Unity among people – brought about due to necessities versus divine unity

We spoke about the inhabitants of Honolulu: that many nationalities are there represented and yet all are in great harmony.

‘Abdu’l-Baha said: "Time and place play a great influence over the conditions; when in a certain place some strangers meet, necessity requires that they should be in harmony; but our purpose is this, that the divine unity and concord may become well established among all the nations, so that they may become as one spirit in different bodies; the drops of one ocean; the fruits of one tree and the rays of the same sun. In America, when the different people united together they were enabled to drive away the English government and establish a new government for themselves. Consider how great is the result of unity and harmony! There has never been any action performed nor any philanthropic deed achieved except through unity and concord; disagreement and dissension have always been the means of evil and corruption." 

(‘Abdu’l-Baha’s words recorded by Mirza Moneer Zaine in Haifa during the pilgrimage of Howard Struven and Charles Mason Remey;  Star of the West, vol. 1, no. 8, August 1, 1910)

Life is made up of crisis and victory

One night he [the Guardian] said that we would be completely cut off from the Guardian...and I thought he meant war! Then again he said that 1957 mentioned in the New Era was not referring to a world event, but a major crisis in the Cause itself...and this I did not understand...not until November 5, 1957!  He said that all life was made up of crisis and victory--crisis and victory.  Then with the sweetest smile he said, "Do not forget, without the crisis, you do not have the Victory". 

(Excerpt from Pilgrimage Notes of Laura R Davis, shared with Velma Sherrill by Margery McCormick, December 1958)

Points, Letters, Words, Verses, and Book

A completely isolated Baha’i is a Point. Around the Point forms a group, the Letters. The organized assembly is the Word. The NSA is a Verse made up of Words. The International House of Justice is a Book made up of Verses. 

(Words of Shoghi Effendi, recorded by Allan Raynor during his pilgrimage in 1956)

Self-discipline, soul, reason, and one’s actions

Moral life consists in the government of one’s self. Immortality is government of a human soul by the Divine Will.

The soul is the Sanctuary of God; Reason is His Throne.

Our actions reveal what we are, no matter what the tongue speaks. 

(Words of ‘Abdu’l-Baha, recorded by Julia Grundy during her pilgrimage in early 1900; ‘Ten Days in the Light of Acca’, Baha’i Publishing Society, Chicago, 1907) 

The household of ‘Abdu’l-Baha in Akka – described by American pilgrim Mary Lucas

Monday afternoon, Ruha and Munavar Khanum [two of ‘Abdu’l-Baha’s daughters) came to my room and told me the ladies of the household would call upon me after sunset. So the Greatest Holy Leaf (the Master’s sister) and the Holy Mother (the Master’s wife), Ruha and Munavar Khanum, came to my room. I gave them presents sent from America, and delivered to Ruha Khanum many supplications for the Master, from Americans.

Monday night I spent with the ladies in the large sitting room. They asked me to sing for them, and I sang many things. They requested the hymn, “Nearer, My God, to Thee.” While I was in Egypt I learned from one of the Persian believers a Tablet in Arabic, and also learned to chant it. The members of the household were much pleased when I chanted it for them. This was Monday night, Jan. 30, 1905, my second and last night, I thought, in this sacred and spiritual atmosphere — as the Master had said I could come for two nights.

Tenderness and attention shown by ‘Abdu’l-Baha towards little children

It is beautiful to see the Master with the little children and observe his consideration for their childish troubles. One morning his tiny grand-daughter, about two years old, was talking to the Master in the most serious way, telling him with expressive gesticulations her difficulty. Something had gone crosswise with her. The Master without a smile listened most attentively. This was a great lesson. When we consider what the Master has to bear — a man of ordinary strength could not endure it one hour — yet when a little child comes and confides in him her trouble, how tender, how loving he is! How forgetful of self!

Shall I ever forget the heavenly smile and love expressed in that beautiful face when this tiny maiden was chanting for him a Tablet! Every now and then she would forget a word, and he would gently chant it for her, while he drank his tea, seated in the corner of the divan. How the little children love him!

(Mary L. Lucas, ‘A Brief Account of My Visit to Acca’, published by Chicago Baha'i Publishing Society in 1905)

How to become free from material attachments

Question: How must we cut our hearts from the World?

‘Abdu’l-Baha said:

“The hearts that are directed towards God, the love that burns in them, that love will separate them from all other things; that love will be the wall that will come between them and every other desire”

“The nearer to God the farther from the world; the nearer to the fire, the farther from the cold; the nearer to life, the farther from death. This is the balance, this is the balance!”

(Words of ‘Abdu’l-Baha, recorded by Anne Apperson Flint, February 1899, Akka)

Condition of hypocritical people

Then He ['Abdu'l-Baha] spoke about the Italians, saying that at the time of the Romans they were famous for their knowledge and virtues but now their character seems to have declined like the Greeks. And similarly the Egyptians. He said:

“During the last days of our stay in Egypt, we went to Tanta for the repair of the tomb of Hájí Abu'l Qásim and from there went to Mansurih. In Tanta one of the English officials was our friend, who held us in great honor and showed us great respect everywhere. Observing this, the natives were more respectful and polite to us than even to the said officer, and throughout the town, everyone, young and old, even the policemen in the street, saluted us. But, at another time when we went alone to Mansurih, because the people did not observe outward riches, they did not pay any attention to us. This is the condition of hypocritical people who only look to outward appearances.” 

(‘Abdu’l-Baha, aboard S. S. Cedric, quoted by Mírzá Mahmúd-i-Zarqání in ‘Muhmud’s Diary’)

No ‘earthbound’ souls

Question: Are there "earthbound" souls who try to have, and do have, an influence over people, sometimes taking entire possession of their wills?

'Abdu'l-Baha answered, "There are no earthbound souls. When the souls that are not good die, they go entirely away from this earth and so cannot influence anyone. They are spiritually dead. Their thoughts can have influence only while they are alive on the earth. Caiaphas had great influence during his life, but as soon as he died, his influence ceased. It was of this kind that Christ said, 'Let the dead bury their dead.'” 

(From a table talk by ‘Abdu’l-Baha, ‘Daily Lessons Received at Akka January 1908”, by Helen Goodall and Ella Goodall Cooper)

Source of evil thoughts

Question: What is the source of evil thoughts that disturb those who do not wish to entertain them?

Answer [by 'Abdu'l-Baha]: “They come from other minds; they are reflected. One should not become a mirror for them - to reflect them; neither should one try to control them, for this is impossible; it only aggravates the difficulty, causing more to appear.

One should constantly turn the mirror of his heart squarely toward God so that the Light of the Sun of Truth may be reflected there.

This is the only cure for attacks of evil thoughts. The face of the mirror should be turned toward God, and the back of the mirror toward the evil thoughts.” 

(From a table talk by ‘Abdu’l-Baha, ‘Daily Lessons Received at Akka January 1908”, by Helen Goodall and Ella Goodall Cooper)

The significance of twin things in the Cause

I remember the time I was in the presence of Shoghi Effendi when he spoke about the significance of twin things [1] in the Cause. In fact, he sent a cable about this to the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of the British Isles. In this cable, he told us about the significance of twin occurrences in this Cause. He told the Assembly that we have twin cities – holy cities -'Akka and Haifa; twin houses - the House of Shiraz and the House of Baghdad; twin Manifestations - the Manifestation of the Bab and that of Baha'u'llah. He continued, telling us everything is twin: twin festivals- the birthday of the Bab and that of Baha'u'llah; twin monuments - of the brother and mother of 'Abdu'l-Baha. During this time I was in his presence, the beloved Guardian was so exhilarated and happy. It gave me the courage to mention to him that we have two gardens: the garden of Ridvan and the garden of Firdaws. Then, the beloved Shoghi Effendi smiled and said, "You've noted that, but you have forgotten to say twin vistas: the view of the sea and the view of the mountain." After explaining these things, he paused and looked at me deeply and said, "In the Cause of God everything is twin." I have no doubt that he meant two Manifestations and two Interpreters: The Bab and Baha'u'llah, the two Manifestations of God; and 'Abdu'l-Baha and the beloved Shoghi Effendi, the two Interpreters.

(Hand of the Cause Dhikru’llah Khadem, ‘The Vision of Shoghi Effendi’, Proceedings of the Association for Baha'i Studies, Ninth Annual Conference, November 2-4, 1984, Ottawa, Canada)

[1] Shoghi Effendi, Messages to the Bahai' World 1950-1957: "Greatly enhanced international endowments in Holy Land in twin cities of Acre and Haifa, now include twin Holy Shrines situated on plain of Acre and slope of Mount Carmel; twin Mansions of Bahji and Mazra'ih, twin historic Houses inhabited by Baha'u'llah and ‘Abdu’l-Baha; twin International Archives adjoining the Bab's Sepulcher and the resting-place of the Greatest Holy Leaf; twin Pilgrim Houses, constructed for Oriental and Occidental pilgrims; twin Gardens of Ridvan and Firdaws, associated with the memory of the Author of the Baha'i Dispensation."

One of the effects of the revelation of Tablets on Bahá'u'lláh

It has been said that one of the effects of the revelation of Tablets on Bahá'u'lláh was that He would remain for some time after in a state of excitement and, as a result, would be unable to eat. 

(Adib Taherzadeh, The Revelation of Baha'u'llah vol. 1)

Being in the presence of Baha’u’llah at the time of revelation

It was during one of his visits to 'Akká that Haji Mirza Haydar-'Ali was allowed to enter the presence of Bahá'u'lláh at the time of revelation. He has left to posterity the following brief account of that memorable occasion: 

...When permission was granted and the curtain was withdrawn, I entered the room where the King of kings and the Ruler of this world and the next, nay rather the Ruler of all the worlds of God, was with great authority seated on His couch. The verses of God were being revealed and the words streamed forth as in a copious rain. Methought the door, the wall, the carpet, the ceiling, the floor and the air were all perfumed and illumined. They all had been transformed, each and every one, into ears and were filled with a spirit of joy and ecstasy. Each object had become refreshed and was pulsating with life... To which worlds I was transported and in what state I was, no one who has not experienced such as this can ever know. 

(Adib Taherzadeh, ‘The Revelation of Baha'u'llah vol. 1)

The spread of the Cause

In the afternoon ‘Abdu’l-Baha met some of the friends who had called at the San Francisco house, but it was not until evening that He met the entire assembly at the Baha'i headquarters in the Lick Building. After expressing His happiness at finding Himself in such a well organized assembly in the distant West, He compared the spread of the Cause to the growth of early Christianity and spoke of the small number of Baha'is at the time of the exile from Persia. There were thirty stages on the way from Tihran to Baghdad, He said, and in those thirty stages they did not find one Baha'i, and yet now in each one of them there are great numbers of Baha'i friends. Despite the fact that the governments of Persia and Turkey united in tyranny and oppression to extinguish the lamp of God, yet its radiance extended throughout the world, even as far as San Francisco, half way around the world from Its birthplace. He exhorted the believers, few though they might be, to strive day and night to give forth the summons of God, inviting the souls to the Kingdom; otherwise God would create those who would hoist the standard and conquer the cities of the hearts. These meetings were for the Baha'is and were quite informal.

(Ella Cooper, unpublished manuscript, October 4, 1912)

Fujita joined ‘Abdu’l-Baha’s entourage in Chicago

One who came with ‘Abdu’l-Baha from Chicago was Haritsu S. Fujita, a young Japanese who had received the Message while working as "school boy" in the home of Mrs. Kathryn Frankland in Fruitvale, California. Afterward he had gone to Chicago to study and was living with the family of Mrs. Corinne True. ‘Abdu’l-Baha, as He passed through Chicago, asked Fujita to join His retinue. 
(Ella Cooper, unpublished manuscript)

Resurrection of Jesus Christ

'Abdu'l-Baha said: 

Jesus Christ had two bodies -- one spiritual and one material.

The material body is of no importance; it changes and changes and changes always. An old person's body is not the same, as that of the same individual when young.

The visible world does nothing but change, and change leads to annihilation.

We must be sure that when the soul of man leaves his body, it never returns to that body again.

In the Gospel record, when Jesus Christ was crucified and ascended, Mary Magdalene and the other disciples had fallen into such a state of excitement and agitation, that during three days the cause of God was annihilated for them. After three days their agitation having abated, they realised that the cause of Jesus Christ, and His teaching was everlasting in the world. The disciples would not at first write to the other believers openly that Jesus was crucified till Mary Magdalene said to them what does it matter; His soul is with us. When Jesus was crucified, some said "His religion is annihilated and gone." Mary Magdalene said "Matter is gone, and flesh -- but the soul of the religion is forever."