Pilgrim Notes

Charles Mason Remey

1901

605 Corcoran Building, Washington,
D. C.,
Sept. 1905.

Dear, Co-worker,

In His Holy Cause:

I send you the following extract from a paper which, at the request of a brother Believer, prepared to be read before some Truth Seekers. I trust it may be of sore assistance to you in your work of spreading the Glad Tidings of The Final Fulfilment of GOD’S Covenant with His People.

Statement of a few personal impressions of the Master together with some observations regarding His Title of “The Center of The Covenant”.

During my stay of eleven days in The Master’s house in March 1901, I was constantly impressed by His wisdom and understanding, not only of the visible or objective things of life, but more especially of those Unseen spiritual conditions of being which, because they are not seen with the physical eye, nor comprehended by mental reason alone, are the more difficult to understand. These souls’ conditions are the very root and cause of the visible or objective conditions to which man finds himself subject.

Through the Master’s Teaching one realizes that the outer man is but the manifestation of the inner or spiritual man, and that in order to permanently correct and perfect the outward condition of mankind the remedy must be applied to the understanding of the real cause of these conditions. The Master’s wisdom is the real wisdom which has to do with this invisible or spiritual side of existence.

I saw The Master as the Divine Physician of mankind. The one who knows and understands all conditions of soul, for his understanding penetrates deeper than the mind. I was deeply impressed by his understanding of my inner-self.

One would naturally resent any one’s attempt at reading his thoughts, but how different is his attitude towards one who from a height of soul unfoldment (gained through sacrifice and suffering, for The Christ Life can be obtained only in this way), can penetrate the heart and silently give that divine, strength and assurance which very soul craves.

Man has a divine nature and that nature needs to be fostered and nourished. This craving for divine knowledge is but the manifestation of laws working in the spiritual realm, analogues to those which we see every day working upon the lower planes. This divine law The Master understands. He gives us his strength to help us over the rough places and at the same he shows us and teaches us how to understand our own spiritual needs and how through obedience to this higher law; to keep our souls nourished and alive in GOD.

The advice and admonitions of The Master are both special and general in their natures. To individual souls he gives special and personal advice, through the carrying out of which each soul receives strength and enlightenment. To his followers, the Baha’is as a body, he gives general instructions and admonitions applicable to all, and which when acted knowledge and unity, and to the general welfare of the body of believers as a whole. Thus it will be seen that The Master’s work is that of leading souls to GOD. In this day all depends upon his guidance, and at the same time all depends upon whether or not we are willing to be led by him in the Divine Way.

Not everyone who visits The Master and sees him with the outward eyes him with the inner spiritual Outwardly he is like any other man, but inwardly he is entirely different. He stands unique! The indwelling spirit within him we only see as we look beyond his human personality. When we do this we see that his personality is but the servant of the spirit within, and when once we see and understand this; we are prepared to have revealed to us the knowledge which he has in store for us.

In attaining to the presence of The Master the one thing to be avoided is the veil of our own personal imaginations and self-dependence. He teaches us to place our dependence upon GOD, and to be guided by His Holy Spirit. His message is a spiritual one which we must hear with our spiritual ears through the voice of the spirit. When we go to the Master, free from all thought of self, laying aside our own wishes and devices, and with open hearts earnestly seeking the light which he has, then we are in a condition to receive in the fullest measure those divine blessings which he has in store for us. On the other hand if we go to him self-sufficient and with our hearts closed we have neither eyes to see, nor ears to hear what he has to impart to us.

The Covenant of GOD made with mankind through the Prophets of the past, and which He has renewed from time to time since the beginning of history through His various revelations, has been consummated in this Latter Day Relation. The Promise given was that the People of GOD would inherit the earth. By this was meant that the Christ Lifer within man would predominant and overcome his human and animal natures, and that diving law should supplant that of men upon the earth. By the outpouring of Truth through the revelation of Baha’u’llah this divine state of man is being realized, and we now have the Final Fulfilment of The Great Promise of GOD to His people.

The Master was the first to recognize and declare Baha’u’llah and the promised, teacher and of the world, and ha was the first attain to the station of perfect submission to the Divine Will, from whence comes his name “Abdu’l-Baha which means, servant of GOD”.

This is the highest condition of spiritual attainment and is the practical application of the divine or Christ Life.

The Mission of The Master in that of establishing within our reach, and making ready and possible the way for the people of the world to receive the Truth revealed by Baha’u’llah. This abundance of Truth or Divine Life is always to remain with kind upon the earth as a testimony of the fulfilment of GOD’s Promise to the world. The Master is the First Fruit of consummation of the fulfilment of this promise, and is the Center from the Light is now being radiated to the people of all nations of the world. Therefore he in his mission lives and exemplifies in every way his title of “The Center of The Covenant”.

Utterances from the Hidden Words from the Arabic “O Son of Him Who Stands by His Own Entity in the Kingdom of Himself! Know that I have sent unto Thee the Fragrances of Holiness, and have accomplished the Word in thee, have fulfilled the Bounty through thee, and have willed for thee what I have willed for Myself. Therefore he content in Me and thankful to Me”.

Faithfully your brother,
In His Path,

Charles Mason Remey.

Paris, France.
August 12th, 1907.

To Mrs. A.M. Bryant.

Dear Baha’i Friend:

Since attaining to the visit of the “Master” Abdul-Baha, now one month ago, I have had it in my heart to write to the Believers in America but because of the unrest of travel and of meeting people this is the first moment when conditions have been favorable to letter writing.

After some delays and trials of travel Mr. Phelps and I reached Acre on July 12th. We had arrived at Haifa on the previous day where we received word to go over to Acre for the day. Some trouble had recently-manifested itself on the part of the Government authorities, so probably this was the reason that we did not remain over night in Acre. During that days visit we met the Master several times, and delivered to him the letters and messages which we brought, from the friends on the other side of the water. I was permitted to mention you name to him, together with those of some other friends and he said – “Give my love and Greeting to each of these”. To the Believers in general our Lord sent his love and glad tidings of Joy and Peace, saying that it was through joy and love and peace, that the followers of the Blessed Perfection must meet and overcome the world. The more people oppose us, the more gentle, long suffering and loving we should be towards them. Between the Believers themselves, nothing but the most perfect accord, union and love should exist. They should sacrifice themselves for one another. This is conducive to unity and steadfastness which are the foundation of the well being of the Holy Cause.

The Master also wished me to tell the Believers how impossible it is for him to answer each letter sent to him, or even to answer one in ten, so great are the demands upon his time. He said that the Friends were always in his prayers and thoughts and that in spirit he was with them always.

Although we were with the Master but a few brief hours, cur souls were rejoiced and filled to overflowing with that love which he alone can impart.

In this day the greatest blessing and bounty o God, is to realize the exalted station of Our Lord Abdul-Baha. Exalted through his humility, servitude and daily martyrdom in the Path of God. He alone is making the way of the Kingdom possible to us. Without him as cur leader we would indeed be. lost. Let us loose no time in offering ourselves, cur likes and dislikes and our all in his path.

This Cause will only flourish through its followers giving themselves heart and soul in the Holy Work. If we fail God will raise Uri ethers to de His Work, so let cur united prayer be to stand united and steadfast in His Service.

On the second day after our first visit to the Holy City we again spent a few hours in the Masters house, and then with no desire in our hearts save that of going back into cur fields of work we left His Presence.

On returning to Haifa Mr. Phelps sailed immediately for Port Said and America, while two days later I sailed for Beirut from whence I came to Paris, and will later visit London in accord with the Masters instructions. God willing I will return to America the latter part of September.

On leaving Acre after our first visit we stopped to worsh1, at the Holy Tomb of Baha’u’llah. You have heard our pilgrims speak of worshiping at this Holy spot. It is an experience which finds no expression in words. While worshiping I made a supplication for you the blessing of which I already feel in myself, in that thereby we have been brought nearer together.

Greetings in the Holy Name.
Your brother in service,

Charles Mason Remey.