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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. IX Asma 1, 74 (August 1, 1918) No. 8
Bahai Methods of Education
A Compilation of the Words of Baha'o'llah and Abdul-Baha to assist Parents and Teachers in the Education of Children
COMPILED BY PAULINE A. HANNEN
Utterances of Abdul-Baha in Tablets and Talks—Continued
(Continued from page 88)
STATION OF THOSE WHO SERVE AND TEACH CHILDREN
O thou teacher of the children of the Kingdom! Thou hast undertaken such a service that shouldst thou glory over all the teachers of the world, thou art deserving. For the teachers of the world confer a material education, so that human faculties, physical and ideal, may grow and develop; but thou art bestowing heavenly instruction and the lessons of the Kingdom upon the new plants of the divine garden. The results of this education are to obtain the bestowals of the Most Glorious Lord and the appearance of the virtues of the world of humanity. Show firmness and steadfastness in this work. The outcome will be most important. From their childhood the children must be given a Bahai, spiritual and Godlike education. Should they be so instructed they will be protected and guarded from every test.
(Tablet to Mrs. H. L., Oct. 29, 1913.)
The children must receive divine and material education at the same time, and be protected from temptations and vices. How wonderful will it be when the teachers are faithful, attracted and assured, educated and refined Bahais, well grounded in the science of pedagogy and familiar with child psychology; thus they may train the children with the fragrances of God. In the scheme of human life the teacher and his system of teaching plays the most important role, carrying with it the heaviest responsibilities and most subtle influence. A teacher is like unto a gardener. Just as a gardener sows the seeds and watches carefully over their sprouting, looks after their growth and development—so also a teacher must watch over the education of the children and inculcate in their young lives the highest ideals of truth and justice, etc.
(Diary of Mirza Ahmad Sohrab, Oct. 18, 1914.)
A woman who is a good Bahai, working for the children in the school, came. She showed her hands to Abdul-Baha that he might see how she had scrubbed the floor. He kept her hands in his and said: "Hands which have labored in the cause of education are ever blessed. I am pleased with your hands. I love such hands very much because they have worked for the children. May you become a great educator and guide to humanity."
(Diary of Mirza Ahmad Sohrab, London, December, 1912.)
Praise be to God, that with your soul and with your heart you are striving to guide the children. Appreciate the importance of this favor, that you have been assisted to do such a work, for the result of the spreading of the Cause of God is eternal exaltation. It is as when a man sows a pure seed in pure soil and it grows through the showers from the clouds of mercy of the Educator. Consider what a blessing will be brought forth.
(Tablet to Mrs. F. G., 1914.)
TWO TYPES OF CHILDREN
Abdul-Baha said: "Baha'o'llah declared that children are of two kinds—the mature and the immature. The mature are the children of believers, and the immature, of unbelievers. Some attain to the highest station because they are so well prepared that they can enter the highest station without earthly preparation. When we see a child wise beyond his years, it is a sign of this preparation; so we cannot question the justice of this. All are created in the same station by the justice of God, but if some of these have become prophets and some teachers, this is from the favors and bounty of God."
"We must be guided entirely by the intelligence and development of the child as to how soon we should begin to teach it.
"A woman reaches her maturity at the age of twenty and then certainly receive the full teaching.
"Many a child of ten is sufficiently developed and advanced to receive some teaching and some are ready for it at the age of eight or nine.
"The great thing that is necessary to teach children is to be characterized with the attributes of God and to be good. Their hearts and minds must be prepared to receive the truth as soon as they are old enough to be taught anything—but children should not be taught facts and details which they may not speak of openly to their fellows and companions. They must on no account allow their children to drink wine or alcoholic drinks."
Abdul-Baha spoke of the Druses, who never drank wine or smoked, and as a consequence were quite free from many diseases.
(Words of Abdul-Baha: Star of the West, Vol. 7, No. 15, p. 142.)
BAHAI METHODS: TEACH THEM IN PLAY; THROUGH SPEECH, NOT BOOKS
Among these children many blessed souls will arise if they be trained according to the Bahai teaching. If a plant is carefully nurtured by a gardener it will become good and produce better fruit. These children should be given a good training from their earliest childhood. They should he given a systematic training which will further their development in order that they may receive greater insight, so that their spiritual receptivity may be broadened. Beginning in childhood, they should receive instruction. They cannot be taught through books. Many elementary sciences should be made clear to them in the nursery; they should learn them in play, in amusement. Most ideas must be taught them through speech, not by book-learning. One child should question the other concerning these things, and the other child should give the answer. In this way they will make great progress. For example, mathematical problems should be taught in the form of questions and answers. One of the children asks a question and the other should give the answer. Later on the children will of their own accord converse with one another on these subjects. The children who are at the head of their class should receive premiums. They should be encouraged and when any one of them shows good advancement for further development
they should be praised and encouraged therein. Even so in God-like affairs. Oral questions should be asked and the answers should be given orally. They should discuss with one another in this manner.
(Star of the West, Vol. 7, No. 15, p. 142.)
A wise schoolmaster should send his scholars out to play or to practice gymnastics for an hour, so that their minds and bodies may be refreshed, and during the hour of the lesson they may learn it better. If the teacher proves that his scholars are advancing no onlooker has a right to object to his system, or to question his wisdom and say he wastes the boys' time. If a wise father plays with his children, who has a right to say it is not good for them? He calls them to come to him as the hen calls her chicks; he knows that they are little and must be coaxed along—coaxed along, because they are young and tiny.
(Words of Abdul-Baha: From leaflet The True Gardener.)
PROTECTION OF CHILDREN
Take away thy dear child from among the heedless ones, for they are fast after him in order that they may lead him astray from the right path. Keep him some time with thyself and train him as he ought and should be. Then send him to another school or another place.
(Tablet to P. A. H., March 27, 1906.)
Be thou kind to the "bantam chickens and their babies" and take good care of them; so that thou mayest learn how to train the living creatures. Teach and educate the "parrot" in order that she may be instructed with the heavenly words. Although the parrot may be unconscious of the meaning of the phrases, yet, God willing, thy heart will be inspired with such utterances, (the significance of which will be revealed to thee first and then the words will flow from thy tongue). Perfect thyself in the art of music; so that thou mayest be able to play on the harp most divinely.
(Tablet: From Diary of Mirza Ahmad Sohrab, July 31, 1914.)
DUTIES OF CHILDREN TOWARD PARENTS
There are also certain sacred duties of children toward parents; these duties are written in the Book of God, as belonging to God. The (children's) prosperity in this world and the Kingdom depends upon the good pleasure of parents, and without this they will be in manifest loss.
(Tablets of Abdul-Baha, Vol. 2, p. 262.)
Father and mother are worthy of esteem and it is necessary to secure their good pleasure; but this on condition that they do not prevent one from nearness to the threshold of the Almighty and do not withhold one from walking in the path of the Kingdom. Nay, rather, parents should encourage and inspire one to walk in God's path.
(Tablets of Abdul-Baha, Vol. 2, p. 463.)
O thou my dear son! Thy letter sweetened the heart and the spirit. Thy lovely face is engraved forever on the tablet of my heart. I am also longing to look into thy countenance. Say always the Greatest Name before beginning thy lessons. The confirmation and assistance of God shall encircle thee.
(Tablet: From Diary of Mirza Ahmad Sohrab, May 26, 1914.)
Although thou art small, yet I hope thou wilt become great in the Kingdom. His Highness Christ, saith: "Happy is the condition of the children." God willing, thou art one of those children.
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
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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. IX
No. 8
Be obedient and kind to thy father and mother, caressing brother and sister, and day by day adding to thy faith and assurance.
(Tablets of Abdul-Baha, Vol. 3, p. 551.)
O thou dear one of Abdul-Baha! Be the son of thy father and be the fruit of that tree. Be a son that hath been born of his soul and heart and not only of the water and clay. A real son is such an one as hath branched from the spiritual part of a man. I ask God that thou mayest be at all times confirmed and strengthened.
(Tablets of Abdul-Baha, Vol. 2, p. 342.)
DUTIES OF CHILDREN TOWARDS GOD
O ye dear children! Your Father is compassionate, clement and merciful unto you and desireth for you success, prosperity and eternal life in the Kingdom of God. Therefore, it is incumbent upon you, dear children, to seek His good pleasure, to be guided by His guidance, to be drawn by the magnet of the love of God and be brought up in the lap of the love of God, that ye may become beautiful branches in the garden of El-Abha, verdant and watered by the abundance of the gift of God.
(Tablets of Abdul-Baha, Vol. 3, p. 622.)
Abdul-Baha's instructions to the Bahai Sunday School of Washington, D. C.
THE Sunday School for the children, in which Tablets are read, the teachings of His Holiness Baha'o'llah explained, and the Word of God read to the children, is exceedingly blessed. Undoubtedly meetings should be held regularly and invested with importance so that day unto day its circle may be enlarged and be quickened with the breaths of the Holy Spirit. If this meeting is organized befittingly and behoovingly, rest thou assured that it shall yield most great results; but firmness and steadfastness are necessary, that it may not continue for a few days and later on little by little be forgotten. Its continuation depends upon firmness. In every cause firmness and steadfastness
undoubtedly lead to results; otherwise it will continue for some days and then will be disorganized.
(Tablet to P. A. H., July 28, 1913.)
In that hour you should make the children familiar with the prophecies in the Gospels and with the Name of God, and with this Revelation: that is to say, instruct them how to become teachers, so that the love of God may be established in their hearts while they are young children. They should develop spiritual feelings. You should explain to them or read to them the Ishrakat, Tarazat, Tajalleyat, the Words of Paradise, and the Tablet of the World. You should make them memorize some of these verses. By these means they will become enlightened and well educated, for they are like unto a young tree: you can train them in whatever manner you like.
(Spoken in February, 1909, to P. A. H. and J. H. H.)
Praise be to God! Thou art engaged in teaching and educating the children, for they have wonderfully memorized and read the manifest verses, the Glad-Tidings, the Communes, the Ishrakat and the Word. I hope that each one of them (those children) will become a peerless teacher and the cause of the guidance of the people. Praise be to God! All the members are illumined with the light of the Beauty of Abha!
(Tablet to P. A. H.)
Thou hast written regarding the spiritual education of the children. It is very acceptable and beloved. Undoubtedly these children will make ideal and physical advancement.
(Tablet to P. A. H., Nov. 21, 1913.)
Indeed the sweet melody of the pupils of Mrs. H.. . . . gladdened the hearts of the people of the Supreme Concourse.
(To Mr. R., May, 1909.)
CHILDREN TO BE TAUGHT MUSIC
Abdul-Baha's Address to the children of the Washington Sunday School, April 24, 1912.
The art of music is divine and effective. It is the food of the spirit and the soul. The spirit of man is exhilarated through the notes and charms of music. It exercises especially a wonderful sway over the hearts of children, for as their souls are pure, as their hearts are very pure, the music will produce in their hearts great effect. Music will become the cause of the expression of the latent talents in their hearts. You must exert yourselves so that you may teach the children the art of music; so that they may sing with greatest effect. It is incumbent upon each child to know something of the art of music, for unless he is acquainted with the art of music, he cannot enjoy the art of singing and melody. Likewise it is necessary that the schools teach the art of music to the pupils, so that they may enjoy life more thoroughly, so that their souls and hearts may become vivified and exhilarated.
Today illumined and spiritual children are gathered in this meeting. They are children of the Kingdom. The Kingdom of God is for these souls, for they are near to the Kingdom. They have pure hearts. They have spiritual faces. The effect of the teachings is manifest in their hearts, for their hearts are very pure. That is why His Highness Christ has addressed the world saying: "Be like unto the children." That is, men must become pure in heart. The teachings must have great effect. Spiritual souls; tender souls!
The hearts of all the children are pure, of the utmost purity. They have no dust. But this is on account of weakness, not on account of any strength. In the early period of childhood their hearts are pure. They cannot display any great intelligence. They have not hypocrisy nor stratagem. This is on
account of weakness. But a man becomes pure through the power of strength. Through the power of intelligence and understanding he becomes simple, through the great power of reason. He becomes sincere through the great power of intelligence, not through the power of weakness. When man attains to the state of perfection he will receive these qualities; his heart will become pure, his spirit enlightened, his soul tender, and this through strength. This is the difference between the perfect man and the child. Both have the great, simple, underlying qualities; but the child through the power of weakness and the man through the power of strength. I pray in behalf of these children and beg confirmation and assistance for them from the Kingdom of Abha so that each of these children may be trained under the shadow of the protection of God; each one may become like an ignited candle in the world of humanity; each one may become like a tender and green plant in the rose-garden of Abha; that these children may be so trained and so educated that they will give life to the world of humanity; that they may receive insight; that they may bestow hearing to the people of the world; that they may plant life eternal and that they may be accepted at the threshold of God; that they may become so characterized with such virtues and such perfections and such qualities that their mothers may be proud; that their fathers may become well pleased; that their relatives may become hopeful. This is my hope. I give you my advice and it is this: You must train these children, you must give them divine exhortations. From their childhood you must put into their hearts the love of God, so that they may become the manifestors of the fear of God; so that they may have the fear of the Divine, and that they may become hopeful in the bestowals of God; so that day by day they may become free from the imperfections of humanity and acquire the perfections of the world of man. The life of man is useful if he acquires the perfections of man. If he becomes the center of the imperfections of the world of humanity death is better than life, non-existence is better than existence. Therefore, make ye an so that these children may be trained and educated and that each of them may become perfect in the world of humanity.
Now there is another meeting and I must go. I am very much pleased with these children. These are all my children. Know ye the value of these children, for they are my children.
(Star of the West, Vol. 3, No. 3, p. 19.)
SUNDAY CLASS IMPORTANT
Question: "Is it right that Mrs. H.. . . . has given up the Sunday School work?"
He looked very much surprised and grieved and said: "Why? No! She must keep it up by all means. Why does she want to give it up?"
I answered that it was too far for most of the children and some were too delicate to walk.
He said: "If they cannot arrange to go every Sunday, they must go every other Sunday, if not every other Sunday then once a month. But they must come together and must keep up the Sunday School."
(Words of Abdul-Baha to Miss A. S. K. spoken in Stuttgart, Germany, April 2, 1913.)
Abdul-Baha listened very attentively to all that was said pertaining to the Sunday School, saying: "Kheli Khoob! Kheli Khoob! It is very necessary that the Sunday School be renewed again and be made active." Then Abdul-Baha asked: "The Sunday School is very important; then why did the parents become indifferent? It is very essential that the Sunday School be upheld, first,
because the children are there taught the Words of Baha'o'llah. Second, because the morality taught there is the true Bahai morality. Third, because the children will there become firmly established in the precepts and truths of the Bahai Cause. Fourth, because the Sunday School is of great value: It is very good and they must attend it with joy and fragrance and with enthusiasm."
(To Miss F. A. K., Paris, May 20, 1913.)
Talks by Abdul-Baha to other Bahai children
ADDRESS TO THE CHILDREN OF THE BAHAIS AT CHICAGO, MAY 5, 1912.
You are the children of whom his holiness Christ has said, "You are the denizens of the Kingdom;" and according to the Words of Baha'o'llah you are the very lamps or candles of the world of humanity, for your hearts are exceedingly pure and your spirits are most delicate. You are near the source; you have not yet become contaminated. You are like lambs, or like a very finely polished mirror. My hope for you is that your parents may educate you spiritually, giving you the utmost ethical training. May your education be most perfect so that each one of you may be imbued with all the virtues of the human world. May you advance in all the degrees, be they material degrees or spiritual degrees. May you all become learned, acquire sciences and arts and crafts; may you be useful members of human society; may you aid the progress of human civilization; may you be a cause of the manifestation of the divine bestowals; may each one of you be a shining star, radiating the light of the oneness of humanity towards the East and West; may you further the unity of mankind; may you promote the love of the whole. May the reality deposited in the human entity become apparent through your efforts. I pray for all of you asking God's aid and confirmation in your behalf.
You are all my children, you are my spiritual children. The spiritual children are very clear, they are dearer than physical children, because it is possible for physical children to prove unspiritual but you are all spiritual children; therefore you are very dear; you are most beloved. I wish for you progress along all degrees. May God aid you. May you be surrounded by His gaze of kindness, and may you be nurtured and attain maturity under his protection. You are all blessed.
(Star of the West, Vol. 3, No. 4, p. 22.)
A TALK TO THE PUPILS OF THE BAHAI SCHOOL IN ACCA.
A Lesson in English by a Persian Boy.
How lucky I was and what good fortune I had yesterday in the morning. While all the scholars and I were assembled together in the school and reading our lessons suddenly our hearts were filled with joy by hearing our Master's voice blessing the believers; then he entered the school with shining face and smiling lips and began to walk very calmly through the room, addressing us and saying: "Endeavor and strive eagerly that you may progress and advance rapidly. You are born in this holy day, attaining this great privilege by the favor of God, therefore you must not waste or throw away this bounty and mercy. Try always to get more manliness and humbleness and to love one another. You are like a small plant newly sown. If the rays of the sun reflect on it and it is watered by showers of rain there is no doubt that it will by and by grow and become a very fruitful tree;
but cold winds blow and the plant be deprived of the shining of the sun and the rain it will certainly be withered and become a useless thing.
"Now, if you occupy yourselves, for instance, in affirming some reasons for the truth of this holy Cause and how to deliver the Word of God to everyone, these things will support and strengthen you and will prepare you for the good of this world and that which is to come; but if, God forbid, you lose your time in vain chattering and useless talk and running hither and thither, these things, be sure, will never lead you to the way of salvation.
"Never think whether you will have more or less wealth, for riches will never guide any man in the right way.
"O children," continued our Master, "there is a matter which is very important and that is this, let none of you at any time be puffed up with pride or despise any other being. Never, never do this, this is worse than all things. Man is a sinful blunderer, therefore he must acknowledge his faults.
"His Holiness, the blessed Bab, mentions in his book that every one must consider at the end of each day what have been his actions. If he finds something which would please God, he must thank Him and pray to be strengthened to do this good act throughout his life; but if his actions have not been approvable or honest, he must earnestly ask God for strength to do better.
"And now," said the Master, "the report of your weekly work is good and free from blunder and fault, therefore I am greatly pleased and very happy. I want you to work for the sake of God, and not for your own interest. Therefore I am advising you with the greatest love and kindness for your own benefit and comfort."
These were our beloved Master's utterances yesterday in the morning.
(Abdul-Baha takes a great interest in the progress of these boys, and often gives them helpful little talks; this one I have reproduced here in the words of one of the pupils, which he wrote out in English for me and which I have but slightly altered.—The Teacher.)
"You must give your daughter a Bahai education so that she may become an excellent teacher of the Cause. She must receive a spiritual education. Then she will make extraordinary progress. Religious teachings are essential for the proper development of the mind and the spirit. If religious instruction is not given to the children they will grow heedless and lose their moral susceptibilities. They will laugh at all moral obligations. The children are like unto green branches. As long as the branch is green, you can train it in whatever way you think best; but once the branch is dried up you cannot do anything with it. If you want to straighten it it will break."
Again he spoke with little Mona. "Do you love your parents?"
"Yes!"
"Which one do you love best? Your mother or father?"
"I love both equally."
"Bravo! Well said! Now tell me, do you love Baha'o'llah or your mother best?"
This was a difficult question. She hesitated a moment, and then replied with much emphasis: "Baha'o'llah."
(Diary of Mirza Ahmad Sohrab, Oct. 16, 1914.)
(Continued on page 97)
