Part 9 (1/2)
O thou son of the Kingdom! (Mr. Kenkichi Futakami)
Thy letter has been received. The contents were indicative of spiritual susceptibilities. I pray G.o.d that thou mayest rise above worldly attachments and restricted thought to the realm of the Kingdom; that thou mayest become enlightened and spiritual, be completely released from the darkness of the material world, like unto the bud and rose mayest diffuse fragrances in the Heavenly Rose-Garden, be confirmed by the breath of the Holy Spirit and a.s.sisted by the Hosts of the Supreme Concourse. By deeds and words awaken thou the unaware souls and confer upon them the spirit of Life.
(October 7, 1921)
[Tablet of November 5, 1921]
The following Tablet was addressed to the ”new friends in Korea”, fifteen names being mentioned in addition to Miss Alexander's: Sang Sun Oh, U.U.
Cuan, Kinng S. Ko, Chy Rin, Inki Hong, Pyung C. Lee, Soon Y. Lee, Wen H.
Ma, Young N. Pyeur, Chan Young Kim, Z.Y. Roe, S. Wo Kloon, S.Y. Zee, Ze Kyung Sang, S.T. Suh. O ye heavenly sons!
Your heartfelt and sincere greetings have reached 'Abdu'l-Baha's ears and your message gave great spiritual pleasure.
Praise be to G.o.d, that celestial light guided and led you to the Sun of Reality, bestowed everlasting life and granted heavenly illumination. Ye are like seedlings which have been planted by the hand of Bestowal in His Spiritual Rose-Garden. It is my hope that through the warmth of the Sun of Reality, the pouring down of the showers of mercy and the wafting of the breezes of bestowal, ye may progress day by day, so that each one may become a blessed tree, full of leaves and flowers and throw your shade over great mult.i.tudes.
The Graces of the Kingdom of Abha are the rays of the Sun of Reality. It illumines the earth and heaven, makes the star a s.h.i.+ning moon, turns the speck into a huge mountain, bestows strength to the weak, gives everlasting healing to the sick, grants heavenly treasures to the poor, confirms the oppressed ones to everlasting glory and turns the people of darkness to those of light.
O heavenly friends, the doors of heaven have been opened, the lights of G.o.d have shone forth and the heavenly Call has been raised. Summon ye all humanity to listen to this Heavenly Call and invite them to the Celestial World, so that they may find a new spirit and attain to a new life. In all conditions my heart and spirit are with you.
(November 5, 1921)
6: 'Abdu'l-Baha Speaks to a j.a.panese Audience
Mr. Yamamoto, the first j.a.panese Baha'i, arranged for 'Abdu'l-Baha to speak at the j.a.panese Independent Church, in Oakland, California. It was the only talk given by 'Abdu'l-Baha to a j.a.panese audience. It was translated from Persian into English and then into j.a.panese.
Talk by 'Abdu'l-Baha to the j.a.panese Independent Church, Oakland, California, October 1912
It is a great happiness to be here this evening, especially for the reason that the members of this a.s.sociation have come from the region of the Orient. For a long time I have entertained a desire to meet some of the j.a.panese friends. That nation has achieved extraordinary progress in a short s.p.a.ce of time; a progress and development which have astonished the world. Inasmuch as they have advanced in material civilization they must a.s.suredly possess the capacity for spiritual development. For this reason I have an excessive longing to meet them. Praise be to G.o.d! this pleasure is now afforded me, for here in this city I am face to face with a revered group of the j.a.panese. According to report the people of the j.a.panese nation are not prejudiced. They investigate reality. Wherever they find truth they prove to be its lovers. They are not attached tenaciously to blind imitations of ancient beliefs and dogmas. Therefore it is my great desire to discourse with them upon a subject in order that the unity and blending together of the nations of the east and the nations of the west may be furthered and accomplished. In this way religious, racial and political prejudice, particularly bias and sectarianism will be dispelled amongst men. Any kind of prejudice is destructive to the body-politic.
When we review history from the beginning of human existence to the present age in which we live, it is evident all war and conflict, bloodshed and battle, every form of sedition has been due to some form of prejudice, whether religious, racial or national, to partisan bias and selfish prejudice of some sort. Even today we witness an upheaval in the Balkans, a war of religious prejudice. Some years ago when I was living in Roumelia, war broke out among the religious peoples. There was no att.i.tude of justice or equity whatever amongst them. They pillaged the properties of each other, burning each other's homes and houses, slaughtering men, women and children, imagining that such warfare and bloodshed was the means of drawing near to G.o.d. This clearly proved that prejudice is a destroyer of the foundations of the world of humanity whereas religion was meant to be the cause of fellows.h.i.+p and agreement.
Religion must be the cause of love. Religion must be the cause of justice, for the wisdom of the Manifestations of G.o.d is directed toward the establis.h.i.+ng of the bond of a love which is indissoluble. The bonds which hold together the body-politic are not sufficient. These bonds may be mentioned; for instance the bond of patriotism. This is evidently not a sufficient bond, for how often it happens that people of the same nation wage civil war amongst themselves. The bond of fellows.h.i.+p may be racial but history proves this is not sufficiently strong, for tremendous wars have broken out between peoples of the same racial lineage. Again the bond holding men together may be political. How often it happens that the diplomacy of nations makes a treaty of peace one day and on the morrow a declaration of war! It is historically evident and manifest that these bonds are not self-sufficient.
The real bond of integrity is religious in character, for religion indicates the oneness of the world of humanity. Religion serves the world of morality. Religion purifies the hearts. Religion impels men to achieve praiseworthy deeds. Religion becomes the cause of love in human hearts, for religion is a divine foundation, the foundation ever conducive to life. The teachings of G.o.d are the source of illumination to the people of the world. Religion is ever constructive not destructive.
The foundation of all the divine religions is one. All are based upon reality. Reality does not admit plurality, yet amongst mankind there have arisen differences concerning the Manifestations of G.o.d. Some have been Zoroastrians, some are Buddhists, some Jews, Christians, Muhammadans and so on. This has become a source of divergence whereas the teachings of the holy souls who founded the divine religions are one in essence and reality. All these have served the world of humanity. All have summoned souls to peace and accord. All have proclaimed the virtues of humanity.
All have guided souls to the attainment of perfections but among the nations certain imitations of ancestral forms of wors.h.i.+p have arisen.
These imitations are not the foundation and essence of the divine religions. Inasmuch as they differ from the reality and the essential teachings of the Manifestations of G.o.d dissensions have arisen and prejudice has developed. Religious prejudice thus becomes the cause of warfare and battle.
If we abandon these time-worn blind imitations and investigate reality all of us will be unified. No discord will remain; antagonism will disappear.
All will a.s.sociate in fellows.h.i.+p. All will enjoy the cordial bonds of friends.h.i.+p. The world of creation will then attain composure. The dark and gloomy clouds of blind imitations and dogmatic variances will be scattered and dispelled; the Sun of Reality will s.h.i.+ne most gloriously.
Verily we should consider the divine prophets as the intermediaries, but mankind has made use of them as causes of dissension and pretexts for warfare and strife. In reality they were the intermediaries of love and reconciliation. If they were not sources of love and fellows.h.i.+p amongst men, then undoubtedly they were not true, for the divine wisdom and purpose in sending the prophets was the manifestation of love in human hearts. Therefore we must investigate reality. First of all let us determine whether these prophets were valid or not by using rational proofs and s.h.i.+ning arguments, not simply quoting traditionary evidences, because traditions are divergent and the source of dissension.