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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. VII Elm 1, 72 (October 16, 1916) No. 12
The Mystery of Sacrifice
Address delivered by Abdul-Baha during his visit to America in 1912.
THIS evening I wish to speak to you concerning the mystery of sacrifice. There are two kinds of sacrifice—one is the spiritual sacrifice. You have, of course, heard of the physical sacrifice. You have heard sacrifice spoken of in the churches but not the real truth.
They explain that reality in the form of superstition. It is recorded in the Gospel that his holiness Christ said, "I am the bread which came down from heaven. He who partakes of this bread shall find eternal life." And that he said the wine was his blood which he had sacrificed for the quickening of the world. Now these verses have been interpreted by the churches in a superstitious way, in such a way that it is impossible for human reason to accept it, nor can any wise man conceive of that interpretation.
They say his holiness Adam acted against the command of God and partook of the forbidden tree; thus he committed wrong and his transgression was transmitted as a heritage to the posterity of Adam. That is, they say that because of the sin committed by Adam, all his descendents have likewise committed transgression, that is, have become responsible, and that sin and transgression were inherited by all mankind; consequently, all men deserve punishment and must receive retribution. And then God spake to his kind Son, "Go thou forth and be a sacrifice, in order that I, the Lord, shall, through you, forgive all mankind, so that the human race shall be delivered from that transgression."
But now we want you to consider this from the standpoint of reason, through the eye of reason. Can you conceive of his highness, the Divinity, who is Justice itself, punishing the descendents of Adam on account of the transgression committed by that man? Men are human, and yet when we see a governor, a ruler of men, punishing a son of a man who commits wrong, we look upon that ruler as an unjust man. We say, "Even if the father committed wrong, what was the wrong committed by the son?" There is no connection between the two.
Adam's sin was not the sin of posterity, especially as Adam is a thousand generations back of the man of today. When the father of a thousand generations committed a wrong, is it just that the present generation should suffer the consequences therefor?
Still greater proof is this: his holiness Abraham was a holy Manifestation of God. The generations following Adam, who is said to have committed the wrong, which should suffer punishment, included among them his holiness Abraham, his holiness Ishmael, his holiness Isaac, his holiness Jeremiah, and so on along the whole line of prophets who descended from Adam, like David, Solomon, and Aaron,—did all these go to the infernal
realm because of the deed committed by the first father, because of the mistake said to have been committed by the remotest ancestor, his holiness Adam?
The assumption is, that when his holiness Christ came and sacrificed himself, all the holy line of prophets who preceded him from Adam became free from sin and punishment. Consider that even a child could not justly make such an assertion. As they did not understand the meanings of the Bible, they created these interpretations to which we have referred.
Now as to the reality of the matter of sacrifice. It is true that his holiness Jesus Christ sacrificed himself, and he sacrificed himself for our sakes, but how did he suffer sacrifice? The true meaning of sacrifice will become manifest and evident. When his holiness Christ appeared, he saw that he must arise and oppose all the people and nations of this earth. He knew that all men would arise against him and would inflict upon him all manner of tribulations. There is no doubt that a person who would put forth such a claim would arouse the world against him and would not remain protected personally, and that undoubtedly his blood would be shed, nay, that his body would be rent into pieces, and there is no doubt therein.
But his holiness Christ, knowing what would befall him, arose and gave his message, suffered all tribulations, suffered hardships from the people and in the end offered his life as a sacrifice in order to illumine the world of humanity; he offered his blood as a sacrifice in order to guide the world of man. He accepted every calamity and every tribulation and he arose to guide men. Were he to desire to save his own life, and were he without wish to sacrifice himself he would not be able to guide a single soul. There was no doubt that his blessed blood would be shed. There was no doubt that he would be rent into pieces. Notwithstanding this, that holy soul accepted every calamity and offered his life so that he might guide all men. This is one of the meanings of sacrifice.
As to the second meaning of sacrifice, he said, "I am the bread which came down from heaven." It was not the body of Christ which came down from heaven. The body of Christ came from the womb of Mary, but the Christ perfections descended from heaven. The reality of Christ came down from heaven. The spirit of Christ came down from heaven, the body of Christ came not down from heaven. The body of Christ was but human. Is there any question as to that body having come from the womb of Mary? It is obvious that it came from the womb of Mary. But the reality of Christ, the spirit of Christ and the perfections of Christ, all came from heaven. Consequently, by saying he was the bread which came down from heaven, he meant that the perfections which he showed forth were divine perfections which came from heaven; that the blessings within him came down from heaven; that the light within him came down from heaven. "He who partakes of this bread will never die." What is this? It is, whosoever assimilates these divine perfections which are within me will never die. Whosoever has a share and partakes of these heavenly bounties within me will never die. If a man takes unto himself these divine lights, then he shall find everlasting life. Do you see how manifest the meaning is? How evident? For whosoever acquires divine perfections and seeks heavenly lights from the teachings of Christ will undoubtedly live eternally. This is one of the mysteries of the mystery of sacrifice.
In reality his holiness Abraham sacrificed himself, for his holiness Abraham conveyed to men heavenly teachings, conferred upon them heavenly food.
As to the third meaning of sacrifice, it is this: If you plant a seed in the ground, from that seed a tree will become manifest. That seed sacrifices
itself to the tree that, will come from it. The seed is outwardly lost, sacrificed, but the same seed which is sacrificed will be running through the tree, will be embodied in that tree, in the branches thereof, in the blossoms thereof and in the fruit. If the personality (I might say) of that seed, if the identical self of that seed had not been sacrificed to the tree which became manifest from it, there would have been no tree, no branches, no blossoms and no fruits forthcoming. His Holiness outwardly disappeared. His personality became hidden from the eyes, even as the personality of the seed disappeared, but the bounties, high qualities and perfections of Christ became manifest in the Christian community which Christ founded through sacrificing himself. When you look at the tree, you will see that the perfections of the seed, the blessings of the seed, the properties of the seed and the beauty of the seed are manifest in the branches, twigs, blossoms and fruit; consequently, the seed sacrificed itself to the tree. Had it not sacrificed itself to the tree, that tree would not have come into existence. Now his holiness Christ, like unto the seed, sacrificed himself for the tree of Christianity, and his perfections, his bounties, his favors, his light and grace became manifest in the tree of the Christian community for the coming of which he sacrificed himself.
As to the fourth meaning of sacrifice, it is this: that a reality shall sacrifice its own characteristics. It is this: that a man must seclude himself from the world of matter, from the world of nature, from the rules of nature and from the laws of nature, for the world of nature is the world of corruption. It is the world of evil morals; it is the world of darkness; it is the world of animalism; it is the world of ferocity; it is the world of bloodthirstiness; it is the world of rancor; it is the world of ambition; it is the world of greed; it is the world of struggle for existence; it is the world of self-worship; it is the world of being lost in self-desire and lust; it is the world of nature. Man must strip himself of all these imperfections. Man must sacrifice all these characteristics which are peculiar to the world of nature.
Then, on the other hand, man must acquire heavenly qualities. Man must partake of the divine attributes. Man must become the image and likeness of God. Man must seek the bounty of the eternal, become the manifestor of the love of God, the light of guidance, the blessed tree, and become the depository of the bounties of God. Thus man must sacrifice the qualities and attributes of the world of nature for the qualities and attributes of the world of God. For instance, consider the iron. See the qualities that it has. It is black. It is solid. It is cold. These are the characteristics of iron. When the same iron imbibes heat from the fire, then it sacrifices its attribute of solidity for the attribute of fluidity. It sacrifices its attribute of darkness for the attribute of light imbibed from the fire. It sacrifices its attribute of coldness to the quality of heat which characterizes the fire, so that in the iron there remains no humidity, no solidity, no darkness. It becomes illumined; it gains warmth and fluidity, which are the characteristics of the fire. The iron sacrificed its qualities to the qualities and attributes of the fire. Likewise man, when separating himself from the world of nature, sacrifices all the attributes and exigencies of the world of nature, and the perfections of the kingdom become manifest and evident, just as the qualities, of the iron disappeared and the qualities of the fire appeared in their place.
Every man trained through the teachings of God and illumined through the light of guidance, who becomes a believer in God and his signs, and is enkindled with the fire of the love of God, sacrifices the imperfections of nature for the sake of the perfections of
(Continued on page 115)
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.
Terms: $1.50 per year; 10 cents per copy.
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. VII
No. 12
—"THIS IS THE TIME"—
The Teaching Campaign—A Suggestion
IT has been suggested that we publish the names and addresses of the individuals through whom the five recent great Tablets were received, as well as the states mentioned in each territory, that all may turn to a center, as it were, in their respective territory as the first step in the Teaching Campaign:
MR. HOOPER HARRIS,
101 West 88th Street,
New York City, N. Y.
EASTERN TERRITORY—Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, Vermont, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York.
MRS. HELEN S. GOODALL,
2550 Buchanan Street,
San Francisco, Calif.
WESTERN TERRITORY—California, Oregon, Washington, Colorado, New Mexico, Wyoming, Montana, Idaho, Utah, Arizona, Nevada.
MRS. MAY MAXWELL,
716 Pine Avenue,
Montreal, Canada.
NORTHERN TERRITORY—Newfoundland, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, British Columbia, Ungava, Keewatin, Mackenzie, Yukon, Franklin Islands, Greenland.
MR. JOSEPH H. HANNEN,
P. O. Box 1319,
Washington, D. C.
SOUTHERN TERRITORY—Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee, Kentucky, Louisiana, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Texas.
DR. ZIA M. BAGDADI,
1549 Ogden Avenue,
Chicago, Ill.
CENTRAL TERRITORY—Illinois, Wisconsin, Ohio, Michigan, Minnesota, Indiana, Iowa, Missouri, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas.
It has also been suggested that each one communicate at once with their respective center in order to be informed of the plans of its Teaching Committee, which, doubtless, is already chosen and at work.
—The Editors.
—"THIS IS THE TIME"—
The Green Acre Conference
Eliot, Maine
THE things which are particular says Abdul-Baha, are human; those which are universal are divine. Judged by this test Green Acre was, this summer, a center for the light of the divine world. The program for its meetings was varied and universal. The new science, sociology, art, education, the new study of comparative religions, the new vision of peace—all were represented as so many rays of the light of the new day.
Nearly everyone felt the spiritual atmosphere which enveloped the place. One man told how he came to Green Acre with prejudice in his heart, but when he stepped off the car at the entrance to the Green Acre grounds he realized that he was on holy soil. He gazed at the Inn on the beautiful hill, he looked at the river, "the river of light." He was thrilled with joy and his prejudice melted away. He met the radiant people at the Inn. He caught their spirit. "At last," he said, "I have found my spiritual brothers and sisters. After much wandering I have come home." "Why," said another visitor at the Inn, "I never saw so many happy people together, nor people who so loved each other." "It is," said a friend from the Orient, "the most heavenly place I ever visited." "I could not imagine a summer passing without visiting Green Acre," said another who had come for the first time.
Many awoke in the early morning at Green Acre conscious of a marvelous spirit brooding over the place and flooding it with light. They were so happy with joy at the nearness of the divine world that they could not sleep. They were energized by the bread from heaven. They felt all day long as though they were sustained by invisible arms.
But words fail to put in "matter moulded forms of speech" experiences which are so divine. No one can know Green Acre and its spirit until he goes there and with receptive heart drinks "the pure water of life."
Two important events characterized the summer. One was the dedication of the new Fellowship House, a beautiful
building, donated by the late Mrs. Helen Cole. On its broad veranda which overlooks the wide-spreading valley and river many glorious meetings were held. These meetings will grow more and more wonderful as each summer brings a new and divine outpouring of God's bestowals. But the very brightest event of the season was the return to Green Acre of its founder. Miss Sarah J. Farmer. She came back after her years of seclusion with a heart overflowing with thanksgiving to the God who was so good to her. Every word about the success of Green Acre filled her with joy. She could not express enough gratitude to her Bahai brothers and sisters of the Green Acre Fellowship who had raised Green Acre to this pinnacle of spiritual unity and peace and radiance. She had lived to see her early dream realized, to see many nations and sects, races and religions joined together under the Green Acre flag, the flag of the peace that passeth understanding.
An Editorial Letter.
—"THIS IS THE TIME"—
"The Treasure-Houses of God are filled with Bounties"
Address of Abdul-Baha at the home of Mrs. Krug, New York City, December 3, 1912.
MRS. Krug is the cause of gathering you together here this afternoon. She has caused you to assemble here in the utmost of love. She has caused you to engage in the commemoration of God. It is my hope that this gathering will increase in number day by day, and that you will become daily more and more attracted, more spiritual and more illumined, that you will make extraordinary progress, that you will acquire from each other knowledge of the teachings of BAHA'O'LLAH, so that you may know how to teach the truth to others, that your hearts may become so attracted that the instant a question is asked, you will be able to give the right answer and that the truth of the Holy Spirit may speak through your tongues. Be ye helpful in the providence and favor of the Blessed Perfection, for his favors change a drop into an ocean, cause a seed to become a tree and make an atom as glorious as the sun. His graces are great. The treasure-houses of God are filled with bounties. God, who showed favors unto others, will certainly show favor unto you. I supplicate to the Kingdom of Abha and seek extraordinary favors and confirmations in your behalf, in order that your tongues may become fluent, your hearts may be flooded with the rays of the Sun of Truth, even as a clear mirror, that your thoughts may expand, your comprehension become more intense and that you may progress on the plane of human perfections.
Until man himself acquire perfections, he will not be able to teach perfections to others. Unless man attain life himself, he cannot convey life to others. Unless he finds light for himself he cannot give light to others. We must, therefore, endeavor ourselves to attain to the perfections of the world of humanity, gain everlasting life, and seek the divine spirit, in order that we may thereby be enabled to confer life upon others, be enabled to breathe life into others.
You must, therefore, always supplicate before the Kingdom of Abha and seek eternal bounties from him. You must pray that your hearts may become filled with glorious lights, even as a purified mirror, then will the lights of the Sun of Truth shine thereupon. You must supplicate and pray to God every night
and every day and seek his aid and assistance, saying:
O Lord! We are weak, strengthen us. O God! We are ignorant, make us knowing. O Lord! We are poor, make us wealthy. O God! We are dead, quicken us. O Lord! We are humiliation itself, glorify us in thy Kingdom. If thou assistest us, O Lord, we shall become scintillating stars! If thou dost not assist us, we shall become lower than the earth. O Lord! Strengthen us. O God! Confer victory upon us. O God! Cause us to conquer self and desire. O Lord! Deliver us from the bondage of the world of materiality. O Lord! Quicken us through the breath of the Holy Spirit, in order that we may arise to serve thee, to engage in worshipping thee and to exert ourselves in thy Kingdom with the utmost of sincerity. O Lord! thou art powerful. O God! Thou art forgiving. O Lord! Thou art Compassionate.
—"THIS IS THE TIME"—
The Mystery of Sacrifice
(Continued from page 111)
the divine. Consequently, every perfect person, every illumined person, every heavenly individual stands in the station of sacrifice. I therefore hope, through the aid and providence of God and through the bounties of the Kingdom of Abha, that from the imperfections of the world of nature you may be entirely separated and become purified from the selfish desires and receive life from the Kingdom of Abha and acquire heavenly virtues, and that the divine light may become manifest upon your faces, that the fragrances of holiness may reach your nostrils and the breath of the Holy Spirit may quicken you.
—"THIS IS THE TIME"—
"Sacrifice of life is of two kinds"
Words of Abdul-Baha. Extracts from the Diary of Mirza Ahmad Sohrab.
ABDUL-BAHA spoke to us about the lives of several Persian Bahais who have made all sacrifices and yet they think they have done nothing. "Such souls are the jewels of existence," he said.
Looking up at the star Venus, which was shining in the horizon like a blazing torch, Abdul-Baha said: "Do you see that brilliant star? I declare . . . that it is my fondest hope to see each one of the believers of God shining like unto this star. I wish for them this illumination; I desire for them this luminosity, so that they may rejoice the hearts and spiritualize the souls. But alas! How often they let the cloud of the ego darken the horizon and thus prevent the stars of their divine verities from shining." Here he stopped and looked again earnestly at the brilliant orb, and said: "It shines clearest at the early dawn. So, at this dawn of the Sun of Reality the stars of our lives must glisten and gleam in the darkness of the world."
Truly I say unto thee, every maid-servant who arises in this day in the mystery of sacrifice in the path of God will become one of the stars of guidance in the supreme horizon; all in the heaven and earth will be illumined by her face; the angels of the Supreme Concourse will speak in her praise and she will be
encompassed with the favors of the Kingdom of Abha.
As long as one has not taken a portion of the mystery of sacrifice, it is impossible for him to attain to the Kingdom of God. So long as you do not have the cup free from every sort of liquor is it possible for you to put good and pure water therein?
Sacrifice of life is of two kinds. To be killed for the Cause is not so difficult as to live for it in absolute obedience to the commands of God. To attain to the condition of Mirza Abul Fazl who cares for nothing in this world save to write something for the Cause that will be of benefit, or like Mirza Hyder Ali who cares not for money, clothes, or even food, but only to teach someone something about the Kingdom,—is real attainment to the plain of sacrifice! And without attaining this condition all effort is without any final result. One who cares for love, for husband, wife or children more than for the Cause of God has not attained.
—"THIS IS THE TIME"—
When the Mirror is Free from Dust
Words of Abdul-Baha to nineteen Bahais at Hotel Victoria, Boston, July 25, 1912.
I AM very happy to greet you here today. This is the second time the breeze of God has wafted over Boston. I am expecting results from this visit. I hope my coming to Boston may not be fruitless. The result is to be this: That the individual may be released from self, also from desire, and may be freed from satanic suggestions. May the mirrors be freed from dust, that the Sun of Truth may be reflected therein. There are two kinds of susceptibilities in man—the natural emotions (these are like dust on the mirror) and the spiritual susceptibilities which are merciful characteristics, heavenly.
There is a power that cleans the dust from the mirror and transforms it into intense brilliancy and radiance, so that these susceptibilities chasten and utterly destroy the dust and the heavenly bestowals may purify the hearts.
What is the dust on that mirror? Love of the world, greed, envy and love of luxury, of comfort, of desire for the self, haughtiness, self-interest—all these are like unto dust. They cover the mirror so that the reality of the sun cannot reflect its rays. The natural emotions are blameworthy and are like rust and deprive the heart of the bounties of God. But sincerity, justice, humility, evanescence, love for the believers,—these will free the mirror from dust, will make it radiant so that it may receive the rays from the Sun of Truth.
It is my hope that you may consider this matter, that you may search your own imperfections and do not think of the imperfections of anyone else, and strive to be free from imperfections. The souls who are heedless are always trying to find faults in others. Take the hypocrite—what does he know about the faults of others? He must find them in himself. This is the meaning of the Seven Valleys. It is for human conduct. As long as man does not find his faults, he can never become perfect. It will be fruitful for man to find his own imperfections and change them into perfections. The Blessed Perfection says: "I wonder at the man who does not find his own imperfections."
