a misaq kazimi thought-stream, blog
Today I had a deep conversation with a street vendor. He had many life and business thoughts, but what stuck the most was “that no matter what we do in life, there will always come a time when we’ll get tired of it and would want to do something different – so instead of dreading it, anticipate it and prepare for it”
The full story:
Here is a list of nine interviews conducted as part of a multi-media series for World Is One News (WION). Five of the interviewees are in tech and the rest are in food, sports and art.
Allow your passion to be your purpose and one day it may just become your profession. Praveen Kumar turned his passion into his profession, and with his best friends as business partners, he started a platform that caters to the entire community of travel enthusiasts. > Meet Kumar
She is a London School of Economics graduate and went on to work with Goldman Sachs. But five years later, the entrepreneurial bug bit Swati Bhargava, and she left her corporate career to create something of her own. > Meet Swati
Leonor Dely recently lost her son David, who, before moving on to the next world, left his last musical co-creation: Esto es Fe – an Afro-Caribbean music album that was crowd-funded via Kickstarter a few months ago.
But before we talk about the album, here is a bit about Leonor Dely herself. Daughter of musicians, her father is an Afro-descendant and her mother was born in the valleys of Andes Mountains in Colombia.
Her husband Istvan is a Hungarian with an overwhelming attraction to African culture. After returning from his studies in Cuba, the two founded their musical group, Millero Congo. Their two sons grew into inseparable members of the group and family became a musical powerhouse. The New York Times called her first album, Amame, “a musical masterpiece,” and this is their fifth.
What influences your music?
Life as a whole – love, hope, joy of living, perseverance, patience, courage, humility, a positive attitude, spiritual transformation, the value of this day, and the dreams. In style: the rhythmic cultures of Africa and the Caribbean, Native Indian flutes, classical Europe, jazz, salsa, rock, and reggae.
What was the inspiration behind this CD?
It is part of an uninterrupted line of drum-driven compositions with an urgent need to reach the heart of every listener with our music with increasing power.
Why release it now?
We would have liked to do it earlier, but now a new and significant motive was added: to pay tribute to the memory of our eldest son, David. He passed away two years ago, soon after completing his participation in the recording and mixing of the album. On the album you can hear his musical contributions of Amerindian flutes, bass, and guitar, plus he composed some of the songs.
How does this album compare to your other works?
One similarity that stands out is the unchanging basic concept of our musical proposal: unnumbered rhythms, Colombian and Africaribbean drums, Native Indian flutes, and in some instances bass, guitar and violin. The main difference is that this album is more family centered, with only one guest musician. Recording was done remotely, between Colombia, Spain and Hungary.
What makes this album special?
This album is unique in that it is the last album by our Millero Congo group whole and complete. What is so special about it is that it involves the loving support and contribution of many members of family, friends and fans to make the final production possible, particularly through Kickstarter.
What effect do you hope the songs would have on your listeners?
We hope to reach the hearts of everyone who listens to it, as part of the urgent need to share universal truths and values, always through our music that is rootsy and universal at the same time.
What is your ultimate goal as an artist?
In addition to expressing love and joy, our goal is to add our grain of sand to the betterment of the world.
What’s next?
We will keep scattering our spirit. We will continue inspiring people, especially youth, to use music in activities at the grassroots level. All seasons in life are laden with moments of special significance.
Red Grammer is very much like the color red – he is energetic, ambitious, determined and simply an unstoppable force of positive creativity.
Both critically acclaimed and Grammy-nominated, Red is the man behind some of the most popular children’s songs for the past 30 years. And right now he’s onto something different, something new and something perhaps for you:
He is creating an app – or wants to, together with you – just like his sing-alongs.
Mithaq Kazimi: What brings you from music to app creation?
Red Grammer: For me, creating music for kids and families has always been about supporting the good in all of us in a way that feels true and makes us smile and laugh. When I started out, portable cassette players were making it possible for kids and families to feel and experience my music anywhere. Now, with iPads and Tablets, children have a whole electric playground in their hands. Although I think it’s critical that they be outside with real grass and trees, it’s also important that those of us who know how to touch their hearts go to where they are and make sure they experience the same powerful feelings and awareness through the expanded possibilities that these new devices make possible.
MK: What is the app all about?
RG: This app will be a platform that delivers three interactive music videos to anyone with a capable mobile device. We envision it as Phase One of something bigger – “Red’s World”: a collection of music videos, eBooks, games, and other video content inspired by my award-winning music.
MK: How will a child benefit from it?
RG: Having some of the best children’s music ever created come alive before their eyes with brilliant visuals and opportunities for interaction has to be a good thing, especially when the underlying themes are those of inclusion, oneness, self-awareness and hope.
MK: What is the targeted age group?
RG: 4-7 years old
MK: What is your role in the project? who else is working on it?
RG: I’m bringing the music, of course, and I’m also integrally involved in the development of the characters and story lines in these music videos as well as the ensuing eBooks, games, etc. of “Red’s World”. My partner on this project is Joshua Homnick, an extraordinary, Webby award-winning video director/producer whose feet are firmly planted in the world of exciting possibilities that these new technologies provide. He is also a young parent who keenly sees the need for media that supports and celebrates the best in children.
MK: How is the process of creating an app similar and different from creating music?
RG: In both cases you start with nothing. You get an idea, then you follow your instincts and heart, bending all your skills to bring it to its flowering stage, and finally push like crazy to get it into the world.
However, I find the process of putting imagery to my music a scary process. Will it limit or expand the hearer’s perception of the song? And then there are the numerous technical questions around the app regarding interactivity, compatibility, etc. That’s why I’m so excited to be working with as creative, heart-centered, tech-savvy visual collaborator as Josh.
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If you’d like to be part of this project, head over to his Kickstarter page or official page.
Fariborz Sahba is a humble yet passionate man in his mid-sixties; he has grayish-white hair, a black jacket and a pair of glasses which he constantly adjusts as we chat in a local cafe here in San Diego.
Rewind to 1986, the twenty-six year old Sahba designed and built a structure in New Delhi India, which has now become one of, if not, the most visited building in the world.
Just last year, the building attracted some 4.8 million visitors and celebrated its 25th anniversary.
The structure he would spend nearly a decade researching, designing and ultimately building is the Lotus Temple of India. It is one of the seven Baha’i Houses of Worship located in every continent of the world – a unique place of communion open to people of all walks of life, be it of any race, status, religion or no-religion.
For the past 25 years, Sahba has worked mainly on two major projects: One, the Lotus Temple in India; and second, the hanging gardens of Mount Carmel in Israel which was recently named a World Heritage site by UNESCO for “cultural and natural heritage of outstanding universal value.”
In this interview, we’ll just suffice with learning about the Lotus Temple and the nitty-gritty stuff that makes the building and the man himself a topic of discussion.
So Let’s start from the beginning. Where did you spend the early years of your life?
Fariborz Sahba: I was born in Mashhad, Iran and completed my high school education there; I then moved to Tehran for my higher education. However I have traveled all over Iran intensively and have vivid memories.
MK: What inspired you to become an architect?
FS: My main inspirer was my mother and the stories she would tell me as a child. When we lived in the town of Gonabad, it was in a desert area with barely any architecture. My mother who wanted to give us a vision of civilization and architecture often told us of ‘Ishqabad, the town she had grown up in.
In particular, she’d tell stories of a building which she remembered dearly and stood in her mind as a great example of architecture – it was the first Baha’i House of Worship ever built. She would tell us how it was a place of tranquility and peacefulness. She was very saddened when an earthquake destroyed it and whole-heatedly wished that when I grew up, I would build one like it. That was when I was five – and from then on, I wanted to be an architect.
MK: Where did you receive your educational training?
FS: I received a Master’s degree in architecture in 1972 from Tehran University.
MK: What were some structures you designed after completing your studies?
FS: The Centre of Handicraft Production and Arts Workshops in Tehran; The Iranian Embassy in Beijing; The New Town of Mahshahr; The Pahlavi Cultural Centre and the School of Art in Sanandaj, Iran.
MK: So how did the Lotus Temple project begin?
FS: The Universal House of Justice, the international governing body of the Baha’is, put out a call to architects around the world to submit their designs for this building. I entered the competition with a few pages of ideas explaining how I envisioned the concept of a House of Worship.
After some time and a few interviews, I was notified that my proposal was accepted. I then traveled throughout India in search of a design.
MK: What were you searching for to serve as the basis of your design?
FS: I was looking for a concept that would be acceptable to the people of all different backgrounds that abound with such rich diversity in India. I wanted to design something new and unique; at the same time not strange but rather familiar, something which any human being would find spiritual and intuitively find some sort of relationship with it in their hearts.
I began without preconceptions, ready for ideas. I visited almost a hundred temples all over India to discover a concept that would integrate the spiritual heritage of this sub-continent. As I delved deeper and deeper into the cultural and architectural heritage of the country, I became profoundly fascinated by the task before me.
MK: So finally, you choose the lotus flower to be the inspiration for this structure. What is the significance of this particular flower?
FS: There is a deep and universal reverence for the lotus in India. It is regarded as a sacred flower associated with worship throughout many centuries and therefore its significance is deeply rooted in the minds and hearts of the Indians. In the epic poem Mahabharata, the Creator Brahma is described as having sprung from the lotus. In Buddhist folklore the Buddha is represented as being born from a lotus, and is usually depicted standing or sitting on a lotus. It is also deeply rooted in the Zoroastrian and Islamic architecture; for example, the dome of the Taj Mahal is bud of a lotus.
MK: How did you bring your initial concept to life, tell me a bit about the architectural aspect of the structure?
FS: The whole superstructure is designed to function as a skylight. The interior dome is composed from intersection of nine spheres and patterned after the innermost portion of the lotus flower. The interior dome, therefore, is like a bud consisting of 27 petals, and light filters through these inner folds and is diffused throughout the hall. Nine open petals, each of which functions as a skylight, surround the central hall and nine entrance petals complete the design.
MK: How about the exterior, specifically the pools that surround the structure?
FS: Nine pools around the building form the principal landscape of the building. They also represent the green leaves of the lotus afloat on water. Moreover, the pools and fountains help to cool the air that passes over them into the hall. The superstructure, the podium and the pools are designed as an integrated whole.
MK: It seems that you had thoroughly thought of the environment in your design, what exact methods and techniques have been used?
FS: Since the climate in Delhi is very hot for several months of the year and the degree of humidity varies, the installation and maintenance of air-conditioning was not an environmentally friendly or cheap solution. Therefore, we implemented a more sophisticated technique.
This, in a way, can be called “natural ventilation.” It is based on the principal of the Wind Towers in the deserts of Iran and was developed by “smoke tests” which were performed in the Imperial College of London on a model of the Temple. The results demonstrated that with openings in the basement and at the top, the building would act like a chimney, drawing up warm air from within the hall and expelling it through the top of the dome. Thus, constant draughts of cool air passing over the pools and through the basement flow into the hall and out through the opening at the top.
MK: I know that similar to the architects of the past, such as the Taj Mahal, you didn’t just design it, but you also built it as well.
FS: Yes, I was also the project manager and oversaw the construction.
MK: What do you think was the most exciting and perhaps challenging stage of the process?
FS: I think the design period was the most challenging and exciting part of the project. To design a temple, which would reflect the rich cultural heritage of India and at the same time be compatible with the principles of the Baha’i Faith – that humanity is one – provided me with an unusual and remarkable task. This was the most exciting part of the project for me, the rest of the challenges were technical matters, which I dealt with somehow.
MK: The structure is obviously not conventional in any way. I would say it’s more like a piece of art, what do you think?
FS: I am an old-fashioned architect who has always considered architecture to be an art, and no matter how practical or technical it becomes, in essence it is a work of art that communicates with its audience. This, in my opinion, is the most satisfying aspect of architect profession. All other things are only tools. In the Lotus Temple a great many technical challenges had to be addressed, but I take satisfaction from the fact that my project communicates with the people, and is alive.
MK: The building has been praised for its technical qualities over the years, please mention some important ones.
FS: Awards and recognitions have been received from the American Institute of Architect, the Institution of Structural Engineers of the United Kingdom, the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America, the American Concrete Institute, the GlobArt Academy award in 2000. But more importantly, some 100 million people have visited it since its completion 25 years ago.
MK: Speaking of 25 years, recently there was a major celebration on the occasion of its 25th anniversary, please tell us about that.
FS: Several thousands had come from India and across the world to participate in the celebration of its 25th anniversary. The main event was focused on the aspect of service to the community and how the Lotus Temple has and can continue to serve the purpose of creating unity and harmony amongst the diverse people of India. On this occasion, statements were sent by some distinguished Indians such Dr. Abdul Kalam, the former President of India, the Minister of Culture, Minister for Tourism, Chief Minister of Delhi; they were praising the Temple for its unique role in building unity and communal harmony in India. Furthermore, thousands of posters were published by the Ministry of Tourism commemorating the anniversary and recognizing it as the symbol of unity of India.
MK: In conclusion, a simple phrase that would summarize your overall experience with this project?
Hard work!
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Lotus Temple’s Official Instagram
You may have seen these guys on CNN, FOX, BBC, NBC, ABC, CBC or even Al Jazeera; or perhaps you are one of the 100K visitors who have been stalking them via their blog; but regardless of your previous knowledge about the stand-up comedian (Aman) and the advertising guru (Bassam), you’ll get to know everything about what they did last summer.
Beginning August of this year, they took a cross-country trip from Alaska to their home-town New York, stopping at a different Mosque, in a different state, each night – solely for the purposes of getting to know the community. Interesting? It gets better:
Mithaq Kazimi: How did it all start?
Aman Ali: It was an impulsive idea that started in 2009. I and my friend Bassam Tariq found out that there were 160 Mosques within the 10-mile radius of where we live; one told the other “Dude, wouldn’t be crazy if we went to thirty mosques in thirty days of Ramadan?”
So after doing so – visiting each mosque every night to break the fast – and receiving a great response, we realized that there were many other communities around the country that could be explored.
As a stand-up comedian myself and Bassam being in advertising, we had traveled around the country on our own and knew there were many ‘cool’ communities out there that we wanted to visit and that’s how the idea of “30 days in 30 mosques” came about.
What motivated you guys to embark on this project?
Given the socio-political climate about Muslims in America last year, I was a bit pessimistic that Muslims were not doing enough to tell the world who we actually are; but this year, I feel very optimistic and inspired to learn that Muslims are doing great things as a collective Muslim community.
When we speak about Islam in American history, very vague stories come to mind. Growing up, I learned that maybe there was a Muslim that Thomas Jefferson met, but during this trip we realized that Muslims have lived in Iowa since the early 1800s.
What was different this year?
This year we focused on personal narratives, asking people what is the relevance of Islam in your life, or the importance of faith in general. We realized that Islam means so many different things to different people, so our journey was about highlighting exactly that.
It is so inspirational to meet such people and hear their stories. I realized that we are all blessed in our own respective lives in one way or the other.
Was this year a continuation of last year’s efforts?
Yes, we had gone to thirty states last year, so we covered the other twenty this time around.
Also, going into the project this year, everyone recognized us when we walked into a mosque and there was a greater amount of support from the communities. This time we didn’t really stay in hotels and instead were invited to people’s houses. So no matter where we went, we felt at home.
Even last year, without knowing about us much, there was this warm hospitality in the community. This is probably a testimony to the characteristics of the Muslim, and the American community in general.
What did each of these individuals have in common?
I think what a lot of people had in common was this idea of love – whether love for God, the community or their own lives. But it was love that drove these communities and these individuals on daily bases.
Although there were many different individual stories, but what made them all similar was this idea of connecting with God and a higher power.
What do you think Muslims share in common with other religious groups?
On a day-to-day base, regardless of our backgrounds, we believe in the idea of serving the broader community and thus serving God. This idea of giving and helping the unfortunate, this is the idea that binds us all.
What are some ‘hot’ and ‘binding’ topics at the mosques?
We live in this country just like everyone else. They talk about general daily life issue. Topics such as life under this hard economic times, relationships, house renovation, quality of education, break-ups with women, taxes and Facebook status updates.
How did the media catch on with you?
Last year it was the whole controversy around the Ground Zero Mosque and people were interested in learning what really goes on in a mosque. This year it was a bit different; because our mission was not to counter any anti-Islamic views or respond or run a PR campaign about Islam, but rather “tell stories” about who Muslims are.
And were you successful?
I would say so. There has been so much of positive response from around the country and even from abroad.
We recently met Charles Barkley, the basketball athlete, who knew about us. Many journalists that didn’t even interview us knew what we were up-to.
For example plenty of non-Muslims may feel nervous about asking a Muslim about Islam and what goes on in a mosque, so this project gave them the freedom to read about it from the comfort of their home.
Who are these people, your audience?
I would say about 60% are Muslims and around 40% everyone else. And since the core element of our project was to build buzz through the social networks, you could say the age group is around 20-35.
Who were your supporters, how did you fund the project?
The money was raised through online contribution and individual donations.
There is so much credit I and Bassam could get for this project; it’s really people who donated and suggested what we should do with out project and everyone else who has made it as big and beautiful as it is.
Will you do this next year?
We were asked the same question last year and we said “no.” But sure, we’ll do this if it only makes sense. We’re not going to do it, just for the sake of doing. Many organizations have approached us about doing a more global journey, perhaps 30 countries, but we’ll only do it if we feel the need for it.
What keeps you guys busy post the project?
We’re doing a cross-country tour in universities and organizations and talking about this project and our learnings.
We’ve realized that people want to learn more and we want to learn more, so we’ll keep on exploring.
Any developments inspired by the project?
There were two filmmakers who followed us and there will be a documentary which will air on PBS in the coming years.
We’re on the process of writing a book. We have an Apple and Android app out in the market. And we continue to implements the learning’s in our lives and profession – on my stand-up comedy shows.
And lastly?
One thing that we took away was there was so much we hadn’t covered. But on the other hand, we benefited so much personally and we really enjoyed the journey.
If you haven’t yet, check out their blog at www.30mosques.com & visit the Conversation page of this blog for more unique interviews.
It is hard to define a man whose life is sewed by many unique threads. But nevertheless, here is Julio Savi, an Eritrean by birth, a gynecologist by profession, an author by choice, a grandfather by destiny and a member of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha’is of Italy by majority vote.
While each of the above distinctions deserve an in-depth interview of its own, here we will begin to discuss a book he wrote some 25 years ago that has stood the test of time. His book, The Eternal Quest for God, is perhaps one of the most comprehensive study of Baha’i philosophy that covers any plausible question about the physical and meta-physical realities imaginable by the human mind. Questions about evolution and the big bang theory to human soul and the existence of extraterrestrial beings in the multiverses . It explores it all.
Mithaq Kazimi: What can you tell us about your background?
Julio Savi: I have studied at the Italian “Liceo Classico” in Asmara (Eritrea), a senior high school specializing in classical studies. I was graduated as a medical doctor at the University of Bologna and I specialized in gynecology at the University of Florence. I have worked for more than 30 years in the Italian hospitals and for more than 10 years as a professional gynecologist in the province of Bologna. I live a happy family life with my wife Paola, whom I knew in 1957 and married in 1964. We have two sons and three grand-daughters.
What has influenced your life and interests?
Two early influences had a great impact on my life: my father’s encouragement to see life as an enthralling mystical adventure and the unspoiled beauty of Eritrea where I was born and grew up, that appeared to me as a translucent mirror of God’s Beauty. My classical education taught me to appreciate the inner and outer beauty of words, especially the words of Scripture and of the great poets of the world. Therefore I began very early in my life to write poetry, and, when I entered in the Baha’i community, I immediately seized the opportunity of complying with my passion and began to translate into Italian the English versions of Baha’i Scripture. I have thus participated in the translation of most of the major Baha’i Texts into Italian. Recently, with the assistance of a knowledgeable Persian friend, I have also begun to translate Baha’i Writings from Arabic and Persian.
What are your main areas of interest?
My areas of interest are Scriptures, spirituality, spiritual development of both individuals and society, inter-religious dialogue, human rights, translation, poetry and music. On these subjects I have given lectures in Europe, Asia, Africa, North and South America. I am the author of several books and papers on the subjects as well.
What would you say your book is about?
The Eternal Quest for God collects, in a systematic way, a number of Baha’i teachings on very important subjects, about which every human being should get her own idea so that she may conceive an overall vision of life on whose ground she will take her practical decisions while trying to effectively accomplish her twofold purpose on earth, within the limits of her opportunities and capacities: on the one hand, developing her spiritual potentialities, on the other using those developing capacities to serve the progress of human civilization.
Where do these teachings spring from?
These teachings fall within Baha’i theology, whose central issues are, as described in the website of the Willamette Institute, “many of the most basic and central teachings of the Baha’i Faith: its concept of the nature of God; how that God guides humanity through revelation vouchsafed unto Manifestations; the nature and purpose of the Manifestations and their successive teachings (progressive revelation and the Covenant); the nature and purpose of human beings and their physical existence; the nature of physical creation; and the nature of the next world. In short, Baha’i Theology answers the basic questions human beings have always asked about the nature and purpose of life” (link).
How would you define its purpose and goals?
The Eternal Quest for God is a call to search after God, after His knowledge, after His love, because without these blessings, human beings remain even smaller than what they are even when their gazes are turned towards the Infinite. The pursuance of this knowledge and this love seems to be a part of the essence of all the Faiths of the world. It also is an element that brings together all those who are attracted towards the Transcendent, even if they do not fully or partially identify themselves with an institutional religion. In this respect, this book would like to offset the materialistic conception of the nature of reality, which is so diffused in the Western world, that it seems a new dogmatic religion.
What inspired you to write the book and explore such topics?
This book is first of all the fruit of a prolonged and impassioned personal study, pursued because of a personal need of clarity of ideas on the issues explored in the book. Having collected a good number of quotations from Baha’i and other books on those issues, I thought that my collected material could be offered to the others as a study text, opened to revision, a text to which other quotations could be added, or perhaps from which a number of quotations could be detracted, because they are considered off the subject or inappropriate. Therefore, The Eternal Quest for God is intended first of all as an encouragement to deepen a number of theological subjects explained in the Baha’i Writings. This deepening is, in my opinion, indispensable not only for the personal spiritual growth of the individual, but also for the collective growth of human civilization.
Who is your audience?
It is addressed to all Westerners, with the ambition of reminding them of the noblest spiritual matrixes of their noble civilization, whose foundation are, in my opinion, of a spiritual character.
This book was not written only for the Baha’is. Rather it was meant for all people who are interested in the issues of spirituality. It offers a preliminary discussion of themes that are very important for all people of faith, themes that reflect not much the “temporal” aspects of religion, as its “perennial” aspect, with the intention – perhaps too ambitious – to point out through the words of the Baha’i Writings the fundamental elements of a spiritual conception of the nature of reality that may bring together the followers of all faiths, beyond their specific visions, which have been up to now viewed as conflicting with, contradicting and denying one another.
Will the book appeal to the non-Western audience as well? if so, who?
The Eternal Quest for God addresses also those many people who, from outside the West, believe “not only that human nature is deeply influenced by spiritual forces, but that its very identity is spiritual,” but were once more marginalized by the West, whose “dogmatic materialism . . . ensured that no competing voices would retain the ability to challenge projects of world wide economic exploitation” (Commissioned by the Universal House of Justice, One Common Faith, para.4). It proves that also in the West there are voices, albeit they are a minority, that do not dissent from theirs, and encourage them to persist in their attachment to the Transcendent, inviting them to try to discover “the unity of purpose and principle running throughout” the Scriptures of all the world’s religions” (Commissioned by the Universal House of Justice, One Common Faith, para.39).
This book is thus an encouragement to build in this direction bridges that may lead all human beings to a road through which they may arrive to the point of building all together a new world of justice and peace, blessed by the wealth of unity in diversity: “unity in the political realm . . . unity of thought in world undertakings . . . unity in freedom . . . unity in religion . . . unity of nations . . . unity of races . . . unity of language” (‘Abdu’l-Baha, Selections, p.32, sec.15), in the inspiring diversity of the diverse “ethnic geniuses” of our varied world.
What specific quote or principal of the faith set you on the path to writing this book?
My book is my personal response to the following call by ‘Abdu’l-Baha: “We must also render service to the world of intellectuality in order that the minds of men may increase in power and become keener in perception, assisting the intellect of man to attain its supremacy so that the ideal virtues may appear. Before a step is taken in this direction [1] we must be able to prove Divinity from the standpoint of reason so that no doubt or objection may remain for the rationalist. Afterward, [2] we must be able to prove the existence of the bounty of God – that the divine bounty encompasses humanity and that it is transcendental. Furthermore, [3] we must demonstrate that the spirit of man is immortal, that it is not subject to disintegration and that it comprises the virtues of humanity” (‘Abdu’l-Baha, Promulgation, pp.325-6).
What were you challenged by during the writing process and how did you overcome them?
I remember the days when I wrote my book, while simultaneously pursuing my demanding profession, as very happy and galvanizing days. A daily reading of ‘Abdu’l-Baha’s prayer “O Lord, I have turned my face unto thy Kingdom of Oneness” (Tablets 3:676) gave me great spiritual sustenance. I chose that prayer because of the words ‘Abdu’l-Bahs’ wrote as an introduction to it: ‘If thou desirest that God may open thy (spiritual) eye, thou must supplicate unto God, pray to and commune with Him at midnight, saying. . .” (Tablets 3:676).
How long the did process take, from the first words to publication?
It is difficult to say. I began my personal collection of quotations in the mid of the Seventies. The idea of writing a book loomed in my mind in the beginning of the Eighties. The book was first published in Italian in 1988.
How was it received after its publication?
The Baha’i English-speaking world has received it with a certain interest, which did not diminish in the course of time. People from all the parts of the world tell me or write to me how useful my book has been for them, in their daily efforts to live up to the high standards of the Baha’i teachings. Perhaps this interest is one of the reasons why the book has been translated and published in Spanish and Portuguese.
What do other’s have to say about this book?
Professor William Hatcher wrote about this book, it “can serve variously as a portable reference, a succinct and serious discussion of philosophical issues central to the Baha’i teachings, and an inviting browse through a microcosm of Baha’i thought” (The Journal of Baha’i Studies, vol. 5, no.2 (1992), pp.87-8).
Given its rising and constant popularity, what’s next? a sequel or another edition?
After 1989, I did not stop studying the subjects of my interest, both in the Baha’i Writings and in other books. I have continued to collect quotations on the subjects dealt with in my book and other closely related with them. Thus I have published a number of papers on Baha’i theology, mysticism, destiny and freedom, inter-religious dialogue. Moreover in my book A Nest on the Highest Branch published in India I have expressed a number of ideas on history in the light of the Baha’i teachings. Many of these ideas could become part of a second revised and enlarged edition of The Eternal Quest for God. God willing, I will be able to realize this project.
What else have you been writing since?
In the meantime I also have published other books: Remoteness. Selected Poems (Rome 2002), A Nest on the Higher Branch. Reflections on Human Success, Prosperity and Happiness (New Delhi 2003), For the Sake of One God. Notes on Philosophy of Religion (New Delhi 2005), Towards the Summit of Reality. An Introduction to Baha’u’llah’s Seven Valleys and Four Valleys (Oxford 2008), a work that took about twenty years of research.
And finally, what should we look forward to?
In the last years I have tried to translate from Persian into English a number of Poems composed by Baha’u’llah in the Iraqi period, and I have written a long introduction and a commentary on each poem. God willing, I will publish a book on this subject.
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The book is available in:
Say hello to Ren, Dr. Ren Ng, graduate of Stanford University who is set out to change the way we take pictures. No, he is not introducing a new lens, a higher megapixel camera or even a new chip in the existent cameras, he has invented and is introducing a whole new camera in itself – he has named it the Lytro camera.
Here I set with Ren to discover what it’s all about.
Mithaq Kazimi: Can you summarize the technology you are developing?
Dr. Ren Ng: Lytro is creating the first light field cameras. Unlike regular digital or film cameras, which can only record a scene in two-dimensions, light field cameras capture all of the light rays traveling in every direction through a scene. This means that some aspects of a picture can be manipulated after the fact. To capture this additional data, Lytro cameras include an innovative new light field sensor that captures the color, intensity and direction of light rays. Light field cameras unleash the power of the light, to forever change how everyone takes and experiences pictures.
What is your personal interest in photography: artistic, technical or both?
Photography has always been a passion of mine but I began to study light field photography when I was in the PhD program at Stanford University. I loved photography but was frustrated by the limitations of cameras. When trying to take a picture of a friend’s young, active daughter using my DSLR it was impossible to capture the fleeting moments. That personal experience inspired me start researching what would become my dissertation on light field photography and eventually lead me to starting Lytro which will be introducing the first light field camera for consumers.
How long have you been working on it?
I have been researching light field technology for more than eight years beginning with my studies within the PhD program at Stanford University.
What have you been challenged by while developing the technology?
The main challenges were really pulling together the diverse resources required to build the original prototype camera. We recruited a professor in EE to the project, an ME professional, raised $25K in research capital, developed a relatively complex set of supply chain partners to fabricate the light field sensor and build the custom camera, and developed all the software to render images. It was a very complex set of technical and operational activities over a six month period, and so satisfying when I glued the prototype together on my kitchen table and it worked!
Do you think people will embrace the technology as it becomes available, and why?
We do, the response overall has already been amazing! We’ve seen a wide range of interest from camera enthusiasts to the everyday person wanting to capture the important moments in their lives with this new kind of camera.
What is going to be different in your cameras?
The light field fully defines how a scene appears, from the foreground to the background and everything in between. Unlike conventional cameras, which can only record a scene in two dimensions, light field cameras can capture all of the light traveling in every direction through a scene in four dimensions. A light field picture taken with a Lytro camera can be manipulated after the fact in ways not possible with conventional cameras, like focusing a picture after it’s been taken.
The two main features that are evident so far are “focus-later” and “3D” capture, what are some others?
Sky is the limit with this type of technology. Video capabilities are planned for a future version, but we don’t want to give too much away regarding our roadmap. But as far as the 3D, using the full light field, Lytro cameras will allow you to easily switch between 2D and 3D views or shift the perspective of the scene.
Who has been more interested in it so far, general consumers or pro users?
We’ve had a great response for those looking to reserve a camera at lytro.com – we’ve seen interest from camera enthusiasts, professionals and people who want to stretch their creative potential.
Who did you have in mind while developing the technology?
We were very focused on people who want to capture the important moments of their lives in a multi-dimensional, creative way.
Is there a learning curve?
People are so used to waiting for an auto-focus motor on conventional cameras that there will be a bit of “re-learning” to do when shooting a light field camera with an instant shutter.
For the professionals, what does it offer?
Professional photographers are very much on top of the latest trends in technology and we believe many of them will be interested in using a Lytro as part of their camera kit. We’re excited to see the creativity they bring to light field photography..
Can you give us the tech details (res, pix, etc..)?
We are not providing specific details about the camera at this time.
Does the cameras capture video?
Not at this time.
Is there a plan to implement it in the future?
It is definitely something that is in our roadmap but right now we are focused exclusively on still camera and bringing the first light field camera for everyone.
Any closing thoughts, news?
We are keeping people informed of developments through Twitter (@lytro) and Facebook.com/lytro. We will definitely keep you updated as we share more details on the Lytro camera.
Below are some ‘living pictures’, click on any part of it to focus:
A series of interviews with the ‘who’s who’ of various field. Coming soon.