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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, Illinois, under the Act of March 3,1879.
Terms: $3.00 per year; 20 cents per copy.
Two copies to same name and address, $5.00 per year.
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. 11
CONTENTS
No. 2
PAGE
Fac-simile of Greetings from Bahais of Persia to the American Friends . . . . 26
The Coming of the Promised One . . . . 27
- Address by REV. HOWARD C. IVES.
The Most Great Characteristic: The Center of the Covenant . . . . 30
- Address by DR. ZIA M. BAGDADI.
Unveiling of the Divine Plan for the World . . . . 32
- Tablet revealed by ABDUL-BAHA.
We do not look at the evil deeds of the people. We do not consider the race, the religion, or nationality. We do our utmost to help everyone. The inhabitants of these parts know this and, therefore, whenever they are in difficulties, or have had business reverses they come to us and we will never send them away unaided or deprived. This is the quality of the Bahais. This is the conduct of the believers. This is the path of the kingdom of God.
(Abdul-Baha: Diary of Mirza Sohrab, January 24, 1914.)
-- PERSIAN Fac-Simile Text--
- [The above is a fac-simile of greetings
to the Bahais of America from the Bahais of Persia, which they desire printed in the STAR OF THE WEST. The seal is that of the Spiritual Assembly (House of Spirituality) of Teheran.]
STAR OF THE WEST
"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. 11
Jalal 1, 76 (April 9, 1920)
No. 2
The Coming of the Promised One
Address by HOWARD C. IVES of New York City, delivered at the Eighth Session of the Bahai Congress at Hotel McAlpin, New York City, Wednesday afternoon, April 30th, 1919. Stenographically reported.
"DID you ever stand upon a high point and see the sun rise? I have stood among the foothills of the Rocky Mountains and watched the dawn break over the hills, the morning star gradually dimming in its glory, the faint first rosy light creeping up the horizon, and then gradually, above the mountains, the first rim of the radiant glory of the orb; then lifting, and lifting, and flooding the earth with its glory. Not in all nature is there such a sight; nothing will compare with that wonderful miracle. I have heard it said that if it happened only once a year people would be on their knees for days before, longing, searching, for the first sign, hoping for that coming. Imagine, friends, if it only happened once every thousand years. Stretch the wings of your imagination and think of the legends that would be handed down from father to son, and son to son, from generation to generation, and think how they would watch the constellations of the sky—for praise be to God, even in the darkest night, there are stars in the sky—and think how the traditions would have mentioned that, before the dawning, a morning star would appear, and when that morning star arose above the horizon and gradually found its way toward the zenith, think how men's hearts would leap with joy, and they would say, "He is coming! He is coming! I have seen his sign in the sky!" And then think what a dawning that would be when the sunrise came once only every thousand years. You could not stand and wait for it. The father would see the first faint gleam upon the horizon, and the sons would see it gradually grow and grow, and the grandsons would see the first faint roseate tinge upon the mountain tops, and the great-grandsons would look and long for the orb to appear, and the great-great-grandsons would see it gradually rise above the horizon.
My friends, there is not one single thing in all this world that is not a symbol of the spiritual reality, and what I have just painted in words for you is an actual fact. The Sun of Reality rises only once every thousand years or so, the stars in the heaven precede his dawning, the hearts of men become weary through the night as they watch the stars in the sky and long for the coming of that which the stars promise. Throughout the ages it has been said that in the time of the coming of the Sun of Truth there shall be a new heaven and a new earth. What does that mean? Certainly not that this sky shall be changed and this earth beneath our feet altered. No! The sky that we see and the earth beneath our feet are but symbols again, just as the sun is a symbol and the stars are symbols. The sky is a symbol of the heaven of religion and the earth is a symbol of the hearts that are softened for the springtime.
Many thousand years ago a Sun appeared—we call his name Abraham—a [Page 28] Sun of Reality rose gradually according to the promise; and the star—I don't mean the material star, I mean the heart and the longing thoughts of men, longing just then as we do now—and the constellations, arose with him, thus a new heaven appeared. Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, David, Solomon, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Amos, Ezekiel were the stars of that heaven, they were the constellations appearing with that promised One.
And then Moses came, bringing with him his own group.
Then Jesus Christ came. Think of the stars that rose with him. John, Stephen, Paul, Timothy, Mary Magdalen, Mary the mother of Jesus, Mary and Martha the sisters, Luke the physician, Matthew the publican, Peter the fisherman! Ah, they are the illuminating lights that come with that promised One, they are the stars of his heaven, and they, after the sun has set, illuminate the dark sky throughout the age, then gradually dwindling in glory until the sun again rises. But when the sun appears from the horizon of the vernal equinox, on the twenty-first of March, it brings the glory of the springtime; so when the Sun of Reality rises, He brings healing on His wings, and a new springtime comes to the human heart.
Just as the farmer goes out and plows and harrows the hard soil, so the Spirit of God moves upon the hearts, and pain, sorrow and suffering plow the hearts. Nations tremble because of starvation, famine, agonies and tears! That is why the earth is filled with woe—woe, woe, woe—when the promised One appears. Praise be to God, for without that woe our hearts would still be hard, just as the ground is hard until with the softening of the rain and the warmth of the sun and the plough and the harrow, it is broken to pieces, in order that the seed may fall and fructify and grow and bring forth an hundred fold.
My friends, praise be to God, the promised One hath come again. We have waited long throughout the centuries; our hearts have grown into stone, our hearts have become frozen, our hearts have fallen low in woe and weeping. Praise be to God, he hath come again! He hath come again! The Sun of Reality hath risen. O that isn't all, for there is a new heaven, and there is also a new earth. What good would the sun be? What good would the crossing of the equinox be in the early spring were there not an earth to feel its rays? Of what earthly use is it, if the promised One, the Sun of Reality, dawns and there are no hearts to receive the light? Praise be to God, there are always hearts to receive the light. We are His creatures, the children of His hand, the offspring of His love. We long for Him and He longs for us. Now in this great Day of God the hearts are turning unto Him.
Was it yesterday that our dear sister, Mrs. Maxwell, quoted the beautiful words from Daniel that "the wise shall shine as the sun and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars forever and ever." There is your perfect symbol. That is the ancient version, the old version, but the revised version has it much more beautiful: "They that be teachers shall shine as the sun; they that turn many to righteousness as the stars, forever and ever." BAHA'O'LLAH glorified God in his wonderful Book, The Ighan: "At that time the signs of the Son of Man shall appear in the heavens." That is, the promised Beauty and substance of life shall come from the court of the invisible into the visible world. That is the coming of the promised One; that is the coming of the Son of Man; that is the dawning of the signs in the heavens. "The appearance," as he says again in another passage, "when the face of the promised One and the beauty of the adored One shall descend from heaven riding upon a cloud." That is, the divine Beauty will appear from the heavens of the Supreme Will in the human temple.
So my friends, change your point of[Page 29] view for a moment from thinking of the heavens above and the rising of the sun and its glory; change your point of view to the divine Beauty appearing in the human form here on earth. Imagine the divine Beauty descending from heaven "riding on a cloud," that is the human form, the cloud hiding him from our eyes, nevertheless dwelling in the human temple, seeing with human eyes, walking with human feet, eating, drinking, suffering, longing—the divine Beauty nevertheless, the promised Beauty and substance of life! Think of those words, the promised Beauty, the very substance of life, appearing in a human temple. This is the Sun of Reality I am talking about, shining upon the human earth, the earth of human hearts.
Ah, my friends, make the picture, for his human temple is the Sun of Reality, and within that human temple, which is nothing but a cloud, the Sun is shining to those whose eyes can see it. Shall he shine in our hearts? Shall he bring forth fruits meet for repentance, as Jesus said? Shall the wheat of divine love grow? Shall the fruits of glorious perfection appear? Shall the clouds of mercy from the divine heaven pour upon ready hearts the drops of his mercy and the fire of his love? Shall there appear from this earth the great and glorious results worthy of such a Sun from such a heaven? Praise be to God, I don't even have to ask, for the new earth has come.
When the sun rises in the springtime, when the sun gradually crosses the line, what do we see? Do we see all at once the earth burst into beauty and perfection? Do we see all at once the fruits of the harvest appear? Oh, no, we see a blade of grass here and there, a little green leaf, then the rest; we see a tree just beginning to show its buds—but these are the new earth. All the cold and hard world does not exist. I don't care how many millions of dead leaves there are, the one blade of grass, the one green leaf is the new earth. And so, show me one soul responding to the new Sun; show me one life ready to lay itself down in self-abnegation and perfect renunciation; show me one martyr to the Sun of Truth; show me one who is placing heart and soul on the altar of self-sacrifice, purity and love—that is the new earth! That is all the earth there is. Let the rest go, it doesn't exist. It is dark and cold, it is dead.
Does it exist? Do you say that the dead bodies in the graves exist in comparison with the people walking on the street? I tell you, my friends, all those who do not know BAHA'O'LLAH, and his glory, all those who do not turn to him in this new age, simply do not exist. On the other hand, verily, they are in their graves and they know it not. Arise, arise, O earth of human hearts! Arise, burst the prison bars, come out from the cage! Be ye resurrected from the dead bodies of self and desire and ascend to that station for which ye were created! When the Sun of Reality arises in the human temple, it creates effects upon the human hearts just as the sun does upon the material earth, and results appear. He speaks, and it is done.
My friends, think, think of these last four days you and I have been listening—don't let us lose the figure—you and I have been seeing the rays of the Sun of Truth shining upon the earth and results appearing. Go ye into all the world, shine as the Sun of Truth, carry to all the world the news that rays of the Sun of Reality shining upon the world shall transform it, proclaim to them that the Prince of Peace hath come, that never again shall there be war amongst nations, never again shall there be war between creeds and classes and sects, never again shall labor and capital be arrayed against each other, never again shall there be loveless homes and divorce courts, never again shall there be strife between children in the streets, never again shall there be anything that shall mar the beauty of the love of God in the human heart. That is the proclamation—and[Page 30] it is done. What difference does it make if it doesn't come at once? Does that alter the fact? We who see the sun rise and cross the equinox every springtime, do we say, because the whole world does not burst into beauty and harvest at once, that it won't come? I tell you the first blade of grass is the whole thing, to anyone who sees. And so when the Word of God goes forth, the thing is done.
Arise! Arise! O ye chosen of the world, and be ye the divine helpers of God, says BAHA'O'LLAH. How? Praise be to God, the command not only goes forth but the way of development is shown not only in words but in example. BAHA'O'LLAH says, "Though ye cut off my limbs, yet shall the love of God not depart out of my heart. Verily, I was created for sacrifice, therefore do I glory over the world." Do you want then to know how you shall glory over the world, how you shall establish the Kingdom of God in hearts, how you shall carry out the teachings of these blessed Tablets that we are listening to? Here is the recipe, "Though they cut off my limbs, yet shall the love of God not depart out of my heart. I was created for sacrifice, therefore do I glory over the world!" Those who believe in BAHA'O'LLAH, those who have turned their hearts to the Center of His Covenant, those who love the Blessed Perfection, were created by the Sun of Reality in the human temple for sacrifice, and by sacrifice shall they glory over the world as He did and establish the Kingdom of the promised One in the hearts and souls.
"The blessed person of the promised One is interpreted in the holy books as the Lord of Hosts, i. e., the heavenly armies! By heavenly armies those souls are intended who are free from the human world, transformed into celestial spirits and have become divine angels." There are your celestial armies. They who shall become divine angels, are those who have turned their backs upon the world, who were created by the love of God and His Blessed Beauty for sacrifice.
Allaho'Abha!
The Most Great Characteristic: The Center of the Covenant
Address by DR. ZIA M. BAGDADI of Chicago, delivered at the Eighth Session of the Bahai Congress at Hotel McAlpin, New York City, Wednesday afternoon, April 30th, 1919. Stenographically reported.
AS I have been quite ill for the last three days, I did not expect to be here this afternoon, but memory recalled a beautiful afternoon, in the year 1912, when our beloved Abdul-Baha, the Center of the Covenant, commanded his Persian party, including this servant, to address the friends in New York on the same subject that we have this afternoon, "The Center of the Covenant," and therefore I was strengthened to come to this blessed gathering.
Why is it that the most great characteristic of the teachings of BAHA'O'LLAH concerns the Center of the Covenant? Why this greatness or extreme importance? Because the Covenant is the one power that preserves unity among mankind, prevents sectarianism and protects all the principles of BAHA'O'LLAH. For example: The investigation of reality is a principle of BAHA'O'LLAH. If one were to say, "I can interpret that. It has another meaning. It does not mean that we must investigate reality." The power of the Covenant is the one weapon that would stop such an interpreter. If one were to say, regarding the principle of BAHA'O'LLAH to do away with racial and all other prejudices, "I understand it differently, racial differences must exist," the only weapon with which you could overpower such an interpreter is the Covenant. In other words, the only interpreter is the beloved Abdul-Baha. Should one in most eloquent language[Page 31] try to prove the inequality of the sexes, reply to such an one that the only interpreter is His Holiness Abdul-Baha, the Center of the Covenant, and the power of the Covenant will prevent wrong interpretation. Should one try to convince the world that universal peace was not right, we would know, by the power of the Covenant, that such interpretation was wrong, and that would be the only way to stop such false interpretation.
So, you see, all the other principles of BAHA'O'LLAH are protected, too, by that power of the Covenant. The progress of the religions of the past depended upon the unity of the believers, and the failure thereof was caused by the disunity and differences of the believers. Consider the essence of history. Take the Jewish religion. Its founder, Moses, delivered the people of Israel, who were enslaved and persecuted by the Pharaohs, and saved them from bondage in Egypt. Under him all became free in the Land of Promise. For four hundred and fifty years they were ruled by four hundred judges, a congress, in the Holy Land. They progressed day by day because they were united. Through the power of the prophet Samuel, Saul, the first king, was placed on the throne and became the ruler of the Jews. They were united upon the text and teachings of Moses. Saul died and was succeeded by David. Still that religion was progressing. David died and his son Solomon was made king. That period was the highest of the Jewish civilization. The kingdom extended to the Euphrates and the Red Sea. They became the teachers of the then known world. Many of the philosophers of the Romans, the Greeks and other nations went to learn from them and to be educated. The downfall of the Jews began when, after the death of Solomon, his son Rehoboam became king, the Jews splitting into two factions or kingdoms, one of which, the kingdom of Judah remained loyal and offered allegiance to Rehoboam, while the other, the Kingdom of Israel, elected for its sovereign Jeroboam from the descendants of Joseph who lived in Mesopotamia.
This first split divided their power, creating enmity, suspicion and hate, and wars resulted to the extent that Jeroboam declared that it was just as good to worship a bull as to go to Jerusalem, the holy city, and worship God, because he did not want his people to go and become acquainted with the other king, the son of Solomon. When that discord took place and wars had begun between the two factions, other nations attacked and crushed them. Then the Romans, Assyrians, Babylonians and Egyptians came and destroyed them, the Jews falling into degeneration and slavery. The Assyrians annihilated the kingdom of Israel, and Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylonia, attacked Judea, taking captive and burning Jerusalem. The kingdom of Israel was utterly annihilated and the remnants of the kingdom of Judea were saved by the mercy of the Persian kingdom. Later the Jews were divided into the Pharisees, the Sadducees, the Publicans, etc.
At such time Jesus Christ appeared. He came to unite them and to guide all the people. Instead of receiving and following him, they crucified him. After his departure Christianity was a target of persecution for seventy years. Titus, the Emperor of the Romans, then became interested in the Christian religion. He killed more than a million of the Jews, scattered the rest and destroyed Jerusalem. To the Christians he gave freedom—that is, seventy years after the birth of Jesus Christ—and the Christians were given an opportunity to go forth and teach the Romans. That freedom, however, was later taken from them and Nero, the Roman Emperor, persecuted them severely. While intoxicated, Nero burned the city of Rome and in the morning
(Continued on page 37)
STAR OF THE WEST
TABLET FROM ABDUL-BAHA
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!
(Signed) ABDUL-BAHA ABBAS.
TABLET FROM ABDUL-BAHA
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 with the most important events.
(Signed) ABDUL-BAHA ABBAS.
STAR OF THE WEST FOUNDATION
Northeastern States: HOOPER HARRIS.
Western States: HELEN S. GOODALL.
Southern States:
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. 11
No. 2
Unveiling of the Divine Plan for the World
Tablet* of ABDUL-BAHA read at the Eighth Session of the Eleventh Annual Mashrekol-Azkar Convention and Bahai Congress held in McAlpin Hotel, New York City, April 26-30, 1919.
TABLET.
To the believers of God and the maid-servants of the Merciful of the Bahai Assemblies in the United States of America and Canada!—Upon them be BAHA'O'LLAH EL-ABHA!
He is God!
O ye apostles of BAHA'O'LLAH—May my life be a ransom to you!
The blessed person of the promised One is interpreted in the holy Book as the Lord of Hosts, i. e., the heavenly armies: By heavenly armies those souls are intended who are entirely freed from the human world, transformed into celestial spirits and have become divine angels. Such souls are the rays of the Sun of Reality who will illumine all the continents. Each one is holding in his hand a trumpet, blowing the breath of life over all the regions. They are delivered
*NOTE—This Tablet was revealed in Bahjeh in three parts. The first part was dictated April 19th, the second part April 20th, and the third part April 22nd, 1916.—The Editors. [Page 33]
from human qualities and the defects of the world of nature, are characterized with the characteristics of God, and are attracted with the fragrances of the Merciful. Like unto the apostles of Christ, who were filled with Him, these souls also have become filled with His Holiness BAHA'O'LLAH, i. e., the love of BAHA'O'LLAH has so mastered every organ, part and limb of their bodies, as to leave no effect by the promptings of the human world.
These souls are the armies of God and the conquerors of the East and the West. Should one of them turn his face toward some direction and summon the people to the Kingdom of God, all the ideal forces and lordly confirmations will rush to his support and reinforcement. He will behold all the doors open and all the strong fortifications and impregnable castles razed to the ground. Singly and alone he will attack the armies of the world, defeat the right and left wings of the hosts of all the countries, break through the lines of the legions of all the nations and carry his attack to the very center of the powers of the earth. This is the meaning of the hosts of God.
Any soul from among the believers of BAHA'O'LLAH who attains to this station, will become known as the apostle of BAHA'O'LLAH. Therefore strive ye with heart and soul—so that ye may reach this lofty and exalted position, be established on the throne of everlasting glory, and crown your heads with the shining diadem of the Kingdom, whose brilliant jewels may irradiate upon centuries and cycles.
O ye kind friends! Uplift your magnanimity and soar high toward the apex of heaven—so that your blessed hearts may become illumined more and more, day by day, through the rays of the Sun of Reality, i. e., His Holiness BAHA'O'LLAH; at every moment the spirits may obtain a new life, and the darkness of the world of nature may be entirely dispelled—thus ye may become incarnate light and personified spirit, become entirely unaware of the sordid matters of this world and in touch with the affairs of the divine world.
Consider ye what doors His Holiness BAHA'O'LLAH has opened before you, and what a high and exalted station He has destined for you, and what bounties He has prepared for you! Should we become intoxicated with this cup, the sovereignty of this globe of earth will become lower in our estimation than the children's plays. Should they place in the arena the crown of the government of the whole world, and invite each one of us to accept it, undoubtedly we will not condescend, and will refuse to accept it.
To attain to this supreme station is, however, dependent on the realization of certain conditions:
The first condition is firmness in the Covenant of God. For the power of the Covenant will protect the Cause of BAHA'O'LLAH from the doubts of the people of error. It is the fortified fortress of the Cause of God and the firm pillar of the religion of God. Today no power can conserve the oneness of the Bahai world save the Covenant of God; otherwise differences like unto a most great tempest will encompass the Bahai world. It is evident that the axis of the[Page 34] oneness of the world of humanity is the power of the Covenant and nothing else. Had the Covenant not come to pass, had it not been revealed from the supreme pen and had not the Book of the Covenant, like unto the rays of the Sun of Reality, illuminated the world the forces of the Cause of God would have been utterly scattered and certain souls who were the prisoners of their own passions and lusts would have taken into their hands an axe, cutting the root of this Blessed Tree. Every person would have pushed forward his own desire and every individual aired his own opinion! Notwithstanding this great Covenant, a few negligent souls galloped with their chargers into the battlefield, thinking perchance they may be able to weaken the foundation of the Cause of God: but praise be to God, all of them were afflicted with regret and loss, and ere long they shall see themselves in poignant despair. Therefore, in the beginning one must make his steps firm in the Covenant—so that the confirmations of BAHA'O'LLAH may encircle from all sides, the cohorts of the Supreme Concourse may become the supporters and the helpers, and the exhortations and advices of Abdul-Baha, like unto the pictures engraved on the stone, may remain permanent and ineffaceable in the tablets of the hearts.
The second condition: Fellowship and love amongst the believers. The divine friends must be attracted to and enamored of each other and ever be ready and willing to sacrifice their own lives for each other. Should one soul from amongst the believers meet another, it must be as though a thirsty one with parched lips has reached to the fountain of the water of life, or a lover has met his true beloved. For one of the greatest divine wisdoms regarding the appearance of the holy Manifestations is this: The souls may come to know each other and become intimate with each other; the power of the love of God may make all of them the waves of one sea, the flowers of one rose-garden, and the stars of one heaven. This is the wisdom for the appearance of the holy Manifestations! When the most great bestowal reveals itself in the hearts of the believers, the world of nature will be transformed, the darkness of the contingent being will vanish, and heavenly illumination will be obtained. Then the whole world will become the Paradise of Abha, every one of the believers of God will become a blessed tree, producing wonderful fruits.
O ye friends! Fellowship, fellowship! Love, love! Unity, unity!—so that the power of the Bahai Cause may appear and become manifest in the world of existence. Just at this moment I am engaged in your commemoration and this heart is in the utmost glow and excitement! Were ye to realize how this conscience is attracted by the love of the friends, unquestionably ye would obtain such a degree of joy and fragrance that ye would all become enamored with each other!
The third condition: Teachers must continually travel to all parts of the continent, nay, rather, to all parts of the world, but they must travel like Abdul-Baha, who journeyed throughout the cities of America. He was sanctified and free from every attachment and in the utmost severance. Just as His Holiness Christ says: "Shake off the very dust from your feet."[Page 35]
Ye have observed that while in America many souls in the utmost of supplication and entreaty desired to offer some gifts, but this servant, in accord with the exhortations and behests of the Blessed Perfection, never accepted a thing, although on certain occasions we were in most straitened circumstances. But on the other hand, if a soul, for the sake of God, voluntarily and out of his pure desire, wishes to offer a contribution (toward the expenses of a teacher) in order to make the contributor happy, the teacher may accept a small sum, but must live with the utmost contentment.
The aim is this: The intention of the teacher must be pure, his heart independent, his spirit attracted, his thought at peace, his resolution firm, his magnanimity exalted and in the love of God a shining torch. Should he become as such, his sanctified breath will even affect the rock; otherwise there will be no result whatsoever. As long as a soul is not perfected, how can he efface the defects of others? Unless he is detached from aught else save God, how can he teach severance to others!
In short, O ye believers of God! Endeavor ye so that ye may take hold of every means in the promulgation of the religion of God and the diffusion of the fragrances of God.
Amongst other things is the holding of the meetings for teaching—so that blessed souls and the old ones from amongst the believers may gather together the youths of the love of God in schools of instruction and teach them all the divine proofs and irrefragable arguments, explain and elucidate the history of the Cause, and interpret also the prophecies and proofs which are recorded and are extent in the divine books and epistles regarding the Manifestation of the promised One, so that the young ones may grow in perfect knowledge in all these degrees.
Likewise, whenever it is possible a committee must be organized for the translation of the Tablets. Wise souls who have mastered and studied perfectly the Persian, Arabic and foreign languages, or know one of the foreign languages—must commence translating Tablets and books containing the proofs of this Revelation, and publishing those books, circulate them throughout the five continents of the globe.
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 West, they may become informed of the most important events.
In short, in all the meetings, whether public or private, nothing should be discussed save that which is under consideration, and all the articles be centered around the Cause of God. Promiscuous talks must not be dragged in and contention is absolutely forbidden.
The teachers traveling in different directions must know the language of the country in which they will enter. For example, a person being proficient in the Japanese language may travel to Japan, or a person knowing the Chinese language may hasten to China, and so forth.[Page 36]
In short, after this universal war, the people have obtained extraordinary capacity to hearken to the divine teachings, for the wisdom of this war is this: That it may become proven to all that the fire of war is world-consuming, whereas the rays of peace are world-enlightening. One is death, the other is life; that is extinction, this is immortality; one is the most great calamity, the other is the most great bounty; that is darkness, this is light; that is eternal humiliation and this is everlasting glory; one is the destroyer of the foundation of man, the other is the founder of the prosperity of the human race.
Consequently, a number of souls may arise and act in accordance with the aforesaid conditions and hasten to all parts of the world, especially from America to Europe, Africa, Asia and Australia, and travel through Japan and China. Likewise, from Germany teachers and believers may travel to the continents of America, Africa, Japan and China; in brief, they may travel through all the continents and islands of the globe. Thus in a short space of time, most wonderful results will be produced, the banner of universal peace will be waving on the apex of the world and the lights of the oneness of the world of humanity may illumine the universe.
In brief, O ye believers of God! The text of the divine Book is this: If two souls quarrel and contend about a question of the divine questions, differing and disputing, both are wrong. The wisdom of this incontrovertible law of God is this: That between two souls from amongst the believers of God, no contention and dispute might arise; that they may speak with each other with infinite amity and love. Should there appear the least trace of controversy, they must remain silent, and both parties must continue their discussions no longer, but ask the reality of the question from the Interpreter. This is the irrefutable command!
Upon ye be Baha-El-Abha!
SUPPLICATION.
O God! O God! Thou seest that black darkness hath encompassed all the regions, all the countries are burning with the conflagration of dissension and the fire of war and carnage is ignited in the Easts of the earth and the Wests thereof. The blood is being shed, the corpses are stretched and the heads are decapitated and thrown on the ground in the battlefield.
Lord! Lord! Have pity on these ignorant ones, look upon them with the eye of forgiveness and pardon. Extinguish this fire—so that these gloomy clouds covering the horizon may be scattered; the Sun of Reality may shine forth with the rays of conciliation; this darkness be rent asunder and all the countries be illumined with the lights of peace.
Lord! Awaken them from the depths of the sea of animosity, deliver them from these impenetrable darknesses, establish affinity between their hearts and enlighten their eyes with the light of peace and reconciliation.
Lord! Rescue them from the fathomless depths of war and bloodshed! Arouse them out of the gloom of error, rend asunder the veil from their eyes, brighten their hearts with the light of guidance, deal with them through Thy[Page 37] favor and mercy and do not treat them accordingly to Thy justice and wrath through which the backs of the mighty ones are shaken!
Lord! Verily the wars have prolonged, the calamities have increased, and every building hath turned into ruin.
Lord! Verily the breasts are agitated and the souls are convulsed. Have mercy on these poor ones and do not leave them to do with themselves that which they desire!
Lord! Send forth throughout Thy countries humble and submissive souls, their faces illumined with the rays of guidance, severed from the world, speaking Thy remembrance and praise and diffusing Thy holy fragrances amongst mankind!
Lord! Strengthen their backs, reinforce their loins and dilate their breasts with the signs of Thy most great love.
Lord! Verily they are weak and Thou art the Powerful and the Mighty, and they are impotent and Thou art the Helper and the Merciful!
Lord! Verily the sea of transgression is waving high and these hurricanes will not be calmed down save through Thy boundless grace which hath embraced all the regions!
Lord! Verily the souls are in the deep valleys of lust and nothing will awaken them save Thy most wonderful bounties.
Lord! Dispel these darknesses of temptations and illumine the hearts with the lamp of Thy love, through which all the countries will be enlightened. Confirm those believers who, leaving their countries, their families and their children, travel throughout the regions, for the sake of the love of Thy beauty, the diffusion of Thy fragrances and the promulgation of Thy teachings. Be Thou their companion in their loneliness, their helper in a strange land, the remover of their sorrow, the comforter in their calamity, their deliverer in their hardship, the satisfier of their thirst, the healer of their malady and the allayer of the fire of their longing.
Verily, Thou art the Clement, the Possessor of Mercy, and Verily, Thou art the Compassionate and the Merciful!
(Signed) ABDUL-BAHA ABBAS.
(Translated by Mirza Ahmad Sohrab, April 8th, 1919, Washington, D. C.)
The Most Great Characteristic: The Center of the Covenant
(Continued from page 31)
wanted to know who had done it. The enemies of the Christians told him that Paul, Peter and the Christians, to whom he had given freedom, were the cause of the burning of the city of Rome, the most beautiful capital of the world at that time. He immediately became their oppressor and put to death those two great martyrs, Paul and Peter. Thus not only did the Jews, but the Romans as well take part in the persecution. Briefly, for three hundred years the Christians were oppressed.
Then Constantine, the brave Emperor of Rome, became a Christian. He spread Christianity throughout the world and it began to progress from that time. He moved from Rome and made his capital in Constantinople, that city being named in his honor. It was the glory of Christianity when Constantine was the Emperor. What else did[Page 38] Constantine do? Christianity was at the zenith of its prosperity, when he did something that marked the beginning of its fall. When he moved from Rome to Constantinople he wanted to have a democracy among the leaders of all the churches. Every church had a bishop, but they were all under the bishop of Rome, who was called or known as the Pope. Constantine said: "No, we must have a democracy. The power should not be in the hands of the Pope." Thus the first split took place in Christianity, half becoming Orthodox and the other half Catholics. Those who wanted all the power to be in the hands of the Pope were called Catholics and those who believed that the power should be divided and every bishop should have equal freedom were called Orthodox.
During the third and fourth centuries another division took place in Christianity, the subject of contention this time being that of the doctrine of the Trinity. There were those who believed in the union of God, the Son and the Holy Ghost—the three in one—and those who believed it could not be done; those who believed that Jesus Christ had two natures, the divine and the human, and those who said: "No, God is above mentioning. No one can comprehend Him. Jesus Christ is the Manifestation of God and that is all." Thus was another division created, this time on account of the doctrine of the Trinity, and every time a division took place, wars resulted and blood was shed.
In the year 325 A. D., Constantine called the first general council at Nice, in Bytynia, in order to settle the differences, but that could not be done. Arius, the eloquent priest, who interpreted the Trinity and who became the cause of the controversy, was excommunicated by the Orthodox church.
In the fifth century, another sect, the Nestorians, was created by Nestorius, a brilliant priest. At that time the Christians believed that Jesus Christ had two natures, divine and human, and, therefore, it mattered not whether Mary was called "the mother of the Lord" or "the mother of Jesus." But Nestorius and his followers taught that Mary must be called only "the mother of Jesus" and not "the mother of the Lord." Briefly, these arguments ended in bloody battles. Then general councils were held. Nestorius was excommunicated, but the sect remains in Persia to this day.
Another sect came into existence and that was the Jacobites, founded by Jacobus Baradaeus, a priest. They promulgated the belief that Jesus Christ had one divine nature only and they tried to promote unity.
In the sixth century Christianity was spread in the west of Europe as far as Britain and Saxony, and in the east to the shores of the Black Sea and the Danube.
In the seventh century the Mohammedan religion appeared and the Mohammedans had terrific clashes with the Christians.
In the eighth century another division took place and this was the last division. And what caused that? Pictures! Those who believed in having pictures in the church, and those who said: "This means that we are like the heathen. If we put a picture before us, what is the difference between us and those who worship idols?"
This controversy created another sect. There was another war and another general council or convention, but with no result. If you travel in the Orient you will find the Nestorians and the Jacobites as well as many other sects. These various sects have been separating themselves from the rest of the world and living in ignorance on account of one person who interpreted something for his own desire and his own selfishness.
In the ninth and tenth centuries there were continuous wars among the various sects—two centuries of bloodshed—but they conquered in Hungary, Russia, and other places.[Page 39]
The eleventh century began with the greatest and longest war the world had ever witnessed. It started with the organization of 800,000 soldiers in Europe, who proceeded to the Holy Land to take it from the Mohammedans. That was the war of the Crusaders.
The eleventh century, the twelfth, the thirteenth and the fourteenth saw nothing but wars and struggle between the European Christians and the Mohammedans, resulting in nothing but failure and manifest loss.
In the fifteenth century the Pope proclaimed himself as an absolute power.
In the sixteenth century Luther arose against the Pope and the result was the establishment of the Protestant sect.
If we follow carefully this brief outline of the history of the Jews and the Christian church, we come to the conclusion that had the Divine Will appointed a Center, through Moses or through Jesus Christ, these divisions would not have occurred.
It is not necessary to mention the divisions in the Mohammedan religion because they were similar to the other religions.
Therefore, the most great characteristic of the religion of BAHA'O'LLAH is, The Center of the Covenant—that which the previous divine Manifestations did not bring. This will fortify the Cause from now until at least one thousand years, and perhaps until thousands of years have passed away. Through the power of the Covenant no one can create a sect or division in the Bahai Cause.
In 1891, BAHA'O'LLAH referred to his departure thus: "In my appearance there was a wisdom, and in my disappearance there is another wisdom." All who heard him felt that the day of his departure was near. It came in 1892. The believers who were gathered in Acca and who numbered not more than 600 people, in one week became divided into twenty-three sects. In other words, in one week they had twenty-three opinions as to what would be done in the future, now that BAHA'O'LLAH had departed. Each one had an opinion and each thought his opinion was the best. On the ninth day a little satchel that had belonged to BAHA'O'LLAH and which had been sealed with His blessed seal, was brought by His Holiness Abdul-Baha and placed before the twenty-three divisions or sects if you wish to so call them. It was opened and, behold, it contained the Book of the Covenant, in which it was written: "All must obey and turn to the one whom God has chosen." In the Tablets and in the Book of Akdas, BAHA'O'LLAH says: "The purpose is the Greatest Branch. He is the explainer of the Books. He is my interpreter. He is the Branch of Holiness. He is the greatest favor and blessing for mankind and the protection of all. He is the Mystery of God. He is the one around whom all the names and attributes of God revolve." Even He (BAHA'O'LLAH) asks all the divine blessings for all those who turn to him, and woe for all those who turn away from him.
That Book was read. All the faces brightened. All bowed down in the spirit of acceptance.
But certain prophecy had to be fulfilled, namely, "From the East and the West they will come and enter into the Kingdom of God, but the children of the Kingdom will be cast out." A few, however, with veiled spiritual vision, such as Mirza Mohammed Ali, rejected it and turned away, as the owls and the night birds who flee from the light of the sun. The fire of jealousy and envy took such hold on them that they preferred to be known as nakazeen—meaning violators of the Covenant. Those who turned away simply destroyed their own lives, here, there and everywhere, as did Judas Iscariot. Those who took hold of "The Branch" grew and produced fruit, becoming as shining stars in the horizons.
The beloved Abdul-Baha, in order to[Page 40] have us all united, accepted the station of servitude, calling himself, "The Servant of Baha," that we might all learn a lesson from that humbleness—not because his station is lower than the rest. The qualities of the sun are manifest; the eyes behold them and it is not necessary to try to convince us that they are there.
We should carefully study the religion of BAHA'O'LLAH and obey it. See with what names, what attributes BAHA'O'LLAH has clothed His Greatest Branch. Study the Tablet of the Branch and see how the Blessed Tree described its Branch. The title of "Abdul-Baha" should be our mirror into which we should look every day to learn the lesson of humbleness and servitude. The title which he chose for himself, namely, "The Servant," should be a lesson to us to try to overcome our arrogance and selfishness, because the ego is the only enemy of the Bahai. The Bahai has no enemy except his own ego, and that ego often makes him lower than the animals. Jesus Christ taught the same lesson to the world when he said: "Why callest thou me good? None is good save One, that is, God." That was a lesson to his disciples to teach them humbleness and reverence.
In Persia the Cause is firm and on a solid foundation. If anyone comes to them with an idea that would seemingly destroy rather than build the Cause, they ask him in a gentle manner: "Is this your own opinion or that of Abdul-Baha?" If he answers: "This is my opinion," they say: "Barak-Allah (God bless you). This may be a good opinion, but keep it for yourself. How do we know? Today you praise this one and tomorrow you hate him. Today you hate this one and tomorrow you praise him. How do we know which one you are going to take?" In this manner they close the door of differences. This does not mean, however, that if the believers want to build up the work, lending their influence and their opinions which are harmonious to the Cause of God, being willing to even sacrifice their lives if necessary, that we should suspect them. God forbid! There should be no such misunderstanding. But if there be anything contrary to the teachings of BAHA'O'LLAH and Abdul-Baha, then ask such an one to produce a written statement proving his authority.
Differences are of two kinds, constructive and destructive. If one should come and say, "I want to help you build this house," you reply, "Welcome." But should he say, "I do not agree with you. Build it this way. I want to destroy this building. Build it somewhere else"—that difference, my friends, would be destructive. If, therefore, there are differences of opinion among the believers which are conducive to the promulgation of the Cause, there is no harm in such differences; but ideas or statements that are contrary to the teachings must be authenticated, must be shown, must be proven.
Therefore, the Bahais who would keep the Cause clean and strong, should, like unto a wise and careful gardener who guards the young trees, plant seeds that will grow and which the winds of doubt will not blow away, the heat of envy and jealousy will not burn, the thief will not steal and the fire of desire will not consume; and should protect them from the contrary winds of conflicting and confusing opinions that are conducive to separation rather than to unity.
Our beloved Abdul-Baha says that, in the future, even the rulers, the kings of the world, will tremble if they try to deviate one hair's breadth from this great Covenant. There is no doubt about it, because the religion of BAHA'O'LLAH is protected and fortified. That oneness, which is the foundation of the religion of BAHA'O'LLAH, cannot be shaken when the banner of the mighty Covenant is waving over the heads.
Allaho'Abha!
