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Vol. II Nlarch 2, 1912 CONTENTS PAGE Assemblies in the Occidcnt. . . . . . 2 Aims and Ambitions of Bahais by Abdul-Baha in 3 --From Discourses Given in London and Paris............3 Persian Scction—I11ustratcd.. .11]-16 I
ASSEMBLIES IN THE OCCIDENT. AFRICA. CAPE Towx.—Regu1ar meeting held on the 19th of every month at the home of (Mrs.) Agnes Cook, Gad’s Hill, Avenue Pretoria, Sea Point. CANADA. LIONTREAL, QUE.—WVeel-cly meeting held Friday evening at the residence of Mr. and Mrs. W’. S. Maxwell, 716 Pine Avenue. ENGLAND. Lounow, ENc.—Regula.r meeting of Assembly Friday, 8:15 p. m., at 10 Cheniston Gardens: Wright's Lane, Kensington. High Street Bahai Reading Room, 137A High Street, entrance from W'right’s Lane. GERMANY. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. BALTIMORE, Mn.—Regular weekly meeting Tuesday evening, 8 P. M., at 629 West North Avenue. Residence of Secretary, BOSTON, held Friday evening, at 7:45 p. m., at the Laughton Studios, Room 418, Pierce Building. corner Huntington Avenue and Dartmouth Street. BUFFALO, N. Y.—Meetings every Sunday and Thursday evening at 49-1 Elmwood Avenue. Cmcnoo, I1.L.—Regular weekly meeting, Sunday, 11 a. m., at Corinthian Hall, 17th floor Masonic Temple, State and Randolph Streets. Address of Assembly, P. O. Box 283. George Lesch, Secretary. Bahais coming to Chicago who wish to be met at the railroad station and be put into oommunication with the friends in this city, may address Mrs. Charles H. Greenleaf. 4855 Kenmore Avenue. Telephone Ravenswood 3025. CINCINNATI, Omo.—Meetlngs held Wednesday evening at the homes of the friends. Residence of Secretary, Mrs. Annie L. Parmerton, 543 Mitchell Avenue. CLEVELAND, OH10.—Regu1ar weekly meeting of the Assembly Friday evenings, at the apartment of Dr. Pauline Barton-Pfleke, 3606 Prospect Streetzalso Wednesday evenings at the home of Dr. and Mrs. C. M. Swlngle, 2101 Prospect Avenue. Fzwrrponr, M101-1.—Regular weekly meetings, Sunday, 2:30 p. m., at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Nels Peterson. Mrs. John Dermo, Secretary. ITHACA, N. Y.---Regular meeting of Assembly, Friday evening at the residence of Dr. W. E. House, 241 South Cayuga Street. Jsasrr CITY, N. J.-—MeeLlngs held Sunday evenings at Odd Fellows Hall, Bergen Square. F. G. Hale, Secretary, 440 Fairmont Avenue. KENOSHA, W18.-—Regular weekly meeting. Sunday, 10:30 a.. m.; Sunday school, 9:30 a. m., at Gronquish Hall, 218 Park Street. Address of Assembly, Mr. Charles Carlson, Secretary, 418 Crate Street. Mrs. Anna. Bohanan, Sccretary, VVomcn's Assembly. MUSKEGON, MIcH.—Meetings held Wednesday afternoon at 52 Jackson Street. Mrs. Helene Bags. Secretary. NEWARK, N. J.-—Rr>gular weekly meeting of the Assembly Thursday evening, at the home of Mrs. F. Carré, 70 Haley Street. NEW Yomc, N. Y.-—Regular weekly meeting. Sunday, 11 a. m., at Genealogical Hall, 226 West 58th Street. OAKLAND, R. Lee,Secretary, 1523 Jackson Street, San Francisco. Mrs. Cordie Cline, Corresponding Secretary, 233 Avenue, San Mateo, Cal. PITTSBURGH, PA.—-Meetings Friday evenings. Mr. Hilbert E. Dahl, Secretary, 506 Duquesne Avenue, Edgewood Park. PORTLAND, A1:E.—Regular weekly meeting, Thursday, 7 :30 p. m., at 501 Yamhll! Street. Street, corner Fifteenth Street. Mrs. Nettle Nash, Secretary, Kenton Station. SEATTLE, ‘WAsH.—RcguIar weekly meeting held at 2916 Beacon Avenue, South, and study class in omce of Dr. C. F‘. Lathrop, 213 People's Bank Building, on Tuesday evening, at 8 P. M. SPOKANE, WAsH.—-Regular weekly meeting held Friday evening at the home of Mr. and Mrs, A. C. Killlus, 124 Fifth Avenue. Mrs. Isabella M. Campbell, Secretary, 1014 Fairvicw Avenue. ST. PAUL, Mn\'N.—-Address of Secretary, Clement Woolson, 233 Arundel Street. Wmnxxamox, D. C.—Regular meetings Friday evening at 8:15; Sunday morning at 11 :15, at 1219 Connecticut Avenue: Wednesday evening at 8:00, at 1937 Thirteenth Street, N. W. Mail address of Assembly, P. O. Box 192. Residence of Secretary, llgrwgoseph H. Hannen, 1252 Eighth Street, Secretaries are requested to see that their Assembly is correctly represented.
Vol. 11 Chicago (March 2, 1912) Ola N0. 19 AIMS AND AMBITIONS OF BAHAIS. Spoken by Abdul-Baha in Paris, November 6th, 1911. Pity and good-will towards all mankind. II. The rendering of service to humanity. III. To guide and enlighten hearts. IV. Each member must try to be kind to everyone and to show forth great affection towards every living soul. V. Humility towards God and constant prayer to Him so as to be enabled to grow daily “Nearer God.” VI. Always in every Word and antion to be faithful and sincere, so that each member may be known to the world as embodying the qualifies of Sincerity, Faith, Kindnes, Love, Generosity and Bravery. That we may be detached from all that is not God, attracted by the Heavenly Breath, divine beings—s0 that the world may know that a Bahai is a. perfect being. SOME TEACHIN GS OF ABDUL-BAHA ABBAS. From Discourses given in London and Paris, These are wonderful days! We see an Eastern guest received with love and courtesy in the West. I have been drawn here, in spite of my ill health, by the magnet of your love and sympathy. Some years ago an ambassador was sent from Persia. to London where he stayed five years. (His name was Abdul Hassan Khan.) When he returned to Persia they asked him to tell them about the English people. He answered: “I do not know the English people. Although I have been in London five years, I have only met the people of the Court.” This man was a great man in Persia, and sent to England by princes, and yet he did not know the people, although he lived among them five years. Now I, a. prisoner, come to England for the first time, and although my visit is so short, I have already met many dear friends and I can say I know the people. Those I have met are true souls Working for peace and unity. Think of thig subject: What a difierence there is between this time we are living in now, and seventy years ago! Think of the progress! the progress toward unity and peace! It is God’s will that the differences between nations should disappear. Those who help the Cause of Unity on, are doing God ’s work. Unity is the Divine Bounty of this bfilliant century. Praise be to God, there are many societies and many meetings held for Unity. Hatred is not so much the cause
of separation now as it used to be; the cause of disunion now is mostly preju~ dice. He:-wen has blessed this day. It was said that London should be a place for a great proclamation of the Message. I was tired when I boarded the steamer, but when I reached London and beheld the faces of the believers, my fatigue left me. Your great love refreshes me. I am very pleased with the English believers. The feeling that existed between the East and the West is changing in the Light of BAIIA,0’LLAII'S teaching. It used to be that if a. Westemer drank from the cup of an Easterner the cup would be thought polluted, and the Easterncr would break it. Now it is, with believers, that when a Westerner dines with an Easterner, the vessels and the plates that he has used are kept apart and revcrenced in his memory. One day some soldiers came to the house of a believer and asked for one of his guests to be brought to them, that they might take him to his execution. according to their warrant. The host gave himself up in his guest place and was killed in his stead. This is an instance of true brotherly love. Be kind to all strangers. Those who come from all parts of the world, make them feel at home. Speak to those from Turkey, Japan, Persia, China, all countries, find out where they live, ask if you can be of service to them. The English are so polite and conventional that to Eastemers they often seem oold. You must forget oonventionality when you speak with them, they are not accustomed to these ways. you see a foreigner, perhaps you think he is a, thief, or even a murderer; you think you must be careful. Don think of yourself. Even if what you suspect be true, still go out of your way to be kind to thcm—it will help them to become better. Let those who meet you know without your saying so that you are a Bahai. You must manifest the most sincere love for all. Your hearts must burn with love for all. Let the people see that you are filled with universal love. If you meet a. Persian, talk with him without ceremony, ask where he lives and try to help him. Likewise speak to all strangers who seem lonely and give them your willing service. Be loving to them, Turks, Arabs, Indians, Chinese, Americans, J apanese—-a.ll. If they are poor, help them with money; if they are sad, comfort them; if they are distraught, quiet them; till all the world shall see that you have in truth the universal love. It is all very well for you to say that you agree with all this, that it is g00d—but you must put it into practice. The “reality” of man is thought-—n0t his material body. Although man is part of the animal creation, he possesses :1 power of thought superior to the rest of the created beings. If his thought is directed continually towards
heavenly subjects, he becomes saintly; if, on the other hand, his thought does not soar above things of this world, he is little better than an animal. Thought is of two kinds: (:1) Thought that belongs entirely to the world of thought. (b) Thought that results in action. The thoughts of our Lord Jesus Christ belonged to a high spiritual world, but he also brought them into the world of action. Some men and women have exalted thoughts, but if they do not realize them in the world of action, they are useless. The power of thought is dependent on nlanifestation in the world of action. Nevertheless in the world of progress and evolution thought has an effect, even if it is not always expressed in action. To this class of thought the majority of philosophers give expression; their thoughts are above their actions, too high for them to live up to themselves. The difference between philosophers and spiritual teachers is this: Spiritual teachers follow their own teaching, bring down into the world of action their spiritual conceptions and ideals, whereas mere philosophers do not. We often find philosophers emphasize the importance of Justice, while in their private lives they are most unjust (Alexander and Aristotle). This state is impossible with spiritual teachera. No man can separate himself from his thought. In order to bring about a state of peace and unify three things are neces sary: (a) To know. (b) To have the intention. (c) To put into practice. Unity is good. ‘To know this is not sufficient. You must intend to pro mote it, you must work for it. Knowledge is a good thing, but it is only the first step. If knowledge is alone it is stationary. These meetings teach us that Unity is good, and that suppression (slavery under the yoke of traditions and prejudices) is the cause of disunion. To know this is not enough. All knowledge is good, but it can bear no fruit but by action. It is well to know that riehes are good, but that knowledge will not make a. man rioh ; he must work, he must put his knowledge into practice, We hope the people will realize and know that Unity is good, and we also hope that they will not be content to stand still in that knowledge. Do not only say that Unity, Love and Brotherhood are good; you must work for their realization. The Czar of Russia promoted The Hague Penoe Conference and proposed the decrease in armament for all nations. In this Conference it was proved that Peace was beneficial to all countries, and war destroyed trade, etc. The Czar made a very good speech, though after it was over he, himself, was the first to declare war (against Japan). Knowledge is not enough. We hope by the Love of God we shall put it into practice. A spiritual universal force is needed for this. Meetings are good for engendering spiritual force. ‘To know that to reach a state of per
faction is possible is good, to march forward on the path is better. We know that to help the poor and to be merciful is good and pleases God, but knowledge alone does not feed the starving man, nor can the poor be warmed by knowl_ edge or words, in the bitter winter. The magnet of your love brought me here. My hope is that the Divine Light may shine here, and that the Heavenly Star of BAnA’0’LLAn may strengthen you, so that you may be the cause of the Oneness of Humanity, that you may help to make the darkness of superstition and prejudice disappear and unite all creeds and all nations. We have had wars and disputes for over 6,000 years. Even if we look on this state of as an experiment, surely it is sufiicient, surely it is time to stop. This is a brilliant century. Eyes are open now to the Beauty of the Oneness of Humanity, of Love and Brotherhood. The darkness of suppression will disappear and the Light of Unity will shine. We cannot bring Love and Unity to pass only by talk. Knowledge is not enough. Wealth, science, education are good, we know that, but we must also work and study. Knowledge is the first step; Resolve, the second step; Action, the ment, is the third step. To make a building, first of all one must make a plan, then one must have the power (money) to build, then, after all these preparations, one can build. One forms a Society of Unity—tha1; is go0d—but meetings and talk are not enough. In Egypt these meetings take place, there is only talk and no result. These meetings here in London are good, the knowledge and the intention are good, but how can there be a. result without action‘? Today the force for Unity is the Holy Spirit of BAT-IA’O’LLAH. He manifested this Spirit of Unity. BAHA brings East and West together. Go back, search history, you will not find a precedent for this. The Universal Ramses Congress was good. The result of it was intended to be the furtherance and progress of Unity among all nations, :1 better international understanding. The purpose was good. The causes of disputes among nations are always due to one of the following classes of prejudices: (a) Racial, language. (0) Personal. (b) Theological. (d) “Be1iefs," customs, traditions. It requires a. universal active force to overcome these differences. A small lamp could light a room, :1 larger could light. a whole house, a larger still could shine through the city, but the Sun is needed to light the whole world. A small disease needs a small remedy, but a disease which pervades the whole body needs a. very strong remedy. The differences in languages cause diisunion between nations. There Inuit be one universal language. The diversity in Faiths is also a cause of separation. The true foundation of all Faiths must be established, the outer differences abolished. There must be a Oneness of Faith. To end all these dif
ferences is a very hard task. The whole world is sick—th'1s is a very bad illness to cure. The world is wrong, just because people talk too much and do not carry out their ideals. If action took the place of words, the world; would change very soon. A man who does good and does not talk about it is perfect. The man who does very little good and magnifies it in his speech, is not good. If I love you, you know it, I need not tell you all the time; on the other hand, if I did not love you, you would know it also, and you would not believe me if I said I did love you a thousand times. People speak too much because they seek fame, because they wish to be thought better than their brethren. Those who do most good say the least about it. Look at the Italians for instance. They speak a great. deal about humanitarianism and socialism, and yet see how disgraeefully they have behaved towards the Turks. But why should we blame them‘? I hope you will always avoid tyranny and oppression, and that you will always uphold and practice justice towards all men and keep your hearts pure. That is what I expect of you. The great eauses of separation among the people are: (a) Racial. (0) Religious. (e) Personal. (b) Political. (d) Traditional. (f) Commercial prejudices. has abolished these. None can say that this is not good. Anyone who denies this is ignorant. God has created the world as one—the boundaries are marked out by man. God has not divided the lands. Each man has his house and meadow; horses and dogs do not divide the fields into shares. That is why says; “Let not a man glory in this, that he loves his country, let him rather glory in this, that he loves his kind.” All are one family, one race. All are human beings. Differences as to partition of lands should not be the cause of separation among the people. One of the great reasons of separation is color. Look how this prejudice has power in America, for instance. See how they hate one another! Think over this. Animals do not quarrel because of their color! Surely man should not, who is so much higher in creation. What ignorance exists White doves do not quarrel with other doves that are blue, because of their color but white men fight with dark colored men. This racial prejudice is the worst of all. All are one. In the Old Testament it says that God created man like unto His own image. In the Koran it says: “There is no diiferenee in the creation of God!" Think well. God has created all, cares for all, and all are under His protection. The policy of God is better than our policy. We are not as wise as He. Disease is of two kinds-. (a.) Material (b) Spiritual. For instance, a cut of the hand; if you pray for the cut to be healed, and do not stop it bleeding, you will not do much good, this needs a material remedy.
Sometimes if the nervous system is paralyzed through fear, a spiritual remedy is necessary. incurable ot-herwise, can be cured through prayer, but an abscess cannot be cured by prayer alone. Extreme cases need prayer. It often happens that sorrow makes one ill. That can be cured by spiritual means. Blindness is physical, not spiritual. They say our Lord cured blindness ; it was blindness of the soul. (“They have eyes and see not, ears they have and hear not.’’) He brought on spiritual awakening. All healing is of God. There are two classes of causvs for illness: (11) (11) Spirit-ua-l. If the sickness is of the body, a material remedy is needed; if of the soul, then a spiritual remedy. All is in God's hands. Aristotle made a. special study of the digestion, but he died of :1. gastronomic malady. Aviscn was a. specialist of the heart, but he died of heart disease. Dim-adi ('2) was :1 thorax spccialis-t—l1e died of consumption. God is the only all powerful doctor. Kings have all the power the world and man can give them, yet sometimes God shows them their feebleness and dependence on Him by allowing them to be in need of a very little thing. The elephant, the largest animal and the strongest, is troubled most of all by the fly. The lion has a worm that troubles him greatly. If man looks at nature he will see that all that exists is captive. All are dependent. Ma.n, to begin with the highest of all created beings, is dependent on a great many things for his life. The first is air a few moments without air would be suficient to kill him. Then he is dependent on water, food, clothing, warmth and many thing. See how he is surrounded by dangers of all sorts and illnesses. It is the same with all created beings, 8YlllI1EL]S, plants; look how much is necessary to their existence! All that exists is feeble, poor, captive. ‘The freedom of man depends alone on his spiritual power. All that exists are prisoners of nature. Consider the sun, that enormous, powerful globe around which we travel, even he cannot escape the law of nature—he cannot move out of his course or shade his r:uliance—-and again the sea cannot escape, she has no will of her own. Only man is enabled by Divine Power to control, in a small degree, the laws of nature. It is the |.1a.’t-ural law for man to live on land, yet he sails on the sea. It is natural for man to rest on terra firma, yet he flies. It is natural for a man to walk no faster than three or four miles an makes himself engines which take him sixty or more miles an hour. It is natural for :1 man to be able to speak with another at a distance of ten yards, but he makes himself the telephone and telegraph with which he can speak and send messages to a distance of a. hundred, of a thousand and more miles. In these cases nature is the prisoner of man. Look what great power God has given man and yet how sad it is that so much ignorance still remains. I hope you will always be the cause of revealing the Divine Light to the people and that the power of the Spirit will lead you into the Kingdom of God.
[Continuixm the BAHAI NEWS] PUBLISHED NINETEEN TIMES A YEAR By the BAHAI NEWS SERVICE, 515 South Dearborn Street., Chicago, Ill., U.S.A. Entered as second-class matter April 9. 1911, at the post at Chicago. Illinois, under the Act of March 3,1879. TERMS : $1.00 per year 10 cents per copy. Nau— Until further notice, diltribution in the Orient is through Agents. Make Money Orders payable to BAHAI NEWS SLIVICZ, P. O. Box 283. Chicago. lll., U. S. A. To personal chcclu place add to cover the bank exchanae. Address all communications to BAHAI N:-zws Saavxca, P. O. Box 283, Chicago, Ill., U.S.A. TABLET FROM ABDUL-BAHA. 0 am Star of the West! *1" "1 Be thou happy! Be thou happy! Shonldat thou continue to remain firm and eternal. ere long. thou lhalt become the Star of the East and shalt spread in every country and clLme. Thou art the tint paper of the Bnhals which is organized in the country of America. Although for the present thy lubncriberl are limited, thy form is emall and thy voice weak, yet shouldst thou stand unahakahle, become the object of the attention of the friends and the center of the generosity of the leaders of the faith who are nrm in the Covenant, in the future thy Iuhscriber! will become boats after hosts like unto waves of the sea; thy volume will increase. my arena will become vast and spacious and thy voice and fame will be raised and become world-wide-—and at last thou shalt become the first paper of the world of humanity. Yet all then depend upon firmness! (signed) ABDUDBAH‘ ABM‘ BAHAI CALENDAR. The delegates and visiting friends attending the Mashrak-el-Azkar Convention are invited, by the Chicago Bahai Assembly, to join them in the celebration of the Rizwan Feast Saturday evening, April 27th, and also the unity meeting of the Chicago Assembly and‘ the Bahai Temple Unity Sunday morning, April 28th, at 10 :30 A. M. OUR PERSIAN SECTION: (1) The spread of the Cause in Russia; (2) translation of an article in a Russian publication, nam-ed Balcou, on the history of the Bahai Movement; (3) editor comment on above article (4) the departure of Taere Khanoum (5) photograph of the young Persian Bahai students in the Presbyterian College at Bcyruth, Syria; (6) historical article concerning the movements of Abdul Baha while in Egypt; (7) poetry celebrating the return of AbdulBaha from Europe to Egypt.
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Persian Editorial Office: Najme Bakhtar,
509 McLachlen Bldg., Washington, D. C., U. S. A.
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