| ←Issue 13 | Star of the West Volume 7 - Issue 14 |
Issue 15→ |
 Proofread onceReturn to PDF view
|
We are working hard to have proofread and nicely formatted text for you to read. Here is our progress on this section:
|
"O ye people! Draw nigh unto It (The Branch) and taste the fruits of Its Knowledge and Wisdom"
O YE PEOPLE ! Do ye flee from the mercy of God after it hath encompassed the existent things created between the heavens and earths? Beware lest ye prefer your own selves before the mercy of God, and deprive not yourselves thereof. Verily, whosoever turneth away therefrom will be in great loss. . . .
Verily, the ocean of pre-existence hath branched forth from this most great ocean. Blessed therefore is he who abides upon its shores, and is of those who are established thereon. Verily, this most sacred temple of Abha—the Branch of Holiness—hath branched forth from the Sadrat-el-Muntaha.* Blessed is whosoever sought shelter beneath it and is of those who rest therein!
Verily, the Branch of Command hath sprung forth from this Root which God hath firmly planted in the ground of the will, the Limb of which hath been elevated to a station which encompasses all existence. Therefore, exalted be He for this creation, the Lofty, the Blessed, the Inaccessible, the Mighty!
O ye people! Draw nigh unto it (The Branch) and taste the fruits of its knowledge and wisdom on the part of the Mighty, the Knowing One. . . . . .
O people! Praise ye God for its manifestation (The Branch), for verily it is the most great favor unto you and the most perfect blessing upon you; and through him every mouldering bone is quickened. Whosoever turns to him hath surely turned unto God, and whosoever turneth away from him hath turned away from my beauty, denied my proof and is of those who transgress. Verily, he is the remembrance of God amongst you and His trust within you, and His manifestation unto you, and His appearance among the servants who are nigh. Thus have I been commanded to convey to you the message of God, your Creator; and I have delivered to you that of which I was commanded. Whereupon, thereunto testifieth God, then His angels, then His messengers, and then His holy servants. . . . .
Extracts from The Tablet of The Branch.
From the Supreme Pen of BAHA'O'LLAH.
"A tree planted at the end of the road for the guidance of the traveler. Here it refers to the Manifestation of God, BAHA'O'LLAH.
THE CENTER OF THE COVENANT
THE GREATEST BRANCH
ABDUL-BAHA ABBAS
"When the ocean of My Presence hath disappeared and the Book of Origin is achieved to the end, turn your faces toward Him-Whom-God-hath-purposed, who hath branched from this Pre-Existent Root."—Words of BAHA'O'LLAH.
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 Kowl 1, 72 (November 23, 1916) No. 14
"This Movement is Stupendous and of Paramount Importance"
Tablet Revealed by Abdul-Baha, the Center of the Covenant.
HE IS GOD!
O God! O God! Thou dost behold me, how my forehead is laid upon the dust of humility and submission and how my face is covered in the ground of the threshhold of thy singleness. O thou my Lord, the Unconstrained! Thou seest me lowly and contrite, supplicating, entreating and imploring toward the Kingdom of thy light by day and by night, that thou encircle us with the eye of thy providence and the glances of the outlook of thy mercifulness.
O Lord! Forgive our sins, pardon our shortcomings and deal with us through thy grace and generosity under all circumstances. O our Lord! We are sinners, but thou art the merciful forgiver. We are transgressors, but thou art the clement pardoner. Absolve our iniquities, remove our sorrows, destine for us through thy bestowal severance from the world, occupation with thy mentioning, enkindlement with the fire of thy love, perpetual contemplation of thy signs, the knowledge of thy words, meditation over thy verses and the attraction of thy lights.
O Lord! O Lord! These are thy servants; they have turned their faces toward thy countenance and they have resolved their joy and happiness in thy favor and bounty. Strengthen their backs in thy obedience. Reinforce their lives in thy adoration. Perfume their hearts with the fragrances of thy holiness. Ordain for them presence in the paradise of thy meeting. Suffer them to become such servants as peruse the verses of unity in the assemblages held in thy name; that attract the rays of singleness from the lamp of thy bestowal; as those drawn towards thy beauty, humble before thy glory; who have abandoned aught else save thee and are relying upon thy protection and preservation; as those rendered meek by the sway of thy Word, made submissive before thy beloved ones; as those diffusing thy fragrances, disclosing thy mysteries, informing people with thy teachings and suffering mankind to become rejoiced through thy glad-tidings. Verily, thou art powerful over that which thou wiliest and thou feedest whomsoever thou desirest with thy hand. The world and the Kingdom belong to thee and thou art the mighty, the omnipotent and the beloved!
O ye believers of God! O ye dear friends of Abdul-Baha!
The goblet of the Covenant is overflowing and the outpouring of the bestowal of the Luminary of Effulgence is manifest and apparent in the regions from behind the invisible world, like unto the radiant moon. The twilight of the Moon of Guidance is scattered and the grace of the Orb of the Beauty of Abha is continuous and renowned. The fame of the grandeur of the Most Great Name hath reached the East and the West and the call of the Cause of the
(Continued on page 130)
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. 14
Latest Word from Abdul-Baha
In a letter dated October 25, 1916, to Mirza Ali Kuli Khan, recently received, Mirza Ahmad Sohrab advises Khan that the beloved Abdnl-Baha has addressed three Tablets to Khan, one in his own name, one to Khanom, his wife, and one to the American Bahais, concerning him, his family and household, and his relatives.
The last of the three Tablets has just been received by Khan, through Mr. Joseph H. Hannen, of Washington, D. C., in a letter from Mirza Ahmad Sohrab, in which Abdul-Baha addresses himself to the American believers as follows:
To the Believers of God in America!—Upon them be greeting and praise!
O ye believers of God!
It is a long time that his honor Ali Kuli Khan is engaged in the service of the Cause of God; therefore I love him. Regarding the niece and the relatives of Khan who are in America, their aim is likewise good, and the believers of God must exercise toward them the utmost kindness. For these souls are strangers, and hospitality must be shown towards strangers. Should you hear contrary and conflicting stories concerning them, do not accept those stories. I beg of God that that family—that is Khan, and the relatives of Khan—may be happy in that strange country, and that the believers may show them kindness and consideration.
Man is worthy of honor and merits respect, especially a stranger. The friends of God must become the cause of the consolation of every stranger—unless he is a corrupt and wicked person. They must be the means of joy for every sorrowful one, a protective shelter for every fearful one, and a true friend and sympathizer to every friendless one. This is the reward and compensation of every human being. I hope you may become assisted therein. Upon ye be greeting and praise.
(Signed) ABDUL-BAHA ABBAS.
Then Mirza Ahmad says: "Praise be to God, that the health of Abdul-Baha is well. At present he lives in Bahjee with his holy sister; Monnavar Khanom, his daughter, and one of his grand-daughters."
[Following its usual custom this issue of the STAR OF THE WEST emphasizes "The Center of The Covenant" in the person and function of Abdul-Baha, inasmuch as the Twenty-sixth of November is the "Feast of the Appointment of The Center of The Covenant."—The Editors]
The turning of the pages of the "Book of the Covenant"
Extracts from an Address delivered by Mrs. Isabella D. Brittingham, in Chicago, November 5, 1916.
THERE are two parts to this Book. There is the collective Book; but back of it is the reality—that creation which made the "Center" of the Covenant—Abdul-Baha, the real Book. He tells us that the Covenant means, "the power and authority that BAHA'O'LLAH has given to him.
Nine days after the great ascension* of BAHA'O'LLAH, Abdul-Baha took a few Oriental believers into the Holy Tomb, and in their presence, the "Book of the Covenant" (Kitab-el-Ahd) was read. That turned for the world the first page of the real "Book of the Covenant." Hadjai Hassan Khorassani, who was one of those present, told me of this when en route to Akka in 1901.
In 1893 another page was turned. The Message of the Kingdom was first heard in America, covering a period of several clouded years.
Again a page of that Creative Book was turned when, for several years following this Message, American believers visited (at Akka) the presence of that Book shining from the mirror of Abdul-Baha and returned, confirming the glad tidings.
Another turned page followed: The page of the pioneer work in America—in which period the proclamation of those wonderful glad tidings was made in assemblies, in assembly vicinities, from east to west, from north to south, blazing a trail and hewing the way in the wilderness, as it were, for the coming of the Great Seed-sower. During that period, in order to meet the limitation of any human conceptions, Abdul-Baha ever described himself as the servant, or slave, of the servants of God.
In 1912 that Seed-sower came to America, and his presence changed the face of our country as well as that of the world. He turned another page of the real "Book of the Covenant," at that time adorning it with the Tablet of the Branch, which the Infinite Creator had revealed through BAHA'O'LLAH for the world. In that Tablet Abdul-Baha is proclaimed: "The most sacred Temple of Abha." What is the meaning of the title, "BAHA'O'LLAH?" It is "THE GLORY OF GOD." That "Glory," continued in manifestation, is shining in this hour from "the most sacred Temple of Abha." The "Branch" is dependent upon the "Pre-existent Root" as the divine sap pours upward through the Greatest Branch (or Trunk) and finds its greatest expression thereupon, in the fruit which contains the Creative Seed.
We must always call him "Abdul-Baha," for he has chosen that title for himself. This has to do with his individual offering of servitude and sacrifice. This is his personal station. But seeing eyes behold this station as the altar upon which burns the flame of the Covenant, and which is the "Book of the Covenant."
Upon all of the pages of this Book is unfolded in golden words and letters the Mashrak-el-Azkar. The presence of the Covenant is the one who calls himself "Abdul-Baha" is the spiritual Mashrak-el-Azkar—of which the edifice soon, God grant, to be built in Chicago, is the outer symbol—and he has said that radiant pure hearts are (to build) this Symbol Temple. That is, he is building
*Death of BAHA'O'LLAH, May 28, 1892.
a Temple, not made with, hands, of hearts who are becoming severed and molded by the fire of the love of God. This spiritual Temple of severed souls, this spiritually purified collective unit of radiant hearts, will receive the descent of his spirit after his great departure, and be confirmed to complete this outward and visible symbol, the foundations of which he is now laying.
The latest page of the "Book of the Covenant" has just been turned. Upon it is inscribed the five great Tablets to North America containing the greatest call which has ever come from that presence, to arise and awaken and summon all the sleeping portions of this country, to the Kingdom of God.
Never has there been heard upon the earth such a call! We, as Bahais, are all in one station. This has long been stated by Abdul-Baha. Thus there rests equally upon each and all responsibility to respond in some way, to this great command. How is it to be met? Through the mystery of sacrifice. What is this mystery of sacrifice? It consists of the absolute evanescence and laying down of every hindrance upon the Holy Threshold, and thus arising in pure response; and in arising not at some future period, but NOW. Thus determining to burn every veil of delay or hindrance of the (subtle) self, the confirmations appear out of the invisible horizon "whereof the spirits receive the Light," and sacrifice becomes transformed into a chalice of bestowal. Only in this way will all of the barren parts of North America become illumined.
A superhuman effort is demanded. This proves the greatness of this page, and the test of fidelity to its call. It is not to be postponed to some indefinite future. When Abdul-Baha left America in 1912 he said he had sown the pure seeds and that it was now the turn of the believers to "Act! Act! Act!" It is the time for the teaching of new souls! Each one of the older believers should be teaching a class of NEW souls. Our responsible response to those Tablets is only limited by ourselves. This new call has nothing to do with our past services. Past calls and the responses thereto are recorded on the earlier (turned) pages of the "Book of the Covenant" and belong to those past periods.
A new page demands a new arising, to which the offering must be that of fuller consecration and greater activity than ever before! It involves this response from us, and this definite proof of our spiritual life. The days of negation are ended. The presence of the "Center" of the Covenant will not be with us very much longer. His departure will judge our deeds, as to real severance and actions, NOW! This constitutes our firmness in the Covenant. Abdul-Baha has given us its definition. He tells us it "is love, and obedience to his commands." And "It is not mere words. The command is explicit."
—"THIS IS THE TIME"—
"This Movement is Stupendous and of Paramount Importance"
(Continued from page 127)
Blessed Perfection (BAHA'O'LLAH) hath encircled the North and the South. The fragrances of sanctity are being wafted and the breeze of life is passing by. The Word of God is upheld and the everlasting glory is revealed. The lamp of divine unity is ignited and the flame of clemency is glowing. From every direction the call of "Ya-Baha-el-Abha!" is raised and in the Orient and in the Occident the teachings of God have struck wonder to the heart of every thinker. Pamphlets and periodicals are being published and circulated in America, Europe and Africa. A section of the press is engaged in praise and eulogy, and another section of the press is awakening the interest of the nations by exclaiming: "This Movement is stupendous and of paramount importance."
Some people express wonder and astonishment; others complain bitterly on account of their intense prejudices. One of the nations says: "After the departure of his holiness Christ only a limited number of people were his disciples; notwithstanding this his fame became world-conquering and his song reached the sphere of ether." But, the Blessed Perfection—May my life be a ransom to his believers!—on the eve of his ascension, hundreds and thousands were associating together under the shade of the flag of his majesty. From this illustration you can draw the conclusion that a mighty resurrection will be witnessed in the not-far distant future. One of the greatest apostles of his holiness the Spirit was the great Peter; but, notwithstanding this, before Christ's crucifixion he became agitated and was harassed with fear; while thousands of souls, singing, dancing and clapping their hands, have given up their lives and hastened toward the city of martyrdom, for the sake and in the path of the Most Great Name—May my identity be a sacrifice to his friends!
In short, the affairs of the Cause revolve around just such a center of self-abnegation. How self-evident it is that the believers of God must clothe themselves in these days with the attributes of self-sacrifice, consecrate their time to the teaching of the heedless ones, diffuse the sweet aroma of the teachings, re-enkindle the white flame and make apparent the splendor of the Merciful.
O ye friends of God! Is it befitting that we rest for one moment after the departure of the Beauty of the Clement, or seek the organization of committees, or exhale one breath of comfort, or taste the honey of fleeting pleasure, or lay our heads on the cushions of repose, or pursue the luxury and affluence of the world of creation? No! I declare by God! This is not the condition of loyalty nor the state of faithfulness and appreciation.
Therefore. O ye friends! With heart and soul yearn for the service of the divine threshold and like unto the righteous ones become ye the guardians of the court of the merciful. Servitude at the holy threshold means the spread of the fragrances, the explanation of signs and verses, thraldom at the hall of unity and attachment to the palace of mercifulness. Consider with what severance, attraction and enkindlement the apostles of his holiness the Spirit—May my life be a ransom to him!—arose in the promulgation of the Word of God after his crucifixion. We hope from the bestowal of the True One that we may likewise walk in the footsteps of those pure ones and hasten unhesitatingly and rejoicingly toward the arena of love and sacrifice. This is the inexhaustible outpouring. This is the grace of His Highness the forgiving Lord.
In these days the progress of the divine principles are impeded in some parts and retarded in others, and this has become conducive to the sorrow and grief of the Supreme Concourse, because the dwellers of the Kingdom of Abha are expecting to see each one of us fulfilling the conditions of loyalty and for the sake of the love of the Most Great Name suffer every form of persecution. A number of the merciful friends forsook their material tranquillity and composure and traveled from city to city, nay, rather, village to village, in order to diffuse the fragrances of God. These souls, endowed with such pure spirits, became the objects of the commendation of the Supreme Concourse—May my life be a ransom to them!—for they became confirmed with this most exalted grace. They spent their days amidst the greatest difficulties and hardships, and employed their time in the guidance of the negligent ones.
O ye friends! This is not the time of rest and tranquillity! This is not the season of silence and stillness. The nightingale of the rose-garden of uprightness must display its wonderful melodies and trills. The bird of guidance
must exhibit its eloquent speech. The light and the heat are the concomitant results of the lamp. The brilliancy of the stars must be everlasting. The existence of the ocean connotes the waves. The birds must soar toward the apex. The pearls are inseparable from their lustre and sweet fragrance must qualify the blossoms of the rose-garden of knowledge. It is hoped that through the favor of the living, Self-subsistent, we may become assisted in a befitting manner.
O ye believers of God! Divine teachings are conducive to eternal life, the cause of the illumination of the world of humanity, the means of peace and conciliation, love and salvation, the basis of fellowship, uprightness and friendship in the world of creation and the instrument of unity and accord, solidarity and inter-dependence amongst the individuals of the body politic. Consequently you must lay the foundation of this structure in this mortal world; thus you may confer upon it infinite and abundant life and become the source of the enlightenment of the world of existence. It is incumbent upon you to consort with all the nations and people of the world with the utmost love, kindness and show affection, justice, assistance, consideration and courtesy to all the different communities and sects. Become ye a remedy to every pain, a balsam of healing and recovery to every wound, to every weak one become ye a support and aid and succor every poor one. Become ye to the fearful ones the impregnable cave of safety and to the agitated ones a sure asylum. . . . . In this great cycle it is more acceptable and beloved to close one's eyes to all the limitations. The friends may become the manifestors of the qualities of the Merciful and Clement and arise in the service of all humanity; nay, rather they must be most kind toward the animals; for verily His mercy hath encompassed all things. . . . .
O ye believers of God! This is the time of self-abnegation and renunciation and the era of servitude and loyalty. The utmost height of this servant is the station of Servitude to His Highness the Almighty. If he becomes accepted at the threshold of servitude how glorious will be this most great gift. Otherwise he will be deprived of the mercy of God. Therefore the utmost hope and aspiration of Abdul-Baha is to open his wings in this space, to run toward this field, obtain infinite exhilaration from this wine, be intoxicated with this cup and acquire the longing of heart and spirit. Every other mention save this unchangeable, beloved name (Abdul-Baha) will become the cause of grief and sorrow and the source of the greatest regret and illimitable remorse. I request from the friends of God that day and night they may supplicate and implore at the divine Kingdom so that my servitude might become accepted in the threshold of BAHA'O'LLAH.
O ye believers of God! If you wish the joy, happiness and the composure of the spirit and the peace of the conscience of Abdul-Baha, strengthen the bonds of union and harmony amongst yourselves so that all of you may become the waves of one sea, the drops of one river, the flowers of one garden, the links of one cuirass, soaring in the atmosphere and breaking forth into one glad song. This is the cause of my everlasting joy! This is the motive of the repose of my mind and heart in the eternal world! . . . . Today there is no greater service than union and accord amongst the believers. This is the imperative need! This is the happy consummation. This is the most great attainment and the manifest bestowal for those who are sheltered beneath the shade of the Blessed Tree!
Upon ye be greeting and praise!
(Signed) ABDUL-BAHA ABBAS.
Translated by Mirza Ahmad Sohrab; copied from the Diary of Mirza Ahmad Sohrab, dated January 9, 1914.
