Thepaperreadwas- beenand are beingconverted.In European Turkey, and morenotablyin AsiaticTurkey, PERSIA AND THE REGENERATION OF votaries and propagandists ofthe newmove- ISLAM. mentsare increasing yearly.I conversed with someof these in Baghdad,and foundthem By Bernard Temple. zealousand sanguine. In Egypt,itappears, A Societywhichseeks,amongotherworthy Bahais are becomingnumerous. Morocco, objects,"to increasethe tradeof the realm Algeria,Tunisand Tripoli,I am told,arenot byextending thesphere ofBritish commerce," beingleftunvisited. The northern provincesof may be presumed to have practical concern India provide a large potential harvest-field, withthepossibilities of economicprogressin wherethereare alreadymanysowers,and I backwardcountries. But it is on a higher havemetBahaisin Bombay, Karachi,Quetta, ground- thoughthat is nota low ground - Peshawar,Rawalpindi,Lahore, Delhi and thatI venture to submit tothislearnedSociety Lucknow-all proselytes from Islam. Outside certainoftheresultsof mylongtravelsinthe theMoslemworldBahai missionaries, quietly East. This Societyis an outcome,and its purposefuland steadfast,are carryingthe ofthe" Kitab-ul-Aqdas " multifarious workis an expression, ofan order teachings (theMost of civilisationhitherto attainedonlyby ad- Holy Book) intomanyunsuspectedregions. vancedWestern nations; and itis mypresent Converts have been wonamongthe Sikhsof purpose to show that some Eastern nations Amritsar and the Brahmansof Benares,in have lately,undercircumstances of romantic whichcities I have met a few of themin interest,become possessed of a powerfulfriendly converse ; among the Buddhistsof impulse to ascend to the same superiorplane. Ceylon, Burma and Siam; and amongthe Not everyacorngrowsintoan oak. This Taoistsof Chinaapd the Shintoists ofJapan. is trueof otherthingsbesidesbotany. It is Japan,indeed,is said to be provingparticu- true of religiousmovements.Therefore the larlyresponsiveto the call. Many Persian worldhas generallybeen heedlessof small Jewsin Tehranhave becomeBahais, and I beginnings. Sometimesthe worldhas had have beenprivileged to attendsome of their cause toregret itsinattention.Europe,at the secretorsemi-secret assemblies.TheseJewish present time,is notshowing itselfregardfulof Bahaistellmethatin Hamadan,inPersia,one theriseofthenewreligiousmovement, called oftheoldestJewishsettlements in theworld, "Bahaism," in Persia. Asia is bynomeans where the reputed tombs of Esther and unmindful ofthephenomenon. Is Europewise Mordecaiare shown,at least a thirdof the in itsindifference? Jewishcommunity has openlyorsecretly gone Let us reflect,fora moment, uponthe be- overto thenewmovement.No Christian mis- ginning ofIslam. When theProphet took to sionaryto the in Jews any part of theworld preachingin the wildsof Arabia,to semi- can boasta triumph equal tothis. The Par- barbaroustribesof idolatrousnomads,Con- sees of Bombay,who have preserved their stantinople was the capital of Christendom.religiousand racial integrity forcenturies by Muhammad himself had tofleeforhislifefrom dintofan impenetrable aloofness, arenow,for hisownkithand kin at Mecca. Yet in less thefirst timeintheirhistory, beginning to show thana hundredyearsthe SaracenicEmpire signs of doubtingthemselvessince Bahai extended from Lisbonin Portugalto Karachi influences reachedthem,and manyParsees in India; and to-daythe Christian cathedral have actuallybecomeBahais,whileothers(I ofSt. Sophiais a Muhammadan mosque. have been toldby one of theirnumber)are Europe's unconcern regarding Bahaism in heldback onlyby social restraints.A more Persia,andbeyond,has noteventhe excuse intellectual formof Bahai proselytism has that the beginningis small. Alreadythe expandedintoEurope,and has beenfruitful in numberof Bahais in theworldis statedto Russia, Germany, France,and England. 1 exceedtwomillion, thoughthefounderofthe founda largecommunity ofBahaisflourishing Faithwas stillpreaching whenMr.Gladstone in Baku. The numberof Bahais in London was preparingto hurlhis last thunderboltsis appreciable : smallercirclesexistin Man- at the House of Lords. Not less than one- chester,Liverpool,Edinburgh, and Glasgow. fifthofthepopulation ofPersiais estimated to The United States of Americapromiseto haveembracedBahaism. Nor are adherents become a great Western strongholdof recruited solelyfrom the Shiah sectof Islam. Bahaism,and manyAmericanshavebeenat SunniMuhammadans in large numbers have the pains of mastering the Persianlanguage
withthe sole object of studying the Bahai to overlookthe truemissionof Persia'snew scriptures and commentaries in theoriginal. prophet.Accordingto thisundoubtedly well- I have had the privilegeof manylong and informed authority :- earnesttalkswithoneof theseAmerican con- BahaUllahhasknown howtotransform Babism verts- a gentleman ofculture andscholarship - intoa universal which religion, is presented as the inhischarming Persianhomein Tehran,who, fulfilment andcompletion ofall theancient faiths. though enjoying large private means, is de- The Jews await the Messiah, the Christians the votinglaboriousand even drudging yearsto return ofChrist, theMuslims theMahdi,theBud- the cause,withthat calm,settledenthusiasm dhiststheFifthBuddha,the Zoroastrians Shah whichBahai teacherscommonly show. An Bahram, theHindoosthere-incarnation ofKrishna, - Baha Americanlady has composeda Bahai hymn andtheAtheistsa better socialorganisation. Ullah represents all these,and thus destroys the ingood literary Persian,whichwas shownto rivalries and the enmities ofthedifferent mebya PersianBahai whenI wasin Isfahan. reconciles religions; themin theirprimitive purity, andfrees Canada also is beginning to give friendly ear them fromthecorruption ofdogmas andrites.For to the newteaching,especiallythe citiesof Bahaismhasno clergy, no religiousceremonial, no Montreal, Quebec,andToronto. Beforegoing publicprayers ; itsonlydogma is beliefinGodand further, perhapsI oughtto statethatI am not in His Manifestations Moses, ^Zoroaster, Jesus, &c., a Bahai. BahaUllah). Ritualholdsnoplaceinthereligion, which must beexpressed inalltheactions oflifeand Significance of Bahaism. accomplished in neighbourly love. Monogamy is What thenis Bahaism? There are still universally recommended. A universal language, and people in EuropewhoconfuseBahaismwith thecreation of tribunals between nations, are to Babism. That is notan unnatural mistake. suppress wars. The Bab was the firstand the lesserof two Bahaismis thusmade out to be a sortof teachers,and his followers called themselves spiritualVolapuk or Esperanto - a world Babis,untilthe secondand greaterteacher, religion. This is the truth. EveryBahai Baha (or Baha Ullah) appeared,who super- wouldendorseit. The Bahai scriptures would seded the Bab, as the Bab himself had fore- confirm it. But I ventureto hold that it is told. The relationbetweenthe twoteachers notthe wholetruth. I would evensuggest is comparedby Bahais with that between thatit obscureswhat,forpracticalpurposes, is John the Baptist and Jesus- the former pre- a greater truth. The factis that Bahaism, in pared the way forthe latter. To call the itsessentialcharacter, as I understand it,is Bahais " Babis" is, therefore, like calling nota religion, but a religiousmovement.If Christians" Baptists." Babis, properlyso- itwerea religion itschanceof diffusion would called- thatis, followers oftheBab, whohave probably be small. Like Theosophy, itmight notbecomefollowers of Baha Ullah- number captivatehereand therea fewintellectual or no moreperhapsthana fewhundred.Prac- romantic souls,becomea fashionin salonsof ticallytheyarean extinct sect. philosophicalunrest,and sink softlyinto Bahaism,then,is notBabism. Whatis it ? oblivion.Thirteen hundred yearshaveelapsed I shallnotreferinquirers to Bahai literature,since the youngestof the world'sgreatreli- whichis now copious and- thanksto the gionswas born,and humanity seemstohave splendidindustry of thateminent Orientalist,crystallised intotwo main classes: one,too Professor E. G. Browne - accessible. As an warmly attachedto theoldcreedstobe turned Asiatic travellerI have learntthat a wide away fromthem; the other,too coldlyin- differencemaydividethetheory of a religion different to be stirredby any new creed. fromits practice. For myownpart,I have Bahaismappearsas the complement of reli- notbeen contentto examineBahaismin the gion. It is, in verybrief,the Protestantism " but of Islam. It comesto inauguratethe Re- recondite pagesofthe Kitab-ul-Aqdas," have investigated it inthemindsof menwho formation in Asia. Its spiritis anti-papal, professand preachitstenets,especially in its anti-episcopal, anti-clerical. The Bab was nativehome. Learned Europeanwriterson the JohnHuss of Persia; Baha Ullah was thesubjecthave notalwaysappearedto show the MàrtinLuther. Therein,to my mind, ~an adequateappreciation of this distinctionlies the force,the promise,I may say the •between dead doctrinesand livingimpulses. historical momentousness, of Bahaism. Thus,even the mostcarefulof the shorter Smallmindsrunlightlyto extravagances of .summaries of Bahai teaching,whichappears eulogyand of denunciation.Let it appear in theFrenchencyclopaedia ofLarousse,seems thata nobleandvenerable institution has out-
lived its uses,and thereare men who will tothepotentialities of anyhumanmovement- overwhelm it withvituperation. Of thissort, It is a limitation of present-day fact. You- as a rule,is theanti-clerical fury.Theremay have onlyto considerthatthe Muhammadan- naturally comea timeinthedevelopment of a convertsto Bahaismnumbermorethantwo great religionwhenits priests, who are its million,and the non-Muhammadan converts teachers, cease to be a helpand evenbecome onlya fewthousand, to perceivethe strength a drag. It is confessedly so withteachersin of the statement.The Bahai drçam of a otherdomainsof knowledge.The graduate world-wide propagandais doubtlessa proper, who goes forthfromhis university to do and may even be a reasonable,object of intellectual prodigiesin the worldmight,if aspirationand endeavour.My concernhere compelled to remainforlifeundercollegiate is withwhatis actuallybeingaccomplished. tutelage,degenerateinto a pedant. But to say that a religionon arrivingat spiritual Historical Comparisons between maturity maybe justified, in certaincircum- Eukope and Asia. stances,in freeingitselffromecclesiastical If the Reformation in Christendom be- bondsis notto sanction vilification ofall sacer- broughtintoviewforcomparison - so faras dotal institutions. Probablyno religionhas comparison can go- withthis new Reforma- been,orcouldbe,rearedthrough theperilsof tionin Islam,someremarkable parallelswilb unpopularinfancy, and the difficulties of appear. In earliestdays, several centuries juvenescence, exceptby priests. It is only beforethe Reformation dawnedin Europe, whenpriestly poweroutstays itsoffice,orover- Christianity divided itself into two great stepsit,orcorrupts it,thatitincurs justblame. Churches, the Greekand the Roman,which- History, unfortunately, provides manyexamples neveragaincommingled, andto thisdaydwell of clericalabuse: buthistory also glowswith apart,the one ruledby its Patriarchs,the therenown of priestly workswhichhavecon- otherby its Popes. Islam similarly, in its- tributed totheuplifting ofmankind. youngyears,splitup intotwogreatChurches, Islam,like otherreligions, owes its growth the Sunniand the Shiah,whichneverafter- and its greatnessin large measureto its wardsrecombined, and stillremainmutually priests. Unhappily, it also owesto themits antagonistic, the one underits Caliphs,the decayand itsdownfall.Thisis no irresponsi-otherunderitsImamsortheirsuccessors. In ble pronouncement ; it is theverdict of those bothcases priestly zealotrywidenedthegulf who have,perhaps,the best rightto be the and keptitopen. One ofthe cherished aims judges- representative Muhammadans. I have of Bahaism is to bringSunnisand Shiahs movedaboutthe Moslemworldforfourteentogether againin a reformed faithoflove. years,and everywhere in mytravels-in India, pretensions Priestly to temporalpower,in in Persia,andinArabia-earnestMuhamma- Christendom as in Islam,brought Church and dans (notBahais) have urgedupon me the State intofrequent conflict,and generallyit same strongconviction.This is far from was thepeople,distracted betweentheircivil' implying thatthewholeof Islam has become dutiesand theirreligiousfears,whosuffered consciousof itsdegradation and of thecause. most. Bahaismseekstoreconcile thespiritual Enlightment is, as yet,limitedalmostentirely andtemporal authoritiesin Islam byshowing totheinconsiderable literateclasses,and the thateachis a necessary adjunctof theother uninstructed millions stillpreserve muchofthe theChurchperforms thereligiousfunctions of old superstitious venerationfor Mujtahids, theState; theStatedischarges thecivilobliga- Mullahs,Syeds,Dervishes, Pirs,Imamzadehs, tionsoftheChurch. and otheradorablepeople. Butthenewanti- Abuseof priestly power,in Christendom as clericalidea is surelyspreading, and it seems in Islam,provoked fromtimeto timesporadic to be thespecialmissionofBahaismtopropa- outbreaks of whatmaybe called premature gate it to the ends of the Moslemuniverse. Protestantism, and in both religionsthese Some ofthe mostlearnedPersianBahaisto revoltswereextirpated byfireand slaughter. whomI have submitted thisviewof Bahaism The massacreby Pope InnocentIII. of the at Tehranconferences have acknowledged its hereticalAlbigensesin Languedoc,whose justness,and haveobjectedonlyto the impli- offending was thattheyanticipated Lutherby cationthatthe energiesof the newteaching threecenturies, could be matchedby more arelimited to theregeneration of Islam. This tfyanone agonisingtale fromthe historyof limitation is notof mymaking. I am thelast earlyIslam. to presume toseta boundofmyownimagining When we get down to later times, the-
parallelism growscloser. Fromthe twelfthdiffusion of satiricalepigramsand allegories, century a change appeared in the universal directedagainsttheheadsof theChurchand acceptanceby the Christiannationsof the againstthemonks.Last summer, whenI was orthodox faithof Rome. In that age there in Isfahan,the bazaar was excitedby the brokeupontheChurcha floodofheresy which secretcirculation of a lampoonrepresenting nopersecution was able thoroughly to stemtill AghaNejefi(one of themostpowerful Mujta- itfinally overspread halfthesurface ofEurope. hids in the Shiah clergyand the supreme Men openlybegan to thinkforthemselves in religioushead in CentralPersia) standing religious to matters, rejectparticular teachings crestfallen beforethe Throneof Judgement, of the Papacy, and to protestagainst the whileAllahpouredscornand wrathuponhim» despotismof the clergy. The Waldensesin Anti-clerical pamphleteering of this sortis Lombardy, Germany, Flanders, Spain, France, now common in many Persian cities,though and England,setup theBibleas theirsolerule itis stilltimidand furtive.Christian protests of faith, and renounced entirely the arbitraryin 1508wereparticularly loudagainstthe use usagesandtraditions of ecclesiasticism. Like of the Latin tonguein the servicesof the the Albigenses,theysuffered, but the fireof Church. The religiousreformers in Persia rebellion was nowtoo bigto be extinguished,are nowbeginning to make a corresponding thoughfora timeit could no more than grievance oftheuse ofArabicinthemosques» smoulder.JohnHuss in Bohemia,following But it was MartinLutherwho gave co- theteachings ofWycliffe in England,sethim- herence, energy and permanenceto the selftorestore thepurity and simplicity ofscrip- scatteredforcesof ChristianProtestantism. turalChristianity, ard was excommunicatedAnd- so faras the movement yetextends-it bythePope. When,undera safeconduct, he is Baha Ullah who has wrought the same wenttotheCouncilofConstance to defend his wonder for Muhammadan Protestantism. opinions before theclergyofall thenations, he MartinLutherbeganthecampaignbyassert- was seized,orderedto recant,and, refusing, ing the rightsof humanreason. The same burntto death. Similarly,in the twelfth was thefirstplankin Baha Ullah's spiritual of the Muhammadanera a change platform.Indeed Bahaismdeliberately uses century appearedin theuniversal acceptanceby the theweaponagainst itself byinsisting its that Moslem nations of the Orthodoxy of Mecca own teaching shall be subjectedby every andof Kerbela. Similarly, therebrokeupon individual to hisprivatejudgment. Luther's the MussulmanChurcha floodof heresy firstcollisionwiththePope arose out of the whichno persecution was able thoroughlysale of " indulgences." The theory ofindul- to stem. Similarly,the Bab, defyingthe gences in the RomanCatholicsystem, itwill fanaticism of the Shiah hierarchy, shook by be remembered, was that many saints and his fieryeloquencethe supportsof whatmay pious men had donemoregood worksand be called the Papacy of Islam,in seekingto bornemoresuffering thanwas required forthe restore the of Muham- remission of their sins : the surplus consti- simplicity Quranic the madanism ; and in like mannerwas excom- tuteda treasureforthe Church,which was authorised to distribute in exchange municated.Thereafter, beguiledbyperfidious Pope pledgesofsafety, he delivered himself intothe forpiousgifts. In themindsofthe ignorant handsofhis enemies, believing thathe would an indulgencebecameequal to a licencefor be permitted to justify opinionsin open sin. One of the most perniciousreligious his from thepretensions of controversy, as no threatcouldmovehim abuses inPersiaarises sell to and, the to retract, he was some of the priests to people duringhis imprisonment executed. places in Heaven; indeedthereare priests the incrediblelength of issuing JohnHuss and the Bab, each in his turn, who go werebutthevoices crying in the wilderness. tickets or passes forParadiseinthe manner It was notuntilthe sixteenth century thatthe of the booking-office of a theatre. I knowof waveofpopularfeeling againstabsolutism in one case, in the city of Qum,wheresucha the Roman Church broke all bounds. Erasmus ticketwas declared transferable. Baha Ullah started a schoolofFree-thought. Free-thoughtattacked this scandal and fiercely, thereby has to-daybecomewidely among the threw down the gauntlet. Luthernextpro- prevalent intellectual classesin Persia,and was,indeed, ceededto assail theauthority of thePopeand one ofthefirstphenomena to kindlethepro-. the doctrines of theRoman Catholic Church ina fire of Baha Ullah. The Christian succession of printed pamphlets and sermons, phetic to read. populacesin Europewereinfluenced by the whichall Europeshoweditselfeager
Baba Ullahwrotethe" Kitab-ul-Aqdas," the forms of government, withparliamentary con- " Kitab-ul-Iqan,"and the " Kitab-ul-Ahd,,,troloverlaw,justice,and finance. Can any- besidesnumerous lettersor "tablets," all of one supposeit to be a merecoincidence that whichare now being¿steadilydisseminatedin Persia and Turkey the beginnings ofreli- through Asia. When Pope Leo X. resorted giousreformation, as representedbyBahaism, to excommunication, Lutherretorted byburn- havebeenfollowed bythefirststepsinpolitical ingthePapal decreein public. Baha Ullah, reformation, and that the waftingof Bahai in similarcircumstances, not less scornfullyideas to Egypt,India,Arabia,Morocco,and deridedhis excommunicators. Graduallyin Algeriais beingaccompaniedbynewforms of Europenoblesand princes, as well as some Orientalunrest ? Or can anyonebelievethat priests,beganto supportthe Lutheran cause, the influence of this regenerative spiritwill untilits suppression byviolenceceasedtobe carryno further thanthat? Let us cast but eventhinkable.The followers of Baha Ullah onemoreglanceat theReformation in Europe already include members of the rulingfamily and reflect upon largerconsequences.The its in Persia- Viziers,Parliamentary Deputies, religiousand politicalchangesthatitinaugu- Governors of Provinces, and severalpriestsor rated were not its end: theywere but the Mullahs; and although persecution in Persia meansto a moresplendid reformation. "Rich has notceased,it is nowobligedforthe most indeed,"says one of the soberestof ourhis- partto resort to quieterand subtlermethods. torians," has been the harvestof thatgreat One of mymostinfluential Bahai friends was, period. The spiritof inquiry, once set free, beforehis conversion, an eminent Mujtahidor has changedand blessedthewholeworld.To Muhammadan prelate. Pope AdrianVI., in thiswe owe in modernliterature someofthe alarm,calledto his aid the rulersofAustria, noblestcreationsofthe humanintellect.To France and Germany, and a lastfiercecam- thisare due thediscoveries of science,which paignagainstheresy was thussetgoing. The havemadelifelonger,easier,brighter. Hence sonand apostleofBaha Ullah,AbbasEffendi, have comein everylandthetriumphs oftruth has told how the Ulema (religiousdoctors) and geniusoverprejudiceand power. This it constrained the PersianGovernment to take is whichhas createdthe greatestof modern activemeasuresagainsttheReformer and to republics,and has filledthe colonialworld orderthepillageand massacreofhisfollowers. withflourishing, self-governingpeoples; has Luthertranslated the Bible intoGerman, and revealedthe secretsof CentralAfricaand thereby dealtecclesiastical authorityoneofits the isles of the great Pacific; has dimi- heaviestblows. Baha Ullahhasdirected that nisheddistancebysteam,and destroyed itby the Bible,the Quran,and his ownscriptureselectricity ; has struckoffthe fetters of the are tobe translated intoeverylanguageinthe slave,and,lastand best,has madethenations world. Luther,himselfa monk,assailedthe knoweach other,and in thatknowledge has principle of monasticism bymarrying a nun. prepared, and is preparing, forthe reignof Baha Ullah adjuresthepriestsofall religions universal peace." A Reformation onEuropean to renouncecelibacyand to preachby their soiland a Reformation onAsiaticsoilwillnot example,mingling in the lifeof the people. necessarilyproduceidenticalharvests.But This personalparallelismmightbe carried beforeanyoneattemptsto makelightof the further, butitssignificance mustnowbe suffi- potentialities of an awakenedIslam,let him ciently apparent. History to-dayis openinga recallthesplendidproofs ofpowerwhichearly newpage inAsia. Muhammadanism gavetotheworlderepriestly ButtheReformation in Europe,as all know, abusecorrupted and debasedit. " TheArab was not a m^rerevoltagainstRome. The Conquerors," weread," at first unletteredfoes essenceof the movement is thevindication of ofartand science,soonbeganto makea pro- the principle, independent of time,place, or gressin cultureas rapidas had been that circumstance, thatman is, in hisverynature, oftheirarms.Theyacquired,andwerezealous destinedto be free. Fromthereligious free- inpromoting elsewhere, thecivilisationof the domwonbytheanti-clerical upheavalofthe Greekand Orientalworldwhich they had sixteenth century came,in a largemeasure, subduedin Egypt,Asia Minor,and Persia. thepoliticalrightsnowenjoyedbythegreatest Greatcitieswerebuilt,commerceand manu- and most enlightened peoplesin theworld. facturesflourished, and schoolsarose in all Indeed,theoutstanding civicfactof thelast partsof theSaracenicEmpire. The resultof threecenturies is thefirm establishment almost theefforts madewas thattheSaracensplayed throughout theWestern worldofconstitutionala greatand honourable partin theintellectual
history of theMiddleAges. Theirquickness duredthegreatest torturesfortheir Faith. Herewe and theirpoeticsensibility wereconspicuous find a record ofheroic devotion, bravery, andself- in scienceand in literature in thedarkertimes sacrifice,which, asProfessor E. G. Browne says,may of Europe,and theirserviceswereespecially perhaps be paralleled in history, butcannotbe valuablein connectionwithmedicalscience surpassed. and philosophy." So writesa calmand dis- TheBab hadleftbehind hima beautiful hopeas a legacy to his followers,namely, that" He whom God passionateCambridgehistorian.When re- shallmanifest " should arrive andcomplete whathe generated Islamrecovers itslostinheritance in had onlyimperfectly begun.Forseveral the domainof civilisation and culture, who (theBab) after the death of the Bab, which occurred in years shallsetboundsto itsfurther achievements ? 1850,themovement seemed ina precariouscondition. It hada bad reputation withthePersianGovern- Origin of Bahaism. ment, it waslookeddownuponwithcontempt by some nearly all thePersians of wealth andposition, its It maybeusefulhereto setforth briefly andno accountoftheoriginand riseofBahaismand followers couldonlymeettogether secretly, one dared to breathe thehated name ofBabi; indeed, of the general natureof its teachings,as it seemed fora timeas though theMullahshad viewedfromthe Bahai standpoint.I am succeeded in crushing outtheyoung Faithentirely. indebtedto Mr. SidneySprague,a distin- Therewasthegreatest needforthecoming ofthe guishedAmericanBahai, whomI had the " Piomised One,"tosavethemovement from extinc- goodfortune to meetin Persia,forthe follow- tion,andtorestore thezealandcourage oftheper- ingsummary ofleadingevents:- secuted Babis. Theywere notto be disappointed in ]n theyear1844,thereappeared in Persiaa their hope,for, during theearlysixties, there arose youth, MirzaAli Muhammad byname,whocalled one whosegrandpersonality, wonderful powers of himself theBab,thatis the"Door" or "Gate," utterance, andinspired writings, proclaimed himto through which mencouldarrive at theknowledge of be the"Manifestation" forwhich theBabiswere Truth.Thesignificance ofthistitleina Muhamma-waiting ; and when,indeed,Baha Ullahpublicly dancountry maybe appreciated whenit is recalled declared thathe wasthe"Promised One,"whose that, accordingto Muhammadan belief, thedoorof coming theBab hadforetold, thegreatmajority of knowledge was closed twelve centuries ago, when the the Babis hailed him with joy as theirLord and Muhammadan Messiah, orMahdi, disappeared from Redeemer. amongst men, and will not be re-opened the BahaUllahwas bornin 1817,and cameof a till Messiah comeagain. TheBabbeganhismission as wealthy andnoblefamily.As a young man,he a " Door,"byopening thepeople'sminds tothereal became a follower oftheBab,though he hadnever truths oftheirownreligion. Likeallgreat prophets,seenhim. His prominence as a teacherofthenew hedidnotcometodestroy, buttofulfil.He didnot Faithledto hisimprisonment inTehran.Forsome tellhisMuhammadan hearers thatthey hadbeende- time hewaskeptin chains, untilfinallyhiswealth ludedall these years bya falseprophet, buthedid, was confiscated, andhe was exiledto thecityof however, ratethem soundly - asJesus didtheScribes Baghdad, byarrangement with theSultan ofTurkey. - fortheir hypocrisy,andfortheir distortion oftrue Whilethere, he continued to teachthepeople, and religion. He also explained to them the truemean- his influence over them became very great. During ingoftheirprophecies andtraditions thata Mahdi twoyears hewithdrew himself tothemountains, near should come;foretelling the advent of Baha Ullah. Baghdad, and lived apart from men, passing histime ThewordsoftheBab werenaturally greetedwith inprayer andmeditation. Onhisreturn, he publicly derision'by the Muhammadan "Pharisees," and the proclaimed his mission, which was thatof establish- Babhadto endure insultandpersecution, culminat- ing peace and religious unity in theworld. He inginhisimprisonment anddeath.He wasshot, by calledto menof everyraceand creedto assist order ofthePersian Government, in a publicsquare himin establishing the Kingdomof God and inTabriz. the brotherhood of man upon^the earth.The Thelifeoftheyoung reformer wasnotsacrificedMuhammadan Mullahsof Baghdadsoonbecame invain.During hislifetime,greatnumbers ofearnest alarmed at havinga manof suchinfluence and menandwomen hadalliedthemselves to hiscause, powerin theirmidst, andpetitioned theOttoman andhad beendiligent in spreading his teachingsGovernment to remove him. Baha Ullah was throughout Persia,sothat soonthemovement grew to accordingly summoned toConstantinople, andthence suchan extent thatthePersian Government andthe banished to Adrianople. In Adrianople BahaUllah Mullahs, or priests,becamealaimed, seeingin ita wrote thosefamous letters(sentlaterfrom Acre)to seriousmenace to thesupremacy of Islam,andbe- theKingsofEuropeandto thePope,calling on lieving thatitmust havesomepolitical aswellas re- themto abandon theirthoughts ofwarfare andto ligiousmeaning.Orders weregiven to plunder and assistin establishing unity.The letters alsocon- persecutethefollowers and oftheBab, during those tained prophetical utterances which were afterwards daikyears many thousands gaveuptheir oren- fulfilled. lives, One suchutterance, following upona
slight putuponBahaUllah'smission, foretold the itsprogress in theWestern world, all these things downfall of Napoleon III. at a timewhenthis compel at leastinterest. TheyoungPersian Bab adventurer, afterthefamous coupdétat , heldabsolute gave to his followers certainforms and doc- poweras Emperor of theFrench.Another such trines,and somerulesdrawn up in a bookknown utterance, following upona gracious letter sentby as the" Bayan"; butat the sametimehe con- QueenVictoria to Baha Ullah,foretold forHer tinually proclaimed thathewasbutthéherald of Majesty a phenomenally longandprosperous reign, onegreater whoshouldcomeafterhim,andhe at a timewhenthemonarchy in England couldstill toldhisdisciples to be in constant expectation of besaidtobeunder theremains ofa cloud. After a " Himwhom Godshall manifest." TheBab,indeed, fewweeksi-pent in Adrianople, Baha Ullahwas inaugurated a greatreform, but his movement againbanished to a stillmore inaccessiblespot,the remained moreor less Persian and Muhammadan, littlefortress town ofAcre,orAkka,onthecoastof andonefeelsthatit never couldhavebecome uni- Syria. Here,with hislittle bandoffollowers, Baha versal.It remained forBahaUllah,whocameafter Ullahpassedsomeofthemostterrible years ofthe theBab,togiveto themovement itstruly broad, •exile,forAcrecouldonly bedescribed aspestilential, catholicanduniversal spirit.Inthe" BookofLaws," anditseems probable thatBahaUllahwassentthere BahaUllahtellshisfollowers thatthesword must for in thehopethatfever wouldsoonquietly ridthe ever beputaway : initsplacethe" Word " must arise. woildofhim. BahaUllahspentmostofhistime He proclaims universal peace,andcallsuponthe while inAcreinteaching thenewfaith tothosefew nations tosettletheir differencesbya boardofarbi- lollowers whocouldholdcommunication withhim, tration. He pleadsfora broadspirit offriendship in writing hisinstructions andadmonitions to the andtolerance, tobe shown to all thepeoples ofthe Tvorld, insending epistles,or" Tablets," to followersearth : " Ye areallthefruits ofonetree," asheex- in differentparts, andin writing a book,known as presses it. He enjoins his followers to seekfora theBookofLaws. In 1892, after fortyyears ofexile universal language.He says: " Thisis themeans ot and imprisonment, Baha Ullah'searthly ministryunion, ifyeknew it,andthegreatest source ofcon- •came toan end. He leftwordto hisdisciples that cordandcivilisation, didyerecognise it." He tells afterhisdeparture they should looktohiseldestson, parents thatthey must educate theirchildren,boyand AbbasEffendi, as their leaderandteacher - theone girlalike,giving themthebestinstruction theycan on whoseshoulders his mantleshouldfall,the afford, andthepoormust beeducated bya boardof exponent andpromulgator of histeachings to the councillors tobeelected ineachcity, forheconsiders world. thatuntil ignorance beuprooted there canbenotrue Since1892Abbas Effendi, whothereafter as- progress. All mustlearnandpractise somecraft, sumedthetitleofAbdulBaha(theServant ofGod), trade, orproféssion, which,ifpractised conscientiously hasbeentheleader oftheBahaimovement, andunder anddiligently, willbe considered as thehighest act his guidance it has grown andexpanded untilits ofworship. There arenopriests connected with this influence hasbecome felt inallquarters oftheglobe. religion, andthosewhoteachthisFaithshouldnot A striking example ofthiswaswitnessed bymewhen receive anypay,butsupport themselves by other I visitedAcrein1906, andmetmenthere from India, means.Theacquisition oftheartsandsciences is Burma,Persia,Arabia,Egypt,Turkey, Russia, recommended. Marriage is advised, and celibacy France, England andAmerica, allassembled tolisten and asceticismare condemned.Baha Ullah to theteaching oftheMaster (thenamebywhich wishes his religion to be one of joyand glad- AbdulBahaisuniversally called).Thesemen, belong ness. He strongly condemns gambling, theuse ingtovarious races,creeds andsects,weregatheredof opium,intemperance, and othervices,and Tound onetable, breaking bread together,andgreet- he laysdownsomeinteresting hygienic laws. A ingeachotheras brothers. Cansucha scenebe lawis givenadvocating kindness to animals, and paralleled inanyother spotonearth ? beastsofburden arenot to be ill-treated or over- loaded.BoththeBab and Baha Ullahpreached Teachings of Bahaism. theemancipation ofwomen.Underthisteaching, I am further indebted toMr.SidneySprague woman assumes herrightful position as theequalof for the following of the principal man. In the following words,Baha Ullah tells summary hisfollowers howthenewreligion should betaught teachingsof Bahaism. It seems to mepre- to theworld:" Beware lest make the Wordof ferableto give an authoritative Bahai exposi- God thecauseof ye opposition and stumbling, or tionlikethis,ratherthanan exposition ofmy the sourceof hatred If have a own:- among you. ye wordoran essence which another havenot,sayit TheBahai movement claimsto be theDivine to himwiththetongueofloveand kindness.If instiument forbringing religious unityintothe it be accepted andimpressed, theendis attained; world.Thelongrollofitsmartyrs, thewonderful ifnot,leavehimto himself, andprayforhim,but livesofits founders, its regenerating influence in do notmolest him." It willthusbe seenthatthe Persia,thefactthatpeopleofnearly every race, message oftheBahaimovement is oneofpeaceto creedandsecthavebeenattracted toit,andfinallytheworld, andthattheBahaisconsider this" Mani-
festation" as butanother ofdivine truth energy.Yet they arenottwosuns. Norhasthe outpouring <upon earth the ; thatBahaisarelovers oftheLight suncomedownfrom itsplacein theheaven inorder from whatever horizon it mayappear,looking on togointothemirror. To-day I smashthismirror. thedifferent " Prophets,' ' orfounders ofreligion, as To-morrow I procure another mirror, andfindthe so manydifferent lampsthrough which thisLight suninthattoo. Thesecondmirror is notthesame shoneforth, andbywhich all theworld hasbeen as thefirst mirror. Thesunin it is thesamesun. illumined ; therefore Bahaism considers all religionsMosesandMuhammad arenotthesameman. The to be divine, andpossessing theessence ofTruth Manifestation inthem is thesameManifestation. It whichhas sincebecomeobscured by the super- maybeobjected thatthelightthatMosesshedand stitionsandceremonial practices addedbyman. In thelight thatMuhammad shedseem different. True. other words, theteaching oftheBahaiFaithis that In mirrors ofdifferently coloured glassthesunpre- ■the Logos,orWord,spoken ofinthefirst chaptersents differentlycoloured appearances. Butwhatis ofSt.John,hasmanifested itself on thisearth, in colour ? Colouris incomplete light. The seven wastages, at various times andto various peoples ; prismatic rays, whenall arepresent, givecomplete those inwhomthisWordhasbeenfully manifested light.The sevenprophetical dispensations,* when ¿»nd aremenknown as the" Prophets " or allarepresent, givecomplete Truth. It is themission perfected, ■" Manifestations ofGod,"andthrough them wehear ofBahaism tobring aboutsucha combination. Will thevoiceofGodspeaking to humanity. The dis- it be contended thatsomeor anyoftheProphets tinctiveclaimoftheBahaiFaithis thattheeternal gaveforth nolight, notevencoloured light ? Con- Wordhasmanifested itselfin ourday,morepower- sider this: Was there evera prophét whodidnot fullythaneverbefore, in theperson ofBahaUllah. denounce 'perjury, theft, adultery andmurder; who Besidesthewritings already mentioned, BahaUllah, didnotenjoin charity,morality, dutifulness andrever- whilein prison, composed several booksdealing ence? ThatiswhyBahaism contemns no religion, withmetaphysical, philosophical and socialpro- andreverences all religions. At theworst, evenit blems.Thesebookswerewritten in Persianand theglassofsomereligions be smoked, it admits a Arabic, and but three or four of them have been certain quantity oflight. There are some eyes, weak translated intoWestern tongues.Someofthebest andwatery, whichcannotbearlight at all unless it translations arein French, namely, " Le Livre de la come through smoked glass. Certitude " (Kitab-ul-Iqan), " Les ParolesCachées " " •enPersanand LesPréceptes deBahaisme " trans- Esoteric Philosophy of Bahaism.^ latedbyM. Hippolyte and Dreyfus, published by I havenevermettwomen,I haveneverread Ernest Leroux, Paris. Themost important workof twobooks,whoseaccountsof Bahaiteaching Baha Ullah,the" Kitab-ul-Aqdas " (MostHoly forme whollyagree. It wouldnotbe difficult Book),hasnotyetbeenfully translated. to presentto you manydifferent conceptsof Mr.SidneySprague'sdescription ofBahaism Bahaism,gatheredin mytravel,each resting is characterised by calmnessand simplicity. on seemingauthority.This is, perhaps,only Forgreaterpicturesqueness of exposition one naturalin the case of a religiousmovement mustturnfrom theWesterner to theEasterner. which,setting outto emancipatethe intellect, A PersianBahai of highauthority, formerly a turnseach individualmindloose in a new Muhammadan doctorofdivinity, favoured me worldof vividthoughtto reasonout its own withthe following graphicexplanation of his faithbyitsownstrength.The following half- newcreed:- mystical, half-transcendental, play of ideas Thereis onlyone God. Thereis onlyone proceedsfroma schoolof esotericBahaism Truth.Godis infinite. Truthis infinite. Man, m Persia,whoseexistenceappearsto be un- foeingfinite,cannot know God ; cannot know Truth. knownto Europe:- Manknows something ofGod; something ofTruth. Bahaism teaches thatman,inhis"earliest spiritual Thisis because there hasbeena finite Manifestation weakness, has to support himselfbyprops.These ofGod; a finite Revelation ofTruth.TheMani' propsaresevenin number. Theyareindispensable ofGodis one. TheRevelation festation ofTruth is aidsto man'sspiritual growth.Without them man one. Moseswas theManifestation ; so wasJesus, wouldfaintandcollapse.Theyputhimuponhis -sowas Muhammad, so was Baha Ullah.^ All feet, they enable himtowalk,they givehimstrength, 4heseare one. The Pentateuch was theRevela- confidence, courage, andhope. Butstilltheyare tion,so was the Gospel,so was the Quran, props, andas propsthey areto beusedonlytothe so was the Kitab-ul-Aqdas.All theseare end thattheymayultimately be dispensed with. one.Is thishardto understand ? Consider the Man'sspiritual progress, in fact,consists inlearning sun.Thesunin theheavenis abovemyreach. to discard thesepropsone by one,as a young Hereinmyhandis a mirror which contains thesun. * - Noah, To mysenses there isnodifference, indegree, According to oneversion Abraham, Moses, except David,Jesus, Muhammad, andBahaUllah.According to between thesunin theheaven and thesunin the another version - Moses, Zoroaster, Confucius, Buddha, mirror.Bothsunsgiveoutlightandheatand Jesus, Muhammad, BahaUllah.
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swimmer learnsto discard floats,andtö rely more If not,whatis themeaning of thatstrangely re- and moreon his own God-given powers.The iterated verse intheNewTestament, " He thathathr- rationale oftheprocess is explained byBahaism as earstohearlethimhear"? Andwhat isthemeaning follows:- oftheOldTestament Psalm, " Whoshallascend into• Whenman,after passing successively through the the hill öf the Lord, or who shall stand in His holy mental stagesof brutalism, heathenism, and pan^ place? He whohathcleanhands anda pureheart ?" theism, arrives at lastat theconception ofoneom- Can onlyMoseseverhopeto ascendthespiritual niscientandomnipotent God,he cannot easilybear Sinai? Can onlyMoseseverhopeto haveclean- thegreatness ofthethought. He isappalled bythe hands anda pureheart ? Bahaism remarks that when majesty oftheDeity.He is paralysed byhisown Godfirst calledtothechildSamuel (I. Samuel III. 4)- insignificance. He darenot approach his terribletheundiscerning boyrantoEli andsaid," HereI am, Maker, though there is need to for pray bounty, for forthou didst call me." Thusdoesmancontinually love,andforlight.To hishelpcomes thefirstprop turn away hisearfrom hisGodtohislawgiver. ButEli - anintermediary- thePriest.ThePriest, bysepa- answered, "I called thee not. It shall be if He call rationfrom thecommon people, bydetachment from theethatthoushaltsay,Speak,Lord,forThy carnalengrossments, by purification of bodyand servant heareth." Thusis thesecond propdiscarded. sanctificationofmind, mayventure onbehalf ofsinful Therefore, saystheBahai" Logos" inthat same book to kneel in before God's called" Hidden Words - humanity supplication great judgment-seat. Is thisideaofpriestly intercession " O Son of Spirit. The bestofall to Me is wrong ? askedBahaism.Is itanevilthing thatman justice.Castit notasideifthoudesirest Me,and should beginthespiritual ascentbyconfessing his neglectit not,thatthoumayest be faithful toMe, ownlittleness andGod'sgreatness ? Bynomeans. forbyitthouwiltbestrengthened andseeallthings ,Butwhat isa priest ? A goodandholyman.Espe- with thine owneyes, andnotwiththeeyesofmen, ciallyhe is a man. Cannot thenall menhopeto andknow them bythineownknowledge andnotby become goodandtomake themselves holy ? When theknowledge ofanyintheworld.Meditate this- manrealises (ashe is destined torealise)thatheand howthoushouldst be. thepriest arenottwodifferent orders ofbeing, but "O Son of Man. The Lighthas shoneupon twomanifestations ofthesameorder ofbeing, the theefromthe Horizonof the Mount,and the mission of thepriest willbe accomplished, and Spirit ofHoliness hasbreathed in theSinaiofthy humanity willbecome a raceofpriests.Therefore, heart.Therefore cleansethyself from obstacles and saystheLogos,through themouth ofBahaUllah, imaginations, and enter into this Mansion, that thou as recorded in" Hidden Words " :- „ lifeandprepared " O SonofSpirit.I haveordained mayest befitted fortheeverlasting forthee, from to meetme,where no death,no trouble and no theTreeofSplendour, theholiest fruits.Whyhast calamity canbefall thee." thoulaidthem asideandbeencontented with those Man'sthird needisfora Prophet.The thatareinferior ? Return, therefore, to thatwhich lawofGod spiritual there is wanting inmanthe isbestfortheeintheHighest Horizon. being given, " O Son ofMan. Letthysatisfaction to spirit honour and obey it ; and a prophet arises be inMe, whosedivine fervour, and andnotinthose whoareinferior toMe,andseeknot illumination, eloquence passionstirtheslumbering hearts ofthepeople.Birt helpfrom anybesideMe,for nonesaveMewillever what,asksBahaism again,is a prophet ? What satisfythee. where DanielandEzekiel ? What " O Son of Spirit. Myrightto theeis Isaiah, Jeremiah, great wasthewriter oftheBookofRevelation ? They were andcannot be denied.Mybounty to theeis over- men. AndhasnotGodmadeall menofthesame flowing andcannot bewitheld.Mylovefortheeis intothem thesamespirit ? When andcannot berepulsed. clayandbreathed existing Mylighttotheeis jealousdisciples complained toMosesthatsomequite apparent andcannot beobscured." Whenman's first needhasthus beensatis- ordinary people intheIsraelite campwerepresuming spiritual to playtheprophet, thegreatHebrew leaderex- fied, and the prop discarded, a second spiritualneed claimed, " Wouldto God ye wereall prophets." assertsitself,theneedfora Lawgiver. God,itisfelt, Andso goesthethird Therefore hasa will; that willexpresses itselfinlaws; those prop. saysthe laws in" Hidden Words " :- aretobeheard andobeyed. Butjustasmaninhisfirst " Logos self-abasement darenotspeak toGodexcept through O Son ofExistence. MyLampthouart,and themouth ofa priest, so mandarenotat first listen MyLightisinthee;be enlightened byIt,andseek to Godexcept through theearsofa lawgiver. This notanybeside Me,forI havecreated theerich, and is themeaning ofthebookofExodus which records bestowed My grace abundantly upon thee. (XX. 19)thattheChildren ofIsraelsaidtoMoses at "O Son of Existence.By thehandsofpower thefootofMountSinai,u Speakthouwithus and I madetheeandbythefingers ofstrength I created wewillhear; butletnotGodspeakwithus,lestwe theeanddeposited intheetheEssence ofMyLight; die." Butwhat, asksBahaism, is a lawgiver ? A therefore depend uponIt andnotuponanything else, man. A manwhohasfitted himself to receive the forMyaction isperfect andMycommand haseffect. WordofGod. Cannot all menso fitthemselves? Doubtnotthisandhavenouncertainty therein.
" O SonofMan. Cheerthyheartwith' delight,which everymanmustperform, notvicariously, but thatthoumayest befitted tomeetMe,andbecome in hisownperson, erehecanenter intotheKingdom a mirror ofMybeauty." ofHeaven. Andthus thefifth propisdispensed with. Man'sfourth spiritual needis fora Saviour.Man Therefore itiswritten in " Hidden Words - cannot viewhisownwickedness without dreading a " O Son ofMan, Thoudesirest gold,andWe catastrophic penalty, he which, believes, not himself desire thyseparation from it. Thouhastrealised butonlya specially appointed redeemer canavert. therichesof-thyself therein, butI knowthatthy Oppressed bythevisionofthewrath tocome,man riches lieinpurifying thyself from it. feelsthathe mustthrow himself intothearmsofa " O SonofMan.Distribute Mypossessions among Saviour.Bahaism hesitates to disturb man'sbelief Mypoor,thatin heaventhoumayest receive front inthisawful subject.ttThefear oftheLord,"says theboundless treasures ofglory andfrom thestores theOldTestament, "is thebeginning ofwisdom." ofeternal bliss. ButbyMyLife,thesacrifice ofthe The beginning, yes,butnottheend. Whatis a spirit is more glorious, couldst thoubutseewith My a Saviour ? asksBahaism.A man,bornofwoman. eye. A manwithpowerto save men. The true O Son ofMan. Foreverything thereisa sign. function ofa Saviour is thusto savebyexample,Thesignofloveispatience through Myordealand to saveby pointing thewayofsalvation ; inother long-suffering forMysake. to demonstrate on thespiritual " O Son of Man. The sincere loverlongsfor words, planewhat all theworldaccepts on thephysical plane - that sufferingas the rebel craves for forgiveness andthe (rodhelpsonlythosewho helpthemselves. A sinner prays formercy. Saviour is a lighthouse, nota lifeboat.Awaythen " O SonofExistence.Keepmycommand because withthisfourth prop. Therefore says theBahai oftheloveforMe, anddenythyself ifthoulovest bookof" Hidden Words " :- Mypleasure. " O SonofPerception. " O SonofSpirit.Ifthoudesirest Me,lovenot MyFortthouart,there- fore enter therein thatthoumayest besaved. thyself,andifthouseekest Mypleasure, regard not " O SonofMan. ThouartMypossession, and thine own,thatthoumayest die in Me andI livein Mypossession willneverbe destroyed. Whyart thee?" thouafraid ofthy destruction? ThouartMylight, Man'ssixthspiritual needis fora divine incarna- and My lightwillneverbe extinguished. Why tion. ManseekstoknowGod,to sse God. Man dreade&t thouextinction ? ThouartMysplendour,cannot ofhisownfinite power setouttolookforthe andMysplendour willnever be veiled.Thouart infinite God. He mustwaitpatiently andhumbly Mygarment, andMygarment willnever be worn tillGodinhisownchosen time bepleased tomani- out. Therefore dwellin thyloveto Me,thatthou fest Himself.Sucha manifestation, accommodating mayest find MeintheHighest Horizon." itselfto thehumanlimits of sensory perception, Man's fifth spiritual need is fora Sacrifice.materialises as an incaination - spirit clothedwith Whether theunderlying ideabe propitiation orex- flesh- Divinity visiblebyitshumanity - Godinman. piation, there must be, itis thought, a great atone- Here, then, for once, a man indeed becomes the ment, to be consummated in thesacrifice of life. mirror of hisMaker.Butwhy onlyforonce? asks Bahaism approaches thissubject, as it approachesBahaism.According to thebookof Genesis all thepreceding subjects, withreverence. Butwho, mankind wascreated intheimageandafter thelike- asksBahaism, is thevictim ofthesacrifice ? A man nessofGod. All mankind is thus,in virtue ofits offlesh andblood. Theessence of thedoctrine is divine similitude,something morethan"human": notaffected (forthepresent purpose) bytheassertionit has someelements of thedivine.Andso the orthedenial ofthedivinity ofthebeing whois sacri- greater incarnation appealsto all lesserincarna- ficed,because ineither caseitis from a being walkingtions.Or, as the Old Testament marvellously thisearth ofoursintheoutward form ofa manthat putsit- "Be ye holy,forI am holy." In the thesacrifice is demanded. Shallman,in thelong New Testament manis adjuredto put offcor- course of hisspiritual evolution, riseto theheight ruption andto put on incorruption ; to putoff of striving to embody in his ownlifethegrand mortality andtoputonimmortality. Whatis cor- examplesof the Priest,the Lawgiver,the ruption butchange,and whatis mortality but Prophet and the Saviour, and then shrink from catastrophic change ? How shall a man put off imitating the yet moresublimeexampleof changefulness andputon changelessness unlesshe theSacrifice?It is recorded thatJesussaid:- attaintoa perfection from which nochange can be "Excepta manbe bornagainhe cannot enter the betterment - unless hebecome divine ? Anincarna- Kingdom ofHeaven."To be bornagainonemust tion,then, is perfection descended uponandmani- first die,because birth is essentially thebeginning of fested in onemanto showhowall other menmay a newlife. Whatis thatwhich must dieorbe sacri- hopetoascend toandbecome manifestations ofthe ficed? Theoldlifeofsin. There is,saysBahaism,likeperiection. Thesupreme purpose, inbrief, is to a stillhigher view. Thatwhich is merely human turn man'sreverence uponhimself. Hereby departs inmanmustdie,in orderthatthatwhich is divine man'ssixth prop. Therefore declares the" Logosiy in manmaybeborn. Thisis thesupreme sacrificein " Hidden Words " :-
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u O Son of Spirit.I created theesublime, but long; that Islamic countriesare stranded thouhastdegraded thyself.Therefore ascend tothat centuriesbehindthe times; that the very forwhich thouwastcreated. inertnessof the Muhammadan worldin an a O Son of Spirit. I havecreated theerich. age of strenuous progressprovesits senility ; Whydostthoumakethyself poor? I madethee that,in fact,Moslemculturestandsto-day mighty.Whydostthoudegrade thyself? From where it stood in the days of the theEssence ofKnowledge I manifested thee. Why exactly " ArabianNights." I shallnotattempt here seekest thouanother beside Me? Fromtheclayof loveI kneaded thee. Whysearchest tocontrovert any of those assumptions, because thouforan- other ? Turnthysight untothyself thatthoumayestthat wouldinvolveme in a comprehensive findMestanding within thee,powerful, mighty and surveyof the social,political,and economic supreme. conditions of 175,000,000 of the humanrace, " O Son of theThrone. is My spreading into three continents. 1 shallcon- Thyhearing hearing ; hearthouwith it. Thysightis Mysight ; tentmyself withpointingout thatevenifall seethouwith it, thatthoumayest testify to Me in theassumptions be grantedin substance, they thyinmost soul,a supreme andthatI may countin favourof Islamichopesrather holiness, than 'testify tothee, inMyself a highposition. against; because they indicatethat the " O SonofExistence.Thy heartis Myhome ; careerof Islam closelyconforms with the purify itforMydescent.Thyspirit is Myoutlook ; normalin history.Almosteverygreatreligion prepare itforMyManifestation. " has passed througha phase of stagnation. Man'sseventh and last spiritual needis fora Almost is one heaven.Theflesh has itsdwelling-place of pain: thousandalwaystheperiodofstagnation where shallthespirit abidein bliss? It willhave years. For just a thousand years beenunderstood from thepresent thatthe the infant religion sleeps in the arms of its exposition Thereafter it is a child and predominant theme of Babaitheology is thatman priests. grown hastobetaught tolookwithin forthatwhich hehas runsalone. For a thousandyearsthepriests allalongbeenseeking without. Whyshould itnot nursedJudaism.In 1491B.c. we haveMoses besowithman'sneedfora Heaven ? asksBahaism. declaring - " This shall be the priest's due In thescientific world itwasnotuntil educationalists from thepeople,fromthemthatoffer a sacri- realised thattheartofeducation is todraw out,not fice,whether it be ox or sheep ; and theyshall to putin, thatthecurricula of theschools were giveuntothepriestthe shoulder, and thetwo rationalised. Spiritual education,properly understoodcheeksand the maw. The first-fruit also of is alsoa drawing outofthatwhich iswithin.This thycorn,ofthywine,and ofthineoil,and the isthemeaning ofthat wonderfuldeclaration intheNew first of thefleeceof thysheep,shaltthougive Testament : " TheKingdom ofHeaven iswithin you." him. FortheLordthyGod hathchosenhim Surrender, thentheseventh and last prop. And outofall in the itherefore itis written in" Hidden Words " :- thytribes,to standto minister " O SonofExistence. name ofthe Lord, him and his sons for ever." ThyParadise is Mylove, and thyheavenis Mynearness. Therefore enter -In 397B.c.- thatis, one thousandyearslater thouandtarry not. Thisis whatwasordained for we havetheHebrewprophet Malachisaying 'tlieeinOurhighest kingdom andsupreme - " Andnow,O yepriests, thiscommandment 4tO SonofSpirit.Thefirst majesty. utterance is- Possess is foryou ... Ye aredeparted outoftheway; a good,a pureandenlightened heart,thatthou yehave caused manyto stumbleat thelaw; mayest possessa continual, eternal and immortalyehavecorrupted the covenant of Levi,saith kingdom." the Lord of Hosts. Therefore have I also madeyoucontemptible and base before all the Future of Islam. as yehavenotkeptMyways, people,according Timewillnotpermit meon thisoccasionto but have been partialin the law." For a •enter anyfurther intoa philosophical studyof thousand yearsthepriests nursed Brahmanism. the teachingsof Bahaism. It willbe suffici-Accordingto authorities, Vedic Brahmanism entlyapparent, I think, thattherehas arisen established itselfin India about 1600B.c. In in Islam,thanksto thefreshness and fineness 550 B.c.- thatis, one thousandyearslater- ofPersianthought, a regenerative influence of Buddhaaroseto overthrow Brahmanic ecclesia almostincalculableenergy. It onlyremains asticism. For a thousandyearsthe priests forme, in conclusion, to notice,verybriefly,nursedHellenic Paganism. The siege of theargument ofthosewhothinkthatIslam,in Troy,which appears to be about the first fallingfromits proudestate,has fallenlike recordedfact of Greek history, is generally Lucifer,neverto riseagain. The argument, supposedtohaveoccurred, ifitoccurred at all, as I understand it,is baseduponthefollowingabout 1200 B.c. In 146 b.c.- that is, one .assumptions : thatIslamhas laindormant too thousand years later- Greece became a
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Roman province,and so lost the powerto protagonist ofPan-Islamism, whowasveryfarfrom workoutherownindependent destiny. Fora being a Bab,wasundoubtedly oneofthose whohad thousandyears the priestsnursed Roman done most to inaugurate the national movement. foundation of Quiteapartfromthequestion as to the dispute Paganism. The half-mythical between Subh-i-Ezel and Baha as thesuc- Romeis supposedto date from753B.c. In regards cession,hehad never succeeded in obtaining satisfac- 324 A.D.- thatis, one thousandyearslater- answers to the following questions: - (1) What tory was establishedas the State new doestheBahaidoctrine Christianity light throw uponmeta- religionin Rome. For a thousandyearsthe physical orspiritual truth ? (2)In whatrespect is the priestsnursed Christianity.In the fourth system ofethics which itadvocates superior toChris- centuryafterChristpriestlyauthority first tianity ? (3) Canitbemaintained that, intheapplica- asserteditselfsuccessfully in the Christian tionofthose ethics, theBahaisarematerially more Church. In thefifteenth century - thatis, one consistent thantheChristians or the Moslems ? thousandyearslater - JohnHuss startedthe Reformation. Withthesehistorical M. Hippolyte Dreyfus thoughttherewas parallels no as theChairman seemed toimply, in mind,letus nowremark thatfora thousand contradiction, between the fact that Subh-i-Ezel hadbeenin a yearsthepriests nursedIslam. TheSaracenic andthe with its datesfrom way appointed bytheBab as hissuccessor, Empire, powerful hierarchy, factthatJater on BahaUllahclaimed tobea mani- the eighthcentury, A.D. The spiritwhich festation ofGod,viz.,theoneforetold bytheBab 'begat Babism and Bahaism began to himself, because theBabonly appointed hissuccessor (manifest itselfin Persia at the close of the in orderto havean organisation ready towaitfor •eighteenth century, thatis, onethousand years theone whomGod wouldmanifest. BahaUllah .later. I am farfrompropounding the " one wasmuch more advanced thantheBab; hisreligion " one,whiletheBab wasmerely a thousandyears formula as a positive argu- was a universal ment. I am farfromtryingto read a new Shiah reformer, and that accounted forthe difference meaninginto the Psalmist'srhapsody,"A between them.Theinfluence oftheBahaisin the thousandyearsin Thysightis but as yester- revolution could not be denied, a statement he I would this : the fact that was able to makebecausehe was in Tehran day." onlysay whentheMoham- Islam has slumberedfora thousandyears at thetimeof therevolution, aifords nosufficient forthebelief medan clergy took refuge in Qum. At that justification time were quite decidednot to return to they thattherecan nowbe no awakening. Formy TehranunlesstheShahhimself camethereand •ownpart,I believethateventsare shapingin anddismissed all theEuropean function- Asia whichmay end in re-constructing apologised the aries employed bytheGovernment. It wasdecidedly wholefabricof present-day internationalism an anti-foreign movement. TheBahaisthought it and mayadd a chapterto the world'shistory wasa pitytohavesucha bigmovement degenerating as dramatic andas momentous as anythathas intoa sectarian and clerical movement, and they .beenwritten. askedfora constitution therefore andeducation ; and infact, that, wastheprinciple ofBahaism. Prof.G. Hagopiansaidhe had thehonour of DISCUSSION. the of Jemal-ud-Din, about 1892, making acquaintance TheChairman (Professor Browne) saidthat,while when hewasa refugee from Persia, andwasinstru- •entertaining a very great affectionandadmiration for mental in enabling himto givea lecture at the theBabis,he wasnotprepared to admit eitherthat National Liberal Clubonthecondition ofhiscountry. fthey weretobeconsidered asmere reformers ofIslam, He wouldbedelighted tohearfrom anytravellers in orthatthey had exercised any great influence in bring- Persiawhether such a regeneration had yet taken ingabout thepresent national movement inPersia. He placeinthatcountry thatitwouldbepossible in the out .pointed that,in a sense, the ideals of the Bahais, futuretofind the same spirit animating the people of ivhichaimedat a universal religion anda universalthecountry as wasrecently evidenced in Londonby language, werein sharpcontrast to thoseof the theBritish peoplewhenKingEdward, thePeace- ^Nationalists,which aimed at the maintenance ofthe maker, .wascarried tohislastresting-place - thespirit integrityofPersiaandofthePersián characteristics.ofprogress andpeace. He also dissented fromthe author's viewthat 3ahaismwas necessarily tolerant, and he con- Mr.W. A. Moore,in reply to thelastspeaker's tendedthat the Bab had assigned to him- question,thought the conduct of theTurkish Govern- than that which ment since the establishment of theConstitution in selfa moreimportant position that theBahaisweredisposed to ascribe to him. In Turkey was an absolutely conclusive proof they bisownview itwasunfair tosaythattheMohamme-desired both peaceandprogress, andalthough things to the national movement had not gone by any means so far or sowell inPersia, danshadnotcontributed movement wasa sinPersia, sinceSay)idJemal-ud-Din, thewellknown todeny that thePersian constitutional
progressive movement wasa complete denial of fact. thefacts.Persiahadtodealwithherneighbours, He was rather astonished at theusemadebythe andthequestion 'fcashowshewastogetalongwith author allthrough hispaper ofthewords " priest" and them,and howtheywereto be prevented from " priesthood," which hedidnotbelieve werecorrecttaking part in the movement. He thought Persia wordstoemploy inreference toIslam. He didnot would getthrough if,inherexternal sheled affairs, thinkthere wasanything sacerdotal atallinthewhole a quietlife. He wasquitesurethatinthefuture she ofIslam. Withregard totheauthor's glorification wouldwinonlybytheprocess of moderation, for oftheBahais, he personallysupported theChairman's which the modern movement inthe East had such an contention, becauseduring theactualtroubles in extraordinary capacity. Persia, he happened to be in Tabriz, andtheword thathe always heardwasBabi,and thatwasthe TheChairmanentirely agreed withMr.Moore's stickthatwas used by the reactionists to beat ciiticism of the use of the word"priest"by theConstitutionalist party.Thetitleofthepaper theauthor.It was22years sincehewasin Persia, seemedto himto be misleading, becauseifIslam andtheword Bahaiswasthen hardly everusedatall, wasíegenerated inthewaytheauthor suggested, it theteimBabisbeing usedthroughout universally the ceasedto be Islamaltogether. Bahaism was not country. Withregard totolerance, hewasnotquite reallya religionatall,butmore orlessa philosophy. surewhether, ifBahaismsucceeded in capturing. It wasa product which camefrom theEast,andwas Persia, itwould beanymoretolerant thanIslamism. a kindofuniversal toleration. "When, forinstance,Personally, hewasvery much disinclined tothink that theauthor stated thattruth wasone,hewasutteringthere wasanyconsiderable number ofBabisorBahais oneof theimmortal platitudes oftheworldwhich amongtheTurks, because, so faras he knew, the hadbeensaidin every age. It wasa greattrufkYoungTurkish movement was identified witha which wasalwaysstriking peopleafresh, butitdid literary movement having itsoriginentirelyinFrench notmakea newreligion to saythattruth wasone. sources, a largeproportion oftheYoungTurks being; Theanalogy between thesunandthemirror which Free-Thinkers. hadbeenreferred to hada verydistinct Athanasian touchaboutit. It reminded himofthenews- Mr.BernardTemple,inreply tothequestion of paperwhich someyearsago ago started a column whether Bahaism was thecauseoftheawakening on curios and antiquities, whichwaswritten bya whichwas at present visiblein Persiaand other manwhohadcomeabsolutely fresh to thesubject,Islamiccountries, saidthatin suchbigdiscussions andwhowasmaking discoveries every daythathaä itwasdifficult to saywhatwasthecauseandwhat beenmadebefore, buttheresult wasthathe made theeffect.He didnotclaim forBahaism more than thesubject muchmoreinteresting thanan expert thatitwasperhaps themost conspicuous andremark- would havedone. He couldnothelpthinking that ableexpression oftheawakening which, undoubtedly, someofthephilosophic truths thatwere putforwardwastakingplacein theEast,particularly in the as representing Bahaism werein muchthesame Islamic East. So faras hehadmadea comparison category. Theywerea product ofmodern mentality, between theMohammedan religion and Bahaism, a process ofthought which wasgoing onalloverthe hehopedhe hadmadeit clearthathewasnota world.He didnotagree withtheauthor thatthe Bahai» noran apologist fortheBahaireligion orits Turkish movement was in anywayan outcome of teaching ; he merely wished, as a traveller, to give sucha religion.He thought itwasmuch more true someof hisobservations uponthecourseof the to saythatthereligion itselfwasa symptom rathermovement in Persiaand its meaning.Although than a cause.Sucha movement ofthought wastaking he had in manyways a greatadmiration for placenotonly inIslam,butinJapan, andmany of Bahaism, he was not prepared to rebutevery theYoungTurk leaders weredistinctly free-thinkers. remark critical thatcouldbe addressed againstit. Theforward movement towards universal tolerationRecenttravellers in Persiawereagreedthatthe and brotherhood tookthe formof a desirefor mostprogressive elements in thatcountry were international agreement and universal peace,and associated directly or indirectlywiththe Bahai was a sort of cosmopolitan movement. The movement. He quiteadmitted it wasinappropriate Chairman had statedthatif Persiawereleft tousetheterm"priest"in connection with Islam, alone he believed she wouldpull through. In butthedifficulty he experienced in thatconnection onesensehe wasin complete agreement withthè wasthathe madea comparison between religions remark. If Persiacouldbeisolated, andherinternalwhich had priests andtheIslamicreligion, which struggle tookplaceas between theold and new maintained religious functionaries forwhoseoffice régime , which waspractically between andgood evil, , andstatustherewasno equivalent in theEnglish therewasnottheslightest doubt which wouldulti- language.Whenheusedtheterm" priests" inre~ mately win; infact, ifshehadbeenleftalonefrom lation toIslamhemeantthatthere existedinPer*ia the beginning therewouldhavebeenno doubt andother partsoftheMohammedan world menwho whichwouldhavewonalready.But.to suppose claimed tohavea monopoly ofknowledge regarding thatPersiahad been,or was goingto be, left thereligion of Mahomet, andthecommon people absolutely toherself,seemed tohimutterly toignore wereboundto haverecourse tothose learned people
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forthatknowledge, which wasnotobtainable other- which itrelates.SirEldonGorst's narra- interesting wise. The Quranwas in Arabic,a languagetionis framed very much afterthemodel oftheIndian whichevento the Arabswas, in its QuranicAdministration Reports, withthisimportant differ- form, practically unknown ; and theQuranand ence,thatthelatter areseldomavailable untillong theliterature encompassing it couldonlybe com- after theexpiry oftheyearunder review.Hencethe municated to theignorant people bya learned class, Indian reports, through theirbelated appearance, lose which wascareful to preserve itsmonopoly oflearn- much oftheir significanceandinterest. ing; andin thatsensehe spokeofthemullahs as The present report is dated26thMarchlast, priests, notwishing to institute anyclosercom- and its very firstcomments deal withthe parison between the mullahs of the East and assassination of the late Prime Minister, about the priests of theWest. He was glad it had a monthpreviously, so it may be con- beenpointed out thatthe movement in Turkeysidered quiteup-to-date, and'in thisand other owed,practically, nothing to Bahaism.Whathe respects itmay'serve as anexample which many other •had wishedto conveyin thatconnection was British official reports in various partsoftheworld motthat Bahaismhad inspired the revolution woulddowellto emulate.On thesubject of the in Turkey, though he was prepared to showit murder Mr.Roosevelt hasrecently spoken strongly toadgonea considerable waytowards inspiring the andfearlessly : SirEldonGorst's remarks arecouched movement inPersia: he wished to showthatthere inmuch thesamevein. He saysoftheassassin that was, not in Persiaalone,but more or less throughout he was "one of those miserable creatures offeeble theIslamic world, a realspirit ofprogress which, so intellect anddisordered ideas,whoareunconscious faras historical comparisons went, could only be dupes of the greater criminals,whopreach violent likened tothespirit oftheReformation thatexisted methods which theythemselves areafraid to carry in Europe.Thatspirit hadvarious manifestations, intoeffect."Ofthevictim, Boutros GhaliPasha, -oneof the mostmarvellous of whichwas the whofirst entered theMinistry in 1893as Minister of Bahai movement. Another remarkable manifes-Finance, SirEldonremarks that"his deathis an tation, if considered separately, was the politicalirreparable lossto Egypt, andthatit willbe long revolution in Persiaandin Turkey, which hadhad before theKhediveand his country finda more theextraordinary effectofsweeping away the old- devoted, single-minded, and capable servant." «fashioned absolutism, the reliçtof centuries, and During1909thePressLaw, whichhad been substituting in its placethatforwhich peoplehad revised intheearly partoftheyear, wasapplied with beenstriving in theWestforcountless years, viz., great,perhaps toogreat, moderation. Twopapers constitutional government withParliamentary insti- werewarned and one was suppressed, the latter tutions.Howmuch oftheinspiration thathadgiven having beenalready suspended undertheordinary ribetothose great movements political wasduetosome lawbythenative tribunals,anditseditor sentenced particular source ormanwasa mootquestion.His to twelve months' imprisonment. Another editor :greatobject onthepresent occasion wastoshow from was sentenced to threemonths' imprisonment for •thepoint of view of a recent travellerhow veryeffec- passing scurrilous libels on the late Boutros Pasha tivethose various eruptive forces were, andhowinti- andanother highnativeofficial.Thesewarnings, mately one must be connected with the other. The however, have not been enoughto prevent the remark which hadbeenmadethatPersia couldbest extreme Nationalist journalsfromattacking the makeprogress under thenewrégime bygetting along authorities withvirulence andcontempt, andunless wellwith herneighbours, raised anenormous question.thisattitude is definitelyabandoned it willbtcome While thatadvice sounded ideal,hewassorry tohave necessary, so Sir Eldonsignificantly remarks, to -tosaythathisfeeling was,after twelve months' resi- applythePressLawwithgreat-er severitythanhere- dencein Persia,thatit wasalmost as difficult for tofore. a country likePersiatogetonwell,atanyratewith Thecotton crop,inspite ofa goodNileandfavour- oneofitsneighbours, under present circumstances, ableweather, has beenmuchbelowtheaverage of as fora lambtogetonwith a wolf. recentyears. High prices have.to some extentcom- pensated forthefalling offoftheyield, but,never- On themotion of the Chairman,a voteof theless, theresult comesas a great disappointment thanks wasaccorded to Mr.Templeforhispaper, to thosewhohadhopedforsomeimprovement of andthemeeting terminated. thefinancial position sincethecrisisof 1907. The