Bahá’í News/Issue 539/Text
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| Bahá’í News | February 1976 | Bahá’í Year 132 |
The green light expedition, part IV
Contents
The Green Light Expedition: part IV | 1 |
Continuing Amatu’l-Bahá Rúḥíyyih Khánum’s journey of friendship to the tribes of the Amazon |
|
Around the world | 10 |
Alaska, Bahamas, India, United States |
|
Mother of the Temple: part II | 13 |
Concluding the story of the Hand of the Cause of God Corinne Knight True |
|
page 10
page 12
page 13
| On the cover: members of the Green Light Expedition traveled along the vast Amazon River. Rúḥíyyih Khánum meets with one of the many Indian families she visited. |
Bahá’í News is published monthly for circulation among Bahá’ís only by the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States, as a news organ reporting current activities of the Bahá’í world community. Manuscripts submitted should be typewritten and double spaced throughout; any footnotes should appear at the end. The contributor should keep a carbon copy. Send materials to: Bahá’í News Editorial Office, 112 Linden Avenue, Wilmette, IL 60091, U.S.A.
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The green light expedition[edit]
The S.S. Mutt, a boat 17 meters long powered by a noisy 16-horsepower inboard motor, was home for members of the Green Light Expedition. Above. Rúḥíyyih Khánum is pictured in the boat at Leticia, Colombia. At left, members of the expedition go about their chores aboard the cramped boat.
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The green light expedition
Providence had smiled upon the Green Light Expedition. From the time of its inception, the green signal had flashed on at every turn. All along the Orinoco River in Venezuela, through the jungles of Surinam, during the week in Manaus, Brazil, when the first Amazonian Bahá’í conference was held, the experiences had been thrilling and exhilarating. It was in this mood of exaltation and high expectation of new adventures to come that the members of the expedition arrived in Leticia, Colombia, April 27, along with their 45 pieces of equipment. To the six original members, the Hand of the Cause of God Amatu’l-Bahá Rúḥíyyih Khánum, Counsellor Masoud Khamsi of the Continental Board of Counsellors for South America, Mark Sadan, Rodney Charters, David Walker, and Anthony Worley, was now added Ruth Pringle, an Auxiliary Board member from Panama.
As the nurse for the expedition and traveling companion for Rúḥíyyih Khánum, I was on hand to greet them, replacing Nosrat Rabbani who had returned to her pioneer post in Curacao.
The Leticia airport was surprisingly modern and adequate for big jets—not the turf runway with a thatched roof terminal building that one might expect to find in the heart of the Amazon jungles. There were many friends in the welcoming party: Fernando Schiantarelli, a Peruvian Auxiliary Board member; a non-Bahá’í Ticuna Indian who was chief of a village near Leticia; a long-time pioneer to Colombia, Joseph Tasnady, who had come from Bogota for this occasion and who was one of the first Bahá’ís to visit Leticia nearly 20 years ago when there were no paved streets, no vehicles, and no Bahá’ís. Now it is a pleasant, modern town rapidly growing into a small city with a steadily increasing Bahá’í community flourishing in its midst.
Rúḥíyyih Khánum seemed radiantly happy but exhausted from the past months of strenuous travel. She was immediately caught up in a whirl of activities which included a press interview, the opening of the Ticuna chief’s village to the Bahá’í Faith that same night, meetings with the local Bahá’í community (about 30 friends), and a reception for some of the dignitaries of Leticia. Two members of the National Spiritual Assembly of Colombia had come to welcome Rúḥíyyih Khánum and assist in the teaching activities being undertaken in conjunction with the arrival of the Green Light Expedition.
That night, standing on the porch of the chief’s home, Rúḥíyyih Khánum addressed many of the Ticuna villagers with words of encouragement and comfort. She told them of their ancient heritage on this continent. She delighted them by saying that as a child she had wished that she had been born an Indian. She spoke of God’s love for His creation and the Messengers He sent to mankind. She then asked Mr. Khamsi to tell them of Bahá’u’lláh and His Teachings. On the following day, some of the Bahá’ís returned to this village and both the chief and his son accepted the Faith.
The town of Marco in Brazil is adjacent to Leticia and an evening meeting was held there. Of the 12 people present, some had been Bahá’ís for over 15 years; they were very simple, sincere people. Among them was a 70-year-old man who was exceedingly happy to be in Rúḥíyyih Khánum’s presence. This night she was moved to speak of stories about Bahá’u’lláh and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá told to her by members of the family after she had married the Guardian and gone to live in Haifa. She also spoke of the Holy places in Haifa and encouraged the friends to save their money—even though a small amount weekly—so that eventually they might make the pilgrimage. She ended by saying everything depends upon making a plan and following it through.
By May 1 everything on our boat was in order and we moved into what would be home for the next 18 days.
Fernando Schiantarelli, at the request of Mr. Khamsi, had gone from Lima to Iquitos to hire a boat for the expedition. I came from Panama and met him there. Together we had traveled (with a full cargo load and 25 other passengers) down to Leticia on that boat. It was a shell, 17 meters long and about three and a half meters at its widest point, and was powered
Open thatch houses were common on the banks of the flooded Amazon River. Because of the climate, these houses are very practical. On facing page, Rúḥíyyih Khánum inspects one of the many mission crosses she discovered during the journey. Missionaries are very active in this part of the world.
by a 16-horsepower inboard motor which shook everything into spastic convulsions and drowned out all hopes of normal conversation. Under the watchful eye of Mr. Khamsi, it was thoroughly scrubbed down, and shelves, benches, and a table were installed. The extreme end of the stern was closed in by a partition and door. To one side of this tiny space, there was a small frame fitted with a fancy store-bought seat; we had a bathroom. With a little patience and skill, we learned one could balance on the open cross boards that served as a floor, scoop water from the river with a small basin or gourd and presto!—the shower was ready even when the boat was in motion. Fatter members of our party had difficulty getting in and closing the door, and all of us had to be careful that the rushing river, which flowed across the floorboards under our feet, did not snatch our scoop away—but oh, how cool and delicious those Amazon baths were! There was a raised platform running halfway the length of the boat through its mid-section, but the roof was too low to permit most of us to stand upright on this deck. Underneath was our hold, which sometimes leaked. The open space toward the stern became our kitchen and dining room; we cooked on a single-burner kerosene stove that belched great clouds of black smoke and flamed menacingly as it danced merrily from side to side. In front of the deck next to Rúḥíyyih Khánum’s hammock, was the steering wheel and steersman, who had to crawl over us to get to his post.
We, our provisions, and equipment filled nearly every available inch of space. Every night the hammock, which protected delicate camera equipment from the shock of the constant vibrations when the boat was in motion, was taken down, and our sleeping hammocks in cocoon-like mosquito nets were strung diagonally the length of the boat—seven for the expedition members, two for the crew, and one for our guide. Except for two large doors on either side, fore and aft, the boat was a closed shell with tiny portholes spaced at intervals along its length. This closed-in arrangement at first was viewed with misgivings because of the heat and high humidity, but it turned out to be a blessing affording some protection from the frequent rains which pelted us, especially at night. On several occasions, the hold was flooded, a cause of great concern for the precious film stored there. After the elegance of the S.S. Queen Mary in Venezuela, Rúḥíyyih Khánum dubbed this boat the S.S. Mutt.
While the preparations for our departure were being made, a guest at the Parador Ticuna Inn, where the expedition was staying, recommended that we consult the most experienced man in the area—Mike Tsalickis, a well-known dealer in wild animals who had lived in Leticia for nearly 25 years. This Rúḥíyyih Khánum and Mr. Khamsi did, making arrangements for one of his guides to take us into Brazilian waters where Amatu’l-Bahá hoped to see a closed-canopy jungle—one of the dreams of her life.
Shortly after mid-day, the S.S. Mutt was freed from its mooring, and our five-day trip into the Brazilian Amazon started. We had not traveled far when Hipolito, our captain, discovered that the rudder was not working. We were stranded in midstream Amazon for several hours until repairs were completed. Moving on, we quickly reached the mouth of the Yavari River and directed our course upstream past the Brazilian town of Benjamin Constante where there is a Bahá’í community. We continued past Petropolis, a flooded sawmill town. By now it was dark. Meanwhile, for better ventilation, Rodney Charters had climbed to the roof and fallen asleep; the pilot also fell asleep. Suddenly there was a crash, the boat trembled, a cry from the roof and splash—Rodney was overboard! The boat had veered from its course, crashed into and splintered a tree jutting up from the flooded waters, and Rodney, trying to climb down, had slipped. We tied up for the night, grateful the day was over. It became our custom to retire to the roof every morning for prayers and to discuss our plans; inside, when the engine was running, we had to shout to be heard.
On May 3, we arrived at Sao Raimundo, where a small dugout canoe and its boatman were secured. Rúḥíyyih Khánum, Mr. Khamsi, our guide, Rodney and his movie camera, and the boatman departed for a five-hour trip up a small branch stream and a jungle walk through swamp to a clearing in the jungle to view at last her much longed-for “closed-canopy” jungle. Greatly disillusioned, the party returned at dusk to report that someone had carved on a tree trunk, “Maria was here—1975.” To prove he could do something, even if he did not know what a virgin jungle looks like, our guide spent the night hunting, returning in the early hours of the morning with a variety of large wild guinea pig, the only wild game we were to enjoy on the Amazon. We all regretted eating such a beautiful creature, but Mr. Khamsi proved his right to be considered the best cook with the expedition for the succulent meal he prepared with this meat.
I had been treating our captain for a bad
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and painful eye infection, and he decided to return home on foot via a connecting jungle path. He left us as we headed back toward Leticia, leaving his son as the provisional captain.
The downstream return to Leticia was rapid and, although at the time the trip was a sad disappointment, the photographs taken proved to be one of the most beautiful sequences in the Green Light Expedition film. In Leticia, we said goodbye to our nice guide, who requested Bahá’í literature; he has an uncle in Manaus who is a Bahá’í.
Another interview with Mike Tsalickis produced a new guide who he said would be able to take us to primitive, untouched people if they still existed in the area we were in; it had been some time since Mike himself had been out in the “wilds.”
The region of the Peruvian Amazon with its many tributaries accounts for about 60 per cent of the total area of the country. The rainfall is one of the heaviest in the world and the basin is covered by nearly impenetrable jungles. For the most part still unexplored, it remains silent, mysterious, and awesome. During the months of March to June, the heaviest rains fall, flooding the lowland area. The bulk of the sparse population lives along the river banks and has made its adaption to the annual floods by the simple expedient of constructing their houses on high supporting posts and keeping a canoe moored to the steps, a sort of tropical Venice.
At first sight, food seems scarce, as indeed it may be for city tourists. Investigation, however, reveals bountiful supplies of yucca (cassava), the staple food throughout the whole of this jungle region of South America; plantain (a green cooking banana), pihuai (a type of palm nut), fruits which vary from one area to another, and paiche (a highly prized fish).
The majority population of this area is indigenous, estimated at approximately 120,000 Indians comprising some 50 tribes and speaking at least 31 different languages. Hence, it was impossible to find anyone who could serve as a guide and interpreter throughout the whole region; we had a total of four different guides at various stages of our trip upriver from Leticia to Iquitos, approximately 400 kilometers (240 miles). Except for Leticia, which had a Spiritual Assembly, and Iquitos, which had a Bahá’í Group, there were no Bahá’ís in this area of Peru.
Numerous villages are mushrooming up along the main rivers in this region of South America offering, for the most part, the worst aspects of a decadent civilization to a people who are being ruthlessly uprooted, stripped of their culture, and generally made to feel inferior by religionists, educators, tradesmen, and an ever-increasing flood of tourists. Little remains of the people’s former ways except for their houses which are still of open thatch construction admirably suited to the hot, humid, tropical climate. However, small concrete block cracker-box houses, with zinc roofs are beginning to crop up here and there, far less healthful to live in than the old style Indian home. Both Protestant and Catholic missionaries are very active in this area. Nearly every village has its big cross and many have small churches.
Little did we realize that this would be the sad picture we would find as we chugged out of Leticia for the second time, on May 4, setting our course westward against the strong Amazon current in search of our next guide, Don Pedro Rodriguez, who lived in Vista Alegre, some six hours upstream.
Fortunately, Don Pedro was home and agreed to accompany us. He seemed very knowledgeable about the area, was a mature man who had traveled widely in this section of the Amazon for many years and had learned a little of some of the languages. We liked him at once. He could give us no assurance we would find any primitive tribes because it had been nearly three years since his last trip and customs were changing rapidly.
Early the following day, we reached Puerto Narino, one of the innumerable check-points on the Amazon river, where members of the expedition went swimming in the flooded town square while Mr. Khamsi cleared the boats’ papers with the officials. Then we proceeded up the Loreto-Yacu River to San Francisco and San Juan, neighboring Ticuna villages.
The Indians were warm and friendly.
At far left, Rúḥíyyih Khánum and Counsellor Masoud Khamsi, seated in the center, meet with the residents of a Ticuna Indian village. At left, the members of the Green Light Expedition pose atop the S.S. Mutt. They are, from left, front row: Auxiliary Board member Ruth Pringle, Rúḥíyyih Khánum, Rodney Charters; back row: Captain Hipolito, a crew member, David Walker, Counsellor Masoud Khamsi, guide Don Pedro Rodriguez who became a Bahá’í during the trip, and Mark Sadan. Anthony Worley took the picture.
Their typical dress had been lost, but their language and houses were still preserved. In San Francisco, the people were Catholic, and the school teacher was also the lay teacher for the church and conducted daily services. Sundays, the priest came to offer mass. A large wooden cross stood in the middle of what seemed to be a shrine with the initials STA—standing for “Salva Tu Alma.” We encountered this same kind of shrine and cross in almost every village along the route up the Amazon. Sometimes it bore the date 1972, sometimes 1973, indicating how recently this area has been opened by missionaries. In view of this, we made no effort to teach the Faith; after eating dinner on our boat, we had an informal meeting with the villagers. With radiant faces, men, women, and children clustered around Rúḥíyyih Khánum, who was seated under the shadow of the cross, while Mark Sadan played his flute and taught them to sing “Alláh’u’Abhá.” This delighted them greatly. At Rúḥíyyih Khánum’s request, both the women and the men sang for us, and David Walker recorded them. Their first songs were joyous ones followed by sad ones. They explained that the happy songs were about a boat that came to their village with a beautiful woman who brought with her great happiness and love. The sad songs spoke of a boat that was leaving their village, carrying away the light of this beautiful woman who probably would never return. This saddened Rúḥíyyih Khánum, for how true it was and how long would it be before others would come to these people with the love of Bahá’u’lláh, come to stay and not just pass by?
We proceeded to Caballo Coche, where we enjoyed the special treat of a bottle of cold Coca-Cola and then went to the home of our captain, Hipolito, a little farther up the river in a lovely lagoon. He knew of a Yagua village nearby which offered exactly what we wished to find: a primitive village untouched by the ravages of civilization, still adhering to its ancient customs.
We left in a small dugout canoe for a fascinating hour and a half trip up a small stream, winding and twisting through the jungle perfectly reflected on the still water.
The village, built on high ground and surrounded by felled trees to make way for the people’s plantations, boasted a well-ordered school, proudly displaying a neatly arranged exhibition of colored posters of people in different parts of the world. Everyone wore monotonous “city” dress except for one man who emerged from his hut regally attired in a rich copper-colored grass skirt and a large collar and arm bands of the same material. Around his neck was a lovely diamond-shaped pouch in which he carried small curare-tipped darts. He showed us how he used the arrows with his blowgun, which must have been at least eight feet long. The local school teacher—not of indigenous descent—told us this man was the only one in his village who still preserved the typical dress of his people.
Rúḥíyyih Khánum explained to the man and a group of people who had gathered around us that we were Bahá’ís and that we held the Indians in high esteem. She told them that similar darts and blowpipes are used by other people in faraway Malaysia.
The following morning, with Hipolito back as captain, we headed up the Tigre River and turned off into the Atacuary. All the villages and towns along the Amazon were so civilized as to be of little interest to us, so we turned into many of the tributaries, and it was mainly on these that we had such interesting and pleasant visits with various Indian tribes.
We reached an area where the flooding of the river had produced a lagoon with a few scattered houses emerging above the water. We took a small canoe over to one of the houses where a woman sat hunched on the floor cooking over an open fire. She was dressed in the characteristic costume of the Yaguas, a copper-brown brief fiber skirt and matching ruff around her neck—not at all immodest for her culture and environment, as Rúḥíyyih Khánum pointed out.
We continued upstream hoping to find more interesting tribespeople. On our way, a friendly family called to us to join them for a “fiesta” they were having. People had already begun to gather for the party, which was being held in honor of a birth in the tribe, and the drinking was well underway. There was a large hollowed-out log which served as a vat; it was nearly filled with a very strong pink colored liquor made from fermented yucca (masato) and this was dipped up in large gourds and enamel bowls and passed generously to the guests who consumed it with great relish. Needless to say, the Bahá’ís declined to partake of this drink.
The women and children sat around on the floor of the thatched house, laughing and chatting while the men milled around in groups on the outside. To our distress, we discovered that even small children were drinking the highly intoxicating beverage. Already many of the men were becoming drunk. We had suspected the party would be like this, but Rúḥíyyih Khánum had felt we should accept the kindness the
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Indians had shown in spontaneously inviting us to join them.
The people were dressed in city clothes, but some of the men had painted their faces in the old way and wore makeshift caps of frayed palm leaves in place of what once would have been gorgeous feather headdresses. There was flute playing and some dancing, but it was quite evident the party was going to become very drunken, so we left before dark. Although the South American Indians have always drunk liquor on special occasions, its use is steadily increasing, just as it is in our own society.
The following morning we returned to the Amazon and after 24 hours of uninterrupted travel, reached Chimbote. Don Pedro felt he had guided us to all that was available in the area short of a two to three day trip on foot through the jungle to the interior to search for remote villages which might no longer be there. He could guarantee nothing and Rúḥíyyih Khánum, who was not feeling well, decided such a speculative venture was out of the question.
We gathered on the roof of the Mutt for pictures. As we were saying farewell to Don Pedro, he gave us a beautiful gift. He said, “I want to be a Bahá’í.” What a joyous moment! An assortment of the limited literature on hand, names and addresses of Bahá’ís in Leticia and Iquitos, and a photo of our group were given to him. Rúḥíyyih Khánum spoke to him about the importance of sharing his newly found happiness with others and promised to send him some books, including a copy of her own book Prescription for Living in Portuguese as soon as possible. Hopefully, he has received the books she sent and is now spreading the Divine Fragrances and sowing the seeds of the Kingdom in this vast area where he is well known and highly respected.
With prayers of thanksgiving and for steadfastness, we watched Don Pedro until he was out of sight of our retreating boat. Sometime after dark we reached San Pablo de Loreto where we tied up for the night. Here there was a rather large Catholic mission hospital and school. We sought more information there as to where we might find more primitive tribes to film. The French Canadian nun who talked to Rúḥíyyih Khánum was very sweet and friendly but had little more information to share than we already knew.
By now we were tired and discouraged, including Rúḥíyyih Khánum, who sometimes asked herself out loud what had possessed her when she started out at the age of 64 to undertake a journey such as this and to make a film to stimulate pioneers to go forth all over the world! But the oft-repeated promise in the Teachings that if we have faith all our efforts will be fruitful encouraged her, and we assured her that Shoghi Effendi must be well pleased that she had arisen to fulfill his wishes, traveling throughout the world to encourage the friends to arise and serve. “Yes,” replied Rúḥíyyih Khánum, “this is what I mean when I say that this enterprise is the greatest proof of my faith in God.”
It was suggested we might take an excursion up the Ampiyacu River to visit several villages there where we might find Bora and Ocaina Indians. We came to a picturesque village, Pucaurquillo, located on a rather high bank, where Bora and Huitoto Indians lived side by side. It was a large village and neatly laid out. Most of the houses were of typical thatch construction and there were a few of rough lumber, but the focal point of the village for us was the enormous community house called cocamera, the first we had seen in the Amazon region. In one of the cocameras, they had a pair of drums which had been fashioned out of oblong blocks of wood and placed over a hole in the ground which acted as a sounding box.
A small group of people gathered around us, and Rúḥíyyih Khánum spoke to them of their past, told them we were Bahá’ís, and as such believed the Indian people had an important future. She also praised their culture and handicrafts and told them not to lose this knowledge. One of the Bora Indians who had been listening pleased Rúḥíyyih Khánum by offering to play on the chime-like drums and chant in his native dialect. This was filmed and recorded. Everyone was delighted to hear this song and drumming played back by David. Later, Rúḥíyyih Khánum said to us,
“Did you see how they just opened up when we praised their culture?”
A bright young Bora man accompanied us through the village and agreed to guide us to another one upstream where we would be able to see Boras living in the “old way.” The next day, in a driving rain that had begun the previous night, we slowly made our way up the Yaguasycu River to Brillo Nuevo. Fortunately, the rain stopped just as we arrived, and the people guided us to their cocamera, which, unlike the one we had seen on the previous day, was teeming with people relaxing in hammocks or going about their everyday chores. At one end of the house was a striking pair of drums called manhuaris. These drums are giant hollow cylinders made from a special tree of an exceptionally hard wood; they are about six feet long and 18 inches in diameter. We were told they were about 30 years old. The bottle-shaped drumsticks were covered with raw rubber. The manhuari constituted the old system of communication. By playing the two, the “male” drum with its rather high-pitched tone and the “female” drum with its deep penetrating notes, messages were sent from village to village along the river for distances of up to 12 miles, where they were transmitted by another pair of drums and so on. Rúḥíyyih Khánum was delighted by this find and told the people, “I have traveled to 109 countries, and the only drums I have seen this size are in a faraway place in Africa. And they are not as beautiful as these.” She continued, “These are things you must not lose. Long before the white man had the telephone, the red man had his drums.” She encouraged the people, praised their heritage, and told them, “People must not be ashamed of what God gave them.” She said, “Our religion has great prophecies for the Indian people,” and asked Mr. Khamsi to explain what these prophecies are. Then they asked Rúḥíyyih Khánum if she would tell the villagers about this religion if they called the people together for a meeting, an invitation which she readily accepted.
In the meeting, Rúḥíyyih Khánum spoke of the principle of unity. In characteristic fashion, she drew her examples from the people’s own experiences. She described to them how they had gathered the materials and brought them together to produce their cocamera, how they had placed the supporting posts one by one in position. Then she pointed out that each post was different, but each was good and strong. “We accept them all because each post helps to support the building. These posts are like the different religions in the world. When each post is placed securely in position, then you put the roof on the house, and this roof is like the teachings of Bahá’u’lláh. Now we say today, as the world is changed, the time has come to put the roof on the house of all men.”
To reach any more tribes would have required three to four days of travel upstream, and we had no assurance we would find the people, since they are semi-nomadic, frequently changing their villages from place to place in order to establish plantations on new soil. So it was decided to return to the Amazon. Furthermore, Rúḥíyyih Khánum was fighting bronchitis.
On our way back, we stopped in Puerto Isango, an Ocaina village, where we admired their hammocks which the people had made from jungle fiber. They were curious about us, so with the help of the school teacher, who is always a key person in villages, a meeting was called. Rúḥíyyih Khánum asked Mr. Khamsi to speak. After he had presented the basic Bahá’í concepts in fluent Spanish, Rúḥíyyih Khánum directed a few words to the people. She told them the culture of the Indians is very ancient and that long before the time of Christ, the Indians had a great culture. They had built wonderful civilizations. She said the Indians had a great past and have a great future. “So you must be proud of being Indians and you must not lose your tribal past because this is your root. When a tree is firmly rooted, it is strong, but when its roots have been pulled up, a slight wind can blow it over. You should take the good things from the white people and be careful not to take the bad things, and always keep the good things from your Indian culture.”
As we left the meeting, the people followed us to our boat. There was one little old woman in the group. She walked
One of the highlights of the visit to the Bora Indians was the discovery of an enormous community house called cocamera. A meeting was held inside the cocamera with the residents of the village.
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alongside Amatu’l-Bahá. Suddenly, the little woman embraced Rúḥíyyih Khánum who responded and kissed her warmly on both cheeks, a purely spontaneous reaction. Rúḥíyyih Khánum often spoke of the tendency of Western Bahá’ís to greet everyone with a hug and a kiss and how much she detested this habit as being not only unsanitary but one which gave a very bad impression to others and was not in keeping with the dignity and high standards inculcated by Bahá’u’lláh. Her strong feelings on this subject made this gesture of affection all the more impressive.
Once in Iquitos, an appraisal of our situation and investigation of possibilities to travel up the Napo River or the Marañon proved fruitless. Our propeller had been damaged and had to be removed for repairs, requiring several days. It was decided we would fly by commercial airline to Pucallpa, still in the Amazon basin on the Ucayali River halfway between Iquitos and Lima. By the evening of May 22, we had abandoned the S.S. Mutt forever, disposed of all unnecessary provisions and equipment, repacked, and were on our way.
Pucallpa is a center for agriculture and lumber, smaller than Iquitos, but with equal modern facilities. We liked it much better and longed to see pioneers settled in it. On the outskirts amid neatly trimmed lawns and beautiful gardens, high on an embankment above Lake Yarina Cocha, is the Summer Institute of Linguistics, central headquarters in Peru for a missionary group associated with the Wycliffe Bible Society. It is a well-equipped and well-organized group, having private radio communications with its most remote outposts, and adequate private planes to service a wide area; we counted no fewer than six different types of planes at their air terminal. Nearby is the Peruvian Army airfield which maintains a special charter passenger service to the interior. Through arrangements with the government, the Summer Institute of Linguistics is permitted to contact Indian groups, ostensibly for the purpose of teaching them to read and write their own languages. This also includes translating the Bible into the various tongues with the subsequent conversion of the Indians to Christianity. They have made surveys of the tribes, taken censuses and are, quite admirably, establishing written forms of languages.
These were the people who had both the information and the facilities to enable the Green Light Expedition to contact and film a truly primitive tribe. Rúḥíyyih Khánum, Mr. Khamsi, and I went to visit them. We were interviewed by a charming couple, second-generation missionaries in the area, whose children were studying in the United States preparing themselves to return to carry on in the family tradition. On many occasions after this visit, Rúḥíyyih Khánum pointed out that this was an example which Bahá’ís might well admire and strive to emulate.
Amatu’l-Bahá explained to them we were making a Bahá’í documentary film and expressed at the same time a genuine admiration for the wonderful work they
Above, Mark Sadan plays the flute, a universal Indian musical instrument, at a Ticuna village. At left, a Yagua Indian is dressed in the “old way” with a copper-colored grass skirt, large collar, and arm bands. The diamond shaped pouch around his neck is used to carry curare-tipped darts blown from the eight-foot-long blow gun. At right are manhuaris drums of the Bora Indians. The drums, six feet long and 18 inches in diameter, are used to send messages from village to village.
were doing, saying we would like to include in our film some of their own field activities if this was possible. They could not give us an immediate answer. We would have to return later.
Meanwhile, arrangements were made to visit the Shipibo Indian village of San Francisco on Lake Yarina Cocha, about an hour and a half from Pucallpa. We settled down in a covered boat for a pleasant outing. San Francisco turned out to be a rather untidy village, home of approximately 3,000 Shipibo Indians whose main income is derived from tourists. Their homes were built on low platforms, open on the sides and topped with a thatched roof. The women adhered to their typical dress, either a finely painted or beautifully embroidered short skirt worn like a sarong; they also wore many strings of beads. The village was rather uninteresting and the people aggressively commercial. Sadly we left.
Returning to the missionaries, we learned what we had already anticipated: using a flimsy pretext, they advised us that they could not provide us with transportation. We then went to the Army. For the astronomical sum of $1,600 for two two-hour flights—one to take us in and one to bring us out—arrangements could be made. This was definitely out of the question, not solely because of the expense but because we had no contacts in the interior, no guarantee of success. All doors had now tightly closed; the long journey was at an end. We took the plane for Lima, the capital city of Peru.
From the beginning of the expedition to this point a survey had been made which would facilitate the settlement of future pioneers to the vast Amazon region. But in addition to this, we had seen first-hand that the sands of time are quickly running out. Will the Bahá’ís arise to the challenge before it is too late?
Rúḥíyyih Khánum, by her example, in spite of her age, lack of comfort, and in the face of illness, had shown us that we can do it. She had also been true to the oft-expressed wish of the Master: “Oh, that I could travel, even though on foot and in the utmost poverty, to these regions, and raising the call of ‘Ya Bahá’u’l-Abhá’ in cities, villages, mountains, deserts, and oceans, promote the Divine teachings. This, alas, I cannot do. How intensely I deplore it. Please God, ye may achieve it.”
Amatu’l-Bahá Rúḥíyyih Khánum, at right center, consults with the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States on January 9 concerning the distribution of films, filmstrips, and slides of her Green Light Expedition. Pictured, clockwise from top, are Glenford E. Mitchell; Richard D. Betts; Rúḥíyyih Khánum; Violette Nakhjávaní, Amatu’l-Bahá’s traveling companion; William Maxwell Jr.; Firuz Kazemzadeh; Daniel Jordan; Franklin Kahn; Dorothy W. Nelson; and Magdalene Carney. That evening, Rúḥíyyih Khánum addressed an overflow audience in Foundation Hall at the House of Worship. The Hand of the Cause of God discussed the Green Light Expedition, and the importance of pioneering.
Around the World[edit]
Alaska
Center dedicated, conference is held[edit]
The dedication of a new National Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds in Anchorage, Alaska, and a simultaneous deepening conference offered by the Continental Board of Counsellors for North America, evoked two cables from The Universal House of Justice. One, addressed to the conference, read in part: “Fervently praying great impetus your endeavors advance Faith all strata Alaska.”
All four members of the Continental Board of Counsellors in North America spoke to over 200 Bahá’ís at the conference November 8 and attended the dedication of the Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds.
One of the sessions at the conference was sponsored by the Bahá’í Interracial Teaching Committee to stimulate teaching among Alaskan minorities: blacks, Eskimos, Aleuts, and Orientals. Counsellor Velma Sherrill addressed that session, saying that Bahá’ís must rise above the lesser unities which are represented in families, tribes, and clans, and must attain the wider unity which embraces the entire human race.
Counsellor Sarah Pereira was the key speaker for another session, saying that Bahá’ís should fill their daily lives with the expression of the real oneness of humankind. Counsellor Lloyd C. Gardner led a study of Divine Institutions, and Counsellor Edna True spoke on the meaning of the life of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá.
The Universal House of Justice also cabled assurance of its prayers on the occasion of the dedication of the National Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds: “Supplicating holy Shrines guidance strengthening National Assembly entire community Alaska Deepest love.”
The newly built Alaskan Bahá’í Center is a modern building in Anchorage with rooms for meetings of the National Assembly and offices for the Secretariat and national committees.
National conference on teaching held[edit]
During the Five Year Plan, Alaskan Bahá’ís are required to have at least one National Teaching Conference a year. Bahá’ís from Alaska and Canada attended the second of these conferences September 26-28 in Haines.
The conference opened with a reading of a letter by the Hand of the Cause of God William Sears, assuring the 106 friends present that he was praying for the success of the conference.
Temple site tract, center, is near a major highway and Lake Cunningham.
On Friday evening the Bahá’ís celebrated the Feast of Mashíyyat, creating a unity that illumined the weekend.
The conference agenda included addresses by National Spiritual Assembly members Georgia Haisler and Auxiliary Board members Howard Brown and Fletcher Bennett. Reports were given by the National Assembly and by members of Goals Committees on the status of Alaska’s Five Year Plan goals.
Talks included one on the history of the Faith in Alaska, given by Verne Stout, who was the first man to pioneer to Alaska. The country was opened to the Faith in 1915 by Margaret Green, who worked there as a librarian until 1918. In response to the Guardian’s first Seven Year Crusade, Honor Kempton went to Alaska in 1939 and began establishing the Bahá’í community there.
Other sessions covered the development and strengthening of Local Spiritual Assemblies; pioneering; international and national teaching; the Fund. The youth of Haines presented a play about universal participation.
Several talks were given on pioneering. One was by Gail Davis, who filled the pioneer post of Sitka on Baranof Island during the Ten Year Crusade and has been there for 20 years.
Bahamas
Land acquired for Bahamas Temple site[edit]
A 20-acre tract on the island of New Providence, Bahamas, has been acquired for a future Temple, completing another goal of the Five Year Plan.
Purchase of the land by the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States was finalized in November.
The Temple site is on the north side of New Providence Island and is west of Nassau and east of Nassau International Airport. The site overlooks Lake Cunningham and can be seen from the major highway between the airport and Nassau.
The land, 117 feet above sea level, is one of the highest points on the island.
Earlier, the National Assembly of the U.S. purchased a building in downtown Nassau for a National Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds and acquired as a national endowment for the Bahamas an acre of land on Great Exuma Island, two other goals of the Five Year Plan.
India
Children sparkle at Panchgani sessions[edit]
The Third Annual Children’s Conference in Panchgani, India, December 26-28, was held simultaneously with the Panchgani Winter School. Both gatherings were held at New Era High School.
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Salah Dorari, Gloria Menezes, Allison Grover, Michael Lanzaro at entertainment night during Children’s Conference.
Auxiliary Board member A.K. Furudi, left, talks about mass teaching with K. Khorsandian and Jagdish Gandhi, right.
Bahá’ís of various Indian states attended the school, with guests from Iran, Muscat, Zambia, and England. Ninety-five children, ages 5-14, participated in the children’s conference, and over 150 youth and adults attended the school.
Everyone gathered each morning for dawn prayers before breakfast, and songs and devotions after breakfast. The children met in the Bahá’í Bhavan, where they had classes on sacrifice, prejudice, and purity.
The Winter School sessions covered teaching, the role of children and youth, The Universal House of Justice, the role of women in the new World Order, and the role of the Bahá’í Faith. There were special workshops on marriage and on Bahá’í elections.
Gloria Faizi was a special guest at the school. The children sat spellbound while she told them stories of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. The children were also impressed with a couple from Zambia who told them of the customs and culture of that African nation. A six-year-old commented that they were a real example of the Bahá’í Faith.
With the loving help of some of the Bahá’í youth, the children prepared two skits and several songs which they presented on the last evening. One of the children gave a report in which she expressed the feeling of all the children that such conferences should be held more frequently.
The friends then gathered around a bonfire for a sing-along.
United States
New teaching projects begin[edit]
“Now is the time of the harvest,” said the Hand of the Cause of God Raḥmatu’lláh Muhájir, speaking in Foundation Hall at the Bahá’í House of Worship in Wilmette, Illinois. Dr. Muhájir will assist with important teaching projects in the United States during the coming months.
Dr. Muhájir consulted twice with the National Spiritual Assembly during January. He has consented to help with a new Southern teaching program and other projects and with recruiting pioneers and traveling teachers.
The Hand of the Cause of God spoke at two teaching conferences in California Dec. 27-28; visited the Louis Gregory Institute in South Carolina and toured the Southern states; visited Oregon, Washington, and Michigan; and made trips to Alaska and Canada.
Southern Bahá’ís will begin the new teaching program, designed to reach large numbers of people in and near Atlanta, Georgia; College Station, Texas; and Columbia, South Carolina, immediately following their Each One Teach One District Conference on March 27. Regular teaching activities, proclamations, and conferences will be sustained in those areas during the remaining years of the Five Year Plan. Activities will be coordinated by the Bahá’í National Teaching Committee, the newly appointed Southern Teaching Committee, Local Spiritual Assemblies, and District Teaching Committees. Those who volunteer for the exciting work at the March 27 teaching conferences will be trained, and their activities scheduled.
The goal of the Southern teaching plan is to reach all strata of society, and the foundation of the teaching efforts will be firesides.
Bahá’ís throughout the country will launch their own efforts in their districts at 88 teaching conferences on March 27. Each District Teaching Committee will involve the friends in special teaching projects to begin on March 28. The National Teaching Committee and Regional Teaching Committees will work with the District Teaching Committees to open new localities and form strong Groups and firm Local Spiritual Assemblies.
Soon after these concentrated efforts begin, a special project on the U.S.-Mexican border will start with a training program in Mexicali, Mexico, on April 2. The plan for border teaching, with the goal of raising Local Spiritual Assemblies in Mexicali and Tijuana, Mexico; and El Centro and Chula Vista, California, is under the direction of the National Spiritual Assemblies of Mexico and the United States and their appropriate national committees.
Almost 2,000 Bahá’ís attended the teaching conferences in California in December.
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Around the World
The Hands of the Cause of God Raḥmatu’lláh Muhájir, left, and William Sears at teaching conferences.
“Now wouldn’t it be marvelous if no matter what the world asked you, you had the answers? Well, you do have the answers,” said the Hand of the Cause of God William Sears at the conference in Long Beach, California.
About 800 friends heard Mr. Sears in Long Beach, and over 1,000 attended the sister conference in San Jose. Both conferences were addressed by Dr. Muhájir and members of the National Spiritual Assembly and the Auxiliary Board.
“Do you believe that this is the time of the coming of troops to the Faith?” Dr. Muhájir asked the friends. “Say, ‘yes,’ because it is.”
Teaching emphasized by Dr. Muhájir[edit]
“How do we prepare ourselves for teaching on a daily basis?” This question, one of many asked the Hand of the Cause of God Raḥmatu’lláh Muhájir during a video-taping session in the House of Worship at Wilmette, Illinois, early in January, brought a firm response.
“Preparation for teaching is teaching itself.” He pointed out that when we learn to swim, we go into the water and begin swimming. “Even if you are a newly enrolled Bahá’í, you must teach, and in teaching you will learn more and become better able to teach. You will begin developing the qualities of kindness, of being human, of wanting to understand your fellowman.”
“The ultimate goal of all the institutions is teaching,” he continued.
He cited areas where planning at the “grass-roots” level had taken place, showing how continuous teaching and consolidation carried out through local plans have often produced astonishing results. “Feast is an opportunity for each individual believer to assist in the planning, by giving his ideas in the consultative portion. The Local Spiritual Assemblies should also invite the friends to give their ideas and suggestions.”
Dr. Muhájir visualizes planning as a long-term necessity, one which implemented now could reap harvests of thousands and hundreds of thousands of believers in one generation. “Good planning must be long-term planning,” he declared.
Pioneers both on the homefront and in foreign areas should try to teach families, urged Dr. Muhájir. “In mass teaching, when we bring a family into the Faith we have truly opened a locality. It is better to teach families than to concentrate on individuals. If the grandmothers in an area are looked up to by their families, and we teach these grandmothers the Faith, their families will follow. If we teach the children, and the grandmothers disapprove, the children may fall away from the Faith. The foundation of any society is the family. Let us think of teaching families.”
When questioned about the importance of prayer for effective teaching, Dr. Muhájir agreed that prayer is essential, but said that unless it is followed by action, it is not enough. “We must pray, be sincere, and act. The bounty of God is hovering between heaven and earth, waiting to shower upon any soul who arises in this way. In every period of your life, you can take action which will attract those bounties.”
Questioned about ways to reach all strata of society, Dr. Muhájir replied: “There are really two aspects to this question. We must reach all strata of society with the Message of Bahá’u’lláh, but we cannot guarantee that all of them will accept the Faith.
“Every religion has started with the lowly,” he continued. “These believers disperse through foreign lands, and their children become the professional class and leaders in their respective fields. I teach everybody. I do not know who will accept. But from those who do accept, Bahá’u’lláh will raise up whatever people he needs to change future society.”
Speaking of the powerful effect on each individual when he accepts Bahá’u’lláh, Dr. Muhájir said, “The moment a person says, ‘I am a Bahá’í,’ he has begun to change. That declaration has an effect on him. Similarly, when we address an audience, the moment we mention the name of Bahá’u’lláh, we help to change that audience, to attract them to this Message.
Above all, Dr. Muhájir stressed the necessity for growing “consciousness of pioneering” on the part of the American Bahá’í community. “We must be sure we can do it. We must make the plans now that will permit us to pioneer, if not this year, then whenever it becomes possible. But we must plan toward this goal, not just hope that it will somehow happen.
“Waiting to know more of the teachings is not necessary, for we sometimes learn so much that we teach in a complicated way. We should be simple and direct, helping our hearers to learn the fundamental truths and, if they are literate, to turn themselves to the Writings. It is important to know something of the customs of the area in which we teach, but this can be quickly accomplished if we are sincere and arise to serve Bahá’u’lláh. If we are humble and truthful, the goals will be won.”
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The first picture taken on the Temple steps after the completion of the superstructure. May 1, 1931. Corinne True is circled at left.
Mother of the Temple[edit]
by Bruce Whitmore
The Chicago House of Spirituality scheduled a convention for March 22-23, 1909, and invited numerous communities throughout the United States and Canada to send delegates. Corinne True was elated at the prospects of this event:
What prepared souls these delegates will be coming together for so great a work just after the nineteen days of fasting, cleansing their hearts and lives of all impurities, bringing purified souls and bodies to be used for the Master’s work ...
Can you not see, my dear Sister, what a glorious gathering that will be when the souls come together after they have been associating with the fragrances of Holiness and have refrained from everything but the mention of God? There is a very great wisdom in the convention being held at this particular time, for their souls will have gone through a preparation so that as we gather together in one place, in one accord, ... great results
Dr. Zia Bagdadi turns the earth on September 24, 1920, prior to the beginning of the borings to locate bedrock. Corinne True is the first person on the right with the book at her feet. At far right, Louis Bourgeois holds a drawing of the Temple during boring operations.
will be produced as Abdul Baha promises. And to think, what a glorious New Year in the Bahá’í world with all these lovely brothers and sisters here to celebrate the Feast of Naw-Ruz with us. As I write about it, I can scarcely wait until the time comes. It will be so very glorious. It fairly thrills one’s soul to meditate upon that meeting.
I do hope every Assembly will realize the great importance of this convention and send us their delegates, for it is the laying of the foundation of the Mashrak-el-Azkar. We must become a united band in order to do so stupendous a work and this convention, our Lord says, will be “the cause of harmony in the Word in all America.” And too, only to think of the importance of the matter which our Lord says will not only have an effect upon those who bear the Mashrak-el-Azkar but upon the whole world. Is it not well that we go through a season of prayer and fasting before coming together to consult and take action in a matter that will affect the entire world? God’s mercy be upon us in the days that are before us. Great are our blessings, but equally great are our responsibilities.1
Thirty-six delegates representing 39 communities (some delegates represented more than one community) gathered at the Trues’ newly acquired home on Kenmore Avenue, where the convention was held in a huge billiard room that occupied the attic. The Bahá’í Temple Unity was formed and an Executive Board, the first national administrative agency of the Faith, was elected. Corinne was one of three women elected to the nine-member board and was the first woman ever elected to serve as an officer of a Bahá’í national institution. The post of financial secretary, which she held for 13 consecutive years until the election of the first National Spiritual Assembly in 1922, was a natural extension of the work she already had been doing. In that capacity, she expanded even further her correspondence. Each letter and receipt continued to reflect her unbending belief that national and even global unity would be achieved through the Temple:
We look for the greatest awakening of the entire world through the accomplishment of the Mashrakel Azkar and the greatest
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strength to the Cause because Abdul Baha says the organization of the Kingdom is in the inception of the Mashrakel Azkar. It is the day of organization and systematic work.2
In another letter of June, 1909, she wrote:
Our Executive Meeting was not productive of very much fruit—everything now seems to be in the becoming state. Much is going on in the different departments. The architectural department is planning a meeting in Chicago August 1st and asking numerous architects to submit drawings....3
She continued by telling of a person who had donated 3,500 blessing boxes to be distributed throughout the country to each Assembly to help in the collection of funds. She also noted the numerous contributions received from such distant places as India and ‘Akká:
These are the most sacred of offerings and as they come and I receive and receipt for them my soul is thrilled and thrilled and I see the marvelous work of union of the whole world being done by the Mashrakel Azkar.4
Again she commented:
How wonderful to receive these contributions from Parsee believers of Bombay, India. Men and women who have refused all Manifestations since Zoroaster and through Baha-Ollah accepting all.
I feel like mounting the housetops and shouting to the people to Arise for the Temple—because if you do this Abdul Baha will bless the land of America with His Holy Presence. What an opportunity for people to become immortal ...5
Activities at the Kenmore Avenue house intensified after the election. It became the headquarters for the Bahá’í Temple Unity and countless meetings were held there, including the first display of potential architectural designs, presented in the latter part of 1909. In one letter describing each of these early designs, Corinne noted recent comments from the Master, including the fact that the convention “was only the beginning of many far more wonderful Conventions where great power would be manifest ...” She then commented that, “The Mashrakel Azkar looks to me as if it were in reality the Peace Conference instead of La Hague.”6
Moses True had a marvelous sense of humor and loved to play pranks on people, especially his wife. One afternoon she was riding home on the trolley, enjoying the evening newspaper. She became aware that the person who had just seated himself next to her was craning his head over her shoulder to read the newspaper. She moved away and he moved even closer, blocking her view of the pages. Highly incensed, she turned to scold his rude actions and discovered it was Moses, who had boarded the same car.
From the time of his son Laurence’s death, however, Mr. True often seemed somewhat sad and lonely. His relationship with Laurence had been very close, and his son’s death nearly caused a complete collapse. In addition, he and his wife traditionally had done most everything together, but since her visit to ‘Akká, the time they spent together had been decreasing steadily. Moses did not resent Corinne’s involvement; he loved the Bahá’ís and showed them the greatest courtesy and kindness. Throughout this several month period he apparently drew very close to accepting Bahá’u’lláh. On November 26, 1909, he and his three daughters served the friends gathered in their home to celebrate ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s Day, now known as the Day of the Covenant. One of the Bahá’ís, Percy Woodcock of New York, had a long conversation with Moses, at the end of which he declared, “If the Revelation is as you say it is, Mr. Woodcock, then I am a Bahai.”7 Even if this was a formal declaration, he had little opportunity to make it known. Sixteen days later, on December 10, he collapsed while running for one of Chicago’s elevated trains, dying instantly from a heart attack.
Several hundred letters of condolence poured in from around the world. One of Corinne’s replies, written two weeks later, brings to light the depth of serenity and submission to the Will of God which she had achieved:
Really dear Sister, the great wave of sympathy and condolence
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and grief which sweeps against one at such a crisis is almost enough to take you off your feet, but the Presence of the Great Spirit of Abdul Baha holds one fast.
As this is the Springtime in the Cause great thunderstorms must attend to its establishment and each soul will be able to find just how deep down into the Work it has thrust the tendrils of his or her heart, and if they are deeply, firmly rooted, the storms will only make them stronger. Pray dear Sister that I may not be shaken by this catastrophe. God was very present and merciful and I was able to be very calm. If we are too calm the people feel we are inhuman, therefore it is really best for them to see us express tenderness of heart. Before these four children I am trying to hold up the banner of the Immortality of the Soul and I tell them constantly to think of the great progress and gain of the soul of their father instead of dwelling on their own loss. They are doing remarkably well and such peace and calm reigns in the home. If one feels the loss, he or she quietly sheds a few tears and soon the sun is shining again brightly.8
Another letter declared:
Baha’Ollah said that every destruction was followed by a construction. So although my earthly family is so rapidly devastated, yet through the Word of Baha’Ollah and Abdul Baha the spiritual family of Abha is growing and growing and I find myself with brothers and sisters all over the world who love with that pure spiritual love....9
Again Corinne’s involvement with the Faith increased. By this time the list of people who had entered the Cause because of her efforts was quite long. One of the earliest of these was a poor woman from Chicago, Ester “Nettie” Tobin. Nettie’s husband had died in 1892 while the family was living in Detroit. Nettie, her two sons, her half-sister, and brother moved to Chicago. She was a seamstress by trade and barely supported the family on the meager income she managed to acquire. Oftentimes the money she earned during the day would buy the groceries for that evening’s dinner.
Nettie met one of the early believers, Paul K. Dealy, and soon found herself at firesides in the True home where she finally declared her belief in Bahá’u’lláh, most likely during 1903. She also found herself in Corinne’s employ, traveling to the house one or two times a week to make dresses, alter and mend clothes, etc.
Nettie had never attended school and had great difficulty with English. She had a particular habit of using words out of context, the results of which frequently sent the True children and herself into fits of laughter. She was a warm, loving, and humble individual, finding beauty everywhere, even in the ghetto near which she lived. She was continually helping anyone who needed it and bestowed kindness on everyone with whom she came in contact.
Nettie was greatly troubled at not having the means with which to contribute to the Temple fund and prayed continually that God might allow her some small gift to offer. It has been reported that one day while busy making a dress in the home of a believer, she heard a voice telling her to find a stone. It is quite possible that the home was Corinne’s and that, indeed, Nettie’s inspiration came from Corinne, for at approximately the same time one of Corinne’s financial secretary reports in Star of the West (November 23, 1910) stated:
... this Mashrak-el-Azkar will, perhaps, be the only one built in America during the remaining years of Abdul-Baha’s earthly mission and it behooves us to bring this project to a point of completion that its corner stone may be laid in the event of his coming to America next spring. If we do not awake to this golden opportunity, future generations will point to us and say: “Why did the early Bahais of America sleep so long and let this, one of the most glorious of privileges of the ages, slip by unheeded?” Stop and meditate, friends, upon the necessary part a Mashrak-el-Azkar, dedicated by his holy presence, will play in the future history and development of the world. Will it not become a visiting point for all nations and people throughout centuries and cycles? The inflow thus produced will return an outflow of vitalizing spiritual influence and its accessories will shed the light of the highest sciences, arts, and crafts and the most magnanimous works of charity and hospitality.10
Whether or not the real source of Nettie’s inspiration has been clouded by the intervening years, she was, nonetheless, truly inspired. Without telling anyone, she journeyed to a construction site near her home. She spied a small pile of stones near one of the walls of the new building and asked the foreman if she might have one. He said she could since those particular stones were unfit for use.
Nettie returned home and sought the assistance of Mírzá Mazlúm, an elderly Persian Bahá’í. Securing an old baby carriage from her basement, they wheeled it to the building site, placed one of the rejected stones inside, and then traveled to the car line. Despite the protests of the conductor as he gazed down on the strange pair, they succeeded in getting the carriage onto the trolley’s rear platform.
They made two transfers during the long trip from Chicago to northern Evanston. Shortly after leaving the last trolley the carriage collapsed; but Nettie was not to be prevented from reaching her goal. She sighted a young boy pulling a wagon and quickly persuaded him to help. They placed the stone in the wagon and pulled it several blocks to the future site of the House of Worship. As they struggled to reach the center of the tract, the wagon tipped over and the stone fell to the ground where it would remain for many months.*
Another drama that unfolded during 1910 involved Corinne’s only surviving son, Davis. A star athlete at Michigan University in baseball, football, and track, he was the envy of all his friends. Shortly after his father’s death, Davis injured his knee while pole vaulting. For several months the knee bothered him and, at the invitation of one of his classmates, Davis decided to spend the summer at a lumber camp in Oregon where he hoped his knee would have a chance to heal. Rather than live at the camp’s main house with the rest of the friend’s family, the two boys decided to reside in one of the workers’ cabins. Several weeks later they learned that one of the former occupants of the cabin had since contracted tuberculosis and died. By the time Davis returned to school he was not feeling well and in November his doctor determined that he had contracted the disease.
It was felt the attack was mild, so Davis was sent east to a sanitarium; however, his condition soon began to deteriorate. In April of 1911, Corinne took him to a sanitarium in Denver, Colorado, where the doctors hoped the climate would be of benefit. That Corinne has attained a state of absolute trust in God
_____
* Several years later, around the end of the 1920s, the Trues moved out of the Kenmore Avenue house. During that move Corinne attempted to empty the old sewing machine cabinet Nettie had used years before. The middle drawer stuck and had to be pried loose. When it was opened it revealed dozens and dozens of receipts made out by Corinne for nickels, dimes, and quarters which Nettie had contributed to the Fund whenever possible.
Nettie Tobin at the cornerstone which she brought to the Temple site sometime during the early months of 1911. This picture was taken in the late 1930s.
is reflected by the following comments:
It is a fiery ordeal to fight that awful disease tuberculosis. For almost a year now I have tried doing the things advised by the most skilled physicians and nurses. God alone knows how the battle will result. Through these hot fires our souls are to be refined.11
As the summer months passed Davis seemed to improve, but by the end of the year his condition was again worsening. By March of 1912 the doctors knew it would be only a matter of weeks before his death. Davis returned home and two weeks later the Master arrived in Chicago.
‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s first morning was occupied with greeting visitors at his suite in the Plaza Hotel; but when He learned of Davis’ illness, He quickly left with Dr. Zia Bagdadi and traveled to the True home, arriving shortly after noon. Corinne was overjoyed to see Him. She had determined not to leave the house due to Davis’ condition and feared she would not meet Him at all during the visit. The Master went to Davis, who was still a Christian Scientist, and visited with him for some time. He then came downstairs and told Corinne that Davis was a wonderful young man and that He found him much better than expected. Corinne was overjoyed; she was sure the Master’s presence meant Davis would recover. Persuaded by her three daughters, she
A group of Chicago women in front of the newly completed superstructure. From left, seated: Mary Lesch, Mrs. Robinson, Corinne True, Nettie Tobin, Mrs. Leoding. Standing: Mrs. Lundburg, Gertrude Buikema, Louise Waite, Fannie Lesch, unknown, Elizabeth Greenleaf, and Mrs. Ioas.
agreed to accompany ‘Abdu’l-Bahá to the three lectures He was scheduled to give that afternoon, the last of which was an address to more than 2,000 people assembled at the fourth Bahá’í Temple Unity Convention.
Shortly after they left, Davis, whose last words expressed his happiness that the Master was there to comfort his mother, died peacefully. Only later did Corinne realize that ‘Abdu’l-Bahá had been referring to Davis’ spiritual condition rather than his physical condition. Within a period of 19 years, this valiant woman had endured the heartbreak of losing her beloved husband and five of her eight children.
The next afternoon, May 1, 1912, more than 300 people awaited the Master’s arrival at the corner of Linden Avenue and Sheridan Road. Behind them stood a large tent with a seating capacity of nearly 500. When the taxi finally appeared and came to a stop, the window was rolled down, and one of the Persians asked if Mrs. True was present. Corinne, despite her overwhelming anguish, felt duty-bound to be present at this historic dedication ceremony for the Temple. She stepped forward and was directed to enter the vehicle. The Master then instructed the driver to continue north on Sheridan Road and stop at the bridge. One account of this event stated that He wanted to see the newly built locks at the end of Wilmette Harbor. Another indicated He wanted to inspect the boundaries of the property. More probably the loving and compassionate Master wanted but a few more minutes in which to comfort His grief-stricken daughter.
The gathering was greatly confused, particularly since the trees prevented them from seeing where the taxi had gone. Then some of the children spotted the Master and Corinne on the other side of the property and went running through the tall spring grass. Surrounded by this happy group of youngsters, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá walked toward the back entrance to the tent. Just as He was about to enter, He saw amidst the grass a stone which, unknown to anyone, had been left there many months before as the humble offering of Nettie Tobin.
After addressing the gathering, He emerged from the tent and moved to a nearby clearing where the exact center of the land had been marked. He directed two of the Persians to fetch the stone and, at the conclusion of a moving ceremony, He bent over and
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rolled the stone into a hole which had been dug by peoples of many national and racial backgrounds. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá then stood up and declared the Temple was already complete.
Three months later Corinne visited ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in New York where, to her delight, she was asked to take care of His household for a five-day period:
... Through this experience, I was given to know the reality of the truth Jesus taught about the station of the one who is the servant. As ‘Abdu’l-Bahá said, the servant is always with his Master and being a servant in this household I found many times a day we heard the most wonderful lessons given by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá which could not have been ours had we not been serving in the capacity we were. Where else could one be an invited guest and crave the privilege of washing dishes, sweeping, dusting and making beds but in this Sacred Household?12
It was during this visit to New York that the Master told her the Chicago community must henceforth allow women to be eligible for election to the House of Spirituality. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá sent Howard MacNutt of New York as His representative to guide the believers in the election, held during the latter part of July.
‘Abdu’l-Bahá also visited the True home on two additional occasions prior to departing from America. During the first of these, September 12-16, 1912, He remained at the house as a guest. On the morning after His arrival, Corinne served a type of tea which the Persians accompanying the Master found displeasing. They encouraged Him to refuse the drink but He replied, “This is the best tea of all, because it has been prepared with love.”13
The meetings held at the True home attracted immense crowds. At one lecture, three huge rooms were filled and people crowded the staircase. Corinne later reported:
One evening ‘Abdu’l-Bahá addressed the Chicago friends in our parlor, and He told us this, “It is stated in certain Prophecies in the East, that when the Standard of God appears in the East, its Tokens will become evident in the West. This is truly good news—this is great glad-tidings for you. I hope that you may be able to fulfill this Prophecy. Thus may all testify to the veracity of this Prophecy, saying, ‘Verily, the Standard of God did appear in the West.’ ”
Could there be a more resplendent Token in the West than the Mashrakel Azkar? He says, “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. Therefore, how great is its importance.”
When the sleeping are awakened and can realize the wonders of this Mashrakel Azkar, will not the people of wealth long to promote it? Will they not come forth and dedicate their fortunes to this Token of resplendency in the West, proclaiming so loudly that the Standard of God has appeared in the East?14
It was midway during this visit that ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, accompanied by several believers including Corinne, journeyed to Kenosha, Wisconsin, to deliver a lecture. Despite careful planning, the group missed the train. The Master counseled them not to be upset since undoubtedly there was wisdom in what had happened. Later, aboard another train, they came upon the first train which had been involved in a collision in which many people had been injured.
‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s visit inspired Corinne to strive even harder to promote the Temple. Concerning the building’s actual construction, He had stipulated, “Avoid contracting any debt.”15 The main section of the land was already paid for, and only small sections along the lake were left to acquire; but some $200,000 would be needed before any type of construction could begin, and Corinne was determined to bring about the realization of that goal. In one letter she wrote:
... I have just sent a supplication to Abdul Baha about the sinking of the great caissons for the Dome to rest upon. I asked Him how wide and how high the Dome should be and if we should begin calling for funds to do that work as soon as we have raised the last $6000 on the Lake Shore tract. In every letter, I shall urge the believers of America not to let the year 1913 close upon us without having wiped out that sum so that 1914 rises radiantly as the year for actual activities.16*
When 1914 did arrive, Corinne was near a state of exhaustion. She took a short trip west, but quickly returned and refused further rest. Later that year her daughter, Arna, appealed to ‘Abdu’l-Bahá to grant permission for Corinne to visit the Holy Land, but He refused, saying her condition was too delicate and that “it will be much better if for the present she could travel through the United States and live in those places where the air is pure and the weather temperate. In this way, she will have a change of weather and at the same time she will have opportunities to guide the people. When she has found strength enough to journey eastward I will specially send for her.”17
Just before the arrival of this tablet, Arna, who had been married to Leo Perron in the latter part of 1912, accompanied her husband on a visit to his parents’ home in Berlin. It appeared that tragedy might again invade Corinne’s life, for while they were in
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* It would be six and one-half years before the Bourgeois design would be selected. Corinne’s idea that ‘Abdu’l-Bahá could designate the height and width of the building and that the foundation could be laid before a design was selected demonstrates a lack of understanding of architecture and engineering, but also points out her eagerness and determination to push forward despite all obstacles.
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Berlin World War I erupted, and they were unable to leave the city. For several weeks Corinne anxiously awaited word of their fate, and then she received news that they had escaped to Rotterdam and secured passage on a ship. In a letter relating the incident, Corinne commented on the outcome of the war:
It is all so dreadful to contemplate on one hand but so glorious on the other hand because it marks the Rise of the Sun of Truth. Universal Peace will come out of all of this destruction although the birth pains are most severe.18
The trauma of Arna’s encounter further affected Corinne’s health, and she finally agreed to take an extended rest. She traveled leisurely to the west and continued to Honolulu. While there, she had an audience with the Queen and corresponded with her after returning home. She sailed next to San Francisco where she attended the 1915 Bahá’í Temple Unity Convention and the first International Bahá’í Congress, which was held as part of the Panama-Pacific International Exposition. The magnitude of that event was truly remarkable for the Bahá’ís at that time. Noted Bahá’í speakers from throughout the country, including Howard Colby Ives, Ali Kuli Khan, Mary Hanford Ford, Albert Windust, William H. Randall, Alfred E. Lunt, Harlan Foster Ober, and Dr. Frederick W. D’Evelyn, addressed large gatherings. On April 24, in a special ceremony, the Exposition Directorate awarded a special medallion to the Congress for the Bahá’í program of Universal Peace.
Corinne’s greatest sadness during the war years came from being severed from the beloved Master. Only one letter, written by one of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s secretaries shortly after the Master and His household were able to return to Haifa after residing many months in the Druze village of Abú-Sinán, was received by her, arriving in the latter half of 1915:
The spirit suggests to me to write you a letter and convey to you the news of the good health of the Beloved and those who moth-like fly around this divine Candle. For the last ten months, we have received not one letter from America nor, under the present circumstances, have I been able to mail to the Bahai world the spiritual words and advice as well as the description of the selfless deeds and divine actions of the Master. Thus from an external and superficial standpoint, we have been separated from each other but from the ideal standpoint, our relations were not interrupted in the least. There is no separation for those who are engaged in the services of the Cause....
He often remembers his many trips to and through Chicago and reviews for the benefit of the friends the many meetings held in your house and other places. The memory of his tour in the United States, the devotion and sincerity of the friends, the reception given him by the churches and meetings, the inspiration and satisfaction of the services rendered at the Threshold of the Almighty form a great consolation in these days of inactivity. He often prays for the spiritual success and prosperity of the believers and hopes they will embody in their lives the ideal principles of Truth.19
The end of the war found Corinne still busy motivating the believers. She was convinced that when the initial $200,000 building fund was achieved the Master would return to America and guide them in the selection of a design. With communications restored, the Master’s tablets again began to arrive. His praise and encouragement of Corinne’s continuing efforts were as abundant as always:
Your letter dated Nov. 23rd, 1918, was received. Its contents indicated that praise be to God, you were engaged in the service of the Mashrek ol Azkar; that this Universal Edifice may be erected. Indeed you spare no effort in this respect, and I entertain the hope that this endeavor may grow day by day. Deeds are like unto trees, for to plant a shrub is no difficult matter, while the care necessary for its growth and yielding fruit is hard and difficult. So far effort was expended to lay the foundation of the Temple, but now its erection and completion is a difficult matter. My hope is that the friends of God may be therein assisted.20
A transformation, however, began to take place. From the very beginning ‘Abdu’l-Bahá had drawn upon Corinne’s intense interest, devotion, and tenacity to move the project forward. This article has quoted only a few of the numerous directives which He channeled through her. The war years, however, had witnessed a great strengthening in the Bahá’í Temple Unity and its Executive Board and apparently the time was appropriate for placing greater responsibility within that developing agency.
Corinne and her daughter, Edna, traveled to Haifa in the latter half of 1919. This was the last time Corinne was to be with ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. For the first time, the messages she returned with did not center directly on the Temple; instead, the Master had her urge the believers to concentrate on becoming more unified, remaining steadfast and turning continually toward the Kingdom of God.
Only once during this slow and deliberate process of modifying Corinne’s level of involvement did He communicate instructions through her. The convention of 1920 had selected Louis Bourgeois’ design, and soon after Mr. Bourgeois had traveled to Haifa with a set of plans. The Master felt the designed called for too large a structure and requested that a reduction in size, which would limit construction to $1 million, be considered. He informed the Executive Board of His opinion in a tablet addressed to Corinne.
The final phase of the transition is recorded in a small portion of a tablet dated December 8, 1920:
... In every respect, all the affairs relative to the Mashreko’l Azkar are to be referred to the annual Convention. Whatever the Convention with a majority of opinions decides must be accepted and executed.21
Apparently, Corinne did not fully grasp the implications of this statement and must have addressed other questions to ‘Abdu’l-Bahá early in 1921 because a cablegram sent on February 15 left no further question:
ALL AFFAIRS CONCERNING UNIVERSAL TEMPLE REFERRED GENERAL CONVENTION. I CANNOT INTERFERE. SUBMIT EVERYTHING CONVENTION.
In The Dispensation of Bahá’u’lláh, the Guardian, in 1934, wrote concerning the final days of the Master:
‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Who incarnates an institution for which we can find no parallel whatsoever in any of the world’s recognized religious systems, may be said to have closed the Age to which He Himself belonged and opened the one in which we are now laboring. His Will and Testament should thus be regarded as the perpetual, the indissoluble link which the mind of Him
The Hand of the Cause of God Corinne True, seated in front, serves as the representative of the Guardian at the formation of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Greater Antilles, April 1957.
Who is the Mystery of God has conceived ...23
In another of the Guardian’s letters, “America and the Most Great Peace,” written in 1933, he reflected on the impact of that Will and Testament:
Out of the pangs of anguish which His bereaved followers have suffered, amid the heat and dust which the attacks launched by a sleepless enemy had precipitated, the Administration of Bahá’u’lláh’s invincible Faith was born. The potent energies released through the ascension of the Center of His Covenant crystallized into this supreme, this infallible Organ for the accomplishment of a Divine Purpose. The Will and Testament of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá unveiled its character, reaffirmed its basis, supplemented its principles, asserted its indispensability, and enumerated its chief institutions. With that self-same spontaneity which had characterized her response to the Message proclaimed by Bahá’u’lláh, America had now arisen to espouse the cause of the Administration which the Will and Testament of His Son had unmistakably established. It was given to her, and to her alone, in the turbulent years following the revelation of so momentous a Document, to become the fearless champion of that Administration, the pivot of its new-born institutions, and the leading promoter of its influence....24
That mighty Document, the “Founding Charter of the Administrative Order of Bahá’u’lláh,”25 was concealed by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá during the final perilous months prior to the Young Turks Revolution within that same metal cylinder in which Corinne had carried another document to the Holy Land in 1907, a document that gave life to a project destined to provide the unifying pivot for bringing that same Administrative Order into reality.
The first stage occurred when the Guardian, shortly after ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s Ascension, summoned to Haifa several believers from both the east and the west. To Corinne, Mountford Mills, Roy C. Wilhelm, and others from America, Shoghi Effendi gave instructions for the formation of the first National Spiritual Assembly and directed that the election be held during Riḍván.
At that convention, Corinne received 55 votes, the highest of any of those elected.
Although the institution assumed the title of the “National Spiritual Assembly,” there was little difference initially between it and the former Executive Board. The election was far removed from today’s Bahá’í elections; nominating and electioneering were commonplace, as was the taking of a straw vote to narrow the field of eligible candidates. Even the stationary reflected a period of transition, for the letterhead read: “Bahá’í Temple Unity—National Spiritual Assembly.”
It would require three years for this transition to be completed. Thus the Guardian, in his book God Passes By, has designated 1925 as the year of the formation of the first National Spiritual Assembly, which was elected according to Bahá’í principles and which assumed “... the powers, responsibilities, rights, privileges, and obligations reposed in the Assembly by Bahá’u’lláh, Founder of the Bahá’í Faith, by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, its Interpreter and Exemplar, and by Shoghi Effendi, its Guardian ...”26
The first years of the Guardianship witnessed the affliction of severe trials upon the Bahá’í world. The Ascension of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá shattered the faith of many believers, while others foolishly challenged the authority of Shoghi Effendi. It was Corinne’s remarkable understanding of the Covenant that assisted countless Bahá’ís in this country to overcome this heartbreaking period in the Faith’s history.
Corinne returned to Haifa late in 1927 and learned of the Guardian’s earnest desire “... that the interior of the Foundation Hall be made suitable for regular gatherings of the believers and worthy to hold those exquisite tokens of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá—three rugs which for some years have laid in the Holy Tomb on Mount Carmel.”27 Two of the rugs had been sent by the Guardian in the care of Mrs. Schopflocher, and the third was transported by Dr. and Mrs. Slater, who had accompanied Corinne to Haifa.
The 20th Annual Convention of the Bahá’ís of the United States and Canada opened on Thursday evening, April 26, 1928, with an “Inauguration Ceremony,” marking the first convention to be held in the Temple. Extensive work, including the laying of permanent floors, the construction of washrooms and temporary walls, and the installation of electric lighting, had been carried out since January. As the delegates entered the circular, inner hall for the first time, they were greeted by banks of green palms and flowering plants. The three Persian rugs, bathed in soft light, lined the walls. At the front of the hall was a large Greatest Name flanked by baskets filled with roses. One of the delegates wrote that “... one felt upon entering it that its Holy atmosphere and beauty must effect and inspire all who attended this great Convention.”28
Several tablets and prayers of Bahá’u’lláh were read and chanted. The Slaters related their experiences in bringing the one rug back to America, and then Corinne stepped forward. The Greatest Holy Leaf had given her a large package of tea and a bottle of attar of roses just before she left Haifa. Obeying instructions, Corinne conveyed the love of Bahá’u’lláh’s daughter to all the assembled believers and then served each a cup of the special tea. Parvene Bagdadi, daughter of Dr. Zia Bagdadi, anointed each with the attar of roses, the rare fragrance of which soon filled the huge room. “Words cannot describe the spiritual radiance which illumined the faces of all, nor the happiness that was manifested as old friends met in this Holy Spot.”29
Eighteen months later work began on the superstructure. The task of ornamenting the building commenced in 1933 and spanned nearly 19 years, not reaching completion until mid-1951.
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During those years, our national community successfully achieved the goals of two Seven Year plans and held a historic Centennial Celebration in 1944, marking the 100th year since the inception of the Faith and the completion of the exterior ornamentation of the Temple.
At the beginning of this period (1929-1930), Corinne left the house on Kenmore Avenue and built a home in Wilmette five blocks from the Temple, whose graceful dome could be seen from her bedroom window. Nearly 70 years old and no longer directly involved, her enthusiasm for the Temple, nonetheless, never wavered. She was a frequent speaker at the public meetings held in Foundation Hall, often delivering addresses monthly. She was active in the Wilmette community, serving on the Local Spiritual Assembly for many years. Her home was a mecca for Bahá’í travelers, and her teaching and deepening activities are still warmly remembered by those who experienced her gentle and kind nature, her warm and loving hospitality, and her unique quality of “continuously doing little things at a telling moment which made the act live forever in the heart of the recipient.”30 A heartwarming example of this quality is revealed in a letter written by another early believer, Gertrude Buikema. The letter was written on November 2, 1941, the day after Corinne’s 80th birthday:
... When Ella came to the door of my room and said: “Edna True is here,” I wish you could have seen the light on her face.... It was so kind of you to share your birthday flowers and cake with us. The chrysanthemum plant is beautiful, and rest assured Ella will take good care of it. It will be a constant reminder of your love and kindness.... We had looked forward to your birthday for such a long time, and I had hoped to be well enough to be with you on that happy occasion, but being still in bed—now a year and four months—I could be there in spirit only but rest assured I was there all the time, greeting you with hearty congratulations and rejoicing with the friends.31
Corinne traveled to Copenhagen in 1950 to address the European Teaching Conference. Volume XIII of The Bahá’í World states:
... it was an unforgettable experience to have heard Mother True’s words as she spoke at the Unity Banquet at Elsinore. The friends listened, spellbound. The atmosphere was charged with light and spirit. Mother True was transfigured, and the words fell from her lips like jewels. Asked afterwards where she gleaned such wisdom, she replied: “It was ‘Abdu’l-Bahá speaking, not I. He told me when I said I could not speak, ‘Get yourself out of the way and I will come through,’ so I did just that.”32
Corinne’s ninth and final pilgrimage was one of the greatest experiences of her life. Having reached the 90th year of her life, she longed to make one final visit to the heart of the Bahá’í world and requested permission from the Guardian. Shoghi Effendi’s answer arrived by telegram on February 4, 1952. He directed her to come in October and said she would be his only guest, a rare and unique privilege. She was not destined, however, to arrive in Haifa merely as a pilgrim; 24 days later, on February 28, Corinne was astonished as she read the words of a second telegram from the Guardian, announcing her elevation to a station of which she never would have considered herself worthy:
MOVED CONVEY GLAD TIDINGS YOUR ELEVATION RANK HAND CAUSE STOP APPOINTMENT OFFICIALLY ANNOUNCED PUBLIC MESSAGE ADDRESSED ALL NATIONAL ASSEMBLIES STOP MAY SACRED FUNCTION ENABLE YOU ENRICH RECORD SERVICES ALREADY RENDERED FAITH BAHAULLAH.33
The trip would be arduous for Corinne; two of her daughters, Katherine and Edna, cabled the Guardian requesting permission to accompany their mother and provide for her care. They made the trip in stages, spending a week in Paris and in Switzerland. The Guardian was also in Switzerland, returning to Haifa only one day prior to their arrival. With him were the newly completed plans for the Ten Year Crusade, and when Corinne arrived, she found him on fire with anticipation of the great victories that would be won through this glorious campaign.
The Guardian devoted his time and love almost solely to Corinne. They spent endless hours conversing, and he constantly took delight in her incredibly accurate memories of the early days of the Faith in America. As was often his custom, he placed Corinne at the head of the dinner table and sat on her right. Even during dinner, they were often oblivious to the rest of those present. Leroy Ioas, who was living at the International Center at the time, remarked he had never seen the Guardian respond to anyone the way he did with Corinne.
One evening, the Guardian arrived at dinner early, causing considerable confusion among the Trues as they rushed to finish dressing.* When Corinne entered the dining room, he approached her with a radiant and somewhat impish smile. He said he recalled that she had worked a great deal for the realization of the Temple project and asked her if this was correct. Thinking he was perfectly serious, Corinne responded affirmatively. He then stated he thought she had been involved with raising money for the Temple and wondered if this was also correct. Somewhat puzzled, Corinne again responded affirmatively. The smile on his face broadening even further, the Guardian held forth an object and said that, under the circumstances, he felt she should have a small gift.
Corinne reached forward and tenderly grasped the purse which the Master had used throughout His visit to the United States in 1912. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she reverently touched the worn leather to her forehead. The Guardian, hovering about her, his eyes filled with love and admiration, impatiently urged her to open one of the pockets. Inside she found a five-dollar gold piece bearing the date 1907, the year of her first pilgrimage. That coin was one of 10 she had brought with her as a gift to the Master from the Women’s Assembly of Teaching.
Six months later, the Mother Temple of the West was dedicated. In the span of a few hours, a dream of half a century became a reality. It was almost more than Corinne’s indomitable spirit could endure. As she walked toward the Temple, her head was bowed. People continually stopped her, wishing but a few moments in which to converse, but she was unable to utter a word. As she sat beneath that majestic dome and the voices of the choir floated through the air, the memories that flooded her consciousness must have been overwhelming. For 50 years, she had shouldered that mighty trust given her by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá; and now, at 91 years of age, God lifted that overwhelming responsibility from her shoulders. The greatest achievement of the American Bahá’í community in the first century of the Faith was completed, and, for millions of people destined to enter the Temple’s doors and
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* At that time the Guardian was living in the house ‘Abdu’l-Bahá had built in Haifa. The Western Pilgrim House, which also served as living quarters for Leroy and Sylvia Ioas, was across the street. The older Pilgrim House, built near the Shrine of the Báb during ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s lifetime, was used for pilgrims from the eastern part of the world.
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Corinne True and her daughters at the time of the dedication of the House of Worship, May 1, 1953. From left, Dr. Katherine True, Arna True Perron (recently deceased), Mrs. True, and Edna True. Both Katherine and Edna were members of the National Spiritual Assembly at the time. Edna was appointed a Continental Counsellor by The Universal House of Justice in 1968.
experience the power and majesty of Bahá’u’lláh’s Revelation, that precious moment could never be theirs had it not been for this valiant lady.
In April of 1957 Corinne made a final trip outside the country, representing the Guardian at the formation of the first National Spiritual Assembly of the Greater Antilles. Even though quite frail because of her advanced age, Corinne delivered a stirring address, marveling at the miracle of Bahá’ís being in that part of the world “under the shade of the Guardian’s name.”34 She also lovingly anointed all present with attar of roses, recalling countless memories for all of those who had been in the Holy Land.
It was on November 5 of that same year that the beloved Guardian passed away. A telephone call from Rúḥíyyih Khánum at 2:30 a.m. conveyed the tragic and unexpected news to Edna. When the transatlantic conversation ended some 45 minutes later, Edna and Katherine sat facing each other, both wishing desperately they would awake and discover they had been dreaming. They began considering how they could tell Corinne, fearing the shock might be too much for her delicate health. Finally, they agreed to wait until after they had given her breakfast.
They entered the room and sat down on each side of the bed. As Edna conveyed the crushing news, Corinne’s eyes lowered. Suddenly, she raised her head; her eyes were burning with an immovable firmness and resolve. She instantly comforted both her daughters by declaring emphatically, “You must know that this is the will of God.”35
Corinne was unable to travel to Haifa to join her 26 fellow Hands of the Cause of God, who would guide and nurture the Bahá’í world until the election of the incomparable Universal House of Justice in 1963. Nonetheless, her signature is one of the 27 affixed to that mighty document, “Proclamation by the Hands of the Cause to the Bahá’ís of East and West,” which gave direction and continuity at that dark hour to Bahá’u’lláh’s mighty Cause and brought reassurance to thousands of troubled souls. Corinne also collaborated with her fellow Hands of the Cause in America, encouraging the believers to continue their forward thrust and win the victories of the Ten Year Crusade.
Although Corinne remained in bed most of the time during the last months of her life, she daily immersed herself in the Holy Writings, and continued to inspire everyone who met her. Finally, on April 3, 1961, at the age of 99, she passed away quietly.
Later that month, at the 53rd National Convention, a memorial service was held at the request of the Hands of the Cause at the World Center. Foundation Hall, adorned with beautiful red roses and huge baskets of pink and white carnations, was filled to capacity. The Hand of the Cause of God Paul Haney read messages from “the two Hands of the Cause in the Western Hemisphere, Mr. Khádem and Mr. Sears, from the Asian Hands of the Cause gathered in Ṭihrán, from the National Spiritual Assemblies of Persia, of the Arabian Peninsula, and of Scandanavia and Finland.”36 The most beautiful of these messages, eulogizing this great heroine of Bahá’u’lláh, came from the Hands of the Cause at the World Center:
Grieved loss distinguished disciple ‘Abdu’l-Bahá Hand Cause Corinne True. Her long association early history Faith in America raising Mother Temple West, staunch, unfailing championship Covenant steadfast support beloved Guardian every stage unfoldment World Order unforgettable enrich annals Faith western world.37
In one of the earliest tablets to her, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá had commanded:
Rest not a moment and breathe not a breath of repose until thou becomest a sign of God’s love and a banner of God’s favor.38
Corinne Knight True, whom the Guardian had regarded as “the most venerable figure among the veteran pioneers of the Faith in the West,”39 had obeyed.
- Mrs. Charles Lincoln Papers, National Bahá’í Archives, Wilmette, Ill.
- Mrs. Helen Goodall Papers, National Bahá’í Archives, Wilmette, Ill.
- Ibid.
- Ibid.
- Ibid.
- Ibid.
- Horace Holley Papers, National Bahá’í Archives, Wilmette, Ill.
- Ibid.
- Mrs. Charles Lincoln Papers, National Bahá’í Archives, Wilmette, Ill.
- Corinne True, Star of the West, Vol. I, No. 14, November 23, 1910, p. 7.
- Mrs. Helen Goodall Papers, National Bahá’í Archives, Wilmette, Ill.
- Albert Windust Papers, National Bahá’í Archives, Wilmette, Ill.
- Mahmud’s Diary, National Bahá’í Archives, Wilmette, Ill., p. 371.
- Mrs. Helen Goodall Papers, National Bahá’í Archives, Wilmette, Ill.
- ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Tablet addressed to Corinne True, November 18, 1909. Private Collection of Continental Counsellor Edna M. True, Wilmette, Ill.
- Mrs. Helen Goodall Papers, National Bahá’í Archives, Wilmette, Ill.
- ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Tablet addressed to Arna True Perron, June 1, 1914, Private Collection of Continental Counsellor Edna M. True, Wilmette, Ill.
- Mrs. Helen Goodall Papers, National Bahá’í Archives, Wilmette, Ill.
- Office Records of Star of the West magazine, National Bahá’í Archives, Wilmette, Ill.
- ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Tablet addressed to Corinne True, February 7, 1919, Private Collection of Continental Counsellor Edna M. True, Wilmette, Ill.
- ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Tablet addressed to Corinne True, December 8, 1920, Private Collection of Continental Counsellor Edna M. True, Wilmette, Ill.
- ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Cablegram addressed to Corinne True, February 15, 1921, Private Collection of Continental Counsellor Edna M. True, Wilmette, Ill.
- Shoghi Effendi, “The Dispensation of Bahá’u’lláh,” The World Order of Bahá’u’lláh (Wilmette, Ill.: Bahá’í Publishing Trust, 1955), pp. 143-144.
- Shoghi Effendi, “America and the Most Great Peace,” The World Order of Bahá’u’lláh, p. 89.
- H. M. Balyuzi, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá (London: George Ronald, 1971), p. 484.
- National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States, “Declaration of Trust” (Wilmette, Ill.: Bahá’í Publishing Trust, 1965), p. 4.
- National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States and Canada, “Announcement of the Twentieth Annual Convention of American Bahá’ís,” Bahá’í News Letter, No. 22, March, 1928, p. 1.
- Shanaz Waite, “Report of the 20th Bahá’í Convention Held in Chicago,” Private Collection of Author, Deerfield, Ill., p. 1.
- Ibid., p. 3.
- Charlotte Linfoot, “In Memoriam: True,” Bahá’í World, vol. XIII, p. 847.
- Letter from Gertrude Buikema, November 2, 1941, Private Collection of Continental Counsellor Edna M. True, Wilmette, Ill.
- Charlotte Linfoot, “In Memoriam: True,” Bahá’í World, vol. XIII, p. 848.
- Shoghi Effendi, telegram addressed to Corinne True, February 28, 1952, Private Collection of Continental Counsellor Edna M. True, Wilmette, Ill.
- “National Convention Held In Jamaica,” Bahá’í News, No. 317, July, 1957, p. 14.
- “Memorial Gathering Honors Hand of Cause Corinne True,” Bahá’í News, No. 363, June, 1961, p. 13.
- Ibid, p. 11.
- “Distinguished Hand of Cause Corinne True Ascends to Abhá Kingdom,” Bahá’í News, No. 362, May, 1961, p. 6.
- Charlotte Linfoot, “In Memoriam: True,” Bahá’í World, vol. XIII, p. 846.
- Pilgrim’s notes of Dr. Katherine True, confirmed by Shoghi Effendi, November, 1952, Private Collection of Continental Counsellor Edna M. True, Wilmette, Ill.
