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WORLD
ORDER
SPIRITUAL PERSPECTIVES
RAYMOND FRANK PIPER
•
THE SOUL OF ICELAND
MARTHA L. ROOT
•
MONUMENT TO KARLSEFNI
Illustration
•
HEROIC MONUMENT
Illustration
•
NATIONAL INTERDEPENDENCE
R. A. MCLEMORE
JANUARY 1936
Price .20c
CONTENTS OF THIS ISSUE
(Continued)
THE NATURE OF THE SOUL
BAHÁ’U’LLÁH
•
RECONSTRUCTED WORLD LANGUAGE
DAVE HENNEN MORRIS
•
SPIRITUAL NATURE OF MAN
MAMIE L. SETO
•
THE STORY OF ISLAM, II
ZIA M. BAGHDADI
•
SOCIAL TRENDS IN AMERICAN LIFE
BERTHA HYDE KIRKPATRICK
•
TO MEN OF GOOD WILL
Editorial
Change of address should be reported one month in advance.
World Order is published monthly in New York, N. Y. by the Publishing Committee of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States and Canada.
Editors, Stanwood Cobb and Horace Holley.
Business Manager, C. R. Wood.
Publication Office—
- 135 East 50th Street, New York, N. Y.
Editorial Office—
- 119 Waverly Place, New York, N. Y.
Subscriptions: $2.00 per year, $1.75 to Public Libraries. Rate to addresses outside the United States, $2.25, foreign Library rate, $2.00, Single copies, 20 cents. Checks and money orders should be made payable to World Order Magazine, 135 East 50th Street, New York, N. Y. Entered as second class matter, May 1, 1935, at the post office at New York, N. Y., under the Act of March 3, 1879.
Contents copyrighted 1936 by Bahá’í Publishing Committee January, 1936. Vol 1, No. 10
WORLD ORDER
JANUARY 1936
NUMBER 10 VOLUME 1
•
TO MEN OF GOOD WILL
EDITORIAL
•
MUTUALITY is not an ideal of conduct too noble and unselfish to be practised by the average person. On the contrary, it is a principle of action fundamentally logical and scientific. “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you”— upon this Golden Rule depends the successful operation of all human relationships. Here is an eminently practical arrangement for the harmonious and successful conduct of all affairs of family, society, commerce, civics, nation and interstate.
Mutuality is, in common parlance, “a fifty-fifty proposition”. It is the law of friendliness, of sympathy, of justice, of integrity.
Let us not think that we can depart from this cosmic law, and prosper long. Or find happiness in human relationships. Or find contentment within ourselves.
Act justly toward others in every exigency of life, and you shall find a miracle unfolding within yourself.
You shall find growing within your heart a sympathy and affection for those to whom you are showing kindness and consideration.
And can we not also apply this law of mutuality to all of our national dealings with other countries of the world?
While the nations of Europe are frantically whetting their swords for inevitable conflict, America is protected from Europe by 3,000 miles of ocean on one side and from Asia by 7,000 miles of ocean on the other. Her northern boundary of 3,000 miles separates her from a neighbor whom we have no need to fear, no need to fortify ourselves against. On the contrary, a thousand ties of commercial and cultural interests bind us together in the most assured friendship and harmony with which Destiny has ever blessed two great neighboring nations.
When ‘Abdu’l-Bahá (Son of Bahá’ílláh
and Expounder of His teachings)
[Page 362]
came to America in 1912, He
extolled our peace-loving and progressive
civilization, and predicted for
us great achievements in world leadership.
“I have visited America and find everywhere the evidence of just and equable government. Therefore I pray God that these Western people may become the means of establishing International Peace and spreading the Oneness of the world of humanity. May you become the cause of unity and agreement among the nations. May a lamp be lighted here which will illumine the whole universe with the Oneness of the world of humanity, with love between the hearts of the children of men and the unity of all mankind. I hope that you may become assisted in this supreme accomplishment; that you may raise the flag of International Peace and reconciliation upon this continent; that this government and people may be the means of spreading these lofty ideals in order that the world of man may find rest.”
“Let all the Peace-workers gather together their scattered forces and combine their material and moral resources. They must look forward and not backward, up not down. They are the real benefactors of humanity; the burning torches of bright hope. The Lord of Hosts is reinforcing them; the sun of Peace is up in the horizon and its rays are penetrating the clouds of prejudice and ignorance.”
Here is a cosmic project capable of enlisting our most loyal service.
Conceive of a world from which war has been abolished; held together by ties of world federation as potent and effective as those which now bind our forty-eight states; a great world-wide human society in which hatreds and prejudices—national, racial, religious—have been abolished. A world culture built upon close interchange of commerce, of art, of science and invention—a culture marvelously integrated by a universal auxiliary language serving as a common medium for commerce, travel, and for exchange of ideas in literature and by radio and moving picture. A universal civilization in which men and women, shoulder to shoulder in full equality, labor to build a better world. A spiritualized humanity, obedient to the Divine purpose, sensitive to good and beautiful things creating an art, a culture and a mode of living superbly beautiful. A world in which labor and capital harmoniously operate together under new economic laws which insure an abundant and widespread prosperity and abolish forever the grim specter of want and destitution. Such is the new World Order of Bahá’u’lláh, to be brought in by the awakening of a new spiritual consciousness in mankind.
Is this not a world worth working for? Can we find anywhere a loftier, a more inspiring enterprise than this journey toward the Promised Land, the Kingdom of God on earth?
What the world most needs today is a more awakened, a more vital, a more effective religious consciousness. Here only can be found a permanent cure for the manifold ills that universally beset humanity today.
The attitude of the poet and philosopher toward reality, and the effort of the man of good-will to attain an organic relationship with his fellow men, alike find fulfilment in the spiritual perspective established by the high prophet. The author of this creative essay is Professor of Philosophy in Syracuse University.
•
SPIRITUAL PERSPECTIVES
By RAYMOND FRANK PIPER
•
ON rare and precious occasions the truth-seeker attains a summit of vision so commanding that it guides and gladdens all his lesser ways of life. He sees far; he feels deeply; he comprehends much: he stands on a peak of spacious philosophic orientation, and locates himself on the map of existence. Certain axial lines of reality seem to converge in his clear and glowing consciousness. And from this cosmic outlook emerges a philosophic poise akin to religious peace of mind. Both are ineffable and unshakable, steadying and satisfying, a peerless harmony. This elevated experience may be called a spiritual perspective.
In the latter phrase I know that I am mixing metaphors and metaphysics because I purpose to show their kinship, the yoked consanguinity of poetry and philosophy. These constitute a balanced pair of wings for ascending the ecstatic heights of cosmic vision.
There is one distinctive kind of literature where metaphors and metaphysics abound and blend in beautiful perfection. That literature consists of the noblest utterances of the world’s high prophets. Their words live on in men’s hearts because they unite truth and beauty. They exhibit an equilibrium and sense of security amid confusion and persecution the secret of which I long to know. How could Buddha, Jesus, Bahá’u’lláh, and others, remain calm and sweet while suffering dreadful insults and deprivations? For some reason they were untouched by the worldly troubles that disturb lesser minds. But how can painful troubles seem unimportant save as they are much subordinated to some large perspective?
What do spiritual perspectives mean in the concrete? As illustrations I shall select some of the priceless vistas revealed in the writings of the Bahá’í founders. These writings are a stirring fusion of poetic beauty and religious insight. I, like another, have been “struck by their comprehensiveness.” I find they have extraordinary power to pull aside the veils that darken my mind and to open new visions of verity and life.
[Page 364]
Spatial perspectives are familiar in
drawing, architecture, and other arts.
Before me stands a perfect example:
an etching by Blanding Sloan, inscribed
Two Infinites, Open and
Closed. From a star-set vortex at the
left center bursts forth two systems of
seemingly endless lines. Running off
into the right distance an eight-way
path, arched by other lines, converges
tubelike at a vanishing point in deep
space whence fancy must carry on.
Out of the vortex at the left originates
a spiral of ever-widening light
bands which leap outward toward
an infinite expansion. One’s imagination
revels in the suggestions of
boundless space in every direction.
THIS brilliant creation is a concrete symbol of an infinite concept. The universal idea of spaciousness is metaphysical; its picturesque embodiment is poetic: the two factors fuse in inseparable unity. It matters little whether one says that the sense form blossoms into the idea of endlessness or that the idea of endlessness becomes incarnate in the sense form. In such a unity is exemplified the essential meaning of a spiritual perspective. It is the center of an interflow or discharge between the two worlds of sense and of spirit. But whereas the lines of material perspective close to a point, spiritual insight opens toward the ever expanding realms of human and divine life.
And between the two infinites in Sloan’s etching stands man, scratching his head, uncertainly balanced, puzzled, half-comic. Whenever I contemplate this comic figure, I wonder how funny I look from God’s viewpoint? By way of analogy I recall a pathetic ant lost on a sidewalk and a fly beating a window pane to escape. I am eager to seize upon some cosmic perspective to redeem me from comic narrowness and futility.
Other kinds of perspectives exist. In arithmetic I need not count far without discovering how I could go on forever. Indeed the mathematician tells me that if I can define the relation of one term to its two neighbors, I may possess the principle of an infinite series. In an analogous way, if I can determine the essence of a few drops of ocean water, I may have the key to the chemical constitution of the seven seas. Perhaps in social life certain basic relationships between neighbors can be defined which would be good for all men to practice. Such a universal ethical principle would be another variety of spiritual perspective.
ARE there not then some patterns of conduct, generated perhaps by a genius, which might radiate to all men, for their weal or woe? It is evident, for example, that some individual man had to be the first to smoke a pipe of tobacco else smoking could not have become a worldwide practice. Here is a practical perspective of spreading conduct, of a custom which through imitation has rippled to the rims of the continents. Similarly I believe that the original example of a truly great prophet may advance from person to person until it reaches the ends of the earth.
Two basic characteristics of spiritual
perspectives emerge from the preceding
[Page 365]
considerations. (1) A perspective
of any kind can radiate only
from the unique viewpoint of a specific
person. His viewpoint is constituted
and colored—or discolored
—by the values he esteems and the
character of his awareness. His personal
values function as a kind of
eyepiece for his soul. No one else
can survey the world through his
mental eyepiece, and he can never
stand behind the window of another
soul. No two observers could possibly
see at once the same rainbow
because of their different angles of
vision. Spiritual perspectives do not
exist outside of personal consciousness.
The latter serves as a kind of
focal center where values and truth
become real, significant, or illuminating,
just as a highly polished diamond
becomes the point for the display
of the inner nature and beauty
of light. A spiritual perspective
produces a tremendous intensification
of individual awareness.
(2) While several observers cannot perceive the identical rainbow, yet comparable elements exist in all their viewpoints; for instance, an arc of prismatic colors. We can talk and think about these qualities, and consolidate them into the concept of rainbow. Then this idea with its load of meaning may gradually pass from mind to mind. Even big ideas which sweep like grand vistas to the horizons of reality are capable of endless recreation in the consciousness of man.
THUS a common realm of truth is built up in which all intelligent men may share. In the world of space only one body can occupy a given place; in the world of ideas many minds, without conflict or collision, may possess the same idea in the same instant. Because ideas, entirely unlike material things, possess this interpenetrating spiritual nature, I believe they are the greatest wonders of the world. Baha’u’llah has written, “Therefore it has become known that the first bestowal of the Almighty is the Word. The receiver and acceptor of it is the understanding. It is the first instructor in the university of existence, and is the primal emanation of God. All the names originate in His name, and the beginnings and endings of all affairs are in His hand.”[1]
Now a perspective is ideal or spiritual in essence. It is constituted of thought or spirit. A mere animal is incapable of spiritual perspective. He cannot locate himself in any world beyond immediate sensation, nor plan his future, nor appreciate values. All these require the fourth dimension of meaningful conception which he lacks. Thus spiritual perspectives are at once unique in their personal existence and universal in their range of meaning.
The two characteristics of spiritual perspectives just indicated form an intimate union. To describe this union adequately taxes to the limit alike metaphysics and metaphors. Certain spatial figures may symbolize the philosophical realities involved. Lines focused in one point may yet radiate afar. Likewise ideas or ideals, arising in the burning focus of a finite experience, may contain revelations of vast areas of life.
Such an ideal or perspective as I am trying to describe is at once personal and universal, concrete and perhaps also cosmic in bearing. Its manifestations in experience are unique, but its meaning belongs to all comers. A concrete pulse of sensation is meaningless without the setting of ideas; and an idea may be vague abstraction without the sampling of concrete reality. A spiritual perspective is an ideal incarnate in self-consciousness. In converse phraseology, it is the creative form in which flesh awakens into the boundless realm of the spirit.
The kind of consciousness thus hinted at is what philosophers have called the concrete universal. It is the kind of experience both philosophers and poets eagerly seek after; namely, the richness of actual personal life united with the breadth of ideal insight, living content illuminated by far-reaching thought, finite experience set in a cosmic perspective. Only in this form does reality exist for the intelligent mind. Poetic harmony and philosophic insight merely emphasize different aspects of this intimate synthesis of beauty and truth.
THE intelligent religionist, I believe, also seeks to realize this conscious fusion of the concrete and the universal. He is an expert in viewing a particular act in a broad setting in which God is the focus. For example, in giving a cup of refreshing water to a weary traveler he is aware of doing it in the name of the Most High. Like some poets and philosophers, the religionist is cosmic in spirit and concrete in action.
But the truly great religionist as prophet-reformer, while accepting both, goes beyond both in a new and important emphasis: the truth which the poet contemplates as an emotion- filled image, which the philosopher conceives as a universal principle, the prophet presents as a universal way of acting or living. Like the philosopher he possesses a secure poise born of a cosmic outlook; like the poet he clothes his convictions in beautiful metaphors which inspire men. But he adds his own distinctive genius: a deep and driving urge to lead men by example to realize a richer life. Having himself discovered the joys of a new and abundant way, he ardently yearns to communicate and share with others his unifying and generative vision.
In short, the characteristic quality of the religionist is a kind of missionary zeal. He is a dreamer-actor, a critic-builder, a moral leader, a creator of ethical wealth. He presents patterns of conduct which he believes, with reason and sincerity, are good for all men.
The greatest gift and opportunity of religion is to make the patterns of abundant life attractive and effective to the masses of men, so that these ideals may gradually spread throughout the world.
During the remainder of this paper I shall strive to describe some attitudes or patterns of life which seem worthy of universal practice. By suggesting forms which the Bahá’í prophets have recommended I shall enjoy their confirmation of my selection.
IT was indicated above that through the individual viewpoints of men there may permeate some common elements of thought; for example, the color and arc of the rainbows. The common factor consists of that mysterious marvel called the concept or idea. How is it possible for men thus to know common ideas or truths? Philosophic criticism compels me to answer: it is the gift of one Supreme Intelligence. I can find no other adequate source for the common body of verity which men know than a Divine Wisdom who in diverse orderly ways manifests himself to mankind. The realization of this truth is the basic philosophic- religious insight: seeing through things to God. This awareness of the divine has been happily called cosmic consciousness.
The Bahá’í scriptures abound in stirring metaphors by which the prophet-poets endeavor to suggest the character of this Supreme Being. Here are a few of their choicest figures: God is the Ruler of existence, the Lord of all worlds, the one Foundation of Reality, the Shepherd of the world, the Sun of Reality, the Ocean of Divine Presence, the Sea of Divine Generosity, my Awakener, the Desire of the Universe. In the invocations of these books a hundred or more stirring attributes are applied to Him. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá has written, “Nothing is completely worthy of our heart’s devotion save reality, for all else is destined to perish. Therefore the heart is never at rest, and never finds real joy and happiness until it attaches itself to the Eternal. Man must attach himself to an infinite reality, so that his glory, his joy and his progress may be infinite. Only the spirit is real; everything else is as shadow. Therefore, let us yearn for the Kingdom of God, so that Our works may bear eternal fruit.”[2]
The deepest and surest ground of mental poise is the conviction that the framework of our human life is a friendly cosmic intelligence. This belief, once accepted wholeheartedly, influences and glorifies our attitudes towards everything else. When we awaken to the perspective of a universe ordered by the ever-active and wise God, an ineffable peace takes possession of our souls. It is like the dawning of the sun over a dark and indistinct earth: the details of the landscape fall into an ordered Whole, and with joy and confidence we set forth on the next stage of our pilgrimage. In this steadying vista of existence the end-point is God and the fore-point is my own soul, and I am content.
A SECOND source of hope and peace of mind is the belief in the oneness of mankind. This conception and ideal is the most distinctive and important feature of Bahá’í teaching. “The essence of the Bahá’í movement,” declares Horace Holley, “is spiritual democracy.” In exquisite poetry Baha’u’llah has said, “O people of the world! Ye are all the fruits of one tree, and the leaves of one branch, the flowers of one garden, and the drops of one ocean. Conduct yourselves with perfect love, union, friendship, and understanding.”
This belief in the oneness of mankind
[Page 368]
rests upon several solid reasons.
The first is religious: the conviction
that God is the one Father of all entails
the recognition that all men are
brothers. Bahá’u’lláh affirms, “The
religion of God is for the sake of love
and union.” The second reason is
epistemological: universal intercourse
through ideas presupposes a deep
kinship among human minds. In
other words, the existence of creative
intelligence and common truth makes
a man realize his oneness with other
members of the race.
The third reason is empirical and ethical. Biologically and psychologically human beings have essentially similar characteristics. Since then I realize growth and joy through friendliness with my neighbors, it is fair to believe they would enjoy similar benefits. I take it as axiomatic that all men desire a more abundant life, and that the attitude of sympathetic good-will enlarges out natures. It follows as night the day that the practice of good-will—of valuing life and serving mankind— is the ultimate principle of morality. In everyday life intelligent kindness is basic; there is no demand beyond this for the regulation of conduct.
This ideal and spreading practice of good-will in social relations is another example of spiritual perspective. It is of universal application. It is so simple and intelligible that even a young school boy could appreciate it. The central problem of civilization is how to extend this spirit in intelligent forms to ever- widening circles of human beings. Love is a divine quality, and the only hope of a harassed and disordered world.
Now suppose that every person in the world practised this attitude to every one he met, and that his sympathies excluded no one. A Bahá’í author declares, “As the laws of human association replace throughout society the laws of animal survival, men will learn how to realize the harmony, the beauty, the abundance, the free fellowship which the myths of every people have attributed to the golden age.”[3] Immeasurable joy and contentment would fill the human world. I could feel at home everywhere if I could expect everyone to be kind.
I can count upon people to prefer kindness to ill-will and malice. I know I dislike intensely the conflicts and regrets that result from unkind words and deeds. I can be sure that the psychic effects of benevolent action will be unifying and satisfying. Here I come upon a second fundamental source of philosophic poise. If I can gain that inner resolution, integrity, or strength of will by which I maintain a friendly attitude at all times in the face of annoyances, injustice, or misunderstanding, then I shall have a sure refuge of peace. I rely much upon the leaders and literatures of religion to help me maintain this spirit. The power of religion to increase the deficient supply of altruism in society is a sufficient justification for its support and development in contemporary life.
The reign of love in the world
would destroy the dullness and monotony
due to unsympathetic imagination,
for love is ingenious and creative.
The lover invents new devices
[Page 369]
by which to make his love more expressive
and helpful. Several specific
techniques for realizing good-will
more effectively will now be indicated.
These methods are included
among the fundamental Bahá’í teachings.
(a) Let us consider first the art of conference, or the technique of consultation. This art of group discussion is of supreme importance in solving the problems of the on-coming century. It assumes that a conference may be creative in the sense of producing valuable insights and solutions which would not be found apart from the group. The procedure assumes the freedom, equality, and utter tolerance of all members. It presupposes also a willingness on the part of the individual to modify his prejudices and plans of action in the light of fresh facts and ideas which may emerge in discussion. The will to maintain a spirit of unity in the group and the preservation of the method of sympathetic discussion are of such basic importance that they must be maintained at all costs, even with the failure of agreement upon other plans of action.
In the ideal conference, obstruction, resentment, and secession on the part of a minority are carefully provided for. Sometimes a few, after free and full deliberation, may honestly regard the decision of the majority as unwise. But every member has understood in advance the expected course of action in case he finds himself one of the minority: namely, to maintain the spirit of cooperation and the method of experimentation; that is, in assisting the majority to gain the additional experience and facts necessary to test their hypothesis. If the viewpoint of the minority should become verified, then the majority in their turn would support the minority in their plans. In this way minorities are not embittered or excluded, but are encouraged to cooperate. This consideration is of the utmost importance, because it is usually from the minority that the most significant new ideas arise.
To envisage the universal practice, in the different phases of social problems, of this art of conference as described above is a thrilling perspective and possibility. If this technique became as widespread as the handshake, the ill-will, bitterness and tragedy of unsettled social conflicts would be largely alleviated. To realize this lofty ideal of social adjustment requires a philosophic approach, and a persistent and lofty order of self-sacrificing devotion to the brotherhood of man.
(b) Let us turn our most lively
imagination to tracing the far-reaching
consequences of another perspective
concerning the brotherhood of
man. Suppose that every school boy
and girl in the world should learn,
along with arithmetic, grammar, and
other elementary studies, an international
auxiliary language of excellent
quality? Experts tell us that this
proposal is eminently practical, and
that such a language can be learned
in a surprisingly short time. Then
when the school boy grew up to become
a traveler or salesman, a scientist
or missionary, he could interchange
[Page 370]
ideas with people in any part
of the world.
The result of this interchange would be the dissolution of countless misunderstandings, an increase in the sense of oneness, a mutual enrichment of cultures, and other incalculable benefits. Through such a secondary language some international body like the League of Nations could make readily available to anyone every important writing. It seems that only a relatively small amount of intelligent planning and cooperation is required to inaugurate this grand enterprise. Its possibilities for the growth of peace and civilization are staggering. It is another spiritual perspective worthy of realization.
(c) I can think of other patterns of conduct which are at once simple in conception and universal in application. There is space to mention only a few. Bahá’u’lláh declared that there is no more important matter than universal peace. As soon as everyone in his heart really desires peace and is unwilling to do violence to anyone else, then war would be impossible. Here is another spiritual perspective of far-reaching significance. To gain peace for the world let every individual sincerely love peace and practise it. Then all hate would be turned into fellowship and love. World-wide peace is as simple —and difficult—as that. A Greek proverb says in effect: to keep our city clean let every citizen sweep his own door front.
(d) Another pattern of thought of tremendous power is the idea that evil is transition to good. If everybody actually believed and acted upon that truth, then the difficulties and pains of life would lose their bitter sting and become stepping stones to higher spiritual levels. The Nile River appears muddy and brown when viewed nearby; at a certain distance it becomes a sparkling blue, reflecting the brilliant sky overhead. I am convinced that in general every evil to which we do not succumb can become our benefactor if we will.
(e) Here are a few other perspectives. Could not everyone in his youth learn the technique of one of the fine arts? Then through the remainder of his days he could enjoy richer self-expression and development in his leisure time. (f) Why not learn in youth the simple elements of a perfected shorthand as a convenient tool for the rest of life?
(g) As a lover of gardens I could propose such an organization of community and land ownership that everyone could have a small plot of earth where he could enjoy the care of growing things.
WE have seen how a perspective is an ideal of living, seen in spirit, not yet realized in space. It is a spiritual principle capable of generating value in ever-widening ranges of human experience. And those who first see and inaugurate these principles are called seers or prophets.
A prophet is a man who is wise
enough for the first time to see and
seize clearly a basic life value which
future generations will esteem. He
discerns and lives in the present some
pattern which in the course of time
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many nations, perhaps all the world,
will practise. He reads in advance
the chapter headings in the history
of the future. His contemporaries
may call him mad, traitorous, impious,
or abnormal; he becomes the
norm for people at a higher level
of spiritual evolution. The masses of
men are really looking for the qualities
of the great normality, the complete life.
The peculiar function of the high prophets in all ages is to assist men in defining the patterns of abundant life, to awaken the divine potencies which lie dormant in them. Truth- seekers eagerly study the words of these high prophets, for they are the creators of spiritual perspectives. In Bahá’í metaphor the prophet is the dawning place of goodness and spiritual truth in the world; as the sun brings light in the natural world, the prophet brings light in the spiritual world. His advent is like the coming of spring. He is the pattern-maker for on-coming generations, He plants in civilization the seeds of destiny, and once a seed is discovered all may grow the flower. Markham has said, “Thou canst see the whole world’s winter in one leaf.” In one act of unselfish love one can discern the key to universal peace and happiness. Thus the patterns of the prophets become the goals of the race, and perhaps its customs also.
Because prophetic writings portray ways of life which promise to abide, the reader enjoys there in the present some of the landscapes of eternity. This sensing of the eternal brings to the mind an exquisite poise and serenity. The visions of the prophets aid us greatly in finding our concrete setting in the thought lines of the ages.
Some of the profoundest joys of life emanate from growing perspectives concerning its meaning. James H. Cousins says, in his Ode to Truth, “For they who catch the vision of the whole may greatly dare the part;” and they who feel the power of love may live at home in all the world. Ethical and religious demands sometimes seem hard in the present because they presuppose a long-range view of a great good. The value of any perspective, however, is measured by the amount of reality it enables us to grasp, the range of future planning it provides for, and the altruistic power it generates.
Now it may be that the Bahá’í conception of the “new world order” is a spiritual perspective sufficiently grand to include all others. Supreme philosophic satisfaction comes from discovering such an all- comprehensive ideal. I recall how the Parthenon is unified by imaginary construction lines which converge at a point far above the temple; so perhaps the great lines of prophetic perspective may sometime issue in a spiritual commonwealth in which God is the “Primal Point” and love the universal cement among men.
The warm-hearted devotion to such
an exalted cause unifies one’s whole
life. It saves us from the prevalent
“sin of disproportion,” which magnifies
trifles and disregards fundamentals.
In this long view the annoying
details of life become
negligible, and we maintain our tranquility
[Page 372]
amid worries and disappointments.
Tagore has written, “Life’s
errors cry for the merciful beauty that
can modulate their isolation into a
harmony with the whole.”
But the true religionist is not, like the philosopher, merely a passive spectator of all time and existence. He is a vivacious actor in a definite sphere of life. He is a pilgrim in a country which is not his own because it is not yet made according to his ideals. He lives expectantly and adventurously. He is a spiritual pioneer who dares to adopt the prophetic pattern and act upon it, as Abraham who journeyed to a far and strange land to make a new home for his family and a new religion for the world. The man of spiritual vision sees what ought to be and stakes his life on the faith that what ought to be is more real than what is for it is bound to come to pass.
Professor William E. Hocking has written, “Destiny in practice means the way to my next step in growth.” This next step may be either one of two fundamental kinds. (a) I may become newly seized by a spiritual perspective, by an ideal which suddenly becomes transformed from a mere word or abstract idea into a soul-gripping conviction. This step is a “moment of vital decision” when I claim as my own some basic prophetic ideal, when I become for the first time the burning focus of a great cosmic perspective.
(b) The second kind of step in growth may consist in a concrete victory in which I actually put in practice a plan of action which I have adopted as my own. And the conviction and ideal become clearer as I strive to realize them. The discovery and the realization of spiritual perspectives, then, are the two growing points of life: the seeing of a new path to a fuller life, and the starting to walk along that path. Incomparable poise and peace blesses the self whose conduct is thus oriented in cosmic perspective.
Humanity, whether viewed in the light of man’s individual conduct or in
the existing relationships between organized communities and nations, has,
alas, strayed too far and suffered too great a decline to be redeemed through
the unaided efforts of the best among its recognized rulers and statesmen—
however disinterested their motives, however concerted their action, however
unsparing in their zeal and devotion to its cause. No scheme which the calculations
of the highest statesmenship may yet devise; no doctrine which the
most distinguished exponents of economic theory may hope to advance;
no principle which the most ardent of moralists may strive to inculcate, can
provide, in the last resort, adequate foundations upon which the future of a
distracted world can be built. — SHOGHI EFFENDI, in The Goal of a New
World Order.
The tree propagates through seeds blown upon the breeze. A Faith is propagated by believers who can embody its principles and sacrifice themselves even as the seed is sacrificed that the tree may flourish. In this sketch of Iceland we have another episode in the career of a Bahá’í who for many years has traveled to all parts of the world.
•
THE SOUL OF ICELAND
By MARTHA L. ROOT
•
SOME peace workers in other Scandinavian countries said to the writer: “Why do you go to Iceland with these Bahá’í peace principles?” The Icelanders are the most real lovers of peace in the whole world. Why go to Iceland? Because this country of high latitudes morally as well as geographically deserves to know the Truth of this New Day of God. They are courageous, they possess the Viking spirit and are wide awake; never have they been so wrapped in superstitions as many other peoples.
Iceland is unique in that it never had a primitive or savage race. Its first colonists were nobles and chieftains of Norway who came in the ninth century to colonize Iceland because they were dissatisfied with conditions at home.
The Icelandic language, practically unchanged since these first settlers came, is the original of all the Norse tongues. It has been kept so pure that its people can read today the sagas of the twelfth century.
Almost a thousand years ago, Njáll Bergthórshvoll of South Iceland said of Christianity when it was announced to his countrymen: “It seems to me the new Faith must be better, and that he is fortunate who possesses it. If the men who preach it come to Iceland, I shall assist them according to my ability.” Olaf Tryggvason of Norway (in 997 A.D.) had sent some Christian missionaries to Iceland. Just two years later two converts Gizur White and Hjalti Skeggjason went over to Norway to hear more of the Teachings; when they returned they succeeded in introducing a resolution in the Althing (the Icelandic Parliament) in 1000 A.D., (and it was carried) that the new religion should be adopted in Iceland.
The people of this most Northern
civilized state high in the Arctic
waters are optimists. They must face
so many dangers with the weather on
land and sea that they have developed
strong character, exceeding kindness
to one another and hospitality that
comes straight from the heart. One
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well known man wrote in a Reykjavík
newspaper, the day of the writer’s
last lecture on “Bahá’u’lláh’s Teachings
of Immortality”: “Our guest will
give her last lecture here tonight, I
do not know what the Teachings of
the Persian Prophet are on life after
death, but every one who carries in
his heart the hope of eternal life will
wish to hear this significant address.
Also, if the people go in great numbers
it will make her memory of Iceland
more intimate, and that is the
kind of hospitality we should like to
give to every one who visits Iceland.”
Icelanders always come half-way to
welcome new truth. Their spirit, like
youth, is ready to seek, to know, to
accept, to promote. Iceland has the
distinction of being the first state in
the world to announce to all nations
and peoples her neutrality; she definitely
states she will not take part in
any war whatsoever. The state that
has the courage to do this is composed
of men and women who have capacity
to appreciate the principles of universal
Peace.
It is interesting too, the Icelanders said at once: “We have a love for Persia, what is this spiritual Teaching from Irán?”
WHAT great things they do in Iceland! One of the greatest hymn writers of this country, Hallgrímur Pjetursson, was a leper. Mr. Einar Jónsson, the celebrated sculptor, whose works are visited every year by art lovers from many lands, has a famous piece in his gallery; this sculpture represents the poet alone, suffering, sitting upon his bed; but just above is the spiritual Hallgrímur Pjetursson, the glorious religious poet of the Passion hymns, with the crucifix in one hand, the harp in the other, leading the people of Iceland.
One should begin any saga, any any article about Iceland with the name of Einar Jónsson. He is the greatest soul in Iceland today. His universal masterpieces in his museum are like “scriptures” of art, giving the glad- tidings of spirit conquering the physical, the immortal rising up from death. The humblest person, as well as the most profound scholar, all art lovers who walk through the gallery cannot but be cheered, refined, inspired. Just as Raphael could paint the soul, Einar Jónsson can release the spirit out of marble.
WINTERS in Iceland may be
dark and cold, but the warm Gulf
Stream, flowing up from Florida
waters both winter and summer, is
what helps to make Iceland a livable
land. As one Reykjavík doctor expressed
it: “Iceland is centrally heated
and the furnace is in the Florida
waters of your United States.” This
large island, Iceland, second in size
only to Great Britain among the
European isles, is between four and
five days’ journey by ship from Hull,
England; three or four days from
Leith, Scotland, via the Iceland
Steamship Company line; 1300 miles
from Copenhagen by way of the
Danish Steamship Company line; it
lies 440 miles East of Greenland, and
650 miles from the West coast of
Norway, via the route of the Bergen
Steamship Company. All these liners
pass by Faroe Islands and Vestmannaeyjar
(West Men Islands), so they
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gave an excellent opportunity to the
Bahá’í' to speak a little about the
Bahá’í Cause on all these islands
which fringe the Arctic Circle.
Picturesque Reykjavík—capital of this land of jagged snowcapped mountain peaks, great glaciers and ice fields, magnificent waterfalls, boiling hot springs, geysers and desolate lava fields, with everywhere that astounding fascination and nameless charm which is associated with this high altitude—has a summer climate of extraordinary clearness and purity; pure by reason of its freedom from the taint of dust, the strong winds keep it clean. The fine and generally dry air, tempered by the glaciers and the sea, and then pervaded all day and nearly all night by vitalizing solar glow, is something only possible in a high Arctic land like this. Houses are comfortably heated; the air is full of ozone, one does not feel fatigue, and the salty breezes from the ocean are most bracing. The future will witness many travelers from all lands coming “to take their cures” and their summer holidays in Iceland; for bodies, minds, souls experience here something different from what they have ever known before. There is a calm too, a repose in the very Icelandic atmosphere; and the almost celestial colors of sky and clouds, mountains and sea, not to be found anywhere else—all these will bring one back again to Iceland!
‘ABDU’L-BAHÁ, in His Tablet[1] to the believers in the Provinces of the Dominion of Canada, written April 5, 1916, said: “Perchance, God
EINAR JÓNSSON’S MONUMENT TO KARLSEFNI, FIRST WHITE MAN WHO SETTLED IN AMERICA
willing, the Call of the Kingdom may
reach the ears of the Eskimos—
Should in Greenland the fire of the
love of God be ignited, all the ices
of that continent will be melted and
its frigid climate will be changed into
a temperate climate—that is, if
the hearts will obtain the heat of the
love of God, that country and continent
will become a divine garden
and a lordly orchard, and the souls
like unto fruitful trees will obtain
the utmost freshness and delicacy.”
The Broadcasting Station of Iceland
(paid for by the owners of radio
sets) on July 15, and later, on July
23, sent over the air (for the first
time) two talks about the Bahá’í
Faith: one an air interview and the
[Page 376]
other a book review of “Bahá’u’lláh
and the New Era”; in addition they
gave other items of Bahá’í news.
These all came in the News Hour in
the early evening, just at a time when
at least fifty thousand people all over
Iceland listen in. If the farmers are
working late in the fields in this summer
weather in July, they always send
some one from the family into the
house to listen to the news, and come
back to report it to the others.
The “Morgunbladid” in Reykjavík, on July 14, printed the first article ever published in the Icelandic language about the Bahá’í Teachings. The editor had said two days before: “I’ll read this book and these pamphlets and then I’ll write.” All the editors as well as the radio director had received copies of “Baha’u’llah and the New Era,” a Bahá’í of Copenhagen and friends in the United States had sent copies to the writer for presentation to leaders of Iceland.
The “Nyja Dagbladid” had a long interview written by the editor, Mr. Sigfüs Haldorsson, on July 17, and on July 28, he published a second article, “What is the Bahá’í Movement”? This was so excellent that a thousand reprints were made in order to give them out to people, because there was no Bahá’í literature available in Icelandic.
Other newspapers that used excellent articles were the “Visit”, July 18, 1935, and “Althydu Bladid”, July 25. An editor of a magazine asked Holmfridur to write a feature article about the Báb and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and bring photographs. The newspapers and likewise the broadcasts gave information where Bahá’í books could be obtained.
Books were placed in the Reykjavík public libraries. Although Iceland is so small, only 32,000 people in Reykjavík and 126,000 population in all —for it must be remembered that nine-tenths of Iceland is uninhabitable being a vast desert of rugged lava poured forth in ages past from its many volcanoes and intersected with mountains and great glaciers—yet the number of books drawn out from the public libraries is remarkable. From the People’s Library in Reykjavík they lend out ten thousand books a month. Packages containing forty books each are lent regularly to the fishing trawlers when the men go out to sea to remain months at a time.
I HEARD that even at Husavik,
a little herring station up on the
coast, there is a splendid library
started by a farmer, Benidik Jónsson,
now over eighty years old. He has
gathered together nearly five thousand
volumes; a few are English
books; in the autumn the farmers
come there from remote places to buy
their provisions for the winter and
they call at the library to draw out
a large collection of books which they
read during the long winter evenings;
for in this land of the midnight sun
the winters are very long, dark and
cold. Often during the winter one
reads aloud in the home while the
others work at various kinds of handcrafts.
These farmers return the
books when they come to the station
again in the spring to sell their sheep’s
wool. There is a thirst for knowledge
in Iceland and a love of reading is
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innate; there are no illiterates in Iceland.
Esperanto is making progress here. The writer lectured in Esperanto before the Esperantists of Reykjavík and was presented with the volume, “Alphjódamál og Málleysur” (International Language and Bad Languages) where on page 84 is the first mention of the words “Bahá’í Movement” ever printed in Icelandic literature: it mentions “La Nova Tago,” the Esperanto magazine devoted to the Bahá’í Faith. The book is written by an Icelandic author, Thórburger Thórdarson, and was published in Reykjavík, 1933, by the Culture Foundation of the State. The writer had corresponded with Mr. Thórdarson and last year forwarded to him Bahá’í books in Esperanto, and he sent back the word; “Tell her we are waiting for her in Iceland.”
Another brilliant group in Iceland are the Theosophists. They have one of the most beautiful Theosophical buildings in Europe. When the first Bahá’í lecture was given in the Chamber of Commerce soon after arrival, the majority of those present were Theosophists; the Secretary of the Theosophical Society of Iceland who was present, invited the Bahá’í speaker to meet a few friends in her home the next week, and later she graciously acted as interpreter when the Theosophists extended the courtesy of their hall for the lecture, “Bahá’u’lláh’s Teachings of Immortality”.
What saga could ever tell it all! Those days in Reykjavík so full of joy and gladness, those eager questions! One man who lectures all over Iceland said: “I’d like to translate ‘Security for a Failing World’, this is a book Icelanders will like!” Another said: “Who is going to translate ‘Bahá’u’lláh and the New Era’ into Icelandic? It should be published in our language”; in a word, the world Faith was discussed everywhere.
HEROIC MONUMENT BY EINAR JÓNSSON
- ↑ Bahá’í Scriptures, p. 523.
The course of history proves that it is idle to hope for a self-contained nation living independently of its neighbors. International cooperation, this educator is convinced, depends upon recognition of that fact.
•
NATIONAL INTERDEPENDENCE
THE EVIDENCE OF HISTORY
By R. A. MCLEMORE
•
THE unity of the history of western civilization is a fact that has been largely ignored. The emphasis which has been placed upon domestic factors as the important influences in determining the development of a people has resulted in an insularity of thinking that is detrimental to the common interests of mankind. A survey of the history of the world reveals that the development of a country is profoundly influenced by that of its neighbors. The effectiveness of any strictly national forces that are operating to bring about change is determined by influences operating on the state from the outside. The importance of international forces in shaping the history of a country may be illustrated by excerpts from that of the United States.
The birth of the United States was brought about by a series of events that were largely out of the hands of the patriots. The circumstances that deprived France of the last of its new- world colonies were not the results of the forethought of American leaders, yet this was a very important step in establishing the independence of the thirteen colonies. The policy of Great Britain in 1763 brought the country vast territorial gains, but it left a bitterness of feeling that was to turn the scales against the state a few years later. The coolness that developed between Great Britain and Frederick the Great of Prussia deprived the island kingdom of all continental support. In the course of the American rebellion the United Kingdom found itself confronted by a hostile world.
The attempt of George III to rule in England brought about kaleidoscopic political conditions and unstable colonial policies. A consistent policy would most likely have overcome whatever opposition existed. If the government had not been so inefficient, the colonists would have escaped the burdensome impositions by practical measures that had already proved their worth. No study of the causes of the American revolution would be complete without a careful consideration of the influences exerted by prevailing conditions in England.
The colonies profited during the
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rebellion from the fact that England’s
enemies saw in the situation an opportunity
to weaken a strong and
greedy neighbor. The support received
by the colonies in the early
years of the war was limited to fair
promises and inadequate loans. This
insignificant aid was enough to keep
the embers of revolt alive. When it
became apparent that the situation
was embarrassing to Great Britain
and that there was serious domestic
disagreement regarding British policy,
France determined to use the opportunity
to humble its rival. French
support and the subsequent entrance
of other powers into the conflict assured
the ultimate success of the colonies.
Great Britain escaped serious
losses by offering the colonies their
independence, thus separating them
from the allies and bringing the conflict
to a close.
The colonists had expected independence to be a panacea for all of their ills. They had neglected to take account of the fact that independence would close the ports of the world to their trade. The period immediately after the signing of the peace brought economic suffering and political disillusionment. The nostrum offered by the leaders to meet the exigencies of the situation was reorganization of the government. In Europe there was much discontent during the same period.
Leaders in Great Britain and in France were demanding governmental changes to meet new conditions. The influence of the philosophy of these reformers may be seen in the handiwork of the framers of the constitution.
THE constitution of the United States is generally regarded as a most commendable piece of work, but it was not the intrinsic merits of the document that secured for it the place it enjoys in the national life. Coincident with the inauguration of the new scheme of government a series of European wars opened up undreamed- of markets for American products. The yankee merchant and the western farmer were prosperous once more. These years of economic prosperity gave the new government time to become fixed.
George Washington has been saddled with the advocacy of a policy of isolation. The practices of his administration reveal the hopelessness of any such policy. From the day of his inauguration as President of the United States he was faced with problems that depended upon the international situation for their solution. Some of the provisions of the peace treaty of 1783 remained unfulfilled, and new difficulties had appeared when the colonies assumed an independent status. The Jay treaty with England and that of Pickney with Spain removed the most embarrassing problems.
The French revolutionary wars necessitated
an interpretation of the
treaty of alliance of 1778 and a statement
of the general policy the new
state proposed to pursue. The visit
of Citizen Genet fanned the embers
of factional strife and undoubtedly
had its influence on the subsequent
formation of political parties. The
European wars resulted in the infringement
of American rights, but
this was more than compensated for
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by the undreamed-of economic prosperity
which resulted from the opening
of vast European markets. The
experience and wisdom of the first
president led him to state in his
farewell address that “harmony, liberal
intercourse with all nations are
recommended by policy, humanity
and interest.” Washington accepted
the importance of international relationships.
The general condemnation of John Adams’ administration and the collapse of the Federalist party was grounded in differences over the conduct of foreign affairs. The X. Y. Z. affair, the war with France, and the Alien and Sedition laws gave the Jeffersonian Republicans control of the government.
The difficulties and achievements of the first Republican administrations were the results of the international situation. The acquisition of the Louisiana territory was an unexpected windfall that resulted from the complications of the European situation. In spite of the harassing restrictions of the belligerent nations, American trade was expanding. The embargo acts and the war of 1812 seem to have borne more heavily on the shipping and trade interests of the country than the illegal exactions of foreign states. It is likely that the war hawks of 1812 saw in England’s continental difficulties an opportunity to increase the territories of the United States. The fortunes of war changed in Europe at about the time America entered the conflict. The Napoleonic series of unbroken successes gave way to reverses. American territorial ambitions were frustrated by the outcome on European battlefields quite as much as by the ill success that attended the military and naval efforts of the republic.
THE transition from the activities of war to those of peace brought difficulties and disturbances to all nations. The United States faced such questions as bank reform, the tariff and economic readjustment. The hard times saw scores of settlers pushing westwards seeking new homes and new opportunities. In England the redirection of industrial life to peace-time pursuits brought suffering and misery. Monetary legislation, the judicious handling of the tariff, emigration and the exploitation of new markets, especially in South America, aided in the restoration of national prosperity. Readjustments in France were complicated by governmental changes and the payment of a war indemnity. The increasing political self-consciousness of the masses manifested itself in the French revolution of 1830, the democratic reforms of 1832 in England, and the triumph of Jacksonian democracy in 1828.
The expansionist activities of the
states during the second quarter of
the nineteenth century are closely interrelated.
The Monroe Doctrine was
the statement of a policy that England
was willing to make effective by
the use of force. The purchase of
Florida momentarily improved the
finances of a bankrupt state and likely
averted the unrecompensed loss of
the territory. France was encouraged
to extend its suzerainty in northern
Africa. Discontented with this unprofitable
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area, the French were vieing
with England for control of unappropriated
regions in the Pacific.
The inability of France and England
to agree on a policy, and the bellicose
attitude of the Czar of Russia left
the rich and extensive lands of Texas
as an uncontested prize for the United
States. The disturbed conditions in
Europe in 1838 permitted the addition
of New Mexico and California
to the American territories.
The Civil War period was a testing time for the union. That brotherly contest was largely the result of bitter anti-slavery propaganda. The anti- slavery agitation did not have its beginnings in the United States. Before it had become a serious factor in American political life it had aroused bitter feelings among European peoples. It may be that the movement reached a vindictiveness in the new world that was not characteristic of it in the old, but something of the same spirit finally dominated the movement in all countries.
EVEN as the international characteristics of the anti-slavery crusade lent support to the wavering zealots of the north, so the expectation of foreign aid in case of armed conflict strengthened the hands of the extremists in the south. The southern leaders expected that the industrial states of Europe would be forced to intervene in a contest that threatened the interruption of their supply of cotton. The failure of this hoped-for aid to materialize was probably the most important factor in determining the outcome of the struggle.
The discontent which existed in the United States during the last quarter of the nineteenth century and found expression in the populist movement, the Bryan-McKinley campaign of 1896, and less noteworthy channels, was the American expression of a somewhat similar restlessness that was finding an outlet on the continent. England was effecting reforms at the behest of Gladstone’s party; Germany under the leadership of Bismarck was stifling the growth of Socialism by a far-reaching program of social betterment; and France under Gambetta and his disciples was effecting similar reforms.
Imperialism, which has played such an important part in world politics in the last three quarters of a century, has not been confined to any one country. The gains of one state have usually been marked by concessions to rivals in other areas. The partition of Africa offers a splendid example of this sort of trafficking. Those states that were late in entering the contest for colonial territories were forced to content themselves with less desirable regions, but they have not ceased to envy their more fortunate neighbors.
THE United States has not
escaped the influence of this world
movement. The purchase of Alaska
and Grant’s Santo Domingo policy
were early manifestations of the
movement. It was not until the close
of the century that the American
people became sufficiently imbued
with imperialistic ideals to permit the
waging of a profitable war. Theodore
Roosevelt won popular acclaim by
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his “big stick” policy.
The economic revolution of the eighteenth century paved the way for the development of big business. In all of the industrial states there has been a tendency toward combination of enterprise. Many of the new organizations have brought together gigantic resources that give them a well nigh independent Status in their respective fields. The majority of the states have recognized the advantages of these combines. From an original attitude of hostility the governments have advanced to one of friendly cooperation or even of promotion. In some cases the next logical step has been taken and business has been nationalized.
Big business demanded big markets. The competition became keen and finally war was inevitable. The United States found a policy of isolation impossible. Undreamed of markets demanded impossible supplies at fabulous prices. Rather than lose such profits, as the results of the submarine warfare or the defeat of its customers, the United States joined hands with one group of the belligerents. The leadership of the United States assumed that the country’s responsibility extended to participating in the post-war arrangements. The opposition plowed well the old Washingtonian doctrine of isolation and succeeded in preserving the untrammeled independence of the country.
The policy of the United States since the World War has been one of isolation. The leaders of the United States, following the mandates of the American electorate, have sought to escape the ills which perplex other countries by pursuing a policy of isolation. The most cursory survey of recent conditions reveals that prevailing conditions vary only in degree from state to state. There have been boom periods, depressions, and unstable governments in all countries. Not only have those states that first adopted western civilization been affected but the newcomers have likewise felt the influence of the laws that govern all commonwealths regardless of race, of language, or form of government.
These facts suggest that there is an inescapable unity in the history of western civilization that must not be overlooked in our interpretation of history. This interdependence and inter-relationship is common to all fields of human endeavor. Whatever may be the temporary benefits of a policy of isolation, in the light of past experience it is idle to hope for a self-contained state that can live independently of its neighbors. When the peoples of the several states appreciate this fact there will be a cooperation among them that will be mutually beneficial.
Ignorance of his own true nature, and forgetfulness of the divine Assurance concerning the nature of the soul, has plunged man into the abyss. In the teachings of Bahá’u’lláh, the foundation of reality has been restored to human existence.
•
THE NATURE OF THE SOUL
WORDS OF BAHÁ’U’LLÁH
•
THOU hast asked Me concerning the nature of the soul. Know, verily, that the soul is a sign of God, a heavenly gem whose reality the most learned of men hath failed to grasp, and whose mystery no mind, however acute, can ever hope to unravel. It is the first among all created things to declare the excellence of its Creator, the first to recognize His glory, to cleave to His truth, and to bow down in adoration before Him. If it be faithful to God, it will reflect His light, and will, eventually, return unto Him. If it fail, however, in its allegiance to its Creator, it will become a victim to self and passion, and will, in the end, sink in their depths.
Whoso hath, in this Day, refused to allow the doubt and fancies of men to turn him away from Him Who is the Eternal Truth, and hath not suffered the tumult provoked by the ecclesiastical and secular authorities to deter him from recognizing His Message, such a man will be regarded by God, the Lord of all men, as one of His mighty signs, and will be numbered among them whose names have been inscribed by the Pen of the Most High in His Book. Blessed is he that hath recognized the true stature of such a soul, that hath acknowledged its station, and discovered its virtues.
Much hath been written in the books of old concerning the various stages in the development of the soul, such as concupiscence, irascibility, inspiration, benevolence, contentment, Divine good-pleasure, and the like; the Pen of the Most High, however, is disinclined to dwell upon them. Every soul that walketh humbly with its God, in this Day, and cleaveth unto Him, shall find itself invested with the honor and glory of all goodly names and stations.
When man is asleep, his soul can, in no wise, be said to have been inherently affected by any external object. It is not susceptible of any change in its original state or character. Any variation in its functions is to be ascribed to external causes. It is to these external influences that any variations in its environment, its understanding, and perception should be attributed.
Consider the human eye. Though
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it hath the faculty of perceiving all
created things, yet the slightest impediment
may so obstruct its vision as
to deprive it of the power of discerning
any object whatsoever. Magnified
be the name of Him Who hath
created, and is the Cause of, these
causes, Who hath ordained that every
change and variation in the world of
being be made dependent upon them.
Every created thing in the whole universe
is but a door leading into His
knowledge, a sign of His sovereignty,
a revelation of His names, a symbol
of His majesty, a token of His
power, a means of admittance into
His straight Path. . . .
Verily I say, the human soul is, in its essence, one of the signs of God, a mystery among His mysteries. It is one of the mighty signs of the Almighty, the harbinger that proclaimeth the reality of all the worlds of God. Within it lieth concealed that which the world is now utterly incapable of apprehending. Ponder in thine heart the revelation of the Soul of God that pervadeth all His Laws, and contrast it with that base and appetitive nature that hath rebelled against Him, that forbiddeth men to turn unto the Lord of Names, and impelleth them to walk after their lusts and wickedness. Such a soul hath, in truth, wandered far in the path of error. . . .
Thou hadst, moreover, asked Me concerning the state of the soul after its separation from the body. Know thou, of a truth, that if the soul of man hath walked in the ways of God, it will, assuredly, return and be gathered to the glory of the Beloved. By the righteousness of God! It shall attain a station such as no pen can depict, or tongue describe. The soul that hath remained faithful to the Cause of God, and stood unwaveringly firm in His Path, shall, after his ascension, be possessed of such power that all the worlds which the Almighty hath created can benefit through him. Such a soul provideth, at the bidding of the Ideal King and Divine Educator, the pure leaven that leaveneth the world of being, and furnisheth the power through which the arts and wonders of the world are made manifest. Consider how meal needeth leaven to be leavened with. Those souls that are the symbols of detachment are the leaven of the world. Meditate on this, and be of the thankful.
In several of Our Tablets We have referred to this theme, and have set forth the various stages in the development of the soul. Verily I say, the human soul is exalted above all egress and regress. It is still, and yet it soareth; it moveth, and yet it is still. It is, in itself, a testimony that beareth witness to the existence of a world that is contingent, as well as to the reality of a world that hath neither beginning nor end. Behold how the dream thou hast dreamed is, after the lapse of many years, re-enacted before thine eyes. Consider how strange is the mystery of the world that appeareth to thee in thy dream. Ponder in thine heart upon the unsearchable wisdom of God, and meditate on its manifold revelations. . .
Witness the wondrous evidences of
God’s handiwork, and reflect upon its
range and character. He Who is the
Seal of the Prophets hath said: “Increase
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my wonder and amazement at
Thee, O God!”
As to thy question whether the physical world is subject to any limitations, know thou that the comprehension of this matter dependeth upon the observer himself. In one sense, it is limited; in another, it is exalted beyond all limitations. The one true God hath everlastingly existed, and will everlastingly continue to exist. His creation, likewise, hath had no beginning, and will have no end. All that is created, however, is preceded by a cause. This fact, in itself, establisheth, beyond the shadow of a doubt, the unity of the Creator.
Thou hadst, moreover, asked Me concerning the nature of the celestial spheres. To comprehend their nature, it would be necessary to inquire into the meaning of the allusions that have been made in the Books of old to the celestial spheres and the heavens, and to discover the character of their relationship to this physical world, and the influence which they exert upon it. Every heart is filled with wonder at so bewildering a theme, and every mind is perplexed by its mystery. God, alone, can fathom its import. The learned men, that have fixed at several thousand years the life of this earth, have failed, throughout the long period of their observation, to consider either the number or the age of the other planets. Consider, moreover, the manifold divergencies that have resulted from the theories propounded by these men. Know thou that every fixed star hath its own planets, and every planet its own creatures, whose number no man can compute.
CONSIDER the rational faculty with which God hath endowed the essence of man. Examine thine own self, and behold how thy motion and stillness, thy will and purpose, thy sight and hearing, thy sense of smell and power of speech, and whatever else is related to, or transcendeth, thy physical senses or spiritual perceptions, all proceed from, and owe their existence to, this same faculty. So closely are they related unto it, that if in less than the twinkling of an eye its relationship to the human body be severed, each and every one of these senses will cease immediately to exercise its function, and will be deprived of the power to manifest the evidences of its activity. It is indubitably clear and evident that each of these aforementioned instruments has depended, and will ever continue to depend, for its proper functioning on this rational faculty, which should be regarded as a Sign of the revelation of Him Who is the sovereign Lord of all. Through its manifestation all these Names and Attributes have been revealed, and by the suspension of its action they are all destroyed and perish.
It would be wholly untrue to maintain that this faculty is the same as the power of vision, inasmuch as the power of vision is derived from it and acteth in dependence upon it. It would, likewise, be idle to contend that this faculty can be identified with the sense of hearing, as the sense of hearing receiveth from the rational faculty the requisite energy for performing its functions.
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This same relationship bindeth this
faculty with whatsoever hath been
the recipient of these Names and Attributes
within the human temple.
These diverse names and revealed attributes
have been generated through
the agency of this Sign of God. Immeasurably
exalted is this Sign, in its
essence and reality, above all such
names and attributes. . .
Wert thou to ponder in thine heart, from now until the end that hath no end, and with all the concentrated intelligence and understanding which the greatest minds have attained in the past or will attain in the future, this divinely ordained and subtle Reality, this Sign of the revelation of the All-Abiding, All-Glorious God, thou wilt fail to comprehend its mystery or to appraise its virtue. Having recognized thy powerlessness to attain to an adequate understanding of that Reality which abideth within thee, thou wilt readily admit the futility of such efforts as may be attempted by thee, or by any of the created things, to fathom the mystery of the Living God, the Day-Star of unfading glory, the Ancient of everlasting days. This confession of helplessness which mature contemplation must eventually impel every mind to make is in itself the acme of human understanding, and marketh the culmination of man’s development.
This striking statement on international language is from a radio address delivered at Brussels on October 12, 1935 by the American Ambassador to Belgium.
•
A RECONSTRUCTED WORLD LANGUAGE
By DAVE HENNEN MORRIS
•
HERE am I in lovely Brussels,
using the most wonderful instrument
ever invented to make possible the
bringing of all men into immediate
spiritual contact with each other. But
in harnessing electric waves to do my
bidding, I am using a form of speech
dating back through the centuries.
What a contrast! Before me is a marvelous
instrument of communications,
new in every detail and thoroughly
thought out. Through it I transmit
a language, old and not consciously
constructed. Like all national languages,
it is a product of emotions
and the storehouse of local traditions.
[Page 387]
It is beautiful indeed to those who
understand its inconsistencies and
love its local associations. But it is
not a scientific product designed advisedly
to overcome the barriers of
speech which still separate and annoy
men of different mother tongues
when they seek direct interchange of
ideas. The radio overcomes space and
transcends national boundaries, but
language barriers nullify its highest
possible usefulness. The radio is essentially
international, so it needs an
international language, one simple
in structure, precise, easy to learn,
and free from hidden prejudices and
misunderstanding in the meanings
of its words. And so it cannot be a
national language. It must not be
the language of one nation for use
by all nations, but it must be a new
product, a scientific invention for the
use of all men, a linguistic instrument
for mankind.
There must be coordinated effort to achieve the desired result: the scientist to direct, the schoolmaster to teach, and all men to use this constructed language, the basis for which already exists.
Let there be a new, unselfish coordination of effort by all, so that each may contribute of his best to a common solution of this world problem. We need a language worthy to match the radio and to bring it to new efficiency, so that men’s thoughts may be communicated even as this instrument sends the sounds of their voices throughout the world.
Today we celebrate the discovery of America. This is an anniversary day. Let us also make it an inauguration day, a day on which is born a determination so to voice the demand for a constructed world language that the governments of all civilized nations will heed and take action, a determination that there shall be taught in the schools of each country not only the beloved mother tongue to express, as it alone can, the soul of its people,—a thousand ethnic languages, if you will—but at the same time a simply constructed secondary language, one world language for all, for direct communication among all mankind.
For Bahá’u’lláh, we should readily recognize, has not only imbued mankind with a new and regenerating Spirit. He has not merely enunciated certain universal principles, or propounded a particular philosophy, however potent, sound and universal these may be. In addition to these He, as well as ‘Abdu’l-Bahá after Him, have, unlike the Dispensations of the past, clearly and specifically laid down a set of Laws, established definite institutions, and provided for the essentials of a Divine Economy. These are destined to be a pattern for future society, a supreme instrument for the establishment of the Most Great Peace, and the one agency for the unification of the world, and the proclamation of the reign of righteousness and justice upon the earth.—SHOGHI EFFENDI, in The World Order of Bahá’u’lláh.
Society perishes by spiritual decay, not by the hostility of nature nor the failure of physical sustenance. To be valid, a social program must be based upon human regeneration, without which political and economic measures have no power. The candle of the heart is lighted only by the Bearer of the divine flame.
•
A WORLD FAITH
Studies in the Teachings of Bahá’u’lláh
V. THE SPIRITUAL NATURE OF MAN
By MAMIE L. SETO
•
CHRIST said: “For what shall it profit a man if he gain the whole world and lose his own soul?” Or what shall a man gain in exchange for his soul?
Bahá’u’lláh, writing in a similar way, in Hidden Words says: “Free thyself from the fetters of this world and loose thy soul from the prison of self; seize thy chance for it will come to thee no more.”
The Manifestations of God always express eternal truths, and speak of realities, hence they speak of the reality of man which is his rational soul or spirit. These two names, the human spirit and the rational soul, designate one thing.
The soul is the imperishable part of man and once it comes into being it never dies. It has a beginning but has no end. The soul is nor composed of elements; it is not composed of many atoms. It is of one individual substance and therefore eternal. It is old as regards time, new as to individuality. It is connected with the Unseen Ancient Entity, and is innately pure (selfless). This connection is similar to that of the rays to the sun—the effect to the Primal Cause.
Man, however, combines in himself two natures, the spiritual or higher nature and the material or lower nature. The soul or higher nature is ofttimes called the inner self as distinguished from the limited outer self, which is at best but the temple of the soul, and because of its limitations, both Bahá’u’lláh and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá call it the “prison” of the real self.
In his soul nature man approaches God, and in his material nature he lives only for the material world. The attributes of the soul are shown forth in love, mercy, justice, truth, honesty, courtesy, etc., while the attributes of the material or lower nature are injustice, cruelty, hatred, greed, etc.
[Page 389]
The power of the rational soul
can discover the realities of things,
comprehend the peculiarities of beings,
and penetrate the mysteries of
existence. All sciences, knowledge,
arts, wonders, institutions, discoveries
and enterprises come from the exercised
intelligence of the rational
soul.[1] Man has five outer powers,
which are agents of perception,
through which he perceives material
things. These are sight, hearing,
smell, taste and feeling.
Man’s spiritual powers are also five: They are imagination, which conceives things; thought, which reflects upon realities; comprehension, which comprehends realities; memory, which retains whatever man imagines, thinks and comprehends. The intermediary between the five outward and the inward powers is the sense which they possess in common, that is to say, the sense which acts between the outer and inner powers, conveys to the inward powers whatever the outer power discerns. It is termed the common faculty, because it communicates between the outward and inward powers.[2]
THE development of the rational soul or inner self is the all- important thing, and one of the two great reasons why the spirit appears in the body and takes its physical form on this earth plane.
“For the wisdom of the appearance of the spirit in the body,” says ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, “is that the human spirit is a Divine Trust, and it must traverse all conditions, for its passage and movement through the conditions of existence will be the means of its acquiring perfection; The other reason is it is necessary that the signs of the perfections of the spirit should be apparent in this world, so that the world of creation may bring forth endless results. By the appearance of the spirit in the physical form this world is enlightened. If there were no man this world would be like a body without a soul.”
The perfections of spirit, or soul qualities, are not only needed in this world, they are absolutely necessary and essential in the after life. Since man’s outer powers are agents of perception through which he perceives material things, these will not be needed in the spiritual worlds. What he will need there are: Faith and assurance, love of God, knowledge of God and the qualities of mercy, justice, truth, love, etc. This is an additional and most vital reason for the necessity of soul development here.
If man could only realize the high place he occupies in God’s creation he would undoubtedly exert a great effort to express and attain this exalted rank. The Creator has selected man of all His creation for the greatest distinction, honor and glory. This distinction, however, is connected with his spiritual nature and lieth within the soul.
“As for the spiritual perfections” ‘Abdu’l-Bahá states, “they are man’s birthright and belong to him alone of all creation. Man is in reality a spiritual being, and only when he lives in the spirit is he truly happy.”
God has bestowed upon man the
supreme honor for He has made him
in the image and likeness of Himself,
[Page 390]
and has given him dominion over all
the earth. (Gen. 1:26) “And all that
has been created is for man who is at
the apex of creation,” ‘Abdu’l-Bahá
has written.
“O! my Friend!” writes Bahá’u’lláh in regard to man’s exalted rank, “Thou art the day star of the Heavens of Holiness, let not the defilement of the world eclipse thy splendor. Rend asunder the veil of negligence that, without veil or covering, thou mayest emerge resplendent and array all beings with the robe of life.”
“O! My servant! Thou art like a sword of rarest temper and lustre, enclosed in a dark sheathe, by reason of which its quality remains concealed from the craftsman. Then come forth from the sheath of selfish (outer) desire, that thy lustre may gleam forth resplendent and manifest to all the world.”
“How resplendent” declares Bahá’u’lláh in the Iqán on the glorious station of man, “are the luminaries of knowledge that shine within an atom, and how vast the oceans of wisdom that surge within a drop. To a supreme degree is this true of man, who among all created things hath been invested with the robe of such gifts, and hath been singled out for the glory of such distinction. For in him are potentially revealed all the attributes and names of God to a degree that no other created being hath excelled or surpassed. All these names and attributes are applicable to him, even as He hath said ‘Man is My mystery, and I am his mystery.’
“The station of man is great if he hold to truth and rectitude and keep firm and steadfast in the command. A real man is seen before the Merciful One like unto the heaven; his sight and hearing are the sun and moon and his luminous and shining qualities are the stars; his station is the highest station and his traces are the educators of the world.”
‘Abdu’l-Bahá, interpreting this sublime theme, the glory of man, says: “The nobility and glory of man consists in the fact that amidst the beings he is the dawning place of righteousness; can any greater blessing be imagined by man than the consciousness that by divine assistance the means and comfort of the human race are in his hands? Sense and inner faculties have been bestowed upon us that we may use them for the good of mankind and that we may become distinguished from the lower nature of man by the solidity and justness of our judgment and that we may continually engage ourselves in welldoing.
“As all glory lieth in the soul of man, there can be little or no progress connected with a life of the outer senses any more than there is life in the husks of a seed. It is the kernel of a seed which sprouts, sends forth its shoots and grows into a flower, plant or tree, while the husks but break away, shrivel and die, so the individual who lives only in the world of the senses lives on the husks of life.”
How then shall we teach the soul of man and bring forth its priceless hidden treasures?
For this glorious and all important
work we have to go to the Source of
[Page 391]
life; for only the power that gave
life can bring it forth. We therefore
go to the Manifestations of God and
their teachings. These glorious Beings
are sent to earth by the Almighty
for this very purpose and
through the power of the Holy Spirit
emanating from them, men’s souls
are quickened and potential qualities
revealed.
“The purpose of the one true God, exalted be His glory, in revealing Himself unto men is to lay bare those gems that lie hidden within the mine of their true and inmost selves,” says Bahá’u’lláh.
“I come that ye may have life and have it more abundantly,” said the Christ. This, of course, means a life of the soul. Bahá’u’lláh, the Manifestation of God for this glorious cycle, says: “To gather jewels have I come to this world. If one speck of a jewel lie hid in a stone and that stone be beyond the seven seas, until I have found and secured that jewel, my hand shall not stay from its search.”
“For the bringing forth of jewels from the mine of humanity, the True One, may His Majesty be glorified, hath in every age sent a faithful messenger.”
This soul development is a gradual process and covers ages and cycles of time. And while the perfections of soul were in man from the beginning, just as a seed contains the tree, yet they are not visible and become so only by degrees.
“The cornerstone of the Religion of God,” says ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, “is the acquisition of divine perfections and the sharing in His Manifold bestowals. The essential Purpose of faith and belief is to ennoble the inner being of man with the outpourings of grace from on high. If this be not attained, it is, indeed, deprivation. It is the realization of this deprivation that is the true eternal fire. Therefore, it is incumbent upon all Bahá’ís to ponder this delicate and vital matter in their hearts, that, unlike other religions, they may not content themselves with the noise, the clamor, the hollowness of religious doctrine. Nay, rather, they should exemplify in every aspect of their lives the attributes and virtues that are born of God, and should arise to distinguish themselves by their goodly behavior.”
Therefore religion holds first place in our lives and is of the utmost value. One of the most important and vital truths we have to convey, and one which seems difficult for man to realize, is that he is absolutely dependent upon the Manifestations of God for spiritual development.
This is a fundamental truth and has ever been the way of man’s spiritual growth, as Christ said: “I am the way, the truth and the life. No man cometh unto the Father except by me.”
“As thou hast given Him power over all flesh that He should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given Him.”[3]
Bahá’u’lláh, renewing this eternal
law, writes in the Iqán: “Man, the
noblest and most perfect of all
created things, excelleth them all in
the intensity of this revelation, and
is a fuller expression of its glory, and
of all men, the most accomplished,
[Page 392]
the most distinguished and the most
excellent are the Manifestations of
the Sun of Truth. Nay, all else besides
these Manifestations live by the
operation of their will, and move
and have their being through the outpourings
of their grace.”[4]
“The human spirit, which is the rational soul, unless assisted by the spirit of faith does not become acquainted with the divine secrets and heavenly realities,” says ‘Abdu’l-Bahá.[5]
Henry Drummond in his book “Natural Law in the Spiritual World” put the matter in a scientific way when he wrote: “The spiritual life is the gift of the living spirit. The spiritual man is no mere development of the natural man. He is a new creation born from above.
“Why a virtuous man should not simply grow better and better until in his own right he enters the Kingdom of God is what thousands honestly and sincerely fail to understand. Science answers at once. It is to be simply pointed out that this is the same absurdity as to ask why a stone should not grow more and more living till it enters the organic world, which is the kingdom above the mineral; so man in the human kingdom cannot be lifted in the kingdom above without help from above.”
HUMAN progress goes forward in cycles; a cycle dawns, reaches its zenith and declines, and another cycle dawns and passes through the same phases. These cycles may be likened to grades in school and humanity likened to the child in attendance. It learns the lessons therein and is then ready for further advancement. For the divine and creative purpose in these cycles is the evolution of spiritual man. The progress in past cycles has been in the realm of physical and mental development, and the next step forward lies in the domain of the spiritual.
We are now in the dawn of a new cycle, which is the crowning glory of by-gone ages and cycles. It is a cycle of the maturity of the human race, and we shall see in it the soul qualities of man perfectly unfolded. We shall behold the fruit of the tree of humanity, and as fruit of the spirit is joy, therefore this new cycle will be a cycle of happiness and joy for the world.
“This twentieth century is the dawn of spiritual illumination, and it is evident that day by day it will advance. It will reach such a degree that spiritual effulgence shall overcome the material; so that Divine susceptibilities shall overpower material intelligence and the heavenly light shall dispel and banish earthly darkness; Divine healing shall cure all ills and the cloud of mercy shall pour down its rain. The Sun of Reality shall shine and all the earth shall put on its beautiful green carpet.
“Among the results of the manifestation of the spiritual forces will be: that the human world shall take on a new social form; the justice of God will become manifest; human equality will be established. For the poor there will be a great bestowal and for the rich eternal happiness.”[6]
And again ‘Abdu’l-Bahá tells us:
“The highest expression of the life
of man on this planet in this age and
many ages to come is Celestial; that
[Page 393]
is, to live and act in accord with the
teachings of Bahá’u’lláh and to be
steadfast in the love of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá.
The principles of the Religion of the
Blessed Perfection adorn the spirit
with the highest attributes of the
Kingdom of Abhá, illumine the
heart with the Sun of the love of
God, make him a servant of the
world of humanity, a standard bearer
of Universal Peace, and an orb shining
from the heaven of righteousness.”[7]
With this advance step in human progress will come a fuller unfolding of the faculties hitherto dormant.
As our ancestors scarcely suspected there were faculties dormant in man which could discover the nature of the atom, invent the wireless, conquer the elements, travel under water and in the air; so we must not be surprised if those who come after us reveal faculties unknown to us.
‘Abdu’l-Bahá says, “When the brain cells in the upper chamber are active they respond to celestial vibrations; these cells are latent in the majority of human beings. Through service, meditation, and supplication they are awakened. This is the ‘upper room’ to which the disciples retired when they met together with Christ.”
This new age will be a cycle of the glory of God and the glory of man. “Verily man is not called man until he be imbued with the attributes of the Merciful; he is not man because of wealth and adornment, learning and refinement.”
The second instalment in a summary of the history and teaching of Islam, prepared in response to the rapidly increasing interest in Muhammadan religion and civilization by thoughtful people in a West no longer self-centered and convinced of its innate and permanent world leadership.
•
THE STORY OF ISLAM
By ZIA M. BAGDADI
II.
•
To people who were sincere
and had spiritual capacity Muhammad
proceeded to deliver His message
until the number of disciples
reached forty, when He invited His
tribe, called Quraysh, to feast with
Him at Mecca. At that time the
Prophet publicly declared His mission,
urging the people to abandon
the worship of idols and accept the
one true God, revealed by the Prophets
Moses and Jesus. He appealed
[Page 394]
for the repudiation of such practices
as murder, lawlessness and constant
warfare, and called upon the people
to assist in establishing unity and
peace.
This appeal, however, aroused their bitter scorn, even His relatives joining in the ridicule and opposition. Only the faithful ‘Ali pledged support. This opposition later hardened into physical attack, on one occasion Muhammad being savagely beaten and Harith, first martyr of Islam, being slain.
But when it was realized that public interest was constantly increased, the elders of Quraysh sent a messenger to Muhammad offering Him wealth and leadership if He would abandon His claim to Prophethood. To this attempted bribe, He replied that not for the entire world would He cease His endeavor to fulfill His mission and establish the religion of God.
Of historical importance is the episode of ‘Umar, one of the powerful Arabian leaders. ‘Umar became so embittered against Muhammad that he swore an oath to kill Him. Learning that his own sister and her husband had embraced the Faith, ‘Umar hurried to their home and struck them fiercely, ordering his sister, on threat of death, to continue her chanting of verses from Muhammad’s text. The effect of this devotion, and of the import of the words, was an instant change of heart. ‘Umar forthwith became one of the strong pillars of the new Faith.
Thirteen years passed, during which both teaching and opposition continued without cessation. The Prophet’s method of teaching at this time was to reason with the people on the futility of idol worship. His kindness and forebearence, however, was resisted with the persecution and even torture of the believers. Conditions came to such a pass that a number of disciples, among them Fatimih, daughter of Muhammad and wife of ‘Ali, departed for Ethiopia. Soon Muhammad’s wife Khadijih and His uncle passed away. Encouraged by this calamity within the Prophet’s household, His enemies made a final effort to destroy Him and all His followers. A surprise attack upon His house failed because Muhammad had departed for Medina. The troop pressed upon His trail, and to avoid them Muhammad retired with one companion into a cave. Reaching the cave, the enemies decided it would be useless to search it because at the entrance they saw a nest of pigeons and concluded that had anyone entered the cave, the pigeons would have left the nest.
Muhammad arrived at Medina on July 16, 622 A. D., from which date the era of Islam is reckoned.
On learning of His safe arrival
and welcome at Medina, Muhammad’s
foes in Mecca sent an army to
seize and slay Him. It was only then,
and under such circumstances, that
Muhammad ordered His followers to
defend themselves. In this connection
it should be pointed out that the
Muhammadan teaching on war and
peace has been greatly misunderstood
in the West. In fact, Muhammad endured
enmity and persecution for
thirteen years, but when the issue was
presented of suffering the Faith to be
[Page 395]
exterminated or defending it from an
implacable foe, Muhammad raised
the standard of justice and saved the
innocent from the ravenous wolves.
Would it have been an act of mercy
or love to deliver the sheep to the
despoiling wolf? Let Muhammad’s
critics be just.
During the second year of Hijirih, leaders of His tribe again took the offensive, and a hard battle was fought known as “Badr.” The following year saw battles in which other tribes were enrolled against the Faith, while five years later the Prophet was attacked by Christian forces. Before the tenth of Hijirih the city of Mecca and all the tribes of the country round about Mecca and Medina embraced the religion.
On June 7, 11 A.H., Muhammad left this earth.
Concerning the practice of warfare under Muhammad, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá has written: “If Christ Himself had been placed in such circumstances among such tyrannical and barbarous tribes, and if for thirteen years He with His disciples had endured all these trials with patience, culminating in flight from His native land—if in spite of this these lawless tribes continued to pursue Him, to slaughter the men, to pillage their property, and to capture their women and children, what would have been Christ’s conduct with regard to them? If this oppression had fallen only upon Himself He would have forgiven them, and such an act of forgiveness would have been most praiseworthy; but if He had seen that these cruel and bloodthirsty murderers wished to kill, to pillage, and to injure all these oppressed ones, and to take captive the women and children, it is certain that He would have protected them, and would have resisted the tyrants.”[1]
By twenty-three years of spiritual leadership, Muhammad had united the hostile Arabian tribes, inspired them with the spirit of civilization, made their language a language of widespread influence, and during the course of its development this people became the leaders of culture for the entire world.
His teachings were collected and Published by ‘Uthman, the third Ca1iph, in the form since known as the Qur’án, the Holy Book of Islam.
The Islamic literary renaissance began at Baghdad in the seventh century A. D. under the Abbasidian dynasty, and augmented force at Damascus and in Spain. In Spain the Muhammadans founded numerous academies and schools to which came students from many parts of Europe. Pope Clement XI secured Arabian works on philosophy, history and metaphysics. The Arabians produced books on geography, history, philosophy, medicine, physics, mathematics, arithmetic, geometry and astronomy. Translated into Latin, these works were gradually made available in different languages of Europe. The notable names include Averroes, Al-ghazali, and Avicenna. An Arabic origin is revealed in such words as alcohol, alchemy, almanac and algebra. Many Greek masterpieces, which European barbarism sought to destroy, survive only because Arabian scholars had translated them into their tongue.
An example of progress in science
[Page 396]
made possible by the Qur’án: ancient
astronomers believed that the earth is
stationary and the sun revolves about
the earth. “The sun moves in a fixed
place, and each star moves in its own
heaven.” This statement was ridiculed
until many hundred years later,
when Galileo confirmed the earth’s
motion.
The first clock, constructed of wood, was invented under Harun- Al-Rashid at Baghdad in the seventh century, and was sent as a present to the King of France.
(To he continued)
- ↑ Some Answered Questions, pp. 24, 25.
To most people, real civilization began when constitutions were adopted which assured equal justice to every citizen. How this assurance has been weakened, and how the spirit of justice can he quickened, is the theme of the current article in the series on “Social Foundation of Education” by George S. Counts.
•
SOCIAL TRENDS IN AMERICAN LIFE
9. JUSTICE
By BERTHA HYDE KIRKPATRICK
•
AMERICANS believe in justice. This belief is a part of our inheritance. Says Reginald Heber Smith: “Freedom and equality of justice are twin fundamental conceptions of American jurisprudence. Together they form the basic principle on which our entire plan for the administration of justice is built. They are so deep-rooted in the body and spirit of our laws that the very meaning which we ascribe to the word justice embraces them. A system which created class distinctions, having one law for the rich and another for the poor, which was a respecter of persons, granting its protection to one citizen and denying it to his fellow, we would unhesitatingly condemn as unjust, as devoid of those essentials without which there can be no justice.”[1]
When our colonies had achieved
their independence they wrote constitutions
embodying this ideal. The
Declaration of Rights in the Massachusetts
Constitution adopted in
1780 contained these words: “Every
subject of the Commonwealth ought
to find a certain remedy, by having
recourse to the laws, for all injuries
or wrongs which he may receive in his
[Page 397]
person, property or character. He
ought to obtain right and justice freely,
and without being obliged to purchase
it; completely and without any
denial; promptly and without any
delay; conformably to the laws.”[2]
This same ideal has been incorporated in practically every state constitution of our United States written since then and in the supreme law of the land. That this ideal has never become a reality is all too evident to the thoughtful and informed person. “The administration of American justice,” says Mr. Smith, “is not impartial, the rich and the poor do not stand on an equality before the law, the traditional method of providing justice has operated to close the doors of the courts to the poor, and has caused a gross denial of justice in all parts of the country to millions of persons.”[3]
The reasons Why the poor man is so often unable to obtain justice, Professor Counts points out in his chapter on justice,[4] are his inability to pay for a legal counsellor and for the court costs and fees; also the delay in the administration of justice. To illustrate what delay means Mr. Smith gives in detail the case of a wage earner who had a claim for ten dollars, representing a week’s wages, and summarizes thus: “The case took one year and nine months and required eleven months in court for both attorney and client to collect the original ten dollars.”[5]
As to court fees Mr. John MacArthur Maguire says that the result of these fees is such that one might as well post a notice over the courthouse door saying: “No plaintiffs admitted except those who have at least five or ten dollars in their pockets.”[6]
THERE is abundant evidence, too, that racial and cultural minorities are more than likely to be victims of injustice. This is particularly true of American Indians, Orientals, immigrants from southern and eastern Europe, and most markedly of the American Negro. “In most parts of the United States the possession of a black skin or even of a trace of Negro blood, provided the fact is known, is the occasion of many and diverse social disabilities. This is a generally admitted fact. As yet the democratic ideal has not been applied to persons of African descent. In ten states of the Union the Negro is denied the right to vote.”[7]
This social injustice is of course reflected in the courts. We find that the Negro is more subject to arrest than the white man. Having once been arrested he has, usually, all the disadvantages of the poor person before the law and often the additional disadvantage of appearing before a judge or jury deeply prejudiced against his race. Repeated examples are given of Negros convicted on insufficient evidence. And then the punishment is often unfair. On this point Edward B. Renter writes: “The punishment meted out to Negro offenders is characteristically more severe than that of white offenders. They are committed to prison more frequently and receive longer sentences for similar offences.”[8]
The Negro above all others is subject to mob law and lynching.
Another group of people who are
[Page 398]
more than likely to be treated unjustly
in the courts and by the police is
the political non-conformist. Besides
the world famous cases of Billings
and Mooney, Sacco and Vanzetti, and
the Jacob Abrams case of New York
Professor Counts enumerates a long
list of incidents covering the last
seventy-five years of our history where
justice has miscarried showing that
“movements aiming at fundamental,
social reform have commonly been
subjected to more or less severe persecution
at the hands of the majority
and of vested interests.”[9]
Some effort at reform in administering justice has been made in certain states and communities with good but very limited results. “Legal aid for the unfortunate, which was first considered in 1875, has grown to large proportions and reveals the development of a definite social conscience regarding this matter.”[10] There are other reforms which have established such things as small claims courts, conciliation and arbitration, domestic relations courts, and industrial accident commissions. All these efforts are to the good but not sufficiently far-reaching and fundamental.
If we are honest we must still face the fact “That freedom and equality before the law are denied to a large proportion of the population; that the poor are unable to pay for the price of justice; that inequalities of wealth and income are reflected in the courts; that racial and cultural minorities are subject to unfavorable discrimination; and that holders of unpopular opinions often experience the abrogation of constitutional guarantees.”[11]
WHAT is the reason, one may rightfully ask, why the administration of justice in America has never measured up to the standards set by the founders of our country and the writers of our constitutions? No one reason will explain this. Professor Counts helps us to understand some of the reasons. For one thing he says that our “judicial institutions have not kept pace with social changes.” Our law system developed under very different conditions from those which prevail today. No thorough- going changes and reforms have been made to meet the demands of an industrial age. On this point Roscoe Pound writes, “the last quarter of the eighteenth century and the first quarter of the nineteenth century is the formative period of American law as it stands today; it is the period in which the English legal materials were received and made over by a body of men learned in the law, sitting on the bench, making law in the legislatures, or lecturing and writing as law teachers.”[12] And Professor Counts adds, “The administration of justice in twentieth century America is thus entrusted to institutions that antedate the age of coal and iron and gasoline—that took form at a time when the doctrines of individualism in economy and of absenteeism in government were sweeping the country and were in fairly close harmony with the facts of social life.”[13]
But while an inefficient and outdated
legal system may doubtless be
blamed for much unnecessary delay
and expense in court proceedings Professor
[Page 399]
Counts believes that a more
deep-lying cause may be traced to our
economic system. He says: “The
fundamental difficulty therefore is
not to be found in the law and the
courts; rather does it reside in an
economic sy‘5tem that permits poverty
and riches, that generates the great
inequalities in wealth and income
characteristic of American society under the regime of private capitalism,
and that fails to provide the material
resources for the equal administration
of the law.”[14]
In fact, when we consider the extremes of wealth and poverty, the lack of food and other necessities among the many, the waste and luxury among the favored few, we begin to understand that justice has both a deeper and a broader meaning than equity in the courts. Unfair administration of the law is only one of the injustices to which the large group of the underprivileged in the United States are subject and the root of all injustice would seem to be economic injustice. We are told on good authority that 16,000,000 American families or 60 per cent of the total number have an income less than is necessary to supply basic necessities. Is this justice? No one longer denies that there is, potentially, abundance for all. We must become sensitive to the just claims of all classes in the economic world before the needed reforms in our courts can take place.
WITH the ideal of justice, so nobly conceived, so repeatedly set out in writing, still unrealized in our country, must we believe that mankind is incapable of dealing justly and that a large portion of humanity is destined never to receive justice? No, surely the ideal of justice is not dead. The sense of justice lies deep in the heart of man. Even when he fails to use it it is there. Consider the lofty teachings by which Bahá’u’lláh has in this age renewed this sense of justice in man’s heart. He tells us that it is God’s gift to man and the sign of His lovingkindness. But we must use this gift and not hide it away. “Set it ever before thine eyes” is the command. When we do use it it will bring light and wisdom to those administering justice. “The light of man is justice; quench it not with the contrary winds of oppression and tyranny.”
Moreover Bahá’u’lláh tells us that we are at the dawn of a new day in which justice will no longer be denied. “In this day,” He says, “the cry of justice is raised and the lamentation of equity is heard.” And He leaves us in no doubt as to the meaning of justice. “If thou lookest toward justice, choose thou for others what thou choosest for thyself.”
What will be the result when in this new day we follow the laws of justice? There will be abundance for all. “On that day (i. e. when the world is adorned with the mantle of Justice) God will satisfy them all with His abundance.”
But there is a sternness, too, in justice for it brings not only reward but punishment in its operation to bring about a righteous world. “The trainer of the world is justice, for it consists of two pillars: Reward and Retribution.”
And finally in this day justice is
[Page 400]
destined to bring about a result never
before achieved in the history of mankind,
for “The purpose of Justice is
the appearance of unity among mankind.”
Unity brings peace.
But what is the power that will turn man again to justice that these great results may be achieved in the world—that all men may have abundance, that unity and harmony, peace and tranquility shall prevail throughout the world? Bahá’u’lláh answers this question, too, in no uncertain terms: “For the fear of God commands people to do that which is just and forbids them that which is evil. If the lamp of religion remain concealed agitation and anarchy would prevail, and the orb of Justice and Equity and the sun of Peace and Tranquility would be withheld from giving light.” And Bahá’u’lláh adds, “Every man of discernment testifies to that which is (here) mentioned.” Can it be that justice has not prevailed in this land because religion, true religion, has waned? Were those words demanding justice for all which were written into all the constitutions of our land conceived and penned by men who were more God-fearing than we of today? If we are men of discernment we shall reflect deeply upon the words of Bahá’u’lláh in seeking to find the fundamental cause of injustice in our country and in the world remembering that Justice “is the best beloved of all things.”
- ↑ George S. Counts, Social Foundations of Education, Scribners, Quoted on p. 396.
- ↑ Ibid, Quoted p. 396.
- ↑ Ibid, Quoted p. 397.
- ↑ Ibid, Part II, Chap. IX.
- ↑ Ibid, Quoted, p. 402.
- ↑ Ibid, Quoted, p. 403.
- ↑ Ibid, p. 409.
- ↑ Ibid, Quoted p. 411.
- ↑ Ibid, Quoted, p. 412
- ↑ Ibid, p. 407
- ↑ Ibid, p. 420
- ↑ Ibid, Quoted, p. 390.
- ↑ Ibid, p. 391
- ↑ Ibid, p. 408.
PRAISE
By ROSE NOLLER
- BEAUTY is Thy name, Lord.
- Thou hast written it in such lovely letters,
- And spoken it infinitely anew.
- Thy richness makes me spellbound
- And I wonder why Thou art
- The mighty swelling sea
- And the sweetness of this swishing grass;
- The beauty-curve of wooded paths
- And the flower-enlivened meadows.
- Bewilderingly my speech
- Stumbles on thy soft rhythms
- And I wonder where flies the soaring word
- That shall praise Thee content!
THE SPIRIT OF THE AGE
•
GLEANINGS FROM THE WRITINGS OF BAHÁ’U’LLÁH
Tablets on the Day of God, the Manifestations, the reality of man, the oneness of mankind, and universal peace, in excerpts selected and translated by Shoghi Effendi. 346 pages and Index. Bound in cloth, $1.80. In fabrikoid, $2.25.
•
THE DAWN-BREAKERS: NABIL’S NARRATIVE OF THE EARLY DAYS OF THE BAHÁ’Í REVELATION, translated and edited by Shoghi Effendi
The eye-witness account of the declaration of the Báb, His Martyrdom, and the event which revealed the dawn of a new order upon earth. 736 pages. Illustrated. Bound in leather, $7.50. Limited Edition, $35.00.
•
SOME ANSWERED QUESTIONS
Compiled by Laura Clifford Barney from the recorded explanations given her by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in 1907 to questions concerned with the significance of the Prophets, the renewal of civilization, the spiritual reality of man, and sociological subjects. 350 pages. Bound in cloth, $2.00.
•
THE PROMISE OF ALL AGES, by Christophil
The spiritual content of religion, with its evolving social implications, traced through the succession of Prophets to its culmination in the Dispensationof Bahá’u’lláh. 254 pages. Bound in cloth, $1.50.
•
MYSTICISM AND THE BAHÁ’Í REVELATION, by Ruhi Afnan
The Bahá’í teaching that the Prophet is Intermediary between God and man applied to the traditional mystical attitude upon the process of spiritual evolution. 80 pages. Paper cover, $0.50.
BAHÁ’Í PUBLISHING COMMITTEE
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