Bahá’í World/Volume 8/John Ebenezer Esslemont, His Life and Service
23.
JOHN EBENEZER ESSLEMONT
HIS LIFE AND SERVICE
"His Book (Bahá’u’lláh and The New Era), an abiding monument to his pure intention, will, alone, inspire generations yet unborn to tread the path of Truth and Service as steadfastly and as unostentatiously as was trodden by its beloved author.” Doctor John Ebenezer Esslemont, "by sheer merit deserves to rank as one of the Hands of the Cause of GOD.”—SHOGHI EFFENDI.
BY JESSIE E. REVELL
(Compiled from Introduction in Revised Edition of Bahá’u’lláh and The New Era, from Article in Volume 1—1925-1926 Bahá’í Year Book, and from personal association with Dr. Iohn E. Esslemont in Haifa in December, 1924.)
JOHN EBENEZER ESSLEMONT, who passed away at Haifa November 22, 1925, was born May 19, 1874, the youngest son of John E. Esslemont of Fairford, Cults, Aberdeenshire.
He received his preliminary education at Ferryhill public school and continued his studies at the Robert Gordon College and ultimately at Aberdeen University, where he was graduated with honors in April, 1898, obtaining not only the medical degrees of Bachelor of Medicine and of Surgery, but also a Philip Research Scholarship at the University. He spent the second half of 1899 at Berne and Strasburg, at both of which places he wrote papers on his research work, which were published and considered valuable.
Returning to Scotland in December, 1899, Esslemont took up the position of assistant to Professor Cash at Aberdeen University, which position he held until 1901, when he went to Australia, remaining there two years. During this residence in Australia, he married on December 19, 1902.
Early in his life Esslemont’s health proved a cause of trouble and anxiety, and in 1903 he was obliged to leave Australia, returning to Aberdeenshire, where he spent the summer, but found it necessary in the winter of that year to proceed to South Africa, the climate of which country it was hoped would prove beneficial to his pulmonary ailment. He remained in South Africa for five years, returning to his native country in 1908, when he obtained the post of resident medical officer at the Home Sanatorium, Southbourne, Bournemouth, which he continued to hold until 1923, when, owing to the death of the proprietor, the Sanatorium was closed and Esslemont found himself without medical occupation.
In 1924 he received a warm invitation from Shoghi Effendi, Guardian of the Bahá’í Faith, to spend the winter at Haifa, and early in November he left London, proceeding direct to Port Said. Writing from Malta, the only port of call, November 15th, Esslemont spoke of a delightful voyage and of feeling much improved in health. He spent a day or two in Port Said, where he was most warmly received by the friends, and arrived at Haifa on November 21st. Here he at once devoted himself to the work of assisting Shoghi Effendi in his multifarious correspondence, which work he continued to do in spite of ill-health until the end.
Such is a brief account of the material side of Esslemont’s life; it remains now to say something of the spiritual side, which continues and will continue forevermore.
Whilst at Bournemouth in 1912 Esslemont, in association with several other doctors, took up the question of state medical service and in 1914 he read a paper on this subject before the British Medical Association at its meeting at Bournemouth, which by the attention it aroused helped greatly the deliberations of the Advisory Committee on Public Health. The wife of one of
The Bahá’í Summer School of the British Isles
The upper picture is a group attending the 1938 session. The center and lower pictures are of the 1939 session.
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Esslemont’s associates
in this work, who
had met ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in London in 1911,
first mentioned the Bahá’í Faith to
Esslemont in December 1914 and lent him some
pamphlets.
He had been searching for truth in many directions, but without finding that which could satisfy his innate religious feeling; on hearing, however, the Bahá’í Message he was at once impressed by its beauty and thoroughness; so much so that without delay he procured all the books in English which dealt with the subject. Most truly applicable to Esslemont are the words of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá: “Blessed is he that the Word of GOD hath reached him and had found his soul 'aWake’.”
His progress in the study of the Sacred Books was therefore rapid, for already in 1915 he was writing to the lady above mentioned, recommending what books she should read; and in February 1916, little more than a twelve-month after he had himself first received the Glad Tidings, he wrote at length to a Bahá’í friend in Manchester in terms which show how thoroughly he had accepted the Bahá’í Teachings and how profoundly he had already studied them. Thus he writes:
“We can each become like our friend if we make the great surrender of self and selfishness and become willing channels for the Divine Spirit. There is no limit to what the human spirit can achieve in the strength of Divine inspiration. The germ of the Divine nature is in every man; only most of us are not manifesting it. Instead, we are smothering it. It is like a plant which needs sun and rain for its growth, the Sun and Rain of Divine Love and Bounty. We have the power either to open our hearts to that Love and Bounty or to reject them. Only by turning our attention and interest away from the world and turning them to GOD can we grow in spirit. Such turning means attending to the reality and inner significance of things, instead of to the outward appearance. It means that our interest in and love for everything in all GOD’S universe should vastly increase, but that we should regard all outward appearances but as the garments of the inner realities, as dawning places for the Glory of GOD. Oh! may people all over the world soon turn to GOD, as revealed in Bahá’u’lláh, with humble contrite hearts, begging for His forgiveness and blessing and irnploring His mercy and bounty! Then shall His kingdom come in men’s hearts and the whole world become one home and all mankind one family.”
This extract from one of Esslemont’s early letters shows so clearly the spirit which illumined all his words and actions, that its insertion here will be forgiven by those who read his stirring admonition and appeal. That he himself did in very truth turn to GOD as revealed by Bahá’u’lláh, and that having so turned, he never deviated by one hair’s breadth from the path of love and righteousness is a fact known to those who had the privilege of meeting him and listening to his glowing talks as well as to those who are acquainted with him only through his writings inspired as they are with that same loving spirit which was so apparent to those who knew him personally.
Esslemont’s work as a personal teacher, apart from his letters, began in Bournemouth, where a group of adherents to the Faith gathered under his auspices. This gathering resulted in the formation of a Spiritual Assembly of which he was the first chairman, a position he continued to occupy until he left England in 1924. In this connection it may be mentioned that he was also the representative of the Bournemouth group on the National Spiritual Assembly of England, of which body he became Vice Chairman, and which benefited much by his counsel and advice.
In his introduction to his Book Bahá’u’lláh and The New Era (revised 1937 edition) Dr. Esslemont referring to the Bahá’í Teachings states:
“I was at once struck by their
comprehensiveness, power and beauty.
They impressed me as meeting
the great needs of
the modern world more fully and
satisfactorily than any other presentation of
religion which I had come across—an
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impression which
subsequent study has only
served to deepen and confirm.
In seeking for fuller acknowledgment about the movement I found considerable difficulty in obtaining the literature I wanted, and soon conceived the idea of putting together the gist of what I learned in the form of a book, so that it might be more easily available for others. When communication with Palestine was reopened after the war, I wrote to ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and enclosed a copy of the first nine chapters of the book, which was then almost complete in rough draft.
I received a very kind and encouraging reply, and a cordial invitation to visit Him in Haifa, and bring the whole of my manuscript with me. The invitation was gladly accepted, and I had the great privilege of spending two and a half months as the guest of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá during the winter of 1919-20. During this visit, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá discussed the book with me on various occasions. He gave several valuable suggestions for its improvement and proposed that, when I had revised the manuscript, He would have the whole of it translated into Íránian so that He could read it through and amend or correct it where necessary. The revisal and translation were carried out as suggested, and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá found time, amid His busy life, to correct some three and a half chapters (Chapters I, II, V and part of III) before He passed away. It is a matter of profound regret to me that ‘Abdu’l-Bahá was not able to complete the correction of the manuscript, as the value of the book would thereby have been greatly enhanced. The whole of the manuscript has been carefully revised, however, by a committee of the National Bahá’í Assembly of England, and its publication approved by that Assembly.
I am greatly indebted to Miss E. J. Rosenberg, Mrs. Claudia S. Coles, Mirza Lutfullah S. Ḥakím, Messrs. Roy Wilhelm and Mountfort Mills and many other kind friends for valuable help in the preparation of the work. As regards the transliteration or Arabic and Íránian names and words the system adopted in this book is that recently recommended by Shoghi Effendi for use throughout the Bahá’í world.”
Not satisfied with studying the Bahá’í writings in English, he learned Íránian so as to read them in the original language.
The third chapter of his justly celebrated book relating to "Bahá’u’lláh” was first published as a separate pamphlet, and it was proposed to issue a new edition on the occasion of the Conference on some Living Religions within the British Empire when it was held in London in the autumn of 1924; on consideration, however, it appeared that a more general pamphlet would be both more appropriate and more useful, and thus Bahá’u’lláh and His Message came to be written by Esslemont, who also wrote the small leaflet, What is the Bahá’í Movement?
It was not only by his printed works that Esslemont became known to the Bahá’í world, for he was an indefatigable and voluminous correspondent not only in English, but also in Esperanto, of which universal language he was a complete master.
Amongst his last labors during his stay in Haifa in 1925 was the revision of the Esperanto translation of the above-mentioned leaflet which had been prepared for the meeting of the Universal Esperanto Congress at Geneva in August of that year. Another work on which he was also engaged towards the close of his earthly career was the translation into German of his large book.
These evidences of Esslemont’s labors in the service of the Cause remain open to all, but of the loving services which he so gladly and selflessly rendered to all with whom he came into personal contact, only they can give full account from the inmost recesses of their hearts; but surely all whom he helped will forever bear in mind the inestimable benefits conferred upon them by his words, and more, perhaps, by his living example of what a true Bahá’í should be, for he was nigh unsurpassed in selflessness, in utter devotion and obedience to the Bahá’í teachings, in love and trustfulness to all his fellows.
With the publication of
Bahá’u’lláh and The New Era
more than sixteen years ago,
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the Bahá’í Faith was
given its first well-conceived, thorough
exposition by a student of the teachings.
Recognizing its value
as the most satisfactory introduction to the
Cause, Bahá’ís in both East and West have
found Dr. Esslemont’s book so helpful that
it has been translated into some thirty-six
langauges as follows:
English, published in England and America
French, published in Geneva, 1932
Italian, published in Florence
Dutch, published in Rotterdam, 1933
Danish, published in Copenhagen, 1932
Swedish, published in 1932
Portuguese, published in Bahia, Brazil
Albanian, published in Tirane, 1933
Esperanto, published in Germany, 1930
Russian, published in Latvia, 1930
German, published in Stuttgart, 1927
Bulgarian, published in Sofia, 1932
Rumanian, published in Bucharest, 1934
Czech, published in Prague, 1932
Serbian, published in Belgrade, 1933
Hungarian, published in Budapest, 1933
Greek, published in Athens, 1934
Spanish, published in Bahia, 1934
Norwegian, published in Oslo, 1935
Íránian, published in Haifa, 1932
Urdu, published in Lahore, 1935
Arabic, published in Cairo, 1930
Turkish, published in Istanbul, 1932
Burmese, published in Mandalay, 1933
Chinese, published in Shanghai, 1931
Hebrew, published in Haifa, 1931
Gujrati, published in Bombay, 1932
Japanese, published in Tokyo, 1932
Armenian, published in Aleppo, 1933
Kurdish, published in Baghdád, 1934
Braille, published in California
Abyssinian (Amharic), published in 1935
Icelandic, published in Reykjavik, 1939
Also published in Sinhdi, Bengali and Hindi.
As Dr. Esslemont himself recognized, the Faith entered a new phase of its history after the ascension of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. The result is that the author’s views, some of them written prior to 1921, no longer correspond on certain aspects of the subject, to the evolutionary character of the Faith. His treatment of events and social conditions then existing, moreover no longer appear fully relevant. Unavoidably, a few errors of fact had entered his text, while his explanation of the stations of the Báb and of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá have been replaced in the minds of Bahá’ís by the authoritative interpretations since made by the first Guardian of the Faith, Shoghi Effendi.
The present edition (March, 1937) therefore represents a revision made by the American National Spiritual Assembly acting under the advice and approval of Shoghi Effendi.
These revisions in no respect alter the original plan of Dr. Esslemont’s book, nor affect the major portion of his text. Their purpose has been to amplify the author’s discussion in a few passages by the addition of material representing the fuller knowledge available since his lamented death, and newer translations of his quotations from Bahá’í Sacred Writings.
It was the writer’s great pleasure and privilege to meet and become quite well acquainted with Dr. Esslemont while in Haifa in December, 1924. At that time he was assisting Shoghi Effendi in translating The Tablet of Aḥmad by Bahá’u’lláh and Gems from Nabil. In the first edition of his book which he presented to me at that time in Haifa, he wrote a verse from Gems from Nabil with his own pen as follows:
“Know this, O thou who seekest thy Beloved
Whose heart doth yearn His presence to attain
That till in thee His attributes appear
In exile and astray thou must remain.”
It seems he lived to serve and comfort
others. I can see the mental picture of him
now one day in Haifa—he had invited me
to accompany him to the Shrine of the Báb
and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá on Mount Carmel and early
one morning together we prayed there for
the whole world—this memory will be with
me throughout all the worlds of eternity;
on our way back we saw ‘Azizu’lláh Khán S.
Bahá’dur, sitting in the sun and very, very
sad because he was ill and could not serve
Shoghi Effendi as he had been doing. Dr.
Esslemont sat beside him, encouraged and
cheered him, and while they sat together, I
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took a picture of them.
‘Azizu’lláh Khán’s
face became happier because of Dr.
Esslemont’s comforting presence and words.
Dr. Esslemont was so very thorough and eficient in everything he did. He would work for hours over the translation of a single word in order to get the best shade of meaning. He was always trying to find a way to make Shoghi Effendi’s duties lighter and to serve him more and more wherever possible. A verse from Gems from Nabil which he was helping to translate while I was in Haifa seems to describe his life:
"Dost cherish in thy heart thy life, then hither come not thou,
But if life and heart thou freely giv’st, then come and bring thine all.
This is the path for those who seek for union with Bahá,
And if this path thou likest not, why trouble us? Begone!”
His life was wholly devoted to the Cause of GOD.
Bahá’u’lláh as quoted by Nabil in these "Gems,” said:
“To gather jewels have I come to this world. If one speck of a jewel lie hid in a stone and that stone be beyond the seven seas, until I have found and secured that jewel, my hand shall not stay from its search.”
And so we know that our beloved Dr. Esslemont is one of Bahá’u’lláh’s jewels.
No better appreciation of Dr. Esslemont and of his services to the Bahá’í Cause can be given than that contained in the following letter which the Guardian of the Bahá’í Faith, Shoghi Effendi, wrote after the passing of him who loved the Cause so well and served it so faithfully:
“It is with feelings of overwhelming sorrow that I communicate to you the news of yet another loss which the Almighty, in His inscrutable wisdom, has chosen to inflict upon our beloved Cause. On the 22nd of November, 1925—that memorable and sacred day in which the Bahá’ís of the Orient celebrated the twin Festivals of the Declaration of the Báb and the Birthday of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Dr. John E. Esslemont passed on to the Abhá Kingdom. His end was as swift as it was unexpected. Suffering from the effects of a chronic and insidious disease, he fell at last a victim to the inevitable complications that ensued, the fatal course of which neither the efforts of vigilant physicians nor the devoted cares of His many friends could possibly deflect.
“He bore his sufferings with admirable fortitude, with calm resignation and courage. Though convinced that his ailments would never henceforth forsake him, yet many a time he revealed a burning desire that the friends residing in the Holy Land should, while visiting the Shrines, implore the All-Merciful to prolong his days that he may bring to a fuller completion his humble share of service to -the Threshold of Bahá’u’lláh. To this noble request all hearts warmly responded. But this was not to be. His close association with my work in Haifa, in which I had placed fondest hopes, was suddenly cut short. His book, however, an abiding monument to his pure intention, will, alone, inspire generations yet unborn to tread the path of truth and service as steadfastly and as unostentatiously as was trodden by its beloved author. The Cause he loved so well he served even unto his last day with exemplary faith and unstinted devotion. His tenacity of faith, his high integrity, his self-effacement, his industry and painstaking labors were traits of a character the noble qualities of which will live and live forever after him. To me personally he was the warmest of friends, a trusted counsellor, an indefatigable collaborator, a lovable companion.
“With tearful eyes I supplicate at the Threshold of Bahá’u’lláh — and request you all to join—in my ardent prayers, for the fuller unfolding in the realms beyond of a soul that has already achieved so high a spiritual standing in this world. For by the beauty of his character, by his knowledge of the Cause, by the conspicuous achievements of his book, he has immortalized his name, and by sheer merit
Pastor Väinö) Rissanen
First to have accepted the Bahá’í Faith in Finland.
1938
deserves to rank as one of the Hands of the Cause of God.
“He has been laid to rest in the heart of that beautifully situated Bahá’í burial ground at the foot of Carmel, close to the mortal remains of that venerable soul, Hájí Mírzá Vakilu’l-Dawlih, the illustrious cousin of the Báb and chief builder of the Mashriqu’l-Adhkár of ‘Ishqábád. Pilgrims visiting his grave from far and near will, with pride and gratitude do honor to a name that adorned the annals of an immortal Cause. "May he eternally rest in peace.”
