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Source: Bahá'í Library Online (bahai-library.com), curated by Jonah Winters. Used by permission of the curator. Original citation: Corinne True, Table Talks and Notes Taken at Acca, Chicago: Bahá'í Publishing Society, 1907, bahai-library.com.
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Table talks and notes taken at Acca
by Corinne True and Mirza Hadi
Translated by Ameen Fareed1
Chicago: Bahai Publishing Society, 1907
Table Talks
Taken down in Persian by Mirza-Hadi2
at Acca, February, 1907
Translated by Dr Ameen Ullah Fareed
at Chicago, July, 1907
Also
Notes Taken at Acca
by Mrs Corinne True3
Published by
Bahai Publishing Society
Chicago, Ill., USA.
Dr Amı́nu’llá h (Amı́n) Farı́d.
Mı́rzá Há dı́ Shı́rá zı́ Afná n (89:;–8=>>), the father of Shoghi Effendi, married
Ḍı́yá ’ı́yyih Khá num (daughter of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá , 8=M;–8=>8) in 89=>. They are
the parents of Shoghi Effendi.
Corinne Knight True (89:8–8=:8).
Funds for the publication of this booklet having been provided, the
proceeds from its sale will be devoted to the building of the Temple in
America.
Published in Chicago, November, OPQR
Table Talks by Abdulbaha
Answers to questions asked
By Mrs Corinne True, and daughter
Arna,1 at Acca, February ;<=>
Question: What is the significance of the word “He is God” which
appears as the heading of every tablet and letter?
Answer: This is a usage of the people of the East; it is of Islam.
Their purpose is that in every matter the commencement should be in
the Name of God (i.e., everything we do must begin with the Name of
God). As to its observance in the divine tablets, the purport is this: The
reality of the Divine Entity is holy above comprehension, beyond
definition, and far from the reach of imagination, for that which is
imagined is finite, of man, and thereto man is infinite; and certainly the
infinite is greater than the finite. Therefore, it is made evident that
what is imagined is a creation and not the Creator, for the Essence of
Divinity is beyond human imagination.2
Now all people worship an imagination, for they have created a God
in the realm of imagination and him they worship. If you ask a soul,
Arna Corinne Perrin (89=S–8=M>).
The human mind is limited, finite; the Divine Entity is Infinite, hence, man
being finite cannot comprehend God, the Infinite. Man’s concept of God is
his own creation, therefore he can comprehend it, Furthermore, he is utterly
incapable of com-
when he is praying, who art thou worshiping? He will say, God. Which
god? The god of my conception. When; in truth, what he imagines is
not God. Hence, all people are worshippers of imaginations and ideals.
Consequently, there is no pathway or escape for man except the Holy
Manifestations, for, as we said, the Essence of Divinity is pure, is holy
and cannot.
.
prehending the Infinite. In a Tablet to a Japanese Bahai the following is
given:
“All the people have formed a god in the world of thought, and that form of
their own imagination they worship; when the fact is that the imagined form
is finite and the human mind is infinite[8]. Surely the infinite is greater than
the finite, for imagination is accidental (or non-essential) while the mind is
essential; surely the essential is greater than the accidental.
[8] Infinite in regard to imagination, for without the mind there would be no
imagination.]
“Therefore consider: All the sects and peoples worship their own thought;
they create a god in their own minds and acknowledge him to be the creator
of all things, when that form is a superstition—thus people adore and worship
imagination (or illusion).
“The Essence of the Divine Entity and the Unseen of the unseen is holy above
imagination and is beyond thought. Consciousness doth not reach It. Within
the capacity of comprehension of a produced (or created) reality that Ancient
Reality cannot be contained. It is a different world; from it there is no
information; arrival thereat is impossible; attainment thereto is prohibited
and inaccessible. This much is known: It exists and Its existence is certain and
proven—but the condition is unknown.
“All the philosophers and the doctors know that It is, but they were perplexed
in the comprehension of Its existence and were at last discouraged, and in
great despair they left this world. For the comprehension of the condition and
mysteries of that Reality of realities and Mystery of mysteries there is need for
another power and another sense. That power and sense is not possessed by
mankind, therefore they have not found any information. For example: If a
man possess the power of hearing, the power of tasting, the power of smelling
and the power of feeling but no power of seeing, he cannot see. Hence,
through the powers and senses present in man the realization of the Unseen
Reality, which is pure and holy above the reach of doubts, is impossible. Other
powers are needed and other senses required. If those powers and senses are
obtained, then information can be had; otherwise, not.” (JWTA, pp. ``–a; &
Bahá’í World Faith, pp. a98–`.))
be brought into the world of ideas. That which can be brought to
ideation are the Holy and Divine Manifestations. Further than this, man
has no other point for concentration. If he exceeds that bound, it will be
an imagination.
Therefore, the purpose of the word “He is God” is this: That visible
Majesty (the prophet) is the Promised Beauty of the Sun of Reality, the
Manifestation of the mysteries of Divinity and Deity, the Revealer of the
mysteries of the Merciful, the Origin of the signs of singleness. And I
begin with His Blessed Name.
Question: What is the meaning of the disciples having spoken in all
tongues?
Answer: The disciples taught in the language of the Kingdom. That
language (or tongue) is the equivalent of all languages, for the Word of
the Kingdom is an expression of heavenly significances and heavenly
mysteries. Whosoever attains it, to him the realities and mysteries of
creation are clear. The heavenly significances are the comprehensive
reality of all tongues. Therefore, the Holy Spirit having delivered to the
disciples the tongue of the Kingdom, they become conversant with the
tongues of all nations. With whomsoever among the nations and
peoples of the world they conversed, they proved to be co-linguists.
Moreover, the known and taught languages of the present exceed a
thousand tongues in number. Had the disciples known the literal lan-
guages, they should have, at least, transcribed the Gospel in the tongue
of some one of the nations, while as a matter of fact it was written only
in the Hebraic and the Greek. The Gospel was not even written in the
Roman tongue which was at that time an official language, since the
government was in the hands of the Romans. As the disciples were not
proficient in the Roman tongues they did not write the Gospel therein.
When His Holiness Abraham was ordained, when he established the
Law of God, promulgated the new teachings and expounded the Divine
mysteries, the tribes of Arthur and Chilled1 were wont to say: This is
mere imagination and a story, a concept in the realm of thought which
will not be realized in the outside world. They even said: It is sheer
ignorance. They considered themselves the people of intellect and
discernment.
It was only a short time after when it became evident that what His
Holiness Abraham was saying was reality itself and their thoughts
imagination, for in a short period the teachings of Abraham were
established outwardly, the Holy Land was dedicated to his posterity, the
foundation of the Law of God was laid; His Holiness Isaac and Jacob
stepped into the plane of existence; his Holiness Joseph became the
dear one of Egypt; His Holiness Ishmael was blessed and enlightened
Mt. Paran.2
Moses, the Interlocutor, appeared and in the
People from Assur (or Ashur) and Chaldea.
The location of the Pá rá n mountain, desert, wilderness, etc., is uncertain.
Moses uses “Pá rá n” with special reference to Muḥ ammad. Muslim and
Arabic traditions hold that the wilderness of Pá rá n is, broadly speaking, the
Ḥijá z.
desert of Sinai he witnessed the burning fire of God in the most verdant
tree; he rescued the Israelites from the oppression and bondage of the
Copts and led them to the Holy Land through the blessings of his
teachings and law, which were suitable and agreeable to that period,
and thus a great nation was organized.
With this perfect example (experience) before the people, it became
evident that they had committed a mistake. Notwithstanding this they
did not learn the lesson or heed the counsel. Nay, rather, when His
Holiness Moses came, the people again sinned (literally, made a
mistake), for the people of Pharaoh called the teachings and the law of
His Holiness Moses illusion and of no importance. They considered
their own thoughts reality.
Nevertheless in a short time it became clear and evident that what
His Holiness Moses said was reality because it came to pass; the Law of
God was fully established and became the cause of the honor and
progress of all the Israelites. But the thoughts and conceptions of the
Copts, the people of Pharaoh, were sheer imagination.
In sooth this was the second experience (literally, trial) and yet the
people did not accept the warning and did not awaken, but rather
remained in ignorance and negligence until His Holiness Christ with a
smiling face and an eloquent tongue appeared diffused the fragrances of
the rose-garden of mysteries and conferred the bounty of the Holy
Spirit. People, notwith-
standing the two trials they had before and the mistakes they had made,
still said that the teachings of the glorious Gospel were illusions,
thoughts and an imagination without foundation. They said it was void
of philosophy; baseless thoughts. They thought they were wise, having
lofty ideas; that they had intelligence; knew wisdom and were in
possession of the quintessence of politics.
Before long it was evident that they had again made a mistake, for
what Christ said was reality, was true; they were heavenly thoughts,
Divine teachings, while the thoughts of the tribes and peoples were
baseless imaginations. This was the third mistake. The trial was
repeated in the appearance of His Holiness the Apostle (Muhammed)
and His Holiness the Supreme (the Bab).
Now the Blessed Beauty (Baha’u’llah) has appeared. The merciful
teachings and counsels have become evident. The summons to the
oneness and unity of the world of humanity raised, the banner of the
Kingdom of Peace unfurled, and the tent of concord and love among all
the human race pitched in the center of the world, inviting all to it, and
yet there are some ignorant ones who imagine that this Divine doctrine
is without foundation and their own conceptions are lofty ideals. But
soon it will be clear that what He has said is correct, solid and effective
and the thoughts of all others devoid of significance.
Question: What is the significance of “mystery” referred to in the
blessed tablets?
Answer: Mystery signifies the subjects and questions which are far
beyond the minds and comprehensions of the people. When a perfect
personage unveils and expounds them, fair souls comprehend them.
Therefore the reality of the Manifestation of Christ was, in the cycle of
Moses, a mystery of Divine Mysteries, which afterward became
revealed in the Manifestation of Christ.
Question: What Divine wisdom is there in fasting?
Answer: The Divine wisdom in fasting is manifold. Among them is
this: As during those days (i.e. the period of fasting which the followers
afterward observe) the Manifestation of the Sun of Reality, through
Divine inspiration, is engaged in the Descent of Verses, the instituting of
Divine Law and the arrangement of Teachings, through excessive
occupation and intense attraction there remains no condition or time
for eating and drinking. For example, when His Holiness Moses went to
Mount Tur (Sinai)1 and there engaged in instituting the Law of God, he
fasted forty days. For the purpose of awakening and admonishing the
people of Israel, fasting was enjoined upon them.
Likewise His Holiness Christ in the beginning of instituting the
Spiritual Law, the systematizing of the Teachings and the arrangement
of counsels, for forty days abstained from
Ṭ ú r means “mountain”. Ṭ ú r as-Sı́nı́n or “Mount Sinai” (Sinai is a modern
name) in the Sinai Peninsula is also known as Jabal Mú sá (“Mountain of
Moses”). It represents the Manifestation of God. Logic suggests the true
Mountain of Moses is Jabal al-Lawz (“Almond Mountain”).
eating and drinking. In the beginning the disciples and Christians
fasted. Later the assemblages of the chief Christians changed fasting
into Lenten observances.
Likewise the Koran having descended in the month Ramazan,1
fasting during that month became a duty. In like manner His Holiness
the Supreme (the Bab), in the beginning of the Manifestation, through
the excessive effect of descending Verses, passed days in which his
nourishment was reduced to tea only.
Likewise, the Blessed Beauty (Baha’u’llah), when busy with
instituting the Divine Teachings and during the days when the Verses
(the Word of God) descended continuously, through the great effect of
the Verses and the throbbing of the heart, took no food except the least
amount.
The purpose is this: In order to follow the Divine Manifestations and
for the purpose of admonition and the commemoration of their state, it
became incumbent upon the people to fast during those days.
The Christians, as was written, formerly fasted fully. For every
sincere soul who has a beloved longs to experience that state in which
his beloved is. If his beloved is in a state of sorrow, he desires sorrow; if
in a state of joy, he desires joy; if in a state of rest, he desires rest; if in a
state of trouble, he desires trouble.
Now since in those days His Holiness the Supreme (the Bab) fasted
many days, and the
Qur’á n and Ramaḍ á n.
Blessed Beauty (Baha’u’llah) took but little food or drink, and some days
Christ did not eat, it became necessary that the friends should follow
that example. For thus saith He in the Tablet of Visitation: “They, the
believers, have followed that which they were commanded, for love of
Thee.” This is one wisdom of the wisdoms of fasting.
The second wisdom is this: Fasting is the cause of awakening man.
The heart becomes tender and the spirituality of man increases. This is
produced by the fact that man’s thoughts will be confined to the
commemoration of God, and through this awakening and stimulation
surely ideal advancements follow.
Third wisdom: Fasting is of two kinds, material and spiritual. The
material fasting is abstaining from food or drink, that is, from the
appetites of the body. But spiritual, ideal fasting is this, that man
abstains from selfish passions, from negligence and from satanic animal
traits. Therefore material fasting is a token of the spiritual fasting. That
is: “O God! As I am fasting from the appetites of the body and not
occupied with eating and drinking, even so purify and make holy my
heart and my life from aught else save Thy Love, and protect and
preserve my soul from self-passions and animal traits. Thus may the
spirit associate with the Fragrances of Holiness and fast from
everything else save Thy mention.”
Notes Taken At Acca
By Mrs Corinne True
February fR, OPQR
We reached Haifa on Monday evening, having taken ship at
Alexandria Saturday afternoon. The trip from Port Said was beautiful
and the sea was perfectly calm. As we neared Mt. Carmel the sun shone
on the point, making a picture never to be forgotten. Fresh verdure and
new life was beginning to be manifest. After landing, Cook’s man drove
us to the Carmel House and there we breathed the most delicious air of
quiet and peace, our hearts praising God that He had, in His Mercy,
permitted us to come to the New Holy City, the New Jerusalem, to the
King of Kings, enthroned in the hearts but imprisoned as far as the
material world goes.
We remained two nights and a day in Haifa and the weather was
most favorable for seeing the beauties of Haifa. The same day of our
arrival the Master’s wife had driven into Haifa to see Rhooah Khanum1
who is living, for the present, in Madame Jackson’s new house. The two
sons-in-law of the Master came to the hotel for us to bring us to see the
ladies and Mirza Assad Ullah.2 We were almost beside ourselves with
the joy of realizing that actually and truly we were in Haifa, with Acca
just across the bay ever in sight, and, further, to have the great
Rú ḥ á Khá num (899S–8=M8) one of the twin daughters of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá .
Mı́rzá Asadu’llá h.
privilege of seeing the Master’s wife and the daughter, was almost more
than the capacity of the limited heart could endure. We went back to
the hotel after a half hour’s visit with these holy souls. The moon was
all but full and the entire setting seemed like heaven itself. We fell
asleep on our pillows perfectly intoxicated with the realization that at
last we were to visit the One upon whose Holy Utterances we had been
feeding our souls for the past eight years. Sleep was very sweet that
night and upon arising the next morning we looked out of our bedroom
windows to see Acca across the blue sea and Carmel’s point bathed in
the new morning’s sunshine—a veritable landscape dream almost too
beautiful to belong to earth.
During the forenoon our traveling companion, Madame Scaramucci,1
whom we had met for the first time at Port Said, took a carriage drive
with my daughter Arna while I looked after certain packages and letters
for the friends in Haifa. They had but just left me and turned the corner
when Mirza Ameen’s brother came to the hotel to escort us to Mirza
Assad Ullah’s home. I had to go alone because I did not know where to
find Madame Scaramucci and Arna.
Mirza Assad Ullah, his wife, two sons and a daughter greeted me
with great warmth, asking many questions about the friends in America
and the progress of the Temple. The work which Chicago had been
doing was clearly ex-
Probably Mary Emily Scaramucci (d. 8=>8) from Devon, UK.
plained to him and he said it was well we had made it an American
movement and he hoped it would be built by the believers of the world.
He commended our wisdom in referring the location to the Master. The
Master’s wife and the daughter Rhooah came to call, also a sister of the
Master’s wife who lives in Haifa. Coffee and cookies were served, and
after quite a visit, I went back to the hotel and found Arna and the Bahai
sister had returned and were wondering where I could be.
The tomb of the Bab
At half past two we went to Madame Jacksons’ home, which is called
the home of Abbas Effendi,1 to meet Rhooah Khanum who had invited
us to drive with her to the Holy Tomb of the Bab on the side of Mt.
Carmel.
The blessed Master’s carriage drove up for us and our hearts almost
beat aloud to realize we were to drive in his carriage, with his beautiful
daughter, to that Holy Tomb of the Bab, which every believer in the
world knows about. Not only is its architecture remarkable, but its
location is positively commanding, built upon the solid rock of the great
mountain, very high up from the sea and looking down the main avenue
of Haifa, which leads direct to the sea. A stone pier or landing was built
a few years ago at Haifa for the Emperor of Germany, who visited the
Holy Land, entering by way of Haifa because there is a large German
settlement here.
‘Abbá s Afandı́ (Effendi) (89;;–8=`8) adopted the name ‘Abdu’l-Bahá , “The
Servant of Glory” (of Bahá ). He was the eldest son of Bahá ’u’llá h. He was
given the honorific title Ai qá , ‘the Master’, by Bahá ’u’llá h.
These Germans originally came to Haifa because they had reckoned
from prophecies that this is the part of the Holy Land from which the
Voice of God would be proclaimed at the second coming of Christ. A
great interest existed in our hearts to see thoroughly this wonderful
Tomb, and this desire had grown out of the work we had been doing for
the Temple in America. After seeing its massive walls and solid
masonry, we did not wonder that the Turkish Government might
believe that the Master was building a great military fort. This Tomb is
built to last for thousands of years, and one can quite believe it will after
seeing it. There is a flower garden in front of this building and the wife
of the keeper gathered a lovely bunch of red roses and brought them as
a gift to us and later she came with a handful of violets. After Rhooah
Khanum [sic] had explained the inner rooms—three in breadth, and,
when complete, three in depth—we came out of the building to find this
keeper’s dear little wife had placed four chairs in front of the building
and was waiting to serve us a cup of Persian tea, and we sat in that
wonderful place, looking over to Acca and down to Elijah’s cave and the
wide sweep of the bay, and we knew there was nowhere else on earth
another such a place. The Mercies of God, in this His Greatest Day, are
so overwhelming that they are like a consuming fire. All of this had
come to us in two days and we had not yet been to Acca. I said to our
Bahai sister com-
panion: “What must it be in the days before us if we have only touched,
as it were, the hem of the garment?”
The ride to Acca
Another perfect moonlight night and a delicious sleep brought us to
this morning. We had not received the word from Acca to come, but
were expecting it. We were dressing for breakfast when a knock was
heard at our door, and upon opening, Mirza Ameen’s brother was seen,
bringing to us the glad tidings that we might take Cook’s carriage and go
to the house of the Master that morning. After selecting the necessary
clothing and packing our suitcases, leaving our trunks with Cook, we
hired a sort of omnibus carriage with three horses to pull us, and
started from Haifa at OQ o’clock.
The ride to Acca has been described by several pilgrims, but I must
be frank to say no mortal can possibly from any description picture it to
himself; he must actually take it to get any idea of its beauty. After
passing through the narrow streets of old Haifa, we drove to the shore
of the sea. The entire drive is on the sandy beach and nearly all of the
time we were driving partly in the sea because the sand there was
firmer and easier for the horses. Twice on the way we had to drive well
out into the sea in order to pass the mouths of two streams which
empty into the sea, the water coming almost into the wagon bed. One
little word which the
Master had said to Mrs Lucas, when she made the same pilgrimage, kept
our hearts in perfect peace, and that word was this: “Love knows no
fear.”
To an American, with everything so open and free about our cities,
the entrance into Acca is something grewsome [sic] indeed and had we
not known who was within its walls and under the shelter of whose
roof we were to be domiciled, we would have fled with terror. It is a
prison city which is truly named “The Greatest Prison”.
The meeting with Abdulbaha
We were greeted at the entrance by the Master’s son-in-law and
another believer and kindly escorted to our room and our luggage
placed there for us. We were left alone for a few minutes. Then a
messenger rapped and inquired if Monevah Khanum1 might come to see
us. We freshened ourselves up after the long, windy drive and were
happy to greet the Master’s youngest daughter. She came to us so
sweetly with those wonderful soulful bright eyes, bearing in her hand
three beautiful roses plucked and sent to us by the Master with his
welcome.
In a few minutes more the Master himself came into our room and
we met him at the door, kissing his hand as he entered. His appearance
is absolutely nothing like the picture in America. Once, when first I
came into the knowledge of the Revelation, I dreamed of attaining the
great
Fá ṭimah Naḥ rı́, aka Munı́rih Khá num, wife of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá (89;9–8=a9).
meeting and of bringing one of my daughters. The personage I saw in
my dream was not like the picture, so for several years I had fancied it
must be Baha’u’llah. Today, when the Master entered, there was the One
whom I had seen in vision, and also I had brought one of my girls, and it
is Arna. He came in so naturally and easily, bringing us a handful of
hyacinths, purple and pink. He spoke many words of welcome to us and
said it made him so happy to see the east and the west becoming so
united; that the time was, and not long since, that an Occidental was
greatly hated by the Orientals, but now, through the power of the Word
of God which alone can thus unite the hearts, the cast and the west were
loving each other very much, and he hoped it would increase day by day.
He said each believer has a certain time when he should make the
desired visit, each having a certain work to do for the progress of the
Cause. He hoped all would eventually attain to the meeting. After a few
such explanations, he left us and the young daughter and another
Persian believer’s wife (the brother of Ahmed and Mohammed Yazdi)
joined us and talked with us until dinner was announced. When this
sister came to us she brought us each a beautiful tangerine sent to us by
the Master. How we longed to be able to keep these flowers and this
fruit for our brothers and sisters in America, who are thinking of us
these precious days spent in the home of Abdul-Baha!
At dinner, which was served for us in the small dining room into
which our room opens, the Master took each by the hand, giving us
seats, placing Arna on his right as his guest of honor. The meal was
served in courses by a Burmese believer who is serving in the Master’s
home. The Master would take a bite or two and then give us beautiful
lessons. He spoke of the difficulties the first Christians had in visiting
John the Baptist while in prison. They were greatly persecuted and
ridiculed for it. Then he showed how good and really necessary were
these tests. As an illustration he compared a ship on the sea, tossed
about by the wind and the waves, laden with cargo. No one on that
ship, perhaps, is even comfortable, but the ship, nevertheless, brought
food to the people and thus was the cause of life. So man must have the
winds and waves of test in order that life be brought to the people. As
no food could be had unless the wind and waves brought it, so no
spiritual food can be had without the first workers in the Cause suffer
tests. One point he particularly made was that in Jesus’ time the people
came to test Jesus, but they did not know that He came to test them
instead of their testing Him.
Our second day in Acca
At six o’clock yesterday afternoon the Master came to our room to
call on us and gave us very beautiful teachings and then said some of
the
officials of Acca had come to call on him, so he could not take tea with
us. We saw no more of him until this morning. Monevah Khanum came
for us at R:kQ to come to the early morning gathering of the family, when
tea is served and all chant from the Holy Utterances. A very dear little
boy, the son of Hosein Yazdi, only about six years old chanted so sweetly.
He came in so noiselessly, kneeling near the door, and sat with hands
folded, listening until the Master requested him to chant. Then the
Master praised him greatly and called him to come to him and gave him
a handful of flowers. After visiting with the women of the household,
the Master’s sister, the mother and four daughters and two Russian
pilgrims from Ishkabad1 for half an hour or so, we went to breakfast
with Monevah Khanum.
The Temple in America
In the course of an hour the Master sent for me to come to him and
bring with me the letters and photographs which I had brought from
America. Monevah Khanum took me to a room into which I had not
been and there he was waiting for me. I gave him the numerous letters
and then the photographs which he enjoyed greatly and said they were
a most acceptable present to him. The roll of names for the Temple lay
beside me, wrapped in a piece of wrapping paper, and before I had
gotten to it to give it to him, he said that was for the Mashrek-el-
‘Ishqá bá d, capital of Turkmenistan.
Askar.1 After I had explained the long list of names to him, he patted me
on the back and said I had done well and ever after this I was to be his
daughter just as if I were Monevah Khanum, his own daughter. His
satisfaction at the work we have done toward the Temple seemed to fill
him with great joy. I asked him about the location and he said it must be
built away from the stores and business portion of the city. Then the lay
of the city was explained to him and the question was asked whether it
was advisable to locate back from the business portion or on the lake
side and he replied the lakeshore would be more beautiful for the
location, as it must be in a very beautiful place. We must have as large a
piece of land as we could get. Then he went into another room and
brought to me a ground plan and said it must be like that. First the
building, with nine sides, in the middle; then a circular court about that;
leading from this circle were to be nine avenues; between each a
garden, and in the middle of each garden a fountain of water. He said it
would take much to build the Temple, but we must have meetings about
the work, labor hard and pray to God and He would bless our efforts.
The question of the design of the architecture of the building was asked
and Mr Remey’s2 kind offer to help us in this was mentioned. He said
several must consult together and not simply one person’s plans
accepted. He said the Temple was the greatest matter today for the
upbuilding of the Cause.
Mashriqu’l-Adhká r, “The dawning-place of prayers”.
Charles Mason Remey (lmno–lpno), architect.
When asked what was the means of bringing the greatest unity
among the believers, he said:
“First, the character of the teachers, and Second, the work for the
Temple.
“The teachers must so live that their deeds would teach the people
even if they did not teach by word of mouth. The teachers are of the
first importance; their lives must be examples.”
The Master gave glorious promises for the Chicago believers. He
said very great souls should come from our Assembly, teachers who
would not only enlighten America but other countries like China and
Japan and the whole world. He said lie was pleased with the work in
Chicago—it was “khaili khoob”.1
Our third day at Acca, March, ; ;<=>
We arose very early this morning to join the Master’s family in their
meeting. After the chanting was finished and each one had been served
a cup of tea, we went back to our rooms. The Master had some Syrian
bread and a little cheese served hull and a cup of tea. This was his
entire breakfast. We were served a nice breakfast about l o’clock and
when nearly through eating Monevah Khanum came to us to know if we
desired to see the Master giving to the poor, as was his custom every
Friday morning. When we went to our windows which overlook a big
court yard, we saw between two and three hundred men, women and
children gathered. Such a motley crowd one can see
Khaylı́ khú b, Persian, “very good”.
only in these parts. There were blind, lame, cripples and very feeble
persons, the poorest clad collection of people almost that the earth
contains. One man had his clothing made of a patched quilt, an old
woman had gunny sacking for a cloak; children were so ragged that
their clothing would scarcely stay on them.
Two or three of the men believers were with the Master. The people
were required to arrange themselves orderly about two sides of the
court and the Master began near the gate giving into the hand of each
some piece of money and then each was required to pass out. It was a
sight never to be forgotten to see the Master going from one to another,
saying some word of praise or kindness to encourage each. With some
he would stop to inquire into their health and he would pat them on the
back, these poor, dirty looking creatures, and once in a while we would
see him send someone away empty handed and he would reprimand
him for his laziness. How clear and musical his voice sounded as he
went from one to another, giving and praising! The men accompanying
him kept order in great kindness, but firmness, and saw that each
passed on as soon as he had received from the Master. Where, o where
on this globe can one duplicate such a scene as is enacted every Friday
morning in the court yard of the Master of Acca, who is himself a state
prisoner to the Turkish government and has lived in prison or in exile
since he was nine years of age!
It is the Mohammedan1 Sabbath and we have heard all day from the
Moslem minarets the loud chanting of the Musselmen. But saw we any
one gathering the poor, the lame, the blind and halt in his own court
yard and giving to them freely of what God had bestowed upon him and
living with the bare necessities himself? If this is not the resurrection of
the pure spirit of the humble Nazarene of O,PQQ years ago, then we need
not look elsewhere, for its every appearance stamps it as such. Even the
condition and costumes of the beggars bespeak the return.
After this crowd had departed, I chanced to pass by the Master’s
door and I saw he was lying on his bed, very tired, but he saw me and
would have his daughter bring me in and he said: “These are my
friends; my friends. Some of them are my enemies, but they think I do
not know it, because they appear friendly, and to them I am very kind,
for one must love his enemies and do good to them.” The Master
explained that there really was not work for the poor of Acca, only two
avenues being open for them to earn, one by fishing and the other by
carrying heavy loads. Yesterday, and for two or three days, the sea has
raged madly so that no fishing could be done, and it requires great
strength to carry heavy loads. He knows the impostors and will not
encourage mendicancy, and as he passes them he rebukes them for
laziness and idleness and tells them where they can go to obtain work.
He said humanity was one great
Old offensive term meaning “the religion of Muḥ ammad”—use Islá m.
Followers are Muslims.
whole and they must help and sympathize with each other and develop
the laws of attraction between the hearts. He said, “Look at this great
universe with the sun, moon and planets all revolving in harmony; it is
because of the great laws of attraction holding and binding them. Man
must work to increase this love for his kind.”
The work done by the Chicago Assembly of Teaching in providing
the Bahai home for Mrs Holcomb’s three grandchildren was described
to the Master and he was greatly delighted, saying in English and with
much force, “Beautiful! Beautiful!” He said to look after the orphans
was one of the very first works for the believers. The orphans are God’s
children and a great test to the people. I asked him if the grandmother
should keep the children with her and he said while they were small,
and then the believers should take them into their homes, train, educate
them and teach them the Revelation. I explained that the Temple
movement of this winter seemed to be brought about by our arising to
help these orphans, and he smiled and said yes, God blesses us for doing
good works every time.
After this he excused himself to attend to a large pile of Tablets he
had been writing. Not one moment of the day is wasted by this Mighty
Man of God.
At Of:kQ he came for us to come to dinner with him. He had been to
the Mohammedan Mosque in the meantime. At the meal the ex-
planation of the cloven tongues of fire descending upon the disciples
after the crucifixion, and their being able to speak all tongues, was
asked. The son-in-law took it down and Monevah will see that it is
correct and give it to me for the believers.
I asked the Master if the fruit was the mystery of the tree that bore it
and he said no, it was the mystery of the earth; that there was a germ or
little forms of life in the soil, which was acted upon by the water and fed
by the earth, and this was taken up by the roots, the trees having a
circulation. Then leaves expose the sap of the tree to the sun and this
colors the fruit. A tree will bear fruit if the leaves are cut off, but it will
be poor and colorless.
During the afternoon the Master’s sister and the oldest daughter
came to call on us in our room which is very large and pleasant, with
windows overlooking the sea. We asked her to tell us a little of her
experiences in the life time of the Blessed Perfection. She was only six
years old when their exile began and she said her mother had the
greatest suffering, for she had little children. When they were exiled to
Acca, seventy-seven were put onto a steamer that was so dirty that it
made them all very ill. They were given no food for four days and slept
on deck. Only the Master and the Blessed Perfection could summon up
courage to sit down and rest. The others were so distressed by the filth
that they walked up and down the boat all the
time. After four days they reached a city and two or three of the men
were allowed to go in and buy some food. One believer was very ill and
they wished to cook a little broth for him, but the captain of the boat
would not allow even that, so they had to go without. When they landed
they were taken in small boats to Acca and all the seventy-seven were
put into a small prison, the door locked on them and no food provided
for them. The Master’s sister said in the midst of such fearful calamities
they were so happy to be in Acca, even in prison with no food, just
because they were not separated from the Blessed Perfection. The
women were not prisoners but went into exile and imprisonment in
order to be with Baha’u’llah and Abdul-Baha that was more than food or
comfort.
After a short visit the Master’s sister left us and said she would come
often if only she could speak English with us. Someone came in a few
moments later and brought Madame Scaramucci and me each a little
bottle of attar of roses from the Master’s sister.
The older daughter remained for a little visit with us and told us of
poor Nabil.1 He loved Baha’u’llah so much that, after His departure, he
said he could not stay in this world. For three months he was so
disconsolate. At last he wrote a beautiful poem, telling all that was in
his heart, and gave it to a believer to give to the Master, but this believer
forgot to give it right away. All that night the family heard someone
Mullá Muḥ ammad-i-Zarandı́ (89a8–89=`), more commonly known as Nabı́l-i-
Aʻẓ am (“the Great Nabı́l”) or Nabı́l-i-Zarandı́.
walking about the Holy Tomb and chanting prayers. The next morning
he went to the sea, and leaving his clothes on shore, drowned himself.
No one knew of it and they searched for him all over the mountains and
around. Then his clothing was found and in four days his body was
washed up and it was identified. When the poem was read by the
Master, it was learned that he had decided he could stay on earth no
longer—he loved and yearned so for Baha’u’llah.
One of the daughters dressed Arna as a Persian women and took her
down in the streets of Acca and up into the pinnacle of the Mosque
where the men go to pray and chant. Madame Scaramucci had a call
from the Master, but it was such a busy day he did not come to us. After
supper the women of the family were gathered in their parlor and
desired us to join them. While there the Master came in and said we
were blessed indeed to be able to come to Acca. There are two kinds of
visits, one in which the person comes very thirsty and the water will
taste very sweet to him; the other in which the person is not thirsty and
the water will be bitter. The latter visit would much better not be made.
We could not now realize what our visit meant; it was like a seed which
would sprout and grow later and bear fruits that would endure
throughout eternity.
Saturday, March F, ;<=>
Arising early I went into the living room where the Master meets
with his family every morning, between six and seven o’clock. The
widow of one of the martyrs sits on the floor in the Persian style and
makes and serves the tea every morning. Her husband was one of three
brothers who were imprisoned for this Cause. For days they had no
news about them. One day they heard a great noise in the street and
looking out they saw three heads placed on long poles and being carried
through the streets, and when in front of their home they tossed these
heads into their mother’s room. She wiped them off with water and
then threw them back, saying, “what I have given to God I will not take
back”. This woman who makes the tea had been married only one year
to one of these brothers. Having lost all of her relatives through the
persecution, and Persian women having no openings for self-support,
the Master took her into his household. What a wonderful household
this is—over forty people living here in one home, some black, some
white, Arabic, Persian, Burmese, Italian, Russian and now English and
American! Not a loud command is heard and not one word of dispute;
not one word of fault finding. Everyone goes about as if on tip toes.
When they enter your room their slippers are left before the door and
they come in with stocking feet and remain standing until you invite
them to sit down. All the family and the servants gather in this one
room every morning and chant the Holy Utterances and drink a cup of
Persian tea. After this we go to our various rooms, and for the guests a
breakfast is served later. The two little Arabic girls who are serving in
the Master’s home, and are being educated by him, came in about ten
o’clock and had an English lesson from Arna. They are trained to do
housework and also go to school to an Italian teacher whom the Master
hires to teach the children of his household.
At the table the question of the meaning of Babel and the
confounding of tongues was asked and the Master said it meant the
confusion of ideas, each one having his own idea and this brought
destruction. Also, the meaning of Babylon was asked and the Master
said Babylon signified the old religions, as Jerusalem signified the New
Dispensation. A comparison of the words in English similar to many
Persian words was made by the Master and he said the Persians were
the old Aryan race starting beyond the Euxine Sea. As they increased
they pushed west to Persia, then to Constantinople; from there over
Europe and then to America. The origin of the North American Indian
was asked and the Master said they came from the eastern side of Asia
when the land between western America and Asia (Siberia) was
connected. There has been much more land than there is now.
When the Master came to call on us about six o’clock in the evening,
Madame Scaramucci asked him if she might remain his guest until
Monday. He replied yes she would love to keep us for a month, but that
the present Governor of Acca is not his friend and it was better that we
remain a short time. He said we would better all depart together, as we
had come together (Madame Scaramucci, my daughter Arna and
myself). Then he said there were two kinds of visits, one the temporal
which sooner or later must terminate, and the other the spiritual which
never terminates throughout eternity. Once he had a guest for eleven
years. Although that was a long visit, yet it finally came to an end. The
temporal visit has no effect unless it be the spiritual also.
A lesson on the seeing of a halo about the Master
The Master said there were four kinds of light; the light from the
lamp was one; but because the face of a man does not give out light as
the lamp does, is man less than the lamp or greater? Some worms give
off a light—is man or the worm greater? Man does not give out such a
light, but man has the kingdom of the mind and it is the light of the
kingdom which some see when they love a person very much, and they
mistake it for a material light when it is not. This comes from the
emotional nature and is an imagination. Then there is the Light of the
Holy Spirit possessed by God’s Chosen Ones. The minds of men cannot
comprehend this Light—thus they martyr those who come with this
Light. But time proves that their Light was the true Light and that the
light of the minds of the men of their time was limited. They
comprehend the past, present and future and see things as they will be
when accomplished. St. John, on the Isle of Patmos, seeing into the
future, foretold what would come to pass in this present Day. There is
no time to this Light—it knows all things.
──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Table talks and notes taken at Acca
by Corinne True and Mirza Hadi
Translated by Ameen Fareed1
Chicago: Bahai Publishing Society, 1907
Table Talks
Taken down in Persian by Mirza-Hadi2
at Acca, February, 1907
Translated by Dr Ameen Ullah Fareed
at Chicago, July, 1907
Also
Notes Taken at Acca
by Mrs Corinne True3
Published by
Bahai Publishing Society
Chicago, Ill., USA.
Dr Amı́nu’llá h (Amı́n) Farı́d.
Mı́rzá Há dı́ Shı́rá zı́ Afná n (89:;–8=>>), the father of Shoghi Effendi, married
Ḍı́yá ’ı́yyih Khá num (daughter of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá , 8=M;–8=>8) in 89=>. They are
the parents of Shoghi Effendi.
Corinne Knight True (89:8–8=:8).
Funds for the publication of this booklet having been provided, the
proceeds from its sale will be devoted to the building of the Temple in
America.
Published in Chicago, November, OPQR
Table Talks by Abdulbaha
Answers to questions asked
By Mrs Corinne True, and daughter
Arna,1 at Acca, February ;<=>
Question: What is the significance of the word “He is God” which
appears as the heading of every tablet and letter?
Answer: This is a usage of the people of the East; it is of Islam.
Their purpose is that in every matter the commencement should be in
the Name of God (i.e., everything we do must begin with the Name of
God). As to its observance in the divine tablets, the purport is this: The
reality of the Divine Entity is holy above comprehension, beyond
definition, and far from the reach of imagination, for that which is
imagined is finite, of man, and thereto man is infinite; and certainly the
infinite is greater than the finite. Therefore, it is made evident that
what is imagined is a creation and not the Creator, for the Essence of
Divinity is beyond human imagination.2
Now all people worship an imagination, for they have created a God
in the realm of imagination and him they worship. If you ask a soul,
Arna Corinne Perrin (89=S–8=M>).
The human mind is limited, finite; the Divine Entity is Infinite, hence, man
being finite cannot comprehend God, the Infinite. Man’s concept of God is
his own creation, therefore he can comprehend it, Furthermore, he is utterly
incapable of com-
when he is praying, who art thou worshiping? He will say, God. Which
god? The god of my conception. When; in truth, what he imagines is
not God. Hence, all people are worshippers of imaginations and ideals.
Consequently, there is no pathway or escape for man except the Holy
Manifestations, for, as we said, the Essence of Divinity is pure, is holy
and cannot.
.
prehending the Infinite. In a Tablet to a Japanese Bahai the following is
given:
“All the people have formed a god in the world of thought, and that form of
their own imagination they worship; when the fact is that the imagined form
is finite and the human mind is infinite[8]. Surely the infinite is greater than
the finite, for imagination is accidental (or non-essential) while the mind is
essential; surely the essential is greater than the accidental.
[8] Infinite in regard to imagination, for without the mind there would be no
imagination.]
“Therefore consider: All the sects and peoples worship their own thought;
they create a god in their own minds and acknowledge him to be the creator
of all things, when that form is a superstition—thus people adore and worship
imagination (or illusion).
“The Essence of the Divine Entity and the Unseen of the unseen is holy above
imagination and is beyond thought. Consciousness doth not reach It. Within
the capacity of comprehension of a produced (or created) reality that Ancient
Reality cannot be contained. It is a different world; from it there is no
information; arrival thereat is impossible; attainment thereto is prohibited
and inaccessible. This much is known: It exists and Its existence is certain and
proven—but the condition is unknown.
“All the philosophers and the doctors know that It is, but they were perplexed
in the comprehension of Its existence and were at last discouraged, and in
great despair they left this world. For the comprehension of the condition and
mysteries of that Reality of realities and Mystery of mysteries there is need for
another power and another sense. That power and sense is not possessed by
mankind, therefore they have not found any information. For example: If a
man possess the power of hearing, the power of tasting, the power of smelling
and the power of feeling but no power of seeing, he cannot see. Hence,
through the powers and senses present in man the realization of the Unseen
Reality, which is pure and holy above the reach of doubts, is impossible. Other
powers are needed and other senses required. If those powers and senses are
obtained, then information can be had; otherwise, not.” (JWTA, pp. ``–a; &
Bahá’í World Faith, pp. a98–`.))
be brought into the world of ideas. That which can be brought to
ideation are the Holy and Divine Manifestations. Further than this, man
has no other point for concentration. If he exceeds that bound, it will be
an imagination.
Therefore, the purpose of the word “He is God” is this: That visible
Majesty (the prophet) is the Promised Beauty of the Sun of Reality, the
Manifestation of the mysteries of Divinity and Deity, the Revealer of the
mysteries of the Merciful, the Origin of the signs of singleness. And I
begin with His Blessed Name.
Question: What is the meaning of the disciples having spoken in all
tongues?
Answer: The disciples taught in the language of the Kingdom. That
language (or tongue) is the equivalent of all languages, for the Word of
the Kingdom is an expression of heavenly significances and heavenly
mysteries. Whosoever attains it, to him the realities and mysteries of
creation are clear. The heavenly significances are the comprehensive
reality of all tongues. Therefore, the Holy Spirit having delivered to the
disciples the tongue of the Kingdom, they become conversant with the
tongues of all nations. With whomsoever among the nations and
peoples of the world they conversed, they proved to be co-linguists.
Moreover, the known and taught languages of the present exceed a
thousand tongues in number. Had the disciples known the literal lan-
guages, they should have, at least, transcribed the Gospel in the tongue
of some one of the nations, while as a matter of fact it was written only
in the Hebraic and the Greek. The Gospel was not even written in the
Roman tongue which was at that time an official language, since the
government was in the hands of the Romans. As the disciples were not
proficient in the Roman tongues they did not write the Gospel therein.
When His Holiness Abraham was ordained, when he established the
Law of God, promulgated the new teachings and expounded the Divine
mysteries, the tribes of Arthur and Chilled1 were wont to say: This is
mere imagination and a story, a concept in the realm of thought which
will not be realized in the outside world. They even said: It is sheer
ignorance. They considered themselves the people of intellect and
discernment.
It was only a short time after when it became evident that what His
Holiness Abraham was saying was reality itself and their thoughts
imagination, for in a short period the teachings of Abraham were
established outwardly, the Holy Land was dedicated to his posterity, the
foundation of the Law of God was laid; His Holiness Isaac and Jacob
stepped into the plane of existence; his Holiness Joseph became the
dear one of Egypt; His Holiness Ishmael was blessed and enlightened
Mt. Paran.2
Moses, the Interlocutor, appeared and in the
People from Assur (or Ashur) and Chaldea.
The location of the Pá rá n mountain, desert, wilderness, etc., is uncertain.
Moses uses “Pá rá n” with special reference to Muḥ ammad. Muslim and
Arabic traditions hold that the wilderness of Pá rá n is, broadly speaking, the
Ḥijá z.
desert of Sinai he witnessed the burning fire of God in the most verdant
tree; he rescued the Israelites from the oppression and bondage of the
Copts and led them to the Holy Land through the blessings of his
teachings and law, which were suitable and agreeable to that period,
and thus a great nation was organized.
With this perfect example (experience) before the people, it became
evident that they had committed a mistake. Notwithstanding this they
did not learn the lesson or heed the counsel. Nay, rather, when His
Holiness Moses came, the people again sinned (literally, made a
mistake), for the people of Pharaoh called the teachings and the law of
His Holiness Moses illusion and of no importance. They considered
their own thoughts reality.
Nevertheless in a short time it became clear and evident that what
His Holiness Moses said was reality because it came to pass; the Law of
God was fully established and became the cause of the honor and
progress of all the Israelites. But the thoughts and conceptions of the
Copts, the people of Pharaoh, were sheer imagination.
In sooth this was the second experience (literally, trial) and yet the
people did not accept the warning and did not awaken, but rather
remained in ignorance and negligence until His Holiness Christ with a
smiling face and an eloquent tongue appeared diffused the fragrances of
the rose-garden of mysteries and conferred the bounty of the Holy
Spirit. People, notwith-
standing the two trials they had before and the mistakes they had made,
still said that the teachings of the glorious Gospel were illusions,
thoughts and an imagination without foundation. They said it was void
of philosophy; baseless thoughts. They thought they were wise, having
lofty ideas; that they had intelligence; knew wisdom and were in
possession of the quintessence of politics.
Before long it was evident that they had again made a mistake, for
what Christ said was reality, was true; they were heavenly thoughts,
Divine teachings, while the thoughts of the tribes and peoples were
baseless imaginations. This was the third mistake. The trial was
repeated in the appearance of His Holiness the Apostle (Muhammed)
and His Holiness the Supreme (the Bab).
Now the Blessed Beauty (Baha’u’llah) has appeared. The merciful
teachings and counsels have become evident. The summons to the
oneness and unity of the world of humanity raised, the banner of the
Kingdom of Peace unfurled, and the tent of concord and love among all
the human race pitched in the center of the world, inviting all to it, and
yet there are some ignorant ones who imagine that this Divine doctrine
is without foundation and their own conceptions are lofty ideals. But
soon it will be clear that what He has said is correct, solid and effective
and the thoughts of all others devoid of significance.
Question: What is the significance of “mystery” referred to in the
blessed tablets?
Answer: Mystery signifies the subjects and questions which are far
beyond the minds and comprehensions of the people. When a perfect
personage unveils and expounds them, fair souls comprehend them.
Therefore the reality of the Manifestation of Christ was, in the cycle of
Moses, a mystery of Divine Mysteries, which afterward became
revealed in the Manifestation of Christ.
Question: What Divine wisdom is there in fasting?
Answer: The Divine wisdom in fasting is manifold. Among them is
this: As during those days (i.e. the period of fasting which the followers
afterward observe) the Manifestation of the Sun of Reality, through
Divine inspiration, is engaged in the Descent of Verses, the instituting of
Divine Law and the arrangement of Teachings, through excessive
occupation and intense attraction there remains no condition or time
for eating and drinking. For example, when His Holiness Moses went to
Mount Tur (Sinai)1 and there engaged in instituting the Law of God, he
fasted forty days. For the purpose of awakening and admonishing the
people of Israel, fasting was enjoined upon them.
Likewise His Holiness Christ in the beginning of instituting the
Spiritual Law, the systematizing of the Teachings and the arrangement
of counsels, for forty days abstained from
Ṭ ú r means “mountain”. Ṭ ú r as-Sı́nı́n or “Mount Sinai” (Sinai is a modern
name) in the Sinai Peninsula is also known as Jabal Mú sá (“Mountain of
Moses”). It represents the Manifestation of God. Logic suggests the true
Mountain of Moses is Jabal al-Lawz (“Almond Mountain”).
eating and drinking. In the beginning the disciples and Christians
fasted. Later the assemblages of the chief Christians changed fasting
into Lenten observances.
Likewise the Koran having descended in the month Ramazan,1
fasting during that month became a duty. In like manner His Holiness
the Supreme (the Bab), in the beginning of the Manifestation, through
the excessive effect of descending Verses, passed days in which his
nourishment was reduced to tea only.
Likewise, the Blessed Beauty (Baha’u’llah), when busy with
instituting the Divine Teachings and during the days when the Verses
(the Word of God) descended continuously, through the great effect of
the Verses and the throbbing of the heart, took no food except the least
amount.
The purpose is this: In order to follow the Divine Manifestations and
for the purpose of admonition and the commemoration of their state, it
became incumbent upon the people to fast during those days.
The Christians, as was written, formerly fasted fully. For every
sincere soul who has a beloved longs to experience that state in which
his beloved is. If his beloved is in a state of sorrow, he desires sorrow; if
in a state of joy, he desires joy; if in a state of rest, he desires rest; if in a
state of trouble, he desires trouble.
Now since in those days His Holiness the Supreme (the Bab) fasted
many days, and the
Qur’á n and Ramaḍ á n.
Blessed Beauty (Baha’u’llah) took but little food or drink, and some days
Christ did not eat, it became necessary that the friends should follow
that example. For thus saith He in the Tablet of Visitation: “They, the
believers, have followed that which they were commanded, for love of
Thee.” This is one wisdom of the wisdoms of fasting.
The second wisdom is this: Fasting is the cause of awakening man.
The heart becomes tender and the spirituality of man increases. This is
produced by the fact that man’s thoughts will be confined to the
commemoration of God, and through this awakening and stimulation
surely ideal advancements follow.
Third wisdom: Fasting is of two kinds, material and spiritual. The
material fasting is abstaining from food or drink, that is, from the
appetites of the body. But spiritual, ideal fasting is this, that man
abstains from selfish passions, from negligence and from satanic animal
traits. Therefore material fasting is a token of the spiritual fasting. That
is: “O God! As I am fasting from the appetites of the body and not
occupied with eating and drinking, even so purify and make holy my
heart and my life from aught else save Thy Love, and protect and
preserve my soul from self-passions and animal traits. Thus may the
spirit associate with the Fragrances of Holiness and fast from
everything else save Thy mention.”
Notes Taken At Acca
By Mrs Corinne True
February fR, OPQR
We reached Haifa on Monday evening, having taken ship at
Alexandria Saturday afternoon. The trip from Port Said was beautiful
and the sea was perfectly calm. As we neared Mt. Carmel the sun shone
on the point, making a picture never to be forgotten. Fresh verdure and
new life was beginning to be manifest. After landing, Cook’s man drove
us to the Carmel House and there we breathed the most delicious air of
quiet and peace, our hearts praising God that He had, in His Mercy,
permitted us to come to the New Holy City, the New Jerusalem, to the
King of Kings, enthroned in the hearts but imprisoned as far as the
material world goes.
We remained two nights and a day in Haifa and the weather was
most favorable for seeing the beauties of Haifa. The same day of our
arrival the Master’s wife had driven into Haifa to see Rhooah Khanum1
who is living, for the present, in Madame Jackson’s new house. The two
sons-in-law of the Master came to the hotel for us to bring us to see the
ladies and Mirza Assad Ullah.2 We were almost beside ourselves with
the joy of realizing that actually and truly we were in Haifa, with Acca
just across the bay ever in sight, and, further, to have the great
Rú ḥ á Khá num (899S–8=M8) one of the twin daughters of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá .
Mı́rzá Asadu’llá h.
privilege of seeing the Master’s wife and the daughter, was almost more
than the capacity of the limited heart could endure. We went back to
the hotel after a half hour’s visit with these holy souls. The moon was
all but full and the entire setting seemed like heaven itself. We fell
asleep on our pillows perfectly intoxicated with the realization that at
last we were to visit the One upon whose Holy Utterances we had been
feeding our souls for the past eight years. Sleep was very sweet that
night and upon arising the next morning we looked out of our bedroom
windows to see Acca across the blue sea and Carmel’s point bathed in
the new morning’s sunshine—a veritable landscape dream almost too
beautiful to belong to earth.
During the forenoon our traveling companion, Madame Scaramucci,1
whom we had met for the first time at Port Said, took a carriage drive
with my daughter Arna while I looked after certain packages and letters
for the friends in Haifa. They had but just left me and turned the corner
when Mirza Ameen’s brother came to the hotel to escort us to Mirza
Assad Ullah’s home. I had to go alone because I did not know where to
find Madame Scaramucci and Arna.
Mirza Assad Ullah, his wife, two sons and a daughter greeted me
with great warmth, asking many questions about the friends in America
and the progress of the Temple. The work which Chicago had been
doing was clearly ex-
Probably Mary Emily Scaramucci (d. 8=>8) from Devon, UK.
plained to him and he said it was well we had made it an American
movement and he hoped it would be built by the believers of the world.
He commended our wisdom in referring the location to the Master. The
Master’s wife and the daughter Rhooah came to call, also a sister of the
Master’s wife who lives in Haifa. Coffee and cookies were served, and
after quite a visit, I went back to the hotel and found Arna and the Bahai
sister had returned and were wondering where I could be.
The tomb of the Bab
At half past two we went to Madame Jacksons’ home, which is called
the home of Abbas Effendi,1 to meet Rhooah Khanum who had invited
us to drive with her to the Holy Tomb of the Bab on the side of Mt.
Carmel.
The blessed Master’s carriage drove up for us and our hearts almost
beat aloud to realize we were to drive in his carriage, with his beautiful
daughter, to that Holy Tomb of the Bab, which every believer in the
world knows about. Not only is its architecture remarkable, but its
location is positively commanding, built upon the solid rock of the great
mountain, very high up from the sea and looking down the main avenue
of Haifa, which leads direct to the sea. A stone pier or landing was built
a few years ago at Haifa for the Emperor of Germany, who visited the
Holy Land, entering by way of Haifa because there is a large German
settlement here.
‘Abbá s Afandı́ (Effendi) (89;;–8=`8) adopted the name ‘Abdu’l-Bahá , “The
Servant of Glory” (of Bahá ). He was the eldest son of Bahá ’u’llá h. He was
given the honorific title Ai qá , ‘the Master’, by Bahá ’u’llá h.
These Germans originally came to Haifa because they had reckoned
from prophecies that this is the part of the Holy Land from which the
Voice of God would be proclaimed at the second coming of Christ. A
great interest existed in our hearts to see thoroughly this wonderful
Tomb, and this desire had grown out of the work we had been doing for
the Temple in America. After seeing its massive walls and solid
masonry, we did not wonder that the Turkish Government might
believe that the Master was building a great military fort. This Tomb is
built to last for thousands of years, and one can quite believe it will after
seeing it. There is a flower garden in front of this building and the wife
of the keeper gathered a lovely bunch of red roses and brought them as
a gift to us and later she came with a handful of violets. After Rhooah
Khanum [sic] had explained the inner rooms—three in breadth, and,
when complete, three in depth—we came out of the building to find this
keeper’s dear little wife had placed four chairs in front of the building
and was waiting to serve us a cup of Persian tea, and we sat in that
wonderful place, looking over to Acca and down to Elijah’s cave and the
wide sweep of the bay, and we knew there was nowhere else on earth
another such a place. The Mercies of God, in this His Greatest Day, are
so overwhelming that they are like a consuming fire. All of this had
come to us in two days and we had not yet been to Acca. I said to our
Bahai sister com-
panion: “What must it be in the days before us if we have only touched,
as it were, the hem of the garment?”
The ride to Acca
Another perfect moonlight night and a delicious sleep brought us to
this morning. We had not received the word from Acca to come, but
were expecting it. We were dressing for breakfast when a knock was
heard at our door, and upon opening, Mirza Ameen’s brother was seen,
bringing to us the glad tidings that we might take Cook’s carriage and go
to the house of the Master that morning. After selecting the necessary
clothing and packing our suitcases, leaving our trunks with Cook, we
hired a sort of omnibus carriage with three horses to pull us, and
started from Haifa at OQ o’clock.
The ride to Acca has been described by several pilgrims, but I must
be frank to say no mortal can possibly from any description picture it to
himself; he must actually take it to get any idea of its beauty. After
passing through the narrow streets of old Haifa, we drove to the shore
of the sea. The entire drive is on the sandy beach and nearly all of the
time we were driving partly in the sea because the sand there was
firmer and easier for the horses. Twice on the way we had to drive well
out into the sea in order to pass the mouths of two streams which
empty into the sea, the water coming almost into the wagon bed. One
little word which the
Master had said to Mrs Lucas, when she made the same pilgrimage, kept
our hearts in perfect peace, and that word was this: “Love knows no
fear.”
To an American, with everything so open and free about our cities,
the entrance into Acca is something grewsome [sic] indeed and had we
not known who was within its walls and under the shelter of whose
roof we were to be domiciled, we would have fled with terror. It is a
prison city which is truly named “The Greatest Prison”.
The meeting with Abdulbaha
We were greeted at the entrance by the Master’s son-in-law and
another believer and kindly escorted to our room and our luggage
placed there for us. We were left alone for a few minutes. Then a
messenger rapped and inquired if Monevah Khanum1 might come to see
us. We freshened ourselves up after the long, windy drive and were
happy to greet the Master’s youngest daughter. She came to us so
sweetly with those wonderful soulful bright eyes, bearing in her hand
three beautiful roses plucked and sent to us by the Master with his
welcome.
In a few minutes more the Master himself came into our room and
we met him at the door, kissing his hand as he entered. His appearance
is absolutely nothing like the picture in America. Once, when first I
came into the knowledge of the Revelation, I dreamed of attaining the
great
Fá ṭimah Naḥ rı́, aka Munı́rih Khá num, wife of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá (89;9–8=a9).
meeting and of bringing one of my daughters. The personage I saw in
my dream was not like the picture, so for several years I had fancied it
must be Baha’u’llah. Today, when the Master entered, there was the One
whom I had seen in vision, and also I had brought one of my girls, and it
is Arna. He came in so naturally and easily, bringing us a handful of
hyacinths, purple and pink. He spoke many words of welcome to us and
said it made him so happy to see the east and the west becoming so
united; that the time was, and not long since, that an Occidental was
greatly hated by the Orientals, but now, through the power of the Word
of God which alone can thus unite the hearts, the cast and the west were
loving each other very much, and he hoped it would increase day by day.
He said each believer has a certain time when he should make the
desired visit, each having a certain work to do for the progress of the
Cause. He hoped all would eventually attain to the meeting. After a few
such explanations, he left us and the young daughter and another
Persian believer’s wife (the brother of Ahmed and Mohammed Yazdi)
joined us and talked with us until dinner was announced. When this
sister came to us she brought us each a beautiful tangerine sent to us by
the Master. How we longed to be able to keep these flowers and this
fruit for our brothers and sisters in America, who are thinking of us
these precious days spent in the home of Abdul-Baha!
At dinner, which was served for us in the small dining room into
which our room opens, the Master took each by the hand, giving us
seats, placing Arna on his right as his guest of honor. The meal was
served in courses by a Burmese believer who is serving in the Master’s
home. The Master would take a bite or two and then give us beautiful
lessons. He spoke of the difficulties the first Christians had in visiting
John the Baptist while in prison. They were greatly persecuted and
ridiculed for it. Then he showed how good and really necessary were
these tests. As an illustration he compared a ship on the sea, tossed
about by the wind and the waves, laden with cargo. No one on that
ship, perhaps, is even comfortable, but the ship, nevertheless, brought
food to the people and thus was the cause of life. So man must have the
winds and waves of test in order that life be brought to the people. As
no food could be had unless the wind and waves brought it, so no
spiritual food can be had without the first workers in the Cause suffer
tests. One point he particularly made was that in Jesus’ time the people
came to test Jesus, but they did not know that He came to test them
instead of their testing Him.
Our second day in Acca
At six o’clock yesterday afternoon the Master came to our room to
call on us and gave us very beautiful teachings and then said some of
the
officials of Acca had come to call on him, so he could not take tea with
us. We saw no more of him until this morning. Monevah Khanum came
for us at R:kQ to come to the early morning gathering of the family, when
tea is served and all chant from the Holy Utterances. A very dear little
boy, the son of Hosein Yazdi, only about six years old chanted so sweetly.
He came in so noiselessly, kneeling near the door, and sat with hands
folded, listening until the Master requested him to chant. Then the
Master praised him greatly and called him to come to him and gave him
a handful of flowers. After visiting with the women of the household,
the Master’s sister, the mother and four daughters and two Russian
pilgrims from Ishkabad1 for half an hour or so, we went to breakfast
with Monevah Khanum.
The Temple in America
In the course of an hour the Master sent for me to come to him and
bring with me the letters and photographs which I had brought from
America. Monevah Khanum took me to a room into which I had not
been and there he was waiting for me. I gave him the numerous letters
and then the photographs which he enjoyed greatly and said they were
a most acceptable present to him. The roll of names for the Temple lay
beside me, wrapped in a piece of wrapping paper, and before I had
gotten to it to give it to him, he said that was for the Mashrek-el-
‘Ishqá bá d, capital of Turkmenistan.
Askar.1 After I had explained the long list of names to him, he patted me
on the back and said I had done well and ever after this I was to be his
daughter just as if I were Monevah Khanum, his own daughter. His
satisfaction at the work we have done toward the Temple seemed to fill
him with great joy. I asked him about the location and he said it must be
built away from the stores and business portion of the city. Then the lay
of the city was explained to him and the question was asked whether it
was advisable to locate back from the business portion or on the lake
side and he replied the lakeshore would be more beautiful for the
location, as it must be in a very beautiful place. We must have as large a
piece of land as we could get. Then he went into another room and
brought to me a ground plan and said it must be like that. First the
building, with nine sides, in the middle; then a circular court about that;
leading from this circle were to be nine avenues; between each a
garden, and in the middle of each garden a fountain of water. He said it
would take much to build the Temple, but we must have meetings about
the work, labor hard and pray to God and He would bless our efforts.
The question of the design of the architecture of the building was asked
and Mr Remey’s2 kind offer to help us in this was mentioned. He said
several must consult together and not simply one person’s plans
accepted. He said the Temple was the greatest matter today for the
upbuilding of the Cause.
Mashriqu’l-Adhká r, “The dawning-place of prayers”.
Charles Mason Remey (lmno–lpno), architect.
When asked what was the means of bringing the greatest unity
among the believers, he said:
“First, the character of the teachers, and Second, the work for the
Temple.
“The teachers must so live that their deeds would teach the people
even if they did not teach by word of mouth. The teachers are of the
first importance; their lives must be examples.”
The Master gave glorious promises for the Chicago believers. He
said very great souls should come from our Assembly, teachers who
would not only enlighten America but other countries like China and
Japan and the whole world. He said lie was pleased with the work in
Chicago—it was “khaili khoob”.1
Our third day at Acca, March, ; ;<=>
We arose very early this morning to join the Master’s family in their
meeting. After the chanting was finished and each one had been served
a cup of tea, we went back to our rooms. The Master had some Syrian
bread and a little cheese served hull and a cup of tea. This was his
entire breakfast. We were served a nice breakfast about l o’clock and
when nearly through eating Monevah Khanum came to us to know if we
desired to see the Master giving to the poor, as was his custom every
Friday morning. When we went to our windows which overlook a big
court yard, we saw between two and three hundred men, women and
children gathered. Such a motley crowd one can see
Khaylı́ khú b, Persian, “very good”.
only in these parts. There were blind, lame, cripples and very feeble
persons, the poorest clad collection of people almost that the earth
contains. One man had his clothing made of a patched quilt, an old
woman had gunny sacking for a cloak; children were so ragged that
their clothing would scarcely stay on them.
Two or three of the men believers were with the Master. The people
were required to arrange themselves orderly about two sides of the
court and the Master began near the gate giving into the hand of each
some piece of money and then each was required to pass out. It was a
sight never to be forgotten to see the Master going from one to another,
saying some word of praise or kindness to encourage each. With some
he would stop to inquire into their health and he would pat them on the
back, these poor, dirty looking creatures, and once in a while we would
see him send someone away empty handed and he would reprimand
him for his laziness. How clear and musical his voice sounded as he
went from one to another, giving and praising! The men accompanying
him kept order in great kindness, but firmness, and saw that each
passed on as soon as he had received from the Master. Where, o where
on this globe can one duplicate such a scene as is enacted every Friday
morning in the court yard of the Master of Acca, who is himself a state
prisoner to the Turkish government and has lived in prison or in exile
since he was nine years of age!
It is the Mohammedan1 Sabbath and we have heard all day from the
Moslem minarets the loud chanting of the Musselmen. But saw we any
one gathering the poor, the lame, the blind and halt in his own court
yard and giving to them freely of what God had bestowed upon him and
living with the bare necessities himself? If this is not the resurrection of
the pure spirit of the humble Nazarene of O,PQQ years ago, then we need
not look elsewhere, for its every appearance stamps it as such. Even the
condition and costumes of the beggars bespeak the return.
After this crowd had departed, I chanced to pass by the Master’s
door and I saw he was lying on his bed, very tired, but he saw me and
would have his daughter bring me in and he said: “These are my
friends; my friends. Some of them are my enemies, but they think I do
not know it, because they appear friendly, and to them I am very kind,
for one must love his enemies and do good to them.” The Master
explained that there really was not work for the poor of Acca, only two
avenues being open for them to earn, one by fishing and the other by
carrying heavy loads. Yesterday, and for two or three days, the sea has
raged madly so that no fishing could be done, and it requires great
strength to carry heavy loads. He knows the impostors and will not
encourage mendicancy, and as he passes them he rebukes them for
laziness and idleness and tells them where they can go to obtain work.
He said humanity was one great
Old offensive term meaning “the religion of Muḥ ammad”—use Islá m.
Followers are Muslims.
whole and they must help and sympathize with each other and develop
the laws of attraction between the hearts. He said, “Look at this great
universe with the sun, moon and planets all revolving in harmony; it is
because of the great laws of attraction holding and binding them. Man
must work to increase this love for his kind.”
The work done by the Chicago Assembly of Teaching in providing
the Bahai home for Mrs Holcomb’s three grandchildren was described
to the Master and he was greatly delighted, saying in English and with
much force, “Beautiful! Beautiful!” He said to look after the orphans
was one of the very first works for the believers. The orphans are God’s
children and a great test to the people. I asked him if the grandmother
should keep the children with her and he said while they were small,
and then the believers should take them into their homes, train, educate
them and teach them the Revelation. I explained that the Temple
movement of this winter seemed to be brought about by our arising to
help these orphans, and he smiled and said yes, God blesses us for doing
good works every time.
After this he excused himself to attend to a large pile of Tablets he
had been writing. Not one moment of the day is wasted by this Mighty
Man of God.
At Of:kQ he came for us to come to dinner with him. He had been to
the Mohammedan Mosque in the meantime. At the meal the ex-
planation of the cloven tongues of fire descending upon the disciples
after the crucifixion, and their being able to speak all tongues, was
asked. The son-in-law took it down and Monevah will see that it is
correct and give it to me for the believers.
I asked the Master if the fruit was the mystery of the tree that bore it
and he said no, it was the mystery of the earth; that there was a germ or
little forms of life in the soil, which was acted upon by the water and fed
by the earth, and this was taken up by the roots, the trees having a
circulation. Then leaves expose the sap of the tree to the sun and this
colors the fruit. A tree will bear fruit if the leaves are cut off, but it will
be poor and colorless.
During the afternoon the Master’s sister and the oldest daughter
came to call on us in our room which is very large and pleasant, with
windows overlooking the sea. We asked her to tell us a little of her
experiences in the life time of the Blessed Perfection. She was only six
years old when their exile began and she said her mother had the
greatest suffering, for she had little children. When they were exiled to
Acca, seventy-seven were put onto a steamer that was so dirty that it
made them all very ill. They were given no food for four days and slept
on deck. Only the Master and the Blessed Perfection could summon up
courage to sit down and rest. The others were so distressed by the filth
that they walked up and down the boat all the
time. After four days they reached a city and two or three of the men
were allowed to go in and buy some food. One believer was very ill and
they wished to cook a little broth for him, but the captain of the boat
would not allow even that, so they had to go without. When they landed
they were taken in small boats to Acca and all the seventy-seven were
put into a small prison, the door locked on them and no food provided
for them. The Master’s sister said in the midst of such fearful calamities
they were so happy to be in Acca, even in prison with no food, just
because they were not separated from the Blessed Perfection. The
women were not prisoners but went into exile and imprisonment in
order to be with Baha’u’llah and Abdul-Baha that was more than food or
comfort.
After a short visit the Master’s sister left us and said she would come
often if only she could speak English with us. Someone came in a few
moments later and brought Madame Scaramucci and me each a little
bottle of attar of roses from the Master’s sister.
The older daughter remained for a little visit with us and told us of
poor Nabil.1 He loved Baha’u’llah so much that, after His departure, he
said he could not stay in this world. For three months he was so
disconsolate. At last he wrote a beautiful poem, telling all that was in
his heart, and gave it to a believer to give to the Master, but this believer
forgot to give it right away. All that night the family heard someone
Mullá Muḥ ammad-i-Zarandı́ (89a8–89=`), more commonly known as Nabı́l-i-
Aʻẓ am (“the Great Nabı́l”) or Nabı́l-i-Zarandı́.
walking about the Holy Tomb and chanting prayers. The next morning
he went to the sea, and leaving his clothes on shore, drowned himself.
No one knew of it and they searched for him all over the mountains and
around. Then his clothing was found and in four days his body was
washed up and it was identified. When the poem was read by the
Master, it was learned that he had decided he could stay on earth no
longer—he loved and yearned so for Baha’u’llah.
One of the daughters dressed Arna as a Persian women and took her
down in the streets of Acca and up into the pinnacle of the Mosque
where the men go to pray and chant. Madame Scaramucci had a call
from the Master, but it was such a busy day he did not come to us. After
supper the women of the family were gathered in their parlor and
desired us to join them. While there the Master came in and said we
were blessed indeed to be able to come to Acca. There are two kinds of
visits, one in which the person comes very thirsty and the water will
taste very sweet to him; the other in which the person is not thirsty and
the water will be bitter. The latter visit would much better not be made.
We could not now realize what our visit meant; it was like a seed which
would sprout and grow later and bear fruits that would endure
throughout eternity.
Saturday, March F, ;<=>
Arising early I went into the living room where the Master meets
with his family every morning, between six and seven o’clock. The
widow of one of the martyrs sits on the floor in the Persian style and
makes and serves the tea every morning. Her husband was one of three
brothers who were imprisoned for this Cause. For days they had no
news about them. One day they heard a great noise in the street and
looking out they saw three heads placed on long poles and being carried
through the streets, and when in front of their home they tossed these
heads into their mother’s room. She wiped them off with water and
then threw them back, saying, “what I have given to God I will not take
back”. This woman who makes the tea had been married only one year
to one of these brothers. Having lost all of her relatives through the
persecution, and Persian women having no openings for self-support,
the Master took her into his household. What a wonderful household
this is—over forty people living here in one home, some black, some
white, Arabic, Persian, Burmese, Italian, Russian and now English and
American! Not a loud command is heard and not one word of dispute;
not one word of fault finding. Everyone goes about as if on tip toes.
When they enter your room their slippers are left before the door and
they come in with stocking feet and remain standing until you invite
them to sit down. All the family and the servants gather in this one
room every morning and chant the Holy Utterances and drink a cup of
Persian tea. After this we go to our various rooms, and for the guests a
breakfast is served later. The two little Arabic girls who are serving in
the Master’s home, and are being educated by him, came in about ten
o’clock and had an English lesson from Arna. They are trained to do
housework and also go to school to an Italian teacher whom the Master
hires to teach the children of his household.
At the table the question of the meaning of Babel and the
confounding of tongues was asked and the Master said it meant the
confusion of ideas, each one having his own idea and this brought
destruction. Also, the meaning of Babylon was asked and the Master
said Babylon signified the old religions, as Jerusalem signified the New
Dispensation. A comparison of the words in English similar to many
Persian words was made by the Master and he said the Persians were
the old Aryan race starting beyond the Euxine Sea. As they increased
they pushed west to Persia, then to Constantinople; from there over
Europe and then to America. The origin of the North American Indian
was asked and the Master said they came from the eastern side of Asia
when the land between western America and Asia (Siberia) was
connected. There has been much more land than there is now.
When the Master came to call on us about six o’clock in the evening,
Madame Scaramucci asked him if she might remain his guest until
Monday. He replied yes she would love to keep us for a month, but that
the present Governor of Acca is not his friend and it was better that we
remain a short time. He said we would better all depart together, as we
had come together (Madame Scaramucci, my daughter Arna and
myself). Then he said there were two kinds of visits, one the temporal
which sooner or later must terminate, and the other the spiritual which
never terminates throughout eternity. Once he had a guest for eleven
years. Although that was a long visit, yet it finally came to an end. The
temporal visit has no effect unless it be the spiritual also.
A lesson on the seeing of a halo about the Master
The Master said there were four kinds of light; the light from the
lamp was one; but because the face of a man does not give out light as
the lamp does, is man less than the lamp or greater? Some worms give
off a light—is man or the worm greater? Man does not give out such a
light, but man has the kingdom of the mind and it is the light of the
kingdom which some see when they love a person very much, and they
mistake it for a material light when it is not. This comes from the
emotional nature and is an imagination. Then there is the Light of the
Holy Spirit possessed by God’s Chosen Ones. The minds of men cannot
comprehend this Light—thus they martyr those who come with this
Light. But time proves that their Light was the true Light and that the
light of the minds of the men of their time was limited. They
comprehend the past, present and future and see things as they will be
when accomplished. St. John, on the Isle of Patmos, seeing into the
future, foretold what would come to pass in this present Day. There is
no time to this Light—it knows all things.
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