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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 Nur 1, 72 (June 5, 1916) No. 5
"Two people are equivalent in strength of character to the whole world"
Extracts from a talk given by Abdul-Baha at Los Angeles,
Saturday evening, October 19, 1912
DO NOT look at your small number. Plurality of numbers is not of importance. It is rather the bounty of God that is essential—it is the confirmation of the heavenly kingdom. Consider past times. How often it has happened that a limited meeting, a small number, has finally widened its circle and grown in proportion, until it included all nations and religions. Therefore, the hearts must be looked at, not the pluralities. If a limited number of souls are possessed of hearts which are pure and tender, that limited number is equivalent in strength of character to the whole population of the earth.
Consider how, after the crucifixion of Jesus Christ—fifty days thereafter—a limited number of disciples gathered together on the Mount of Transfiguration, not far from Jaffa. The number of these was eleven. They gathered there with hearts pure, with intentions sincere, with spirits exhilarated. In the utmost of sincerity, without any care, without any intention of self-desire did they gather together, this limited number, and there held a meeting upon the Mount. Because of the purity of the hearts of those souls, because of the trustworthiness of those souls, because of the reliance of those souls, because of the attraction of the hearts of those souls, the world was illumined, Christianity was advanced, the Roman empire became Christianized; the Assyrians were converted,—also the Chaldeans. In other words, the illumination of his holiness Christ illumined all regions. All these were the blessed results of that meeting of eleven souls on the mountain. They held that meeting in the utmost of purity and sincerity, in the utmost of faith and assurance; in the utmost of attraction and zeal was that meeting held. And these colossal results were attained, these wondrous lights were expressed, this heavenly affair was promulgated.
Therefore do not look at your limited number, that you are not capable of having a meeting the same as other people. Remember that importance is not attached to numbers. Importance concerns faith, concerns assurance, concerns veracity, concerns firmness, concerns attainment to the Kingdom of Abha, concerns self-sacrifice in the path of the Kingdom. If you attain to this, though there be but two people, remember that two people are equivalent in strength of character to the whole world.
Therefore, I pray, asking for your confirmation and assistance, that the aid and uplift of BAHA'O'LLAH may reach you, the hosts of the Kingdom of Abha may reinforce you, that the powerful angels of God may assist you. Be assured of the victory; rest assured that you will be
confirmed. That which is of essential importance is your unity and agreement. You must be in the utmost state of unity and agreement. You must, love one another; you must be self-sacrificing for one another. If you observe any shortcomings on the part of any, as much as you can, be forgiving and do not be harsh. Even if you wish to admonish, let your admonition be in symbols; do not express it explicitly lest any heart should be saddened. Remember that in the world of existence there is nothing so bad as injuring a heart, for the heart of a man is the place of the descent of the Merciful and man must not at all disquiet or harm the place of the Merciful. Man must ever strive to make the hearts grateful, to rejoice the spirits, to render the thoughts radiant, to be the cause of the comfort and ease of others. This is the station of the Bahais and this is the utmost desire of those who are divine.
Now, the friends of God in Persia have reached such a stage that each is willing to sacrifice his life for the others, each one accounting himself the servant of the others. How many of the nobles are occupied with the service of the poor. How many of the dear ones are most humble and submissive in the presence of the lowly! What is this for? It is for the love of God. It is for sincerity. It is for faith. It is for certainty.
All the people of the world look at us to see how we act; what our characteristics are; what our attributes are; what our mode of procedure is. They all look toward us, and we must act in such wise that we may not be the cause of the degradation of the Cause of God. Nay, rather, that we may be the cause of the glory of God and if we do not do so, how can we behold his face in his kingdom? What shall be our apology ? Did BAHA'O'LLAH not teach us by his deeds? Did he not teach us through self-sacrifice? Did he not teach us through his ordeals and difficulties? Is it meet that we should forget them?
Thank God that he has suffered you to attain this great bestowal. Let us thank God that he has suffered us to be sheltered beneath the Tree of Life. Let us thank God that he has accepted us in his kingdom. Let us offer thanks to God that he has specialized us for the favor which was the utmost aim of the holy saints. Let us thank God that, notwithstanding the lack of capacity, he bestows every favor upon us, every grace is showered upon us, and every bounty is revealed to us. He prepared for us the good of both worlds; he prepared for us eternal honor; he gave unto us the life everlasting; he chose us out of all the nations of the world and he caused us to attain to that which is the sublimity of the human world. Praise God for such an attainment as this! Thank God that such a guidance is yours! And strive with life to hold aloft the banner of the great guidance, to be the cause of the illumination of the east and west, the cause of unity of all nations, that you may be the means of manifesting the spiritual attributes, that you may become imbued with the qualities of the faithful, that you may be distinguished in all virtues, that you may be set aglow with the fire of love of God and attracted by the love of God.
"There is a power in this Cause, a mysterious power, far, far, far away from the ken of men and angels. That invisible power is the cause of all these outward activities. It moves the hearts. It rends the mountains. It administers the complicated affairs of the Cause. It inspires the friends. It dashes into a thousand pieces all the forces of opposition. It creates new spiritual worlds. This is a mystery of the Kingdom of Abha."—Abdul-Baha.
The Glad Tidings in Japan
WHEN the war broke out the first of August, 1914, Miss Agnes Alexander was in Switzerland. She had left her home in Honolulu the previous October and had been, as she says, "a wanderer ever since, guided alone by Him." She hoped she might visit the Holy Land and see the most glorious servant of God. On the twenty-first of August she received, in Geneva, the following tablet:
To the maid-servant of God, Miss Agnes Alexander:
Upon her be BAHA'O'LLAH!
He is God!
O thou my dear daughter!
Thy letter was received. It imparted great happiness. Praise be to God, that that dear daughter is sacrificing herself in the path of BAHA'O'LLAH and enduring every difficulty.
It is now more advisable for thee to depart directly to Japan and while there be engaged in the diffusion of the fragrances of God. . . .
Today the greatest of all divine bestowals is teaching the cause or God, for it is fraught with confirmations. Every teacher is confirmed and is favored at the divine threshold. In the estimation of the Ideal King, the army which is in front of the battlefield is encircled with the glances of his mercifulness and in the sight of the Divine Farmer, the sower of the seed is accepted and favored.
I hope that thou mayest be like unto a realm-conquering army and a farmer. Therefore, thy voyage to Japan is preferred to everything else. Still thou art perfectly free.
Upon thee be Baha-el-Abha!
(Signed) ABDUL-BAHA ABBAS.
(August 4, 1914, Mt. Carmel, Haifa, Syria.)
On the receipt of this commission Miss Alexander started for Japan where her service has borne radiant fruit as will appear from the following letter:
31 Nichome Fujimicho, Kudan ue,
Tokyo, Japan, March 10, 1916
Dear Bahai friends:
This week it has been a very great joy to me to receive beautiful letters from many parts. In truth the great unity between the east and the west is growing rapidly and we are all drawing closer to one another.
Our weekly Friday Bahai meeting has just closed. Every week new souls come and hear the Message. One of those who came today, said he had heard of it once before, through a journalist lady who spoke in the Y. M. C. A. I told him it was our Martha Root, and then read from a letter received this week from her. So we never know when the seed will spring up. There is a rich vineyard to work in here in Japan, and many, many workers might be laboring in it. I do not seek the people out, but they continually come to me. Four university students who cannot come on Friday afternoon, are coming on their only free afternoon, that is Saturday. As I am to be in Yokohama, at an Esperantist meeting this Saturday, they came instead last night. Such earnest, nice young men, and so eager to learn the truth. I loaned one of them Abdul-Baha's Talks in Paris. He sent it back with these words: "Many thanks for your Talks in Paris. 'Strive that your actions day by day may be beautiful prayers. Turn towards God and seek always to do that which is right and noble.' This is Abdul-Baha's saying. I was astonished at this, and very much delighted. The book is a mere collection of his sayings, but there is one Spirit through it. . . .
(Continued on page 39)
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. 5
A Call to Heroic Teaching
Tablet from Abdul-Baha
HE IS EL-ABHA!
O ye who are turned to the Supreme Appearance!
Day and night, morn and eve, at sunrise and at sunset we are remembering, with all our hearts and souls, the friends of the Merciful One, asking God's help and confirmation that the believers of the pure territory, the Holy Land, may become excellent in all conditions of morality, characteristics, behavior, manners, conduct and actions, that they may appear with ecstacy, enthusiasm, love, consciousness, assurance, steadfastness, firmness, concord and harmony, with bright faces and splendid beauty in the community of the world.
O ye friends of God! Today is the day of union and this age is the age of harmony in the world of existence. "Verily, God loveth those who are working in his path in groups, for they are a solid foundation." Consider ye that he says "in groups," united and bound together, supporting one another. "To work," mentioned in this holy verse, does not mean, in this greatest age, to perform it with swords, spears, shafts and arrows, but rather with sincere intentions, good designs, useful advices, divine moralities, beautiful actions, spiritual qualities, educating the public, guiding the souls of mankind, diffusing spiritual fragrances, explaining divine illustrations, showing convincing proofs and doing charitable deeds. When the holy souls, through the angelic power, will arise to show forth these celestial characteristics, establishing a band of harmony, each of these souls shall be regarded as one thousand persons and the waves of this greatest ocean shall be considered as the army of the hosts of the Supreme Concourse.
What a great blessing it is that when the torrents, streams, currents, tides and drops are all gathered in one place, they will form a great ocean and the real harmony shall overcome and reign in such a manner that all the rules, laws, distinctions and differences of the imaginations of these souls shall disappear and vanish like little drops and shall be submerged in the ocean of spiritual unity. By the Ancient Beauty, in this case and condition, the blessings of the
great ocean will overflow and canals shall become as spacious as an endless ocean and each drop shall become as a boundless sea!
O ye friends of God! Strive to attain to this high and sublime station and show forth such a brightness in these days, that its radiance may appear from the eternal horizons. This is the real foundation of the Cause of God; this is the essence of the divine doctrine; this is the cause of the revelation of the heavenly scriptures; this is the means of the appearance of the Sun of the divine world; this is the way of the establishment of God upon the bodily throne.
O ye friends of God! Notice that his holiness the Bab—May the souls of all the creatures be a ransom to him!—for this very eminent intention, exposed his holy breast to the arrows of all casualties. So, as the principal design of the Blessed Perfection—May the souls of the people of the Supreme Concourse be a ransom to him!—was the same great intention, therefore his holiness the Bab made his blessed breast the target for thousands of bullets from the people of enmity and rancor in this path, and was martyred with great oppression. The pure blood of thousands of divine and holy souls was shed and poured in this path, and how many blessed bodies of the sincere friends of the divine God were hanged on the scaffold!
The Blessed Beauty of El-Abha—May the divine souls of the existence be a ransom to his friends!—endured personally, all kinds of calamities and bore the most violent ordeals. There remained no torture which did not come to his holy body and no suffering which did not descend upon his pure spirit. How many nights he could not take rest, under the chains and heaviness of fetters, and how many days he gave himself not a minute's repose because of the burden of fetters and chains!
From Neyaveran to Teheran that pure spirit, who was brought up on a bed of down, was forced to run, with bare head and bare feet, under chains and fetters, and, in a dark and narrow subterranean prison, he was put with murderers, thieves, criminals and malefactors; at every moment a new torture was inflicted upon him and at every moment his martyrdom was expected by all.
After a long time, he was sent from the city of his residence to foreign countries. For many years, in Baghdad, at every moment a new arrow was darted toward his holy breast, and at every instant a sword was bent on his pure body. At no instant was there any hope for safety and security, and the enemies, with utmost dexterity, were attacking the blessed soul from all sides, and he alone, personally, resisted them all.
After all these hardships and calamities, he was sent from Baghdad in Asia to Europe, and in that terrible exile, great affliction, vehement torture and constant attack, the plots, calumniations, enmity, rancor and hatred of the people of the Beyan were added to those which came from the people of the Koran, The pen is unable to explain it all, but surely you have heard and learned about it.
After twenty-four years in the greatest prison, Acca, his life was ended in great trouble and hardship.
In short, all the time of the sojourn of the Blessed Perfection (BAHA'O'LLAH)—May the souls of all existence be a ransom to his forbearance!—in this mortal world, he was either restrained with chains or kept under hanging swords, enduring the most painful afflictions. At last, in this greatest prison, his holy
body was extremely weakened from the intense sufferings and his beautiful person became as weak as a web from this continual hardship. His main purpose in bearing this heavy burden and all these troubles, which gave forth their waves like an ocean, accepting the chains and fetters and showing forth the greatest forbearance, was for the sake of harmony, concord and union among all the people of the world and for the establishment of the signs of the real unity among all nations, until the essential Unity (of God) might (at last) appear in the existing realities, and the light of the saying: "Thou seest no difference among the creatures of God" might shine forth upon the whole world.
O friends of God! Now is the time of movement and striving—then try and endeavor! As the Blessed Perfection—May my soul be a ransom to the dust under the feet of his friends!—was constantly in the field of martyrdom, we, also, must endeavor to pour out our lives, and to hear, with our spiritual ears, the divine advices and exhortations, leaving our limited beings and forsaking the vain ideas of differences of the physical world, in order to serve this eminent purpose and this principal design, which has been planted by the hand of divine favor; and not veil, with the dark clouds of self-interest and superstition, the light emanating from the Kingdom of Abha, nor become as barring dikes to the waves of the supreme ocean, nor to prevent the diffusion of the fragrances of the garden of the glorious beauty, nor stop the inundation of the rains of the divine grace in this day, nor to hinder the rays of the Sun of Reality.
This is what God has commanded in his scriptures, books and holy tablets, declaring his commandments to his sincere servants.
Upon ye be the mercy and the blessings of God!
(Signed) ABDUL-BAHA ABBAS.
The Truly Blessed
Words of Abdul-Baha from Diary of Mirza Ahmad Sohrab to Miss Harriet Magee, May, 1913
Blessed is he who is charitable, for he shall inherit eternal life.
Blessed is he who overlooks the faults of others, for he shall enjoy divine beatitude.
Blessed is he who associates with all with joy and fragrance, for he has obeyed the commands of BAHA'O'LLAH.
Blessed is he who loves mankind, for he has heeded the advice of BAHA'O'LLAH.
Blessed is he who is kind to his enemies, for he has walked in the footsteps of Christ.
Blessed is he who proclaims the doctrine of spiritual brotherhood, for he shall be the child of light.
Blessed is he whose heart is tender and compassionate, for he will throw stones at no one.
Blessed is he who will speak evil of no one, for he hath attained to the good pleasure of the Lord.
Blessed is he who will not uncover the sins of others, for he will become favored at the threshold of the Almighty.
Blessed is he who hath a forgiving nature, for he will win the spiritual graces of God.
Blessed is he who diffuses only the sweet fragrance of the flowers of friendship and mutual association, for he will obtain a goodly portion of the bounties of the Merciful.
Blessed is he who teaches union and concord, for he will shine like unto a star in heaven.
Blessed is he who practices loving-kindness and co-operation, for he will be encircled with celestial benedictions.
Blessed is he who comforts the downtrodden, for he will be the friend of God.
The Glad Tidings in Japan
(Continued from page 35)
Your letters all bring such joy and are a great stimulus in the work. In truth it is as if you were all working here with me, and though you cannot be here personally to speak the word, yet it is the same, for I am the instrument you speak through, and I feel the power and love you send to me.
Today we read in the meeting, the splendid article by Mr. Latimer, "The Call of God," in the December 12th STAR OF THE WEST. Mr. Remey has sent us some of his books to place in libraries. Fukuta San (the first Japanese Bahai in Japan) placed two in a library near where he lives. The librarian became much interested and thanked Fukuta San warmly, but he suggested placing them in a larger library where they would find more English readers, which was done. Last night, Mr. Eroshenko told me that a Japanese had come to him with one of these books, which he had found in the library and was deeply interested,
I am reading Some Answered Questions to Mr. Eroshenko, a blind Russian boy, and he is very enthusiastic about it. He says it ought to be translated into Russian, as it is just what the Russian people need, and above all into Esperanto. Who is there to do this work? Surely now is the time.
A magazine here called New Tide had reproduced the picture of Abdul-Baha, which appeared in the December number of Everywoman, with an article on the Bahai movement, containing a translation into Japanese of the twelve Bahai principles. Each principle is first given in Esperanto, and then in Japanese. The author is a well-known literary writer and this is the third article he has written on the Bahai Movement. In each article, he has combined Esperanto with the Japanese. He first became interested in Esperanto through meeting Mr. Eroshenko. He said when he found Mr. Eroshenko, who was blind, doing three different things, he resolved that he would study Esperanto for three hours every day, and very soon after, to Mr. Eroshenko's astonishment, he began to write in it.
In the Japanese Magazine, an English monthly, published in Tokyo, there is an article by the Japanese pastor of the one Unitarian church in Japan. He is the one who invited me to speak in his church on the Bahai Movement. The article is entitled, "Religion in Japan." It deeply interested me, and I must quote a paragraph from it. He writes: "Perhaps if some prophet would arise, able to transmute the truths of universal religion into a form acceptable to the Japanese mind, there would be a wonderful revival of religion. What Japan thinks most about when she thinks at all, is the science of religion itself, not of creeds, sects and prejudices. Pure religion cannot be a superstition, nor can it savor of superstition . . . What should be avoided is bigotry and stubbornness. The religion that appeals to the people of thought
and education must be fresh and true and free, and its truth must have the convincing power that all truth has . . . I believe in a system of national education imparting all truth to the rising generation, and in international amity which is the ultimate purpose of the Creator. All relations should thus be friendly and have a common aim . . ." These ideas of an advanced Japanese thinker, I thought would interest the Bahais and it is a true expression of what the Japanese people want.
I have received a letter from Mr. Shirazi from India written in Japanese by a Japanese friend of Mr. Shirazi's. Fukuta San has replied to it in Japanese, but gave me a translation of his letter, and I am going to quote it here. I had to give a copy of it to Mrs. Auger, who desired it so much. He writes:
"Dear Bahai Brother, the country where I live is, as you say, gradually awaking from its sleep. You see, as the spring rain comes softly and noiselessly, but its message is so great that all the trees and grasses become awakened from their wintery sleeping and restore their freshness, so there have come here the messengers sent by him to awake us. The meeting has, for nearly a year and a half, been held on Friday, and I am now one of those who are enjoying the life, as you are, in the shelter of the bounty of BAHA'O'LLAH. Your letter, which has been received by Miss Alexander, surprisingly pleased me, so that I hasten to convey my greeting to you and also the other brother there.
Dear Bahai Brother, we are separated from each other so far, but the distance is of no account in spiritual communication. Let us work hand in hand for the establishment of the Kingdom of God. . . ."
I have given this letter just as it was translated by Fukuta San for me.
This afternoon I go to Yokohama to speak in an Esperanto meeting, which is a public meeting for propagating Esperanto. With Mr. Eroshenko's help I have translated some of Abdul-Baha's words concerning Esperanto, which I am going to read. . Many Esperantists are going from Tokyo, and we all go together. Of course, I shall be the only lady and perhaps foreigner, but I go for his sake. Mr. Eroshenko is going to speak on "Universal Love" from Abdul-Baha's words in the Paris Talks. All talks will be translated into Japanese.
Bahai greetings to all from your sister,
Agnes Alexander.
One of the Japanese young men writes to Mr. George Latimer:
"It was only a few months ago that I was introduced to Miss Alexander, by whom I was taught the revelation of BAHA'O'LLAH, and, for the first time in my life, universal religion. Indeed, since then, I have been a regular and enthusiastic student of this most pleasant and peaceful Bahai Assembly conducted by Miss Alexander who is all benevolence and kindness to us, young men; and my efforts, I am very happy to add, have been duly reciprocated in so short a time, for I am within the boundary of understanding the Message of the Bahai Movement through which I shall be able to seek the great truth which emanated from the One Source—God."
During the year Dr. and Mrs, Augur, of Hawaii, have gone to Japan to spread the glad tidings.
A recent card from Miss Alexander to Miss Martha Root gives further news. Miss Alexander says: "A letter has just come to me from Miss Dorothy Hodgson, an English Bahai with whom I have corresponded for years. She writes, 'By the time you receive this I shall be on my way to Yokohama—thence to Tokyo. I am coming with dear French friends who feel the call for Japan. Isn't it wonderful! I feel a great inspiration about the Mashrak-el-Azkar (in Chicago), that Japan must do a part and thus cement east and west by unbreakable bonds. I marvel when I think of all your trip around the world has done."
