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| VOL. 22 | JANUARY, 1932 | No. 10 |
THE BAHA'I TEMPLE
of the oneness of the world of humanity: This is the great principle of Bahá'u'lláh. That which will leaven the human world is a love that will insure the abandonment of pride, oppression,
and hatred."-'Abdu'l-Bahá.
LEADERS of religion, exponents of political theories, governors of human institutions, who at present are witnessing with perplexity and dismay the bankruptcy of their ideas, and the disintegration of their handiwork, would do well to turn their gaze to the Revelation of Bahá’u’lláh, and to meditate upon the World Order which, lying enshrined in His teachings, is slowly and imperceptibly rising amid the welter and chaos of present-day civilization. They need have no doubt or anxiety regarding the nature, the origin or validity of the institutions which the adherents of the Faith are building up throughout the world. For these lie embedded in the teachings themselves, unadulterated and unobscured by unwarrantable inferences, or unauthorized interpretations of His Word."
| VOL. 22 | JANUARY, 1932 | NO. 10 |
| Page | |
The Century of Radiance, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá | 301 |
Editorial, Stanwood Cobb | 291 |
Brotherhood—A Poem, Harriet Gibbs Marshall | 290 |
Breaking Down the Barriers, Foad Ashraf | 295 |
A Meditation, Willard P. Hatch | 295 |
A Fortnight at Bosch Place, Geyserville, Clara Weir | 303 |
Above the Timber Line, Dale S. Cole | 306 |
Letters Home, Keith Ransom-Kehler | 310 |
Bahá’i Pioneers, Siyyid Mustafa Roumie | 313 |
Seeking and Finding, By One Who Sought and Found | 315 |
China and America in Hawaii, Mui King Chow | 319 |
STANWOOD COBB | Editor |
MARIAM HANEY | Associate Editor |
MARGARET B. MCDANIEL | Business Manager |
Great Britain, Mrs. Annie B. Romer; Persia, Mr. A. Samimi; Japan and China, Miss Agnes B. Alexander; Egypt, Mohamed Moustafa Effendi; International, Miss Martha L. Root.
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 The Baha'i
Magazine, 1112 Shoreham Bldg., Washington, D. C., U. S. A. Entered as second-class matter April 9, 1911, at the postoffice at Washington, D. C., under the Act of March 3, 1897. Acceptance for mailing at special rate of postage provided for in Section 1103 Act of October 3, 1917, authorized September 1, 1922.
- The gray old world is about the same
- Travel over the earth as you may,
- The same old hopes and joys and fears
- Will greet you along the way.
- The same egotism, vanity and pride
- That hinder the growth of men,
- And makes them sink beneath the tide,
- As the billows of life descend.
- What matters if cap or curl or frill
- Are found in a different place,
- What matters if climate, thought and will
- Produce a different race,
- No matter if talent embraces one
- And passes the other unknown,
- Like the law that governs moon and sun
- Each shall contribute his own.
- The things that count are the gifts alike
- Bestowed on all mankind.
- The love of God, of nature, art,
- Of justice and of peace of mind.
- The love of home where children play,
- Dear hearts that brighten the hearth
- And find their place, in God’s own way
- Into the hearts of all on earth.
- Love of the hero—man of strength,
- The martyr with his courage rare,
- Love of achievement great and small,—
- Such are the glorious loves we share.
- These gifts are ties that bind us tight
- That make us brothers true
- Till we behold afar a Glorious Light,
- A world of love with all things new.
| VOL. 22 | JANUARY, 1932 | NO. 10 |
virtues, betterment of morals, spiritual development of mankind, the real life and divine bestowals . . . Religion is meant to be the quickening life of the body-politic.”
THERE IS today a running to and fro–a search often despairing—for Truth, as foretold ages ago that there would be. There is a falling away from religion; and this abandonment of ancient spiritual guide-posts is due not only to the individualism of the age, but to the fact that institutional religion today is not meeting the actual spiritual needs of humanity.
In regard to the value and authority of any religion, one may well bring certain tests and criteria to bear. We may even formulate beforehand the question what should religion do for us; what should it bring to our individual lives; and having defined in our own minds the purpose which religion should fulfil for us, we may consider from such a criterion the claim of any existing religion upon our allegiance.
THE FIRST and most important thing that religion should do for the individual is to explain the universe to him. This universe in the midst of which we live and move and have our being is an ever present force from which we can in no way escape. What are we to think of it? What is to be our understanding of it and our attitude toward it? If
we believe it to be a concatenation of fortuitous forces and events, we have but a sorry philosophy upon which to base our lives. We shall be living apparently in an unregulated chaos, whatever order there is in such a universe being merely that observed from day to day with no guaranty of stability, permanency or beneficence so far as individual destinies are concerned. This is the way the universe appears to millions of highly intelligent people today who have cast off the old guidances of religion.
Now religion, if it should accomplish nothing else for the individual, would be the greatest of blessings if it could give a sense of individual security in the midst of a constantly changing universe; if it could give the conviction of spiritual beneficence behind the shifting keleidos- copic events which compose existence. That is really what everyone is seeking; and the individual life can never find happiness, peace and contentment until it has solved the universe in these terms. Yet such a solution must today be rational and in accord with science. The old anthropomorphic conceptions of God are unthinkable now. Religion must give us a teaching about God which is perfectly rational, which
comports with science, yet also conduces to faith in the universe and to a sense of the essential value of the individual as against the brute power of a material cosmos.
SECONDLY, religion having explained the universe in terms of God, should teach the individual how to relate himself to God and the universe; it should reveal certain immutable laws for governing the conduct of man, as of the atoms, obedience to which will result in happiness and success and become the stable foundation for the individual career. Religion, in a word, should teach us to build upon the rocks of time and not upon the shifting sands; it should teach us the use of aspiration, meditation and prayer as a means both of harmonizing ourselves with the universe and of attracting to ourselves guidance and blessing from the universe. It should explain to us the mystery of God as made accessible to human understanding and experience through the succession of Manifestations or Prophets, whose function it is to reveal the Infinite to the finite comprehension and to aid man in that greatest of all quests—the quest for God.
THIRDLY, religion should aid the
individual in acquiring those spiritual
characteristics, those divine
qualities, which will conduce to a
spiritual rebirth. This is one of the
chief functions of religion. It is
here that religion descends from the
pinnacle of thought to the arena of
action. It is not enough to have a
belief in religion; that belief must
become transmuted into action, and
the first step toward action is the
purifying and sublimating of our qualities so as to raise us from the plane of the brute to that plane of the spirit which is the reality of man. “The Prophets,” said ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, “come into the world to guide and educate humanity so that the animal nature of man may disappear and the divinity of his powers become awakened.”
FOURTHLY: Religion must guide the individual in his relations to his fellowmen. This is very important, for we cannot live on isolated heights of rapture. We can no more fulfil our religion by aspiration and inner growth alone than could the disciples of Christ fulfil their religion by memoralizing the transfiguration of Christ (which Peter, James and John were privileged to witness) by the construction of tabernacles, as the enraptured Peter suggested—one for Christ, one for Moses and one for Elias; for it was Christ’s mission and their mission “to come down from the hill, where much people met him.”
The real temple which the individual must build is that of harmonious relations with his fellow-men, and this edifice can be erected only on the foundations of love and unity. Religion therefore must become the means of unity among men regardless of age, class, intelligence, race or creed. It must abolish all prejudices such as divide men and become the seeds of opposition and inharmony.
Religion in both its individual and organized expression must be the means of the most absolute unity. Its administrative development must eliminate all the old tricks of politics, of intrigue, of personality,
and become a matter of sincere and loving cooperation based on the principle of consultation free from personal aims or ends, free from rancors caused by individualism.
FIFTH: Religion should give a definite teaching regarding immortality. The human heart yearns for such a faith here as science alone cannot convey. Religion must have something definite to offer—a compelling truth, a radiant message regarding the other life. This message must not only be a consolation to those deprived of friends by death; it must also show the individual how to so order his life on this earth as to be worthy of immortality after death. It must teach man how to acquire those spiritual qualities necessary for successful existence upon higher planes of life than we know of on this earth.
SIXTH: Religion should be a consolation and inspiration in all sorrow and misfortune. But it should not be an anodyne, a lethal drug, causing supineness before the events of fortune. It is one of the chief criticisms made of religion by freethinkers, that it lulls the senses of religionists in a way that weakens their active and effective resistance to the difficulties and obstructions of life.
The real power of religion in times of misfortune is to give not only consolation but also courage, initiative and creativeness to the individual, such as to aid him out of his difficulties. It was such a consolation that the Psalmist sought and found in religion. And the most marvelous example I know of
in all history of spiritual guidance salvaging a man’s broken fortunes is to be found in the story told in the thirtieth chapter of First Samuel. Here we read the remarkable story of how David met at Ziklag the greatest crisis and misfortune of his life; met a tempestuous destiny and conquered it through the power of the spirit joined to the power of a captain of men.
SEVENTH: Religion should not
only console in times of misfortune
and sorrow, but should conduce to
the finest and greatest living at all
times. Christ said, “I came that
ye might have life and have it more
abundantly.” One of the chief
evidences of an active religion in the
life of an individual is this joyousness,
this spiritual uplift which
gives to life a “radiant acquiescence.”
It was ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s
habit to ask every one who came into
His presence, “Are you happy?”
and He would add without waiting
for an answer, “Be happy.” And
who shall say that this brief command
had not in reality a great
creative force. Be happy! Is not
this the essential exhortation of all
the great founders of religion? Is
not this the chief purpose of their
self-sacrificing mission to humanity?
EIGHTH: Religion in addition to presenting concepts, exhortations and directions for the spiritual life, must also embody the divine art of living in an actual incarnated form. That is to say, it must present the person of its Founder as an Exemplar, a Model of the behavior which it teaches. It is, after all, the lives of the great Founders,
more even than what they have said, which has caused their teachings to penetrate the hearts of men and become a permanent guide of conduct.
NINTH: Religion must bequeath a living Word to humanity, a Bible which can be resorted to for ages after the departure of the great Teacher. This revealed Word is not merely a body of religious teaching; it is incarnated Wisdom, a Potency distilled into words and capable of affecting conduct. Thus the revealed Word of a great religion has an enormous power and influence upon human living; has had, and always will have. Those educators today who are seeking material and text books for character education would do well to realize that the greatest medium for character education is the revealed Word of God. “Man must come to know and to acknowledge the precepts of God,” said ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, “and he must come to the point of knowing for a certainty that the ethical development of humanity is dependent upon religion.”
LASTLY, religion should offer to its
adherents a great and noble Cause
to work for. This Cause should be
such as to command the utmost allegiance,
the utmost loyalty, the
utmost service and sacrifice upon
the part of its adherents. No religion
that fails in these respects is
worthy of the name. Here is where the individual transcends himself, rises above the limitations of personality, and becomes a cooperator in the Divine Purpose for humanity. This is the greatest fulfillment that can come to the individual life.
LET THE READER. apply these criteria
to religion in general; and in
particular let him test by these principles
the claims of the Bahá’i
Movement to represent the fulfillment
for today of man’s spiritual
aspirations and needs.
The unprejudiced searcher for Truth should ask himself in regard to the Bahá’i religion as to whether or not it is the destined spiritual vehicle for the human race in its present stage of development. For spiritual Truth as defined and expressed in actual religion, must adapt itself always to man’s capacity and to his stage of development. “Religion,” ‘Abdu’l-Bahá said, “is the outer expression of the Divine Reality. Therefore it must be living, vitalized, moving and progressive. If it be without motion and nonprogressive it is without the divine life—it is dead. The divine institutes are continuously active and evolutionary; therefore the revelation of them must be progressive and continuous. All things are subject to re-formation. This is a century of life and renewal.”
“How vast is the Revelation of Bahá’u’lláh! How great the magnitude of His blessings showered upon humanity in this day! And yet, how poor, how inadequate our conception of their significance and glory! This generation stands too close to so colossal a Revelation to appreciate, in their fall measure, the infinite possibilities of His Faith, the unprecedented character of His Cause, and the mysterious dispensations of His Providence.”
“To the people of Bahá glory is in knowledge, good deeds, good morals and wisdom—not in native land or station.”
- Potentially in seed, the soul appears:
- Its ways untutored and untrained; its tears
- Its smiles, await the passage of the years;
- Where deeds shall yet unfold, if near or far,
- The dread abyss—the tranquil, brilliant star.
- Shall world of now and here lay unchecked claim,
- In wealth of gold; in dusty hall of fame;
- And mouthings of the heedless speak his name?
- Shall passion, like a sculptor, shape the dust—
- The living-dead, to moulder in his lust?
- Or shall an armoured, inner sight defy,
- The strange illusions of the outer eye—
- The worldly plea—its bleak, phantasmal cry?
- Shall guidance that the true, Blessed Beauty* gave,
- Uplift man’s soul above his body’s grave?
- For only in the selflessness of will,
- Can man his noblest destiny fulfill:
- The right uphold; subordinate the ill.
- The Lord of “Be”† the altar flame shall fire,
- When flight o’ertakes the armies of desire.
- The hours, soon turned to years, go filing past:
- Like porters, bear their loads until the last;
- Until upon His scales their weight they cast—
- To mark (a balance that the pure shall see)
- What God has taught a life’s true worth to be.
- And there each finds the slightest, hidden deed,
- He wrought to serve the Living Lord, a seed
- So grown in bounty, that its harvests feed
- The fainting hordes of hunger, who had died,
- Had Love left incomplete the good It tried.
- They’ve searched the Word of God for Its behest:
- They’ve walked in Paths of Glory that He Blest;
- Those saints whose hearts the Love of God confest.
- All praise to souls, in Springtime’s precious Day,
- Whose inner life has trod the highest way.
* The Blessed Beauty-a title given to His Holiness Baha’u’llah.
† The Manifestation of God Who utters the creative word “Be” and it is.
The author is a young student who came to this country in 1927 to enter the Ford School in Detroit through arrangements made by the Persian government with Ford representatives. Although he was sent by his government, he is now, however, an independent student, and he is taking a college course in chemical engineering. This article, his first contribution to The Bahá’i Magazine, was written upon request of the Editors for a description of how the Bahá’i Movement is actually working out in Persia.
PERSIA, the birthplace of the Bahá’i faith, has gone through a period of most unusual transformation during the past eighty years. In the field of government, religion, education and industry, everywhere new scenes have appeared which have made the modern Persia an entirely different country. But the most significant of all is the radical change that has taken place in the social relations between the Persian Muslims and the adherents of various other religions in the country.
The glorious principle of the oneness of mankind declared by Bahá’u’lláh eighty years ago, had convinced His followers that progress in any field was impossible unless the various religious groups of Persia were united and worked together in perfect peace and harmony. Urged on by a true patriotic spirit and inspired by the words of their beloved Master, the Bahá’is set out to establish unity and fellowship among the Persian people. A remarkable success has been attained. Difference of religion is no longer the cause of hatred and separation in Persia, and everybody believes this to be the secret of the rapid improvement of conditions in recent years.
It is the object of this article to point out in detail some of the ways in which the Bahá’is of Persia proceeded in breaking down the barriers
* Figures taken from “The Statesman's Year Book,” 1930.
of social and religious prejudice in that country. However, before beginning such an account, a few words should be said about the nature and the extent of religious hatred and discord prevalent in Persia at the time of Bahá’u’lláh in order that the reader may appreciate the tremendous importance of this heroic achievement.
FOR MANY years the people of
Persia have been actually divided
into four distinct religious groups—the
Muslims, the Jews, the Zoroastrians
and the Christians. Out of
8,500,000, the estimated total population
of the country, more than 8,000,000
are Muslims and only about
130,000 belong to the other religions.*
The Jews have been in Persia
probably since the time of Cyrus
the Great, and at present about 40,000
of them are in various cities, the
most of them in Hamadan, the site
of the old city of Ekbatan. The
Christians consist mainly of Armenians (50,000)
and Nestorians (30,000),
who first lived in the north-western
part of the country, and
later gradually moved around and
settled in several large cities like
Tabriz, Tihran and Isfáhán. The
Zoroastrians, 10,000 in number, are
the old Persians who at the time of
the conquest of Persia by the Arabs
preferred to stay in their homeland,
accepting the terms imposed
by the conquerors rather than fleeing
to India. The Jews in Persia are mainly engaged in trade, the Nestorians and Armenians in agriculture and rug weaving, while the Muslims are in all occupations. It is well to mention that, although in physical features there are no certain distinctions between a Persian Jew and a Muslim, or an Armenian and a Muslim, until quite recently the Armenian could be recognized at once by his cap and short coat, the Zoroastrian by his flowing robe. brown turban and a silk shawl wrapped several times around his waist. Furthermore there is the difference in language and the difference in habits. Zoroastrians do not smoke, probably from a sense of respect for fire. Their women appear publicly unveiled, but are very particular to keep their hair covered. The Jewish women wear the black chuddar (a long cloak) of the Muslims, but they leave off the veil, while the Nestorians and Armenians are free from both.
Since the conquest of Persia by the Arabs (652 A. D), Islam has been the state religion and the laws have been based on the Qur’án. Until recent times the authority to interpret and execute the civil, and in some cases, the penal laws, was in the hands of the clergy. For a long time the adherents of other religions, although deprived of most civil rights, were left in peace and were allowed to practice their religious rites in isolated communities, provided they would comply with certain rules such as not building structures higher than those of the Muslims, or not ringing a church bell, etc.
DURING the nineteenth century the
decadence of the Muslim clergy, and
with it the corruption of the government, gave the Jews, Zoroastrians, and Armenians the opportunity to gain more freedom and to rise above the limitations herein mentioned; for example, the production and sale of intoxicating liquor, which was absolutely impossible in the early days, became a profitable business for many nonMuslims, because now they had the patronage and protection of government officials and other influential persons. In general, however, Jews and Armenians and especially the Zoroastrians, whether in trade or in agriculture, attained superiority and independence by sheer industry and honest labor.
Now hatred and prejudice remain dormant so long as a rival is kept down, but as soon as he shows signs of rising, conflict and struggle start. That was the reason the Muslims began fighting their fellow-countrymen, who were now their competitors and whom they condemned as infidel and defiled. In the city of Tihran the Jews were not permitted outside their own district except during the day, and then they had to sew colored patches on their clothes as an identification mark. On a rainy day the infidel could not approach the Muslim shops and markets, because to touch an infiidel, as well as a dog, in the presence of moisture, would defile the fanatical Muslim and would necessitate a long process of washing and purification. Men were posted along the road to throw salt in the cases of grapes which the Armenians carried to their homes, thus preventing the making of wine. In Yazd Zoroastrians were compelled to face a donkey’s tail, while riding through the city, which for centuries had been a
method of humiliation. Muhammad spoke with admiration and reverence for Jesus, Moses and the prophets of Israel, and upheld their holy books, but the ignorant Muslims did not recognize the Holy Bible and destroyed every copy of it they could find. Zoroaster was not even considered a prophet of God, because no direct reference could be found to His name in the Qur’án.
One would expect that the Jews, Christians, and the Zoroastrians would unite to resist the injustice of the Muslims, but there was enough difference and discord among the three to make such a union impossible.
Such was the extent of religious animosity in Persia when the supreme pen of Bahá’u’lláh proclaimed the great principle of the oneness of mankind in such emphatic words as: “O people of the world, the religion of God is for love and union, make it not the cause of discord and dissension. . . . Associate, O my friends, with people of all religions with joy and fragrance.”
HUNDREDS OF Muslims embraced
the cause of Bahá’u’lláh, and the
influence of His divine words completely
changed their hearts. Love
and understanding took the place of
hatred and prejudice. Heretofore
they shunned the Jews and scorned
the Zoroastrians and Armenians;
now they loved them all. Once they
despised and burned the books of
other religions; now they were
taught by Bahá’u’lláh that the Bible
of the Jews and Christians and the
Zend Avesta of the Zoroastrians
contained revelations from God and
should be looked upon and read as
holy books. No sooner had they
joined the circle of the friends of God than they were urged to “associate with the people of all religions with joy and fragrance.”
But to live in a group of fanatical Muslims and associate with Jews and other infidels seemed next to impossible, and it needed a great deal of courage and sacrifice on the part of the early Bahá’is. How could a Bahá’i entertain a Jew in his home or walk with a Christian on the street, and ignore the malicious looks and threats of the neighbors and shopkeepers? I remember when I was a child we entertained in our home three American women, my sister’s teachers at the American High School. The next morning I did not dare go out for fear the neighbor’s children might throw stones at me. Were the Bahá’is to preserve their social prestige and temporary comforts of life and give up following the admonitions of Bahá’u’lláh? No. They read in the Kitáb-i-Aqdas:
“One who has tasted the sweetness of the words which have issued from the mouth of the Merciful, will expend all that he has, though it may be the treasures of the earth, to uphold even one of the teachings which have dawned from the horizon of His blessing. Moreover in addition to spending all his earthly goods he will offer even his eyes as targets for the arrows of the enemy and his body as food for their swords. . . .”
This was a severe test for the Bahá’is of Persia in the same way that the adjustment of international relations are now the crucial test for the Bahá’is in Europe, and the solution of the race problem is to be a supreme test for the Bahá’is in the United States. The test in Persia, however, was not too hard for the faithful friends of Bahá’u’lláh. The Bahá’is of Persia, assured of the ultimate victory of the host of God, decided to break down the social
barrier and associate with the people of all religions. True they had to suffer a great deal in the beginning, but by application of Bahá’i courage and wisdom they came out victorious in the end. In a short time many Jews and Zoroastrians became attracted to the cause. This brought great joy and happiness to the circle of friends, but at the same time somewhat aggravated their social problem. In some cases a number of families succeeded in living close together, and in this way they avoided much of the trouble which might result from living next door to fanatical Muslims. In one instance in Tihrán, one of the friends rented a farm seven miles from the city and every Friday (the Persian “Sunday”) old friends and prospective believers of all classes and religions assembled there to partake freely of both material and spiritual food.
The home of Ibne-Abhar, one of the “Hands of the cause of God” in Tihrán, was situated in the heart of the city, a district thickly populated not only with Muslim laymen, but fanatical mullahs (priests). For years the gate of this blessed home was open to all, and there Jews, Zoroastrians and Christians, who had never before set foot in that district, sat at the same table with Muslims. To my young and inexperienced mind this was a miracle, the secret of which I could not understand until one evening father and I went to call on Ibne-Abhar and found ourselves at a large dinner party, a very unusual one for that house I thought. There were more than forty mullahs in their black or white turbans, seated in two connecting rooms around the white dinner mats, spread in Persian
style on the floor. There was an abundance of delicious food of all kinds, enough to satisfy the appetite of forty mullahs and have some left for them to carry home for their families. I must have looked very astonished, because Ibne-Abhar soon found a chance to speak to me. In explanation, he said: “This is the way we make friends of our enemies. We feed the mullahs of the district once in a while, so that we may always be able to have Bahá'i feasts at our home.”
Other Bahá’is, who were not tied down to a certain locality, got around the difficulty of unfriendly neighbors by moving into places suitable for a Bahá’i home. In general the Bahá’is of Persia, in choosing a site for a home, or even in renting a house, bear in mind that their home should be “A center for the radiance of light and the glowing of His love in the hearts of people.”
In the city of Tihrán, for example, the Bahá’is gradually moved out of the southern and central districts, where orthodox Muslims lived, and went to the northern part of the city, which had recently developed into a place for foreign legations, their employees, and other Europeans and Americans. Meanwhile a liberal-minded mullah, who had the jurisdiction of a newly rising north-western district, became attracted to the cause. He helped not only the Bahá’is, but also the Jews and Armenians, to settle in that district. The more progressive Muslims gradually moved into the new district, and although they kept aloof in the beginning, they could not help being affected by the joyful and happy fellowship that existed between the Bahá’is and the Christians
or Jews, and one by one they too found their way into the ever widening circle of Bahá’i friendship.
THUS SLOWLY but surely the barriers of social and religious prejudice were broken down in the Persian capital, followed by a similar achievement in other cities. The victory began in the more enlightened circles and little by little spread to people of all classes.
At present in every city or town, even in the small villages, there are Bahá’i homes in which people of all religions and classes associate together with the utmost freedom. They have no fear of public disapproval or the interference of fanatical Muslims. To these homes are attracted daily hundreds of people, who eventually can not help but join the circle of Bahá’i love and friendship.
A great demonstration of the Bahá’i fellowship takes place at the time of Nawruz, the feast of the beginning of the new year. The holiday begins on the first day of spring, March 21, and lasts twelve
days. It is an old habit of Persians to call on relatives and friends during these days. Sweets and refreshments are served, presents are given and people have a gay time. Naturally among the Bahá’is the circle of friends is so large and contains so many different types of people, that it is astonishing to the neighbors. Sometimes the door of a Bahá’i home is wide open for three days, and the neighbors watch groups of callers walk in and out. They see a group of Zoroastrians in their flowing robes just about to leave the house, while two Muslims and three Jews hand in hand walk toward the door and shout, “Allah’u’Abha! Allah’u’Abha!” Look! How they embrace each other! What love! What joy! What is the meaning of all this? The perplexed neighbor will soon find out that those whom he calls Jews, Zoroastrians, or Armenians are known to each other by no other name than “Friend” or “Bahá’i Friend.” It is this discovery alone that has already attracted thousands of souls, and will hereafter attract the whole world to the cause of Bahá’u’lláh.
“The oneness of the world of humanity shall he realized, accepted and established. . . . All mankind are the servants of the glorious God our Creator. . . . As He loves humanity without distinction or prefernce, why should we not love all? Can we conceive of a plan and policy superior to the Divine purpose? Manifestly we cannot. Therefore we must strive to do the will of the glorious Lord and emulate His policy of loving all mankind. . . . Therefore if we follow the example of the Lord of divinity, we will love all mankind from our hearts; and the means of the unity of the world of humanity will become as evident and manifest to us as the light of the sun.”
HIS Holiness Bahá’u’lláh appeared from the horizon of the Orient and re-established the essential foundation of the religious teachings of the world. The worn-out traditional beliefs current among men were removed. He caused fellowship and agreement to exist between the representatives of varying denominations so that love became manifest among the contending religions. He created a condition of harmony among hostile sects and upheld the banner of the oneness of the world of humanity. He established the foundation for International Peace, caused the hearts of nations to be cemented together and conferred new life upon the various peoples of the east. Among those who have followed the teachings of Bahá’u’lláh no one says “I am a Persian,” “I am a Turk,” “I am a Frenchman,” or “I am an Englishman.” No one says “I am a Mussulman upholding the only true religion,” “I am a Christian loyal to my traditional and inherited beliefs,” “I am a Jew following talmudic interpretations,” or “I am a Zoroastrian and opposed to all other religions.” On the contrary all have been rescued from religious racial, political and patriotic prejudices and are now associating in fellowship and love to the extent that if you should attend one of their meetings you would be unable to observe any distinction between Christian and Muhammadan, Jew and Zoroastrian, Persian and Turk, Arab and European; for their meetings are based upon the essential foundations of religion, and real unity has been established among them. Former antagonisms have passed away, the centuries of sectarian hatred are ended, the period of aversion has gone by, the mediaeval conditions of ignorance have ceased to exist.
Verily the century of radiance has dawned, minds are advancing, perceptions are broadening, realizations of human possibilities are becoming universal, susceptibilities are developing, the discovery of realities is progressing. Therefore it is necessary that we should cast aside all the prejudices of ignorance, discard superannuated beliefs in traditions of past ages and raise aloft the banner of international agreement. Let us cooperate in love, and through spiritual reciprocity enjoy eternal happiness and peace.
--PHOTO--
Upper center: group of friends attending the Bahá’i Summer School at Geyserville, Calif. Left: the large fir tree under which many meetings are held. Lower center: View over the valley from Bosch Place. Right: to view of the beautiful redwood trees on the property. (See opposite page.)
THE Bahá’i Summer School at Geyserville, Calif, an institution undoubtedly destined to become an important center for Bahá’i activities on the Pacific coast, held its fifth annual session during July and August.
Bahá’i students and their friends from various parts of the West attended in large numbers. Bosch Place, located as it is on the main highway (seventy-five miles north of San Francisco) is easily accessible by every means of transportation. Some came by boat, via San Francisco, others by stage; some chose the railway, and many came by automobile, most of the latter carrying their own camping equipment-sturdy pioneers, all, from as far north as Vancouver, British Columbia, to as far south as Phoenix, Arizona. (It would not require much stretch of the imagination to see students arriving from the four corners of the states by aeroplane. While the environs are hilly, Bosch Place, also, provides sufficient level ground to accommodate the landing of aeroplanes which would, however, necessitate the cutting down of numerous prune trees.)
Housing conditions at Bosch Place are not only comfortable but unique. One feels that here is offered an ideal opportunity for spiritual regeneration, as well as physical relaxation in the country. Truly, the Summer School at Geyserville demonstrates the import of the statement of Bahá’u’lláh, “The city is the home of the body, while the country is the home of the soul.”
The natural beauties of Geyserville satisfy the aesthetic sense which is conducive to greater tranquility of spirit, a factor so very important to mental and spiritual growth.
Bosch Place is situated on a gentle slope of the mountains, planted to a considerable height in vineyards and fruit trees. Still higher the natural growth of redwood and eucalyptus trees begins. In the foreground is an orchard of prune trees with a level plain extending to the river and, beyond, another range of mountains rises verdant and pine-clad. Natural springs are numerous, and the water from these is piped to all parts of the estate.
Could a dramatist ask for a more ideal setting? What could be more commanding than a play presenting such vivid scenes as these: Scene I, under “the Big Tree”; Scene II, A lecture hall in the village; Scene III, Living-room in the Bosch home; Scene IV, The Redwood Grove? Enchanting! Yes, but enchantment not of a fleeting moment that lifts and is no more, but that which endures—the enchantment of reality. The setting is a necessary adjunct, of course, but “the play’s the thing”; something which consists of real events having unity and interest; and the manifestation of “unity and interest” during the Summer School at Geyserville made a deep impression upon Bahá’i and stranger alike.
“The Big Tree,” (a huge fir and what a beautiful symbol it has become) stands near the center of
Bosch Place. As many as two hundred persons have gathered beneath its shade. It is the gathering place for all activities. The morning devotion, the Unity Feast, the social hour, and committee meetings are held here. Should inclement weather (of which there was none last summer, however) prevent, or the evening dews chill the air, then the Bosch living room offers radiant hospitality. Here we often gathered to discuss important questions, stimulated by the morning lecture.
To the Summer School were invited not only the erudite of our own ranks, university professors, and advanced students, but others who were qualified by the necessary scholarly attainments.
While the purpose of the Geyserville Summer School is primarily for spiritual regeneration, and for the study and promulgation of the principles of Bahá’u’llah yet all who attended the session also felt the effect of intellectual stimulation. Those familiar with the college classroom noted that the direction was systematic and dignified, and the presentation of material typically academic, while an atmosphere of genuine good will and fellowship pervaded the lecture hall, making all feel welcome.
There were two principal lecturers, while five others also contributed an important share to the lecture course.
Since the Bahá’i principles are so universal in scope, the lectures covered a wide range, revealing many important aspects of the various subjects.
The first series traced the evolution of society from its beginning, in the organization of family life to its present development. The
speaker traced the correlation of the Bahá’i teachings with modern thought and human experience. “All humanity,” he said, “is growing into an organization. We live a life of relations and nothing is isolated. The essence of all prophetic message is the social relation, and the goal of human endeavor is, ‘the better way of living’.”
PRESENT DAY tendencies in the economic
field were outlined and a solution
for the various problems confronting
this country and the world
in general, was presented. It was
based, first, upon the plan of Bahá’u’lláh,
and, secondly, upon a complete
understanding of our economic,
political, and ethical institutions.
The necessity for international cooperation was stressed as one of the means of improving the economic situation. The same motivating principle in the conduct of individuals affects the conduct of nations and their relations to each other. ‘Abdul-Bahá once gave the following diagnosis: “The disease affecting humanity today is the absence of love and the lack of altruism,” and, again, in a tablet to one of the believers, he said, “When thou wilt compare the teachings of Bahá’u’lláh with the requisitions and necessities of the present time, thou wilt conclude that they are to the sick body of the world the swift healing antidote; nay, rather, they are the remedy producing everlasting health.”
“The Relation between Invention and Universality,” a lecture by one of our University professors, revealed our progress in the field of invention since the advent of the steam engine, and showed the effect
of the various means of transportation and communication upon our national life, and upon international relations.
A discussion of “Universal Education” revealed the following factors which have contributed to international understanding in the Bahá’i era: the Suffrage Movement (1850), the Postal Conference (Paris, 1863), the influence of the International Education Association upon the rewriting of history books, the establishment of cosmopolitan clubs in universities, the exchange of faculties between countries; the establishment of the Institute of Pacific Relations, (by Dr. Ray Lyman Wilbur, President of Leland Stanford University), the International Chamber of Commerce, World Friendship Societies; the study of Esperanto, and comparative religions; the Religious Congress; the study of the race question; the Olympic games; and the recognition of the essential unity and interdependence of the world by President Hoover.
A lecture entitled, “The Abolition of Racial Barriers, and the Development of Latent Powers in All Peoples,” called to mind the words of ‘Abdul-Bahá spoken in Washington, D. C., “The world of humanity is like a garden and the various races are the flowers which constitute its adornment and decoration. . . . In their never ending variety man finds enjoyment instead of monotony. There is unity in diversity, one setting off and enhancing the beauty of the other.”
THE SECOND continuous series of
lectures was on “Comparative Religions,”
covering the divisions of
Hindu philosophy; the religions of China and Japan; of Greece and Rome; the Semitic religions, and Muhammadanism, concluding with, “The Aspects of Christianity,” when the speaker made this significant statement, “One cannot discuss comparative religions without discussing “World Peace,” and “Social Justice,” which bears out the statement of Bahá’u’llah that “the foundations of divine religion are one reality which does not admit of multiplicity or division. Therefore the commandments and teachings of God are one.”
There were round table discussions in the “Redwood Grove” which partook of that spiritual quality so inspiring and so uplifting to the human heart. The tall redwoods reminded one of the giant pillars of a cathedral, and when the sun, filtering through the brilliant foliage, shone upon the happy faces, one realized that no stained-glass window could produce an effect so lovely. ‘Abdul-Bahá was again brought into our midst as vividly as in the days at ‘Akká, for there were present some who had visited Him in the prison—others who had met Him in His travels, and some who had, recently, visited Haifa.
STUDENTS of the Summer School
found relaxation in excursions to
the geysers and to the petrified
forest, while children, and their elders,
too, enjoyed the exhilaration
of aquatic sports in the river
nearby.
A combined Unity Feast, picnic supper, and program on the picturesque Griffith estate will long be remembered as an outstanding event. Here, in a small but perfect
amphitheater various members of the Summer School found expression for their histrionic ability, and were there any newcomers who felt at all restrained this occasion dispelled any sense of strangeness.
So close was the bond of fellowship, so unified the purpose, so delectable the viands, intellectual and spiritual, offered by the Summer School, that when the session ended the students departed with great reluctance, not realizing, perhaps, that they, too, had brought something to the Summer School which
contributed to the building of an historic Bahá’i institution, an edifice destined to play an important part in the unification of the human world by the establishment of the great fundamental principles of Bahá’u’lláh—“not through material means or political power; not through racial or patriotic power but through the divine power and breaths of the Holy Spirit,” thus fulfilling the highest aspirations of the human race in the “Most Great Peace,” and the establishment of the kingdom of God upon earth.
WE were lost, hopelessly lost it seemed to me, in a dense forest at night. The heavy foliage above obscured the stars. The small lantern which my companion carried shed but a feeble circle of wan light. There were no signs for guidance but the moss on the trees. I was utterly bewildered and would have despaired entirely had it not been for the confident bearing of my friend. Somehow even in our extremity, he seemed calm, assured and serene.
The natural beauty and grandeur of the forest was changed into fore-boding. The stately trees loomed as great obstacles. They seemed to be labeled—“doubt,” “perplexity,” “apprenhension,” “fear.” There were the prickly low briars of selfishness and greed. There were the impenetrable bushes of economic maladjustment. There were the sharp thorns of misunderstanding and ignorance. The illusion
was so over-powering and so analogous to world conditions that I could not help commenting upon it in doleful sylables, thinking that perhaps thereby the feeling of desolation would be swept away.
“Our condition may be strange, in that we are temporarily lost, but it is not surprising,” my companion replied. “Do you not remember the words of Bahá’u’lláh? ‘The thin eyelid prevents the eye from seeing the world and what is contained therein. Then think of the result when the curtain of greed covers the sight of the heart. Say, O People! The darkness of greed and envy obscures the light of the soul as the cloud prevents the penetration of the sun’s rays.’”
I did not reply and we trudged along silently for a time.
“Look!” my friend suddenly exulted, “there are trail marks on those trees. Surely we have hit upon a way out.”
“Do you think we can follow them,” I asked, “with only this weak, little lantern of human understanding to furnish light?”
“We do not have to rely solely on that lantern,” was the reply “There are other sources of light.”
AND THEN as we picked our way
slowly through the forest, he continued:
“Never before has humanity so needed a long-range, broad-guage view of life and affairs as today. Individuals and nations yearn for some measure of assurance. In the chaotic and disturbing conditions existing we are likely to lose sight of the forest and see only the trees—just as they appear as obstacles to us now, although under different circumstances we appreciate their beauty and utility. If one focuses attention closely on some detail it gains in relative importance until the significance of the whole may be entirely obliterated. It is quite natural that human beings should concentrate on the woes which affect them intimately and personally. See how our present predicament has forced an illusion upon you.”
“I know,” I replied, “but when large numbers of people become disturbed, are destitute of assurance and feel insecure and fearful, they are indeed in an unstable and sorrowful condition. They seem lost in a forest of vicissitudes over which they have little or no control.”
“Yes, could a world-wide referendum be taken, as to what humanity most desires at the moment, undoubtedly the vote would be overwhelming for assurance and a measure of security, for some assurance
* Divine Art of Living p. 12.
that all this suffering is not to be repeated and that things are going to turn out all right.”
“Human precedents,” I answered, “have proven to be inadequate guides. Are we beginning to realize that we must look elswhere in our search for assurance and security? To the other sources of light you mentioned?”
“Certainly, but one of the hardest lessons to learn in this connection, is that assurance and security are states of mind. They can be attained without recourse to the material influences in which we live, but not without effort, for assurance and security rise from spiritual foundations.
“Humanity is crying out for assurance. It must come if civilization is to progress, and the attainment of it must begin with the individual. One calm, assured person even among many who are not, has a stablizing and inspiring effect on the others. It is important for as many as possible to attain and radiate assurance, that others may be tranquilized and the affairs of the world be placed on a plane where continuity of progress will be certain.
“‘Abdu’l-Bahá tells us ‘that a material man lets himself be worried and harassed by little things but a spiritual man is always calm and serene under all circumstances. If a person is confirmed in the accomplishment of the services of the Kingdom, his worldly conditions are of secondary importance.’*
“Thus is a correct perspective clearly established. Worldly conditions are of secondary importance. Undoubtedly many have placed them first, and the consequence
is the avalanche of troubles and vicissitudes which beset the world.
“‘Abdu’l-Bahá has gone further and defined the object of life for our guidance, that we may direct our efforts effectively. ‘The object of this life is the attainment of the spirit, the manifestation of the fear of God, the acquisition of the love of God, the attainment of the good pleasure of the Lord of Mankind. If a man characterizes himself with these God-like attributes he will become freed from all ties of this mortal world, the light of God will shine in his heart, he will hear the voice of the heavenly angels, he will be surrounded by the confirmations of the Holy Spirit, he will become an irradiating center of the perfect names and qualities of the Merciful and a light through which the darkness of the world of humanity is dispelled.’”*
He paused a moment and looked about.
“See, the trail is becoming easier.”
So engrossed had I been in his discourse, that I had not noticed that we were now on a well marked forest pathway.
“Please continue,” I requested as he started off at a brisker pace.
“Thus in this one paragraph the aims of life are clearly set forth, and not only are the individual rewards made clear but the potentialities for influence on the world are sung in such glowing words, that we need search no further for the way to assurance and usefulness.
“‘Abdu’l-Bahá has also said: ‘The world needs more happiness and illumination. The star of happiness is in every heart. We must
* Divine Art of Living p. 14.
** Divine Art of Living p. 19.
remove the clouds so that it may twinkle radiantly. Happiness is an internal condition. When it is once established man will ascend to the supreme heights of bliss. A truly happy man will not be subject to the shifting eventualities of time. Like unto a king he will sit upon the throne of fixed realities. He will be impervious to outward, changing circumstances and through his deeds and actions he will impart happiness to others. A Bahá’i must be happy for the blessings of God are bestowed upon him.”**
“The problem each individual has to face today, more than ever, is how to be happy in the midst of adversity. It is clearly incumbent that this station be attained in order that we may be of the utmost service to others in sharing their burdens and in bringing assurance to them.
“First the true aims of life must be recognized and secondly we must learn what real happiness is. Both of these lessons have just been recited in the words of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá.”
THE WAY is not left unmarked
from this point for we have the
guidance of Bahá’u’lláh in these
words—
“‘When the lamp of search, effort, longing, fervor, love, rapture, attraction and devotion is enkindled in the heart and the breeze of love blows forth from the direction of Unity the darkness of error, doubt and uncertainty will be dispelled and the lights of knowledge and assurance will encompass all the pillars of existence. Then the ideal Herald will dawn as the true morn from the divine city with spiritual
glad tidings and awaken the heart, soul and spirit from the sleep of negligence with the trumpet of knowledge. Then the favors and confirmations of the eternal Holy Spirit will impart such a new life that one will find himself the possessor of a new eye, a new ear, a new heart, and a new mind and will direct his attention to the clear, universal signs and to the hidden individual secrets.‘**
“If we make the effort to attain individual assurance, surely we will be helped, and as the number of assured individuals increases, new attributes will be manifested which will place the affairs of the world in true perspective and significance.”
“Then we must try hard to be assured and to have faith,” I interrupted.
“Yes, and less we place undue importance on this life, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá assures us* that our stay on this planet is relatively short and that we may expect many troubles here, but that life does not culminate in this transitory existence. ‘There are many worlds of light. For even as the plant imagines life ends with itself and has no knowledge of our existence, so the materially-minded man has no knowledge of the other worlds of consciousness.’
“But those who have real sight know of other worlds, celestial ones, where the darkness which enshrouds this one does not exist. All the Prophets knew of these worlds and renounced ‘everything material and gave their hearts to the heavenly world.’
“Suppose, for a moment,” my
* Divine Philosophy, pp. 118, 119. ** Divine Art of Living p. 24.
friend continued, “That it were impossible to progress in this world. There would still be the worlds to come. But it is not impossible to progress here. Much can be done to illumine even this dark world. All that we have to do is to follow the instructions given in order that we may enter, partially at least, the worlds of light here and now. ‘This is the fruit of the tree of creation, to be freed from the darkness of the planet in order to enter the worlds of light. This is the object of existence; this is the fruit of the tree of humanity.‘“
For the last half hour we had been climbing steadily. The going was rough and we were both breathing rapidly. Stopping for an instant to rest, we glanced about.
“Ah, look!” my companion exclaimed. A patch of starry sky was visible. “The timber line is just ahead.”
Soon we were above it and out of the forest but we did not stop again until several hundred yards higher up along the trail. Looking back, that great forest in the valley, which had held us prisoners, spread its vast extent darkly in the bright light of the moon.
“Where are your obstacle trees now?” my friend inquired.
“Down there, just below, where they were.”
“Show me one.”
“Why, I can’t. All we can see now is the forest, all of it, not just single trees.”
“And it is beautiful is it not?”
“Yes it is,” I replied, “even by moonlight. How much more beautiful it will be in the morning’s sun!”
The author, distinguished lecturer and writer in the Bahá’i Cause, is at present making a world tour in behalf of this Cause. She is generously sharing her impressions of the Far East with readers of the Bahá’i Magazine in a series of brief descriptions which she chooses to entitle “Letters Home.”
SPLENDOR of splendors! I have seen Nikko!
As long as I live I shall miss Nikko and long for it as for a well-beloved person. I stood in a hearty downpour, unconscious of wet feet, puddles and staring strangers, taking my last look at the never-to-be-forgotten beauty of the Yomeimon (Day-spending Gate) as one would fill one’s eyes with a lovliness too perfect to be understood, too sublime to be neglected, too up-lifting to be relinquished. And through my vitals jagged and twisted the sharp cut of the parting pang that has not searched me for many years.
Here was all the poignant ache of Beauty in a sumptuous, a magnificent mood. I recalled my enraptured wanderings through Rouen, my spell-bound view of the Sphinx, my visit to the Daibutsu—everything that had ever cleansed and relieved and released and intoxicated my soul, and there crept over me again a realization of the wondrous, and an incommunicable gladness, as at the dawn of the world’s first morning.
Who can endure bare Beauty without an agony of longing for her uninterrupted presence, and who possesses the hardihood to remain long in her abode? The heart swoons from its unwonted expansion, and the eyes dazzle to sudden blindness with stabs too bright to bear.
The rich brocade of pine branches
against a soft gray sky, as one mounts an ancient avenue between mossy stone walls, gentle with outcropping ferns and the stealthy stroke of lichen, sets the mood for the wonders that are to follow. But even before the peaceful climb begins the first sight of the “Sacred Bridge,” a buoyant structure of red lacquer spanning the hoydenish Daibu river, gives a lilt to ones spirits and a promise.
Beauty is based on an harmonious diversity that is recapitulated into perfect unity. There is not one false note in the sublime symphony of the Toshogu Shrines: from the faintest trace of jade or gold on a facade to the complete relation of the architectural mass there is a mighty coordination. If concinity could be used of things instead of words, it would apply perfectly.
One’s progress from the first Torii (the two-uprights with a cross piece that always marks the entrance to a Shinto Shrine) to the Shrine itself is a record of progressive astonishment and grandeur that reaches its climax at the Yomeimon Gate and its exotic denouement at the Shrine itself.
AN ATTEMPT to describe Nikko
would be like an attempt to describe
love or prayer, or those wistfully-remembered
moments when God
turns His merciful glances toward
the trivial seed-plot in one’s heart
and suffuses it with the fragrant
breath of His tenderness.
At Nikko Beauty is neither august as in Egypt, majestic as at Kamakura nor dramatic and energetic as at Rouen; here she is elegant, sumptuous, magnificent.
Fifteen thousand men worked for twelve years to complete this monument to the great Iye Asu, the Founder of the Tokugawa Shogunate, at the right hand of whose lineal descendant I was seated on my first day in Tokyo.
Nothing but pure joy, a great exultant realization of the boundless rythm of creation, a daring flight to the iridescent realm of holy dreams could have made an accomplishment like the Nikko Shrines possible. One remembers the words of Baha’u’llah concerning those servants who “when they mention their Creator, all things will mention with them the same.” Hills, river, rocks and forest combine with the thrilling spot of worship and commemoration ”to draw us from ourselves and from the world unto the shore of” God’s “presence and communion.”
The infinitude of detail would be elsewhere bewildering; the opulence of ornamentation would be ordinarily vulgar, but here every touch is indispensible, every fleck an added grace.
The whole scheme cries, a jubilant shout, with color. The general background is red, indescribable in its subdued but joyous tone, with black to balance and off-set it, and gold to maintain the magnificence of the Shrines’ purpose—the habitation in this world of those lofty beings who would here renew human ties and bestow their benison upon those left to struggle with earth’s problems.
Even yet the breathlessness and
wonder of this adventure so fills me that I am unable to remember or understand why front upon front, grille upon grille, cornice upon cornice, jade, pink, orchid, maroon, gold, cobalt, peacock beside a veritable concourse of miniature figures did not seem tedious, overwrought or decadent? But the eye mounted hungrily from detail to detail filled at last with a delicate ecstacy before the bewildering astonishments of the Yomeimon Gate and the unexpected rarity of the Karamon. Here, tree-trunks gnarled and carved with dragons and plumpetals are partially plastered with white chalk. The conception of the detail is as fantastic and wilful as the whole is unified and gorgeous.
Just as in the Grand Canyon one has the somewhat guilty feeling of having surprised God at work, so here one has the odd sense of having penetrated those hidden recesses of man’s soul where Beauty suckles her nurslings with streams of living water and hopes too high for earth.
THE RAIN, which fell steadily, lent
its soft, calm influence to the perfect
spell. The dread of waking, the
feeling of a glorious dream, the realization
that its aching beauty
would fade by degrees, leaving the
world a little gaunt and pinched
where lovliness had stood full-panoplied;
this, and the sense that
one could endure no more; that the
heart was too straight and the mind
too cramped for this relentless onslaught
of the hosts of joy brought
again the words of Baha’u’llah;
“hearts are troubled because of Me
and minds cannot grasp Me.”
Frantic for relief I visited the adjoining shrine of Futara-San; then
in a frenzy of anguish lest the closing hour should come before I could see Toshogu again, I ran back breathless to assuage my home-sick eyes on the gigantic bas-relief of chrysanthemums that decorate the side walls inside the Shrine enclosure, and to beat the wings of longing once more against the diaphonous grilles extending from the Karamon.
The multiplicity and rare delicacy of the wood-carvings everywhere are emphasized in the flights and clusters of animals and birds across this brilliant cloister.
When Whistler concluded that “the story of the beautiful is already complete, graven in the marbles of the Parthenon and broidered with the birds upon the fan of Hokusai at the foot of Fujiyama” he should have carried us one step further to where she sits enshrined forever amid the glories of Nikko.
The reverence, the eagerness, the appreciation with which the Japanese view this monument to their innate taste and devotion was impressive. Coolie and peer, student and geisha wander wrapt from spot to sacred spot.
Inside the loggia of the Yomcimon
are quaint and portly vessels of the sacred wine contributed for the priests of the Shrine by those wishing to honor their ancestors, or to win favor from them. Even these containers are artistic and in keeping with the charm of the whole.
Two hundred steps lead to the tomb of the great Iyeasu, up which young and old, clad in white with the typical pilgrims’ staff, toil to the honor of their ancestors.
From the facade of the Sacred Stable is taken the detail of the world-famous representation of the three wise monkeys.
As I turned to look upward from the entrance level of the Shrine back to the platform of the Yomeimon I did not attempt to control my grief at the stabbing thought that perhaps my eyes would be divorced forever from the rapturous sight of its uplifting glory.
- “Beneficent rivers of tears flow
- at the finger of pain
- And out of the cloud that smites
- beneficent rivers of rain.”
I was saying farewell to one of life’s deepest and most joyous experiences: spontaneous tears were the only appropriate tribute that I could pay.
“The true test of personality is not the man, but the range of his interests. What causes does the man espouse? With what great thoughts is he familiar? What ideals lure him on? How large a section of the world does he care for in a vital, responsible way, thinking, planning, working for its welfare, its improvement, its advancement? The magnitude of the ends one sees and series is the true measure of one’s personality. Call the roll of the great. Study their activities. It will be to discover that he only is great in mind who has fastened upon some great idea, some lofty cause, and that he only is great in heart who has flooded the world with a great affection.”
Jamal Effendi, accompanied by the author, Mr. Roumie, during two years of pioneer missionary work in India, found no difficulty in obtaining access to the leading people of many important Indian states including high government officials and rulers themselves. Everywhere Jamal received a warm reception and his message was listened to courteously.
In 1878 they left Calcutta for Rangoon. Here their mission was highly successful, and in a short time the Bahá'i Cause was widely promulgated in spite of some instances of attempted persecution.
After establishing the Cause in Rangoon the missionaries went, early in 1879, to Mandalay where they laid a good foundation for the Bahá’i Cause.
Several years were spent in missionary journeys to Burma, Mandalay and the chief cities of India. Then Jamal Effendi and the author left for more distant journeys to Singapore, Java and the Celebese Islands where they met with extraordinary adventures.
DURING our stay in Macassar we became well known as experts in the healing of the sick and the soothing of nervous ailments. With the supreme power and help of the Greatest Name we were able to heal many of the sick, and those who thought themselves possessed by evil spirits were also relieved by our prayers. Through this healing work we were able to deliver the message of Bahá’u’lláh to every one with whom we came in contact; and when the time arrived for us to depart, it was only with the greatest difficulty that we were able to tear ourselves away from these people who had begun to depend so much upon us.
From Macassar we proceeded in a small sailing vessel to a seaport of the Celebes islands called Pari Pari, then ruled by a native independent
chief called Fatta Aronmatua Aron Raffan, which means “The Great Monarch and King of all Kings.” On our arrival I went directly to the customs official to ask permission for landing. The officer in charge gave me a pony on which to ride to the royal palace—(a palace built of bamboo)—to obtain this permission from their King. The King, who was advanced in age, was eagerly awaiting our arrival and watching with a telescope through the window of his palace. As soon as I entered the royal palace the King got up from his seat and warmly embraced me saying that he was happy to see his honorable guest. Then he eagerly inquired the whereabouts of Jamal Effendi, who, I replied, was still in the ship awaitin for his royal command to disembark.
When I entered the royal presence I saw there two envoys sent to the King by the Dutch Governor of Macassar with a private letter to the King indicating the arrival of the two visitors—Jamal Effendi and the writer—and requesting the King to refuse any help that they might request for the purpose of making their journey into the interior of the native states; for the letter stated these two men were necromancers, and would use the art of enchantment to win the chiefs and their subjects for their mystic religious rites.
The King was not favorably impressed with this defamatory letter.
In fact he was noticeably annoyed by it and in an angry tone he said to the two envoys, “These venerable visitors are our guests and under our protection, and the Dutch Governor should not interfere with our religious affairs. This is my reply to his offensive letter, and an unofficial message which should be conveyed by you to him.” The envoys, thunderstruck, immediately retired disheartened and unsuccessful in their hostile mission.
The King enjoined upon the customs official to apologize to Jamal Effendi on his behalf for not being able to do him the honor of a public reception, and directed the customs official to accommodate the guests in his own house. This was done, and we were honorably received by this official. The day after our arrival we were summoned to the Court to have an audience with the King. We were warmly received by him. He embraced each of us and bade us be seated close beside him. After the usual salutations and politenesses, he inquired about our voyage and the object of our unexpected and delightful arrival at such an unfrequented spot.
With perfect sincerity and candor, yet with tact and sympathy, we explained to him our whole missionary adventure in a way calculated to produce interest and satisfaction on his part. The King was exceedingly delighted and asked us to call again on the next morning. So on the morrow we were again furnished with ponies and rode a distance of about two miles to the palace, and this time had audience with the Queen and also with the princes. In fact we found ourselves becoming very intimate with the King and all the royal family.
THE KING was suffering with an ugly disease called psora. His whole body was covered with scales like fish scales which caused constant irritation and itching. His skin was so sensitive that he could stand but little clothing and so he wore but very few garments. Jamal Effendi had inspired such faith and admiration in the King as to make him confident that his spiritual visitor could heal his painful disease, and he requested this of Jamal. The latter replied, “We are not qualified physicians or trained in the healing of material ills. But we will earnestly pray for divine guidance, and by means of that try to find the remedy for you.”
When we returned home we consulted and prayed together for the solution of this problem and responsibility which the King’s sickness and his faith in us had placed upon us. The results were, as the reader will see, a remarkable confirmation of the fact that no matter what the difficulty, Bahá’is will find a heavenly guidance through consultation and prayer.
Having sought the guidance, then, we immediately proceeded to act. We went out to the neighboring jungle to search for medical herbs, as we had nothing of this nature with us. We found many trees of cassia fistula with its abundant fruits which are mildly laxative. We collected some of these fruits; and going further into the jungle found some plants of jungle mint and gathered the leaves of this also. We sought to be guided in the collection of other plants and herbs, continually using the Greatest Name while we were engaged in this extraordinary search. We brought them home, and praying also the
while, prepared from them a brew, and also a purgative from the cassia. We had a few cakes of carbolic soap with us fortunately, and we prepared three bottles of oxymel combined with vinegar and sugar, and took all of these preparations and the soap with us to the royal palace the next day. We gave four doses of the purgative to the King on alternate days, and gave him nourishment in between times. Every day he had a hot bath with a strong application of carbolic soap, taking internally some of the herb brew we had made and the oxymel.
As the natives were unable to carry out any of these services, even
the bath, the writer personally executed everything necessary. It took more than a month to soften the skin and gradually bring it to a smooth and velvety condition as before this sickness. Finally through divine confirmations and the glorious powerful effects of the Greatest Name, we succeeded to a certain extent in affecting a cure. After all, the faith of the old King was certainly a great factor in his remarkable recovery. Needless to say, the royal family were greatly impressed because of this healing, and were won to our friendship and to attachment to our Message more than ever before.
“O people, avail yourselves of the Day of God. Verily, it is better for you to meet Him in this day than in any upon which the sun rises, were you of those who know!”
WHY was I born? Why did I ever come here? Where did I come from and where am I going? Is there a God, if there is where and what is He?
These are the questions that the Youth of today is asking, and these questioners will not be satisfied and happy until they have discovered the perfect answers.
There is nothing new in these questions. They are youth’s age-old problems. Possibly the only difference may be that today the young people are so delightfully frank and open about everything that we hear more about them than formerly.
Fathers and mothers, these were your problems, they were mine too. Perhaps you had them answered early to your satisfaction, or perhaps you did not. Possibly you gave up the struggle before you got very far for it is always easier to go with the tide, or because you could not find the one who could give to you the complete and perfect answers.
You may have stepped out of the current of generally accepted opinions and built up your own ‘personal philosophy’, that temporarily, at least, brought a certain satisfaction. Most boys and girls go thru these phases in their endeavor
to really know, and know that they know.
MANY CHILDREN are born into this
world with a wish, a longing, and a
realization that they have come for
a definite purpose. Sometimes it
may take a long time to discover its
meaning but thru seeking one
‘finds’ and thru knocking the doors
are ‘opened’.
At nine years of age I told my mother that I felt I had come into the world to do something for Women. Whether it was to write a book, or invent something, I did not know, but that I did not want to go until I had done it. I have since come to the realization that just to have been born in this ‘Great Day’ is sufficient destiny for any woman whether a book is written or an invention ever materializes.
BORN, THE daughter of a Canon
in the Episcopal Church, with devout
Christian parents, I found myself
at a very early age fearing that
I must some day “Go to Hell“—(wherever
that was) because I just
could not feel or believe all that my
family seemed so ready and willing
to accept. Each remonstrance on
my part would bring the well remembered
answer “You must accept
it on Faith”. What was that
thing they called faith, it did not
mean a thing to me. Why should I
accept anything that seemed unreasonable
and that could not be
logically explained so that my mind,
as well as my heart, could accept it?
Sometimes I would have a distinct experience as if I were way up in the air looking down on the streets (this was before the days of air-planes). The people seemed
like tiny ants racing around making a great commotion over nothing. What was it all about anyway, this thing we called “Life”? That experience recurred several times, especially, as I recall it, between the ages of seven and seventeen.
Well the “Thrilling Adventure” of spiritual Life began! It has been a longer and more hazardous voyage of discovery than I imagined, but I ‘started’ so could never turn back.
The reason for humbly recording these experiences now is because I have found the “Key” that has opened every door, and it is therefore my hope that this spiritual autobiography may point the arrow for some other young traveller who is in as much of a tangle as I went thru.
DURING ADOLESENCE, ill health, to
such an extent, overcame the body
that a cry for release went forth. In
response to this call there seemed
to be a wee small voice down deep
inside that replied “You have not
yet done what you came for.”
The effect was electric! An inner motion took place that brought a realization of the purpose of existence, and in a comparatively short period of time complete restoration to health and vigor resulted, thru the application of scientific and spiritual remedies—largely electrical treatments—and—Prayer.
Later, the death of my Mother (my Father had died before then) made possible an Art Training in New York, which led on into ever expanding fields.
Having more or less cut loose from the orthodox paths, I began searching everywhere for more
Light. Drinking from first one fountain, then another—New Thought, Christian Science, Unity, Theosophy, Psychology, Science. Each of these offered something that the others did not, and every one of them slaked the thirst for a time, up to a certain point—but then came that ever-appearing twilight zone I called it, and discouragement again descended.
Was the journey never to end? Why these inner longings and ideals if they could not be satisfied? Where could one find a “Guide” who really knew the Way?
Then arose the surgings of the questions concerning marriage and divorce and individual freedom (The matter of Birth-Control and Companionate Marriage were not then so popular). Each brought more questions. I found so many theories and viewpoints but who was right? Was there no one who “Spoke as one having authority”? Was there such a thing as happy married life? What was the basis upon which such an existence could be built that would carry thru hardships, storms and stress of a changing world?”
THEN WITH Art Course finished—I
found myself Director of a Department
in one of the most perfectly
equipped Colleges of Modern
Education. There the inner unrest
and longing grew more intense.
In early childhood I had been taught “Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and all things shall be added unto you.” This was supposed to be a Christian Institution, at least it was carried on in a Christian land. Those words burned in like fire! Where in that College was
the Kingdom being sought? By this time I was again studying the Bible and had never really lost my belief in prayer, even though many other things had experienced their shaking and siftings and questionings.
Every material perfection appeared in that Institution. Every device for the physical progress and advancement of the hundreds of students, but where was there any sign of “Seeking first the Kingdom”? If one mentioned God, the Bible, or sometimes even Browning, they were opposed by the growingly large group of pupils who were being dominated by the rising tide of Atheism.
The heart grew faint, it sickened at the very perfection of these externalities on one hand and the absence on the other, of any means for the quickening of the inner Spirit of those young people who were supposedly fitting themselves for “Life.”
I loved my work. Some of the students both boys and girls were my real friends, and we often gathered to discuss these and other matters. They were apparently just as much at sea as I was.
Although outwardly every comfort and luxury surrounded me, life became unbearable. It was as though I had lungs but was not breathing thru them. I felt that I would suffocate. So, early each morning I went farther out into the country with my favorite copy of Emerson, Browning and sometimes my New Testament to seek a union with Reality—with God. I left behind me the man-made institution as I sought Divine Tuition.
The Spiritual unrest could not be
conquered and my soul cried out to “Go forth and find God. A God that could be understood, be reverenced, be loved and served, and also of whom I could speak without fear of misunderstanding.
My resignation took effect at the end of the College year, and another door immediately opened as it always does, to the sincere seeker.
The six weeks that followed were spent in the mountains with two kindred souls, man and wife, who were equally aware of the lacks in Education at that time.
The “Harvest” of those Mountain—weeks could never be written. Suffice it to say that a simple Educational Plan was worked out which was founded upon the pedagogy of the New Testament and provided an opportunity for the whole of life to be developed, naturally and unconsciously. It still stands, carrying on its splendid and unostentaious work in the upbuilding of nobility and spirituality among some of the best of the Youth of America.
Notwithstanding the joy in this pioneer work which I served with all that was in me for five years, I was not satisfied, and my search continued.
WHILE STILL there, one day, a devoted
servant of the Bahá’i Cause
came as a guest to that spot, and
that same evening delivered the
Message of Bahá’u’lláh to a group
of seventy-five men, women, and
young people who gathered together
for that purpose in a New England
Barn, where once hay had been
stored.
Here at last was a religion that was in perfect accord with Science and Reason! This was the next step in Spiritual Evolution! Here
was a program that provided the “Remedy” for the ailments of the body-politic! Something that was not tearing other religions down in order to build itself up. A “Universal Outlook” that brought order out of chaos and utilized all Truth that had been given to man since the human journey began without carrying forward its superstitions and imaginations.
As I listened intently my questions were answered, my longings were satisfied and I knew that after much wandering I had found my “Home”. That the battered ship had at last found its “Port”.
Very distinctly was I conscious of a great nearness to my dear Father and Mother who apparently were exhorting me to listen, that this was the Truth which I had sought. A strange realization came to me that with an inner ear I was listening to something that I knew all about before I was born.
The Bahá’i speaker became as a door thru which the Soul entered,—and—it beheld only “The Light”!
In later chapters it will be my great joy to “cruise” upon the Ocean of the Love of God, sharing with you incidents and stories that will reveal the ecstasy and joy of finding—and meeting face to face the “Beloved” of all the Worlds.
“Whatsoever question thou hast in thy heart, turn thou thy heart toward the Kingdom of Abha and entreat at the Threshold of the Almighty and reflect upon that problem, then unquestionably the light of truth shall dawn and the reality of that problem will become evident and clear to thee. For the teachings of His Highness Bahá’u’lláh are the keys to all the doors.”
This is part of an address delivered by Mr. Mui at a Pan-Pacific Program in Honolulu.* Mr. Mat is Chinese Consul in Honolulu. He has been at student in Lingnan University, Canton; the University of Chicago; the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Oberlin. He has a remarkable record for achievement.
CHINA and Hawaii are several thousands of miles apart. Commercially, these two lands have grown closer and closer together during the past century. The Pan-Pacific Union, as we all know, is an organization which aims to develop international good-will and friendly cooperation among the nations bordering this greatest of oceans, the Pacific. Needless for me to repeat here that the past records and accomplishments, especially these important conferences of the Pan-Pacific Union, are highly praised by people of every land. May I take this opportunity to pay my high respects to Mr. Alexander Hume Ford, founder of this notable organization.
Modern scientific means of communication and modern scientific experiments have not yet eliminated all of the obstacles to a perfect international understanding and goodwill. False pride and prejudice of one particular nation or against one particular race cannot, and must not survive. Prejudice, after all, is nothing but a by-product of ignorance and misunderstanding; ignorance of the custom and cultures of others; misunderstanding of things which may appear to us casually or at random. Below the veneer of the outward appearance of things, however, we can always see, if we are to possess a
* Reprinted from the Mid-Pacific Magazine.
genuine spark of what has been called “The International Mind,” that human beings, irrespective of their race or nationality, are more alike than they are different. Into walls we must and should place windows which look out far and wide on the behaviors, concepts and sentiments of our fellow creatures. We must supplant misunderstanding with understanding; we must substitute tolerance for intolerance. If from time to time we seek to understand and appreciate the customs, modes of living and all other things that pertain to the national life of another country or another people, we are rendering valuable service to the cause of international goodwill and international friendship. It is in this respect that I consider myself exceptionally fortunate, in behalf of the people of the Republic of China to bring to you their greetings and their message of goodwill.
China has been interpreted in a thousand and one ways by various observers. But whether their interpretation has been reasonable or ridiculous, one thing seems to be certain: that is, that China will eventually play a spectacular role in world politics and in international commerce and trade.
During the past two decades, China has been fighting for a republican form of government, based upon Dr. Sun Yat Sen’s “Three
Principles of the People,” which aim to secure for China a position of independence and equality among the nations, and to establish in China a government of the people, by the people and for the people. Much blood has been shed so that these principles may triumph. China now stands at the threshold of a new era, its era of reconstruction. China today is fighting for international and social justice and is equally opposed to imperialism on one hand and communism on the other. The Chinese people are willing to fight and die for these principles. With this new spirit imbued in the minds of the present generation, just as surely as the sun will rise in the East, so surely shall China play a significant part in the affairs of the world and in the society of nations.
Now let us see what role China assumes in the field of international commerce. We all know that the whole world is suffering from economic depression. Over-production is the order of the day. To remedy this disease it is imperative to have new outlets for things produced, that is, to find new markets. The greatest undeveloped market in the world awaits you in China, if you care to take advantage of it. In spite of all sorts of impediments and a world slump in trade, the commerce of China has steadily increased. That she can consume a good portion of things overproduced by other nations is beyond any question of doubt. Not long ago several trade commissions visited China from foreign countries for
the purpose of securing Chinese trade. In order to use China as a market for their surplus goods, however, foreign nations should obtain the goodwill of the Chinese.
As you know, friendship between China and the United States, and particularly the Hawaiian Islands, has been more than cordial. As far back as 1789 Chinese landed in Hawaii. Commercial relations have ever since then been established between China and the Islands. According to a recent survey, out of 583 retail stores in Honolulu, 281 are operated by Chinese, and these range from grocery stores to banking institutions. Statistics show that there are 300 Hawaiian-born Chinese teachers here in the public grade schools, high schools and universities who are all helping to build Hawaii’s progress and prosperity.
Theodore Roosevelt once said, “The Mediterranean era died with the discovery of America; the Atlantic era is now at the height of its development, and must soon exhaust the resources at its command; the Pacific era, destined to be the greatest of all, is just at its dawn.”
Hawaii, situated in the middle of the Pacific, at the ocean’s cross-roads of American civilization, is helping to establish this new era in the history of mankind for linking the Orient and the Occident in a bond of international friendship and goodwill. The Chinese people are eager and anxious to contribute their share to the development of this bond and to assist in blending the two cultures and two civilizations into a harmonious whole.
THE PROMULGATION OF UNIVERSAL PEACE, being The Addresses of 'Abdu'l-Bahá in America, in two volumes. Price, each, $2.50.
BAHÁ’U’LLÁH AND THE NEW ERA, by Dr. J. E. Esslemont, a gifted scientific scholar of England. This is the most comprehensive summary and explanation of the Bahá’í Teachings as yet given in a single volume. Price, $1.00; paper cover, 50 cents.
THE WISDOM TALKS OF 'ABDU'L-BAHÁ in Paris. This series of talks covers a wide range of subjects, and is perhaps the best single volume at a low price in which 'Abdu'l-Bahá explains in His own words the Bahá’í Teaching. Price, paper, 50 cents; cloth, $1.00.
BAHÁ'Í SCRIPTURES. This book, compiled by Horace Holley, is a remarkable compendium of the Teachings of Bahá’u’lláh and 'Abdu'l-Bahá. It contains a vast amount of material and is indexed. This Paper Edition (only ¾-inch thick) Price, $2.50.
THE BAHÁ'Í WORLD, a Biennial International Record (formerly Bahá’í Year Book). Prepared under the auspices of the Bahá’í National Assembly of America with the approval of Shoghi Effendi. Price, cloth, $2.50.
All books may be secured from The Bahá’í Publishing Committee, Post office Box 348, Grand Central Station, New York City.
FIVE MONTHS' subscription to a new subscriber, $1.00; yearly subscription, $3.00. Two subscriptions to one address, $5.00. Three subscriptions to one address, $7.50. Ten new subscriptions to one address, $25.00 (in United States and Canada). If requested, the subscriber may receive one or more copies and have the remaining copies sent to other addresses.
Two subscriptions, one to come each month, and one to be sent in a volume bound in half-leather, at the end of the year, $5.75 of the two subscriptions; postage for bound volume additional.
Single copies, 25 cents each; ten copies to one address, $2.00. Address The Bahá’í Magazine, 1112 Shoreham Bldg., Washington, D. C.
Bound volumes Nos. 15 and 16, covering the years 1924 to 1925 and 1925 to 1926, contain many of the most valuable and instructive Bahá'í teachings compiled from the writings of 'Abdu'l-Bahá, on such subjects as Education, Peace, The Solution of the Economic Problem, Cooperation and Unity, Proof of the Existence of God, and others equally as important. They also contain articles on various phases of the Bahá'i Cause and its teachings contributed by Bahá'í writers and presented with clearness and accuracy, reports of conferences and conventions, Bahá'í News and Travel Notes and other interesting information. Volumes 17, 18 and 19 contain valuable material and information for students of religion, sociology, science, etc., both Bahá'ís and non-Bahá'ís.
All volumes carry illustrations of great historical value.
Bound in half leather, each volume $3.50; if two volumes are bound together, for $6.00; postage additional.
All of the bound volumes of earlier years are filled with such remarkable spiritual teachings of the New Age that they constitute a priceless library. Volumes 2, 3, 4 and 5 contain many sublime records of 'Abdu'l-Bahá's teachings, addresses and interviews in Europe and America. (Volumes 2 and 3 are now exhausted and Volume 4 cannot be supplied in a complete form as several numbers of this volume are exhausted.)
Volumes 7 and 8, which are, also, often bound together, contain the wonderful compilations on the Divine Art of Living and the New Covenant.
Volume 9 contains varied records from the Holy Land and 'Abdu'l-Bahá's words on the material, intellectual and spiritual education of children; and both volumes 9 and 10 filled with Tablets of 'Abdu'l-Bahá written after the Great War.
Volumes 11 and 12 contain many Tablets and pictures and inspiring accounts of visits with 'Abdu'l-Bahá at Haifa, where members of all religions and races gathered in unity at the table of the Master. Volume 12 also gives the immortal narrative of His last days on earth and His ascension into the Kingdom.
Volume 13 contains priceless letters of Shoghi Effendi, Guardian of the Bahá'i Cause, articles of universal interest and other valuable material.
Volume 14 contains letters of Shoghi Effendi, also his translations of the divine writings of Bahá'ulláh and 'Abdu'l-Bahá as well as a brilliant series of articles and historical accounts.
Bound in half leather, single volumes $3.50; if two volumes are bound together, for $6.00. Postage additional.
