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STAR OF THE WEST
PUBLISHED NINETEEN TIMES A YEAR
In the Interest of the BAHAI MOVEMENT
By the BAHAI NEWS SERVICE, 515 South Dearborn Street, Chicago, Ill., U. S. A.
Publishers: ALBERT R. WINDUST—GERTRUDE BUIKEMA—DR. ZIA M. BAGDADI
Entered as second-class matter April 9, 1911, at the post office at Chicago, Ill., under the Act of March 3, 1879.
Terms: $2.50 per year; 15 cents per copy.
Make Money Orders Payable to BAHAI NEWS SERVICE, P. O. Box 283, Chicago, Ill., U. S. A.
To personal checks please add sufficient to cover the bank exchange.
Address all communications to BAHAI NEWS SERVICE, P. O. Box 283, Chicago, Ill., U.S.A.
WORDS OF ABDUL-BAHA.
"Great importance must be given to the development of the STAR OF THE WEST. The circle of its discussion must be widened; in its columns must be published the essential problems pertaining to the Bahai life in all its phases. Its contents must be so universal that even the strangers may subscribe to it. Articles must be published, dealing with the universal principles of the Cause, the writers proving that this Cause takes a vital interest in all the social and religious movements of the age and is conducive to the progress of the world and its inhabitants. In short, the STAR OF THE WEST must promote the aspirations and the ideals that will gather little by little around these general Tablets, bringing into the light of day all the historical, religious and racial knowledge which will be of the utmost value to the Bahai teachers all over the world."
From Unveiling of the Divine Plan.
| Vol. 10 | CONTENTS | No. 11 |
| PAGE | |
Photograph of Shoghi Rabbani | |
The Oneness of the World of Humanity | |
| Address by URBAIN LEDOUX. | |
The Seed Sowing of the Ages | |
| Address by MRS. MAY MAXWELL. | |
Diary Letters of Shoghi Rabbani | |
| February 8th-11th, 1919. Haifa, Palestine. | |
Recent Tablets from Abdul-Baha to American Bahais | |
| Cleveland Assembly. Elizabeth Herlitz. Juliet Thompson. | |
PERSIAN SECTION—Continued | |
--PHOTO--
SHOGHI RABBANI
Grandson of ABDUL-BAHA
Translator of recent Tablets to and letters from Bahais of the United States and Canada.
Writer of Diary Letters beginning in this issue of the STAR OF THE WEST, see page 216.
"We desire but the good of the world and the happiness of the nations; that all nations shall become one in faith and all men as brothers; that the bonds of affection and unity between the sons of men shall be strengthened, that diversity of religion shall cease and differences of race be annulled. So it shall be; these fruitless strifes; these ruinous wars shall pass away, and the 'Most Great Peace' shall come."—BAHA'O'LLAH.
| Vol. 10 | Masheyat 1, 75 (September 27, 1919) | No. 11 |
The Oneness of the World of Humanity
Address by URBAIN LEDOUX* delivered at the Fifth Session of the Bahai Congress at Hotel McAlpin, New York City, Monday evening,
April 28th, 1919. Stenographically reported.GOD has given me the power of speaking to many people. It is rightly said that one may present to you the prelude of the organ, but the organ itself has been destined to chant the praise of One whose glory would extend to all parts of the universe, and that part of the universe that it took the longest to reach was the universe within. And as Ali has so beautifully and so inspiringly said, "Why worriest thou when in thee is being unfolded the universe?"
I traveled far and wide—as a pioneer I came from New France (Canada)—to all parts of the World of men and the world of earth, seeking, seeking ever seeking, for the glory of God expressed in justice and in loving service. In vain did I seek, for it was not to be found. Justice had fled from earth and loving service was expressed in inaction. And as a sunken trunk of a tree was I drifting upon the ocean of life, sinking, sinking and sinking continually into the condition manifest in certain periods of history—a dead primeval humanity. Justice, loving service, so expressive of the oneness of the world of humanity, was not there shining forth. . . .
Like a discoverer had I gone forth, possibly like Cartier, when he left St. Mahlo, to discover the new France. Like
*An added charm of this address lay in the earnestness of the speaker and the quaint English of a French-Canadian.—The Editors.
a child had he gone forth in a new world, to discover a new humanity. But the voyage was long, very long indeed, for what the child was seeking was the oneness of humanity within. There were two personalities struggling with each other, the material and the spiritual. And the material had as a motto, "Go there in the struggle of life, in the strenuous life of America; that nothing was impossible to him who willed." With that he had gone forth in material conquest, and for a certain time was spoiled that note so beautifully brought by the love of a mother, whose human tender feelings were great and whose oneness of love centered upon an only boy for whom she had waited ten years. Being absolutely material in his ambition he became part of that world of materiality that today is struggling against the true realities of life, and that we find manifested in these divisions of races, in these divisions of nations, and in these divisions of caste.
The oneness of the world of humanity can be found first of all in the conquest of the self within you! Selfishness, pride, vain-glory, social distinction, intellectual superiority, material acquirement. If you are able to sever yourself from these slaveries of pride, of selfishness, of greed, of vain-glory and of distinction of caste classifications, you will have the beginning of the assurance of oneness within yourself. It is the first and greatest struggle.
Then, if you are able to realize that there are neither Brahmans nor Pariahs in the world, and that there cannot be the distinction of classes, there cannot be any class struggle because of the fact that you shall reach up to the station of the poor, then you shall attain to the oneness of the world of humanity. But you can attain to that distinction only if you have conquered within yourself that other self which rebels against oneness, that other animated by pride, animated by selfishness and animated by greed, which divides this world today, not principally in that of an Asia, in that of a Europe, in that of an old or that of a new world; but divided into two great struggling classes of those who possess materiality and those who do not, those who possess spirituality and those who do not. These are the two great classes today, yet our eyes are continually cast upon regions, divisions geographical, racial, of nations and colors, and so forth, notwithstanding the fact that the barrier is greater in that of possession than that of non-possession, of materiality than of spirituality.
If you have conquered your materiality, then you can go forth and serve Almighty God in a manifestation of oneness with those who need to share your bounty, or rather God's bounty—for what are we but the servants of God upon earth to deliver what God has given—and yet we keep, we keep, we keep, and we rarely give but to ourselves and to those we call dear to us. As I speak to you tonight, how many homes in this city, how many homes in this state, how many homes in the world, are suffering while we in this great city are in the midst of luxury, where people are spending, spending thousands and thousands and millions of dollars in festivities of all kinds. Tonight two thousand men are assembled in the Bowery Mission, and there is a tax of one cent to each ticket they shall receive and most of them haven got that penny to give; and we are the children of God here on the earth to deliver God's bounty, and yet thousands are here who suffer continually for the lack of the necessary things to enable them to exist. Oneness calls for your sharing all that you have with them. That is the first duty. The first duty is to share with your brother. Not simply to share what you have of money, not simply to share what you may have of garments, not simply to share what you may have of bread, but to share of yourself, of your companionship.
You say they haven't got the education; they haven't got the manners. Oh, they haven't got it, because you don't mix up with them! You haven given them that, and God has given you talent, God has given you the possibility of elevating their life into a higher moral world, into a higher spiritual world, and you are here without putting into practice that spirit of oneness which brings the Pariah and the Brahman to each other.
This is the message of the Bahai Revelation. It is the grand message of the Bahai Revelation that Abdul-Baha and BAHA'O'LLAH have both so beautifully practiced in this world; they have shared their bounty not simply in principle but in person. They have nothing but of themselves to give in person and they gave all of that. They had only the period of life in themselves to give to humanity and they gave all of that, and the greatest message which was brought by Abdul-Baha to England and to the United States was brought in the Missions of the poor, in action, the oneness of the world of humanity. We see it is bringing together people of different color, in bringing together the Chinese and the Americans, in bringing together the South and the North. O my friends, it is in bringing together the child of the Ghetto and you, it is bringing together the Bowery man and you; it is to bring together the man who possesses and the other who possesses nothing. That is the grand work before us, brothers
and sisters in the Bahai teaching. It is! It is! It is here for you to do and you have not far to travel. You have it in your midst. You have it in your midst. You have it in your midst!
And then that oneness of the world of humanity calls for you to be very tolerant of those who hold a different vision than you do as regards the economic and social questions that are agitating the world today. Christ said, "Call no one fool." Be careful of the expression that you may use whenever you designate any one that is struggling towards an equalization of the worldly and spiritual opportunities. Don't simply try to dominate them through your superior intellectuality. Rather go for a certain time and live the life with them. Share their tribulations. Share their sorrows. Share their trials and bring some joy into their life. Sometimes you may realize it is for you to bring laughter upon the lips and that it may take time, if you come with silks and satins and pearls, to convince them that you are sharing with them all that you have of self and position, and you are one with them, that you are with them in a spirit of unity. Because they have eyes that see and penetrate, for they have gone through sorrows, they have gone through tribulations, and their eyes do not see simply the outward things, but they see the inward. And men, in order to be one with them, you must be in the spirit of severance, you must be the servant of the servants of God, and only in that way may you be at one with humanity—by being the servant of the servants of God, and that calls for severance.
And to be at one with the world of humanity you must then, after having given all of yourself to Almighty God and to His servants upon the earth, soar forth, delivering your material self to humanity, soar forth in the spirit of Almighty God, vibrating in harmony with His divine flow, and there, reaching out to Him, find that inspiration that will guide you on without thought of boundary, of social distinction, of racial distinction, of national distinction, unto the Kingdom of God which has been prepared for all of His children and which today is being illumined by the divine Tablets that are being revealed, being presented, to us.
Allaho'Abha!
Address by MRS. MAY MAXWELL of Montreal, Canada, delivered at the Fifth Session of the Bahai Congress at Hotel McAlpin, New York City, Monday
evening, April 28th, 1919. Stenographically reported.BELOVED friends: As we have gathered here day by day and night by night in this room in the heart of this great city, we must have all realized that we are in the presence of an extraordinary event, that as the torrents of living water have poured from these great creative Tablets over our souls, we have been submerged in a realm of light and beauty and love which leaves us in great amazement. It may be that the most difficult thing for the soul is to become conscious of the greatness of events with which we are contemporaneous. We look back over the history of the human race and we see how many thousand years ago God made covenant with mankind through Abraham, and in that covenant He promised that the day would come upon this dark world when the seed of Abraham should be as the stars of heaven and the sands of the sea. When Moses gave the great Tablets to the Israelitish people and they gathered on either side of the mountain and took an oath of allegiance and devotion and love and loyalty to that great covenant of steadfastness and servitude
to the people, another great epoch in the seed-sowing was unfolded.
When we look back upon such periods in the world we realize their greatness. We understand their sublime significance, and yet we here gathered are living in a period so infinitely greater and more wonderful that we are dazzled by the brightness of the light so that we cannot see. Those Israelitish people fulfilled their covenant and were led away and found the Promised Land of God and then, after a period of time came the Beloved One, the Son of God, Jesus Christ, and gathered around him a little group of souls and illumined them, educated them, taught them and prepared them for the great seed-sowing of that Christian era, After their Beloved One had ascended to the supreme realm and they were left alone on earth without him they went to the mountain top and renounced all that they had in this world. They gave up their homes, their families, their possessions, all that was near and dear to them on this earthly plane of existence, and they dedicated themselves utterly to the servitude of Jesus Christ, to their Lord and their Master, to go forth and to be the torch bearers to the world of humanity. They were the seed of God in the world. Their seed and their children's seed spread and enveloped the world until today the great Christian dispensation that was sown by these early disciples has enveloped a great part of the world.
In what a day are we living, in what an age are we? We have the privilege today that those disciples had, but not after the departure of our Beloved, but while he is still in our midst. He is calling us to ascend to the mountain top, to sacrifice and renunciation, to give up all in life, because BAHA'O'LLAH has said in this day let no one come to me unless he have his head in his hand. Abdul-Baha is calling us again; he has for twenty years been calling this nation. We have been partially asleep and partially deaf and partially blind, but now We are awakened and because in his infinite bounty he has created a new spiritual springtime. God through the great laws of evolution has permitted the world to be harrowed and furrowed by war and sorrow and calamity until it is prepared; the soil of human hearts is prepared for the eternal seed of life, the seed of the love of the adored Beloved One. And now Abdul-Baha has sent this seed to us, the potentiality, the mystery of a seed which shall unfold throughout ages, and cycles and generations to millions and millions of human beings.
What is that seed to be? Are we not ourselves that seed? Must we not be of that pure essence that wherever we go and become implanted in that place even temporarily we impart the life of God, the life of the Covenant to the people of the world? This is the seed of life. See the whirlwind that the world has reaped in this day because they have sown their tares! Mankind has sown in selfishness, darkness, ignorance and greed, and now today it is reaping this terrible whirlwind of the flood of infinite calamities; but now Abdul-Baha is calling us to sow the seed of truth, of love, of light, of justice, of righteousness, and eternal unfathomable peace, that shall envelop all mankind for hundreds of thousands of years.
We must all realize that never from the beginning of the world until now was such a moment offered to any people. We are truly standing in that "eleventh hour," promised from the foundation of the world. You remember in the Book of Daniel it says that at the time of the end, "they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament, and they who turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever." And this is that hour of consummation in which we are gathered. Everyone of us is blest beyond all the inhabitants of the earth because we have the privilege to be in the presence of the most sublime creative Word of God
which is being poured upon our hearts and innate reality to create in us a new capacity and to send us forth to give life to the people of the world.
Jesus said, "Work while it is day, for soon the night cometh, when the way to the vineyard will not be so easy to find." And Abdul-Baha said, "Now while the Sun of Truth is still shining and the Son of God's Covenant is manifest, go forth and work, for soon the night time cometh and the way to the vineyard will not be so easy to find." Many years ago in Acca our Beloved Master said to us, "The time will come when the people will come here to Acca as you are coming now and they will weep and lament because they have not seen one of these days." He said, "They will tear down these gates and build gates of the most beautiful marble in the world and then the ages will roll by and new generations will come and they will bring bricks of solid gold and silver and build the gates." And then in the garden of Rizwan which sheltered BAHA'O'LLAH during his lifetime, he said, "You are privileged to enter this garden to drink of this Fountain of Light, to be in this presence during his appearance in the Temple of Man on this earth. There is no period that can be compared in this world to living in the day contemporaneous with the appearance of that Beloved One on the earth. It is different from any other time. It is life, it is joy, it is ecstacy, it is springtime, because his feet are treading this earth!"
We can hear his voice. We know that he is still guarding, and protecting and sheltering us in the midst of this dark world and never shall we have such a privilege to serve as while he is in our midst. There must be at great significance in his saying, "Soon the night time shall come and the way to the vineyard will not be so easy to find." What is this great mystery? Why is he calling on us now to go forth and sow the seed at this time, now? Because the ground is prepared, the way is made plain, the hearts are hungering and thirsting in every corner of the world, and this great capacity is created; also because the seed only germinates in the heat rays of the Sun of Truth. There is no period of love like the period when the Beloved is in our midst. He is the Beloved and we are his lovers, and while he is on the earth the heat of his love, the fire of his beauty, that love burning in the hearts of his servants is what will cause the seed which is sown to grow and germinate and expand and bring forth a great harvest. That is why he said one word spoken during the lifetime of the Beloved is worth volumes hereafter. One word spoken during this day while he is on the earth is worth volumes hereafter, and he has said, "One deed done in this day is worth the greatest deeds in the future generations."
He told us that even the words of the thieves upon the cross are known and remembered throughout all ages and throughout all nations and people because they were spoken in the lifetime of Christ while he was on the earth. They were spoken in the full blazing light of the Sun. Now we have this privilege to go forth and in the light of the Sun of Truth and the Sun of Reality and sow these seeds, and they will produce a wonderful harvest because the rays of his love are pouring upon the world. How can we do less than this for him? We have no other way of expressing our love for Abdul-Baha. This is the proof of love. It is this love that has drawn us together. He is the great magnet that has drawn us together from all parts and brought us here until we are fused and united in a love that makes us seem an absolute body, a temple. We are one people, one gathering, one congregation of the Lord in this day and he is pouring His Spirit upon us for a great purpose.
We must not leave these gatherings even for a moment, and we must not
(Continued on page 222)
O thou STAR OF THE WEST!
Be thou happy! Be thou happy! Shouldst thou continue to remain firm and eternal, ere long, thou shalt become the Star of the East and shalt spread in every country and clime. Thou art the first paper of the Bahais which is organized in the country of America. Although for the present thy subscribers are limited, thy form is small and thy voice weak, yet shouldst thou stand unshakable, become the object of the attention of the friends and the center of the generosity of the leaders of the faith who are firm in the Covenant, in the future thy subscribers will become hosts after hosts like unto the waves of the sea; thy volume will increase, thy arena will become vast and spacious and thy voice and fame will be raised and become world-wide—and at last thou shalt become the first paper of the world of humanity. Yet all these depend upon firmness firmness, firmness!
O ye apostles of BAHA'O'LLAH—May my life be a ransom to you!
. . . . Similarly, the Magazine, the STAR OF THE WEST, must be edited in the utmost regularity, but its contents must be the promulgator of the Cause of God—so that both in the East and the West, they may become informed of the most important events.
STAR OF THE WEST FOUNDATION
| Northeastern States: HOOPER HARRIS. | Western States: HELEN S. GOODALL. |
| Southern States: JOSEPH H. HANNEN. | Dominion of Canada: MAY MAXWELL. |
| Central States: ALBERT VAIL, CARL SCHEFFLER. | |
| Editorial Staff: ALBERT R. WINDUST—GERTRUDE BUIKEMA—DR. ZIA M. BAGDADI | |
| Honorary Member: MIRZA AHMAD SOHRAB | |
| Vol. 10 | Masheyat 1, 75 (September 27, 1919) | No. 11 |
Haifa, Palestine.
February 8, 1919.
Dear Ahmad:
The Tablet revealed yesterday to one of the tried and firm American friends disclosed general and important questions related to the future development of the Cause. I quote some of its leading passages:
"O thou firm in the Covenant! Your letter dated November 23rd, 1918, was received. Its contents indicated your being engaged in the service of the Mashrekol-Azcar, 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 and my hope is that the friends of God may be therein assisted.
"The second question which is of vital importance is that the friends of God must strive with heart and soul to promulgate heavenly teachings and spread far and wide the light of the Kingdom. For the world of humanity has acquired, as a result of this great carnage, a great capacity for the propagation of universal peace. Ears are longing to hearken to the call of the oneness of the world of humanity, to universal reconciliation and to the rejection of ignorant prejudices.
"In fine, if all the friends of God engage in the promulgation of heavenly teachings, the establishment of universal peace shall be a foregone conclusion.
"Praise be to God, whatever has been explicitly recorded in the divine Tablets has been fully realized and all the warnings and appeals of Abdul-Baha in the temples and gatherings of America, have come to pass. At present, we hope that all will engage in the service of the Kingdom and will promulgate whatever is the will of God.
"The teachings of His Holiness BAHA'O'LLAH are today the spirit of life, the means of peace and reconciliation, the cause of amity and union, and the promoter of the oneness of mankind. One should engage in such a service."
This afternoon our Indian officer, Captain Agal Khan of Lahore, Punjab, who is a devout Moslem, keenly interested in the role that the Cause will play in the future—a traveler and observer in different regions of the West as well as the Far East, a tourist to Spain and a resident for many years in Peking, Tientsin, Tokyo and Yokohama, a scholar of the religious movements in the East—called on Abdul-Baha carrying with him the article of Abbas Ali of Rangoon, published in one of the local Indian papers of Punjab, which he had translated for Abdul-Baha into English. The article was a lucid and at the same time a striking account of the teachings of the Cause, of the early life, the declaration, the persecution and the martyrdom of the Báb and the rise of BAHA'O'LLAH, his early trials, his exile, his declaration and his amazing power displayed in the distant fortress of Acca.
Abdul-Baha entertained for over an hour this diligent scholar, told him that under chains and fetters BAHA'O'LLAH propagated his teachings, the mutual arrangements of the rulers of Turkey and of Persia to quench his Light and the utter failure of their plans and intentions. Agal Khan was amazed to know that the remains of the Bab, who was shot in Tabriz, were transferred to this Holy Mount on the slopes of which, and not far distant, his tent was pitched and his camp was established. He resolutely decided to visit the shrine and if possible to visit the Holy Tomb in Acca. When he left he told Abdul-Baha that next time he would bring with him some of his Indian friends and colleagues who expressed their wish to meet the Beloved.
February 9, 1919.
Dear Ahmad:
This morning some Tablets were revealed to the friends in the United States of America. One of them, a devout and active soul has written these words to Abdul-Baha: "This humble maid-servant especially wishes to ask thee at this time, concerning the publication of two indexes which she has prepared, one to the first eight volumes of the STAR OF THE WEST, the other to the three volumes of the Tablets of Abdul-Baha. If this work does not interfere with carrying out thy instruction already given, this maid-servant would like very much to go on and work on a complete and scholarly index of all the writings. This would take years of time and the efforts of many individuals, but this maid-servant might be able to make a good beginning and she has been trained in science, mathematics and systematic arrangement, and has a steadfast longing to be engaged in this work."
These are the efforts expended, such are the views that are being planned and so untiring are the services rendered. Although the answer to the supplication has not yet been revealed, yet one thing is sure, that Abdul-Baha will most deeply appreciate such services and will undoubtedly breathe into their life a new breath that will sustain them throughout their activities.
This afternoon being bright and warm, Abdul-Baha ascended the mountain and visited the Tomb of the Báb where the friends had assembled for their weekly Sunday gatherings, where he inquired regarding the spiritual activities of the S. P. C. students (Beirut) to which one of
its members, Mr. Bahader, who is still here for a short visit to Abdul-Baha, replied that their weekly Sunday gatherings are uninterruptedly held within the college grounds. This leading to a certain statement made by the president of the college with respect to his Sunday morning Bible classes, Abdul-Baha referred to the relative standing of the Holy Books and their adaptation to their respective environment. The Old Testament, he said, is largely historical and partly states various commands and regulations. The Gospel, on the other hand, in addition to these two subjects, reveals a whole set of admonition and exhortation, of counsels and of advice. The Koran embodies all three of these and in addition reveals abstruse, scientific and mathematical problems. He then spoke in detail of the variety of the branches in mathematics and astronomy as expounded by the Egyptian, Babylonian, Greek, Roman and Persian leaders and scientists. He then referred to the rise of Ptolemy, his compilation of the different theories of past mathematicians, his school in Alexandria, his book being the essence and gist of previous laws and theories and his founding the well-known Ptolemaic system. He told us how all astronomers and philosophers believed in his system and although Pythagoras and Plato revealed contradictory facts, that the Ptolemaic system was considered the immutable and correct law. Then arose that illiterate, young, inexperienced Arab leader in the Arabian peninsula, who revealed his Koran wherein the following words are incorporated: "The sun moves in a fixed place and each star moves in its own heaven." These bodily challenged the whole Ptolemaic system and shook it down to its very foundation. However, it was not until the 15th century, when the famous Copernicus discarded the baseless interpretation of the ulemas in their explanation of the two above-mentioned verses, overthrew the Ptolemaic system and asserted the truth of the statement of the illiterate Arab youth, who declared the movement of the earth and the immobility of the sun. The whole scientific world arose to the consciousness of this truth. What clearer and stronger proof may be stated for the establishment of the truth of the Mohammedan Revelation? The Koran itself abounds with similar conclusive evidences.
February 10, 1919.
Dear Ahmad:
The misery and need of the civil population of Haifa, at the time of British and allied occupation, has necessitated the formation of a Haifa Relief Fund composed of the heads of the different religious denominations and acting under the surveillance of the British authorities with a fund collected and deposited at the newly established branch of the Anglo-Egyptian Bank. The first meeting which was held at the Governorate where from the bishop to the Jewish rabbi, the religious heads had all assembled and where Abdul-Baha, through the announcement made by the military governor, contributed the noble donation of £50 and inserted his name at the head of the list of contributors, which will stand as a token of his generosity, his approval of the means undertaken to alleviate the burden of the poor and his setting the noble example to the rich and leaders of the city. This morning again I was sent to the Governor and offered him a further sum for the relief of the poor. Colonel Stanton was indeed touched and, moved by this further donation, hastened to write these lines to Abdul-Baha in token of his admiration and thanks, as follows:
"Your Eminence: I have today received from your grandson the sum of £50 as a further donation from yourself to the Haifa Relief Fund. Please accept on behalf of the committee of management, my very sincerest and most grateful thanks for this further
proof of your well-known generosity and care of the poor, who will forever bless you for your liberality on their behalf. Please accept the sincerest assurance of my deepest regards and respect. (Signed) G. A. Stanton, Colonel, Military Governor."
This undoubtedly will be a stimulus for the indifferent rich men of the city who will be urged to put their hands very deeply in their pockets in order to allay the suffering and distress which in spite of all these activities is still prevalent.
The supplications that have come today abound with refreshing news. A letter from Bombay discloses the rise of newly attracted friends, particularly Youssef Aledollah who is one of the well known Khagetes of India. He, with Mirza Mahmood Zargkani, is yearning to visit the Beloved and will be delighted to hear of the granting of their permission. From Lausanne, Switzerland, Mr. Riaz Selim writes that the friends of God including Mr. Schwarz, Miss Knobloch, Mr. Herrigel are all, large and small, old and young, healthy and sick, at home and abroad, glad of the events that have recently transpired; they are all one soul in different bodies, united, agreed, serving and aiming to serve the oneness of the world of humanity. From southern Palestine, a letter from Sheik Amin Halabi who had drunk plentifully from the fountain of inspiration during his last stay with Abdul-Baha, indicates the attraction of two souls, deeply interested, eagerly seeking and wide awake to the new spirit of the present age. His stay in Jerusalem on his way to Beersheba had yielded good fruits and of this he was proud and for it grateful. A detailed supplication from Juanita Storch, exquisitely written, reveals the sentiments of love and of thankfulness. I have already quoted few of her characteristic lines and I cannot prevent myself from sharing with you some of its charming passages:
"How quickly these days of whirling activities are passing. History is being made in the twinkling of an eye. How storm-tortured the world is. When will it recover from the storms of hatred of mental crashing, of heart-torn agonies? Yea, and still the great Spirit hovers over us, daily waiting, patiently holding out its loving arms silently growing more and more passionate in its desire for the love of its people.
"An angel of hope walks through the Rizwan of Abha. Upon her shoulder is poised a vase filled with the rose petals of love and upheld by the right hand of wisdom. She walks through the olive groves of peace and by the beds of the sweet hyacinths of knowledge and over to the fountain of mercy. Here she kneels on the steps and sets her vase under the crystal spray of the fountain. The petals in the vase are soon covered with the water. Then this angel of hope sets this rose jar out in the brilliant Sun of Truth and leaves it there. After many days the essence of the roses gathers as oil on the surface of the water. O precious attar of the fragrances of God!
"A picture of the Master comes to me as he holds his rosary in hand outstretched to all who heed to this heavenly call. A picture of the Master comes to me as he holds his rosary, thinking of friends both far and near as pearls of his heart. A picture of the Master comes to me as he holds his rosary, chanting in a prayerful hour, 'Glory to the Most Great Power.'"
To this profusion of genuine sentiments and to this authoress of tender feelings, Abdul-Baha not only spends the days in revealing his words of appreciation, but even until late at night when everything is hushed in silence and every tongue is at rest, then does the wakeful Beloved reveal his soothing words and his precious lines. The experience of last night afforded a striking illustration and evidenced the close attachment the Beloved feels for his friends and his maid-servants. As I am
writing these lines, I am again moved to present myself in his presence and take down his words in response to the recently arrived supplications.
February 11, 1919.
Dear Ahmad:
Another veil is lifted. News as contained in letters, the first so far since the outbreak of the war, have reached us from Persia as well as from India. Meager and insufficient as the news is at present, yet it assures us of the welfare of the friends. Although few have succumbed to the trials and calamities occasioned by the war, such as the reported death of Neyerre Lina, Bamandar and Mirza Naim of Teheran, three of the choicest friends in the Cause, yet consolation lies in the safety and well-being of the mass of the friends, their unanimous rise to herald the Kingdom, to tear asunder the veils of concealment and prudence and their unrestricted, unhampered activity in the Cause of God. Their meetings, notwithstanding famine, pestilence, rapine, internal war and isolation from the Holy Land, have been regularly conducted and elaborately organized. In Teheren, the most active center of Persia, the friends associate, deal and transact as Bahais, openly declaring their faith, emphatically and fearlessly delivering the message and gathering in their flood men of every class, of every denomination and of every sect—as Abdul-Baha has already repeatedly intimated in his blessed Tablets for Persia, Russia and Egypt, the only group and the one body which is able and wields the necessary power to assure for Persia her integrity, her weal and her prosperity. Factions and parties have failed in their aims and have met disappointment in the realization of their aspirations. The Nationalists, the Reactionaries, the Liberals and the Democrats have Persia a desolate country, while these wanderers and strangers shall soon, God willing, render a distinguished service to Persia and to her sons, for we hold fast to effective means and are attached to powerful souls. Indeed, this wish of the Beloved is being realized and fulfilled, for at present amid the agitation and uproar that still prevails in Persia, the qualities of trustworthiness, truthfulness, obedience, frankness, conscientiousness and loyalty are exclusively embodies in the friends of God—so much so that a government that has persecuted, tortured, exiled, burned and devastated the homes of those who were related to this Cause, has now placed its full confidence and has elected a Bahai to be its representative at the great International Congress sitting at Paris.
Abdul-Baha spent the whole day indoors, with no outstanding event marking the activities of the day save a detailed telegram bearing your signature, dated February 10th, and reading as follows:
"With thy divine assistance leave now on Yahoshi Maru Japanese steamer direct for New York via Gilera. All things perfect, traveling first class. Am only passenger, fare 38 pounds. Mahmond Noushogadi, one of friends helped me in this. Beg thy favor and Tablet for him."
Your sailing directly to New York was providential and just the will and desire of the Beloved. A good start. I wish you a comfortable and speedy voyage.
Shoghi Rabbani.
(To be continued)
CLEVELAND ASSEMBLY
To the children of the Kingdom—
- Sarah Martin
- William Kibby
- George S. Kibby
- Anna Killian
- Mrs. Killian
- Elizabeth Kibby
- Alexander H. Martin
- Lydia J. Martin
- H. L. White
- E. White
- Mrs. E. White
- Edwardina M. Grant, M.D.
- Roy Williams
- Stuart B. Martin
- Amy Williams
- Pauline Barton-Peeke, M.D.
- Mrs. Mary E. Martin
- Jean Kibby Louis
- Millie Sutherland Kibby
- Mrs. Louise Smith
- Fanchon Smith
- Florence Hansen
- Irene Hansen
- Evangeline Elizabeth Dunlop
- Jesse Highton
- Judith Potter
- Mrs. M. Potter
—care of Mrs. Kibby, Cleveland, Ohio —Upon them be BAHA'O'LLAH El-Abha!
He Is God!
O my dear children!
Your letter was received. A degree of joy was attained that is beyond oral as well as written expression that, praise be to God, the power of the Kingdom of God has trained such children who from their early childhood eagerly wish to acquire a Bahai education that they may from the period of their childhood engage in service to the world of humanity.
My highest wish and desire is that ye who are my children may be educated according to the teachings of His Holiness BAHA'O'LLAH and may receive a Bahai training; that ye may each become an ignited candle of the world of humanity, may be devoted to the service of all mankind, may give up your rest and comfort, so that ye may become the cause of the tranquillity of the world of creation.
Such is my hope for you and I trust that ye may become the cause of my joy and gladness in the Kingdom of God.
I have sent your letter to Persia that from that country the Bahai children may write you an answer.
Upon ye be Baha-el-Abha!
(Signed) ABDUL-BAHA ABBAS.
(Translated by Shoghi Rabbani; Haifa, Palestine, April 11, 1919.)
ELIZABETH HERLITZ
To the maid-servant of God, Mrs. Elizabeth Herlitz, Chicago, Illinois—Upon her be BAHA'O'LLAH El-Abha!
He Is God!
O thou who art enkindled with the fire of the love of God!
Thy letter was received. Thy gladness made me happy that, praise be to God, that torch has been lit and the chamber of thy heart and soul illumined and resplendent. Do not consider thy capacity and worth. Turn thy face to the Abha Kingdom for that shower of perpetual bounty causes flowers and lilies to grow from stones, and that ray from the Sun of Truth breeds a shining diamond in a heart of stone.
Ever add to thy hope and endeavor that the supreme favor may be made manifest and the glorious bounty be made resplendent.
Convey my utmost love and kindness to thy dear and respected husband.
Upon thee be Baha-el-Abha!
(Signed) ABDUL-BAHA ABBAS.
(Translated by Shoghi Rabbani, April 11th, 1919; house of Abdul-Baha, Haifa, Palestine.)
JULIET THOMPSON
To the maid-servant of God, Miss Juliet Thompson—Upon her be Baha-el-Abha!
He Is God!
O thou beloved maid-servant of God!
. . . . . Add as much as ye can to love and affinity and produce ye amongst yourselves unity and agreement. Put ye in practice the principles of consultation. . . . .
Do ye not refer regarding any matter in these days to the President of the Republic.
Strive ye as far as ye can in the establishment of love and reconciliation amongst the religions and service to the oneness of the world of humanity; perchance, God willing, universal peace may be founded and all the communities and religions of the world may usher under the unicolored shade of the canopy of the Merciful,—that this dark cloud of hate and animosity amongst the religions and nations may be scattered from the horizon of the world and the light of love and fellowship may dawn and flood all the regions.
Convey on my behalf to the attracted maid-servant of God, Mrs. Maxwell, the greeting of heart. I beg of God that she may become confirmed and assisted in all affairs.
Upon thee be Baha-el-Abha!
(Signed) ABDUL-BAHA ABBAS.
(Translated by Mirza Ahmad Sohrab, July 10th, 1919. Revealed December 30th, 1918.)
leave them when the final Tablet is given to us and have heard its wonderful message. Then we must stay together, all whose hearts are touched and moved by this great force, we must come together and work to carry out this plan. We must grasp this wonderful opportunity and realize that the like of this has never been given to any people in any time from the beginning of the world until today.
Today, heralding the Kingdom is the magnetic force of the world of humanity because there is great richness in the souls. The divine teachings are the spirit of this age; they are the sun of this age. Every soul must endeavor in order that the veils may be torn away from the eyes, then instantly they see the Sun, and the heart and the eyes become illumined thereby.
Now, through the assistance and favor of God, this power of guidance and this merciful bestowal are found in thee! Therefore, with the utmost power go forward so that to the mouldering bones thou carriest life, to the blind eyes thou givest sight, quickening souls that are depressed—for every road will in the end become crooked except the road of the Kingdom, which day by day becomes straighter!
Unquestionably the heavenly melody cannot be measured by the melody of the earth, and the artificial lamps cannot be measured by the heavenly Sun. Therefore, one must strive for whatsoever is eternal and everlasting in order day by day to become more illumined, day by day to grow stronger and day by day new life.
FLORAL MESSENGER FROM THE HOLY LAND—A four-page attractively printed card having a pressed wild flower from Palestine attached to inside page, together with one of the utterances of Abdul-Baha. Price, 25 cents each; $15.00 per 100. Address Mary Lesch, 4319 Lake Park Avenue, Chicago, Illinois, U. S. A.
صفحه 1 - 8
مساوات بین حقوق رجال و نساء . حلّ مسئله اقتصادی . روحانیّت . عفّت . انقطاع . خدمت . تربیت عمومی اطفال . و قس علی ذلک . مختصر اینست که حضرت بهاء الله و حضرت عبدالبهاء و حضرت باب اسباب ممات را از میدان بردند و روح حیات و ترقیّ و سعادت اهل عالم را آوردند ولی تا مریض دوا را از حکیم حاذق نگیرد و به نصایح او عمل نکند و به تعالیم او اعتقاد نداشته باشد هرگز شفا از برای منکر حاصل نمیشود . میرزا محمود خان شیرازی .
اخبار شرق
بهترین اخبار بشارت صحّت حضرت عبدالبهاء و هجوم عشّاق به ارض مقدّس از جهات اربعۀ دنیا است .
اخبار غرب
جناب موسیو و مسس دریفوس بارنی مدّتی است در امریکا وارد و به خدمات عظیمه موفقّ هستند .
جناب مستر فوجیتا ژاپونی
حسب الامر عازم حیفا شد که در آستان مبارک خدمت کند .
صفحه 2 - 8
مسیس کورین ترو
که حیات خود را وقف کرده برای تأسیس مشرق الاذکار شیکاغو عازم پاریس شد تا از آنجا با دخترش به زیارت عتبۀ مبارکه بروند .
مستر و مسیس ویلیم راندل
ناظر کمپانیه ئی از کشتیهای تجاری امریکا با خانم و پسر ایشان برای مشرّف شدن عازم حیفا شدند .
مستر البرت ویل
یکی از کشیشهای فصیح و بلیغ بوده ولی حال از ایادی امر بهائی محسوب است جمیع وقتش به سفر و تبلیغ قرار داده او نیز عازم ارض مقصود شد .
مستر جورج لاتیمر
چون از خدمت دولت امریکا در اروپ مرخصّ شد و به امریکا عودت نمود باز بارض مقدّس شتافت .
زینت خانم و دکتور ضیاء بغدادی
چون اذن مبارک برای ایشان عنایت شده عنقریب با دختر کوچک شان پروین عازم بقعۀ بیضا خواهند شد .
« در بقعۀ بیضا چنان یوم وصالی جای همه خالی جای همه خالی »
7
صفحه 1 - 7
و اشعار انگلیسی با پیانو و موزیک خواندند میس بطس ایستاد یکی از خطابه های حضرت عبدالبهاء در خصوص بشارات قرن حضرت حضرت بهاء الله در نهایت فصاحت و بلاغت تلاوت نمود جمعی از اغیار با همدیگر میگفتند که امشب چه خبر است اینگونه بیانات که شنیده میشود چیزهایی دارد که ماها هیچ وقت نشنیده بودیم بعد دکتر بغدادی ایستاد یک دو دقیقه رو به ارض مقدّس کرد آنوقت شروع به صحبت کرد همۀ حاضرین بکمال سکون گوش دادند مبدأ خطایشان از این قرار بود که هیکل عالم علتّ پیدا میکند مثل هیکل انسان مثلا جسم بشری مرکبّ از چند عناصر مختلفه است که از مخزنهای طبیعت این کارخانۀ بدن را تشکیل داده و اگر از این عناصر چیزی افزوده گردد یا آنکه قدری کم بماند جسم مریض میشود . مظاهر الهی حکمای حاذق هستند که شفای عالم فقط در دستشان بوده و هست حکیم حاذق حقیقی روحانی این عصر حضرت بهاء الله است که
صفحه 2 - 7
مبشّرشان حضرت باب که در سنه 1844 میلادی در شیراز بشارت ظهور ابهی داد و بعد از شش سال نفی و حبس در میدان تبریز شهید شدند و مرکز عهد بهاءالله حضرت عبدالبهاء است که الآن از بالای کوه کرمل در ارض مقدّس به جمیع عالم روح صلح و سلام و سعادت ابدی میدهد حضرت بهاء الله هرض عالم را تشخیص دادند دیدند که عناصری که سبب علتّ دنیا از این قبیل است : تقالید عتیقه . خود پسندی . تعصّبات مذهبی و جنسی و وطنی و سیاسی . سوء تفاهم . نفس و هوی . ظلم و استبداد . حرب و جدال . حرص . جهل و اوهام الی آخره . لهذا تعالیم و قوانینی مرقوم فرمودند که هرکس قبول نمود از این عناصر مهلکه رها یافت . حضرت بهاء الله پنجاه سال پیش و حضرت عبدالبهاء تا بحال از سجن اعظمشان به ملوک و دول و جمیع اهل عالم اعلان فرموده و میفرمایند که عناصری که سبب حیات و نجات است و جسم علیل دنیا در نهایت احتیاج آنست از این قبیل است : وحدت عالم انسانی . تحرِّی حقیقت . وحدت ادیان . مطابقت دین با علم و عقل . وحدت اجناس وحدت لسان
(Continued from page 238)
