Bahá’í World/Volume 6/The Institution of the Mashriqu’l-Adhkár
THE INSTITUTION OF THE MASHRIQU’L-ADHKÁR
Visible Embodiment of the Universality of the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh
FOREWORD
MANY discerning minds have testified to the profoundly significant change which has taken place during recent years in the character of popular religious thinking. Religion has developed an entirely new emphasis, more especially for the layman, quite independent of the older sectarian divisions.
Instead of considering that religion is a matter of turning toward an abstract creed, the average religionist today is concerned with the practical applications of religion to the problems of human life. Religion, in brief, after having apparently lost its influence in terms of theology, has been restored more powerfully than ever as a spirit of brotherhood, an impulse toward unity, and an ideal making for a more enlightened civilization throughout the world.
Against this background, the institution of the Mashriqu’l-Adhkár stands revealed as the supreme expression of all those modern religious tendencies animated by social ideals which do not repudiate the reality of spiritual experience but seek to transform it into a dynamic striving for unity. The Mashriqu’l-Adhkár, when clearly understood, gives the world its most potent agency for applying mystical vision or idealistic aspiration to the service of humanity. It makes visible and concrete those deeper meanings and wider possibilities of religion which could not be realized until the dawn of this universal age.
The term "Mashriqu’l-Adhkár” means literally, “Dawning—place of the praise of God.”
To appreciate the significance of this Bahá’í institution, we must lay aside all customary ideas of the churches and cathedrals of the past. The Mashriqu’l-Adhkár fulfills the original intention of religion in each dispensation, before that intention had become altered and veiled by human invention and belief.
The Mashriqu’l-Adhkár is a channel releasing spiritual powers for social regeneration because it fills a different function than that assumed by the sectarian church. Its essential purpose is to provide a community meeting—place for all who are seeking to worship God, and achieves this purpose by interposing no man-made veils between the worshiper and the Supreme. Thus, the Mashriqu’l-Adhkár is freely open to people of all Faiths on equal terms, who now realize the universality of Bahá’u’lláh in revealing the oneness of all the Prophets. Moreover, since the Bahá’í Faith has no professional clergy, the worshiper entering the Temple hears no sermon and takes part in no ritual the emotional effect of which is to establish a separate group consciousness.
Integral with the Temple are its accessory buildings, without which the Mashriqu’l-Adhkár would not be a complete social institution. These buildings are to be devoted to such activities as a school for science, a hospice, a hospital, an asylum for orphans. Here the circle of spiritual experience at last joins, as prayer and worship are allied directly to creative service, eliminating the static subjective elements from religion and laying a foundation for a new and higher type of human association.
THE SPIRITUAL SIGNIFICANCE OF THE MASHRIQU’L-ADHKÁR
A LETTER FROM SHOGHI EFFENDI
The Beloved of the Lord and the Handmaids of the Merciful throughout the United States and Canada.
MY well-beloved friends:
Ever since that remarkable manifestation of Bahá’í solidarity and self-sacrifice which has signalized the proceedings of last year’s memorable Convention, I have been expectantly awaiting the news of a steady and continuous support of the Plan which can alone ensure, ere the present year draws to its close, the resumption of building operations on our beloved Temple.
Moved by an impulse that I could not resist, I have felt impelled to forego what may be regarded as the most valuable and sacred possession in the Holy Land for the furthering of that noble enterprise which you have set your hearts to achieve. With the hearty concurrence of our dear Bahá’í brother, Ziaoulláh Asgarzadeh, who years ago donated it to the Most Holy Shrine, this precious ornament of the Tomb of Bahá’u’lláh has been already shipped to your shores, with our fondest hope that the proceeds from its sale may at once ennoble and reinforce the unnumbered offerings of the American believers already accumulated on the altar of Bahá’í sacrifice. I have longed ever since to witness such evidences of spontaneous and generous response on your part as would tend to fortify within me a confidence that has never wavered in the inexhaustible vitality of the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh in that land.
I need not stress at this moment the high hopes which so startling a display of unsparing devotion to our sacred Temple has already aroused in the breasts of the multitude of our brethren throughout the East. Nor is it I feel necessary to impress upon those who are primarily concerned with its erection the gradual change of outlook which the early prospect of the construction of the far-famed Mashriqu’l-Adhkár in America has unmistakably occasioned in high places among the hitherto sceptical and indifferent towards the merits and the practicability of the Faith proclaimed bv Bahá’u’lláh. Neither do I need to expatiate upon the hopes and fears of the Greatest Holy Leaf, now in the evening of her life, with deepening shadows caused by failing eye-sight and declining strength swiftly gathering about her, yearning to hear as the one remaining solace in her swiftly ebbing life the news of the resumption of work on an Edifice, the glories of which she has, from the lips of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá Himself, learned to admire. I cannot surely overrate at the present juncture in the progress of our task the challenging character of these remaining months of the year as a swiftly passing opportunity which it is in our power to seize and utilize, ere it is too late, for the edification of our expectant brethren throughout the East, for the vindication in the eyes of the world at large of the realities of our Faith, and last but not least for the realization of what is the Greatest Holy Leaf’s fondest desire.
As I have already intimated in the course of my conversations with visiting pilgrims, so vast and significant an enterprise as the construction of the first Mashriqu’l-Adhkár of the West should be supported, not by the munificence of a few but by the joint contributions of the entire mass of the convinced followers of the Faith. It cannot be denied that the emanations of spiritual power and inspiration destined to radiate from the central Edifice of the Mashriqu’l-Adhkár will to a very large extent depend upon the range and variety of the contributing believers, as well as upon the nature and degree of self-abnegation which their unsolicited offerings will entail. Moreover, we should, I feel, regard it as an axiom and guiding principle of Bahá’í administration that in the conduct of every specific Bahá’í activity, as different from undertakings of a humanitarian, philanthropic, or charitable character, which may in future be
General View of the Mashriqu’l-Adhkár at Wilmette, Ill., U. S. A.
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conducted under Bahá’í
auspices, only those
who have already identified themselves with
the Faith and are regarded as its avowed
and unreserved supporters should be invited
to join and collaborate. For apart from the
consideration of embarrassing complications
which the association of non-believers in the
financing of institutions of a strictly Bahá’í
character may conceivably engender in the
administration of the Bahá’í community of
the future, it should be remembered that
these specific Bahá’í institutions, which
should be viewed in the light of Bahá’u’lláh’s
gifts bestowed upon the world, can best
function and most powerfuly exert their
influence in the world only if reared and
maintained solely by the support of those
who are fully conscious of, and are
unreservedly submissive to, the claims inherent
in the Revelation of Bahá’u’lláh. In cases,
however, when a friend or sympathizer of
the Faith eagerly insists on a monetary
contribution for the promotion of the Faith,
such gifts should be accepted and duly
acknowledged by the elected representatives
of the believers with the express
understanding that they would be utilized
by them only
to reinforce that section of the Bahá’í Fund
exclusively devoted to philanthropic or
charitable purposes. For, as the Faith
of Bahá’u’lláh extends in scope and in influence,
and the resources of Bahá’í communities
correspondingly multiply, it will become
increasingly desirable to differentiate between
such departments of the Bahá’í treasury as
minister to the needs of the world at large,
and those that are specifically designed to
promote the direct interests of the Faith
itself. From this apparent divorce between
Bahá’í and humanitarian activities it must
not, however, be inferred that the
animating purpose of the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh
stands at variance with the aims and objects
of the humanitarian and philanthropic
institutions of the day. Nay, it should be
realized by every judicious promoter of the
Faith that at such an early stage in the
evolution and crystallization of the Cause such
discriminating and precautionary measures
are inevitable and even necessary if the
nascent institutions of the Faith are to
emerge triumphant and unimpaired from
the present welter of confused and often
conflicting interests with which they are
surrounded. This note of warning may not
be thought inappropriate at a time when,
inflamed by a consuming passion to witness
the early completion of the Mashriqu’l-Adhkár,
we may not only be apt to acquiesce in
the desire of those who, as yet
uninitiated into the Cause, are willing to lend
financial assistance to its institutions, but
may even feel inclined to solicit from them
such aid as it is in their power to render.
Ours surely is the paramount duty so to
acquit ourselves in the discharge of our
most sacred task that in the days to come
neither the tongue of the slanderer nor the
pen of the malevolent may dare to insinuate
that so beauteous, so significant an Edifice
has been reared by anything short of the
unanimous, the exclusive, and the
self-sacrificing strivings of the small
yet determined body of the convinced
supporters of
the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh. How delicate our
task, how pressing the responsibility that
weighs upon us, who are called upon on
one hand to preserve inviolate the integrity
and the identity of the regenerating Faith
of Bahá’u’lláh, and to vindicate on the
other its broad, its humanitarian, its
all-embracing principles!
True, we cannot fail to realize at the
present stage of our work the extremely limited
number of contributors qualified to lend
financial support to such a vast, such an
elaborate and costly enterprise. We are fully
aware of the many issues and varied Bahá’í
activities that are unavoidably held in
abeyance pending the successful conclusion of
the Plan of Unified Action. We are only
too conscious of the pressing need of some
sort of befitting and concrete embodiment
of the spirit animating the Cause that would
stand in the heart of the American Continent
both as a witness and as a rallying center
to the manifold activities of a fast growing
Faith. But spurred by those reflections
may we not bestir ourselves and resolve as
we have never resolved before to hasten by
every means in our power the consummation
of this all-absorbing yet so meritorious
a task? I beseech you, dear friends, not to
allow considerations of number, or the
consciousness of the limitation of our resources,
or even the experience of inevitable setbacks
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which every mighty
undertaking is bound
to encounter, to blur your vision, to dim
your hopes, or to paralyze your efforts in
the prosecution of your divinely appointed
task. Neither, do I entreat you, to suffer
the least deviation into the paths of
expediency and compromise to obstruct those
channels of vivifying grace that can alone
provide the inspiration and strength vital
not only to the successful conduct of its
material construction, but to the
fulfillment of its high destiny.
And while we bend our efforts and strain our nerves in a feverish pursuit to provide the necessary means for the speedy construction of the Mashriqu’l-Adhkár, may we not pause for a moment to examine those statements which set forth the purpose as well as the functions of this symbolical yet so spiritually potent Edifice? It will be readily admitted that at a time when the tenets of a Faith, not yet fully emerged from the fires of repression, are as yet improperly defined and imperfectly understood, the utmost caution should be exercised in revealing the true nature of those institutions which are indissolubly associated with its name.
Without attempting an exhaustive survey of the distinguishing features and purpose of the Mashriqu’l-Adhkár, I should feel content at the present time to draw your attention to what I regard as certain misleading statements that have found currency in various quarters, and which may lead gradually to a grave misapprehension of the true purpose and essential character of the Mashriqu’l-Adhkár.
It should be borne in mind that the
central Edifice of the Mashriqu’l-Adhkár,
round which in the fulness of time shall
cluster such institutions of social service as
shall afford relief to the suffering, sustenance
to the poor, shelter to the wayfarer, solace
to the bereaved, and education to the ignorant,
should be regarded apart from these
Dependencies, as a House solely designed and
entirely dedicated to the worship of God
in accordance with the few yet definitely
prescribed principles established by
Bahá’u’lláh in the Kitáb-i-Aqdas. It should not
be inferred, however, from this general
statement that the interior of the central
Edifice itself will be converted into a
conglomeration of religious services conducted
along lines associated with the traditional
procedure obtaining in churches, mosques,
synagogues, and other temples of worship.
Its various avenues of approach, all
converging towards the central Hall beneath
its dome, will not serve as admittance to
those sectarian adherents of rigid formulae
and man-made creeds, each bent, according
to his way, to observe his rites, recite his
prayers, perform his ablutions, and display
the particular symbols of his faith within
separately defined sections of Bahá’u’lláh’s
Universal House of Worship. Far from the
Mashriqu’l-Adhkár offering
such a spectacle
of incoherent and confused sectarian
observances and rites, a condition wholly
incompatible with the provisions of the Aqdas
and irreconcilable with the spirit it
inculcates, the central House of Bahá’í worship,
enshrined within the Mashriqu’l-Adhkár,
will gather within its chastened walls, in a
serenely spiritual atmosphere, only those
who, discarding forever the trappings of
elaborate and ostentatious ceremony, are
willing worshippers of the one true God,
as manifested in this age in the Person of
Bahá’u’lláh. To them will the
Mashriqu’l-Adhkár
symbolize the fundamental verity
underlying the Bahá’í Faith, that religious
truth is not absolute but relative,
that Divine Revelation is not final but
progressive. Theirs will be the conviction
that an all-loving and ever-watchful
Father Who, in
the past, and at various stages in the
evolution of mankind, has sent forth His
Prophets as the Bearers of His Message and
the Manifestations of His Light to
mankind, cannot at this critical period
of their civilization withhold from His children
the Guidance which they sorely need amid
the darkness which has beset them, and
which neither the light of science nor
that of human intellect and wisdom can
succeed in dissipating. And thus having
recognized in Bahá’u’lláh the source whence
this celestial light proceeds, they
will irresistibly feel attracted to
seek the shelter of
His House, and congregate therein,
unhampered by ceremonials and unfettered by
creed, to render homage to the one true
God, the Essence and Orb of eternal Truth,
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and to exalt and magnify
the name of His
Messengers and Prophets Who, from time
immemorial even unto our day, have, under
divers circumstances and in varying
measure, mirrored forth to a dark and wayward
world the light of heavenly Guidance.
But however inspiring the conception of Bahá’í worship, as witnessed in the central Edifice of this exalted Temple, it cannot be regarded as the sole, nor even the essential, factor in the part which the Mashriqu’l-Adhkár, as designed by Bahá’u’lláh, is destined to play in the organic life of the Bahá’í community. Divorced from the social, humanitarian, educational and scientific pursuits centering around the Dependencies of the Mashriqu’l-Adhkár, Bahá’í worship, however exalted in its conception, however passionate in fervor, can never hope to achieve beyond the meager and often transitory results produced by the contemplations of the ascetic or the communion of the passive worshipper. It cannot afford lasting satisfaction and benefit to the worshipper himself, much less to humanity in general, unless and until translated and transfused into that dynamic and disinterested service to the cause of humanity which it is the supreme privilege of the Dependencies of the Mashriqu’l-Adhkár to facilitate and promote. Nor will the exertions, no matter how disinterested and strenuous, of those who within the precincts of the Mashriqu’l-Adhkár will be engaged in administering the affairs of the future Bahá’í Commonwealth, fructify and prosper unless they are brought into close and daily communion with those spiritual agencies centering in and radiating from the central Shrine of the Mashriqu’l-Adhkár. Nothing short of direct and constant interaction between the spiritual forces emanating from this House of Worship centering in the heart of the Mashriqu’l-Adhkár, and the energies consciously displayed by those who administer its affairs in their service to humanity can possibly provide the necessary agency capable of removing the ills that have so long and so grievously afflicted humanity. For it is assuredly upon the consciousness of the efficacy of the Revelation of Bahá’u’lláh, reinforced on one hand by spiritual communion with His Spirit, and on the other by the intelligent application and the faithful execution of the principles and laws He revealed, that the salvation of a world in travail must ultimately depend. And of all the institutions that stand associated with His Holy Name, surely none save the institution of the Mashriqu’l-Adhkár can most adequately provide the essentials of Bahá’í worship and service, both so vital to the regeneration of the world. Therein lies the secret of the loftiness, of the potency, of the unique position of the Mashriqu’l-Adhkár as one of the outstanding institutions conceived by Bahá’u’lláh.
Dearly-beloved friends!
Haifa, Palestine, October 25, 1929.
————————
THE BAHA’I TEMPLE
Why Built Near Chicago?
BY SHAHNAZ WAITE
THE Columbian Exposition or World’s Fair, held in Chicago in 1893, stands peerless and unique in the realm of world expositions. Its location unexcelled for beauty, built in a spacious park with over-shading trees and wide green lawns, and on the shore of Lake Michigan, each building of white stucco, an architectural gem, it stood in all its majestic beauty, to all who beheld it a never-to-be-forgotten joy and inspiration.
When approached by water on Lake Michigan, especially when lighted at night, the electric lights outlining the buildings and silhouetting them against the sky seemed like a heavenly vision—like the vision of St. John’s of the “Holy City beside the tideless sea.”
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Exterior Ornamentation of
the Mashriqu’l-Adhkár at Wilmette, Ill., U. S. A.
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Throughout the grounds
flowed entrancing lagoons which were fed
from Lake
Michigan, the water passing under a great
peristyle which rose high above the water
and formed the entrance to the Fair from
the Lake, facing the East. Entering the
Fairgrounds at this point in a launch, one
rode under this great colonnade and entered
the “Court of Honor” of the Exposition.
At the top of this arched gateway was a
large group of figures, of chariots and
horsemen, at the base of which was in
letters of gold: “Ye shall know the
Truth and the
Truth shall set you free.” These words
were readable from the inside of the “Court
of Honor”; the fact that it faced the West
was most significant in that one must face
the East when reading it, and one saw the
promise of the coming of the Truth from
the East.
In the midst of all this beauty and perfection of art and the gathering together of all the races and nations of the earth, was held the first “World’s Parliament of Religions” ever held in America. For the first time the different races and religions met on a common footing and each listened with a respect and open-mindedness to his brother’s presentation of his religious Faith. The scene of a Catholic Cardinal (Cardinal Gibbons) and a Hindu Swami (Swami Vivekananda) walking arm in arm into the hall where the Parliament was held, foreshadowed the coming of the “Great Day of God” when the “Knowledge of the Glory of God shall cover the earth as the waters cover the sea,” foretold by Prophets of old, when unity and love shall reign upon this earth.
The following excerpt taken from the official record of the “Proceedings of the World Parliament of Religion,” held in Chicago, 1893, Vol. II, page 1124, is of vital interest to all Bahá’ís. It reads:
“On the thirteenth day of this Parliament, the afternoon session September 23rd, a paper on the ‘Religious Mission of the English Speaking People’ by Reverend H. Jessup, D.D. of Beirut, Syria was read; Reverend L. C. Mercer (Swedenborgian) in the chair. (Foot note—Henry Harris Jessup, born 1832. Director of Presbyterian Missionary operations in North Syria; Missionary of Tripoli, Syria in 1856. Was removed to Beirut in 1860. Author of ‘The Mohammedan Missionary Problems.’)”
The subject of Dr. Jessup’s paper, which was read by Reverend George A. Ford of Syria, was as given above and the following excerpts are taken from it: “The four elements which make up the power for good in the English Speaking Race, and fit it to be the divine instrument for blessing the world are:
1—The Historic Planting and Training.
2—The Geographic Position.
3—The Physical, Social and Political traits of the English speaking people.
4—The Moral and Religious character and training of those nations.”
(Each was discussed at some length.)
The paper ended thus: “This then is our mission; that we who are made in the image of God, should remember that all men are made in God’s image. To this divine knowledge we owe all we are, all we hope for. We are rising gradually toward that Image and we owe it to our brother men to aid them in returning to it in the Glory of God, and the Beauty of Holiness. It is a celestial privilege and with it comes a high responsibility, from which there is no escape.
“In the palace of Bahjí, or Delight, just outside the Fortress of ‘Akká, on the Syrian coast, there died a few months since a famous Persian Sage, the Bábí Saint named Bahá’u’lláh, the ‘Glory of God,’ the head of that vast reform party of Persian Moslems, who accept the New Testament as the Word of God and Christ as the Deliverer of men, who regard all nations as one, and all men as brothers. Three years ago he was visited by a Cambridge scholar, and gave utterance to sentiments so noble, so Christ-like, that we repeat them in our closing words:
“ ‘That all nations should become one in
Faith and all men as brothers; that the bond
of affection and unity between the sons of
men should be strengthened; that diversity
of religion should cease and differences of
race be annulled; what harm is there in
this? Yet, so it shall be. These fruitless
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strifes, these ruinous
wars shall pass away,
and the “Most Great Peace” shall come. Do
not you in Europe need this also? Let not
a man glory in this that he loves his
country; let him rather glory in this
that he loves his kind.’ ”
At this session of the Parliament, on September 23, 1893, the name of Bahá’u’lláh, the Glory of God, was first heard in the Western world, and to those who today realize the Station of Bahá’u’lláh, this fact is surrounded with spiritual significance. It would seem that the whole Fair had been prepared by God to be a Throne upon which the “Glory of God” descended, and the golden letters on the face of the peristyle held a divine and prophetic meaning: “Ye shall know the Truth and the Truth shall set you free.” For the Spirit of Truth which should lead mankind “into all Truth,” manifested through Bahá’u’lláh had upon that day been proclaimed. Thus Chicago was the chosen city to be crowned with this great honor.
Of Chicago, in a Tablet to the believers of the Central States of America, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá wrote, in part:
“God specializes for His Mercy whomsoever He Willeth.” “O ye old believers and intimate friends!
“These twelve States are like the heart of America, and the heart is connected with all the organs and parts of man. If the heart is strengthened all the organs of the body are reinforced, and if the heart is weak all the physical structures are subjected to feebleness.
“Now praise be to God that Chicago and its environs, from the beginning of the diffusion of the Fragrances of God, have been a strong heart. Therefore, through Divine Bounty and Providence it has become confirmed in certain matters.
"First—The Call of the Kingdom was in the very beginning raised in Chicago. This is indeed a great privilege, for in the future centuries and cycles, it will be an axis around which the honor of Chicago will revolve.
"Second—A number of souls with the utmost firmness and steadfastness, arose in that blessed spot in the promotion of the Word of God, and even to the present moment, having purified and sanctified the heart from every thought, they are occupied with the promulgation of the Teachings of God. Hence the Call of praise is uninterruptedly raised from the Supreme Concourse.
"Third—During the American journey ‘Abdu’l-Bahá several times passed through Chicago and associated with the friends of God. For some time He sojourned in that city. Day and night He was occupied with the mention of the True One and summoned the people to the Kingdom of God.
"Fourth—Up to the present time every movement initiated in Chicago, its effect was spread to all parts and to all directions; just as everything that appears in and manifests from the heart influences all the organs and structures of the body.
"Fifth—The first Mashriqu’l-Adhkár in America was instituted in Chicago, and this honor and distinction is infinite in value. Undoubtedly out of this Mashriqu’l-Adhkár thousands of Mashriqu’l-Adhkár will be born.”
Also ‘Abdu’l-Bahá has said: "All the inhabitants of the world are in these days engaged in warfare and strife, but the friends of God are striving with heart and soul to lay the basis of the Palace of the Kingdom; so that the call of prayers and supplications may ascend to the heights of heaven. The flowers of material and divine civilization shall grow in the Mashriqu’l-Adhkár perfuming the nostrils with the Fragrances of Truth. Its doors will be opened before the face of all nations, religions and sects. Whosoever enters therein is welcomed. Bahá’u’lláh is the Universal Shepherd. All mankind are His sheep, and the adherents of all religions are welcomed in the Mashriqu’l-Adhkár, to worship the Father of all humanity with perfect freedom, reverence and obedience.”
Another interesting fact which seems to
be correlated with the Bahá’í Temple of
the Mashriqu’l-Adhkár
spiritually, and showing why it should
be built in the environs of Chicago, is
found in a book
entitled “Reminiscences of Early Chicago”
by E. O. Gale, in which we find this
quotation from a letter written by the grave and
distinguished Explorer, Robert Cavalier de
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La Salle, to a friend in
France in 1682 which
reads: “After many toils I came to the head
of the great Lake and rested for some days
on a bank of a river of feeble current, now
flowing into the Lake, but which occupies
the course that formerly these great Lakes
took as they flowed southward to the
Mississippi River. This is the lowest point in
the great divide between two great valleys
of the St. Lawrence and the Mississippi.
The boundless regions of the West must
send their products to the coast through
this point. This will be the ‘Gate of the
Empire,’ this the seat of Commerce.
Everything invites to action. The typical man
who will grow up here must be enterprising.
Each day as he arises he will exclaim
“I act, I move, I push” and there will be
spread before him a boundless horizon, an
illimitable field of activity. A limitless
expanse of plain is here. To the East is
water and at all other points land. If I
were to give the coming city a name I would
derive it from the nature of the place and
the nature of the man who will occupy
this place; Ago—I Act, and Circum—all
around, Circago.”
This prophecy of La Salle’s given in 1682, when “wilderness was king” has, as all who have seen or read about Chicago know, been literally fulfilled and the spiritual significances of his words ever grow greater as one considers them. Truly no city in the world could so materially express all that the Bahá’í Temple stands for as does Chicago, or the name given to it by the French Explorer: “Circago,—I Act all Around.”
One point he emphasizes means much, "To the East is water and at all other points land.” What a deep spiritual truth is here symbolized. Water, the symbol of Spirit; and the East, the Rising Point of the Sun of Truth. All other points are but material ones and are refreshed and enlightened from the One Point.
Again he states that, “It is the lowest point in the great divide.” The lowest point in a circle of existence is next to the first point of ascent, and from the manger comes forth the Christ-Child Consciousness.
Chicago stands like a great hub in a wheel; from every side are incoming railroads and navigation lines; to all the world she exports material foods, and is fast becoming a center of sciences, arts and educational institutions. A Spiritual Reality is back of this material reflection, and thus the Temple with its accessories will manifest these truths Spiritually. It will “act all around,” with its nine avenues of approach to its sacred heart, or hub. Within this Temple all peoples will be welcomed regardless of color, race or creed, and there they may commune with God, coming away reinforced and putting forth the fruits of that holy communion in Deeds. For one of the fundamental principles of the Teachings of Bahá’u’lláh is that “Work is worship,” and "Man is judged by his deeds and not his words.”
The accessories or surrounding buildings connected with the Temple, and which as a whole constitute the Mashriqu’l-Adhkár, will be an outward expression of this truth; here the “fruits of the Spirit” in material expression will be manifest. From these accessories will be given forth knowledge, comfort, healing and enlightenment along all lines, free to all. Not only spiritual food will be given forth from the Temple, but material help to those in distress, regardless of race or religion.
The Temple will stand high above all the other buildings which surround it and when completed can be seen by all outgoing and incoming mariners. At this point is the drainage canal’s entrance through which the pure waters of Lake Michigan flow to purify the city—another symbol of the Spiritual Reality of the Water of Life, or Word of God, which will flow forth from this Sacred Edifice to give new Life to the world.
As Chicago is the “melting pot” of all nations, so will the Temple be the great “Spiritual Melting Pot” of Divine Love. Consuming all racial and religious differences and intolerances, all prejudices and bigotry, and melting the hearts into one substance and remolding them into spiritual realities which recognize only the perfect brotherhood of man, the oneness of the world of humanity, wherein all are children of the One Everlasting Father whose Name is Love.
Interior Decoration of Center of Dome of the Mashriqu’l-Adhkár at Wilmette, Ill., U. S. A.
Never do the eyes of the writer rest upon the model of the Temple designed by the inspired architect, Louis Bourgeois, that she does not bow her head as before a sacred shrine in profound and deep reverence. The emanation of the “Holy Presence” is so truly felt, the Reality of the Manifestation so apparent, that it is like a great chord of heavenly music, the “Lost Chord” found again, which lifts the soul to higher realms above all that is petty and sordid, discordant and unreal, into the very “Court of the Almighty,” and attunes the heart with the Infinite. Its perfection of form is, in itself, a glorious symphony; the very music of the spheres seems to have been drawn into concrete expression, to bless the lives of men. Its beauty is so ethereal, yet so majestic and sublime, that one stands before it in silence, for words fail to describe its spiritual perfection, its divine loveliness. It carries one to realms which “rise above world and letters and transcend the murmur of syllables and sounds.”
On first beholding a picture of the model
it impressed me as being formed like a great
Bell, and upon writing to Mr. Bourgeois
of this fact he replied: “I am glad you
caught this vision of the Temple. A bell
is the most wonderful of all musical
[Page 403]
instruments; it rings
throughout man’s life from
the cradle to the grave. It rings at a
christening, it calls a child to its meals, to school
—to church later in life. It rings in time
of danger, for fire and to warn the sailors at
sea. It rings for a wedding and it tolls for
a funeral. It rings from the town clock
marking off the hours of each day and
night. It calls one to his front door, to his
telephone and to numerous other activities.
It rang for the Declaration of
Independence—the Great Liberty Bell—and I too
feel that the Temple is a great Bell
calling humanity to unity and reconciliation,
to brotherhood and ideal commonwealth.
Proclaiming the liberation of humanity from
the bondage of superstition
and ignorance, and announcing his spiritual
freedom.”
This brought to the writer’s mind the words of Bahá’u’lláh addressed to Napoleon III—“O King of Paris! Tell the priests not to ring the bells. By God the True One! The Most Glorious Bell hath appeared in the Temple of the Most Glorious Name, and the fingers of the Will of thy Lord, the High, the Supreme, ring It in the world of Eternal Power, through His Most Splendid Name.”
The invisible Bell of the Temple is the Voice of Bahá’u’lláh, calling to the hearts of men to unite the world over, and manifest the Love of God, calling man to that “Reality of Unity” of which our beloved ‘Abdu’l-Bahá so often spoke.
There are so many deep emotions which this marvelous creation calls forth from one’s innermost being, that new symbolisms are daily being revealed which lead the soul into the very “Holy of Holies” and into the Court of which Bahá’u’lláh has written: “The pen cannot step into this Court and the ink gives no result but blackness.”
Truly this Temple is the one foreseen by the Prophets of old; the one promised in this "Great Day of God”—the Temple Beautiful—the vision of the Holy Ones of all religions, “come true.” Blessed are they who arise to obey Its Call, and assist in Its erection.
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THE FIVE BILLION CARAT GEM BAHÁ’Í TEMPLE AT WILMETTE, ILLINOIS
BY F. S. YOUNG
Published in The Mineralogist, January, 1936
IN the January, 1934 issue of The Mineralogist, attention was called to the Bahá’í Temple, located at Wilmette, Illinois, both to the mineralogical interest and architectural beauty of this noted structure. This beautiful edifice is rapidly nearing completion as shown in the accompanying photographs. It might be justly referred to as the world’s most gorgeous and largest “gem stone” as the entire structure is being faced with quartz crystal. Some 743 tons of quartz will be required to face the dome of the Temple and an additional amount used to face the remainder of the lower portions.
The Temple is equivalent in height to a fifteen story building, the dome being one of the five largest in the world.
The Temple architect, Louis Bourgeois, designed the structure as a Temple of Light and beneath the quartz tracery the dome is encased in glass. Two varieties of quartz are being used in the construction, one a clear crystal and crystalline and the other of darker opalescent type. The crystalline quartz is reduced to sizes equivalent to about eight carat gem stones, while the opaque quartz is ground much finer. These two materials are then mixed to make Earley’s concrete, a material lighter than stone, stronger than concrete and impervious to the elements. The nature of the material and construction will in the future not require the periodical cleaning as is the case with many similar edifices.
The crystalline quartz facing of the structure gives a beautiful sparkling effect either in direct sunlight or under artificial light, making the Temple visible for many
The Dome of the Mashriqu’l-Adhkár at ‘Ishqábád, Turkistán.
The Dome of the Mashriqu’l-Adhkár at Wilmette, Ill., U. S. A.
[Page 405]
miles. The crystal and
crystalline quartz
was obtained at King’s Creek, Spartanburg,
South Carolina, and the opalescent material
from Moneta, Virginia.
The decorative design of the completed Temple embodies the curved lines described by the planets moving through their orbits and a far—seeing feature of construction given consideration by the architect is the appearance of the Temple when viewed from aircraft. The Temple appears as a huge scintillating star and will act as a beacon for airplanes stopping at Chicago.
In the geometric forms of the ornamentation are represented religious symbols used by all peoples of the world, including the Swastika cross, the Circle, the Triangle and the double Triangle or Six-Pointed Star (Solomon's Seal—the magic symbol of necromancers of old). But more than this, the noble symbol of the spiritual orb, or sun behind the Savior of mankind; the five-pointed Star, representing the man Savior-Christ or Buddha or Muḥammad; the Greek Cross, the Roman or Christian Cross, and supreme above all is the nine-pointed Star, figured in the structure of the Temple itself, and appearing again and again in its ornamentation as significant of the spiritual glory of the world today.
Mr. H. Van Buren Magonigle, past president of the American Federation of Arts, writes of the Temple as follows: “It has been necessary for me as the architectural member of your advisory board, to adjust myself to an unusual point of view. Mr. Bourgeois has conceived a Temple of light in which structure as usually understood is to be concealed, visible support eliminated as far as possible, and the whole fabric to take on the airy substance of a dream; it is a lacy envelope enshrining an idea, the idea of light, a shelter of cobweb interposed between earth and sky. It is necessary then for your advisory board to place themselves at once in an attitude of respect for this beautiful idea and applying the fruits of experience, bend the practical to the esthetic, with sympathetic understanding, in the endeavor to assist to the utmost the realization of the creator’s dream.”
It is not at all beyond conception to assume that this beautiful Temple marks a new era in architectural beauty, which will eventually be used universally and that it is creating national attention is indicated by the thousands of visitors who have signed the Temple register.
A new and inspiring approach to the solution of Universal Peace is made possible through the teachings of Bahá’u’lláh so it is said, and the Temple is being erected to send forth the message of love and peace to all mankind. With a war ridden world struggling to recuperate from the many past conflicts and nations again ready to spring at the throats of their neighbors, the Bahá’í Temple stands as a monument of hope to all mankind. May the light of this brilliant architectural gem, radiate to the darkest corners of the earth and instill an understanding in the hearts of all men, both rich and poor, that War does not pay.
“We desire but the good of the world and the happiness of the Nations; that all Nations shall become one in faith and all men as brothers in the bonds of affection; and unity between the sons of men shall be strengthened; that diversity of religion shall cease and differences of race be annulled. So it shall be, these fruitless strifes, these ruinous wars shall pass away, and the Most Great Peace shall come.”—Bahá’u’lláh.
TEMPLE ECHOES FROM THE WORLD’S FAIR
BY DR. ZIA BAGDADI
The Bahá’í Temple: "A befitting and concrete embodiment of the spirit animating the Cause standing in the heart of the American continent both as a witness and as a rallying center to the manifold activities of a fast growing Faith.”—SHOGHI EFFEND1.
WHEN the Century of Progress Exposition was opened in Chicago a year ago, the Bahá’ís used this opportunity to acquaint the people with the significance of the Bahá’í Faith, first, by giving occasional lectures at the Hall of Religions, and later by placing an exhibit in a prominent place in the heart of the Hall of Religions. As the writer was one of the many volunteers who had the privilege of assisting in this service he wishes to set forth a few of the features which distinguished the Bahá’í exhibit from the others; to repeat some of the questions often asked by thousands of visitors and to give brief answers to them; and to report some incidents observed and remarks repeatedly heard, all of which indicate public reaction toward the Bahá’í Movement and its Temple. In this way the readers of the Bahá’í Magazine may get a comprehensive idea of the fulfillment of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s promises, especially in regard to the influence of the Temple on mankind during the days of the greatest exposition ever known to man.
To the Bahá’ís the World’s Fair means a century of spiritual progress as well as material progress; to others it means material progress only. Bahá’ís demonstrated the instruments of universal peace—remedies for all human ailments and problems, the means for the establishment of Divine Civilization. Others demonstrated the newest machines and most modern devices of industry, agriculture and transportation. Bahá’ís attributed this century’s miraculous progress and achievements to no other reason than the coming of the Promised One of all nations—the Glory of God, Bahá’u’lláh. Others attributed success, discoveries, inventions and the advancement of science to human endeavors only, unaware of the Source of all inspiration. In their exhibit, accordingly, the Bahá’ís had only one aim,—to convey a heavenly message which brings true happiness, real prosperity, and permanent security to all mankind. This heavenly message was embodied in a small model of the beautiful Bahá’í Temple, made by Mr. Louis Voelz of Kenosha, Wisconsin. The chaste beauty of this miniature temple held the attention of many and a Bahá’í was always at hand to explain how the principles of world unity and brotherhood for which the Temple stands, are, through the power of Bahá’u’lláh, the remedy for the sick world.
“What is the purpose of the Bahá’í Temple?” was one of the first questions asked by those who paused to examine the Temple model. To this we answer in Abdu’l-Bahá’s own words:
“Temples are the symbols of the reality and divinity of God—the Collective Center of mankind. Consider how within a temple every race and people is seen and represented; all in the presence of the Lord, covenanting together in a covenant of love and fellowship; all offering the same melody, prayer and supplication to God. Therefore it is evident that the church is a collective center of mankind. For this reason there have been churches and temples in all the divine religions.”
At one time ‘Abdu’l-Bahá impressed upon
me the importance of building the Temple.
It was in the year 1920, in the city of
‘Akká in the Holy Land, as we were passing
in front of a very old church. He stopped
suddenly and pointing to it called my
attention to the fact that were it not for that
little church not one of the followers of the
[Page 407]
Christian Faith could be
found or seen in
the city. No other power on earth than
this humble church could protect and unite
such a small community of Christians for
more than thirteen hundred years in a
Muḥammadan land under fanatic and despotic
rulers.
Another question commonly asked was: “Why build such a costly building when the huge sum of money now being spent on its ornamentation could be used for material benefits to mankind?” To this we reply that it is for the benefit of all mankind and for nothing else that the Temple has been built in the utmost beauty. Bahá’u’lláh has said: “O Concourse of Creation! O People! Construct homes (or Houses of Worship) in the most beautiful manner possible in every city, in every land, in the name of the Lord of Religions. Then commemorate thy Lord, the Merciful. . . . Verily by this commemoration, the breasts shall be dilated, the eyes illuminated, the hearts gladdened.”
Few people yet realize that the remedy for this sick world must have a spiritual foundation. In speaking of the erection of this Temple ‘Abdu’l-Bahá has said: “Its building is the most important of all things. This is the spiritual foundation; for that reason it is the most important of all foundations; from that spiritual foundation will come forth all manner of advancement and progress in the world of humanity.”
This leads us to another question often asked: “In what way does the Bahá’í Temple differ from other temples and churches, and how can one expect more benefit from this one temple than from others?” Those who give only a passing glance at the Temple may carelessly speak of the design as oriental, but those who inspect it even briefly see that the design is new and unique. Indeed, according to the master minds of world famed architects and engineers the Bahá’í Temple is “the first new idea in architecture since the thirteenth century.” The idea behind it and for which it stands is equally new—the idea of the unity of mankind and of the essential oneness of all religions. In the words of the architect of the Temple, the late Mr. Louis Bourgeois, "the Bahá’í Movement is the fusing of the essential spiritual elements of all religions and all philosophies.” Explaining further he says: "Into this new design, then, of the Temple, is woven, in symbolic form, the great Bahá’í teaching of unity—the unity of all religions and of all mankind.”
The Bahá’í Temple, so exquisite and perfect in all the details of its conception and execution, so perfectly symbolic of unity, is a most powerful influence in bringing the people into a consciousness of the need of world unity and of the vitalizing power of the teachings of Bahá’u’lláh. Shoghi Effendi helps us to understand this when he says, "it is assuredly upon the consciousness of the efficacy of the Revelation of Bahá’u’lláh, reinforced on the one hand by spiritual communion with His spirit, and on the other by the intelligent application and the faithful execution of the laws He revealed, that the salvation of a world in travail must ultimately depend.”
“How is the building of the Temple financed?” Many of the Fair visitors who went to Wilmette to see the Bahá’í Temple and attended the meetings, found to their amazement that there was no such thing as a money collection, returned to us with this question, “Who pays for the building of the Temple and from where does the money come to run the affairs of the Movement?”
Our answer is simply this: That the Bahá’ís throughout the world have the reputation of being a self-sacrificing people. They do not ask material rewards for their services rendered for the sake of God and humanity. They have no priesthood and clergy to support. Therefore joyously and generously they are ready at all times to contribute according to their best ability to carry on their transactions and support the administration of the Cause.
“Truly I say,” ‘Abdu’l-Bahá once wrote, “the friends of God (that is, the Bahá’ís) display wonderful generosity in regard to the contributions for the Mashriqu’l-Adhkár (the Temple).” This spirit of sacrifice has been especially noteworthy among the friends in the Orient. In regard to this ‘Abdu’l-Bahá said, “Until this day an event of this character has never transpired, that
The Mashriqu’l-Adhkár at ‘Ishqábád, Turkistán.
from the East and Asia contributions were forwarded to the West for the building of a temple. Verily this is a cause of astonishment for the people of perception.”
“Do the Bahá’ís believe in Christ?” was another question asked many times. To those who are familiar with the Bahá’í Teachings this query seems strange indeed. We assure all that the Bahá’ís believe in Christ and in all the divine Messengers of God. “Bahá’u’lláh established Christ in the East,” said ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. “He has praised Christ, honored Christ, exalted Him, called Him ‘the Word of God,’ ‘the Spirit of God,’ raised the name of Christ to supreme summits of glorification. Throughout the Orient Bahá’ís have illumined the lamp of Christ and spread His mention.”
Besides these and other questions which were asked many interesting incidents occurred. One of the most striking was as follows: One day a handsome young man stopped and after gazing at the model his face flushed, his eyes sparkled and with a voice intense with emotion he said, “Do you know that this Temple has saved my life! You see I am a flier, and once while returning to Chicago during a severely stormy night I was lost because nothing below was visible. I became desperate and prayed. Soon after I saw the light through the dome of the Bahá’í Temple. Then I knew where I was.”
One Sunday afternoon a family of three came from some distance to attend the Service in the Foundation Hall of the Temple. They had heard about the Temple and wished to know for what it stood. After the service they expressed their extreme happiness over what they had heard and wished to come again as they had missed part of the talk. One of the group added that he had been a seeker all his life and his soul was hungry for just such a message as he had heard. The next Sunday they were present again and this same man publicly announced, with sincere devotion and great happiness, his faith in the Bahá’í Cause. Since then the members of this family of three have been rendering important services to the Cause.
During the past summer a gentleman from a distant city heard that “sun worshippers are building a temple at Wilmette, near Chicago!” When he finally went to Chicago, just for curiosity’s sake, he went to see the Temple. He was so impressed by the Temple and the Bahá’í teachings that after further investigation he declared himself a believer in the Bahá’í Revelation.
In short, many are those who through
The Mashriqu’l-Adhkár at Wilmette, Ill., U. S. A.
[Page 410]
their visit to the
Temple are now studying
the Bahá’í teachings, wherein they have
found their hopes and all their heart’s
desires. With the World’s Fair in full sway
the rush of visitors and tourists may be
compared to the waves of the sea. What a
commotion, what a spiritual attraction,
what a heavenly inspiration, what eternal
bestowals are emanating from this sacred
sanctuary, this House of Worship, this
Bahá’í Temple! Blessed are those who
know.
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THE BAHÁ’Í TEMPLE—AN APPRECIATION
BY DR. REXFORD NEWCOMB
Dean of College of Fine and Applied Arts, University of Illinois
ARCHITECTURE is, and always has been, an index to the life and thought of an age or a race. Throughout history the aims, the ambitions, the ideals of mankind have been built into those structures which man in his strength has reared to symbolize his relationship to his fellow man or his relationship to what he considered God.
Man is, and always has been, incurably religious and prodigiously inventive. His earliest monuments were shelters to shield his body from the elements, but almost as early came some sort of a sanctuary in the sacred precincts of which he attempted through certain rites of propitiation to make whatever contact he might with those unseen forces which he felt ruled and guided his destinies. Thus the early house symbolized the brotherhood of man, the temple the sonship of man to whatever God may be.
In the design of the Bahá’í Temple on the shores of Lake Michigan1 the late Louis Bourgeois, beloved of man generally and of artists and architects in particular, has conceived a temple which at once symbolizes the brotherhood of man and his kinship to God. Framed of steel, the constructive material of modern architecture, but clothed with a protective covering of concrete to withstand the ravages of the elements, this "Temple of Light” opens upon the terrain
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1Wilmette near Chicago, Ill.
of human experience nine great doorways which beckon men and women of every race and clime, of every faith and conviction, of every condition of freedom or servitude to enter here into a recognition of that kinship and brotherhood without which the modern world will be able to make little further progress.
Entering these portals, one comes presently into a great lofty central space, the aspiring structural lines of which, reaching from the lower planes of human relationship, as symbolized by the outlying wings of the temple, gracefully, yet with assurance, contrive to define the triumphantly beautiful dome that crowns the structure.
The dome, pointed in form, aiming as assuredly as did the aspiring lines of the medieval cathedrals toward higher and better things, achieves not only through its symbolism but also through its structural propriety and sheer loveliness of form, a beauty not matched by any domical structure since the construction of Michelangelo’s dome on the Basilica of Saint Peter in Rome.
Thus this building points out through its symbolism that out of the yearnings, the hopes, the aspirations of man there comes the recognition of the essential oneness of mankind, the oneness of Godhead, and the essential continuity and unity of all human experience.
A TEMPLE OF UNIVERSAL RELIGION
BY D. M. NORTHCROFT
In The Inquirer, London, Jan. 19, 1935
ALTHOUGH very little notice has been taken of the event by the Press of this country, a significant epoch in the trend towards Universalism in Religion took place in America early in 1930.
This was the opening of the first Bahá’í Temple of Worship for all Religions, in the western world, the foundation of which was laid a few years ago by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, the interpreter and expounder of the Bahá’í teachings to the western race.
The Temple is situated in the city of Wilmette, on the beautiful shores of Lake Michigan, a short distance from Chicago. It is a noble edifice and original in form. . . .
The Temple stands 186 feet high, and is composed of a steel, reinforced concrete and glass framework, over which is a lacelike design, sculptured from quartz stone, mixed from a medium of white cement. The result is a surface harder and more enduring than rock, and at the same time carrying an intricate design as delicate as lace.
The glass roof and sides protect the interior from the weather, and the light enters through the open design of the ornamentation. When flood-lit and viewed from an aeroplane at night the Temple appears as a gigantic nine-pointed star.
Nine is the number of perfection and the basic principle of Unity, the keynote of the Bahá’í teachings, consequently the Temple is a nine-sided building standing in nine acres of park land, planted with trees and flowers. Each of the nine sides of the Temple is in the form of a circular arc, with a large doorway in the centre, the whole edifice giving the appearance of extending welcoming arms to worshippers of all nations approaching from every direction.
Surely the nine entrances symbolize the various pathways by which man travels in his search after Truth, but which can all converge in the Universal Focal Point.
When the Temple is completed a series of buildings will be erected in the surrounding park, a hospital, an orphan asylum, a hospice or house of hospitality, a University, etc., demonstrating that “religion is an attitude towards God reflected in life”—only worship can be voiced in the Temple itself; but the results of such worship are to be evidenced in the surrounding buildings where all activities of the community will meet in comradeship inspired by mutual counsel.
Entering one of the nine doors, the visitor passes through a hall-way into the central dome-shaped auditorium, capable of seating about 700 people. Looking upward towards the dome, two galleries, one above the other, are visible. Above the second (or singers’) gallery is a nineteen foot clerestory, from which springs the dome.
Out of the main hall open radially (separated by the hall-ways) nine smaller rooms, comparable to chapels in a cathedral, and able to hold about 100 people in each.
In the geometric forms with which the interior of the Temple is decorated, all the religious symbols of the world are represented—the five-pointed star embodying the Man Saviour (Christ, Buddha, Muḥammad), the Greek and Roman crosses, the swastika cross, the circle, the triangle, and the double triangle or six-pointed star, and supreme over all and constantly recurring through the scheme of decoration, the great nine-pointed star, emblem of the unification of all religions.
This beautiful and impressive building is a universal house of worship built by the Bahá’ís of the United States of Canada, with the help of Bahá’ís from practically every race and nation in the world. The Temple will be open to people of all religions, sects and races, and is dedicated to the Oneness of God and the oneness of
Interior Ornamentation of the Mashriqu’l-Adhkár at ‘Ishqábád, Turkistán
Exterior Ornamentation of the Mashriqu’l-Adhkár at Wilmette, Ill., U. S. A.
[Page 413]
mankind, the union of science
and religion, to
universal education and the fundamental
unity of religions.
Its essential purpose is to provide a community meeting—place for all who are seeking to worship God, and achieves this purpose by interposing no man—made veils between the worshipper and the Supreme. Thus, the central hall is freely open to people of all Faiths on equal terms, expressing in this the universality of Bahá’u’lláh, the Founder of the Bahá’í faith, who affirmed the fundamental oneness of all the prophets. Since there are to be no priests the worshipper entering the Temple will hear only the words of Bahá’u’lláh chanted or read. There will be no sermons and no ritual.
A wonderful prophecy concerning the future of Religion was made by the son of Bahá’u’lláh, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, when he laid the foundation stone of this Temple: “The ages of darkness have passed away and the Century of Light has arrived. The differences which exist among the nations and the peoples are soon to pass away, and the fundamentals of the divine religions, which are no other than the solidarity and the oneness of the human race, are to be established.”
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“CONCRETE FULFILLS A PROMISE”
BY JOHN J. EARLEY, ARCHITECTURAL SCULPTOR
Published in a 1934 issue of “Architectural Concrete”
AT the same time that the building for the Department of Justice was being done in our Washington studio, the great dome of the Bahá’í Temple at Wilmette, Ill., was being done in our Rosslyn plant. This temple, designed by Louis Bourgeois, was intended by him to be the symbol of a new religion founded in Persia some seventy years ago. Mr. Bourgeois wished to design a temple as new in form and treatment as the religion that it symbolized. He did not wish it to be reminiscent of other styles of architecture associated with other and older faiths.
He designed a nine-sided temple with a perforated dome, as intricate in design and as delicate in execution as a piece of lace. In doing this, he called for the skill of the best craftsmen and for a material of marvelous flexibility. This dome is now completed; why concrete was used and how it was used is a story in itself. Suffice it to say here that the dome was executed beautifully and faithfully with architectural concrete and with economy possible only through the use of a plastic material.
When concrete is rationally and skillfully used, there can be no doubt of its economy. Economy is of the nature of concrete. It is a plastic material and the principle is generally recognized that it takes less force, less work, less money or whatever term you will, to form a plastic than to form a solid material.
A plastic material requires a mold to give
it form. This mold or form is the great
test of ingenuity of the craftsman in the
use of concrete. About a business
generation ago, a few engineers designed
structural elements which could be duplicated in
the same form. This permitted one set of
forms to be used for several stories of
construction, and it effected an economy that
gave a real impetus to the use of concrete
in industrial buildings. Now we are in
another period, and again the practice of a
few shows the way to methods that will
in turn become general practice. Further
economy in forming has been effected by
using plastic materials for the forms
themselves and by the still more radical
departure of omitting the forms. Let me emphasize
the fact that such methods of forming are
[Page 414]
not just something to be
discussed, nor
something to be desired, nor something to
be expected in the future; on the contrary,
they are an accomplished fact.
In the Department of Justice building the concrete finish comprised the forms in which the structural beams and slabs of the ceiling were placed. In this way the finish for the structure was the form for the structure and was thereby integrally incorporated in it. Remember, this is not theory, but practice.
For the dome of the Bahá’í Temple, the problem was to build an intricate, lace-like design in concrete. The forming of such a structure with wood or similar materials would have placed on concrete a handicap of cost such as in all probability it would never have been able to carry. The molds of this structure were made of plaster of paris, or calcined gypsum, a plastic material which by proper technique could be made to meet all the requirements of such a complicated design. They were made with economy, with a minimum of labor, and were maintained in such good working condition that all necessary duplication for the construction of the dome was made in one set of forms.
In closing, permit me to state that in presenting this thesis I have been unconscious of any effort to appeal to emotion. I have, on the contrary, endeavored to present simple facts and examples to show that concrete is beautiful, that beautiful concrete is economical and that it is an architectural material. Finally, I have stated that such an architectural material should
Airplane View of Mashriqu’l-Adhkár at Wilmette, Ill., U. S. A.
[Page 415]
The first Mashriqu’l-Adhkár, ‘Ishqábád, Turkistan, Russia.
[Page 416]
be in the hands of all
architects because with concrete they
may bring into reality
ideas and dreams that have wanted only the
proper medium in which to execute them.
Bahá’í Temple, symbol of a new religion, is crowned with a concrete dome as intricate in design, as beautiful as fine lace. Louis Jean Bourgeois, Architect.
Plan of the Báb’s House with its neighborhood in Shíráz, Írán.
