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Old Testament Prophecies Concerning The Branch
Behold the man whose name is The BRANCH; and he shall grow up out of his place, and he shall build the temple of the Lord; even he shall build the temple of the Lord; and he shall bear the glory, and shall sit and rule upon his throne; and he shall be a priest upon his throne; and the counsel of peace shall be between them both.—(Zechariah 6:12, 13.)
Hear now, O Joshua, the high priest, thou, and thy fellows that sit before thee: for they are men wondered at: for, behold, I will bring forth my servant The BRANCH. . . . . In that day, saith the Lord of hosts, shall ye call every man his neighbor under the vine and under the fig tree.—(Zechariah 3:8-10.)
And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots: and the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord; and shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the Lord; and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears, but with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth; and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked. And righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reins. . . . . They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea. And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek: and his resting place shall be glorious. . . . . And he shall set up an ensign for the nations, and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth.—(Isaiah 11:1-12.)
In that day shall The BRANCH of the Lord be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the earth shall be excellent and comely for them that are escaped of Israel.—(Isaiah 4:2.)
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. VIII Kowl 1, 73 (November 23, 1917) No. 14
The Center of the Covenant, The Greatest Branch: Abdul-Baha Abbas
[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.]
IN order to preserve the unity of the Cause and to spread the religion of God, Baha'o'llah has established this Covenant and Testament. Were it not for the power of the Covenant you would have witnessed the dispersion of the believers and the total disappearance of the Cause of God. When I say the Covenant, I mean the power and authority of Baha'o'llah given to me.
(Words of Abdul-Baha: Extract from Diary Letter of Mirza Sohrab, to Miss Magee, Paris, May 10, 1913.)
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.
When the Nightingale soareth from the grove of praise, and repaireth to the furthermost concealed destination, refer ye that which you understand not from the Book, to The Branch extended from this firm Root.
(Words of Baha'o'llah: Quotations from Kitab-El-Akdas—the Most Holy Book.)
O my Branches! In this Existent Being the greatest strength and the most perfect power is hidden and concealed; look towards it and gaze in the direction of its union and not at its seeming differences. This is the Testament of God, that the Branches (Aghsan), Twigs (Afnan) and Relations (Muntessabeen) must each and every one look to the Greatest Branch (Ghusn Azam). Reflect upon that which is revealed in my Book, the Akdas: "When the ocean of my presence hath disappeared and the book of Origin is achieved to the end, turn your faces towards him whom God hath purposed, who hath branched from this Pre-existent Root." The aim of this blessed verse hath been the Greatest Branch. We have likewise elucidated the command as a favor from before us; and I am the Generous, the All-dispenser!
Verily God hath ordained the station of the Greater Branch (Ghusn Akbar) after the station of the Greatest.* Verily he is the Ordainer, the Wise! We have surely chosen the Greater (Akbar) after the Greatest (Azam) as a command from the All-knowing, the Omniscient!
(Words of Baha'o'llah: Extract from Kitab-El-Ah'd—the Book of the Covenant.)
*Baha'o'llah said in this connection, that, "After the Truth there is naught but error." When any of the Branches sever themselves from the Tree, the station also becomes severed. They are then only fit for fire.—Dr. Zia M. Bagdadi.
Tablets Revealed by His Holiness Baha'o'llah confirming the Center of His Covenant
In His Name who shines from the horizon of might!
Verily the Tongue of the Ancient gives glad tidings to those who are in the world concerning the appearance of the Greatest Name, and who takes His Covenant among the nations. Verily he is myself; the shining-place of my identity; the east of my Cause; the heaven of my bounty; the sea of my will; the lamp of my guidance; the path of my justice; the standard of my laws.
The one who has turned to him hath turned to my face and is illumined through the lights of my Beauty; has acknowledged my oneness and confessed my singleness.
The one who has denied him has been deprived of the salsabil of my love, of the kawther of my favor, the cup of my mercy, and of the wine through which the sincere ones have been attracted and the monotheists have taken flight in the air of my kindness, which no one hath known except the One whom I have taught the thing that has been revealed in my Hidden Tablet.
(Translated by Mirza Valiolah Khan Vargha, Teheran, Persia, December 11, 1913. Photographs of the original manuscript of this Tablet have been received in America.)
He is The Most Great, the El-Abha!
This is The Branch that hath extended from the bower of thy oneness and from the tree of thy unity. Thou beholdest him, O my God, gazing unto thee and holding fast to the rope of thy providence. Preserve him in the neighborhood of thy mercy!
Thou knowest, O my God, that verily, I have chosen him only because thou hast chosen him; I have elected him, only because thou hast elected him. Therefore, assist him by the hosts of thy heaven and earth. Help thou, O my God, whosoever may help him; choose whosoever may choose him. Strengthen whosoever may advance toward him; and reject whosoever may deny him and desire him not!
O my Lord! Thou beholdest my pen moving and my limbs trembling in this moment of revelation. I beg of thee by my craving in thy love, and my yearning for the declaration of thy command, to ordain for him and his lovers that which thou hast ordained for thy messengers and the trusted ones of thy revelation.
Verily, thou art the Powerful, the Mighty!
O thou my Greatest Branch!
Thy letter was surely presented before this oppressed one, and I heard that which thou hast communed with God, the Lord of the worlds.
Verily, we have ordained thee the guardian of all the creatures, and a protection to all those in the heavens and earths, and a fortress to those who believe in God, the One, the Omniscient!
I beg of God to protect them by thee, to enrich them by thee; to nourish them by thee; and to reveal to thee that which is the dawning-point of riches to the people of creation, and the ocean of generosity to those in the world, and the rising-point of favor to all nations. Verily, he is the Powerful, the All-knowing and the Wise!
I beg of him to water the earth and all that is in it by thee, that there may spring up from it the flowers of wisdom and revelation and the hyacinths of science and knowledge. Verily, he is the friend to those who love him, and an assistant to those who commune with him.
There is no God but Him, the Mighty, and the Magnified!
(Tablet sent to Abdul-Baha when he was in Beirut, Syria.)
O thou my Greatest Branch!
El-Baha be upon thee, and upon whomsoever may serve thee; and woe unto those who contradict thee; blessed are those who love thee; and fire unto those who are thine enemies!
Praise be unto him who honored the land of Beirut, with the feet of him around whom all the names revolve. Therefore, all the (created) atoms have announced good tidings unto all the contingent beings, that the sun of the Beauty of the Greatest and Majestic Branch of God, the most weighty and well-made Mystery of God, hath arisen, dawned, appeared, gleamed and shone forth from the door of the prison (Acca) and its horizon, and advanced to the former place (Beirut). Therefore, the prison land is darkened, while the former is rejoiced.
Exalted! Exalted! is our Lord God, the creator of all things and the maker of heaven, by whose power the gate of the prison is opened, the opening of which fulfilled that which was formerly revealed in the tablets.
Verily he is the powerful to do that which he pleases; the kingdom of emanation is within his grasp. He is the Powerful, the Knowing, the Wise!
Blessed is the land which is honored with his footsteps! Blessed is the eye which is illuminated by his Beauty; the ear which is favored with hearing his voice; the heart which has tasted the sweetness of his love; the breast which is dilated by commemorating him; the pen which moves in praising him; and the tablet which bears his signs! I beg of God, the Exalted, the Most High, to cause us to attain his visit ere long.
Verily, He is the Hearer, the Powerful, the Answerer!
(Tablet sent to Abdul-Baha when he was in Beirut, Syria.)
Verily a Word hath gone forth in favor from the most great Tablet and God hath adorned it with the mantle of Himself and made it sovereign over all in the earth and a sign of His grandeur and omnipotence among the creatures; in order that, through it, the people shall praise their Lord, the Mighty, the Powerful, the Wise; and that, through it, they shall glorify their creator and sanctify the self of God which standeth within all things. Verily this is naught but a revelation upon the part of the Wise, the Ancient One! Say: O people, praise ye God for its manifestation (The Branch), for verily it (The Branch) is the most great favor upon 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 appearance among the servants who are nigh. . . . . Verily, those who withhold from the shelter of The Branch are indeed lost in the wilderness of perplexity—and are consumed by the heat of self-desire—and are of those who perish.
(Extract from the Tablet of The Branch.)
But the One (from among his sons) who will appear among them with innate knowledge, God will cause the verses of His power to flow from his tongue, and he is the One to whom God has assigned His Cause. Verily there is no God but Him, in whom is the creation and the command, and verily we are all performing His commands.
I beg of God to incline them to his obedience, and to nourish them with that whereby their mind is satisfied, and the minds of those who are facing the direction of God at every instant, and to overlook their oppression, and to ordain them of those who will inherit the heaven of paradise from before God, the Mighty, the Protector, the Self-subsistent!
(Words of Baha'o'llah: Extract from Tablet revealed for Haji Khaleel. Prayers, Tablets, Instructions and Miscellany gathered by American visitors, during the summer of 1900.)
Words of Abdul-Baha concerning the Covenant and His Station therein
But if any soul asks concerning the station of this servant the answer is—Abdul-Baha. If he inquires after the meaning of The Branch, the answer is—Abdul-Baha. If he desires to know the significance of the verse regarding The Branch, the answer is—Abdul-Baha. If he insists upon the explanation of the meaning of "The Branch extended from the Ancient Root," the answer is—Abdul-Baha.
(Words of Abdul-Baha: Extract from Tablet revealed for Persian believers and throughout the world.)
I am, however, contented with what is inflicted upon me in thy path. Would that thy servants could be satisfied therewith, and that it would have sufficed them to do all these things unto myself. No! by thy Might! this shall never satisfy them. Nay, they will attack the countenance which thou hast raised (to be) in thy place, and whom thou hast established to be on the throne of thy sovereignty; whom thou hast concealed under the tents of thy glory, and under the canopy of thy sublimity, whom thou hast branched from the ocean of thy singleness and enkindled with the fire of thine eternity, whom thou hast elevated to the station which is never comprehended by anyone, and is never known by any soul, whom thou hast appointed a fortress unto thy servants, and a light unto the countries, whom thou hast ordained the people to have recourse unto as they have recourse unto thee, and to be submissive under his hands as their submission unto thee. Notwithstanding all this, they contradicted him.
(Words of Baha'o'llah: Extract from Tablet.)
Verily, know that the Letter (Tablet) of Abdul-Baha and his address is a hidden mystery and concealed fact; no one is informed of its greatness and importance at these times. But in course of time and in future centuries it will dawn forth; the fragrances thereof will be diffused and the greatness, the importance thereof will be known. The truth I say unto thee, that each leaflet from Abdul-Baha will be a wide-spread book, nay, rather a glistening gem on the glorious crown. Know thou its value and hold great its station!
(Words of Abdul-Baha: Extract from Booklet: Abdul-Baha.)
The herald who proclaimed the written names is Abdul-Baha, who announces the names of those who deserve salvation and are firm in the Covenant of God.
(Words of Abdul-Baha: Tablets of Abdul-Baha. p. 681, Vol. 3.)
This covenant is the Covenant of His Holiness Baha'o'llah. Now its importance is not known befittingly; but in the future it shall attain to such a degree of importance that if it king violates to the extent of one atom he shall be cut off immediately.
(Words of Abdul-Baha: Extract from Tablet to American believer, translated August 2, 1913.)
His Holiness Abraham—On him be Peace—made a covenant concerning His Holiness Moses and gave the glad tidings of his coming. His Holiness Moses made a covenant concerning the promised One, i. e., His Holiness Christ and announced the good news of his manifestation to the world. His Holiness Christ made a covenant concerning (the) Paraclete and gave the tidings of his coming. His Holiness the prophet Mohammed made a covenant concerning His Holiness The Bab and The Báb was the one promised by Mohammed, for Mohammed gave the
tidings of his coming. The Báb made a covenant concerning Baha'o'llah and gave the glad tidings of his coming, the One promised by His Holiness The Bab. Baha'o'llah made a covenant concerning a promised One who will become manifest after one thousand, or thousands of years. He likewise, with his Supreme Pen, entered into a great Covenant and Testament with all the Bahais whereby they were all commanded to follow the Center of the Covenant after his (Baha'o'llah's) departure, and turn not away, even to a hair's breadth, from obeying him.
In the Book of Akdas, he (Baha'o'llah) has given positive commands in two clear instances, and has explicitly appointed the interpreter of "The Book." Also in all the divine tablets, especially in the "Chapter of The Branch," all means the Servitude of Abdul-Baha, all that was needed to explain the Center of the Covenant and the Interpreter of the Book has been revealed from the Supreme Pen. Now as Abdul-Baha is the interpreter of The Book he says that the "Chapter of the Branch" means Abdul-Baha, that is, the Servitude of Abdul-Baha, and none other.
In short, one of the specific teachings of this cycle of His Holiness Baha'o'llah which has not been manifest during the former cycles, is that His Holiness Baha'o'llah left no opportunity for a difference (division). For in his blessed Day he made a Covenant and Testament with the traces of the Supreme Pen and explained the One to whom all should turn; and he explicitly pointed to the Interpreter of the Book, and thus closed all doors to interpretations. We must all offer thanks to God, for he gave us rest (peace) in this blessed cycle, and left no occasion for anyone to hesitate (doubt). All must therefore obey and be submissive, and wholly turn themselves to the One appointed by him, i. e., the Center of the Covenant.
But all explanations must alone be limited to what has been stated. Do you by no means exceed it; so that it may be conducive to harmony, and remove differences.
(Words of Abdul-Baha: A Tablet revealed by Abdul-Baha for Charles Mason Remey about 1912.)
Today, the most important affair is firmness in the Covenant, because firmness in the Covenant wards off differences.
In former cycles no distinct covenant was made in writing by the Supreme Pen; no distinct personage was appointed to be the standard of differentiating falsehood from truth, so that whatsoever he said was to stand as truth and that which he repudiated was to be known as falsehood. At most, His Holiness Jesus Christ gave only an intimation, a symbol, and that was but an indication of the solidity of Peter's faith. When he mentioned his faith, His Holiness said, "Thou art Peter"—which means rock—"and upon this rock will I build my church." This was a sanction of Peter's faith; it was not indicative of his (Peter) being the expounder of the Book, but was a confirmation of Peter's faith.
But in this dispensation of the Blessed Beauty (Baha'o'llah) among its distinctions is that he did not leave people in perplexity. He entered into a Covenant and Testament with the people. He appointed a Center of the Covenant. He wrote with his own pen and revealed it in the Kitab-el-Akdas, the Book of Laws, and Kitab-el-Ah'd, the Book of the Covenant, appointing him (Abdul-Baha) the Expounder of the Book. You must ask him (Abdul-Baha) regarding the meanings of the texts of the verses. Whatsoever he says is correct. Outside of this, in numerous Tablets he (Baha'o'llah) has explicitly recorded it, with clear, sufficient, valid and forceful statements. In the Tablet of The Branch he explicitly states: Whatsoever The Branch says is right, or correct; and every person must obey The Branch with his life, with his heart, with his tongue. Without his will, not a word shall anyone
utter. This is an explicit text of the Blessed Beauty. So there is no excuse left for anybody. No soul shall, of himself, speak anything. Whatsoever his (Abdul-Baha's) tongue utters, whatsoever his pen records, that is correct; according to the explicit text of Baha'o'llah in the Tablet of The Branch.
His Holiness Abraham covenanted with regard to Moses. His Holiness Moses was the promised One of Abraham, and he, Moses, covenanted with regard to His Holiness Christ, saying that Christ was the promised One. His Holiness Christ covenanted with regard to His Holiness "The Paraclete," which means His Holiness Mohammed. His Holiness Mohammed covenanted as regards The Bab, whom he called "My promised One," His Holiness The Bab, in all his books, in all his epistles, explicitly covenanted with regard to the Blessed Beauty, Baha'o'llah, that Baha'o'llah was the promised One of His Holiness The Bab. His Holiness Baha'o'llah covenanted, not that I (Abdul-Baha) am the promised One, but that Abdul-Baha is the Expounder of the Book and the Center of His Covenant, and that the promised One of Baha'o'llah will appear after one thousand or thousands of years. This is the Covenant which Baha'o'llah made. If a person shall deviate, he is not acceptable at the Threshold of Baha'o'llah. In case of difference, Abdul-Baha must be consulted. They must revolve around his good pleasure. After Abdul-Baha, whenever the Universal House of Justice is organized, it will ward off differences.
(Words of Abdul-Baha: Star of the West, Vol. 3, No. 14, p. 9.)
Every movement in this world has a center. For example, the power of gravitation has a center; and although there are many luminous centers of lights, yet there is a most great center, and that is the sun. Now, that you are independent of all the smaller centers, you must turn your face toward the Great Orb. For example, this electric bulb is a center of light, but it only illumines the room; but the sun shines upon all the created phenomena without any distinction.
(Words of Abdul-Baha: Diary of Mirza Ahmad Sohrab, October 30, 1913.)
After His Holiness Christ, there were many who appeared who were instrumental in creating factions, dissensions. It was not known which one was pursuing the right way. For example, there appeared one among them whose name was Nestor (?) who said that Christ was not a prophet of God.
Another division was created when the Catholics declared Jesus Christ to be the Son of God; they even pronounced him to be Divinity Himself. The Protestants claimed that Jesus Christ was possessed of two elements, a human element and a divine element. Thus another division was created. In short, the religion of Christ was divided and it was not known who was pursuing the right pathway, because there was no appointed Center to whom Christ referred, whose word was to be a gateway. If His Holiness Christ had taken a covenant with any soul, summoning all to cling to his word as correct, then it would have been evident as to what was veracity.
Because there was no appointed book, every one declared, saying: "We are the right pathway and the others are not." But the Blessed Perfection, Baha'o'llah, to ward off dissensions, so that no interested person should create any division or belief, appointed a Central Personage, declaring him to be the Expounder of the Book. That is, people do not generally understand the meanings of the Book, but he does understand. "He is the Expounder of my Book and the Center of my Testament." In the last two verses of the Book are revealed explicit instructions, declaring that "after me, you should turn your attention to a distinct personage and whatsoever he says is correct." And in the Book of the Covenant,
he said that by these two verses are meant such and such a person. In all his Tablets and Books he has praised the firm ones in the Covenant and he has anathematized those who are not firm in the Covenant, and in all his Tablets he said: "Verily, shun those who are shaken in the Covenant. Verily, God is the confirmer of the firm ones." In his prayers he has said: "O God! Render those who are firm in the Covenant as dear. Degrade those who are not firm in the Covenant, O God! Be the protector of him who protecteth him and confirm him who confirms the Center of the Covenant." Many are the utterances regarding the violators of the Covenant, so that in the blessed Cause there should be no dissensions. No one should say: "My opinion is this," or, "My thought is this." That they may know who is the Expounder and that whatsoever he says is correct. He has not left any room for dissensions—not at all. Of course it is certain that in the world there are those who are antagonistic; there are those who are followers of passion; there are those who follow their own thoughts; there are those who like to create dissension in the Cause. For example: Judas Iscariot was one of the disciples, but he betrayed Jesus Christ. Such things have happened in the past, but now the Blessed Beauty has explicitly declared: "This person is the Expounder of my Book and all must turn to him." And this is to ward off dissension. The purpose of the Blessed One is that no differences shall be created.
(Words of Abdul-Baha: Extract from a talk given in Chicago, October 31, 1912.)
If a soul shall utter a word without the sanction of the Covenant, he is not firm. Baha'o'llah appointed a Covenant to ward off dissensions: so that no one can have his own opinion,—so that the Center can be referred to. There were dissensions in the time of Christ because there was no Center. This is the reality of the question. Whatever the Center of the Covenant says is correct. No one shall speak a word of himself. Baha'o'llah has called down the vengeance of God upon anyone who violates the Covenant. Beware! Beware! Lest ye be shaken: Remain firm even if the people of heaven try to shake you. Firmness in the Covenant is not mere words. The command is explicit. (Signed—Abdul-Baha Abbas.)
The point to which all eyes should turn is One. All eyes must turn their attention to the Center of the Covenant while the presence of the Covenant is among us. No other soul should have any existence. All others save the Center of the Covenant are equal. (Signed—Abdul-Baha Abbas.)
(Excerpts from some instructions given by Abdul-Baha to several friends in America, July, 1912. These excerpts received his personal signature.)
These great days are swiftly passing and once gone can never be recalled, so while the rays of the Sun of Truth are still shining and the Center of the Covenant of God is manifest, let us go forth to work, for after awhile the night will come and the way to the vineyard will not then be so easy to find.
(Words of Abdul-Baha: A Heavenly Vista, p. 32.)
"And the temple of was opened in heaven, and there was seen in His temple the ark of His testament: . . " (Revelation 11:19).
"And the temple of God was opened in heaven," means also that by the diffusion of the divine teachings, the appearance of these heavenly mysteries, and the rising of the Sun of Reality, the doors of success and prosperity will be opened in all directions, and the signs of goodness and heavenly benedictions will be made plain.
(Continued on page 203)
--PHOTO--
Centennial Celebration of the Birth of Baha'o'llah
Auditorium Hotel Nov. 10, 1917 Chicago, Ills.
Centennial Celebration of the Birth of Baha'o'llah
THE Centennial Festival in commemoration of the Birth of the Greatest Manifestation of God, Baha'o'llah, was celebrated by the Chicago Assembly and visiting friends from the central states and others, New York, Oregon and California being among those represented. The happiness of the assembled friends was evident. The meetings throughout the three days were full of spiritual joy and heavenly harmony.
The festival began Saturday evening, November 10th, with a banquet in the Auditorium hotel, where all meetings were held.
THE FESTIVAL
Mr. Charles H. Greenleaf of Chicago presided. He read the Glad Tidings of the Kingdom as revealed by Abdul-Baha, as follows:
"Do you know in what Day you are living? Do you realize in what Dispensation you are alive? Have you not read in the Holy Scriptures that at the consummation of the ages there shall appear a Day which is the Sun of all the past Days? This is the Day in which the Lord of Hosts has come down from Heaven on the Clouds of Glory! This is the Day in which all the inhabitants of all the world shall come under the Tent of the Word of God!"
"This is the Day whose real sovereign is His Highness the Almighty. This is the Day when the East and the West shall embrace each other like unto two lovers. This is the Day in which war and contention shall be forgotten. This is the Day in which nations and governments will enter into an eternal bond of amity and conciliation. This Century is the fulfillment of the Promised Century.
"This Day is the dawn of the appearances of the traces of the glorious visions of past prophets and sages. Now is the dawn: ere long the effulgent Sun shall rise and shall station itself in the meridian of its majesty. Then ye shall observe the effects of the Sun. Then ye shall behold what heavenly illumination has become manifest. Then ye shall comprehend that these are the infinite Bestowals of God! Then ye shall see that this world has become another world. Then ye shall perceive that the teachings of God have universally spread. Rest ye assured that this darkness shall be dispelled and these impenetrable clouds which have darkened the horizon shall be scattered, and the Sun of Reality shall appear in full splendor. Its rays shall melt the icebergs of hatred and differences which have transformed the moving sea of humanity into hard frozen immensity. The vices of the world of nature shall be changed into praiseworthy attributes, and the lights of the excellences of the divine realm shall appear.
"The principles of His Holiness Baha'o'llah, like unto the spirit, shall penetrate the body of the world and the love of God, like unto an artery, shall beat through the five continents.
"The East shall become illumined, the West perfumed, and the children of men shall enter beneath the all-embracing canopy of the oneness of the world of humanity.
"In this Day the rest of the world are asleep. Praise be to God! that you are awake! They are all uninformed; but, praise be to God! you are informed of the mysteries of God. Thank ye God that in this arena ye have preceded others. I hope that each one of you may become a pillar in the palace of the oneness of the world of humanity. May each one of you become a luminous star of this heaven, thus lighting the path of those who are seeking the goal of human perfection."
Mr. Greenleaf said in part, "We begin tonight a series of meetings commemorating the greatest event in human history, for one hundred years ago One
(Continued on page 196)
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
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. VIII
No. 14
"Be most careful about matters of politics. Do not mention it. Our Cause is not political."
MANY years ago, Baha'o'llah declared that a time of test would come upon the world and that every nation, place and person would feel its fire.
The hour of test has come upon the Western world.
At such a time it is well for the Bahais to make clear to themselves, the distinctive characteristics of the teachings of Baha'o'llah—as interpreted by Abdul-Baha,—and take cognizance of the fact that although he came to establish a new era in the world, he never interfered in political matters and was at all times obedient to the government, commanding his followers in every country to behave toward the government with faithfulness, trustfulness and truthfulness. (See STAR OF THE WEST, issue No. 9, page 113.)
It is also very important that the Bahais give close attention to the most great characteristic of the Revelation of Baha'o'llah namely, his teaching concerning the Center of the Covenant which is a specific teaching not given by any of the prophets of the past. By giving the teaching concerning the Center of the Covenant, He made provision against all kinds of differences, so that no man should be able to create a new sect. To guard against that state of thing, He entered into a Covenant with all the people of the world, indicating the Person or Interpreter of His teaching so that no one should be able to say that he explains a certain teaching in a certain way, and thus create a sect revolving around his individual understanding of a part of the teachings.
With both these ideas in mind:—first that of non-interference in governmental matters or political affairs, and second the giving forth of an interpretation of the teachings of Baha'o'llah other than Abdul-Baha's interpretation thereof,—we beg of the Bahais everywhere to assist the STAR OF THE WEST, and not to place the editors in an embarrassing position before the world by insisting that we publish articles on political questions. We refer to a communication drafted by the Bahai Temple Unity, under date of August 30, 1917, which was sent to the government at Washington,
[Page 193]
D. C., wherein it was stated that
it would be printed in the Bahai publication—meaning
the STAR OF THE
WEST. It was printed in No. 12 issue.
If it had not been published the government
might ask, "Why did not the
Bahais keep their word?"
That all may clearly understand the purpose or policy of the STAR OF THE WEST, we give herewith Abdul-Baha's instructions to the editors* when he was in this country:
"Very welcome! Most welcome! "Your services are acceptable. You have labored much. These labors are productive of great results. They are the cause of the good pleasure of God and will be the magnet for the favors or blessings of God. Therefore, be thankful because of your attainment to services.
"Your greatest aim and effort must be directed to the service of the Kingdom of God.
"The greatest service to the Kingdom of God is kindness to the servants of God.
"The greatest kindness to the friends of God, to the servants of God, is guidance or guiding them.
*Words of Abdul-Baha spoken to Mirza Ahmad Sohrab, Dr. Zia. M. Bagdadi, Miss Gertrude Buikema and Mr. Albert R. Windust in his room at the Hotel Plaza, Chicago, May 1, 1912. "Strive in your efforts, in your management, to become orderly, for this newspaper is now a link between the East and the West.
"Have no word in that publication which can be of displeasure to anyone.
"Attribute nothing to anyone.
"Let there be no displeasing statement; no debasing element regarding or concerning religions.
"Be most careful about matters of politics. Do not mention it. Our Cause is not political."
We are happy to present herewith two remarkable tablets revealed by Abdul-Baha to the friends of God in Persia, translated by Dr. Zia. M. Bagdadi, having been received in Chicago a few days before the Centennial Celebration of the birth of Baha'o'llah and read on that memorable occasion.
The tablet addressed to Janabe Ameen speaks of the good health of Abdul-Baha. It also records the name of the messenger who carried them from Syria to Persia, Hadji Ramazan.
The tablet in the form of a Commune, is Abdul-Baha's view-point regarding the war, and we respectfully suggest to all that it be read to those who desire to know the Bahai attitude toward this world conflagration.
Both tablets are the latest word from Abdul-Baha:
The Latest Word from Abdul-Baha
TABLET TO JANABE AMEEN
HE IS GOD!
O Janabe Ameen!
Although the doors are closed, the ways and the roads are severed and the means of communication are lost, yet the ideal ties and inner communications still exist. Though the mirror and the lights are far apart, yet the uniting force of the rays and the outpouring of reflections are strong and continuous.
The friends of God must move and conduct themselves with the utmost uprightness and power, so that all that are in the world of existence may become amazed at their firmness and steadfastness, their dignity and might.
This servant day and night is thinking of the friends in the utmost joy and fragrance, supplicating to His Holiness, The Merciful, for unlimited confirmations, so that every drop may become like unto the ocean, full of waves, and every atom expand in the rays of the sun. This is not much to ask of the favor of God.
Convey the utmost longing to every one of the friends. Praise be to God!
through the assistance and the bounty of His Holiness, the Single, we are in perfect health on Mount Carmel, at the home of his honor, Agha Abbas Kuli. On account of the severance of communication, to inquire about the friends and convey news of the safety here, his honor, Hadji Ramazan is sent, because no one else is able to travel this road in these days.
(Signed) ABDUL-BAHA ABBAS.
TABLET TO THE PERSIAN BAHAIS
Commune to be read by the friends of God in Persia.
HE IS GOD!
Thou seest me, O my God, on this lofty mountain; the sublime and supreme threshold; the shelter of every great one and the refuge of all the glorious and noble.
Verily, the youths whose hearts were burning with the fire of the love of God in the past ages have taken shelter therein—the meeting place of the prophets, the refuge of his holiness Elijah, the shelter of Isaiah. The spirit of God, Jesus, the Christ—upon Him be greeting and praise!—passed over it, and in the Supreme Threshold, pressed by the feet of the Lord of Hosts.
O Lord, this is a mountain to which Thou hast given the name Carmel in the Torah. And thou hast attributed it to Thyself in the innermost heart of the tablets and scriptures.
O Lord, verily, I invoke Thee in this Supreme Threshold, under the wing of the gloomy nights; pray to Thee with throbbing heart and flowing tears, imploring Thee, supplicating between Thy hands and cry, O my Lord, verily, the fire of battles is raging in the valleys, hills and streams, and the fire of war is burning even under the seas and high in the air, in destruction and devastation. The earth is enveloped by its own fires and the seas are encompassed by its storms, thunderbolts and floods.
O Lord, the souls are stifling, the death rattle is in their throats, the earth quakes and has become so small that even the birds are frightened in their nests and the animals terrified in their lairs and caves.
We hear only the sighs of the maidens and the cries of the orphans, the moaning of the mothers, the tears of the fathers because of false reports. We see only tears flowing from every bereaved mother and the heart of every father, bereft of sons, burning. Towns are being devastated, people are perishing, the children are made orphans and the women are becoming widows. And this is only because of our heedlessness of Thy commemoration and our deprivation of Thy love. Verily, we have been occupied with ourselves. The intoxication of passion seized us; we have taken the road of heedlessness and blindness; have abandoned the path of guidance and have chosen the path of obstinacy and forgotten the commandments of the ancient scriptures. We have forsaken the exhortations in the preserved tablets and parchments—the great verses.
O my Lord! O my Lord! I confess and acknowledge the sins. Verily, every dark calamity and every hard ordeal has surrounded us by our own hands, in this transient world. O Lord, verily, the minds are astounded, the souls are repelled. And there remain only darkened faces, deaf ears, speechless tongues and hearts heedless of thy commemoration, filled with human passions and desires.
O Lord, Thou hast said in Thy manifest book and in thy great glad tidings, with explicit statement, "God does not change that which a people have, until
they change what is within themselves." "And when they forgot God, He made them forget themselves."
O my Lord, verily, the nations have gone too deep into the fields of battle and struggle. Nothing will check this sweeping torrent and this grinding war but Thy mercy, which has encompassed that which was and is.
O Lord, do not deal with us according to our offenses and forgive our sins and trespasses. Imperfections are the characteristic of everything possible of creation in the arena of Thy World. And to Thy forgiveness and pardon Thou hast accustomed every one in existence.
O my Lord, only favor and mercy to every sinner, who has fallen into the pit of degradation and wretchedness, is befitting to divinity and only by the imperfections of servitude will the perfections of divinity become manifest. O Lord, verily, the brilliant rays of the Sun of Reality are the removers of the utter darkness and the pure water cleanses the foulness and the sorrow of the world.
O my Lord, verily, the sins are bubbling foam and a full ocean is Thy mercy. Trespasses are bitter trees and Thy pardon is a fire whose flame is intense.
O my Lord, remove the veil, scatter this dense cloud on the horizon, extinguish these fires, subdue this flood, in order to stanch the bloodshed, as compassion to the widows and mercy to the orphans, that these hurricanes may cease, the thunderbolts be extinguished, the torrents quelled, the land become visible, the souls find composure, and the breasts be dilated. And we will thank Thee for Thy abundant favor, O Thou dear! O Thou forgiver!
O my Lord, verily, thou hast clearly stated in the tablets and scriptures, that, had the ordinances fallen on solid rock, rivers would have gushed forth and it had crumbled to pieces from fear of the Dear, the Powerful. But the hearts are harder than the rocks. And the souls are in heedlessness and pride. The people of heedlessness do not profit by the verses and exhortations.
O my Lord, verily, Thy exhortations are celebrated and have been spread broadcast, in the east and the west of the earth. Thou hast called all to love and harmony and to forsake discord in all regions, so that the east of the earth may embrace the west; the people of the desert may embrace the people of the city; their scattered members become reunited and the lost ones be gathered together; that the darkness of the earth may pass away and its lights shine forth. But the eyes and the inner sight have become blind, the ears deaf, the hearts hardened and the susceptibilities like rocks and stones. The minds and intellects are being confused. Souls have forgotten the explicit teachings of the Book, wherein Thou hast warned them of punishment. Thus they have merited severe punishment and deserved the sentence of torment.
O Lord, forgive our sins and stumbling. Make us not an example for the possessors of insight. Guide us to the straight path, so that we may awake from the slumber of passion and be saved from heedlessness and blindness. Deliver us, O Lord of Verses, from the abyss of passions and preserve us from errors.
O my Lord, verily, we have forgotten faithfulness and are reveling in unfaithfulness. With the people of oppression and vice we are associating. There is no deliverer for us save Thee. There is no answerer save Thee. There is no refuge save Thee. Verily, We have trusted in Thee and we lay our affairs in Thy hands. Deal with us according to Thy favor and pardon and punish us not
according to Thy justice and wrath. Verily, Thou art the compassionate. Verily, thou are the pardoner and, verily, thou art the forgiver.
O my Lord, verily, the people of righteousness and goodness and the communities of freedom in every country are turning to thee, at dusk and dawn supplicating between Thy hands during the wing of the night and in the dew of the morn, lamenting as a bereaved mother laments during the grievous nights, burning with the fire of sorrow, yearning and separation. They are longing for Thy meeting even with rending of soul, as they traverse the dunes and the hills and cross the valleys and the heights. But these wars that demolish mountains have interfered so that news has ceased and the doors are closed.
O Lord, comfort them in their loneliness; deliver them from their terror and guide them in their affairs.
O my Lord, Thou knowest my sighs, my cries and my anguish, the burning pain because of their separation; my great longing for their meeting, my yearning for their love, my desire for their remembrance and my anxiety to see them. Day and night their remembrance is my treasure and my roses. When night comes my heart loves the memory of their illumined faces. I yearn for them as the nightingale yearns for the beautiful meadows.
O my Lord, O my Lord, open the doors; prepare for us the means; render the path safe and pave the way so that the sincere ones may be reunited in the lofty meetings; the attracted ones gathered together in Thy commemoration in the great assemblies, to speak among the people of Thy bestowals, taste of the honeycomb of Thy meeting. Then the breezes of acceptance will reach them and they will be swayed thereby as if intoxicated by wine.
Verily, Thou art the Powerful, the Dear, the Giver and, verily, Thou art the Generous, the Compassionate, the Chosen One.
(Signed) ABDUL-BAHA ABBAS.
Centennial Celebration of the Birth of Baha'o'llah
(Continued from page 191)
was born who is the hope and dream of all past centuries and ages, Baha'o'llah. If Abdul-Baha were here he would see radiant faces, expressing the Reality to which he is always appealing. If we bring ourselves into harmony with the Reality, there is sure to follow great confirmation and blessing."
Dr. Zia M. Bagdadi spoke on the Mission of Baha'o'llah. "I greet you in the greatest name, Baha'o'llah. At a time of indescribable hatred and animosity among various nations and races the Light of Baha'o'llah arose in the Orient. If now you attend the gatherings of these various peoples, you will find them in the utmost harmony, joy and fragrance. Baha'o'llah broke the chains of superstition and error, proved the unity and singleness of Truth, and removed the chains of imitation. He also removed pride and the feeling of superiority of one nation over another. Another chain he removed was that of prejudice. The most bitter prejudice among Orientals is religious. He proved that the foundation of all religions is one. He also removed racial prejudice, showing the races that their colors are like the different colors of birds and flowers. And so with national prejudice. He proved that the earth is one home. In like manner, he freed the women from oppression and proved the harmony between science, religion and reason. He freed the world from the fetters of misunderstandings and raised the banner of the oneness of humanity from his great prison. These fundamental principles were revealed about
sixty years ago. The kings did not heed his admonitions. Let us take heed and not suffer through disobedience. Had the kings heeded his warnings and protected their subjects, these great calamities of war would not have occurred. Do not teach the youth the prejudices of past ages. Baha'o'llah has revealed the means of harmony and happiness for the whole world. In but a short time his teachings have spread throughout the world. The Divine Manifestation is the only one who can change the hearts of men and accomplish this marvelous work. Man, in order to know and have peace, must fill his heart with love. Love is the creator of peace. Let us conquer ourselves. The Báb said, 'A man can conquer the East and the West, but cannot conquer himself.' Let us be brave and give the message. We follow the Master who is brave and unconquerable."
A commune, the latest writing received in America from the pen of Abdul-Baha, was read. Dr. Bagdadi explained how it reached America. Abdul-Baha selected a small, weak Arab, Hadji Ramazan, who is nearly blind, and who was without money or transportation to carry this holy tablet from the Holy Land to Persia. He walked from Haifa to the capital of Persia. It took him two months to reach there. He rested ten days and then started back. From Persia it came to America by mail. Thus an humble, weak instrument, through the Power of God, can accomplish a great work.
The Holy Word is found elsewhere in this issue (see page 194.)
Mr. Albert R. Windust spoke, his subject being, "The Birth of the New Era." He quoted the Words of Baha'o'llah from the Surat'ul H'ykl:
"The fecundation of Bounty has been wafted over all things in this day and everything has generated and brought forth its own kind; but verily the majority of the people have turned away from it. The trees bring forth the beautiful fruit; the seas the brilliant pearls; man knowledge and science; the universe, the transfiguration of the Merciful; and the earth, that which no one comprehendeth save the True One, the knower of secrets and unseen things."
Mr. Windust said, "In the writings of Baha'o'llah the Word 'Bounty' is unusual and significant. Bounty is from above upon every plane of existence. The bounty of the animal plane descends to the vegetable. The bounty of the divine plane descends to man. If man attains to any knowledge or science it is from the divine bounty. Man of himself cannot lift himself up. The 'fecundation of bounty' has raised up a new era. During the past four hundred years—since the time Columbus demonstrated that the world was round—wonderful discoveries have occurred. The divine bounty flowed into minds and exploration developed, science unfolded, literature expanded, art—especially the art of music—became manifest to welcome the birth of the new era. The student of musical history speaks of one hundred years ago as the golden age of music. At that time Baha'o'llah was born, and then the bounty of God, of Divinity, descended into the hearts of men. What a wonderful period of preparation preceded his earthly advent! Consider also the period between 1817 and 1844—what a time of religious excitement it was! The 'gales of the All-Glorious' were passing over, when on May 23d, 1844, the Báb declared his mission, Abdul-Baha was born, and the first telegraph message to pass in the twinkling of an eye between men at a distance, read, 'What hath God wrought!' The prophet Nahum (2:3, 4) declared that 'in the day of his preparation, the trees shall be terribly shaken'—the fir forests of Europe and America were depleted in the nineteenth century, to build the towns, railroads, streets, telegraph lines, etc.—and 'chariots shall rage in the streets, they shall jostle one against another in the broadways, they shall seem like torches, they shall run
like the lightnings.' What a picture of steam railways and electric cars! There seems a coincidence in that the World's Columbian Exposition was held in Chicago—it should have been in 1892, but could not be made ready until 1893—because it marks not only the year of the departure of Baha'o'llah and signified the results of his appearance, in that for the first time in history all nations met in one place to lay at the feet of one another the fruits of their arts and sciences in peace; but because on the arch of the peristyle—that architectural creation comprising the eastern side of the grand court of honor—crowning it, so to speak, as one looked toward the east, were these words, in letters of gold: 'Ye shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free.' Shortly after that the Message of the Appearance of Baha'o'llah was received in Chicago, and from here it spread throughout America, even to Europe. Such were some of the remarkable coincidences at the birth of the new era.
"Baha'o'llah fulfilled all the prophecies of all the Holy Books. He was the one of whom Isaiah spoke: 'For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given and the government shall be upon his shoulder and his name shall be called, Wonderful, Counseller, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace.' The new era is the Era of The Almighty. If this statement of mine seems startling, permit me to read what one of our Oriental Bahais says of the birth of the new era:
"Look at the twenty-third chapter of Deuteronomy, second verse, "And he said: The Lord came from Sinai—and rose up from Seir unto them—he shined forth from Mount Paran—and he came with ten thousand of saints; from his right hand went a fiery law for them." This means four appearances of God; the first refers to the time when He appeared to Moses in Mount Sinai; the second, to Christ in the name of the Son; the third, to Mohammed from Mount Paran; and the fourth in Baha'o'llah, when He, God, The Almighty, came with ten thousand of His saints. Read the fourteenth verse of the epistle of Jude: "And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousand of his saints."
"'Then know, O people, that upon the day when God, The Almighty—in the form of man, known as Baha'o'llah—declared himself (April 21, 1863, in the Garden of El-Rizwan in Bagdad) and uttered to the inhabitants of the contingent world, to the mountains, hilltops, trees, grass, shrubs, flowers, weeds, stones, sands, seas, winds, waves, and every atom comprising the earth, and all the ethers comprising the air: "I am God and there is no God but me"—the old heaven and the old earth passed away and were no more, and from that moment all things became new and that which was, was not! That day marked the era of a new creation, a new people, a new heaven, and a new earth! And the secret Word—the Word of Mystery mentioned first by Adam, then by the Prophets, Messengers, Christ, and later by Mohammed, then by The Bab—that became flesh and dwelt among men. Its Power and Glory flashed from heaven and earth when Baha'o'llah stood up and declared: "I am God and there is no God but Me, the Ancient, the Everlasting, the Creator of all things, the Almighty, the Potent!" Then know, O people, at that time the earth trembled and did quake, the heavens rolled together as a scroll, and in less than the twinkling of an eye all things passed away and God alone existed! Then from the Shining Mouth of the Living Word went forth the command, "Be!"—and in another twinkling, a new creation was!'
"It is the Day of God."
The friends who assisted with musical numbers, including Mrs. Carl Scheffler, contralto, Miss Marie Herzog, pianist, Mr. Charles Weeks, baritone, and Zeenat Khanum, chanting, lent to the program a pleasing variety and gave spiritual joy to the assembled friends.
CINEMATOGRAPH EXHIBITION
Sunday morning at nine o'clock, November 11th, the friends and many seekers assembled at Castle Theatre, where, through the courtesy of the STAR OF THE WEST, they were entertained by a cinematograph exhibition, "Abdul-Baha in America." Albert R. Windust in well-chosen words explained the scenes to the large audience, many persons being visibly affected by the impressive incidents. Not only were the dignity and majesty of Abdul-Baha, the Center of the Covenant of God, seen to advantage, but his sweet humility of spirit and his universal love for all elements of humanity. Dr. Zia M. Bagdadi also gave a brief address in which he explained some stereoscopic scenes of the Holy Land and other oriental cities, which added to the interest of the program. "The dress worn by Abdul-Baha, in the pictures as represented, is of the same style as that worn by Jesus Christ nineteen centuries ago." There was great joy, especially among sincere hearts who had never seen Abdul-Baha in person.
PUBLIC MEETING
The subject of the Sunday afternoon meeting, held at the Auditorium Hotel, was Baha'o'llah's contribution to world civilization. Mr. Albert R. Windust presided and the attendance was large. Mr. Albert H. Hall of Minneapolis spoke with eloquence and enthusiasm on the irresistible movement toward world federation and world peace. He showed that all the forces in the universe are striving to bring about world democracy and that even the great war is preparing the way for a lasting peace. He mentioned many of the nations, explaining their relations to each other and their work for world democracy.
Mrs. Claudia Stuart Coles of Washington, D. C., spoke of the emancipation of women and universal suffrage. She was well fortified with the Holy Utterances and proved the station of women with spiritual illumination. She had an array of facts, historical and otherwise, which carried conviction. She gratefully acknowledged the bounty of Baha'o'llah which made men and women equal. She believed that the ideal freedom would come to women through spiritual and educational unfoldment; through evolution rather than revolution. Her tribute to Kurrat-ul-Aine was eloquent and beautiful.
Mr. Louis G. Gregory of Washington, D. C., brought forward the new educational system of Baha'o'llah. He said in part, "The Sun of Truth sheds its rays upon all the contingent beings. Those who stand at the head and front of modern educational reform owe their ideals to the universal spirit, Baha'o'llah. The education of the child begins at its conception in the holy bond of wedlock. Wonderful prayers are revealed in this dispensation for its growth and progress. Games are introduced and play is used as a means of acquiring knowledge. Children learn much more quickly from each other than from their elders. So a uniform curriculum for the education of all the children of the world will tend to abolish prejudices. The education of Baha'o'llah "does not begin and end in mere words." It is at once the most ideal and the most practical. It promotes the highest efficiency. The compulsory education of both sexes and of all classes also promotes the spirit of true freedom. Baha'o'llah, through the Center of His Covenant, is the educator of the reality of man."
Miss Helen E. Peterson, contralto, Miss Ruth Breytspraak, violinist, and Miss Marie Herzog, accompanist, charmed the audience on this occasion with musical numbers.
MEETING OF COMMEMORATION
Monday morning, November 12th, many of the friends, like birds of paradise, soared to the Temple grounds and sang the praises of the Blessed Beauty, through whose bounty the friends were
gathered from the East and the West. This meeting of commemoration was concluded at the Auditorium Hotel, Dr. Pauline Barton-Peake presiding. Mr. Bernard M. Jacobsen of Kenosha, spoke of the history of Baha'o'llah and showed forth the wonderful power of the Cause which has spread so widely in such a short period of time. Mrs. Annie L. Parmerton pleased the ears and hearts
1817 Baha'o'llah 1917
CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION
of the birth of
Baha'o'llah
Auditorium Hotel, ninth floor
from November the tenth to the twelfth inclusive
Nineteen Hundred Seventeen
PROGRAM
CENTENNIAL FESTIVAL
Saturday evening at six o'clock
Banquet Hall, ninth floor. Auditorium Hotel
Chairman
MR. CHARLES GREENLEAF, Chicago
Reading "The Glad Tidings of the Kingdom"
Speakers
DR ZIA M. BAGDADI, Chicago
"The Mission of Baha'o'llah"
MR. ALBERT R. WINDUST, Chicago
"The Birth of the New Era"
MISS AGNES ALEXANDER, Honolulu
"The Message from Japan"
MRS. CARL SCHEFFLER, Contralto
MISS MARIE HERZOG, Pianist
MR. CHARLES WEEKS, Baritone
ZINAT KHAHNOM, Chanting
Page One of Centennial Celebration Program
with the Words of Baha'o'llah, which she read most impressively. She also spoke with an attracted heart.
Mr. Thomas W. Fleming of Cleveland, Ohio, eloquently spoke of the power that comes in living the life. The only remedy for the chronic diseases of the world is the principles of Baha'o'llah. He read some of these teachings and dwelt upon their greatness and exaltation. He declared that those who knew these utterances and understood their majestic source would have a power to overcome all difficulties and become eternally happy. This meeting was followed by
THE CONVENTION OF TEACHING
Mrs. Emogene Hoagg of San Francisco presided. Mr. Carl Scheffler, Secretary, of the House of Spirituality, Chicago, read the call to convention by the House of Spirituality. The Chairman then read the great Tablet of Teaching,
CINEMATOGRAPH EXHIBITION
Courtesy of the Star of the West
"Abdul-Baha in America."
Sunday morning, at nine o'clock
Castle Theatre, State and Madison Streets
BAHA'O'LLAH'S CONTRIBUTION TO WORLD CIVILIZATION
Sunday afternoon, at half after three o'clock
Auditorium Hotel, ninth floor
Chairman
MR ALBERT R. WINDUST, Chicago
Speakers
MR. ALBERT H HALL. Minneapolis
"The Irresistible Movement Toward World Federation and World Peace"
MRS CLAUDIA S COLES. Washington, D C
"The Emancipation of Woman and Universal Suffrage"
MR. LOUIS G GREGORY, Washington, D C
"The New Educational System of Baha'o'llah"
MISS HELEN E. PETERSON, Contralto
MISS RUTH BREYTSPRAAK, Violinist
MISS MARIE HERZOG, Accompanist
MEETING OF COMMEMORATION
Monday morning, at half after ten o'clock
on Temple Grounds at Wilmette, weather permitting, otherwise
at Auditorium Hotel, ninth floor
Chairman
DR PAULINE BARTON-PEEKE. Cleveland
Speakers
MR. BERNARD JACOBSON, Kenosha
MRS. ANNIE L. PARMERTON, Cincinnati
MR. T W FLEMING, Cleveland
Page Two of Centennial Celebration Program
revealed by Abdul-Baha to the Central
States. Dr. Zia M. Bagdadi said in part
"This is a beautiful meeting, the first
convention for teaching. The names of
those who have attended this glorious
gathering will be recorded in the history
of this great Cause. The results of your
answer to this call will soon become
manifest. The first call sent from Chicago
accomplished the Mashrak-el-Azkar
work. Now we have met to consult in
regard to teaching. May our consultation
be like that of the disciples of Christ,
whose love, faith, courage and self-sacrifice bore eternal fruits. Abdul-Baha has given to you the same mantle the disciples of Christ wore by revealing for you this wonderful Tablet.
"The teacher must become as a skillful physician, adapting the remedy to the disease. If you give the teachings always in one way, the result may be like that of the mullah who prescribed the
CONVENTION OF TEACHING
Monday afternoon. at half after two o'clock
Auditorium Hotel. ninth floor
Chairman
MRS EMOGENE HOAGG. San Francisco
MR. CARL SCHEFFLER. Secretary. Chicago
The Call to Convention by the House of Spirituality
Reading by the Chairman of Teaching Tablet Revealed by Abdul-Baha to the Central States
Address
DR. ZIA M. BAGDADI, Chicago
Teaching Plans Suggested by Chicago Assembly
MISS MARY LESCH, Chicago
MR. ALBERT R. WINDUST, Chicago
Discussion
MRS T C RICE-WRAY Detroit
MR CHARLES MASON REMEY, Washington D C.
MR. LOUIS GREGORY, Washington D C.
DR. PAULINE BARTON-PEEKE, Cleveland
MRS. ANNIE L. PARMERTON, Cincinnati
MRS E H PRATT Soprano
THE MASHRAK-EL-AZKAR IN AMERICA
Monday evening, at eight o'clock
Auditorium Hotel, ninth floor
Chairman
DR. WILLIAM F SLATER, Chicago
Speakers
MR. ALBERT H. HALL, Minneapolis
"The Mashrak-el-Azkar—the Evident Sign of the New Civilization"
MR. CHARLES MASON REMEY, Washington, D C.
"The Birth of the New Architecture"
MRS CORINNE TRUE, Chicago
"The Development of the Mashrak-el-Azkar in America"
SAMUEL M DOLNICK, Violinist
ALBERT R. WINDUST, Tenor
Page Three of Centennial Celebration Program
same medicine for every disease. He called on a tailor who was ill with intermittent fever. After feeling his pulse, and looking wise, he left his directions and went his way. He returned next day and found the tailor well enough to be around. 'Praise be to God!' he exclaimed, 'I see you followed my directions.' 'No,' rejoined the tailor, 'I did not.' 'Then what did you do?' 'Why nothing in particular, except that I drank a bowl of cabbage soup.' The mullah at once reached his opinion as to the proper method of treatment for low fever. Exit physician, jotting down as an important item, 'Cabbage soup will cure low fevers.' Next he was summoned to the house of an upholsterer and found him very ill with apparently the same symptoms. At once he prescribed 'plenty of cabbage soup.' On returning next day to see how rapidly his patient was recovering, he was astonished
House of Spirituality
| CARL SCHEFFLER, Secretary | MRS. CORINNE TRUE |
| GEORGE LESCH, Treasurer | ALBERT R. WINDUST |
| DR. ZIA M. BAGDADI | DR. WILLIAM F. SLATER |
| MISS MARY LESCH | JAMES HANBY |
| CHARLES H. GREENLEAF | |
Chairman of Committees
| Reception, MRS. WILLIAM F. SLATER | Music, MISS LILLLAN JAMES |
| Publicity, JEAN MASSON | Bahai Publishing Society, MARY LESCH |
| Program, MRS. CORINNE TRUE | Teaching, DR. ZIA M. BAGDADI |
| House, JAMES HANBY | Sick, DR. WILLIAM F. SLATER |
| Finance, GEORGE LESCH | |
Editors Star of the West
| ALBERT R. WINDUST | GERTRUDE BUIKEMA | DR. ZIA M. BAGDADI |
Mashrak-el-Azkar Treasurer
JOSEPHINE NELSON
Page Four of Centennial Celebration Program
to learn that the man was dead. ' 'Twas
the will of God,' he exclaimed. Then
he departed, jotting down this astonishing
medical discovery, in his book of
knowledge: 'Cabbage soup will cure
low fever in a tailor, but will kill an
upholsterer.' Therefore, give the glorious
message with wisdom.
"The second point is, teach with the spirit of humility, sincerity, love, and attraction.
"Third, teach only in accordance with the words revealed by Baha'o'llah and
Abdul-Baha and be free from everything else. Baha'o'llah says: 'Verily we shall assist every one who rises to serve the cause by an army of the Supreme Concourse and a contingent of the near angels.'
"Fourth, we should fearlessly teach that the only relief from the present war calamities is turning to the Greatest Name and by accepting the teachings of Baha'o'llah. Otherwise all nations who refuse to do this are in the greatest danger. We practice no sedition nor corruption, but proclaim the Glad Tidings of Abha and the might of His Covenant. We are commanded not to interfere with or even speak one word on the subject of politics.
"Fifth, it is the duty of all to teach. Arise with all strength and those who cannot go should help to send others. The foundation of all teaching is firmness in the Covenant."
Miss Mary Lesch said, "Seventeen years ago there was not one line of the teachings in print in America. Now the Bahai Publishing Society has many books that have been translated and published. Thus the teacher should inform himself of the teachings and go forth well equipped for service."
Mr. Windust said, "The hour has struck. From now on those who serve in the Cause must be firm in the Covenant. They must also be well known as such. . . . This is especially true of those who would teach." He then presented a plan for teaching throughout the Central States.
Mesdames Annie L. Parmerton and T. C. Rice-Wray, Messrs. Charles Mason Remey, Thomas W. Fleming, Louis G. Gregory, Dr. Pauline Barton-Peake, Dr. H. S. Harper and Mr. Fred Mortensen, took part in the discussion. Their collective thoughts centered around the qualifications of the teachers, sincerity, severance, attraction, sanctity.
THE MASHRAK-EL-AZKAR.
This was the theme of the Monday evening meeting over which Dr. William F. Slater of Chicago presided.
The first speaker was Mr. Albert H. Hall of Minneapolis who spoke of the Mashrak-el-Azkar as the evident sign of the new civilization.
Mr. Charles Mason Remey of Washington, D. C., spoke of the birth of the new architecture. He said, "One of the greatest signs of a civilization is its architecture which reaches its most complete form in a temple, the outward symbol of spiritual things." He illustrated by many beautiful drawings nine different civilizations, showing how each in turn, as the Roman Classic, the Byzantine, the Arabian Moorish, the Persian, the Indian, the Romanesque, the Gothic, the Renaissance and the Modern has contributed to the world's treasures in architecture. These beautiful drawings suggested to the happy friends how wonderfully beautiful the completed Mashrak-el-Azkar will appear. Certainly such a building will be unique and will attract the attention of the whole world. But these of course were only suggestions. The speaker declared that the new divine civilization would produce a new type of architecture which would be more beautiful and perfect than all the others. The spiritual outpouring of the Day of Peace will create a new and wonderful design for the Mashrak-el-Azkar in America. The friends were charmed by this simple, earnest presentation, in which the speaker lost himself in his love for the beauty of holiness.
Mrs. Corinne True, the last speaker was happy in her presentation of the development of the Mashrak-el-Azkar in America. She said in part, "In this day the Sun of Spiritual Truth has again arisen in the Orient, and its radiance is seen in the Occident as well. Baha'o'llah has said that the human family was once one, dwelling together in the greatest state of harmony. Then differences crept in and racial and religious bias appeared until discord and hatred were found among the children of men. The great
purpose of the Bahai movement is to restore the foundation of human solidarity. The Mashrak-el-Azkar is the outward sign of the inward spiritual Reality which brings to pass this glorious work. Those who join with sincerity in the building of this unique and wonderful edifice share the bounty of God and are under His protection."
The following was reported as the state of the building fund to date:
Certificate of deposit and cash in hand. . . . . . . . . . . . $88,282.42
Cash, reported in Boston. .. 5,000.00
Pledges 40,000.00
Total ................$133,282.42
Madame Josephine Cowles De Lagnel of Washington, D. C., made a donation of an heirloom to the Mashrak-el-Azkar—a watch of great value because of its unique design and workmanship. It was given in memory of her husband, Colonel Julius De Lagnel, in whose family it had been for over one hundred years. An interpretation of its symbolism was given by Mrs. Annie L. Parmerton.
Miss Alpha Bratton, vocal soloist, accompanied by Mr. Taylor, pianist, Mr. Samuel M. Dolnick, violinist, and Mr. Albert R. Windust, tenor, contributed to the happiness of the friends. The meetings ended in the singing of the Benediction.
The banquet room where the meetings were held were profusely decorated with variegated flowers. The Greatest Name, "Ya-Baha-El-Abha," in Persian letters, adorned the walls. Numerous beautiful drawings, suggestions of the Mashrak-el-Azkar, met the eyes. The efforts of the House of Spirituality and the Chicago Assembly to arrange for the comfort and happiness of all, the love of those present for each other, the mingling of the various elements of humanity, the eloquent addresses and spiritual songs, were all signs of the confirmations which descend from the Throne of Majesty to those who are firm in the Covenant. The effect of such gatherings is far-reaching, as the hearts are attracted by the fire of divine love. This Festival of Commemoration was an occasion of historic value in the growth of the divine Cause. The friends left for their homes with longing and grateful hearts.
Louis G. Gregory.
The Center of the Covenant, The Greatest Branch:
Abdul-Baha Abbas
(Continued from page 189)
"And there was seen in his temple the ark of His Testament." That is to say, the Book of His Testament will appear in His Jerusalem, the Epistle of the Covenant will be established, and the meaning of the Testament and of the Covenant will become evident. The renown of God will overspread the East and West, and the proclamation of the cause of God will fill the world. . . .
"And there were lightnings and voices, and thunderings, and an earthquake and great hail," means that after the appearance of the Book of the Testament there will be a great storm, and the lightnings of the anger and the wrath of God will flash, the noise of the thunder of the violation of the Covenant will resound, the earthquake of doubts will take place, the hail of torments will beat upon the violators of the Covenant, and even those who profess belief will fall into trials and temptations.
(Words of Abdul-Baha: Some Answered Questions, pp. 70, 71.)
VOICE RECORDS OF ABDUL-BAHA may be obtained from Mrs. Howard MacNutt, 935 Eastern Parkway, Brooklyn, N. Y., at 85 cents each, including packing and shipment via parcel post. These are disc records and can be used on various makes of phonographs.
The City of God
A Compilation of Utterances of Baha'o'llah
IN this day a great banquet is celebrated in the Supreme Concourse for all that was promised in the Divine Books has appeared. This is the day of the most great rejoicing. All must direct themselves to the court of Nearness (to God) with the utmost joy, happiness, exultation and gladness, and deliver themselves from the fire of remoteness.
The way of freedom is opened; hasten thereto: and the fountain of knowledge is welling up; drink thereof. . . . Truly I say that which will diminish ignorance and increase wisdom is pleasing to the Creator. Say: O people, walk in the shadow of justice and uprightness and enter the pavilion of unity.
It is hoped that in this morn when the world is illumined by the Sun of Knowledge we may seek the good pleasure of the Friend (the Heavenly Father) and drink from the sea of recognition.
O friends! Sleep with your face turned to the Friend and rest in bed in the thought of the Beloved One. From flowers inhale the Fragrance of the Loved One, and in every fire see the light of the face of the Desired One. . . . Then exert thyself in love with thy soul, and enter the abode of the Beloved One with thy heart. Abandon grief for the world to its people and give no heed to the limited days of this worldly life. (Pass over all else save God with the swiftness of lightning.) Thus mayst thou cast off the old garment of this world, be seated on the immortal, everlasting throne, be clad in a divine raiment, drink the wine of love from the cup of the Beloved One, become ablaze with the light of love and sew the robe of love! This is that matter which shall never change. Know thou, therefore, that in every age and dispensation all divine ordinances are changed and transformed according to the requirement of the time, except the law of love which always flows and is never overtaken by change. This is of the wonderful mysteries which God hath mentioned for His servants! Verily He is the Merciful, the Compassionate!
In this day the City of God hath appeared and is seen in full adornment. This is the city wherein the God of all is become manifest. . . . Take the rod of resignation in the name of God and guide the erring people with entire severance to the great city of God, that perchance the wanderers may attain to the real native land and the blind may receive discerning sight. Verily, He is powerful to do that which He willeth. All things are in the prayer of His power. Verily he is the Powerful, the Mighty.
A Question Answered
From a Tablet by Abdul-Baha, to Ella G. Cooper, San Francisco. Translated and mailed from Haifa, Syria, March 19, 1916.
Question: In the copies of the talk given by Abdul-Baha to the Society of Friends in London, there seems to be a discrepancy in the time in the opening line. In some it reads, "About six thousand years ago, in others "six hundred years," and in others "sixty years." If the Society referred to signifies the Bahai Movement, would not sixty years be the correct number?
Answer: This talk opens with the words, "About six hundred years ago." This Society was founded in the city of Hamadan six hundred years ago and has nothing to do with this movement. It is almost disbanded, but under different names and forms one may come across them in Persia. They were called the Society of Sokoutyyoun, that is, the "Silent Ones."
DELUXE EDITION of the TABLETS OF BAHA'O'LLAH—includes Tablets of Tarazat, Tablet of the World, Words of Paradise, Tablet of Tajalleyat, The Glad Tidings, Tablet of Ishrakat—Cloth bound, gold edges, 140 pages, Price $1.00; postage 15 cents additional. Distributed by Bahai Publishing Society. Address all orders to Miss Mary Lesch, 4319 Lake Park!Avenue, Chicago.
