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****************The First Mashriqu'l-Adhkar (House of Worship) of the 'West, Wilmette, Ill., U.S.A., showing Ornamentation of the Dome, remainder of Ornamentation still to be completed.
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Zr 2Prepared under the supervision of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of the United States and Canada with the approval of Shoghi Effendi
Volume VICopyright, 1937, by National SpirituJ Assembly of the Bahá'ís of the United States and Canada.
Reprinted 1980N 0 T F: The spelling of the Oriental words and proper names used in this issue of THE BAHÁ'Í Wonin is according to the system of transliteration established at one of the
International Oriental Congresses.Guardian of the Bahá'í Faith this work is dedicated in the hope that it will assist his efforts to promote that spiritual unity underlying and anticipating the
"Most Great Peace"I. Aims and Purposes of the Bahá'í Faith 3 H.Survey of Current Bahá'í Activities in the East and 'West 13
III. Excerpts from Bahá'í Sacred Writings 136
PART TWO1. The World Order of Bahá'u'lláh 181
1. Presentday Administration of the Bahá'í Faith 18 ~
Introductory Statement 181Excerpts from the Will and Testament of cAbdu~1~Bah5 204 Excerpts from the Letters of Shoghi Effendi 211 Certificate of Incorporation of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of the United States and Canada 253 Declaration of Trust and ByLaws of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of the United States and Canada 254267 Declaration of Trust and ByLaws of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of mm 269274 Declaration and ByLaws of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of Germany and Austria 275 Declaration of Trust and ByLaws of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha of India and Burma 284 Certificate of Incorporation of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of India and Burma 286 Declaration of Trust and ByLaws of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of tlrAq294-300 Text of Authorization Issued for Registration by the Mixed Court in Egypt of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of Egypt 302 Declaration of Trust of the National Spiritual Assembly of the
Bahá'ís of Egypt 303304ByLaws of the Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of New York 305 Certificate of Incorporation of the Spiritual Assembly of the
Bahá'ís of New York 3073 11Certificate of Incorporation of the Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of Teaneck, New Jersey, U. S. A 314316 Certificate of Incorporation of the Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of Chicago, Illinois, U. S. A317319 Certificate of Incorporation of the Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of Washington, D. C., U. S. A .320322 Petition of the Bahá'ís of Montreal, Canada 323 Certificate of Incorporation of the Baha of Montreal, Canada .324326 ByLaws of the Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of Montreal,
Canada 328ByLaws of the Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of Esslingen,
GermanyCertificate of Incorporation of the Spiritual Assembly of the
Bahá'ís of Esslingen, Germany 334Certificate of Incorporation of the Spiritual Assembly of the
Bahá'ís of Karachi, India 336Certificate of Incorporation of the Spiritual Assembly of the
Bahá'ís of Calcutta, India 337Certificate of Incorporation of the Spiritual Assembly of the
Bahá'ís of Delhi, India 338Certificate of Incorporation of the Spiritual Assembly of the
Bahá'ís of Rangoon, Burma 339Certificate of Registration of the Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of Daidanaw, Burma 340 Certificate of Incorporation of the Spiritual Assembly of the
Bahá'ís of Mandalay, Burma 341Certificate of Incorporation of the Spiritual Assembly of the
Bahá'ís of Auckland, New Zealand 342Documents Related to the Incorporation of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of the United States and Canada, as a Recognized Religious Society in Palestine 343 Certificate of the Palestine Government Incorporating the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of the United States and Canada, Palestine Branch, as a Recognized Religious Society in
PalestineText of Application to the Palestine Government for Incorporation of the Palestine Branch of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of India and Burma 345 Certificate of the Palestine Government Incorporating the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha of India and Burma, Palestine
Branch 346Trade Mark Certificate obtained from the United States Govern
ment covering the word ctBaha 347348Trade Mark Certificate obtained from the United States Govern-covering
covering the symbol of the Greatest Name 349350 Trade Mark Certificate obtained from the Canadian Government covering the name "Baha 351353 Trade Mark Certificate obtained from the Canadian Government covering the symbol of the Greatest Name 354357 Bahá'í Marriage Certificate adopted and enforced by the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of IrAn 359 Bahá'í Marriage Certificate adopted and enforced by the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of Egypt... 360 Bahá'í Marriage Certificate adopted and enforced by the National Spiritual Assembly of the Ba1i~'is of tLAq. 361 Bahá'í Divorce Certificate adopted and enforced by the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of Inn 362 Outline of Bahá'í Laws regarding matters of Personal Status submitted mitted for recogniton to the Egyptian Government by the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of Egypt 363379 Text of the Farmin issued by Sul;in ~Abdu'1-tAziz banishing Bahá'u'lláh to tAkk4, Palestine 380
Page 15Text of the Resolution presented to President Franklin D. Roosevelt by the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of the United
States and Canada 381387Map showing Travels of the Bib and Bahá'u'lláh 388 Map showing Section of Route followed by Bahá'u'lláh on His Journey from Baglid~d to Constantinople 389 Map showing Path of Travel of tAbdn'1-Bahi in the United States of America and Canada, 1912 390 Facsimile of Tablet addressed by 'Abdu'l-Bahá to the Chicago
"Hoe of Justice" 391The Spiritual Significance of the Mashriqu'l-Adhkar. 393
The Bahá'í Temple � Why built near Chicago' 397
The Five Billion Carat Gem Baha Temple at Wilmette, Ill. 403
Temple Echoes from the WorM's Fair 406
The Bahá'í Temple � An Appreciation 410
A Temple of Universal Religion 411Bahá'í Feasts, Anniversaries and Days of Fasting 418
Bahá'í Holy Days on which Work should be Suspended 419
Additional Material Gleaned from Nabil's Narrative (Volume II)
regarding the Bahá'í Calendar 419
Historical Data Gleaned from Nabil's Narrative (Volume IL)
regarding Bahá'u'lláh 4224. Youth Activities Throughout the Baha World 426
Bahá'í Youth � An Estimate and Survey of International Events 426
Bahá'í Youth in bin 434Story of the Pageant aTh Gate of Dawn" 436 The Drama of the Kingdom 442 Pageantry as a Factor in Education 445
II. References to the Bahá'í Faith 449
1. Dowager Queen Marie of Rumania 4492. Prof. E. G. Browne, MA., M.B., Cambridge University 453 3. Dr. J. Estlin Carpenter, D.Litt., Manchester College, Oxford 455 4. Rev. T. K. Cheyne, D.Litt., D.D., Oxford University, Fellow of
British Academy 4555. Prof. Arminius Vamb6ry, Hungarian Academy of Pestli 456
6. Harry Charles Lukach 4578. Prof. Jowett, Oxford University 458 9. Alfred W. Martin, Society for Ethical Culture, New York 458 10. Prof. James Darmesteter, tcole des Hautes ttudes, Paris 459
11. Charles Baudouin 45912. Dr. Henry H. Jessup, D.D 462 13. Right Hon. The Earl Curzon of Kedleston 463 14. Sir Francis Younghusband, K.C.S.I.; K.C.I.E 464 15. The Christian Commonwealth, Anonymous 465 16. Rev. J. Tyssul Davis, B.A 465
Page 1617. Herbert Putnam, Congressional Library, Washington, D.C. 466 466
18. Leo Tolstoy19. Dr. Edmund Privat, University of Geneva 467 20. Dr. Auguste Ford, University of Zurich 467
21. General Renato Piola Caselli 468
22. Rev. Frederick W. Oakes 468 23. Renwick J. C. Millar, Editor of John O'Groat Journal, Wick, Scotland land 468 24. Charles H. Prisk 469 25. Prof. Han Prasad Shastri, D.Litt 469
26. Shri Purohit Swami 47027. Prof. Herbert A. Miller, Bryn Mawr College 470 28. Right Hon. Sir Herbert Samuel, G.C.B., Mi? 470 29. Rev. K. T. Chung 470 30. Prof. Dimitry Kazarov, University of Sofia 471 31. Rev. Griffith J. Sparham 471
32. Ernest Renan 47233. The Hon. Lilian Helen Montague, J.P., D H L 473 34. Prof. Norman Bentwich, Hebrew University, Jerusalem 473 35. tmile Schreiber, Publicist 473 36. Dr. Rokuichiro Masujima, Doyen of Jurisprudence of Japan 477 477
37. Miss Helen Keller38. Sir Flinders Petrie, Archaeologist 478 478 39. President Masaryk of Czechoslovakia.
40. Archduchess Anton of Austria 47842. H.R.H. Princess Olga of Jugoslavia 478 478
43. Eugen Relgis46. Princess Marie Antoinette de Brogue Aussenac 480
47. President David Starr Jordan, Leland Stanford University 480 48. Prof. Bogdan Popovitch, University of Belgrade, Jugoslavia 480
49. Bc-Governor William Suizer 48051. Prof. Yone Noguchi. 480 52. Prof. Raymond Frank Piper 480 481
53. Angela Morgan55. Prof. Dr. Jan Rypka, Charles University, Praha, Czechoslovakia 481 56. A. L. M. Nicolas 481
57. President Eduard Bene~ 482III. In Memoriam 483
1. Susan I. Moody 483 486
2. Hooper HarrisrAGE I. Bahá'í Directory, 19351936 505
1. Bahá'í National Spiritual Assemblies 5052. Bahá'í Local Spiritual Assemblies and Groups 507
3. Officers and Committees of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of the United States and Canada511 4. Local Bahá'í Spiritual Assemblies, Groups and Isolated Believers in the
United States and Canada 5156. Addresses of Centers of Bahá'í Administrative Divisions in Pin 524
7. Alphabetical List of Bahá'u'lláh's BestKnown Writings 525
8. List of the Bib's BestKnown Works 526II. Bahá'í Bibliography 527
1. Bahá'í Publications of America 527Outlines and Guides for Bahá'í Study Classes 538
2. Bahá'í Publications of England 53824.Bah6N Literature in Braille (for the Blind) 550
25. Baha Periodicals 550
26.References to the Bahá'í Faith in Books and Pamphlets by nonBahA'i
Authors 55227.References to the Bahá'í Faith in Magazines by non-Bah6ti Writers 558 28.References to the Baha Faith by Bahá'ís in non � Bahá'í Publications 560 III. Transliteration of Oriental 'Words frequently used in Bahá'í Literature with Guide to Transliteration and Pronunciation of the IrAnian Alphabet, and Notes on the Pronunciation of tr4nian Words 561
IV. Definitions of Oriental Terms used in Bahá'í Literature 565
PART FOURI. Articles and Reviews 571
1. Religion and World Order, by Horace Holley571 2. Queen Marie of Rumania, by Martha L. Root580 3. The Epic of Humanity, by Christophul 584 4. President Eduard Bene'~, by Martha L. Root589 5. Spiritual Perspectives, by Prof. Raymond rrank Piper 592 6. Splendor at the Core, by Angela Morgan 601 7. BaM'i-.Glaube und Christentum, by Dr. Engen Schmidt 604 8. Bahi'ismo kaj La Socia Problemo, by Prof. Paul Christaller 610 9. Bahá'u'lláh's Ground Plan of World Fellowship, by Archdeacon
George Townshend 61410. Die Bahá'ís und meine Erfahrungen, by Prof. Dr. J. Rypka 621 11. Impressions of Abdu'l-Bahá, by Louise R. Waite 625 12. Zwei Hleilige Grabst~ttcn, by Dr. Adelbert Mtihlschlegel 629 13. In Praise of Words, by Helen Bishop 632 14. The Continuity of Religion, by Stanwood Cobb 638 15. The Most Great Peace, by Marion Holley 645 16. King Haakon of Norway, by Martha L. Root651 17. Some Memories of the Sojourn of CAbdu~1~Bah4 in Paris, by Lady
Blomfield 65418. Racial Likenesses and Differences: the Scientific Evidence and the Bahá'í Teachings, by Louis G. Gregory 659 19. Denmark's Oriental Scholar, by Martha L. Root 665 20. La Baha Filozoflo, by Lidja Zamenhof 668 21. The Bahá'í Movement, by Renwick J. G. Millar 675 22. ~Abdu'1 � Báb's Historic Meeting with Jane Addams, by Ruth J.
Moffett23.The Soul of Iceland, by Martha L. Root 684 24.Em Junger Glaube wird Bekannt, by Dr. liermann Grossmann 689 25.South America: Journey Taken in the Interest of the Bahá'í Cause, by Loulie A. Mathews ~92 26.Glimpses of Sweden, by Olivia Kelsey 701 27.Russia's Cultural Contribution to the Bahá'í Faith, by Martha
L. Root 70728. A Bahá'í Incident from the Netherlands, by Louise Drake Wright 713 29. Mr. Harald 'Thulander and his Publications for the Blind in Sweden, by Nellie S. French 716 30. The Modern Miracles of Palestine, by Beatrice Irwin 719 31. A New Future for Radio, by Shirley Warde725
II. Song Offerings 728
Ill. Echoes from the Spheres 73LV. Map of IrAn Showing Bahá'í Centers Inside back cover V. Map of the United States of America Showing Bahá'í Centers. Inside back cover
Page 20Abdu'l-Bahá Frontispiece
The First Mashriqu'l-Adhkar (House of Worship) of the West, Wilmette, Ill., U. S. A., showing Ornamentation of the Dome, remainder of Ornamentation still to be completed Frontispiece
Facsimile of Appreciation Written by Dowager Queen Marie of Rumania. Frontispiece
Translation (into IrAnian) of Appreciation Written by Dowager Queen
Marie of Rumania Frontispiece
Bahá'u'lláh's Shawl and Comb 15
Bahá'u'lláh's Prayer-beads and Ring (right), Báb's Prayer-beads and Ring (left),
Bahá'u'lláh's Pen-case and Tea-glass 15Relics of the BTh 29 Relics of the Mb 39 Interior View of the Bath the BTh went to when a Child 53 Interior of the SMh-Chir6gh, Shir6z, Burial-place of the Báb's wife 53 Room occupied by cAbdu~1~BahA when a little boy (six years old) in the Village of T4kur, M~izindanin, Iran 53 Room in ~TAji Mirza J6ni's House in K6shin where the Báb slept 65 Alcove in Im&m-Z~dih MacaIim, Tihr~n, where the Remains of the Bib were kept 65
Grave of B~di', Bearer of Bahá'u'lláh's Tablet to N~siri'd-Din Sh6h near Tihr~n 65
Room in Shiniz in which Letters of the Living were appointed by the BTh 75 Tree in ShAhriid under which Mull6 Ijusayn and his Companions camped 75 View of Badaslit, Site of Historic Báb Conference. (See "The Dawn-Breakers,"
Chapter XVI) 75Garden in Tikur, M~zindarin, showing Pear-tree on right, a Favorite Spot of Bahá'u'lláh, where He often sat 95 Mount Awrang, M4zindar~n, where CAbdu~1~Bah~ was taken as a Child to view the Village of T6kur in the Valley. He stood on the raised rock at lefthand side, near the summit 95 Ruins of Room in the Vazir's House in T~kur, M6zindar~n, where Father of Bahá'u'lláh was born 95 Room in the House in Qazvin, where TThirih met the Believers 95 A Tablet of Bahá'u'lláh addressed to cAbdu~1~Bah4. (Translation of part of this Tablet appears in "The Dispensation of Bahá'u'lláh," page 43, paragraph beginning with '~O Thou Who art the apple of Mine eye!") 101 Photograph of Bahá'ís taken in Adrianople (between 18631868 A.D.). (Seated third from left is tAbdu'1-BaM. On His right is Mirza Mihdi, the Purest Branch; on His left Bahá'u'lláh's half-brother, Mirza Muhammad-Quli) 112 Recent Views of the Castle of MTh-Ki~ where the Bib was confined 129 House occupied by Bahá'u'lláh, Qag Mazra'ih, tAkk6, Palestine 140 General View of the Resting-Place of Bahá'í KhAnum, the Greatest Holy Leaf, the Center around which future Bahá'í Institutions will cluster 176 The National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of the United States and Canada, 19351936 251 The First National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of tr~n, 19341935 (91 of the Bahá'í Era) 268 The National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of Germany and Austria 276 xx'
Page 22The National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of India and Burma, 193 51936 285 The National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of ~IrAq, 193 51936 293
The National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of Egypt 301
The National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of Great Britain and Ireland 333
First National Convention of the Bahá'ís of IrAn, 1934 (91 of the Bahá'í Era) 335
The First National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of Australia and New
Zealand, 19341935 358General View of the Mashriqu'l-Adhkar at Wilmette, Ill., U. S. Exterior Ornamentation of the Mashriqu'l-Adhkar at Wilmette, Ill., U. S. A. 398 Interior Decoration of Center of Dome of the Mashriqu'l-Adhkar at Wilmette, Ill., U. S. A 402 The Dome of the Mashriqu'l-Adhkar at cJshqib~d~ Turkistin The Dome of the Mashriqu'1 � Adhkir at Wilmette, Ill., U. S. A. The Mashriqu'l-Adhkar at tlshqibAd, TurkistTh The Mashriqu'l-Adhkar at Wilmette, Ill., U. S. A 409 Interior Ornamentation of the Mashriqu'l-Adhkar at CI4iq~b4d, Turkistin 412 Exterior Ornamentation of the Mashriqu'l-Adhkar at Wilmette, III., U. S. A 442 Airplane View of Mashriqu'l-Adhkar at Wilmette, Ill., U. S. A 414 The First Mashriqu'l-Adhkar, tlshq4bid, Turkistin, Russia 415 Plan of the BTh's House with its neighborhood in Shir~z Jr~n 417
Plan of Bahá'u'lláh's House in Baglid~d, Ir~q 437
Facsimile of Autograph Letter addressed by Prof. E. G. Browne to CAbdu~1~Bah&, dated Sept. 11, 1890 441 Facsimile of Autograph Letter addressed by Prof. Vamb6ry to Abdu'l-Bahá (See translation, page 456) 450 Convention of the Bahá'ís of tlriq 461 Twenty-sixth Annual Convention of the Bahá'ís of the United States and Canada, May 31, June 1, 2, 3 and 4, 1934 Bahá'í Friends gathered in Convention, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, 1934 Dr. Susan I. Moody, 18511934 Hooper Harris, 18661934 487 Harry H. Romer, 18701935 489
Dr~ Howard Luxrnoore Carpenter, 19061935 492Khalil Qamar 498
HAji Muhammad Yazdi 499
Facsimile of Letter addressed by N64iri'd-Din Shih to ~AbbAs-Qu1i KlAn-i LArij4ni (dated 1280 NH.) rewarding him for his share in the persecution inflicted upon the Báb's. (See "The Dawn-Breakers," Chapters IX and XX) 506 Facsimile of Letter addressed by SiMmu'd-Dawlih to his Brother strongly denouncing cing the Báb's and expressing satisfaction at the severe defeat inflicted upon them. (Seal bears the date of 1265 AM.)512 Site of the First Mashriqu'l-Adhkar of IrAn recently purchased by the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of Iran 516
Front View of the Haziratu'1 � Quds of Tihr4n, Inn521
Exhibit of Bahá'í Literature in Public Library, Racine, Wis 528 Youth Conference, Louhelen Ranch, 1935 533 A Bahá'í Youth Group of Germany with their Teachers �42 Bahá'í Youth Committee, Karachi, India 546 Ruins of the Bath visited by the BTh in Uriimiyyih, fr6n 551
Page 23Relatives of the BTh. (Seated in the center is H&ji Mirza Vakilu'd-Dawlih, the Bib's cousin and chief builder of the Mashriqu'l-Adhkar at tIshq~b4d) 551 Facsimile of Document Ordering Arrest of Báb's in MAzindar4n, dated 1268 A.H. (1852 A.D.) 566 Antun Uaddad, Distinguished Bahá'í Pioneer, 18621924 579 The Shrine of the Báb on Mount Carmel, showing recent extension of Terraces designed to connect it, according to CAbdu~1~Bah&s plan, with the German
Colony 585Early Bahá'í Pioneers of Najaf-AbAd, fr&n 590
President Eduard Bene~ 593
Scene of Bahá'í Martyrdom 600
Bahá'ís gathered around the Body of a Martyr 600 Bahá'ís and Friends gathered at the Grave of Mr. Adam Benke, German Baha
Pioneer in Sofia, Bulgaria 603Bahá'í Pioneers and Martyrs of IrAn 603
Bahá'ís Attending Annual Summer School, Esslingen, Germany, 1935 609 MuIIA Mubammad-Taqi, Ibn-i-Abhar, Prominent Bahá'í Teacher 613 Photograph of Bahá'í Pioneers of Ir5n taken about 1891 in Tabriz. (Sitting third from right [third row] is Mirza CA1i~Muharnmad Varq&, distinguished Bahá'í Martyr. Second from left [first row] is his son Riiiiu'11 Mci, who was also martyred) 620 Professor Dr. Jan Rypka, Charles University, Praha, Czechoslovakia 624 CAbdu~1~Bah~~s Memorable Visit to West Englewood, New Jersey, June 28, 1912, which marked the Inauguration of the "SouVenir Feast of tAbdu'1-Bah6V' (Mr. 'Walter Hampden was a guest at this Feast) 628 Mr. and Mrs. Tokujiro Toni, Kyoto, Japan, July 14, 1935 631 Mr. and Mrs. Tokujiro Toni and Miss Agnes Alexander 631 Passport Issued by the British Consulate on behalf of the Transjordan Government ment in accordance with Bahá'í Marriage Certificate 637 Sh4rubim cUbayd, of Cairo, the First Bahá'í to make a donation to the legally constituted ituted National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of Egypt 641 Bahá'ís of Sanandaj, KurdistAn, Ir&n 644 Friends Assembled at the Bahá'í Summer Sd~oo1, Geyserville, California, U. S. A., 1935 649
Bahá'ís of India 653
The Spiritual Assembly of the Baha of Karachi, India 660
Professor Arthur Christensen of Copenhagen, Denmark 666
The Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of San Francisco, California, 1935. (First Bahá'í Spiritual Assembly having representatives of the black, yeiiow and white races in its membership) 669 Twenty-sixth Universal Congress of Esperanto held in Stockholm, Sweden, August 412, 1934 facing674 Some of the Bahá'í Friends in Addis-Ababa, Abyssinia 678 Miss Jane Addams, "Mother of Hull House,"' Chicago, and referred to as Ccthe most useful citizen" of that city 679 Newspapers and Book containing the First Mention of the Bahá'í Movement in Icelandic Language ~ Class for the Study of the Iqan, Sprecklesville, Maui, Hawaii, February, 1934 693 Plan of Ijaziratu'1-Quds, Eaghd6d, tIr~iq 700
Bahá'í Pioneers of Ir&n 706
Isabel Grinevskaya 709
Mr. and Mrs. Thulander 717
Page 24Plan of the Haziratu'1-Quds of Tihr~n, IrAn 718 Tentative design of the Terraced Gardens surrounding the Shrine of the Mb 723 The Shrine of the Mb on Mount Carmel with Extended Terraces 723 Early and Late Views of the Shrine of the B&b on Mount Carmel 724
Bahá'ís of Port Said Celebrating Intercalary Days, 1934 726
Page 25DURING the past ten years the Bahá'í community of East and West has learned to anticipate each successive volume of THE BAHÁ'Í WORLD (the first number was entitled Bahá'í Year Book") as the best means by which the individual believer may keep abreast of the steady development of the Faith throughout the world. This work, in its illustrations as well as in its text, has recorded as completely as possible the progress of current Bahá'í events and activities over an area now embracing forty countries. In addition, each volume has presented those Thistorical facts and fundamental principles that constitute the distinguishing features of the Message of Bahá'u'lláh to this age."
The existence of so many evidences of a newly revealed Faith and Gospel for a humanity arrived at a turning point in its spiritual and social evolution has likewise a profound significance for the nonBahá'í student and scholar who desires to investigate the world religion founded by the Báb and Bahá'u'lláh. For in these pages the reader encounters both the revealed Word in its spiritual power, and the response which that utterance has evoked during the first ninety years of the Bahá'í era. He will find what is unparalleled in religious history � the unbroken continuity of a divine Faith from the Manifestation onward through three generations of human experience, and will be able to apprehend what impregnable foundations the Bahá'í World Order rests upon in the life and teachings of the Bib and Bahá'u'lláh, the life and interpretation of tAbdu'1-.
Baha, and (since the year 1921) in the development of an administrative order under the direction of the Guardian of the Faith, Shoghi Effendi.
It is the avowed faith of Bahá'ís that this Revelation has established upon earth the spiritual impulse and the definite principles necessary for social regeneration and the attainment of one true religion and social order throughout the world. In THE BAHÁ'Í WORLD, therefore, those who seek a higher will and wisdom than man possesses may learn how, amid the trials and tribulations of a decadent society, a new age has begun to emerge from the world of the spirit to the realm of human action and belief.
xxvHorace Holley, Chairman, 119 Waverly Place, New York City.
Mrs. Stuart W. French, Secretary, 501 Bellefontaine St., Pasadena, Calif.
Mrs. Elsa Russell Blakeley, Bloomfield Hills, Michigan.
Mrs. Ruth Brandt, 1329 West Fifth St., Los Angeles, Calif.
Miss Marion Holley, 3084 Arrowhead St., San Bernardino, Calif.
Bishop Brown, Green Gables, Lindsay Lane, Ingornar, Penna.
Mrs. Victoria Bedikian, Photograph Editor, Box 179, Montclair, N. J.
GREAT BRITAIN �Mrs. Annie B. Rorner, 19 Grosvenor Place, London, S.W. 1, England.
GERMANY �Dr. Herrnann Grossmann, 37 Gbringstrasse, Neckargerntind, Heidelberg, Germany.
SWITZERLAND �Mrs. H. Ernogene Hoagg, case 181 Stand, Geneva, Switzerland.
FRANCE �Mrs. MarQiyyih Nabil Carpenter, c/o American Consul, Tihr~n, Inn.
Dr. Lutfu'llih Hakim, Avenue Chirigh Barg, Tihrin, Inn.
INDIA AND BURMA �Prof. Pritam Singh, 9 Langley Road, Lahore, India.
PALESTINE �Miss Effle Baker, Photograph Editor, Baha Pilgrim House, Haifa.
EGYPT �Muhammad Mustafi, Bahá'í Bureau, P. Box 13, Daher, Cairo, Egypt.
AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND �Bertram Dewing, S Aidred Road, Rernuera, Auckland, New Zealand.
tIRAQ � Afl~dn Yacqi5b, 273 New Street, Baghdid, CJriq.
INTERNATIONAL �Martha L. Root, care Roy C. Wilhelm, 104 Wall St., New York, N. Y. xxvii
Page 28re7~he Tabernacle of Unity has been raised; regard ye not one another as strangers.
Of one tree are ye all the fruit and of one bough the leaves. The world is but one country and mankind its citizens." � BAHÁ'U'LLÁH.
UPON the spiritual foundation established by Bahá'u'lláh during the forty year period of His Mission (18531892), there stands today an independent religion represented by nearly eight hundred local communities of believers. These communities geographically are spread throughout all five continents. In point of race, class, nationality and religious origin, the foLlowers of Bahá'u'lláh exemplify well-nigh the whole diversity of the modern world. They may be characterized as a true cross-section of humanity, a microcosm which, for all its relative littleness, carries within it individual men and women typifying the macrocosm of mankind.
None of the historic causes of association served to create this worldwide spiritual community. Neither a common language, a common blood, a common civil government, a common tradition nor a mutual grievance acted upon Bahá'ís to supply a fixed center of interest, or a goal of material advantage.
On the contrary, membership in the Baha community in the land of its birth even to this day has been a severe disability, and outside of I r~n the motive animating believers has been in direct opposition to the most inveterate prejudices of their environment.
The Cause of Bahá'u'lláhhas moved forward without the reinforcement of wealth, social prestige or other means of public influence.
Every local Bahá'í community exists by the voluntary association of individuals who consciously overcome the fundamental sanctions evolved throughout the centuries to justify the separations and antagonisms of human society. In America, this association means that white believers accept the spiritual equality of their Negro fellows. In Europe, it means the reconciliation of Protestant and Catholic upon the basis of a new and larger faith. In the Orient, Christian, Jewish and Muhammadan believers must stand apart from the rigid exclusiveness into which each was born.
The central fact to be noted concerning the nature of the Bahá'í Faith is that it contains a power, fulfilled in the realm of conscience, which can reverse the principle momentum of modern civilization � the drive toward division and strife � and initiate its own momentum moving steadily in the direction of unity and accord. It is in this power, and not in any criterion upheld by the world, that the Faith of Bahá'u'lláh has special significance.
The forms of traditional opposition vested in nationality, race, class and creed are not the oniy social chasms which the Faith has bridged. There are even more implacable, if less visible differences between types and temperaments, such as flow inevitably from the contact of rational and emotional individuals, of active and passive dispositions, :3
Page 4undermining capacity for cooperation in every organized society, which attain mutual understanding and harmony in the Bahá'í community. For personal congeniality, the selective principle elsewhere continually operative within the field of voluntary action, is an instinct which Bahá'ís must sacrifice to serve the principle of the oneness of mankind. A Bahá'í community, therefore, is a constant and active spiritual victory, an overcoming of tensions which elsewhere come to the point of strife. No mere passive creed nor philosophic gospel which need never be put to the test in daily life has produced this world fellowship devoted to the teachings of Bahá'u'lláh.
The basis of self-sacrifice on which the Bahá'í community stands has created a religious society in which all human relations are transformed from social to spiritual problems.
This fact is the door through which one must pass to arrive at insight of what the Faith of Bahá'u'lláh means to this age.
The social problems of the age are predominantly political and economic.
They are problems because human society is divided into nations each of which claims to be an end and a law unto itself and into classes each of which has raised an economic theory to the level of a sovereign and exclusive principle.
Nationality has become a condition which overrides the fundamental humanity of all the peoples concerned, asserting the superiority of political considerations over ethical and moral needs. Similarly, economic groups uphold and promote social systems without regard to the quality of human relationships experienced in terms of religion. Tensions and oppo sitions between the different groups are organized for dominance and not for reconciliation. Each step toward more complete partisan organization increases the original tension and augments the separation of human beings; as the separation widens, the element of sympathy and fellowship on the human level is eventually denied.
In the Bahá'í community the same tensions and instinctive antagonisms exist, but the human separation has been made impossible.
The same capacity for exclusive doctrines is present, but no doctrine representing one personality or one group can secure a hearing. All believers alike are subject to one spiritually supreme sovereignty in the teachings of Bahá'u'lláh. Disaffected individuals may withdraw, The community remains.
For the Bahá'í teachings are in themselves principles of life and they assert the supreme value of humanity without doctrines which correspond to any particular environment or condition.
Thus members of the Bahá'í community realize their tensions and oppositions as ethical or spiritual problems, to be faced and overcome in mutual consultation. Their faith has convinced them that the "truth" or c~right~~ of any possible situation is not derived from partisan victory but from the needs of the community as an organic whole.
A Baha community endures without disruption because only spiritual problems can be solved. When human relations are held to be political or social problems they are removed from the realm in which rational will has responsibility and influence. The ultimate result of this degradation of human relationships is the frenzy of desperate strife � the outbreak of inhuman war.
2. THE RENEWAL OF FAITH~%Vheref ore (he Lord of Mankind has caused His holy, divine Manifestations to come into the world. He has revealed His heavenjy books in order to establish s~irituai brot her-hood, d, and through the power of the Holy Spirit has made it possible for perfect fraternity to be realized among lnankind." � tABDU'L-BAHÁ.
In stating that the Cause social principle or community.
of Bahá'u'lláh is an independentThe teachings of Bahá'u'lláh religion, two essential factsare no artificial synthesis assembled are implied. from the modern library The first fact is that of international truth, the Bahá'í Cause historicallywhich might be duplicated from was not an offshoot of the same sources. Bahá'u'lláh any prior created
Page 5AIMS AND PURPOSES OF THE BAHÁ'Í FAITH 5
a reality in the world of the soul which never before existed and could not exist apart from Him.
The second fact is that the Faith of Bahá'u'lláh is a religion, standing in the line of true religions: Christianity, Mukammadan-isin, Judaism and other prophetic Faiths. Its existence, like that of early Christianity, marks the return of faith as a direct and personal experience of the will of God. Because the divine will itself has been revealed in terms of human reality, the followers of Bahá'u'lláh are confident that their personal limitations can be transformed by an inflow of spiritual reinforcement from the higher world. It is for the privilege of access to the source of reality that they forego reliance upon the darkened self within and the unbelieving society without.
The religious education of Bahá'ís revolutionizes their inherited attitude toward their own as well as other traditional religions.
To Baha'is, religion is the life and teachings of the prophet. By identifying religion with its founder, they exclude from its spiritual reality all those accretions of human definition, ceremony and ritualistic practice emanating from followers required from time to time to make compromise with an unbelieving world.
Furthermore, in limiting religion to the prophet they are able to perceive the oneness of God in the spiritual oneness of all the prophets.
The Bahá'í born into Christianity can wholeheartedly enter into fellowship with the Bahá'í born into Muhammadanism because both have come to understand that Christ and Mubammad reflected the light of the one God into the darkness of the world. If certain teachings of Christ differ from certain teachings of Moses or
Muhammad, the Bahá'ísknow that all prophetic teachings are divided into two parts: one, consisting of the essential and unalterable principles of love, peace, unity and cooperation, renewed as divine commands in every cycle; the other, consisting of external practices (such as diet, marriage and similar ordinances) conforming to the requirements of one time and place.
This Baha teaching leads to a profounder analysis of the process of history.
The followers of Bahá'u'lláh derive mental integrity from the realization made so clear and vivid by cAbdu~I~BabA that true insight into history discloses the uninterrupted and irresistible working of a Providence not denied nor made vain by any measure of human ignorance and tinfaith.
According to this insight, a cycie begins with the appearance of a prophet or manifestation of God, through whom the spirits of men are revivified and reborn. The rise of faith in God produces a religious community, whose power of enthusiasm and devotion releases the creative elements of a new and higher civilization.
This civilization comes to its fruitful autumn in culture and mental acbievement, to give way eventually to a barren winter of atheism, when strife and discord bring the civilization to an end.
Under the burden of immorality, dishonor and cruelty marking this phase of the cycle, humanity lies helpless until the spiritual leader, the prophet, once more returns in the power of the Holy Spirit.
Such is the BábEl reading of the book of the past.
Its reading of the present interprets these world troubles, this general chaos and confusion, as the hour when the renewal of religion is no longer a racial experience, a rebirth of one limited area of human society, but the destined unification of humanity itself in one faith and one order. It is by the parable of the vineyard that lBahá'ís of the Christian West behold their tradition and their present spiritual reality at last inseparably joined, their faith and their social outlook identified, their reverence for the power of God merged with intelligible grasp of their material environment.
A human society which has substituted creeds for religion and armies for truth, even as all ancient prophets foretold, must needs come to abandon its instruments of violence and undergo purification until conscious, humble faith can be reborn.
Page 6eCTloe best beloved of all things in My sight is Justice; turn not away therefrom if thou desirest Me, and neglect it not that I may confide in thee." � BAHÁ'U'LLÁH.
Faith alone, no matter how wholehearted and sincere, affords no basis on which the organic unity of a religious fellowship can endure. The faith of the early Christians was complete, but its degree of inner conviction when projected outward upon the field of action soon disclosed a fatal lack of social principle. 'Whether the outer expression of love implied a democratic or an aristocratic order, a communal or individualistic society, raised fundamental questions after the crucifixion of the prophet which none had authority to solve.
The Bahá'í teaching has this vital distinc-don, that it extends from the realm of conscience and faith to the realm of social action. It confirms the substance of faith not merely as source of individual development but as a definitely ordered relationship to the community. Those who inspect the Bahá'í Cause superficially may deny its claim to be a religion for the reason that it lacks most of the visible marks by which religions are recognized.
But in place of ritual or other formal worship it contains a social principle linking people to a community, the loyal observance of which makes spiritual faith coterminous with life itself. The Baha'is, having no professional clergy, forbidden ever to have a clergy, understand that religion, in this age, consists in an "attitude toward God reflected in life." They are therefore conscious of no division between religious and secular actions.
The inherent nature of the community created by Bahá'u'lláh has great significance at this time, when the relative values of democracy, of constitutional monarchy, of aristocracy and of communism are everywhere in dispute.
Of the Bahá'í community it may be declared definitely that its character does not reflect the communal theory. The rights of the individual are fully safeguarded and the fundamental distinctions of personal endowment natural among all people are fully preserved.
Individual rights, however, are interpreted in the light of the supreme law of brotherhood and not made a sanction for selfishness, oppression and indifference.
On the other hand, the Bahá'í order is not a democracy in the sense that it proceeds from the complete sovereignty of the people, whose representatives are limited to carrying out the popular will.
Sovereignty, in the Bahá'í community, is attributed to the divine prophet, and the elected representatives of the believers in their administrative function look to the teachings of Bahá'u'lláh for their guidance, having faith that the application of His universal principles is the source of order throughout the community.
Every Bahá'í administrative body feels itself a trustee, and in this capacity stands above the plane of dissension and is free of that pressure exerted by factional groups.
The local community on April 21 of each year elects by universal adult suffrage an administrative body of nine members called the Spiritual Assembly.
This body, with reference to all Bahá'í matters, has sole power of decision.
It represents the collective conscience of the community with respect to Baha activities. Its capacity and power are supreme within certain definite limitations.
The various local communities unite through delegates elected annually according to the principle of proportionate representation in the formation of a National Spiritual Assembly for their country or natural geographical area. This National Spiritual Assembly, likewise composed of nine members, administers all national Baha affairs and may assume jurisdiction of any local matter felt to be of more than local importance. Spiritual Assemblies, local and national, combine an executive, a legislative and a judicial function, all within the limits set by the Bahá'í teachings.
They have no resemblance to religious bodies which can adopt articles of faith and regulate the processes of belief and worship. They are primarily responsible for the maintenance of unity within the Baha
Page 7community and for the release of its collective power in service to the Cause. Membership in the Baha community is granted, on personal declaration of faith, to adult men and women.
Nine National SpiritualAssemblies have come into existence since the passing of tAbdu'1-BaM in 1921.
Each National SpiritualAssembly will, in future, constitute an electoral body in the formation of an International Spiritual Assembly, a consummation which will perfect the administrative order of the Faith and create, for the first time in history, an international tribunal representing a worldwide community united in a single faith.
Bahá'ís maintain their contact with the source of inspiration and knowledge in the sacred writings of the Faith by continuous prayer, study and discussion.
No believer can ever have a finished, static faith any more than he can arrive at the end of his capacity for being. The community has but one meeting ordained in the teachings � the general meeting held every nineteen days, on the first day of each month of nIneteen days given in the new calendar established by the Bib.
This Nineteen Day Feastis conducted simply and informally under a program divided into three parts. The first part consists in the reading of passages from writings of Bahá'u'lláh, the Bib and tAbdu'1-BaM � a devotional meeting. Next follows general discussion of Bahá'í activities � the business meeting of the local community. After the consultation, the community breaks bread together and enjoys fellowship.
The experience which Baha is receive through participation in their spiritual world order is unique and cannot be paralleled in any other society. Their status of perfect equality as voting members of a constitutional body called upon to deal with matters which reflect, even though in miniature, the whole gamut of human problems and activities; their intense realization of kinship with believers representing so wide a diversity of races, classes and creeds; their assurance that this unity is based upon the highest spiritual sanction and contributes a necessary ethical quality to the world in this age � all these opportunities for deeper and broader experience confer a privilege that is felt to be the fulfilment of life.
4. THE SPIRIT OF THE NEW DAYman is left in his natural state, he will become lower than the animal and continue to grow more ignorant and imperfect. The savage tribes of Central Africa are evidence of this. Left in their natural condition, they have sunk to the lowest depths and degrees of barbarism, dimly groping in a world of mental and moral obscurity.
God has purposed that the darkness of the world of nature shall be dispelled and the i-rnperfect attributes of the natal self be effaced in the eflulgent reflection of the Sun of ~ The complete text of the Bahá'í sacred writings has not yet been translated into English, but the present generation of believers have the supreme privilege of possessing the fundamental teachings of Bahá'u'lláh, together with the interpretation and lucid commentary of cAbdu)I~Bahi, and more recently the exposition made by Shoghi Effendi of the teachings concerning the world order which Bahá'u'lláh came to establish. Of special significance to Bahá'ís of Europe and America is the fact that, unlike
Christianity, the Causeof Bahá'u'lláh rests upon the prophet's own words and not upon a necessarily incomplete rendering of oral tradition. Furthermore, the commentary and explanation of the Bahá'í gospel made by CAbdu~1~Bah& preserves the spiritual integrity and essential aim of the revealed text, without the inevitable alloy of human personality which historically served to corrupt the gospel of
Jesus and Muhammad. TheBaha'i, moreover, has this distinctive advantage, that his approach to the teachings is personal and direct, without the veils interposed by any human intermediary.
The works which supply the Bahá'í teachings to English-reading believers are:
~~The Kitáb-i-tqAn" (Bookin which Bahá'u'lláh revealed the oneness of the prophets and the identical foundation of all true religions, the law of cycles according to which the prophet returns at intervals of approximately one thousand years, and the nature of faith; (CHidden Words," the essence of truths revealed by prophets in the past; prayers to quicken the soul's life and draw individuals and groups nearer to God; "Tblt of Bahá'u'lláh" (Tar&z~t, The Tablet of the World, Kali-mitt, Tajalliy6x, Bish6x&t, Ishriq6x), which establish social and spiritual principles for the new era; "Three
Tablets of Bahá'u'lláh" (Tabletof the Branch, Kitáb-i-tAhd, Lawl~-i-Aqdas), the appointment of cAbdu~1~BaM as the
Interpreter of Bahá'u'lláh'steachings, the Testament of Bahá'u'lláh, and His message to the Christians; (cEpistle to the Son of the Wolf," addressed to the son of a prominent iMnian who had been a most ruthless oppressor of the believers, a Tablet which recapitulates many teachings Bahá'u'lláh had revealed in earlier works; "Glean-ings from the Writings of Bahá'u'lláh." The significant Tablets addressed to rulers of Europe and the Orient, as well as to the heads of American republics, about the year 1870, summoning them to undertake measures for the establishment of Universal Peace, constitute a chapter in the compila-don entitled ~tBaM'i Scriptures."
The published writings of 'Abdu'l-Bahá are: "Some Answered Questions," dealing with the lives of the prophets, the interpretation of Bible prophecies, the nature of man, the true principle of evolution and other philosophic subjects; "Mysterious Forces of Civilization," a work addressed to the people of IrAn about forty years ago to show them the way to sound progress and true civilization; "Tablets of ~ three volumes of excerpts from letters written to individual believers and Bahá'í communities, which illumine a vast range of subjects; ttPromulgation of Universal Peace," in two volumes, from stenographic records of the public addresses delivered by the Master to audiences in Canada and the United States during the year 1912; "The Wisdom of tAbdu~1~BahA,~~ a similar record of His addresses in Paris; " cAbdu~1Bah4 in London"; and reprints of a number of mdi � vidual Tablets, especially that sent to the Committee for a Durable Peace, The Hague, Holland, in 1919, and the Tablet addressed to the late Dr. Forel of Switzerland.
The Will and Testamentleft by cAbdu~1Bah4 has special significance, in that it provided for the future development of Bahá'í administrative institutions and the
Guardianship.To these writings is now to be added the book entitled "Bahá'í Administration," consisting of the general letters written by Shoghi Effendi as Guardian of the Cause since the Master's death in 1921, which explain the details of the administrative order of the Cause, and his letters on World Order, which make clear the social principles imbedded in Bahá'u'lláh's Revelation.
The literature has also been enriched by Shoghi Effendi's recent translation of tcThe Dawn-Breakers," Nabil's Narrative of the Early Days of the Bahá'í Revelation, a vivid eyewitness accoUnt of the episodes which resulted from the announcement of the Bib on May 23,
1844. "The Traveller'sNarrative," translated from a manuscript given by tAbdu~1Bah~ to the late Prof. Edward G. Browne of Cambridge University, is the only other historical record considered authentic from the Bahá'í point of view.
'When it is borne in mind that the term (creligious literature" has come to represent a wide diversity of subject matter, ranging from cosmic philosophy to the psychology of personal experience, from efforts to understand the universe plumbed by telescope and microscope to efforts to discipline the passions and desires of disordered human hearts, it is clear that any attempt to summarize the Bahá'í teachings would indicate the limitations of the person making the summary rather than offer possession of a body of sacred literature touching the needs of man and society at every point. The study of Bahá'í writings does not lead to any simplified program either for the solution of social problems or for the development of human personality. Rather should it be likened to a clear light which illumines whatever is brought under its rays, or to spiritual nourishment which gives life to the spirit. The believer at first chiefly notes the passages which seem to confirm his own
Page 9personal beliefs or treat of subjects close to his own previous training.
This natural but nevertheless unjustifiable oversimplification of the nature of the Faith must gradually subside and give way to a deeper realization that the teachings of Bahá'u'lláh are as an ocean, and all personal capacity is but the vessel that must be refilled again and again. The sum and substance of the faith of Bahá'ís is not a doctrine, not an organiza-don, but their acceptance of Bahá'u'lláh as Manifestation of God.
In this acceptance lies the mystery of a unity that is general, not particular, inclusive, not exclusive, and limited in its gradual extension by no boundaries drawn in the social world nor arbitrary limitations accepted by habits formed during generations lacking a true spiritual culture.
What the believer learns reverently to be grateful for is a source of wisdom to which he may turn for continuous mental and moral development � a source of truth revealing a universe in which man's life has valid purpose and assured realization.
Human history begins to reflect the working of a beneficent Providence; the sharp outlines of material sciences gradually fade out in the light of one fundamental science of life; a profounder sociology, connected with the inner life, little by little displaces the superficial economic and political beliefs which like waves dash high an instant oniy to subside into the moveless volume of the sea.
ctThe divine reality," tAbdu'1-Bahi has said, "is unthinkable, limitless, eternal, immortal and invisible. The world of creation is bound by natural law, finite and mortal. The infinite reality cannot be said to ascend or descend.
It is beyond the understanding of men, and cannot be described in terms which apply to the phenomenal sphere of the created world. Man, then, is in extreme need of the oniy power by which he is able to receive help from the divine reality, that power alone bringing him into contact with the source of all life.
ttAn intermediary is needed to. bring two extremes into relation with each other. Riches and poverty, plenty and need: without an intermediary there could be no relation between these pairs of opposites.
So we can say that there must be a Mediator between God and man, and this is none other than the Holy Spirit, which brings the created earth into relation with the ~Un thinkable One,' the divine reality.
The divine reality may be likened to the sun and the Holy Spirit to the rays of the sun. As the rays of the sun bring the light and warmth of the sun to the earth, giving life to all created things, so do the Manifestations bring the power of the Holy Spirit from the divine Sun of Realty to give light and life to the souls of men."
In expounding the teachings of Bahá'u'lláh to public audiences in the West, tAbdu'1-Bahi frequently encountered the attitude that, while the liberal religionist might well welcome and endorse such tenets, the Bahá'í teachings after all bring nothing new, since the principles of Christianity contain all the essentials of spiritual truth. The believer whose heart has been touched by the Faith so perfectly exemplified by tAbdu'1-Bah& feels no desire for controversy, but must needs point out the vital difference between a living faith and a passive formula or doctrine. What religion in its renewal brings is first of all an energy to translate belief into life. This impulse, received into the profoundest depths of consciousness, requires no startling "new-ness" of concept or theory to be appreciated as a gift from the divine world.
It carries its own assurance as a renewal of life itself; it is as a candle that has been lighted, and in comparison with the miracle of light the discussion of religion as a form of belief becomes secondary in importance.
Were the Bahá'í Faith no more than a true revitalization of the revealed truths of former religions, it would by that quickening quality of inner life, that returning to God, still assert itself as the supreme fact of human experience in this age.
For religion returns to earth in order to reestablish a standard of spiritual reality. It restores the quality of human existence, its active powers, when that reality has become overlaid with sterile rites and dogmas which substitute empty shadow for substance.
In the person of the Manifestation it destroys all those imitations of religion gradually developed through the centuries
Page 10and summons humanity to the path of sacrifice and devotion.
Revelation, moreover, is progressive as well as periodic. Christianity in its original essence not oniy relighted the candle of faith which, in the years since Moses, had become extinguished � it amplified the teachings of Moses with a new dimension which history has seen exemplified in the spread of faith from tribe to nations and peoples.
Bahá'u'lláh has given religion its world dimension, fulfilling the fundamental purpose of every previous
Revelation. His Faithstands as the reality within Christianity, within Muhammadanism, within the religion of Moses, the spirit of each, but expressed in teachings which relate to all mankind.
The Bahá'í Faith, viewed from within, is religion extended from the individual to embrace humanity. It is religion universalized; its teaching for the individual, spiritually identical with the teaching of Christ, supplies the individual with an ethics, a sociology, an ideal of social order, for which humanity in its earlier stages of development was not prepared. Individual fulfilment has been given an objective social standard of reality, balancing the subjective ideal derived from religion in the past. Bahá'u'lláh has removed the false distinctions between the "spiritual" and "material" aspects of life, due to which religion has become separate from science, and morality has been divorced from all social activities. The whole arena of human affairs has been brought within the realm of spiritual truth, in the light of the teaching that materialism is not a thing but a motive within the human heart.
The Bahá'í learns to perceive the universe as a divine creation in which man has his destiny to fulfil under a beneficent Providence whose aims for humanity are made known through Prophets who stand between man and the Creator. He learns his true relation to the degrees and orders of the visible universe; his true relation to God, to himself, to his fellow man, to mankind. The more he studies the Bahá'í teachings, the more he becomes imbued with the spirit of unity, the more vividly he perceives the law of unity working in the world today, indirectly manifest in the failure which has overtaken all efforts to organize the principle of separation and competition, directly manifest in the power which has brought together the followers of Bahá'u'lláh in East and 'West. He has the assurance that the world's turmoil conceals from worldly minds the blessings long foretold, now forgotten, in the sayings which prophesied the coming of the Kingdom of God.
The Sacred Literatureof the Bahá'í Faith conveys enlightenment. It inspires life. It frees the mind.
It disciplines the heart. For believers, the Word is not a philosophy to be learned, but the sustenance of being throughout the span of mortal existence.
'The Baha Faith," ShoghiEffendi stated in a recent letter addressed to a public official, "recognizes the unity of God and of His Prophets, upholds the principle of an unfettered search after truth, condemns all forms of superstition and prejudice, teaches that the fundamental purpose of religion is to promote concord and harmony, that it must go hand-in-hand with science, and that it constitutes the sole and ultimate basis of a peaceful, an ordered and progressive society.
It inculcates the principle of equal opportunity, rights and privileges for both sexes, advocates compulsory education, abolishes extremes of poverty and wealth, recommends the adoption of an auxiliary international language, and provides the necessary agencies for the establishment and safeguarding of a permanent and universal peace."
Those who, even courteously, would dismiss a Faith so firmly based, will have to admit that, whether or not by their test the teachings of Bahá'u'lláh are "new," the world's present plight is unprecedented, came without warning save in the utterances of Bahá'u'lláh and tAbdu~1~Bahi and day by day draws nearer a climax which strikes terror to the responsible student of current affairs.
Humanity itself now seems to share the prison and exile which an unbelieving generation inflicted upon the Glory of God.
Page 11~O My beloved friends! You are the bearers of the name of God in this Day. You have been chosen as the refiositories of His mystery. It behooves each one of you to manifest the attributes of God, and to exemplify by your deeds and words the signs of His righteousness, His power and glory. Ponder the wards of Jesus addressed to His disciples, as He sent them forth to propagate the Cause of GOdY � THE BAn.
The words of Bahá'u'lláh differ in the minds of believers from the words of philosophers because they have been given substance in the experience of life itself. The history of the Faith stands ever as a guide and commentary upon the meaning and influence of the written text.
This history, unfolded contemporaneously with the rise of science and technology in the NVest, reasserts the providential dement of human existence as it was reasserted by the spiritual consecration and personal suffering of the prophets and disciples of former times.
The world of Jsl~rn one hundred years ago lay in a darkness corresponding to the most degraded epoch of Europe's feudal age. Between the upper and nether millstones of an absolutist state and a materialistic church, the people of IrAn were ground to a condition of extreme poverty and ignorance. The pomp of the civil and religious courts glittered above the general ruin like firedamp on a rotten log.
in that world, however, a few devoted souls stood firm in their conviction that the religion of Mubammad was to be pun-fled by the rise of a spiritual hero whose coining was assured in their interpretation of His gospel.
This remnant of the faithful one by one became conscious chat in tAli-Muhammad, since known to history as the Bib (the ttGate") their hopes had been realized, and under the B&b's inspiration scattered themselves as His apostles to arouse the people and prepare them for the restoration of Isflm to its original integrity. Against the Bib and His followers the whole force of church and state combined to extinguish a fiery zeal which soon threatened to bring their structure of power to the ground.
The ministry of the 13kb covered only the six years between 1844 and His martyrdom by a military firing squad in the public square at Tabriz on July 9, 1850.
In the BTh's own written message He in. terpreted His mission to be the fulfilment of past religions and the heralding of a world educator and unifier, one who was to come to establish a new cycle.
Most of the BTh's chosen disciples, and many thousands of followers, were publicly martyred in towns and villages throughout the country in those years.
The seed, however, had been buried too deep in hearts to be extirpated by any physical instrument of oppression.
After the Bib's martyrdom, the weight of official wrath fell upon around whom the Báb's centered their hopes.
IIusayn-~A1i was imprisoned in Tihr~n, exiled to Baglidid, from Baghdad sent to Constantinople under the jurisdiction of the SultAn, exiled by the Turkish government to Adrianople, and at length imprisoned in the desolate barracks at tAkk4 In 1863, while delayed outside of Bagh-d~d for the preparation of the caravan to be dispatched to Constantinople, Ijusayn-tAli established His Cause among the B~bis who insisted upon sharing His exile.
His declaration was the origin of the Bahá'í Faith in which the BTh's Cause was fulfilled. The Báb's who accepted ~usayn-~A1i as Bahá'u'lláh (the Glory of God) were fully conscious that His mission was not a development of the Báb movement but a new Cause for which the Báb had sacrificed His life as the first of those who recognized the manifestation or prophet of the new age.
During forty years of exile and imprisonment, Bahá'u'lláh expounded a gospel which interpreted the spiritual meaning of ancient scriptures, renewed the reality of faith in God and established as the foundation of human society the principle of the oneness of mankind.
This gospel caine into being in the form of letters addressed to individual believers and to groups in
Page 12response to questions, in books of religious laws and principles, and in communications transmitted to the kings and rulers calling upon them to establish universal peace.
This sacred literature has an authoritative commentary and interpretation in the text of tAbdu'1-Balii's writings during the years between Bahá'u'lláh's ascension in 1892 and Abdu'l-Bahá'í departure in 1921, Bahá'u'lláh having left a testament naming Abdu'l-Bahá (His eldest son) as the Interpreter of His Book and the Center of His Covenant.
The imprisonment of the Bahá'í corn--munity at tAkk~ ended at last in 1908, when the Young Turks party overthrew the existing political rdgime.
For three years prior to the European War, tAbdu'1-BahA, then nearly seventy years of age, journeyed throughout Europe and America, and broadcast in public addresses and innumerable intimate gatherings the new spirit of brotherhood and world unity penetrating His very being as the consecrated Servant of Baha. The significance of Abdu'l-Bahá'í commentary and explanation is that it makes mental and moral connection with the thoughts and social conditions of both East and West. Dealing with matters of religious, philosophical, ethical and sociological nature, tAbdu'1-Bahi expounded all questions in the light of His conviction of the oneness of God and the providential character of human life in this age.
The international Bahacommunity, grief-stricken and appalled by its ioss of the wise and loving "Master" in 1921, learned with profound gratitude that tAbdu'1-BahA in a will and testament had provided for the continuance and future development of the Faith. This testament made clear the nature of the Spiritual Assemblies established in the text of Bahá'u'lláh and inaugurated a new center for the widespread community of believers in the appointment of
His grandson, ShoghiDuring the fifteen years of general confusion since 1921, the Bahá'í community has carried forward the work of internal consolidation and administrative order and has become conscious of its collective responsibility for the promotion of the blessed gospel of Bahá'u'lláh. In addition to the task of establishing the structure of local and national Spiritual Assemblies, the believers have translated Bahá'í literature into many languages, have sent teachers to all parts of the world, and have resumed construction of the Bahá'í House of Worship on the shore of Lake Michigan, near Chicago, the completion of which will be impressive evidence of the power of this new
Faith.In the general letters issued to the Bahá'í community by Shoghi Effendi in order to execute the provisions of cAbdu~1~Bah2s testament, believers have been given what they are confident is the most profound and accurate analysis of the prevailing social disorder and its true remedy in the World Order of Bahá'u'lláh.
Page 13HE true progress of the Bahá'í world community in recent years has been in its understanding of Bahá'u'lláh's Faith rather than in numbers or social power. Without this deepened insight into the nature of the Faith, indeed, any considerable advance in the number of adherents might have raised problems an inexperienced and collectively unprepared body of believers would find difficulty in bringing to a solution.
The vital importance of this fact appears when it is appreciated to what a degree, at least throughout the 'West, the early believers unconsciously and instinctively accepted the Bahá'í Faith as the "return of Christ." Grasping the Teachings oniy from the aspect of their confirmation of the views entering into a long historical expectation, the first generation of Bahá'ís felt themselves living in a spiritual Kingdom such as Jesus created for
His followers � a Kingdomof the heart and inmost spirit raised high above the perturbations or conquests of an unbelieving world. The days of Christ, they felt, had been divinely restored; whence their privilege and most sacred duty to live and serve according to the conditions surrounding the ancient Apostles.
The fact that Bahá'u'lláh had not only reestablished the heavenly Kingdom of faith but had vastly extended the scope of religion, the fact that His Teachings fulfilled expectation not by simple repetition of divine doctrine already revealed but by creating an entirely new dimension for spiritual reality, was not clearly apprehended because the first believers of the West had no other measure of receptivity than their prior religious environment could supply. To be as the early Christians was the standard of faith they could not but adopt and seek to apply. True, the concept ttBah&'i" was not limited to adherents of Christian descent.
True, the new term applied equally to believers of Mubammad or Buddha as to Christians and Jews. The values associated with the Faith, nevertheless, were inherently restricted to those created for mankind in the Sermon on the Mount.
The difference between the mission of Christ and Bahá'u'lláh they acknowledged, but instinctively held it to be limited only by the fact that now the sacred doctrine could at last be promulgated throughout the earth and not confined to one area like the ancient empire of Rome.
A world in dire torment, even though it had prepared a great host to accept the tcreturn of Christ" and replace with the high challenge of the Sermon on the Mount a social culture obviously unfit to deal with the problems of a society fatally divided and in decline, could not but have overrun and even repudiated the claim of a Faith whose application to social problems was as simple and naive as the outlook of the Baha community in the West long considered it to be. That raith, however, serene and potent in its full reality and implication, has possessed the force necessary to reeducate the Bahá'ís themselves, and moreover, to express its fundamental character and aim so clearly and vigorously that the Bahá'í Teachings today constitute the essence of statesmanship and sociology, 13
Page 14demonstrating their new and supreme mis-non by creating a World Order even within the ruins of a civilization impotent to survive.
It has been in the successive general corn � munications issued by its Guardian, Shoghi Effendi, since early in 1929, that the whole significance and integrity of Bahá'u'lláh's Revelation has been made apparent.
The unique virtue of these letters � in reality a series of statements interpreting the Teachings in the light of the decadent world and the condition of the world in the light of the Teachings � has been their power to convey, not for the instruction or solace of individual seekers, but for the guidance of an international community, that spiritual truth given this age in measure greater than could be poured forth by the Manifestation at any prior epoch. The
Message of Bahá'í '11Thcan now be apprehended in its fulness and majesty and by its own supernal light, not dimmed by reflection from minds historically limited, no matter bow sincere and devoted the hearts they turned to
Him.The faith of Baha'is, thanks to ths interpretation and guidance, has been assimilated into an understanding no longer subject to challenge of world problem and international condition unresponsive to that lesser spiritual truth intended for the regeneration of the individual alone.
As an inner experience, faith is ever complete and perfect within itself, for the individual who rises to the station of faith becomes filled with a holy elixir so penetrating that no capacity for doubt remains. The experience seems not merely immune from critical attack but of a nature higher than criticism can ever understand.
Nothing within the individual's destiny, when his faith is real, ever serves to challenge its per-Lea integrity or demonstrate its incapacity to meet any and every condition the person can possibly undergo. His sole regret is that others are not similarly inspired and equally blessed.
The movements of society as a whole, however, supply a historical perspective larger than the individual's range of personal experience.
The religion entirely perfect to the devotee can, and has throughout recorded time, failed to transmute psychological logical truth into a sociological equivalent, or personal values into the principles of a spiritual community.
From ecstasy of redemption to grandeur of martyrdom, the individual treads his own path acclaiming the omnipotence of God. But ten thousand inspired martyrs do not together constitute the elements of a public policy capable of removing the causes of poverty or extirpating the seeds of disastrous war. Personal ecstasy, no matter how pure and enduring a light in the soui, is not equivalent to the function of statesmanship in replacing with order the fundamental disorder of a divided world.
Humanity throughout the ages has been confused by the continuous division yawning between personal spirituality and social necessity, with the result that all expectation of the fulfilment of truth has been turned to another tthigher" world or has depicted an earthly consummation as naive as the imagination of a child. The interval of time ever separating the flower of faith from its perfect fruit has darkened the vision of innumerable generations of loyal believers, making their convictions irrational and socially ineffective, and opening the door to constant compromise with the pressures exerted by the movements of society as a whole. The distance between spiritual reality and the organic structure of civilization has been a wasteland within which churches and states alike have perished in every previous age. Every theology and every sociology laboriously devised to carry mankind safely from the realm of personal motive to the realm of an organically united and harmonious civilization has served oniy to reemphasize the vital fact that the task lies beyond human capacity to perform.
The larger meaning ofconveyed by Shoghi Effendi is that God has destined this age to take the step from subjective experience to world order. The new dimension of truth revealed by Bahá'u'lláh lies in the divine civilization His Word created upon earth. The Bahá'í community no longer recognizes the wasteland; the reality it has accepted includes an organic social structure as well as a Sermon on the Mount. The faith of the believer combines knowledge of a world community
Page 15Bahá'u'lláh's Shawl Bahá'u'lláh's Prayer-beads and and Comb. Ring (right), BTh's Prayer-beads and Ring (left), Bahá'u'lláh's
Pen-case and Tea-glass.with knowledge of the holy path he, as an individual, must tread if he would be loyal to his Lord.
The effect of the Guardian's successive statements has been to suppiy the Bahá'í community with an impregnable foundation at the very time that the world is most grievously shaken and its truths and institutions made a source of bitter disillusion to discerning men. As Shoghi Effendi's insight has renewed and developed the consciousness of the believers, it has become apparent to them that the world crisis, far from challenging their loyalty, confirms it with proofs and evidence so tangible that not for long will the confirmation stand hidden from the intelligence and groping spirit of a bewildered race. For as the nations recoil under blows of a destiny they were not formed to encounter or even estimate, the Bahá'í community grows ever more conscious of the Power by which its human weakness is sustained, and more aware that its collective experience has mysteriously been to trace the outline and pattern of the emerging world.
Nothing could so effectively disclose the forces working throughout the Bahá'í world during the past two years as the fol-. lowing excerpts from the Guardian's letters, chosen because they appear to concentrate upon the aspect of the Revelation which extends religion into that new dimension so vitally needed by mankind today.
cdt would be helpful and instructive to bear in mind certain basic principles with reference to the Will and Testament ~f Abdu'l-Bahá which, together with the Kitáb-i-Aqdas, constitutes the chief depositary wherein are enshrined those priceless elements of that Divine Civilization, the establishment of which is the primary mission of the Bahá'í Faith.
"To dissociate the administrative principles of the Cause from the purely spiritual and humanitarian teachings would be tantamount to a mutilation of the body of the Cause, a separation that can only result in the disintegration of its component parts, and the extinction of the Faith itself.
That the Spiritual Assembliesof today will be replaced in time by the Houses of Justice, and are to all intents and purposes iden tical and not separate bodies, is abundantly confirmed by ~Abdu'1Ba1A Himself.
Not only will the presentday Spiritual Assemblies be styled differently in future, but will be enabled also to add to their present functions those powers, duties, and prerogatives necessitated by the recognition of the Faith of Bahá'u'lláh, not merely as one of the recognized religious systems of the world, but as the State Religion of an independent and Sovereign Power. And as the Bahá'í Faith permeates the masses of the peoples of East and West, and its truth is embraced by the majority of the peoples of a number of the Sovereign States of the world, will the Universal House of Justice attain the plenitude of its power, and exercise, as the supreme organ of the Bahá'í Commonwealth, all the rights, the duties, and responsibilities incumbent upon the world's future superstate.
ctWho, I may ask, when viewing the international character of the Cause, its far-flung ramifications, the increasing complexity of its affairs, the diversity of its adherents, and the state of confusion that assails on every side the infant Faith of God, can for a moment question the neces-sky of some sort of administrative machinery that will insure, amid the storm and stress of a struggling civilization, the unity of the Faith, the preservation of its identity, and the protection of its interests?" � Feb-mary 27, 1929.
~ cannot refrain from appealing to them who stand identified with the Faith to disregard the prevailing notions and the fleeting fashions of the day, and to realize as never before that the exploded theories and the tottering institutions of presentday civilization must needs appear in sharp contrast with those God-given institutions which are destined to arise upon their ruin.
"For Bahá'u'lláh has not only imbued mankind with a new and regenerating Spirit.
lie has not merely enunciated certain universal principles, or propounded a particular philosophy, however potent, sound and universal these may be. In addition to these He, as well as cAbdu~1~BaM after Him, have, unlike the Dispensations of the past, clearly and specifically laid
Page 17down a set of Laws, established definite institutions, and provided for the essentials of a Divine Economy. These are destined to be a pattern for future society, a supreme instrument for the establishment of the Most Great Peace, and the one agency for the unification of the world, and the proclamation of the reign of righteousness and justice upon the earth.
"Unlike the Dispensationof Christ, unlike the Dispensation of Mubammad, unlike all the Dispensations of the past, the apos-ties of Bahá'u'lláh in every land, wherever they labor and toil, have before them in clear, in unequivocal and emphatic language, all the laws, the regulations, the principles, the institutions, the guidance, they require for the prosecution of their task. Therein lies the distinguishing feature of the Bahá'í Revelation.
Therein lies the strength of the unity of the Faith, of the validity of a Revelation that claims not to destroy or belittle previous Revelations, but to connect, unify, and fulfil them.
rtFeeble though our Faith may now appear in the eyes of men, who either de-flounce it as an offshoot of Islim, or contemptuously ignore it as one more of those obscure sects that abound in the West, this priceless gem of Divine Revelation, now still in its embryonic state, shall evolve within the shell of His law, and shall forge ahead, undivided and unimpaired, till it embraces the whole of mankind. Only those who have already recognized the supreme station of Bahá'u'lláh, only those whose hearts have been touched by His love, and have become familiar with the potency of His spirit, can adequately appreciate the value of this Divine Economy � His inestimable gift to mankind." � March 21, 1930.
ttTen years of unceasing turmoil, so laden with anguish, so fraught with incalculable consequences to the future of civilization, have brought the world to the verge of a calamity too awful to contemplate.
Such has been the cumulative effect of these successive crises, following one another with such bewildering rapidity, that the very foundations of society are trembling.
The world, to whichever continent we turn our gaze, to however remote a region our survey may extend, is everywhere assailed by forces it can neither explain nor control.
"Might we not already discern, as we scan the political horizon, the alignment of those forces that are dividing afresh the continent of Europe into camps of potential combatants, determined upon a contest that may mark, unlike the last war, the end of an epoch, a vast epoch, in the history of human evolution? Might not the bankruptcy of this present, this highly-vaunted materialistic civilization, in itself clear away the choking weeds that now hinder the unfoldment and future efflorescence of
God's struggling Faith?ttHumanity whether viewed in the light of man's individual conduct or in the existing relationships between organized communities and nations, has, alas, strayed too far and suffered too great a decline to be redeemed through the unaided efforts of the best among its recognized rulers and statesmen � however disinterested their motives, however concerted their action, however unsparing in their zeal and devotion to its cause. No scheme which the calculations of the highest statesmanship may yet devise; no doctrine which the most distinguished exponents of economic theory may hope to advance; no principle which the most ardent of moralists may strive to inculcate, can provide, in the last resort, adequate foundations upon which the future of a distracted world can be built.
"It is towards this goal � the goal of a new World Order, Divine in origin, all-embracing in scope, equitable in principle, challenging in its features � that a harassed humanity must strive.
C(HOW pathetic indeed are the efforts of those leaders of human institutions who, in utter disregard of the spirit of the age, are striving to adjust national processes, suited to the ancient days of selfcontained nations, to an age which must either achieve the unity of the world, as adumbrated by Bahá'u'lláh, or perish. At so critical an hour in the history of civilization it behooves the leaders of all the nations of the world, great and small, whether in the East or in the West, whether victors or vanquished, to give heed to the clarion call of
Page 18Bahá'u'lláh and, thoroughly imbued with a sense of world solidarity, the sine qud non of loyalty to His Cause, arise manfully to carry out in its entirety the one remedial scheme I-lie, the Divine Physician, has prescribed for an ailing humanity. Let them discard, once for all, every preconceived idea, every national prejudice, and give heed to the sublime counsel of tAbdu~1~BaM, the authorized Expounder of His teachings. ~You can best serve your country,' was tAbdu'1-Bah6t rejoinder' to a high official in the service of the federal government of the United States of America, who had questioned Him as to the best manner in which he could promote the interests of his government and people, 7/ you strive, in your capacity as a citizen of the world, to assist in the eventual application of the principle of federalism underlying the government of your own country to the relationships now existing between the peoples and nations of the world.'
ttSome form of a world Super-State must needs be evolved, in whose favor all the nations of the world will have willingly ceded every claim to make war, certain rights to impose taxation and all rights to maintain armaments, except for purposes of maintaining internal order within their respective dominions.
Such a state will have to include within its orbit an International Executive adequate to enforce supreme and unchallengeable authority on every recalcitrant member of the commonwealth; a World Parliament whose members shall be elected by the people in their respective countries and whose election shall be confirmed by their respective governments; and a Supreme Tribunal whose judgment will have a binding effect even in such cases where the parties concerned did not voluntarily agree to submit their case to its consideration.
A world community in which all economic barriers will have been permanently demolished and the interdependence of Capital and Labor definitely recognized; in which the clamor of religious fanaticism and strife will have been forever stilled; in which the flame of racial animosity will have been finally extinguished; in which a single code of international law � the prod-'In the year 1912.
uct of the considered judgment of the world's federated representatives � shall have as its sanction the instant and coercive intervention of the combined forces of the federated units; and finally a world community in which the fury of a capricious and militant nationalism will have been transmuted into an abiding consciousness of world citizenship � such indeed, appears, in its broadest outline, the Order anticipated by Bahá'u'lláh, an Order that shall come to be regarded as the fairest fruit of a slowly maturing age.
ccLet there be no misgivings as to the animating purpose of the worldwide Law of Bahá'u'lláh. Far from aiming at the subversion of the existing foundations of society, it seeks to broaden its basis, to remould its institutions in a manner consonant with the needs of an everchanging world. It can conflict with no legitimate allegiances, nor can it undermine essential loyalties. Its purpose is neither to stifle the flame of a sane and intelligent patriotism in men's hearts, nor-to abolish the system of national autonomy so essential if the evils of excessive centralization are to be avoided. It does not ignore, nor does it attempt to suppress, the diversity of ethnical origins, of climate, of history, of language and tradition, of thought and habit, that differentiate the peoples and nations of the world. It calls for a wider loyalty, for a larger aspiration than any that has animated the human race.
tIThe call of Bahá'u'lláh is primarily directed against all forms of provincialism, all insularities and prejudices For legal standards, political and economic theories are solely designed to safeguard the interests of humanity as a whole, and not humanity to be crucified for the preservation of the integrity of any particular law or doctrine.
The principle of the Oneness of Mankind � the pivot round which all the teachings of Bahá'u'lláh revolve � is no mere outburst of ignorant emotionalism or an expression of vague and pious hope.
�Its implications are deeper, its claims greater than any which the Prophets of old were allowed to advance. Its message is applicable not only to the individual, but concerns itself primarily with the nature of
Page 19those essential relationships that must bind all the states and nations as members of one human family.
cdt represents the consummation of human evolution.
"That the forces of a world catastrophe can alone precipitate such a new phase of human thought is, alas, becoming increasingly apparent.
Nothing but a fiery ordeal, out of which humanity will emerge, chastened and prepared, can succeed in implanting that sense of responsibility which the leaders of a newborn age must arise to shoulder.
Has not cAbdu~1~Bah4 Himself asserted in unequivocal language that eanot her war, fiercer than the last, will assuredly break out' ?" � Novernber 2 8, 4931.
"That a Faith which, ten years ago, was severely shaken by the sudden removal of an incomparable Master 1 should have, in the face of tremendous obstacles, maintained its unity, resisted the malignant onslaught of its ill-wishers, silenced its calumniators, broadened the basis of its far-flung administration, and raised upon it institutions symbolizing its ideals of worship and service, should be deemed sufficient evidence of the invincible power with which the Almighty has chosen to inyest it from the moment of its inception.
ttThat the Cause associated with the name of Bahá'u'lláh feeds itself upon those hidden springs of celestial strength which no force of human personality, whatever its glamor, can replace; that its reliance is solely upon that mystic Source with which no worldly advantage, be it wealth, fame or learning, can compare; that it propagates itself by ways mysteriously and utterly at variance with the standards accepted by the generality of mankind, will become increasingly manifest as it forges ahead towards fresh conquests in its struggle for the spiritual regeneration of mankind.
ccFew are even dimly aware of the preponderating r6le which the North American continent is destined to play in the future orientation of their world-embracing Cause.:
!77j~ continent of America,' wrote Abdu'l-Bahá in February, 1917, CA, 1 The ascension of Abdu'l-Bahá, November 28, 1921.
in the eyes of the one true God, the land wherein the splendors of His light shall be unveiled, where the righteous will abide, and the free assemble.'
t~The Revelation, of which Bahá'u'lláh is the source and center, abrogates none of the 'religions which have preceded it, nor does it attempt, in the slightest degree, to distort their features or to belittle their value.
It disclaims any intention of dwarfing any of the Prophets of the past, or of whittling down the eternal verity of Their teachings. It can, in no wise, conflict with the spirit that animates Their claims, nor does it seek to undermine the basis of any man's allegiance to Their cause. Its declared, its primary purpose, is to enable every adherent of these Faiths to obtain a fuller understanding of the religion with which he stands identified, and to acquire a clearer apprehension of its purpose. It is neither eclectic in the presentation of its truths, nor arrogant in the affirmation of its claims. Its teachings revolve around the fundamental principle that religious truth is not absolute but relative, that Divine Revelation is progressive, not final. Unequivocally and without the least reservation it proclaims all established religions to be divine in origin, identical in their aims, complementary in their functions, continuous in their purpose, indispensable in their value to mankind.
"Those who have recognized the Light of God in this age claim no finality for the Revelation with which they stand identified, nor arrogate to the Faith they have embraced powers and attributes intrinsically superior to, or essentially different from, those which have characterized any of the religious systems that preceded it. tt'Who contemplating the helplessness, the fears and miseries of humanity in this day, can any longer question the necessity for a fresh revelation of the quickening power of God's redemptive love and guidance? Who can be so blind as to doubt that the hour has at last struck for the advent of a new Revelation, for a restatement of the Divine Purpose, and for the consequent revival of those spiritual forces that have, at fixed intervals, rehabilitated the fortunes of human society? Does not the very
Page 20operation of the world-unifying forces that are at work in this age necessitate that He Who is the Bearer of the Message of God in this day should not only reaffirm that selfsame exalted standard of individual conduct inculcated by the Prophets gone before Him, but embody in His appeal, to all governments and peoples, the essentials of that social code, that Divine Economy, which must guide humanity's concerted efforts in establishing that all-embracing federation which is to signalize the advent of the Kingdom of God on this earth?
~ feel it incumbent to stress the importance of an instruction which should be increasingly emphasized, irrespective of its application to the East or to the West.
This principle is no other than that which involves the nonparticipation by the adherents of the Faith of Bahá'u'lláh, whether in their individual capacities or collectively as local or national (Spir-itual) Assemblies, in any form of activity that might be interpreted, either directly or indirectly, as an interference in the political affairs of any particular government.
Such an attitude indicates the desire cherished by every true and loyal follower of Bahá'u'lláh to serve, in an unselfish, unostentatious and patriotic fashion, the highest interests of the country to which he belongs, and in a way that would entail no departure from the high standards of integrity and truthfulness associated with the teachings of his Faith."
� March 21, 1932.~May this American democracy,' He Himself,' while in America, was heard to remark, Cbe the first nation to establish the foundation of international agreement. May it be the first nation to proclaim the unity of mankind. May America become the distributing center of spiritual enlightenment and all the world receive this heavenly blessing.' � April 21, 1933.
"This Administrative Orderwill, as its component parts, its organic institutions, begin to function with efficiency and vigor, assert its claim and demonstrate its capacity to be regarded not oniy as the nucleus but the very pattern of the New 1 Abdu'l-Bahá visited North America in 1912.
World Order destined to embrace in the fulness of time the whole of mankind.
(tAlone of all the Revelations gone before it this Faith has succeeded in raising a structure which the bewildered followers of bankrupt and broken creeds might well approach and critically examine, and seek, ere it is too late, the invulnerable security of its world-embracing shelter.
CCTO what else if not to the power and majesty which this Administrative Order � the rudiments of the future all-enfolding Bahá'í Commonwealth � is destined to manifest, can these utterances of Bahá'u'lláh allude: The world's equilibrium bath been ufiset through the vibrating influence of this most great, this new World Order. Mankind's ordered life bath been revolutionized through the agency of this unique, this wondrous System � the like of which mortal eyes have never witnessed.'
ttThe Bahá'í Commonwealth of the future, of which this vast Administrative Order is the sole framework, is, both in theory and practice, not oniy unique in the entire history of political institutions, but can find no parallel in the annals of any of the world's recognized religious systems. No form of democratic government; no system of autocracy or of dictatorship, whether monarchical or republican; no intermediary scheme of a purely aristocratic order; nor even any of the recognized types of theocracy, whether it be the Hebrew Commonwealth, or the various Christian ecclesiastical organizations, or the Imamate or the Caliphate in bUm � none of these can be identified or said to conform with the Administrative Order which the master-hand of its perfect Architect has fashioned.
!cLet no one, while this System is still in its infancy, belittle its significance or misrepresent its purpose. The bedrock on which this Administrative Order is founded is God's immutable Purpose for mankind in this day. The Source from which it derives its inspiration is no one less than Bahá'u'lláh Himself. The central, the underlying aim which animates it is the establishment of the New World Order as adumbrated by Bahá'u'lláh.
The methods it employs, the standard it inculcates, in
Page 21dine it to neither East nor West, neither Jew nor Gentile, neither rich nor poor, neither white nor colored. Its watchword is the unification of the human race; its standard the CMost Great Peace.
February 8, 1934."The contrast between the accumulating evidences of steady consolidation that accompany the rise of the Administrative Order of the Faith of God, and the forces of disintegration which batter at the fabric of a travailing society, is as clear as it is arresting.
Both within and outside the Bahá'í world the signs and tokens which, in a mysterious manner, are heralding the birth of that World Order, the establishment of which must signalize the Golden Age of the Cause of God, are growing and multiplying day by day.
CC !~~fl Bahá'u'lláh'sown words proclaim it, ~1.vilI the presentday Order be rolled up, and a new one spread out in its stead.'
"The Revelation of Bahá'u'lláhshould be regarded as signalizing through its advent the coining of age of the entire human race. It should be viewed not merely as yet another spiritual revival in the everchanging fortunes of mankind, not only as a further stage in a chain of progressive Revelations, nor even as the culmination of one of a series of recurrent prophetic cycles, but rather as marking the last and highest stage in the stupendous evolution of man's collective life on this planet. The emergence of a world corn. munity, the consciousness of world citizenship, the founding of a world civilization and culture should be regarded, as far as this planetary life is concerned, as the furthermost limits in the organization of human society, though man, as an individual, will, nay must indeed as a result of such a consummation, continue indefinitely to progress and develop.
"The successive Foundersof all past Religions Who have shed, with ever-increasing intensity, the splendor of one common Revelation at the various stages which have marked the advance of mankind towards maturity may thus be regarded as preliminary Manifestations, anticipating and paving the way for the advent of that Day of Days when the whole earth will have fructified and the tree of humanity will have yielded its destined fruit.
"Beset on every side by the cumulative evidences of disintegration, of turmoil and of bankruptcy, serious-minded men and women, in almost every walk of life, are beginning to doubt whether society, as it is now organized, can, through its unaided efforts, extricate itself from the slough into which it is steadily sinking.
Every system, short of the unification of the human race, has been tried, repeatedly tried, and been found wanting. Yet crisis has succeeded crisis, and the rapidity with which a perilously unstable world is declining has been correspondingly accelerated.
"Who else can be blissful if not the community of the Most Great Name,1 whose world-embracing, continually consolidating activities constitute the one integrating process in a world whose institutions, secular as well as religious, are for the most part dissolving?
Of alithe kindreds of the earth they alone can recognize, amidst the welter of a tempestuous age, the Hand of the Divine Redeemer that traces its course and controls its destinies. They alone are aware of the silent growth of that orderly world polity whose fabric they themselves arc weaving.
CCCeasing to designate itself a movement, a fellowship and the like � designations that did grave injustice to its ever-unfolding system � dissociating itself from such appellations as Báb sect, Asiatic cult, and offshoot of Shitih Isl4m, with which the ignorant and the malicious were wont to describe it, refusing to be labeled as a mere philosophy of life, or as an eclectic code of ethical conduct, or even as a new religion, the Faith of Bahá'u'lláh is now visibly succeeding in demonstrating its claim and title to be regarded as a World Religion, destined to attain the status of a world-embracing Commonwealth, which would be at once the instrument and the guardian of the Most Great Peace announced by its Author.
t~The whole of mankind is groaning, is dying to be led to unity, and to terminate its agelong martyrdom. And yet it stub1
1 Bahá'u'lláh.bornly refuses to embrace the light and acknowledge the sovereign authority of the one Power that can extricate it from its entanglements, and avert the woeful calam-fry that threatens to engulf it. "Unification of the whole of mankind is the hallmark of the stage which human society is now approaching. Unity of family, of tribe, of city-state, and nation have been successively attempted and fully established.
World unity is the goal towards which a harassed humanity is striving. Nation-building has come to an end. The anarchy inherent in state sovereignty is moving towards a climax. A world, growing to maturity, must abandon this fetish, recognize the oneness and wholeness of human relationships, and establish once for all the machinery that can best incarnate this fundamental principle of its life.
new life,' Bahá'u'lláh proclaims, is, in this age, stirring within all the peoples of the earth; and yet none bath discovered its cause, or percewed its motive.'
t ye children of men,' He thus addresses I � us generation, edge fundamental purpose an:-mating the Faith of God and His Religion is to safeguard the interests and promote the unity of the human race. This is the straight path, the fixed and immovable foundation.'
" � March 11, 1936.The pillars of the Bahá'í world order are the National Spiritual Assemblies, elected by delegates representing the local Bahá'í communities within the designated area of jurisdiction.
A National SpiritualAssembly cannot be constituted until the Faith has become sufficiently widespread and firmly rooted to provide support for the national administrative body, whose effectiveness depends upon the existence of experienced local Spiritual
Assemblies.The present period has been notable in the formation of two more National Assemblies, one by the Bahá'ís of Thin, the other by the
Bahá'ís of Australiaand New Zealand. It would be difficult to find evidence more convincingly testifying to the universality of the Cause of Bahá'u'lláh than this development made possible by believers so separated not merely by distance but by race, culture and historical experience. IrAn, with its ancient memories of a power and glory antedating the civilization of Europe, and its complex spirit impregnated with the influence of successive religions, stands in striking contrast to Australia and New Zealand, lands still marked by the stage of the pioneer and in their social progress akin to the North America existing in the middle of the nineteenth century.
By faith, however, and the supreme power of a Teaching shaped for humanity and not one race or country alone, the Bahá'ís of these two diverse regions have entered upon a path of oneness which they tread in a unity of purpose and an intimacy of soul greater than that of members of the same family whose physical bond has no true spiritual substance and reinforcement.
The first Annual Conventionof the Bábi'is of fran was held at Tihr~n during eight days commencing April 26, 1934. As in North America, ninety-five delegates had been assigned proportionately to the national community, and of these eighty-one were present at the first session, eighty-four at the later sessions. This event of vital importance is told in detail in the Report prepared by the National Spiritual Assembly of Inn and published as a supplement to this Survey.
From the point of view of the Bahá'í world community, it is significant to note that both the National Assembly of IrAn and that of Australia and New Zealand were formed and are functioning in strict conformity with the administrative principles controlling the national Bahá'í institutions previously established in other lands. Their constitutional character and their organic processes are identical with those of America, Europe and other Bahá'í communities throughout the East, with the result that a believer can take residence in any established national Bahá'í community and find his spiritual citizenship completely unchanged.
Such differences as he would encounter in the realm of detail, even as the obvious distinctions of language and ciii-tural background, but fulfil the true
Page 23spiritual unity by stressing that diversity on which true unity must be based.
On account of the vast Bahá'í popula-don of inn, the ninety-five delegates were elected proportionately by the believers through twenty administrative divisions rather than through their separate local Bahá'í communities.
It would be impossible, clearly, to assign ninety-five delegates to local communities numbering more than five hundred. The principle underlying national Bahá'í elections, nevertheless, was fully observed. A similar method of administrative districts including numbers of local Baha communities will have to be developed for America and other nations when the number of their Spiritual Assemblies exceeds the number of the delegates the believers collectively are to elect.
The Bahá'í affairs of Iran had previously been directed and coordinated nationally by the former "Central Assembly" at
Tihr~n. The first NationalSpiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of IrAn were: Valiyu'llih Kbiin VarqA, Shuca~u~11Ah Kh~in cA1i~i,
Dr. Ytinis KMn Afr4khtihof the Bahá'ís of Australia and New Zealand was held at Sydney, May 15, 16, 17 and 18, 1934. Details of this meeting, so significant in the unfoldment of the Baha world order, are made availabit in reports issued by the
National Spiritual AssemblyCCA little more than a decade after the landing in Sydney of those two indefatigable Bahá'í pioneers, Mr. and Mrs. Hyde Dunn, has seen the outward and visible consummation of their labors in the formation of a National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of the Commonwealth of Australia and the
Dominion of New Zealand. Thiswas the outstanding achievement of the Cause in these southern lands in 1934, and itself bears witness to the sincerity, enthusiasm and faith of the believers.
ttflah&'is from Adelaide,and other places met in Sydney where the first Bahá'í Convention was held.
ft was a wonderful experience in cooperative effort and a powerful means of spiritual attraction.
A reporter from the Sydney C Sun' attended the opening session and an outline of the Bahá'í Principles appeared in the next issue of that newspaper.
~~This first Convention was of historic importance to the Bahá'í Cause in that it was for the purpose of forming a National Spiritual Assembly for this southern continent, and so becoming another link in the chain for the establishment of the future International
House of Justice.(cThe New Zealand delegates were the first to arrive, and a special meeting of we1-come was arranged at which a happy time was spent in contacting the
Sydney friends. Laterin the week the Adelaide delegates, and friends from both Melbourne and Adelaide, arrived, and these received a similar warmhearted welcome, so that before the Convention opened a feeling of true Bahá'í friendliness and fellowship was established, and all were filled with an anticipatory joy in being privileged to take part in such a momentous event.
ttThe elected delegates were: � c(New Zealand � Mrs. Emily M. Axford, Miss Margaret B. Stevenson, Miss Ethel A. Blundell.
ttAdelaide � Mrs. Silver Jackman, Miss Hilda Brooks, Mr. Robert Brown.
"Sydney � Mrs. Routh, Mr. Hyde Dunn, Mr. 0. Whittaker."
Significant as the formation of a new National Spiritual Assembly is as evidence of an active, vigorous and widespread Bahá'í community in its land, its full importance lies in the fact that the institution of the National Assembly itself is but a step in the development of the Bahá'í world order. A National Spiritual Assembly stands not as an independent body, nor a final authority in the realm of collective action, but as the pillar upon which will rest in future the dome of the Bahá'í social structure � the International House of Justice. A great part of the necessary foundation for that crowning Bahá'í achievement has already been constructed. It remains oniy for the new National Spiritual Assemblies to begin functioning with effective power, and for the Bahá'í corn
Page 24munities in Caucasus and Turkist~n to be enabled to initiate their own Annual Convention and form National Spiritual Assemblies. The requisite capacity will then have been acquired, and the proper conditions realized, for the decisive final step upon which the world's peace and even its very existence depends.
INCORPORATION OF EXISTINGDuring the same period, also, the National Spiritual Assemblies of Egypt, and of India and Burma, found it possible to effect legal incorporation and secure official state recognition for their national Bahá'í constitution.
Moreover, the Nationaland tlriq took steps to adopt constitutions and bylaws identical with the Declaration of Trust under which the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of the United States and Canada has operated for some ten years. The text of these constitutions, some of which are accompanied by the certificate issued to them by the civil authorities, is reproduced in Part Two of the present work.
Not less interesting is the fact that the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of India and Burma has in addition formed a Palestine Branch, duly incorporated and registered, similar to that formed some years ago by the American Assembly, thus adding one more Bahá'í national community empowered to hold title to land at the world center of the
Faith.The amount of land transferred to the Palestine Branch of the American Assembly during this period, adjacent to the Shrine of the Bib on Mount Carmel, has been very considerable.
Part was acquired by purchase from funds contributed directly for that purpose by believers, the balance consisting of individual holdings donated by their Bahá'í owners. In this connection it is of interest to recall the fact that American Bahá'ís were advised by Abdu'l-Bahá many years before Haifa possessed any importance and before Palestine even had been awakened from its slumber of ages to purchase lots on Mount Carmel! The Palestine Branch of the American Assembly, at the date of this writing, owns in both cAkk~ and Haifa, approximately sixty thousand square pics � one thousand, six hundred square pics being equivalent to nine hundred square meters. The holdings thus represent some thirty-three thousand, seven hundred and fifty square meters.
Soon after its incorporation in the Mixed Court of
Egypt, the National Spiritual Assemblyof that land acquired, through donation from an Egyptian Baha'i, one faddan of land, equal to four thousand square meters.
The incorporation of the National Assembly of the Bahá'ís of Egypt must be regarded as far more than a legal achievement.
The first Assembly to secure civil recognition and the status of an independent religion in Islim, the National Spiritual Assembly has succeeded in this effort only after a long and ardent struggle. Within a decade, the Bahá'ís of Egypt have progressed from a status officially regarded as one of heresy in the eyes of Mu]2ammad-anism to that of spiritual independence. The Westerner can not appreciate, nor scarcely imagine, the degree of progress this evolution represents. It is equivalent to the transition from the tenth to the nineteenth century in the West.
BAHÁ'Í PROPERTY IN AMERICAFrom 1909, the date when American Bahá'ís made their first purchase of land as the site of the House of Worship on Lake Michigan, near Chicago, to 1936, the amount of Bahá'í property greatly in � creased.
Five separate properties are now legally held for the benefit of the National Spiritual Assembly of American Baha'is: the land and structure of the House of Worship, with caretaker's cottage and the studio constructed by the Temple architect, the late Louis J. Bourgeois; Green Acre, Eliot, Maine, the site of the Conferences founded by the late Sarah J. Farmer in 1894, consisting of an Inn, five cottages,
Fellowship House and Artsand Crafts Studio, with several parcels of land � including the important holding on Mount Salvat � totaling
Page 25several hundred acres; the house at Maiden, Massachusetts, blessed by the time spent in it by tAbdu'1-Bahi during His American journey in 1912; the land and buildings developed by
Roy C. Wilhelm at WestEnglewood, New Jersey, chosen by 'Abdu'l-Bahá as the place for the Unity Feast He gave the Bahá'ís of the New York metropolitan district in June, 1912, and now used as the Office of the National Assembly and the meeting place of the local Bahá'í community; and the property at Geyserville, California, which Mr. and Mrs. John Bosch for about seven years placed at the disposal of the Summer School maintained by the Bahá'ís of the
Pacific Coast.Green Acre was transferred to Bahá'í trustees by the Green Acre Fdlowship which held title after Sarah J. Farmer's death. The Maiden house was left to Shoghi Effendi in the Will and Testament of the late Maria P. Wilson, and by Shoghi Effendi transferred to Bahá'í trustees. Both the Wilhelm and Bosch properties were received as donations by their respective owners.
While values may not be readily established for all these holdings, the entire property held for the Bahá'í Faith in America can be estimated as amounting in worth to at least one million, one hundred and fifty thousand dollars.
By far the greater portion of this value has been created by the Bahá'ís during the decade beginning 1926.
DEVELOPMENTS IN IRANThe formation of a National Spiritual Assembly by the believers of lMn made possible the undertaking of larger Bahá'í enterprises but at the same time this step seemed challenged by a new and violent anti-BaM'i attitude on the part of certain government departments.
Of intense interest to Bahá'ís of other nations has been the acquisition, by purchase, of a portion of the village of Chihriq, where the Báb was incarcerated.
This sacred and revered scene of one of the momentous episodes in the history of the Faith has thus come under the care and protection of the Cause.
Various other sacred and historic sites associated with the Founders of the Faith in fr6n, and hallowed by the heroism of Their early followers, are likewise being gradually acquired, in accordance with a definite plan adopted under the advice of the Guardian and assisted by his contribution in the amount of two thousand ff1-mans a year.
At the same time, progress has been made in the construction of the Haziratu'1-Quds, or Baha headquarters, in the capital city, TihrAn.
A vast area, moreover, has been acquired on the slopes of Mount Alburz, northeast of Tilirin, for the eventual construction of the first Mashriqu'l-Adhkar (House of Worship) by the Bahá'ís of tr&n. The land already acquired measures not less than one million, two hundred and fifty-seven thousand square meters, but is being extended by further purchases in order to provide sufficient space for the erection of the accessory buildings, or dependencies, which with the House of Worship constitute the Mashriqu'l-Adhkar established by Bahá'u'lláh.
The Report of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of I r~n which follows this International review testifies to the further progress of the Faith in that land, and the activities maintained under the direction of national Committees.
Brief reference may be made here to the formation of a National Bahá'í Archives, the dispatching of accredited teachers to 'IrAq as well as to many parts of frAn, the adoption of Bahá'í marriage certificates and also a Bahá'í certificate of divorce, the dissemination of Bahá'í news to local centers, and the necessity of meeting the dire and widespread difficulties resulting from repressive measures adopted by the civil authorities.
The weakening of the power of the Muslim clergy in I r~n has been an indication of nationalism rather than a broadening and deepening of the basis of social ethics and of spiritual religion. A necessary step toward the eventual triumph of a World Faith, the decline of IslAm as revealed religion and ecclesiastical authority has at first resulted in a social environment hostile
Page 26to the claims of divine truth. The condition, giving as it does an undue influence to secular forces, exposes the followers of a living Faith to the increase of pressure and tension which invariably accompanies the discrediting of traditional religion. In his letter on t~The Unfoldment of World Civilization" dated March 11, 1936, Shoghi Effendi thus describes that decline: (cThe collapse of the Shitih hierarchy, in a land which had for centuries been one of the impregnable strongholds of Muslim fanaticism, was the inevitable consequence of that wave of secularization which, at a later time, was to invade some of the most powerful and conservative institutions in both the
European and Americancontinents. Though not the direct outcome of the last war, this sudden trembling which had seized this hitherto immovable pillar of IsUmic orthodoxy accentuated the problems and deepened the restlessness with which a war-weary world was being afflicted. Shi'ih IslAm had lost once for all, in Bahá'u'lláh's native land and as the direct consequence of its implacable hostility to His Faith, its combative power, had forfeited its rights and privileges, had been degraded and demoralized, and was being condemned to hopeless obscurity and ultimate extinction.~~ With startling suddenness, and wholly unexpectedly to the Bahá'ís of the West, the famous Tarbiyat Schools in Tihr~n were compelled to close their doors and abandon their historic mission of initiating true education in Iran. School after school, throughout the country, conducted by Bahá'ís in cities, towns and villages, cherished by them and of incalculable benefit to thousands of innocent children and youth, incurred the same penalty by order of the Department of Education. At the same time those disabilities described in previous volumes of The Bahá'í World were maintained and in some ways extended and made more rigorous.
The account given by theof Iran, in its Report already mentioned, may be amplified by the following excerpts from other communications.
ttAS the Board of Education had formerly warned the Tarbiyat Schools officially that in case these schools are closed on unofficial holidays, orders will be issued for the closing up of same, the National Spiritual Assembly here with a view to preventing the occurrence of such an event and pointing out to the authorities concerned the importance which such an action would involve, deputed one of its members, Dr.
Youness KMn Afroukhtehto call on H. E. Mirza tAli Aghar KMn Hekmat, the acting Minister of Education with instructions that he (Dr. Youness KhAn) should explain fully the matter to the acting Minister. Dr. Youness KMn, in the course of the interview which he had with this official, made it clear to him that as the Tarbiyat Schools formed part of private institutions of the Bahá'í community and as the teachers and pupils are chiefly Bahá'í and that since these teachers and pupils, as one of their religious duties, abstain from working on nine days during the year, the schools are automatically closed, and that as this is a matter relating to the religious belief of the Baha'is, it is impossible for the Assembly to interfere with sacred duties of the Bahá'í individuals by forcing them to work in the Bahá'í holidays.
Dr. Youness KhAn also made it clear in the course of his conversations, that in the same way that the Board of Education allows the Jewish, Zoroastrian and Christian communities in this country to celebrate their religious holidays, the Bahá'ís should equally be permitted to benefit by their religious legitimate right. The acting Minister had considered such a matter to be against the regulations of his Department and had stated that the Bahá'ís should not, at any rate, close their schools on these days and suggested that the schools should be left open more or less on these days, failing which he would have no alternative but to take action for the closing of the schools by virtue of a notification which would be issued from the Board of Education.
The reason given by His Excellency Hekmat was that the Iranian Government has not recognized the Bahá'í religion as it has other minority religions.
Dr. Youness Kh&n again called on the acting Minister for the third time and took with him Mirza 'Au Akbar Khan Foroutan, the Principal of the boys' school, but all these visits proved of no avail
Page 27since, while Dr. Youness KhAn was insisting in his views and pointing out the importance for the Bahá'ís to close their schools on these days and also explaining the fact that the school authorities, in celebrating their religious holidays, would in no way disregard the ruling and regulations of the Board of Education, the acting Minister was reiterating his statement that the Bahá'ís should not celebrate their religious holidays. Dr. Youness Kh~n also requested that the Board of Education give a more careful and sympathetic consideration to the matter before taking an action in respect to two schools of good reputation with an enrollment of 1500 pupils. Dr. Youness Kh~in asked that the case be submitted to His Majesty for a decision.
But the acting Minister gave an unfavorable reply and reiterated his former statements adding that he would have no alternative but to close the schools.
"On Thursday, Azer 15th,the schools were closed as usual in commemoration of the martyrdom of the Báb. On Saturday afternoon,
Azer 17th, 1313 (December8) the Chief of the Police Station had, by direction of the Central Police Department, gone to the boys' school and ordered the closing of the school and sending away of the pupils.
The Principal of the school had immediately carried out the order. The Chief of the Police Station had not left the school building when another police officer came to the school to convey the same order. At that time an official communication was received from the Board of Education. After a short while the Chief of the Inspection Section of the Board of Education went to the school to announce the decision. At the same time a similar notification was given to the girls' schooi.
~!On the same day at 12 o'clock at night the Chief of the Police Station, accompanied by a policeman, went to the girls' school and to the Kindergarten and took down the signboards placed at the gates of these two institutions. On the following day, Sunday,
Azer 18th (December 9, 1934)a policeman was placed in front of the girls' school and two policemen in front of the boys' school to prevent the students from going to these institutions.
It was a very sad and touching scene to the passersby, both Bahá'ís and others, as some of the pupils, mostly children, were weeping in the streets, sent out from their beloved school regretting the closing down of the same in a deplorable manner.
On the same day at 9.30 A.M. the signboard of the boys' school was also taken down. The school authorities did not fail to notify the parents of non-Bahá'í students that as the Tarbiyat schools were Bahá'í institutions which had celebrated Bahá'í holidays, the Board of Education had ordered them to be closed.
ttAft the closing of the schools the National Spiritual Assembly instructed the friends to abstain from sending their children to other local schools pending a decision from the Guardian and obtaining of information as to the definite decision of the Government in respect of the schools in future.
Most of the students are still waiting a decision and have not applied for enrollment in other schools. Even most of the non-Bah&'is, whose children were studying in the Tarbiyat Schools, are most patiently waiting for the reopening of our schools and are regretting and at the same time expressing their astonishment at this unexpected event.
It is heard that some of the influential people in Tihrin have referred to the Board of Education and have unofficially complained against the action.
~tSj it has become clear to the National Assembly that the ill-wishers and enemies of the Bahá'í Faith have made intrigues against the Bahá'ís before His Majesty and accused them of being disobedient to the laws of the country and being careless of the interests of Iran and of lacking patriotic feelings towards their country and that, therefore, the order issued for the closing down of schools was based on the sanction of His Majesty which means that His Majesty has in fact taken such a step, the National Assembly, with a view to removing any misunderstanding and disclosing the truth, had recourse to the following means: � (CA long and detailed telegraphic petition was sent to His Majesty of which a copy was handed to the Royal Secretariat.
Thisstep was of no avail since two days after the cablegram was handed to the Telegraph Office the Head of the Departmejat called the Secretary of the National Assembly and told him that as the cablegram was of a complaining nature, he was forbidden to send it to its destination.
The Secretary of the Assembly expressed his surprise at hearing such an illogical statement whereupon the Head of the Telegraph Department replied most categorically that he could not accept such a telegram which he gave back to the Secretary adding that he could also refund the cost of same. But the Secretary never got back the money and kept the receipt form which was given for it. (Cupon the refusal of the Telegraph Office to accept the cablegram addressed to His Majesty, the National Assembly wrote at once a letter to the Ministry of Posts and Telegraphs and asked for due consideration to be given to the matter.
CCA petition was sent by the Assembly to the Council of Ministers asking them to remove the difficulties and restrictions created for the Baha'is.
CCAS the National Assemblywas not quite sure that the copy of the petition addressed to His Majesty was delivered to its high destination by the Royal Secretariat, it considered the possibility of having further petitions handed to His Majesty through certain high personages.
But most of these personages offered their excuse to do this favor on the grounds that His Majesty was exceedingly angry with the Baha'is.
Among these personages, however, His Excellency Jam, the Minister of the Interior, offered to hand the Assembly's petition to the Shih when a favorable occasion should arise. A comprehensive petition was, therefore, drawn up and handed to His Excellency Jam for delivery to His Majesty.
~tThe Directory Body of the Tarbiyat Schools Committee, by direction of the National Assembly, wrote a long letter to the Board of Education regarding the cios-ing of the schools and sent it by the local post (since the letter would have been refused if sent otherwise).
ttln the meantime various regrettable reports were received from provinces and districts in Iran as follows: � "Information was received from Qazvin through a traveller stating that the local Board of Education had closed the girls' school and that the Police had forbidden Bahá'í meetings and gatherings.
It was surprising that the local Police had forbidden the Bahá'ís to have their dead buried in the Baha cemetery Gu1ast~n-i-Javid, suggesting that the Bahá'ís should acquire a piece of ground near the Mubammadan cemetery and bury there their dead without performing any rites or ceremonies so that there may be no different treatment in favour of the Baha'is. It is evident that the friends have never complied with such instructions which are against their conscience and religion and will never do so in the future.
t~A report was received from K~shin that the local Board of Education had closed down the Bahá'í school Vahdat-i-Bashar in that town and the police had forbidden all Baha gatherings and meetings, both private and public in the Ija;iratu'L-Quds and in private houses. The Principal of the school was detained for a few days and Aghai Foroughi, one of the leading friends, was imprisoned some days.
ttWe quote hereafter some excerpts from the report recevied from the Assembly in KtMn: � "On December 9th last the Chief of Police sent a message to the Spiritual Assembly through one of the friends, Dr. Sulaym~n Bergis, that Baha meetings, both private and public, should be stopped and that no Bahá'í should openly declare his faith. The following day the police arrested the guardian of the Haziratu'1-Quds premises and made him give a written assurance that no Bahá'í meetings should be held in the Bahá'í Center.
(CO December 13th last the Chief of Police, accompanied by another official and a number of policemen and an inspector from the Detectives, went to the Vabdat-i-Bashar schools for boys and girls and closed down the same by order from the capital. Then the party proceeded to the Ija4ratu'l-Quds and ordered that nobody should visit this place. They also confiscated the furniture and articles of the boys' and girls' schools and sent out the gatekeeper of the
Page 29Hazi ratu'1 � Quds from this building. Then they took Mirza. tAbb4s Khan Mahmudi, the Principal of the School, to the police, arrested him there for three days with a view to frightening him and forcing him to deny his faith, but all without any avail. On the following day Dr.
Sulayrnin Bergis and MirzaMoussa Youssefian were taken to the police. The former was released after a short while, but the latter was held until the following day. They were both released on bail. Again another friend was taken to the police and after using bad language against him and against the Cause, they released him. The Maaref at school at Ann (a suburb of K~shin) was also closed. At present all Bahá'í institutions are closed and suspended and the Bahá'í schools and the Haziratu'1-Quds, which belongs to the Cause, have been locked up by the Government officials.
These buildings are liable to be damaged and even pulled down by rain and snow should they remain locked up in their present state. Any Bahá'í who may profess his faith openly is liable to be arrested. For the last eighty years the friends in K~shAn had not experienced such restrictions and difficulties. One of the friends named
Agha Mul?arnmad Forouzanwas made to give a written assurance that he will not receive any guests in his house.
CcTh pupils who were studying in the Baha schools are left without any decision and are having their time wasted since they will not be admitted in Muhammadan schools unless they renounce their faith, a course which they will never adopt.
"We have received a report from Hamadin saying that the Haziratu'1-Quds has been closed and that gatherings and meetings have been forbidden.
"The Spiritual Assemblyin SultAn-AbAd (Aragh) have sent Aghai Noush Abadi, the teacher, to Tihr&n and sent a message through the latter that the police have closed the Haziratu'1-Quds, confiscated the correspondence and archives of the Assembly and that they have even taken away the tiles bearing Bahá'í inscriptions which were fixed up on the walls of the Ija?iratu'l-Quds hail.
"The Assembly in KirminshThhave sent a report saying that the police have closed the Haziratu'l-Quds and forbidden all the meetings.
The preachers are using abusive language on the Cause and inducing the fanatical class to rise against the friends.
((Si A news was received from almost every corner of the country, but such events had not taken place in Tihrin till it was lately heard that the police had issued some circular instructions to its various branches both in the provinces and in the capital to prevent strictly Bahá'í activities and suspend all gatherings and meetings and prosecute and arrest everybody who professes his faith openly and also to dismiss from the Government service any Bahá'í who declares his faith openly. Since the issue of these instructions the restrictions began to appear for the friends in Tihr6t: all Bahá'í gatherings and meetings, both private and public, which used to be held in the Uaziratu'1-Quds and private houses, and even some of the Character Training Classes of children were suspended and those friends who used to have meetings in their houses were forced to give written assurance that they would not hold any. Some of the friends were called to the police and warned that they should not declare their faith openly, but as the friends had categorically refused to respond to the call and preferred to suffer all sorts of calamities rather than to comply with the wishes of the officials, the matter was not taken up any further.
t~Then some of the local papers and magazines in TihrAn, taking advantage of the occasion, began to write articles attacking the Bahá'í schools and the Baha'is. One of the local preachers, Shariat Sanglaji, referring to the attack made in some of the papers, had, in the course of the speech he had delivered for the public, expressed his utmost joy and gratitude at the action taken by His Imperial Majesty in closing up the Bahá'í schools which, in the opinion of the preacher, were prejudicial to the good morals of those Muhammadan students who were studying in the Bahá'í schools.
ccAccording to information received, the schools of Tayyid and Mowbebat in Hamad~n have been closed by order of the local
Educational Departmenttervention of the Police, who had driven away the pupils from the schools in a most discourteous and harsh manner.
"The question relating to the unveiling of women is progressing most satisfactorily and rapidly in this country.
The majority of the female class both in the capital and in the provinces have discarded their veils and joined the new movement.
"Special meetings were arranged first by Government departments and then by merchants, various guilds, municipal institutions, etc., where various classes of people were present with their wives without any veils. According to the local press, a number of Mullis and priests as well as some notaries public have attended these meetings with their wives. Some of these Mullis have delivered speeches in support of the new movement and proving that the discarding of the veil has no connection whatsoever with religion. This is most strange and surprising especially when taking into view the utmost degree of fanaticism and narrow-mindedness for which the ecclesiastical class in this country are known.
"It may be worth mentioning here that the cidn~ newspaper published in Tihrin has lately reproduced the picture of a number of MullAs and the ecclesiastical class in Qazyin, I r~n, accompanied by their wives attending a meeting held in that town to celebrate the unveiling of women.
"The Government, with a view to supporting the movement, has imposed certain restrictions on the fanatical class who are reluctant to joint the movement. Thus women with their veils on are not allowed to use public means of transport and 'buses, go to public shows, pictures and caf6s and cross public streets and thoroughfares. These restrictions are being increased every day.
"The Spiritual Assemblyin Tihr~n, in view of the present movement relating to discarding of the veil, have considered that Bahá'í women should also join the movement and discard their veils at once and attend public meetings with their husbands.
"Special meetings are held by the Assembly for the friends both for men and women in TihrAn where they are taught manners and how to behave themselves in society. Qualified Bahá'í teachers are managing these meetings."
PROGRESS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OFWith the completion of the external decoration of the dome, reported in the previous volume, the Bahá'í House of Worship on Lake Michigan assumed a new and more impressive, as well as more beautiful, aspect.
By the union of the architect's genius for design, with the builder's advance in the use of plastic concrete, an effect has been obtained which the professional engineer and architect recognize as a great forward step and the layman perceives as an extraordinarily appealing development in architecture.
The edifice is so situated upon the North Shore highway that the dome and clere: story sections are visible at turns in the road long before the main structure appears. These two sections, indeed, constitute an organic unit, bound together by the vertical pillars supporting the nine great ribs.
"When, therefore, the clerestory section was finished by August, 1935, the first stage in the decoration of the external surface of the House of Worship bad been fully accomplished. The throng of visitors, and the host of persons employing the highway adjacent to the Temple site, can now begin to appreciate the majesty with which the completed building will herald the Faith of Bahá'u'lláh.
For the believers, the completion of the clerestory section represented also a triumph of sacrifice and devotion long sustained and ardently borne. Their hopes and expectations, centered in Temple construction over a period of ten years, came to a temporary fulfilment as they felt the deepened unity and insight acquired as result of such intense concentration upon a tremendous task.
NATIONAL ARCHIVESThe longing to collect, publish and perpetuate the Tablets of the Bahá'u'lláh and
Page 32cAbdu~1~Bahi keenly felt by believers in all countries since the early days of the Faith, came to definite organized expression among the Bahá'ís of North America more than twenty years ago. A National Archives was established to which all American believers were requested to send the Tablets they had received from the Master. Three volumes of Tablets were soon made available, and the contents of a fourth volume are now ready for the press. In addition to these Tablets, sacred Bahá'í relics and valuable historical material have likewise been acquired and preserved. The Archives Committee in America, indeed, has developed its function to the point where a special storage space and reference room will soon be needed.
Similar National Archivesnext step in this important function of the administrative order will be the formation of local Archives by the various Spiritual Assemblies in cities and towns.
Not less than fourteen volumes of Tablets revealed by Bahá'u'lláh and Abdu'l-Bahá, compiled under the direction of National Spiritual Assemblies, have been sent to the International
Bahá'í Archives on Mt.The period of two years covered by The Bahá'í World, 'Jot. VI, has been characterized by the establishment of two important principles controlling the relation of the Bahá'í community to its social enyiron-. ment.
In the words of tAbdu~1Bah~ the Bahá'ís follow a divine polity rather than the competitive, changing and fruitless programs of a misguided world.
The first of these principles is that Bahá'ís in all countries refrain from individual as well as collective political activi � ties. They accept no office dependent upon political influence, and take no part in the clash of partisan movements and interests. Loyal to the enactments of their respective governments, the followers of Bahá'u'lláh stand apart from any activity or influence which can in any way jeopardize their spiritual unity transcending race, nation and class.
On the one hand, the Bahá'ís are animated by the conviction that the problems of humanity can only be solved by the union and solidarity of mankind in crone Faith and one Order." On the other hand, the Bahá'ís are devoting their lives and resources to the upbuilding of a universal civilization not compatible with systems based upon war and strife.
This attitude is not to be confused with that of the t~conscientious objector" whose individual outlook compels him to reject, if necessary, the function of government for the sake of his conviction.
The Bahá'ís are not retreating into a subjective attitude, but rather seeking to learn the divine art of a unity and cooperation which in itself represents the highest goal of social effort.
In the words of Shoghi Effendi: "This principle is no other than that which involves the nonparticipation by the adherents of the Faith of Bahá'u'lláh, whether in their individual capacities or collectively as local or National Assemblies, in any form of activity that might be interpreted, either directly or indirectly, as an interference in the political affairs of any particular government.
"Let them refrain from associating themselves, whether by word or by deed, with thc political pursuits of their respective nations, with the policies of their governments and the schemes and programs of parties and factions.
In such controversies they should assign no blame, take no side, further no design, and identify themselves with no system prejudicial to the best interests of that worldwide Fellowship which it is their aim to guard and foster.
Let them affirm their unyielding determination to stand, firmly and unreservedly, for the way of Bahá'u'lláh, to avoid the entanglements and bickerings inseparable from the pursuits of the politician, and to become worthy agencies of that Divine Polity which incarnates God s immutable Purpose for all men.
ttLet them proclaim that in whatever country they reside, and however advanced their institutions, or profound their desire to enforce the laws, and apply the principles enunciated by Bahá'u'lláh, they will, un
Page 33hesitatingly, subordinate the operation of such laws and the application of such principles to the requirements and legal enactments of their respective governments.
"Though loyal to their respective governments, though profoundly interested in anything that affects their security and welfare, though anxious to share in whatever promotes their best interests, the Faith with which the followers of Bahá'u'lláh stand identified is one which they firmly believe God has raised high above the storms, the divisions, and controversies of the political arena. Their Faith they conceive to be essentially nonpolitical, supranational in character, rigidly nonpartisan, and entirely dissociated from nationalistic ambitions, pursuits, and purposes.
Such a Faith knows no division of class or of party firmly convinced that in a world of interdependent peoples and nations the advantage of the part is best to be reached by the advantage of the whole, and that no abiding benefit can be conferred upon the component parts if the general interests of the entity itself are ignored or neg � lected."
The second principle upholding the integrity of the Baha Order is that which similarly sunders the tie which serves to bind any believer to the religious sect or church with which he might have previ � ousiy been associated. The Bahá'í does not retain formal membership in any creedal institution, since his faith compels him to live within a larger spiritual society than can exist outside the World
Religion of Bahá'u'lláh.Desiring to form part of a new and regenerated humanity able to perceive its fundamental oneness and forge bonds of enduring fellowship and cooperation, the Bahá'í has come to realize that this intention is incompatible with a traditional religious connection whose society is artificially restricted and whose development has been intertwined with historical controversies negating the real purpose of revealed religion.
The following words of Shoghi Effendi have defined the principle for the
Bahá'í community: "Theseparation that has set in between the institutions of the Bahá'í Faith and the IslAmic ecclesiastical organizations izations that oppose it imposes upon every loyal upholder of the Cause the obligation of refraining from any word or action that might prejudice the position (that is, that of an independent religion) which our enemies have in recent years and of their own accord, proclaimed and established. This historic development, the beginnings of which could neither be recognized nor even anticipated in the years immediately preceding tAbdu'1-BaM's passing, may be said to have signalized the Formative Period of our Faith and to have paved the way for the consolidation of its administrative order. As this movement gains momentum, as it receives added im � petus from the attitude and future action of the civil authorities in I ran, it will inevitably manifest its repercussions in the 'West and will rouse the leaders of the Church and finally the civil authorities to challenge the claims and eventually to recognize the independent status of the Religion of Bahá'u'lláh. Though our Cause unreservedly recognizes the Divine origin of all the religions and upholds the spiritual truths which lie at their very core and are common to them all, its institutions, whether administrative, religious or humanitarian, must if their distinctive character is to be maintained and recognized, be increasingly divorced from the outworn creeds, the meaningless ceremonials and manmade institutions with which these religions are at present identified."
On March 11, 1936, the Guardian referred again to this important subject. ccTh Faith of Bahá'u'lláh has assimilated, by virtue of its creative, its regulative and ennobling energies, the varied races, nationalities, creeds and classes that have sought its shadow, and have pledged unswerving fealty to its cause. It has changed the hearts of its adherents, burned away their prejudices, stilled their passions, exalted their conceptions, ennobled their motives, coordinated their efforts, and transformed their outlook. While preserving their patriotism and safeguarding their lesser loyalties, it has made them lovers of mankind, and the determined upholders of its best and truest interests. 'While maintain
Page 34ing intact their belief in the Divine origin of their respective religions, it has enabled them to visualize the underlying purpose of these religions, to discover their merits, to recognize their sequence, their interdependence, their wholeness and unity, and to acknowledge the bond that vitally links them to itself. Their Faith, Bahá'ís firmly believe, is undenominational, nonsectarian, and wholly divorced from every ecclesiastical system, whatever its form, origin, or activities.
Like two mighty pillars, these policies uphold the Bahá'í community high 'above the controversies by which every other society is being overwhelmed.
They mark a definite turning point in the history of the Faith, inaugurating that new era of development which the Guardian has termed the Formative Period.
For the individual believer they are a truly providential protection against the impact of a decaying civilization whose influences otherwise would betray all but the most determined and spiritually evolved souis. As the tree cannot resist the flame which sweeps destructively through the forest, so the human personality in such a conflagration of feeling as now rages upon earth cannot, without protection, resist the myriad tongues of psychological fire darting at him and penetrating his shell of custom, to consume the sacred spirit within.
Justification of the Divine Polity is not necessary, since current events in all parts of the world reveal the disastrous results incurred by confusing spiritual values with political policies, and religious aims with movements which are essentially materialistic behind their mask of slogan and phrase. In the long perspective, the success with which the Bahá'ís have understood, accepted and acted upon these two principles would alone constitute a vast achievement, were they able to serve the Faith at the time in no other way. By such successive steps is the World Order of Bahá'u'lláh emerging as a new world, a world in which man may be truly human � a world more and more separated from the wilderness of civilization in which vast hordes of bewildered people see no outcome except struggle to the death.
EXTENSION OF TEACHING ACTIVITIESThe powerful efforts of Bahá'í communities established in Europe to promote the Faith have been reinforced by a number of American believers who have been resident or traveling during the past two years.
Among these workers in the field may be cited Miss Martha L. Root, Mrs.
Helen Bishop, Miss MarionJack, Miss Julia Goldman, Mrs. Jeanne Bolles, Miss Jeanne Bolles, Mrs. May Maxwell, Miss Mary Maxwell, Mrs. Sylvia Matteson, and Mrs.
Louise Gregory.Since the previous International review was prepared, Miss Root has visited and worked constantly in Greece, Rumania, Jugoslavia, Austria, Hungary, Latyja, Lithuania, Finland, Norway, Sweden, and Iceland. Notable interviews given her by royalty, statesmen and leading educators have been published in World Order, the magazine of the American National
Spiritual Assembly. Herarticle describing her visit to Iceland has likewise been published in the same magazine.
Concentrating upon her effort to impress the vital importance of Bahá'u'lláh's 'World Faith upon the minds of the most influential and responsible leaders of opinion, Miss Root has found it possible to meet in personal audience with Dowager Queen Marie of Rumania, King Haakon of Norway, Prince Paul of Jugoslavia,
President Bene~ and Ex-PresidentMasaryk of Czechoslovakia, Princess Olga of Jugoslavia, Princess Marina of Greece, now Duchess of Kent, and
Archduchess Anton. Otherleaders similarly met were Mine. Tsaldaris, wife of the Prime Minister of Greece, Mr. Constantine Kotzias, Mayor of Athens, Mr. Stasys
Lozo-raitis, LithuanianMinister of Foreign Affairs, Dr. Erling Eidem, Archbishop of Sweden, in addition to educators in the various countries she visited.
In each case, Bahá'í literature in the national language was presented. The impressive record, moreover, includes the placing of Bahá'í articles in more than one hundred magazines and daily papers throughout northern and eastern Europe,
Page 35besides radio addresses delivered in Praha, Oslo and Bergen.
In earlier volumes of The Ba/id'! World it has been made clear with what sheer faith this Bahá'í has, with slight material resources and no assistance from Bahá'í finances, steadily ascended the steep hill of difficulty on her determined pilgrimage throughout the world.
'While no one can estimate the direct or indirect results which will in future proceed from these interviews, radio addresses and widespread publicity, Miss Root's achievement in arranging for new translation and publication of Bahá'í literature stands above the level of conjecture.
Thus, c~Bahi~u~11Th and the New Era," by J. E. Esslemont, has appeared in Rumanian and Greek, with a Finnish translation on the press..
Of pamphlets, five thousand copies of ccWht is the Bahá'í Movement?" were published in Rumanian, together with an equal number of ccThe Bahá'í Movement" in the same language, the translator being Archduchess Anton, the former Princess Ileana of Rumania. During Miss Root's visit to Finland and Iceland, editions of "'What is the Bahá'í Movement?" were likewise published in each of these two tongues.
The Twenty-Sixth AnnualUniversal Esperanto Congress, held at Stockholm, August 411, 1934, has been graphically described by Miss Root.
~tAt the opening session I had opportunity to convey the greeting of Shoghi Effendi and the good wishes of the worldwide Bahá'í community to the delegates present. Bahá'í literature was on sale during the sessions.
The special Bahá'í session, held on August eleventh, was beautiful and impressive.
The Esperantists met in a Council Chamber of the great Parliament building. Twenty nations were represented. Miss Alminda,
Bahá'í and EsperantistOn a long table covered with rich silk the Bahá'í books were arranged, Dr. Esslernont's volume in many languages, and a number of books and pamphlets in Esperanto furnished by Dr. and Mrs. Grossmann and the American N. S. A. After the chairman had spoken of the need for the renewal of religion, I summarized the Teachings on spiritual and social evolution. Lidja Zamenhof spoke last, and as one inspired. While attending the Congress I found it possible to publish four Bahá'í articles in the press."
A detailed program, unfortunately, is not available of the many public lectures which she delivered in the
Balkan and Scandinaviancountries during this period. It can only be stated that a number of new study groups were formed, and at least introductory knowledge of the Cause of God widely spread in new areas of Europe.
Sofia, Bulgaria, in which city Miss Marion Jack has resided since her visit to Adrianople (see The Bahá'í World, Vol. V, page 581), has witnessed the formation of the first local Bahá'í Spiritual Assembly in the Balkan States. The group of interested students of the Teachings with whom the Assembly is now working numbers about 150 persons.
While Miss Root has visited and worked in Sofia on more than one occasion, rendering invaluable assistance, the institution of the Spiritual Assembly was due to Miss Jack's ardent and patient labors.
Belgrade, Jugoslavia, has likewise, through the efforts of Mrs. Gregory, become the center of Bahá'í activities now established in what appears to be a permanent form. In the Serbian language, translated by Mine. Draga Ilic, there is now available a pamphlet summarizing the Teachings as well as Dr. Esslemont's book which was reported in the previous volume. The number of devoted believers has steadily increased, and Belgrade now represents a nucleus which later will surely evoive into an organized Baha community.
Mrs. Bolles and her daughter have assisted the Baha
Centers in London, Parisand other cities, more particularly Germany. During September, 1935, these American believers traveled to Nuremberg, Dresden, Berlin, Frankforr, Neckargemtind, Heidel-. berg and Karisruhe, addressing groups and finding many opportunities to bring the Faith to the attention of individuals encountered en route.
Similar journeys to Bahá'í Assemblies and groups in Germany were made by Mrs. Helen Bishop and Miss Maxwell, after attendance at the Bahá'í Summer School held in Stuttgart.
As a consequence, thebelievers of that land have shared their experiences and methods with American coworkers, and in turn learned more directly the principles of the Administrative Order as developed through the American Bahá'í community.
The American friends have also followed with admiration the accomplishments of Miss Julia Goldman, Mrs. May
Maxwell and Mrs. SylviaWhile in Stockholm during 1935, Miss Goldman had an interview with the archaeologist, Sven Hedin, who expressed his intention of seeing the Bahá'í Temple on the occasion of his next journey to Chicago. In Geneva, Miss Goldman met a number of delegates attending the Institute of Intellectual Cooperation. In addition, this teacher published interviews in the Stockholm press and held a large number of public meetings at Bahá'í Centers in England.
Mrs. Matteson, experienced in press work, assisted the English friends in sending to many newspapers a descriptive article and photographs of the Temple at Wilmette, showing the completed dome unit, with the result that the London Times and other journals published a Temple illustration for the first time. Mrs. Matteson similarly prepared Bahá'í material for papers in Germany.
The devoted sevices rendered by Mrs. Louise Erickson of Brooklyn, in promoting the Faith both in Sweden and Denmark, by journeys to those lands, by providing for the publication of Swedish translations of Bahá'í literature, and by newspaper interviews, are mentioned with gratitude and appreciation.
The Spiritual Assemblyof Paris in 1935 took occasion to mention the fact that a visitor reported having noted in a Swedish journal that the King of Denmark had accepted Baha literature presented by Mrs. Erickson. Articles reporting Mrs. Erickson's Bahá'í activities appeared in ttUpsala Nya Tidning," tcU1ri~ cehamn's Tidning," ~Af ton Bladet," and ttDajens
Nyheter," from MarchFrom reports and bulletins received from European Assemblies the following facts are made available.
"Highly successful meeting, December 30, 31, of the
Union of Bahá'í Students"Mrs. May Maxwell left Brussels to attend the Conference in Paris and has returned to carry on the teaching work in Brussels.
"During November MissMary Maxwell visited 15 Bahá'í Centers in Germany, speaking everywhere to the Bahá'ís and their friends.
CCM Jeanne Bolles andin December. In St. Moritz they interested several persons in the Cause. Now, upon advice from the Guardian, they have gone to Southern Germany, and will make Miinchen their teaching headquarters.
t~Madame Paula Moudrt wellknown writer and peace worker, celebrates her 75th birthday in Praha.
The Bahá'ís there are grateful for the completion of her translation of the iiqdn into Esperanto.
Miss Root spent some days in the city. She is now in Budapest, and will go to Athens to carry forth the work which she has been doing for the past few years.
(cThe League of Nations Library has accepted the copies of World Order, filed them, and made them available for readers.
~tEugen Relgis has written a book entitled Cosrnom6tapolis, which presents fundamental concepts of the crevo1utionary~ and evolutionary movement in politics, economics and sociology. The oniy chapter on Religion is given over to the Bahá'í Faith.
The author is a Rumanian, but the French translation of his book may be ordered.
"At the recommendation of Shoghi Effendi, Er~iu1ein Edith I-bin, member of the National Spiritual Assembly, and Mrs. Charles Bishop, made a tour of the Bahá'í Centers in Germany. The InterRelations Committee through Frau Grossmann planned the itinerary, and invited the friends to attend the meetings called for these two visitors.
CCAft the close of the Summer School in Esslingen,
Fr~iu1ein Horn and Mrs.Bishop visited Stuttgart, Zuffenhausen, and Geis � lingen.
Besides these two guests, the friends were delighted with the presence in some of their gatherings of Mr. and Mrs. Maxwell, and Miss Mary Maxwell of Montreal.
Page 37of Neckargemiind was also a guest in Stuttgart during these days.
~ Horn and Mrs. Bishop8th. In Leipzig they had ample time for deliberations with the friends. A special meeting was the reception given by Mrs. Bishop to the Bahá'ís and their friends. A similar invitation was given by Mrs. Bishop in Berlin. The travelers were delighted with the growth of the Cause in this city: in the last year the Community has doubled its membership.
There are now a number of active workers to reinforce the efforts so long sustained by Herr Lebne. In Rbstock, Frau Waicker, and in Warnemiinde Frau Schwedler arranged beautiful meetings for the friends. The Bahá'ís of these centers on the North Sea are always eager to hear at first hand of the activities of the Cause in other centers.
In Hamburg, on two occasions, a large number of the friends rallied to hear the two speakers.
cWhul ErThlein Horn went to Frankfurt to meet with the friends there, Mrs. Bishop went to Heidelberg to address a fairly large study class, led by Dr. and Frau Grossmann at the Museum. In Weinheim an excellent meeting was held.
tCOn September 23rd, Efliulein Horn and Mrs. Bishop met again in Stuttgart, to share with members of the National Spiritual Assembly their experiences in the teaching field. The special objects of the tour were as follows: the presentation by Fr~u1ein Horn of the notes which she gathered in conversations with the Guardian during her rememberable pilgrimage last May; the presentation by Mrs. Bishop of fundamental principles of the Administrative Order of the Baha Community, more particularly, the Guardianship according to the Will and Testament of !Abdu'l-Bahá, the dependence of the centers upon their National Spiritual Assembly, and the creation of the
Central Fund.invited Mr. and Mrs. Charles Bishop to work with the Teaching Committee in the new and general activity designed to increase the number of Assem blies in England. The arrival of Mr. David Hofman was timely; and with the help of these friends, the Committee initiated a Teaching Bulletin in order to draw the isolated Bahá'ís into the National Community life, more particularly, by treating questions on the Administrative Order and circulating the Guardian's precious letters. The response was immediate and gratifying for the spirited replies also contained lecture engagements for Mr. and Mrs. Bishop's national tour.
"In London, the practice of featuring an outside speaker along universal lines, once a month, was abandoned; and the program shared by Hasan Bahá'í Effendi, now acclaimed as a first-rate speaker, Mr. Hofman and Mrs. Bishop, resulted in increased attendance at meetings. Fireside meetings were arranged by the Youth Group, and by Mrs. Katharine Brown, and Lady Blomfield respectively; besides, Mrs. Bishop met with Mrs. George's weekly study class for intensive work on tThe
Dispensation of Bahá'u'lláh.'ttHas an Bahá'í Effendi, Mr. Hofman, Miss Cansdale and their enthusiastic colleagues gave a splendid chapter of the International Youth Rally, initiated in America, but observed throughout the Bahá'í
World on March 2 2nd."In April, Mr. and Mrs. Bishop went to Devonshire.
Lectures were given in Tor � quay at the Theosophical Society, beforc a large audience at the Practical Psychology Center; then at half a dozen friendly firesides the Faith was discussed with members of the Oxford Group, psychologists,
Theosophists and Anglicans.Ashburton held its first Baha meeting at the home of a resident Baha'i.
Mr. Mark Tobey had been ploughing four years for contacts at Dart-ington Hall, where he teaches painting. He presented Mrs. Bishop and her lecture before a goodly number in his studio. An American-Norwegian home was then offered for successive lectures with the result that before Mrs. Bishop's departure, the listeners volunteered to form a study class under Mrs. Tbbey's direction.
Good news has just come that interest is sustained; sixteen are faithful through the summer holiday season, while the autumn is promising, indeed.
Page 38ttNew members are recorded in the various Assemblies.
London has also gained; but the friends feel keenly the departure of Miss Goldman and Mr. F. St. George Spend-love, who is ever to be identified with the pioneer work which brought conscious practice of the high technique of Bahá'í Administrative procedure.
"The friends in Berlin formed this year a Spiritual Assembly. In addition to the Bahá'í Feasts there are devotional and instructive meetings each first and third Wednesday, the other Wednesday evenings being reserved for the work of the Spiritual Assembly.
"The group Dresden held 40 Bahá'í evenings in the course of the past year.
tcTh community Esslingen reports regular public meetings and Unity Feasts.
tC~ Frank fstrt~ain-Main.friends and in � quirers come often together for a study of the teachings.
"The group in Goeppingen-Geislingen has been quite active, though handicapped by a ioss of four friends through change of residence.
rrHainburg held regular weekly meetings for study and training of speakers.
Also the Unity FeaststCJ~ Heidelberg new interest has been aroused through a series of well-frequented semi-public lectures, as well as through some discussion-meetings and courses of introduction.
"In Heilbronn study-classes were arranged, offering a systematic introduction into the Bahá'í Teachings.
"The Bahá'í CommunityKarisruhe has meetings every Thursday. Especially well attended are the Unity Feasts which take place alternately in Karisruhe and Rueppurr.
"In Leipzig the friends gather every Friday and at the Unity Feasts.
t~The group in Rbstoclz continued its Lecture-Meetings and Unity Feasts and the study of The Dawn-Breakers.'
ccThe report of the community Stuttgart showed vivid activity: general meetings, Unity and other Feasts, Reading and Study Evenings, and the special celebrations and meetings on the occasion of the 13th National Convention.
This April, following ing the example of the S. A. of the Bahá'ís of New York, our S. A. adopted a charter and is thus the first local S. A. of our two countries to be incorporated.
'tAl in W/arnemiinde the friends formed a Spiritual Assembly. As a rule meetings take place every week.
ttln their bulletin tVienna Bahá'í News' the community Vienna reports weekly lectures. Unity Feasts take place regularly in the homes of the friends.
ccAfter the Summer-Week at Esslingen, 1935, the following foreign participants visited the German Communities and
Groups: Miss Julia Goldman � Boston(U. S. A.) with Mrs. Ruhangiz Bolles � Washington (Conn.,
U. S. A.), Mrs. Helen Bishop � Geneva, accompanied by Miss Edith Horn � Frankfort a.M., Mr. and
Mrs. Maxwell and MissMary Maxwell � Montreal, Canada, as well as Miss Bofles � Washington, Conn.,
Mr. Ezzatollah ZabibtcMrs Bolles reported on her journey which, from September 416, 1935, took her to Nuremberg, Dresden, Berlin, Frankfurt a.M., Heidelberg, Neckargemi~nd, and Karisruhe: tMiss Julia Goldman and I arrived in Nuremberg on September 4. In the evening we were called upon by Mr. and
Mrs. Lorey of Fuertlinear Nurenciberg and discussed with them till late many problems of the sacred Cause.
Though it is very difficult for the friends to arouse interest for the Cause in their locality they never tire in their efforts to work for the movement. Friday, September 5, we went to Dresden where, in Mr. and Mrs. Koehier's home, there was a gathering of eight friends. After the meeting many questions were put and followed by a discussion. Mrs. Hentschel, one of the friends in Dresden, invited us for dinner next day, where we met her sons and daughters.
There we had also a vivid and interesting discus-Sian
Ofl the Faith. Saturdayafternoon we left Dresden and at night arrived in Berlin. Unfortunately, we missed the Bahá'í meeting through a misunderstanding.
Mr. Leline gave us the address of a Berlin friend, to whom we wrote instantly.
The next morning she came to our hotel, and by the
Page 39evening brought together twelve friends � a great achievement considering the long distances in Berlin and the fact that these friends could not be reached by telephone. This evening became one of our most impressive meetings.
Tuesday afternoon we went to Frankfurt a.M., where, at midnight, Miss Ercimueller met us at the station and conducted us to our hotel. She gave us all of her time next day.
At the meeting next evening several gentlemen were present who were mainly interested in the solution of the economic problem from the Bahá'í point of view. The requested theme was: History and tenets of the Bahá'í Faith. Many questions were asked.
We hope that through the devoted efforts of Miss Freimueller, with the aid of Miss Horn and others and God's assistance a solid group will soon be created. Thursday we proceeded to Neclzargerniind.
Mrs. Gross-mann met us in Heidelberg and took us to her beautifully situated home. in the eve-fling we were expected in Heidelberg by some twenty-eight friends and inquirers; upon their request we spoke about our Bahá'í work and experiences in other countries. There we met again many friends in whose radiant faces we still beheld a reflection of the spirit of the Summer School. The next day found us in Karisruloc.
We were glad to see Mrs. Brauns at the station; she made her house our home.
The same night Mrs. Brauns had gathered about thirty believers and inquirers in her house and once more we were requested to speak on: Bahá'í experiences, the development of the Movement and its practical influence in our everyday life. Everywhere on our journey did we meet with sincere welcome, true hospitality and kind cooperation which everywhere created the spirit of unity.
On our train rides from city to city we gave the Message to many. A number of them to whom we gave literature showed great interest.
"Mrs. Bishop reports on her trip which she undertook together with Miss Horn: Upon recommendation of the Guardian, Miss Edith Horn, member of the N. S. A., and Mrs. Charles Bishop took a journey through the Bahá'í centers in
Germany. The ContactsCommittee made the itinerary and invited the friends to the meetings arranged for these two visitors.
After the conclusion of the Summer-Week at Esslin-gen,
Miss Horn and Mrs. Bishopvisited Stuttgart, Zuffenloausen and Geislingen. On September 8th they met the Bahá'í friends in Dresden at the Unity Feast. In Leipzig they had sufficient time for discussions with the friends. Mrs. Bishop gave a special reception to the Baha and her friends (their friends) Mrs. Bishop gave a iike invitation in Berlin. The travelers had the satisfaction to note the expansion of the Cause in this city: during the last year the community had doubled its numbers.
Mrs. Walcker arranged for meetings of the friends in Rbstoclz, and Mrs. Schwed-ler did so in Warneinjinde.
The Baha in these centers are always anxious to hear from a direct source of the Bahá'í activities in other centers. A large number of friends assembled twice in Hamburg in order to hear the two speakers.
Whilst Miss Horn went to Frankfurt, Mrs. Bishop proceeded to Heidelberg where, at the Museum, she addressed a large study-class. In W/einheim she enjoyed an excellent meeting. Unfortunately it was impossible to meet the friends in Karisruhe during these days. On September
23rd Miss Horn and Mrs.Bishop joined again in Stuttgart in order to report on their trip to the N. S. A. (CAft our friend Zabih from IrAn had spent some length of time in Stuttgart, he visited, in August and September, the cities of Karisrulge, Heppenhehn,
Neckargerniind, Heidelbergand Frankfurt. His addresses found vivid interest and left a permanent impression.
CtTO celebrate the birthday of Bahá'u'lláh, the community of Stuttgart had joined with the friends of the vicinity and numerous guests, altogether some 230 persons, for an impressive meeting at the Gustav Siegle House.
Mrs. Alice Schwarz and Dr. Eugen Schmidt addressed the audience. The evening was rounded out by a musical program, and concluded with a prayer and the singing of a hymn by all. This day, as well as the F&e-Day of tAbdu'1-BahA were commemorated in a dignified way with readings from the testaments of Bahá'u'lláh and tAbdu'1-Bah4 and
Page 41the tBh"' Dispensation' and musical recitals by the friends in R6stoclz.
"The Bahá'í group Heidelberghad issued a special invitation for a meeting on November 17th which was designed to create a closer bond between the group in Heidel � berg and the other friends in Southern Germany.
Among the numerous visitors were friends from Esslingen, rrankfurt a.M., Heilbronn, Heppenheim, Karisruhe and Stuttgart. Mrs. A. Schwarz � Stuttgart � spoke on The Day of God' and Miss Horn � Frankfurt a.M. � told of her trip to Haifa.
"Our German Bahá'í work received a valuable contribution through the travels of Mr. and Mrs. Eozdar from Bombay (India), Mr. and Mrs. Bishop from Geneva, and
Mrs. Sylvia Mattesonfrom Chicago (U. S. A.), who came to Germany upon the special request of the Guardian in order to visit the friends in the different communities, and to talk to them. The roz-dars, coming from Geneva, arrived on the 12th of September in Stuttgart, where they held a fine spiritual evening with the corn � munity there; they then proceeded to London, visiting on their way the groups and communities in Heidelberg, Berlin, Hamburg, and Bremen. At every place they admonished the friends urgently to always bear in mind their responsibility as bearers of the Bahá'í Faith towards a world torn in religious strife and to rise with all their strength to assist in the spiritual construction of the new era. At the end of September Sylvia Matteson, on her trip to London, called on the friends in Stuttgart, Heidelberg, Berlin, and Hamburg.
Her report about the Temple in Wilmette, in which she herself served as a guide to groups of visitors, and her narratives of the heroic lives of the great Bahá'í martyrs, culminated in a demand of joyful sacrifice, and never-relenting enthusiasm in the service for the Cause of Bahá'u'lláh.
At the end of September Mr. and Mrs. Bishop commenced their German trip which lasted over a month and touched every place which had a Bahá'í community or group. The Guardian had given the special niission to Mrs. Bishop to familiarize the friends with the ideas of the Bahá'í administration.
After a visit to the Bahá'í community in Stuttgart, she addressed the Dresden friends on the 27th and 28th at a well frequented meeting.
She devoted three evenings to the friends in Leipzig.
At a common meeting of the Quakers and Bahá'ís in Berlin she delivered an address on the subject tFaith,' and a simple reception in a Bahá'í home united the Berlin friends with their guests. Her next stops were R5stock and Warne-miinde. At both places several meetings took place, inspiring and strengthening the participants.
Proceeding to Hamburg, she devoted an evening to Schwerin circle and the friends in Luebeck. During her stay in Hamburg the community there had several intimate and more public meetings. Mr. and Mrs. Bishop made their return trip via Bremen, Frankfurt, Heppenheim, Wein-heim, Heidelberg, Heilbronn, and Karis-ruhe, exerting their efforts everywhere.
The end of the trip saw our guests from Geneva again in Stuttgart, Esslingen, and Goep-pingen. On the 1st of November they returned to their work at the
Bahá'í BUreau at Geneva.All the time they had worked with indefatigable enthusiasm at all the places, teaching and inspiring.
Thus they have made a most important contribution towards the awakening of a new spiritual impulse and an increased devotion to the service in our Faith. Several newspapers brought reports and articles on the occasion of the visit of our friends as the Hamburger Fremdenblatt in its evening edition of September 19, and the Hamburger Tageblatt of the same date, and � concerning the Baha Temple in Wilmette � the Hans-burger Frei.ndenblatt of October 10 and a Berlin newspaper.
"The cause of the German Bahá'ís has received great impetus through the presence of Mrs. Charles Bishop who, though stationed in Geneva, has made it possible to come to the Summer School, as also to visit the different groups throughout Germany, often accompanied by Miss Edith Horn who is now attached to the Frankfurt Branch but carries out the Guardian's wish to visit the various German centers from time to time.
Mrs. Bishop's great gift as a speaker illuminates the hearts of her audience; the earnestness of her spirit and the
Page 42charm of her personality make Helen Bishop an outstanding figure in the Bahá'í Cause and a most welcome guest at every gathering of friends.
are glad to state that we have had quite a number of most welcome teachers visiting us, though most of them were not able to stay long; among them were Miss Marion Jack, Mrs. Gregory, Mrs. Bolles, Miss Julia Goldman, Mrs. Thomas Collins, Mrs. May Maxwell, Mr. Spendlove, Mrs. Matteson, Mrs. Bechtold. Mrs. Hoagg, formerly in charge of the Geneva office for many years, until ill-health forced her to take an extended vacation, stayed in Stuttgart for quite a while and was a frequent visitor at the meetings.
"Of the German teachersand Dr. Eugen Schmidt as the most active speakers before large audiences not only in Stuttgart but in many big and small cities throughout Germany. These three friends have also taken over the greater part of the work given out by the Teaching Committee in connection with the addresses delivered before the Esslingen Summer School, although Frau Alice Schwarz, Frau Schweizer and others have also contributed to this work.
"During the last few years several of the Bahá'ís from I yin studying or employed in Europe have attended the Summer School and their highly spiritual talks have found a strong echo in the hearts of the German believers.
Naimi, Morched Sadeh, Ezzatol-lah Zabih are amongst these Bahá'ís from Inn, while Dr. Fozdar from Poona and his wife Shirin renewed acquaintances with some of the friends who had visited them in India some nine years ago.
t!In years of service to the Cause in Germanystands out as the oldest member, though a great nurn-ber of very devoted and active ladies could be cited in the South as well as in the North of
Germany."The Meetings of the N. S. A. have been held once a month as a rule; it is at these meetings that one obtains a glimpse of the quiet, persistent and neverending work that is being carried on behind the scenes by the small army of faithful believers who are devoting their life and every spare hour to the service of the Cause.
"Nobody, for instance, outside of this small circle of friends can visualize the effort required to cope with the task of translation that is constantly required and that is so urgently needed in view of the fact that relatively so few of the priceless books given to humanity by Bahá'u'lláh, by !Abdu'l-Bahá and by Shoghi Effendi have so far been made accessible to those of the German friends who are not able to read them in English or French.
'tWhile Stuttgart and surroundings (Ess-lingen, Goeppingen, Karisruhe, etc.) first saw the Cause firmly established in Germany, it can be claimed that in Berlin, Frankfurt a.M., Heidelberg, Leipzig, Hamburg, Dresden, Rdstock and Warnemiinde the Cause has firmly taken root and though the number of declared Baha is not so great as yet, there is no mistaking the fact that the Cause is spreading in Germany. In order to give the somewhat isolated northern districts all the assistance possible a special committee was formed at the Guardian's suggestion which includes a member of the N. S. A. and it is becoming quite evident that the
Cause in Northern Germany"Also the Vienna group retrains very loyal and active; in 1934 Herr Franz Pbllinger was a very interested visitor at the Esslingen Summer
School.were printed for 1933,~ and those of 1934 and 1935 will be printed too and forwarded to Shoghi Effendi.
tcTh following German Bahá'ís visited Haifa: in 1934: Frau Schweizer,
Fri. AnnaKbstlin, Herr Karl Klitzing, Frau Inez and Herr Max Greeven; in 1935:
Fri. Edithfrom June 8th to 10th, was an experiment in order to find the form and direction for future similar meetings on a larger scale. Saturday night, Dr. Grossmann greeted the friends and pointed out the special character of the gathering as a preparation for teaching � Entitled
"Lebensgestaltung."an activity supplementing the task of the Bahá'í Summer-Weeks which are devoted to a study of the teachings. He emphasized the twofold nature of the task which confronts the Bahá'í teacher � and it is the duty of every individual Bahá'í to teach and spread the teachings according to his faculty and possibilities: first to be aflame with the recognition of his sacred tasks in the service of the Cause of Bahá'u'lláh, to absorb its spirit and to possess an unshakeable faith in the aiding power of our religion, second to undergo a careful training. To this second task was devoted the work of the Teaching Meeting which, in short theoretical introductions and in practical exercises which held the keen and active interest of all participants, covered the most important prerequisites for the training of the Bahá'í teacher. Then Dr. Eugen Schmidt spoke on cspreading the Bahá'í Teachings.'
This requires above all our wholehearted and sustained efforts towards a realization and application of the
Baha principles. Mostimportant and essential for the expansion of the Sacred Cause is our spiritual attitude, our self-effacement and our way of living.
The Bahá'í teacher must always be prompted by an untiring effort to put his words into practice. Our words are iike accepted drafts which some day are presented to us to be honored. The qualities which a Bab~'i teacher should possess are enumerated in the Tablets to Bahá'í teachers and leaders, in which Abdu'l-Bahá demands from the teacher above all purity, integrity, spirituality, and responsibility.
CcThe two following days brought five themes and practical exercises.
"Speaking on ~Selecring and Organizing the Material,' Dr. Grossrnann commenced by pointing out the importance of being able to find the appropriate and most striking quotations when answering questions. It is therefore necessary that everyone read and study the writings.
It is also recommended to read the Bible and the Qur'an as they are often referred to. At present only a fraction of Bahá'u'lláh's and tAbdu'1-BaM's writings have been translated or pub-lisbed, whilst translations can never claim to possess the same degree of authenticity as the original. Thus we are faced with many difficulties when we try to understand the Sacred Writings. A constant study of the writings and meditation on the texts will develop our understanding and capacity, but we must always be ready to revise our conceptions: as our understanding can be only relative and as our capacity should always be in a state of development, we must never hold dogmatically on to our conceptions if we are desirous of spiritual development.
ttThen Dr. Grossmann discussed what Bahá'í Literature has been translated into German so far. We must distinguish between texts by Bahá'u'lláh and tAbdu'1-BahA, and records of their utterances taken down by other people.
The writings of Bahá'u'lláh and tAbdu'1-Bahi are mostly in the form of Tablets and Letters. There are also a number of recorded addresses and table talks of CAbdu~1~Bah~ of which those examined and approved by him, may, in a certain sense, rank with his Tablets and Letters.
But notes or reports of others, made after their conversation with tAbdu'1-BaM, are often unreliable and must therefore be considered unauthentic. The Baha teacher should avoid referring to them or use them oniy with the necessary reservations.
Then Dr. Grossmann gave a survey of the contents, purpose, and arrangement of all Bahá'í books published in the German language.
The practical suggestions about the arrangement of a reference index should cause every Bahá'í to compile one for himself. Each of the three customary systems (book, card, and looseleaf) has its advantages and drawbacks.
C(Th second theme COtS was discussed by Dr. Miihlschlegel.
An historical survey showed what can be accomplished with training in this art.
The characteristic of the Greek orator was his adaptability, that of the Roman his clear, somewhat rigid but logical and convincing manner.
The Bahá'í who is practicing oratory should heed many things. One of the most important points is the training of the memory. Dr. Miihlschlegel then dwelt on the technique of speaking, breathing, physical and mental attitude of the speaker, the necessity to inspire and lead his audience to action, etc.
Page 44t~Then by way of practice Robert Schult-heiss gave a little speech on 'Faith,
Knowledge and Inspiration.'"In the third theme Dr. Schmidt gave fundamental guiding lines regarding the structure and arrangement of study classes. The difference between a study class and a lecture consists in the participation of every individual. A study class has, therefore, the character of a colloquium.
The following points should be heeded for the arrangement of study classes: the number of participants should not be too large so that every one may take an active part in the discussion and may get acquainted with the others.
Second, the themes should be well connected and follow in logical sequence. The evening may be opened by a short presentation of the theme and followed by a discussion into which all present should be drawn.
The other method of working out tile theme by questions and answers, can also be made very interesting.
Our enthusiastic and convinced efforts for the great Cause should be coupled with adequate restraint; above all, personal attacks, amons the participants, should be avoided. If we want to spread our belief we must first establish it firmly in ourselves.
Then Dr. Schmidt spoke on tGod and Creation' in a manner designed for study classes, and the participants could recognize clearly what a difficult and responsibk task it is to be the leader of such a study class. The essential prerequisite is a complete mastering of the subject and related themes. Only when these can be met should a Bahá'í teacher undertake this task. In conclusion and by way of confirming the aforesaid, Abdu'l-Bahá'í discourse on ~God and the Creation' was read.
ttThe fourth theme was devoted to the character of Baha Feasts. Dr. Grossmann discussed several points regarding invitations, choice of locality, its decoration, musical introductions, reading from the Sacred Writings and short addresses.
As the Bahá'í Faith knows no services in the traditional form of our churches, special attention should be given to the arrangement of our Bahá'í Feasts, which should become a vital experience to friends of the Cause and believers alike. The Nineteenth Day Feasts bear a special character. They are divided into prayer, readings and devotion, and reports of the Spiritual Assembly, and the serving of refreshments which may be very simple and inexpensive. The first part serves as common spiritual communion of the friends with God; in the second part every believer should share the work of the community and the whole Cause.
The presentation of refreshments is an outward symbol of the spiritual bond existing between the members of the community. These words were followed by a Bahá'í Feast during which Miss Horn reported on her trip to
Haifa.tCThe third day of the Teaching Meeting was devoted to the fifth and last theme, 'Discussions.'
Dr. Schmidt spoke on its outward and Dr. Miihlschlegel on its inward requirements.
It is of extreme importance that the leader know his own limitations and avoid the discussion of questions which he could not answer satisfactorily.
Courtesy and poise should always be observed. The inquirer should be treated as a friend and not as opposition; his questions should be met with an understanding attitude.
The religious character of the discussions should never be forgotten. The audience often asks questions of a political character or plain political questions.
Here the discussion leader should point out that his discourse is based on a religious and not on a political platform and turn the discussion to the religious sphere.
After his address, the leader should endeavor to reconcile diverging opinions and to lead those expressing them to a recognition of the Bahá'í standpoint. This was followed by a practical demonstration, preceded by addresses on the following themes: 1) Unity, 2) Religion and Science,
3) Religious Cycles. Forthe first theme leaders for the discussion were for 10 minutes: Bruno B~uer, Fred Kohier, Mrs. Anna Grossmann; for the second, Mrs. Hiede Schubert, Alfred Schweizer, and for the third, Miss Liesel Mueller and Mrs. Anna Schoch.
The audience would ask questions which, at times, got the leader into hot water, and his effort to find the right answer was extremely instructive.
It was demonstrated that the Bahá'í discussion leader must meet very
Page 45high requirements to be able to find the right and comprehensive answer to the essential point of the question.
CCThis Teaching Meetingwhich was attended by 40 friends from the Southern part of Germany, was a first experiment but its success makes us hope that we shall meet more often for this purpose.
"Many years have passed since the two great writers of France, Gobineau and Renan, called the attention of their readers to BaLi'ism, awakening an interest which grows as the years pass.
"Later, the Bahá'í friends of France twice bad the privilege of receiving tAbdu'1-BaM Himself.
ttln France, the Bahá'í Faith is considered a great ideal, a worthy doctrine, and it can be said, without the slightest exaggeration, that both the press and public express opinions and ideas which clearly show a similar tendency.
"The group in Paris is still rather limited in the number of active members, but it is fortunately being increased by young students from frTh as well as by Bahá'í friends passing through Paris.
(cRegular meetings are held as follows:ttAt Miss Sanderson's home � every month (these meetings are consecrated exclusively to the young students of fr~n).
(CThe Spiritual Assemblymeets once a month at the home of Mrs. Dreyf us-Barney.
"The annual Congress of the Union of Bahá'í Students is held at Mrs. Scott's studio at the end of the year.
ccTh topics discussed on December 29 and 30 were: 1) History of Religions and their connection with the Bahá'í Faith.
2) Bahá'í Education, the basis of World Peace. 3) Know thee thyself
(Socrates).4) How best to promote the Bahá'í Cause. "A small group has been formed this year at Lyons by a few persons interested in the Cause and regular meetings are held.
"The Paris group take a special interest in the translation of Bahá'í works and have recently published the second edition of the Essay on
Báb's, by HippolyteDreyfus, which has attained a well deserved success, and also a pamphlet cBh~~i
Its History, Its UniversalctSverl hundred volumes of works on the Cause have been offered to the Munich pal and University authorities and now have a place in the catalogues of Public libraries and universities.
ccMadame Hess, in collaboration with Mademoiselle Alcan, has translated into French C cAbdu~1~BahA~s Paris Talks,' and Monsieur des Hons has translated ~The Mysterious Forces of Civilization,' both of which will be published shortly.
"It must be added, that if the French public fail to respond to any attempts of propaganda of the Cause, it, nevertheless, shows a keen interest in the social, philosophical and historical sides of the Teachings."
Concerning activities during 193 51936, the Spiritual Assembly of Paris has prepared the following: "Nous avons venu cette ann6e les m&mes sortes de rThnions que les ann6es pr&~dentes mais dies ont &~ suivies par un plus grand nombre de personnes.
"Parmi les visiteurs, nous avons eu Ia joic d'avoir Mrs. May Maxwell qui fonda, en 1900, le premier groupe Bahá'í ~ Paris.
Son passage contribua non seulement ~ notre d&veloppement ici mais, 6tant rest~e une partie du printemps ?i Lyon, sa pr6sence fut particuli&ement utile au petit groupe de cette yule qui s'int&esse ~ la Cause.
~~Nous avons eu 6galement le plaisir de voir plusicurs Bahá'ís de passage ~t Paris, � et parmi eux, Madame Orlova qui a bien voulu nous faire une tr~s int6ressante causerie sur son travail nix ttats � Unis.
"Nous regrettons le d6part de certains des ttudiants Persans qui ont tant ajounS ~ l'int6r&t de nos r6unions.
"Nous avons vivement appr6ci6 la prd-sence de 1'6minent bistorien du Babisme, Monsieur Nicolas, ~i la r6union oii nous avons Thtd la D6claration du BTh et Ia Naissance de 'Abdu'l-Bahá.
tia Commission de notrecpA s'occupe des ouvrages Bahá'ís a fait publier: tVers l'apog& de la Race
Humaine'la rernarquable lettre de Shoghi Effendi adress~e aux Amis de 1'Occident le 11 Mars 1936; une r~6dition de CLC Nouvel Ordre Mondial' de Shoghi Effendi, a de tL~tCO1~O mie Mondiale de Bahá'u'lláh' de Horace Halley.
ttMademoiselle Anguize Tabrizi est alke en Mai dernier voir sa famille ~ Haifa et a bien voulu porter ~i Shoghi Effendi, de la part de Madame Dreyfus-Barney: le manu-scrit original des tLe�ons de Saint Jean d'Acre' ainsi que celui de tTrois Le~ons sur le D6but de la Cause' par tAbdu'1-BahA, non encore publi6es, et de nombreuses Tablettes adress6es par tAbdu'1-Bah~ ~ Hippolyte Dreyfus et h Madame Dreyfus-Barney.
Ces &rits traitent de questions de La plus haute importance pour la Cause.
ttParis-Midi un quotidien de La grande presse parisienne, a publi6 un article fort int6ressant ~Sorties du Harem pour entrer au Parlement' sin 1'6mancipation des femmes en Orient; ii signale que le veritable pr6curseur du mouvement fat en 1850 Quaratul Eine qui suivit les enseignements lib6raveurs de Bahá'u'lláh.
une de nos r6unions le scuipteur Nicolas Sokelnicki entendit parler de la Cause et tie tAbdu'1-IBahi et se sentit forte-ment attir6 par le Bahaisme.
Quelques jours plus tard � sous l'impression de La pr~sence de tAbdu'I-Bahi � il 6prouva le besoin de trachuire plastiquement 1'impression reque a sur le champ 6baucha le buste, grandeur na-turelle, clu Maitre, aussi ressemblant que s'il l'avait connn.
tCAtl milieu de l'6tat de malaise mondial que nous traversons, c'est une grande force pour les Bahá'ís de France de se sentir urns aux autres Amis qui savent comme eux que le moment actuel n'est qu'une &ape vers une civilisation plus ordonn6e et mcii-leure."
ccTh Cause in the British Isles has three main centers of activity � London, Manchester and Bournemouth groups for study are forming in Bradford, York and Orping-ton. The enrollment of professed followers does not show great increase; but the work goes on steadily.
Large public meetings are not practicable where there is a dearth of trained speakers; but at the
Center in London where public meetings are now held on Sunday evenings at 6:30 P.M. some aspect of the Movement is always the subject of an address, and questions are invited.
"Sometimes the address is given by a non-Bahá'í on some allied topic, and then the chairman is ready to follow with a short speech linking up the Bahá'í view of the subject. Among the speakers have been The Rev. Magnus Ratter of the Theistic Church, Mr.
Brian Goddard and Mr.Peace Society which embodies in its principal objectives some of the teachings of the Master on the subject), Miss Christine Fraser and Mr. Wren of the League of Nations Union, and Mr. Judd of the L.N.U. Education Committee, The Rev. Leslie Belton, Unitarian Minister, and Mr. H. Polak.
t~Among visitors from other lands who have helped at the meetings have been tAbdu'1 Ijusayn KlAn Naimi, and Mr. and Mrs. Fuad Ruhani from Iran, Mrs. Stuart French of California, Dr. and Mrs. Fozdar of Bombay, and
Miss Julia Goldman from Honolulu."Baha speakers have been asked to address the New Thought Conference, the Brotherhood Movement, a Theosophist Group, a Toc H. Center, and meetings convened at Cambridge,
Doncaster and Brighton.ccDuring the Feast of Ridvan, 1935, considerable attention was attracted by an exhibition in the
London Center of Bahabooks and pictures, also of personal belongings of the Founders of the Movement in the possession of the Assembly.
"Another feature was aand Commemoration of the Jubilee of King George V. Parts of the Tablet to Queen Victoria were read and the special prayer composed by tAbdu'1-Bah4 on behalf of King George V. was recited.
ttThere are Youth Groups for the study of the teachings in London and Manchester.
Some members of the former attended aCtAnother development in London has been the formation of a Women's Service Committee which undertakes to collect
Page 47funds and carry out charitable and humanitarian projects.
"Some of our friends who have not definitely joined the Movement have given very welcome service on this Committee.
"In Bournernouth the Friendshave a special fund for the relief of those who are sick or in financial difficulty.
(CA notable contribution to the literature of the Movement has been made by the publication of tTh Promise of All Ages' by Christophul. This gives a scholarly and comprehensive view of the Great Universal Age which is beginning, and cannot fail to impress the reader. The author traces from the writings of the past how seers and thinkers of all time have foreseen this Day, and how the Founders of all the religious systems of the world have taught their followers to look forward to it. "With a wealth of detail and quotation from classic writings we are shown the history of the ages as a single epic, conceived of God from the beginning and unfolding with the majestic rhythm of His Purpose till the Great Day dawns and the era of man's regeneration evolves, the Most Great Peace is established, and unity, harmony and love reign supreme. To many outside readers it will give a new comprehension of the essential oneness of the diverse religions and beliefs, and a vision of hope for the future in a coherent explanation of the meaning and purpose of successive revelations.
Many readers have exclaimed, tWhy have we never heard of this before?'
"Another publication has been cTh Drama of theHall, founded on a plan indicated by the Master when He was in London.
"Reviews and notices of the Bahá'í Movement appear constantly in a Scottish weekly paper, The John o' Groat's Journal.
t~During the past two years three friends who have served the Cause well, have passed beyond the veil.
"On August 31st, 1934,He had retired from active work some time previously; but we do not forget the years when he held office both on the London and National Assemblies.
His careful and thorough business methods were of great service in the early days of forming the Assemblies, and for many years he devoted all his leisure hours to the correspondence and work of the Movement.
"On Whitmonday, 1935, passed Elsie Lea, for many, years Treasurer and member of the London
Spiritual Assembly. Shewas among those who had the privilege of meeting the Master when He was in this country, and her devotion to His memory was the motive power of her life. Through a long and painful illness her faith remained clear and strong and was her light to the end. Nine of the friends were present when her body was laid to rest and a memorial meeting was afterwards held at the
London Center.~tAnother great ioss was sustained by the London Group in the passing of Harry Romer. Accounts of his life and work will appear elsewhere; but it remains to record the thankfulness of the friends for the privilege of receiving him in their midst, and for the fellowship they have enjoyed with his rare spirit. The 'oss which the London Group has experienced in the return of Mrs. Annie Romer to the United States is a very real one. Her labors and sacrifices for the Cause were untiring, and we pray that she may receive the oniy reward to which she looked.
C(During the past year the Cause has been registered with the authorities as a definite Religious Community; and the Center in London has the status of a Place of Worship.
"In reviewing the progress of the Movement during the last two years, one recognizes that while there is heartfelt appreciation of the truth and wonder of the Universal Teachings, there is a very real reluctance to enter into anything like sectarian bonds.
The more thoughtful have just escaped from old exclusive viewpoints and quite plainly say that they do not desire to commit themselves to any one denomination; but in a country which has made, and is prepared to make, such tangible sacrifices for the ideals of universal peace and brotherhood, one can see evidences that the Spirit of Bahá'u'lláh is working strongly and effectively, and one may be full of hope for the future."
Page 48An important series of translations have been made during recent years by Miss Leonora Holsapple, long resident as a Bahá'í teacher in Baha, Brazil. The titles include "Bahá'u'lláh and the New Era" in Spanish and Portuguese, the "Paris
Talks" of Abdu'l-Baháand "The Most Great Peace" in the latter language. This service concentrated the teacher's ardent and sacrificing efforts for some years.
In 1935, however, Miss Holsapple, assisted by interested natives, rented a house well situated for public meetings. The first meeting was held on the Anniversary of the Birth of the BAt, and Miss Holsapple writes that she is very encouraged by the results, and particularly by the devotion with which the nucleus of bUievers, lacking material resources, contributed physical labor for the preparation of the new center.
It is her hope to be able to print a number of other translations she has made, particularly the Hidden
Words and Prayers. Manuscripttranslations of "Some Answered Questions," the ttfq~~" and other Bahá'í works likewise exist which later will be issued in printed form.
During the winter of 19341935, Mr. and Mrs. E. R. Mathews carried out an extensive journey through South America, following their trip to Australia and New Zealand, for the sole purpose of stimulating definite and lasting interest in the Bahá'í Faith. While too extensive to include the entire report in this summary, the following excerpts from their record are more than sufficient to indicate the degree of the accomplishment.
"As we had journeyed to South America with a definite Bahá'í program, that of forming groups for the study of the Bahá'í Faith, as well as to find individuals of capacity, who could comprehend Bahá'u'lláh's program for a future civilization, we gathered facts about the countries through which we were to travel. Thus we learned that while outwardly the Spanish conquest maintained, commerce was siowly drifting into alien hands. Canadians, hardy and thrifty, were here. Americans also, their heads crammed with schemes for accelerating trade.
Germans by the thousand, driven from the Fatherland by the great war. Italians out of sympathy with presentday government. These pioneers were moulding the envjronment to suit their needs, while each brought his traditions and his culture.
"The tSanra Lucia' landed us at Valparaiso and from there the train carried us to the Capital of Chile,
Santiago.(cMy first definite request to present the Bahá'í Cause was at the Y. W. C. A. The proposal met with an instant response. The staff made all arrangements and when the afternoon arrived the hail was crowded with notables; the heads of the Sweet Memorial hospital and clinic; the directors of the Valparaiso Y. M. C. A., the leaders of the literary societies as well as President of the college and ministers of various denominations.
Ivir. Mathews opened by reading a page from the tBahá'í Scriptures.' When he finished, the chairman asked him to read it again.
This request became the keynote of the occasion, lifting it beyond the ordinary meeting and when the talk Widening Our Horizons' was finished, questions were asked from every part of the audience. It was already dark when we left the building; the whole afternoon had been filled with heavenly enthusiasm, so much so that we could scarcely credit the fact that we, the bearers of a new Message, had been so warmly received in this distant land.
"Immediate results followed, for both the head and secretary of the Soci6t6 de Femina became students of the Bahá'í Cause. This little literary circle of thirty students studied literature in both Spanish and English and it was therefore arranged that they should read tBahá'u'lláh and the New Era' and cTh Goal of the New World Order' in Spanish and English.
"At length the time came when we bade farewell to our newfound friends, happy in the thought that in the Capital of Chile there would be a group studying the Cause. Study would augment capacity and in time an understanding of the principles of the New Civilization would draw these students to become part of the great program of Bahá'u'lláh.
Page 49"There are two ways of reaching the Argentine from Chile; the first is over the Andes, the route Martha Root had taken; the other skirting
Chile and Patagonia.We determined upon the southern route where no Bahá'í had yet been.
From the south, winter was already enveloping the whole Antarctic region, sending icy winds northward over Patagonia. We decided, however, to risk these hazards and go to the Argentine via the Chilean Lakes.
(tIn this remote land occurred a great spiritual experience, one of those meetings of the spirit that make social amenities pale by comparison. It happened that a German couple had come from Puerto Varas, Chile. Madame de
Burnciuihl spoke English.In whispers in the corner of the office we talked of the New World Order; as I unfolded the Divine Plan she seemed to read it with me as from an open book. Each statement of mine was rounded out and completed by this clearsighted woman.
As I explained the simple form of our Administration and the station of the Guardian of the Cause, she repeated my words to her husband: ~Listen Gustave, we have a Guardian � one who holds the world together in this day � one who is preparing humanity for a new civilization.'
Very thoughtfully he turned the idea over in his mind and then replied in a deep voice, tYes yes, I can understand that.
It is as it should be � somewhere a spiritual leader must be making the plan that will guide us out of the wilderness and chaos of the pres-eat into a new and better path.'
Madame de Burmuihi explained that they belonged to a large group of Germans who met and studied under the name of liberal Thought Society.'
But no more literature from the society was permitted in Germany, so as winter approached they were without material for study. The Bahá'í Revelation formed the link in the chain and they embraced it eagerly and wholeheartedly.
They felt sure that the study group would accept it as they did.
ccBuenos Aires greeted us with a downpour of cold rain. The stirring events of the Chilean trip, however, buoyed our spirits above temperature and filled our hearts with strong hope.
ttOpportunity came in the form of an invitation to address the Dramatic Society on the modern drama! I accepted. The afternoon came and dressed in my best I stepped upon my initial platform. The talk received widespread publicity and the daily papers carried the entire talk. This brought the editor of The Standard to interview us. I confided to him my dilemma. He was so intrigued that he decided to study the Cause with me and investigate its truth for himself. After an intensive course of reading he was carried beyond journalistic impulses and there begin to appear in the columns of his paper references to the word Baha'i, its meaning, its origin and finally a two-column article on the history of the movement from its inception.
"Giving a talk at the Spanish Club I had to employ an interpreter.
This was a veritable ordeal and I remembered how many times tAbdu'1 � Bah~ had passed through the ordeal of having His words redistributed by an alien tongue.
~Frorn a variety of public talks there emerged certain personalities that made an indelible impression.
First in order of time was Miss Beer, a German from
Africa's Gold Coast. Tragedieshad rained down upon her ever since the 'World War. In an agony of spirit she had battered at the door of ancient theology, only to find herself shut out by dogmatic controversies.
From the first, she fell in iove with the Bahá'í principles; she amassed a wealth of quotatiOns from the Writings and studied by night as well as by day. After our third lesson she read a paper on the Bahá'í Movement before the German Literary Circle. As the inner commotion of soul subsided, she expressed a happiness that is impossible to describe.
CCA giant of undaunted courage was Sefiora Barrill.
Her husband had been a pioneer in Argentine finance and from his accumulated fortune had built a veritable palace of medieval splendor.
Then, suddenly, she was left alone. It was at this period of her life that an awakening of soul occurred. All at once 'there flooded her being an inner consciousness that a new Message had come to earth, a Message, that would bind all religions together. She
Page 50closed the palace and started forth in search of that which her heart foretold. But everywhere she went she encountered creeds, old and new. Saddened by failure she journeyed homeward.
~ gave a talk at the Y. NV. C. A. on the union of all races, religions and creeds. Though understanding no English she came, to hear it, with her niece as interpreter. All during the talk I could see that she was in a state of agitation; she clasped and unclasped her hands continuously. As soon as I finished she beckoned me. tAll over the world I have been seeking the treasure that you have now placed in my hands this afternoon. tThe New World Order' that you have explained, has been ringing in my heart for many a long day.' Often when we sat together before the fire she would cry out CLet us go spread the good news � let us tramp the world over.' And though well over seventy, as we left she was preparing to depart on a world crusade.
c(Another wonderful friendship was formed with a distinguished Argentine fain-ily that we had met on the train from Bahá'u'lláh. There were a widow, her daughters and a niece. They came to hear me speak and presently we found ourselves being entertained by the most hospitable of people.
We saw gardens copied from the palaces of Europe, where roses grew as high as young fruit trees, beds of lotus in bloom, white and tranquil beside marble pools. Everywhere were rare tropical plants gathered from the far-off islands of the Pacific. One day, while Seiiorita Lavarello and I were driving, she remarked, tYou remind me of someone I met in Geneva � a woman all spirit.' Naturally I asked her name. tLady Bloomfield,' she replied, like you she is a Baha'i.
It is strange how much this religion attracts me, but I know it is not for me, for should I approach it ever so secretly, the family would know and every member of the clan would arise to save me from Hell that they would see yawning to receive me; � you have no idea of the power of Spanish traditions � the Rock of Gibraltar is a weak defense by comparison � I would be immediately surrounded by an ecclesiastical conference that would go on forever and ever.' twelli I replied, laughing, ing, Cjf the picture you have painted is even half true, I think you better come to the United States where no one will be inter-~sted in your beliefs, nor take heed of the ideas you harbor beneath your charming curls.' So we planned that she should come in the autumn and I pray that this free sod may come under the Bahá'í training that will develop, without curtailing, her lovely spirit.
ttTh visit to Buenos Aires that in the beginning had been fraught with dark difficulty, terminated in great enthusiasm for the Bahá'í Principles. Alas, that a rigid code prevented joining my pupils together; nevertheless, as I stood on the deck of the steamer that was carrying us to Brazil, I felt that group consciousness would be the natural consequence of Bahá'í study and would come about as a result of it.
CJ~ Rio, Leonora Holsapplejoined us. She had come following Martha Root's notable visit to South
America. Settling in Baha(which in Spanish means bay), she had set herself the task of mastering Spanish and Portuguese, while earning her living in a city directly over the equator. Encouraged by our Guardian, she translated and published tBaM'u'llAh and the New Era' and other volumes, thus making an Outstanding contribution for all time to the Baha Cause.
"Through the influence of this true Bahá'í friend, we were able to form a class without delay.
These people were sufficiently evolved to draw together for study and to meet often. A second class soon followed the first through important Americans to whom we had brought letters. The members of this class enabled me to place Bahá'í books in the circulating libraries.
ttj spoke on the prophecies fulfilled by the Bahá'í Religion and gave a short outline of the Bib, Bahá'u'lláh and cAbdu~1~Bah~. Their reception of the talk impressed us all. It was evident that there existed a strong spiritual tie between us and some day this will be cemented.
From that moment they did all in their power to help us spread the Bahá'í Message and surrounded us with every kindness.
tcThrough Miss Holsapple's influence I spoke at the
Educational League. Thisportant committee controls the education of Brazil as well as the reading matter that goes to schools and libraries. Religion may not be spoken from their platform but the breadth of the Cause gave ample opportunity to outline education from its spiritual standpoint.
I also addressed the Y. W. C. A. that throughout the journey had treated our mission with so much cordiality.
~tWC were invited to spend an evening with the Sufis to address their members.
As far as we could learn, they were not connected with the Sufis of fran.
The movement had been brought from India to London and its leaders, Mr. and Mrs. Cecil Best, were English. The pamphlets describing the belief seemed subjective in character though broad and humanitarian in design.
CCJ~ retrospect it is impossible to number the individuals that crossed our path during this voyage of five months. Constantly we were meeting strangers and constantly telling them of the purpose of our visit. By land and by sea, over thousands of miles, the Cause was heralded and its dynamic news spread."
Less than a year after this journey by Mr. and Mrs. Mathews, Mr. and Mrs. Dudley 1W. Blakeley started from New York on a journey to another part of South America, leaving on March 6, 1936 and returning toward the end of April.
The points visited were Haiti, La Guayra, Cura�ao, Porto Cabello, Cuanto, Puerto de Sucre, Curapano,
Trinidad and Georgetown.While the journey was taken primarily for reasons of scientific research, the spiritual intention of seizing the opportunity to promote the Faith of Bahá'u'lláh in new lands and among new peoples was no less vital; and indeed, the story of this most interesting and effective mission means above all the fact that Baha'is, under all circumstances, have a supreme aim which they cgn fulfil amid the ordinary conditions of life as laymen, and which requires no special ecclesiastical office or distinction.
Georgetown was their objective, and the place where the most active Bahá'í teaching was carried on. The journey itself, however, afforded unique opportunities for personal contacts and friendships in which ex planations of the Faith and its literature could be given. A radio talk at Trinidad, B. W. I., was reproduced in the local press, and the Blakeleys found many receptive hearts.
At Georgetown, Mr. and Mrs. Blakeley found themselves in a civilization partly Dutch and partly English in character, with a colony of East Indians whose members proved most receptive.
By public lectures, two series of radio addresses, and the publication of these ad. dresses in The Daily Chronicle, Mrs. Blake-ley succeeded beyond her expectation in establishing a real and friendly interest in the new World Order.
One series was known as ~The Voice of Peace," the other had the title of "The ROle of Religion and Science in Modern
Civilization."The lecture on ~tTh Unity of Man," delivered before the East Indian Associ~tion, led to the formation of a study class. Other lectures were requested by the Moravian Church and local members of the Masonic order.
SUMMER SCHOOLSThe rise of permanent educational institutions throughout the Bahá'í world marks a definite turning point in the progress of the Faith.
This turning point can most briefly be defined as the transformation of the content of the phrase ttBh''~ teacher" from its first meaning of public speaker to the new concept of educator, or teacher in the organic sense. The transition has been from the plane of personal feeling to that of conscious knowledge.
During the era when the Faith was promoted by believers touched by its spirit but incompletely informed of its teachings, it was inevitable that the active worker should consider "teaching" as exhortation more than instruction, as an appeal to enter a new Kingdom of Mystery rather than education in a universal science or art of the soui. The well of feeling was necessarily drawn upon to suppiy every lack of organized knowledge, particularly in view of the fact that the new Revelation was regarded more as a personal experience than as the basis of a world commonwealth. The influence of
Page 52the preaching habits of the professional reli-gionists in the prior religious environment also had its strong but unconscious effect, at least in the West. Moreover, the Faith disclosed no visible and immediate relation to the progress of human destiny as a whole, for in those days the Bahá'ís were as worshippers in the catacombs of a proud city which ignored their existence or despised their belief. The world above and about them still moved under an impetus which apparently had no dependence upon the Word of God.
Through the instrumentality of their Summer Schools, concentrating a trend already beginning to be apparent in the larger and more experienced local centers, the Bahá'ís about ten years ago began to face the fact that their Sacred Scriptures offered all the elements of a spiritual university and not alone the intoxication of a new and purer wine. The personal testimony of faith, the practice of seif-revealment, the sharing of individual states of feeling, the standard of ttteaching" in the infancy of collective Bahá'í experience, began steadily to retreat before the new standard attempting to safeguard the tiight of love in the glass of knowledge." The educator assumed the place long held by the exhorter, without sacrificing the inner reality of consecration and reverence upon which faith depends. The environment of the Bahá'ís had changed from tAbdu'1-Bah6.'s concentration upon individuals to the Guardian's concentration upon the community, and the rise of the Bahá'í educational institutions is the signal of this change.
By now the moving and evolving spirit of the Bahá'í community realizes the distinction between the Ccteacher~~ who possesses kn~w1edge not encompassed �round about with personal emotion, and the "teacher" who in reality projects himself upon the group.
The Bahá'í Summer Schooltoday, for all its brief duration and informality and modest equipment, offers definite courses of instruction and requires the attitude of the student on the part of those who attend. Its class leaders have prepared themselves by research and reflection, attested in the outlines each has prepared for his course.
They have not come to preach but to inform.In the reports prepared by the various School committees the vitality of their spirit of knowledge is clearly portrayed.
As the modern university had its beginning in the new body of knowledge available after the influence of Muhammad had reversed the anti-rational attitude of the Christians in Europe, so these Bahá'í Schools contain the germ of all future education, and in their fulfilment will be instruments for the diffusion of a universal truth unknown in any previous
Dispensation.1934 ecTh Green Acre Summer School for the 1934 season began its organized courses on Monday, July 9th, and courses continued in session five mornings a week for seven weeks.
ccTh first two weeks were devoted to a careful study of the ~KitTh-i-fqin.'
Those who were in attendance felt that they gained much added insight into this book of Bahá'u'lláh's.
Mrs. Greenleaf was particularly helpful in the way in which she linked the Teachings of the fqin with the present problems and needs of the Bahá'í Faith.
ccTh third week consisted of five lectures given by Miss Mary Maxwell on Nabil's Narrative, tThe Dawn Breakers.'
In this series, Miss Maxwell narrated the story of all the important happenings in the life of the Bib and His followers, and thus gave a most dramatic and inspiring review of this remarkable book.
It seems certain that no person who had not previously read tThe Dawn Breakers' could have heard these lectures without making a resobre to immediately begin to read the whole Narrative.
"During the fourth week Dr. tAli Kuli Khin gave a series of lectures on some of the Tablets of Bahá'u'lláh, which are most difficult for the Occidental Bahá'í to understand. He explained much of the tr~nian symbolism used, corrected some mis-transla-tions, and added greatly to our spiritual appreciation of these majestic Tablets.
The following TabletsInterior View of the Bath the Báb went to when a Child.
Interior of the SMh-Chir~tgh,Room occupied by Abdu'l-Bahá when a little Boy (six years old) in the Village of T~kur, M~zindar~in, itr~in.
53Khin during this week: tThe Tablet of the Virgin'; the ~Tab16t of the Holy Mariner'; the ~Tab1et of Wisdom'; 'The Discourse on the Temple'; tThe Seven
Valleys'; tThe Four Valleys.'"The topic of the fifth week's course was CHOW can the individual meet the spiritual conflicts of the modern world?'
with Dr. Genevieve Coy as leader of discussion.The purpose of this course was to aid Bahá'ís in meeting some of the spiritual conflicts within their own lives, and also to provide means for greater understanding of the spiritual problems one meets in teaching the
Bahá'í Faith."The sixth course, taught by Mr. David Hofman, was entitled cProposed Solutions of the Economic Problem Compared with the Baha
Economic Program." Inclear and simple language which could be understood by the listener with no background of study of Economics, Mr. Hofman presented the basic ideas involved in Technocracy, Communism, Capitalism, etc. The course was concluded by a discussion of the economic provisions of the World Order of Bahá'u'lláh, and showed in what ways the Bahá'í Program provides strength at points in which the other solutions were weak.
"During the seventh week of the Summer School Mr. Horace Holley presented important points concerning ~The
World Order of Bahá'u'lláh.'In a twenty-minute introductory talk each day, Mr. Holley discussed ways in which the individual Bahá'í may most usefully relate his life to the World Order. This talk was followed by readings from the World Order Letters of Shoghi Effendi. The morning's session was concluded by a round table discussion of points related to the Introductory talk and the readings. This course drew a large audience, who were very appreciative of Mr. Holley's stimulating presentation of both the material and spiritual aspects of our participation in the World Order of Bahá'u'lláh.
1935 "During the first week of the Green Acre Summer School, July 812, Prof. Glenn
Shook and Mr. Louis Gregoryeach gave two lectures, and Dr. Stanwood Cobb gave one lecture in the regular morning class period, from 11:00 to 12:30. The topics considered in their discussion were cJmmorta1ity~ ~Prayer' and ~Prophecy.'
"During the second week of the session, Dr. Cobb gave a very helpful course in which he reviewed his own book, tSecurity for a Failing World,' as well as tThe Promise of All Ages,' by Christophil, and then showed how these books can be used in teaching the Bahá'í Faith.
"The third course was given by Prof. Shook, on tMysticism and the Bahá'í Teaching.' Prof.
Shook had prepared a very valuable outline to accompany this course, an which he used Riihi Effendi's tMW and the Bahá'í Revelation' as the basic reading.
Topics covered included the following: the conflict between mind ama heart, the nature of mysticism, and the fundamental difference between mysticism and prophetic religion.
"The leader who had been scheduled for the fourth course was unable to come to Green Acre and the morning meetings that week were given to prayer and meditation, with various friends as leaders.
ttDuring the fifth week, four different leaders took charge of the work.
Mr. Emeric Sala led two discussions on the topics, tA New Aspect of Religion' and tA Theocratic Democracy.'
The speakers and topics for the three remaining days were as follows: � Mrs.
Rosemary Sala, CA Twofold Consciousness';"The course for the sixth week was led by Dr. Genevieve Coy, and the topic for discussion was CRil Likenesses and
Differences: the ScientificEvidence and the Bahá'í Teaching.' The purpose of this course was to provide Bahá'í teachers with scientific material with which to meet the arguments of non-Bahá'ís who maintain that the oneness of mankind is impossible because of racial differences.
"The seventh course on tThe Origin,of Man' was led by Mr. Alfred Lunt, and used sections of tSome Answered Questions' as the basic text. Mr. Lunt discussed very helpfully such topics as: the true place of man in the universe;
Page 55CURRENT BAHÁ'Í ACTIVITIES the human spirit as a divine trust, and gateway of eternal life.
~tThe final course of the summer school was given by Mr. Horace Holley, on the topic tThe Most Great Peace.' The purpose of this course was to concentrate thought upon the Baha conception of and program of World Peace, in clear distinction to the conceptions and programs emanating from traditional religious and political sources.' Mr. Holley began the course with a valuable historical summary of past efforts toward world peace, and concluded with a discussion of the
CMost Great Peace of Bahá'u'lláhas Regeneration of Mankind, and as Transformation of Society.'
(cThe largest average attendance at the courses was during the last two weeks, � 44 and 43, respectively.
The number of different people attending during these two weeks was 80 for the seventh course and 73 for the last course.
tcTh weekend conferences were held during the summer
: � Teaching Conference, July57; Amity Conference, August 1718; Youth Conference,
August 242 5.CCOne of the most valuable aspects of life at Green Acre is the informal discussion which goes on wherever the friends meet in small groups.
Such discussions were frequent during the summer of 1935, and those who shared in them found them unusually inspiring. Interested non-Bah&is often joined in these small groups, and thus had an opportunity to learn more of the Bahá'í teachings. We were especially happy in having a number of such guests at the Inn, some of whom have already joined Bahá'í communities.
"Green Acre was especially fortunate in having R~hi Effendi as a visitor for ten days at the end of the summer. He was a valuable member of the last course of the season, and many of the students found in his two dynamic evening lectures the highest point of the summer's work.
Geyserville1934 DEVOTIONS: 9:00 a. m. daily, under Big Tree.
CLASSES: 9:30 a. m. to 12:30 p. in. daily, inROUND TABLE DISCUSSIONS: 2:30
p. m. each Tuesday and Friday in the RedwoodOF CHILDREN: 9:30 a. m. daily in Children's Library.
Under the direction of National Committee for the Training and
Teaching of Children.Grange, 6:30 p. in., Thursday, July 19th, at the Grange.
Griffith Grove, SantaOdd Fellows Hall, Geyserville, 8:00 p. in., Thursday,
July 26th.UNITY FEAST: The annual reunion of the Friends and their guests, 12:00 noon, Sunday, July 15th, under the Big Tree.
COURSES OF STUDY: THESchool, held at Bosch Place, Geyserville, July 14th to 27th, 1935, was one of the best sessions ever held.
"It was opened by the usual Unity Feast, under the tBig Tree,' at noon, July 14th, attended by some 225 people. A true spirit of unity and devotion marked the opening of the School at the Feast, and continued throughout all the sessions. The attendance at the School meetings for the adults averaged 90. There were representatives present from Canada, England, Transylvania, Tahiti, China, Honolulu, Jamaica, and an American Indian.
(rMost of the people were housed in the buildings on the Bosch Place, while a goodly number camped on the grounds, and others secured lodgings in the city.
'tln the conduct of the school, a definite objective of the Committee has been to improve the presentation of subjects, and the development at the same time of Bahá'í Teachers.
Thus during the courses there were 19 different Bahá'ís who took part in
Page 56the lectures. Each one was required to prepare himself well in advance, and have the subject outlined and condensed, so as to take up not over 30 or 35 minutes at the most.
Two years ago a College Professor we had give a few lectures, remarked to me, that he did not see why we secured the assistance of College Professors, as our presentations were better than they could hope to do.
t(A1L classes are conducted on the creative discussion plan. The speaker introduces the subject with his detailed presentation in not over 35 minutes; then a period of 10 to 15 minutes is allowed for questioning and discussion. The third class of the day was even more of a creative discussion meeting, dealing with the Fundamental Bahá'í Principles. In this class the leader used not over 20 minutes to present the subject, allowing 25 to 30 minutes for questioning and discussion. Of outstanding interest was the course on the Influence of IsUm and the Teachings of Muhammad, the first on Isl6m to be given in an American
Bahá'í Summer School.ttThere were four roundtable discussion meetings, held in one of the beautiful Redwood Groves, which developed enthusiasm and clearer understanding among all present, of the important subjects under consideration.
"Children's classes were held daily. One class was for those under 7 years of age, the other for those younger. All young people over 13 were permitted to attend the Adult Classes or the classes for those young people between 7 and 13. There were in attendance in all 53 young people, of which over 20 were non-Bah4'is. Attached is detailed report of the Children's and Youth Program Committee, outlining the method of conduct, supervision of both study and play, and details of the courses of study.
"Three public teaching meetings were held; one with the local Grange at Geyser-yule, which is usually attended by all the officers of the Grange, the members of the Chamber of Commerce, city dignitaries, etc.; the second, a general publid meeting in the city of Geyserville; and the third, an afternoon public meeting at the
Griffith Grove, near SantaRosa, in the beautiful outdoor amphitheater there.
These meetings were all very well attended, and great interest aroused in the Faith.
ttrne citizens of Geyserville are becoming more kindly to the Bahá'ís all the time. Originally they were quite opposed to us, because of our Faith, Geyserville being an orthodox city. They even went so far as to warn certain of their people to beware of the Bahá'ís and their tpernicious teachings.'
This was four or live years ago. It is of interest to note in passing, that the two particular Geyservillians, warned to be careful of the Baha'is, have both become Baha'is. The newspaper giving full page announcement of the Summer School and an announcement by the Chamber of Commerce extending a hearty welcome to the Summer School, shows the spirit of fellowship that has been developed.
This has been possible only through strict adherence to Bahá'í conduct, which changed distrust into trust and confidence.
"The 1935 program follows, together with the names of those who conducted the various classes:
ProgramOdd Fellows' Hall, Geyserville, 8:00 p. in., Wednesday,
July 24th.The Annual Reunion of the friends and their guests, 12:00 noon, Sunday, July 14th, under the Big
Tree.(Classes were conducted by Bahá'í teachers including the following: J. EL Gray,
Louise Caswell, NadeenHolley, H. R. Huribut, Leroy C. loas, Sylvia Kemp, George Latimer, Charlotte Linfoot, Joyce Lyons,
Or-celia Rexford, PaulSchoeney, Maimie Sew, Irwin Somerhalder, N. F. Ward and Nell Wilson.)
TEACHING CONFERENCE:The following description of the program for children, maintained at the Geyserville Summer School, has been prepared by Mary Walker, recreational director in 1933 and 1935.
CCAlthough the school was originally founded for adults, children and youth have their place in the program, and it is these two groups which will be considered in this account.
"A brief description of the physical setup up for the children may help to clarify the picture of this phase of the program.
ttCl for instruction in the Bahá'í teachings are conducted around one large table in a one-room building, bounded on three sides by the outdoor play area. The play area most used is in the shade of a large tree. A small plot of grass provides space for circle games and story-hours for the young children. Several long tables and benches are used for games and handcrafts. A sand pile is also included in the play area.
"For class instruction, the children sit on benches along both sides of the table, and are supplied with pencils and paper, for the construction of notebooks. These classes are conducted by adults with knowledge of both the Bahá'í teachings and educational psychology.
They are approximately one hour in length, and include a story, some memory work, and a little picture drawing in connection with the general iesson.
"Notebooks are kept by each child and additions to them are made daily.
Hence, at the end of the two weeks, there is a permanent record of the entire set of lessons, and each child's accomplishments in connection with the lessons. A good deal of effort goes into the construction of these little booklets, and, in many cases, they are among the most treasured possessions of their owners. When a particularly fine piece of work is done, there is recognition for this achievement in the form of a gold star given.
It is interesting to note the enthusiasm resulting from such a recognition � small as it is. CCSince the physical development of each individual is recognized as a necessary requisite for a full and worthwhile life, recreation and physical activities are important in the summer school program.
C(The director tries to divide her time for the supervision of recreation as equally as possible into three groups � those for the very young children, the older children, and the youth group.
"The recreation period for the young children follows the class lesson in the morning, and includes simple circle games, stories, songs, short walks, simple handcrafts and sand pile constructions.
t~The children of this group range in agefrom about three years to seven years. Aside from the pure enjoyment derived from the abovementioned activities, there is, for each one, a practical educational justification.
The circle games provide big-muscle activity, and are especially important for the correct and normal growth and development of the child. Stories exercise the imagination, assist in the development of a young child's vocabulary, and often illustrate an important moral or social principle, which aids in character development. (The writer does not, however, believe that every child's story must have a moral.)
ccTh singing and learning of songs helps in the musical and rhythmical ability of the child, which will be a source of enjoyment throughout life.
"Handcrafts assist in the development of intricate neuromuscular coordinations, necessary for poise and various skills such as writing, drawing, and so forth.
Short observation walks help to enlarge the general fund of information, and an appreciation of the natural surroundings, to say nothing of the child's physical strength. Construction in the sand pile increases intricate neuromuscular coordinations, and imagination.
Tunnels, highways, bridges, and castles of sand are real and important objects of construction in the minds and the eyes of little children.
"However, all of these activities emphasize, mainly, the social development of the child � a desire and an ability to work and play with others. No adjustment, aside from normal physical growth and development, is more important than this one of a social nature, for the child who learns and practices the habits of fair-play and congenial give and take will find his place in the world, and will be accepted into society by his fellow men much more readily than if his habits were of a less desirable nature.
Th older children have a recreational program somewhat similar to that of the younger ones, although it is a good deal more complicated. These children range in age from seven to thirteen years. Games of higher organization are substituted for simple circle games. Stories and construction in the sand pile are almost entirely eliminated, and the songs and handcrafts are of a more difficult nature.
~tIn the afternoon, there is supervised recreational swimming, as well as instructiOn in swimming, diving, and lifesaving methods for the youth and older children's group. At the same time, a story hour is conducted for the smaller children.
~tIn the evening, the recreational program is primarily planned for the youth group, although a few of the older children enjoy participation in the activities. These include campfires and Csings,~ social games, social dancing, and evening walks. It will be noticed that the activities are mainly of a social character.
These are necessary for a well-rounded life, and are included because they are the activities in which the youth of today derives a great deal of pleasure.
ccSocial behavior of the highest type is expected and maintained, and where instruction is necessary, it is provided. The music for the dances and tsings' is furnished by members of the youth group, and is of a remarkably high calibre.
~~Geyservi1le and the surrounding country offer a splendid setting for delightful evening walks.
As large a group as twenty or twenty-five young people enjoys this type of activity during the long summer eve-flings. Singing is very popular with this group, and is remarkably well done. Several campfires around which community singing is led are enjoyed during the two-weeks' period.
ccThe members of the youth group meet with the adults for lectures and discussions on the various phases of the Bahá'í teachings during the morning hours.
This plan is probably not an ideal one, and it is possible that an alteration may be made with an increase in the size of the summer school.
ttDuring the entire two-weeks' period, the young people are busily engaged in preparations for a large pageant in which all of the children and youth participate. The general theme is the promotion of international and interracial harmony and goodwill, and, although there is not time for the children to write the pageant, almost all of the other responsibilities are carried by them.
These responsibilities includethe playing of the various rOles � some thirty or forty in number, the selection and rendering of the music, the construction of stage settings, lights, and costumes; and assistance in directing the production.
This pageant has become something which is looked forward to with eagerness by all of the students of the summer school.
The outstanding feature is not, however, the production itself, but it is the sincerity with which each participant makes his contribution to the whole affair.
cTh members of the summer school are given the opportunity of living in a most broadening and thought-stimulating cosmopolitan group. All stages of financial and economic conditions are found.
Many races and nations are represented, and all ages have a place.
There is an unmistakable spirit of sincere and joyous good-fellowship and cooperation prevalent at all times.
It would be difficult to find a happier community.
(!Could any group of people � young or old � � be trained and educated in a more ideal situation?
Could any community be more wholesome, or more conducive to international, interracial, and interciass harmony?
ttCertainly the opportunities of these young Bahá'í s � their background and training � are rare treasures to be cherished and shared now and in future years.
LOUHELEN RANCHSchool had its beginning in the summer of 1931 when, in the month of August, some score of Bahá'ís and their friends gathered at Lou-helen Ranch to study intensively for nine days the teachings of Bahá'u'lláh and to spread the teachings in the surrounding country. Louhelen Ranch is the name given to the farm owned by Mr. and Mrs. L. W. Eggleston of Detroit.
It is a beautiful stretch of rolling land containing stream, ravine, woods, open fields and pasture and situated in eastern Michigan near the little village of Davison and oniy ten miles from the city of Flint. The leaders of the classes that summer were Mr. and Mrs. Howard Ives and Mr. and Mrs. Harlan Ober.
A marked spirit of harmony and a spiritual atmosphere seemed to pervade the place from the beginning and has been in evidence each summer since, while a steady growth in attendance and interest has taken place which would seem to belie the small and almost unnoticed beginning.
(cEli year Mr. and Mrs. Eggleston have generously added buildings and other equipment to the original plant until now there are comfortable summer accommodations for about one hundred people besides an auditorium and a recreation hail.
"The outstanding step forward in 1934 was the inauguration of a separate session for young people.
This idea really started with the young people themselves who had asked the previous summer that they might have a session all their own the next summer. Their joyous enthusiasm did not wane and for four days, June 2528, they proved to those in charge that in the hands of tomorrow s adults lies a real gift to our beloved Cause. The daily program follows: CCThe Principles of Bahá'u'lláh,
HarlanccCounselors for the young people who guided, advised, and helped in plans were Mrs.
Dorothy Baker and StanleyMason. Mrs. Baker conducted the devotional period each morning. There was a resident attendance of about forty, and others who were present for a day or more made about sixty who contacted the teachings. Most of these came from Bahá'í families but there were a few who learned of the teachings for the first time and who since this first knowledge have constantly grown in their love and zeal for the Cause.
"The classes, with the exception of the one by James McCormick which was held right after supper, were held in the morn
Page 60ing. This left the afternoons largely free for recreation or for group discussions and private interviews of deep import to those concerned.
Programs of a more or less serious nature were arranged for the evenings by a committee of young people.
"The importance of this definite beginning of a distinct youth conference cannot be overestimated.
May its growth, through the power of the Spirit, be unbounded and its influence in establishing the World Order of Bahá'u'lláh be unlimited.
~~Many young people remained through the general session which covered nine days, July 30-July 8. June 30 was registration day with a program of welcome, inspiration, and fellowship in the evening, and on the remaining eight days the following program was carried out: "Devotions � Leader selected.
Bahá'í Administration,Bahá'í Teachings and the Bible, Mrs. Shahnaz Waite.
ttEach afternoon a public lecture was given. The evening programs were varied and required less concentration. Often there were stories of Haifa, tAkkA and the Master.
Sometimes there was group singing. Two evenings directed by the young people were given over to Temple inspiration.
tcThis was the first summer a special course on Bahá'í Administration had been given and the interest was noteworthy. The opportunity for questions and discussions seemed to satisfy a widely felt need and to indicate a growing consciousness that each individual is a member of and each local community a unit in Bahá'u'lláh's World
Order.CCThe summer of 1935 showed expansion in that three sessions instead of two were held. The attendance increased and there was sustained interest and enthusiasm. The youth session covered the dates June 2427 inclusive.
Fifty-seven young people were in daily attendance as residents besides about thirty visitors for a day or more. As far as we know this is the largest group of Bahá'í youth ever gathered in a f our-day conference in this country. They were eager, enthusiastic, happy. Their daily morning program was: "Devotions, Mrs. Dorothy
Baker.World Order Letters of The Guardian, � Forum conducted by one of the young people.
"As previously, the afternoons were free for games or sports or whatever one chose. It was noticeable that many chose to devote a part of each afternoon to quiet group discussions sometimes with one of the teachers and sometimes by themselves. The evenings, too, as formerly were in charge of a young peopie's committee which chose to devote a part of each evening to serious subjects.
tThe time is so short,' they said, 'that it seems a pity not to have something really worth while in the evening.'
One evening was devoted to a teaching conference under the leadership of Dale Cole, regional representative of the
Teaching Committee. Greatenthusiasm was shown, many questions were asked, and valuable suggestions were made.
"On the Sunday preceding the youth session Madame Orlova gave two inspiring talks and many were on hand to hear her. Monday, too, she spoke in the afternoon, but was called back to Chicago before the youth session closed. Later she returned and her afternoon talks were a source of attraction during the general session.
ttDr. Lenore Morris was counselor and general assistant at this session for the young people.
t~The general session followed the youth session with one day intervening and a few of the youth remained for this session. About fifty-five were registered for full time or for more than a day. There were three regular courses and an address in the afternoon designed especially for those who come in from outside and know little of the Cause. The nine-day program (June 29-July 7) follows:
Page 61"An unusually high spiritual and scholarly standard was maintained in all these courses and they dovetailed into each other as though they had been worked out in consultation.
"According to custom the afternoons were free for visiting, discussion, swimming, games and other recreation except for the public talk which was given by Madame Orlova or one of the teachers. The evening programs were varied and of a more or less serious nature.
One evening Madame Oriongave a beautiful talk on the Bahá'í House of Worship. This led to voluntary offerings which were sent as a special gift to the national treasurer.
Two other evenings Madame Orlova spoke on other subjects or gave readings.
One eve-fling Frank Warnerof Lima told us about his trip to Haifa, illustrating his talk by pictures he had taken while there.
The true spirit of the Master's house and the Holy Shrines seemed to pervade the atmosphere at that time. At another evening gathering stories of Haifa and tAbdu'1-Bahi were told.
Community games and singing helped us to get acquainted the first evening. The talk which Mr. Cobb gave about the Turk at one of these evening gatherings helped to make us understand and appreciate the fine qualities of these brothers.
"The first afternoon and evening were given over to a teaching conference led by Dale Cole. The exchange of ideas and sug.-gestions was stimulating.
CCAt the third session, which was h~id August 1925, the plan was the same as for the other general session. The daily attendance averaged from twenty to twenty-five and there was keen interest throughout. Many came daily from the nearby city of Flint so that forty or fifty people were reached in this session.
The daily program was: CCDtiLd selected.Foundations of the N~w World Order, Carl Schefiler.
The Origin and PowersC(Public afternoon talks and varied eve-fling programs were maintained as in the other sessions.
On two evenings we were entertained by groups from Flint.
One of these was a group of colored friends and a number of the regular attendants were colored.
The presence of Mrs. True gave a special inspiration for she shared with us her recent experiences at Haifa and messages from Shoghi Effendi. An evening devoted to the Temple resulted in a further offering to the national fund.
ccMore publicity was given to the school this summer than before. A fine feature article in the Flint Journal is worthy of especial mention. This summer school has made a very definite connection with the city of Flint and two or three carloads of people came out every day to morning, afternoon, or evening meetings.
A vigorous and growing Bahá'í community is developing in Flint as a result of the school. To the young people of this group the school is much indebted for their activities and help.
"Besides this outstanding result of the summer school we believe the school is having an influence which it is difficult, even impossible, to estimate, There is a real spreading of the knowledge of the Cause and the individuals who attend surely gain in the depth and amount of their knowledge. The courses are intensive.
A great deal of ground is gone over, but the interest has been sustained throughout and the attendance almost one hundred per cent of those enrolled.
There has been a distinct spirit of happiness, hope, and courage in all the sessions.
More than one has said that be, or she, came tired and discouraged and went away with hope and vision and desire to work. The meeting together of Bahá'ís from different communities has a distinct value in increasing understanding and unity. A good many new people have become interested in the Cause as a result of the school.
Our aim is to follow the instructions of Shoghi Effendi in widening the range and consolidating the foundations of this school year by year.
c~Besides these sessions reported the school is open throughout the season to casual inquirers or to those who wish to spend a quiet vacation or to Bahá'í groups for a day's outing. During the past summer Mr. and Mrs. Dale Cole made the ranch their headquarters and Mrs. Cole was in constant residence. More and more it is the hope that this will be a center from which there is a constant flow of the teachings and spirit of
Bahá'u'lláh. � Bertha HydeVom 5.-Il. August 1934 irn BaLi'i-Heim bei Esslingen a.N. Kurs A: yolk und Glaube, Ref. Dr. Adelbert Miihlschlegel.
Kurs B: Von Christus bis Bahá'u'lláh, Ref. Dr.
Hermann Gross-mann.Kurs C: Bah&'i-Glaube und Christen-turn, Ref. Dr.
EugenKurs D: Bahi'i-Verwaltung, Ref. Dr. Hermaun Grossmann.
(Administration), Korref."l7oririige: Religion, Dr. Eugen Schmidt. Manifestation, Dr. Adelbert Miihlschlegel.
Gott in uns, Emil J6rn.und Christentum II 20 Uhr Vortrag: Gott in uns "Donnerstag, 9.8.:
9 Uhr Kurs B: Von Christushis Bahá'u'lláh III Nachmittag und Abend frei t~Freitag, 10.8.:
9 Nachmittag Kurs D: Bah~'i-Ver-wairung"Die Sommerwoche soil wieder den Char-akter einer Arbeicsgerneinschaft tragen, weshaib sich an die t~g1ichen Kurse jeweils eine gemeinsame Aussprache anschliessen wird. Pine rege Mitarbeit der Teilnehmer wird sehr begriisst. AU Wunsch k6nnen besondere Aussprachen angesetzt werden.
EINLADUNGzur vierten Bahá'í � Soinmerwoche, l3ssiingen u.N., 24.. August � i. September 1935
CCL ittli !Der Mensciader Neuen Aera.' eeKurse: Helen Bishop � Genf, Dr. Hermann Grossmann � Neckargemiind,
Dr. Adelbert Mhhlschlegelu. frejer Wille / Liebe-Glaube-Gerechtigkeit � Erkenntnis)
C. tDie Sendung Bahá'u'lláh's'c(Mittwoch 28. August: 9 Ulir: Kurs B, 3. 17 Ulir: Kurs B, 4.
2014 Uhr: Musik-u. Liederabend. t!DonnerstagCcFreitag, 30. August: 9 Ulir: Kurs C, 2. 17 Uhr: Kurs C, 3.
2O~4 Uhr: tNabils Erz~ih1ung.'9 Uhr: Kurs C, 4a. 17 Uhr: Kurs C, 4b. 20� Uhr: tDer Ruf nach dem neuen Menschen.'
(csonntag 1. September:"Die Veranstaltungen finden im esslinger Bahi'i-Heim bei der Katharinenlinde stafl, das durch seine liebliche Lage, abseits von Verkehr und Grosstadt in NThe des Waldes, mit Liegewiese und reicher
Mdglichkeit zu SpaziergThgenin den Freizeiten ausreichend Gelegenheit zu korperlicher Erholung und Ausspannung bietet.
Die Teilnahmekosten betragen R. M. 15 . � einschuiesslich Verpile � gung und einfacher
Unterkunft irn Bahk'i-Heim;Einzelzirnrner ausw~irts zu m~issig-sten Preissen.
ttMbglichst baldige Anmeldung an Fri. Anna K6stlin, Esslingen a.N., Wehrneckar � strasse 1, erbeten."
August 24-September 1, 1935Courses: Helen Bishop, Geneva, Dr. Hermann Grossrnann, Neckargemiind, Dr. Adelbert Miihlschlegel, Dr. Eugen Schmidt, Stuttgart.
A. ctWh Does the WorldIndividual, The turn of the times) B. ccThe Man of the New Era" (Religious Life,
Organic Life-Laws, FateC. "The Message of Bahá'u'lláh." (The decision, BahA'i-IPrinciples:
The IndividualHelen Bishop: t~Nabi1's Narrative from the early days of the Bahá'í faith."
A. M. Schweizcr: t(Lif and Death."Dr. A. Miihlschlcgel: "The Call for the New Man" (from the poetry of all ages).
Other events: Morningcelebration (Miss A. Kbstlin � Esslingen, Speaker Dr. A. Miihlschlegelj.
Closing celebration (DirectionDuring the past six years, an annual conference has been held in Paris which gathers together for discussion and study a number of students attending various universities in Europe, all of whom are ckclared Baha'is.
An interesting account of the conference held December 29 and 30, 1935, has been furnished by the committee, through Mr. M. Hakim. This statement, in the original French, follows: (CNO sommes tr~s heureux d'informer ceux auxquels nous avons envoy6 'a
Convocation du 15 Novembredernier que la 6~me Conf6rence annuelle des Etudiants Bahá'ís a eu lieu les 29 et 30 D6cernbre 1935, chez Mine.
Scott, dans La pius grande joic a sinc6ritd.C(En effet, conform6ment au d&ir supreme de tAbd'lBh' de r6aliser 1'union de 1'Est et de l'Ouest par 1'interm6diaire de la jeunesse, notre ami Monsieur Rochan a eu 1'id6e ii y a cinq ans, en 1931, d'organiser ~ Paris la premi&e Conf6rence.
(CAinsi chaque ann6e, nos amis se r6unis-sent pendant la p6riode des vacances urn-versitaires du nouvel an, et cette ann6e comme les ann6es pr&z6dentes, avec l'appro-bation de notre Gardien Shoghi
Effendi, notre 6~me Conf6renceccPendant les deux jours, 60 personnes furent pr6sentes.
Parmi nos amis, nous aVOfls Cu iC grand plaisir d'avoir Madame Maxwell, fondatrice de Ia Cause ~i Paris, qui &ait venue en France spdcialement pour cette r6union, et Mademoiselle Lidja Zamen-hof; on connait la valeur et Ic na6rite de son p&e, Monsieur Zamenhof, le cr6ateur de Ia langue esperanto. Ii fut 6galement tr~s agr6able pour nous de voir Monsieur Zabib, venant de Lyon ob, depuis deux ans, ii r~ussit ~ former le premier groupe Bahá'í de cette yule.
"Plusieurs amis de province a de l'&ranger nous ont exprim~ leur regret de ne pouvoir assister ~ Ia Confdrence et nous ont souhait~ succ~s et aide spirituelle.
CCLe premier jour, apr~s une pri&e, Monsieur Kennedy, Pr6sident de 1'Asscmbke Spirituelle de Paris, souhaita Ia bienvenue puis dQnna La parole i Monsieur Hakim, Secr6taire des Etudiants Baha'is, qui remer-cia les personnes pr6sentes, 1'Assembl6e Spirituelle de Paris, et donna lecture de 1'ordre du jour.
CCMi Chahidzadeh traita avec conscience le premier point: tL'histoire des religions et leur rapport avec le Bahi'isme.' Ii d~montra que le besoin d'une religion retrouve ~ travers ics ages et dans les civilisations les plus diverses, et que le Bah6'isme a le caract~re universel n6cessaire pour rapprocher les hommes de toutes races et croyances.
"Ensuite, Monsieur Dehkan, avec son doquence habituelle, parla du second point: cL~Education Baha'i, base de la Paix Mon-diale.'
En larges traits ii montra, d'une part Ic parti-pris, d'autre part les probkmes vitaux non r6solus qui emp6chent Ic monde de sortir du cercie infernal des guerres, puis comment le BaM'isme apporte l'esprit de communaut6 mondiale ndcessaire ~t une base durable de Paix.
c~AprAs ces deux causeries notre premi&e journ6e prenait fin, et rendezvous fut pris pour Je lendemain.
"Le Lundi 30 D6cembre, toujours devant un auditoire assez nombreux, notre ami Monsieur Mesbah traita avec profondeur de 'rue Ia question suivante: tConnais-toi toi-m~me (Socrate).' Ii expliqua comment, pour tout &re, ii est essentiel de connaitre ses limires et ses possibilit6s et si par sa volont~ ii se tourne vers Ia source de v6rit~, Dieu, ii pourra donner ~ ses actes une haute portdc morale et bienfaisante.
ttApr~s une biive discussion sur ce sujet, Madame Maxwell parla pendant un quart d'heure de l'activit~ de la jeunesse amen-Caine a canadienne pour Ia Cause. Puis on commen~a ~ traiter Ic point de 1'ordre du jour relatif ~ un 6change de vues sur tLes meilleurs Moyens de r6pandre Ic Bahi'isme' et on envisagea tour ~ tour: I'exemple donn6 par la vie, les publications, les r&inions, les voyages et correspondances, etc. Malheu-reusement Ic temps s'avanqant, on ne put donner que trois quarts d'heure ~ ce sujet.
"Avant de terminer on fit une distribution de ijyres Baha'is, de photos du Maitre, de bagues grav~es offertes par
Madame Dreyfus-BarneyRoom in Hiji Mirza J~ni's House in KasMn, where the BTh slept.
Alcove in Irn~rn-Z~dih Ma~si~irn, Tihr~n, where the remains of the B~b were kept.
Grave of B~di', Bearer of Bahá'u'lláh's Tablet to N6~siri'd-Din ShTh, near Tihr~n.
65ttApr~s ces deux jours de r6union, nous avons senti la v4rivable intimit~ qui exis-tait entre ces diff6rentes personnes de 1'Ouest et de 1'Est dunies sous le nom de Bahá'u'lláh, Ct nous 6tions tellement heureux que les Etudiants d'~cid&ent d'ex-primer dans une lettre, leur joie et leur fidditS au Gardien Shoghi Effendi."
EXTENSION OF YOUTH ACTIVITYextended the functions of the American Bahá'í Youth Committee in the following words: "He would strongly urge you to cooperate, heart and soul, with all the various Assemblies, groups and committees throughout the Bahá'í world, to ask for their assistance and help for the successful discharge of your duties and obligations, and in this way to try to build up an active and ready mind among the Bahá'í youth throughout the world.
In other words, you should not confine your activities to the national sphere but should strive to create under the supervision of your N. S. A. an international body of active young Bahá'í men and women who, conscious of their manifold and sacred responsibilities, will unanimously arise to spread the Holy 'Word."
The period 19341936 has consequently represented a rapid development of world consciousness among the Baha youth of North America and the formation of plans more intensive in spirit and more widespread in scope.
As stated in the Youth Committee's annual report for 19341935, "communication has been established with nineteen international groups representing fifteen nations, and with fifty-three local groups." That same year brought forth a
CfBah4~i Youth Bulletin"as the organ of the young people and also a number of study outlines aimed to bring the youth groups into closer touch with the Teachings as the solution of modern problems.
The Committee's report a year later stated that the Bulletin had been transformed into a quarterly magazine entitled Bahá'í Youth, that regional youth conferences had been held in America, that the young people were centering their energies on the three Bahá'í Summer Schools, and that the first international nal Youth Day had been observed on March 21, 1936.
In Part Two of this volume appears an article summarizing the work of Bahá'í Youth for the period of this survey, and reference should be made to that article. An important element underlying the formation of Bahá'í youth groups is the Teaching of Bahá'u'lláh, that the age of fifteen years brings the condition of maturity. Since the voting age of the Baha community is twenty-one years, the young peo-pie between fifteen and twenty-one are assimilated into the community by permission to attend the Nineteen Day Feast after reporting to the Spiritual Assembly their acceptance of the Faith and their intention of applying for the full voting right on reaching the age of twenty-one.
Above all, the Bahá'í youth group does not represent a "youth movement" in the sense that it is a revolt or separation from the older Bahá'í community. The social pattern created by Bahá'u'lláh is universal; its establishment upon earth calls for every human quality and attribute � enthusiasm as well as wisdom, initiative as well as experience, and the moral and emotional virtues of youth not less than the characteristics of the older generation.
The Bahá'í youth group of today undergoes training to become the active Bahá'í community of tomorrow.
This means nothing less than the fact that the inherent function of the Teachings, the creation of reality, has begun to proiect itself nearer the beginnings of spiritual experience as guidance and inspiration for those who otherwise wouLd find their predominant social influence in the pressures of a divided world.
Since the first International Bahá'í Youth Day marked a new stage in the progress of youth activity, it is fitting to conclude this brief reference with a statement on that event by the secretary of the Youth Committee during 1934193 6, Miss Marion Holley.
International Bahá'í Youth"Shoghi Effendi wrote the American Bahá'í youth who had attended the
Twenty-Eighth AnnualConvention' as follows: tln 1 Through his secretary.
Page 67these days of universal affliction, of widespread disillusionment and discontent the eyes of the entire Bahá'í world are directed towards the activities which the Bahá'í youth are initiating in various countries with the view of hastening the unfoldment of the Divine Plan. Their hopes for a better and saner world center chiefly in you who have been called upon to vindicate through both your words and deeds those verities which alone can effectively establish unity and peace in the world.'
CCCetil the American YouthCommittee had no hint of this new era of teaching which the Guardian was about to introduce when, in January, 1936, it determined to invite the Bahá'í youth of the world to a joint celebration of Nawruz.
Nor did the local groups who responded so eagerly realize the timeliness of their demonstration. Their intention was but to move one step nearer the goal which Shoghi Effendi had fixed for them, the goal ~w create an international body of active young Baha men and women. .'
It was their common thought that at Nawruz, the opening of a new year in the history of the Faith, they could most seriously celebrate their solidarity, reaffirm their joint purpose, and create new modes for the expansion of their work. Thus, assisted by the American Youth Committee, an international program was adopted for Sunday, March 22, 1936, under the general title of Ba/9d'i Youth Look to the Future.
PROGRAMA discussion based on the Guardian's instruction "to create an international body of active young Bahá'í men and women B. Methods in the Corning
YearA study of ways to develop individual teaching, local youth group activity, and Summer School programs.
C. Efforts Toward the Baha'iA consideration of Bahá'í Faith as a way of livings for young people who, inspired by the Manifestation, may be united by their mutual goal.
II.CCG in fifteen nations were asked to participate and at the time of meeting it was not known exactly how many had planned to do so. Thus the cablegram sent to Shoghi Effendi overstated the number: CThirty regional conferences Bahá'í youth fifteen nations greet beloved Guardian on Naw-R1iz, Beg prayers (for) confirma � dons Bahá'u'lláh (on) first demonstration our ihternational unity.'
Actually there were twenty-six conferences reported, representing ten nations of the world: the United States, Canada, England, Germany, France, Egypt, tlriq, India, China, and Japan.' To their message the Guardian cabled in reply: tOverjoyed, deeply thankful. Appreciate greeting. Loving remembrance Holy Shrine.' In addition to the cablegram, the delegates at every conference signed a letter which read as follows:
~Dearly4eloved Guardian:eToday young Bahá'ís are celebrating in international conferences the inauguration of another Bahá'í year.
In unity with our fellows throughout the world we have 1 Conferences occurred in Binghamton, Boston, Montreal, Philadelphia, Teaneck, Washington, B. C., Cleveland, Flint, Lima, Milwaukee, Wilmette, Denver, Los Angeles, Monroe, Phoenix, San Francisco; and in London, Paris, Hamburg, Heidelberg, Alexandria, Baghdad, Karachi, Poona, Canton, and Tokyo.
Page 68joined in a new determination to serve the Cause of
Bahá'u'lláh.r~/j~ thought underlying all our efforts is that, led by your wishes and stimulated by your prayers and trust in us, we may rise to those heights of endeavor to which the example of your own life so clearly directs us. May the seed of Bahá'u'lláh's Word find in our hearts soil which, prepared by service and study, enriched by tests, and continually nourished by His blessings, may attain capacity to produce His fruits. That our lives may bear testimony to the reality of our Faith, becoming thus potent instruments for the shaping of His great civilization, is our deepest hope.
To you, our beloved Guardian, and to the members of the Holy Family and friends of the household, we send our tender love and devotion, longing to become more worthy, that we may be in truth your coworkers in the establishment of the World Order of
Bahá'u'lláh.'"It is impossible to estimate the true significance of these meetings. Not less than fifty American localities participated, as the conferences were regional in nature. Each conference seemed unique in a spirit of enthusiasm and joy; each described the value of its experience in individual and diverse terms; each released without doubt a new energy throughout the region of its influence.
In the opinion of theof the Bahá'ís of the U. S. and Canada, there was testablished a new and important public activity which can develop into a great asset to our teaching work, as well as a powerful means for developing experience and capacity among members of the youth groups.
"But surmounting and transforming these practical benefits was the dynamic unity which stood demonstrated around the Bahá'í world. Nations might be at war; rivalries and antagonisms between countries might run high; the theories and credos of totalitarian States could violate the oneness of humanity; religious, class and racial dogmas could divide in subtle and treacherous ways those who in reality were interdependent; but Bahá'í youth were not affected! The power of Bahá'u'lláh had rescued them horn such delusions, His love had stamped them with a true affection for their brothers, and under the shadow and protection of His World Order they joined their hands and hearts. For reasons quite other than these conferences, the year ninety-three will gain import as it recedes into history. Bahá'í youth are proud to have signalized its opening with their first international celebration."
The following account of each meeting has been prepared for publication in Bahá'í Youth.
AMERICAN CONFERENCESa. Central Area (1) It is fitting that one of the largest and most successful meetings was held at Wibnette in the Mashriqu'l-Adhkar, with representatives of the Chicago, North Shore, Urbana, and Madison youth groups.
The delegates first met at buffet supper, then took part in the Naw-Rtiz Feast in the Temple. On Sunday morning a teaching conference was held, and in the afternoon five young speakers addressed an audience which filled Foundation Hall.
Their talks were characterized in a telegram from an observer as tvery clear, well done and with wonderful spirit. Deeply moving to everyone.
(2) Cleveland, Ohio, called an impromptu meeting, as the youth were unable to travel to Lima. Marzieh Carpenter spoke on her recent experiences in I ran.
"(3) Flint, Michigan, was conference center for Bahá'í youth of Flint, Detroit, Marysville, Pt. Huron, and Idlewild, who, after Sunday breakfast together, met for a short devotional meeting and a thorough discussion of Bahá'í responsibilities.
Emphasis was laid on the reconciliation of international and national loyalties.
The group recommended the importance of Esperanto, subscription to La Nova Ta go, and inclusion of Esperanto articles in
Bahá'í Youth.CC (4) Youth of Toledo, Columbus, Akron, Cincinnati, Dayton, Fremont, and Lima met in Dma, Ohio, for a teaching conference, luncheon, and public meeting
Page 69at which two young and two adult Bahá'ís were speakers. The group reported a great success and the thope that other years will bring us together again at this happy season.
(5) Mrs. Howard Ives was guest and discussion leader at the conference in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in which Kenosha also joined.
International contacts and local work with international groups were particularly emphasized. Delegates also defined the Bahá'í moral code which young Bahá'ís must establish among themselves.
b. Western Area (6) Denver, Colorado, found the chief value of its conference in the experience of organization gained by the group. This effort, it was felt, would set an auspicious example for future plans.
CC (7) Southern Californiayouth of Los Angeles, Glendale, Pasadena, Long Beach, Santa Monica, Southgate, and San Bernardino joined in planning a public symposium ambitiously publicized and executed.
Two thousand programs bearing a reproduction of the Temple were distributed.
Publicity appeared in seven Los Angeles papers and in three suburban communities. Posters announced the meeting at six colleges, two central libraries, and in six other localities. Also, for perhaps the first time, the Bahá'í Faith received publicity in motion pictures, as two theaters showed an announcement and picture of the Temple.
These preparations were repaid by an audience of almost four hundred for the meeting in the Woman's Club of Hollywood, including a large representation from several Negro organizations.
Many new friends were made for the Cause.(8) The conference in Monroe, Washington, represented youth from Seattle and Sultan as well. The discussions were especially fruitful, and the delegates resolved to continue such inter-community meetings. All were aware that they had scarcely penetrated the surface of this great Message, but by planning regular classes in Monroe and Seattle they intend to remedy this situation.
(9) The Bahá'í youth of Phoenix, Arizona, sponsored the Naw-RiXz Feast, fol lowing it on Sunday with a public program which was exceptionally attractive.
(10) Seven communities joined in the teaching conference and public meeting in San Francisco, California. These included Oakland, Berkeley, Burlingame, Geyserville, Kenwood, and Knightsen. The Teaching Committee discovered that in the four speakers it had fine new talent for its regular meetings, and they have since been called upon.
c. Eastern Area "(11) The Binghamton, New York, youth group gave its consideration to plans for Green Acre, after which one of the adult believers spoke on the life of Qurratu'1-tAyn.
(12) Boston, Massachusetts, scheduled a conference, but this has not yet been reported.
(13) Bahá'í youth of Montreal, Canada, and several outlying suburbs held a valuable teaching meeting under the leadership of Kenneth Christian, chairman of the National Youth Committee.
Plans were developed for effective cooperation with other youth groups in the city, the Bahá'ís forming themselves in teams of two to visit these groups.
"(14) Because the young Bahá'ís of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, were unable to journey to Washington, D. C., they arranged a small meeting of their own. Earnest thought was given to their responsibilities and to the habits by which Bahá'ís should be characterized.
(15) Teaneck, New Jersey, was conference center for young Bahá'ís around
New York City. Fourteenattended a teaching conference which was followed by a public symposium. In the evening Horace Holley, secretary of the N. S. A., was guest speaker.
CC (16) Washington, D. C., held a regional meeting in which Baltimore and other communities joined. It has not been reported in full.
CONFERENCES IN EUROPE,of London met in conference and sent a cable of greeting to Shoghi Effendi. Discussion emphasized the importance of
Page 70the Bahá'í life, the need to conserve our efforts and to find in the Bahá'í Teachings the solution to presentday chaos.
The group voted to establish a central library in which important papers read in future conferences will be preserved. The meeting was felt to hold historical significance.
CC (18) China � Cantonhas but one Baha'i, Chan S. Liu, who, wishing to join the international celebration, announced through the newspapers a meeting at the Asia Hotel. Ten strangers were his guests and have formed the nucleus of a study group.
ct(19) Egypt � The Bahá'í youth of Alexandria voted to join in the Naw-Riiz celebration, but as yet no report has been received.
(20) France � The youngalso held a conference which has not yet been reported.
cc(21) Germany � Young Bahá'ís of Hamburg held an informal meeting, since no unofficial organization of youth under twenty-one is allowed in Germany today. They expressed firm faith in the principles of Bahá'u'lláh, feeling that these can be reconciled with obedience to government. Miss Mary Maxwell reported the sentiments of the group when she wrote: cOur tolerance, as well as our firm adherence to the Teachings, is needed as a bridge between the thoughts of this country's youth and the New World Order we are building.'
"(22) The Baha friends of Heidelberg, both young and old, joined to celebrate
International Youth Dayat a public meeting and tea. Three speakers discussed tThe Historical Significance of the Day,' CThe Life of a Baha'i,' and tGodly Peace.' It was agreed that world peace is only possible when based on the unity of mankind.
(23) India � Mr. 1sf andiar Bakhtiari, president of the Spiritual Assembly of Karachi, presided at a three-hour conference of young Baha'is. In a recent letter the secretary reported that C~ youths passed a very happy time in explaining and discussing the Bahá'í Faith, and we have sworn to wake up from our deep slumber and try our utmost to keep pace with our Bahá'í friends abroad.'
(24) An interesting photograph has been received of the Youth Committee of ten members recently organized in Poona during the Naw-Riiz conference. Poona has thus joined in fulfilling the Guardian's request for the consolidation of Can international body' of young Baha'is.
CC (25) eIrdq~During the conference of Bahá'í youth in Bagi2ddd, a fund was established for the purchase of Bahá'í pamphlets for free distribution. These are to include the series of the Free Literature Committee of America, as well as Shoghi Effendi's 'World Order letters. It is hoped tto create a true general knowledge of the spirit of the Cause which is so grievously misunderstood among enlightened and well-cultured people' of cIrAq.
(26) Japan � Agnes Alexander, pioneer teacher of Japan, had as her guests, in her Tokyo home on March 22, two Amer-ican-born Japanese girls. One of these is at present studying Japanese in order to return to her native Hawaii to teach the Bahá'í Faith.
Three newspapers carried announcements of the international celebra-ton."
A BAHÁ'Í PIONEER IN ETHIOPIAIn December, 1934, a letter was received reporting the formation of a Spiritual
Assembly on November25 of that year at Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The establishment of a Bahá'í community in that land was accomplished by Sabri Elias, a believer from Egypt.
Referring to this achievement, the Spiritual Assembly of Haifa stated: "We are happy to report to our friends throughout the world encouraging news of the progress of Bahá'u'lláh's Faith in Ethiopia � the oniy independent Kingdom in Africa.
� Its fate seems uncertain and thus it is the more interesting to the Bahá'ís and the more significant that at this time of agita-don and unrest, the Bahá'í Faith should have started to permeate that historical land."
While conditions have been completely changed in the country since 1934, the local Assembly having been obliged to suspend its communications, the fruit of such a devoted effort has been permanently secured,
Page 71in part at least, by the translation of Bahá'í literature into the native language.
One of these volumes, in fact, was presented to Emperor Selassie at Jerusalem in 1936 by Mrs.
Lorol Schopflocher of Montreal."Through the activities of the National Spiritual Assembly of Egypt the Bahá'í Cause had marvelous achievements outside Egypt.
In January, 1934, our dear brother, Sabri Effendi Elias of Alexandria, was sent to Ethiopia to settle there and teach the Cause in accordance with the desire of our beloved Guardian. He arrived at Addis Ababa and proceeded with his work with such zeal and energy that he was confirmed in giving the message to a certain number of natives and other nationalities.
The opponents, members of Muslim and Coptic clergy, could not succeed in their attempts in withholding the progress of the Cause. After one year of hard labor our friend succeeded in establishing the first Spiritual Assembly in the Capital of that remote African country.
"The first service which that Assembly accomplished was the revision of the Ethiopian translation of tBh'''I1'h and the New Era' formerly undertaken by Sabri Effendi, and its printing. Pamphlets were also published in the Arnhara language and distributed among the public. The malicious reports by which slanderers tried to defame the Cause, and the accusations made by them, that Bahá'í meetings have a p0-litical attitude, caused the Royal Private Secretary to summon Atto Haylo Gibriel, the vice-president of the Assembly, who explained the Bahá'í Cause and produced its books which were highly appreciated by the Secretary. CAbdullihi Abmad Adari, another staunch friend, traveled to Lecampti in Ethiopia where he settled himself and is occupied in giving the message to his countrymen.
Owing to the present conditions of the country Sabri Effendi was requested by the authorities to return home with other foreigners.
He assures us that the Cause is firmly established in that country, and that the Abyssinian believers are so firm and kindled that they will faithfully carry on the work during his absence.
GRADUAL ENFORCEMENT GEIn the "Book of Aqdas," revealed by Bahá'u'lláh in the form of answers to questions, the worldwide Bahá'í community possesses a common foundation in the elements of spiritual principles and also constitutional laws.
The Faith has progressed to the point where a number of these principles and laws can already be conscientiously observed.
Among these are, the use of the obligatory daily prayers, the keeping of the period of fasting each year, the practice of monogamy, the avoidance of alcoholic liquors, and the injunction laid upon believers to obtain the consent of their parents before a Bahá'í marriage can be entered into.
Another social law enforced whenever possible among Bahá'í communities is that which forbids secular work on the nine Holy Days of the Faith. These Days are listed in the Bahá'í Calendar included in Part Two of the present volume.
Baha'is, therefore, are united not only by a common devotion to the Manifestation, by a common acceptance of Teachings on spiritual and social subjects, and by loyalty to their institutions, but also by definite practices setting them apart from the nonBahá'í community and possessing unique x~alues for the development of character.
'Writing on this important subject, the Guardian has said: The Laws revealed by Bahá'u'lláh in the Aqdas are, whenever practicable and not in direct conflict with the Civil Laws of the land, absolutely binding on every believer or Bahá'í institution whether in the East or in the West. Certain laws, such as fasting, obligatory prayers, the consent of the parents before marriage, avoidance of alcoholic drinks, monogamy, should be regarded by all believers as universally and vitally applicable at the present time. Already, in Egypt, Itr6n, India and tlrAq, Assemblies, both local and national, are availing themselves of the opportunity which the autonomy granted to Eastern religious comrnunjties in matters of personal status has offered them, to press for the recognition by the civil authorities of such Laws of the Aqdas which they con
Page 72They have even, under certain circumstances, preferred to suspend their activities and dissolve their institutions rather than follow the dictates of those officials who have tried to induce them to violate what has been expressly ordained by the Author of their
Faith."Under the protection afforded by the laws controlling trade marks, the name CCBah6ui~~ has been legally registered in both the United States and Canada by the National Spiritual Assembly, and similar protection has also been obtained for the symbol of the Greatest Name.
The National Spiritualand New Zealand have taken similar steps for the registration of the
Greatest Name.registrations are reproduced elsewhere in the present work.
It is evident that the unique spiritual power established by Bahá'u'lláh will before long exercise such influence as to attract those irresponsible souis who seek to attach themselves to any source of prestige, and likewise arouse the attention of others who might seek to mislead the public.
A revealed Faith is universal, and in each cycie is offered freely to the entire world. The Bahá'í Faith, however, involves an administrative order and a degree of discipline raising it above the realm of the spiritud philosophies which can be adapted to suit the individual understanding. The believers, therefore, realize a responsibility in upholding the full and complete standard of faith, which remains incomplete until membership in the Bahá'í order is attained.
NEW TRANSLATIONSDuring the past two years, the list of translations has been greatly extended.
The Word has been made available to added millions of souL in many parts of the world. The new translations include the following titles: C(Bhf~~11~h and the New Era" has been translated and published in Amharic,
Urdu and Norwegian. Thesame work has also been newly translated into Sindhi, J-{indi and Bengali, and printed copies are soon to appear.
This book has now been printed in thirty-two different languages.
Eleven different versions of "Hidden Words" have appeared, the latest editions being in Dutch and Serbian. An Armenian translation has been completed but not yet published, while work is going forward on its translation into Urdu, Chinese, Danish and
Portuguese.Of the CCKitáb~i~fqin,~~ ten versions now exist in printed form. In addition, Swedish and Spanish translations have been finished and are under publication.
The translations in progress are Danish, Portuguese, Norwegian, Czech, Netherland, and Esperanto.
CCS Answered Questions"has been printed in six different tongues, but editions will shortly appear also in Chinese and Urdu. Translations likewise exist in Italian, Armenian and Portuguese, and a Braille transcription is under way.
A collection of Bahá'í prayers has been published in Serbian. A new edition of ~~Kitáb-i-Iq4n" has appeared in the language of I ran.
The t!Will and Testament"of Bahá'u'lláh and that of tAbdu'lBh' have been published in German.
"The Dawn-Breakers:Nabil's Narrative of the Early Days of the Bahá'í Faith" has been translated into German and also into Arabic.
The late M. HippolyteSur le Bahi'isme" has appeared in a new edition in France.
J. E. Esslemont's brief statement entitled "What is the Bahá'í Movement?"
has been translated and published in Finnish and Icelandic.
ttBahá'í Administration," the published letters of Shoghi Effendi, and also a compilation of Prayers have been rendered into Urdu.
Finally, ccTh MysteriousMost of these versions are likely to prove oniy temporary versions, yet they are a vital necessity to the promotion of a World Faith. The permanent editions of the future must await the formation of that group of international scholars described by !Abd~1BhA
LOCAL INCORPORATIONSThe Guardian's comment upon the legal incorporation of local Spiritual Assemblies was transmitted to the New York Assembly in 1932, through his secretary, after receiving the first draft of the proposed
Articles of Incorporationand ByLaws prepared by that Assembly. 'tlt is surely very important to give to the local &piritual Assembly some legal standing, for as the Cause progresses and its adherents increase, they will be confronted with duties they cannot even imagine at present.
Not oniy will they have to make contracts for acquiring halls for their meeting places, but they will also be obliged to create new institutions to care for their sick, poor and aged people. We hope that before long the Bahá'ís will be able to afford schools that would provide children the intellectual and spiritual education as prescribed in the Writings of Bahá'u'lláh and the
Master."Since the last international survey was prepared, the following Spiritual Assemblies have incorporated: Washington, D. C.; Montreal, Quebec; Bombay, Karachi and Calcutta,
India; Rangoon, MandalayAssembly of London, England, has registered the Bahá'í Faith with the authorities as a definite religious community, and the Bahá'í Center has now the status of a place of worship.
TURKISTAN AND CAUCASUSThe city of tlshqThid has long been notable from the Bahá'í point of view in that the first Mashriqu'l-Adhkar was constructed in that city.
Before the Bahá'í activities came under control of the political authorities under the new Russian r~gime, they had been developed to a high degree of efficiency. Educational facilities had been established, a monthly publication was issued, and the Bahá'í Temple and sur rounding grounds had become influential in the life of the city.
It is gratifying to report that the condition of the local Bahá'í communities improved considerably between 1934 and 1936.
In 1928, the Law expropriating religious edifices, from which the Mashriqu'l-Adhkar had for some time been immune, was applied to that Bahá'í edifice.
The use of the structure, however, was continued under a five year lease. This lease was renewed in 1933, for a similar period.
In 1935, a new administrative ruling restored all religious buildings to their original owners for an indefinite period, and under this ruling the Bahá'ís were held responsible for extensive repairs to be effected within six months. Through united sacrifice these terms were met, with the result that the Mashriqu'l-Adhkar and its surrounding gardens are fully restored to Bahá'í ownership, and their impressive beauty again blesses the city.
Beside the entrance gates of the Temple, the Bahá'í principles have been inscribed on suspended signs in four languages.
Public meetings, held twice a week, have been resumed in the sacred
House of Worship.It is reported also that the annual Bahá'í election, the teaching activities, inter-com-munity correspondence and other plans of the Spiritual Assembly are proceeding with only slight and occasional civil interference. The great significance of this improved status of the Faith in these centers is that it prepares the way for the formation of a National Spiritual Assembly, a necessary step in the establishment of the first International
House of Justice.Concerning developments in India and Burma, reports from the National Spiritual Assembly convey the following information: ttThere has been marked progress of the Bahá'í Cause in India and Burma during the last two years.
Besides internal consolidation of the Local Spiritual Assemblies and the National Spiritual Assembly, there has been great progress in popularizing the Cause by means of a teaching campaign and in translation of Bahá'í literature into sey
Page 74erai Indian tongues. tBh"'11'h and the New Era' has been translated into Gujerati, Burmese and IJrdu. Sindhi, Bengali and 1-lindi translations are in course of prepara-don and will be published in 1936. The Urdu translation of tSome Answered Questions' is almost ready and its publication has just been taken in hand by the
National Assembly. Theis contemplating translating many other books into Indian vernacular tongues.
C eThe Bahá'í Magazine(Urdu and Persian), formerly published under the name of Kaukib-i-Hind, is a widely circulated magazine and has gained considerably in popularity and has helped in spreading the Cause far and wide. The
American Bahá'í Magazinenow known as cWld Order' has a circulation of about forty copies among the English-reading Indians.
Many copies of tThe Dawn-Breakers' (Nabil's Narrative) and CBa114~U~11Th and the New Era,' English as well as Urdu and Gujerati editions, were presented to the libraries of the Universities as well as to public libraries and to leading men, and thus a large number of people have been reached through
Bahá'í literature. Articleswere contributed to the magazines and journals and through them the attention of the public was drawn to the Cause. The seventh All-Indian Bahá'í Convention held in Bombay in April this year (1935) attracted to the public lectures varied audiences comprising Hindus, Moslems, Christians, Zoroastrians and others.
A lecture tour of theIndia, Delhi, Agra, Aligarh, Benares, Allahabad and Lucknow was organized and lectures were delivered under the auspices of
University Unions, OrientalGroups as well as under the auspices of the Theosophical
Society, the Brahmo Samajand the Arya Samaj. A tour of the province of Sindh was undertaken and some important towns in the province were visited.
A Sindbi translation of Haft Wadi (Seven Valleys) was distributed and this was very much liked because the province of Sindh had for several centuries been dominated by Sufi thought. Contacts were formed with such religious organizations as the Ahmedias or followers of Mirza. Gliulam Alimed of Qadian (who claimed to be the Promised Messiah), the Theosophical Society, the Arya Samaj and the
Brahmo Samaj."Both the vastness of the country and the variety of its beliefs and differences of language make the task of the National Assembly extremely difficult, and it is on account of these causes and not so much because of the lack of enthusiasm on the part of the Bahá'ís of India that the progress of the Cause has been dow. The National Assembly, however, realizes this and steps are accordingly being taken to so conduct the teaching campaign as to make it reach all the provinces, in all the provincial languages and to all classes of people and specially to the intelligentsia of the country. A fair amount of success has been already achieved and it is hoped better re-suits will be obtained in the years to come.
!(The process of seed sowing is, however, going on apace and there are great possibilities in store for the Baha Faith in this vast country which is a continent. We should face the situation with redoubled energy and trust in the intrinsic worth of the teachings of His
Holiness Bahá'u'lláh.teIn order to effect coordination between the friends of India and Burma, the N. S. A. deputed Mr. HishmatuliTh to visit Burma and stimulate the friends of that country. As a result of this visit which produced a general awakening among our Burmese brothers, it was decided to form a National Council of the Bahá'ís of All-Burma under the direction of the N. S. A. This Council held its first meeting on the 9th, 10th and 11th of April, 1935, at Daidanaw, the Burmese Bahá'í village, and passed several very important resolutions. One of them was the addition of an English and Urdu section to the already existing Burmese school at the village.
From the National SpiritualAssembly of Egypt we have the following: "In Egypt, as it is in other countries of the world, the Bahá'í Cause is maintaining its steady progress. Although exposed to fanatical attempts of people of different faiths, the teachings of Bahá'u'lláh, nevertheless, receive the highest appreciation and deepest respect on the part of educated and cultured classes.
Page 75Room in Shir~z in which Letters of the Living were appointed by the Báb.
Tree in Sh~hri'id under which MuI1~ 1{usayn and his Companions camped.
View of Badasht, Site of Historic B~bi Conference. (See ~The Dawn-Breakers," reakers," Chapter XVI.)
75"As a most advanced country in the Muhammadan world, and the largest center of Muslim studies, Egypt necessarily exercises such an opposition as may suppress, as they suppose, the increasing influence of a Cause which she unjustly deems anti-Muliarnma-dan.
In fact, the historic pronouncement of 1925, made by the Muslim Court of Egypt by which the Bahá'í religion was declared entirely independent of IslAm, and Baha'is, heretics; the subsequent divorce of their Muslim wives, and tbe various attempts by which the Muslim ecclesiastical authorities try, now and then, to uproot the Cause � all of these facts embody the extent of opposition attempted against a growing Faith. Nevertheless, such attempts have assisted the Bahá'í Cause in Egypt to attain a most favorable condition, and have clarified its status.
"Although deprived under the circumstances from legal protection concerning matters of personal status, IBahA'is, however, thanks to the confirmations of Bahá'u'lláh, were given the opportunity, truly unique, to sever themselves totally from the old fetters of Islim, and to apply freely, through their Administrative Bodies, their personal status according to the
Divine Laws and Ordinances~~Further events had also enhanced the influence of the Cause. Apart from the individual sufferings caused by the unceasing attacks, persecutions were managed against Bahá'í groups in almost every Bahá'í center. Prior to
1934, Bahá'ís of Alexandriawere persecuted by mobs aroused by a certain Muslim clergyman.
"In 1934, a storm of religious antagonism raged throughout the country in consequence of the redoubled energy of the Christian missionaries.
Observing that the number of converted boys and girls of Muslim origin who were attending missionary institutions was increasing, Muslims started a movement in which their leaders, mull&s and even the grand shaykh of Ishm associated themselves.
Investigations were made by the legal authorities, whereupon most of those boys and girls were taken out of those institutions and contributions were made to provide other institutions for them. The movement would have produced the worst consequences had nor the Govern-rnent dealt with it wisely.
~tBUt the attempt was directed to the destruction of the Bahá'í Cause more than it was made against
Christian missionaries. Leadingarticles were published daily under headings, such as: 'BaM'ism is the real injury to Islim,' tMissionaries attract immature individuals but Bahá'ís attract people of intellect.'
~tAs that movement emanated from Port Said, the Bahá'ís there were subject to more pressure. The Maazoun (Muslim registrar of marriage contracts) started a series of lectures against the Cause. His attempt to arouse mobs against Bahá'ís was at first suppressed by the authorities; but due to the effective interference of high religious authorities who were repeatedly approached by the leaders of the movement in Port Said, the lecturer was given permission to continue. Failing in their attempt to create anti-BaM'i disturbances, the instigators persuaded a Muslim wife to bring a charge against her Bahá'í husband before the Muslim court to divorce her. Four religious lawyers volunteered to defend her. The pronouncement was adjourned twice owing to the absence of the defendant despite the fact that the lawyers, producing Bahá'í books as witness, urged that sentence be passed.
The judge, having examined those books and considered the statement of the plaintiff that she neither complained against the behavior of the husband nor his treatment of her, refused to give the pronouncement before he could hear the statement of the defendant. While the case was running its course, both wife and husband were living together in harmony. His brother of Cairo, whom he had attracted to the Cause, visited them and succeeded in settling the matter and reconciling them. As both parties did not attend the court any longer their case was actually cancelled. The events of 1934 in Port Said repeated those of 1914, 1920, and 1926, and formed a link in the chain of unceasing persecutions during which the Cause of Bahá'u'lláh became firmly established in Port Said.
"In Cairo, the largestwere called upon by two detectives who made their necessary enquiries as to
Page 77whether Bahá'í meetings function in the same manner as those of missionaries.
Next day the local chairman and secretary paid a visit to them and presented some pamphlets and Baha literature which were highly appreciated. After a short yet interesting in � terview, assurance was given to the Bahá'ís that they could freely hold their meetings as usual, and should report at once in case there was any anti-Bahá'í disturbance.
C(The most important matters which absorb the care of our Administrative Bodies at present are those pertaining to personal status.
Thus, marriage contracts, passport certificates, as well as letters of guarantee, are all issued by those bodies. In order to conduct the affairs according to the Divine Laws of Bahá'u'lláh, the general rules from the tKitáb-i-Aqdas' were adopted by the National Assembly, which work, having been sanctioned by the Guardian, was published and distributed among the local Assemblies to apply them to matters of personal status. Such marriage contracts and different certificates issued by
Spiritual Assembliesare regarded as possessing considerable importance by the authorities to whom they are delivered.
For instance, the marriage contract of our friendwas, after a long and deliberate consultation, recognized by the British Consulate and a passport for the Egyptian bride was issued accordingly.
The marriage contract of Fouad Effendi Yazdi, and later the divorce document, were accepted and actually registered by the IrAnian Legation. Passports were also issued to Sabri Effendi Elias and to his wife on their trip to Ethiopia, according to certificates supplied by the Spiritual Assemblies.
The first step taken in this respect was in Port Said when Philip Effendi Naimi applied for a passport for his wife. Being of Christian origin he was requested by the passport office to have an official certificate from the Patriarchate to which he belonged.
Stating that he is a Bahá'í and that the Bahá'í Spiritual Assembly is the oniy body which can supply him with the required certificate, after some days of consultation the passport was issued according to the Bahá'í certificate.
ttBurial services were also performed by the Spiritual Assembly of Port Said according to Bahá'í rites after the passing of the late
H~ji Mubammad Yazdi.A ring bearing the Greatest Name was worn on his finger and a congregational prayer was read, after which the funeral was conducted in absolute silence and the most reverent attitude.
ccDuring the last two years the National Assembly endeavored to obtain official recognition.
They approached the Government with the view to invoke their sympathy so as to settle the Bahá'í case and to clarify the situation of the Bahá'ís in conformity with the pronouncement of 1925. Personal interviews with certain officials in the Ministry of Justice showed that the Government is not prepared to extend further recognition to fresh religious communities.
As the matter is thus remaining outstanding, the National Assembly, directed by the Guardian, endeavored to maintain the registration of the
Declaration of Trustby the Mixed Court, and this action was successfully performed. In order to render that registration effective an acre of cultivated land was offered to the National Assembly by our dear friend Sharoubeem Effendi Ebeid on the occasion of the annual convention of 1935. Legal actions are being taken by the National AssembLy to have the property transferred to the Assembly.
ccThe Arabic translation of ~Kitáb-i-IqTh' the Book of Certitude, and its publication, enriched the Bahá'í Library. Copies were sent to the various countries in the Orient where the need for the Arabic translation is growing.
During the last two years the Bahá'í Library supplied tlr4q, Palestine, Turkey, Tunis, as well as Geneva with Bahá'í books in both the Arabic and Idnian languages.
CCTh annual convention of 1935 recorded the ultimate desire of the delegates to build a Haziratu'1-Quds.
Thanks to the Abhi confirmations and to the encouraging donation of the Guardian, contributions are being collected from the believers of Egypt. As the first six months sanctioned for those contributors desiring to pay in installments will end on March, 1936, the National Assembly will, at that time, decide whether the work can be started or whether more
Page 78At all events, it is hoped that the year of 1936 will mark a striking stage in the evolution of the Bahá'í Cause and its wide progress in Egypt."
From the National SpiritualAssembly of the Bahá'ís of tIr6.q have come the following statements.
ctThe general conditions and status of the Bahá'ís in tldq is fairly good, because Religious Liberty, for which the constitution of the country makes provision, enables the Bahá'ís to hold their spiritual meetings regularly and in complete freedom.
It enables believers to propound the divine message among their co-citizens with persistent zeal and devotion. This condition is, however, not without disturbance and sLanderous attacks from religious bigots, and narrow-minded people who ignore the heavenly grandeur underlying this great Cause.
"The Assembly bought a plot of land for the erection of a I-Iaziratu'1-Quds in an ideal place adjoining
Baglidid. The Hazi-ratu'1-Qudsis to be constructed on modern lines, and in conformity with the high station occupied by Baglidid in the Bahá'í World. The plan has been completed and meets with this requirement.
A copy has been also submitted to our beloved Guardian for approval. But construction was not proceeded with, pending the completion of the necessary municipal formalities, and when this has been completed, the Assembly hopes to proceed with the construction work immediately.
~~The Assembly translated Dr. Essle-mont's tBah~'u'11ih and the New Era' into the Kurdish Language, and it was printed in Baglidid with several beautiful illustrations.
tcThe Assembly entertained the hope of spreading the Cause of Bahá'u'lláh among the Kurds, in view of their responsiveness and readiness for such message.
The more so as their language is poor in literature of any kind, and especially in Bahá'í books.
"The publication of such a book in the Kurdish language will most assuredly meet with a gratifying success, and in this way Kurds would be attracted by the uplifting Bahá'í principles, and their divine program. But it is to be deplored that the authorities have confiscated the book before its publication in final form.
"During the summer of 1935, a copy of the National Assembly's news letter fell into the hands of an editor of a religious paper in Baghdad. The news letter embodies the minutes of the Fifth Bahá'í Convention in tIr~q, with a detailed program of the Assembly for the year. The paper published the greater part of the account, and commented upon it in consecutive weekly issues, according to the dictates of its biased and prejudiced attitude, alleging that the Bahá'í Faith is a great menace to the nation, and described Bahá'ís as dangerous, and unpatriotic, while urging the government to be rid of its Bahá'í officials. This anti-Bah6N drive had precisely the opposite effect on the Bahá'ís who became more consolidated and united, and met this attack with unperturbed emotions, and inflexible courage.
It was a golden opportunity for teaching the Cause, as nonbelievers became interested, and began to inquire about this new Faith with such a body of doctrine. The more alert of these peoples began to approach Bahá'ís and inquire about the reality of their religion, and thereby formed a more representative and accurate view of the Faith.
"At Mosul the Bahá'ísused to hold their meetings in a house rented for that purpose. But a few fanatics began to incite the owner to oust the Bahá'ís from his house, and used coercion and even threats to force his hand.
In the face of this critical situation the owner of the house asked the Báb's to vacate the place, and save him inconvenience and ill reputation. The Bahá'ís complied with his request, and remained for a time without a meeting center, until they succeeded in finding a proper place which they made into a Haziratu'1-Quds.
"But fanatics did not stop there. Some of their religious heads began to speak in Mosques, and launch slanderous attacks and indictments against the Baha'is. Afterwards they were followed by a Jewish Rabbi who spoke in the Synagogue, and delivered a virulent speech on the believers,
Page 79singling out one Bahá'í for special condemnation, and the Bahá'í in question received permission from the Assembly to start legal proceedings against the Rabbi in the civil Courts.
When it transpired that the Bahá'í intended to take action, the Rabbi sent some Jewish notables to intervene on his behalf, and asked the Bahá'ís to forgive him. He apologized and offered his deep regrets, promising not to attack the cause in future. Consequently, the Bahá'í dropped his case.
"This drastic step was not taken for the sake of revenge but to cut short similar attacks in future and at the same time to be a factor for the spread of the Cause in that city.
tcThe Bahá'ís of Avashiq hold their meetings regularly, enjoying the esteem of their fellow men. The government opened a primary school for their children, who constitute the majority of the school cLi-dren. It happened that at the end of summer, 1934, at the opening of the school session, that the teacher appointed for the school was a backward and intolerant man. He began to sow the seed of discrimination and enmity among the pupils, by speaking in lesson hours very slightingly and scornfully of the Bahá'í pupils, deprecating the Faith of their parents.
The Muslim pupils began to maltreat their fellow Bahá'í children, and the matter reached such a point that the conflict and friction influenced the parents of the children, with the result that the Bahá'í boys were compelled to discontinue their lessons. On the directions of the National Spiritual
Assembly, the Bahá'ísof Avashiq submitted a petition to the Minister of Education. The teacher was reprimanded severely, a fine was imposed upon him, and he was transferred to a remote place as a punishment for his harsh treatment and misbehavior.
The government then appointed two teachers who fulfilled their function with a sense of duty and impartiality."
The Bahá'ís of Shanghaiduring the past two years have established a library in a room taken at the Chinese Y. M. C. A., and have begun planning for the translation of more Bahá'í literature in
Chinese.In Japan, during the same period, Miss Agnes Alexander has succeeded in placing a great deal of Bahá'í publicity in The Japan Times, a Japanese owned daily of Tokyo published in English. Thanks to this medium, the Teachings of Bahá'u'lláh have come to the attention of a new and wider circle.
Miss Alexander likewise found it possible to arrange for the publication of an article on the House of Worship at Wilmette in a Buddhist daily paper, the translation having been made by the editors.
From Miss Alexander'sreport the following excerpts convey interesting details.
"As Mr. Toni is an Esperantist, the way opened for me to speak on the Cause to the Esperanto group of Kyoto, and also to a group of blind Esperantists, teachers from schools for the blind in different parts of Japan, who had gathered in Kyoto for a Summer School session.
A Braille weekly newspaper of Osaka also published an article about the Bahá'í Temple, which was headed, tMiss Alexander a Great Friend of the Blind in Japan.' A friend of Mr. Toni's, who could read printing only letter by letter with the aid of a round crystal, and who had in this way copied an English dictionary into Braille, the work of many years, eagerly received the Bahá'í teachings. It was with delight he read the English Braille edition of Esslernont's tBahi'u'lIAh and the New Era,' of which there is one copy in Japan.
Also, through the cooperation of Mr. and Mrs. Tot-u, I was enabled to place an article explaining the Bahá'í teachings with the Osaka daily paper, which is the second largest daily in Japan. In the September 28, 1935, edition of the paper this appeared under the title, which tans-lated reads, CBah4~i Religion Born from the World's Restlessness.' Both the pictures of the BaLI Temple and of CAbdu~1~Bah& appeared with this article."
THE UNITED STATES ANDThe spiritual character and controlling principle of the Bahá'í year now brought to a close were established for us by Shoghi Effendi in these words dated September 16, 1934: "The situation in IrAn which is growing from bad to worse, the necessary measures which should be taken to insure the unin � terrupted completion of the clerestory section of the Temple, the adoption of such measures as will stimulate the teaching campaign in America, the exercise of the utmost vigilance lest the authorities of Soviet Russia inflict any injury upon Baha lives and institutions, the extension of any support that may be required to safeguard the interests of the Cause at its most vital and international center to ward off the malicious attacks of enemies from both within and without � these are the outstanding issues which demand the sustained and concentrated attention of every believer."
This statement of outstanding issues, more definitely and more vigorously than in any previous communication from the Guardian, has served to summon each and every loyal Bahá'í to arise above undue concern with local and even national matters and assume his duties and responsibilities as citizen in that World Order of Bahá'u'lláh to establish which the Divine 'Will has revealed itself to mankind. Now in the realm of action the Bahá'ís have the supreme privilege of receiving guidance and inspiration from one central point, even as since the Announcement of the Mb the believers have had one central point in the realm of the soui.
In its fulness of meaning, in its call for positive action, the statement cannot be limited to any single period of time. Rather may we perceive in it the beginning of an era of greater maturity, larger responsibility, as the followers of Bahá'u'lláh unite in resistance to the forces of the world.
In preparation for this responsibility, the Guardian has conducted us through two preliminary phases of development since the Ascension of Abdu'l-Bahá.
The first phase was that of learning the principles of the administrative order. The second phase was that of learning the principles of the World Order of Bahá'u'lláh, a phase marked by the successive ttWorld Order" letters which began in February, 1929. The third phase, now beginning, is the application of this knowledge to important problems � prob-lerns which relate the Cause to society as a whole, and not merely those minor problems of our own Bahá'í relationships which have engaged our attention and almost exhausted our powers in previous years.
The thoughtful believer will not fail to pursue this analysis until he can perceive the underlying factors in the progress of the Faith as a whole.
What has happened during this Bahá'í year, in brief, is that an entirely new emphasis has been given all Bahá'í thought and action, identically the same emphasis which life lays upon the individual on that day when childhood ahd youth, with their preoccupations with self, first begin to realize the tasks which usher in the time of maturity. What we have learned since 1921, and what we have established as our attitude toward the Cause and toward life, are now undergoing supreme test until it has been proved that individually and collectively we are worthy to uphold the true and highest interests of a Divine
Faith.Nor will it be overlooked, as we adopt this larger perspective, that the Guardian issued his first communication on the
World Order of Bahá'u'lláhabout six months before the world's economic order underwent so fatal a collapse in the autumn of 1929. The germ of the new order became apparent to Bahá'ís before the world received its first warning that the old order could not longer endure. These Providential matters are surely our first and deepest concern, since only as we grasp them can we adjust ourselves to that irresistible motion of progress which is the sign of the Dispensation of Bahá'u'lláh.
One word more on this most thrilling and vital of Bahá'í topics. In the communication received just before the Annual Convention of 1934, published as ~tThe Dispensation of
Bahá'u'lláh," ShoghiEffendi brought together in one perfect unity all those aspects of the Revelation which we, in our human limitations, had been considering
Page 81as separate realities: the Station of Manifestations, the mysterious Mission of the Center of the Covenant, the full significance of His Will and Testament, and the nature of that Order which the Testament bequeaths to the friends. In a communication so comprehensive, so organic, so unified in its wholeness and so perfected in its parts, we may now realize that Shoghi Effendi marked definitely for us an ending of our education in details of Bahá'í service, and a beginning of our responsibility in demonstrating our faith and our unity to our fellow men.
Indeed, the successive steps which Shoghi Effendi has taken to train, to instruct and to discipline the Bahá'í community are all paralleled by a swift continuance of that process of disintegration in human society which has become the more apparent as efforts to attain peace and stability have successively failed. Fourteen years ago the Bahá'í community was still as a child in the household of civilization, apparently bearing no responsibility for the fate of that household, and therefore concerned only with the joys and sorrows of the child's own growth, the dreams of its own future.
Today, with the household in dire confusion and distress, the youth born of the new age is called upon to prove his birthright and demonstrate his capacity to achieve eternal peace, his elders having failed.
By comparison with that standard of action, every local or personal issue assumes only a relative importance. Such issues can no longer entirely surround and engulf us at the expense of the world vision which the Guardian has given us this year.
Larger than the individual is the local community; larger than the local community is the national communty; larger still than any national community is the World Order which now claims not merely our passive acceptance and belief but a devotion and consecration which a collapsing society will test with fire.
Major EventsWithout the perspective of time it is impossible to determine precisely which events of a Bahá'í year have major importance.
One may, nevertheless, without finality, refer to certain events as representing occurrences or trends meriting special attention.
1. As has been reported to the friends, the Guardian has clarified the problem of how to present the 'Will and Testament to new believers. In accordance with his instructions, a new edition of the Testament has been prepared and published which, until further instructions are given, includes the text to be explained to and accepted by those who apply for enrollment as Baha'is. The supplementary excerpts which precede and follow the selections from the Testament are in themselves the most perfect of explanations. The edition consisting of the complete text is now almost exhausted, but the National Spiritual Assembly has recorded its responsibility in continuing to supply at least one complete text to each newly elected
Spiritual Assembly.2. The contract for the completion of the clerestory section of the Temple dome unit, one of the outstanding issues mentioned by Shoghi Effendi, has throughout this year proceeded as rapidly as weather permitted.
Despite the economic difficulty which has prevailed, the believers have made notable sacrifices in order to meet the collective obligation, the fulfilment of which will mean that the Dome unit is at last entirely finished.
In the case of future Temple construction, the Guardian has advised that contracts be entered into by the Trustees only when the necessary amount of cash is actually on hand. The Dome unit, however, was undertaken and has been carried on in a spirit of trust that the Guardian's wiThes and instructions would be voluntarily met.
In September and in December, the difference between income and obligation compelled the National Spiritual Assembly to issue an appeal directed to every American believer lest the work in its final stages be temporarily abandoned.
All along it has been felt that the problem was not economic but spiritual; not a matter of dollars and cents but one of resolution and of unified response. For, in its ultimate significance, the building of the Temple
Page 82It is a vital step in the training of the Bahá'í community in the divine art of unity. As such a tremendous task is achieved, the power comes to carry out other collective missions in service to the beloved Cause. National achievement is nothing else than a stepping stone to international services.
The important details of this subject will be presented in the Treasurer's report.
At this time it is important to emphasize the fact that this obligation is not yet fully discharged.
3. The passing of the venerable, the beloved and revered Dr. Susan I. Moody in the field of her life work at Tihr~n furnishes the Bahá'í world one more example of heroism and consecration a later generation of believers may well take to heart. How fruitful her life was! What noble institutions she developed, what a monument she reared in the lives of youth of I ran! Even the enemies of the Cause could not withhold their admiration and their recognition of her sincerity! Even officialdom refrained from destructive measures until her stalwart Bahá'í presence had been removed from the scene! How brief will be that restless triumph, seizing its opportunity so blindly from the folded hands of death, ignorant of that Kingdom to which the faithful believer goes, that Kingdom whence comes the Will that governs the world!
4. In no year of which we have record have there been so many enrollments of new believers as during the year now closed. Both in number of the new members added to existing communities, and in number of groups prepared for election of a Spiritual Assembly for the first time, this present period has been one of remarkable growth. From Milwaukee came the news that more than sixty believers had been enrolled in one meeting; from Chicago, from New York and from many other communities reports of new enrollments surpass the announcements made in previous years. Our teaching of the Cause, reinforced by the mysteriouS power of the Mashriqu'l-Adhkar, made more effective by our knowledge of the nature of the Bahá'í community, has received a vast stimulus, inaugurating a movement forward surely destined to acquire greater emphasis in every successive year.
The details of this great achievement will be reported by the Teaching Committee, so that representatives from all local communities may return home inspired to work for renewed effort, and instructed to convey useful plans which have brought success in other cities.
Gratitude, however, must be expressed to all those teachers who during the year have answered the call to service and traveled to so many cities upholding the banner of the Faith.
This circulation of thought and devotion from city to city, in the person of the teachers who are able to travel, is a great stimulus to the Bahá'í communities themselves as well as to the nonbelievers thereby attracted. But above all the firm unity of the local communities affords and wiii always afford the oniy enduring foundation for the new era of vitality and spiritual zeal. The greatest teacher in the Cause of Bahá'u'lláh is not a person but a community not oniy united together on the plane of personality but imbued with conviction that its essential purpose is to open the doors to the new souis.
Communications from theThe first communication from the Guardian was the cablegram sent in reply to the message cabled him by the Twenty-Sixth Annual Convention. That cablegram, received after the Convention had closed, was reported in a general letter dated June 4, 1934 and also in the Convention Number of Bahá'í News: "American believers' inspired leadership steadily unfolding to Bahá'ís world over potentialities majestic edifice heralding formative period Faith of Bahá'u'lláh. Their unerring vision conceived its matchless design. tAbd'lBh" own hands laid its cornerstone.
Their dynamic faith reared its structure. Their sustained self-sacrifice crowned it with immortal glory.
May flame their unconquerable enthusiasm continue glowing in their hearts till its naked frame is enveloped in its shining mantle."
Is not this message directed also to this Convention, since the task is yet unfinished?
In Bahá'í News of July, 1934, werepublished excerpts from letters dated May 10, May 19, June 11, 1934, and cablegram received on May 18. The following subjects were treated: 1. As soon as the clerestory section of the Temple is completed, no new contract to be made for the next unit until the entire sum required for the contract has already been collected.
2. The scope of local news letters.3. News of the successful negotiations with the Palestine authorities concerning the exemption from taxation of the area surrounding the Shrines, tantamount to a recognition of the sacredness of the Shrines and the significance of the international center of the Faith.
4. Appreciation of the American Baha'is' cooperation in preventing that area from falling into the hands of non-Bah6'is.
5. The relation of local Assemblies to the National
Spiritual Assembly.6. Affirmation of the supreme and undivided authority of the N. S. A. and its moral responsibility if it allows any body or institution within its jurisdiction to abuse its privileges or to decline in the exer-cisc of its rights and privileges.
7. Approval of instruction to disregard anonymous communications.
September Bahá'í News carried the Guardian's explanation of passages in "The Dispensation of Bahá'u'lláh."
Excerpts from letters dated September 9, 16, 25 and 30, were published in November on the following subjects: 1. The hope that through self-sacrifice further steps will be taken to safeguard the entire area surrounding the Shrines.
2. Explanation of the general principle that no administrative body under the jurisdiction of the N. S. A. has authority to receive complaints against the Assembly, but that matters which are unsatisfactory are to be referred to the
Guardian.3. The list of "outstanding issues" already mentioned in this Report.
4. Renewed instruction that photographs of the Guardian are not to be circulated.
5. Approval of statement concerning the Convention with correction of view that its sessions are joint meetings with the N.S.A. 6. Request for English translations of Bahá'í News Letters issued by the National Spiritual Assembly of Germany and
Austria.7. Emphasis upon the necessity of maintaining the flow of contributions to the Temple, and the importance of the National Fund as the indispensable medium for the growth and expansion of the Cause. Contributions to this fund constitute a way by which each believer can test the measure and character of his faith.
8. The Guardian's inability to continue for the present his own contribution to the Temple Fund, in view of the severe restrictions imposed upon the Cause in Iran and the increase in the international expenses. In connection with this subject it is necessary to point out that the Guardian has for years been contributing as much to the Cause in America as all the American believers, through the National Fund at least, are together contributing to the development of the Bahá'í World Center. Difficult though it still is, apparently, to maintain the national budget, including Temple construction, must we not become, as the American Bahá'í community, more deeply conscious of our collective responsibility to the
Guardian's InternationalFund? Must we not begin to realize that a monthly contribution worthy of our combined resources should constitute the first and not the last obligation upon our national
Bahá'í budget? Withoutthe Guardian's capacity to function materially as well as spiritually, are we not fatally Limiting the development of the Cause at its very Center?
Just as no local community can flourish if the National Fund be deprived of power to serve, so no national community in this unified Cause can flourish if the International Fund at the disposal of the Guardian is deprived of power. The matter is mentioned here oniy for deep and prayerful consideration, that a new resolve may be born and develop impetus until this omission shall for the future be overcome.
Expression of the Guardian's gratitude that continuance of Temple construction was assured.
The January, 1935, number of Bahá'í News contained excerpts from the Guardian's letters on the following subjects:
Page 841. Explanation of further questions raised concerning the meaning of passages in "The Dispensation of
Bahá'u'lláh."2. The use of Bahá'í ringstones and burial stones left to the discretion of the believers pending the publication of the Kitáb-i-Aqdas.
3. The National Assembliesof Egypt, tlrAq and Iran are adopting the text of the American Declaration of Trust and ByLaws, at the Guardian's request, the N. S. A. of India and Burma having already taken this step.
4. Approval of plan to unite the two magazines.
5. Explanation of a passage on page 88 of ttBahá'í Administration" referring to the date when Oriental Bahá'ís celebrated the Declaration of the Bib in 1925.
6. Explanation that when a Memorial is constructed in the pine grove at West Englewood to commemorate tAbdu'1-Bahá'í visit to
America, the Memorialshould take the form of a monument and not of a building. This explanation reminds us of the Guardian's previous instruction, that on account of the importance of the Unity Feast which the Master held on that spot, the sole Memorial commemorating His American visit is to be constructed there. The Guardian's views in this matter would seem to answer a question raised locally from time to time in various cities, namely, whether the local Spiritual Assembly should not take steps to acquire permanently some house which had been blessed by the Master's
Holy Presence.At this point in the Report might be inserted reference to the fact that during March, 1935, Roy C. Wilhelm executed an Indenture of Trust under which the Evergreen Cabin property, and the two lots in the pine grove where the Unity Feast was celebrated in 1912, were transferred to the Cause through nine trustees in a manner similar to that under which the
Temple and Green Acreproperties are now administered. The place so signally blessed by the Master thus comes perpetually under Bahá'í ownership and control by this generous gift.
7. Approval of letter published in November Bahá'í News by the N. S. A. on the general subject of the relation of believers to their local, national and international Bahá'í institutions.
8. The Guardian's abiding appreciation and gratitude for the manner in which the American believers rose to meet the emergency caused by lack of funds for Temple construction.
9. His heartfelt condolences and loving sympathy for the loss sustained in the passing away of Dr.
Moody.10. These significant words in a letter dated December 1: "Despite the perils and uncertainties with which their country is now beset, and in the face of the financial reverses they have suffered and the unfortunate controversies that have perplexed and agitated them, they have forged ahead and are fast approaching the termination of the first stage in the ornamentation of their consecrated Edifice.
Undaunted by the magnitude of this colossal enterprise, undismayed by the smallness of their numbers, the scantiness of their resources and the scorn of their enemies, they have carried triumphantly the banner of Bahá'u'lláh and brought to a successful issue the first stage in the formative period of His Faith."
Special attention is called to the fact that the Guardian, in this passage, considers the dome and clerestory sections one unit � a matter of very great importance in the light of the misunderstanding which has prevailed here and there that the dome alone was the ~unit" which the Guardian wished completed and that consequently the clerestory section was a task arbitrarily added by the National
Assembly.Observe also that Shoghi Effendi gives new and more striking emphasis to the completion of the ckrestory section of the dome unit by stating that its successful issue terminates the first stage in the formative era of the Faith.
These subjects explained by the Guardian in a letter dated January 27 were reported in Bahá'í News of March, 1935.
1. The figures of the Báb, Bahá'u'lláh and tAbdu'1-Bahi are not to appear as characters in dramatic works written by believers.
2. Explanation of the Ba1A'i teaching onmarriage, especially in relation to interracial marriage.
Other passages from the Guardian's letters quoted in March were: 1. An important reference to the teachings on economics taken from a letter dated December 20, 1931.
2. The importance of Baha Summer Schools, from a letter to Central States Summer School Committee, dated Novern � ber 6, 1934.
Since the April, 1935issue of the News Letter was devoted to Annual Committee Reports, except for a few news items carried over in type from the previous number in which space was lacking, a number of excerpts in recent letters have not yet been published, and these will be given in full at this time: 1. In comment on the ruling that members of local
Spiritual Assembliesmust be able to attend meetings: CtH believes that your Assembly was well-advised in adopting such a ruling. For it is only too obvious that unless a member can attend regularly the meetings of his local Assembly, it would be impossible for him to discharge the duties incumbent upon him, and to fulfil his responsibilities as a representative of the community.
Membership in a local Spiritual Assembly carries with it, indeed, the obligation and capacity to remain in close touch with local Bahá'í activities, and ability to attend regularly the sessions of the Assembly."
(Haifa, January 27, 1935.)2. In a letter written to the Spiritual Assembly of New York in acknowledgment of a letter reporting the local Assembly's decision to uphold fully and without exception the general instruction concerning Oriental believers who lack proper credentials: "In this connection, the Guardian wishes to draw once more your attention to the all-importance of his instructions to the Western believers regarding association with Orientals. The friends in the West must be wide awake, and be extremely cautious when dealing with Easterners, particularly with those who in the name of the Cause desire to satisfy their own desires and ambitions. The first step which they should take in protecting themselves against such mischief-makers is to insist that they should obtain proper credentials from the Assembly of the locality in which they live. This measure, he feels, is absolutely essential and there can be no exception whatever to it." (Haifa, January 4, 1935.)
3. The cablegram received March 30, 1935, and reported to the friends in a general letter sent to local
Assemblies on April 3:(of the) Dumit property situated (at the) center (of) area dedicated to
Shrines on Mt. Carmel(has been) signed. Four year litigation involving Bahá'í world's petitions (to)
Palestine High Commissionerabandoned. Owners require 4,000 pounds. Half (this) sum (is) available. 'Will American believers unitedly contribute 1,000 pounds before end of May and remaining 1,000 pounds within nine months. Am compelled appeal entire body American community subordinate national interests of Faith to its urgent paramount requirements at its 'World
Center."At the time this Report is in preparation, no further information and no result of that appeal is available. It will be for the Treasurer to convey the result in his Financial Report.
The impressive fact to be noted is the Providential manner in which, at every stage in the development of Bahá'u'lláh's Faith, events are provided and tasks are allotted to the believers which prepare them for the new step. The building of the Temple was the divine plan for creating a national Bahá'í community out of the local communities and factional groups existing years ago, and now we are given compelling needs at the World Center in order to create a world Bahá'í community out of the national communities which have recently been established. Our collective response to all such successive emergency constitutes our training and discipline for service in a divine
World Order. The Causeprogresses by heroic endeavor and sacrifice and for the believers there can be no stay on the upward march.
4. There is one other recent communication from the Guardian, but reference to it will be deferred to the conclusion of this Report.
Page 86From time to time problems and situations are reported by local Spiritual Assemblies which call for some general ruling. The rulings of this character made by the National Assembly during the past year will now be reviewed.
Before doing so, however, it seems important to call attention to the fact that the National Spiritual Assembly after the �934 Convention adopted a new and better method of keeping all its members informed throughout the interval between the meetings.
Once a week each member receives a summary of all communications which have arrived at the National Office, and each item in the summary is numbered for identification. Up to April 19, 1935 there had been 1,124 items, but this figure does not represent the total amount of correspondence because an effort is made to use the same key number throughout all the correspondence pertaining to the same matter. Hitherto the members were only informed of special matters, the general correspondence being itemized oniy once a month in the form of an agenda for each meeting. This new method has been found to be exceedingly helpful.
'The general rulings adopted during the year are as follows: 1. That each local Assembly, in dealing with the matter of members of the community who have joined nonBahá'í organizations which might be political or even radical in character, is in duty bound to point out to the community the Guardian's instructions as published in Bahá'í News of August, 1933.
2. Fresh emphasis was recorded for the principle under which a traveling teacher is not only subject to the jurisdiction of the local Assembly in each city, but is expected to be concerned only with teaching activities and not intervene in local problems unless specifically requested by the Assembly to assist in some situation.
3. That the children of believers can attend the Nineteen Day Feasts and other Bahá'í meetings, but when they reach the age of sixteen years the local Assembly should request a declaration of their interest m the Cause and their intention to become voting members when they reach the age of twenty-one; and that other young people, not children of believers, can attend Nineteen Day Feasts and other Bahá'í meetings after reaching the age of sixteen years by making a si+nilar declaration to the local Assembly.
4. The functions of theCommittee were defined, as reported in Bahá'í News of July, 1934.
5. That excerpts from letters written by the Guardian to individual believers will not hereafter be published.
6. National Committeeswhich have occasion to use a printed letterhead were requested to consult the National Assembly in order to use the proper form.
7. That until further notice the annual meeting called on April 21 for the election of the local Spiritual Assembly is to be conducted by the officers of the outgoing Assembly and not by officers elected by those present at this meeting.
8. In the election of the National and local Assemblies, when the result of the ballot is that eight members are elected but two or more believers are tied for the ninth membership, the second ballot taken to eliminate the tie vote must be limited to voting for one of the two or more names who received a tie vote for the ninth place.
9. The friends were reminded that the Guardian's original instructions concerning letters written to him by local
Assemblies and NationalCommittees were that such letters were to be sent him through the National
Spiritual Assembly.10. Local Assemblies which have no permanent headquarters were requested to take a Post Office box which can be used as a permanent address for Bahá'í correspondence.
11. Local Assemblies were advised to engage expert legal assistance in adapting the local ByLaws to the Religious Statutes of their particular State; and meanwhile that it is advisable and necessary for all local Assemblies without exception to abide by the set of ByLaws approved by the Guardian.
12. Recommended that all local Assemhues if possible arrange to have a Bahá'í address listed in the local telephone directory.
13. General reports from local Assemblies are to be sent directly to the N. S. A. but reports confined to teaching activities are to be sent to the Teaching
Committee. Inter-AssemblyCommittees and conferences have no executive capacity and therefore do not receive reports nor transact business.
14. When a local Assemblywishes to secure the services of any teacher from another city it is requested to consult the National Teaching Committee. That Committee, in turn, is requested to recommend oniy such teachers as conform to the following qualifications: thorough knowledge of the Teachings; complete loyalty to the Administrative Order as outlined in the Guardian's general letters including the World Order communications; rigorous obedience to the principle that teachers are not to intervene in any local problem, and true sincerity and severance.
15. That local news letters should be distributed only to menThers of the local community, but copies sent to the
Guardian, the NationalAssembly and to other National Assemblies for their information.
16. That local Assemblies, in transmitting to the N. S. A. reports and recoin-mendations from the community, should be not merely a passive medium used by believers to bring matters to the attention of the N. S. A. but should make their own independent study of such recommendations and forward them with a statement of their own attitude and comment.
17. Interpretations of the ByLaw on residential qualification of voting believers: first, that when a member or officer of a local Spiritual Assembly cannot function for an indefinite period, and there is no certainty of return to service, the Assembly should recognize the vacancy and arrange a meeting of the community to elect a new member; and second, that the requirements of residence as one of the qualifications of a voting believer should be based upon definite proof of capacity to associate with the Bahá'í comMunity.
1 8. That hereafter the annual voting list furnished by each local Assembly should be accompanied by a separate list of all believers transferred to and from the Assembly.
19. That local Assembliesare to instruct new believers in the meaning of the new compilation of excerpts from the Will and Testament of CAbd~1Bh~ and furthermore, that local Assemblies are to be responsible for providing new believers with copies.
The above rulings have been published in Bahá'í News during the year, but those following have not yet been published.
20. That local Assembliesare requested to send to the N. S. A. a copy of all important notices covering policies, rules or regulations as well as important announcements having to do with elections and organization under Bahá'í administration, which they may issue to their communities from time to time.
21. That the Committeesin charge of the three Summer School programs are, after this season, to send their programs and arrangements to the National Assembly, which body will publish them in some uniform style.
22. That the collective activities of Baha'is, with which the name Bahá'í is associated, ought not to be extended to activities of non-Bah6Ns which cannot be controlled by the believers through their institutions and under the recognized principles of Bahá'í administration; and further that the public solicitation of funds under Bahá'í auspices, irrespective of the worthiness of the object, may give a wrong impression of the nature of the Cause. When believers wish to show a special respect to any nonbeliever or nonBahá'í organization, they should do so as individuals without involving the name of the Cause.
23. In view of the apparent tendency of certain teachers to designate themselves as "International" Bahá'í teachers or lecturers, it has been voted to publish in Baha'i' News a brief statement discouraging the use of the descriptive term "International" in connection with Bahá'í service, on account of the fact that the word (tInter national" with reference to the Cause is
Page 88properly confined to certain specific institutions such as the Guardianship and the Universal House of Justice, and to the activities carried on in and through these bodies.
General StatementsIn addition to specific rulings required for definite situations, the National Assembly endeavors also to throw som~ light on more general trends and developments noted from time to time in its correspondence and other contacts with the national community.
During the year, statements have been published on the following subjects: 1. Status of the National Bahá'í Fund..
2. Suggestions on the subject of teaching.4. The new attitudes and principles of action which the Guardian has established in the World Order communications.
5. The nature of the Nineteen6. Preparation of new believers for membership in the Bahá'í community.
7. Important events affecting the Faith in IrAn.
8. Plans for new Baha'i10. Several reports on recommendations made by the last Convention.
General LettersAt the beginning of the year the National Spiritual Assembly planned as far as possible to publish its general letters in Bahá'í News so that they could be shared by the entire community. In addition, letters were sent to local Assemblies on the following dates: June 4, September 5, September 18 (two letters), October 9,
November 1, November16, December 1, February 4, February 14, March 21 and April 3 � a total of twelve communications.
A Summary of Events'Without attempting to evaluate their relative importance, it will be well to record some of the incidents and events which have happened since the last Convention. The complete history of the Cause during the year can only be followed by considering the detailed reports of National Committees, and in addition the records of the sixty local Assemblies and the unorganized groups.
1. Through generous action of certain believers, an obligation inherited by the Green Acre Trustees from the Green Acre Fellowship in the amount of $10,000 payable on a bond issue has been cancelled by owners of bonds. A loan of $2,000 to the National Assembly several years ago to assist in financing the printing of The Dawn-Breakers has likewise been cancelled by the lender. The unpaid note of $7,500 held by the bank for loan made in March, 1934, to the N. S. A. for the Temple Trustees has been met by a special gift.
2. The literature has been enriched by several new works, including The
Promise of All Ages, Securityfor a Failing 'World, Mysticism and the Baha Revelation, the Economics Compilation, The Will and Testament, The Practise of the Presence of God, BAHÁ'Í NEWS Index, and the leaflet, World
Religion.3. A beautiful design was made by Myron Potter for the Memorial to Keith at 1sf 4h~n, and working drawings sent to the Assembly in that city, but due to the restrictions imposed upon Bahá'í activities in IrAn we do not know what the 1sf ThAn Assembly has been able to do.
4. The house at Maiden, Mass., where the Master visited, has been transferred by the Guardian to Trustees for the benefit of the N.S.A. 5. Final details are being worked out with John and Louise Bosch for the transfer of property at Geyserville used for the Summer School, to Bahá'í trustees.
6. The three Summer Schoolshave progressed steadily, and by now are recognized in their true light, as the beginning of the divine Education given humanity by Bahá'u'lláh.
7. The Symbol of the Greatest Name has been legally protected in the United States and steps are being taken to acquire similar protection in Canada.
8. References to the Cause by non-Ba-h~i'is in newspapers, books and magazines have considerably increased.
9. The Race Amity Committee, in its article on "The Divine Call to Race Amity" published in Babd'i News for March, 1935, has made available to all the American believers a new and valuable source of information and spiritual impetus for sucassful service in that field.
10. The public bulletin entitled "A New 'World Order" has been sent to a special list of people of capacity, at intervals of every other month, adding its weight to all other teaching efforts.
11. Many, but not all of the annual Committee Reports prepared last year have been published in successive issues of Bahá'í News, affording a background of information about the progress of activities along national lines.
12. Two new Spiritual Assemblieswere established on April 21, 1934 � Lima, Ohio, and South Bend, Indiana, while a Spiritual Assembly was reestablished at Geneva, New York.
13. A list of Bahá'í young people between the ages of fifteen and twenty-one is maintained at the National Office, and the friends are requested to assist in keeping this list complete.
14. The National SpiritualAssembly has recorded its thanks and appreciation for the valuable services rendered by A. F. Mat-thisen in acting as accountant and preparing the monthly and annual Financial
Reports.15. A special committee has been giving much time and thought to the preparation of a form of Bahá'í parliamentary procedure for use by local Assemblies in conducting their own meetings and also the Nineteen Day Feasts, for use by the Convention, and also a procedure for the N. S. A. itself. Action has not been taken on this matter at the date of the writing of this Report, but the matter is mentioned because the request for such procedures was one of the important recommendations at the 1934 Convention.
It is hoped that the final drafts can all be pub. lisbed, so that every believer can become familiar with the methods for the conduct of Bahá'í deliberation.
16. The Bahá'í Magazinehas been issued in a new form, the title and general character of which reflect the Guardian's own teaching method as developed in his general letter entitled c(The Goal of a New World Order."
17. The National Assemblyis endeavoring to work out a settlement with the executor of the estate of Mrs. Agnes Parsons, who wrote her intention of donating property at Dublin, N. H., to the Cause, but did not provide for this intention in her will along the lines of her personal letter.
It seems advisable for believers who wish to leave bequests to the Cause to make certain that the necessary legaL steps have been taken.
18. A Memorial Meetingto commemorate the passing of Dr. Moody was held in Foundation Hall, Baha House of Worship, on Sunday,
November 25.19. A statement on the Cause is now included annually in the International Year Book published by Funk & Wagnalls, New York.
20. A new series of inexpensive pamphlets is now under way, for general use in presenting the Cause to the public. The text was prepared under the direction of the Free Literature Committee, and as each article is approved by the Reviewing Committee it will be published in World Order and then reprinted by the
Publishing Committeefrom the magazine types, which makes a large saving in cost. The first pamphlet, on Bahá'í Education, by Stan-wood Cobb, is now on the press. The second will appear next month, on The Most Great Peace, by Marion Holley.
The series will eventually include some six or more titles, and will surely prove very valuable to local Assemblies and individual teachers.
21. The suffering of the Bahá'ís of Iran has been before the National Assembly unceasingly for two years.
During this period, under the Guardian's direction, every possible effort has been made to exert influence for their relief.
The situation has now passed into what appears to be a crucial stage, and we must pray to Bahá'u'lláh that so grievous a blow at
His Cause shall Providentiallybe prevented from carrying out the full destructiveness of its intention.
Page 90The matter has been reported as fully as the Assembly has been permitted to make it known among the friends. It is hoped that this Convention, among other actions, may unite in heartfelt prayer on behalf of our fellow Bahá'ís in that country.
22. Let us be grateful for the remarkable services being rendered by the American believers who travel in other lands � Martha Root, Louise Gregory,
Mountfort Mills, LouiseDrake Wright, Dr. Howard L. and Ma4liyyih Nabil Marzieh Carpenter, Loulie Mathews,
Leonora Holsapple, MarjorieMorten, Julia Goldman, Charles and Helen Bishop, Mr. and Mrs. Greeven, Mark Tobey, Nellie S. French, Mr. and Mrs. Harry Romer, Amelia Collins,
Sylvia Mat-teson, Emogene1-Ioagg. On Sunday, April 14, the press carried the news that Mr. Romer had passed on at London � a great loss to the Cause.
A New Annual ConferenceAfter careful consideration of some of the needs of the Cause, the National Spiritual Assembly has recently recorded its view that hereafter each successive N. S. A. should arrange a threeday joint session for the special purpose of conferences with representatives of all local Assemblies who can be present.
The purpose of this plan is to go more deeply into the opportunities and problems faced by all local Assemblies in this formative period, and at the same time enable the National Assembly to acquire a more intimate picture of conditions than is possible by correspondence.
The thought is that such a conference could be held during the fall or early winter, at some central point like the Foundation Hall of the Tem-pie, or Chicago, and each Assembly invited to send a representative or at least some suggestions for the agenda. The meetings would doubtless be helpful to all, and grap-pie with real problems and opportunities which arise on all sides. It is confidently hoped that the plan when carried out will have important results for the Cause.
ConclusionIn conclusion the important announcement is made that the Guardian has given the friends a wonderful blessing in the form of new translations of excerpts from Tablets of Bahá'u'lláh.
Within the last few days three different manuscripts have been received from Haifa, and with them a letter stating that these are to be published with the title ttGleanings from the Writings of Bahá'u'lláh." It would be presumptuous to attempt to describe their power, their beauty, their vitalizing spirit. Suffice it to remark that Shoghi Effendi, having renewed the Cau~e by instructing us in the principles of administrative order, now calls us to a spiritual renewal in our knowledge of the creative
Utterance of Bahá'u'lláh.Let us consider this one passage included in the Guardian's translations: "The first duty prescribed by God for His servants is the recognition of Him Who is the DaySpring of His Revelation and the fountain of His laws, Who representeth the Godhead in both the Kingdom of His Cause and the world of creation. Whoso achieveth this duty hath attained unto all good; and whoso is deprived thereof, bath gone astray, though he be the author of every righteous deed. It behoveth every one who reacheth this most sublime station, this summit of transcendent glory, to observe every ordinance of Him Who is the Desire of the world.
These twin duties are inseparable.Neither is acceptable without the other. Thus bath it been decreed by Him Who is the Source of Divine inspiration."
Faithfully yours,In more than seventy cities of the United States and Canada there are associations of people who feel a special interest in and a high and sincere regard for your Majesty's enlightened r~gime and for the prog
Page 91These Americans do not feel that Persia is a distant country, having at present few commercial relations or public ties with these nations of the West, but on the contrary they feel that Persia is a second Fatherland, the source and origin of a Faith they hold dearer than life itself.
By reason of that Faith they exalt the destiny of Your Majesty's nation and are assured that Persia shall, in this new age, become the object of a veneration and a love as the Holy Land whence first came forth the divine
Message of UniversalWith this deep and sincere respect for Persia, Your Majesty is assured that no po-lirical and no selfish commercial motives are combined. As the followers of Mu-bammad all through the ages have made spiritual pilgrimage to Mecca, in Arabia, and as the followers of Christ have in the same manner thronged to Palestine, so the followers of Bahá'u'lláh look upon Persia as the Center toward which their gratitude and their hopes must ever turn. Even though at present other nations possess a larger measure of material wealth and political power, nevertheless the followers of Bahá'u'lláh feel perfect assurance that Persia shall, in the not distant future, attain a true preeminence in the hearts and minds of all civilized people, since the development of peoples and nations is subject to the will of God.
It is in the name and on behalf of all these American people who are so devoted to the Persian nation that the National Spiritual Assembly now addresses to Your Majesty this respectful petition, appealing to Your Majesty's justice in a matter that deeply moves our hearts and affects our religious
Faith.To state the matter in its most essential form, it consists of the sacred privilege of religious worship which has been denied by certain government officials to the followers of Bahá'u'lláh in Persia, although the principle of religious freedom is granted in the national Constitution and represents what we are convinced is Your Majesty's established policy and intention for the welfare and development of the entire realm. How far this denial and suppression have proceeded beyond Your Majesty's own pub � lished attitude is made clear by recital of the following facts: � First, Bahá'í books and even letters sent by the American believers to their fellow-believers in Persia are confiscated by the Persian Postal
Department.Second, Bahá'í books printed in Persia are seized and destroyed by Postal, Police or other officials.
Third, the Tarbiat Schoolfor girls in Teheran, and Bahá'í Schools in the cities of Kashan,
Qazvin and Sultanabadhave been closed by order of the Ministry of Education.
Fourth, in a number of leading cities, including Qazvin and Kirmanshali, public orders have been issued prohibiting Bahá'í gatherings, closing Bahá'í meeting places and suspending Bahá'í activities. Likewise in these cities the orders even deny to Bahá'ís the right of burial in Bahá'í cemeteries.
Fifth, the Bahá'ís of Teheran are compelled under penalty of imprisonment to register as Moslems in their identity papers.
Sixth, the Moslem clergy, elated by the opportunity to arouse public prejudice against the Baha'is, are inciting the population to injure and oppress the innocent followers of Bahá'u'lláh.
Seventh, the Bahá'ísof Teheran have made effort to present a petition to Your Majesty, but their petition has been undelivered and its pleas rejected.
Therefore we, Your Majesty, relying wholly upon Your Majesty's justice and upon the spiritual nature of the Faith we hold in common with the Baha of Persia and other lands, respectfully seek this opportunity to prove that Your Majesty's Bahá'í subjects are loyal and innocent, and that they are made victims of a religious fanaticism which developed many years ago before the great blessing of religious freedom was given to Persia in Your Majesty's noble constitutional reform.
The proof we desire to submit is not based upon mere words but upon deeds.
Reference is accordingly made to the remarkable services rendered to Persia by that venerable and loved Dr. Susan Moody, who so recently died in the city of Teheran. From the year 1909 even to her last hour,
Page 92this American Baha had no other thought than that of the development of the Tar-Hat School for Girls in Your Majesty's capital city. Through her love for Persia, inspired by her devotion to Bahá'u'lláh, Dr. Moody was given the great historical privilege of establishing the first educational institution for girls in that land.
Her achievement has become known and deeply admired throughout the civilized world, and her firm intention of dying and being buried in Persia, her chosen field of service, was acclaimed in articles published by newspapers of Teheran following her death. We cannot believe that Your Majesty wishes the heavy hand of prejudice, and the blind venom of clerical hatred and jealousy, to destroy what so many years of pure intention and sacrifice created for the sake of Persian girls, whose education the Moslem clergy itself has never attempted nor even desired. It is surely the characteristic of true civilization to open schools and not to close them.
Now as for the true attitude of the Persian Bahá'ís toward Your Majesty's reign and Your Majesty's government.
The spiritual teachings of Bahá'u'lláh, Your Majesty, specifically and positively inculcate in all Bahá'ís the principle of obedience to their civil ruler and government, in whatever country Bahá'ís reside, and complete noninterference in political affairs.
No Bahá'í for any reason whatsoever is permitted by his Faith to take part m any political faction or have any association with radical movements.
We ask Your Majesty to note this most essential Bahá'í principle, because it can be found in no previous religion. This Bahá'í teaching is no less than the greatest of blessings for the rulers and governments of this age, since no 'esson is more clearly taught by history than the evil results of the disorders and rebellions originating in religious prejudice. No such results can ever, in any country, arise from the actions or even thoughts and feelings of the Baha'is.
Moreover, the spiritual teachings of Bahá'u'lláh remove the very foundation of that inter-religious strife which throughout history it has been so difficult for civil governments to control, as for example the centuries of dissension which have existed between
Christians and Moslems.The followers of Bahá'u'lláh are taught that both Mubammad and Christ are Prophets and Messengers of God, and that true faith in one requires equal faith in the other. They accept and abide by the Bahá'í teaching that declares an end must come in this new age to all those false religious doctrines, not revealed by the Prophets but advanced by the leaders of church and mosque, which justify in the name of God the present separation and antagonism of the religious sects and creeds.
Thus, the Bahá'ís of Christian countries revere and extol Mu � bammad, and gladly endure suspicion and scorn from orthodox Christians for the sake of the spiritual unity made possible by the teachings of Bahá'u'lláh.
Yet the Baha books published in America, which dare to exalt Muluiammad among people who believe that Muhammad is the enemy of Christ, are banned and forbidden entry in Persia by the leaders of Islam who are themselves unable to prove the Prophethood of Mu-bammad to the Christian peoples!
From the point of view of enlightened civilization, Your Majesty, it is desirable to refer to one more important teaching of Bahá'u'lláh, namely, that teaching which forbids the Baha of all countries ever to allow the development of a priesthood or professional clergy in this worldwide Faith. No spiritual principle could be more acceptable to an enlightened Monarch than this, since it has ever been from the clergy, and not from the people, that those false doctrines have arisen which serve to instigate hatred and enmity where the Prophet himself has taught oniy friendship and peace.
Your Majesty is assured that the American Bahá'ís and the Bahá'ís of Persia possess the same Faith, follow the same teachings and carry on their religious services in the same manner.
The Faith of Bahá'u'lláh is uniform and identical among all the believers in the forty countries where this Faith exists today. Therefore if true and complete reports cannot be obtained in Persia, on account of the active prejudice so long fomented by Moslem leaders, we appeal to Your Majesty and plead that the true character of our religion be established by
Page 93Your Majesty's representatives in America or other countries.
For example, the American government recognizes the Bahá'í Faith as a new religion, allows the American believers full freedom to maintain their Bahá'í institutions and activities, and has never found any evidence that the religion of Bahá'u'lláh is a source or cause of difficulty to the national kgirne or to the public order and general welfare. When the truth is fairly ascertained, we have complete confidence that Your Majesty's justice and concern for the progress of civilization will cause the Persian Bahá'ís to be saved from religious persecution and to be given liberty to maintain their spiritual institutions without interference, including those Schools in which innocent children have received instruction in the sciences and arts so necessary to the progress of society, and also in those religious principles of love and unity which are even more essential to a humanity now everywhere in the world confronted by dangers of disastrous war and revolution.
What we above all wish to testify, Your Majesty, is that the spiritual teachings of Bahá'u'lláh emphatically deny the false truths on which Communistic doctrines and practices are based, and declare that no sound and enduring justice can be established until the supreme evil of international war has been banished from the earth. The Bahá'ís are convinced that should another 'World 'War be precipitated, civilization itself can be destroyed.
Therefore, the Bahain all lands serve the ideals of spiritual fellowship and unity which God has instituted as the sole protection of mankind. The responsible and farseeing statesman, concerned with the larger issues of public order and progress, can by investigation fully satisfy himself that the Bahá'ís in all countries uphold principles upon which ruler and governments can establish a firm basis for social development, while the religious enemies of the Baha'is, seeking special privilege and domination over the minds and hearts of the people, are in fact hoping to restore their former condition of authority and are thereby hostile to all public education and constitutional order.
They violently assail the Baha'is, then accuse the Bahá'ís of disturbing the peace of the realm.
Such has been the method of the cunning hypocrite in all ages, as Mu]~am-mad and Jesus have lamented in their Holy Books.
We therefore express the deepest hope and confidence, Your Majesty, that measures will be taken to relieve Your Majesty's loyal subjects, the Persian Baha'is, who constitute the largest religious minority in Your Majesty's realm, of the burdens which have been laid upon them of such grievous nature as to carry the stigma and hardship imposed oniy upon vile criminals and those who secretly plot their country's overthrow and destruction.
'We likewise make appeal, Your Majesty, that the Postal Department be instructed to permit the entry of letters and books sent by the American Bahá'ís to their fellow believers in Persia, and the dispatch of correspondence from the Persian Bahá'ís to us. The noble sacrifice made for Persia by the late Dr. Moody is surely evidence that our intercourse and association with the Persian Bahá'ís has sincere intention and beneficial result.
The death of Mrs. Keith Ransom-Kehier, also an American Baha'i, and her burial at I~fiMn during 1933, is one more sacred bond uniting the hearts of the followers of Persia's Prophet, Bahá'u'lláh, in these two lands.
We are, the well wishers of Your Majesty's nation and people,
The National SpiritualAssembly of the Bahá'ís of the United States and Canada.
ALLEN B. MCDANIEL,EARLY in the Bahá'í year 91 (1935 A.D.), the former Central Assembly of IrAn, following the Guardian's instructions sent out a circular letter to all central Local Assemblies of Bahá'í districts throughout the country, containing instructions as to the election of the ninety-five Convention delegates.
On the 6th of Ridvan when the first session of the Convention was held in Tihnin, eighty-one delegates were present, this number increasing by the second session to eighty-four.
The Convention continued with utter spitituality for eight days, and the delegates felt and showed great happiness, and praised the power of Bahá'u'lláh, so manifest among them.
The gathering of these men from remote and mutually isolated communities, their harmony in spite of differences of language and race, their coming together with unequaled love and sincerity to consult over the affairs of the Cause, offered a striking symbol of Bahá'í oneness and human brotherhood. The unity of these sessions drew those present like a magnet and its effect is still a living thing. During the first session the following telegram was sent to the Guardian: "Eighty-one delegates present humbly soli cit divine confirmation."
The Guardian wired in reply: ~~Jrnp1ore assistance and favor for chosen delegates.
(Signed) Shoghi."Following a study of the Guardian written instructions, reviewing of the related sections of the ByLaws of the National Spiritual Assembly of America and careful discussion, in the fifth session (after chanting of the Visitation
Tablet of Bahá'u'lláh)with prayerfulness and humil-. ity the following were elected by secret ballot as members of Pin's first
National Spiritual Assembly:ctNational Spiritual Assembly elected implores confirmation."
The following was received in reply: "Greatest aim and crowning act is purchase of land for first national Thin Temple. Delay would jeopardize this vital matter. (Signed)
Shoghi." The new Assemblyin its first session elected its executive officers (Chairman, Valiyu'11Th Kh6n Varq&; Vice-Chairman,
Dr. Yiinis Khin Afr6khtih;Furnan), and in the course of this and later sessions appointed its committees as follows: Census; Teaching;
Children Training; Publicity;in the year 91 included the following: establishment of a special body to study and translate the ByLaws of the National Spiritual Assembly of America; the translation made was then submitted to the Guardian for final revision.
Purchase of the land for Iran's first Mashriqu'l-Adhkar in accordance with the Guardian's instructions; this land consists of a property known as 1{adiqih (Paradise), situated among the Shimrin hill-villages on the slopes of the Alburz Mountains, about six miles to the northeast of Tihrin, and commanding a beautiful view of the city; at present, pending the construction of a direct road at some future time, it may be reached in twenty minutes by auto from the capital. The land, acquired at a cost of 176,000 riy6is, is a tract of 1,257,000 square meters, and unlike most parts of Shimr~n it is relatively ievei and fertile; two subterranean water courses (Qan~t) come to the surface on this land, and in addition it has an allotment by law of 161 hours of purchased water, which is ample for irrigation of the garden and some of the farm area.
Purchase of a vineyard adjoining the Hadiqili. Dispatch of two traveling teachers through IrAn to supplement the work of local teachers.
PresentaMount Awrang, M4zindar&n, where CAbd 'lBh' was taken as a Child to view the Village of T6tur in the Valley. He stood on the raised rock at lefthand side, near the summit.
Garden in Tikur, Mizinda-rin, , showing Pear-tree on right, a Favorite Spot of Bahá'u'lláh, where He often sat. Ruins of Room in the Vazir's House in TAkur, M6zin-dar~n, r~n, where Father of Bahá'u'lláh was born.
Room in the House in Qazvin, where TThirih met the Believers.
Page 96tion of petitions to His Majesty the ShAh and to the Government authorities regarding the following occurrences: The closing of all Bahá'í meetings in some of the provinces, including Khuds~n; the confiscation by police authorities of the Bahá'í pocket calendars which had been printed and spread in TilirAn; seizure in the publishing office of the book "Mysterious Forces of Civilization" which had been printed and was being distributed through the efforts of one of the friends; dismissal of some Bahá'í employees from the Department of Highways in Ahv4z, Khiizistin; public denunciation of the Cause from the pulpits in the mosques of AhvAz by one of the mulhs, in the presence of civil and military heads; seizure in the post offices of Spiritual Assembly correspondence; the spread of articles and caricatures directed against the Cause, some printed in Idn and others abroad; the refusal by registry offices to register Bahá'í marriage certificates in spite of full observation by Bahá'ís of all stipulated regulations; the refusal of some departments of the Ministry of Finance to employ Bahá'ís as a result of the latter's filling in the religions column of their application blanks with the word ccBh~~i~~ the closing of the Tarbiyat Schools in Tihr~n because of their having closed to commemorate the martyrdom of the Báb (ShACbin 28) and the subsequent closing of the following Bahá'í schools throughout the country: Qazvin, Tavakkul School (girls)
; K~shin, Vahdat-i-Bashar(boys and girls); HamadAn, Ta'yid High School (boys); Mawhibat School (girls)
; Najafibid, S&idat Schools(boys and girls) ; Sangisar and ShahmirzAd, Boys' and
Girls' Schools and Kindergartens;Yazd, Tawfiq Tahdhib Hfishangi, Tarbiyat Schools (boys and girls); Bibul, Sat~dat-i-Umfimiyyih
School; Ab5dih, Tarbiyat Schools(boys and girls). The suppression of all Bahá'í gatherings throughout the country; closing of the Bahá'í meeting houses (Haziratu'1-Quds) in all localities; imprisonment of a number of Bahá'ís and even the subjection of some to physical injury; refusal of telegraph offices both in the capital and throughout the provinces to transmit to the authorities petitions of appeal from persecuted Baha'is. Throughout this year the National Assembly further sent regular reports to the Guardian, spread his instructions among the friends, corresponded with Assemblies at home and abroad, encouraged Bahá'í institutions and individuals to carry out the Guardian s instructions and to remain firm in spite of adverse pressure; as directed by the Guardian, the National Assembly also distinguished between purely administrative matters and matters of faith and conscience, summoning the friends to complete obedience to the Government where administrative affairs were concerned, and full observance of their religious laws in matters of conscience; it further endeavored to console and sustain them in their difficulties and to encourage their strength and harmony. When the schools were first shut down and the restrictions imposed, the National Assembly also dispatched Aqiy-i-ThThit to the Guardian to receive his instructions (no other means of communication being available) ; it has likewise met frequently with Government authorities with reference to the occurrences described.
The following are extracts from Assembly reports regarding the abovementioned occurrences.
Tihr~n: it is reported that the National Police Department issued a circular order to its local departments in the capital and throughout the country to the effect that all public declaration of faitb by Bahá'ís should be strictly suppressed, that all their meetings and organizations should be dissolved, that everyone calling himself a Bahá'í should be arrested and prosecuted.
Following these orders pressure began to be exerted on the Baha both in Tihrin and throughout the provinces; all Bahá'í meetings, whether in private homes or in the Haziratu'1 � Quds, and even certain of the children's character-training classes, were banned; individuals in whose homes meetings were customarily held were required to sign a pledge to the effect that these would be discontinued; some of the friends were summoned to district police departments and told to desist in future from calling themselves Baha'is; regarding this point the authorities would severely
Page 97reprimand the friends but seeing them unmoved by threats would let the matter drop. Certain minor officials made use of the situation to serve their own ends and to introduce their personal views. For example, when a Bahá'í youth whose bicycle had been stolen referred to the district police, the officers in charge asked him to what religion he belonged; learning that he was a Baha'i, the Chief roughly upbraided him, saying, "So you're still declaring yourself a Baha'i! Haven't you heard that no one has the right to breathe that word any more!" The young man answered simply, "I am a Baha'i, and how could I help saying so when you asked my religion?"
The result was that the theft of the bicycle was ignored and the young man who had come to recover his property was imprisoned. Similar incidents have repeatedly occurred in Tihr~n. Certain TihrTh newspapers and magazines have both outwardly and by implication attacked the Baha and the Tarbiyat Schools in libelous articles; in particular Sharitat~i~Sangalaji, one of the religious leaders who exerts an influence over Muslim youth, spoke from the pulpit these words which were later published verbatim in the magazine ~ "Last night I heard a report which so delighted me that if I had the means I would strew the floor of this mosque with sweets.
It was that His Imperial Majesty our powerful SMh has ordered the closing of their girls' and boys' schools. 0 People, this is indeed a matter for thanksgiving! Think what would happen to our Muslim children who would attend those schools. May God Himself assist our mighty and exalted ShAh!" At the same time ~ Ayati (Av4rih) in his magazine ttNamak-din" did not hesitate to publish the worst sort of slander and libel.
Qazvin: the delegate from the Qazvin Assembly states that following the closing of the Tavakkul School a Government-school teacher in addressing his class turned th~ subject to the Bahá'í Cause and the Baha'is, and began to vilify the Cause, finally shouting with the students, "May God curse the enemies of the Prophet!" after which the class repeated "So be it!" When one of the Bahá'í students objected to the teacher's action, the teacher and superintendent and later the District Director of Public Instruction intervened and the Bahá'í student was expelled from the school.
KAsMn: on .&dhar 22nd theaccompanied by the Chief of Police and a number of officers and department inspectors went to the
Bahá'í Vabdat-i-BasharThey seized the school equipment, put out the custodian and imprisoned the school principal for three days at police headquarters, certain of the officials insulting and abusing the Baha'is. Following closing of the schools all Bahá'í meetings were banned.
Najaf4b~d: here the representative of the Vice-Governor proceeded to the Bahá'í schools, gave a verbal order to close them and had the schools' signboard taken down; at this the director and directress addressed the students, informing them that the suspension of the schools was due solely to their being Bahá'í institutions. The students, many of them in tears, left for their homes, even the Government officials being visibly affected by their distress.
Mashhad: after forbidding all Bahá'í gatherings, arresting the members of the Assembly and a number of others and then releasing them on bail, the Chief of Public Safety summoned a representative of the Assembly and said, "Your meetings are to be dissolved for all time, and even the building which is your Ua~iratu'1-Quds must be sold so that no trace of this may remain." It is obvious that since these orders were not is sued by the Government but were actuated by personal views, none were made effective.
Yazd: during this difficult period the officials in charge of the Government Census and Identification Bureau attempted to oblige the Yazd Bahá'ís to register themselves as Muslims and the Bahá'ís refused to do so. Among others cAta~u~11~h Vujdini-NizMd was summoned to the police station and ordered to fill in the religions column of the identification form with the word t!Isl~m~~ and sign it; upon his refusal to comply, the officials agreed that he should
Page 98leave the space for religions entirely blank or should draw a line through it and sign the paper; he replied that he would not sigh unless he could fill in the column with the word "Baha'i." The Chief of Police began to argue with him urging him to do as directed, but seeing that his words had no effect on Vujd~ni, he struck him about the head several times and committed him to prison. It is reported that Vujd~ni said to the Chief, "My father died for this faith rather than conceal it � do you expect me to recant because of your blows and imprisonment?"
Following this episode the friends here all registered as Baha'is.
Abidih: with reference to declaring their religion in the census blanks the Baha of this city telegraphed the Governor of Firs to say that even if all the Baha'is, young and old, should be put to the sword they would never sign any other name than CcBaM~i~~ in the religions column of the census forms; the Governor thereupon ordered local authorities to allow the Bahá'ís to register as such.
Rafsanjan (Kirmin) here the restrictions imposed were of such severity that even the meeting of two Bahá'ís in a shop was objected to. Sirjin (Kirmin) here the house-door of one of the believers was defiled during the night. SabzavAr: the entire Spiritual Assembly of this town was imprisoned for several days and afterward released on bail. All Baha gatherings were forbidden. CIr~q: here the police not only put a stop to all Bahá'í meetings and administrative activities, but also seized the Assembly's books and archives, removed them to Headquarters and have never returned them.
They further confiscated and retained for a long period the furniture of the Haziratu'1-Quds.
Maldyir: the local Chief of Public Safety summoned a member of the Spiritual Assembly and said that he had confidential news to the effect that all the Bahá'ís in Tihr~n were under arrest, that they were being put in prison and tortured and persecuted, and that the Government was determined to obliterate the name from the face of the earth; "You must," he added, tturge your friends to adopt one of the recognized religions, otherwise they will all be destroyed." On the following day the Chief summoned the entire Assembly and addressed them roughly, saying, c(You must give me a list of the names of all the Bahá'ís in Malayir and on leaving here you must adopt one of the recognized religions." A member of the Assembly answered, (CIS it possible for you to take a raisin and whip it into a green grape? We are unable to obey your order; do whatever you think best."
The MalAyir believers were subsequently so much oppressed that they were unable even to organize their Assembly.
�Correspondence from other parts of IrAn, omitted here for the sake of brevity, reports similar episodes everywhere.
Election of the National Spiritual Assembly in 92 was effected as follows: according to Article 8 section VI of the National Assembly ByLaws ("Jf in any year the N. S. A. shall consider that it is impracticable or unwise to assemble together the delegates to the National Convention, the N. S. A. shall provide ways and means by which the business of the Convention may be conducted by correspondence or tele-grain."), the National Spiritual Assembly in view of the abovementioned restrictions and threatening occurrences, finding it impracticable to assemble the delegates in Tihr 6.n, informed the local Assemblies to advise election of the delegates in each section according to the procedure of the previous year, and cause the delegates to dispatch their votes by reliable means to the capital. On the 4th of Jamil, 92 the outgoing National Assembly held its ninety-second session; seventy-eight ballots had been received by this date, and the following were elected as the National Spiritual Assembly for the year 92: tAli-Akbar Khin Fur6tan (68 votes);
Valiyu'llih Khin Varq5(37). Following counting of the ballots the outgoing Assem-My officially notified each new member of his election, and relegated affairs to the new body.
The incoming NationalAssembly held its first meeting on the 27th of Jamil,
Page 99electing its officers (Chairman, Varq~; Vice-Chairman,
Afnikhtih Secretary, Funitan;Treasurer, tAh'i) and wiring to the Guardian: "National Spiritual Assembly elected implores divine confirmation."
Referring to this the Guardian later wrote, ~tJ wired an answer to that telegram and there is no doubt that the authorities withheld it." During this first session the incoming Assembly further appointed a committee of five to select the membership of the National Committees, the following committees being appointed:
Teaching; Children'sFollowing are extracts from Assembly reports regarding continued restrictions imposed on Bahá'ís throughout the country: TihrAn: as heretofore, no public meetings have been held in the Haziratu'1-Quds, except that on the eve of the ascension of Bahá'u'lláh, some four hundred Bahá'ís with the approval of the Local Assembly were admitted by written invitation to the Haziratu'1-Quds for dinner, and remained there to chant prayers and sacred verses until three o'clock in the morning.
Bahá'í meetings continue to be held regularly in private homes without any opposition from the police. Character training classes, teaching meetings, national and local administrative meetings are regularly held. Bahá'u'lláh: here the police authorities subjected the friends to ill-treatment and in one way or another persecuted several of the wellknown Baha'is. tlniq: local believers have suffered more through the recent restrictions than those elsewhere. The
Police and Census Departmentshave pursued the friends with extraordinary fanaticism.
As an example the police summoned AqAy-i-Zargarzidih, Secretary of the Assembly, arrested him and placed him in such close confinement that he was not even permitted to see his child. Qazyin: the local police have strictly forbidden Bahá'í community and business meetings.
They summoned and reprimanded one of the Bábi'is who had held a meeting at his house in commemoration of Bahá'u'lláh's ascension.
The police further made inquiries of two Bahá'ís with reference to the Bahá'í calendar, subsequently holding its publishers prisoner in the capital for two days.
Rasht: by order of the Tilirin authorities, two ranking Bahá'í officials of the
Post and Telegraph Departmenthere who were members of the Spiritual Assembly were forbidden to attend its sessions. ZThidin: here the Vice-Governor ordered the Bahá'ís to evacuate the Hazi-ratu'1-Quds, lease it to a non-Bahá'í and discontinue all Bahá'í gatherings in private homes.
Following this order, three members of the Spiritual Assembly were placed under arrest, and later released. Kirmin: the local police showed great opposition to the Baha'is, and the lowest elements of the populace publicly abused them.
Adhir-biyj~n: after forbidding all Assembly sessions and general meetings in the Ua?i-ratu'1-Quds, the police here refused to grant recommendation cards to Bahá'ís (The Inn Government grants such a card to citizens in good standing who require the same) on the grounds that being a Bahá'í in itself constitutes misconduct. HarnadTh: a number of local believers who did not possess a Muslim marriage certificate (such a civil certificate being a recent requirement) were prosecuted when applying for identification papers for their newborn children. One believer was further brought to trial for refusal to include the word ~tMus1im" in his census papers.
These individuals were convicted in the lower courts and their cases were appealed.
As an instance of the difficulties attendant on registration of Bahá'í marriage certificates, the following letter from the Local Assembly of Bandar~cAbb~s is cited: on Qudrat 1, 92 (Ab~n
12, 1314) Khalil-i-Nid&'iand Mariyam Khinum, daughter of the late QuHm-Ridi Sami-'zAdih were married as directed by the Guardian according to Bahá'í law, and five days later in conformity with Government regulations the marriage certificate was taken to the Municipal Bureau for registration, following which it was to be registered at the Census Department (there being no local official marriage registry). After several days of delay and promises by
Page 100the officials that they would register the certificate and give notice of the same, on the 1st of Adhar one of the witnesses was summoned to the Municipal Bureau and asked about the subject-matter of the certificate and where and by whom the marriage was performed; he answered that according to the Bahá'í Faith there is no special individual who performs the marriage ceremony, it being necessary only that the ceremony be held in the presence of nine witnesses, and that this wedding took place in the bride's home.
On successive days the remainder of the witnesses were called in and likewise questioned. They then declared that the marriage had not been performed according to the country's regulations; the friends replied that they had acted according to their religious requirements, following which they had complied with Government regulations by submitting the marriage certificate for registration at the Municipal Bureau. The authorities then summoned the bride and questioned her; she answered fearlessly that she and her husband were both born of Bahá'í parents, had acted according to their faith and had then submitted their marriage document for registration, adding that the authorities could register or not as they saw fit, since she and her husband had in any case complied with the regulations.
They then asked, ""What is a Baha'i" and she replied with the Master's words, "A Bahá'í is the embodiment of all human perfections."
Their marriage certificate is still shelved at the
Municipal Bureau, and Khalil-i-NidA'ihas appealed to the District Attorney of Bandar~cAbb4s and to the National Census Authorities. As the local authorities continued to agitate the case, the young couple were obliged to wire the following, signed by themselves and the nine witnesses, to the Ministries of Justice and of the Interior: "We respectfully submit that on AbAn 12, 1314, we were married in good will and accord in the presence of the witnesses listed below.
As we are Bahá'ís the marriage was performed according to our religious requirements and since there is no official marriage bureau in Bandar-i-tAblAs, we submitted our certifi-gate to the Municipality for registration, after which it was to be filed with the Identification Bureau. Instead however of registering the document they prosecuted us because of our being Baha'is, making a case against us and referring it to the Department of Justice.
We are astonished that such a thing should happen in the era of justice inaugurated by His Majesty Pahiavi when all faiths are treated with impartiality; we humbly request you to order the authorities to cease persecution of these innocent persons."
Many instances have been reported of oppression suffered by Bahá'ís serving in the army; certain of these are as follows: recently tAli-Mubammad Khin Varq~, son of Mirza.
Valiyu'llAh Kbin, who was a conscripted officer, was committed to military prison by order of the General Staff, and this was charged to the fact that in connection with the registration of his marriage certificate he had addressed complaints to the authorities concerned, including the Minister of Justice, who had forwarded his petition to the General Staff as an alleged infringement of military rules and an act of insubordination; the Chief of the General Staff had reported the incident to His Majesty, whereupon orders were issued for Varq&'s arrest; his father then addressed the following petition to His Majesty: "I have the honor to submit that my eldest son tAli-Mubammad Varq4 after the completion of advanced studies entered the
Officers' Training Collegelast year to finish his term of military service; having concluded his studies there he served as a 3rd lieutenant in the artillery until on the 31st of Murd&d his term of service was completed.
On the 4th of Shahrivar he was summoned to Headquarters and although he was no longer in the army and was seeking work in order to support his family, he was arrested and imprisoned by the military authorities.
It appears that the cause of his arrest was his marriage, which the Ministry of Justice has declared illegal although it conformed to all the regulations, as is proved by his marriage certificate which was officially submitted to the Registry Office. A Bahá'í can never act against the country's laws and the Imperial will, and his conscience forbids
Page 101him falsely to represent himself as Muslim, Christian, Jew or Zoroastrian and to register his marriage on the certificates and at the bureaus reserved for them. Such an act would be disloyalty to the Government and is forbidden by the Bahá'í Faith; a Bahá'í is obliged to conform to the Bahá'í marriage requirements and to seek the registration of Bahá'í certificates by the officials concerned; and since hundreds of such marriages have taken place all over I r4n, and being in conformity with the law have led the Assistant Chief of Police summoned him and the following conversation ensued: (Chief) ttDid you write a petition to His Majesty seeking your son's release?"
(VarqA) ccYes~~ (Chief) "His Majesty orders me to advise you that you have already repeatedly been warned to desist from declaring your faith.
You have also been informed that His Majesty looks upon you all with favor and is sure of your loyalty, but he does not wish you to make avowals of your faith.
2 A Tablet of Bahá'u'lláh addressed to tAbdu'1-Bahi.
(Translation of part of this Tablet appears in ttThe Dispensation of Bahá'u'lláh," page 43, paragraph beginning with (CO Thou Who art the apple of Mine eye!") to no incidents, my son likewise has proceeded according to the laws of his faith and also of his country. It is certain that in view of imperial iustice and favor, it will not be permitted that a young man of education, who has completed his military service under the law, has married and with a thousand hopes made ready to serve his country; should at the outset of his career for no fault or disloyalty be subjected to such difficulties.
I humbly beg His Majesty's order for a thorough investigation of the legality of this marriage, and, if it agrees with the desire of His Majesty, the order for his release."
Three days later An evidence of His Majesty's favor is that a large number of Bahá'ís are employed in various Government departments; for example Aq~y~i~cA14~i has a very important position in the army, and this is an outstanding proof of the ShAh's goodwill toward you, but he cannot condone your public declaration of faith. He can never forgive any infringement of laws and regulations, even on the part of his own son; for instance a few days ago the man who next to His Majesty was the foremost personage in the country became the object of His Majesty's displeasure and reprimand because he had made a slight departure
Page 102The speaker continued angrily, "And now you peopie want to force the Government to give you official recognition.
The Government recognizes oniy four religions and cannot recognize you. See how much better off you are than you were thirty years ago. What more do you want?" He repeated these things several times adding that these were not His Majesty's words but his own, His Majesty having only outlined the message to be delivered.
(Varqi) "My dear Colonel, I don't understand your motive in speaking as you have. The point at issue is neither the open declaration of faith nor the desire for recognition.
My son has been imprisoned by His Majesty's order; I wrote His Majesty and stated the circumstances, submitting that my son was imprisoned because he is a Bahá'í and has married according to the teachings of his religion. No Baha has acted or will act against the country's regulations and the Imperial will. There has apparently been a misunderstanding, for we have repeatedly submitted to His Majesty and the ministers in charge that Bahá'ís are obliged by their faith to conform fully to Government regulations in all administrative matters; that is, when the Government orders us to serve in the army, pay taxes, work in the Government offices during stated hours or refrain from giving a daughter in marriage before the age of fifteen, a Bahá'í is obliged by the dictates of his conscience and religion to obey. However, as regards spiritual matters such as acts of worship and marriage he must obey the laws of his religion; in all that relates to spiritual conduct, such as prayer, fasting and the like, which matters have indeed no concern with Government regulations, a Bahá'í will give up his life rather than obey any outside authority. The case of my son's marriage is an example; he is a Bahá'í of the fourth generation, born and reared in this faith; he has married according to the laws of his religion and has also made out a marriage certificate in conformity with the laws of his country; to what bureau must he take this certificate to be registered? For you have oniy four bureaus for four religions, and this young man is not a member of any of them. What is he to do? If the Government wishes him to give up his faith, that is impossible."
(Chief) "The Governmenthas nothing to do with people's religion. For instance, you hold meetings in the tlaPratu'1-Quds and worship according to the requirements of your faith. The Government has no objection. But it cannot overlook your public declarations of faith and it cannot give you an official status; present condi-dons are not favorable; perhaps in future it will be different."
(Varq6.) "Again you speak of public avowals of faith.
Such avowals are for children and the ignorant; the Bahá'ís are a serious people. His Eminence Shoghi Rabbani has stated in a letter to the National Spiritual Assembly that 'both public avowaL of faith and concealment of faith are blameworthy.'
So you can be sure that Bahá'ís neither declare nor conceal their religion.
But consider that both the grandfather and the twelve-year-old uncle of this boy � that is, my father and brother. � were hacked to pieces forty years ago in Ni~iri'd-Din ShTh's prison because they refused to conceal their belief; obviously my son who is a fourth generation Bahá'í will likewise refuse to do so." Rd~u'116h Mawziin, a member of the Naval Officers Division, was for similar procedure in marrying according to Bahá'í doctrine and petitioning the authorities when his certificate was not registered, called to the capital, degraded to the ranks, ordered to serve two years in the army as a private and imprisoned pending payment by him of 1,511 tilmAns, the sum spent by the Government for his education. Although newly married and full of hope for his future, this young man quietly and cheerfully accepted what had happened, saying, "Though I am deprived of a rank which to me was of no value, I have gained precious things in the world of the spirit." His father, Mihdi-Quli Mawziin, stated in a letter written to the National Assembly, ttj request you to send someone to Riihu-'lkh to comfort him and to tell him from me that he must stand firm."
Early in Masi'il, 92, the General Staffsummoned Dr. cAbdu~1~Karim Kh&n Ayidi, an army physician, and advised him that by His Majesty's order he must cross out the word ttBah~'i" written in the religions column of his personnel papers, replace it with the word 'tMuslim" and endorse the change; that failure to comply would result in the ioss of his rank and in imprisonment until he should reimburse the Government for his education � this notwithstanding the notice on the form in question that all answers should be in strict conformity with truth and that anyone writing in a false statement would be severely penalized. Dr. Ayidi declared that he could leave the space blank but that it was impossible for him to fill it in with the word "Muslim." They warned him that refusal would mean ioss of rank, a heavy fine and imprisonment, and urged him in his own interest to conceal his faith and give up insisting on this point; he answered, ccJf I do as you say, I shall have lied, and the Government would then have no reason ever to trust me. Furthermore, you require army men to swear on their conscience and religion to serve the Government with loyalty and never conceal the truth; how can you attempt to do away with my religion and as a result with my honor, and oblige me to conceal the truth and also to lie?" They repeated that he must cross out the word ccBah~fi~~ and write (CM Ii in its place. Dr. Ay6Ai answered, "I shall never do that, even if you put me to death."
At this the officials stripped off his insignia and imprisoned him. Dr. Ayidi was a prisoner about fifteen days, during which time he smilingly and firmly withstood all adverse pressure.
His mother, Munirih Khinurn, expressed no sorrow at her son's imprisonment, and prepared herself with entire faith and serenity for whatever might come to pass, saying, "My father, the late
U~Ii Akhiind (The ~Ah-Qab1-i-Akbarof RaM-'u'11~h's tablets), was time and again chained and imprisoned in the path of the Cause, and my husband the late Ibn-i-Abhar likewise suffered imprisonment and chains. What harm is there in my son's sharing this bounty and following his father and grandfather in the path of his Lord?" At last Dr. Ayidi's firmness resulted in their permitting him to leave the religions column blank; his rank was restored and he was reinstated into his former position. It is thought that the Doctor's medical skill and excellent character influenced the authorities in his favor.
At this time a circular order was issued by the General Staff relative to Bahá'í officers, as follows: "Because inspection of the ten-year identification forms recently turned in discloses that certain officers have described their religion as Baha'i, you are informed by His Majesty's order that the religion with which the Bahá'í community identifies itself has no official status, that the word CBh~~i~ should on no account be permitted to appear in the identification forms, that no avowal of their faith should be allowed and that the slightest expression of faith by them should immediately be suppressed and reported to the capital. Officers who in their identification forms or elsewhere describe themselves as Bahá'ís must if they are conscripts be deprived of their rank and finish their term of service as privates, and if they belong to the regular army they must after being deprived of their rank be imprisoned until they reimburse the Government for their education. His Majesty has especially decreed that leaving the religions column blank in itself constitutes a sort of avowal of faith and this too should nor be accepted. Officers may only fill in the blank with the name of one of the officially recognized religions.
(Signed) Acting ChiefFollowing this order various officers in the capital and provinces were called to account, some of these being imprisoned and others discharged from the army. Typical cases were as follows: Aqiy-i-Av&rig~n was ordered to the capital from his post in Kurdist~n, and replied that his mission had not yet been completed; he was then advised by a telegram in cipher to inform the authorities whether he was willing to change his listing of himself as a Bahá'í in his identification papers.
Avirig~n wired in reply, ttSince my conscience and duty as a soldier forbid departure from truth I cannot change the
Page 104record." On his arrival in the capital he was ordered to cross out the word "Baha'i" and endorse the paper. He answered that he could oniy agree to leave the space blank. As a result he was put under arrest but they finally accepted his suggestion, and released him.
Siy&vash Safidvash one of the earliest Zoroastrian Baha'is, reports that his son Kaykhusraw who is a conscripted officer was summoned and told that it was officially forbidden to write the word "Baha" in the religions column of the identification form, and was ordered to erase it and substitute one of the recognized religions.
They further asked for his answer in writing, whereupon he wrote the following: "In compliance with the regulations heading the ten-year identification form I truthfully stated my religion therein, and I pray God to keep me firm in it to my last breath; cwhatsoever He wills is best.' " As a result he was arrested and deprived of his rank, but eventually this was restored; he was released and permitted to leave the religions column blank.
~Arif KMn Kh~dim, also a conscripted officer, was treated in the same way and for the same reason, but after several days of imprisonment he was freed, his rank was restored and he was allowed to leave the religions column blank.
Aqiy-i-Earz~nih took second place in the Arsenal Department examinations held to select students for study in Europe; since, however, he had registered as a Bahá'í and had refused the authorities' order to change the record, he not oniy lost the opportunity of being sent to Europe but was arrested and is still in prison.
Aqiy4n Ahmadi and Jalili, conscripted officers, were likewise ordered by their superiors to cross out the word "Baha'i" from their registration papers and replace it with ttMulim~~ this in spite of the fact that oniy twenty-three days remained of their term of military service; unmoved by threats, they refused to comply, agreeing only to leave the religions column blank. They were then degraded to the ranks, which they accepted gladly; some three days later their rank was restored and they were much praised for their strength of character, but two days following this they were again ordered to wear a private's uniform.
Mihdi Khin Varqi, who had recently received employment as a military dentist in the conscript army, upon joining the regiment and reporting to his commander, had with the latter the following conversation: (Commander) "Are you a
Muslim?"Majesty has ordered that all officers must be Muslims, and that non-Muslims must change to the religion of Islim in order to become officers."
(Varq&) N have no desire to become an officer and I shall not change my religion."
(Commander) "Four of you people were in the army; of these, three concealed their religion; one refused, and he is still in prison.
Why should you make trouble for yourself?"(Varq6j ~ know, sir, that your intentions are good, but please don't give me any such advice because it will have no effect on me. If you wish to prosecute or imprison me, I am ready for it, and if I must serve as a common soldier, I am also ready."
(Commander) "Then I must refer your case to the General Staff for instructions.~~ At this juncture the Commander's secretary began to offer his advice to the young man. Mihdi KhAn asked, "Would you who are a Muslim be willing to declare yourself a Jew?"
(Secretary) (cYes, becausehas enjoined concealment of faith in time of need."
(VarqA) "In our faith, on the contrary, such concealment is forbidden."
(Commander) CCDO as you wish, but I must refer your case to the General
Staff."Malik-Khusruvi who had served in the army thirteen years, five of these in action, had been for some time an instructor in the Military College and once had among others the Crown Prince as a pupil, although relatively a new believer and except for his sister the only member of his family to be a Baha'i, registered as a Bahá'í and when informed at the College that he must cross this word out and substitute "Muslim" replied as in the
Page 105other cases described that he could only leave the religions column blank. He was told that this was forbidden, and that he must register as a member of one of the four recognized religions.
He answered, ttSince you oblige me to state my religion, write tBahA'i.'
" In spite of their insistence, he stood firm. When his papers were submitted to the Chief of the General Staff the latter summoned him and strongly advised him to change his decision, adding, ~U am interested in you and do not wish you to get into trouble."
At last the Chief declared that he would take the matter to the SMh. It is reported that on hearing the case the Shah said quietly, ~ never interfere with anyone's religion, but since this man has not obeyed my commands, the provisions of the circular order apply to him; however, do not imprison him unless he refuses to reimburse the Government for his education." As a result he was expelled from the army and required to reimburse the Government for the cost of his education.
Malik-Khusruvi is thus the first person in whose case the provisions of the circular order were fully applied. The following is a report of his conversation with the Chief of the General
Staff:(Chief) ((J am interested in you and do not wish you to suffer misfortune.
Give up this idea and don't declare your faith."(Khusruvi) "I have repeatedly submitted that I am making no declaration of faith and that I am ready to leave the religions column blank, but they do not accept this and compel me to state my religion."
(Chief) ctAccording to(Khusruvi) "Bahá'ís all over the world have the same regard for fnin that Muslims have for Mecca, and they consider Inn their point of adoration.
I do not think a Bahá'í could be a traitor to his country. I am happy to be expelled on account of my religion instead of on the pretext of embezzlement or some such crime.
(Chief) ttnwell then, since you are so much attached to Ir6n it is well for you to obey the ShAh's command and register as a Mushm."
(.Khusruvi) ~ cannot; my Master teaches me to speak the truth; truthfulness is a principle of my faith.
Furthermore, the identification form imposes the condition that unless the questions are answered truthfully the signatory will be court-martiakd; it is likewise definitely stated in the army regulations that a soldier must tell the truth and the whole truth."
(Chief) "It is better for you not to declare your faith."
(Khusruvi) N shall leave the column blank."(Khusruvi) "So be it." (Chief) "They will deprive you of your rank."
(Khusruvi) "Let them."(Chief) "You may be imprisoned or transferred to the ports where the climate is bad."
(Khusruvi) (CIt makes no difference."(Chief) "I see that you don't want to serve in the army."
(Khusruvi) N am ready to serve so long as the army wants me; otherwise, wherever I am I shall serve the Government."
(Chief) CCJf they expel you from the army, the other Government departments will refuse you admission."
(Khusruvi) "It doesn't matter. I can work for business houses."
(Chief) "Is suicide allowable in your religion?"(Chief) "Why then are you trying to die by your own hand?"
(Khusruvi) "This is not suicide; it is a matter of conscience and faith."
(Chief) C(GO and consult with your elders."(Khusruvi) "This has to do with a religious command; it requires no consultation."
(Chief) !!Go and think it over."(Kbusruvi) "I did not come here without having thought it over.
(Chief) CCIs it not true that every day in one way or another you tell some falsehood? Consider this as one of those falsehoods. For example, if your child begs you to buy him an automobile don't you agree to, although you never will?"
(Khusruvi) "No sir, I never give a false promise to my child; for in our faith lying,
Page 106and especially to children, is strictly forbidden."
(Chief) "What do you tell him then?"(Khusruvi) "I occupy his mind with something else."
(Chief) CCThi affair will lead to your misfortune."
(Khusruvi) "Not misfortune � happiness.The following incidents have been reported from the provinces: The Spiritual Assembly of Ahviz advises that Dr. Amin Ahmadzidih, Muhammad Najic, Sirr-i-Din tAh'i and Majid-i-5amadi having registered as Bahá'ís were informed that they must at all costs declare themselves Muslims; they refused, and were given some days time to alter their decision.
In Shir6z, officers Himmatand Dr. Salrninpiir registered as Bahá'ís in spite of warnings and threats from their superiors, and stood firm. In Zahidin likewise, Bahá'í officers were subjected to threats and prosecuted for the same reason. In Tabriz, the following letter was received by a Bahá'í officer,
2nd Lieutenant MuhammadBihiri: ecAccording to order No. � , officers in filling out identification forms are obliged to name one of the officially recognized faiths in the religions column, and since the religion of Bah~ has according to this order no official status, you must, therefore, correct your identification papers; you are advised to inform its of your decision and to appear at Headquarters to see the order in question. (Signed)
Acting Commander." Officer BAHA'Iwrote in reply: "It is respectfully submitted relative to order No. � that since mention of the Bahá'í religion is forbidden in the officers' identification form, I request that a second form be sent me to fill in and I shall leave the religions column blank.
It is obvious that since I am a Baha'i, declaring myself an adherent of another religion would be untrue and I would consider such a declaration as disloyal to the army and my country."
In Bandar~cAbbAs the text of the circular order from the General Staff was officially forwarded to 1st Lieutenant JalAl As6si and he replied as follows: ttWith reference to order No. � it is respectfully submitted that the undersigned completed the Officers'
Training School in Mirza1308 with the rank of 2nd Lieutenant and has in the past seven years of service given full proof of his trustworthiness, as the Personnel Department will testify. Since the recently-distributed ten-year identification forms stated that answers must be in full conformity with truth I obeyed instructions and, being an adherent of the Bahá'í religion, recorded this in the religions column. It is not possible for me to dissimulate; I am a Bahá'í and have no other religion." Aminu'lhh Samiti was another of those who omitted to fill in the religions column in the identification forms; it was later discovered that a secretary had filled in the space with the word CCM V " He made a verbal protest and was about to pursue the matter but as this was not deemed advisable, desisted. It is reported that on numerous occasions when Bahá'í officers have left the religions column blank, army corps secretaries have later written in the name of one of the four recognized religions.
Among the activities of the National Spiritual Assembly and its committees during the year 92 were the sending out of two traveling teachers throughout Inn; the supplying of teachers to Bahá'í centers in accord with the request of various
Spiritual Assemblies;the presentation of petitions to the authorities relative to the restrictions imposed on Baha'is, and personal interviews with leading officials in the same connection; the distribution of Bahá'í news to the believers; the dispatch of comprehensive instructions to all Local Assemblies to the effect that as directed by the Guardian Bahá'í marriages should be performed in full conformity with Bahá'í doctrine and the marriage certificates presented for registration at the registry-offices for non-Muslims, following which they should be submitted to the Government authorities for registration, and that if refused registration the Assemblies should address petition to the authorities concerned.
The translation of theand their careful comparison with the English original.
The formation by the Nationalcharacter training; the holding of lectures on the Cause for Baha students; correspondence with Bahá'í centers outside Inn, and contact through the Unity of the East and West Committee with orientalists and travelers; the collection of funds from all I r~n Bahá'ís for purchases of places sacred to Baha'is; the preparation by the Census Committee of temporary identification papers for Bahá'ís under twenty-one; constant written and verbal encouragement of the friends not to conceal their faith and to study carefully the Guardian's instructions.
In the month of Abin,of the National Spiritual Assembly of ~Ir~q, reached the capital on a visit to the Bahá'ís of Pin, attended numerous meetings organized by the Service and Feast Committees and greatly inspired the friends with a number of important lectures.
He then traveled to GilAn, MizindarAn, Firs and Adhirb4j5n, returning to Bagbd6.d by way of Hamadin. During his journey he was attended by a group of Bahá'ís from the capital, and the friends everywhere report that they were much rejoiced by his visit.
First among the Bahá'ís who ascended to the Kingdom during the years 91 and 92 was the beloved Amatu~1~Ac1&, Dr. Susan I. Moody. Upon her departure on October 23,
1934, the Tihr4n Assemblywired the Guardian and received the following telegram in reply: "Hearts in East and West are saddened by the passing of Amatu'1-At; she who was chosen by our peerless Master is numbered among the denizens of paradise in the AbhA Kingdom. Her illustrious and constant services forged and fortified the bonds of spiritual union between East and 'West.
All Bahá'í centers should hold fitting memorial services; Arnin-Amin shall expend 500 ifimins on my behalf to build for her a tomb of unique beauty.
(Signed) Shoghi." Theof America was likewise cabled of Dr. Moody's passing; her body was interred with fitting ceremonies in the Gu1astin-i-J~vid (The Bahá'í cemetery of Tilirin) and numerous memorial services were held in the capital and throughout the country, while the tr&n Bahá'ís also forwarded warded messages of condolence to their fellow-believers in America through the American
National Assembly. Ina letter received by the National Spiritual Assembly some time after the passing of Amatu'1-AlA, the Guardian writes: CCThis occurrence has filled the hearts of the friends with grief, and I am greatly saddened by the passing of that essence of severance and that altar-fire of divine love. In faith and assurance she surpassed all about her, and for courage and strength she was far famed. The great institutions she founded shall remain a peerless standard.
In times to come Bahá'í men and women from America and other lands following in the footsteps of that glory of womanhood will hasten to the sacred country of I ran, will with great energy, spirituality and joy perpetuate her resplendent services, and will speak in praise and commendation of her illustrious, unceasing work. The value of these blessed, holy souls is not recognized today, but as time goes on the effect of their worthy efforts and pure spirit will be made known. At this moment her triumphant soul is dwelling in the all-highest paradise, communing with the denizens of the Kingdom about the Almighty Throne; she is looking on her dear ones who were for many years her companions in that land, and she is chanting the words, tWould that my people could know!' Let the friends be comforted in this bereavement, and praise her high and noble qualities in all private and public gatherings, and clet them who act, act in this wise.'
Jin4b-i-fldi1-i-Shir~izi, one of the foremost of the early Bahá'í teachers and travelers, a scholar of the first rank and one who served the Cause by night and day, ascended to the AbhA Kingdom in ~Jzzat, 92. His body was with due ceremonies interred in the new Gu1ast~n-i-Jivid, and two memorial meetings attended by men and women respectively were held at the TuIa?Aratu'1-Quds.
On the day of his passing the Assembly wired theascended" and the Guardian telegraphed in reply, 'tDeeply grieved at the departure of the renowned beloved teacher; his services shall never be overcome by death. Assure his family of my
Page 108Mirza Taghi KMn Bahin-Ayin, one of the early and much-afflicted teachers and known as Q~jir, ascended in the month of Adhar (1935) and was interred with fitting ceremonies in the Baha cemetery of TihrAn.
In preparation for the elections of the year 93, the present National Spiritual Assembly has sent out a circular letter to all Bahá'í centers, requesting the friends to elect their delegates and arrange for their journey to the capital, where the Convention for the year 93 will meet on the 6th of Ridvan.
UNITED STATES AND CANADAerLo, the Nightingale of Paradise sin get/a upon the twigs of the Tree of Eternity, with holy and sweet melodies, proclaiming to the sincere ones the glad tidings of the nearness of God � " LOOKING back over the vista of the past two years one is impressed with the different notes and varying cadences which are constantly being introduced in the great universal symphony of the "Unfold-ment of the
Divine Civilization"of Bahá'u'lláh. These years, so rich in experience, so poignant in the history of the life of mankind are at once a definite link in the working out of the divine plan and separate and unexplored spiritual efforts! They cannot be visioned as a whole � each variation of the glorious melody must be given its own share, its varying nuances emphasized, its overtones duly recognized, its growing harmony of theme and purpose properly evaluated.
In his annual report read by the secretary of the National Spiritual Assembly before the delegates assembled for the Twenty-Seventh Annual Convention of the Bahá'ís held in Foundation Hall of the Mashriqu'l-Adhkar in April, 1935, he says: "The spiritual character and controlling principle of the Ba1A'i year now brought to a close were established for us by Shoghi Effendi in these words dated September 16, 1934 � ~The situation in IrAn which is growing from bad to worse, the necessary measures which should be taken to insure the uninterrupted completion of the clerestory section of the Temple, the adoption of such measures as will stimulate the teaching campaign in America, the exercise of the utmost vigilance lest the authorities of Soviet Russia inflict any injury upon Bahá'í lives and institutions, the extension of any support that may be required to safeguard the interests of the Cause at its most vital and international center to ward off the malicious attacks of enemies from both within and without � these are the outstanding issues which demand the sustained and concentrated attention of every be-hever.'
"Indeed, the successive steps which Shoghi Effendi has taken to train, to instruct and to discipline the Baha Community are all paralleled by a swift continuance of that process of disintegration of human society which has become the more apparent as efforts to attain peace and stability have successively failed. Fourteen years ago the Baha Community was still as a child in the household of civilization, apparently bearing no responsibility for the fate of that household, and therefore concerned only with the joys and sorrows of the child's own growth, the dreams of its own future. Today, with the household in dire confusion and distress, the youth born of the new age is called upon to prove his birthright and demonstrate his capacity to achieve eternal peace, his elders having failed.
Thus it is that the outstanding major events of the year mark a diversity of achievement and growth never before chronicled in Bahá'í history, nor will new paths fail successively to unroll themselves before the wayfarer in this New Age of unfolding mysteries, for the standardizing
Page 109of those articles of the Faith contained in the unique document of the Will and Testament of !Abdu~1~BabA, and their introduction to new believers, bind together the fabric of Bahá'í Community life in the indissoluble bonds of the Covenant of God. And accompanying the development of the spiritual structure of the Faith the progress of the ornamentation of the dome of the Mashriqu'l-Adhkar despite the serious adversities of the financial world, moved on toward completion; a miracle in stone, a miracle in faith, a miracle in devotion and an evidence of abiding love of the faithful followers of Bahá'u'lláh. Though at this time the dome was not completed the friends were heartened and refreshed by the following cablegram which served as inspiration for the year of work ahead. This cablegram received after the close of the Convention of 1934 was immediately communicated to the friends. It read: � tAmerican believers' inspired leadership steadily unfolding to Bahá'ís world over potentialities majestic edifice heralding formative period Faith of Bahá'u'lláh. Their unerring vision conceived its matchless design.
tAbdu'1-Bahá'í own hands laid its cornerstone.Their dynamic faith reared its structure. Their sustained self-sacrifice crowned it with immortal glory.
May flame their unconquerable enthusiasm continue glowing in their hearts till its naked frame is enveloped in its shining mantle."
'What greater inspiration than this? � Then followed the instruction that as soon as the clerestory of the Temple was completed no further contracts were to be made for the next unit until the full amount of the sum required was in hand.
In a letter dated December first, 1934, these significant words appear: "Despite the perils and uncertainties with which their country is now beset, and in the face of the financial reverses they have suffered and the unfortunate controversies that have perplexed and agitated them they have forged ahead and are fast approaching the termination of the first stage in the ornamentation of their consecrated Edifice. Undaunted by the magnitude of this colossal enterprise, undismayed by the smallness of their numbers, the scantiness of their resources and the scorn of their enemies, they have carried triumphantly the
Banner of Bahá'u'lláhand brought to a successful issue the first stage in the formative period of His Faith."
Among the major events of the year also must be noted the passing of the venerable, the beloved and revered Dr. Susan I. Moody in the field of her life work in Tihr~n. Dr. Moody was one of the early believers to embrace the opportunity of strengthening the bond between the East and the West by taking up her residence in IrAn and giving her life to the service of humanity. The national secretary in mentioning the passing of Dr. Moody says: CCH life furnishes the Bahá'í world one more example of heroism and consecration a later generation of believers may well take to heart.
How fruitful her life was! What noble institutions she developed, what a monument she reared in the lives of youth of lr~n! Even the enemies of the Cause could not withhold their admiration and their recognition of her sincerity! Even officialdom refrained from destructive measures until her stalwart Bahá'í presence had been removed from the scene!"
Teaching ActivitiesIn no previous year of which there is record were there so many enrollments of new believers as in this Bahá'í year. Both in the number of new members added to existing communities, and in number of groups prepared for election of a Spiritual Assembly for the first time, this period was one of remarkable growth. Milwaukee, Chicago, New York and many of the other communities reported enrollments which surpassed all previous years. The teaching of the Cause, reinforced by the mysterious power of the Mashriqu'l-Adhkar made more effective by the knowledge of the nature of the Bahá'í community, received a vast stimulus, inaugurating a movement forward surely destined to acquire greater emphasis with every successive year.
The annual report of thecomments with gratification on the extension of the Faith, and points out with appreciation the fact that the financial sacrifices made necessary by the
Page 110dcv otion to the project of completing the clerestory section of the Temple imposed serious limitations in the teaching field workers, who met the situation with truly sacrificial devotion. The Teaching Committee report mentions the names of the following friends who have participated in the work of teaching under the direction of the National Committee: Mrs. Dorothy Baker, Mrs. Ruth Brandt, Mrs. Louise Caswell, Mr. Dale Cole, Mr. Roland Estall, Mrs. Ida Finch, Mrs. Elizabeth Greenleaf, Mr. Louis Gregory, Dr. Walter B. Guy, Mr. Leroy Toas,
Mirza CAli Kuli KhAn MissKnoblock, Mrs. Laura Luther, Mrs. Gertrude Matteson, Mrs. May Maxwell, Mrs. Loulie Matthews, Mrs. Florence Morton, Mrs. Ruth Moffett, Dr. Lenore Morris, Mine. Gita Orlova, Mr. Charles Mason Remey, Mrs. Orcella Rexford, Mrs. Lorol Schopflocher, Mrs. A. Y. Seto, Mr. Mark Tobey, Mr. N. Forsyth Ward, Mrs. Shahnaz '*'aite, and Mrs. Georgie Wiles.
Under these able exponents of the Teachings fifteen public teaching campaigns were conducted, while 39 public meetings were held regularly for teaching purposes; 34 study classes were inaugurated for new inquirers and 37 classes organized for deepening the knowledge of the Faith among the friends themselves. A careful analysis of the work of the year has proven the most productive method of teaching to be in the fireside groups in the homes, and great stress is laid upon this system, while the National Teaching Committee stroflgly urges that more of the friends assume this responsibility and open their homes for the reading and study of the Word. The annual report also presents for consideration that very few of the Assemblies have embraced the opportunity to sponsor nearby towns and cities and to become responsible for introducing the Faith into new centers where no believers are registered.
The work of the National Teaching Committee over this period, and indeed over the succeeding year, of which an account will be made later, has been so wonderfully systematized and the entire country so splendidly catalogued that one sees here a true demonstration of Bahá'í efficiency in its ideal form. Much teaching has been carried on by correspondence and over four thousand letters written by the various members of the committee must surely some time bear fruit.
Perhaps the most important phase of the work of the teachers, whether of the National Committee or in the Local Assemblies, is the preparation of new believers for membership in the Bahá'í Community.
Preparation of New BelieversTo prepare applicants for the right use of their membership in the Baha Community it was found necessary by the National Spiritual Assembly to clarify the qualifications for membership according to the instructions received from the Guardian and statements have appeared from time to time in the Bahá'í News which are a valuable guide in determining this important step. The following constructive suggestions appeared in the News for March, 1935: 1. "As years of experience have shown, intellectual acceptance of the formal standards of the Bahá'í Faith alone is not sufficient.
A true believer will, in addition, endeavor wholeheartedly to abide by the results of Bahá'í consultation as maintained by the institutions of the Cause. A true believer, furthermore, will seek to contribute to the unity of the entire community, and find his own development in the growth of the Cause, and not attempt to make the community revolve around his own personality, nor himself revolve around the human personality of any one believer. The capacity for spiritual association is not an additional qualification for membership � it is the real test of the believers' profoundest spiritual faith. All teachers responsible for preparing applicants for membership will do well to emphasize this important and vital point, for the aim of Bahá'u'lláh's Revelation is to establish oneness of spirit and unity of action throughout the world.
2. "An applicant who is enrolled as voting member of a local Bahá'í community is thereby given association not merely in that community alone, but by
Page 111I,Q Photograph of BabS'is taken in Adrianople (between 18631868 A.D.). (Seated third from left is tAbdu'1-BahA. On His right is Mirza Mibdi, the Purest Branch; on His left Bahá'u'lláh's half-brother, Mirza Muhammad-Quli.)
Page 112his enrollment becomes a Bahá'í world citizen � a member of the Bahá'í Commonwealth maintained by the central institutions of the Guardianship and the Universal House of Justice. If he travels, the enrolled believer is given credentials which will be recognized and honored by National and local Spiritual Assemblies without distinction, whether in the East or the West. How important, therefore, in the preparation of applicants for membership, that they be made conscious of this supreme privilege, this most vital responsibility assumed by all who voluntarily seek the shade of the Divine Tree, who would contribute to the World
Order of Bahá'u'lláh! Thisconsideration is likewise a reminder to all of the present believers, especially those who are members of local Assemblies, how essential it is to avoid merely local and personal issues and situations which might conceal from an applicant the true universality of the Faith of God.
3� "The same consideration likewise gives due emphasis to the fact that no local Spiritual Assembly is to be regarded as an independent, self-sufficient Baha institution, but rather as one important link in the series of institutions which constitute the
World Order of Bahá'u'lláh.Local Assemblies are dependent upon the National Spiritual Assembly, as the National institutions are dependent upon the Guardian and the
Universal House of Justice.It is because of this organic dependence that the national ByLaws make enrollment conditional upon final approval by the National Spiritual
Assembly.4 ~ order to assure the entrance of each new believer into the Bahá'í community upon the soundest basis possible, it is recommended that local Assemblies, wherever conditions permit, provide a final step for the preparation of applicants already interested by home study classes or some teacher's individual instruction. This final step consists in the holding of a special study class under the Assembly's own direct supervision and control, where the applicants can be trained in the Administrative principles and their knowledge of the basic teachings carefully reviewed. By this method, the new believers will experience the wise and impersonal functioning of the institution, and profit also by contact with other teachers. Later on, when local communities are larger and their collective undertakings more proficient, perhaps all applicants, before enrollment, will be able to receive this final, supervised instruction. At present, conditions vary so much among the communities that this suggestion must be developed in accordance with local circumstances.
It would be well, however, for individual members of each local Assembly to feel a more positive responsibility in following all local teaching activities, visiting each class or group as frequently as possible, in order to have direct knowledge of this vital aspect of Assembly responsibility.
By consultation it would then be possible for the Assembly to assist each group or class conducted by individual teachers in planning their subjects so as to lead up to the central study class held by the Assembly itself.
Success depends upon the unity of the Assembly and the willing cooperation of all teachers, old and young, in striving to enlarge the Bahá'í community year by year.
~� ((ft has been realized by discerning Bahá'ís that one essential aspect of Baha community life, the social aspect, has so far remained practically undeveloped. As local communities become larger and more experienced, their Assemblies will be able to arrange social meetings and gatherings to satisfy the innate human need of friendly association, thus supplementing the Nineteen Day Feasts and the Anniversaries which at present are the only recognized Bahá'í gatherings.
The larger local Assemblies might even now arrange occasional feasts, in addition to those in the Baha calendar, to provide occasions for informal association of believers and also to enable applicants to become acquainted with the local community. So far, such informal gatherings have been arranged mostly by individual believers in their own homes, which tends to make the social aspect of the community too onesided and personal, in distinction to the universality of the formal Bahá'í meetings.
The National Assemblyregrets deeply that Bahá'ís are still compelled to develop a social life either
Page 113outside or on a basis of restricted intimacy within the Cause. But through social gatherings arranged by the local Spiritual Assembly, the social life of Bahá'ís will reinforce and strengthen their spiritual and ethical lives, and moreover such gatherings will not oniy bring the applicants and the older believers together but also demonstrate the vital fact that Bahá'u'lláh's Faith, in the Guardian's own words, inculcates a standard which cincline it to neither East nor West, neither Jew nor Gentile, neither rich nor poor, neither white nor colored.'
6. "Last but by no means least in importance is the fact that when new applicants are enrolled, not merely are they to be adjusted to the Bahá'í community, but the older believers are also to adjust to the new friends.
This consideration, in fact, must receive increasing attention as indica-rions multiply that the era of more rapid growth has begun. Courtesy, true Bahá'í love and the spirit of cooperation are due every new Baha'i, without the slightest tincture of aloofness, separateness or, on the other hand, undue favoritism, from those who have longer shared the privilege of adherence to the Faith.
t~The National Spiritual Assembly offers these remarks as suggestions deserving of thoughtful attention.
In no sense are they put forth as rulings or commands, because formal legislation cannot be carried into the realm of the heart and the conscience. In essence this statement is an appeal, an urgent call for new and higher spiritual attitudes on the part of all the members of the American
Bahá'í Community."In the hands of a most able and devoted committee study outlines for the teaching and training of children have been made available and are widely used throughout the Bahá'í 'World; however, these outlines are susceptible of great expansion and should be more generally used as their value is inestimable.
Among the material in preparation is a collection of poems for groups of various ages on themes in keeping with the Bahá'í Faith, a selection of stories from the ttD Breakers," Bible stories which Bahá'í children should know as well as a collection of stories from Bahá'í literature.
An interesting development of the work with children has been the exchange of letters between various groups for through this means is born a greater consciousness of unity and oneness in the Faith and a greater encouragement toward study and research.
Bahá'í YouthThis, the second year of the work of the committee for Baha Youth, marked certain definite accomplishments and determined certain definite aims and purposes in the pursuit of its ideals.
Since the inception of the Youth work in 1933 communication has been established with nineteen international groups representing fifteen nations, and with fifty-three local groups. These do not, however, represent adequately the Youth Groups of the world.
During the year also the committee issued their first Bulletin designed to reach and interest young people between the ages of fifteen and twenty-one years. By the time the third Bulletin was ready for circulation the subscription list amounted to three hundred names, showing a marked increase in interest and a growing spirit of cooperation among the various Assemblies. These Bulletins contained valuable suggestions and lists of publications designed to increase the knowledge of the Faith and provide information invaluable in the formation of Youth Groups everywhere. Open letters addressed to young Bahá'ís were published in the Bahá'í News and the communications from the Committee became a valuable part of the regular issues of the News.
With the decision rendered by the National Spiritual Assembly that youth of sixteen to twenty-one years might declare their interest in the Faith and attend the Nineteen Day Feasts, it became a matter of paramount importance to educate the youth and prepare them for the time when the age of maturity being reached, they might declare their desire to become fully qualified members of the voting community.
International correspondence was increasing, and with the Guardian's instruction to create an international body of active young Bahá'í men and women" the committee arose to accept the challenge and have bent every effort in that direction. Work for peace is always one of the main issues, and cooperation with the tcHerald of the South" established a link between the two continents which will become more and more intimate as time goes on. It is with a sense of the greatest gratification that those believers who form the older generation and even the pioneers in the Faith in America are now witnessing the preparation of the hosts which are to follow in their footsteps and meet the challenge of a dying civilization with the truth and power and love of the Faith of Bahá'u'lláh and His program for the
New World Order.Effendi) hopes that through the earnest and sustained efforts of your committee these annual gatherings will acquire increasing importance in the eyes of the public, and will constitute an effective medium for the dissemination of the Teachings. He feels that in your next summer meetings continued emphasis should be laid upon the teaching of the Administration, especially in its relation to the outside world, so as to impress the non � Bahá'í attendants at the school with the nature, character and world significance of the World Order of Bahá'u'lláh." (From a letter from the Guardian through his secretary to the
Central States SummerNo medium for teaching lies so near to the heart of the Guardian as these Summer Schools. He watches with infinite hope and trust the preparation of their work, the contents of their programs, the number of attendants, the growth and effect of their efforts.
The National Assemblyurges the believers to realize the importance of these three Summer Schools, for these institutions are to evolve into educational centers which eventually will have profound public influence.
The following programs advanced for the season of 1935 will show the trend of the work in hand:
1. Green Acre Study Courses1. July 812. The Conduct of Bahá'í Affairs. Leader to be announced later.
2. July 1519. The Most Great Peace. Leader, Horace
Holley.4. July 29 � August 2. The Practice of the Baha Life. Leader, Dorothy
Baker.8. August 2630. Review of "The ~tPromise of All Ages" and "Security for a Failing World" with suggestions as to their use in teaching. Leader,
Stanwood Cobb.M. daily. Supervised Recreation, 2:30 P. M. daily.
Public Meetings: FellowshipGrange, 6:30 P. M., Thursday, July 18. Griffith Grove, Santa Rosa, 2:30 P. M., Sunday, July 21. Odd Fellows' Hall, 8:00 P. M., Wednesday, July 24.
Unity Feast: Annual Reunionof IsUm. Teaching Conference: 2:30 P. M., Saturday,
July 20.Monday, June 24 through Thursday, June 27. Registration, Sunday, June 23.
Study Courses(A forum to be conducted by the Young People's Council.)
4. What is the Bahá'í Movement?(In-troductory course to be given by young people selected by the Council.)
First General Summer Session.Saturday, June 29 through Sunday, July 7. Registration, Friday, June 28.
Study CoursesDuring this period the Archives Committee was busy collecting, authenticating and translating the Tablets of tAbdu'1-BaM hitherto kept by their recipients, who cherished them so dearly that they had not become conscious of the vital importance of preserving them in the National Archives, and who parted with them only after much earnest solicitation. Through the preservation of these Tablets, those bearing the signature of tAbdu'l-Bahá only, the authentic words of the Center of the Covenant of Bahá'u'lláh will be made available to all posterity and with the utmost vigilance the committee strove to secure, to list and to file them. Among the Tablets received was a group of twenty-five originals, with translations, from CAbd~1Bh~ to Miss Sarah Farmer. Other materials received included a small collection of sacred relics which had belonged to Dr. Moody, and a collection of notes, correspondence, newspaper clippings and photographs which had belonged to
Mrs. Keith Ransom-Kehierwhich form an excellent record of her work in various lands.
Editing of Tablets of rAbdu~l~Bahd Collaborating with the Archives Committee those responsible for the editing of the unpublished Tablets of tAbd'lBh' were working diligently on the preparation of the contents for Vol. IV of the Tablets � sorting, classifying, separating and mak � ing three copies of each Tablet of which there were up to that time three hundred and ninety-seven.
These will constitute Vol. IV and will be printed as soon as it is possible to bring them out in suitable form. In the meantime they have been filed alphabetically and returned to the Archives.
Other CommitteesDuring this period the Committee for the preparation of material for the "Bahá'í World," Vol. VI, were working steadily to bring this volume more nearly to the high standard which the Guardian constantly upholds.
The Committee for thetheir year's work the production of the "Book of Iqan" and the hand-tooling of various of the shorter Bahá'í writings for that remarkable Swedish publisher, Mr. Harald Thilander, through whose instrumentality it is hoped, some breeze from the Divine Rosegarden may reach the blind readers of many cities in Europe.
The CCBook of Iqan" as well as ~tBaM-u'lIAh and the New Era" and certain pamphlets are now in the circulating libraries for the blind which are connected with the public libraries in many of the large cities of this country.
The Contacts Committee, carried on primarily to arouse interest in the Bahá'í Faith, have done yeoman service in tactfully and consistently seeking to contact nationally known figures in the educational, sociological and literary fields, and the response with which they have been met is highly interesting.
In their report the committee says: The responses have shown how general is the search for the solution of the difficulties confronting humanity today. When it is pointed out that men such as Horace Bridges, Graham Taylor,
Howard Vincent O'Brienand others of the same stamp have eagerly responded, it is clearly apparent that Cthe world is waiting.'
" It is recorded that some six hundred and more persons have been individually approached.
rrThe Bahá'í Magazine" CCThe Bahá'í Magazine," so dear to the hearts of all who had watched its growth from year to year and had found it a means of inspiration, a faithful record of the early history of the Faith, and fund of information and a veritable mine of the jewels of the wisdom of Abdu'l-Bahá, was approaching the culmination of a long and useful career.
Evolving through the ttBahá'í News" which made its first appearance in 1909, through the "Star of the West" containing the record of that wonderful visit of tAbdu'1-BaM to this country, of His public addresses, His Tablets and instructions, His prayers and exhortations, the early photographs as tie appeared on various occasions, the dedication of the Temple grounds, the trinian section and the news of the progress of the Faith in other lands, through these � and the subsequent change of title to the c(Bah?i
Magazine" � this intimate organ of the friends was about to merge itself into a vehicle to be known as "The World Order Magazine" which should appeal to the intelligentsia, to the world at large, to the minds and hearts of those true seekers of unity for whom the CCBh~~i Magazine" as such, might fail to have an appeal.
Never again will there be so precious, so glorious, so intimate a record of the beginnings of a Mighty Age! May its pages be preserved in imperishable glory!
History of the Causedelegated to collect and preserve for posterity the early history of the Faith in America, together with all the circumstances relating to the visit of cAbdu~1~BaM, has been earnestly endeavoring to make an authentic record which only future generations will be able fully to appreciate, when with the growth of human perceptions mankind will have begun to understand its significance, will know this is a ccDay wherein the River of Life streamed forth from the finger of His Generosity and the Fountain of Revelation and Unity became manifest through His Manifestation, to all who are in His earth and heaven!"
Indexing and Cataloguingthe Bahá'í Literature The difficulties encountered by this committee were due to the fact that the work was new and the members entirely untutored in its technique. It is indeed the work of experts to undertake so important a commission but a survey of the believers in many centers revealed the fact that there were those who could undertake it and indeed some work had already been done, so that a good beginning has been made and many valuable suggestions presented.
Legal MattersThe Legal Committee concerned itself with the Indenture conveying the valuable
Page 117West Englewood property, upon which the National Bahá'í headquarters are situated, as well as the parcel of land in the grove where tAbdu'1-BahA held His memorable Unity Feast in 1912, from Mr. 'Wilhelm to the Trustees for the
National Spiritual Assembly.The Indenture also conveying to the Trustees for the
National Spiritual Assemblythe former home of the late Maria P. Wilson in Maiden, Mass., which tAbdu'1 � Baha blest by living there for some time in 1912, and which had originally been bequeathed to the Guardian, was transferred by him to the trusteeship of the
National Assembly.The Indenture of the Bosch property in Geyersville, California, was at this time in its final stages and has since passed into the hands of the Trustees also.
Legal questions connected with the incorporation of several of the Local Spiritual Assemblies were under consideration, as well as certain ByLaw changes and interpretations.
A new form of bequests was in preparation so that any legacy might appear in the proper legal form in the will of anyone desiring to bequeath property to the Cause. According to the Bahá'í Law it is incumbent upon every Bahá'í to make a will and during this period bequests were left to the Cause by Mrs. Agnes S. Parsons, Mrs. Mary Harriman Rudd, Mine. Frida Stjerna and Dr. Susan I. Moody.
The symbol of the Greatest Name has been protected by law under trade mark registration made by the National Spiritual Assembly through the U. S. Patent Office, action having been taken to secure similar protection in Canada. The National Spiritual Assembly has now limited the use of the symbol of the Greatest Name to books and pamphlets containing the Words of Bahá'u'lláh. The word ttBaM'i" was legally protected some years ago.
Deeds transferring several parcels of land in Haifa to the Palestine Branch of the National Spiritual Assembly had been received from the Guardian, while several American believers have taken steps to transfer their holdings of Mt. Carmel land to the Palestine Branch of the National
Spiritual Assembly.Every possible avenue of approach to the public has been employed, but through the means of the public libraries it is hoped to acquaint interested readers with the literature of the Faith and to this end Local Assemblies were urged to place the !cBah&i World," Vol. IV, before the public in this way so that they might have a consecutive record of Bahá'í international progress. Local Assemblies were also requested to place copies of Dr. Cobb's (cSecurity for a Failing World" and ccTh Promise of All Ages" of Christophil in public and university libraries, the Y. M. C. A. and the Y. W. C. A. A complete catalogue of the Bahá'í books now on the shelves of the public libraries throughout the country is in the hands of this committee.
PublicityWell organized and efficient methods of publicizing the news of the Faith and familiarizing the general public with the Teachings and activities of the Bahá'ís have opened the doors of many of the most important newspapers and magazines of the country, the Mashriqu'l-Adhkar ever prom-ing a most fertile and acceptable subject in every case. A complete file of all publicity is kept and a record of each teacher is available for any city where the travelling teachers may be visiting for the purpose of teaching the Faith.
PublishingThe brilliant work of the Publishing Committee is evidenced by the continual suppiy of new publications and the many valuable reprints which demand has made necessary.
The books are now handled through an eastern and a western agency as well as through the librarian at the Temple. This year witnessed as new publications � "The Bahá'í World, Vol. V
~~Index for Bahá'í News"prepared under supervision of the N. S. A. ~tBah~/i Teachings on
Economics~~118 T ttWorld Religion" � pamphlet by Shoghi Effendi "Will and Testament of CAbdu~1 Bah6." (pamphlet form) (CBah4~i Teachings on
Universal Peace" Catalogueleaflet) "Golden Age of the Cause of Bahá'u'lláh (pamphlet) "America and the Most Great Peace" (pamphlet).
Translations: � ccWorld EconomyTitles added to the catalog this year but not published by the committee: � ttDo'a: Call to Prayer" by Ruth J.
MoffettThe functions of this committee as de � fined by the National Spiritual Assembly were: To determine whether the manuscript conformed to Bahá'í teaching.
To determine whether the manuscript conformed to adequate standards of literary style and taste.
To determine whether the manuscript met a real need in the Cause.
A further and most important step, in view of the possibility of a vast quantity of literature not fully conforming with the requirements which may appear in the future was, that the National Assembly instructed the committee that the notation that the work is approved by the Bahá'í Reviewing Committee is to be limited to such works as have not oniy been approved, and confirmed by the National Assembly, but which are also published under Bahá'í auspices.
The Study Outline Committeecompiled a most valuable study course of twenty lessons on Bahá'í Administration which simplifies and epitomizes many questions in Administration thus minimizing the labor of the sincere student.
Race AmityccThe complexity of the racial situation in America," says Mr. Louis Gregory in his report to the National Spiritual Assembly at the Convention of 1935, �cmakes the work of building race amity one of delicacy and difficulty that challenges constant effort and the best resources of minds and hearts. The status of the colored race the country over, with marked varieties of degree, is that of an underprivileged and minority group, whose attainments of rights, which theoretically belong to all Americans, and whose progress economically, socially, morally and spiritually is very largely dependent upon the attitude of their neighbors of the majority group."
CCThat the general awakening of the world has favorably affected this problem, that spiritual powers have play, that substantial progress has been made, nothing short of morbid pessimism can deny. The resources of government, education, philanthropy, business and religion have unfolded plans in the effort to bind the breaches among peoples.
Yet with rare exceptions, even the most active and sincere, unless aided by the Divine Revelation of Today, are veiled by the shadows of past and present.
And even among the favored few tests are many and severe, making a constant demand for faith, fidelity, intelligence, broadmindedness, courage, iove, patience, prayerfulness and Guidance."
The committee and the cause of Amity met with a great ioss in the passing of that ardent advocate of this ideal, Mr. Hooper Harris, whose profound knowledge of the Teachings, especially in their relation to the Bible, made his services invaluable in this and every other field.
Amity meetings were held in many of the centers, and especially noteworthy was the Conference in Green Acre, while the publicity accorded the work of the committee by articles which appeared in the tcChicago Defender," the ttPittsburgh Courier" and
Page 119the "Amsterdam News," three great weekly journals of the colored race, were of immense importance.
The report comments with appreciation on the devotion and service of the Southern Bahá'ís in particular.
Mashriqu'l-Ad/olzdr The dominant note, the great undertaking of this year was the continuation of the work of ornamentation on the dome of the Temple and every pulse quickened as progress reports appeared from time to time and photographs of the details of the work were generously distributed among the friends. That this beautiful dome should have been able to grow and take form under existing financial conditions which have swept the country is one of the miracles of this age. To enumerate the various phases of the work would oniy be to recall some of the anxieties which beset those whose responsibility it was to bring the matter to a successful issue. It is more timely then to quote from the letter of the secretary of the Guardian which appeared at the end of the report of the chairman, Mr. Allen McDaniel.
The letter read: t~In closing may I convey to you and to the American Community of the believers as well, the Guardian's abiding appreciation and gratitude for the striking manner in which the American friends, under the leadership of your Assembly, have each and all arisen to meet the emergency which the lack of sufficient funds had created in connection with the work of the Temple.
This constitutes indeed an added victory in the series of triumphs which the American believers have, ever since the ascension of the Master, been winning in the fields of service to the Faith. Their collective, united and sustained labors in this connection are surely bound to hasten the realization of the Master'~ promises concerning the ultimate triumph of the Cause throughout the American continent. May this sublime vision disclosed by tAb-du'1-BaM intensify their zeal and stimulate their ardour in bringing their sacred and mighty task to a speedy consummation."
Services in the Tern pie The work of the exterior ornamentation of the Temple in no way interfered with the use of the Foundation Hall for meetings and a committee in charge of the programs worked diligently to sustain the interest in the public meetings which occurred as usual each Sunday at 3.30 P.M., and which were attended largely by new people. Every speaker is at his best when standing in this holy place to proclaim the Message of this Day of Cod, for the Temple is the heart of the Faith on the western hemisphere � Sanctified be the Lord of all mankind, at the mention of Whose name all the atoms of the earth have been made to vibrate, and the Tongue of Grandeur hath been moved to disclose that which had been wrapt in His knowledge and lay concealed within the treasury of His might. He, verily, through the potency of His name, the Mighty, the All-Powerful, the Most High, is the ruler of all that is in the heavens and all that is on earth."
(Glean-ings of Bahá'u'lláh, p. 16.)Special meetings are frequently arranged as was the case during the sojourn of Mine. Gita Orlova whose brilliant teaching attracted many people. The Feasts and all Bahá'í Holy Days are celebrated in the Temple, the Assemblies of Wilmette,
Evanston and Winnetkaand Chicago alternating in collaboration with the Temple program committee.
Besides this, hundreds of peo-pie visit the Temple and are informed of its significance and of the Great Advent.
During the year of 1934 approximately 12,000 visitors were conducted through the building; of these some 1,130 represented the membership of many organizations such as clubs, etc. "Tear asunder in My Name, the veils that have grievously blinded your vision, and, through the power born of your belief in the unity of God, scatter the idols of vain imitation.
Enter then, the Holy Paradise of the good pleasure of the All-Merciful. Sanctify your souls from whatsoever is not of God, and taste ye the sweetness of rest within the pale of His vast and mighty Revelation, and beneath the shadow of His supreme and infallible authority. Suffer not yourselves to be wrapt in the dense veils of your selfish desires, inasmuch as I have perfected in every one of you My creation, so that the excellence of My handiwork may
Page 120be fully revealed unto men. It follows therefore, that every man hath been, and will continue to be, able of himself to appreciate the Beauty of God, the Glorified. Had he not been endowed with such a capacity, how could he be called to account for his failure? If in the day when all the peoples of the earth will be gathered together, any man should, whilst standing in the presence of God, be asked: tWherefore hast thou disbelieved in My Beauty and turned away from My Self?' and if such a man should reply and say: ~Inasrnuch as all men have erred and none hath been found willing to turn his face to the Truth, I too, following their example, have grievously failed to recognize the Beauty of the Eternal,' such a plea will, assuredly, be rejected. For the faith of no man can be conditioned by any one except himself.
ttThe signs of God shine as manifest and resplendent as the sun amidst the works of His creatures.
Whatsoever proceedeth from Him is apart and will always remain distinguished, from the inventions of men. From the Source of His knowledge countless Luminaries of learning and wisdom have arisen, and out of the Paradise of His Pen the breath of the All-Merciful hath continually been wafted to the hearts and souls of men. Happy are they that have recognized this truth." (Gleanings of Bahá'u'lláh, p. 143 et seq.)
Conclusion((Jo conclusion the important announcement is made that the Guardian has given the friends a wonderful blessing in the form of new translations of excerpts from Tablets of Bahá'u'lláh.
Within the last few days three different manuscripts have been received from Haifa, and with them a letter stating that these are to be published with the title "Gleanings from the Writings of B ah4'u'llAh." It would be presumptuous to attempt to describe their power, their beauty, their vitalizing spirit. Suffice it to remark that Shoghi Effendi, having renewed the Cause by instructing us in the principles of administrative order, now calls us to a spiritual renewal in our knowledge of the creative
Utterance of Bahá'u'lláh."The keynote of this epoch may best be sounded by reverting to a letter from the Guardian under date of January 10, 1936, which reads: "Dl beloved coworkers: ttThis new stage in the gradual unfoldment of the Formative Period of our Faith into which we have just entered � the phase of concentrated teaching activity, synchronizes with a period of deepening gloom, of universal impotence, of ever-increasing destitution and widespread disillusionment in the fortunes of a declining age. This is truly providential and its significance and the opportunities it offers us should be fully apprehended and utilized. Now that the Administrative organs of a firmly established Faith are vigorously and harmoniously functioning, and now that the Symbol (i.e. the House of Worship) of its invinci � ble might is lending unprecedented impetus to its spread, an effort unexampled in its scope and sustained vitality is urgently required so that the moving spirit of its Founder may permeate and transform the lives of the countless multitudes that hunger for its teachings. That the beloved friends in America, who have carried triumphantly the banner of His Cause through the initial stages of its development, will in a still greater measure prove themselves capable of meeting the challenge of the present hour, I, for one, can never doubt. Of the evidences of their inexhaustibk vitality I am sufficiently and continually conscious.
My fervent plea will not, I feel certain, remain unanswered For them I shall continue to pray from all my heart.
(Signed) SHOGrn"crThe year that has come to a close, while marked by vigorous and varied activity, has been a period of spiritual incubation, of a turning inward to the life of the soui, such as has not occurred, perhaps, since the American Bahá'ís entered the valley of desolation at the loss of our Master, our inspiration, our guide, tAbd~1Bah~ teTwo conditions may be noted as chiefly responsible for this concentration of effort upon the establishment of a more conscious
Page 121121 and vital inner life � the Guardian's gift of tGleanings from the Writings of Bahá'í � u'lUh,' that inexhaustible draft of the Divine Elixir, and the increased perturbations of a world whose cfoundations tremble and whose wise men are confounded.'
In reality we should regard these not as two conditions but as the two facets of the same providential destiny which both destroys and creates.
"As long ago as November 24, 1924, Shoghi Effendi wrote: 'We have but to turn our eyes to the world without to realize the fierceness and the magnitude of the forces of darkness that are struggling with the dawning light of the Abh4 Revelation. Nations, though exhausted and disillusioned, have seemingly begun to cherish anew the spirit of revenge, of domination, and strife. Peoples, convulsed by economic upheavals, are slowly drifting into two great opposing camps with all their menace of social chaos, class hatreds, and worldwide ruin.
Races, alienated more than ever before, are filled with mistrust, humiliation and fear, and seem to prepare themselves for a fresh and fateful encounter. Creeds and religions, caught in this whirlpool of conflict and passion, appear to gaze with impotence and despair at this spectacle of unceasing turmoil.'
CCWhat the Guardian, with clear and unimpeded view, could then so deeply discern, the nations themselves, for all the veils of spiritual darkness, interfering with and distorting their vision, now begin to appreciate. It is the note of conscious desperation sounding in society which this year has surrounded us with an altered environment, one far more responsive to the ministration of the Divine Physician, yet one which likewise makes supreme challenge to the community of Baha'is.
~tWhat wonder then that Shoghi Effendi has made teaching the very essence of our individual and collective Bahá'í life; what wonder that he has made the translation of Bahá'u'lláh's Tablets so important a part of his myriad services; what wonder that the believers themselves, without relaxing their efforts in the performance of definite tasks, have felt intensely the need for renewing and confirming their relationship to the Manifestation of God upon which all capacity and all effort depends.
"Therefore, as we summarize the history of this Bahá'í year terminated by the Twenty-Eighth Annual Convention, let us not fail to bear in mind the fact that not by outward progress and achievement alone, but also by the establishment of purer motives, deeper humility and new powers of understanding, does the Bahá'í community fulfil its privilege as the tnucieus and pattern' of the world order of Bahá'u'lláh ~h." "0 ye discerning ones of the people: "Verily, the Words of God which have descended from the heaven of the Will of God are the source of unity and harmony for the world. Close your eyes to racial differences and welcome all with the light of oneness.
Be the cause of the comfort and the advancement of humanity.
This handful of dust, the world, is one home, let it be in unity."
Steadily and earnestly the work of unifying the divergent races into the all-embrac-ing consciousness of the Faith of Bahá'u'lláh has been moving forward.
The varying nationalities, so long victims of the error of separateness, won by the sincerity of the followers of Bahá'u'lláh, have come at last, or perhaps better, are coining at last to recognize that no ulterior motive, no unworthy ambition lies at the root of the devotion to this Cause of those whose lives are dedicated to these holy ideals.
Public meetings throughout the country, well planned conferences, seasoned by the love of justice and understanding, are winning this hard contested territory. No longer is the emphasis placed on race amity, but on amity alone, the consciousness of racial differences having broken down in the ttlight of oneness."
The Teaching FieldccTh new hour has struck in the history of our beloved Cause, calling for nationwide systematic, sustained effort in the teaching field enabling thereby these forces to be directed into such channels as shall redound to the glory of our Faith and the honor of its institutions."
ttWith this clarion call of Shoghi Effendi to higher services in the teaching field, the
Page 122Guardian set in motion a new wave of concerted action by the American
Bahá'í Community. Howmiraculously the Will of God functions through the sincere servants may be realized by surveying the development of community activities within the Faith, with the trends of conduct and the increasing problems of humanity without the
Faith.~tAfter the Ascension of tAbdu'1-Bahi, when the Faith was filled with great enthusiasm, but with the form under which its dynamic principles were to function undeveloped, the Guardian stressed the necessity of perfecting the Administrative Order, the Form through which the Holy Spirit might descend unsullied and unstained during the Dispensation of Bahá'u'lláh.
"The next call to community activity was the call to unified action in completing the superstructure of the Temple and the ornamentation of the dome � that cflarning beacon of hope to a distracted world.' Now with the Form of the Faith firmly established, with the symbol of its glory standing unique as a beacon to wandering humanity, we are called to arise as a unit in carrying to the human race the healing and quickening power of the Holy Spirit descending into the world through the Faith of Bahá'u'lláh alone."
Throughout America it has become evident that each and every follower of Bahá'u'lláh is beginning to sense his individual responsibility and as this consciousness deepens the cry for teachers will be more adequately met and the spread of the new consciousness will gain more and more impetus. The Guardian stresses the need of the pioneer spirit such as actuated the disciples of Jesus and of those who, in the early history of the Faith, forsook all worldly entanglements and followed in His footsteps.
A canvass of the present situation reveals the fact that there are ten states in the United States and three provinces in Canada where no believers exist.
In several of the states and provinces the Cause is represented by either isolated believers, or by small groups who have not reached the required proportions to become a duly qualified Assembly. These conditions are being met with all the ardor and all the power possible and al though the staff of teachers operating under the direction of the National Teaching Committee is all too limited, still in the two year period covered by this survey the number of Local Spiritual Assemblies has increased from sixty to seventy-two with several more in a preparatory stage of development.
The preparation of individuals for an Assembly, besides the thorough grounding in the simple but explicit articles of Faith as expressed by the Guardian � the recognition of the BTh as the Heraki, Bahá'u'lláh as the Divine
Messenger, Abdu'l-Baháirn � posed by His Will and Testament on Shoghi Effendi, and the Administrative Order � there are certain ordinances which a believer must understand and which are not only to be accepted as obligatory, but which are to be followed in conformity with the Laws contained in the CcMOt Holy Book," the Kitáb-i-Aqdas," under which the Community of the Most Great Name will function in the near future. The Ordinance of Fasting is one of these, and its explanation as set forth by the Guardian is as follows: "AS regards fasting, it constitutes, together with the obligatory prayers, the two pillars that sustain the revealed Law of God.
They act as stimulants to the soul, strengthen, revive and purify it, and thus insure its steady development.
CCThe ordinance of fasting is, as is the case with these three prayers,~ a spiritual and vital obligation enjoined by Bahá'u'lláh upon every believer who has attained the age of fifteen. In the Aqdas He thus writes: CW have commanded you to pray and fast from the beginning of maturity; this is ordained by God, your Lord and the Lord of your forefathers. He has exempted from this those who are weak from illness or age, as a bounty from His Presence, and He is the Forgiving, the Generous.' And in another passage He says: CWe have enjoined upon you fasting during a brief period, and at its close have designated for you Nawruz as a feast. The traveler, the ailing, those who are with child or giving The three obligatory daily prayers, any one of which the believer is free to choose.
Page 123suck, are not bound by the fast. Abstain from food and drink, from sunrise to sundown, and beware lest desire deprive you of this grace that is appointed in the Book.'
"Also in the tQuestions and Answers' that form an appendix to the Aqdas, Bahá'u'lláh reveals the following: tVerily, I say that God has appointed a great station for fasting and prayer. But during good health its benefit is evident, and when one is ill, it is not permissible to fulfill them.' Concerning the age of maturity, He reveals in the appendix of that same book: tThe age of maturity is in the fifteenth year; women and men are alike in this respect.'
c(Regarding the vital character and importance of the Divine ordinances and laws, and the necessity of complete obedience to them by the believers, we thus read in the Gleanings, p. 175: tKnow verily that the essence of justice and the source thereof are both embodied in the ordinance prescribed by Him Who is the Manifestation of the Self of God amongst men, if ye be of them that recognize this truth.
He doth verily Incarnate the highest, the infallible standard of justice unto all creation. Were His law to be such as to strike terror into the hearts of all that are in heaven and on earth, that law is naught but manifest justice. The fears and agitation which the revelation of this law provoke in men's hearts should indeed be likened to the cries of the suckling babe weaned from his mother's milk, if ye be of them that perceive "The fasting period, which lasts nineteen days starting as a rule from the second of March every year and ending on the twentieth of the same month, involves complete abstention from food and drink from sunrise till sunset. It is essentially a period of meditation and prayer, of spiritual recuperation, during which the believer must strive to make the necessary readjustn-ients in his inner life, and to refresh and reinvigorate the spiritual forces latent in his soul. Its significance and purpose are, therefore, fundamentally spiritual in character. Fasting is symbolic, and a reminder of abstinence from selfish and carnal desires." � SHOGHI EFFENDI, through his secretary, Haifa, January 10, 1936.
The Annual Souvenir of eAbdu~1~Bahd Among the beloved and authentic traditions which will ever be treasured and celebrated by the Baha Community of Teaneck, New Jersey, assisted by all the adjacent Communities, is the Souvenir Feast of tAbdu'1-Bahi inaugurated by Him on the twenty-ninth of June, 1912. It is as if He had said: "This do ye in remembrance of Me," for in a Tablet to Mr. Roy Wilhelm tAbdu'1-BabA says: "Thy letter dated July 13, 1913, was received.
Its contents indicated the firmness and steadfastness of the believers of God and told of holding a divine meeting in your radiant, charming country place.
Praise be to God that the day was spent in the utmost joy and happiness.
That Annual MemorialMeeting will be the Souvenir of CAbdu~1~Bahi especially when it is passed with infinite delight and gladness."
And so from year to year this Feast marks one of the cherished events in which several hundred people participate. A beautifully arranged program with music and discourses by various friends proves indeed the source of joy and delight and proves also a successful method of advancing the teachings.
During this year a notable increase is apparent in the number of attendants at the services, not oniy in the Mashriqu'l-Adhkar but in the various centers where meetings are held in public places particularly for the purpose of attracting new people. During the notable visit of RiXhi Effendi Afnin, that radiant expounder of the Faith, great numbers of people attended the meetings and many expressed the wish to become members of the study classes which are assiduously being carried on in every locality.
To meet the demand for information about the Faith a quantity of literature has been prepared and is distributed to all inquirers. Among these pamphlets are those of Dr. Stanwood Cobb on ccHornocu1ture,~~ Miss
Marion Holley's "Mostof Mankind" by Hussein Effendi Rabkni and the ttPth to God" by Mrs. Dorothy Baker. A beautifully illustrated pamphlet on the CcBhi~i House of Worship" with text by Dr. Genevieve Coy
Page 124has attracted much comment and admiration and is one of which the friends may be justly proud.
rrrerminatiois of Firstof Our Fall is" 'tExamining the year as a whole, the following events and trends seem to possess most decisive importance.
"First the publication of ~G1eanings From thesecond, the completion of the external decoration of the clerestory section of the dome unit; third, the formation of ten new Spiritual Assemblies, which took place near the end of last year but could not be recognized and reported to the friends until after the 1935 Convention; fourth, the intensification of teaching activities and the increased clarity and power with which the believers have promulgated the Message; fifth, the visit paid us by RAbi Effendi AfMn; and sixth, the National Meeting at the Bahá'í I � louse of Worship on October 26 and 27 which commemorated the completion of another stage in Temple construction and inaugurated the beginning of general conferences between the National Spiritual Assembly and the representatives of local Assemblies.
"On August 3, in response to a cablegram announcing the completion of the clerestory section, the Guardian used these significant words: tGratefully rejoice cios-ing glorious chapter marking termination first stage (of) Formative Period of our Faith. Appeal entire community henceforth concentrate its attention (and) resources (upon) activities (in the) teaching field, ensuring thereby (the) means essential for completion remaining units. Praying continually success.'
CtThus were we made conscious of the operation of the mysterious law of cycles, under which each successive period is given its lesson to learn, its task to perform, creating thereby, like the succession of classes in a school, an enlargement of capacity for the harder tasks and the more important lessons to come. The opportunity offered does not return; only to the degree that we have been faithful in acquiring the qualities characteristic of the prior period, when the administrative structure was developed and the thoughts and actions concentrated upon Temple construction, can we rise to the full height of spiritual development and service vouchsafed to us in this era of teaching. The body of the Cause in America has been created. It is for us now to pray and strive that this body be filled with the light of true faith.
"The character of the present era was in fact disclosed clearly to us in the cablegram sent to the National Spiritual Assembly for the conference at the Temple in October: cTte forces which progressive revelation of this mighty symbol of our Faith is fast releasing in (the) heart of a sorely tried continent no one of this generation can correctly appraise. The new hour has struck in (the) history of our beloved Cause, calling for nationwide, systematic, sustained effort in teaching field, enabling thereby these forces to be directed into such channels as shall redound to the glory of our Faith and (the) honor of its institutions.'
"Such words are as the turning of a fresh page.May we inscribe upon it the record of inner and outer achievement brought into the realm of possibility and therefore responsibility by the irresistible onward march of God's Cause!
cCTh ten new communities of believers who have established Spiritual Assemblies, adding their force to the development of the new world order, have surely received the prayers and good wishes of the friends as they assume their place in the Cause and take up the responsibilities which rest upon all who enter the realm of sacrifice and unity. In the letter of greeting sent them by the National Spiritual Assembly last May, they were reminded of these words written by Shoghi Effendi in 1923: 'Though your number be small and limited, yet by virtue of that Celestial Power bequeathed to every one of you by our departed Master, you are assured that ere long your small company shall expand and wield such power and influence as no earthly power can ever hope for or attain.
Who can doubt that He is ever watching from His Station on high over His scattered fold and is guiding and strengthening His faithful lovers who toil and labor for the fulfilment of His
Page 125word and the realization of His purpose for mankind?'
"The root of all spiritual teaching lies hidden in the soil of the quickened soui, nourished by study and devotion voluntarily attained by the individual himself, and thus the success of any general teaching plan depends entirely upon the extent to which we ourselves, as individual believers, have made intense prior effort to become firmly rooted in the spiritual Kingdom.
Ba. h~i'i teaching is the fruit of faith and the measure of unity.
The Cause is perfect and the world of humanity is starved for lack of the bread of understanding and the wine of love.
Therefore may we not for one moment regard our existence in the Cause as a kind of static membership which, once attained, we hold passively for life, but rather as a dynamic opportunity that must be fulfilled by continuous advance from stage to stage without limit and without end.
"As we were told in tThe Golden Age of the Cause of Bahá'u'lláh': tTht the Cause associated with the name of Bahá'u'lláh feeds itself upon those hidden springs of celestial strength which no force of human personality, whatever its glamor, can replace; that its reliance is solely upon that mystic Source with which no worldly advantage, be it wealth, fame, or learning, can compare; that it propagates itself by ways mysterious and utterly at variance with the standards accepted by the generality of mankind, will become increasingly apparent as it forges ahead towards fresh conquests in its struggle for the spiritual regeneration of mankind.' On the other hand, this truth does not exclude unified effort nor well-conceived general plans; it does not confine teaching to the realm of personal mysticism; rather does it reveal the necessity of imbuing our plans, whatever they are from year to year, with spiritual reality and not relying upon formal and Collective measures alone.
ttlt was most fortunate and opportune that the American visit of Riihi Effendi Afn6n came at the time when we were beginning to realize that the Guardian's words on teaching involved our rise to a higher level and not merely a duplication of former attitudes and methods.
While that visit, unhappily, could not extend west of Chicago, nevertheless for many communities it brought inspiration and active, fruitful assistance. His knowledge, his passionate desire to promote the teachings, his heroic endurance in carrying out the continuous schedule of meetings � all this contributed greatly to the advancement made by the Cause in America this year.
CCThe conference held in Temple Foundation Hall last October, which gave to so many believers an opportunity to consult on the important subjects provided by the agenda, will, it is hoped, be followed in the future by similar general Bahá'í conferences held not only in Foundation Hall but also in other parts of the country. The recommendation has been recorded in the Minutes of the National Assembly for the considera � don of the incoming Assembly, that it prepare a schedule of its meetings throughout the year in advance, which schedule is to provide if possible for similar conferences with the friends on the Pacific Coast, on the Atlantic Coast, and perhaps also for those in the South. Included in the recommendation is the thought that these regional conferences should contain one or more large public meetings, like the Bahá'í Congress held at each Annual Convention, so that the consultation of the friends and the coi-lective responsibility for teaching may be more closely linked together by the National Spiritual
Assembly.cdt is interesting to note that this general plan revives and extends a policy put forward by the Assembly some ten years ago, when effort was made to hold a public meeting at the conclusion of each Assembly meeting � an effort which the pressure of work compelled the Assembly to forego after a few months. We trust that the time has now come when the idea can be developed with added energy and made a distinct aspect of Bahá'í activity."
The Decisive Events of the Year Ccoly time can determine the relative importance of matters affecting the Cause, but the following specific happenings all have more than merely temporary value.
Page 126ctThe publication of cGleanings from the Writings of Bahá'u'lláh.'
ccThe consolidation of Baha control of land surrounding the Shrines on Mount Carmel.
ctThe completion of the entire dome unit of thec(The transfer to Trustees under an In � denture of the house at Maiden, Mass., given to the Guardian under the Will and Testament of the late Maria Wilson � the house at which the Master rested for some time during His American visit.
ttThe donation to the Cause by Mr. and Mrs. John Bosch of the property at Geyser-nile, Calif.,
for use as a Bahá'í Summer School.As this property is also held under an Indenture of Trust, it makes five separate legal bodies to be administered in addition to the function of the
National Spiritual AssemblyTrustees, Trustees for the Wilson property at Maiden, and Trustees under the Indenture effected by Mr. and Mrs. Bosch.
(cThe second visit made to America by Rijhi Effendi
Afn~n.c(The symbol of the Greatest Name has been legally protected for the Cause by trade mark registration both in the United States and Canada. The word cBahA~i~ was similarly protected in the United States some years ago, and Canadian protection of it has likewise been obtained.
c(The Encyclopaedia Britannica has removed the article on tBabiism' which for years has conveyed a limited and in many ways inaccurate impression of the Cause and replaced it with a new article approved by the Reviewing Committee, and furthermore has provided space for a brief article under the heading tBahA'i.'
These changes will appear in the next printing of the present edition, and we have the assurance that in the next edition the subject of the Bahá'í Faith will be more adequately treated than was possible in the restricted space available in the existing edition. To Miss Edna True we are indebted for the interest shown by the Editor in arranging for the two new articles.
"The increased number of American believers serving the Cause in foreign lands, and the notable services they have been privileged to render. Early in the Bahá'í year, Mrs. True and Mrs. Hoagg returned from Europe and Mr. II. R.
Mathews and Mrs. LoulieMathews from their journey through South America. The American believers now teaching abroad are: Miss Martha L. Root, Miss
Lenora Holsapple, MissMarion Jack, Mrs. Louise Gregory, Mrs. Clara Sharp,
Miss Adelaide Sharp, MissBishop, Mrs. Anna Kunz, Miss Bertha Matthiesen, Miss Orcella Rexford, Mrs. Ruhangis Bolles, Miss Jeanne Bolles and Mr. Randolph Bolles, Jr., Mrs. May Maxwell, Miss Mary Maxwell, Mrs. Inez Greeven, Mys. India Haggerty, Mr. Mark Tobey, Mr. George Spendlove, Mrs. Isabelle Stebbins Dodge, Mr. Dudley Blakeley, Mrs. Elsa Russell Blakeley, Mrs. Lorol Schopflocher, Mine. Gita Orlova. Thus the American Baha community, through such devoted adherents, continues to perform its high mission in the Baha world.
~~Ear1y in the Baha year, it was the privilege of the N. S. A. to meet the boat on which Mr. and Mrs. Howard Carpenter returned from their visit to IrAn.
t~The more vigorous and comprehensive plans carried out by Bahá'í youth, under which groups throughout America and in many other countries held the first of a series of regional conftrences, extended their services into the field of public teaching, and, by the National Youth Committee, inaugurated a new and improved Youth bulletin.
CCThe publication of The Bahá'í World, Vol. V, an immense undertaking, both with respect to the gathering of its contents and the cost involved in its printing, with commensurate value as an impressive evidence of the international scope of the Bahá'í community.
c(The deepening in our collective realization of the importance of the three Summer Schools as instruments destined to exalt the standards of our public teaching in all local communities, and concentrate both facilities and experience for the establishment of future
Bahá'í Universities.teaching pamphlets in the series planned by the Free Literature Committee, which when completed will provide brief but interesting statements on essential aspects of the Faith, at a price so low that eventually hundreds of thousands of copies may be distributed.
"The completion of the important task assumed by the Committee on Editing Tablets several years ago, of preparing the unpublished Tablets of tAbdu'1-Bahi in the National Archives for use in another voi-ume of Tablets.
ccTh preparation of the general letters written by the Guardian for publication in two volumes instead of the one volume issued originally in 1928. Under the new plan, the letters are to be divided into two series, one with the present title of tBahá'í Administration'; the other with the title cTh
World Order of Bahá'u'lláh'and containing those letters on that subject received in more recent years. This general idea, it may be remarked, was approved by the Guardian in 1934, but the plan has been deferred until the supply of the books on hand was exhausted.
The next edition of tBahá'í Administration' will contain several early letters reported this year by the Archives Committee. The cWorld Order' vo'-ume will contain the two ~Wor1d Order' letters,
CThe Goal of a New 'Worldof the Cause of Bahá'u'lláh,' ~Arnerica and the Most
Great Peace,' ~The Dispensationof Bahá'u'lláh,' and the new letter already mentioned, on tThe Un-foidment of World Civilization.'
This latter book, as all believers recognize, traces not merely for the present Bahá'í community but also for humanity itself the golden thread of Divine destiny woven through the fabric of human life in this crucial period.
"The inclusion of an illustrated article on the Temple and the Teachings in the tArnerican Guide' series of volumes under preparation by writers in a Federal Department, which will be duplicated in the voi-umes covering the
State of Illinois.ccThe first effort to compile information concerning each individual believer in the United States and Canada by means of the tHistorical Record' cards distributed a few months after the last Convention.
"The possibility that Spiritual Assemblies will be established this year in the new cities of Dayton, Ohio, Springfield, Mass.,
and Rockford, Ill.Bahá'í News, it should be remarked, has been the vehicle for so many general statements and reports that there has not been space for publishing a number of in � teresting news items this year.
The thought might be advanced that possibly in future a distinction can be made between material intended primarily for local Spiritual Assemblies, and material directed to all Baha'is.
The material intended for the Assemblies could be issued in the form of a monthly mimeographed bulletin, while the more general information could have priority in Bahá'í News. Such a method would tend to develop Bahá'í News along the lines indicated in the letter written by the Guardian on April 10, 1925."
General ObservationsCtA few general observations may be permitted, in order to learn as much as possible from our collective experience during the time since the last Convention.
ttFirst of all, let us note that the Guardian's communications have in several instances been directed to the individual believer, emphasizing values in the Bahá'í life which oniy voluntary effort can create. For example, his appeal for concentrated effort on teaching goes to the very heart of individual faith and devotion, and cannot be fulfilled by administrative effort alone. His call for an abandonment of membership in nonBahá'í religious bodies is another appeal to the individual loyalty.
In his definition of the National Fund as C bedrock on which all other institutions must necessarily rest and be established,' Shoghi Effendi clearly enlarges the sphere of the individual believer's responsibility. His letter on prayer and fasting, above all, strikes the note of personal spirituality which must distinguish our own heart's relationship to the Divine.
"Without this personal responsibility and continuous individual effort to advance in spiritual realms, administrative action would be fruitless and unavailing, a mere exercise of defined authority and power
Page 128without result. Oniy in a common consecration to Bahá'u'lláh can the inner as well as outer ties between communities and Assemblies become fulfilled in the unity for which the Manifestation suffered all the days of His life on earth.
"Regarding the NationalFund, we have the Guardian's expressed view that the demands upon it can be fully met by enlarging constantly the number of confirmed Baha'is.
He does not advocate a retreat into smaller efforts and diminishing powers, but raises the golden banner heralding a determined and unflagging advance along the entire line. He has declared that none can estimate the reinforcement which the Bahá'í community, and every active believer, will receive from on high when devotion becomes motion of the spirit to share a God-given truth.
!!Now we must continually seek to enlarge our conception and purify our view of the universal meaning of Baha consultation, the principle underlying all our activities and sustaining our collective life. Consultation has been ordained not to enable any individual or group to bring pressure to bear upon others for the sake of attaining some predetermined aim.
Consultation surely means that personal and group suggestions are advanced for the sake of contributing to the general community or Assembly discussion, and in a spirit severed from grief or dissatisfaction whatever the final decision may be. Furthermore, the law of consultation means that no matter how difficult the problem or tangled the situation which arises, all the believers concerned with it will continue their mutual contact and maintain effort to solve it until the problem has actually been removed. Those who remain absent from Nineteen Day meetings and other general Bahá'í gatherings lose the flow of life through the Bahá'í body, and after a time must necessarily become unduly individualistic or reflect the influence of the non-Bahá'í environment.
The creation of unity brings sacrifice and suffering to every believer without exception. We can pay this price with gratitude and cheerfulness rather than reluctance if we realize that every experience of unhappiness or confusion we en � counter in the Cause represents nothing else than opportunity for further growth in the Kingdom. To withdraw from a situation because it challenges our ego is a turning away from the healing waters that well from the Source of life and love."
eeTloe Unfoldment of Worldin conclusion, a few quotations from the Guardian's latest letter, addressed to all the friends. Its title, tThe Unfoldment of World Civilization,' suggests its marvelous scope as an analysis of the death of the old order and the birth of the new.
CTh contrast between the accumulating evidences of steady consolidation that accompany the rise of the Administrative Order of the Faith of God, and the forces of disintegration which batter at the fabric of a travailing society, is as clear as it is arresting.
Both within and without the Bahá'í world the signs and tokens which, in a mysterious manner, are heralding the birth of that World Order, the establishment of which must signalize the Golden Age of the Cause of God, are growing and multiplying day by day.
~This New World Order, whose promise is enshrined in the Revelation of Bahá'u'lláh, whose fundamental principles have been enunciated in the writings of the Center of His Covenant, involves no less than the complete unification of the entire human race. No machinery falling short of the standard inculcated by the Bahá'í Revelation, and at variance with the sublime pattern ordained in His teachings, which the collective efforts of mankind may yet devise can ever hope to achieve anything above or beyond that "Lesser Peace" to which the Author of our Faith has Himself alluded in His writings. The Most Great Peace on the other hand, as conceived by Bahá'u'lláh � a peace that must inevitably follow as the practical consequence of the spiritualization of the world and the fusion of all its races, creeds, classes and nations � can rest on no other basis, and can be preserved through no other agency, except the divinely appointed ordinances that are implicit in the World Order that stands associated with His holy name.
The Revelation of Bahá'u'lláh, whoseRecent Views of the Castle of MTh-Kfi where the Bib was confined.
129supreme mission is none other but the achievement of this organic and spiritual unity of the whole body of nations, should, if we be faithful to its implications, be regarded as signalizing through its advent the coining of age of the entire lntrnan race. It should be viewed not merely as yet another spiritual revival in the ever-chang-ing fortunes of mankind, not oniy as a further stage in a chain of progressive Revelations, nor even as the culmination of one of a series of recurrent prophetic cycles, but rather as marking the last and highest stage in the stupendous evolution of man collective life on this planet. The emergence of a world community, the consciousness of world citizenship, the founding of a world civilization and culture � all of which must synchronize with the initial stages in the unfoldment of the Golden Age of the Baha era � should, by their very nature, be regarded, as far as this planetary life is concerned, as the furthermost limits in the organization of human society, though man, as an individual, will, nay must indeed as a result of such a consummation, continue indefinitely to progress and develop.'
CC cFor the revelation of so great a favor a period of intense turmoil and widespread suffering would seem to be indispensable. Resplendent as has been the Age that has witnessed the inception of the Mission with which Bahá'u'lláh has been entrusted, the interval which must elapse ere that Age yields its choicest fruit must, it is becomingly increasingly apparent, be overshadowed by such moral and social gloom as can alone prepare an unrepentant humanity for the prize she is destined to inherit. Deep as is the gloom that already encircles the world, the afflictive ordeals which that world is to suffer are still in preparation, nor can their blackness be as yet imagined. We stand on the threshold of an age whose convulsions proclaim alike the death-pangs of the old order and the birth-pangs of the new.
"Such is the tremendous vista revealed to us by the Guardian's power to open the door upon the movements of destiny! Nothing that is merely human nature can possibly sustain the shock of the collapse as the pillars of the false temple are thrown from their foundations by an Almighty power. Only the Cause of God can endure � the Cause that moves forward by the sincerity of its believers and their whole-souled unity in a Divine Faith."
GENEVA SCANS THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITYBureau in Geneva is a secretariat constituted to serve the eight hundred centers of the Bahá'í World Community, and to be a bureau of information on the Cause.
The Bureau exercises no authority whatsoever; neither is it subject to the jurisdiction of any local or National Assembly. Although our local teaching activity aims at the eventual formation of a Local Spiritual
Assembly, the Bureau'ssphere is international and its function cannot be impaired.
The prerogative of the Bureau and its obligation to Assemblies is that same Law of Consultation, which Bahá'u'lláh has legislated to harmonize affairs, and to solve the human problems arising through the interaction of the individual and the group.
Not in any way is the Bureau staff to be confused with elected administrative bodies.
Its function is essentially an intermediary one to such elected bodies, as well as to other centers and even individuals. Our Guardian, Shoghi Effendi, has summarized: c!Geneva is auxiliary to the Center in Haifa.
It does not assume the place of Haifa, but is auxiliary. It exercises no international authority; it does not try to impose, but helps and acts as intermediary between Haifa and other Bahá'í centers. It is international because it links the different countries; it is like a distributing center."
(Bahá'í World, Vol. IV, p. 261.)A life-sketch of this Bahá'í institution is available in the Bábd'i World, Vol. IV. More recent happenings include the arrival
Page 131They came to work under the direction of Mrs. Emogene Hoagg, there to reinforce the efforts of Miss Lentz and Mrs. Lynch, two members of staff who had carried the Bureau routine for years. The former is German by birth, the latter Russian; both are versed in languages.
In July of 1934, Mrs. Hoagg, under medical orders and with the permission of Shoghi Effendi, withdrew from the Bureau on extended leave of absence. This rest she has strenuously earned by years of pioneer work for the Cause in
Italy and Geneva.Foremost among the Bureau's champions is Miss Julia Culver, now in California. These many years Miss Culver has assumed the quiet task of financing a diminutive institution in Geneva, reputedly one of the high-priced capitals of the world.
The only other regular subscriber is Shoghi Effendi, who sends nine pounds sterling every month to keep us on the credit side of the ledger.
Inasmuch as the Bahá'í traveler invariably greets us, "After all, what goes on in the Bureau?", decorum allows that we make reply and state what the Bureau's mechanism of service entails.
(a) A modest charity, sometimes material, but habitually the patient interview and encouragement of that inevitable drift of wanderers and maladjusted personalities, who are drawn into any religious stronghold that keeps an open door on a public Street.
(b) Attendance at the public sessions of the League of Nations, and cooperation with international societies which are not committed to party politics. The Bureau is absolutely nonpartisan, and free from political entanglements actual or conversational.
(c) The persistent effort to contact international workers, and all lesser personalities, who can be led from the universal social Principles revealed by Bahá'u'lláh to the recognition of His divine Manifestation.
(d) Translations of the Teachings and other required materials into Esperanto, Spanish, Italian, Russian, French, German, and English. Materials for the Bureau's own use are translated independently; but translations for publication are made in collaboration with Assemblies, more particularly of late with the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of Germany and Austria.
(e) The publication of a news Bulletin, heretofore occasional, in French, German, and English, to the number of five hundred copies.
(f) A world correspondence in various languages including Esperanto, supplying information or dealing with matters pertaining to the Bahá'í Faith. This is more intimately directed to isolated
Bahá'ís and Assembliesof the continent, who are pressing for a firmer grasp of the Principles supporting the Administrative Order of Bahá'í Faith.
(g) The distribution of free literature to callers, or in response to letters of request; besides, the sale and distribution of all Bahá'í books when ordered. The maintenance of a free reading and lending Library, opened daily for morning and afternoon hours, is a prime feature of the Bureau. Incidentally, the enlargement of our Library depends upon the continuous donations made by the Bureau's friends, and the Assemblies of the Orient and Occident.
(h) The entertainment of visiting Bahá'ís or their acquaintances, who bring cards of introduction. The weekly tea and social hour, sometimes with music, is the most conspicuous of Bureau pleasures, � and, more seriously, the prolific field of Bah&is-to-be: for association is the cause of unity; and unity is the source of order in the world." (Bahá'u'lláh) (i) The conduct of a weekly evening meeting for the public, wherein the Teachings are presented in accordance with a program, published and issued to individuals and societies. This direct Bahá'í method is varied by an occasional guest speaker on some universal perspective of today's work.
Since the Ridvan Season1934, which is the time limit fixed for the commencement of this survey, visitors and guest speakers, who have contributed to the meetings, include: Professor Pitman Potter, instructor
Page 132in international law and member of a Juridical Commission under the
League of Nations; Missof the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom; Madame Dreyfus-Barney, member of the Intellectual Codperation Commission of the League of Nations; Dr. Kenneth
Saunders of ColumbiaDr. and Madame Fozdar of Bombay; the late Mr. Chatterjee, head of the Information Office of the League of Nations;
Mr. Mountfort Mills;several leaders in the Esperanto Movement; Bahá'ís from inn.
However, Miss Julia Goldmanhas been the traveling Bahá'í teacher most frequently associated with Mrs. Bishop in the conduct of this teaching work.
In April of 1934, later in September through March of 1935, in September of 1935, Miss Goldman was in Geneva cultivating the field of contacts.
The orbit of Miss Goldman's activity extends to Florence, Paris, Brussels, in collaboration with the Princess Aussenac-de-Broglie; England, Copenhagen, Stockholm, and some of the Bahá'í centers in Germany, in collaboration with Mrs. Jeanne Bolles.
The archetype of traveling teachers is Miss Martha L. Root. After the publica-don of the modern Greek version of Bahá'u'lláh and the New Era [Athens, May 19341, she passed through the Balkan cities to Vienna, where the Assembly arranged meetings for her. She and Miss Lydia Zamenhof presented the Bahá'í Faith at the International Esperanto Congress held in Stockholm, August 4th to the 11th, 1934.
In Oslo, Norway, MissSchubartli in the wide distribution of the latter's translation of Bahá'u'lláh and the New Era, published in April, 1935. Now she is translating the Kitáb-i-iqdn into
Norwegian.Throughout this period publicity was activated in Denmark, Sweden and Norway by some leading newspapers, which reviewed the aims and Principles of the Cause. Among the fine interviews were those accorded to Mrs. Stuart French, who made excellent contacts during two seasons of the northern cruise.
In Copenhagen, Miss JohannaSorenson keeps alive the interest stimulated by these traveling teachers.
His Majesty, King Haakon, granted Miss Root an audience at the Royal Palace in Oslo on May 9th, 1935. Previously,
His Majesty, the Kingof Denmark, had accepted Bahá'í literature presented by Mrs. Louise Erickson.
She was granted an audience by Crown Prince Adolph of Sweden. Among celebrities, Dr. Sven Hedin, noted for explorations and Chinese archaeology, encountered another Bahá'í and accepted literature. A Swedish composer, Count Waclimeister, is an ardent friend to the Cause and attends meetings in Paris. That Bahá'í soui, brave "Man of the Trees," Richard St. Barbe Baker, did good work in Scandinavia in January, 1935.
Activity is always propitious, but the arrival of Mrs.
Louise Erickson in Scandinaviain February, 1935, is particularly so. The Master designated her to lift the spade of broken earth in the name of Scandinavia, when He dedicated the Universal House of Worship at Wilmette, Illinois, in 1912. She and Miss Root are now teaching in Finland, where indications are promising because observers agree that its folk are characterized by a high seriousness and an Oriental strain of religious insight.
During the summer months of 1935, Miss Root was acclaimed in Iceland.
She wrote that a friend at Reykjavik, won by Mrs. Thomas Collins with a booklet, became the open door through which all subsequent reception was offered: interviews, lectures, radio broadcasting, publicity.
Thereby is a tale lively and gratifying, recent data towards the precept that a Bahá'í may not neglect to make mention of Me on My earth"; for only the tcEssayer of Entities" can determine af ore-time the seeker's perception or the individual's share in this universal Cause.
Holland is waiting forshe will be equipped with the Dutch translations of Bahá'u'lláh and the Neu~ Era and the Hidden Words. The latter is the excellent work of Captain Leyden, his first translation of a Text from Bahá'u'lláh. Both publications are gifts made during this
Page 133period by Mr. and Mrs. Max Greeven of Bremen, supplemented by a donation from Shoghi Effendi.
To proceed with this enumeration of outposts: in Brussels, Belgium, a first-rate teacher, Mrs. May Maxwell, is active with Miss Mary Maxwell. No doubt, they will rally a group and hold regular meetings, for such is their record elsewhere.
Esthonia has its family of Baha'is, first led to the Cause by the Nova Ta go. In Praha, Czechoslovakia, a Bahá'í cooperates with Esperantists, and brings peace movements sonic cognizance of the Bahá'í Faith. In Budapest, there are those who cherish the remembrance of tAbdu'1-Bahá'í presence there. Nor is Bahá'u'lláh left without a witness in Albania, for Mr. Ref o Chapary translates and teaches in Gjinokaster. Meanwhile, the Delegate from Albania to the League of Nations, M. Kurti, stands for the ennobling spiritual and humanitarian Principles represented by the Bahá'í
Movement.Other centers in the Balkans require oniy the presence of a moving Bahá'í spirit to guide interest to the height of consecration. Mrs. Louise Gregory has been working in Belgrade courageously; and, at this writing, her return is immediate.
Before her departure at the end of April in 1935, new Bahá'ís were declared; and a study class of six Russian students was formed.
Madame Draga Ilk became a Bahá'í when she translated Bahá'u'lláh and the New Era into Serbian. A manuscript translation of Some Answered
Questions into Croatianwas made at the Bureau in Geneva, and sent to Belgrade for circulation.
The outlook is more than hopeful: Mrs. Gregory finds the Jugoslavs to be the most responsive I have found in any of the countries of Europe."
At a still more concrete stage is the status quo in Bulgaria. Miss Marion Jack, knowing only French and English, but endowed by the Master with a winning spirit and a patience that subdues oppositions, has succeeded in the formation of a Spiritual Assembly, the first in the Balkans, elected in Sofia in July, 1934 by a Community of thirty or more.
In that Community men of professions and able translators, former Theosophists, and an Esperanto leader, are working together with less talented folk.
Interesting meetings are arranged to draw from a sympathetic circle double the size of the Community.
Now, the Spiritual Assembly of Sofia is reaching out to further the teaching work in Varna, Dubnitza, Plovdiv, and Starazagora.
Miss Jack describes the Bulgarians as open-minded and of religious temperament. Poised midway between Occident and Orient, they are singularly free from insular, cultural prejudices. This acceptance of the Prophetic Message recalls the genuine religious passion with which they received Cyril and Methodius, the Christian Apostles sent out from Constantinople.
In the ninth century, by the conversion of the sovereign, Kh~n Boris, the people embraced Orthodoxy; and Bulgaria became an independent Church. Iiinian religion has been known there before, but it was a sophisticate and decadent form of it with which Bulgaria grappled from the tenth through the twelfth centuries (i.e. Manichaeism,
"The Bogomil Heresy").Martyrdoms, too. The poetic temperament ever seeks the romance of religion.
Conflicts are the index of aliveness.If, through the informing Principles of the Bahá'í Administrative Order, and the discipline of membership in World Community, a profound, religious subjectivity be converted into Unity � then Bulgaria may find a sublime destiny in the Commonwealth of the Nations.
In Italy, Bahá'ís are to be found in Rome and Florence. In Rapallo, at New Year 1935, the Bahá'í Faith was introduced by two talks given at the villa of an American singer, Mrs. Ephra Townley. Brigadier General MacGeorge, who was in command of troops in lr~n during the World War, was glad to hear of a Cause which fostered understanding and unity between East and 'West.
Mr. Ezra Pound admires 'Abdu'l-Bahá, � and met Him in London. A compelling poet, Mr. Pound has abandoned poetry to cry out for 'tSocial Credit," and applaud Movements to spiritualize man's material life.
Page 134Congress, which traveled through the Italian cities during the week of August 3,
1935, Miss Lidja ZamenhofIn Genoa, there is published in Italian a brilliant monthly review, which gives a world perspective on cultural, social, and spiritual achievements.
Exchange of literature from the Bureau, and a somewhat detailed correspondence with its Editor, Professor Lorenzo Caboara, becomes an index of the depths of pure consciousness resident in Italy, and directed towards the emergence of a New World Order based upon justice � and for humanity.
In France, the SpiritualAssembly of Paris holds the largest regular meetings, and these according to high standard. Brilliant intellectual feats are performed by the students from tr~n, who select one of the youth group to prepare and read a paper at their own monthly meeting, sometimes attended by as many as fifty guests.
This Union of Bahá'í StudentsAt the Conference at Christmas time, 1934, the program developed a correlation between the Bahá'í Cause and essential world-trends.
The activities of an Armenian Bahá'í in Marseilles have yielded a group which meets regularly. In Lyon, a study group of seven has been brought together by the combined efforts of Madame Bond, Miss Lidja Zamen-hof, and M.
Ezzatollali KhAn Zabiliof Isf~h4n. From Toulouse and Nancy, where Bahá'ís from Ir~n are residents, we anticipate further reports of teaching activity.
A tract entitled Le Bahd'isme � son his-toire � sa portde inondiale, and the new edition of L'essai sur le Bahd'isrne, revised and annotated by Madame Dreyfus-Barney, are up-to-date equipment for the teaching work in France, � and throughout Europe as French is still the secondary language.
The National SpiritualAssembly of the Bahá'ís of the British Isles appointed a National Teaching Committee in the spring of 1935, under the chairmanship of Mr. F. St. George Spendlove.
By assisting resident teachers, and extending the orbit of traveling teachers, this Committee plans to draw the groups of the provinces into closer cooperation with London.
To that end, a northern representative was selected from Manchester, one of the oldest and strongest centers, much visited by the late Dr. Essle-mont, the Americans and the Persians. Its earliest Baha'i, Mr. E. T. Hall, completes this year his first quarter-century in teaching the Cause.
Meanwhile, in London,of the Kingdom and the challenging Promise of All Ages have been published. The variety and charm of the meetings have increased during this two-year period; and the flow of visitors from other countries has been constant.
At last the Youth Group has been properly organized for regular meetings of study or sociability.
It numbers twenty-five and counts some fine trinian students among its members.
In October of 1935, the new Center in London was opened. It is more artistic and offers spacious quarters for meetings. In that same month the Committee sent forth a teacher to all the groups and their friends, more particularly to deepen the understanding of the evolving Administrative Order. All in all, the hour is auspicious and marks the time in which to increase the followers of Bahá'u'lláh in the British
Isles.In Germany, on the other hand, teaching on a grand scale is not feasible now. In October of 1934, the government gave permission for the Bahá'ís to hold meetings throughout Germany, but these gatherings are necessarily invitational to Bahá'ís and their friends.
In some cities a police commissioner attends special meetings.
Exceptional successes were as follows: the Feast of Bahá'u'lláh commemorated in Stuttgart on November 12th, 1934, consisting of poetry, music, and addresses offered to an audience of several hundred; the public session of the Convention at Ridvan, 1935; the conference held in Berlin at Whitsuntide, 1935, for representatives of the northern centers.
By far the most spectacular teaching project is the yearly Summer Week at Esslingen, near Stuttgart. Besides the orientation courses, and Bahá'í Teachings, the Administration has been presented during the seasons of 1934 and 1935.
TheSchool draws visitors from IrAn, America and Europe; and it is, indeed, among the rememberable adventures of a Bahá'í on the continent.
Today, the program of activity in Germany is fourfold: 1) translations and publications; 2) the subjective deepening in the Faith and the Unity; 3) the centralization of authority in the National Spiritual Assembly and the direction of its strength to the Assemblies and groups; 4) declaring the Manifestation to those who will bear.
This last is, in the deepest sense, the imperative throughout the countries under review here. To us it seems that Europe's spiritual oppression is too far advanced to admit of conversion in the mass: if souls escape the disiTlal atmosphere of religious orthodoxy, they are too frequently trapped in the sterility of a bitter unfaith.
Prejudices abound, subtle and amazingly compiex � prejudices of religion, class, nation, race, besides the refined prejudices of history, tradition, and culture.
Addresses to the public notwithstanding, teaching in Europe at this eleventh hour resolves ultimately into the penetration of being in quest of souis inwardly taught and prepared by God for His Manifestation: I saw another angel ascending from the East, having the seal of the living God: and he cried with a loud voice tHurt not the earth until we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads.'
" (Revelation VII)are fighting the lawful and great fight for the prize of a high calling," but the Victory does not depend upon them. Great world events, predestined by God, are happening. Others will follow in rapid successrnn to alter life and manners at the roots; and, through that radical transformation, there will finally emerge the World Order of Bahá'u'lláh.
Page 136From erGleanings from the Writings of Bahá'u'lláh" MAN is the supreme Talisman.
Lack of a proper education hath, however, deprived him of that which he doth inherently possess. Through a word proceeding out of the mouth of God he was called into being; by one word more he was guided to recognize the Source of his education; by yet another word his station and destiny were safeguarded.
The Great Being saith: Regard man as a mine rich in gems of inestimable value. Education can, alone, cause it to reveal its treasures and enable mankind to benefit therefrom.
If any man were to meditate on that which the Scriptures, sent down from the heaven of God's holy Will, have revealed, he will readily recognize that their purpose is that all men shall be regarded as one soui, so that the seal bearing the words ttThe Kingdom shall be God's" may be stamped on every heart, and the light of Divine bounty, of grace, and mercy may envelop all mankind. The one true God, exalted be His glory, hath wished nothing for Himself. The allegiance of mankind profiteth Him not, neither doth its perversity harm Him. The Bird of the Realm of Utterance roiceth continually this call: rcAll things have I willed for thee, and thee, too, for thine own sake." If the learned and worldly-wise men of this age were to allow mankind to inhale the fragrance of fellowship and love every understanding heart would apprehend the meaning of true liberty, and discover the secret of undisturbed peace and absolute composure.
Were the earth to attain this station and be illumined with its light it could then be truly said of it: "Thou shalt see in it no hollows or rising hills."
136 The generations that have gone before you � whither are they fled? And those round whom in life circled the fairest and the loveliest of the land, where now are they? Profit by their example, 0 people, and be not of them that are gone astray.
Others ere long will lay hands on what ye possess, and enter into your habitations. Incline your ears to My words, and be not numbered among the foolish.
For every one of you his paramount duty is to choose for himself that on which no other may infringe and none usurp from him. Such a thing � and to this the Almighty is My witness � is the iove of God, could ye but perceive it. Build ye for yourselves such houses as the rain and floods can never destroy, which shall protect you from the changes and chances of this life. This is the instruction of Him Whom the world hath wronged and forsaken.
Consider the pettiness of men's minds. They ask for that which injureth them, and cast away the thing that profiteth them. They are, indeed, of those that are far astray. We find some men desiring liberty, and priding themselves therein. Such men are in the depths of ignorance.
Liberty must, in the end, lead to sedition, whose flames none can quench.
Thus warneth you He Who is the Reckoner, the All-Knowing.
Know ye that the embodiment of liberty and its symbol is the animal. That which beseemeth man is submission unto such restraints as will protect him from his own ignorance, and guard him against the harm of the mischief
Page 137maker. Liberty causeth man to overstep the bounds of propriety, and to infringe on the dignity of his station. It debaseth him to the level of extreme depravity and wickedness.
Regard men as a flock of sheep that need a shepherd for their protection.
This, verily, is the truth, the certain truth. We approve of liberty in certain circumstances, and refuse to sanction it in others.
We, verily, are the All-Knowing.Say: True liberty consisteth in man's submission unto My commandments, little as ye know it. Were men to observe that which 'We have sent down unto them from the Heaven of Revelation, they would, of a certainty, attain unto perfect liberty. Happy is the man that hath apprehended the Purpose of God in whatever He hath revealed from the Heaven of His Will, that pervadeth all created things. Say: The liberty that profiteth you is to be found nowhere except in complete servitude unto God, the Eternal Truth. Whoso hath tasted of its sweetness will refuse to barter it for all the dominion of earth and heaven.
All-praise to the unity of God, and all-honor to Him, the sovereign Lord, the incomparable and all-glorious Ruler of the universe, Who, out of inter nothingness, hath created the reality of all things, Who, from naught, bath brought into being the most refined and subtle elements of His creation, and Who, rescuing His creatures from the abasernents of remoteness and the perils of ultimate extinction, bath received them into the Kingdom of incorruptible glory.
Nothing short of His all-encom-passing grace, His all-pervading mercy, could have possibly achieved it. How could it, otherwise, have been possible for sheer nothingness to have acquired by itself the worthiness and capacity to emerge from its state of nonexistence into the realm of being?
Having created the world and all that liveth and moveth therein, He, through the direct operation of His unconstrained and sovereign Will, chose to confer upon man the unique distinction and capacity to know Him and to love Him � a capacity that must needs be regarded as the gen crating impulse and the primary purpose underlying the whole of creation Upon the inmost reality of each and every created thing He hath shed the light of one of His names, and made it a recipient of the glory of one of His attributes. Upon the reality of man, however, He hath focused the radiance of all His names and attributes, and made it a mirror of His own Self. Alone of all created things man hath been singled out for so great a favor, so enduring a bounty.
These energies with which the DayStar of Divine bounty and Source of heavenly guidance hath endowed the reality of man lie, however, latent within him, even as the flame is hidden within the candle and the rays of light are potentially present in the lamp. The radiance of these energies may be obscured by worldly desires even as the light of the sun can be concealed beneath the dust and dross which cover the mirror. Neither the candle nor the lamp can be lighted through their own unaided efforts, nor can it ever be possible for the mirror to free itself from its dross.
It is clear and evident that until a fire is kindled the lamp will never be ignited, and unless the dross is blotted out from the face of the mirror it can never represent the image of the sun nor reflect its light and glory.
And since there can be no tie of direct intercourse to bind the one true God with His creation, and no resemblance whatever can exist between the transient and the Eternal, the contingent and the Absolute, He hath ordained that in every age and dispensation a pure and stainless Soul be made manifest in the kingdoms of earth and heaven. Unto this subtle, this mysterious and ethereal Being I-fe hath assigned a twofold nature; the physical, pertaining to the world of matter, and the spiritual, which is born of the substance of God Himself. He bath, moreover, conferred upon Him a double station.
The first station, which is related to His innermost reality, representeth Him as One 'Whose voice is the voice of God Himself. To this testifieth the tradition: "Manifold and mysterious is My relationship with God" The second station is the human station, exemplified by the following verses:
Page 138"Say, praise be to my Lord! Am I more than a man, an apostle?" These Essences of Detachment, these resplendent Realities are the channels of God's all-pervasive grace.
Led by the light of unfailing guidance, and invested with supreme sovereignty, they are commissioned to use the inspiration of their words, the effusions of their infallible grace and the sanctifying breeze of their revelation for the cleansing of every longing heart and receptive spirit from the dross and dust of earthly cares and limitations. Then, and only then, will the Trust of God, latent in the reality of man, emerge as resplendent as the rising Orb of Divine Revelation from behind the veil of concealment, and implant the ensign of its revealed glory upon the summit of men's hearts.
From the foregoing passages and allusions it hath been made indubitably clear that in the kingdoms of earth and heaven there must needs be manifested a
Being, an Essence Whoshall act as a Manifestation and Vehicle for the transmission of the grace of the Divinity
Itself, the Sovereign Lordof all. Through the Teachings of this DayStar of Truth every man will advance and develop until he attaineth the station at which he can manifest all the potential forces with which his inmost true self hath been endowed.
It is for this very purpose that in every age and dispensation the Prophets of God and His chosen Ones have appeared amongst men, and have evinced such power as is born of God and such might as only the eternal can reveal.
Can one of sane mind ever seriously imagine that, in view of certain words the meaning of which he cannot comprehend, the portal of God's infinite guidance can ever be closed in the face of men? Can he ever conceive for these Divine Luminaries, these resplendent Lights either a beginning or an end?
What outpouring flood can compare with the stream of His all-embrac-ing grace, and what blessing can excel the evidences of so great and pervasive a mercy? There can be no doubt whatever that if for one moment the tide of His mercy and grace were to be withheld from the world, it would completely perish. For this reason, from the beginning that hath no beginning the portals of Divine mercy have been flung open to the face of all created things, and the clouds of Truth will continue to the end that bath no end to rain on the soil of human capacity, reality and personality their favors and bounties.
Such bath been God's method continued from everlasting to everlasting.
The Purpose of the one true God, exalted be His glory, in revealing Himself unto men is to lay bare those gems that lie hidden within the mine of their true and inmost selves. That the divers communions of the earth, and the manifold systems of religious belief, should never be allowed to foster the feelings of animosity among men is, in this Day, of the essence of the Faith of God and His
Religion.Consider the past. How many, both high and iow, have, at all times, yearningly awaited the advent of the Manifestations of God in the sanctified persons of His chosen Ones.
How often have they expected His coming, how frequently have they prayed that the breeze of Divine mercy might blow, and the promised Beauty step forth from behind the veil of concealment, and be made manifest to all the world. And whensoever the portals of grace did open, and the clouds of divine bounty did rain upon mankind, and the light of the Unseen did shine above the horizon of celestial might, they all denied Him, and turned away from His face � the face of God Himself....
Reflect, what could have been the motive for such deeds? What could have prompted such behavior towards the Revealers of the beauty of the All-Glorious?
Whatever in days gone by hath been the cause of the denial and opposition of those people hail now led to the perversity of the people of this age. To maintain that the testimony of Providence was incomplete, that it hath therefore been the cause of the denial of the people, is but open blasphemy. How far from the grace of the All-Bountiful and from His loving providence and tender mercies it is to single out a soul from amongst all men for the guidance of His creatures, and, on one hand, to withhold from Him the full measure of His divine
Page 139testimony, and, on the other, inflict severe retribution on His people for having turned away from His chosen One! Nay, the manifold bounties of the Lord of all beings have, at all times, through the
Manifestations of HisDivine Essence, encompassed the earth and all that dwell therein. Not for a moment hath His grace been withheld, nor have the showers of Pus lovingkindness ceased to rain upon mankind. Consequently, such behavior can be attributed to naught save the petty-minded-ness of such souis as tread the valley of arrogance and pride, are lost in the wilds of remoteness, walk in the ways of their idle fancy, and follow the dictates of the leaders of their faith. Their chief concern is mere opposition; their sole desire is to ignore the truth. Unto every discerning observer it is evident and manifest that had these people in the days of each of the Manifestations of the Sun of Truth sancti � fled their eyes, their ears, and their hearts from whatever they had seen, heard, and felt, they surely would not have been deprived of beholding the beauty of God, nor strayed far from the habitations of glory.
But having weighed the testimony of God by the standard of their own knowledge, gleaned from the teachings of the leaders of their faith, and found it at variance with their limited understanding, they arose to perpetrate such unseemly acts.
Consider Moses! Armedwith the rod of edestial dominion, adorned with the white band of Divine knowledge, and proceeding from the P~r~n of the love of God, and wielding the serpent of power and everlasting majesty, He shone forth from the Sinai of light upon the world.
He summoned all the peoples and kindreds of the earth to the kingdom of eternity, and invited them to partake of the fruit of the tree of faithfulness. Surely you are aware of the fierce opposition of Pharaoh ~nd his people, and of the stones of idle fancy which the hands of infidels cast upon that blessed Tree. So much so that Pharaoh and his people finally arose and exerted their utmost endeavor to extinguish with the waters of falsehood and denial the lire of that sacred Tree, oblivious of the truth that no earthly water can quench the flames of Divine wisdom, nor mortar blasts extinguish the lamp of everlasting dominion. Nay, rather, such water cannot but intensify the burning of the flame, and such blasts cannot but ensure the preservation of the lamp, were ye to observe with the eye of discernment, and walk in the way of God's boiy will and pleasure.
And when the days of Moses were ended, and the light of Jesus, shining forth from the DaySpring of the Spirit, encompassed the world, all the people of Israel arose in protest against Him. They clamored that He Whose advent the Bible had foretold must needs promulgate and fulfil the laws of Moses whereas this youthful Nazarene, who Laid claim to the station of the divine Messiah, had annulled the law of divorce and of the sabbath day � the most weighty of all the laws of Moses. Moreover, what of the signs of the Manifestation yet to come?
These people of Israel are even unto the present day still expecting that Manifestation which the Bible hath foretold! How many Manifestations of Holiness, how many Revealers of the light everlasting, have appeared since the time of Moses, and yet Israel, wrapt in the densest veils of satanic fancy and false imaginings, is still expectant that the idol of her own handiwork will appear with such signs as she herself bath conceived! Thus bath God laid hold of them for their sins, hath extinguished in then-i the spirit of faith, and tormented them with the flames of the nethermost fire.
And th~5 for no other reason except that Israel refused to apprehend the meaning of such words as have been revealed in the Bible concerning the signs of the coming Revelation. As she never grasped their true significance, and, to outward seeming, such events never came to pass, she, therefore, remained deprived of recognizing the beauty of Jesus and of beholding the Face of God. And they still await His coming! From time immemorial even unto this day, all the kindreds and peoples of the earth have clung to such fanciful and unseemly thoughts, and thus have deprived themselves of the
Page 140clear waters streaming from the springs of purity and holiness.
To them that are endowed with understanding, it is clear and manifest that, when the lire of the love of Jesus consumed the veils of Jewish limitations, and His ~I go and another will come, Who will teli you all that I have not told you, and will fulfil all that I have said." Both these sayings have but one meaning, were ye to ponder upon the Manifestations of the Unity of God with Divine insight.
House occupied by Bahá'u'lláh, Akka,authority was made apparent and partially enforced, He, the Revealer of the unseen Beauty, addressing one day His disciples, referred unto His passing, and, kindling in their hearts the fire of bereavement, said unto them: "I go away and come again unto you." And in another place He said: Qasr Mazra~ih, Every discerning observer will recognize that in the Dispensation of the Qur'an both the Book and the Cause of Jesus were confirmed.
As to the matter of names, Muhammad, Himself, declared: '~I am Jesus." He recognized the truth of the signs, prophecies, and words of Jesus, and
Page 141testified that they were all of God. In this sense, neither the person of Jesus nor His writings hath differed from that of Muhammad and of His holy Book, inasmuch as both have championed the Cause of God, tittered His praise, and revealed His commandments. Thus it is that Jesus, Himself, declared: ~ go zway and come again unto you."
Consider the sun. Were it to say now, "I am the sun of yesterday," it would speak the truth.
And should it, bearing the sequence of time in mind, claim to be other than that sun, it still would speak the truth.
In like manner, if it be said that all the days are but one and the same, it is correct and true.
And if it be said, with respect to their particular names and designations, that they differ, that again is true. For though they are the same, yet one doth recognize in each a separate designation, a specific attribute, a particular character.
Conceive accordingly the distinction, variation, and unity characteristic of the various Manifestations of holiness, that thou mayest comprehend the allusions made by the Creator of all names and attributes to the mysteries of distinction and unity, and discover the answer to thy question as to why that everlasting Beauty should have, at sundry times, called Himself by different names and titles.
It is evident that changes brought about in every Dispensation constitute the dark clouds that intervene between the eye of man s understanding and the Divine Luminary which shineth forth from the dayspring of the Divine Essence. Consider how men for generations have been blindly imitating their fathers, and have been trained according to such ways and manners as have been laid down by the dictates of their Faith. 'Mere these men, therefore, to discover suddenly that a Man, Who hath been living in their midst, Who, with respect to every human limitation, bath been their equal, had risen to abolish every established principle imposed by their Faith � principLes by which for centuries they have been disciplined, and every opposer and denier of which they have come to regard as infidel, profligate and wicked, � they would of a certainly be veiled and hindered from acknowledging His truth. Such things are as "clouds" that veil the eyes of those whose inner being hath not tasted the Salsabil of detachment, nor drunk from the Kawthar of the knowledge of God. Such men, when acquainted with those circumstances, become so veiled that, without the least question, they pronounce the Manifestation of God as infidel, and sentence Him to death. You must have heard of such things taking place all down the ages, and are now observing them in these days.
It behooveth us, therefore, to make the utmost endeavor, that, by God's invisible assistance, these dark veils, these clouds of Heaven-sent trials, may not hinder us from beholding the beauty of His shining Countenance, and that we may recognize Him only by His own Self.
The beginning of all things is the knowledge of God, and the end of all things is strict observance of whatsoever hath been sent down from the empyrean of the Divine Will that pervadeth all that is in the heavens and all that is on the earth.
The Divine Springtimeis come, 0 Most Exalted Pen, for the Festival of the All � Merciful is fast approaching. Bestir thyself, and magnify, before the entire creation, the name of Cod, and celebrate His praise, in such wise that all created things may be regenerated and made new. Speak, and hold not thy peace. The daystar of blissfulness shineth above the horizon of Our name, the Blissful, inasmuch as the kingdom of the name of God hath been adorned with the ornament of the name of thy Lord, the Creator of the heavens.
Arise before the nations of the earth, and arm thyself with the power of this Most Great Name, and be not of those who tarry.
Metbinks that thou hast halted and movest not upon My Tablet. Could the brightness of the Divine Countenance have bewildered thee, or the idle talk of the froward filled thee with grief and paralyzed thy movement? Take heed lest anything deter thee from extolling the greatness of this Day � the Day whereon the Finger of maiesty and power bath opened the seal of
Page 142the Wine of Reunion, and called all who are in the heavens and all who are on the earth. Preferrest thou to tarry when the breeze announcing the Day of God hath already breathed over thee, or art thou of them that are shut out as by a veil from Him?
No veil whatever have I allowed, 0 Lord of all names and Creator of the heavens, to shut me from the recognition of the glories of Thy Day � the Day which is the lamp of guidance unto the whole world, and the sign of the Ancient of Days unto all tbem that dwell therein. My silence is by reason of the veils that have blinded Thy creatures' eyes to Thee, and my muteness is because of the impediments that have hindered Thy people from recognizing Thy truth.
Thou knowest what is in me, but I know not what is in Thee. Thou art the All-Knowing, the All-Informed. By Thy name that excelleth all other names! If Thy overruling and all-compelling behest should ever reach me, it would empower me to revive the souls of all men, through Thy most exalted Word, which I have heard uttered by Thy Tongue of power in Thy Kingdom of glory. It would enable me to announce the revelation of Thy effulgent countenance wherethrough that which lay hidden from the eyes of men hath been manifested in Thy name, the Perspicuous, the sovereign Protector, the Self-Subsist-ing.
Canst thou discover any one but Me, 0 Pen, in this Day? What bath become of the creation and the manifestations thereof? What of the names and their kingdom? "Whither are gone all created things, whether seen or unseen? What of the hidden secrets of the universe and its revelations?
Lo, the entire creation hath passed away! Nothing remaineth except My Face, the Ever-Abiding, the Resplendent, the All-Glorious.
This is the Day whereon naught can be seen except the splendors of the Ligbt that shineth from the face of Thy Lord, the Gracious, the Most Bountiful. Verily, We have caused every soul to expire by virtue of Our irresistible and all-subduing sovereignty. We have, then, called into being a new creation, as a token of Our grace unto men. I am, verily, the All-Bountiful, the
Ancient of Days.Beware, 0 believers in the Unity of God, lest ye be tempted to make any distinction between any of the Manifestations of His Cause, or to discriminate against the signs that have accompanied and proclaimed their Revelation.
This indeed is the true meaning of Divine Unity, if ye be of them that apprehend and believe this truth.
Be ye assured, moreover, that the works and acts of each and every one of these Manifestations of God, nay whatever perraineth unto them, and whatsoever they may manifest in the future, are all ordained by God, and are a reflection of His
Will and Purpose. Whosomaketh the slightest possible difference between their persons, their words, their messages, their acts and manners, hath indeed disbelieved in God, hath repudiated His signs, and betrayed the Cause of His Messengers.
Look not upon the creatures of God except with the eye of kindliness and of mercy, for Our loving providence bath pervaded all created things, and Our grace encompassed the earth and the heavens. This is the Day whereon the true servants of God partake of the life-giving waters of reunion, the Day whereon those that are nigh unto Him are able to drink of the soft-flowing river of immortality, and they who believe in His unity the wine of His Presence, through their recognition of Him Who is the Highest and Last End of all, in Whom the Tongue of Majesty and Glory voiceth the call: ccThe Kingdom is Mine. I, Myself, am, of Mine own right, its Ruler."
Attract the hearts of men, through the call of Him the one alone
Beloved. Say:This is the DaySpring of the Revelation of God, did ye but know it. This is the Dawning-Place of the Cause of God, were ye to recognize it. This is the Source of the commandment of God, did ye but judge it fairly. This is the manifest and hidden Secret; would that ye might perceive it. 0 peoples of the world! Cast away, in My name that transcendeth all
Page 143other names, the things ye possess, and immerse yourselves in this Ocean in whose depths lay hidden the pearls of wisdom and of utterance, an ocean that surgeth in My name, the All-Merciful.
Lauded and glorified art Thou, 0 Lord, my God!How can I make mention of Thee, assured as I am that no tongue, however deep its wisdom, can befittingly magnify Thy name, nor can the bird of the human heart, however great its longing, ever hope to ascend into the heaven of Thy majesty and knowledge.
If I describe Thee, 0 my God, as Him Who is the All-Perceiving, I find myself compelled to admit that they Who are the highest Embodiments of perception have been created by virtue of Thy behest. And if I extol Thee as Him Who is the All-Wise, I, likewise, am forced to recognize that the WellSprings of wisdom have themselves been generated through the operation of Thy Will.
And if I proclaim Thee as the Incomparable One, I soon discover that They Who are the inmost essence of oneness have been sent down by Thee and are but the evidences of Thine handiwork. And if I acclaim Thee as the Knower of all things, I must confess that They Who are the Quintessence of knowledge are but the creation and instruments of Thy Purpose.
Exalted, immeasurably exalted, art Thou above the strivings of mortal man to unravel Thy mystery, to describe Thy glory, or even to hint at the nature of Thine Essence. For whatever such strivings may accomplish, they never can hope to transcend the limitations imposed upon Thy creatures, inasmuch as these efforts are actuated by Thy decree, and are begotten of Thine invention.
The loftiest sentiments which the holiest of saints can express in praise of Thee, and the deepest wisdom which the most learned of men can utter in their attempts to comprehend Thy nature, all revolve around that Center Which is wholly subjected to Thy sovereignty, Which adoreth Thy Beauty, and is propelled through the movement of Thy Pen.
Nay, forbid it, 0 my God, that I should have uttered such words as must of neces-sky imply the existence of any direct relationship between the Pen of Thy Revelation and the essence of all created things. Far, far are They "Who are related to Thee above the conception of such relationship!
All comparisons and likenesses fail to do justice to the Tree of Thy Revelation, and every way is barred to the comprehension of the Manifestation of Thy Self and the DaySpring of Thy Beauty.
Ear, far from Thy glory be what mortal man can affirm of Thee, or attribute unto Thee, or the praise with which he can glorify
Thee! Whatever duty Thouhast prescribed unto Thy servants of extolling to the utmost Thy majesty and glory is but a token of 'Thy grace unto them, that they may be enabled to ascend unto the station conferred upon their own inmost being, the station of the knowledge of their own selves.
No one else besides Thee hath, at any time, been able to fathom Thy mystery, or befittingly to extol
Thy greatness. Unsearchableand high above the praise of men wilt Thou remain for ever. There is none other God but Thee, the Inaccessible, the Omnipotent, the Omniscient, the Holy of Holies.
All-praise and glory be to God Who, through the power of His might, bath delivered His creation from the nakedness of nonexistence, and clothed it with the mantle of life. From among all created things He hath singled out for His special favor the pure, the gemlike reality of man, and invested it with a unique capacity of knowing Him and of reflecting the greatness of His glory. This twofold distinction conferred upon him hath cleansed away from his heart the rust of every vain desire, and made him worthy of the vesture with which his Creator hail designed to clothe him. It hath served to rescue his soul from the wretchedness of ignorance.
This robe with which the body and soui of man hath been adorned is the very foundation of his wellbeing and development. 0, how blessed the day when, aided by the grace and might of the one true God, man will have freed himself from the bondage
Page 144and corruption of the world and all that is therein and will have attained unto true and abiding rest beneath the shadow of the Tree of Knowledge!
Know thou that, according to what thy Lord the Lord of all men, hath decreed in His Book, the favors vouchsafed by Him unto mankind have been, and will ever remain, limitless in their range. First and foremost among these favors, which the Almighty hath conferred upon man, is the gift of understanding.
His purpose in conferring such a gift is none other except to enable His creature to know and recognize the one true God � exalted be His glory. This gift giveth man the power to discern the truth in all things, leadeth him to that which is right, and helpeth him to discover the secrets of creation. Next in rank, is the power of vision, the chief instrument whereby his understanding can function. The sense of hearing, of the heart, and the like, are similarly to be reckoned among the gifts with which the human body is endowed.
Immeasurably exalted is the Almighty Who bath created these powers, and revealed them in the body of man.
Thine eye is My trust, suffer not the dust of vain desires to becloud its luster. Thine ear is a sign of My bounty, let not the tumult of unseemly motives turn it away from My Word that encompasseth all creation.
Thine heart is My treasury, allow not the treacherous hand of self to rob thee of the pearls which I have treasured therein.
Thine hand is a symbol of My lovingkindness, hinder it not from holding fast unto My guarded and hidden
Tablets.Unasked, I have showered upon thee My grace. Unpetitioned, I have fulfilled thy wish.
In spite of thy undeserving, I have singled thee out for My richest, My incalculable favors. 0 My servants! Be as resigned and submissive as the earth, that from the soil of your being there may blossom the fragrant, the holy and multicolored hyacinths of My knowledge. Be ablaze as the fire, that ye may burn away the veils of heedlessness and set aglow, through the quickening energies of the love of God, the chilled and wayward heart.
Be light and untrammelled as the breeze, that ye may obtain admittance into the precincts of My court, My inviolable
Sanctuary.O My servants! Let not your vain hopes and idle fancies sap the foundations of your belief in the All-Glorious God, inasmuch as such imaginings have been wholly unprofitable unto men, and failed to direct their steps unto the straight Path.
Think ye, 0 My servants, that the Hand of My all-en-compassing, My overshadowing, and transcendent sovereignty is chained up, that the flow of Mine ancient, My ceaseless, and all-pervasive mercy is checked, or that the clouds of My sublime and unsurpassed f a-vors have ceased to rain their gifts upon men?
Can ye imagine that the wondrous works that have proclaimed My divine and resistless power are withdrawn, or that the potency of My will and purpose hath been deterred from directing the destinies of mankind? If it not be so, wherefore, then, have ye striven to prevent the deathless Beauty of My sacred and gracious Countenance from being unveiled to men's eyes? Why have ye struggled to hinder the Manifestation of the Almighty and All-Glorious Being from shedding the radiance of His Revelation upon the earth? Were ye to be fair in your judgment, ye would readily recognize how the realities of all created things are inebriated with the joy of this new and wondrous Revelation, how all the atoms of the earth have been illuminated through the brightness of its glory.
Vain and wretched is that which ye have imagined and still imagine!
Retrace your steps, 0 My servants, and incline your hearts to Him Who is the Source of your creation. Deliver yourselves from your evil and corrupt affections, and hasten to embrace the light of the undying Fire that gloweth on the Sinai of this mysterious and transcendent Revelation.
Corrupt not the holy, the all-embracing, and primal Word of God, and seek not to profane its sanctity or to debase its exalted character.
0 heedless ones! Though the wonders of My mercy have encompassed all created things, both visible and invisible, and though the revelations of My grace
Page 145and bounty have permeated every atom of the universe, yet the rod with which I can chastise the wicked is grievous, and the fierceness of Mine anger against them terrible. 'With ears that are sanctified from vainglory and worldly desires hearken unto the counsels which I, in My merciful kindness, have revealed unto you, and with your inner and outer eyes contemplate the evidences of My marvelous
Revelations.not yourselves of the unfading and resplendent Light that shineth within the Lamp of Divine glory. Let the flame of the love of God burn brightly within your radiant hearts.
Feed it with the oil of Divine guidance, and protect it within the shelter of your constancy. Guard it within the globe of trust and detachment from all else but God, so that the evil whisperings of the ungodly may not extinguish its light. 0 My servants!
My holy, My divinely ordained Revelation may be likened unto an ocean in whose depths are concealed innumerable pearls of great price, of surpassing luster.
It is the duty of every seeker to bestir himself and strive to attain the shores of this ocean, so that he may, in proportion to the eagerness of his search and the efforts he hath exerted, partake of such benefits as have been preordained in God's irrevocable and hidden Tablets.
If no one be willing to direct his steps towards its shores, if every one should fail to arise and find Him, can such a failure be said to have robbed this ocean of its power or to have lessened, to any degree, its treasures? How vain, how contemptible, are the imaginations which your hearts have devised, and are still devising!
0 My servants! The one true God is My witness! This most great, this fathomless and surging Ocean is near, astonishingly near, unto you. Behold it is closer to you than your life-vein!
Swift as the twinkling of an eye ye can, if ye but wish it, reach and partake of this imperishable favor, this God-given grace, this incorruptible gift, this most potent and unspeakably glorious bounty.
o My servants! Could ye apprehend with what wonders of My munificence and bounty I have willed to entrust your souis, ye would, of a truth, rid yourselves of attachment to all created things, and would gain a true knowledge of your own selves � a knowledge which is the same as the comprehension of Mine own Being. Ye would find yourselves independent of all else but Me, and would perceive, with your inner and outer eye, and as manifest as the revelation of My effulgent name, the seas of My loving kindness and bounty moving within you. Suffer not your idle fancies, your evil passions, your insincerity and blindness of heart to dim the luster, or stain the sanctity, of so lofty a station. Ye are even as the bird which soareth, with the full force of its mighty wings and with complete and joyous confidence, through the immensity of the heavens, until, impelled to satisfy its hunger, it turneth longingly to the water and clay of the earth below it, and, having been entrapped in the mesh of its desire, findeth itself impotent to resume its flight to the realms whence it came. Powerless to shake off the burden weighing on its sullied wings, that bird, hitherto an inmate of the heavens, is now forced to seek a dwelling-place upon the dust. Wherefore, 0 My servants, defile not your wings with the clay of waywardness and vain desires, and suffer them not to be stained with the dust of envy and hate, that ye may not be hindered from soaring in the heavens of My divine knowledge.
0 My servants! Throughthe might of God and His power, and out of the treasury of His knowledge and wisdom, I have brought forth and revealed unto you the pearls that lay concealed in the depths of His everlasting ocean.
I have summoned the Maids of Heaven to emerge from behind the veil of concealment, and have clothed them with these words of Mine � words of consummate power and wisdom. I have, moreover, with the hand of divine power, unsealed the choice wine of My Revelation, and have wafted its holy, its hidden, and musk-laden fragrance upon all created things. Who else but yourselves is to be blamed if ye choose to remain unendowed with so great an outpouring of God's transcendent and all-encompassing grace, with so bright a revelation of His resplendent mercy?
Page 146O My servants! There shineth nothing else in Mine heart except the unfading light of the Morn of Divine guidance, and out of My mouth proceedeth naught but the essence of truth, which the Lord your God hath revealed.
Follow not, therefore, your earthly desires, and violate not the Covenant of God, nor break your pledge to Him. With firm determination, with the whole affection of your heart, and with the full force of your words, turn ye unto Him, and waik not in the ways of the foolish. The world is but a show, vain and empty, a mere nothing, bearing the semblance of reality.
Set not your affections upon it. Break not the bond that uniteth you with your Creator, and be not of those that have erred and strayed from His ways. Verily I say, the world is like the vapor in a desert, which the thirsty dreameth to be water and striveth after it with all his might, uncil when he cometh unto it, he findeth it to be mere illusion. It may, moreover, be likened unto the lifeless image of the beloved whom the lover hath sought and found, in the end, after long search and to his utmost regret, to be such as cannot "fatten nor appease his hunger."
o My servants! Sorrow not if, in these days and on this earthly plane, things contrary to your wishes have been ordained and manifested by God, for days of blissful joy, of heavenly delight, are assuredly in store for you. Worlds, holy and spiritually glorious, will be unveiled to your eyes. You are destined by Him, in this world and hereafter, to partake of their benefits, to share in their joys, and to obtain a portion of their sustaining grace.
Know thou assuredly that the essence of all the Prophets of God is one and the same. Their unity is absolute. God, the Creator saith: There is no distinction whatsoever among the Bearers of My Message.
They all have but one purpose; their secret is the same secret. To prefer one in honor to another, to exalt certain ones above the rest, is in no wise to be permitted.
Every true Prophet hath regarded His Message as fundamentally the same as the Revelation of every other Prophet gone before Him. If any man, therefore, should fail to compre hend this truth, and should consequently indulge in vain and unseemly language, no one whose sight is keen and whose understanding is enlightened would ever allow such idle talk to cause him to waver in his belief.
The measure of the revelation of the Prophets of God in this world, however, must differ. Each and every one of them hath been the Bearer of a distinct Message, and hath been commissioned to reveal Himself through specific acts. It is for this reason that they appear to vary in their greatness. Their Revelation may be likened unto the light of the moon that sheddeth its radiance upon the earth. Though every time it appeareth, it revealeth a fresh measure of its brightness, yet its inherent splendor can never diminish, nor can its light suffer extinction.
It is ckar and evident, therefore, that any apparent variation in the intensity of their light is not inherent in the light itself, but should rather be attributed to the varying receptivity of an everchanging world. Every
Prophet Whom the Almightyand Peerless Creator hath purposed to send to the peoples of the earth hath been entrusted with a Message, and charged to act in a manner, that would best meet the requirements of the age in which He appeared. God's Purpose in sending His Prophets unto men is twofold. The first is to liberate the children of men from the darkness of ignorance, and guide them to the light of true understanding.
The second is to ensure the peace and tranquillity of mankind, and provide all the means by which they can be established.
Little wonder, then, if the treatment prescribed by the physician in this day should not be found to be identical with that which he prescribed before.
How could it be otherwise when the ills affecting the sufferer necess~ � tate at every stage of his sickness a special remedy?
In like manner, every time the Prophets of God have illumined the world with the resplendent radiance of the DayStar of Divine knowledge, they have invariably summoned its people to embrace the light of God through such means as best befitted the exigencies of the age in which they appeared.
They were thus ableto scatter the darkness of ignorance, and to shed upon the world the glory of their own knowledge.
It is towards the inmost essence of these Prophets, therefore, that the eye of every man of discernment must be directed, inasmuch as their one and only purpose hath always been to guide the erring, and give peace to the afflicted.
These are not days of prosperity and triumph. The whole of mankind is in the grip of manifold ills.
Strive, therefore, to save its life through the wholesome medicine which the almighty hand of the unerring Physician hath prepared.
Justice is, in this day, bewailing its plight, and Equity groanech beneath the yoke of oppression.
The thick clouds of tyranny have darkened the face of the earth, and enveloped its peoples. Through the movement of Our Pen of glory We have, at the bidding of the omnipotent Ordainer, breathed a new life into every human frame, and instilled into every word a fresh potency. All created things proclaim the evidences of this worldwide regeneration.
This is the most great, the most joyful tidings imparted by the pen of this wronged One to mankind.
Wherefore, fear ye, 0 My well-beloved ones!Who is it that can dismay you? A touch of moisture sufficeth to dissolve the hardened clay out of which this perverse generation is molded.
The mere act of your gathering together is enough to scatter the forces of these vain and worthless people.
Every man of insight will, in this day, readily admit that the counsels which the Pen of this wronged One hail revealed constitute the supreme animating power for the advancement of the world and the exaltation of its peoples.
Arise, 0 people, and, by the power of God's might, resolve to gain the victory over your own selves, that haply the whole earth may be freed and sanctified from its servitude to the gods of its idle fancies � gods that have inflicted such loss upon, and are responsible for the misery of, their wretched worshipers.
These idols form the obstacle that impeded man in his efforts to advance in the path of perfection.
~Mc cherish the hope that the Hand of Divine power may lend its assistance stance to mankind, and deliver it from its state of grievous abasement.
in one of the Tablets these words have been revealed: 0 people of God! Do not busy yourselves in your own concerns; let your thoughts be fixed upon that which will rehabilitate the fortunes of mankind and sanctify the hearts and sonis of men. This can best be achieved through pure and holy deeds, through a virtuous life and a goodly behavior. Valiant acts will ensure the triumph of this Cause, and a saintly character will reinforce its power.
Cleave unto righteousness, Q people of Baha! This, verily, is the commandment which this wronged One hail given unto you, and the first choice of His unrestrained Will for every one of you.
0 friends! It behoveth you to refresh and revive your souls through the gracious favors which in this Divine, this soul-stir-ring Springtime are being showered upon you.
The DayStar of His great glory hath shed its radiance upon you, and the clouds of His limitless grace have overshadowed you. How high the reward of him that hath not deprived himself of so great a bounty, nor failed to recognize the beauty of his Best-Beloved in this, His new attire. Watch over yourselves, for the Evil One is lying in wait, ready to entrap you. Gird yourselves against his wicked devices, and, led by the light of the name of the All-Seeing God, make your escape from the darkness that surroundeth you. Let your vision be world-embracing, rather than confined to your own self. The Evil One is he that hindereth the rise and obstruct-eth the spiritual progress of the children of men.
It is incumbent upon every man, in this Day, to hold fast unto whatsoever will promote the interests, and exalt the station, of all nations and just governments. Through each and every one of the verses which the Pen of the Most High hath revealed the doors of love and unity have been unlocked and flung open to the face of men. We have erewhile declared � and Our Word is the truth � : "Consort with the followers of all religions in a spirit of friendliness and fellowship."
"Whatsoever bath led the children of men to shun one another, and bath
Page 148caused dissensions and divisions amongst them, hath, through the revelation of these words, been nullified and abolished. From the heaven of God's Will, and for the purpose of ennobling the world of being and of elevating the minds and souls of men, hath been sent down that which is the most effective instrument for the education of the whole human race.
The highest essence and most perfect expression of whatsoever the peoples of old have either said or written hath, through this most potent Revelation, been sent down from the heaven of the Will of the All-Possessing, the
Ever-Abiding God. Ofold it hath been revealed: "Love of one's country is an element of the Faith of God." The Tongue of Grandeur bath, however, in the day of His manifestation proclaimed: ttlt is not his to boast who loveth his country, but it is his who loveth the world."
Through the power released by these exalted words He hath lent a fresh impulse, and set a new direction, to the birds of men's hearts, and hath obliterated every trace of restriction and limitation from God's holy Book.
0 people of Justice! Be as brilliant as the lighc, and as splendid as the lire that blazed in the Burning Bush. The brightness of the fire of your love will no doubt fuse and unify the contending peoples and kindreds of the earth, whilst the fierceness of the flame of enmity and hatred cannot but result in strife and ruin. We beseech God that He may shield His creatures from the evil designs of His enemies.
He verily Lab power over all things.This is the Day in which God's most excellent favors have been poured out upon men, the Day in which His most mighty grace hath been infused into all created things. It is incumbent upon all the peoples of the world to reconcile their differences, and, with perfect unity and peace, abide beneath the shadow of the Tree of His care and lovingkindness.
It behoveth them to cleave to whatsoever will in this Day be conducive to the exaltation of their stations, and to the promotion of their best interests. Happy are those whom the all-glorious Pen was moved to remember, and blessed are those men whose names, by vir rue of Our inscrutable decree, We have preferred to conceal.
Beseech ye the one true God to grant that all men may be graciously assisted to fulfil that which is acceptable in Our sight. Soon will the presentday order be rolled up, and a new one spread out in its stead. Verily, thy Lord speaketh the truth, and is the Knower of things unseen.
0 ye the beloved of the one true God! Pass beyond the narrow retreats of your evil and corrupt desires, and advance into the vast immensity of the realm of God, and abide ye in the meads of sanctity and of detachment, that the fragrance of your deeds may lead the whole of mankind to the ocean of God's unfading glory.
Forbear ye from concerning yourselves with the affairs of this world and all that pertain-eth unto it, or from meddling with the activities of those who are its outward leaders.
The one true God, exalted be His glory, hath bestowed the government of the earth upon the kings.
To none is given the right to act in any manner that would run counter to the considered views of them who are in authority.
That which He bath served for Himself are the cities of men hearts; and of these the loved ones of Him Who is the Sovereign Truth are, in this Day, as the keys.
Please God they may, one and all, be enabled to unlock, through the power of the Most Great Name, the gates of these cities.
This is what is meant by aiding the one true God � a theme to which the Pen of Him Who causeth the dawn to break hath referred in all His Books and Tablets.
As to those that have tasted of the fruit of man's earthly existence, which is the recognition of the one true God, exalted be His glory, their life hereafter is such as We are unable to describe. The knowledge thereof is with God, alone, the Lord of all worlds.
This is the Day whereon the Ocean of God's mercy hath been manifested unto men, the Day in which the DayStar of His lovingkindness hath shed its radiance upon
Page 149them, the Day in which the clouds of His bountiful favor have overshadowed the whole of mankind.
Now is the time to cheer and refresh the downcast through the invigorating breeze of love and fellowship, and the living waters of friendliness and charity.
They who are the beloved of God, in whatever place they gather and whomsoever they may meet must evince, in their attitude towards God, and in the manner of their celebration of His praise and glory, such humility and submissiveness that every atom of the dust beneath their feet may attest the depth of their devotion. The conversation carried by these holy souis should be informed with such power that these same atoms of dust will be thrilled by its influence.
They should conduct themselves in such manner that the earth upon which they tread may never be allowed to address them such words as these; "I am to be preferred above you.
For witness, how patient I am in bearing the burden which the husbandman layeth upon me. I am the instrument that continually impart-eth unto all beings the blessings with which He Who is the Source of all grace hath entrusted me. Notwithstanding the honor conferred upon me, and the unnumbered evidences of my wealth � a wealth that sup-plieth the needs of all creation � behold the measure of my humility, witness with what absolute submissiveness I allow myself to be trodden beneath the feet of men Show forbearance and benevolence and love to one another.
Should any one among you be incapable of grasping a certain truth, or be striving to comprehend it, show forth, when conversing with him, a spirit of extreme kindliness and goodwill. Help him to see and recognize the truth, without esteeming yourself to be, in the least, superior to him, or to be possessed of greater endowments.
The whole duty of man in this Day is to attain that share of the flood of grace which God poureth forth for him. Let none, therefore, consider the largeness or smallness of the receptacle. The portion of some might lie in the palm of a man's hand, the portion of others might fill a cup, and of others even a gallon-measure.
Every eye, in this Day, should seek what will best promote the Cause of God.
Great indeed is this Day!The allusions made to it in all the sacred Scriptures as the Day of God attest its greatness.
The soul of every Prophet of God, of every Divine Messenger, bath thirsted for this wondrous Day.
All the divers kindreds of the earth have, likewise, yearned to attain it. No sooner, however, had the DayStar of His Revelation manifested itself in the heaven of God's Will, than all, except those whom the Almighty was pleased to guide, were found dumbfounded and heedless.
0 thou that hast remembered Me! The most grievous veil hath shut out the peoples of the earth from His glory, and hindered them from hearkening to His Call. God grant that the Light of unity may envelop the whole earth, and that the seal, ~tthe Kingdom is God's," may be stamped upon the brow of all its peoples.
Arise, 0 wayfarer in the path of the Love of God, and aid thou His Cause.
Say:Barter not away this Youth, 0 people, for the vanities of this world or the delights of heaven. By the righteousness of the one true God! One hair of Him excelleth all that is in the heavens and all that is on the earth.
Beware, 0 men, lest ye be tempted to part with Him in exchange for the gold and silver ye possess.
Let His iove be a storehouse of treasure for your souls, on the Day when naught else but Him shall profit you, the Day when every pillar shall tremble, when the very skins of men shall creep, when all eyes shall stare up with terror. Say: 0 people! rear ye God, and turn not away disdainfully from His Revelation.
Fall prostrate on your faces before God, and celebrate His praise in the daytime and in the night-season.
Let thy soul glow with the flame of this undying Fire that burneth in the midmost heart of the world, in such wise that the waters of the universe shall be powerless to cool down its ardor. Make, then, mention of thy Lord, that haply the heedless among Our servants may be admonished through thy words, and the hearts of the righteous be gladdened.
Page 150Say: 0 men! This is a matchless Day. Matchless must, likewise, be the tongue that celebrateth the praise of the Desire of all nations, and matchless the deed that aspir-eth to be acceptable in His sight. The whole human race hath longed for this Day, that perchance it may fulfil that which well beseemeth its station, and is worthy of its destiny.
Blessed is the man whom the affairs of the world have failed to deter from recognizing Him Who is the Lord of all things.
So blind hath become the human heart that neither the disruption of the city, nor the reduction of the mountain in dust, nor even the cleaving of the earth, can shake off its torpor. The allusions made in the Scriptures have been unfolded, and the signs recorded therein have been revealed, and the prophetic cry is continually being raised. And yet all, except such as God was pleased to guide, are bewildered in the drunkenness of their heedlessness!
0 SalmAn! The door of the knowledge of the Ancient Being bath ever been, and wiii continue for ever to be, closed in the face of men. No man's understanding shall ever gain access unto His holy court. As a token of His mercy, however, and as a proof of His lovingkindness, He hath manifested unto men the DayStars of His divine guidance, the Symbols of His divine unity, and hath ordained the knowledge of these sanctified Beings to be identical with the knowledge of His own Self. Whoso recognizeth them hath recognized God. Whoso hearkeneth to their call, hath hearkened to the Voice of God, and whoso testi-fieth to the truth of their Revelation, hath testified to the truth of God Himself. Whoso turneth away from them, hath turned away from God, and whoso disbe-lieveth in them, hath disbelieved in God. Every one of them is the Way of God that connecteth this world with the realms above, and the Standard of His Truth unto every one in the kingdoms of earth and heaven. They are the
Manifestations of Godamidst men, the evidences of His Truth, and the signs of His glory.
A drop of the billowing ocean of His endless mercy hath adorned all creation with the ornament of existence, and a breath wafted from His peerless Paradise hath invested all beings with the robe of His sanctity and glory. A sprinkling from the unfathomed deep of His sovereign and all-pervasive Will hath, out of utter nothingness, called into being a creation which is infinite in its range and deathless in its duration.
The wonders of His bounty can never cease, and the stream of His merciful grace can never be arrested.
The process of His creation hath had no beginning, and can have no end.
In every age and cycle He hath, through the splendorous light, shed by the Manifestations of His wondrous Essence, recreated all things, so that whatsoever reflecteth in the heavens and on the earth the signs of His glory may not be deprived of the outpourings of His mercy, nor despair of the showers of His favors. How all-encom-passing are the wonders of His boundless grace! Behold how they have pervaded the whole of creation.
Such is their virtue that not a single atom in the entire universe can be found which doth not declare the evidences of His might, which dab not glorify His holy Name, or is not expressive of the effulgent light of His unity. So perfect and comprehensive is His creation that no mind nor heart, however keen or pure, can ever grasp the nature of the most insignificant of His creatures; much less fathom the mystery of Him Who is the DayStar of Truth, Who is the invisibk and unknowable Essence.
The conceptions of the de-vourest of mystics, the attainments of the most accomplished amongst men, the highest praise which human tongue or pen can render are all the product of man's finite mind and are conditioned by its limitations.
Shake off, 0 heedless ones, the slumber of negligence, that ye may behold the radiance which His glory hath spread through the world. How foolish are those who murmur against the premature birth of His light. 0 ye who are inly blind! Whether too soon or too late, the evidences of His effulgent glory are now actually manifest. It behoveth you to ascertain whether or not such a light hath appeared. It is neither within your power nor mine to set the time
Page 151at which it should be made manifest. God's inscrutable Wisdom bath fixed its hour be.-forehand. Be content, 0 people, with that which God bath desired for you and predestined unto you. 0 my ill-wishers! The DayStar of eternal Guidance beareth me witness: Had it been in my power, I would have, under no circumstances, consented to distinguish myself amongst men, for the Name I bear utterly disdaineth to associate itsdf with this generation whose tongues are sullied and whose hearts are false. And whenever I chose to hold my peace and be still, lo, the voice of the Holy Ghost, standing on my right hand, aroused me, and the Supreme Spirit appeared before my face, and Gabriel overshadowed me, and the Spirit of Glory stirred within my bosom, bidding me arise and break my silence.
If your hearing be purged and your ears be attentive, ye will assuredly perceive that every limb of my body, nay all the atoms of my being, proclaim and tear witness to this call: CCGod besides Whom is none other God, and He, Whose beauty is now manifest, is the reflection of His glory unto all that are in heaven and on earth."
0 Kamil! The heights which through the most gracious favor of God, mortal man can attain in this Day are as yet unrevealed to his sight. The world of being hath never had, nor doth it yet possess the capacity for, such a revelation. The day, however, is fast approaching when the potentialities of so great a favor will, by virtue of His behest, be manifested unto men.
Though the forces of the nations be arrayed against Him, though the kings of the earth be leagued to undermine His Cause, the power of His might shall stand unshaken.
He, verily, speaketh the truth, and summoneth all mankind to the way of Him who is the Incomparable, the All-Knowing.
All men have been created to carry f or-ward an ever-advancing civilization.
The Almighty beareth Mewitness: To act like the beasts of the field is unworthy of man. Those virtues that befit his dignity are forbearance, mercy, compassion and lovingkindness towards all the peoples and kindreds eds of the earth. Say: 0 friends! Drink your fill from this crystal stream that flow-eth through the heavenly grace of Him who is the Lord of Names. Let others partake of its waters in My name, that the leaders of men in every land may fully recognize the purpose f or which the Eternal Truth hath been revealed, and the reason for which they themselves have been created.
The vitality of men's belief in God is dying out in every land; nothing short of His wholesome medicine can ever restore it. The corrosion of ungodliness is eating into the vitals of human society; what else but the Elixir of
His potent Revelationcan cleanse and revive it? Is it within human power, 0 Hakim, to effect in the constituent elements of any of the minute and indivisible particles of matter so complete a transformation as to transmute it into purest gold? Perplexing and difficult as this may appear, the still greater task of converting satanic strength into heavenly power is one that We have been empowered to accomplish.
The Force capable of such a transformation transcendeth the potency of the Elixir itsdf. The Word of God, alone, can claim the distinction of being endowed with the capacity required for so great and far-reaching a change.
The Great Being saith: 0 ye children of men!is to safeguard the interests and promote the unity of the human race, and to foster the spirit of love and fellowship amongst men. Suffer it not to become a source of dissension and discord, of hate and enmity. This is the straight path, the fixed and immovable foundation.
Whatsoever is raised on this foundation, the changes and chances of the world can never impair its strength, nor will the revolution of countless centuries undermine its structure. Our hope is that the world's religious leaders and the rulers thereof will undoubtedly arise for the reformation of this age and the rehabilitation of its fortunes. Let them, after meditating on its needs, take counsel together and, through anxious and full deliberation, ad
Page 152minister to a diseased and sorely-afflicted world the remedy it requires.
It is incumbent upon them who are in authority to exercise moderation in all things. 'Whatsoever passeth upon the limits of moderation will cease to exert a beneficial influence. Consider for instance such things as liberty, civilization and the like. However much men of understanding may favorably regard them, they will, if carried to excess, exercise a pernicious influence upon men.
Please God, the peoples of the world may be led, as the result of the high endeavors exerted by their rulers and the wise and learned amongst men, to recognize their best interests. How long will humanity persist in its waywardness? How long will injustice continue?
How long is chaos and confusion to reign amongst men?
How long will discord agitate the face of society? The winds of despair arc, alas, blowing from every direction, and the strife that divideth and ailhicteth the human race is daily increasing. The signs of impending convulsions and chaos can now be discerned, inasmuch as the prevailing order appeareth to be lamentably defective.
I beseech God, exalted be His glory, that He may graciously awaken the peoples of the earth, may grant that the end of their conduct may be profitable unto them, and aid them to accomplish that which beseemeth their station.
0 contending peoples and kindreds of the earth!
Set your faces towards unity, and let the radiance of its light shine upon you. Gather ye together and, for the sake of God, resolve to root out whatever is the source of contention amongst you. Then will the effulgence of the world's great Luminary envelop the whole earth, and its inhabitants become the citizens of one city, and the occupants of one and the same throne. This wronged One hath, ever since the early days of His life, cherished none other desire but this, and will continue to entertain no wish except this wish.
There can be no doubt whatever that the peoples of the world, of whatever race or religion, derive their inspiration from one heavenly source, and are the subjects of one God. The difference between the ordinances un der which they abide should be attributed to the varying requisites and exigencies of the age in which they were revealed. All of them, except a few which are the outcome of human perversity, were ordained of God, and are a reflection of His Will and Purpose.
Arise and, armed with the power of faith, shatter to pieces the gods of your vain imaginings, the sowers of dissension amongst you. Cleave unto that which draweth you together and uniteth you.
This, verily, is the most exalted Word which the Mother Book hath sent down and revealed unto you. To this beareth witness the Tongue of Grandeur from His habitation of glory.
Behold the disturbances which, for many a long year, have afflicted the earth, and the perturbation that hath seized its peo-pies. It hath either been ravaged by war, or tormented by sudden and unforeseen calamities.
Though the world is encompassed with misery and distress, yet no man hath paused to reflect what the cause or source of that may be. Whenever the True Counsellor uttered a word in admonishment, lo, they all denounced Him as a mover of mischief and rejected His claim. How bewildering, how confusing is such behavior! No two men can be found who may be said to be outwardly and inwardly united. The evidences of discord and malice are apparent everywhere, though all were made for harmony and union. The Great Being saith: 0 well-beloved ones! The tabernacle of unity hath been raised; regard ye not one another as strangers. Ye are the fruits of one tree, and the leaves of one branch.
We cherish the hope that the light of justice may shine upon the world and sanctify it from tyranny.
If the rulers and kings of the earth, the symbols of the power of God, exalted be His glory, arise and resolve to dedicate themselves to whatever will promote the highest interests of the whole of ~humanity, the reign of justice will assuredly be established amongst the children of men, and the effulgence of its light will envelop the whole earth. The Great Being saith: The structure of world stability and order bath been reared upon, and will continue to be sustained by, the
Page 153twin pillars of reward and punishment. In another passage He hath written: Take heed, 0 concourse of the rulers of the world!
There is no force on earth that can equal in its conquering power the force of justice and wisdom. Blessed is the king who marcheth with the ensign of wisdom unfurled before him, and the battalions of justice massed in his rear. He verily is the ornament that adorneth the brow of peace and the countenance of security. There can be no doubt whatever that if the daystar of justice, which the clouds of tyranny have obscured, were to shed its light upon men, the face of the earth would be completely transformed.
0 ye the elected representatives of the people in every land! Take ye counsel together, and let your concern be only for that which profiteth mankind, and better-eth the condition thereof, if ye be of them that scan heedfully.
Regard the world as the human body which, though at its creation whole and perfect, hath been afflicted, through various causes, with grave disorders and maladies. Not for one day did it gain ease, nay its sickness waxed more severe, as it fell under the treatment of ignorant physicians who gave full rein to their personal desires, and have erred grievously.
And if, at one time, through the care of an able physician, a member of that body was healed, the rest remained afflicted as before. Thus informeth you the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.
We behold it, in this day, at the mercy of rulers so drunk with pride that they cannot discern clearly their own best advan tage, much less recognize a Revelation so bewildering and challenging as this.
And whenever any one of them hath striven to improve its condition, his motive hath been his own gain, whether confessedly so or not; and the unworthiness of this motive hail limited his power to heal or cure.
That which the Lord hath ordained as the sovereign remedy and mightiest instrument for the healing of all the world is the union of all its peoples in one universal Cause, one common Faith. This can in no wise be achieved except through the power of a skilled, an all-powerful and inspired Physician.
This, verily, is the truth, and all else naught but error.
The purpose underlying the revelation of every heavenly Book, nay of every divinely revealed verse, is to endue all men with righteousness and understanding, so that peace and tranquillity may be firmly established amongst them. Whatsoever instilleth assurance into the hearts of men, whatsoever exalteth their station or promoteth their contentment, is acceptable in the sight of God. How lofty is the station which man, if he but chooseth to fulfil his high destiny, can attain! To what depths of degradation he can sink, depths which the meanest of creatures have never reached! Seize, 0 friends, the chance which this Day offereth you, and deprive not yourselves of the liberal effusion of His grace. I beseech God that He may graciously enable every one of you to adorn himself, in this blessed Day, with the ornament of pure and holy deeds. He, verily, doeth whatsoever He willeth.
tABDU'L -BAHAgreatest gift to man is that of intellect, or understanding.
The understanding is the power by which man acquires his knowledge of the several kingdoms of creation, and of various stages of existence, as well as of much which is invisible.
Possessing this gift, he is, in himself, the sum of earlier creations � he is able to get into touch with those kingdoms; and by this gift, he can frequently, through his scientific knowledge, reach out with prophetic vision.
Intellect is, in truth, the most precious gift bestowed upon man by the divine bounty. Man alone, among created beings, has this wonderful power.
All creation, preceding man, is bound byThe great sun, the multitudes of stars, the oceans and seas, the mountains, the rivers, the trees, and all animals, great or small � none are able to evade obedience to nature's law.
Man alone has freedom, and, by his understanding or intellect, has been able to gain control of and adapt some of those natural laws to his own needs.
By the power of his intellect he has discovered means by which he not oniy traverses great continents in express trains and crosses vast oceans in ships, but, like the fish, he travels under water in submarines, and, imitating the birds, he flies through the air in airships.
Man has succeeded in using electricity in several ways � for light, for motive power, for sending messages from one end of the earth to the other � and by electricity he can even hear a voice many miles away.
By this gift of understanding or intellect he has also been able to use the rays of the sun to picture people and things, and even to capture the form of distant heavenly bodies.
We perceive in what numerous ways man has been able to bend the powers of nature to his will.
How grievous it is to see how man has used his God-given gift to frame instru ments of war, for breaking the commandment of God ccThou shalt not kill," and for defying Christ's injunction to ccLove one another."
God gave this power to man that it might be used for the advancement of civilization, for the good of humanity, to increase love and concord and peace. But man prefers to use this gift to destroy instead of to build, for injustice and oppression, for hatred and discord and devastation, for the destruction of his fellow-creatures, whom Christ has commanded that he should love as himself!
I hope that you will use your understanding to promote the unity and tranquillity of mankind, to give enlightenment and civilization to the people, to produce love in all around you, and to bring about the Universal
Peace.Study the sciences, acquire more and more knowledge.
Assuredly one may learn to the end of one's life!Use your knowledge always for the benefit of others; so may war cease from off the face of this beauti~u1 earth, and a glorious edifice of peace and concord be raised. Strive that your high ideals may be realized in the Kingdom of God on earth, as they will be in heaven.
W/isdons of ~GOD, in His bounty, has given us a foretaste here, has given us certain proofs of the difference that exists between body, soul and spirit.
We see that cold, heat, suffering, etc., only concern the body, they do not touch the spirit.
How often do we see a man poor, sick, miserably clad, and with no means of support, yet spiritually strong. Whatever his body has to suffer, his spirit is free and well. Again, how often do we see a rich man, physically strong and healthy, but with a soui sick unto death.
It is quite apparent to the seeing mind that a man's spirit is something very different to his physical body.
The spirit is changeless, indestructible.The progress and development of the soui, the joy and sorrow of the soui, are independent of the physical body.
If we are caused joy or pain by a friend, if a love prove true or false, it is the soul that is affected. If our dear ones are far from us � it is the soui that grieves, and the grief or trouble of the soui may react on the body.
Thus, when the spirit is fed with holy virtues, then is the body joyous; if the soul falls into sin, the body is in torment.
When we find truth, constancy, fidelity and love, we are happy; but if we meet with lying, faithlessness and deceit, we are miserable.
These are all things pertaining to the soui, and are not bodily ills. Thus, it is
Page 155apparent that the soul, even as the body, has its own individuality.
But if the body undergoes a change, the spirit need not be touched. When you break a glass on which the sun shines, the glass is broken, but the sun still shines.
If a cage containing a bird is destroyed, the bird is unharmed. If a lamp is broken, the flame can still burn bright.
The same thing applies to the spirit of man.Though death destroy his body, it has no power over his spirit � this is eternal, everlasting, both birthiess and deathless.
As to the soui of man after death, it remains in the degree of purity to which it has evolved during life in the physical body, and after it is free from the body it remains plunged in the ocean of God's mercy.
From the moment the soul leaves the body and arrives in the heavenly world, its evolution is spiritual, and that evolution is: The approaching unto God.
In the physical creation, evolution is from one degree of perfection to another. The mineral passes with its mineral perfections to the vegetable; the vegetable, with its perfection, passes to the animal world, and so on to that of humanity.
This world is full of seeming contradictions; in each of these kingdoms (mineral, vegetable and animal) life exists in its degree; though, when compared to the life in a man, the earth appears to be dead, yet she, too, lives and has a life of her own. In this world things live and die, and live again in other forms of life, but in the world of the spirit it is quite otherwise.
The soul does not evolve from degree to degree as a law � it only eyolves nearer to God, by the mercy and bounty of God.
Try with all your hearts to be willing channels for God's bounty. For I say unto you that He has chosen you to be His messengers of love throughout the world, to be His bearers of spiritual gifts to man, to be the means of spreading unity and concord on the earth.
Thank God with all your hearts that such a privilege has been given unto you.
For a life devoted to praise is not too long in which to thank God for such a favor.
Lift up your hearts above the present and look with eyes of faith into the future! Today the seed is sown, the grain falls upon the earth, but behold the day will come when it shall rise a glorious tree and the branches thereof shall be laden with fruit. Rejoice and be glad that this day has dawned, try to realize its power, for it is indeed wonderful! God has crowned you with honor and in your hearts has He set a radiant star; verily the light thereof shall brighten the whole world.
Wisdom of eAbdu~l~Bahd.ACCORDING to divine philosophy, there are two important and universal conditions in the world of material phenomena; one which concerns life, the other concerning death; one relative to existence, the other nonexistence; one manifest in composition, the other in decomposition.
Some define existence as the expression of reality or being, and nonexistence as non-being, imagining that death is annihilation.
This is a mistaken idea, for total annihilation is an impossibility. At most, composition is ever subject to decomposition or disintegration; that is to say, existence implies the group~ ing of material elements in a form or body, and nonexistence is simply the dc-compos-ing of these groupings. This is the law of creation in its endless forms and infinite variety of expression. Certain elements have formed the composite creature man.
This composite association of the elements in the form of a human body is therefore subject to disintegration which we call death, but after disintegration the elements themselves persist unchanged. Therefore total annihilation is an impossibility, and existence can never become nonexistence. This would be equivalent to saying that light can become darkness, which is manifestly untrue and impossible.
As existence can never become nonexistence, there is no death for man; nay, rather, man is everlasting and everliving. The rational proof of this is that the atoms of the material elements are
Page 156transferable from one form of existence to another, from one degree and kingdom to another, lower or higher.
ror example, an atom of the soil or dust of earth may traverse the kingdoms from mineral to man by successive incorporations into the bodies of the organisms of those kingdoms. At one time it enters into the formation of the mineral or rock; it is then absorbed by the vegetable kingdom and becomes a constituent of the body and fibre of a tree; again it is appropriated by the animal, and at a still later period is found in the body of man. Throughout these degrees of its traversing the kingdoms from one form of phenomenal being to another, it retains its atomic existence and is never annihilated nor relegated to nonexistence.
Nonexistence therefore is an expression applied to change of form, but this transformation can never be rightly considered annihilation, for the elements of composition are ever present and existent as we have seen in the journey of the atom through successive kingdoms, unimpaired; hence there is no death; life is everlasting.
So to speak, when the atom entered into the composition of the tree, it died to the mineral kingdom, and when consumed by the animal, it died to the vegetable kingdom, and so on until its transference or transmutation into the kingdom of man; but throughout its traversing it was subject to transformation and not annihilation.
Death therefore is applicable to a change or transference from one degree or condition to another. In the mineral realm there was a spirit of existence; in the world of plant life and organisms it reappeared as the vegetative spirit; thence it attained the animal spirit and finally aspired to the human spirit. These are degrees and changes but not oh-literation; and this is a rational proof that man is everlasting, ever living. Therefore death is only a relative term implying change. For example, we will say that this light before me, having reappeared in another incandescent lamp, has died in the one and lives in the other.
This is not death in reality.The perfections of the mineral are translated into the vegetable and from thence into the animal, the virtue always attaining a plus or superlative degree in the upward change. In each kingdom we find the same virtues manifesting themselves more fully, proving that the reality has been transferred from a lower to a higher form and kingdom of being.
Therefore nonexistence is only relative and absolute nonexistence inconceivable. This rose in my hand will become disintegrated and its sym-n-ietry destroyed, but the elements of its composition remain changeless; nothing affects their elemental integrity. They cannot become nonexistent; they are simply transferred from one state to another.
Through his ignorance, man fears death; but the death he shrinks from is imaginary and absolutely unreal; it is only human imagination.
The bestowal and grace of God have quickened the realm of existence with life and being. For existence there is neither change nor transformation; existence is ever existence; it can never be translated into nonexistence. It is gradation; a degree be-iow a higher degree is considered as nonexistence.
This dust beneath our feet, as compared with our being, is nonexistent. When the human body crumbles into dust we can say it has become nonexistent; therefore its dust in relation to living forms of human being is as nonexistent but in its own sphere it is existent, it has its mineral being. Therefore it is well proved that absolute nonexistence is impossible; it is only relative.
The purpose is this; � that the everlasting bestowal of God vouchsafed to man is never subject to corruption. Inasmuch as He has endowed the phenomenal world with being, it is impossible for that world to become non-being, for it is the very genesis of God; it is in the realm of origination; it is a creational and not a subjective world, and the bounty descending upon it is continuous and permanent. Therefore man the highest creature of the phenomenal world is endowed with that continuous bounty bestowed by divine generosity without cessation.
For instance, the rays of the sun are continuous, the beat of the sun emanates from it without cessation; no discontinuance of it is conceivable. Even so the bestowal of God is descending upon the world of humanity, never ceasing, con
Page 157tinuous, forever. If we say that the bestowal of existence ceases or falters it is equivalent to saying that the sun can exist with cessation of its effulgence. Is this possible? Therefore the effulgences of existence are ever-present and continuous.
The conception of annihilation is a factor in human degradation, a cause of human debasement and lowliness, a source of human fear and abjection.
It has been conducive to the dispersion and weakening of human thought whereas the realization of existence and continuity has upraised man to sublimity of ideals, established the foundations of human progress and stimulated the development of heavenly virtues; therefore it behooves man to abandon thoughts of nonexistence and death which are absolutely imaginary and see himself ever living, everlasting in the divine purpose of his creation. He must turn away from ideas which degrade the human soul, so that day by day and hour by hour he may advance upward and higher to spiritual perception of the continuity of the human reality.
If he dwells upon the thought of non-exist-ence he will become utterly incompetent; with weakened willpower his ambition for progress will be lessened and the acquisition of human virtues will cease.
Therefore you must thank God that He has bestowed upon you the blessing of life and existence in the human kingdom. Strive diligently to acquire virtues befitting your degree and station. Be as lights of the world which cannot be hid and which have no setting in horizons of darkness.
Ascend to the zenith of an existence which is never beclouded by the fears and forebodings of nonexistence. When man is not endowed with inner perception he is not informed of these important mysteries.
The retina of outer vision though sensitive and delicate may nevertheless be a hindrance to the inner eye which alone can perceive.
The bestowaL of God which are manifest in all phenomenal life are sometimes hidden by intervening veils of mental and mortal vision which render man spiritually blind and incapable but when those scales are removed and the veils rent asunder, then the great signs of God will become visible and he will witness the eternal light filling the world. The bestowals of God are always manifest.
The promises of heaven are ever present. The favors of God are all-sur-rounding but should the conscious eye of the soul of man remain veiled and darkened he will be led to deny these universal signs and remain deprived of these manifestations of divine bounty. Therefore we must endeavor with heart and soul in order that the veil covering the eye of inner vision may be removed, that we may behold the manifestations of the signs of God, discern His mysterious graces, and realize that material blessings as compared with spiritual bounties are as nothing.
The spiritual blessings of God are greatest. When we were in the mineral kingdom, although endowed with certain gifts and powers, they were not to be compared with the blessings of the human kingdom. In the matrix of the mother we were the recipients of endowments and blessings of God, yet these were as nothing compared to the powers and graces bestowed upon us after birth into this human world. Likewise if we are born from the matrix of this physical and phenomenal environment into the freedom and loftiness of the life and vision spiritual, we shall consider this mortal existence and its blessings as worthless by comparison.
In the spiritual world, the divine bestowals are infinite, for in that realm there is neither separation nor disintegration which characterize the world of material existence.
Spiritual existence is absolute immortality, completeness and unchangeable being. Therefore we must thank God that He has created for us both material blessings and spiritual bestowals.
He has given us material gifts and spiritual graces, outer sight to view the lights of the sun and inner vision by which we may perceive the glory of God. He has designed the outer ear to enjoy the melodies of sound and the inner hearing wherewith we may hear the voice of our Creator. We must strive with energies of heart, soul and mind to develop and manifest the perfections and virtues latent within the realities of the phenomenal world, for the human reality may be compared to a seed. If we sow the seed, a mighty tree appears from it. The
Page 158virtues of the seed are revealed in the tree; it puts forth branches, leaves, blossoms, and produces fruits. All these virtues were hidden and potential in the seed. Through the blessing and bounty of cultivation these virtues became apparent. Similarly the merciful God our Creator has deposited within human realities certain virtues latent and potential. Through education and cuP ture, these virtues deposited by the loving God will become apparent in the human reality even as the unfoldment of the tree from within the germinating seed.
Promulgation of UniversalHE greatest power in the realm and range of human existence is spirit � the divine breath which animates and pervades all things.
It is manifested throughout creation in different degrees or kingdoms. In the vegetable kingdom it is the spirit augmentative or power of growth, the animus of life and development in plants, trees and organisms of the floral world.
In this degree of its manifestation, spirit is unconscious of the powers which qualify the kingdom of the animal.
The distinctive virtue or pius of the animal is sense perception; it sees, hears, smells, tastes and feels but is incapable in turn, of conscious idea-non or reflection which characterize and differentiate the human kingdom. The animal neither exercises nor apprehends this distinctive human power and gift.
From the visible it cannot draw conclusions regarding the invisible whereas the human mind from visible and known premises attains knowledge of the unknown and invisible. For instance,
Christopher Columbusfrom information based upon known and provable facts drew conclusions which led him unerringly across the vast ocean to the unknown continent of America. Such power of accomplishment is beyond the range of animal intelligence. Therefore this power is a distinctive attribute of the human spirit and kingdom. The animal spirit cannot penetrate and discover the mysteries of things. It is a captive of the senses. No amount of teaching, for instance, would enable it to grasp the fact that the sun is stationary and the earth moves around it. Likewise the human spirit has its limitations.
It cannot comprehend the phenomena of the kingdom transcending the human station, for it is a captive of powers and life forces which have their operation upon its own plane of existence and it cannot go beyond that boundary.
There is however another spirit which may be termed the divine, to which Jesus Christ refers when he declares that man must be born of its quickening and baptized with its living fire. Souls deprived of that spirit are accounted as dead, though they are possessed of the human spirit. His Holiness Jesus Christ has pronounced them dead inasmuch as they have no portion of the divine spirit.
He says rcLet the dead bury their dead." in another instance he declares, "That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the spirit is spirit."
By this he means that sonis though alive in the human kingdom are nevertheless dead if devoid of this particular spirit of divine quickening. They have not partaken of the divine life of the higher kingdom; for the sour which partakes of the power of the divine spirit is verily living.
This quickening spirit has spontaneous emanation from the Sun of Truth, from the reality of divinity and is not a revelation or a manifestation. It is like the rays of the sun. The rays are emanations from the sun. This does not mean that the sun has become divisible; that a part of the sun has come out into space.
This plant beside me has risen from the seed; therefore it is a manifestation and unfoldment of the seed. The seed, as you can see, has unfolded in manifestation and the result is this plant. Every leaf of the plant is a part of the seed. But the reality of divinity is indivisible and each individual of human kind cannot be a part of it as is often claimed.
Nay, rather, the individual realities of mankind when spiritually born are emanations from the reality of divinity, lust as the flame, heat
Page 159and light of the sun are the effulgence of the sun and not a part of the sun itself. Therefore a spirit has emanated from the reality of divinity, and its effulgences have become visible in human entities or realities. This ray and this heat are permanent. There is no cessation in the effulgence. As long as the sun exists the heat and light will exist, and inasmuch as eternality is a property of divinity, this emanation is everlasting.
There is no cessation in its outpouring. The more the world of humanity develops, the more the effulgences or emanations of divinity will become revealed, just as the stone when it becomes polished and pure as a mirror will reflect in fuller degree the glory and splendor of the sun. The mission of the prophets, the revelation of the Hoiy Books, the manifestation of the heavenly teachers and the purpose of divine philosophy all center in the training of the human realities so that they may become clear and pure as mirrors and reflect the light and love of the Sun of Reality. Therefore I hope that whether you be in the east or the west you will strive with heart and soul in order that day by day the world of humanity may become glorified, more spiritual, more sanctified; and that the splendor of the Sun of Reality may be revealed fully in human hearts as in a mirror. This is worthy of the world of mankind. This is the true evolution and progress of humanity.
This is the supreme bestowal. Otherwise, by simple development along material lines man is not perfected. At most, the physical aspect of man, his natural or material conditions may become stabilized and improved but he will remain deprived of the spiritual or divine bestowal. He is then like a body without a spirit, a lamp without the light, an eye without the power of vision, an ear that hears no sound, a mind incapable of perceiving, an intellect minus the power of reason.
Man has two powers, and his development two aspects.
One power is connected with the material world and by it he is capable of material advancement.
The other power is spiritual and through its development his inner, potential nature is awakened. These powers are like two wings.
Both must be developed, for flight is impossible with one wing. Praise be to God! material advancement has been evident in the world but there is need of spiritual advancement in like proportion. We must strive unceasingly and without rest to accomplish the development of the spiritual nature in man, and endeavor with tireless energy to advance humanity toward the nobility of its true and intended station. For the body of man is accidental; it is of no importance.
The time of its disintegration will inevitably come.
But the spirit of man is essential and therefore eternal. It is a divine bounty. It is the effulgence of the Sun of Reality and therefore of greater importance than the physical body.
Pronndgation of UniversalNATURE is the material world. When we look upon it we see that it is dark and imperfect. For instance, if we allow a piece of land to remain in its natural condition, we will find it covered with thorns and thistles; useless weeds and wild vegetation will flourish upon it and it will become like a jungle. The trees will be fruitless, lacking beauty and symmetry; wild animals, noxious insects and reptiles will abound in its dark recesses. This is the incompleteness and imperfection of the world of nature. To chaAge these conditions, we must clear the ground and cultivate it so that flowers may grow instead of thorns and weeds; that is to say, we must illumine the dark world of nature.
In their primal natural state, the forests are dim, gloomy, impenetrable.
Man opens them to the light, clears away the tangled underbrush and plants fruitful trees. Soon the wild woodlands and jungle are changed into productive orchards and beautiful gardens; order has replaced chaos; the dark realm of nature has become illumined and brightened by Cultivation.
If man himself is left in his natural state, he will become lower than the animal and
Page 160continue to grow more ignorant and imperfect. The savage tribes of Central Africa are evidences of this.
Left in their natural condition, they have sunk to the lowest depths and degrees of barbarism, dimly groping in a world of mental and moral obscurity. If we wish to illumine this dark plane of human existence we must bring man forth from the hopeless captivity of nature, educate him and show him the pathway of light and knowledge, until, up-hf ted from his condition of ignorance, he becomes wise and knowing; no longer savage and revengeful, lie becomes civilized and kind; once evil and sinister, he is endowed with the attributes of heaven. But left in his natal condition without education and training, it is certain that he will become more depraved and vicious than the animal, even to the extreme degree
Witnessed among AfricanIt is evident therefore that the world of nature is incomplete, imperfect until awakened and illumined by the light and stimulus of education.
In these days there are new schools of philosophy blindly claiming that the world of nature is perfect. If this is true, why are children trained and educated in schools, and what is the need of extended courses in sciences, arts and Letters in colleges and universities? What would be the result if humanity was left in its natal condition without education of training? All scientific discoveries and attainments are the outcomes of knowledge and education. The telegraph, phonograph, telephone were latent and potential in the world of nature but would never have come forth into the realm of visibility unless man through education had pentrared and discovered the laws which control them. All the marvelous developments and miracles of what we call civilization would have remained hidden, unknown and so to speak, nonexistent, if man had remained in his natural conditon, deprived of the bounties, blessings and benefits of education and mental culture. The intrinsic difference between the ignorant man and the astute philosopher is that the former has not been lifted out of his natural condition, while the latter has undergone systematic training and edu cation in scbools and colleges until his mind has awakened and unfolded to higher realms of thought and perception; otherwise both are human and natural.
God has sent forth the prophets for the purpose of quickening the soui of man into higher and divine recognitions. He has revealed the heavenly books for this great purpose.
For this the breaths of the Holy Spirit have been wafted through the gardens of human hearts, the doors of the divine kingdom opened to mankind and the invisible inspirations sent forth from on high. This divine and ideal power has been bestowed upon man in order that he may purify himself from the imperfections of nature and uplift his soul to the realm of might and power. God has purposed that the darkness of the world of nature shall be dispelled and the imperfect attributes of the natal self be effaced in the effulgent reflection of the Sun of Truth. The mission of the prophets of God has been to train the souls of humanity and free them from the thraldom of natural instincts and physical tendencies.
They are like unto gardeners, and the world of humanity is the field of their cultivation, the wilderness and untrained jungle growth wherein they proceed to labor.
They cause the crooked branches to become straightened, the fruitless trees to become fruitful, and gradually transform this great wild uncultivated field into a beautiful orchard producing wonderful abundance and outcome.
If the world of nature was perfect and complete in itself, there would be no need of such training and cultivation in the human world; no need of teachers, schools and universities, arts and crafts. The reve-larions of the prophets of God would not have been necessary and the heavenly books would have been superfluous.
If the world of nature was perfect and sufficient for mankind we would have no need of God and our belief in Him. Therefore the bestowal of all these great helps and accessories to the attainment of divine life is because the world of nature is incomplete and imperfect. Consider this Canadian country during the early history of Montreal when the land was in its wild, uncui-tivated and natural condition. The soil was
Page 161unproductive, rocky and almost uninhabitable, vast forests stretching in every direction. What invisible power caused this great metropolis to spring up amid such savage and forbidding conditions?
It was the human mind.Therefore nature and the effect of nature's laws were imperfect. The mind of man remedied and removed this imperfect condition, until now we behold a great city instead of a savage unbroken wilderness. Before the coming of Columbus, America itself was a wild, uncultivated expanse of primeval forest, mountains and rivers � a very world of nature. Now it has become the world of man.
It was dark, forbidding and savage; now it has become illumined with a great civilization and prosperity. Instead of forests, we behold productive farms, beautiful gardens and prolific orchards.
Instead of thorns and useless vegetation, we find flowers, domestic animals and fields await~ ing harvest. If the world of nature was perfect, the condition of this great country would have been left unchanged.
If a child is left in its natural state and deprived of education, there is no doubt that it will grow up in ignorance and illiteracy, its mental faculties dulled and dimmed; in fact it will become like an animal. This is evident among the savages of Central Africa who are scarcely higher than the beast in mental development.
The conclusion is irresistible that the splendors of the Sun of Truth, the Word of God have been the source and cause of human upbuilding and civilization. The world of nature is the kingdom of the animal. In its natural condition and plane of limitation the animal is perfect. The ferocious beasts of prey have been completely subject to the laws of nature in their development. They are without education or training; they have no power of abstract reasoning and intellectual ideals; they have no touch with the spiritual world and are without conception of God or the Holy Spirit.
The animal can neither recognize nor apprehend the spiritual power of man, and makes no distinction between man and itself for the reason that its susceptibilities are limited to the plane of the senses. It lives under the bondage of nature and nature's laws. All the animals are materialists.
They are deniers of God and without realization of a transcendent power in the universe. They have no knowledge of the divine prophets and holy books; mere captives of nature and the sense world.
In reality they are like the great philosophers of this day who are not in touch with God and the Holy Spirit; deniers 6f the prophets, ignorant of spiritual susceptibilities, deprived of the heavenly bounties and without belief in the power supernatural.
The animal lives this kind of life blissfully and untroubled whereas the material philosophers labor and study for ten or twenty years in schools and colleges, denying God, the Hdy Spirit and divine inspirations. The animal is even a greater philosopher, for it attains the ability to do this without labor and study.
For instance, the cow denies God and the Holy Spirit, knows nothing of divine inspirations, heavenly bounties or spiritual emotions and is a stranger to the world of hearts. Like the philosophers, the cow is a captive of nature and knows nothing beyond the range of the senses.
The philosophers however glory in this, saying, "We are not captives of superstitions; we have implicit faith in the impressions of the senses and know nothing beyond the realm of nature which contains and covers everything."
But the cow with-our study or proficiency in the sciences, modestly and quietly views life from the same standpoint, living in harmony with nature's laws in the utmost dignity and nobility.
This is not the glory of man. The glory of man is in the knowledge of God, spir~ itual susceptibilities, attainment to transcendent powers and the bounties of the Holy Spirit. The glory of man is in being informed of the teachings of God.
This is the glory of humanity.Ignorance is not glory but darkness. Can these souls who are steeped in the lower strata of ignorance become informed of the mysteries of God and the realities of existence yet His Holiness Jesus Christ be without knowledge of them? Is the intellect of these people greater than the intellect of
Christ? His Holiness Christwas heavenly, divine and belonged to the world of the kingdom.
Page 162His intellect was superior to these philosophers, his comprehension deeper, his perception keener, his knowledge more perfect.
How is it that he overlooked and denied himself everything in this world? He attached little importance to this material life, denying himself rest and composure, accepting trials and voluntarily suffering vicissitudes because he was endowed with spiritual susceptibilities and the power of the Holy Spirit. He beheld the splendors of the divine kingdom, embodied the bounties of God and possessed ideal powers. He was illumined with love and mercy and so likewise were all the prophets of God.
Promulgation of UniversalHE divine Reality is unthinkable, limitless, eternal, immortal and invisible.
The woild of creation is bound by natural law, finite and mortal.
The infinite Reality cannot be said to ascend or descend.
It is beyond the understanding of man, and cannot be described in terms which apply to the phenomenal sphere of the created world.
Man, then, is in extreme need of the only power by which he is able to receive help from the divine reality, that power alone bringing him into contact with the source of all life.
An intermediary is needed to bring two extremes into relation with each other. Riches and poverty, plenty and need: without an intermediary power there could be no relation between these pairs of opposites.
So we can say that there must be a Mediator between God and man, and this is none other than the Holy Spirit, which brings the created earth into relation with the "Unthinkable One," the divine Reality.
The divine Reality may be likened to the sun and the Holy Spirit to the rays of the sun. As the rays of the sun bring the light and warmth of the sun to the earth, giving life to all created beings, so do the CCMani~ festations" bring the power of the Holy Spirit from the divine Sun of Reality to give light and life to the souls of men.
Behold, there is an intermediary necessary between the sun and the earth; the sun does not descend to the earth, neither does the earth ascend to the sun. This contact is made by the rays of the sun which bring light and warmth and heat.
The Holy Spirit is the light from the Sun of Truth bringing, by its infinite power, life and illumination to all mankind, flooding all souls with divine radiance, conveying the blessings of God's mercy to the whole world. The earth, without the medium of the warmth and light of the rays of the sun, could receive no benefits from the sun.
Likewise the Holy Spiritis the very cause of the life of man; without the Holy Spirit he would have no intellect, he would be unable to acquire his scientific knowledge by which his great influence over the rest of creation is gained. The illumination of the Holy Spirit gives to man the power of thought, and enables him to make discoveries by which he bends the laws of nature to his will.
The Holy Spirit it is which, through the mediation of the prophets of God, teaches spiritual virtues to man and enables him to attain eternal life.
All these blessings are brought to man by the Holy Spirit; therefore we can understand that the Holy Spirit is the Intermediary between the creator and the created.
The light and heat of the sun cause the earth to be fruitful, and create life in all things that grow; and the Holy Spirit quickens the souis of men.
The two great Apostles, St. Peter and St. John the Evangelist, were once simple, humble workmen, toiling for their daily bread.
By the power of the Holy Spirit their souls were illumined, and they received the eternal blessings of
Christ.TIPHIS evening I wish to speak to you concerning the mystery of sacrifice.
There are two kinds of sacrifice, the physical and the spiritual. The explanation made by the churches concerning this subject is in reality superstition.
For instance it is recorded in the gospel that His Holiness Christ said, "I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread he shall live forever."
He also said, CCThi wine is my blood which is shed for the remission of sins." These verses have been interpreted by the churches in such a superstitious way that it is impossible for human reason to understand or accept the explanation.
They say that His Holiness Adam disobeyed the command of God and partook of the fruit of the forbidden tree thereby committing a sin which was transmitted as a heritage to his posterity.
They teach that because of Adam's sin all his descendants have likewise committed transgression and have become responsible through inheritance; consequently all mankind deserves punishment and must make retribution; and that God sent forth His son as a sacrifice in order that man might be forgiven and the human race delivered from the consequences of Adam's transgression.
We wish to consider these statements from the standpoint of reason. Could we conceive of His Highness the Divinity who is justice itself, inflicting punishment upon the posterity of Adam for Adam s own sin and disobedience? Even if we should see a governor, an earthly ruler punishing a son for the wrongdoing of his father, we would look upon that ruler as an unjust man. Granted the father committed a wrong, what was the wrong committed by the son? There is no connection between the two. AWn-n's sin was not the sin of his posterity especially as Adam is a thousand generations back of the man today. If the father of a thousand generations committed a sin, is it just to demand that the present generation should suffer the consequences thereof?
There are other questions and evidences to be considered.
His Holiness Abrahamwas a manifestation of God and a descendant of Adam; likewise His
Holiness Ishmaci, HisJeremiah and the whole line of prophets including David, Solomon and Aaron were among his posterity. Were all these holy men condemned to a realm of punishment because of a deed committed by the first father, because of a mistake said to have been made by their mutual and remotest ancestor His Holiness Adam? The explanation is made that when His Holiness Christ came and sacrificed himself, all the line of holy prophets who preceded him became free from sin and punishment.
Even a child could not justly make such an assertion. These interpretations and statements are due to a misunderstanding of the meanings of the
Bible.In order to understand the reality of sacrifice let us consider the crucifixion and death of His Holiness Jesus Christ. It is true that be sacrificed himself for our sake. What is the meaning of this?
When His Holiness Christappeared, he knew that be must proclaim himself in opposition to all the nations and peoples of the earth. He knew that mankind would arise against him and inflict upon him all manner of tribulations.
There is no doubt that one who put forth such a claim as Christ announced, would arouse the hostility of the world and be subjected to personal abuse. He realized that his blood would be shed and his body rent by violence.
Notwithstanding his knowledge of what would befall him, he arose to proclaim his message, suffered all tribulation and hardships from the people and finally offered his life as a sacrifice in order to illumine humanity; gave his blood in order to guide the world of mankind. He accepted every calamity and suffering in order to guide men to the truth.
Had he desired to save his own life and were he without wish to offer himself in sacrifice he would not have been able to guide a single soul.
There was no doubt that his blessed blood would be shed and his body broken. Nevertheless that hoiy soul accepted calam-fry and death in his love for mankind. This is one of the meanings of sacrifice.
Page 164As to the second meaning, he said, N am the bread which came down from heaven." It was not the body of Christ which came from heaven.
His body came from the womb of Mary but the Christ perfections descended from heaven; the reality of Christ came down from heaven.
The spirit of Christ and not the body descended from heaven. The body of Christ was but human. There could be no question that the physical body was born from the womb of Mary.
But the reality of Christ, the spirit of Christ, the perfections of Christ all came from heaven. Consequently by saying he was the bread which came from heaven he meant that the perfections which he showed forth were divine perfections, that the blessings within him were heavenly gifts and bestowals, that his light was the light of reality.
He said, "If any man eat of this bread, he shall live forever." That is to say whosoever assimilates these divine perfections which are within me will never die; whosoever has a share and partakes of these heavenly bounties I embody will find eternal life; he who takes unto himself these divine lights shall find life everlasting. How manifest the meaning is! How evident!
For the soul which acquires divine perfections and seeks heavenly illumination from the teachings of Christ will undoubtedly live eternally. This is also one of the mysteries of sacrifice.
In reality His HolinessAbraham sacrificed himself, for he brought heavenly teachings to the world and conferred heavenly food upon mankind.
As to the third meaning of sacrifice, it is this: � If you plant a seed in the ground a tree will become manifest from that seed. The seed sacrifices itself to the tree that will come from it. The seed is outwardly lost, destroyed but the same seed which is sacrificed will be absorbed and embodied in the tree, its blossoms, fruit and branches. If the identity of that seed had not been sacrificed to the tree which became manifest from it, no branches, blossoms or fruits would have been forthcoming.
His Holiness Christ outwardly disappeared. His personal identity became hidden from the eyes even as the identity of the seed disappeared, but the bounties, divine qualities and perfections of Christ became manifest iii the Christian community which Christ founded through sacrificing himself. When you look at the tree you will realize that the perfections, blessings, properties and beauty of the seed have become manifest in the branches, twigs, blossoms and fruit; consequently the seed has sacrificed itself to the tree. Had it not done so, the tree would not have come into existence.
His Holiness Christ like unto the seed sacrificed himself for the tree of
Christianity. Thereforehis perfections, bounties, favors, lights and graces became manifest in the Christian community, for the coming of which he sacrificed himself.
As to the fourth significance of sacrifice, it is the principle that a reality sacrifices its own characteristics.
Man must sever himself from the influences of the world of matter, from the world of nature and its laws; for the material world is the world of corruption and death. It is the world of evil and darkness, of animalism and ferocity, bloodthirstiness, ambition and avarice, of self-worship, egotism and passion; it is the world of nature.
Man must strip himself of all these imperfections, must sacrifice these tendencies which are peculiar to the outer and material world of existence.
On the other hand man must acquire heavenly qualities and attain divine attributes.
He must become the image and likeness of God. He must seek the bounty of the eternal, become the manifester of the love of God, the light of guidance, the tree of life and the depository of the bounties of God. That is to say man must sacrifice the qualities and attributes of the world of nature for the qualities and attributes of the world of God. For instance consider the substance we call iron. Observe its qualities; it is solid, black, cold. These are the characteristics of iron. 'When the same iron absorbs heat from the fire, it sacrifices its attribute of solidity for the attribute of fluidity.
It sacrifices its attribute of darkness for the attribute of light which is a quality of the lire. It sacrifices its attribute of coldness to the quality of heat which the fire possesses; so that in the iron there remains no solidity, darkness or cold. It becomes ilLumined and trans
Page 165formed, having sacrificed its qualities to the qualities and attributes of the fire.
Likewise man when separated and severed from the attributes of the world of nature sacrifices the qualities and exigencies of that mortal realm and manifests the perfections of the Kingdom, just as the qualities of the iron disappeared and the qualities of the fire appeared in their place.
Every man trained through the teachings of God and illumined by the light of His guidance, who becomes a believer in God and His signs and is enkindled with the fire of the love of God sacrifices the imperfections of nature for the sake of divine perfections. Consequently every perfect person, every illumined, heavenly individual stands in the station of sacrifice.
It is my hope that through the assistance and providence of God and through the bounties of the kingdom of AbM you may be entirely severed from the imperfections of the world of nature, purified from selfish, human desires, receiving life from the kingdom of Abhi and attaining heavenly graces. May the divine light become manifest upon your faces, the fragrances of holiness refresh your nostrils and the breath of the Holy Spirit quicken you with eternal life.
Promulgation of UniversalIT is a selfevident fact that phenomenal existence can never grasp nor comprehend the ancient and essential reality. Utter weakness cannot understand absolute strength.
When we view the worM of creation we discover differences in degree which make it impossible for the lower to comprehend the higher. For example, the mineral kingdom, no matter how much it may advance can never comprehend the phenomena of the vegetable kingdom. Whatever development the vegetable may attain, it can have no message from nor come in touch with the kingdom of the animal.
However perfect may be the growth of a tree it cannot realize the sensation of sight, hearing, smell, taste and touch; these are beyond its limitation. Although it is the possessor of existence in the world of creation, a tree nevertheless has no knowledge of the superior degree of the animal kingdom.
Likewise no matter how great the advancement of the animal it can have no idea of the human plane; no knowledge of intellect and spirit. Difference in degree is an obstacle to this comprehension.
A lower degree cannot comprehend a higher although all are in the same world of creation, whether mineral, vegetable or animal. Degree is the barrier and limitation.
In the human plane of existence we can say we have knowledge of a vegetable, its qualities and product, hut the vegetable has no knowledge or corn-prehension ion whatever of us. No matter how near perfection this rose may advance in its own sphere it can never possess hearing and sight. Inasmuch as in the creational world which is phenomenal, difference of degree is an obstacle or hindrance to comprehension, how can the human being, which is a created exigency, comprehend the ancient divine reality which is essential?
This is impossible because the reality of divinity is sanctified beyond the comprehension of the created being man.
Furthermore, that which man can grasp is finite to man, and man to it is as infinite. Is it possible then for the reality of divinity to be finite and the human creature infinite? On the contrary the reverse is true; the human is finite while the essence of divinity is infinite.
Whatever comes within the sphere of human comprehension must be limited and finite.
As the essence of divinity transcends the comprehension of man, therefore God brings forth certain Manifestations of the divine reality upon whom He bestows heavenly effulgences in order that they may be intermediaries between humanity and
Himself. These holy Manifestationsor prophets of God are as mirrors which have acquired illumination from the Sun of Truth, but the Sun does not descend from its high zenith and does not effect entrance within the mirror. In truth this mirror has attained complete polish and purity until the utmost capacity
Page 166of reflection has been developed in it, therefore the Sun of Reality with its fulLest effulgence and splendor is revealed therein. These mirrors are earthly whereas the reality of divinity is in its highest apogee. Although its lights are shining and its heat is manifest in them, although these mirrors are telling their story of its effulgence, the Sun nevertheless remains in its own lofty station; it does not descend, it does not effect entrance, because it is holy and sanctified.
The Sun of Divinity and of Reality has revealed itself in various mirrors.
Though these mirrors are many, yet the Sun is one. The bestowals of God are one; the reality of the divine religion is one. Consider how the one and same light has reflected itself in the different mirrors or manifestations of it. There are certain souls who are lovers of the Sun; they perceive the effulgence of the Sun from every mirror. They are not fettered or attached to the mirrors; they are attached to the Sun itself and adore it no matter from what point it may shine. But those who adore the mirror and are attached to it, become deprived of witnessing the light of the Sun when it shines forth from another mirror. For instance, the Sun of Reality revealed itself from the Mosaic mirror. The people who were sincere accepted and believed in it. When the same Sun shone from the Messianic mirror, the Jews who were not lovers of the Sun and who were fettered by their adoration of the mirror of Moses did not perceive the lights and effulgences of the Sun of Reality resplendent in Jesus, therefore they were deprived of its bestowals. Yet the Sun of Reality, the Word of God shone from the Messianic mirror through the wonderful channel of Jesus Christ more fully and more wonderfully. Its effulgences were manifestly radiant but even to this day the Jews are holding to t~e Mosaic mirror. Therefore they are bereft of witnessing the lights of eternity in Jesus.
In brief; the sun is one sun, the light is one light which shines upon all phenomend being. Every creature has a portion thereof, but the pure mirror can reveal the story of its bounty more fully and completely. Therefore we must adore the light of the Sun no matter through what mirror it may be revealed.
We must not entertain prejudice, for prejudice is an obstacle to realization. Inasmuch as the effulgence is one effulgence, the human realities must all become recipients of the same light, recog-rnzing in it the compelling force that unites them in its illumination.
As this is the radiant century, it is my hope that the Sun of Truth may illumine all humanity.
May the eyes be opened and the ears become attentive; may souls become resuscitated and consort together in the utmost harmony as recipients of the same light.
Pronudgation of Universalwe consider existence, we see that the mineral, vegetable, animal, and human worlds are all in need of an educator.
If the earth is not cultivated it becomes a jungle where useless weeds grow; but if a cultivator comes and tills the ground, it produces crops which nourish living creatures.
It is evident, therefore, that the soil needs the cultivation of the farmer.
Consider the trees: if they remain without a cultivator they will be fruitless, and without fruit they are useless; but if they receive the care of a gardener, these same barren trees become fruitful, and through cultivation, fertilization, and engrafting, the trees which had bitter fruits yield sweet fruits.
These are rational proofs; in this age the peoples of the world need the arguments of reason.
The same is true with respect to animals: notice that when the animal is trained it becomes domestic, and also that man, if he is left without training, becomes bestial, and, moreover, if left under the rule of nature, becomes lower than an animal; whereas if he is educated he becomes an angel. For the greater number of animals
Page 167do not devour their own kind, but men, among the negroes of Central Africa, kill and eat each other.
Now reflect that it is education that brings the East and the West under the authority of man; it is education that produces wonderful industries; it is education that spreads glorious sciences and arts; it is education that makes manifest new discoveries and laws.
If there were no educator, there would be no such things as comforts, civilization, facilities, or humanity.
If a man be left alone in a wilderness where he sees none of his own kind, he will undoubtedly become a mere brute; it is then clear that an educator is needed.
But ~ducation is of three kinds: material, human, and spiritual. Material education is concerned with the progress and development of the body, through gaining its sustenance, its material comfort and ease. This education is common to animals and man.
Human education signifies civilization and progress: that is to say, government, administration, charitable works, trades, arts and handicrafts, sciences, great inventions and discoveries of physical laws, which are the activities essential to man as distinguished from the animal.
Divine education is that of the Kingdom of God: it consists in acquiring divine perfections, and this is true education; for in this estate man becomes the center of divine appearance, the manifestation of the words, ccLet us make man in our image and after our likeness." This is the supreme goal of the world of humanity.
Now we need an educator who will be at the same time a material, human, and spiritual educator, and whose authority will be effective in all conditions.
So if any one should say, "I possess perfect comprehension and intelligence, and I have no need of such an educator," he would be denying that which is clear and evident, as though a child should say, "I have no need of education; I will act according to my reason and intelligence, and so I shall attain the perfections of existence"; or as though the blind should say, ttj am in no need of sight, because many other blind people exist without difficulty."
Then it is plain and evident that man needs an educator, and this educator must be unquestionably and indubitably perfect in all respects, and distinguished above all men. For otherwise he cannot be their educator.
More particularly because he must be at the same time their material and human as well as their spiritual educator; that is to say, he will teach men to organise and carry out physical matters, and to regulate the form of society with regard to the establThhing of help and assistance in life, so that material affairs may be organized and regulated for any circumstances that may occur. In the same way he will establish human education; that is to say, he must educate intelligence and thought in such a way that they may attain complete development, so that knowledge and science may increase, and the reality of things, the mysteries of beings, and the properties of existence may be discovered; that day by day instructions, inventions, and laws may be improved; and from things perceptible to the senses conclusions as to intellectual things may be deduced.
He must also impart spiritual education; so that intelligence and comprehension may penetrate the metaphysical world, and may receive benefit from the sanctifying breeze of the Holy Spirit, and may enter into relationship with the Supren-ie Concourse. He must so educate the human reality that it may become the center of the divine appearance, to such a degree that the attributes and the names of God shall be resplendent in the mirror of the reality of man, and the holy verse, c~nwe will make man in Our image and likeness," shall become true.
It is clear that human power is not able to fill such a great office, and that the reason alone could not undertake the responsibility of so great a mission. How can one solitary person without help and without support lay the foundations of such a noble construction?
He must depend on the help of the spiritual and divine power to be able to undertake this mission. One Holy Soul gives life to the world of humanity, changes the aspect of the terrestrial globe, causes intelligence to progress, vivifies souls, lays the foundation of a new
Page 168existence, establishes the basis of a marvellous creation, organizes the world, brings nations and religions under the shadow of one standard, delivers man from the world of imperfections and vices, and inspires him with the desire and need of natural and acquired perfections. Certainly nothing short of a divine power could accomplish so great a work. We ought to consider this with justice, for this is the office of justice.
A Cause which all the governments and peoples of the world, with all their powers and armies, cannot promulgate and spread, one Holy Soul can promote without help or support! Can this be done by human power? No, in the name of God! For example, Christ, alone and solitary, upraised the standard of spiritual peace and righteousness, a work which all the victorious governments with all their hosts were unable to accomplish.
Consider what was the fate of so many and diverse empires and peoples: the Roman Empire, France, Germany, Russia, England, etc.; all were gathered together under the same tent; that is to say, the appearance of Christ brought about a union among these diverse nations; some of whom, under the influence of Christianity, became so united that they sacrificed their lives and property for one another. After the time of Constantine, who was the protagonist of Christianity, divisions broke out among them. The point I wish to make is that Christ sustained a cause that all the kings of the earth could not establish! He united the various religions and modified ancient customs. Consider what great divergences existed between IRomans, Greeks, Syrians, Egyptians, Phcrnicians, Israelites, and other peopies of Europe. Christ removed these divergences, and became the cause of love between these communities.
Although after some time empires destroyed this union, the work of Christ was accomplished.
Therefore the universal educator must be at the same time not oniy a material, but also a human and spiritual educator; and he must possess a supernatural power, so that he may hold the position of a divine teacher. If he does not show forth such a holy power, he will not be able to educate, for if he be imperfect, how can he give a perfect education? if he be ignorant, how can he make others wise? If he be unjust, how can he make others just? If he be earthly, how can he make others heavenly?
Now we must consider justly: did these Divine Manifestations 1 who have appeared possess all these qualifications or not? If they had not these qualifications and these perfections, they were not real educators.
Therefore it must be our task to prove to the thoughtful by reasonable arguments the prophethood of Moses, of Christ, and of the other Divine Manifestations.
And the proofs and evidences which we give must not be based on traditional but on rational arguments.
It has now been proved by rational arguments that the world of existence is in the utmost need of an educator, and that its education must be effected by a divine power.
There is no doubt that this holy power is due to inspiration, and that the world must be educated through this power which is above human power.
Some Answered Questions.KNOW that, speaking generally, there are five divisions of the spirit. First the vegetable spirit: this is a power which results from the combination of elements and the mingling of substances by the decree of the Supreme God, and from the influence, the effect, and connection of other existences. When these substances and elements are separated from each other, the power of growth also ceases to exist; so, to use another figure, eLectricity results from the combination of elements, and when these elements are separated, the electric force is dispersed and lost. Such is the vegetable spirit.
After this is the animal spirit, which alsoresults from the mingling and combination of elements; but this combination is more complete, and through the decree of the Almighty Lord a perfect mingling is obtained, and the animal spirit, in other words the power of the senses, is produced.
It will perceive the reality of things from that which is seen and visible, audible, edible, tangible, and that which can be smelt.
After the dissociation and decomposition of the combined elements, this spirit also will naturally disappear.
It is like this lamp which you see: when the oil and wick and fire are brought together, light is the result; but when the oil is finished and the wick consumed, the light will also vanish and be lost.
The human spirit may be likened to the bounty of the sun shining on crystal. The body of man, which is composed from the elements, is combined and mingled in the most perfect form; it is the most solid construction, the noblest combination, the most perfect existence.
It grows and de~ velops through the animal spirit.
This perfected body can be compared to a crystal, and the human spirit to the sun. Nevertheless, if the crystal breaks, the bounty of the sun continues; and if the crystal is destroyed or ceases to exist, no harm will happen to the bounty of the sun which is everlasting.
This spirit has the power of discovery; it encompasses all things. All these wonderful signs, these scientific discoveries, great enterprises and important historical events which you know, are due to it. From the realm of the invisible and hidden, through spiritual power, it brought them to the plane of the visible.
So, man is upon the earth, yet he makes discoveries in the heavens. From known realities, that is to say from the things which are known and visible, he discovers unknown things. For example, mail is in this hemisphere, but, like Columbus, through the power of his reason he discovers another hemisphere, that is America, which was until then unknown.
His body is heavy, but through the help of an instrument which be invents, he is able to soar aloft.
He is slow of movement, but by an instrument which he invents he travels to the East and 'West with extreme rapidity. Briefly, this power embraces all things.
But the spirit of man has two aspects: one divine, one satanic; that is to say, it is capable of the utmost perfection, or it is capable of the utmost imperfection.
If it acquires virtues it is the most noble of the existing beings, and if it acquires vices it becomes the most degraded existence.
The fourth degree of spirit is the heavenly spirit; it is the spirit of faith and the bounty of God; it comes from the breath of the Holy Spirit, and by the divine power it becomes the cause of eternal life. It is the power which makes the earthly man heavenly, and the imperfect man perfect. It makes the impure to be pure, the silent eloquent; it purifies and sanctifies those made captive by carnal desires; it makes the ignorant wise.
The fifth spirit is theSpirit is the mediator between God and His creatures.
It is iike a mirror facing the sun. As the pure mirror receives light from the sun and transmits this bounty to others, so the Holy Spirit is the mediator of the Holy Light from the Sun of Reality, which it gives to the sancti � fled realities.
It is adorned with all the divine perfections.Every time it appears the world is renewed, and a new cycle is founded.
The body of the world of humanity puts on a new garment. It can be compared to the spring; whenever it comes, the world passes from one condition to another.
Through the advent of the season of spring the black earth and the fields and wildernesses will become verdant and blooming, and all sorts of flowers and sweet-scented herbs will grow; the trees will have new life, and new fruits will appear, and a new cycle is founded.
The appearance of the Holy Spirit is like this.Whenever it appears, it renews the world of humanity and gives a new spirit to the human realities: it arrays the world of existence in a praiseworthy garment, dispels the darkness of ignorance, and causes the radiation of the light of perfections. Christ with this power has renewed this cycle; the heavenly spring with the utmost freshness and sweetness spread its tent in
Page 170the world of humanity, and the life-giving breeze perfumed the nostrils of the enlightened ones.
In the same way, the appearance of Bahá'u'lláh was like a new springtime which appeared with holy breezes, with the hosts of everlasting life, and with heavenly power. It established the Throne of the Divine Kingdom in the center of the world, and by the power of the Holy Spirit re. 'viyed souis and established a new cycle.
Some Answered Questions.Question. � What connection has the Reality of Divinity with the Lordly Rising-places and the Divine Dawning-points?
Answer. � Know that the Reality of Divinity or the substance of the Essence of Oneness is pure sanctity and absolute holiness: that is to say, it is sanctified and exempt from all praise.
The whole of the supreme attributes of the degrees of existence, in reference to this plane, are oniy imaginations.
It is invisible, incomprehensible, inaccessible, a pure essence which cannot be described; for the Divine Essence surrounds all things. Verily that which surrounds is greater than the surrounded, and the surrounded cannot contain that by which it is surrounded, nor comprehend its reality.
However far mind may progress, though it may reach to the final degree of comprehension, the limit of understanding, it beholds the divine signs and attributes in the world of creation, and not in the world of God.
For the essence and the attributes of the Lord of Unity are in the heights of sanctity, and for the minds and understandings there is no way to approach that position. tThe way is closed and seeking is forbidden."
IT is evident that the human understanding is a quality of the existence of man, and that man is a sign of God, how can the quality of the sign surround the creator of the sign? that is to say, how can the understanding which is a quality of the existence of man, comprehend God? Therefore the Reality of the Divinity is hidden from all comprehension, and concealed from the minds of all men. It is absolutely impossible to ascend to that plane.
'We see that everything which is lower is powerless to comprehend the reality of that which is higher. So the stone, the earth, the tree, however much they may evolve, cannot comprehend the reality of man, and cannot imagine the powers of sight, of hearing, and of the other senses, although they are all alike created. Therefore how can man, the created, understand the reality of the pure Essence of the Creator? This plane is unapproachable by the understanding, no explanation is sufficient for its comprehension, and there is no power to indicate it. What has an atom of dust to do with the pure world, and what relation is there between the limited mind and the infinite world? Minds are powerless to comprehend God, and the souis become bewildered in explaining Him. "The eyes see Him not, but He seeth the eyes. He is the Omniscient, the Knower."' Consequently, with reference to this plane of existence, every statement and elucidation is defective, all praise and all description are unworthy, every conception is vain, and every meditation is futile. But for this Essence of the essences, this Truth of truths, this Mystery of mysteries, there are reflections, auroras, appearances and resplendencies, in the world of existence.
The dawning-place of these splendors, the place of these reflections, and the appearance of these manifestations, are the Holy Dawn-ing-places, the Universal Realities and the Divine Beings, who are the true mirrors of the sanctified Essence of God. All the perfections, the bounties, the splendors which come from God, are visible and evident in the Reality of the Holy Manifestations, like the sun which is resplendent in a clear polished mirror with all its perfections and bounties. If it be said that the mirrors are the manifestations of the sun ' Qur'an, S&ih 6.
Page 171and the dawning-places of the rising star, this does not mean that the sun has descended from the height of its sanctity and become incorporated in the mirror, nor that the Unlimited Reality is limited to this place of appearance. God forbid!
This is the belief of the adherents of anthropornor-phism.
No; all the praises, the descriptions and exaltations refer to the Holy Manifestations.
That is to say, all the descriptions, the qualities, the names and the attributes which we mention, return to the Divine Manifestations; but as no one has attained to the reality of the Essence of Divinity, so no one is able to describe, explain, praise or glorify it. Therefore all that the human reality knows, discovers, and understands of the names, the attributes, and the perfec-dons of God, refer to these Holy
Manifestations. Thereis no access to anything else: "the way is closed, and seeking is forbidden."
Nevertheless we speak of the names and attributes of the Divine Reality, and we praise Him by attributing to Him sight, hearing, power, life, and knowledge.
We affirm these names and attributes, not to prove the perfections of God, but to deny that He is capable of imperfections.
When we look at the existing world, we see that ignorance is imperfection and knowledge is perfection, therefore we say that the sancti-fled Essence of God is wisdom.
Weakness is imperfection and power is perfection; consequently we say that the sanctified Essence of God is the acme of power. It is not that we can comprehend His knowledge, His sight, His power and life, for it is beyond our comprehension; for the essential names and attributes of God are identical with His
Essence, and His EssenceIf the attributes are not identical with the Essence, there must also be a multiplicity of preexistences, and differences between the attributes and the Essence must also exist: and as Preexistence is necessary, therefore the sequence of pre � existences would become infinite.
This is an evident error.Accordingly all these attributes, names, praises, and eulogies apply to the Places of Manifestation; and all that we imagine and suppose beside them is mere imagination, for we have no means of comprehending that which is invisible and inaccessible. This is why it is said: C(AJJ that you have distinguished through the illusion of your imagination in your subtle mental images, is but a creation like unto yourself, and returns to you." 1 It is clear that if we wish to imagine the Reality of Divinity, this imagination is the surrounded, and we are the surrounding one; and it is sure that the one who surrounds is greater than the surrounded.
From this it is certain and evident that if we imagine a Divine Reality outside of the HdLy Manifestations, it is pure imagination; for there is no way to approach the Reality of Divinity which is nor cut off to us, and all that we imagine is mere supposition.
Therefore reflect that different peoples of the world are revolving around imagina-Uons, and are worshippers of the idols of thoughts and conjectures.
They are not aware of this; they consider their imaginations to be the Reality which is withdrawn from all comprehension, and purified from all descriptions.
They regard themselves as the people of Unity, and the others as worshippers of idbls; but idols at least have a mineral existence, while the idols of thoughts and the imaginations of man are but fancies; they have not even mineral existence.
C(Take warning, 0 possessors of perception!"Know that the attributes of perfection, the splendor of the divine bounties, and the lights of inspiration, are visible and evident in all the Holy Manifestations; but the glorious Word of God, Christ, and the Greatest Name, Bahá'u'lláh, are manifestations and evidences which are beyond imagination; for they possess all the perfections of the former Manifestations, and more than that, they possess some perfections which make the other Manifestations dependent upon them. So all the Prophets of Israel were centers of inspiration; Christ also was a receiver of inspiration; but what a difference between the inspiration of the Word of God and the revelations of Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Elijah!
Reflect that light is the expression of the vibrations of the etheric matter: the nerves 1 From a kladith.
Page 172of the eye are affected by these vibrations, and sight is produced. The light of the lamp exists through the vibration of the etheric matter, so also does that of the sun; but what a difference between the light of the sun and that of the stars or the lamp!
The spirit of man appears and is manifest in the embryonic condition, and also in that of childhood and of maturity, and it is resplendent and evident in the condition of perfection. The spirit is one, but in the embryonic condition the power of sight and of hearing is lacking. In the state of maturity and perfection it appears in the utmost splendor and brilliance.
In the same way the seed in the beginning becomes leaves, and is the place where the vegetable spirit appears; in the condition of fruit it manifests the same spirit, that is to say, the power of growth appears in the utmost perfection: but what a difference between the condition of the leaves and that of the fruit!
For from the fruit a hundred thousand leaves appear, though they all grow and develop through the same vegetable spirit.
Notice the difference between the virtues and perfections of Christ, the splendors and brilliance of Bahá'u'lláh, and the virtues of the Prophets of Israel, such as Ezekiel or Samuel. All were the manifestations of inspiration, but between them there is an infinite difference.
Some Answered Questions.KNOW' that the Holy Manifestations, though they have the degrees of endless perfections, yet, speaking generally, have only three stations.
The first station is the physical; the second station is the human, which is that of the rational soul; the third is that of the divine appearance and the heavenly splendor.
The physical station is phenomenal; it is composed of elements, and necessarily everything that is composed is subject to decomposition: it is not possible that a composition should not be disintegrated.
The second is the station of the rational soul, Which is the human reality; this also is phenomenal, and the Holy Manifestations share it with all mankind.
Know that, although the human soul has existed on the earth for prolonged times and ages, yet it is phenomenal. As it is a divine sign, when once it has come into existence it is eternal. The spirit of man has a beginning, but it has no end; it con � tinues eternally.
In the same way the species existing on this earth are phenomenal, f or it is established that there was a time when these species did not exist on the surface of the earth. Moreover, the earth has not always existed, but the world of existence has always been; for the universe is not limited to this terrestrial globe. The meaning of this is, that although human souis are phenomenal, they are nevertheless immortal, everlasting, and perpetual; for the world of things is the world of imperfection in comparison with that of man, and the world of man is the world of perfection in comparison with that of things. When imperfections reach the station of perfection, they become eternal.'
This is an example of which you must comprehend the meaning.
The third station is that of the divine appearance and heavenly splendor: it is the Word of God, the Eternal Bounty, the Holy Spirit. It has neither beginning nor end, for these things are related to the world of contingencies, and not to the divine world. For God, the end is the same thing as the beginning. So the reckoning of days, weeks, months, and years, of yesterday and today, is connected with the terrestrial globe; but in the sun there is no such thing � there is neither yesterday, today, nor tomorrow, neither months nor years � all are equal. In the same way the Word of God is purified from all these conditions and is exempt from the boundaries, the laws, and the limits of the world of contingency.
Therefore the reality of prophethood, which is the Word of God and the perfect state of manifestation, did 1 i.e. in the kingdom of man, where alone the Spirit manifests immortality.
Page 173not have any beginning, and will not have any end; its rising is different from all others, and is like that of the sun. For example, its dawning in the sign of Christ was with the utmost splendor and radiance, and this is eternal and everlasting.
See how many conquering kings there have been, how many statesmen and princes, powerful organizers, all of whom have disappeared, whereas the breezes of Christ are still blowing, his light is still shining, his melody is still resounding, his standard is still waving, his armies are still fighting, his heavenly voice is still sweetly melodious, his clouds are still showering gems, his lightning is still flashing, his reflection is still clear and brilliant, his splendor is still radiating and luminous; and it is the same with those souls who are under his protection and are shining with his light.
Then it is evident that the Manifestations possess three conditions: the physical condition, the condition of the rational soul, and the condition of the divine appearance and heavenly splendor. The physical condition will certainly become decomposed, but the condition of the rational soul, though it has a beginning, has no end: nay, it is endowed with everlasting life.
But the Holy Reality, of whichis in the Son," has neither beginning nor end. When beginning is spoken of, it signifies the state of manifesting; and symbolically, the condition of silence is compared to sleep.
For example, a man is sleeping � when he begins to speak he is awake � but it is always the same individual, whether he be asleep or awake; no difference has occurred in his station, his elevation, his glory, his reality, or his nature. The state of silence is compared to sleep, and that of manifestation to wakefulness. A man sleeping or waking is the same man; sicep is one state, and wakefulness is another. The time of silence is compared to sleep, and manifestation and guidance are compared to wakefulness.
In the Gospel it is said, "In the beginning was the Word, and the NVord was with God." Then it is evident and clear that Christ did not reach to the station of Mcssiahship and its perfections at the time of baptism, when the Holy Spirit descended upon Him in the likeness of a dove. Nay, the Word of God from all eternity has always been, and will be, in the exaltation of sanctification.
Some Answered Questions.THE HUMAN CONDITION AND THE SPIRITUAL CONDITION OF
THE DIVINE MANIFESTATIONSWE said that the Manifestations have three planes. First, the physical reality, which depends upon the body; secondly, the individual reality, that is to say, the rational soul; thirdly, the divine appearance, which is the divine perfections, the cause of the life of existence, of the education of souls, of the guidance of p~ople, and of the enlightenment of the contingent world.
The physical state is the human state which perishes, because it is composed of elements, and all that is composed of elements will necessarily be decomposed and dispersed.
But the individual reality of the Manifestations of God is a holy reality, and for that reason it is sanctified, and in that which concerns its nature and quality, is distinguished from all other things.
It is like the sun, which by its essential nature produces light, and cannot be compared to the moon, just as the particles that compose the globe of the sun cannot be compared with those which compose the moon. The particles and organization of the former produce rays, but the particles of which the moon is composed do not produce rays, but need to borrow light.
So other human realities are those souls who, like the moon, take light from the sun; but that holy reality is luminous in himself.
The third plane of that Being 1 is the Divine Bounty, the splendor of the Preexistent Beauty, and the radiance of the light of the Almighty. The individual realities of the Divine Manifestations have no separation from the Bounty of God and
1 The Manifestation.the Lordly Splendor. In the same way the orb of the sun has no separation from the light. Therefore it may be said that the ascension of the Holy Manifestation is simply the leaving of this elemental form. For example, if a lamp illumines this niche, and if its light ceases to illuminate it because the niche is destroyed, the bounty of the lamp is not cut off. Briefly, in the Holy
Manifestations the PreexistentBounty is like the light, the individuality is represented by the glass globe, and the human body is like the niche: if the niche is destroyed, the lamp continues to burn. The Divine Manifestations are so many different mirrors, because they have a special individuality, but that which is reflected in the mirrors is one sun. It is clear that the reality of Christ is different from that of Moses.
Verily from the beginning that Holy Reality 1 is conscious of the secret of existence, and from the age of childhood signs of greatness appear and are visible in him. Therefore how can it be that with all these bounties and perfections he should have no consciousness?
We have mentioned that the Holy Manifestations have three planes. The physical condition, the individual reality, and the center of the appearance of perfection: it is like the sun, its heat and its light. Other individuals have the physical plane, the
1 The Manifestation.So the saying ~ was asleep and the divine breezes passed over me and I awoke," is like Christ's saying: ccThe body is sad and the spirit is happy," or again: ~tJ am afflicted, or I am at ease, or I am troubled" � these refer to the physical condition, and have no reference to the individual reality nor to the manifestation of the Divine Reality.
Thus consider what thousands of vicissitudes can happen to the body of man, but the spirit is not affected by them; it may even be that some members of the body are entirely crippled, but the essence of the mind remains and is everlasting. A thousand accidents may happen to a garment, but for the wearer of it there is no danger. These words which Bahá'u'lláh said: ~ was asleep, and the breeze passed over me and awakened me," refer to the body.
In the world of God there is no past, no future, and no present; all are one. So when Christ said: ttJn the beginning was the Word" � that means it was, is, and shall be; for in the world of God there is no time. Time has sway over creatures, but not over God. For example, in the prayer he says: !tThy name is hallowed"; the meaning is that Thy name was, is, and shall be hallowed. Morning, noon, and evening are related to this earth, but in the sun there is neither morning, noon, nor evening.
Some Answered Questions.Question. � One of the powers possessed by the Divine Manifestations is knowledge: to what extent is it limited?
Answer. � Knowledge is of two kinds: one is subjective, and the other objective knowledge; that is to say, an intuitive knowledge and a knowledge derived from perception.
HE knowledge of things which men universally have, is gained by reflection or by evidence: that is to say, either by the power of the mind the conception of an object is formed, or from beholding an object the form is produced in the mirror of the heart. The circle of this knowledge is very limited, because it depends upon effort and attainment.
But the second. sort of knowledge, which is the knowledge of being, is intuitive, it is like the cognizance and consciousness that man has of himself.
For example, the mind and the spirit of man are cognizant of the conditions and states of the members and component parts of the body, and are aware of all the physical sensations; in the same way they are aware of their power, of their feelings, and of their spiritual conditions.
This is the knowledge of being which man realizes and
Page 175General View of the Resting-Place of Bahá'í Khinum, the Greatest Holy Leaf, the Center around which future Bahá'í Institutions will cluster.
Page 176perceives; for the spirit surrounds the body, and is aware of its sensations and powers. This knowledge is not the outcome of effort and study; it is an existing thing, it is an absolute gift.
Since the Sanctified Realities, the universal Manifestations of God, surround the essence and qualities of the creatures, transcend and contain existing realities and understand all things, therefore their knowledge is divine knowledge, and not acquired: that is to say, it is a holy bounty, it is a divine revelation.
We will mention an example, expressly for the purpose of comprehending this subject. The most noble being on the earth is man. He embraces the animal, vegetable, and mineral kingdoms: that is to say, these conditions are contained in him to such an extent that he is the possessor of these conditions and states; he is aware of their mysteries and of the secrets of their existence. This is simply an example, and not an analogy.
Briefly, the universalare aware of the reality of the mysteries of beings, therefore they establish laws which are suitable and adapted to the state of the world of man; for religion is the essential connection which proceeds from the realities of things.
The Manifestation, that is, the Holy Lawgiver, unless he is aware of the realities of beings, will not comprehend the essential connection which proceeds from the realities of things, and he will certainly not be able to establish a religion conformable to the facts and suited to the conditions. The Prophets of God, the universal Manifestations, are like skilled physicians, and the contingent world is like the body of man: the divine laws are the remedy and treatment.
Consequently the doctor must be aware of, and know, all the members and parts, as well as the constitution and state of the patient, so that he can prescribe a medicine which will be beneficial against the violent poison of the disease. In reality the doctor deduces from the disease itself the treatment which is suited to the patient, for he diagnoses the malady, and afterwards prescribes the remedy for the illness. Until the malady be discovered, how can the remedy and treatment be prescribed?
The doctor then must have a thorough knowledge of the constitution, members, organs, and state of the patient, and be acquainted with all diseases and all remedies, in order to prescribe a fitting medicine.
Religion, then, is the necessary connection which emanates from the reality of things; and as the universal Manifestations of God are aware of the mysteries of beings, therefore they understand this essential connection, and by this knowledge establish the Law of God.
Some Answered Questions.Question. � .What is the real explanation of the cycles which occur in the world of existence?
Answer. � Each one of the luminous bodies in this limitless firmament has a cycle of revolution which is of a different duration, and every one revolves in its own orbit, and again begins a new cycle.
So the earth, every three hundred and sixty-five days, five hours, forty-eight minutes and a fraction, completes a revolution; and then it begins a new cycle, that is to say, the first cycle is again renewed. In the same way, for the whole universe, whether for the heavens or for men, there are cycles of great events, of important facts and occurrences.
rences. When a cycie is ended, a new cycle begins, and the old one, on account of the great events which take place, is completely forgotten, and not a trace or record of it will remain. As you see, we have no records of twenty thousand years ago, although we have before proved by argument that life on this earth is very ancient. It is not one hundred thousand, or two hundred thousand, or one million or two million years old; it is very ancient, and the ancient records and traces are entirely obliterated.
EACH of the Divine Manifestations has likewise a cycle, and during the cycle his laws and commandments prevail and are
Page 177performed. When his cycle is completed by the appearance of a new Manifestation, a new cycie begins. In this way cycles begin, end, and are renewed, until a universal cycle is completed in the world, when important events and great occurrences will take place which entirely efface every trace and every record of the past; then a new universal cycle begins in the world, for this universe has no beginning. We have before stated proofs and evidences concerning this subject; there is no need of repetition.
Briefly, we say a universal cycle in the world of existence signifies a long duration of time, and innumerable and incalculable periods and epochs. In such a cycle the Manifestations appear with splendor in the realm of the visible, until a great and universal Manifestation makes the world the center of his radiance. His appearance causes the world to attain to maturity, and the extension of his cycie is very great. Afterwards other Manifestations will arise under his shadow, who according to the needs of the time will renew certain commandments relating to material questions and affairs, while remaining under his shadow.
We are in the cycle which began with Adam, and its universal Manifestation is Bahá'u'lláh.
Some Answered Questions.IT HAS been the general characteristic of religion that organization marks the interruption of the true spiritual influence and serves to prevent the original impulse from being carried into the world. The organization has invariably become a substitute for religion rather than a method or an instrument used to give the religion effect. The separation of peoples into different traditions unbridged by any peaceful or constructive intercourse has made this inevitable.
Up to the present time, in fact, no Founder of a revealed religion has explicitly laid down the principles that should guide the administrative machinery of the Faith He has established.
In the Bahá'í Cause, the principles of world administration were expressed by Bahá'u'lláh, and these principles were developed in the writings of tAbdu'1-Bahi, more especially in His
Will and Testament.The purpose of this organization is to make possible a true and lasting unity among peoples of different races, classes, interests, characters, and inherited creeds.
A close and sympathetic study of this aspect of the Bahá'í Cause will show that the purpose and method of Bahá'í administration is so perfectly adapted to the fundamental spirit of the Revelation that it bears to it the same relationship as body to soul. In character, the principles of Bahá'í administration represent the science of cooperation; in application, they provide for a new and higher type of morality worldwide in scope. In the clash and confusion of sectarian prejudice, the Bahá'í religion is impartial and sympathetic, offering a foundation upon which reconciliation can be firmly based. Amid the complex interrelations of governments, the religion stands absolutely neutral as to political purposes and entirely obedient to all recognized authority.
It will not be overlooked by the student that Bahá'u'lláh is the oniy religious teacher making obedience to just governments and rulers a definite spiritual command.
In this brief analysis of the several features of the Bahá'í system of administration the purpose is rather to place in the hands or the believers themselves a convenient summary of the available instructions than to clarify this aspect of the teachings to the non-BabA'i. Until one has made contact with the spirit of the Bahá'í teachings and desires to cooperate wholeheartedly with their purpose, the administrative phase of the Faith can have little real meaning or appeal.
At the time of the passing of tAbdu'1-BaM, the organization was fully defined but not yet established among His followers. The responsibility for carrying out the instructions was placed by tAbdu'1-BaM upon His grandson, Shoghi Effendi, to whom was assigned the function of "Guard-ian of the Cause." Obedience to the authority of the Guardian was definitely enjoined upon all Baha by tAbdu'1-Bah4, but this authority carries with it nothing of an arbitrary or personal character, being limited as to purpose and method by the writings of Bahá'u'lláh and ~Abd'IBh' The Guardian unifies the efforts to bring 181
Page 182into complete application those principles of world administration already clearly defined.
To assist the Guardian in his manifold responsibilities and duties and particularly in the promotion of the teaching work, tAb-du'1-Bahi provided for the appointment of a group of coworkers to be known as "The Hands of the Cause of God."
The appointment of this body is a function of the Guardian, and these from their own number are to elect nine persons who will be closely associated with the Guardian in the discharge of his duties.
It is the function of the Guardian also to appoint his own successor, this appointment to be ratified by the nine Hands of the Cause.
It is the genius of the Bahá'í Faith that the principle underlying the administration of its affairs aims to improve the life and uphuild the character of the individual believer in his own local community, wherever it may be, and not to enhance the prestige of those relatively few who, by election or appointment, hold positions of higher authority.
Bahá'í authority is measured by self-sacrifice and not by arbitrary power.
This fundamental aim can be seen clearly on studying the significant emphasis which tAbdu'1-BahA placed upon the local Bahá'í community. The local group, involving as it does men and women in all the normal activities and relations of life, is the foundation upon which rests the entire evolution of the Cause. The local Bahá'í community is given official recognition oniy after its number of adult declared believers has become nine or more.
Up to this point, the community exists as a voluntary group of workers and students of the Cause.
In this connection, the word ttcommu-nity" is not used in the sense of any local-fry, exclusively Bahá'í in membership, nor of any manner of living differing outwardly from the general environment, such as has been attempted by religionists and also members of philosophic and economic movements in the past.
A Bahá'í community is a unity of minds and hearts, an association of people entirely vdluntary in character, established upon a common experience of devotion to the universal aims of Bahá'u'lláh and agreement as to the methods by which these aims can be advanced.
A Baha community differs from other voluntary gatherings in that its foundation is so deeply laid and broadly extended that it can include any sincere soul. Whereas other associations are exclusive, in effect if not in intention, and from method if not from ideal, Bahá'í association is inclusive, shutting the gates of fellowship to no sincere soul. In every gathering there is latent or developed some basis of selection.
In religion this basis is a creed limited by the historical nature of its origin; in politics this is party or platform; in economics this is a mutual misfortune or mutual power; in the arts and sciences this basis consists of special training or activity or interest.
In all these matters, the more exclusive the basis of selection, the stronger the move-ncwnt � a condition diametrically opposed to that existing in the Bahá'í Cause. Hence the Cause, for all its spirit of growth and progress, develops siowiy as regards the numbers of its active adherents. For people are accustomed to exclusiveness and division in all affairs.
The important sanctions have ever been warrants and justifications of division.
To enter the Bahá'í religion is to leave these sanctions behind � an experience which at first invariably exposes one to new trials and sufferings, as the human ego revolts against the supreme sanction of universal love. The scientific must associate with the simple and unlearned, the rich with the poor, the white with the colored, the mystic with the literalist, the Christian with the Jew, the Muslim with the Parsee: and on terms removing the advantage of long established presumptions and privileges.
But for this difficult experience there are glorious compensations. Let us remember that art grows sterile as it turns away from the common humanity, that philosophy likewise loses its vision when developed in solitude, and that politics and religion never succeed apart from the general needs of mankind. Human nature is not yet known, for we have all lived in a state of mental, moral, emotional or social defense, and the psychology of defense is the psychology of inhibition. But the love of God removes
Page 183fear; the removal of fear establishes the latent powers, and association with others in spiritual love brings these powers into vital, positive expression.
A Bahá'í community is a gathering where this process can take place in this age, siowiy at first, as the new impetus gathers force, more rapidly as the members become conscious of the powers unfolding the flower of unity among men.
Where the community is small and insignificant, in comparison with the population of the city or town, the first condition of growth is understanding of the Manifestation of Bahá'u'lláh, and the next condition is that of true humility. If these two conditions exist, the weakest soul becomes en-ciowed with effective power in service to the Cause. The result of unity, in fact, is to share the powers and faculties of all with each.
The responsibility for and supervision of Local Bahá'í affairs is vested in a body known as the Spiritual Assembly. This body (limited to nine members) is elected annually on April 21st, the first day of Ridy ~in (the Festival commemorating the Declaration of Bahá'u'lláh) by the adult declared believers of the community, the voting list being drawn up by the outgoing Spiritual
Assembly. Concerningthe character and fuActions of this body, cAbdut. BaM has written as follows: tcIt is incumbent upon everyone (every believer) not to take any step (of Bahá'í activity) without consulting the Spiritual Assembly, and they must assuredly obey with heart and soui its bidding and be submissive unto it, that things may be properly ordered and well arranged. Otherwise every person will act independently and, after his own judgment, will follow his own desire, and do harm to the Cause.
"The prime requisites for them that take counsel together are purity of motive, radiance of spirit, detachment from all cisc save God, attraction to His divine fragrance, humility and lowliness amongst His loved ones, patience and longsuffering in difficulties and servitude to His exalted Threshold. Should they be graciously aided to acquire these attributes, victory from the unseen Kingdom of Bah4 shall be vouchsafed safed to them. In this day, Assemblies of consultation arc of the greatest importance and a vital necessity. Obedience unto them is essential and obligatory. The members thereof must take counsci together in such wise that no occasion for ill-feeling or discord may arise. This can be attained when every member expresses with absolute freedom his own opinion and setteth forth his argument.
Should anyQne oppose, he must on no account feel hurt, for not until matters are fully discussed can the right way be revealed.
The shining spark of truth cometh forth only after the clash of differing opinions. If after discussion a decision be carried unanimously, well and good; but if, the Lord forbid, differences of opinion should arise, a majority of voices must prevail.
t~Th first condition is absolute iove and harmony amongst the members of the Assembly. They must be wholly free from estrangement and must manifest in themselves the Unity of God, for they are the waves of one sea, the drops of one river, the stars of one heaven, the rays of one sun, the trees of one orchard, the flowers of one garden.
Should harmony of thought and absolute unity be nonexistent, that gathering shall be dispersed and that Assembly be brought to naught.
"The second condition: They must when coming together turn their faces to the Kingdom on high and ask aid from the realm of Glory. Discussions must all be confined to spiritual matters that pertain to the training of souis, the instruction of children, the relief of the poor, the help of the feeble throughout all classes in the world, kindness to all peoples, the diffusion of the fragrances of God and the exaltation of
His Holy Word. Shouldthey endeavor to fulfil these conditions the grace of the Holy Spirit shall be vouchsafed unto them and that Assembly shall become the center of the divine blessings, and hosts of divine confirmation shall come to their aid, and they shall day by day receive a new effusion of spirit."
The letters of Shoghi Effendi quote the fundamental instructions contained in the writings of Bahá'u'lláh and CAbd 'lBh' on the character of Bahá'í administration, and
Page 184give them definite application: "A careful study of Bahá'u'lláh's and tAbdu'1-BaM's Tablets will reveal that other duties (besides teaching the Cause), no less vital to the interests of the Cause, devolve upon the elected representatives of the friends in every locality.
'~They must endeavor to promote amity and concord amongst the friends and secure an active and wholehearted cooperation for the service of the Cause.
"They must do their utmost to extend at all times the helping hand to the poor, the sick, the disabled, the orphan, the widow, irrespective of color, caste and creed.
(cThey must promote by every means in their power the material as well as spiritual enlightenment of youth, the means for the education of children; institute, whenever possible, Baha educational institutions; organize and supervise their work, and provide the best means for their progress and development.
ccThey must bend every effort to promote the interests of the Mashriqu'1 � Adhkir (that is, House of Worship) 1 and hasten the day when the work of this glorioss Edifice2 will have been consummated.
!cThey must encourage and stimulate by every means at their command, through subscriptions, reports and articles, the development of the various Bahá'í magazines.
ttThey must undertake the arrangement of the regular meetings of the friends, the feasts and anniversaries, as well as the special gatherings designed to serve and promote the social, intellectual and spiritual interests of their fellowmen.
"They must supervise in these days when the cause is still in its infancy all Bahá'í publications and translations, and provide in general for a dignified and accurate presentation of all Bahá'í literature and its distribution to the general public.
tcThese rank among the most outstanding obligations of the members of every
Spiritual Assembly. Inwhatever locality the Cause has sufficiently expanded, and in order to insure efficiency and avoid confusion, each of these manifold functions 1 Referring particularly to Spiritual Assemblies in America.
2 On the shore of Lakewill have to be referred to a special Committee, responsible to that Assembly, elected by it from among the friends in that local-fry, and upon whose work the Assembly will have to exercise constant and general supervision.
CCIn every locality, be it city or hamlet, where the number of adult declared believers exceed nine, a local Spiritual Assembly must be forthwith established.
(cAs the progress and extension of spiritual activities is dependent and conditioned upon material means, it is of absolute necessity that immediately after the establishment of local as well as national Spiritual Assemblies, a Bahá'í Fund be established, to be placed under the exclusive control of the
Spiritual Assembly. Alldonations and contributions should be offered to the Treasurer of the Assembly, for the express purpose of promoting the interests of the Cause throughout that locality or country. It is the sacred obligation of every conscientious and faithful servant of Bahá'u'lláh, who desires to see His Cause advance, to contribute freely and generously for the increase of that Fund. The members of the Spiritual Assembly will at their own discretion expand it to promote the teaching campaign, to help the needy, to establish educational Bahá'í institutions, to extend in every way their sphere of service.
ceNothing whatever should be given to the public by any individual among the friends, unless fully considered and approved by the Spiritual Assembly in his locality; and, if this (as is undoubtedly the case) is a matter that pertains to the general interests of the Cause in that land, then it is incumbent upon the Spiritual Assembly to submit it to the consideration and approval of the National Body representing all the various local Assemblies.
Not only with regard to publication, but all matters without any exception whatsoever, regarding the interests of the Cause in that locality, individually or collectively, should be referred exclusively to the Spiritual Assembly in that locality, which shall decide upon it, unless it be a matter of national interest, in which case it shall be referred to the National
(Baha'i) Body. With this NationalTHE WORLD ORDER OF BAHÁ'U'LLÁH 185
whether a given question is of local or national interest. (By national affairs is not meant matters that are political in their character, for the friends of God the world over are strictly forbidden to meddle with political affairs in any way whatever, but rather things that affect the spiritual activities of the body of the friends in that land.)
"Full harmony, however, as well as cooperation among the various local Assemblies and the members themselves, and particularly between each Assembly and the National Body is of the utmost importance, for upon it depends the unity of the Cause of God, the solidarity of the friends, the full, speedy and efficient working of the spiritual activities of His loved ones.
"The various Assemblies, local and national, constitute today the bedrock upon the strength of which the
Universal House (of Justice)is in future to be firmly established and raised.
Not until these function vigorously and harmoniously can the hope for the termination of this period of transition be realized. Bear in mind that the keynote of the Cause of God is not dictatorial authority, but humble fellowship; not arbitrary power, but the spirit of frank and loving consultation.
Nothing short of the spirit of a true Bahá'í can hope to reconcile the principles of mercy and justice, of freedom and submission, of the sanctity of the right of the individual and of self-surrender, of vigilance, discretion and prudence on the one hand, and fellowship, candor, and courage on the other."
Experience in the life of a Bahá'í community and participation in the details of its several activities impresses one with the fact that Bahá'í unity has in it new elements which work powerfully to expand one's area of sympathy, deepen one's insight, develop one's character and bring order and stability into all of one's affairs.
There can be no higher privilege than the experience of attempting to serve faithfully upon a Spiritual Assembly, conscious as its members are of the unique standard upheld by ~Abdu'1 � Bah4 and bringing as it does the opportunity of dealing with a large range and diversity of human problems from an impersonal point of view. It is inevitable that the nine elected members shall exemplify diverse interests and types of character, with the result that unity of heart and conscience with the other eight members is a direct training to enter into spiritual unity with the larger body of mankind. No such schools of discipline and inspiration exist on earth today, for one must bear in mind that a Bahá'í community can never be an exclusive group nor a closed circle of interests but, on the contrary, its fundamental purpose is to unify and cooperate with every possible element in the surrounding population.
The local Spiritual Assemblyafter election organizes by electing from its own number a chairman, corresponding secretary, recording secretary and treasurer. It should appoint from its own members or from the local Bahá'í community working committees responsible for the various permanent activities of the Cause.
Since a Spiritual Assemblyis established upon a new and higher ideal, the character, knowledge and purity of its members is essential to success.
Wherever personal ambition, narrowness or impurity enters a Spiritual Assembly, the results are invariably to check the growth of the Cause and, if these conditions are prolonged, to destroy the foundation already laid. The careful student of the teachings will accept this result as one more vindication of the all-surround-ing spirit protecting this Faith. The elimination of an unworthy group from the Bahá'í Cause would be a bitter disappointment but not an evidence that the Cause had failed.
On the contrary, the Cause could only be declared a failure if personal ambition, pride, narrowness and impurity should so prevail as to build a worldwide organization able to pervert the original purpose.
The local Spiritual Assembliesof a country are linked together and coordinated through another elected body of nine members, the
National Spiritual Assembly.This body comes into being by means of an annual election held by elected delegates representing the local Bahá'í communities. The delegates are elected by all the adult declared believers of a community in which a Spiritual Assembly exists. The National
Page 186Convention in which the delegates are gathered together is composed of an elective body based upon the principle of proportional representation.
The total number of delegates is fixed by Shoghi Effendi for each country, and this number is fulfilled by assigning to each local community the number of delegates called for by its relative numerical strength. These National Conventions are preferably held during the period of Ridvan, the twelve days beginning April 21, which commemorate the Declaration made by Bahá'u'lláh in the Garden of Ridvan near Baghd~d.
The recognition of delegates is vested in the outgoing
National Spiritual Assembly.is an occasion for deepening one's understanding of Bahá'í activities and of sharing reports of national and local activities for the period of the elapsed year. It has been the custom to hold a public Baha Congress in connection with the Convention. The function of a Bahá'í delegate is limited to the duration of the National Convention and participation in the election of the new National
Spiritual Assembly. Whilegathered together, the delegates are a consultative and advisory body whose recommendations are to be carefully considered by the members of the elected
National Spiritual Assembly.Delegates unable to attend the Convention in person are permitted to vote for the new National Spiritual Assembly by mail.
The relation of the National Spiritual Assembly to the local Spiritual Assemblies and to the body of the believers in the country is thus defined in the letters of the Guardian of the
Cause:"Regarding the establishment of National Assemblies, it is of vital importance that in every country, where the conditions are f a-vorable and the number of the friends has grown and reached a considerable size � that a National Spiritual Assembly be immediately established, representative of the friends throughout that country.
"Its immediate purpose is to stimulate, unify and coordinate, by frequent personal consultations, the manifold activities of the friends as well as the local Assemblies; and by keeping in close and constant touch with the Holy Land, initiate measures, and direct in general the affairs of the Cause in that country.
"It serves also another purpose, no less essential than the first, as in the course of time it shall evolve into the
National House of Justice(referred to in tAbdu'1-BaM's Will as the cSecondary House of Justice') which according to the explicit text of the Testament will have, in conjunction with the other National Assemblies throughout the Bahá'í world, to elect directly the members of the International or Universal House of
Justice, that SupremeCouncil that will guide, organize and unify the affairs of the Movement throughout the world.
(cTbis National Spiritual Assembly which, pending the establishment of the Universal House of Justice, will have to be reelected once a year, obviously assumes grave responsibilities for it has to exercise full authority over all the local Assemblies in its province, and will have to direct the activities of the friends, guard vigilantly the Cause of God, and control and supervise the affairs of the Movement in general.
ccVital issues, affecting the interests of the Cause in that country, such as the matter of translation and publication, the Mashriqu'l-Adhkar, the teaching work, and other similar matters that stand distinct from strictly local affairs, must be under the full jurisdiction of the National Assembly.
ttlt will have to refer each of these questions, even as the local Assemblies, to a special committee, to be elected by the members of the National Spiritual Assembly from among all the friends in that country, which will bear to it the same relations as the local committees bear to their respective local Assemblies.
"With it, too, rests the decision whether a certain point at issue is strictly local in its nature, and should be reserved for the consideration and decision of the local Assembly, or whether it should fall under its own province and be a matter which ought to receive its special attention.
cdt is the bounden duty, in the interest of the Cause we all love and serve, of the members of the incoming National Assembly, once elected by the delegates at Convention time, to seek and have the utmost regard,
Page 187THE WORLD ORDER OF BAHÁ'U'LLÁH 187
individually as well as collectively, for. the advice, the considered opinion and the true sentiments of the assembled delegates.
Banishing every vestige of secrecy, of undue reticence, of dictatorial aloofness from their midst, they should radiantly and abundantly unfold to the eyes of the delegates by whom they were elected, their plans, their hopes and their cares. They should familiarize the delegates with the various matters that will have to be considered in the current year, and calmly and conscientiously study and weigh the opinions and judgments of the delegates.
The newly elected National Assembly, during the few days when the Convention is in session, and after the dispersion of the delegates, should seek ways and means to cultivate understanding, facilitate and maintain the exchange of views, deepen confidence, and vindicate by every tangible evidence their one desire to serve and advance the common weal.
"The National SpiritualAssembly, however, in view of the unavoidable limitations imposed upon the convening of frequent and longstanding sessions of the Convention, will have to retain in its hands the final decision on all matters that affect the interests of the Cause � such as the right to decide whether any local Assembly is functioning in accordance with the principles laid down for the conduct and the advancement of the Cause.
t~The seating of delegates to the Convention (that is, the right to decide upon the validity of the credentials of the delegates at a given Convention), is vested in the outgoing National Assembly, and the right to decide who has the voting privilege is also ultimately placed in the hands of the National Spiritual Assembly, either when a Local Spiritual Assembly is for the first time being formed in a given locality, or when differences arise between a new applicant and an already established local Assembly.
tt'Mere the National Spiritual Assembly to decide, after mature deliberation, to omit the holding of the Bahá'í Convention and Congress in a given year, then they could, only in such a case, devise ways and means to insure that the annual election of the National Spiritual Assembly should be held by mail, provided it can be conducted with sufficient thoroughness, efficiency and dispatch.
It would also appear to me unobjectionable to enable and even to require in the last resort such delegates as cannot possibly undertake the journey to the seat of the Bahá'í Convention to send their votes, for the election of the
National Spiritual AssemblyConcerning the matter of drawing up the voting list to be used at the annual local Bahá'í elections, the responsibility for this is placed upon each local Spiritual Assembly, and as a guidance in the matter the Guardian has written the following: "To state very briefly and as adequately as present circumstances permit, the principal factors that must be taken into consideration before deciding whether a person may be regarded a true believer or not: Full recognition of the station of the
Forerunner, the Authorand the True Exemplar of the Bahá'í Cause, as set forth in ~ Will and Testament; unreserved acceptance of and submission to whatsoever has been revealed by their Pen; loyal and steadfast adherence to every clause of our Beloved's sacred Will; and close association with the spirit as well as the form of the presentday Bahá'í administration � these I conceive to be the fundamental and primary considerations that must be fairly, discreetly and thoughtfully ascertained before reaching such a vital decision.~~ Abdu'l-Bahá'í instructions provide for the further development of Bahá'í organization through an International Spiritual Assembly to be elected by the members of the National
Spiritual Assemblies.This international body has not yet come into existence, but its special character has been clearly defined: ttAnd now, concerning the Assembly (Baytu~1~~CAd~1: that is, House of Justice) which God bath ordained as the source of all good and freed from all error, it must be elected by universal suffrage, that is, by the believers.
Its members must be manifestations of the fear of God, and daysprings of knowledge and understanding, must be steadfast in God's Faith, and the well-wishers of all mankind. By this Assembly is meant the
Universal Assembly:that is, in each country a secondary Assembly must be instituted, and these secondary Assemblies must elect the members of the Universal one.
"Unto this body all things must be referred. It enacteth all ordinances and regulations that are not to be found in the explicit Holy Text.
By this body all the difficult problems are to be resolved, and the Guardian of the Cause is its sacred head and the distinguished member, for life, of that body.
Should he not attend in person its deliberations, he must appoint one to represent him. This assembly enacteth the laws and the executive enforceth them. The legislative body must reinforce the executive, the executive must aid and assist the legislative body, so that, through the close union and harmony of these two forces, the foundation of fairness and justice may become firm and strong, that all the regions of the world may become even as Paradise itself.
ccUntO the Most Holy Book everyone must turn, and all that is not expressly recorded therein must be referred to the Universal Assembly. That which this body, either unanimously or by a majority, doth carry, that is verily the truth and the purpose of God Himself. Whoso doth deviate therefrom is verily of them that love discord, hath shown forth malice and turned away from the Lord of the Covenant."
Even at the present time, the Bahá'ís in all parts of the world maintain an intimate and cordial association by means of regular correspondence and individual visits.
This contact of members of different races, nationalities and religious traditions is concrete proof that the burden of prejudice and the historical factors of division can be entirely overcome through the spirit of oneness established by Bahá'u'lláh.
The general student of religion will not fail to note four essential characteristics of Bahá'í administration. The first is its completely successful reconciliation of the usually opposed claims of democratic freedom and unanswerable authority.
The second is the entire absence from the Bahá'í Cause of anything approaching the institution of a salaried professional clergy. The Bahá'í conception ception of religion i�s one which combines mysticism, which is a sacred personal experience, with practical morality, which is a useful contact between the individual and his fellow man. In the nature of things, some souL are more advanced than others, and the function of spiritual teaching is given special importance in the writings of Bahá'u'lláh and CAbd~1Bh~ The Bahá'í teacher, however, has no authority over the individual conscience.
The individual conscience must be subordinated to the decisions of a duly elected Spiritual Assembly, but this relationship is entirely different in character and results from the relationship of an individual with minister or priest.
The third characteristic is the absence of internal factionalism, that bane of all organized effort, and the sure sign of the presence of spiritual disease.
The predominant spirit of unity which distinguishes the Bahá'í Cause in its relation to the world, making its followers strive for reconciliation rather than partisan victory, creates an internal condition, unlike that which exists in movements whibh accept partisan victory, in one or another form, as their very reason for being. Such movements can but disintegrate from within; the Bahá'í Order can but grow.
Significant also is the fourth characteristic, namely, that the Bahá'í Cause has within it an inherent necessity operating slowly but surely to bring its administration into the hands of those truly fitted for the nature of the work.
The lesser vision gives way invariably for the larger vision, itself replaced by the still larger vision in due time. The result is an inevitable improvement in the qualities placed at the service of the Cause, until the highest attributes of humanity will be enrolled.
In the Bahá'í Cause we are actually witnessing the fulfilment of that strange and cryptic saying, ttThe meek shall inherit the earth."
That the administrative machinery is not an end in itself but merely the means to spread everywhere the light of faith and brotherhood, is frequently expressed by the Guardian in his general letters, and this brief survey may well close with one of those passages:
Page 189THE WORLD ORDER OF BAHÁ'U'LLÁH 189
fCNot by the force of numbers, not by the mere exposition of a set of new and noble principles, not by an organized campaign of teaching � no matter how worldwide and elaborate in its character � not even by the staunchness of our faith or the exaltati6n of our enthusiasm, can we ultimately hope to vindicate in the eyes of a critical and skeptical age the supreme claim of the Abhd Revel ation.
One thing and only one thing will unfailingly and alone secure the undoubted triumph of this sacred Cause, namely the extent to which our own inner life and private character mirror forth in their manifold asftects the splendor of those eternal principles proclaimed by Bahá'u'lláh."
A PROCEDURE FOR THE CONDUCT OF THE LOCALAdopted by the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of the
United States and CanadatCA perusal of some of the words of Bahá'u'lláh and tAbdu'1-Bahi on the duties and functions of the Spiritual Assemblies in every land (later to be designated as the local Houses of Justice), emphatically reveals the sacredness of their nature, the wide scope of their activity, and the grave responsibility which rests upon them." � SHOGHI EFFENDI, March 5, 1922.
"The Lord hath ordained that in every city a House of Justice be established wherein shall gather counsellors to the number of Bah4.
It behooveth them to be the trusted ones of the Merciful among men and to regard themselves as the guardians appointed of God for all that dwell on earth. It is incumbent upon them to take counsel together and to have regard for the interests of the servants of God, for His sake, even as they regard their own interests, and to choose that which is meet and seemly. Thus hath the Lord your God commanded you. Beware lest ye put away that which is clearly revealed in His Tablet. Fear God, 0 ye that perceive." �
BAHÁ'Í 'LLAH"It is incumbent upon every one not to take any step without consulting the Spiritual Assembly, and they must assuredly obey with heart and soui its bidding and be submissive unto it, that things may be properly ordered and well arranged. Otherwise wise every person will act independently and after his own judgment, will follow his own desire, and do harm to the Cause.
"The prime requisites for them that take counsel together are purity of motive, radiance of spirit, detachment from all else save God, attraction to His Divine Fragrance, humility and lowliness amongst His loved ones, patience and longsuffering in diflicul-ties and servitude to His exalted Threshold. Should they be graciously aided to acquire these attributes, victory from the unseen Kingdom of Baha shall be vouchsafed to them. In this day, Assemblies of consultation are of the greatest importance and a vital necessity.
Obedience unto them is essential and obligatory.The members thereof must take counsel together in such wise that no occasion for ill-feeling or discord may arise. This can be attained when every member expresseth with absolute freedom his own opinion and setteth forth his argument. Should any one oppose, he must on no account feel hurt for not until matters are fully discussed can the right way be revealed.
The shining spark of truth cometh forth only after the clash of differing opinions. If, after discussion, a decision be carried unanimously, well and good; but if, the Lord forbid, differences of opinion should arise a majority of voices must prevail.
ttTh first condition is absolute iove and harmony amongst the members of the Assembly. They must be wholly free from estrangement and must manifest in them
Page 190selves the Unity of God, for they are the waves of one sea, the drops of one river, the stars of one heaven, the rays of one sun, the trees of one orchard, the flowers of one garden. Should harmony of thought and absolute unity be nonexistent, that gathering shall be dispersed and that Assembly be brought to naught. The second condition: � They must when coming together turn their faces to the Kingdom on High and ask aid from the Realm of Glory. They must then proceed with the utmost devotion, courtesy, dignity, care and moderation to express their views. They must in every matter search out the truth and not insist upon their own opinion, for stubbornness and persistence in one's views will lead ultimately to discord and wrangling and the truth will remain hidden. The honored members must with all freedom express their own thoughts, and it is in no wise permissible for one to belittle the thought of another, nay, he must with moderation set forth the truth, and should differences of opinion arise a majority of voices must prevail, and all must obey and submit to the majority.
It is again not permitted that any one of the honored members object to or censure, whether in or out of the meeting, any decision arrived at previously, though that decision be not right, for such criticism would prevent any decision from being enforced.
In short, whatsoever thing is arranged in harmony and with love and purity of motive, its result is light, and should the least trace of estrangement prevail the re � suit shall be darkness upon darkness.
If this be so regarded, that Assembly shall be of God, but otherwise it shall lead to cooiness and alienation that proceed from the Evil One. Discussions must all be confined to spiritual matters that pertain to the training of souis, the instruction of children, the relief of the poor, the help of the feeble throughout all classes in the world, kindness to all peoples, the diffusion of the fragrances of God and the exaltation of
His Holy Word. Shouldthey endeavor to fulfil these conditions the Grace of the Holy Spirit shall be vouchsafed unto them, and that Assembly shall become the center of the Divine blessings, the hosts of Divine confirmation shall come to their aid and they shall day by day receive a new effusion of ~ C(T1~e importance, nay the absolute necessity of these local Assemblies is manifest when we realize that in the days to come they will evolve into the local House of Justice, and at present provide the firm foundation on which the structure of the Master's 'Will is to be reared in future.
"In order to avoid division and disruption, that the Cause may not fall a prey to conflicting interpretations, and lose thereby its purity and pristine vigor, that its affairs may be conducted with efficiency and promptness, it is necessary that every one (that is, every member of the Bahá'í community) should conscientioudy take an active part in the election of these Assemblies, abide by their decision, enforce their decree, and cooperate with them wholeheartedly in their task of stimulating the growth of the Movement throughout all regions.
The members of these Assemblies. on their part, must disregard utterly their own likes and dislikes, their personal interests and inclinations, and concentrate their minds upon those measures that will conduce to the welfare and happiness of the Bahá'í community and promote the common weal." � Snocnr EFFENDI, March 12, 1923.
"Let us recall His explicit and often-repeated assurance that every Assembly elected in that rarified atmosphere of selflessness and detachment is, in truth, appointed of God, that its verdict is truly inspired, that one and all should submit to its decision unreservedly and with cheerfulness.
" � SHOGHI EFFENDI, FebruaryThe various functions of the local Spiritual Assembly, and its nature as a constitutional body, are duly set forth in Article VII of the ByLaws of the National Spiritual Assembly, and are more definitely defined in the ByLaws of a local Spiritual Assembly approved by the National Spiritual Assembly and recommended by the
Page 191THE WORLD ORDER OF BAHÁ'U'LLÁH 191 Guardian. Each local Spiritual
Assembly, and all members of the local Bahá'í community, shall be guided and controlled by the provisions of those
ByLaws.In addition to its observance of the general functions vested in the institution of a Spiritual Assembly, each Spiritual Assembly has need of a procedure for the conduct of its meetings.
The following items represent the outline of the parliamentary rules of procedure which the National Spiritual Assembly has adopted and recommends to each and every local Spiritual Assembly throughout the
United States and Canada.A meeting of the Spiritual Assembly is valid oniy when it has been duly called, that is, when each and every member has been informed of the time and place. The general practice is for the Assembly to decide upon some regular time and place for its meetings throughout the Bahá'í year, and this decision when recorded in the Minutes is sufficient notice to the members.
When the regular schedule cannot be followed, or the need arises for a special meeting, the secretary, on request by the chairman or any three inembers of the Spiritual Assembly, should send due notice to all the members.
Order of BusinessRoll call by the Secretary (or Recording Secretary).
Prayer.Reading and approval of Minutes of previous meetings.
Report of Secretary (or Corresponding Secretary), including presentation of letters received by the Assembly since its last meeting, and of any and all recommendations duly adopted by the community at the last Nineteen
Day Feast.New business, including conferences with members of the community and with applicants for enrollment as members of the community.
Closing Prayer.A Spiritual Assembly, in maintaining its threefold function of a body given (within the limits of its jurisdiction) an executive, a legislative and a judicial capacity, is charged with responsibility for initiating action and making decisions.
Its meetings, therefore, revolve around various definite matters which require deliberation and collective decision, and it is incumbent upon the members, one and all, to address themselves to the subject under discussion and not engage in general speeches of an irrelevant character.
Every subject or problem before an Assembly is most efficiently handled when the following process is observed: first, ascertainment and agreement upon the facts; second, agreement upon the spiritual or administrative Teachings which the question involves; third, full and frank discussion of the matter, leading up to the offering of a resolution; and fourth, voting upon the resolution.
A resolution, or motion, is not subject to discussion or vote until duly made and seconded. It is preferable to have each resolution clear and complete in itself, but when an amendment is duly made and seconded, the chairman shall call for a vote on the amendment first and then on the original motion. An amendment must be relevant to, and not contravene, the subject matter of the motion.
The chairman, or other presiding officer, has the same power and responsibility for discussion and voting upon motions as other members of the Assembly.
Discussion of any matter before the Assembly may be terminated by a motion duly made, seconded and voted calling upon the chairman to put the matter to a vote or to proceed to the next matter on the agenda. The purpose of this procedure is to prevent any member or members from prolonging the discussion beyond the point at which full opportunity has been given all members to express their views.
'When the Assembly has taken actionupon any matter, the action is binding upon all members, whether present or absent from the meeting at which the action was taken. Individual views and opinions must be subordinated to the will of the Assembly when a decision has been made. A Spiritual Assembly is an administrative unit, as it is a spiritual unit, and therefore no distinction between ttmajority~~ and "minority" groups or factions can be recognized.
Each member must give undivided loyalty to the institution to which he or she has been elected.
Any action taken by the Assembly can be reconsidered at a later meeting, on motion duly made, seconded and carried. This reconsideration, according to the result of the consultation, may lead to a revision or the annulment of the prior action. If a majority is unwilling to reconsider the prior action, further discussion of the matter by any member is improper.
The Assembly has a responsibility in filling a vacancy caused by the inability of any member to attend the meetings. "It is only too obvious that unless a member can attend regularly the meetings of his local Assembly, it would be impossible for him to discharge the duties incumbent upon him, and to fulfil his responsibilities as a representative of the community. Membership in a local Spiritual Assembly carries with it, indeed, the obligation and capacity to remain in close touch with Local Bahá'í activities, and ability to attend regularly the sessions of the Assembly." � SHOGHI EFFENDI, January 27, 1935.
The Spiritual Assembly, as a permanent body, is responsible for maintaining all its records, including Minutes of meetings, correspondence and financial records, throughout its existence as a Bahá'í institution. Each officer, therefore, on completing his or her term of office, shall turn over to the Assembly all records pertaining to the business of the
Assembly.A. The institution of the Nineteenth Day Feast provides the recognized and regular occasion for genera] consultation on the part of the community, and for consulta tion between the Spiritual Assembly and the members of the community. The conduct of the period of consultation at Nineteen Day Feasts is a vital function of each Spiritual Assembly.
From Words of tAbdu~1~BaM,was inaugurated by the BTh and ratified by Bahá'u'lláh, in His Holy Book, the Aqdas, so that people may gather together and outwardly show fel � lowship and love, that the Divine mysteries may be disclosed.
The object is concord, that through this fellowship hearts may become perfectly united, and reciprocity and mutual helpfulness be established. Because the members of the world of humanity are unable to exist without being banded together, cooperation and helpfulness is the basis of human society. Without the realization of these two great principles no great movement is pressed forward." London, England, December 29, 1912. (Quoted in BAHÁ'Í NEWS No. 33.)
The Nineteen Day Feasihas been described by the Guardian as the foundation of the World Order of Bahá'u'lláh.
It is to be conducted according to the following program: the first part, entirely spiritual in character, is devoted to readings from Bahá'í Sacred 'Writings; the second part consists of general consultation on the affairs of the Cause. The third part is the material feast and social meeting of all the believers, and should maintain the spiritual nature of the Feast.
Bahá'ís should regard this Feast as the very heart of their spiritual activity, their participation in the mystery of the Holy Utterance, their steadfast unity one with another in a universality raised high above the limitations of race, class, nationality, sect, and personality, and their privilege of contributing to the power of the Cause in the realm of collective action.
March 21THE WORLD ORDER OF BAHÁ'U'LLÁH 193
The Spiritual Assemblycalendar for some adequate reason cannot be observed, the Assembly may arrange to hold a Feast at the nearest possible date.
Only members of the Bahá'í community, and visiting Bahá'ís from other communities, may attend these meetings, but young people of less than twenty-one years of age, who have studied the Teachings and declared their intention of joining the community on reaching the age of twenty-one, may also attend.
Regular attendance at the Nineteen Day Feast is incumbent upon every Baha'i, illness or absence from the city being the only justification for absence. Believers are expected to arrange their personal affairs so as to enable them to observe the Bahá'í calendar.
Order of Business for theThe chairman or other appointed representative of the Spiritual Assembly presides during the period of consultation.
The Spiritual Assemblyreports to the community whatever communications have been received from the Guardian and the National Spiritual Assembly, and provides opportunity for general discussion.
The Assembly likewise reports its own activities and plans, including committee appointments that may have been made since the last Feast, the financial report, arrangements made for public meetings, and in general share with the community all matters that concern the Faith.
These reports are to be followed by general consultation.
A matter of vital importance at this meeting is consideration of national and international Bahá'í affairs, to strengthen the capacity of the community to cooperate in promotion of the larger Bahá'í interests and to deepen the understanding of all believers concerning the relation of the local community to the Bahá'í World Community.
Individual Bahá'ís are to find in the Nineteen Day Feast the channel through which to make suggestions and recommen dations to the National
Spiritual Assembly. Theserecommendations are offered first to the local community, and when adopted by the community come before the local Assembly, which then may in its discretion forward the recommendation to the National Spiritual Assembly accompanied by its own considered view.
Provision is to be made for reports from committees, with discussion of each report. Finally, the meeting is to be open for suggestions and recommendations from individual believers on any matter affecting the Cause.
The local Bahá'í community may adopt by majority vote any resolution which it wishes collectively to record as its advice and recommendation to the
Spiritual Assembly.Upon each member of the community lies the obligation to make his or her utmost contribution to the consultation, the ideal being a gathering of Baha inspired with one spirit and concentrating upon the one aim to further the interests of the
Faith.The Secretary of the Assembly records each resolution adopted by the community, as well as the various suggestions advanced during the meeting, in order to report these to the Spiritual Assembly for its consideration.
'Whatever action the Assembly takes is to be reported at a later Nineteen
Day Feast.Matters of a personal nature should be brought before the Spiritual Assembly and not to the community at the Nineteen
Day Feast. Concerningthe attitude with which believers should come to these Feasts, the Master has said, CCYOU must free yourselves from everything that is in your hearts, before you enter." (Bahá'í News Letter of the N. S. A. of Germany and Austria, December, 1934.)
B. The Annual Meeting on April 21, called for the election of the Spiritual Assembly, provides the occasion for the presentation of annual reports by the Assembly and by all its Committees.
The chairman of the outgoing Assembly presides at this meeting.
The order of Business includes: Reading of the call of the meeting, reading of appropriate Bahá'í passages bearing upon the
Page 194subject of the election, appointment of tellers, distribution of ballots, prayers for the spiritual guidance of the voters, the election, presentation of annual reports, tellers' report of the election, approval of the tellers' report.
C. The Annual Meeting for the election of Convention delegate (or delegates) is likewise presided over by the Assembly chairman, and except for the annual reports the Order of Business is similar to that observed at the meeting held each April 21. It is preferable for the Spiritual Assembly to arrange a special meeting for the election of delegates, and not hold this election during the consultation period of a Nineteen
Day Feast.D. In addition to these occasions for general consultation, the Spiritual Assembly is to give consultation to individual believers whenever requested.
During such consultation with individual believers, the Assembly should observe the following principles: the impartiality of each of its members with respect to all matters under discussion; the freedom of the individual Bahá'í to express his views, feelings and recommendations on any matter affecting the interests of the Cause, the confidential character of this consultation, and the principle that the Spiritual Assembly does not adopt any resolution or make any final decision, until the party or parties have withdrawn from the meeting.
Appeals from decisions of a local Spiritual Assembly are provided for in the ByLaws and the procedure fully described in a statement published in BAT-L&'i NEWS, February, 1933.
When confronted with evidences of unhappiness, whether directed against the Assembly or against members of the community, the Spiritual Assembly should realize that its relationship to the believers is not merely that of a formal constitutional body but also that of a spiritual institution called upon to manifest the attributes of courtesy, patience and loving insight.
Many conditions are not to be remedied by the exercise of power and authority but rather by a sympathetic understanding of the sources of the difficulty in the hearts of the friends.
As cAbdu~1~BahA has explained, some of the people are children and must be trained, some are ignorant and must be educated, some are sick and must be healed. Where, however, the problem is not of this order but represents flagrant disobedience and disloyalty to the Cause itself, in that case the Assembly should consult with the National Spiritual Assembly concerning the necessity for disciplinary action.
Members of the Bahá'í community, for their part, should do their utmost by prayer and meditation to remain always in a positive and joyous spiritual condition, bearing in mind the Tablets which call upon Bahá'ís to serve the world of humanity and not waste their precious energies in negative complaints.
IV. BAHÁ'Í ANNIVERSARIES,The Spiritual Assembly, among its various duties and responsibilities, will provide for the general observance by the local community of the following
Holy Days:Period of the Fast, nineteen days begin-fling March 2.
Feast of Naw-Riiz (Bahá'í(Approved by the Guardian) Despite the repeated explanations given by the Guardian on this subject, there seems to exist each year, prior to and also during the Convention period, some misunderstanding as to the nature of the Annual
Meeting.In order to establish a definite standard of Convention procedure, the following statement has been approved and adopted, and in accordance with the vote taken by the National Assembly, a copy of the statement is placed in the hands of the presiding officer of the Convention to control the Convention procedure, after being read to the delegates by the officer of the
National Spiritual AssemblyccThe delegates present at this Annual Bahá'í Convention are called upon to render a unique, a vital service to the
Faith of Bahá'u'lláh.Their collective functions and responsibilities are not a matter of arbitrary opinion, but have been clearly described by the Guardian of the Cause. If civil governments have found it necessary to adopt the doctrine that tignorance of the law is no excuse,' how much more essential it is for Baha'is, individually and collectively, to base their responsible actions upon thorough comprehension of the fundamental princi-pies which underlie that Administrative Order which in its maturity is destined to become the World Order of Bahá'u'lláh.
CCC idrble confusion would have been avoided at Conventions held during the past three years had the delegates, and all members of the
National Spiritual Assemblyitself, given sufficient consideration to the fact that BAHÁ'Í Nrws of February, 1930, contained an explanation of the Annual Convention which had been prepared by the National Spiritual Assembly, submitted to Shoghi Effendi, and definitely approved by him. It is because this statement of four years ago has gone unnoticed that successive II This reference to '%eing read to the delegates" was in connection with the
1934 Convention only. Thestatement is here published for the general information of the believers.
Conventions, acting upon some matters as a law unto themselves, have inadvertently contravened the Guardian's clear instructions.
ccThe National Spiritual Assembly now calls attention to two specific portions of the 1930 statement approved by the Guardian which have been neglected in subsequent Conventions: first, the ruling that non-delegates do not possess the right to participate in Convention proceedings; and, second, that the time of the election of members of the National Spiritual Assembly shall be fixed in the Agenda at such a time as to allow the outgoing Assembly full time to report to the delegates, and to allow the rnconiing Assembly to have f till consultation with the assembled delegates.
It is surely evident that a procedure or principle of action once authorized by the Guardian is not subject to alteration by any Bahá'í body or individual believer to whom the procedure directly applies.
"In order to remove other sources of misunderstanding, the National Spiritual Assembly now feels it advisable to point out that the Guardian's letters on the subject of the Convention, received and published in BAHÁ'Í Nrws this year,' do not, as some believers seem to feel, organically change the character and function of the Annual Meeting, but reaffirm and strengthen instructions and explanations previously given. In the light of all the Guardian's references to this subject, compiled and published by the National Spiritual Assembly in BAHÁ'Í NEWS of November, 1933 and February, 1934, the following brief summary has been prepared and is now issued with the soic purpose of contributing to the spiritual unity of the chosen delegates here present: �
~ The Annual Bahá'í Conventionhas two unique functions to fulfill, discussion of current Bahá'í matters and the election of the
National Spiritual Assembly.The discussion should be free and untrammeled, 'February, 1934.
Page 196the election carried on in that spirit of prayer and meditation in which alone every delegate can render obedience to the Guardian s expressed wish.
After the Convention is convened by the Chairman of the National Spiritual Assembly, and after the roll call is read by the Secretary of the Assembly, the Convention proceeds to the election of its chairman and secretary by secret ballot and without advance nomination, according to the standard set for all Bahá'í elections.
"2. Non-delegates may not participate in Convention discussion. All members of the National Spiritual Assembly may participate in the discussion, but oniy those members who have been elected delegates may vote on any matter brought up for vote during the proceedings.
3. The outgoing NationalSpiritual Assembly is responsible for rendering reports of its own activities and of those carried on by its committees during the past year. The annual election is to be held at a point midway during the Convention sessions, so that the incoming Assembly may consult with the delegates.
tC4 The Convention is free to discuss any Baha matter, in addition to those treated in the annual reports.
The Convention is responsible for making its own rules of procedure controlling discussion; for example, concerning any limitations the delegates may find it necessary to impose upon the time allotted to or claimed by any one delegate.
The National Assemblywill maintain the rights of the delegates to confer freely and fully, free from any restricted pressure, in the exercise of their function.
cc~� The Convention as an organic body is limited to the actual Convention period. It has no function to discharge after the close of the sessions except that of electing a member or members to fill any vacancy that might arise in the membership of the National Spiritual Assembly during the year.
~ The Convention while in session has no independent legislative, executive or judicial function.
Aside from its action in electing the National Spiritual Assembly, its discussions do not represent actions but recommendations which shall, according to the Guardian's instructions, be given conscientious consideration by the National Assembly.
7. The National SpiritualAssembly is the supreme Bahá'í administrative body within the American Baha community, and its jurisdiction continues without interruption during the Convention period as during the remainder of the year, and independently of the individuals composing its membership. Any matter requiring action of legislative, executive or judicial nature, whether arising during the Convention pe-nod or at any other time, is to be referred to the National Spiritual
Assembly. The NationalAssembly is responsible for upholding the administrative principles applying to the holding of the Annual Convention as it is for upholding all other administrative principles. If, therefore, a Convention departs from the principles laid down for Conventions by the Guardian, and exceeds the limitations of function conferred upon it, in that case, and in that case alone, the National Spiritual Assembly can and must intervene.
It is the National Spiritual Assembly, and nor the Convention, which is authorized to decide when and why such intervention is required.
CC 8. The National SpiritualAssembly feels that it owes a real duty to the delegates, and to the entire body of believers, in presenting any and all facts that may be required in order to clarify matters discussed at the Convention.
There can be no true Baha consultation at this important meeting if any incomplete or erroneous view should prevail.
"9. The National Assemblyin adopting and issuing this statement does so in the sincere effort to assure the constitutional freedom of the Convention to fulfill its high mission. The path of true freedom lies in knowing and obeying the general principles given to all Bahá'ís for the proper conduct of their collective affairs. While the entire world plunges forward to destruction, it is the responsibility of the National Spiritual Assembly to uphold that Order on which peace and security solely depends."
Page 197A Statement Prepared by the National Spiritual Assembly in Response to the Request for Clarification of the Subject Voiced by the 1933 Annual Convention It is the view of the
National Spiritual Assemblythat the Guardian's references to the nonpolitical character of the Bahá'í Faith, when studied as a whole, are so clear that they can be fully grasped by all believers and rightly applied by all Local
Spiritual Assembliesto any problems they may encounter. Should special circumstances arise, however, the National Assembly will make every effort to assist any Local Assembly to arrive at fuller understanding of this important subject.
The first reference to consider is taken from the letter written by
Shoghi Effendi on March21, 1932, published under the title of "The Golden Age of the Cause of Bahá'u'lláh."
~~]j feel it, therefore, incumbent upon me to stress, now that the time is ripe, the importance of an instruction which, at the present stage of the evolution of our Faith, should be increasingly emphasized, irrespective of its application to the East or to the "West.
And this principle is no other than that which involves the nonparticipation by the adherents of the Faith of Bahá'u'lláh, whether in their individual capacities or collectively as local or national Assemblies, in any form of activity that might be interpreted, either directly or indirectly, as an interference in the political affairs of any particular government.
"Let them refrain from associating themselves, whether by word or by deed, with the political pursuits of their respective nations, with the policies of their governments and the schemes and programs of parties and factions.
In such controversies they should assign no blame, take no side, further no design, and identify themselves with no system prejudicial to the best interests of that worldwide Fellowship which it is their aim to guard and foster.
Let them beware lest they allow themselves to become the tools of unscrupulous politicians, or to be entrapped by the treacherous devices of the plotters and the perfidious among their countrymen.
Let them so shape their lives and regulate their conduct that no charge of secrecy, of fraud, of bribery or of intimidation may, however ill-founded, be brought against them.
It is their duty to strive to distinguish, as clearly as they possibly can, and if needed with the aid of their elected representatives, such posts ~nd functions as are either diplomatic or political, from those that are purely administrative in character, and which under no circumstances are affected by the changes and chances that political activities and party government, in every land, must necessarily involve. Let them affirm their unyielding determination to stand, firmly and unreservedly, for the way of Bahá'u'lláh, to avoid the entanglements and bickerings inseparable from the pursuits of thc politician, and to become worthy agencies of that Divine Polity which incarnates
God's immutable Purpose"Let them proclaim that in whatever country they reside, and however advanced their institutions, or profound their desire to enforce the laws and apply the principles enunciated by Bahá'u'lláh, they will, unhesitatingly, subordinate the operation of such laws and the application of such principles to the requirements and legal enactments of their respective governments.
Theirs is not the purpose, while endeavoring to conduct and perfect the administrative affairs of their Faith, to violate, under any circumstances, the provisions of their country's constitution, much less to allow the machinery of their administration to supersede the government of their respective countries."
This instruction raised the question whether believers should vote in any public election. A Tablet revealed by 'Abdu'l-Bahá to Mr. Thornton Chase was sent to the Guardian, and the following reply was received, dated January 26, 1933: ttThe Guardian fully recognizes the authenticity and controlling influence of this
Page 198instruction from eAbdu~1.~Bahi upon the question. He, however, feels under the responsibility of stating that the attitude taken by the Master (that is, that American citizens are in duty bound to vote in public elections) implies certain reservations.
He, therefore, lays it upon the individual conscience to see that in following the Master's instructions no Bahá'í vote for an officer nor Bahá'í participation in the affairs of the Republic shall involve acceptance by that individual of a program or policy that contravenes any vital principle, spiritual or social, of the Faith." The Guardian added to this letter the following postscript: ccj feel it incumbent upon me to clarify the above statement, written in my behalf, by stating that no vote cast, or office undertaken, by a Bahá'í should necessarily constitute acceptance, by the voter or office holder, of the entire program of any political party. No Bahá'í can be regarded as either a Republican or Democrat, as such. He is, above all cisc, the supporter of the principles enunciated by Bahá'u'lláh, with which, I am firmly convinced, the program of no political party is completely bar-monious.
In a letter dated March 16, 1933, the Guardian sent these further details: CtAS regards the nonpolitical character of the Bahá'í
Faith, Shoghi Effendifeels that there is no contradiction whatsoever between the Tablet (to Thornton Chase, referred to above) and the reservations to which he has referred. The Master surely never desired the friends to use their influence towards the realization and promotion of policies contrary to any of the principles of the Faith.
The friends may vote, if they can do it, without identifying themselves with one party or another.
To enter the arena of party politics is surely detrimental to the best interests of the Faith and will harm the Cause. It remains for the individuals to so use their right to vote as to keep aloof from party politics, and always bear in mind that they are voting on the merits of the individual, rather than because he belongs to one party or another.
The matter must be made perfectly clear to the individuals, who will be left free to exercise their discretion and judgment. But if a certain person does enter into party politics and labors for the ascendency of one party over another, and continues to do it against the expressed appeals and warnings of the Assembly, then the Assembly has the right to refuse him the right to vote in Bahá'í elections.~~
CONCERNING MEMBERSHIP IN NONBAHÁ'Í RELIGIOUSThe instruction written by Shoghi Effendi concerning membership in nonBahá'í religious organizations, published in the July, 1935, number of BAHÁ'Í NEWS, has brought forth some interesting and important communications from local Spiritual Assemblies and also from individual believers, to all of which the National Spiritual Assembly has given careful and sympathetic attention.
The National Assemblyitself, on receiving that instruction, made it the subject of extensive consultation, feeling exceedingly responsible for its own understanding of the Guardian's words and anxious to contribute to the understanding of the friends.
In October, 1935, the Assembly sent in reply to some of these communications a general letter embodying its thoughts on the subject, and a copy of that letter was forwarded to Shoghi Effendi for his approval and comment.
His references to its contents, made in. letters addressed to the National Spiritual Assembly on
November 29 and Decemberapproval has been received, the National Assembly feels it desirable to publish, for the information of all the American believers, the substance of the October letter.
While so fundamental an instruction is bound to raise different questions corresponding to the different conditions existing throughout the Bahá'í community, the most important consideration is our collective need to grasp the essential principle
Page 199THE WORLD ORDER OF BAHÁ'U'LLÁH 199
underlying the new instruction, and our capacity to perceive that the position which the Guardian wishes us to take in regard to church membership is a necessary and inevitable result of the steady development of the World Order of
Bahá'u'lláh.This essential principle is made clear when we turn to Shoghi Effendi's further reference to the subject as published in BAHÁ'Í NEWS for October, 1935 � words written by the Guardian's own hand.
In the light of these words, it seems fully evident that the way to approach this instruction is in realizing the Faith of Bahá'u'lláh as an ever-growing organism destined to become something new and greater than any of the revealed religions of the past. Whereas former raiths inspired hearts and illumined souls, they eventuated in formal religions with an ecclesiastical or � ganization, creeds, rituals and churches, while the Faith of Bahá'u'lláh, likewise renewing man's spiritual life, will gradually produce the institutions of an ordered society, fulfilling not merely the function of the churches of the past but also the func-don of the civil state. By this manifesta-. don of the Divine Will in a higher degree than in former ages, humanity will emerge from that immature civilization in which church and state are separate and competitive institutions, and partake of a true civilization in which spiritual and social principles are at last reconciled as two aspects of one and the same Truth.
No Bahá'í can read the successive 'XJorld Order letters sent us by Shoghi Effendi without perceiving that the Guardian, for many years, has been preparing us to understand and appreciate this fundamental purpose and mission of the Revelation of Bahá'u'lláh's.
Even when the Master ascended, we were for the most part still considering the Bahá'í Faith as though it were oniy the "return of Christ" and failing to perceive the entirely new and larger elements latent in the Teachings of Bahá'u'lláh.
Thus, in the very first of the World Order letters, written February 27th, 1929, Shoghi Effendi said: "Who, I may ask, when viewing the international character of the Cause, its far-flung ramifications, the increasing complexity of its affairs, the diversity versity of its adherents, and the state of confusion that assails on every side the infant Faith of God, can for a moment question the necessity of some sort of ad. ministrative machinery that will insure, amid the storm and stress of a struggling civilization, the unity of the Faith, the preservation of its identity, and the protection of its interests?"
Although for five years the Guardian had been setting forth the principles of Bahá'í Administration in frequent letters, in 1927 he apparently felt it necessary to overcome some doubts here and there as to the validity of the institutions the Master bequeathed to the Bahá'ís in His Will and Testament. The series of W'orld Order letters, however, goes far beyond the point of defending and explaining their validity as an essential element in the Faith of Bahá'u'lláh � the Guardian vastly extended the horizon of our understanding by making it clear that the Administrative Order, in its full development, is to be the social structure of the future civilization.
Thus, in that same letter quoted above, he wrote: "Not only will the presentday Spiritual Assemblies be styled differently in future, but will be enabled also to add to their present functions those powers, duties, and prerogatives necessitated by the recognition of the Faith of Bahá'u'lláh, not merely as one of the recognized religious systems of the world, but as the State Religion of an independent and Sovereign Power.
And as the Bahá'í Faith permeates the masses of the peopies of East and West, and its truth is embraced by the majority of the peoples of a number of the Sovereign States of the world, will the
Universal House of Justiceattain the plenitude of its power, and exercise, as the supreme organ of the Bahá'í Commonwealth, all the rights, the duties, and responsibilities incumbent upon the world's future super-state."
This passage stands as the keystone in the noble structure which Shoghi Effendi has raised in his function as interpreter of the Teachings of Bahá'u'lláh.
The Master developed the Cause to the point where this social Teaching, always existent in the Tablets of Bahá'u'lláh, could be explained to the believers and given its due significance as
Page 200the fulfilment of Bahá'í evolution. As the Guardian expressed it: "That Divine Civilization, the establishment of which is the primary mission of the Bahá'í Faith." (World Order of Bahá'u'lláh, pages 3 and 4.)
For us these words mean that a Bahá'í i is not merely a member of a revealed Religion, be is also a citizen in a 'World Order even though that Order today is still in its infancy and still obscured by the shadows thrown by the institutions, habits and attitudes derived from the past.
But since the aim and end has been made known, our devotion and loyalty must surely express itself, not in clinging to views and thoughts emanating from the past, but in pressing forward in response to the needs of the new creation.
That true devotion, which consists in conscious knowledge of the "primary mission," and unified action to assist in bringing about its complete triumph, recognizes that a BaJA'i today must have singleness of mind as of aim, without the division arising when we stand with one foot in the Cause and one foot in the world, attempting to reconcile diverse elements which the Manifestation of God Himself has declared to be irreconcilable.
The principle underlying the Guardian instruction about membership in nonBahá'í religious bodies has already been emphasized by Shoghi Effendi in another connection � the instruction about the nonpolitical char-acted of the Faith which he incorporated in his letter entitled "The Golden Age of the Cause of Bahá'u'lláh."
For example: ~ feel it, therefore, incumbent upon me to stress, now that the time is ripe, the importance of an instruction which, at the present stage of the evolution of our Faith, should be increasingly emphasized, irrespective of its application to the East or to the West. And this principle is no other than that which involves the nonparticipation by the adherents of the Faith of Bahá'u'lláh, whether in their individual capacities or collectively as local or national Assemblies, in any form of activity that might be interpreted, either directly or indirectly, as an interference in the political affairs of any particular government."
Again, when the question was raised as to membership in certain nonBahá'í organizations not directly religious or political in character, the Guardian replied: (cRegarding association with the World Fellowship of Faiths and kindred Societies, Shoghi Effendi wishes to reaffirm and elucidate the general principle that Bahá'í elected representatives as well as individuals should refrain from any act or word that would imply a departure from the principles, whether spiritual, social or administrative, established by Ba � hA'u'lUh. rormal affiliation with and acceptance of membership in organizations whose programs or policies are not wholly reconcilable with the Teachings is of course out of the question."
(BAHÁ'Í NEWS, August, 1933.)Thus, not once but repeatedly the Guardian has upheld the vital principle underlying every type of relationship between Bahá'ís and other organizations, namely, that the Cause of Bahá'u'lláh is an ever-growing organism, and as we begin to realize its universality our responsibility is definitely established to cherish and defend that universality from all compromise, all admixture with worldly elements, whether emanating from our own habits rooted in the past or from the deliberate attacks imposed by enemies from without.
It will be noted that in the instruction published in July, 1935, BAHÁ'Í NEWS, the Guardian made it clear that the principle involved is not new and unexpected, but rather an application of an established principle to a new condition. "Concerning membership in nonBahá'í religious associations, the Guardian wishes to reemphasize the general principle already laid down in his communications to your Assembly and also to the individual believers that no Bahá'í who wishes to be a wholehearted and sincere upholder of the distinguishing principles of the Cause can accept full membership in any non-Bahá'í ecclesiastical organization.
For it is only too obvious that in most of its fundamental assumptions the Cause of Bahá'u'lláh is completely at variance with outworn creeds, ceremonies and institutions. During the days of the Master the Cause was still in a stage that made such an open and sharp
Page 201THE WORLD ORDER OF BAHÁ'U'LLÁH 201
dissociation between it and other religious organizations, and particularly the Muslim Faith, not oniy inadvisable but practically impossible to establish. But since His passing events throughout the Bahá'í world, and particularly in Egypt where the Muslim religious courts have formally testified to the independent character of the Faith, have developed to a point that has made such an assertion of the independence of the Cause not oniy highly desirable but absolutely essential."
To turn now to the Guardian's words published in October BAHÁ'Í NEWS: "The separation that has set in between the institutions of the Bahá'í Faith and the IslAmic ecclesiastical organizations that oppose it imposes upon every loyal upholder of the Cause the obligation of refraining from any word or action that might prejudice the position which our enemies have of their own accord proclaimed and established. This historic development, the beginnings of which could neither be recognized nor even anticipated in the years immediately preceding 'Abdu'l-Bahá'í passing, may be said to have signalized the Formative Period of our Faith and to have paved the way for the consolidation of its administrative order.
Though our Cause unreservedly recognizes the Divine origin of all the religions that preceded it and upholds the spiritual truths which lie at their very core and are common to them all, its institutions, whether administrative, religious or humanitarian, must, if their distinctive character is to be maintained and recognized, be increasingly divorced from the outworn creeds, the. meaningless ceremonials and manmade institutions with which these religions are at present identified.
Our adversaries in the East have initiated the struggle.
Our future opponents in the 'West will, in their turn, arise and carry it a stage further. Ours is the duty, in anticipation of this inevitable contest, to uphold unequivocally and with undivided loyalty the integrity of our Faith and demonstrate the distinguishing features of its divinely appointed institutions."
Nothing could be clearer or more emphatic. These words, asserting again the essential universality of the Cause, likewise repeat and renew the warning that the organized religions, even in America, will become bitterly hostile to the Faith of Bahá'u'lláh, denounce and oppose it, and seek its destruction in vain effort to maintain their own "outworn creeds" and material power. Informed of this inevitable development, can a Bahá'í any longer desire to retain a connection which, however liberal and pleasing it now seems, is a connection with a potential foe of the Cause of God?
The Guardian's instruction signifies that the time has come when all American believers must become fully conscious of the implications of such connections, and carry out their loyalty to its logical conclusion.
Shoghi Effendi's latest words are not merely an approval of the foregoing statement, but a most helpful elucidation of some of the problems which arise when the friends turn to their local Assemblies for specific advice under various special circumstances.
"The explanatory statement in connection with membership in non-BaM'i religious organizations is admirably conceived, convincing and in full conformity with the principles underlying and implied in the unfolding world order of Bahá'u'lláh."
(No-vember 29, 1933.)CCTh Guardian has carefully read the copy of the statement you had recently prepared concerning non-membership in nonBahá'í religious organizations, and is pleased to realize that your comments and explanations are in full conformity with his views on the subject. He hopes that your letter will serve to clarify this issue in the minds of all the believers, and to further convince them of its vital character and importance in the present stage of the evolution of the Cause.
In this case,~ as also in that of suffering believers, the Assemblies, whether local or national, should act tactfully, patiently and in a friendly and kindly spirit.
Knowing how painful and dangerous it is for such believers to repudiate A special case involving an aged believer, afflicted with illness, for whom severance of church relations might have been too great a shock.
Page 202their former allegiances and friendships, they should try to gradually persuade them of the wisdom and necessity of such an action, and instead of thrusting upon them a new principle, to make them accept it inwardly, and out of pure conviction and desire. Too severe and immediate action in such cases is not oniy fruitless but actually harmful.
It alienates people instead of winning them to the
Cause.ccThe other point concerns the advisability of contributing to a church. In this case also the friends must realize that contributions to a church, especially when not regular, do not necessarily entail affiliation. The believers can make such offerings, occasionally, and provided they are certain that while doing so they are not connected as members of any church.
There should be no confusion between the terms affiliation and association. While affiliation with ecclesiastical organizations is not permissible, association with them should not oniy be tolerated but even encouraged. There is no better way to demonstrate the universality of the Cause than this. Bahá'u'lláh, indeed, urges His followers to consort with all religions and nations with utmost friendliness and love. This constitutes the very spirit of His message to mankind." (December 11, 1935.)
The National SpiritualAssembly trusts that the subject will receive the attention of local Assemblies and communities, and that in the light of the foregoing explanations the friends will find unity and agreement in applying the instruction to whatever situations may arise. In teaching new believers let us lay a proper foundation so that their obedience will be voluntary and assured from the beginning of their enrollment as Baha'is. In our attitude toward the older believers who are affected by the instruction let us act with the patience and kindliness the Guardian has urged.
BAHÁ'Í S AND WAROne of the chief responsibilities of Bahá'ís in this transitional era is to grasp the principle upon which rests their loyalty to the Faith of Bahá'u'lláh in relation to their duty toward their civil government. This problem arises in its most difficult form in connection with our individual and collective attitude toward war.
Nothing could be more powerful than the Baha teachings on the subject of Peace. Not oniy does Bahá'u'lláh confirm the teachings of all former Manifestations which uphold amity and fellowship between individual human beings, and the supremacy of love as the end and aim of mutual intercourse and association, but He likewise extends the divine law of Peace to governments and rulers, declaring to them that they are called upon to establish
Peace1 "'The Guardian has carefully read the N. S. A's statement on the Bahá'í attitude toward war, and approves of its circulation among the believers. � Shoghi Effendi, through his secretary, Haifa, January 10, 1936.
and Justice upon earth, and uproot forever the dire calamity of international war.
Despite His Revelation, a most agonizing and excruciating conflict raged in Europe for four years, and since that war many other wars and revolutions have dyed the earth, while at present the heaven of human hope is black with the approach of a final world-shaking catastrophe.
What wonder that faithful Baha'is, abhorring and detesting war as insane repudiation of divine law, as destroyer of life and ruin of civilization, should now, in these fateful days, ponder how they may save their loved ones from the calamity of the battlefield, and how they may contribute their utmost to any and every effort aimed at the attainment of universal Peace?
Conscious of these heart-stirrings, and mindful of its responsibility toward all American believers, and particularly that radiant youth which would first of all be sacrificed in the event of a declaration of war by the government, the Natioiial Spir
Page 203THE WORLD ORDER OF BAHÁ'U'LLÁH 203
itual Assembly wishes to express its view upon the inatter, in the hope that the result of its study of the Teachings and of the Guardian's explanations will assist in bringing a unity of opinion and a clarification of thought among the friends.
Concerning the duty of Bahá'ís to their government, we have these words, written by
Shoghi Effendi on January1, ~929 (see ~ Administration," page 152): CCTO all these (that is, restrictive measures of the Soviet r~gime) the followers of the Faith of Bahá'u'lláh have with feelings of burning agony and heroic fortitude unanimously and unreservedly submitted, ever mindful of the guiding principle of Bahá'í conduct that in connection with their administrative activities, no matter how grievously interference with them might affect the course of the extension of the Movement, and the suspension of which does not constitute in itself a departure from the principle of loyalty to their Faith, the considered judgment and authoritative decrees issued by their responsible rulers must, if they be faithful to Bahá'u'lláh's and ~ express injunctions, be thoroughly respected and loyally obeyed. In matters, however, that vitally affect the integrity and honor of the Faith of Bahá'u'lláh, and are tantamount to a recantation of their faith and repudiation of their innermost belief, they are convinced, and are unhesitatingly prepared to vindicate by their lifeblood the sincerity of their conviction, that no power on earth, neither the arts of the most insidious adversary nor the bloody weapons of the most tyrannical oppressor, can ever succeed in extorting from them a word or deed that might tend to stifle the voice of their conscience or varnish the purity of their faith."
In view of the fact that early Christians were persecuted because they refused to render military service, the question might be raised whether the above statement means that the Guardian includes refusal to bear arms as one of those matters which cCvitally affect the integrity and honor of the Faith and are tantamount to a recantation of their faith and repudiation of their innermost belief" � a question the more important in that the early Christians preferred persecution to military service.
The answer to this question is that the Guardian instructs us that the obligation to render military duty placed by governments upon their citizens is a form of loyalty to one's government which the Bahá'í must accept, but that the believers can, through their National AssemMy, seek exemption from active army duty provided their government recognizes the right of members of religious bodies making peace a matter of conscience to serve in some noncombatant service rather than as part of the armed force.
The National SpiritualAssembly has investigated carefully this aspect of the situation, and has found that, whereas the government of the United St&tes did, in the last war, provide exemption from military duty on religious grounds, nevertheless this exemption was part of the Statutes bearing directly upon that war, and with the cessation of hostilities the exemption lapsed. In other words, there is today no basis on which any Bahá'í may be exempted from military' duty in a possible future conflict. The National Assembly, consequently, cannot at present make any petition for exemption of Bahá'ís from war service, for such petitions must be filed with reference to some specific Act or Statute under which exemption can be granted. The Assembly understands that, in the event of war, there will be some kind of provision for exemption enacted, but as far as Bahá'ís are concerned, no steps can be taken until this government declares itself in a state of war.
This explanation, it is hoped, will satisfy those who for some years have been urging that protection be secured for American Bahá'í youth.
On the other hand it must be pointed out that it is no part of our teaching program to attract young people to the Cause merely in order to take advantage of any exemption that may later on be officially obtained for duly enrolled Baha'is. The oniy justifiable reason for joining this Faith is because one realizes that it is a divine Cause and is ready and willing to accept whatever may befall a believer on the path of devotion. The persecutions which have been inflicted
Page 204upon Bahá'ís so frequently make it clear that the path of devotion is one of sacrifice and not of ease or special privilege.
Another question encountered here and there among believers is what can Bahá'ís do to work for Peace? Outside the Cause we see many organizations with peace programs, and believers occasionally feel that it is their duty to join such movements and thereby work for a vital Bahá'í principle.
It is the view of the National Spiritual Assembly that activity in and for tbe Cause itself is the supreme service to world peace. The Bahá'í community of the world is the true example of Peace. The Baha principles are the only ones upon which Peace can be established.
Therefore, by striving to enlarge the number of declared believers, and broadcasting the Teachings of BaM 'u'llAh, we are doing the utmost to rid humanity of the scourge of war.
Of what use to spend time and money upon incomplete human programs when we have the universal program of the Manifestation of God?
The firm union of the Baha is in active devotion to the advancement of their own Faith � this is our service to Peace, as it is our service to all other human needs � economic justice, race amity, religious unity, etc. Let nonbelievers agitate for disarmament and circulate petitions for this and that pacifist aim � a Bahá'í truly alive in this Faith will surely prefer to base his activities upon the foundation laid by Bahá'u'lláh, walk the path which the Master trod all His days, and heed the appeals which the Guardian has given us to initiate a new era in the public teaching of the Message.
THE WILL AND TESTAMENT OF CABDU~L BAIlExcerpts Made by the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of the United States and Canada, by Direction of Shoghi Effendi, Guardian of the Bahá'í Faith NVELL is it with him who fixeth his gaze upon the Order of Bahá'u'lláh and rendereth thanks unto his Lord!
For He assuredly will be made manifest. God hath indeed ordained it in the Bayin. � The 13db. ("The Dispensation of Bahá'u'lláh," pages 54 � S 5.)
The world's equilibrium hath been upset through the vibrating influence of this most great, this new World Order. Mankind's ordered life bath been revolutionized through the agency of this unique, this wondrous System � the like of which mortal eyes have never witnessed. � Bahá'u'lláh. ("The Dispensation of Bahá'u'lláh," page 54.)
It is incumbent upon the Aglis5.n, the Afn&n and My kindred to turn, one and all, their faces towards the Most Mighty Branch.
Consider that which We have revealed in Our Most Holy Book: "When the ocean of My presence bath ebbed and the Book of My Revelation is ended, turn your faces toward Him Whom God hath purposed, Who bath branched from this Ancient Root."
The object of this sacred verse is none except the Most Mighty Branch (tAbdu'1-Bahi).
Thus have We graciously revealed unto you Our potent Will, and I am verily the Gracious, the All-Power ful. � Bahá'u'lláh.
("The Dispensation of Bahá'u'lláh," page 42.)There hath branched from the Sadratu'1-Munvah~ this sacred and glorious Being, this Branch of Holiness; well is it with him that hath sought His shelter and abideth beneath His shadow. Verily the Limb of the Law of God hath sprung forth from this Root which God hath firmly implanted in the Ground of His Will, and Whose Branch hath been so uplifted as to encompass the whole of creation. � Bahá'u'lláh. ("The Dispensation of Bahá'u'lláh," page 43.)
In accordance with the explicit text of the Kitáb-i-Aqdas, Bahá'u'lláh hath made the Center of the Covenant the Interpreter of His Word � a Covenant so firm and
Page 205THE WORLD ORDER OF BAHÁ'U'LLÁH 205
mighty that from the beginning of time until the present day no religious Dispensation hath produced its 1ike. � Abdu'l-Bahá. (c(The Dispensation of Bahá'u'lláh," page 44.)
tAbdu'I-Bahi Who incarnates an institution for which we can find no parallel whatsoever in any of the world's recognized religious systems, may be said to have closed the Age to which He Himself belonged and opened the one in which we are now laboring. His Will and Testament should thus be regarded as the perpetual, the indissoluble link which the mind of Him Who is the Mystery of God has conceived in order to insure the continuity of the three ages that constitute the component parts of the Bahá'í Dispensation.
The creative energies released by the Law of Bahá'u'lláh, permeating and evolving within the mind of tAbdu'1-BahA have, by their very impact and close interaction, given birth to an Instrument which may be viewed as the Charter of the New World Order which is at once the glory and the promise of this most great Dispensation. The Will may thus be acclaimed as the inevitable offspring resulting from that mystic intercourse between Him Who communicated the generating influence of His divine Purpose and the One Who was its vehicle and chosen recipient.
Being the Child of the Covenant � the Heir of both the Originator and the Interpreter of the Law of God � the Will and Testament of CAbdu~I~Bahi can no more be divorced from Him Who supplied the original and mod-'rating impulse than from the One Who ultimately conceived it. Bahá'u'lláh's inscrutable purpose, we must ever bear in mind, has been so thoroughly infused into the conduct of tAbdu'1-BahA, and their motives have been so closely wedded together, that the mere attempt to dissociate the teachings of the former from any system which the ideal Exemplar of those same teachings has established would amount to a repudiation of one of the most sacred and basic truths of the Faith.
The Administrative Order, which ever since tAbdu'1-BaM's ascension has evolved and is taking shape under our very eyes in no fewer than forty countries of the world, may be considered as the framework of the Will itself, the inviolable stronghold wherein this newborn child is being nurtured and develops.
This Administrative Order, as it expands and consolidates itself, will no doubt manifest the potentialities and reveal the full implications of this momentous Document � this most remarkable expression of tile 'Will of One of the most remarkable Figures of the Dispensation of Bahá'u'lláh. It will, as its component parts, its organic institutions, begin to function with efficiency and vigor, assert its claim and demonstrate its capacity to be regarded not only as the nucleus but the very pattern of the New World Order destined to embrace in the fulness of time the whole of mankind. � Shoghi
Effendi. ('The DispensationALL-PRAISE to Him Who, by the Shield of His Covenant, hath guarded the Temple of His Cause from the darts of doubtfulness, Who by the Hosts of His Testament hath preserved the Sanctuary of His Most Beneficent Law and protected His
Straight and LuminousPath, staying thereby the onslaught of the company of Covenant-breakers, that have threatened to subvert His Divine Edifice; Who hath watched over His Mighty Stronghold and All-glorious Faith, through the aid of men whom the slander of the slanderer affects not, whom no earthly calling, glory and power can turn aside from the Covenant of God and His Testament, established firmly by His clear and manifest words, writ and revealed by
His All-glorious PenSalutation and praise, blessing and glory rest upon that primal branch of the Divine and Sacred Late-Tree, grown out, blest, tender, verdant and flourishing from the Twin Holy Trees; the most wondrous, unique and priceless pearl that doth gleam from out the Twin Surging Seas; upon the offshoots of the Tree of Holiness, the twigs of the Celestial Tree, they that in the Day of the Great Dividing have stood fast and firm in the Covenant; upon the Hands
Page 206(pillars) of the Cause of God that have diffused widely the Divine Fragrances, declared His Proofs, proclaimed His Faith, published abroad His Law, detached themselves from all things but Him, stood for righteousness in this world, and kindled the Fire of the Love of God in the very hearts and souis of His servants; upon them that have believed, rested assured, stood steadfast in His Covenant and followed the Light that after my passing shineth from the Dayspring of Divine Guidance � for behold! he is the blest and sacred bough that hath branched out from the Twin Holy Trees.
Well is it with him that seeketh the shelter of his shade that shadoweth all mankind.
0 ye beloved of the Lord!The greatest of all things is the protection of the True Faith of God, the preservation of His Law, the safeguarding of His Cause and service unto His Word. Ten thousand souis have shed streams of their sacred blood in this path, their precious lives they offered in sacrifice unto Him, hastened wrapt in holy ecstasy unto the glorious field of martyrdom, upraised the Standard of God's Faith and writ with their lifeblood upon the Tablet of the world the verses of His Divine Unity. The sacred breast of His Holiness, the Exalted One (may my life be a sacrifice unto Him), was made a target to many a dart of woe, and in Mizindar~n, the Blessed feet of the Abbi Beauty (may my life be offered up for His loved ones) were so grievously scourged as to bleed and be sore wounded. His neck also was put into captive chains and His feet made fast in the stocks. In every hour, for a period of fifty years, a new trial and calamity befell Him and fresh afflictions and cares beset Him. One of them: after having suffered intense vicissitudes, He was made homeless and a wanderer and fell a victim to still new vexations and troubles. In tlrAq, the DayStar of the world was so exposed to the wiles of the people of malice as to be eclipsed in splendor. Later on Tie was sent an exile to the Great City (Con-stantinople) and thence to the Land of Mystery (Adrianople), whence, grievously wronged, He was eventually transferred to the Most Great Prison (tAkk6). He Whom the world bath wronged (may my life be offered up for His loved ones) was four times banished from city to city, till at last condemned to perpetual confinement, He was incarcerated in this Prison, the prison of highway robbers, of brigands and of manslayers. All this is but one of the trials that have afflicted the Blessed Beauty, the rest being even as grievous as this.
According to the direct and sacred command of God we are forbidden to utter slander, are commanded to show forth peace and amity, are exhorted to rectitude of conduct, straightforwardness and harmony with all the kindreds and peoples of the world. We must obey and be the well-wishers of the governments of the land, regard disloyalty unto a just king as disloyalty to God Himself and wishing evil to the government a transgression of the
Cause of God.0 God, my God! Thou seest this wronged servant of Thine, held fast in the talons of ferocious lions, of ravening wolves, of bloodthirsty beasts. Graciously assist me, through my love for Thee, that I may drink deep of the chalice that brim-meth over with faithfulness to Thee and is filled with Thy bountiful Grace; so that, fallen upon the dust, I may sink prostrate and senseless whilst my vesture is dyed crimson with my blood. This is my wish, my heart's desire, my hope, niy pride, my glory. Grant, 0 Lord my God, and my Refuge, that in my last hour, my end, may even as musk shed its fragrance of glory! Is there a bounty greater than this? Nay, by
Thy Glory! I call Theeto witness that no day passeth but that I quaff my fill from this cup, so grievous are the misdeeds wrought by them that have broken the Covenant, kindled discord, showed their malice, stirred sedition in the land and dishonored Thee amidst Thy servants.
Lord! Shield Thou from these Covenant-breakers the mighty Stronghold of Thy Faith and protect
Thy secret Sanctuaryfrom the onslaught of the ungodly. Thou art in truth the Mighty, the Powerful, the Gracious, the
Strong.o God, my God! Shield Thy trusted servants from the evils of self and passion, protect them with the watchful eye of Thy loving kindness from all rancor, hate and envy, shelter them in the impregnable stronghold of Thy Cause and, safe from the darts of doubtfulness, make them the manifestations of Thy glorious Signs, illumine their faces with the effulgent rays shed from the Dayspring of Thy Divine Unity, gladden their hearts with the verses revealed from Thy Holy Kingdom, strengthen their loins by Thy all-swaying power that cometh from
Thy Realm of Glory. Thouart the All-Bountiful, the Protector, the Almighty, the
Gracious!o ye that stand fast in the Covenant! When the hour corneth that this wronged and broken winged bird will have taken flight unto the celestial concourse, when it will have hastened to the Realm of the Unseen and its mortal frame will have been either lost or hidden neath the dust, it is incumbent upon the Afnin, that are steadfast in the Covenant of God, and have branched from the Tree of Holiness; the Hands (pillars), of the Cause of God (the glory of the Lord rest upon them), and all the friends and loved ones, one and all to bestir themselves and arise with heart and soul and in one accord, to diffuse the sweet savors of God, to teach His Cause and to promote His Faith. It behooveth them not to rest for a moment, neither to seek repose. They must disperse themselves in every land, pass by every clime and travel throughout all regions. Bestirred, without rest and steadfast to the end they must raise in every land the triumphal cry "0 Thou the Glory of Glories!" (Y~-Bah~'u'1-AbliA), must achieve renown in the world wherever they go, must burn brightly even as a candle in every meeting and must kindle the flame of Divine love in every assembly; that the light of truth may rise resplendent in the midmost heart of the world, that throughout the East and throughout the West a vast concourse may gather under the shadow of the Word of God, that the sweet savors of holiness may be diffused, that faces may shine radiantly, hearts be filled with the Divine spirit and souls be made heavenly.
In these days, the most important of all things is the guidance of the nations and peoples of the world. Teaching the Cause is of utmost importance for it is the head cornerstone of the foundation itself.
This wronged servant has spent his days and nights in promoting the Cause and urging the peoples to service. He rested not a moment, till the fame of the Cause of God was noised abroad in the world and the celestial strains from the Abh~ Kingdom roused the East and the West. The be-lQved of God must also follow the same example. This is the secret of faithfulness, this is the requirement of servitude to the Threshold of BaLl The disciples of Christ forgot themselves and all earthly things, forsook all their cares and belongings, purged themselves of self and passion and with absolute detachment scattered far and wide and engaged in calling the peoples of the world to the Divine Guidance, till at last they made the world another world, illumined the surface of the earth and even to their last hour proved self-sacrificing in the pathway of that Beloved One of God. Finally in various lands they suffered glorious martyrdom. Let them that are men of action follow in their footsteps!
0 my loving friends! After the passing away of this wronged one, it is incumbent upon the Aghs~n (Branches), the Afn~n (Twigs) of the
Sacred Lote-Tree, the Hands(pillars) of the Cause of God and the loved ones of the Ab1A Beauty to turn unto Shoghi Effendi � the youthful branch branched from the two hallowed and sacred Lote-Trees and the fruit grown from the union of the two offshoots of the Tree of Holiness � as he is the sign of God, the chosen branch, the guardian of the Cause of God, he unto whom all the Aghsin, the Afnin, the Hands of the Cause of God and His loved ones must turn. He is the expounder of the words of God and after him will succeed the firstborn of his lineal descendants.
The sacred and youthful branch, the guardian of the Cause of God, as well as the Universal House of Justice, to be universally elected and established, are both under the care and protection of the Abh~
Page 208Beauty, under the shelter and unerring guidance of His Holiness, the Exalted One (may my life be offered up for them both). Whatsoever they decide is of God. Whoso obeyeth him not, neither obeyeth them, hath not obeyed God; whoso rebelleth against him and against them hath rebelled against God; whoso opposeth him hath opposed God; whoso contendeth with them hath contended with God; whoso disputeth with him hath disputed with God; whoso denieth him hath denied God; whoso dis-believeth in him hath disbelieved in God; whoso deviateth, separateth himself and turneth aside from him hath in truth deviated, separated himself and turned aside from God. May the wrath, the fierce indignation, the vengeance of God rest upon him! The mighty stronghold shall remain impregnable and safe through obedience to him who is the guardian of the Cause of God. It is incumbent upon the members of the House of Justice, upon all the Aghsin, the Afn&n, the Hands of the Cause of God to show their obedience, submissiveness and subordination unto the guardian of the Cause of God, to turn unto him and be iowiy before him.
He that opposeth him bath opposed the True One, will make a breach in the Cause of God, will subvert His word and will become a manifestation of the Center of Sedition. Beware, beware, lest the days after the ascension (of Bahá'u'lláh) be repeated when the Center of Sedition waxed haughty and rebellious and with Divine Unity for his excuse deprived himself and perturbed and poisoned others. No doubt every vainglorious one that purposeth dissension and discord will not openly declare his evil purposes, nay rather, even as impure gold, would he seize upon divers measures and various pretexts that he may separate the gathering of the people of Baha.
My object is to show that the Hands of the Cause of God must be ever watchful and so soon as they find anyone beginning to oppose and protest against the guardian of the Cause of God cast him out from the congregation of the people of Baha and in no wise accept any excuse from him. How often hath grievous error been disguised in the garb of truth, that it might sow the seeds of doubt in the hearts of men!
0 ye beloved of the Lord!It is incumbent upon the guardian of the Cause of God to appoint in his own lifetime him that shall become his successor, that differences may not arise after his passing.
He that is appointed must manifest in himself detachment from all worldly things, must be the essence of purity, must show in himself the fear of God, knowledge, wisdom and learning. Thus, should the firstborn of the guardian of the Cause of God not manifest in himself the truth of the words: � t~The child is the secret essence of its sire," that is, should he not inherit of the spiritual within him (the guardian of the Cause of God) and his glorious lineage not be matched with a goodly character, then must he (the guardian of the Cause of God), choose another branch to succeed him.
The Hands of the Cause of God must elect from their own number, nine persons that shall at all times be occupied in the important services in the work of the guardian of the Cause of God.
The election of these nine must be carried either unanimously or by majority from the company of the Hands of the Cause of God and these, whether unanimously or by a majority vote, must give their assent to the choice of the one whom the guardian of the Cause of God bath chosen as his successor. This assent must be given in such wise as the assenting and dissenting voices may not be distinguished (secret ballot).
0 friends! The Hands of the Cause of God must be nominated and appointed by the guardian of the Cause of God. All must be under his shadow and obey his command. Should any, within or without the company of the Hands of the Cause of God, disobey and seek division, the wrath of God and His vengeance will be upon him, for he will have caused a breach in the true Faith of God.
The obligations of the Hands of the Cause of God are to diffuse the Divine Fragrances, to edify the souls of men, to promote learning, to improve the character of all men and to be, at all times and under all conditions, sanctified and detached from
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earthly things. They must manifest the fear of God by their conduct, their manners, their deeds and their words.
This body of the Hands of the Cause of God is under the direction of the guardian of the Cause of God. He must continually urge them to strive and endeavor to the utmost of their ability to diffuse the sweet savors of God, and to guide all the peoples of the world, for it is the light of Divine Guidance that causeth all the universe to be illumined.
To disregard, though it be for a moment, this absolute command which is binding upon everyone, is in no wise permitted, that the existent world may become even as the AbhA Paradise, that the surface of the earth may become heavenly, that contention and conflict amidst peoples, kindreds, nations and governments may disappear, that all the dwellers on earth may become one people and one race, that the world may become even as one home. Should differences arise they shall be amicably and conclusively settled by the Supreme Tribunal, that shall include members from all the governments and peoples of the world.
0 ye beloved of the Lord!in this sacred Dispensation, conflict and contention are in no wise permitted.
Every aggressor deprives himself of God's grace.It is incumbent upon everyone to show the utmost love, rectitude of conduct, straightforwardness and sincere kindliness unto all the peoples and kindreds of the world, be they friends or strangers.
So intense must be the spirit of love and lovingkindness, that the stranger may find himself a friend, the enemy a true brother, no difference whatsoever existing between them.
For universality is of God and all limitations earthly.
Thus man must strive that his reality may manifest virtues and perfections, the light whereof may shine upon everyone. The light of the sun shineth upon all the world and the merciful showers of Divine Providence fall upon all peoples. The vivifying breeze reviveth every living creature and all beings endued with life obtain their share and portion at His heavenly board.
In like manner, the affections and lovingkindness of the servants of the One True God must be bountifully and universally extended to all mankind. Regarding this, restrictions and limitations are in no wise permitted.
Wherefore, 0 my loving friends! Consort with all the peoples, kindreds and religions of the world with the utmost truthfulness, uprightness, faithfulness, kindliness, goodwill and friendliness; that all the world of being may be filled with the holy ecstasy of the grace of Baha, that ignorance, enmity, hate and rancor may vanish from the world and the darkness of estrangement amidst the peoples and kindreds of the world may give way to the Light of Unity. Should other peoples and nations be unfaithful to you show your fidelity unto them, should they be unjust toward you show justice towards them, should they keep aloof from you attract them to yourself, should they show their enmity be friendly towards them, should they poison your lives sweeten theii souls, should they inflict a wound upon you be a salve to their sores. Such are the attributes of the sincere! Such are the attributes of the truthful.
And now, concerning the House of Justice which God hath ordained as the source of all good and freed from all error, it must be elected by universal suffrage, that is, by the believers. Its members must be manifestations of the fear of God and daysprings of knowledge and understanding, must be steadfast in God's faith and the well-wishers of all mankind. By this House is meant the Universal House of Justice, that is, in all countries, a secondary House of Justice must be instituted, and these secondary Houses of Justice must elect the members of the Universal one. Unto this body all things must be referred.
It enacteth all ordinances and regulations that are not to be found in the explicit Holy Text. By this body all the difficult problems are to be resolved and the guardian of the Cause of God is its sacred head and the distinguished member for life of that body.
Should he not attend in person its deliberations, he must appoint one to represent him. Should any of the members commit a sin, injurious to the common weal, the guardian of the Cause of God hath at his own discretion the right to expel
Page 210him, whereupon the people must elect another one in his stead. This House of Justice enacteth the laws and the government enforceth them. The legislative body must reinforce the executive, the executive must aid and assist the legislative body so that through the close union and harmony of these two forces, the foundation of fairness and justice may become firm and strong, that all the regions of the world may become even as Paradise itself.
0 ye beloved of the Lord!It is incumbent upon you to be submissive to all monarchs that are just and show your fidelity to every righteous king.
Serve ye the sovereigns of the world with utmost truthfulness and loyalty. Show obedience unto them and be their well-wishers.
Without their leave and permission do not meddle with political affairs, for disloyalty to the just sovereign is disloyalty to God himself.
This is my counsel and the commandment of God unto you. Well is it with them that act accordingly.
o dearly beloved friends!I am now in very great danger and the hope of even an hour's life is lost to me. I am thus constrained to write these lines for the protection of the Cause of God, the preservation of His Law, the safeguarding of His Word, and the safety of His Teachings. By the
Ancient Beauty! Thiswronged one hath in no wise borne nor doth he bear a grudge against any one; towards none doth he entertain any ill-feeling and uttereth no word save for the good of the world. My supreme obligation, however, of necessity, prompteth me to guard and preserve the Cause of God. Thus, with the greatest regret, I counsel you saying:~~~ccGuard ye the Cause of God, protect His law and have the utmost fear of discord. This is the foundation of the belief of the people of Bali (may my life be offered up for them).
CCHiS Holiness, the ExaltedOne, (the Bib) is the Manifestation of the Unity and Oneness of God and the Forerunner of the
Ancient Beauty. His Holinessthe AbM Beauty (may my life be a sacrifice for His steadfast friends) is the Supreme Manifestation of God and the Dayspring of His Most Divine Essence. All others are servants unto Him and do His bidding." Unto the Most Holy Book every one must turn and all that is not expressly recorded therein must be referred to the Universal House of Justice. That which this body, whether unanimously or by a majority doth carry, that is verily the Truth and the Purpose of God himself. Whoso doth deviate therefrom is verily of them that love dis. cord, bath shown forth malice and turned away from the Lord of the Covenant. By this House is meant that Universal House of Justice which is to be elected from all countries, that is, from those parts in the East and West where the loved ones are to be found, after the manner of the customary elections in Western countries such as those of England.
It is incumbent upon these members (of the Universal House of Justice) to gather in a certain place and deliberate upon all problems which have caused difference, questions that are obscure and matters that are not expressly recorded in the Book. Whatsoever they decide has the same effect as the Text itself.
And inasmuch as this House of Justice hath power to enact laws that are not expressly recorded in the Book and bear upon daily transactions, so also it hath power to repeal the same. Thus for example, the House of Justice enacteth today a certain law and enforceth it, and a hundred years hence, circumstances haying profoundly changed and the conditions having altered, another House of Justice will then have power, according to the exigencies of the time, to alter that law. This it can do because that law forncieth no part of the Divine
Explicit Text. The Houseof Justice is both the Initiator and the Abrogator of its own laws.
And now, one of the greatest and most fundamental principles of the Cause of God is to shun and avoid entirely the Covenant-breakers, for they will utterly destroy the Cause of God, exterminate His Law and render of no account all efforts exerted in the past. 0 friends! It behooveth you to call to mind with tenderness the trials of His Holiness, the Exalted One and show
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your fidelity to the Ever-Blest Beauty. The utmost endeavor must be exerted lest all these woes, trials and afflictions, all this pure and sacred blood that hath been shed so profusely in the Path of God, may prove to be in vain.
0 ye beloved of the Lord!Strive with all your heart to shield the Cause of God from the onslaught of the insincere, for souis such as these cause the straight to become crooked and all benevolent efforts to produce contrary results.
o God, my God! II call Thee, Thy Prophets and Thy Messengers, Thy Saints and Thy Holy Ones, to witness that I have declared conclusively Thy Proofs unto Thy loved ones and set forth clearly all things unto them, that they may watch over
Thy Faith, guard Thy StraightWhosoever and whatsoever meeting becometh a hindrance to the diffusion of the Light of Faith, let the loved ones give them counsel and say: CCQf all the gifts of God the greatest is the gift of Teaching.
It draweth unto us the Grace of God and is our first obligation. Of such a gift how can we deprive ourselves? Nay, our lives, our goods, our comforts, our rest, we offer them all as a sacrifice for the Abhi Beauty and teach the Cause of God." Caution and prudence, however, must be observed even as recorded in the Book. The veil must in no wise be suddenly rent asunder. The Glory of Glories rest upon you.
0 ye the faithful loved ones of 'Abdu'l-Bahá!It is incumbent upon you to take the greatest care of Shoghi Effendi, the twig that hath branched from and the fruit given forth by the two hallowed and Divine Lote-Trees, that no dust of despondency and sorrow may stain his radiant nature, that day by day he may wax greater in happiness, in joy and spirituality, and may grow to become even as a fruitful tree.
For he is, after cAbdu~1~Bahi the guardian of the Cause of God, the Afnin, the Hands (pillars) of the Cause and the beloved of the Lord must obey him and turn unto him. He that obeyeth him not, hath not obeyed God; he that turneth away from him, hath turned away from God and he that denieth him, hath denied the True One. Beware lest anyone falsely interpret these words, and like unto them that have broken the Covenant after the Day of Ascension (of Bahá'u'lláh) advance a pretext, raise the standard of revolt, wax stubborn and open wide the door of false interpretation.
To none is given the right to put forth his own opinion or express his particular convictions.
All must seek guidance and turn unto the Center of the Cause and the House of Justice. And he that turneth unto whatsoever else is indeed in grievous error.
The Glory of Glories rest upon you!Let no one, while this System is still in its infancy, misconceive its character, belittle its significance or misrepresent its purpose. The bedrock on which this Administrative Order is founded is God's immutable Purpose for mankind in this day. The Source from which it derives its in � spiration is no one less than Bahá'u'lláh Himself.
Its shield and defender are the embattled hosts of the AbIA Kingdom. Its seed is the blood of no less than twenty thousand martyrs who have offered up their lives that it may be born and flourish.
The axis round which its institutions revolve are the authentic provisions of the Will and Testament of cAbdu~1~Bahi. Its guiding principles are the truths which He Who is the unerring Interpreter of the teachings of our Faith has so clearly enunciated in His public addresses throughout the West. The laws that govern its operation and limit its functions are those which have been expressly ordained in the KITAB-I-AQDAS. The seat round which its spiritual, its humanitarian and administrative activities will cluster are the Mashriqu'l-Adhkar and its Dependencies.
The pillars that sustain its authority and buttress its structure are the twin institutions of the Guardianship and of the Universal House of Justice. The central, the underlying aim which animates it is the establishment of the New 'World Order as adumbrated by Bahá'u'lláh.
The methods it employs, the standard it incul-. cates, incline it to neither East nor West, neither Jew nor Gentile, neither rich nor
Page 212poor, neither white nor colored. Its watchword is the unification of the human race; its standard the "Most Great Peace"; its consummation the advent of that golden millennium � the Day when the kingdoms of this world shall have become the Kingdom of
God Himself, the KingdomJ HAVE been acquainted by the perusal of your latest communications with the nature of the doubts that have been publicly expressed, by one who is wholly misinformed as to the true precepts of the Cause, regarding the validity of institutions that stand inextricably interwoven with the Faith of Bahá'u'lláh.
Not that I for a moment view such faint misgivings in the light of an open challenge to the structure that embodies the Faith, nor is it because I question in the least the unyielding tenac-fry of the faith of the American believers, if I venture to dwell upon what seems to me appropriate observations at the present stage of the evolution of our beloved Cause. I am indeed inclined to welcome these expressed apprehensions inasmuch as they afford me an opportunity to familiarize the elected representatives of the believers with the origin and character of the institutions which stand at the very basis of the world order ushered in by Bahá'u'lláh. We should feel truly thankful for such futile attempts to undermine our beloved Faith � attempts that protrude their ugly face from time to time, seem for a while able to create a breach in the ranks of the faithful, recede finally into the obscurity of oblivion, and are thought of no more.
Such incidents we should regard as the interpositions of Providence, designed to fortify our faith, to clarify our vision, and to deepen our understanding of the essentials of His
Divine Revelation.it would, however, be helpful and instructive to bear in mind certain basic principles with reference to the Will and Testament of Abdu'l-Bahá, which together with the Kitáb � i-.Aqdas, constitutes the chief depositary wherein are enshrined those priceless elements of that Divine Civiliza-. tion, the establishment of which is the primary mission of the Bahá'í Faith. A study of the provisions of these sacred documents will reveal the close relationship that exists between them, as well as the identity of purpose and method which they inculcate. Far from regarding their specific provisions as incompatible and contradictory in spirit, every fair-minded inquirer will readily admit that they are not oniy complementary, but that they mutually confirm one another, and are inseparable parts of one complete unit. A comparison of their contents with the rest of Bahá'í Sacred 'Writings will similarly establish the conformity of whatever they contain with the spirit as well as the letter of the authenticated writings and sayings of Bahá'u'lláh and tAbdu'1-BahA.
In fact, he who reads the Aqdas with care and diligence will not find it hard to discover that the Most Holy Book [Aqdas] itself anticipates in a number of passages the institutions which tAbdu~1~ Bali ordains in His Will. By leaving certain matters unspecified and unregulated in His Book of Laws [Aqd as],
Bahá'u'lláh seems to have deliberately left a gap in the general scheme of Baha Dispensation, which the unequivocal provisions of the Master's W'iIl has filled. To attempt to divorce the one from the other, to insinuate that the Teachings of Bahá'u'lláh have not been upheld, in their entirety and with absolute integrity, by what tAbdu'1-Bah& has revealed in his Will, is an unpardonable affront to the unswerving fidelity that has characterized the life and labors of our beloved Master.
I will not attempt in the least to assert or demonstrate the authenticity of the Will and Testament of Abdu'l-Bahá, for that in itself would betray an apprehension on my part as to the unanimous confidence of the believers in the genuineness of the last written wishes of our departed Master.
I will oniy confine my observations to those issues
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which may assist them to appreciate the essential unity that underlies the spiritual, the humanitarian, and the administrative principles enunciated by the Author and the Interpreter of the Bahá'í Faith.
I am at a ioss to explain that strange mentality that inclines to uphold as the soic criterion of the truth of the Bahá'í Teachings what is admittedly only an obscure and unauthenticated translation of an oral statement made by ~Abd'1Bh' in defiance and total disregard of the available text of all of His universally recognized writings. I truly deplore the unfortunate distortions that have resulted in days past from the' incapacity of the interpreter to grasp the meaning of tAbdu'1-Bah4, and from his incompetence to render adequately such truths as have been revealed to him by the Master's statements. Much of the confusion that has obscured the understanding of the believers should be attributed to this double error involved in the inexact rendering of an only partially understood statement.
Not infrequently has the interpreter even failed to convey the exact purport of the inquirer's specific questions, and, by his deficiency of understanding and expression in conveying the answer of tAbdu'1-Bahi, has been responsible for reports wholly at variance with the true spirit and purpose of the Cause.
It was chiefly in view of this misleading nature of the reports of the informal conversations of tAbdu'1-Bahi with visiting pilgrims, that I have insistently urged the believers of the West to regard such statements as merely personal impressions of the sayings of their Master, and to quote and consider as authentic oniy such translations as are based upon the authenticated text of His recorded utterances in the original tongue.
It should be remembered by every follower of the Cause that the system of Ba-hi'i administration is not an innovation imposed arbitrarily upon the Bahá'ís of the world since the Master's passing, but derives its authority from the Will and Testament of rAbdu~l~Bah6, is specifically prescribed in unnumbered Tablets, and rests in some of its essential features upon the explicit provisions of the Kitáb-i-Aqdas.
It thus unifies and correlates the principles sepa rately laid down by Bahá'u'lláh and Abdu'l-Bahá, and is indissolubly bound with the essential verities of the Faith. To dissociate the administrative principles of the Cause from the purely spiritual and humanitarian teachings would be tantamount to a mutilation of the body of the Cause, a separation that can only result in the disintegration of its component parts, and the extinction of the Faith itself.
Local and National Housesof Justice IT should be carefully borne in mind that the local as well as the international Houses of Justice have been expressly enjoined by the Kitáb-i-Aqdas; that the institution of the National Spiritual Assembly, as an intermediary body, and referred to in the Master's Will as the "Secondary House of Justice," has the express sanction of ~Abdu'1 Baha; and that the method to be pursued for the election of the International and National Houses of Justice has been set forth by Him in His Will, as well as in a number of His Tablets. Moreover, the institutions of the local and national Funds, that are now the necessary adjuncts to all Local and National Spiritual Assemblies, have not only been established by tAbdu'1-BaM in the Tablets He revealed to the Bahá'ís of the Orient, but their importance and necessity have been repeatedly emphasized by Him in His utterances and writings.
The concentration of authority in the hands of the elected representatives of the believers; the necessity of the submission of every adherent of the raith to the considered judgment of Bahá'í Assemblies; His preference for unanimity in decision; the decisive character of the majority vote; and even the desirability for the exercise of close supervision over all Bahá'í publications, have been sedulously instilled by Abdu'l-Bahá, as evidenced by His authenticated and widely-scattered
Tablets. To accept Hisbroad and humanitarian Teachings on one hand, and to reject and dismiss with neglectful indifference His more challenging and distinguishing precepts, would be an act of manifest disloyalty to that which He has cherished most in His life.
That the Spiritual Assembliesof today will be replaced in time by the Houses of
Page 214Justice, and are to all intents and purposes identical and not separate bodies, is abundantly confirmed by cAbdu~1~BahA Himself. He has in fact in a Tablet addressed to the members of the first Chicago Spiritual Assembly, the first elected Bahá'í body instituted in the United States, referred to them as the members of the ccHouse of Justice" for that city, and has thus with His own pen established beyond any doubt the identity of the present
Bahá'í Spiritual Assemblieswith the Houses of Justice referred to by Bahá'u'lláh.
For reasons which are not difficult to discover, it has been found advisable to bestow upon the elected representatives of Bahá'í communities throughout the world the temporary appellation of Spiritual Assemblies, a term which, as the position and aims of the Bahá'í Faith are better understood and more fully recognized, will gradually be superseded by the permanent and more appropriate designation of House of Justice. Not oniy will the presentday Spiritual Assemblies be styled differently in future, but will be enabled also to add to their present functions those powers, duties, and prerogatives necessitated by the recognition of the Faith of Bahá'u'lláh, not merely as one of the recognized religious systems of the world, but as the State Religion of an independent and
Sovereign Power. Andas the Bahá'í Faith permeates the masses of the peoples of East and 'West, and its truth is embraced by the majority of the peoples of a number of the Sovereign States of the world, will the Universal House of Justice attain the plentitude of its power, and exercise, as the supreme organ of the Bahá'í Commonwealth, all the rights, the duties, and responsibilities incumbent upon the world's future super-state.
It must be pointed out, however, in this connection that, contrary to what has been confidently asserted, the establishment of the
Supreme House of Justiceis in no way dependent upon the adoption of the Bahá'í Faith by the mass of the peoples of the world, nor does it presuppose its acceptance by the majority of the inhabitants of any one country. In fact, cAbd~1BhA Himself, in one of His earliest Tablets, contemplated the possibility of the formation of the Universal House of Justice in His own lifetime, and but for the unfavorable circumstances prevailing under the Turkish r6gime, would have, in all probability, taken the preliminary steps for its establishment. It will be evident, therefore, that given favorable circumstances, under which the Bahá'ís of Inn and of the adjoining countries under Soviet Rule may be enabled to elect their national representatives, in accordance with the guiding principles laid down in tAbdu'1-Bahá'í writings, the only remaining obstacle in the way of the definite formation of the International House of Justice will have been removed. For upon the National Houses of Justice of the East and West devolves the task, in conformity with the explicit provisions of the Will, of electing directly the members of the International
House of Justice. Notuntil they are themselves fully representative of the rank and file of the believers in their respective countries, not until they have acquired the weight and the experience that will enable them to function vigorously in the organic life of the Cause, tan they approach their sacred task, and provide the spiritual basis for the constitution of so august a body in the Baha world.
J The Institution of GuardianshipT must be also clearly understood by every believer that the institution of Guardianship does not under any circumstances abrogate, or even in the slightest degree detract from, the powers granted to the Universal House of
Justice by Bahá'u'lláhin the Kitáb-i-Aqdas, and repeatedly and solemnly confirmed by cAbdu~1~Bah& in His Will. It does not constitute in any manner a contradiction to the AK/ill and Writings of Bahá'u'lláh, nor does it nullify any of His revealed instructions.
It enhances the prestige of that exalted assembly, stabilizes its supreme position, safeguards its unity, assures the continuity of its labors, without presuming in the slightest to infringe upon the inviolability of its clearly defined sphere of jurisdiction. We stand indeed too close to so monumental a document to claim for ourselves a complete understanding of all its implications, or to presume to have grasped the manifold mys
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teries it undoubtedly contains. Only future generations can comprehend the value and the significance attached to this Divine Masterpiece, which the hand of the Master-builder of the world has designed for the unification and the triumph of the worldwide
Faith of Bahá'u'lláh. Onlythose who come after us will be in a position to realize the value of the surprisingly strong emphasis that has been placed on the institution of the House of Justice and of the Guardianship.
They oniy will appreciate the significance of the vigorous language employed by tAbdu'1-Balxi with reference to the band of Covenant-breakers that has opposed Him in His days. To them alone will be revealed the suitability of the institutions initiated by Abdu'l-Bahá to the character of the future society which is to emerge out of the chaos and confusion of the present age.
The Animating PurposeAnd, now, it behooves us to reflect on the animating purpose and the primary functions of these divinely-established institutions, the sacred character and the universal efficacy of which can be demonstrated only by the spirit they diffuse and the work they actually achieve. I need not dwell upon what I have already reiterated and emphasized that the administration of the Cause is to be conceived as an instrument and not a substitute for the Faith of Bahá'u'lláh, that it should be regarded as a channel through which His promised blessings may flow, that it should guard against such rigidity as would clog and fetter the liberating forces released by His Revelation.
Who, I may ask, when viewing the international character of the Cause, its far-flung ramifications, the increasing complexity of its affairs, the diversity of its adherents, and the state of confusion that assails on every side the infant Faith of God, can for a moment question the necessity of some sort of administrative machinery that will insure, amid the storm and stress of a struggling civilization, the unity of the Faith, the preservation of its identity, and the protection of its interests? To repudiate the validity of the assemblies of the elected ministers of the Faith of Bahá'u'lláh would be to reject these countless Tablets of Bahá'u'lláh and Abdu'l-Bahá, wherein they have extolled their privileges and duties, emphasized the glory of their mission, revealed the immensity of their task, and warned them of the attacks they must needs expect from the unwisdorn of friends, as well as from the malice of their enemies. It is surely for those to whose hands so priceless a heritage has been committed to prayerfully watch lest the tool should supersede the Faith itself, lest undue concern for the minute details arising from the administration of the Cause obscure the vision of its promoters, lest partiality, ambition, and worldliness tend in the course of time to becloud the radiance, stain the purity, and impair the effectiveness of the Faith of Bahá'u'lláh.
(February 27, 1929.)AMID the reports that have of late reached the Holy Land, most of which witness to the triumphant march of the Cause, a few seem to betray a certain apprehension regarding the validity of the institutions which stand inseparably associated with the raith of Bahá'u'lláh.
These expressed misgivings appear to be actuated by certain whisperings which have emanated from quarters which are either wholly misinformed regarding the fundamentals of the Baha Revelation, or which deliberately contrive to sow the seeds of dissension in the hearts of the faithful.
Viewed in the light of past experience, the inevitable result of such futile attempts, however persistent and malicious they be, is to contribute to a wider and deeper recognition by believers and unbelievers alike of the distinguishing features of the Faith proclaimed by Bahá'u'lláh.
These challenging criticisms, whether or not dictated by malice, cannot but serve to galvanize the souis of its ardent supporters, and to consolidate
Page 216the ranks of its faithful promoters. They will purge the Faith from those pernicious elements whose continued association with the believers tends to discredit the fair name of the Cause, and to tarnish the pur-fry of its spirit.
We should welcome, therefore, not only the open attacks which its avowed enemies persistently launch against it, but should also view as a blessing in disguise every storm of mischief with which they who apostatize their faith or claim to be its faithful exponents assail it from time to time. Instead of undermining the Faith, such assaults, both from within and without, reinforce its foundations, and excite the intensity of its flame. Designed to becloud its radiance, they proclaim to all the world the exalted character of its precepts, the completeness of its unity, the uniqueness of its position, and the pervasiveness of its influence.
I do not feel for one moment that such clamor, mostly attributable to impotent rage against the resisdess march of the Cause of God, can ever distress the valiant warriors of the Faith. For these heroic souis, whether they be contending in America's impregnable stronghold, or struggling in the heart of Europe, and across the seas as far as the continent of Australia, have already abundantly demonstrated the tenacity of their faith and the abiding value of their conviction.
I feel it, however, incumbent upon me by virtue of the responsibility attached to the Guardianship of the Faith, to dwell more fully upon the essential character and the distinguishing features of that world order as conceived by Bahá'u'lláh.
It behooves us, dear friends, to endeavor not oniy to familiarize ourselves with the essential features of this supreme Handiwork of Bahá'u'lláh, but also to grasp the fundamental difference existing between this world-embracing, divinely-appointed Order and the chief ecclesiastical organizations of the world, whether they pertain to the Church of Christ, or to the ordinances of the
Muhammadan Dispensation.For those whose priceless privilege is to guard over, administer the affairs, and advance the interests of these Bahá'í institutions will have, sooner or later, to face this searching question: "Where and how does this Order established by Bahá'u'lláh, which to outward seeming is but a replica of the institutions established in Christianity and IsUm, differ from them?
Are not the twin institutions of the House of Justice and of the Guardianship, the institution of the Hands of the Cause of God, the institution of the national and local Assemblies, the institution of the Mashriqu'l-Adhkar but different names for the institutions of the Papacy and the Caliphate, with all their attending ecclesiastical orders which the Christians uphold and advocate? What can possibly be the agency that can safeguard these Bahá'í institutions, so strikingly resemblant, in some of their features, to those which have been reared by the Fathers of the Church and the Apostles of Muliam-mad, from witnessing the deterioration in character, the breach of unity, and the extinction of influence, which have befallen all organized religious hierarchies?
Why should they not eventually suffer the same fate that has overtaken the institutions which the successors of Christ and Mu-bammad have reared?"
Upon the answer given to these challenging questions will, in a great measure, depend the success of the efforts which believers in every land are now exerting for the establishment of God's kingdom upon the earth. Few will fail to recognize that the Spirit breathed by Bahá'u'lláh upon the world, and which is manifesting itself with varying degrees of intensity through the efforts consciously displayed by His avowed supporters and indirectly through certain humanitarian organizations, can never permeate and exercise an abiding influence upon mankind unless and until it incarnates itself in a visible Order, which would bear its name, wholly identify itself with His principles, and function in conformity with His laws. That Bahá'u'lláh in His Book of Aqdas, and later tAbdu'1-BahA in
His Will� a document which confirms, supplements, and correlates the provisions of the
Aqdas� have set forth in their entirety those essential elements for the constitution of the world Bahá'í Commonwealth, no one who has read them will deny. According to these divinely-ordained administrative principles,
Page 217THE WORLD ORDER OF BAHÁ'U'LLÁH 217
the Dispensation of Bahá'u'lláh's � tbe Ark of human salvation � must needs be modelled. From them, all future blessings must flow, and upon them its inviolable authority must ultimately rest.
For Bahá'u'lláh, we should readily recognize, has not only imbued mankind with a new and regenerating Spirit. He has not merely enunciated certain universal princi-pies, or propounded a certain philosophy, however potent, sound and universal these may be. In addition to these He, as well as tAbdu'1-BahA after Him, have, unlike the Dispensations of the past, clearly and specifically laid down a set of Laws, established definite institutions, and provided for the essentials of a Divine Economy. These are destined to be a pattern for future society, a supreme instrument for the establishment of The Most Great Peace, and the one agency for the unification of the world, and the proclamation of the reign of righteousness and justice upon the earth.
Not oniy have they revealed all the directions required for the practical realization of those ideals which the Prophets of God have visualized, and which from time immemorial have inflamed the imagination of seers and poets in every age; they have also, in unequivocal and emphatic language, appointed those twin institutions of the House of Justice and of the Guardianship as their chosen Successors, destined to apply the principles, promulgate the laws, protect the institutions, adapt loyally and intelligently the Faith to the requirements of progressive society, and consummate the incorruptible inheritance which the Founders of the Faith have bequeathed to the world.
Should we look back to the past, were we to search out the Gospel and the Qur'an, we will readily recognize that neither the Christian nor the IslAmic Dispensations can offer a parallel either to the system of Divine Economy so thoroughly established by Bahá'u'lláh, or to the safeguards which He has provided for its preservation and advancement. Therein, I am profoundly convinced, lies the answer to those questions to which I have already referred.
None, I feel, will question the fact that the fundamental reason why the unity of the Church of Christ was irretrievably shattered, and its influence was in the course of time undermined was that the Edifice which the Fathers of the Church reared after the passing of His First Apostle was an Edifice that rested in nowise upon the explicit directions of Christ Himself.
The authority and features of their administration were wholly inferred, and indirectly derived, with more or less justification, from certain vague and fragmentary references which they found scattered amongst His utterances as recorded in the Gospel.
Not one of the sacraments of the Church; not one of the rites and ceremonies which the Christian Fathers have elaborately devised and ostentatiously observed; not one of the elements of severe discipline they rigorously imposed upon the primitive Christians; none of these reposed on the direct author-fry of Christ, or emanated from His specific utterances.
Not one of these did Christ conceive, none did He specifically invest with sufficient authority to either interpret His Word, or to add to that which He had not specifically enjoined.
ror this reason, in later generations, voices were raised in protest against the self-ap-pointed Authority which arrogated to itself privileges and powers which did not emanate from the clear text of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and which constituted a grave departure from the spirit which that Gospel did inculcate. They argued with force and justification that the canons promulgated by the Councils of the Church were not divinely-appointed laws, but were merely human devices which did not even rest upon the actual utterances of Jesus. Their contention centered around the fact that the vague and inconclusive words, addressed by Christ to Peter, "Thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church," could never justify the extreme measures, the elaborate ceremonials, the fettering creeds and dogmas, with which His successors have gradually burdened and obscured His Faith. Had it been possible for the Church Fathers, whose unwarranted authority was thus fiercely assailed from every side, to refute the denunciations heaped upon them by quoting specific utterances of Christ regarding the future administration of His
Page 218Church, or the nature of the authority of His Successors, they would surely have been capable of quenching the flame of controversy, and preserving the unity of Christendom. The Gospel, however, the only repository of the utterances of Christ, afford no such shelter to these harassed leaders of the Church, who found themselves helpless in the face of the pitiless onslaught of their enemy, and who eventually had to submit to the forces of schism which invaded their ranks.
In the Muhammadan Revelation, however, although His Faith as compared with that of Christ was, so far as the administration of His Dispensation is concerned, more complete and more specific in its provisions, yet in the matter of succession it gave no written, no binding and conclusive instructions to those whose mission was to propagate His Cause.
For the text of the Qur'an, the ordinances of which regarding prayer, fasting, marriage, divorce, inheritance, pilgrimage, and the like, have after the revo-hation of thirteen hundred years remained intact and operative, gives no definite guidance regarding the Law of Succession, the source of all the dissensions, the controversies, and schisms which have dismembered and discredited Isl4m.
Not so with the Revelation of Bahá'u'lláh. Unlike the Dispensation of Christ, unlike the Dispensation of Muhammad, unLike all the Dispensations of the past, the apostles of Bahá'u'lláh in every land, wherever they labor and toil, have before them in clear, in unequivocal and emphatic language, all the laws, the regulations, the principles, the institutions, the guidance, they require for the prosecution and consummation of their task. Both in the administrative provisions of the Baha Dispensation, and in the matter of succession, as embodied in the twin institutions of the House of Justice and of the Guardianship, the followers of Bahá'u'lláh can summon to their aid such irrefutable evidences of Divine Guidance that none can resist, that none can belittle or ignore.
Therein lies the distinguishing feature of the Bahá'í Revelation.
Therein lies the strength of the unity of the Faith, of the validity of a Revelation that claims not to destroy or belittle previous Revelations, but to connect, unify and fulfill them.
We should also bear in mind that the distinguishing character of the Bahá'í Revelation does not consist solely in the completeness and unquestionable validity of the Dispensation which the teachings of Bahá'u'lláh and tAbdu'1-.Bah& have established. Its excellence lies also in the fact that those elements which in past Dispensations have, without the least authority from their Founders, been a source of corruption and of incalculable harm to the Faith of God, been strictly excluded by the clear text of Bahá'u'lláh's writings. Those unwarranted practices, in connection with the sacrament of baptism, of communion, of confession of sins, of asceticism, of priestly domination, of elaborate ceremonials, of holy war and of polygamy, have one and all been rigidly suppressed by the Pen of Bahá'u'lláh, whilst the rigidity and rigor of certain observances, such as fasting, and which are necessary to the devotional life of the individual, have been considerably abated.
Dear friends! Feeble though our Faith may now appear in the eyes of men, who either denounce it as an offshoot of IsUm, or contemptuously ignore it as one more of those obscure sects that abound in the West, this priceless gem of Divine Revelation, now still in its embryonic state, shall evolve within the shell of His law, and shall forge ahead, undivided and unimpaired, till it embraces the whole of mankind.
Only those who have already recognized the supreme station of Bahá'u'lláh, only those whose hearts have been touched by His love, and have become familiar with the potency of His spirit, can adequately appreciate the value of this Divine Economy � His inestimable gift to mankind.
(March 21, 1930.)HE inexorable nirnrcb of recent events has carried humanity so near to the goal foreshadowed by Bahá'u'lláh that no responsible follower of His Faith, viewing on all sides the distressing evidences of the world's travail, can remain unmoved at the thought of its approaching deliverance.
It would not seem inappropriate, at a time when we are commemorating the world over, the termination of the first decade since CAbd~1Bh~~ sudden re � moval from our midst, to ponder, in the light of the teachings bequeathed by Him to the world, such events as have tended to hasten the gradual emergence of the World Order anticipated by Bahá'u'lláh.
Ten years ago, this very day, there flashed upon the world the news of the passing of Him Who alone, through the ennobling influence of His love, strength and wisdom, could have proved its stay and solace in the many afflictions it was destined to suffer.
How well we, the little band of His avowed supporters who lay claim to have recognized the Light that shone within Him, can still remember His repeated allusions, in the evening of His earthly life, to the tribulation and turmoil with which an unregenerate humanity was to be increasingly afflicted. How poignantly some of us can recall His pregnant remarks, in the presence of the pilgrims and visitors who thronged I-us doors on the morrow of the jubilant celebrations that greeted the termination of the World War � a war, which by the horrors it evoked, the losses it entailed and the complications it engendered, was destined to exert so far-reaching an influence on the fortunes of mankind. How serenely, yet how powerfully, He stressed the cruel deception which a Pact, hailed by peoples and nations as the embodiment of triumphant justice and the unfailing instrument of an abiding peace, held in store for an unrepentant humanity.
~Teace, Peace," how often we heard Him remark, erthe lips of potentates and peoples unceasingly proclaim, whereas the fire of unquenched hatreds still sinoulders in their hearts." How often we heard Him raise His voice, 'November 28, 1921.
whilst the tumult of triumphant enthusiasm was still at its height and long before the faintest misgivings could have been felt or expressed, confidently declaring that the Document, extolled as the Charter of a liberated humanity, contained within itself seeds of such bitter deception as would further enslave the world. How abundant are now the evidences that attest the perspicacity of His unerring judgment!
Ten years of unceasing turmoil, so laden with anguish, so fraught with incalculable consequences to the future of civilization, have brought the world to the verge of a calamity too awful to contemplate.
Sad indeed is the contrast between the manifestations of confident enthusiasm in which the Plenipotentiarics at Versailles so freely indulged and the cry of unconcealed distress which victors and vanquished alike are now raising in the hour of bitter delusion.
Neither the force which the Framers and Guarantors of the Peace Treaties have mustered, nor the Lofty ideals which originally animated the Author of the Covenant of the League of Nations, have proved a sufficient bulwark against the forces of internal disruption with which a structure so laboriously contrived had been consistently assailed.
Neither the provisions of the socalled Settlement which the victorious Powers have sought to impose, nor the machinery of an institution which America's illustrious and farseeing President had conceived, have proved, either in conception or practice, adequate instruments to ensure the integrity of the Order they had striven to establish.
r!The ills from which the world now suffers," wrote cAbdu~1~BahA in January 1920, '"will mulfiply; the gloom which envelops it will deepen. The Balkans will remain discontented.
Its restlessness will increase. The vanquished Powers will continue to agitate. They will resort to every measure that may rekindle the flame of war. Movements, newly-born and worldwide in their range, will exert their utmost effort for the advancement of their designs. The Movement of the Left 'will acquire great importance. Its influence will spread."
Page 220Economic distress, since those words were written, together with political confusion, financial upheavals, religious restlessness and racial animosities, seem to have conspired to add immeasurably to the burdens under which an impoverished, a war-weary world is groaning. Such has been the cumulative effect of these successive crises, following one another with such bewildering rapidity, that the very foundations of society are trembling. The world, to whichever continent we turn our gaze, to however remote a region our survey may extend, is everywhere assailed by forces it can neither explain nor control.
Europe, hitherto regarded as the cradle of a highly-vaunted civilization, as the torchbearer of liberty and the mainspring of the forces of world industry and commerce, stands bewildered and paralyzed at the sight of so tremendous an upheaval. Long � cherished ideals in the political no less than in the economic sphere of human activity are being severely tested under the pressure of reactionary forces on one hand and of an insidious and persistent radicalism on the other.
From the heart of Asia distant rumblings, ominous and insistent, portend the steady onslaught of a creed which, by its negation of God, His Laws and Principles, threatens to disrupt the foundations of human society. The clamor of a nascent nationalism, coupled with a recrudescence of skepticism and unbelief, come as added misfortunes to a continent hitherto regarded as the symbol of agelong stability and undisturbed resignation.
From darkest Africa the first stirrings of a conscious and determined revolt against the aims and methods of political and economic imperialism can be increasingly discerned, adding their share to the growing vicissitudes of a troubled age. Not even America, which until very recently prided itself on its traditional policy of aloofness and the selfcontained character of its economy, the invulnerability of its institutions and the evidences of its growing prosperity and prestige, has been able to resist the impelling forces that have swept her into the vortex of an economic hurricane that now threatens to impair the basis of her own industrial and economic life. Even faraway Australia, which, owing to its remoteness from the storm-centers of Europe, would have been expected to be immune from the trials and torments of an ailing continent, has been caught in this whirlpool of passion and strife, impotent to extricate herself from their ensnaring influence.
Never indeed have there been such widespread and basic upheavals, whether in the social, economic or political spheres of human activity as those now going on in different parts of the world. Never have there been so many and varied sources of danger as those that now threaten the structure of society.
The following words of Bahá'u'lláh are indeed significant as we pause to reflect upon the present state of a strangely disordered world: "How long will humanity persist in its waywardness? How long will injustice continue?
Flow long is chaos and confusion to reign amongst men?
How long will discord agitate the face of society? The winds of despair are, alas, blowing from every direction, and the strife that divides and afflicts the human race is daily increasing.
The signs of impending convulsions and chaos can now be discerned, inasmuch as the prevailing order appears to be lamentably defective.~~ The disquieting influence of over thirty million souls living under minority conditions throughout the continent of Europe; the vast and ever-swelling army of the unemployed with its crushing burden and demoralizing influence on governments and peoples; the wicked, unbridled race of armaments swallowing an ever-increasing share of the substance of already impoverished nations; the utter demoralization from which the international financial markets are now increasingly suffering; the onslaught of secularism invading what has hitherto been regarded as the impregnable strongholds of Christian and Muslim orthodoxy � these stand out as the gravest symptoms that bode ill for the future stability of the structure of modern civilization. Little wonder if one of Europe's pre~minent thinkers, honored for his wisdom and restraint, should have been forced to make so bold an assertion: "The world is passing through the gravest crisis in the history of civilization."
~~NVe stand," writes another,THE WORLD ORDER OF BAHÁ'U'LLÁH 221
tbefore either a world catastrophe, or perhaps before the dawn of a greater era of truth and wisdom."
~tIt is in such times," he adds, ~~that religions have perished and are born."
Might we not already discern, as we scan the political horizon, the alignment of those forces that are dividing afresh the continent of Europe into camps of potential combatants, determined upon a contest that may mark, unlike the last war, the end of an epoch, a vast epoch, in the history of human evolution? Are we, the privileged custodians of a priceless raith, called upon to witness a cataclysmical change, politically as fundamental and spiritually as beneficent as that which precipitated the fall of the Roman Empire in the 'West? Might it not happen � every vigilant adherent of the Faith of Bahá'u'lláh might well pause to reflect � that out of this world eruption there may stream forces of such spiritual energy as shall recall, nay eclipse, the splendor of those signs and wonders that accompanied the establishment of the Faith of Jesus Christ? Might there not emerge out of the agony of a shaken world a religious revival of such scope and power as to even transcend the potency of those world-directing forces with which the Religions of the Past have, at fixed intervals and according to an inscrutable Wisdom, revived the fortunes of declining ages and peoples?
Might not the bankruptcy of this present, this highly-vaunted materialistic civilization, in itself clear away the choking weeds that now hinder the unfoldment and future efflorescence of God's struggling raith?
Let Bahá'u'lláh Himselfshed the illumination of His words upon our path as we steer our course amid the pitfalls and miser-'Cs of this troubled age. More than fifty years ago, in a world far removed from the ills and trials that now torment it, there flowed from His Pen these prophetic words: "The world is in travail and its agitation waxeth day by day. Its face is turned towards waywardness and unbelief. Such shall be its plight that to disclose it now would not be meet and seemly. Its perversity will long continue.
And when the appointed hour is come, there shall suddenly appear that which shall cause the limbs of mankind to quake. Then and oniy then will the Divine Standard be unfurled and the Nightingale of Paradise warble its melody."
Dearly beloved friends!Humanity, whether viewed in the light of man's individual conduct or in the existing relationships between organized communities and nations, has, alas, strayed too far and suffered too great a decline to be redeemed through the unaided efforts of the best among its recognized rulers and statesmen � however disinterested their motives, however concerted their action, however unsparing in their zeal and devotion to its cause.
No scheme which the calculations of the highest statesmanship may yet devise, no doctrine which the most distinguished exponents of economic theory may hope to advance, no principle which the most ardent of moralists may strive to inculcate, can provide, in the last resort, adequate foundations upon which the future of a distracted world can be built. No appeal for mutual tolerance which the worldly-wise might raise, however compelling and insistent, can calm its passions or help restore its vigor. Nor would any general scheme of mere organized international cooperation, in whatever sphere of human activity, however ingenious in conception or extensive in scope, succeed in removing the root cause of the evil that has so rudely upset the equilibrium of present day society. Not even, I venture to assert, would the very act of devising the machinery required for the political and economic unification of the world � a principle that has been increasingly advocated in recent times � provide in itself the antidote against the poison that is steadily undermining the vigor of organized peoples and nations.
What else, might we not confidently affirm, but the unreserved acceptance of the Divine Program enunciated, with such simplicity and force as far back as sixty years ago, by Bahá'u'lláh, embodying in its essen-dais God's divinely appointed scheme for the unification of mankind in this age, coupled with an indomitable conviction in the unfailing efficacy of each and all of its provisions, is eventually capable of withstanding the forces of internal disintegration
Page 222which, if unchecked, must needs continue to eat into the vitals of a despairing society. It is towards this goal � the goal of a new World Order, Divine in origin, all-embrac--ing in scope, equitable in principle, challenging in its features � that a harassed humanity must strive.
To claim to have grasped all the implica-dons of Bahá'u'lláh's prodigious scheme for worldwide human solidarity, or to have fathomed its import, would be presumptuous on the part of even the declared supporters of His Faith. To attempt to visualize it in all its possibilities, to estimate its future benefits, to picture its glory, would be premature at even so advanced a stage in the evolution of mankind.
All we can reasonably venture to attempt is to strive to obtain a glimpse of the first streaks of the promised Dawn that must, in the fulness of time, chase away the gloom that has encircled humanity. All we can do is to point out, in their broadest outlines, what appears to us to be the guiding principles underlying the World Order of Bahá'u'lláh, as amplified and enunciated by tAbdu'1-Bahi, the Center of His Covenant with all mankind and the appointed
Interpreter and ExpounderThat the unrest and suffering afflicting the mass of mankind are in no small measure the direct consequences of the World War and are attributable to the unwisdom and shortsightedness of the framers of the Peace Treaties oniy a biased mind can refuse to admit. That the financial obligations contracted in the course of the war, as well as the imposition of a staggering burden of reparations upon the vanquished, have, to a very great extent, been responsible for the maldistribution and consequent shortage of the world's monetary gold supply, which in turn has, to a very great measure, accentuated the phenomenal fall in prices and thereby relentlessly increased the burdens of impoverished countries, no impartial mind would question.
That intergovernmental debts have imposed a severe strain on the masses of the people in Europe, have upset the equilibrium of national budgets, have crippled national industries, and led to an increase in the number of the unemployed, is no less apparent to an prejudiced observer. That the spirit of vindictiveness, of suspicion, of fear and rivalry, engendered by the war, and which the provisions of the Peace Treaties have served to perpetuate and foster, has led to an enormous increase of national competitive armaments, involving during the last year the aggregate expenditure of no less than a thousand million pounds, which in turn has accentuated the effects of the worldwide depression, is a truth that even the most superficial observer will readily admit. That a narrow and brutal nationalism, which the postwar theory of self-determi-nation has served to reinforce, has been chiefly responsible for the policy of high and prohibitive tariffs, so injurious to the. healthy flow of international trade and to the mechanism of international finance, is a fact which few would venture to dispute.
It would be idle, however, to contend that the war, with all the losses it involved, the passions it aroused and the grievances it left behind, has solely been responsible for the unprecedented confusion into which almost every section of the civilized world is plunged at present.
Is it not a fact � and this is the central idea I desire to emphasize � that the fundamental cause of this world unrest is attributable, not so much to the consequences of what must sooner or later come to be regarded as a transitory dislocation in the affairs of a continually changing world, but rather to the failure of those into whose hands the immediate destinies of peoples and nations have been committed, to adjust their systems of economic and political institutions to the imperative needs of a fast evolving age?
Are not these intermittent crises that convulse presentday society due primarily to the lamentable inability of the world's recognized leaders to read aright the signs of the times, to rid themselves once for all of their preconceived ideas and fettering creeds, and to reshape the machinery of their respective governments according to those standards that are implicit in Bahá'u'lláh's supreme declaration of the Oneness of Mankind � the chief and distinguishing feature of the Faith He proclaimed? For the principle of the Oneness of Mankind, the cornerstone of Bahá'u'lláh's world-embracing dominion,
Page 223THE WORLD ORDER OF BAHÁ'U'LLÁH 223
implies nothing more or less than the enforcement of His scheme for the unification of the world � the scheme to which we have already referred. CCIn every Dispensation," writes cAbdu~1~BaM, "the light of Divine Guidance has been focussed upon one central theme In this wondrous Revelation, this glorious century, the foundation of the Faith of God and the distinguishing feature of His Law is the consciousness of the Oneness of Mankind."
How pathetic indeed are the efforts of these leaders of human institutions who, in utter disregard of the spirit of the age, are striving to adjust national processes, suited to the ancient days of selfcontained nations, to an age which must either achieve the unity of the world, as adumbrated by Bahá'u'lláh, or perish, At so critical an hour in the history of civilization it behooves the leaders of all the nations of the world, great and small, whether in the East or in the W'est, whether victors or vanquished, to give heed to the clarion call of Bahá'u'lláh and, thoroughly imbued with a sense of world solidarity, the sine quli non of loyalty to His Cause, arise manfully to carry out in its entirety the one remedial scheme He, the Divine Physician, has prescribed for an ailing humanity. Let them discard, once for all, every preconceived idea, every national prejudice, and give heed to the sublime counsel of tAbdu'1 � Baha, the authorized Expounder of His teachings. You can best serve your country, was 'Abdu'l-Bahá'í rejoinder to a high official in the service of the federal government of the United States of America, who had questioned Him as to the best manner in which he could promote the interests of his government and people, if you strive, in your capacity as a citizen of the world, to assist in the eventual application of the principle of federalism underlying the government of your own country to the relationships now existing between the peoples and nations of the world.
In ccTh Secret of DivineForces of Civilization"), tAbdu'1-Bahá'í outstanding contribution to the future reorganization of the world, we read the following: ccTr civilization will unfurl its banner in the midmost heart of the world whenever a certain number of its distinguished and high-minded sovereigns � the shining exemplars of devotion and determination � shall, for the good and happiness of all mankind, arise, with firm resolve and clear vision, to establish the Cause of Universal Peace.
They must make the Cause of Peace the object of general consultation, and seek by every means in their power to establish a Union of the nations of the world. They must conclude a binding treaty and estab-fish a covenant, the provisions of which shall be sound, inviolable and definite. They must proclaim it to all the world and obtain for it the sanction of all the human race, This supreme and noble undertaking � the real source of the peace and wellbeing of all the world � should be regarded as sacred by all that dwell on earth, All the forces of humanity must be mobilized to ensure the stability and permanence of this Most Great Covenant, In this all-embracing pact the limits and frontiers of each and every nation should be clearly fixed, the principles underlying the relations of governments towards one another definitely laid down, and all internationaL agreements and obligations ascertained, In like manner, the size of the armaments of every government should be strictly limited, for if the preparations for war and the military forces of any nation should be allowed to increase, they will arouse the suspicion of others. The fundamental principle underlying this solemn Pact should be so fixed that if any government later violate any one of its provisions, all the governments on earth should arise to reduce it to utter submission, nay the human race as a whole should resolve, with every power at its disposal, to destroy that government, Should this greatest of all remedies be applied to the sick body of the world, it will assuredly recover from its ills and will remain eternally safe and secure."
"A few," He further adds, cCunaware of the power latent in human endeavor, consider this matter as highly impracticable, nay even beyond the scope of man's utmost efforts.
Such is not the case, however. On the contrary, thanks to the unfailing grace of God, the lovingkindness of His favored
Page 224ones, the endeavors of unrivalled wise and capable souls, and the thoughts and ideas of the peerless leaders of this age, nothing whatsoever can be regarded as unattainable. Endeavour, ceaseless endeavour, is required. Nothing short of an indomitable determination can possibly achieve it. Many a cause past ages have regarded as purely visionary, yet in this day have become most easy and practicable.
Why should this most great and lofty cause � the daystar of the firmament of true civilization and the cause of the glory, the advancement, the wellbeing and the success of all humanity � be regarded as impossible of achievement?
Surely the day will come when its beauteous light shall shed illumination upon the assemblage of man.
In one of His Tablets tAbdu'1 � Baha, elucidating further His noble theme, reveals the following: "In cycles gone by, though harmony was established, yet, owing to the absence of means, the unity of all mankind could not have been achieved. Continents remained widely divided, nay even among the peoples of one and the same continent association and interchange of thought were well nigh impossible. Consequently intercourse, understanding and unity amongst all the peoples and kindreds of the earth were unat � tamable.
In this day, however, means of communication have multiplied, and the five continents of the earth have virtually merged into one. In like manner all the members of the human family, whether peoples or governments, cities or villages, have become increasingly interdependent. For none is self-sufficiency any longer possible, inasmuch as political ties unite all peoples and nations, and the bonds of trade and industry, of agriculture and education, are being strengthened every day. Hence the unity of all mankind can in this day be achieved. Verily this is none other but one of the wonders of this wondrous age, this glorious century. Of this past ages have been deprived, for this century � the century of light � has been endowed with unique and unprecedented glory, power and illumination.
Hence the miraculous unfolding of a fresh marvel every day. Eventually it will be seen how bright its candles will burn in the assemblage of man.
"Behold how its light is now dawning upon the world's darkened horizon.
The first candle is unity in the political realm, the early glimmerings of which can now be discerned, The second candle is unity of thought in world undertakings, the consummation of which will ere long be witnessed. The third candle is unity in freedom which will surely come to pass. The fourth candle is unity in religion which is the cornerstone of the foundation itself, and which, by the power of God, will be revealed in all its splendor.
The fifth candle is the unity of nations � a unity which in this century will be securely established, causing all the peoples of the world to regard themselves as citizens of one common fatherland.
The sixth candle is unity of races, making of all that dwell on earth peoples and kindreds of one race.
The seventh candle is unity of language, that is, the choice of a universal tongue in which all peoples will be instructed and converse. Each and every one of these will inevitably come to pass, inasmuch as the power of the Kingdom of God will aid and assist in their realization."
Over sixty years ago, in His Tablet to Queen Victoria, Bahá'u'lláh, addressing "the concourse of the rulers of the earth," revealed the following: CcTk ye counsel together, and let your concern be only for that which profiteth mankind and bettereth the condition thereof.
Regard the world as the human body which though created whole and perfect has been afflicted, through divers causes, with grave ills and maladies. Not for one day did it rest, nay its sicknesses waxed more severe, as it fell under the treatment of unskilled physicians who have spurred on the steed of their worldly desires and have erred grievously. And, if at one time, through the care of an able physician, a member of that body was healed, the rest remained afflicted as before.
Thus informeth you the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.That which the Lord bath ordained as a sovereign remedy and mightiest instrument for the healing of all the world is the union of all its peoples in one urn
Page 225versa1 Cause, one common Faith. This can in no wise be achieved except through the power of a skilled, all-powerful and inspired Physician.
This verily is the truth, and all else naught but error.
In a further passage Bahá'u'lláh adds these words: ~tWe see you adding every year unto your expenditures and laying the burden thereof on the people whom ye rule; this verily is naught but grievous injustice. Fear the sighs and tears of this wronged One, and burden not your peopies beyond that which they can endure. Be reconciled among yourselves, that ye may need armaments no more save in a measure to safeguard your territories and dominions. Be united, 0 concourse of the sovereigns of the world, for thereby will the tempest of discord be stilled amongst you and your peoples find rest.
Should any one among you take up arms against another, rise ye all against him, for this is naught but manifest justice."
What else could these weighty words signify if they did not point to the inevitable curtailment of unfettered national sovereignty as an indispensable preliminary to the formation of the future Commonwealth of all the nations of the world? Some form of a world super-state must needs be evolved, in whose favor all the nations of the world will have willingly ceded every claim to make war, certain rights to impose taxation and all rights to maintain armaments, except for purposes of maintaining internal order within their respective dorninions. Such a state will have to include within its orbit an international executive adequate to enforce supreme and unchallengeable authority on every recalcitrant member of the commonwealth; a world parliament whose members shall be elected by the peopie in their respective countries and whose election shall be confirmed by their respective governments; and a supreme tribunal whose judgment will have a binding effect even in such cases where the parties concerned did not voiun-tarily agree to submit their case to its consideration.
A world community in which all economic barriers will have been permanently demolished and the interdependence of Capital and Labor definitely recognized; in which the clamor of religious fanaticism and strife will have been forever stilled; in which the flame of racial animosity will have been finally extinguished; in which a single code of international law � the product of the considered judgment of the world's federated representatives � shall have as its sanction the instant and coercive intervention of the combined forces of the federated units; and finally a world community in which the fury of a capricious and militant nationalism will have been transmuted into an abiding consciousness of world citizenship � such indeed, appears, in its broadest outline, the Order anticipated by Bahá'u'lláh, an Order that shall come to be regarded as the fairest fruit of a slowly maturing age.
"The Tabernacle of Unity," Bahá'u'lláh proclaims in His message to all mankind, "has been raised; regard ye not one another as strangers. Of one tree are all ye the fruit and of one bough the leaves.
The world is but one country and mankind its citizens.
Let not a man glory in that he loves his country; let him rather glory in this, that he loves his kind."
Let there be no misgivings as to the animating purpose of the worldwide Law of Bahá'u'lláh. Far from aiming at the subversion of the existing foundations of society, it seeks to broaden its basis, to remould its institutions in a manner consonant with the needs of an everchanging world. It can conflict with no legitimate allegiances, nor can it undermine essential ioy-alties.
Its purpose is neither to stifle the flame of a sane and intelligent patriotism in men s hearts, nor to abolish the system of national autonomy so essential if the evils of excessive centralization are to be avoided. It does not ignore, nor does it attempt to suppress the diversity of ethnical origins, of climate, of history, of language and tradition, of thought and habit, that differentiate the peoples and nations of the world. It calls for a wider loyalty, for a larger aspiration than any that has animated the human race. It insists upon the subordination of national impulses and interests to the imperative claims of a unified world. It repudiates excessive centralization on one hand, and disclaims all attempts at uni
Page 226Its watchword is unity in diversity such as Abdu'l-Bahá Himself has explained: "Consider the flowers of a garden. Though differing in kind, color, form and shape, yet, inasmuch as they are refreshed by the waters of one spring, revived by the breath of one wind, invigorated by the rays of one sun, this diversity increaseth their charm and addeth unto their beauty. How unpleasing to the eye if all the flowers and plants, the leaves and blossoms, the fruit, the branches and the trees of that garden were all of the same shape and color! Diversity of hues, form and shape enricheth and adorneth the garden, and heighteneth the effect thereof. In like manner, when divers shades of thought, temperament, and character, are brought together under the power and influence of one central agency, the beauty and glory of human perfection will be revealed and made manifest. Naught but the celestial potency of the Word of God, which ruleth and transcendeth the realities of all things, is capable of harmonizing the divergent thoughts, sentiments, ideas and convictions of the children of men.
The call of Bahá'u'lláh is primarily directed against all forms of provincialism, all insularities and prejudices. If long-cher-ished ideals and time-honoured institutions, if certain social assumptions and religious formulx have ceased to promote the welfare of the generality of mankind, if they no longer administer to the needs of a continually evolving humanity, let them be swept away and relegated to the limbo of obsolescent and forgotten doctrines. Why should these, in a world sublect to the immutable law of change and decay, be exempt from the deterioration that must needs overtake every human institution? For legal standards, political and economic theories are solely designed to safeguard the interests of humanity as a whole, and not humanity to be crucified for the preservation of the integrity of any particular law or doctrine.
Let there be no mistake.The principle of the Oneness of Mankind � the pivot round which all the teachings of Bah6~ 'u'Ilih revolve � is no mere outburst of igno rant emotionalism or an expression of vague and pious hope. Its appeal is not to be merely identified with a reawakening of the spirit of brotherhood and goodwill among men, nor does it aim soieiy at the fostering of harmonious cooperation among individual peoples and nations.
Its implications are deeper, its claims greater than any which the Prophets of old were allowed to advance. Its message is applicable not oniy to the individual, but concerns itself primarily with the nature of those essential relationships that must bind all the states and nations as members of one human f am-ily. It does not constitute merely the enunciation of an ideal, but stands inseparably associated with an institution adequate to embody its truth, demonstrate its validity, and perpetuate its influence.
It implies an organic change in the structure of presentday society, a change such as the world has not yet experienced.
It constitutes a challenge, at once bold and universal, to outworn shibboleths of national creeds � creeds that have had their day and which must, in the ordinary course of events as shaped and controlled by Providence, give way to a new gospel, fundamentally different from, and infinitely superior to, what the world has already conceived.
lit calls for no iess than the reconstruction and the demilitarization of the whole civilized world � a world organically unified in all the essential aspects of its life, its political machinery, its spiritual aspiration, its trade and finance, its script and language, and yet infinite in the diversity of the national characteristics of its federated units.
It represents the consummation of human evolution � an evolution that has had its earliest beginnings in the birth of family life, its subsequent development in the achievement of tribal solidarity, leading in turn to the constitution of the city-state, and expanding later into the institution of independent and sovereign nations.
The principle of the Oneness of Mankind, as proclaimed by Bahá'u'lláh, carries with it, no more and no less, than a solemn assertion that attainment to this final stage in this stupendous evolution is not only necessary but inevitable, that its realization is fast approaching, and that nothing short
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of a power that is born of God can succeed in establishing it. So marvellous a conception finds its earliest manifestations in the efforts consciously exerted and the modest beginnings already achieved by the declared adherents of the Faith of Bahá'u'lláh who, conscious of the sublimity of their calling and initiated into the ennobling principles of His Administration, are forging ahead to establish His Kingdom on this earth. It has its indirect manifestations in the gradual diffusion of the spirit of world solidarity which is spontaneously arising out of the welter of a disorganized society.
It would be stimulating to follow the history of the growth and development of this lofty conception which must increasingly engage the attention of the responsible custodians of the destinies of peoples and nations. To the states and principalities just emerging from the welter of the great Napoleonic upheaval, whose chief preoccupation was either to recover their rights to an independent existence or to achieve their national unity, the conception of world solidarity seemed not oniy remote but inconceivable.
It was not until the forces of nationalism had succeeded in overthrowing the foundations of the Holy Alliance that had sought to curb their rising power, that the possibility of a world order, transcending in its range the political institutions these nations had established, came to be seriously entertained.
It was not until after the World SMar that these exponents of arrogant nationalism came to regard such an order as the object of a pernicious doctrine tending to sap that essential loyalty upon which the continued existence of their national life depended.
With a vigor that recalled the energy with which the members of the Holy Alliance sought to stifle the spirit of a rising nationalism among the peoples liberated from the Napoleonic yoke, those champions of an unfettered national sovereignty, in their turn, have labored and are still laboring to discredit principles upon which their own salvation must ultimately depend.
The fierce opposition which greeted the abortive scheme of the Geneva Protocol; the ridicule poured upon the proposal for a
United States of Europewhich was subse-quendy advanced, and the failure of the general scheme for the economic union of Europe, may appear as setbacks to the efforts which a handftil of foresighted people are earnestly exerting to advance this noble ideal.
And yet, are we not justified in deriving fresh encouragement when we observe that the very consideration of such proposals is in itself an evidence of their steady growth in the minds and hearts of men. In the organized attempts that are being made to discredit so exalted a conception are we not witnessing the repetition, on a larger scale, of those stirring struggles and fierce controversies that preceded the birth, and assisted in the reconstruction, of the unified nations of the "West?
To take but one instance.How confident were the assertions made in the days preceding the unification of the states of the North American continent regarding the insuperable barriers that stood in the way of their ultimate federation!
"Was it not widely and emphatically declared that the conflicting interests, the mutual distrust, the differences of government and habit that divided the states were such as no force, whether spiritual or temporal, could ever hope to harmonize or control?
And yet how different were the conditions prevailing a hundred and fifty years ago from those that characterize presentday society!
It would indeed be no exaggeration to say that the absence of those facilities which modern scientific progress has placed at the service of humanity in our time made of the problem of welding the American states into a single federation a task infinitely complex than that which confronts a divided humanity in its efforts to achieve the unification of all mankind.
Who knows that for so exalted a conceptiOn to take shape a suffering more intense than any it has yet experienced will have to be inflicted upon humanity? Could anything less than the fire of a civil war with all its violence and vicissitudes � a war that nearly rent the great American Republic � have welded the states, not oniy into a Union of independent units, but into a Nation, in spite of all the ethnic differences that characterized its component parts?
Thatso fundamental a revolution, involving such far-reaching changes in the structure of society, can be achieved through the ordinary processes of diplomacy and education seems highly improbable.
We have but to turn our gaze to humanity's bloodstained history to realize that nothing short of intense mental as well as physical agony has been able to precipitate those epochmaking changes that constitute the greatest landmarks in the history of human civilization.
Great and far-reaching as have been those changes in the past, they cannot but appear, when viewed in their proper perspective, except as subsidiary adjustments preluding that transformation of unparalleled majesty and scope which humanity is in this age bound to undergo. That the forces of a world catastrophe can alone precipitate such a new phase of human thought is, alas, be-coining increasingly apparent.
That nothing short of the fire of a severe ordeal, unparalleled in its intensity, can fuse and weld the discordant entities, that constitute the elements of presentday civilization, into the integral components of the world Commonwealth of the future is a truth which future events will increasingly demonstrate.
The prophetic voice of Bahá'u'lláh warning, in the concluding passages of the Hidden Words, "the peoples of the world" that an unforeseen calamity is following them and that grievous retribution awaiteth them" throws indeed a lurid light upon the immediate fortunes of sorrowing humanity. Nothing but a fiery ordeal, out of which humanity will emerge, chastened and prepared, can succeed in implanting that sense of responsibility which the leaders of a newborn age must arise to shoulder.
I would again direct your attention to those ominous words of Bahá'u'lláh which I have already quoted: "And when the appointed hour is come, there shall suddenly appear that which shall cause the limbs of mankind to quake."
Has not tAbdu'I-BaM Himself asserted in unequivocal language that ttanother war, fiercer than the last, will assuredly break out"?
Upon the consummation of this colossal, this unspeakably glorious enterprise � an enterprise that baffled the resources of Roman statesmanship and which Napoleon's desperate efforts failed to achieve � will depend the ultimate realization of that millennium of which poets of all ages have sung and seers have long dreamed. Upon it will depend the fulfillment of the prophecies uttered by the Prophets of old when swords shall be beaten into ploughshares and the lion and the lamb lie down together. It alone can usher in the Kingdom of the Heavenly Father as anticipated by the
Faith of Jesus Christ.It alone can lay the foundation for the New World Order visualized by
Bahá'u'lláh � a World Orderthat shall reflect, however dimly, upon this earthly plane, the ineffable splendors of the AbM Kingdom.
One word more in conclusion.The proclamation of the Oneness of Mankind � the head cornerstone of Bahá'u'lláh's all-em-bracing dominion � can under no circumstances be compared with such expressions of pious hope as have been uttered in the past. His is not merely a call which He raised, alone and unaided, in the face of the relentless and combined opposition of two of the most powerful Oriental potentates of His day � while Himself an exile and prisoner in their hands. It implies at once a warning and a promise � a warning that in it lies the soic means for the salvation of a greatly suffering world, a promise that its realization is at hand.
Uttered at a time when its possibility had not yet been seriously envisaged in any part of the world, it has, by virtue of that celestial potency with which the Spirit of Bahá'u'lláh has breathed into it, come at last to be regarded, by an increasing number of thoughtful men, not oniy as an approaching possibility, but as the necessary outcome of the forces now operating in the world.
Surely the world, contracted and transformed into a single highly complex organism by the marvellous progress achieved in the realm of physical science, by the worldwide expansion of commerce and industry, and struggling, under the pressure of world economic forces, amidst the pitfalls of a materialistic civilization, stands in dire need of a restatement of the Truth underlying all the Revelations of the past in a language suited to its essential requirements.
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what voice other than that of Bahá'u'lláh � the Mouthpiece of God for this age � is capable of effecting a transformation of society as radical as that which He has already accomplished in the hearts of those men and women, so diversified and seemingly irreconcilable, who constitute the body of His declared followers throughout the world?
That such a mighty conception is fast budding out in the minds of men, that voices are being raised in its support, that its salient features must fast crystallize in the consciousness of those who are in authority, few indeed can doubt. That its modest beginnings have already taken shape in the worldwide Administration with which the adherents of the Faith of Bahá'u'lláh stands associated oniy those whose hearts are tainted by prejudice can fail to perceive.
Ours, dearly-beloved coworkers, is the paramount duty to continue, with undimmed vision and unabated zeal, to assist in the final erection of that Edifice the foundations of which Bahá'u'lláh has laid in our hearts. Ours is the duty to derive added hope and strength from the general trend of recent events, however dark their immediate effects, and to pray with unremitting fervor that He may hasten the approach of the realization of that Wondrous Vision which constitutes the brightest emanation of His Mind and the fairest fruit of the fairest civilization the world has yet seen.
Might not the hundredth anniversary 1 of the Declaration of the Faith of Bahá'u'lláh mark the inauguration of so vast an era in human history?
(November 28, 1931.)We stand too close to so colossal a Revelation to expect in this, the first century of its era, to arrive at a just estimate of its towering grandeur, its infinite possibilities, its transcendent beauty.
Small though our present numbers may be, however limited our capacities, or circumscribed our influence, we, into whose hands so pure, so tender, so precious, a heritage has been entrusted, should at all times strive, with unrelaxing vigilance, to abstain from any thoughts, words, or deeds, that might tend to dim its brilliance or injure its growth.
Dear friends: Clear and emphatic as are the instructions which our departed Master has reiterated in countless Tablets bequeathed by Him to his followers throughout the world, a few, owing to the restricted influence of the Cause in the West, have been purposely withheld from the body of His occidental disciples, who, despite their numerical inferiority, are now exercising such a preponderating influence in the direction and administration of its affairs. I feel it, therefore, incumbent upon me to stress, now that the time is ripe, the importance of an instruction which, at the present state of the evolution of our Faith, should be increasingly emphasized, irrespective of its application to the East or to the West.
Andthis principle is no other than that which involves the nonparticipation by the adherents of the Faith of Bahá'u'lláh, whether in their individual capacities or collectively as local or national Assemblies, in any form of activity that might be interpreted, either directly or indirectly, as an interference in the political affairs of any particular government.
Whether it be in the publications which they initiate and supervise; or in their official and public deliberations; or in the posts they occupy and the services they render; or in the communications they address to their fellow-disciples; or in their dealings with men of eminence and authority; or in their affiliations with kindred societies and organizations, it is, I am firmly convinced, their first and sacred obligation to abstain from any word or deed that might be construed as a violation of this vital principle. Theirs is the duty to demonstrate, on one hand, their unqualified loyalty and obedience to whatever is the considered judgment of their respective governments.
Let them refrain from associating them-seives, whether by word or by deed, with the political pursuits of their respective nations, with the policies of their governments and the schemes and programs of parties
Page 230and factions. In such controversies they should assign no blame, take no side, further no design, and identify themselves with no system prejudicial to the best interests of that worldwide Fellowship which it is their aim to guard and foster.
Let them beware lest they allow themselves to become the tools of unscrupulous politicians, or to be entrapped by the treacherous devices of the plotters and the perfidious among their countrymen.
Let them so shape their lives and regulate their conduct that no charge of secrecy, of fraud, of bribery or of intimidation may, however ill-founded, be brought against them.
Let them rise above all particularism and partisanship, above the vain disputes, the petty calculations, the transient passions that agitate the face, and engage the attention, of a changing world. It is their duty to strive to distinguish, as clearly as they possibly can, and if needed with the aid of their elected representatives, such posts and functions as are either diplomatic or political from those that are purely administrative in character, and which under no circumstances are affected by the changes and chances that political activities and party government, in every land, must necessarily involve. Let them affirm their unyielding determination to stand, firmly and unreservedly, for the way of Bahá'u'lláh, to avoid the entanglements and bickerings inseparable from the pursuits of the politician, and to become worthy agencies of that Divine Polity which incarnates
God's immutable PurposeIt should be made unmistakably clear that such an attitude implies neither the slightest indifference to the cause and interests of their own country, nor involves any insubordination on their part to the authority of recognized and established governments. Nor does it constitute a repudiation of their sacred obligation to promote, in the most effective manner, the best interests of their government and people.
It indicates the desire cherished by every true and loyal follower of Bahá'u'lláh to serve, in an unselfish, unostentatious and patriotic fashion, the highest interests of the country to which he belongs, and in a way that would entail no departure from the high standards of integrity and truthfulness associated with the teachings of His Faith. (March 21, 1932.)
AMERICA AND THE MOST GREAT PEACEIt is not for me, nor does it seem within the competence of any one of the present generation, to trace the exact and full history of the rise and gradual consolidation of this invincible arm, this mighty organ, of a continually advancing Cause. It would be premature at this early stage of its evolution, to attempt an exhaustive analysis, or to arrive at a just estimate, of the impelling forces that have urged it forward to occupy so exalted a place among the various instruments which the Hand of Omnipotence has fashioned, and is now perfecting, for the execution of His divine Purpose.
Future historians of this mighty Revelation, endowed with pens abler than any which its presentday supporters can claim to possess, will no doubt transmit to posterity a masterly exposition of the origins of those forces which, through a remarkable swing of the pendu lurn, have caused the administrative center of the Faith to gravitate, away from its cradle, to the shores of the American continent and towards its very heart � the present mainspring and chief bdwark of its fast evolving institutions. On them will devolve the task of recording the history, and of estimating the significance, of so radical a revolution in the fortunes of a siowiy maturing Faith. Theirs will be the opportunity to extol the virtues and to immortalize the memory of those men and women who have participated in its accomplishment.
Theirs will be the privilege of evaluating the share which each of these champion-builders of the World Order of Bahá'u'lláh has had in ushering in that golden Millennium, the promise of which lies enshrined in His teachings.
Does not the history of primitive Christianity and of the rise of IslAm, each in its
Page 231THE WORLD ORDER OF BAHÁ'U'LLÁH 231
own way, offer a striking parallel to this strange phenomenon the beginnings of which we are now witnessing in this, the first century of the Bahá'í Era? Has not the Divine Impulse which gave birth to each of these great religious systems been driven, through the operation of those forces which the irresistible growth of the Faith itself had released, to seek away from the land of its birth and in more propitious climes a ready field and a more adequate medium for the incarnation of its spirit and the propagation of its cause? Have not the Asiatic churches of
Jerusalem, of Antiochand of Alexandria, consisting chiefly of those Jewish converts, whose character and temperament inclined them to sympathize with the traditional ceremonies of the Mosaic Dispensation, been forced as they steadily declined to recognize the growing ascendancy of their Greek and Roman brethren? Have they not been compelled to acknowledge the superior valor and the trained efficiency which have enabled these standard-bearers of the Cause of Jesus Christ to erect the symbols of His worldwide dominion on the ruins of a collapsing Empire? Has not the animating spirit of IsUm been constrained, under the pressure of similar circumstances, to abandon the inhospitable wastes of its Arabian Home, the theatre of its greatest sufferings and exploits, to yield in a distant land the fairest fruit of its siowiy maturing civilization?
rrFrom floe beginning of t~'me until the present day," Abdu'l-Bahá Himself affirms, ~the light of Divine Revelation hath risen in the East and shed its radiance upon the W/est. The illumination thus shed hath, however, acquired in the West an extraordinary brilliancy.
Consider the Faith proclaimed by Jesus. Though it first appeared in the East, yet not until its ligkt had been shed upon the West did the full measure of ils potentialities be manifest." reThe day is approaching," He, in another passage, assures us, ~~when ye shall witness how, through the splendor of the Faith of Bahá'u'lláh, the West will have replaced the East, radiating the light of Divine Guidance."
~~In the books of the Prophets," He again asserts, ~certa~n glad-tidings are recorded which are absolutely true and free from doubt. The East hath ever been the dawning-place of the Sun of Truth. In the East all the Prophets of God have appeared. The West hath acquired illumination from the East but in some respects the reflection of the light bath been greater in the Occident.
This is spe-~ cially true of Christianity. Jesus Christ appeared in Palestine and His teachings were founded in that country. Although the doors of the Kingdom were first opened in (hat land and (he bestowals of God were spread broadcast from its center, the people of the West have embraced and promulgated Christianity more fully than the leo-pie of the
East."Little wonder that from the same unerring pen there should have flowed, after Abdu'l-Bahá'í memorable Visit to the W'est, these often-quoted words, the significance of which it would be impossible for me to overrate: ~The continent of America," He announced in a Tablet unveiling His Divine Plan to the believers residing in the NorthEastern States of the American Republic, ~is in the eyes of the one true God the land wherein Ihe splendors of His light shall be revealed, 'where the righteous will abide and the free assemble." ~May this
American democracy," HeHimself, while in America, was heard to remark, rrbe the first nation to establish the foundation, of interna~ional agreement.
May it be the first nation to proclaim the unity of mankind. May it be the first to unfurl the shmdard of the ~Most Great Peace.'
The American people are indeed worthy of being the first to build the tabernacle of the great peace and proclaim the oneness of mankind. May America become the distributing center of spiritual enlightenment and all the world receive this heavenly blessing.
For America has developed powers and capacities greater and more wonderful than any other nations.
May the inhabitants of Ibis country become like angels of heaven with faces turned continually toward God. May all of them become servants of the omnipotent One. May they rise from their present material attainments to such a height that heavenly illumination may stream from this center to all the peoples of the world.
This American nation is equipped and empowered to ac-coin push that which will adorn the pages
Page 232of history, to become the envy of the world and be blest in both the East and the West for the triumph of its people The American continent gives signs and evidences of very great advancement.
Its future is even more promising, for its in flu � ence and illumination are far-reaching. It will lead all nations spiritually."
Would it seem extravagant, in the light of so sublime an utterance, to expect that in the midst of so enviable a region of the earth and out of the agony and wreckage of an unprecedented crisis there should burst forth a spiritual renaissance which, as it propagates itself through the instrumentality of the American believers, will rehabilitate the fortunes of a decadent age? It was cAbdu~1~Bah~, Himself, His most intimate associates testify, Who, on more than one occasion, intimated that the establishment of His Father's Faith in the North American continent ranked as the most outstanding among the threefold aims which, as He conceived it, constituted the principal objective of His ministry.
It was He who, in the heyday of His life and almost immediately after His Father's ascension, conceived the idea of inaugurating His mission by enlisting the inhabitants of so promising a country under the banner of Bahá'u'lláh. He it was Who in His unerring wisdom and out of the abundance of His heart chose to bestow on His favored disciples, to the very last day of His life, the tokens of His unfailing solicitude and to overwhelm them with the marks of His special favor. It was He Who, in His declining years, as soon as delivered from the shackles of a long and cruel incarceration, decided to visit the land which had remained for so many years the object of His infinite care and love. It was He Who, through the power of His pres � ence and the charm of His utterance, infused into the entire body of His followers those sentiments and principles which could alone sustain them amidst the trials which the very prosecution of their task would inevitably engender. Was He not, through the several functions which He exercised whilst He dwelt amongst them, whether in the laying of the cornerstone of their House of Worship, or in the Feast which He offered them and at which He chose to serve them in person, or in the emphasis which He on a more solemn occasion placed on the implications of His spiritual station � was He not, thereby, deliberately bequeathing to them all the essentials of that spiritual heritage which He knew they would ably safeguard and by their deeds continually enrich? And finally who can doubt that in the Divine Plan which, in the evening of His life, He unveiled to their eyes He was investing them with that spiritual primacy on which they could rely in the fulfillment of their high destiny?
~O ye apostles of Bahá'u'lláh!"lie thus addresses them in one of His Tablets, rrMay my life be sacrificed for you! Behold the portals which Bahá'u'lláh loath opened before you! Consider how exalted and lofty is the station you are destined to attain; how unique the favors with which you have been endowed."
reMy thoughts," He tells them in another passage, rrare turned towards you, and my heart leaps within me at your mention. Could ye know how my soul glows with your love, so great a hap pi � ness would flood your hearts as to cause you to become enainoured with each other." reThe full measure of your success," He de-dares in another Tablet, rris as yet unrevealed, its significance still unapprehended. Ere long ye wili, 'with your own eyes, witness how brilliantly every one of you, even as a shining star, will radiate in the firma-nient of your country the light of Divine Guidance and ivill bestow upon its people the glory of an everlasting life." f!The range of your future achievements," He once more affirms, result remains undisclosed. I fervently hope that in the near future the whole earth may be stirred and shaken by the results of your achievements."
f!T lie Al-nilgioty," He assures them, ~ will no doubt grant you the help of His grace, will invest you with the tokens of His might, and will endue your souls with the sustaining power of His holy Spirit."
~~Be not concerned," He admonishes them, r?with the sindiliness of your numbers, neither be oppressed by the multitude of an unbelieving world.
Exert yourselves; your mission is unspeak inspire them with whatsoever He ivilleth, and He verily is the Provider, the Omniscient."
erUntO the Most Holy Book" (the Kitáb-i-Aqdas), 'Abdu'l-Bahá states in His Will, "every one must turn, and all that is not expressly recorded therein must be referred to the Universal
House of Justice. Thatwhich this body, whether unanimously or by a majority doth carry, that is verily the truth and the purpose of Cod Himself. Whoso doth deviate there from is verily of them that love discord, hath shown forth malice, and turned away from the Lord of the Covenant."
Not only does tAbdu'1-BahA confirm in His Will Bahá'u'lláh's above-quoted state
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ment, but invests this body with the additional right and power to abrogate, according to the exigencies of time, its own enactments, as well as those of a preceding House of Justice. rrlisasmuch as the House of Justice," is His explicit statement in His Will, ~~hath power to enact laws that are not expressly recorded in the Book and bear upon daily transactions, so also it hath power to repeal the sante This it can do because these laws form no part of the divine explicit text."
Referring to both the Guardian and the Universal House of Justice we read these emphatic words: "The sacred and youthful Branch, the Guardian of the Cause of God, as well as the Universal House of Justice to be universally elected and established are both under the care and protection of the Abhd Beauty, under the shelter and unerring guidance of the Exalted One (the Rib) (may my life be offered up for then; both).
Whatsoever they decide is of God."From these statements it is made indubitably clear and evident that the Guardian of the Faith has been made the Interpreter of the Word and that the Universal House of Justice has been invested with the function of legislating on matters not expressly revealed in the teachings. The interpretation of the Guardian, functioning within his own sphere, is as authoritative and binding as the enactments of the International House of Justice, whose exclusive right and prerogative is to pro-flounce upon and deliver the final judgment on such laws and ordinances as Bahá'u'lláh has not expressly revealed.
Neither can, nor will ever, infringe upon the sacred and prescribed domain of the other. Neither will seek to curtail the specific and undoubted authority with which both have been divinely invested.
Though the Guardian of the Faith has been made the permanent head of so august a body he can never, even temporarily, assume the right of exclusive legislation. He cannot override the decision of the majority of his fellow-members, but is bound to insist upon a reconsideration by them of any enactment he conscientiously believes to conflict with the Meaning and to depart from the spirit of Bahá'u'lláh's revealed utterances. He interprets what has been specifically revealed, and cannot legislate except in his capacity as member of the Universal House of Justice. He is debarred from laying down independently the constitution that must govern the organized activities of his fellow-members, and from exercising his influence in a manner that would encroach upon the liberty of those whose sacred right is to elect the body of his collaborators.
It should be borne in mind that the institution of the Guardianship has been anticipated by ~Abd'1Bh' in an allusion He made in a Tablet addressed, long before His own ascension, to three of His friends in ir4n. To their question as to whether there would be any person to whom ~i11 the Bahá'ís would be called upon to turn after His ascension He made the following reply: ~As to the question ye have asked me, know verily that this is a well-guarded secret. It is even as a gem concealed within, its shell. That it will be revealed is predestined.
The time will come when its light will a~ftear, when its evidences will be made manifest, and its secrets unravelled."
Dearly-beloved friends!Exalted as is the position and vital as is the function of the institution of the Guardianship in the Administrative Order of Bahá'u'lláh, and staggering as must be the weight of responsibility which it carries, its importance must, whatever be the language of the 'Will, be in no wise overemphasized.
The Guardian of the Faith must not under any circumstances, and whatever his merits or his achievements, be exalted to the rank that will make him a co-sharer with Abdu'l-Bahá in the unique position which the Center of the Covenant occupies � much iess to the station exclusively ordained for the Manifestation of God. So grave a departure from the established tenets of our Faith is nothing short of open blasphemy.
As I have already stated, in the course of my references to tAbdu~1 Bahá'ís station, however great ~he gulf that separates Him from the Aurhor of a Divine Revelation it can never measure with the distance that stands between Him Who is the
Center of Bahá'u'lláh'sCovenant and the Guardians who are its chosen ministers.
Page 238There is a far, far greater distance separating the Guardian from the Center of the Covenant than there is between the Center of the Covenant and its
Author.No Guardian of the Faith, I feel in my solemn duty to place on record, can ever claim to be the perfect exemplar of the teachings of Bahá'u'lláh or the stainless mirror that reflects His light. Though overshadowed by the unfailing, the unerring protection of Bahá'u'lláh and of the Bib, and however much he may share with tAbdu'1-Bah4 the right and obligation to interpret tbe Bahá'í teachings, he remains essentially human and cannot, if he wishes to remain faithful to his trust, arrogate to himself, under any pretence whatsoever, the rights, the privileges and prerogatives which Bahá'u'lláh has chosen to confer upon His Son.
In the light of this truth to pray to the Guardian of the Faith, to address him as lord and master, to designate him as his holiness, to seek his benediction, to celebrate his birthday, or to commemorate any event associated with his life would be tantamount to a departure from those established truths that are enshrined within our beloved Faith.
The fact that the Guardian has been specifically endowed with such power as he may need to reveal the purport and disclose the implications of the utterances of Bahá'u'lláh and of tAbdu'1 BaM does not necessarily confer upon him a station coequal with those Whose words he is called upon to interpret. He can exercise that right and discharge this obligation and yet remain infinitely inferior to both of them in rank and different in nature.
To the integrity of this cardinal principle of our Faith the words, the deeds of its present and future Guardians must abundantly testify.
By their conduct and example they must needs establish its truth upon an unassailable foundation and transmit to future generations unimpeachable evidences of its reality.
For my own part to hesitate in recognizing so vital a truth or to vacillate in proclaiming so firm a conviction must con. stitute a shameless betrayal of the confidence reposed in me by !Abdu'l-Bahá and an unpardonable usurpation of the author-fry fry with which lie Himself has been invested.
A word should now be said regarding the theory on which this Administrative Order is based and the principle that must govern the operation of its chief institutions. It would be utterly misleading to attempt a comparison between this unique, this divinely-conceived Order and any of the diverse systems which the minds of men, at various periods of their history, have contrived for the government of human institutions.
Such an attempt would in itself betray a lack of complete appreciation of the excellence of the handiwork of its great Author. How could it be otherwise when we remember that this Order constitutes the very pattern of that divine civilization which the almighty Law of Bahá'u'lláh is designed to establish upon earth? The divers and ever-shifting systems of human polity, whether past or presens whether originating in the East or in the West, offer no adequate criterion wherewith to estimate the potency of its hidden virtues or to appraise the solidity of its foundations.
The Bahá'í Commonwealthof the future, of which this vast Administrative Order is the sole framework, is, both in theory and practice, not only unique in the entire history of political institutions, but can find no parallel in the annals of any of the world's recognized religious systems. No form of democratic government; no system of autocracy or of dictatorship, whether monarchical or republican; no intermediary scheme of a purely aristocratic order; nor even any of the recognized types of theocracy, whether it be the Hebrew Commonwealth, or the various Christian ecclesiastical organizations, or the Tm~mate or the Caliphate in Isl4m � none of these can be identified or be said to conform with the Administrative Order which the master-hand of its perfect Architect has fashioned.
This newborn AdministrativeOrder incorporates within its structure certain elements which are to be found in eadh of the three recognized forms of secular government, without being in any sense a mere replica of any one of them, and without
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introducing within its machinery any of the objectionable features which they inherently possess.
It blends and harmonizes, as no government fashioned by mortal hands has as yet accomplished, the salutary truths which each of these systems undoubtedly contains without vitiating the integrity of those God-given verities on which it is ultimately founded.
The Administrative Orderof the Faith of Bahá'u'lláh must in no wise be regarded as purely democratic in character inasmuch as the basic assumption which requires all democracies to depend fundamentally upon getting their mandate from the people is altogether lacking in this Dispensation.
In the conduct of the administrative affairs of the Faith, in the enactment of the legisla-don necessary to supplement the laws of the Kitáb-i-Aqdas, the members of the Universal House of Justice, it should be borne in mind, are not, as Bahá'u'lláh's utterances clearly imply, responsible to those whom they represent, nor are they allowed to be governed by the feelings, the general opinion, and even the convictions of the mass of the faithful, or of those who directly elect them. They are to follow, in a prayerful attitude, the dictates and promptings of their conscience.
They may, indeed they must, acquaint themselves with the conditions prevailing among the community, must weigh dispassionately in their minds the merits of any case presented for their consideration, but must reserve for themselves the right of an unfettered decision. !CGod will verily inspire them with whatsoever He willeth," is Bahá'u'lláh's incontrovertible assurance. They, and not the body of those who either directly or indirectly elect them, have thus been made the recipients of the divine guidance which is at once the lifeblood and ultimate safeguard of this Revelation. Moreover, he who symbolizes the hereditary principle in this Dispensation has been made the interpreter of the words of its Author, and ceases consequently, by virtue of the actual authority vested in him, to be the figurehead invariably associated with the prevailing systems of constitutional monarchies.
Nor can the Bahá'í Administrative Order be dismissed as a hard and rigid system of unmitigated autocracy or as an idle imitation of any form of absolutistic ecclesiastical government, whether it be the Papacy, the ImAmate or any other similar institution, for the obvious reason that upon the international elected representatives of the followers of Bahá'u'lláh has been conferred the exclusive right of legislating on matters not expressly revealed in the Bahá'í writings. Neither the Guardian of the Faith nor any institution apart from the International House of Justice can ever usurp this vital and essential power or encroach upon that sacred right. The abolition of professional priesthood with its accompanying sacraments of baptism, of communion and of confession of sins, the laws requiring the election by universal suffrage of all local, national, and international Houses of Justice, the total absence of episcopal authority with its attendant privileges, corruptions and bureaucratic tendencies, are further evidences of the non-autocratic character of the Bahá'í Administrative Order and of its inclination to democratic methods in the administration of its affairs.
Nor is this Order identified with the name of Bahá'u'lláh to be confused with any system of purely aristocratic government in view of the fact that it upholds, on the one hand, the hereditary principle and entrusts the Guardian of the Faith with the obligation of interpreting its teachings, and provides, on the other, for the free and direct election from among the mass of the faithful of the body that constitutes its highest legislative organ.
'Whereas this Administrative Order cannot be said to have been modelled after any of these recognized systems of government, it nevertheless embodies, reconciles and assimilates within its framework such wholesome elements as are to be found in each one of them. The hereditary authority which the Guardian is called upon to exer-cisc, the vital and essential functions which the Universal House of Justice discharges, the specific provisions requiring its democratic election by the representatives of the faithful � these combine to demonstrate the truth that this divinely revealed Order, which can never be identified with any of the standard types of government referred
Page 240to by Aristotle in his works, embodies and blends with the spiritual verities on which it is based the beneficent elements which are to be found in each one of them. 'The admitted evils inherent in each of these systems being rigidly and permanently excluded, this unique Order, however long it may endure and however extensive its ramifications, cannot ever degenerate into any form of despotism, of oligarchy, or of demagogy which must sooner or later corrupt the machinery of all manmade and essentially defective political institutions.
Dearly-beloved friends!Significant as are the origins of this mighty administrative structure, and however unique its features, the happenings that may be said to have heralded its birth and signalized the initial stage of its evolution seem no less remarkable. How striking, how edifying the contrast between the process of siow and steady consolidation that characterizes the growth of its infant strength and the devastating onrush of the forces of disintegration that are assailing the outworn institutions, both religious and secular, of presentday society!
The vitality which the organic institutions of this great, this ever-expanding Order so strongly exhibit; the obstacles which the high courage, the undaunted resolution of its administrators have already surmounted; the fire of an unquenchable enthusiasm that glows with undiminished fervor in the hearts of its itinerant teachers; the heights of self-sacrifice which its' champion-builders are now attaining; the breadth of vision, the confident hope, the creative joy, the inward peace, the uncompromising integrity, the exemplary discipline, the unyielding unity and solidarity which its stalwart defenders manifest; the degree to which its moving Spirit has shown itself capable of assimilating the diversified elements within its pale, of cleansing them of all forms of prejudice and of fusing them with its own structure � these are evidences of a power which a disillusioned and sadly shaken society can ill afford to ignore.
Compare these splendid manifestations of the spirit animating this vibrant body of the Faith of Bahá'u'lláh with the cries and agony, the follies and vanities, the bitterness and prejudices, the wickedness and divisions of an ailing and chaotic world. 'Witness the fear that torments its leaders and paralyzes the action of its blind and bewildered statesmen. How fierce the hatreds, how false the ambitions, how petty the pursuits, how deep-rooted the suspicions of its peoples! How disquieting the lawlessness, the corruption, the unbelief that are eating into the vitals of a tottering civilization!
Might not this process of steady deterioration which is insidiously invading so many departments of human activity and thought be regarded as a necessary accompaniment to the rise of this almighty
Arm of Bahá'u'lláh Mightwe not look upon the momentous happenings which, in the course of the past twenty years, have so deeply agitated every continent of the earth, as ominous signs simultaneously proclaiming the agonies of a disintegrating civilization and the birthpangs of that World Order � that Ark of human salvation � that must needs arise upon its ruins?
The catastrophic fall of mighty monarchies and empires in the European continent, allusions to some of which may be found in the prophecies of Bahá'u'lláh; the decline that has set in, and its still continuing, in the fortunes of the ShiCih hierarchy in His own native land; the fall of the Qij~r dynasty, the traditional enemy of His Faith; the overthrow of the Sult~nate and the Caliphate, the sustaining pillars of Sunni IslAm, to which the destruction of Jerusalem in the latter part of the first century of the Christian era offers a striking parallel; the wave of secularization which is invading the Mubammadan ecclesiastical institutions in Egypt and sapping the loyalty of its staunchest supporters; the humiliating blows that have afflicted some of the most powerful
Churches of Christendomthe dissemination of those subversive doctrines that are undermining the foundations and overthrowing the structure of seemingly impregnable strongholds in the political and social spheres of human activity; the signs of an impending
Page 241THE WORLD ORDER OF BAHÁ'U'LLÁH 241
catastrophe, strangely reminiscent of the Fall of the Roman Empire in the West, which threatens to engulf the whole structure of presentday civilization � all witness to the tumult which the birth of this mighty Organ of the Religion of Bahá'u'lláh has cast into the world � a tumult which will grow in scope and in intensity as the implications of this constantly evolving Scheme are more fully understood and its ramifications more widely extended over the surface of the globe.
A word more in conclusion.The rise and establishment of this Administrative Order � the shell that shields and enshrines so precious a gem � constitutes the hallmark of this second and formative age of the Bahá'í era.
It will come to be regarded, as it recedes farther and farther from our eyes, as the chief agency empowered to usher in the concluding phase, the consummation of this glorious Dispensation.
Let no one, while this System is still in its infancy, misconceive its character, belittle its significance or misrepresent its purpose. The bedrock on which this Administrative Order is founded is God's immutable Purpose for mankind in this day. The Source from which it derives its inspiration is no one less than Bahá'u'lláh Himself.
Its shield and defender are the embattled hosts of the AtM Kingdom. Its seed is the blood of no less than twenty thousand martyrs who have offered up their lives that it may be born and flourish. The axis round which its institutions revolve are the authentic provisions of the Will and Testament of ~Abd'1Bh' Its guiding principles are the truths which He Who is the unerring Interpreter of the teachings of our Faith has so clearly enunciated in His public addresses throughout the West. The laws that govern its operation and limit its functions are those which have been expressly ordained in the Kitáb-i-Aqdas. The seat round which its spiritual, its humanitarian and administrative activities will cluster are the Mashriqu'l-Adhkar and its Dependencies. The pillars that sustain its authority and buttress its structure are the twin institutions of the Guardianship and of the Universal House of Justice. The central, the underlying aim which animates it is the establishment of the New World Order as adumbrated by Bahá'u'lláh.
The methods it employs, the standard it inculcates, incline it to neither East nor West, neither Jew nor Gentile, neither rich nor poor, neither white nor colored. Its watchword is the unification of the human race; its standard the "Most Great Peace"; its consummation the advent of that golden millennium � the Day when the kingdoms of this world shall have become the Kingdom of God Himself, the Kingdom of
Bahá'u'lláh. (FebruaryAs your co-sharer in the building up of the New World Order which the mind of Bahá'u'lláh has visioned, and whose features the pen of cAbdu~1~BahA its perfect Architect, has delineated, I pause to contemplate with you the scene which the revolution of well-nigh fifteen years after His passing unfolds before us. The contrast between the accumulating evidences of steady consolidation that accompany the rise of the Administrative Order of the Faith of God, and the forces of disintegration which batter at the fabric of a travailing society, is as clear as it is arresting.
Both within and outside the Bahá'í world the signs and tokens which, in a mysterious manner, are heralding the birth of that World Order, the establishment of which must signalize the Golden Age of the Cause of God, are growing and multiplying day by day. No fair-minded observer can any longer fail to discern them. He cannot be misled by the painful slowness characterizing the unfoldment of the civilization which the followers of Bahá'u'lláh are laboring to establish.
Nor can he be deluded by the ephemeral manifestations of returning prosperity which at times appear to be capable of checking the disruptive influence of the chronic ills afflicting the institutions of a decaying age. The signs of the times are too numerous
Page 242and compelling to allow him to mistake their character or to belittle their significance. He can, if he be fair in his judgment, recognize in the chain of events which proclaim on the one hand the irresistible march of the institutions directly associated with the Revelation of Bahá'u'lláh and foreshadow on the other the downfall of those powers and principalities that have either ignored or opposed it � he can recognize in them all evidences of the operation of God's all-pervasive Will, the shaping of His perfectly ordered and world-embracing
Plan.r~Soon,~~ Bahá'u'lláh's own words proclaim it, ~will the present day Order b~ rolled up, and a new one spread out in its stead. Verily, thy Lord spealzetl3 the truth and is the Knower of things unseen." ~By Myself," He solemnly asserts, ~the day is approaching when We wili have rolled up the world and all that is therein, and spread out a new Order in its stead.
He, verily, is powerful over all things." ~The world's equilibrium," He explains, ~hath been upset through the vibrating influence of this Most Great, this new World Order. Mankind's ordered life hath been revolutionized through the agency of this unique, this wondrous System, the like of which mortal eyes have never wh~nessed."
~The signs of impending convulsions and chaos," He warns the peoples of the world, ~can now be discerned, inasmuch as the prevailing Order appeareth to be lamentably de-f ective."
Dearly-beloved friends!This New World Order, whose promise is enshrined in the Revelation of Bahá'u'lláh, whose fundamental principles have been enunciated in the writings of the Center of His Covenant, involves no iess than the complete unification of the entire human race. This unification should conform to such principles as would directly harmonize with the spirit that animates, and the laws that govern the operation of, the institutions that already constitute the structural basis of the Administrative
Order of His Faith.No machinery falling short of the standard inculcated by the Bahá'í Revelation, and at variance with the sublime pattern ordained in His teachings, which the col lective efforts of mankind may yet devise can ever hope to achieve anything above or beyond that ~Lesser Peace" to which the Author of our Faith has Himself alluded in His writings.
~Now that ye have refused the Most Great Peace," He, admonishing the kings and rulers of the earth, has written, ~ho1d ye fast i~nto this the Lesser Peace, that 13a ply ye may in some degree better your own condition and that of your dependents." Expatiating on this Lesser Peace, He thus addresses in that same Tablet the rulers of the earth: "Be reconciled among yourselves, that ye may need no more armaments save in a measure to safeguard your territories and doininions Be united, 0 kings of the earth, for thereby will the tempest of discord be stifled amongst you, and your peoples find rest, if ye be of them that comprehend. Should any one among you take up arms against another, rise ye all against him, for this is naught but manifest justice."
The Most Great Peace, on the other hand, as conceived by Bahá'u'lláh � a peace that must inevitably follow as the practical consequence of the spiritualization of the world and the fusion of all its races, creeds, classes and nations � can rest on no other basis, and can be preserved through no other agency, except the divinely appointed ordinances that are implicit in the W~or1d Order that stands associated with His holy name. In His Tablet, revealed almost seventy years ago to Queen Victoria, Bahá'u'lláh, alluding to this Most Great Peace, has declared: ~That which the Lord hath ordained as the sovereign remedy and mightiest instrument for the healing of all the world is the union of all its peoples in one universal Cause, one common Faith. This can in no wise be achieved except through the power of a skilled, an all-powerful and inspired Physician.
This, verily, is the truth, and all else naught but error Consider these days in which the Ancient Beauty, He Who is the Most Great Name, hath been sent down to regenerate and unify mankind. Behold how with drawn swords they rose against Him, and committed that which caused the Faithful Spirit to tremble. And whenever We said unto them: !Lo, the World Reformer is come,' they made reply:
Page 243THE WORLD ORDER OF BAHÁ'U'LLÁH 243
rHC, in truth, is one of the stirrers of mischief.'
,, !!fl beseerneth all men in this Day," He, in another Tablet, asserts, to take firm hold on the Most Great Name, and to establish the unity of all mankind. There is no place to flee to, no refuge that any one can seek, except Him."
Humanity's Coming of AgeThe Revelation of Bahá'u'lláh, whose supreme mission is none other but the achievement of this organic and spiritual unity of the whole body of nations, should, if we be faithful to its implications, be regarded as signalizing through its advent the coming of age of the entire human race. It should be viewed not merely as yet another spiritual revival in the ever-chang-ing fortunes of mankind, not only as a further stage in a chain of progressive Revelations, nor even as the culmination of one of a series of recurrent prophetic cycles, but rather as marking the last and highest stage in the stupendous evolution of man s collective life on this planet. The emergence of a world community, the consciousness of world citizenship, the founding of a world civilization and culture � all of which must synchronize with the initial stages in the unfoldment of the Golden Age of the Bahá'í Era � should, by their very nature, be regarded, as far as this planetary life is concerned, as the furthermost limits in the organization of human society, though man, as an individual, will, nay must indeed as a result of such a con � summation, continue indefinitely to progress and develop.
That mystic, all-pervasive, yet indefinable change, which we associate with the stage of maturity inevitable in the life of the individual and the development of the fruit must, if we would correctly apprehend the utterances of Bahá'u'lláh, have its counterpart in the evolution of the organization of human society. A similar stage must sooner or later be attained in the collective life of mankind, producing an even more striking phenomenon in world relations, and endowing the whole human race with such potentialities of well � being as shall provide, throughout the succeeding ages, the chief incentive required for the eventual fulfilment of its high destiny. Such a stage of maturity in the process of human government must, for all time, if we would faithfully recognize the tremendous claim advanced by Bahá'u'lláh, remain identified with the Revelation of which He was the Bearer.
In one of the most characteristic passages He Himself has revealed, He testifies in a language that none can mistake to the truth of this distinguishing principle of Bahá'í belief: "It hath been decreed by Us that Ihe Word of God and a11 the potentialities thereof shall be manifested unto inert in strict conformity with such con di � tions as have been foreordained by Hi-rn Who is the' All-Knowing, the All-Wise Should the Word be allowed to release suddenly all the energies latent within it, no man could sustain the weight of so mighty a revelation Consider that which hath been sent down unto Muloans-mad, the Apostle of God. The measure of the Revelation of which He was the Bearer had been clearly foreordained by Him Who is the Almighty, the All-Powerful. They that heard Hi-rn, however, could apprehend His purpose only to the extent of their station and spiritual capacity. He, in like manner, uncovered the Face of W/is-dons in ~ro portion to their ability to sustain the burden of His Message. No sooner had mankind attained the stage of maturity, than the SWord revealed to men's eyes the latent energies with which it had been endowed � energies which manifested themselves in the plenitude of their glory when the Ancient Beauty appeared, in the year sixty, in the person of !Ali~Mu1oanz~mad, tide
Bab."CAbdu~1~Bahi elucidating this fundamental verity, has written: All created things have their degree or stage of mat ur-ity. The period of maturity in the life of a tree is the time of its fruit-bearing The aninial attains a stage of full growth and completeness, and in the human kingdom man reaches his maturity when the light of his intelligence attains its greatest power and development Similarly there are periods and stages in the collective life of humanity. At one time it was passing through its stage of childhood, at
Page 244another its period of youth, but now it has entered its long-predicted phase of inatur-ity, the evidences of which are everywhere apparent That which was applicable to human needs during the early history of the race can neither meet nor satisfy the demands of this day, this period of newness and consummation.
Humanity has emerged from its former state of lhnitation and preihuinary training.
Man must now become imbued with new virtues and powers, new moral standards, new capacities. New bounties, perfect bestowals, arc awaiting and already descending upon him. The gifts and blessings of the period of youth, although thnely and sufficient dur � big the adolescence of inanizind, are now incapable of meeting the requirements o-its maturity."
The Process of IntegrationSuch a unique and momentous crisis in the life of organized mankind may, moreover, be likened to the culminating stage in the political evolution of the great American Republic � the stage which marked the emergence of a unified community of federated states. The stirring of a new national consciousness, and the birth of a new type of civilization, infinitely richer and nobler than any which its component parts could have severally hoped to achieve, may be said to have proclaimed the coining of age of the American people. Within the territorial limits of this nation, this consummation may be viewed as the culmination of the process of human government.
The diversified and loosely related elements of a divided community were brought together, unified and incorporated into one coherent system. Though this entity may continue gaining in cohesive power, though the unity already achieved may be further consolidated, though the civilization to which that unity could alone have given birth may expand and flourish, yet the machinery essential to such an unfoldment may be said to have been, in its essential structure, erected, and the impulse required to guide and sustain it may be regarded as having been fundamentally imparted. No stage above and beyond this consummation of national unity can, within the geographical limits of that nation, be imagined, though the highest destiny of its people, as a constituent element in a still larger entity that will embrace the whole of mankind, may still remain unfulfilled. Considered as an isolated unit, however, this process of integration may be said to have reached its highest and final consummation.
Such is the stage to which an evolving humanity is collectively approaching.
The Revelation entrusted by the Almighty Ordainer to Bahá'u'lláh, His followers firmly believe, has been endowed with such potentialities as are commensurate with the maturity of the human race � the crowning and most momentous stage in its evolution from infancy to manhood.
The successive Foundersof all past Religions Who, from time immemorial, have shed, with ever-increasing intensity, the splendor of one common Revelation at the various stages which have marked the advance of mankind towards maturity may thus, in a sense, be regarded as preliminary Manifestations, anticipating and paving the way for the advent of that Day of Days when the whole earth will have fructified and the tree of humanity will have yielded its destined fruit.
Incontrovertible as is this truth, its challenging character should never be allowed to obscure the purpose, or distort the principle, underlying the utterances of Bahá'u'lláh � utterances that have established for all time the absolute oneness of all the Prophets, Himself included, whether belonging to the past or to the future. Though the mission of the Prophets preceding Bahá'u'lláh may be viewed in that light, though the measure of Divine Revelation with which each has been entrusted must, as a result of this process of evolution, necessarily differ, their common origin, their essential unity, their identity of purpose, should at no time and under no circumstances be misapprehended or denied. That all the Messengers of God should be regarded as frabiding in the same Tabernacle, soaring in the same Heaven, seated upon the same Throne, uttering the same Speech, and proclaiming the same Faith" must, however much we may extol the
Page 245THE WORLD ORDER OF BAHÁ'U'LLÁH 245
measure of Divine Revelation vouchsafed to mankind at this crowning stage of its evolution, remain the unalterable foundation and central tenet of Bahá'í belief. Any variations in the splendor which each of these Manifestations of the Light of God has shed upon the world should be ascribed not to any inherent superiority involved in the essential character of any one of them, but rather to the progressive capacity, the ever-increasing spiritual receptiveness, which mankind, in its progress towards maturity, has invariably manifested.
The Final ConsummationOnly those who are willing to associate the Revelation proclaimed by Bahá'u'lláh with the consummation of so stupendous an evolution in the collective life of the whole human race can grasp the significance of the words which He, while alluding to the glories of this promised Day and to the duration of the Bahá'í Era, has deemed fit to utter. This is the King of Days," He exclaims, !rthe Day that bath seen the coming of the Best-Beloved, Him Who, through all eternity, hat/a been at--claimed the Desire of the World."
!CT/JC Scriptures of past Dispensations," He further asserts, ercelebrate the great jubilee that must needs greet this most great Day of God. Well is U with I&km that hat/i lived to see this Day and hath recognized its station." "It is evident," He, in another passage explains, erthat every age in which a Manifestation of God loath lived is divinely-ordained, and may, in a sense, be characterized as God's appointed Day. This Day, however, is unique, and is to be distinguished from those that have preceded it. The designation eseal of the Prophets' fully revealeth its high station.
The Prophetic Cycle hath verily ended. The Eternal Truth is now come. He hath lifted up the ensign of rower, and is now shedding upon the world the unclouded splendor of His Revelation."
~~In this most mighty Revelation;' He, in categorical language, declares, trail the Dispensations of the past have attained their highest, their final consummation. That which hath been made manifest in this pre-ensinent, this most exalted Revelation, standeth unparalleled in the annals of the past, nor will future ages 'witness its like."
Abdu'l-Bahá'í authentic pronouncements should, likewise, be recalled as confirming, in no less emphatic manner, the unexampled vastness of the Bahá'í Dispensation.
"Cen-tunes," He affirms in one of His Tablets, "nay, countless ages, in~'~/'U ~7.
~ A '~4'Y'&'~. ~& � ~ . U~~'L, ~ '~~ ~LL Declaration of Trust and ByLaws of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of Ir~in.
Page 270;k~ d,, ~ ~ ~PJ/,, ~j~;~'~;,0' LJ~~ ~ ~j~Qj. ~, ~ ~ L.~&,&L~' / -K~;,L. / -,A:J'JW:'~ 4~yI~J~, J~~t~A' 7
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Page 273THE WORLD ORDER OF BAHÁ'U'LLÁH 273
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~tts&h.~J&~h4 )'J1Yt~t~yfifl49%&OK~tY4X~; ~~2.-SS,,A,~ 4'/d4-'At d�QJ'~y{t4y Y%~',-~t J$L-c'&~--A oVz~&ju- ~ ~ r&. A.,. �&.yt6Y&,~n5j-~.~t ;QtI/w�b )4dMVj~WrVJVJ~4k/JL'i �~, 's)Y ~ If' { t~b~J wn�/Z, /~f~J fr.~jj4gjjcfr& V. j~L~tbA4tJ L7r;vI) "'~ ;,7914 &4 &%~ �Ji ~)Uot~b~9 412 fr~s2r'jf a' JA4 -J�/sitrJ'&'j &'j U a' 4 )Cbi~-'�t~ y 'I siV ~ � , � , -tt@t%;(4'L L 4yJsW ~ � LC ~.r4frY)ZtVJ4J5.YS,J4�I,~JJL4t4;~ ,$'~-J.-'4J~I I -~-.k � ',,;&~AA ~ k011{L' � � ,v~'". "~,, I-, , � 7 t L� b'& ',k � ~ y; by~ vju ,~9f;; O'Y5r~rLBP)vYI4fst)d~Yt ~ ~ ~ Kb O;JJ �s% J&~ ~'~tA %J3 L.,Qb' 7 )t14&2(b' ."W~%4~ ,~ Text of Authorization Issued for Registration by the Mixed Court in Egypt of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of Egypt.
Page 303THE WORLD ORDER OF BAHÁ'U'LLÁH 303
' I.' ~ , ''� ~~44ty~/wv~ ~J/a-0As~A4 ~ 4~ ~~Y 2&~4~ ~~A~K4AA ~ '~ � � 1,1,721 ~& / / ~;~;',s AJ AA~~j~v~}, YY&~J~ &'~ &'~ r~
______ JL~A~~ I)' ; Declaration of Trust of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of Egypt.
Page 304Pursuant to Section 193 of the Religious Corporation Law of the State of' New York
CERTIFICATE OF INCORPORATIONWe, the undersigned, all being of fuJi age, and citizens of the United States, and residents of the State or New York, desiring to form a corporation pursuant to Section 193 of the Religious Corporation Law off the State off New York, do hereby make, sign, and acknowledge this certificate as follow8: FIRST: The purpose and objects for wlflch the corporation is formed are to administer the a�Tafr8 of the Bahá'í Religion for the benefit of the Bahá'ís of the City of New York in accordance with the religious teachings and administrative principles of this Faith.
SECOND: The name off the corporation is to be "The Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of the City of' New York," THIRD: The territory in which its activities are principally to be conductec is New York City and vicinity.
FOURTH: The principal place of worship is to be located in the City of New York, County of Now York, State or New York.
FIFTH: The number of trustees is to be nine.SIXTH: The names and places of re8idence of tbe persons to be trustees until the first annual meeting are as follows:
NAIAESEVENTH: The time for holding its annual meeting is to be on the twenty � first day of April in each year.
Page 310The first meeting was held on March 30,1952, at Balm'1 Center, 119 west 57th Street, New York City.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, We have made, signed and acknowledged this certificate in triplicate. Dated this thirty � first day of March,1932.
'~~preS4~irBefore me on this thirty � first day of March,1932, personal],y appeared Horace Halley, Opheli6 Crum, and Bertha Herklotz, who being by me severally sworn did acknowledge that they had executed the written certificate of incorpo ation.
COMMISSIONER OF DEEDS.Comrn's.ion Expires Feb 2, i934 mission to, whatsoever ARTICLE VI has been revealed by Them; loyal and steadfast adherence The Spiritual Assembly to every clause of ~Abd'1Bh"shall consist of nine sacred Will and Testament; Trustees chosen from and close association among the Bahá'ís of with the skirit as well the City of New York, as the form of Bahá'í administrationwho shall be elected by throughout the world. these Bahá'ís in a manner hereinafter provided and who shall continue
Page 311Count Clerk, N. Y. Co. By in office for the period Secretary and Treasurer, of one year, or until theirand such other officers successors shall be elected.as may be found necessary for the proper conduct ARTICLE VII of its affairs. The officers shall be elected by a majority The officers of the Spiritualvote of the entire membership Assembly shall consist of the Assembly taken by of a Chairman, Vice-Chairman,secret ballot.
Page 312The first meeting of a newly-elected Assembly shall be called by the member elected to membership by the highest number of votes, or, in case two or more members have received the same said highest number of votes, then by the member selected by lot from among those members; and this member shall preside until the permanent Chairman shall be chosen.
All subsequent meetings shall be called by the Secretary of the Assembly at the request of the Chairman, or, in his absence or incapacity, of the Vice-Chairman, or of any three members of the Assembly; provided however that the Annual Meeting of the Assembly shall be held on April 21st, in accordance with the administrative principles recognized by all Bahá'í
Assemblies.Section 1. Five members of the Assembly present at a meeting shall constitute a quorum, and a majority vote of those present and constituting a quorum shall be sufficient for the conduct of business, except as otherwise provided in these ByLaws, and with due regard to the principles of unity and cordial fellowship involved in the institution of a Spiritual Assembly. The transactions and decisions of the Assembly shall be recorded at each meeting by the Secretary, who shall have the minutes adopted and approved by the Assembly, and preserve them in the official records of the Assembly.
Section 2. Vacancies in the membership of the Spiritual Assembly shall be filled by election at a special meeting of the local Bahá'í community duly called for that purpose by the Assembly.
In the event that the number of vacancies exceeds four, making a quorum of the Spiritual Assembly impossible, the election shall be under the supervision of the National Spiritual
Assembly.The sphere of jurisdiction of the Spiritual Assembly, with respect to residential qualification of membership, and voting rights of a believer in the Bahá'í community, shall be the locality included within the civil limits of the City of New York, but Baha'is, who reside in adjacent, outlying or suburban districts and can regularly attend the meetings of the 1oca~ Bahá'í community, may be enrolled on the membership list of the Spiritual Assembly and enjoy full voting rights pending the establishment of a local Spiritual Assembly in their home community.
ARTICLE XSection 1. In the event that any decision of the Assembly is unacceptable to any member or members of the community, the Assembly shall after endeavoring to compose the differences of opinion invite the said member or members to make appear to the national Baha body and notify that body of the condition of the matter and the readiness of the Assembly to become party to the appeal.
Section 2. In the same manner, if any difference arises between the Assembly and another local Assembly, or Assemblies, in North
America, the Assemblyshall report the matter to the national Baha body and inform that body of its readiness to make joint appeal together with the other As-sencibly or Assemblies.
Sec tion 3. If, however, the result of such appeal is unsatisfactory to the Spiritual Assembly or the Assembly at any time has reason to believe that actions of the National Spiritual Assembly are affecting adversely the welfare and unity of the Bahá'í community of the City of New York, it shall, after seeking to compose its difference of opinion with the national body in direct consultation, have the right to make appeal to the Guardian of the Faith.
Section 4. The Assemblyshall likewise have the right to make complaint to the National Spiritual Assembly in the event that matters of local Bahá'í concern and influence are referred to the national body by a member or members of the local community without previous opportunity for action by the local
Assembly.The Annual Meeting of the Corporation at which its Trustees shall be elected shall be held on April 21st at an hour and place to be fixed by the Assembly, which shall give not less than fifteen days' notice of the
Page 313meeting to all members of the local Baha community.
Section 1. The Assemblyshall accept those votes transmitted to the Assembly before the election by members who by reason of sickness or other unavoidable reason are unable to be present at the elec-non in person.
Section 2. The election of members to the Spiritual Assembly shall be by plurality vote.
Section 3. All voting members of the local Baha community are eligible for election as members of the Spiritual Assembly.
Section 4. The Assemblyshall prepare an agenda for the Annual Meeting in which shall be included reports of the activities of the Assembly since its election, a financial statement showing all income and expenditure of its fund, reports of its committees and presentation of any other matters pertaining to the affairs of the Bahá'í community. The Assembly, both preceding and following the annual election, shall invite discussion and welcome suggestions from the community, in order that its plans may reflect the community mind and heart.
Section 5. The result of the election shall be reported by the Spiritual Assembly to the National
Assembly.shall arrange for regular meetings of the Bahá'í community throughout the year at intervals of nineteen days, in accordance with the calendar incorporated in the teachings of the Baha Faith.
ARTICLE XIIIThe Spiritual Assembly, on notice from the National Spiritual Assembly, shall report the number of voting members in the local community, that the national Bahá'í body may be duly informed of the number of delegates to be assigned to the Bahá'í community of the City of New York in accordance with the principle of proportionate representation controlling the annual election of members to the National Spiritual
Assembly.Section 1. When informed of the number of delegates assigned to the local community, the Spiritual Assembly shall call a special meeting of the community for the purpose of electing said number of delegates to represent the community at the Annual Meeting of the National Spiritual
Assembly.Section 2. The election of delegates to the Annual Meeting of the National Spiritual Assembly shall be by plurality vote.
Section 3. All voting members of the local Bahá'í community are eligible for election as delegates to the Annual Meeting of the National Assembly.
Section 4. The result of the election shall be reported by the Spiritual Assembly to the National Spiritual Assembly, and the Spiritual Assembly shall meet all the conditions laid down by the national Bahá'í body for the recognition of local Spiritual Assemblies and the participation of local Bahá'í communities in the annual election of the national Bahá'í body.
ARTICLE XIVThe seal of this Corporation shall be circular in form, bearing the following description: The Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of the City of New York,
Corporate Seal.These ByLaws may be amended by majority vote of the Spiritual Assembly at any of its regular or special meetings, provided that at least fourteen days prior to the date fixed for the said meeting a copy of the proposed amendment or amendments is mailed to each member of the Assembly by the
Secretary.s&'kn. A& Certificate of Incorporation, the Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of Teaneck, New Jersey, U. S. A.
Page 315THE WORLD ORDER OF BAHÁ'U'LLÁH 315
Certificate of Incorporation, the Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of Teaneck, New Jersey, U. S. A. (page 2).
Page 316Certificate of Incorporation, the Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of Teaneck, New Jersey, U. S. A. (page 3).
Page 317THE WORLD ORDER OF BAHÁ'U'LLÁH 317
s'rATF: OF 1LLIN~US~ ~ (~nui' of Cu~,k, 1. U A~ TON F. SMITIl, R~c~r~r oC Deed~ ~ud Ke~pe~ of th~ 1~d~ I ~ of I)&~MI~. iii nnd f~u ~uid %i~P~, h~ the $tnte ~tov~dd, lb Ikrd~ ~h~i a1~ ~ ~g i~ ~.h'tre and e~~v~eI pilot gv~tj~hi~ eopy J the re~*~d vi 1~1r~wn~ (~hd in ~jd Office th~ ~VCflt~~fl t~
FebnlaryA J)~ J932 ~. ~az Third J~n uaxy --R~tcordsv of Certificate of Incorporation, the Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of Chicago, Illinois, U. S. A.
Page 318Certificate of Incorporation, Spiritual Assembly of Chicago (page 2).
Page 319THE WORLD ORDER OF BAHÁ'U'LLÁH 319
Certificate of Incorporation, the Spiritual Assembly of Chicago (page 3).
Page 320Certificate of Incorporation, the Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of Washington, D. C., U. S. A.
Page 321321 0ff iu of tFr Rewrbrr of Z)ecb% n Cotvm~it ~W% is to Cert(fp that the foregoing is & true ami veriE& cupy of the CtrtificatQ Cd mcorpcsraaon of ~ ~ r 4 ck S 1/1 / ~A r' 47 and of the wholo of said Certificate of IneorporaLio~ a~ flied in thh Office the of &. 1/33. and recorded in Libri 47 LoUt, /2 ct. q one of the Incorporation Records of tim District of Columbia, IN Wgrn~or, I have hereunto set my hand and arfixed the seal of this A. U 193 V. Recoider oJ Dccds, it C Certificate of Incorporation, the Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of 'Washington, D.C., U.S.A. (page 2).
Page 322THE WORLD ORDER OF BAHÁ'U'LLÁH 323
TO HIS HONOUR THE LIEUTENANTTHE PETITION OF Emetic Sala, importer, 194 Riverside Drive, St. Lambert, Quebec, 'William Sutherland Maxwell, architect, 1548 Pine Avenue West, Montreal, Ernest Vernon Harrison, clerk, 3411 Northcliffe Avenue, Montreal, Miss Anne Savage, spinster, 99 Guilbauk Street, Montreal, Mrs. May Maxwell, wife of William
Sutherland Maxwell, 1548 Pine AvenueWest, Montreal, Mrs. Rosemary SaL, wife of Emeric Sala, 194 Riverside Drive, St. Lambert, Quebec, Miss Mary Sutherland Maxwell, writer, 1548 Pine Avenue West, Montreal, Siegfried Schopflocher, manufacturer, facturer, 1904 Van Home Avenue, Montreal, treal, and Rowland Ardouin Estall, secretary, retary, 2072 St. Luke Street, Montreal, respectfully showeth as follows: � The undersigned petitioners are desirous of obtaining Letters Patent under the Provisions visions of Part Three of the Quebec Companies' panies' Act, (1920) and Amendments, without share capital, constituting your petitioners and such others as may become members in the corporation thereby created a body corporate and politic under the name of "CORPORATION OF THE SPIRITUAL
ITUAL ASSEMBLY OF THE BAHÁ'ÍSOF THE CITY OF MONTREAL" or such other name as shall appear to you to be proper in the premises.
The undersigned have satisfied themselves selves and are assured that the proposed corporate name of the corporation under which incorporation is sought is not the corporate name of any other known corporation, poration, incorporated or unincorporated, or any name liable to be confounded therewith with or otherwise on public grounds objectionable.
jectionable.Your petitioners are of the full age of twenty-one years.
The purposes for which this incorporation tion is sought by the petitioners are: � 1. To administer the affairs of the Bahá'í Faith for the benefit of the Bahá'ís of the City of Montreal in accordance with the religious teachings and administrative principles ciples of this Faith.
QUEBEC2. The Bahá'ís of the City of Montreal adopt this Corporation in order to supply proper legal status to their conduct of the affairs of a religious community which has had continuous existence for more than thirty years, being the first local Bahá'í community established in Canada. During this period the community has been recognized, ed, encouraged and instructed in letters and cornlnunications sent by tAbdu'1-BahA, who, in one communication dated at Haifa, Palestine, February 21, 1917, and addressed CCT the believers of God and the maidservants s of the Merciful in the Dominion of Canada," expressed the wish that in the future Montreal may become so stirred, that the melody of the Kingdom may travel to all parts of the world from that Dominion n and the breaths of the Holy Spirit may spread from that center to the East and West of America." CAbdu~1~~BaM himself spent several days in this City during g the course of his visit to America in 1912. The Assembly has been recognized since the Ascension of tAbdu'1-Bah~ in letters sent by Shoghi Effendi, the Guardian of the Bahá'í Faith. The Montreal Bahá'í Community has been continuously and uninterruptedly represented by delegates in the Annual Meetings held by the recognized national Bahá'í body of North America since the formation of that body in 1909.
The Spiritual Assembly is at present enrolled d in the list of local Spiritual Assemblies s recognized by the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of the United
States and Canada.3. The Trustees, i.e., the Spiritual Assembly, , recognize that this action has been taken in full unanimity and agreement.
They acknowledge for themselves and on behalf of their successors the sacred meaning g and universal purpose of the Bahá'í Faith, the teachings and principles of which fulfil the divine promise of all former revealed d religions.
4. In administering the affairs of the Bahá'í Religion under this Corporation for the benefit of the Bahá'ís of the City of
Page 324GEORGE THE FIFTH, by the (,rac~ofC,od ,'f Gw~iB,ela3fl. Ireland and ih*Bvil,,hDomi nions beyond the Seas, King, Defen4e~ of ike Faifk, Emptw~ ~
India.To all t~, whom U~ ~ .h.II ~om~ o~ ..hom th. .a,~e m.y ~mwu.
GREETING:WHEREAS Part Third or the Quebec C~npanies' Act, provides Lhat Lhe Lwutm*nt-Govemor r may. by Letters Patent i~ued under the Great Seal, grant to three ~ ni~e ~,er~ona. petitkming thercfoo~, a charter c~stit~t~ng them a corporation for objects or a natio~I. patriotic. reiIgio~s. phdantropic, charitable. scwnt,fic. arti~t,c. ~iial. professiO~a1.
cx ~po~t~ng character. o~ th~ Iik~. b~t witho.ll p~uniary gain; WHEREAS the peruons hereinarwrdesignated have flkdapetiUOn praying forachart~r /i 4/ conutituti,~g them a body corporate and politic (~x th~ purposes hereinrn~der descnbed: and co~d~d th ~ WHEREAS the said persons have complied with the conditions precedent to the granting of the desired charter, and the objects of the undertaking of the proi,o.ed c~np.ny are amongst thoee fo~ whichthe Lieutenant-(~overnor maygrant a charter under Part Third
Lib. ~ 5/'Fol /~ of the Quebec Companies Act;NOW KNOW YE, that We have, in virtue of the poweri conferred upon Us by the said Part Third of the Quebec Coup~iles Act constituted and by thete present Letteri ~L~14.J~L2c~~&~J Patent do constitute the fo4lowing perlona, to Wit:
_ A~c~19�.UvXundsbaaint~p~ r Gescbx~it& lella dg$~ Awt~/arc~t /1/ 1
334 THE I3AHA'I WORLDCertificate of Incorporation, Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of Esslingen, Germany.
son werden, die bereit in, dem Zweck der Bahi'i-Arbeitsgemeinschaft Esslingen zu dienen und dutch die in Esslingen ans~ssigen Anhiinger Bahá'u'lláh's und Abdu'l-Bahá'í und des anerkannten Htiters (Baha'i) ge-m~.ss den ailgemeinen Bahá'í Gepflogenheiten bezw.
gemiiss den Satzungen der reclitmassi-gen deutschen
Nationalen BaM'i-Arbeits-gemeinschaft(Bah&i-Nationalrat) oder deren rechtm~issigen Nachfolger gew~ih1t und von letzterer best~tigt ist. Die Mit-glieclschafc clauert jeweils em Jahr und kann beliebig erneuert werden.
II. Verlust der Mitgliedschaft.Die Mitgliedschaft erlischt: a. nach Verlauf eines Jalires falls sie nicht erneuert wird.
b. durch ToW c. durch Austria.Der Austritt ist an keine bestimmte Form oder Frist gebunden. Zum Ausschluss be-darf es der Dreiviertelmehrheit der Mitglie-. der und der Besdtigung durch den deutschen BaM'i-Nationalrat bezw. dessen Rechtsnachfolger oder des Hilters.
5. BEITRAG.Es bleibt der Mitgliederver-sammiung iiberlassen hiertiber Beschliisse zu fassen.
6. BILDUNG DES VORSTANDES.Der Vorstand wird von der Mitgliederver � sammiung alijalirlich mit einfacher
Stimmenmehrheit gewThlt und besteht aus dem Vorsitzenden, dessen Stellvertreter, dem Sek-reGr und dem Rechner.
Ihm obliegt die Ausfiihrung der Beschutisse der Mitgfleder-versammiung.
7. BERtJFUNG DER MITGLIEDERNERSAMM-LUNGdessen Stellvertreter bezw. dern Sekret~r einberuf en. Line besondere Form ist nicht vorgeschrieben.
Die Beschlfisse sind von dem Vorsivzenden und dem Sekretiir zu unter-zeichnen.
Die Beschliisse werden mit em-Lacier Stimmenmehrheit gefasst.
8. SCHEIDSGERICIZTT.Wegen aller aus dem Zweck des Vereins sich ergegenden Streitigkeiten unterwerfen sich die Mitglieder einem von deutschen Baha'i-Nationalrat bezw. dessen Rechts-nachfolger zu ernennenclen Schiecisgericlit.
9. VEREINSVERM6GEN.flulit bei Aufl6sung des Vereins dem deutschen Ba-hi'i-Nationalrat bezw.
dessen Rechtsnach-folger ext lAs zur Naugriindung einer se1bstst~ndigen
Gruppe in Esslingen-inFirst National Convention of the Bahá'ís of tdn, 1934 (91 of the Bahá'í Era).
Page 336I hereby certify ~ Aa8e1nb~y af the Baha � ~ � � ifl~ ~ � � � ~r*~ ~ � � � � f ~ ~ Certificate of Incorporation of the Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of Karachi, India.
Page 337THE WORLD ORDER OF BAHÁ'U'LLÁH 337
~0cietkz.Certificate of Incorporation of the Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of Calcutta, India.
Page 338Certificate of Incorporation of the Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of Delhi, India.
Page 339it cfrct.t Zfl4AAg %___ Lw the matter qi ____ I do her4by cert4fy that pumuant to Act XXX of 1860 of the Legislative (3oaaoil of India, entitled an Aet for the registration of Literary, Scientific and Clxaxitable Societies, Memormuidum of Association 3nd certified copy of C, Ruks and ReguI&~ions bavo this day been died ~ud registerea in my Office and that tJie said ZZ~U has been duly incorporated and i& a Literary, Scientific and Charitable Aaocntoa
1.)e~tY ~LLL~Y~$~ Certificate of Incorporation of the Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of Auckland,
New Zealand.THE WORLD ORDER OF BAHÁ'U'LLÁH 343
DOCUMENTS RELATED TO THE INCORPORATIONRELIGIOUS SOCIETY IN PALES (1) TEXT OF APPLICATION
TO THE PALESTINE GOVERNMENTSir, In conformity with the notice dated the 26th of August, 1919, regarding registration of Societies I beg to request that ccThe National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of the United States and
Canada � Palestine Branch"be registered as a Society under the Ottoman Law of the 3rd of August, 1925.
The address of the Society is: Persian Colony, C/o Riihi Afnin, Haif a. The objects of the Society are stated in the attached
Articles.Two copies of the Society's Regulations are attached.
Yours faithfully,Assembly of the Bahá'ís of the United States and Canada � Palestine Branch" (hereinafter called the
Association).The Association is composed of Shoghi Effendi RabNni or whoever may lawfully succeed him as the Guardian of
Bahá'í Faith, Riahi Afn~nand such other persons as may be appointed from time to time by Shoghi Effendi RabbAni or his lawful successors with consent of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of the United States and Canada organized and existing under the
Declaration of Trustadopted on the 4th of April, 1927, New York City, New York, U.S.A. 3. Purposes.
The Association is formed in order to hold and to administer various movable and immovable properties belonging to the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of the United States and Canada in Palestine, and generally to act on behalf of and to represent the said
Assembly.or whoever may lawfully succeed him as the Guardian of Bahá'í Faith or any other person appointed by
Shoghi Effendi Rabbiniof the Bahá'ís of the United States and Canada shall be entitled to act on behalf of the Association, to sign any deeds or documents, to represent the Association in any dealings or transactions, to enter into any agreements, to receive moneys and to give effectual receipts or discharges, to appear before the Courts and Government Offices, to acquire properties, lands, houses, and other immovables in the name of the Association and to dispose of any such properties, lands, houses and immovables by way of sale, mortgage, gift, partition or otherwise and generally to do validly any acts which may be lawfully done by the Association.
Page 344In reply plca~e qi'ot~ DI8TR9CT QQ!V~M~SSIONER$ OFFIOES
No. NQRTMER~ DISTRICT~ ~he ~1~t ~. rn&~ ~pLr'1~ I ~I ~i ~. of tKl~ ?~e~ A ~ Ki ~ ~ h~ ~
� Pt~ I ~ t~ ~T~W your ~ttTh~j~fl~ tu ~-,rtL~L~ Ott~~n taw of ~ Wh�Ch ~ y~u t.,, thi.s receipt.
J.~ .~ ~iaita.Certificate of the Palestine Government Incorporating
Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of India and Burma, the National
Palestine Branch.THE WORLD ORDER OF BAHÁ'U'LLÁH 347
Trade Mark Certificate obtained from the United States Government covering the word "Baha'i."
Page 348NATIONAL BPIEITUAL ASSEMBLY OE TEE BAHÁ'Í OF THE UNITED STATES AND
C&NADA, OF KRW YO:BE, N. 1.Application filed March 10, 1928. Beril No. 162,923.
BAHAIof the Bahá'ís of the United States and Canada, a com-mon-law corporation orgunized and operated under declaration of trust, and doing business at 129 East 10th Street, New York, N. Y., has adopted and used the trade.mark shown in the accompanying drawing, on
MAGAZINES AND PRINTEDin Class 38, Prints and publications, and presents herewith live specimens showing the ti'ade-m~rk as actually used by applicant upon the goods, and requests that ti ic same be registered in th~ United States Patent Office in accordance with the iLct (If February 20, 1905. The tr~ide-maik has been continuously used and a~p1ied to said goods in appIican~'s business since 1900. The tradc-mark is applied or affixed to the goode by printing the same thereon.
Applicant hereby appoints& Bastien, a firm composed of 1~ L1'iam C. Linton, Wilbur F. Kellogg, Raymond A. Robic and Alfred Bastien, of 7~24 Ninth Street, Northwest, Washington, D. C., registration 11,584, its attorneys to prost�-cute this application to registration, to iiavc fuU power of substitution and revocation therNn, to make alterations and aiueiid-ments, to receive the certificat~e and to t1an~-act all business in the Patent Office connected therewith.
NATIONAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLYTHE WORLD ORDER OF BAHÁ'U'LLÁH 349
NO.This is to Certify That by the records of the UNITED STA
PATENT OFFICE it appea~ that N IONi2. ~irpm~ ItYA~ ASEJ2B~2{ C~J?
BAHÁ'ÍS OF ~Ifl~ UN1T~D ~TWiM ~AD ~ :~e~t i~1e-New w Jers~y~ s a on-~3.a~ corpox~ation org&nize~ under tion at the12W day of ~pril, 2~)34 an app1ka~ion for REGISTRATION of ~ cert?in duly file in said
TRADE ~MARK~naX Spi~itu81. i.~e~~abiy o~ The EabaUs ~ th~ Unit~ ~nd Canada, it~ sue~e~&ors or &S~igfl~.
in the drawing for the goods speciflcd in the statement, copies of which and statement are hereto annexed, and duly complkd wkh the require-the e law in such case made and provided, and with the regulations pre-~y y the COMMISSIONER OF PATENT& 1, upon due eXammatidn, it appearing that the said applicant L~ entitk~ said TRADEMARK registered under the law, th~ said TRADD-MAR en en duly REGISTERED this d~y in r~h~ UNITED STATES PATENT E, to In Testimony Whereof I have h~r~un~o set my hand and caused the s~l of th~ PATENT OFFICE to b~ affixed, at th~ city or Wa~hin~ton, ~ twetity � eigbt~ day of in d~ year QF ou~ Lord one thousand nine hundred ~nd tbirty � f0t~r and of the independence of the United ~ States the one hundred and fi ty~nli~th.
~ommi joner of Pa n~s.ii~ certificate shall remain in force for TWENTY YEARS, unless ~x~ner by law.
Trade Mark Certificate obtained from the United States Government covering the symbol of the Greatest Name.
ATTESLNational Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of the United States and Canada, West Englewood, wood, N. J.
Act of February 20, 1905To the Commissiotner of Patents: National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of the United States and Canada, a common-law corporation organized and operated under declaration n of trust, and doing business at Evergreen Cabin, West Englewood, New Jersey, has adopted and used the trademark shown in the accompanying g drawing, on PERIODICAL LITERATURE E AND PRINTED BOOKS, in Class 38, Prints and publications, and presents herewith five specimens showing the trademark as actually y used by applicant upon the goods, and requests that the same be registered in the United States Patent Office in accordance with the act of February y 20, 1905. The trademark has been continuously y used and applied to said goods in applicant's s business since 1909. The trademark is applied or affixed to the goods by printing the same thereon. The English translation of the Arabic symbol shown on the drawing means "The
Greatest Name".The undersigned hereby appoints Mr. William C. Linton, af 1319 F Street, N: W., Washington, D. C., U. S. A., registration No. 10,109, its attorney, with full power of substitution and revocation, to prosecute this application, to make alteratAons and amendments therein, to sign the drawing, to receive the certificate of registration and to transact all business in the Patent Office connected ed therewith.
NATIONAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLYThe und~r3i~nea. Natlanaj, ~p1i1tua1 Aammbl ~si Jr~7~; 5� ;'4�o7 qj~,; '-j--,, 1 1 �' ~flW-LJ4hYAtk � rAl ,Yd~&(,
� A'r7 4A ~.~44/LPaL2AaL, ~tA,J%s�~ ~A�rrA,iX( '~W~s ~A. &H& U~P 9 ~ ~9~2K4 7' #L ~
7r tY ~~'&'~ ~5)L~r%Wrfr 0� uK"�4(' -Sw~ ~9&XK&k4 ''s4?ft' K$YLt7~ K 94. ~' (1') ajii A.,~-i Ji�~~ c~" ~' V 'I
Page 373____________________________ _____________________I
Page 374JI~ ~ ~ JI Al ~9~qU ti~ ~ h i
Page 375cyA~1 ~9~JAlk K ~ ~i~) ~ (YA~R4, ~o. ~ ~ . j~~A1, '~y $ �~ ,~ ~ I ~ 4~~~J1 L~JI 9" LAAJ~ A .~U ~ i~ 'r'~' ~ 0 \ '' / ~ ~'-v2~ , b ~ �~, .~liJ.i. 1~~JL,
'~4.) \U~/THE WORLD ORDER OF BAHÁ'U'LLÁH 377
cJ' J' ~AXJIc~~j~ (') ~ ~tAJ~ �(~ ) y~ ~ ~L)~A~ \~A JI ~)A ~ A ~fu,A4J~)jAI (~ ~,4,) '~ C,A ) ~ ) (o)
Page 379)~1I y3ai~ % s ~ Z4~~ Text of the Farmin issued by Sulv~n cAbdtf1~cAziz banishing Bahá'u'lláh to tAkkd, Palestine.
Page 381THE WORLD ORDER OF BAHÁ'U'LLÁH 381
Text of the Resolution presented to President Franklin D. Roosevelt by the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of the United States and Canada.
Page 382to 1ez~kd ca~vtb~ .Y&~ &$5luWtlCC amdL i Abd~ui'1-oflhe oflhe hiqh ifmted.
~S tAtes ions of the lo ~ir K~L9Of ~jt UJ2jV~?17$aJ t rcspecdiil offrnr F to the of ircrica
DELANO A/ELT~ A ~ ~ ~ ~J. I., �j~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ L#~ '7~~ 2~' / ~T ~' I ~ Facsimile of Autograph Letter addressed by Prof. Varnb~ry to Abdu'l-Bahá.
(See translation, page 456.)REFERENCES TO THE BAHÁ'Í FAITH 451
and kindness, and of his father the great teacher of international goodwill and understanding � of a religion which Links all creeds.
Their writings are a great cry toward peace, reaching beyond all limits of frontiers, above all dissension about rites and dogmas. It is a religion based upon the inner spirit of God, upon the great, not-to-be-overcome verity that God is love, meaning just that. It teaches that all hatreds, intrigues, suspicions, evil words, all aggressive patriotism even, are outside the one essential law of God, and that special beliefs are but surface things whereas the heart that beats with divine love knows no tribe nor race.
It is a wondrous Message that Bahá'u'lláh and his son CAbdu~1~Bah~ have given us. They have not set it up aggressively, knowing that the germ of eternal truth which lies at its core cannot but take root and spread.
There is oniy one great verity in it: Love, the mainspring of every energy, tolerance toward each other, desire of understanding each other, knowing each other, helping each other, forgiving each other.
It is Christ's Messagetaken up anew, in the same words almost, but adapted to the thousand years and more difference that lies between the year one and today. No man could fail to be better because of this Book.
I commend it to you all.If ever the name of Bahá'u'lláh or CAbd 'lBh' comes to your attention, do not put their writings from you. Search out their Books, and let their glorious, peace-bringing, love-creating words and lessons sink into your hearts as they have into mine.
One's busy day may seem too full for religion.Or one may have a religion that satisfies. But the teachings of these gentle, wise and kindly men are compatible with all religion, and with no religion.
Seek them, and be the happier.Of course, if you take the stand that creation has no aim, it is easy to dismiss life and death with a shrug and a ttthat ends it all; nothing comes after."
But how difficult it is so to dismiss the universe, our world, the animal and vegetable world, and man. How clearly one sees a plan in everything.
Flow unthinkable it is that the miraculous development that has brought man's body, brain and spirit to what it is, should cease. W'hy should it cease?
Why is it not logical that it goes on? Not the body, which is oniy an instrument, but the invisible spark or fire within the body which makes man one with the wider plan of creation.
My words are lame, and why should I grope for meanings when I can quote from one who has said it so much more plainly, Abdu'l-Bahá, whom I know would sanction the use of his words: "The whole physical creation is perishable. Material bodies are composed of atoms. When these atoms begin to separate, decomposition sets in. Then comes what we call death.
C tThis composition of atoms which constitutes the body or mortal element of any created being, is temporary. When the power of attraction which holds these atoms together is withdrawn, the body as such ceases to exist.
(CWth the soul it is different.The soul is not a combination of elements, is not composed of many atoms, is of one indivisible substance and therefore eternal.
ttlt is entirely out of the order of physical creation; it is immortal!
The soul, being an invisible, indivisible substance, can suffer neither disintegration nor destruction. Therefore there is no reason for its coming to an end.
CC~id the aim of creation: Is it possible that all is created to evolve and develop through countless ages with merely this small goal in view � a few years of man's life on earth? Is it not unthinkable that this should be the final aim of existence? Does a man cease to exist when he leaves his body?
If his life comes to an end, then all previous evolution is useless.
All has been for nothing.All those eons of evolu-don for nothing! Can we imagine that creation had no greater aim than this?
Page 452ttThe very existence of n-ian's intelligence proves his immortality. His intelligence is the intermediary between his body and his spirit. When man allows his spirit, through his soui, to enlighten his understanding, then does he contain all creation; because man being the culmination of all that went before, and thus superior to all previous evolutions, contains all the lower already-evolved world within himself. Illumined by the spirit through the instrumentality of the soul, man's radiant intelligence makes him the crowning-point of creation!"
Thus does tAbdu~1~Bah~ explain to us the soul � the most convincing elucidation I know.
(From the Toronto DailyAt first we all conceive of God as something or somebody apart from ourselves. We think He is something or somebody definite, outside of us, whose quality, meaning and so-to-say tcpersonality~~ we can grasp with our human, finite minds, and express in mere words.
This is not so. We cannot, with our earthly faculties entirely grasp His meaning � no more than we can really understand the meaning of Eternity.
God is certainly not the old Fatherly gentleman with the long beard that in our childhood we saw pictured sitting amongst clouds on the throne of judgment, holding the lightning of vengeance in His hand.
God is something simpler, happier, and yet infinitely more tremendous. God is All, Everything. He is the power behind all beginnings.
He is the inexhaustible source of supply, of love, of good, of progress, of achievement. God is therefore Happiness.
His is the voice within us that shows us good and evil.
But mostly we ignore or misunderstand this voice.Therefore did He choose his Elect to come down amongst us upon earth to make clear His word, His real meaning. Therefore the Prophets; therefore Christ, Muhammad, Bahá'u'lláh, for man needs from time to time a voice upon earth to bring God to him, to sharpen the realization of the existence of the true God. Those voices sent to us had to become flesh, so that with our earthly ears we should be able to hear and understand.
Those who read their Bible with ccpeeled eyes" will find in almost every line some revelation.
But it takes long life, suffering or some sudden event to tear all at once the veil from our eyes, so that we can truly see.
Sorrow and suffering are the surest and also the most common instructors, the straightest channel to God � that is to say, to that inner something within each of us which is God.
Happiness beyond all understanding comes with this revelation that God is within us, if we will but listen to His voice. We need not seek Him in the clouds.
He is the All-Father whence we came and to whom we shall return when, having done with this earthly body, we pass onward.
If I have repeated myself, forgive me. There are so many ways of saying things, but what is important is the truth which lies in all the many ways of expressing it. (From the Philadelphia r~Evening Bulletin," Monday, September 27, 1926.)
ttLately a great hope has come to me from one, Abdu'l-Bahá. I have found in His and His Father,
Bahá'u'lláh's Messageof Faith all my yearning for real religion satisfied.
If you ever hear of Bahá'ís or of the Bahá'í Movement which is known in America, you will know what that is. What I mean: these Books have strengthened me beyond belief and I am now ready to die any day full of hope. But I pray God not to take me away yet for I still have a lot of work to do."
ttThe Bahá'í teaching brings peace and understanding.
'CIt is like a wide embrace gathering together all those who have long searched for words of hope.
Page 453REFERENCES TO THE BAHÁ'Í FAITH 453
"It accepts all great prophets gone before, it destroys no other creeds and leaves all doors open.
ccSaddened by the continual strife amongst believers of many confessions and wearied of their intolerance towards each other, I discovered in the Bahá'í teaching the real spirit of Christ so often denied and misunderstood: "Unity instead of strife, hope instead of condemnation, love instead of hate, and a great reassurance for all men."
"The Bahá'í teaching brings peace to the soul and hope to the heart.
ttTo those in search of assurance the words of the Father are as a fountain in the desert after long wandering."
"More than ever today when the world is facing such a crisis of bewilderment and unrest, must we stand firm in Faith seeking that which binds together instead of tearing asunder."
"To those searching for light, the Bahá'í Teachings offer a star which will lead them to deeper understanding to assurance, peace and good will with all men."
B~ PROFESSOR E. G. BROWNEH. Phelps' eAbbds Effendi, pages xv-xx; 1903 rev. 1912 � I have often heard wonder expressed by Christian ministers at the extraordinary success of Báb missionaries, as contrasted with the almost complete failure of their own. ~~How is it," they say, c~tht the Christian doctrine, the highest and the noblest which the world has ever known, though supported by all the resources of "Western civilization, can only count its converts in Muhammadan lands by twos and threes, while Bibiisrn can reckon them by thousands?" The answer, to my mind, is plain as the sun at midday. 'Western Christianity, save in the rarest cases, is more Western than Christian, more racial than religious; and by dallying with doctrines plainly incompatible with the obvious meaning of its Founder's words, such as the theories of Ccii supremacy, "imperial destiny," ccsurviyaL of the fittest," and the iike, grows steadily more rather than iess material. Did Christ belong to a (Cd mj race, or even to a European or C~white race"? I am not arguing that the Christian religion is true, but merely that it is in manifest conflict with several other theories of life which practically regulate the conduct of all States and most individuals in the 'Western world, a world which, on the whole, judges all things, including religions, mainly by material, or to use the more popular term, tcpractica1,~~ 1934. standards. There is, of course, another factor in the success of the Báb propagandist, as compared with the Christian missionary, in the conversion of Muhammadans to his faith: namely, that the former admits, while the latter rejects, the Divine in � spiration of the Qur'an and the prophetic function of Muhammad. The Christian missionary must begin by attacking, explicitly or by implication, both these beliefs; too often forgetting that if (as happens but rarely) he succeeds in destroying them, he destroys with them that recognition of former prophetic dispensations (including 1936. the Jewish and the Christian) which Mu-bammad and the Qur'an proclaim, and converts his Muslim antagonist not to Christianity, but to Skepticism or Atheism. What, indeed, could be more illogical on the part of Christian missionaries to Mu-hamnciadan lands than to devote much time and labor to the composition of controversial works which endeavor to prove, in one and the same breath, first, that the Qur'an is a lying imposture, and, secondly, that it bears witness to the truth of Christ's mission, as though any value attached to the testimony of one proved a liar!
The BThi (or Baha'i)propagandist, on the other hand, admits that Muhammad was the prophet of God and that the Qur'an is the Word of God, denies nothing but their
Page 454finality, and does not discredit his own witness when he draws from that source arguments to prove his faith. To the Western observer, however, it is the complete sincerity of the BThis, their fearless disregard of death and torture undergone for the sake of their religion, their certain conviction as to the truth of their faith, their generally admirable conduct towards mankind and especially towards their fellow-believers, which constitutes their strongest claim on his attention.
Introduction to MyronH. Phelps' CAbbds Ejjendi, pages xn-xiv � It was under the influence of this enthusiasm that I penned the introduction to my translation of the Traveller's
Narrative.This enthusiasm, condoned, if not shared, by many kindly critics and reviewers, exposed me to a somewhat savage attack in the Oxford Magazine, an attack concluding with the assertion that my Introduction displayed "a personal attitude almost inconceivable in a rational European, and a style unpardonable in a university teacher."
(The review in question appeared in the Oxford Magazine of May 25, 1892, page 394, '~the prominence given to the Bib in this book is an absurd violation of historical perspective; and the translations of the Traveller's Narrative a waste of the powers and opportunities of a Persian
Scholar.") Increasingage and experience (more's the pity!) are apt enough, even without the assistance of the Oxford Magazine, to modify our enthusiasm; but in this case, at least, time has so far vindicated my judgment against that of my Oxford reviewer that he could scarcely now maintain, as he formerly asserted, that the BThi religion "had affected the least important part of the Muslim World, and that not deeply." Every one who is in the slightest degree conversant with the actual state of things (September 27, 1903), in Persia now recognizes that the number and influence of the B&bis in that country is immensely greater than it was fifteen years ago.
3.A Traveller's Narrative, page 309 � The appearance of such a woman as Qurratu'1-~Ayn is in any country and any age a rare phenomenon, but in such a country as Persia it is a prodigy � nay, almost a miracle. Alike in virtue of her marvelous beauty, her rare intellectual gifts, her fervid eloquence, her fearless devotion and her glorious martyrdom, she stands forth incomparable and immortal amidst her countrywomen. Had the Báb religion no other claim to greatness, this were sufficient � that it produced a heroine like Qurratu~1~cAyn.
Introduction to A Traveller'sNarrative, pages ix, x � Though I dimly suspected whither I was going and whom I was to behold (for no distinct intimation had been given to me), a second or two elapsed crc, with a throb of wonder and awe, I became definitely conscious that the room was not untenanted. In the corner where the divan met the wall sat a wondrous and venerable figure, crowned with a felt headdress of the kind called t6.j by dervishes (but of unusual height and make), round the base of which was wound a small white turban.
The face of him on whom I gazed I can never forget, though I cannot describe it. Those piercing eyes seemed to read one's very soul; power and authority sat on that ample brow; while the deep lines on the forehead and face implied an age which the jetblack hair and beard flowing down in indistinguishable luxuriance almost to the waist seemed to belie. No need to ask in whose presence I stood, as I bowed myself before one who is the object of a devotion and love which kings might envy and emperors sigh for in vain.
A mild, dignified voice bade me be seated, and then continued: Praise be to God, that thou Last attained! Thou hast come to see a prisoner and an exile. We desire but the good of the world and the happiness of the nations; yet they deem us
Page 455REFERENCES TO THE BAHÁ'Í FAITH 455
a stirrer-up of strife and sedition worthy of bondage and banishment. That all isa � tions should become one in faith and all men as brothers; that the bonds of affection and unity between the sons of 'men should be strengthened; that diversity of religion should cease, and differences of race be annulled � what harm is there in this?
Yet so it shall be; these fruitless strifes, these ruinous wars shall pass away, and the ~Most Great Peace' shall come. Do not you in Europe need this also? Is not this that which Christ foretold?
Yet do we see your kings and riders lavishing their treasures more freely on means for the destruction of the human. race than on that which would conduce to the hap piness of mankind.
These stifles and this bloodshed and discord must cease, and all men be as one kindred and one family Let not a man glory in this that he loves his country; let him rather glory in this; that he ioves his kind.
Such, so far as I can recall them, were the words which, besides many others, I heard from Baha. Let those who read them consider well with themselves whether such doctrines merit death and bonds, and whether the world is more iikeiy to gain or lose by their diffusion.
Introduction to A Traveller'sNarrative, pages xxxv, xxxvi � Seldom tave I seen one whose appearance impressed me more. A tall, strongly built man holding himself straight as an arrow, with white turban and raiment, long black locks reaching almost to the shoulder, broad powerful forehead, indicating a strong intellect, combined with an unswerving will, eyes keen as a hawk's, and strongly marked but pleasing features � such was my first impression of Abbas Effendi, ccThe Master" (cAgip) as he par excellence is called by the Báb's. Subsequent conversation with him served oniy to heighten the respect with which his appearance had from the first inspired me.
One more eloquent of speech, ready of argument, more apt of illus � tration, more intimately acquainted with the sacred books of the Jews, the Christians and the Muhammadans, could, I should think, be scarcely found even amongst the eloquent, ready and subtle race to which he belongs. These qualities, combined with a bearing at once majestic and genial, made me cease to wonder at the influence and esteem which he enjoyed even beyond the circle of his father's followers.
About the greatness of this man and his power no one who had seen him could entertain a doubt.
B~ DR. J. ESTLIN CARPENTERReligions, pages 70, 71 � From that subtle race issues the most remarkable movement which modern Muhammadanism has produced. Disciples gathered round him, and the movement was not checked by his arrest, his imprisonment for nearly six years and his final execution in 1850. It, too, claims to be a universal teaching; it has already its noble army of martyrs and its holy books; has Persia, in the midst of her miseries, given birth to a religion which will go round the world?
THE Rrv. T. K. CHEYNE, D.LLTT., D.D.of Races and Religions, (1914) � There was living quite lately a human being ' of such consummate excellence that many think it is both permissible and inevitable even to identify him mystically with the invisible Godhead.
His2 combination of mildness and power is so rare that we have to place him in a line with supernormal men. 'We learn that, at great points in his career after he had been in an ecstasy, such radiance of might and majesty streamed from his countenance that none could bear to look upon the effulgence of his glory and beauty.
Nor was it an uncommon occurrence for unbelievers involuntarily to bow down in lowly obeisance on beholding His Holiness.
1 Bahá'u'lláh.The gentle spirit of the Bib is surely high up in the cycles of eternity.
Who can fail, as Professor Browne says, to be attracted by him? ccHis sorrowful and persecuted life; his purity of conduct and youth; his courage and uncomplaining patience under misfortune; his complete self-negation; the dim ideal of a better state of things which can be discerned through the obscure mystic utterances of the Baydn; but most of all, his tragic death, all serve to enlist our sympa � thies on behalf of the young prophet of Shiraz.
~ sentait le besoin d'une r6forme pro-fond ~i introduire dans les moeurs publiques.
Ii s'est sacrifi6 pour 1'hurnanit6; pour die ii a donn~ son corps et son arne, pour elle ii a subi les privations, les affronts, les injures, Ia torture et le martyre."
(Mons. Nicolas.)If there has been any prophet in recent times, it is to Bahá'u'lláh that we must go. Character is the final judge. Bahá'u'lláh was a man of the highest class � that of prophets.
But he was free from the last infirmity of noble minds, and would certainly not have separated himself from others. He would have understood the saying: "Would God all the Lord's people were prophets!" What he does say, however, is just as fine: "I do nOt desire lordship over others; I desire all men to be even as I am."
The day is not far off when the details of tAbdu'1-Bahá'í missionary journeys will be admitted to be of historical importance.
How gentle and wise he was, hundreds could testify from personal knowledge, and I, too, could perhaps say something. I will only, however, give here the outward framework of cAb~ du'1-Bah?s life, and of his apostolic journeys, with the help of my friend Lutfull4h.
During his stay in London lie visited Oxford (where he and his party � of Persians mainly � were the guests of Professor and Mrs. Cheyne), Edinburgh,
Clifton and Woking. Itis fitting to notice here that the audience at Oxford, though highly academic, seemed to be deeply interested, and that Dr. Carpenter made an admirable speech.
B~ PROFESSOR VAMBARYTestimonial to the Religion of cAbdu~1~BaM. (Published in Egyptian Gazette, Sept. 24, 1913, by Mrs. J. Stannard.) � I forward this humble petition to the sanctified and holy presence of cAbdu~1~Bahi CAbb~s who is the center of knowledge, famous throughout the world, and loved by all mankind. 0 thou noble friend who art conferring guidance upon humanity � May my life be a ransom to thee!
The loving epistle which you have condescended to write to this servant, and the rug which you have forwarded, came safely to hand. The time of the meeting with your Excellency, and the memory of the benediction of your presence, recurred to the memory of this servant, and I am longing for the time when I shall meet you again. Although I have traveled through many countries and cities of IslAm, yet have I never met so lofty a character and so exalted a personage as your Excellency, and I can bear witness that it is not possible to find such another. On this account, I am hoping that the ideals and accomplishments of your Excellency may be crowned with success and yield results under all conditions; because behind these ideals and deeds I easily discern the eternal we'-f are and prosperity of the world of humanity.
This servant, in order to gain firsthand information and experience, entered into the ranks of various religions, that is, outwardly, I became a Jew, Christian,
Muhammadan and Zoroastrian.I discovered that the devotees of these various religions do nothing else but hate and anathematize each other, that all their religions have become the instruments of tyranny and oppression in the hands of rulers and governors, and that they are the causes of the destruction of the world of humanity.
Considering those evil results, every person is forced by necessity to enlist himself on the side of your Excellency, and accept with joy the prospect of a fundamental basis for a universal religion of God, being laid through your efforts.
I have seen the father of your Excellency from afar. I have realized the self-sacrifice
Page 457REFERENCES TO THE BAHÁ'Í FAITH 457
and noble courage of his son, and I am lost in admiration.
For the principles and aims of your Excellency, I express the utmost respect and devotion, and if God, the Most High, confers long life, I will be able to serve you under all conditions.
I pray and supplicate this from the depths of my heart.
Your servant,of the East (Macmillan & Co., London, 1913.) � BaM'isrn is now estimated to count more than two million adherents, mostly composed of Persian and Indian Shi'ihs, but including also many Sunnis from the Turkish Empire and North Africa, and not a few Brahrnans, Buddists, Taoists, Shintoists and Jews.
It possesses even European converts, and has made some headway in the United States.
Of all the religions which have been encountered in the course of this journey � the stagnant pooh of Oriental Christianity, the strange survivals of sun-worship, and idolatry tinged with Mubammadanism, the immutable relic of the Surnerians � ir is the only one which is alive, which is aggressive, which is extending its frontiers, instead of secluding itself within its ancient haunts. It is a thing which may revivify Islim, and make great changes on the face of the Asiatic world.
B~ SIR VALENTINE CHIROLof B4biism.) � When one has been like Sa!di, a great personage, and then a common soldier, and then a prisoner of a Christian feudal chief; when one has worked as a navvy on the fortifications of the Count of Antioch, and wandered back afoot to Shir~z after infinite pain and labor, he may well be disposed to think that nothing that exists is real, or, at least, has any substantial reality worth clinging to. Today the public peace of Persia is no longer subject to such violent perturbations.
At least, as far as we are concerned, the appearances of peace prevail, and few of us care or have occasion to look beyond the appearances. But for the Persians themselves, have the conditions very much changed? Do they not witness one day the sudden rise of this or that favorite of fortune and the next day his sudden fall? Have they not seen the Atibak~i~Aczam twice hold sway as the ShAh's all-powerful Vazir, and twice hurled down from that pinnacle by a bolt from the blue? How many other ministers and governors have sat for a time on the seats of the mighty and been swept away by some intrigue as sordid as that to which they owed their own exaltation?
And how many in humbler stations have been in the meantime the recipients of their unworthy favors or the victims of their arbitrary oppression?
A village which but yesterday was fairly prosperous is beggared today by some neighboring landlord higher up the valley, who, having duly propitiated those in authority, diverts for the benefit of his own estates the whole of its slender supply of water. The progress of a governor or royal prince, with all his customary retinue of ravenous hangers-on, eats out the countryside through which it passes more effectually than a flight of locusts. The visitation is as ruinous and as unaccountable. Is it not the absence of all visible moral correlation of cause and effect in these phenomena of daily life that has gone far to produce the stolid fatalism of the masses, the scoffing skepticism of the more educated classes, and from time to time the revolt of some nobler minds? Of such the most recent and perhaps the noblest of all became the founder of Bibjism. Chapter XI, page 120 � The BTh was dead, but not BAbiism.
Hewas not the first, and still less the last, of a long line of martyrs who have testified that even in a country gangrened with corruption and atrophied with indifferentism like Persia, the soul of a nation survives, inarticulate, perhaps, and in a way helpless, but still capable of sudden spasms of vitality. Chapter
XI, page 124 � Sociallyone of the most interesting features of B~biism is the raising of woman to
Page 458a much higher plane than she is usually admitted to in the East. The Bib himseff had no more devoted a disciple than the beautiful and gifted lady, known as Qurratu'l-CAyn, the CCC it of the Eyes," who, having shared all the dangers of the first apostolic missions in the north, challenged and suffered death with virile fortitude, as one of the Seven Martyrs of Tihr~n. No memory is more deeply venerated or kindles greater enthusiasm than hers, and the influence which she yielded in her lifetime still inures to her sex.
B~ PROFESSOR JOWETT ofof Balliol, the translator of Plato, studied the movement and was so impressed thereby that he said: ttThe Bibite Bahá'í movement may not impossibly turn out to have the promise of the future."
Dr. J. Estlin Carpenter quotes Prof. Edward Caird, Prof.
Jowett's successor as Master of Balliol, as saying, c(He thought Bibjism (as the Bahá'í movement was then called) might prove the most un-portant religious movement since the foundation of Christianity." Prof.
Carpenter himself gives a sketch of the Bahá'í movement in his recent book on Comparative Religions and asks, t~Has Persia, in the midst of her miseries, given birth to a religion that will go around the world?"
B~ ALFRED W. MARTINReligion and the Religion of the Future, pages 8 191 � Inasmuch as a fellowship of faiths is at once the dearest hope and ultimate goal of the Bahá'í movement, it behooves us to take cognizance of it and its mission.
Today this religious movement has a million and more adherents, including people from all parts of the globe and representing a remarkable variety of race, color, class and creed.
It has been given literary expression in a veritable library of Asiatic, European, and American works to which additions are annually made as the movement grows and grapples with the great problems that grow out of its cardinal teachings. It has a long roll of martyrs for the cause for which it stands, twenty thousand in Persia alone, proving it to be a movement worth dying for as well as worth living by.
From its inception it has been identified with Bahá'u'lláh, who paid the price of prolonged exile, imprisonment, bodily suffering, and mental anguish for the faith he cherished � a man of imposing personality as revealed in his writings, characterized by intense moral earnestness and profound spirituality, gifted with the selfsame power so conspicuous in the character of Jesus, the power to appreciate people ideally, that is, to see them at the level of their best and to make even the lowest types think well of themselves because of potentialities within them to which he pointed, but of which they were wholly unaware; a prophet whose greatest contribution was not any specific doctrine he proclaimed, but an informing spiritual power breathed into the world through the example of his Life and thereby quickening souls into new spiritual activ-fry. Surely a movement of which all this can be said deserves � nay, compels � our respectful recognition and sincere appreciation.
Taking precedence over all else in its gospel is the message of unity in religion. It is the crowning glory of the Baha movement that, while deprecating sectarianism in its preaching, it has faithfully practised what it preached by refraining from becoming itself a sect.
Its representatives do not attempt to impose any beliefs upon others, whether by argument or bribery; rather do they seek to put beliefs that have illumined their own lives within the reach of those who feel they need illumination. No, not a sect, not a part of humanity cut off from all the rest, living for itself and aiming to convert all the rest into material for its own growth; no, not that, but a leaven, causing spiritual fermentation in all religions, quickening them with the spirit of catholicity and fraternalism.
Who shall say but that just as the little company of the Mayflower, landing on Plymouth Rock, proved to be the small beginning of a mighty nation, the ideal germ of a democracy which, if true to its
Page 459REFERENCES TO THE BAHÁ'Í FAITH 459
principles, shall yet overspread the habitable globe, so the little company of Babi'is exiled from their Persian borne may yet prove to be the small beginning of the worldwide movement, the ideal germ of democracy in religion, the Universal
Church of Mankind?Sketch" (translated by C. K. Narirnan), and incorporated in Persia anti Pcrrsis, Part I, edited by G. K. Nariman.
Published under patronage of the IrAn League, Bombay,
1925. (The Marker LiterarySeries for Persia, No. 2.) � The political reprieve brought about by the $6f is did nor result in the regeneration of thought. But the last century which marks the end of Persia has had its revival and twofold revival, literary and religious. The funeral ceremonies by which Persia celebrates every year for centuries � the fatal day of the 10th of Mubarrarn, when the son of ~A1i breathed his last at Karbili � have developed a popular theater and produced a sincere poetry, dramatic and human, which is worth all the rhetoric of the poets. During the same times an attempt at religious renovation was made, the religion of B~biisrn.
Demoralized for centuries by ten foreign conquests, by the yoke of a composite religion in which she believed just enough to persecute, by the enervating influence of a mystical philosophy which disabled men for action and divested life of all aim and objects, Persia has been making unexpected efforts for the last fifty-five years to remake for herself a virile ideal. Bkbiism has little of originality in its dogmas and mythology.
Its mystic doctrine takes its rise from S~fism and the old sects of the Aijides formed around the dogma of divine incarnation. But the morality it inculcates is a revolu-don. It has the ethics of the West.
It suppresses lawftil impurities which are a great barrier dividing Jsl6rn from Christendom.
It denounces polygamy, the fruitful source of Oriental degeneration.
It seeks to reconstitute the family and it elevates man and in elevating him exalts woman tip to his level. Bibiisrn, which diffused itself in less than five years from one end of Persia to another, which was bathed in 1852 in the blood of its martyrs, has been silently progressing and propagating itself. If Persia is to be at all regenerate it will be through this new faith.
B~ CHARLES BAUDOUINStudies, Part III, page 131. (Allan & Unwin, London, 1924.) � We Westerners are too apt to imagine that the huge continent of Asia is sleeping as soundly as a mummy. NVe smile at the vanity of the ancient Hebrews, who believed themselves to be the chosen peopie. 'We are amazed at the intolerance of the Greeks and the Romans, who looked upon the members of all races as barbarians. Nevertheless, we ourselves are like the Hebrews, the Greeks and the Romans. As Europeans we believe Europe to be the oniy world that matters, though from time to time we may turn a paternal eye towards America, regarding our offspring in the New World with mingled feelings of condescension and pride.
Nevertheless, the great cataclysm of 1914 is leading some of us to undertake a critical examination of the inviolable dogma that the European nations are the elect. Has there not been of late years a demonstration of the nullity of modern civilization � the nullity which had already been proclaimed by Rousseau, Carlyle, Ruskin, Tolstoy, and Nietzsche? NQTe are now inclined to listen more attentively to whispers from the East. Our self-complacency has been disturbed by such utterances as that of Rabindranath Tagore, who, lecturing at the Imperial University of Tokio on June 18, 1916, foretold a great future for Asia.
The political civilization of Europe was cccarnivorous and cannibalistic in its tendencies." The East was patient, and could afford to wait till the West, (churry after the expedient," had to halt for want of breath. ~Europe, while busily speeding to her engagements, disdainfully casts her glance from her carriage window at the reaper reaping his harvest in
Page 460the field, and in her intoxication of speed, cannot but think him as slow and ever receding backwards.
But the speed comes to its end, the engagement loses its meaning, and the hungry heart clamors for food, till at last she comes to the lonely reaper reaping his harvest in the sun. For if the office cannot wait, or the buying and selling, or the craving for excitement � love waits, and beauty, and the wisdom of suffering and the fruits of patient devotion and reverent meekness of simple faith. And thus shall wait the East till her time comes.
Being thus led to turn our eyes towards Asia, we are astonished to find how much we have misunderstood it; and we blush when we realize our previous ignorance of the fact that, towards the middle of the nineteenth century, Asia gave birth to a great religious movement � a movement signalized for its spiritual purity, one which has had thousands of martyrs, one which Tolstoy has described. H. Dreyfus, the French historian of this movement, says that it is not "a new religion," but religion renewed," and that it provides t~the only possible basis for a mutual understanding between religion and free thought." Above all, we are impressed by the fact that, in our own time, such a manifestation can occur, and that the new faith should have undergone a development far more extensive than that undergone in the same space of time nearly two thousand years ago, by budding Christianity.
At the present time, the majority of the inhabitants of Persia have, to a varying extent, accepted the Bibjist faith. In the great towns of Europe, America, and Asia, there are active centers for the propaganda of the liberal ideas and the doctrine of human community, which form the foundations of Bahi'ist teaching.
We shall not grasp the full significance of this tendency until we pass from the description of Bahi'ism as a theory to that of Bahi'ism as a practice, for the core of religion is not metaphysics, but morality.
The BaM'ist ethical code is dominated by the law of love taught by Jesus and by all the prophets.
In the thousand and one details of practical life, this law is subject to manifold interpretations.
That of Bahá'í �'llih is unquestionably one of the most comprehensive of these, one of the most exalted, one of the most satisfactory to the modern mind.
That is why Bahá'u'lláh is a severe critic of the patriotism which plays so large a part in the national life of our day. Love of our native land is legitimate, but this love must not be exclusive. A man should love his country more than he loves his house (this is the dogma held by every patriot) ; but Bahá'u'lláh adds that he should love the divine world more than he loves his country.
From this standpoint, patriotism is seen to be an intermediate stage on the road of renunciation, an incomplete and hybrid religion, something we have to get beyond. Throughout his life Bahá'u'lláh regarded the ideal universal peace as one of the most important of his aims.
Bahá'u'lláh is in this respect enunciating a novel and fruitful idea.
There is a better way of dealing with social evils than by trying to cure them after they have come to pass. We should try to prevent them by removing their causes, which act on the individual, and especially on the child.
Nothing can be more plastic than the nature of the child. 'The government's first duty must be to provide for the care-fu~ and efficient education of children, remembering that education is something more than instruction. This will be an enormous step towards the solution of the social problem, and to take such a step will be the first task of the Bahá'u'lláh
(House of Justice) CCftis ordained upon every father to rear his son or his daughter by means of the sciences, the arts, and all the commandments; and if any one should neglect to do so, then the members of the council, should the offender be a wealthy man, must levy from him the sum necessary for the education of his child. When the neglectful parent is poor, the cost of the necessary education must be borne by the council, which will provide a refuge for the unfortunate."
The Baytu'I-tAd'1, likewise, must prepare the way for the establishment of universal peace, doing this by organizing courts of arbitration and by influencing the govern
Page 461ments. Long before the Esperantists had begun their campaign, and more than twenty years before Nicholas II had summoned the first Hague congress, Bahá'u'lláh was insisting on the need for a universal language and courts of arbitration. He returns to these matters again and again: "Let all the nations become one in faith, and let all men be brothers, in order that the bonds of affection and unity between the sons of men may be strengthened.
What harm Can there be in that?There will be an end to sterile conflicts, to ruinous wars; and the Great Peace will come!" Such were the words of Bahá'u'lláh in 1890, two years before his death.
'While adopting and developing the Christian law of love, Bahá'u'lláh rejected the Christian principle of asceticism.
He discountenanced the macerations which were a nightmare of the Middle Ages, and whose evil effects persist even in our own days.
Baha'ism, then, is an ethical system, a system of social morality. But it would be a mistake to regard BaM'ist teaching as a collection of abstract rules imposed from without. Baha'ism is permeated with a sane and noble mysticism; nothing could be more firmly rooted in the inner life, more benignly spiritual; nothing could speak more intimately to the soul, in low tones, and as if from within.
Such is the new voice that sounds to us from Asia; such is the new dawn in the East. We should give them our close attention; we should abandon our customary mood of disdainful superiority. Doubtless, Bahá'u'lláh's teaching is not definitive. The Persian prophet does not offer it to us as such.
Nor can we Europeans assimilate all of it; for modern science leads us to make certain claims in matters of thought � claims we cannot relinquish, claims we should not try to forego. But even though Bahá'u'lláh's precepts (like those of the Gospels) may not fully satisfy all these intellectual demands, they are rarely in conflict with our scientific outlooks. If they are to become our own spiritual food, they must be supplemented, they must be relived by the religious spirits of Europe, must be rethought by minds schooled in the Western mode of thought. But, in its existing form, Bahi'ist teaching may serve, amid our present chaos, to open for us a road leading to solace and to comfort; may restore our confidence in the spiritual destiny of man.
It reveals to us how the human mind is in travail; it gives us an inkling of the fact that the greatest happenings of the day are not the ones we were inclined to regard as the most momentous, not the ones which are making the loudest noise.
DR. HENRY H. JESSUP, D.D.of Religion; Volume II, 13th Day, under Criticism and
Discussion of MissionaryMethods, page 1122. At the Columbian Exposition of 1893, at Chicago. Edited by the Rev. John Henry Barrows, D.D. (The Parliament Publishing Company, Chicago, 1893.) � This, then, is our mission: that we who are made in the image of God should remember that all men are made in God's image.
To this divine knowledge we owe all we are, all we hope for. We are rising gradually toward that image, and vie owe to our fellowmen to aid them in returning to it in the Glory of God and the Beauty of Holiness.
It is a celestial privilege and with it comes a high responsibility, from which there is no escape.
In the Palace of Baha, or Delight, just outside the Fortress of CAkl(j on the Syrian coast, there died a few months since, a famous Persian sage, the B~bi Saint, named Bahá'u'lláh � the ~~G1 of God" � the head of that vast reform party of Persian Muslims, who accept the New Testament as the Word of God and Christ as the Deliverer of men, who regard all nations as one, and all men as brothers. Three years ago he was visited by a Cambridge scholar and gave utterance to sentiments so noble, so Christlike, that we repeat them as our closing words: "That all nations should become one in faith and alt men as brothers; that the bonds of affection and unity between the sons of men should be strengthened; that
Page 463REFERENCES TO THE BAHÁ'Í FAITH 463
diversity of religions shoi.ild cease and differences of race be annulled. What harm is there in this?
Yet so it shall be. These fruitless strifes, these ruinous wars shall pass away, and the tMost Great Peace' shall come. Do not you in Europe need this also?
Let not a man glory in this, that he loves his country; let him rather glory in this, that he loves his kind."
B~ THE RIGHT HON. THE EARLCURZON Excerpts from Persia, Vol. I, pages 4965 04.
('Written in 1892.) � Beauty and the female sex also lent their consecration to the new creed and the heroism of the lovely but ill-fated poetess of Qazvin, Zarrin-Tij (Crown of Gold) or Qurratu~1~cAyn (Solace of the Eyes), who, throwing off the veil, carried the missionary torch far and wide, is one of the most affecting episodes in modern history.
The lowest estimate places the present nuni-ber of Báb's in Persia at half a million. I am disposed to think, from conversations with persons well qualified to judge, that the total is nearer one million.
They are to be found in every walk of life, from the ministers and nobles of the Court to the scavenger or the groom, not the least arena of their activity being the Mussulman priesthood itself. It will have been noticed that the movement was initiated by Siyyids, H4jis and Mulhs, i.e., persons who, either by descent, from pious inclination, or by profession, were intimately concerned with the Mubarnmadan creed; and it is among even the professed votaries of the faith that they continue to make their converts.
Quite recently the Báb's have had great success in the camp of another enemy, having secured many proselytes among the Jewish populations of the Persian towns. I hear that during the past year (1891) they are reported to have made 15 0 Jewish converts in Tihr~n, 100 in Hamadin, 50 in K~shin, and 75 per cent of the Jews at Gulp~iyigAn.
The two victims, whose names were HAji Mirza Hasan and Hiji Mirza Husayn, have been renamed by the B&bis: Sultinu'sh-Shuhadi', or King of Martyrs, and Mahbiibu'sh-Shuhadi', or Beloved of Martyrs � and their naked graves in the cemetery have become places of pilgrimage where many a tear is shed over the fate of the ttMartyrs of J~fTh~n."
It is these little incidents, protruding from time to time their ugly features, that prove Persia to be not as yet quite redeemed, and that somewhat staggers the tall-talkers about I r~nian civilization.
If one conclusion more than another has been forced upon our notice by the retrospect in which I have indulged, it is that a sublime and murmuring 7] devotion has been inculcated by this new faith, whatever it be. There is, I believe, but one instance of a Báb having recanted under pressure of menace of suffering, and he reverted to the faith and was executed within two years. Tales of magnificent heroism illumine the bloodstained pages of B~bi history.
Ignorant and unlettered as many of its votaries are, and have been, they are yet prepared to die for their religion, and fires of Smithfield did not kindle a nobler courage than has met and defied the more refined torture-mongers of Tihr~n. Of no small account, then, must be the tenets of a creed that can awaken in its followers so rare and beautiful a spirit of self-sacrifice.
From the facts that BAbjism in its earliest years found itself in conflict with the civil powers and that an attempt was made by Báb's upon the life of the Sh&h, it has been wrongly inferred that the movement was political in origin and Nihilist in character. It does not appear from a study of the writings either of the Báb or his successors, that there is any foundation for such a suspicion.
�The charge of immorality seems to have arisen partly from the malignant inventions of opponents, partly from the much greater freedom claimed for women by the Bib, which in the oriental mind is scarcely dissociable from profligacy of conduct.
if Bkbiism continues to grow at its present rate of progression, a time may conceivably come when it will oust Muhaminadanism from the field in Persia.
�Since its recruits are won from the best soldiers of the garrison whom it is attacking, there is greater reason to believe that it may ultimately prevail.
The pure and suffering life of the Báb, his ignominious death, the heroism and martyrdom
Page 464of his followers, will appeal to many others who can find no similar phenomena in the contemporaneous records of Islam.
B~ SIR FRANCIS YOUNGHUSBAND(1923.) � The story of the Bib, as Mirza ~AIA Mu-bammad called himself, was the story of spiritual heroism unsurpassed in Svabhava's experience; and his own adventurous sod was fired by it. That a youth of no social influence and no education should, by the simple power of insight, be able to pierce into the heart of things and see the real truth, and then hold on to it with such firmness of conviction and present it with such suasion that he was able to convince men that he was the Messiah and get them to follow him to death itself, was one of those splendid facts in human history that Svabhava loved to meditate on. This was a true hero whom he would wish to emulate and whose experiences he would profit by. The Bib's passionate sincerity could nor be doubted, for he had given his life for his faith. And that there must be something in his message that appealed to men and satisfied their souls, was witnessed to by the fact that thousands gave their lives in his cause and millions now follow him.
If a young man could, in oniy six years of ministry, by the sincerity of his purpose and the attraction of his personality, so inspire rich and poor, cultured and illiterate, alike, with belief in himself and his doctrines that they would remain staunch, though hunted down and without trial sentenced to death, sawn asunder, strangled, shot, blown from guns; and if men of high position and culture in Persia, Turkey and Egypt in numbers to this day adhere to his doctrines, his life must be one of those events in the last hundred years which is really worth study. And that study fortunately has been made by the Frenchman Gobineau and by Professor E. G. Browne, so that we are able to have a faithful representation of its main features.
Thus, in only his thirtieth year, in the year 1850, ended the heroic career of a true God-man. Of the sincerity of his convic-non that he was God-appointed, the manner of his death is the amplest possible proof.
in the belief that he would thereby save others from the error of their present beliefs he willingly sacrificed his life.
And of his power of attaching men to him, the passionate devotion of hundreds and even thousands of men who gave their lives in his cause is convincing testimony.
He himself was but letter out of that most mighty book, a dewdrop from that limitless ocean."
The One to come would reveal all mysteries and all riddles. This was the humility of true insight.
And it has had its effect.His movement has grown and expanded, and it has yet a great future' before it. During his six years of ministry, four of which were spent in captivity, he had permeated all Persia with his ideas.
And since his death the movement has spread to Turkey, Egypt, India and even into Europe and America.
His adherents are now numbered by millions.The spirit which pervades them, says Professor Browne, "is such that it cannot fail to affect most powerfully all subject to its influence."
For many years I have been interested in the rise and progress of the Baha Movement. Its roots go deep down into the past and yet it looks far forward into the future.
It realizes and preaches the oneness of mankind.And I have noticed how ardently its followers work for the furtherance of peace and for the general welfare of mankind. God must be with them and their success therefore assured.
Excerpt from Modern Mystics.This martyrdom of the B~b took place on July 9, 1850, thirty-one years from the date of his birth.
His body was dead. His spirit lived on. ~usayn had been slain in battle.
QuddiisREFERENCES TO THE BAHÁ'Í FAITH 465
had been done to death in captivity. But Bahá'u'lláh lived. The One who shall be made manifest was alive.
And in him and in others had been engendered such love for the BTh and what he stood for as, in the words of the chronicler, no eye had ever beheld nor mortal heart conceived: if branches of every tree were turned into pens, and all the seas into ink, and Earth and Heaven rolled into one parchment, the immensity of that iove would still remain untold.
This love for the Cause still survived. And it was sufficient. Bahá'u'lláh was, indeed, despoiled of his possessions, deserted by his friends, driven into exile from his native land and, even in exile, confined to his house.
But in him the Cause was still alive � and more than alive, purified and ennobled by the fiery trials through which it had passed.
Under the wise control, and direction of Bahá'u'lláh from his prison-house, first at BaghdAd and then at CAkiji in Syria, there grew what is now known as the Bahá'í Movement which, silently propagating itself, has now spread to Europe and America as well as to India and Egypt, while the bodily remains of the BTh, long secretly guarded, now find a resting-place on Mount Carmel in a Tomb-shrine, which is a place of pilgrimage to visitors from all over the world.
Excerpt from The Christian wealth,tAbdu'1-BahA addressed a large and deeply interested audience at Manchester College, Oxford, on December 31. The Persian leader spoke in his native tongue, Mirza A1?mad Sohrab interpreting.
Principal Esdin Carpenterpresided, and introduced the speaker by saying that they owed the honor and pleasure of meeting tAbdu'1-BahA to their revered friend, Dr. Cheyne, who was deeply interested in the Bahá'í teaching.
The movement sprung up during the middle of the last century in Persia, with the advent of a young Mubammadan who took to himself the title of the Bib (meaning door or gate, through which men could arrive at the knowledge or truth of God), and who commenced teaching in Persia in the year 1844. The purity of his character, the nobility of his words, aroused great enthusiasm.
He was, however, subjected to great hostility by the authorities, who secured his arrest and imprisonment, and he was finally executed in 1850. But the movement went on, and the writings of the Bib, which had been copious, were widely read. The movement has been brought into India, Europe, and the United States.
It does not seek to create a new sect, but to inspire all sects with a deep fundamental love. The late Dr. Jowett once said to him that he had been so deeply impressed with the teachings and character of the B~b that he thought Bibjism, as the present movement was then known, might become the greatest religious movement since the birth of Christ.
B~ REV. J. TYSSUL DAVIS, B.A. Quotation from A Lea gue of Religions.
Excerpts from Chapterreligion has made its way �because it meets the needs of its day. It fits the larger outlook of our time better than the rigid exclusive older faiths.
A characteristic is its unexpected liberality and toleration. It accepts all the great religions as true, and their scriptures as inspired. The Bah6Nsts bid the followers of these faiths disentangle from the windings of racial, particularist, local prejudices, the vital, immortal thread, the pure gospel of eternal worth, and to apply this essential element to life.
Instances are quoted of people being recommended to work within the older faiths, to remain, vitalizing them upon the principles of the new faith. They cannot fear new facts, new truths as the Creed-defenders must. They believe in a progressive revelation.
They admit the cogency of modern criticism and allow that God is in His nature incomprehensible, but is to be known through
His manifestations. Theirethical ideal is very high and is of the type we Westerners have learnt
Page 466to designate ccChrist1ike.~~ ccwhat does he do to his enemies that he makes them his friends?" was asked concerning the late leader. What astonishes the student is not anything in the ethics or philosophy of this movement, but the extraordinary response its ideal has awakened in such numbers of people, the powerful influence this standard actually exerts on conduct. It is due to four things: (1) It makes a call on the Heroic Element in man. It offers no bribe. It bids men endure, give up, carry the cross. It calls them to sacrifice, to bear torture, to suffer martyrdom, to brave death.
(2) It offers liberty of thought. Even upon such a vital question as immortality it will not bind opinion.
Its atmosphere is one of trust and hope, not of dogmatic chill. (3) It is a religion of love.
ccNotwithsta1~ding the interminable catalogue of extreme and almost incredible sufferings and privations which this heroic band of men and women have endured � more terrible than many martyrdoms � there is not a trace of resentment or bitterness to be observed among them. One would suppose that they were the most fortunate of the people among whom they live, as indeed they do certainly consider themselves, in that they have been permitted to live near their beloved Lord, beside which they count their sufferings as nothing" (Phelps) Love for the Master, love for the brethren, love for the neighbors, love for the alien, love for all human-fry, love for all life, love for God � the old, well-tried way trod once before in Syria, trodden again. (4) It is a religion in ,bar-inony with science.
It has here the advantage of being thirteen centuries later than IslAm. This new dispensation has been tried in the furnace, and has not been found wanting.
It has been proved valid by the lives of those who have endured all things on its behalf.
Here is something more appealing than its logic and rational philosophy. t~To the Western observer" (writes Prof.
Browne), ctk is the complete sincerity of the BTh is, their fearless disregard of death and torture undergone for the sake of their religion, their certain conviction as to the truth of their faith, their generally admirable conduct toward mankind, especially toward their fellow-believers, which constitute their strongest claim on his attention."
"By their fruits shall ye know them!" We cannot but address to this youthful religion an All Hail!
of welcome. We cannot fail to see in its activity another proof of the living witness in our own day of the working of the sleepless spirit of God in the hearts of men, for He cannot rest, by the necessity of His nature, until He hath made in conscious reality, as in power, the whole world His own.
B~ HERBERT PUTNAMThe dominant impression that survives in my memory of rAbdu~1~Bahi is that of an extraordinary nobility: physically, in the head so massive yet so finely poised, and the modeling of the features; but spiritually, in the serenity of expression, and the suggestion of grave and responsible meditation in the deeper lines of the face. But there was also, in his complexion, carriage, and expression, an assurance of the complete health which is a requisite of a sane judgment. And when, as in a lighter mood, his features relaxed into the playful, the assurance was added of a sense of humor without which there is no true sense of proportion.
I have never met any one concerned with the philosophies of life whose judgment might seem so reliable in matters of practical conduct.
My regret is that my meetings with him were so few and that I could not benefit by a lengthier contact with a personality combining a dignity so impressive with human traits so engaging.
I wish that he could be multiplied!Translated from a letter to Mine. Isabel Grinevskaya, Oct. 22, 1903 I am very glad that Mr. V. V. Stassov has told you of the good impression which your book has made on me, and I thank you for sending it. I have known about the Báb's for a long time, and have always been interested in their teachings.
It seems to me that theseREFERENCES TO THE BAHA'I{ FAITH 467
teachings, as well as all the rationalistic social religious teachings that have arisen lately out of the original teachings of Baha � manism, Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity and Jshrn distorted by the priests, have a great future for this very reason that these teachings, discarding all these distorting incrustations that cause division, aspire to unite into one common religion of all mankind.
Therefore, the teachings of the Báb's, inasmuch as they have rejected the old Muluarnrnadan superstitions and have not established new superstitions which would divide ihem from other new superstitions (unfortunately something of the kind is noticed in the exposition of the Teachings of the Bib), and inasmuch as they keep to the principal fundamental ideas of brotherhood, equality and love, have a great future before them.
In the Mulj.arnmadan religion there has been lately going on an intensive spiritual movement. I know that one such movement is centered in the French colonies in Africa, and has its name (I do not rernern-her it), and its prophet. Another movement exists in India, Lahore, and also has its prophet and publishes its paper
C!RiBoth these religious teachings contain nothing new, neither do they have for their principal object a changing of the outlook of the people and thus do not change the lationship between the people, as is the case with Bibiisn-i, though not so much in its theory (Teachings of the Bib) as in the practice of life as far as I know it. I therefore sympathize with BThiism with all my heart inasmuch as it teaches people brotherhood and equality and sacrifice of material life for service to God.
Translated from a letter to Frid ul Khan Wadelbekow (This cornmun~cation is dated 1908 and is found among epistles written to Caucasian Muhammadans.)
In answer to your letter which questions how one should understand the term God, I send you a collection of writings from my literary and reading club, in which some thoughts upon the nature of God are included. In my opinion if we were to free ourselves from all false conception of God we should, whether as Christians or Muhammadans free ourselves entirely from picturing God as a personality. The conception which then seems to me to be the best for meeting the requirements of reason and heart is found in 4th chap. St. John, 71215 that means God is Love. It therefore follows that God lives in us according to the measure or capacity of each soul to express His nature. This thought is implicit more or less clearly in all religions, and therefore in Muhammad anism.
Concerning your second question upon what awaits us after death I can oniy reply that on dying we return to God from whose Life we came. God, however, being Love we can on going over expect God only.
Concerning your third question, I answer that so far as I understand IslAm, like all other religions, Brahmanism, Buddhism, Confucianism, etc., it contains great basic truths but that these have become corrupted by superstition, and coarse interpre-rations and filled with unnecessary legendic descriptions.
I have had much help in my researches to get clear upon Muhammadanism by a splendid little book ccThe sayings of
Muhammad."The teachings of the Báb's which come to us out of Islim have through Bahi'u-'lhh's teachings been gradually developed and now present us with the highest and purest form of religious teaching.
B~ DR. EDMUND PRIVATThe practical and spiritual understanding between nations, the realization of the unity of mankind above all barriers of language and religion, the feeling of responsibility towards all who suffer from grief or injustice, are oniy different branches of the same central teaching which gives the Bahá'í Movement such a faithful and active family of workers in so many countries.
B~ DR. AIJGUSTE FORELd'hui en aofit 1921, apr~s les horribles guerres qui viennent de mettre 1'hurnanit6 ~ feu et ~ sang, tout en d~voi1ant plus que jamais la terrible f6rocit~ de nos passions haineuses?
Rien, sinon que nous devons de-meurer d'autant plus fermes, d'autant plus in6branlables dans notre lutte pour le Bien social.
Nos enfants ne doivent pas se courager; us doivent au contraire profiter du chaos mondial actuel pour aider ~ La p#nible organisation sup6rieure a supranationale de L'humanit~, a 1'aide d'une f6d6ration uni-verselle des peuples.
'tEn 1920 seulement j'ai appris ~i con-naitre, ~ Karisruhe, la religion supraconfes-sionnelle et mondiale des Bahá'ís fond6e en Orient par le person Bahá'u'lláh ii y a 70 C'est Ia vraie religion du Bien social humain, sans dogmes, ni pr~tres, reliant entre eux tous les hommes sur notre petit globe terrestre.
Je siPs devenu Ba/id' I. Que cette religion vive et prosp~re pour le bien de L'hurnanit6; c'est Pt mon voeu le pius ardent
(Excerpt from Dr. AugusteHaving been engaged all of his life in the training of me, he does this (i.e., write on the subject of religion) more as a "shepherd of a flock" might do, in hope of persuading his friends and brothers to turn spontaneously to the Illumined Path of the Great Revelation.
B~ FREDERICK W. OAKESThe Enlightener of human minds in respect to their religious foundations and privileges is of such vital importance that no one is safe who does not stop and listen for its quiet meaning, and is to the mind of men, as the cooling breeze that unseen passes its breath over the varying leaves of a tree. Watch it! And see how uniformly, like an unseen hand passing caressingly over all its leaves: Full of tender care and even in its gifts of love and greater life: Caresses each leaf. Such it is to one who has seated himself amid the flowers and fruit trees in the Garden Beautiful at 'Akka., just within the circle of that Holy and Blessed shrine where rests the Mortal part of the
Great Enlightener. Hishandiwork is there, you touch the fruit and flowers his hand gave new life's hopes to, and kneeling as I did beside Shoghi Effendi, Guardian of the Marvelous Manifestation, felt the spirit's immortal love of Him who rests there. While I could not speak the words of the Litany, my soui knew the wondrous meaning, for every word was a word of the soul's language that speaks of the Eternal love and care of the Eternal Father. So softly and so living were the reflections from his beautiful personality, that one needed not spoken words to be interpreted.
And this Pilgrim came away renewed and refreshed to such a degree, that the hard bands of formalism were replaced by the freedom of love and light that will ever make that sojourn there the prize memory and the Door of revelation never to be closed again, and never becloud the glorious
Truth of Universal Brotherhood.A calm, and glorious influence that claims the heart and whispers to each of the pulsing leaves of the great family in all experiences of life, ~tBe not afraid, It is I!" � And makes us long to help all the world to know the meaning of those words spoken by The Great Revealer, ttLet us strive with heart and soui that unity may dwell in the world." And to catch the greatness of the word "Strive," in quietness and reflection.
B~ RENWICK J. G. MILLARJournal, Wick, Scotland I was in Chicago for only some ten days, yet it would take a hundred chapters to describe all the splendid sights and institutions I was privileged to see. No doubt Chicago has more than its fair share of alien gangsters and gunmen, and the despicable doings of this obnoxious class has badly vitiated its civic life and reputation.
But for all that it is a magnificent city � in many respects probalAy the finest in America; a city of which its residents have innumerable reasons to be proud.
Every day indeed was filled up with sightseeing and the enjoyment of lavish hospitality.
One day, for example, I was entertained to lunch at the Illinois Athletic Club as the guest of Mr. Robert Black, a
Page 469REFERENCES TO THE BAHÁ'Í FAITH 469
prosperous Scot belonging to Wigtonshire, who is in the building trade.
He is an ex-president of the St. Andrew's Society. Mr. Falconer and other Scots friends were present, and they were all exceedingly kind and complimentary.
I could not, in short, have been treated with more distinction if I had been a prominent Minister of State instead of a humble Scottish journalist out on a mission of fraternity and good will.
On the same day I met by appointment Mr. Albert R. Windust with whom I went out to see the Bahá'í Temple which is in course of being erected at 'Milmette, a suburb of Chicago on the shore of Lake Michigan. It is about an hour's ride out on the elevated railway.
Only the foundation and basement have so far been constructed, and the work was meanwhile stopped but, we understand, is now shortly to be resumed.
I have no hesitation in saying that when completed this Tenpie will be one of the most beautiful pieces of architecture in the world. I had the privilege of an introduction to the architect, a rrenchinan, M. Bourgeois, who speaks English fluently. We spent a considerable time with him in his beautiful studio overlooking the Lake, and he did me the honour of showing me the plans of the Temple, drawings which cost him years of toil, and they are far beyond anything I could have imagined in beauty and spiritual significance. M. Bourgeois, who is well advanced in years, is a genius and mystic � a gentleman of charming personality.
In all that I had the pleasure of seeing in his studio I had a privilege that is given to few.
My signature is in his personal book, which contains the names of some of the great ones of the earth! Mr. Windust, who is a leading Bahá'í in the city, is a quiet and humble man, but full of fine ideas and ideals.
He treated me with the utmost brotherly courtesy.How is it, I kept asking myself, that it should be mine to have all this privilege and honour?
There was no reason save that they told me I had touched the chords of truth and sincerity in referring to and reviewing the Bahá'í writings and principles in a few short articles in this Journal. The Temple is designed to represent these principles � universal religion, universal brotherhood, universal education, and the union of science and religion.
Meantime the Chicagoansare seemingly indifferent to all its spiritual significance; but some day they will wake up to a realisation of the fact that its symbolism will mark the city as one of destiny in the world.
B~ CHARLES 1I. PRISICHumanity is the better, the nobler, for the Bahá'í Faith. it is a Faith that enriches the soul; that rakes from life its dross.
I am prompted thus to express myself because of what I have seen, what I have heard, what I have read of the results of the Movement founded by the Reverend Bahá'u'lláh.
Embodied within that Movement is the spirit of world brotherhood; that brotherhood that makes for unity of thought and action.
Though not a member of the Bahá'í Faith, I sense its tremendous potency for good. Ever is it helping to usher in the dawn of the day of "Peace on
Earth Good Will to Men."By the spread of its teachings, the Bahá'í cause is slowly, yet steadily, making the Golden Rule a practical reality.
With the high idealism of Bahá'u'lláh as its guide, the Bahá'í Faith is as the shining light that shineth more and more unto the perfect day. Countless are its good works. For example, to the pressing economic prob � lerns it gives a new interpretation, a new solution. But above all else it is causing peoples everywhere to realize they are as one, by heart and spirit divinely united.
And so I find joy in paying this little tribute to a cause that is adding to the sweetness, the happiness, the cleanness of life.
B~ PROF. HARI PRASAD SHASTRI, D. LITT.My contact with the Bahá'í Movement and my acquaintance with its teachings, given by Hadrat-i-Bahá'u'lláh, have filled me with real joy, as I see that this Movement, so cosmopolitan in its appeal, and so spiritual in its advocacy of Truth, is sure
Page 470Free from metaphysical subtleties, practical in its outlook, abcve all sectarianism, and based on God, the substratum of the human soui and the phenomenal world, the Bahá'í Movement carries peace and illumination with it. As long as it is kept free from orthodoxy and church-spirit, and above personalities, it will continue to be a blessing to its followers.
B~ SHRI PUROHIT SWAMII am in entire sympathy with all of the principles that the Bahá'í Movement stands for; there is nothing which is contrary to what I am preaching. I think at this stage of the world such teachings arc needed more than anything else.
I find the keynote of the Teachings is the spiritual regeneration of the world.
The world is getting more and more spiritually bankrupt every day, and if it requires anything it requires spiritual life. The Bahá'í Movement stands above all caste, creed and color and is based on pure spiritual unity.
B~ PROF. HERBERT A. MILLERThe central drive of the Baha Movement is for human unity. It would secure this through unprejudiced search for truth, making religion conform to scientific discovery and insisting that fundamentally all religions are alike. For the coming of urn � versa1 peace, there is great foresight and wisdom as to details. Among other things there should be a universal language; so the Bahá'ís take a great interest in Esperanto though they do not insist on it as the ultimate language.
No other religious movement has put so much cm~hasis on the emancipation and education of women. Everyone should work whether rich or poor and poverty should be abolished.
What will be the course of the Bahá'í Movement no one can prophesy, but I think it is no exaggeration to claim that the program is the finest fruit of the religious contribution of Asia.
B~ THE RT. HON. SIR HERBERT SAMUEL, G.C.B., M.P. In John Q'London's Weekly, March 25th, 1933.
"It is possible indeed to pick out points of fundamental agreement among all creeds. That is the essential purpose of the Bahá'í Religion, the foundation and growth of which is one of the most striking movements that have proceeded from the East in recent generations."
B~ REV. K. T. CHUNG (CLast summer upon my return from a visit to Japan, I had the pleasure of meeting Mrs. Keith Ransontt-Kehler on the boat. It was learnt that this lady is a teacher of the Bahá'í Cause, so we conversed upon various subjects of human life very thoroughly.
It was soon found that what the lady imparted to me came from the source of Truth as I have felt inwardly all along, so I at once realized that the Bahá'í Faith can offer numerous and profound benefits to mankind.
"My senior, Mr. Y. S. Tsao, is a well-read man. His mental capacity and deep experience are far above the average man. He often said that during this period of our country when old beliefs have lost their hold upon the people, it is absolutely necessary to seek a religion of all-embracing Truth which may exert its powerful influence in saving the situation. For the last ten years, he has investigated indefatigably into the teachings of the Bahá'í Cause. Recently, he has completed his translations of the book on the New Era and showed me a copy of the proof. After carefully reading it, I came to the full realization that the Truth as imparted to me by Mrs. Ransom-Kehier is veritable and unshakeable. This Truth of great value to mankind has been eminently translated by Mr. Tsao and now the Chinese people have the opportunity of reading it, and I cannot but express my profound appreciation for the same.
Should the Truth of the Bahá'í Faith be widely disseminated among the Chinese people, it will naturally lead to the coming of the Kingdom of Heaven. Should everybody again exert his efforts towards
Page 471REFERENCES TO THE BAHÁ'Í FAITH 471
the extension of this beneficent influence throughout the world, it will then bring about world peace and the general welfare of humanity."
(From Rev. K. T. Chung's Preface to the Chinese version of Dr. Esslemont's Book.)
B~ PROF. DIMITRY KAZAROVUniversity, Sofia, Bulgaria Une des causes principales de la situation actuelle du monde c'est que 1'humanit6 est trop en arridre encore dans son d6veloppe-ment spirituel. Voila pourquoi tout en � seignement qui a pour but ~i ~vei11er er fortifier la conscience morale a religieuse des hommes est d'une importance capitale pour 1'avenir de notre race. Le Bah6Nsme est un de ces enseignements.
11 a ce m6rite qu'en portant des principes qui sont corn-muns de toutes les grands religions (et sp6cialernent du christianisme) cherche ~t les adapter aux conditions de Ia vie actuelle et ~i la psychologie de 1'homme moderne. En outre ii travail pour 1'union des hommes de toute nationalit6 et race dans une conscience morale et religieuse commune. II n'a pas la pr6tention d'~tre autant une religion nouvelle qu'un trait d'union entre les grandes religions existants: cc stir quoi ii insiste surtout cc n'est pas d'abandoner la religion ~ laquelle nous appartennons d~j~i pour en chercher une autre, mais & faire une effort pour trouver dans cette m~me religion 1'dl6ment qui nous unit aux autres et d'en faire Ia force d~terminante de notre con � duite toute enti6re.
Cet d6ment (commun ~ toutes les grandes religions) c'est la conscience que nous sommes avant tout des &res spirituels, unis dans une m6me entit6 spirituelle dont nous ne sommes que des parties-unies entre elks par 1'attribuc fonda-mental de cette entit6 spirituelle � i savoir l'amour. Manifester, r6aliser, d6velopper chez nous a chez les autres (surtout chez les cnf ants) cette conscience de notre nature spirituelle et l'amour comme son attribut fondamental c'est la chose prin � cipale que nous devons poursuwre avant tout et par toutes les manifesations de notre activitd. C'est en mdme temps le seule moyen par lequel nous pouvons esperer de r~a1iser une union toujours grandissant parrni les hommes.
Le Bah~'isme est un des enseignements qui cherche a 6veiller chez nous � n'importe ~t qtielle religion nous appartenons � juste-ment cette conscience de notre nature spin-tuelle.
II y a plus de 20 ans un groupe d'hommes et femmes de diff&entes nationalit6s et religions, anim6s par le d&ir de travailler pour 1'union des peuples, ant comrnenc6 ~ publier un journal en esperanto sous le titre (cUniversala Unigo." Le premier article du premier Numero de ce journal 5tait consacr~ au Bah4'isme et ~ son fondateur.
II me semble que cc fait est une preuve 6cla-tante de ce que j~ viens de dire stir le Beh~i'isme.
B~ REV. GRIFFITH J. SPARHAMIn his book ttA League of Religions," the Rev. J. Tyssul Davis, formerly minister of the Theistic Church in London, and at present minister of a Unitarian Church in Bristol, England, the writer sets out to demonstrate that each great religious movement in the world has contributed something of peculiar importance to the spiritual life of man. Thus, he says, the great contribution of Zoroastrianism has been the thought of Purity; of Brabmanism that of Justice; of Muhammadanisrn that of Submission; of Christianity that of Service; and so on. In each instance he lays his finger on the one thing par excellence for which the particular religious culture seemed to him to stand, and tries to catch its special contribution in an epigrammaric phrase.
Coining, in this way, to Baha'ism, he names it "the Religion of Reconciliation."
In his chapter on Bahi'ism he says: ccThe Bahá'í religion has made its way because it meets the need of the day. It fits the larger outlook of our time, better than the rigid older faiths. A characteristic is its unexpected liberality and tolerance. lit accepts all the great religions as true and their scriptures as inspired."
This, then, as he sees Bah&'ism, is itsessential features: liberality, toleration, the spirit of reconciliation; and that, not in the sense, as Mr. H. G. Wells has it in his "Soul of a Bishop," of making a "collection" of approved portions of the world's varied and differing creeds, but in the sense, as he also puts it in the same book, of achieving a great tcsimp1ification.~~ ceBah4~ists~~ says Dr. Davis, Thid the followers of these (that is, the world's) faiths disentangle from the windings of racial, particularist, local prejudices, the vital, immortal thread of the pure gospel of eternal worth, and to apply this essential element to life."
That is Dr. Davis's interpretation of the genius of BaM'ism, and that it is a true one, no one who has studied Bah&isrn, even superfichilly, can question, least of all the outsider. Indeed one may go further and assert that no one who has studied Baha'ism, whether superficially or otherwise, would wish to question it; particularly if he approaches the subject from a liberal and unprejudiced point of view. In the last act of his "'Wandering Jew," Mr. Temple Thurston puts into the mouth of
Matteos, the WanderingJew, himself, the splendid line, "All men are Christians � all are Jews." He might equally well have written, "All men are Christians � all are Baha'is." For, if the sense of the Unity of Truth is a predominant characteristic of liberally-minded people, whatever may be their religious tradition, it is predominantly a characteristic of Bahi'ism; since here is a religious system based, fundamentally, on the one, simple, profound, comprehensive doctrine of the unity of God, which carries with it, as its necessary corollary and consequence, the parallel doctrine of the unity of Man.
This, at all events, is the conviction of the present writer; and it is why, as a Unitarian, building his own faith on the same basic principles of divine and human unity, he has long felt sympathy with and good will toward a religious culture which stands on a foundation identical with that of the faith he holds. And a religion that affirms the unity of things must of necessity be a religion of reconciliation; the truth of which in the case of Bah6'isn-i is clear.
B~ ERNEST RENANPassage tir6 de Renan erLes Apdtres, P." Edition L6vy,
Paris, 1866Notre si~c1e a vu des mouvements re-]igieux tout aussi extraordinaires que ceux d'autrefois, mouvernents qui ont provoqu6 autant d'enthousiasme, qui ont en d6j~i, proportion gard6e, plus de martyrs, et dont 1'avenir est encore incertain.
Je ne pane pas des Mormons, secte ~ quelques 6gards si sotte et si abjecte que 1'on h~site ~ La prendre au s6rieux.
Ii est instructif, cependant, de voir en plein 196me si&le des milliers d'homrnes de notre race vivant dans le miracle, croyant avec tine foi aveugle des merveilles qu'ils disent avoir vues et touch6es. IL y a d6j~ toute une litt6rature pour montrer 1'accord du mormonisme a de Ia science; ce qui vain micux, cette religion, fond6e sur de niaises irnpostures, a su accomplir des prodiges de patience et d'abn6gation; dans cinq cents ans des docteurs prouveront sa divinit6 par les merveilles de son 6tablissernent.
Le Bibisme, en Perse, a un ph6nom~ne autrement consid6rable. Un homme doux et sans aucune pr6tention, uric sorte de Spinoza modeste a pieux, s'est vu, presque malgrd lui, dlev6 au rang de thaumaturge d'incarnation divine, a est devenu le chef d'iine secte nombreuse, ardente et fanatique, qui a failli amener une r6volution comparable ~ celle de 1'IslAm. Des milliers de martyrs sont accourus pour lui avec 1'alk-gresse au-devant de la mort.
Un jour sans pareil peut-~tre dans 1'historie du monde fut celui de la grande boucherie qui se fit des Báb's, ~t T~h~ran. "On -v-it ce jour-lit dans les rues et les bazars de T6h6ran, dit un narrateur qui a tout su d'original, ian spectacle que Ia population semble devoir n'oublier jamaL.
Quand Ia conversation encore aujourd'hui se met sur cette mati~re, on peut juger 1'admiration m6ke d'horreur que la foule 6prouve et que les ann6es n'ont pas diminu~e. On vit s'avancer care les bourreaux des enfants a des femmes les chairs ouvertes sur tout le corps, avec des m&hes allum6es, flambantes, fich~es dans Les blessures.
On trainait les victirnes par des cordes et on les faisait marcher ~ coups de fouet. Enfants a femmes s'avancaient en
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chantant ut-i verset qui dit: En vArit6 nous venons de Dieu et nous retournons ~ Lui. Leuts voix s'6levaient, 6clatantes, au-dessus du silence profond de la Lottie. Quand un des supplici6s tombait et qu'on le if aisait relever ~ coups de fouet ott tie baYonnette, pour peu que la perte de son sang pd rut-selait sur tous ses membres lui laissat encore un peu de force, ii se mettait ~t danser et cnait avec un surcroit d'enthousiasme: CtEI v6rit6 nous sornmes ~t Dieu et nous retournons ~ lui." Quciques-uns des en-fants expir&ent pendant le trajet; les bourreaux jet&ent leurs corps sous les pieds cle leurs pares et de leurs soeurs, qui march&-ent fi&ernent dessus et ne leur donn&ent pas deux regards. Quand on arriva au lieu d'ex6cution, on proposa encore aux victimes La vie pour leur abjuration.
Un bourreau imagina de dire ~t un pare pie, s'il lie c6dait pas, ii couperait Ia gorge ~i.
ses deux fils stir sa poitrine. C'6taient deux petits gar�ons dont l'ain6 avait 14 ans et qui, rouges de leur sang, les chairs calcin6es, ~coutaient froidement le dialogue; le p&e r~pondit, en se couchant par terre, qu'iL 6tait pr6t et 1'ain6 des enfants, r6clarnant avec emporte-rnent son droit d'ainesse, demanda ~ dtre 6gorg6 le premier.'
Enfin tout fut achev& La nuit tomba sin un amas de chairs informes; les t6tes 6taient attach~es en paquets au poteau justicier et les chiens des faubourgs se dirigeaient par troupes de ce cOt6.
Cela sc passait en 1852.La secte de Mozdak sous Chosro~s Nousch fist 6toutThe dans un pareil bain de sang. Le d6voue-ment absolu est pour les nations naYves la plus exquise des jouissances et une sorte de besoin. Dans l'affaire des Báb's, on vit des gens qui &aient ~\ peine de la secte, vernr se d6noncer eux-m~mes afin qu'on les ad-~oignit aux patients. Ii est si doux ~ 1'homrne de souffrir pour quelque chose, que dans bien des cas i'appat du martyre suffit pour faire croire.
1 Un autre d6tail que je tiens de source premi&e est celul-ci: Quelques sectaires, qn'on voulait amener ~t r6tractation, furent attach6s ~t Ia gucule de canons ainorc~s d'une mache longue et brfllant lentement. On leur proposait de couper la ni~che, s'ils reniajent le Bib.
Eux, les bras tendus vers le feu, le sup � pliajent de se Mter et de venir bien vite consommer leur bonheur.
Un disciple qui fut Ic campagnon de supplice du Bab, suspendu ~ c6t~ de lui aux remparts de Tabriz et attendant Ia mort, n'avait qu'un moc ~ la bouche ~cEs~tu content de rnoi, maitre?"
B~ HON. LILIAN HELEN MONTAGUE, J.P., D.H.L. As a Jewess I am interested in the Bahá'í Community.
The teaching hys particular stress on the Unity of God and the Unity of Man, and incorporates the doctrine of the Hebrew Prophets that the Unity of God is revealed in the Unity of men. Also, we seem to share the conception of God's messengers as being those people who in their deep reverence for the attributes of God, His beauty, His truth, His righteousness and His justice, seek to imitate Him in their imperfect human way. The light of God is reflected in the soul of him who seeks to be receptive. Like the members of the Bahá'í community, we Jews are scattered all over the world, but united in a spiritual brotherhood.
The Peace ideal enumerated by the Hebrew Prophets is founded on faith in the ultimate triumph of God's justice and righteousness.
B~ NORMAN BENTWICTVI(tralestine may indeed be now regarded as the land not of three but of four faiths, because the Bahá'í creed, which has its center of faith and pilgrimage in Acre and Haifa, is attaining to the character of a world-religion.
So far as its influence goes in the land, it is a factor making for international and interreligious understanding."
(From repa1es,5ine,~~ by Norman Bentwich, p. 235.)
B~ EMILE SCHRErBER:t. TroTh prophkes Alors que le marxisrne sovi~tique pro-clime le mat6rialisrne historique, alors que ks jeunes g6n&arions sionistes sont ~gale-ment do plus en pius indiff6rentes aux croyances 6tablies, une nouvelle religion est
Page 474Twenty-sixth Annual Convention of the Bahá'ís of the United States and Canada, May 31, June 1, 2, 3 and 4, 1934.
Page 475REFERENCES TO THE BAHÁ'Í FAITH 475
n6e en Orient, et sa doctrine prend, dans les circonstances actuelles, un int&6t d'au-tant pius grand que, s'&artant du domaine purement philosophique, elle pr6conise en 6conornie politique des solutions qui coincident curicusernent avec les pr~occupations de notre dpoque.
Cette religion, de plus, est par essence antiraciste.
Elle est n6e en Perse, vers 1840, at les trois proph6tes successifs qui 1'ont pr&h& sont des Persans, c'est-it-dire des musulmans de naissance.
Le premier, le crdateur, s'appelait le Bib. II prdcha vers 1850, a pr6conisa, outre la r~conci1iation des diff6rents cultes qui divi � sent l'humanit6, Ia 1ib~ration de la femme, r6duite aujourd'hui encore un quasi escia-vage dans tout l'Jslam.
Une Persane d'une rare beaut6, et qui, chose rare chez les musulmanes, 6tait dou6e d'un grand talent oratoire, r~pondant au nom diflicile ~ prononcer de Qourratou-'1-tATn, l'accompagna dans ses r6unions, n'h6si-tant pas, en donnant elle-marne l'exemple, ~ pr6coniser la suppression du voile pour ics femmes.
Le Báb a elk r~ussirent ~t convaincre, ~ l'~poque, des dizaines de milliers de Persans et le shah de Perse les emprisonna l'un et l'autre, ainsi que Ia plupart de leurs partisans. Le Báb fut pendu. Sa belle collaboratrice fat 6trangi6e dans sa prison. Leurs disciples furent exil6s ~t Saint-Jean-d'Acre, devenue, temple du C(Bah~;fsme~~ C'est ainsi que j'ai visit6 la maison du successeur du Bib, Bahá'u'lláh, transform6e aujourd'hui en temple du t~Ba1~a~f sine" C'est ainsi que s'intitule cette religion, qui est plut6t une doctrine philosophique, car die ne comporte ni culte d6fini, ni surtout de clerg6. Les pr&tres, diserit les Bah6istes, sont tent6s de fausser, dans un but de lucre, 1'iddalisme d6sint~ress6 des cr6ateurs de religions.
Bahá'u'lláh, ic principal des trois proph-~tes, rdpandit sa doctrine non seulernent en Orient, mais dans beaucoup de pars d'Europe, et surtout aux Exats-Unis oii son influence fin telle que le nombre des Ba1i~iYstes attient aujourd'hui plusieurs millions. II fut pers6-cut6 par ics Perses et mourut en exil.
Son his, tAbdu'1-Bah4, lui succ6da et formula, d'apr~s les principes de son pare, la doctrine dconornique du BaUYsme; elle in-dique dique une prescience 6tonnante des 6Wne-ments qui se sont d6roulds depuis: 'a guerre d'abord, la crise ensuite. Ti mourut peu apr~s la guerre, ayant vu la r6alisation de la premi~re partie de ses proph6ties.
L'originalit6 du Bahiismeest de chercher ~ faire passer dans le domaine pratique, et plus particuli&ement dans le domaine social, les principes essentiels du judaisme, du ca-tholicisrne et de l'islarnisme, en les combi-nant et en ics adaptant aux besoins de notre 4oque.
Le BaMisme proclame que les rapports sociaux deviennent fatalement impossibles dans une soci6t6 oii 1'id6alisrne individuel ne donne pas une base certaine aux engagements qui lient les hommes entre eux.
L'individu se sent de pius en pius isol6 au milieu d'une jungle sociale qui menace, ~ beaucoup d'6gards, son bien � &tre et sa curit6. La bonne volont6 et 1'honn~tet4 ne produisant plus dans sa vie et dans son travail le r6sultat qu'il attend, tendent ~ perdre pour lui toute valeur pratique. De h nais � sent, selon les caract~res, 1'indiff6rence et le ddcouragement, ou 1'audace, le manque de scruples qui tendent ~ se procurer par tous les moyens, m6me les plus r6pr6hensibles, les bdn6fices mat6riels n6cessaires ~ 1'exist-ence.
La sockt6, n'6tant plus soumise ~ aucum contrOle, ni politique ni moral, devient un vaisseau sans gouvernail oii personne ne peut plus rien pr~voir et qui est sujet ~t des crises de plus en plus fr6quentes et de plus en plus violentes. L'6poque actuelle, d6clarent les prophtes persans, marque Ia fin d'une civiL-sation qui ne sert plus les int6rats de 1'hu � manit& Elk aboutit ~t la faillite compkte des institutions morales et matdrielles destindes ~ assurer le bien-&re et Ia s6curit6 des hommes, c'est-~i-dire l'ttat, lttglise, le
Commerce et I'Jndustrie.Le principe fondamental d'oii pea venir le salut de Ia civilisation engag6e dans des vojes qui conduisent ~ sa destruction est Ia solidarit6 des nations et des races. Car l'interp6n6tration des peuples est devenue telle qu'il leur est impossible de trouver isok � ment Ia voic de la prospdrit6.
Ces proph6ties, qui pouvaient paraitre excessives a quelque peu pessimistes ~ l'6poque oii dies ont 6t6 faites, vers 1890,
Page 476ne sont pas, les 6v6nements l'ont prouv6, de simples j6r6rniades. II reste ~ examiner comment, partant de ces donn6es, qui ne sont que trop exactes, le BaMisme, conqu dans la Perse lointaine a si arri6r~e 2i P6poque, aboutit aux rn&mes conclusions que La plu � part des 6conomistes modernes qui, dans les difThrents pays de civilisation occidentale, proclament qu'en dehors d'une collaboration internationale ii n'y a pas d'issue possible ~i La cnse actuelle entrainant tous le peuples mis&e toujours plus grande.
(From LES EtHos, Paris, France, September 27, 1933.)
Une religion tt6conomique~~ Les principes du Bah6Jsme, formul6s par son principal propkte, Bahá'u'lláh, peuvent paraitre s6rieusement compromis en un temps oii la fr6ndsie nationaliste, rdcemrnent ag-grav6e de racisme, semble en doigner de pius en plus 1'application.
Toute La question est de savoir si ceux qui sont en faveur aujourd'hui, dans tant de pays, sont susceptibles de r6soudre le pro-bkme non pas de la prosp6rit6, mais simple-ment du logement a de la f aim, dans les diff6rentes nations qui nient par leurs th~o-ries et tons leurs actes la solidarit6 des peuples et des races.
Une nouvelle guerre mondiale sera sans doute n6cessaire pour que 1'humanit6, qui n'a pas encore compris Ia le9on de 1914, se rende enfin compte que les solutions de violence et de conqu&te ne peuvent engendrer que la ruine g6n6rale, sans profit pour aucun des bellig6rants.
Quoi qu'il en soft, les principales pens6es &zonomiques de Bahá'u'lláh, telles qu'elles ont 6t6 formul6es ii y a un demisi6cle, prou-vent que Ia sagesse et le simple bon sens ont cela de commun avec les 6crevisses, c'est qu'il leur arrive fr6quemrnent de marcher a reculons.
Voici les principaux pr&eptes de ce moderne Marc-Aurele: tcL~6vo1ution hurnaine se divise en cycles organiques, correspondant ~t la dur6e d'une religion, laquelle est d'environ un millier d'ann6es.
Un cycle social nouveau commence toutes les fob qu'apparait un proph~te dont 1'influence et les enseignernents renou-vellent la vie intdrieure de 1'homme et font d6ferler ~t travers le monde une nouvelle vague de progr~s.
ccchaque nouveau cycle d6truit les croy-ances et les institutions us#es du cycle pr6c6-dent et fonde sur d'autres croyances, en 6troite conformit6, celles-h, avec les besoins actuels de 1'humanit~, une civilisation nou-velle.
ctL~influence de chaque proph&e s'est, dans le pass6, limit6e ~i une race ou une religion, en raison de 1'isolement g~ographique des r6gions et des races, maTh le si&le dans lequel nous entrons n6cessite la cr6ation d'un ordre organique s'6tendant au monde entier.
Si le vieji esprit de tribu persiste, Ia science d6t-ruira le monde, ses forces destructrices ne pouvant &re contr6l6es que par une hu-rnanit6 unie travaillant pour Ja prosptrit6 et le bien commun.
tLa loi de la lutte pour Ia vie n'existe plus pour 1'homme cks qu'il devient conscient de ses pouvoirs spirituels a moraux.
Elle est alors remplac~e par La loi plus haute de la coop&ration. Sous cette loi, 1'individu jouira d'un statut beaucoup plus large que celui qui est accord6 aux citoyens passifs du corps politique actuel. L'administration publique passera des mains de partisans politiques qui communiste plus ou moms th6orique, man d'hommes capables de considfter une charge publique comme une mission sacree.
(CLa stabilit6 6conomique ne d6pend pas de 1'application de tel plan socialiste on. communiste plus ou moThs th6orique, mais du sentiment de la solidarit6 morale qui unit tous les hommes et de cette conception que les richesses ne sont pas Ia fin de la vie, mais seulement un moyen de vivre.
ttL'important n'est pas en une aveugle soumission g6n6rale ~ tel syst~me politique, ~ tel r4lement, qui ont pour effet de sup-primer chez 1'individu tout sentiment de responsibilit6 morale, mais en un esprit d'entr'aide et de coop6ration. Ni le principe d6mocratique, ni Ic principe aristocratique ne peuvent fournir s6par6ment $t Ia soci6t~ une base solide. La democratic est impuis � sante contre les querelles intestines et 1'aris � tocratie ne subsiste que par La guerre.
Une combinaison des deux principes est done n6cessaire.
Page 477REFERENCES TO THE I3AHA'J FAITH 477
CCEfl cette p~riode de transition entre le vieji ~ge de la concurrence et J'&e nouvelle de Ia coop6ration, Ia vie nThrne de 1'huma-nit6 est en p6rii. Les ambitions nationalistes, la lutte des classes, la peur a les convoitises 6conomiques sont autant de forces qui poussent ~ une nouvelle guerre internation-ale.
Tous les Gouvernementsdu monde doivent soutenir et organiser tine assembl6e dont les membres sojent ins par 1'dite des nations.
Ceux-ci devront metvre au point, au-dessus des 6goismes particuliers, le nouveau statut 6conomique du monde en dehors duquel tous les pays, mali surtout PEurope, seront conduits aux pires catastrophes."
Abdu'l-Bahá, son successeur, reprenant La doctrine de son pare, concluait dans un dis-cours prononc6 ~ New-York en 1912: cCLa civilisation mat&ielle a atteint, en Occident, le plus baa degr6 de son d6velop-pernent.
Mais c'est en Orient qu'a a pris naissance et que s' est �velopp6e Lx civilisation spirituelle.
Un lien s'dtablira entre ces deux forces, a leur union est la condition de 1'imrnense progr~s qui doit ~tre ac-compli.
"Hors de lii, la s6curit6 et la confiance feront de plus en plus d6faut, les luttes et ics dissensions s'accroitront de jour en jour et ies divergences entre nations s'accentue-ront davantage. Les pays augmenteront constamment leurs armements; La guerre, puis la certitude d'une autre guerre mondiale angoisseront de plus en pius les esprits. L'unit6 du genre humain est ic premier fondement de toutes les vertus."
Ainsi parla Abdu'l-Baháen 1912, et tout se passa comme ii 1'avait pr6dit.
MaTh ces paroles n'ont pas vieilli; cues pourraient, sans le moindre changement, ftre r6p&6es en 1933. Aujourd'hui, cornme ii y a vingt ans, Ia menace de Ia guerre est de nouveau suspendue au-dessus de nos t6tes et les causes de haines et de conflits s'accumu-lent ~t tel point que, s'il existe vraiment un flux et un reflux des iddes, on pea presque conclure, avec une certaine dose d'opti-misme, que nous n'avons jamais 6t6 si pr~s de renir aux id6es de coop&ation qui, seules, peuvent nous sauver.
(From ifs tcnos, Paris, France, September 28, 1933.)
3.MaIgr6 les tristesses de notre 6poque et peut-dtre rn&rne ~ cause d'elles, je reste convaincue que les id&s ~i la fois divines et humaines qui sont 1'essence du Bah~isrne finiront par triompher, pourvu que chacun de ceux qui en comprennent 1'immense int6r& continue quoi qu'il advienne ~ les d6fendre et ~ les propager.
(Excerpt from a letter dated October 29, 1934.)"The Japanese race is of rational mind. No superstition can play with it. Japan is the oniy country in the world where religious tolerance has always existed. The Japanese Emperor is the patron of all religious teachings.
The Bahá'í publications now form part of His Majesty's Library as accepted by the Imperial House.
"The search for truth and universal education inculcated by the Bahá'í Teachings, if soundly conducted, cannot fail to interest the Japanese mind. BahA'isnci is bound to permeate the Japanese race in a short time."
B~ Miss HELEN KELLERThe philosophy of Bahá'u'lláh deserves the best thought we can give it. I am returning the book so that other blind people who have more leisure than myself may be ccshown a ray of Divinity" and their hearts be "bathed in an inundation of eternal love."
I take this opportunity to thank you for your kind thought of me, and for the inspiration which even the most cursory reading of Bahá'u'lláh's life cannot fail to impart.
What nobler theme than the (cgood of the world and the happiness of the nations" can occupy our lives? The message of universal peace will surely prevail. It is useless to combine or conspire against an idea which has in it potency to create a new earth and a new heaven and to quicken human beings with a holy passion of service. (In a personal letter written to an
AmericanBáb after having read something from the Braille edition of "Bahá'u'lláh and the New Era.")
Page 478The Bahá'í Movement of Persia should be a welcome adjunct to true Christianity; we must always remember how artificial the growth of Latin Christian ideas has been as compared with the wide and less defined beliefs native to early Christian faith.
(In a letter to the CCDil Sketch," London, England, December 16, 1932.)
B~ FORMER PRESIDENT MASARYKContinue to do what you are doing, spread these principles of humanity and do not wait for the diplomats. Diplomats alone cannot bring the peace, but it is a great thing that official people begin to speak about these universal peace principles.
Take these principles to the diplomats, to the urn. versities and colleges and other schools, and also write about them.
It is the peopie who will bring the universal peace.
(In an audience with an American Bahá'í journalist in Praha, in 1928.)
B~ ARCHDUCHESS ANTON orArchduchess Anton of Austria, who before her marriage was Her Royal Highness Princess Ileana of Rumania, in an audience with Martha L. Root, June 19, 1934, in Vienna, gave the following statement for The Bahá'í World, Vol. V: "I like the Bahá'í Movement because it reconciles all Faiths, and teaches that science is from God as well as religion, and its ideal is peace.
B~ DR. HERBERT ADAMS GIBBONSI have had on my desk, and have read several times, the three extracts from Abdu'l-Bahá'í Message of Social Regeneration. Taken together, they form an unanswerable argument and plea for the only way that the world can be made over. It we could put into effect this program, we should indeed have a new world order.
"The morals of humanity must undergo change. New remedy and solution for human problems must be adopted. Human intellects themselves must change and be subject to the universal reformation."
In these three sentences we really have it all.(Excerpt from personal letter dated May 18, 1934.)
B~ H. R. H. PRINCESS OLGAH. R. H. Princess Olga, wife of H. R. H. Prince Regent Paul of Jugoslavia, daughter of H. R. H. Prince Nicholas of Greece and cousin of His Majesty King George II of Greece, is deeply interested in religion and in education, and her wonderful kindnesses to every one have been commented upon beautifully in several English books and magazines as well as by the Balkan press.
~7f like the Baha Teachings for universal education and universal peace," said this gracious Princess in her charming villa on the Hill of 'Topcidor,
Belgrade, on Januarysixteenth, 1936; N like the Bahá'í Movement and the Young Men's Christian Association, for both are programs to unite religions. Without unity no man can live in happiness." Princess though she is, she stressed the important truth that every man must do his job! "We are all sent into this world for a purpose and people are too apt to forget the Presence of God and true religion.
I wish the Bahá'í Movement every success in the accomplishment of its high ideals."
B~ EUGEN RELGISExcerpt from Cosmoindtapolis, 1935, pp. 108109 Nous avons trac6 dans ces pages seule-ment la signification du Bah~isme, sans examiner tous ses principes a son programme pratique dans lequel sont harmoni-sees avec 1'id~a1 religieux cUes aspirations et les objectifs de la science sociale."
Mais on doit attir6r 1'attention de tous les esprits Jibres sur ce mouvement, dont ks promo-teurs ont Ic rn6rite d'avoir contribu~ a la clarification de 1'ancienne controverse entre Ia religion a la science � at d'avoir donn6 a maint homme un peu de leur tol6rance a de leur optimisme: CCL~humanit6 6tait jusqu'ici rest6e dans le stade de 1'enfance; die approche maintenant de la maturit6" (cAbdu~1~Bahi Washington, 1912).
Qui osera rdp6ter aujourd'hui, dans la mdke des haines nationales et sociales, certe sentence de progres?
C'est un Oriental qui nous a dit cela, a nous, orgueilleux ou scep
Page 479REFERENCES TO THE BAHÁ'Í FAITH 479
Bahá'í Friends gathered in Convention, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, 1934.
tiques Occidentaux. Nous voudrions voir aujourd'hui, dans 1'AII'emagne hivkriste, Wins les pays terroris6s par ]e fascisme, para1ys~s par la dictature politique, � un spectacle d6crit par Le suisse Auguste Ford d'apr~s l'anglais Sprague qui a vue en Birmanie a en mdc, des bouddhistes, des inahom6tans, des chr6tiens et des juifs, qui allajent bras-dessus bras-dessous, comme des fr&es, cCau grand &onnement de la population qui n'a jarnais vu une chose pareille!"
B~ ARTHUR HENDERSONI have read the pamphlet on the "New World Order" by Shoghi Effendi. It is an eloquent expression of the doctrines which I have always associated with the Bahá'í Movement and I would like to express my great sympathy with the aspirations towards world unity which underlie his teaching.
B~ PROF. DR. V. LESNY The conditions are so changed now, since the technique of the present time has de stroyed the barriers between nations, that the world needs a uniting force, a kind of super-religion.
I think Bahi'ism could develop to such a kind of religion. I am quite convinced of it, so far as I know the Teachings of Bahá'u'lláh There are modern saviors and Bahá'u'lláh is a Savior of the twentieth century.
Everything must be done on a democratic basis, there must be international brotherhood. We must learn to have confidence in ourselves and then in others. One way to learn this is through inner spiritual education, and a way to attain such an education may be through
BaM'isrn.I am still of the opinion that I had four years ago that the Bahá'í Movement can form the best basis for international goodwill, and that Bahá'u'lláh Himself is the Creator of an eternal bond between the East and the West.
The Bahá'í Teaching is a living religion, a Living philosophy.
I do not blame Christianity, it has done a good work for culture in Europe, but there are too many dogmas in Christianity
Page 480at the present time. Buddhism was very good for India from the sixth century B.C. and the Teachings of Christ have been good for the whole world; but as there is a progress of mind there must be no stopping and in the Baha Faith one sees the continued progress of religion.
B~ PRINCESS MARIE ANTOINETTEA cette 6poque oii 1'humanit~ semble sortie d'un long sommeil pour revivre a 1'Esprit, consciemment ou inconscxernrnent, 1'bomme cherche a s'6lance ?i
Ia potirsuite de 1'invisible a de sciences qui nous y conduisent.
L'angoisse religiense aussi n'a jarnais 6t6 plus intense.
Par sa grancle tvolution i'homrne actuel Ca pr~t ~ recevoir le grand message de Ba � M'u'llTh dans son mouvernent synth6tique qui nous fait passer de 1'ancienne compr6-hension des divisions ~ Ia cornpr6hension moderne oi~ nous cherchons ii sujyre les ondes qui se propagent traversant toute limitation hurnaine et de Ia cr6ation.
Chaque combat que nous livrons ~t nos penchants nous d6gage des voiles qui s6pa-rent Ic monde visible dii monde invisible et augmente en nous cette capacic~ cle perception a de s'accorder aux longeurs d'ondes les plus v-ari6es, de vibrer an contact des rytlimes les pius divers de Ia cr6ation.
Tout ce qui nous vient directement de la nature est toujours harmonie absolue. Le tout est de capter 1'~qui1ibre de toute chose et lui donner La voix au moyen d'un instrument capable d'~inettre les m~mes harmo-flies que notre &me, cc qui nous fait vibrer et devenir Ic lien entre le passd et 1'avenir en attaignant une nouvelle dtape corre-spondant ~ 1'6volution dii monde.
En religion, Ia Causede Bahá'u'lláh, qui est la grande r6v6lation de notre 6poque, est La m~me que celle du Christ, son temple a son fondement les m6mes mis en har-monk avec le degr~ de maturit6 moderne.
B~ DAVID STARR JORDANAbdu'l-Bahá will surely unite the East and the West: for He treads the mystic way with practical feet,
B~ PROF. BOODAN POPOVITCHThe Bahá'í Teaching carries in its Message a fine optimism � we must always in spite of everything be optimists; we must be optimists even when events seem to prove the contrary!
And Bahá'ís can be hopeful, for there is a power in these Teachings to bring to humanity tranquillity, peace and a higher spirituality.
B~ EX-GOVERNOR WILLIAMWhile sectarians squabble over creeds, the Bahá'í Movement goes on apace.
It is growing by leaps and bounds. It is hope and progress. It is a world movement � and it is destined to spread its effulgent rays of enlightenment throughout the earth until every mind is free and every fear is banished.
The friends of the Bahá'í Cause believe they see the dawn of the new day � the better day � the day of Truth, of Justice, of Liberty, of Magnanimity, of Universal Peace, and of International Brotherhood, the day when one shall work for all, and all shall work for one.
(Excerpt from the PvoycrofI am heartily in accord with the BaEA'i Movement, in which I have been interested for several years. The religion of peace is the religion we need and always have needed, and in this Baha is more truly the religion of peace than any other.
B~ PROF. YoNE NOGUCI-fiI have heard so much about cAbdu~1~Bahi, whom people call an idealist, but I should like to call Him a realist, because no idealism, when it is strong and true, exists without the endorsement of realism. There is nothing more real than His words on truth. His words are as simple as the sunlight; again like the sunlight, they are universal.
� No Teacher, I think, is more important today than tAbdu'1-Bah~i.
B~ PROFESSOR RAYMOND FRANKare a stirring fusion of poetic beauty and rehgious insight. I, like another, have been "struck by their comprehensiveness."
I find they have cxREFERENCES TO THE BAHÁ'Í FAITH 481
traordinary power to puii aside the veils that darken my mind and to open new visions of verity and life.
B~ ANGELA MORGANOne reason I hail with thanksgiving the interpretation of religion known as the Bahá'í Faith and feel so deep a kinship with its followers is that I recognize in its Revelation an outreach of the Divine to stumbling humanity; a veritable thrust from the radiant Center of
Life.Every follower of this faith that I have ever met impressed me as a living witness to the glory at the heart of this universe. Each one seemed filled with a splendor of spirit so great that it overflowed all boundaries and poured itself out upon the world here in this moment of time, by some concentrated act of love toward another hu � man being.
B~ ARTHUR MOOREThe lovely peace of Carmel, which still attracts mystics of different faiths, dominates Haifa. On its summit are the Druses in their two villages; at its feet the German Templars, whose avenue leads up to the now large and beautiful terraced property of the Persian Bahá'ís on the mountainside. Here the tombs of the Bib and of tAbdu'1-Bah6., set in a fair garden, are a place of international pilgrimage. On Sundays and holidays the citizens of Haifa of all faiths come for rest and recreation where lie the bones of that young prophet of Shiriz who nearly a hundred years ago preached that all men are one and all the great religions true, and foretold the coming equality of men and women and the birth of the first League of Nations.
B~ PROF. DR. JAN RYPKA The Bahá'ís of Inn are resolutely firm in their religion. Their firmness does not have its roots in ignorance. The frinian inborn character causes them to see things somewhat too great, slightly exaggerated, and their dissensions with the ruling Islim make them a little bitter towards it. Everything else in their characters is accounted for as due to their Teachings; they are wonderfully ready to help and happy to sacrifice.
rifice. Faithfully they fulfill their office and professional duties.
Long ago they already solved the problem of the Eastern woman; their children are carefully educated. They are sometimes reproached for their lack of patriotism. Certainly, as specifically frinian as the ShEila Faith, the Bahá'í Faith can never become; but the Bahá'í
Religion like ChristianityAre the Europeans not sufficiently patriotic! According to my experiences, the Bahá'ís in that respect, are very unjustly criticized by their Muhammadan brothers.
During the centuries the Shicih Religion has developed a deep national tradition; with this the universal Bahá'í Faith will have a bard battle. Nevertheless, the lack of so great numbers is richly recompensed by the fervor and the inner spirit of the IrAnian
Ba-h?i Community. TheBahá'í world community will educate characters which will appear well worthy of emulation by people of other Faiths, yes, even by the world of those now enemies of the Bahá'í Cause.
The experience acquired in the West, for me was fully verified also in the I r~nian Orient. The Bahá'í Faith is undoubtedly an immense cultural value.
Could all those men whose high morality I admired and still admire have reached the same heights oniy in an another way, without it? No, never! Is it bas~d only on the novelty of the Teachings, and in the freshness of its closest followers?
B~ A. L. M. NICOLAS Je ne sam comment vous remercier ni comment vous exprirner la joic qui inonde mon coeur. Ainsi donc, ii faut non seule-ment admettre mais aimer et admirer le Bab. Pauvre grand Prophte n~ au fin fond de la Perse sans aucun moyen d'instruction et qui seul au monde, entour6 d'ennernis, arrive par Ia force de son genie a cr6er tine religion universelle et sage.
Que Bahá'u'lláh lui aft, par Ia suite, succ6d~, soft, mais je veux qu'on admire Ia sub1imit~ du Bib, qui a d'ailleurs pay6 de sa vie, de son sang Ia r6forme qu'il a pr&ch&. Citez-moi un au-tre example, semblable.
Enfin, Ic puis mourir tranquille. Gloire ii Shoghi Effendi qui a calm6 mon tourment et mes inqui6-
Page 482tudes, gloire ~ lui qui reconnais Ia valcur de Siyyid ~A1i-Muhammad dit le BTh.
Je SUiS si content que je baise vos mains qui ont trac6 mon adresse sur l'enveloppe qui m'apporte le message de Shoghi.
Merci, Mademoiselle. Merci du fond du coeur.I have followed it (the Bahá'í Cause) with deep interest every since my trip to London to the First Races Congress in July, 1911, when I heard for the first time of the Bahá'í Movement and its summary of the principles for peace.
I followed it during the war and after the war.The Bahá'í Teaching is one of the spiritual forces now absolutely necessary to put the spirit first in this battle against material forces. The Baha Teaching is one of the great instruments for the final victory of the spirit and of humanity.
Page 483IN reality," says tAbdu'1-Bahi, "faith embodies three degrees: to confess with the tongue; to believe in the heart; to give evidence in our actions."
In writing a brief account of the life of Dr. Susan I. Moody the real faith, as quoted here, is outstanding.
She was born November 20, 1851 in Amsterdam,parents. Here she received the usual schooling and orthodox religious training of the CCbt~~ families of the day. After graduating from Amsterdam Academy, she taught school, later entered the 'Women's Medical
College in New York City.After her parents passed away, she made her home with her brother in Chicago where she studied music.
Still later, Dr. Moody studied painting and sculpture at the Art Institute of Chicago, then for three years in the Academy of Fine Arts in Philadelphia, then under the great painter Chase, in New York and finally, in the art schools and studios of Paris, but she was not, however, to make art her life work for instead of following the professional art career, for which she was well qualified, she finally yielded to the constantly increasing urge which she felt and concluded her study of medicine, graduating from a Chicago medical college.
During those early days of her life in Chicago, she met friends who were attending the first classes formed for the study of the Bahá'í Revelation, which classes she joined but did not become a confirmed be � liever until 1903, after making an intensive study of the teachings with Mrs. Isabella D. Brittingliam, for the privilege of whose teaching Dr. Moody was always exceedingly grateful.
The first Baha SundaySchool in Chicago was conducted by Dr. Moody and later she was one of the group of Baha sisters who traveled up and down the outskirts of Chicago's north side in search of the best location for the now famous Bahá'í Temple in Wilrnerte, Illinois.
About 1908 a party of American Baha traveled to Idn to visit the Bahá'ís in that land, and while there some Iranian doctors asked if it would be possible to induce an American woman doctor to come to Tihdn, Inn, to live, for the purpose of caring for the women of IrAn who at that time were so deprived of skilled medical care. Stopping in tAkk~, Palestine, on their return, the Americans communicated this wish to tAbdu'1-BahS who asked them if they knew of such a doctor.
The name of Dr. Moody was presented, and she received word without delay from tAbdu'1 � Baha telling her she had been chosen for this great medical work in I ran. "I knew then," Dr. Moody often remarked, "why I had felt the urge so strongly to study medicine; I was obliged to study medicine in order to come to Inn." When the call came from cAbd~1Bh~ she proceeded immediately on her journey.
Enroute to Iran, Dr. Moody stopped in the Holy Land to see tAbdu'1-Ba1A and receive from Him the necessary instructions and encouragement for the work ahead of her. At the time of parting He said, "You will need patience."
He also further stated that He was sending her to Iran and whether living or dead He would always 483
Page 484be with her. During that visit with ~Ab du'1-BahA, Dr. Moody made a vow which was, "All that I am and have, and all that I hope to be and have, I dedicate to Thee, 0 God." She also said that those three days in the Holy Land with the Master, tAbdu~1~Bah~, were all her life.
Dr. Moody arrived in Tilirin November 26, 1909. tAbdu~1BahA mentioned to some pilgrims the great love with which the Bahá'í of IrAn had greeted Dr. Moody when she arrived in Inn, saying that between Enzeli, on the Caspian Sea, and Tihrin there were nineteen relay stations and at sixteen of these there were Bahá'ís gathered to greet the western Baha'i. Soon after her arrival a reception was given to her and Dr. Moody then knew she had an eternal home in the hearts of these dear friends.
During her fifteen years of service to the Cause in inn, many were her difficulties and hardships but she had an inflexible determination to accomplish what cAbdu~1~ Baha wished her to do.
Often she prayed for the supreme patience which Abdu'l-Bahá had prescribed. She soon became fluent in the Ir~nian language.
Frequent were her letters to America, explaining her work, enclosing photographs and telling of the lack of freedom and education of the IrAnian women, of the custom of wearing the veil, etc., of the Bahá'í work of establishing a hospital, a girl's school and a Mashriqu'l-Adhkar there. In a Tihr~n newspaper in 1910 appeared the following: "DOCTOR MOODY � AMERICAN LADY � not only does she know medicine, but also gynecology, obstetrics and women's diseases.
Her good qualities and kind attributes, her love for her Persian oriental sisters, are all equal. Every day from morning till noon she is in her office, No. 10 Avenue Aladauleli, receiving her patients for consultation, examination and treatment, ex
Page 485cepting Friday and Sunday afternoons, when she goes to the Hospital Sehat (Hospital of Health), where she meets the patients of the higher and wealthier class.
~ give the utmost thanks and gratitude to such a noble woman, to such a respected person, whose presence here is a great privilege to the country of Persia. On account of the great care of this blessed person, the sick of all nationalities, Moslem, at al., become well. We beg of God to keep this blessed and respected person with us. Aside from her medical work, there was ever present in her mind the most important question of the education of girls. Often she would say, ttMy heart aches for the neglected ones." She found that many of the Bahá'í men were in full sympathy with her views and through Bahá'í cooperation and consultation a girl's school was started with an attendance of thirty pupils.
It has now an enrollment of several hundred and is known as the Tarbiyat School for Girls. Someone has declared it to be "the greatest among all the schools in Tihdn." One of the activities most dear to the heart of Dr. Moody was the raising of funds for an additional building. She wished this fund to be known as the
CtKpes Memorial Fund" in memory of Miss Lillian Kappes, the first American Bahá'í teacher who died in tr6n after giving nine years of untiring service to the School.
Dr. Moody not oniy started the Tarbiyat School for the secular education of girls, she also founded the Baha study classes for girls and herself visited these classes every Friday. These study classes were managed by trained teachers and in these classes many who started years ago in the first course are now teaching others.
Dr. Moody was loved and honored by thousands of people in her life time, among them being Major Robert W. Imbrie, who offered protection to the Baha and who suffered martyrdom by fanatical Muluiam-madans.
During the epidemic of influenza, the famine and a variety of dreadful conditions, Dr. Moody wrote to America, ctoh what a mercy that we are alive and awakened and trying to serve in the Kingdom of Abhi." The secret of Dr. Moody's noble and self-sacrificing life was the fact that it was built on the solid foundation of the Word of God. She had a keen spiritual perception, a pure and undefiled conception of the Bahá'í teachings, and a desire to render instant obedience.
She was humble, selfless, and her sense of justice was outstanding.
After hfteen years of unique service in Pin, Dr. Moody returned to America until conditions in Tihrin would improve and enable her to resume her work. Accompanied by Miss Elizabeth H. Stewart she made a visit in Haifa and there the writer joined them. Dr. Moody was the first of the four American Bahá'í women to go to I r~n and survived the longest.
Dr. Moody, Miss Stewart and the writer arrived in New York City in January, 1925, where the Bahá'ís had arranged a reception at the Hotel NValdorf Astoria. Calmly, yet with the dramatic emphasis which always surrounds one who has actually participated in stirring events, Dr. Moody related her experiences in Tilirin. After this reception she remarked to the writer, "To return to America and receive such love from the friends, is worth more than any sacrifice one could make."
That the remarkable work of Dr. Susan I. Moody in Tihrin had made her a public figure in this country was well illustrated by extensive articles which appeared in the press.
While in Oakland, California, she took a short trip in an aeroplane and the press published her picture with her pilot and an article in part as follows: "Accord-ing to Dr. Moody, who contrasts her entry into Tihrin, the capitol of IrAn, in a coach and four where she went to spread the gospel of hygiene to the Muijammadan women, and her exodus in a "flivver" of doubtful vintage twenty years later, she sees no reason why aerial transportation should hold any fears for the women of today."
During her stay in America from January, 1925, to November, 1928, Dr. Moody was interesting friends to help with the work she, together with the Tihdn friends, expected to continue on her return to I ran, the
Kappes Memorial School.deiphia for about a year and during that time although she was then past 75 years of age, yet young in spirit and progressive and active, she studied Esperanto with a class.
In 1928, Shoghi Effendi, the Guardian of the Bahá'í Cause, sent the following in � structions to Dr. Moody: "I pray that you may soon in the company of a capable and devoted American coworker, resume your historic labors for our beloved Cause in Tihr~n." Following this suggestion on November 17, 1928, Dr. Moody, then 77 years of age, left for Iran, accompanied by Miss Adelaide Sharp of San Francisco, California, who volunteered her services at the Tarbi-yat School in Tihr6n. To Dr. Moody's historic career in Tihdn was now to be added the final chapter of complete consecration to Bahá'í service. They conferred with Shoghi Effendi in Haifa en route to tr~n. Dr. Moody, named by tAbclu'1-Bahi "Am tu'1 Al"' which means the handmaid of the Most High, wrote of the welcome in Tihr&n in part as follows: "The friends came singly, in groups, committees, assemblies, more than seven hundred the first week, and still we are greeting many new and old friends, both women and men. Words fail to express the joy of our ~home-coming.'
I wish you might have seen how that love overflowed in gifts, potted vines, plants, flowers, silver vases, confectionery, sweets of all kinds. Do you wonder why the two Americans were overwhelmed?" After her return to TihrAn, due to age, her health gradually weakened but she continually worked for the Kappes Memorial School, and the friends called on her constantly. At the end of her life when asked for some statement from her regarding her service to keep for posterity, Dr. Moody said, "Let it go, let it pass into the Infinite."
Shoghi Effendi cabled to America as follows: "Passing dearly beloved
Susan Moody deprives Baha'iworld (of the) far-famed pioneer who, through her indomitable spirit, ceaseless services, earned unique distinction. (She) forged first link in (the) chain uniting (the) spiritual destinies (of the) cradle of our faith (i.e., Persia) and (the) community (of its) stalwart defenders in (the) great American RepubLic. (I am) instructing Persia rear monument perpetuating memory (of) her noble mission. (1) am gladly defraying whatever expense incurred as token (of) my admiration for community (i.e., America) to which she originally belonged and on which her sacred life shed imperishable lustre.
Advise holding befitting Memorial gathering (in) Temple
Foundation Hall."Her funeral was attended by hundreds of Bahá'í friends. Scores of school girls, with flowers in hand walked in procession through the cit3~ for at least one mile to Gulast6n-i � Javid (Perennial Garden), the burying ground of the Baha'is.
Bahá'u'lláh in one of His Tablets says: "Th soul that hath remained faithful to the Cause of God and stood unwaveringly firm in His path shall, after his ascension, be possessed of such power that all the worlds which the Almighty hath created can benefit through him."
HoorER HARRISWith the passing of our dearly beloved Bahá'í brother, Blooper Harris, from this phenomenal world to the invisible eternal realm, the worldwide Bahá'í Community sustained the loss of one more of those faithful and devoted souls who gave the best years of their lives to the promotion and establishment of the Faith of Bahá'u'lláh in the West and in the East.
William Hooper Harriswas born in New York City, December 14, 1866. All his early years, however, were spent in Nashville, Tenn. After finishing High School, financial difficulties at home precluded his intended study of law at College.
He therefore worked by day, studied law at night and was admitted to the bar in Birmingham, Alabama, in 1893. In 1887, he married
Sarah Gertrude Rawisof Birmingham and in 1894, they came to New York City to live, where he became an expert court reporter, doing work of unusually high quality till the very day of his death.
In New York City, in 1899, his wife, ever persistent in her desire and search for Truth, was told, by Mrs. Archie Fisk, of the
Page 487soon realized it to be the object of her search. Hooper Harris accompanied her to hear the Bahá'í Message and ere long he, too, realized the Light and Bounty of the Revelation of Thereupon he became a faithful and devoted student of the Bahá'í Revelation and of all the previous Revelations of Truth to mankind, especially those parts of the various Books which prophesied this Great Day of Light.
His continuous study and untiring efforts to know the Truth spiritually as well as mentally proved to be a timely preparation which enabled him to answer the call of 'Abdu'l-Bahá in 1906 for an American to go to India to teach the Cause. On November 10, 1906, Mr. Harris, accompanied by Harlan Ober of Beverly, Mass.,
left New York City for tAkk5 to receive the blessing and instructions from cAbdu~1BahA In answer to Mr. Harris' request for specific instructions as to how to teach in India, tAbdu~1~Bahi~s oniy reply was, CcFace the people with a smile on your face and the love of God in your heart and rely wholly upon the
Holy Spirit." tAbdu~1~ Bahasent with Mr. Harris and Mr. Ober, as companions and teachers, two IrAnian teachers neither of whom could speak English. One was Janabi Ibn Abbar, an elderly I r6~nian who had suffered for years in prison and in chains for his Faith, the other Mirza Mahmnid, a young man whom we knew later when he came to
America with Abdu'l-BaháFrom the time of the first address given aboard the ship by request of the Captain, just before teaching Naples, Mr. Harris was engaged continuously, day by day, for a period of seven months, in promulgating the Faith. The letters which he sent from the East to the friends in America form a large volume and give most vivid descrip
Page 488tions of his activities in Bombay, Poona, Lahore, Calcutta, Rangoon and
Mandalay.He was privileged to address large audiences of the
Brama Somaj and Aryaof Religions held at Lahore. He was interviewed by mary interested seekers individually. He wrote a series of six articles upon the Faith for the Zoroastrian daily newspaper and other articles for the "Bombay New Thought Magazine" and the "V of
India."His work in India was well done and time alone will reveal the harvest from the seeds planted so carefully and prayerfully in the fertile soil of India.
Mr. Harris returned to New York in 1907 and continued ceaselessly to set forth the teachings, stressing the logical fulfillment of the successive Covenants of God and bearing witness to the inspiration, glory, and responsibilities of living in this Day of fulfillment.
His constant and efl'icient work in teaching caused him to be appointed by the National Spiritual
Assembly as Chairmanof the National Teaching Committee of the Northeastern States, and the Conventions and Conferences arranged by him proved a great benefit to those privileged to attend.
He served as a faithful, conscientious and active member of the New York Spiritual Assembly for all but a few scattered years from 1901 till his death on July 27, 1934, and the present Spiritual Assembly feels deeply the loss of his sincere and disinterested counsel.
At one time, in the early years of the Cause in America, the Harris home served as headquarters for the c~Board of Counsel"; in fact, his home was open at all times to the friends. Man}~ of the teachers of Pin sent to America by cAbdu~1~BaM were his guests. Mr. and Mrs. Harris were rejoiced to have cAbdu~1~Bah4 Himself spend an afternoon and night in their home in 1912.
The many Tablets which Hooper Harris received from Abdu'l-Bahá now preserved in the National Archives in Chicago � were a constant stimulant toward ever greater effort to serve.
Hooper Harris' life of loving devotion to the Cause can be measured oniy by the All-Seeing
Eye of God Himself. Wesee and know but a few of the traces of his spirit; Bahá'u'lláh knows the full record.
Our prayer is that Bahá'u'lláh may eternally shower His love and bounty upon our beloved brother in the Faith, Hooper Harris.
From a letter received by Mrs. Harris from Shoghi20, 1934, the following excerpt is quoted: "His passing in these early days of the formative period of our Faith is, indeed, a severe loss not oniy to his friends and relatives but also and mainly to all the American followers of the Movement who had found in his person not only a real and sincere fellow-believer but also an active and capable exponent of the teachings and principles of the Cause." From the same letter, the postscript written by the Guardian: !CT irreparable loss of your very dear husband has removed a distinguished figure from the community of the American believers and inflicted a sev&e blow to its best interests. The share he has had in lending fresh impetus to the teaching activities of its members, the contributions he has made to the advancement of its institutions, the example he has set by his single-mindedness, his eloquent presentation of the essentials of God's Faith and his exemplary devotion to its cause will long be remembered after him. He was indeed one of the leading apostles of
Bahá'u'lláh."The friends of the New York Assembly were deeply grieved to read the following despatch from London to "The New York Times" of the passing of Harry Houston Romer on April 13, 1935.
ccOI1 April 13, 1935, Harry Houston Romer, member of the Associated Press, domestic and foreign staffs, died today of heart disease, aged 64 years. A native of Westchester County, N. Y., Mr. Romer was a member of an old American family. During the war he held important posts in the news organization.
He became Chief ForeignNews Editor and later was placed in charge of the Berlin Bureau. Subsequently
Page 489he was a member of the London Staff where his experience and background in United States and international affairs aided him in handling the swiftly moving events of the postwar era. Mr. Romer carried on his duties through the present European crisis until physicians ordered him to bed two weeks ago. Surviving him are his widow and a son, Professor Alfred S. Romer, of Harvard
University."It was in 1922 that Mr. Romer became a member of the New York Community.
On April 21, 1924, Mr. Romer was elected to the Spiritual Assembly and after February 19, 1925, was its chairman. On April 21, 1925, he was again elected to the Spiritual Assembly and made chairman. On June 11, 1925, he was a delegate to the Convention at Greenacre.
It was the writer's happy privilege to be closely associated with Mr. Romer during the period of establishing the public meetings ings and lectures at the
New York Center, at "TheBahá'í Congress," and at the Ethical Culture Society, etc. The program for this work at the Center was essentially planned for the purpose of presenting to the people a comprehensive outline of Bahá'u'lláh's great principles laid down for the New World Order and to study the most efficient propaganda for this work.
First Mr. Romer conceived the idea of publishing each week (Saturday) in the leading newspapers unique and attractive advertisements which included quotations from the words of Bahá'u'lláh and Abdu'l-Bahá. This was the first time such a thing ever had been done and it was found to be a most effective way to publish the "Word of God." See page 490 for an example.
The plan resulted in capacity audiences throughout the entire series. For two years Mr. Romer took the responsibility of adver
Page 490Next in the Series of Free Lectures on the Basic Bahá'í Principles, at the
BAHA LIBRARY250 West 57th Street, Sunday, Nov. 16, 4 P. M., by
MARY HANFORD FORD"In this day he who seeks the light of the Sun of Truth must free his mind from the tales of the past, must adorn his head with the crown of severance and his temple with the robe of virtue. Then shall he arrive at the ocean of Oneness" � Bahá'u'lláh.
All Cordially Invited.tising and printing for this work, including Bahá'í meetings on other platforms.
Mr. Romer's devoted and inspiring service never flagged; always his thought entertained the broad, universal scope of Bahá'u'lláh's teachings and was the basic view � point from which all activities emanated. His very presence of radiant cheer was a pervading influence at' all gatherings � a presence which banished all fears � strengthened our hope and faith in the power of Bahá'u'lláh to overcome all difficulties which might arise. It was a thrilling experience in that we were privileged to witness the ~tSun of Truth" dispersing all clouds.
No thought of self or personal advantage ever dimmed the light of his clear vision. Like all illumined souls he exhaled the fragrance of humility.
He had but one all-embracing desire � the advancement of the Cause and the promulgation of its Teachings. Nothing could depress his buoyant spirit or lessen the fervor of his yital efforts in this work. He had indeed caught a glimpse of the Glorious Splendor and it grew upon him as he witnessed the result of earnest effort evolving steadily and increasingly as the months passed. We felt it to be a great appreciation when our dear departed brother, Mr. Hooper Harris, said, !tYou~ve established a great work and it will go on forever.
Mr. Romer was the only professional newspaper man in the Bahá'í community and he spread the knowledge of the Bahá'í Movement throughout the News Association with which he was connected, thus establishing in the minds of many foreign editors the sense of the importance of the then little-known Baha Movement. It was largely through his efforts that much of the publicity was obtained at the time of CAb du'1-Bah&s passing.
He heralded the news to the press, and leading newspapers published reports which in some cases gave historical data of the Cause and an outline of tAbdu'1-Bahá'í visit to the United States.
We consider that Mr. Romer rendered signal service to the Cause in his association with the New York Assembly during a period when it was emerging into a new phase of Bahá'í activities after the passing of CAbd~1Bh~ His outstanding qualities were his straightforwardness, uncompromising loyalty to truth, keen perception, clear vision, simplicity and humility. With him "Word and deed alike one color bore." He lived and dwelt in the steadfastness of his shining faith.
Very kind in priyate life, natural and simple, with an unerring instinct for the finest and best, especially in music and lit � erature, he attracted all around him by a benevolent equity and tenderness of soul.
It was in 1926, that Mr. and Mrs. Romer arrived in London, and at once became known to the friends.
The presence of these two sincere and earnest Bahá'ís has had an influence on the Cause that cannot be estimated till the secrets of all hearts are disclosed. Mr. Romer was prevented by his professional obligations from taking the active part in the work of the Movement, which his wife undertook so faithfully; but his influence was deeply felt. His sincerity and selflessness gave great value to his counsel, and his simple faith was an inspiration to all who knew him. He was beloved for his kindly generous nature, and when he entered a gathering an added warmth and light seemed perceptible. He was always reluctant to speak in public, or to take a prominent part in meetings; but when he could be prevailed on to do so, his words carried great weight, for they were backed by a life lived on the purest Bahá'í ideals. A young IrAnian was once heard to remark that they looked on him as the exemplar of what a Baha should be. In 1929 great efforts were made to give the Movement a
Page 491It was felt that a Center for work and meetings should be acquired; and a room at Walnmr House, Upper Regent Street, was rented.
Mr. Romer did good work on the Committee formed to bring this into operation.
Later, in 193334 he served on the London Spiritual
Assembly, and Financecommittee; but the exactions of his profession gave him very little strength or leisure for other things, and it was his strong sense of Bahá'í obligations that led him often to tax his strength unduly.
Though averse to public speaking, Mr. Romer was never backward in speaking of the faith that was in him, and in his daily life he found countless opportunities to speak of the Cause.
In matters of policy he always deprecated any tendency to rigidity or sectarianism; and his clear, direct vision always led him to a clear and logical conclusion, There was no compromise with truth as he saw it. It was with great grief that the friends heard of his sudden illness and that the doctors had ordered him to have complete rest. His brave cheerfulness had concealed from most of them how heavily the weight of business cares had pressed on him, undermining his health. No one was prepared, however, for the sudden call, ~Friend, go up higher."
His outward presence was quietly withdrawn, without stress or undue suffering, but he was conscious to the last.
His earthly form rests in the beautiful cemetery at Harnpscead close to his last home.
A Bahá'í Service was held in the Chapel there; and as the friends gathered round the grave, passages from the Hidden Words were recited. tt Son of Spirit, with the joyful tidings of light I hail thee.
Rejoice! To the Courtof holiness I summon thee, abide therein that thou mayest live in peace for evermore," seemed to �11 the bearers with solemn joy, for truly they felt that his spirit was with his Lord, His lovable, kindly nature, his sensitive artistic soul, and above all his uncompromising straightness remain with a fragrant memory and inspiration, while we believe that he is called to work in a higher station in the presence of Bahá'u'lláh.
HOWARD LtJXMORE CARPENTER(1906193 3) Dr. Howard Carpenter became a Bahá'í through conversations with Howard Mac-Nutt when the latter was lecturing in California, and shortly afterward he matriculated at Stanford University, graduating from the Stanford
Medical School in 1932. Duringhis university years he attended Bahá'í meetings at Stanford and in San Francisco, and served on the San Francisco Assembly in various capacities including that of Chairman. He was present at the sessions of the Geyserville Summer School, and was the first to build a cabin on land offered to Bahá'ís by John Bosch for that purpose. At Stanford he exemplified the Bahá'í principle of race oneness � incidentally startling his university contemporaries by rooming with Yoshio Okumoto, a Japanese fellow-student.
He married Mar4liyyihNabil in 1929, and in 1932 he and his wife left San Francisco for Vienna, where he rook a medical course, and afterward at the Guardian's direction traveled through Central Europe and the Balkans.
'With Martha Root in Vienna, Budapest and Belgrade, he then spent five weeks in Sofia, Bulgaria, assisting Miss Marion Jack, after which he stopped briefly in Saloniki and went on to Tirana, Albania, to visit Ref o Chapary.
He then left for Haifa, where be stayed three weeks on his way to Tihrin.
In IrAn, notwithstanding the efforts of the Assembly, he was prevented for more than one year from obtaining a medical license.
His health failed, and he was bedridden for many months. At last his physical condition improved, he resumed activities as a member of the Unity of the East and West Committee, and the authorities granted him a license to practise medicine. At this time he was stricken with paralysis. He lay seven months in a hospital, after which Mr. and Mrs. Rahnmt 'AH'i invited him to their home, surrounding him with the same loving care which they had given Keith Ransom-Keller the year before. His doctors advised a return to the United States as his only hope for recovery; he braved the long journey across the desert
Page 492by motor, the presence of the ~ who escorted him to Haifa, helping him to survive it. After nine days in Haifa, during which the Guardian visited him daily, he took a ship for New York where he was greeted by the National Spiritual Assembly, and~ then left by way of the Panama Canal for San Francisco. Here he had recourse to the best medical authorities, but was pronounced incurable.
lie passed away November 24, 1935. He is buried at Sunset Memorial Park in Berkeley. The Baha service held for him was conducted by Leroy loas of San Francisco; Bahá'ís of Berkeley, Oakland, Geyserville,
San Francisco and SantaPaula were present, and the words of Bahá'u'lláh on immortality radiated such power as to efface all thought of death.
Those who remember Howard Carpenter are especially grateful for certain of his qualities of mind, qualities which served to enrich the lives of those near to him. His Carpenter, 19061935.
brilliance, his almost surgical frankness, his hatred of sentimentalism, his intellectual approach to the Cause of Bahá'u'lláh, his utter deyotion to the furtherance of Bahá'í institutions, were a light and guide to those who accompanied him through his brief life. On the occasion of his passing, the following cable was sent his family by the Guardian: ~tGriefstricken sudden ioss beloved precious soul.
Memory his interrupted historic services in Persia imperishable. Assure relatives profound sympathy ardent prayers Holy Shrines � Sho gui As it was the privilege of Howard Carpenter to achieve his greatest tribulation an the land of Bahá'u'lláh, one is reminded in this connection of the words addressed by Bahá'u'lláh to Tihrin: CCQ Land of Ti! Thou art still, through the grace of God, a center around which His beloved ones have gathered. Happy are they; happy every refugee that seeketh thy shelter, in his suf
Page 493"Give ear, 0 My servant, unto that which is being sent down unto thee from the Throne of thy Lord, the Inaccessible, the Most Great. There is none other God but Him. He hath called into being His creatures, that they may know Him, Who is the Compassionate, the All-Merciful...."
"Thou hast, moreover, asked Me concerning the nature of the celestial spheres. To comprehend their nature it would be necessary to inquire into the meaning of the allusions that have been made in the Books of old to the celestial spheres and the heavens, and to discover the character of their relationship to the physical world, and the influence which they exert upon it. Every heart is filled with wonder at so bewildering a
Page 494theme, and every mind is perplexed by its mystery God, alone, can fathom its import port � Ibid. ttThese holy ones have, moreover, announced that when He Who is the Day Spring of the manifold grace of God mani-festeth Himself, all the Prophets and Messengers, including the Qa'im, will gather together beneath the shadow of the sacred Standard which the Promised One will raise. That hour is now come." � Ibid. Within the above quotations, one can perceive the heavenly skies that bounded the life history of Dr. Edward C. Getsinger.
To his many friends, who recall the spirit of Dr. Getsinger's interests and Faith, both the problems that attracted his attention and the final success of his life are therein clear and evident.
Dr. Getsinger was born at midnight, January 78, 1866, in the town of Franken-muth, Saginaw County, Michigan. He died in Hollywood, California, March 12, 1935. The name of his parents is given as Goet-singer or Goetzingcr, but he, himself, always wrote his name as Getsinger.
At the early age of seven, the child, Edward, had left the home of his parents and disappeared into a neighboring town. Five years were to elapse before he was again seen by his parents; for in this town he had been taken into the home of a former professor of
Heidelberg Universityand there he contentedly remained. At this early age he is fascinated by the mystery of the luminous bodies in stellar spaces, and often climbs to the roof to gaze at the illimitable heavens.
At a later date he feels himself a disciple of Hahnemann, who passed away in 1843, and takes to reading medicine with such success that, at 22, he is admitted to practice in the state of Michigan, having served the required year in a hospitaL, and is classed as a homeopath.
But with Dr. Getsinger, the practice of medicine as the object of his life, beautiful and important as this profession is, when united with the Love of God, soon gave way to the more preponderant appeal which the stars in their orbits exerted in attracting his interest. His interpretation of the science of celestial mechanics was to remain to him a fascinating branch of the great scientific tree of astronomy.
In the year 1893, Dr. Getsinger is found at Chicago, as he writes: CCw appointed one of the state's (Michigan) delegates to World's Congress of
Scientists, Chicago 'World'sFair." And it was at this Fair, in another World's Congress, the ~~Wor1d's Congress of Religions," that the Bahá'í Faith, the greatest of all the interests that was later to gain and hold the attention of Dr. Getsinger, was first mentioned in America.
As its distinguished Guardian Shoghi Effendi has written: "Of pomp and circumstance, of any manifestations of public rejoicing, or of popular applause, there was none to greet this first intimation to America' s citizens of the existence and purpose of the Revelation proclaimed by Bahá'u'lláh. Nor did he who was its chosen instrument profess himself a believer in the indwelling potency of the tidings he conveyed, or suspect the magnitude of the forces which so cursory a mention was destined to release."
Whether, or not, "the magnitude of the forces" released by the mention ccof the Revelation proclaimed by Bahá'u'lláh" at this great World's Fair in Chicago in 11893 had, in some way not as yet understood, an effect upon Dr. Getsinger, certain it is that Thornton Chase, confirmed by the Center of its Covenant, cAbdu~1~Bahd, as "the first Bahá'í in America," heard of the Bahá'í Faith within a year (June 5, 1894), and Dr. Getsinger is listed as certifying to his wish to be counted a believer in the Baha Cause on October 27, 1897. (At this time the early believers considered the giving of the Greatest Name as the symbol of acceptance.)
In his own chronology of events, Dr. Get-singer is silent as to the years after the Fair in 1893, until the year 1896.
Dr. Getsinger writes:was first brought to my attention in Chicago in 1896, and after hearing the Message as delivered to me by a Syrian, I returned to my home in Detroit, Michigan, and there studied the matter for months in absolute fairness to truth." By 1897, he had accepted the Reve
Page 495lation of Bahá'u'lláh. And, also, in 1897, he married Lua A. Moore.
Again quoting Dr. Getsinger:read of me in the newspapers in 1897, and called me to her Hacienda. She was regent of the University of California gave her the Message." (Of the Baha Faith.) In response to this call Dr. and Lua GetAnger went to California together, and not many months elapsed before Mrs. Hearst expressed the wish to Visit tAbdu'1-Bah~ in His home in Akka, the Prison City of Palestine.
She invited Lua and Dr. Getsinger to be her guests on that trip. Late in the year 1898, they all departed for the Holy Land, via Paris, France.
To quote from the letter of an early believer: "Sh (Mrs. Hearst) took them to tAkkA and they were the very first pilgrims to the Prison City, from
America.ttMrs. Hearst and her guests went first to her home in Paris, France; she took her colored butler from there to cAkkA, and the Master, as you probably know, was very loving and kind to Robert."
From the account of still another early believer, it is ascertained that Mrs. Hearst remained for a time in Paris, France, sending Dr. and Lua Getsinger ahead of her to Akka, where she joined them later.
In Lu's written account of this first pilgrimage of Americans to the (cMost Great Prison" city of tAkk~i, Palestine, the statement is made that she and Dr. Getsinger arrived in Haifa, Palestine, Thursday, December 8, 1898, about 10:30 P.M. The day after the next day, of December 10, 1898, in the morning, they left Haifa, and in a short time they had arrived at CAkki passed through its gate and had gone directly to the home of tAbdu'1-Bahi.
They then met 'Abdu'l-Bahá.I first saw tAbbAs Effendi (tAbdu'1 � Bah~) the Servant of Baha, at tAkk4, in spite of my former belief I still had enough spiritual perception with (in) my living Tomb to see at once, a holy man, a divine character, a most humble yet profound spirit and intellect, a heart as great as human weakness, a mercy as wide as justice, a soul that I could not comprehend and at that moment I consecrated my life and all to the principles for which He stands in the world."
According to his own account, before becoming assured of the existence of God because of the clear logic in the Bahá'í Faith, Dr. Getsinger had been an atheist. This statement he makes in a lecture written by him and from which he read in 1902, and he goes on to ask his audience, reading from the same lecture, ccWhat power or glory of any belief can bring atheists back when once they turn from hope? Only the sensible truth, rational religion, scientific exposition, clear interpretation of symbolic prophecy as given by the Bahá'ís can accomplish this."
An old friend of flr. Getsinger writes of him: "His early writings show him to have been a student. And even then he warred upon worldliness, ambition, pride and strife.
He was not an egoist, for he did not regard self-development and selfsatisfaction as the supreme end of cx-istence.
As one sympathetically reviews Dr. Get-singer's life, its two strong foundations are his zealous attention to research along scientific lines, and his, but for a short interval, continuous, unfailing service to the Faith of Bahá'u'lláh. Dr. Getsinger's aim, and historians of the Faith will probably record these matters in detail, was the search for additional truths that seemed unquestionably related to the central truth of all truths to him, the great Revelation of Bahá'u'lláh.
Those in position to know state that he left volumes of manuscripts completed oniy three or four days before his death, of research into the ancient truths of the Old Testament and in relation to his theories of celestial mechanics.
At one time he had toured the universities and had been invited to Carnegie Institute in relation to these subjects.
Of his early services to the Bahá'í Cause there is much of historic importance.
In cooperation with Mrs. Fannie G. Lesch, who had collected the material, and with the financial assistance of Mrs. Phoebe Hearst, as reported by Mrs. Lesch, he published the first book of the Tablets of Holy Bahá'í Writings ever to be printed in America. Likewise, Mrs. Lesch states, he published the first volume of "I-f dden Words" translated
Page 496in this country. With the approval of Abdu'l-Bahá, he published, as he told this writer, the Album of beautifully colored photographs of Bahá'í Holy Places in Palestine � these photographs had been taken by a Greek photographer. The beautiful Tablet, the first which CAbdu~1~Bahi chanted into a phonograph to be retained in record form, was chanted after continued solicitation by Dr. Getsinger that He grant such a request, and the record was brought to America by Dr. Getsinger in 1899.
In that pamphlet of glorious promise and encouragement to American Bahá'ís written by
Shoghi Effendi, Guardianof the Faith, in the year 1933, and called "A and The Most Great Peace," the Bahá'í Faith is divided into four decades to include the forty years, from 1893 to 1933, of its development in America.
In each of these decades Dr. Getsinger had lived as a Bahá'í according to his ever growing understanding and development. He was an old and tried believer.
A friend has written of him: ~'My memories of him are very precious of a firm, faithful believer who gave all that he had of Bahá'í treasures, his knowledge and anything he could do to serve the glorious Cause of
Bahá'u'lláh."Note � The author wishes to acknowledge assistance, in furnishing data upon which this article is based in part, from Mrs. Fannie G. Lescb, Miss Leone Barnitz, and W. P. Lucus.
SARAH BLTJNDELLOne of the pioneers of the Bahá'í Cause in New Zealand � Mrs. Sarah Blundell � passed away at her home in Auckland on December 20, 1934, at the advanced age of eighty-four years. She was born at Burwell, Cambridgeshire, England in 1850 � the year sacred in Bahá'í history as that of the Bib's martyrdom.
Mrs. Blundell received her early religious training from her father, Mr.
Henry Andrews � a NonconformistBefore the age of seven she had acquired a knowledge of Bible history and a desire to be good."
At this time little Sarah was sent to boarding school � an orthodox estab lishment; the child was withdrawn from religious instruction at the request of her Nonconformist parents.
This experience of withdrawal was a sore trial to the sensitive child, but its effect was to make her search for causes and think for herself. This gave rise in her immature mind to what later deveLoped into a wholehearted and unfettered search for Truth. It was during her school days that Sarah Andrews heard faint echoes of the terrible religious persecutions in fr&n, which later she identified with the BThis. She remembered vividly wondering why such deeds should be perpetrated because of religion. She was an intelligent student and before leaving school at the age of eighteen she was among the first group of young ladies permitted to enter for a Cambridge University Examination � a sign in those days of the coming advancement of women.
In her early thirties Mrs. Blundell received a definite spiritual awakening.
Such an experience can never be adequately described by words. When speaking of it to the writer, she said, "I thought I was in Heaven. Texts of scripture poured into my mind with new meaning." In the light of this awakening she received such deep spiritual joy and strength that the material troubles she was at that time encountering became as nothing. So having received ThU for her lamp" she continued her journey in the ctValley of Search" with unwavering faith and hope. Some years later in a state of perplexity, she took her problem to God in prayer. She heard a voice which said, "Can you go through poverty?"
Her trustful reply was, tcThrough anything or anywhere with Thee, Lord."
In 1887, when Mrs. Blundell with her husband and family of seven children arrived in New Zealand, her faith was put to the test. Here she experienced for a time, not oniy lack of material wealth, and the comforts of life to which she was accustomed, but also lack of friends, for she came as a stranger to a strange country.
She passed through these years of trial and testing with cheerful courage, firm in her belief in God's help and guidance.
In her search for Truth she passed through many fields of thought, emerging through
Page 497the mists of dead creeds and dogmas, always following the light, and helping doubtful and troubled souls to set their feet on the path of spiritual endeavour.
From the "Christian Commonwealth" Mrs.Blundell first heard of cAbdu~1~Bah4~s visit to London in 1911. There she read of His life and teachings, and was at once attracted. She sent for literature which she read with an open mind and prepared heart, so when in 1922, Mr. and Mrs. Hyde Dunn came to Auckland to spread the Bahá'í message, Mrs. Blundell invited them to her home and there the first Bahá'í meeting was held.
In 1925, Mrs. Blundell was one of the first party of Pilgrims from Australia and New Z~a1and who were privileged to visit Haifa
� The Holy Family � The Shrinesof the BTh, Bahá'u'lláh and tAbdu'1-Bah6., and to come into personal contact with many confirmed Bahá'ís � a ttcrowning gift" to one whose spiritual path had been traveled alone.
Whilst in London, she said to the late Mrs.me, the search is over.~~ From her acceptance of the Bahá'í revelation till the end of her life she experienced complete spiritual joy and contentment. The words of cAbdu~I~BaM were fully cx-emplified in her life: "Sacrifice all thy talents at the feet of that heart-enkindling Beloved and characterize thyself with such deeds and words that thou mayest become the cause of the guidance of others." She worked unsparingly for the Cause of Bahá'u'lláh in New Zealand until her failing physical powers could no longer reflect her loving spirit and her body was laid aside as a wornout tool.
She passed away peacefully in the presence of members of her family, who received comfort and strength through the spirit of triumphant joy which filled the room and which took away the sting of death.
Truly for her death was as "glad tidings." In the hearts of New Zealand
Page 498Bahá'ís she will ever be a shining example of a beautiful and consecrated life.
Mrs. Blundeli's father, Mr. Henry Andrews, in the days of his early manhood was one of a group of young men who met each day at midday for prayer and Bible study in a room at the business house of Messrs. Hitchcock & Williams, St. Paul's Church Yard, London. Mr. Williams, one of the heads of the firm, on hearing of this meeting was greatly impressed, and the idea was born of forming the organization which is known all over the world as the Young Men's
Christian Association.Mrs. Blundell's gift as a pianist was above the average. Her music master in Germany wished her to enter the profession, but this her parents did not agree to. All her life she used her talent, giving pleasure to many. Her soui qualities spoke through her fingers, uplifting her hearers with the spirit in the music. On her eightieth birthday she played for those who gathered at her home for that event.
(The day the accompanying photograph was taken.)was born in 1865 AD. at ~Av~shiq, a village situated sixty-five miles from Baghdad. After a long period of insistent and continuous resistance he was attracted to the Cause and wholeheartedly embraced the Faith and has been for twenty-five years a famous and active
Baha'i.During the whole period of his new Bahá'í life he was well known by his activities in the Cause not oniy at his birthplace but also at BaghdAd and in most parts of tlriq.
Although he was a villager by birth, illiterate and very far from scholastic life, an agriculturist and landlord by calling, yet through the sublime spiritual influence of the Cause he could eloquently present proofs
Page 499of the Cause confirmed by Verses from the Qur'an and Hadith to all classes of people, in such convincing manner that they became surprised by his inspired and effective speech.
He was one of the few old believers who attended the court as a witness while the case of the houses of Bahá'u'lláh was under trial. Amidst the infuriated populace he pushed his way to the court and very courageously and boldly declared his faith and gave the necessary testimony and paid no heed to the menaces and intimidations, though his life was exposed to inevitable death under such critical circumstances.
He was the real mover of the Friends of ~Av6shiq and the one to whom they came for help, guidance and counsel. lie was an important factor in erecting the Haziratu'l-Quds of his locality, which was the first of its kind in tlriq.
Lie was secretary to the Spiritual Assembly, and on formation of the National Spiritual Assembly of IrAq in 1931, he was elected a member of it, which post he held until the end of his life.
He was privileged twice during his life to be honored by visiting our beloved Guardian and was a recipient of his loving kindness and appreciations, which increased considerably his activities and self-sacrifice.
His tragic death occurred on January 9, 1936, in consequence of a falling down of a section of the Haziratu'1-Quds of Baghdad where he was sleeping with his eldest son JsmANl and both of them died immediately. This sad news was communicated to the Guardian, who immediately sent a telegtam of deep sympathy and hearty condolences to the Friends of tAvishiq which was followed by a letter in appreciation of his brilliant services, the translation of an extract of which, written by his secretary, is as follows: � "That zealous servant of God has rendered excellent and sublime services to the threshold of his merciful God.
That dignifled man was the sign of firmness and the essence of steadfastness and rectitude, holding fast to the teachings of God and clinging unto His brilliant and sacred commandments. He never let any opportunity pass without manifesting his self-sacrifice and sincerity and let no chance slip away without showing his gallantry and solemnity. So it is no wonder if this sudden and unexpected incident caused a deep grief and intense sorrow to the Guardian who entertained so great an attachment to him, was utterly satisfied with him, and had complete confidence in him."
HAjf MUHAMMAD YAMYazdi, the son of ~Abdu'1-Rahim-i-Yazdi, was born about 1850 in Yazd, and at the same time as his elder brother, the late Shaykh~CA1i, he achieved in early youth the privilege of becoming a BaUM. He then became the recipient of blessed Tablets from Bahá'u'lláh and was singled out for especial grace. To such a degree was he set aflame that he spent most of his time either in teaching the Cause to his friends and kindred, in holding Bahá'í feasts and gatherings in his home or in chanting the Tablets and prayers.
At last, however, he could no longer endure his longing for the presence of Bahá'u'lláh; he set out with the late Ifl4ji Amin on his first journey to the Holy Land, and there, in cAkka, he attained to meeting with the Blessed
Beauty.Afterward, with the permission of Bahá'u'lláh, Mubammad Yazdi went to Alexandria in Egypt and settled there.
In Alexandria around the year 1870, he and the late Ijiji Siyyid Jav~id-i-Yazdi undertook the postal despatch of tablets from Bahá'u'lláh to the Bahá'ís of IrAn and of letters from the latter to the Holy Land. Within a few years some of the Bahá'ís who had come together in Alexandria established a trading company, and conducting their affairs with great and spiritual harmony, they prospered. At that period all the 'Akka pilgrims traveled by way of Alexandria; from the frinian Gulf, from India, from the Caucasus and Turkey, I rinian and other believers would come to the Holy Land, and whether going or returning they would be the guests of the Alexandria friends.
Meanwhile, in addition to the Alexandria interests, Muhammad Yazdi opened a store in tAkk4 with his close friend the late Siyyid tAli Yazdi and the two carried on business there. In 1882, as a consequence of the rebellion of cArrAbi PAsh~ the occupation of Alexandria by Great Britain, the great fire and the general confusion, he left for the Holy Land, returning some seven months later.
When in 1892, the life of every Bahá'í was darkened by the ascension of Bahá'u'lláh, he, suffering bitterly from separation from his Beloved, in accord with the Will and Testament of Bahá'u'lláh turned toward the Center of the Covenant, and, fully obedient to cAbdu~1.~Bahi, remained firm in the Cause. At that period he was instrumental in establishing a Spiritual Assembly which achieved renown. He later made of his residence in Ramlih (Alexandria) a gathering place for the believers, it being his custom to hold regular Sunday meetings lasting from afternoon till nearly midnight, at which occasions the believers would come together, partake of refreshments and chant the holy prayers and Tablets. Whenever the Master and members of the Household would visit that city, he exerted every effort in carrying out the Master's behests.
Previous to this he married Jamilih Kh&num, daughter of the late tAli Manshidiy-i-Yazdi, and believers from various parts of Egypa, from Port Said and Alexandria came to Ramlih for the wedding.
During the World War, from 1914 to 1917, Muhammad Yazdi carried on business in Beirut and Damascus, and also in Haifa with my brother, Aq~ Mirza ~{usayn. When the ascension of the beloved Master had plunged the believers into sorrow, he turned, obedient to the Master's Testament, to the Guardian of the Cause, remaining staunch and steadfast. Around 1925, he went back to Port Said, engaging in business in the store of his brother, Ahmad Yazdi, and almost yearly he would journey to visit the Guardian and pray at the Holy Shrines. In his eighty-fourth year, Mubammad Yazdi was struck by a motor cycle and passed away September 5, 1933. He is survived
Page 501by his widow, four sons and one daughter as follows: Shaykh-.~A1i, now a resident of Berkeley, California; tAbd~1Rahim Port Said; tAziz employed by the
Ang1o-Ir~nianOil Company in Iraw Rawsh4n, attending the School of Medicine at Lyons, France; F6.timih-Su1~n, now living with her mother in
Port Said.Death pro jjeretb unto every confident believer the cup that is life indeed. It be stowet /5 joy, and is the bearer of gladness. It con f erreth the gift of everlasting life.
As to those that have tasted the fruit of man's earthly existence, which is the recognition of the one true God, exalted be His glory, their life hereafter is such as We are unable to describe.
The knowledge thereof is with God, alone, the Lord of all worlds. � Bahá'u'lláh.
Mrs. Lily Wiggins, Phoenix.Mrs. Pauline Ayres, Trenton, N. J. Mrs. George Busey, Urbana.
Mrs. Angela Lynch, SanJ. T. Reddin, Marstock, N. S. Mrs. W. H. Repogle, Bakersfield,
Calif.Mrs. Mary Isabel Marshall, Washington, D.C. Charles F. Coles, Washington, D. C. Otto Weiss, Teaneck, N. J.
1-looper Harris, New YorkMrs. Sarah J. Swift-Hardy, Richmond Province, Quebec,
Canada.Mrs. Mada Longmeyer, Chicago, Ill. Mr. W. M. dine, Sr., Verdugo City, Calif.
Mr. A. I. Truesdell, Santa Monica, Calif.Mrs. Annie E. McKinney, Providence, R. I., and Eliot, Maine.
Mr. 'Weaver von Kirtley, Glendale, Calif.Miss Mary Hudd, Washington, ID. C. Mrs. Lillian A. Kendall, Phoenix, Ariz.
Mrs. Nellie A. Rahn, Detroit,Miss Rhoda Nichols, Troy, N. Y. Mr. Leslie Caihoon, Racine,
Wisc.H. De Vogh Wright, Orange Springs, N.Y. Mrs. Hulda Mecher, Muskegon.
Marshall Humphrey, Phoenix.Mrs. Gertrude Mattern, Washington, Mine. Marie Beck, February 10, 1935, D. C. Lausanne, Switzerland.
George F. Witte, Wilcox, Arizona. Miss Elsie Lea, WhitMonday, June 10, Mrs. Thursa Morwood-Clark, Vancouver. 1935, London, England.
'William B. Remey, Breinerton, Wash-Mrs. s. Edith Burr, June, 1935, Florence, ington. Italy.
Mrs. Maverette Fisher, Three Rivers, Mr. Kustner, June 1935, Stuttgart, Ger-Massachusetts.
. many.George Steiner, in April 1934, Gy6r, JinTh-i-F6xlil-i-Shir6zi.
Hungary. Mirza T4ghi KMn Bahin-Ayin.
Page 503A S S � M B L I E S National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of Australia and New Zealand, Care of Miss Hilda Brooks, Box 447 D, Adelaide, SOUTH AUSTRALIA.
National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of Caucasus, Care of Mr. Diyk'u'lUh A~gliarz6Aih, 4 Victoria Avenue, Bishopsgate, London, E. C. 2, ENGLAND.
National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of Egypt, P. 0. Box 13, Daher, Cairo, EGYPT.
Telegraphic Address: Bahabureau, Cairo.National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of Germany and Austria, Care of Dr. Eugen Schmidt, Reinsburgstrasse 198, Stuttgart, GERMANY.
National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of Great Britain and Ireland, Baha Center, 86 Lancaster Gate, London, W. 2.
Telegraphic Address: National, Asgharz&dih, London.
National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of India and Burma, Care of Mr. tAbb~isA1i Butt, 8 6/1, the Mall (Middle Flat), Simla, INDIA.
National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of tlrftq, P. 0. Box 5, Baghdid, 'IRAQ.
National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of frAn, Care of Dr. Y. Afrfikhtih Avenue Barg, Tilirin, IRAN.
Telegraphic Address: Rawhini, P6xsiyin, Tihr~n.National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of Turkistin, Care of Mr. Diy~'u'1Uli AsgliarzAdih, 4 Victoria Avenue, Bisbopsgate, London, E. C. 2, ENGLAND.
National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of the United States and Canada, Secretariat, 130 Evergreen Place, West Englewood, N. J., U. S. A. Telegraphic Address: Baha'i, New York.
International Bahá'í Bureau, Case 181 Stand, Geneva, SWITZERLAND.
Telegraphic Address: Baha'i, Geneva.Facsimile of Letter addressed by N~iri'd-Din Shah to ~Abb~s-Qu1i Kh~n-i-L~rij~ni (dated 1280 A.H.) rewarding him for his share in the persecution inflicted upon the B~bis. (See ~The Dawn-Breakers," Chapters IX and XX.)
506BAHÁ'Í DIRECTORY, 193 51936 507
BAJTJA'I1 LOCAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLIESThis list has been compiled by the International Babd'i Bureau of Geneva, Switzerland.
d. Omissions, errors and changes should be reported immediately to the Bureau, address Case 1 81 Stand, Geneva.
ABYSSINIA �Brisbane: Mr. John B. Bedgood, Isaac St., Paddington.
Gokisborough: Miss E. Baker, c/a Mrs. M. Baker, Victoria.
P. 0. Goldsborough.Hobart: Miss Greta Lamprill, CcNew1ands,~~ Toorak Ave., Newton, Tasmania.
Melbourne: Miss M. Stephens, Box L, 1237, Elizabeth St. P. 0., Victoria.
Nelson, N. Z.: Mrs. F. Watkin, Stoke.Perth: Mrs. Annie 0. Miller, 73 Berwick St., Victoria
Park.'~Sydney: Mr. Guy M. unman, Kembla Bldg., Margaret
St.Graz: Herr Adolf Fontana, Kirchengasse, 14. Deutsch-Wagram: Herr L. Pundi.
BELGIUM �Canton: Mr. C. S. Lu, Bureau for the Improvement of
Sericulture, DepartmentPraha: Mr. Vuk Echtner, c/o Bruckner, u. Pujcovny 2.
DENMARK �*Paris: Mr. C. N. Kennedy, 104, Ave. de Versailles.
Vance: A. Ma Mine. Adele Routsztein, Villa Simone, Ste. tlizabeth.
GERMANY �~Ber1in: Herr Theo Lehne, Daligow-D6beritz, Parkstr.
24.Dresden A: Herr Paul K6hler, Feldschlbs-schenstr. 22/2.
'-Esslingen: Frau LieselFrankfurt a.M.: Fr~iu1ein Edith Horn, But-nitzstr.
8.Fiirth LB.: Herr u. Frau Adolf Lorey, Krie � gerheimstr.
16.%tuttgart-Zuffenhausen: Frau Anna Marie Schweizer, Karistr. 26.
Ulm: Herr Karl Nagel, Gartenstr. 21. '~Warnemiinde: Herr Emil Jdrn, Reuter-str.
31.GREAT BRITAIN AND IRELAND � Altrincham, Cheshire: Mr. C. Craven, 15
Norman Road.Ashburton, Devon: Mrs. Violet McKinley, Riselands.
Bath: Miss Isabel Carey, tcNew1ands,~~ Bloomfield
Road.Birmingham 8: Mr. Marshall, ~7 Nansen Road, Alum Rock.
Blackburn Nr.: Mrs. Harold Cooper, Fenis-cowles, Old Hall, Pleasington.
~Bournemouth: Miss GraceBradford: Mr. Arthur Norton, Marithur, Cranbourne Road,
Chellow Dene.Bristol: Mrs. Dora Weeks, 4 Filton Grove, Horfield.
Page 509Bruckless, Ireland: Mrs. Eforde, Bruckless House, Co. Gaiway.
Farnham, Surrey: Mrs. Leitch,Hounslow: Mr. Charles Cole, Sutton Villa, Sutton Road.
Ilford, Essex: Mrs. Helen A. Long, 93 Empress Ave. *London: 86 Lancaster Gate, W. 2.
'~Manchester: Mr. J. Lee,Northumberland: Mr. Buzby, S South Croft, Forest Hall.
Okehampton, Devon: Mrs. Scarramucci, Oker Junet,Orpington, Kent: Miss A. Evelyn Baxter, ccTimberscombe~~
Station Hill.Southampton: Miss Plan, Sr. Roumons, Bit � terne.
Totnes: Mr. Mark Tobey,York: Mrs. Eliza P. Kenworthy, 24 Second Ave., Heworth.
HAWAIIAN ISLANDS (see UnitedStates and Canada) � HOLLAND � Berlicum, N. B.: W. E. M. Grosfeld.
Bruncirnen, Geldedand:Haarlem: rrl. Kithe Braun, Spruit en Boschstr. 15.
HUNGAAY �Allahabad: Mr. tUthmin Ghani, Dy. Supdt. Telegraphs.
Amritsar: Mr. Ghul&m Muhammad~De1hi: Mr. M. A. Samad~ni, c/o The Bahá'í Magazine,
Sheedipuri.CAbdu~1~CAziz, B.A., B.T., Vice-Principal, Nimpally, Sh4hk~mosh.
Jamser (Bikanir State)'~Karachi: Bahá'í Hall, Pires St., New Bunder Road.
Kawlin (Upper Burma): Mr.IRAN � IrAn (see subsection ttEh~~i Administrative Divisions in tdn").
tIRAQ *AcffiyAbih: Mr. 'Au Faraj, c/o tAbb4sBasrih: do Zakariyy& Doccat, Port Directorate, Ashar.
Page 510ondary School. 2 *Mosul: Mr. JamB Hanna, c/o Mulh Abmad H. Mali4h,
Ninevah St.Florence: Signora Campani, Viale Duca di Genova, 24.
Livorno: K. Mouzun, Allievo Ulficiale, R. Academia
Navale.Kyoto: Mr. Tokujiro Toni, c/o Kyoto School for the
Blind.Tokyo: Miss Agnes B. Alexander, 166, Nichome, Kudan.
Yokohama: Prof. K. D. Koyama, c/o Yokohama City College of Commerce.
J UGOSLAVIA �Nelson: Mrs. F. Watkin, Stoke. 'Wellington: Mrs. Jessie McQuarrie, tcU1a~~ Oban St. Highland Park.
Yaninee: Mr. and Mrs. Hawthorne.Oslo: Miss Johanna Schubarth, Stromsveien 20, Apart.
42.Beersheba: R. A. Halabi. Gaza: Mr. Misb&h Murid. ~Haifa: P. 0. Box 23. Jaff a: Mr. Manstr Nahh4s fMni.
Salt, Transjordania: Mr. 1 � lasan H. R4ii, Salt Secondary
School.Leningrad: Isabel Grinevskaya, Prospect Na-himson, No. 10, log. 32.
SOUTH AFRICA � Cape Town:Rondebaseh, C. P.: Mr. and Mrs. Walter Hinton, 9 Edingight, Duke Rd.
SPDAN �Zttrich: Prof. Volkart, Stamp-fenbrunnen Str. 21. Gebr.
Paul and Otto EichernbergerBureau, 20 bis, rue General Duf our, or Case 181 Stand.
Kilchberg, b/ Zurich: Mrs. Vautier, Manch-hofstr.E. Mundwyler. Obersommeri, b/ Amriswil: Mr. Fritz Semle,
Kinderheim Holdergarten.Tarasp: Mr. J. W~hch1i, Rainstrasse 2, Zii-rich.
Ztirich: Brunaustr. 61:Adana: tAbdu'1-Vahhib Niji frini. Antep: Mr. Jamil tAH, c/o Mr. Najjir
Su-laym6n AqA, NajjirBarbados: Miss Ella Robarts, c/o Mrs. Hy-man, Woodside Bay Street, Bridgetown.
3.Mr. Mountfort Mills, C/oairinan Mr. Carl Scheffler,
Vice-ChairmanMr. Allen B. McDaniel Mr. Leroy C. Toas Mrs. Nellie S. French
Mr. George Orr LatimerMr. Alfred E. Lunt Address: 130 EVERGREEN PLACE, West Englewood, New Jersey
COMMITTEES OF THE NATIONAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLYMrs. Carl Scheffler, Secretary 1821 Lincoln St., Evanston, Ill. Mr. Wilfred Barton ANNUAL SOUVENIR OF tABDU'LBAHA (1936). William de Forge, Chairman, Curtis Kelsey, Dr. Wilbur, Miss 0. B. Crum, Mrs. Grace Krug, Mrs.
Carrie Kinney, MissMrs. Bertha Hyde Kirkpatrick, Secretary, 815 E. Ann St., Ann Arbor, Mich.
Mrs. Anna Kunz.BAHÁ'Í WORLD, VOLUME VI, EDITORIAL � Horace Holley,
Chairman.Mrs. S. W. French, Secretary, 501 Belle-fontaine St., Pasadena, California.
Bishop Brown.� 4 Facsimile of Letter addressed by SiMmu'd-Dawlih to his Brother strongly denouncing the BThis and expressing satisfaction at the severe defeat inflicted upon them. (Seal bears the date of 1265 A.H.)
Page 5130. Latimer, Chairman, 1927 N.E. 40th Ave., Portland, Oregon. Mrs.
Louise Caswell.IN AMERICA � Bishop Brown, Chairnian, P.O. Box 9, In-gomar, Pa.
Mrs. Sutherland Maxwell.LEGAL � Alfred E. Lunt, C/oairinan, 89 State Street, Boston, Mass.
Mountfort Mills.PUBLICITY � Mrs. Ruth Randall-Brown, Chairman, P.O. Box 9, Ingornar, Pa.
Miss Alice N. Parker,Mrs. Clara R. Wood, Secretary, P.O. Box 348, Grand Central Annex, New York, N.Y. Roy C. Wilhelm.
Mrs. Marie B. Moore.RACE AMITY � Mrs. E. R. Mathews, Chairman, Pine Valley, Colorado Springs, Colorado.
Mrs. Thurston Vaughn.Miss Charlotte Linfoot, Secretary, 376 60th Street, Oakland, California.
Prof. N. Forsythe Ward.R. C. Coilison, 681 Castle Street, Geneva, New York.
For Upper New York State.Dr. E. Lenore Morris, Route 2, Box 145, McCord Road, Toledo, Ohio. For
Michigan and Indiana.Dale S. Cole, 9124 La Salle Boulevard, Detroit, Michigan. For Ohio and
Western Pennsylvania.Mrs. Harry IL Wairath, 4639 Beacon Street, Chicago, Illinois. For Wisconsin, Minnesota, Illinois,
Iowa and Kansas.Mrs. E. R. Mathews, Pine Valley, Colorado Springs, Colorado and Mr. Leslie Hawthorne, Winrerhaven, Texas. For Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, Texas,
Nebraska and Oklahoma.Mrs. Georgie Wiles, R.D. 1, West Nashville, Tennessee.
For Kentucky, TennesseeDr. Walter B. Guy, 52 Central Avenue, St. Augustine, Florida. For Florida, Georgia, South Carolina,
Alabama.Mrs. Marion Little, Covington, Louisiana. For Louisiana,
Missouri and Arkansas.Mrs. Emmeric SaL, 194 Riverside Drive, St. Lambert, P. Q., Canada. For Eastern Canada.
Mrs. Thomas H. Collins,Mrs. Louise Caswell, 2379 N.W. Overton Street, Portland, Oregon. For Oregon and
Washington.Mrs. Leroy C. loas, Secretary, 640 46th Avenue, San Francisco,
California.F. Morton, Chairman, Paterson Museum, Paterson, New
Jersey.Place, New York, N. Y. Business Manager � C. R. Wood,
135 East 50th Street, NewMiss Marion HolLy, Secretary, 675 West Arden Avenue, Glendale, California.
Paul Haney.1935 SEASON � Green Acre � Eliot, Maine, Dr. Genevieve L. Coy, Chairman. Glenn A.
Shook.BAHÁ'Í DIRECTORY, 193 51936 515
LOCAL BANAl SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLIES,IN THE UNITED Phoenix, Arizona, Mrs. Ruth Humphrey, Box 2174.
Berkeley, California, Mrs. Laura Kelsey Allen,Glendale, California, Mrs. Dorothy M. Porter, Apt. 201, 1123 E. Acacia
Street.Los Angeles, California, Mrs. Oni A. Finks, 453 E. Avenue 28.
Oakland, California, MissSan Francisco, California, Miss Nadeen C. Cooper, 291 Broderick Street, Apt. 4.
Santa Barbara, California, Mrs. Marie Low~ cli, 1825
Grand Avenue.Colorado Springs, Colorado, Mrs. IL R. Roberts, 1326 No. Wahsatch Street.
Denver, Colorado, Mrs. G. N. Clark, 6307 W. 38th Avenue, Wheat Ridge,
Cob.Washington, D. C., Mr. Joseph F. Harley, III, 1310 Massachusetts Avenue,
NSF.Miami, Florida, Miss Alice Halverson, 11 Si. Sixth
Street.St. Augustine, Florida, Mrs. F. W. Shaw, 39 Central
Avenue.Chicago, Illinois, Miss Julia Sobel, 4034 N. Keystone
Avenue.Evanston, Illinois, Mrs. Inez B. Ford, 2645 Girard
Avenue.Peoria, Illinois, Mrs. Evelyn D. Siefert, 512 Ravine
Avenue.Springfield, Illinois, Mrs. Rieke Jurgens, 20 ~ W. Calhoun Avenue.
Urbana, Illinois, Mr. H. J. Snider, 506 W. Pennsylvania
Avenue.Winnetka, Illinois, Mrs. Enos M. Barton, 978 Euclid Avenue, Hubbard Woods.
Indianapolis, Indiana, Mrs. Lorraine Barlet, 3527Topeka, Kansas, Mrs. Mae Minor, 1125 Tyler Street.
Eliot, Maine, Miss LouiseBaltimore, Maryland, Mrs. F. W. Hipsley, 2803 Allendalc
Road.Boston, Mass., Mrs. Helen L. Archambault, 38 Mansfield Street, Everett, Mass.
'Worcester, Mass., MissFlint, Michigan, Mr. Charles Dunkel, 727 Liberty Street.
Lansing, Michigan, Miss Viola Evans, Route 4,Muskegon, Michigan, Mrs. Wa Smack, 132 Allen Avenue.
Minneapolis, Minnesota, Mrs. Helen W. Frink, 1216Newark, New Jersey, Mr. G. Ithiet Volz, 48 Salter Place, Maplewood, N. J. Teaneck, N. J., Mrs. Louise Lux, 7 Oak Street, Ridgefield Park, N. J. Binghamton, New York, Mrs. P. A. Fern-aid,
641 Chenango Street.Akron, Ohio, Mrs. Roy E. Browne, 792 NV. Market Street, Apt. 5.
Site of the First Mashriqu'l-Adhkar of Inn recently purchased by the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of tr~n.
Buffalo, New York, Mr. Cincinnati, Ohio, Miss E. C. McCurdyg 144 Cottage Hilda Stauss, 3648 Epworth Street. Avenue, Westwood.
Geneva, New York, Miss Cleveland, Ohio, Mrs. May WiLliams, 185 Lewis Dale S. Cole, 3174 Corydon Street. Road.
New York City, N. Y., Columbus, Ohio, Mrs. Margaret Miss Bertha L. Herk-lotz, H. Acebo, Route 1, Reynoldsburg, Room 615, 119 W. 57th Ohio.
Street.Toledo, Ohio, Mrs. Cecile Hill, 3 ~ 2 Ohio Street.
Portland, Oregon, Mr. J. E. Latirner, 1927 N.E.Philadelphia, Pa., Miss Jessie F. Revell, 2531 North
19th Street.Foye, 4721 Fifth Avenue, N.E. Spokane, Washington, Mrs. Isabelle M. Campbell, 1427 So. Madison Street.
Kenosha, Wisconsin, Mr. Louis J. Yoelz, 6108 Sheridan
Road.Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Mrs. Jean Clark, 1854 N. Cambridge Avenue.
Racine, Wisconsin, Mr. Harold R. Olson, 1332pine Ave. Clearlake Highlands, Mrs. Flora M. Clark. Sacramento,
Miss Elizabeth L. DuffSanta Monica, Mrs. Anna Isles, 911 Idaho St. Southgate, Mrs. Josephine F. Clark, 8158 San Juan
Ave.FLORIDA � Orlando, Mrs. D. Tornstrorn, Pine Castle,
FL.MASSACHUSETTS � Provincetown, Mrs. Ralph Hailow, Box 305.
Springfield, Mrs. R. A. Bates, 99 Princeton St. Three Rivers, Mrs. Wendell E. Bacon.
MICHIGAN � Ann Arbor, Mrs. Win. M. Parker, 1601NEW HAMPSHIRE � Portsmouth, Mr. Louis G. Gregory, 47
South St.stock St. Jersey City, Mr. Fred G. Hale, 258 Woodlawn
Ave.OHIO � Dayton, Mr. Josef McCoy, 24 Lexington Ave. WISCoNSIN � Madison, Mrs. Joel Stebbins, Observatory Hill.
REGISTERED ISOLATED BELIEVERSARIZONA � Buckeye, Mrs. Edith Wilkox, Mr. George E. Edgar. Wine, Box 448; Mrs. Alletta Florence, Richard N. Burrows,B. Martin.
Box B.Kelvin, Mr. and Mrs. Roberts,CALIFORNIA � Alma, Miss Julia Cochran Mail. Culver, Chemeketa Park.
Payson, Mrs. H. B. Davis. Arroyo Grande, Dr. B. Tombstone, Mrs. Jonathan C. Smith, c/o E. K. Rhyne, Gordon. Star Route.
Page 518Aptos, Miss Lillie Kendall, Box 105. Cannel, Mrs. John O'Shea, Box 166, R.R. 1.
Escondido, Mrs. Carl Steinhauser, R.R. 1, Box 54.Glen Ellen, Mrs. 0. M. Small, Box 57. Healdsbury, Mrs. W. M. and Miss Madeline Stout,
427 Matheson St.Hinkley, Dr. Doris Goodrick, Route I. Knightsen, Mr.
Arthur Somerhalder and Mr.Sarah M. Smoot, Box 195, Hermosa Beach; Mrs. Lyda Conover,
321 5th St.Minnelusa, Mr. and Mrs. C. N. Wells, Mm-nelusa P.O., Big Bear Lake.
Oakley, Mr. Max F. Schober,San Diego, Mrs. Catherine E. Hall, 4475 Thorn St. Santa Maria, Mrs. S. D. Montgomery, 612 S. Lincoln
St.Visalia, Mrs. Daisy G. Frye, 240 N.E. 4th Ave. Yuba City, Mrs. Cordie C. Cline, 778 Olive St.; Miss Ada L. Chandon,
778 Olive St.East; Mrs. Muriel Rucker, 1475 A Yonge St.; Mrs. Violet
Rumney, 13Winchester St.; Mrs. Laura R. Davis, 13 Winchester St.; Mr. Gerrard Sleeter, 27 Wheeler St., Room 23.
PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND �Charlottetown, Chas. N. Murray, 140 Water St. SAsKATCnEwAN � Carmichael, Mr. Edward D. Harris.
BRITISH COLUMBIA � Armstrong, Mrs. F. E. Collins; Mrs. G. E. Joyce.
COLORADO � Cripple Creek, Mr. and Mrs. Lewis W. Frink, Box 163; Mrs. Gladys Frink; Dr. John H. Austin, 309 B. Bennett.
CONNECTICUT � Danbury, DonaldFe, � FLORIDA � Fernandina, Mr. J. Stone, P.O. Box 423; Mr. Gordon Hall, 315 Calhoun St. Lakeland, Mr. and Mrs. Byron S. Lane, 708 N. Iowa.
Miami Beach, Mrs. Carolyn Marlin, 7520 Harding Ave. Ruskin, Mrs. Cora L. Jones, P.O. Box 27. O'Brien, Mrs. Elva H. Peebles, Rte. 1, Box 104.
GEORGIA � Atlanta, Dr. J. C. Oakshette, Nassau Hotel,
162 Luckie St.IDAHO � Coeur d'Alene, Mr. J. F. Belirens, 2111 Sherman Ave., R. 4.
Page 519BAHÁ'Í DIRE Kooskia, Mr. George W. Stewart, R. 1, Box 22.
Wallace, Mrs. Edwin J. P. Dwelly, P.O.Ave.; Mr. David H. Bokhof, 518 W. Galena Ave.; Mrs. H. S.
Branch, 430Magnolia, Mrs. Lucy B. Swindler, R.E.D. Matroon, Miss Bertha B. Newby,
1618 Charleston.Robinson, Miss Emma Borchardr, Care 0. T. Bierson, Woodworth
Block.Rockford, Dr. Edward L. Eernald, Room 607, Stewart
Building.INDIANA � Fowler, Mrs. Dana NQ'Als, 2nd St. IOWA � Burlington, Mrs. Edytha El. Bloom, 621 N.
3rd St.Centerville, Mr. Frank Bibby, 808 Haynes Ave. Correctionville, Mrs. Sophie L. Haynes, Box 83.
Davenport, Mr. and Mrs. S. W. Bolton, Box 56, P. S. C.; Mr. and Mrs.
Kenneth Smith, ColumbiaHopkinsville, Mrs. Nettie J. La Prade, 1930 Oak St. (May be registered with Nashville, Tennessee
Group.)Louisville, Mrs. Elizabeth J. Wheeler, 2014 Grinsted
Drive; Mrs. GertrudeLOUISIANA � Covington, Mrs. Marion M. Little, Box 61.
Norwood, Mr. and Mrs. N. S. Eden.Gardiner, Rev. Willis A. Moore, 43 Lincoln Ave.; Fred L. Kelly.
Portland, Mrs. Melissa J. Torns, 170 West-brookMARYLAND � Salisbury, Mr. and Mrs. L. Hammond, Care Mr. 0. S. Winfree.
MASSACHUSETTS � Harnpdon, Miss Mary Isharn, R.F.D.
No.Salem, Mr. and Mrs. J. F. Crowley, 18 Mt. Vernon; Mrs. Annie B. Walker, 18 Mt. Vernon.
MICHIGAN � Edmore, Earl H. Kaley, R.F.D. No. 3.Grand Rapids, Mrs. Gladys Keith, 449 James Street,
SI.S. Burdick; Mrs. Mary Dickerman, 2026 S. Burdick. Marysville, Mrs. Oscar Kitels. Olivet, Mrs. J. E. Kirkpatrick.
Van Dyke, Mrs. Esther Neall, Firebush, Box 274.Joplin, Miss Beulah Magruder, R.F.D. No. 1, Box 190.
St. Louis, Louis M. Hudson,520 THE Helena, Mr. and Mrs. Chas.
Q. Adams, 331� State St.; Mrs. Chas. M. Bryan, S07
6th St.NEBRASKA � Waterbury, Mrs. Henry Luefir, R. 1, Box 43.
NEW HAMPSHIRE � Ashuelot, Mr. and Mrs. Hiram 0.NEW JERSEY � Atlantic City, Mrs. Eva Alien Batey, 25 N. Ohio Ave. Morristown, Mrs. Win.
H. Hoar, 26 Maple Ave.;Trenton, Mr. J. Newell Ayres, 403 Em-meline Ave., R.F.D. No. 5.
Nrw Mrxico � Las Vegas, Mr. and Mrs. D. A. Bressett,
Montezuma Route.Lima, Mr. and Mrs. Vincent Tollis, Lake Ave. Malone, Kenneth Christian, 17 Jane St. Oriskany, Miss A. K. Phipps, Care 0. F. S.
Home.Patterson, Mr. Howard Kinney, R.P.D. Potsdam, Miss Gretchen Westervelt, 16
Garden St.Stratford, Mrs. Emily Gustin. Utica, Mrs. A. B Stewart, 1645 Kemble St. NORTH CAROLINA � Canton, Milton W. Zim.
Onia � Bethesda, Mrs. Con M. Jenkins, P.O. Box 240.
Bexley, Miss CharlotteBryan, Alice A. Motter, 603 S. Beech St. Bucyrus, Mr. and Mrs. C. H. Pettit,
412 River St.Rogue River, Mrs. C. A. Dunbar Maule, Jensen, Route 1.
PENNSYLVANIA � Erie, Mr. and Mrs. Hubert F. DalI,
2108 Chestnut.TENNESSEE � Memphis, Mrs. Tins. H. Watkins, 733 N.
Bellevue; Mrs. Mary AnnVERMONT � Burlington, Mrs. Olga K. Mills, 83 Sum-nut nut St. VIRGINIA � Cartersville, Mrs. A. D. Taite, R.D.
No.Darlington Heights, Mrs. A. T. Johns. Grottoes, Mrs. John Minor Echols, R. 1,
Box 49.WASHINGTON � Bellingliam, Mrs. Elizabeth Rudisilo, Route 3, Box 674.
Chelan, Mrs. Charlotte C. Gillen; Mrs. June Harris,
Box 333.Ferndale, Mr. and Mrs. F. C. Swope. Olympia, Mr. Arthur M. Jones,
2422 Columbia St.Jacfadb~d, 5. tAliyTh&d, 6. Ismiti1&b~d, 7. ShariftMd, 8. tAbdu'1 � 14h-&b~d, 9. Maqsfid~bid, 10.
Jal&liyyih, 11. Kam6.liyyih, 12. Qa1cih~Nay, 13.26. QaPih-Sat~datiyyih, 27. Kahk, 28. Garm-Darrili, 29. Rid4~b~d, 39. QaPili-Uasan-Kh~n 31 Jawqin, 32. Fashandak, 33. Shalirak, 34. Awr&z6.n, 35. Shafja-khinaj, 36.
Just4n, 37. KarkabAd, 38. Gatihdih 39 Shahr-i--Qum.
Front View of the Uaziratu'I-Quds of Tihdn, IrAn.Ua4rat~i~tAbdu~1~!Azim, Ii. DISTRICT: ABADIH 14. KMniyi-Md, is. KabirAbid, 16. 9iyA'Ab&d. 17. 1. ABADIH, 2. Jsfand~bAd, ~AdUb~d, 18. Muzaffariyyih,3. Iqlid, 4.
19. SAlfir, Idris4b~d, 5. Baliman, 20. ChiMr � T~qi, 21. VarAmin,6. Bav~n~t, 7.
22. Tajin ChinAr, 8. Khurrami, 9.25. Tajrish, Dirgi~ik, 11. St~ghAd, 12. CAliyAb6d4.
Page 522Sivinj-i-Bavinit, 21.Bazm-i-BaviMt, 22.Munj-i-Bav4n6t23. Maziyjan-i Bav6.nAt, 24. Suryin-i-Bav4nit, 25. S&-maq, 26. Chir-i-Bav&nit, 27. Sarvist6.n-III.
III. DISTRICT: KASHANNiishTh~d, 4. Yazdil, 5. Mashkin 6 Vidiq6.n, 7. Na-r~q, 8.
J~sb, 9. Jawshiqin, 10.11. M4zgAn, 12. Barzuk, 13. AbiyAnih, 14. Qazi~n, 15. RabA;-i-Turk, 16. Arm, 17. Giritgin-i-Jisb, 18.
Mirza.1. KIRMAN, 2. Rafsinj~n, 3. Bandar-tAbb4s, 4. Sirjin, 5. Barn, 6. Anir, 7. R&var 8 Khurram4b~d, 9. Zarand, 10. Chatriid, 11. B6gtayn, 12. RThur, 13. Hiitak, 14. Jib&1-i-B&riz, 15.
Jiruft, 16. Niiq, 17.Kha-braq~6., 22. Bandar � i-Langah, 23. Kt~han-bin, 24. Langar, 25. HasanThid, 26. EIurmuzdib~d, 27. Jiipir, 28. Tiiq, 29. P6.rin.
V. DISTRICT: QAZVfN AND1. QAZVIN, 2. QadimThid, 3. Amin~-bAd, 4. NusratAb~d, 5. MuhammadAbid, 6. Shabristin, 7. Gulkin, 8. tAli-Ricli-~ 9. Kulah-Darrih, 10. Ishtih&rd, 11. Siriis, 12. Riidb6x, 13. SarkMn, 14. Zanj ~n.
VI. DISTRICT: ADHIRBAYJANUski, 4. BAvay1-i-~U1y& 5. Bivayl-i-Sufl6, 6. ilkhichi, 7. Mamaq6.n, 8. Givgin, 9. Dihkh~rq&n, 10. Shishar~n, 11. ~Ajab-shetr, 12. Mihrib&d, 13. Hirawibid, 14. Ruvusht, 15. Munib, 16. Mar6~ghih, 17. cAlaviyAn, 18. Khurm~zad, 19. Aqjah-dizaj, 20. Malik-Kandi, 21. QijiIA, 22. Miy&ncfu4b, 23. Qurah-CMI, 24. Naw-riizlA, 25. &ivu~bu1Agh, 26.
RiQA'iyyih, 27. Qahram6n1~ 28 Sh4hpAr, 29. Khuiy, 30. Vishlaq, 31. Pirkandi, 32. fv4vuqli, 33. JulfA, 34. Marand, 35. Zun&z, 36. Kundulal, 37. Yag6.n, 38. KlAmnah, 39. Shabastar, 40. Says4n, 41. Ma~anaq, 42. Dizndb, 43. B6tikandi, 44. Miy6naj, 45. Sar&b, 46. Q~dijAn, 47. Ardabil, 48.
Hirawibid-i-Khalkhil, 49. KhiXj in, 50.A1-i-H&shim 51. Ahar, 52. lladd6A~n, 53. GirdMqin, 54. Kh6nb&ghi, 55.
Qivshiiq, 56. Qarah-Shir~n.IjusaynThid, 5. ~Izz4bid 6. ~A1iyibid 7. SharafThid, 8. Mihdiyib4d-i-Rustiq, 9.tAr'b'd10.MariyamTh6d,11.
Ktichihbayk, 12.KhurramshAh,13.QAsimAkd, 23. Maybud, 24. HasanThAd-i-Qutb4Md, 25. Ahmad4bid-i-Ardak~n, 26. Sadrib~d, 27. I1ih~b4d, 28. Nusrati-b&d, 29. MahmYtdThAd, 30. Abrandib6xl, 31. Kasnaviyyih, 32. N&imibicl, 33.
Rahmat&bkd, 34. Muhammadkbid-i-ChThak 35. Hasan~bid-i-iIiimah, 36.
Khayidak, 37. Fahraj, 38. Saryazd, 39.Hanz6, 43. ilidish 44 Banidak-i-S6xlit, 45. KhayrThid, 46. Mazra'ih-Sayd-Mirz~, 47. BiySMnAk, 48. An~rak, 49.
Shahr � i-Bibak, 50. Hir6r, 51. Hiribar-j&n, 52. Ahrist~n, 53, Mub6rakah, 54.
Earash4, 55. Shamsi, 56.Shtiruk 58. Chivurchiy-i-Shahr-i-B4-bak, , 59. QanAt-i-N6h-i-Shahr-i-BAbak, 60. Givar-i-Manshid 61.
Yakhdan-i-Buliik, 62.1. ISFAHAN, 2. Najafibid, 3. ArdistAn, 4. ZavArili, 5. Burdjin, 6. Qahfirukh, 7.
Dastjird-i-Imimzidih, 8. S~m4n, 9.DiMqin, 10. Jaz, 11. Dizaj, 12. Khfihin-16n, 13. Isgandazi, 14. AfPs, 15. Tir6n, 16. Mu~ammadiyyih, 17 Kishih 18 Rus-tam, 19. M~isiyib~d, 20. MihdiyTh4d, 21. Kati, 22. Dihaq, 23.
Kurd-i-Suflt24. D&chah 25 Khurziiq, 26. Laftuvin, 27. Shayddn, 28. Qaltih-Shih, 29. Shah-rak, 30. TAlkhuinchib 31. Damarni (?), 32. VarnAmkhAs 33 Sidih-Linj&n, 34. Mghbah4durin 35 C1i4dig~n, 36. Ad-j6.n, 37. Q&hanak-Faridan, 38. Chay-g6n, 39. Shahridi, 40. N6An, 41. Chain
Page 523Shahr-i-Kurd, 43. M&sinan, 46. TiMn-i-Gardan, 47.
M&ghdharAn, 48. Sant4n, 49.Kamiram, 50. Tushiz 51 Ear&dminih, 52. Jarquviyyih, 53. San~dgAn, 54.
Durnanih, 55. Adirj~n, 56. Sttrinj&n, 57.Qukt, 7. Z&khirz, 8. Zarq4n, 9. Kin6xih-Marvdasht 10.
tlm4cUtAd-i-Marvdasht,12 Fin2rq, 13. SharnsThid-i-Burzii, 14. Fatli&bAd, 15. Shamsdbdd-i-Takht, 16. Jahrum, 17. Biishihr 18.
D6xTh, 19. K6.zirtin, 20. Fass6. (?), 21.Baydi, 22. Qasr-i-Marvdasht, 23. Khayr6.-bid-i-BayQ~, bid-i-BayQ~, 24. IbrAhim~bid-i-Bayd~, 25. Qaltih-Naw--i-Bayd6,
26. QisimibAdAvarzamAn, 5. TPysargftn, 6. NaMyand, 7. Arnz~jird, 8. Baha, 9. Lilijin, 10.
~usayn~b~d, 11. Uqchuhi, 12. Chu-puqhi, 13. Qurvah-KurdistAn, 14. Sin � Qarnish, 15. Mirzakandi, 16. tchtappih, 17. Jamshid4bSd, 18. Uqbulaq, 19.
Latg~, 20. Qiziljahkand, 21. Qarahbuhq, 22. I(h&nb~ighi, 23. Kajab-Gunbad, 24.
Issibuhiq, 25. Sirish4b&d 26. Nadirshib, 27. Akiniti, 28. Pirt6j.
XI. DISTRICT: QA'JNATKha1ajAb~d, 4. GulpAygAn, 5. ShThTh~d, 6. Mashhad, 7. Ilusayn&bid, 8. Varq~, 9. Arnirili.
XIII. DISTRICT: GfLAN1. AHVAZ, 2. ShYtshtar, 3. Dizi 61, 4. Ab~d~n, 5. Khurramshahr, 6. Qusvih (?), 7. Manyiihi, 8. SAlihThAd, 9. Masjid-i-SuiaymAn, 10. Haftgil, ii. Ti~f-Chishnaih, 12. Bahbah4n, 13. R~mhur-rnuz, 14. Cham-Khalf-'fsi, IS. Saftiy-yih, 16. Bahá'u'lláh 1.7 Chamtang, 18. Chihil-Masni, 19. JabrAbAd, 20. Hindi-jin, 21. Kurribp~, 22. Chamtangii, 23. Chamshatkin.
XV. DISTRICT: KIRMANSHAH1. MASHLIAD, 2. Sharif4Md, 3. Sarakhs, 4. Kal6x, 5. Bul&n 6 Chah � chaIn, 7. Na~rAbid-i-JAm, 8.
Turbat-i-J6.m, 9. TayyiUt, 10. B&kharz 11. Husayn&bid, 12. Qdch6n, 13. B4jgirTh, 14.
Shirv&n, 15. MuhaminadTh&d-i-Dari-gaz, 16. LuvfiMd, 17. Bujn&d, 18. J6.jarrn, 19. Ruvin, 20. Isfar?in, 21. Qariyiy-i-Amand-Turkaman-~a~rA, 22. Shahr-i-Midvih, 23.
Nish4biir (Ridvan), 24.Ma~m6ri, 25. Farrukh 26. Dastgird, 27. Ishaq~bid, 28. R~ih4b~d, 29. Sarvahyat, 30. Matdan, 31. Sabzav&r, 32. Siadkhar, 33. IYLshk-B~gh, 34. Rab&; � i-Gaz, 35. Zarqin, 36. Safiy~b~id, 37. JacfarTh~d, 38. Juvin, 39. Kiihinish, 40. D~varzan, 41. Turbat-i-I~1aydariyyih, 42. Pitraw, 43. Zivib, 44. Marghz~r, 45. Daw1at4b~d, 46. GulbiX, 47. Rashtkhir, 48. Khurq, 49. Murtadaviyyih, 50. DiighAb~d (FurAgh), 511. Hasan~b~d, 52. Mihnah, 53. Khayr~b&d, 54. Miy~n-dli, 55. ShamsThid, 56. tAli, �7. Zahiri-bAd, 58. tAbdu'hbftd, 59. Az~hand, 60. Furshab, 61. NAy, 62. Yiinis, 63. HisAr, 64. Nirnaq, 65. Katahtalkh, 66. Qar~ � chah, 67. Kashmar, 68. Matin, 69. Khalil4bid, 70. ShafiCTh6A 71. Jiiymind, 72. Kikhk, 73. Shahr-Gun~Md, 74. Rawshan&vand, 75.
Firdaws, 76. B4ghis-tin, 77. Bus$q, 78. SihqaPih, 79. BurCin,
Page 5241. SANOSAR, 2. Shahmirz~d, 3. ThTh-rM, 4. Aftar, 5. Simn4n, 6. DimgNin.
XVIII. DISTRICT: SARi1. SARi, 2. Mahfurazak, 3. Ara;i, 4. Chilih-Zamin, 5. SMhi, 6. Kafshgar KuUh, 7. Amirih, 8. Rawshank6ih, 9. Ira1, 10. Ashraf-K~ihb~in.
XIX. DISTRICT: BANDAR-I-GAZ1. BANDAR-I-GAZ, 2. Bahá'u'lláh, 3. Gurg~n, 4. Gunbad-Qib6s, 5. Gum � ish-Tappih, 6.
Dasht-i-Gurg4n.1. BABUL, 2. cArabkhayl, 3. Baha'i, 4. ]~ay&kak, 5. Bandar-i-Mashhadsar, 6.
Bandar-i-Firayd6n-Kin&r, 7. Niir, 8.an Ilamidi & Co. Telegraphic address: s: RawbAni, care Dr. Bahá'u'lláh Agih, AlAdih.
Anviz: MihraMn PaymAniy6n, care ThstAni Co. Telegraphic address: Raw-hAni, i, care Biscini, Ahviz.
BABUL: Dr. Furtigh Ba~s4ri. Telegraphic address: Rawhini, care Dr. Bassari,
BThuI.h. Telegraphic address: Rawb~ni, care Muhammad-Kit IctimAd~Zidih,
Bandar-i-Jaz.Muixammad~cA1i Izadi. Telegraphic address: s: Rawh6ni, care Izadi, Bit-jand.
d. HAMADAN: MAsA Ibs~n i, SarAy-i-H&ji Baha. Telegraphic address: RawhAni, care Ihs6ni, Safar, Hamadin.
tIl{AQ: Salman Zargar-Z6xlih, care F.ic address: Rawb~ni, care Darakh-sMn, n, SarAy-i-Gulshan IrAq.
ISFAHAN: M4ammad-tAli Fay4i, care Paym~n Co. Telegraphic address: Raw-hAni, i, care Fay4i, Paym~n, 1sf ThAn.
KASHAN: eAbdu~r~Ridi Furtighi, care Fur~ghi & Co., Sariy-i-Chih6x-Gash.
Telegraphic address: RawMni, care Fun4hi, KishAn.193 5193 6 KiRMAN: Shahriy~r Ary~ni, Sady-i-Vakil.
Telegraphic address: Rawb~ni, care Ary~ni, Vakil, Kirmin.
KIRMANSHAH: Dr. Habib Mu'ayyad. Telegraphic graphic address: RawMni, care Mu'ay-yad, yad, KirmansbAh.
MASEn-IAD: RPhu'11Th Burh~ni, CustomsDept. Telegraphic address: Rawbini, care BurMni Customs, Mashhad.
QAZVIIN: MuI~iammad Taslimi. TelegraphicRASIX-IT: Ardishir Hiziri, Sariy � i-Mulga-sham.
sham. Telegraphic address: RawMni, care Ardisbir Mubtasharn Rash SANGSAR: cA1i~Akbar Ra1~miniyin, care
Mirza AII&h-Vardi PaymAni. TelegraphicSARI: Mubammad-Hasan ~Iagigi, care Ijasan-Ag& Hagigi, Maliyyih.
SHWAZ: Amir Agi His~mi, care PayminCo. Telegraphic address: Rawb~ni, care Mign~, Tabriz.
TinRAN: Ahmad Yaztni, Avenue Pahiavi, Firdaws Street 9. Telegraphic address: Rawini, care Alimad Yazdini, Tihrdn.
YAW: Isfandiy&r Majz&b. Telegraphic ad � dress: Raw1~ni, care Malziib PaymTh,
Yazd.BAJIA'i DIRECTORY, 19351936 525
AlvTh-i-Laylatu'1-Quds.N. ft � The B~b Himself states in one passage of the tr~nian Bay~n that His writings comprise no less than 500,000 verses.
Page 52726. References to the Bahá'í Faith in Books and Pamphlets by Non � Bahá'í Authors.
27. References to the Bahá'í Faith in Magazines by
Non-Bahá'í Writers.28. References to the Bahá'í Faith by Ba-M'is in Non-Bahá'í
Publications.1 in Braille (for the The books and pamphlets in this section have been pit bUshed under Bahá'í auspices or approved by a recognized Bahá'í body.
BAHÁ'Í PUBLICATIONS OF AMERICAPublished and Distributed by the Publishing Committee of the
National Spiritual AssemblyP. 0. Box 348, Grand Central Annex, New York, N. Y., with the exception of the older publications (marked by an asterisk %, which are now out of print.
(a) BOOKS ABOUT THE BAHA'Ithis great Oriental scholar, FAITH Bahá'í Proofs, The, philosopher and disciple by Mirza CAbu~1~Fad1 of Bahá'u'lláh translated of Gulp4yig~n. The best-knowninto English. It presents book of the truth of the Ba527 527
Page 528hiM Revelation from manifold points of view, and also contains a biographical outline of the lives of the Mb, IBahA'u'-11Th and tAbdu'1-BaBA.
288 pp. Crown 8vo., 412 x 612. Bound in blue cloth.
Bahá'í Revelation, The, by Thornton Chase. This book contains a most excellent compilation of the teachings of Bahá'u'lláh, gathered from various translations and arranged so as to be consecutive as to subjects. A clear account of the evolution of spiritual consciousness showing the oneness of purpose of all the great religions of the world, and culminating today in the fulfillment of all the religions of nial series of Bahá'í records continuing recent historical developments of the Cause throughout the world. Besides the many excellent illustrations, this volume contains a reproduction of a hand illuminated Tablet of
Bahá'u'lláh in CAbdlfaddition to a comprehensive report of Bahá'í activities during this two-year period, the fourth volume in this series of publications devotes gener � ous space to the presentation of the World Order of Bahá'u'lláh through the Exhibit of Bahá'í Literature in Public Library, Racine, Wis.
the past. 182 pp. Crown 8vo., 5'2 x 8. Bound in green cloth.
Baha'i: Spirit of the Age, The, by Horace 1-lolley.
Presenting the Bahá'íMovement and teachings as the synthesis of all modern movements. 212 pp. Crown Svo., 6 x 8.
Bound in blue cloth.1926-April 1928). A biennial record giving a comprehensive account of the activities of the Bahá'í Cause throughout the world. Contains many interesting illustrations showing the universal growth of this movement.
304 pp. 7 x 10. Bound in blue cloth.third volume in the bien presentday Administration of the Bahá'í Faith. The frontispiece is a facsimile of appreciation of the teachings written by the Dowager Queen Marie of Rumania. 548 pp., 7 x 10. Bound in blue cloth.
BaJod'i World, The (Aprilvolume presents the further spread of the Bahá'í Faith and establishment of the
World Order of Bahá'u'lláh.The frontispiece, a photograph of Bahá'í Kh6.num, and the loving tributes to her memory form a special feature of this volume.
712 pp., 7 x 10. Bound in brown cloth.I, a record of current activities with articles on various Bahá'í institu
Page 529BAHÁ'Í BIBLIOGRAPHY 5 dons, newly translated teachings, photographs, etc. Bound in green cloth.
174 pp., 7 x 10. For Volume II, see The Bahá'í World.
~Bahd'ism � the Modern SocialAn authoritative and comprehensive survey of Bahá'í history and the teachings as related to present religious, scientific and social conditions in Europe and America, with many quotations from the writings. New edition. 308 pp. Post 8vo., S x 7. Bound in green cloth. In paper.
Corning of the Glory, by Florence K Pinchon. An interesting narrative giving the spirit and the principles of the Bahá'í Movement. 144 pp., Post Svo., 412 x 6' 2. Bound in blue cloth.
Dawn-Breakers, The. Nabil's Narrative of the Early Days of the Bahá'í Revelation translated and edited by Shoghi Effendi. 736 pp., O~ x 934. '200 pp. of iflustra-dons.
Reproductions of twenty tablets written by the BTh. Standard edition bound in green leather. Limited edition bound in morocco.
Do'a: The Call to Prayer, by Ruth Ellis Moffett.A study of the mystical science of prayer and meditation, with a compilation of prayers chosen from a number of religions.
126 pp. Bound in paper.'~Life and Teachings of !Abbas Effendi, The, by Myron H. Phelps. Published by Putnam & Sons.
My Pilgrimage to the Land of Desire, by Marie A. Watson. The story of Mrs. Watson s visit to 1-laif a in 1921, with an interesting account of her healing by tAbdu'1-BaM.
24 pp., 6 x 9�. Paper cover.Mysticism and the Bahá'í Revelation, by Riihi Afn4n.
An essay which analyzes in the light of the teaching of Bahá'u'lláh the mystical tradition of the soul's union with God: demonstrating that the Prophet or Manifestation is the intermediary between God and man. 80 pp. ~New Day, The, by Charles
Mason Remey. Bahá'í PublishingMarvelous Message, The, by Nathan Ward Fitzgerald.
Tacoma, 1905.~Orienta1 Rose, The, by Mary Hanford Ford. A vivid presentation of historical aspects of the Bahá'í Movement.
214 pp. Post 8vo., YIz x 734. Bound in blue cloth.
~Peace of the World, The, by Charles Mason Remey.
Bahá'í Publishing Society, Chicago, 1919.Promise of All Ages, The, by Christophil. An important contribution to the literature expounding the significance of the Bahá'í Faith. The author traces the true spiritual content of religion through the Dispensations of the past, to culminate in the World Order revealed by Bahá'u'lláh. Originally published in London, England.
American edition, 254 pp. Bound in cloth.The addresses delivered by representatives of the several religions invited to participate in the conference on Some Living Religions within the British Empire held at the Imperial Institute, London,
England, from SeptemberBound in red cloth. 519 pp. Royal Svo., 6'2 x 9�~ Secret of Life, The, by
Mary Hanford Ford. SanA careful and scholarly diagnosis of the social problems of modern civilization, with an exposition of the spiritual education afforded by the Baha Faith and its culmination in a World Order by which alone universal peace can be secured. 202 pp. Bound in cloth.
Social Principle, The, by Horace Holley. Laurence J. Gomme, New York, 1915.
Traveller's Narrative, A, translated into English by Edward C. Browne, MA., M.B. 'Written to illustrate the Episode of the B~b. 448 pp. New edition from original plates in the possession of Cambridge University Press. Bound in blue cloth.
Page 530530 THE BAHA Truth of It, The, by Arthur
Pillsbury Dodge. Mutualof Bahá'u'lláh as the fulfilment of Christianity, with extensive quotations and bibliography. 226 pp. Royal Svo., 612 x 9. Bound in red cloth.
Universal Religion, The, by Hippolyte Dreyfus.An introductory work on the Bahá'í Cause by a rrench Orientalist, who has translated many of the writings of Bahá'u'lláh.
176 pp. Crown Svo., 5'2 x 8. Bound in black cloth.
Whence Conies the Light?The author gives a clear understanding in this brief outline of the approach to the Bahá'í Cause and the noble grandeur of its founders. The quotations from Bahá'í writings throw light upon every phase of life.
84 pp., 5 x 6. Bound in paper.(b) WRITINGS OF THE BiB (See Bahá'í Literature in
French.)by Horace Hol-Icy, Brentano's, New York, 1923. Bahá'í Publishing Committee, New York, 1929.
Book of Certitude, The(Kitáb-i-fqin), revealed by Bahá'u'lláh. Translated by Shoghi Effendi. Bahá'í Publishing Committee, 1931. This work reveals the oneness of all the Prophets and their significance as the expression of the Will of God. 55~ x g5~. Bound in blue cloth.
Epistle to the Son of the Wolf, translated by Julie Chanler. A work written by Bahá'u'lláh in His last years, addressed to the son of a prominent Persian who had been a savage enemy of the Cause.
This Tablet recapitulates many teachings Bahá'u'lláh had revealed in earlier works. 140 pp. Royal Svo.,
6'4 x 9�. Bound in blue cloth and white parchment.
Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá'u'lláh, translated by Shoghi Effendi. This work, consists of selections from Tablets. 354 pp. Bound in dark blue fabrikoid; also in dark blue cloth.
Hidden Words, translated by Shoghi Ef-Lendi. The essence of the teachings of all the Prophets. 54 pp., 16 mo., 14% 16�. Three editions: black leather, blue cloth, and paper cover.
Works of Bahá'u'lláh, ed. A. H. Tumansky, St. Petersburg, 1892.
Kitáb-i-Aqdas, ed. A. II. Turnansky, Md-moires de 1'Academie Imp6riale de St. Petersburg 1899 viii serie vol. III, No. 6.
~Seven Valleys. Translatedby tAliQuli KhAn. Bahá'í Publishing Society, Chicago.
~?Source of SpiritualQualities, The. Four page leaflet. Bahá'í Publishing Committee, 1924.
* Szi rat u'Z-Haykal.Translated from the Arabic by Antun Ijaddid. Bahá'í Publishing Society, Chicago, 1900.
Tablets of Bahá'u'lláhof the World, Ka1im~t, Tajaliiyit, BisMrat Ishr~q~t), social and spiritual principles of the new age. 138 pp., 6~4 10. Bound in blue cloth.
Tablets of Bahá'u'lláh(Tablet of the Branch, KitTh-i-tAhd, Lawli-Aqdas), the appointment of cAbdu~1BahA as the interpreter of the teachings of Bahá'u'lláh, the Testament of Bahá'u'lláh, and His message to the Christians. 168 pp. Post 8vo., 514 x P2. Bound in paper.
(d) WRITINGS OF CABDU~L~BAHA rAbdu5l.B U on Divine Philosophy (com-piled by Isabel F. Chamberlain).
Tudor Press, Boston, 1916.A record of public and pri � vate addresses delivered in 1911. 134 pp. Post Svo., S x 734. Paper binding.
CAbdu~lBahd in New York.York, 1922. A new edition containing selected addresses delivered at Columbia University and various churches and at public meetings by 'Abd'lBh' while in New York. Also Tablets written to the New York Spiritual Assembly by tAbdu'1-Bah4. Bound in sapphire blue paper 41 2 X 6~4.
Bahá'í Peace Program, The. A compilation containing a letter from Abdu'l-Bahá'í pertaining to a plan of peace and a letter to Dr. Forel entitled "God and His
UniBAHÁ'Í BIBLIOGRAPHY verse," a scientific statement of the laws governing the world and showing the necessity of absolute harmony in the relations of all mankind united under one spiritual law.
Bound in blue leather with gold stamping. Also bound in green paper with dark green stamping.
Babd'i Scriptures, Compiled~Definition of Love, by rAbdu~1~Bahd. Received at New York, December 7, 1902.
Divine Secret for HumanD. Storey. A charmingly bound boQk, compiled from the words of tAbdu'1-BaM showing the relation of the Twelve Basic Principles of the Bahá'í Cause to the foundation of the new world order of the future. 96 pp., 16 mo., 434 x 6. Bound in white parchment stamped in gold. Also bound in paper.
Foundations of World Unity, The. Selected addresses delivered by 'Abdu'l-Bahá at Universities, Churches,
Synagogues, Peace Societiesand similar public meetings during His journey through America in 1912. 112 pp. Royal Svo., 6 x 9. Paper covers.
~Letter from St. Jean~Letter and Tablet to the Central Organization for a Durable Peace:
The Hague. Bahá'í Publishing~Letters to the Friends in Persia. Bahá'í Publishing Society, Chicago, January 21, 1906.
Mysterious Forces of Civilization.A work addressed to the people of Persia nearly forty years ago to show the way to true progress.
132 pp. Royal Svo., 6~4 x 912, Bound in black cloth.
~Pravers and Tablets.Peace, edited by Howard MacNutt, Public addresses de � livered throughout the United States and Canada in 1912. This work contains tAbdu'1-Bahá'í spiritual message to the American peopie, whom he summoned to establish the 'tMost Great Peace" which is the consummation of the ideals of all religionists, scientists and humanitarians. 232 pp. Imperial 8vo., 6'2 X 934. Bound in black cloth in two vdumes.
Reality of Man, The. A compilation from the words of tAbdu'1-Bahi explaining the relations of mind, soul and spirit. Compiled by Horace Holley, Bound in dark red paper. Size 4� x 6~4.
* Reality of Religion� Tablet of rAbdu)1. Baha, The. Four-page leaflet.
Bahá'í Publishing Committee, 1924.Some Answered Questions, edited by Laura Clifford Barney, An expression of fundamental spiritual and philosophic prob-lerns.
350 pp. Royal Bvo., 02 x 9~4. Bound in black cloth.
:? Tab! et on Universal Peace, a letter written by cAbdu~1~BaM in 1919 to the Central Organization for a Durable Peace.
Tablet to the Beloved of God in America. Translated by 'Ali-Quli-KLin. Cambridge, Mass., January 3, 1906.
~?Tablet to the Beloved of God of the Occident,Tablets by CAbdu)i~BaJod ~Ab lids to the House of Justice of Chicago, to the Ladies' Asseinbly of Teaching, and others.
Tablets of CAbdu~lBahdcompiled by Albert R. Windust, Intimate letters written in reply to questions addressed by individuals and groups. Three voiurnes. Volume one and three (new edition) bound in blue cloth, Volume two bound in black cloth.
?Tablets to the East andTranslated by M. A. E. Washington, D. C., August 29, 1906.
'Tablets Containing GeneralBelievers in the Year 1900. 'The Board of Council, New York, 1901.
Page 532Tablets frons eAbduV~Bahd cAbbds to E. F. Wrestling Brewster. Baha Publishing Society, 1902.
The Garden of the Heart.Writings and from the Bible, selected by Frances Esty. Bound in colored linen.
Unveiling of the Divine Plan. Translated by AI?mad Suhr4b. Tudor Press, Boston, 1919.
Utterances to Two Youngin Persia. Translated by tAVQu1' Khan. Bahá'í Board of Council, New York, 1901.
Will and Testament of eAbdui~Bahd, The. National Spiritual Assembly, 1925.
Wisdom of tAbdu'l-Bahá.Previously published under the title of Paris Talks, a brief but comprehensive presentation of His Message.
172 pp. Post Svo., 5 x 7'2 paper covers. Bound in green cloth.
'~Wisdom Talks of rAbd1t~IBah6.to present the original sources of instruction on the duties and responsibilities of be-lierers, in their relations to the local, national and international bodies of the Cause. Part One, Excerpts from the Will and Testament of Abdu'l-Bahá; Part
Two, Letters from Shoghiand the body of American believers from January 21, 1922 to October 18,
1927; Part Three, DeclarationThe letters written by Shoghi Effendi to the American Bahá'í community, from January, 1922, to July, 1932, in his capacity of Guardian of the Báb6'i Cause, to encourage, guide and instruct the believers in carrying ing out the provisions of the Will and Testament of 'Abdu'l-Bahá concerning the organic development of the Bahá'í community.
This volume constitutes the authoritative interpretation of that Will and of Bahá'u'lláh's teachings on the subject of the principles determining the character of the Faith as an evolving religious society. These letters, which define the institutions of local, national and international Bahá'í i administrative bodies forming the nucleus of the new world order of Bahá'u'lláh, include communications explaining the new world order and clarifying the problen2s of the postwar years.
The volume also contains excerpts from CAbdu~1~BahA~s Will, and an Appendix consisting of the Declaration of Trust and ByLaws of the National Spiritual Assembly, and ByLaws for local Spiritual Assemblies.
286 pp. Bound in cloth.~:~Lette~,.s front Shoghi E#endi, selections from letters written by the grandson of Abdu'l-Bahá, appointed Guardian of the Cause by Him, regarding details of administering the affairs of the Movement. (The complete letters are included in Bahá'í Administration.)
Baha Publishing Committee.World Order of Bahá'u'lláh, The. A supplement to the volume Bahá'í Adinmis-tration.
Bahá'í Publishing Committee. NewOrder. In this communication (dated November 28, 1931) the Guardian analyzes the existing international political, economic and social problems, points to the signs of impending chaos, and emphasizes the guiding principles of world order established by Bahá'u'lláh. The goal of world federation is upheld, and tAbdu'1 � Bahá'ís prophecy of the failure of the present civilization is called to the attention of Baha'is. (Reprinted from Bahá'í Administration.) 32 pp. Paper covers.
Page 533March 21, 1932) referring to the spiritual importance of America in the new world order, the progressive character of divine Revelation, the station of the B&b, the release of spiritual forces for human regenera-don, and the nonpolitical character of the Bahá'í Faith. (Reprinted from
Ba-Iod'i Administration.)hi'u'11&h, the Bib, cAbdu~1~Bahi and the nature of the
World Order which Bahá'u'lláhestablished. In this statement, prepared by the one authorized in tAbdu'I-Bahá'í Will and Testament to be the sole interpreter of Bahá'í writings, students of the Cause possess the first complete and authentic outline and summary of the Bahá'í Faith in its development from the Announcement of the Mb in 1844 to the
Administrative Orderdefined by Youth Conference, Louhelen Ranch, 1935.
America and the Most Great Peace. A letter addressed to American Baha'is, dated April 21, 1933 (not included in the present edition of Bahá'í Administration.) This communication summarizes the forty yeais of American Bahá'í History (18931933), and develops in greater detail than in the preceding letter, the responsibility laid upon America in the divine plan for the establishment of universal peace. 28 pp. Paper covers.
The Dispensation of Bahá'u'lláh.A letter addressed to the Bahá'ís of the West, dated February 7, 1934 (not included in the present edition of Babd'i Administration.)
In this letter the Guardian of the Bahá'í Faith clarifies, with numerous quotations from Bahá'í sacred writings, the spiritual station and mission of Bahá'u'lláh cAbdu~1~BahA for the era following His departure from this world in 1921.
66 pp. Bound in cloth and also bound in blue paper.
The World Religion. Abrief outline of the aims, teachings and history of the Bahá'í Faith.
(f) PRAYERS Baha Prayers. The BTh, Bahá'u'lláh and 'Abdu'l-Bahá.
A large collection of prayers, newly compiled, to meet the needs of the spiritual life of today. 210 pp. 16 mo., 3% x 6. Bound in blue cloth and also bound in blue paper.
Baha Prayers by Bahá'u'lláhand CAbdu~l~ Baha. 16 pp., 3 '� x S. Gray paper cover.
'Trayers, Tablets, Instructions, etc., gathered by American visitors in tAkk~, 1900.
Page 534534 Prayers Revealed by Bahá'u'lláh.
Containing also prayers revealed by Abdu'l-Bahá. 108 pp., 3 x S ~/2. Black paper cover.
Bahá'í Prayers. Prayersrevealed by Bahá'u'lláh and Abdu'l-Bahá. 34 pp. Paper covers.
(g) BAHÁ'Í LITERATURE IN PAMPHLETin America, inn-mate and beautiful glimpses of the Master, from the diary of Juliet Thompson. 40 pp. Printed by The Roycrofters.
Paper cover.Booklets. 5 Nos. Translated by A1~mad SuhrTh. Seattle, 1921.
~Addresses delivered before the New York and Chicago AssenThijes, by ~Abdu'1-Karim Effendi. Translated by
A1~imad Suhnib. Persian-AmericanBahá'í C'alendar for 1932. Consisting of twelve sheets of colored cardboard stock, one for each month, with Bahá'í dates, feasts, anniversaries and quotations in addition to the monthly calendar. Compiled and arranged by Doris Holley.
9 12.Bahá'í Census. U. S. Government pamphlet showing the registration of the Bahá'ís as an organized religious body.
Bahá'í Faith, The, by a Methodist Layman, questions and answers suggested by personal experience.
Bahá'í Faith, The, by Horace Holley. An explanation of the nature of the worldwide Bahá'í community.
The Bahá'í Hou~se of Worship.A brief description of the Bahá'í Temple at Wil-mette, Illinois, quoting words of Abdu'l-Bahá on the spiritual significance of Bahá'í Houses of Worship, with an outline of Bahá'í history and Abdu'l-Bahá'í summary of Bahá'í teachings.
Illustrated. 8 pp. 'Bahá'í Hymnal, words and music by Louise R. Waite. Paper.
Bahá'í Indexes, by CharlesBahá'í Marnescripts, by Charles Mason Re-mey, Newport, R. I., 1923.
* Bahá'í Mart yrdoins in Persia in the Year 1903 A. D., by IIaji Mirza I{aydar-~A1i. Translated by YiThis KMn. Bahá'í Publishing Society, Chicago, 1907.
Bahá'í Movemeist, The.Articles originally published in Vedic Magazine of
Lahore.Its Spirih~al Dynamic, by Albert Vail, reprint of a magazine article.
Bahá'í Movement, The.A pamphlet outlining the history and aims of the Cause, with a statement on Bahá'í Administration and many quotations from the Writings.
'Bahá'í Movement in ItsShTh Pahiavi, July, 1926, by the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of the
United States and Canada.Bahá'í Religion, The, a reprint of the two Bahá'í papers presented at the
Conference on Some LivingReligions within the British 'Empire. Paper, 24 pp. Bahá'í Revelation, The, by Thornton Chase. Bahá'í Publishing Society, Chicago,
1909. Babd'i Revelationand Reconstruction., The, by Charles Mason Rerney.
Bahá'í Publishing Society, Chicago, 1919.Message, by 3. E. Essle-mont, briefly outlining the spiritual message of the New Day.
Before Abraham Was I Am, by Thornton Chase, an explanation of the Station of the Prophet.
'~Bird's Eye View of the World in. the Year 2000, a reprint of article by Orrol Harper in The
Bahá'í Magazine.to ~AJzkd, A, by Mary L. Lucas. Bahá'í Publishing Society, Chicago, 1905.
Page 535BAHÁ'Í BIBLIO '~Brilliant Proof, The, by Mirza ~Abu'1 Fa~L1 of Gulpiyig~n, a refutation of an attack on the Cause by a Protestant missionary.
Contains both EnglishCall of God, The, by George Latirner, the significance of the return of the
Messenger.~Chapter on Strikes, a supplement to ~Sorne Answered
Questions."~Compilation, No. 9, available in: English, Esperanto, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Chinese, Hungarian,
Yiddish.of the Bahá'í Movement, by Charles Mason Rerney. Bahá'í Publishing Society, Chicago, 1917.
'~DaiIy Lessons ReceivedPrinciples of the Bahá'í Faith. The new edi.-tion of the little blue "No. 9" Compila.-tion.
~Dawn of Knowledge and the Most Great Peace, by Paul Kingston Dealy.
The Ba-h~t'i Cause and ancient prophecy.Declaration of Trust, and ByLaws of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Ba-hd'is of the United States and Canada, with amendments adopted to April 1, 1933. The legal instrument defining the nature and functions of the institutions existing in the American Bahá'í community, with the ByLaws approved for use by Local
Spiritual Assemblies.*Divine Revelation, the Basis of Civilization, by An~un HaddAd. Board of Council, New York, 1902.
~Early Pilgrimage, An, 1898, by May Maxwell.~Episodes in My Life, by Munirih KLinum. Translated by A1~irnad Suhr~b. Persian-American Publishing Co., Los Angeles, 1924.
First Obligation, The, by Lady Blomficid. ~Flowers Culled from the Rose Garden of tAkkd by Three Pilgrims in 1908.
~From the World's Greatest(compiled by Mrs. J. W. Gift), an outline for the study of such Bahá'í topics as the need of a Manifestation, the signs of His appearance, His influence upon civilization, the proofs of His cause, etc. Paper covers.
'~Green Acre, a reprint of article published in the Bahá'í Magazine.
~Heavenly Feast, A, by~Heavenly Vista, A, by Louis G. Gregory. Homoculture, by Stanwood Cobb.
Index for Bahá'í News.F. Kappers and Dr. Sarah Clock), by Dr. Susan I. Moody, Union Press,
Camp Karachi.Chase. An interesting account of a Visit to Haifa in 1907.
~Knoi~ving God Through~Lecfures by Jindb-i-Fddil, a series of lectures by a Persian scholar appointed by ~Abdu'1 � BaM to teach the principles of the Bahá'í Cause in Arneric~. Vols. 2, 3, 4, and 5 only.
Lessons in Religion, byQ~'ini, prepared especially for children. Translated by Edith Ru~iyyih Sanderson.
~:-Letter from Honob4u, by Charles M~tson Remey.~:.Letter written on behalf of the TFriends~~ of 1sf dhdn, Persia, to the American Believers, by Mirza ~Abdu'1-I{usayn.
~Light of the World, by a Group of Pilgrims.~Marfinists' Report, by M. Gabriel Sasi. An address concerning the Bahá'í Religion delivered at the Paris Exposition of 1900.
~Martyrdoms in Persia in 1903, by II~ji Mirza 1~Iaydar-~AIi, relating the circumstances in which seventy Persian Bahá'ís were martyred.
~Map Showing Travels of the Báb aizd Bahá'u'lláh.~Maxims of Bahd'isin, by An~un 1~{add~d. Board of Council, New York.
Page 536~Message of the kingdom of God, The, by James F. Brittingham. 1907.
~Message from Akka, AntunMost Great Peace, The, by Marion Holley. ~Notes Taken at cAk/zd, by Corinne
True.Bahá'í Publishing Society, Chicago, 1907. Observaflons of a Bahá'í Traveler, by Charles Mason Remey.
Washington, D. C., 1914.Oneness of Mankind, The, selections from words of Bahá'u'lláh and Abdu'l-Bahá on interracial amity, compiled by Louis G. Gregory and Mariam Haney. 64 pp., paper covers.
Outlines of Study of Christ, compiled by the Outline Bureau of the National
Ba-h~'i Teaching Committee.Bahá'í Study Course, an aid for individual students of the teachings and for Bahá'í Communities who desire to follow a defi � nite course of study. (Reference books needed with this course: Bahá'u'lláh and the New Era, W/isdom of Abdu'l-Bahá'í and Foundations of World Unity.) Mimeographed.
Study Outline for Kiidb-i-iqdnfor Children, a series of 36 lessons in four sections.
Mimeographed.Twenty Lessons in the Bahá'í Revelation, a supplement to the Bahá'í Study Course. Mimeographed.
Material and Divine Civilization, compiled by the Outline Bureau of the National Teaching Committee, 1930. Mimeographed.
Bahá'í TeaclLiings ConcerningChrist, corn � piled by the Outline Bureau of the National Teaching Committee, 19281929. Mimeographed.
~:.O~ttIii~es for Studyof Scriptures, compiled by the Outline Bureau of the National Bahá'í classes and meetings, compiled by Louis G. Gregory. Mimeographed.
'~Passing of eAbdw~1~Babd,Principles of the Bahá'í Faith. Small compilation.
*Ouestions and Topicsfor Discussion in Bahá'í classes and meetings, compiled by Louis G. Gregory.
Mimeographed. Races of Men � Many or One, The, compiled by Louis G. Gregory. 40 pp., paper covers.
'PRays from the Sun of Truth, Ida Finch.* Revelation of Bahá'u'lláh, The, Isabella D. Brittingham.
Bahá'í Publishing Society, Chicago, 1902.Spirit of World Unity, The, selections from words of Abdu'l-Bahá in America on re � ligious, racial and scientific subjects.
24 pp. Paper covers.of the Bahá'ís of the United States and Canada, selections from words of Abdu'l-Bahá. The
National Spiritual AssemNy.Study of Outlines of Science, compiled by the Outline Bureau of the National Bahá'í Teaching Committee. Mimeographed.
Table Talks. RegardingTable Talks at !Akka, by 'Abdu'l-Bahá Abbas, by Arthur S. Agnew. Bahá'í Publishing Society, Chicago, 1907. Table Talks with Abdu'l-Bahá, by Mr. and Mrs. George
Winterburn. Bahá'í PublishingSociety, Chicago, 1908. Tablet on Universal Peace, a letter written by Abdu'l-Bahá in 1919 to the Central Organization for a Durable Peace.
~Tablets to Japan, a collection of letters written by
Abdu'l-Bahá. to Japaneseand to Americans serving the Cause in Japan. Foreword by Agnes Alexander. Through Warring Couniries to the Moun � lain of God, by Charles Mason Remey. Private printing.
~True Gardener, The (from notes by LH. C.B.). Rangoon Standard Press, 1930.
~:.Tei~ Days in the Light of eAkkd, by Julia M.~TweIve articles introductory to the study of the Bahá'í teachings, by Charles
Mason Remey.Persian-American Bulletin, Washington, D. C., 1912.
* Visit to CAbbds Effendiin 1899, by Margaret B. Peake. Grier Press, Chicago, 1911.
~What Is a Bahá'í by Dr. J. E. Esslernont. American edition published by Louis Bourgeois, Chicago, 1921.
What Is the Bahá'í Movement?A brief explanation by the late Dr. J. F. Essiemont, author of 'tlBahá'u'lláh and the New Era." Available in many languages.
What Went Ye Out For to See? by Thornton Chase, a letter written in reply to an inquiry from a Christian.
~Whence? Why? Whither?::.world Economy of Bahá'u'lláh, The, by Horace HolLy.
Bahá'í Publishing Committee, 1931. The Bahá'í explanation of current world depression and unrest, with a summary of the principles revealed by Bahá'u'lláh to make possible international order, peace and social justice.
32 pp. Paper covers.excerpts from the writings of Bahá'u'lláh and CAbdu~1~BaM. Privately printed in Honolulu, New York and other cities.
'Bahá'í House of W/orship.'Bahá'í Hymns and Poems, by Louise R. Waite. Bahá'í Publishing Society, Chicago, 1904, New York, 1927.
::-Baha Message. Compiledof press comments and Temple symbolism. Published by Louis Bourgeois, Chicago, 1921.
~Compilation. ConcerningCorn pilation of Utterances from the Pen of CAbdu~l~Babd
Regarding His Station. 19Foundations of World Unity, Compiled by Horace Holley, New York, 1927.
Garden of the Heart, The.From the utterances of Bahá'u'lláh and cAbd~1BahA Tudor Press, Boston, 1916.
Oneness of Mankind, The.A compilation of the utterances of Bahá'u'lláh and 'Abdu'l-Bahá by Mariam Haney and Louis Gregory, to assist the progress of interracial amity, 1927.
~?Prayers Revealed by~Prospectus of a Series of Five Lectures upon the Ba/9d'i Movement, by Charles Mason Remey.
~RaciaI Amity. CompiledUniversal Principles of the Bahá'í Movement � Social , Economic, Governmental. Persian-American Bulletin, 1912.
'~Views of Haifa, rAkkd, Mt. Carmel and Other Places.
Bahá'í Publishing Society, Chicago.invaluable aid for individual students of the Teachings, and for Baha Communities and Groups who desire to follow a definite course of study. The Course may be obtained with or without the three books needed for reference.
Study Course with Bahá'u'lláhand the New Era, Wisdom of CAb-dn?l-Bahd and Foundations of World Unity.
TwentyLessons in the Bahá'í Kevela-A valuable suppLement to the Study Course and for the individual research of advanced Bahá'í students.
Study Outline for Kitáb-i-Iq4n.An aid for classes and individuals in making a careful study of this historical work.
Material and Divine Civilization.Compiled by the Outline Bureau of the National Teaching Committee, 1930.
Bahá'í Teachings on Economics.A compilation prepared by the National Teaching Committee. 16 pp.
Bahá'í Teachings ConcerningChrist. Compiled by the Outline Bureau of the National Teaching Committee, 19281929.
Bahá'í Lesson Outlinesfor Children. A series of thirty-six lessons in four sections, for teachers holding Bahá'í study and discussion classes for children. The course has been planned for weekly classes over a period of nine months. Complete series (four sections) 2.
BAHÁ'Í PUBLICATIONS OF ENGLANDVisit jfl London, with description of His life and activities.
Bahá'í Faith, The, by G. Paigrave Simpson.Baha'i: Spirit of the Age, The, by Horace Holley.
(See list one.) Published by Kegan, Paul.(See list one.) Published by George Allen & Unwin,
Ltd.Corning of ~rThe Glory," The, by Florence E. Pinchon.
Published by Simpkin, Marshall, Hamilton, Kent & Co., Ltd., Lon � don.
Drama of the Kingdom, The, by Mrs. Basil Hall, London, 1933.
God's Heroes, by LauraflJe and Teachings of Abbas Effendi, The, by Myron H. Phelps. Published by Putnam & Sons.
MedUations of a Bahá'íMysterious Forces of Civilization, The. (See list one.)
Paris Talks. (See list one, "The Wisdom of Abdu'l-Bahá.")
Published by G. BellPromise of All Ages, The, by "Christophil." Published by Simpkin, Marshal, Ltd., 1934.
Universal Religion, The, by Hippolyte Dreyfus, an introductory work on the Bahá'í Cause by a Frepch orientalist who has translated many of the writings of
Page 539Universal Religion, The, by E. T. Hall. National Spiritual Assembly of the Ba-h~i'is of the British Isles, 1927.
Unity Triumphant, by Elizabethof Bahá'u'lláh as the ful-lilrnent of Christianity, with extensive quotations and bibliography. Published by Kegan, Paul.
Reconciliation of Racesand Religions, The, by Thomas Kelly Clcieyne, Dr. Lit., D. D. Religions of the Empire, edited by W. Lof � tus Hare.
Published by Duckworth (London).Addresses delivered by representatives of the several religions invited to participate in the Conference on Some Living Religions Within the British Empire, held at the Imperial Institute, London, England, from September 22 to
Oc �tober 3, 1924. Includes two papers read on the Bahá'í Cause. 519 pp. Cloth cover.
Some Answered Questions.Traveller's Narrative, A. The Episode of the Mb translated by Prof.
B. G. Browne, MA., F13.A., M.R.A.S. Cambridge University
Press.What Is a Bahá'í by J. E. Esslemont, a reprint of chapter thi~ee of his larger work. Published by Burnside, Ltd.
W/ise Man from The East, A, by Felicia R. Scatchard.
The Unity Press. London, 1912.Year with the Bahá'ís in India and Burma, A, by Sidney Sprague. The Priory Press, London, 1908.
3Gen~ve, 1932. Du R~gne de Dieu ci de i'Agneau, par Gabriel Sacy. 12 Juin, 1902 (brochure).
Essai sur le Bah~i'isine, son Histoire, sa Por-t6e sociale, par Hippolyte Dreyfus. 2~me ~dition.
Librairie Ernest Leroux, Paris, 1934.Le B~~ydn Persan, traduit par A. L. M. Nico-las.
Librairie Geuthner, Paris.4 vol-Le But d'iin Nouvel Ordre Mondial, lettre de Shoghi Effendi. Traduction de L6on Karakeya. Librairie Ernest Leroux, Paris, 1936 (brochure).
L'~conornie Mondiale deLe Machreqou'l-Azkar, d'Ichqabad, par A. L. M. Nicolas. Paris, 1902.
Le Machreqou'l-Azlzar, d'Achqabad, par Hippolyte~Les Pre~ceptes du BaJod~sme, traduit par H. Dreyfus Ct H. Chirazi. 1906.
Le vrai Baha'i. Le cinqui~1neand The New Era. Traduc � tion par Edward Roscoe Mathews (bro-chure).
D'Oeuvre de Bahá'u'lláh, traduction fran-~aise par Hippolyte Dreyfus:
Tome I:Tabiette de Bahá'u'lláh, ~crite ~ Andrinople pour un des Croyants de Qazoin (bro-chure).
Trois Lettres 4 des Persans, par Abdu'l-Bahá, Juin-Juillet, 1907 (brochure).
Vers l'Apog~'e de la Race Humaine, lettre de Shoghi Effendi traduite de 1'anglais. Librairie Ernest Leroux, Paris, 193 6 (brochure).
Page 540Bahá'u'lláh e (a Nuova Era. Translation of Bahá'í Principles as given by CAbdu~1.
J. E. Esslemont's book. BaM at various times, taken from Paris ~~Che Costs e ii Movimento Baha'i" (Leaf-Talks ks and other sources. 1925. Florence.
let.) Parole Vel ate (Hidden Words). Florence, Dixcorsi di rAbdu~l � Baha (Paris Talks). 1926.
I Principii Baha'i. Booklet translation of the Some Answered Questions (in preparation).
BAHÁ'Í LITERATURE IN DUTCHAle gmeene Beginselen Jar Bahá'í Beweging. De Verborgen V7oorden (Hidden Words), Amsterdam, 1914. Rocterdam, 1935.
Bahá'u'lláh and the New Era." Rotter-Pamphlets and Leaflets in Dutch TaM pub-dam, m, 1933. lished in Pretoria, S. A.
BAHÁ'Í LITERATURE IN DANISHMessage), by J. E. Esslemont. Translated into Danish by Johanne S6r � ensen. Copenhagen.
December, 1926.Hvad er Bahá'í Beta gelsen (What is the Bahá'í Movement?), by J. E. Esslemont. Translated into Danish by Johanne S6ren-sen. Copenhagen.
April, 1926.Fjali flY Eshehura (Hidden Words), New Detyrat e Doinosdoshe Besnilzvet Baha'i, York. 1932. Libri i Bes~s, Tiran~, 1932.
Bahá'u'lláh and the New Era, Tiran~, 1933.BANAl BIBLIOGRAPHY 541
10.Bahá'u'lláh: Ka~itaj vortoj, ella perso lingvo tradukis Lutfu'11~h S. Hakim, John E. Esslemont, London, Brita Esperantista Asoejo, jaro ne indikata, 8~, 39 pp. Ka&itaj vortoj, ella angla lingvo tradukis Yasily J. Erosenko, Japanujo, loko kaj jaro ne indikataj, 8~, 23 pp.
Abdu'l-Bahá: Baha) (Bahaaj!)instruoj, loko kaj jaro ne indikataj, 8~, 16 pp. Kompitajo, vortoj de Bahá'u'lláh kaj CAb-du'1-Bah~, Wandsbek, Germany, Baha Esperanto-Eldonejo, jaro ne indikata, 8~, 16 pp. Esslemont, Dr. J. E.: Bahá'u'lláh kaj Ia nova epoko, el la angla originalo tradukita de Lidja Zamenhof, Weinheim (Germany), Bahá'í Esperanto-Eldonejo, 1930, 80, 191 pp. 1{eligio ka) Scienco la~2 La luino de la Ba-baja (bahaa!) rivelajo, London, Brita Es-perantista Asoejo,
1919, ~ 28 ~ Bahá'u'lláhka) Lia Misio, Hamburg, Esperanto Komitato de la Baha Movado.
1926, 80, 22 pp. Grossmann, Dr. Hermann: La esenco de l'Bahaisino, Wandsbek, Baha Esperanto-Eldonejo, 1929, 80, 8 pp. Historio, instruoj kaj valoro de la Baha'i-inovado. Hamburg, Esperanto Komitato de la Bahaa-movado, 1925, 80, 8 pp. Kliemke, Dr. Ernst: Bahaisino ka) poUtiko, La stata idealo ia~ la instruoj de Bahá'u'lláh, Wandsbek, Germany, Baha Esper-anto-Eldonejo, 1929, 80, 8 pp.
Miihlschlegel, Adelbert:Parolado en Ia dua Babaa kunveno duin la XVIIIa Univer-sala Kongreso de Esperanto en Genevo, Stuttgart, 1925, ~ 4 p~ Root, Martha: Bahaaj sciencaj pruvoj de vivo post mono.
Praha, 1927, 80, 7 pp Bahaaj pruvo) de vivo post inorto, Wands-bek, Germany, Baha Esperanto-Eldonejo, 1928, 8~, 8 pp. S.S.: La His torio de 1'Bah~j'a
(Baha!) Mo-vado, UniversalaFido, esperantigita de William W. Mann, London, the Priory Press, 1907, 8~, 24 pp. Lidja Zamenhof: Hoino, Dio, Prof eta, Wein-heim, Baha Esperanto-Eldonejo, 1931, 80, 8 pp. Kio estas Ia Baha movado?
Genf, 1925, 80, 8 pp. Kio estas la Baha inovado?Wandsbek, jaro ne indikata, ~ 4 pp. La Nova Tago. La internacia bahaa esper-anto~gazeto.
Weinheim (Germany), Ba-haaFor information on German and Esperanto Bahá'í literature and magazines please address Dr. Herrnann Grossmann, Weinheim (Bergstrasse), Friedrich � Voglerstrasse, 4, Germany.
11Bahá'u'lláh and the New Kitáb-i-Iqdn. Riga, Pus Era. Printed in Latyja, jela 14, 1933.
1930. Tablet from rAbdu~I~Bahd.
Lessons in Religion, by I3~ki�i, 1909.Shaykh Mu1~iammad-Talk Talk about Bahá'í Faith.
B~k~~.Bahá'u'lláh, by Isabel Talk of eAbdu~1~Bahd in Grinevskaya. Leningrad, New York. Ishqabad, 1922.
1912. Tablet to the Hague, Bab'iyyat, by M. Blanovsky. London, 1922.
Moscow, 1914. Hidden WordsNo. 9. (Compilation.)Bahá'u'lláh: Tablett von Ishrdqdt, Tablett von Tardzdt, Work des Paradieses, Tab-leti von Tajalliycit,
Frohe Botscbaf ten. Ausdem Englischen von A. Braun und E. Ruoff. Stuttgart,
Selbstverlag der BahA'i-Vereinigung.1912, 8~, 73 p. Bahá'u'lláh: Fro Joe Botschajten, Worte des Paradieses,
Tablett Tardzat, Tablettin Baghdad. Aus dem Englischen von W. Herrigel. Stuttgart, Selbstverlag der Bahá'í � Vereinigung, 1911, ~O, s p.
Bahá'u'lláh: Das Tabletz~ vont Zweig. Aus den Englischen von Er. Schweizer.
He-rausgegeben von denAr Liebe und des Friedens fur unsere Zeit (Ansprachen in Paris). Aus dem Englischen von W. A Bahá'í Youth Group of Germany with their Teachers.
Khan, deutsch Von W. Herrigel.Stuttgart, Verlag des Deutschen Bahi'i-Bundes, 1921, S0, 123 p. Bahá'u'lláh: Verbor gene Worte, Work der Weis/ocit und Gebete. Aus dem Engli-schen von A. Braun und E. Ruoff.
Stuttgart, Verlag der BahA'i-Vereinigung, 1916, go, 104 p. Bahá'u'lláh: Verbor gene
Worte, Worte der Weisheitund Gebete. Nach cler engli-schen Uebersetzung von Shoghi Effendi, deutsch von Alice Schwarz und W. Herrigel. Stuttgart, Verlag des Deutschen BahA'i-Bundes, 1924, ~Q, 109 p. Bahá'u'lláh: flas heilige Tablett, geoffenbart Herrigel. Stuttgart, Selbstverlag der BahA'i-Vereinigung.
1914, 8~, 172 p. CAbdu~1~Bah~: Ansprachen, gehalten liii Herbst 1911 im Paris. Aus dem Engli-schen von NV. Herrigel. Stuttgart, Verlag des Deutschen Bah~'i-Bundes, 1921, 8~, 196 p.
Abdu'l-Bahá: BeantworteteEra gen. Nach der englischen Ausgabe von L. Clifford Barney, deutsch von W. Herrigel.
Stuttgart, Verlag desG.m.b.H. 1929, 80, VIII und 392 p. tAbd'lBh' Eine Botschaft an die Juden. Aus dem Englischen von W. Herrigel.
Page 543BAHÁ'Í BIBLIOGRAPHY Stuttgart, irn Selbstverlag
der Bah~'i-Vereinigung.Deutsch von Fanny Knobloch. 1906, ohne Angabe des Ortes, 8~, 12 p.
~Abdu'1 � Baha: Tabelle (Tablets)an die Ge-liebten Got/es des A bend/andes. Deutsch von Fanny A. Knobloch. 1906, ohne Angabe des Ortes, 8~, 8 p. I3ahd'iperlen (Worte von
Bahá'u'lláh und Abdu'l-Bahá).von Bahá'u'lláh. Aus dern Englischen. Heraus-gegeben vorn Deutschen BaM'i-National-rat, Stuttgart, Mirza 1930, 80, 15 p. Shoghi Effendi: An die Ge1iebtei~ des Herrn und an die Dienerinnen des Barrnherzigen in der ganzen Welt. Aus dern Englischen. Herausgegeben vorn deutschen Bah~'i-Nationairat,
Stuttgart, April 1930an die Freunde Gottes und an die Dieiserinneis des Barm-herzigen im Abendland.
Aus dem En � glischen von A. Schwarz. Ohne Angabe des Ortes und des Jahres.
80 4 ~ Blomfield, Sit~rih iindAn. gabe des Ortes und des Jahres, 8~, 32 p. Bdttingham, Isabella D.:
Die Offenbarung von Bahá'u'lláh.Aus dern Eng1isch~n von W. Herrigel. Stuttgart, Selbstverlag der Bah~'i-Vereinigung, 1910, 8~, 47 p
Carpenter, Marion: Majm~ni~nd Layld. Nach Bahá'u'lláh's ErzThlung in den "Sieben Thiern." Deutsch yon E. M. Gr. unci Dr. H. Gr. Wandsbek, Weltgemein-schaft 1926, 8~, 8 p. Chase, Thornton: Die Bahd'ioffenbarung.
Aus dem Englischen von W. Herrigel.Stuttgart, Verlag des Deutschen Bahá'í � Bundes, 1925, 8~, XVI + 168 p.
Chase, Thornton: Ehe Abrahamwar, war Ich. Aus dern Englischen von W. Herrigel.
Stuttgart, Verlag derDeutsch von W. Herrigel. Stuttgart, Verlag des Deutschen Bah~'i-Bundes, 1920, 8~, 40 p. Dreyf us, Dr. Hippolyte:
Bdbismus und Bahd'ismus.Frankfurt a.M. Neuer Frankfurter Verlag G.m.b.H., 1909, 8~, 61 p. Esslemont, Dr. John E.: Bahá'u'lláh und das
Neue Zeitaiter. Deutschvon H. K. und W. H. Stuttgart, Verlag des Deutschen Bah~'i-Bundes, 1927, g0 VIII + 431 p. Esslernont, Dr. John E,: Was ist em Ba-hd'i? Aus dem Englischen iibcrsetzt und herausgegeben von der Bah~'i-Arbeitsge-meinschaf~ Esslingen. Ohne Jahr.
(ver-vieLfiiltigt), 40, 20 p. Esslemont, Dr. John E.:
Der Weg zurn Frieden.X aus 'Bahá'u'lláh und das Neuc Zeitalter." Herausgegeben von der Bah~'i-Arbeitsge-meinscaft Esslingen. Oline Jahr,
8 O~ 8 p.Nach der englischen Uebersetzung von ~A1i-Quli-Kh4n, deutsch von W. H. Stuttgart, Verlag des Deutschen BaM'i-Bundes G.m. bId. 1919, 80, XXIV � j295 p.
Fadi, Mirza Abu'1: GiduzenderAus dern Englischen von Fr. Schweizer. Herausgegeben von der Bah~'i-Vereinigung Zuffenhausen, ohne Jahr, 80 45 p. Grossmann, Dr. Hermann: Die soziale F rage und ihre Lilsung i Sinne der Bahd'i-Lehre. Stuttgart, Verlag des Deutschen Bah~i'i-Bundes, 1923, 8~, 12 p. Grossmann, Dr. Herrnann: Die Bahd'i-Be-wegung, ihre Geschichte, Lehren und Be-deutung. Herausgegeben von der Bahi'i-Bewegung.
Hamburg, 1926, 80, 8 p. Grossrnann, Dr. Hermann: Das Wesen der )3aha?i-Lehre.
Ohne Angabe des Ortes und des Jahres. s~, 8 p. Grossmann, Dr. Hermann: Bahd'i-Erzie-hung. Wandsbek,
Weltgemeinschaft, DeutscherZweig, 1924, 8~, 8 p. Grossmann, Dr. Hennann: 1{osengiirtlein-Lehrstunden.
Lehrproben zur Bahá'ívon der Weltge-meinschaft, Wandsbek, ohne Jahr, 8 ~, 12 p. Grossmann, Dr. Hermann:
Chanan. Eine ErzThlung544 Grossmann, Dr. Hermann: Am Morgen ciner neuen
Zeit, Verlag StreckerDie Bah~'i-Bewegung, ihr Zweck und Ziel. Stuttgart,
Selbstverlag der Ba-h6~'i-Vereinigung.1915, 8~, 30 p. Hartmann, Pauline: Bahd'i-W/eltanschauung. Verlag des Geistigen Nationairacs der deutschen Baha'i.
E. V., 80, 24 p. W. H.: Die Bahd'i-Bewegung im Alige-me~nen nnd ihre grossen W/~rkungen in indien.
Stuttgart, Verlag des Deutschen Bahi'i-Bundes, 1922, 8~, 56 p. W. HI.: Die Zeicl~en unserer Zeit ins Lichie der Bibel und der Bahd'i-Lehre.
Stuttgart, Verlag der Bah~'i-Vereinigung. 1916, 80, 16 p.
Holley, Horace: Die Wellwirtschajtvon Bahá'u'lláh. Aus dem Englischen. 30 p. Geneva, 1934.
Kliemke, Dr. Ernst (Heinrichund des Jahres. 8~, 8 p. Maxwell, May: Jos, der Schiiferknabe~ rAb~ du'I-Bahd nacherziihlt. Aus dem Engli-schen von Dr. H. Gr. Wandsbek, Welt-gemeinschaft, Deutscher Zweig, 1924, g0, 8 p.
Miihlschlegel, Adelbert:Melodrarn zurn dritten De~dschen Bahd'i-Kongress 80.
Ohne Angabe des Ortes, September 1924, 80, 8 p.Stuttgart, Bah~'i-Bund, Deutscher Zweig, 1925, 8~, 8 p. Najmajer, Marie von: Qurratu'1-~Ayn.
Em Bud aus Persiens Neuzeit.Phelps, Myron H.: Abdu'l-Bahá Abbas, Leben 'and Lebren.
Aus dern Englischen von W. H. Stuttgart, Verlag des Deut-schen Bah~'i-Bundes, 1922, 8~, 248 p�
Remey, Charles Mason:von W. H., Verlag des Deutschen Bah~'i-Bundes, Stuttgart, 1923, 80, 32 p.
Remey, Charles Mason:und des Jahres. 80, 8 p. Rosenberg, Ethel J.: Die Bahd'L-Lehre, deren ethische und soziale Begri]Je.
Aus-Vereinigung, 1908, 8~, 8 p. S. S.: Em jahr unter den Bahá'í in Indien und l3irma.
Aus dem Englischen von W. H. Stuttgart, Selbstverlag der BaM'i-Vereinigung, ohne Jahr, 8~, 46 p� S. S.: Die Geschichte der Bahti'i-Bewegu~ng. Aus dem Englischen von W. H. Stuttgart, Selbstverlag der Bahá'í i -Vereinigung, 1913, Zweite auflage, 1913, 80, 22 p. A. Dritte auflage, 1919, 80, 22 p. Schwarz, Alice: Die univers~de Weltreligion. Stuttgart,
Verlag des DeutschenBah6'i-Bundes, 1919, 80, 35 p. Wright, A. H.: Báb und seine Secte in Per � sien,
Leipzig.Einige Er1~uterungen zur BaM'i-Bewegung. Aus dem Franzo � sischen von Albert Renftle. Stuttgart, Verlag der BaM'i-Vereinigung, 1916, 8~, 16 p. Edweiterte Auflage, Stuttgart,
1928, Verlag des DeutschenBah~'i-Bundes, g0, 24 p. Die Geschichte vorn kleinen Vogel itnd an-dere Erziihlungen aus dem Leben Abdu'l-Bahá "s. Wandsbek, Weltgerneinschaft, Deutscher Zweig, 1925, ~ 8 p. Aus Leben und Lehre des Bahd'isnnts. Hamburg, Bah~'i-Ver1ag, 1918, 80 42 p.
Die Bahd'i-Beivegiing.Bah&i-Bundes, oline Jalir, 80 4 ~ Was ist die Bahd'i-B ewe gung. Flugblatt.
Ohne Angabe des Ortes(2 Ausgaben: Hamburg und Wien), 8~, 8 bezw. 10 p. Die Bahá'í Lehre, 1933, Schmal 80, 4 p� An der Schwelle eines neues Zeitalters. Flugblatt.
Stuttgart, W. H. Ohne Jahr. 80, 10 p. Dericht vom ersien Deutschen
Bahd'i-Kon-gress 1921.Esslingen (ver-vie1f~1tigt) 40, 54 p. Weih-nauhtsbeilage fur Kinder. Dezember 1921.
BeiLage zur Sonne der Wahrheit, s~, 8 p.in Deutschland und Oesterreich nebst Satz-ung des Geistigen Rates der Bah~ 'i in
Page 545545 und Oesterreich e. V., Stuttgart, 1935, 8~, 32 p. 13.
BAHÁ'Í LITERATURE IN BULGARIANBahá'u'lláh and the New Era, Sofia, 1932. Hidden Words (in manuscript).
Words of Wisdom (in manuscript). Seven Valleys (in manuscript).
14.Bahá'u'lláh and the New Era, Bucharest, Ce Este Miscarea Baha'i, Bucharest, 1934.
1934.Bahá'u'lláh and the New Era, Prague, 1932. Pamphlets, 1934.
16.Bahá'u'lláh and the New Erc~, Belgrade, Hidden Words, Belgrade, 1936.
2933. Book of Prayers, Belgrade, 1936.Te W/hakatikenga Pahai, PamphLet by G. G. Paul, Auckland, New Zealand, 1933.
Page 546BAHÁ'Í BIBLIOGRAPHY 547
20.Era. Traduccion espafiola por Leonora Stirling Holsapple. Baha, Brazil, 1933.
0u6 es el Movimiento Baha'i.Carlos A. Stoppel's translation of What Went Ye Gui for to See? by Thornton Chase.
Published by La SociedadWill and Testament of Bahá'u'lláh, The. ~fshq~ib~d and Cairo.
Adriyiy~i~Hadrat~i~MahblibWill and Testament of Abdu'l-Bahá, The. Bombay and Cairo.
Epistle to the Son of the Wolf, The. Bahá'u'lláh.Kashfu'l-Ghitd', compiled by Siyyid Milidi Gu1p~yig~ni.
Ishqabad.History of the Martyrs of Yazd, The. Cairo. Dald'iiu'lJlrfdn, Mirza. Haydar-~A1i. Bombay.
Bihjatu'.s-~udi~r, Mirza HaydarJALi. Bombay.Risdliy-i-Isti~d1dliyyih, by Mirza Abu'1-Fa~l1, Egypt.
Istidldliyyiy-i-Afshdr.Cairo. Travels of rAbdu~l~Bahd, The. Vol. 1 and 2, Mirza.
Ma1~mud Zarq~.ni. Bombay.Early Tablets of Bahá'u'lláh, The, compiled by Baron Rosen, St. Petersburg.
Memorials of the Faithful, Abdu'l-Bahá. Haifa.AnN iiru'l -Abhd-Fi-Mu/awaddt i ~!Abdu'1~ Baha. Table talks collected by Laura C. Barney. Kegan, Paul, London, 1908.
Mash riqu'l-Adhkdr. Twenty-twopage booklet written in Persian on the Baha Temple. Published by the Bahá'í Assembly of Washington, D. C.
Hadiqatu'l-Bahd'iyyih.va Gharb. Tihr~n, 1931. Questions and Answers (Appendix to Kitáb-i-Aqdas). Tihr~n.
Bahd'ism and Socialism.Poems by Nayyir. Tihr~n, 1930. lstidldliyyih, I and II, by Na~im, Tabriz, 1911 and 1912.
Magdliy-i-Bahd'i. Delhi, 1915. Poems, by Na'im.Translation of Ishrdqdt, Bishdrdt KaUmdt, Tardzdt, Tajalilydi, of Bahá'u'lláh.
Agra, 1918.Revelation of Bahá'u'lláh, by Mrs. I. D. Brittingham.
Rangoon, 1902.Bahá'u'lláh and the New Era, by Dr. J. E. Esslemont.
Cairo, 1930.Bah "i Hareketi. Istanbul, 1930 Bahá'u'lláh and the New Era. Istanbul, 1932.
BURMESEParis Talks. Shanghai, 1931. Kitáb-i-Iqdn. Shanghai.
The Goal of a Neiv WorldA Letter to the Women of Japan, by Agnes B. Alexander. 1916.
Religion of Love. 1917.Mashriqu'l-Adhkar, translated by Dr. Inouye. 1918.
The Bahá'í Revelation, translated by Dr. Inouye.WI hat Is the Bahá'í Movement, translated by T. Inouye.
1929.The Revelation of Bahá'u'lláh, by I. Brit-tingham, translated by V. M. Swami. Rangoon, 1906.
Page 550Bahá'u'lláh and the New Era. Baghdad, Bahá'u'lláh and the New Era (in press).
1934.A Letter to the Blind Women in Japan, by Agnes B. Alexander. Tokyo, 1917.
Seek and it shall be given you, by Tokijiro Toni.Some Answered Questions, by Abdu'l-Bahá (in part).
Bahá'u'lláh and the New Era. California. Golden Age of the Cause of
Bahá'u'lláh.of the West, The. Official magazine of the Bahá'ís of the United States and Canada, from its beginning in Chicago in 1910 until its merger with World Unity, April, 1935. For official Bahá'í magazine see World Order.
Bahá'í News. The bulletin of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of the United States and
Canada.Bulletin of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of Egypt.
Bahá'í News Letter. Thebulletin of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of India and Burma.
Bulletin, InternationalBaha'i. Bureau, Case 1 8 1 Stand, Geneva, Switzerland.
Herald of the South, The.Ma~fi~u'1-I{aqq ~Ilmi under the auspices of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of India and Burma.
Address:Bahá'í Esperanto Magazine, published four times a year by the Esperanto Committee of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of Germany.
Address: G6ringstr. 37, Neckargemiind, Germany.Stuttgart, Verlag des Deutschen Bah6.'i-Bundes, monthly since March, 1921.
3. Alexanderstr., Stuttgart,Ruins of the Bath visited by the B~b in Uriirniyyih, Ir&n. Relatives of the B&b. (Seated in the center is T1Thji Mirza Vakilu'd-Dawlih, the BTh's cousin and chief builder of the Mashriqu'l-Adhkar at clshqAb&d.) 551
Page 552Unity of the East and the West Committee. do Dr. Y. Afn~ikhtih, Avenue Bargh, Tihr~n, fran.
World Order. Officialmagazine of the Bahá'ís of the United States and Canada.
Published monthly in New York. Editors, StanwoodStudies. Fr. trans., E. and C. Paul. E. P. Dutton, New York, 1925.
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Elirenpreis, Marcus: Theof Religion. Encyclopedia of the Social Sciences, Vol. 7, Macmillan, New York, 1932.
Ferguson, Charles W.:Doubleday, Doran and Co., Inc., Garden City, New York, 1928.
Gazyini, M. J.: A Briefthe Founder of the Bahá'í Religion. San Diego, Calif., 1914.
Gibbons, Herbert Adams:Harmon, W. W.: Microcosm, Macrocosm. By the Author, Boston, 1915.
Harry, Myriam: A Springlide in Palestine. Houghton Muffin, Boston, 1924.
History of the NineteenthHoover, W. I. T.: Religionisms and Christianity. The Stratford Co., Boston, 1924.
Hubbard, Elbert: SelectedJordan, Rev. F. M.: The Muhammadan World of Today, 129.
Keyserling, Hermann: Travelof Nationalism in the East. Harcourt, Brace, New York, 1929.
Linton, Bishop J. H., D.D.: Persian Sketches.Martin, Alfred W.: Comparative Religion and the Religion of the Future. Appleton Co., New York, 192g.
Matthews, J. B., and Duvall,Todd, A. J.: Theories of Social Progress. Macmillan & Co., New York, 1924.
Vail, Albert: Heroic Lives.Religion, a Com~ parative Study. Abingdon Press, Cincinnati, 1919.
Walstrum, Mary Price:Wilson, Rev. S. G.: Bahd'is-rn and Its Claims. Fleming Revell Co., New York, 1915.
Wilson, Rev. S. G.: PersianAshbee, C. R.: A Palestine Note Book. Doubleday Page, 1923.
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Religion. Cambridge UniversityBrowne, Edward G.: History of Persian Lit-eratwre in Modern Times. Cambridge University Press, 1924.
Browne, Edward G.: A Literary History of Persia. 4 Vols.
Cambridge, 1924.Browne, Edward C.: A Traveller's Narra-live, Wiritten to
Illustrate the Episodeof the Báb. 2 Vols., one in Persian. Cambridge University Press, 1891.
Browne, Edward G.: TheCarpenter, J. E.: Comparative Religion. Cheyne, Thomas Kelley: The Reconciliation of
Races and Religions.Jackson, A. V. Williams: Persia, Past and Present.
Macmillan, London, 1906.Markham, Clements R.: A General Sketch of the History of Persia. Longmans, Green & Co., London, 1874.
Maud, Constance E.: Sparks Among the Stubble. P. Allen & Co., 1924.
Narim6~n, G. K.: Persia and Parsis. Bombay, 1925.
Oliphant, Lawrence: HaifaPole, W. Tudor: Private Dowding. John Watkins, London, 1917.
Pole, W. Tudor: Some Deeper Aspects of the War. Taylor Bros., Bristol, 1914.
Religions of the Empire.Religious Systems of the World. Swan, Sonnenschein & Co., London, 1908.
Rice, C. Colliver: Persian W/oinen and Their Ways.
Seeley Service, London, 1923.of Life and Manners in Persia. John Murray, London, 1856.
Skrine, Francis H. B.:ligion of Brotherhood, and Its Place in the Evolution of Creeds. Longmans, Green, London, 1912.
Sykes, Sir Percy: Persia.Sykes, P. M.: A History of Persia. 2 Vols. London, 1915.
Underhill, Evelyn: TheLife of the Spirit and the Life Today. Wetheren & Co., London, 1925.
Ussher, John: JourneyYounghusband, Sir F.: The Gleam. John Murray, 1923.
Younghusband, Sir F.: Modcrn Mystics. John Murray, 1935.
FRENCHBalteau, M. J.: Le Bdb'isine: Lecture fait par M. J. B. d la Seance di~ 22 Mai, 1 896. Acad~mie Nationale de Reims, Reims, 1897.
Dc Vaux, Baron Carra:Religions et les Philosophies dans l'Asie Centrale. Paris, 1924 and 1928.
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Schoenaich, General von: Pal iistina, Hcilber-stadt, H. Meyer's Buchdruckerei, 1926, pp. 103105.
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Das Reich Gotz5es auf Erden., herausgegeben von Rudolf Burkert, Niernes, Druck von A. Bienert, 1929, p. 27.
Graham, John W.: Der Glaube elnes Quakers, Leipzig, Qu~ker-Ver1ag, 1926, p. 48.
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Freda, Dr. Ludwig: Urn den SoziaUsmus, Stuttgart, Herold-Verlag, 1921, p. 86.
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Loti, Pierre: Aus PersiensRoss, Cohn: Der Weg nach Os/en, Leipzig, F. A. Brockhaus, 1923, p. 166.
Die bisherigen Erfolgeder Welt -Hi/f s-sprache Esperanto auf der ganzen Welt, herausgegeben ~on Proelss und Sappi, Graz, Paulus-Verlag, 1922, pp. B, 70, 75.
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Persien.W/anderungen und Erlcbnisse in Persien, Budapest, 1867.
Krerner, A. von: Geschichte der kerrschen-den Ideen des Isldms, Leipzig, 1868.
Polak, Dr. Jakob~ Persien, des Land it~nd seine Bewohner, Leipzig, 1865.
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Neuer Geist-Verlag 1924.in Aufstrebende Ku!-turbewegungen unci ihre V'orkdmpfer. Herausgegeben von Karl Dopf, p. 3538. Hamburg, Signal-Verlag, 1927.
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p. 566f, 569f., Leiden, 1911. Artikel: ttB~b" crBAbi~~ Huart, Ci.: Ailgeineine Missionszeitschrijt, 1894, p. 327; 1903, p. 242.
Huart, CL: Evangelischesim heutigen Persien wie sic das Reiselnwh Ibrahhn Begs enthillit. S. IV, V, 21014, 330. Her-ausgegeben von Dr. Walter Schulz,
Leipzig. Verlag von KarlJeremias, D. Dr. Alfred, in: Aligeineine Religions geschichte.
P. 109, Verlag it Piper & Co., Miinchen, 1924 (zweite
Auflage).Kaim, Dr. Julius Rudolf, in: Geist des Mor-genlandes.
P. 6Sf. Dessau, C. Dftnn-haupt Verlag, 1927.Mackr, Wilhelm, in: Mitteilungen aus der Karmelmission eN. "Bericlot voin Kar-me!."
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Page 557Richter, J., in: Mission und Evangelisation i-in Orient. P. 214219. Gtitersloh, 1908.
Relgis, Eugen, in: Wege mm Frieden, cine internationale Rundf rage. Heide i. Hoist., Verlag Paul Riechert, 1932.
Ritter, Prof. Dr. H., in: Der Islam, Jahr-gang XIII, 1 2 p. 134. C. H. Becker und H. Ritter, 1923.
Roda Roda, in: Morgensonne, Morgeniand. Pp. 4454, Volksverband der hither-freunde, Wegweiser Verlag G.rn.b.H., Berlin, 1922.
R6mer, Hermann, in: Die Pro pagaiida Jim asiatische
Religionen ins Abendland.Rbmer, Hermann, in: Evangelisches Missions Magazin 1908, CCD Behaismus," P. 91f.
Rosen, V.: Sendschrei hen des Bahá'u'lláh. Petersburg, Akademie, 1908, Vol. I. von Sigsfeld, Viktoria, in: 19cr VYerdegang der Menschen des neuen Tages.
Finster-. lingen i/B. Oberlicht-Verlag.und Gegenwart. CCBibismus~~ ttBah~ismus," Band I, von Alfr. Bertholet, Herm.
Hont, Faber, Stephen, herausgeg. von Herm. Gunkel, Leop. Zscharnach. Tiibingen, Verlag J. C. B. Mohr.
Paul Siebert, 1927.Tisdall, D., in: der Zeitschrift rrReich Chris ti" (Dr. Lepsius-Potsdam). 1908. Artikel: 'tDer Islam in Persien," p. 17Sf.
Tolstoj, Leo, in: Toisto) und der Orient.Warneck, D. Gustav, in: Aligerneine Mis � sions-Zeitschrif I XXI. Missionsrundschau. P. 137, Giitersloh, 1894.
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-morgenldndischen Gesellschaft 1851.
Artikel: "BTh und seineog Mdlleysur (International Languages and Bad Languages), 1933.
LITHUANIANof Forty Nations). Vol. II, chap. "The Bahá'í Sanctuary"; vol.-III, pp. 17477, chap. ttlrnpressions of Bahá'ís in Hamad~n and TihrAn," 1935.
RUMANIANCultura Poporului B, dul Academici 2, Bucharest, 1935.
DANISHSalinonsens Konversationsleksikon, Copenhagen, 1894, 1915.
Benedictsen, Aage Meyer:Illustreret Danslz Konversationsleizsikon, Copenhagen, 1933.
Hagerups Konversationslelzsikon, Copenhagen, 1920.
HUNGARIANJournal of the American Concrete Institute, March-April, 1934, and July, 1933.
Detroit, Mich.Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society, Vol. XXI, 18891892.
London Budget, January, 1913.Revue Critique d'Histoire et de Litt~raturc, April 18, 1887.
L'Illustration, SeptemberJournal Asiatique, Vol. X. Revue Moderne, 18651866.
Bulletin M~langes Asiatiques, Vol. IV. Bulletin de l'Acad6rnie Imp~riale de St. Petersburg, Vols. VIII, IX.
Revue du Monde Musulinan, IX, 339341.Le Libre ~change, January, 1936, Paris. L'en dehors, December, 193 6, Orkans.
SWISS MAGAZINESSi4i Quarterly, March, 1928 (published in English).
NETHERLAND MAGAZINESJournal of the German Oriental Society, Vol. V, 1851.
Oriental Literaturzeitung, 1909.La Prensa, December 15, 1935, Buenos Aires, Argentina, S. A. Tiempos Nuevos, January, 1936, Barcelona, Spain.
Pan, January 15, 1936, Buenos-Aires, Argentina, S. A.
DANISHTime and Tide, April 14, 1934, London. Kaisar-i-Hind, December 31, 1933. Bombay.
Religious Education, September, 1932. Chicago.Oregon Mineralogist, January, 1934. Portland, Oregon.
Unity, February 19, 1934.of Speech, March-April, 1934. Ann Arbor, Michigan.
The China Critic, May25, 1933. Shanghai. World Unity, April, 1932. New York. World Unity, November, 1933 (and succes-smre issues). New York.
The Gift and Art Shop, August, 1932. New York.Ab~.dih cAbbi cAbd~1Bahit cAbd~1Hi ci tAbdui~I:Jusayn cAbd~11~h
Abu'1-Fadl~in AfnAn Aghstin 'Ahd Ahrnad Ahs~i'i Ahv~z Akbar Akka
CAlijalkl Jarn~diyu'1-AvvaL Jamil Jarn6i-i--MubArak JamM-i-Qidam jisb Jubbih
Ka~bih563 a asin i....as(e)in u...as (o) aw in in account best short mown as in as (ee) in u. as (oo) in arm meet moon The "i" added to the signifies "belonging name of a town means to." Thus Shir6.zi native of Shir6z.
Page 564The emphasis in IrAnian words is more or less evenly distributed, each syllable being equally stressed as in French.
For example, do not say Tabriz or Tabarsi; stay as long on one syllable as on the next:-Tab- riz; Ta-bar~si. (While there are many exceptions to this rule, it is the most generally correct method of treating the question of stress.)
A frequent mistake is the failure to distinguish between broad and flat "a's." This differentiation makes the language especially musical and should be observed: in the word Afnin, for example, pronounce the first "a" as in mat, and the second syllable to rhyme with on. Americans are apt to pronounce short tta" plus "r" like the verb form are; this is a mistake; Ce" should be pronounced as in the name of Harry � cf. Tarbiyat.
The same differentiation should be observed in the case of long and short ~ and long and short "u." As the guide to the transliteration indicates, short "i" is like in best, and long ~i" like "ce" in meet; for example, IbrAhirn is pronounced Eb-ri-heern; Islim is Ess-lahm. Short C!u~~ being like "o" in short, and long like ~ in moon, the following would be pronounced:
Quddfis � Qod-dooss; Birfunish � Bir-fo-roosh.Pronounce "aw" to rhyme with oh, or mown; Naw-RiAz is No-Rooz.
The following consonants may be pronounced like z: dh z z I The following consonants may be pronounced like ss: di s s Zh is pronounced like the "s" in pleasure. Kh is pronounced like "ch" in Scotch loch or German nacht, Do not pronounce it as "k." Westerners are as a rule incapable or pronouncing gh and ~q"; a guttural French r will serve here; otherwise use hard g as in good.
H and h, approximately like the English aspirate cth~~ should never be dropped. Tihr4n is Teli-ron; madrisih is mad-res-seh; MihrTh is Melt-rob.
In the case of double letters pronounce each separately: tAb-bis.
The character transliterated if) repre-seas a pause; it is not unlike the initial sound made in pronouncing such a word as every. The word Baha is phonetically as follows: aa~~ as in account; CC?'
as in father ('), pause; i as ee in meet.The character transliterated (C) may also be treated as a pause.
N.B. As IrAnian often indicates no vowel sounds and as its pronunciation differs in different localities throughout I r~n and the Near East as well as among individuals in any given locality, a uniform system of transliteration such as the above, which is in use by Bahá'í communities all over the world, is indispensable to the student.
Page 565Agh~n: literally ccbranc1~es.~~ Denotes Sons and descendants of Bahá'u'lláh.
AfnAn: literally "twigs."Date of Muhammad's migration from Mecca to Medina, and basis of Mu1~ammadan chronology.
Akbar: ttreater."tAmi': literally "light cloud," symbolizes the ccFirt Invisible Substance."
Amin: literally ccthe trusted."BTh: "Gate." Title assumed by Mirza CAlL Muhammad, after the declaration of His Mission in Shir in May, 1844 A.D. BThi: Follower of the BTh.
BadE: literally "the wonderful."Bah~: tcG1ory,~~ c(sp1endor,~~ ttlight." Title by which
Bahá'u'lláh (Mirza Husayn-tAli)Denotes that part of the Plain of tAkk~ where the Shrine and the Mansion of Bahá'u'lláh are situated.
Bani-Hishirn: The family from which Muhammad descended.
Bahá'u'lláh: "RemnantBay&n: "Utterance," ccexpla1~ation~~ Title given by the Bib to His Revelation, particularly to His Books.
Big: Honorary title, lower title than KLin.Dawlih: ccState~~ ccgovernment.~~ (cEndowed with constancy": a title given to Prophets who revealed a book and instituted religious laws.
Farmtn: tcorder~ tccommand " ~ de ioyal cree.Farrish: ccFootman~~ (C1ictor,~~ cCattendant~~ Farrish � B5shi: The head-farr4sh.
Farsakh: Unit of measurement.Its length differs in different parts of the country according to the nature of the ground, the local interpretation of the term being the distance which a laden mule will walk in the hour, which varies from three to four miles. Arabicised from the old Persian ccparsang,~~ and is supposed to be derived from pieces of stone (sang) placed on the roadside.
"Fourth Heaven": One of the stages of the invisible
Realm.tcGuarded Tablet": Denotes the Knowledge of God and of His Manifestation.
1-liji: A Mubammadan who has performed the pilgrimage to Mecca.
Haziratu'1-Quds: BahaHowdali: A litter carried by a camel, mule, horse or elephant for traveling purposes.
iii: CC Clan."Im6m: Title of the twelve Shi'ah successors of Mubammad.
Also applied to Muslim religious leaders.Facsimile of Document Ordering Arrest of Báb's in M&zindar~n, dated 1268 NH Im4m-Jum~ih: The leading im~m in a town or city; chief of the mull6s.
Im&m-Z~dih: DescendantThe title of Bahá'u'lláh's epistle to the uncle of the Báb.
Ishr~q&t: literally tteffu1gences~~ Title of one of the Tablets of Bahá'u'lláh.
Isr&f ii: The Angel whose function is to sound ihe trumpet on the Day of
Judgment.J~hu1iyyih: The dark age of ignorance among the Arabs before the appearance of Muhammad.
JamM-i-MuMrak: literally ccthe Blessed Beauty," applied by certain Bahá'ís to Bahá'u'lláh.
JamM-i-Qidam: literally "the ancient Beauty." Applied by certain
Bahá'ís to Bahá'u'lláh.Katbih: Ancient shrine at Mecca. Now recognized as the most holy shrine of IslAm.
Kabir: literally "great."Kad-Khud&: Chief of a ward or parish in a town; headman of a village.
Kalantar: CCM~~Kawthar: A river in Paradise, whence all the other rivers derive their source.
KhAn: "Prince," "lord" ttnobleman tam."DEFINITIONS OF ORI Book." Title of Bahá'u'lláh's
Book of Laws.Kuhh: The IrAnian lambskin hat worn by government employees and civilians.
Madrisili: Religious college. Man-Yuzhiruhu'11&h:
"He Whom God will make manifest." The title given by the to the promised One.
Mashhadi: A MubammadanMashriqu'l-Adhkar: literally ttt1~e dawning place of the praise of God." Title designating Bahá'í House of Worship.
Masjid: Mosque, temple, place of worship.Maydan: A subdivision of a farsakh. A square or open place.
Milidi: Title of the Manifestation expected by IsUm.
Mihr&b: The principal place in a mosque where the im6m prays with his face turned towards Mecca.
Mitr~j: "Ascent," used with reference to Muhammad's ascension to heaven.
Mirza: A contraction of Arnir-Z6dih, meaning son of Amir. When affixed to a name it signifies prince; when prefixed simply Mr. Mishkin � Qalarn: literally "the musk-scented pen.
Mu'adhdhin: The one who sounds the AdMn the Mt4iammadan call to prayer.
Mujtahid: Mubammadan doctor-of-law. Mostof the mujtahids of Persia have received their diplomas from the most eminent jurists of KarbiU and
Najaf.Mull&: Mu1~iammadan priest. Mustagli&th: cCHe Who is invoked."
The numerical value of which has been assigned by the BTh as the limit of the time fixed for the advent of the promised
Manifestation.Naw-Ritz: ctNew~Day.~~ Name applied to the Bahá'í New Year's Day; according to the Idnian Calendar the day on which the sun enters Aries.
Nuq~ih: tCPoint~~ Pahiavin: CCAth1ete~~ "champion"; term applied to brave and muscular men.
Q~Qi: Judge: civil, criminal, and ecclesiastical.
Q&irn: "He Who shall arise."Qiblih: The direction to which people turn in prayer; especially Mecca, the Qiblih of all Mubammadans.
Qur'an: tcSifice~~ Ridvan: The name of the custodian of Paradise.
Bahá'u'lláh uses it to denote Paradise itself.Sadratu'1-Muntah6.: the name of a tree planted by the Arabs in ancient times at the end of a road, to serve as a guide.
As a symbol it denotes the Manifestation of God in His Day.
S4hibu'z-Zam~n: "Lord of the Age"; one of the titles of the promised Q~t'irn.
Salsabil: A fountain inSarnandar: literally ccthe phoenix.~~ Sark6.r-i-A.q~: literally the tcHonorable Master," applied by certain Bahá'ís to tAb-du'1 � Baha.
"Seal of the Prophets": One of the titles of Mubammad.
"Seventh Sphere": Thehighest stage of the invisible Realm. Denotes also the
Manifestation of Bahá'u'lláh.of religious court, appointed to every large city by the ShTh.
Sir6t: literally c~bridge~~ or "path," denotes the religion of God.
Siyyid: Descendant of theTaja1Iiy~t: literally "splendors." Title of one of the Tablets of Bahá'u'lláh.
Tar~zit: literally "ornaments."cUrvatu~l~Yuthq64 literally "the strongest handle," symbolic of the raith of God.
Vali-tAhd: "Heir to the throne."Varaqiy~i~cUly6.: literally Ccthe most exalted Leaf," applied to Bahá'í Kh&num sister of tAbd'IBh'
Page 568dove." VilAyat: guardianship.Zaynu'l-Muqarrabin: literally !CWhite Path": Symbolizes "the Ornament of the the Religion of favored."
God.J Twas oniy a few generations ago when the people ceased thinking that man, with the animals and plants, inhabited a world composed of ccdead~ matter. Life was conceived to be that which could think, feel, move or at least which could grow and reproduce.
As the notion of "life" has become extended until it includes all matter, all substance, and every ingredient and constituent of substance, so has the notion of religion developed until it applies to the whole of man. No longer is religion confined, like a small island in a great sea, to that little area of belief and practice specialized under the influence of a formal creed. It is the entire human life, its conscious and unconscious elements, its personal and social relationships, its affirmations and denials, its triumphs and defeats, its hidden as well as its revealed awareness and action, its unrealized possibility along with its recognized, admitted frustration and impotence.
The real aim of the physical sciences is fulfilled in knowledge of man.
The physical and chemical principles discovered in the world have meaning oniy as they are principles of human life. Man himself is the universe in miniature.
Physical science thus becomes part of a larger science of biology, and biological science in turn becomes a chapter in the greater volume of the human science, psychology.
A man's whole life, and not merely his conscious creedal practice, is his religion. His highest love is conditioned by his profoundest hate; his supreme sacrifice is limited by his unconscious selfishness; his ideals and his daily life are a single reality, one and inseparable.
The social sciences likewise are dependent for their validity on human psychology. When a science calling itself "economics" gives official sanction for cruel indifference; when a science calling itself tcpolitics~~ finds �rnperatives for armed frontiers, this lack of agreement between these social sciences and the sanctions of the separate department of human life called ttreligion" does not mean that men live in three separate worlds, obeying three mutually exclusive ~'1aws" � it means simply that a general failure in the realm of motive and understanding has pro � jected itself outward into society, and this failure men try to conceal from themselves and each other by labeling the antireligious actions one or another ccciece3~ But just as these evasions and attempts at concealment in personal life sooner or later come to a balance of accounts with every other element of the personality, so the elaborate myth called "civilization" has now become rent to fragments as the social cc sciences" and the formal creeds alike eventuate in a society which as a whole does nor know how to survive. It matters not which element of the whole result is made the scapegoat � whether formal ttreligion~~ or economics or politics" � the truth is that man himself has failed in his social relationships, and this failure in turn rests upon failure in his relationship to himself. The fictitious separation of life into formal departments, each with an exclusive label, has been unconscious evasion of reality the final result of which was inevitable from the beginning.
On no other basis can we erect a spiritual knowledge preserving the responsibility on which integrity depends.
At some definite point of experience, the conscious person comes to realize the oneness of the universe and the wholeness of human personality. His formal religious beliefs undergo profound adjustment as he perceives 571
Page 572their artificial separateness from the rest of his existence.
Able no longer to isolate CtSunday~~ from the remaining days of the week, his new sense of cause and effect compels him to fit his religious values into experience as a whole. This adjustment in some cases enhances the whole of life with new spiritual possibility; in other cases what had been a mere artificial belief or practise is destroyed, and life as a whole becomes secular and without spiritual content.
The philosophic projection of this awareness is pantheism or atheism � both are based upon an effort to realize the universe as homogeneous, as one.
The only difference between pantheism and atheism is that the former raises everything to the "high" level of God, or Spirit, or Providence while the latter reduces everything to the "low" level of matter and natural law.
The similarity between pantheism and atheism is more vital than the difference. Both philosophies establish one single level; both maintain a view of the universe which interprets experience in terms of cause and effect operating on one plane.
There is little real distinction between realizing all substance as "God" and realizing all experience as subject to natural law; for both views deprive one of the necessity of making any truly vital choice.
The realization of oneness, in fact, is but a starting point in the search for religion. Religion is distinctiveness as well as universality.
Historically, religion has a definite point of origin. No religion has come into existence without a Founder, a Prophet or Messiah.
Whether one considers Christianity, Judaism, Mubammadanism or any other organic religion historically, what appears is the phenomenon of religion as an experience suddenly interposed into the current stream of human life. This interposition compels the most vital choice or decision which life can offer. It creates a new standard of reality rising like a mountain from the plain of daily intercourse.
Its influence sets the individual against his own past, and historically has always made a definite cleavage in the course of civilization. The prophet becomes identified with a higher possibility in the present, which necessatily divides the future from the past. Life tends to become dynamic and assert new directions, while the past exists in the present as inertia.
Religious history is meaningless when conceived merely as a time sequence without reference to the fundamental law of cycles.
We take for granted the existence of this law whenever dealing with natural phenomena: the cycle of life operating for the tree from seed to fruit, for the human being from birth to death, even for the stars of immensest magnitude. But societies and social institutions seldom or never admit that for their own existence there is also an allotted period, the beginning of which is their birth, the end of which is their destruction, during the course of which they rise to a climax of maturity and power, receding thereafter until eventually they are no more.
Tracing this development in Judaism we come to the civilization of Solomon, a glory that could not be retained. In Christianity we have the feudal age, when religion could be completely identified with civilization, after which the Reformation destroyed the unity not oniy of the church but of the civilization as well. Here stands the origin of "modern" times, which actually have been the autumn and winter of faith, On one side has existed an alliance between national state, natural science, industry and militarism; on the other side the tradition of feudal aristocracy, the memory of a living unifying faith, the organization of the church.
Both phases in reality proceeded from the same prior condition. One can not be termed CcChiti " and the other "pagan" or "non � Christian" with the slightest historical accuracy. For modern militarism, justified as the necessary virtue of the national state, derives immediately from the Crusades, justified as the necessary virtue of the church. The profit motive, justified as the necessary virtue of industry, derives immediately from the practice of the sale of indulgences, justified as the necessary virtue of the church. If modern science is con
Page 573RELIGION AND WORLD ORDER 573
demned as "pagan," a vast power delivered over to the secular realm, it must be recalled that the first faint beginnings of natural science were so resisted by the church that the scientists were compelled to develop their knowledge outside the religious community.
The Reformation, then, merely marks the point at which the historical religion has reaped its harvest, produced its richest fruit; and consequently could no longer maintain its internal unity nor its balance between religion and civilization.
The law of cycles operates in the case of religions and nations no less imperatively than in the case of trees, animals, planets and human beings. This law may for a time appear inoperative where the larger social bodies are concerned, but this is merely for the reason that man has yet attained no adequate sense of historical process, and also because even after a great social institution has died spiritually it can still survive physically for a relatively long period. But when a religion ceases to be the motive and inspiration of civilization, its date of death is recorded in the annals of destiny.
And once this spiritual death has taken place, the religion can never be artificially revived.
The "modern" world, striving to transform nationalism into world order, overcome the antagonism of economic classes and reconcile peoples and creeds, is nothing else than a larger example of ancient Rome striving to maintain order, justice and law after its original impulse had ebbed and the creative power had passed from the imperial governrneht to the weak, despised and minority body of Christians, reborn by the mystery of superhuman faith. Our social institutions are more powerful to destroy than to create; no matter how conscienti � ously administered, without transformation they are vessels not built to otitride this time of worldwide stornii.
When the creative power of spirit is withdrawn from the community as a whole, and the parts of the community engage in mutual struggle for predominance or survival, the life cycle of that social order has run its course.
Such is the nature of the present crisis. The old order was based historically upon Christianity in the
West, upon Muluiarn-manadismand other Faiths in the East. Each Faith had, in accordance with the principle underlying human society, developed a characteristic civilization representing a balance between legal, cultural, economic and social factors. All these regional civilizations had arrived at that stage in the cyclic process marked by the weakening of the original religious impulse, which bound the civilization together in one organism, and by the assertion of the superiority of the constituent parts over the whole.
As in Christianity a few centuries ago, so in Mubanarnadanism today, law, government, education and industry have thrown off the control of the religious tradition and undergone separate development, each seeking a fulfilment in terms of its own independent need and without reference to the general need of the community in its spiritual as well as material integrity. This development is more complete in the West, but the history of Europe since the Reformation has been paralleled in all essentials by the more recent experience of Turkey, Egypt and Inn.
The crucial point in this development is the transfer of social authority from a religious organization, by which it has been fatally abused, to a secular organization explicitly claiming to be unmoral.
At the stage of religious decay where this transfer of authority takes place, the secular government cannot control the entire area previously controlled by the religious influence.
The transfer is characterized by the rise of several independent secular governments which divide the body of believers into separate, and potentially competitive nations.
Western nationality arose from the spiritual death of Christendom, and the nations of IsUm are similarly independent and exclusive.
The next step in the process, which in reality is disintegration and not ccprogress~~ except in a local and temporary degree, consists in the reinforcement of the secular (unmoral) authority by such laws and instruments as it deems necessary to protect itself in die rapidly augmenting struggle for
Page 574national existence. Religion is replaced by patriotism of an exclusive nature, and the social duty of man becomes defense of his national state. Militarism inevitably develops.
Compulsory military duty, found necessary as economic rivalry follows the original territorial competition of the states, sets mankind upon the path of death.
In the modern world this complete divorce between spiritual and material values, enmeshing human life in a fatal net as economic and social existence come to depend upon struggle and competition rather than upon unity and cooperation, establishes a point of crisis imperilling the race. Authority, power and initiative throughout society are identified with unmoral institutions whose fiat controls a system of destruction well-nigh universal in capacity.
On the other hand, the spiritual tradition of each race has become sterile, for ecciesiasticism is the negation of faith.
Such a jungle of competitive nationalism seems to reproduce, in terms of social organizations, the era of the prehistoric monsters marking an early stage in the biological evolution of the world of nature. Forms of life organized almost entirely for offense and defense had little available energy for the kind of response required in a changing world. Evolution left them behind. Their towering strength was their fatal weakness, and in their enormous aggressiveness they had no capacity to survive.
In the same way, the present stage of armed, competitive nationalism is essentially transitory and fugitive. The more aggres � sive it becomes, the less its capacity to meet social problems the oniy solution of which is non-aggresion � cooperation.
The states have waxed powerful upon the poverty of the people; their might is an illusion. They can destroy themselves by one final outburst of general war; or a series of revolutions, each perhaps small and almost unnoted, will evolve from them a type of government intelligent enough to deal with social relationships and moral enough to summon the highest and not the lowest impulses of an evolving race.
The key to future social evolution lies in the capacity for transformation rather than in mere progress and extension along the lines fixed by our prior history. For progress is the law of the cycle, but transformation is the sign that a cycle has run its term and a new age has dawned.
It is evolutionary progress when a form of life becomes larger, or fleeter by adaptation to its environment.
This type of progress marks the biological world, where the natural environment is fundamentally constant.
Likewise, when the ~ocial environment remains fundamentally constant, an institution progresses by growth in ways determined by its original character and aim.
Unlike nature, the social environment is subject to profound alteration.
The development of machine production was more than progress from a small tool to a larger tool; it brought about an entirely different kind of society.
Action and reaction in an industrialized society are not simply enlargement of the action and reaction of an agricultural, handcraft society � they respond in quality to a different law. The plane has been raised from physical effort to intelligence.
As long as the simple law of progress applies to human society, the evil will be multiplied along with the good, the destruction will augment by the same ratio as the construction.
The symbol of transformation in the natural world is the organism like the butterfly, which at one stage is an egg, at the next stage is a caterpillar, becomes then a chrysalis in its cocoon, thence emerging as imago, the perfect insect with beautifully colored wings. Applying the law of simple progress to this organism at any preliminary stage, we would have merely a larger egg, or a greater cat~rpi11ar or a larger and stronger cocoon. Metamorphosis is the scientific equivalent of that organic change which takes place in human society at those critical stages marked by the cycles of religion.
It is by no means necessary to contemplate a simple extension into the future of the social agencies dominating this transitional era. The progress of national government into empire is strictly limited by interstate competition, and the progress of religion into the condition of world empire by any one creed is no less impossible.
Page 575RELIGION AND WORLD ORDER 575
The impermanence of the several civilizations now existing becomes clear when we give attention to the nonsocial character of the religions from which they separately sprang.
In the saying, "Give unto Caesar" we are compelled to note that the Founder of Christianity limited His spiritual teaching to persons, to individuals, and refrained from extending that teaching to establish a principle for society.
The character and scope of the Christian teaching, at its source, clearly contemplated an era during which individuals were to cultivate a spiritual life, purifying their inner motives and assuming responsibility for their deeds, in contrast to and complete disregard of their social institutions.
They were to seek a Kingdom in the realm of the awakened and conscious soul, but the world was Caesar's and the successors of
Caesar.Moreover, that doctrine, at its source, does not fail to include a social principle alone: it is in essence a doctrine of the ttheart~~ and makes no provision for the life of the mind, It justifies no particular social form, creates a basis for no particular type of social institution, and in nowise explains those aspects of life and the universe which constitute the ends of psychology and philosophy.
It renewed man's inner life, it revealed more fully than ever before the nature of God and the spiritual capacity of human beings; it released a quality of personal relationships on the high plane required to maintain the new vision of the sanctity of life; but Christianity, at its source and in its reality, supports no political principle, sustains no economic theory, outlines no cosmogony, throws no light upon man's relation to the physical universe, and sanctions no conception of the function of mind.
These organic limitations, imposed not by absence of power at the Source but by lack of capacity in the environment and age, mark a cycle whose term was set at its beginning.
It signalizes one necessary stage in the evolution of religion, or rather in the upward march of conscious human life, but finality is entirely absent, because the requi site foundation in revealed truth for the wholeness of life was not spiritually established.
Unlike a scientific formula, religious truth does not continue indefinitely and independent of the way it is applied. While a chemical action can be employed for good or evil ends with equal efficiency, a spiritual truth, to possess validity, must include the vital element represented by the believer's quality of response. When the quality of response has fallen below the level of the aim implied in the truth, the truth becomes void of influence.
The living impulse sent forth from its Source has been expended; what remains is a form of words, a lifeless symbol, a ceremony possessing psychic but not spiritual effect.
Civilization is the outworking of spiritual faith. That faith inspires fresh courage, removes the barriers of personality and groups, stimulates the mind to solve necessary problems from the point of view of the society as a whole, establishes a foundation of human reality raised above the bestial struggle for existence, and enables mankind to take one more forward step in its progress upon the eternal path.
There is, however, no historical permanence for any civilization equivalent to the universality of revelation upon the plane of soui. Until mankind is united within one true faith and within one order of justice and knowledge, the need of the renewal and enlargement of spiritual truth is manifest to all.
6.The external surface of human life, as recorded by sympathetic observers in every country, has become marked by appalling personal misery. Its innumerable details constitute a catalog which oppresses the heart like a Book of Doom. By war, by influenza, by poverty and by revolution a vast number of people have been reduced to a narrow margin of existence we thought had been left behind with the memories of the stone age before history began.
But this external surface does not reflect th~ entire content of modern life.
The observer who concentrates all his attention upon the evidences of misfortune and suf
Page 576fering must be balanced by those who look with equal clarity beneath physical evidence to the inner surface and the foundations upon which human life is established.
The world of the mind is rich with infinite possibilities, in tragic contrast to the poverty of the world of the body.
From the world of truth, as from an inexhaustible mine, we have derived truly miraculous reinforcement for the feeble body in its eternal struggle against the environment of nature. No longer need human aspiration and will be limited in fulfillment by the inadequate tool of hand and arm, directed by the inaccurate and incomplete guidance of the five physical senses. Mechanisms as sensitive as thought itself, as powerful as human ambition requires, stand as servants ready to carry out any material command. However far imagination may fly ahead, it can reach no ultimate limit beyond which the creative thought of the race dare not go. But these two worlds, the world of body and the world of mind, though man lives native in both, appear to coexist independently, in a relationship which is a separation no less than it is a contact.
The scientist's achievement in the form of truth has no human equivalent in the form of social security.
The inventor's technic has complicated existence but multiplied poverty.
The world of truth is the modern Tantalus cup, offering what life cannot receive, even while it is likened to the slave of the lamp, fulfilling every command.
Social systems and programs devised during the last hundred years have one and all been efforts to confirm the contact and overcome the separation between the world of truth and the world of human experience. They have sought to mediate between the possibility of mind and the actuality of social need. What thought has accomplished in efficiency of mechanism it has endeavored to duplicate in efficiency of human relations. But every system and program combining the possibility of scientific truth with the social ingredient of human nature has produced not order but an increase of conflict. What appears perfectly fused in the crucible of abstract speculation reasserts its duality when put to the test of life. Socialism, communism, capitalism fundamentalist or reformed � all these systems alike � are unmistakably incapable of reconciling and blending the worlds of body and mind, the truths of science and society. The more that arbitrary power is applied to compel their acceptance as programs, the more explosive becomes the reaction of the human nature coerced in the name of efficiency and truth. Ours is not the first civilization to be brought to an end by mental capacity devoid of spiritual truth.
The unescapable historic fact is that the mediator between universe and humanity, the link between the world of truth and the world of social experience, has never been the speculative mind but the Prophet.
The mind discovers oniy that which it seeks; its voyages of exploration bring back oniy that reality which can be confined in the small cage of material reason. The universe is not such captive truth, such mastered knowledge.
The universe is the Will above and beyond man's physical will; that Will by which man must become and not merely possess, by which man must serve and not merely enslave to himself. The life and words of a Moses, a Jesus, a Muhammad, by the spirit inspiring them are truth. Within that truth, since it contains man and is not merely man's exploitation of what he contains, the life of the race is secure and progressive. Outside that truth, human existence moves ever toward destruction; for the Prophet is truth in that form in which it applies to the life of mankind.
By each Prophet is established a new civilization, because each Prophet establishes a spirtual world for the sour not less real than the nature which is the world of the body. The modern age, in all its social relationships, lies outside the spiritual world.
Hence its agony, its frustration physical and mental, the degradation of an unrepentant Prodigal
Son.Never has there been such a time of sincere, wholehearted searching for a foundation grounded not upon secondary, temporary historical events and developments but upon the nature of the universe itself.
Page 577RELIGION AND WORLD ORDER 577
This age, in its spirit, feels nearer to the ancient Prophets than has any generation since the first generation of believers laid down their lives that the divine Cause might prevail. Not in Christendom alone, but in the other existing civilizations, the appeal to the pure manifestation of love and wis-dorn, the racial Prophet, has become for many the last refuge of hope that human life can endure, can be meaningful and blessed upon this troubled earth.
Between themselves and that radiant Source of hope they feel the long centuries of strife and ignorance fading to the unreality of a frantic dream. Let mankind, they cry from the depths of their souis, Jet mankind make a new beginning; let life rest upon the sure foundation of the Divine will; let us become transformed, renewed with a new spirit, and in that spirit proceed to transform all things which are in denial of or in conflict with that eternal will. The nations hurry to destruction, they lament, when vision perishes. From this undying flame let our hearts and minds be kindled with the fire of love.
As the crisis persists, this call, feeble at first, becomes louder and more assured. First a personal attitude, then a social movement, gathering force and momentum, the going back to the Prophet now represents a mighty psychological crusade paralleling the physical crusades of medieval times.
To what degtee can this movement be fulfilled?The Prophet himself made a fundamental condition, that those who sought to follow him should abandon their goods, their wealth, and walk in his path.
This was said to a rich man's son, but does it not apply likewise to those who have inherited goods and wealth in the realm of mind? Does it not mean that those who seek to return today must abandon their acquired culture, their traditional philosophy, their ecclesiastical institutions, their rites and ceremonies, their pomp of church and churchly power?
Either it means this, or it means nothing at all, for the Prophet was not slain by the materially rich of his day, he was slain by order of the established church.
For Christendom, surely, the sincerity of all effort to establish life upon Divine rather than upon human will must be tested by conformity to the conditions its own Prophet laid down.
When the churches voluntarily disband, and people of all denominations and sects seek the Prophet upon absolutely equal terms, then, and then alone, will this psychological crusade reach the Holy Land. As long as certain individual believers alone fulfil this test, the movement will not affect the vital problems of civilization but remain in the limited realm of personal experience. It may produce a beautiful literature; it will not carry civilization outside its captivity to the lords of war.
There is also, it would appear, another essential condition to be met in this poignant appeal from the world to God: the recognition that other races iikewise had their Prophets, their revelations of the Divine will. For without such recognition, the crusade goes hostile and armed, a challenge to battle and not a conquest of universal peace. These two conditions � at root one condition seen in two different aspects � may fairly be said to be so difficult of realization as to be highly improbable, if not impossible, at least without one single precedent in human history.
Rivers flow downhill; and the water once descended from its spring does not return.
A contemporary historian remarks that the old world has died, but a new world has not yet been born. This view is no doubt the expression of an attitude which has come to prevail among many thoughtful people over a wide social area.
It perceives that the foundation of the civilization existing prior to the European War cannot be rebuilt; it realizes to the full the present instability of conditions and the lack of agreement among aims and programs; it frankly admits that the future, both in general trend and in outline, is concealed from the rational mind. Its clarity of analysis of the past is matched by its incapacity for synthesis directed toward the future.
'What emerges from consideration of this frank and sincere assertion is awareness of the artificial limitation assumed by the rational intelligence in dealing with the process of human history. By the phrase "old
Page 578world" and ctew world" it means civilization as formal institutions and established habits, and thereby overlooks the significant fact that civilization is an effect and not primarily a cause.
For civilization, long before it emerges in formal institutions, exists as an aspiration of the heart, as an ideal to be pursued and fulfilled by every faculty of mind and soul. It is oniy when human aspiration and ideal, shared by a considerable group or community, has gathered force and thrust through to the plane of social action, that civilization actually begins. Without this preliminary period of spiritual action, no civilization has ever become manifest. That period is to the later formal institutions and habits and doctrines as the root to the visible tree.
Though the entire tree is potentially present in the seed, the great trunk and the widespread branches are contingent upon a period of prior and invisible growth within the soil.
To complete the thoughtful statement uttered by the historian, it is necessary to seek for the future ttld" not in different programs and expedients adopted by the institutions of the dead ~~ orid" but in evidences of a spiritual life intense enough, universal enough, to establish within humanity that inner power required to raise the trunk and spread forth the branches of a tree whose fruit shall be universal peace.
World order, it is clear, represents a goal which includes the reconciliation of two values or ideals: the spiritual value of human brotherhood, and the social value of a united, an organic civilization.
Without a firm and enduring basis in moral unity, the institutions of society, no matter how far extended, cannot alone produce peace but will remain as centers of disunity and strife. On the other hand, those instinctive anarchists who preach a "brotherhood" conceived as absence of governmental institutions are naive and immature. Society without institutions would be a body without vital organs capable of expressing its various capacities and maintaining its existence.
These two values � humanity and civiliza � tion � have never been reconciled and united within the brief historic period known to the present age. We have had races but not mankind, cultures but not spiritual knowi � edge, nations but not civilization, and religions but not a brotherhood embracing the earth. We therefore approach the vital problem of wbrld peace without experience of what world peace really is. World order � the goal of human evolution � can not rightly be conceived as a mere truce or treaty between groups or institutions each born of past strife and discord, each cherishing a secret or avowed superiority and each committed to an ideal of sovereignty incompatible with the needs of permanent peace.
Nor can world order be effectively upheld on terms of "non-cooperation" with existing agencies responsible for the little public order which now remains.
Peace does not consist in abhorrence of war but in maintaining a steadfast conviction that the end of faith is human unity and the fulfilment of intelligence is a new social form, worldwide in scope and superior to the local forms which can no longer protect mankind and serve its highest interests.
In addition to a political world order, the attainment of universal peace involves: 1. The harmony and cooperation of races.
2. The unity of religions in a world faith.3. An economic world order in which capital and labor are conjoined in a relationship of partners and not competitors.
4. Compulsory education throughout the world, and an education grounded in universal ethics and adapted so as to prepare every child for a useful trade, art or profession.
5. A universal secondary language.Compared to these organic aims, the peace efforts aimed at occasional details such as reduction of armaments or the signing of new treaties are insignificant.
The character of this age is wholly new. It is charged with a spirit of transformation superficially violent but in reality constructive.
The whole problem of world order consists in attaining an attitude of reverence and humility to that creative spirit.
The principles briefly stated here were promulgated more than twenty years ago by tAbdu'1-Bah&, in whom the spirit of the age found its most faithful interpreter and its
Page 579RELIGION AND WORLD ORDER 579
Antun Uaddad, Distinguished Bahá'í Pioneer, 18621924.
noblest exemplar. He declared that human -ity is entering upon its period of maturity, when powers will be given the world to achieve an organic unity never possible in any previous age. But tAbdu'1-Bahi made the enjoyment of these powers conditional upon purity of motive and acceptance of the oneness of mankind.
Not for the people of prejudice and division, not for the organized selfishness of the rich nor the organized envy of the poor, but for those who have become truly human the day of universal peace has dawned.
The way backward has become a door that is forever closed. Revolutions and wars bring no lasting fruit; arbitrary social laws, divorced from human values, bring no true security nor repose. The world needs a central point of inspira tion raised above the clamors of history, a divine element, to supply a foundation for the latent unity within all people of good will.
ccTh foundations of all the divine religions are peace and agreement, but misunderstandings and ignorance have developed. If these are caused to disappear you will see that all the religious agencies will work for peace and promulgate the oneness of humankind. For the foundation of all is reality, and reality is not multiple or divisible.
His Holiness Moses founded it, His Holiness Jesus raised its tent, and its brilliant light has shone forth in all the regions. His Holiness Bahá'u'lláh proclaimed this one reality and spread the message of the tMost Great
Peace.'~How great the blessedness that awaits the king who will arise to aid My Cause in My Kingdom, who will detach himself from all else but Me!
Such a king is numbered with the companions of the Crimson Ark � the Ark which God has prepared for the peopic of Baha. All must glorify his name, must reverence his station, and aid him to unlock, the cities with the keys of My Name, the omnipotent Protector of all that inhabit the visible and invisible kingdoms. Sn ch a king is the very eye of mankind, the luminous ornament on. the brow of creation, the fountainhead of blessings unto the whole world. Offer up, 0 people of Baha, your substance, nay, your very lives, for his .1 "1 assistance.
Ji1HE first Queen of the world to study and to promote Bahá'u'lláh's great Teachings has been
I-Jet Majesty Queen Marieof Rumania, one of the queens of this twentieth century who stands highest in intel � lect, in vision, in clear understanding of the new universal epoch now opening. Her Majesty received the book Bahá'u'lláh and the New Era" by Dr. J. E. Esslernont and a note from the writer of this article who first visited Bucharest, Rumania, in January, 1926. The Rumanian Queen, grand-daugh-ter of the renowned Queen Victoria of the British Empire and of Czar Alexander II of Russia, both of whom received Tablets from Bahá'u'lláh in their day, read this volume until three o'clock in the morning and two days later, on January 30, 1926, ceived me in audience in Controceni Palace, in Bucharest.
Her first words after the greeting were, ~I believe these Teachings are the solution for the world's problems today!"
The account of that historic morning appeared in "The Bahá'í Magazine" in Washington, in June, 1926, but very illuminating letters written by Her Majesty ' Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá'u'lláh, p. 212.
that same year show how deep was her confirmation.
Here is one written to her loved friend Loje Fuller, an American then residing in Paris, which after these ten years can be published for the first time: "Lately great hope has come to me from one, Abdu'l-Bahá, a personal follower of Christ.
Reading, I have found in His and His Fatherof Faith all my yearnings for real religion satisfied. If you ever hear of Bahá'ís or of the Bahá'í Movement which is known in America you will know what that is! What I mean, these books have strengthened me beyond belief and I am now ready to die any day full of hope; but I pray God not to take me away yet, for I still have a lot of work to do."
Other letters record that first of all she was teaching her young daughter Ileana about these beautiful truths.
For ten years Her Majesty and her daughter, H.R.H. Princess
Ileana (now ArchduchessAnton), have read with interest each new book about the Bahá'í Movement as soon as it came from the press.
As we know she wrote three marvelous articles about these Bahá'í peace Teachings in 1926, and as they were syndicated each article appeared in nearly two hundred newspapers in the United States and Canada. Many millions of people were thrilled to read that a Queen had arisen to promote Bahá'u'lláh's plan for universal peace. Quickly these articles were translated and published in Europe, China, Japan, Aus � tralasia and in the Islands of the seas.
Received in audience byPalace, Sinaja, in 1927, after the passing of His Majesty King Ferdinand, her husband, she graciously gave me an interview, speaking of the Bahá'í Teachings about immortality.
She had on her table and on the divan a number of Bahá'í books, for she had just been reading in each of them the Teachings about Life after death. She asked the writer to give her greeting to Shoghi Effendi, to the friends in fran
Page 581RELIGION AND WORLD ORDER 581
and to the many American Bahá'ís who she said had been so remarkably kind to her during her trip through the United States the year before. Also, she graciously gave the writer an appreciation of these Bahá'í Teachings in her own handwriting, for Volume IV. of the CCBah?i World."
Meeting the Queen again on January 19, 1928, in the Royal Palace in Belgrade, where she and H.R.H. Princess Ileana were guests of the Queen of Jugoslavia � and they had brought some of their Bahá'í books with them � the words I shall remember longest of all that Her dear Majesty said were these: CCT1 ultimate dream which we shall realize is that the Bahá'í channel of thought has such strength, it will serve little by little to become a light to all those searching for the real expression of Truth."
Another happy audience was in Her Majesty's ioveiy summer palace "Th Yuva," at Baha'i, on the Black Sea, in October, 1929. Again in the home of Archduchess Anton at Madling near Vienna she and her mother received me on August 8, 1932, and in February, 1933, and Her Majesty made this great statement which was used as the frontispiece to '~B 1"' World," Volume IV.: "The Bahá'í Teaching brings peace and understanding. It is like a wide embrace gathering together all those who have long searched for words of hope. It accepts all great prophets gone before, it destroys no other creeds and leaves all doors open. Saddened by the continual strife amongst believers of many confessions and wearied of their intolerance towards each other, I discovered in the Bahá'í Teaching the real spirit of Christ so often denied and misunderstood. Unity instead of strife, Hope instead of condemnation, Love instead of hate, and a great reassurance for all men.~~ Then in the audience in
Controceni Palace on February16, 1934, when Her Majesty was told that the Rumanian translation of (cBh6:~11Ah and the New Era" had just been published in Bucharest, she said she was so happy that her people were to have the blessing of reading this precious
Teaching.How beautiful she looked that afternoon � as always � for her loving eyes mirror her mighty spirit; a most unusual Queen is she, a consummate artist, a lover of beauty and wherever she is there is glory.
Perhaps too, a Queen is a symbol, people like to have their Queen beautiful and certainly Queen Marie of Rumania is one of the most lovely in this world today. Her clothes, designed by herself, are always a ccI~fl ensemble" creation so harmonious in colors they seem to dress her soui. She received me in her private library where a cheerful fire glowed in the quaint, builtin fireplace; tea was served on a iow table, the gold service set being wrought in flowers. There were flowers everywhere, and when she invited me into her bedroom where she went to get the photograph which I like so much, as I saw the noble, majestic proportions of this great chamber with its arched ceiling in Gothic design, I exciaji-ned in joy, ccYour room is truly a temple, a Mashriqu'1 � Adhk6r!" There were iow mounds of hyacinths, flowers which Bahá'u'lláh loved and mentioned often in His Writings; there was a bowl of yellow tulips upon a silken tapestry in yel-'ow gold, a tall deep urn of fragrant white lilacs, and an immense bowl of red roses. Controceni Palace is the most beautiful palace I have seen in any country in the blending of its colors and in its artistic arrangements.
Her Majesty is a writer as well as an artist, and Her Memoirs entitled
"The Story of My Life"were just then being published in CCThe Saturday Evening Post." She told me she writes two hours every morning unless her time is invaded by queenly duties, charity duties, family duties. She was pleased with the sincere letters that were pouring in from all continents giving appreciations of her story. She told me the American people are so openhearted and that from the United States children, professors, farmers' wives and the smart people had written to her, the tone in all their letters revealing Her Majesty's entire sincerity and the deep humanity of her character.
One teacher wrote Her Majesty that in her childhood each one lived through his own childhood: another said, ttAll who read your story have their own lives stirred!" The Queen remarked, "And this is a very snisfactory criticism for an author."
Page 582A most pleasing letter had just arrived from Japan from a girl there who thanked God Who had allowed her to live in a period in which such a wonderful book had been written! "This," said the Queen, "is one of the nicest appreciations I have ever heard."
Then the conversation turned again to the Bahá'í Teachings and she gave a greeting to be sent to Shoghi Effendi in Haifa. Later she mentioned an incident in Hamburg when she was en route to Iceland in the summer of 1933.
As she passed through the street, a charming girl tossed a little note to her into the motor car. It was: am so happy to see you in Hamburg, because you are a Baha'i."
Her Majesty remarked that they recognized a Bahá'í and this shows a spirit of unity in the
Baha Movement.Her Majesty said to me, "In my heart I am entirely Baha'i," and she sent me this wonderful appreciation: The Bahá'í Teaching brings peace to the soui and hope to the heart. To those in search of assurance the Words of the Father are as a fountain in the desert after long wandering."
And now today, February 4, 1936, I have just had another audience with
Her Majesty in ControceniAs I was starting to walk up the wide ivory toned stairs carpeted with blue lr~nian rugs to the third floor suites, at that very moment over a radio came the rich strains of the Wedding March from (cLohengrin,~~ played by an orchestra. It seemed a symbol: the union of spiritual forces of the East and Europe!
Again Queen Marie of Rumania received me cordially in her softly lighted library, for the hour was six o'clock. She was gowned in black velvet and wore her great strands of marvelous pearls. The fire in the grate beamed a welcome with its yellow-glowing fragrant pine boughs and large bowls of yellow tulips adorned the apartment.
What a memorable visit it was! She told me she has a friend in cAklA, Palestine, who knows Shoghi Effendi and this friend recently has sent her pictures of Akka and Haifa; the two were playfellows when they were children and met in Malta. She also told me that when she was in London she had met a Baha'i, Lady Blomfield, who had shown her the original Message that
Bahá'u'lláhin London. She asked the writer about the progress of the Bahá'í Movement especially in the Balkan countries.
ccSince we met two years ago," said Her Majesty, "so many sad events have hap-penedl I look on with a great deal of sorrow at the way the different peoples seem to misunderstand one another; especially now that I have become very lonely in my home, I have all the more time to think over these problems, and I'm sometimes very sad that I can do so little.
However, I know that the right spirit and the right thoughts go a long way towards that unity of hearts which I haven't given up the hope to see before I pass on." She spoke, too, of several Bahá'í books, the depths of CCfq~~~~ and especially of ccGleanings from the
Writings of Bah& � 'u'llih"which she said was a wonderful book! To quote her own words: ccEven doubters would find a powerful strength in it, if they would read it alone and would give their sods time to expand."
Her Majesty kindly promised to write for ~'Bahá'í World," Volume~ VI, a special appreciation and to send it after four days.
I asked her if I could perhaps speak of the broach which historically is precious to Baha'is, and she replied, ttYes you may." Once, and it was in 1928, Her dear Majesty had given the writer a gift, a lovely and rare brooch which had been a gift to the Queen from Her Royal Relatives in Russia some years ago. It was two little wings of wrought gold and silver, set with tiny diamond chips and joined together with one large pearl. "Always you are giving gifts to others, and I am going to give you a gift from me," said the Queen smiling, and she herself clasped it onto my dress. The wings and the pearl made it seem "Light-bearing," Baha'i! It was sent the same week to Chicago as a gift to the Bahá'í
Temple, the Mashriqu'l-Adhkarand at the National Bahá'í Convention which was in session that spring, a demur was made � should a gift from the Queen be sold? Should it not be kept as a souvenir of the first Queen who arose to promote the Faith of Bahá'u'lláh � However, it was sold immediately and the money given to the Temple, for all Baha'is
Page 583were giving to the utmost Inadequate as is any one to forward this mighty article to portray Her structure, the first Majesty Queen Marie of of its kind in the United Rumania's splendid spiritual States. Mr. Willard Hatch,attitude, still these a Bahá'í of Los Angeles, few glimpses do show that California, who bought she stands strong for the the exquisite brooch, highest Truth, and as took it to Haifa, Palestine,an historical record in 1931 and placed it they will present a little in the archives on Mt. of what the first Queen Carmel where down the agesdid for the Faith of it will rest with the Bahá'u'lláh.
Bahá'í treasures.B AHA'U'LLAH revealed a sublime vision of human history as an epic written by the finger of God and proceeding along an ordered course to a climax, the nature of which was exactly defined before the story opened and the appearance of which at the date ordained by the Author no human misunderstanding nor opposition could prevent or postpone.
He taught that human history throughout its entire length was an intelligible and connected whole, centring round a single theme and developing a common purpose. From the beginning of the cycle to the present day and beyond the present to the cycle's distant end, one master-scheme is by set degrees disclosed.
The stage upon which the action moves forward is the entire globe, with all its continents and all its seas; and there is no race nor nation nor tribe nor even individual who has not a designated place in the unfolding of the
Grand Design of God.This doctrine of the unity of world-his-tory held in the revelation of Bahá'u'lláh a position of cardinal importance.
He was far from being the first among the Messengers of God to reveal it. Those "prophets which have been since the beginning of the world" and lesser seers as well as they have given glimpses of it to mankind, or have referred to it in symbol and in parable. It is indeed involved in all the historic faiths of the human race, and there is no world-religion extant which can be fully understood without a knowledge of its truth. But Bahá'u'lláh was the first to lay on it so great an emphasis and to expound it at large and in plain terms.
On it depends the significance of his own advent and the timeliness of his humanitarian reforms; and on it turns his teaching as to the aims and methods of Providence in its dealings with mankind.
This scheme is carried out by the power of God's will and it has its origin in his desire for the wellbeing of his creatures. Its aim is the training of the peoples of the world to live and to work together in harmony, and to establish by God's particular assistance a universal civilisation in which all the human faculties shall find at last adequate and complete expression. The attainment of this goal is in the Divine Author's eyes the opening of the main movement of human history. All previous and earlier events are in the nature of an introduction. They are steps up a long ascent, causes of a desired result.
However important they be, their meaning lies not wholly in themselves, but in the fact that they look and lead forward to a transcendent issue save for which they themselves would never have been called into existence.
Secular schools of thought cannot be said to have applied nor adopted any such broad conception of the integral unity of all human history.
In past times, truths so large did not find easy entrance into the minds of men. So long as accurate knowi-. edge of distant peoples was as hard to gain as accurate knowledge of past events, such doctrines would remain for scholars disembodied and unsubstantiated ideas. Today, histories of mankind on a comprehensive scale have become numerous; yet those of them which present the complete story as having an organic plot like a well-con-structed epic, are probably few indeed.
In the sphere of religion, however, the case is different.
The idea that the course of human events is directed by a stronger will and a clearer eye than man's to a predetermined end is found in more revelations than one. It is said to have been mentioned by the founders of all the world-religions. Though it has not been in any past age of 584
Page 585The Shrine of the B~b on Mount Carmel, showing recent extension of Terraces designed to connect it, according to Abdu'l-Bahá'í plan, with the German Colony.
Page 586such critical interest as it is today and has not before been treated so fully as now by Bahá'u'lláh, yet it has never been kept wholly concealed from man. There are references to it in scripture or tradition which are clear enough to show that this truth is part of the common religious knowledge of mankind while slight enough to prove that it did not hold in any High Prophet's teaching the same importance as in that of Bahá'u'lláh.
The general fact that God ordains human events long ages before they take shape on this earth (somewhat as a dramatist will complete his play before it is embodied in action on the stage), was alluded to by Jesus when He said of the righteous in the Last Day, "Enter into the joy prepared for you by the Father before the beginning of the world"; and again on many occasions by the Apostle Paul, as, "He chose us in him before the foundation of the world" (Eph. i. 4), and by Peter who speaks in a similar connection of "the foreknowledge of
God the Father" (I Peteri. 2) Muhammad bore the same witness when he revealed that the first thing which God created was a pen and that lie said to it, cfl~Qrrite~~ It said to him, ccx*Tht shall I write?" and God said, "Write down the quantity of every separate thing to be created." And it wrote all that was and all that will be to eternity.
More specifically, Zarathustrataught the gradual perfecting of mankind under divine law and the God-guided progress of history towards a distant but certain culmination.
At some unknown date the Hebrew allegory of the creation of the world in seven days made a cryptic allusion to the procession of world-religions and to the final consummation of God's full purpose in the Seventh Day, the day of maturity, completion and rest. The seers of the Hebrew people, lifted by inspiration into the eternal realm, would descry some sign or feature of the far-off Day of God, the foreordained climacteric of world-history, and in a mood of exaltation would give utterance to their predictive vision without fully comprehending what they saw or measuring the interval which separated them from its fulfilment. Isaiah cries: "It shall come to pass in the last days that the Mountain of the Lord's House shall be established in the top of the mountains and all nations shall flow to it. They shall beat their swords into plouglishares and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more" (I. 2, 4).
Or Zechariah:"The Day of the Lord cometh And the Lord shall be king over all the earth; in that day shall there be one Lord and His name one" (Zech. xiv. 1, 9).
Or again Joel:t~The Day of the Lord cometh there bath not been ever the like, neither shall there be any more after it even to the years of many generations.
Ye shall eat in plenty and be satisfied and praise the name of the Lord that hath dealt wondrously with you I I will pour out my spirit and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy � your old men shall dream dreams your young men shall see visions. And also upon the servants and the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit.
And I will show wonders in the heaven and on the earth. The sun shall be turned into darkness and the moon into blood before the great and the terrible Day of the Lord come. And whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved" (Joel ch. 2).
Confucius, more than five centuries before Christ, outlined in his book, Spring and Autumn, the ordained Plan of History in brief but plain terms.
He divided history into three stages. In the first, which he called the Stage of Disorder, the social mind was very crude; there was a sharp distinction between one's own country and other countries, and hence attention was paid more to conditions at home than abroad. In the second stage, the Advancement of Peace, there was a distinction between civilized countries on the one side and those uncivilized on the other; the range of civilization extended and friendship between nations became closer.
The smaller people could make their voicesheard. In the third and final stage, the Supreme Peace, there was no distinction at all among the nations of the world. All became civilized and met upon the level. Righteousness prevailed and the world was unified.
Jesus spoke much of theof God as He usually called it) and of its near approach. C(The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand." He did not stress, as Confucius had done, the historical aspect of the coming climacteric, but taking up the warnings of the Hebrew prophets He spoke of the unexpectedness of its advent and of the terrible jeopardy into which it would bring mankind.
Even in an age so late in history as His, a full account of the development and destiny of the race would have been premature.
He kept the fullness of this truth among those things which He had to say to His disciples, but which at that stage they could not yet bear.
But now a new occasion has arisen. New opportunities, new problems, new perils, confront mankind; and with these new conditions has come the need of a new knowledge.
He who, before the human race began, fixed the date at which that yet uncreated race would reach the apex of its course and attain the maturity of its powers, has now declared that the Date has come.
He who, in dim and distant ages long past, solemnly ratified with His people a Covenant and made to them a faithful promise that He would bring them all to His Kingdom in His own good time, has now in this epoch kept His ancient promise and fulfilled the Covenant in its completeness.
This present time is God's Good time. This present time is the Era of which since the beginning of the world prophets have chanted and seers have sung.
Suddenly � unexpectedly � unawares � without observation (exactly as Jesus said) the fullness of the Glory of God has irradiated the globe from the east to the farthest west. The Day of the Lord has dawned. Keeping his pledge, God has thrown open to men a new domain of life and activity, has conferred on them new powers, laid on them new responsibilities; and he demands that they enter as quickly as may be into this new order of existence and fit themselves to these higher conditions.
The nature of those charges which in the Day of God are to be laid upon mankind can be gathered from a sympathetic reading of the prophets of Israel. Those seers wrote � as a great poet might write � with their minds turned towards God and their hearts lighted and warmed by ardent faith.
They could not control the vision that was vouchsafed them: they could not complete it nor set it in its own environment and perspective, nor plumb its meanings nor yet count the years which should elapse before it descended from the realm in which they say it to the realm of actuality.
When the prophets are read in this spirit as Jesus and the evangelists read them, there rises into view a clear and boldly sketched outline of those world-developments which from the creation have been laid up to await the present hour.
The picture is one which has puzzled, fascinated and awed the Christian mind. The impression made by the vision upon the seer-prophets was profound. They write or chant in a strain of exaltation which finds its answer across the years in the rapturous faith of the Apocalypse and the controlled but not less deep emotion of the Christ telling of his second Advent. The strange scenes and deeds and wonders that appear in the picture are hardly more startling than the violent contrast of the colors in which they are painted. Here Hell seems to reach out to the gates of Paradise; delusion and enlightenment, despair and victory, the lighted Pit and the sunshine of God's own presence seem all to have a place here, and through some purgation of Phiegethonian misery man hardly comes alive to inherit the promise of all ages.
The Event which the Hebrew prophets foresaw was not to be an isolated occurrence; it was one of a series of events; it was the Last Day of many days.
But it so transcended all before it as to be outstanding and paramount.
Its splendour outshone all previous splendours, and its blessings were so far above all previous experience and precedent that men would live in a new world and would not even remember the former things that had passed so utterly
Page 588away. So full will be the Revelation vouchsafed by God in the Last Day, so glorious the effulgence of this supreme Theophany that darkness and error will not be able to withstand the impact of its might.
They will flee and perish.The radiance will sweep across the entire gtobe from the east to the west.
It will settle and abide in every land. Mankind will become one, and will be organised round a single central authority which it will recognise as divinely appointed.
One law will run throughout the whole earth. National distinctions will not be obliterated; the various nations will meet upon a common level but will retain their separate identity. All peoples and races will share a common relation to one another. A Universal religion will unite the hearts of all. Mankind will form a single congregation, their God being recognised everywhere as one and the same God endowed with the same attributes and known by the same Name.
The Glory of the Most High in its depth and in its height will be poured forth over the earth; and spiritual gifts, once the privilege of a gifted few, will be possessed by the many.
War will be abandoned. The skill of those who made weapons of destruction will be turned to beneficent uses.
All the world over, men will be able to enjoy their homes and their prosperity in security and peace.
(See, for instance, Isaiah ii. 24; xv. 1725; Zech.
ix. 10; xiv. 9; viii, 20 flU; Zeph. iii. 9; Micali iv. 15, etc.) Such is the prophets' picture of the world conditions of the Last Day; such � believe the Bahá'ís � are the changes which man in this hour is called upon to make.
Prescient of the crisis and the difficulties that lay ahead, Bahá'u'lláh, half a century ago, with timely forethought, offered to mankind the knowledge that would enable them to shoulder the new responsibility about to be imposed upon them.
He not oniy outlined a large plan of reform, but he explained, with an emphasis, a fullness, and a precision not used before, the brotherhood of mankind and the unity of their development from the infancy of the race to the present time.
History, he taught, is in its length and breadth one and single. It is one in its structure.
It is one in its movement.From the beginning of time the whole human race has been subject to one law of development' and it has advanced age after age in accordance with one and the same principle and by the application of one and the same method.
Its whole movement has one source and one cause, and is directed towards one goal. The unification of the world, instead of being an afterthought, or of needing an improvised miracle for its completion, is the normal conclusion of a process that has been going on since the race began. Each of the world-religions has its own set place within this vast economy. Each is mediated through a
Master Prophet from Godby one and the same principle and bears witness to some phase of one indivisible Truth. No religion has been exhaustive or final.
Every one admits of development and invites it. If all were under God thus developed, each along the line of its own implicit truth, they would not move farther and farther apart, but on the contrary would approach one another till at last they merged and became one. The ultimate ideal of them all, while not the same as any one of those from which it grew, will yet be consistent with the essence of each of them. It is the universal religion: the fruit and the perfection of all that preceded it. He who accepts it on its appearance will not deny the ancient Faith of his forefathers; he will reassert it, and at the same time will accept all the other revealed faiths of mankind.
When all men know the certainty of their common history and their organic unity, then, said Bahá'u'lláh, on that knowledge will be built the temple of peace and the fabric of future-civilisation.
Page 589of Czechoslovakia, who in December, 1935, succeeded President T. G. Masaryk, incorporates the spirit of the young Republic in its concentration on liberty, democracy and culture in the new world order.
I had the honor and the privilege to have an audience with him at Hrad6any Castle in Prague, on April 22, 1936. Passing through those great reception halls in that centuries-old famous castle where kings have held sway I observed everything minutely, but when I came into the presence of this young President in his audience room, I saw oniy him. He is the living embodiment of a man with a mission, and that mission is peace.
He may be building greater than he knows! Certainly it was thrilling, when one hers how Bahá'u'lláh more than fifty years ago urged the rulers of the world to study His spiritual plan for the good of the world and the happiness of the nations, to find today in Czechoslovakia a second Ruler of this Republic who has the insight to see the significance of the Bahá'í Peace Plan.
Also of extreme significance to readers is the historical fact that the Messages addressed by Bahá'u'lláh from His prison in tAkk~ to the kings and rulers of Europe � one of whom was the monarch whose realm included this same Czechoslovakia � in 1 869 and 1870, not only declared that Universal Peace was the first obligation of governments in this new age, but predicted the overthrow of every government resisting this ideal � a prediction that has been literally fulfilled.
"President Bene~, what Jo you think of the Bahá'í peace Teaching?" I asked him that morning, and he replied: "As you know, I have followed it with deep interest ever since my trip to London to the First Races Congress in July, 1911, when I heard for the first time of the
Bahá'í Movementand its summary of the principles for peace. I followed it during the war and after the war.
The Bahá'í Teaching is one of the spiritual forces now absolutely necessary to put the spirit first in this battle against material forces."
He has studied carefully a number of the Works of Bahá'u'lláh and tAbdu'1-BaM. He said concerning peace: "Peace is in danger todry because the spirit is lacking; in these chaotic times since the Great 'War, the fight is terrifically keen between the spiritual and the material forces.
Many people are convinced that the material forces are dominating and will dominate, but I have always believed that the spirit will finally win. It is always so. Jesus said, tFear not those who can kill the body but those who can kill both the soui and the body.'
cCTh Baha Teaching," the President again affirmed, ttis one of the great instru-meats for the final victory of the spirit and of humanity." It is a great impulse f or-ward when true rulers like
President Bene~, PresidentMasaryk and others begin to turn to the Bahá'í Teachings to safeguard the in � terests and promote the wellbeing of the whole human race.
The President spoke next of his own country and its aims for peace. One felt that Czechoslovakia is solid and sound physically and morally. He said: "'XTe have no upheavals in our country, we have tranquillity, progress without any revolutionary rights or lefts. We do not ask anything of anybody, we are nor a provocation to any one, and we attack no one. We entrust our affairs to the League of Nations in Geneva and to the World Court at the Hague. Our conscience is clear, we do not fear international judgment.
If we are right, it is well; if we are wrong, we shall make the corrections; that is the spirit of this country and its government."
589c-fl 'C Early Bahá'í Pioneers of Najaf-Abid, IrAn.
Page 591He spoke fervently about universal peace. His own words were: "Peace is the work of men, exactly as war is the work of men. I am of the opinion that governing people are always responsible for the wars. The responsible people in certain numbers can make the wars, or they can establish the peace.~~ Such is the President of this little nation in the midmost heart of Europe, the country which is the balance, the counterpoise to the entire European equilibrium. He is an optimist; he told me: ~ do my best, I have a good conscience.
I do all I can, in such a case one cannot be a pessimist." He is a constructive pacifist, some even call him a militant pacifist in his march of ideas and tremendous efforts to establish goodwill among the nations.
To me he seemed neither proud, nor humble, but unconscious of his personal self he devotes his very being to his aim � and that aim is to help make a world of peace. He is most appreciative. He is most courteous; though he is such a busy man, he does not hurry, he makes each visitor feel he has time to speak. The nine men who came out from his audience chamber just before I entered it, looked very happy and in their eyes glowed the fire of the spirit.
He is the wisely-chosen President of an energetic nation that dwells, in its geographical position, at the very crossroads of northern, southern, western and eastern Europe.
Through the Bahá'í Teachingsthis Republic of Czechoslovakia can become a center of the cultural currents which a new divine civilization is creating. The nations that arise to the peace ideals of this new universal cycle are those that will go forward to the highest evolution. A half-century ago, Bahá'u'lláh wrote that the presentday order would be rolled up and a new one spread in its stead; he said the most Great Peace will come. Those who have vision to see beyond the present darkness can be optimistic, for they perceive a new world order � viewing the world as an organism � slowly but surely appearing!
Page 592ON rare and precious occasions the truth � seeker attains a summit of vision so commanding that it guides and gladdens all his lesser ways of life. He sees far; he feels deeply; he comprehends much: he stands on a peak of spacious philosophic orientation, and locates himself on the map of existence.
Certain axial lines of reality seem to converge in his clear and glowing consciousness. And from this cosmic outlook emerges a philosophic poise akin to religious peace of mind. Both are ineffable and unshakable, steadying and satisfying, a peerless harmony. This elevated experience may be called a spiritual perspective.
In the latter phrase I know that I am mixing metaphors and metaphysics because I purpose to show their kinship, the yoked consanguinity of poetry and philosophy. These constitute a balanced pair of wings for ascending the ecstatic heights of cosmic vision.
There is one distinctive kind of literature where metaphors and metaphysics abound and blend in beautiful perfection. That literature consists of the noblest utterances of the world's high prophets. Their words live on in men's hearts because they unite truth and beauty. They exhibit an equilibrium and sense of security amid confusion and persecution the secret of which I long to know.
How could Buddha, Jesus, Bahá'u'lláh, and others, remain calm and sweet while suffering dreadful insults and deprivations? For some reason they were untouched by the worldly troubles that disturb lesser minds. But how can painful troubles seem unimportant save as they are much subordinated to some large perspective?
What do spiritual perspectives mean in the concrete?
As illustrations I shall select some of the priceless vistas revealed in the writings of the Bahá'í founders.
Thesewritings are a stirring fusion of poetic beauty and religious insight.
I, like another, have been CCstrucl( by their comprehensiveness." I find they have extraordinary power to pull aside the veils that darken my mind and to open new visions of verity and life.
Spatial perspectives are familiar in drawing, architecture, and other arts. Before me stands a perfect example: an etching by Blanding Sloan, inscribed Two In finites, Open and Closed. From a star-set vortex at the left center burst forth two systems of seemingly endless lines.
Running off into the right distance an eight-way path, arched by other lines, converges tubelike at a vanishing point in deep space whence fancy must carry on. Out of the vortex at the left originates a spiral of ever-widening light bands which leap outward toward an infinite expansion.
One's imagination revels in the suggestions of boundless space in every direction.
This brilliant creation is a concrete symbol of an infinite concept.
The universal idea of spaciousness is metaphysical: its picturesque embodiment is poetic: the two factors fuse in inseparable unity.
It matters little whether one says that the sense form blossoms into the idea of endlessness or that the idea of endlessness becomes incarnate in the sense form. In such a unity is exemplified the essential meaning of a spiritual perspective.
It is the center of an interfiow or discharge between the two worlds of sense and of spirit. But whereas the lines of material perspective close to a point, spiritual insight opens toward the ever expanding realms of human and divine life.
And between the two infinites in Sloan's etching stands man, scratching his head, uncertainly balanced, puzzled, half-comic. Whenever I contemplate this comic figure, I wonder how funny I look from God's 592
Page 593viewpoint? By way of analogy I recall a pathetic ant lost on a sidewalk and a fly beating a window pane to escape. I am eager to seize upon some cosmic perspective to redeem me from comic narrowness and futility.
Other kinds of perspectives exist. In arithmetic I need not count far without discovering how I could go on forever.
Indeed the mathematician tells me that if I can define the relation of one term to its two neighbors, I may possess the principle of an infinite series.
In an analogous way, if I can determine the essence of a few drops of ocean water, I may have the key to the chemical constitution of the seven seas. Perhaps in social life certain basic relationships between neighbors can be defined which would be good for all men to practice. Such a universal ethical principle would be another variety of spiritual perspective.
Are there not then some patterns of conduct, generated perhaps by a genius, which might radiate to all men, for their weal or woe? It is evident, for example, that some individual man had to be the first to smoke a pipe of tobacco else smoking could not have become a worldwide practice.
Here is a practical perspective of spreading conduct, of a custom which through imitation has rippled to the rims of the continents. Similarly I believe that the original example of a truly great prophet may advance from person to person until it reaches the ends of the earth.
Two basic characteristics of spiritual perspectives emerge from the preceding considerations. (1) A perspective of any kind can radiate oniy from the unique viewpoint of a specific person. His viewpoint is constituted and colored � or discolored � by the values he esteems and the character of his awareness. His personal values function as a kind of eyepiece for his soul.
No one else can survey the world through his mental eyepiece, and he can never stand behind the window of another souL No two observers could possibly see at once the same rainbow because of their different angles of vision. Spiritual perspectives do not exist outside of personal consciousness.
The latter serves as a kind of focal center where values and truth become real, significant, or illUmi � nating, just as a highly polished diamond becomes the point for the display of the inner nature and beauty of light. A spiritual perspective produces a tremendous intensification of individual awareness.
(2) While several observers cannot perceive the identical rainbow, yet comparable elements exist in all their viewpoints; for instance, an arc of prismatic colors. We can talk and think about these qualities, and consolidate them into the concept of rainbow. Then this idea with its load of meaning may gradually pass from mind to mind. Even big ideas which sweep like grand vistas to the horizons of reality are capable of endless recreation in the consciousness of man.
Thus a common realm of truth is built up in which all intelligent men may share. In the world of space only one body can occupy a given place; in the world of ideas many minds, without conflict or collision, may possess the same idea in the same instant.
Because ideas, entirely unlike material things, possess this interpenetrating spiritual nature, I believe they are the greatest wonders of the world. Bahá'u'lláh has written, ttTherefore it has become known that the first bestowal of the Almighty is the Word.
The receiver and acceptor of it is the understanding.
It is the first instructor in the university of existence, and is the primal emanation of God. All the names originate in His name, and the beginnings and endings of all affairs are in His hand." 1 Now a perspective is ideal or spiritual in essence.
It is constituted of thought or spirit. A mere animal is incapable of spiritual perspective.
He cannot locate himself in any world beyond immediate sensation, nor plan his future, nor appreciate values. All these require the fourth dimension of meaningful conception which he lacks. Thus spiritual perspectives are at once unique in their personal existence and universal in their range of meaning.
The two characteristics of spiritual perspectives just indicated form an intimate I. Tablet to the Zoroastrians.
Page 595union. To describe this union adequately taxes to the limit alike metaphysics and metaphors. Certain spatial figures may symbolize the philosophical realities involved. Lines focused in one point may yet radiate afar. Likewise ideas or ideals, arising in the burning focus of a finite experience, may contain revelations of vast areas of life.
Such an ideal or perspective as I am trying to describe is at once personal and universal, concrete and perhaps also cosmic in bearing. Its manifestations in experience are unique, but its meaning belongs to all corners.
A concrete pulse of sensation is meaningless without the setting of ideas; and an idea may be vague abstraction without the sampling of concrete reality. A spiritual perspective is an ideal incarnate in self-consciousness.
In converse phraseology, it is the creative form in which flesh awakens into the boundless realm of the spirit.
The kind of consciousness thus hinted at is what philosophers have called the concrete universal.
It is the kind of experience both philosophers and poets eagerly seek after; namely, the richness of actual personal life united with the breadth of ideal insight, living content illuminated by far-reaching thought, finite experience set in a cosmic perspective.
Only in this form does reality exist for the intelligent mind. Poetic harmony and philosophic insight merely emphasize different aspects of this intimate synthesis of beauty and truth.
The intelligent religionist, I believe, also seeks to realize this conscious fusion of the concrete and the universal. He is an expert in viewing a particuLar act in a broad setting in which God is the focus. For example, in giving a cup of refreshing water to a weary traveler he is aware of doing it in the name of the Most High.
Like some poets and philosophers, the religionist is cosmic in spirit and concrete in action.
But the truly great religionist as prophet~ reformer, while accepting both, goes beyond both in a new and important emphasis: the truth which the poet contemplates as an emotion-filled image, which the philosopher conceives as a universal principle, the prophet presents as a universal way of acting or living. Like the philosopher he possesses a secure poise born of a cosmic outlook; like the poet he clothes his convictions in beauti-Lii metaphors which inspire men. But be adds his own distinctive genius: a deep and driving urge to lead men by example to realize a richer life. Having himself discovered the joys of a new and abundant way, he ardently yearns to communicate and share with others his unifying and generative vision.
In short, the characteristic quality of the religionist is a kind of missionary zeal. He is a dreamer-actor, a critic-builder, a moral leader, a creator of ethical wealth.
He presents patterns of conduct which he believes, with reason and sincerity, are good for all men.
The greatest gift and opportunity of re-figion is to make the patterns of abundant life attractive and effective to the masses of men, so that these ideals may gradually spread throughout the world.
During the remainder of this paper I shall strive to describe some attitudes or patterns of life which seem worthy of uni-versa1 practice. By suggesting ~orms which the Bahá'í prophets have recommended I shall enjoy their confirmation of my selec-non.
It was indicated above that through the individual viewpoints of men there may permeate some common elements of thought; for example, the color and arc of the rainbows. The common factor consists of that mysterious marvel called the concept or idea. How is it possible for men thus to know common ideas or truths? Philosophic criticism compels me to answer: it is the gift of one Supreme Intelligence.
I can find no other adequate source for the common body of verity which men know than a Divine Wisdom who in diverse orderly ways mani � fests himself to mankind. The realization of this truth is the basic philosophic-religious insight: seeing through things to God. This awareness of the divine has been happily called cosmic consciousness.
The Bábi'i scriptures abound in stirring metaphors by which the prophet-poets endeavor to suggest the character of this Supreme Being. Here are a few of their
Page 596choicest figures: God is the Ruler of existence, the Lord of all worlds, the one Foundation of
Reality, the Shepherdof the world, the Sun of Reality, the Ocean of Divine Presence, the Sea of Divine Generosity, my Awakener, the Desire of the Universe. In the invocations of these books a hundred or more stirring attributes are applied to Him. tAbdu'1-Bahi has written, ~'Nothing is completely worthy of our heart's devotion save reality, for all else is destined to perish.
Therefore the heart is never at rest, and never finds real joy and happiness until it attaches itself to the Eternal. Man must attach himself to an infinite reality, so that his glory, his joy and his progress may be infinite.
Only the spirit is real; everything else is as shadow. Therefore, let us yearn for the Kingdom of God, so that our works may bear eternal fruit."
2 The deepest and surest ground of mental poise is the conviction that the framework of our human life is a friendly cosmic intelligence. This belief, once accepted wholeheartedly, influences and glorifies our atti-aides towards everything else. When we awaken to the perspective of a universe ordered by the ever-active and wise God, an ineffable peace takes possession of our souls. It is like the dawning of the sun over a dark and indistinct earth: the details of the landscape fall into an ordered whole, and with joy and confidence we set forth on the next stage of our pilgrimage. In this steadying vista of existence the endpoint is God and the fore-point is my own soul, and I am content.
A second source of hope and peace of mind is the belief in the oneness of mankind. This conception and ideal is the most distinctive and important feature of Bahá'í teaching.
"The essence of the Bahá'í movement," declares Horace Holley, "is spiritual democracy." In exquisite poetry Bahá'u'lláh has said, "0 people of the world!
Ye are all the fruits of one tree, and the leaves of one branch, the flowers of one garden, and the drops of one ocean. Conduct yourselves with perfect love, union, friendship, and understanding."
2 Divine Philosophy.This belief in the oneness of mankind rests upon several solid reasons.
The first is religious: the conviction that God is the one Father of all entails the recognition that all men are brothers.
Bahá'u'lláh affirms, ccThe religion of God is for the sake of love and union."
The second reason is epistemological: universal intercourse through ideas presupposes a deep kinship among human minds. In other words, the existence of creative intelligence and common truth makes a man realize his oneness with other members of the race.
The third reason is empirical and ethical. Biologically and psychologically human beings have essentially similar characteristics. Since then I realize growth and joy through friendliness with my neighbors, it is fair to believe they would enjoy similar benefits. I take it as axiomatic that all men desire a more abundant life, and that the attitude of sympathetic goodwill enlarges our natures. It follows as night the day that the practice of goodwill � of valuing life and serving mankind � is the ultimate principle of morality. In everyday life intelligent kindness is basic; there is no demand beyond this for the regulation of conduct.
This ideal and spreading practice of goodwill in social relations is another example of spiritual perspective. It is of universal application.
It is so simple and intelligible that even a young school boy could appreciate it. The central problem of civilization is how to extend this spirit in intelligent forms to ever-widening circles of imman beings.
Love is a divine quality, and the only hope of a harassed and disordered world.
Now suppose that every person in the world practised this attitude to every one he met, and that his sympathies excluded no one.
A Baha author declares, "As the laws of human association replace throughout society the laws of animal survival, men will learn how to realize the harmony, the beauty, the abundance, the free fellowship which the myths of every people have attributed to the golden age." ~ Immeasurable joy and contentment would fill the human world.
I could feel at home every-BahS'i: Baha'i: Spirit of the Age, by Horace Holley, p. 127.
Page 597I can count upon people to prefer kindness to ill-will and malice.
I know I dislike intensely the conflicts and regrets that result from unkind words and deeds. I can be sure that the psychic effects of benevolent action will be unifying and satisfying.
Here I come upon a second fundamental source of philosophic poise. If I can gain that inner resolution, integrity, or strength of will by which I maintain a friendly attitude at all times in the face of annoyances, injustice, or misunderstanding, then I shall have a sure refuge of peace. I rely much upon the leaders and literatures of religion to help me maintain this spirit. The power of religion to increase the deficient supply of altruism in society is a sufficient justification for its support and development in contemporary life.
The reign of love in the world would destroy the dullness and monotony due to unsympathetic imagination, for love is in � genious and creative. The lover invents new devices by which to make his love more expressive and helpful.
Several specific techniques for realizing goodwill more effectively will now be indicated. These methods are included among the fundamental Bahá'í teachings.
(a) Let us consider first the art of conference, or the technique of consultation. This art of group discussion is of supreme importance in solving the problems of the oncoming century.
It assumes that a conference may be creative in the sense of producing valuable insights and solutions which would not be found apart from the group. The procedure assumes the freedom, equality, and utter tolerance of all members. It presupposes also a willingness on the part of the individual to modify his prejudices and plans of action in the light of fresh facts and ideas which may emerge in discussion. The will to maintain a spirit of unity in the group and the preservation of the method of sympathetic discussion are of such basic importance that they must be maintained at all costs, even with the failure of agreement upon other plans of action.
In the ideal conference, obstruction, re-sentrnent, and secession on the part of a minority are carefully provided for. Sometimes a few, after free and full deliberation, may honestly regard the decision of the majority as unwise.
But every member has understood in advance the expected course of action in case he finds himself one of the imnority: namely, to maintain the spirit of cooperation and the method of experimentation; that is, in assisting the majority to gain the additional experience and facts necessary to test their hypothesis.
If the viewpoint of the minority should become verified, then the majority in their turn would support the minority in their plans. In this way minorities are not embittered or excluded, but are encouraged to cooperate. This consideration is of the utmost importance, because it is usually from the minority that the most significant new ideas arise.
To envisage the universal practice, in the different phases of social problems, of this art of conference as described above is a thrilling perspective and possibility. If this technique became as widespread as the handshake, the ill-will, bitterness and tragedy of unsettled social conflicts would be largely alleviated.
To realize this lofty ideal of social adjustment requires a philosophic approach, and a persistent and lofty order of self-sacrificing devotion to the brotherhood of man.
(b) Let us turn our most lively imagination to tracing the far-reaching consequences of another perspective concerning the brotherhood of man. Suppose that every school boy and girl in the world should learn, along with arithmetic, grammar, and other elementary studies, an international auxiliary language of excellent quality? Experts tell us that this proposal is eminently practical, and that such a language can be learned in a surprisingly short time. Then when the school boy grew up to become a traveler or salesman, a scientist or missionary, he could interchange ideas with people in any part of the world.
The result of this interchange would be the dissolution of countless misunderstandings, an increase in the sense of oneness, a mutual enrichment of cultures, and other incalculable benefits. Through such a sec
Page 598ondary language some international body like the League of Nations could make readily available to anyone every important writing. lit seems that oniy a relatively small amount of intelligent planning and cooperation is required to inaugurate this grand enterprise.
Its possibilities for the growth of peace and civilization are staggering.
It is another spiritual perspective worthy of realization.
(c) I can think of other patterns of conduct which are at once simple in conception and universal in application. There is space to mention only a few. Bahá'u'lláh declared that there is no more important matter than universal peace. As soon as everyone in his heart really desires peace and is unwilling to do violence to anyone else, then war would be impossible.
Here is another spiritual perspective of far-reaching significance.
To gain peace for the world let every individual sincerely love peace and practise it. Then all hate would be turned into fellowship and love.
Worldwide peace is as simple � and difficult � as that. A Greek proverb says in effect: to keep our city clean let every citizen sweep his own door front.
(d) Another pattern of thought of tremendous power is the idea that evil is transition to good. If everybody actually believed and acted upon that truth, then the difficulties and pains of life would lose their bitter sting and become stepping stones to higher spiritual levels.
The Nile River appears muddy and brown when viewed nearby; at a certain distance it becomes a sparkling blue, reflecting the brilliant sky overhead.
I am convinced that in general every evil to which we do not succumb can become our benefactor if we will.
(e) Here are a few other perspectives. Could not everyone in his youth learn the technique of one of the fine arts?
Then through the remainder of his days he could enjoy richer self-expression and development in his leisure time. (f) Why not learn in youth the simple elements of a perfected shorthand as a convenient tool for the rest of life? (g) As a lover of gardens I could propose such an organization of community and land ownership that everyone could have a small plot of earth where he could enjoy the care of growing things.
We have seen how a perspective is an ideal of living, seen in spirit, not yet realized in space. It is a spiritual principle capable of generating value in ever-widening ranges of human experience.
And those who first see and inaugurate these principles are called seers or prophets.
A prophet is a man who is wise enough for the first time to see and seize clearly a basic life value which future generations will esteem.
He discerns and lives in the present some pattern which in the course of time many nations, perhaps all the world, will practise.
He reads in advance the chapter headings in the history of the future. His contemporaries may call him mad, traitorous, impious, or abnormal; he becomes the norm for people at a higher level of spiritual evolution. The masses of men are really looking for the qualities of the great normality, the complete life.
The peculiar function of the high prophets in all ages is to assist men in defining the patterns of abundant life, to awaken the divine potencies which lie dominant in them. Truth-seekers eagerly study the words of these high prophets, for they are the creators of spiritual perspectives. In Bahá'í metaphor the prophet is the dawning place of goodness and spiritual truth in the world; as the sun brings light in the natural world, the prophet brings light in the spiritual world. His advent is like the coming of spring.
He is the patternmaker for oncoming generations. He plants in civilization the seeds of destiny, and once a seed is discovered all may grow the flower.
Markham has said, ~Thou canst see the whole world's winter in one leaf." In one act of unselfish love one can discern the key to universal peace and happiness. Thus the patterns of the prophets become the goals of the race, and perhaps its customs also.
Because prophetic writings portray ways of life which promise to abide, the reader enjoys there in the present some of the landscapes of eternity. This sensing of the eternal brings to the mind an exquisite poise and serenity. The vision of the
Page 599prophets aid us greatly in finding our concrete setting in the thought lines of the ages.
Some of the profoundest joys of life emanate from growing perspectives concerning its meaning.
James H. Cousins says, in his Ode to Truth, ttFor they who catch the vision of the whole may greatly dare the part;~~ and they who feel the power of love may live at home in all the world. Ethical and religious demands sometimes seem hard in the present because they presuppose a long-range view of a great good. The value of any perspective, however, is measured by the amount of reality it enables us to grasp, the range of future planning it provides for, and the altruistic power it generates.
Now it may be that the Bahá'í conception of the "new world order" is a spiritual perspective sufficiently grand to include all others. Supreme philosophic satisfaction comes from discovering such an all-compre-hensive ideal. I recall how the Parthenon is unified by imaginary construction lines which converge at a point far above the temple; so perhaps the great lines of prophetic perspective may sometime issue in a spiritual commonwealth in which God is the Pl Point" and love the universal cement among men.
The warmhearted devotion to such an exalted cause unifies one's whole life.
It saves us from the prevalent "sin of disproportion," which magnifies trifles and disregards fundamentals.
In this long view the annoying details of life become negligible, and we maintain our tranquillity amid worries and disappointments.
Tagore has written, ttLife's errors cry for the merciful beauty that can modulate their isolation into a harmony with the whole."
But, the true religionist is not, like the philosopher, merely a passive spectator of all time and existence.
He is a vivacious actor in a definite sphere of life. He is a pilgrim in a country which is not his own because it is not yet made according to his ideals. He lives expectantly and adventurously. He is a spiritual pioneer who dares to adopt the prophetic pattern and act upon it, as Abraham who journeyed to a far and strange land to make a new home for his family and a new religion for the world. The man of spiritual vision sees what ought to be and stakes his life on the faith that what ought to be is more real than what is for it is bound to come to pass.
Professor William E. Hockinghas written, ttDestiny in practice means the way to my next step in growth." This next step may be either one of two fundamental kinds. (a) I may become newly seized by a spiritual perspective, by an ideal which suddenly becomes transformed from a mere word or abstract idea into a soul-gripping conviction.
This step is a "moment of vital decision" when I claim as my own some basic prophetic ideal, when I become for the first time the burning focus of a great cosmic perspective.
(b) The second kind of step in growth may consist in a concrete victory in which I actually put in practice a plan of action which I have adopted as my own. And the conviction and ideal become clearer as I strive to realize them. The discovery and the realization of spiritual perspectives, then, are the two growing points of life: the seeing of a new path to a fuller life, and the starting to walk along that path. Incomparable poise and peace blesses the self whose conduct is thus oriented in cosmic perspective.
Page 600ml' ~ � ~# ~ ~~Fr ~ A ~ ~ a � pp ~ ~ 109 # '~f~
P I~ ~IN the world of religion, what do the times disclose?
An even more exciting and significant chapter than that describing the amazing progress of science, could we only interpret it aright!
An identity of effort so marked, that I am sure it is not blasphemy to declare that the scientist and the mystic, if they but knew it, are aiming at the same goal. Yes, and the iconoclast is close cousin, if not brother, to both of them!
How else shall we interpret the cry, which grows in strength with every year: "We want life, not empty ceremonials! Life itself is sacred, human beings in themselves are important and their demands for justice must be heard! Give us a religion linked with life and the human cause.
Take God out of the church and let Him become active in the affairs of men!"
This healthy revolt of modern youth, seemingly against religion, is at bottom not revolt against religion but the trappings and dogma that conceal the true God. If the inner substance of religion were to be presented to these same dissenters, I venture to predict we should find hearty agreement from all thoughtful people the world over.
The terrible, yawning gap between religion and actual life is what all thinking people resent. The emphasis placed upon ritual and creed, leaving the vast problems of life to take care of themselves, creates iack of balance and breeds rebels everywhere. This agonizing divorce of the spiritual world from the actual everyday world has fostered the modern spirit known as antiChrist, and until we have bridged the formidable divide which separates the two domains of matter and spirit I fail to see how we can convince the doubter.
How can life be secular at one pole and divine at the other? CCAIL life is sacred!"
cry the dissenters. And they are right. "We are tired of this eternal prating of sin and sinners!"
declare the great body of resentful youngsters � and oldsters, too � brimming with zeal for bold and flaming adventure. They know instinctively that life itself is more important than any theory about life, and they are on their way to discover the secret of happiness and achievement.
They dare the seas, ride the air, blast mountains, rear skyscrapers, build bridges, dig tunnels, and perform other amazing feats of engineering. Rivers of molten metal rush forth at their bidding; steel rails multiply and miracles of transportation unite peoples hitherto separated; excavations in ancient lands reveal treasures of cities buried thousands of years ago. No wonder our modern age stands rubbing its eyes in the presehce of such wizardry!
But there is no end to the story of adventure. No sooner does man conquer the air than he challenges the stratosphere. Then, in a supreme reach of divine enterprise, he plucks a beam from Arcturus to light the Century of Progress opening in Chicago!
Hendrik Van Loon has written a book called: ~Man the Miracle Maker," in which the history of human achievement is fascinatingly told, with the prediction of still greater triumphs in the future. The author declares that this volume is ctreally a confession of faith," and shows us "Man, not as a victim of fate, but as a creature endowed with practically unlimited powers for the development of his brain Man still at the beginning of his career as a reasonable being, but rapidly discovering by which road he may eventually hope to escape from those difficulties which make his present existence such a torture."
It is revealing to note the author's use of a capital M in the spelling of the word "man." I am glad of it. What a change 601
Page 602from the old and damning concept of the worm," and how refrc~hing thus to expand one's faith in humankind!
In a nutshell, men are so busy with their own struggle against environment, so on fire with the will to tame the heretofore ungovernable powers of nature, that they fiercely resent interference from whatever source and fight off every seemingly inimical influence. Religion, as they understand it, is alien to their cause.
They are in love with life!Dead issues do not interest them, and religion as taught in their childhood appears now an outmoded and useless superstition.
Everywhere we hear their protest, everywhere we discover this revolt among human beings so deeply concerned with matter that the very word "spirit" offends them. ~'What has God to do with it?" they cry. ttWe arc interested in this phenomenal world; in the things we can see, touch and handle.
It is all-sufficing."Dear innocents, little do they suspect that God has everything to do with it and that they, all unconsciously, are acting as agents of the Creator in the very enterprises they so ardently espouse! Nor do they suspect that the forces with which they deal, the mysterious elements they handle, are in themselves divine.
To quote Sir Oliver Lodge, these challenging radioactive substances we label with such assurance may some day prove to be "the very garment of God."
Even when our most recent revered scientists � Eddington, Jeans, Millikan and their fellow physicists � come forward with the admission that there is something beyond; a mystery which science may not solve, the materialist remains unconvinced. But he cannot remain so forever; sooner or later he is bound to acknowledge the truth; because, whether he knows it or not, that is the direction in which he is going.
Why do we not see this passionate process of growth for what it is � the terrific effort of Life to throw off all impedimenta; to strip away the husk in order that the flaming reality shall appear? Life is impatient of nonessentials, and the more alive one is, the more vigorously does he insist upon reality and fight its opposite. Oh, why don't we, why can't we understand? No matter what form it takes, whether scientific or religious, the urge is primarily the same. We are, all of us, fleeing from the surface to the core, and only the core will satisfy. Out on the circumference � termed by certain mystics "the remove," as indeed it is, being "removed" incalculable degrees from the inner reality � one confronts every conceivable form of division; wars, hatreds, prejudices, injustice, misunderstanding, disease and death. Only at the center can we ever find unity.
One reason I hail with thanksgiving the interpretation of religion known as the Bahá'í Faith and feel so deep a kinship with its followers is that I recognize in its Revelation an outreach of the Divine to stumbling humanity; a veritable thrust from the radiant
Center of Life.Every follower of this faith that I have ever met impressed me as a living witness to the glory at the heart of this universe. Bach one seemed filled with a splendor of spirit so great that it overflowed all boundaries and poured itself out upon the world here in this moment of time, by some concentrated act of love toward another human being.
The prediction of physicists: re The world is on the threshold of a new power era" finds justification today in the realm of religion, which at last is placing the emphasis where it belongs, shedding the husk to make way for the blossom and the fruit.
Just as our men of science are flinging themselves into this terrific ttwar against the atom" in order to strip matter of its surface and compel it to reveal its inner potency, so in the churches one finds everywhere the thrust of minds bent upon preserving the fiery "cores' of religion even at the expense of ritual and dogma. Discarding formula for truth, the letter for the spirit!
Page 603Bahá'ís and Friends gathered at the Grave of Mr. Adam 1~enke, German Bahá'í Pioneer in Sofia, Bulgaria.
Bahá'í Pioneers and Martyrs of I ran.ge-schichtlich verschiedener Religionen setzt die grundsiitzliche Kiarstellung voraus, nach weichen Gesichtspunkten der Vergleich vorgenommen werden soil. Wir gehen von der Erkenntnis aus, dass alien geschichtlichen Religionen eine gemeinsarne geistige Grund � lage cigen in. ~tDiese Grundlage muss not-wendigerweise die Wahrheit sein und kann nur cine Einheit, nick eine Mehrheit bilden."
1 Diese Einsicht soil gerade durch die Untersuchung des Verhaitnisses zwischen der Sendung Bahá'u'lláh's und dern Chris-renturn erhuirtet werden. Die deutliche Herausstellung des Ausgangspunktes unserer vergleichenden Betrachtung dient dazu, bei der Gegenjiberstellung beider Religionen den Buck von Anfang an auf das Wesentliche mid nick auf das dern geschichtlichen Wandel Unterworfene im religibsen Ge-schehen zu richten.
Wir gehen n~im1ich von dern zweifachen entscheidenden Gesichtspunkt aus, dass jeder Religion einerseits em geistig zeitloser, andererseits em zeit-und entwicklungsge-schichtlich bestimrnter Gehalt zugrunde liegt.
Der erstere besteht in dem in den Heiligen Schriften niedergelegten t~Wort Gottes," das seinem Wesen nach nick ver-alien oder erstarren kann, der letztere urn-fasst die iusseren Gesetze und Gebote, weiche immer den entwicklungsgeschichtlich gegebenen
Erfordernissen in Bezugauf die Lebensformen der Menschen und V5lker entsprechen und deshaib durch jede neue Gottesoffenbarung cine Aenderung, Erwei-terung,
Erg~inzung und Fortfiihrungerfah-ren. Den Wachstums-und nd Verfalisbeding-ungen der geschichtlichen Religionen sind deshaib nur ibre ~iusseren Forrnen,2 niemals ~ Em 'Wort Abdu'l-Bahá's, ]AahA'i-Perlen, Stun � gart 1922, S. 4.
2 lReligionsiibung, t~Gesetze~~ soziale Normen, institutionelle Einrichtungen, u.s.w. aber ihr geistiger, unwandelbarer Gehalt unterworf en. Der Verf all oder die Erstar � rung religibser Lebensformen (Dogmatis-mus, Orthodoxie, Ausschliesslichkeitsan � spruch) haben, wie die Geschichte zeigt, eine Verschiittung und menschliche Entstellung der gbttlichen Lehren zur
Folge. Der Schwerpunktj eder Offenbarungsreligion liegt nicht auf ihren geschichtlichcn Daten, Ereignissen und Formen, sondern einzig und allein in ilirem inneren und unverlierbaren NVahrheitsgehalt.
Diesen immer wieder von Neuem zu verki~nden und von wesensf rem-den Einfluissen und menschlichen Zutaten zu befrejen, also das ewig schbpferische Wort Gottes entsprechend der Fassungskraft und Entwicklungsstufe der Menschen wieder zu verkiinden, ist der gemeinsame Auftrag aller
Manifestationen und Propheten.der Manifesta-tionen und Propheten erkennt der defer Schanende cinen wunderbaren Erziehungs~ plan Gottes fur die Menschheit, nach dem sich die geistige Entwicklung der Menschheir stufenweise vollzieht. Jede gbtdiche Manifestation wird so zum Erzieher der Menschheit fur cinen zeitlichen Erzieliungs-abschnitt, weshaib jeder Gottgesandte an die vorausgegangene
Offenbarung ankniipft. Aufden Zykiusgedanken der fortschreit-. enden Offenbarung des Wortes Goats kann hier mangels Raurn nicht weiter einge-gangen werden Dass im vorgenannten Sinne die Sendung Bahá'u'lláh's die Lehre Christi best~tigt, erfijilt, erneuert und zur Herauffiihrung einer neuen gottgewollten Weltordnung fortfiihrt, soil nun der nachfolgende Ver-gleich zeigen.
Zuerst eine Charakterisierungdes geistigen Gehalts beider Offenbarungsreligionen.
8 "Das Wort Gottes in seiner fortschreitenden Offenbarung."
"Sonne der Wahrheit," XIV, 10, S. 76ff.BAHA'I-GLAUBE UND CHRISTENTUM 605
Christus karn, urn im engeren Sinn die rnosaische Gesetzesreligion aus ihrer starren Urnklammerung zu befrejen und in cine lebendige
Gesinnungs-, Tat-undLiebes-religion tiberzufiihren und urn im weiteren Sinn der ganzen Menschheit den Weg zu Gott zuriick zu zeigen, der fiber die N~ch-stenliebe fiihrt und die Einheit Gottes zurn Ausgangs-und d Endpunkt hat. Seine Send-ung war cm urgewaltiger
Ruf zur Selbst-tiberwindungund vblligen Einordnung des Menschen in den von Ibm verkiindeten Willen Gates.
Er verlegte den Schwer-punkt religi6ser Lebensfiihrung nach innen" und geisselte jeden nur formgerechten
Schein von Frdrnrnigkeit.Er brachte kein abge-rundetes Lehrgeb~ude, zerbrach erstarrte Dogmen und verwarf iiberholre ~ussere Gcsetze.
Die von Jhm verkiindete Wahr � heit kleidete er in Gleichnisformen mit tiberzeitlichern Charakter und allegorisch-symbolischer
Bedeutung. Seine Worteverp � flicliteten zu cigenem Denken und persbn-licher
Entscheidung. Die rnenschheitliche Bedeutungdes Christentums liegt in dec Sendung Christi, durch weiche die Gates-und N~ichsten1iebe unlaslich zu einein und dem vornehrnsten Gebot auf dern Fundament der Einheit Gottes wurdeni
Die Bergpredigt Christiweist den 'Weg des Einzelnen zur Erftillung dieses zweifachen Gebots. Sie hat die Selbsttiberwindung und vdllige Einordnung des Menschen in den Willen Gottes zum Inhalt, weiche eine innere Wiedergeburt und zu Letztem be-reites Heldentum aus innegewordener Ver-bundenheit mit Gott, dem Vater und hbchsten Gesetzgeber erheischt.
Die Ver-wirklichung des von Ihm verheissenen Reiches
Gates bindet Christusan den Volizug des Willens Gottes. Darin liegt die fordernde Gewalt Seiner Sendung, weiche jedwede Glaubens-und Werkgerechtigkeir ausschliesst.
"Es werden nicht alle, die zu Mir sagen: Herr, Herr! in das Himmeireich kommen, sondern die den Willen tun Meines Vaters im Himmel."
6 Die sozialen Ausfol-gerungender Botschaft Christi ergeben sich vor alien aus der Bergpredigt.
Das Leben Christi war em einziger Beweis ~ "Das Himmeireich ist inwendig in cuch." 5VergI.
Mattb. 12, 2931.und Sterben stellen einerseits die unerbittlichste und erhabenste Konsequenz Seines Gehorsams Gott gegentiber und andererseits den Ausdruck
Seiner unend-lichen Menschheitsliebedar. So waren Seine Worte und Sein Leben eine unzertrennliche Einheit Seiner gbttlichen Berufung, der Menschheit ccweg Wahrheit und Leben" zu werden.
Fassen wir zusammen: Das Leben und die Lehre Christi zeigen cindringlich die untrennbare
Verbindung von Gottes �und N~ichsten1iebe, von Religion und tatfreu-diger Sittlichkeit, wobei die Selbstverleug-nung die
Grundforderung 711 sittlichern HandeinChristus wies von neuem den Weg, das Reich Gottes zu verwirklichen: ccselig sind, die Gottes 'Millen tun."
Wie steilt sich nun der Bahi'i-Glaube in semen geistigen Grundziigen derngegentiber dar? Er ist keine neue Religion, sondern will alL geschichdichen
Oftenbarungs-religionenauf ihre gemeinsame geistige Grundlage, das Wart Gottes, wie es durch die gbttlichen Manifestationen und Prophet-en imnier wieder verkiindigt und gelebt wurde, zuriickftihren.
Bahá'u'lláh sagt: ccDie Sonne der Wahr-heit ist das Wort Gottes, von dem die Erziehung der Menschen im Reich der Gedanken abh~ingig ist. Es ist der Geist der Wirklichkeit und das
Wasser des Lebens. Thinverdanken alle Dinge ihr Dasein. Es offenbart sich immer nach der Fiihigkeit und Farbe des Spiegels, durch den es wider-gespiegelt wird. Wird zurn Beispiel scm Lick auf den Spiegel des Weisen geworfen, dann bringt Cs Weisheit zum Ausdruck; wird es von dern Geist des Kiinstlers wider-gespiegelt, so schaift es neue und sch6ne Ktinste; leuchtet es durch den Geist des Gelehrten, dann offenbart es Wissen und enthiilit Geheimnisse.
Alle Dinge der Welt erheben sich durch den Menschen und kommen durch ihm zurn Vorschein.
Durch ihn finden sie Leben und Entwicklung, und der Mensch ist beziiglich seines geistigen Daseins von der Sonne des Wortes Gottes abhiingig. Alle guten Namen und edlen Eigenschaften sind Resultate des
Page 606ist das Eeuer, das in den Herzen der Menschen gltiht und alles verbrennt, was nicht von Gott ist.
Der Geist der Liebendenist immer von diesern Feuer entflammt. Es ist das Wesen des Wassers, das sich in der Form des
Fcuers offenbart. Aeusserlichist es brennendes Feuer, innerlich dagegen ruhiges Licht. Dies ist das Wasser, das alien Dingen Leben gibt."
~ Bahá'u'lláh ruft die Mcnschen von neuem auf, die Gebote Gottes zu befolgen, weshaib Er das Wesen der Religion damit bezeichnet, "das anzuerkennen, was der Herr off enbarte und zu befolgen, was Er in Seinem m~chtigen Buck verordnet hat." Auch er wendet sich gegen erstarrte Re-ligionsformen und -Dogmen. "An diesem Tag muss den weicher das Licht der Sonne der Wahrheit sucht, semen Geist von den Ueberlieferungen der Vergangenheit frei machen; er muss sein Haupt mit der Krone der Trennung und semen Tempel (Kdpper) mit dem Kleid der Tugend schrniicken, dann wird er zu dem Ozean der Einheit und Einzigkeit Gottes gelangen. Das Herz muss von dem Feuer des Aberglaubens frei werden, damit es das helle Licht der Gewiss-heit empfangen und die Herrlichkeit Gates begreifen kann."
8 Er fordert die sittliche Tat als Beweis wabren Glaubens.
"An diesem Tag mtissen die Menschen ihrem Gott mit Reinheit und Tugenden dienen. Die Wirkung des durch den Lehrer ge-sprochenen Worts ist abhThgig von der Reinheit seiner Absicliten und seiner Tren-. nung vom Irdischen. Manche begniigen sich nur mit Worten, aber die Wahrheit der Worte wird durch Taten bezeugt und hThgt von der Lebensfiihrung ab.
Taten often-baren dieWorte miissen in Uebereinstirnmung mit dem sein, was aus dem Munde des Willens Gottes hervorgelit und in den heiligen Schrif ten berichtet ist. "~ Bahá'u'lláh erneuert und erweitert das ewige
Gesetz der Liebe. Seine Worteist: Alle sind von Gott. Dies erhabene Wort gleicht dem W'asser, welches das in den Herzen verborgene Feuer des Hasses und der Erbitterung l6scht.
~' Worte der Weisheit, S. 57 � 5 8.Durch dies einzige Wort werden die ver-schiedenen Religionen zu dem Licht der Em-heit gelangen.
Wahrlich, Er sagt die Walir-heit und fiihrt zum rechten Weg." '~ Wie tAbdu'1-BaM sagt, ist jeder Mench als cm Zeichen Gottes zu betrachten.
Die Lehr Bahá'u'lláh'sgbtt-lich, in ihren Zielen alluinfassend, in ibrem Ausblick weit, in ihrer Methode wissen-schaftlich, in iliren Grunds~tzen menschen-dienend und von kraftvollem Einfluss auf die Herzen und Gemiiter der Menschen." Ihre besondere Bestimrnung liegt darin, niclit nur den unverfiilschten und unwandelbaren Sinn und Gehalt aller Religionen von neuem zu best~itigen, sondern dartiber hinaus die kommende Weltordnung auf Grund der geistigen
Einheit der Menschheitheraufzu-fiihren. Gegentiber dem Christentum ist deshaib der Sendung Bahá'u'lláh's die ziem-lich konkrete Lasung sozialer und gesell � schaftlicher Eragen eigen, wie sie sich seit dem Auftreten Christi entwicklungsge-schiclitlich immer dringender stelite, vor allem durch den technischen, politischen und wirtschaftlichen Strukturwandel der 'Welt besonders seit dem 1 8. Jalirhundert.
Die Sendung Bahá'u'lláh'ssteilt die Offenbarung des Wortes Gottes in einer zeitgeschichtlich neuen und einzigartigen Synthese pers6n � licher und sozialer Lebensgestaltung dar, die
Liebe und Gerechtiglzeitzu den Grund-slizen des menschuichen Gerneinschaftslebens macht.
Der Schliisselgedankedes Bahi'i-Glaubens ist deshaib Einheit und Entwick-lung
Ms organische VerbundenheitAles Seins und Ms ewig neusch5pferischer Lebens-rhytlimus.
Die in den Lehren Bahá'u'lláh's zumund Le � bensanschauung steht mit dem Errungen-schaften der Wissenschaft ausdriicklich in Einklang, weshaib audi eine se1bst~indige vorurteilsfreie
Wahrheitserforschungmit dem CtFklli hf' des Verstandes gefordert wird.
Auch Bahá'u'lláh widerfulir das tragische Geschick des Gottgesandten, von Semen Zeitgenossen verkannt und aufs heftigste bekiimpft zu werden, sodass Sein Leben bei Beginn der Erkhirung seiner
Berufung.BAHA'Ii-GLAUBE UND CHRISTENTUM 607
zelintelange, strenge Gefangenschaft im Ge-folge hatte. Eine nachtr~ig1iche Verf~i1-schung oder menschliche Umbiegung des 'X~ahrheitsgeha1ts
Seiner Sendung hat Baha � 'u'1l6tdureli die Bestimmung tAbdufl-BahA's, Seines ~i1testen Sohnes, als den allein be-rufenen Erkliirer und Ausleger Seiner NVorte und als das volikommene Lebensvorbild f fir den Menschen in religionsgeschichtlicher Einzigkeit unterbunden.
Dass die 'Wahrheitss~itze des Christenturns und des BaM'i-Glaubens sich hickenlos decken, braucht nach dern Gesagten nicht weiter betont zu werden. 'Mo liegen nun aber die Griinde fur die Erneuerungsbe-diirftigkeit des Christenturns unserer Zeit? Nimmerrnehr in einem angeblichen Ueber-holtsein seines inneren Gehalts, sondern in der Tatsache, dass der Kern der Sendung Christi im Laufe der Jahrhunderte incirner rnehr vet-schalt wurde. Schon in den ersten
Jahr-hunderten nach ChristiGeburt setzte die tragische Einzw~ingung der lebenswuchtigen und sittlich zwingenden Worte Christi in dogrnatische und institutionelle Formen em." Die Verkiindigung des Christentums wurde nach der Seite menschlich gefassten Glaubens bin verlagert, sodass der Abso-lutheitsanspruch, weicher in der Wahrheit des Christenturns als soichern begriindet liegt, in der Form des Glaubens, in
Dogmen und Bekenntniss~itzenDie Spaltungen innerhaib des Christentums gehen niclit auf die reine Lehre Christi, sondern nachweislich auf die Schaffung und die Ausdeutung der Sakra-mente, die Bibelauslegung und den Abso-lutheitsanspruch der katholischen Kirche zuriick.
Eine ausfiihrliche Kennzeichnung des Katholizismus und Protestantismus, den Haupt auspriigungen des geschichtlichen Christentums, mtissen wir uns hier versagen. Im
Mittelpunkt des Katholizismussteht der Anspruch der Kirche ab dem Reich Gottes und dern Leib Christi mit dem Papst, der die sichtbare Verkarperung der kirchlichen Einheit in der seit dem Vatikan-Konzij von 1870 ausgesprochenen Unfehibarkeit darstel-Len soil. Ohne die ttallein selig machende" Kirche gibt es kein Heil. "Sie ist in ob-jektivern sachlichem Betracht der ordentli-11 \Tergl. Christentum in Geschichte und Gegen-wart, Frankfurt 1933, 5. 1012.
che Heilsweg, die einzige ausschliessliche Lichtquelle, durch die alle Wahrheit und Gnade Christi in die raum-zeitliche Welt einstrdmt."
12 Dem Katholizismus ist cine sakramentale Werkgerechtigkeit eigen, wel-che als Massstab der Frbmmigkeit die Kultu-streue wThlt und den "Glauben" zu einern ccf~~r wahr halten" macht.
Demgegentiber lehnt derab und erkennt waliren Glauben in dem Vertrauen zu Gott und Seinem Wort.
CCDas Wort Gottes ist das Heiligturn fiber alle Heiligtiirner, ja, das Einige, das wir Christen wissen und haben" (Luther). Die
Verlegung des Schwer-punktesder Frdmrnigkeit auf den Glauben als innerer Vorgang hatte aber irn Protes � tantismus die ZuriickdrThgung des
Tatge-dankens, der Wandlungs-undd Umbildungs-kraft der Re1igiosit~it im diesseitigen
Leben zur Folge. Kennzeichnenddafiir ist der G1aubensrn~issige und tatarme Inhalt des Apostolischen
Bekenntnisses. Darausent-stand eine Glaubensgerechtigkeit, weiche den Einzelnen immer weniger zwang, seine religiase Haltung in alle Lebensbereiche tat-freudig hineinzutragen.'3 auch werden wir alle nach und nach aus einern Christentuin des 'Wortes und Glaubens immer mehr zu cinern Christen-turn der Gesinnung und Tat kommen." 14 Dieses Wort Goethes zeigt an, worauf es bei der unurngThglichen
Erneucrung des Christentumsankommt. Anslize zu dieser Erkenntnis sind zweifellos vorhanden.'5 Pine entscheidende Urn-und
Neubildung des Christenturnsals wieder lebendige, in das innere und iiussere Geschehen der Vblker hineinwirkende Religion erheischt aber cinen neuer und mmhtigen Durchbruch der gbtt-. lichen
Wirklichkeit.irn Licbt der Wahr-heft; ihre AnhThger wurden gelehrt, aBe Menschen als Briider zu lieben, keine Furcht zu haben, auch nicht vor dem Tod. Sie wurden gelehrt, ibren Nachsten zu lieben, sich selbst und ilir Eigeninteresse dem ailgemeinen Wohi ihrer Mitmenschen zu opfern. Das erhabene
Ziel Jesu~ En Versuch in dieser Richtung lag in dem englisch-amerikanischen
Calvinismus.der Menschheit," der Leuchter 1921 � 22, S. 99 if.
Page 608Christi war, die 1-Ierzen aller Menschcn zu Gottes strahiender Wahrheit zu fiihren. Wenn die Nachfolger Christi Seine Lehre treu und auf-richtig bis auf den heutigen Tag befolgt batten, dann wifre die Erneucrung der gattlichen
Ba-schaft, die Wiedererweckungder Christenheit nicht notwendig geworden, denn cine grosse herrliche Kultur wiirde jetzt auf der Welt Herrschen und wir Mtten das flimmeireich auf
Erden 16des Christentums von menschuichem Beiwerk liegt dem RuE Bahá'u'lláh's mit zugrunde. CCD1 cbs Erscheinen Christi wurden die gattlichen Lehren in Uebereinstiminung mit der Kindheitsstufe der menschlichcn
Rasse gegeben. Die LehrenBahá'u'lláh's haben dieselben grundlegenden Prinzipien, tragen jedoch dem Reifezustand der Menschheit und den Erfordernissen dieses Zeitalters Rechnung." (tAbdu'1-Baha.)
Die oft gestelite Rage, oh Bahá'u'lláh beanspruche, gr6sser zu sein als Christus, er-weist sich als gegenstandslos, wenn der deL-ste Sinn der Manifestation erkannt wird. Nach den wiederholten
Erkliirungen Bahá'u'lláh'sdie Aufgangspunkte einer und derselben Sonne, d.h. die Sonne der Wirklichkeit ist cine, Aufgangsorte hat sie jedoch jahireiche.
So ist das Won Gottes in-i Wandel der Zeiten das ewig gleich blei-bernie, offenbart sich aber als Sonne der Wahrheit in verschieden benauuten volikom-menen Spiegein, mit weichen die Gottgcsand-ten syrnbolisch vergleichen werden kdnnen. Deshaib charakterisiert, CAbdu~1~Bah4 Chris-tus als das Wort Gottes in seiner vollen und uneingeschr~inkven
Bedeutung.'7Die Finsiclit der gemeinsamen geistigen Grundlage der
Offenbarungsreligionenan Christus," Worte Abdu'l-Bahá's, SdW. Jahrg. XIV, 10, S. 88.
dem Menschen den Weg, geschichtliche Fehlentwicklungen a's soiche zu erkennen und den Weg zu einer wahren religibsen VerstThdigung frei zu machen. Der Bahá'í � Glaube unterscheidet nicht nach Bekennt-nissen, sondern schaift das cinigende Band zwischen alien wahrhaft reLigidsen Men-schen. Aus diesem Grunde sagt tAbdu'1-BaM, dass wer nach den Lehren
Christi handelt, Bahá'íist. Das Fundament des Christentums und des Bah4'i-Glaubens ist das Wort Gottes, weiches Bahá'u'lláh ciner religias pfadlosen Menschheit als Auftrag Gottes neu, m~chtig und verpilichtend vet-kiindigte.
Wer unvoreingenommen und vorurteilsfrei genug an die Schriften
Bahá'u'lláh's und Abdu'l-Bahá'sherangeht, wird darin die Lelire Christi in unmittelbarer, er-greifender und neuer Gewalt wiederfinden und verstehen lernen, weshaib das Christen-turn dureb die Sendung Bahá'u'lláh's seinem inneren Gehalt nach eine neue Best~tigung und Vertiefung und seiner
~iusseren Weg-fiihrungnach cine entwickLungsgern~sse Erweiterung erfaliren muss.
Die so vie1 Streit und Spaltung veranlass-ten christlichen Dogmen und Bekenntnisin-halte verlieren
Ire Enge und Unwissen-schafdichkeit.Sic erfaliren durch den BaM'i-Glauben ibre wahre innere und sym-bolische Deutung. Der Gedanke der Drei-einigkeit, das Mysterium der Erl6sung, die Auferstehung und Wiederkunft Christi werden dadurch lebendige Bestandteile des vielzu theologisch gefassten Christentums. Die Botschaft Christi wird durch die Weltgeschichtliche Sendung Bahá'u'lláh's wieder in unmittelbare LebensnThe zurtick-gefiihrt, urn alle
Bereiche menschlichen Tunsund Handeins in die Ietzte und hbchste Bezogenheit Mensch-Gott einzu-betten.
Page 609Bahá'ís Attending Annual Summer School, Esslingen, Germany, 1935.
Page 610DE PROF. PAUL CHRISTALLER, STUTTGART iama vicprezidanto de la Germana Esperanto-Asocio kaj Lingva Komitato, membro de la Esperanto-Akademio B AHMSMO estas speco de religio, kiu inter la religioj lucks sarnan rolon, kian Esperanto havas inter Ia lingvoj: gi estas netitrala kaj ne kontraiibatalas aliajn religi-ojn.
Nu, kio estas religio?La vorto mem ci Ia latina linvo montras ankau en Ia Es. peranta formo cc bone la esencon de N ideo. Religio re-ligas homon al tiu potenco, kiun Zamenhof nomis en Ia fama kongresa pre~o CCla potenca senkorpa mistero, Ia fonto de amo, de vivo, de vero." Tiu vorto reli � go ricevis duan i kaj fari~is religio. Mi tre gatas la sufikson " � jo" por jo tutaia: Ia tutajo de 1'fako por filozofo estas filozoflo, por astronomo gi estas astronomio, do religio estas Ia tutajo de do, kio nin ligas al tiu senkorpa mistero, kiun mallonge ni nomas Dio.
Bahuismo cetere ne estas nur ligo al Dio, gi sin okupas � kiel ankati aliaj religioj � pri la individua kaj Ia socia vivoj. La soaa vivo estas portata de du kolonoj, norne: amo kaj laboro. Ni unue atentu la laboron, kiu ja estas esenca faktoro en au vivo. Baha-. 'u'lISh diris: "Plej profunden falis tiuj homoj, kiuj sur Ia Tero ne portas fruktojn, iii fakte estas kvazaii mortintoj. La plej bonaj en iu popolo estas iii, kiuj perlaboras Ia por la vivo necesan kaj uzas la gajnitajon por si kaj por la kunuloj laji amo al Dio." En Ia libro ctICit4b~i~Aqdas~~ estas postulate, ke tiu lernu iun profesion kaj per gi akiru viv-rimedojn, kiujn Ii uzu por Ia propra bono kaj por tiu de aliuloj.
Oni rajtas havi privatan posedajon kaj labore akiritan hava-jon. Bahá'u'lláh diris: "kiam homo fariftis memstara kaj matura, tiam Ii bezonas Inn-staton; estas 1a~dinde, kiam tiu bonstato estas akirita per metio-aii alia profesio. Tatiga impostado devos zorgi, ke la riaajo de u~-uopulo ne farigu tro granda; kio kondukus al malbona stato de socio.
Same devas entre-prenisto aii fabrikestro partoprenigi siajn laboristojn en 'a profito de 'a entrepreno, per tio oni instigas al laboremo kaj evitas strikojn."
Taiiga impost-lefto lasus impost-libera mairiCulon, sed, ph multe ol nun, pagigus ri&ulon. La bah~a instruo rekornendas na-turaj-imposton, kiu estas liverata de kampo-teritorioj al urbaj distriktoj. ttEkzemple: kampulo kulturas la grundon kaj produktas nutrajojn, cliii Ia urbo ricevu dekonon. En la urbo estu konstruata komuna don-io, en kiun oni metu ~iujn kampo-produktajojn. Se iu en la urbo estas senhelpa, oni al ii donu Iiajn dutagajn bezonajojn. Kampulo, kies enspezo nur sufleos por propra nutrado kaj bezonajoj, devos esti impost-libera.
Sc aliflanke rieulo nur bezonas 50 kg da pro-duktajoj kaj ii posedas 50,000 kg, Ii post pago de eiuj siaj kostoj estu impostata je du dekonoj, kaj je Ia fino de 1' jam ejo, kio restas, cstu donata en Ia domon por ftenerala bezono."
Pri Ia reguligo de Ia salajra problemo Bahá'u'lláh rekomendas, ke Ia oficistoj kaj laboristoj ne nur ricevu salajron, sed ankail profitu 4 Ia gajno: ttPosedanto de kapitalo, minejo kaj fabriko dividu siajn enspezojn kun siaj labor-prenantoj, t.e. Ii donu al iii la~-mezuran rentumon, tiei ke iii ricevu krom sia salajro join el la ftenerala enspezo, por ke ilia animo kun plena intereso parto-prenu en Ia entrepreno. Tiamaniere oni estonte ankafi ne plu starigos trustojn.
La trusta problerno perfekte malaperus. Fabri-610Baha'ism KAJ LA SOCIA PROBLEMO 611
kantoj, kiuj havas 10,000 partumojn, donos cliii du-mil al siaj laboristoj kaj skribe cer � tigos don al iii. La resto apartenas al la kapitalistoj. Poste, je fino de 1'monato ati jaro post depreno de la sumo por salajroj kaj bezonajoj oni dividu la profiton laji la nombro de la partumoj."
Tia reguligo alti-gos Ia laborernon de unuopa oficisto kaj laboristo kaj savos la popol-ekonomion de la detruaj strikoj. C~jj~ registaroj de 1'mondo unuigu kaj organizu kunvenon kies membroj estu elektataj de la parlamentoj kaj la noblu-loj de 1'~tatoj.
Tiuj per plej granda sa~eco kaj energio realigas 'a projekton tiel, ke nek Ia kapitalistoj havu maiprofiton, nek la la-boristoj farigu malri~aj kaj mizeraj CCcjj~j registaroj devas farigi protektantoj de la Ic legoj, ~ar strikoj ejam kaiizas detruon, sed legoj estas katizo de vivo. Legoj devas esti donataj, postuloj nur estu farataj inter-konsente kun legoj kaj ne per striko, per-forto kaj sen-indulgo."
La fundamentoj de eiuj sociaj statoj estas spiritaj: iii devenas el koro kaj spirito. Tial diris 'Abdu'l-Bahá: (CLa malsano, kiu tur � mentas la kornunumon, estas manko de arno kaj foresto de altruismo. Sen amo kaj kon-kordo neniam estos progreso ati prospero."
Amo do estas la dua kolono, kiu portas la socian vivon.
Ekzistas konata vorto ccpregu kaj laboru," mi opinias, oni ~ samsence ankaii din; ttamu kaj Iaboru," aar Ia plej bona interrilato kun Dio estas certe, kiam oni helpas jel al liaj gefiloj sur la Tero.
Staris jam du arnikoj antafi ruino de monaliejo, unu el iii diris: jen ruino, .5ar oni tie ne sekvis Ia principon: "pre~u kaj laboru," oni nur pregis kai ne laboris; venos la tempo, kiam nunaj fabrikoj ankafi estos ruinoj, ear en iii oni nur laboras kaj ne pre-ftas. Lu Ia nuna stato de kelkaj fabrikoj ne jam verigas dun diron? Kompreneble mi per Ia jus dirita ne volas din, ke ne ekzistis kaj ekzistas monaliejoj, kie oni kontentige laboris kaj laboras, kid ankati ekzistas fabri � koj, kie oni preftas afl aplikas amon, kie ne nur Ia profitemo de la entreprenanto regas, kie la dungitoj partoprenas Ia profiton lag la konsilo donita de Bahá'u'lláh jam antaii multaj jardekoj.
Ni revenu al Ia amo, efektivigota per Bahiismo. Tie oni zorgos kaj zorgas jam en bahiaj komunumoj por la malrieuloj.
En du bahaa komunumo komitato kun almenail nati membroj havas la taskon, zorgi pri la bono de Ia kornunumo kaj de la unu-opuloj. Tiu komitato estas nomata de Bahá'u'lláh "Domo de Justo." di decidas pri malfacilaioj estigintaj inter membroj de 1'komunumo; &f a tasko estas 'a zorgo pri bona edukado. Al kelkaj religioj oni jam riproeis, ke iii estas kontra~ klerifto de la ~ ear tiel la pastraro povas ph facile regi kaj gvidi sian ~afaron. En BahAismo kontra~e, kie ja ne ekzistas pastraro, oni tre multe atentas kierigon kaj bonan edu-kadon. Ju ph homo evoluigas sian inte-lektajn kapablojn, des ph ii proksimi~as al Dio. Tial estas unu devo por gepatroj, doni al siaj infanoj edukadon kiel eble plej bonan, kaj tiu devo validu al knaboj kaj knabinoj; estas ee dirite, ke, kiam la rimedoj ne sufiaus, oni ph klerigu Ia knabinojn, ear iii estos la edukantoj de la venonta genera-cio. Se iuj gepatroj maizorgas tiun devon pri eduko, dam la Dorno de Justo intervenu, kaj kiam la rimedoj de Ia gepatroj ne sufi~as, la Domo de Justo subtenu. tar, kiel estas dirate en la Kitáb-i-Aqdas: "La Domo de Justo estu rifugejo por malriauloj kaj sen-hejmuloj." Abdu'l-Bahá.
en siaj leteroj ~iam denowe akcentis, kiom necesa estas la bona instruado al la knabinoj ~ar iii estonte povos konsiderinde inilui celadojn, necesajn por Ia bono de la socio. La Domo de Justo devas aparte atenti malzorgitajn infanojn, kiuj facile farigas krimuloj, gi devas zorgi pri konvena familio ail instituto, en kiu iii estu edukataj.
Ankaii pri servistoj kaj servistinoj la Domo de Justo estas repondeca. Unu ella diroj de Bahá'u'lláh estas: cebenata estas Ia princo, kiu asistas malliberulon, Li riaulo, kiu helpas mizerulon, Ia justulo, kiu zorgas, ke subpremito sperm juston, kaj ~iu, kiu plenumas, kio estas al ii ordonita de Ia Eternulo."
Estis la ideo de Bahá'u'lláh, ke estonte Ia institucio de Domo de Justo estu aplikata por tuta urbo, por tuta popolo.
La Kitáb-i-Aqdas ankaii instruas pri Ia enspezoj de Domo de Justo. En tiu komu-numo estu deponejo, kiu ricevu la enspezojn. La unua enspezo estu dekono ci la havajo de unuopuloj, dua venos el Ia brutoj, tria el Ia mineraloj: de Ciu minejo unu triono iru al tiu deponejo, kvare: se iu mortas sen
Page 612heredantoj laii-legaj, ha postlasajo iros en la generalan deponejon, brine: se jo estas trovita sen-mastra, ~t estos metata en la deponej on. Se iu farmisto havas elspezojn same gran-dajn, kiaj estas liaj enspezoj, ii ne pagu im-poston; alia farmisto eble havas elspezojn, ni diru mu dolarojn, kaj ha enspezo estas 2,000 dolaroj, de tia homo dekono estos postulata, aar ii havas pluson.
La orfoj, knpluloj, malri&uloj, eiuj estos prizorgataj ci 'a deponejo. Pluso en Ia enspezoj iras al 'a nacia trezorejo.
Tial estas Ia instruoj de Bahiisrno rilate al Ia socia vivo. Kiam ni pripensas jim, ni trovos, ke ilia esenco estas enhavata en La instruo de Ia kristana reiigio, ear ai~ ~-havas la ordono: "amu vian proksimulon kid vi mem," kaj: cckion vi deziras, ke aliaj faru al vi, sam-don faru vi al iii." La joma diferenco inter 'a du instruoj estas, Lie la bahia estas ph detala, oni povas din: ph nuntempa, iii bezonos eventuale �an~ojn, ham aijigas la cirkonstancoj en Ia socia. Tion akali esprimis la fondintoj de la ba-Ma movado, dirante, ke &iu nova profeto kaj instruanto de la homaro instruas don, kio estas tatiga por la tempo, en kiu ii agas, kaj por Ia homoj, kiujn eduki ii estas sendita.
Facile oni demandos, du la ph bona es-tonto, kiun revis la fondintoj de 1'Bahiismo, iam reali~os?
Tamen, kiam ii konsideras, ke ekzemple en Persujo kiu estas la lulilo de Bah6isrno kaj ide ties ideoj estas tre konataj, tiuj ideoj multe influis la nunan ph bonan staton en tiu lando, kvankam N baManoj sin detenis de 6iu politika agado, darn in povas esperi, ke ankati en aliaj landoj pros-peru kaj venku tiu nobla celado. Ciu-kaze: celado al bona idealo havas rekompencon en si mem, kaj por ni validas ankafi la Zamen-hof a devizo: 'tNi laboru kaj esperu!"
Page 613Mulli Mu~ammad-Taqi, Ibn-i-Abhar, Prominent Bahá'í Teacher.
613A sketch based on "tAbdu'1-Bahi in London" and "Talks by Abdu'l-Bahá in Paris"
B~ GEORGE TOWN SHENDFellowship which is now submitted to your consideration was composed out of the writings of Bahá'u'lláh and presented by cAbdui1~Bahi in London, and later in Paris, about a quarter of a century ago. It proposes in the simplest possible form a practical scheme for mastering the urgent problem of world-fellowship; and its originating idea, though of outstanding magnitude, is such as to place the whole plan from its beginning throughout in complete accord with the purpose we have before us today � that of promoting the spirit of fellowship through the inspiration of religion.
This Plan in every feature plainly implies that nothing less than a concerted effort on a world scale, with the spiritual energies of mankind informing its practical energies, will now suffice to awaken the spirit of fellowship and secure deliverance from danger. No local or regional effort; no partial effort of either religion alone or statecraft alone, will completely solve our problems. The sense of fellowship (to be adequate to this unique emergency) must be broad, based on the whole of our human nature (spiritual, moral and intellectual) and not limited by any terrestrial boundaries.
Such a thesis may still be ahead of the public opinion of mankind. But it is not so far ahead of that opinion as it was when it was first proposed in this city in 1911. Today our emergency is rather more serious than then; but it is of the same general character.
What then and up to the present has been lacking in men's experiments is clearness of spiritual vision, the guidance of intuition. Only Faith can point or see the way in such an hour as this.
Men question the love of a God who could let loose on them so dire a cataclysm and could choose out this generation for suffering wholly unprecedented.
Their doubt cuts them off from the source of light and help. There is no vision; and the people perish. Only Faith sees clearly � in open view � that this darkness is cast by a great light, that this passing defeat of the spirit of FeY-lowship is the prelude of its final victory. A loving God would not have set this generation problems without bestowing the ability to solve them, would not inflict dire penalties on those whom he regarded as guiltless.
We are daunted by the strange new troubles that close us in on every side; we do not look within and observe that a new power of mastering these is being developed in conscience and in spirit. Intellectual vision never was so keen as in this generation; but spiritual vision, was it ever more weak? We talk � we boast � of the New Age; but we miss its greatest gift. N('e say the human race is at last reaching maturity, but we do not realise the fuiness, the completeness of this growth. We perceive it is intellectual; we do not perceive it is, in like measure, moral and spiritual. Man's conscience has become more sensitive, his spirit more responsive to heavenly promptings.
As he is today endowed with a new degree of intellectual power, so is he endowed today with a new degree of re 614
Page 615ligious power. The evolutionary process with even hand bears onward the whole being and nature of man; his heart as well as his brain.
New ideals, new hopes, new dreams of further progress, a more general, more insistent desire to build a better world than that one which we inherit � these bear witness to man's consciousness of growth. In all its faculties the human race is passing from childhood and ignorance towards maturity, towards the tasks that befit full manhood. Today mankind is like a youth leaving school for the sterner world of business and affairs. It is called on to put into practice the lessions of moral principle and human fellowship in which it has been instructed for so long. For how many centuries have we � all of us � been under tutelage to those whom we revere as the Founders of our Faiths? Is it strange a time should come when we should be required to put into concrete deeds the precepts of brotherhood we all acknowledge and should at last be threatened with condign punishment if we disobey?
Much indeed has been done of late to remedy old wrongs, to suppress tyranny, to uplift the oppressed, to relieve the poor, to teach the ignorant.
But how much remains undone!We have accomplished enough to convict ourselves of being fitted for a better social order, of being ready to inaugurate a system of widespread justice and fraternity � and of lacking the resolution to put our ideals into effect. There is enough of good in our recent record to incriminate us � but not enough to deliver us. We stand now before the judgment seat of heaven condemned by the evidence of our own acts.
We had no Vision: Men turned from saints, mystics, seers, and listened to secular philosophers.
Blind leaders of the blind, into what perdition have they led us! Our intellectual eminence by some fatality heightened our troubles. Divorced from faith, it aggravated human pride, taught men to forget their moral responsibility and to deny their servitude before the moral law. The inevitable hour of retribution draws near.
Surely this is a love-tragedy vaster in its scale, more terrible in its poignancy than any in the history of our race!
The urge of evolution pressed us f or-ward; we would not go. The spirit of fellowship grew warm in our hearts; we would not feed its flame. The gates of world-brotherhood opened wide; we turned away~ God poured His Spiritual bounties on spirit and conscience in greater abundance than ever; we in our blindness rejected His gifts and Him.
But this failure is not final nor for long. It is not the failure of Faith, nor yet of Love.
It is the open, the confessed failure of human wisdom.
Through its purgation men who have doubted will learn to turn for fellowship and peace to the way they have not trodden; the way of religion.
But all must tread this way together. Since the whole world as a unit is involved, the ideals which are to guide this movement must be given a definite shape.
If there is to be concerted action towards a single goal, some map of the common journey must be made. Vague sentiments of goodwill, however genuine, will not suffice. Some explicit agreement on principles will be required for any coordinated progress.
It was to this task that Bahá'u'lláh long ago addressed himself, and worked out a Ground Plan on which the temple of human fellowship might be reared. It consisted of a set of fundamental principles and represented the minimum of what the occasion required. No foundation iess deeply dug than this will hold the structure that is to be built upon it. The burden of the whole scheme was laid ultimately upon the shoulders of each individual man and woman. Everybody by vir-ture of his status as a human being had his share in the vast world enterprise.
The principle of individual responsibility was thus to be the basis of all progress.
But underneath this basic fact of human duty lay something deeper yet.
The living rock on which this foundation was to be laid was something the strength of which humanity hitherto has too little recognised. That rock is the Truth. This spirit of fel � lowship which we seek to encourage is not by RaM'u'llAh conceived as some addition to being which the genius of man should undertake to create.
As a flower within the bud, it lies waiting the hour of its appear
Page 616ance. It is a reality which our fraginentari-ness denies. And what this Assembly desires to do is not to create something new but to give expression to something which is already in existence though unused.
Man s advancing power is due to his increasing knowledge of truth; and the magnificence of this present age bears witness in the last resort not to the personal greatness of this generation but rather to the greatness of a continuously unfolding Truth. If this Age is to become the Age of Universal Brotherhood, it must be the Age of Knowledge (Knowledge of Truth). The Truth will set us free. The Truth will make us one.
As the first item of his programme, therefore, Bahá'u'lláh claimed that every individual should have the right of seeking for himself the truth.
Love of truth (which at the present time is growing apace among mankind) is the sole real corrective of all forms of error and illusion. The great enmities which in the past have divided mankind, and which were due to misunderstanding and ignorance, have in recent times lost their vitality, and our estrangements are now due chiefly to prejudice. These prejudices have come down to us from the past � racial, religious, national � and the instinct of imitation.
For them all Bahá'u'lláh offers one radical cure � the search for truth. The battle which mankind yet has to fight between prejudice and truth he seems to regard as the Armageddon of the human soul.
Through this search for truth mankind at last wbuld become really and clearly conscious of the essential unity of the human race. For this unity is and has ever been a fact. "Ye are the leaves of one tree, and the leaves of one branch.
Deal ye with one another with the utmost love and harmony, with friendliness and fellowship," wrote Bahá'u'lláh. From the full knowledge of this unity, and from nothing less, there would be born in this age a spirit of world-fellow-ship adequate to the present emergency.
On this consciousness of unity, therefore, tAb~ du'1-Bah~ laid the greatest stress. He gave to it a central place in his programme, other features supporting or amplifying it or giving it application in the practical affairs of mankind.
One of the facts which has obscured from men's view their essential unity is the difference between the world-religions, which has been made the cause of estrangement � of prejudice and even of ill-will and strife. But, insisted tAbdu'1-BaM there is nothing in these differences which should produce so sad a result.
Indeed, there is an important aspect in which all religions are at heart one; and he included the existence of this unity as a principle in his scheme. He meant (so it seems) that a religion does not consist solely of a doctrine, and an institution, but is also in a real and vital sense a spiritual atmosphere. It is, as he once described it, "an attitude of soui towards God, reflected in life." This the essence of true religion; and to this extent, the whole world over3 members of all the religions have an outlook, an experience, an obligation which they share in common with one another in spite of their special and distinctive loyalties, and which groups them all together apart from the sceptic.
The more intensely spiritual men are, the more vividly Conscious are they of the reality and sweetness of this communion, and one of their privileges is the experience of a deep sympathy, a common lowliness, a common aspiration which they share with those of a different tradition from their own.
Not oniy in their atmosphere, their influence, but even in their profounder teachings the world-religions may show forth this unity.
Do na all our faiths affirm and magnify the iove of God for His creatures? What truth could be more ancient, more precious than this?
What would bind those who espouse it with a closer tie of fellowship?
This age of widening consciousness and deepening love of truth has begun to bring us, on a scale quite unprecedented, some accurate knowledge of the sacred treasures and the sacred history of the human race. Scholars, divines, men of letters, poets have all contributed to this enlightenment.
They show us each of the great religions as being like a majestic temple reared in some chosen spot by the hand of a master architect, and surrounded now by a multitude of lesser buildings of various later dates. Each temple blends with its own environment but
Page 617No two are alike, and the annexes connected with each are still more unlike. But if the enquiring traveler pursues his investigations and makes his way within the sacred structures he discovers in their several interiors and even in the shrines themselves an unmistakable kinship in beauty.
Experts in comparative religion have spoken with emphasis of the points of agreement to be found between the world religions.
Professor Cheyne quotes Max Muller as advising the Brahn-iists to call themselves Christians" and himself argues that the reconciliation of religions must precede that of races Ccwhich at present is so lamentably incomplete."
The evidence of men of learning is supported by that of another cloud of witnesses, whose testimony none can gainsay, and who speak with the voice not of intellectual criticism but of spiritual knowledge. The highest exponents of a religion, those who understand most thoroughly its meaning and interpret its spirit with the most compelling authority, are those men and women of mystical genius whose impassioned devotion and obedience to their divine Master is the outstanding feature of their lives.
If each of these religions were strictly exclusive, the negation of all the others, bringing to men its own irreconcilable message, in that case those who follow these religions to the extreme, the mystics and the saints, would assuredly move further and further apart, and would come to rest at the last point of divergence. The greater the saint the wider the gulf between him and the saints of alien allegiances.
At the same time the iess aspiring and spiritually gifted multitudes, immersed in the daily human concerns which all men share alike, would be found to be the least estranged from one another by their differing creeds.
But in fact this is not so. Strangely, very strangely, religious history shows us something quite different � exactly the opposite. The contrast between each world-religion and all its sister � religions is as a rule felt most acutely and insisted on most vigorously by the less mystically minded of its votaries. While the mystics of all the religions instead of moving further and ever further apart seem rather to travel by converging paths and to draw nearer and nearer together.
If one is to accept the account of their experience given by contemporaries or by themselves, these mystics seem all the world over to have gone upon thu same spiritual adventure, to be drawn onward by the same experience of an outpoured heavenly love; and they testify one and all that to reach this knowledge of the love of God is to understand at last the mystery and the hidden blessedness of life and to possess an everlasting treasure for which the sacrifice of all earthly things is but a little price.
This fellowship among all mystics is common knowledge, of which evidence is within the reach of all. In a wellknown
English work, Miss Underhiliwrites of the mystics that � "we meet these persbns in the east and the west; in the ancient, mediaeval, and modern worlds. Their one passion appears to be the prosecution of a certain spir itual and intangible quest. This, for them has constituted the whole meaning of life and it is an indirect testimony to its objective actuality that whatever the place or period in which they have arisen, their aims, doctrines and methods have been substantially the same. Their experience therefore forms a body of evidence, curi-ousiy self-consistent and often mutually cx-planatory.
Every public library in this country will contain books supplying illustrations of this statement. The mystical outlook and perspective both on the things of heaven and the things of earth is in its essence eternally the same. But perhaps no instance of the fundamental unity that underlies all mystical experience is more striking than that parallelism between Plotinos and St. Augus � tine to which in his "Evolution of Theology" Professor Edward Gaird draws atten-non.
~tSome of the finest expressions of this (the mystical) attitude of soui," he writes, "may be found in the Confessions of St. Augustine.
But when St. Augustineexpresses his deepest religious feelings we find that he repeats the thoughts and almost the very words of Plotinos." Professor Caird then shows how closely akin to the thought 1 Introduction to Mysticism,
Chapter 1.of Plotinos is "that great passage in which Augustine gives an account of his last conversation with his mother Monica about the life of the redeemed in heaven." And he concludes tthow deeply neo-Platonism must have sunk into the spirit of St. Augustine when in describing the highest moment of his religious experience he adopts almost verbally the language in which Plotinos tries to depict the mystic ecstasy of the individual soul as it enters into communion with the soul of the world."
By what diverse paths have mystics who had nothing in common save wholehearted servitude before the one loving God, by what diverse paths have they all alike attained the blessed Presence!
And what man in his pride of opinion will shut out from Paradise those whom God's own hand has admitted?
Thus do scholars and saints join to testify that the great religions have their aspect of unity as well as their aspect of variety, and that without qualifying their special allegiance worshippers in all religions may find something in the fundamental nature of religion itself which promotes a sweet, precious and abiding sense of true companionship.
The promotion of a boundless spirit of concord and good will Bahá'u'lláh maintained to be agreeable to the genius of every world-religion.
Whatever misunderstanding may have arisen in bygone centuries, no religion as originally taught was meant to encourage animosity.
Quite the contrary. Religion is vieant to heal discord.
So important in an age of disintegration did this feature of religion seem that tAbdu'1-Bahi proposed to include in his Plan the precept that "the purpose of religion is to promote harmony and affection.~~ One will not doubt this loving purpose may be discovered, or rediscovered, in every one of our world-faiths, and assuredly in Christianity.
If we look away from Christendom to Christ and to the pure teaching of Christ, we find it evident throughout the Gospels. Christ said that one's whole duty was to love God and one's neighbor, and he described neighbor as meaning anyone you could help regardless of creed or kin. He made fellowship in love the evi~ dence of Christian membership "by this shall all men know that ye are My disciples if ye have iove one to another."
In this Age we congratulate ourselves that for centuries past religious enmity has been continually growing more weak. Yet our ideal remains negative. To manifest no ill-will towards those who differ in opinion from us is not enough. Christ enjoined a more positive attitude of soul; one of active goodwill despite all differences. When God thus commands a spirit of ~ffection towards all, he gives the power to obey His command. Religion, in other words, is creative. Through its force the will of an earnest man is enabled to achieve an inward change that otherwise would be beyond his strength. If this were not so, what useful place would religion fill in this cosmos of ours?
If now the creative power of religion to effect this purpose were called upon and put to vigorous use, how many vital problems which have proved insoluble on the intellectual plane (such as the reunion of Christendom or the combating of secularism) might prove much more tractable when carried to the spiritual plane!
Another effort at harmonization was called for when Bahá'u'lláh included in this scheme an active partnership between religion and science.
Tolerance between the two is too little. In their nature they are complementary, as two wings with which the soul soars towards knowledge of the truth. Science divorced from religion gives a wholly distorted view of reality. Religion divorced from science may become a mere superstition.
Man is to use both as his servants and thus to bring the material aspect of life and the spiritual aspect at last into evident and complete accord.
To these principles Bahá'u'lláh added (as necessary for practical results) certain provisions of a more material nature. tAbdu'1 Baha mentioned laws to prevent extremes of indigence and opulence; universal education, a common language, a central
World-Tribunal.To the use by all nations of a secondary or world language in addition to their mother tongue great importance was attached; without this device fellowship would never be assured. The religious his
Page 619tory of mankind from the days of Babel to the present bears out this emphasis.
'When we remember, for example, the influence of the general use of the Greek language throughout the Roman Empire at the beginning of our Era, when we consider how in BUm the adoption of Arabic as a common language united peoples hitherto tranged, facilitated the interchange of thought and aided the rapid extension of a single culture over vast regions; or when again we observe how the cause of ecclesiastic unity was promoted by the use and weakened by the disuse of the Latin language as a medium among the peoples of western Europe centuries ago; we are driven to conclude that in this age of radio and aviation a world-language would unify the peoples of mankind to a degree unprecedented in the past and difficult for us to calculate in anticipation.
The federal tribunal orwhich in a few words tAbdu~1Bahi proposed differed in three notable points from the League which afterwards was set up. The provision of an adequate police force was an essential prerequisite: the draft of any proposed constitution was to be referred not only to the governments but also to the peoples of the world: when finally ratified and adopted, it was to enjoy the full support of religion, of church as well as of state, and its strict maintenance against any violation by any nation was to be held by all mankind as a sacred obligation.
In these and all other reforms man's greatest stay would be the Holy Spirit, without whose aid no peace or fellowship or unification would ever be secured.
This scheme of world-fellowship was presented twenty-five years ago in London by tAbdu~1~BahA out of teachings first promulgated some forty years before. "This," he said "is a short summary of the teachings of Bahá'u'lláh. To establish this Bahá'u'lláh underwent great difficulties and hardships. He was in constant confinement and he suffered great persecution. But from the darkness of his prison he sent out a great light into the world."
(tAbdu~1~BahA in London, p. 18.) Abdu'l-Bahá claimed that these principles were consistent with the spirit of all the world religions and were measured with exact and unique fitness to mankind's heightened capacity and its tremendous responsibilities at this time. He had no doubt of their being at no very distant date adopted: fellowship along these lines was the birthright of our New Age. But though they have percolated far through the world and have cheered the hearts of many with renewed hope, yet the large collaboration between races and religions here so definitely 5tlined has in fact been postponed in favor of narrower views and materialistic reforms. Our civilization is in desperate plight and has sunk into a moral and spiritual abyss.
Men realize the urgent need of a reformation greater in range and in intensity than mankind has ever yet achieved but know not how to meet it. In such an emergency does not this bold original scheme of fellowship merit serious consideration and even the test of experiment.
Does it deserve to be merely ignored by the rulers and the teachers of the world?
In advocating peace to a western audience tAbdu~1~Bah& once said, "You have had war for thousands of years; why not try peace for a change? If you do not like it, you can always go back to war."
One might in such an hour as this hazard the same suggestion about this ground plan of fellowship: we have exhausted a hundred other devices to no purpose � why not try this? If we do not like it, we can always return to our present-condition.
Page 620Professor Dr. Jan Rypka, Charles University, Praha, Czechoslovakia.
620B~ PROF. J. RYPKA N OCH heute, nach rnehr als vier Jahren, kann ich mich meiner ersten Beriihrung mit dern militanten BaM'ismus ganz genau erin � nern. Es hatte mir einer meiner Kollegen auf nitein Universit~itskabinett telephoniert, dass cine amerikanische BahA'i-Sendbotin mich zu sprechen wiinscht.
Auf meine Entgegnunghin, dass ich ftirwahr keine Lust in mit versptire, mich mit phantasti-schen LuftgelMiuden, die mir iiberdies durch meine
Studien kein Geheimnissind, abzu-geben, meinte er sehr ernst, die Ansichten, die er soeben gehart babe, sejen gar nick so grundlos; im Gegenteil, em durchaus ver-niinftigcs und anhdrbares Credo, dem ich doch bei dieser Gelegenheit etwas Aufrnerk-sarnkeit widmen solite, zumal es in mein Forschungsgebiet einschhigt.
Als es em zwei Tage darauf wirklich zur Entrevue karn, leitete ich so gut wie mit dem HThdedruck gleichzeitig das GespiKich mit einer vielleicht etwas hochnasigen Be-merkung em, mir wiire die BaM'i-Doktrin aus der gelelirten Literatur gentigend be-kannt. Und ich wiirde mich bis zur Stunde schiimen, h~itte ich damals es unterlassen, zur Bekr~iftigung j ener Bewillkomrnnung sogleich verschiedene orientalistische Werke zu zitieren. Miss l4artha Root schrieb mir meine Kenntnisse an tmiitig und unver-drossen zugute. Ihre unverwiisdiche Lie. benswhrdigkeit hess sich dadurch weder krThken noch stdren. Deswegen gab es kein Zeremoniell der sich zum ersten
Male Be-gegnenden. Vielniiehrnahrn unser GesprThh nach einer derartigen gegenseitigen Kennen-lernung unverweilt das Gesiclit einer lang-j~ihrigen besten Freundschaft.
Miss Martha Root entwickelte vor mir ihre Ziele und Plilne, sie zeigte mir verschieden-. sprachige
Literatur des Bah6flsmusund ich begriff aisbald, dass ich denn doch nicht so dies wusste, wie ich es anflinglich vermeint hatte..
Ich wiirde meine damaligen M~inge1 heute folgendermassen bestimmen: Hier trat mir das Leben entgegen, wohingegen all meine Kenntnisse nur nach
Papier rochen. Der Professorwurde unbewusst und unwill-kiirlich zum Schiiler.
Er sah nick mehr das Phantastische, das sich in Buchstaben und Ziffern ergeht, sondern eine erhabene reli-gibse Lehre mit weitgreifenden soziolo-gischen und wirtschaftlichen
Auswirkungen.Miss Martha Root entging mein Interesse fur Iran und das Ir6nische niclit.
Ebenso nachte hinweder ich im Laufe unseres Ge-spr~chs die mir uns~g1ich sympathische Ent-deckunk, dass Miss Martha Root Persien, das Land des Lbwen mit der aufgehenden Sonne, aus Autopsie kennt.
1st es verwunderlich, dass unserer ersten Begegnung aisbald eine zweite und weitere folgten, zu deren nun audi meine Frau herangezogen wurde? Immer mehr erfuhren wir fiber den gegen-w~irtigen Stand des BaM'ismus, seine
Beweg-ung und Organisation.schien CS flUfl, dass es kinderleiclit sern muss, 10.000 Meilen in Persien zu machen, sobald man einige Bali' is zu semen Freunden zThlt oder in Ermangelung dessen bloss iiber em
Empfehlungsschreibenvet-fiigt. Ms. Martha Root braclite Cs zuwege, das ich in kurzem Mr. und Mrs. Howard Carpenter, die auf ihrer Reise nach Persien f fir einige Zeit in Wien haltgemacht hatten, begegnen konnte.
(Dafi~r wie fur gar so manches bin ich ihr noch heute innigst dankbar.)
Dies war meine zweiteIch kehrte nich entt~iuscht nach Prag zuriick. Ich lernte in Wien auch andere Bahá'ís kennen, urn immer aufs neue gute, ja beste Erfalirungen zu machen, frei-lich aber auch mir immer wieder die Erage nach dem Wesen des in all diesen F~i11en 621
Page 622beobacliteten Guten aufzuwerf en: gute Menschen von Haus aus oder durch ihre religidse tiberzeugung verkhrt?
Monate vergingen, MissMartha Root wurde durch ihre Missionsfiitigkeit in be-kanntes und � noch mehr � in unbekanntes Europa verweht. Ich erfulir von ihr nur vom Hdrensagen, und selbst dies nur ganz nebeihaft und ~iusserst selten.
Als nun meine I r~ntr~ume bald zur Wirklichkeit werden soilten (meine Frau und ich waren inzwis � chen von der Jr6nischen Regierung zu den Ferdausi-Feierlichkeiten eingeladen worden), iiberraschte uns eines Tages die Post mit der Nachricht, dass Miss Martha Root an dem und dern Tage zu der und der Stunde Prag durchreist.
Mehrere ilirer PragerFreunde fanden wir auf dem Bahá'í versammelt. Das Wiedersehen clauerte nur einige wenige Minuten, doch genilgend, urn von der Op-ferwilligkeit,
Arbeitsfreude, Unerrniidlich-keitund Unverdrossenheit der edlen Mis � sionirin tief ergriffen zu werden.
Jahrein jaliraus in der Frernde pilgernd, sich fur die ihr anvertrauten Aufgaben herurnschlagend, mit allerhand NViderw~irtigkeiten ohne Ran und Ruhe ringend, schaute sic dennoch un-verwiisdich guter Dinge aus. Wir fifisterten uns, dass unmaglich etwas anderes als das tiefernste Bewusstsein einer hohen sittlichen Sendung so vie1 Kraft eineni kdrperlich zarten Wesen verleihen kann. Bk zurn heutigen Tage babe ich nicht gebraucht, diese Erfabrung je Lilge zu straf en.
Jetzt passiere ich in meinem Geiste unsere BaM'i-Freunde in fran Revue. Es in gar nicht daran zu denken, sie namendich auf-zuziihlen.
Unverrtickbar fest aber findet sich der Gesamteindruck dieser Wahrheits-sucher in meiner Seele herauskristallisiert. Wir kamen durch Mrs. Carpenter bald in Beriihrung mit ihnen. Sie luden uns zurn Gottesdienst, geselligen Unterhaltungen und ernsten
Auseinandersetzungenem. Alle 14. Tage gab es irgendeine Zusammenkunft � bald bier, bald dort, bei oder mit Beamten aller m5glichen Ministerien, Amter und Funktionen, bei oder mit Offizieren, Privat-personen, hoch und niedrig. Unvergesslich ist mit die erste grosse
Begegnung geblieben. Finerder Anwesenden gekirdete sich wie mein Untersuchungsrichter, sodass ich fiber sein Ausfragen beinahe wiltend geworden w~ire. Darf ich verraten, dass er mir zum Schiuss einer der liebsten geworden isO Ich irrsste, Ms ich mich lediglich augefratschelt fiihlte.
Nein, man woilte unmittelbar von cinern fernen Pilger etwas i~ber die Ba � h&'ische in Europa erfahren. Unbcwusst solite er ihnen stillen Trost und unausge � sprochene Aneiferung zu weiteren Arbeit bringen. Sic wussten, dass wir nicht die ihrigen sind. Sic batten dennoch volles Vertrauen zu uns; zumal wir zwei goldene Schitissel zu ihren Herzen hatten: cm noch nach Prag an mich gerichtetes Schreiben Shoughi-Efendis (in IrAn hatte ich es im iibrigen gar nicht mit!) und unsere Be � kanntschaft mit Martha Root. Und wohi auch das trug bei, dass meine HochscLit-zung cines religi6sen Gedankens unverkenn-bar aufrichtig gemeint ist. Ich sagte niclit immer zu allem ccba1e!~~ (tzja). Manclimal gab es auch grosse Gegens~itze in unseren Anschauungen.
So besonders, als ich meinen Freunden anriet, die Bedingungen der iran-isehen Regierung zu akzeptieren, urn ihre cigene Schule wieder aufmachen zu diirfen. Meinem Utilitarismus gegentiber beharrten sic (und beharren sicherlich bis heute) auf ciner Miirtyrergeste.
Die mit ihnen verbrachten Abende waren (wie alles fUr mich in Pin) ungemein schan.
Wir haben dabei viel gelernt, vor allem zur L~uterung unserer cigenen
Seele.ver � leiht ilinen den Hang zur tYberschweng-liclikeit, der Karnpf gegen den herrschenden IsUm aber Schroffheit gegan denselben. Alles iibrige isV wohi ihrer Lehre anzurech � nen: Sic sind ungemein hilfsbereit und opferfreudig. Getreu erftiklen sie ihre Amts-und und Berufspflichten.
LThgst haben sie das Problem der morgenhindischenSo spezifisch persisch wie die Shia kann allerdings der BaM'ismus nie scm.
Eben-sowenig aba wie das Christentum hinclert er die Vaterlandsliebe (oder sind die Eu-rop~ier nick patriotisch genung?)
-Meinen Erfahrungen zufolge werden die Bahá'ís in dieser Hinsicht von iliren musulmanischen Brfldern gmzlich zu unrecht angegriffen.
Page 623Die Shia hat im Laufe der Jalirhunderte eine nationale Tradition entwickelt.
Mit dieser wird der universalistische Bahá'í ismus verge-blich ringen, darnit er weitere
Wurzeln schiage. Dieserder iranischen BaM'i-Diasporen reich-lich kompensiert.
Die Bah4'i-Gerneindewird Charakrere ausbilden, die auS der anders-ghubigen, ja feindlich gegenflberstehenden Umwelt durchaus nachahmungswert en-scheinen dflrften.
Die im Abendlande gewonnene Erfahrung wurde mir auch irn persischen Morgenlande vollends bestliigt. Der BahA'isrnus ist un-zweifelhaft em unschiitzbarer Kulturwert. Oder wiirden auch oline ihn alle jene Men-schen, deren hohe Sittlichkeit ich bewun-derte und bewundere, dasselbe Niveau, nur in anderer Form erreicht haben? Oder berulit es nur in der Neuheit der Lehre und in der Frische ihrer ersten und n~ichsten AnlThnger?
Page 624Photograph of Baha Pioneers of Iran taken about 1891 in Tabriz. (Sitting third from right [third row] is Mirza CA1i~Muhammad Varqi, distinguished Baha Martyr.
Second from left [first row] is his son Riil2u'lUh, who was also martyred.
624B~ MRS. LouIsI2 R. WAITE 'T0 describe tAbdu'1-Bahi so that the reader may form any mental picture of Him that would in any way do Him justice, is as impossible as to try to paint a sunbeam. The artist may put the ray of yellow light in exactly the right place and with most beautiful effect; but no matter how great his skill, he cannot catch the real essence of the sunbeam � that golden luminosity, which is like an elixir of life, is uncatchable, tin-paintable.
So it is with the likeness of tAbdu'I-BaM. His expression is ever changing; each thought and emotion is mirrored forth and the face becomes so illumined that words are but as the dull, lifeless paint which cannot reproduce the sunbeams � yet, some idea can be gathered from them.
When I first saw ~ABDU'L BAHA I was alone and I came face to face with urn all unexpectedly. He stood not even four feet from me. It was in the upper court, with the blue sky overhead and the sunlight shining down brightly upon Him, the hour being but a little after "high noon." I might have thought Him any other member of His family, as His sons-in-law were often passing to and fro, but every atom of my being, my heart and sani cried out, ttThis is He." The face of my dreams of Him stood before me with that same heavenly smile of welcome. The Light of Infinite Love was radiating from His countenance. Majestic, and yet sublimely tender, He was looking right into my eyes. I gave a start as if I had suddenly plunged into an ocean, then stood transfixed. It seemed as if I had come upon Him unawares and saw the C!Glory of the Lord" shining forth around Him; and I know I must have felt as did Mary
Magdalene when Christrevealed Himself to her in her vision after the crucifixion (CTh Risen Lord." He motioned me to pass on. I could not. A sense of my great unworthiness made me bow my head � then 625 He passed by me. He was dressed all in white. His bair fell in soft waves about His shoulders and His head was crowned with a white turban bound around with a white cloth. His step was firm and kingly.
NVhen lie reached His door He turned and again motioned me to pass on. I came toward Him and when I reached His door I looked up into those marvelous eyes.
I knew that every act, every thought of my life was known to Him. Yet, knowing this, I could look fearlessly, unwaveringly at Him, realizing all my sins and weaknesses, yet knowing He understood me as I could never understand myself, and that He was indeed
"Ifit Love Incarnate."I could not pass until He turned and entered His room; then almost overcome by the vibrations which thrifled me through and through, I passed on~ Later He came to greet us and I was fully confirmed � this was truly CABDU~LBAHA but a very different one, I felt, from the one I had first seen. As He firmly grasped my hand with that welcoming pressure that comes deep from the heart, a handshake that warms you through and through, I saw the Divinely human man, the personification of my highest ideal of an earthly Lather. I never again, while in CAI(ki saw Him as I had in that first meeting. It was then as if I had seen the Reality of His being, with the shades of flesh all raised that the Light of Spirit might stream forth.
CABDU~L.BAHA is of medium height, but He holds llimself so superbly, with such commanding dignity, and carries His head so high and with such an air of majesty, that He ever gives the impression of great height. His voice is full and vibrant, each word uttered with marked distinctness and with that tonal quality which leaves a faint echo, as it were, or wave vibrations such as come from a beautifully toned bell. All
Page 626through the day it rings out, first in one place, and then in another; for with astonishing rapidity CABDU~L~BAHA seems to be everywhere � now in the garden, now in the room close beside the entrance, now in a guest's room � or you may hear Him calling someone in the ttfamdy section" of the "prison home."
Always when I heard His voice, I felt its vibrations most deeply. Like His face, His voice expresses every emotion, from tones that are stern and emphatic to those as tender and loving as the cooing of a dove.
His eyes defy description.II only know that to me they seemed gray, with a circle of white around the iris, which at times became luminous. Sometimes in the light, I caught a shade of blue, and again by lamplight they seemed almost brown, � everchanging were they and wonderful.
Like His face and His voice, they, too, expressed every emotion felt by Him.
I was deeply impressed by His perfect naturalness, His lack of conventionality and set form, and His refreshing simplicity. Divinely simple is He. His hair, which is gray and long, but rather thin, would at one time be flowing softly around His head, and at another it would be tucked up beneath His turban in a careless, comfortable way. All His physical senses seem intensified and when eating anything which Ik particularly likes, He evidences the keenest enjoyment of it. Likewise, the perfume of a flower will seem to entrance Him. I thought of what one pilgrim at tAkki had said: "When tABDU'L-BAHÁ inhales the odor of flowers, it is wonderful to see Him. It seems that the perfume of the hyacinth is telling Him something as He buries His face in the flowers. It is like the effort of the ear � a concentrated attention.
How He understands the mystery of all these things of which we know nothing!" This, indeed, is true.
While there was a deep undercurrent of exultancy in CABDU~L~BAHA, yet, during my visit, which was but a few days, to my consciousness there seemed a strain of sorrow and sadness, as if the weight of the world was upon His shoulders. Especially did I realize this upon my first night in 'Akka.
I occupied the room next to His.His bed rested against the same wall that mine did and I could hear His slightest move. I could not sleep, and as I lay there wide-awake, I heard Him pacing up and down His room; then He would throw Himself upon His bed; then arise and walk back and forth again. Once, when He threw Himself down upon His bed, He moaned. Oh, that moan! It came from the depths of His soul and it pierced me through the heart. I felt that once again the Christ Spirit was daily, hourly, being crucified by the lack of perfect iove and unity among the believers; that once again It was crying out:
'~O Jerusalem! Jerusalem!thou that killest the prophets and stonest them which are sent unto thee! How often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her brood under her wings, and ye would not! Behold, your house is left unto you desolate!"
How I longed to go to Him and declare my love and faith in Him! Then I realized that it is not our iove and faith in Him, but our love for one another, that is His crown of glory and the balm for His soul; for He had said to a pilgrim: "If you love one another, it is just the same as if you love Me. The closer you draw to one another, the closer you draw to Me.
I will go away from this world, but love always stays. Therefore, you should love one another very much."
I felt that every inharmonious thought and action was painfully registered on that great heart; and with this thought came the overwhelming sense of the personal responsibility falling upon each one of us. Having seen and heard ABDU'L-BAHÁ I realized that He is indeed the Center of the Covenant of God. And with this realization came the deepest joy. No need of arguments and worry over intricate problems of life and death, which have confounded the greatest philosophers; no need to spend the precious time in delving into the unknown and unknowable � He has, or can, explain it all and His explanations are true.
Once having accepted CABDU~L~BAHKS station, it is as useless to vex our minds with all these "whys and wherefores" as it would be for a wayworn traveler when a wagon comes along and the driver offers to carry
Page 627627 IMPRESSIONS OF tABDU~L~BAHA him to town and he gladly town. God has indeed given climbs in, to continue us an ccArk of Safety" to carry his heavy burden in ABDU'L-BAHÁ.
on his back. At tAkki CABDU~LBAHA the Mystery I not oniy climbed into of God! Who can comprehend the wagon of Truth, but that Mystery?
I also left my heavy bundleSurely not finite mind of self, opinions and nor intellect. Only through perplexity of ideas by the heart can we catch the roadside, knowing a faint glimpse of His that this Divine Driver Station.
would carry me safely toAbdu'l-Bahá'í Memorable Visit to West Englewood, New Jersey, June 28, 1912, which marked the Inauguration of the "Souvenir Feast of Abdu'l-Bahá." (Mr. Walter Hampden was a guest at this Feast.)
Page 629MITTEN in Jerusalem, der vielbesung-enen Stack der Christenheit, ragr die Heilige Grabkirche, em uralter, ehrwtirdiger
Bau.Trittst du in sie em, so umLingt dich in hoher Kuppeiwdibung cm weihrauchge � tiinktes, mystisches Dunkel, worinnen Gold und geweihte Lampen funkein. In der Mitte dieser Halle siehst du einen steinernen Bau, unter weichern Christi Leib begraben scm soil. Em schmaler Zugang fiXhrt in das Innere an einen Stein, der das Ziel frommer Anbenmg in. Viele gliiubige Christen zwiingen sich zu ihrn hinein, urn dort einige Augenblicke in Andacht zu verweilen. Seitlich von der Mitteihalle aber zweigen einige kicinere Kirchenschiffe ab, fur jede christliche Konfession em anderes. Sonntags halten sie oft gleichzeitig Gottesdienst. Da kannst du dann haren, wie sich Worte und T6ne verrnengen unci st6ren, Worte, die em-stens verktindet wurden, urn die Mensehen zu verbrtidern, urn ihnen den Frieden auf Erden zu bringen. An der Tiire aber steten rnuharnrnedanische Polizisten, urn dafiir zu sorgen, dass Ordnung herrscht und dass sich die verschiedenen Konfessionen nicht streiten oder gar verprtigeln, wie es auch schon vorgekommen sein soil. Und wendest du dann diesem alten
Andachtsraurn den Riickenund trittst du, geblendet von der grellen Sonne, hinaus in die liirinende Stadt, so ger~itst du zun~ichst in eine Schar von H~ind1ern, die dort vor der Kirche ihre Buden aufgeschlagen haben und der religibse Artikel aufdr~ingen wollen.
Den gliiubigen Christenmtissen diese Ge � gens~itze erschiittern und zu tieferem Nach-denken zwingen. 1st dies alles nicht wie cm grosses Sinnbild der religi6sen Lage nick nur des Christentums, sondern aller Religionen auf der Welt? In dem festen, ehrwtirdigen Thu cler alten Traditionen begraben, in das Dunkel riitselvoller Mystik gehtiilt, ge schrniickr mit dem Golde menschlicher Zutaten, ruht das Lebendige, dec Often-barungsort des Wortes, unter der
Erde ver-graben. DieUnd, weil sie sich streiten, entfernen sic sich der Walirheit immer melir, brauchen sic Teilkirchen und Kirchenteile fur ihre
Teilwahrheiten. DieReligion, an-statt em lebendiger, ungecriibter Quell der Kraft und Weisheit f fir den Staat in semen Fragen und Naten zu sein, bedarf im Gegen-red der Hilfe seines Armes, p seiner Waif en-gewalt, urn ihre Wiirde und Ordnung zu behaupten.
Das Ewige, Persbnlichsteaber wird in vcrmenschlichter Aufmachung als k~iufliche Ware auf der Strasse verkitscht und verschachert.
Wo ist da em Lichtblick, wo cm Weg empor? Bedarf es da nicht, urn soiche Zust~inde auf der ganzen Welt zu heilen, eines Mannes, der nicht nur irgendwo im Endlichen den Hebel ansetzt, etwa an einer alten Religion reformiert, oder von ciner Nation ausgeht, sondern der eine unbedingte und unbeschr~nkte gattliche Vollmacht besitzt, kurz, der em Gottgesandter ist? Der, weil er em Gottgesandter ist, und Gott nur Finer mU die Walirheit nur Fine sein kannen, audi den friiheren Gottgesandten und
Wahrheitsverkiindernnicht wider-spricht, sondern sie bestiitigv uncl erfiillt. Der aber eben deshaib kiar das kirchliche Beiwerk, das die Menschen in Religionen, Konfessionen und Sekten aufgespalten hat und darin erstarren hess, von der ewigen, zeitlosen Wahrheit scheidet, und eine neue, unverflilschte Offenbarung niederlegt, die zur ganzen Menschheit spricht und die ganze Menschheit einigt?
Wir BaUM wissen, dass em soicher Gott-gesandter unliingst schon fiber diese Erde ge-gangen ist und diese weitbistorische Sendung vollbracht hat.
Wir wissen auch, wo'u'lhh Seine irdische Baha beschlossen hat und wo Seine irdische lluille zur Rube gebettet ist: Baha � ein kastliches Stiick
Erde. Fernab vom Geschreiund Gefeilsche der Stadt, fernab von den Blicken der Neugierigen ragt aus dem griinen Saum herrijeher Giirten der edel Bau, einfach und doch achtunggebiet-end wie clii Herrschersitz, festgefiigt und doch zierlich im Kranze seiner Saulenreihe, unsagbar ruhig zwischen Flimmel und Erde und doch erftiilt und durchpulst von ciner Kraft, die m~ichtiger ist als Zeit und Raurn. Wenn wir uns diesem Heiligturn nThern, erfasst von der Weihe der Stunde, die Sehnsucht nach geistiger Begegnung irn Herzen unci nicht abgelenkt durch die cluftenden Arme der erdentwachsenen Zweige und Bliiten des Gartens, gelangen wir nichst dem Palaste zu dern Mausoleum. 'Wir lassen unsere Schuhe vor dieser Stlite und mit ihnen alles, was ins seither mit der Erde verband, was vorn Staube noch an uns haftet. Die Gartner reichen uns Rosen-wasser.
. So treten wit un den lichten, hoch-gewdibten Raum. Urn duftende Blumen und Zierstr~ucher, die hier aus der Erde spriessen, sind kostbare Teppiche gelegt. Hinter der geweihten Schwelle in der letzte heiligste ort, unter weichem der
KiirperDer Geist, der diesen Raum durchdringt, ist unbeschreiblich machtvoll.
Kein Pilger kann sich ihm verschuiessen und seine su-chende Seele kann sich an dieser St~itte zu einem Grade der Losl6sung aufschwingen, wie er sie anderswo nicht so leicht erreicht. Die Welt mit ihren Nichtigkeiten versinkt dort draussen weit vor der Ttire. Das Herz in der Brust aber, t~die Schatzkam-. mer des Freundes," difuet sich jubeind, urn den tier waltenden Geist in sich auf-zunehmen, mit dem die Seele, hier allein und frei, innerste ersch{ittcrnde Zwiesprache h~1t.
AL em Neuer trittst du dann wieder in die Welt hinaus, gekThrt, gest~rkt, und tatenfroh.
Page 631Mr. and Mrs. Tokujiro Toni, Kyoto, Japan, July 14. 1935.
Mr. and Mrs: Tokujiro Toni andGLEANINGS from the Writings of Bahá'u'lláh." ' To the waiting hand a Bahá'í gives (Ca Book sent down in truth unto men of insight!
It biddeth the people to observe justice and to work righteousness 2 This Book is of the quintessence of the Holy Books revealed from age to age, and may be weighed by the just Balance that ye possess, the Balance of the testimony of the Prophets and Messengers of God."
Although the pages of this Book of Life are charged with the meaning of our mute experience and, hence, can dissipate thy sorrows and dissolve thine anguish," ~ yet these same pages lie open to communicate mysteries oniy to those who can read ccthe testimony of God" with detachment from traditional misconceptions.
Some of the Words were gathered by patient labor of the Guardian, Shoghi Effendi, and preserved as ~~G1eanings."
For the first reapers were the martyrs of Pin, who discovered in the Cause a field of heroism and yielded up to God a harvest of pun-fled and consecrated lives.5
Let us say that the ccGleanings~~ are the mountain of corn which Brother Giles in homely speech compares to God.
A bird may seize one grain from the high peak, and another, then again; and while it may not diminish the magnitude of that storehouse, still each grain contains all the nutriments for sustenance.
Moreover, each grain is the germ of life itself!And so we ought not to grasp to ourselves these "Gleanings," as the all we have; we ought to stride the field with a fearless and giving movement, 'Trans. by Shoghi Effendi, Bahá'í Pub. Co., New York, 1935.
2 Ibid., p. 306.~ The Heroic Age of the Bahá'í Cycle is reckoned 1S441921.
The present Eormativesowing the seeds of the world culture destined "unto this last."
LogosIt is not the romance of words which we praise, nor do we hold a brief for those philosophies which by lure of words have seduced minds from the realities of common sense.
We do find it timely to call an inquest for theologies that have obscured the meaning of words, terms, and figures, and thereby withheld followers from the recognition of
God through His Prophets.This is to the end that we may exit above all others the Words of God enunciated by the Prophets, now again sent forth as entities charged with ". such potency as can instill new life into every human frame Instead of questioning Jesus for the meaning of the prophecies on the Messiah, Israel accepted the priesthood's literal interpreta-don of the Promise, and was thereby deprived of the regeneration. The Christians, uninstructed by Israel's disinheritance, misinterpreted the promise of the tcSd Coming,'? and failed to acknowledge the Divine Unity through Mubammad. Thus having deprived itself of insight, Christendom entered the prison of the Dark Ages and closed the door on its own spirit until the waves of IslAm ("The Renaissance") flooded Europe. The Muslims of tr6n stumbled over the words ~~The Seal of the Prophets" and put to death the Bib in the year 1850.
Today, Jews, Christians, Muslims, besides the other religious communities all of which are expecting a Promised One, cling to the literal interpretation of their prophetic Books and fail to recognize the universal Manifestation of Bahá'u'lláh. This � although His Book upholds the mission of their own respective Prophets as exponents of one divine Message~~~tThis is the change-6lbid., p. 141.
632less Faith of God, eternal in the past, eternal in the future."
Is not religion intended for unity? NVhere-fore these separatenesses?
In explanation we venture at least two cardinal distinctions between the Words of the Prophets and the words of men: the first, language as human discourse is logical material, and each proposition has one, and oniy one function, so that meaning is not multiple but singleness; whereas, the pronouncements of God are of manifold and inexhaustible meanings.0
This circumstance necessitates, on the part of the Revelator Himself, the appointment of an Interpreter (and designated successors) assured of inspiring and unerring guidance. To be sure, the Gospels record the appointment of the Apostle Peter to a station of primacy; and tradition upholds Muhammad's choice of the Irn~m CAli as His successor. Nevertheless, as both of these appointments were unwritten and inconclusive, witnesses agreed upon fact but widely disagreed upon meaning. Rival claimants arose in both of these communities; unanimity on great issues was never perfected so that time and events confronted a house already divided within itself. Legislation accumulated down the centuries, but it did not have the seal of divine inspiration and wisdom upon it, neither did sacraments and ceremonials take the place of the spirit and intent of the Eounder. Theologies and sects have dismembered Christianity and IslAm and destroyed their unity of faith; but the organic weakness lay in the absence of a divinely-invested Guardian universally recognized by all declared followers of the Prophet.
In this Dispensation, theologies and sects are obviated, for Bahá'u'lláh, in order to bind that Covenant of love and unity which is the essential purpose of religion, wrote His Testament and legislated conclusively, ~~Everything that Abdu'l-Bahá says is My meaning." The disaffected resisted this oneness of belief and community, but their agitation proved abortive because the Testament is an integral part of the Revelation of Bahá'u'lláh itself. Furthermore, ~Abdu'1 ~Ibid., p. 136.
8 Refer to any good Handbook on Logic.BatS perpetuated the Law of Succession in His Will and Testament, wherein He establishes the Guardianship and appoints thereto His eldest grandson, Shoghi Effendi, and his lineal descendants. Inasmuch as all Bahá'ís turn to the Guardian and accept his interpretation, no longer can the question of meaning be the centre of obscurantism and the prolific source of divisions.
At last, religion becomes the basis of unity.As to the second cardinal distinction: knowledge instructs and cultivates the mind: whereas, the Ccgift of understanding" realized through the Prophet shifts the field of consciousness and is the rebirth of the mind itself. Outside of the Bahá'í Writings we do not find elucidation of what happens when the Prophet thunders: ccThus saith the Lord!"
The authors of a capital work on the preliminary problems and uses of language assail the early and well-nigh universal belief of the race in a special world of "words of power." 10 They quote from the German scholar preeminent in this field: (cAristotle is dead because he was, more than perhaps any other notable writer in the whole history of philosophy, superstitiously devoted to words For full two thousand years human thought has lain under the influence of this man's catchwords, an influence which has been wholly pernicious in its results.
There is no parallel instance of the enduring potency of a system of words."
" Aristotle, the father of the sciences and the backbone of scholasticism, is now charged with getting the universities into a straitjacket, notwithstanding his liberal proposition: "All significant speech is so by convention only" � a convention as vague, or so it seems, as the Social
Contract which Authorityimposed upon the people in the treatise of Rousseau.
As instances of the enduring potency of words, we cite the Ten Commandments; the Lord's Prayer; the millions of boys still be10 10 Word-magic as prohibitions against pronouncing the secret and ineffable Name are documented by
Sir James Frazer in "The~1 Citing Mauthner, C. K. Ogden and I. A. Richards, ~The Meaning of Meaning," Kegan Paul, & Co., London, Ed. 1927, p. 35.
Page 634ing named after Muhammad, or the nations of Islim that have recited the five daily professions of faith for thirteen hundred years.
Surely, no one would wish to undo the civilizing influence of the Law of the Pentateuch or of the Qur'an except one who had not read history.
Although there is nothing liberal in the dicta of Jesus: "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God," (CHeaven and earth shall pass away, but My words shall not pass away," nor anything vague about His Covenant: CCHe that loveth father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me,"12 yet we are convinced that nobody would charge the Savior with verbal tyranny except a critic trapped in the appalling confusion between Logos and Exegesis.
Bahá'u'lláh estimates the influence of Jesus upon minds: 'tKnow thou that when the Son of Man yielded up His breath to God, the whole creation wept with a great weeping.
By sacrificing Himself, however, a fresh capacity was infused into all created things. Its evidences, as witnessed in all the peoples of the earth, are now manifest before thee. The deepest wisdom which the sages have uttered, the profoundest learning which any mind bath unfolded, the arts which the ablest hands have produced, the influence exerted by the most potent of rulers, are but manifestations of the quickening power released by His transcendent, His all-perva-sive, and resplendent Spirit."
iS And the modern says? Our fine old Professor held that the skepticism which is the pride of urbanity and enlightenment ought not to lie in the effortless futility that we don't know anything and can't know anything, but, rather in the consent to treat everything as a problem. Then why not turn the mind on the mind itself? Whoever takes the wager will find himself, as Tm-manuel Kant did, up a blind alley, for there are definite limitations to man's finite mind. The Eighteenth Century couldn't see that and pushed an unreasonable confidence in reason itself, with the result as Amiel sug-12 Matthew iv, 4; xxiv, 35; x, 37.
'~ "Gleanings," pp. 856.gests, that its reasoners were able to explain away religion and everything else � but not to create anything.
Bahá'u'lláh points out that as man cannot attain complete knowledge of the reality within himself, even less can he know the Divine Essence. "This confession of helplessness which mature contemplation must eventually impel every mind to make is in itself the acme of human understanding, and marketh the culmination of man's development."
14 At this point the 'will to believe is operative, for faith is also a datum of consciousness struggling to become full-bodied. However, neglected and even stultified by the modern temper, the capacity for faith is coexistent with the capacity for knowi � edge.
Indeed, Reality enters culture through the people of faith: they make up the leaven which animates the realm of being and germinates the arts and manners.'5 In accordance with this, Bahá'u'lláh is revealed unto men to lay bare those gems that lie hidden within the mine of their true and inmost selves." 16 Why doesn't a plane tree turn into a camel? Because the a priori form of the thing lies within the thing itself. And the mature form of the mind lies within the sphere of mind itself. The mind is destined to both education and conversion but not to Theophany. Consequently, man is compared to a mine which is worked for its gems; to a sheep that gets lost without the Shepherd; to a lamp supplied with both oil and wick but incapable of self-ignition. Man, "the supreme Talisman," is a sign of God and the apogee of His creation, stands in absolute need of the Prophet.
The Universal CycleThrough a word proceeding out of the mouth of God he [man] was called into being; by one word more he was guided to recognize the source of his education; by yet another word his station and destiny were safeguarded.47 '411id., 1656.
'5Ibid., pp. 15761.~ Ibid., p. 260; also, "All men have been created to carry forward an ever-advancing civilization."
P. 215.are Logos and constitute a collective force of the first order, which, by power of Spirit consciously and unconsciously subdues the minds, informs and recreates them in Truth.
This world is the descent into existence; the Manifestation offers the ascent into being: here we are born into time; the Manifestation gives the rebirth into eternity. The Words of God draw the souis of men to life eternal: men, seeking a foretaste of that immortality, strive to perpetuate themselves on earth as well by carving their names into history.
From Bahá'u'lláh we learn that man's estate is twofold: its subjective reality is consciousness; its objective reality is civilization. Culture or the totality of arts, sciences, laws, manners and institutions, is the visible embodiment or concrete form of consciousness itself.
Before the New Cycle, consciousness in the 'Vest had not gone beyond Naturalism and automatic necessity.
Men had forgotten God and turned to nature as teacher and goal quite unaware of man's dominion on earth.'8 Voices were raised in protest, and a lonely poet cried out: ccAh Lady, we receive but what we give, And in our life alone does nature live;" (Samuel
Taylor Coleridge)In the East � the Light, all light comes out of the East � the B&b (the "Gate") appeared in 1844.
His divine Manifestation gave consciousness a new orientation based upon the relativity and evolution of religion. The primary aspect of Truth is changeless and absolute, the same throughout the time cycles; but that secondary aspect of religion which concerns social laws and institutions, is valid oniy for the cycle assigned to the given Revelation.
Therefore, the divine Message for the Day in which we live is the soic basis of culture and the energy behind creative evolution and achievement.
18 In 1843 Thomas Carlylewrote: "To speak in the ancient dialect we �ave forgotten God'; in the most modern dialect and very truth of the matter, we have taken up the Fact of this universe as it is not." "Past and Present,"
Essay on Phenomena, OxfordThe Manifestation of the BTh precipitated an epoch of unprecedented mental exploration in which the concept of evolution was taken into thought and verified by the emergence of new schools of knowledge or sciences. Psychology came out of philosophy as a new organism, accompanied by pedagogy or education; politics went ahead; economics and anthropology were born. Contemporaneously, the concept of evolution was related to the earth, which records the proofs of its cycles in the geological strata; the evolution of the human race became the theme of biology; the evolution of classes dominated the trend of economics; while the evolution of the forms and organization of society was contributed by ccthe science of man" himself.
This new mental fecundity due to the BTh's outpouring of Spirit brought forth technics and inventions as well: time is defied and space conquered. Physics justified its birth by discovering the relativity of time and space, but its proofs for the uninitiated lie in changes that we now accept as commonplace.
Man lives in a three-dimension world: he possesses the earth, crosses the oceans, moves through the air. Man subdues Nature and wrests from it the materials for his civilization.
Behold that material civilization!Bahá'u'lláh the ~cG1ory of God" was manifested in 1863. us Revelation sets forth the principles, laws, and institutions of World Order. Exiled from IrAn, confined by the prison walls of tAkki, and subjected for forty years to the Sulv6nate and the Caliphate, Bahá'u'lláh withheld not the outpouring of Spirit. By means of Letters He issued commands for the establishment of the "Most Great Peace" to kings and rulers. To all men He unveiled the pattern of consciousness based upon the oneness of mankind: this is detachment from all prejudices and acceptance of that one life and spirit which is the reality of man.
This new understanding is consummated in ~Abdu'1 Bali: His unique station combines the perfection of humanity with the Mystery of Divinity, and He is the Exemplar to the nations.
This hour is the challenge and test.When we undertook the new material civilization and began to live in space, we left behind the flat surface dimension of the earth; so does the universal consciousness leave behind the flat surface dimension of the mind with its expansive forms of self-love, which become destructive as religious sectarianism, exploitation of classes, racial superiorities, militant nationalism.
Bahá'u'lláh leads us into a Commonwealth of Nations, which is more than expansion and association, for the Divine Polity takes the nations into another dimension which searches the base and reaches the heights of unity.
We are called to be citizens of Heaven and of "Thy Kingdom come on earth": world government lies within the power of the creative Word.
Page 637Passport Issued by the British Consulate on behalf of the Transjordan Government in accordance with Bahá'í
Marriage Certificate.RELIGIOUS bigotry and prejudice are chiefly due to religions being viewed as historical rather than as functional events. The followers of every great world religion tend to look upon their own revelation and the institutions built around it as unique in the history of the planet and consequently to deny the authenticity of other world religions. Hence a bitter rivalry has arisen between religions making such monopolistic claims.
'XJhen, however, we take a scientific view of a religion as functional in the development of humanity we are able to look not oniy with tolerance but with sympathy at other religions than our own.
Wherever a sincere spiritual force is effective in the lives of a people, there we see a religion which we may respect. When, ho*ever, religious expression degenerates into institutionalism either at home or abroad, we may know that religion is no longer performing its normal function.
The function of religion is: � first, to make humanity God-conscious; second, to make humanity obedient to the Divine Will (this implies today the unifying of humanity); and third, to bring to each human being the understanding of how to make use of prayer and guidance and thus take advantage of the inestimable privileges offered man by the Divine Power in the way of communion and help.
Religions do not come into being by accident. No great historic epoch and no section of the world has been deprived by Destiny of the opportunity to acquire the priceless treasures of true religion. The spiritual evolution of the human race is as much a part of the majestic plan of the 638 Creator as is the evolution of solar systems. "Were it not for the instructive, stimulative and inspirational power of religion upon the heart and conscience of humanity, men would remain morally on a level with animals. In other words they would be unmoral, without the refined conscience which spiritual man possesses.
They would be creatures of impulse and of instinct, following the law of the herd but recognizing that as the oniy law outside themselves to be obeyed.
Religion brings to man a new conscience, instructing him in the higher laws of living which make for harmony, happiness and prosperity both in an individual and a cot-lective sense.
Through religion man is enabled to transcend himself to become nobler than his biologically inherent animal qualities would permit. Through religion he is trained to sublimate all of these animal qualities � qualities perfectly legitimate in their own field but obstructive to the development of a catholic and harmonious human society.
Through religion man is made aware of his spiritual potentiality. He learns that his soul can aspire in the realm of spirit and need not be dragged and weighted down by all the heavy burdens of carnality.
Like a young child learning to walk, he begins to realize powers which he can put into practice. In the use of faith, prayer and spiritual guidance he becomes more and more proficient, growing daily nearer to the full stature of spiritual manhood for which he is destined.
Can any one deny that these are the purposes and these the effects of religion?
Any unbiased scientific study of the history of religion as a moral, social and spiritual force in the life of humanity will substantiate the foregoing statements.
Page 639THE CONTINUITY OF RELIGION 639
But whence does religion spring? Flere we come to a much mooted question.
We are told by the Founders of the world's great religions that the truth which they teach is revealed to them from the Divine Source itself; that they are but channels for the Divine instruction and power to flow through; and that their word is, indeed, the Word of God.
Such is the claim of all the great Revelators.But the attitude of science during the last century has been to disparage such superhuman claims.
From the scientific point of view there seems little chance of objectively proving the claims of revelation. The scientific mind can investigate everything in the phenomenal universe, but it cannot investigate the Mind and 'Ways of God. Here is a field distinctly barred to the scientific approach. There is only one standpoint from which the claims of revelation might be investigated, appraised and corroborated.
This standpoint is the field of actual religious achievement.
Mien we study the force which inheres in every great world religion � a force definite and unique, a force which, while its sources may be beyond our investigation, as regards its workings and effects lies clearly within the field of scientific investigation � what do we see? History shows that every great religion in the days of its purity � before institutionalism and human dogma begin their taints � exerts a terrific force upon human conduct and human character, a force unparalleled in the history of human morals as regards its contagiousness, its miraculous power to change character, and its quality of sustained application to the art of living on the part of the individual adherent.
This force of religion is indeed mysterious � as mysterious as is the force of electricity.
Can we reasonably conceive that such a force can emanate from 'a source no higher than human mentality?
Are these Founders of religion simply spiritual geniuses who are but a few degrees loftier in moral and spiritual insight than their fellows? If so, how could they produce these magical effects upon human nature, both individually and collectively? Effects which last not for a day, but for milleniums. Effects which no founders of schools of philosophies, not even the greatest, have ever been able even in the slightest degree to approximate.
Secondly, we should have to assume that in their claims of revelation the Founders of the great world religions were either using deliberate falsehood or suffering under hallucinations.
Both of these points of view have been taken.Previous to the religious tolerance of the twentieth century it had been the custom for earnest adherents of Christianity to accuse the founders of other world religions as being hypocrites, falsifiers or emissaries of evil. The theological doctrine of the uniqueness of Christianity induced this attitude. But as scientific liberalism made inroads into Christian theology and the history of religion came to be studied without prejudice of sectarianism, it became apparent to scientific historical observation that such characters as Confucius, Buddha, Zoroaster and Muhammad were not tittering deliberate falsehoods when they claimed to be channels of Divine communication to humanity.
They were at least sincere, there could be no question about that. Ergo � assuming the impossi � bility of substantiating this claim of divine revelation � certain materialistically inclined scholars of comparative religion, abnormal psychologists, and other secularists were led to the conclusion that these claimants to divine revelation were suffering from hallucinations.
Has not science, in its materialistic scepticism, brought itself here into a ridiculous dilemma?
Those beings so pure and sinless in character, so noble in their self-sacrificing lives that no other humans can even be put in the same category; those beings who have expressed lofty truths which humanity has intuitively accepted as a perfect pattern for human behavior; those beings the power of whose exemplary lives and exalted teachings has influenced humanity more than any other force, � can it be that these great souis were merely insane? That their conception of the nature of their mission and the source of their wisdom was not only fallacious but the expression of psychologically diseased natures?
Marching these Revealersfaith and living against opinions of modernistic secularists, I cannot see how the verdict of thoughtful people can be cast in favor of the materialistic psychologist.
Is the idea of revelation, then, so impossible from the scientific point of view? The painter, the poet, the composer feel that their inspirations come from some source greater than themselves. Plato, the greatest creative thinker and literary artist the world has ever produced, had a definite theory as to where his inspirations came from.
The artist, he states, is but a channel for images and truths which come to him from the World of the Ideal. The soui of the great artist is able to contact this higher archetypal world where perfection already exists, and thus bring to earth artistic revelations, creative ideas, and discoveries in the realm of truth.
Since Plato was himself such a colossally creative thinker, we must acknowledge at least some importance to this theory of his regarding the nature of in � spiration and creation.
Many a great artist, thinker, and inventor since the day of Plato has felt this same way about the nature of inspiration.
Their greatest works have seemed to them not so much the manufacture of their own limited mentality as a projection, through the sensitivity of their being, of truth or beauty from some world outside themselves.
In fact, so disparate from their creator are the greatest achievements of the creative soul that he must look with a feeling of awe upon these creations emanating through him and enjoy them in a purely impersonal relation, receiving from them an inspiration as from a force totally and miraculously outside of his own personality.
Now if it is a possibility for any creative person to receive an inspiration from some mysterious source outside himself, it is certainly possible for the prophetic soul of a great world Saviour to become a channel for those Divine Forces which seek to guiSe and stimulate this planet into higher spiritual evolution.
Not oniy do these Teachers of religion proclaim a truth greater than they themselves could originate, but they are born into the world already destined for such a mission.
Their station is above that of ordinary mortals, as the station of the ambassador of a great emperor is peerless in whatever country he may officially abide. "They are the Treasuries of divine knowledge, and the Repositories of celestial wisdom.
Through them is transmitted a grace that can never fade." 1 These great messengers of God are an essential part of the Divine plan for the evolution of humanity.
Biological evolu-don has gone as far as it is able to go when it has produced "homo sapiens" � man with the power of thought.
The further evolution of man in the way of development of his creative intelligence and his spiritual progress depend upon forces from a higher plane.
Religion is this force absolutely essential to man's spiritual evolution, to the awakening and training of potential qualities which elsewise would never come into active expression.
Evolution now ceases to be a something which operates on man apart from his own conscious effort.
Progress beyond primitive man he can make only by voluntary conscious effort. It is to awaken and aid this effort toward higher spiritual self-develop-ment of humanity that these great Teachers come to earth. Without the inspiration of their teachings and the dynamic stimulus to spiritual progress which they give to man by means of a tremendous outpouring of that cosmic, spiritual, creative force which has been called the Holy Spirit, man would remain on the moral and mental level of the animal.
ccEurther evolution, if it takes place," says P. D. Ouspensky in his "Tertium Organum," rccannot be an elemental and unconscious affair, but will result solely from conscious efforts toward growth. Man, not striving toward evolution, not conscious of its possibility, not helping it, will not evolve. And the individual who is not evolving does not remain in a static condition, but goes down, degenerates. This is the general law."
1 Tablet of Iqan.ShArubim tUbayd, of Cairo, the First Bahá'í to make a donation to the legally constituted National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of Egypt.
641An important point to consider here is that the revelations of religion do not come by chance.
They are part of a continuous plan for the spiritual evolution of humanity. They are a special communication and dispensation of that great creative and guiding Force of the universe which we call God, and they are revealed through spiritualized beings who are special channels for the flow of this creative force.
Humanity, like a battery which has to be recharged, is under the necessity of fresh spiritual impulse at stated intervals.
Fortunately for the spiritual evolution of humanity, at every epoch when one religion has been outgrown a new religion has magically arisen � a religion full of vital hope and promise and charged with the power to retnold and to remake the Lives of its communicants.
"In their essence all these religions are one.Spiritual Truth cannot, indeed, be different and conflicting. The aims of all the great prophets were one: to bring human beings into the Divine Consciousness, to advance their spiritual development, and to effect better conditions of organized living.
t~Nor can the great Founders of religions be supposed to exist in any sort of rivalry one to the other. Their purpose is one. Their devotion to Divinity is one. Their devotion to humanity is one. There can be no possibility of rivalry between these great Souls whose first requisite is abnegation of self, whose words and deeds are guided by divine inspiration, and whose lives serve no other purpose than to mirror Divinity to man.~~ ~ From this point of view it will be seen that no religion is final. As humanity develops, it acquires capacity for new and higher revelations.
At the same time that its capacity to comprehend is constantly increased, its ability to lead a spiritual life periodically diminishes (as has already been shown), thus necessitating a regular and definite reoccurrence of spiritual revelation.
Each Founder of a great religion gives warning of this to His followers.
Hespeaks of a Return, and warns them to be open and receptive to Truth when it returns again, as return it must when the gradual crystallization and degeneration of established religion takes place through institu � tionalism and the natural carnal proclivities of man.
7.Today it is apparent that all over the world religion is in great need of renewaL The spiritual consciousness of humanity is suffering eclipse. This is true not only of Christianity but also of every other great world religion � Confucianism, Buddhism, Zoroastrianism, Judaism, and Muhammadan-mm.
With the normal restraints of religion removed, with man's spiritual conscience obscured as his scientific intelligence is accentuated, we see taking place a rapidly growing chaos and a threatened disintegration of world civilization.
Clearly the time is ripe for a renewal of man s spiritual consciousness, and that renewal is already offered the world in the Revelation of Bahá'u'lláh.
Here we find not only a renewal of all the spiritual beauty and dynamic force of previous revelations, but also pronouncements especially adapted to the advanced needs of this day. We have not oniy general moral laws, but their definite application to individual and collective living.
We have a comprehensive set of principles upon which the establishment of a great world order is predicated, and a great world civilization of a perfection such as the past has hardly ventured to dream of.
Of all the teachings of Bahá'u'lláh, perhaps none is so needed as the clear enunciation which He gives regarding the continuity of religion. As we have pointed out at the beginning of this article, the lack of such realization has been the cause of the crystallization of religious thought and expression and its disintegration into religious rivalries and hostilities never intended by the Divine Power from whose great Purpose for humanity all religions emanate.
Bahá'u'lláh makes clear not only that His Revelation is a renewal of spiritual truth and potency necessitated by the decline of
Page 643THE CONTINUITY OF RELIGION 643
spiritual consciousness throughout the world; but also that, just as other religions have faded and declined, so the religious expression built around His message is also destined to decadence, in the course of time. Thus He definitely prepares His followers and safeguards them against the dangers of bigotry, of religious smugness, and of blindness to the just and verifiable claims of a new Revelator when His day arrives.
How refreshing is this view of religion, which is now seen as a part of the normal functioning of our planetary life, as necessarily recurrent as are the seasons. Indeed each religion passes through its phases of growth comparable to the seasons � its springtime of blossoming and rejuva-nescence, its summer of growth, its autumn of rich fruitage, and its winter of crystal � lization and decline.
And now again a spiritual springtime has appeared, and the Holy Spirit is pouring down Its rays upon this planet with a potency that is stirring everything to rapid motion and renewed growth. And as in the springtime old forms of vegetation, which in their sear and withered stiffness have un � gered through the winter, become broken up by the actinic force of the sun and give way to marvelous new growths whose nourishment they help to furnish by their own decay, so today ancient institutions are falling and every old form is yielding ground to a marvelous newness, which, however disconcerting it may be to unprepared minds, is the breath of life and hope to those who can see beyond the present moment.
CtWhen the Holy Manifestationof God, who is the sun of the world of His creation, shines upon the worlds of spirits, of thoughts and of hearts, then the spiritual spring and new life appear, the power of the wonderful springtime becomes visible, and marvelous benefits are apparent.
And now, in this divine new age, see what development has been attained in the world of minds and thoughts, and it is now oniy the beginning of its dawn.
Before long you will see that new bounties and divine teachings will illuminate this dark world, and will transform these sad regions into the paradise of Eden."
~ "Some Answered Questions," by Abdu'l-Bahá.AR is the most preventable accident!" said cAbdu~1~Bahi, the exemplar of the Bahá'í Faith. His words, which even twenty years ago seemed quite improbable, carry to modern ears an inescapable and terrible conviction.
We recognize in them no less than a profound indictment of the nations of the world.
The history of these last years has been dominated by two tendencies intimately affecting the future of war. First, there has come such an expansion in the possibilities of human intercourse, such intesifi-cation of economic dependence, together with a wider sympathy for the habits and ideals of alien groups, that for the first time the sons of earth are drawn ciose enough to conceive and aspire after forms of relationship other than violence. To this new-felt need � actually an opportunity to substitute for the cruel and gross processes of war a more civilized interaction � has been added, secondly, a fatal necessity in the guise of an armament revolution." Until the end of the 19th century the methods of war had "remained stagnant and unprogressive for hundreds of years." 1 But the conflict of 1914 brought to perfection new devices for mass murder � poison gas, air raids, tanks, heavy artillery � techniques so efficient that in four years' time, more than twice as many men were killed as in 123 years of warfare preceding 1914. The costs of war are now so staggering that statesmen like Mr. Baldwin are impelled to ask: "Who in Europe does not know that one more war in the 'West and the civilization of the ages will fall with as great a shock as that of Rome?"
2 Modern war is not oniy a preventable accident; it is a dreadful 1 Dalton, Hugh, "Toward the Peace of Nations," p. 2.
2 Quoted by Dalton, p. 1.This has not been true in every time. The benefits of war have often cancelled out its evils, have actually advanced the course of human evolution. For example, otherwise isolated groups used to meet upon the battlefield; and long after physical combat had ceased, the cultural ferment induced by such contact altered and enriched the customs of the hostile peoples. With the impact of Islim upon Europe during the Crusades, the structure of the Dark Ages was shattered and the western world entered a new phase. By revealing unsuspected horizons, war has undoubtedly speeded the progress of civilization.
Moreover, it has served to breed hardy and vigorous men, inspiring in them the will to enterprise and action. Discipline, cooperation, inventiveness � these, as well as death, sorrow, waste, have been byproducts of an activity which the modern world must now condemn. For the costs have finally overtaken the profits. Today, ~ see war no longer as a tragic necessity in human life, but as a horrible arrest in development." 8 The figures of losses sustained by the fighting nations in the Great 'War, appalling as they are � ten million wounded, a total money cost of $337,846,000,000 � actually indicate but a sitall portion of the destruction. The costs of war, indeed, cannot be estimated, but their significance may be glimpsed when it is remembered that, as a biologist has written, "The war question is essentially a problem in human ecology. Just as the plants and animals in an aquarium, pond, or forest constitute a delicately balanced complex, so human society
Wells, "World of WilliamWar, therefore, does not affect merely the armies engaged, but the civil populations as well, not oniy of the belligerent nations but also of remote neutrals."
~ Thus the Great War distorted every phase of modern life. Six million people were wiped out by Spanish influenza. ccNrl all Polish children under six are said to have died from starvation."
The fatalities among Armenians, Syrians, Jews, Greeks, Rumanians, Austrians, Serbians, Russians, Belgians, due to starvation and disease, were enormous.
Nations jeopardized even their future health to feed this terror which coveted oniy the fittest human specimens. In the United States, "about 83 per cent of the drafted men who possessed defects of a probably more or less hereditary chAracter were rejected," to return to their homes and father a generation.6
At the same time, the economic equilibrium of the world collapsed.
Factories and industries, growing up to fulfill war needs, caused dislocation and overproduction after the war. Political instability interfered with trade.
High and oppressive taxation cut down the purchasing power of the public and lowered the standard of living by ten per cent.
In the light of subsequent developments, it is interesting to read a postwar prophecy that "the very breakdown of modern economic society might be the price exacted."
Yet the physical consequences � biologic and economic, together with the political disturbances created by the Versailles
Treaty� were overshadowed, if possible, by the havoc worked upon the character of public ethics and private morals. No appraisal could exaggerate these factors, which in their totality form the damning evidence of C~man~s inhumanity to man,'' and predict in grim accents the terms upon which another war shall be fought. One of the strangest attitudes of our day is the nonchalance with which the common man watches his government prepare for suicidal conflict. Like
~ Hunt, "Some Biological~' Bogart, ~Direcc and Indirect Costs of the Great World War," p. 299.
blithe children the nations of the world seek arms for a tourney with Death, apparently unconscious of the merciless intent of their opponent.
There are, to be sure, thousands of persons who, through the bitter years of the Great V//ar, acquired an aching thirst for peace, and many of these have since devoted their lives to this ideal.
Moreover, it is now the opinion of an imposing number of statesmen and leaders that war and human society have come to the parting of the ways.
Diverse projects exist for the consummation of this process, sustained by as many explanations of the causes and cures of war as there are fields of human activity. After fifteen years of faithful application, however, some people are questioning whether success does not wait upon the coordination of these separate enterprises.
Now no plan, it is safe to say, so unites every contributory movement, so richly harmonizes the impulses and efforts of men towards the superb goal � world peace � as does the Bahá'í Faith. tAbdu'1-Bahi wrote, '~The scope of Universal Peace must be such that all the communities and religions may find their highest wish realized in it." ~ Comprehensive in analysis, all-embracing in scope, inviting the cooperation of every forward-looking individual and group, the Bahá'í Faith not only conforms with fact, but is enabled to enlist and conserve every authentic interest in the quest for that ttdurable peace" which, as President Roose � velt has said, "is the oniy goal worthy of our best efforts."
Perhaps the primary and most stimulating contribution of Bahá'u'lláh (Father of tAbdu'1-BaM and Founder of this Cause) was an affirmation in unequivocal terms that the case for peace would prosper.
ctYet so it shall be; these fruitless strifes, these ruinous wars shall pass away, and the cMost Great Peace' shall come." His words challenge at the outset the threadbare theory that war is inevitable because human nature does not change, a brand of illogic which "Bahá'í Peace Program," p. 19.
~ Quoted in Esslemont, ~'BahS'u'1hih and the New Era," p. 48.
Page 647is both untenable and futile. Failing as it does to distinguish between the instincts of individuals and social institutions, it is unable to recognize that whereas human impulses may not change, their expression-forms can certainly be shaped and guided. Happily, the opinion of an eminent body of psychologists has been recorded: cclWar is not instinctive and ineradicable.
By a vote of 346 to 10 the members of the American
Psychological Associationhave registered their opposition to the doctrine that war is a part of human nature and cannot be stopped."
~ 'War, actually more akin to politics than to biology, might be defined as "a contest by force between political groups." '~ Arising from the struggle for existence, it is not therefore a necessary conclusion, but rather the most obvious and brute-like soiu-tion of this competition for life. Men � who are endowed with intellect � have often replaced natural processes with reasoned ones, especially when their very existence has been found to depend upon the latter. As one Bahá'í writer says, ccDisillusion would only be justified if human society could be successfully established on the war principle."
12 Those who are alert to historic necessities know that war is doomed; at the same time they are prepared for a sharp and long-drawn struggle to eradicate the principle which so intimately penetrates the fabric of modern life.
tAbd'lBh' has said: ctNQr is not limited to one cause. There are many kinds of war and conflict going on: political war, commercial war, patriotic war and racial war. This is the very civilization of war."
'~ Today economic causes seem the most significant, with our world a seething mass of economic stresses and strains. Unemployment, "the cancer of the body economic," was estimated in 1932 as affecting some fifty millions of the world's population, unquestionably a conservative figure.
Another critical question is that of 10 Science News Letter, August 6, 1932.
~ Dade, ~The EvolutionEconomy of Bahá'u'lláh," 2� 7 ~ ~Compi1ation," etc., concerning the Most Great Peace, p. 41.
population pressure and it is said that whereas "in 1800 there were probably 600,000,000 or 700,000,000 people in the world, today the number is perhaps 1,800,000,000."
14 Increasing complexity of economic life together with a breakdown of the system of production and distribution, (both of them problems grossly complicated by the Great War), these are the factors leading to friction and rivalries.
But � and it is a consideration fraught with importance and hope � economic causes in thernselyes do not result in war. Conflict springs up only when political groups, in an effort "to support the economic interests of their citizens," 15 clash and resort to violence.
With immigration laws, tariffs, harsh trade policies, raw material monopolies, and protection of foreign investments, governments attempt to underwrite prosperity, ever guided by the unhappy notion that one nation can prosper independently of other nations, even at their expense. As a matter of fact, the World Economic Conference of 1927 disposed of this creed: CCAnY strictly nationalistic policy is harmful not only to the nation which practices it, but also to the others and therefore defeats its own ends."
16 This twentieth-century truth, still not universally known, stands as one of the basic premises of the World Order of Bahá'u'lláh.
Economic irritants are not, however, the soic instigators of a war spirit, and seldom if ever are they formally acknowledged. It is far easier to address popular fury in terms of its emotional antipathies. In other words, human prejudices form the most fertile ground for the seeds of war � prejudices national, racial, religious, class and cultural. How carefully through the ages these provincialisms have been fostered, despite the fact that "the most important step from savagery to culture is the emancipation of the individual man from complete or temporary segregation or isolation."
'~ How tenaciously group-egotisms have been17 Davie, p. 1, quoting Ratzel, History of Mankind.
Page 648transferred from the first primitive tribal unit, exalting itself with the name "Men" as if other tribes were not men, to the succeeding feudal, state and national organizations.
Ethnocentrism, that loyalty which does good service in stabilizing each newly-created society, always in the end projects the social body into armed conflict.
Today, disguised as nationalism, it is arousing passions which inevitably must hurtle us into another desperate struggle. Perhaps in no other school will men finally learn that: CCA1L prejudices whether of religion, race, politics or nation, must be renounced, for these prejudices have caused the world's sickness.
It is a grave malady which, unless arrested, is capable of causing the destruction of the whole human race. Every ruinous war with its terrible bloodshed and misery has been caused by one or another of these prejudices."
18 These and many others are �he true causes of wars. But we must distinguish between causes and that basic condition of world society which makes war actually possible. For war is itself nothing but one method for settling disputes. It has already been dispensed with in the relations of individuals, families, states; oniy between nations does it remain the honored arbiter. Only between nations are there no effective definitions of law and government, no restraints to violence, no alternative courts of bst appeal.
International relations, up to the Great War, were in a state of complete anarchy. Even today, after the efforts of the Versailles Treaty to establish a League of Nations, and in spite of subsequent pacts and agreements and the organized work of millions of interested people, international relations are still too chaotic to prevent the catastrophe which tempts us like a lurid shadow. Definitely, at least five institutions and processes for the prevention of war have been established: the League of Nations, the International Labor
Office, the Permanentsimilar insurance treaties, and the Kellogg-Briand Pact. Actually, "every nation in the world has become signatory to some kind of a solemn pledge that it will settle its future difficulties by pacific means." 19 Yet in 1935 we stand in more danger of war than at any time since 1914.
The League of Nations, once seen as the hope of the world, has in the last year proved itself ineffectual. Indeed, it is in no true sense a League of Nations, since the United States, Germany and Japan � to name the most important � do not belong. And the League is powerless to stop them, it is powerless to interfere if Japan wishes to quarrel with China, it is wholly inadequate to prevent the next great conflict for which all countries are preparing with ill-disguised haste.
The armaments race has at last been entered upon frankly although six years ago war was renounced "as an instrument of national policy." 20 It is a fact that the world spends enough on armaments in one year to support the total cost of the League for more than six centuries!
In a world so enslaved by selfishness, so bestial in many of its impulses, so intent upon destroying the few world institutions which have been laboriously erected, what remains to a lover of peace?
In what consolation may his soul find patience and what assurance will sustain him through the coming darkness? There is only one answer. Those who cling to the bright vision of a New World Order, whose thoughts continuously encircle it and whose actions faithfully contribute to its consummation � they shall wrest sanity from the world's insanity and peace from its bloodthirstiness.
Shoghi Effendi, Guardianof the Bahá'í Faith, has written: ttTlnat the forces of a world catastrophe can alone precipitate such a new phase of human thought is, alas, becoming increasingly apparent.
That nothing short of the fire of a severe ordeal, unparalleled in its intensity, can fuse and weld the discordant entities that constitute the elements of presentday civilization, into the integral components of the world commonwealth of the future, is a truth
~ Tuttle, ~A1ternativesFriends Assembled at the Bahá'í Summer School, Geyserville, California, U. S. A., 1935.
Page 650which future events will increasingly dem-May humanity emerge at last from its blind-onstrate."
" 21 ness into the profound conviction that no The outlawry of war waits upon the icss a foundation than that of undivided awakening of man's intelligence and will, loyalty to a world society can ever support 21 "Goal of a New World Order," ~, the structure of an enduring peace.
Page 651Haakon of Norway, 0 reader, and you will be as charmed as was the writer of this article. Here is a King with a most delightful manner.
Why, he can laugh at himself and with everybody else! He speaks his thoughts so frankly, so sincerely, his sense of humor is so sparkling, his sense of proportion so balanced, he is an artist in knowing how to live. Is he spiritual?
Yes, very! The fire of his predecessor on the throne, King Haakon the Good of Norway (who in 965 A.D. first brought Christianity to the attention of this great land of the North) burns in his deep, dark eyes, but he is one of the smiling kings who give to humanity religion full of joy. It was a merry audience full of fun and wisdom, but the man who can command this radiant, vital spirituality is a King of courage and evolved personality.
What impressed me most in this ever memorable conversation in the Royal Palace in Oslo, May 9, 1935, was His Majesty's profound belief that the security of the world and universal peace depend upon religion.
If we had one religion that peoples could agree upon and live, it would bring the tranquillity of the nations. Every point touched upon came back to this one solution, the spiritual foundation for enduring peace. His most passionate desire is for world peace. Even as one from America wrote recently, "It is our conviction that it is these nations of Northern Europe which may be expected to take a leading part in all plans intended to make peace and bring about an amelioration of the present very troubled and uncertain international condition." Mr. Frank Bucliman � inaugurator of the fine Oxford Group Movement � had the divine guidance to come to Norway this same year with a team of one hundred spiritual helpers; he too, thinks it may be these Northern countries that will save the world. These strong, Norwegian people, neutral, whose eyes are lifted tip to high mountains and who look down into deep valleys, are serious thinkers, and what they believe, they live, they promote.
His Majesty King Haakon, I observed, knows very well the religious movements of the twentieth century and spoke of some of them with fine appreciation.
He mentioned one which he says does much good and it does not ask to what church one belongs; some of His Majesty's bishops favor it we know, but as Norway has a state religion, Lutheranism � and also as His Majesty's government is composed of many parties, this wise King did not permit the audience to become an interview.
If one could write what he says about religion, about the economic solution, if one could give his scintillating psychological comments on the universal principles needed to make a better world, it would be eagerly read.
He told me it would never do, for if one quotes a King, something he may say with a smile, when one reads it without the smile and doesn't hear the nuance, the world, the political parti~s, the church may take issue!
LIe laughingly said it is hard to be a King; it is hard enough to be a President, but that is only for a term of years, it is more difficult to be a King because he is chosen for life!
However, there is another way of knowing this great King and that is through his life. What one could never learn from an interview with him, I relate to you as coming direct from the hearts of the Norwegian people and from me. I was ill in Norway immediately upon arrival, and after many weeks when convalescing, I walked daily in 651
Page 652a beautiful park of silver birches where many Norwegians came and went enjoying its loveliness. The first day I asked my nurse: "What is that great splendid building on the summit of this people's park?"
She replied in astonishment, ~Do you not know that is the Royal Palace and this is the King's Park?" I saw the standard waving from the flagstaff and my inner eye saw his warmly-human heart that he shares so generously.
The Norwegian people said to me: "We love our King; he makes us feel he is one of us even though he lives in the great palace and we in our houses.
He is so wise, so honest, so energetic. We call him our tKing Haakon the Good.' Every Sunday he goes to the Palace Chapel or to one of the regular church services. The Palace Chapel is a place where every one may come.
This tall, slender, handsome King moves among his people; he may be seen walking in the streets of Oslo, he is often at the opera and very frequently at the social functions arranged to help the needy. One could hardly think of him � yet � � as the father of his country.
He seems more the brother who understands, sympathizes; he is gentle, careful and has all the human perfections in activity.
An audience with His Majesty King Haakon may be more illuminating and forgerable than an interview.
This spiritually lovable King of Norway who will never talk about himself, who in the whole conversation did not use the words ccme I, my or mine," made me happy. It was so good to laugh, so Gibraltar-reassuring to find His Majesty standing firm for religion � liberal, vitalizing religion to change hearts and bring the enduring peace.
Gloriously the sun streamed through the palace windows of his room and fell full upon his pleasing, thoughtful countenance as he said goodbye. The sun did not need to say that morning, "I am shining," and the King did not need to give any interview, for his life spoke it!
Long may His Majesty KingAnd through his way of c!living the life" teach all the world and begin with us, the joyous adventure of following God's Will, the fun of fellowship and sharing and the enchantment of being charming and spiritually ideal even to the humblest!
Page 653(NOTE: In Vol IV of the Bahá'í W/orld, 193 01932, appeared "Some Memories of Abdu'l-Bahá'í stay in London in 1911." Recently some of the Bahá'í friends have desired to have some further Memories, those of the sojourn in Paris, October-December, 1911. The author.)
MUCH has been written of the journeys of Abdu'l-Bahá, Abbas IThifendi. Having been released from the prison fortress of Akka, after forty years of captivity, he set himself to obey the sacred charge laid upon him by his Father, Bahá'u'lláh.
Accordingly he undertook a three years' mission into the Western World.
He left the Holy Land and came to Europe in 1911. During that and the two following years, he visited Switzerland, England, Scotland, France, America, Germany and
Hungary.When the days of Abdu'l-Bahá'í first visit to London (in the autumn of 1911) were drawing to a close, his friends, Monsieur and Madame Dreyfus-Barney, prepared an apartment for his residence whilst in the French capital.
It was charmingly furnished, sunny, spacious, situated in the Avenue de Cam6ens (No. 4) whence a flight of steps led into the
Trocadero Gardens. HereSheltered in this modern, comfortable Paris flat, he whom we revered, with secretary servitors and a few close friends, sojourned for an unforgettable nine weeks.
I shall try to describe some of the events which took place, but these events owe their significance to the atmosphere of otherworldliness which encompassed the Master and his friends.
We, at least some of us, had the impression that these happenings became, as it were, symbols of
Sacred Truths.Who is this, with branch of roses in his hand, coming down the steps?
A pictur-. esque group of friends (some fr6nians wearing the kola, and a few Europeans following him, little children coming up to him. They hold on to his cloak, confiding and fearless.
He gives the roses to them, caressingly lifting one after another into his arms, smiling the while that glorious smile which wins all hearts.
Again, we saw a cabman stop his fiacre, take off his cap and hold it in his hands, gazing amazed, with an air of reverence, whilst the majestic figure, courteously acknowledging his salutation, passed by with that walk which a friend had described as "that of a king or of a shepherd."
Another scene. A very poor quarter in Pai~is � Sunday morning � groups of men and women inclined to be rowdy. Foremost amongst them a big man brandishing a long loaf of bread in his hand, shouting, gesticulating, dancing.
Into this throng walked Abdu'l-Bahá, on his way from a Mission Hall where he had been addressing a very poor congregation at the invitation of their Pastor. The boister � ous man with the loaf, suddenly seeing him, stood still.
He then proceeded to lay about him lustily with his staff of life, crying ~Make way, make way! He is my Father, make way." The Master passed through the midst of the crowd, now become silent 654
Page 655SOJOURN OF CABDU~LBAHA IN PARIS 655
and respectfully saluting him. tcT1~ank you, my dear friends, thank you," he said smiling round upon them. The poor were always his especially beloved friends. He was never happier than when surrounded by them, the lowly of heart!
Who is he?"returned to the shelter of Heaven," He laid a sacred charge upon his eldest son, cAbdu~1~Bahi (literally Servant of God, the Most Glorious). This charge was that he should carry the renewed Gospel of Peace and Justice, Love and Truth, into all lands, with special insistence on the translating of all praiseworthy ideals into action. What profit is there in agreeing that these ideals are good? Unless they are put into practice, they are useless.
I hope to indicate, albeit too inadequately, something of that Messenger, the tcTrusted One," who came out of an Eastern prison to bring his Father's message to the bewildered nations of earth. During the Paris visit, as it had been in London, daily happenings took on the atmosphere of spiritual events.
Some of these episodes I will endeavour to describe as well as I can remember them.
Every morning, according to his custom, the Master expounded the Principles of the Teaching of Bahá'u'lláh to those who gathered round him, the learned and the unlearned, eager and respectful. They were of all nationalities and creeds, from the East and from the West, including Theosophists, Agnostics, Materialists, Spiritualists, Christian Scientists, Social Reformers, Hindus, Sdf is, Muslims, Buddhists, Zoroastrians and many others. Often came workers in various Humanitarian societies, who were striving to reduce the miseries of the poor. These received special sympathy and blessing.
cAbdu~1~Bahi spoke in idnian which was translated into French by Monsieur and Madame Dreyfus-Barney.
My two daugh ters, Mary and Ellinor, our friend Miss Beatrice Platt, and I took notes of these ~'Ta1ks" from day to day. At the request of the Master, these notes were arranged and published in English.' It will be seen that in these pages are gathered together the precepts of those Holy Souls who, being Individual Rays of the ONE were, in divers times and countries, incarnated here on Earth to lead the spiritual evolution of human kind.
The words of cAbd~1Bahi can be put on to paper, but how describe the smile, the earnest pleading, the lovingkindness, the radiant vitality, and at times the awe-inspiring authority of his spoken words? The vibrations of his voice seemed to enfold the listeners in an atmosphere of the Spirit, and to penetrate to the very core of being. We were experiencing the transforming radiance of the Sun of Truth; henceforth, material aims and unworthy ambitions shrank away into their trivial obscure retreats.
Abdu'l-Bahá would often answer our questions before we asked them. Sometimes he would encourage us to put them into words.
"And now your question?"I answered, aj am wondering about the next world, whether I shall ask to be permitted to come back here to Earth to help?"
"Why should you wish to return here? In My Father's House are many mansions � many, many worlds! Why would you desire to come back to this particular planet?"
The visit of one man made a profound impression upon us: "0 cAbdu~1~Bah~I I have come from the French Congo, where I have been engaged in mitigating the hardships of some of the natives. For sixteen years I have worked in that country."
(cIt was a great comfort to me in the darkness of my prison to know the work which you were doing."
Explanations were not necessary when coming to tAbdu~1~Bahi!
'~Ta1ks in Paris," byOne day a widow in deepest mourning came. Weeping bitterly she was unable to utter a word.
Knowing her heart's grief, c~Do not weep," said tAbdu'1-BaM, wiping away the tears from the piteous face. C~DO not weep! Be happy! It will be well with the boy. Bring him to see me in a few days."
On her way out, this mother said, t~~J my child! He is to go through a dangerous operation today. What can I do?"
CcTh Master has told you what to do. Remember his words: 'Do not weep, it will be well with the boy.
Be happy, and in a few days bring him to see me.'In a few days the mother brought her boy to the Master, perfectly well.
One evening at the home of Monsieur and Madame Dreyfus-Barney, an artist was presented to tAbdu'1-BahA.
ccThou art very welcome.~tWhat of the dark night, when the Sun is not shining?"
ttThe darkness of night is past, the Sun has risen.
"But Master! how shall it be with the blinded eyes that cannot see the Sun's splendor? And what of the deaf ears that cannot hear those who praise its beauty?"
~ will pray that the blind eyes may be opened, that the deaf ears may be unstopped, and that the hearts may have grace to understand."
As tAbdu'1-Bah& spoke, the troubled mien of the Artist gave place to a look of relief, satisfied understanding, joyous emotion.
Thus, interview followed interview. Church dignitaries of various branches of the
Christian Tree came. Someearnestly desirous of finding new aspects of the Truth ~~ccthe wisdom that buildeth up, rather than the knowledge that puffeth up." Others there were who stopped their ears lest they should hear and understand.
One afternoon, a party of the latter type arrived.
They spoke word~ of bigotry, of intolerance, of sheer cruelty in their bitter condemnation of all who did not accept their own particular dogma, showing themselves obsessed by ccthe hate of man, disguised as iove of God" � a thin disguise to the penetrating eyes of the Master! Perhaps they were dreading the revealing light of Truth which he sought to shed upon the darkness of their outworn ecciesiasticism. The new revelation was too great for their narrowed souis and fettered minds.
The heart of tAbdu'1-Baha was saddened by this interview, which had tired him exceedingly.
When he referred to this visit there was a look in his eyes as if loving pity were blended with profound disapproval, as though he would cleanse the defiled temple of Humanity from the suffocating diseases of the soul! Then he uttered these words in a voice of awe-inspiring authority, "Jesus Christ is the Lord of Compassion, and these men call themselves by His Name! Jesus is ashamed of them."' He shivered as with cold, drawing his tabi closely about him, with a gesture as if sternly repudiating their misguided outlook.
The Japanese Ambassadorto a European capital (Viscount Arawaka � Madrid) was staying at the H&tel d'J6na. This gentleman and his wife had been told of tAbdu'1-Bahá'í presence in Paris, and she was anxious to have the privilege of meeting him.
ani very sad," said her Excellency. ttj must not go out this evening as my cold is severe and I leave early in the morning for Spain.
If only there were a possibility of seeing him!"This was told to the Master, who had just returned after a long, tiring day.
ctTell the lady and her husband that, as she is unable to come to me, I will call upon her."
Accordingly, though the hour was late, through the cold and the rain he came, with his smiling courtesy, bringing joy to us all as we awaited him in the Tapestry Room.
tAbdu'1-Bah~ talked with the Ambassador and his wife of conditions in Japan, of the great international importance of that country, of the vast service to mankind, of
Page 657SOJOURN OF tABDU'L-BAHÁ IN PARIS 657
the work for the abolition of war, of the need for improving conditions of life for the worker, of the necessity of educating girls and boys equally.
The religious ideal is the soul of all plans for the good of mankind.
Religion must never be used as a tool by party politicians. God's politics are mighty, man's politics are feeble.
Speaking of religion and science, the two great wings with which the bird of human kind is able to soar, he said, (CSi tifi discoveries have greatly increased material civilization.
There is in existence a stupendous force, as yet, happily, undiscovered by man. Let us supplicate God, the Beloved, that this force be not discovered by science until Spiritual Civilization shall dominate the human mind! In the hands of men of lower material nature, this power would be able to destroy the whole earth."
Abdu'l-Bahá talked of these and of many other supremely important matters for more than an hour.
The friends, wondering, said, "How is it possible that having spent all his life imprisoned in an eastern fortress, he should so well understand world problems and possess the wisdom to solve them so simply?"
Truly we were beginning to understand that the majesty of greatness, whether mental or spiritual, is always simple.
One day, I received a disquieting letter, "It would be well to warn Abdu'l-Bahá that it might be dangerous for him to visit a certain country, for which I understand he proposes to set forth in the near future."
Having regard to the sincere friendship of the writer, and knowing that sources of reliable information were available to him, this warning obviously could not be ignored. Therefore, as requested, I laid the matter before the
Master.To my amazement, he smiled and said impressively, t~My daughter, have you not yet realized that never in my life have I been for one day out of danger, and that I should rejoice to leave this world and go to my Father?"
"Oh, Master! We do not wish that you should go from us in that manner."
I was overcome with sorrow and terror."Be not troubled," said tAbdu'1-BahA. "These enemies have no power over my life, but that which is given them from on High. If my Beloved God so willed that my lifeblood should be sacrificed in His path, it would be a glorious day, devoutly wished for by me."
Therefore, the friends surrounding the much-loved master were comforted and their faith so strengthened, that when a sinister-looking man came to a group who were walking in the gardens and threateningly said, "Are you not yet sufficiently warned?
Not oniy is there danger for tAbdu'1-Bahi, but also for you who are with him," the friends were unperturbed, one of them replying calmly, !cThe Power that protects the Master protects also His other servants. Therefore we have no fear."
The man departed, abashed, saying nothing more.Two days before the close of cAbdu~L~. Bahá'ís visit, a woman came hurriedly into the gathering at the Avenue de Gamo~ns: 'tOh how glad I am to be in time! I must tell you the amazing reason of my hurried journey from America. One day, my little girl astonished me by saying: cMummy if dear Lord Jesus was in the world now, what would you do?' tDarling baby, I would feel like getting on to the first train and going to Him as fast as I could.' tWell, Mummy, He is in the world.' I felt a great awe come over me as my tiny one spoke. tWhat do you mean, my precious? How do you know?' I said. ~He told me Himself, so in course He is in the world.' Full of wonder, I thought: Is this a sacred message which is being given to me out of the mouth of my babe? And I prayed that it might be made clear to me.
'tTh next day she said, insistently and as though she could not understand, tMummy, darlin', why isn't you gone to see Lord Jesus?
He's told me two times that He is really here, in the world.' tTiny love, mummy doesn't know where He is, how could she find Hun?' tWe see, Mummy, we see.
was naturally perturbed.The same afternoon, being out for a walk with my child, she suddenly stood still and cried our,
Page 658cThere He is! There He is!' She was trembling with excitement and pointing at the windows of a magazine store where was a picture of cAbdu~1~BahA. I bought the paper, found this address, caught a boat that same night, and here I am."
The above was written down as it was related to me. It is again the second instance of the pictured face of cAbdu~1Bahi arresting the beholder with a compelling force.
The first incident was that of a man in deadly despair, about to take his own life; and now this innocent child!
It was of great interest to notice the effect the presence of CAbd~1Bh~ had upon some children.
One little girl whispered, "Look, that is Jesus when He was old." Perhaps their unstained nature sensed the breath of holiness which was always with Him and caused them to liken him to the Most Holy One of whom they were conscious.
One day a certain man of high degree came to cAbdu~1~Bah4. ~cj have been exiled from my country.
I pray you intercede for me that I may be permitted to return.
C(YOU will be allowed to return.""Some of my land has been bought by one of the Bahá'í friends. I desire to possess that property once more.
ttlt shall be given back to you and without payment."
ctWho is the young man standing behind you? May he be presented to me?"
(cHe is ~Aga Mirza. Jalil, son of one of the martyred brothers of 1sf ihAn."
"I had no part in that crime.ecThe part you took in that event, I know. Moreover, your motive I know."
This man, with his fellow conspirator, the tRVolf" (so named because of his ruthless cruelty and greed) had borrowed large sums of money from the two noble and generous brothers of I~faMn. To accuse them of being followers of Bahá'u'lláh, to bring them before a tribunal which condemned them to be executed, and to have the brothers put to death, was their plot to avoid being required to repay the loans.
After the death of the ~'Wo1f" some documents were discovered, relating to the borrowed money.
This, with the addition of the interest which had accumulated, now amounted to a considerable sum.
The lawyer who was in charge of the affair wrote to the son of the martyr, asking into what bank the moneys should be paid. The reply sent, with the approval of cAbdu~1~Bahi was that he declined to accept repayment of money which had been one reason for the shedding of his father's blood.
cAga Mirza JalAl was now married to a daughter of eAbdu~1~Bahi.
Whilst these episodes were taking place, we who witnessed them seemed to be in a higher dimension where there were natural indications of the presence of the Light which in all men is latent and in cAbdu~1~ Baha transcendent.
The constant awareness of an exhilaration, which carried us out of our everyday selves, and gave us the sense of being One with the Life-Pulse which beats through the Universe, is an experience to be treasured rather than an emotion to be described. The reader will understand that it is impossible to find fitting words for the thoughts and feelings which were with us in those Paris days.
Page 659in their efforts to establish peace among warring races, religions and nations, number among their varied activities three Summer schools, one of which is famous Green Acre, at Eliot, Maine.
The location of this center on the Piscataqua River and amid rural scenes of beauty is conducive to exhilaration as well as rest, and during the past forty years many great characters of various races have sought its stimulus and shelter.
This season's program, which extends through July and August, includes a course in race relations featuring racial likenesses and differences, conveying the scientific evidences and the Bahá'í teachings.
It is conducted by Genevieve L. Coy, Ph. D., for � merly of Columbia University, now of the Dalton School of New York. The work goes deeply into the study of the socalled races, from the dawn of history until the present. It includes such topics as, 'What constitutes a race? 'What racial characteristics prevailed in earliest history?
What parts of the earth were occupied? What color had peoples? What culture?
Interesting facts brought out were that knowledge of color differences in early times is vague; that most scientists now recognize but three races; that differences between them arc not well defined; that all races are more or less mixed; that skin color is due to environment; that national culture is often mistaken for racial culture and that there is a tremendous racial admixture in the United States and South America. It is a wise provision of nature that those living under a tropical sun should be protected by a dark skin and woolly hair. On the other hand, some scientists are of the opinion that a very fair skin is a faded or bleached one. All shades are useful and beautiful. The early race was probably neither white nor black. The development of agriculture and the use of iron have sometimes been the means of separating races.
Another period was given to the discussion of racial antipathies.
Factors in this are the survival of tribal clannishness; variance of religion; this enables some to regard themselves as the chosen of God and others accursed and unclean; dislike for what appears to be "new," "strange," and t~dif-ferent"; dissenting ideals of what constitutes physical beauty; tribal sense, that is, a belief that holding together is necessary to survival; trade and economic rivalries.
Even the cut of the beard in the past has been the means of separating peoples. It was brought out that physical differences which have slight foundation and are always superficial have unhappily had great effect in separating races. It cannot be denied by the thoughtful that racial differences conflict with the fundamentals of true religion. Yet how persistent are they!
The effort to measure the capacities of different groups or races by intelligence tests is interesting but exceedingly difficult in estimating results. The reason is that when backward races have the same cultural advantages their median and average intelligence rises. This may be illustrated by the higher rating of migrants from the South when given the advantage of better school 659
Page 660When the Negro lives on terms of equality with the whites, suffering no economic, social or cultural handicaps, it is quite reasonable to assume that he will measure up to the attainments of the whites in every particular.
Environment and opportunity make all the difference.
The size of the brain is no gage of intelligence among races. All races see and hear equally well.
All are equally sensitive to covering the number of outstanding individuals; difference in temperament caused by physical conditions, such as climate; geographical differences, such as caused by mountain or valley, desert-dwelling or proximity to the sea; also nearness to and contact with other races. Also what effect has the possession of wealth, machinery and organization, all of which may be fortuitous?
Another interesting discussion centered about the statement of Dr. Herbert The Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of Karachi, India.
pain. All races show mechanical ingenuity and inventive ability. In brief, there are no marked racial differences.
Cultural differences and those due to climatic conditions there are.
Martinique is mentioned as one of the few places on earth where whites and blacks live together on a plane of social equality.
Here no difference in their respective abilities is apparent.
Another very interesting period was that devoted to study of the causes of cultural differences in races. This comprehended such matters as differences in variability, Adoiphus Miller that suppressed races tend to be abnormally subjective, sensitive and aggressive. They are inclined to take everything upon the personal basis and to be unduly suspicious.
Representatives of minority groups present admitted this to be true. The statement is made by one who has been a lifelong friend of minority groups, Dr. Miller. It is, of course, one of the obstacles to racial understanding.
It is quite natural, however, in view of pressure from without. The Trojans fear the Greeks even when they come bearing gifts!
Page 661RACIAL LIKENESSES AND DIFFERENCES 661
The subject of racial intermarriage was unemotionally discussed. Scientists agree that it increases fertility in races and is biologically sound.
In view of the prejudices against it, however, those who contract such alliances should have the zeal and courage of pioneers.
The climax of the week was the annual race amity conference, always one of the most fascinating features of the Green Acre season. The speaker at the opening session was Dr. Genevieve L. Coy, who had brought to light so many very interesting views during the week of study. She said in part: ccThe rate of progress of any group, whether religious, national or racial, is, to a considerable degree, determined by its most intelligent and inventive members. A careful study of the work of such distinguished artists, writers and musicians of the Negro race shows achievements of such excellence as to give a sound basis for the belief that the colored race as a whole will develop a fine and true appreciation of artistic and literary culture.
We may also expect that the Negro race will, in proportion to their numbers contribute as much to the culture of America as any of our other racial groups.
"In the field of literary achievement we call attention to the distinguished literary criticism of
'William Stanley Braithwaite;to the colorful and forceful articles and books on racial problems of Dr. W. E. B. DuBois; to the novels of Jessie Fauset and Jean Toomer; to the dramatic and lyrical quality of the poetry of such writers as Claude McKay,
Countee Cullen and Langston Hughes.In musical composition and execution, we must take into account the contributions to American art of such men as Nathaniel Dett, Carl Diton, Hall
Johnson, Paul Robesonand Roland Hayes. In the field of painting and sculpture we note the work of William Harper,
William Scott, May HowardTanner. Of these the most distinguished is Tanner, who is recognized as one of the leading painters of the world. He has been awarded knighthood in the French Legion of Honor. With such distinguished leadership, the Negro race should move forward into achievements of higher and finer standards in the fields of music, art, literature, as well as the liberal and industrial arts and sciences."
Mrs. Mary Coristine, a New Englander whose friendship for the colored race has been accentuated by her study of the Bahá'í teachings, presided at the second session. She spoke briefly on the universal iove, which is on a higher plane than the mere personal love which is so subject to change. Louis G. Gregory spoke on the trend toward world fellowship, as illustrated in the attraction, cooperation and blending of representatives of various races and religions both at home and abroad. Outstanding thinkers are beginning to see that a divided world is in danger of dissolution. People in all ranks of life are obtaining a vision of world fellowship, sometimes articulate, sometimes more effectively expressed in service. This applies to both individuals and groups. Although as yet these seers represent but a small minority of the people of the earth, they are imbued with a spirit that is all-pervasive.
They are the signs and rising places of a new culture. It is only a new and universal revelation of religion that can so train and educate mankind that all race prejudices vanish and all discords cease.
The Sunday morning session of the conference was devotional, and the chairman, Mrs. Alice McCausland, read prayers and introduced Dr. Glenn A. Shook, professor at Wheaton College, as the speaker. The effort to unite various nations and peoples in past centuries, he declared, had fired the aspiration of men of genius. But in each case it has failed to bring permanent results. At this dark hour in human history man is especially in need of divine guidance.
This divine outpouring is caused by a new Manifestation.
How different would the history of the world have been had the established religions of the past maintained unity. Science has great value for man, but cannot alone accomplish such a task.
Some schools of science even deny divine revelation. Their god is only a great cosmic force, working for weal or woe. It is most refreshing to turn to the Baha teachings which satisfy every human need. The corn
Page 662plete education of man comes through the Prophets of God who create spiritual life. Bahá'í administration is a creation, a living organism, not a synthesis of the past. We may have all necessary parts of an organism, but we cannot put them together and cause life, nor make them work. The world of man is composite, but the divine Spirit is life.
This new divine outpouring alone is able to bring us out of our present chaos.
Prof. Stanwood Cobb of Washington presided at the next session, given to general consultation and sociability. The unity of the world, he stated, would not be brought about through the effort to coordinate different organizations, but rather through a spiritual consciousness of the oneness of mankind. The Golden Rule must be founded in minds and hearts.
We must think of the happiness and needs of others. An interesting incident related was the story told by Dr. Samuel C. Mitchell, distinguished southern educator, of how his heart was fired when he saw and heard CAbd~1 Báb at the Lake Mohonk P~ace Conference in 1912 as the great message of human unity was proclaimed.
Rabbi Clark, visitor to Green Acre from the deep South, gave eloquent testimony of his admiration for the Baha religion.
He also paid a feeling tribute to the colored race and expressed the hope that this great nation would see the advantage to itself in giving every man a man's chance. Spreading love from heart to heart is a colossal undertaking.
We should not hold knowledge, but impart it. Give opportunities to all. My conviction is, he said, that a very high percentage of the influence that directs people comes from their environment. Let us strive, therefore, to develop in all men their God-given powers for the adornment of the world, always seeking unity. It is deplorable that well-wishers of humanity cannot always be out spoken because of hostile and reactionary surroundings. A learned Rabbi was once asked to resign his pulpit because he upheld and applied in a sermon the principle of justice to a very critical matter in race relations. Because members of his congregation had business interests in that community, they feared harm if their leader took such a stand, though just.
Mrs. Margaret Cartwrightof Cambridge, a representative of the Youth Group, thereupon asked a challenging question: How are reactionary people to get the great message if those who know it do not teach, no matter what the sacrifice involved?
Rabbi Clark testified to his own stand for justice and the chairman, Prof.
Cobb, replied that people are greatly controlled by their emotions. This force with most mortals is more powerful than intellect. One emotion can only be overpowered by a greater emotion. The reality of religion, divine love, is the Master emotion. This is the great security for a failing world. One vital flame of spiritual consciousness is enough to bring order and relief out of the great chaos that confronts mankind. Receptivity to the new ideals brings success.
Mrs. Elizabeth Greenleafsaid: "Speaking of the great conflict between intellect and emotion, I am reminded of my eaily experience as a Bahá'í worker. In my joy over the truth I wanted every one to accept it and was much discouraged by rebuffs.
But tAbdu'1-Bahi reassured me with three messages extending over a number of years. First, he said, CCB patient!" Anon he said, "Be divinely patient!"
Still later he said, ttBe magnificently patient!"By the chairman: (cAll who work in movements of idealism are prone to pessimism. They encounter so much crass selfishness in high and iow places that unless they be securely poised there is failure.
Politics and all the lower orders of human nature block the plans for advancement.
But idealism and realism must eventually be one. Let us not give up but rather fortify our. selves with the Spirit."
The final session of the conference was held in the People's Baptist Church of Portsmouth, N. H., whose pastor, Rev. Henry Benton Harris, is alive to progressive currents in religion and human welfare.
Alfred E. Lunt, Esq.,of Boston, the principal speaker, declared that those who engage in strife know not the real meaning of life. They but pursue phantoms. Divisions based upon race, creed and color uphold that which is inconsequential. Yet such counterfeits in the present world exert a power which may destroy humanity.
WeRACIAL LIKENESSES AND DIFFERENCES 663
should seek to heal, not to wound. Infractions of divine law inevitably bring downfall. Those who obey will become a part of the new world order. How can those who favor separation be true advocates of liberty? They array people against each other under false sanctions. They think by force to make all human beings conform to a single type, an idea not contemplated by God. It is most unfortunate to set prejudice in mo � don, for one fatuity leads to another. Distinctions based upon artificial values have no standing in the sight of God.
Distinctions not intended to create strife augment the beauty of creation. Healing for humanity is realized when there is an inner resolve to help, keep the divine covenant and treat all men as brothers. When we live alone we are cut off from the divine reciprocity and protection. The first Bahá'í principle is the oneness of humanity.
This ideal today is outstanding in a world of separation.
Because it is the call of God it must prevail.A being comes into existence from every natural composition.
But an artificial composition produces no such re-suits.
Let us strive to be component parts of something that is real. The oppressed peoples of earth, whether at home or abroad, can find unity and freedom by working under the banner of Bahá'u'lláh. His spirit and teachings fulfill the expectations of all the ages. They bestow such vision as to enable men to see with the Eye of God. This enables the whites to uphold the standard of justice in such a way as to be kind to the colored, and the latter on their part to be appreciative of and grateful to the former.
Embracing such an opportunity of service everyone can become the means of quickening and harmonizing humanity.
Maxwell Miller, also of Boston, argued that race prejudice is indefensible.
On the other hand, the force of cooperation is needed to upbuild community and world life. Cooperation and prejudice cannot meet for they express different and irreconcilable planes.
The law of evolution which has applied in the growth of our country from a small group of colonies to forty-eight states, will have its next application when it sees the greater values of the international spirit which binds all nations to-gecher.
gecher. The world must be one home. Vital factors in the new world order are wisdom and brotherhood.
There must also be the constant urge to translate words into deeds. Faith in the Supreme overcomes those precedents not founded upon reality and it inspires the courage to apply the remedy that heals.
The Bahá'í teachings make a special appeal to the youth of the world. They ennoble, with the joy of working for the highest ideals under the sanction of religion. Ideals having a human origin often degenerate in their realization.
But divine ideals are in perpetuity. They inspire the highest efficiency and involve no waste of life.
Dr. Genevieve Coy made brief references to the week's course at Green Acre and how scientific evidence had been gathered to refute prejudices.
Those who insist upon separating humanity become far less dogmatic when they truly investigate likenesses.
Merit and deeds must be the basis of preferment among mortals, not superficial barriers that have no significance.
The bibliography of the study class, in addition to the Bahá'í literature, included the works of the most standard authors, authorities both foreign and domestic white and colored. The list included: Boas, K � Anthropology and
Modern Life.Gift, M. H., and Cox, A. S. � Foundations of Racial
Amity.The most helpful of the above works, by the testimony of Dr. Coy, is the little volume of Mr. Rogers calLed
From Superman to Man.and logical arguments and citation of world famous authorities carry conviction, leaving no room for any trace of doubt. This, of course, is not meant to underrate the other authorities mentioned all of whom have both value and charm.
This conference attracted to Green Acre a varied and interesting company of friends representing many cities of America and some foreign lands. As the purpose of Green Acre is the study of reality, those who have watched its progress during the years are more than ever pleased with the combined uses of science and religion to brighten minds, solace hearts and to demonstrate, as in a laboratory, the right methods of solving the vexing problems of humanity.
Page 665DENMARK, one of the oldest countries in Europe, with its beautiful capital, Copenhagen, the gateway from Western Europe to the great Northlands of the midnight sun, Scandinavia, is making unique contribution to the scholarly investigation of the Bahá'í Faith. It is significant that this ever unconquered nation of three and onehalf millions of people with no illiterates and where almost every farmer has his own library and is an indefatigable reader, in the midst of this cultured, well-balanced race, the Bahá'í Teaching from IrAn has been written about historically by one of Denmark's most outstanding scholars, the first Danish savant to go to Ir4n.
Professor Arthur Christensen,of I r6nian Philology in the University of Copenhagen, member of the Royal Academy of Sciences and Letters of Denmark, has made three trips to fr&n � in 1914, 1929, 1934, this last time as first vice-president of the International
Firdawsi Congress in Tibrinto celebrate the milk-nary anniversary of the great poet of Iran. His purpose was to study IrAnian dialects and civilization also, but just as in the case of the distinguished
English scholar, Professorof Cambridge University, England, he found an interesting subject opened for him by the literature of the Báb and Bahá'u'lláh.
Visiting the Royal Libraryin Copenhagen in June, 1935, I found in its excellent collection of Bahá'í books an extraordinary fr&nian manuscript containing
Tablets of Bahá'u'lláh.The catalogue notes revealed that it had been bought in Tihr4n in 1914, by Professor Arthur Christensen for this library. It contains one hundred and eighty-one short Tablets.
The same afternoon the writer visited Professor Christensen in his home, set in the centre of a charming Danish garden.
It was pleasant, too, to see cAbdu~1~BahA~s picture on the wall of his great library. When asked about the manuscript, this genial Professor said he had bought it from a Muslim book dealer in TihrAn, that it has no titles (Iranian manuscripts do not have titles), and contains some Writings of Bahá'u'lláh. One is the Tablet addressed to Sult4n cAbdu~1~cAziz Sul~n of Turkey, the very
Tablet that ProfessorE. G. Browne in the ccJournal of the Asiatic Society," 1889, said he was not able to procure in Inn.
Professor Christensenis not himself a Bahá'í because as he said: typ a religious point of view, in general all deeply religious feelings are alien to me, but there is in the Bahá'í Movement something with which I am in sympathy; it appeals to me because it is international and because there must be something in it which evokes good moral sentiments.
I saw that all the Bahá'ís in Iran with whom I had anything to do possessed high morals and noble human qualities. No doubt it is a cultural movement."
Continuing, he said: "Often I have discussed the main Teachings, especially with well known Bahá'ís in Itdn, but I have had difficulty in sharing with them their bright outlook on the future which seemed to me indicates an underyaluation of the slowness in development due to the knottiness of all human conditions and of the enormous weighing down of the inferior element in humanity. However, if one has a use for divine Manifestations and prophethood and such things, it seems to me that the Bahá'í Movement in somewhat higher degree than other socalled divine Revelations is purified from absurdities of thought such as made one of the ancient church fathers use the expression: ~1 believe because it is incredible!' and which in our days causes so many religiously inclined people to feel homeless 665
Page 666in the existing systems of thousand-year-old religions.
You will not lack warmth of faith in the enthusiastic, prophetical Words of Bahá'u'lláh or in the intensive, persuasive speech of tAbdu'1 � Bah4 which bear witness to His wide grasp of humanity.
Here is a religion which does not need theology because its principles, that is to say, its background of civilization and individual and social psychology, are those of our times."
natural cordiality; they lived for their ideal, an ideal in which there was just as much of sound and practical morality as of religious tenets."
Professor Christensenhas written among his many books two in which the Bahá'í Cause is explained; one, ttHinsides det Kaspiske
HaY' ("Beyond the CaspianSea"), published in 1918, Gyldendaiske Boghandel, Copenhagen, in which Chapter Ten is en-ProLessor ProLessor Arthur Christensen of Copenhagen, hagen, Denmark.
"If a religion," said the Danish Professor, ttj~ to be judged by its influence on men, one should not forget that the Bahá'í community in the corrupt, sectarian, suppressed Inn of the Q6jir dynasty was the germ from which grew a renaissance! Adherence to the Bahá'í Faith could at that time in Iran and probably still can be taken in tr~n as a guarantee for personal honesty and unselfish helpfulness to a reasonable degree."
When I spoke of his high tribute to the Bahá'ís of Ir~n in his book published in 1918, he replied: "Yes, I can endorse what I said then, for personally I have only good memories of the Bahá'ís I met in I r~n. They were trustworthy, courageous, helpful people.
They always met me with radiant, titled "Together with Baha'is." This is an account of the Movement in its evolution to a World Religion; it also gives Professor Christensen's meetings with leading Bahá'ís in Tilirin and their discussions about the new Faith. It contains an excellent reproduction of the Baha Temple, Mashriqu'l-Adhkar, in Ishqabad, Turkist~n, from a photograph taken in 1914. Another one of his volumes, ccDet
Gamle og det Nye Per-(TheOld and the New Persia"), 1930, I Kommission hos G. IL. Gad, Copenhagen, in two places mentions the BThi Movement which developed into the Bahá'í Cause.
The magazine, "NordiskOriental Religion" which he wrote before his f4rst trip to Inn; it is an historical sketch of the BTh and early Bahá'í events. This magazine for science, art and industry of Sweden,
Norway, Denmark and Finlandcontains articles by representative writers of these four northern countries. Professor Christensen said that the account of the Bibi-BaM'i Movement which he presented in his book, "Beyond the Caspian Sea" contains the main points that are in this article.
Professor Christensenalso has written about the Movement for some Danish encyclopaedias, the Salmonsens Konversations-lexikon, last edition, and for the new Illus-treret Dansk Konversationslexikon, 1933; also several Danish newspaper articles about the Bahá'í Teachings have appeared under his signature. t(Berlingske Aften," Copenhagen, November seventh, 1932, contains a special feature article by this celebrated Professor under the headlines "En
Moderne Verdensreligion"and in it he also reviews the Danish translation of Dr. J. E. Essle-mont's book, CCBah4~u~1Uh and the New Era," which had just been published by
Nyt Nordisk Forlag, ArnoldBusck, Copenhagen. No other Scandinavian scholar until now has written so fully about the Bahá'í Movement as has Professor Arthur Christensen of Copenhagen, whose works are well known among Oriental scholars of the Eastern as well as the 'Western world.
His influence will continue to bear fruit.EN aiuj tempoj 'a homa menso Jevadis sin super 'a aferojn de la 6iutaga vivo, por serai Ia verojn kaj legojn, regantajn la homojn kaj la universon.
Grandaj filozofoj postlasadis sistemojn; tiuj sisternoj of te bildis Ia pens-manieron de La epoko, kaj kune estis of te por la membroj de tin epoko fundamento, sur kiu iii bazis siajn konceptojn.
La pasinta jarcento vidis naskifton de nova granda penso, kiu aperis en Persujo sub la norno ccBah63smo,~~ kaj el sia orienta naski~-loko disvastigas tra la mondo.
La filozofiaj principoj de tiu movado estas konataj al La okcidentanoj aefe ella verkoj kaj paroloj de Abdu'l-Bahá la fib de la fondinto de la Baha Movado, Bahá'u'lláh. Ofte ii re-spondadis al diversaj prezentitaj al ii de-mandoj, kaj la &faj principoj de Ia Baha filozoflo kiare elaperas en liaj respondoj. Esplorante la &fajn trajtojn de la Baha filozoflo ni turnu ninunue al do, kio nin airkafias, al la naturo, kaj ni vidu, kio gi estas kaj kia gi estas.
La naturo, lail tAbdu'1-BahA estas tiu stato, tiu realajo, k~u konsistas, unuavide, el vivo kaj morto, aji, dirante ph precize, el kombini~ado kaj malkombinigado. Ciuj formoj de la kreitajaro estas rezulto de kombinado.
Certaj atomoj, kunligitaj per la forto de altirado, kreas delikatan kaj aroman floron, aliaj kreas la homan korpon, aliaj amasigas, por doni formon al giganta suno.
Neniu el Ia formoj estas eterna. Kiam la povo de altirado, kiu cementis Ia tuton, &sas efiki, la kombinajo malkombini-gas kaj venas tio, kion, rilate al la vivaj estajoj, ni nomas morto. La morto ne estas tamen por Ia materio nenugo, nur trans-formifto.
La atomoj ne pereas.Kiam de-nove ekagos je iii altira forto, iii formos novajn formojn, ~is kiam ankaii tiuj novaj formoj, subigante al Ia sorto de ejo kom-binita, jam malkombiniftos. Tiun ~i princi-pon la moderna scienco konas sub la nomo ccki~ de Ia materio."
La naturon, t.e. stataron de La ekzisto, orn povas dividi en keLkajn klasojn, el kiuj du maipli alta estas ~tupo kaj grado, tra kiu evoluas la supera kiaso. Tiel sur la plej malalta ~tupo trovigas Ia regno de mineraloj. Iii havas nek inteligentecon, nek instinkton, nek movkapablon.
Ilia sola atributo estas � ekzisto.Tamen la mineralo, solvita en La tero, donas vivon al kiaso ph alta, al La vegetaja regno. La regno de vegetajoj, bazita sur tiu de mineraloj, posedas kune kun iii Ia atributon de ekzisto, sed fti superas la mineralan regnon per speciala kapablo, la kreskokapablo, kiu estas fremda al 'a mineralo.
La vegeta~a regno, siavice, pre-zentas ~tupon, tra kiu evoluas la besta regno. Tiu ~i regno, krom la ecoj de la minerala kaj vegetaja regnoj, sur kiuj fti apogas sin, posedas atributojn fremdajn al la antaiiaj klasoj, t.e. movokapablon, instinktojn kaj sentojn.
Kaj super tiuj S klasoj, kid ilia krono, trovas sin kreitalo la plej perfekta, Ia homo.
Li heredis de Ia antaiiaj regnoj iliajn atributojn � la ekziston, kreskopovon, mov-kapablon kaj sentojn.
Per Ia atributoj de sia fizika ekzisto Ii ne multe diferencas de Ia besta regno. Same kiel la besto, la homo estas dependa, por sia fizika bonstato, de aero, akvo, nutrajo, de certa minimumo kaj maksimumo de temperaturo. Ofte e6 Ia kapabloj de ha korpo malsuperas tiujn de Ia bestoj.
Li ne povas kompari sian flaron kun Ia flaro de hundo, sian vidon kun la vido de aglo, sian lertecon kun la lerteco de simio, sian forton kun la forto de leono.
Kaj la grandegan diferencon inter La besto kaj Ia homo oni devas serei ne en la ecoj kaj kapabloj de ha fizika korpo. La dis-tingajo, kiu levas Ia bomon super Liujn antaiiajn regnojn, estas ha intelekto, tiu form abstrakta sed potenca, kiu permesas al La horno, apartenanta fizike al Ia mondo de naturo, altifti super tiun ~i mondon kaj grandparte skiavigi gin al si. 668
Page 669Observante Ia naturon, ni devas rirnarki, ke gi estas blinda skiavo de la le~oj, kiuj gin regas.
Vere, tiuj le~oj trapenetras ~in kun tiei mirinda precizeco kaj harmonjo, ke ~ajnas, kvazaZi iii venus de la naturo mem. Sed la naturo ne havas legokrean ~ La tiei nornataj le~oj de 'a naturo ne estas legoj, per kiuj ~i regas; kontra~e � iii estas Ia leftoj, kiuj regas La naturon. Elrornpi sin el sub iii la naturo ne kap Kiamaniere ekestis la naturo?
Oenerale, oni povas distingi 3 manierojn de kreo iii kombino: 1. akcidentan kreon, 2.
senvolan kreon, 3. volan kreon.Se ni volus dekiari, ke Ia naturo ekestis akcidente, ni estus mallogikaj, aar tio sig-nifus akcepti efikon sen kaiizo � aar kreo akcidenta nepre supozigas antaiiekziston de cirkonstancoj, al kiuj ~i estas Thidata. Nek unu el la sennombraj atornoj de Ia universo The Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of San Francisco, California, 1935. (First Bahá'í Spiritual Assembly having representatives of the black, yellow and white races in its membership.)
ablas. ~i posedas nek la intelekton nek La volon por don fan. La grandega suno vole aii nevole, sen la propra ifliciativo kaj kompreno, devas brili, gis konsumigos ftia varmo, sed antati tiu konsurnigo gi ne kapablas, lati sia plaCo, favori per sia brilo unu planedon kaj deteni la radiojn de Ia alia. Akvo de meza temperaturo devas flui, kaj ne povas, lati sia plaeo kaj fantazio, transformigi en solidan korpon. Tiu giganta universo, kies senlima grandeco imponas al nia limbava, homa menso, estas nur skiavo en la manoj de Ia Potenco, kiu gin kreis, konservas kaj regas.
povus kreifti akcidente el 'a granda "nenjo," kiu devus esti ekzistinta antatie.
La dua konstrukoncepto, Ia koncepto pri la senvola konstruo, supozigas, ke La ele-rnentoj havas kvazaii denaskan emon al kombinigado, unu kun la alia. Tiu &i kon-cepto ne kiarigus Ia ekekziston de la elemen-toj mem; kaj pile, Ia kombinajoj vole kreigintaj, devus esti del da~raj, kid la ele-mentoj mem, kaj dume plej firma roko, plej potenca suno jam devas malkombinigi, kaj la elementoj, gin konstruintaj, devas disfali.
Restas do la tria konstrukoncepto � la koncepto pri Ia vola kreo. Tio signif as
Page 670ekziston de iu supera Volo, de kiu devenas 'a elementoj kaj kiu p~as jun unujn al la aliaj.
La Bahija filozoflo akceptas ekziston de Superega Volo, kiu regas la Universon kaj estas gia legodonanto.
Tiu Superega Potenco estas nornata Dio.Multaj homoj neas la ekziston de tiu Supera Potenco.
Ih~ argumentas, ke iii povas ftin nek percepti, nek koncepti. Sed tin argumento pruvas nur, ke nia homa menso estas lirnigita kaj super la destinitan al si kompren-sferon ne povas levigi. Por koi~-preni ion au iun nefesas, ke la komprenanto estu almena5 egaigrada kun la komprenato. Plej potenca roko, plej pura diarnanto neniel povas koncepti 'a misteron de la germanta semo, aar la ~ermokapab1o estas frernda al mineralo kaj estas super ~ia sfero. Same plej potenca kverko ne povas kopreni birdon, kiu nestas en gia foliaro, saltas tie branao al braneo kaj kantas melodie, turn-ante la kapeton por a~di kanton de alia birdo � car la movopovo de la besta mondo, giaj instinktoj kaj kapabloj estas frerndaj e'& al plej perfekta vegetajo.
Kaj siaflanke besto, eu formiko, ~u ele-fanto, neniel povas koncepti tioQ, kio estas konceptebla por la homo intelekto � fti ne komprenas la 1e~ojn, kiuj regas la naturon kaj kiujn Ia horno grandaparte fleksis al sia volo � gi vidas kaj atidas fulmotondron, sed ne komprenas Ia elektron kaj ne scias apliki gian forton al siaj bezonoj.
ti vidas briletojn sur Ia nokta ajelo, sed ne kom-prenas, ke tiuj briloj estas mondoj, nestantaj en Ia senlima waco de la universo.
Ti~1 do, ear nenjo, staranta sur unu grado de ekzisto, povas kompreni tion, kio estas sur ph aLa grado, ankau Ia homo, kvankam Ii estas plej alta el la kreitoj, sed tarnen nur kreito, neniel povas kornpreni Ia senkompare superantan un Krean Potencon. Por povi kompreni Dion, ii devus esti egala al Dio. Sc Ii prezentus al Si iOfl egalan al si mem, ho ne estus Dio. La homo povas kompreni nur don, kion ii povas imagi, kaj povas imagi mu tion, kion ii povas kompreni. Dion ii povas nek imagi, nek kompreni. Tio, kion ii kapablus imagi kaj kompreni, ne estas Dio.
La mineralo ne povas imagi kaj kompreni La kreskokapablon de La floro � maigrail tio Ia floro kreskas, burgonas kaj floras. La besto ne pans kompreni la eltrovajojn de la homa intelekto, maigrati tio la homo skiavi-gas la elektron en telegraf an fadenon kaj transportas sin de lando al lando per potenco de 'a vaporo.
Kaj same, La homo ne povas kompreni Ia Superegan Potencon, sed tiu supera Potenco ekzistas malgrafl kaj super ha kompreno, kaj tenas un en sia povo.
Kia estas la rilato de tiu krea Potenco aL Ia kreajoj? ~i estas kiel tiu de aiitoro al sia verko, kiel tiu de suno aI Ia planedo, al kiu ~i donas la lurnon, varmon kaj vivon. La suno mern restas en sia loko kaj ne forlasas gin, por kontaktigi kun Ia planedo. La varmo kaj lumo emanas de la suno al La planedo, sed Ia suno men-i ne dispartigas, por veni sur La teron.
Same la skribajo ernanas de la skribanto kaj kanto ernanas de La kantanto, sed la skribanto ne transformigas mem en la skribalon nek Ia kantanto en N kanton.
Alie okazas, ni dim, en la ekzemplo de arbo, kreskanta el Ia semo.
Tiam okazas ne emanado, sed transforrni~o, ~ar la semo mem transforrni~as en Ia kreskajon, kiu naski~as ci fri kaj je gia kosto.
La semo mem ~an gas sian formon, kaj kid tiu ~ semo, &sas ekzisti.
La krea Potenco ne transformi~as en la kreajojn. ti restas 6iam en sia esenco sende-penda, neelaerpebla, nedispartigebla, nedi � videbla. La rilato inter Ia krea Pot~nco kaj Ia kreitajoj estas do la rilato de emanado.
Tiu krea Potenco estas absolute sende-penda.Sendependa de ten-ipolimoj, 6ar ~i ekzistis aiam kaj daiiros 6iam. Nenia komenco kaj nenia fino por p ekzistas. La tempo mem, sekve, rilate al fti ne ekzistas, ~ar tempo estas mezurata per templimoj, kaj kie la templimoj ne ekzistas, kian signifon havas la tempo?
Tiu krea Potenco estas ankaii sendependa en sia Esenco, aar ftia ekzisto ne estas sekvo de iu antaiia kajizo, same kiel neniu kaiizo povas med finon al gi.
Kaj tiamaniere, sen komenco kaj fino, sen kaiizo kaj konsumigo, gi estas Ia Alfo kaj Omego de Ia ekzisto.
Krea Potenco, singnifas � la Potenco, kiu kreas. La kreado estas aiama, kiel la krea Potenco mem. La koncepto mem pri Ia Krea Potenco sen Ia kreo estus nelogika, kid koncepto pri instruanto sen instruato, pri donanto sen ricevanto, pri SUflO Sen radioj. Sed Ia radioj de Ia suno, kvankam tie1
Page 671pratempaj, kiel la suno mern, estas tamen esence dependaj de la suno, ear Li suno estas ilia katizo kaj kondiao. Kaj Ia kreita uni-verso, kvankarn rilate al la tempo senko-menca kaj senfina, en sia esenco, t.e. en sia kajizo, dependas de La Krea Potenco, Ia Unua Kajizo. di estas do absoluta rilate al la tempo, sed ne rilate al Ia esenco, aar en sia esenco gi estas ernanajo de La krea Potenco.
Tamen la ekzisto, kvankam eterna, ne estas eterna en sia formo. KiM ni diris anta&, &iu formo konsistas el certa korn-bino, kaj do, kio foje estis kombinita, nepre devas jam esti malkombinita.
La da~ro de iu formo povas esri kelkaj tagoj, kiel vivo de insekto, aii miliardoj da jarrniloj, kiel ekzisto de sun-sistemo, sed eterneco kaj absoluto rilate al la formo neniel elzistas. Kiel fenikso, la mondo de ekzisto 2iam renaski~as ella propraj cindroj.
Kiel peli � kano, per Ia propra sango ~i nutras siajn idojn.
En la mondo de kreiteco ne ekzistas haLo kaj staro.
La konstanta movado, K kon-stanta ~angado estas Ia le~o de la naturo.
Se birdo ekhaltus en sia flugo, ~i falus. Same Ia astroj ne povas ekhalti en sia kurado, nek la organismoj en sia evoluado. Haiti, ne in plu antatien, signifas in malantailen. Tiel la homo kreskas kaj maturigas, ~is Ii atingas sian plej eblan staton de evoluo.
Kaj kiam plua evoluo ne estas ebla, kornenci~as Ia malevoluo, Ia maiprogreso de Ia korpo te. la maijunigado, gis venas la morto kaj metas finon al tiu ai formo de ekzisto, kiu estis La homa korpo.
De kie venas lahomo? Cu Ia homa speco dekomence ekzistis kiel speco homa, dis-tingi~anta de Ia besta mondo, aji au ~i estas rezulto de longega evoluado, eliranta ci la besta regno?
El Ia anatomia konstruo de la homa korpo, el Ia konstruo de ha vertebra kolonaro oni konkludas, ke jam, en Ia frua epoko de sia evoluado, la homo havis voston. El do kaj ci similaj premisoj kelkaj deduktas, ke Ia homo devenas de besto.
Sed tiu de � dukto estas erara. Car tiuj premisoj mon-tras nur, ke la homo evoluis, ke en iaj pra � tempoj de sia ekzisto Ii, homo, havis voston, simile al Ia besto, sed laligrade, kiel Ia speco evoluis, tiu organo ne estis plu bezona kaj join post join malaperis. Nenjo tuj venas en la ekziston en sia perfekta formo. do evoluas, pasante de Ia originaj prirnitivaj forrnoj al forrnoj ajam ph perfektaj.
En la komenco de la evoluado Ia evoluanta estajo povas ankora~ forte malsimili de La poste atingota formo, tamen La evoluado okazas ciam en la kadroj de Ia speco.
Nek gi vents ci trans Ia limoj de La speco, nek ~i jam trapasos tiujn limojn. Tiel Ia roza arbusto, koyrita de florantaj bonodoraj rozoj, forte malsirnilas de Ia senaspekta serno, el kiu ~i naskigis. Rigardante la sernon, Ia gardenisto scias, kjon gi kasas en si kaj idon ~ aperigos, sed persono nekompetenta pri la gardenkul-turo povas kredi, ke el tiu serno naskiftos eble violo, aii eble potenca arbo.
Krom la individua evoluado ekzistas speca evoluado � tiel la rozo povas evolui de Ia kvinpetala modesta floro ~is Ia re~ino de niaj ~ardenoj, dank' al la sa~a flegado de Ia kul-turisto. Sed aam gi estos rozo. Kid ajn gi povus evolui, neniam ~i i~os Ijijo aii kverko. Kaj kiam ni vidas rozon, ni scias, ke ae gia komenco estis roza semo, dotita potenciale per Ciuj kvalitoj de Ia roz-speco. Ne estas eble imagi, ke 'a roza speco evoluis, ni diru, el traiko.
Kaj ankati & la komenco de sia pratempa evoluado la homa gento estis Ham homa gento, aparta de da besta speco. Vere, lali sia aspekto, vivrnaniero, lingvo ~i povis simdi Ia beston. Sed sirnileco ne signifas identen-con.
Kiel en la ekzemplo de Ia rozo, en Ia pratempo de Ia homa gento ekzistis jam Ia poste aperontaj kvalitoj, kiuj markos la diferencon inter homo kaj besto. Kiel en Ia ekzernplo de Ia rozo, tiuj kvalitoj ne tUj elmontri~is, sed kvankam ne elmontritaj, iii ekzistis potenciale kaj ekfloris, kiarn venis la tempo. La evoluado de Ia horna gento similas Ia evoluadon de Ia horna individuo. Komence la embrio neniel similas Ia maturan hornon. En certa stadjo de la evoluo fti ea, similas fi~on.
Kaj tarnen de la kornenco ~i estas horna embrio, dotita per aiuj homaj kvalitoj kaj perfektecoj, kiuj elrnontngos en Ia posta grado de Ia evoluo de Ia individuo.
Ne el Ia besta regno devenas Ia homo. La homa speco estis ~iam speco aparta, speco supera a! Ia regnoj minerala, vegetaja kaj besta.
Krom la korpo, kiu prezentas Ia fizikan, videblan parton de la homa estajo, Ia bahaa filozoflo distingas en homo animon, menson
Page 672k aj spiriton. Per la animo oni komprenas la movantan forton de la korpo. Se la animo kro~as sin al Ia mondo materiala, gi restos malluma, ear gi transprenos &iujn malper-fektecojn de la materiala mondo, kiel avidecon, voluptamon, egoismon.
La menso estas tiu kapablo, per kiu la homo malkovras la sekretojn de la ekzisto kaj ekkonas juan esencon.
La animo, lumigita per Ia lumo de la intelekto, levas sin super la bestan, ma � terialan mondon. Kaj la esprimo ttla homa spirito" signifas guste dun animon, dotitan per intelekto.
Tiu intelekta animo, estante abstrakta, ne dependas de loko. ti ne enkorpigas en la hornan korpon kaj en sia ekzisto gi ne de � pendas de la korpo, sed estas kun gi ligita, kiel lurno, respegulanta sin en spegulo, estas ligita kun la spegulo. La lumo ne dependas de Ia spegulo.
Kiam rompigas la spegulo, la lumo plie brilas. Pile ea, se en la mondo ekzistus nenia Limo, ~u la spegulo entute estus imagebla kaj uzebla? Ankau rilate al la korpo kaj spirito � esenca estas la spirito, ~ar sen gi Ia korpo ne havus signifon. Kaj kiel Ia lumo ne pereas maigrail la rompo de Ia spegulo, ankaii Ia spirito ne pereas malgraii Ia detruo de la korpo.
La korpo en sia esenco estas morterna, aar estante konribinita, gi devas malkombinigi. Sed Ia spirito ne konsistas el atomoj, fti ne estas kombinita, fti ne malkombinigas, gi ~ pereas. Malligita de la korpo, fri plue vivos en Ia propra sfero, en la regno de spirito, kie gi eterne evoluos, celante la perfektecon.
Nia surtera vivo estas por nia spirito kvazaii Ia vivo de embrio en la patrina sino. En Ia stato de embrieco la homa estajo kapa � bias nek kompreni, nek ea imagi la mondon, en kium gi venos poste. Vere, ~i havas jam la okulojn, sed iii ankorai~ ne vidas.
Gi havas orelojn, sed Ia atidopovo manifesti~os nur post Ia veno en Ia mondon.
La ekstera mondo atendas gin, plena de beleco, sed vane La embrio en la patrina sino dernandus, ekzemple, kio estas Ia !t~ie1arko?~~ Ne, tia demando mem estas neirnagebla! Kaj vane gi demandus, por kio servas La okuloj. La patrino mem scias tion, sed kiarigi al Ia ido ne estas eble.
Cio, kion ~i povus respondi, estus: atendu, ftis vi venos en Ia mondon.
Ankati nia spirito dum sia surtera ekzisvo maturigas je kapabloj, kiuj manisfesti~os nur poste, kiam gi ne estos plu ligita al la korpo, same kiel birdido jam en la ova ~e1o ricevas 'a flugilojn, sed neniel povas flugi antaji la e1kovi~o.
Kaj komprenante tiun &i veron, la homo ne devas, dum sia surtera ekzistoparto, glui sian animon al Ia mondo de argilo kaj koto. Li devas zorfe flegi 'a flugilojn de la spirito, por ke ii povu flugi, kiam venos la tempo.
Tamen, kiagrade la homo estas libera en sia celado?
tu ii, kreito, ne dependas entute de La kreinta un Potenco? Tiu krea Povo, estante absoluta, havas la scion pri &iu homa ago, tiuj homaj agoj estas do kvazaii en-skribitaj en Ia libro de destino. tu estas do eble konrraiThtari 'a antaildestinitan sorton?
La antaiiscio ne estas kaiizo de la destino. Ekzemple nun ni eiuj scias, ke post kelkaj horoj la suno ka~os sin sub La horizonto, sed tiu nia antaiiscio ne estas kaiizo de 'a fakto, kontra~e, gi mem venas de tiu fakto. La astronomoj scias de antatie, kiam okazos la eklipso de Ia suno, sed ilia scio ne estas kalizo de Ia sun-eklipso.
Same, kvankam en la antaiiscio de Ia Plej Supera Krea Potenco enskribita estas ma sorto, tiu antaiiscio ne signifas destinon, gi estas nur unu el Ia atributoj de 'a Krea Potenco.
La sorto estas duspeca: nepra kaj akci-denta.Por kiarigi Ia diferencon, ni uzu ekzemplon. Lati sia nepra destino la suno devas brili kaj de la mateno gis la vespero lumigi la teron. Sed sorto akcidenta ail hazarda povas kalizi, ke nubo aperas inter la suno kaj la tero kaj detenas de Ia tero la sunajn radiojn.
LaMestine, kiam oelo en lampo konsumi-gas, la lampo nepre devas estingigi.
Sed povas okazi, ke ee antail la konsumifro de Ia oleo hazarde forta vento estingos Ia flamon.
Ankaii 'a nepra sorto de Ia hon-rn estas veni en la mondon, maturigi, atinginte la staton de Ia inatureco, komenci maijunigadi, kaj fine, kiam p1enumi~os Ia tempo, redoni sian korpon al Ia tero � sed povas okazi, ke briko f alas sur han kapon kaj ph fine traneas la fadenon de ha korpa vivo. La nepran sorton ni ne povas eviti, sed ni povas eviti tiujn flankajn kaiizojn, haj estas sage gardi sin kontrat iii.
La homo estas responda por tiuj siaj agoj,kiujn ii plenumas lati sia propra elekto. Se ekzistus nenia libereco de la volo, ekzistus nenia respondeco � nek merito, nek kulpo. Ne estuskulpo de Judaso, se superega fato estus iginta un perfidi sian Majstron, same kiel ne estus merito de Kristo, se tin sama superega fato igus un, por la bono de lit homaro, elporti persekutadon kaj morti sur la kruco. Same ~tono ne estas respondeca, &x fti estas jetita por frakasi jes kranion, aii ~ estas metita kid bazo de ternplo. Konscic, libervole celi aL hi perfekteco � jen la merito de la homo.
Sur sia vojo ii of te renkontas malfacila-loin.Cagreno kaj malgojo akompanas un ofte tra la vivo. Sed iii ne venas hazarde. Iii estas senditaj al ni desupre, pot ke ni lernu kaj perfekti~adu tra iii. Facile estas veli sur trankyila maro � .sed vere brava estas nur tiu maristo, kiu meze de ondegoj kaj uraganoj ne perdas l.a kapon, sed scias kon-duki Ia ~ipon al sekura haveno. Per Ia malfacilajoj ni lernas kaj hardi~as. Sen iii ni estus neelprovitaj. Ju ph granda estas la sufero, des ph granda estas la rikolto de Ia spiritaj virtoj, elmontritaj en la homo.
La gojo iafoje igas la homon memfida kaj forgesema.
Sed kiarn venas Ia mal~ojo, La homo rememoras sian n-ialgrandecon kaj senpoveon, kaj turnas sin supren, al la supera Potenco, kiu sola havas la povon savi un el liaj malfacilajoj.
Kaj del degelas ha memfido kaj kreskas ha spiriteco.
Doloro ne signifas malbonon.Hirurgiisto, tranCanta la malsanan korpon, ka~zas dolo � ron, sed ne faras malbonon.
Pozitiva malbono, lali la bahaa folozoflo, ne ekzistas. Se la krea Potenco estus kreinta malbonon, fri estus neperfekta.
En Ia kreajo lie ekzistas malbono. do estas bona.Tio, kion ni nomas malbono, estas nur manko ati malforta grado de bono. Homo tie1 nomata malbona estas homo, kies ph alta naturparto ne estas ankoraii disyolvita, dum viglas la maipli alta, besta patio de ha naturo.
Kiam disvolvi~os Ia parto ph alta, La ~isnuna malbonulo i~os bonulo. Sc ii estas memarna, Ia malbono ne konsistas en ha amo al si mem, ear eja amo, e& la propra, estas born.
La malbono konsistas en tio, ke tiu amo estas direktita ekskluzive al Ii mem, ne al aliaj. La malbono konsistas do en manko de amo al la aliaj. Kiam al hi alija direktigos ha amo, ne ekzistos plu Ia egoismo. Same avideco en sia esenco ne estas malbona3ar deziro je io plia estas stimulilo de Ia pro-gresso. La malbono ku~as en do, ke Ia deziro direktigas al celoj materialaj, anstata~ al la spiritaj.
Tie do, kie ni kredas ma1-bonon, estas nur manko de bono, manko de harmonjo. Tiel ankau Ia venena serpento ne estas io malbona: Ia veneno estas ja gia armilo, per kiu fri defendas sin. Sed 6ar mankas harmonjo inter giaj elementoj kaj la niaj, pro tio, rilate al ni, la venena serpento aperas kid malbona.
La homo devas peni, ke la besta parto de ha naturo neniel superregu La spiritan parton. La supereco kaj evoluo de la spirita parto devas esti ha celo, Ia kialo de ha vivo.
Kiel atingi dun celon?Cu forturnante Ia okulojn de eiuj gojoj kaj beloj de la vivo kaj lacigante Ia korpon per la asketismo? Tute ne. La gojoj estas kreitaj por ni, por ke ni uzu jim, kondiae nur, ke ni ne donu al iii tro da loko, ke ni ne permesu a! iii ekposedi nin. Kaj Ia korpa malforteco ne estas virto. Paralizito povas neniun frapi, mutulo ne povas mensogi, sed tio ne estas virtoj. La horno devas lerni ne bad, havante fortan brakon kaj me mensogi, havante sanan langon.
Tio & estas Ia vera mildeco kaj boneco.Rigardante la homojn, ni vidas, ke iii ~iuj apartenas al La sama, hon-ia, speco.
tiuj iii estas faritaj ella sama argilo, kid potfaristo el Ia sama argilo faras ujojn, sed donas al iii diversajn formojn, destinas pot diversaj celoj kaj pentras per diversaj koloroj.
Simpla, ordinara poto ne rajtas kritiki Ia potiston kaj ripro&i, ke ii ne donis al gi subtilan formon kaj luksajn kolorojn � Car La potisto plej bone scias, kio estas bezona. Aliflanke elegant vazo ne rajtas fieri super Ia ordinara ~ a~~-en en Ia sama fabriko gi estas formita, el Ia sama argilo, de Ia sania potisto.
Kaj se ni vidas homon simplan, cC krudan, egale ni ne rajtas hen super ii, aar se ni ea superas 'in, eu per ma inteligenteco, ~u per aliai kvalitoj, ni tamen apartenas al la sama, homa speco. Kaj nia supereco � se entute ni rajtas paroli pri supcreco � devenas ne de ni rnem, sed estas al ni donita de nia Keinto. Bahá'u'lláh diras: ~u vi scias, kiM Ni fans yin Ciuin ci Ia sama argilo? Por ke neniu el vi fieru super la alia.
Page 674tiun el ni kreis, formis, vokis al ekzisto unu sarna Povoeu ni ne estas do fratoj en la plej vera senco de tiu d vorto?
tu ni ne estas kid gutoj en unu maro, folioj sur unu bran&o, floroj de unu ~ardeno?
Kiam ni ernras belan gardenon, ni vidas tie florojn kaj arbojn diversajn. Kaj ~uste tiu diverseco fans, ke la ~ardeno estas bela, &ar se gi konsistus nur el sarnaj floroj, in trovus ~in monotona. Ankaii en la gardeno de la hemaro kreskas diversaj floroj � blankaj, nigraj, flavaj kaj ru~aj. Tin diverseco devas esti inter Ia homoj katizo de harmonjo, same kiel en muziko diversaj tonoj formas unu harmonian akordon. 'flu diverseco faras, ke la gardeno de la homaro estas dcl bela kaj rica.
Same, kid fli devas esti en harmonjo bin niaj alikoloraj, alilingvaj, alinaciaj horn-fratoj, ni devas ankati esti en harmonjo kun tiuj, kies opinioj diferencas de Ia niaj. iar des pensokapablo venas el la sarna fonto, eiuj opinioj estas radioj de la sama suno de intelekto, radioj, kiuj, kvazau pasante tra diverskoloraj vitroj, ietas diversajn brilojn. iiuj homoj estas sereantoj de la Veto, kaj multaj estas la vojoj, kiuj kondukas al Ia Vero.
Tiuj vojoj povas preni la nomojn de plej diversaj religiaj, sciencaj, sociaj, Rio � zofiaj sisternoj, sed sur kaj tra ~iuj vojoj, aie kaj dam, al Ia sama celo, al Ia progreso kaj perfekteco iras la homoj.
Ni do respektu &iun homon kaj ejum opinion. Ni penu kompreni ~iun nian homfraton, ni amu un tiel, kiel unu frito amas alian, ni vivu en paco kun eiuj homoj kaj en harmonjo kun tiuj superegaj legoj, kiuj kondukas la stelojn sur iliaj orbitoj kaj Ia homojn en ilia celado supren, al Ia perfekteco.
Page 675B~ REN WICK J. G. MJLLAR My first acquaintance with the Bahá'í Movement and teachings occurred some years ago when I received a communication from Mr. E. T. Hall of Manchester, England. Mr. Hall had happened to see one or two copies of the local Journal which I edit, and from the tone of its editorial and other articles he judged that some indication of Bahá'í principles would not be unacceptable. His letter was duly published, and ever since then an interesting and intimate correspondence has been kept up between us. Subsequently I had the pleasure of receiving many Bahá'í publications � books, magazines and pamphlets � so that by this time I am probably better informed concerning the Movement and all it stands for than any other journalist in the country. (This I count a privilege and an education.) These publications I reviewed, sometimes briefly and sometimes more fully, in the ordinary course of my journalistic work.
The reviews or notices were kindly spoken of and I fear rather highly appraised by Mr. Hall and other Bahá'ís who did me the honor of reading them, and I have been the recipient of many warm � too warm � words of appreciation.
But the reaction of my readers to these thoughts was practically nil.
Nothing has surprised me more than to learn that my treatment of Bahá'í publications as a journalist has been exceptional if not unique in British newspapers.
Why it should be so I am at a ioss to understand. The British Press in general has a worldwide reputation for the freedom it affords for the discussion of all shades of opinion emanating from thoughtful minds. If an exception is deliberately made in so far as Bahi'ism is concerned, it must surely be due to some strange misunderstanding.
Can it be that, as it was asked of old by Nathanael, "Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth?"
so it is tacitly assumed that no good suggestion or system for the better ordering of world affairs could possibly originate in Inn? Or is it rather that the Bahá'í principles, when oniy casually examined, are regarded as too utterly idealistic � the dream of some wouldbe new Messiah?
Whatever the explanation may be, the Bahá'í principles seem to me to be worthy of the most earnest and sympathetic consideration.
It is a trite but true saying that Truth is a diamond of many facets, and light should be given free scope for clear shining no matter from what direction it may emanate. Even the Christian religion had its origin in Judea.
So noble and so pregnant with practical suggestions for world betterment are the Bahá'í teachings that it seems to n-ic the 'World's Press is missing a great opportunity in failing to give them every publicity while at the same time inviting all pertinent and relevant criticism or comment. Would that the world's leaders possessed a knowledge of Bahi'ism in its spiritual and social aspects and seriously set themselves towards bringing its fundamental points into actual operation.
In perusing Bahá'í publications, what first struck me most pleasingly was the high spiritual tone which permeates the writings of all exponents of the Movement. Baha'ism is based in the first place on th~ essential unity of the human race. This is fully in harmony with the declaration of St. Paul to the Athenians: God "made of one every nation of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth."
~ Moreover, every moral and spiritual precept set forth by Prophet or Apostle � those whom the Bahá'ís refer to as Revealers or Manifestations of the Divine Mind and Will � is clearly of universal a~pli-cation. Truth has relation to the whole human race, not to any particular section, 'Acts xvii. 26-R. V. 675
Page 676class, race, or nationality, and it is an accepted axiom that sound principles of advancement and uplift are for all mankind.
Concerning other leading tenets of the Ba1A'i Movement it is unnecessary that I should enter into any detailed statement in this article. They are set forth with great clarity and beauty in the publications issued on behalf of the Bahá'í Cause. Though enunciated and proclaimed by the trinian sage, Bahá'u'lláh, some seventy years ago, they are entirely fresh and appli5blc to presentday developments, while some of them are still in advance of leading modern thought, and are laid down with a statesmanlike grasp of affairs that may be regarded as truly inspired.
No lover of humanity can afford to set such teachings aside as mere idealism unworthy of serious consideration or concern. So much can be said without insisting that every claim and statement in the Movement must necessarily be infallibly true.
Personally, I was raised in the Christian (Protestant) Faith and as a member and office � bearer for many years in the Church of
Scotland (Presbyterian)I subscribe to its confessional standards as sufficiently expressive of my religious beliefs. But this does not mean that my mind is foreclosed to fresh expository thought � quite the contrary. As a journalist, too, I naturally welcome high and constructive thinking � immeasurably beyond my own� powers � from whatever source it may come. To me, therefore, the Bahá'í publications have proved of profound interest.
In particular I appreciate the fact that it is not a system of priestly orders, with elaborate rites and ceremonies.
Yet it recognizes that ttReligion is the greatest instrument for the order of the world and the tranquillity of all existent beings."
This emphasis on personal religion is, to my mind, all-important, for without the Holy Spirit operating in the hearts and lives of men all our social and economic plannings will be largely disappointing and vain.
Throughout Christendom, apart from denominational differences, it is common grohnd that the ethical teachings of Jesus Christ of Nazareth are incomparably the greatest the world knows. Equally it is common ground that the Founder of Christianity tianity did not set forth any scheme of administration for universal adoption.
Very obviously the world was not then at a stage of development fitted for the working of any definite system of social order.
But the nineteenth and twentieth centuries have brought many changes � more, indeed, affecting international relations than in any previous period of recorded history.
Bahá'ís claim that Bahá'u'lláh was a Prophet for the New Age, inspired to set forth how the Christian truths and the truths at the basis of all other religions can be fitted to administrative processes the universal adoption of which would result in bringing into operation the long-prayed-for Kingdom of God upon earth.
For myself I see no difficulty in accepting the suggestion that as there were great Prophets who pointed forward to the coming of the Divine Teacher to be born in Bethlehem, so, from that turning-point in human history onwards, other great Prophets should arise to proclaim to the world how His infallible truths are to be practically applied and administered for the welfare of mankind. That Bahá'u'lláh takes a high if not an altogether unique place among such Prophets or Revealers can hardly be denied by anyone familiar with his writings and teachings.
And that he arose in IrAn seems to me to have a significance all its own. At any rate, the student of BaM'ism who fails to be impressed by the nobility and sanity of Bahá'u'lláh's Revelation, safeguarded by successive Guardians of the Cause, must be singularly insensible to the excellencies and values of great constructive thought.
In the summer of 1930, I made a tour of various cities of the United States and Canada. When at Chicago it was my privilege to be shown over the Baha Temple at Wilmette, so far as it had then been constructed. Not oniy so, but I had the honour of an introduction to Mr. Louis J. Bourgeois, its architect, who showed me his blueprints and drawings and by means of a model of the Temple explained to me the spiritual significance of its design. Never had I seen anything that so captured my interest and imagination.
Here, it was evident, was something original in conception, with a wealth of symbolism and beauty far surpassing anything I had conceived prior to enter
Page 677ing his studio. It afforded me an insight into the unifying principle underlying Ba-h~i'ism such as I had not previously realised. It was with sincere sorrow that I learned of Mr. Bourgeois' death a month or two later. My visit to his studio and the interview with which he honored me I regard as a veritable red-letter day in my life.
We all speak of Brotherhood and Unity and we know that as general sentiments they are admirable. Various organizations and agencies exist for the purpose of giving effect to the spirit of Brotherhood among men and nations; and for all that has been and is being done in this direction we cannot be too grateful.
But until scope is afforded for an orderly expansion of real Brotherhood through a system of administration on lines of justice and truth universally applicable, the sentiment must remain very much in the region of the abstract.
My plea, therefore, would be for fair and impartial consideration of the 'World Order promulgated through the Bahá'í Movement. It will be found worthy of study by the most highly cultured minds in all nations. If it be what it claims to be � a Revelation for this new age � then it may be likened to a lens of crystal purity focussing and manifesting the Light that shines from Zion hill, the Light that is destined eventually to lighten every land.
Page 678Some of the Bahá'í Friends in Addis-Ababa, Abyssinia.
678Miss Jane Addams, "mother of Hull House," Chicago, and referred to as ~the most useful citizen" of that city.
679"Oneness of the world of humanity insures the glorification of men. International peace is the assurance of the welfare of all mankind. There are no greater motives and purposes in the human soid." ~Your efforts must be lofty. Exert yourselves with heart and soul so that perchance through your efforts the light of Universal Peace may shine and this darkness of estrangement and enmity may be dispelled among men; that all men may become as one family and consort together in love and kindness; that the East may assist the W7est and the W7est give help to the East, for all are the inhabitants of one plaiset, the people of one original nativity and the flocks of one shepherd." � eAbdu~lBahd IT was on a warm, springlike day, April thirtieth,
1912, that Hull HouseFor cAbdu~1~BahA, a great and holy Personage from Palestine was expected. This important visit was planned by Jane Addams, C~Mother of Hull House," or ttChi cago's Most Useful Citizen," as the people of Chicago lovingly call her.
Seldom has biographer presented two more significant and inspiring world figures, both working earnestly for the Unity of Mankind and the establishment of Universal Peace than tAbdu'1-Ba1~4 the Center of the Covenant of the Bahá'í World, and Jane Addams, the President of the Woman's International League for Peace and Freedom: one Who had been chosen as a Divine Exemplar to humanity, and the other reflecting the spirit of service. How fitting that Hull House � an outstanding example of the application of the great principle of the Oneness of mankind, should be the place of meeting.
During a recent interview with Miss Addams, the writer learned that it was in 1844 that the Quaker father of Jane Addams moved to Illinois. A pinecrowned bill is the living memorial of the bagful of seeds planted by him in that memorable year of world history.
In 1860 a little girl was born at Cedarville, Illinois, in the shadow of those pines. As a child, she was a shy, conscientious, entious, sensitive, idealistic girl. These qualities developed into high moral courage, the unswerving devotion to duty, and the passion of self-sacrifice for others. These characteristics served to make this frail woman elect to pass her life in an unsavory quarter of th~~ great industrial city, Chicago, and to spend there, in behalf of the poor, her inheritance, which would have maintained her in comfortable idleness amid the beautiful things that she loved. Here she has ministered to and educated those in dire need and thus worked indefatigably for the establishment of the unity and amity of mankind.
As the years unfolded, Jane Addams received her A. B. degree at Rockford College, Rockford, Illinois, in 1881. Then she spent two years in Europe, 18831885, because of imperfect health.
In 1888 she studied in Philadelphia, and the next year opened Hull House with the assistance of Miss Ellen Gates Starr, and has ever since been its Head Resident. For three years she served as inspector of streets and alleys on the southwest side of Chicago. She received her LL.D. from the University of Wisconsin in 1904 and in 1910 was honored in the same way by Smith College. Later she became president of the National Conference of Charities and Corrections.
Yale University granted her its A. M. degree in 1910. In 680
Page 681CABDU~LBAHA~S HISTORIC MEETING WITH JANE ADDAMS 681
1912 she became vice-president of the National Woman's
Suffrage Associationand chairman of the 'Woman's Peace Party. In 1915 she was elected delegate to the first Peace Convention at The Hague, and the same year became the founder-president of the W~omen's International League for Peace and Freedom, and still remains its active president. She was the delegate to the
Peace Conventions at Zurichin 1917, at Vienna, in 1921, and at The Hague in 1922. On January 12, 1923 she started on a six months tour of the world in the interests of world peace. During all these years many books have come from her pen, and she has served on numerous state and national committees having to do with social, philanthropic, industrial and international problems.
I � Jul1 House, one of the first American settlements, stands as a dream fulfilled.
It was established in 1889, to become a spacious and hospitable home, tolerant in spirit, equipped to care for the pressing physical, mental, social and spiritual needs of a poor, alien, complicated community.
About fifty men and women of various races and creeds and backgrounds form the residential staff, mostly college graduates who pledge themselves to remain two years. In addition, one hundred and fifty others come to Hull House each week as teachers, visitors or directors of clubs.
About nine thousand persons come to the settlement each week during the winter months, as members of the audiences or classes.
Miss Addams explained that the attractions offered include classroom instruction in English, current topics, typing, arts and crafts, music, drawing, folk dancing and nearly all phases of domestic arts. Public lectures and clubs of many kinds suppiy the needs of men, women and children of all classes, beliefs and shades of color.
A circulating library of two thousand volumes stimulates mental interest.
A well trained, working boy's band of sixty-two pieces is a source of great joy, as are the many tournaments and contests, enjoyed especially by the little children of foreign lands.
The monthly gymnasium attendance is three thousand, and the fifteen showers are kept in constant use.
During the year six thousand paid showers and twelve thousand free showers help to keep up the physical, mental and moral standards.
The Italian, Jewish and Greek nationalities seem to predominate in the clubs and classes.
In Miss Addarns' high-ceiled living room, the writer asked her, tcwhat has been one of the central ideas of the activities of Hull House?" Her kindly eyes brightened as she said, t~The things which make men alike are finer and better than the things that keep them apart, and these basic likenesses, if they are properly accentuated, easily transcend the less essential difference of race, language, creed and tradition." After a time she continued with an alert enthusiasm.
ccLife at the Settlement discovers above all what has been called the extraordinary pliability of human nature; and it seems impossible to set any bounds to the moral capabilities which might unfold under ideal civic and educational conditions.
In order to obtain these conditions, the Settlement recognizes the need of cooperation, both with the radical and conservative elements. Hull House casts aside none of those things which cultivated man has come to consider reasonable and goodly, but it insists that those belong as well to that great body of people who because of toilsome and underpaid labor, are unable to procure them for themselves. Added to this is the profound conviction that the common stock of intellectual enjoyment should not be difficult of access because of the economic position of him who would approach it, that ~those best interests of civilization' upon which depend the finer, freer and nobler aspects of living must be incorporated into our common life and have free mobility through all the elements of society, if we would have a true, enduring democracy. The educational activities of a Settlement, as well as its philanthropic, civic and social undertakings, are but differing manifestations of the attempt to socialize true democracy, which is the very existence of Hull House itself.
It is thus that peace and unity are established.""Do you think that the people of the world generally are more peaceminded than before the World 'War?" she was asked.
Page 682"Oh, yes. The war startled and shocked them into a realization of the need of peace as never before. Tt has been more discussed and written about and has become the most vital problem before man."
"What do you consider the greatest forces of the world today working for peace?" ttThere are three," she replied: "First, psychological; second, political; and third, mechanical. First, the psychological includes all the books, newspapers, magazine articles and all the addresses and discussions on the subject, but something more than all of these, the interest and overwhelming desire in the heart for peace.
Second, the political, even, has become a force for peace. International instruments to take care of the affairs of all the nations of the world must be created before peace can be maintained. These are oniy just beginning, in the League of Nations, the NQorld Court, an International Code of Law and an International Police Force to enforce the law. Many other international instruments of this nature will be required. Third, nothing can stay the progress of the machine age, the invention, the improved methods of intercommunication and intertransportation. This is also a great force, bringing about better understanding in the world which is the basis of peace.
"You ask what I consider to be the greatest need of the world today?"
she continued. ~ would put it in one word, understanding � understanding between individuals, classes, races, nations. Literature, history and mechanics are bringing it about much more rapidly today.
Are not nations simply families living together, learning to adjust themselves to each other for the best good for the greatest number?"
CCYCS you are right," she said in reply to my question. ~The problems of the world which are caused by wrong mental attitudes are returning to the heart and mind of man and the solution must come through changed mental attitudes."
Although having spoken on the same platform with Miss Addams many times and dined as her guest, yet during this interview at Hull House, alone in the spacious living room with her, the writer was more than ever impressed with a fine quality of innate courtesy, a sympathetic sensitiveness, a queenly dignity and greatest of all the keenness of a brilliant intellect expressing a well-balanced and well-ordered mind.
When the author asked her if she had met that distinguished Personage of Palestine Whom Great Britain had knighted as one of the greatest advocates and establishers of World Peace and the Unity of Mankind that the world had known, cAbdu~1~Bah6, she replied with ap emphatic "Yes." In a iow pitched, well modulated voice, she spoke of inviting rAbdu~1~Bah4 to visit Hull House on April 30, 1912, to speak in Bowen Hall, and although the hail seats 750 people, it was far too small to hold the crowds that poured in. In streams the rich and poor, the educated and ignorant, the managers of business and the industrial slaves came. Hull House was all astir. So was Hlalstead Street, that bit of cross-section, seemingly, of all the markets, bazaars, cafes and wayside churches of all the races, nationalities and creeds of the world.
Miss Addams herself, acting as chairman, welcomed tAbdu'1-Bah6. and graciously presented Him to the audience. Dr. Bagdadi. a physician of Chicago, served as His interpreter, having known and loved tAbdu'1-Bah~ years before in the Holy Land.
To attempt to describe CAbd~1Bh~ is like trying to paint the lily. As he stood before the sea of hungry upturned faces, His magnetic personality, His radiance, His penetrating potency, the power of His inspiration, the very purity of His life, and the great understanding compassionate love, made an impression upon His listeners that they can never forget.
Because in 1912 racial prejudice and hatred were very intense and because of the outstanding historical work that Miss Addams had achieved, CAbdu~1~Bahi spoke of the races being like many varieties of flowers in one garden, all adding to the fragrance and beauty of the garden. He spoke of the benefit to be derived by all humanity when universal peace and racial amity have spread over the earth.
This depends upon the spirit and intelligence of man. The basis for the establishment of world peace and the amity of man cannot
Page 683tABDU~LBAHA~S HISTORIC MEETING WITH JANE ADDAMS 683 be based upon color, but only upon noble qualities.
'With an almost overwhelming power, cAbdu~1~Bah~ declared, "Th standard can be no other than the divine virtues which are revealed in him. Therefore, every man imbued with divine qualites, who reflects heavenly moralities and perfections, who is the expression of ideal and praiseworthy attributes, is verily in the image and likeness of God a divine station which is not sacrificed by the mere accident of color."
Abdu'l-Bahá at the close of the meeting in Hull House went out into the dingy crowded street, mingled with the little children and the underprivileged poor, arid gave to them freely from a bagful of coins, with many kindly words of encouragement, sympathy, love and hope, which brightened the eyes, strengthened the courage and uplifted the faith and hope of all who met Him.
CAbdu~1~Bah~ expressed his pleasure at meeting Miss Jane Addarns because she was serving mankind.
According to His own words, He was chosen by His Father, Bahá'u'lláh (the Glory of God) to be the Servant of humanity, and because Miss Addarns has devoted her life unreservedly to others she certainly reflects the beautiful light of servitude. One of the bounties of the Bahá'í Revelation is that women of heavenly capacities can never more be hindered by the ancient stupid form of male supremacy, but may rise to help in the establishment of the New World Order, and of peace and good will to all mankind.
As the writer said farewell to Miss Addarns, who was leaving on an extended trip for her health, she presented her with an autographed copy of her photograph and her book, CCTWCntY Years at Hull House," and spoke again of being deeply impressed with tAbdu'1-Bahi and with the beauty and spirit emanating from the Bahá'í Temple. She expressed the hope that more people would feel the great need and rise, today to help bring amity permanently to the world.
Gazing at the very building in which took place the historic meeting of cAbdu~1~ Bah~ and Jane Addams, and in which tAbdu'1-Bahi had so perfectly voiced the note of the Oneness of all Mankind, and left His spirit like a benediction hovering over all, one saw people of all races streaming in and out of Hull House, honoring the founder before her departure. With a deeper consciousness of realization, one recognized the fulfillment of those priceless words of cAbdu~1~Ba1~i: cLToday the most important purpose of the Kingdom of God is the promulgation of the cause of Universal Peace and the principle of the Oneness of the 'World of Humanity. NVhosoever rises in the accomplishment of this preeminent service, the confirmation of the Holy Spirit will descend upon him."
Page 684"Maiden with veil of snow, Why dost thou haunt me so, Longing thy song to know Valiant and sweet."
O ICELAND, fair ArcticIsle, it is your soul saga that attracts the Bahá'í believers of the five continents today; of all the sagas � those ancient, wonderful tales of these North lands sung and told and later written � what will be chanted in the new Bahá'í sagas down the centuries now that the Icelandic people have heard Bahá'u'lláh's great Message for the first time in their newspapers, over their radios, from their public libraries and through lectures in the one short month from July 12 to August 8, 1935, in Reykjavik their capital! The people of Iceland are ready for this universal Message.
Some peace workers in other Scandinavian countries said to the writer of this article. "Why do you go to Iceland with these Bahá'í peace principles?
The Icelanders are the most real lovers of peace in the whole world." Why go to Iceland? Because this country of high latitudes morally as well as geographically deserves to know the Truth of this New Day of God. They are courageous; they possess the Viking spirit and are wide awake; never have they been so wrapped in superstitions as many other peo-pies.
Iceland is unique in that it never had a primitive or savage race. Its first colonists were nobles and chieftains of Norway who came in the ninth century to colonize Ice � land because they were dissatisfied with conditions at home.
The Icelandic language which is practically unchanged since these first settlers came, is the original of all the Norse tongues. It has been kept so pure that its people can read today the sagas of the twelfth century. Almost a thousand years ago, Nj ill Bergth6rshvoll of South Iceland said of Christianity when it was announced to his countrymen, ttlt seems to me the new Faith must be better, and that he is fortunate who possesses it. If the men who preach it come to Iceland, I shall assist them according to my ability." Olaf Tryggvason of Norway had sent some Christian missionaries to Iceland. During the year 999, just a few years later, two converts,
Gizur 'White and HjaltiSkeggvason, went over to Norway to hear more of the Teachings; when they returned they succeeded in introducing a resolution at the Aithing (the Open Air Parliament) and it was carried, that the new religion should be adopted in iceland.
One may with profit to the whole of humanity tell the Icelanders about these Bahá'í Teachings because today they are great travelers, as well as long ago when in 986 A.D. they fared forth and discovered Greenland, and this led to one of their number, an IceLander, Lief, son of Erik, the Red, in 1000 A.D., discovering ccVi ElI d" as he called it, namely ~~Wine1and," but it was America. As Iceland (long before 1492 Columbus went to Iceland where he heard about "Vinland") gave us America, is it not oniy a joy but a sacred duty that American Bahá'ís should carry home to the t~mother-1and"
Iceland, the Glad TidingsThe people of this most Northern civilized state high in the Arctic waters are optimists. They must take so many chances with the weather on land and sea that they have developed strong character, exceeding kindness to one another and hospitality that comes straight from the heart. One wellknown man wrote in a Reykjavik newspaper 684
Page 685the day of the writer's last lecture on c(Bahi~u~11~h~s
Teachings of Immortality":our guest will give her last lecture here tonight, I do not know what the Teachings of the Prophet of Inn are on life after death, but every one who carries in his heart the hope of eternal life will wish to hear this significant address. Also, if people would go in great numbers it would make her memory of Iceland more intimate, and that is the kind of hospitality we should like once, ttWe have a love for Ir~in; what is this spiritual Teaching from tr~n?"
The Broadcasting Stationof Iceland � and it is subsidized by the owners of the radio sets � on July 15, and later on July 23, sent over the air for the first time two talks about the Bahá'í Cause: one an air interview and the other a book-review of "Bahá'u'lláh and the New Era"; besides they gave other items of Bahá'í news. These all came in the News Hour in the early evening, just at the Newspapers and Book containing the First Mention of the Bahá'í Movement in Icelandic Language.
to give to every one who visits Iceland." The hail was crowded. Icelanders always come halfway to welcome new truth. Their spirit, like youth, is ready to seek, to know, to accept, to promote.
Iceland has the distinction of being the first state in the world to announce to all nations and peoples her neutrality. She definitely states she will not take part in any war whatsoever.
The state that has the courage to do this is composed of men and women who have capacity to appreciate the the principles of the Bahá'í peace Teachings.
It is interesting, too, the Icelanders said at time when at least fifty thousand people all over Iceland listen in. If the farmers are working late in the fields in this summer weather in July, they always send some one from the family into the house to listen to the news, and come back to report it to the others.
The ctMorgunb1a~i&~ in Reykjavik, on July 14, 1935, printed the first article ever published in Icelandic language about the Bahá'í Teachings.
The editor had said two days before, tCI~11 read this book and these pamphlets and then I'll write."
All the editors as well as the radio director hadreceived copies of 'tBaha'u'lUh and the New Era" from the visitor, for ttJohanna,~~ a Bahá'í of Copenhagen, and friends in the United States had sent her copies to be given during this visit.
The ccNfia Dagb1a~iC'had a long interview written by the editor, Mr. Sigfus Haldorsson, on July 17, and later on July 28, was a second article, ctI~QThat is the Bahá'í Movement?"
This was so excellent that a thousand reprints were made of this one article in order to give them out to people, because there was as yet no Ba1A'i booklet in Icelandic.
A school principal in Reykjavik, one who for years had studied Theosophy deeply, was introduced to the writer next day on the street and he said, ~tOh, so you are a Baha'i! I read the article tWhat
Is The Bahá'í Movement?'in the cNfja Dagb1a~i~' yesterday and said to my wife, tA lodge will grow up in Reykjavik around such a Teaching as this.'
He invited us to come with him to his home to coffee, as is the delightful custom in Iceland. We went, and after a long conversation about the Bahá'í Teachings, just as we were about to go, he asked, "Tell me, do you believe in dreams?"
The writer replied, "yes," that Bahá'u'lláh said there may be many mysteries and wisdoms in dreams; even there are occasions where it may happen that one witnesses outwardly in the world of time exactly the thing he had seen in his dream.
CtWWell~~ said the host, CClast night I dreamed that a bird came into this room, and resting on the sofa sang such a beautiful melody. I was so happy. This morning I said to myself, CnW1~o will come?' Then I met you in the street, you come with your friend Holmfridur to our house and you have taken the seat on the sofa where the bird came and sang the melody!" He was one of the great souis of
Iceland.Other newspapers that used excellent articles were the CCVisir~~ July 18, 1935, and "A1thydub1a~i&' July 25, 1935. The newspapers and likewise the broadcasts gave information where Bahá'í books could be obtained and that any public library wishing the Danish volume (cBahi~u~11ih and the New Era" could obtain one free of charge. Books were placed in the Reykjavik public libraries. Although Iceland is so small, only 26,000 people in Reykjavik and 126,000 population in all � for it must be remembered that nine-tenths of Iceland is uninhabitable, being a vast desert of rugged lava poured forth in ages past from its many volcanoes and intersected with mountains and great glaciers � yet the number of books drawn out from the public libraries is extraordinary. From the People's Library in Reykjavik they lend out ten thousand books a month. Packages containing forty books each are lent regularly to the fishing trawlers when the men go out to sea to remain months at a time.
I heard that even at Hiisavik, a little herring station up on the coast there is a splendid library started by a farmer, Benidik J6nsson, now over eighty years old. He has gathered together nearly five thousand voi-umes. A few are English books; in the autumn the farmers come there from remote places to buy their provisions for the winter and they call at the library to draw out a large collection of books which they read during the long winter evenings; for in this land of the summer midnight-sun the winters are very long, dark and cold. Often during the winter one reads aloud in the home while the others work at various kinds of handcrafts. These farmers return the books when they come to the station again in the spring to sell their sheep's wool. There is a thirst for knowledge in Iceland and a love of reading is innate; there are no illiterates in Iceland.
Esperanto is making progress here. The writer lectured in Esperanto before the
Es-perantists of Reykjavikand was presented with the volume, CCAlphj6damil og M4lley-sur" (International
Language and Bad Languages)where on page 84 is the first mention ever printed in Icelandic literature of the words "Bahá'í Movement."
It mentions ttLa Nova Tago," Esperanto magazine devoted to the Bahá'í Movement.
The book is written by an Icelandic author, Th6r-burger Th6rdarson, and was published in Reykjavik, 1933, by the Culture Foundation of the State.
The writer had corresponded with Mr. Th6rdarson and last year sent him Bahá'í books in Esperanto, he sent back the word, CCTell her we are waiting for her in Iceland."
Page 687Another brilliant group in Iceland are the Theosophists, They have one of the most beautiful Theosophical buildings in Europe. 'When the first Bahá'í lecture was given in the Chamber of Commerce soon after arrival, the majority of those present were Theosophists, The Secretary of the
Theosophical Societyof Iceland who was present invited the Bahá'í speaker to meet a few friends in her home the next week, and later she graciously acted as interpreter when the Theosophists extended the courtesy of their hall for the lecture: "Bh"'11'h' Teachings of Immortality." The Theosophists had just had a large Summer School of Theosophy in Reykjavik, Some of them said they had seen copies of CtThe Bahá'í Magazine" and thus had learned something about the Teachings.
And here is where a charming bit of saga should be sung: ccMi11y,~~ a devoted American Baha'i, had come with her husband in 1924, on one of those cruises now becoming so popular, where the passengers stop in Reykjavik for a few hours. There in the wonderful Einar J6nsson Museum, an Ice � landic lady, tcHo1mfridur,~~ had explained the sculptures and the two became friends; Milly later asked the ship's guide for the full name and address of Holmfridur, From the home � land Milly wrote to this new friend in Iceland and regularly has sent "The Bahá'í Magazine" from that time to the present.
The next year, 1925, Holrnfridur came to the United States for a few months to attend an International Congress and study at Columbia University. Milly entertained her friend for nine days at her summer home in Massachusetts, where the guest read the Baha literature several mornings and said she was delighted to see what Abdu'l-Bahá had written about Iceland and Greenland, and bow even the climate would change should the fire of the love of God be ignited there. A decade passed by and a few times each year these two exchanged notes of greeting.
Then in July, 1935, "Martha," another Baha'i, also from the United States, is just ready to start from Copenhagen to Iceland when she is surprised to receive a letter from Milly recounting the Iceland incident and enclosing Holrnfridur's name and address. Arriving at Hotel Island, in Reykjavik, on July 12, 1935,. and quickiy unpacking her bags in her upper room, Martha sent a note by messenger to Holrnfridur and lo, she comes, Flow smiling she is and yet how quiet!
She possesses poise and peace, a fine mind, spirituality, and a pleasing sense of humor. It is Holmfridur who has shown "The Bahá'í Magazine" in the TheosophicaL circles during the past years here, for she is herself a Theosophist but she is very sympathetic to the beautiful Bahá'í Teachings. It is she who introduced the writer to the thinkers of Iceland and helped daily to make the month so memorable, When the Bahá'í saga is sung a century from now, may Holmfridur be praised and may Milly's name be chanted high, for her eleven years of love to her Faith and to her friend prepared a clear path for the Bahá'í Cause here in Iceland.
One day in Reykjavik, Holmfridur went with the writer to visit the Leper Hospital far out, where Bahá'í books were given, some to the nurses some to the patients. Walking back to the city along the shore of the Arctic Ocean where near the town the banks gleamed white with salted codfish drying in the sunshine, suddenly HIolm-fridur said: ~ think it would interest you to know that a leper boy, Christopher P6tursson, first heard of Theosophy in that hospital. He came there a boy of sixteen years and remained until his death at the age of forty-three; he is the one who has translated most of the Theosophical books into Icelandic."
'What great things they do in Iceland! One of the greatest hymn writers of this country, Haligrimur Pjetursson, was a leper too.
Mr. Einar J6nsson, the celebrated sculptor of Iceland, whose works are visited every year by art lovers from many lands, has a famous pi&e in his gallery: this sculpture represents the poet alone, suffering, sitting on his bed; but just above is the spiritual Haligrimur IPjetursson, the glorious religious poet of the Passion psalms, with the crucifix in one hand, the harp in the other leading the long line of Icelanders up and up.
One should begin any saga, any article about Iceland with the name of Einar J6nsson, he is the greatest soul in Iceland today. His masterpieces in his museum are
Page 688like Ccit~~ of art, giving the glad-tidings of spirit conquering the physical, the immortal rising up from death. The humblest peasant, as well as the most profound scholar, all art lovers who walk through the gallery cannot but be cheered, refined, inspired.
Just as Raphael could paint the soul, Einar J6nsson can release the spirit out of marble.
Whatever his religion is, certainly his spirit is "Baha'i" (light-bearing) He said to me, ccEverything is from the Higher Plane.
It is! The artist oniy makes it manifest; I am only a servant. The sculptor takes away the rough envelope which enwraps the spark of God."
It may have been only a coincidence, but it is like a confirmation from God that it was in this lofty Einar J6nsson Museum that the Milly-Holmfridur flower of friendship was first planted in Iceland.
What saga could ever tell it all! Those days in Reykjavik so full of joy and gladness, those eager questions! One man who lectures in all parts of Iceland said: "I'd like to translate cSecurity For a Failing World,' this is a book Icelanders would like!" Another said, ttWho is going to translate cBah4~u~1flh and the
New Era' into Icelandic?It should be published in our language." In a word, the Bahá'í Movement was discussed everywhere.
tAbd'lBh' in His Tablet to the believers of the Bahá'í Assemblies of the United States and Canada, on April 11, 1916, wrote, ccShow ye an effort, and after this war, spread ye the synopsis of these Teachings in Iceland, Faroc Islands Also, in His Tablet to the believers in the Provinces of the Dominion of Canada, written April 5, 1916, Abdu'l-Bahá said: "Perchance, God willing, the Call of the Kingdom may reach the ears of the Eskimos.
� Should in Greenland the fire of the love of God be ignited, all the ices of that continent will be melted and its frigid climate will be changed into a temperate climate � that is, if the hearts will obtain the heat of the love of God, that country and continent will become a divine garden and a lordly orchard, and the souis like unto the fruitful trees will obtain the utmost freshness and delicacy."
Winters in Iceland may be dark, but the warm Gulf Stream flowing up from Florida waters winter and summer, is what makes Iceland a livable land. As one Reykjavik doctor expressed it, '~JceLand is centrally heated and the furnace is in the Florida waters." This large island, second in size only to Great Britain in the European isles, is between four or five days' journey by ship from Hull, England, three or four days from Leith, Scotland, via the Iceland Steamship Company line; 1300 miles from Copenhagen by way of the Danish Steamship Company line; it lies 440 miles cast of Greenland, and 65 0 miles from the West coast of Norway, via the route of the Bergen Steamship Company. All these liners pass by Faroe Islands and Vestman-naeyjar, Westmann Islands, so they gave an excellent opportunity to the Baha to speak a little about the Baha Cause on these islands which fringe the Arctic
Circle.Picturesque Reykjavik � capital of this land of jagged snowcapped mountain peaks, great glaciers, and ice fields, magnificent waterfalls, boiling hot springs, geysers and desolate lava fields, with everywhere that wonderful fascination and nameless charm which is associated with this high altitude � has a climate of extraordinary clearness and purity; pure by reason of its freedom from the taint of dust � the strong winds keep it clean. The fine and generally dry air tempered by the glaciers and the sea, and then pervaded all day and nearly all night by vitalizing solar glow is something possible only in a high Arctic land like this. Houses are comfortably heated, the air is full of ozone, one does not feel fatigue, and the salty breezes from the ocean are most bracing.
The future will witness many travelers from all lands coming to tctake their cures" and their summer holidays in Iceland; for bodies, minds, souls experience here something different from what they have ever known before. There is a calm too, a repose in the very Icelandic atmosphere, and the almost celestial colors of sky and clouds, mountains and sea, not to be found anywhere else � all these will bring one back again to Iceland!
Maiden with veil of snow, now we thy song do know. It is thy soui we hear, valiant and sweet!
Page 689Beitr~ge zur Entwickelungsgeschichte des Bahi'i-Glaubens in
Deutschlandneuer Glaubens-leliren pflegt neben der Geschichte der Grtinder die Geschichte der Bewegung im Vordergrund zu stehen. Und doch ist die Bewegung in der Regel nur einer, oft nicht cinmal der bedeutsamste, unter den Fak-wren, die zurn Bekanntwerden des jungen Glaubens beitragen.
So ist auch die Kenntnis des Bah~'i-Glaubens in Deutschland nur zu einem Teil auf die Bewegung und ihre Triiger zuriick � zufiihren, w~ihrend im iibrigen zahireiche Ver6ffentlichungen der verschiedensten Art sowie gelegentliche Berichte und Vorthige von Aussenstehenden den Boden bereitet und in hohem Masse zur Verbreitung beigetragen haben.
Unter den fremden Verbffentlichungen sind es vor allem die Arbeiten liter den Ba1A'i-Glauben bezw. den Bibismus und deren Erw~ihnung seitens der
Wissenschaft, in Lexikenund anderen Nachschlagewerken, Abliandlungen aus christlich-theologischen Kreisen, Notizen und Essays in belletris-tischen. Publikationen, insbesondere Rei-seschilderungen, sowie Zeitungsartikel aller Art. Als em gewisser Massstab fur den ailgemeinen
Grad der Verbreitungmag dabei die Tatsache gelten, dass sich unter den in Frage kommenden
Lexiken und Nach-schiagewerkender letzten Jahrzehnte in Deutschland und Oesterreich keines be-findet, in dem BaM'i-Glaube und B4bismus nicht mindestens unter cinem Sticliwort melir oder minder ausfiihrlich vertreten sind.
Bereits 1866 behandeltunter Persien die Bab, "fiber deren Glauben sehr verschiedene und unsichere Mitteilungen bestehen."
Aus der Gelehrtenweltsind besonders zwei Narnen eng mit der Geschichte des BahA'i-Glaubens verkniipft, die zwar nicht den Grenzen des deutschen Vaterlandes entstammen, deren Werke aber gr6sstenteils in deutscher Sprache geschrieben sind und in Deutschland starke Beachtung und Vet � breitung erfahren haben: der ungarische Orientalist Professor Herrnann Vambdry und der schweizerische Psychiater, Sozial-hygieniker und
Ameisenforscher Professor Dr.traf im April, 1913, nicht lange vor seinem Tode, per-sanlich mit tAbdu'1-BaM in Budapest zusammen und wurde durch diese Begeg-nung so stark beeindruckt, class er sich v6llig vom Geiste des neuen Glaubens angezogen ftihlte. Er schrieb darnach an CAbdu~1~BahA in Erwiderung auf em von Jiesem an ihn gerichtetes Schreiben u.a.:
CCDiC Zeit meiner Begegnungem, und ich sehne mich nach dem Zeitpunkt, wenn ich Sic wiedertreffen kann. Obwohl ich durch viele Lander und St~idtre des IsUms gereist bin, bin ich doch nic einem so hohen Char-akter und einer so erhabenen Persbnlichkeit wie Eurer Exzellenz begegnet, und ich kann bezeugen, dass es nicht mbglich ist, soich eine zweite zu finden. Aus diesem Grunde hoffe ich, dass die Ideale und Bestrebungen Eurer
Exzellenz von Erfoiggekrdnt sein und unter alien Umst~inden von Erfoig begleitet werden mbgen, denn hinter diesen 689
Page 690Idealen und Ta ten erkenne ich leicht das ewige Wohi und Gedeihen der Menschheit. Dieser Diener tat auf der Suche nach Quellen-Unterweisungen und.-Erfahrungen in die Reihen verschiedener Religionen, d.h. ich wurde ~usser1ich Jude, Christ,
Muharn-medaner und Zoroastrier.Ich entdeckte, dass die Verelirer dieser verschiedenen Re-ligionen einander nur hassen und veriluchen, dass sich alle ihre Religionen zu Werkzeugen der Tyrannei und Unterdriickung in den HThden von Herrschern und Regenten urngewapdelt haben und dass sie die
Ursache des Untergangesder Menschenwelt ge-worden sind. Wenn ich diese iiblen Ergeb-nisse betrachte, so muss sich jedermann notwendig auf Seiten Enter Exzellenz em � zeichnen und freudig die Aussicht auf cine Grundlage des Glaubens Gottes anerkennen, die durch Ihre Bemlihungen im Werden ist. Ich habe den Vater Eurer Exzellenz von fern gesehen. 1db bin der Seibstaufop-ferung und des edlen Mutes seines Solines ansichtig geworden und vergehe in Be-wunderung.
FUr die Grunds~itze unddriicke ich die ~usserste Ehrerbietung und Ergebung aus, und wenn mir Gott, der Hachste, langes Leben gibt, so werde ich imstande sein, Ihnen unter alien Umst~inden zu dienen. Ich bete und flehe darum aus meines
Herzens Tiefe." (Inter-nationalzum BahA'i-Glauben berichtete der Verfasser bereits ausfiihrlicher in cinem friiheren Band.1 Bekannt ist cm lingeres Tablet geworden, das tAbdu~1~Bah4 an ihn sandte und das insbesondere die Page des Fortlebens be-handelt. Mit der Leidenschaft des auf rich-tigen Wahrheitssuchers tritt Ford an seinem Lebensabend in semen verschicdenen
Werk-en, in Zeitungsartikelnfur die Sache Baha u 11 ah s em und legt in seinem Testament cindringliches Bekenntnis daftir ab: "das ist die wahre Religion der menschuichen sozialen Wohi-fahrt, dogmen-und d priesterlos, die in sich die Menschen auf unserem kleinen Erdenball vereinigt.
Ich bin Baha geworden.Dass diese Religion zum Wohi der Menschheit leben und gedeihen m5ge ist mein heissester 1 ~'Bahá'í World," IV, S. 393 f. Wunsch." Gerade dieses Testament ist unter den zahireichen deutschen
Freunden und Verehrernbegegnet, und die darin zurn Ausdruck kommende Wandlung von der materialistischen zur religids-.wissenschaft-lichen Betrachtungsweise hat ihnen dabei neue Bahnen gewiesen und manches Interesse fur den Bah4'i-Glauben geweckt.
Bei dem vorerwThnten Besuch in Budapest kam cAbdu~1~Ba1i4 auch mit dem be-kannten ungarischen Orientalisten
Professor Ignaz Goldzil6erin engere Beriihrung, dessen Feder cm Beitrag iiber BAbismus und BaM'i-Glauben in der Sammhing CCDiC
Kultur der Gegenwart"Friedrich Rosen, der 1921 deutscher Reichsaussen-minister war, zum Kreise derer, die sich ihre Anschauung fiber den Bahá'í � Glauben durch persanliches Zusammentreffen mit CAbdu~1 Bah4 sowie durch Beriihrung mit Bahá'í irn Orient bilden konnten. Er brachte wieder-holt seine 'Wertsch~itzung besonders fur Abdu'l-Bahá zum Ausdruck. Aus der Zahi der sonstigen Auslassungen iiber B~hismus und BahA'i-Glauben in der wissenschaft-lichen Literatur sci noch Professor Dr. H. Fitter, chem. Universit~itsprofessor in Hamburg, erwThnt, der 1923 in der Zeitschrift ~tDer IsUm ~ u.a. schreibt: ttDas was der BThibewegung fur unser Auge ihre Gross-artigkeit verleiht, ist wesentlich die gewal � tige Kraft des Glaubens und die unerh6rte Opferbereitschaft, mit der ihre AnMnger flit den Gegenstand ilirer Verehrung in den martervolisten Tod gingen, und beim Bib selbst die aus den tiefsten Quellen dos religi5sen Gefiihis stammende ebrijehe Ueberzeugung von der Wahrheit seiner Mission, die ihm und semen Nachfolgern em tat&ichliches Zerreissen der Verbin-dung mit der islamitischen Tradition maglich mache und zur Stiftung nicht einer neuen Sekte, sondern ciner neuen Religion fitlirte."
Aus den Kreisen der christlichen Mission drang bereits vor aclit Jahrzehnten, erst-malig wohi iss 1,~ die Kunde von dem neuen 2 Teil I, Abtig. III, 1, "Die Religion des Orients," Leipzig, 1923.
~ Band XIII, 1/2, S. 134."Zeitschrift der deutschen morgenlandischen Gesellschaft, 1811, S. 384 if.
Page 691LIN JUNGER GLAUBE WIRD Bahá'í 691
Glauben nach Deutschland.1894 be-richtete der nachmalige Professor in Halle a.S. und Begriinder der Missionswissenschaft, Dr. Gustav Warneck. in der
Aligemeinen Missionszeitschriftund Wertschlizung ist das 1896 in Leipzig erschienene Buch von Dr. F. C. Andreas, dem frfiheren Dozenten am
Orientalischen Seminarin Berlin, CCDie Báb's in Persien" getragen, das aus Quellen und eigener Anschauung cine Darstellung der geschicht-lichen Entwickelung gibt. In ejilern Vor-wort dazu schrieb Pastor W.
Faber:auszurotten, so wird vdllige geistige Finsternis das ungitickliche Persien bedecken, denn der Bibismus ist ohne Frage die Morgenrate ciner besseren Zeit und ferner in einer Schlussnotiz: "In den Augen der persischen Regierung waren und sind die Báb's geflhrliche Umsttirzler, die sie mit Feuer und Schwert auszurotten sucht, in Walirheit aber sind sic Bahnbrecher fur Wahrheit, Freiheit und Reck in dem dunk-len Lande Persien, wie sie die Weltgeschichte von gleichem Opfermut und von gleicher Sterbensfreudigkeit selten gesehen hat. Mage der neue Schah Muzaffereddin den Báb's Rcligionsfreiheit geben, dann wiirde er semem Lande die grbsste
Wohltat er-weisen." Inder Zeitschrift fur Religions-psychologie fasste 1908 Dr. E. Rasmussen scm Urt6il dahingehend zusammen: "Im ganzen muss anerkannt werden, dass die drei Tr~iger dieser Religion (BTh,
Bahá'u'lláh und CAbdu~1~BaM.Anm. des Verf.) cine Reihe der humansten Reforrnbestrebungen unserer Zeit offenbart haben," und John W. Graham schreibt in ccDer Glaube eines Band I, mile a. S. 1908.
Qu~ikers" 6 von tAbdu'1-Bah~: "Der jetzt lebende gr6sste Profet ist vielleicht tAbMs Effendi (~ CAbd 'lB If Anm. des Verf.) der Fiihrer der Bahá'ís in Persien." Ganz besonders aber dtirften zur Verbreitung der Kenntnis des BahS'i-Glaubens in Deutschland zwei vielgelesene Schrif ten der evange-lisehen Pfarrer Scheurlen und Dr. Roemer beigetragen haben, die, obwohl einer ten-denzm~issigcn Gegeneinstellung entspringend, in ihren ausfiihrlichen Darstellungen die Aufmerksamkeit jedes ernstlich naclidenken-den Lesers auf die hohen
Ideale des Bahi'i-Glaubenshinlenken und so dem Bahi'i-Glauben in hohem Masse den Weg bereiten. Die eine dieser Schriften hatte bereits 1930 in vierter Auflage das 18.
Tausend erreicht und ist inzwischen in weitererhat wiederum bei ciner iihnlichen holhndischen Verbffentlichung Pate gestanden, die 1925 mit 12.000 Ex-emplaren gleiclif ails die vierte Auflage zu verzeichnen hatte.
Betrachtlich ist die Zahi der w~ihrend der letzten 25 Jahre und friiher in Deutschland erschienenen Reisesehilderungen, in denen Bdbismus und Bahi'i-Lehre erwThnt und behandelt werden. Unter ihnen und anderen Veraffentlichungen der belletristischen sowie der philosophischen Literatur linden wir Namen wie Pierre LoU, Alfred Kerr, Armin T. Wegner, Collin Ross, Koda-Roda, ferner Tolstoi, Graf Keyserling, Oswald Spengler u.a. Als em gewisses literarisches Kuriosurn set erw~ihnt, dass sich audi Karl May in seiner Reiseerhihlung CCJm Reiche des sit-bernen Lbwen" ausfiihrlicher mit dem Bibismus auseinandergesetzt hat.
C Deutsch von Bertha Sierstorpff, mit einem Geleit � wort von Richard Wilhelm, Qu~ker-Ver1ag, Leipzig, 1926.
Page 692SOUTH AMERICA can no more be described as a whole than can the continent of Europe. Its vast area comprises variety in language and custom, while its history stretches back into a dim past, from whose shadow archaeologists have rescued broken fragments that show mummies embalmed after the manner of Egypt, skulls that have been trepanned, geometrical ornaments, vases of classic design as well as delicately wrought profiles in silver and gold. Alas! that no Rosetta Stone has been found to enable us to read the characters on the arches and columns that lie prone on the sites of the ancient temples.
Each country of South America has written its own separate history.
The West Coast, however, may be said to possess a common denominator � trade, because of the depots of fruit, oil, metal, fertilizers and grain.
The Humboldt current, an icy stream of water, flowing up from the Antarctic region encounters the Japan current, chilling the waters of the Pacific and killing thousands of fish upon which the guano birds feed. Sometimes the shores become lush and tropical wherever the Current has wandered off into deep waters.
The most interesting city of the West Coast is Lima in Peru. Here in the year 1538, Pizarro made himself master, not alone of what he surveyed, but, like Midas, of gold and silver. Having captured the last of the Incas, Pizarro promised him his life if he would fill a lofty chamber with gold, but when this request was complied with, Pizarro put him to death with crafty haste. The Conquistador then turned his attention to founding a city that he named for Saint Rose.
Lirna today breathes the spirit of Pizarro.From the palace to the Inquisitional Hall his steps may be retraced, and upon reaching the Cathedral one sees him proudly riding a spirited horse, sword in hand.
This fine statue is the work of the late Charles Rumsey. Inside the church on the right Pizarro's body has been preserved and is visible through a glass casket, awesome and hideous, but the proud treasure of the city of Lima.
As we had journeyed to South America with a definite Baha program, that of forming groups for the study of the Baha Faith, as well as to find individuals of capacity, who could comprehend Bahi'u-'lhh's program for a future civilization, we gathered facts about the countries through which we were to travel. Thus we learned that while outwardly the Spanish conquest maintained, commerce was siowiy drifting into alien hands. Canadians, hardy and thrifty, were here. Americans also, their heads crammed with schemes for accelerating trade. Germans by the thousand, driven from the Fatherland by the great war. Italians out of sympathy with present day government. These pioneers were moulding the environment to suit their needs, while each brought his traditions, his culture.
The CtSt Lucia" landed us at Valparaiso and from there the train carried us to the capital of Chili, Santiago. The city is set in a bowl enclosed on all sides by towering Andes mountains.
Each hour of light throws a mantle of color over the mountains and at sunset the shadows turn from pink to blue and taper into a soft purple that diffuses its imperial color over the whole city.
The streets of the capital are narrow and shabby; here and there a richly ornamented building bespeaks a spurt of ambition.
My first definite request to present the 692Bahá'í Cause was at the Y. W. C. A. The proposal met with an instant response.
The staff made all arrangements and when the afternoon arrived the hail was crowded with notables � the heads of the Sweet Memorial hospital and clinic; the directors of the Valparaiso Y. M. C. A., the leaders of the literary societies as well as President of the college and ministers of various denominations.
Mr. Mathews opened by reading a page from thehe finished, the chairman asked him to read it again.
This request became the keynote of Era" and "The Goal of the New World Order" in
Spanish and English.At length the time came when we bade farewell to our new-fouhd friends, happy in the thought that in the capital of Chili there would be a group studying the Cause. Study would augment capacity and in time an understanding of the principles of the New Civilization would draw these students to become part of the great program of Bahá'u'lláh.
In 1921, CAbd 'lBh' wrote a Tablet to chili and sent it to Martha Root.
It is of Class for the Study of the tqdn, Sprecklesville, Maui, Hawaii, February, 1934.
the occasion, lifting it beyond the ordinary meeting and when the talk ccwidening Our Horizons was finished, questions were asked from every part of the audience.
It was already dark when we left the building; the whole afternoon Lid been filled with heavenly enthusiasm, so much so that we could scarcely credit the fact that we, the bearers of a new Message, had been so warmly received in this distant land.
Immediate results followed, for both the head and secretary of the Societd de Femina became students of the Bahá'í Cause.
This little literary circle of thirty students studied literature in both Spanish and English and it was therefore arranged that they should read ttBah~'u'1hh and the New the utmost importance and passages are herein quoted.
CCYOU see how the world is attacking one another, how the countries are dyed with human blood.
Heads have become like grain in a grinding mill.Prosperous countries have been ruined, cities devastated, villages demolished.
Fathers have lost their sons, sons their fathers, mothers have wept blood for the ioss of their children.
The source of all this unhappiness is racial prejudice, national prejudice, religious prejudice and political prejudice.
The source of these prejudices is ancient imitation. So long as blind imitation lasts, the human world will be in ruins and in peril.
Page 694CCNOW in such a glorious age, when the realities have appeared and secrets of being have been discovered; the morning of truth bath shone, the world has been illuminated, is it permissible to wage these terrible wars, wars that throw the human world into ruins?
No, not by the Lord!has shone like a sun upon the world and He has declared that the world was dark and that this darkness would continue with horrible results. From the prison of tAkki He clearly addressed the Emperor of Germany saying that there will come a great war and that Berlin will weep and lament.
When the Sulvin of Turkey wronged Bahá'u'lláh, He wrote him from the barracks of Akka that Constantinople would fall a victim to a great revolution, one extending even to the women and children so that they would (also) lament, with great cries. In brief, He addressed all the Kings and Presidents of Republics what would happen and that which He wrote has come to pass.
The Supreme Pen has written how to prevent war and His words have been scattered all over the world. First among these councils is the independent search after truth, because imitation limits man. The second teaching is of the oneness of the world of humanity � all are the creation of a Creator; God, the kind Shep � herd shows kindness to all, He does not differentiate.
The Clement Lord sees no differences betweenservants and all receive his Generosity. The third teaching is that religion is a strong fortress, but it must be the cause of love.
If it causes hatred and enmity, it is unnecessary.
For Religion is like a cure; if the cure causes illness than it is better to dispense with it. Religious, racial, national and political prejudices are the destroyers of the world. These are the causes of bloodshed, prejudice is the ruin of the world of humanity.
As long as they last, frightful wars will recur."For the world to have universal peace a great world court must be set up by all the governments and nations. The problems of all nations and governments must be turned over to this court and whatever this court decides must be accepted and followed.
If a government or nation disobey, We whole world must rise to oppose that government or nation.
Now it is clear that these teachings are the life of the world and its true spirit. As you are servants of the human world you must strive with heart and soui until humanity is rescued from darkness, from prejudice and from the world of nature. Strive to reach the light of the divine world. Praise be to God that you are informed of these teachings. Today without Bahá'u'lláh's instructions the world will have no rest. Of itself the darkness will not disperse, these serious maladies will not be cured, instead conditions will become worse and more difficult day by day.
The Balkans will not be tranquillized, they will seek means to inflame the fires of war again. New public movements will use their powers to achieve their own selfish ends. Therefore with bright hearts, divine souL, celestial strength and heavenly will, strive to be to the world of humanity God's bounty and the cause of rest and tranquillity to humanity."
(Signed, 'Abdu'l-BahátAbbis) There are two ways of reaching the Argentine from Chili; the first is over the Andes, the route Martha Root had taken; the other skirting Chili and Patagonia. We determined upon the Southern route where no Bahá'í had yet been. From the south, winter was already enveloping the whole Antarctic region, sending icy winds northward over Patagonia. We decided, however, to risk these hazards and go to the Argentine via the Chilean
Lakes.Orsono, the starting point for this region, lies a day and night journey from Santiago. In the town of Orsono there was but one motor available for reaching Lake Lian-quihue � an old and rickety Buick; in this disqualified vehicle we began our journey, swaying over dirt roads furrowed by continuous rains. Here and there the ruts gave way to beds of lava, over which the machine would roll shaking and groaning.
After four and a half weary hours we descried the welcome lights of Ensenada. It nestles beside a sheet of still water surrounded by great trees from whose pointed leaves heavy
Page 695The tiny cabin that received us was as narrow as a box, its single window nailed against fresh air.
Its furnishings consisted of a straw mattress laid on boards covered by turkey red comforters that did duty for sheets, blankets and pillows. No palace, however, could have seemed more luxurious! Our inquisitional ride was soon forgotten in the company of the proprietor who was both cultured and charming, and expanded mightily on hearing Mr.
Mathews' fluent German.In this remote land occurred a great spiritual experience.
One of those meetings of the spirit that make social amenities pale by comparison.
It happened that a German couple had come from Puerto Varas,
Chili. Madame de Burmuihispoke English. In whispers in the corner of the office we talked of the New World Order; as I unfolded the Divine Plan she seemed to read it with me as from an open book.
Each statement of mine was rounded out and completed by this clearsighted woman. As I explained the simple form of our Administration and the station of the Guardian of the Cause, she repeated my words to her husband: "Listen, Gustave, we have a Guardian � one who holds the world together in this day � one who is preparing humanity for a new civilization."
Very thoughtfully he turned the idea over in his mind and then replied in a deep voice: "Yes, yes, I can understand that. It is as it should be � somewhere a spiritual leader must be making the plan that will guide us out of the wilderness and chaos of the present into a new and better path." Madame de Burmuihi explained that they belonged to a large group of Germans who met and studied under the name of "Liberal Thought Society." But no more literature from the society was permitted in Germany, so as Winter approached they were without material for study. The Bahá'í Revelation formed the link in the chain and they embraced it eagerly and whole-heatedly. They felt sure that the study group would accept it, as they did.
The steamers connecting one island with another sail oniy three times a week. These inland mariners pay small heed to schedules and departing passengers find it wiser to gather on the wharf ahead of time, so we hurried hither accompanied by the German couple now deep in the study of the Cause. We skirted a swift running river, now and then crossing it at shallow points and taking occasional dips under water falls that seemed to occasion no surprise.
Arriving well in advance we prepared to wait when suddenly the boat decided to start and began churning white foam in long streaks through the green water. Our friends pressed to the edge of the sand, their arms outstretched, calling God's blessing on our Bahá'í endeavors.
Far out on the water we could hear their voices. The afternoon was bright and still, trees crowded down to the water's edge; snow smooth as frosting rounded the tops of the mountains.
A thousand rivulets poured snow water into the lake.
The atmosphere was laden with a kind of thrilling, expectant beauty. Nature occupied in seasonal rounds seemed indifferent to man's behavior. Crossing the Lake of All Saints was like witnessing a fraction of creation.
A week we travelled thus.Sometimes mounting over the crests of rocky promontories; sometimes encircling volcanoes where we were lost in steam.
We made steep descents on foot and once we were ferried by a crude handmade craft. Physically the journey was hard, spiritually it was revivifying, for everywhere were listeners eager to hear news of the Great Event. It was, indeed, a pilgrimage of the spirit and reflected a degree of capacity in the Germans of that section of South America that is unforgettable.
At length we reached Lake Nahuel Huapi at the far end of which lies Bahá'u'lláh, the town that terminates the lake trip when coming from Chili. The last journey by water is the longest, and that morning dawned cold and windy. The tiny steamer was tossed and tumbled by the waves. Spray was continually flying overhead, while on the benches it was impossible to avoid a wetting. All through the four and a half hours' journey our eyes strained towards our destination as the wind rose and moaned, grew angry, dropped into silence only to repeat its attack on a higher scale. The pilot hugged the shore and when at last the
Page 696headland, behind which the steamer was to moor, hove in view a shout of joyous relief rose simultaneously from every throat.
Bahá'u'lláh has one train a week. It arrives from Buenos Aires every rriday and returns on Sunday.
The villagers living along the shore of Nahuel Huapi make of the train s departure a fiesta.
Women wearing Spanish shawls, pound the pavement with high heels; peasants carry bright-colored dusters with which to shine the inscriptions on the sides of the train. Passengers embarking for the capital, forty-two hours distant, are regarded with awe.
Cameras click, fruit is vended, tunes hummed, as the crowd gape at the miracle of machinery that has ended an isolation, inviolate for a hundred years. At five sharp the whistle blows, the admiring throng stand back. The engine shakes itself free of lake and mountain; it turns and twists until rugged outlines fade and heavy forests disappear, and then it settles down for a long trek across the plains of the Argentine.
Mile after mile of swaying pampas passes the train window, mysterious, uniform, as though the world had become suddenly a planed floor of exact measurements.
Through this moving sea of grass stalk cattle flank high. Up or down, east or west, there is pampas; the mind recedes from all forms of variety and settles back into the subtle peace of complete monotony.
The Argentine is rich enough and big enough to feed the whole world with beef; its markets could supply grain and wooi as well. Prices have fallen in the general economic depression and growers fasten their hope of recouping diminished fortunes on war, war in Europe or, in fact, anywhere. Already they are tinning beef, weaving blankets and rolling bandages so that at the first cry of battle these goods can be set afloat and at the Argentine's own prices. Naturally peace is unpopular, kindness and brotherhood are looked upon as antiquated principles.
Old animosities live, though each nationality within the country deplores the fact and wish it otherwise.
The churches watch each other in jealous alarm, fearful of the increase in number among opposing denominations.
The Argentine and the English leave the whole ethical question alone. The Americans make a weak show of getting together by drinking tea under the entwined flags of all nations, but without the genius of Bahá'u'lláh who has given us a purpose for meeting � a definite plan that is practical as well as spiritual � these gestures of unity lead nowhere. Into this land so uniform in appearance, so separate in consciousness, will come the Supreme Remedy, namely the Bahá'í message.
It will gather up the alien threads and weave them into a pattern of universal design; it will set in motion a spark with which mankind will recapture belief in the power of love and suffering.
Self-interest will be merged into larger issues.The secrets of Being hidden in the stream of life itself, will emerge and man will experience the condition described by Bahá'u'lláh in the Seven Valleys.
(CA servant always draws near unto me with prayers, until I become his ear wherewith he heareth.
For in that case the Owner of the house becomes manifest in his own house (the heart) and the pillars of the house are all illuminated and radiative through His light. The action and effect of the light is from the Giver of Light; this is why all move through Him and arise by His Desire."
Buenos Aires greeted us with a downpour of cold rain. The stirring events of the Chilean trip, however, buoyed our spirits above temperature and filled our hearts with strong hope.
It was a strange coincidence that we should arrive on the same day as Krishna Murti, for he had come to Auckland, New Zealand on the same date as we, of the previous year. Again our arrival in Sidney, Australia had been simultaneous; now he landed by steamer from Brazil as our train pulled into Buenos Aires. Naturally the three branches of the Theosophical Society combined on an intensive campaign for him, punctuated by flurries of publicity.
Martha Root had been received by them with the utmost cordiality, but I knew I could expect nothing for the present. I had, however, brought letters to other important organizations as well as to diplomats and high officials. Affable conversations, cakes and tea, followed upon the presentation of these letters but when I spoke of the mission that
Page 697had drawn us hither, invisible barriers descended barring further advances into the subject. I was encircled by absentminded smiles and polite retreats.
Even Peace, that redoubtable and highly honored topic, fell to earth without an echo.
The rain continued. The test of faith is more faith. When difficulties surround one it is best to draw back from the material world into the circle of Divine Protection. The personal will with its desires must be folded up and laid away. A realization of the power within the Cause must be made a reality, so that the knowledge of Bahi'u-'lUh's spirit shining upon the earth filling it with unending rejoicings, may manifest itself in the individual. One must grasp the fact that subjectively the whole world is aware whenever a messenger comes to earth.
Success, or failure � neither have anything to do with truth. Under these reflections one may wait for guidance, but once convinced of a course of action, go forward unhesitatingly and leave the results to the guiding spirit that animates and sustains the Cause of God. tAbdu'1-BaM says: CCKnOW that the blessings of the Kingdom of Abhi are not dependent upon the capacity and worthiness of anyone; the blessings themselves are the worthiness. As the action itself, when it reaches the thing acted upon, makes the thing the action, so the blessings themselves become identical with worthiness."
Opportunity came in the form of an invitation to address the Dramatic Society on the modern drama! I accepted. The afternoon came and dressed in my best I stepped upon my initial platform. The talk received widespread publicity and the daily papers carried the entire talk.
This brought the editor of ttThe Standard" to interview us. I confided to him my dilemma. He was so intrigued that he decided to study the Cause with me and investigate its truth for himself.
After an intensive course of reading he was carried beyond journalistic impulses and there began to appear in the columns of his paper references to the word Baha'i, its meaning, its origin and finally a two column article on the history of the movement from its inception.
The bridge of sighs was crossed. It became came known that a new and constructive movement had I?een brought to Buenos Aires and I was asked to address first the Contemporary Club and later the American, The Amateur, and the Business Clubs as well as smaller groups. I was elated when approached about addressing the Girls' High School, but the proposal laid before the board of directors, did not prosper and the invitation was withdrawn.
Giving a talk at the Spanish Club I had to employ an interpreter. This was a veritable ordeal and I remembered how many times tAbdu'1 � Baha has passed through the ordeal of having His words redistributed by an alien tongue.
From a variety of public talks there emerged certain personalities that made an indelible impression.
First in order of time was Miss Beer, a German from
Africa's Gold Coast. Tragedieshad rained down upon her ever since the World War. In an agony of spirit she had battered at the door of ancient theology, only to find herself shut out by dogmatic controversies.
From the first, she fell in iovc with the Bahá'í principles; she amassed a wealth of quotations from the 'Writings and studied by night as well as by day. After our third iesson she read a paper on the Bahá'í Movement before the German Literary Circle. As the inner commotion of soul subsided, she expressed a happiness that is impossible to describe.
A giant of undaunted courage was Sefiora Barrill. Her husband had been a pioneer in Argentine finance and from his accumulated fortune had built a veritable palace of medieval splendor.
Then, suddenly, sh~ was left alone. It was at this period of her life that an awakening of soui occurred. All at once there flooded her being an inner consciousness that a new Message had come to earth, a Message that would bind all religions together. She closed the palace and started forth in search of that which her heart foretold.
But everywhere she went she encountered creeds, old and new. Saddened by failure she journeyed homeward.
I gave a talk at the Y. W. C. A. on the union of all races, religions and creeds. Though understanding no English she came to hear it, with her niece as interpreter. All during the talk I could see that she was
Page 698in a state of agitation; she clasped and unclasped her hands continuously.
As soon as I finished she beckoned me. (CAll over the world I have been seeking the treasure that you have now placed in my hands this afternoon. tThe New World Order' that you have explained, has been ringing in my heart for many a long day." Often when we sat together before the fire she would cry out, t~Let us go spread the good news � let us tramp the world over." And though well over seventy, as we left she was preparing to depart on a world crusade.
Another wonderful friendship was formed with a distinguished Argentine family that we had met on the train from Bahá'u'lláh. There was a widow, her daughters and a niece. They came to hear me speak and presently we found ourselves being entertained by the most hospitable of people. We saw gardens copies from the palaces of Europe, where roses grew as high as young fruit trees, beds of lotus in bloom, white and tranquil beside marble poois. Everywhere were rare tropical plants gathered from the far off islands of the Pacific. One day, while Sefiorita Lavarello and I were driving, she remarked, CCYOU remind me of someone I met in Geneva � a woman all spirit." Naturally I asked her name. ttLd Blomfield," she replied, � "Like you she is a Baha'i. It is strange how much this religion attracts me, but I know it is not for me, for should I approach it ever so secretly, the family would know and every member of the clan would arise to save me from Hell that they would see yawning to receive me; � you have no idea of the power of Spanish traditions � the Rock of Gibraltar is a weak defense by comparison � I would be immediately surrounded by an ecclesiastical conference that would go on forever and ever." "Well," I replied, laughing, "if the picture you have painted is even half true, I think you better come to the United States where no one will be interested in your beliefs, nor take heed of the ideas you harbor beneath your charming curls." So we planned that she should come in the Autumn and I pray that this free soui may come under the Baha training that will develop, without curtailing her lovely spirit.
One morning the daily papers announced that Mr. Julius Lay had been appointed Minister to Uruguay. This was happy news for me, since they were not oniy my friends but Mrs. Lay had studied the Cause with me during a visit to a munial friend.
She was a woman of purpose and generosity and one that could be counted upon to uphold the Cause and to use her influence in its behalf.
The visit to Buenos Aires that in the beginning had been fraught with dark difficulty, terminated in great enthusiasm for the Bahá'í Principles. Alas, that a rigid code prevented joining my pupils together.
Nevertheless, as I stood on the deck of the steamer that was carrying us to Brazil, I felt that group consciousness would be the natural consequence of Bahá'í study and would come about as a result of it. I cannot believe that the door first opened by Martha Root and a second time during our voyage will ever be shut again.
A journey of four and a half days by water brought us to Santos, Brazil.
This low-lying unimportant looking island represents the largest output of coffee in South America.
We made a special trip to S5o Paulo. One is astonished to see a skyscraper of twenty-five stories, the largest concrete building in the world. In fact, the size and proportion of the buildings is a constant surprise. For example, in the Hotel Esplanada of STh Paulo the seating capacity of the dining � room is five hundred. Entering this enormous banquet hail you behold an elaborate display of tropical fruits on illuminated cakes of ice; this frosty feast makes a welcome contrast to the burning sun that is forever shining behind the curtained windows.
We drove to the Butantan snake farms, now world famous, where is distilled the serum that has lowered the death rate from snake bites from 90 to 40 per cent and they work here night and day to fight a menace that constitutes one of the major difficulties in homesteading this vast country.
Twelve hours by rail brought us to Rio de Janeiro; the train winds and slides down, down to the sea.
In Rio, Leonora Holsapple joined us. She had come following
Marthain Baha, (which in Spanish means bay) she had set herself the task of mastering Spanish and Portuguese, while earning her living in a city directly over the equator. Encouraged by our Guardian, she translated and published CtBh~~~11~h and the New Era" and other volumes, thus making an outstanding contribution for all time to the Bahá'í Cause.
Through the influence of this true Bahá'í friend, we were able to form a class without delay.
These people were sufli-ciently evolved to draw together for study and to meet often. A second class soon followed the first, through important Americans to whom we had brought letters. The members of this class enabled me to place IBahá'í books in the circulating libraries.
I found oniy one Bahá'í book in Rio; that was a copy of Mr. Holley's ttBah4'i, the Spirit of the Age."
It was gratifying to learn from the librarian that it had been widely read.
We were invited to spend an evening with the Siif is to address their members.
As far as we could learn, they were not connected with the Siif is of I r~n.
The movement had been brought from India to London and its leaders, Mr. and Mrs. Cecil Best, were English. The pamphlets describing the belief seemed subjective in character though broad and humanitarian in design.
5Afi Lodge was built on the top of a mountain, literally above the clouds and standing on the roof garden the fleecy white clouds floated below while above was the starry sky. On an opposite mountain carved from rock stands a gigantic figure of Christ with arms outstretched in an attitude of blessing.
Far below the sea was visible, breaking into white foam that shimmered and glistened under the thirty thousand lights that encircle the shore. It was a sight of beauty for which no adjectives seemed adequate.
I spoke on the prophecies fulfilled by the Bahá'í Religion and gave a short outline of the BTh, Bahá'u'lláh and tAbdu'1-BaM. Their reception of the talk impressed us all. It was evident that there existed a strong spiritual tie between us and some day this will be cemented.
From that moment they did all in their power to help us spread the Bahá'í Message and surrounded us with every kindness.
Through Miss Holsapple'sinfluence I spoke at the Educational League. This important committee controls the education of Brazil as well as the reading matter that goes to schools and libraries. Religion may not be spoken from their platform but the breadth of the Cause gave ample opportunity to outline education from its spiritual standpoint.
I also addressed the Y. W. C. A. that throughout the journey had treated our mission with so much cordiality.
We held a Baha picnic, on the shores of an inland lake. We talked of tAbdu'1-Bahá'í presence at Evergreen
Cabin in West Englewood.We discussed the happy 19-day feasts that are held throughout the world, their origin and purpose; the day was sweet and memorable.
In retrospect it is impossible to number the individuals that crossed our path during this voyage of five months. Constantly we were meeting strangers and constantly telling them of the purpose of our visit. By land and by sea, over thousands of miles, the Cause was heralded and its dynamic news spread.
South America needs workers to carry on the Divine Plan. It is not enough that a teacher crosses the continent every few years.
It is not enough that one woman gives her life for the spread of the Cause. If these two Republics could unfurl the banner of Bahá'u'lláh's Principles together, they might lead the world into a new era of peace and happiness.
The Guardian is deeply concerned with the spiritualizing of South America. Whosoever arises to labor in this field will be rewarded and every traveler will be upheld by the Holy Spirit. No sacrifice should be too great to a true believer.
For the purpose of life in this day is to extend God's glory through the Message of Bahá'u'lláh to the far-flung corners of the earth.
Page 700rrVealy, we have ordained unto every land a destiny, unto every hour a fate; unto every utterance a time, unto every circumstance a word. Consider the case of Greece! Verily we made it the center of wisdom for a long period. Bitt when the time of its end caine, its throne became veiled, its tongue dumb, its lamp extinct, and its standard reversed.
Thus We give and take away. Verily thy Lord is the Taker, the Giver, the Mighty, the Potent."
Bahá'u'lláh.SWEDEN is the oldest of the three Scandinavian kingdoms. ~~When the Germanic groups went south in great folk migrations to mingle their blood with the Mediterranean races," says Hanna Astrup Larsen, Editor of the American-Scandinavian Review, ttthe Scandinavians stayed behind and in their isolation developed their own peculiar heritage."
Ancient tradition has etched in the consciousness of her leaders the spirit of public � mindedness and in the consciousness of her people faith in the Crown. And from the period of the W~asa Kings, in the sixteenth century, when King Gustavus Adoiphus organized state and Crown leadership, embodying the definite paternalistic attitude of the state toward the peopie and the recognition of education as an important factor in the life of society, the moral influence of the Crown was enhanced.
Today Sweden is a constitutional monarchy, with a distinctly democratic representation and a parliamentary government. The left wing is always a strong factor in the Riksdag, the socialist party having now and then risen to a commanding position. Nevertheless, Royal Committees and advisers appointed by the Crown are un hampered in the execution of decisions reached by the Riksdag.
In His Tablet "The Gladmakes mention of the ideal government � a fusion of aristocracy and democracy through the medium of consultation: (cAithough a republican form of government," He says, ~Cprofirs all the people of the world, yet the majesty of kingship is one of the signs of God. We do not wish that the countries of the world should be deprived thereof. If statesmen combine the two into one form, their reward will be great before God."
The tradition of the nobility, having its impetus under King Gustavus Adoiphus, has also been of importance. Indeed the public-mindedness of the nobility, reaching its crest in the seventeenth century, and which later fell into neglect and abuse, created a tradition of noblesse oblige which still obtains, although nowadays the nobility as a separate group exercises no influence.
But the national development of Sweden is unique in the traditions of her peasantry. Says Miss Larsen, "The national impulse of Scandinavian countries turned not only backward to the past but also inward to the study of the peasants, who were thought to have carried on the traditions of the fathers most unbroken."
The capacity of the Swede for organization and legislation is innate but this sense of law and order� through which far-flung changes have been achieved without revolution � grew out of the early political training and responsibility imposed upon the peasantry, for the landowning peasantry of Sweden has exercised political rights since early in the fifteenth century.
This practice had its inception in the period when the Wasa Kings, founders of the principles of Swedish statesmanship, introduced the severe practice of forcing 701
Page 702the people to participate in decisions of national scope � war, peace, taxation and educational reform.
Characteristic of the precision and conscientiousness of the Swede, no one was permitted to remain unconcerned.
Hardship and peril beset the traveler in those days and the representative of a district would, before setting forth on his journey, put his affairs in order and partake of the last communion! Consequently, representation in the Riksdag was a responsibility hardly to be sought after with enthusiasm!
Property owners of each district were required to sign the decision of the Riksdag which their delegate brought back with him. In later times Swedish peasants have had their seats in the King's cabinet and no movement or reform can pass the Riksdag without their influence.
This stabilizing influence of the peasantry has served to strengthen the prestige of the Crown and the custom of conferring titles on persons of the lower classes distinguished for public service, has extended and fertilized the nobility. "The Scandinavians," writes H. G. Leach, editor of The Forum and an outstanding authority on Scandinavia in the United States, in his book CAngevin Britain and Scandinavia,' " are freemen.
They understand organized democracy. The Norseman belonged to those people who, unlike the destroying Tartar, possess the strength and latent power of growth that enable them to adopt a civilization without decaying under it. Instead they bettered what they found, advancing rapidly from students to teachers The ancient Scandinavian rivalled the modern Japanese in taking on a new material civilization in a day."
National and social coalescence are further enhanced by racial and religious homogeneity, for with the exception of approximately one and a half percent the population is Swedish in origin and belongs to the Swedish state church.
The peasantry of Sweden has not only contributed to the past, but to the present progress of Swedish society. In contradistinction to the experience of a people growing out of serfdom, they are conversant with the trend of national affairs, the importance of the arts and sciences in the development of civilization and have a keen appreciation of cooperative activities, of finance and commerce.
Freedom from the consciousness growing out of the practice of serfdom has created a peasantry with aristocratic traditions and has been a powerful factor in obviating that sharp cleavage between classes which became accentuated under autocratic rule.
The part played by the peasantry in the development of Sweden is of unique interest to students of Bahá'í principles, for recognition of the fundamental position of the agricultural unit is unequivocally set forth in the writings of Bahá'u'lláh and amplified by CAbd~1Bh~ again and again in his unique station as Interpreter of the Revelation: "In reality," he says, "so far great injustice has befallen the common people.
The community needs financier, farmer, merchant and laborer, just as an army must be composed of commander, officers and pri vates but justness of opportunity for all. First and foremost is the principle that to all the members of the body politic shall be given the greatest achievements of the world of humanity. Each one shall have the utmost welfare and wellbeing. To solve this problem we must begin with the farmer; there will we lay a foundation for system and order, because the peasant class and the agricultural class exceed other classes in the importance of their service.
It is important to limit riches as it is also of importance to limit poverty.
A financier with colossal wealth should not exist whilst near him is a poor man in dire necessity.
When we see poverty allowed to reach a condition of starvation it is a sure sign that somewhere we shall find tyranny. The rich must give of their abundance, they must soften their hearts and cultivate a compassionate intelligence."
Religion has initiated in Sweden three distinct phases of national development: The initial phase of exotic influence began in the period of the Vikings, 8001000; the second phase might be said to constitute the Medieval Catholic Church when the intellectual life fused with that of the continent of Europe, and the third phase � the Reforma
Page 703tion � froin which issued national independence and entrance upon a new political and economic experience. It marked the inception of interest in elementary education. Today school and church are classified under one department head with representation in the King's Cabinet.
The Christian Faith was originally planted in Sweden by the Crusaders, Ansgarius and Birgitta, early in the ninth century and while the Scandinavian may adopt a material civilization with facility, the fact that Christianity was not officially inaugurated as a state religion till the eleventh century demonstrates the depth of religious susceptibility of the Norseman. The old "pagan" faith was not subverted till after the conquest of England by the Danish Kings, Sweyn and Canute.
Significantly, Ansgariusforesaw a future spiritual glory for Sweden. "A great light," he said, "will emanate from the North." That was early in the ninth century.
Early in the eighteenth century, nine centuries later, Sweden gave birth to a spiritual genius, Emmanuel Swedenborg. His advent, the spiritual life he released, bad the effect of refreshing spring showers.
He magnified anew the belief iii immortality, picturing graphically in his interpretative scriptural writings the continuity of life � a factor of incalculable potency in relieving the egocentric maladies that attack mankind.
In the journey of the soui, depicted with transcendental beauty by Bahá'u'lláh in ccSeve1~ Valleys," He writes, "0 Son, if thou canst overcome sleep thou wilt also be able to conquer death and if thou canst prevent thy waking from sleep wilt thou be able to prevent thy rising after death."
And the scientific exposition of tAbdu'1.-BaM inculcates a clear knowledge of this teaching. "The immortality of the soui," he says, C(j~ mentioned in the Holy Books. It is the fundamental basis of divine religions. Total annihilation is an impossibility.
At most, composition is ever subject to decomposition or disintegration. This is the law of creation in its endless forms and infinite variety. As existence can never become nonexistence there is no death for man. The rational proof of this is that the atoms of the material terial elements are transferable from one form of existence to another, from one degree and kingdom to another, lower or higher.
For example, an atom of the soil of dust of earth may traverse the kingdoms from mineral to man by successive incorporations into the bodies of the organisms of those kingdoms. Throughout these degrees it retains its atomic existence and is never annihilated nor relegated to nonexistence.
Death, therefore, is applicable to a change or transference from one degree or condition to another. The purpose is this: � that the everlasting bestowal of God vouchsafed to man is never subject to corruption. The conception of annihilation is a factor in human degradation, a cause of human debasement and lowliness, a source of human fear and abjection.
It has been conducive to the dispersion and weakening of human thought, whereas the realization of existence and continuity has upraised man to sublimity of ideals, established the foundations of human progress and stimulated the development of heavenly virtues. Spiritual existence is absolute immortality, completeness and unchangeable being."
The philosophical and spiritual teachings of Emmanuel Swedenborg penetrated the 'West. In a Tablet addressed to an American Baha'i, E. E. Wrestling-Brewster, tAbdu'1-Bah~ gave to Emmanuel Swedenborg the significance of minor prophet. ttAs soon as a bird is fledged," he said in that Tablet, Ctfr cannot keep itself on the ground.
When the season of spring dawns, a new and wonderful motion and rejuvenation is witnessed in all the existing things; the mountains and meadows are revived; the trees find freshness and delicacy and are clothed with radiant and bright leaves, blossoms and fruit. In reality Emmanuel was the forerunner of the second coming of His Holiness the Christ and the herald of the path to the Kingdom. I hope that thou wilt arise to perform all that which
His Highness EmmanuelIn recent times a movement to recapture the spirit released by Swedenborg was set in motion under the leadership of the late Archbishop Nathan S6derblom of Upsala,
Page 704Sweden. The ancient church of Ansgarius, situated on the island of Visneg 0 outside of Stockholm was renovated and in 1930, an exalted spiritual ceremony took place in that church. There congregated the Ruling House of Sweden, Archbishops representing most of the nations of Europe, besides eminent men and women. The late Archbishop Sbderblorn presiding called to mind the sacrifice of those early Crusaders in promoting a new Faith � his theme taken from the twenty-fourth Psalm: "Lift up your head, 0 ye gates and be ye lifted up ye everlasting doors; and the King of Glory shall come in. Who is this King of Glory!
The Lord of Hosts, HeUndoubtedly the mission of Emmanuel Swedenborg was greater than his most devoted adherents imagined, for he was indeed an announcer of the approach of that cycle of reality envisioned by poets in all ages and promised by Celestial Messengers in succeeding cycles, the Era of Universal Peace and Enlightenment, initiated by the Bib in 1844, brought into the full range of its magnificence and power by Bahá'u'lláh, 18631892, and carried by His Son, cAbdu~1 Bah4 in person to the Western continents.
Throughout his arduous career, the late Archbishop Saderbiorn devoted his far-reaching influence to the propagation of spiritual and humanitarian ideals.
He investigated and endorsed the Bahá'í teachings, finding in them the fulfillment of his loftiest aspirations.
In his later years he worked to establish those principles.
His efforts have borne fruit. In her recent travels throughout Northern Europe, the international Bahá'í teacher, Mrs. Louise Erickson, was impressed with a new spirit permeating her native land, Sweden. tcwherever I spoke, wherever I met thinking people," she said, CC]j felt the presence of a new spirit. Frequently I heard the remark ccOur beloved Archbishop Saderbiom was an ardent advocate of those very principles which you are disseminating."
And Mrs. Erickson added, "The cultured people of Sweden are putting into practice the Principles revealed by Bahá'u'lláh, although unaware of their source. The movements for peace in Sweden are strong."
When rhe newspapers of Sweden announced that Mrs. Louise Erickson,
Swedish-American Bahá'íteacher had � in an audience with the Crown Prince � presented His Royal Highness with literature on the Bahá'í Faith, it was the signal for widespread interest and as it offered a panacea for the social, religious, national and political ills which have beset mankind, it made a strong appeal to leaders of peace movements.
To eager inquirers Mrs. Erickson lost no time in declaring the Principles of Bahá'u'lláh to be the creative source for the solution and healing of these problems. She spoke of this new Faith as (Ca religion not new but revitalized and freed from dogirias and rituals. To leaders of
Peace organizations Mrs.Erickson said simply, "Peace cannot be accomplished with a plan. You must have principles. tAbdu'1-Bahi said that Peace will come � it is the spirit of the age!"
CCToday~~ tAbdu'1-BaM said, ccthere is no greater glory for man than that of service in the Cause of the Most Great Peace.
The powers of the earth cannot withstand the privileges and bestowaL which God has ordained for this great and glorious century. It is a need and exigency of the time. Man can withstand anything except that which is divinely intended and indicated for the age and its requirements
At present UniversalPeace is a matter of great importance, but unity of conscience is essential so that the foundations of this matter may become secure.
Mrs. Erickson found that distinguished public servant of Sweden, Carl Lindhagen, a strong advocate of peace.
In a remarkable interview granted her by the former Mayor of Stockholm, Mrs. Erickson received inestimable support.
ccWh he conceded the interview," she said, ttl~e invited me to come and see his home. tCome out to my house,' he said, ~ want you to see my home.'
ccThe house is built on a high rock. Viewed as one approaches from below it appears like a great white swan resting against the rock. Mr. Lindhagen met me at the door and invited me to the veranda to meet Mrs. Lindhagen and there to view the scenery.
From the veranda the panorama is mountains, valleys and water. You gaze out over Lake Mirza, the most historic spot
Page 705in Sweden. It completely surrounds the little town of Mariefred, on a tiny island, and there is Gripsholm Castle built by the great
King Gustav Vasa."Mr. Lindhagen intended that this should be an inspiration to me. It was. The home and the environment were to me the key to the personality of my host. CWC are too busy with humanitarian work and our writing,' Mrs. Lindhagen told me, cto enjoy our home.'
ttln the library we had coffee and srnbr-brad � coffee is the rare treat in Sweden � and the conversation settled on the paramount question � Peace. I outlined the principles of Bahá'u'lláh, dwelling especially on the oneness of mankind, the abolition of all prejudices, harmony between science and religion, the equality of privileges for and women, universal education and a universal language.
My host listened attentively and answered, ~ have always thought along these lines. But if they build on the principle of a Universal Language that alone will establish Peace.
It is a medium for universal understanding. I believe in the Principle, that is why I work for it.' Esperanto is becoming increasingly popular in
Sweden.must speak Esperanto very well," I ventured, recalling public addresses made by
Mr. Lindhagen in Stockholmat the Esperanto Convention in 1934, and at Danzig, where he had planted a tree at a public ceremony given by the Esperantists there.
Gathering from all corners of the globe, representatives of this organization brought with them the soil in which the tree was planted.
"No," he answered, ccj studied that speech in Esperanto especially for the Convention."
CCH you seen the Crown Prince?" he asked."No," I told him, ~ have no acquaintance who can open the way to an audience."
He arose, excused himself with exquisite courtesy and left the room. ttj have talked with the Crown Prince on the telephone," he announced when he came back, "and he will receive you next Tuesday at ten in the morning.
cdt was my wish to leave with Mr. Lind � hagen a copy of tBahá'u'lláh and the New Era.' He requested me to autograph it and seating me at his own desk he said, "'Write my name and yours under it. On my vaca-don I shall study it." CCThis instructive and refreshing interview � which seemed to pass so quickly � had consumed several hours and was the means of my audience with the Crown Prince."
ttBend your minds and wills," Bahá'u'lláh admonished over sixty years ago, cc~ the education of the peoples and kindreds of the earth, that haply the dissensions that divide it may, through the power of the Most Great Name, be blotted out from its face and all mankind becpme the upholders of one Order, and the inhabitants of one City.
Ye dwell in one world and have been created through the operation of one Will."
In a beautiful home an hour's ride outside of Stockholm, Mrs. Erickson found Harald Thulander, blind Esperantist and publisher of Braille books. This remarkable man has translated into Esperanto and published in Braille a considerable number of Bahá'í pamphlets.
Nowadays the ancient democratic spirit of Sweden is embodied in His Royal Highness, Gustav Adolph, the beloved
Crown Prince. "The CrownPrince," Mrs. Erickson related, ~ required to participate in social activities ranging anywhere from the dedication of universities, public parks, museums and schools to cattle conventions.
He in � stils new ideas and practical methods as well as the pattern of noble ideals and beauty. I believe he is surely one of the busiest men in all the world. To have met him personally is an experience I shall cherish always. That meeting opened every single door and was the greatest means for the spreading of the universal teachings of
Bahá'u'lláh."cnn Copenhagen, I telephoned Mrs. Ruth Bryan Owen, American Ambassador to Denmark. I had met her distinguished father, 'William Jennings Bryan, after his pilgrimage to tAkk~ while CAbd~1Bh~ was still in prison there. She arranged for me an opportunity to present His Majesty, King of Denmark, with a copy of tBahi'u'11&h and the New Era' in Danish."
Up from the age of the Vikings, toAnsgarius and Birgitta, through the Medieval Ages to the Reformation and Swedenborg � destined as the herald of the approach of the Promised Age � the influence perpetuating the onward march of Sweden has been, without doubt, superbly spiritual. This preparation, combined with a natural religious yearning, is indeed significant of a spiritual destiny.
That spirit it must have been that sustained her and stayed precipita-don into the World War and in the present maelstrom of conflicting and unpredictable events in which the nations of Europe are becoming more and more submerged.
Is it not possible that Sweden, reinforced with new spiritual values � the dynamic principles and teachings of Bahá'u'lláh � will not be caught in the disintegrating forces of war and aggression; will keep aloof and stand ready to lead the way out of the perplexities and chaos of that old world order?
Bahá'í Pioneers of Inn.MRS. ISABEL GRINEVSKAYA, a Russian poet in Leningrad, gave a great impetus to the Bahá'í Movement and to world art in her three celebrated writings, the two dramas, "Bab" and ~ and a narrative called 'tA Journey in the Countries of the Sun." The last named is an account of her visit to CAbd 'lBh' in 1911 when He was in Ramleh, Egypt. While the last is in prose it has verses introduced so that we might almost say that the three form a trilogy in poetic form presenting the new universal religion of the oneness of mankind proclaimed by those three heavenly personages, the Báb the Forerunner, Bahá'u'lláh the Revealer of the Word and tAbd'lBh' the Center of the Covenant of the
Baha Faith.From the point of view of art the dramas rank high. Russian critics affirm that these works have proclaimed their author a poet of the first order. One of her countrymen, Mr. Wesselirzky, President of the Foreign Press Association of London, said that he read the drama "Bab" on a railway train when he was returning to England from Russia in August, 1905. His own words were: was at once attracted by the rare combination of philosophical thought with a great power of expression, beauty, imagery, and harmony of verse. I keenly felt the delight of reading a new, great poem and discovering a new first-rate poet.
I should have felt so on broad, general grounds from whatever country the poet came! However, my joy was intensified by the fact that the poem had been written in my own language and that the author was a countrywoman of mine."
This article purports to give a little history of these works, for
'Abdu'l-Bahá HimselfWhen He held the manuscript of the drama ~ in His hands, He blessed it and prophesied to the author that these two dramas would be played in TihAn!
The drama crBAb~~ was published in May, 1903, and was played in one of the principal theatres in St. Petersburg in January, 1904. It was this drama that first brought to Count Leo Tolstoy a knowledge of the Bahá'í teachings.
He read the book and at once wrote to Mrs. Grinevskaya his appreciation of her great drama and his sympathy with the Bahá'í Movement; the letter was printed in the Russian press and the poet has his letter in her possession now.
I have before me as I write a clipping from the "Herold" of January, 1904: ccThe play Báb appeared in May of last year, 1903, the most inconvenient time for the appearance of a book. Nevertheless the pens of the critics began to move in the journals and magazines in order to compose hymn-songs of praise to the author.
Moreover an enlightened Persian society sent her an inspired letter of thanks; and above all, Mrs. Isabel Grinevsky had the spiritual satisfaction that among those who eulogized her drama was the lion of contemporary
Russian literature, LeoTolstoy. The impression was such that it made us think that amidst the statists representing the Persian throngs were real Persians; it seemed as if the scene exhaled the perfume of the roses of ShiMz!"
Mr. Wesselitsky, whom I mentioned earlier in this story, gave a lecture in London in 1907 about this drama and his speech was afterwards published in pamphlets in English and French.' I quote two para-'Pamphlets in French and English, London, 1907, at the Press of "Chronide," 29 Besborough Street, London, S. W. 707
Page 708graphs: "Amidst the sorrows of disastrous war and those dreadful inner troubles, that book tBib' was my oniy happy impression, and it remains since a permanent source of joy and comfort as a manifest proof of the vitality of Russia and its creative genius.
"The romantic side of this drama, too, is quite original. The plot is not based on adultery as in French drama and not on seduction as in tFaust,' but on renouncement and self-sacrifice. The romantic side of the B&b is closely allied with the metaphysical-ethical side. The drama has so much of the latter that every act may seem to be a sermon and the drama itself a suite of sermons.
Yet all that preaching is relieved by genuine enthusiasm, eloquence of the heart and real passion. The conflict in the soul of the hero is not between passion and reason, but between two passions � human love and love divine � the latter being stronger and mote ardent than the former. It is that manifestation of the power of the higher aims in the heart of man which is the chief feature of this book and the secret of its irresistible charm."
Celebrating the decade of the first performance of CCBib~~ in January, 1914, Mrs. Grinevskaya gave a great conference on the drama in one of the most beautiful concert halls of Leningrad. The CrSt
Petersburg InformationsPaper" gives the event a long review praising the author and her reading of selections from the poem and her address. One paragraph particularly I remember: CCAS a characteristic of the frame of mind of the poetess during the creation of her poem, the following words of her own may serve as an illustration: tA well known professor told me that the name of my poem, does not sound well to the cars of Russians.
I answered that the names of the people who preached the ideals of love, paying for those ideals with their lives, must sound well to all those who have ears to hear. All noble ideals are so few in these days that it would be worth while to renew the performance of ~tB~b" in order to awaken the remembrance of these ideals. We, the people of the 'West, rise too late, we do not know the East where the sun shines!'
The play was presented again in the Folk Theater in Leningrad in April, 1917, after the Russian Revolution.
People came even fromto see it. Diplomats from foreign countries were in the audience; the ambassador from China was one. A second edition of the drama had been published in 1916, and these books were sold at the entrance of the theater; many spectators sat with the open books in their hands during this performance. It is a long drama in five acts, equal in the number of verses to "Don Carlos" of Sculler and ttCromwell" of Victor Hugo.
When I wrote asking Mrs. Grinevskaya about these dramas she sent me several letters.
I should state that she has written many works along different lines of thought and lectured on many subjects in Russia, and had often spoken in conferences on these two dramas, ttB'b" and t~Bah4'u'11&h." She was a member of the former Philosophic Society of the University, an active member of the former Oriental Society, and is a member of the present Bibliological Society and several literary societies and unions.
She said that before she wrote her poem ~tBTh," the Russian public generally had not heard much about the Bahá'í Movement.
She herself knew about it oniy from reading. The critics thought she had traveled much in 15n, she was so well informed about the life there, but as a matter of fact she had not been in tr~n.
She had heard that some Bahá'í believers from kin had been driven out of their land into Turkey and India, and that some had come to Turkistkn and were residing in the cities of T6shkand, Ishqabad and Mary and in the city of Biku in the Caucasus.
~cSti11 I thought," she says, Ccthese believers in the Bib now called Bahá'ís had mingled with other nations, and perhaps had ceased to exist as a religious entity. The description of Proftssor Edward G. Browne seemed to me a fairy tale. How astonished I was when, after my drama Bab' made its appearance in 1903, I received one day a letter with the following address: ~To the Author of the book reBdb)) Mrs. Isabel Grinevskaya in St. Petersburg.' Neither street nor number of the house was marked, yet thanks to the careful postal authorities, that letter, though unregistered, reached inc safely."
Page 709Both the handwriting and signature proved unknown but she relates: "That letter was from tAli-Akbar Mamedhanly from BAku who wrote that he was a believer in the Báb, that he had read in the point them out? It was like a star falling from heaven at my feet! As if I had found a precious stone where I had not expected to find one.
The book was mailed to him at once and s's~4dNews of BThu about my poem, the account she explained to that Bahá'í that she had of which had interested him greatly and that had to deviate just a little from a few of he would like to get the book. He asked the historical facts for the sake of a dra-that t if he found any mistakes against the matic whole. She added: C7[ wrote for a Teachings of the BTh, could he perhaps public all unprepared to hear moral, religious
Page 710and philosophical ideas from the stage; it was accustomed to lighter plays, not a theme about God, of religion, especially about the conception of a new religion or rather, I would say religion renewed!"
The Bahá'í from B~ku politely replied to Mrs. Grinevskaya's letter as follows: "The impression which I received in reading your drama was such that I could not see any mistakes of any kind, even though I read it many times.
We read it in the Ba1i~'i Assembly (meeting) and the believers send you sincerest thanks.
They feel sure that the literary world will soon unite in a general solemnizing of your creative powers.
She said that he also wrote beautifully about the Bahá'í life in Caucasus, stating among other points: "W~e live here cherishing the tenets for which our grandfathers, fathers and brothers shed their blood maintaining the chief principles: pardon, patience and iove to mankind."
Mrs. Grinevskaya said that these letters were written in Russian and showed that the Bahá'ís were very enlightened in literature and science.
She also added: cdt was such a joy to me to find that there are in the world people so congenial to me in feeling and in vision. I loved with my soui those spiritual people who, just like the people in my drama, were holding those principles of pardon, patience and love to all mankind, holding them not as a dead dogma but as a living truth!"
Now I shall speak of the tragedy-poem ~ Mrs. Grinevskaya wrote me how she received the inspiration to write it. She said: "Among the many letters which I received from unknown people, all writing me about my play, tB~b,' was one from a gentleman who to my astonishment had a profound knowledge not oniy of the Bib but also of Bahá'u'lláh.
Like the Bib, until 1903, Bahá'u'lláh was generally unknown even among the cultured classes, professors sometimes asking me who my hero was. Even one (Czarist) politician had once asked me, ~What is Bahá'u'lláh' Not who, mind you, but what! So I was all the more impressed to hear from my Russian provincial correspondent the name of Bahá'u'lláh. He said in his note: ~I was fasci nated by the poem Báb like a youth though I am not a youth in years.
I have passed two faculties of the university and have in my library all the available works which appear in the literature of the world.'
C(JJ counselled me," Mrs. Grinevsky says, "to compose a tragedy about the life of Bahá'u'lláh.
I myself had thought of it but had been so occupied I had never attempted it; now I determined to undertake this big work.
I always remember with gratitude the memory of this Russian gentleman who was not a Bahá'í but a man of great heart. He passed on before my work was published, and I never met him. His name was Nicolas Zazuline; he, as I knew, was president of the nobility in Kishinef and the author of several philosophical treatises."
She continues: "When my work was finished and notices about it appeared in the press, a number of people who had assisted at the representations of my poem ~B~b,' and had heard my conferences about that poem which I gave many times, asked me to prepare a lecture about my new composition.
The first address about it was given in our summer capital Siestroretzk and afterwards I also lectured in the capital itself at the Society of Oratorical Arts' Hall, in the year 1910."
Mrs. Grinevskaya explained that when her Bahá'í correspondent of B6.ku, Mirza. cAli Akbar Mamedhanly, read in the newspapers that the work was finished (be had known from her that it was being written), he asked to have a copy sent to him. She mailed to him several excerpts from the poem. A few weeks later she was amazed to receive a telegram from him saying: CC CAbdu~1~BaM permits us to visit Him in Egypt."
tAbdu'1-Bah& was at that time making a short stay in Egypt.
She writes in her letter to mc: ttThat had been my secret, my innermost desire, to see with my own eyes those people whom I had described, who, as my correspondent said, Clove all mankind.'
I had thought it absolutely impossible, and yet, unexpectedly, wonderfully, it had come to pass that I could go to see even the greatest of those people!
I started from Russia with my manuscript of the poem tBah~'u'1hh' in December, 1910, my aim being to see the
Page 711surroundings of my dreams, of my fancy, about which my former respectful correspondent and present fellow-traveler in that journey to Egypt had spoken � to see Abdu'l-Bahá" Seven years had passed between the appearance of the drama ccBAb~~ and the concluding of the tragedy cCBhi~~114h~~ fob. lowed by this memorable jburney. Mrs. Grinevskaya spent two weeks in IRamleh, Egypt, as the guest of ~Abdu'1 Baha After she returned to Russia she had several letters or Tablets from Him. In one of these He speaks of an article which He had just received about her poem tcBah67u~116t.~~ From the Tablet (or letter) addressed to Madame Grinevskaya and signed by cAbdu~1~ Bah6.,
I quote: "The article which was published in the Saint Petersburg Journal about thy recent book (Bahá'u'lláh) was in the utmost eloquence and fluency. It was an indication of thy praiseworthy services. The publication of such articles is very useful. They are conducive to the promotion of the divine Gall. Praise be to God that thou art assisted in the service of the world of humanity and art spreading the summons of the Kingdom of God.
Day and night thou must praise God that thou art assisted to perform such a great service.
Rest thou assured that that which is the utmost desire2 of thy heart shall come to pass concerning this matter.
CCThis seed which thou has sowed shall grow.If the means are not available at present, unquestionably they will become realized. I pray in thy behalf that thou mayest become confirmed in the uninterrupted service of the Kingdom of God."
The article which Abdu'l-Bahá mentions in His Tablet had been published in the French newspaper "Journal de Saint-Peters-bourg" January, 1912. The headline was ~ I quote paragraphs from this review: UBahi~~l~11Th means the Glory
2 In a footnote Mrs. Grinevskayaadds that her utmost desire which she had expressed in Rarnleh had been that her poems might be translated into European languages.
The poem "B&b" has been translated into German and French, but the poem "Bahá'u'lláh is still untranslated.
of God � such is the title of the new tragedy with which Mrs. Isabel Grinevskaya has enriched Russian dramatic literature.
We must praise without restriction a work whose high, dramatic significance is combined with admirable form. The author of the drama Bab,' that work of such strong thought, has never attained such a powerful conception as this poem.
"The mind of the reader, attracted by a rhythm of an unspeakably harmonious poetry, rises imperceptibly to summits where the most grave problems are discussed, problems over which thoughtful humanity bends with fear and despair, helpless to solve them. The characters are analyzed with great psychological insight.
ccBahA2u~11~h, the central figure, is depicted with the clearness and power of an antique high-relief.
The complexity of that elect-nature is presented with the authority and truth of the great masters of the classical theater.
What a lofty lesson, what eloquence sursum corda in that life of pure bounty, of selflessness in that wide desire to spread peace!
CCHOW not to be moved, fascinated by the nobility of this Apostolic character?
"As in the cBib~ the events touch the great religious movement which roused the country of Persia in the middle of the last century. The historical part is exact. Mrs. Grinevskaya did not limit herself to the studies of documents, the great quantity of which we can hardly imagine; she knows the country very well. Her knowledge gives to the characters an intensive life and a warm coloring.
"The origin of a faith analyzed with the help of true science is carried forward with great art beginning with the first thought which toves the heart of the Apostle, who loves mankind as He loves His family and His own country.
c~T1~e author gives a vision, a revelation of all that is hidden of moving, precious depths in that supreme struggle.
The liberating pain, the majesty of effort, the active bounty � all these elements of that struggle remain ordinarily unattainable for the crowd which cannot fathom under their austere dogmas, one of the beautiful forms of human unity.
Page 712"The love, the deep necessity which lives in each human heart passes throughout the tragedy as an undercurrent, the fountainhead of which, never drying, remains hidden to the exterior world.
"That beautiful and bold work points a return to the school of majesty and aesthetic morality, the aspiration to the eternal truth, which are the indelible character of permanent works. We foretell for this book a most merited success.
Humanity, be it to its credit, is tired of the histories of the impure which spoil the taste and soil the mind. It cannot but receive with enthusia-asm a work of which the most civilized countries of Europe will be proud."
Mrs. Grinevskaya, returning from Ramleli in January, 1911, gave interviews to the press at Odessa, the Russian port of the Black Sea, and as soon as she reached home she began her book, (CA Journey to the Countries of the Sun," which is an account of her visit to tAbdu'1-Bah~.
This was in � terrupted because in the summer of 1912 she was called to Paris by the French translator of "BTh,"
Madame Halperin. Whenshe came again to Leningrad she immediately began the publication of the drama ttBahi-so that it was not until 1914 that she completed the manuscript of (CA Journey to the Countries of the Sun." It is interesting to note that when she completed it, three Ifrinians, Assad-Ullah Namdor of Moscow, tAli
Akbar Kamalof of Tishkandand an old trdnian Bahá'í friend whom she had met at Port Said, came to call upon her and she read to them many parts from the "Journey," the central figure of which is tAbdu'1-Bahi. This book of 550 pages has not yet been published because at this time the world war commenced; neither has it yet been translated into other languages.
May this great Russian poet, Mrs. Isabel Grinevskaya, who has made such a cultural contribution to literature and to the Bahá'í Movement some day see all her works tans-lated into European languages! The English reading world eagerly awaits them, I know, for many inquiries come from the United States asking where it is possible to get these books in Russian, in French, or in German!
Page 713liiE broad sympathetic outlook, brilliant mentality and executive capacities of Madam W. Wijnaendts Francken-Dyserinck of The Hague, the Netherlands, entitle her to be known as one of Europe's leading figures in the 'Woman's Movement and various national and international affairs.
She is a member of theof 'Women, established in 1888, and for years has lectured, written and freely spent her energies in helping to forward the progressive ideals for which her country is noted.
She is a skilful organizer, and established throughout her native land the Girl Scout Movement, as well as the Soroptornist Club for business women, similar to the men's Rotary Club.
In the summer of 1933, during the Century of Progress Exhibition in Chicago, she represented her country at the International Woman's Congress assembled there, and spoke to vast audiences.
At the request of Shoghi Effendi, the next winter I returned to the Netherlands for the third time and endeavored again to make known Bahá'u'lláh's priceless gifts to mankind.
Soon after my arrival at The Hague, Madam Wijnaendts Francken kindly asked me to dine with her and the evening was largely spent in answering questions as to the history of the Founders of the Cause, its principles, and presentday, worldwide activities under Shoghi Effendi's great administrative power. Her quick, enthusiastic response to the immense scope and peace-bringing cbaracter of the Faith was indeed refreshing, and she asked, ttWhat can I do to help make known this Movement?"
Not long afterwards it was encouraging to learn that she had written an article cx-pressing pressing those aspects of the Cause that had particularly attracted her interest, and sent it to the publishers, Nijgh and Von Ditmar, who later brought it out in one of their illustrated magazines, c~were1dkroniek~~ with photographs of Abdu'l-Bahá together with the Temples at Wilmette and tlshqi-bid, Turkistin. At the request of Mrs. Stuart W. French of California, this article, which is given below, has been translated into English.
Notwithstanding her many public and private engagements, throughout the time I remained at The Hague, Madam Wijnaendts Francken, with thoughtful generosity, helped in many ways to make known a Faith that had been the means of inspiring so exalted an example of heroic sacrifice unto death for the upliftment of womanhood, as that of the famous disciple of the BTh and Bahá'u'lláh, Qurratu'1-tAyn, and she hopes to write for the Dutch people a history of that glorious life.
WHAT Dors BAHÁ'Í MEAN?Shining temples, the symbol of world unity for the coming years. The light from Inn.
Following the adjournment of the International Women's Congress in Chicago, in 1933, many of the foreign and American members were guests at a garden tea-party. In spite of the economic depression of that summer, American hospitality was, I think, practically the same as that I had experienced in 1925 and '26. It is a regrettable fact that our programs of work and entertainment left us little time for ourselves.
When preparations were being made for the conference, while motoring we saw a beautiful building in Wilrnette, a suburb of Chicago.
This structure, situated on the 713shores of the justly famous Lake Michigan, dominates the surrounding scene and many of the European and other guests would have enjoyed prolonging their inspection of the building.
Although our view of it was one of short duration, for days afterward it called forth much comment.
Seen amidst the lighting effects which Americans have been for years so skilful in producing, and in which the Century of Progress exhibition excelled all previous displays, one can picture (with the aid of the accompanying photograph ~ of the temple) the overwhelming impression this brilliantly illuminated, nine-sided temple made during the night. Those flying over it looked down upon the beauty of a nine pointed star shining far below them. The number Nine contains all other numbers and symbolizes unity.
One of the guests knew the name of this temple, Mashriqu'l-Adhkar; another, was sufficiently adquainted with the Bahá'í Movement to know that although the Temple was not yet finished, meetings were held there by the followers of a prophet of lr~n, Bahá'u'lláh, who lived in the previous century.
A third person knew that one of the tenets of their teaching was the absolute equality of the sexes.
This information was, naturally, sufficient to arouse our interest, and it was rather extraordinary that in the beginning of the next winter a follower of Bahá'u'lláh, Miss Louise Drake 'Wright, from Boston, the United States, caine to the Netherlands and that she was willing to grant an interview. 'We were much impressed by her reserve, and the absence of any attempt on her part to impose her own convictions. She was in the Netherlands in accordance with the express wish of the Guardian of the Cause, Shoghi Effendi, who resides in Haifa, Palestine, where his grandfather, CAbdu~1~Bahi had lived.
If the Bahá'í Movementis to awaken more than an intellectual curiosity in the Netherlands, a person like Miss Drake Wright, quiet and reserved in manner, would have to represent it. To call the Bahá'í Movement sectarian is a mistake.
The Temple itself represents ~ See illustrations of the Temple in another section of the book � Editor.
universality and the principles and teachings of its two leading frinian prophets constitute a basis for world unity.
Even as Jesus was preceded by John the Baptist, so Bahá'u'lláh was preceded by one who called himself the BTh, meaning the door.
The unity which the Bahá'ís seek to establish will, when put into operation, lead humanity to world peace.
It is a remarkable fact that sixty years ago Bahá'u'lláh, the prophet of IrAn, wrote to Queen Victoria stressing the necessity of establishing a bond of unity among all peoples.
A copy of this letter is preserved in the British Museum. It was sent from the prison of tAkki in Palestine, where Bahá'u'lláh, with his family, spent many of their forty years' imprisonment. His son tAbdu'I-Bahi was his father's constant attendant until Bahá'u'lláh died in 1892. When, about thirty years later, the son also passed from the world, 10,000 men and women of many races and classes, followed the bier from Haifa, his dwelling place, part way up Mount Carmel where he was interred, near the last resting place of the Báb.
The IrAnian prophet proclaimed the necessity of a world language. At a time when the organized woman's movement had not yet begun to function, he taught that mankind has two wings, one, the man, and the other, the woman. Both wings of a bird must be equally well developed before it can fly. If one wing remains weak flight is impossible.
Not until women are placed on an equal footing with men in respect to opportunities and powers of accomplishment can success and welfare develop unhampered as they should.
One of the outstanding doctrines of Bahá'u'lláh was free sharing of one's possessions with others.
This seems even more important than the equality of the sexes, but he says this cannot be attained by means of any coercive measure.
These teachings also found expression in a letter written by tAbdu'1-Bahi to the Central Organization for Permanent Peace at The Hague. The executive committee, to whom the letter was addressed, had upon its international list two Dutch names, one at the beginning and the other at the end �
Page 715H. C. Dresselhuys, the chairman, and B. de Jong, the secretary.
It is interesting to note that the Báb, who was much ahead of his time, proposed the adoption of a uniform calendar for the whole world. The year was to be divided into 19 months having 19 days each, leaving extra days as holidays, between
February 25th and March2nd. This can be compared to an attempt made later amongst Western peoples who sought to change the calendar for the sake of greater efficiency.
The BTh also proposed new names for the months: Splendor, Glory, Beauty, Grandeur, Light, Mercy, Words, Names, Perfection, Might, Will, Knowledge, Power, Speech, Questions, Honor, Sovereignty, Dominion, Loftiness.
One doubts if such names will ever find acceptance.
It strikes us as a little strange that the Bahá'í reckoning of time begins with the revelation of the Rib, 1844, and we must not forget to relate that six years later he died a martyr's death.
The fact that Bahá'u'lláh proposed the establishment of an International Court of Arbitration is of greater interest to us. And when his son, tAbdu'1-BahA, whom Bahá'u'lláh named as his successor, was lecturing in Paris in 1913, he proclaimed the necessity of a world Tribunal for the guidance of all peoples, which was to consist of members chosen from each land and government. All grievances of an international character were to be submitted to it, and all causes of war were to be settled by arbitration, thus prohibiting war. Upon the eve of the outbreak of the world war in 1914, tAbdu'1-Babi was making powerful efforts to bring about international disarmament.
Page 716DURING our recent brief sojourn in Stockholm, made interesting and valuable through an unexpected and delightful meeting with Miss Martha Root, Bahá'í lecturer and teacher, we were able, with her assistance, to have an interview with one of Sweden's outstanding literary geniuses. Because of certain efforts in behalf of the blind, Miss Root knew that we would have much in common with Mr. and Mrs. Harald Thulander, and accordingly at an appointed hour, these delightful people came to the Grand Hotel in Stockholm to call on us. If we mention here the physical handicaps under which Mr. Thilander is working it is because of his amazing accomplishments and his beautiful spirit that we venture to do so. Totally blind, and seriously crippled in both arms he must also depend upon an apparatus to convey to him the sound of his wife's voice, for it was through the medium of a conversation in Esperanto with Mrs. Thilander that our messages were conveyed to him. Mrs. Thulander herself is nearly sightless, and since she was unacquainted with the English language we found Esperanto our best vehicle, although Mr. Thilander being master of six languages modestly replied to us in English.
Our interview naturally turned upon the subject of the Bahá'í Faith of which Mr. Thilander had first learned through a small booklet which he had received from Miss Root some time before.
So attracted was he to the spirit and principles of the Faith because as he puts it, "It is the religion of life, built upon deeds � not merely words," that he translated the booklet into Esperanto Braille, and sent a copy of it to each of the subscribers to his various magazines and a large quantity to Dr. Echner in Praha.
Besides being an accomplished linguist Mr. Thilander is the owner and editor of a number of periodicals.
An enumeration of these will give an idea of the large amount of work which Mr. Thilander accomplishes. This he does through the aid of a man who reads to him, and an office force consisting of two blind men and one who sees.
One of the Swedish publications has a circulation of nine hundred fifty. Its title translated into English is rcT1~e NVeeldy Review for the Blind." Mr. Thilander chooses and edits all the material which is printed in this weekly.
In this connection he was deeply interested in the fact that Miss Helen Keller had read of the Baha Cause and had received and graciously acknowledged some Bahá'í books in Braille.
His most important publication in Swedish Braille is ctcefrata Rondo," a religious paper which is founded on liberal ideas and expresses the liberal church. This has a subscription list of five hundred sixty-five. A quarterly Esperanto magazine is called "Lumo Sur Lavojo."
The t~Esperanto Ligilo"Then there is the ttRadio Journal," a Swedish weekly for the blind. The "Northland Musical Gazette," printed in Norwegian, Swedish and Danish has a monthly cir � culation of one hundred fifty. Mr. Thilander also publishes three foreign magazines, one Spanish, one Irish and one Bulgarian.
Besides the above and !CL~~ which appears semiannually, there is a Magazine" published in Swedish Braille in 716
Page 717MR. HARALD THILANDER AND HIS PUBLICATIONS 717
which Mrs. Thulander also assists. This has a monthly circulation of three hundred and fifty copies.
The accompanying photograph can give but a meagre impression of these two re give to his readers, and it was then that our modest efforts in Braille transcription seemed to receive the divine confirmation, and how joyously we promised that the new National Bahá'í
Committee for BrailleTranscription would send him as soon as possible some Mr. and Mrs. Thilander.
markable people, the charm products of their devoted of their sincere interest labors for the spread and the light in their of the Bahá'í Message � the faces which is expressive Message of the New Day.
of that great inner Light We told him, too, that this which they so beautifully interview would be printed reflect. in our ccBah~ii Magazine," and with a radiant smile he At the ciose of this impressivereplied: "Don't say anything interview Mr. Thilander about me, the person means asked if he might hope nothing, it is only the work to have something more which matters."
on the Bahá'í Faith towhich embody the sacred utterances of Bahá'u'lláh translated from the 1r6.nian we find these words, "Be ye as great trees bearing broad leaves and fragrant fruits," which is a thought peculiarly appropriate to the subject under discussion. For ours is an age of spiritual springtide in which we see the miracle of many lands, being simultaneously reborn before our eyes.
Through evolution and revolution, the whole earth is emerging from age-old inertias, from prejudices, and from fettering traditions into a verdant and vigorous growth of expanded life, quickened mentality, and new outlooks that may well be compared to the annual miracle of spring.
Perhaps some of us take these wonders of life too much for granted, and because we live in the midst of them, we lose the sense of their joy and wonder; others, subject them only to the critical analysis of scientific phenomena, but to world-travelers it is sometimes granted to pass beyond both these stages of perception and to become active partakers, as well as eyewitnesses, of those silent mysteries of growth and fevers of spiritual unrest that always precede the rebirth of lands and peoples.
Palestine, more intimately known as the Holy Land, is approximately only two hundred miles long by one hundred and fifty wide.
It has taken, and is still playing, one of the most powerful and dramatic rOles in the great pageant of world reconstruction. Within its small area it is subject to many climatic extremes which have had their influence on its historic developments and peoples.
Bounded on the west by the Mediterranean, on the east by the desert of Transjordania, and stretching from the cool heights of Lebanon, 1200 feet above sea-level, to the Dead Sea, 1400 feet below sea � level its seasons are divided between six months of dry heat and desert winds, and six months of moderate rain and sunshine producing line fruits and a senhi-tropical vegetation.
The tremendous drama of the struggle between the Kings of Israel and the Prophets of God seems to have impregnated this small portion of earth with a deathless spiritual magnetism that at intervals focuses its power, and acts definitely and dramatically as a lever for the uplift of humanity.
rollowing the early struggles of Israel, the Crusades continued the inspiring traditions of the Holy Land, and then the Turks held it in thrall, for seven hundred years, till in the World War General Lord Allenby made his historic entry into Jerusalem on foot, and Palestine became a British Mandate.
Such, briefly, is the background against which the modern miracles of this land are fulfilling the Bible prophecy that ccCarmel and Sharon shall see the Glory of the Lord." In the year 1868 Bahá'u'lláh with His family and a small band of disciples were imprisoned for supposed sedition in the worst criminal prison of Palestine in tAkki which some chronicles call the (Coldest city on earth." Here he dwelt in close confinement with all its attendant hardships for several years, and then at the request of the governor of the city, He was granted a house at Baha some miles distant, where, though still under restrictions, He was allowed to pass the remainder of His life, receiving the pilgrims that visited from all lands, and writing those books of law and wisdom that are the basis of the New World Order, that it was His divine mission to 719
Page 720proclaim! These principles of unity are painfully but surely becoming operative throughout the world, and Bahá'í literature has already been translated into thirty different tongues.
Bahá'u'lláh ascended in November, 1892, leaving the promulgation of his work to His son tAbdu'1-BaM, and so the first of the modern miracles of Palestine was achieved, and the breeze of spiritual freedom began to rise, unobserved, save by the few. Among this minority, however, were certain Turkish officials, who communicated to their government that Abdu'l-Bahá was employing his comparative freedom and newly acquired leadership and leisure in the construction of an imposing building on Mount Carmel, which they inferred was destined to become a fort for operations against Turkey.
In reality, this historic edifice, already prophesied in Scripture, and whose location and plan had been selected by Bahá'u'lláh, was to be a shrine for the mortal remains of the BTh. Turkish intrigue, however, refused to interpret its erection otherwise than in terms of its own suspicions, and so tAbdu'1-Bahi was once more placed under strict confinement till again, as by a miracle, he was freed in 1908, by the coup d'&at of the young Turk's revolution!
At the moment CAbdu~1~Bahi actually lay under sentence of death by tAbdu'1-Hamid, but had been secretly offered the means of escape by an Italian ship that lay in the harbor of tAkk~. He refused � saying that the B&b and Bahá'u'lláh had never turned their backs on danger nor would He.
Under these unique and historic circumstances CAbdu~1~Ba1~4 inaugurated His personal mission of teaching, and the third phase in the unfolding of the Bahá'í Revelation began.
It is important to note in this connection that in Turkey, where women had been most fettered, they now come ciose to leading the world in the rightful enjoyment of their freedom and privileges.
Another significant fact is that the Turkish Revolution was the first of those rapidly succeeding upheavals, spiritual and economic that have since disrupted nearly every inhabited portion of the earth.
Palestine is still among these smouldering spiritual volcanos for within its restricted area Jews, Arabs and the British are trying to soive the problems of racial amity and economic understandings.
Simultaneously with the conflagrations that are burning away outworn prejudices, other constructive forces have been building new foundations in Palestine, and the statistics of these are bewildering in their magnitude.
When He was charged with sedition, Bahá'u'lláh replied, CCW desire but the good of the world and the happiness of the nations, that all nations should become one in faith, and that diversity of religion should cease and differences of race be annulled Of all the lands that are inevitably advancing to the fulfillment of this hope, Palestine is one of the most spectacular in its promise and achievements, emerging as it has done in such a short space of time from a primitive and pastoral community into an arena for some of the greatest engineering and cultural feats of our day.
Before the 'World NVar(1914) Palestine had few railways or even motor roads; in fact in 1912, only two motors were registered and communication was largely dependant on caravan trails. Now, thousands of motor cars are registered, and up to date railways and airways abound.
The shining sea of Galilee surrounded by its golden sandstone cliffs, is an air and water port for giant planes that, flying at the rate of 120 miles an hour, make this point their halt between Europe and Asia, after achieving the flight between England and Palestine in three days.
Till 1933, Haifa, situated on the historic Bay of tAkk~ had only a port of natural beauty, and ocean liners were obliged to dock some miles out.
On October 31, 1933, the British government threw open a port which has cost over a million pounds, a fact that marks a milestone in Haifa's history, giving the town a new international and industrial importance, and making it a link between the near and far East that has extensive implications for economic developments.
One of the most important of these is that Haifa has become the terminal of the
Page 721THE MODERN MIRACLES OF PALESTINE 721
giant pipeline which conducts oil for six hundred twenty-seven miles across the desert, from Mosul in tlrAq to be tapped at this point into barrels and distributed around the world! In its long wanderings, this oil pipe follows for a while the course of the Tigris and Euphrates, whose valley legend connects with the Garden of Paradise, and it also passes over the cavern where Saul is supposed to have consulted the Witch of Endor. The obstacles overcome in the difficult achievement of its construction present a fairy tale of science, and one of the greatest engineering feats of this, or of any age!
Before the war the Dead Sea was still the Dead Sea, but now owing to the enterprise of Scottish scientists and engineers this vast sheet of water, five times as salty as any ocean, and lying 1400 feet below sea level, has been made to produce potash and bromine, the latter product being used extensively in chemical products and dyestuffs.
Cooperatively with this industrial activity, picturesque building operations have materialized so that the Dead Sea whose borders were once the lone retreat of hawk and heron, is now a smiling summer resort for the city dwellers of Palestine, and its blue waters are whitened by the foam of speedboats.
Domestic architecture of a new and interesting character is nnnifesting in both pub � 1k and private buildings, notably in the model Jewish colony of Tel-Aviv situated a few miles from Haifa.
Here the Zionist Movementhas shown itself well worthy of the 285,000 ars of land which it has acquired for socialization, and the Jew has proved himself capable of being as good a farmer as he is a business man.
The fine international university, built on the Mount of Olives outside Jerusalem, also carries on the tradition of Hebrew learning in an expanded spirit. From these three outstanding projects accomplished within seventeen years � I refer to the development of the Dead Sea, the construction of the Port Haifa and the laying of the oil-pipe � we can see that even materially Palestine is a land of modern miracles. Statistics show that her main towns have doubled their population in ten years, and that street lighting has become prevalent, owing to the electrical development engineered from the Jordan by the enterprise of a brilliant Russian
Jew.America and England have also contributed new and notable buildings to the glory of Jerusalem, the former has erected a palatial Y.M.C.A. and museum buildings, the latter a new government house, and the handsome St. David's Hotel.
But in conclusion let us drift back to Haifa, which in reality holds the key to all these bewildering activities, for here the creative and holy dust of prophet and martyr mingle, and are enshrined in a ver-data and spellbinding beauty that chal � lenges the world! Half way up on Mount Carmel there is unfolded another miracle, a nine-terraced garden which in a few years has been landscaped from the rocky hillside into a modern Eden, where one is led through avenues of palm and cypress, and through flowering progressions of almond, fig and pomegranate blooms, through reefs of roses, stocks, and hyacinths, to the silence of a golden sandstone shrine. Simple, strong and majestic in outline this building has two beautiful vaulted chambers. In one of these reposes the remains of the Bib, he who in 1844 prophesied the coming of the new World Redeemer,
Bahá'u'lláh, (18631892)and in the other rests cAbd~1BhA the son of Bahá'u'lláh, who traveled and expounded His Father's teachings throughout Europe, America and Palestine in a mission that lasted from 1892 to 1921 when He ascended, conferring the furtherance of his work to His grandson, Shoghi Effendi, and to the body of Bahá'í believers throughout the world.
Among the countless services which tAbdu'1-Bah6t inspiration rendered to a disillusioned world, the plan for this beautiful garden was one of the most merciful and healing. Ships from all lands discharge their travelers at Haifa, and they stream through these shrine gardens.
It is not to be wondered at that this oasis of love and beauty inspires inquiry, and a very serious consideration of the great lives that it commemorates, lives that looked so far into the future and that built such a
Page 722symbol of resurrection and joy into the of all creeds and colors in the spirit of the present. new day, and it distinguishes Palestine with This garden is the spiritual port of Haifa. a beacon whose searchlights point to ex-Built t by the love of Bahá'í believers panded horizons from which flooding radi-throughout t the world, it welcomes believers ance is dawning on our ken!
Page 723Tentative design of the Terraced raced Gardens surrounding the Shrine of the Bib.
723Early and Late Views of the Shrine of the BTh on Mount Carmel.
724YVLL radio some day be the means of transmitting the Bahá'í message to millions of listeners at a time? 'Will it be a new and vaster teaching medium through which the principles of Bahá'u'lláh will infuse the world?
I believe it will.Educator has brought not oniy the Book but the means of promulgating it. If the Bahá'í teachings are for all peoples they must reach all peoples and there is no other medium today whereby human thought can be so easily molded as through radio. Even the printed word must suffer in comparison for it Lacks the intimacy and conviction of the voice, and wide though the circulation of some particular publication may be it cannot possibly reach so many persons in a given time.
Surely such a powerful instrument for the influencing of humanity could not be destined to serve solely as a means of selling produce or of purveying entertainment. The discerning must recognize in radio a divine instrument designed for a divine purpose, obscure though that purpose may be at this time.
Through the enormous success achieved by manufacturers through this method of advertising, radio has naturally given more and more time to commercial broadcasts, necessarily cutting down on the purely educational programs that were more frequent during the early days of radio history. Sponsors have in turn sought only to entertain their listeners, feeling that this was the surest way of getting an audience for their commercial story. The result has been that radio has seemed stopped at this point, the oniy apparent progress being the production of more lavish entertainment.
But the fall of 1935 brought a program that opened up a new vision and will, I believe, lieve, influence the entire future of radio broadcasting.
By the grace of Bahá'u'lláh I was privileged to be one of those responsible for this program. From a germ of an idea that came across my desk at the
Columbia BroadcastingCompany the conception of a program dedicated to World Peace came into being, grew and was developed.
After securing the cooperation of World Peace-ways, a nonprofit, nonpolitical organiza-don for peace education which has been doing a splendid work for this cause, we selected the sponsor we felt should be most interested, although everyone told us that no advertiser would invest in an ideal, and went to work to sell our idea.
That E. R. Squibb & Sons, manufacturing chemists, and their advertising agency, Geyer-Cornell & Newell, immediately saw the timeliness of this program and the tremendous possibilities of capturing the atten-don of the American public on an issue that was of paramount importance, was a matter of keen business judgment. But that they should be willing to risk the large sums involved in broadcasting in a program which by its very nature would forbid any direct selling of merchandise and the sales results of which would depend entirely upon the good will the program might promote was a decision that took rare courage and sincere devotion to the cause they sought to promote.
The results have more than justified that decision.
CCTO Arms! For Peace!"at this writing in its eighth week over a coast to coast Columbia network, has received sensational acclaim and has started an entirely new trend in radio programs.
Let me quote a few of the press comments as an example of what the nation's radio critics have had to say:
The Women's National Radioreports: "By unanimous opinion this is the best radio program which has ever been staged and it would exhaust all our adjectives to do justice to it." CCThis peace program is one of the most forward advances in constructive education by radio that has come across the air."
~tTo radio this striking union of business and humanitarian effort may be more important than whether World Peaceways can keep America out of the threatened European conflict."
"Radio could not be put to a worthier purpose.If you missed the first broadcast don't miss the next. If you heard the first program you won't miss the next."
ttA most effective show The sponsor is to be congratulated and thanked for the splendid reticence that keeps all commercial talk away from the precious halfhour of time available."
In addition hundreds of papers throughout the country have given the program editorial space and have written columns about it. The halfhour itself is designed to appeal as high-grade entertainment; at the same time forcefully putting across its message. Against a background of a large symphony orchestra and chorus we present each week a guest star from the operatic and concert stages, such as Lucrezia Bori,
Jascha Heifetz, Richardand many others. Each week there is a guest speaker.
These have been national figures, Senator William A. Baha, General Hugh S. Johnson, Ruth Bryan
Owen, Professor RobertA. Millikan, Senator Gerald P. Nyc, Alfred E. Smith among others.
Here, on what is termed the CcForum~~ these prominent persons present his or her view on peace, commenting on what steps we should take towards this goal or what mistakes we are making.
Many interesting and varied opinions have been expressed exposing all sides of the question for the benefit of enlightened public opinion.
In each program there is also a short dramatic sketch, either an original written for the program by the world's leading authors, or an adaptation of some famous play or book dealing with the war question.
These sketches are our main plea for peace as they present in dramatic form and from the human angle the horrors, the futility and the suffering of war. Some depict the agonies of the actual battle front, others the tragedy of those left at home, still others showing the cruelties, the selfishness and greed that go into the making of war. We have chosen stories of many nations, of French soldiers, German, Austrian, American, English, so that listeners may realize that mankind is one, living and dying in the same way, and that ffidividuals, be they friend or enemy, are all mere pawns in the hands of those who make wars.
In our music, too, we have tried to cultivate the international heart, showing music as a common language which all people can understand, of whatever race, creed or nationality they may be and pointing out that if in music we can find a basis of understanding, why not in life?
These are the educational factors of the program and the entertainment values. In addition there is a practical feature which, we hope, may prove of real influence in forcing America to exert even greater efforts to maintain the peace of the world.
In over forty thousand drugstores throughout the United States the firm of E. R. Squibb & Sons has placed a pledge known as the CCWorld Peaceways" pledge. Listeners are asked to sign this statement of their adherence to the cause of peace. The pledge is addressed to the President and the Congress of the United States and reads: "I pledge my wholehearted adherence to the cause of peace, in the firm belief that an end may be put, by honorabk means, to the destruction of life by the merciless machinery of war."
Up to date oniy a small proportion of the drugstores have returned signed slips. From oniy four thousand drugstores we have received over a hundred and fifty thousand pledges.
If the rest are proportionate it means that in less than eight weeks nearly two and a half million persons have signed these pledges.
We hope to build this total to many millions.A NEW FUTURE FOR RADIO 727
bound in books of a thousand each and when the returns are complete the total will be sent to the President just as they are without plea of any sort, for we firmly believe that they will be eloquent evidence that this nation demands peace, and we feel that such a voice of enlightened public opinion cannot fail to be a powerful influence in directing American policy.
I hope and pray that this program may lead other advertisers to devote their resources to humanitarian and educational efforts and already thought is turning along this trail we have blazed. I await now the day when our beloved Cause of Bahá'u'lláh may be proclaimed along the airways and reach the heart of every searching soui through this great gift of God � radio.
Báb's of Port Said Celebrating Intercalary Days, 1934.
Page 728Hail to Thee, Scion of Glory, whose utterance poureth abroad The joy of the heavenly knowledge and the light of the greatest of Days Poet of mysteries, chanting in rapture the beauty of Cod, Unto thee be thanksgiving and praise!
Child of the darkness that wandered in gloom but dreamed of the light, Lo, I have seen Thy splendor ablaze in the heavens afar Showering gladness and glory, and shattering the shadows of night And seen no other star!
Thy words are to me as fragrances borne from the gardens of heaven, Beams of a lamp that is hid in the height of a holier world, Arrows of fire that pierce and destroy with the might of the levin Into our midnight hurled!
Sword of the Father! none other can rend the dark veil from my eyes, None other can beat from my limbs with the shearing blade of God's might The sins I am fettered withal and give me the power to se And come forth to the fijiness of light.
Lo! Thou hast breathed on my sorrow the sweetness of faith and of hope, Thou East chanted high paeans of joy that my heart's echoes ever repeat And the path to the knowledge of God begins to glimmer and ope Before my faltering feet.
Weak and unworthy my praise.Yet as from its throbbing throat Some lone bird pours its song to the flaming infinite sky, So unto Thee in the zenith I lift from a depth remote This broken human cry.
� GEORGE TOWNSHFND.of the Universe Whence sprang adown the ages glorious orbs To illume the abysmal darkness of mankind And manifest on earth the self of God � '~'hat hast Thou now bestowed to clear the mists That still o'erhang the consciousness of soul And hide from it the vision of the Infinite?
Out of the East, as ever, comes the dawn Of a new day. Again the wondrous light Shines from the horizon of Thy boundlessness, Only this day in such effulgent power As ne'er before. There leaps into the sky A sun which to the eyes of groping men Reveals a vista to that perfect day, Nor yet a distant day, when all the earth Bathed in Its beauty shall be purified And all Thy creatures realize their oneness With all their kind and
Thee.For by Thy potent Word, from God the Infinite, The seals have fallen from the hidden mysteries And man stands face to face with Truth and God.
� H. H. ROMER.Forerunner of amazing things, Of things but shadowed by our puppet-Kings!
How could'st Thou know the King of Kings was near?
Thou had'st nor seen nor beard And yet did'st see and hear?
It was not in ambition's cause thou gayest Thy body; Not glory called Thy spirit to be brave.
Was it for pleasure's use That Thou did'st welcome venom and abuse?
Could aught of happiness remain In days passed in persecution and in pain?
What goal of gain was that which beckoned To the martyr's grave?
Ah no! � such music played upon thy mystic lyre As iinsensed thee to wind, to earthquake and to fire.
How low Olympus must have seemed,How vain the utmost man attains Which man's ambition mars?
What wonders, therefore, met Thine eyes In the envisioned countenance
Of Him who ReignsHow gladly did'st Thou then proclaim Him With full sacrifice!
� CHARLES STEELE DAVIDSON.0 Thou pure flame of evanescent light, That radiant glows beyond the mystic Gate, We lift our souls, sad with the darkened night
Page 729729 Of earth's "supreme affliction's" heavy weight, To Thee, in grateful and adoring love, Thou Blessed Inspiration, from above.
0 Thou who lived the sacrificial life, Pen as did Those, who lit the torch of Dawn.
Thou Star of Glory! Shiningthrough the strife; Left burning in His Sky, when They were gone. To Thee, we breathe our reverential prayer; To Thee, in Abbas realm, so glorious fair.
o Thou, bright golden Link, that joins our time To Those who knew the weight of prison chains, Who knew the depths of woe, � yet rose, sublime, To know the joy of martyrdom's red stains.
Thou golden Link, � e'er hold us with thy love, Linked fast to those great souls, who paved the way That we might pass, rejoicingly, to prove Our love, iii chains of service, in this Day.
This Day of Life, renewed, � the glad rebirth. This Day of God, resplendent, o'er the earth.
Thou blessed Candle, radiant with His Light, Whose precious life was given, � drop by drop, � To feed the flame of Guidance, through the Night Of dark dissension, � when we blindly grope To know His Will, � His gracious Plan Divine, � And in our hearts its Purpose to enshrine.
Thou Greatest Holy Leaf, upon the Tree Of Life; once more reborn from Ancient Root, In this millennial Day.
It is through Thee The Spirit speaks, � as sunlight is the lute Which lures the leaves to lift their verdure high, And breathe from out the heaven's blue.
Eachbough Dotli aid to build the form, and testify To the incarnate Purpose of
God's Vow.Maidservants of His Will, whate'er it be, 0 may we serve as leaves upon His Tree; To bring into the form, the spirit free.
Thou Greatest Holy Leaf, we bow to Thee.(Unseen, these Twain, the heavenly Guide and he Who followed where the Master led with feet Awing with love and heart with ecstasy, Passed through the mob � filled market and the street Which echoed bate, yet was with joy replete.
The frenzied crowd rushed madly, crying � 'Kill!"Still others, tradesmen, formed in arm~d bands, Demanded of the magistrates their prey, Who, with the priests, delivered to their hands Those blessed ones who, unresisting, pay Their lives as proof of what their lips may say.)
Man Speaks:What courage this! How can these helpless ones Approach their tortures with such light � shod feet?
It is as if each joyful heart outruns His executioner his doom to greet!
Abdu'l-Bahá:My son, thou scest more than courage � far, Far more! These walk above this sordid world
In God's Great Name! Uponthe glorious star Of Revelation is their vision fixed, The standards of all worldly measures furled.
These are not with the world's deceptions mixed; From out that matrix are they now reborn Into the World of Light.
Its coverings torn Through love for Him Who hath unveiled the Pace Of God. They drink the Cup of Certitude, Th' Immortal draught of Faith, and every trace Of that dark, cramped and narrow mortal tomb Which dead call life, but which they know the womb Of Life, they have forgot.
Their gaze is turned Towardsof Love is burned All thought save Him. For Him they have renounced Their substance and their kindred � yea, their lives And all beliefs of old.
They have announced Through all the worlds: ~There is no God save Him!"
So overwhelming is their love for God; So raptured they with heavenly ecstasy, That all in this dark world has ceased to be.
He Chants:to die for Me A martyr's death. Content and thankful be For that which I ordain, that thou mnayest dwell
Forever 'neath the Tent"Is it thy wish, 0 son of man, to die As other men upon thy bed, Or thy lifeblood with joy to shed A martyr in My Path; and thus to stand Eternally a proof of My
Command?O servant! Judge thou in thy heart aright That thou mayest shine with My eternal Light!"
(It ceased � that Voice which echoed choirs unseen.
A moment gazed He where the mob had been, Now rushing madly towards a distant flame Which marked the spot new horrors to proclaim.) eAbdu~lnahd: Come, My dear son, I'll show thee whence the
LightThis is the Dawning: cycles yet unborn Shall bless the Day of which this is the Morn!
Man Speaks:'What dreadful place is this! These steps that wind And wind into the pit?
Mine eyes are blind So dense the darkness is, and 'neath my feet Such filth � the cold and dripping wall � no man Could be so base � his fellowman so treat � As to confine him in such dungeon foul!
(With steady tread and with majestic mien The Master led the Seeker down the stair.
It was as if He went to meet His King Enthroned in palace: crowned, though fettered there.)
CAbdu~IBahd:Men call this SiyTh � ~iPI � that is to say The Pit � Here bath the ~4~h imprisoned Him Whom Cod did manifest,
Bahá'u'lláh.For nigh four months He hath forborne such trials as no mortal bath Before in a]l the world.
Tortured He was: With cruel rods they beat His blessed feet.
Page 730Three days He walked beneath a blazing sun, From Shimir4n unto this Capital, 'Neath galling chains: the sport and victim of The crowds of enemies who flocked from far To jeer and vilify this
Blessed One.As He approached this dungeon an old crone, Decrepit, cursing, thrust her through the crowd, A heavy stone clutched in her trembling hand.
Thy him who died on plain of Karbil&," She cried, '~I beg of thee to let me cast This stone into His curs~d face!"
"So let It be," the Blessed Beauty spake, "Do not Deprive this soul of that which she esteems An act of merit in the sight of God."
(They now had gone full sixty feet below The light of day. The foulness and the stench O'erwhelmed the Seeker, but the Master held His way serene, as entering a room Perfumed, and filled with joyous melody.
All suddenly He stopped and fell upon His knees, while on their ears there came such tones Of Love and Majesty that time stood still.)
Bahá'u'lláh, Chanting:To Him be Glory Who doth quicken men By merely saying "Be!" and lo, it is!
To Him be Glory Who doth by His Pen Cause Verses to descend on knowing hearts!
Blest is My God Who on this Servant bath Caused to descend Words guiding to His Path!
Blest is My God Who such calamity flath sent upon this Servant that the hearts Of those within eternal Gates were rent With anguish, and those near to God with pain.
Blest is My God Who from the clouds of fate Hath rained the arrows of disasters great, And yet bath found this
Servant of His ThroneDecree appears � For which I thank Him � detestation's spears!
To Him be praise Who on this Servant hath Caused to descend the torrents of men's wrath!
For which I praise Him � yea, for this I yearn!For sacrifice supreme was I create, 'Wherefore I glory over worlds and fate!
(Spoken)When at the summit of calamity I raised My eyes and, Lo! there shone A Light from God, and in that Light a form � An angel of surpassing loveliness.
Upon her face such happiness was writ � Such exultation on her brow � that all My being was in tumult, and such joy Possessed Me that the dungeon was forgot.
Then, with her finger pointed at My head, She called to all in heaven and earth and said: swear by God the world's Beloved One Is here, if men but understand. The Sun Supreme shines in His mirroring heart.
Lo, this Is God's own Beauty incarnate again!This is God's mystery, His treasure and His Glory and the Source of His Command!"
� HOWARD COLBY 'yES.Wenn fern in h6chsten, reinsten Himmelsorten aus Lieb und LiSt em Seelenkeim entstand, dann gab jim der Allmdchtige mit den
WortenSo gleitet die Seele aus herrlichen Hbhen hernieder turn Leben im irdischen Schoss und vereint sich dem Fleisch, das in Wehen sich windet, und eratmet sich jauchzcnd Priigung und Los.
Dann aber spannt sich aufw~rts die Spirale. Noch saugt sie glijubig von der Mutter Brust die guten wie die blutverdorbenen Male und glaubt ihr treuverwandt und unbewust.
Durch der Kiudheit Gefilde huft sie dahin, ihrer himmlischen Heimat kauni mehr gewahr. Mit froher Begierde ergreift sic das Leben und baut sich die Binge Jahre urn
Jahr.Bald hat sich so gewaltig angesammelt an jJugendkraft cm kernig Lebensstiick. tJnd, was das Herze auch verworren stammelt � die Seek glaubt an sich und an ihr Gijick.
Und sehnt sich unendlich hinein in das Dunkel verheissender Zukunft, und findet nicht Ruh. Da erlebt sie die Andere, die Schwesterseele, die Traute, die Eine, das herrijehe flu.
So hMt die Macht der Liebe sic urnschlungen. Sie schliirft der Wonne siisses Elixir und fiihlt vom Andern sich so tief durchdrungen und glaubt ibm, gleich wie einem Stuck von ihr.
Da packt sie die Welt, cm lockender Garten, in pr~chtigen Farben em funkeind Gewand. Und sie treibt sich herum zwischen
Lachen und TrThen, Zagenund Hoffen, Perlen und Tand, his sich die Schuld an ihre Schwelle kauert, bis ibr das Leid durch schwere Tr~ume zieht. Da fiihlt sic, wie kein Ding zu lange dauert, und wie doch alles � ach! � so rasch -verfliebt.
So ersreht ihr der Glaube an den Einen, den Starken,
Page 731den nimmerverg~ng1ichen Vater der 'Welt. Und sie liebt wie cm Kind ihn und sehnt sich ihm nTher und will nur noch leben, wie ihm es gefkllt.
Sic sucht, wo sic den Gott im Glauberi fasse, durchschweift die praclitigen Reiche der Natur, der Kiinste Tempel md des Wissens Masse, und fiihlt dort iiberall der Heimat Spur.
Doch am helisten erstrahlet die Sonne der Wahrheit im volikominensten Spiegel, im
Propheten aus Gott:In seinem Geist, im erhabenen Beispiel, irn belebenden Worte, in Zucht und Gebot.
Wie sie auf diesem Pfade mutig schreitet, lernt sic mit eigenen Augen kiarer schaucn. Durch rcchte Tat wird Him und
Herz geweitet, VernunftSo schwingt sich die Seele dern heiligen Ruf des Schbpfers entgegen, der einsr sie ersehuf. Durch Glaube begnadet zu ewigem Gijick, findet sie wieder zum Vater zuriick.
� ADELBERT MPHLSCHLEGEL.Freshness and fragrance and joy everywhere, After the rose-gold of Life's passing day.
Out from soui windows in rapture she views Glistening dew drops of Assurance and Faith, Foretelling endless realms of Unfoldment; Round her are fairest fields of Fulfillment; Plane beyond plane are swirls of Attainment;
Luminous Life, RewardFellowship with the Blessed Perfection In the pure
Kingdom of El Abh4!A son of separation had traveled to a far off country and, Satiated with the non � satisfying fruits of desire, Longed with an ever-increasing longing for the home of his Beloved.
~Where can I find my heart's desire? Where, oh where, is the land of my Beloved?"
So loving, seeking and longing, on the wings of vision he traveled Through many kingdoms and spheres, seeking; Perchance he might find Him who alone could allay the hunger of his soul.
He traveled through many lands; In every niche, corner and place the traveler found signs of his Beloved
One;Stately fanes, gleaming shrines in a1~baster purity, Flowers of beauteous hues with delectable fragrance, All redolent of the Traceless
Friend.In embroidered fabrics of many hues � in ornate design and symbols old � 1 � us traces were present on every hand. But still his longing remained unallayed and, weary of search, He sat down and wept.
The longing unassuaged, again impelled to the search of the Friend, Again he went forth and on the wings of hearing he traveled.
"Perhaps through the kingdom of hearing I may find Him I love � Perchance I may hear the melodies of His voice that will allay the longing of my heart." He traveled long and far.
In rolling chant and music of many lands, faint echoes of His Beloved's voice he discerned; But instead of soothing it increased the hunger that made his life a fretful dream.
His nights were full of unrest, his days but lonely despair.
His longing but grew stronger and more intense; He sought again in churches and temples fair.
Perchance in stately chant and ancient word the voice of his Beloved may be heard.
He listened and from a far off land came words That through the circumambient air soothed and calmed his love torn soui "My son, give me thy heart."
~Come unto me ye who art weary and heavy laden with care."
Love me that I may love thee." � And soothed and comforted he slept content.
Again he hungered for the Friend and his heart's desire; Nothing but attainment could allay his inward fire. Not by vision of mortal eye nor by sounds on fleshly ear, Can I find my home and my Beloved."
Again the lover pondered, ~Not by vision, Not by hearing can I find my quest."
Again he set forth, this time on the wings of Love, That ineffable Love that penetrates all space, Overcomes all barriers, passes through all veils.
Behold as this lover swept through the halls of limitless space, The Beloved of his heart from the unattainable heights of glory Met and enveloped him with the glorious garment of His Beauteous Robe � The goal was won, his hunger forever appeased, his eternal home attained, The journey ended and the eternal reunion, that nothing can sever, was made.
~'Now what shall be the measure of his devotion?" No longer perturbed by grievous longing and desire, This disciple hastens forth with shining eyes, an undaunted courage, an undying faith.
No longer futile in word and act by his human frailty, But armed with the sword of truth, robed in the garments of devotion,
Page 732Crowned with the crown of severance, filled with the Holy Spirit, Encircled by the glory of the divine Presence, With the tongue of power and lowliness of Jesus, And perfect worldly detachment and severance; A witness on earth to the Glory of the Most High, He sets forth to complete his earthly pilgrimage, To win the victory with the power of the Spirit over the hearts of men, To be a shining star in the darkness of mortal life, A tree to guide the wanderers of the desert to their heavenly home.
Is it not told in an Eastern parable how the lover longed for his Beloved; How he made a long and arduous journey to the home of his
Beloved;Flow when the lover arrived at the door that separated him from his heart's desire He knocked once, twice, and once again.
Behind this door that stood between the lover and his heart's desire, He heard the Beloved's voice saying in gentle tones, ~'Who is there? Who is there?"
The lover replied in faltering tones, "It is I," But no answer came, the door remained closed.
Sorrowing, with many tears, the lover returned to earthly life.
But longing was not appeased, and torn with hope and despair Again he assayed this journey to the home of his Beloved.
Again he knocked with trembling hand, one, twice, and once again, Once again was hear the gentle voice, "Who is there? Who is there?"
This time the lover, with sobbing voice, "It is not I, but Thou!"
As the lover waited at the threshold of this door That hides the Traceless Beloved from mortal eye, � behold � it opened, Radiant light streamed forth, and, enveloping the lover, reunited him forever '~'ith the Eternal
Beloved.Schijes' auf die Tiir zum Herzen dein Und lass das LiSt nur you hinein.
Dann schwindet Sorg'und iib'le Lust, Es wird dir ganz und gar bewusst.
Von Got allein der belle Schein Er ftihrt die Menschen wieder heim.
� PAUL K6HILER.When The Word moved from the Primal Will Branches appeared.
Each Branch a mighty"Thus have the signs descended And the matter been decreed."
For the sincere ones,For the deniers among His creatures And the impious, "it is a Ball of Fire!"
0 misery of men! No Messenger has come to you, But He has been denied, reviled and execrated, As no pen dare describe.
That sinless Essenceof Humility, Who wears the precious Diadem of God's Command, And brings the priceless Book, To which the hosts of heaven certify.
Through Him man's knowledge came � of God; The vision of obedience and love.
He did adorn with Faith the consciousness of man, Enkindle reverence and true submission.
But wily those endowed with hearing And with "the iron sight" May comprehend the Fragrance of that
Presence.� W. B. Guy. The haughty seek a sign, a proof!
"What!" cry unbelievers, "Shall we our gods abandon for a distratight poet?"
And grea WEJHNACHTS-LIEDo heilige Nacht du nahest uns und bringst uns deine Lieder.
Gar oft scion war im Weltenrund, wie heute diese Feierstvind.
o heilige Nacht du bringest uns auf's neu das Licht nun wieder.
o Mensehenkinder hiiret all' was diese Nacht ge-schehen.
Der Himmel kehrt beim Menschen em, damit wir sollen seelig sein o Menschenkinder denkt daran, was diese Nacht geschehen.
Es ist gar gross das Wunderwerk, dass da vor sich gegangen.
In's kicinste flerzensk~immer1ein hellen Liclite ~n. da dringt's mit Es ist gar gross das Wunderwerk, dass wir auch her noch schauen.
o the pity that man should deprive himself Of this eternal draught, And on his tongue the mention of the Name of
GodIts glory and its potency Obscured by superstition, arrogance and greed, Till unbelief makes chaos in the earth!
Then, from the Glorious Orb, the Primal Will, Again, The Word: The."
And behold, The Owner of the House is manifest; Eor in the earth and in all the worlds of God,
A Messenger, Sweet SingerWith a New Name inscribed upon the Tabler of his heart, Man builds a new creation.
"0 denizens of the earth!"~O gazing questionerl" Rejoice! For in the East a stream of Light Has rent the horror of satanic gloom!
A Harbinger, at Dawn, proclaims "The Day of God!"can hinder Him, Nor change the destined utterance of His every Word.
Tragic His days � divine His martyrdom!Ten, twenty, thirty thousand martyrs Yield their lives, their love, their spirit, To the Cause that Youth is heralding!
Lord of the Age, the MThdi, He,Not Since the Day of Adam, Had the world witnessed such agitation, Such violent commotion!
Of sacrifice, enough in six short years, To speed the universe millenniums!
~ traveler in the White Path and in the Red Support!
Unless empty-handed, you shall never reach the homestead!"
O Letters of the Living!Your blood, your deeds, your ecstasy, Have wrought a living organism!
And yet, ~wert thou to tell these wonders For a thousand years to stones, Say, would they take effect?"
Thus came the onslaught, dealing death and desola-'Ion.
Only One was left: Bahá'u'lláh!Is in a dungeon, in the bowels of earth, Where no light can penetrate, In chains and stocks, Breathing stench with thieves and murderers!
He, that shall change the earth into a Paradise!Then speaks the Voice of God: ~Thou shalt triumph by
Thyself and by Thy Pen. ThouOf Him a swift and noble Pen must sing. 1-lasten, 0 people to His shelter, 'With this Garment of Assurance clothe yourselves, And sail upon the Sea of
Glory!He "taught the birds of souTh another flight," And after Him, no more shall strife and terror Stalk the earth; � He has effaced them with
His Book.Like Brother Souls of Light, He, too, is Witness of a future Age, When Nightingale upon the Tree of Life, Shall sing the mystic melodies.
� OLIVIA I(ELSEY.flow shall I tell of Him, the Primal One? Has He �a parallel, saving the sun?
Has He a likeness, savenot break our bonds and cleave our night? flow shall I sing of Him, the Beauteous One, Who came at Midnight like a flaming Sun, Who came in Winter like eternal Spring And told us of the coming of the King?
And who amongst the Saints that dwell in bliss Has known the ecstasy of Love like His?
Has ever nightingale more gladly bled To tell his tale of love ere night was fled?
What Harbinger of unbeholden days Sang Hymns of Dawn with such a flood of praise?
Was ever flute or tabret half so clear As His sweet crying to the dumb and drear?
Was ever harp or psaltery half so sweet As the Sweet Music of His running feet?
Were ever lips divine more like a sword Hewing a path for a Beloved
Lord?Did ever Hands more white bring back again The native loftiness to bowed down men?
Who taught the desolate again to dream?GOTT, PROPHET, MENSCH Gott hat nicht Not, dass er verherrlicht werde, Er thront erhaben fiber
Ruhm und Preis. Dcclihier, der kicine Mensch auf dieser Erde � in Augenblicken, da er plbtzlich Weiss: jetzt iiberkornmt es mich mit m~ichtigen Schwingen � crzittert, und er n1us8 em Lobbed singen.
Gott wird von keinem Menschenherz timschlossen, Fr wird von keinem Menschenhirn gedacht. Denn, was als
Scliapfung Seiner Handentsprossen, riihrt nicht hinan zu Seines Wesens Macht. Wohi kannst du einen Schimmer widerspiegein, doch Sein Geheimnis kannst du nicht entsiegeln.
Darum bedarf die Menseliheit jener Grossen, die Mittler seiner Gnadensrrbme sind, die sich der Kraft des Vaters so erschlossen, dass sie, sein Ebenbild zugleich und Kind, das tjbermenschliche im Blute fassen und andere es durch sich erleben lassen.
Sic wirken durch die Lehre, die sie spenden, urn!durch ihr hohes Beispiel und Gesetz. Sie fiihren so mit treuen Hirtenh~nden die Seelen durch der Le1~enswege
Netz734 TH und dffnen fUr Jahrtausende die Pforten zum ewigen
Sonnenglanz von GottesDer Mensch begreift niclit dies erhabene Walten: er tr~gt es nicht, tin friih geknicktes Rohr. In Ehrfurcht muss er seine Hiinde falten, vertrauend rastet sich sein Buck empor.
Er ffihlt, wefin er sich hingibt allem Guten, dann wird em hdheres Leben Thu durchfluten.
Ihn iiberstrbmt die Liebe zu dem Varer, aus ihr entw~ichst der Glaube kiar und Lest, in alien Fragen treulicher Berater, der ihn in keinem Kampfe mehr ver1~ssr. So reift der Mensch dureli Tat und tYberwihdung zu immer heiligerer Geistverbindung.
]Jann wird er erst, wozu er einst erlesen: cm Held und Kbnig, der den Drachen zwingt, em Tempel ffir die hbchsten Himmelswesen, aus dem das Wort tier Offenbatung klingt. � Das Ziel isr herrlich.
Lasst uns darum ringen! 0, lasst uns alles ibm zum Opfer bringen!
� ADJYLBERT MfJHLSCULEGEL.every bowed and blasted land; The heavens are a flaming
Scroll:The Balances are laid in Justice, All hidden issues are disclosed: And we will hold the reigns of government, And make the Peace that you opposed.
The Night is passing, and the morrow Will find us with attentive mind A-forging and reforging still The broken fortunes of mankind.
The Rivers strained from out their courses To wash some conqueror's domain Will now forget their Long abasement And find the Ocean once again.
For ours will be the Light of Justice And ours the fortitude sublime To bring back rivers to their sources And men to men in every clime.
Our task will be a task of grandeur Supernal and Elysian � For here is a planet to refashion Into a peaceful home for man.
And here are barriers to sunder, And hearts to render free and rife, And souls to teach that they are Kindred,
Upon the Ancient Treeof Life � The Offspring of one Holy Eather, The Children of one Mother E~rrh; For in the long and drear dispersion Mankind forgot their common birth.
Ab! Ours will be the work stupendous, And superhuman the Ideal, But We will have the lasting ardor, And We will know the Martyr's zeal To end the falsehood and delusion Of many Gods and many Nations, Of many Creeds, and many Races, And high and iow degrees and stations.
And nevermore will Tyranny Command the Peoples, or console, Nor greed, nor exile, nor banishment Obstruct the Light from any Soul.
For in our hands will be the Power, And in our hearts the Emanation, The love of Kind that hears and haloes And blesses with divine creation.
And we will heal men of their Blindness And they will be like Seers and Sages � A race reborn and transfigured Returning to the God of
Ages.("Because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold." � J&sus.)
In the loveless cold of wintertime Far seems the warmth of
Love's June Day. The Sonof Man would bring it near To sQuis possessing power to hear And will to walk Love's
Way.(Suggested by the Song of Solomon.) Lo, the winter even now is passed, The time of soul � depressing dearth; The certain signs of Spring are clear; The time of singing birds is here, The flowers appear on earth.
Though the little foxes spoil the vines Because of tender grapes they bear, They shall be taken soon, and God Shall feed His people with His Rod And make His Garden fair.
I-fe will take away the bramble patch And bring a beauty before unknown!
Earth shall become a garden spot, A joyous life the common 'ot, With Love upon the throne.
~IN THAT DAY"("Prove me now, saith the Lord of Hosts, if I will not oten you the windows of heaven and tour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it." � Md. 5:10.)
In the day when the people perforce shall prove The God of Love who waits to bless, The windows of heaven shall be opened wide; All hungers shall be satisfied � All fed from Love's largesse.
� WALTER 1I. BOWMAN.Mein kleiner Nick kann Dich nicht fassen, flu gross' Gesicht.
Doch will id-i nimmer von Dir lassen, ich kann es nicht.
Page 735Oft kehrt' ich mich zu nichtigen Dingen, Du aber bliebst in meinem Ringen und ffihrst miS fiber viele, viele verschlungene Pfade hin rum Ziele, zum ewigen Licht.
Du bist in meinem heissen Herzen der heilige Schrein.
Scm Altar strahit im Glanz der Kerzen fur Dich allein.
Umhiillt vom LichtmeerDeiner Cnade, worm ich rein und froli mich bade, sehnt sich im Planen und ]3eginnen nach Dir, Geliebrer, all mein
Sinnen, nach DeinemSo fiihl' ich mich von Deinem Willen em winzig Stfick.
Was k6nnte sonst die Sehnsucht stillen? Wo wiire Gijick?
Du bist der Vater, und uns alien 6crWenn wir fallen, und wenn sich unser Ich will bijumen � wir linden doch aus citein Tr~iumen zu Dir zurtick.
Du bin der Herr, der meine Seele ~fl fl~nden hMr.1st in tins erst der Feind verniclitet, wird urn uns bald Dein Reich errichtet. Gereift, verkfindet seTh .Xonen, wird es auf neuer Menschheit thronen. Dein ist die 'Welt.
Dein in der Tag,stiirksrer Plort, Du Langverheissener, Du Tr6ster, Du hdchstes
Wort!Mein Licht, Geliebter, Vater, Meister, von meinem Sehnsuchtsflug Tirnkreistcr, der Dii mir Chick und Ziel mid Frieden, ich diene Dir, ich dien' hinieden und ewig dort.
XVIITake my heart to Mt. Carmel, 0 friend of the Golden
Dawn!I've tried to send silver and incense, At my touch they have faded and gone; Rose petals have turned to ashes And floated away in tears, My deeds of the past and the present Oh, there's nothing but on-coining years To give to the Lord of the Ages, So, the life of the future that's mine, Take it, my friend, and lay it At the High and Holy
Shrine.Take my heart to Mt. Carmel, o friend of the Shining
Light!And as you go, remember, The world is crying tonight, Out of sorrow and anguish, Calling to you and to me,
Asking the Life Eternalenkindled, The power, the peace, the pulse � throb, The exuberant joy and the splendor That is known on the Mountain of
God.Take my heart to Mt. Carmel, Thou radiant servant of Day!
And there under azure heavens Where the sun sends a pure white ray, Where breezes are healing and holy, Where rains wash clean and renew, Lay it among the flowers, Rich blossoms fragrant with dew; Oh, pray that this, my offering, Be cleansed on that sacred sod, That I may give to earth-children Of the Life that conies from God!
� ALICE Cox.He, whom the world had exiled and reviled, 'I~o Haifa came � and distant
Hermon smiled And Akkagleamed and Garmel proudly glanced O'er sunlit waves that rose and fell and danced. "This is the One," the sea-wind broke in song, '~Who comes to reign, to triumph over Wrong; This is the Day wherein the Heavens are thrilled And earth shall find all prophecies fulfilled. Bring forth your flowers, Jezreel, to brightly greet The Lord of Love who treads with iowiy feet The sacred dust of your immortal land And uttereth Peace by Cod's Supreme Command. This is Baha, the glory of the Lord, Whose golden heart with Heavenly gifts is stored!" "0 Blessed Day," a land-breeze gently sighed, "The Light bath dawned for which the martyrs died!" � And through the world an etherial tremor ran Which even now is slowly changing Man.
� E. T. HALL.Thy radiance shall shine afar, As shines the sun above, A refuge thou to weary hearts, A Fortress of
God's Love.o Temple that doth symbolize, God's Word made flesh to man; Thou art the body of His Law, Revealing His great
Plan;All nations shall in Thee rejoice And gather from afar; Shall hold aloft the Glorious Name. That Name � Bahá'u'lláh.
o Temple of true Unity Of Knowledge and of Light, o Temple of the Living God; Of day that knows no night;
Page 736736 thou art a mystery divine, But one that all may read Who enter in with hearts made pure, With Faith and loving deed.
0 Temple of the Beautiful, 0 Miracle sublime!In Thee the nations join as one, From every land and clime; Thou art the symbol of God's Peace, Which cometh from above; The symbol of His Word
Divine, His ManifestedToo long have we borne with rancor And woes of an ancient weaving!
Too long have we borne with conflict � And what have they brought us but grieving!
Behold! 'We have cleared our hearts Of each bitter and withering thing: We have seen a Light in the Darkness: We have New Songs to sing!
WE CAN SEE AT LASTOur eyes, that were blinded with groping Are healed! We can see at last!
We can see all around every limit, And Beyond our portionless past!
Never more shall we hate at a bidding, Or slay at a warrior's command!
At last we can see that the earth Is really one native land!
WE HAVE WINGSAt last we may search and explorel We may soar, at will, like the angels, We shall chafe in confinement no more! Past the fogs and the mists of tradition Our flight will be steady and smooth: We have Wings of Faith and of Reason, At last we shall search out the Truth!
WE ARE ~REB\Ve are free! We shall sing to the world, We shall sing to the sad and the drear!
We have Truth and Beauty to give � All the nations shall waken and hear!
We shall quicken the dead with our singing, We shall free all the bound! We are strong: We shalt sing of the
Oneness of Mankind AndAway with ancestral belief sI \Ve have done with the strife they engendered, We have done with humanity's griefs!
We sing of a new Revelation, Of a Cycle untrammeled by rage! We sing of Divine Civilization,
And Humanity's ComingWe shall fly, neath the sky, like the falcons And lift up our Voices with strength!
Far and near over Valleys and Mountains We shall cry the Good Tidings at length!
We shall fly, neath the sky, like the falcons And cry to the dwellers on earth: The! the ways of all freedom are opened, And the gates to the ways of rebirth!"
� STLVIA MARGOLIS.739 K F ~ W~~-~*u;a~ I A� �
ECHOES FROM THE SPHERESw U ( 2~'~ ( � ~ ~ ~/ d~ 2M~~ � )~, :J :J J~, :h K Lj .2 ~ ~ ~ ~ �! F ~ I ~ I cn'~ A I I {71L 2ilz V ~ p ~ k ~ L'T' hi) ci ~ ~ ~ ~ ('~2, ~ ~ 1Xi?1, ~ ~ J j l~ I, I L 1 4', J; ~~.~4+�1~:I ~ ?22~6 J, ~, r~ n. v ~�r ~ ~2,{Q-~.
I ~ 4' v~r -~-Jis~t~r r r ,~ I � r r , ~ i," � I.
Page 740c.~ ec.~ h I k i L I i k k �~ ~1D~ * I v r r I r r k
IIh L i L �1~ � , � . � � � � � � H -~zz ~ ~:~ ~ I I I I � L. L � I I V
J;AU( ~ �1 � '~~ � � -, , ~ 7 'J~ ~ A~~-~4~,,-A-~ F- � I,, 7~ ~ 14' ~ ~jJ L 7F:: /~t~ -. .
~: /~(~z' p ~~ ~ ~ I I I h � . p p-i-w~gj~J-~I I I I I i.. I. I I � F P p 2~I~5Z2 L R~7~ ~f __ I " r t ~ I F Ad*vq~ -~ ~ ~ ~ ~ sA � 1 . � �1
LII .iI K ~ I r' I I � � I I I I p p p ''i~~ P P Fill r ~ I I I I r I I ~---p--I-4 ~
I II ILLL...F A ~ ~ I r EZL.L$~F ~PFI ~ I I a~d~Am~ ~4 .,,~ ~& � � ~ ~-~iA-- ~ ~ A ~T-t � . I I a .. � 1 I iii
A~~4dL~ ~ �I I I Out of darkness Praise and re-pin Thee
-ing May the 0 God. Praisesword and Thee gun be brok-0 0 God. Praise en Man has Thee learned that 0 God.
he was dreaming (~ I � I Out of faith Praist, flint was Thee d~ -cliii 0 Cod.
-ing~ P~aiseby -iug� tok-I~iau~e I~iau~e en Thee
0 God.All di vi sion was but seeming ing Out of days of trib-U la tion ay~ ~I en na t on ha ted i a ton That no more Thy eons were ~nd g~ To a cru el x~ar and rending'
Now in Theehe is u t ed And e ter nal lovehathjl gited Thou hast made us one re
Ia -tionby L. R. WAITE~ I r I I ;e-jo;ce Joice, be lie -vers,The night of doubt is Re joke, re-jaice be lie -vers, As children of' the Re -joice, rejoice be lie -vers,For
Knowledge,FaithandRe -joice, rejoice be lie -vers,With ban-nerswhi�e un The
Therays reach ev ry ry shore. Doubts sha -dows dows now with ev ry na -tion sing. Doubts sha -dows dows now with sweet dews from a hove. Doubts sha dows now with peace to all the world.
Doubts sha -clows now with lv� I I till II~ e w U night must flee, This i~ the day of CERTAINTY.
night must flee This is the day of CERTAINTY.
night must flee This is the day of CERTAINTY.
night must flee This is the day of CER-T~-TY.
I I J Fs~e ~2--~v~ -~v~ ~II r~~ F I I I 1~ I :cf
VIL �2~ 4j~i~~: ~ ~ ~j ~ ~A2~ ~J 4 0~ c2 9~
Page 748I I r ~ \*:ftt~Jft a t~II I�1 I I ~ i41[k.: '1 Oh Temple of the Beautiful, 0 Temple of the Lord; That for God's Oneness e'er will stand,
And for His Holy Word;Thy radiance shall shine afar As shines the sun above.
A refuge thou to weary he~rts,0! Temple that doth symbolize, God's Word made fl'esh to man; Thou art the body of His Law,
Revealing His great Plan;All nations shall in Thee rejoice And gather from afar; Shall hold aloft the Glorious Name,
That Name � Bahá'u'lláh.0! Temple of true Unity Of Knowledge and of Light, 0! Temple of the Living God; Of day that knows no night; Thou art a mystery divine, But one that all may read NA/ho enter in with hearts made pure, With Faith and lovfrig deed.
0! Temple of the Beautiful, o I Miracle sublime!
Ii~ Thee the hations joib as one, From every land and clime, Thou art the symbol of God's Peace.
Which cometh from above; The Symbol of His WORD Divine,
His Manifested Love. � Shahnaz Waiteo God of' ev -'ry na -tion We turn our hearts to Thee.With o Truce of God en -dur -ing, Come Thou to all the world, And o God of ev -'ry na -tion,Thou fa -ther of us all, Let ~ W ~ I W hi J 4. ~ ~2FF FF~r~ rr V bind with ties e ter -nal Thy sons of East and West. loyed by all Thy children, Thy spot~ less flag of Peace.
in love tones ex -ult ant One na tion's an them sing.
�IJ)~ I I K1 I ~ I I.I I I I I I I k I [ I I
I t [II I ki [ KIin Thy love is safe ty Is peace and liber ty. For may Thy Hag of beauty In each land be un furled. A now Thy Ben e -dic -tion Up on each coun~try fall. With ~11.J1 J ~ ~j. ~I I r I I
I LI I I I I L I i I.~u,y ~. ~ E ~ r~� p.4. ~ rr~~rK~IrKr love a~1one can con -quer The strife with-in.~ach brea~t,And coy en- ant pro claim- ing That cru el war has ceased~ Be--wide e di end -ing May ev -'ry voice now ring,
Andh I ~F r~' I I I Pub, by Loiaise R. Waite. Chicago, In.
Page 750Awake ye nations all Let cruel warnowcea~e,This is theday for Recalls in mighty tones Awake and hearRis voice, He bids us all as Awake ye nations all Awake and see the light'.Vhichshinetho'er the .j 1~� u ni ty The day for love and peace, Spend no more time in strife But oneWithheartsthatdo re -joice, To gather roundHis hoard And tops Dis discords nig~ht, A wake and sing a loud Your I XI �iI~l h~.iI...ii~IL
W� W� ~ rhear that cia non call; Which corn eth forth from God above The father of' us of the feast par-take,Drink deeply of the wine of Love The bread of' Peacenow praises now in-crease,Theknowledgeof' our God as OneBring~su -ni-ver-sal hV r I I I I .1
~j I e w � all,Which cometh forth from God above the father of us all.
break, brink deeply of the wine of Love The bread of' Peacenow break.
Peace, The knowledge of our God as One Brings u ni -ver sal Peace.
I F FFFF �~f*. I j I I I I j~I I I I r r 1. This is the d~iy of ful -fil � niei~t This is the day of the 2.The Kiiighath come in His ~w er To jiidgewithjiistice the
3. Praise ye God'siiame~ithtIianlis-giv~ingWho bath preparcd theRight us In ~II I L L L k LordTheLightof the Coy e -ria~it shin -eth The far a earth To break cap -tive- sun -der To of chi�ii~s Way ilath gnid the the dark ness ed man out Un � ~\ � � ~� � � � � I I I wa -ters of Life have down A wake aiid a poured rise all ye give to each hope a new birthThis isthe glad day of Re to to this His per feet Au Au glo ry now edday be to the a a
Page 752na � tions Tis God's Res.~ur rec rec � tioii d~iy A wake and behold its great deinp � tion let all liv � ing things re � joice Be oV-ened your ~~rs 0 ye Fa titer Wlioreign-eth supreme a -bove Who giveth a new to His � ___ glo ry ry Whicb fad -eth no more a way.
peo pie pie And hark to Godsmight-y Voice.
chil -dren dren His Coy e -naiit of Love.
) p I ) ~-.--..-,.- ,.-'--s- s-~ ~ -.--*-.~-'-,.~REFRAIN ,.~REFRAIN
CoiiI I Let us sing the song of the Coy -e-nant And seiid it's glad strains a far, God~
II ~ K~I~e) I Coy -e-naiit of Peace and LoveWhose ceii -tei is Ab -dul-Ba ha.
~: ~... . . - -Sweetpeace peace so pure and ho ly, Come to our hearts and reign.Sweet Sweetpeace soblessedand ho ly, To Iong-inghearts so dear;That Sweetpeacethatpass~eth know-ledge)A bide with us, al way. We ~. p rn~1 I. ~ r ~ rr F fr: w. w � peacethaicaims the tem-pest,That fol lows grief and pain. From bring-eth rest and corn-fort; 'That dri -eth eve ry tear; That need thy ten -der pres-enceThrough-out each coming day. Though w. w � � � realms of light and beau ty, Thou corn est as a dove, And giv -eth balm and healing To eve -rywound-ed breast;Now storms around us gath er, We know not doubt nor fear. Sweet
F JK JK~ ~ in thy sa -cred presence We find God's per-feet love.
lift ourthoughts and bear them To mansions of the blest.
peace, di vine and ho ly, 0! be thou ev er near.
�~' r F � � ~ F �~47~r L ~ I a p I p # ~aght,ve1y'sureaIn~ � 1flg,rrOm its ~ourc ~)I.ight,the great ~ ~ o~ our way.,
I I I � I I I I I.� � � ~ Light,th~ glo ler, Drives all San aw~y.Comes to rio~as~ea I ~ :~iL K K earth'S gloomy saThe~s, ~~o ~ a~d into st~~ all hi~-d~en pThces,Of the huni~n heart arid so
I , I LiI vy ~ ~e ira in 1 1 I I Bring'irig Joy atia gladness,A-gain renew-iri~ life. ~'I~Iy RadA a ~A~d-pur-i-fje sthewhc~1e.
r ~ ~, ; JJ~I thou art, Arid My Light is in thee, ~ ~ I � ~ ~ � .~ ~r i~ t 'r re be iIlumThed b~ lt,Apd. seek no one b~zt I I
Page 755#6 7?~zff f5~Z%2'kL~Z~/7 ( ~ I) Oh,may Thy I-ieavenly Mei'cy,fle~cend. upoii us now, As
2)Thy hea1in~ I~1ercv ~rev-ex--ent in worship, ~ sil � ent �beii-e � dxic-ta on, It cle~n9eth w2th t~ ~iig'ht.We I /7 I I ~ / p I I [I is on us,The test~ing fires g2ow, error, Sr~ared. by t~e temjtaibold,Oh, A I I Mevcy,Th'~-te~t ~ '~er~ b~wa~hdl~Y;y nevea' faileth,But Mercy,Lead kiri~1y ~o the fold.
I S r ~ 7 F ' t L V . F ~, ~. ~ e en as morning &ew,1~efreshes us~ThY7servants,Anddctfh.ce~1 ~ st ~en~t L ~r ~w.
Page 756H I y 717/ I r r I I I I ~L � ~ ~. ~L4' A
6) Aa a � Li Li ~a4L
a I r ~ ~ I A � � � � � r I
Page 757-~6ze~e /a4 'z~ 4ud~ J I .,~ , ~)o~2~o~w ;~z~~'~' A~ / a~uv~a'a,,~c/24XQ4Z'acZ' S atLC ~c/d~n
C'2?2~~ r r r I I F ~ r ~ 1. 0 God we tb~.nk Thee for ThyLigi~t,W~ich shines upon our way We /2. We thankThee for th~ he~v~n1y bread,Pro -ceed � ingfrom His Ward.
And3. We Uian~c Thee for this go1d-~n ~ge And for This mys � tic hour When
( NI IIheaven and earth andall there � ceive new life and power.
AllA Statement of the Purpose and Principles of the Bahá'í Faith.
Outline of Baha History.A Statement on Presentday Administration of the Bahá'í Cause.
Bahá'í Calendar and Festivals.Brief History of the Mashriqu'l-Adhkar in America.
Extracts from Mashriqu'l-Adhkar Report.European and American Cities Visited by Abdu'l-Bahá.
Transliteration of Oriental Terms Frequently Used in Bahá'í Literature.
Dr. J. E. Esslemont.The Relation of the Bahá'í Cause to Modern Progressive Movements.
The Unity of Civilization.A Statement of the Purpose and Principles of the Bahá'í Faith and Outline of Bahá'í
History.Survey of Current Bahá'í Activities in the East and West.
PART TWOA Statement on PresentDay Administration of the Bahá'í Cause.
Excerpts from the Will and Testament of rAbdu~LBahd
The Spirit and Form of Bahá'í Administration.Address of CAbdu~1~Bahi delivered at Bahá'í Convention, Chicago, 1912.
The Structure of the Bahá'í Temple.Address delivered by CAbdu~1~Bahi at the Dedication of the Mashriqu'l-Adhkar Grounds, May, 1912;
The Mashriqu'l-Adhkar of Ishqabad.Queen Marie of Rumania pays tribute to the beauty and nobility of the Baha'i
Teachings.Bahá'í Groups with names and addresses of correspondents.
Bahá'í Groups.Section One � List One: Bahá'í Publications of America.
Section Two � List Two: Bahá'í Publications of England.
� List Three: Bahá'í Literature in French.� List Five: Partial List of Bahá'í Literature in Oriental Languages.
Section Three � Alphabetical List of Bahá'í books and pamphlets.
Page 763Section Four � References to the Bahá'í Movement in non-BaM'i works.
Section Five � References to the Bahá'í Movement in magazines.
Transliteration of Oriental Terms frequently used in Bahá'í literature.
Guide to the transliteration and pronunciation of the Irinian alphabet.
PART FOURIntroduction to The Promulgation of Universal Peace.
Poem~c(A Prayer."The Bahá'í Religion � Papers read at the Conference of Some Living Religions Within
the British Empire, 1924.The Bahá'í Cause at the Universal Esperanto Congresses at Edinburgh and Danzig.
On the Borders of Lake Leman.Translation of a Letter from the Israclitish Assembly of Bahá'ís of Tihr~n, Pin.
InterRacial Amity.Appendix � Tablet to America revealed by Bahá'u'lláh.
Bahá'í Persecutions in frAn � An Appeal to His Imperial Majesty Ridi ShTh Pahiavi.
Appendix One � Summary of Bahá'í Teachings.Appendix Two � Excerpts from Letters of Bahá'u'lláh to the Sulv~n of Turkey and the ShTh of Inn.
Appendix Three � Words of tAbdu'1-Bah& concerning IrAn.
VOLUME IIIBahá'u'lláh: The Voice of Religious Reconciliation.
The Dawn of the Bahá'í Revelation. (From Nabil's Narrative.)
Survey of Current Bahá'í Activities in the East and NVest.
PART TWOExcerpts from the Will and Testament of Abdu'l-Bahá
The Spirit and Form of Bahá'í Administration.Declaration of Trust by the National Spiritual Assembly.
Excerpts from the Letters of Shoghi Effendi.Text of Bahá'í application for civil recognition by the Palestine Administration.
Facsimile of Baha marriage certificates adopted and enforced by the National Spiritual Assemblies of the Bahá'ís of tr~n and Egypt.
Page 764Green Acre and the Bahá'í Ideal of Interracial Amity.
References to the Bahá'í Faith.The Case of Bahá'u'lláh's House in Baghdad before the League of Nations.
Hippolyte Dreyfus-Barney.References to the Bahá'í Faith in Non-Bah&i works.
References to the Bahá'í Faith in Magazines.Transliteration of Oriental Words frequently used in Bahá'í Literature with guide to the transliteration and pronunciation of the Irinian Alphabet.
Definitions of Oriental Terms used in Bahá'í Literature.
PART FOURBahá'u'lláh's Divine Economy: a Letter of Shoghi Effendi.
The Hidden Words of Bahá'u'lláh: A Reflection, by G. Townshend.
'Abdu'l-Bahá'í Visit to Woking, England.Impressions of Haifa, by Alaine Locke, A.B., Ph.D. The World Vision of a Savant, by Dr. Auguste Henri Forel.
The Cultural Principles of the Baha Movement, by Dr. Ernst Kliemke.
The Relation of the BTh to the Traditions of IsUm, by Wanden Mathews LaFarge.
The Bahá'í Movement in German Universities, by Martha L. Root.
The City Foursquare, by Allen B. McDaniel.The Races of Men � Many or One, by Louis G. Gregory.
Haifa � and the Baha'is, by Dr. John Haynes Holmes.
A Visit to Rustum Vamb4ry, By Martha L. Root.The Bahá'í Cause at the XXth Universal Congress of Esperanto at Antwerp, Belgium, August, 1928, by Martha L. Root.
Shrines and Gardens, by Beatrice Irwin.Bahá'u'lláh and His Teachings, Reprinted from the Japan Times and Mail.
'Abdu'l-Bahá and the Rabbi, by Willard P. Hatch.Some Experiences Among the Poor in Brazil, by Leonora Holsapple.
A Trip to Tahiti, by Louise Bosch.Bahá'u'lláh: The Voice of Religious Reconciliation.
Aims and Purposes of the Bahá'í Faith.Survey of Current Baha Activities in the East and West.
Excerpts from Bahá'í Sacred Writings.Excerpts from the Will and Testament of Abdu'l-Bahá.
The Spirit and Form of Bahá'í Administration.Declaration of Trust by the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of the
United States and Canada.Certificate of Incorporation by the Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of the
City of New York.Documents related to the incorporation of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of the United States and Canada as a recognized Religious
Society in Palestine.Petition addressed by the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of the United States and Canada to the Prime Minister of the Egyptian Government.
ment.Facsimile of Bahá'í Marriage Certificates adopted and enforced by the National Spiritual Assemblies of the Bahá'ís of ir4n and of Egypt.
Facsimile of the Certificate of the United States Federal Government to the Declaration of Trust entered into by the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of the United States and Canada.
Facsimile of the Certificate of the Palestine Government incorporating the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of the United States and Canada as a Religious Society in Palestine.
Facsimile of the Certificate of Incorporation, The Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of the City of New York.
The Mashriqu'l-Adhkar.The Spiritual Significance of the Mashriqu'l-Adhkar.
References to the Bahá'í raith.Further Developments in the Case of Bahá'u'lláh's House: Extracts from the Minutes of the Permanent Mandates Commission of the League of Nations.
Minutes of the Sixteenth Session: November 1929.
Minutes of the Nineteenth Session: November 1930.
Minutes of the Twentieth Session: June 1931.Minutes of the Twenty-first Session: November 1931.
Extracts from the Report to the Council of the League of Nations.
IBahá'í Calendar and Festivals.Additional Material gleaned from Nabil's Narrative (Vol. II) regarding the
Bahá'í Calendar.Historical Data gleaned from Nabil's Narrative (Vol. II) regarding Bahá'u'lláh.
Short History of the International Bahá'í Bureau at Geneva, Switzerland.
In Memoriam.Officers and Committees of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of the United States and Canada.
Local Bahá'í Spiritual Assemblies and Groups in the United States and Canada.
Bahá'í Administrative Divisions in IrAn.Address of Centers of Bahá'í Administrative Divisions in I ran.
List of the BTh's bestknown works.References to the Bahá'í Faith in Books by non-Bahá'í Authors.
References to the BRhi'i Faith in Magazines by non-Bahá'í Writers.
Transliteration of Oriental Words frequently used in Bahá'í Literature with Guide to Transliteration and Pronunciation of the Irinian Alphabet.
Definitions of Oriental Terms used in Baha Literature. Glossary.
PART FOURThe Goal of a New World Order: A Letter of Shoghi Effendi.
The Way of the Master, by G. Townshend.Italy and the Baha Cause, by General Renato Piola Caselli.
The World Economy of Bahá'u'lláh, by Horace Holley.
Education as a Source of Good Will, by President Bayard Dodge.
Unity through Diversity: A Bahá'í Principle, by Alain Locke, A.B., Ph.D. A Short Chronicle of tAbdu'1-BaM's Visit to London, 19111912, by Lady Blomfield.
Professor Auguste Forel and the Bahá'í Teaching, by Stanwood Cobb.
A Tribute from Dr. Edmond Privat.The First Fruits of Victory, by Keith Ransom-Kehier.
Where Is the Key to World Unity, by Louise Drake Wright.
A Visit to Baha'i, by Nancy Bowditch.Appreciations of the Baha Movement, by Martha L. Root.
The Supreme Affliction, by Alfred IL Lunt.The Bahá'í Movement and North American University Circles, by Martha L. Root.
Bahá'í Ideals of Education, by Stanwood Cobb.Man and Mankind on the Way of Progress, by Lydja Zamenhof.
The Epidemic of the Persian Jews, by A. J. Wienberg.
The Younger Generation, by Mar4iyyih Nabil Carpenter.
Light on Basic Unity, by Louis G. Gregory.Science and Religion, compiled by Loulie A. Mathews.
A Bahá'í Traveler in Palestine, by Walter B. Guy, M.D. Dr. David Starr Jordan, by Willard P. Hatch.
Song-offerings.Survey of Current BaJA'i Activities in the East and West.
Excerpts from Bahá'í Sacred Writings.The Passing of Bahá'í KMnum, the Most Exalted Leaf.
Page 768Excerpts from the Will and Testament of tAbdu'1-BaM.
Genealogy of the B&b.Facsimile of IBah&i Marriage Certificate adopted and enforced by the National Spiritual Assemblies of the Bahá'ís of Inn and of Egypt.
The Spirit and Form of the Baha Administrative Order.
Declaration of Trust and ByLaws of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of the United States and Canada.
Facsimile of the Certificate of the United States Federal Government to the Declaration ation of Trust entered into by the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of the United States and Canada.
Facsimile of the Certificate of Incorporation of the Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of Chicago, Illinois, U. S. A. Facsimile of the Certificate of Incorporation of the Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of Washington, D. C., U. S. A. ByLaws of the Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of the City of New York.
Facsimile of the Certificate of Incorporation of the Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of Teaneck, New Jersey, U. S. A. Certificate of Incorporation, the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of
India and Burma.Certificate of Incorporation, the Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of Esslingen,
Germany.Map of Baha holdings surrounding and dedicated to the shrine of the Bib on Mt. Carmel and tentative design of terraces.
The Mashriqu'l-Adhkar.The Spiritual Significance of the Mashriqu'l-Adhkar.
The Spell of the Temple.The Project of Ornamenting the Bahá'í Temple Dome.
Architectural Concrete of the Exposed Aggregate Type.
God-Intoxicated Architecture.Model of the Mashriqu'l-Adhkar at the Century of Progress Exposition, Chicago, 1933.
References to the Bahá'í Faith, by: Archduchess Anton of Austria, Charles Baudouin, Prof. Norman Bentwich, Prof.
~E. G. Browne, Dr. J. Estlin Carpenter, General Renato Piola Caselli, Rev. T. K. Cheyne, Valentine Chirol, Rev. K. T. Chung, Right Hon. The Earl Curzon of Kedleston, Prof. James Darmesteter, Rev. J. Tyssul Davis, Dr. Auguste Forel, Dr. Herbert Adams Gibbons, Dr. Henry H. Jessup, Prof. Jowett, Prof. Dimitry Kazaroy, Helen Keller, Harry Charles Lukach, Dowager Queen Marie of Rumania, Alfred W. Martin, President Masaryk, Dr. Rokuichiro Masujima, Mr. Renwick J. G. Millar, Prof. Herbert A. Miller, The Hon. Lilian Helen Montague, Rev. Frederick W. Oakes, Sir Flinders Petrie, Charles H. Prisk, Dr. Edmond Privat, Herbert Putnam, Ernest Renan, Right Hon. Sir Herbert Samuel, Emile Schreiber, Prof. Han Prasad Shastri, Rev. Griffith J. Sparham, Shri Purohit Swami, Leo Tolstoy, Prof. Arminius Vamb6ry, Sir Francis Younghusband.
Page 769Further Developments iii the case of Bahá'u'lláh's House in Baglid6A.
Excerpts from the Minutes of the XXII session of the Permanent Mandates Corn-mission ssion of the League of Nations: Nov. 3 to Dcc. 6, 1932.
Excerpts from the Minutes of the XXIV session of the Permanent Mandates Commission ssion of the League of Nations: Oct. 23 to Nov. 4, 1933.
Note.Additional Material Gleaned from Nabil's Narrative (Vol. II) regarding the Baha'i
Calendar.Historical Data Gleaned from Nabil's Narrative (Vol. II) regarding Bahá'u'lláh.
Youth Activities Throughout the Bahá'í World.Officers and committees of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of the
United States and Canada.Local Bahá'í Spiritual Assemblies and Groups in the United States and Canada.
Bahá'í Administrative Divisions in Ir~n.Address of Centers of Bahá'í Administrative Divisions in kin.
Alphabetical List of Bahá'u'lláh's BestKnown Writings.
List of the BTh's BestKnown Works.References to the Bahá'í Faith in Books by non-IBahá'í Authors.
References to the Bahá'í Faith in Magazines by non-Bah?i Writers.
References by Bahá'ís in non-Bahá'í Publications.Transliteration of Oriental 'Words frequently used in Bahá'í Literature with Guide to Transliteration and Pronunciation of the IrAnian Alphabet.
Definitions of Oriental Terms used in Bahá'í Literature.
PART FOURThe Administrative Order in the Dispensation of Bahá'u'lláh, from a letter of Shoghi
Effendi.The Descent of the New Jerusalem, by G. Townshend.
The Spiritual Basis of World Peace, by Horace 1-lolley.
In the Footsteps of the Pioneers, by Keith Ransom-Kehier.
The Orientation of Hope, by Alain Locke.La Foje et Ia Science Unies par PArt, by Marie Antoinette Aussenac, Princesse de
Brogue.Religion and Social Progress, by Keith Ransom-Kehier.
Prince Paul and Princess Olga of Yugoslavia, by Martha L. Root.
A Religion of Reconciliation, by Rev. Griffith J. Sparham.
The Men of the Trees, by Richard St. Barbe Baker.Les Problames du Monde et 'a Foje Baha'i, by tAli Afdalipur.
The Bahá'í Movement, the Greatness of Its Power, by Martha L. Root.
Der Sinn Unserer Zeit, by Dr. Hermann Grossmann.The Re-florescence of Historical Romance in Nabil, by Mary Maxwell.
William Miller, Student of Prophecy, by Bertha Hyde Kirkpatrick.
A New Cycle of Human Power, by Marion Holley.The Nature of the Divine Manifestations, by Glenn A. Shook.
Religious Education for the Young, by Mrs. M. H. Inouye.
Why Do I Espouse the Bahá'í Cause? by Chi Kao Fujisawa.
Count Leo Tolstoy and the Bahá'í Movement, by Martha L. Root.
A Chinese View of the Bahá'í Cause, by Chan S. Liu.
Vernunft und Glaube, by Dr. Adelbert Mi5hlschlegel.
Influence of Astronomy on Religious Thought, by Giorgio Abetti.
Haifa Calling, by Florence F. Pinchon.Taking the Message to the Maori People, by Keith Ransom-Kehier.
Only a Word, by Laura Dreyfus-Barney.