The Unfolding Destiny of the British Bahai Community Part 118

4 October 1950

We must never take one sentence in the Teachings and isolate it from the rest: it does not mean we must not love, but we must reach a spiritual plane where G.o.d comes first and great human pa.s.sions are unable to turn us away from Him. All the time we see people who either through the force of hate or the pa.s.sionate attachment they have to another person, sacrifice principle or bar themselves from the Path of G.o.d.

We know absence of light is darkness, but no one would a.s.sert darkness was not a fact. It exists even though it is only the absence of something else. So evil exists too, and we cannot close our eyes to it, even though it is a negative existence. We must seek to supplant it by good, and if we see an evil person is not influenceable by us, then we should shun his company for it is unhealthy.

We must love G.o.d, and in this state a general love for all men becomes possible. We cannot love each human being for himself, but our feeling towards humanity should be motivated by our love for the Father who created all men.

The Baha'i Faith teaches man was always potentially man, even when pa.s.sing through lower stages of evolution. Because he has more powers, and subtler powers than the animal, when he turns towards evil he becomes more vicious than an animal because of these very powers.

Many Theosophists accept Baha'u'llah as a Prophet, but we have no special relation to theosophy. It would seem that the Master had some special reason for not mentioning Baha'u'llah specifically in His talk to the Theosophists in Budapest. What it was we do not know, but we can a.s.sume His great tact and wisdom impelled Him not to on that occasion.

Letter of 20 October 1950

20 October 1950

He (the Guardian) feels that in as far as possible the African pioneers should seek to get a job which will take them to one of the countries chosen and ensure employment for them there. It does not seem wise or necessary for a Baha'i to stress the fact he or she is going to teach. A person's religion is their own business, and they can talk about it privately as much as they like without neglecting their employer's work.

Also, he feels no rules can be laid down about how to teach. Usually one teaches those receptive souls one finds. The same should apply to the beginning of the work in Africa. Any direct teaching work with the more primitive tribes would have to be done after finding out the best and most tactful way of doing it. The first step is to get to Africa, and, in view of the cost involved, and the state of the Fund, the pioneers should make every effort to get sent out there or at least get employment after arriving, thus relieving the Baha'i Fund as much as possible. If this fails, then of course all the expense will have to be paid by the Fund.

Letter of 11 January 1951

11 January 1951

You have voiced the same suffering, the sign of the same mystery, as has been voiced by almost all those who have been called upon to serve G.o.d.

Even the Prophets of G.o.d, we know, suffered agony when the Spirit of G.o.d descended on Them and commanded Them to arise and preach. Look at Moses saying, "I am a stutterer!". Look at Mu?ammad rolled in His rug in agony!

The Guardian himself suffered terribly when he learned he was the one who had been made the Guardian.

So you see your sense of inadequacy, your realisation of your own unworthiness is not unique at all. Many, from the Highest to the humblest have had it. Now the wisdom of it is this: it is such seemingly weak instruments that demonstrate that G.o.d is the Power achieving the victories and not men. If you were a wealthy, prominent, strong individual who knew all about Africa and looked upon going out there as fun, any service you render, and victories you have, would be laid to your personality, not to the Cause of G.o.d! But because the reverse is true, your services will be a witness to the Power of Baha'u'llah and Truth of His Faith.

Rest a.s.sured, dear sister, you will ever-increasingly be sustained, and you will find joy and strength given to you, and G.o.d will reward you. You will pa.s.s through these dark hours triumphant. The first Baha'i going on such an historic mission could not but suffer-but the compensation will be great....

Letter of 10 February 1951

10 February 1951

Whenever you see tremendous personal problems in your private lives, such as those the parents of ... have been called upon to face, you must remember that these afflictions are part of human life; and, according to our teachings one of their wisdoms is to teach us the impermanence of this world and the permanence of the spiritual bonds that we establish with G.o.d, His Prophet, and those who are alive in the faith of G.o.d. You must always remember that the Manifestations of G.o.d, Themselves, were not immune to suffering of the most human nature; and that from the hands of their relatives, they drank the bitterest potions, Baha'u'llah even being proffered poison by His half-brother, Mirza Ya?ya. Beside their afflictions, our afflictions, however terrible for us, must seem small in comparison.

Regarding your personal affairs, the Guardian will pray that your cherished hopes may be fulfilled; and that the way may open, if you both desire it, for you to serve together the Faith you are so deeply attached to. Never lose heart, and always remember that the power in this Cause is of a nature not understood or accessible to those who have not our faith in Baha'u'llah.

Letter of 30 August 1951

30 August 1951

The progress being made in Africa is truly miraculous, as if a special benediction from on High is being extended to this work... He (the Guardian) feels sure that the work in Uganda will now go forward rapidly.

The news from Dar is wonderful too... The racial question all over Africa is very acute, but, while being wise and tactful, believers must realise that their standard is far from that of the white colonials. They have not gone there to uphold the white man's supremacy, but to give the Cause of G.o.d to, primarily, the black man whose home is Africa.

Letter of 11 November 1951

11 November 1951

Many times the young Baha'is these days seem to be living the lives of soldiers, and in a way the pioneers are the soldiers of Baha'u'llah, going out to plant the banner of His dominion in far corners of the earth!

Letter of 5 October 1952

5 October 1952

What the Master meant in the words you quoted is simply that joy gives one more freedom to create; if the Prophets, the Master Himself, and the Guardian, had less problems and worries, They could give forth a great deal more creatively to the Cause. When He said that "grow to be as a fruitful tree" he meant that, by lifting burdens from the Guardian and trying as much as possible to do our share of the work of the Faith, we would help Shoghi Effendi to develop his full powers as Guardian and, through the Covenant, the Cause would spread its shadow over all men. This we have seen happen in the last 30 years, but that does not mean we must not try to our utmost to help him by our lives and our services.

Teaching is an individual matter; one has to sense when it is right to go further in revealing the Source of our Message; no rules exist, really, for such things.

Letter of 3 March 1955

3 March 1955

As we almost never attain any spiritual goal without seeing the next goal we must attain still beyond our reach, he urges you, who have come so far already on the path of spirituality, not to fret about the distance you still have to cover! It is an indefinite journey, and, no doubt in the next world the soul is privileged to draw closer to G.o.d than is possible when bound on this physical plane.

Letter of 6 March 1955