Introductions and Talk by the Master

Introductions and Talk by the Master

By John Taylor; 2006 November 08

Today is a hard time to write anything new, as our seven year old son, Tomaso, is sick. He has not kept anything in his stomach for two days and all they have found from blood tests so far is that he is dehydrated, which is to be expected. The emerg resident yesterday looked at his pallor and was so worried she called a specialist at Mac Med Center. Pallor is to be expected when they are dehydrated, she was told. This upped our parental worry levels to the stratosphere, especially when he vomited everything up again before going to sleep last night. I fretted all night, but we let him sleep. At least the tests tell us what it is not. Still not ruled out are mono and strep.

In a long, endless night I frantically searched around for the long healing prayer to assuage my suspense but it seems that prayer books are the first things to get disappeared from my library by playing kids. I'd just go out and buy a new prayer book but the ones with what you might call the extreme or hard-core prayers, the Fire Tablet and the long healing prayer, are all forty or fifty bucks a pop. What kind of a sick publishing world are we living in when you have to be rich in order to pray? I just was dipping into MS Publisher to see if I could print out the LH prayer in brochure format for myself when I heard coming out of the living room the pops and clicks of his video game. He cannot be so bad if he is playing video games, I guess.

So today let us do something easy. I have prepared a talk by the Master and placed before it the two introductory talks that actually were given at the occasion. It is one thing to read a talk out of context in Promulgation, but I think it adds a lot if you glimpse some the words leading up to the talk. This is among the Master's more important peace statements, and it follows up perhaps His most important, the one at the Arbitration Conference at Lake Mohonk on May 14-16, 1912. The latter Mohonk talk Shoghi Effendi mentions first in his list of the most salient highlights of the Western travels (GPB, 289). As you see below, it greatly impressed one of the introductory speakers. Yet, strangely, it does not appear in Promulgation! Mahmud gives some intriguing details about the stay there, which he says was a four hour train ride from NY City. The first day, he says, the Master gave a twenty minute address, as scheduled in the program. A long ovation followed, for it seems the meeting had been preoccupied with your usual drab wrangling about petty material details and His perspective was a breath of fresh air. About the second day, Mahmud writes:

Wednesday, May 15, 1912

[Lake Mohonk]

The Master remained at Lake Mohonk. Many came into His presence and to each He taught the Cause of God, answering their questions in the way best suited to the understanding of the listener. Concerning the peace conference, He related a story:

Once I wrote to the Persian friends that if the workers of peace conferences do not apply in their own lives what they advocate, they are like those wine sellers who convene and make emphatic speeches regarding the harmfulness of wine and proposing its prohibition. But when they go out of the meeting, they begin again to sell wine and to do what they were doing in the past. Therefore it is necessary for the power of execution and effect to spiritually penetrate the body of the world.

(Mahmud's Diary, p. 102)

On the third day the Master was asked to produce something on spiritual themes to be published in the conference record, and Mahmud mentions that one talk was handled by the Baha'is and one by the organizers of the conference. I have been able to find none, not the one recorded by the Baha'is or by the non-Baha'is. Even a search for "Lake Mohonk" in the Encyclopedia Britannica turned up nada. Maybe it is a sort of conferential Brigadoon. Surely in the almost hundred years since this event somebody has done some research into this event. If I find anything, I will let you know.

But anyway, that is not why I am including this Lake Mohonk follow-up talk now. What I want to do as soon as possible is to read it aloud, along with many other talks of the Master, and listen to a recording of one talk daily as a sort of medicine, you know, the consolation of philosophy and all that. Perhaps more to the point, his talks are consolation of the news, or perhaps antidote to the news. Reason being, I have become increasingly disgusted with the flood of news that bursts on me every day. We need, I need, edification, not more depression and worry; we do not need information indiscriminately dumped on our heads. If I listen to the master's consoling words each morning, maybe I will get my head straight for the rest of the day. I would also like to make the text and a spoken recording available in one place on a website. I will do that Real Soon Now.

Address at Metropolitan Temple Reception,

SEVENTH AVENUE AND 14TH STREET NEW

YORK CITY, MAY 28, 1912.

(from Star of the West, Vol. 3, No. 7, pp. 14-15)

Stenographic Notes by E. Foster

INTRODUCTION BY REV. J. WESLEY HILL, PRESIDENT

INTERNATIONAL PEACE FORUM.

This is a great occasion. It is graced and honored by distinguished guests, representatives of the great International Peace Movement, who have acquired fame at home and abroad.

We are living in a wonderful period; time and distance are well nigh annihilated. Science has out-generaled the forces of nature.

The spirit of Nationalism has been overtaken by the larger spirit of Internationalism. The nations of the earth are strung on one telegraph wire. We are living everywhere at once, international visitations constituting one of the glowing hopes of International Peace. When we become better acquainted there is less of prejudice and of traditional hostility, more of charity brotherliness, mutual good will and fraternity; and this makes for peace.

Messages of peace are moving all through the world. A few months ago it was my privilege to visit the Orient. I found Japan on tiptoe of expectation; all eyes were turned toward Washington. The uppermost question in Japan was this: "Will your Senate ratify the peace treaties? And I was assured by the representatives of the present government that with the ratification of that treaty Japan was ready to become a party and to enter into this plan to arbitrate all international differences.

In China I found the same spirit: the representatives of the new republic interested in international amity. All the world is interested in it. We have had enough of warfare, enough of bloodshed, enough of national humiliation and abasement. We are ready for a new era, an era of peace and universal good will, an era in which universal brotherhood shall be recognized, and in which the misunderstanding of the countries will be settled in court rather than on the field of bloodshed and war.

I am not here to speak; I was invited to preside.

I am glad to be here, not only as the former pastor of the Metropolitan Temple, but as one who, in his humble way, ha contributed all in his power toward the advancement of industrial and international peace.

ADDRESS BY REV. FREDERICK LYNCH.

I do not intend to discuss any phases of the Peace question. I don't want to stand here and take your time when I know you want to listen to one who comes from the East. As in ancient times, wisdom comes to us from the East again.

I have been exceedingly interested in the visit of `Abdu'l-Baha to this country. I have had the pleasure of hearing him and meeting him several times. It may interest you to know where I first saw him. It was at Charles Grant Kennedy's play, the "Terrible Meek,' a play to show us that we are not in this world to kill but to love each other, and that we are not to go about in this world with the smell of blood upon us, but we are in this world to carry blessing to mankind. I was interested to see that this Leader, this Prophet, should have been at this great play. I had the pleasure next of seeing him at Lake Mohonk and hearing the most remarkable address I have ever listened to. The address of the evening was full of this one thing, the unity of mankind. We are in this world, -- one. When you get beneath the different languages, different nationalities, different races, different colors, different temperaments, after all, we are one. The minds may vary but the human heart is one.

It seems to me that the great note of the twentieth century is its universality; we have gotten away from provincialism; we have gotten away from boundaries; we are getting away from nationalism; it is universality which is the great note of this century. It is true in politics. The last century, the nineteenth century, was the time of upbuilding. Our own nation during this century built its States into one compact whole. We established a parliament at Washington where all the States' representatives make laws for the nation, and we established a court at Washington where disputes may be settled. That was the great task of the nineteenth century, the task of nationalism. It is internationalism -- world politics -- that we are entering upon in this century. Now we are going to put a world parliament at the head where the nations shall take their disputes to be settled as the States have taken theirs.

We are signing arbitration treaties. In the last century hardly any treaties were signed at all. In the first twelve years of this century (twentieth century) one hundred and one arbitration treaties have been signed.

I don't want to continue this theme, but to throw this out to show how the great things pertaining to national universality is the twentieth century note. The same thing is true in religions. The last century was the century of denominations. The last century was the century of nationalism of religion, but this twentieth century is the century of universality of religion. All our great religions are beginning to spread throughout the world, and we are beginning to find that which is good in them all. All that is good in the religions of the world, take it and use it, and out of it will arise one great universal religion which will be made up of all that is good and truest and best in all the others.

Now I welcome this great man today because he stands for all these things. He has come to this country modestly. His modesty has impressed the country greatly. He has taught that one lesson of the oneness of mankind that we are all children of the one Father.

He comes here only in the cause of religion and has raised up a great following, a following which stands for these great truths: the universal love of God, brotherhood and good will to man. I am glad to say `Abdu'l-Baha will speak.

Talk at Reception at Metropolitan Temple

from Abdu'l-Baha, The Promulgation of Universal Peace, p. 152

28 May 1912

Seventh Avenue and Fourteenth Street, New York

Notes by Esther Foster

The Fatherhood of God, His loving-kindness and beneficence are apparent to all. In His mercy He provides fully and amply for His creatures, and if any soul sins, He does not suspend His bounty. All created things are visible manifestations of His Fatherhood, mercy and heavenly bestowals. Human brotherhood is, likewise, as clear and evident as the sun, for all are servants of one God, belong to one humankind, inhabit the same globe, are sheltered beneath the overshadowing dome of heaven and submerged in the sea of divine mercy. Human brotherhood and dependence exist because mutual helpfulness and cooperation are the two necessary principles underlying human welfare. This is the physical relationship of mankind. There is another brotherhood -- the spiritual -- which is higher, holier and superior to all others. It is heavenly; it emanates from the breaths of the Holy Spirit and the effulgence of merciful attributes; it is founded upon spiritual susceptibilities. This brotherhood is established by the Manifestations of the Holy One.

The divine Manifestations since the day of Adam have striven to unite humanity so that all may be accounted as one soul. The function and purpose of a shepherd is to gather and not disperse his flock. The Prophets of God have been divine Shepherds of humanity. They have established a bond of love and unity among mankind, made scattered peoples one nation and wandering tribes a mighty kingdom. They have laid the foundation of the oneness of God and summoned all to universal peace. All these holy, divine Manifestations are one. They have served one God, promulgated the same truth, founded the same institutions and reflected the same light. Their appearances have been successive and correlated; each One has announced and extolled the One Who was to follow, and all laid the foundation of reality. They summoned and invited the people to love and made the human world a mirror of the Word of God. Therefore, the divine religions They established have one foundation; Their teachings, proofs and evidences are one; in name and form They differ, but in reality They agree and are the same. These holy Manifestations have been as the coming of springtime in the world. Although the springtime of this year is designated by another name according to the changing calendar, yet as regards its life and quickening it is the same as the springtime of last year. For each spring is the time of a new creation, the effects, bestowals, perfections and life-giving forces of which are the same as those of the former vernal seasons, although the names are many and various. This is 1912, last year was 1911 and so on, but in fundamental reality no difference is apparent. The sun is one, but the dawning points of the sun are numerous and changing. The ocean is one body of water, but different parts of it have particular designations -- Atlantic, Pacific, Mediterranean, Antarctic, etc. If we consider the names, there is differentiation; but the water, the ocean itself, is one reality.

Likewise, the divine religions of the holy Manifestations of God are in reality one, though in name and nomenclature they differ. Man must be a lover of the light, no matter from what dayspring it may appear. He must be a lover of the rose, no matter in what soil it may be growing. He must be a seeker of the truth, no matter from what source it come. Attachment to the lantern is not loving the light. Attachment to the earth is not befitting, but enjoyment of the rose which develops from the soil is worthy. Devotion to the tree is profitless, but partaking of the fruit is beneficial. Luscious fruits, no matter upon what tree they grow or where they may be found, must be enjoyed. The word of truth, no matter which tongue utters it, must be sanctioned. Absolute verities, no matter in what book they be recorded, must be accepted. If we harbor prejudice, it will be the cause of deprivation and ignorance. The strife between religions, nations and races arises from misunderstanding. If we investigate the religions to discover the principles underlying their foundations, we will find they agree; for the fundamental reality of them is one and not multiple. By this means the religionists of the world will reach their point of unity and reconciliation. They will ascertain the truth that the purpose of religion is the acquisition of praiseworthy virtues, the betterment of morals, the spiritual development of mankind, the real life and divine bestowals. All the Prophets have been the promoters of these principles; none of Them has been the promoter of corruption, vice or evil. They have summoned mankind to all good. They have united people in the love of God, invited them to the religions of the unity of mankind and exhorted them to amity and agreement. For example, we mention Abraham and Moses. By this mention we do not mean the limitation implied in the mere names but intend the virtues which these names embody. When we say Abraham, we mean thereby a manifestation of divine guidance, a center of human virtues, a source of heavenly bestowals to mankind, a dawning point of divine inspiration and perfections. These perfections and graces are not limited to names and boundaries. When we find these virtues, qualities and attributes in any personality, we recognize the same reality shining from within and bow in acknowledgment of the Abrahamic perfections. Similarly, we acknowledge and adore the beauty of Moses. Some souls were lovers of the name Abraham, loving the lantern instead of the light, and when they saw this same light shining from another lantern, they were so attached to the former lantern that they did not recognize its later appearance and illumination. Therefore, those who were attached and held tenaciously to the name Abraham were deprived when the Abrahamic virtues reappeared in Moses. Similarly, the Jews were believers in Moses, awaiting the coming of the Messiah. The virtues and perfections of Moses became apparent in Jesus Christ most effulgently, but the Jews held to the name Moses, not adoring the virtues and perfections manifest in Him. Had they been adoring these virtues and seeking these perfections, they would assuredly have believed in Jesus Christ when the same virtues and perfections shone in Him. If we are lovers of the light, we adore it in whatever lamp it may become manifest, but if we love the lamp itself and the light is transferred to another lamp, we will neither accept nor sanction it. Therefore, we must follow and adore the virtues revealed in the Messengers of God -- whether in Abraham, Moses,  153  Jesus or other Prophets -- but we must not adhere to and adore the lamp. We must recognize the sun, no matter from what dawning point it may shine forth, be it Mosaic, Abrahamic or any personal point of orientation whatever, for we are lovers of sunlight and not of orientation. We are lovers of illumination and not of lamps and candles. We are seekers for water, no matter from what rock it may gush forth. We are in need of fruit in whatsoever orchard it may be ripened. We long for rain; it matters not which cloud pours it down. We must not be fettered. If we renounce these fetters, we shall agree, for all are seekers of reality. The counterfeit or imitation of true religion has adulterated human belief, and the foundations have been lost sight of. The variance of these imitations has produced enmity and strife, war and bloodshed. Now the glorious and brilliant twentieth century has dawned, and the divine bounty is radiating universally. The Sun of Truth is shining forth in intense enkindlement. This is, verily, the century when these imitations must be forsaken, superstitions abandoned and God alone worshiped. We must look at the reality of the Prophets and Their teachings in order that we may agree.

Praise be to God! The springtime of God is at hand. This century is, verily, the spring season. The world of mind and kingdom of soul have become fresh and verdant by its bestowals. It has resuscitated the whole realm of existence. On one hand, the lights of reality are shining; on the other, the clouds of divine mercy are pouring down the fullness of heavenly bounty. Wonderful material progress is evident, and great spiritual discoveries are being made. Truly, this can be called the miracle of centuries, for it is replete with manifestations of the miraculous. The time has come when all mankind shall be united, when all races shall be loyal to one fatherland, all religions become one religion, and racial and religious bias pass away. It is a day in which the oneness of humankind shall uplift its standard and international peace, like the true morning, flood the world with its light. Therefore, we offer supplications to God, asking Him to dispel these gloomy clouds and uproot these imitations in order that the East and West may become radiant with love and unity, that the nations of the world shall embrace each other and the ideal spiritual brotherhood illumine the world like the glorious sun of the high heavens. This is our hope, our wish and desire. We pray that through the bounty and grace of God we may attain thereto. I am very happy to be present at this meeting which has innate radiance, intelligence, perception and longing to investigate reality. Such meetings are the glory of the world of mankind. I ask the blessing of God in your behalf.