Material on the Master

More Uncollected Material on the Master

Scanned by John Taylor; 2006 August 12

The following question and answer session with the Master is not recorded in Promulgation, so I have scanned it in from Star of the West. Parts are often quoted but it is much more enlightening to read the whole thing in context. It does not say who was asking the questions but they all appear to be from the same person and I like to think that that person was the host, Arthur Dodge, successful businessman (he started the car company that still is nameplated today) and one of the most successful teachers of the Cause -- he was later appointed an apostle of Abdul-Baha.

TALK BY ABDUL-BAHA AT 261 WEST I39TH ST., NEW YORK CITY (HOME OF MR. AND MRS. ARTHUR P. DODGE), APRIL 16, 1912.

Notes by Miss Juliet Thompson. From Star of the West, Vol. 3, No. 10, p. 7

QUESTION -- Shall we have a temporary Mashrak-el-Azkar?

Abdul-Baha -- In those places where they have no Mashrak-el-Azkar they rent a house and call it by that name. Today the Mashrak-el-Azkar in Chicago has great importance. All the Baha’is must turn their faces in that direction. Why is it so important? Because it has become known throughout the East and the West that the Baha’is wish to build a Mashrak-el-Azkar. It has found great importance. All ears are waiting for news coming from Chicago about the Mashrak-el-Azkar.

The matter of the Mashrak-el-Azkar does not depend upon personal endeavor, -- it needs united endeavor. When in Ishkabad the believers desired to build the Mashrak-el-Azkar, all the friends centered their attention upon that place. There was no personality anywhere. And thus they were able to build.

Question -- Those who assume the direction of Baha’i affairs are often criticized. If a man has a superior intellect, should he come down to the station of those who are less capable?

Abdul-Baha -- Capacity and privilege in this Cause are intrinsic. Whosoever has a greater power of speech, whosoever has a greater power of attraction, whosoever has a greater sincerity, will advance, no matter what happens. In other movements, positions are like public offices; but in this Cause the people advance because of their innate qualities, because their works echo in the hearts of men.

In Persia there are many Baha’is who are the center of all the friends. When the friends of God find that a soul has arisen to serve the Cause in sincerity, they accept him with heart and soul. They do not doubt him; they believe in what he says and consider that to believe in what he says is to believe in and to obey God. It is true that all souls are not equal. Some souls are in high stations of exaltation,-in the vanguard of the army; some are in the second rank. This is all innate Cause. The friends of God must have utmost consideration for those souls who are sincere and endeavoring to serve in the Cause.

For example, when we see a man doing public service, we must have consideration for him; if he gives a good address, we must praise him; if he makes wise suggestions, and if good intentions appear from him, we must have for him the greatest consideration.

I will relate to you a story, the conclusion of which you will understand: After the appearance of the Bab, the disciple who succeeded Him was called "Bab-el-Bab." He was almost worshipped. When His Highness the Bab had passed away, all hearts turned to Bab-el-Bab. While His Highness Bab-el Bab was traveling with three hundred and sixty staunch believers, His Highness Khudus, who was another great teacher, was as his disciple, - like his servant. While Bab-el-Bab sat, Khudus always stood before him. One day there came a great change. He was found sitting and Bab-el-Bab standing before him. All were astonished. Then His Highness Bab-el-Bab, addressing the people said: "I did not before know the station of Khudus. Tonight I realize that I am less than the dust of his feet." Later he sacrificed his life in the path of Khudus.

The believers in this city must have the utmost consideration for each other. None must try to precede the other. Those souls who are distinguished among the friends must receive due consideration.

Question -- Does not this distinction come about naturally when one is severed, and is it not a spiritual distinction rather than intellectual?

Abdul-Baha - Distinction is good - all distinctions are good - distinction of intellect -- distinction of sincerity -- all; because distinction means development.

Question -- Is not distinction dangerous for the individual?

Abdul-Baha (laughing) -- All people are in danger. Man, in whatsoever degree he chanced to be, is in danger. Can you single out a man who is beyond danger?

We are all servants of the One Threshold. These remarks are unnecessary. We must serve this Threshold. This is truth. We must love each other perfectly. If we are in such a state, the confirmations of God will reach us. If other discussions creep in, there will be a cessation of confirmation. Service must be rendered to this Threshold. The Blessed Perfection Baha’u’llah has trained us that we may pass our time in the discussion of things spiritual; that is ideal. We must be engaged in things conducive to the onward growth of man. Hence we must pray that He may accept us at His Threshold: that He may preserve us; that He may usher us into His Kingdom. This is praiseworthy. This is essential.

Question -- Suppose you reason out something, and your reason tells you it is true? In the "Seven Valleys" it is said that when the "fire of Love becomes ablaze, the harvest of reason is consumed." How is this?

Abdul-Baha -- That is not to be taken literally. It has an inner meaning. It refers to ordinary reasoning. For example: a soul in Persia who became a believer endangered his very life. Now, what would the ordinary intellect say? Preserve your life! Preserve your property! But he who is set on fire with God's love will forego all possessions. On such occasions his actions appear insane; but he is in a sacrificial state. Honor, glory, everything pertaining to himself, is sacrificed. Baha’u’llah means that the harvest of reason becomes consumed by the fire of faith. In such a state a man appears insane. Those who see him under such circumstances would say: "Here is a man who has good position, who has honor, affluence, influence,-a man of competence, and he has sacrificed all of these in the path of some mysterious thing!"

Question -- What are the "seventy-two degrees of insanity" spoken of by Baha’u’llah?

Answer - One is to forfeit possessions, to forfeit estates. One is to forego name, honor, fame. One is to forsake relatives, station. Et cetera [ended Abdul-Baha, laughing], et cetera, et cetera. Each one of these is a distinct insanity!

 

jet: the following is a talk in Paris that again was not collected in Paris Talks, plus some testimony about Abdul-Bahas behavior in Paris.

 

AN ADDRESS ON TRUTH.

From: STAR OF THE WEST, Vol II, No. 18,

Chicago (February 7, 1912) Mulk

Delivered by Abdul-Baha on November 24, 1911, at the home of Mademoiselle Gastea, Paris, France.

All the divine prophets are the Manifestations of Truth. His Highness Moses declared the truth. His Highness the Christ spread the Truth. His Highness Mohammed established the Truth. All the elect of God proclaimed the Truth. His Highness Baha’u’llah unfurled the ensign of Truth. All the sanctified souls who have stepped into the arena of existence have been the lamps of Truth.

Truth is the oneness of the kingdom of humanity. Truth is love among the children of men. Truth is the proclamation of Justice. Truth is divine guidance. Truth is the virtues and perfections of the human world. Truth is equality between the people of all countries. Truth is the illumination of the realm of man.

All the prophets of God have been the heralds of Truth. All have been united and agreed on this principle. Every prophet predicted the coming of a successor and every successor acknowledged the truth of the predecessor. Moses prophesied the coming of Christ. Christ acknowledged Moses. His Highness Christ foretold the appearance of Mohammed, and Mohammed accepted the Christ and Moses. When all these divine prophets were united with each other, why should we disagree? We are the followers of those holy souls. In the same manner that the prophets loved each other, we should follow their example, for we are all the servants of God and the Bounties of the Almighty are encircling every one.

God is in peace with all His children, why should we be engaged in war? God is kind to every one, why should we oppress each other? The foundation of divine religion is Love, Affinity and Concord. Praise God, that this cycle ~ the period of illumination! Minds have made great progress; intelligences have been unfolded; the means of unity and agreement are being brought about and communication between the races of men is rapidly being established. Now is the time that all of us may embrace the law of peace and treat each other with honesty and straightforwardness. Let the religious prejudices be wiped away. Let the law of racial supremacy be discountenanced. Let political expediencies be done away with. Let the love of country be superceded by the love of the world. Let us all deal with each other with infinite kindness. We are all the servants at the one Divine Threshold. We are all receiving the rays of truth from the same Sun of Reality. We must all believe in all the prophets. We must all acknowledge the divine authority of all the heavenly books. We must wash our hearts free of all human prejudices. We must serve God. We must propagate the oneness of the realm of humanity. We must be the cause of the appearance of the perfections in the world of man. We must not be like the beasts of prey. We must not allow carnage and bloodshed. We must regard the blood of men as sacred. We must not shed the holy blood of man for the paltry earth. We must all agree upon one fundamental principle. That principle is the oneness of the kingdom of humanity.

Consider ye! What things are transpiring now in Tripoli! How many fathers have become without sons! How many little children have become fatherless! How many kind and affectionate mothers are weeping for the death of their sons! How many women are lamenting and mourning over the cruel death of their beloved husbands! This sacred blood of humanity is shed for a piece of land! The beasts of prey never fight for this aim. Everyone is contented in his own place. The wolf is satisfied after receiving his share of life. The leopard will creep into his own lair after partaking of his food. The lion will crouch in his own jungle. No one intelligently or on purpose will ever entertain the desire to oppress another.

Alas! Alas! Although pitiless man brings under his dominion all the nests of humanity, yet he aspires for more. On the other hand, we easily realize that God has given to man divine intelligence, but he has become worse than the beasts of prey. The beasts of prey do not tear in pieces the members of their own species. No matter how ferocious a wolf may be, he cannot kill more than ten sheep in one night, but man is becoming the means of destroying hundreds of thousands of his fellow beings in one day. Now, be just! How can this agree with reason? If a man kills his brother he is called a murderer; if he crimsons the battlefield with the blood of hundreds of thousands of innocent men, he is hailed as a great conqueror! If a man steals ten dollars from another he is considered to be a guilty thief, but if he has pillaged a large country he will be known in history as a patriot. If he destroys with fire one house he is accused of arson, but if he bombards a city with the fire of cannon he is called a victorious being. All these events connote the evils of human ignorance, the blood-thirstiness of the nature of man and the lack of faith. For if man believes in divine Justice he will not consent to the suffering of any soul and he will not allow the shedding of one drop of blood; nay, rather he will exert himself day and night to make one soul happy.

Now, praise be to God, the signs of intelligence are becoming manifest among the people in some parts of the world. This is the dawning of the dayspring of the Most Great Peace. This is our hope: to spread the oneness of the realm of man, to destroy the foundation of hatred and animosity from among the people, to make manifest the Greatest Peace, so that the nations of the world may affiliate with each other and all the governments may strengthen between themselves the bonds of love and unity, the International Court of Arbitration may be established and all the world-wide problems and difficulties which arise between the nations may be adjudicated in that Universal Court.

The solving of these international problems depend upon the increase of the number of the lovers of Peace, and those who are devoted to the greater friendship of nations may add their power to the public opinion which revolves around the Peace of the world. Then, through the powerful demonstration of the people of peace and reconciliation, all the nations will be forced to accept the doctrine of Peace.

Love is illumination. Love is the cause of life. Hatred is conducive to death. Undoubtedly wise men prefer life to death, unity to discord, and endeavor with heart and soul that these impenetrable dark clouds may vanish and the Sun of Reality may shine forth; this world may become another world; this mound of earth may be changed into a delectable paradise, the East and the West may embrace each other, the North and the South may clasp hands of true fellowship, so that the true, divine Love may become unveiled in the world of man. For to love man is to love God, and to be kind to the people is to serve God. Pray and exert yourselves with heart and soul so that you may become the means of creating love among the children of men. We hope that through your efforts religious, racial and political prejudices may pass away, and the tired world may receive peace and tranquillity.

You who have children know of a fact how beloved they are to you. Those who are bereaved of the meeting of their children because they are killed in fighting, are like unto you. Consider, what will be the mental agitation of a mother and a father when they look upon the body of their son steeped in blood! Will they have any more desire to live? Will they have any composure, any comfort? Those who are now at war in Tripoli are passing through agonies and their fathers and mothers are in a desperate mood.

God has created us to be loving and compassionate toward each other, and not to draw the sword before each others faces. We must adorn the gathering of love and peace, and not drill soldiers for the ranks of the army. We must  organize courts of justice. God has given to us eyes so that we may look on each other with the eyes of the Love of God. He has granted us hearts that we may become attached to each other and not show enmity and rancour. Consider how God has been good to man! He has given him understanding, intelligence and sentiment so that he may exert these divine faculties in the path of love and not in the way of harm. We must supplicate God that He may confirm and assist us to become the embodiment of the perfections of man; not to extinguish the torch lighted by the Hand of Majesty; not to stop the downpouring of the Rain of Mercy; not to cut His green and verdant trees; not to prevent the descent of heavenly blessings, but to become confirmed in such wise as to adorn the realm of humanity, to illumine the East and the West, to create means of the interdependence of man, to destroy the basis of war and to become the cause of the affiliation of the hearts.

This is our hope! This is our utmost aspiration! We beg of God to assist us therein. His Highness Baha’u’llah dawned from the horizon of Persia and spread to all parts of the world the rays of the Most Great Guidance. He invited all to the Greatest Peace and gave advice to all, especially to Napoleon the Third, who was at that time Emperor of France. For fifty years He suffered everything in life so that by degrees the hearts became attracted to the Most Great Peace. Now, praise be to God, this light is continually spreading its benefits and ere long the Banner of the Most Great Peace shall become unfurled. We will exert ourselves day and night so that the world of man may become harmonized and the Sun of Truth and the Rays of Reality may enlighten the East and the West.

A GLIMPSE OF ABDUL-BAHA IN PARIS.

BY ALICE R. BEEDE.

After a morning talk given by Abdul-Baha at his apartment No.4 Ave. de Camoens on October 15, 1911, all those present were invited that Sunday afternoon to meet him at four o'clock at 22 rue Seeden Rollin pre Saint Gernais (Seine) outside the walls of Paris, where a real Baha’i settlement work is carried on by Mons. V. Ponsonaille and his good wife. They are poor people. He is employed as a collector for one of the large department stores in Paris. Having received the Message, he felt his work for the Cause of God was among the very poor children, waifs and those who had no parents; so with his wife, some years ago settled his home here and by going without their noon day meal (which to the French means much) they could give it to these little ones. They started in an old car where they met together to read the Tablets and hear the Word of Baha’u’llah. It was not long before many came and it grew so that the clergy of many sects desired to have it consolidated under them. Mons. Ponsonaille did not consider this the way to serve best and he declined all these offers. At last, they grew so very jealous that they, with the help of the priests, took the car from him. The Baha’i friends in Paris offered to build a place for his work and Mons. Ponsonaille told them if they would furnish him the boards and nails that he would build it himself, which he did, and it was here that we went, and after three months spent going around Paris every day, I assure you I had never seen such a dirty, miserable quarter.

After leaving the train on the main street, we walked down to the end of a narrow lane or street without sidewalks, on which doors opened to places where soldiers and women were drinking and screaming, while from the small windows bedclothes were hanging out, and women and children could be seen. It was with joy we at last saw a familiar face and Mous. De Scott, the artist, pointed to the small gate through which we passed and by the discarded car into a small board cabin about 20x25 feet. At one end was a raised platform and desk of rough boards. I can only say as my eyes fell first upon The Greatest Name hanging in a frame from this desk and I saw the crowd of miserably poor, dear little ones gathered there, and as my ears caught the music of their voices (for they were singing), tears filled my eyes and a great lump choked me. Then I looked and saw we were but a half dozen who had come as guests, and all, like myself, were deeply affected. It was Madam Ponsonaille, a woman with a strong, kind and most intelligent face, who evidently had taught the children to sing and who with her whole heart was leading and keeping time for them, for they had no instrument. After the song Mons. Ponsonaille read a Tablet sent by the Master, for he called Abdul-Baha "The Master," and it is quite evident that they all know him as the Master. Mons. Ponsonaille, who has a delicate, most refined face -- that of a gentleman in its fullest sense -- talked for a time; they sang again, and then all their little heads were turned towards the entrance and it was evident that their hearts were full of expectancy and they longed to see the One who had promised to come to visit them. The oldest of these children were not over fifteen -- from that down to babies in the arms -- all ages and kinds, clothed cleanly in clothes that had no fit, or were misfits rather.

At last there was a silence. Then all arose to their feet as Abdul-Baha quickly entered and walked up the narrow center passage to the front and stood. Mons. Dreyfus-Barney and Tammadon-ul-Molk took their places on the side. Mons. Dreyfus-Barney acted as interpreter. Abdul-Baha said:

"I am glad to be here with you. I am very glad to see you all here. I love you very much. I have been in many beautiful houses, but this is more beautiful to me than any of the others, for the spirit of the love of Bahaullah is here. You are all receiving the teachings of God and learning how act and live and some day you will be great and wise for having learned the truth. I have seen many beautiful rich children, but to me you are more beautiful, and I love you all (as Christ loved little children) here. Monsieur and Madam Ponsonaille are your spiritual teachers. They give you food and understanding eternal of God, while your parents are giving you your material food and care for your bodies. You must love these good friends.

Turning to Monsieur and Madam Ponsonaille, he said:

"This is a great work you are doing for the love of God in this great day, through the power of Baha’u’llah. Your station is great. Your names will go down through the ages. Kings and Queens have never been talked of and remembered as you will be. You are workers in the Kingdom of Abha and I am very happy and love you very much."

Then with his head upturned and the palms of his hands upturned together, as if to receive in them the pouring down of the Holy Spirit, he chanted a prayer and blessing, and coming down from the small elevation, on which he was standing, to where the children were, all crowded close around him, and laying his hands caressingly upon some of their heads and taking the hands of others with a loving smile to all, with difficulty he passed down the aisle to the door. Near me were some rough boys whom I was often obliged to quiet before Abdul-Baha entered the hall. But after he came they never moved nor spoke and when he passed out they fell over each other in their great desire to have him take their hands.

Outside the door stood: Mons. Ponsonaille, and Abdul-Baha, putting his hand inside his gown, took out many gold pieces and gave to him as he bade him good-bye. He walked down the street toward the carriage so quickly that our little party was at least twenty feet behind. Oh! what a sight. In every doorway and window were people-and such people! A very poor man held the carriage door open as Abdul-Baha entered with his little party, Mons. and Madam Dreyfus-Barney and Tammadon-ul-Molk. The crowd were fighting and calling names but a gendarme and Mons. De Scott protected us as we passed on safely.

So ended a never-to-be-forgotten day, having seen Abdul-Baha among the children of the poor of the streets of Paris and I thought again of the light I saw twice on Fridays in Acca and wondered if they were missing him and longing for his return and loving help. The thought comes to me now of what the world's poverty will be after his departure and to us who have been fed from his hand on the Bread of Life.