NGL CL, 7 * Be ~ 3S aN AAS Se acs cA > * oe ~ we We, oe A , SRR SS : MS aN \ .S Sy ; ‘ : Mh © ANS Sees oe “4 . ws a oo oe AY PAGO, OF LZ LE oa ng iy oA LEE erat o oN SS AY = Nena, i A Wa ONS SSE ane oj wy © A . ~ . RAEN % . . . - Lae) ~ . ‘ » » oF ae Ee RRR sy Z ALE pet: A x at SSO we LE TNO TS TN SSNS % HE Ss SN LIBRARY OF THE THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY PRINCETON. N. J. | PRESENTED BY Taber aus iy Corns ee or 3 t Se ey PORE prs i” ‘> 5 — Division. kp. a 2 hs Section... i> 3 A eo. vt Ch ty (ean iy SERIES OF TWELVE ARTICLES INTRODUCTOR' Re TO THE STUDY, OR): nity ‘THE BAHAY TEACHINGS ih This edition of fifteen hundred volumes is intended for public libraries, to be distributed gratis by the Bahai Library Committee. Librarians of public libraries wishing copies will kindly apply to. The Baha’i Library Committee, . P.O. Box 1319, WASHINGTON, D. C. USA; _ INTRODUCTORY TO THE STUDY OF _ THE BANA’! TEACHINGS Treating briefly of the Revelation of Baha’u’llah, History, Organization, Religious and Secular Doctrines and Institutions, by } CHARLES MASON *REMEY Copies of this book may be obtained from the Baha’i Publishing Committee, P.O. Box’ 48. Grand Central Station, New York City, U.S.A. Cee PHO HEL CODY) ceil a vehi ae cd teeta) Gene AQ COPIER is costs Cum nd tetitreka cep Uae Approved by the National Bahd’i Reviewing Committee of America April, 1925 Printed by Tipografia Sordomuti, Firenze, Italia. Series of twelve articles. . es The Bab . .- Baha'u'llah Abdw'l-Baha ® ° + 2 e s of the Orient PDREFACE. This series of twelve articles, introductory to the Bahwt _ Teachings, is compiled for the most part from writings circulated during the past decade or more, and is now | published in order to meet the present increasing need for ; literature in the field of Bahai teaching. The material contained therein summarizes information which can be found in a less abridged form in the standard works of the Bahwt Cause. The writer wishes to express his deep appreciation of the assistance rendered him by Mrs H. Emogene Hoagg in the preparation of this book for press. Florence, Italy, May 15, 1925, C. M. R. The Reality of Religion. ‘Abda’l-Baha O army of life! East and West have joined to worship stars of faded splendor and have turned in prayer unto darkened horizons. Both have utterly neglected the broad foundation of God’s sacred laws, and have grown un- mindful of the merits and virtues of His religion. They ‘have regarded certain customs and conventions as the immutable basis of the divine faith, and have firmly estab- lished themselves therein. They have imagined them- selves as having attained the glorious pinnacle of achieve- ment and prosperity when in reality they have touch- ed the innermost depths of heedlessness and deprived themselvels wholly of God’s bountiful gifts. The corner-stone of the religion of God is the acqui- sition of the 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 at- tained, it is indeed deprivation itself. It is the torment _ of infernal fire. Wherefore it is incumbent upon all Bahda’is to ponder this very 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 ; ARC eM aaa SEAS eo NEA ME CES el a aD ee , ST hae ah ve } 5 7 I he no rl 12 doctrine. Nay, rather they should exemplify in every aspect of their lives those attributes and virtues that are born of God, and should arise to distinguish them- selves by their goodly behaviour. They should justify — their claim to be Bahda’is by deeds and not by name. He is a true Bahda’i who strives by day and by night to progress and advance along the path of human en- — deavor, whose most cherished desire is so to live and act as to enrich and illuminate the world, whose source of inspiration is the essence of divine virtue, whose aim in life is so to conduct himself as to be the cause of infinite progress. Only when he attains unto such — perfect gifts can it be said of him that he is a true Bahai. For in this holy dispensation, the crowning ~ glory of bygone ages and cycles, true faith, is no mere acknowledgement of the unity of God, but rather the living of a life that will manifest all the perfections and — virtues implied in such belief....His holiness the Exal- ted One, may my life be a sacrifice unto him, and the Abha Beauty, may my spirit be offered up in the path of his loved ones, have shown us the way of right be- — haviour, have guided us to the path of selfsacrifice, have a taught us how to despise earthly rest and comfort, how ~ to lay down our lives that others may prosper and suc- ceed. That sanctified Being, despite the loftiness of His position, and the exaltation of his spirit, chose to be chained and fettered that we may obtain the light of di- vine guidance. All the days of his life he rested not for a moment, sought no repose, nor laid his head upon the couch of ease and security. His days were passed t a amidst afflictions and suffering: how can we prove our- — ae el vy ee ; ah, ‘ cs ‘poe wey. ey) Ve Toe J 13 selves worthy and yet remain inactive ? Surely it is but just that we arise to water this pure and widely-scatter- ed seed, that we care for these saplings planted in the soil of hearts, that we dedicate ourselves wholly to the service of mankind. Then will the world be turned into a paradise, then will the surface of the earth mir- ror forth the glory of the Abha Kingdom. Should this _ be otherwise, great will be our deprivation and grievous our loss. ~ O servant of Truth! Wouldst thou obtain the sover- eignty of earth and heaven, seek naught but true servi- ’ tude at the threshold of the Abha Beauty. Wouldst thou win the joy of liberty in this world and the next, desire not but submission unto his holy will. Wouldst thou discover the true way of God, follow the path of his Covenant. Wouldst thou behold the light of eternal splendor, fix thy gaze upon his bountiful grace vouch- ‘Safed from the Abha Kingdom ». if ay } * i | INTRODUCTION | D000 THE MESSAGE The Hope and Glad Tidings of this New Day A general introduction The Baha’i Revelation INTRODUCTION _ THE MESSAGE. At the present time the religious world is in a state of change. It is breaking away from the superstitions and the cold, hard and dead creeds and dogmas of the _ past, and it is awakening to and reaching out for a - broader conception of truth, a dynamic religion which - is at the same time liberal, tolerant and unsectarian. Nothing short of such a universal catholic faith can satisfy humanity in this day and age. There are many philosophies. Because of man’s finitude, infinite religion has taken upon itself many and varying forms of thought, but from the spiritual _ view-point of: reality there is and can be but one re- . ligion, because there is but one God, and there is but _ one spiritual relation between Him and the individual souls of men. The knowledge of this spiritual rela- _ tion between the Oreator and the created, between the infinite divine being and man, is the one, the only and the true religion. It is the basic principle of the truth contained in all religious systems. Shorn of Bh superstitions and imaginations and renewed by the _ divine spirit, it will be the religion of the future. This present day is characterized by a great spirit- oi SRR) De de etmek) | Ly Lee SAT e: lt LAS Ah ee ee yy ae ck ey oe ite FREAD TS Aas Ck er Uae tek, ee ee Mer aT Bete Sane t) eae Fu aie ot, Weer Sete Md ai te i PS Wali ke de a eR cl me am RRA ko eae iat pei Sy Wa A are PL eles) Shs hh h SidE Cee FON eee an oy bib Liss yf Nate SURE Bi ve be yy ant st PF SCR Aico Gehl) sheeted private trier ft SI viii CULMS aR SS RB a ievidas ry ( Pate t fr yu ut 18 ual awakening among the followers of all rela y the like of which has never before been seen in the a world. This awakening is manifest among all people, ai in all countries, and under all conditions. During the : past eighty years the world has entered upon a new ite spiritual era. Many people who have made a shade i of the domestic and foreign fields of religious work of | today realize this fact, notwithstanding their own widely differing personal view-points. In the Christian — : world we see the effect. of this awakening in socon- vincing a manner that illustrations are unnecessary. 2 In the other religions the same is clearly and strikingly ~ visible in the many changes and movements which, in ae these latter years, have characterized Judaism, Islam-— ism, Hinduism, and latterly, the great Be awakening in China among the followers of Confucius. This spiritual awakening is universal. It manifests itself differently under varying conditions, — social, racial — and religious; but considered as a hoe it indicates that the soul of the world of humanity is now awake — " searching truth and seeking freedom from the supersti- 3 : tions of the past, and that nothing short of the unis i : versal truth will appease its hunger and querer its f thirst, now, in the light of this new day Bey age, all iene : is Pataenibed to have emanated from the one source, — i which is God. Many thinking people are now believ- ing that religions in their purity are all based on oe 19 same fundamental truths and are as parts of one great body organically connected. Hach revelation of divine truth has been a step leading humanity to a higher con- ception of the Creator and his divine law, and preparing souls for the time when all men would be united in one great world universal faith, worshiping the one God in spirit and in truth. Great divine seers loom up in history as centers of religious inspiration. Then in the coming age another prophet appears, building upon the foundation of his predecessors, fulfilling their prophecies and accomplishing the hopes of their follow- - ers by leading humanity on a stage further in soul development. Hach prophet prepared the way for the coming of the succeeding prophetic dispensation. In this way have all religious movements of the past been interrelated as integral parts of the foundation - of God’s universal kingdom here on earth, whose com- - _ pleted structure is destined to come as a great universal world religion, in which the prophecies and fruits of all religions will be realized. The teachers and prophets, the founders of the world religions, have been seers, as well as channels of truth “ow: to the people of their days. Through spiritual inspi- _ ration, understanding, and wisdom, they foresaw coming events and human conditions. They foretold this uni- _ versal latter-day awakening of all people and demand yar * for truth, and they foresaw the One who would meet and satisfy this demand for truth in the coming of _another-channel of divine grace, the great latter-day _revelator. This holy personage, the latest of all Manifestations of the Word and power of God, they prophesied. would arise with spiritual- understanding and power, reveal and demonstrate the universal ars which exists in all religions, unite all men in faith, and establish the universal religion and the Kingdon Ms of God on earth, That this Manifestation, the latest of all God’s messengers, has come, and has. founded — his Cause in the world is the message that the Babi't — Me Cause is giving to the world. a Hach of the world’s great divine teachers haa a spiritual vision tar in advance of the people of his time. These great God-men were independent of the meee x concepts and institutions of their days. They Med : creators of thought, morals, and social advancement, This progressive spirit of the divinely inspired fonnanene of religions characterized each of the great religious movements during its earlier day. Later, as truth was — supplanted by superstition in the minds of the people, A the religions ceased to be independent institutions, —_ : ; guiding the people — and became dependent jee i tions, dependent upon and catering to the thought and — * the imaginations of the people of the day. Its mission as a leader and creator of thought and morals was at : ny an end, and instead of elevating the people it retarded — oe their progress and became the cause of stagnation and i disintegration. Such has been the development of #: ae superstitious theology in the many religions. Advane- — : ing civilization has had no more subtle or persistent — fe enemy to contend with than the superstition of lifeless _ ‘ religious systems. i ie Foremost among the world problems of this day and age is the abolition of war and the establishment aa aie hye ee tts ei Bek Sagi ae aa py LE Mabel ica eat ig are ie) tral 4 ‘Su J cs A oe he ee veal’: ne BS ge” H © . oe t ~ OU aera) 21 ‘international peace. In reviewing history one sees that — national, racial and religious hatred and rancor have been one of the principal causes of war. Even at the present time the differing and opposing tenets, customs and morals held by the different religious teachings or - philosophies are not only not working for peace upon earth, but through their separating influence upon men Aa are actually holding people at variance, dividing hu- - manity, and in many cases have been the direct cause _ of war in modern times. The object of the Bahda’i teaching is to strike a fatal blow at these prejudices, It not only seeks to eliminate the cause of strife, but in place of enmity it plants a virile and growing spirit of religious unity between the peoples reached. _ The Baha'i Revelation offers to the world a religious ) teaching applicable to the present modern needs of | humanity. It is religion renewed. It teaches that all: truth emanates from the one Word of God, through God’s many mouth-pieces, His anointed ones, or pro- _phets, and that truth has come into the world for the quickening of the soul of humanity, Thus the re- vealed teachings of all religions in their beginnings were i but as time passed man-created philosophy and ™ po ipnet crept in, killing the pure spirit of divine truth, | until finally little remained save superstition, creed, | dogma, and ceremony. Hence, a new spiritual quik: ening is necessary from age to age, and now again as in times past, God has revealed His Word anew _ for the whole world, that all men of all nations and races may receive more abundantly than ever before 2 of His spirit. This He has accomplished through the 2 ees ‘ f 22 79 three inspired revealers of the Baha first of a series of Guardians of the Cause—the func- tion of this office and organization being to co-ordi- nate the spirit of the Baha'i ideals and principles, and | { Cause : ‘throw ae the Bab, who was the herald and the “ First Point , raat of the revelation; through Bahd’u’ll4h, who was the ~ great revealer of the Word; through *Abdw'l-Baha, who was the expounder of the Word, and in whom © all things were fulfilled. The Bahd’i organization has as its present head Shoghi Effendi, eldest grandson of __ -Abdt’l-Bahd, appointed by ’Abdt’l-Bah4 to be the to promote the spirit of union and harmony between the peoples of different religions, races, nations and classes, The Baha'i principle of unity is not merely a nega- — tive suspension of inharmony or intolerance. It is a positive force for unity, potent and dynamic, which, as it grows, creates a new conciousness, transmuting destructive forces into constructive forces. It stands for progress, and is the promoter of all universal pro- ay. gressive thoughts of the age which are uniting the people of all races, religions and nations. This spiritual _ force is now needed by the world. Through it, the dif- _ | ferences between eastern and western thought, manners and customs, and the lack of confidence between all people, are being changed and replaced. by oneness of — thought and action, and by confidence and fraternity. — The Bahai Cause MAHaE for : 1. The unity of all religions; 2. The political unity of all nations; a a PERI OMe yd eV Od SATA ot ot Th Ne te AAT RUG es WO Lek OLR a uke Morne Shy ak TRA i oY erate gd ie ae : ROOM E OT Leet wan, tal ry { ae ap Se , LN ho ¢ ’ 23° 3. The social co-ordination and unity of groups com- posing all peoples and races ;. 4. The unity of languages in one universal language ; 5. Suffrage for women and men alike; 6. The advancement of all material institutions condu- ¢cive to the general welfare of man, his enlighten- ment and progress ; 7. World peace. _ All of these much needed institutions are established upon the divine foundation of spiritual or religious unity between peoples, and in the fruition of the. . Bahai service to humanity will appear the harvest of _the divine seeds sown in the hearts of the sas by the revealers of the Baha'i Cause. In this day the peoples of the world are being drawn together by the material forces of civilization. Com- mercial and political relations have brought people of all nations, races and religions together upon the plane of their outer activities; but as yet they form a heter- ogenous mixture, having no common or uniting con- sciousness or inner spiritual ground upon which to build a fundamental unity. Such a divine spiritual meeting-ground of common understanding or unity, _ is now the most needed thing in the world. The time is at hand for the people of the world to unite in all matters, and first of all in religion since this is the most potent factor in shaping the character of individuals and groups. The good character of nations has been built by religion, and it has been destroyed through HH _ superstition, which is the lack of true religion. The superstitious beliefs of the past have nothing to race ct- baie a es shh iD)¥ have Sa. offer to the world of today toward the solution of this mighty problem of a world unity. Hach theological be- lief with its own particular theories, forms, and ceremo- _ nies was evolved under the limited human conditions of — ; the past, before universal problems existed such as the © world now faces. ‘Therefore, the many theologies and | various beliefs of the past have no relation. to the — present universal world-needs, nor power to infineneae ie mankind. The day of such religious superstitions is at an end, and this world is now ripe for the promul- — : gating of a virile religious movement; a religion ahead of the times, one whose teaching contains all the truths of the religions of the past, one which in inde- pendent of and not limited by past or present super- stitions of man. Such a religion will lead the world onward, infusing into it the spiritual force necessary _ to reform its institutions, oriental and occidental, in their faith in God and confidence in one another, thus a if making a firm spiritual foundation for the coming ereat universal world-civilization. ; The Baha'i revelation is meeting this world-neae and is ministering to it. It is not an eclectic aes ophy gleaned from the past, neither is ita sect. Rather it is a living spiritual force working in the heart of AG mankind. Because of its soul inspiring qualities and its spiritual power it appeals alike to the unschooled — and the learned, to the masses and the few. The Bab, gre Baha’ wah, eat "Abdw’l-Baha, stand forth as divine teachers rat leaders Lideumarant of the world’s attitude 5 and thought. They have created a living spiritual — religious Cause that has spiritualized nature beapen a , Veil ee TELS A. ve Aa Cary BEALE CAML) MTL rman? Yarra oo rustle Lane ar Uh gan EA wes (EEN hag > atte ue ale LS essen de ae ah i] Bee MCLE KS Y LAN c { i i y) Palle ee Fee nee ie i ae oA Tay aN yt $s 25 the power of the Word of God. Like all divine teachers they were far ahead of their time. Peace, arbitration and an international language, in fact the vision of universal civilization were generally unthought of by the world when Baha’wllah, over half a century ago, announced this spiritual message in which is incorpo- rated the solution of the many questions which now occupy the minds of the greatest thinkers and philan- thropists of the age. Upon every hand people are clamoring to understand more clearly the principles - of peace and the oneness of humanity to which the Baha'i leaders and their followers have borne witness by trials and suffering aud death. Those who are familiar with the Bahéi doctrines believe that through knowing, understanding, and living the principles of the Spiritual Kingdom, men will be- come united; the various religious sects and cults will cease to exist as such, and all men will live as brothers. The Baha’i Cause is actually bringing about this millennial condition. Through its teachings and influence the spiritual limitations of an undeveloped - i humanity are doomed to disappear, and truth, which | is the love of God, will manifest itself here on this — earth as brotherhood among men. The Bahd’i Cause is ministering to this great spiritual need of the day, by planting in the soul of the world a living invincible religion of brotherhood, Because of this reality and this human universal need, this Cause is destined to grow until it envelops the whole world, unites all men _ and leads them onward toward the age of spiritual enlightenment, prosperity and peace. ae awakening boat anal are arising to serve ; arinite othe! _-writing's of all religions has come and has establishe ca truth is the foundation of all true ‘religion. Lae phe Baha'i Revelation teaches that, symbolically _ souls, as yet unreached by the verbal messages, are ms nevertheless Ba ay responding: to the spirit 0 0 ‘bounty and peace upon earth. ; _ That the Word of God has again been ante to man, and that « The One » promised in the hols the new and divine order of things, the Kingdom 0 - God on earth, is the message which the Bahd’i Revel ation is bringing to the world. ; THE BAB The Forerunner of Baha’u’llah and The First Point of the Baha’i Revelation A Summary of his precursory Teachings and a brief outline of the History of his Mission - THE BAB. _ The first divine teacher of the Baha'i Revelation was M’irz’ "Ali Muhammad, known as the Bab. (*) He was born in October, 1819, in the city of Shiraz, in southern Persia. His father, a Siyyid, or descen- ‘ dant of the prophet Muhammad, died during his in- fancy, and the young child was adopted into the family of a maternal uncle, a man of virtue, who reared him, giving him such elementary education in i the Persian language as was customary among the sons of the merchant class to which he belonged. On _ attaining maturity, M’irzd ’Ali Muhammad went into business with his uncle and was for some time estab- lished in Bushire, upon the Persian Gulf. As a young man he was noted for purity, gentleness and charm. ‘Hven those who afterwards opposed and persecuted him and his followers most cruelly, never attacked his personal character. Much religious meditation, © they claimed, had unbalanced his mind. On May 23, 1844, moved by the Spirit of God, _ Miirzé ’Ali Muhammad declared his mission. At that time from various parts of Persia were gathered together in Shiraz eighteen spiritually prepared souls, men of religious wisdom to whom it had been given to understand divine realities. To these chosen disci- (1) « Bab » is. the Arabic and Persian word for door or gate, 30 ples M’irz4 ’Ali Muhammad revealed his mission, as — the « door » (Bab) or forerunner of a great prophet — and teacher soon to appear. He, the Bab, had been © divinely sent as a herald to warn the people of the coming of the great promised One, and to exhort — them to purify themselves and prepare for his advent. ~ One whom he entitled <« He-whom-God-shall-mani- fest, » — the « Latter-Day Revelator, » « The Lord - of bcs. » promised in the revealed ain of the past — was soon to come and establish the new era of the Kingdom of God upon earth. es es 3 These eighteen first disciples of the B4b were known as the « Letters of the Living. » They, with himself as « The Point, » formed the nucleus for the dissem- ination of this new teaching. As soon as the Bab had instructed these disciples in his simple doctrines, he sent them into various parts of Persia with the commission to teach-and to proclaim his appearance. — He then, with one of his followers, went upon the — annual pilgrimage to Mecca, where, before a concourse — of pilgrims assembled from all parts of the Musl’im — world, he made his first public declaration. By the © time the Bab returned to Bushire in Persia, his Cause was known in many parts of the country and was ~ gaining adherents so rapidly that the Musl’im clergy — were becoming alarmed lest through the rise of this’ new cult they might lose their power and hold over : the people. Shortly after landing in Bushive the Bab went to | Shiraz where his Cause was spreading. He was roughly — treated by the Musl’ims, placed under guard, and or- — oe irs * ¢ ec awk Yor 7a wy t \ y AES RA RON ei vie s AMIE Ge MOT SAP 1. EL, : t LS al es wean si) Pe MP at dered to remain within the confines of his house. There, nevertheless, many had access to him, were attracted and believed in his teachings. Many of these - were men of prominence and learning, while others were of the more humble walks of life. Through the power _ of divine love, the Bab overcame all obstacles and won _ the hearts of the people, quickening his followers with a spirit of most ardent devotion to his Cause. Although the Bab was without learniug and school- ing, save that of a very elementary nature, he was so richly endowed with spiritual or inspirational wis- dom that he discomfited the learned Mullas until they feared discussion with him, lest the people should see _ the weakness of their argurments and the strength of his teaching. He-wrote with the greatest rapidity and fluency, dictating both in public and private his many treatises upon intricate theological questions, taking the people away from speculative exegesis and instill- ing into their hearts spiritual wisdom, love and faith. From Shiraz the Bab was, at the incitement of the opposing priesthood, taken in captivity from place to place, all of which strengthened and spread the Cause : rather than impeded its growth. ‘Thus seized and held _ as prisoner of State at the instigation of the Mullas, the Bab continued his mission of teaching the people. yen his captors could not resist the spirit which _. flowed from him, and many of them became his friends and staunch supporters, sacrificing all, even life, in his - Cause, The ministers of State being informed of the rapid _ growth of the Babi Movement, as it was called at that aie: time, and fearing lest the Bab’s presence in the cities — of Persia would so agitate the clergy that they might possibly incite a religious uprising, an order was issued _ to the effect that the Bab should be imprisoned in the distant fortress of Maku in the mountain fastnesses & Yin ater Ps of the extreme northwestern part of Persia. Thither — a _he was taken a prisoner on this long cross-country journey. As the Bab passed through many cities, his f fame continued to spread widely and many believed he and followed his path. Hre long the daily increase in the number. of ites a _ Bab’s followers in many parts of the land caused thee ¢ Persian authorities to remove him from Maki to a ~ _ still more remote imprisonment in the castle of Chi- -rikh, in the foot hills of Mount Ararat, where he could be could be more closely guarded and less likely to communicate with the outside world. These precautions to curtail his influence were fruitless. His Cause grew, and his following having attained to great proportions the clergy became thoroughly alarmed and instigated a heresy trial and public examination of his doctrines, This investigation was held in the city of Tabri’z by © the authority of the governor of that province, and — before this tribunal the B&éb was brought a prisoner, All manner of insults and indignities were heaped upon him, and finally he was flogged, — one of the — MWe = Fyxs chief mullas applyng the rods with his own hands. — After this the Bab was returned to his former prison al in the castle of Chi-rikh. About this time began the early general persecutions | and massacres of the Babis in all Persia. Aroused by Pp ye ety Oh AY SA PTA tins An DE A Te WATS Sab a aes JE CT eA Rd aati! unit m at ile ei NO aid Mie na MUTA all) ia eh ea ot CLAM te Yale Sioa d 9,5 EE KR NTN The Bac PDL MG ta, HAE KUL LOR IMUL ar WOON TC CARCI eR Maer POOP Nn ge everett Rene pegs ae Me ibis t : Hiro { i je BE , : aw Pas! re 33 their priests the fanatical Musl’ims fell upon the _ be- lievers in many parts of the land, pillaging and burn- ing their homes and torturing and murdering men, women and children. These crimes are too revolting to be mentioned in detail. Many are the accounts of _ the marvelous courage and fortitude of even the chil- dren, not to mention that of the women and men, These souls with the greatest calmness and joy sub- mitted to the most fiendish tortures and death, rather than recant or deny their faith, when denial would have saved them. One’s heart beats rapidly when he realizes that through this suffering these martyrs were lighting the way that the world might be prepared to meet the One promised to appear who would establish the new era of divine peace upon earth. Sometimes Babi fugitives banded themselves together to resist the attacks of the Musl’ims, and in some instances they defended themselves valiantly and brave- ly only to be slaughtered in the end by the over- whelming number of their adversaries. That « the blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church », is ' again proven to the world in this day, for with the _ shedding of each drop of B&bi blood the Cause gained numbers of adherents. People who at first knew but little of the Bab and his teachings, save that a prophet ‘had come, were confirmed in the faith and went forth _to serve, and die when called upon. As one listens to the accounts of the lives of the _ early Babis, of their missions and labors, sufferings and martyrdoms, he sees the wonder!u! spirit of the love of God which actuated them as they responded to 3 34. the call. One is thrilled as he realizes that the day Re of a vital and burning faith, such as moved the apos- — tles and fathers of old, has again appeared. From ~ its inception, this latter-day religion has borne the ~ same manner of spiritual fruit as the religions of the — past bore in their earlier days. Among the most prominent of the Bab’s followers x was Qurratu’l’Ayn, poet, orator and heroine of the — Cause, who, after an eventful career in which she stood forth as a powerful exponent of the new faith, suffered a martyr’s death. As a woman many decades ahead of her time, her life and example are an inspi- ration to people in all parts of the world, and espe- — cially to her sisters of the Orient, who, through the _Oause for which she died are now being lifted from their former condition of ignorance and oppress | into one of knowledge and freedom. With the unfoldment of the Bab’s message andthe © spiritual development of the followers, gradually he — revealed his divine station more and more clearly to the people, until they saw him in his full capacity, — not only as the forerunner of a great revelation to come, but himself as the « First Point » of this reve-— lation, With this realization came greater and renewed ~ confirmations and activities in teaching upon the part of the believers, causing renewals of hostilities upon the part of the Muslim clergy. Islim is the State religion of Persia, ‘therefore that which shakes its power produces a like effect in the ; government. At length, seeing the Cause to be steadily — on the increase, the priests brought such pressure to > 7 A- ey -~ <2 eS De oe: ite "ie os YO ee oe oe beitin o tales USERE ATM RTD vie atl Sal a BUD Mao Ht ite a DR Ch MAA a aah Piaf PN aN, 5 ee ag PeOM A MOUNT te es Cen EAR UND aA ae 5 J 1 gg dee | Pie ite Mey ¥ - x : r 35 bear upon the government that the prime minister of the State ordered the Bab to be killed, hoping thus to put an end to the matter, and to place himself, the prime minister, and his political party, in security with the clergy and the people. Accordingly, the Bab was again removed from the prison of Chi-rikh and taken to Tabri’z, the seat of the local government of the province. Here, on the 9th of July, 1850, he suffered martyrdom. The Bab, with one of his most devoted followers, a youth of noble family, was conducted to an open square in the city and there the two were bound and suspended by ropes against a wall. A company of Armenian Ohristian soldiers was drawn up, and the order to fire given. When the smoke cleared, to the astonishment of all present, it was found that instead of harming the captives only the ropes had _ been severed and the two captives had dropped to the ground unhurt. So great was the consternation caused by this incident that the commander of the executing company refused to take further part in the affair, and another company of soldiers, native Musl’ims, was ordered out. The Bab and his disciple were again _ suspended before the wall, and the ensuing volleys riddled both bodies with bullets, causing instantaneous death. Later the remains were cast into a moat and there exposed to public view, as warning of the fate which awaited those who followed the new faith. | By night the body of the Bab was removed by some of the faithful, and swathed in silk was disguised as a bale of merchandise and deposited in a place of Doe eta CREA Pt aN eo TR ee ee SOE an come oe? tele a yous BOM Se Pree mak SERA Aran one A ») Rae ; ' GAO SDS a aa Oren TRY 36. davon: As conditions and wisdom demanded, from bina . to time his hiding place was changed. Finally in the presence of a notable gathering of pilgrims from va- rious parts of both the Orient and the Occident the body of the Bab was laid to rest by ‘Abdi'l-Bah4 in the « Shrine of the Bab» upon Mount Carmel in the Holy Land, now a Bahda’i place of worship, constantly visited by serine from all parts of the world. During the four years of the Bab’s imprisonment, his numerous letters and epistles with the greatest — difficulty were smuggled out of the prison and sent — to the followers in various parts of the country. These writings contain his injunctions to the believers for their guidance and protection until the cone ofa « Him-whom-God-shall-manifest ». One of the institutions.of the Bab was the rearrange- ment of the calendar. This change was confirmed by Baha'u'llah, and the new calendar is beginning to — be used by Bahéi'is, Eventually it will supersede the many systems now eurrent. The Baha'i era began with the year 1844 A.D., or 1260 of the Musl’im Hajira. The first day of the Baha'i year falls on March 21, the day upon which the sun enters the sign of Aries and is commonly known as the first day of spring. The year is divided into nineteen months of nineteen nae days each, making in all 361 days to which are added four (every fourth year five) intercalary days to com- K plete the 365 or 366 days of the year. | ‘ The Bab’s ordinances were given for the people of his time, and were commensurable with the needs and - conditions of the believers during the interim between 37 his manifestation and the manifestation of the Greater One to come. The Bab was the « First Point » of this revelation, the precursor of the Greater One. In his teachings he reiterated again and again that, when « He-whom-God-shall-manifest » appeared, all should turn unto him, and that he would reveal teachings and ordinances which would replace the Babi sacred literature, Running through the Bab’s writings are found count- less allusions to the spiritual power, splendor and glory of Baha’u’llah, who was then in the world, but unknown to men. This holy personage was the in- Spiration of the Bab, to whom the Bab continually testified in the most eloquent and stirring of his verses, and of whom he bore witness by a life of suffering and imprisonment crowned by martyrdom, 1 BAHA’U’LLAH. «He Whom God Shall Manifest » . Whose coming was heralded by The Bab. A brief Outline. of the History of His Mission. spe he ing we tude NU NOR A i RE? Re SAS ie GS evar a A Wa, STS Nia Mee te BoD Beat hates el WIA ALY Mean ee ihe DP reali Nip ghey ihr eta Ott IM Mae OU Pra ea eNO TIE AD tnt Renney Daye <2) ¢ vs ay i We ie dA oa aly Fare chal OA Age Ay RUE h bys At NE sk a vi eR eRe aise a Fe, i) Ole tan 8 Ome ee an I : eT ay baa AA } : ; 5 al BAHA’U’LLAH. M’irz4é Husayn ‘Ali of Nur, more widely known as Baha’u’llah, was born in Tihran, Persia, on the 12th of November, 1817. His family was one of wealth and note ; his father as well as other relatives having been ministers of the government, serving in various official capacities. During Baha’u'llah’s youth his father died leaving him, the eldest son, as the head of the family. Being of a contemplative disposition, the public life which his father had led had no allurements for Baha’wléh, He chose, instead a life of comparative retirement, managing the family estates and affairs and supervising the education of his brothers and sisters. It is recorded that even in very early youth the marks of wisdom and distinction were upon him. | In his home Bahé’u’ll4h was taught the Persian language, but he never attended any school or college. Through inspiration the deepest of spiritual mysteries were his. Later these basic principles of being are _ revealed with power and force in his writings. These truths are the foundation of the Baha’i Cause. They are the living, spiritual principles of existence. Their understanding appeals to and satisfies the soul and meets the moral and spiritual needs of life. His know- ledge came from the source of all knowledge and is the source of knowledge for all. At the time the Bab made his declaration and sent eee aes NC His ' 7 A MM i eh 42 hig disciples forth from Shi’r4z, Bahd’w'll4h, then about twenty-seven years of age, was residing in Tihran. — When the glad ‘tidings of the Bab’s manifestation reached the capitol, Bahéa’uw’4h was among the first to respond to the call, and in turn he proclaimed the Oause and upheld it publicly. He visited the city of © Nur, the home of his family, and other neighboring — cities and towns where he engaged in expounding the Bab’s teachings, later returning to Tihrdn, there again to take up the work of teaching the Cause. | The Bab and Baha’u’ll4h had no family connection whatever, the former being of Arabic-Persian descent, while the latter was of ancient Persian lineage. pHeee two personages never met in person, yet in spirit they were intimate, contacting even in their deepest thoughts and inspirations. Shortly after the Bab’s martyrdom came the greatest persecution of the followers. Even to be suspected of being a believer was, in many cases, sufficient to cause the extinction of an entire family. In Tihran some eighty believers were handed over by the government officials to the Musl’ims, each being subjected to some — unique torture before the final slaying. Hach cal- amity was followed by one more terrible, yet through all the wonderful hope of the Promised One to come and the enthusiastic love and devotion of the followers _ to the memory of their martyred master upheld and strengthened them to meet every form of persecution. In the midst of these troubles Bahé’u’ll4h w asarrest- ed, prison placed in chains and cast into underground prison for four months in Tihran, Later on he was sent 43, by the royal order into exile to Baghdad, in Asiatic Turkey. There it was thought he would be so far removed from the Babis in Persia as to destroy his prestige as leader among them. After the fury of the massacres of 1851-1852 the Babis were in a deplorable condition. Many of the disciples and personal associates of the Bab had been martyred, while on account of the troubles the few _ remaining ones who had personally been taught by him were more or less cut off from association with the younger followers. It had not been possible to disseminate beyond a very limited circle the writings of the Bab, so that the vast majority of the believers knew little of the depth of his real teaching. In addition, they were actuated by a powerful spirit of devotion to their Cause; a devotion which, because of its very intensity, led them into difficulties, This was the condition that prevailed when Baha’u’- lah reached Baghdad. Immediately he directed his attention and energy toward bringing knowledge and assurance to the followers, He taught them the real or spiritual significance of the Bab’s teachings, and little by little, through understanding, the hitherto undirected enthusiasm of the followers found power in restraint and in united and directed efforts at ast mulgating the Cause. As the believers increased in number the anger of the Musl’im clergy was aroused and stirred, and. this in turn gave rise to other serious difficulties. Then Bahé’u’ll4h was led to seek a solitary retreat in the mountain fastness of Kurdistan where he remained ee +h oie ARGH EAS ge Rll a WED Ol Ree OT TNR Urata Ore Ae 1 eh ATS | ee TEAL RRNA U CYT ELM LT Wai Th nettee Ce eT TCR Re MR tiy Hess ME § Yaeeetny en is ag LS Raa IRL iON ete cA eer & eyOns Phen ital POSS TROT PALE SR ME STE eek Cie Wey UY hg BSS tae 4 Las 44 dge : ie inh for two years in spiritual preparation for his coming — manifestation and ministry. Upon his return to Bagh- wu _ ddd, great was the joy of the Babis. By that time — they were realizing their spiritual strength and thay welcomed their teacher and chief with all the fervor and enthusiasm of oriental devotees. ) Bi These developmens were closely watched by the Musl’im priests. Fearful of the loss of their own hold upon the people, which they saw waning as ine light of this new teaching spread, these priests “iow incited the government against Baha’u’ll4h, with the result that an international arrangement was formu- — lated by which he was ordered to proceed to Constan- tinople, there to await the pleasure of the Ottoman — Sultan, to who he became temporally subject. , Upon hearing that Baha’u’ll4h was to be removed from Baghdad, the believers were plunged into grief, and a number of them prepared to accompany him, — When, in obedience to the summons of the Sultan, Baha’u'llah left Baghdad, previous to starting on his long journey he encamped a short distance from the ~ city in a garden called Hl Ridvan. There, to the most i trusted of these followers, Bahdé’u’'ll4h revealed himself . and his mission; that he was the Promised One fore-— # told by the B&b; that he was the One promised by — ) all the propnets to appear in the latter days and estab- ie lish God’s kingdom, the great universal brotherhood © ; of nations; that he was the One through whose inspi- — J red euidines the difficulties of the believers would be removed; and that by steadfastly and unitedly following whose injunctions those blessings for which _ Ny ty : 45 the believers had hoped, suffered and prayed would be realized. This hope he extended to the adherentes exhorting them to renew their energies, faith and assurance. The coming of Bahé’u’ll4h was the goal toward which the Babis had directed their attention. Now, having attained to the meeting of the Promised One, the believers found themselves upon the threshold of an outlook so vast, and of a work so great, that. it was only by the sustaining power of Bahdé’u’ll4h and by dependence upon him that they were able to face and surmount the difficulties wich confronted them. é _ Traveling overland and by sea, Baha’u’llah and his _ band of followers, after a fatiguing journey reached Con- stantinople. Here the exiles remained for several months under military surveillance before they were sent under military escort to Adrianople, in the interior of Roumelia, Bahd’uwll4h remained in Adrianople for five years, during which time the Cause grew in numbers and in strength. Through personal contact, those who were with him waxed strong in the light of his wisdom, while those at a distance had their “souls made strong and steadfast through his written _ teachings; for in him all found the realization of the _ Spiritual power, glory, and majesty of « Him-whom- | -God-shall-manifest. » ; Baha wlléh achieved his work only under the great- est difficulties. He was opposed on all sides. Finally, the spread of the faith created trouble with the Turk- ish government, and an order was issued to send Baha’u’ll4h as a prisoner to the fortress of Akka on ON Leth Nee Aes ype On VN COPE ter PMP RING rece Mey RDM URN OSPR Ai CT aba ARTA WET ere NAR Rs Fat! ohare aie Bay RS WAIN Day AR ei Be OSL O8 ae Bit eee Arey tale NB A yet on Nd Wag reat et Na a W} Pye! i Lh. Oa ae eed ueb My Mees Te Mi ridepy: alas NEU MAIS EEE MarR AE Me hi Binge vt Palen PUR OM A HPN SA Rec tegth LENEO IDA go Eth het MCURIN Ta NIP a ae i Ye Bi ciiieea at's Wi 4 thar ng Ne) th dvips Pana va MSS aN Ny Var Be MUG oriad 4 { aA vb Veh) ? fi ; BANE wri ae at) fi y ; ’ i 2 46 the coast of Syria. It was in the summer of 1863 * that Baha'u'llah and about seventy of his followers- — men, women, and children, landed in Akka, Akka is the Acre of the time of the crusaders, more anciently known as Ptolemais. For a number of years prior to ~ Baha’u'llah’s arrival, the fortress off Akka had been used as a prison and a place of exile to which the — Sultan of Turkey sent his political opponents. Here - Bahé’u’ll4h and his people wers thrust into two rooms of the barrack prison. In this strict confinement, with — poor and insufficient food, and water not fitto drink ~ fever and sickness broke out among the _ believers. Their sufferings were most intense, yet through all they were spiritually in the greatest joy and peace, for they realized that only by meeting the very worst of this world’s conditions could Bahda’u’ll4h change those conditions; while as for themselves, they were only too happy and contented to share his sufferings. After two years of rigid confinement in prison Bahé’- u’ll4h was allowed to live in a house provided for him and his family. There he was in close confinement for seven years. His follwers entered into various ~ occupations in the town and vicinity, and the mate- rial condition of the community was greatly improved. _ Then came pilgrims from various countries to him, — and quickened by his power they went forth to pro- — claim his Cause in the uttermost parts of the earth. Besides those who saw him personally, Baha’wllah reached thousands in distant lands and satisfied their thirst for knowledge through his tablets, which were OE Saad anes RS AS les to cat GM at hia ay AUER Ma at Lan a I Ab sti te he o it Kee Sen | ) 47 epistles of exhortation, advice, and explanation written in response to letters from believers and seekers. During the latter years of his ministry, Bahé’w’ll4h was allowed to spend much time in the country in the vicinity of Akka, even visiting Haifa and Mt. Carmel. At the villa of Bahji, situated on the plain of Akka, he departed this life in the month of May, 1892. He suffered forty years of hardship, imprison- ment and exile that the soul of the world might be quickened and that spiritual unity and peace might prevail on earth. The shrine of Baha’u’ll4h at Bahji is now a place of worhip and prayer, and greatly ven-_ ‘erated by the many pilgrims who yearly visit it from all parts of the world. Every religion has had its birth in the advent of its divine founder. Through the labors of its early ° adherents it grew and developed, bringing forth its fruits in the institutions and civilization which grew up and formed about it. This was its golden age. ‘Then followed a period in which the faith of the people grew cold, spirituality waned, morals suffered, and re- ligion, losing its spirit, became a form. ‘Then the souls _ of the people became starved and their condition needed the ministration of another prophet who, in due time, appeared and lifted them a step higher toward the coming of The Kingdom upon earth. Hach prophet has been a link in the great chain of revelators, completing the work and fulfilling the words of his predecessor and preparing the way for others _ to come after him. Thus have all the prophet Mani- festations of the past prepared the way for the coming TURN RAR re ote ie eta | VPeePe cae a tN eg Min RR ANE A 48 of the great teacher of this day and age, Bahé’u'll4h, whose mission is to unite those now following the many religions into one brotherhood and one universal _ faith. Through Bahdé’u’ll4h this great latter-day teach- ing was given to man. His function was that of the revealer, As a man he lived a life in harmony with his conception of the requirements of his oriental environment, yet as the revelator, the mouthpiece of — the spirit, his teachings are universally applicable to all peoples under all conditions. With the close of — his ministry this latter-day revelation was complete. The next step in development of the Cause was that of explaining, establishing, and demonstrating these revealed truths in the world of practice. For the ac- complishment of this, ’Abdt’l-Bahaé, the son of Baha- uw ll4h, was the chosen instrument, | As one studies ’Abdt’l-Baha’s teachings and his life of service to humanity, one becomes conscious of the spirit of Baha’u’ll4h which was manifested in him. In *Abdu’l-Baha’s presence one became conscious of the deepest feeling of respect, veneration, and even awe, yet not the awe which held one at a distance — for within "Abdw’l-Baha’s soul tbere burned such a fire of divine . love that very few escaped its power of attraction. The awakened sould realized that ’Abdt’l-Baha understood ~ the spiritual condition of man and that he was the ~ divine physician who, through the love of God, was healing the soul of man of the disease of spiritual ignorance and superstition and inharmony. He minis- — tered to each in accordance with the needs of the in- divual. Often at the time one did not understand why advised 2 as he did, but ney all fhesae | cl ‘ by carrying out his instructions, one— ti ealized t the depth of his understanding and the pro- fe indness of his wisdom. ‘Abdt’l-Bahé’s vision pene- — the soul and understood its condition. His balm | summed up in the word love. Divine love annihi- — “worry and kills fear, and when it takes Doe gS) Iii. -ABDU’L-BAHA. The Center of The Covenant of Baha’u’Il4h, The Interpreter of The Revealed Word, The One, who was appointed to establish The Baha’i Cause in the world. A brief outline of His Mission DPS MEPIS ty WORE SIRS (rae Neue etaNR Yip glo ara) Bait vay ive eh sa Eee Hey sg Bi ‘3 WE ye IN gr LAA FALLOT RPAH ean ay AER slat Rt We RUA "ABDU’L-BAHA _ ‘Abdii’l-Bahé, also known as 'Abbds Effendi, the - eldest son of Baha’uwll4h, was born in Tihran, Persia, on the 28rd day of May, 1844, the very day upon which the Bab made his declaration to his disciples in Shi’ras. At a very early age ’Abdu’l-Bahaé was called: upon to share the sufferings of his father. When Baha’- ulléh’s persecution began with his imprisonment in Tihr4én, and exile to Baghdad, his family property was confiscated, even to personal effects and belongings, and the members of his family suffered intensely for the bare necessities ot lite. “Abduw’-Baha’s schooling was interrupted in his childhood by these persecutions, ° and afterward he never attended a school. However, through his constant communion with Baha’u'llah, _ through whom his inspiration came, an understanding, - wisdom, and knowledge of all things were his. - *Abdu’l-Bah4 accompanied Bahd’-u’ll4h upon his _ winter journey from Tihran to Baghdad, and during the years of exile there and later in Adrianople and in Akka, was constantly at Bahé’u’ll4h’s right hand, serving ml helping him in his work of concen _ the people. °Abdw’l-Bahé was the first to recognize the dite _ station of Baha'u'llah. He was the first soul quickened _ by the life-giving spirit of Bahd’u’lldh, and he was Cop ae ae at teh ea taba A fe za Bet ‘i pe Rs aietthy a Ant eh DiAWiinck ue ahh ae eo) Pa Ste Dy fe Ai irs Wy har i, eye AN Maarten Wai 1 Veg [any ie ‘aNaey ‘ er FY 4 4 “ Pall EE icon OEP AGRE RS Ey VAR ne rapnig tesa, f AMI SED MOL NEF, ath LEE Gah aaNbALL Ce SHV RUT eR Shh de {ana ean Caen) Moye ACU Mea Ear st Waal ‘4 PAN pain f NN Nea ee < Ines bit fooey Vip Na wink peeks UDMA es 4 Waa a vant *t 4 AG Poet uate p iy: ’ Hy ahs ; i : LAH ne Pe RIKEN TNE) Pit A ku ny Vet J i : ) Pane ? , PE ’ ANS é , ¢ Pie) Sah Wofee We ay p my NET the first to arise in the service of the Kingdom. In ~ "A bdt’l-Baha’s life of devotion to the Oause and his practice of the precepts of Bahé’u’llah, the perfect life - of the eternal Kingdom was manifest, and in him all things were realized and accomplished. ’Abdw’l-Baha took upon himself the task of relieving | Baha'u'llah of all possible cares of daily life, so that Baha'u'llah might devote himself entirely to his mission. — During the imprisonment in Akka, when hardshipand — sickness were encompassing the believers on every | side, it was ’Abdw’l-Baha who, through his buoyancy of spirit, gave courage to the distressed ones. He — nursed the sick, and through the touch of his hand ~ imparted strength to the weak; while the light of his © great love illumined all and impowered them to overcome their ills. In the written testament of Baha’u’ll4h, as well as in his spoken teachings which have been handed down to us through those who were near him, he appointed his son ’Abdt’l-Baha to succeed him in his spiritual mission, and designated him as the one who should continue and complete his work in the world. The © father’s mantle fell upon the shoulders of the son, The staff of Bahdé’u’ll4h passed into the hands of — "Abdu’l-Bahaé, and the spirit of God which spoke through Bahd'u’ll4h, revealing truth to the world, later was manifested to humanity through ’Abdt’l-Baha’s life of service to the Cause. | With the passing of Baha’u’ll4h (May, 1892), began "Abdu’l-Baha’s divine mission as « The Center of the — SS AU Ma tila cae ayy TR Way Peay Rey fee hake) Li Wy ath ym Bran At.s Ly Wee: Ome NP Ine 1 5 t Covenant. » When he arose, invested with the power . of the Spirit, then began the third period of the estab- lishment of the Kingdom here among men. ’Abdt’l- Baha stood as the exponent of a spiritual principle, a great divine power. The Bahd’is had the uttermost esteem, love and veneration for ’Abdu’l-Baha. To _ them he was the living testimony of Baha’u’llah, their divine friend, counselor, and spiritual guide. ’ In looking toward ’Abdw’l-Baha as the expounder of divine wisdom, his followers revered and glorified the divine light of Baha’u’ll4h which manifested through him. No soul could fathom the depths into which ’Abdu’l-Baha saw, nor the profoundness of his realiza- tion of the suffering condition of mankind. He felt the hunger and thirst of soul of humanity for spiritual rest, and upon his brow was written her silent agony. When ’Abdut’l-Baha spoke, his listeners realized that he was fairly charged with the positive life-force of the Kingdom. In every glance and movement he manifested the joy of the Lord, and as he showed forth this love and joy in his many deeds of kindness, his spirit penetrated the hearts of those who came in contact with him, and they in turn went forth filled with his spirit to work and to serve in his path. The pilgrim discovered that ’Abdt’l-Baha impressed his hearers by calling forth a response from within the soul of each individual seeker, not by projecting his own ideas or personality upon them. The direct _ influence of the will of one personality upon another is transitory and without lasting benefit. But how peas, 55 iP Ta yep ae ae ANS ) Aran ap Gs fag iW 4) different was the message of the spirit speaking through the lite and words of ‘Abdw'l-Baha! He had a message for every one, and asthe soul-of the seeker met in spirit the soul of ’Abdt’l-Bah4, he felt a new _ force added to his nature, and he went forth quick- © ened, alive and aflame with the love of God, desirous — of serving God by calling humanity to His Kingdom. — ’Abdt’'l-Bah4 came with the power of God to live — and manifest the life of the Kingdom. This he dem- _ onstrated to the world, for through his ministry all _ things were accomplished as intended andrevealed by _ Bahi’u’llab, Bahd’u'll4h alluded to ’Abdt’l-Bahd in the most exalted terms in both his spoken and written — i word, distinctly stating that he, "Abdu’l-Baha was not one of the creatures, but unique aud different from all mankind in his divine station. ’Abddt’l-Baha _pre- ferred to allude to himself as « ’Abdt’l-Baha », which translated means « The servant of Bahé (God). « Thus — ; the name ’Abdu’l-Baha, by which he was so widely known, was of his own choosing, not one given a by Baha’ a’u’-llah. Almost the entire life of ’Abdt’l-Bah4 was passed — | undes the temporal law as areligious prisoner. At times he was only under military surveillance, and — again imprisoned behind barred doors. Yet despite these physical hindrances his spiritual work prospered — and his message of glad-tidings went the world around, a taking with it the peace of the spirit to thousands of — souls of every race and religion. At times, on account of the troubles brought on by the opposing people, it was impossible for the believers to visit ’Abdu’l-Baha, 57 At one time some of his followers were cast into pris- son, and at another time some of the believers were forced to flee from the Holy Land and seek refuge in Egypt. Nevertheless, through all trials and troubles, °Abdul’-Bahé went steadily forward accomplishing his ‘work, the number of his opposers decreasing and the number of his sympathizers increasing, until he clearly showed to all that his Cause was not dependent upon earthly prosperity for its growth, nor did opposition hinder its spread. ’Abdt’l-Bahaé changed the world by infusing spiritual _ wisdom into men’s souls. He taught the people through leading them, rather than by trying to force them; through winning souls by the spirit, rather than by argument. Many beautiful and touching incidents are related by the people of Akka of the way in which, through long-suffering and kindness, ’Abdt’l-Bahaé won the hearts of those who, because of their prejudice, for- merly were his enemies. Oaring for the sick and protecting the oppressed formed a large part of his daily duties. One of the titles applied to him by the _ indigent Arabs was, « Faher of the Poor ». His per- _ sonal needs and those of his family were few. Inreality, that which he possessed was for the benefit of all, while he was but the guardian of it. No ono knew how many children he was educating; how many needy and infirm ones he healed and fed. ’Abdt’l-Baha _ demonstrated to the world that there in neither virtue nor disgrace in either riches or poverty; and that _ man, either in need or in plenty, should utilize his little 58. or his much in glorifyng God. through serving hu- manity. ‘Abdw’l-Bahd had many expenses in connection with the carrying on of the work of the Cause. The eas American Baha’is testify that he very rarely permitted He any of them to share in carrying the burden of the work in the Hast, though in rare instances he did — accept tpatebutions for various purposes. ‘Abdt’l-Bahé was married. He had four daughtons three of whom have families. Through his home life } "Abdu’l-Baha as a devoted husband and a loving father, taught a lesson to the people of both the Hast and the West. He taught monogamy, and that woman should be man’s intellectual, moral and spiritual com- panion as well as the mortien of his children. He taught in these days of marital unrest that marriage, to bear the fruits of happiness and contentment, should be founded upon a spiritual basis and not alone upon a physical one. "Abdt’l-Bah4 was an exile from his country for seventy years, and was held in the fortress of Akka — as a religious prisoner from 1868 until the summer of 1908, when the Turkish Constitution was established. With this political change of affairs in Turkey he was he freed from confinement and from military surveillance. : ’Abdt’l-Bahaé expressed perfect manhood. The vigor of a fully developed physical, intellectual and spiritual power was apparent in his every movement; yet with this was a delicacy, a sensibility and an intuition which manifested the inspiration that dominated him. In him was all the dignity and majesty of a king 59 combined with the humbleness of the servant; and upon his brow was the strength and force of the ancient Mosaic patriarchal type of man, counterbal- anced by the gentleness of a child. . In contacting in spirit with the soul of ’Abdw’l-Baha, and in realizing his great love for humanity, it was as though another and new dimension were added to the soul of the visitant seeker for truth, and old conditions of doubt and uncertainty were replaced by poise and assurance. "‘Abdw’l-Baha’s mission was to teach man to bring the love of the Kingdom into every day life and to manifest it in every thought, word and deed. 3 It is in the little things and the numerous details of life that the test comes in applying spiritual teach- ings. In the life of ’“Abdt’l-Baha it was through the seemingly small things that his great spirit mani- fested itself and went out with a penetrating power to the souls of those who allowed thémselves to come within the radius of its activity. In his presence it was as if a refreshing breeze, a spiritual force, proceeded from his heart to that of the seeker, — -a mysterious _ force carrying strength to the weak and ee to the strong. *Abdt’l-Baha’s every word, look and Poninne mani- _ fested his spirit, and while this spirit was the most elusive and difficult of all things but when once one recognized it, it was the most tangible of realities, for it was the very essence of the light of the oe ee a Se pee — soul of humanity proceeding from him who was the center of divine life and guidance. After his release from confinement in the fortress of Akka, *"Abdt’l-Bah4 made few changes in his daily — life, but many more of his followers could visit him than formerly, consequently his duties and labors — increased. He gave up his residence in Akka, and after living for some months in the neighboring town of Haifa, went to Egypt, and later on to Europe and _ America, ever engaged in the labors of his spiritual fis mission. During the eight months which he spent in America in 1912 he traveled from coast to coast, vis- iting most of the principal cities, and delivered ad- dresses wherever the doors were thrown opento him, _ These addresses were given in churches of many de- nominations, in synagogues, universities and before various organizations. Wherever he went he brought the quiet joy and assurance of God’s Kingdom to the a hearts of the people. ine After leaving America ’Abdt’l-Bah4 made a tour of © Europe and spent some time in Egypt, everywhere — demonstrating and giving forth the spirit of the Baha'i Cause. a a The few months prior to the war found ’Abdt’l-— Baha back again in the Holy Land on Mt. Carmel, _ where, cut off from the outside world, he remain Aes the years of the great combat, ministering ne and feeding the starving people, numbers of whom . would otherwise have died of hunger and want. Then — the post-war conditions in Palestine made. it possible again for ’Abdt’l-Baha’s friends to visit him and re- — ceive his teachings. | a When the British army entered Palestine, the con- i ¥ * iy B72 URS Bd 4, SOE ie fh lS tee CR ba CPOE A tay ah Oba Nh AAR Py Us ea iui Pure Tes Lica WSS Te ed A ca TR RG A a ee Sl Mint UAT ATR LP METI gi 514 Br eain teed HRA latest vane rick " Pee NL MOL RUS en yy ORCL OME om Sy oy BOG LT) me ates Sl ed a ap tal a Yee DOME Waoe) ie - : aa a ihe ay v Ri AR) Cid 7 ', f ‘ i; + as eb beet ty ; 4 eA r ‘4 bee has f 5 - ' F querors came in contact with the Master, ’Abdt’l- Baha, and in recognition of his service for the betterment of humananity, the knighthood of the British Empire was conferred upon him, and this he graciously — accepted. Gk _ As the time for his departure from this world drew nigh, "Abdu’l-Bahd4 made ready all of his affairs, and then quickly, and without any apparent bodily illness, in the very early hours of the morning of November 28th, 1921, his spirit took its flight from this mortal realm. On the following morning his remains were laid in a tomb adjacent to that of the Bab, in the Bahai Shrine upon Mt. Carmel, - the officials of Pal- estine, British and native, attending, while the funeral services were conducted by the united cooperation of the clergy of the Musl’im, Christian and Jewish reli- gions. ?Abdt’l-Baha’s tomb, like that of the Bab and Baha’u’- lah, is visited daily by the friends of the Cause, and is a sanctuary from which continually arises the prayers and supplications of the faithful for the people of the . world and for the triumph of God’s kingdom on earth, _ The shock and deep grief of the Bahd’is in all parts — of the world caused by ’Abdt’l-Baha’s departure, was somewhat assuaged by the provisions which he had made in his will and testament for the guardianship and the continued guidance and development of the Cause. As the Bab covenanted regarding Bahda’u’lah, and Baha’u’ll4h appointed ’Abdu’l-Bah&é « The Cen- ter of his Covenant », so ’Abdw’l-Bahaé left full and 62 complete instructions for the organization of the Cause under an appointed « Guardian », the primal branch branched forth from the tree of the new covenant of of Abha. Now the Cause is functioning about this organic center of guidance, which is the heart of the body-Baha’i in the world, — a living spiritual organ- ism destined to grow and expand until it fills the entire world, bringing the peace and joy of the Lord to peoples of all races, nation and religions. LV: GUARDIANSHIP AND ORGANIZATION, Shoghi Effendi the First Guardian. The Protection. Systematizing, administration and growth of The Baha’i Cause. it Nh oe \ ve y a al i oY ; ) Ly aaa THE GUARDIANSHIP AND ORGANIZATION OF THE BAHA’i CAUSE. *Abdu’l-Bahé covenanted in his Will that after his passing there would be a continued and a perpetuated center of guidance for the Cause, a Guardian, the office to be hereditary. The Guardian is to be the center about whom the Baha’is should revolve, the one whose mission would be to direct, continue and _ farther the work of the Cause; the one upon whom the mantle of the spirit would descend to protect, guide and inspire the people of the Cause and lead them onward in their spiritual work. "Abdw’l-Baha appointed his eldest grandson Shoghi Effendi to be the first of this line of Guardians. Shoghi Effendi descends on his mother’s side from Bahé’u'lldh through ’Abdt’l-Bah4, and upon his father’s side from a collateral branch of the family of the _ Bab, * Upon him devolves the duty of establishing the - organization of the Cause as outlined in the will of Abdwt’l-Baha. The appointment of the Guardian was made. by *Abdu'l-Bahé in his Will in the following words: O my loving friends! After the passing away of this wronged one, it is incumbent upon the Branches and h The Bab’s only child, a son, died in infancy. Twigs of the sacred Lote-Tree (i. e. the relatives of the i Bab and Bahd’u'lidh), the Hands of the Cause of God — and the loved ones of the Abhad Beauty, to turn to Shoght — Effendi — the youthful Branch, branched from two hal- — lowed and sacred Lote-Trees (the Bab and Bahd’w'llah) © and the fruit grown from the union of the two offshoots — of the Tree of Holiness, as he is the sign of God, the — chosen Branch, the Guardian of the Cause of God, he unto whom all the Branches, the Twigs, the Hands of the Cause of God and his loved ones must turn. He is the — expounder of the words of God, and after him will — succeed the first born of his neal descendanis.... Lhe sacred and youthful Branch, the Guardian of the Cause of God, as well as_ the Vapioned Assembly (Baytw'l-’Adl) to be wniversaily elected and esiablished, are both wnder the care and protection of the Abha Beauty, under the shelter and unerring guidance of His Holiness — the Hxalted One. May my life be offered up for them — both! Whatsoever they decide is of God. O ye beloved of the Lord! It is incumbent upon the — Guardian of the Cause of God to appoint in his own lifetime him that shall become his successor, that differ- ences may not arise afier his passing. He that is appointed must manifest in himself detachment from all — worldly things, must be the essence of purity, must show in himself the fear of God, knowledge, wisdom and learn- ing. Thus, should the first born of the Guardian of the Cause of God not manifest in himself the truth of the words, « the child is the secret essence of its sire », that ws, should he not inherit of the spiritual within him (the _ Guardian), and his glorious lineage not be matched with — 67 a goodly character, then must the Guardian of the Cause choose another Branch to succeed him. _« The Hands of the Cause of God must elect from their own number nine persons that shall at all times be occupied in the important service of the work of the Guar- dian of the Cause of God. The election of these nine must be carried, either unanimously or by majority from the company of the Hands of the Cause of God, and _ these, whether wnanimousty or by majority vote, musi give their assent to the choice of the one whom the Guar- _ dian of the Cause of God hath chosen as his successor. This assent must be given in such wise that the assent- ing and dissenting voices may not be distinguised (i. e. by secret ballot) ». Important among the Bahé’i institutions mentioned in the writings of Baha’u’ll4h is that of the Baytu- ‘]-’-Adl (Spiritual Assembly), the duty of which would be the service and the direction of the Cause and its furtherance, The plan for the development and _ founding of this Assembly was left to ’Abdw’l-Baha, and in his Will and Testament is further unfolded - the plan for this spiritual institution, The organ- _ ization calls for two distinct bodies functioning with the Guardian, upholding the divine ideals of the reli- gion; (1) The « Hands of the Cause of God »; and (2) The Spiritual Assemblies. : 1. The « Hands of the Cause of God » is to be a _ body of tried teachers and servants of the Cause, sev- ered from the world, elevated to this station by ap- _ pointment by the Guardian, and chosen by him be- cause of spiritual policies and noble characteristics. oe LE ue TD tnd tle Met eas A none xf ) bd BO I Ve ped ee aes on a 4 a] ie’, Ay Ae tas Wh hie nti, Cay ay 4 ae Oe Uae Ls, Of the Hands of the Cause of God ‘Abdw'l- Baha whee SS in ee Will as follows: O friends! The Hands of the Cause of. God nen ) ‘ be nominated and appointed by the Guardian of the Cause of God. The obligation of the Hands of the Cause — of God is to diffuse the divine fragrances, to edify the souls of men and to be, at all times and under all cir- He cumstances, sanctified and detached from earthly things. They must manifest the fear of God by their conduct, py their manners, their deeds and their words. This body of the Hands of the Cause of God is under the direction of the Guardian of the Cause of God. He must continually urge them to strive and endeavor to the utmost of their ability to diffuse the sweet savors of God, and. to guide all the people of the world, for i is the _ light of divine guidance that causes all the universe 2 bo be allumined. 2. A series of spiritual assemblies, local and naiGnel with one international assembly are to be established. ‘The local spiritual assemblies in each Baha’i community, elected by the people, have charge of local Baha’i- fi activities. The National Spiritual Assembly, elected by representatives of the people in each country, is above ne the local assemblies and has charge of the general affairs | which pertain to the Bahai activities in that land. The Universal or International Spiritual Assembly, the members of which are selected by the national bodies, is above the national spiritual assemblies. Already Shoghi Effendi has inaugurated a system of local and — - national assemblies, and the friends of the Cause are now looking toward his future work in the further ee development of these spiritual institutions which are at the head of the organization of the Cause. Of the organization of these spiritual assemblies ’Abdt’-Bahd wrote in his testament as follows: And now, concerning the Assembly (Baytw’l- Adl) which God hath ordined as the source of all. good and freed from all error, i must be elected by wniversal suffrage, that is by the believers. Its nembers must be manifesta- tions of the fear of God, and the day-springs of knowl- edge and understanding, must be steadfast in God’s faith, and the well wishers of all mankind. By this Assembly is meant the Universal Assembly: that is, in each cown- try a secondary Assembly must be instituted, and these secondary assemblies must elect the members at the Uni- versal one. Unto this body all things must be referred. Tl enact- eth all ordinances and regulations that are not to be found in the explicit holy texts. By this body all dif- ficult problems aré to be resolved, and the Guardian of the Cause is the sacred head and distinguished member “ for life, of that body. Should he not atiend in person its deliberations, he must appoint one to represent him.... _ This Assembly enacteth the laws and the executive enforc- _ eth them. The legislative body musi reinforce the execu- _ ttve, the executive must aid and assist the legislative body so that, through the close union and harmony of these two forces, the foundation of firmness and justice may become firm and strong, that all the regions of the world may become even as paradise itself: Unto the Most Holy Book every one must turn, and all that is not expressly recorded therein must be refer- verily the truth and the porpose of God himself. Whoso doth deviate therefrom is verily of them that love dis- cord, hath shown forth malice, and turned away from the Lord of the Covenant, It is incumbent upon the members (of the Universal Assembly) to gather in a certain place and deliberate upon all problems which have caused difference, quesiions that are obscure, and matters that are not expressly re- ; corded in The Book. Whatsoever they decide has the same effect as the text itself. And inasmuch as this red to the Universal Assembly, That which this body, x either unanimouly or by majority, doth carry, that is i" Assembly hath pover to enact laws that are not express- ly recorded in the Book, and bear upon daily trans- actions, so also it has power to repeal the same. Thus _ for example, the Assembly enacteth today a ceriain law and a hundred years hence, circumstances having changed and the conditions being altered, another Assembly will then have power, according to the exigencies of the time, — to alter that law. This ti can do, because that law formeth no part of the divine explicit text, The Assembly is both the initiator and the abrogator of ts own laws. Shoghi Effendi at the time of the passing of ’Abdt- ’l-Baha was but twenty-five years of age. He has the love, devotion and confidence of the Baha'is in all countries. In his decisions they see great Bahai wisdom. They are doing all in their power to support and aid him in his great work, strong in the assurance that this is the Cause of God and that its growthand Spiritual victory over the irreligion of the world, with Wt ey iit aay ‘inde ee \ We ra OW aC rae Arava ty RAM rg CU ta ak tyr she Fatale | th ea Le) al ad AY iT Sl ee tem ea il EO al ar Ps olas Sh GRAY aI in Ora caiARS OR gal pa La EMM IRC ’ RPO ePTO LARA) ea» OU vl iM yt og APN Pee EEA debt des Cla a ks CY My th Gian Word ie SEES oe) Pay Get Hb) otey ieee - tt ri tee Wath Liou! hye _ its superstition and misery, is assured and confirmed and cannot fail. One of the questions the Baha’is are often asked is regarding the number of those who profess this faith. The strength of this Cause is a spiritual one, not to _be measured numerically. Even were it possible to > _ know the exact number of Baha’is in the world, this record would be valid but a short while, because the Cause is growing continually, interest in it is increas- ing and the hearts of people are daily becoming more attracted and more confirmed in the truth, ~The Bahd@’is are widely distributed throughout the world. During the days of the Bab, his Cause was - confined principally to Persia, although he had adher- ents also in neighboring countries. With the rise of, Baha’wllah this field of work was extended, the Baha’i teachers went north in Caucasia, Russia and Turkestan, south into India, east into Burma, and later on into China. With Baha’u’llah’s exile in Turkey, Roumelia and Syria, his Cause spread in those countries as well as in Egypt and in Arabia. The establishment of the Baha’i Cause in the West has been accomplished under the ministry of ’Abdw’l- Bahé. In the year 1894, a small group of people in the city of Chicago became interested in the revelation, © Later, similar groups were formed in New York, Washington and San Francisco. In the winter of 1898-99, the first band of American Baha'i pilgrims crossed the seas to visit “Abdu’l-Baha, then in exile in the Holy Land; Up to that time the communication between the American Baha’is and ’Abdt’-Baha had been by writing only. Then, with the sadod impenie given by contact with ’Abdt’l-Bah4 these American pilgrims returned to the West with renewed zeal and desire to spread the Cause. From the enthusiasm of this first band of cravelbiey Le, yet: new centers for teaching were founded in France, England and America. From this nucleus have Co ts veloped believers in all parts of the United States, in Canada, Mexico, Hawaii, Japan and Australia, New : } Gestand and (South: A mehisa*and hole Indies, as” . well as in various parts of Germany, Switzerland and Italy. During this period of growth, several Baha’ . teachers from the Orient have traveled through Hurope — and America, instructing and teaching the people, and — helping to establish new centers. Likewise, teachers — from the Occident have journeyed and taught in the oriental countries, Quietly and slowly the Cause has grown amid all varieties of human conditions, among peoples of every religion, race and clime. In the if Msi Ys ma AW growth and progress of the Bahd’i Cause is demon- strated its universal spiritual power. Accepted by people of every condition it is making inroads into their souls as leaven; it is uniting these many heter- — 7 ’ >, ogeneous elements into one homogeneous world-people. Hy The method of Baha'i teaching is constructive in — every sense. In presenting this Cause to people, the — teacher’s first step, after bringing his own life into harmony with the teaching, is to confirm the seeker — in the truth of his own religion and upon that con- — firmation, as a foundation, place the seekers faith in this latter-day teaching. Argument and dispute have — no place in this Cause. The teaching is quietly yet. fearlessly given with much love, and then the matter Ss left with the listener and God. Baha'u'llah urges everyone to investigate religion for himself, not ac- _cepting anything blindly nor by hearsay. People are not urged nor enticed, but rather through the Baha'i spirit of love are attracted to the Cause. All are exhorted to serve the Cause by teaching. Contributions are not generally solicited. The spirit of the Cause must first find root in the hearts of the people, then they will arise themselves to support it. When a person realizes the greatness of the privilege of aiding the Baha’i work, he assists in the measure he is able, his own heart being his guide. The Baha’is are working to unite all races and religions in the love of the Lord. They are not looking for praise nor even to see results, their satisfaction is that of service ; and there is no other satisfaction or pleasure which can approach that joy, - the joy of serving His Cause. Now in these days of the first Guardian of the Cause, Shoghi Effendi, the organization is being established as outlined and provided for in the testament of ’Abdu’l- - Bahé. Spiritual assemblies, local and national, have been founded and are working, as already stated, in the many lands where the Bahd’is are gathered. The _ yay International Assembly, however, is yet to be inau- gurated, as well as other Bahé't institutions. Spiri- tual strength and confirmation in abundance attend the early workings of the Bahai erganization. In _ this great body of people of all races, religions, na- aan nC dhe ie iy , aed tions and classes, is found the embodiment of the ; universal world ideal of the Bahai Cause; for all | oi: of these formerly heterogeneous and warring human — elements are now spiritually and organically fused — and united in one living cause which has for its object the living Kingdom of God here upon earth. As there are cycles of growth, fruition and decay in life on the physical plane, there are also the cycles of birth, development, fruition, decay in religious sys- tems or dispensations. As the cycles or seasons in the — physical world are due to the condition of the mate- — rial earth in its relation to the sun, so the cycles or — seasons in the religious world are due to the human ~ conditions in the world as these are affected by the — divine power of the Sun of Truth or the Word of God. Resurrection and judgment pertain to the coming of a prophet or Manifestation and the elevation of the spiritual power of religion in the world. Through — the word revealed, souls are quickened and the spirit- ually dead are given divine lite. The day of each prophet is the time of judgment for those souls who — believe and adhere to the former revelations. Thus now in this day the peoples of all the religions are — being tested and tried: judged, as it were. Now, as — in times past, those who are clinging to the reality — and truth of the revelations of the past, are finding — that same truth and spirit in this new revelation, so applied as to meet the peculiar world-needs of this day and age. Those who are immersed in supersti- tions, are thereby veiled from the truth of this day. + ae . . — ee I: > vy + 2 J =” Si a eee ts REM AEY URECH Mi PeTPERY TST Te) Ace MoT petty rue ADR GGN Dad. rly VR RR EYAL CES am RA ¥ J ity NV a UREA Calpe ied lat, 144 AK Gono int SN iN th Ata iy Sh el Hiihavtir Mand Wy { * he ay ur Wor : ie en aa | ° AMachrt ni N 2ty ; f ny Be AC Uy, ys ne } BAA de f iy Migitaal AVE tne In this same way was it so in the days of Christ and the prophets. | In the coming of the Bab, Bahda’wllah and ’Abdu’l- Baha is found the fulfilment of the divine promises of God, given to the peoples of the past ages; and in this coming is the beginning of that age of divine enlightenment and spiritual wisdom for which men have long hoped and prayed. In the light of these inspired teachings all religious teachings of the past are understood and seen to be as parts of one great divine plan for the spiritual enlightenment of the world. In the Baha'i Revelation is realized, also, that power which is binding and uniting the peoplds of all races and religions in one universal religion which is the Kingdom of God upon earth. Once asked regarding the relation of his mission to that of the great Manifestation, Baha’ullah, ’Abdt'l- Baha replied: « Baha’u’llah is the root of the tree of the Kingdom, while I am the branch, branched from that pre-existent root. The fruit of the tree appears upon the branches, not upon the roots. » Now that the master, ’Abdt’l-Bah4, has passed from our midst, the Baha’is are realizing more the full significance of the reality of this explanation; for branching from *Abdt’l-Baha, the main branch or trunk of the Cove- nant, we find the Guardian Shoghi Hffendi, the first of the line of the Baha’i Guardians. With the passing of the generations there wiil be many Guardians branching out from this divine tree of revelation, The believers under each Guardian will be as the 76° leaves, flowers and fruits of that branch (Guardian), from and through which they received nutriment and — life from the tree, the root of which is Bahé’u’llah, and the trunk of which is ’Abdw’l-Baha. This living and ever growing and verdant tree is the symbol of the organic unity and life of the Bahai Cause. It admits of no division or sectarian differences or in- harmonies, Its destiny is assured. It is preordained to envelop all humanity, bringing with it the bounties of God’s Kingdom to all peoples. — ; THE BAHA’! SACRED WRITINGS THE BAB. _ The book of the Bab, or his collective writings, is known as The Bayan. That the mission of the Bab was introductory to the advent of Bahd’u’ll4h is most clearly stated in these writings in which the coming of « Him-whom-God-shall-manifest » is the one great theme. In them the Bab exhorts the people to prepare themselves spiritually to meet and to recognize and to adhere to Baha’u’ll4h when he should appear. He left certain laws and ordinances for the guidance of his followers until the advent of Bahd’u’ll4h, which were to be abrogated with the promised « coming. » These writings, calculated to meet and minister to the local conditions which were chiefly Islamic, have as yet as a whole not been translated into English. -BAHA’U’LLAH. The writings of Baha’u’ll4h are numerous and in general are comparatively brief treatises. Of these a number have been translated and published in the oc- cidental languages, while others still remain in the original Persian and Arabic texts. One of the first books translated aud published in English was the Kitaébu’l Iqan, The Book of Assur- ance. This was written by Bahda’u’ll4h during his exile in Baghdad, and was a reply to certain theolog- ical questions asked by a learned Musl’im priest, be ali ae : The expression is couched is terms peculiar to Islamic thought, yet, deeper than these terms are the uni- — versal spiritual teachings with which its pages are replete, the essence and reality of which appeals to ep people of all religions. i In this book Bahd’u’ll4h quotes familiar texts fron ‘ the Old and New Testaments of the Bible, and from — the Qur’4n of Muhammad, and he explains the spiritual — truths contained in these three books relative to the end and passing of the old dispensations, the coming — of the latter-day revelator, and the ushering into ex-— istence of the new dispensation of the Kingdom upon — earth. He points out the oneness of the teachings of the Jewish, Christian and Musl’im holy literature re- garding this latter-day advent of the Promised One, the Lord. | In the Stratu’l-Haykal, <« Chapter upon the Temple or Body », Baha'u'llah treats of the divine call, his arising in response thereto, and his mission here among — men, : | vs In the Book of the Seven Valleys, Baha'u'llah explains | the different stages of the spiritual progress or de- velopment of the soulof man. These stages he divides — into seven, which he terms «valleys». This book — was Gritten to elucidate certain truths from the stand-— point of mysticism. In appreciating it one understands — and finds sympathy with the spirit and teachings of f the Mystics. , In the Lawh’l-Agdas, The Holy Tablet, « Bahé'u'- lah explains his Cause to the Christian world. He demonstrates that now is the time of the end spoken — i ; €5 nee ~ of by Jesus, the Christ, and he exhorts the Christians to consider the importance of this day and of its Cause. He demonstrates the necessity for relinquishing depen- dence upon the superstitions in the creeds and customs of the past ages, and exhorts all to adhere to the pure truth of the words of Jesus, which, when under- stood, will confirm the truth revealed again in this day. _ The Hidden Words, in two books, — the one trans- lated from the original Arabic text, and the other from the Persian — contain the essence of the spiritual truths revealed by the divine revelators of the past. _ In these utterances the fundamental divine truths are again revealed to humanity in terms applicable to the unique exigencies of this age. These verses are replete with spiritual significance, and in each is hid- den a message, or word, for the hungry soul. The Tablets of Tarazit, TajalViyat and Ishraqat, contain exhortations regarding the conduct of man. In these books Baha’wll4h dwells upon those virtues, through the practice of which spiritually awakened * man will evolve and attain to the state of nearness to God, which spiritual state is the foundation of peace and prosperity. _ In the Kitdbu’l Aqdas, « Book of the Law », Baha- *u'llah outlines both the material and spiritual laws for the guidance of the people of the coming dispen- sation. He provides for governmental laws based on divine laws. These divine laws are not arbitrary. “They are the spiritual principles which rule and govern the higher or the divine nature in man, and are given 6 ae with divine wisdom. P Their virtue will become appar- ent as men live in accordance with their statutes, and in so doing eliminate the source of the ills of the day. The ordinances of the Bahd’i Cause aim at the eradication of wrong-doing through spiritual education and evolution, and, at the same time, they protect humanity from those who perpetrate wick- edness. The Kitdb’-i--Ahd, « Book of the Testament > is the will and testament of Bahd4’u’ll4h to his followers. In this document he provides for the guidance of his followers after his passing by appointing his— beloved son, "Abdt’l-Bahé, to be the Center of his Covenant, He towards ner all the faithful should turn, — Bahs’w'lléh left many other writings to the world, These are, for the greater part, in the form of epistles. or tablets written to individuals. Noteworthy among these are the Epistles to the Kings, written just pre-— vious to his arrival at Akka, and sent from this ee to all parts of the world. In these tablets Baha’u’ll4h declares his Cause ts the kings and potentates of the earth, exhorting them to turn to the Kingdom, and to the Promised One whom God had sent to establish peace upon earth, and to inaugurate those institutions which would. benefit their subjects. ABDU’L-BAHA. , The writings of Abdt’l-Baha are for the greater part epistles, tablets, written to individuals or to a ‘ “9 i‘, “sy a ee he SPER hive Ne ay ee AES Re eee STD vy Eee ee al PAL COP SRM UE PL fads re Bree om Ey SO ae ates eae 4 MET VA IL TARE DAMN Rae Bo ig BILE BUENA SN TOLER ORME TE UT UALS TEN sLavo Ry AMY AUN Sse T Nn Pn BO LR TEN a r iva? bi Pista a Liha SR Hee parse ea tiles Bs A, WLBT TEA a OOM, paves & {hr as OMAR Abn i Z 1”) Ta> & FeO NM Ay iy meet bay ‘ i j $ (ilos ats ye, we ; 1 tA Sid i A bt 4) vet Au ha ey Te. CBG) Win ; ETO a? 83 assemblies. These are explanatory of the revealed writings of Bahé’wll4h. A number of ’Abdt’l-Bahd’s lessons upon various spiritual subjects have been col- lected, translated and published by one of his followers under the title of Some Answered Questions. This work is of value to the student who desires an insight into the actual knowledge of the teachings, and an under- standing of its basic principles, Several volumes of *Abdu’l-Baha’s addresses are available in English. Paris Talks, London Talks, The Promulgation of Universal Peace etc. The first two of these volumes record discourses given abroad; the latter volume, talks given in America. ’Abdt’l-Baha’s mission was that of ampli- fying and applying the truth as revealed by Baha’u'llah. This ’Abdu’l-Baha accomplished by his life of service and example even more than by his words. His life was his book. He was endowed with that power of transmitting which enabled his followers to realize and assimilate the spiritual admonitions of Baha- "allah, In reading the translations of the writings of the _ Bab, Baha'u'llah and ’Abdw’1-Bahda, the western reader, unaccustomed to the thought and expression of the — Orient, will do well to bear in mind two things: First, that these original writings were in the symbolic and florid style of the Persian or Arabic tongues; that many of the expressions and similies are untranslatable and, _ perforce, have been rendered literally, and that much of _ the rich poetic oriental expression is out of harmony _ with the more matter-of-fact occidental tongue, through - which, in translation, it is forced to express itself. Second, many of these epistles were sent to people — surrounded by religious and intellectual conditions — foreign to those to which we are accustomed here in > the western world. The object of these teachers being to make spiritual connection with souls, they at one time employ a certain line of thought and terminology — to reach those whom they would teach, and at other times approach their subject from an entirely different — point of view. For instance, in order to reach a Mus!’im : the argument must be Islamic, whereas to reach - ah Christian it must be Christian. In studying these writings let the reader first fax miliarize himself with all the conditions under which they were written: the writer, the people to whom he was writing, their previous religious training, the tongue, etc., then he will understand the spiritual wisdom of the writings, and the truth will not be obscured by the expression, names or terminology. Le eA In order to produce world unity the Baha'is teach that the superstitions and prejudices of past ages must be removed from'man’s mind. Lack of education creates narrowness and prejudice; education brings broadness of view and sympathy with others, therefore a a strong move for education is necessary. The past systems of narrow training in matters * of religion have tended more towards perpetuating than eradicating inharmony between men. The fol- — lowers of the different religions being at variance — with one another, have in their educational systems — handed down to coming generations the prejudice, th ignorance, and dogmatism of past generations, thus instilling into the children all the soul-retarding ele- ments of thought and superstition of the parents. Now, in this enlightened age there has appeared in the world simultaneously with the Baha’i Revelation a new order of educational methods. Former dogma and prejudice are no longer taught to children, and the minds of the youths of this generation are not thus limited and handicapped. In fact, in freeing our — educational systems from the superstitions, prejudices and dogmas of the past, the mistake of eliminating also all spiritual precepts from the general instruction of children has been made. Thinking educators of this day are beginning to see the demoralizing results of this lack of spiritual instruction in the present educa- tional system. In the people of this generation is manifest, to an alarming degree, the inroads of vices against which they are unable to protect themselves because of the want of moral and spiritual training and poise. -“Abdi’l-Bahé taught an all-round education. Man is a combination of several natures, and his general well-being depends upon a balanced training and de- velopment, He must train and develop his pbysical | powers in order to have a good and perfect organism through which to manifest the higher man. Psychi- — cally and mentally, he must train and develop the pow- ers of perception, memory and reason, that he may have a mental organism through which to manifest the higher spiritual nature. Man’s spiritual training and soul development is the most important of all education. we the spiritual key-note of that age, creating a religious consciousness in the heart of humanity, which is the dynamic motive force of an onward civilization, s0 now in this present age the world teacher, Baha’u’llah, has arisen, giving the universal religion, calling the whole world to one spiritual world-consciousness, exhorting As each epoch in the spiritual progress of the world : has had its divine guide or prophet who has voiced all people to study into the principles and teachings — of his doctrines and to enter into the spirit of his Cause. In the light of this present day the truths contained — in the teachings of the Baha'i Revelation are self evi- dent to those who study the writings. Humanity needs this spiritual education. Through this education mankind will become united in one world-consciousness and the universal civilization will be realized. i eh VI PROPHESIES FULFILLED. Some Biblical Prophesies showing the Relation of the Baha’i Revelation To Jewdaism and Christianity THE RELATION OF THE BAHA’I REVELATION TO JUDAISM AND CHRISTIANITY. In the beginning of the Fourth Gospel it is written: « In the beginning was the Word, and the Word, was with God, and the Word was Gou: » The Bahai teaches that it is through the Word of God manifested in the temple of a perfect man that humanity becomes quickened with spiritual life, obtains divine knowledge, receives spiritual assurance, is enabled to rise above the conditions of ignorance and attain both material and spiritual civilization. Thus the Spirit of God speaks and is disclosed to man through the prophets or Manifestations. Infinite Deity is be- yond the comprehension of man: yet, through the Manifestation of Deity man is enabled to come into touch with God, to comprehend and to know Him through the characteristics and attributes of the perfect man or Manifestation of God, and to attain to divine - knowledge which is eternal life. By this is not meant that the essence of the infinite Deity is contained or confined in the personality of the revelator, but that the soul of the Manifestation is as a clear mirror which mirrors forth or manifests the divine attributes. Everywhere in the world of nature is seen the result of God’s creative power, yet this has never awakened _ nor brought spiritual quickening, divine joy, nor comfort to the soul of man. This is because God’s creation, —* er eee on ig Sie aa eee » BC ae, (eho “ie ~ ae . 90 though it emanates from him, yet it does not manifest him. The heart of man is only divinely quickened and. spiritually resuscitated through the appearance of the Manifestations of God, the Word revealed. The Manifestation of the Word or of the Spirit through the prophets or « chosen ones, » is the unique source of the spiritual quickening and the divine enlightenment of man. This source is of God, not man. Though the prophets and divine teachers were men, their spiritual power and divine strength was not | because of human virtue or wisdom. Their spiritual power to change man’s nature and to create great Spiritual awakening in the world was due to the Spirit of God which inspired, or spoke through, the Manifes- tations of God. The Word of God is a life-giving, a creative power. Through it slumbering humanity is quickened with spiritual wisdom, and the soul of man is lifted from the condition of ignorance to that of knowledge and wisdom. The advancement of the world of humanity is due to the quickening power of the Word. From it proceeds the very seed of civilization and the progress of mankind. Through it man is divinely quickened and born into the Kingdom of God. » The inner spiritual teachings of the divine Manifes- tations have been one and the same in substance, — differing only in degree. The degree of the spiritual knowledge manifested has been always commensurate - with the degree of the spiritual capacity of the peoples to whom the prophets ministered. The outer teach- ings, including the divine laws and ordinances of the revelators have differed in every age. These specific ER CNM N TRC Melee tar One PWN Cial enn Moutrm Tne sep Meenas on yah rcineatce MSE TE Ca CR Mey Ea MMe Uh HE Cla ee Citta ane ar he AFI aL Lees Nodes TE tikes ‘ ‘ ae eA pia te aM i Bee Ty Hi ; j a Mh Cah ver tie Oh instructions have always been given in conformity with the material condition peculiar to the various ages. The Baha’is regard the divine power which manifested through all the prophets and Manifestations as the same, being the one eternal, unchangeable Spirit of God manifest. However, these. divers Manifestations and prophets if viewed from the human standpoint, are seen to be different personalities, giving different teachings and establishing difterent religious systems. _ The laws and ordinances as given to the world by the Manifestations and prophets have had a deep spir- itual effect upon man. They were given through divine wisdom, and by obedience to them, the living out of the same by man, conditions were created which were necessary for the fuller and unhampered spir- itual unfoldment of humanity. It is for this reason that each revelator has insisted that the people follow his ordnances. It was for their own good that he com- manded this. Their welfare eas upon following his injunctions. The prophets have been seers as well as sources of divine life. Because of their spritual understanding they were able to indicate in their teachings the material signs and conditions as well as the more spiritual ones, which would characterize the advent of succeeding Manifestations. The « return » of the prophets does not refer to the _ return to this world of the individual person. It re- fers to the return in another individuality, manifesting - the same impersonal Spirit — the Word or Spirit of God — which spoke through the prophets of the past; 92 as, for example, in John the Baptist was the return of — the spirit of Elijah, but not the individual person of the former prophet of Israel. With the passing of centuries, people ceased to differentiate between the individuality of the Manifes- tation and the Spirit of God which spoke through him; hence, instead of looking for the return of this Spirit of God, manifesting through another personality, many people in these latter days, make the mistake — of looking for the personal, individual return to earth — of their own particular prophet. : The mission of each divine revelator has been to announce and to prepare the way for the brotherhood of the Kingdom among men. Hach has accomplished his mission, speaking and teaching through symbols and parables suited to the peoples of his day. Each quickened the souls of the people with divine life, and each foretold the coming of the great latter-day rev- elator who was to establish the Kingdon of Peace on > earth. yh The Bahd’is believe that in Jesus appeared « The Word », or the Spirit of God, This differentiated him — from other men. By virtue of the Divine Spirit which — spoke through him, he was the Christ, the Manifesta- — tion of God among men. Through him souls became — spiritually quickened, were reborn and were lifted — from the condition of spiritual ignorance, called sin, — into one of spiritual enlightenment, called salvation. Like the mission of every divine Manifestation, that of Jesus the Christ, was a three-fold one. First, he — fulfilled the prophecies of the prophets who preceded — 93 - him and proclaimed his coming. In him was the con- - summation of the former dispensations. Second, he was the unique source of divine enlightenment to the people of his dispensation, and through the power of his word he founded his Cause. Third, he prepared the way for the coming of the great latter-day revelation fulfilled in Baha’u’ll4h — God manifesting himself as the Father — whom he and all prophets foretold would arise in the fulness of time and establish the Kingdom of God upon earth. Jesus explained the great divine plan of the ages for the spiritualization of the world in its entirety in _ the parable of « the Householder which planted a vineyard » (Matthew 21: 33-41), in which the house- holder is symbolic of God, the creator of the world. The vineyard symbolizes the people of the world, while the husbandmen are the leaders of the people. His servants represent the prophets sent by the Lord to call the world to righteousness and divine obedience, all of whom the people persecuted and rejected, His son is Jesus, the Christ, whose teaching was refused _ by the people who crucified him. « When the Lord _ therefore of the vineyard cometh, » refers to the coming of the latter-day revelator Baha’u’llah while « He will miserably destroy those wicked men and will let out — his vineyard unto other husbandmen, which shall render _ him the fruits in their seasons », is prophetic of the great outpouring of divine grace through this new revela- tion, which will be so great as to overcome and dispel _ the great power of evil, — spiritual ignorance — which is dominating humanity. This day is the time of the G “OVE ts Fd ee MENS Pe Sis ele {\ ie te , shell Apa ap RCE UE at aD rs Pe nC AAO RO ARAMA MANUAL BACT Biinan dates iin bata foun Sa ) Eira Cons ag 5 Briel ti: irae itt 94 world’s turning from humanity to divinity. Baha’u’llah has brought to the world a new day, for with his com- ing old conditions passed away and a new dispensa- tion was ushered into existence. The law of equity, « An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth », and the Christ law of mercy and love have for centuries been known to man, but the power to enable humanity to triumphantly live according to the Christ law has been — given to the world through Bahé’u’lléh. When the Spirit of God came into the world mani- — festing as the « Son », Jesus Christ, the world rejected him; « but as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that — believe on his name ». To those individual souls he gave his peace, but not to the world, because the world did not receive him, This he announced when he said: « Think not that I am come to send peace on earth; I came not to send peace, but a sword ». Here again, aS well as in other instances, Christ states that his dispensation was to be a militant one, which would in the end of the age be followed by another, a trium- phant dispensation of divine grace and peace here upon — earth. The history of the nineteen hundred years of | the dispensation of Christ testifies to the truth of this — prophecy of Jesus. Now Bahd’u’ll4h has brought that — peace to the world. He is « The Prince of Peace », who has come and has established the foundation of peace on earth. How clearly Isaiah the prophet saw this coming of the Lord in these latter days when he wrote: «For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given, and the government shall be upon his shoulder. ie ew he Tey eh 7 oa aca) Vile ke we Pe | ROU Ser it sad WAM ell aisles Oa Wane Gm Pe eam tia BAB WLy) eeadt Pab Bea ant 7 as Got he we bel Neg aig ag bats it mite As ay Perea ay is i) ayaa Wet rT, 4 : Ua Er Emr ise Pina GPO Don ae { Sa ri, { } 95 and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace ». Those whose souls are touched by the living spirit of Christianity, and who are alive to its reality, recog- nize that the Bahd’i teaching is the flowering out and the perfecting of Cristianity; for to be a real Christian in spirit is to be a Baha'i, and to be a real Bahd’i is to be a Christian. As one reads the words of Christ and the testimony of the apostles who received from him many teachings, there stands out one promise above all other things: his second coming among men, another appearance of the Christ spirit, the Word of God in the temple of man as the establisher of the Kingdom triumphant; this revelation to be the begin- ning of the end of the old order of human differences, and at the same time to usher in the new order of divine peace here on earth. All is summed up in the promise ; « the kingdoms of this world are become the Kingdoms of our Lord, and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever ». | The Bahd#’is regard the Hebrew prophets as revealers of divine truth. Through these various channels the Word was revealed, souls were quickened with divine _ life and obeyed the divine laws, and the way was pre- aya ee pared for the coming of the Kingdom on earth, These prophets from the earliest, before Abraham, down to — the last, Malachi, formed a complete chain. Hach built upon the foundation of the teachings of his predeces- sors; each ministered to the spiritual needs of the peo- ple of his day, and each extended to humanity the promise of the coming of the Lord at the end of the days and of the righting of all things in the establish- i ment of the reign of God among men. As one reads — the Hebrew Scriptures, the prophecies of the coming of the triumphant Messianic dispensation are found to be the one great thread running through all. In this prom- ise is heard the one divine voice of the Word of God speaking through the personalities of the many proph- ets or mouthpieces, or channels of truths. In the Jewish holy books are found prophecies per- taining in particular to three holy ones to come in — these latter days. The coming of Elijah before the appearance of the Lord, or « Ancient of Days »; the coming of the Lord and his Servant, « the BRANCH »>. The prophecies regarding the coming of these three holy personages were fulfilled in the coming of the Bab, of Baha'u'llah and of ’Abdt’l-Baha, Il was through the — study of the prophecies regarding the second coming, as recorded by the prophet Daniel, that the Millerites learn- ed that the Lord was to come in the year 1844. They expected His miraculous appearance in the clouds and were disappointed, The Bab came, and ‘Abdi’l-Bahé was born at this appointed time, fulfilling prophecy, — but in a manner not anticipated by men. The coun- — try. of Carmel and Sharon in the Holy Land, to which — Baha'u'llah was sent in exile and where he lived and ~ taught, was the place designated by the ancient seers of Biblical fame where the « Ancient of Days » would appear. The glory of the Lord of Hosts to come, and ~ the power and majesty of his spiritual rule upon earth, are testified to by prophet and psalmist in the most — inspiring passages of Hebrew sacred writ; while the Sc SAL UES CSc Ny. aides ais ie Ad SA ae Ad te Ma Qu SRM eae AR CaS a en A a EOL SES od MM AGA 8 97 peace, prosperity and general upliftment of humanity resulting therefrom are most vividly depicted. _ The mission of the Jewish people was a religious one. From the seed of the prophet Abraham, the pro- genitor of these people, have come the founders of great religions of the past, as well as the founders of the great religion of the present, From Abraham, through the line of Isaac, came Moses and Jesus; through Ish- mael came Muhammad and the Bab; while from the line of another son was descended ie * from whom descended Baha'u'llah. * Abraham had six sons other than Isaac and Ishmael. This is not Jesse, the father of David, bnt another of the same name. This point was explained to the wirter by’Abdwu’l-Baha at Haifa, May 1910. ’ E RELATION OF THE BAHA’T REVELATION To the religions of the Orient: _ Islam-Buddhism-Hinduism-Zoroastrianism. i as Dae a Pte A wa ae oie A igen abd Voy) ativan} of ek sah ear bo al 4 cs THE RELATION OF THE BAHA’I REVELATION TO THE RELIGIONS OF THE ORIENT. As the peoples of the various religions of the Orient come into the realization and spirit of the Baha'i Revelation, their faith in the truth of their own reli- gion is augmented and not lessened; for the spirit of this present day teaching is the same as that which actuated the early fathers of the ancient religions, and in its doctrines, tenets, and institutions, the peoples of the former religions find the realization and fulfilment of their own holy books, ISLAM. The prophet Muhammad taught submission to the will of God. Isl4m means « submission »» Muhammad arose in Arabia at a time of spiritual need when the people were submerged in ignorance and superstition. Through his guidance, idolatry and immorality were changed into the worship of the one God and high moral standards. He broughta code of laws and ordinances adapted to the spiritual and material needs of the people of his day. These people, because of their extreme degradation, had been untouched both by Judaism and Cristianity. They needed a teaching and a code of laws suited to their own special condition, — The rise of the Muslim civilization has had no par- — allel in history. United under the standard of the belief in one God and the immortality of the soul, the fierce sons of the Arabian desert in an incredibly — short time evolved from savagery into a highly cul- — tured people; their sciences, arts and literature having contributed much toward our present western civili- zation, As division, superstition, and decay crept into the Musl’im Church the people retrograded, until in a few centuries after the death of Muhammad the real spirit — of his teaching was a thing of the past, and Muslim civilization was in decline. Like Cristianity and every other religion, the real. Islam must not be judged by its present day followers The student must go to the source in order to ascer- tain its spirit and truths, In Christianity, the building of barriers, and the divisions and wars between the sects is one thing, while the constructive teaching of Christ is quite another, So itisin Islam. The present — plight of this people and the state to which the DO called them are ideed very different; i * Muhammad prepared the people for the great latterly : day Baha'i Revelation. The Musl’ims look for three © Manifestations in the latter day, — this being literally ~ expressed in their traditional teachings (Hadith) as — a three trumpet calls. According to the traditions of — Islam, seven years, and forty years, and seventy years — respectively, were to separate these calls or comings, These periods correspond to the missions of the Bab — Ste ee fe -%. e Bee ect Tae : oy hp eee Sg ay aia Te 108 which was cut short in the seventh year of his min- inistry (18441841); to that of Baha’wll4h which con- tinued forty years (1852-1892), and to that service of ’Abdw’l-Baha which came to a close in the seventieth year from the rise of Baha’u’llah in 1852 to the ascen- ' sion of ’Abdt’l-Bahd in 1921. Islam teaches of a day (a time or period) of spiritual j resurrection and judgment, and of the coming of the Christ Kingdom, preceded by the Mihd‘i, — director or guide — and of the establishment of the divine peace on earth. Musl‘ims believe the latter-day time of spiritual awakening or resurrection, through the - giving forth of the Word of God, to be the time of the world’s judgment, the people being their own judges, as they choose to accept or to reject the newly reveal- ed truth. This time was to be accompanied by cer- tain signs similar to those mentioned in the Bible, such as the coming of the spirit of Anti-Christ, which is infidelity, decay of religious faith among men, and the accompanying demoralization which this must bring with it. _ Many Musl‘ims have come into the Baha'i faith, ac- . cepting the Bab as the promised Mihd‘i and Baha'u'llah as the Christ (Spirit), who was to come, for both have fulfilled their prophecies and traditions of which there are many. According to them, the Bab appeared from the Hast and made his public declaration at Mecca, at the place and time prophesied, 1824, A. D. or 1260 A. H., -and taught during the anticipated length of time. Also, Baha’u’llah arose in Iraq and was taken to Akka and Carmel in Syria. His mission lasted forty years, The PH at aise uaanot ase agit an nett WAT mete Wee NPR Pah) she Biya Ie a reat ¥ Wy Ge PIR enat Hon AS 40 et ib an PD see ts ny ial / aD % ead nek Pir h at Ry; ta SE Lyi ce af ui yoy : 4 i : iyo Pits PL Wyetie a! i pl iY A A . 4 ALDEN A Ne nyt (i re is ANS yp eh qe f. pe Shar And at ee ERAS y Pa oy heh es Best: Aut Aa ey otoRa: Fat AM cia’ / ‘ RINNE aL See ee cay . ay ne Pak aire 104, many details are so clearly traced in Islamic tradition — and Qur’dnic prophecy, that it is very easy for the orthodox Musl’im to realize the truth of the elaims — of both, and to see in their missions the fulfilment of the Islamic prophecies. HINDUISM The origin of Hinduism (Brahmanism), on account — of the lack of annals and records in its literature, is — practically lost to history. As it now is Hinduism is” a most complex system of philosophical thought, man- ners and customs. It lacks that unity of spirit and of form which the teaching originally possessed. In all religious systems men’s ideals have gradually re- placed the inspired wisdom of the founders. In the religion of Hindustan this is particularly true, so that itis only with the greatest difficulty that the original spirit and teaching can be traced. Even some of the students of Hindu philosophy have doubted that orig- inally Hinduism was a revealed teaching, for since its — sacred books contain no chronicles, the personalities — of the revealors have been lost. Of the truth in the - original Hindu teachings, however, there is no doubt, for the voice of the spirit, the source of all religion, — speaks yet today through its holy books, despite the lapse. of time since they were written. The teaching in its original purity was a simple monotheism, — The divine spirit spoke to the people through the mediumship of different personalities at different id © ed hat OA OP ee Pee OB UT Pe 2 Meee dee Oe, | Re i Cewita dy Mahe Ta Bde st ey Yate eal poy pee ep Miah Me av ealirniay 2 ee AY ry mn MAL Apes 105 times. These inspired souls arose as the need for their teachings became evident among men, and they became the spiritual guides. This thought is most clearly expressed in one of the Hindu sacred books, the Bhagavad-Gita, or the Lord’s Song, in which it is written; « Whenever there is _ decay of righteousness and there is exaltation of unrighteousness, then I Myself come forth. For the destruction of evil doers, for the sake of firmly estab- lishing righteousness, [ am born fromage to age. The foolish disregard Me when clad in human semblance, | ignorant of My supreme nature, the great Lord of beings. » The Hindus have here one of the promises of the coming of a great incarnation, Krishna, or the — Avatar, to occur in this day. He was to arise and establish universal righteousness and destroy spiritual ignorance or sin. The latter-day Krishna was to lead the people back to the spirit of the pure teaching as given by his predecessors, (former Manifestations of the spirit of the Lord), and through spiritual wisdom and power. was to overcome all unrighteousness, establishing in its place spiritual enlightenment. Those illumined Hindus whom the Baha'i Cause is reaching, see in Baha'u'llah the incarnation of the Spirit of God, and they accept him as their promised one. Thus the Baha’i Revelation confirms the Hindu in the fundamental truth of his own religion, and frees him from the superstition and caste which have for centuries kept his people in a state of both spiritual and physical bondage. Under this influence he attains to the real spirit of sacrifice as piven in his ancient teachings, and to the real emancipation of the soul, which is in truth the fundamental tenet of the most | ancient Hindu teaching. BUDDHISM. Mh is Buddhism stands in the relation to Hinduism much © as Christianity does to Judaism. Christianity sprang — from Judaism - the mother religion. In like manner Buddhism came out from Hinduism. The Buddha taught © of the one God, and of the life eternal. The state of — nearness to God is termed nirvana by the Buddhists. It is synonymous with the word heaven as used in © the holy writings of other religions. Gautama wrote . no books. The events of his life and his words and teachings were recorded by his disciples and have been handed down to the people of succeeding generations. \ Of the original teachings of the Buddha much has been lost and replaced by the doctrines and beliefs - of men who came after him, In fact the latter-day Buddhist teachings, so rich in the ramifications and — speculations of philosophical thought, bear about as much resemblance to the orginal spiritual teachings — of the Buddha, as the present-day multiplicity of creeds — of any one of the world religions bears to the real teachings and life of its founder, The Buddhist teaching in its purity, like that of the Baha'is, considers all religions from the spiritual standpoint to be common truths of the one universal « 4, ; A 4) y cp ny 2 oe 107 religion. The Buddhists are without religious prejudice. They welcome all high elevating thought.and teaching irrespective of its source. They believe Gautama, the Buddha, to have been one of a series of divinely in- spired souls sent to the peoples of various ages, for the divine training and guidance of mankind. As there were Buddhas who preceded him, so there will be Buddhas who will succeed him. They expect the coming and according to their traditions, he is now due. His work is to be with all mankind, and through him the earthly conditions ofthe past are to change and be re- placed by an age of divine wisdom and understand- ing. The following excerpt from the recorded teachings of Gautama to his disciple Ananda, given just previ- ous to his death, explains in a few words much of his teaching. « I am not the first Buddha who came upon earth, nor shall I be the last. I came to teach you the truth, and I have founded upon earth the King- dom of Truth, Gautama Siddhartha will die, but Buddha . will live, for Buddha is the truth and the truth cannot die. He who believes in the truth and lives in it is ‘my disciple, and I shall teach him. The religion which _I have preached to you will flourish so long as my disci- ples cling to the truth and lead a life of purity. In due ; time another Buddha will arise, and he will reveal to ‘ you the selfsame eternal truth which I have taught you». Ananda asked: « How shall we know him»? Gautama replied: « He will be known as Maitreya, _ which means "He whose name is Kindness’ >. _ The Buddhists in Japan and Burma coming into the 108 Baha'i Cause, find in Baha’u’ll4h the return of their promised Buddha. ZOROASTRIANISM. The present Zoroastrians, or Parsees, are but the remnant of a once powerful people. During the many vicissitudes of war and national decay their ancient political power has become dissipated ; through contact with peoples of other religions their original religious teaching has lost its purity, and a lifeless formalism has taken the place of its once vital spiritual force. Zoroaster taught a pure monotheism and the future existence and immortality of the soul, all of which he explained to the people in familiar terms and parables. The physical sun, which is the source of all physical life, he used as thesymbol for the Sun of Truth, the Mani- festation of God, the source of all spiritual life, while the stars symbolized the lesser prophets. Purity is a fundamental teaching in Zoroastrianism. Both spiritual and physical purity are taught in its laws and ordi- nances, which were given in terms couched to meet the need of mankind in that ancient day. Fire being the great cleanser, it is the emblem used in this faith to denote spiritual purity, for it is through the spirit- ual fire of the love of God that men’s souls are puri- fied and quickened into: eternal life. Zoroaster is pic- tured as bringing down from heaven the divine fir with which to purify mankind. The spiritual meaning Ae) ih j 4 109 of this is apparent, although for centuries the under- standing of these truths.was lost, and the people igno- rantly adhered to the outer forms, worshiping the sun, the stars and fire, hence the term applied to them, « Sun and Fire Worshipers >. The same idea of resurrection or quickening. spir- itual judgment and the Kingdom of God on earth, expressed in other religious teachings, are found in Zoroastrianism. The end of the Zoroastrian dispen- sation as foretold in their sacred literature, would be characterized by spiritual impurity; therefore the need of another Manifestation to bring to earth the divine fire of the love of God for the purification of all people. The teaching has a number of prophecies regarding the coming of the great latter-day prophet, spoken of as Shah Bahram, and the purification of the people of the earth by fire, — the fire of the Spirit. The Zoroastrians in India and Persia who are now realizing the message of the Baha'i Revelation, accept it as the fulfilment of the prophecies and the spirit of their own religion, and through this teaching they are coming into touch with kindred spirits in all the world. Thus they are arising to perform their service in this great work of uniting all men in the love of the Kingdom, VITl, WORSHIP — The Mashriqu’l-Adhkar a (The Baha’i Temple with its accessory insitutions) Prayer and Praise .and Service to Humanity the Elemements of True Worship. THE BAHA’I TEACHINGS REGARDING WORSHIP. In the Baha’i Teachings provision is made for temples of worship, about which are to center the spiritual and philanthropic activities of the Cause, and from which will be diffused the divine teachings of the reli- gion, together with the Baha’i spirit manifested through service to humanity. Eventually in every Baha’i center there will be a ; building (Temple) set apart for the Lord’s Cause. Group- ed about this.as a center will be the various insti- tutions for the benefit of man; hospitals, homes, hos- pices, colleges and other philanthropic enterprises. All of these buildings together will constitute the Mash- riqu’l-Adhkar. aa The Mashriqu’l-Adhkar. which translated from the Persian literally means « The dawning point of the mentionings of God, » is the Baha’i Temple of worship and service to humanity. It consists of a central building for worship, the temple proper, surrounded by schools, hospitals and hospices, homes and asylums _ for the orphan, for the incurable and for the aged, and also by colleges and a university. The temple of the Mashriqu’l-Adhkar is for reading, meditation and prayer. It is essentially a place for worship, for _ drawing near in spirit to God. Thus it will be a i . 5 7 wet ¥ 7 .- 7 center of spiritual power and attraction exerting a divine influence in the world while through the sur- 8 114 : rounding institutions will be manifest this inspira- — tion to the world by loving service to humanity. Its many surrounding institutions are for the prac- tical, moral and physical service to humanity. The Baha’is teach that man should glorify God in deed as well as by word of mouth, therefore this principle is © embodied in its fullest expression in their temples. The central building, or temple proper, will be a nine-sided structure surmounted by a dome and sur- rounded by gardens.. The number nine, greatest ofall — simple numbers, is used to symbolize the Spirit of God manifest. This universal temple of worship is — open to all, here people of all races and religions can worship God individually in spirit and in truth, — without the intermediary of church, priest or ritual. — The practical institutions of the Mashriqu’l-Adhkar will afford the opportunity for the establishment in — the world of all branches of those progressive works for which the Bahai Cause stands, In this day re- ligion is to be the direct source of inspiration in all secular affairs. The Baha’i faith stands as the promoter of advancement in every line of human activity and development, and therefore every phase of these in- numerable activities will draw life from, and be an integral part of, the Mashriqu’l-Adhkar. In the Bahai Teachings one finds exhortations to prayer and worship — upon the one hand, and exhortations to work, and to serve humanity upon the other, « Faith without — deeds is not acceptable, » therefore the Bahd’i reli- gious work includes all work and service needful to — Iman, This faith stands for all material and social — 115 progress, and this ideal is developed in the Mashriqu’l- _ Adhkar, As one reviews history, he sees that every religion has had its temples of worship. In the epoch of the early Israelitish prophets the people led nomadic lives going up into the mountains at stated times for their religious observances; thus the open air altars on the mountains were the recognized centers of the religious life of the people. Later, while the children of Israel were migrating - from Egypt to the Holy Land, the tabernacle occupied the central position in their encampment, and subse- quently, in their capital city, Jerusalem, the temple of the Lord crowned the highest hill and was the center of the intellectual, material and religious life of the people. Still later, in the typical Christian city of long ago, the cathedral was the great central edifice about which the other buildings of the city, religious and secular, were grouped. The religious life of the people of this epoch was all important, and this principle was express- ed in the architectural development of their cities, and so it has ever been in other religions. The temple of each religion and civilization is always found to be a focal point of the city architectural. : The acropolii of the Greek cities, upon the summits of i ‘ _ testify that each religion has been creative of its own ' which were the temples; the forums of the Roman cit- jes with their many temples; the mosques of the Musl’- im cities; the fire altars of the Zoroastrians; the pa- godas of the Buddhists; and temples of the Hindus, all Lee TO PE Dar 2 Se NINES tS Far ae ST 0 ee ie A de kde he aT A ail 1a ee el s| ih OS er eee ET ae oh RA eT of Mee So Pi ee eee or Le er Sad, bre a aun reels be mee Tae Uren eh as tala ai vooatla LUC al bet MY Reg an ade Reo a NAS gh On A ee ean i ec eet ate aE LitS eA AES a aah iylioct, ip We PR! ae Aad ait 3 Hie nt MAR Be Aaah doi Pal WA uly 4 Ohi ya Ln Te iy 2A, f ‘ : at q hi Bi ive ! / A (ye, i LHe MAE TO POD aE, y ER ATE SpA AUT OS CORE TIPE 2 GEE See Een (LR, eee RE Ba ay PE SEO BAR NBS 8 ORL F GO SRT Nae ea RE SEN Ree HN fh Ke teh PME eNO UMN IE Uns a. Toor Wet Wil sa) ae PRS wy hy i) fy nS sa) Saar Th Rats rie ee. sf - v" . 4 WLSCe J OP 9 116 art and civilization in the evolution of an epochal temple. As in times past true religion has been the chief motive force for advancement, learning and culture. . The Baha’is now anticipate fi day when great uni-— versal temples for the worship of God will be built, as a result of the spiritual quickening of the people, — which will typify and further all progressive phases of © this new age of humanity. Some years ago the first large Mashriqu’l- Adhkar : was built in the city of Ishquébad, in oriental Russia, where there is a considerable following of the Bahai — Cause, and where the Russian government, both under the old regime and that of the present, has been friend- ly to the Cause. First, the temple proper was erected, an imposing structure in the Persian-Indian style of architecture, with its great portal facing in the direction of the Holy Land; then a school was founded, and a hospice, and now other institutional buildings are being added as the necessary ways and means are available. This work represents the combined efforts of the Baha’is throughout the Orient. Its architectural beauty and size testify to the loving sacrificial offerings of those — believers, while the idea for which it stands is far above — the conception of the surrounding people. fs The Baha’is in America are now bulding a Mashriqu’l Adhkar. Contributions have been received from the far parts of the world sent by persons of different countries, — races and religions, for the builiding of this great universal — temple in which peoples of every race and ofall religions ~ might find a welcome and worship there in spirit and — Ve a! Lhe ee FEBS Pe eRe IS PTT aoa Cd fm RAEN Miata Wiese STS ES Sg Pe RTT ae vie fe IE at ais iy ie Gl a SM a a 1 ee : foe eh ia Pam ea SLPLEN Strep f ve . an (ah CEILS aw , ’ > , iy a Big?) in deeds. A very beautiful site has been acquired in the town of Wilmette, just north of the city of Chi- - cago, where the foundation and the lower story of this edifice have already been built, and so arranged that the building is now used for religious activities. It is hoped that the superstructure of this temple together with the surrounding institutions will soon be built, so that in its completed form this Mashriqu’l-Adhkar will stand forth as an ensign calling the attention of the people, and attracting to its fold all those who seek _ the great universal spirit of God’s Cause in the world. Of this temple, said ’Abdw’l-Baha: « When these institutions, colleges, hospitals, hospice and establish- ments for the incurables, university for the study of — - higher sciences and giving post-graduate courses, and other philanthropic buildings are built, its doors will be opened to all the nations and religions and there will be absolutely no line of demarcation drawn. Its charities will be dispensed irrespective of color or race. Its gates will be flung wide open to mankind: preju- dice toward none, love for all. The central building will be devoted to the purpose of prayer and wor- ship. Thus, for the first time, religion will become harmonized with science, and science will be the hand- maid of religion, both showering their material and spiritual gifts on all humanity ». In this service of the Mashriqu’l-Adhkar the Baha’is are laying a foundation for the alleviation of many - human ills the existence of which the world in gen- _ eral is now aware. The people of the future will under- : stand the far-sightedness of these people of today in 118 their effort to bring all secular affairs under spiritual guidance. It is the foundation for the new order of — the spiritual Kingdom upon earth, therefore its impor- — tance cannot be overestimated, When it stands accom- plished, it will be as a haven of rest to those who seek comunion with God within its sacred precincts; while outwardly it will be as a banner manifesting tothe — world the service and the purpose of the Baha'i Cause. — Baha'u'llah taught that prayer and glorification of © the divinity, supplemented by a pure and useful life in this world, form the elements of true worship. Faith without works is not acceptable. Every man should have an occupation which conduces to the wel-_ fare of humanity, the diligent pursuance of which is — in itself an act of worship. Not only did Baha’u’llah reveal spiritual laws and principles for the people of the world, but he also - outlined social reforms for the more material guidance and well-being of mankind. | The ordinances of the Baha'i faith are in harmony with the natural Jaws governing human relation and affairs, and are so ordered as to bring forth the high- : est and most perfect physical, moral and spiritual — development of all who place themselves within the sphere of influence, These laws are to be followed © by the people from choice, not by compulsion. In this Cause there are teachers, but no priesthood me nor clergy apart from the laity, such as one sees in some of the former religious systems. The Baha’i ae teaching is given without money and without price, All are teachers, each in his own sphere of life. Those 7 wa Ge al Ue as Fe 8 el UU art), See eet ee Uy Cory Pees Pye TR, OO Ce rr re peer, So relat a eee A) ee Reade MY ity, see BE woe + , La shh aa ab baba Mae br a a aah ey Prutee} TNS RAS Te oe dane a a dh Win” » i) HAY Gain Re Ath ct iba ite bi 7 rary oe Whit x " cf r Ah a oe aa) NA Lies " isha +h " ; 4 Magy tay Ls 4) ‘aa! ge at XER ‘ ten Ea nus gil, hess eat) ink tp ’ i rs “ t yi 7) wiv Aan \ 119 able and fitted to do so, go forth as speakers, while others teach quietly by their deeds and by speaking of the message when they find a hearer. The Cause asks only for the hearts of its followers, nevertheless, when the heart is in the work there comes the desire to give and to do something material for the move- ‘ment. The giving of tithes for carrying on the work is a Races: Baha’wllah, like all of the World's religious teachers, laid stress upon prayer and fasting. Both are neces- sary for the development of the soul. Through prayer the soul is brought into communion with God and receives the spiritual sustenance necessary for its life and well-being. Through fasting the soul becomes freed from the materiality of the flesh; it then ap- prehends higher things, becomes conscious of divine realities and receives the spiritual life forces in a high- er degree than possible under the normal condition of . the body. Bahd’u'llih clearly states that seeking refuge in creed and dogma, and faith without works, are not accepta- ble. The Bahai prayer is made individually by the suppliant to God. Prayer, supplemented by a pure and useful life in this world, forms the elements of _ true worship. Every one should have an occupation, which conduces to the welfare of humanity, the dili- gent pursuance of which is in itself an act of worship. } With the development of the spiritual world-unity, Baha’u’ll4h anticipated various universal institutions for the great benefit of humanity. He exhorted the _ rulers and governments of the world to abolish war- 7 Lier ate neh age den kt Rye on ra sy iia Poe PV ip, Yt hc hess COA Vostec ay Vie 26. a eae Ae hie ers AES ay Vice a md uke Mh Sohal Roar el kat Raa ay 5 psi o. #0 becir arrest . sar als WAM Oa aR ESiPee 120 fare and establish peace; to settle international diffi- culties by arbitration rather than by bloodshed. In> order to facilitate international understanding and to unite all people, Bahd’u’ll4h advocated a universal lan- guage, which would itself be instrumental in the pro- motion of mutual understanding and sympathy between peoples. From Bahéa’u’ll4h’s writings one learns it was not his idea that the kings of this earth should cease to exist, but rather that all government should be estab- lished upon a system of representation, without which no government can uphold the rights of the people. The followers of Baha should be law-abiding citizens in whatever country they may dwell, and they should be loyal supporters of all just and righteous govern- ments. While religion and state will never be reunited upon the old lines of creed and dogma, the Baha‘is look for- ward to the time when the states, governments of the nations, will be based upon a spiritual foundation, when the material laws of men will be founded and enforced according to the principles of the divine laws of God. Religion is necessary to man. Nations, as well as individuals, have at times tried to live without religion, and the results have always been disastrous. — The divine foundation is the only foundation upon which to build any institution that shall endure. The — ideal government rests upon this foundation, which is not a union of church and State, but a union of reli- — gion and State. | TX. ETERNAL LIFE The Baha’i Teachings regarding - The Word of God, Heaven and Hell, The Kingdom of God. THE BAHA’I TEACHING REGARDING _ ETERNAL LIFE. « The root of all knowledge is the knowledge of God: glory be to Him! And this knowledge is impossible save through His Manifestation ». Bahd@ullah. « That which is the cause of everlasting life, eternal honor, universal enlightenment, real salvation and pros- perity, is first of all, the knowledge of God.» Abdil’ Bahd. — The Baha’ Revelation teaches that eternal life is the condition of the spiritually alive or divinely quickened soul. To be merely alive to physical, animal and hu- man things is not life according to this religious ter- minology. To be alive in the spiritual sense is to be quickened by, and to be conscious of, the Spirit of God manifest, to believe in him and to do according to his will. Through the divine mission of the prophet of God, or of « the Manifestation » of God, the soul of natural man is quickened with divine or eternal life, which is as a new and higher dimension added to his human nature. By virtue of this divine quickening, and _ through turning to the Manifestation, the newly spir- _ itually born soul comes directly under divine guidance, Although in the world, yet such a divinely quickened soul lives in a higher realm than before, — the divine ~ realm — from which it receives life and a force that _ characterizes it with divine qualities. Thus, through hy of a 124 the baptism of the Spirit or the Word of God revealed, — the soul passes from the condition of spiritual igno- rance or death, into that of spiritual awakeness or — eternal life. Hternal life is not a condition to which the soul attains through its own virtue augmentative or through evolution from the natural plane. Man’s capacity to receivé this awakening must have its impetus through desire to know God. Hternal life is a gift and a bounty from God, bestowed upon natural man — through the channel of revelation. It is given sae God’s mercy and favor to mankind. | There is evolution upon the natural place, but this evolution is confined to that plane. Thereis also evo- lution upon the spiritual planes, but there is no evo- lution from the lower plane to the higher, save through the intermediary of the life-giving Spirit which proceeds from the Manifestation. In the divine kingdom, before as well as after the physical death, there is progression to- wards perfection of the type of perfect spiritual man- hood; for spiritual-man is the highest being of God's creation, above which there is no creation. Male and fe- male are conditions of the physical realm and not the eternal kingdom. By virtue of the Holy Spirit, manifes- — ting through the revealer, the souls of his followers are — lifted from the lower plane to the higher plane: from — natural manhood to spiritual manhood; they become > characterized with divine qualities, and they show forth in their lives the fruits of the Spirit. As metal is heated in the fire and so partakes of © the characteristics of the fire until it is like the fire, so — the soul, through the revealed word, becomes charac- TINE EOS ER la SR TR a Oe Sa Te ee Rs oe ec Cy NE OR eC aR ae WA iinet vatan em cdle ia ke a) LS ge i. ey | a? ray Rg A a AEE 205 Dee a Cares aha td hd ee AE Ti 6, ee BOOMER, Pesan Ce Na sn ian hepa Pee ; wae “LAr 125 terized by divine qualities, As with the heated met- al, the source of the heat being outside of it, when it is removed from the fire it loses the char- acteristics of the fire. So it is with the human soul; for when the soul of man separates itself from God’s Word, divine traits cease to characterize it. The source of human life is not man but in the Word revealed, and the source of man’s divine enlightenment is his dependence upon the Word. | Good actions and humanitarian deeds are distinctive of the divinely quickened soul; but good deeds are not in themselves a proof that a soul is divinely quickened, Many souls without faith or spiritual assurrance lead exemplary lives according to ethical or human standards, while, upon the other hand, many souls sunken in crime and depravity, at the hour of death become touched by the divine spirit, are born into the Kingdom and bring forth the fruits of the divine life. Life in the highest and fullest sense exists in that soul in which all of the forces, both divine and ma- terial, reach their highest development. Neither a physically perfect man nor a highly educated man is upon the highest plane until he is quickened, and alive to the divine realities, The perfect type of manhood has an all-round physical, intellectual and divinely Spiritual development. As souls are dedicated to God’s service and become cleansed and pure from earthly con- ditions, then the deepest mysteries of the Kingdom become clear to them, All doubts and fears are dis- pelled by faith and assurance. In this condition all inharmonius conditions are replaced by harmonious 126 ones through the love of God a in the soul. : This is eternal life. Heaven and hell, salvation and sin, light and dark- ness, according to the Bahai teaching, are terms ~ employed to differentiate the two spiritual conditions — of the soul of man. The spiritually quickened soul, alive with the life of the spirit, is that condition called heaven; while the unawakened soul, not yet conscious of the bounty of God, nor alive in His spirit, is that state of spiritual lethargy or darkness called ~ hell. These two conditions apply to the lite of the soul in this world, as they do to the soul in the world beyond. As there are conditions of both spiritual lethargy or slumber and of spiritual awakeness here in this life, so there are these same conditions in the realm of the spirit into which the soul passes upon leaving this body. | Reward and punishment are of two kinds, natural — and spiritual. In the world of nature every good act in accord with her laws, produces a good effect, and every violation of nature's principles has a harmful or detrimental effect upon the individual. The reward and punishment, the good or the bad effect following — the good or bad action of man, is inevitable: it is — according to fixed law. Likewise, according to the divine law, man advances spiritually, and when he 3 violates that law he suffers spiritually. Spiritual con- ditions however, are more far reaching than material — conditions, for they are not limited to this Bet plane; they are eternal. The greatest blessing which can descend upon ae 127 is the knowledge of God. The greatest calamity is to be deprived of this knowledge. Through God’s merey He has given man the blessing of knowing Him, He has also given man free will to accept or reject this blessing as he wills, therefore divine knowledge or ignorance belongs to man as reward or punishment for his choice. The soul is an indestructible entity which exists after ‘its separation or freedom from the material body. Yet mere natural existence, either here or in the life be- yond, is not life from the spiritual or divine viewpoint. A soul in this world may reject the light and be Spiritually deprived, and at the same time be totally ignorant of its state of deprivation. From the spiritual viewpoint, a soul may be in darkness and in spiritual torment, but because of lack of spiritual perception, this soul may not realize its own condition. As dark- ness is but the absence of light, so ignorance is but the absence of knowledge, and spiritual death but the absence of spiritual life. Evil has no life or positive | existence. It is the absence of positive light, Thus darkness, ignorance and death are negative and have no power within themselves, while light, knowledge and life are positive powers, containing those elements which dispel their opposites. As there are many degrees of spiritual! enlightenment for the soul while it inhabits the physical body, so are there many degrees for it in the realms beyond - this world. In this world man is endowed with the freedom of choice. When divine grace is offered him, he can accept or reject it as he chooses, Thus his ‘responsibility is great, Choice between light and 128 darkness — divine illumination and ignorance — exists, — however, here in this world only. In the realms — beyond, these earthly conditions do not exist. There — the soul can exercise no free choice, as only the good | exists. here spiritual progress wid development are — also possible; this does not depend upon the will of the individual, but wholly upon the mercy and bounty of — God. It is only in this life that man can voluntarily choose to accept the life of the spirit, and through this choice attain to divine blessings, _ The Kingdom of Heaven is, both here and hereafter, — for those souls who live in the Lord, Through divine — revelation the promise has beén extended to man at _ various times through the ages that in the fulness of time the quickening Spirit of the Lord, through the latter-day revelation would be so poured out upon — all men of all races, that the vast majority of mankind would he illumined and quickened, and be in a state called heaven. The past conditions of spiritual igno- rance and darkness would pass, and the day of divine wisdom or age of peace would come. The « end of _ the world,» the « destruction of the world,» and ~ similar terms used in holy writ, are symbolic of the — ages of spiritual darkness and sin, and the ushering — into existence of the new epoch of general spiritual — illumination. The coming age of peace, prosperity, — and divine enlightenment, will be the Kingdom of God. upon earth. The Kingdom hereafther is that state of life in which the spiritually illumined souls find themselves after pas- sing from the physical body. Man’s objective senses, 129 | being of the plane of this natural realm, convey to the mind only conceptions of conditions peculiar to this material world; therefore, of that immaterial condition of the soul in the existence beyond this world man can form no mental conception whatever. As the soul attains to a greater and fuller divine life, it becomes conscious and is assured of the perpetuity and eternal- ity of the state of awakening, and has no doubt as to the reality of the life eternal, yet cannot form a men- tal conception of that condition because it is beyond the scope of man’s imagination. Before the physical birth of the child into this _ world, it is developing its physical organs, the utility of which do not become apparent until birth. During its pre-natal life, through the mother, the child is nourished by life forces from the world into which it is to be born. So it is with the spiritual life of the soul. While in this body, the soul is developing spi- ritual virtues and faculties, the need for, and virtue of which, do not now appear, but will become apparent when it enters into the life beyond. Again, like the _ child, the soul while in this world in spiritually nour- ished by forces from that realm into which it will be born or enter, upon leaving this earthly condition, The Baha’is believe that while so-called death in a physical sense separates souls for a time, there is in reality a spiritual link binding all souls together who are alive in the Kingdom of God and partaking of the life eternal. The souls in the realm beyond retain remembrance of things here, and interest in those dear 9 to them. All quickened souls: are spiritually united. ee This tie is eternal, It is not dependent upon physical means. All souls, born of the spirit, are different mem- _ bers of one great spiritual body, and whether those : ‘ members are of this earth or in the realm beyond, — there is a mystical connection between them which — death does not sever. Physical ties are severed when the soul leaves the body, but spiritual ties are eternal. Through the sincere prayers of friends a soul is helpetie while here in this world, and likewise, through the Xie intercession of others, a soul having passed from this life is helped on his spiritual way in the realm beyond; for progress is not confined to this earthly existence.” — The souls, too, who have passed on, are able through _ their intercession to help those here on earth. All of — this is possible because the all-pervading Spirit of God is uniting the souls of the Kingdom at all times a under all conditions, x WORLD PEACE. THE BAHA’! TEACHING REGARDING Its foundation and the means for its realization fo Wh calle i cen EST TN Wad TR Ea A MA ean a ‘ Wain Tha! Wines ath ' ite te Wed ular Le Wg Ai vy aor Ky flere’ THE BAHA'I TEACHING REGARDING WORLD PEACE Religious differences have been one of the chief causes of warfare, while true religious sympathy and understanding have always made for peace and pros- perity. Prior to the beginning of the Baha’i Cause, little or nothing was being generally taught or written about universal peace, arbitration, a universal lan- - guage, suffrage or other universal institutions. During the past three-quarters of a century, however, the universal call of this Cause has gone forth, and grad- ually, through much travail and suffering, the world has awakened to the necessity for all of these insti- tutions for which the Baha’i Cause stands. Now the accompanying lack of moral perception, is the real cause of our great world ills and of the cataclysmic conditions through which the world is now passing. While Baha’u’llah’s teaching was ahead of the world of his day, the world of today is realizing more and more the value of that teaching. The supply and the demand are now meeting, from which better condi- tions will result. The Baha’is believe in a federation of all the na- tions, both large and small, and the establishment of a world parliament for the judicial settlement of inter- national disputes. In treating of this matter of peace between the nations, ’Abdu’l-Baha says: ‘A tribunal will be under the power of God, and under the protection of all men. Hach one must Midi the decisions of this tribunal, in order to arrange the difficulties of every nation. About fifty years ago in the Book of Aqddas, Baha’w’- llah commanded the people to establish wniversal peace. and summoned all the nations to the divine banquet of — international arbitration so that the question of bounda- ‘ ries and of vital interests between nations, of tone honor and property, might be decided by an arbitral — court of justice, Remember these precepis were given more than half a century ago... Bahdwllah proclaimed them: to all the sovereigns of the world. They are the spirit of this age; the light of this age; they are the well-being of this age. | With the expansion of civilization and the peopling of the world, the field of conquest is so rapidly dimin- ishing that already a new competition exists in inter- national economic conditions. Financial and commer-— cial relations are now becoming so intimate between ~ nations, that cooperation must eventually take the i place of the present warfare of illegitimate compen a ; in the business world, otherwise humanity cannot — continue to exist. Owing to the present international ‘communication : and the nearness of nations, war is assuming an gai Wak Vs more detrimental to all parties than it has ever had — in the past. Arbitration must in the end sapien national conquest and warfare if civilization is to con- tinue, Likewise, the warlike methods upon which the — Be: pe May 1 Hei cohort Waly, PHI bat ake ams Ee eS a ee TY i kes Je, ihe sk obey harass tah |! | ips es a cai Mi ogh tig Mr asa inaghs WEST Re UR ARUN dee EHR Le MUN RAR Nn Nao Lhe tt} ¥ if ie ¥ Ret } ef pita : feiss fy i t (as fie) 35.70 world’s commerce has been and is still conducted will, ere long, become obsolete, because of the passing of the conditions which made those methous possible and profitable. The Baha’i Cause teaches cooperation in all affairs. Through working together for the good of the mass, rather than for the aggrandizement of the individual, the Bahdis anticipate that national and economic affairs will be so regulated that comparatively little misery will exist in the world. There will not be the extremes of wealth and poverty which now exist. Through the stable: financial conditions which co- operation between capital and labor will bring about -— cooperation for the best good of all concerned — the laborer will be assured of a livlihood and will be enabled to get the best out of life; and, on the other hand, the capitalist will be less on the defensive and less burdened than he is now. Because of the cooper- ation of all classes the wealthy will occupy them- selves more with matters pertaining to the general welfare of the people, rather than seeking mainly _ their own individual enjoyment. As people come into the spirit of the Bahai teach- ings, see the virtue of cooperation and act upon this _ principle, the economic problems which now threaten — the world with dire calamities will disappear and give place to institutions for the highest good of mankind, and then all people will live in harmony, in happiness, and in plenty. The Baha'is believe that eventually the whole world will recognize the power of the spi- ritual principle of cooperation, and will apply it in 136. matters of everday life, thus solving life’s mighty fy economic problem in all of its details; but this heav-— enly condition upon earth can only be brought about by the divine power of the religion of God living in the heart of mankind. During many centuries the peoples of the Bast and those of the West have been separated by barriers, racial, religious, geographic and political. So complete | has been this segregation that these two halves of — humanity developed along different lines of thought, manners and customs, until the very natures and char- — acteristics of these nepbles have become, in Seis distinct and foreign to each other. Now, in these latter days, through the breaking down’ of the former material ‘barriers, the oriental — and occidental peoples are being forced one upon the other. Through international relations, the increase of foreign commerce, travel and mingling of people, the Orientals and Occidentals are daily coming into closer relations upon the material plane of life. As yet, however, this is but a superficial mingling, void of any basic unity or common consciousness. That which will bring the Orient and Occident together is the spi- — ritual confidence, trust, and mutual affinity and broth- erly love which the Baha’ faith is creating between - the East and the West. Through the establishment ot such practical institutions of service as will demon- — strate this spiritual unity, the greatest material and spi- — ritual benefit to all humanity will result; for, spring- ; ing from this spiritual foundation will be all of those religious, political, and social activities for which the iit ee al eka a eit) Pea DOU AE Tht aoe MU Rl RSH ts IRE ale Se Ot Me) Ny AN ) Nyon ity PAE RosaNN 1! LE ibs RUE Or aR AASB OT Bi Wo YUE SR Rel A heta atau My F PVP NOT ACTIYS Ye SPU igeamle CPI AIRYT NSU Mi UTES SE ART AS AE ee IVORY FR ote Sy hea iene Mc “Rie sy j ~ if Aad rhe Ny ey ony by $4i, Tare HVAC nh Oe Mey hid gy any 137 ‘Bahi’i Cause stands, and which will eventually unite in one civilization all the peoples of the world. The Bahai Cause stands for spiritual unity mani- fested in every sphere and activity of life. The Bab, Bahaé’u'll4h, and ’Abdt’l-Bahaé stood preeminent as lov- ers and servants of humanity. Their mission was that of spiritually uniting and giving life to humanity, therefore their teachings influence every phase and detail of life. With the fruition of their Cause which is already planted and growing in the heart of the world, the great Orient-Occident problem will be solved. - Jn this day the human race is reaching the stage of maturity; the Orient along its own characteristic lines, and the Occident along its own characteristic lines. Now their future development depends upon their union, both spiritual and physical. Through this Baha’ spi- ritual unity encompassing all peoples, oriental and occidental characteristics will so blend that a new world-type of man will be evolved; one which will embody not only the present existing virtues of the Hast and West, but most of all, the higest spiritual _ possibilities of humanity, which can come to light only ~ as people unite and live according to divine law ap- plied to every phase of life. Such a union between the Hast and West can never be accomplished upon any foundation other than a spiritual one. When the Occident and the Orient meet on a common spiritual ground, than an intel- _lectual and social unity in all of its forms, with all of its institutions, will result. Many oriental countries _have been held by occidental nations through physical 138 force. This has not been conducive in any way to ‘ the solution of this world problem. Under a regime of force, both peoples, the dominant and the domi-— nated, suffer from lack of unity. Hach remains within itself, its life forces and possibilities undeveloped, pent up, and suffering for lack of the expression which — only the freedom of harmony can give. In the coming epoch of religious, racial and national — unity, for which the Bahai Cause is paving the way, — there will be no question of supremacy one over an-— other. All peoples will be members of one harmonius | world-family, each working to protect and help the ~ others. Under this order, which is the order of God’s Kingdom, the highest civic and national institutions — will be evolved and the masses of the people will at- tain to a high state of spiritual, moral and pysical — _ development. ‘Thus humanity will reach a state of — civilization and advancement, the greatness of which no one can now form any conception. Going back before the dawn of history one finds the family to be the earliest social unit. Later on many families are found uniting under a patriarch, forming — a clan or tribe. Still later are found federations ots “4 clans or tribes from which nations have come into _ existence. Now the next step is the absorbing of all national and racial consciousness into one great world — consciousness. This is the order of the progress of mankind, and the great divine plan for the peace of the world: and in the fruit of the teachings of Baha’u’ llah is seen the beginning of this great end. Giviliza- tion is the product of religion. Hach of the Were 139 civilizations had its birth in a religious movement. Civilization has always been the fruit of the spiritual awakening of a people or peoples. In this day geo- graphic, political and social barriers have, through travel and communication, been obliterated, until now man is limited only by the confines of this planet. _ We are on the threshold of a universal epoch, That which affects one people politically, socially or finan- cially, aftects the whole world, and the great universal civilization so rapidly advancing is casting its signs before. In the Baha’i teachings is the spiritual power to unite souls. It is forming a spiritual nucleus from ‘which will spring the universal civilization to be, the magnitude of which we can now form no conception. Today a new order of things has begun upon the earth. Mankind is attaining spiritual maturity and is demanding more spiritual food than the old forms and dogmas ot religious superstitions can give him. Through spiritual enlightenment, ignorance is being dispelled, causing a change of soul, a change in man’s nature, and this change is being felt the world around. The - mission and object of the Bahd’i Cause is the uniting of men of all nations, religions and races in the love of God and the brotherhood of man. Its teaching is constructive. It fulfills the highest hopes of the reli- gions of the past, and is uniting all men in the great universal religion of the future. Ne Aa GM Nd US LY ah ice Fi I ao ca ET i tat OM LAR ok ook MT aera cae ener AL AU Ua KE hd dh) \: Pid iy iiyoa tabs RO ee er eat, I NMG bey rAD eyvel al ¥ a a WA) rare ante rPiveg iY 1 MS LY Aretha SL ee ne RG Sad at ifs Oh XI, SOME ELEMENTS of The Baha'i Philosophy SOME ELEMENTS OF THE BAHA’! PHILOSOPHY. The Baha’is teach the existence af five kingdoms; 1. The mineral kingdom, or material plane. 2. The vegetable kingdom in which there is’ the lowest apparent manifestation of spirit or life. This plane is characterized by the principle of growth and fruition, by virtue of which physical organisms develop and propagate their kind. 3. The animal kingdom, the organisms of which are differentiated from those of the vegetable plane by the power of the five senses, 4, The human kingdom, that of man, which is differentiated from the animal kingdom by the intel- lectual faculty, by virtue of which man comprehends ideas in the abstract. 5. The divine kingdom, or condition of spiritual illumination, which is differentiated from the human, or natural, or spiritually veiled state of the soul, by consciousness of God. By virtue of this higher life: _ the quickened soul apprehends spiritual realities, lives in spiritual communion with the divine, and is ue the Kingdom of God. Unlike the vaeetable) animal and human kingdoms which are dependent for development upon earthly conditions, the spiritual life of the soul is dependent upon the life giving force of the divine eae realm. This realm is eternal; therefore the life of divinely quickened souls is eternal, The spiritual condition in which those souls live is not confined to an earthly realm. | Beyond and above all created things is the Holy Spirit of God, uncreated and infinite, unknowable to man save through His Manifestation: the mediator between God and His children here upon earth. Di-— vinely quickened man is the highest of the creatures. From his beginning man was created man, a distinct species. In the early days of man upon earth, he re- sembled the animal in many respects more than he resembled the man-type of today. But from his first appearance there was in him that human spirit which, though at first hidden and not recognizable, has evolved into the type of man that we now know. In the. coming age of divine evolution humanity will continue evolving to a far higher state of development than it has yet attained. Man will always be man, however. He will approach nearer and nearer to the perfect type of spiritual manhood. According to the Baha’i philosophy there is no scien-— tific inharmony or conflict between these two realms of the so called natural and the spiritual, for there is. perfect accord throughout the whole of creation, Na- tural science teaches man how to live properly upon this human plane. Through observing its laws and living in accord with them, man attains to a high : state of material, physical and intellectual development, On the other Hat Christ and the prophets have re- : vealed to humanity the laws which govern the spirit- eT eet ye Fe TN aS OE AIM gS PF LN UR Aion ie LOU Sei Ce tay (aL MRRere AN i TA at eS Mat oe Bia Tres dette dt ih ren ay iy, pa % OW a ew 7 aes y f Mat af eth kd fi yi t a ee ’ a ‘ ‘di ba? =H “ uta) ual kingdom. As people live in accord with these divine laws their souls evolve spiritually and attain to a high state of general development; for with the spiritual development follows an evolution in the natural or material development of man. When man understands the realities of both the natural and di- vine realms, he will find no conflict between religion ~ and science. As one travels in various lands, talks with the people and studies their spiritual conditions, he finds that during the past sixty or seventy years the spirit of universal - or non-sectarian thought, in one form or another, has entered into the fold of practically every religion, with a tendancy to break down ancient superstitions and as a leaven prepare the people for a broad universal con- ception of God’s truth: a conception unfettered by the mental limitations of past ages. Although called by some « Modern Thought », it is in reality the most ancient of thought, for it is caused by this latter-day renewal of the spirit which the religions originally _ possessed, now so universally felt in all parts of the ‘world and which during so many centuries was lost to humanity. , This general and widespread spirit of modern thought has been as a plough which has prepared the religious ground of the world to receive the spiritual seeds of universal religious ideals. Modernism has uprooted ancient creed, dogma, and much superstition; and along with this uprooting the faith of many has been shaken, and much spiritual seeking has resulted. The inspired founders of the Baha'i Teachings have sowed seeds of 10 146 a live faith in the soul of humanity, They have de- — monstrated to the world that faith, religion and spirit- uality, and that true and real Sirdtnal principles have nothing in common with the superstitions and imagi- nations of the past. The modernists of all religions | are teaching many of the same principles as held by the followers of the Baha’i Cause. They realize that humanity as a whole is now passing through a period of spiritual rebirth, and that this is the beginning of a new age of spiritual wisdom. In the great spiritual — organism of the universe, the various parts and mem-_ bers are organically united and linked together as are © the organs of the body. As there have been great changes and upheavals in the evolution of the mate- rial world, due to material causes, so there have been great phases of change and development in the evo- lution of the spiritual world, due to the action of spir- itual forces and causes. . The universal present day awakening, as seen in all of the many branches of modern thought, is the direct result of changes taking place in the spiritual realm — of existence. This awakening is being mystically produced by a spiritual cause — the coming of another — revelation of divine truth to man. In the early — morning when the sun is yet below the horizon, the heavens are illumined by its rays and the coming — of day is evident to all. As the sun slowly rises, those upon the high places see it first; later those in — the valleys see it also; and when it is at its zenith, the whole country is receiving its rays and fas in its warmth, 147 So it is when the Sun of Truth manifests here upon the earth for the guidance of the people. The Mani- festation or revelator is preceded by the signs of spir- itual awakening which show the people that a new spiritual day or era is at hand. ‘Those illumined souls of high spiritual discernment first recognize in the re- _vealor or prophet the source of the light of God; later, the people in general awaken to his spiritual power and wisdom; and finally, through his teachings, both material and spiritual bounties are forthcoming to the world. - This wave of modernism which has swept over the world of religion, breaking the night of spiritual igno- rance and superstition, is the first dawn of the great day of God upon earth. Already many illumined 74? souls are seeing in the inspired revealers of the Bahdé’i Religion the light of the world and its point of diffu- sion. Later on the whole world will realize that which now only the few see. Then all humanity will be the eonscious recipients in full of the much anticipated bounties of the Kingdom of God upon earth, for as humanity knows and recognizes the source or the center of divine bounty the people will turn to that center, and through attachment to that center will receive in the fullest measure of the divine blessings that are being diffused in the world through the Baha’i Revelation. Often Bahd’is are asked whether or not the perfor- : ming of miracles forms a part of their teaching. In > reply they state that their belief is that the prophets a _ were endowed with spiritual powers which enabled them +. Ta aim is ae » : ‘ Y ya Wheel) Pe AAS SOT RR TATA MED Se AP stall Ae cL SAN arth an dal oe Why ae ee By ey eR ey ee ; ny Vi sie at Mis J Rast ge CSRS Wi er sei cane ee ee F Ae Oa ee eet iy ys Sati 8 Gn se ; At saree cats, Lines Sara at) is ye ee ed Sag Wu \ v ¥ - 148 to accomplish that which is impossible to ordinary — man. The unusual things which they did were for the instruction, education and spiritual quickening of — those about them. The miracles ascribed to them have been a great test of faith to the peoples of after gen- erations, for miracles are not a proof of divinity. The great and wonderful miracle performed by the prophets and Manifestations of the past and present, is their power to implant in the souls of man the love — of God, to quicken humanity with divine life, and — with all the earthly forces against them to accomplish — their divine work. ‘his is a real, a spiritual miracle. — In the writer’s travels in foreign lands he found © that many wonderful things are recorded by the Baha’is, particularly those in the oriental countries, illustrative of the spiritual powers of the founders of their reli- gion; but these form no part of the teaching, nor are they ever mentioned as proofs of divine ispiration ; _ for if these phenomena were so presented they would prove a stumbling block rather than an attraction to — truth seekers. The spiritual insight, wisdom, He understanding oh the Bab, Baha’w'll4h, and ’Abdw’l-Baha, which was God ee given and accepted by many of the peoples in their days as proof of a superhuman power, was intended ~ for the people of these days only as the means for the quickening of their souls with a new touch of © the divine life of the Kingdom. However, these incidents : are now tradition, and not being recorded in the TEx") vealed word, are now legends and not a real part of — this teaching. VEE. Ay mary TBS te ee Ua Le TUE) NT Sti Td RA ae PR MS be isan Tr as anaes i ihe Rt of Moet i ae “a Me a | Fy en AL | eee Weer aoe tea Ou MTR ERE ge Pe AY QM METI CNLME WATT TOS MM AUEANHELD APA A eg SRO DP yd ) RAL fi . Ap at 1 Pu ' F. x ,* ’ A , \ 149 Baha’is hold that a material phenomenon seemingly outside the domain of natural law would not prove to thinking people that the doer was divine. In these present days of physical and psychical experiment and | research no one would ascribe divine power to the psychologist who astonished the people with demon- strations claiming to be ofa miraculous nature. Were miracles a fundamental part of this religious teaching, in time to come they would become a stumbling block _ to truth seekers even as the same has proven true in some of the religious teachings of the past and present; therefore this phase of the supernatural is not men- tioned. The reason that science and theology have conflicted in the past, each with the other, is because many an- cient theological teachings have contained so many imaginations and superstitions as to make them impos- sible of acceptance to science. To be sure, these super- Stitions did not exist in the purity of the teachings as given by Christ or the prophets themselves. Super- stitions are the impediments which religion has _ gathered as it has been handed down through the ages, ‘Science to day finds only this dross in contradiction to her knowledge; but the purely spiritual teachings, though they deal with a higher realm than that of the material plane, are in perfect accord with natural - geience, at pe 4 4 One finds the Baha'i. teachings to be logical and reasonable. They are free from the superstitions of " the past and compatible with modern science. Those 2 i who have been privileged to pore and mingle with 150 the Baha’is in many countries of the earth, find in | the lives of those who follow this teaching a spiritual force which is its very life and essence. This transcends — mere intellect, logic and reason, although itis in perfect accord and harmony with them. It shows scientific people that true religion not only is not opposed to science but that it is itself scientific, and that man needs more than mere intellectual food; he needs spiritual knowledge. Not until man adds the spiritual to the intellectual has he that perfect balance by virtue — of which he attains to highest development. Through — the spirit of this Movement people of the old established — religions realize that they have nothing to fear from — the world of modern scientific thought. Under this influence the old supestitions are dropping away, and bs the pure, untarnished truth is standing supreme. The realization that there is no conflict between the material and divine realm, that material truth and divine truth are in perfect accord, frees man from superstition and fear and gives him faith and assurance. ~ This opens the door to the highest spiritual possibilities and development not only to the individual, but in the united consciousness of the mass of humanity. The Baha'i Cause teaches severance. In his heart — man must be severed from the world and its passions. — His dependence must be upon God, though outwardly — he must live in the world, there fulfilling his material — mission in life. In the Bahd’i life severance indicates — the rebirth of the Christian, the spirit of obedience of the Jew, the submission of the Musl’im, the purifi- — cation of the Zoroastrian, the sacrifice of the Hindu, Tin Wait ee re ie) Nels) Meee Th ome Al ee eRe tS AES BRL Me er ee pow de eae oe ie A Sanh ae ON ie thy * Me io % oe | i ‘ ened ays ; Whos ee. : . 4 151 the renunciation of the Buddhist, and the « living in harmony with the Divine » of the modern thinker. In the Baha’i Oause is summed up all of the spiritual essence of the religions of the past, which is now given in a form most applicable to the present day needs of man, and adequate to cope with the modern universal. problems. The people of each religion expect the return of the spirit of revelation which shone through their prophet in the past, and they look forward to the universal establishment of their own religion. The Word of God speaking through all the prophets gave the same message of the coming of the Lord and the establish- ment of the Kingdom upon earth. With each religion as:‘time passed, and the spirit of the teachings was veiled, the people ceased to regard their prophet as a human being, the medium through whom the Spirit of God manifests. They began to deify the human personality of the prophet, and instead of expecting the return of the same Spirit manifesting itself through another personality, they began to look for the return in person of their guide or prophet. Thus the Christians believed in — the corporeal descent of Jesus from the heavens, inter-stellar space, instead of the appearance of the divine power in Jesus that he promised would again manifest upon earth at the end of his dispensation, In the same way the Jews look for the personal return of Elijah « before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord, » and the Muslims look for _ the personal and corporeal return of the Imam Mihd’, aes he prophecies and the reality of their “hopes for the : ‘ une regeneration of the whole of | divided humani progressive ideals conducive to the peace of sas wo The Baha’i teachings build upon the many co | of the past, confirming the people in the truths of th - past, and they offer to the world the only grounc upon which peoples of all races, religions, ae and classes can unite, the meeting ground « universal Kingdom of God. a XIT, THE SPIRIT OF THE BAHA’I CAUSE Its growth and development in the Orient and in the Occident THE SPIRIT OF THE CAUSE. In these latter days when « prophets » and « new religions » “are so abundant, one naturally wonders _ how to distinguish truth from error, and how to recog- | nize the Lord’s anointed One from among many men. _« By their fruits ye shall know them » is the test by which the true One is recognized, The history of this Cause shows that the Baha’i revelators overcame all worldly troubles, trials and persecutions through the power of their divine love; thus have they demon- | strated their truth to the world. They demonstrated that in order to combat evil the heart should be filled with love and truth. Fear, togeth- er with all its attending destructive forces, disap- pears in the presence of faith and assurance. ‘The Baha'i teaching is one of joy and gladness. True spir- ituality is profound, not depressing but uplifting. Truth and love are in the world to lift people from suffering and depression, and should therefore be pre- La 24 sented as they are, full of joy. The Baha’is are taught © at all times to manifest in their thoughts, words, and actions, the joy of the Lord. It is only by showing forth a joyful and happy spirit, and by a loving ser- vice to humanity, that suffering and seeking souls are attracted and brought under the power of the quick- ening spirit of the Cause. Through kind and loving service to all humanity, to friend and foe alike, the _ Baha'is have a most powerful weapon with which to MQ uaoraa’, 2am ess WPS d\n Dh ald ay nit ote Pi asin Y ‘phe ap eae PERE MPU NS vs ; EAR el TENS is Ibe ie TN eA es hay tina Rhy 3 Me She 156 PME a noc JUTE combat religious prejudice and spiritual ignorance. — Even the most difficult people are won through con- ~ tinued kindness. Once attracted, the hungry soulrec- ~ ognizes and accepts the truth. The Baha'i teachers find that when a soul is reached by their teachings, whether a Christian, Musl’im, Jew or Buddhist, the truth at once appeals to his inner nature, and he will | usually say, « This is exactly what I have always be- lieved ». Thus do they prove that the language of kindness and of the spirit of God’s Kingdom is uni- versal in its appeal. The Baha’i faith is a world-wide _ movement, the spirit of which is working unhindered _ and unbound by confines and barriers of sect and «ism». The Baha'is see and recognize truth and spi- ritual beauty wherever found, and through this atti- tude of love for all they find at every hand, among ~ the people of other religious bodies, the opportunity — to share the spirit of their faith. To him who has traveled and lived among the Baha’is the world around, and has seen the effect of — this Cause upon the lives of peoples of every race and ~ religion, there can be no doubt as to the divine source of its teachings, for in the fruits there is manifest its — truth, Among the Baha’is there is a practical de- — monstration of a combined religious and secular unity. Good works are not done under the name of » — or < philanthropy ». Rather it is « reciprocation » and na «interdependence », Each gives what he has to give, — and through the spirit of giving and doing in loving Me service one’s own nature unfolds and he himself re- a ceives abundantly. vp eae “Se oes 157 It has been the writer’s privilege to travel and as- sociate with the Bahda’is in many foreign countries, and ’ he can testify to the spiritual qualities manifested in the lives of these people. Often he has been in a po- sition where he has been obliged to place himself en- tirely in the hands of strange men, whose language he could not speak, the only thing which they had jn common being their faith. The connecting link was their faith, yet this was everything, because that faith was large enough to encompass all creatures. Some western travelers whom he has met in the oriental countries were surprised that he trusted him- self in out-of-the-way places and along unfrequented routes of travel, with oriental people as his sole companions and friends. When one is surrounded by friends, his personal welfare is.seldom a subject of worry. The writer can truthfully state that never has he felt more at ease and free from care than when 497 he has been with oriental Baha’is. Wherever he has been with them, he has always had a warmth of hos- _ pitality and kindness lavished upon him. This was not because of any other reason than that he was of their faith, : Between the Baha’is of the East and those of the West there exists the strongest tie. Since it was through the suffering, pain, and trials of the Baha’is of the Orient that this faith had its first impulse and was brought to the West, the western Baha’is have in their souls a strong love and gratitude for the eastern Bahd’is and a burning desire to go to them, 158 and to share with them all the practical things of | the western civilization. : ) , Upon the other hand, in the growth ot the Bahai Cause in the western world the oriental Baha'is see the result of their labors, for the believers here are their spiritual offspring. In us do they see the fruit of their bloody persecution and great sufferings, and with open and joyful hearts they are anxious to — receive into their very lives their western brothers and _ sisters, learn from them and in turn pour out upon ~ them all of that wealth of devotion, love, and spirit- ual assurance which the people of the Hast have, and which the people of the West need. ' Particularly in the Orient the contrast between the Baha’is and other people in very striking. There the average Orientals and, Occidentals meet without min- gling, each remaining foreign to the other; but the opposite is true with these very same people when they are touched by the Baha’i’ spirit, for then we see them associating with one another as members of one family, having the same interests and desires, and unit- ed in the same works. Among the oriental Bahd’is there is a love and a devotion to this Oause and its principles impossible to describe. It is beyond comprehension yet one re-— cognizes it, ae In many countries and among people of different — races and religions in whose hearts the Baha'i teachings had penetrated the writer found such a warm welcome and had such friendship and devotion showered upon Ai Pe ie Were is ye VAL & pba at ae a 159 him, that he realized the blending process at work, which is now uniting the East and the West. This is a force working independently of material conditions and surroundings, it reaches alike the half-naked jungleman living in his hut, and the cultured man of wealth dwelling in his palace. This spiritual love, which is of God, is the strongest power in creation. In its f uniting force is the foundation of accord and harmony upon which the Orient and the Occident are meeting. From this Cause will appear, as fruits, all of those social institutions between the Hast and the West which will materially demonstrate the truths which the Baha’is now witness as spiritual realities. The Baha'i teaching encourages marriage, while asceticism and celibacy are discouraged. Monogamy is taught, and among the believers in the Orient is gradually replacing the systems of polygamy, which, from time immemorial, have existed in those countries, The human body should be developed, not mortified, because it is the medium through which the spirit works. A good and perfect body is desirable as a -Ineans for serving God. - Baha’wllah strongly denounced the taking of opium and kindred drugs. The Bahd’is do not use intoxi- cating liquors as beverages, and among them even the use of tobacco is discouraged. Gambling is forbidden | as having a demoralizing effect upon the people. In fact, all excesses tending to weaken the body and the _ moral force of man should be eschewed by him. Individual advancement and personal incentive are to be fostered and encouraged, but the general weal - } pint Aga t tee At 4 & ve nae ‘Mh ny ah Nits : 7 ED Tae 160 | Beth as - % ae 4 % - ‘ ( : of the mass is even more to be considered. The weak — and unfortunate ones are to be protected from the greedy ones. Profit in business is to be sought, but one person has no right to enrich himself at the expense of others. When the ordinances of Bahé’u’ll4h are established, there will be fewer extremes of wealth and poverty. All the people will be more tranquil and — secure than they are at present. The Baha Cause is prepared to meet and to reform the many human — ills that the humanitarians and workers of the day — are striving to eradicate. This is being accomplished © through the spiritualizing method of changing the na- tural hardness of man’s heart by infusing into it the love of God. As people know and sna the wisdom of the precepts of Baha’u’llah, they will from volition and © for their own welfare and ‘chat of those about them desire to live according to his advice, Perfect liberty and freedom in religious thought and belief is allowed © everyone. The Bahda’is are exhorted to mingle freely with people of all creeds, and in no way to shut ~ themselves off from those of other beliefs. Neither should they criticise nor denounce the teachings nor the followers of other religious movements, Through © fraternal intercourse, kindness and loving service to all i humanity, the believers in this latter-day revelation — will eventually demonstrate its truth to all the world. — Often people inquire whether affiliation with the ~ Baha'i Cause necessitates the giving up of church ~ membership. The advice is always that no human or — religious relation should be severed, but that these EP VEE eRe Cea mR LAAN Sei Tut Me Ise eth Ns C , RRA ‘ yee LAr or ae Singh ‘ » Pen) ati dene we ay Hi i Piet fae AY Ne! wih) REO YT eh tt le. f 161 relations should become as avenues for the giving forth of the new message, and the spirit of the Baha’is hav- ing church relations should coutinue to mingle with church people. However, they do not remain silent about the new light which has come to them. When they meet people who are seeking and hungry for _ the teachings they give to each to the limit of his or her capacity. Where people are satisfied with their Own religious opinions, they give them what they can without arousing their antagonism, allowing the seeds of the message to enter as leaven into their thought, _ with the assurance that in time spiritual fruits will be forthcoming. While the Bahd@’is are taught not to interfere with the religion of others, all people are exhorted and advised to relinquish those creeds and customs which separate them into many divisions, in order that all may come into the one great spiritual unity of the Kingdom, All things find their strength in unity. The life of any being or organization of beings is dependent upon this principle. Therefore, how important is unity; and of the various degrees or ‘kinds of unity _ how all-important is spiritual and religious unity, for it is the foundation of all real unity and of the pro- _ gress of the world. In carrying on the Baha'i work the world around, it has been found when two or more come together to diseuss religious matters with perfect love in their hearts, the result is always uplifting and edifying. When people meet together for religious discussion without this spirit of true charity in their hearts, 11 Pei lacareeig eer | tr ra Eh Mo Ls I AE Seah eh peti at aay PS YRS RE ANE Re ARAL et Sri ON SUS SN TNT a aot ee aR Sa : SM ah OPRAH SE Ce a GT b ay ns eas ah Hane 162 the result is always disturbing and distressing, and it would have been better had they not met. This 7 4f principle of the power of love the Baha’is know and they rely upon it and not upon pega 3 prescane | from the plane of intellect alone. The most potent of all factors in moving nuinenlen | is love; it is at the same time the most elusive and the ~ most difficult of all things to define. We know it— only through its characteristics, and these we never fail to recognize, So it is with true religion. There-_ in is a spiritual force working which is divine love. This is its very life force. When one feels his soul — responding to this, he realizes that he has come into- contact with a higher realm, and though he cannot describe this awakening in so many words, it is none the less the most real of all things, In the Baha’i Cause woman hold a position equal to that of man. She is not denied any rights. Through the Baha'i teachings woman in the oriental countries is even now reaping the benefits of education, and advancing in many ways which the customs of former religions closed to her, It is hardly necessary here to — wt mention those Baha laws and ordinances which touch ia upon hygiene and education of both sexes, and the admonitions forbidding mendicity, slavery, cruelty to animals and other offenses, because our western civili- zation has already accomplished these reforms tte in the Orient the need for them is yet very great. The Bahé’i teaching stands for the higher edueauen : of woman. In some instructions sent to the Orient, "Abdw'l-Baha exhorted the Baha'is to give their daugh- — a 163 ters every possible educational advantage, telling them it was even more necessary that their girls should be educated than their boys, because women are the mothers and the natural teachers of men, and it is of the greatest importance to the race that they be highly educated. Already several American Baha'i women physicians are working in Persia. Their influ- _ ence is of the greatest importance among the women, _ because they are able to penetrate into the seclusion of _ the family life of the people in ways not open to men. Other American Baha’is have gone to Persia as teach- ers, and are associated there with the educational - work of the Cause. Some time ago a girl’s school was opened by the Baha‘is in Tihran, and from the last accounts there were more applicants than could be accommodated. Educational work is being carried on in all of the oriental countries where there are congregations of believers. Hach year also brings _ Bahai students to Europe and America, who after completing their studies return to their own coun- tries as teachers. Through liberal education and the diffusion of knowledge and wisdom, both spiritual and material, the superstitions and limitations of the past _ will cease to exist, all people will be in sympathy with humanity as a whole, and each individual will consider himself a citizen of the world rather than confine all of his interests and sympathies exclusively - to one country and one people. 'f In Persia the writer found the Baha’is struggling _ against great opposition, upon the part of those sur- - rounding them, in their work of uplifting and educa- A ORE SS a tae ia ay is % h/ bbe 7 eon | | Me Se am ting woman, and he met Baha’i women who are doing great work for their own sex. Until comparatively recent this work, for the most part, has been very — quietly done, — in fact, almost in secret, — on account of the persecutions by the Musl’ims. The Bahda’is are undermining those traditions regarding the seclusion and oppression of women and now the Bahda’i women in the Orient are progressing rapidly. ips The Persian Bahd’is are a most staunch and coura- geous people. While the massacres and martyrdoms of great numbers of Bah@’is in that land are probably © now a thing of the past, nevertheless, they are still under persecution which even in these days often leads — to loss of life. Many men whom the writer met had been eye witnesses of the massacres of the 60’s in which so many of these people died for their faith, while others with whom he talked had lost family, friends and property. One impression which the writer recalls very vividly, was the calm way, free from any trace of rancor, in which the Persian Baha'is referred to the losses and afflictions visited upon them by the enemies of the Cause. Instead of causing embitter- } ment, these troubles have had a most spiritualizing — effect upon the believers: the ‘persecution has been as a fire which has taken everything from them save — the love of God, with which their hearts are ablaze, After a visit among these people, one feels spirit- ie ually better and stronger than before, absorbing a — force from them which gives spiritual courage in mo- ments of weakness, and guidance in moments of — strength. This is the spirit which abides with those 4 ul 165 who are in reality severed from all save God. It is this spirit which is manifest in the life and teaching of the revelators of this Cause, and in the lives of those who in spirit follow the principles for which they stand. CONCEUSION 0000 TESTIMONIAL OF A TRAVELER. Visits made to ’Abdi’l-Baha. Development of the prin- ciples of the Baha’i Cause, the method of teaching, and its growth in the Orient. We, bat af DE AP wt Ait lah va STEED Ao Pcl eG Tht Oe AOR a eaten. ar UN KANE MT ee aN MC Oa Ba AG AU 97 IM eal a henson dae ey 1 AN “hy Ne ine faa a ayy 2 ~ og ity e TESTIMONIAL. In the preceding articles of this series I have at- tempted to give a general resume of the history and ~ teaching of the Baha'i Cause, and the work now being accomplished by its teachers in various parts of the world. In conclusion I desire to relate a few of: my - Own experiences in connection with this Cause. Dur- ing the past twenty-five years it was my privilege to be in intimate contact with the workings of the Move- a ment, having been permitted to visit "Abdu’l-Baha several times, and to travel extensively among the Baha'is in foreign lands. It is with the desire of shar- ing the inspiration received from ’Abdt’l-Baha and from his followers that I am presuming to record these personal observations. My first visit to ’AbdwWl-Bah& was in the winter of 1901. At that time the Cause in the West was in its infancy. But few of the words of Baha’wllah and *Abdu’l-Baha had been translated, and the then few believers, though fired with faith and a great desire to disseminate the teachings, had as yet learned but little of the teachings and spiritual principles of the Cause, with which philosophy many are now familiar. At that time ’Abduw’l-Baha was in comparative free- dom. Having been allowed to leave the prison city of _Akka with its unhealthy climate, he was spending the winter in the neighboring town of Haifa. Notwith- standing this betterment in the conditions of his daily SEER ERRNO a) DR VEC AUP aR f we 4 I A Va Raten’ . k { . f ' sy ‘ ) ; Vs i 4 s a 170 | Ah oe | | PELE oily life, one felt the weight which was upon his soul, and BA Dsaeh tte a LOR Yaa DS oe Wai Ty | 4 ¢? bts, eS i ees * Fi rite eine (eyo - m \' L : Sah one saw how taxed he was in his many endeavors and ~ continued efforts in teaching and training the people in the path of Bahd’u'll4h. Receiving people by day and carrying on a large correspondence which necessi- — tated his laboring far into the night, one marveled at his powers of physical and mental endurance; but as one obtained glimpses of and received the spiritual fra- grance from the great soul of ’Abdw’l-Baha, one had ~ moments of realization that his strength was not from the human man, but flowed through him as through a channel, coming from the invisible power of Bah@wllah which he always testified was the source of his inspi- ration. For over a year before I first met *Abdt’l-Baha, I had been a believer in the Bahai Cause, so when — I went to him it was not to have my faith established, but rather to have a spiritual confirmation and to — gain more knowledge. From the moment I met him I realized that he knew my innermost soul, thus a spiritual bond was established which has never ceased to be a source of joy, delight and help to me. Suc- — cessive visits with him, and each tablet (letter) and message received from him, strengthened this under- — standing and demonstrated to me again and again ’Abdt’l-Baha’s all penetrating spiritual insight and wis- dom. Notwithstanding the distance and circumstances — which separated ’Abdt’l-Bahd from his friends, when they received his tablets they found advices and admo- — nitions peculiarly applicable to them in their needs of — ot ae — that moment; and even now that he has departed ty i 171 from this world one finds this spiritual nearness or connection to be ever very real and powerful: one attaining to it in proportion as he arises to serve in the path of ’Abdw’l-Baha, according to the shipetens : | and behests, During the eleven days I remained in Haifa on my - first visit, I had ’Abdw’l-Baha’s personality and spirit _ deeply engraved: on my consciousness. All was not _ easy to understand; I had many questions; but shortly before I left him everything seemed to become very - elear, —my spiritual rapport with him was established. i ‘The protien of our parting was a most happy one, - rather than distressing for me. I felt that I was car- rying away with me something which would never be destroyed, a spiritual friendship which would grow eternally both here and in the realms beyond, Early in the summer of 1901, shortly after my first visit, conditions arose which necessitated the return of *Abdt’l-Baha to the prison city of Akka. There he remained for seven years, with the exception of short periods upon several occasions when he visited the tomb of Bahd’wll4h at Bahji,a mile or two aes the city gates. During this period of impri- sonment it was at times with the utmost difficulty _ that pilgrims were able to see him; nevertheless this i, - MF a tt 2 Bie: i : e was a time of great growth in the Cause, *Abdw’l- _ Baha worked very diligently with his pen directing - the onward march of the Cause in distant lands, and _ the result of his labors became apparent among the Baha’is in all parts of the world: they were receiving from him that quickening spirit of religious enthusiasm 172, and faith which is now so clearly rianiioat) in the i growth of his Cause in many parts of the Orient — and the Occident. Six years elapsed between my first and second visits to the Master, ’Abdw’l-Bahaé, during which interim he had been confined to the fortress. Knowing that some recent pilgrims had remained nine days in Akka, I~ had rather set. my heart upon a visit of the same length. Reaching Haifa I was told that on account of — the troublous conditions surrounding ’Abdt’l-Bahé — I would be able to remain with him but a few hours, — and that even this short visit could be arranged for — with much difficulty. At first the thought of so short a visit was a keen distress and disappointment. Upon | second thought, however, I realized that ’Abduw’l-Baha was above material conditions, although seemingly © held by them; that in reality he was free and master of the situation and was planning for the best; and — that even under these conditions I would be able to © get all that my soul needed at that time. Whether or not one benefitted by meeting Abatil- | Baha depended upon the real or soul contact. It was — the open, unprejudiced and seeking souls who united — with the soul of ’Abdu’l-Baha. When this spiritual — contact was effected, through turning to him in spirit — and serving in his Cause, the personal visit to him ~ was not essential for enlightenment ; for with spiritual — connection between the soul of Abdt’l-Bah4, who was — the heart of the Baha'i Cause, and the believers, the — members of the body of the Cause were one with — 173 ~ him, Through this unity his divine wisdom and love | went forth to all his followers. Although this my second visit with A bdw'l-Baha was very short, I would not have wished it otherwise. Again [ left hin in great joy, with my soul overflow- ing with the love of the Kingdom which he so freely radiated. ‘The one great lesson which he taught me at that time, as I recall it, was dispelling negative _ fear with positive assurance. The natural tendency of “many people is to close the door of the heart to others, and to shut themselves away from people. This be- comes a habit, and one which causes much distress - and suffering, because humanity is one whole and its health and proper functioning depends upon a free and frank interchange of thought and good feeling, free from repression and constraint. Rather through his manner and the way in which he received and treated me than from anything which ’Abduw’l-Baha said to me, _I saw clearly that the way to serve him in the Cause was never to remain aloot from people, but literally to attack humanity with a good spirit of love and - grace. I saw that it was because of ’Abduw’l-Baha’s freedom from constraint, and his fearlessness and friend- ly way of approaching people, his frank expression Mot love, faith and assurance, that he was able to reach the souls of men and impart to them his courage and wisdom and to break down the barriers of separ- ation. ae ogy Zee SL z Ces Saree Sel ss ty A a ; oe ge ae 2 ‘ 2 Abdt’l-Bah4 entered into the lives of all about him, Through this contact he undoubtedly suffered 74 - much, nevertheless he was enabled thus to reach the. \ people and to minister to them. His life wasa lesson to — all, for in his method one saw the way in which the ~ , Bahé't is must live in order to do their htc among : men. My next visit to ‘Abdi’. Baha was during the olimae of his troubles and difficulties, just previous to the fall of the old despotic Ottoman power and the re-establish- ment of the constitutional government inthe midsummer Me = of 1908. Upon arriving in Haifa I found that some — recent American pilgrims had not been able to meet — "Abdt’l-Bahdé, but had returned to America happy in © having seen him from a distance as he walked upon | an elevated balcony on his house within the fortifica- — tions of Akka. Four Arabs, recent converts to the faith, had for several months been confined in the prison fortress on account of their belief. Others of the © Baha'is, in order to avoid pending trouble, had by the Master’s advice sought temporary refuge in Hgypt; — while those remaining in Syria were all but panic — stricken by the trouble and persecutions which were — daily descending upon the Baha’i community from the , hands of the unscrupulous government officials. After I had waited several days in Haifa, word i came from ’Abdt’l-Baha for me to go to Akka and — proceed to the house of a certain Persian, one of the — oldest and most faithful of the believers. In the guise © of a native Syrian, wearing fez and aba, with ne At assistance of one of the oriental Bahd’is, I entered the prison city, passing through the Hendon gates alone! with a small crowd of comers and goers without being + ro S. e alte UAE? Tal i Fe ee ed Whe te ee ea ONS YM Catt ty cL kab Sime ae eye Oo ape yi rare Mees iS 2 eet yee Peat Pot SE RPE Li is ee i Ade Se OR or RR A rae teitl ane HS aha 2 Fig Paceel in, , Bait Ayes Fc Vena ie MU Gh eay AM \ aha : ‘ ; ein ‘ fait eae HP Hc pO eRe OF inn) : \ 175 halted. Once established in the privacy of the house of the Persian friend, ’Abdt’l-Baha, having the freedom of the city within the fortifications, came to see me several times. Although under the most severe phys- ical difficulties, he was visibly in the greatest spiritual strength and power. In strong contrast with the fear and terror of his followers for his safety, impossible to describe, "Abdw’l-Bahé stood forth in the greatest joy ne of soul and tranquility of spirit. He radiated calmness and assurance and through his strength the commu- ne nity of the friends was saved from despair. ‘The sit- uation was dramatic in the extreme. It was shortly followed by the tragic downfall of the government that for forty years had held ’Abdi’l-Baha a prisoner. Several months later I was again permitted to travel in Syria and visit Abdw’l-Baha, Although it had not been long in point of time since my previous visit, yet the conditions surrounding ’Abdti’l-Baha had so changed as to make the previous time seem, by comparison, to have been in some former decade. ’Abdt’l-Baha was free!. The uttermost liberty existed. Akka had ceased to be a penal colony and the gates were no longer guarded, but wide open to the world. The Bahé’is had not yet recovered from their first ecstasy of joy over the freedom of ’Abdt’l-Baha, yet through all this manifest jubilation he was conducting his work as usual. It was then that I realized, to the extent of my capacity, how far above this world’s con- ditions ’Abdt’l-Bahé stood. Not discouraged by criti- Cism, persecution, calamity; not elated by applause, commendation or good fortune, he was apart from 176. the ever changing world of human affairs, upon a : firm rock: the spiritual foundation. of the Kingdom. | By virtue of this severance from all save God he was enabled to change the interest of the people from the world’s thought, and from materiality to spirituality, and to create in men’s souls the fire of God’s love. Almost two years after the great change of gov- ernment in Turkey I again went to Syria. In com- ing in contact with ’Abdt’l-Baha, each soul receives ; the message or the lesson for which it is then at that time ready and prepared to receive. Previously my attention had been chiefly called to those principles — for which ’AbdwW’l-Baha stood, which are so clearly man- — ifested in his life, while my mind had not dwelt much upon his personality as aman. Now this, which pre- — viously I had allowed to pass almost unnoticed, was to be my chief lesson. My attention focused upon the exquisite beauty of ’Abdu’l-Baha’s personality, — from lines of physicai strength and refinement in his face to his trained thought and judgment. His dignity and carriage, his mental grasp of things both great and © small, and the manner in which he dealt with them in proportion to their importance, were all of the deepest _ interest to me. In his person one saw at once the ~ power of the spirit of Bahd’u’ll4h has well as its gentle _ refining qualities, — a combination of strength and ~ delicacy of masculine and feminine qualities; the bal- anced combination of dignity, humility, forcefulness Bt and gentleness. Whatever was one’s mental conception of Abdt dies ‘4 Baha, one invariably had to readjust it from time to time, Sa 117 Under his guidance his followers were growing in spi- ‘ritual stature, and as the perceptive powers of their souls increased, they saw more and more clearly ’Abdw’l- Baha’s spiritual power and divine mission. Did one visit him many times, each time his former idea of him would be laid aside for a clearer and a more definate a — conception. Again I visited *Abdt’l-Baha in September, 1921, during his sojourn in London. ‘There he was in the vortex of western civilization, sought by many people from various walks of life both high and low. Under these conditions his spirit shone forth with greater _ prillianey than ever before. It is natural and easy for the western mind to weave a halo of sentiment and ro- mance about the personality of a persecuted religious leader, exiled and imprisoned for his faith under the corrupt rule of an oriental despot; but when this same Spiritual teacher comes into the limelight of western - thought and customs, the people see him from a dif- ferent angle; things which they but imagined about him are dispelled and his real virtues stand out more ‘strikingly visible than ever. ~%Abdtwl-Bahaé in London, out of his accustomed orien- tal environment, appeared more clearly than ever the _ master of the spiritual situation, I heard him give the _ first public address that he ever made. This was be- fore a vast concourse of about 2,000 souls, gathered in the City Temple in London. I was also with him _ during a number of personal interviews granted to __ various truth seekers. At all times under these unac- — -_ customed conditions he drew unto himself people of all 12 178 kinds and types, from the humble and unschooled, to — the intelligencia; and through his love, wisdom and ~ power, gave them spiritual assurance and satisfaction, — Many friends of the Cause in America cherish vivid — remembrances of the visit of the Master to the United States and Canada in 1912. His travels there lasted : for eight months, taking him from coast to coast, and — was the most memorable incident in the lives of the — Baha’is on that continent, the effect’ of which cannot — be expressed in words, the realization coming only as : one is conscious of the work and the service to the — Cause which ’Abdw’l-Bahé accomplished during that — period. Many able pens have recorded the details of 4 these travels; but more indelible than these annals is — the ever living spiritually quickened enthusiasm of faith © in the Cause of Baha’u’ll4h, which the Master planted — and left growing in the hearts of the believers am the ; western world. Almost two years after "Abdt’l-Baha left America, — I was privileged to visit him again in the Holy Land, to find him calm and unagitated in the midst of trou- — blous and tumultuous human conditions, It was in — the fall of 1914. The war wason. Turkey was get-— ting ready to enter the combat, and Syria, then a Turkish f domain, was all confusion and disorder, torn by oppo- — sing aud conflicting war propaganda, with the people in | a deplorable state of fear, anxiety and terror. Amidst ay all this confusion the Master ’Abditi’l-Bah& stood for — calmness, assurance, and the protection of the people. I left Haifa shortly before Turkey went into the war, and it was not until January 1921, over six ra : a ag yt bi, 179. nd later, that’ I saw ’Abdw’l-Bah4 again, and for the last time. ‘The strain of the terrible years of the war with _ its psychological tension and physical privations had left its traces written upon his benign countenance, _' But now all was different in the Holy Land and a Fas new epoch of tranquility for the Baha’is had arrived. The English Government in acknowledgment of the services of ’Abdut’1-Baha to the people, and his influence s wii ti] Be _ in maintaining harmonious relations between adherents of the many clashing and opposing religious interests in Palestine, had tendered him the order of Knighthood of the British Empire, and this he had graciously ac- a cepted. From that time he became officially known as Sir Abbas I]-Baha’ This was the ice of the Mere thirty yeas mission, but he was in no way resting from labor. His great work had been done; people now were flocking to him from all parts of the world, each day bringing pilgrims singly and in groups. Under these - conditions he was busier than I had seen him on any ' of my previous visits. It was superhuman strength that permitted him to stand the strain of the many _ interviews and visits, the multitudinous details of the now expanding Gause which necessitated his working bias into the night and arising earlyin the morning in - order to carry on his corrispondence alone. Through ; the: human veils of this busy existence one saw tower- . ing within him the spiritual forces of Bl Abha, and at times one seemed to get a fleeting glimpse into the ~ depths of his wisdom. Ephemeral and evanescent as was this impression one felt the profoundness of the 180 power of the Spirit within him and one was awed in e Its presence. The Master had gone to Tiberias in Galilee where ~ he had work to do, and from there he called me. and my brother from Haifa for a two-days visit with him before sending us back to America. Our route took us to a point on the southern end of the lake where we embarked in a boat which took us to the town of Tiberias, about midway up the lake on its western side. Off to the north we could see Caper- — naum, above which in the distance arose the snow covered top of Mount Hermon; while between Caper-— | naum and Tiberias we could distinguish the crumbling ~ ruins of Magdala. The Sea of Gennezareth, which at_ times is very rough, was smooth enough to reflect the mountains which rise abruptly in places from the shores. The entire scene was one of tranquility and peace, conducive to meditation and thought which took us back over the nineteen hundred years when the Master, Jesus, and his disciples walked and taught upon those shores. And we were approaching that same ground upon which now stood ’Abdt’l-Bahd4, — - upon whose shoulders was the mantle of the Lord, the one who in this day voiced the message of the King- — dom, calling all men of all nations to the table of the — Lord; the one who had drawn into one faith peoples — of all religions, laying a foundation in the heart of — humanity and building a Cause which is destined to — grow until it encompasses the world, fulfilling the | promises of the Christ and the prophets of the past in oT i % BY a 181 ushering in the millenial age of happiness and peace upon earth! _ Forty-eight hours replete with divine significances, - immersed in the atmosphere of his love, and then we were receiving ’Abdt’l-Baha’s parting embrace, in- structions and blessing, and turning our faces from him on our westward way to our field of work in _ America. As always upon leaving the Master my heart was happy. We had attained to his meeting and _ our hearts were satisfied. Our cups had been filled to overflowing with his spirit and his love and we were starting forth on our mission to share this divine _ bounty with those who were hungering and thirsting for the faith and assurance which had been so boun- teously vouchsafed to us. Our blessing was complete. For what more could we have wished? . My last visit to the Holy Land was a year after parting with the Master. In the meanwhile he had ascended to the Supreme Concourse, and the hearts of his friends were heavy and weighed down with the - grief of this separation. I approached Haifa sick at heart, feeling too depressed for words, knowing in my consciousness of soul that ’Abdu’l-Bahaé’s Cause would _ live and prosper in the world, but without understand- - ing or knowing how this was to be accomplished, f A few hours after my arrival the beloved Guardian of the Cause, Shoghi Effendi, gave me a copy of the _ Master’s Will and Testament to read and to study. ? This was the first access I had had to this most holy Datenaent Like all of the Bahé’ ‘is ie foun there spiritual confirmation in the great divine plan, - xt) way outlined by the Master for the continued | { dance and furtherance of his Cause. Furthermore the institutions of that plan under the guidance of t appointed Guardian, Shoghi Effendi, I found the ch nel through which ’Abdu’l-Baha’s life-giving ‘spi he now functioning and continuing to civ divine life a of all nations, races, and religions. Ne: Diy DINARS HET Te a hy AIMEE Pa WAN Mi ss cL Pol pk AA ec ae AL a i to MD! 39 183 Catalog of Bahai Literature Writings of Baha’u’llah Hidden Words, the essence of the eames 3 of all the oa Paper covers . : In’ leather. 2 ‘The Book of Assurance, (Tablet of ie apni the oneness of all the Prophets and their ap abel as the expression of the Will of God. : Tablets of Baha’u "14h, (Tarazat, The World, Words of ' Paradise, Tajall’iyat, Glad Tidings, pee social and spiritual principles of the new age . Seven Valleys, the stages ie Dy eects. on the path of spiritual knowledge ; i Writings of ’Abdd’l-Baha Promulgation of Universal Peace, public addresses delivered throughout the United States in 1912, Volume One . The Wisdom of ’Abdi’I-Bah4, a brief but ee Haein of his is ae Paper covers . ; ; In cloth ' Some Anatered! 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