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STAR OF THE WEST
"We desire but the good of the world and the happiness of the nations; that all nations shall become one in faith and all men as brothers; that the bonds of affection and unity between the sons of men shall be strengthened; that diversity of religion shall cease and differences of race be annulled. So it shall be; these fruitless strifes, these ruinous wars shall pass away, and the ‘Most Great Peace’ shall come."—BAHA'O'LLAH.
Vol. VI Masheyat 1, 71 (September 27, 1915) No. 11
Abdul-Baha's Message to the People of America
Talk given by Abdul-Baha at Grand Hotel, Cincinnati, Ohio,
November 5, 1912.
SINCE I am in Cincinnati, the home of President Taft, who has done noble service for the cause of peace, I will dictate a statement for the people of Cincinnati and America generally:
In the orient I heard that there are many peace-loving people in America. Therefore, I left my native land to associate here with those who are the standard-bearers of international peace. Having traveled from coast to coast, I find America a continent vast and progressive; the government just; the nation noble. I attended many gatherings where international peace was discussed, and am extremely happy to witness the results of these meetings, for one of the great teachings of Baha'o'llah relate to international peace. He founded and taught this principle fifty years ago, in the orient. He proclaimed universal peace among the nations; he summoned the people to establish universal peace among the various religions; he organized peace among many races, communities and sects. At that time he wrote epistles to all the rulers and kings of the world and summoned them to co-operate with him in spreading these principles, saying that humanity would not attain composure and rest save through universal peace. And he practiced the principle in Persia. And, therefore today there are people of various religions and races, in Persia and elsewhere, souls who followed the exhortations of Baha'o'llah, living together in the utmost love and fellowship, with no religious prejudice, no patriotic prejudice, no sectarian prejudice. They live in unity and agreement, Mohammedan, Roman Catholic, Jew, Buddhist, followers of Zoroaster, and all others.
Now, America has arisen to spread the teachings of peace, for the illumination of mankind and for bestowing happiness and prosperity on all the children of men. These are the principles of divine civilization. America is a noble nation, the standard bearer of peace throughout the world, shedding her light to all regions. Foreign nations are not untrammeled and free of intrigues like the United States, and are unable to bring about universal peace. But America, thank God, is at peace with all the world and is worthy of raising the flag of brotherhood and international peace. When the summons to international peace is raised by America, all the rest of the world will cry, "Yes, we accept!" The nations of every clime will join in adopting the teachings of Baha'o'llah, revealed over fifty years ago. In his epistles he asked the parliaments of the world to send their wisest and best men to an international
world parliament, that should decide all questions between the peoples and establish universal peace. This would be the last court of appeal, and the Parliament of Man, long dreamed of by the poets, would be realized. It would be much more far-reaching than The Hague tribunal.
I am grateful to President Taft for giving his influence to the movement for international peace and what he has done toward establishing peace treaties is good; but when we have the inter-parliamentary body, composed of delegates from all the nations of the world, devoted to maintaining universal peace and good-will, then we will have the Parliament of Man, of which the poets have dreamed.
Tablet from Abdul-Baha to Mr. Andrew Carnegie
To the noble personage, his excellency, Mr. Andrew Carnegie, May God assist him!
HE IS GOD!
O thou illustrious soul! O thou the great pillar of the palace of universal peace!
It is some time since I intended to correspond with thee, but there was no intermediary between us. Now that his excellency, Mr. Topakyan, has made this possible through his kindly suggestion, I write thee this epistle; for truly I say thou art the lover of humanity and one of the founders of universal peace.
Today the most great service to the kingdom of God is the promotion of the principle of the unification of mankind and the establishment of universal peace. A number of souls who were doctrinaires and unpractical thinkers worked for the realization of this most exalted aim and good cause, but they were doomed to failure, save that lofty personage who has been and is still promoting the matter of international arbitration and general conciliation through deeds, words, self-sacrifice and the generous donation of wealth and property.
Rest thou assured that through the confirmations of the holy spirit thou wilt become confirmed and assisted in the accomplishment of this most resplendent service, and in this mortal world thou shalt lay the foundation of an immortal, everlasting edifice, and in the end thou wilt sit upon the throne of incorruptible glory in the kingdom of God.
All the leaders and statesmen of Europe are thinking on the plane of war and the annihilation of the mansion of humanity, but thou art thinking on the plane of peace and love and the strengthening and reinforcement of the basis of the superstructure of the human world. They are the heralds of death, thou art the harbinger of life. The foundations of their palaces are unstable and wavering and the turrets of their mansions are tottering and crumbling, but the basis of thy structure is firm and unmovable.
While I was journeying throughout America and Europe, I cried before all the meetings, conventions, and churches: "O ye noble friends! The world of humanity is facing in the future a most portentous danger and supreme calamity. The continent of Europe has become like unto a gunpowder magazine and arsenal, under which are hidden combustible materials of the most inflammatory nature. Its combustion will be dependent upon the sudden and unexpected enkindlement of one tiny spark which shall envelop the whole earth with a world-wide conflagration, causing the total collapse of European civilization
through the furious, wild, raging, fiery tongues of war. Therefore, O ye well-wishers of the world of humanity, endeavor by day and by night so that these inflammable materials may not come in touch with the burning fires of racial antipathy and hatred!"
Today the life of mankind and its attainment to everlasting glory depend on its display of effort and exertion in accord with the principles of his holiness Baha'o'llah; for his first and foremost teaching consists of the oneness of the world of humanity. He says: "We are all the sheep of God. His Highness, the Almighty, is the real Shepherd and kind to all the sheep. Why then should we be unkind toward each other?" Another of his most great institutes deals with the subject of universal peace, the establishment of which would be conducive to the well-being and progress and tranquillity of the commonwealth of man.
Other precepts of Baha'o'llah treat of the identity of the underlying foundations of the religions of God, the original oneness of the nations, the adoption and general practice of a universal auxiliary language and the inculcation of the ideal of cosmopolitanism and world-patriotism among the children of men; consequently in the future his teachings will act as a deterrent and preventive from the occurrence of the most great danger, i. e., universal war.
Today the most important object of the kingdom of God is the promulgation of the cause of universal peace and the principle of the oneness of the world of humanity. Whosoever arises in the accomplishment of this pre-eminent service the confirmations of the holy spirit will descend upon him.
Now all that has been predicted has come to pass, and the lurid flames of this war have emblazoned the horizon of the east and the west, causing a reverberating social earthquake through the columns of the earth. After this war the workers for the cause of universal peace will increase day by day, and the pacific party will array its force, displaying great activity with better advantage, and in the end gaining a permanent triumph and eternal victory over all the other parties. The realization of this matter is incontestable and irrefragable.
Therefore, ere long a vast and unlimited field will be opened before your view for the display of your powers and energies. You must promote this glorious intention with the heavenly power and the confirmation of the holy spirit. I am praying in thy behalf that thou mayest erect a pavilion and unfurl a flag in the world of peace, love, and eternal life.
I beg you to accept the consideration of my highest and deepest respect.
(Signed) ABDUL-BAHA ABBAS.
Translated by Mirza Ahmad Sohrab, May 1, 1915. Home of Abdul-Baha, Mount Carmel, Haifa, Syria.
Tablet from Abdul-Baha
To the Bahai Assembly of Portland, Oregon.
Upon thee be Baha'o'llah-el-Abha!
HE IS GOD!
O ye denizens of the Kingdom!
Your letter was received and caused joy and gladness, for it was an evidence of firmness and steadfastness. Praise be to God, ye have an assembly in the utmost joy and fragrance; the candle thereof being the blessings of his holiness Baha'o'llah, the spirit of that meeting is the confirmations of the supreme kingdom, and the sustenance of that gathering is celestial benediction. I hope that the life of that assembly shall be
(Continued on page eighty-seven)
STAR OF THE WEST
PUBLISHED NINETEEN TIMES A YEAR
By the BAHAI NEWS SERVICE, 515 South Dearborn Street, Chicago, Ill., U. S. A.
Entered as second-class matter April 9, 1911, at the post office at Chicago, Illinois, under the Act of March 3, 1879.
Editorial Staff: ALBERT R. WINDUST — GERTRUDE BUIKEMA — DR. ZIA M. BAGDADI
Honorary Member: MIRZA AHMAD SOHRAB
Terms: $1.50 per year; 10 cents per copy.
Note—Until further notice, distribution in the Orient is through Agents.
Make Money Orders payable to BAHAI NEWS SERVICE, P. O. Box 283, Chicago, Ill., U. S. A.
To personal checks please add sufficient to cover the bank exchange.
Address all communications to BAHAI NEWS SERVICE, P. O. Box 283, Chicago, Ill., U.S.A.
TABLET FROM ABDUL-BAHA.
HE IS GOD!
O thou Star of the West!
Be thou happy! Be thou happy! Shouldst thou continue to remain firm and eternal, ere long, thou shalt become the Star of the East and shalt spread in every country and clime. Thou art the first paper of the Bahais which is organized in the country of America. Although for the present thy subscribers are limited, thy form is small and thy voice weak, yet shouldst thou stand unshakable, become the object of the attention of the friends and the center of the generosity of the leaders of the faith who are firm in the Covenant, in the future thy subscribers will become hosts after hosts like unto the waves of the sea; thy volume will increase, thy arena will become vast and spacious and thy voice and fame will be raised and become world-wide—and at last thou shalt become the first paper of the world of humanity. Yet all these depend upon firmness, firmness, firmness!
(Signed) ABDUL-BAHA ABBAS.
Vol. VI
No. 11
Some Bahai Teachings on Peace and War
Extract from a tablet by Abdul-Baha, October 4, 1914.
About fifty years ago, his holiness proclaimed certain teachings, and chanted the song of Universal Peace. In numerous tablets and epistles* he foretold in the most clear language the present cataclysm: stating that the world of humanity was facing the most portentous danger, and that the coming of universal war was unfortunately inevitable; for the combustible material stored in the infernal arsenals of Europe would some day explode through contact with a single spark. Amongst other things he foresaw that the Balkans would become a volcano, and the map of Europe would be changed. For ‘these and similar reasons Baha'o'llah invited the kings and rulers
*These epistles are contained in the Surat'ul-Mutuk, and have been described and analyzed in the Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society. Baha'o'llah wrote to the Pope, to Queen Victoria, to the Shah of Persia, and Napoleon III, asking them for their co-operation in his efforts to make his ideas of fraternity and universal peace triumph. History does not tell us how all of them were received, but the prophecies therein have made them celebrated. Thus in 1868, he announced to Napoleon III, the approaching fall of his Empire, and to the Pope the loss of his temporal power.
of the world to lay down their arms and proclaim an era of universal peace.
Words spoken at Acca to Professor E. G. Browne, 1890, by Baha'o'llah.
We desired but the good of the world and the happiness of the nations; that all nations shall become one in faith and all men as brothers; that the bonds of affection and unity between the sons of men shall be strengthened; that the diversity of religion shall cease, and differences of race be annulled. These fruitless strifes, these ruinous wars shall pass away, and the "most great peace" shall come. Do not you in Europe need this also? Is not this that which Christ foretold? Yet do we see your kings and rulers lavishing their treasures more freely on means for the destruction of the human race, than on that which would conduce to the happiness of mankind. Strife, bloodshed, and discord, must cease, and all men be as one kindred and one family. Let not a man glory in this, that he loves his country; let him rather glory that he loves his kind.
From "Abdul-Baha in London"—Notes of a Conversation.
Abdul-Baha showed how Baha'o'llah had exactly described in one of his books what has since been attempted in the International Court of Arbitration, at The Hague. Baha'o'llah also said the Court must have other functions, some of which are not yet realized, and Abdul-Baha described them to us so that when they would be fulfilled in the near future, we might know they had been prophesied by Baha'o'llah. The functions of the International Court of Arbitration would be to settle disputes that arose from time to time between nations; to define the exact boundaries of the different countries; to decide what number of soldiers and guns should be maintained by each nation, according to its population, in order to preserve internal order. If any state rebelled against the decision of the Court and rejected it, the Court would empower the others to join their forces and to endorse their decision, if need be, by united effort.
Extract from Abdul-Baha's Writings.
Fifty years ago Baha'o'llah clearly stated this matter of universal peace in the Book of Akdas, and has commanded all the Bahais to serve faithfully with heart and soul in this great Cause, to give up their possessions and wealth for it, and sacrifice their lives in case of necessity.
Extract from "Bahaism" by Monsieur Hippolyte Dreyfus.
The Bahais have carried obedience to this principle so far—remembering that their Prophet had said: "It is better for you to be killed than to kill"—that the fanatical population of Persia excited by its mullas, has been able, at different times in the last few years, to make odious attacks against them, without their even wishing to take up arms in self-defense, although often they had a numerical advantage.
Extracts from "Talks Given by Abdul-Baha in Paris."
Land belongs not to one people, but to all people. The earth is not man's home, but his tomb. It is for their tombs these men are fighting.
However great the conqueror, however many countries he may reduce to slavery, he is unable to retain any part of these devastated lands except one tiny portion—his tomb! If more land is required for the improvement of the conditions of the people, for the spread of civilization, surely it would be possible to acquire peaceably the necessary extension of territory!
But war is made for the satisfaction of men's ambition; for the sake of worldly gains to the few, terrible misery is brought to numberless homes, breaking the hearts of hundreds of men and women.
I charge you all that each one of you concentrate every thought of his heart on love and unity. When a thought of war comes, oppose it by a stronger thought of peace. A thought of hatred must be destroyed by a more powerful thought of love. Thoughts of war bring destruction to all harmony, well-being, restfulness and content. Thoughts of love are constructive of brotherhood, peace, friendship and happiness. When soldiers of the world draw their swords to kill, soldiers of God should clasp each others' hands! So may all the savagery of man disappear by the mercy of God working through the pure in heart and the sincere of soul.
Do not think the peace of the world an ideal impossible to attain. Nothing is impossible to the Divine benevolence.
If with all your heart you desire friendship with every race on earth, your thought, spiritual and positive, will spread; it will become the desire of others, growing stronger and stronger, until it reaches the minds of all men.
I charge you all that each one of you concentrate every thought of his heart upon love and unity.
Only One Religion for Entire World
Requisite for Universal Peace Announced by Mirza Ali Kuli Khan. Persian Charge d'affaires Speaks Before International Peace Congress
MIRZA Ali Kuli Khan, charge d'affaires of the Persian legation at Washington, D. C., in an address before the International Peace Congress at San Francisco, said:
"Humanity, from the dawn of history, has progressed under the guidance of prophetic teachers from a state of infancy through the various stages of development leading to its maturity. In spite of all obstacles to the contrary, the course of humanity, in the long run, has never been impeded by retrogression.
"The prophets of God, whose gospels were the result of a well founded optimism, aimed at the unity of man because of their due knowledge of the principle of human unity, which in the mind of God had ever been an accomplished fact. Each world teacher accomplished that plan in conformity with the limited capacity manifested by his people.
"God applied His original plan for the unification of Israel through Moses, of the Gentiles through Jesus, of the Parsees through Zoroaster, of the Hindus through the Buddha, and of the other sections of humanity through other world teachers and prophets.
"Today, which to the wise and thoughtful is the day of the maturity of the human race, God will accomplish that noble plan. In the voice raised in all parts of the world in favor of peace, and in the efforts extended by the peace-loving element in the world's population, which constitutes the positive, affirmative principle of the human body politic, we find a potent manifest proof that the day of peace has dawned, and is steadily, though slowly, breaking through the dense clouds which temporarily impede its course to the meridian of its glory.
"Although the effecting of a world brotherhood is the determined plan of God, it is for the membership of the human family to co-operate in its realization.
"In our effort to unify the world we must take the lessons taught by the past great religions in achieving the moral and spiritual uplift of their respective peoples, for no unity of a people existing in a civilized state could be independent of moral and spiritual character. The building of such character has been the task of every true religion.
"As our aim today is the creation of a world civilization, based upon a world unity, we must enlarge our conception of religion to reach the dimensions of a world religion—the religion of humanity.
"Such religion should include the truth of all religions and exclude all patriotic, national and racial bias.
"The most successful political and industrial steps taken by any nation toward human betterment are those represented by the federal and industrial institutions organized in the United States, the greatest republic of all time; for these American institutions, in their domestic and international relationships, are impregnated with the spirit of justice, altruism and broad humanity, which is embodied in the religion of humanity, because they exhale the fragrance of the noble sayings of the Persian prophet [Baha'o'llah] of these modern times: 'Ye are all the leaves of one tree and the drops of
[Page 87]
one sea'; 'Great glory is not his who
loves his country, but rather his who
loves his kind.'
"America, is therefore the field in which the seeds of the world religion are given opportunity to germinate, and which will extend to the peoples of all climes the bounties of the religion of humanity. May we not, therefore, look upon America as the nation which is specially chosen by the Almighty to assist in man's progress upward and to bless humanity with the fruits of universal peace?"
Tablet from Abdul-Baha
(Continued from page eighty-three)
the breaths of the holy spirit, and in accordance with the heavenly teachings ye become regiments of universal peace, breaking asunder the armies of war and strife through the power and teachings of his holiness Baha'o'llah, and thus raise the standard of unity, of friendship and of love in the world of humanity.
The Americans are distinguished from the Europeans in this noble ideal, viz.: universal peace, and it is proper that they glory before all nations. His honor Mr. William Jennings Bryan, the Secretary of State of the United States of America, especially, has in reality stood by the promulgation of universal peace with the utmost effort; and because in this matter he is striving exactly in accordance with the teachings of his holiness Baha'o'llah, he is self-sacrificing. My hope is that he will become a candle of the Convention for Universal Peace and shine forth like unto the morning star from the horizon of the oneness of the world of humanity.
It may come to pass that some corrupted souls shall come to America working to bring about the wavering of your hearts; but ye must be firm like unto a mountain in faith and the Covenant, and be not shaken by the blowing of contrary winds.
Upon ye be Baha-el-Abha!
(Signed) ABDUL-BAHA ABBAS.
Translated October 14, 1914, Mt. Carmel, Haifa, Syria.
Letter from Mirza Ahmad Sohrab
Mount Carmel, Haifa, Syria,
September 4, 1915.
Albert H. Hall,
Minneapolis, Minn.
My dear brother in the Kingdom of God!
Days and months succeed each other and we do not have any news from those friends, neither have we been able to correspond with you. Because we could not write nor did we receive your letters our spiritual loss and deprivation has been great and measureless. How much more wonderful it would have been were the ties of our relation not broken, the light of friendship not extinguished, the stars of our hope not set, the river of amity not dried, the breezes of devotion not hushed and the palaces of mutual helpfulness not destroyed! Instead of sowing the seeds of love, we have sown the seeds of hatred. Instead of cultivating the flowers of brotherhood, we have nurtured the thorns of strangeness. Instead of shining with the light of joy and happiness, We have surrounded ourselves with the darkness of grief and despair. Instead of teaching and practicing the laws of life, we are
disseminating and inculcating the sentences of death. We are not following in the path of Christ, nor are we imbued with his holy fragrances. It seems that all the teachings of Christ, his sufferings and crucifixion have yielded no result, for the so-called civilized Christian nations of Europe today are no better than their Visigoths, Vandals, Franks, Anglo Saxons ancestors and other barbarian, bloodthirsty tribes who roved over the then uninhabited parts of the west. We may still thank those early savages for having not perfected the art of manslaughter, they could not spread so much destruction and ravages. They were unable to kill so many of their brothers in a day or in a month. They had no rifles, no rapid-firing guns, no cannons, no bombs, no aeroplanes and no dirigibles. Their instruments consisted of crude spears, javelins, battle-axes and unwieldy engines of ancient war methods. With these they could not carry their cruel propensities into full operation, and were hampered by lack of means and the non-existence of the means of modern communication. Their spheres of activities were always limited and their ambitions bounded by natural and impassable barriers.
My dear brother! Praise be to God, that the health of Abdul-Baha is perfectly well and for the present he is living in Haifa. We are fortunate to see him and hear him speak three or four times a day. We preserve his talks and conversations as they are all the spiritual food for the people of the earth. They are the roses of the kingdom of Abha and the sweet notes of the bird of paradise. I hope that when the means of transportation are again established, I will be able to forward to the friends those jewels of the mines of truth gathered in these days. The light of those gems will illumine many hearts and strengthen many souls. They will impart comfort and consolation, bringing to light many dark and ambiguous problems. Our days in Haifa are very quiet because there are no pilgrims nor any letters—thus we pray at the threshold of the Almighty to bring to an end these conflicts and let the sun of goodfellowship shine forth for the realization of better understanding amongst all the peoples. Often do I remember the spiritual days spent in Minneapolis and the meetings held in the Jewish synagogue, your home and other places. Abdul-Baha now and then speaks of you and narrates for the friends the interesting events of those few days. He remembers also the Bahais in St. Paul and the few delightful hours spent there. These were days that we do not forget and the love and kindness of the friends showered upon us remain vivid and clear throughout all our lives. He hopes all the dear ones in those parts are well and engaged in the service of the Cause of God. Whenever he receives such news his heart is filled with gladness and joy. He knows that in the future the spiritual responsibility of propagating the principles of the oneness of the world of humanity will be theirs, and he loves to see them carrying in their firm hands the luminous torch of divine principles. To this lofty station, he calls forth their attention.
Please give my sincere greeting to all the loved ones.
Ever faithfully your brother,
(Signed) Ahmad.
FEBRUARY 22, 1847 In Memorium SEPTEMBER 30, 1912
THORNTON CHASE
"This revered personage was the first Bahai in America. He has served the cause faithfully and his services will ever be remembered throughout future ages and cycles."
—ABDUL-BAHA.
