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Abstract:
A collection of anecdotes and history of Abdu'l-Bahá's travels to the United States, as told by one observer.
Notes:
See also the pilgrim's notes of Muriel Ives Barrow Newhall, the daughter of Howard Colby Ives.
Posted online with permission of publisher and with permission of Ives' family. Proofread and formatted by Michelle Reid and Jonah Winters. Any older quotations contained in the text that have been retranslated are endnoted with the authorized translation; all footnotes placed as endnotes. Page numbers not retained. [-J.W., 1999] |
ISBN O-85398-O13-6
All chapters
To
The Grandson of |
Aug. 16th - 24th | Greenacre, Eliot, ME. | 5 Addresses |
Aug. 25th - 30th | Boston & Maiden, MA. | 4 |
Sept. 1st - 10th | Montreal, Canada | 5 |
Sept. 16th - 19th | Chicago, Ill. | 1 |
Sept. 20th - 22nd | Minneapolis & St. Paul, MN. | 2 |
Sept. 24th | Denver, CO. | 2 |
Oct. 1st - 15th | San Francisco, Oakland, Palo Alto, CA | 4 |
Oct. 18th | Los Angeles, CA (no accurate record at hand). He was there 2 days and at least. | 3 |
Oct. 25th & 26th | Sacramento, CA | 2 |
Oct. 31st | Chicago, Ill. | 1 |
Nov. 5th | Cincinnati, Ohio | 1 |
Nov. 6th - 12th | Washington, D. C. | 10 |
Nov. 15th - Dec. 5th | New York City | 13 |
From the time of His arrival in this country and His Dublin sojourn, His itinerary and Talks were as follows:
April 11th - 19th | New York City | 13 Addresses |
April 20th - 25th | Washington, D. C. | 13 |
Apr. 30th - May 5th | Chicago, Ill. | 15 |
May 6th | Cleveland, Ohio | 2 |
May 7th | Pittsburgh, Pa | 1 |
May 11th - 20th | New York City & vicinity | 7 |
May 23rd - 24th | Boston & vicinity | 3 |
May 26th - June 8th | New York & vicinity | 7 |
June 9th | Philadelphia | 2 |
June 11th - July 15th | New York & vicinity | 20 |
July 23rd - 25th | Boston & vicinity | 3 |
Aug. 5th - 6th. | Dublin, N. H. | 2 |
It is not simply the interest that attaches to the fact that this man, in his sixty-ninth year, was able to accomplish this rather remarkable feat of physical and intellectual endurance which prompts this catalogue of his summer's work.
There is a deeper significance to be discerned by those who attended him during his journeyings, or even by those who have read this chronicle carefully and sympathetically. During this very summer, the poet and sage, Rabindranath Tagore, had been under contract to deliver a series of lectures in America. After covering a pan of his proposed itinerary, which was not nearly as extensive as that of Abdu'l-Bahá's, his strength and nerves were exhausted and he cancelled his contract and returned to India. He said he could not bear the materialistic vibrations of America[26] It needs also to be disclosed that while Tagore's contract called for a sizable financial remuneration, Abdu'l-Bahá had no contract, other than the Covenant of selfless Servitude made with Bahá'u'lláh in the sanctuary of His heart, and, furthermore, so far from demanding or expecting any financial reward, He consistently refused the slightest remuneration, and even when entertained by solicitous and generous hosts He was punctilious in seeing to it that gifts to both host and servants of the household far outweighed what He received. Also He emphasized the spiritual capacity of the American people which Tagore decried. When He stayed at hotels his "tips" to servants who waited on Him were often so generous as to excite astonishment. But even this does not at all cover what He gave. In several instances that have come to my personal knowledge His spiritual influence upon chambermaids and porters was such that one of them said to one of those accompanying the Master: "This is sacred money. I shall never spend it upon myself."
Is comment necessary? Whence came the Power of body, mind and Spirit which enabled this Man, unused to Western bustle, competition and nervous strain; all His long life subject to persecution, imprisonment and hatred; cast suddenly into an environment for which he could have had no preparation, so to master every situation with which He was confronted? I have shown how this mastery extended to the details of the society of culture and luxury, but it was no less noticeable, no less victorious, when in contact with the humble and sorrowing.
How is it possible to ignore such conquering majesty! How can one refrain from searching with passionate intensity for the secret of His power! To me, after all these years of study and prayer in my search for this key, there can be only one answer, the answer given by Abdu'l-Bahá himself, and even more convincingly by the Blessed Perfection, (Bahá'u'lláh). Ponder carefully the following quotations:
"Although the body was weak and not fitted to undergo the vicissitudes of crossing the Atlantic, yet love assisted us and we came here. At certain times the spirit must assist the body. We cannot accomplish really great things through physical force alone; the spirit must fortify our bodily strength.
For example: the body of man may be able to withstand the ordeals of imprisonment for ten or fifteen years under temperate conditions of climate and restful physical routine.
During our imprisonment at `Akká means of comfort were lacking, troubles and persecutions of all kinds surrounded us, yet notwithstanding such distressful conditions we were able to endure these trials for forty years. What was the reason? The Spirit was strengthening and resuscitating the body constantly. We lived through this long, difficult period in the utmost love and servitude. The spirit must assist the body under certain conditions which surround us, because the body of itself cannot endure the extreme of such hardships.
In proportion as the human body is weak the spirit of man is strong. It is a supernatural power which transcends all contingent beings. It has immortal life which nothing can destroy or pervert.... How powerful is the spirit of man, while his body is so weak! ... Therefore it is divinely intended that the spiritual susceptibilities of man should gain precedence and overrule his physical forces. In this way he becomes fitted to dominate the human world by his nobility, and stand forth fearless and free, endowed with the attributes of eternal life."
"The human body is in need of material force, but the spirit has need of the Holy Spirit... If it is aided by the bounty of the Holy Spirit it will attain great power; it will discover realities; it will be informed of the mysteries."
"The power of the Holy Spirit is here for all."
"The captive of the Holy Spirit is exempt from every captivity."
"The teachings of His Holiness Bahá'u'lláh are the breaths of the Holy Spirit which create man anew."--Words of Abdu'l-Bahá
"There is a Power in this Cause far, far transcending the ken of men and
angels."
These few excerpts from the hundreds which might be cited will give a slight conception of the Source of Abdu'l-Bahá's Power to dominate every situation with which He was confronted.
Even His physical condition was reinforced constantly by this Divine Power. On one occasion after a particularly exhausting day He was returning late at night from a gathering at which He had spoken with much energy and effectiveness. In the automobile he showed great weariness. He relaxed and gradually sank into almost a comatose condition. The friends who were with Him were greatly alarmed. On arriving at their destination He had to be almost carried into the house and to His room. Within fifteen minutes, while the friends were gathered in great anxiety in the lower rooms, His voice was heard resounding with even more than its usual energy and power calling for His secretary, and He appeared at the top of the stairs His usual dominant, smiling, forceful self.
"Blessed is he who was attracted by My Melodies and rent the coverings by My Power."[27]
To Abdu'l-Bahá I had written once or twice during the summer for my mind and heart gave me no rest. I carried with me on my travels through the Eastern States a small satchel devoted entirely to the books and typewritten Tablets of Bahá'u'lláh and Abdu'l-Bahá (of which, by the way, there is a very large available quantity besides many volumes not yet translated into English) and I, literally, read nothing else, not even newspapers, during all those months. From this fact may be gathered a faint indication of my mental and spiritual perturbation.
It seemed as though the focal center of my life had suddenly shifted, and all my interests were revolving around a new and most disturbing axis.
When my church activities were resumed in the fall I found it impossible to secure the financial support necessary to continue the work of the Brotherhood Church, and it was my letter to Abdu'l-Bahá telling Him of this and also of my intense and growing interest in the teachings of Bahá'u'lláh, which brought to me His second Tablet. It was evidently written on His way from Washington to New York and translated and forwarded to me from New York by His secretary immediately upon His arrival. It was as follows:
"O thou spiritual friend! Thy letter was received. I was made very sad on account of the event of the closing of the Church of Brotherhood. But when I was in those pans I remarked to you that you should not place your confidence in those souls. They say many things but do not fulfill them.
You stated that my first assistant is a philosopher. It is true that philosophy in this age consists in the fact that man is out of touch with God; he is out of touch with the Kingdom of God; he is out of touch with spiritual susceptibilities; he is out of touch with the Holy Spirit, and out of touch with the ideal verities. To wit: he may be an agnostic and a captive of the tangibilities.
In reality her highness the Cow enjoys this attribute and quality. The Cow is naturally a denier of God, a denier of the Kingdom, a denier of spiritualities and a denier of the heavenly verities. She has attained to these virtues without labor. Therefore she is the philosopher emeritus.
Our philosophers of this age after twenty years of study and reflection in the universities attain to the station of the Cow. They know only the senses as the verities.
Therefore her highness the Cow is the great philosopher, for she has been a philosopher from the beginning of her life and not after the hard mental labor of twenty years.
I have mentioned the fact to you that these promises arc unstable. You should not put your trust in a soul who is without God.
In brief: be thou not unhappy. This event has happened so that thou mayest become freed from all other occupations, day and night thou mayest call the people to the Kingdom; spread the teachings of Bahá'u'lláh; inaugurate the Era of the New Life; promulgate the Reality, and be sanctified and purified from all save God. It is my hope that thou mayest become as such.
Crown thy head with this diadem of the Kingdom whose brilliant jewels have such illumining power that they shall shine upon centuries and cycles.
Ere long I shall reach New York and meet again my beloved friend. Upon thee be Bahá El Abhá! (The Glory of the Most Glorious.)"
(signed) Abdu'l-Bahá Abbas
Translated: New York, November
14th, 1912
The receipt of this Tablet left upon my mind two distinct and oddly contrasting impressions. The obvious one, of course, was its wit. It was my first personal encounter with Abdu'l-Bahá's wisely humorous attitude towards the accidents of life. I have already spoken of his ready laughter, especially when speaking of deeply serious things. The ordinary difficulties of daily experience which affect most of us with sentiments of gravity, sadness or repugnance seemed to inspire Him to amusement.
I remember that when I met Him for the first time after the long summer's separation almost His first words were to ask if her highness the Cow were not a noble philosopher? And the smile and hearty laughter accompanying the words seemed to sum up the fundamental absurdity involved in most of "the gloomy dust arising from men of limitation enveloping the world."[28]
The second impression was gathered from the closing words of the Tablet with its command of severance, mastering and promulgating the teachings of Bahá'u'lláh all over the continent, and its assurance of divine and universal results through centuries and cycles.
It was these words, with their emphasis upon a station of such loftiness that nothing less than centuries and cycles could circumscribe its power of illumination, which gave to me the first glimmer of realization of the sort of greatness to which Abdu'l-Bahá referred when He said to me, as I have related, that This is a Day for Very Great Things.
We have quite naturally assumed that those men are great who have attained positions of prominence and power in the affairs of the world, either in the field of affairs or in the realm of the intellect. When asked to name the great ones of history: if we admire power we at once think of Julius Caesar, Napoleon, Cyrus the Great, Alexander. If we admire intellect we think of Plato, Aristotle, Herbert Spencer, Einstein.
That is to say, we judge men by our own standards: and it necessarily follows that only those who are greatest among men are able to judge truly what constitutes real greatness, for their standards are the highest, and they alone live up to those standards and exemplify their greatness.
How few there were during the first two centuries of the Christian era who recognized the dazzling brilliancy of the Sun of Reality in Jesus the Christ! Who would ever have associated the word "Great" with the humble fisher-folk who followed Him! Yet where are kings and empires now whose power then topped all the world! And where those humble ones!
So when that truly Great One spoke to me of this Day in which Very Great Things were to be accomplished His vision embraced the future centuries in which the humblest of the servants of the Glory of God (Bahá'u'lláh) should shine resplendent in the Heavens of the Universe of His Revelation. What though the path to this greatness led through the scorn of men of low standards, of worldly comparisons; through every criticism and ignominy, even to martyrdom in that path, would it not be privilege enough to be associated with those who in former dispensations trod its way and found that Source of joy which is "the spring of all the gladness of the world"?
Truly he who would be great must be the servant of all; "the thralls of mankind." "Rejoice and be exceedingly glad for so persecuted they the Prophets before you."
I remember it was during the following winter, after Abdu'l-Bahá's return to the Holy Land, that one day as I was standing on the comer of Broadway and one of the down-town streets of New York, a sudden realization of this true greatness and of the fundamental futility and falsity of all earthly standards, swept over me and I said aloud, in the words of Emerson, but with a very different meaning to the words, forgetful of the crowded street: "Good-bye, proud world, I'm going Home."
It was the ability of Abdu'l-Bahá to disclose their own capacity to those souls who, sincerely seeking the way of life asked of Him direction to the Path of its attainment, which made him the supreme Teacher and set their feet upon the straight and narrow road. He never descended to the plane of the questioner except when He recognized his lack of capacity at that time for higher understanding. To such He spoke in terms conducive to his happiness on the plane occupied at the time. To a mother who anxiously inquired of Him how she should treat a difficult child. He said that she should make him happy and make him free. And this sums up the attitude he invariably assumed in dealing with a seeking soul.
Men are wandering the wilderness of Time and Place; caught in the net of circumstance; befooled by the illusions of sense. They are not aware of this, and that ignorance constitutes the tragedy of life. Nevertheless they long above all else to escape that wilderness in which they wander so forlorn. Under the pressure of this instinctive yearning they experiment with every path which offers the slightest hope of freedom. To the vast majority, that escape seems easiest along the path of what they call pleasure. To others fame and power beckon, saying: "follow me and I will give you in the adulation of the world that respite from self for which you long."
To still others the refuge lies in the realms of intellect. In extending the barriers of nature; in probing into the microscopic universe; in breaking down the atom and bombarding the electron; in sweeping inter-stellar space with powerful and ever more powerful telescopes,--all are seeking, though they know it not, for Him Who is in their very heart of hearts, "closer than their own identity." Inherently, fundamentally, essentially, inescapably dissatisfied with all the contingent world can offer they yet seek to find within its scope that answer to their questing soul and mind without which they can never find rest. They know instinctively that they must escape the self and so they seek, in flying from it to the world around them, the refuge from its grasp for which they yearn. Their longing is for an eternal Home, for knowledge and love of God, but they know this not.
But Abdu'l-Bahá knew it, as all the Leaders of the Race have known it. They know what lies deep in the heart of man. So He knew what lay hidden in the innermost heart of the questioner. Hence He answered the unspoken, not the spoken word.
When this marvelous technique of teaching began to dawn upon me I recognized for the first time the truly sublime function of any soul aspiring to lead another soul in the Way of Truth. I began to see why the Master of this technique seemed to evade many of my questions, speaking instead of the great opportunities of service and love in the very spot which I then occupied.
How our schools and universities would be filled with the exultant joy of eager students advancing in this Path if their boards of trustees, presidents and teachers had even the slightest glimmer of this technique of teaching! The full recognition of just one fundamental fact is all that is necessary: that every soul in the world is "bewildered in search of the Friend."[29]
They do not want answers to their individual, personal and particular questions, though they think they do. They desire one thing only: that basic Truth which will make them independent of all the man-made book-learning which, like a "gloomy dust rises from men of limitation" and has enveloped them and all the world.
They want the Sunlight of the World of Reality. They can see the Path for themselves once free from the darkness of the contingent world and the "prison of self." In that glorious effulgence every question is its own answer; Heaven is found in the reaching hand; God becomes the very ear with which man hears the answer to all his queries. For when we speak of "God," we speak of Truth, Wisdom, the Way of joyful and successful Life, the "Abode of Peace." Eternal Life, the World of Reality, for all these are synonyms of God, and to attain this knowledge should be the object of all education.
It was Abdu'l-Bahá's positive knowledge of this Truth which enabled Him to reach the hidden divine Self lying deep beneath the piled-up rubbish of the contingent world harvested by the outer mind and the fruitless energy of the functioning body. "It is my hope," He once said to me and often to others, "that thou mayest arise to such a station that no longer shalt thou need to question."[30]
Our first personal contact with the Master after His return to New York was at a meeting of the friends in the studio of Miss Juliet Thompson in W. 10th St., where she painted the immortal portrait of Abdu'l-Bahá. I had become a constant attendant at the meetings of a study class held there every Friday evening, and it is largely due to these contacts that my interest was kept unflagging.
Abdu'l-Bahá's theme that evening was two-fold. First, the manifest power and majesty of Bahá'u'lláh, in that in spite of his rigorous incarceration He dominated prison walls and governors and jailers. And secondly: His conclusive demonstration that the teachings of Bahá'u'lláh contained many things never revealed by the preceding Prophets of God.
In the prison city of `Akká near Mt. Carmel, Bahá'u'lláh was incarcerated for 28 years, after His 12 years of exile, and His Son, Abdu'l-Bahá for exactly 40 years. Yet from that prison Bahá'u'lláh wrote to the Shah of Persia and to that unspeakable tyrant, Abdu'l-Hamid, "severely arraigning them for their oppression of their subjects and their misuse of power."
Consider how marvelous it was for a prisoner under the eye and control of the Turks to arraign so boldly and severely the very king responsible for His imprisonment. What power is this! What greatness! Nowhere in history can the record of such happening be found.... Although a prisoner in a fortress He paid no heed to these kings, regarded not their power of life and death, but on the contrary addressed them in plain and fearless language." [31]
It is impossible to describe the majesty of Abdu'l-Bahá as He uttered these words. His face was illumined with a radiance not of this world. His being seemed possessed with that very Power of which He spoke. It was His custom, often, to pace up and down while the measured cadences of His voice filled the room, and sentence by sentence, His words were translated by the interpreter. In this instance, however, the room being not overlarge, and crowded to its utmost capacity by the friends, there was little space for movement where He stood. Nevertheless His spiritual vitality seemed to overflow the room and it was as if (so it seemed to me, at least) He were striding its every part, searching deeply each heart. It was as if He were saying: This is that Power of which Christ spoke. The legions of angels for which He refused to call were summoned by Bahá'u'lláh, for the Time foretold by Christ had come, and the King of kings had mounted His Throne.
The second subject to which He addressed Himself related to those teachings which Bahá'u'lláh enunciated which were absolutely new, and could be found in no revelation of past dispensations. I will not attempt to recapitulate the essence of His words. Sufficient to say that He itemized nine points in the Revelation of Bahá'u'lláh which were new. "This," He said, "is in answer to those who ask: `what is there in the teachings of Bahá'u'lláh which has not been heard before'?"
His closing words expressed the power which arises through persecution.
"Pray that my enemies become multiplied," He quoted from Bahá'u'lláh's Words.
"They are My heralds. Pray that their number be increased and that they may cry out more loudly. The more they abuse me and the greater their agitation, the more potent and mighty will be the efficacy of the Cause of God. And eventually the gloomy darkness of the outer world will pass away and the light of Reality will shine until the whole earth will be effulgent with its glory." [32] [+CHAPTER10]
"I have offered up My soul and My body as a sacrifice for God, the Lord of all worlds. I speak naught except at His bidding, and follow naught, through the power of God and His might, except His truth. He, verily, shall recompense the truthful."
Bahá'u'lláh[33]
The object of this meeting was as universal as the audience. It was not to advance any personal or political ambition; not in the interest of any social or financial group, nor any religious organization. This fact alone suffices to mark it as unique: but when we consider Abdu'l-Bahá's own definition of its objectives it is recognized that its exceptional nature is more than excelled by their grandeur.
"This meeting of yours tonight is a universal gathering, it is heavenly and divine in purpose because it serves the oneness of the world of humanity and promotes International Peace. It is devoted to the solidarity and brotherhood of the human race, the spiritual welfare of mankind, unity of religious teaching with the principles of science and reason. It promotes love and fraternity among all mankind, seeks to abolish and destroy barriers which separate the human family, proclaims the equality of man and woman, instills divine precepts and morals, illumines and quickens minds with heavenly perception, attracts the infinite bestowals of God, removes racial, national and religious prejudices and establishes die foundation of the heavenly kingdom in the hearts of all nations and peoples."[34]
It is difficult to assign to any one summation of the Bahá'í Faith the reason for its acceptance. Yet it is not too much to say that for me, at the stage of understanding to which I had at that time attained, it seemed that no rational mind could refuse at least its eager, instant and alert investigation. Surely no one could deny the worthfulness of these objectives.
But the picture presented by this summary is not complete without including in it the personality and life history of Him who spoke.
For here stood the living representative, the very incarnation of the ideals He presented so calmly. There was not one of these lofty expressions which He failed to exemplify in every word, thought, deed of His daily life. I state this, not because of that which I have read concerning His life of service from His eighth year; not because even his enemies and persecutors have united in unwilling admission of His love for them and all souls irrespective of their attitude towards Him and the Faith He loved, but I state it from my own intense scrutiny during many personal contacts with that sublime Personality.
Those who have read this chronicle with care, seeking to pierce the poor words that the underlying spirit may be revealed, will understand my meaning. "The condition of spiritual insight can penetrate this meaning, not controversy nor conflict."[35] No more could one imagine Abdu'l-Bahá descending to the plane of personal prejudice, animosity towards any living creature, avoidance of any rational argument, or moving and speaking under any other guidance than the indwelling, all-enclosing Holy Spirit, than one could imagine the sun ceasing its shining. That which He was He caught. That which He taught He lived. Is it any wonder that that assemblage may be truly regarded as so unique in character as to have few, if any, parallels in history?
There is another feature of this address which impressed me deeply at the time. There was no mention whatever of the Bahá'í Faith as such, nor of himself nor of Bahá'u'lláh. It is as if He would say: Here are the ideals and purposes for which I stand. If you find them worthful perhaps you will wish to investigate whence comes the Power which has brought them within the last sixty years before the attention of mankind which, during all the period of recorded history, has been negligent, opposed and scornful of every one of them. It will be time enough for you to investigate the doctrine, the philosophy, the spiritual dynamic back of the teachings, after you have approved and sought to live the life I present to you. "He that doeth the works shall know of the doctrine."
Often have I been asked the question: "Why are you a believer in the teachings of Bahá'u'lláh? "Perhaps the above summary of the outward teachings, and the descriptions of my contacts with the Teacher, will assist the reader to answer that question. But also, perhaps, a more explicit answer is required. That answer is to be found in the universal demand of the normal human being for a basic Truth upon which he may found his life.
I am not a believer because of any preconceived explanation of this fundamental Truth based upon the ideas of those around me, as, for instance, the Christian is such because he was brought up under its teachings, or the Muhammadan is such because he was born where those principles are prevalent, and so with all other followers of the various theologies of the world. I am first of all, humanly speaking, a rational being. I have a mind which requires intellectual satisfactions. I have found in the teachings of Bahá'u'lláh and Abdu'l-Bahá much more satisfactory explanations of the meaning, the origin and the destiny of life, than I have elsewhere found. I have no hesitation whatever in asserting that if tomorrow a better, more satisfying, more illuminating philosophy, a more spiritual dynamic should be presented to me, I would accept it without hesitation.
But, and this it seems to me, is conclusive as to the reason for its acceptance. The teachings of Bahá'u'lláh comprise a veritable Universe of wisdom. It is no more possible to define Its limits than for even an Einstein to define the limits of the material universe.
I remember many years ago we entertained a friend at our home who was curious to know why we had so enthusiastically accepted the Bahá'í Faith. She was a young woman of great gifts. An artist and sculptor; a cultured mind, a wide experience and a seeking soul characterized her. She remarked, after we had been conversing for some time: "But how is one to decide between the many various beliefs of humanity? I have, for instance, a Jewish friend who is just as certain that his faith comprises all that mind or heart could need as you are of the Bahá'í faith. And I have another friend who is an ardent Christian Scientist. She cannot understand why every human being should not believe as she does. And of course many of my friends are sincere Christians, both Catholic and Protestant, who are equally certain that the tenets of their faith hold all that is necessary to life here and hereafter. The Buddhist, the Muhammadan, the Theosophist are equally certain. Who then is to decide?"
We answered: "How thankful we should be that souls in every faith are found sincerely seeking and following Truth, for Truth is one. But I wonder if you have found many among your friends who believe in and follow with all their hearts the teachings and example of the founders of all the faiths. Does your Catholic friend, for example, fully sympathize with, and sincerely love, his Protestant brother? Does your Christian Science friend accept the teachings of her Jewish friend? Can you imagine the Buddhist believer accepting and loving the Christian Scientist, the Muhammadan and the Jew, as equal participators in the Fountain of Universal Truth?
Without hesitation she answered: "Of course not. No one could possibly do that."
"And yet," we said to her gently, "that is exactly what the Bahá'í teachings require. No one can lay the slightest claim to that title who does not accept all the Prophets as Mouthpieces of the One God. Their basic teachings are identical. The laws promulgated by Them differ superficially since their function is to guide men to a higher civilization, and the needs of the time demand specific applications of those eternal principles. Consequently to accept one of these Manifestations of the Infinite Wisdom and Power is to accept all: to reject One is to reject all. That is what Bahá'u'lláh means by belief in "the Oneness and Singleness of God."
This illustrates what I mean by a conclusive reason for the rational, logical mind's acceptance of Bahá'u'lláh's teachings. The Circle He draws is so inclusive that no creature is omitted; no question unanswered; no problem unsolved; no perplexity unclarified. And this is not because these intellectual, social, economic and religious problems are minimized, but because they arc simplified: reduced to their essentials and so ordered and classified that any high-school youth may regulate his life thereby.
To illustrate: Our materialistic theory of evolution begins with the primordial cell and ends with man. This leaves a vast field absolutely untouched. The whole realm of the emotional, ethical, moral and spiritual man becomes a sort of No Man's Land. Is it any wonder that tornados of controversy have raged over this field? Bahá'u'lláh teaches that God and His creation are co-eternal: since there could nor he imagined a Creator ante-dating a creation; a king without a kingdom; a general without an army. This undercuts, you see, the endless discussions as to man's origin and the beginnings of life. Whether one accepts it or not it cannot be denied that it is basic.
Abdu'l-Bahá was once asked which is the most important component in man's, evolution, heredity or environment. He answered that both are important, bur in considering the question of evolution one must always remember that Man's true Father is God. Here we have a foundation for our reasoning than which no more fundamental one may be conceived. It does not exclude any intellectual or materialistic (if there is such a thing) explanation of the origin of Man, but it includes the whole field which our savants leave out. It does not negate the former but it gives to it a radiant simplicity, a clarifying emotion, without which endless strife and contention ensue. And again, there is nothing in this hypothesis contrary to our most advanced scientific thinking:
"Some call it evolution and others call It God."
Here, by the way, is another illustration of Bahá'u'lláh's simplifying fundamentals. He urges man towards freedom from the entangling, confusing, strife-producing slavery to definitive words, the "Sea of Names" He calls it. He directs attention to the Reality underlying all our futile attempts to characterize it and limit it.
Abdu'l-Bahá, speaking on the subject of Economics, has said: "All economic problems may be solved by the application of the Science of the Love of God." That is to say: if the Rule called golden and treated as if it were leaden (Worse: for lead has its uses but so far as one may determine, the Golden Rule has been laid on a shelf whose dust is seldom disturbed.)--if that Rule were actually applied to the world's economic problems, which if not solved bid fair to destroy us, and the love of God, the sort of love which makes a home life happy, were used as a scientific measurement to regulate our international and national affairs; to settle all relations between labor and capital, between rich and poor: to regulate all coinage and commerce, can there be any doubt that the results would be far more conducive to human welfare than our present policies have produced?
Again: Bahá'u'lláh asserted the principle that the human race is essentially of one stock and that the conception of "The Oneness of Humanity" is essential to modem civilization. Abdu'l-Bahá in the course of His many talks on this subject has shown conclusively that all the races spring from one root-race, and that the superficial differences of color, physiognomy, etc., are due to the age-long influences of climate and food following on successive migrations of the root-race. Here again, not only arc we in absolute accord with the most modem discoveries of anthropologists and ethnologists, but, taken as a corollary to the above principles, we have a scientific basis for approach to the problem presented by the so-called "under-privileged," "backward," "subject" individuals and peoples which, once thoroughly understood and practically applied as a scientific discovery, would immediately inaugurate an international policy which in one generation could result only in the automatic disintegration of racial, national, color, economic and religious prejudice with their attendant horrors of lynchings, pogroms, expatriations, armed frontiers: together with their only slightly lesser evils such as tariffs, money monopolies, cornering of markets, "colonial expansion" and a legion of similar devils.
We could illustrate indefinitely but this is sufficient to explain my point, which is that the teachings of Bahá'u'lláh are simple, definite, easily understood by the normal mind, undeniable by the most scientific mind, workable and practical in the settlement of all modem questions, and so universal as to be applicable by any individual or peoples.
I have gone into the matter at some length because an understanding of this is essential to an answer to the question so often asked: "What is there in these teachings which I, or any other thoughtful man, may consider worthful enough to adopt?" The Revelation of Bahá'u'lláh envisages an entirely new World Order based on essential and eternal principles which, when applied, will result in a peace, prosperity and happiness never before secured. They have a spiritual or religious foundation, of course, but these terms are used with a connotation absolutely new and in accord with all scientific investigations and human experience.
The closing words of this brief address at the banquet in the Great Northern Hotel emphasizes this fundamental criterion of values:
"This meeting is verily the noblest and most worthy of all meetings in the world because of these underlying spiritual and universal purposes. Such a banquet and assemblage command the sincere devotion of all present and invite the downpouring of the blessings of God....Be ye confident and steadfast; your services are confirmed by the powers of heaven, for your intentions are lofty, your purposes pure and worthy. God is the helper of those souls whose efforts and endeavors are devoted to the good and betterment of all mankind."[36]
Six days later I attended a meeting at which Abdu'l-Bahá spoke on "The Mystery of Sacrifice." Ever since my first acquaintance with the Bahá'í teachings this aspect of them had unaccountably moved my interest, as is evidenced by my questioning of the Master in the early stages of this interest concerning renunciation. (See chapter 3.)
Why this should be so I cannot determine even now, for to most of those who surrounded the Master at the time the emphasis seemed to be on the joy and happiness attending the New Birth. But to me the throes of parturition were too apparent, too agonizing, too demanding to evade notice. The cutting of the umbilical cord which bound me to the matrix of this world exacted such concentrated attention that little time was left, little opportunity afforded, for any true estimate of the world into which I was being ushered.
Perhaps my intense interest in the subject of self-sacrifice was founded in the clear realization, long experienced, that selfishness, egotism, pride in one's accomplishments (however limited), personal standards of values, were the great deterrents of both spiritual and material progress and peace. There was no question that those around me as well as myself, to say nothing of the underlying spirit motivating the statesmen, business leaders, courts of law and social usage, were all obsessed by this animal-self -psychology. The theologians seemed no less under its sway. Their emphasis truly was upon sacrifice but it was Someone Else's Sacrifice and that seemed altogether too easy a way out, to say nothing of its inherent dishonesty and Utter irrationality.
And yet that sacrifice is a principle underlying all life is plain to any thoughtful observer. The relation between food and the eater is usually considered from the standpoint of the eater alone. But surely if the food could be consulted its attitude would be quite other. It has two possibilities for a standard of judgment. It could be either that of resentment at the loss of its station of animal or vegetable, or it could be one of exultation over its change from the station of animal and vegetable matter to the station of the human organism, and the possibility offered it of becoming a working part of the muscle, nerve and brain of man. We look upon the world of Nature and see it as the battleground between the weak and the strong. But it is just as possible to view it as the field of sacrifice wherein lower or weaker forms of life become transformed into higher and stronger ones through its self-sacrifice. In fact it is quite possible that one of the causes back of the slow evolution of species is this very principle of sacrifice.
So when Abdu'l-Bahá opened His address with these words: "This evening I wish to speak to you concerning the mystery of sacrifice," [37] my deepest attention became riveted. After pointing out that the accepted explanation of the Sacrifice of Christ is pure superstition for it appeals neither to common sense nor reason, He went on to explain the true meaning of the word, dividing it into four headings.
First: that Christ's sacrifice consisted in the willing abdication of all this world has to offer, including life itself, in order that He might lead men into the path of true life.
"Had He desired to save His own life, and were He without wish Co offer Himself in sacrifice. He would not have been able to guide a single soul. This is one of the meanings of sacrifice."
A second meaning lies in the true explanation of His saying that "He who eats of My body shall live eternally." There is no question that the physical body of Christ was born of Mary, but the Reality of Christ, the perfections of Christ came from heaven."[38]
Consequently He meant that if any man partake of these perfections and sacrificed the perfections of the material world for the divine perfections he would enter into the heavenly world in which Christ Himself lived, and would necessarily escape the limitations of the mortal world.
The third meaning: "A seed sacrifices itself to the ewe that will come out of it. Outwardly the seed is lost but the same seed which is sacrificed will be embodied in the tree, its branches, blossoms and fruits. If the identity of chat seed had not been sacrificed to the tree no branches, blossoms or fruits would have been forthcoming." "Christ outwardly disappeared, but the bounties, divine qualities and perfections of Christ became manifest in the Christian community which Christ founded through sacrificing Himself."
"The fourth significance of sacrifice is the principle that a reality sacrifices its own characteristics. Man must sever himself 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 and avarice and ambition, of self-worship, egotism and passion. Man must scrip himself of these tendencies which arc peculiar to the outer and material world of existence."
"On the other hand, man must acquire heavenly qualities and divine attributes. He must become the image and likeness of God; must become the manifestor 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."[39]
May I ask the reader to note the ascending scale of these definitions, and the final emphasis upon the individual's responsibility if he is to achieve this final station of perfection. Here is no dependence on another's sacrifice. The call is to you and me to abandon, at whatever cost, the world of the animal the beastly, the material man, in order that we may enter this world of Reality, unsubject to the laws of time, place and decay. And how logical! How simple it is all made. Could anything be more beautiful, more winning, than His illustration of the sacrifice of the iron to the fire.
"Observe the qualities of the iron,... it is solid, it is black, it is cold. When the same iron absorbs heat from the fire it sacrifices its attributes of coldness for the attribute of heat which is a quality of the fire, so that in iron there remains no solidity, no darkness or cold. It becomes illumined and transformed 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." "Consequently every perfect person, every illumined, heavenly individual stands in the station of sacrifice . . . May the divine light become manifest upon your faces, the fragrance of holiness refresh your nostrils and the Breath of the Holy Spirit quicken you with eternal Life."[40]
As these closing words fell upon my ears it seemed for the first time m the long years of search and struggle that a sure and attainable Goal was in sight. Is it possible to imagine any price one would not pay for this attainment? For the goal is nothing less than perfection.
And here something must be interpolated as to the meaning of "perfection" in the Bahá'í terminology. It must never be overlooked that the substratum underlying all Abdu'l-Bahá's statements is logical and scientific. Nothing is ever stated (at least this is true in principle) that is not susceptible of proof. In using this word "perfection," for instance, the principle of relativity is recognized. Jesus' statement that: "There is none good save God," is understood as a scientific axiom: That is, perfection is seen as impossible except to the Unconditioned, the "Self-subsistent," all other perfection is relative. We speak of a perfect rose. We do not mean that a more beautiful, more satisfying one cannot be imagined, but simply that so far as our experience goes that rose, at that particular moment, strikes us as the most beautiful one, the most perfect one, we have ever seen. Nor do we when we speak of the rose as occupying that position contrast this perfection, or include it, with or in any category comprehending other objects than the rose, or even any other than that particular color, or type of rose. We may in the next moment speak of a perfect sunset, or a perfect baby, or a perfect action, but always with the same reservation of relativity.
So when we speak of a perfect man. We do not mean, nor could we possibly ever mean, no matter to what heights of nobility he may have attained, that he could not be more noble, more "perfect." We simply mean that the heights to which he has attained, compared to the average standards of human behavior, are more nearly our ideal than we have heretofore met.
So then it resolves itself into a question of personal and individual standards, or units of measurement. The gangster's ideal of perfection would be quite other than Abraham Lincoln's. Each soul must create, or absorb, an ideal of perfection which is at once within reach and satisfying to himself.
The difference between the Bahá'í ideal and any heretofore presented lies in the fact that the Bahá'í program includes group perfection. It involves the postulate of man as a gregarious, a social, a cosmopolitan, an international, a world being. A perfect man, then, under this category, must simply have attributes which will, if extended to a sufficient number of individuals, result in a World Order the goal of which is the elimination of those factors which have in the past, and still have, resultants tending cowards relative imperfections both in the individual and society.
In the use of the word "perfection," (see bottom of page 63) I mean that for the first time the ideals held for many years as a Christian believer, of approximating my rules of conduct to those laid down and exemplified by the Christ, came within the purview of possibility, of probability--nay, of certainty. I said to myself: "If it should take a hundred thousand years, in this life or in some other, it can be done and must be done."
At that time the "World Order" of Bahá'u'lláh had not been elaborated, although it had been visioned implicitly in the writings of Bahá'u'lláh, and since been elaborated and explained by Abdu'l-Bahá. Bur it was even then plain to any clear thinking person that such perfections of individual attainment needed only sufficient extension of acceptance and approximation to make the present world disorder of war, crime, poverty and confusion if not impossible at least much decreased. In fact the words of Bahá'u'lláh and of Abdu'l-Bahá are filled with glowing descriptions of world conditions when these ideals are put into practice.
"This world shall become as a garden and a paradise."
"This mound of earth shall become the mound of heaven."
Perhaps it was the clear explication of the results accruing to one attaining the "station of sacrifice" which stirred me most deeply. Freedom from the lower, the animal, the selfish, the egoistic self! What a Goal to hold before the mind. And no longer was it a vague, illusory goal. It had become, for that moment of clear insight at least, a goal in sight, an attainable goal.
Moreover the very word "sacrifice" had become alluring. No longer did it connote suffering, deprivation. It was clearly seen as the exchange of something less worthful for something infinitely more worthful. It had become not a giving up of desirables but the acquisition of desirables. Instead of a doubtful proposition in which the profit was intangible and uncertain, it had assumed the proportions of a clear-cut business proposition. I was in the market for pearls. I had now my eye on the Pearl of Greatest Price. [+CHAPTER11]
The Ancient Beauty hath consented to be bound with chains that mankind may be released from its bondage, and hath accepted to be made a prisoner within this most mighty Stronghold that the whole world may attain unto true liberty. He hath drained to its dregs the cup of sorrow, that all the peoples of the earth may attain unto abiding joy, and be filled with gladness.
Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá'u'lláh, p. 99
One of the occasions which stand out most vividly in my memory was on the afternoon of Dec. 2nd when the Master in the presence of a group of the friends, spoke to us words so enthralling, so simple, so impressive and stimulating to the highest in man's nature, that I can find no parallel save in the last Words of Jesus to His disciples. I confidently leave it to the reader whether this comparison is justified. He spoke very briefly: about 300 words as they are recorded in the collection of His addresses in this country. I shall quote them in full. They are worth it. But no record of the Words themselves, moving and uplifting as they are, could possibly convey the majesty, the gentleness, the humility, the love which animated them. I sat very close to Him and it seemed there flowed from Him to me a veritable stream of spiritual energy which at times was overpowering. After a few words to the effect that since these were His last days with us He wished to give us His "last instructions and exhortations" and that these "were none other than the teachings of Bahá'u'lláh," He continued:
"You must manifest complete love and affection towards all mankind. Do not exalt yourselves above others but consider all as your equals, recognizing them as the servants of one God. Know that God is compassionate towards all, therefore love all from the depths of your hearts, prefer all religionists to yourselves, be filled with love for every race and be kind cowards the people of all nationalities. Never speak disparagingly of others but praise without distinction. Pollute not your tongues by speaking evil of another. Recognize your enemies as your friends and consider those who wish you evil as the wishers of good. You must not see evil as evil and then compromise with your opinion, for to treat in a smooth, kindly way one whom you consider evil or an enemy is hypocrisy and this is not worthy nor allowable. No! You must consider your enemies as your friends, look upon your evil-wishers as your well-wishers and treat them accordingly. Act in such a way that your heart may be free from hatred. Let not your heart be offended with any one. If some one commits an error and wrong towards you, you must instantly forgive him. Do not complain of others. Refrain from reprimanding them and if you wish to give admonition or advice let it be offered in such a way that it will not burden the heart of the hearer. Turn all your thoughts towards bringing joy to hearts. Beware! Beware! Lest ye offend any heart. Assist the world of humanity as much as possible. Be the source of consolation to every sad one, assist every weak one, be helpful to every indigent one, be the cause of glorification to every lowly one and shelter those who are overshadowed with fear.
In brief, let each of you be as a lamp shining forth with the virtues of the world of humanity. Be trustworthy, sincere, affectionate and replete with chastity. Be illumined, be spiritual, be divine, be glorious, be quickened of God. Be a Bahá'í."[41]
In these days of unfaith when the world of intellect is obsessed with delusions of its own infallibility, when science has abrogated all dependence upon other than its own findings; when the very word "Authority," as the source of any truth, is anathema even to the most thoughtful and spiritual amongst them, Words such as these shine like the sun rising upon a very dark world.
If it may be allowable to question these "ignorant ones whom men call savants," to quote Bahá'u'lláh's own words, I would like one or all of them to submit a definition of "Authority." Do they absolve themselves from all dependence upon it or only from that form of authority which deals with matters relating to what the five senses may apprehend? Do they accept Aristotle and Newton and Hegel and Spencer and Einstein as "authorities" in their fields but refuse to accept Moses and Buddha and Jesus and Muhammad and Bahá'u'lláh and Abdu'l-Bahá as Authorities in theirs? Do they postulate before they begin to think they think that there are no such things in man's experience as wife and child and friend and home where love and self-sacrifice are assumed as integral parts of man's nature? Do they cancel out all aspiration, all love of beauty and truth, all heroism and remorse?
"Ah, but you go too fast," I hear one remonstrate. "We do not accept any of these men of whom you speak as "authorities" in their chosen field. If we should, gone would be all progress, all invention, all hope for further truth. We accept such as "authorities" only until they have been disproven as such. When Einstein and Minkowski, for instance, published their revolutionary ideas which changed all our notions regarding space and time, and a little later Rutherford introduced ideas equally changing our fundamental conceptions of matter, we did not accept them as "authorities." Quite the contrary. They were pounced upon and subjected to the piercing inquiry of every scientist in the world. It was only after this, and even then subject to the reservation of future discovery, that they were hailed as provisional authorities. A new factor may be introduced at any moment entirely altering the foundation upon which their structure of hypothesis is reared. That is why we refuse to accept in the realm of the immaterial what we cannot accept in the realm of the senses."
If I have not quoted you accurately yet it seems to me that this is what you must say, for it is the status to which the scientific thinker is reduced. And I would farther ask him, then, if by any chance he actually believes that the modem thinker along spiritual and nonmaterial lines takes any different attitude towards what he calk revealed Truth? Certainly the Bahá'í does not.
The first principle under which the consistent Bahá'í thinker acts is "The independent investigation of truth" This is definitely urged, I had almost said commanded, by Bahá'u'lláh. Abdu'l-Bahá, in explaining this fundamental tenet says:
"Religion must conform to science and reason; otherwise, it is superstition. God has created man in order that he may perceive the verity of existence and endowed him with mind or reason to discover truth. Therefore, scientific knowledge and religious belief must be conformable to the analysis of this divine faculty in man." [42]
And again:
"If religion is opposed to reason and science, faith is impossible; and when faith and confidence in the divine religion are not manifest in the heart, there can be no spiritual attainment." [43]
And yet again:
"God has bestowed the gift of mind upon man in order that he may weigh every fact or truth presented to him and adjudge whether it be reasonable." And finally, though such citations could be multiplied almost indefinitely: "It were better to have no religion than a religion which did not conform to reason."
That is to say the modem religious thinker's definitions of "authority" conform in every respect to the scientist's own definitions. Nothing is accepted until passed through the alembic of man's reason. The only difference lies in the fact that the Bahá'í (which term simply connotes a true seeker after Light and who loves the Light from whatever Lamp it shines) extends the limits of his search for truth to include not only the resources of the senses but the equally, if not superior, important spheres of the emotions, the ideals, the aspirations and longings of the human soul and spirit.
I have long inwardly fretted against the assumption of the self-styled "intellectuals" that the field of "science" was bounded solely by the realm of sense impression. Why should not the word science include the whole field of man's experience? Someone has said that nothing may be proved that is worthy of proof. If anyone should suggest to you or to me that our love for wife or child has no existence because it cannot be subjected to proof by the microscope I think we might reasonably consider that an insulting remark had been made. Yet as a matter of fact Love is just as susceptible of "proof as is the law of gravitation, which, by the way, our modem scientists are now proceeding to cast doubt upon. But they do not dare to cast doubt on the phenomenon of Love and its various manifestations in the racial experience of man, for it is susceptible of the proof offered by the total field of that experience.
So when I unhesitatingly accept such words as are quoted here as "authoritative" in matters dealing with the ideal and satisfactory life it is only after they have passed the bar of my reason and judgment. Surely these adjurations are not unreasonable. The mind will find some difficulty in denying their simple rationality. Nor could the emotions, the "heart," reject them as puerile and unsatisfying. Nor could experience as we know it personally, or through racial history, deny their success when applied to the affairs of men; else Marcus Aurelius, Epictetus, Emerson, and a host of their ilk are foolish chasers of the wind.
If, then, the authorities in the field of material science are such only in the accepted sense that they are subject to the challenge of individual reason and the Bahá'í (any sincere and unprejudiced seeker after Truth) defines his authority in the same terms; if both hold such authorities as subject to displacement by a higher Truth if it should be presented, and if the field covered by one of these "Authorities" is far wider than the other, far more satisfying to the whole nature of man, far more remunerative in terms of actual living, it would seem to me that not only have we reason to designate both as operating within the realms of "science" but that that which covers the widest realm must be the greatest, the most fundamental of all "sciences." [+CHAPTER12]
The world's equilibrium 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 witnessed.
Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá'u'lláh, p. 136
And here I must digress a little to explain why I have forced myself to write so frankly of the personal and intimate things which, had I followed my own inclinations, would have been locked deep within my heart. There is only one reason. For many years I have striven to evade the responsibility which this obligation has laid upon me, and which, under the repeated urging of friends I can no longer do. The reason is this:
Humanity is one. No individual is without a spiritual, as well as a physical relationship with every other individual. The hopes, longings, aspirations of one are those of each and all. The depths and heights; the agonies and joys; the victories and defeats vary in intensity with each individual according to the capacity and courage of each, but all travel much the same path and all fight over much the same ground.
If, then, one of these units in the struggling, aspiring mass has found the Path to the "Abode of Peace"; has won battles, if not the whole campaign, in this universal Field, and, knowing that so many of his world-wide brothers are still "bewildered in search of the Friend"; still so unnecessarily and despairingly involved in a dying civilization to whom a new courage and hope and energy might be conveyed by a knowledge of the Way out of the wilderness found by one who has fought over the very ground upon which they are more or less aimlessly and hopelessly fighting, should not the history of that campaign be recounted that other souls, bewildered and saddened as I was, might, God willing, be ever so little assisted in meeting and overcoming the same army of spiritual enemies? It seems to me that this is a responsibility which may not be evaded. Hence this history.
This chapter is devoted to a summary of the Teachings of Bahá'u'lláh as given by Abdu'l-Bahá on that memorable evening.[44]
He began by saying that he would mention some of the teachings which are peculiar to Bahá'u'lláh's teachings: saying that in addition to those he is about to mention there are many others which are to be found in the books. Tablets and Epistles written by Bahá'u'lláh such as the Hidden Words, Glad Tidings, Words of Paradise, Tablet of the World and the Aqdas, or Most Holy Law, which cannot be found in any of the past books or epistles of other prophets.
"A fundamental teachings of Bahá'u'lláh," He began, "is the oneness of the World of Humanity. Addressing mankind He said:
"Ye are all leaves of one tree and the fruits of one branch."... "By this it is meant that the world of humanity is like a tree, the nations and peoples are the different limbs or branches of that tree and the individual human creatures are as the fruits and blossoms thereof. In all the religious teachings of the past the human world has been represented as divided into two pans, one the "people of the Book" (followers of some particular Prophet) or the pure tree, and the other the people of infidelity and error, or the evil tree..."Bahá'u'lláh in His teachings has submerged all mankind in the sea of Divine Generosity.
Some are asleep, they need to be awakened. Some are ailing, they need to be healed. Some are immature as children, they need to be trained. But all are recipients of the bounty and bestowals of God."[45]
I submit to the reader whether or not the application of this principle to the problems of international statesmanship, commerce and religion would or would not conduce to the happiness and prosperity of mankind.
I suggest that the reader, if he questions the scientific accuracy of the statement (i.e., the implied assertion that all races and colors have the same capacity for mental and spiritual advancement; that all are affected by the same handicaps and freed by the same method), consult some recognized up-to-date ethnologist on the matter.
"Another new principle," Abdu'l-Bahá went on, "is the injunction to investigate Truth--that is to say, no man should blindly follow his ancestors and forefathers. Nay, each must see with his own eyes, hear with his own ears and investigate the truth himself in order that he may follow the truth instead of blind acquiescence and imitation of ancestral beliefs."[46]
In the previous chapter I have pointed out how deeply this affects the traditional connotations of the word "Authority" but consider how it also affects the connotations mankind has throughout historical times associated with the words "Religion," "Law," "Government," "Education," in fact there is hardly a single angle of our social, economic, or religious life which is not dominated by what somebody in the remote past has had to say on the matter. We are ruled in law by the precedents laid down either by Roman or Anglo-Saxon jurisprudence. The very phraseology in which our legal documents are couched smacks of the dust of courtrooms of a thousand years ago or more. We are ruled in educational fields by precedents established when students and teachers alike were living under conditions, and motivated by ideals, as different from those of today as could well be imagined.
But why continue? The facts are pikestaffian. And this monstrous slavery under which we attempt to carry on in a world of radio-airplane-Soviet newness is not confined to the so-called thoughtless mob. It is true that for some centuries yet the vast majority of mankind will be content to follow rather than lead. As James Truslow Adams remarks: "Within any appreciable period of time to expect it (`the vast herd') to reason like John Dewey is as irrational as to expect it to carve like Phidias or paint like Rembrandt. It will be guided by its desires and emotions." But when this subordination of one mind to another, which functioned possibly 2,000 years ago, extends to the intellectual, educational, governmental, religious and legal leaders of the race it behooves us to consider carefully what kind of ground lies at the bottom of the precipice towards which we are all rushing so madly. How hard is the ground? How destructive will be the certain smashup of a civilization which insists on being guided by superstition rather than by reason?
How simply, nobly, scientifically Bahá'u'lláh places His finger on the crucial spot!
"O Son of Spirit! The 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. By its aid thou shalt see with thine own eyes and not through the eyes of others, and shalt know of thine own knowledge and not through the knowledge of thy neighbour. Ponder this in thy heart; how it behoveth thee to be. Verily justice is My gift to thee and the sign of My loving-kindness. Set it then before thine eyes."[47]
Again I ask the reader to consider what effect would in all likelihood be produced upon civilization if the leaders of world thought could suddenly become convinced that the Author of this sublime paragraph was one of the long line of divinely inspired Prophets Who has appeared in the world at this time to act as the Leader of the race in the establishment of a New World Order, and one of whose fundamental precepts directs each individual's attention to his own responsibility. Consider how the application of this one principle would effect the immediate overthrow of the abuses in the fields of Religion, Law, Education and Government. Backed by the emotional impulse of the Love of God (love of the new Messiah enshrined within the earthly Temple of the "Glory of God"), it is impossible to predict the beauty and joy of the civilization which, within the space of two or three generations, would be established.
Abdu'l-Bahá continued:
"His Holiness Bahá'u'lláh has announced that the foundation of all religions is one; that oneness is Truth and Truth is oneness which does not admit of plurality.
"He sets forth the principle for this day that religion must be the cause of unity, harmony and agreement among mankind. If it be the cause of discord and hostility, if it leads to separation and creates conflict, the absence of religion would be preferable in the world.
"Furthermore He proclaims that religion must be in accord with science and reason. If it does not so conform it is superstition."
It is unnecessary to enlarge upon the wisdom and common sense of these principles or to speak of the practical results accruing from their application. Surely they are apparent.
"Again Bahá'u'lláh establishes the equality of man and woman. This is peculiar to the teachings of Bahá'u'lláh, for all other religions have placed man above woman."
In commenting upon this I simply point out that this principle as enunciated by the Founder of the Bahá'í Faith was laid down as early as 1853 and in a country, Persia, which from time immemorial had placed women on a level with the animal and denied them even the possession of a soul. It was about 1848 that there arose in Persia a woman who could well be styled the first woman suffragist. Qurratu'l-'Ayn (Consolation of the Eyes). She was the only woman among the eighteen disciples of the Báb, the divine forerunner of Bahá'u'lláh.
"She threw aside the veil," says Abdu'l-Bahá, "carried on controversies with the most learned men, and in every meeting she vanquished them. She was stoned in the streets, exiled from town to town, threatened with death, but she never failed in her determination to work for the freedom of her sisters. She bore persecution with the greatest heroism and even in prison gained converts. To a Persian minister, in whose house she was imprisoned, she said: You can kill me as soon as you like but you cannot stop the emancipation of women. At last she was strangled and her body thrown into an empty well and stones piled upon it. Preparing for her execution she put on her choicest robes as if she were going to a bridal party."
So speaks Abdu'l-Bahá of this heroic leader of women who gave her life for the liberation of her sex at a time when Susan B. Anthony, Frances Willard and others had not yet begun the campaign.
A new religious principle is that prejudice and fanaticism--whether sectarian, denominational, patriotic or political--are destructive to the foundation of human solidarity; therefore, man should release himself from such bonds in order that the oneness of the world of humanity may become manifest. [48]
The cancer at the heart of world society is prejudice. It affects every relation in life from "other-side-of-the-tracks" snobbery to racial and religious antagonisms resulting in lynchings, pogroms and massacres like that of St. Bartholomew and the centuries long persecution of the Armenians. I do not ask the reader to believe that such a cancer may at once be eradicated, but only to ask himself whether it might not have a fair chance of extermination if an influential minority of world leaders, who would necessarily carry with them the mass of their followers, became convinced (after scientific investigation) of the "Authority" of the promulgator of this principle.
"Universal peace," Abdu'l-Bahá went on, "is assured by Bahá'u'lláh as a fundamental accomplishment of the religion of God - that peace shall prevail among nations, governments and peoples, among religions, races and all conditions of mankind. This is one of the special characteristics of the Word of God revealed in this Manifestation.[49]
This is what Bahá'u'lláh calls "The Most Great Peace." Note that it implies not the mere cessation of warfare. It goes to the root of the matter and envisages the whole composite life of the individual, the society in which he functions and the emotions which are the mainsprings of action.
"Bahá'u'lláh declares that all mankind should attain knowledge and acquire an education."[50]
Again I would point out that this principle found utterance at a time when education in all parts of the world was assumed to be the prerogative only of a certain class. Its acquirement was denied the millions of children and adults alike whose station in life cut them off from those privileges of intellectual attainments which are the source of power. It was rightfully discerned that if the underdogs should be allowed the same access to the sources of this power which their rulers possessed their writhings might displace the mighty from their seats. It is an interesting coincidence, to say the least, that with this commanding edict from Bahá'u'lláh began the first emergence of what is known as free education of "the common people." And with it the first hopeful efforts towards their freedom in every field of human activity.
"Bahá'u'lláh has set forth the solution and provided the remedy for the economic question."
"He has ordained and established the House of Justice which is endowed with a political as well as a religious function, the consummate union and blending of Church and State. This institution is under the protecting power of Bahá'u'lláh Himself. A universal or international House of Justice shall also be organized whose rulings shall be in accordance with the commands and teachings of Bahá'u'lláh, and that which the universal House of Justice ordains shall be obeyed by all mankind. This international House of Justice shall be appointed and organized from the (local and national) Houses of Justice of the whole world, and all the world shall come under its administration"[51]
That is to say: Bahá'u'lláh has planned and ordained a type of world organization which bears an analogous relation to the Federal Government of the United States in that it envisages a Federation of the nations of the world under a central "House of Justice." There is this important and far-reaching difference, however, the Plan of Bahá'u'lláh involves that this governing head shall have a religious as well as a political function. This startles the minds of those who associate "religion" with the history of the abuses growing out of the warfare between Muhammadans and Christians; between Catholics and Protestants, and the only lesser strife between the countless sects in all religions.
But when it is understood that this State Religion formulated by Bahá'u'lláh is predicated upon world unity in the spheres of social, economic and educational activities as well as of religion; when one realizes that "the rulings of the House of Justice shall be in accordance with the commands and teachings of Bahá'u'lláh" which abolish prejudice, bigotry and contention, it is seen that the objections to such a union tend to disappear.
To draw a parallel let us assume that at the time of the Council of Nicea in 325 A.D. a constitution had been drawn up for the government of the Holy Roman Empire based upon the Sermon on the Mount, the thirteenth chapter of 1st Corinthians; the twelfth chapter of Romans, the Epistles of John and a few scattering paragraphs of similar high ethical import from the Old Testament. Let us suppose further that included in that constitution had been the principle that the prophets of all other religions were of equal authority with Christ and Moses; that Zoroaster and Krishna and Buddha were accepted as of equal authority with the Christ, and that all their followers were included among the participants of the benefits accruing to this unity of peoples and religions under the Holy Roman Empire. And still further let us suppose that Christ Himself had left a written constitution to the above effect and had appointed under His own hand and seal a certain one of His disciples as the first head of the governing council of the Empire, together with a definite program for the selection of his successors, the tenure of these incumbents to be determined by a Cabinet, or Council elected by popular suffrage by all the peoples of the then known world.--If your imagination is active enough to suppose all this your honest judgment will follow that the history of religion for the last nineteen hundred years would have been vastly different.
Yet all that I have ventured to put as a supposition in the case of Christianity, falls short of the facts underlying the establishment of the Bahá'í World Religion. This, I think, will be demonstrated later in this chapter.
The last one of the distinguishing characteristics of the Revelation of Bahá'u'lláh which Abdu'l-Bahá elaborated that evening is one which is not usually emphasized: yet it is of the utmost importance. Abdu'l-Bahá called it "the most great characteristic" of the teachings of Bahá'u'lláh.
"It is the ordination and appointment of the Center of the Covenant. By this appointment and provision He has safeguarded and protected the religion of God against differences and schisms, making it impossible for anyone to create a new sect or faction of belief. To insure unity and agreement He has entered into a Covenant with all the people of the world designating the interpreter and explainer of His teachings so that no one may interpret or explain the religion of God according to his own view or opinion and thus create a sect founded upon his individual understanding of the divine words."[52]
That is to say: Bahá'u'lláh in His Will and Testament named His own Son, Abdu'l-Bahá, as the sole interpreter of the meaning and implications of His teachings. "He did this," He said, "not because he is My son but because he is the purest channel in the world for the dissemination of the Water of Life."
To make the picture complete it is necessary to include in this explanation a reference to the Will and Testament which Abdu'l-Bahá left when He passed from this world in 1921. In that Will He appointed His grandson, Shoghi Effendi, then a youth of 25, as Guardian of the Cause of God and the Head of the first House of Justice. One of the prime functions of the Guardian is to decide without question as to the meanings and implications of the teachings of Bahá'u'lláh.
Now let us use our most vivid imagination again. Let us suppose that Peter, instead of being a fisher-disciple of Jesus', had been his own son, had been under His care and instruction since infancy. Let us watch Jesus as He grew to old age writing innumerable books, and epistles and holding countless conversations with His followers who had grown before His passing to a host numbering in the hundreds of thousands, and had seen thousands of believers die as martyrs in His Cause, in spite of the fact that He was in exile and prison for the last forty years of His life.
And let us finally postulate that Peter, His son, lived for twenty-nine years after the passing of Jesus (remembering that Jesus had left the appointment of this son as the only interpreter of His Words) and that those years had been spent in writing books, thousands of letters answering every conceivable question that could arise as to the meaning of the teachings of Jesus, and finally that Peter had spent some ten years traveling throughout the known world, meeting not scorn and persecution but honor and respect from all classes of people. Then, as has been said, before his own passing at the age of seventy-seven years, appointing his grandson to act as the Guardian of the purity of Jesus' teachings.
I think you will agree with me that not only would the history of the Christian Church have been more free from the schisms which have rent it asunder, but that The Holy Roman Empire would have been a power for unity and peace, acting ever for the welfare and happiness of the race, for do not forget that its constitution would have been based solely on the Words of the Prophets of God, culminating in the Sermon on the Mount and that no discrimination was allowable between the followers of any one of these Mouthpieces of the Eternal.
I have followed this hypothetical analogy at some length for it seems to me the best form in which to present vividly the World Order planned and ordained by Bahá'u'lláh, explained, exemplified and fully set forth by Abdu'l-Bahá and which is now being actively brought into functioning power by Shoghi Effendi.
There is still one highly important feature of the Plan of Bahá'u'lláh which needs emphasis. He has ordained in His Law that throughout the world there shall be built Temples for the worship of the one God, in which all mankind shall be welcomed, without regard to the Name under which they have chosen to be enrolled. These Temples consist of ten buildings; a central one built after a prescribed plan, having nine sides, nine entrances, nine paths radiating from these entrances leading to the nine other buildings surrounding the central House of Worship. These nine buildings are to represent and typify the various means by which the Love of God flows forth in manifestation of the love of man for man. For instance a hospital, an institution of learning, a home for the aged, an institution for the care and instruction of the blind, a home for orphaned children, a laboratory for scientific research, an institution for the care and instruction of the deaf and dumb and sub-normal unfortunates, and a building containing lecture halls and class rooms for the dissemination of the principles and objectives of pure religion, for this is not within the functions of the House of Worship itself. Within those holy walls the words of man are never heard. No sermons or ritual observances are there observed. Nothing but the Words of God uttered by His Prophets are there chanted. And furthermore it is prescribed that no salary is attached to the services of any spiritual teacher.
And included among the nine buildings surrounding the central One is a Hotel, or Hospice for the entertainment of travelers. Here visitors are welcomed, cared for gratis temporarily and served in any way their need dictates. Two of these Houses of Worship are already in existence: one in Ishkabad, Russia, completed some years ago, the other (the central building only) in Wilmette, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago.
In this group of buildings we see typified for the first time in human history what Jesus described as the summing up of all the Law and all the Prophetic teachings--the Love of God expressed in love for man. Is it any wonder that He described the fulfillment of His prophetic Words as "The Kingdom of God on Earth!"
The Administrative Order, which ever since Abdu'l-Bahá'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 [Abdu'l-Bahá's Will] itself, the inviolable stronghold wherein this new-born child is being nurtured and developed. 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 the 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 fullness of time the whole of mankind.[53]
"So firm and mighty is this Covenant that from the beginning of time until the present day no religious dispensation hath produced its like." --Abdu'l-Bahá [54] [+CHAPTER13]
During the last three days before Abdu'l-Bahá left this country I haunted His presence. Those early December days brought a chill to my heart as well as to my body. Although, even then, I had not arrived at the point where I could say from my heart that I accepted the fundamental Bahá'í teachings relative to the divine station of Bahá'u'lláh and His place in the long line of prophetic Revelators, yet there could be no doubt in my mind of the station of Abdu'l-Bahá."The life of man is divine, eternal; not mortal and sensual. The sublimity of man is his attainment to the knowledge of God. The happiness of man is in the fragrance of the love of God. This is the highest pinnacle of attainment in the human world."
Abdu'l-Bahá[55]
What mattered if the station I ascribed was not in terms exactly parallel to those used by the friends around Him. It sufficed me that I saw in Him the perfect man, and that I would gladly have sacrificed all that I had, or ever could have, to approach that perfectness.
It was not simply that He had never failed me in a response to the circumstances and conditions of daily life which left nothing to be desired from the standpoint of wisdom, humility, courage, gentleness and courtesy. If that were all it would mean that I was assuming to my own judgment an expert dogmatism. Who was I to determine whether He were wise or not? Could I, in my ignorance, know anything about it? Could I judge, to any appreciable degree, His station except to compare Him with myself and any others I had ever known? From that viewpoint there could be no doubt. Incomparably was He superior. He stood out from mankind as a Mont Blanc upon a plain.
But there was something else which those who have carefully read this chronicle must have marked, but which elusively evades descriptive words. Yet must one try, for it is this very elusive something which does much to explain His power.
One of these fascinating and provocative characteristics was His ready laughter when alluding to subjects usually approached with extreme gravity. For instance: On the last day in New York I had my final personal interview with Him. I was saying good-bye and my heart was sad. Haltingly, I expressed this sorrow that He was leaving the country and that, in all probability, I should never see Him again. We were standing. It was actually the last good-bye. Abdu'l-Bahá laid His arm across my shoulders and walked with me to the door, saying that I should be with Him in all the worlds of God. And then He laughed--a hearty, ringing laugh--and I: my eyes blinded with tears.--"Why does He laugh?" I thought. Nevertheless, these words, and even more, the tone in which they were uttered, and His joyous laughter, have been an illuminating light upon my path through all these years.
Another characteristic always apparent was His silence. In the world of social and intellectual intercourse to which I was accustomed silence was almost unforgivable. From the collegiate with his, or her, "line," to the lawyer, doctor, minister, statesman--a ready answer, a witty bon mot, a wise remark, a knowing smile was stock-in-trade. They all had their "line," and it was upon their readiness or unreadiness to meet every occasion verbally that their reputation largely rested.
How differently Abdu'l-Bahá met the questioner, the conversationalist, the occasion: To the questioner He responded first with silence--an outward silence. His encouragement always was that the other should speak and He listen. There was never that eager tenseness, that restlessness so often met showing most plainly that the listener has the pat answer ready the moment he should have a chance to utter it.
I have heard certain people described as "good listeners," but never had I imagined such a "listener" as `Abdul'-Bahá. It was more than a sympathetic absorption of what the ear received. It was as though the two individualities became one; as if He so closely identified Himself with the one speaking that a merging of spirits occurred which made a verbal response almost unnecessary, superfluous. As I write, the words of Bahá'u'lláh recur to me: "When the sincere servant calls to Me in prayer I become the very ear with which He heareth My reply."[56]
That was just it! Abdu'l-Bahá seemed to listen with my ears.
You see what I mean by saying that I am trying to describe the indescribable. All this may sound to the reader as quite fantastic. Others may not have received this impression in their contacts with Him, but this invariable characteristic of Abdu'l-Bahá is one of my most vivid remembrances and has been the subject of much meditation.
And when, under His encouraging sympathy, the interviewer became emptied of his words, there followed a brief interval of silence. There was no instant and complete outpouring of explanation and advice. He sometimes closed His eyes a moment as if He sought guidance from above himself; sometimes sat and searched the questioner's soul with a loving, comprehending smile that melted the heart.
And when He finally spoke, and that modulated, resonant voice of music came, the words were so unexpected, often, so seemingly foreign to the subject, that the questioner was at first somewhat bewildered, but always, with me at least, this was followed by a calmness, an understanding which went much deeper than the mind.
Still another characteristic from the many which crowd the memory:--His penetrating insight into the very heart of every subject under discussion. Sometimes this was shown by a story in which wit and wisdom were so inextricably mingled that one was often at a loss to know whether he should laugh, or weep, or stand in awe.
When He was at Lake Mohonk, where He spoke to the members of the Inter-National Peace Conference, Abdu'l-Bahá was walking with a group of the friends one morning when they came upon a party of young people.
After a few words of greeting He said: that He would tell them an oriental story: Once the rats and mice held an important conference the subject of which was how to make peace with the cat. After a long and heated discussion it was decided that the best thing to do would be to tie a bell around the neck of the cat so that the rats and mice would be warned of his movements and have time to get out of his way.
This seemed an excellent plan until the question arose as to who should undertake the dangerous job of belling the cat. None of the rats liked the idea and the mice thought they were altogether too weak. So the conference broke up in confusion.
Everyone laughed, Abdu'l-Bahá with them. After a short pause He added that that is much like these Peace Conferences. Many words, but no one is likely to approach the question of who will bell the Czar of Russia, the Emperor of Germany, the President of France and the Emperor of Japan.
Faces were now more grave. Abdu'l-Bahá laughed again: There is a Divine Club, He said, which shall break their power in pieces.
In the light of world events during the twenty-five years since Abdu'l-Bahá told that story to a youthful, happy group fresh from listening to the eloquent appeals for world peace voiced by well-meaning but impotent ones; the distractedly weak discussing how to bell the war-cat. His keen penetration into the very heart of the difficulty, and His laughing summing up of the situation in a little ancient fable, the characteristic of which I spoke is demonstrated but only to a slight degree.
Two years later the world war broke. Some of those very youngsters who laughed with Him so lightheartedly doubtless left their bodies in Flanders; the German war-lord fled his empire, his dreams become a nightmare; the torrent flooding the world carried thrones to ruin like disintegrating dwellings in a spring freshet. The Divine Club, indeed!
On one of these final days, while waiting for the friends to gather, I was talking with one of the Persian friends, Mahmud, while the Master was busied with a small group nearby. As ever, my mind was preoccupied with watching Him. His gestures. His smile. His radiant personality were a constant fascination.
"May I ask," Mahmud was saying, "whether you speak from your pulpit about the Cause of Bahá'u'lláh at all?" "Yes," I answered, "not as often as I might wish, but I quote frequently from the Writings in illustration of my subject."
"When you quote do you mention the Author?"
"Certainly," I said, in some surprise, "I naturally give my authority."
He said, "It must require some courage, does that not arouse criticism?"
"I had not thought of the matter in that light. Why should it require courage to speak of truth without regard to its source? We are not living in the middle ages."
Mahmud stepped over to where Abdu'l-Bahá was sitting and said a few words in Persian to Him. The Master smiled over at me with that indescribably penetrating glance of which I have often spoken. He remarked that it took a great deal of courage.
This was on the afternoon of Dec. 3rd in the Park Avenue home of a woman whose life for years had been dedicated to service in spite of the, at times, somewhat violent opposition of her influential husband, who had even gone so far as to have her examined by alienists, but who, some years later, became a devoted adherent to the cause of Bahá'u'lláh. The large drawing room was filled when the Master spoke to us. The words were few but pregnant, dealing again with those qualities which must characterize the believers.
"I offer supplication to the Kingdom of Abhá and seek extraordinary blessings and confirmations on your behalf in order that your tongues may become fluent, your hearts like clear mirrors flooded with the rays of the Sun of Truth, your thoughts expanded, your comprehensions more vivid and that you may progress in the plane of human perfections.
"Until man acquires perfections himself he will not be able to teach perfections to others. Unless man attains life himself he cannot convey life to others. Unless he finds light he cannot reflect light. We must therefore endeavor ourselves to attain to the perfections of the world of humanity, lay hold of everlasting life and seek the divine spirit in order that we may thereby be enabled to confer life upon others, be enabled to breathe life into others."[57]
As these words are written we recall a conversation with one of the editors of a well-known and "influential" Christian magazine. He has written and lectured much on world conditions and is an eloquent disciple of the cause of international peace. In this interview, which I had sought because of one of his books lately read, I mentioned the Bahá'í House of Worship whose impressive dome was almost within sight of where we sac. Instantly his demeanor changed.
"If you are speaking of Bahá'ísm," he said, "I have nothing more to say."
"Have you investigated its teachings?" I asked, much surprised at this strange attitude.
"No, I haven't and I have no desire to do so," he answered. And without waiting for a reply, he continued:
"That may be prejudice, and I am frank to admit that I am prejudiced."
"How can we ever attain to world peace unless we are freed from prejudice?" I said, rising to take my leave, for the interview was plainly at an end, "surely we can free ourselves from that incubus."
"Never," he said, smilingly but with great vigor, "never can we be free from prejudice: it is ineradicable in human nature."
I speak of this incident, unimportant in itself, to illustrate the unanswerable wisdom of Abdu'l-Bahá's words just quoted. He is not holding before us an unattainable or indefinite ideal. He is pointing out a simple and demonstrable fact. And in the light of that fact we see at once why so little real progress is made towards universal peace and unity in religion by the wordy adherents of these ideals. How plainly does prejudice, self-interest and narrow vision underlie their words! How can the hearts clouded by such mists reflect the Sun of Truth? How can they breathe life into others when there is no sincere, self-sacrificing desire on their pan to acquire life?
On the evening of the same day Abdu'l-Bahá spoke briefly again to a group of Bahá'í friends of the subject which, on these last days seemed very close to His heart and lips--the station to which those who had accepted the teachings of Bahá'u'lláh were called and expected to attain by the very fact that they had accepted them.
I remember, in this connection, a story told me by one of the friends present at a meeting of the executive committee of the New York Spiritual Assembly. Abdu'l-Bahá had been asked to be present. After listening to their deliberations for a half-hour or so He calmly arose to leave.
At the door He paused a moment and surveyed the faces turned towards Him. After a moment of silence He said, that He had been told that this was a meeting of the executive committee. "Yes, Master," said the Chairman.
Then why do you not execute.
Always was His emphasis upon deeds: and deeds of such quality and purity as seemed, to those who listened, unattainable. Nevertheless there was no lowering of the standard. And He set the example. There was no doubt of that. Like the true Leader He never called upon His followers to go where He had not blazed the Path.
I have proclaimed unto you the glad tidings of the Kingdom of God and explained the wishes of the Blessed Perfection. I have set forth that which is conducive to human progress and shown you the humility of servitude.[58]
I have selected these latter words for emphasis because they indicate what seems to me to be the very heart of Abdu'l-Bahá's teachings.
First: His invariable example. Second: His "humility of servitude." This spirit of servitude was His distinguishing characteristic. The very title given Him by Bahá'u'lláh, Abdu'l-Bahá, and by which He wished always to be known and addressed, "The Servant of Glory," was indicative of the essential nature of this quality as it related to the Bahá'í teaching. He was once asked to act as honorary chairman of the National Spiritual Assembly. "Abdu'l-Bahá is a servant," He responded simply.
"I am Abdu'l-Bahá and no more. I am not pleased with whosoever praises me by any other tide. I am the servant of the Blessed Perfection, and I hope that this Servitude of mine will become acceptable. Whosoever mentions any other name save this will not please me at all. Abdu'l-Bahá and no more. No person must praise me except by this name: "Abdu'l-Bahá."
And again: "The mystery of mysteries of these words, texts and lines, is servitude to the Holy Presence of the Beauty of `Abhá, and effacement, evanescence and perfect dispersion before the Blessed Threshold. This is my brilliant diadem and my glorious crown. With this I will be glorified in the heavenly kingdom and the kingdom of this world. And with it I will approach unto the Beauty among the nearest ones to God, and no one is allowed to interpret other than this."
Abdu'l-Bahá says that the "conditions of existence are limited to servitude, Prophethood and Deity."[59] That is to say: since man is incapable of attainment either to the station of the Divine Essence or of Prophethood (except in those unique instances of the anointed Ones, which occur, roughly speaking about every thousand years) the only possible station to which he may aspire is that of servitude.
In spite of the fact that Jesus proclaimed much the same truth this is practically an entirely new conception, originating with the teaching of Bahá'u'lláh and exemplified in every deed and word of His majestic Son.
It is important, then, that this word and its implications be examined. What does Abdu'l-Bahá mean by Servitude? What possible ground can he have for asserting, as He does by implication, that unless man in this day attains that station he forfeits the right to be called man at all?
When Jesus said: "He that would be greatest among you let him be the servant of all:" "The meek shall inherit the earth." And when He washed His disciple's feet--what did He mean? What was He trying to convey?
Exactly what Abdu'l-Bahá means when He made the statements I have quoted above. And it is very simple and demonstrable truth.
Bahá'u'lláh says:
"The station of man is high. This is a great and blessed Day, and that which has been hidden in man is and shall be disclosed. The station of man is great if he holds to Reality and Truth, and if he be firm and steadfast in the Commands. The true man appeareth before the Merciful One like unto the heavens; his sight and hearing are the sun and moon; his bright and shining qualities are the stars; his station is the highest one; his traces are the educators of existence." [60]
And again He says: "Man is not to be called man until he be imbued
with the attributes of the Merciful."[61]
Now, as though a wide window opened to a breeze from the world of
explanation and understanding, Abdu'l-Bahá's glorification of the
station of Servitude becomes clear, or at least clearer than was possible
without this new, yet eternally old, definition of Man. For Servitude, to
Abdu'l-Bahá, was--is--the Path, the only possible Path to that
Greatness. And this, I believe, is just the greatness to which Jesus referred,
the greatness of true Manhood. One of the distinguishing marks of the
revelation of Bahá'u'lláh is His practical explanation of Jesus'
Words and the inclusion of their obedience in His theophany.
"The humility of servitude" to Abdu'l-Bahá was His "Brilliant diadem and glorious crown." Why? Certainly not because He wished to be honored and glorified above others. That would be far from humility. No! Only because He thus, and thus only, could show others the Path to Greatness.
Speaking broadly, there are three possible basic relations between men: Strife, Cooperation and Service. Whether these relations are demonstrated in the fields of home life; commerce; education; government, or anywhere else, these three motivating impulses may be seen. Usually all three of them are present, each striving for supremacy, though often quite unconsciously. Sometimes only one or two are active.
Take the average home life for example. There we find, let us say, a father, a mother, three or four children and a housemaid. There is strife always to be found, even in the most idealistic home. Not an outward strife always, though differences do often arise, but always an inner commotion due to the necessary effort towards unity. Then, of course there is cooperation for this is the basis of any family life, without which it would disintegrate rapidly. Finally we see service typified by the housemaid, but active in every member in varying degrees.
Let us imagine that rare article: a perfect maidservant, a purely hypothetical character, admittedly, but admirable for the purpose of illustration. She is efficient, cooks the most delectable dishes; she is good natured, always cheerful and happy; she is obedient, never asserts herself, never contradicts; she is wise with a homely common sense which penetrates to the heart of a problem, whether it relates to the "master's" fondness for coffee of a certain strength, the "mistress'" liking for breakfast in bed combined with an early engagement at a committee meeting, or little Johnnie's embarrassment over a raid on the pantry resulting in tummy-agony which must be hidden from mother. This wisdom may even be so far embracing that it involves a study of the current news and market reports so that father and mother unconsciously talk things over with her when a club paper is to be prepared or a large purchase made.
I have sometimes amused myself with picturing the daily life of such a family. Is there any question which one of its members would be the ruling power? Which the greatest, the most indispensable one of its members? Can one not imagine the consternation in that household if "Bridget" or "Mary" should announce a severing of connection?
Take another illustration: A corner grocery which has for its motto--and lives up to it every instant--"Service First." Service before profit; service before clockwatching; service before any personal consideration whatever. After all, preposterous as such an hypothetical grocery store may be, that is just what a food store should be. Does not the comfort, even in isolated cases perhaps, the very life of the community it serves depend upon it? If the desire for profit overbalances, the result is debased and unhealthy food. The law has stringent penalties for such infraction, but such laws would be unnecessary if the spirit of true service ruled. But our imaginary--our utterly preposterous ideal store IS ruled by that spirit No self-sacrifice is too great for its owner and employees to insure that perfect service is rendered with its only objective the health, happiness and welfare of its community.
Can one not easily picture the inevitable result? That store would be the Ruler of that community. Its fame would spread over the land; its business would prosper beyond any imaginings; its owner and managers might be consulted by statesmen. It would be GREAT.
But let us allow our imaginations further rioting. Let us suppose that in addition to this spirit of service the proprietor was possessed of a wisdom and love based upon the Sermon on the Mount. The mere suggestion of such a possibility is sufficient. Such a man would come to be possessed of a Power rivaling and surpassing that of a king.
If the reader is not by this time so bored by this fantastic picture that he throws the book down in disgust, let him in imagination apply this principle to the field of education, in which teachers, students, principals, et al, are motivated by a like spirit; to the field of general commerce; of government, of international relations. Would not the happiness, prosperity, efficiency and general welfare of the race be immeasurably advanced?
But the important thing to observe is that this picture involves the appearance on this planet of a type of man quite new in world experience. But let it be also noted that while such a man is new in actual experience he is not new in the picturings of such men as Confucius, Buddha, Zoroaster, Moses, Jesus and Muhammad. Such men have always held these ideals before mankind. But in the teachings of Bahá'u'lláh, and in the life and example of Abdu'l-Bahá, these ideals are for the first time brought to the forefront and made the basis of a New World Order.
Man is called today to the attainment of that station to which he was destined from the "Beginning which has no beginning." In the very Words of Bahá'u'lláh: "We have created whomsoever is in the heaven and upon the earth after the nature of God. And he who advanceth to this Face (His Revelation) will appear in the condition wherein he was created."[62]
This, then, is why Abdu'l-Bahá so exalted the station of Servitude. This is why He intimated that man accepting any station lower than this, any putting of self before service to others, qualifies himself as of the animal, the bestial nature, and places himself outside the pale of real manhood. It is because the definition of Man is altered. That which has been hinted in the past as a possible goal is now a requisite. Man's dreams, his highest dreams, must now be realized. And the path to that realization is the path of Service; its Goal the attainment to the station of pure Servitude.
"The sweetness of servitude is the food of my spirit." These words of the Master indicates the source of His power. His was a vastly higher quality of service than even that of my fanciful imagination in the hypothetical cases mentioned above. It went far deeper; it rose to far greater heights. It was a quality inherent in His deepest being, and manifested itself in every look, gesture, deed, I had almost said in every breath He drew. The following prayer unequivocally expresses the divine station ascribed in His heart to this quality of Servitude. Can any one reading it, with eyes from which the veil of self has fallen, fail to glimpse the glory to which manhood may rise when once the Truth it hides from our blind, self-clouded eyes is clearly seen?
He is the All-Glorious!
O God, my God! Lowly and tearful, I raise my suppliant hands to Thee and cover my face in the dust of that Threshold of Thine, exalted above the knowledge of the learned, and the praise of all that glorify Thee. Graciously look upon Thy servant, humble and lowly at Thy door, with the glances of the eye of Thy mercy, and immerse him in the Ocean of Thine eternal grace.
Lord! He is a poor and lowly servant of Thine, enthralled and imploring Thee, captive in Thy hand, praying fervently to Thee, trusting in Thee, in tears before Thy face, calling to Thee and beseeching Thee, saying:
O Lord, my God! Give me Thy grace to serve Thy loved ones, strengthen me in my servitude to Thee, illumine my brow with the light of adoration in Thy court of holiness, and of prayer to Thy Kingdom of grandeur. Help me to be selfless at the heavenly entrance of Thy gate, and aid me to be detached from all things within Thy holy precincts. Lord! Give me to drink from the chalice of selflessness; with its robe clothe me, and in its ocean immerse me. Make me as dust in the pathway of Thy loved ones, and grant that I may offer up my soul for the earth ennobled by the footsteps of Thy chosen ones in Thy path, O Lord of Glory in the Highest.
With this prayer doth Thy servant call Thee, at dawntide and in the night-season. Fulfill his heart's desire, O Lord! Illumine his heart, gladden his bosom, kindle his light, that he may serve Thy Cause and Thy servants.
Thou art the Bestower, the Pitiful, the Most Bountiful, the Gracious, the Merciful, the Compassionate.[63] [+CHAPTER14]
Every Christ came to the world of mankind. Therefore, we must investigate the foundation of divine religion, discover its reality, reestablish it and spread its message throughout the world so that it may become the source of illumination and enlightenment to mankind, the spiritually dead become alive, the spiritually blind receive sight and those who are inattentive to God become awakened.
Abdu'l-Bahá, Promulgation of Universal Peace, pp. 444-445
Here was a great modem steamship about to leave for Naples. As I went up the gang-plank I found myself in the midst of that indeterminate, indescribable rushing about; the bustling confusion of a departing liner. Friends saying a last good-bye; laughter with wet eyes; petty-officers bellowing orders; whistles from passing ferryboats; uniforms, business suits, rumbling baggage trunks, women, children--and the wintry sun bright over all.
I caught sight of several of my friends and joined them on their way to the large saloon cabin which seemed to have been given over to the farewell scene. Here the atmosphere was very different. True, the noises of the world without penetrated but were silenced by the serenity of another world. Here was Abdu'l-Bahá, His face a mosaic of beauty. His cream-colored robe fell to His feet. His fez slightly tipped, as I had grown accustomed to seeing it at times. In fact the position of that head-dress seemed to me often indicative of His mood--humorous, slightly tipped; welcoming, a backward slant; grave and serious, firmly on His crown of silvery hair; authoritative and commanding, slightly over His dome-like brow. These may be fanciful differentiations but much of my time during my many meetings with Him had been spent in silent watchfulness of that compelling figure, and many must have noted, as had I, that one of His most characteristic movements was the involuntarily lifted hand adjusting the fez to a new angle.
My memory recalls the scene as though yesterday my eyes beheld it. The large, low-ceiled saloon was crowded. At least one hundred, possibly more of the friends were there. The Persians who had accompanied Him to this country surrounded Him--more correctly speaking, were grouped behind Him. Indicative of the Oriental attitude toward the Master was the noticeable fact that never, under any circumstances, would one of them dream of standing in front of Him, or even beside Him, unless summoned or delivering a message. When walking always were they in the rear. Even when accompanied by only one, and conversing with Him, that one always walked an appreciable few inches behind Him. When speaking with Him they rarely raised their eyes to His face. In His presence they stood as before a king. How different the Western believer's attitude! Our boasted democracy has its windy aspects under any circumstances, but when in the presence of spiritual majesty humility is freedom.
Few of us found seats. The chairs and lounges were limited and we were many. The interpreter, who had long been His secretary and was now returning with Him, stood a pace behind Him. And then He spoke. For the last time, in this world, that beloved voice resounded in my ears. I have often mentioned the quality of that voice. Never shall it be forgotten by those who truly heard it. It had a bell-like resonance unapproached by any other. It seemed to carry with it the music of another world. Almost one could imagine an accompaniment of unseen choirs.
"This is my last meeting with you. These are my final words of exhortation. I have repeatedly summoned you to the cause of the unity of the world of humanity, announcing that all mankind arc the servants of the same God. Therefore you must manifest the greatest kindness and love towards the nations of the world, setting aside fanaticism, abandoning religious, national and racial prejudice.... Therefore if anyone offends another he offends God. God loves all equally. As this is true should the sheep quarrel amongst themselves? They should manifest gratitude and thankfulness to God, and the best way to thank God is to love one another.
Beware lest ye offend any heart, lest ye speak against anyone in his absence, lest ye estrange yourselves from the servants of God. Direct your whole effort towards the happiness of those who are despondent, bestow food upon the hungry, clothe the needy and glorify the humble. Be a helper to every helpless one and manifest kindness to your fellow-creatures in order that ye may attain the good-pleasure of God. This is conducive to the illumination of the world of humanity and eternal felicity for yourselves. I seek from God everlasting glory on your behalf; therefore this is my prayer and exhortation."[64]
After a reference to the war then being carried on in the Balkans, and the arresting sentence; in the light of what occurred two years later: "A world-enkindling fire is astir in the Balkans," He continued:--
"As to you: your efforts must be lofty. Exert yourselves with heart and soul so that through your efforts the light of universal peace may shine; that all men may become as one family; that the East may assist the West and the West give help to the East.
Consider how the Prophets who have been sent, the great souls who have appeared and the sages who have arisen among men, have exhorted mankind to unity and love. This has been the goal of their guidance and message. Consider the heedlessness of the world, for, notwithstanding the efforts and sufferings of the prophets of God, the nations are still engaged in hostility and fighting. How heedless and ignorant are the people of the world! How gross the darkness which envelops them! Although they are the children of a compassionate God, they continue to act in opposition to His will and pleasure. God blesses and protects their homes; they rage, sack and destroy each other's homes. Consider their ignorance and heedlessness!
Your duties are of another kind. for you are informed of the mysteries of God. Your eyes arc illumined, your ears are quickened with hearing. You must look towards each other and then towards mankind with the utmost love and kindness. You have no excuse to bring before God if you fail to live according to His command, for you are informed of that which constitutes the good-pleasure of God. You have heard His commandments and precepts. You must, therefore, be kind to all men; you muse even treat your enemies as your friends. You must consider your evil-wishers as your well-wishers. Those who are not agreeable towards you must be regarded as those who are congenial and pleasant; so that, perchance, this darkness of disagreement and conflict may disappear from amongst men and the light of the divine may shine forth; so that the Orient may be illumined and the Occident be filled with fragrance; nay, so that the Ease and the West may embrace each other in love and deal with each other in sympathy and affection.
Until man reaches this high station the world of humanity shall not find rest, and eternal felicity shall not be attained. But if man lives up to these divine Commandments, this world of earth shall be transformed into the world of heaven and this material sphere shall be convened into a Paradise of Glory.
It is my hope that you may become successful in this high calling, so that like brilliant lamps you may cast light upon this world of humanity and quicken and stir the body of existence like unto a spirit of life.
This is eternal glory. This is everlasting felicity. This is immortal Life. This is heavenly attainment. This is being created in the image and likeness of God.
And unto this I call you, praying God to strengthen and bless you."[65]
Such ideas and ideals have been expressed by all the noble ones of the past and present but at this great crisis in the history of mankind their implications are entirely different.
(1) They are not only exhortations; they are Commands. Note the recurrence of the word "must."
(2) They are characterized by their completeness (I here refer to the full and exhaustive revelations of Bahá'u'lláh and their practical exemplification by Abdu'l-Bahá) and their definite application to the needs of the hour.
(3) Never in the history of mankind has the mind of the average man been so matured and prepared to listen to, and to act upon them, nor so generally aware of the pressing, immediate need of their application.
(4) For at least 1300 years such ideals and commands have not found utterance through human lips by One Who not only spoke them but lived them.
(5) These Commands are addressed not to a select group, not to one nation or race, but to all peoples and individuals throughout the world, and the call is to form an entirely new WORLD order, a new type of International Civilization founded upon these Divine Revelations--for such is the unequivocal claim.--This World Order having been explicitly outlined, and directions given for its practical working, in the voluminous writings and detailed explanations of Bahá'u'lláh and Abdu'l-Bahá.
In order that the reader may have before him a picture of what this New World Order envisages, I quote a few words from The Goal of the New World Order written by Shoghi Effendi, the Guardian of the Bahá'í Faith, in 1931. He quotes from Bahá'u'lláh's Tablet to Queen Victoria, written about 1866, as follows:
"O kings of the earth! We see you adding every year unto your expenditures and laying the burden thereof on the people whom ye rule; verily this is naught but grievous injustice. Fear the sighs and tears of this Wronged One, and burden not your peoples 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 domains. Be united, O concourse of the sovereigns of the world, for thereby will the tempest of discord be stilled amongst you and your peoples find rest. Should anyone among you take up arms against another, rise ye all against him, for this is naught but manifest justice."[66]
And Shoghi Effendi comments as follows:
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 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 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.[67]
(6) During the 93 years since the Message was announced by the Báb, and in the 74 years since the public announcement of His Mission and station by Bahá'u'lláh, and--more noticeably--during the sixteen years since the establishment of the function of Guardianship and the inauguration by Shoghi Effendi of the administrative framework of the New World Order, the several millions of enrolled believers in all the countries of the world have been organized into a coherent, steadfast, self-sacrificing army which unreservedly accepts these commands as of divine origin and is prepared to obey them unquestioningly.
The attention of the thoughtful ones amongst statesmen, scientists and laymen has been noticeably aroused by this unprecedented phenomenon. Year by year this accelerated motion is increasing. There is therefore plainly to be seen growing up in the midst of a world of unrest, confusion and strife; a world of uncertainties and planless effort, the actual appearance of a new type of manhood; a new conception of government and citizenship; a new vision of the practical possibilities of human life upon this planet.
(7) To whatever cause it may be ascribed it is becoming increasingly apparent that many, if not all, of the teachings of Bahá'u'lláh are being accepted by the broader minds, the wiser statesmen of the world, irrespective of their knowledge of the life, or the acceptance of the station of their Originator.
The reader may desire, and is entitled to, a proof of the last assertion. Any complete quotations from men universally accepted as more or less qualified to speak intelligently of world affairs would require a large volume. The quotations given are only meant to be indicative of a trend of modem thought which any wide reading will substantiate.
"Cooperation muse be the leading thought. Not one country only but the world must be organized into one commonwealth. National armaments must disappear and only a sufficient police force remain to keep order. Those countries in which women are most active in public affairs are democratic and peace-loving."
Arthur Henderson, President of the Disarmament Conference
at a dinner
given by the Women's Organizations of the Consultative Group.
Here two of the commands of Bahá'u'lláh are supported. Almost the exact wording of Bahá'u'lláh's command is used regarding the method to be followed in disarming. Also Bahá'u'lláh's Words regarding the station of Women in this Day are acknowledged as wise.
"The liberal scientific research--man's eternal search for truth in its vase, ever-changing forms--cannot be too highly encouraged and praised."
Crown Prince Gustaf Adolf of Sweden.
From his address at the Spring
Festival, Uppsala University.
This may seem a commonplace to the reader: but when it is remembered that when Bahá'u'lláh first voiced the Command that the "Independent investigation of Truth" is the first requisite in a divine civilization, such an idea was generally unacceptable. When I was a boy an energetic controversy waged for some years over whether Darwin's theory of the Origin of Species could possibly be accepted since it seemed to contradict the story of man's origin as given in Genesis. And I seem to remember that even today a certain State in this enlightened country of ours still has a statute quite rigidity enforced, which is based not upon whether the theory of evolution has an element of truth, but upon whether it can be justified by a prejudiced and ignorant interpretation of words written some thousands of years ago. Galileo, Roger Bacon, Copernicus lived not so long ago and we still have with us the Index Expurgatorius.
It is an unquestioned fact that prior to the middle of the 19th Century the final decision as to what constituted Truth was almost exclusively in the hands of ecclesiastics, and the pursuit of science untrammeled was difficulty to say the least. Not until Bahá'u'lláh issued His Commands relative to the oneness of science and religion did the freedom of the mind attain its birth. Coincidence if you like, but there it is.
"The present time is not an economic revolution but a spiritual revolution. We, the people of today, are passing through the most momentous and far-reaching changes that have taken place since the beginning of recorded history. Science has made us the undisputed masters of all the forces of Nature. There is enough grain to feed everybody. There is enough wool to clothe everybody. There is enough stone and mortar to house everybody. And yet the picture all around us is one of vast hopelessness and despair.
Something therefore must be wrong with the picture! That is what we say. Would it not perhaps be a little fairer to confess: "Something is wrong with ourselves?"
`To have or to be!' I shall submit that terrific sentence to all who have eyes to see and ears to hear and that true spiritual courage that is the basis of all permanent progress."
Hendricks Van Loon. "To Have or to Be."
"It may be that, without freedom from one's self, all other freedom is vain. . . Perhaps in the deeper realization of our inevitable brotherhood, perhaps in our increased awareness of values other than material, there may be the germs of a lasting faith by means of which the diverse peoples of this nation may be united in a common purpose. . . .We need a unifying faith by means of which some part of the responsibilities that we are now carrying may be lifted from us, in the light of which our way may be made clearer before us."
Margaret Cary Madeira. Atlantic Monthly.
"No system of human relationships can succeed if operated in the attitude and with the intention of mutual exploitation.
Any system will succeed if operated in the spirit of mutual service; indeed, in this spirit the need of systems would disappear."
Jas. H. Cousins. The Young Builder.
"In all these spheres--the economic, the racial, the international, which in many places overlap--there are signs that the golden age is dawning. It will not come automatically. It will come, as reforms have always come, because some heroic souls count not their lives dear in order that they may translate from the ideal to the actual those truths by which Jesus Christ lived and for which He died."
D. G. W. Stafford, of University Temple, Seattle,
at the Institute of
World Affairs.
"Not only in relation to our physical needs but in relation also to our mental needs does our new interrelated civilization play a vital part. Spiritually we cannot go back to the water-tight divisions, to the narrow loyalties, to the little sectarianisms which characterized the old way of life.
A new and wider trail has been blazed; and while there will undoubtedly be an occasional loss of direction, as there is at the present moment, the trend toward a world economy and a planetary consciousness is too definitely under way to be permanently reversed.
Raymond B. Fosdick. Scientific American.
It would be possible to continue such quotations almost indefinitely, and to cap each one with the definite command of Bahá'u'lláh; but surely any unprejudiced mind, after even a cursory study of the writings of Bahá'u'lláh and Abdu'l-Bahá, will find innumerable examples of the fulfillment of their commands in the daily press, current magazines, the announcements from laboratory, national council chambers, the work rooms of inventor, and mechanic; "Whether we look or whether we listen" we see and hear on every hand the fulfillment of Their Words, the obedience to Their Commands.
While Abdu'l-Bahá was in this country He said to one who mourned the conditions prevailing throughout the world, then in far less distress than now, that we should not be disturbed, that whatever may occur in the future we must know always that nothing happens that does not forward the Kingdom of Bahá'u'lláh. His Will is supreme.
Speaking in Montclair, N.J., June 23, 1912, Abdu'l-Bahá said:
None of the Prophets of God were famous men, but They were unique in spiritual power. Love is the eternal sovereignty. Love is the divine power. By it all the kings of earth are overthrown and conquered. What evidence of this could be greater than the accomplishment of Bahá'u'lláh? He appeared in the East and was exiled. He was sent to the prison of Akká in Palestine. Two powerful despotic kings arose against Him. During His exile and imprisonment He wrote Tablets of authority to the kings and rulers of the world, announcing His spiritual sovereignty, establishing the religion of God, upraising the heavenly banners of the Cause of God.[68]
Again speaking at a dinner in Washington, D.C., April 22, 1912, only ten days after His arrival in this country, He said:
Today in this meeting we have an evidence of how Bahá'u'lláh through the power of the love of God has exercised a wonderful spiritual influence throughout the world. From the remotest parts of Persia and the Orient He has caused men to come to this table to meet with the people of the West in the utmost love and affection, union and harmony. Behold how the power of Bahá'u'lláh has brought the East and West together. And Abdu'l-Bahá is standing, serving you. There is neither rod nor blow, whip nor sword; but the power of the love of God has accomplished this.[69]
The point I am endeavoring to make is this: That Bahá'u'lláh lays claim to a Divine Power which overrules men and nations; that this Power is the power of the Love of God; that everything that is happening in this world today is evidence of that overruling Power; that investigation of the Commands and foresight of Bahá'u'lláh and His Exemplar compared with the events transpiring in the world since 1853 will bear testimony to the effectiveness of that Power, and finally, that there is unmistakable evidence on every hand; in every quarter of the globe; amongst every type of mind and every activity, that world opinion is moving with accelerated motion into line with a world order exactly corresponding to the plan outlined by Bahá'u'lláh, promulgated and exemplified by Abdu'l-Bahá, and now, at this very moment, being organized, administrated and operated by His grandson, Shoghi Effendi, from the international center at Haifa, Palestine.
What, then, is the complete picture of the situation? It is beyond the bounds of the human mind to give this picture in its fullness, and beyond the limits of this book even to portray so much of it as is within these bounds. But enough has been pointed out to allow for a brief and graphic picture of its essential elements.
We see a small group numbering several millions of souls, scattered in all parts of the world, composed of every nation, race and creed, without reservation accepting Bahá'u'lláh as the Supreme Law-giver for the world organization of a new order of civilization, and ready to sacrifice all, even to life itself in His service. Balancing this, and working in complete harmony with it, we see the League of Nations gradually coming into line with these Laws; we see world opinion coming to a realization that such laws are indispensable if any true civilization is to exist, and we see the framework of that new order actually growing rapidly before our very eyes under the administration of Shoghi Effendi. Let him who reads investigate with open mind and ask himself whether such a movement may with wisdom be neglected.
To return to the scene on the S. S. Celtic. When Abdu'l-Bahá had finished His brief talk He requested all present to come to Him that He might take their hands in a parting expression of His love. How impressive that scene, how filled with a significance beyond words to express, how fragrant with an atmosphere of a world far removed from the sordid world around us, may only be intimated.
We slowly passed in front of Him. To each He gave a handful of the flowers massed near Him--of which, by the way, none remained when He had finished--and to each He spoke a few words of love and encouragement. When my own turn came I again forgot all but His nearness and the overwhelming fact that never again in this world would I see Him, or hear that beloved voice. I impulsively dropped to a knee, raised His hand with mine and placed it upon my head. Never shall I forget the relaxation of that arm and hand. It made no move of itself. It was a dead weight in my clasp. But His face was illumined with transcendent light.
Here was my final, indelible impression of that supreme humility, evanescence, servitude and love which ever characterized His slightest act, and which never failed.
The friends gathered on the wharf looked up at the figure of their Master as the ship slowly moved into the river. Abdu'l-Bahá stood at the rail. His white hair and beard moved by the breeze. His erect, majestic figure outlined clearly. In His hand I noticed the rosary which was His constant companion. His lips were moving. I could easily read those lips. "Alláh'u'Abhá!" "Alláh'u'Abhá!" "God the Most Glorious!" "God the Most Glorious!"
[+CHAPTER15]
It was about two or three months after Abdu'l-Bahá had left America that I came into the realization, a conviction which has never since wavered for an instant, of the respective stations of the BabBáb, as the "First Point" of Light on the horizon of the New Day; of Bahá'u'lláh, "The Glory of God," as the "Manifestation of the Lights of the Essence in the Mirror of Names and At-tributes," and of His Son, Abdu'l-Bahá as the Center of His Covenant, the divinely appointed exemplar, the perfect Man, whose mission it was to manifest the beauty of holiness in the station of perfect servitude to God and man--"I am the servant of the servants of God.""If ye believe in Me I will make you the friends of My soul in the Realm of My Greatness and the companions of My Perfection in the Kingdom of My Might forever."
Bahá'u'lláh
Strangely enough this conviction was the direct out-come of spiritual service. It became overwhelmingly apparent that for the first time in my ministry I was able, in a deeply transforming manner, to assist souls struggling in the grasp of temptation, sorrow, perplexity of mind and confused with all the intricate problems of life and death.
A spiritual intuition seemed to have been born--undoubtedly derived from the sublime Words upon which my spirit had been feeding for many months, and still more from the personal teachings and example of Abdu'l-Bahá, that gave to those words that poignancy--which attracted and melted hearts. I suppose the old terminology might have used the term: "the gift of the Holy Spirit" to describe this marvelous happening. All that I know is that it was an entirely new and very humbling experience.
The teachings and example of Abdu'l-Bahá colored and influenced all relations with my kind. I saw even my weak attempts to adapt the teachings I had received to the needs of individual souls result so effectually that I was filled with a sensation of mingled awe and joy so new, so overwhelming, that I was carried as if on a torrent of absolute conviction into such an atmosphere of certitude that every vestige of my former doubts and uncertainties vanished as if they had never been. A Voice whispered across the ages in my deepest soul: "Men do not gather grapes of thorns, nor figs from thistles." When one sees with his own eyes human souls awakened, hearts touched with a divine afflatus, lives deeply affected, sorrow transformed into content, inward strife and turbulence calmed, by the Words taken from the prayers and explanations of these Divine Ones, and applied like a soothing ointment to the wounds of the soul, to doubt the Spirit from which" they emanated would have been to doubt all the prophets of the past; would have been to cast discredit on the Sermon on the Mount and on all Christian tradi-tiontradition. "If this is not of God," I said to myself, "then there is no foundation for faith in God. I would rather be wrong with this great Faith than seemingly right with all the doubters and cavilers in the world." From the very depths of my being there came the cry as uttered by the firm believers of old: "My Lord and my God!"
Moreover, in my own life such a new orientation occurred that all events and circumstances; all thoughts and expressions; all people and conversations acquired a new significance and a new purport. It seemed as though there gradually took shape, underlying the smallest as well as the more important events of daily life, a something solid, an assurance of it all being well in spite of outward seeming, which transformed the world. "He had set my feet upon a rock and established my going."
I remember that one of the members of my family greeted me one morning, as I entered the room, with the surprised ejaculation: "Well, what's the good news?" I suppose my face and bearing was that of one who had just received the announcement of exceeding good fortune.
The meaning of the Words which I had so often quoted in the more or less perfunctory manner of the theologian came to me with a novel and striking significance: "Behold I bring you glad tidings of great joy!" And the words of Bahá'u'lláh expressing this same source of supreme happiness: "This is that which is the spring of all the gladness of the world."
But it was undoubtedly the receipt of a third Tablet from the Master which completed my subjugation. I quote it simply with the prefatory remark that all communications from Abdu'l-Bahá are universal and may be read by any soul and applied to himself if he fulfills the conditions of the sincere seeker.
"O thou my heavenly son:
Thy letter was received. It was a rose-garden from which the sweet fragrances of the love of God were inhaled. It indicated that you have held a meeting with the utmost joy and fragrance.
Your aim is the diffusion of the light of guidance; the resurrection of the oeaddead hearts, the promotion of the oneness of the world of humanity and the elucidation of Truth. Unquestionably you will become confirmed therein and assisted by the invisible powers.
I have prayed on thy behalf that thou mayest become the minister of the Temple of the Kingdom and the herald of the Lord of Hosts; that thou mayest build a monastery in heaven and lay the foundation of a convent in the Universe of the Placeless; in all thy affairs that thou mayest become inspired by the Breaths of the Holy Spirit, and that thou mayest become so illumined that the eyes of all the ministers be dazzled by thy brilliancy, and may long to attain to thy station.
Thou an always in my memory. I shall never forget the days of our meeting.
Endeavor as much as thou canst that thou mayest master the Principles of Bahá'u'lláh, promulgate them all over that continent, create love and unity between the believers, guiding the people, awakening the heedless ones and resurrecting the dead.
Convey on my behalf the utmost longing to all the friends of God.
Upon thee be the Glory of the Most Glorious."
(Signed) Abdu'l-Bahá Abbas.
Aside from the apparent fact that this letter was a call, a summons, a Trumpet-peal from a higher realm to advance--to "come along up" the meaning, the inner significance, of some of the phrases used eluded me completely at the time and still remain only dimly apprehended.
"Assisted by the Invisible Powers"--"Minister of the Temple of the Kingdom"--"A monastery in heaven"--and a "convent in the Universe of the Placeless"--what could such strange phrases mean?
As the years have passed and more and more thoroughly I have become impregnated with the Divine Utterances of Bahá'u'lláh and Abdu'l-BaháaBahá meaning has emerged, elusive yet definite; vague yet alluring beyond words in its appeal to the spirit. What if the orchestra is veiled behind its screen of divine roses, is the music less entrancing, or the certainty that there is an orchestra there less convincing because of that?
In order that the reader may inhale the perfume from those roses and, perchance, hear with the inner ear the strains from that hidden orchestra, let me quote two passages from the Words of Abdu'l-Bahá'.
On April 30th, 1912, He spoke in Chicago, at a meeting of the Bahá'í Temple Unity Convention. From this I quote:
"Among the institutes of the Holy Books is that of the foundation of the Divine Temple. This is conducive to unity and fellowship among men. The real Temple is the very Law of God, for to that all humanity must resort, and that is the Point of Unity for all mankind. That is the Collective Center. That is the cause of accord and unity of the hearts. That is the cause of the solidarity of the human race. That is the source of eternal Life. Temples are the symbols of that uniting force, in order that when people gather there in a given edifice of God, in the House and Temple of God, they may recall the fact that the Law has been revealed for them and that the Law is to unite them. That just as this edifice was founded for the unification of mankind, the Law preceding and creating this Temple was issued therefortherefore."[70]
Again: Abdu'l-Bahá wrote to an American believer who had asked regarding her membership in a Christian church:
"Know thou: in the day of the Manifestation of Christ many souls became portionless and deprived because they were members of the Holy of Holies in Jerusalem. Because of that membership (standing for exclusiveness and prejudice) they became veiled from His Brilliant Beauty. Therefore turn thy face to the Church of God, which consists of divine instructions and merciful exhortations.71 For what similarity is there between the church of stone and cement, and the Celestial Holy of Holies? Endeavor that thou mayest enter this Church of God. Although thou hast given oath to attend the (material) church, yet thy spirit is under the Covenant and Testament of the spiritual, divine Temple. Thou shouldest protect this. The reality of Christ is the Words of the Holy Spirit. If thou art able, take a portion thereof."[72]
Does not a new significance attend the words of John the divine, as he attempted to portray in symbolic words the coming of the Kingdom upon earth? "And I saw no temple therein; for the Lord God Almighty is the Temple of it." "And the CiryCity had no need of the sun for the Glory of God did lighten it."
(Let it be remembered that the literal translation of the title "Bahá'u'lláh" is "the Glory of God.")
To be a "minister" of the Temple of this Kingdom, then, is simply to be an adherent and promulgator of the Law of Unity and Love laid down as compulsory upon all sincere believers in the One God; to be assisted by the "Invisible Powers" is to be surrounded by those eternal forces which ever support the courageous warriors for Truth; to build a "Monastery in Heaven" and a "Convent in the Universe of the Placeless" is to build such spiritual fortresses of detachment and severance for the souls of men that "while living upon the earth they may truly be in heaven."
To be such a minister is the prerogative of every believer in the Words of God and the sincere follower of His Light. What a glorious world this "mound of earth" will be when all men attain even to a glimmer of this Light!
Two months later a fourth Tablet was received which again opened Portals to Freedom into a world of increasing Light and Beauty.
"O thou my respected son:
The letter that thou hast written with the utmost love became the cause of perfect happiness. Truly, I say, thou art striving with heart and soul, to obtain the good pleasure of God. It is assured that this blessed intention will have great effect. The good intention is like an ignited candle whose rays are cast to all parts. Now, praise be to God, that thou hast manifested the utmost effort so that thou mayest light a candle of guidance in that region, plant a tree of the utmost freshness and delicacy in the garden of the world of humanity; call the people to the divine Kingdom; become the means of the progress of intellects and souls; gather the lost sheep under the protection of the Real Shepherd; cause the awakening of the sleepy ones; bestow health upon those who are spiritually sick; enlarge the sphere of human minds; refine the moral fiber of the people and direct the wandering birds to the rose-garden of Reality.
Rest thou assured that the Eternal Outpouring shalldescendshall descend upon thee, and the Confirmations of His Holiness Bahá'u'lláh shall encircle thee.
Convey to all the believers the wonderful `Abhá greetings.
Upon thee be the Glory of the Most Glorious."
(Signed) Abdu'l-Bahá Abbas
Mt. Carmel,
Haifa, Syria,
March 31st, 1914
Again a Call! Again a summons to dwell and work in a higher world!
There are three of these Commands--for as such I have always understood and accepted them--which particularly impressed me at the time, and which ever since have been a subconscious influence upon my meditations and activities. They are these: "Become the means of the progress of intellects and souls." "Enlarge the sphere of human minds." "Refine the moral fiber of the people."
It needs but the most cursory observation of average humanity to realize the static nature of its mind, its cumbrousness, its inability to move out of its chosen or enforced rut. The mental and spiritual "Sphere" in which most of us function is a very narrow one. Our horizon is limited by our personal interests. True, the student and philosopher go beyond this and pigeonhole their knowledge and pride themselves upon their "liberality" of view, but when it comes to action their horizon also is limited by personal considerations. I do not forget the saints and heroes of all time who have placed Truth above self, family and life. But neither do I forget that the portion of such has ever been the stake, the dungeon and the Cross. And, alas, it would seem that neither do "the simple ones whom men call savants" (as Bahá'u'lláh so trenchantly observes) forget it either. They follow Truth just so far as "her ways are ways of pleasantness and all her paths are peace," but hesitate when the finger of scorn points or possessions are threatened, or family deserts.
Far be it from me to criticize or cavil at this fundamental quality of a nature common to us all. I simply point out this incontrovertible fact and that this attitude, according to the dictum of all the great and holy ones of the ages, is due to ignorance. Ignorance of the true nature of Life; ignorance of its infinite horizons; ignorance of its origins in the unimaginably distant past as well as of its equally unimaginable glorious future in "all the worlds of God."
It is this to which Abdu'l-Bahá refers when He calls one to "Become the means of the progress of intellects and souls," and "to enlarge the sphere of human minds."
As to His summons to "refine the moral fiber of the people": surely none may doubt the average flaccidity of that fiber. Our estimates of any moral issue are almost invariably decided by its personal reaction. If we test our sense of justice, for instance, by Bahá'u'lláh's definition: "Wert thou to observe justice choose for others that which thou choosest for thyself,"[73] how many of us would measure up? From the automobile driver in an accident whose first instinct is to blame the other party, to the judge on the bench whose decisions are apt to be colored by its political results, all are tarred by the same brush. And again the reason is to be found in the limited sphere of the mind. Those who do so are simply shortsighted. Their horizon is too narrow, too limited by immediate considerations, to see clearly the inevitable results. It is these results which have plainly been written on the pages of all history, the cumulative effects of which have now thrown the world into disastrous confusion and misery.
Surely if ever there were a greater need than this, that the moral fiber of the people be refined to a point where it shall be cleansed from those elements foreign to man's higher and divine nature, and He "stand forth pure and unsullied by the dross of selfishness" it would be difficult to find.
The most impressive of the Tablets received from Abdu'l-Bahá came to me just about the time of the outbreak of the World War, early in August of 1914. It is as follows:
"O thou respected personage:
Thy letter was received. Its perusal imparted to me great hopefulness, for from its contents it became manifest that through the ejects of thy entrance into the Divine Kingdom thou art progressing day by day.
When this progress shall become perpetual and continual, then thou shall find the Most Great Center in the Universe of God, and shall clearly behold the Confirmations of the Holy Spirit. Thou shalt be baptized in the Fountain of Life and shalt be freed from all the laws of the world of nature.
Thou shalt become illumined, merciful, heavenly--a radiant candle in the world of humanity.
Endeavor as much as possible to liberate thyself wholly from human susceptibilities--so that the powers of the Kingdom may gain control over thy heart and thy spirit--to such a degree that although thou art living on the face of the earth, yet thou mayest truly be in heaven; that although outwardly thou an composed of material elements, yet spiritually thou mayest become composed of heavenly elements.
This is the everlasting glory of man! This is the eternal sublimity in the world of existence! This is the never-ending Life! This is the Spirit incarnated in the heart of humanity!
Upon thee be the Glory of the Most Glorious."
(Signed) Abdu'l-Bahá Abbas
Home of
Abdu'l-Bahá,
Haifa, Syria,
July 16th, 1914.
It seems impossible to imagine a higher mandate, a more provocative appeal, a more stimulating and suggestive contrast to ordinary ideals or modes of thought. There is a galvanic quality to such phrases as "Find the Most Great Center in the Universe of God," "Be freed from all the laws of the world of nature," and "Liberate thyself wholly from human susceptibilities." And what shall be said regarding the hope emphatically proffered that under certain conditions it is possible that the "Powers of the Kingdom," those higher Laws and their active exponents of a Celestial World, may so "gain control" of one's being that he may actually become composed of different and holy elements, and may walk this world outwardly its denizen but inwardly guided and motivated by influences and powers emanating from a far higher and more real world.
It is possible that the reader may consider such ideas as fantastic. Nor should that be an incomprehensible attitude unless he has some knowledge of the lives and teachings of Bahá'u'lláh and His Son, and--I may emphatically add--the lives and martyrdoms of thousands of their followers and lovers.
As for myself: I have seen with my own eyes a Life so far above the sort of life lived by the ordinary man that any comparison based on its activation by ordinary motives is incredible. Abdu'l-Bahá certainly revolved around a "Center" vastly different from the ego-centeredness of mankind. He, while outwardly clothed in man's habiliments, inwardly was palpably clothed with the "characteristics of God." So plainly was He free from "all the laws of the world of nature" and liberated from captivity to "human susceptibilities" that one could not be in the same room with Him and not feel the atmosphere of a higher, calmer, nobler world radiating from Him.
What, then, shall be our reaction when He calls us to join Him in that World of the Spirit? One of only three attitudes seems to be possible: (a) He was a visionary, an impractical idealist and not to be taken seriously. (b) He was unique in type and capabilities and spoke and acted from a background of wisdom and capacity unattainable by other men. (c) He was a Herald of a World of Reality of which this phenomenal world is like an upside-down reflection; a Summoner to all men to leave the seeming and live on the plane of the Real; an Exemplar to humanity that such an utter alteration of orientation is not only possible but imperative if any measure of happiness, tranquility, wisdom and prosperity is to be attained.
Let us examine each of these possibilities, for there are no others and we must decide on one of them, unless we are willing to dodge the issue entirely and refuse to think.
(a) Abdu'l-Bahá's whole life contradicted this assumption that He was a visionary, an impractical idealist. When He addressed the student body at LeiandLeland Stanford University He was introduced by its president, David Starr Jordan, in these words: " Abdu'l-Bahá will surely unite the East and the West for He treads the mystical "way with practical feet." He was a successful businessman and was often consulted by other men, not believers by the way, as to the conduct of their businesses. One of His outstanding characteristics was a calm judgment in all material affairs; a poise in dealing with men and occasions of all kinds unrivaled by the most astute of captains of industry. He has been known to go into the kitchen and prepare a meal for His guests. He never failed in such small attentions as seeing that the room where His visitors were entertained contained every possible comfort, though He paid no attention to His own comfort.
In short, the slightest investigation into the facts will force the conclusion that our first hypothesis is untenable.
(b) That He was possessed of powers more than human and therefore we could not be expected to be like Him. This is the easy explanation. It is the "alibi" so often used by those who demand an excuse for the discrepancy between their ideals and actions. The modem term for this kind of thing is "rationalizing."
The difficulty of accepting it is that by its acceptance we automatically reject the teachings and example of all the great souls of the past and present. To those bred in the Christian tradition it means the placing of the Christ in the category of an unapproachable perfection and pay no regard to His constant reiteration of the necessity for "walking in His way," "loving one another as I have loved you," "taking up one's cross daily and following Me." It is also to disregard the philosophies of the noblest of mankind who make no claims to divine authority. Such men as Socrates, Epictetus, Marcus Aurelius, Emerson, and countless others whose lives have proven the possibility of approximating deeds to words.
And worst of all results from such a decision, or so it seems to the writer at least, is the degrading corollary that man's progress has ceased; that the present condition of the world, which is due to man's disregard of, and unbelief in, any such world as Abdu'l-Bahá intimates in the above Tablet, is the normal and unchangeable condition. It means that the "laws of the world of nature" are irrevocable' that is man's proper state for him "to be red in tooth and claw with ravin"; that there is no destiny beyond the grave and consequently no higher world of activity for which to prepare.
No! To me this is an unthinkable, a monstrous conclusion.
Let us examine without prejudice the third hypothesis, namely, that Bahá'u'lláh came into the world as the latest of the long line of Revelators of the Divine Will oft the express purpose of opening to men the world of Reality; to focus the attention of men upon a type of life, a sphere of activity which hereto fore has remained more of less in the background of men's effective energies, an that His Son, Abdu'l-Bahá, is the living proof of man's ability to live and move and work in that World of Reality and thus build in actuality that Kingdom on earth which Jesus told us to expect and for which He commanded us to petition.
To this writer such a hypothesis is not only satisfying but supremely rational and understandable. That there is such a sphere of action (Which is what is meant by the term "World") is abundantly demonstrated not only by the peaks of humanity but in varying degrees by every human soul. Man's selfishness ("that strange disease," as Abdu'l-Bahá designates it) has heretofore clouded that World, but within the last half-century more and more Its Light has shone. Our Red Cross society, our International Peace organizations, The League of Nations, even our Community Chests, are demonstrating its existence and influential power.
Bahá'u'lláh has simply called all men to make that sphere of action the realm in which they shall constantly and consciously move, speak and act. In effect he says to us: "You have tried it in a small degree, why not extend it to embrace every detail of life?"
In order that this may be accomplished, is it not plain that guidance is necessary? This complex world is very sick. It is dying from lack of a skilled physician. Its disease is so complicated, so affecting every part and organ, and the attending physicians--the statesmen, moralists and idealists--so ignorant of the underlying causes, that imminent dissolution is impending. Shall we come to the despairing conclusion that there is no wise Physician? Shall we supinely acquiesce that this dissolution is assured, and stand with watch in hand at the bedside of the dying patient awaiting the inevitable hour? Or shall we, possibly as a last desperate resort, if our faithless should so wish to call it, turn to One who at least lays claim to ability to diagnose and prescribe? One who declares over and over again in Words of matchless power and eloquence His Divine Power to heal? From many such I quote:
"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." Bahá'u'lláh 74
And Abdu'l-Bahá says:
"The body of the human world is sick. Its remedy and healing will be the oneness of the kingdom of humanity. Its life is The Most Great Peace. Its illumination and quickening is love. Its happiness is the attainment of spiritual perfections. It is my hope that through the bounties and favors of the Blessed Perfection (one of the titles of Bahá'u'lláh) we may find a new life, acquire a new power and attain to a wonderful and supreme source of energy so that the `Most Great Peace' of divine intention shall be established upon the foundation of the unity of the world of men with God."
And not only does Bahá'u'lláh claim the ability to diagnose and heal, but also the Supreme Authority to command, to lead, to conquer.
O kings of the earth! The Most Great Law hath been revealed in this Spot, this scene of transcendent splendor. Every hidden thing hath been brought to light, by virtue of the Will of the Supreme Ordainer, He Who hath ushered in the Last Hour, through Whom the Moon hath been cleft, and every irrevocable decree expounded.
Ye are but vassals, O kings of the earth! He Who is the King of Kings hath appeared, arrayed in His most wondrous glory, and is summoning you unto Himself, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting.
Bahá'u'lláh to the rulers.
Gleanings from the
Writings of Bahá'u'lláh, p. 211.
Never in all the history of the Prophets of the past have such tremendous affirmations been made, such Divine Authority been claimed, such power demonstrated. And let us not forget that for forty years this sublime One bore the persecutions and tortures of cruel kings and priests; that He lived to see thousands of His devoted believers suffer the same fate, even unto death; that throughout all of this long period never did He cease proclaiming His Divine Mission with an inflexible determination and an unconquerable Majesty which humbled in the end even His worst enemies. Let those who have shed one drop of blood in upholding their ideal of Truth be the first doubters!
To those who see "with the eye of God," who possess that spiritual vision without which we are as "those who having eyes see not," is revealed that World of Reality whose "Most Great Center" is the Manifestation of God in this great Day of His Revelation.
We have been revolving around such limited centers, such petty interests, that our horizons have been circumscribed to such an extent that it is all but impossible for us to conceive a "Most Great Center" attaining to which we view the "Universe of God" spread before our wondering eyes, and scan a "Supreme Horizon" including all the sons of men; in the Light of which, the Glory of which, all problems are solved, all flames of strife extinguished in that unity and love which is the basis of the Laws of the universe.
Nevertheless, the Christs of the ages, the Guides and Leaders of mankind, have ever insisted on the reality, the supremacy of this Divine World. Let such as are men of courage and action obey and follow them!
In September of 1916, when the World War was at its height, and communication between the Orient and Occident was difficult, I received a postal-card from the secretary of Abdu'l-Bahá, containing His final Tablet to me. It was not signed by Him and the original has not yet come to my hand, so I transcribe the postal-card as I received it so that the record may be complete.
Haifa, Syria,
June 22nd, 1916.
"My dear brother in the Cause of humanity:
The reports of your services, your travels and lectures are most stimulating
to the friends in the Holy Land and conducive to the happiness of the heart of
Abdu'l-Bahá. He loves you and prays for your spiritual success and
prosperity. He has revealed a wonderful Tablet in your name, the translation of
which is the following:
O thou speaker in the Temple of the Kingdom!
Praise be to God that most of the time thou art traveling, going from city to city raising the melody of the Kingdom in meetings and churches, and announcing the glad-tidings of Heaven.
It is recorded in the Gospel that John the Baptist was crying in the wilderness: "Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make His Paths straight, for the Kingdom of God is at hand."
He was crying in the wilderness, but thou art crying m populous cities. Although the ministers have brilliant crowns on their heads, yet it is my hope that thou mayest crown thy head with the diadem of the Kingdom--such a diadem whose brilliant jewels may illuminate the dark passages of future centuries and cycles.
God says in His great Book, Qur'án, "He especializes with His Mercy whomsoever He willeth." That is, God distinguisheth with His favor and bestowal a number of souls and marks them with His own seal of approval. A similar statement is revealed in the Gospel: "Many are called but few are chosen." Now, praise be to God that thou art one of those "few."
Appreciate thou the value of this bounty, and occupy thy time as much as thou canst in the diffusion of the fragrances of God."
Upon thee be greetings and praise.
(Signed) Abdu'l-Bahá Abbas.
[+CHAPTER16]
"The holy Manifestations of God come into the world to dispel the darkness of the animal, or physical, nature of man, to purify him from his imperfections, in order that his heavenly and spiritual nature may become quickened, his divine qualities awakened, his perfections visible, his potential powers revealed and all the virtues of the world of humanity latent within him may come to life." [75]
Abdu'l-Bahá
How could such a picture be complete? The brief span of years which we dare to speak of as "life" is so confused with details foreign to the true issues involved that when there enters upon this scene One who lives with calm assurance in a World in which confusion is unknown, yet who understands the turmoil of men's hearts and knows the remedy, how could it be possible for one still in that anarchy of thought and action adequately to portray Him who brings illumination? How draw the picture graphically? How make others see and hear as He did?
To me there is only one way in which that Life may even feebly be understood. An assumption must be made and a clear-cut conviction arrived at. This may be simply stated. It is this:
The world of phenomena, the "contingent world," the world as ordinarily accepted, is not the real world. The life we live from day to day with its monotonous round of eating and drinking; its sleeping and waking hours; its routine of work, play, study, birth and death; its varieties of poverty and wealth, of learned and ignorant, of powerful and weak--all this is a mask hiding the face of Reality. The endless attempts to solve the riddle clothed in high-sounding titles--Philosophy, Education, Science, Statesmanship--are all a species of groping in the dark.
Life does not "begin at 40," it begins in God. We do not "live on 24 hours a day"; "In Him we live and move and have our being," and ages of preparation precede this little "life," and ages to come are its fulfillment.
Scholasticism provides no answer to the demands of men for a satisfaction of those primal needs of the spirit. Religion, as generally understood--being, as it is, a mixture of tradition, social convention, and more or less correct estimates of the immediate problems confronting the people, and all savored with a salt which has lost its savor--provides no satisfaction to the hungry souls of men. In all this confusion of thought and action no rock is found upon which man may plant his spiritual feet and be confident in his treading.
If this is not the real world where is it? What is it? How find it? As I have intimated, the answer is plain enough to those who are not entirely "submerged in the sea of materialism." Most of mankind may be likened to a man lost in a London fog so that the well-known way to his own door is blotted out. The fog which blinds our spiritual vision is composed of the "selfish disorders, intellectual maladies, spiritual sicknesses, imperfections and vices" which surround us and hold us in thralldom. The Prophets of God, the Will and Love of God enshrined in the temple of man, have brought the Light of the Sun of Reality which alone can dissipate the fog, place man upon the right path and free him from that thralldom.
The Eternal Christ coming to the aid of distracted humanity about once in every thousand years alone is the Portal to Freedom. Ever to the keen of vision, the quick of hearing, the possessors of heart, His Divine Voice calling to enter, His loving hands pointing and assisting, have been apparent.
Again, in this Day in which we live our little span of years, has the latest of these "Sign-Posts" to the Path declared His Mission and issued His Call.
It was my inestimable privilege to watch and talk with, for a period of eight months, the Son of Bahá'u'lláh, the Center of His Covenant, the perfect exemplar of His Word and Life; the One by whom "He hath caused to appear the traces of the Glory of His Kingdom upon the earth."
Here I saw a man who, outwardly, like myself, lived in the world of confusion, yet, inwardly, beyond the possibility of doubt, lived and worked in that higher and real world. All His concepts, all His motives, all His actions, derived their springs from that "World of Light." And, which is to me a most inspiring and encouraging fact. He took it for granted that you and I, the ordinary run-of-the-mill humanity, could enter into and live and move in that world if we would.
To those who have read this chronicle with the "eye of heart" some glimmer of conviction may have come that such a world is open to them, such a life may be approximated for themselves, such a portal may be entered by their feet, such a freedom be attained. It is with this hope that my story has been told.
January 7, 1937.
[1] O friend, the heart is the dwelling of
eternal mysteries, make it not the home of fleeting fancies; waste not the
treasure of thy precious life in employment with this swiftly passing world.
Thou comest from the world of holiness - bind not thine heart to the earth;
thou art a dweller in the court of nearness - choose not the homeland of the
dust.
(Bahá'u'lláh: Seven Valleys and Four Valleys, Page: 35)
[2] I [Mr. Ives] came to know much later that this was just his characteristically humble and tactful way of enlisting my attention. He had long loved the teachings and his daily life was their application.
[3] Thy name is my healing, O my God, and
remembrance of Thee is my remedy. Nearness to Thee is my hope, and love for
Thee is my companion. Thy mercy to me is my healing and my succor in both this
world and the world to come. Thou, verily, art the All-Bountiful, the
All-Knowing, the All-Wise.
(Bahá'u'lláh: Prayers and Meditations, Pages: 262-263)
[4] Illumine, O my Lord, the eyes of Thy
servants, and brighten their hearts with the splendors of the light of Thy
knowledge, that they may apprehend the greatness of this most sublime station,
and recognize this most luminous Horizon, that haply the clamor of men may fail
to deter them from turning their gaze towards the effulgent light of Thy unity,
and to hinder them from setting their faces toward the Horizon of
detachment.
(Bahá'u'lláh: Prayers and Meditations, Page: 275)
[5] Head covering.
[6] And finally there emerges, though on a plane
of its own and in a category entirely apart from the one occupied by the twin
Figures that preceded Him, the vibrant, the magnetic personality of
Abdu'l-Bahá, reflecting to a degree that no man, however exalted his
station, can hope to rival, the glory and power with which They who are the
Manifestations of God are alone endowed.
(Shoghi Effendi: World Order of Bahá'u'lláh, Pages: 97-98)
[7] Bahá'u'lláh, The Seven Valleys
[8] Bahá'í Scriptures, p. 403.
[9] Abdu'l-Bahá, Tablets of Abdu'l-Bahá, p.515
[10] The Prophets of God have founded the laws
of divine civilization. They have been the root and fundamental source of all
knowledge. They have established the principles of human brotherhood, of
fraternity, which is of various kinds - such as the fraternity of family, of
race, of nation and of ethical motives. These forms of fraternity, these bonds
of brotherhood, are merely temporal and transient in association. They do not
ensure harmony and are usually productive of disagreement. They do not prevent
warfare and strife; on the contrary, they are selfish, restricted and fruitful
causes of enmity and hatred among mankind. The spiritual brotherhood which is
enkindled and established through the breaths of the Holy Spirit unites nations
and removes the cause of warfare and strife. It transforms mankind into one
great family and establishes the foundations of the oneness of humanity. It
promulgates the spirit of international agreement and ensures universal peace.
Therefore, we must investigate the foundation of this heavenly fraternity.
(Abdu'l-Bahá: Promulgation of Universal Peace, Page: 142)
[11] ...souls shall be perturbed as they make
mention of Me. For minds cannot grasp Me nor hearts contain Me.
(Bahá'u'lláh: Arabic Hidden Words, Page: 66)
[12] Abdu'l-Bahá, Promulgation of Universal Peace, pp. 129-133
[13] Trust in the favor of God. Look not at
your own capacities, for the divine bestowal can transform a drop into an
ocean; it can make a tiny seed a lofty tree. Verily, divine bestowals are like
the sea, and we are the fishes of that sea. The fishes must not look at
themselves; they must behold the ocean, which is vast and wonderful. Provision
for the sustenance of all is in this ocean; therefore, the divine bounties
encompass all, and love eternal shines upon all.
(Abdu'l-Bahá: Promulgation of Universal Peace, Page: 131)
[14] Glory be unto Thee, O my God! Verily,
this Thy servant and this Thy maidservant have gathered under the shadow of Thy
mercy and they are united through Thy favor and generosity. O Lord! Assist them
in this Thy world and Thy kingdom and destine for them every good through Thy
bounty and grace. O Lord! Confirm them in Thy servitude and assist them in Thy
service. Suffer them to become the signs of Thy Name in Thy world and protect
them through Thy bestowals which are inexhaustible in this world and the world
to come. O Lord! They are supplicating the kingdom of Thy mercifulness and
invoking the realm of Thy singleness. Verily, they are married in obedience to
Thy command. Cause them to become the signs of harmony and unity until the end
of time. Verily, Thou art the Omnipotent, the Omnipresent and the Almighty!
(Abdu'l-Bahá: Bahá'í Prayers (US edition), Page: 107)
[15] Bahá'u'lláh, Kitáb-i-Iqán (The Book of Certitude), p. 61.
[16] The first duty prescribed by God for His
servants is the recognition of Him Who is the Day Spring 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, hath 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 hath it been decreed
by Him Who is the Source of Divine inspiration.
They whom God hath endued with insight will readily recognize that the
precepts laid down by God constitute the highest means for the maintenance of
order in the world and the security of its peoples. He that turneth away from
them, is accounted among the abject and foolish. We, verily, have commanded you
to refuse the dictates of your evil passions and corrupt desires, and not to
transgress the bounds which the Pen of the Most High hath fixed, for these are
the breath of life unto all created things. The seas of Divine wisdom and
divine utterance have risen under the breath of the breeze of the All-Merciful.
Hasten to drink your fill, O men of understanding!
(Bahá'u'lláh: Gleanings, Pages: 330-331)
[17] Esslemont, Bahá'u'lláh and the New Era, p. 178
[18] Ibid.
[19] There are four kinds of love. The first
is the love that flows from God to man; it consists of the inexhaustible
graces, the Divine effulgence and heavenly illumination. Through this love the
world of being receives life. Through this love man is endowed with physical
existence, until, through the breath of the Holy Spirit - this same love - he
receives eternal life and becomes the image of the Living God. This love is the
origin of all the love in the world of creation.
The second is the love that flows from man to God. This is faith, attraction
to the Divine, enkindlement, progress, entrance into the Kingdom of God,
receiving the Bounties of God, illumination with the lights of the Kingdom.
This love is the origin of all philanthropy; this love causes the hearts of men
to reflect the rays of the Sun of Reality.
The third is the love of God towards the Self or Identity of God. This is
the transfiguration of His Beauty, the reflection of Himself in the mirror of
His Creation. This is the reality of love, the Ancient Love, the Eternal Love.
Through one ray of this Love all other love exists.
The fourth is the love of man for man. The love which exists between the
hearts of believers is prompted by the ideal of the unity of spirits. This love
is attained through the knowledge of God, so that men see the Divine Love
reflected in the heart. Each sees in the other the Beauty of God reflected in
the soul, and finding this point of similarity, they are attracted to one
another in love. This love will make all men the waves of one sea, this love
will make them all the stars of one heaven and the fruits of one tree. This
love will bring the realization of true accord, the foundation of real unity.
But the love which sometimes exists between friends is not (true) love,
because it is subject to transmutation; this is merely fascination. As the
breeze blows, the slender trees yield. If the wind is in the East the tree
leans to the West, and if the wind turns to the West the tree leans to the
East. This kind of love is originated by the accidental conditions of life.
This is not love, it is merely acquaintanceship; it is subject to change.
(Abdu'l-Bahá: Paris Talks, Pages: 180-181)
[20] Seek with all your hearts this Heavenly
Light, so that you may be enabled to understand the realities, that you may
know the secret things of God, that the hidden ways may be made plain before
your eyes.
This light may be likened unto a mirror, and as a mirror reflects all that
is before it, so this Light shows to the eyes of our spirits all that exists in
God's Kingdom and causes the realities of things to be made visible. By the
help of this effulgent Light all the spiritual interpretation of the Holy
Writings has been made plain, the hidden things of God's Universe have become
manifest, and we have been enabled to comprehend the Divine purposes for
man.
(Abdu'l-Bahá: Paris Talks, Pages: 69-70)
[21] In the Bahá'í terminology it means the world around us, pressing upon us, contracting us and so distracting our attention that we are apt to leave God out of our reckoning.
[22] Bahá'u'lláh, Kitáb-i-Iqán (The Book of Certitude), pp. 29-31
[23] Bahá'u'lláh, Gleanings from Writings of Bahá'u'lláh, p. 285
[24] Bahá'u'lláh, The Seven Valleys
[25] Letter
[26] He made five addresses on May 2nd and three on May 5th.
[27] Blessed is he that hath been enraptured
by My wondrous melodies and hath rent the veils asunder through the potency of
My might.
(Bahá'u'lláh: "Lawh-i-Aqdas" (sometimes referred to as Tablet to
the Christians), Tablets of Bahá'u'lláh, Page: 7)
[28] Bahá'u'lláh, The Seven Valleys
[29] ...distracted in search of the Friend.
(Bahá'u'lláh: The Seven Valleys and the Four
Valleys, Page: 6)
[30] Promulgation of Universal Peace, Vol. II, p. 453.
[31] Consider how marvelous it was for a
prisoner under the eye and control of the Turks to arraign so boldly and
severely the very king who was responsible for His imprisonment. What power
this is! What greatness! Nowhere in history can the record of such a happening
be found.... Although a prisoner in a fortress, He paid no heed to these kings,
regarded not their power of life and death, but, on the contrary, addressed
them in plain and fearless language, announcing explicitly that the time would
come when their sovereignty would be brought low and His own dominion be
established.
(Abdu'l-Bahá: Promulgation of Universal Peace, Pages:
432-433)
[32] Bahá'u'lláh, speaking of
these very ones who were attacking and decrying Him, said, "They are My
heralds; they are the ones who are proclaiming My message and spreading My
Word. Pray that they may be multiplied, pray that their number may increase and
that they may cry out more loudly. The more they abuse Me by their words and
the greater their agitation, the more potent and mighty will be the efficacy of
the Cause of God, the more luminous the light of the Word and the greater the
radiance of the divine Sun. And eventually the gloomy darkness of the outer
world will disappear, and the light of reality will shine until the whole earth
will be effulgent with its glory."
(Abdu'l-Bahá: Promulgation of Universal Peace, Pages:
436-437)
[33] I have offered up My soul and My body as
a sacrifice for God, the Lord of all worlds. Whoso hath known God shall know
none but Him, and he that feareth God shall be afraid of no one except Him,
though the powers of the whole earth rise up and be arrayed against him. I
speak naught except at His bidding, and follow not, through the power of God
and His might, except His truth. He, verily, shall recompense the truthful.
(Bahá'u'lláh: Gleanings from the Writings of
Bahá'u'lláh, Page: 126)
[34] This meeting of yours tonight is very
different in character. It is a universal gathering; it is heavenly and divine
in purpose because it serves the oneness of the world of humanity and promotes
international peace. It is devoted to the solidarity and brotherhood of the
human race, the spiritual welfare of mankind, unity of religious belief through
knowledge of God and the reconciliation of religious teaching with the
principles of science and reason. It promotes love and fraternity among all
humankind, seeks to abolish and destroy barriers which separate the human
family, proclaims the equality of man and woman, instills divine precepts and
morals, illumines and quickens minds with heavenly perception, attracts the
infinite bestowals of God, removes racial, national and religious prejudices
and establishes the foundation of the heavenly Kingdom in the hearts of all
nations and peoples.
(Abdu'l-Bahá: Promulgation of Universal Peace, Page: 447)
[35] Bahá'u'lláh, The Seven Valleys
[36] This meeting is, verily, the noblest and
most worthy of all meetings in the world because of these underlying spiritual
and universal purposes. Such a banquet and assemblage command the sincere
devotion of all present and invite the downpouring of the blessings of God.
Therefore, be ye assured and confident that the confirmations of God are
descending upon you, the assistance of God will be given unto you, the breaths
of the Holy Spirit will quicken you with a new life, the Sun of Reality will
shine gloriously upon you, and the fragrant breezes of the rose gardens of
divine mercy will waft through the windows of your souls. Be ye confident and
steadfast; your services are confirmed by the powers of heaven, for your
intentions are lofty, your purposes pure and worthy. God is the helper of those
souls whose aim is to serve humanity and whose efforts and endeavors are
devoted to the good and betterment of all mankind.
(Abdu'l-Bahá: Promulgation of Universal Peace, Page: 448)
[37] Abdu'l-Bahá, Promulgation of Universal Peace, p. 448.
[38] 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 Holy Soul accepted calamity and death
in His love for mankind. This is one of the meanings of sacrifice.
As to the second meaning: He said, "I am the living 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 Christly 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.
(Abdu'l-Bahá: Promulgation of Universal Peace, Page: 450)
[39] 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. 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 in 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. Christ, like unto the seed, sacrificed Himself for
the tree of Christianity. Therefore, His 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 manifestor 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.
(Abdu'l-Bahá: Promulgation of Universal Peace, Pages:
451-452)
[40] 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 fire. 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 transformed, 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 Abhá you may be entirely severed from the
imperfections of the world of nature, purified from selfish, human desires,
receiving life from the Kingdom of Abhá 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.
(Abdu'l-Bahá: Promulgation of Universal Peace, Page: 452)
[41] Ibid., p. 452
[42] Ibid., p. 287
[43] Ibid., p. 299
[44] Ibid., 453-457
[45] Addressing mankind, He says, "Ye are all
leaves of one tree and the fruits of one branch." By this it is meant that the
world of humanity is like a tree, the nations or peoples are the different
limbs or branches of that tree, and the individual human creatures are as the
fruits and blossoms thereof. In this way Bahá'u'lláh expressed
the oneness of humankind, whereas in all religious teachings of the past the
human world has been represented as divided into two parts: one known as the
people of the Book of God, or the pure tree, and the other the people of
infidelity and error, or the evil tree. The former were considered as belonging
to the faithful, and the others to the hosts of the irreligious and infidel -
one part of humanity the recipients of divine mercy, and the other the object
of the wrath of their Creator. Bahá'u'lláh removed this by
proclaiming the oneness of the world of humanity, and this principle is
specialized in His teachings, for He has submerged all mankind in the sea of
divine generosity. Some are asleep; they need to be awakened. Some are ailing;
they need to be healed. Some are immature as children; they need to be trained.
But all are recipients of the bounty and bestowals of God.
(Abdu'l-Bahá: Promulgation of Universal Peace, Page: 454)
[46] Ibid., p. 450
[47] Bahá'u'lláh: Arabic Hidden Words, p. 2
[48] Abdu'l-Bahá, Promulgation of Universal Peace, p. 455
[49] Ibid.
[50] Ibid.
[51] He has set forth the solution and
provided the remedy for the economic question. No religious Books of the past
Prophets speak of this important human problem.
He has ordained and established the House of Justice, which is endowed with
a political as well as a religious function, the consummate union and blending
of church and state. This institution is under the protecting power of
Bahá'u'lláh Himself. A universal, or international, House of
Justice shall also be organized. Its rulings shall be in accordance with the
commands and teachings of Bahá'u'lláh, and that which the
Universal House of Justice ordains shall be obeyed by all mankind. This
international House of Justice shall be appointed and organized from the Houses
of Justice of the whole world, and all the world shall come under its
administration.
(Abdu'l-Bahá: Promulgation of Universal Peace, Page: 455)
[52] It is the ordination and appointment of
the Center of the Covenant. By this appointment and provision He has
safeguarded and protected the religion of God against differences and schisms,
making it impossible for anyone to create a new sect or faction of belief. To
ensure unity and agreement He has entered into a Covenant with all the people
of the world, including the interpreter and explainer of His teachings, so that
no one may interpret or explain the religion of God according to his own view
or opinion and thus create a sect founded upon his individual understanding of
the divine Words.
(Abdu'l-Bahá: Promulgation of Universal Peace, Pages:
455-456)
[53] Shoghi Effendi, World Order of Bahá'u'lláh, p. 144
[54] Ibid., p. 146
[55] But the life of man is not so restricted;
it is divine, eternal, not mortal and sensual. For him a spiritual existence
and livelihood is prepared and ordained in the divine creative plan. His life
is intended to be a life of spiritual enjoyment to which the animal can never
attain. This enjoyment depends upon the acquisition of heavenly virtues. The
sublimity of man is his attainment of the knowledge of God. The bliss of man is
the acquiring of heavenly bestowals, which descend upon him in the outflow of
the bounty of God. The happiness of man is in the fragrance of the love of God.
This is the highest pinnacle of attainment in the human world.
(Abdu'l-Bahá: Promulgation of Universal Peace, Page: 185)
[56] Bahá'u'lláh, The Seven Valleys
[57] I offer supplication to the Kingdom of
Abhá and seek extraordinary blessings and confirmations in your behalf
in order that your tongues may become fluent, your hearts like clear mirrors
flooded with the rays of the Sun of Truth, your thoughts expanded, your
comprehension more vivid and that you may progress in the plane of human
perfections.
Until man acquires perfections himself, he will not be able to teach
perfections to others. Unless man attains life himself, he cannot convey life
to others. Unless he finds light, he cannot reflect light. We must, therefore,
endeavor ourselves to attain to the perfections of the world of humanity, lay
hold of everlasting life and seek the divine spirit in order that we may
thereby be enabled to confer life upon others, be enabled to breathe life into
others.
(Abdu'l-Bahá: Promulgation of Universal Peace, Pages:
457-458)
[58] Ibid., p. 460
[59] Abdu'l-Bahá, Some Answered Questions, p. 267
[60] Lofty is the station of man! Not long ago
this exalted Word streamed forth from the treasury of Our Pen of Glory: Great
and blessed is this Day - the Day in which all that lay latent in man hath been
and will be made manifest. Lofty is the station of man, were he to hold fast to
righteousness and truth and to remain firm and steadfast in the Cause. In the
eyes of the All-Merciful a true man appeareth even as a firmament; its sun and
moon are his sight and hearing, and his shining and resplendent character its
stars. His is the loftiest station, and his influence educateth the world of
being.
(Bahá'u'lláh: "Kitáb-i-'Ahd," Tablets of
Bahá'u'lláh, Page: 220)
[61] Bahá'u'lláh, Words of Wisdom
[62] Súratu'l-Haykal
[63] Abdu'l-Bahá, Selections from the Writings of Abdu'l-Bahá, pp. 319-320
[64] This is my last meeting with you, for now
I am on the ship ready to sail away. These are my final words of exhortation. I
have repeatedly summoned you to the cause of the unity of the world of
humanity, announcing that all mankind are the servants of the same God, that
God is the creator of all; He is the Provider and Life-giver; all are equally
beloved by Him and are His servants upon whom His mercy and compassion descend.
Therefore, you must manifest the greatest kindness and love toward the nations
of the world, setting aside fanaticism, abandoning religious, national and
racial prejudice.
The earth is one native land, one home; and all mankind are the children of
one Father. God has created them, and they are the recipients of His
compassion. Therefore, if anyone offends another, he offends God. It is the
wish of our heavenly Father that every heart should rejoice and be filled with
happiness, that we should live together in felicity and joy. The obstacle to
human happiness is racial or religious prejudice, the competitive struggle for
existence and inhumanity toward each other.
Your eyes have been illumined, your ears are attentive, your hearts knowing.
You must be free from prejudice and fanaticism, beholding no differences
between the races and religions. You must look to God, for He is the real
Shepherd, and all humanity are His sheep. He loves them and loves them equally.
As this is true, should the sheep quarrel among themselves? They should
manifest gratitude and thankfulness to God, and the best way to thank God is to
love one another.
Beware lest ye offend any heart, lest ye speak against anyone in his
absence, lest ye estrange yourselves from the servants of God. You must
consider all His servants as your own family and relations. Direct your whole
effort toward the happiness of those who are despondent, bestow food upon the
hungry, clothe the needy, and glorify the humble. Be a helper to every helpless
one, and manifest kindness to your fellow creatures in order that ye may attain
the good pleasure of God. This is conducive to the illumination of the world of
humanity and eternal felicity for yourselves. I seek from God everlasting glory
in your behalf; therefore, this is my prayer and exhortation.
(Abdu'l-Bahá: Promulgation of Universal Peace, Pages:
468-469)
[65] As to you: 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 from amongst men, that all men may become as one family
and consort together in love and kindness, that the East may assist the West
and the West give help to the East, for all are the inhabitants of one planet,
the people of one original native land and the flocks of one Shepherd.
Consider how the Prophets Who have been sent, the great souls who have
appeared and the sages who have arisen in the world have exhorted mankind to
unity and love. This has been the essence of their mission and teaching. This
has been the goal of their guidance and message. The Prophets, saints, seers
and philosophers have sacrificed their lives in order to establish these
principles and teachings amongst men. Consider the heedlessness of the world,
for notwithstanding the efforts and sufferings of the Prophets of God, the
nations and peoples are still engaged in hostility and fighting.
Notwithstanding the heavenly commandments to love one another, they are still
shedding each other's blood. How heedless and ignorant are the people of the
world! How gross the darkness which envelops them! Although they are the
children of a compassionate God, they continue to live and act in opposition to
His will and good pleasure. God is loving and kind to all men, and yet they
show the utmost enmity and hatred toward each other. God is the Giver of life
to them, and yet they constantly seek to destroy life. God blesses and protects
their homes; they rage, sack and destroy each other's homes. Consider their
ignorance and heedlessness!
Your duty is of another kind, for you are informed of the mysteries of God.
Your eyes are illumined; your ears are quickened with hearing. You must,
therefore, look toward each other and then toward mankind with the utmost love
and kindness. You have no excuse to bring before God if you fail to live
according to His command, for you are informed of that which constitutes the
good pleasure of God. You have heard His commandments and precepts. You must,
therefore, be kind to all men; you must even treat your enemies as your
friends. You must consider your evil-wishers as your well-wishers. Those who
are not agreeable toward you must be regarded as those who are congenial and
pleasant so that, perchance, this darkness of disagreement and conflict may
disappear from amongst men and the light of the divine may shine forth, so that
the Orient may be illumined and the Occident filled with fragrance, nay, so
that the East and West may embrace each other in love and deal with one another
in sympathy and affection. Until man reaches this high station, the world of
humanity shall not find rest, and eternal felicity shall not be attained. But
if man lives up to these divine commandments, this world of earth shall be
transformed into the world of heaven, and this material sphere shall be
converted into a paradise of glory. It is my hope that you may become
successful in this high calling so that like brilliant lamps you may cast light
upon the world of humanity and quicken and stir the body of existence like unto
a spirit of life. This is eternal glory. This is everlasting felicity. This is
immortal life. This is heavenly attainment. This is being created in the image
and likeness of God. And unto this I call you, praying to God to strengthen and
bless you.
(Abdu'l-Bahá: Promulgation of Universal Peace, Pages:
469-470)
[66] O kings of the earth! We see you
increasing every year your expenditures, and laying the burden thereof on your
subjects. This, verily, is wholly and grossly unjust. Fear the sighs and tears
of this wronged One, and lay not excessive burdens on your peoples. Do not rob
them to rear palaces for yourselves; nay rather choose for them that which ye
choose for yourselves. Thus We unfold to your eyes that which profiteth you, if
ye but perceive. Your people are your treasures. Beware lest your rule violate
the commandments of God, and ye deliver your wards to the hands of the robber.
By them ye rule, by their means ye subsist, by their aid ye conquer. Yet, how
disdainfully ye look upon them! How strange, how very strange!
Now that ye have refused the Most Great Peace, hold ye fast unto this, the
Lesser Peace, that haply ye may in some degree better your own condition and
that of your dependents.
O rulers of the earth! Be reconciled among yourselves, that ye may need no
more armaments save in a measure to safeguard your territories and dominions.
Beware lest ye disregard the counsel of the All-Knowing, the Faithful.
Be united, O kings of the earth, for thereby will the tempest of discord be
stilled 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.
(Bahá'u'lláh: Gleanings from the Writings of
Bahá'u'lláh, Pages: 253-254)
[67] Shoghi Effendi, World Order of Bahá'u'lláh, pp. 40-41
[68] Abdu'l-Bahá, Promulgation of Universal Peace, p. 211
[69] Ibid., p. 43
[70] Among the institutes of the Holy Books is
that of the foundation of places of worship. That is to say, an edifice or
temple is to be built in order that humanity might find a place of meeting, and
this is to be conducive to unity and fellowship among them. The real temple is
the very Word of God; for to it all humanity must turn, and it is the center of
unity for all mankind. It is the collective center, the cause of accord and
communion of hearts, the sign of the solidarity of the human race, the source
of eternal life. Temples are the symbols of the divine uniting force so that
when the people gather there in the House of God they may recall the fact that
the law has been revealed for them and that the law is to unite them. They will
realize that just as this temple was founded for the unification of mankind,
the law preceding and creating it came forth in the manifest Word.
(Abdu'l-Bahá: Promulgation of Universal Peace, Page: 65)
71 Italics are mine [Mr. Ives].
[72] Thou hast questioned how thou canst
accept this divine Cause, for thou art a member of the church. In the day of
the Manifestation of Christ, many souls became portionless and deprived because
they were members of the Holy of Holies in Jerusalem. According to that
membership, they became veiled from that brilliant Beauty. Therefore, turn thou
thy face to the Church of God which consists in divine instructions and
merciful exhortations. For what similarity is there between the church of stone
and cement and the celestial Holy of Holies!
Endeavor that thou mayest enter in this Church of God. Although thou has
given oath to attend the church, yet thy spirit is under the Covenant and
Testament of the spiritual Divine Church. Thou shouldst protect this. Although
they consider the wine and the bread in the church as the blood and body of
Christ, yet this is but the appearance and not the reality. But the reality of
Christ is the words of the Holy Spirit. If thou art able, take a portion
thereof.
(Abdu'l-Bahá: Bahá'í World Faith, Page: 390)
[73] Bahá'u'lláh, Words of
Wisdom
74 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.
(Bahá'u'lláh: Gleanings from the Writings of
Bahá'u'lláh, Page: 255)
[75] The holy Manifestations of God come into
the world to dispel the darkness of the animal, or physical, nature of man, to
purify him from his imperfections in order that his heavenly and spiritual
nature may become quickened, his divine qualities awakened, his perfections
visible, his potential powers revealed and all the virtues of the world of
humanity latent within him may come to life.
(Abdu'l-Bahá: Promulgation of Universal Peace, Page: 465)
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