses that measure their success based on the number of people they are able to help and still remain sustainable.
Andrew Bowen: Do you know of any other entertainment or media companies taking a similar approach?
Jon Rezin: This combination seemed to be the best way to combine my skills in music with my strong desire to help effect social change in the world. I really recommend the book by Muhammed Yunus “Building Social Business: The New Kind of Capitalism That Serves Humanity’s Most Pressing Needs.”
There are several that do things related. Most are attached to a specific church and are more like the media wing of that church. Jack Johnsons label gives 1 percent to environmental protection. There are artists who are personally doing this in a very strong way. Danny Gokey, is an artist I worked with on American Idol and he has an organization (which is dedicated to his late wife) called Sophia’s Heart. They are making some great strides. I get twitter updates about their endeavors.
The whole idea is rather new though. Using the principles of capitalism to end social ills and poverty; it helps establish a whole new definition of “bottom line”
http://www.sophiasheart.org/
Andrew Bowen: Well I think it’s a way to bridge that traditional and painful gap between profit and progress. And there seems to be no end to the potential.
Jon Rezin: That is the hope. Google “Social Entrepreneurship” and you can see a whole bunch of great new ideas surrounding this idea. There are some great examples of people making long-term differences in community’s lives through this model.
Andrew Bowen: So we’re talking about entertainment/media that is socially conscious. What about forms other than music? Do you think Next Movement might venture into publishing at some point?
Jon Rezin: Publishing as in outside of music or as in music publishing?
Andrew Bowen: As an additional arm. Let’s say Next Movement becomes the parent with multiple artistic wings…
Jon Rezin: It is always a possibility. With limited resources we are trying to maximize what we have going on currently. In addition to the label though Next Movement also does distribute some other records by Baha’is to Baha’i bookstores and communities around the world…and my wife and I also have a Baha’i audio book company we started. The purpose s to create commercial quality audio books of the Baha’i writings.
Andrew Bowen: Nice
Jon Rezin: I am a big fan of audio books (they are great on long commutes…I live in LA) but none existed in the Baha’i community, so I was living in NYC at the time and decided to get jobs at two of the biggest audio book production house so I could learn the business. I worked there for just under a year and a half, now I am using that to create a library of Baha’i audio books. It is called http://hearthewritings.com/. This is a passion project of mine.
Aside from that, I keep pretty busy with my producing and audio engineering as well as spending as much time with my baby daughter and wife as I can.
Andrew Bowen: Balancing time between work/passion, and family is an art
Jon Rezin: Yes it is. I know that I want to create a legacy in this world, but that legacy means nothing if my own family is not taken care of. I won’t look back on my death bed and wish I had worked more, so I am striving now to make sure my family has as much of my time as possible.
We, as a family and individuals, also take part in Baha’i community activities
Andrew Bowen: Good man. Okay! I think it’s time I shut up and let these other fine folks ask a few questions. I’ll leave the floor open for about 3-5 minutes.
Bud Polk: I just got here a few minutes ago and quickly scanned through your conversation. Jon, are there any YouTube videos of Badi?
Jon Rezin: Hey Bud… mostly live stuff. You can check out NMR’s youtube here: http://www.youtube.com/nextmovementrecor… Hopefully we will be uploading some other new material soon…it is always a process.
Bud Polk: I checked the audiobook website. What other books are in the works?
Jon Rezin: The Kitab’i'Iqan, Tablets of Baha’u'llah, (Both by Baha’u'llah) and The Secret of Divine Civilization by Abdu’l-Baha… We haven’t publicized that yet, so you all are getting some insider info.
Andrew Bowen: Woo hoo!
Jon Rezin: We are also in the process of trying to figure out a great introductory book of the faith. We get a lot of requests for something like that as well that folks can share with their friends.
Bud Polk: This is very cool. Will they be in a format with a table of contents or some kind of internal links?
Andrew Bowen: Something to compliment the Ruhi Books would be excellent
Jon Rezin: Still figuring that out. It would be a million tracks if we spilt it up too much, but for example: Tablets of Baha’u'llah could easily be broken up tablet by table since it is composed of many tablets
Bud Polk: I have found audiobooks without some kind of links to be next to useless, in my opinion.
Jon Rezin: The Ruhi books are an interesting idea we have considered, the challenge is that the Ruhi courses are very participatory. That participation and practice is what helps make them so helpful. Finding a way to make an audio book of them is definitely in our minds. We shall see if and when that can happen.
When you mention “links” Bud, what do you mean exactly?
Bud Polk: Chapters, table of contents, some way of accessing the parts of the work -- i have run into a few free audiobooks that were just one long mp3
Jon Rezin: I see. Yeah, that is definitely something that would be addressed to some extent in those books. It would be more like a table of contents. We did that on a smaller scale with one of the recent letters we released. We always release our MP3′s as multiple tracks; folks can join them later if they so desire.
Bud Polk: That’s what I am looking for Jon. I get commercially produced audiobooks at the library and put them on my IPod and they usually are organized by chapters.
Jon Rezin: Yeah, many Baha’i books are tablets and longer writings which may or may not have sections. When they don’t it becomes a challenge to break them up. I definitely wouldn’t want to do it by paragraph, but we try to find either a breaking point based on new sections, new tablet, or some place between paragraphs for a natural pause (the longer tablets require this as the tracks would be quite long otherwise). We try to keep it around 7min per track, +/- depending on context and accounting for actual content breaks
Bud Polk: It will be a challenge to you because some of the Writings just don’t have natural breaks. How would you do the Iqan, for example?
Jon Rezin: Around 7 min per track, between paragraphs when there is no other way
Bud Polk: Is Badi your only artist right now, Jon?
Jon Rezin: Badi is the only artist actively releasing other stuff right now. We have a couple other things, but they are not out yet. We also distribute some other cd’s by Baha’is that I have worked on outside of NMR. You can check them out by clicking on “distribution” on NMR’s site and entering the password “distribution.”
Andrew Bowen: Well, if no one has any additional questions…Jon thanks so much for dropping by. It was great getting to know about you and your efforts to make change for the better.
Jon Rezin: It has been my pleasure to be here. Thank you all for your time and the opportunity. Please feel free to contact me via the contact page on my website. I check it daily and would love to hear any follow up questions. This has been great. Thanks Andrew.
As if Jon wasn’t busy enough, he aslo has a few other projects going on. Check him out here for more info.
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