Living the Life
by Shoghi Effendi
compiled by Research
Department of the Universal House of Justice.
published in Compilation of Compilations,
Volume 2, pages 1-28
1991
Extracts From the Writings of the Guardian
1266. How often the beloved Master was heard
to say. Should each one of the friends take upon himself to carry out, in all
its integrity and implications, only one of the teachings of the Faith, with
devotion, detachment, constancy and perseverance and exemplify it in all his
deeds and pursuits of life, the world would become another world and the face
of the earth would mirror forth the splendours of the
Abha Paradise. Consider what marvellous
changes would be effected if the beloved of the Merciful conducted themselves,
both in their individual and collective capacities, in accordance with the
counsels and exhortations which have streamed from the Pen of Glory.
(From a letter dated 12 January 1923 written by Shoghi Effendi to the Bahá'ís of
Persia - translated from the Persian)
1267. The wish of 'Abdu'l-Bahá,
that which attracts His good pleasure and, indeed, His binding command, is that
Bahá'ís, in all matters, even in small daily
transactions and dealings with others, should act in accordance with the divine
Teaching1s. He has commanded us not to be content with lowliness, humility and
meekness, but rather to become manifestations of selflessness and utter
nothingness. Of old, all have been exhorted to loyalty and fidelity, compassion
and love; in this supreme Dispensation, the people of Bahá
are called upon to sacrifice their very lives. Notice the extent to which the
friends have been required in the Sacred Epistles and Tablets, as well as in
our Beloved's Testament, to be righteous, well-wishing, forbearing, sanctified,
pure, detached from all else save God, severed from the trappings of this world
and adorned with the mantle of a goodly character and godly attributes.
First and foremost, one should use every possible means
to purge one's heart and motives, otherwise, engaging
in any form of enterprise would be futile. It is also essential to abstain from
hypocrisy and blind imitation, inasmuch as their foul odour
is soon detected by every man of understanding and wisdom. Moreover, the
friends must observe the specific times for the remembrance of God, meditation,
devotion and prayer, as it is highly unlikely, nay impossible, for any
enterprise to prosper and develop when deprived of divine bestowals and
confirmation. One can hardly imagine what a great influence genuine love,
truthfulness and purity of motives exert on the souls of men. But these traits
cannot be acquired by any believer unless he makes a daily effort to gain
them... It is primarily through the potency of noble deeds and character,
rather than by the power of exposition and proofs, that
the friends of God should demonstrate to the world that what has been promised
by God is bound to happen, that it is already taking place and that the divine
glad-tidings are clear, evident and complete. For unless some illustrious souls
step forth into the arena of service and shine out resplendent in the
assemblage of men, the task of vindicating the truth of this Cause before the
eyes of enlightened people would be formidable indeed. However, if the friends
become embodiments of virtue and good character, words and arguments will be
superfluous. Their very deeds will well serve as eloquent testimony, and their
noble conduct will ensure the preservation, integrity and glory of the Cause of
God.
(From a letter dated 19 December 1923 written by Shoghi Effendi to the Bahá'ís of
the East - translated from the Persian)
1268. The chosen ones of
God . . . should not look at the depraved condition of the society in which
they live, nor at the evidences of moral degradation and frivolous conduct
which the people around them display. They should not content themselves merely with relative distinction
and excellence. Rather they should fix their gaze upon nobler heights by
setting the counsels and exhortations of the Pen of Glory as their supreme
goal. Then it will be readily realized how numerous are the stages that still
remain to be traversed and how far off the desired goal lies--a goal which is
none other than exemplifying heavenly morals and virtues.
(From a letter dated 30 October 1924 written by Shoghi Effendi to the Local Spiritual Assembly of Teheran)
Extracts from Letters Written on
behalf of the Guardian:
1269. It is our duty and privilege to
translate the love and devotion we have for our beloved Cause into deeds and
actions that will be conducive to the highest good of mankind.
(From a letter dated 20 November 1924 written on behalf
of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer)
1270. If you read the utterances of Bahá'u'lláh and 'Abdu'l-Bahá with
selflessness and care and concentrate upon them, you will discover truths
unknown to you before and will obtain an insight into the problems that have
baffled the great thinkers of the world.
(From a letter dated 30 January 1925 written on behalf of
Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer)
1271. The great thing is to "live the
life"--to have our lives so saturated with the Divine teachings and the Bahá'í Spirit that people cannot fail to see a joy, a
power, a love, a purity, a radiance, an efficiency in our character and work
that will distinguish us from worldly-minded people and make people wonder what
is the secret of this new life in us. We must become entirely selfless and
devoted to God so that every day and every moment we seek to do only what God
would have us do and in the way He would have us do it. If we do this sincerely
then we shall have perfect unity and harmony with each other. Where there is
want of harmony, there is lack of the true Bahá'í
Spirit. Unless we can show this transformation in our lives, this new power,
this mutual love and harmony, then the Bahá'í
teachings are but a name to us.
(From a letter dated 14 February 1925 written on behalf
of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer)
1272. If we Bahá'ís
cannot attain to cordial unity among ourselves, then we fail to realize the
main purpose for which the Bab, Bahá'u'lláh
and the Beloved Master lived and suffered. In order to achieve this cordial
unity one of the first essentials insisted on by Bahá'u'lláh
and 'Abdu'l-Bahá is that we resist the natural
tendency to let our attention dwell on the faults and failings of others rather
than on our own. Each of us is responsible for one life only, and that is our
own. Each of us is immeasurably far from being "perfect as our heavenly
father is perfect" and the task of perfecting our own life and character
is one that requires all our attention, our will-power and energy. If we allow
our attention and energy to be taken up in efforts to keep others right and
remedy their faults, we are wasting precious time. We are like ploughmen each
of whom has his team to manage and his plough to direct, and in order to keep
his furrow straight he must keep his eye on his goal and concentrate on his own
task. If he looks to this side and that to see how Tom and Harry are getting on
and to criticize their ploughing, then his own furrow
will assuredly become crooked. On no subject are the Bahá'í
teachings more emphatic than on the necessity to abstain from faultfinding and
backbiting while being ever eager to discover and root out our own faults and
overcome our own failings. If we profess loyalty to Bahá'u'lláh,
to our Beloved Master and our dear Guardian, then we must show our love by
obedience to these explicit teachings. Deeds not words are what they demand,
and no amount of fervour in the use of expressions of
loyalty and adulation will compensate for failure to live in the spirit of the
teachings.
From a letter dated 12 May 1925 written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer)
1273. As to the question whether it is right
to tell an untruth in order to save another, he feels that under no condition
should we tell an untruth but at the same time try and help the person in a
more legitimate manner. Of course it is not necessary to be too outspoken until
the question is directly put to us.
(From a letter dated 21 December 1927 written on behalf
of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer)
1274. We should not, however, forget that an
essential characteristic of this world is hardship and tribulation and that it
is by overcoming them that we achieve our moral and spiritual development. As
the Master says, sorrow is like furrows, the deeper they go the more plentiful
are the fruits we obtain.
(From a letter dated 5 November 1931 written on behalf of
Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer)
1275. In the "Bayan"
the Bab says that every religion of the past was fit
to become universal. The only reason why they failed to attain that mark was
the incompetence of their followers. He then proceeds to give a definite
promise that this would not be the fate of the revelation of "Him Whom God
would make manifest", that it will become universal and include all the
people of the world. This shows that we will ultimately succeed. But could we not, through our shortcomings, failures to sacrifice
and reluctance to concentrate our efforts in spreading the Cause, retard the
realization of that ideal? And what would that mean? It shall mean that
we will be held responsible before God, that the race will remain longer in its
state of waywardness, that wars would not be so soon averted, that human
suffering will last longer.
(From a letter dated 20 February 1932 written on behalf
of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer)
1276. Every day has certain needs. In those
early days the Cause needed Martyrs, and people who would stand all sorts of
torture and persecution in expressing their faith and spreading the message
sent by God. Those days are, however, gone. The Cause at present does not need
martyrs who would die for the faith, but servants who desire to teach and
establish the Cause throughout the world. To live to teach in the present day
is like being martyred in those early days. It is the spirit that moves us that
counts, not the act through which that spirit expresses itself; and that spirit
is to serve the Cause of God with our heart and soul.
(From a letter dated 3 August 1932 written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer, quoted in "Bahá'í News", 68, (Nov 1932), p. 3)
1277. He sincerely hopes that, through these
sacrifices, that edifice will be completed and become a focal centre for the
spirit and teachings of the Cause in that land; that from it the light of
guidance will spread and bring joy and hope to the heart of this depressed
humanity.
If you study the history of Nabil
you will see how the Faith has been fed by the constant sacrifices of the
friends. Under hardships, persecutions and constant worries has the Message of Bahá'u'lláh been established throughout the world.
(From a letter dated 30 November 1932 written on behalf
of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer)
1278. The advice that Shoghi
Effendi gave you regarding the division of your time between serving the Cause
and attending to your other duties was also given to many other friends both by
Bahá'u'lláh and the Master. It is a compromise between
the two verses of the "Aqdas", one making
it incumbent upon every Bahá'í to serve the promotion
of the Faith and the other that every soul should be occupied in some form of
occupation that will benefit society. In one of His Tablets Bahá'u'lláh
says that the highest form of detachment in this day is to be occupied with
some profession and be self-supporting. A good Bahá'í,
therefore, is the one who so arranges his life as to devote time both to his
material needs and also to the service of the Cause.
(From a letter dated 26 February 1933 written on behalf
of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer)
1279. I need not tell you how grievously he
deplores the fact that there are so many negative forces prevailing in Bahá'í gatherings and particularly in such an important
meeting as the Convention. The oft-repeated words of the Master concerning
unity and harmonious co-operation among the friends should be carefully and
thoughtfully remembered now more than ever. Nothing is more contrary to the
spirit of the Cause than discord and strife, which are the inevitable outcome
of selfishness and greed. Pure detachment and selfless service, these should be
the sole motives of every true believer. And unless each and every one of the
friends succeeds in translating such qualities into living action, no hope of
further progress can be entertained. It is now that unity of thought and action
is most needed. It is now, when the Cause s entering a new phase of
development, when its Administration is being
gradually consolidated amid the welter and chaos of a tottering civilization,
that the friends should present a united front to those forces of internal
dissension, which, if not completely wiped out, will bring our work to
inevitable destruction.
(From a letter dated 24 September 1933 written on behalf
of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer)
1280. He, indeed, highly deplores the fact
that the representatives of the highest administrative institution in your
country have permitted such differences and misunderstandings to assume such a
proportion, especially when the principles and laws of the Administration have
been each and all clearly and emphatically stated by him in so many
communications and ever since the passing of the Master. Such difficulties, if
not checked immediately and vigorously, can do incalculable harm to the body of
the Cause, and may retard not only the flow but also the effectiveness of its
spirit in the world. If deeply and dispassionately examined the source of all
these troubles and disputes is to be found invariably in feelings of egotism
and selfishness.
And unless these poisonous feelings are fully overcome
there can be no hope for the effective working and progress of the
administrative machinery of the Cause.
(From a letter dated 9 May 1934 written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer)
1281. While he would urge you to courageously
meet and overcome the many obstacles that stand in your way, he would at the same
time advise you that in case of failure and no matter what befalls you, you
should remain radiantly content at, and entirely submissive to, the Divine
will. Our afflictions, tests and trials are sometimes blessings in disguise, as
they teach us to have more faith and confidence in God, and bring us nearer to
Him.
(From a letter dated 28 April 1936 written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer)
1282. Has not Bahá'u'lláh
assured us that sufferings and privations are blessings in disguise, that
through them our inner spiritual forces become stimulated, purified and
ennobled? Remain, therefore, confident that your material hardships will, far
from hindering your activities for the Cause, impart to your heart a powerful
impetus to better serve and promote its interests.
(From a letter dated 22 November 1936 written on behalf
of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer)
1283. Personal effort is indeed a vital
prerequisite to the recognition and acceptance of the Cause of God. No matter how
strong the measure of Divine grace, unless supplemented by personal, sustained
and intelligent effort it cannot become fully effective and be of any real and
abiding advantage.
(From a letter dated 27 February 1938 written on behalf
of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer)
1284. Such hindrances, no matter how severe
and insuperable they may at first seem, can and should be effectively overcome
through the combined and sustained power of prayer and of determined and
continued effort. For have not Bahá'u'lláh and 'Abdu'l-Bahá both repeatedly assured us that the Divine and
unseen hosts of victory will ever reinforce and strengthen those who valiantly
and confidently labour in their name? This assurance
should indeed enable you to overcome any feeling of unworthiness, of incapacity
to serve, and any inner or outer limitation which threatens to handicap your labours for the Cause. You should therefore arise, and with
a heart filled with joy and confidence endeavour to
contribute any sh re that is in your power toward the
wider diffusion and greater consolidation of our beloved Faith.
Whatever the particular field of service you may choose,
whether teaching or administrative, the essential is for you to persevere, and
not to allow any consciousness of your limitations to dampen your zeal, much
less to deter you from serving joyously and actively.
(From a letter dated 6 February 1939 written on behalf of
Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer)
1285. The greater your trials and sufferings,
the stronger should wax your attachment and devotion to the Cause. For only
through repeated tribulations and trials does God test His servants, and these
they should therefore view as blessings in disguise, and as opportunities
whereby they can acquire a fuller consciousness of the Divine Will and Purpose.
(From a letter dated 23 February 1939 written on behalf
of Shoghi Effendi to two believers)
1286. The course on character building to be
given by Miss Flora Hottes, the Guardian feels, is
particularly important and should be given due emphasis and studied carefully
and thoroughly, especially by the young believers in attendance at the school.
These standards of Bahá'í conduct, which he himself
has set forth in his last general epistle, "The Advent of Divine Justice",
and which it should be the paramount duty of every loyal and conscientious
believer to endeavour to uphold and promote, deserve
serious study and meditation, and should constitute the main central theme of
this year's programme at all the three Bahá'í Summer Schools in the States.
(From a letter dated 20 May 1939 written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer)
1287. Regarding ...'s appeal: the Guardian
feels the best course of action in this matter is to ask both of the believers
concerned to forgive and forget the entire matter. He does not want the friends
to form the habit of taking up a kind of Bahá'í
litigation against each other. Their duties to humanity are too sacred and
urgent in these days, when the Cause is struggling to spread and assert its
independence, for them to spend their precious time, and his precious time, in
this way. Ask them, therefore, to unite, forget the past, and serve as never
before.
(From a letter dated 22 July 1947 written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to the National Spiritual Assembly of
Australia and New Zealand)
1288. Indeed the believers have not yet fully
learned to draw on each other's love for strength and consolation in time of
need. The Cause of God is endowed with tremendous powers, and the reason the
believers do not gain more from it is because they have not learned to fully
draw on these mighty forces of love and strength and harmony generated by the
Faith. He would advise you to leave your friend ... to herself
for the time being, and pray for her. As she does not at the moment wish your
help you can only help her inwardly.
You have rendered the Cause many valuable services, and
are still doing so, and this should be your greatest consolation...
(From a letter dated 8 May 1942 written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer)
1289. The friends must be patient with each
other and must realize that the Cause is still in its infancy and its
institutions are not yet functioning perfectly. The greater the patience, the
loving understanding and the forbearance the believers show towards each other
and their shortcomings, the greater will be the progress of the whole Bahá'í community at large.
(From a letter dated 27 February 1943 written on behalf
of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer)
1290. We must realize our imperfection and not
permit ourselves to get too upset over the unfortunate things which occur,
sometimes in Conventions, sometimes in Assemblies or on Committees, etc. Such
things are essentially superficial and in time will be outgrown.
(From a letter dated 17 March 1943 written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer)
1291. Not all of us are capable of serving in
the same way, but the one way every Bahá'í can spread
the Faith is by example. This moves the hearts of people far more deeply than
words ever can.
The love we show others, the hospitality and
understanding, the willingness to help them, these are the very best
advertisements of the Faith. They will want to hear about it when they see
these things in our lives.
(From a letter dated 14 October 1943 written on behalf of
Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer)
1292. You have complained of the
unsatisfactory conditions prevailing in the ... Bahá'í
Community; the Guardian is well aware of the situation of the Cause there, but
is confident that whatever the nature of the obstacles that confront the Faith
they will be eventually overcome. You should, under no circumstances, feel
discouraged, and allow such difficulties, even though they may have resulted
from the misconduct, or the lack of capacity and vision of certain members of
the Community, to make you waver in your faith and basic loyalty to the Cause.
Surely, the believers, no matter how qualified they may be, whether as teachers
or administrators, and however high their intellectual and spiritual merits,
should never be looked upon as a standard whereby to evaluate and measure the
divine authority and mission of the Faith. It is to the Teachings themselves,
and to the lives of the Founders of the Cause that the believers should look
for their guidance and inspiration, and only by keeping strictly to such [a]
true attitude can they hope to establish their loyalty to Bahá'u'lláh
upon an enduring and unassailable basis. You should take heart, therefore, and
with unrelaxing vigilance and unremitting effort endeavour to play your full share in the gradual unfoldment of this Divine World Order.
(From a letter dated 23 August 1939 written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer)
1293. These, indeed, are the days when heroism
is needed on the part of the believers. Self-sacrifice, courage, indomitable
hope and confidence are the characteristics they should show forth, because
these very attributes cannot but fix the attention of the public and lead them
to enquire what, in a world so hopelessly chaotic and bewildered, leads these
people to be so assured, so confident, so full of devotion? Increasingly, as
time goes by, the characteristics of the Bahá'ís will
be that which captures the attention of their fellow-citizens. They must show
their aloofness from the hatreds and recriminations which are tearing at the
heart of humanity, and demonstrate by deed and word their profound belief in
the future peaceful unification of the entire human race.
(From a letter dated 26 October 1941 written on behalf of
Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer)
1294. We must always look ahead and seek to
accomplish in the future what we may have failed to do in the past. Failures,
tests, and trials, if we use them correctly, can become the means of purifying
our spirits, strengthening our characters, and enable us to rise to greater
heights of service.
(From a letter dated 14 December 1941 written on behalf
of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer)
1295. Regarding the points you refer to in
your letter: the complete and entire elimination of the ego would imply
perfection--which man can never completely attain -- but the ego can and should
be ever-increasingly subordinated to the enlightened soul of man. This is what
spiritual progress implies.
(From a letter dated 14 December 1941 written on behalf
of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer)
1296. He was very pleased to hear that the
Convention was so well attended, and the believers enthusiastic and united. One
of the most paramount needs of the Cause in ... is that the friends should
unite, should become really keenly conscious of the fact that they are one
spiritual family, held together by bonds more sacred and eternal than those
physical ties which make people of the same family. If the friends will forget
all personal differences and open their hearts to a great love for each other
for the sake of Bahá'u'lláh, they will find that
their powers are vastly increased; they will attract the heart of the public,
and will witness a rapid growth of the Holy Faith in... The National Spiritual
Assembly should do all in its power to foster unity among the believers, and to
educate them in the Administration as this is the channel through which their
community life must flow, and which, when properly understood and practised, will enable the work of the Cause to go ahead by
leaps and bounds.
(From a letter dated 26 October 1943 written on behalf of
Shoghi Effendi to the National Spiritual Assembly of
India and Burma)
1297. Ultimately all the battle of life is
within the individual. No amount of organization can solve the inner problems
or produce or prevent, as the case may be, victory or failure at a crucial
moment. In such times as these particularly, individuals are torn by great
forces at large in the world, and we see some weak ones suddenly become
miraculously strong, and strong ones fail--we can only try, through loving
advice, as your Committee has done, to bring about the act on the part of the
believer which will be for the highest good of the Cause. Because
obviously something bad for the Cause cannot be the highest good of the
individual Bahá'í.
(From a letter dated 17 December 1943 written on behalf
of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer)
1298. The thing the world needs today is the Bahá'í spirit. People are craving for love, for a high
standard to look up to, as well as for solutions to their many grave problems.
The Bahá'ís should shower on those whom they meet the
warm and living spirit of the Cause, and this, combined with teaching, cannot
but attract the sincere truth-seekers to the Faith.
(From a letter dated 18 December 1943 written on behalf
of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer)
1299. Regarding your question about the need
for greater unity among the friends, there is no doubt that this is so, and the
Guardian feels that one of the chief instruments for promoting it is to teach
the Bahá'ís themselves, in classes and through precepts,
that love of God, and consequently of men, is the essential foundation of every
religion, our own included. A greater degree of love will produce a greater
unity, because it enables people to bear with each other, to be patient and
forgiving. (From a letter dated 7 July 1944 written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer, quoted in "Bahá'í News", 173, (Feb 1945), p. 3)
1300. He hopes that you will develop into Bahá'ís in character as well as in belief. The whole
purpose of Bahá'u'lláh is that we should become a new
kind of people, people who are upright, kind, intelligent, truthful, and honest
and who live according to His great laws laid down for this new epoch in man's
development. To call ourselves Bahá'ís is not enough, our inmost being must become ennobled and
enlightened through living a Bahá'í life.
(From a letter dated 25 August 1944 written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to the Louhelen
School Youth Session)
1301. So many misunderstandings arise from the
passionate attachment of the friends to the Faith and also their immaturity. We
must therefore be very patient and loving with each other and try to establish
unity in the Bahá'í family. The differences ... which
you describe in your letter he feels are caused by the above and not by enmity
to the Faith or insincerity.
(From a letter dated 17 October 1944 written on behalf of
Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer)
1302. He was very happy to hear from you, and
to learn that Green Acre this year was pervaded with a love and harmony that
was instrumental in confirming many new souls in the Faith. This love amongst
the believers is the magnet which will, above all else,attract the hearts and bring new souls into the
Cause. Because obviously the teachings - however wonderful - cannot change the
world unless the Spirit of Bahá'u'lláh's love is
mirrored in the Bahá'í Communities.
(From a letter dated 27 October 1944 written on behalf of
Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer)
1303. Indeed if the friends could seek, and
exert themselves, to become 100 per cent Bahá'ís they
would see how greatly their influence over others would be increased, and how
rapidly the Cause would spread. The world is seeking not a compromise but the
embodiment of a high and shining ideal. The more the friends live up to our
teachings in every aspect of their lives, in their homes, in business, in their
social relationships, the greater will be the attraction they exercise over the
hearts of others.
He is pleased to see you have naturally, with conviction and
good will towards all, been mingling with and teaching the coloured
people. When the Bahá'ís live up to their teachings
as they should, although it may arouse the opposition of some it will arouse
still more the admiration of fair-minded people.
(From a letter dated 23 January 1945 written on behalf of
Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer)
1304. Indeed when we see the increasing
darkness in the world today we can fully realize that unless the Message of Bahá'u'lláh reaches into the hearts of men and transforms
them, there can be no peace and no spiritual progress in the future.
His constant hope is that the believers will conduct
themselves, individually and in their Bahá'í
Community life, in such a manner as to attract the attention of others to the
Cause. The world is not only starving for lofty principles and ideals, it is,
above all, starving for a shining example which the Bahá'ís
can and must provide.
(From a letter dated 22 February 1945 written on behalf
of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer)
1305. The need is very great, everywhere in
the world, in and outside the Faith, for a true spiritual awareness to pervade
and motivate people's lives. No amount of administrative procedure or adherence
to rules can take the place of this soul-characteristic, this spirituality
which is the essence of Man. He is very glad to see you are stressing this and
aiding the friends to realize its supreme importance.
(From a letter dated 25 April 1945 written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer)
1306. Regarding the matter of ... and the inharmony that seems to exist among certain of the friends
... when Bahá'ís permit the dark forces of the world
to enter into their own relationships within the Faith they gravely jeopardize
its progress; it is the paramount duty of the believers, the Local Assemblies,
and particularly the National Spiritual Assembly to foster harmony,
understanding and love amongst the friends. All should be ready and willing to
set aside every personal sense of grievance-- justified or unjustified--for the
good of the Cause, because the people will never embrace it until they see in
its community life mirrored what is so conspicuously lacking in the world: love
and unity.
(From a letter dated 13 May 1945 written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to the National Spiritual Assembly of
Australia and New Zealand)
1307. Most important of all is that love and
unity should prevail in the Bahá'í Community, as this
is what people are most longing for in the present dark state of the world.
Words without the living example will never be sufficient to breathe hope into
the hearts of a disillusioned and often cynical generation.
(From a letter dated 20 October 1945 written on behalf of
Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer)
1308. Since you have turned to him for
guidance, he will very frankly give you his opinion. He feels that the present inharmony prevailing amongst you... is very detrimental to
the advancement of the Cause, and can only lead to disruption and the chilling
of the interest of new believers. You ... should forget about your personal
grievances, and unite for the protection of the Faith which he well knows you
are all loyally devoted to and ready to sacrifice for.
Perhaps the greatest test Bahá'ís
are ever subjected to is from each other; but for the sake of the Master they
should be ever ready to overlook each other's mistakes, apologize for harsh
words they have uttered, forgive and forget. He strongly recommends to you this
course of action. Also he feels that you and ... should not remain away from
the meetings and Feasts in ...; you have now got an enthusiastic group of young
Bahá'ís in ..., and you should show them a strong
example of Bahá'í discipline and the unity which can
and must prevail amongst the Community of the Most Great Name.
(From a letter dated 18 December 1945 written on behalf
of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer)
1309. You ask about "spiritual
indigestion": Bahá'ís should seek to be
many-sided, normal and well balanced, mentally and spiritually. We must not
give the impression of being fanatics, but at the same time we must live up to
our principles.
(From a letter dated 12 March 1946 written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer)
1
1310. You may be sure he will pray for the
unity of the ... believers, as this is of paramount importance, and upon it depends the development of the Cause there, and the success
of every teaching effort. The thing the friends need--everywhere-- is a greater
love for each other, and this can be acquired by greater love for Bahá'u'lláh; for if we love Him deeply enough, we will
never allow personal feelings and opinions to hold His Cause back; we will be
willing to sacrifice ourselves to each other for the sake of the Faith, and be,
as the Master said, one soul in many bodies.
(From a letter dated 5 September 1946 written on behalf
of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer)
1311. He heartily agrees with you that unless
we practise the Teachings we cannot possibly expect
the Faith to grow, because the fundamental purpose of all religions--including
our own--is to bring man nearer to God, and to change his character, which is
of the utmost importance. Too much emphasis is often laid on the social and
economic aspects of the Teachings; but the moral aspect cannot be
over-emphasized.
(From a letter dated 6 September 1946 written on behalf
of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer)
1312. The fact that you had a course on 'Bahá'í character' pleased him very much, as he considers
one of the greatest obligations of your generation of believers is to live a Bahá'í life; you must demonstrate, by your high moral
standards, your courtesy, your integrity and nobility, that our Faith, is not
one of words but truly changes the heart and conduct of its adherents.
(From a letter dated 19 September 1946 written on behalf
of Shoghi Effendi to the Louhelen
School Junior Youth Session, U.S.A.)
1313. He feels that the youth, in particular,
must constantly and determinedly strive to exemplify a Bahá'í
life. In the world around us we see moral decay, promiscuity, indecency,
vulgarity, bad manners--the Bahá'í young people must
be the opposite of these things, and, by their chastity, their uprightness,
their decency, their consideration and good manners, attract others, old and
young, to the Faith. The world is tired of words; it wants example, and it is
up to the Bahá'í youth to furnish it.
(From a letter dated 19 September 1946 written on behalf
of Shoghi Effendi to Green Acre Summer School
1314. The friends must, at all times, bear in
mind that they are, in a way, like soldiers under attack. The world is at
present in an exceedingly dark condition spiritually; hatred and prejudice, of
every sort, are literally tearing it to pieces. We, on the other hand, are the
custodians of the opposite forces, the forces of love, of unity, of peace and
integration, and we must constantly be on our guard, whether as individuals or
as an Assembly or Community, lest through us these destructive, negative forces
enter into our midst. In other words we must beware lest the darkness of
society become reflected in our acts and attitudes, perhaps all unconsciously.
Love for each other, the deep sense that we are a new organism, the
dawn-breakers of a New World Order, must constantly animate our Bahá'í lives, and we must pray to be protected from the
contamination of society which is so diseased with prejudice.
(From a letter dated 5 February 1947 written on behalf of
Shoghi Effendi to the Local Spiritual Assembly of
Atlanta, Georgia)
1315. The Cause in ... is growing very
rapidly, and the more it spreads the more the attention of the public will be
fixed upon it. This imposes a heavy responsibility on the believers, as they
must show forth such a spirit of love and unity among themselves as will
attract the hearts of others and encourage them to enter the Faith in large
numbers. We must always remember that the Teachings are perfect, and that the
only reason more of our fellow men have not as yet embraced them is because we Bahá'ís, the world over, are ourselves not yet as selfless
and radiant mirrors of Bahá'u'lláh's Truth as we
should and could be! We must constantly strive to better exemplify His
Teachings.
(From a letter dated 18 February 1947 written on behalf
of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer)
1316. We must concentrate on perfecting our
characters as individual Bahá'ís, and on maturing our
still embryonic, and as yet improperly understood, World Order; on spreading
the Message, according to the provisions of the Divine Plan; and on building a
tightly knit world-wide Bahá'í Community. We are
relatively few in numbers, and have such a precious, unique and responsible
task to carry out. We must concentrate our full forces upon it.
(From a letter dated 9 May 1947 written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to the National Spiritual Assembly of the
United States and Canada)
1317. It is upon the individual believer,
constituting the fundamental unit in the structure of the home front, that the
revitalization, the expansion, and the enrichment of the home front must
ultimately depend. The more strenuous the effort exerted, daily and
methodically, by the individual labouring on the home
front to rise to loftier heights of consecration, and of self-abnegation, to
contribute, through pioneering at home, to the multiplication of Bahá'í isolated centres, groups
and Assemblies, and to raise, through diligent, painstaking and continual endeavour to convert receptive souls to the Faith he has
espoused, the number of its active and whole-hearted supporters; the sooner
will the vast and multiple enterprises, launched beyond the confines of the
homeland, now so desperately calling for a greater supply of men and means, be
provided with the necessary support that will ensure their uninterrupted
development and hasten their ultimate fruition ...
(From a letter dated 21 September 1957 written on behalf
of Shoghi Effendi to the National Spiritual Assembly
of the United States)
1318. Regarding the questions you asked: self
has really two meanings, or is used in two senses, in the Bahá'í
writings; one is self, the identity of the individual created by God. This is
the self mentioned in such passages as "he hath known God who hath known
himself", etc. The other self is the ego, the dark, animalistic heritage
each one of us has, the lower nature that can develop into a monster of
selfishness, brutality, lust and so on. It is this self we must struggle
against, or this side of our natures, in order to strengthen and free the
spirit within us and help it to attain perfection.
Self-sacrifice means to subordinate this lower nature and
its desires to the more godly and noble side of our selves. Ultimately, in its
highest sense, self-sacrifice means to give our will and our all to God to do
with as He pleases. Then He purifies and glorifies our true self until it
becomes a shining and wonderful reality.
(From a letter dated 10 December 1947 written on behalf
of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer)
1319. It is the quality of devotion and
self-sacrifice that brings rewards in the service of this Faith rather than
means, ability or financial backing.
(From a letter dated 11 May 1948 written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to the National Spiritual Assembly of
Australia and New Zealand)
1320. We must never dwell too much on the
attitudes and feelings of our fellow-believers towards us. What is most
important is to foster love and harmony and ignore any rebuffs we may receive;
in this way the weaknesses of human nature and the peculiarity or attitude of
any particular person is not magnified, but pales into insignificance in
comparison with our joint service to the Faith we all love.
(From a letter dated 19 September 1948 written on behalf
of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer)
1321. It is often difficult for us to do
things because they are so very different from what we are used to, not because
the thing itself is particularly difficult. With you, and indeed most Bahá'ís, who are now, as adults, accepting this glorious
Faith, no doubt some of the ordinances, like fasting and daily prayer, are hard
to understand and obey at first. But we must always think that these things are
given to all men for a thousand years to come. For Bahá'í
children who see these things practised in the home,
they will be as natural and necessary a thing as going to church on Sunday was
to the more pious generation of Christians. Bahá'u'lláh
would not have given us these things if they would not greatly benefit us, and,
like children who are sensible enough to realize their father is wise and does
what is good for them, we must accept to obey these ordinances even though at
first we may not see any need for them. As we obey them we will gradually come
to see in ourselves the benefits they confer.
(From a letter dated 16 March 1949 written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer)
1322. ...as we suffer these misfortunes we must
remember that the Prophets of God Themselves were not immune from these things
which men suffer. They knew sorrow, illness and pain too. They rose above these
things through Their spirits, and that is what we must
try and do too, when afflicted. The troubles of this world pass, and what we
have left is what we have made of our souls; so it is to this we must look--to
becoming more spiritual, drawing nearer to God, no matter what our human minds
and bodies go through.
(From a letter dated 5 August 1949 written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer)
1323. He was grieved to hear of some of the
things you describe. It shows great spiritual immaturity on the part of some of
the Bahá'ís and an astonishing lack of understanding
and study of the teachings. To live up to our Faith's moral teachings is a task
far harder than to live up to those noble principles the Moral Re-Armament
inculcates, fine and encompassing as they are! Every other word of Bahá'u'lláh's and 'Abdu'l-Bahá's
writings is a preachment on moral and ethical conduct; all else is the form,
the chalice, into which the pure spirit must be poured; without the spirit and
the action which must demonstrate it, it is a lifeless form.
He judges, from what you say, that the friends have not
or at least many of them have not, been properly taught in the beginning. There
is certainly no objection to stressing the "four standards" of the
Moral Re-Armament--though any teaching of our precious Faith would go much more
deeply into these subjects and add more to them. When we realize that Bahá'u'lláh says adultery retards the progress of the soul
in the afterlife--so grievous is it--and that drinking destroys the mind, and
not to so much as approach it, we see how clear are our teachings on these
subjects. You must not make the great mistake of judging our Faith by one
community which obviously needs to study and obey the Bahá'í
teachings.
Human frailties and peculiarities can be a great test.
But the only way, or perhaps I should say the first and best way, to remedy
such situations, is to oneself do what is right. One soul can be the cause of
the spiritual illumination of a continent. Now that you have seen, and
remedied, a great fault in your own life, now that you see more clearly what is
lacking in your own community, there is nothing to prevent you from arising and
showing such an example, such a love and spirit of service, as to enkindle the
hearts of your fellow Bahá'ís.
He urges you to study deeply the teachings, teach others,
study with those Bahá'ís who are anxious to do so,
the deeper teachings of our Faith, and through example, effort and prayer,
bring about a change.
(From a letter dated 30 September 1949 written on behalf
of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer)
1324. Without the spirit of real love for Bahá'u'lláh, for His Faith and its Institutions, and the
believers for each other, the Cause can never really bring in large numbers of
people. For it is not preaching and rules the world wants, but love and action.
(From a letter dated 25 October 1949 written on behalf of
Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer)
1325. However, he feels very strongly that if
... is in the state your letter would seem to indicate it is certainly
conducting its affairs in the wrong way. This does not mean the Assembly, it
means everyone. For where is Bahá'í love? Where is
putting unity and harmony first? Where is the willingness to sacrifice one's
personal feelings and opinions to achieve love and harmony? What makes the Bahá'ís think that when they sacrifice the spiritual laws
the administrative laws are going to work?
. . .
He urges you to exert your utmost to get the ... Bahá'ís to put aside such obnoxious terms as
"radical", "conservative", "progressive",
"enemies of the Cause", "squelching the teachings", etc. If
they paused for one moment to think for what purpose the Bab
and the Martyrs gave their lives, and Bahá'u'lláh and
the Master accepted so much suffering, they would never let such definitions
and accusations cross their lips when speaking of each other. As long as the
friends quarrel amongst themselves their efforts will not be blessed for they
are disobeying God.
(From a letter dated 24 February 1950 written on behalf
of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer)
1326. There are two kinds of Bahá'ís, one might say: those whose religion is Bahá'í and those who live for the Faith. Needless to say,
if one can belong to the latter category, if one can be in the vanguard of
heroes, martyrs and saints, it is more praiseworthy in the sight of God....
(From a letter dated 16 April 1950 written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer)
1327. ...We must reach a spiritual plane where
God comes first and great human passions are unable to turn us away from Him. All the time we see people who either through the force of hate or
the passionate attachment they have to another person, sacrifice principle or
bar themselves from the Path of God.
We must love God, 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.
(From a letter dated 4 October 1950 written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer)
1328. He urges you to do all you can to
promote unity and love amongst the members of the Community there, as this seems
to be their greatest need. So often young communities, in
their desire to administer the Cause, lose sight of the fact that these
spiritual relationships are far more important and fundamental than the rules
and regulations which must govern the conduct of community affairs.
(From a letter dated 4 October 1950 written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer)
1329. The greatest need it seems everywhere
inside the Cause is to impress upon the friends the need for love among them.
There is a tendency to mix up the functions of the Administration and try to
apply it in individual relationships, which is abortive, because the Assembly
is a nascent House of Justice and is supposed to administer, according to the
Teachings, the affairs of the community. But individuals toward each other are
governed by love, unity, forgiveness and a sin-covering eye. Once the friends
grasp this they will get along much better, but they keep playing Spiritual
Assembly to each other and expect the Assembly to behave like an individual.. .
(From a letter dated 5 October 1950 written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer, quoted in "Bahá'í News" 241 (March 1951), p. 2)
1330. When criticism and harsh words arise
within a Bahá'í community, there is no remedy except
to put the past behind one, and persuade all concerned to turn over a new leaf,
and for the sake of God and His Faith refrain from mentioning the subjects
which have led to misunderstanding and inharmony. The
more the friends argue back and forth and maintain, each side,
that their point of view is the right one, the worse the whole situation
becomes.
When we see the condition the world is in today, we must
surely forget these utterly insignificant internal disturbances, and rush, unitedly, to the rescue of humanity. You should urge your
fellow-Bahá'ís to take this point of view, and to support you in a strong effort to suppress
every critical thought and every harsh word, in order to let the spirit of Bahá'u'lláh flow into the entire community, and unite it in
His love and in His service.
(From a letter dated 16 February 1951 written on behalf
of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer)
1331. The Guardian feels sure that the
contribution which has been made by your friend who has not been active in the
Cause for a short time will be the means of stimulating her to renewed service.
There is nothing that brings success in the Faith like service. Service is the
magnet which draws the divine confirmations. Thus, when a person is active,
they are blessed by the Holy Spirit. When they are inactive, the Holy Spirit
cannot find a repository in their being, and thus they are deprived of its
healing and quickening rays.
(From a letter dated 12 July 1952 written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer)
1332. The Guardian feels that your attitude
towards the corrupt practice of accepting commissions from fellow physicians
and pharmacists is most admirable. The more upright and noble the Bahá'ís are
in their conduct, the more they will impress the public with the spiritual
vitality of the Faith they believe in.
(From a letter dated 20 October 1953 written on behalf of
Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer)
1333. This challenge, so severe and insistent,
and yet so glorious, faces no doubt primarily the individual believer on whom,
in the last resort, depends the fate of the entire community. He it is who
constitutes the warp and woof on which the quality and pattern of the whole
fabric must depend. He it is who acts as one of the countless links in the
mighty chain that now girdles the globe. He it is who serves as one of the
multitude of bricks which support the structure and ensure the stability of the
administrative edifice now being raised in every part of the world. Without his
support, at once whole-hearted, continuous and generous, every measure adopted,
and every plan formulated, by the Body which acts as the national
representative of the community to which he belongs is foredoomed to failure.
The World Centre of the Faith itself is paralysed if
such a support on the part of the rank and file of the community is denied it.
The Author of the Divine Plan Himself is impeded in His purpose if the proper
instruments for the execution of His design are lacking. The sustaining
strength of Bahá'u'lláh Himself, the Founder of the
Faith, will be withheld from every and each individual
who fails in the long run to arise and play his part.
(From a letter dated 20 June 1954 written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to the National Spiritual Assembly of the
United States)
1334. When a person becomes a Bahá'í, actually what takes place is that the seed of the
spirit starts to grow in the human soul. This seed must be watered by the
outpourings of the Holy Spirit. These gifts of the spirit are received through
prayer, meditation, study of the Holy Utterances and service to the Cause of
God. The fact of the matter is that service in the Cause is like the plough
which ploughs the physical soil when seeds are sown. It is necessary that the
soil be ploughed up, so that it can be enriched, and thus cause a stronger
growth of the seed. In exactly the same way the evolution of the spirit takes
place through ploughing up the soil of the heart so
that it is a constant reflection of the Holy Spirit. In this way the human
spirit grows and develops by leaps and bounds.
Naturally there will be periods of distress and
difficulty, and even severe tests; but if that person turns firmly toward the
divine Manifestation, studies carefully His spiritual teachings and receives
the blessings of the Holy Spirit, he will find that in reality these tests and
difficulties have been the gifts of God to enable him to grow and develop. Thus
you might look upon your own difficulties in the path of service. They are the
means of your spirit growing and developing. You will suddenly find that you
have conquered many of the problems which upset you, and then you will wonder
why they should have troubled you at all. An individual must center his whole
heart and mind on service to the Cause, in accordance with the high standards
set by Bahá'u'lláh. When this is done, the Hosts of
the Supreme Concourse will come to the assistance of the individual, and every
difficulty and trial will gradually be overcome.
(From a letter dated 6 October 1954 written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer)
1335. The road is stony, and there are many
tests; but as you say, if the friends will learn to live according to Bahá'u'lláh's teachings, they will discover that they work
indeed in mysterious and forceful ways; and that there is always help at hand,
that obstacles are overcome, and that success is assured in the end.
(From a letter dated 23 April 1956 written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer)
1336. The individual alone must assess its
character, consult his conscience, prayerfully consider all its aspects,
manfully struggle against the natural inertia that weighs him down in his
effort to arise, shed, heroically and irrevocably, the trivial and superfluous
attachments which hold him back, empty himself of every thought that may tend
to obstruct his path, mix, in obedience to the counsels of the Author of His
Faith, and in imitation of the One Who is its true Exemplar, with men and women,
in all walks of life, seek to touch their hearts through the distinction which
characterizes his thoughts, his words and his acts, and win them over,
tactfully, lovingly, prayerfully and persistently, to the Faith he himself has
espoused.
(From a letter dated 19 July 1956 written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to the National Spiritual Assembly of the
United States)
1337. He was very sorry to learn of the inharmony amongst the friends there; and he feels that the
only wise course of action is for all the believers to devote themselves to
teaching the Faith and co-operating with their National Body.
Often these trials and tests which all Bahá'í communities inevitably pass through seem terrible,
at the moment, but in retrospect we understand that they were due to the
frailty of human nature, to misunderstandings, and to the growing pains which
every Bahá'í community must experience.
(From a letter dated 25 November 1956 written on behalf
of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer)
1338. He is very happy to see that you have
put into practice one of the most encouraging precepts of 'Abdu'l-Bahá
in which He said that we should try and make every stumbling-block a
stepping-stone to progress. In the course of your past life you have all
stumbled very gravely; but, far from being embittered or defeated by this
experience, you are determined to make it a means of purifying your natures,
improving your characters, and enabling you to become better citizens in the
future. This is truly pleasing in the eyes of God.
(From a letter dated 26 March 1957 written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to the Bahá'ís of Kitalya Farm Prison)
1339. ...the Bahá'ís
must, in view of the condition of the world today, stand forth firmly and
courageously as followers of Bahá'u'lláh, obeying His
Laws, and seeking to build His World Order. Through compromise we will never be
able to establish our Faith or win others' hearts to it. This involves often
great personal sacrifice, but we know that, when we do the right thing, God
gives us the strength to carry it out, and we attract His blessing. We learn at
such times that our calamity is indeed a blessing.
(From a letter dated 5 May 1957 written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to two believer)
1340. It is not enough for the friends to make
the excuse that their best teachers and their exemplary believers have arisen
and answered the call to pioneer. A "best teacher" and an
"exemplary believer" is ultimately neither more nor less than an
ordinary Bahá'í who has consecrated himself to the
work of the Faith, deepened his knowledge and understanding of its Teachings,
placed his confidence in Bahá'u'lláh, and arisen to
serve Him to the best of his ability. This door is one which we are assured
will open before the face of every follower of the Faith who knocks hard
enough, so to speak. When the will and the desire are strong enough, the means
will be found and the way opened either to do more work locally, to go to a new
goal town within the United States, or to enter the foreign pioneer field...
Not only must your Body provide the encouragement and
leadership required, and stimulate the friends to
arise and play their part, but the Local Assemblies must likewise do everything
in their power to help the friends to go forth and attain their objectives. Each
individual Bahá'í must likewise feel that it is his
personal duty to the Cause at this time and his greatest privilege, and must
ask himself what he can do during the coming six years, beginning now, to
hasten the attainment of the goals of the World Crusade. The Bahá'ís are
the leaven of God, which must leaven the lump of
their nation. In direct ratio to their success will be the protection
vouchsafed, not only to them but to their country. These are the immutable laws
of God, from which there is no escape: "For unto whomsoever much is given,
of him shall be much required."
(From a letter dated 21 September 1957 written on behalf
of Shoghi Effendi to the National Spiritual Assembly
of the United States)