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| VOLUME 13 | January, 1923 | No. 10 |
| CONTENTS | Page | |
A Temple of Universal Religion | 259 | |
A Cablegram From Shoghi Effendi | 265 | |
The Victory of Faith | By Horace Holley | 265 |
From the Diary of Mirza Ahmad Sohrab III | 269 | |
The Religion of the Sikhs | By Kate Kempner | 272 |
The Spirit of the Century | 274 | |
| Christian and Moslem at the Gate of Europe | ||
| The Universal Worship of the Future | ||
| Bahai Congresses at Stuttgart and San Francisco | ||
| From Dr. Auguste Forel | ||
Persian Section | 287 | |
The Magazine, published monthly by the Bahai Temple Unity Room 450, 503 South Dearborn St., Chicago
Albert Vail, Editor, Edna M. True, Business Manager, Persian Editor, Dr. Zia M. Bagdadi, Mirza Ahmad Sohrab. Subscriptions: $3.00 per year; 25 cents a copy. Two copies to same name and address $5.00 per year. Please send change of address by the middle of the month and be sure to send old as well as new address. Kindly send all communications and make postoffice orders and checks payable to BAHAI NEWS SERVICE, P. O. Box 283, Chicago, Illinois, U. S. A. Entered as second class matter April 9, 1911 at the postoffice at Chicago, Ill. under the Act of March 3, 1879. Acceptance for mailing at special rate of postage provided for in Section 1103, Act of October 3, 1917, authorized September 1, 1922.
--PHOTO--
MASHREQ 'UL-AZKAR LOUIS BOURGEOIS Architect
A universal house of worship now being built at Wilmette, just north of Chicago, by those in all lands who are working for universal religion and peace. This Temple will be open to all religions, sects and peoples and is dedicated to the Oneness of God and the oneness of mankind, the union of science and religion, to universal education and the fundamental oneness of religions.
JANUARY, 1923
A TEMPLE OF UNIVERSAL RELIGIONTHE foundations for the first Bahai Temple in the Western World were started at Wilmette, on March 21, 1921, the first day of spring. To the Bahais this is symbolic of the spiritual springtime now breaking over the world, "the springtime of the oneness of mankind."
Baha means the effulgence of the sun as it first shines over the horizon. A Bahai is one who follows and spreads the light of the Sun of Truth in this new day of unity. "To be a Bahai simply means to love all the world; to love humanity and try to serve it; to work for universal peace and universal brotherhood." These were the words of Abdul Bahá as be entered New York City on his celebrated visit to the United States in 1912.
Abdul Bahá was born in Teheran, Persia, May 23, 1844. His father, Bahá 'Ullah, a nobleman of Teheran, was the great revealer of the universal principles which with their glad tidings of oneness and peace are now spreading to all religions and peoples.
"The darkness of ignorance," said Abdul Baha to a friend from the West, "had made gloomy the horizon of the East. Religious prejudices from one side, the darkness of racial fanaticism from another, political prejudices from another side, self-attachment and personal interests and motives—all these had made the horizons of the East darker than night. At such a time the Dawn of Guidance, His Highness the Supreme, the Bab, appeared, His Holiness Baha 'Ullah, like a sun shone forth, and this darkness was converted into light. And these lights are nothing but the teachings of Bahá 'Ullah."
Because his teachings were too far ahead of his time Bahá 'Ullah was with his family exiled from city to city and at last, in 1868, was imprisoned in the desolate barracks of Acca in the Holy Land. Abdul Bahá was there a prisoner for forty years. But from that prison city in Palestine Bahá 'Ullah and Abdul Baha, despite the winds of persecution, spread the light of their teachings through all the world. Because of their universality and divine dynamic these teachings are now uniting members of all races and religions. They hold before us the glorious hope of a unified humanity.
Today the center of the Bahai Cause and the Guardian of its unity is Shoghi Effendi, the grandson of Abdul Baha.
In the universal religion of the future, Abdul Bahá tells us, there will be built in all lands universal houses of worship open to all sects and religions. These temples will embody the principles of the new day of world unity.
BAHAI PRINCIPLES
THE LIGHT OF THE NEW DAY
THE teachings of Bahá 'Ullah are the breaths of the Holy Spirit that create men anew." "They are the light of this age and the spirit of this century."
"Praise be to God that the Sun of Reality has shone forth with the utmost brilliancy from the eastern horizon. The regions of the world are flooded with Its light. There are many rays to this Sun.
"The first ray is heavenly teachings.
"The second ray is the oneness of the world of humanity.
"The third ray is the establishment of universal peace.
"The fourth ray is the investigation of reality.
"The fifth ray is the promulgation of universal fellowship.
"The sixth ray is the inculcation of divine love through the power of religion.
"The seventh ray is the conformity of religion with science and reason.
"The eighth ray is the abandonment of religious, racial, patriotic and political prejudices.
"The ninth ray is the universal spread of education.
"The tenth ray is the organization of the arbitral court of justice, or parliament of man before the members of which all the international and intergovernmental problems are arbitrated.
"The eleventh ray is the equality of the sexes—the giving of the same educational facilities to women as to men so that they may become adorned with all the virtues of humanity.
"The twelfth ray is the solution of all the economic problems of the world so that each individual member of humanity may enjoy the utmost comfort and well-being.
"The thirteenth ray is the spread of an auxiliary language.
"Just as the rays of the phenomenal sun are infinite likewise the rays of the Sun of Reality are infinite. This summary contains only a few of its rays.
"The spreading of these rays will deliver the world of humanity from the darkness of ignorance, strangeness and narrowness and will guide it to the center of all these rays. Then the foundation of warfare and strife, animosity and hatred will be destroyed from amongst the people and the misunderstandings existing between the religions will be dispelled. The foundation of the religions of God is one and that is the oneness of the world of humanity."—Quoted from an article written by Abdul Bahá for The Asiatic Quarterly, April, 1913.
DESCRIPTION OF THE NEW TEMPLE
THE model of the Temple was recently on exhibition at the Kivorkian Galleries in New York and the Art Institute in Chicago, where it attracted great attention because of its exquisite and unique architectural beauty. As a well-known sculptor said: 'At first you think it is Oriental. But no, it is something quite new.' Some architects speak of it as the most original idea in architecture for centuries. It blends the great classic forms of the past into a new synthesis, as the Bahai teachings bring the essential spiritual and social principles of the different religions into a new simplicity and oneness. The tracery on the dome weaves the symbols of the world religions into one blended pattern of a new beauty. There you will find the Greek cross, and the Roman cross, the Crescent, the Jewish triangles, the five-pointed stars of the limited unities of the past, the nine-pointed star of the universal unity of the future.
"The Temple with its nine doors will be set in the centre of a circular garden symbolizing the all-inclusive circle of God's unity. Nine pathways will lead to the nine doors, and each one coming down the pathway of his own sect or religion or trend of thought will leave at the door the dogmas that separate and, under the dome of God's oneness, all will become one. There they will worship morning and evening, using those teachings of love and unity which all divine religions hold in common. Around the central dome there will be nine chapels. In these chapels will be found the sacred scriptures of the world's great religions.
The Temple will be always open to every one to come, study, and worship. At night it will be brilliantly lighted and the light will shine forth through the tracery of the dome, a beacon of peace and unity rising high above Lake Michigan. The central auditorium will be 161 feet in height and diameter. Choirs of children in the galleries will chant the prayers and lead the songs in the services of worship.
"Around the central house of worship there will be built various educational and philanthropic institutions. These institutions are the expression of that universal love to all races and religions which is the spirit of the new age. Altogether these institutions will form what Abdul Baha calls the 'Mashreq'ul Azkar' or 'The Dawning Point of Praises,'—praises to God in loving service to mankind. 'When,' he writes, 'these institutions, college, hospital, hospice and establishments for the incurables, university for the study of higher sciences and advanced educational courses, and various philanthropic buildings are built, the doors will be open to all the nations and all religions. There will be drawn absolutely no line of demarkation. The charities will be dispensed irrespective of color and race. The gates will be flung wide to mankind; prejudice toward none, love for all. The central building will be devoted to the purposes of prayer and worship. Thus for the first time religion will become harmonized with science and science will be the handmaid of religion, both showering their material and spiritual gifts on all humanity.'"
(Quoted from The Christian Register, Boston, Mass.)
THE STRUCTURE OF THE BAHAI TEMPLE
From an address given before the Wilmette Chapter of the American Association of Engineers, November 2, 1922 by Major Henry J. Burt, the Engineer of the Temple.
THE Temple in Wilmette will be a beautiful building. It will be rich in decoration consistently carried out. Its color will be nearly white, which is appropriate for a structure of this monumental character. The Temple is being built from plans made by Mr. Louis Bourgeois, an architect of many years' experience and great artistic ability. The design was selected in a competition among a number of architects, held in New York City in 1919. All of the competitors were of the Bahai faith, and thus had the inspiration and enthusiasm of their religious belief to aid them in their efforts. In presenting his design Mr. Bourgeois submitted a model of the building which he had molded and carved largely with his own hands—a most painstaking and tedious work. This model was sent to Chicago and exhibited at the Art Institute in May 1921. As soon as a suitable place is available at the Temple it will be reassembled there. This model was so carefully made that it was closely followed in making full size detail drawing.
The location of the building is in the southeast section of Wilmette. On the east and northeast is Sheridan Road, with an unobstructed outlook upon Lake Michigan. Northeasterly the view is across the Wilmette Harbor and the Lake Front Park of Wilmette. To the west and northwest the property is bounded by the Drainage Channel and across the channel is the park area which was recently contributed to the Wilmette Park Board. By these surroundings the Temple is protected against the encroachment of other buildings on all sides save the south and as this will probably be residence property permanently, there will not be any serious interference. In all other directions no buildings are likely to be erected within a distance of one thousand feet. For the most part the ground is about twenty-five feet above the lake level. There will be a terraced approach to form the base of the Temple. From this terrace steps will lead up to the main floor, nine feet higher.
The portion of the structure which is now enclosed is the basement. The top of the present construction is the first floor level. The top of the terrace will be at the top of the outside wall and the sloping surface from this wall inward is the base for the steps that will encircle the superstructure.
The superstructure, for convenience of description, can be divided into three sections.
The first section extends from the main floor to the first gallery, the second section from the first gallery to the second gallery and the third section from the second gallery to the top of the dome.
At each of the balcony levels there are large windows, partially screened by tracery, which would give ample light in day time and which will stand out in great brilliance when the structure is lighted at night.
The extreme height of the structure from the first floor to the pinnacle of the dome is 161 feet.
The height of the first gallery above the main floor is 36 feet and the distance from the first gallery to the second gallery is 45 feet.
The distance from the second gallery to the base of the dome is 19 feet.
The height of the dome proper, leaving out of account the projecting ribs, is 49 feet.
The minarets guarding the first story of the structure rise to a height of 45 feet above the first floor.
The extreme diameter of the basement is 202 feet.
The diameter at the top of the steps is 152 feet.
The central portion of the building is a single space extending from the main floor up to the inner shell of the dome. Around this are nine rooms extending to the outer wall of the first section. One of these rooms or spaces is assigned to stairway. The others are for use as enclosed rooms. In the basement the central portion is a single room with a domed ceiling having a height of approximately 25 feet from the floor to the crown. Outside of this central area, the space can be divided according to the uses to be made of it and this has not been quite fully developed. In general, however, the space under the steps will be used for the installation of the mechanical apparatus such as the electrical switch board room, the heating coils and fans for the heating and ventilation system, for plumbing and temporarily for heating plant. The remainder of the space under the steps will be suitable for storage. It is the intention of the architect to preserve in this space all of the models which are required for molding the exterior of the building. The remainder of the basement space will be sub-divided for such uses as may be required.
There are a number of interesting structural features in connection with this building. The designer, in attacking a structure of this kind, usually begins at the top and works downward. The crowning feature of the building is, of course, the dome. The masonry of this dome is to be perforated for the purpose of admitting light from the outside during the daytime and for the purpose of throwing out light at night. The masonry is, therefore, only a screen or tracery and not a roof. The area of the perforations is about thirty percent of the area of the surface. While this masonry could be made self-supporting, it was not considered expedient to do so, so it is supported by a steel framework. This framework consists of a series of ribs, spaced about nine feet apart at the base and coming together at the top with a suitable bracing between the ribs.
This metal skeleton then forms the base for the masonry screen above it. The roof will be made of glass inside of and entirely free from the masonry dome. This will be a difficult piece of work to construct on account of its shape. It will have to be a wire glass set in metal frames. Some of the frames need to be hinged so that they can be opened for ventilation and for cleaning, more particularly for the latter purpose. Lower down comes the inner dome or ceiling. This has an independent steel framework made of arched ribs with the bracing between, similar to the framework of the outer dome. This will support the inner envelope of glass. This inner glass may be in the form of mosaics or ornament. The weight of the dome is supported at nine points. At each of these points is a group of four columns extending from the base of the dome down to the foundations.
Following the structure downward, these columns gradually accumulate the weight of the dome and the floors until in the lowest section they carry a very considerable burden amounting to about one and one half million pounds at each of the nine points.
In order to have a big central space in the basement, 72 feet in diameter, the ceiling and floor above had to be supported without the use of interior columns. To provide this support it was decided to use a reinforced concrete dome. As the dome is perfectly regular in its outline and uniformly loaded, it was not particularly difficult to design nor was it extremely difficult to construct although the construction offered some difficulties. The shell of the dome is 12 inches thick. It is reinforced with two layers of steel rods, one near the top and one near the bottom. Each of these layers is made up of rods in radial position and others in circumferential position. For its final support, this dome rests on the concrete encasements of the steel columns.
In general the framework of the structure is of reinforced concrete except the supports of the dome, which are structural steel. The structural steel consists principally of the nine groups of four columns each which extend from the basement level to the springing line of the dome and the structural steel dome framing. There are some odd members of structural steel in the first story and, of course, there is structural steel bracing between the columns. The framing of the first story outside of the dome section is of reinforced concrete as is all of the first floor framing and all of the columns other than the main columns just described.
The foundation problem is a somewhat intricate one. There are heavy loads at the nine points which support the main dome. At the other points the loads are comparatively light, carrying as they do only one floor and a roof together with walls. As a matter of sentiment as well as a matter of safety, it was desired to have the dome supported from bedrock. On this basis the foundations for the dome consist of nine piers extending to rock at a depth of 120 feet below the ground level.
The contract for the basement section, including the pile foundations, was let in August, 1921, to be completed about January first, 1922. The basement section has just been completed and, as winter is again at hand, no effort will be made to go ahead with the superstructure until spring.
THE UNIVERSAL APPEAL OF THE TEMPLE
FROM all parts of the world, Persia, India, Egypt, Japan, France, England, Germany, Australia, from Haifa and Acca and Addasieh in Palestine, and from many other countries contributions are coming in to build the Bahai Temple in Chicago which will rise a magnificent testimony to universal religion and brotherhood. In similar fashion the Bahais of the world united to build the universal Temple in Eskabad, Russia. Women of Persia sold their jewelry to complete the last payment and furnish the gilding for its shining dome. One of the relatives of the Báb gave his whole fortune to build this Mashreq 'Ul Azkar at Eskabad. A widow of Persia, earning fifty cents a day and on this sum supporting her children and herself gave half of her earnings to help build the divine edifice at Eskabad. As Abdul Bahá has said: "The Temple of Eskabad is unique in that it is the first Temple of the kind that had been erected. Many such temples will be constructed in the future but this one will ever enjoy this unique privilege and preference. When its accessories are completed and its full machinery starts running, when the melody of vocal and instrumental music arises and fills the air with its joyous strains, when the prayers and supplications made at dawn and at sunrise ascend to the throne of the Almighty—then will the effect of the Mashreq 'Ul Azkar be made evident and manifest.
"The Temple that will be erected in the United States will be an important and magnificent one; its influence and effect upon the Cause will be tremendous, and the impetus it will give to the Movement, irresistible."
In a Tablet to the Delegates of the First National Bahai Convention, held in Chicago March 21, 1909 Abdul Baha wrote: "Now is the commencement of organization, hence every affair concerning the Kingdom of God is of paramount importance. Among the most important affairs is the founding of the Masreq 'Ul Azkar.
"When the Mashreq 'Ul Azkar was founded in Eskabad its clamor affected all the cities of the Orient and caused souls to awaken (to the call). Most of the souls who investigated and heard the explanation were attracted to the Kingdom of God. . . .
"This organization of the Mashreq 'Ul Azkar will be a pattern for the coming centuries and will hold the station of the mother and thus later in other cities many Mashreq 'Ul Azkars will be its offspring."
In other Tablets Abdul Bahá wrote: "The Mashreq 'Ul Azkar in Chicago is of the greatest importance. This is a Bahai Temple, a supreme house of worship, a place of spiritual gathering and of the manifestation of Divine Mysteries. The friends of God must endeavor with all their hearts and souls that this structure may be raised and completed."
"I hope that the friends will give the utmost importance to the Mashreq 'Ul Azkar. . . . . The American friends are greatly endeared. Therefore I desire that they may be confirmed in great achievements and become factors in the establishment of the Kingdom of God."
- O Love Immortal, beautiful and olden,
- Our eyes thy walls of splendour soon shall see,
- For we will build a temple grand and golden
- With silent hammers of eternity.
- Come let us build a city, O my brothers,
- The loveliest and holiest dream of time,
- The joy and inspiration of all others,
- Unique for beauty in an age sublime.
- Its porphyry foundations shall be builded,
- Its gates of ivory, its crystal dome;
- With golden sunlight all its towers gilded
- Shall cheer the pilgrim with the thought of home.
- Come, O my friends, the noise of war is dying,
- Its clouds are melting to a peerless blue,
- And everywhere are voices gaily crying:
- Come brothers, let us make God's dream come true!
- Come, let us help with deeds of love and pity
- The toil-worn children in a world forlorn;
- O brothers, let us build the golden city;
- Come, let us rear the temple of the morn!
CABLEGRAM FROM THE GUARDIAN OF THE CAUSE
| CLASS OF SERVICE DESIRED | |
| Full Rate | |
| Half Rate Deferred | |
| Cable Letter | |
| Week End Letter | |
Patrons should mark an 'X' opposite the class of service desired; OTHERWISE THE CABLEGRAM WILL BE TRANSMITTED AT FULL RATES.
WESTERN UNION
WESTERN UNION AND CABLE
CABLEGRAM
NEWCOMB CARLTON, PRESIDENT
GEORGE W. E. ATKINS, FIRST VICE-PRESIDENT
Form 2903
Number
Number of Words
Time Filed
Send the following Cablegram, subject to the terms
on back thereof, which are hereby agreed to
A125NYMT 44 VIA HX DEC 16-22
HAIFA 730 AM
LCO BELIEVERS IN AMERICA CARE ALUNT
BOSTON
THE ONWARD MARCH OF THE CAUSE HATH NOT BEEN NOR CAN IT EVER BE STAYED. I PRAY THE ALLMIGHTY THAT MY EFFORTS NOW REFRESHED AND RENEWED MAY WITH YOUR UNDIMINISHED SUPPORT LEAD IT TO GLORIOUS VICTORY
SHOGHI
Facsimile of a message just received from Shoghi Effendi, the first since his return to Haifa.
THOSE who live in the depths of a small, narrow valley, and make no effort to climb the lofty mountains by which they are beset—such people never behold the landscape stretching beyond the hills; they know not what the mountains may conceal.
But he who makes the mighty effort, leaving behind him the narrow valley of human selfishness and ease; he who has the supreme courage and strength to gain the summit, for him the invisible becomes visible; for him the infinite divine horizons are unfolded, and that which was hidden behind the mountains is revealed.
One of those recurrent visions that come again and again, whenever selfishness and greed and fear are truly overcome—that landscape which ever greets with its beauty the soul who reaches the highest hill—is the vision of a united humanity, a single faith, one worship, one law, one God. To this every traveler in the world spirit has testified, and their testimony ever agrees. We find this vision singing in the words of Isaiah; Augustine, in his great work "The City of God" rediscovered it; its perception haunted the great souls in the Middle Ages; today once more the people of magnanimity like Emerson have testified eloquently that the same spiritual landscape still exists. You may search the records of the vision of every people, East and West, North and South—wherever the soul becomes articulate, its speech is the praise of that which it beholds before it, beyond the hills.
To these witnesses, that vision is reality, and the world's division, suffering and pain is an unreality they have forever left behind. By and for and in that reality they have lived and died.
But their witness is incredible to the people in the darkness of the valley. In the valley, the description of the landscape beyond the hills seems no more than an empty dream, a denial of the plainest facts confronting one on every hand. Here, reality is the struggle for existence, the survival of those who are "fit", a constant and painful effort to gather fruit from trees on which the sun too seldom shines. That such a fruitful landscape lies on the other side of death, many in the valley will agree; but that it lies on the other side of sacrifice here and now, this they repudiate, this they vehemently deny. And their repudiation and their denial are sanctified by those to whom they are accustomed to turn for authority in matters that pertain to the life of the soul.
That faith has had no visible victory in any era of recorded time, is all too evident; that the vision of human brotherhood never seemed so dim, so unreal, so legendary as in this troubled age, is no less apparent.
Nevertheless, it is well to recall that some hundreds of years ago Leonardo da Vinci drew plans for the construction of a machine that would fly. In his day, even the thought of aviation was inconceivable. The failure of his efforts appeared to his neighbors like the judgment of an offended Providence against one who had attempted to contravene the divine law.
But now that aviation has become a commonplace occurrence in this age of scientific progress, what are we to say of da Vinci?
In the world of thought, da Vinci achieved aviation—in the world of thought he stood abreast of the people of today. It was in the world of material fact, and in this world only, that da Vinci failed. He failed only because certain material conditions had not yet been fulfilled. He had no suitable motive power, no suitable structural elements such as we now have. But the principle of flight was certainly his—and time itself has worked to vindicate his aspiration.
Therefore we see that there are two worlds—the world of vision and the world of outward fact. Vision ever precedes fact—vision creates fact. For the world of vision is the world of causes; the world of outward fact is the world of effects. That which exists in the world of vision must eventually come to existence also in the world of fact. The world of fact cannot resist the world of vision, any more than the earth can resist the growth of the seed that are sown. For the earth is composed of the very substance of vegetation—and in like manner, the world of effects is composed of the substance of vision. Where the earth is too scanty for vegetation—where the earth resists the growth of the seed, there the stunted vegetation rots and goes back to the earth; and when this has happened season after season, the earth is fertilized by the very vegetation it seemed to resist. So humanity, denying the spiritual world, resisting the growth and development of the life of spirit, is gradually spiritualized by the influences it destroys, or rather seems to destroy.
Thus if we consider once more the recurrent vision of human brotherhood, righteousness and unified faith: since this reality has ever existed in the world of perception, the world of causes, it must also come to existence in the world of outer fact. For the separation of these two worlds is not the eternal separation of life and death, or good and evil, or light and darkness; rather their separation is that of cause and effect. It is a separation which lies in time, and lying in time, is also joined by time. As the tree is the effect of the seed, but the tree and the seed are separated by time, yet connected in time; so also human brotherhood is the effect of the soul, the fruit of the soul, and the long agony of the soul's sacrifice is not only the measure of the duration of time but also the measure of time's meaning.
For there must needs be concurrent conditions for the realization of brotherhood, just as there had to be concurrent conditions for the realization of mechanical flight. Just as the thought of flight remained perfect, unchanging in the world of causes until certain conditions had been established in the material
world, so the vision of peace on earth has existed perfect and unchanging, a landscape beyond the hills of sacrifice and endeavor, until little by little those outer conditions might be established of which peace and righteousness are the consummation, the purpose, the motive, the fruit. Never has the man of faith denied the reality of human brotherhood, but in all ages his concern has been to further the inner and outer preparations for its eventual victory.
Let us not be deceived by the apparent predominance of hatred, suspicion and the desire for material conquest in this age.
Nine years ago a child might have traveled from Berlin to Paris in a few hours, without danger, without annoyance. A year later, in 1914, more than a million men attempted to make that journey, and not one man arrived. Why was this? Not one man arrived because they came on conquest, and coming on conquest they raised up forces of opposition that proved mightier than they.
This is a new condition in the world of humanity. Hitherto, no power has existed strong enough to resist empire except the mysterious power of time. Rome was overthrown, overthrown at last, but Rome was overthrown so slowly that people did not perceive the seeds of Rome's downfall were sown by the first legions Rome sent forth to conquer the world. Hence arose, in all past ages, the apparent justification of conquest and the apparent unreality of love: that the effects of ambition and greed were so separated from their causes that the people could not realize that cause and effect are actually one.
But today, cause and are no longer mysteriously separated by time, or place, or personality. The material unity of all races and all countries, and their complete interdependence upon one and the same economic organization, has created a condition wherein spiritual motive and material consequence are as inseparable as the heart and the mind of the same man.
There is an old saying about "those who fish in troubled waters" which we can complete by adding the words "must stand on dry land". That is, to profit by others' domination one must stand beyond the consequences of their domination. Today no immunity exists or is possible for any individual or group. For men are no longer associated together as self-sustaining groups, but each community has become an essential wheel or lever in the one world machine—an essential organ or limb in the one body of humanity.
In the light of this new condition let us perceive the sequences in which vision, as cause, becomes reality, as effect.
The origin of love, in evolving humanity, is sympathy, and sympathy is the sharing of the same danger, or suffering, or pain. So long as humanity stood divided from itself, in separate races and religions, so long was sympathy confined in its action to the separate community, and the result of sympathy, love, expressed itself as loyalty to the one nation and the one creed. Therefore love ever resisted and overthrew its own desire, since loyalty to the one nation and the one creed involved opposition to other nations and other creeds. Today, just as injury to one part of a body is injury to all parts, so injury to any portion of humanity has its effects upon all other portions. The very universality of suffering in this age has overthrown the foundations of limited loyalty, and the mutual danger we face through warfare or economic disaster is the pledge of a common sympathy as inevitable as the rising of tomorrow's sun.
If we seek for confirmation of this in one another's spiritual limitations, however, we may seek in vain. For just as an imperfect mirror exaggerates every image, so in our imperfection of thought and love do we tend to confirm each other in our selfishness rather than in our aspiration for the common good. Without some source wherein each may find his own perfection steadfastly set forth, we shall continue as it were in the narrow and endless valley of self, increasing the crisis of modern existence until another and greater war engulf us all.
Abdul Baha's spiritual influence alone can overcome the bitterness of suspicion and the habit of hate.
Abdul Bahá has brought back in its fulness the ancient, the timeless vision of
brotherhood, righteousness, peace and love. Abdul Bahá has given this vision an expression in word and deed which transcends every limitation of race, of class, of nation and of creed. No community can claim Abdul Bahá for their own spiritual leader, and make his inspiration the justification of separateness, as men have done with every spiritual leader of the past. In the divisions of humanity he has arisen as the true center and point of unity, a mirror reflecting the light of one love and one teaching to every horizon. As each community, seeking relief from its own restrictions and its sufferings, turns to Abdul Bahá for guidance, it finds all other communities illumined in the same compassionate love.
When a reporter of the New York Globe visted Abdul Bahá at Haifa a few years ago in the course of an investigation of the Zionist movement in Palestine, Abdul Bahá gave her this message: "Tell my followers that they have no enemies to fear, no foes to hate. Man's only enemy is himself".
It means nothing how many or how few Abdul Baha's followers may be at this moment here or in other parts of the world. That message was the expression of the reality emerging from the present era of confusion, of trouble, of unrest, of universal change. To receive that message from the lips of Abdul Baha at the time it was uttered is to be forewarned and forearmed; but the message is unescapable, soon or late, by reason of the actual conditions of the world. Abdul Baha recorded the spiritual evolution that went on behind and within the material evolution of this age. He witnessed for us the victory of faith.
As one considers the strife that is taking place everywhere today, one recalls the ancient story of Atman the king.
One day Atman summoned his four sons to his presence and said:
"My sons, because you expect to share this mighty kingdom after my departure, you are making no effort to develop in yourselves any capacity or any worthiness. As you are my sons I love you, but I also have a duty to my people. Therefore go forth, each of you, into the world, and to him who best proves his worthiness I shall leave the kingdom."
So the four sons went forth, one to the East, one to the West, one to the South, one to the North. And as each had inherited of the father's capacity, so each made a mighty effort to develop worthiness, and each rose to leadership in the country where he lived.
Then having become a leader in his country, each of the four sons remembered his father's promise, and set forth to return to Atman's capital and claim the right of inheritance. So each set forth on the way, bringing with him a mighty following of soldiers and servants that Atman his father might realize how worthy he had become.
Now arriving on the great plain before the gates of the city, each brother beheld the army of the other also arriving, the army of the East with the banner of the dragon, the army of the West with the banner of the eagle, the army of the North with the banner of the bear, and the army of the South with the banner of the palm. But seeing these other banners, each brother thought that hostile armies had gathered to destroy the kingdom of his father Atman, and to defend his father each brother led his army against the other armies on the plain.
By reason of their courage, the four brothers fought at the head of their armies, where the banner was upheld, and in the course of a few hours all the banners were thrown down and the four leaders wounded.
Then the armies, the banners thrown down and the ranks hopelessly intermingled, ceased to fight, and around the four brothers as they lay wounded a circle of mourning soldiers stood in silence.
Then the oldest brother, feeling his heart's blood ebb away, raised his voice in a mighty cry of grief and lamentation:
"O Atman, my O my father, Atman the king! Bitter enemies surround thy city, and they shall lay it waste and slay thee in the midst. Gladly have I given life thee, O my father—alas, that the enemies were too strong and I have died in vain."
So lamented the eldest brother. And when the other brothers heard him lamenting their father Atman, the king,
IN PALESTINE DURING THE GREAT WAR
then they lamented also, and more bitterly even than he, for now they knew that it was no enemy they had fought, but their own brothers they had so blindly attacked and so unwittingly harmed.
Even so the strife in which we are all engaged, even now—strife political, strife economic, strife social, strife religious. This is not an ordinary strife; like the battle of the four brothers, it is the universal combat which precedes mutual recognition and prepares for the Most Great Peace in the hearts of men. For there is no recognition possible between the strangeness of our customs and the intensity of our desires, but recognition is in and through the common fatherhood of God, reconciliation is in and through obedience to the one universal Will.
Let us not be dismayed by this frantic confusion of strife. It is the final and complete expression of divine love, compelling humanity to destroy the foundations of its own injustice and greed. Were there to be no such universally disastrous consequences of age-long injustice, the divine compassion would be entirely absent from the arena of human affairs. This period of universally disastrous consequences is that which they have ever warned humanity, the witnesses of God from age to age. All the spiritual witnesses return in this age of fulfillment. They speak in the voice of Abdul Baha.
Written in Palestine During the Great War
IIIIN the evening, when the believers were sitting in his benign presence, Abdul Baha said: "All the people are sacrificing their lives for the sake of the worthless (valueless) earth. They are not adorers of God, but worshippers of the ground. Were they giving up their lives in the path of God the results would be everlasting. But now what benefits do they receive? If one soul is martyred for the sake of Truth eternally will he shine from the horizon of glory. Yet, during the last six months probably more than one million living, breathing youths have been left on the battlefields, dead, and soon their names will be forgotten! In a few years who will care to know about them as individuals? The historians of each country will no doubt compile the history of the salient events of this tremendous struggle, for the benefit of the reading public, but the public as a mass is indifferent, heedless and forgetful. Only the noble minds of a few will grasp the general meaning of these world-shaking events. Our hope is that the differences will be settled soon and friendly relations based upon sound and permanent foundations will be established."
An old man passed by. The Master called him and asked after his health. Then he put into the palm of his hand an English pound, and prayed for him thus: "May thy body be at peace, thy mind be at peace, thy thoughts be at peace, thy soul be at peace and thy spirit be at peace."
When he left, the Master said: "The name of this old man is Rustam Effendi. He has served me in many ways. He has now become very poor. I was looking for an opportunity to help him and this was the proper time."
While he was talking a carriage stopped in the middle of the street and the stout occupant jumped down and came toward us. He greeted the Master; then, after a few words, he returned to his carriage.
The Master said: "This man is Asaad Bey. When we were in Acca years ago he came to me one day and said, 'Master, I am the most miserable man! I am seeking good fortune but it eludes me at every turn. I long to be prosperous, but ill luck pursues me. If I touch gold it turns into copper. If I hold a green leaf in my hand it becomes sear and yellow. I have lost all my possessions and with them all my faith. Please pray for me that God may help me.' I gave him some money and, that night, I supplicated at the Holy Threshold of the Blessed Perfection that he might receive assistance. The next day he was offered a government position with a good salary. Then negligence overtook him, and he became so proud that he would not even speak to me. When, later, a Kurdish Motosarref came to Acca he intrigued against us, carried false reports and was even so arrogant as to wish me to offer him a bribe as the price of silence! I did not say anything to him. Later he repented his deeds."
When we entered the hotel and while we were drinking our coffee the Master spoke about severance from and attachment to the things of this world.
"The realization of these two opposite attitudes in a single individual is very rare. In the Bahai Cause it is taught that we must devote the utmost attention to the pursuit of our worldly affairs but at the same time be severed from all else save God. How can the mind and heart be entirely free, and detached from every pursuit, yet occupied with the solution of material problems? This is a most subtle, psychological question. To be in the water and not to get wet; to go through the fire and not to be burned—these are opposite, irreconcilable conditions. Still, in the spiritual world these two antipodes must meet and the two qualities of severance and attachment must be harmoniously combined."
On our return home there was quite a large meeting of the believers and Abdul Baha said: "I went out to return the morning call of the German officer. While I was there the Gaemmagam entered the room. According to what they said hundreds of thousands of people have been killed during the past few months. What cruel minds there are! What demoniacal hearts are found! What diabolical thoughts are portrayed! What devilish engines are at work! What black souls are discovered! What satanic schemes are unearthed! What dark imaginations are brooding over infernal plans! All their demoniacal policies work for the destruction of the conqueror and the conquered. The countries of both sides are laid waste. The people of the opposing nations are butchered. The homes of the governments are ruined and civilization on both sides is annihilated."
It was still raining when we rode away and picked up Mirza Mohsen at the other end of the town. There was a heavy sea rolling and the clean sandy beach was constantly being washed by the huge waves. The sight was sublime. Many Arabs, both men and women were walking along, bare-foot, and carrying on their backs heavy loads. There was one especially interesting, an Amazonian-looking woman who carried a bed on her head, a large mat rolled up and tied to her shoulders and a child in her arms. The Master was amused to see this because the woman was entirely unmindful of her load and trudged along perfectly happy and unconcerned.
The Master said: "There are certain forms of work which are beyond human endurance and others which are within it; and these differ greatly according to the early environment and training of each individual. For example, Mirza Mohsen here, could not walk bare-footed, as these Arabs do, on such a rainy day as this. He would catch cold and be in bed for a month. But the Arabs go through it day after day and grow healthier and stronger. The struggling, winning, successful man is he who accustoms himself to the accomplishment of those things which are considered to be beyond human endurance. Only a soul thus great can stand the tests of life and come out of the crucible pure and unspotted. (But) if one cannot rise to this height he can
at least school himself to perform the tasks which are within the range of his endurance. If a man cannot qualify in one of these two classes he becomes a social burden."
This morning the Master sat for some hours in the delightful warm sunshine. Many stopped and talked with him. He inspired everyone to be firm and calm in these trying days. His cheerful voice went straight to the hearts and caused sad faces to smile and laugh—even while the warship was slowly passing before us. At noon Sheikh Saleh took dinner with us. He says he will not leave Acca until he can take the Master with him to Abou Senan.
In the afternoon we were all summoned into the presence of Abdul Baha. Meanwhile the Commissioner of Police was ushered into the room also. In the course of the conversation Abdul Bahá said: "The citizens of a country are like the various members and organs of the body. So long as the brain and the nervous system are coordinate in their functions there will be no jar in the constitution. But when they fall out of harmony great disturbances become manifest. In like manner, when the government represents ideals of progress and justice the people will advance and progress in their activities. Ideal cooperation will bind together the hearts and strike at the root of poverty for preventable poverty is a source of all misery and evil. The rulers must be filled with mercy and solicitude for the condition of the unfortunates."
Because this is Christmas eve I cannot entertain you better than to relate to you some of the charming stories which fell from the lips of the Master this evening:
"When I was in Mazandaran I was a wee bit of a child and enjoyed all the fun and play belonging to that age. In our town we had a man by the name of Aga Raheem who was the overseer of our shepherds. One day he came to our house and asked my mother to let him take me to a country barbecue to be given by the shepherds. After some urging on his part permission was granted, and I was glad of the chance to take part in an outdoor entertainment.
"Aga Raheem took me with him and soon we were out in the country. He led me through green valleys and beautiful pastures till we reached the foot of a lofty mountain. Here we had to walk through a narrow defile and then by a zig-zag road and with much difficulty slowly to ascend to the summit. When we arrived at the top I was surprised to find myself on a vast, verdant, table-land which was no other than the pasture-land of our cattle. I still feel the exhilarating breeze which greeted my checks on that clear day!
"Exclusive of horses and cows there were about four thousand head of sheep and goats belonging to us, while a few thousand more were the property of other owners. But all were grazing peacefully on this broad plateau. It was a most charming, ideal, pastoral scene and, from afar, I could see many shepherds and shepherdesses. We rode on a few minutes longer and then, under a spacious bower I was welcomed by some eighty or more shepherds who were clamoring to salute me. They were all dressed in their best clothes for this was a gala day. To me it was a noble and attractive sight.
"On that morning about fifteen sheep had been killed and prepared in the cool-flowing spring near by; then the shepherds had stuck them on long iron rods to be roasted. Huge, spectacular campfires were burning and while the sheep were roasting the shepherds sang folk songs and danced their charming peasant dances. When noon came they all sat on the green grass and feasted, with extraordinary appetites, upon the well-seasoned, toothsome meat. . . . . . .
"When evening drew nigh and the hour of our leave-taking approached all the shepherds gathered around us and in their farewell speeches hinted that they expected me to give them some gifts as is customary with the landlords in these parts. I asked Aga Raheem what it was all about and told him that as I was such a little child they should not expect me to make gifts and, moreover, I had brought nothing with me. Aga Raheem replied: 'This will not do. You are the
master of all these shepherds and I do not like to think what they will say if you leave this place without giving them something.'
"I was indeed in a dilemma but after thinking a moment the idea came to me to give each shepherd a few sheep from our own flocks. I communicated the idea to the overseer who was rather pleased with it; and it was announced in a solemn tone, and immediately acted upon. When at last we reached home, and my act of generosity was related to the Blessed Perfection, he laughed very much over it and said: 'We must appoint a guardian to protect Aga—master—from his own liberality; else, some day, he may give himself away'."
THE following article is a summary of a little book of great interest to students of comparative religions: The Religion of the Sikhs, by Dorothy Field, in The Wisdom of the East Series; E. P. Dutton and Company, New York.
Few of us probably know more than the name, Sikh, which we associate with a warlike, stalwart race of Northern India. Yet the religion of the Sikhs is one of the most interesting existing now in India. It is of particular interest because it attempted as long as five centuries ago to unite Islam and Hinduism. While failing in this attempt, it succeeded in binding together, like Judaism of old, a whole race into a nation by reason of their faith.
The founder of the religion, Nanak, was born in 1469. His parents were strict Hindus, but the boy met early with the religious teachers and reformers of his day and, learning Persian, became acquainted with the Mohammedan doctrine. When nine years old, he was to be initiated into his caste by a Brahman priest but, protesting against the formality, he composed the following hymn:
- "Make mercy thy cotton, contentment thy thread, continence its knot, truth its twist.
- That would make a janen (sacred thread) for the soul; if thou hast it, Brahman, then put it on me.
- It will not break, nor become soiled, nor be burned nor lost.
- Blessed the man who goeth with such a thread on his neck."
Later, Nanak lived the life of a religious teacher—Guru—wandering from place to place and chanting his teachings to the accompaniment of an instrument. He made many converts among the Brahmans, protesting against formalism whether Mohammedan or Hindu. He taught the existence of an all-powerful and loving Creator, who must be approached with sincerity and simplicity. He discouraged ascetic practices, was himself married, taught that true religion was in the heart, whatever might be the walk in life. Before his death, in 1538, he appointed his successor, whom he had previously subjected to severe tests. Later this became hereditary.
Nine Gurus followed Nanak and spread the doctrines which were preached not in Sanscrit, as the Hindu scriptures, but in the language of the people. When the Sikhs (disciples) became more powerful persecution began. The fifth Guru was martyred; the sixth took up arms. Having always valued fine physique and healthiness, both of mind and body, the ensuing historic development served to strengthen these qualities. Another Guru was murdered by a Moghul ruler and from that time on the bitterest enmity existed between Sikhs and Mohammedans. The last Guru died in 1708, and the religious teachings as well as the laws for daily life having by this time been sufficiently and definitely stated in their holy books, there was no need for a new Guru. In their refuge among the hills
THE RELIGION OF THE SOLDIER—SIKHS
of Northern India the Sikhs kept alive the flame of religious zeal and maintained themselves as a separate nation. They marched against the English in the Sikh-wars of 1845 and 1847; later became intensely loyal to their English masters, saved the Empire in 1857 and have always stood by them since.
Sikhism lays its greatest stress upon the unity and omnipotence of God. The way of salvation is by finding the right Guru (Teacher). Simplicity of life, meditation, good works and association with holy men are the means.
The following excerpts from hymns will illustrate the Sikh teachings:
"There is but one God whose name is true, the Creator, the Powerful, devoid of fear and enmity, immortal, unborn, self-existent; by the favour of the Guru. Repeat His name. The True One was in the beginning; the True One was in the primal age. The True One is now also—the True One also shall be. . . . . Sing and hear and put His love into your hearts. Thus shall your sorrows be removed, and you shall be absorbed in Him who is the abode of happiness.
"Under the Guru's instruction God's word is heard; under the Guru's instruction is knowledge acquired; under the Guru's instruction man learns that God is everywhere contained. . . . . If I knew Him should I not describe Him? "He cannot be described by words.
My Guru hath explained one thing to me—
That there is but one Bestower on all living beings; may I not forget Him.
If I please Him, that is my place of pilgrimage to Bakim;
If I please Him not, what ablutions shall I make?
What can all the created beings I behold obtain without previous good acts?
Precious stones, jewels and gems shall be treasured up in thy heart, if thou hearkenest to even one word of the Guru.
By hearing the Name, truth, contentment and divine knowledge are obtained.
Hearing the Name is equal to bathing at the places of pilgrimage.
By hearing and reading it man obtaineth honor.
By hearing the Name the mind is composed and fixed on God.
Nanak, the saints are ever happy.
By hearing the Name sorrow and sin are no more."
- Sing the praises of God from whom the supreme reward is obtained.
- What is devotion, what penance and austerities, what fasting and ablutions,
- Unless thou knowest the way to love and serve God?
- Be not glad at the sight of prosperity and grieve not at the sight of adversity;
- As is prosperity, so is adversity; what God proposeth shall be accomplished.
- Saith Kabir, through the saints I now know in my heart
That the worshipper in whose heart God dwelleth, performeth the best worship.
- Humility is the word, forbearance the virtue, civility the priceless spell:
- Make these three thy dress, O sister, and the Spouse
- Shall come into thy power.
- There are few saints,
- Who, though wise, are simple,
- Though strong, are weak,
- And, though having not, divide what they have.
- Utter not one disagreeable word, since the True Lord is in all men.
- Distress no one's heart; every heart is a priceless jewel.
- All men's hearts are jewels; to distress them is by no means good;
- If thou desirest the Beloved, distress no one's heart.
MOSLEMS AND CHRISTIANS AT THE GATE OF EUROPE
FOR thirteen centuries two great divisions of the human race, two vast armies, the children of the one God, Christians and Moslems, have struggled for the control of Europe, Africa and Asia. The Moslems have conquered most of Africa and a large part of Asia; the Christians have held the better part of Europe and part of Asia. Mohammedanism is today the most rapidly growing religion in the world. In the last hundred years it has won fifty million converts in Africa and many millions in India and China. Today Moslems and Christians continue the struggle for the mastery of the world.
But neither religion can now convert the other to its creeds. The experience of recent centuries has proved such conversion to be impossible. The only solution of the centuries of conflict is for Christians and Moslems to understand, appreciate and love each other and to unite in one universal brotherhood as the children of the One Universal God.
When he spoke in the Central Congregational Church in 1912 in New York City Abdul Bahá said: "All Islam considers the Koran the of God. In this Koran are explicit texts which are not traditional. The Koran, the Mohammedan bible, contains explicit texts that His Holiness Christ was the Word of God, that he was the Spirit of God, that Jesus Christ came into the world through the resuscitation of the Holy Spirit, that his birth was through the Holy Spirit and that Her Grace Mary was holy and sanctified."
"Marvelous to relate when His Holiness Mohammad proclaimed his work and mission, his first objection to his own people was this: 'Why have you not believed on Jesus Christ? Why have you not accepted the Gospel? Why have you not believed in Moses?'"
A new appreciation of Islam is appearing in our western world. Hendrik Van Loon, and H. G. Wells, in their delightful and popular histories describe the splendor of Mohammedan civilization and Europe's debt to Saracen science, culture and learning. They realize the glory of the fruits of the tree of Islam, but seem to forget that, as Jesus said, we know the tree by its fruits. A bad tree cannot bear good fruits. The tree of Islam was Mohammed's life and teachings; the fruits the Moslem saints and heroes, the Saracen civilization which was for five or six centuries the brightest in the world. Such fruits prove the tree to be of divine planting.
Professor T. W. Arnold of London University in his remarkable book, The Preaching of Islam has pointed the way to a real understanding of Mohammed and the Moslem saints and heroes. Carlyle over fifty years ago opened the door to a true appreciation of Mohammed in his Heroes and Hero Worship. Sir Edwin Arnold, in 1882, in his introduction to his beautiful poems, Pearls of Faith or Islam's Rosary, wrote: "The soul of Islam is its declaration of the unity of God: its heart is the inculcation of an absolute resignation to His will. Not more sublime, therefore, in religious history appears the figure of Paul the tent-maker, proclaiming the 'Unknown God' at Athens, than that of the camel-driver Muhammad, son of Abdallah and Aminah, abolishing all the idols of the Arabian Pantheon, except their chief—Allah Ta'-Alah, 'God the Most High,'—and under that ancient and well-received appellation establishing the oneness of the origin, government and life of the universe. Thereby that marvelous and gifted Teacher created a vast empire of new belief and
new civilization, and prepared a sixth part of humanity for the developments and reconciliations which later times will bring. For Islam must be conciliated: it can not be thrust scornfully aside or be rooted out. It shares the task of the education of the world with its sister religions, and it will contribute its eventual portion to 'that far-off divine event toward which the whole creation moves.'"
The new magazine, Asia, contains delightful stories revealing the charm and beauty of the lives of true Moslems. "Mohammed, Her Conqueror," published in a recent issue of this magazine is both an exquisite story of a Moslem mother and the spirit of the true Christian manifested in the teachers of Constantinople who helped her. In the December issue of Asia are exquisite pictures of Mohammedan mosques and minarets as expressions of an enduring beauty. Under one of these wonderful pictures are the words: "God is great! God is great! God is great! God is great! Five times a day, from thousands of minarets, thousands of 'muezzins' call the Moslem world to prayer. Five times a day the call echoes through the East, from Africa to far-off China, and millions of persons, different in race and language, but bound together in the great unity called 'Islam', prostrate themselves before the one God. 'I bear witness that there is no god but God.' The voice of the muezzin, following an ancient and beautiful melody, rises and falls in minor cadences. 'I bear witness that Mahomet is the prophet of God. Come to prayer!'"
Each religion has its saints and its sinners, its devils and its angels. By the side of the divine Christ there walked Peter the beloved apostle, and Judas, the satan. A Christian missionary tells of how some Mohammedan soldiers came to the town where he was living and in a frenzy of religious fanaticism massacred Christian men and women. But immediately, a Mohammedan man in that village took into his garden eight hundred of the little children left orphans and homeless by the massacre and cared for them like a true disciple of the Christ. A Mohammedan woman, in India had her two hands cut off through a cruel miscarriage of justice. While she was being tortured this woman prayed for her executioner that God would forgive him for he knew not what he was doing.
Baha 'Ullah and Abdul Baha, as they lead the members of the different religions up the vales of seclusion and prejudice to the mountain top of brotherhood have opened a glorious new era of understanding between Christians and Moslems. The Bahai-Moslems of Persia love the Christ and read the Christians' Bible with the joy of a newly discovered glory. The Bahai-Christians are able now to appreciate the sublimity of Mohammed's thought and influence. As Abdul Baha has said: "All teaching of the prophets is one; of one faith; of one divine light shining over the world. Now, all people should under the banner of the oneness of humanity turn away from prejudice, become friends and believers in all the prophets. As Christians believe in Moses so Jews should believe in Jesus. As Mohammedans believe in Christ and Moses so Christians should believe in Mohammed. Thus, all disputes would disappear, all would be united."
THE UNIVERSAL WORSHIP OF THE FUTURE
IN all ages since man became a man and realized the responsibility laid upon him through the endowment of a soul services of worship have been the fountainhead of spiritual renewal. When religion is in flower and the outpourings of the Holy Spirit are in springtime splendor, public and private worship "maketh all things new." The early Christian meetings were divine festivals of gladness. At their suppers the invisible Lord was their guest and his light was radiant in their hearts. These spiritual meetings and the continual prayers of the early Christians gave them the power to unite diverse peoples and races and to breathe a new life into the old Roman civilization.
Today all over the world services of worship are losing their spiritual vitality. A thoughtful article by Dr. Francis E. Clark in the Yale Review accuses the American people of going to church for
sermon worship. This, he thinks, partly explains the falling-off in church attendance since the minister does not exist who can preach a brilliant sermon every Sunday and do all the other things that are expected of him. The emphasis in church going should be put, he says, upon the idea of worship rather than upon the drawing power of the sermon. "Without at least a touch of mysticism worship is a cold and barren thing."
In the Bahai assemblies now found in all lands worship has regained its springtime freshness and splendor. As Abdul Baha said, the Bahais on Mount Carmel would like to spend day and night in the divine joy of prayer for to them "prayer is conversation with God." In the Bahai temples of the future, of which the great edifice now being built at Chicago is the first in America, all religions and peoples will unite together in praising and supplicating to the One Universal God, the One Father of all nations that dwell upon the earth. In these meetings the heavenly books will be read and the glorious prayers of Bahá 'Ullah and Abdul Bahá will be chanted. It will be simply with the desire to worship and praise God that all nations and races will enter the Universal House of Worship; and thus worshipping in an all-inclusive unity will their services attract an especial downpouring of the Holy Spirit for as Abdul Bahá has said, "everything universal is divine."
SPIRITUAL MEETINGS
Words of Abdul Baha
Regarding arrangements for the Bahai Sunday meeting for the purpose of worship, this is very suitable that first, prayer should be chanted and supplication made until all gather; then communion should be made. After praying, sacred readings with melodious voices should be read by all together.
Thou hast written concerning the spiritual meeting. The spiritual meeting must be in the utmost state of ecstasy and tumult. The supplications must be perused, the Tablets and Verses be read, eloquent speeches be delivered, divine proofs be explained, the audience be encouraged to enter into the Kingdom of God, news received from different parts be read and in the end they may read all together, a supplication.
The founding of these spiritual meetings is purely for the purpose of teaching; but, as the Mashreq 'Ul Azkar is not yet founded, therefore in the spiritual meetings verses are chanted, supplications and communes offered and discourses delivered. However, when the Mashreq 'Ul Azkar is organized the spiritual meetings will be devoted especially to teaching, and the place of worship will become focalized in the Mashreq 'Ul Azkar.
This Cause is proclaimed through eloquent, sincere addresses. We must unloose the tongue, spread the fragrances of God, diffuse the words of God. We must present to the public the proofs and evidences of this Cause with a tongue of fire so that souls may be exhilarated, minds become full of tumult and acclamation. "With words of love and illumination we must set hearts aglow with the fire of the love of God, enkindle minds with the power of the Kingdom. We must explain the teachings orally so that hearts may become like pure fountains, the invisible inspirations may descend, the bounties of the Holy Spirit may be revealed, the rays of the Sun of Reality may shine; the breezes of the Paradise of Abha may waft and the glad tidings of the Kingdom of Abha may be announced.
FROM THE BOOK OF AKDAS
The Voice of God is speaking through the Pen of Bahá 'Ullah
Harken unto that which the Sadrat (Guidance) reveals unto you from the verses of God. Verily, they are the balance of the guidance of God, the Lord of this world and the world to come. By them the souls soar to the daysprings of inspiration and the hearts of the advancers are illumined. His utterances are the ordinances of God which are incumbent upon you as these are the precepts of God whereunto ye are commanded in
SPIRITUAL MEETINGS
the Tablet. Conform to them with fragrance and spirituality for this will profit you much, were ye of those who know.
Read the verses of God every morning and evening. He who does not read does not know the Covenant of God and His Testament. He who turns away from them in this day verily is of those who have turned away from God since the eternity of eternities. Fear God, O ye servants.
Be not deluded by meaningless, repeated readings and by actions day and night. Should ye read but one verse with fragrance and spirituality it will avail you more than to read with slothfulness all the books of God, the Protector, the Self-Existent.
Read the verses of God in such wise that ye may not be overtaken by apathy and gloom. Encumber not the spirit with that which will depress it but (favor it) with that which will cheer it and enable it to soar upon the wings of the verses to the dayspring of Evidences. This is more acceptable to God, were ye of those who comprehend.
Teach your children that which hath been caused to descend from the heaven of Might and Greatness that they may read with the sweetest tone the Tablets of the Merciful, in the rooms which are built in the Mashreq 'Ul Azkar.
Verily, he who is overcome by the attraction of the love of My Name, the Merciful, will assuredly read the verses of God in such wise as to charm the hearts of those who are asleep. Happiness awaits him who, in the Name whereby every high and haughty mountain is swept away drinks the pure wine of life from the utterances of his Lord, the Merciful.
Blessed is he who goes in the early morning to the Mashreq 'Ul Azkar and mentions his God, remembers His grace, and asks for forgiveness.
Upon entering the House he must sit down silently and listen to the Text of God, the Mighty, the Extolled.
A Mashreq 'Ul Azkar is a house built in a city or village for the purpose of commemoration. Thus hath it been named before the Throne, were ye of those who know.
EXILED FROM BAGDAD
A Story from the Words of Abdul Baha
WHEN the Blessed Perfection (Baha 'Ullah) was exiled from Bagdad the large number of believers who went with him divided the work of the party among them. For example, Darveesh Sedk Ali and Haji Ebrahim acted as equerries, Ostad Mohammed Ali looked after the baggage, Mirza Mohammed Goli supervised the pitching of the tents and I was, if we may here use a military term, a commissary officer and had to supply the party, including horses, etc., with food and the daily necessities. Often, by day or by night we covered a distance of from twenty-five to thirty miles. No sooner would we reach a caravanserai than from sheet fatigue everyone would lie down and go to sleep: utter exhaustion having overtaken everybody they would be unable even to move.
But Mirza Mahmoud and Aga Reza rested not for a moment. After our arrival they would immediately become engaged in cooking for this party of nearly seventy-two people—and this after their arduous work of guiding all day or all night the horses which carried the palanquin of the Blessed Perfection. When the meal was cooked and made ready all those who had slept would wake, eat and go to sleep again. These two men would then wash all the dishes and pack them up. By this time they would be so tired that they could have slept on even a hard boulder.
During the journey when they became utterly weary they would sleep while walking. Now and again I would see one of them take a bound and leap from one point to another. It would then become apparent that he was asleep and had dreamed that he had reached a wide creek—hence the jump.
In a word, from Bagdad to Samsoun they served with rare faithfulness. Indeed no human being had the fortitude to bear cheerfully all this heavy labor. But, because they were kindled (by the spirit of God) they performed all these services with greatest happiness. I remember how, in the early morning, when
we wanted to start for another caravanseria, we often saw these two men fast asleep. We would go and shake them and they would wake with much difficulty. While walking they always chanted communes and supplications.
In those days a famine raged all along the road. When we reached a station Mirza Jafar and I would ride from one village to another, from one Arab or Kurdish tent to another trying to get food, straw, barley, etc., for men and animals. Many a time we were out till midnight.
One day we happened to call on a Turk who was harvesting. Seeing his large pile of straw we thought we had come to the end of our search. I approached the Turk politely, and said, "We are your guests and one of the conditions of (religious) Faith is to honor the newly arrived guests. I have heard that you are a very liberal people, very generous, and that whenever you entertain a guest you kill and cook for him a whole sheep. Now, we desire such and such a thing, and are ready to pay any price that you demand. We hope this is sufficiently reasonable."
He thought for a moment, and then said, "Open your sack."
Mirza Jafar opened it and he put into it a few handfuls of straw.
I was amused, and said, "Oh, my friend! What can we do with this straw? We have thirty-six animals and we want feed for every one of them!"
In brief, everywhere we encountered many difficulties until we arrived in Karpout. Here, we saw that our animals had become lean, and walked with great difficulty. But we could not get straw and barley for them.
At Karpout the Acting Governor-General came to call on us—and with him brought ten car-loads of rice, ten sacks of barley, ten sheep, several baskets of rice, several bags of sugar, many pounds of butter, etc. These were sent as gifts by the Governor-General, Ezzat Pasha, to the Blessed Perfection.
After our experiences, and knowing how it was to get anything from the farmers along the way—when I looked at these things I knew that they were sent from God, and they were gladly accepted.
At that time Aga Hossein Ashjee was the assistant cook. He worked day and night and had no time to sleep.
We stayed at Karpout one week and had a good rest. For two days and nights I did nothing but sleep.
The Governor-General, Ezzat Pasha, called on the Blessed Perfection. He was a very good man and showed much love and service.—Recorded by Mirza Ahmad Sohrab.
FROM all parts of the world there come reports of the majestic onward march of the Cause of the most great peace. Great interest and growth are manifest in Bagdad, Constantinople, in Egypt, in Australia; there are growth and activity in India, Persia and Japan. In Germany there is growing a deep spiritual hunger, and great Bahai meetings are held. Mr. Herrigel recently spoke in Berlin and many other cities to very appreciative audiences. Everywhere the people are eagerly listening to the Bahai Glad Tidings. During the last year a young Bahai from India, Kaushal Kishor Bhargava, came to Esslingen. In a few months he gained sufficient knowledge of the German language to enable him to give addresses in German upon the Bahai principles and their life-giving message. He held meetings in Bremen, Hamburg, Berlin, Leipzig, Karlsruhe, Stuttgart, Goppingen and Esslingen. Everywhere he found open hearts and minds, and it often happened that at one or two o'clock in the morning the friends were unwilling to go home from the meetings, such was the interest created.
BAHAI CONGRESS IN STUTTGART
THE Bahai Congress this year had an international aspect for not only from the near and far parts of Germany and the neighboring states, but from almost all the continents representatives had come to the great Stuttgart meeting. Thus the whole Congress gained greater momentum as well as more vitality and variety. Yet such harmony, such amity and such friendship, such communion in the spirit of love and unity! The true Bahai spirit, the spirit of Bahá 'Ullah and Abdul Bahá reigned visibly over the Congress, as had been the wish of all the visitors. It seemed as if heaven itself rejoiced that in these confused and excited times a little group of people of different countries, nationalities, creeds and religions was sitting together in harmony and was actually embodying the great principle of the Bahai teachings—of unity.
With the opening of the Bahai Congress on Saturday afternoon the sun which had been for weeks almost completely hidden shone radiantly down from the skies and Sunday was bright and clear as only few days have been this year. Those were really beautiful days, sunshine without and within. Joy and happiness beamed from all faces. The troubles and worries of our everyday life vanished, at least for hours. The material world which drags us down and weighs upon us was forgotten. One was living, so to say, in another world, in the world as it is to be, when right and justice, love and peace, in the meaning of the Bahai teaching will reign and when men will remember that they are children of one Father, leaves of one tree, drops of one sea.
That there is an increasing interest in the Bahai Movement was shown by the good attendance at the public meeting when the big hall of the Burgermusernn was completely filled. Mrs. Alice Schwarz spoke upon the origin and development of the Bahai Movement and its principles and Mr. Wilhelm Herrigel on the importance and necessity of the Bahai teachings. The warm applause which was given to these impressive and convincing addresses by the attentively listening audience shows that the importance and necessity of the realization of the Bahai principles is recognized in the world. There is something inspiring and stimulating in large meetings. We are brought together with all kinds of people, exchange thoughts and rejoice when we find a kindred spirit. We are touched by many a good word that we listen to in conversation and addresses; we think about it: the spoken idea perhaps calls forth many others within us and thus enriches our inner life. At such times one recognizes what great happiness it is to be brought into contact with good people, what true harmony of soul means and into how firm a tie it can quickly bind together people who had not met before.
May each one of us in his own circle be active in the path of our great Master, Abdul Baha, in daily striving after his example in the spirit of the all uniting love. Then our life will not lack God's blessing and the next Congress will show that we have again taken a step forward in the great Cause.—Translated from Sonne der Wahrheit, by Kate Kempner.
Alma Knobloch, who has served many years as a pioneer in heralding in German cities the Bahai gospel of unity writes of the recent convention:
The second German Bahai Convention held at Stuttgart, September 16-18, 1922, was from all accounts a very heavenly gathering. Fraulein Doring in her letter says: "It was as though the heaven of happiness had opened and this world had disappeared."
Both the Orient and Occident were represented at this memorable Convention held for the purpose of consultation for the promotion of the Cause in Germany, according to the wishes of His Holiness Abdul Baha, and for the purpose of electing the first National Spiritual Board, as requested by Shoghi Effendi.
Letters received give glowing accounts of the confirmation that descended, the great spiritual blessings received, inspiring the friends with new zeal and enthusiasm. The Assembly has increased greatly in number therefrom. All the friends were unanimous in acclaiming it a gathering never to be forgotten and all
--PHOTO--
Delegates and Friends at Western States' Teaching Convention
San Francisco, November 24 and 25, 1922.
BAHAI CONGRESSES
carried home with them the fragrances of the Abha Kingdom.
Vienna, Austria, was represented by Mr. Franz Pallinger who, always having been a searcher for truth, received the Bahai teachings at Stuttgart. Since his return to Vienna he has been untiring in his efforts to promote the Cause of God and now there are several centers in that city.
Shortly before his ascension Abdul Baha wrote to Mr. Pallinger the following beautiful Tablet:
To Mr. Franz Pallinger—upon him be the light of God, the Most Luminous. Care of Lady Bloomfield—upon her be the Glory of God, the Most Glorious.
He is God!
O thou who art thirsty for the water of Heavenly Life!
Thy letter has been received. Its contents imparted great joy because they were expressive of firmness and steadfastness.
I feel great kindness toward thee and supplicate eternal endearment and everlasting life for thee so that thou mayest in those regions raise the call of the Kingdom, delivering the people from the obscurities of the world of nature through the light of guidance, that thou mayest, like the Egyptian messenger, become the bearer of the garment of the heavenly Joseph, giving light to the eyes of the Jacobs and perfuming nostrils with the fragrances of the mantle of the Joseph of the Kingdom.
Give the divine Glad Tidings to the friends in Vienna, so that they may attain to eternal blessings, obtain new life and acquire limitless rapture and joy.
These regions are greatly in need of the heavenly Glad Tidings because all have, through the severity of the calamities of the war, become disappointed, withered, faded and almost dead. So they are in need of the breath of life. This breath of life is simply the heavenly Glad Tidings. Nothing can relieve them from this sorrow, grief, depression, disappointment except the divine Glad Tidings.
(Signed) Abdul Baba Abbas.
BAHAI CONGRESS
WESTERN STATES REGION
THE Teaching Convention of the Western States was held in San Francisco during three beautiful days the last of November. The spiritual downpour from the most glorious Kingdom filled all the hearts of the friends with a new radiance and love and longing to carry to all cities and villages the most wonderful message which is the healer of all our troubles. In the evenings there was held a Bahai Congress. The program reads:
THE BAHAI MOVEMENT
the bestowal of economic, social and spiritual unity upon the world of humanity
Public MeetingsFriday Evening, - - November 24th
Saturday Evening - - November 25th
Friday Evening, November 24th
The Near East Its Problems And Their Solution
By Mrs. Stuart Whitney French
The Bahai Movement—Its Universal Appeal
By Mirza Ahmad Sohrab
The Trinity Of Success
By Mrs. Louise R. Waite, Los AngelesSaturday Evening, November 25th
The Conformity Of Science And Religion Its Complete Expression In The Universal House Of Worship
By Mr. George Orr Latimer, Portland
The Oneness Of The World Of Humanity
By Mrs. Laura Luther, Seattle
The Mysterious Forces Of Civilization
By Dr. Frederick W. D'Evelyn,
San Francisco[Page 282]
FROM DR. AUGUSTE FOREL
A MOST kindly letter has come to us from Dr. Auguste Forel of Switzerland, concerning the November issue of the Star of the West which contained an English translation of his wonderful Tablet from Abdul Baha. Dr. Forel sent to us an announcement of his Bahai meetings, and his statement of Bahai principles used therefor, from which we have taken the following excerpts:
All humanity is to be considered as one; all prejudice against other people, other nations, other races must be abandoned.
All religions must unite in the faith of a superior oneness which represents Divinity.
A strong federation of all the people, with an international tribunal will ensure permanent universal peace.
Beside the various national languages, an international language, universally taught will be introduced.
Every human being has equal rights to the mental and physical advantages which are necessary to its existence.
It is everyone's duty to search after truth. Between true religion and true science no contradiction can exist.
Man and Woman have the same rights, everywhere. Every kind of servitude or subjection is severely prohibited.
It is the duty of every human being to work. For invalids and people without means of subsistence the State will legally provide.
The precepts of Bahais, their morals, constitute the unifying and universal religion of all humanity. Abdul Baha (Abbas Effendi) at Haifa in Palestine, son of Bahá 'Ullah (Hussein Ali-Nouri) constituted the center of the new, divine federation. He had been charged by his father to explain everywhere the Bahai principles. Shoghi Rabbani, grandson of Abdul Baha, succeeds him now at Haifa in the same mission.
ON MOUNT CARMEL
"The Garden of God"
MISS Genevieve L. Coy, after a wonderful visit in the Holy Land, in Constantinople and among the Bahai groups along the way, and notwithstanding the many rigors of the journey arrived the last of September in Teheran to begin her work of service there. She writes of the marvelous kindness of the friends in the many cities and of the wonderful bond between the Orient and Occident which has been established by the Bahai teachings. Describing her visit in Haifa, Miss Coy writes:
Pilgrim House, Haifa, Palestine.
June I, 1922
Palestine in the beginning of summer is a very different country from Palestine in late August. Green fields, many flocks of black goats, many herds of black and white cattle, herdsmen in tattered garments, flash past one as the train goes northward. Trees with long green leaves, along some small brook—white melons ripening in the blue, blue sea breaking in whitest foam on the yellow sand! And then the curve of Mount Carmel, Acca white in a misty distance, and the Tomb of the Báb on the mountainside. It all seems a dream from which I must awaken soon—to be here again in this blessed land! The air is fragrant with many flowers, the breeze is cool and sweet—God's peace breathes about one.
At the station many people lined the track. Suddenly I saw a hand waved and Mirza Lotfullah was at the car-window. It was so good to see him! Outside the train another young Bahai, who clerks at the station, joined us for a moment, then went back to his work. We found a carriage—and again I was carried up the steep streets to the beloved Pilgrim House.
To come back to the Pilgrim House is to come back home. Its dear peace and quiet fill one's heart. I love its high-ceilinged rooms—the faint fragrance that greets one—the cleanliness—the tiled
floors, the beautiful rugs. As I sit here writing I can see the top of the Master's house, above the wall. The two gateways are covered with a riot of bouganvillea, masses of dark-red blossoms, hundreds of them, almost hide the green leaves. If I stand at the window I can look up to the Tomb and the Mosafer Khaneh, halfway up the mountainside.
June 2, 1922
Mirza Lotfullah and I left the Pilgrim House at six o'clock, and climbed up the Mountain of the Lord, to the Tomb. The morning was beautifully fresh and clear. The sun was high in the heavens when we reached the Tomb—but the garden looked delightfully fresh and green and cool.
The care-taker of the Tomb, Abbas Gholi, came and opened the door into the Tomb of the Bab, and then into the room that is the Master's. We left our shoes at the door, and entered first the Tomb of the Bab. To be again in that place, at that threshold in prayer—what words can tell what it means to one's heart and spirit? It is so perfectly natural and easy to pray there. One's prayer knows no weariness. One realizes God so near, that one needs make no effort to find Him. "Love divine, all love excelling" becomes the supreme reality. Prayer for all the friends in America, all the Bahais, prayer with all the devotion of my spirit for the dear ladies of the Master's household and for Shoghi Effendi, that the divine love may bring them perfect comfort and spirtual joy!
And then we went into that room which I had never before entered—the Master's shrine. In physical furnishings it is like that of the Bab. The outer room is slightly larger, I think, and the outer door is not directly in line with the inner door. Lovely rugs are on the floor, copies of one or two Tablets are on the walls. I stood at the outer doorway a long time, trying to realize the meaning of the place to which I had come. Then I knelt at the inner threshold a moment—afterwards a little away from it. Mirza Lotfullah placed on the threshold the jasmine flowers that he had brought in from the garden. We prayed silently for a long time. The Master's spirit dwells there in peace and love. What one feels, or how, I do not know. It is the triumph of life. I suppose for those who were here at the Master's funeral, who saw his body laid in that room, there must be associations of great sadness and loneliness with that spot—but for those who come to Haifa to find his love and his service in the lives of the friends, for those the Tomb of the Master is a place of joy. One knows as never before the victory of life that never ceases, but only changes its form. Words cannot suggest it. It is one of the gifts of God that He sends to those who long for union with the Beloved One.
When we left the Tomb, Abbas Gholi asked us to come to his house for tea. He took us up to the top of the house to the little room that was built especially for Abdul Baha. It has windows north, south, and west and a door to the east; from each there is a wonderful view. To the north, the bay and Acca; to the east, the valley of "Achor"; to the south, the slopes of Mount Carmel, where the girls' school is to be built; to the west, the Tomb. Here, in this little room the Master used to stay; often at night the friends would hear him walking about on the house-top, chanting. Here he used to receive the notables of the town and country. In the room is the bed the Master used to use, and also the chair, in which he used to sit out in front of the Tomb, when meetings were held there. Above the bed are now hung many pictures of the Master, alone, and with groups of friends. Abbas Gholi talked to us for quite a long time about the Master and the days he had spent there near the Tomb. He told about the building of that upper room. The Master had said that he would like a room there near the Tomb. He asked Abbas Gholi if he could not build him one, and the care-taker of the Tomb said, yes, where would the Master like to have it. The Master suggested that he would like to have it on the top of the house. Abbas Gholi said that the walls of the house were not strong enough to have another story built on top of them. Then the Master said that he would like to have it built in the garden, or above the Tomb. Abbas Gholi said that much excavation would be required for that. Finally the
Master said, "Never mind; do not trouble about it." Not long after that one of the friends had built for the Master a little room on top of the stable, at the Master's house. Then the Master said to Abbas Gholi, "Could you not build a house like that on the roof?", and he said "Oh, yes." The Master said, "But I thought that you told me you could not build a room on top of your house!" So Abbas Gholi said, "But a small room like that would have thin walls, and that could easily be built." The Master smiled and said, "Very good!", and so the room was built.
Abbas Gholi has a most radiant smile! As he talked of the Master he smiled all the time! He made me feel the joy of the Master, even when he was speaking Persian, and I did not know what he said. He spoke quite slowly, and I could occasionally understand a word that gave me the trend of his thought. He said that the Master said that he had seen many wonderful views in his travels in Europe and America, but that none of them were as beautiful as the view from his little room on top of Abbas Gholi's house!
THE EYE OF REALITY
By Corinne True
One of the beautiful lessons given by Abdul Bahá when we were about to leave his prison home in Acca, Syria, 1907, after six heavenly days spent in that sacred spot—from the outside a Prison, but inside a Paradise:—to leave the home of Abdul Bahá and go back to the world and its people seemed very, very difficult, once having partaken of its heavenly atmosphere and quaffed from the wine of true brotherhood. Abdul Bahá saw from the tears which simply would flow in rivulets from our eyes that the task was hard for us, so he told us that when we went back to the world "we must look upon every human being we saw as a letter from the Beloved to us." "No matter," said the dear Master, "how blotted, blurred, torn or soiled that letter appears to be, nevertheless, you must look upon it with the eye of reality and say to yourself, this is a letter from my Beloved, therefore, because it is from Him, I must love it with that divine love and overlook all its defects—inasmuch as the Beloved wrote it." It must be our love and devotion to God, the Beloved, that gives us a sin covering eye and welcomes all as the children of the One Heavenly Father.
THE MESSAGE FROM SHOGHI EFFENDI
This is the morning of the fourth day in the glorious unfolding of the Bahai Cause. Our brothers in Bagdad have brought this out most beautifully in the Persian section of this issue. With the Bab, in Persia, there dawned the first morning of the new day of unity. When he was martyred night fell upon the Cause. Then Bahá 'Ullah arose and the sun dawned in full glory. When he departed from this world there fell upon his followers the night of sorrow and separation. Again the sun dawned, in Abdul Baha, and a wonderful new day blazed forth. With Abdul Baha's passing night fell once more upon the sorrowing hearts of his friends. But the radiant morning of the fourth day has now broken in glory. The sun of unity and peace has dawned from Shoghi Effendi, the Guardian of the Cause. After a six months' absence he returned to the Holy Land and sends all the Bahai friends in America the following beautiful message:
"The onward march of the Cause hath not been nor can it ever be stayed. I pray the Almighty that my efforts now refreshed and renewed may with your undiminished support lead it to glorious victory."
--PATTERN--
THE Star of the West is a magazine of the new year, the new cycle, the new age. "A year is the expression of a cycle (of the sun); but now is the beginning of a cycle of Reality--a new cycle, a new age, a new century, a new time, a new year." Our Star of the West will reflect the light of the new cycle with articles from all lands and religions revealing the unity of mankind, bringing to light "the historical, religious, racial knowledge which will be of utmost value to Bahai teachers" and all those who are working for universal brotherhood and universal religion all over the world. Our Bahai magazine will apply—through the words of Bahá 'Ullah and Abdul Bahá which transmit the very water of life and create "a new eye, a new ear, a new heart and a new mind"—the divine teachings to the world problems of the hour. Our endeavor will be to grow month by month nearer to the ideal which Abdul Bahá described for his Star of the West. "Endeavor ye," he wrote, "to publish such valuable, interesting and instructive articles as to give joy and fragrance to the friends in all parts of the world." "The publication of the Star of the West is conducive to the happiness and beatitude of the friends for it is a clear mirror in which the pictures of the events and happenings in the Cause and the news of the progress of the Kingdom throughout the world are reflected and can be observed. Praise flows from the tongue of every growing and firm believer after reading it, for he becomes informed of events and thoughts. Unquestionably this publication will serve the world of humanity. If it is continued, its arena will become broadened and it will attain to such a station as to bring about the unity of the East and the West."
One of the best ways to spread the Cause of God is to take extra subscriptions to this herald of the new age and to give them to those who are longing for the universal light, who are looking for the Kingdom of God. The Star of the West will give a progressive introduction to the divine teachings. Subscriptions are now coming in rapidly. The recent Teaching Convention in San Francisco voted to double or treble in the next year the subscriptions in the Western States, for the Star of the West is a teacher of the glad tidings. We want to have at least a thousand new subscribers that we may realize the glorious plan which Abdul Baha and Shoghi Effendi have laid before us. Each copy of the Star of the West will go forth a herald of the most great peace.
Five months' subscription to a new subscriber, $1.00. Two subscriptions to one address, $5.00. Ten subscriptions to one address, $22.00 (in America). Two subscriptions, one to come each month, one to be sent in a bound volume at the end of the year, $5.50 for the two subscriptions, bound volume in cloth; $5.75 for the two subscriptions, bound volume in leather; postage for bound volume additional. Single copies 25 cents each, or ten copies to one address, $2.00.
| The Life of Baha'Ullah | Vol. 8, No. 11 |
| The Ascension of Abdul Bahá | Vol. 12, No. 17 |
| The Spirit of Abdul Bahá | Vol. 13, No. 6 and 7 |
| The Real Meaning of Christ's Return | Vol. 13, No. 6 |
| Abdul Baha's Wonderful Proof of God's Existence—Tablet to Prof. Forel | Vol. 13, No. 8 |
A Series of Compilations of Abdul Baha's Words on:
| Prayer—Its Spiritual Laws | Vol. 8, No. 4 |
| Faith, Severance, Sacrifice | Vol. 8, No. 6 |
| Tests and Spiritual Discipline | Vol. 8, No. 19 |
| Physical and Spiritual Healing | Vol. 8, No. 18 |
| The Meaning of the Covenant | Vol. 8, No. 16 and 17 |
| What is New in the Bahai Teachings | Vol. 8, No. 5 |
| The Secret of Happiness | Vol. 13, No. 5 |
| Evolution in Religion | Vol. 13, No. 5 |
| The Solution of the Economic Problem | Vol. 8, No. 15 and Vol. 13, No. 8 |
"The world is waiting, as some one puts it," writes Glenn Frank, Editor of The Century Magazine, "for the religious leader who can talk economics so that men feel in the presence of God." That leader is Abdul Baha.
Single copies, 25 cents—Bahai News Service, P. O. Box 283, Chicago, Illinois.
Number Nine | $ | .03 |
The Call of God | .03 | |
Universal Peace—The Wonderful Letter and Tablet from Abdul Bahá to the Central Organization for a Durable Peace, The Hague | .10 | |
The Bahai Movement—Its Spiritual Dynamic | .10 | |
The Mashreq 'Ul Azkar (Bahai Temple) | .05 | |
The Bahai Temple—Its Architecture | .15 | |
Selections from the Hidden Words | $1.00 per | 100 |
Arranged in Such Order as to Make A Progressive Study of the
Universal Teachings.| 1. | Paris Talks of Abdul Baha—The Universal Principles | $1.00 | |
The Divine Philosophy of Abdul Baha | .75 | ||
The Promulgation of Universal Peace—Abdul Baha's Addresses in
American Churches, Clubs, Universities and elsewhere | 2.50 | ||
| 2. | The Bahai Revelation—From the Bible point of view, by Thornton Chase | .75 | |
The Bahai Movement—A General Sketch, by Charles Mason Remey | .50 | ||
Bahai, the Spirit of the Age, Brentanos, by Horace Holley | 2.50 | ||
| 3. | Some Answered Questions, by Abdul Baha. Compiled by Laura Clifford Barney. The great masterpiece on the philosophy of universal religion | 2.00 | |
| 4. | The Hidden Words—The glorious little masterpiece of Bahá 'Ullah on
the radiant pathway of pure and sanctified living | In paper | .25 |
Hidden Words and Seven Valleys | In leather | 1.50 | |
| 5. | The Book of Ighan (Certainty)—The sublime work of Bahá 'Ullah on the meaning of the Bible, the Koran, the nature and succession of the Divine Manifestations | 1.50 | |
| 6. | Bahai Proofs, by Mirza Abul Fazl—How to recognize a world-prophet in any age | 1.50 | |
Bahai Publishing Society, Room 450, 508 South Dearborn Street, Chicago, Illinois
صفحه 1 - 287
و جاهلان بجوش آمده و خروش « قد غربت شمسهم » بر کشیدند هنوز این کلمات را از افواه خبیثه خارج نکرده بودند که نیّر افخم ، غصن اعظم دائره میثاق را مرکز شد و عالم عهد را محمود .
روز سیّم
روز نهم صعوذ مبارک جمال قدم و افتتاح کتاب عهد المصادف با یوم الجلال من شهر النّور سنه 48 = 11 ذیقعده سنه 1309 = 6 جون سنه 1892که آفتاب عهد پرتو افکند و عرصۀ غیراء را از انوار باهرۀ زاهره منوّر فرمود یاران را کوکب مضی شد و به شاهراه مستقیم رساند و دشمنان را شهاب راجم گشت و پرتگاه عدم کشاند احبّای صادقه قلوب منیره را مفتوح و صدور صافیّه را منشرح داشتند تا به مدد تابش آن بیضاء پرضیاء گلهای بدیعه معطرّه سرسبزو خرّم جلوه نمود و از ساقیه عنایت و موهبت به آبیاری حدائق انسانی همی پرداخت . پرچم امرالله از شرق به غرب کشید و ندای کلمة الله از خاور به باختر رسید تا آنکه از بیوفائی گیتی ستم پیشه طومار لقا پیچیده و و بساط وصال بر چیده شد .
یوم الرحمة من شهر القول سنه 77 = 28 ربیع الاوّل سنه 1340 = 28 نوامبر سنه 1921 و باز شام هجر اهل امکان را فرا گرفت و دست قضا دو دیده بچشم عالمیان کرد بنی نوع یتیم گشتند و جمله هیئة بشریّه بی ناصح و مصلح شدند مساء سیّم گذشت و روز چهارم فرار رسید
یوم اربعین از صعود حضرت عبدالبهاء به ملکوت ابهی و قرائت وصیّت نامه مبارکه الموافق با یوم النّور من شهر الشّرف = هشتم
جمادی الاولی سنه 134 = 6 جنوئری سنه 1922 .
احبّاء که همواره شمس بهاء را طالع و ساطع
صفحه 2 - 287
دیده و غروبی برای آن آفتاب حقیقت تصوّر ننموده میدانستند که این آسمان اعظم و این فلک افخم را فروزان شمسی در کمون و درخشان نیّری در بطون است و منتظر اشراق همی بودند تا در یوم اربعین جمال ممتاز ولیّ امرالله حضرت شوقی افندی ربّانی سر از دریچۀ راز برون کرد و چهرۀ نازنین بنمود و روح جدیدی به کالبد مصیبت رسیدگان دمید
چقدر جای شکرانه است که آن نبراس حقیقت همینکه خود شهاب وار از قرس گیتی بیوفا طیران فرمود بی نظیر سهم منیری در مقدّس ترکش فخیمش برای حفظ عباد خویش باقی گذاشت و همینکه خود مانند آفتاب نورانی اشعۀ ساطعۀ فروزان خویش را از عالم خاک بالا گرفت و این جمع پریشان را وداع گفت بلا تأخیر درخشان بدر لمیعی از افق ابهائی و اعلائی برآورد برآمد و نوربخش جهانیان گشت جلتّ عظمته و حکمته و قدرته .
باری این چارمین صبح است که برما« بهایۀ اوّل» طلوع نموده و پرتو به اکناف عالم افکنده و بلبلان صبح خیز در شاخسار بندگی نغمۀ دمید صبح و برآمد جمال شمس قدم که روح بخشد مرا عاشقان شیدا را برآوردند و آغاز هان وقت کار است هان زمان قیام است هان اوان خدمت و جانفشانی است بگوش هوشیاران رساندند .
ما احبّای جهانرا است که تا صبح است و اعصاب و عضلات که سالهای متمادی در ظلّ ممدود ابهی غصن محمود مستریح داشته بودیم بکار آریم و « الیوم الضمار غداء البساق والسبتة جتة » را بخاطر گیرم باشدا هنوز از طلوع این شمس لامع دیری نگذشته آفتاب امرالله را برابعة النهار رسانیم و جمال دلکش دین الله را با قوّه شکوه بعالم و عالمیان جلوه دهیم .
« بلی صبح است و وقت قیام »
گل را تا در دست داریم ببوئیم که هماره ربیع نیست از اوّل نیک شروع کنیم تا به نیکی ختم شود . هدایت الله زائرزاده آبادۀ .
