Star of the West/Volume 2/Issue 17/Text
THE
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Alliance Spiritualiste, of Paris, France, Reception to Abdul-Baha—Speech by the General Secretary, Mons. L. Le Leu—Address by Abdul-Baha | 2 |
Progress of the Cause in Germany—Tablets from Abdul-Baha to friends in Stuttgart—News Notes | 6 |
STAR OF THE WEST
[Continuing the BAHAI NEWS]
PUBLISHED NINETEEN TIMES A YEAR
By the BAHAI NEWS SERVICE, 515 South Dearborn Street., Chicago, Ill., U.S.A. Entered as second-class matter April 9, 1911, at the post office at Chicago, Illinois, under the Act of March 3, 1879.
Albert R. Windust—EDITORS—Gertrude Buikema Persian Editor.—Mirza Ahmad Sohrab, 509 McLachlen Bldg., Washington, D. C., U.S.A. Associate Editor.—Dr. Zia M. Bagdadi, Chicago.
TERMS: $1.00 per year; 10 cents per copy.
Note—Until further notice, distribution in the Orient is through Agents. Make Money Orders payable to BAHAI NEWS SERVICE, P. O. Box 283, Chicago, Ill., U.S.A.
Address all communications to BAHAI NEWS SERVICE, P. O. Box 283, Chicago, Ill., U.S.A.
TABLET FROM ABDUL-BAHA.
O thou Star of the West! HE IS GOD!
Be thou happy! Be thou happy! Shouldst thou continue to remain firm and eternal, ere long, thou shalt become the Star of the East and shalt spread in every country and clime. Thou art the first paper of the Bahais which is organized in the country of America. Although for the present thy subscribers are limited, thy form is small and thy voice weak, yet shouldst thou stand unshakable, become the object of the attention of the friends and the center of the generosity of the leaders of the faith who are firm in the Covenant, in the future thy subscribers will become hosts after hosts like unto waves of the sea; thy volume will increase, thy arena will become vast and spacious and thy voice and fame will be raised and become world-wide—and at last thou shalt become the first paper of the world of humanity. Yet all these depend upon firmness, firmness, firmness!
(Signed) ABDUL-BAHA ABBAS.
| MONTH | NAME | FIRST DAYS |
| 1st | Baha' (Splendor) | Mar. 21 |
| 2nd | Jalal (Glory) | Apr. 9 |
| 3rd | Jamal (Beauty) | Apr. 28 |
| 4th | Azamat (Grandeur) | May 17 |
| 5th | Nur (Light) | June 5 |
| 6th | Rahmat (Mercy) | June 24 |
| 7th | Kalamat (Words) | July 13 |
| 8th | Asma (Names) | Aug. 1 |
| 9th | Kamal (Perfection) | Aug. 20 |
| 10th | Eizzat (Might) | Sept. 8 |
| 11th | Masheyat (Will) | Sept. 27 |
| 12th | Elm (Knowledge) | Oct. 16 |
| 13th | Kudrat (Power) | Nov. 4 |
| 14th | Kowl (Speech) | Nov. 23 |
| 15th | Massa'ulk (Questions) | Dec. 12 |
| 16th | Sharaf (Honor) | Dec. 31 |
| 17th | Sultan (Sovereignty) | Jan. 19 |
| 18th | Mulk (Dominion) | Feb. 7 |
| Four Intercalary days. | ||
| 19th | Ola (Loftiness) | Mar. 2 |
| (Month of fasting.) | ||
| Vol. II | Chicago, (January 19, 1912) Sultan | No. 17 |
ALLIANCE SPIRITUALISTE OF PARIS RECEPTION TO ABDUL-BAHA ABBAS.
November 9, 1911.
SPEECH BY MONS. LOUIS LE LEU, GENERAL SECRETARY.
Ladies and Gentlemen:
Before the Master, Abdul-Baha, takes the chair, I wish to express to him in the name of our President and Founder, of the committee and the members of the Alliance Spiritualiste, our gratitude for the benevolence he has shown in accepting our invitation today.
Those who have assembled here to listen to you, Master, know already, by the fame which has preceded you, that you come from the Orient to give to the Occident that truth for which you have suffered after your illustrious Father and his precursor, the Bab.
I do not want to infringe upon the ground over which you are going to lead us, assisted by your devoted interpreter, Mons. Dreyfus, who has already given us a volume of great clearness on the principles and history of Bahaism.
By the sympathy which you have evoked here in Paris, as well as during your recent sojourn in London, you will recognize the heart of the Occident and Orient beating in unison under the influence of the same light.
The truth is One because humanity is One in the unity of universal life and in the Oneness of God. This truth is the basis of the Universal Religion and will be the salvation of the world, when the world will have understood its law—the law of Love, which is the only law of Peace, because it is the unique law of Equilibrium: the law of Justice.
You will recall to our minds, parched by an excess of analysis, the gentle way in which, in the figurative language of the East, our fathers, the prophets, gave us the teachings which have the most profoundly touched our hearts. Like them you will show us our social and individual happiness depending entirely upon the law of Love to which all must remain submitted.
Spiritualistic thought is multiple, but it is not One as it should be—it is divided against itself—and those very men who pretend to be the guardians of the infallible truth, show by their private and public actions that they have lost the meaning of the only law. The greater part of the materialism which is submerging us has sprung from their errors. A tree is judged by its fruit. But there is no night without its stars; on every deluge floats an ark of safety; and from death springs new life. So the antique and pure light has not disappeared. It still resides in the soul of the people. On all sides are hearths where its name is nourished, and our day will see the convergence of all these ardent flames towards their eternal home.
All this I have had the pleasure of expressing to you during the several interviews you have so kindly accorded me; and of voicing the general desire on the part of the Alliance Spiritualiste, that your followers, the Bahais of Paris, will consider our home their own and ourselves their twin brothers. I will never forget the exquisite sympathy with which you have personally honored me, tramslated by two phrases which will always remain a bond between us. “Here,” you said, “is the true fraternity;” and to myself in particular you expressed this sentiment, whose faithful echo I return in full: “My heart and yours, my mind and yours, are one.”
We have met then in the very heart of truth where it is impossible for those who know the road not to meet in the magnificent communion of Light and Love. The time is coming soon when the Orient and the Occident will understand and unite to inaugurate an epoch of regenerated humanity. Mankind will always guard the souvenir of those who have worked and suffered for it; in suffering for God—and your name, Master, will be blessed among those who have rendered this service.
ADDRESS BY ABDUL-BAHA.
I am very grateful for the words and sentiments expressed by the general secretary. I give thanks to God to find myself in Paris in such a spiritual assembly.
If we look at the atmosphere of this meeting, we see that the spirit floats in it, the bounties of God descend, the aid of the Holy Spirit is seen. Thanks to God, these hearts are endowed with spiritual sentiments; the vibrations of the soul make themselves felt.
The spirit is like the sea, this assembly like the waves—though they are numerous, they all come from the same sea; though they apparently have different forms and aspects, the unity of the spirit is manifest.
All the prophets and Divine Manifestations have come to educate men, in order that the unity of the human world may shine clearly and distinctly,
so that there remain no authority to the waves; that the authority be peculiar to the sea, for the spirit is like the sea and the bodies are like the waves.
It is said in the Gospels, “Jerusalem will come down out of heaven from God.” This heavenly Jerusalem is not made of stone, of lime and of clay, but it is made of the divine teachings which shine among men by the power of the spirit. For a long time, the divine teachings had been forgotten, no trace remained of the light of the heavenly Jerusalem. When BAHA'O'LLAH manifested Himself from the Orient, the light of His divine teachings shone forth in Persia unto other parts of the world. This divine teaching is the heavenly Jerusalem which has again “come down out of heaven.” Although that edifice had fallen to pieces, it is founded anew. The corporal and material forces ruled over the Orient; now the spiritual forces have taken their place.
Thanks to God, I see at Paris a respectable assembly which lives by the breath of the soul. Man is not man by the body, he is man by the spirit, for by the body he is the associate of the animal; that which distinguishes him is the spirit. As the sun illumines the earth, so the spirit illumines the body. It renders man celestial; gives him kindness by the breath of the Holy Spirit; makes him understand the reality of things; discovers all sciences; offers eternal life; unites the nations; joins the Orient and the Occident, and changes the human world into a divine world. Consequently, those who receive the bounties of the Spirit give life to others.
Now, you who are spiritual ought to be glad and joyful for the teachings of BAHA'O'LLAH who is the founder of spirituality in this age. The teachings of BAHA'O'LLAH are only spiritual. One should seek the Truth, which is the cause of the manifestations of the spirit, for the spirit will not make itself felt by the senses, but it will manifest itself by the hidden faculties. Though the human body is sensitive, its spirit is hidden; it is the spirit which commands the body.
The spirit acts in two ways: One way is by instruments; that is, it sees with the eyes, it hears with the ears and speaks with the tongue. These instruments work by the spirit, which is their motor; though its senses are manifested by the body, they come from the faculty of the spirit. The other way is that of being and acting without instruments; as in dreams and visions, it sees without eyes, hears without ears, speaks without the tongue, walks without feet. All the faculties of the spirit are clear and distinct in the world of visions. Hence it is evident that the spirit acts in two ways; First, by the instruments of the body; second, without the instruments of the body.
Thus it is that one's body may be in the Occident and the spirit finds out the situation in the Orient, and it directs and conducts the affairs there. Therefore it is evident that the spirit is powerful and the body weak.
The body is like the crystal and the spirit is like the light. Though the crystal be extremely transparent, its brilliancy and splendor belong to the brightness of the light. To be luminous, the light does not need the crystal, but the crystal to be bright needs the light. Even so the spirit does not live by the body, but the body lives by the spirit.
If the body is mutilated, the spirit conserves always its greatness and power. For example: If the hand of a man is cut off, the spirit keeps its authority and sovereignty; if the eye becomes blind, the spirit remains clear sighted; but if the attributes of the spirit leave the body, immediately the
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body becomes nothing. Thus it is affirmed that man is man only by the spirit and not by the body.
This spirit is one of the divine bounties, a manifestation of the Sun of Truth; but if the human spirit receive the breath of the Holy Spirit, then it is a pure spirit. The breath of the Holy Spirit is the divine teaching; in it the spirit finds eternal life. It is the heavenly light and illumines the human world by the divine qualities. Hence we must endeavor to act according to the teachings of BAHA'O'LLAH.
Let us endeavor from day to day to become more spiritual, to bring about the unity of the human world, to practice human equality, to diffuse the divine mercy, to show the love of God to all those who are on the earth, so that the spiritual faculties may shine in all their splendor; that no authority remain to the body, so that the spirit, which sustains and rules the human world, may form one being, one person. Differences and disputes will exist no longer. The divine Jerusalem will he founded universally. All men will be the inhabitants of the same kingdom and they will take their part in the divine bounties.
I thank God to find myself in your assembly and I am grateful for your spiritual sentiments. I pray God to increase your sentiments each day; to strengthen this union and accord, so that the prophecies of the Holy Scripture become visible, for this epoch will be great, this century will be divine; the traces of all the scriptures will be seen; the signs given by Christ will become manifest. It will be the great day of the Lord. Divine justice will shine. It will be the time of peace, of justice, of union and of happiness. I hope that at this epoch the corporal world will become the reflection and echo of the divine world. Such is our hope, and, thanks to God, we agree in this desire.
I ask God that you may live by the breath of the Holy Spirit, that you be united, that all the hearts be filled with the love of God, that your tongue pronounce often the Name of God, that your actions be spiritual, that your sentiments be like those of the inhabitants of the Kingdom, in order that the human light, which is the image of God, may shine brilliantly.
O God! Kind, generous, merciful; illumine this assembly with the light of Thy love; vivify these souls with the breath of the Holy Spirit, offer the heavenly lights and the great bounties, give us Thy help, show us spirituality, give us the light of a good conduct, give to the spirits infinite bounties and generosity.
O Creator! We are poor, give us of the treasure of the Kingdom; we are humble, glorify us in Thy Kingdom; we are homeless, protect us, shelter us; we are seekers, lead us by Thy limitless favors; we are silent, give us an eloquent tongue; we are weak, give us the strength of the Kingdom.
O Creator! He who pardons! Pardon our faults; grant us bounties; forgive us our sins, teach us divine politeness. Thou art the One who gives; Thou art the One who offers; Thou art kind!
NOTICE—The Bahai Assembly of Washington is publishing a new edition of the pamphlet entitled “Peace” which is a sketch of the history and teachings of the Bahai Movement. These pamphlets can be had in quantities at the following rates, which includes postage or expressage: 1,000 copies, $15.00; 500 copies $8.00; 100 copies, $2.00; 50 copies, $1.25; 25 copies, $0.75. Apply to The Bahai Assembly of Washington, P. O. Box 192, Washington, D. C.
PROGRESS OF THE CAUSE IN GERMANY.
The Bahai meetings in Stuttgart are held as follows: Tuesday evening at Esslingen on the Neckar, at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Kueslin. Wednesday evening at Zuffenhausen, home of Mr. and Mrs. Schweizer, Karl Str. 26. Thursday evening, Wilhelm Str. 8. Friday evening, Canzelei Str. 24. Sunday evening, Wilhelm Str. 8.
TABLETS FROM ABDUL-BAHA TO THE FRIENDS IN STUTTGART.
Frau Maria Schweizer Frl. Louise Warnke Herrn Friedrich Schweizer Frl. Anna. Köstlin Frau Sofie Stäbler Frl. Margarethe Döring Frl. Julie Stäbler Frau Henrietta Kusterer Frau Anna Seifert Alma S. Knobloch
Herrn Emil Ruoff and son Erwin
Upon them be the Glory of the Most Glorious!
HE IS GOD!
O friends and maidservants of the Merciful!
Thanks be to God! that you have been gathered together and celebrated the birthday of the Báb with much joy and amity and were engaged in remembering God.
From the rose-garden of that meeting a beautiful fragrance has reached to the nostrils of these friends, and the light of God's love hath shone; therefore, it was a cause of delighting the hearts of these friends. I ask God, by His infinite mercy, that such meetings may be held often.
Likewise, that the entertainment every nineteen days may become current among you; so that the friends and maidservants of the Merciful may be engaged in praising and remembering God and singing to Him, and may become the cause of guiding the people.
Upon you all be the Glory of the Most Glorious!
(Signed) ABDUL-BAHA ABBAS.
Translated by Mirza Yuhanna Dawud, August 15, 1911.
Through Mirza Yuhanna Dawud, London, to the maidservant of God, Margaret Döring, Stuttgart.
HE IS GOD!
O daughter of the Kingdom!
Your letter arrived, and its contents showed that Mr. Gregory, by visiting the blessed Tomb,* hath received a new power, and obtained a new life. When he arrived at Stuttgart, although black of color, yet he shone as a bright light in the meeting of the friends. Verily, he hath greatly advanced in this journey, he received another life and obtained another power. When he returned, Gregory was quite another Gregory. He hath become a new creation. Reflect on the Grace of the Kingdom of ABHA and see how it enlightened such a person. It has made him spiritual, heavenly, divine and a manifestor of the graces of the world of humanity. This man shall progress.
Thank God that You esteem Miss Knobloch, because she was the cause of your guidance. With weeping and supplication I ask from the Kingdom of ABHA, that He may vouchsafe heavenly blessings upon your father, mother,
- Tomb of BAHA'O'LLAH in Acca, Syria.
sisters and brothers; and graciously enlighten Frl. Schaffer, Frl. Andrassy and Frau. Kusterer with the Light of Guidance.
Convey my greetings to Herr Kruttner, and Herr Richard Bauerle. I supplicate to the Divine Glory, and ask for them bright hearts, merciful spirits, seeing eyes and hearing ears.
I ask God to make you a firm rooted, verdant and fruitful tree in the Paradise of ABHA. * * *
Upon thee be the Glory of the Most Glorious!
(Signed) ABDUL-BAHA ABBAS.
Translated by Mirza Yuhanna Dawud, August 15, 1911.
Through Mirza Mohammad Yazdi, Alexandria, to the friends of God in Stuttgart.
Upon them be the Glory of God!
HE IS GOD!
O my true friends!
The friends on their return from Stuttgart are praising all the friends of the Merciful in that city, saying: Praise be to God! that the friends are in utmost attachment and are ignited by the Fire of the Love of God. They are occupied in naught but the Divine commemoration. And also the contents of your letter proved your great love.
It seems that the Light of the Sun of Truth will shine powerfully in Stuttgart and all over Germany; the Breath of the Holy Spirit will show forth a great result, and the Bounty of the Word of God will spread over all.
I give you the Glad-tidings that your advancement in the Divine Kingdom will be great and that the Doors of the Kingdom are opened to all the people of Germany.
Who will embrace it first? I hope that the called ones of Germany may become the chosen ones.
Therefore you should seek no rest; nay rather endeavor day and night to guide the people, to give sight to the blind, to give life to the dead and to grant Everlasting Life.
Upon you be the Glory of God!
December, 1911. (Signed) ABDUL-BAHA ABBAS.
To the STAR OF THE WEST:
How infinite are the ways of God and how exalted are the prophecies of His Light that have dawned and illumined the whole world! (Matt. 24:27.) The Light—BAHA'O'LLAH—arose in the East and reflected in the West through His Teachings, which have illumined the region of America.
We, the German friends, are happy for the bounties of Providence, and give thanks that the divine Teachings were brought to us from that favored country. A leaf from the leaves* of America was sent to us through the guidance of Abdul-Baha: Miss Alma S. Knobloch, of Washington, D. C., who gave us the wonderful Bahai Teachings in an incomparable way. Always giving what she had, never thinking of herself, making every sacrifice for the promotion of the Cause, she quietly endured many severe trials, and today we recognize the blessings we have received through her untiring efforts.
Through the Mercy of the Blessed Beauty✝ the Spiritual Breezes have been turned toward the German nation, for many Tablets and Messages have been received
- Leaves—i. e., women.
✝ Blessed Beauty, i. e., BAHA'O'LLAH.
from our beloved Abdul-Baha; like spring showers, at first single drops; then stronger and faster, and finally like copious rain, through the Words and Glad-tidings to Stuttgart, by his messengers, Mirza Assad Ullah, Mirza Ahmad Sohrab, Lady Blomfield and Mrs. Earl.
We send herewith some of these Tablets.
Bahai greeting to all the friends, Margarethe Döring, Librarian.
NEWS NOTES.
The work of spreading the Glad-tidings in Stuttgart is progressing. At the close of the year 1910, there was only one Bahai meeting; but now, at the close of 1911, we have meetings five times a week at four different places in this city and vicinity—the number of participants having increased considerably.
In May, 1911, we had the privilege of entertaining Mr. Louis G. Gregory, of Washington, D. C., who came to us from the presence of Abdul-Baha, throbbing with new life and light. A reception in his honor was held at 24 Canzelei Str. To the home of the Stäbler family in Stuttgart; to Mrs. and Miss Kaslin in Esslingen, and to Mr. and Mrs. Schweizer in Zuffenhausen, near Stuttgart, our honored guest came and told the assembled friends much that was interesting.
Many of us longed to visit our beloved Abdul-Baha in Acca or Egypt, but were unable to do so. Great was our rejoicing, when in August, we learned that he was in Thonon, Switzerland, and would be in London in September. Miss Alma Knobloch, Mr. and Mrs. Herrigel and Mr. Haiges hastened to London and passed many wonderful days there in the presence of Abdul-Baha. When he visited Paris in October, Mr. and Mrs. Eckstein and Mr. and Mrs. Häfner and their child went to receive the inspiration of meeting him and had the great joy of being photographed with him. From the 13th to the 16th of October, Miss Margarethe Döring remained with Abdul-Baha and had the honor of living in the house occupied by him; from the 19th to the 22nd, Miss Anna Kastlin, Miss Julie Stäbler and and Mrs. Schweizer were in Paris and during the three days of their visit were received six times in private audience.
Though our Master sojourned so near and we all longed for the blessing of his presence in Stuttgart, he was unable to come. He, therefore, sent a message to us through Lady Blomfield, Mrs. Earle, Mirza Assad Ullah and Mirza Ahmad Sohrab, and we were very happy during the visit of these precious souls—a period of three days, from Sunday, Dec. 4th, to Tuesday, the 7th. Our Persian brothers were the guests of Mr. and Mrs. Eckstein, while Mr. and Mrs. Herrigel entertained the ladies.
Sunday afternoon, at 4 o'clock, a meeting was held in the Bürger museum, where, after words of hearty welcome, Lady Blomfield delivered the Master's message to us in English. Mrs. Earle then translated it into German. It reads as follows:
Rejoice! Rejoice! Because of the Glad-tidings! You have attained to the light of the Kingdom. The glory of the Sun of Truth penetrates all regions.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Glad-tidings I send unto you. The doors of the Kingdom are open. The heavenly manna has descended upon you.
Rejoice! Rejoice! There were many holy messengers sent into the world; they came one after another, and all diffused the breath of the Holy Spirit.
Praise God! Praise God! That you have turned your faces toward the Kingdom. The rays of the Sun of Truth are illuminating you.
Strive with heart and soul that the Heavenly Light may descend upon all people and that through it every heart may be enlightened and that the spirit of the human race may partake of Its glory. Work and strive until all regions of the world are bathed in this Light. Fear not when trouble overtakes you. You will be criticized; you will be persecuted; you will be cursed and reviled. Recall in those days what I tell you now: Your triumph will be sure; your hearts will be filled with the Glory of God, for the heavenly power will sustain you, and God will be with you. This is my message to you.
On Sunday evening, at 8 o'clock, a reception and unity meeting was held at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Eckstein. On Monday evening another unity meeting was held, the Message from Abdul-Baha again read, and all the friends were filled with the spirit of oneness and inhaled the fragrance of the rose-garden of the Love of God. It was felt that the prayers of Abdul-Baha were being answered and that we were experiencing his spiritual presence.
We all pray God for His blessing and aid that the Cause may take deeper root.
Frederich Schweizer.