.... n, .......... Botee of ShOfJh1 Etteztdi t • wC4"4a taken by !III!I at the d:1xmer table in the Pil8rim Bouse in Ba1ta, April 22Jld to ~ 12th, 1m. --
1937, JIll' lMt awning in BUra, I asked Shosh1 Mtendl at the d1lmer table What meaeaea he would wteh lII9 to oonvey to the trienda in America. lJs replied that he had been tMnk1"& about tbe Temple and how the JIIOIley could 'be ralaed tor Ita oOlllpletlon. lJs said in part: 'l'lJe Am9rloan frJ,en4e have a twotold task (Jf promoting tirst teaching, and seoClDd the oompletion ot the Temple ol"ll.lU18ntatlon, the &even year plan to the end ot the first oentul7. It the1 cooperate and persevere they will succeed. Mr. Schopflooher has ottered $100,000 ~ the 1'8lII\1n1 ns BZ001mt would be $30,000 per year tor the &even years. It Is very- easy to aoh1eve this it the friends persevere and cooperate. Two more units are needed. by Will suoceed if ooo,eratlon Is sueta1ned to the end, and the teachins work must not sutter. :Before the end of the f1rst century, they must establ1sh at least a group in eV8l7 !It&te, and if a gl"oup 1a not possible, then one residential believer, not only in every- etate and province in America, but 1n every republic in the Jimerican continent, ADd the e1ght Islmlds ot Hawa11. A residentlal believer on each Island. 1s a pe.rt of tm World PlIm.. Every- nation in the Baha'I world must direct 1ts attent10n to the neighboriDS cOll8!ltr1es. In every- countl7 1t 1s poss1ble to teach the Cause. It you know how to teach, you can find a few receptive souls. ~ 12, 1931, Just before sailing from. Haifa, Shoghi EffendI sent for D8. His first wards .,re in part: Tlle AmerIcans have a twofold task, an:Q' e1ght years remain and the t1llB 1s short. They must make a treD8ndous eftort in teaching and a treD8ndous eftort to finish the second am third units of the Temple by the end of the first oentUI7 and the inaugurat10n of the second centul7. It is now twenty-fIve years since the Master laid the corner stone, and It will be thirty-two yeare In erectIng. More than that would be detr1mntal to the friends. By the end of tile tirat century they wst be throush with the O1"DI!IZDImtatlan, pa;rtloular~ &I this will enable the fr1eXlda in Perea to &W"t the third Temple. The Mister la1d the cOl'D&r stcme in Chicago before there 1188 a plan and the Persian friends can do tlle eaue. The Master said that anotmr Temple could not be built until the one iná Chlcaso was oompleted. The fol.lmflng 1 have classified under mad1n8B. ADMlNIS'mATION tAbd')1tl_Balla stressed the spiritual Bide of the Nineteen ~ Feast, but not the adminIstrat1ve side. Now we stress the admInistrative Bide. ~re is nothing in the teach1n8e that the Nineteen Ds;r Feast should be held on the first day of the Baha'i month. It is only the oustcm. Glve freedom in nan-esBentials. In essentials unlty; in non-essent1als divers1ty and in all things charIty. The Local Assembly should intervene wmn the Cause suffers. In pure:Q' adm1n1strat1ve matters, If a voting Dember disobeys the Spiritual Assembly, be ceases to be a voting member. Saaet:1llles it is very- difficult to ~ what constitutes leg»lat1on and wmt constItutes interpretation. Local Asaembl1es will become local govel'lll!ents. Natlonal AssemblieS, national governlIi!mts. The institution of the InternatIonal lbuse of Justice and the Guardianship have different revenues. The Master and Beha'u'llah have both stated that each have their speoific revenues. The Baha'Is are free to offer en.d..o'alDfmts to the Loc&\ lil.t1cma1, or International, oondit1onal, or uncondit1onal. The Nat1ona1 can appeal to the lJ>.t.r.rlaUonal House of JuStice. We 1II18t discourage labeled contrlbutlons. • Baha'is are free to gi'ge all their property to non-Baha'is. The Baha'l. JllUBt malIB their Wills by the Law ot Baha'uá1l8h. If no Will 1s left, then the property lIILl.8t be divided acoording to theáLaw ot ~ 'u 'llah. Dlvorce, althoush parmi.slble is highly d1scouraee<l. The Assembly should solve such cases, and then tbey should obey, ed if not they lIILlBt cease to be voting Beha t lll. TlIey should first not 11 ve toseth8r tar 0l'l8 yee:r. Soold.Dg 1s not as serious . . cU'YOI"Ce. The Baha'i constitution is not an ~rica.n const1tution. It 1e a Baha'i conatitution, as 'Abdu'l-Bala said the 118bt tram the East would go to the Weet. 'Abdu'l-Baha wrote in the Tablets of the D1v1l:le Plan, "The continent of ~r1ca 1s the land where the li8hts of the Fa1 th w111 first be revealed, the continent where the lIVster1es of Hie Faith shall be unveiled." The Fa1th was born in the East and the child ushered in in t!le West. The Fe,1th now has a child (administration) and the World Order 1s the b~J::át..'l of civillzation. The term World Order was first mentioned 'by the Bab in the B~a.::l and Baha'u'llah used the aame term in Perdan. Allmad Sohrab disassociated the Writings of Baha'u'llah fro~ the Wo~ld Order. The religious institutions are trembling because they were not established by the Founders. On tmse ruins will be established the Baha'i institution which is established by the F01.Dlder. We must not be provocative nor be too submissive. Ventilate our feelings with franlaless and moderation. The tone lIDlst be moderate and we lIDlst be very frank with friendliness. F1rDIDess and at the same time f'rankness can be combined. To be brave is different from being cautious. Over cautiousness is a defect. We must ponder before we take action. Audacity in teaching but net in applying the principles of administration. We must be absolutely loyal to the administrative principles. It is difficult because it involves personalities. Spiritual principles do not involve personalities. The reason why women cannot be members of the House of Justice will be revealed to us in the future. The Master has said in a Tablet it will ~come as clear as the sun. SClllet1Ioos we cannot find the reason for things, but it 1e a challense to our faith itself. A revelation implies a Wisdom which transcends the human mind. When once the Institution begins to function, the personal 1e not 1mportant. It is the Institution itself which is important. The deta1ls of the :Baba'i Revelation are left to the Bouse of Justice. Those who deliberatsly violate a BalIa'i law cease to be voting Bala'is. In Persia the leaders are very weak and the masses are very strong. The 'lrustees and the National Assembly in /\marica are the same. Those who disregard the wishes of the National Assembly cease to be voting believers. An adm1n1strative principle C8llnot be compromised. If anyone disobeys an Assembly he ceases to be a voting member if he ms been repeatedly warned. The Bahatis must ask to be g1ven 6dm1nistrative pOSitiOns, that is, secon~ posts and prove their ability to administrate. BAlJA'IFAITH The Baha'i Faith is more than a religion. It is a civilization. It is not a restatement. It 1s a civilization which will blend East and West. The past faiths could not establlsh a civilization. "110 cannot compare it to previous religions and World Order is mother word for civilization. God's plan for lnmnn1 ty in this revelation is fully unfolded. It was only partially unfolded in the past. •Abdu 'l-Baha once said in case he should leave Haifa, He would go to the Far East. The Guardian said in regard to a Ja.panese Buddhist priest that m could not be a Baha'i and remain a pr1est, that he should I18ke every effort to find other means of livelihood, even though it were lees lOOney, and that it should be explained to hl:m.: Baha1u'llah is the Bearer of a New Revelation which abrosatee the old; the Founder of a New D1spensation. We have our own laws. We must not be JXembers of 8.l'lḥ organizations, but we must cooperate with all provided cooperation doss not imply acceptance. We lIDlst do just what others do who enter our meetings, reciprocate like people who address Baha'i meetings. We lIDlst I18ke distimtion betwen association and affiliation. Our faith abrosates tm laws of previous revelations, therefore we cannot be members of other organizations. The Babo.'1 Faith ill more than & religion because it has lnatltutiane eetabliahed by the Founder of the Faith w~ch makes it a civilization. The Klngdam of God 111 thill World Order of Bahalu'll&h. When it is establlahed the prayer, "nw- K1.nedtm came," will be fulfilled. On the ninth day of Ridvan :Bah& IU Ill&h wall jo1Iled by ilis family in the garden and they left on the tllelfth day for Constantinople. The first day He arrived in the garden. The eovertlm3nt 0W!lS the garden and the hospltal which is on the grolmds, but the :Babe. , Is a~ allowed by the gutelfiiibnt to meet there. It was a four months journey fram Bagdad to Constantinople. ~ NI.aster \'8S the perfect Be.bI. 11. He was the perfect mirror. :sa was a human be ing WlnCil.'il.E1 perfect yet hUDml. He had the attributes of the prophet, but not hls rank. 'I.be.t 1s why :sa 1s a lI\Ystery. He Is all-mowing, and yet not a prophet. 'I~ 1ve photographs of Be.ha' u Ille.h were dlstributed by Him in Adrianople. The Master's phc;togt"aph is quite different fram that of Be.ha IU 'lab, or the Be.b, which 1IIU.st not be exposed, but friends could own them. The Cause is so much above personalities. It will survive all attacks. It Is providential Sohrab left the Cause. In a DVsterious wa;y these things help the Cause. Mrs. Clmldler is h;ypnotized by him. He DBy have been sincere but has lost his faith. 'l'be enemies in Palestine are the Muslims, Christians and Mnbe.nmatl 'Ali's party. It 1s only the beginning of the opposition of the church. 'Ibis opposition will gradually 1ncree.ae and spreai to the church in Engle.nd and afterwards ,,111 affect the Catholics and w:l.ll bring the downfall of the Pope. The religiOUS opposi tlon Is shifting to the West. In t~ West, starting wlth the religious leaders, there Is an increasing oppositlon of the church, and later on of the State. As soon as it is realized that the Baha'ls are farming a State within a State, they will misinterpretal our motives. Be confident tllat whatever happens will eventually be far the good of the Cause. The Be.ha' i8 must be very \\Q11 informed. The;, must read the books of the enemies, as well as the Be.ha'i books, and be prepared to :refute arguments. The cha11eng:l wll1 be intellectual. What the Cause requires ls ~severance. The Bab was like the SUII at the vernal equinox - the spring. Be.he.'u'llah was like the Slm in the sign of Leo - the middle summer. The Light of the Cause is different from the Splendour of the Dlspenee.tion. In the house of Abboud, inAkka, Baha'u'lle.h lived for eight years. 'Abdu'l-Be.be., before His mrr1e.ge, occupied a room next to Babe. 'u 11le.h's with twelve other persons. It was in the roam in this house that Be.ha' u 'llah revealed the Aqde.s. We must not imitate the missionaries in our clmlting or singing, but mlm 1t something new. We must not imitate under ~ circumstances the Christians. Be original. In the East there is extreue fundamentalism. In the West extreme liberalism. F8ne.tism in the East and heresy in the West. Heresy is extreme liberalism or extreme orthodoxy. Tm Master said that Prof. EdltlU"d G. Browne would realize before his death his mistake. (~ being influenced by the Ezelis) Nicolai believed that the Bab was a prophet of God. Both Gob1neau and lTicolai believed that Be.ha.'u'llah usurped the Bab's place. ,Oob1neau did not change but Nicolai has realized that the Baha lie are the friends of the Bab. '!he enemies of the Cause had very pa.erf'ul subtle influence on people. In three hundred years there lIere twelve g:lnerat1ons of Be.he.'u '11ah' s family. Be 1f88 fran Abraham, one of his sons who migrated to Central Asia and eetablished h1lIIself in Kare.san. He was neither IsI!Be1 nar Isaac. He 1s also fram Jesse, the son of David who 1s fran Iee.e.c. The Master's pho~ should be circule.ted amongst the believers. Baha'u'llah should live in th!t m.1nde of the believers rather than for them to see a photograph. Tllen there 1e alwars the fear of worsh1pin6 the photopph. Baha'iS must COlU'entrate on th!t eiir1t and not on the form. Even the Master UMd to refer to H1mself &8 the Channal. 'l'HB FUTURE After the world war tb&re will be a reactIon in faTOl' of the Cause but the whole world will not become 1mIIIediate:q Babah. This is the caning or &8' of this planet. Just as America was discovered, so other planets ma;y be discovered, and in conJunction with them we ma;y becane a member of a greater entity. After the next war the United States will unite with other nations. Wilson was ahead of his ase. & brousht vision. The 1mDBd1ate future in Japan is very dark. Japan is going to suffer. The time is not now tor great head~. The Pacific Will beCOD:e a great storm center in the caning war - great suffering. What we require in Japan is the recognition of Baha'u'11ab and of His Station. Baha'is should be very careful in their investments. All will be affected. The future is very dark. Consult experts in inves_nts. The whole world Will be involved. We know two things, that the suffering will be intense, and all will be involved. The last war was the great war. The next will be the greatest war. The last was onl3" a prelude to the next. A greater war will be required to give birth to a true League of Nations. If wa can remain in a 1'~ign country during the war, that is, if we have money enoush to do so, we should remain. 'Blere will be a tremndous reaction afterwards. The !saser Peace will be of non-Bahs.tle. The Greater Peace is re1'erred to in the Tablet to Queen Victoria. As the Cause develops, the governments will embrace the Cause and embrace peace. The greater war w111 end war. The Baha'is must be loyal to their gOTernments, and if the government s8i1s to keep Silent on peace, as in Gel"!ll8.IW, they must keep silent There i8 a decline in morality allover the world, especial~ in Persia. In Japan there is a certain quality of character which restrains them. In the meantime the Baha'iS must not 1'ollow with the current. 'lhis decline is providential. It must set in in order that the people will learn through bitter experience. It is a preparation for the Cause. God has offered the Cause to mankind for a hundred years. In the "Hidden Words" it eays, "A great caJ.am1ty followeth you and a great retribution awaiteth you." Asked i t he considered it wise to invest in real estate: On tm whole it is much wiser to invest in real estate remote from the centers of population that bcmbs ma;y not fall. The friends must not be misled by temporary prosperity for the crash will come later.
GENERAL 'roPICS SocrateM himself' got his phil08oph;y from the Jewish scholars. The Master said so. li!l was eventually poisoned as his ideas were ahead of his time. We must remember what the Jews were before Moses and what they beCaIre. They were robbers. Arabic beautifies and enriches the Persian language. 'Abdu'l-Babe. called them milk and honey,
The Summer Schools should invite non-Baha'is. It is a place of association as well as study. The Bosches have rendered great service to the Cause. The spirit which animates them is the greatest. They have surrendered their will and all to the Cause. Whatever lie offer to the Cause, we should cease to oppose the will of the Spiritual Assemb~. Green Acre is not as prosperous as other S\lIIIIIZIr Schools. If the whole property should bsCOIle National property it would solve the problem. SOOgbi Effendi said that dghty per oent of his t:!me 1s devoted to correspomenoe and. eishty per cent of that to indIviduals. In Persia there are 600 localities 8.tId the Cause is established in forty-three oountries in the world (1931). Three k1nds of cor- CZNERAL TOPICS (Con.) resp0n4ence: local Aseemblies, 1Jl~iv1duals and National Aseemblies. There are so mBZli1 problems now tbat he has not t1lze enough for them all. At present India is politioally minded like Pers1a. Canf"uOiUB was not only a philosopher, but a saintly man, and any person who has saintly attributes, their attributes will remain. Ninety per cent of the scholars have said that Buddha. was not a prophet. Hinduism and Buddhism are the only existlns true religions of the Far East. Baba'u'llah has sald no thins about the p1.mishl:!ent of the child. The Ibuse of Justice will have to decide that in the future. Refrain from severe punishment, but to SOlm extent ptmishment ie required, though not necessarily bodily punislumnt. Severe ptmishment pa.re.lizee the faculty of the child. Discipline though is necessary. Society cannot function without the princIple of punishment and re.ard given by Baha'u'llah in Bis Tablets. Discipline always implies punisllment and reward. Justice depends on punishment and reward. Encourasement is not sufficient. Encourasement without punishment spoils the child, and punishment without encouragement ldlls inItiative. Keep the balance between the two. Mlch depends upon the child and the envirorment, etc. '!'be mother should be active .tnetil.l1llg Baha'i pr1nQ1ples in the child and W!U'rl it from following the standards of fellow students. Teach the chlld truth before eveI7thing. Truth is the foundation of faith. Christian Soience and other movements may be steppins stones, but that does not mean the founders are instruments of God. The greater movements are diSinte8l"atins and the people eeek these movements. They think they believe in truth, but it is 1lIag1na.tian. Many of these movements are tainted by pol1tics. They are likB the teachings of the ohurch whioh have no relation to Jeeue. Christian Scientists are sincere but misled. What the Catholics, Christian Scientists and Theosophists teach are superstitIons. Other worlds are the phfasical universe or the spiritual realm. There are remarkable teachings in "Gleanings I about both the pl:\Yslcal and the spiritual world. Sir Oliver Lodse is ahead of the aCientists, but he will never be able to analyze or reveal the spiritual world. Moat of men's visions are pure euperstition or fancy.
In the third volume of 'Abdu'l-:Baha.'s Tablets in Persian, printed in Egypt, the Master states that the birth of Jesus was extraordinary. 53 explains first what has been the usual way, the germ in 1lBl'l, but states that as to Christ l,e was born from the Spirit of God through a breath of Bis Spirit in an extraordinary manner different from the way whioh is the 1.miversaliy mown rule. (Translatins from the Persian Tablet.) "Christ, the Spirit of God, was born through a breath of Bis Spirit in an extraordinary nanner." Every revelation has its ~steries. Zoroaster conversed with the Jewish prophets one thousand years before Christ. 53 lived at the t1lze of the Jewiehprophets who were not endo'l\ed with constancy. The Sabean religion existed before Abraham. Abraham appeared among the Sabeans just as Jesus appeared among the Jews. In the Qur'an Zoroaster is mentiomd but not by name, - Rass. Prof. Jackson is the leading authority on Zoroaster. The greatest of all inheritance is that of prophethood. Not only the male but the eldest son.
lAWS ~ person considering to becaDe a believer must make up his m1l1d to give up drink. Baba'u'llah sa;ys, "do not approach it," that is, you must not drink it. A believer is expeoted to aocept the law of Baha'u'lla.h without questionins. 'I.e have no perfect Baha.'is. Only the M!.ster was perfect. A Baha'i is a person who accepts the law with ent1rety. ihe Jews were fanatically attach8d to the Sabbat;h and the laws of Moses, but IAWS (Con.) Christ did not compromise. He we.s very severe. It is a question of having implicit faith in the wisdom of the Manifestation end accepting all that He reveals. The teachings themselves are the standard of justice. In Gl., page 175, "All that are in heaven, " refers to the spirits who have ascended. I f the woman is not given the right to divorce, it is not equality of men end women and there fore it would not be according to Babe.' i law. Obligatory pr~er orig1na.ted in Islam. "Strengthen "l!J3 hand", means help us from acting dishonest~. The law of God is sustained by two pillars, ~r end fasting. Marriage without the consent of the parents does not promote unity, and there is also another reason w~ it is not permitted. The Ba.ha.' i Revelation is to promote un! ty. SlOOking is highly discoura.ged but not prohibited. In Gle page 175, "His laws" is the House of Justice which will be on Mt. Carmel. In the "Tablet of the World" on page 23, "\'lhat fear ye, - whom are ye a.fra.id of." Fa.1th is a great gift of God. Cbara.cter and faith are different but both are necessary. They are ccmpl1menta.ry. Men may have faith in God, end yet not have cbara.cter. A Ba.ha.' i is a person who feels the necessity to give up a habit. He must make en effort. Not to drink is a conSCientious obligation which is left to the individual. It is breaking a law to drink. \\e must not make a compromise. Balla' is must prove by their action that their religion is alive. The adherence of Baha'is to their laws has great influence. Character and adhering to the laws of Ba.ha. 'u' lJ,ah is different, that is, fai th is different from character. Same of the Bab's laws were severe as the Bab wished to bring the Mus11llls from their old beliefs. The laws of the Aqda.s cannot be abrogated, at least for 1000 years. bra is no rigidity except with the laws which Ba.ha.'u'lla.h has already revealed, that is, p~r, fasting, nonalcohol and the consent of tile parents in marriage. There are three classes of laws in the Aqdas. First, soc1aJ. crime, such as bigamy; second, spiritual obligation; third, advice, such as smoking. Alcohol 19 alcohol whether in cooking or drinking, end the Ba.ha' is shOl1l.d know this. Speaking of wine in more thB.n one Tablet Ba.ha 'u 'lla.h has said, "Do not approach it." (Shoghl Effendi said he had the originals of these Tablets.) Woman particuar~ should refrain from wine. They should go to parties end enjoy the rest. ~ not write to the hoste ss and s~, ''we are not dr1nk1ng wine." We DI11St not be a.sha.ned. One extreme is to stay a.way end the other extreme is to drink. Be frank, reasonable and brave. It often happens that what to us appears to be an embarrassing situation turns out to be to the a.4vanta.ge to the Cause. Timidi ty is en evidence of la.ck of faith. I f faith is strong o~ is full of courage end e,udac1ty. Association is a fundamental. principle of the Cause, as it is in the words of 13a.ba'u'lla.h, "Consort ye with all people with joy and fl'agrence." Association does not imp~ affiliation. We must not collaborate with them. We associate ourselves but we do not accept membership.
PALESTINE Palestine is the heart of the world, the meting place of tllree continents. No country in the world has such a unique pla.ce as the met~ place of three continents; Ablca, Asia 8nd Europe. Ono million pounds has been spent on Haifa Port. Jerusalem is the religiOUS center in Palostine end Haifa the oomme:roial port. Formerly Jaffa was the leading port but now Haifa has taken its plaoe. The posit1on of Haifa is muoh more favorable then Jaffa. Haifa wUl be tm tel1!linus of a railroad line whioh will follow along the pipe l1J:le to Persial through M~lstan to Caloqtta. Anothel' line 1dll run from. &1fa to Cairo, and to the Sudan, and from there 1"\ will be extended to Centorsl Africa and to Capetown. BUESTINE (Con.)
We want tat National Assemblies to own land in Palestine and this must be done by es. tabl1sh1n8 branCatS in Haifa. In tble _ will have all tm National Assemblies own1n8 l.a.t!J. rure in Haifa and. in AlIka. Also in Persia tmy will own land.
'Abdu'l-Baba said that always from the beg1tm1ng until now it ha.s been the case that tbe Lisht of God haa been 13hed tJ;tom. the East to tlle West. Ib referred to tat Cbristien Dispensation whioh was shed from the East, but was more pow&rful in tlle West. b administrative center always shifted from the East to tlle West. In Ws Cause the sp1ritual and administrative center will always be here in Palestine. 'lhe Christian center shifted at last to Reme, and the Muslim from Meooa to Med1na, ~cus, :Bagdad, E8YPt, and then Constantinople. The Ibbrew Ullversity in Jerusalem, the lersest Hebrew university in the world, is open to all religions. Prof. Norman Bentwioh of this uni versi ty referred to the Beha'i Faith as the fourth faith in Palestine. (Balla!i World Vol. VI, :pe.a!t 345) Professors have now been forced to ccme from GerIll8.lV, but in the future they w11l com from America and EngJe.nd and the Christians and Arabs will attend. this university. 'Abdu'l-Babe. said that the site of tbe manger in Bethlemm is tm only authentIc Christian site in PalestIne. There are two reasons for visiting Jerusalem. First to see tm ho1y places, and s&Cond to oontrast tmm to those in Hai:f8. and Ba.hji. Jerusalem will be the last stronghold of Christianity. There are very pO\llerful forces now at work there allied with the government. Som of the mm.bers of tm government in Jerusalem. are missionaries. They are first imperialists and then missionaries. '1bt first service for which tm Baha'is should express gratitude for what the British government has done; Gellen! Allenby reoeived an order from Mr. Balfour that wmn tmy entered Haifa, 'Abdu-I'13aba. should be protected. He gave directions to Genera.! Allenby and to tm military offioial in charse, and the first one 1n Haifa that General Allenby called on was 'Abdu-l 'Baha. It surpriSed everyone in Haifa. He asked the Master what He desired. 'Abdu'l-Baha said just one word, to cable Persia that 18 was safe, and it was the military official who sent the oable. Then General Allenby and his wite drove with the Master to Akka, and it was a great surprise. The second servioe was when tm British government establ1smd the faot that the Shrine of Ba.bs.'u'llah was the property of the Baha'is in 1922. Mlhanrofld 'Ali's party had seized the key forcibl:;v' from the gardener at night and for over a year the police were stationed at the Shrine. Then the High Commissioner of Jerusalem reoeived letters and telegrams from all QO'lmtries stating that the Shrine was the property of the Baha'is. The British officer was then ordered by the High Commissioner to deliver the key from tm police to tm same gardener. The third service. Mllb8l!!!!!8d ~Al1 is owner of onesixth of the Mansion through bribery and they hoped to get the rest but failed. They are very W311 off but they would not restore the Mansion. In 'A"bdufl-Ba.ba.'s time, although MIlMlIlI!l8A 'Ali owned one-third of tm ManSion, m lived in it for forty years and 'Abdu 'I_Babe. allo~d him to do it, but now they oannot occupy it. The British government guarantees the place as a sacred place, so it is not onJ.y useless, but a lOBS to Mllbe.mmail 'Ali. The third servioe was that tm British government recognized the place and exempted it from taxation, also all the property in Ha.1i'a.
PERSIA The vast Xlajority of centers in Persia. are villages. 'There are 600 localities and out of these 500 are villages. In the East the reforms are very superficial. They change dress but not their hearts. Bahe,'u'lle.h speaks of cleanliness. The Baha'is of Persia must introdllC6 these th.1nge as baths, etc. PEBSIA (Con.) Baha'u'lle.h's father's house in Ma.zinda.ra.n has not on.ly been restored, but the land adjoining has been bought. When Ia1a.m is separated from the State, then the Baha'is of Persia will reoover their freedom. The Nat ional Assembly will beoome the legal OlVl:ler o'f the Ba.ha.' i property. They will be National End~nts except the house of the Bab. The oondition is very upset in Persia and anything might happen. To sus]?611d all Baha'i aotivities would not humiliate the Cause, but 'for a Baha'i to tell a lie would humiliate it. Baba'u'llah referred to TtlJran as the mother of the world. Neooa. is referred to by MuhallImad as tb:l motb:lr of villages. J:ra.nkness and courase ImlSt be adopted by the Ba.ha.'is in Persia with the government. In the Assemblies tb:l Baha'is must discuss how to win the government. Seoreoy breeds suspioion. Never make any statelOOnt which is against truth. We oannot disobey the Assembly, but an order from an offiCial on behalf of the governmmt must be obeyed before the Assembly. The Persian government is a recogniied governIOOnt. There is no prinoiple, no cooperation in Persia. (Re'ferring to the Baha Ii celOOtery in Tihra.n). It is excellent to have the Jews, Zoroastrians and Muslims all buried in one place. The oondition among the Baha. tis is better in Russia now than in Persia. In a Tablet addressed to the Ba.ha.lis of Korasan, thirty-seven years ago, 'Abdu'l...Baha wrote that AlOOricans would go to Persia and promote trade, aQ:'iculture, o~rce, etc. The llaha. 'i School was closed in Perpia because God wished it to be done. We cannot trust the politicans, prinoipally in Persia. The standard of Beirut University has deolined. Students from Persia should not go to Franoe, and AlOOrica is too far away. They should go to Ge:rma.lV first and England second. Efficienoy and organization are required in Persia. Inertia is the greatest problem. One revolution would be enough to bring Peraia baok. The Master in a Tablet oompared the politioians of Persia to Ashes.
SACRED WRITlN<E The first part of Nabil's Narrative is translated into German and Arabic. Sales Qur'an is most soholarly and Rodwell's most literary. The Gleanings were takBn from about twelve books, scme of which were in manuscript. The "Epistle to the Son of the Wolf" was the last book revealed by Baha 'u 'llah in JI1s room in the Mansion. He passed away in this Sa.m3 room. In the Bab's oommentary of the "Surat of Joseph" there are 112 chapters and each chapter is a oommentary of one verse. The la.st translation of the Iqan is an attempt to approach the 'lUlattaimille God. The Arabas had a culture, that is, a literary culture before MIlba.mmad.. They composed ;pc.e1;ory but could not write. It is the task of the Ba.ha.'is to interpret the Qur'an acoording to the Baha'i Teachings. The "JI1dden Words" are translated and printed in twelve languages. "Persian Hidden WordS", verse 19, "The oomb I have given thee •••• " What I have given you to use as a means of establishing peaoe you have misused. Not the abuse, but the -,. SACRED WRITINGS (Con.) misuing of it. Reltgl.on ms often b&en miSUed by tm leaders of re11gion and "comb" meims religIon, or the Wr1tinSs of Bella 'u 'llah which should be the 1nstrunBnt for the establ1shnlelnt of peace. It is the misinterpretat10n of tm Writings of Ba.ba'u'llah.
THE ~ AlIDTFACHlNG The Master laid two cond1tions on the Temple. It must be circular and have n1l'B sides. The element of sacrifice Vital1zes the contr1bution. It must be alike for the rich and poor. The structure will tmn have much greater spiritual po~r. The l8:reest dome in tm world is that of St. Peters; the second is St. Pauls; third, too cathedral of Seville; fourth, - and tm fifth, the dome of the Temple in W1J..Iootte. $150,000 has been spent for tm dane; $120,000 for the structure; $150}000 for the Ol"tl8lIIentation. The effect of t Abdu 'l-:Baba r s Tablets to the blind in Japan ~ are now beg1n:n1ng to witness. The Braille Committee has been internationally extended. The blind. should be told that the Cause will be the greatest oantort and the words of ISlen Ireller should be quoted, and they should be told what too Baha'iS are doing for the blind, in particular that it 1s intel'lnat10nal in scope. There will be lllf\.lV more blind after the war. A Baha'i teacher must be active in searChing for those who will be spir1tu.aJ.:VIninded, religious, but not orthodox. The method of approach depends on the individual. Do not lose time with those who come out of curiosity or for personal sain. Tbe ideal way is for Baha'is to work one-half of their t1Ine for their living and the other half of tOOir t1Ine give to the Cause. IE lEI! 1()1 1111
Some of the words of Shoghi Effendi to me just before I sailed from JIaifa on ~ 12, 1937. are the following: Stress obedience to the government to the friends. Do not dissipate your energies but concentrate on a few and make them firm. Baha'is. Tbe pcm;,r of faith has great force. It is very mysterious. Japan has a very groeat future. It is very much like Germany, full of vitality and in the future it will be devoted to the Cause. Now it is the transition t1Ine. They need a rude awakening. Tbey must be shaken before they awe,lam. Nationalism and mil1 tarism are all 1nst:ruJmnts which ~d is utilizing for the use of His purpose. This turmoil is a preparation. The coming war will ~ld the nations into a Kingdom. of God. The Baha'is are preparing the W8iY' at present for this great fusion. E1entual~ they will all unite. To teach the Cause is tm paramount duV of t$ friends. Every Baha'i should teach, if not publiCly, then by their actions. The more they teach, the more manifest the confirmations will come. They are suspended be~en earth and heaven, and what is required is a magnet, and that magnet is the actions of too Baharis. Tbey are re~ to descend and it is the deeds of tm Baha'is which will attract as a ~et tmse confirmations which are suspended ready to fall. It is not what ~ aChieve, but the purity of our motives. Tm AIoorica.n Baha'is are now feeling the eIrect of too Divine Pla.n of the Master's Tablets. Like Nab~lls N~tive it was not appreciated at that time. I f you are able to,encourage friends, not o~ to visit Japan, but to settle there. Travelers ~re not able to aohieve Mlat was wanted. I am urging the iWe:rican Baha'iS now to scatter, as the Master did in His Will, to settle and stavr to the end of life and never feel discouraged. C~ asain with Japanese Baba.tis, not only interested, but Baha'is, for I do vu.t the Japanese :Babatis to take actiw share in tm international affairS here in the future when the International House of Justice is farmed. Its seat will be here in Palestim. I hope ~ will have pilgr1ms from Japan. (Referring to two soul.a who had passed on). 'lbere is no doubt that the souls in the other world are in a closer touch than in this world tor the b~ is an obstacle.