1. Pages 1-17, image scans of the Japanese pages (see below for English)
2. Pages 18-32
FOREWORD
At Ridván 1957 the National Spiritual Assembly of the
Bahá'ís of North East Asia was elected. Its formation, along with
several others, was one of the goals listed by the Guardian in his monumental
Ten Year Crusade. At that time thirteen new National Spiritual Assemblies were
elected making a total of twenty-six in the world. The National Spiritual
Assembly of North East Asia was one of the new ones. The Guardian wrote (April
1, 1957) that the most important were in the Pacific area; in Tokyo, Djakarta
and New Zealand.
The National Spiritual Assembly of North East Asia was the only National
Assembly in the northern Asia area. It was a regional assembly and embraced
Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macau, Hainan Island and Sakhalin Island.
However, the Guardian designated that Tokyo would be the seat of that Assembly,
thus endowing Japan with importance.
Four of the areas were Chinese, one Japanese, one Korean and one Russian. The
Chinese area of Hong Kong was under British rule, and Macau under Portuguese
rule. Both were leased from China and their return was forthcoming. At that
time there was no access to the Russian island of Sakhalin nor to Hainan
Island, off the coast of mainland China. Those two areas were taken out the
jurisdiction of North East Asia but remained as goals to open. A Chinese
Bahá'í from Macau, Mr. John Chang, was able to spend two weeks in
Hainan in 1959 thus opening that island. The opening of Sakhalin remained a
goal of the National Spiritual Assembly of North East Asia, and later, the
National Spiritual Assembly of Japan and was fulfilled in 1990.
In 1974 the National Spiritual Assembly of Japan was elected. Although it was
the first convention of the Bahá'ís of Japan, actually it was the
18th annual convention in Tokyo. Only the name had changed. Where a few years
earlier there had been one assembly, there were now four; Korea (elected in
1964), Taiwan (elected in 1967), Hong Kong with Macau under its jurisdiction
(elected in 1974), and Japan.
We were very sad to see the demise of the old National Spiritual Assembly of
North East Asia. We recalled that the Guardian had been pleased with that first
Assembly in northern Asia, elected in 1957. A letter written on his behalf
commented, "The formation of this new Regional Assembly, whose area of
operation is so vast and situated in such an important part of the globe, has
been a source of joy to the Guardian. He was also very happy to see that your
Assembly has represented on it members of the three great races of mankind, a
living demonstration of the fundamental teaching of our Holy Faith..."
In 1957 the beloved Guardian passed away, however in his letters he had given
us our goals, our direction. During the time between 1957 and the election of
the Universal
18
House of Justice in 1963, the Hands of the Cause gave the
Bahá'í world the guidance it needed.
With the election of the Universal House of Justice a new era began for the
Bahá'í world. In this booklet we have listed some of the guidance
given to our area by the Supreme Body.
Letters, or excerpts from letters, written by the Universal House of Justice, or on its behalf, concerning the North East Asia area, including Japan
To the National Spiritual Assembly of the
Bahá'ís of North East Asia, July 20, 1963.
Thank you for sending the minutes of your first meeting of 26th May,
1963. We pray ardently in the Holy Shrines that your Assembly may be an
instrument of guidance for the peoples of that part of the world who have
proved to be very much receptive in accepting the Cause of God. We are sure
that your future minutes will reflect a great deal the magnificent efforts
which are being exerted in the field of mass conversion. The success we had
recently in Korea and more recently in the Philippine Islands is an encouraging
sign heralding a bright future in those regions. Frequently in the writings of
the Master and the beloved Guardian, we come across prophecies regarding Japan
and the countries of the Far East, and we are sure that through united,
determined and systematic efforts, all these promises will be fulfilled, and
the people from the yellow race will have their due place among the enrolled
supporters of the Greatest Name.
We hope that your Assembly will devise ways and means to have regular and
continuous communication with all Centres under your jurisdiction so that your
communications with the friends will surely encourage them more than ever
before to arise in the service of the Cause, and to bring about the victories
so dear to the heart of the beloved Guardian, particularly in the field of mass
conversion.
We assure you of our prayers in the Holy Shrines.
To the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of North
East Asia, October 23, 1963.
By now you have received our message listing the new National Spiritual
Assemblies which will be created at Ridvan 1964. We hope that this news will
provide the friends with a spring-board from which we can successfully launch
the complete Nine-Year Plan.
19
If the Plan is to be successful, however, we must be assured that all
of those areas listed in our message are strong enough to support the weight of
each new pillar for the Universal House of Justice. Therefore, your Assembly
should take immediate steps to assure the consolidation of all of those areas
under your jurisdiction. We call particular attention to Korea.
To the Bahá'ís of North East Asia, April 1964.
The Bahá'í Community of North East Asia, founded during
the Ministry of `Abdu'l-Bahá, was much beloved by Him and honoured by
many Tablets addressed to Japanese believers.
Already in the establishment of the independent Bahá'í Community
of Korea, it has shown signs of the potential with which He invested it; it
must now add yet another national community to its spiritual descendants by
establishing the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of
Taiwan, assisted by the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States...
May this Community fulfil every hope cherished for it by `Abdu'l-Bahá
and grow to become a beacon of divine illumination to the whole of
Asia.
To an individual in Japan, February 9, 1970.
We share your hope that the day will soon come when Japanese believers
themselves can assume greater responsibility for the growth and development of
the Faith in their country. In this regard the purpose of all pioneers should
be to provide opportunities for native believers to become active in the
administration of the Cause. We are certain that greater participation by
native believers will produce a tremendous momentum which will ultimately bring
about a fulfillment of the prophecies in the Writings about their
country.
To the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of North
East Asia, March 7, 1971.
Your region is very close and dear to us. As you know, Japan is linked
with the Heroic Age through the early teaching work of the Hand of the Cause
Agnes Alexander, and is mentioned several times in the Tablets of the Divine
Plan. Speaking of Miss Alexander's work, the Master said, "I declare by the
Lord of Hosts that had this respected daughter founded an empire, that empire
would not have been so great! For this sovereignty is eternal sovereignty and
this glory is everlasting glory."
20
To the Friends of God Assembled in the Conference of the North
Pacific Ocean, September 1971.
Dearly-loved Friends,
On the eve of the Fiftieth Anniversary of the opening of the Formative Age of
our Faith we call to mind the high hopes often expressed by the beloved Master
for the spread of the Cause in this region, His mention in the Tablets of the
Divine Plan of many of the territories represented in this Conference, and the
faithful and devoted services of that maid-servant of
Bahá'u'lláh, the Hand of the Cause Agnes Alexander, who brought
the Teachings to these shores in the early years of this century.
In these days we are witnessing an unprecedented acceleration of the teaching
work in almost every part of the globe. In the North Pacific Ocean area great
strides have been made in the advancement of the Cause since that historic Asia
Regional Teaching Conference in Nikko just sixteen years ago. The next two
years witnessed the formation of the National Spiritual Assembly of North East
Asia. To the Convention in Tokyo at Ridván 1957 the Guardian addressed
these prophetic words:
"This auspicious event, which posterity will regard as the culmination of a process initiated, half a century ago, in the capital city of Japan ... marks the opening of the second chapter in the history of the evolution of His Faith
in the North Pacific area. Such a consummation cannot fail to lend a tremendous
impetus to its onward march in the entire Pacific Ocean ..."
Since that time National Spiritual Assemblies have also been firmly
established in Korea and Taiwan.
Hokkaido, the site of this Conference, first heard of the Teachings less than
fifteen years ago, and the first aboriginal peoples of this land accepted
Bahá'u'lláh just over a decade ago. Now you are the witnesses to
the beginnings of a rapid increase in the number of believers. Peoples in other
islands and lands of the North Pacific, including the Ryukyus, Guam, the Trust
Territories, the western shores of Canada and Alaska and the Aleutians are also
enrolling under the banner of the Most Great Name, and next Ridván yet
another pillar of the Universal House of Justice is to be raised in Micronesia.
We are heartened at the prospect that from the indigenous peoples of this vast
oceanic area, the Ainu, the Japanese, the Chinese, the Koreans, the Okinawans,
the Micronesians, the American Indians, the Eskimos, and the Aleuts vast
numbers will soon enter the Faith.
The final hours of the Nine Year Plan are fast fleeting. Praised be to God
that you have gathered to consult on ways and means of assuring complete
victory so that from these outposts the Teachings may spread to those nearby
lands where teeming millions have not as yet heard of the advent of this Most
Great Dispensation.
21
The sweet perfume of victory is in the air, and we must hasten to
achieve it while there is yet time. Vital goals, particularly on the homefront
of Taiwan and Japan, remain to be won, and everywhere the roots of the faith of
the believers must sink deeper and deeper into the firm earth of the Teachings
lest tempests and trials as yet unforeseen shake or uproot the tender plants so
lovingly raised in the islands of this great Ocean and the land surrounding
it.
As you and the friends in the sister Conference in Reykjavik bring this series
of eight Oceanic and Continental Conferences to a triumphant close, our prayers
for the success of your deliberations ascend at the Holy Threshold. May God
grant you the resources, the strength and the determination to attain your
highest hopes, and enable you to open a new glorious chapter in the evolution
of His Faith in the North Pacific area.
To the Bahá'ís of Japan, Naw-Rúz 1974.
The emergence of the autonomous Bahá'í Community of Japan
signalizes the occasion for a revitalization of the teaching work throughout
the Islands. You must now achieve great expansion of the Cause, both in numbers
and establishment of its administrative institutions and assume a major role in
promoting the spread of the Faith in the Far East.
To your west live millions of souls -- nearly a quarter of the world's
population -- the vast majority of whom have not yet had the bounty of hearing
God's message for this day. Your community is confronted with the challenge to
play an important role in winning the hearts of the Chinese people for
Bahá'u'lláh. In addition you must, while pursuing the overall
objectives of the Five Year Plan, achieve a number of specific
tasks...
To the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of Japan,
Naw-Rúz 1974.
We send our loving greetings on your election as the first independent
National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of Japan.
In setting out to win the goals of the Five Year Plan you have the formidable
task of consolidation. Obviously a vital step in the consolidation of the
Bahá'í community is the bringing into full activity of all the
Local Spiritual Assemblies. This can be achieved in several ways. One is by the
Continental Board of Counsellors taking advantage of the permission to have
their Auxiliary Board members appoint assistants, and then ensuring that these
assistants are given training in the teachings of the Faith and the working of
the Administrative Order, so that they can effectively assist the
22
Local Spiritual Assemblies. Another method is for the National
Spiritual Assembly to carry out the program in which capable
Bahá'ís would be selected in each locality, and would be trained
in the teachings so that when they returned home they could offer to share
their knowledge with their fellow believers and enhance the functioning of the
local community. Both or either of these ways, and any others that can be
thought of, may be energetically followed.
To the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of Japan,
January 25, 1979.
The Universal House of Justice has received the newsletter which the
Youth Committee of Japan has just started publishing, and asks that you convey
to these dear friends its commendation for this effort to reach all the youth
on a regular basis to encourage them and keep them informed of developments in
the country. It is hoped that this will help stimulate more and more of the
youth to move into the forefront of the teaching field and play a truly
significant part in setting Japan ablaze with the Cause.
To the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of Japan,
August 12, 1980.
Through the courtesy of the Counsellors of North-eastern Asia the
Universal House of Justice has just received a copy of an English translation
of the pilgrim notes made by Mr. Hiroyasu Takano concerning his visits with the
beloved Guardian in 1954. The House of Justice was very much impressed with the
loving spirit with which Mr. Takano relates his pilgrimage experience and the
manner in which he expresses his impressions of what Shoghi Effendi said to
him.
We have been asked to say that, as you know from this and other sources, the
Guardian held the Japanese people in high regard, and he foresaw the important
part the Japanese believers would play in the unfoldment of the World Order of
Bahá'u'lláh. Many of the things anticipated in the statements
attributed to Shoghi Effendi in these notes have already come to pass. The high
endeavors of the Japanese friends, reinforced by the divine confirmations which
these efforts will attract, will no doubt pave the way for the fulfilment, in
the not-too-distant future, of all the aspirations of the beloved Guardian for
the Japanese community. It is the hope and prayer of the House of Justice that
the account of his experience given by Mr. Takano at your last Convention will
have a profound effect on the friends and inspire them to labour indefatigably
for the progress of the Cause of Bahá'u'lláh, and that the
Japanese Bahá'í community will become an ever-stronger centre of
attraction and illumination to the peoples of Asia and the Pacific.
23
To the Bahá'ís of Japan at the assignment of the
three-year long second phase of the Seven Year Plan, January 1981.
In his last letter to the Bahá'ís of Australia in July
1957, the beloved Guardian spoke of the establishment of a "spiritual axis,
extending from the Antipodes to the northern islands of the Pacific Ocean--an
axis whose northern and southern poles will act as powerful magnets, endowed
with exceptional spiritual potency, and towards which other younger and less
experienced communities will tend for some time to gravitate." At that time
there were but four National Spiritual Assemblies in eastern Asia and the
Pacific. Now there are no less than twenty-five pillars of the Universal House
of Justice in this area. The number of Local Spiritual Assemblies has risen to
more than sixteen hundred; the Mashriqu'l-Adhkár of the Antipodes has
been dedicated in Sydney and the Mother Temple of the Pacific Islands will soon
be erected in the country whose reigning monarch has embraced the Faith of
Bahá'u'lláh. Witness the potency of the power released through
the establishment of that spiritual axis!
To the Friends gathered in the Asian-Australasian Bahá'í
Conference in Canberra, September 2, 1982.
Dearly-loved Friends,
These are momentous times. The institutions of the old world order are
crumbling and in disarray. Materialism, greed, corruption and conflict are
infecting the social order with a grave malaise from which it is helpless to
extricate itself. With every passing day it becomes more and more evident that
no time must be lost in applying the remedy prescribed by
Bahá'u'lláh, and it is to this task that Bahá'ís
everywhere must bend their energies and commit their resources.
New conditions now present themselves making it easier to accomplish our
purpose. Galvanized by the fires of fierce opposition and nurtured by the blood
of the martyrs, the forces of the Cause of Bahá'u'lláh are, at
long last, emerging from obscurity. Never before in history has the Faith been
the subject of such universal attention and comment. Eminent statesmen,
parliamentarians, journalists, writers, educators, commentators, clergymen and
other leaders of thought have raised their voices and set their pens to
expressions of horror and revulsion at the persecutions of our brethren in
Írán on the one hand and to paeans of praise and administration
of the noble principles which motivate the followers of the Most Great Name on
the other.
The five international conferences of the Seven Year Plan were called to
commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of the passing of the Greatest Holy Leaf,
to discuss anew the present condition of the Faith in a turbulent world
society, to examine the great opportunities for its further growth and
development, and to focus attention on
24
the unfulfilled goals of the Plan. We are certain that the
contemplation of the gathered friends on the sterling qualities which
distinguished the heroic life of the Greatest Holy Leaf will help them to
persevere in their noble endeavours...
Canberra, where you are now meeting, is at the southern pole of the spiritual
axis referred to in the beloved Guardian's last message to the
Bahá'ís of Australia as "extending from the Antipodes to the
northern islands of the Pacific Ocean..." Referring to the National Spiritual
Assemblies at the northern and southern poles of that axis, Shoghi Effendi went
on to say:
"A responsibility, at once weighty and inescapable, must rest on the
communities which occupy so privileged a position in so vast and turbulent an
area of the globe. However great the distance that separates them; however much
they differ in race, language, custom, and religion; however active the
political forces which tend to keep them apart and foster racial and political
antagonisms, the close and continued association of these communities in their
common, their peculiar and paramount task of raising up and consolidating the
embryonic World Order of Bahá'u'lláh in those regions of the
globe is a matter of vital and urgent importance which should receive on the
part of the elected representatives of their communities, a most earnest and
prayerful consideration."
These guidelines, penned a quarter of a century ago, are as valid today as
when they were written, and can be taken to heart by all Bahá'í
communities on either side of the axis.
To the National Spiritual Assemblies of the Bahá'ís of
Australia and Japan, September 20, 1982.
The Universal House of Justice was very happy with the Spiritual Axis
program at the Bahá'í International Conference in Canberra and
has asked us to convey its warm commendation to you. It was particularly
pleased to note the attractive brochure, issued jointly by your Assemblies,
which brings to the attention of the friends quotations concerning the roles of
Japan and Australia and the significance of the spiritual axis in the
development of the Faith in the entire Pacific region.
The large attendance of friends from Japan at this Conference was also a
source of joy to the House of Justice.
It is the ardent hope of the House of Justice that the friends from your
communities, motivated by the high spirit generated by the Canberra Conference
and continually encouraged by your institutions, will provide a constant stream
of travelling teachers to those islands in need of assistance throughout the
Pacific.
The House of Justice continues to remember your assemblies in its prayers at
the Holy Shrines that you will be guided in all your efforts to serve the Cause
of God.
25
To the Bahá'ís of Japan, Ridván 1984.
On the occasion of this joyous Ridván Festival the
Bahá'í world enters the third and last phase of the Seven Year
Plan.
A renewed spirit of enthusiasm has pervaded the much-loved Japanese
Bahá'í community since the International Conference at Canberra
where you were represented by a large delegation and effectively presented the
results of your study concerning the implications of the spiritual axis joining
your country with the Antipodes. Your systematic and earnest endeavours to
fulfil the goals entrusted to you have been noted. Among your accomplishments
have been the intensification of the teaching and consolidation work in the
Ryukyu Islands; and the efforts to establish cordial relations with prominent
people, including the proclamation of the Faith to members of the Japanese
Parliament.
You are urged to provide for the further growth and consolidation of the
Japanese Bahá'í community, and to this end you should continue to
pursue the ongoing goals assigned to you during the second phase of the Plan,
particularly directing your efforts toward increasing the number of active and
deepened followers of the Greatest Name from all strata of society; encouraging
Bahá'í families to become spiritually united and to be
outstanding examples of the ennobling influence of the Bahá'í
Revelation; and steadily increasing the number of firmly grounded, actively
functioning Local Spiritual Assemblies which promote the healthy growth of
their communities and guide the friends in their service to the Cause.
Moreover we call upon you to act as a source of leadership and strength for
the developing communities on both sides of the spiritual axis, particularly
those in the vast Pacific basin. Bearing in mind the implications of that axis
you should collaborate with the National Spiritual Assembly of Australia and
the respective National Spiritual Assemblies in arranging and implementing
teaching, consolidation and development projects in Pacific island communities.
Together with the National Spiritual Assembly of Australia you should assist
the National Spiritual Assembly of the Caroline Islands to carry out projects
to strengthen that Bahá'í community in preparation for the
establishment of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Western Caroline
Islands at Ridván 1985.
Be assured of our loving prayers at the Holy Shrines that
Bahá'u'lláh will guide, assist and sustain your endeavours to
advance His Cause by winning outstanding victories now within your
reach.
To the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of Japan,
February 3, 1985.
The Universal House of Justice regards it as highly important at this
time in the
26
history of the Faith to teach the Chinese people wherever they may
reside in the world. This stems from several considerations, among which are
the following.
- Both `Abdu'l-Bahá and the Guardian laid special stress on teaching
the Chinese. `Abdu'l-Bahá went so far as to say that China is the country
of the future.
- The Chinese people form the largest single group in the world -- over
one-fourth of the world's total population residing in mainland China alone.
- People of Chinese origin residing in other parts of the world have proved
to be very receptive to the Teachings, particularly in southeast Asian
countries such as Malaysia and Vietnam.
- Since present conditions in the People's Republic of China make it
extremely difficult for its citizens to become Bahá'ís, it is
urgent that at this time we do all we can to teach Chinese people in other
countries. The International Chinese Teaching Committee ... was created to
assist in this work. Demographic information at the World Centre indicates that
there are approximately 60,000 people of Chinese descent in your country. The
House of Justice has therefore asked us to urge you to appoint, if you have not
already done so, a National Committee whose principal functions will be to
encourage teaching the Chinese people and to keep in close touch with the World
Centre, sharing information on current teaching activities with it and the
International Chinese Teaching Committee.
To the Bahá'ís of Japan, Naw-Rúz 1986.
At this significant hour in the history of our beloved Faith we stand
at a turning point between the Seven Year Plan and an even more challenging Six
Year Plan. An air of excitement pervades the Bahá'í world
community as it embarks on a new planning process to chart its course looking
toward the Holy Year beginning at Ridván 1992. Your National Assembly,
in consultation with the Counsellors in Asia, will be formulating the national
goals for the new Plan. Delegates to the National Conventions are called upon
to make their contributions to the setting of goals and objectives.
During the course of the Seven Year Plan a new spirit has emerged in the
Japanese Bahá'í community which, amplified and spreading, can
decisively influence the growth and development of the Faith in the years
immediately ahead, not only in Japan itself, but in all eastern Asia.
`Abdu'l-Bahá dearly loved the Japanese people. He said, "The fire of the
love of God shall assuredly set Japan afire." He sent them Agnes Baldwin
Alexander, whom the beloved Guardian elevated to the rank of a Hand of the
Cause of God in the latter years of her long and devoted services to the Faith
in Japan.
27
What bounties have been shed upon your beloved country; what a radiant
future glows with the rays of the rising sun!
The awfulness of that tragic event at Hiroshima which exacted such a dear
price from your people is at long last dawning on the consciousness of mankind.
The futility of war is clear. The yearning for peace is everywhere apparent.
The Bahá'ís of Japan should therefore be in the forefront in
paving the way to that oneness and wholeness of human relationships which will
produce the conditions for peace.
As you now set sail on your new course we urge you to look to the future. Your
victories during the Seven Year Plan will provide strong currents to carry you
towards your next ports of call. If any hopes were not realized, this will
provide challenges for the days ahead. Strong winds of opportunity will blow;
make the most of them. Rough seas will cross your course; be prepared for them
by deepening your knowledge of the Teachings. Rely upon the Covenant of God,
continue your good work, pray for success and the victory will be yours.
We shall offer ardent prayers at the Holy Shrines on behalf of the dearly
loved Bahá'ís of Japan.
To the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of Japan,
March 1, 1987.
The beloved Guardian, in his 19 July 1957 letter to the National
Spiritual Assembly of Australia, described Japan as "...the Vanguard of His
hosts in their future spiritual conquest of the main body of the yellow race on
the Chinese mainland ..." The Universal House of Justice feels that the
Bahá'ís of Japan will, in due time, make great strides in
bringing the message of Bahá'u'lláh to the Chinese population.
In considering the role of Japan in teaching the Chinese race, the House of
Justice requests that your Assembly ... gather some cultural background
information on the Chinese in your country...
To an individual in Japan, February 15, 1988.
The House of Justice is very happy to learn about the teaching work in
Japan. The dearly loved believers in that country have a very great mission to
perform, and it is therefore necessary and important that the
Bahá'í community be greatly strengthened. There is much in what
you say about the correct approach to teaching since the history and culture of
Japan are much different from those of the West, and, unfortunately, much of
our literature is written from the Western viewpoint.
28
To an individual in Japan, August 11, 1988.
The House of Justice has been delighted with the news of the
proclamation activity which has been taking place in Japan, particularly
through the medium of Peace Expositions in shopping malls, resulting in a
number of enrollments.
The concept of mass teaching may be better understood if put in the context of
"teaching the masses". This implies reaching every level of society in every
continent and island in the world. In developing countries large segments of
the population have become Bahá'ís, usually among the less
educated. More recently, particularly in Asia, we see that the youth in high
schools and colleges have been attracted to the Faith in large numbers. This
does not mean, however, that there is any particular system of teaching which
individual Bahá'ís should pursue. Different cultures and types of
people require different methods of approach. While taking the fullest
advantage of a workable method in one area, the friends should be open to other
methods and not blindly insist upon doing the same thing everywhere. If such
flexibility is understood, the Japanese community will surely grow in numbers
and strength.
To the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of Japan,
April 19, 1989.
Efforts should also be made to increase the awareness of the
Bahá'í youth to the importance of meeting Chinese people at
school and at work. Furthermore, they should be encouraged to take up studies
in the Chinese language and culture when possible and to specialize in their
respective professions on aspects relating to China. Bahá'í
scholars and experts on China are needed to assist in establishing the Faith in
China.
Increasing emphasis must also be placed on the teaching work among Chinese who
have been long settled in your country as well as those who are students or
long-term visitors from places with large Chinese populations such as Hong
Kong, Macau, Malaysia, Singapore, or Taiwan.
To the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of Germany
(copy to National Assembly of Japan), September 24, 1989.
The opening of Sakhalin is one of the goals of the National Spiritual
Assembly of the Bahá'ís of Japan, and the House of Justice is
very pleased that it is a pioneer from Japan, Mrs. Beth McKenty, who has been
able to make the first visit of a Bahá'í to the island.
29
Telex to the National Spiritual Assembly of the
Bahá'ís of Japan, March 27, 1990.
Rejoice settlement Sakhalin by Knights of Bahá'u'lláh
Abbas and Rezvanieh Katirai, thus completing opening all virgin territories Ten
Year Crusade, attaining goal entrusted Japanese Bahá'í community
on inauguration Nine Year Plan.
Assure Sakhalin Committee and valiant pioneers and travelling teachers ardent
prayers sacred Threshold divine confirmation their highly meritorious
services.
Lovingly congratulate your National Spiritual Assembly and entire Japanese
community on this historic achievement.
To an individual in Japan, March 6, 1991.
Each of the teaching methods being utilized within the Japanese
community possesses its own strength. The individual teachers should be
encouraged, therefore, to follow the teaching methods for which they feel best
suited, as the importance lies in the spirit, effectiveness and devotion with
which this work is carried out. The Cause of Bahá'u'lláh should,
of course, be conveyed accurately, in unadulterated form, and in accordance
with the capacity of the listener. Hopefully, active teachers will learn from
each other new ways to enrich and diversify their approaches to best reach
their audiences.
While it is the responsibility of the Bahá'í institutions to
coordinate teaching activities, and to encourage the believers in their
services, teaching the Faith is each individual's sacred duty, prescribed by
God...
When receptive souls have recognized Bahá'u'lláh as the
Manifestation of God for this age, the Bahá'í institutions and
members of the community should warmly welcome these new believers into the
Bahá'í fold, seek to expand their as yet limited understanding of
the Cause, and execute practical plans to deepen and assist them in becoming
torchbearers of the Faith.
The Japanese believers have learned from their past experiences and their
community has progressed significantly during recent years. The spiritual and
administrative growth necessarily entails hardships and tests. It is true that
language barriers or a lack of literature present obstacles in the work of any
community. However, it should be remembered that the Bahá'í
community in Japan has developed in an era when even a meager amount of
literature or facilities was not available.
To the Local Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of Kurume
(Japan), May 21, 1991.
The Universal House of Justice was touched to receive from the members
of your Assembly, on their recent pilgrimage to the Holy Land, your
contribution to the Arc
30
Fund offered in the name of your dear departed friends, Shojiro Ogata
and Hiroshi Fujii.
This loving act in their memory is indicative of the solidarity among the
members of your community, who may be assured that their gift will bring
happiness to the immortal souls of these two believers and that it will be a
cause of their progress in the Kingdom of Eternity, as promised in our
Writings. The House of Justice will offer prayers at the Sacred Threshold on
their behalf, as well as for the welfare of their bereaved families.
To several individuals in Japan, February 5, 1992.
Your letter dated 29 December 1991 was received and the Universal House
of Justice was touched by the loving messages and drawings from the
Bahá'í children who had come together during their winter
vacation to study the life of Bahá'u'lláh with their parents. There is
no doubt that such an exercise will serve to give them a firm foundation in the
fundamental verities of the Faith. It is hoped that the seeds of faith and
knowledge sown in the hearts of all of the participants will indeed flourish
and contribute to the development of Bahá'í scholarship in Japan.
It is hoped that many more Bahá'í families in Japan will have
opportunities to become involved in such worthy endeavors.
To an individual in Japan, March 19, 1992.
Your dear father has forwarded to the Bahá'í World Centre
a copy of your article about the Faith which was published on the first page of
a Buddhist newspaper, accompanied by photographs.
The Universal House of Justice was delighted to see this and has asked us to
state that writing such articles is a very important service to the Faith,
particularly at this stage, when it is emerging from obscurity in most parts of
the world. This presents opportunities for proclaiming the Faith in the media
which were undreamed of only a few years ago, and the Japanese believers should
be fully conscious of this fact and take advantage of it.
The House of Justice hopes that you will not only continue writing such
articles yourself, but that you will also inspire your fellow
Bahá'ís in Japan to do likewise, and to assure them that, if they
only try, Bahá'u'lláh will confirm them in their endeavors.
The House of Justice wishes us to express its appreciation for your efforts in
this field and to assure you of its prayers in the Holy Shrines on your behalf.
The newspaper article will be kept in the Bahá'í World Centre
Library.
31
To the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of
Japan, August 24, 1992.
The House of Justice was pleased to see the determination with which
you have pursued your Plan, and the numerous victories you have won for the
Faith during this period are a source of happiness to its members. In
particular, the fact that you were able to form 20 Local Spiritual Assemblies
during the last 12 months of the Plan, thus winning your goal of 65 Assemblies
by the end of the Plan, is considered quite remarkable in view of the slow
progress in this field in previous years. The other significant achievements in
propagating the Faith are the opening of all prefectures of Japan and the
opening of Sakhalin Island, the last virgin territory of the Ten Year
Crusade.
The progress you have made in publishing Bahá'í literature is
highly appreciated, as are your ongoing efforts to consolidate your community
and foster the development of Bahá'í community life. The increase
in the number of Bahá'í children's classes held and the
establishment of Bahá'í clubs in three universities, as well as
the formation of a "Bahá'í Women's Network" augur well for the
budding strength of the Faith in Japan. All of these gains were achieved
through the devotion and sacrifice of the believers in Japan and through their
reliance on the assistance from on high.
The experience gained in the formulation of this Plan and in its
implementation during the last six years will have provided your National
Assembly, as well as all other Bahá'í institutions in Japan, with
valuable insights into the dynamics of systematic propagation and consolidation
of the Cause and an appreciation of the capacities latent in your community,
and this will be very helpful to you as you chart the course of the future
development of the Cause in Japan.
The evidences of the spiritual potency of the Holy Year are already manifest
throughout the world as the Bahá'ís are being confirmed in their
services to the Cause in much greater measure than ever before. You are urged,
therefore, to seize the opportunities with which the Hand of Omnipotence has
invested this special time in the history of our Faith, confident that the
sustaining grace and guidance of Bahá'u'lláh will surround you in
all your devoted endeavours.
We are to assure you of the loving prayers of the House of Justice in the Holy
Shrines that the followers of the Greatest Name in Japan may arise to meet this
challenge and to achieve such victories as would be a fitting gift to lay at
the Threshold of their Beloved.
32
|