PART II
Letters of Shoghi
Effendi
and Communications From
the Universal House of
Justice
10
Letters and Cables to Miss Agnes
B.
Alexander,
1923-1957
"The
beloved Guardian continually sent reinforcements to me in his precious letters
which were the joy and strength of my heart," Miss Alexander
wrote.
Aside from her own inner
conviction, the main source of positive guidance and direction, during her early
years in the Orient were Shoghi Effendi's
letters.
Of the first personal letter she
received from the Guardian (December 2, 1923) she wrote, "The words penned by
his hand at the end of the letter so affected me that for several days my heart
was filled with joy and inspiration, and a realization came to me of the power
with which God had endowed him."
Following
are excerpts from some of the many letters written to Miss Alexander by the
Guardian, or on his behalf, which give insights, not only into her role as a
"distinguished pioneer", but also into her relationship with the Japanese, among
whom she lived for so many years and whom she loved so dearly.
My
dear sister in God,
Your letter to our
very dear Shoghi Effendi was most encouraging and created in him new hopes for
the spread of `Abdu'l-Bahá's great and noble Message after the painful calamity
in Japan*. It was indeed a miracle that amid a city all shaken to pieces and
burned to ashes by the wild flames, the Lord should have kept you so safe and
unscathed. We can never doubt that this is a direct proof of the mighty task
which the Lord has wanted you to take up and fulfill in that far away East.
Shoghi Effendi has always looked forward with great expectations at the progress
of the Cause in Japan to which he attaches very great
importance.
The Japanese are really
progressive people and such vital teachings which comprise the principles of the
Bahá'í religion are sure to seize their attention and arouse a deep interest in
them. Your presence in Japan was always a means of comfort to Shoghi Effendi's
heart because he fully realized the zeal and ardour with which
you
__________
* The Great Kanto
Earthquake of September 1923.
54
had taken up your work there and although Japan might now miss
you, he is sure that wherever you are you will strive to your utmost in
spreading far and near this Message of Peace to humanity. Furthermore he hopes
that you will not give up altogether your interest in that promising country,
but as long as you are away you will keep your tender plants all fresh and green
with stimulating messages to them. These are Shoghi Effendi's earnest
hopes...
(signed by Soheil Afnan)
(in the Guardian's
handwriting)
With loving
greetings and prayers for the success of my dearly-loved sister, Miss A.
Alexander.
Shoghi
(December 2,
1923)
In October 1923 Miss
Alexander and her sister went to Beijing, stopping on their way in Seoul, Korea.
In China they joined Miss Martha Root and had an exceedingly fruitful time.
After about a three month visit Miss Alexander left to go to her home in Hawaii.
After she reached Hawaii she received a letter from the Guardian.
My dear
Bahá'í sister,
Your letter to Shoghi
Effendi was very gladly received and he was most delighted to hear of your
activities in the wonderful country of China... It is very unfortunate that you
are forced to leave for the time being your work in (Japan) but Shoghi Effendi
earnestly hopes that you will soon return and take up your blessed
task.
(signed by Soheil Afnan)
(in the Guardian's
handwriting)
My dear and esteemed Bahá'í
sister,
Your glorious services in those
remote regions of the earth are never to be forgotten. I ever pray on your
behalf and wish you to remember the sacred interests of the Cause in far-away
Japan as you are that radiant herald who has raised the Call of Salvation in its
very heart and to whom it owes a great debt of gratitude. Fujita is with us
happy, active, and extremely helpful. His presence is such a help and support to
me in my work. I never, never forget you.
Shoghi
(January 27, 1924)
55
My dear Bahá'í sister,
Our
dear Guardian has instructed me to acknowledge the receipt of your welcomed
letter dated June 3, 1927. He is delighted to hear of your intended visit to
Japan where he hopes and prays you will receive your full share of confirmations
from the Abhá Kingdom.
He cherishes great
hopes for your future contributions to the progress of the Cause in that far
away and promising country. He wishes you to write to him frequently of the
progress of your activities and of those whom you will interest in the Teachings
of Bahá'u'lláh.
He would specially request
you to prolong your stay in Japan as the soil is exceedingly fertile and the
workers are so few in number. The hosts of the Supreme Concourse will surely aid
you and assist you in your endeavor to spread the Faith which the world needs so
vitally today.
(in the Guardian's handwriting)
Dear and
precious sister:
Do not feel disheartened
if you meet at first with trials and obstacles in His Path. I will pray for
their removal and will supplicate for you Divine Guidance and strength. Your
reward is indeed great and glorious in the world to come for all your endeavors
and exemplary services to the sacred
Threshold.
Shoghi
(July 16,
1927)
My dear and precious
co-worker:
I cannot exaggerate the
importance, nay the urgent necessity of your return to Japan. Your place there
is vacant, and the opportunities are varied and brilliant. The few friends there
have to be nursed and assisted to renew their activity and consolidate their
work. I will pray that you will be guided by our dear Master who loved you so
dearly and wanted you so keenly to train and guide the rising generation in
Japan into the light of this Divine
Revelation.
Your true brother,
Shoghi
(October 12, 1927)
My dear and precious
co-worker:
Though immersed in an ocean of
activities and cares, I find always the time to think of you and express to you
in writing my sentiments of love and appreciation of all you are doing for our
beloved Cause. I trust the way to Japan may open soon, and that you may
56
resume in that important field, the work so dear to your
heart.
Your true brother,
Shoghi
Please
assure dear Mrs. Augur of my tenderest brotherly sympathy in her affliction.*
The services of her dear husband are engraved upon my heart. I will pray for him
from the bottom of my heart at the Beloved's
Shrine.
Shoghi
(October 22,
1927)
My dear and precious
sister:
I am glad that the date of your
voyage to Japan is at last settled and I hope and trust that you will be enabled
to consolidate the great work you have initiated in Japan. My prayers will
accompany you wherever you go, and I ask you to assure the loved ones in Japan
of my continued prayers for their progress and spiritual
advancement.
Shoghi
(October 31,
1927)
My dear co-worker:
What a relief to learn that you are at last on your way to Japan where I trust
and pray you may witness the growth of the Cause so dear to our hearts. I will
pray that your efforts may meet with the fullest success and that you may be
enabled to establish a powerful centre in the heart of that promising
country.
Shoghi
(December 30,
1927)
My dear and precious
co-worker:
I rejoice to learn of the
resumption of your most valuable and pioneer work in Japan, and I wish to assure
you again and in person of my continued and fervent prayers at the Holy Shrines
for your success in spreading and consolidating the Cause in that land. I urge
you to make a special effort to organize the believers there into a local Bahá'í
Spiritual Assembly as a nucleus round which will gather and flourish the future
Bahá'í community in Japan. I trust that the Beloved may guide your steps and
bless your efforts in this connection. Awaiting eagerly your good
news.
Your true brother,
Shoghi
(March 13,
1928)
__________
*
Dr. Augur passed away the previous month.
57
My dear Bahá'í sister,
Our
Guardian has received with extreme pleasure your letter of February nineteenth
from Tokyo.
He is so glad to know that you
are finally there and actively busy in a work to which he pays the greatest
importance. Being pioneer work it is bound to be slow, but he hopes that it will
soon pass beyond the pioneer stage and that Bahá'í Assemblies and groups
composed of full fledged and confirmed Bahá'ís will replace your isolated
individuals with whom you now communicate.
(signed by Soheil
Afnan)
(in the Guardian's handwriting)
My dear
co-worker:
Please assure the dear friends
in Tokyo of my brotherly affection, and sincere and continued prayers for the
success of their efforts in the service of our beloved Cause. May the Beloved
aid you to assist them and guide them in their task, and strengthen you in your
efforts to consolidate the work that has been started in that
land.
Your well-wisher,
Shoghi
(March 29, 1928)
He (the Guardian) was very pleased to receive the encouraging news that (your
letter) contained and to learn that an article had already appeared on the
subject of the Cause in the press. Perhaps you will make an effort that similar
articles may appear in other papers so as to attract the attention of the
reading and thinking public. Of course your ultimate goal, Shoghi Effendi is
sure, is nothing less than the establishment of a capable, devoted and
progressive Bahá'í center there.
(signed by Soheil
Afnan)
(in the Guardian's handwriting)
My dear and
valued Bahá'í sister:
I wish to assure you
in person of my eagerness to hear from you regularly, frequently and in detail,
of my continued prayers for you, and of my sense of pride and satisfaction in
view of your devoted and pioneer services in that promising country. Though
trials, tests, anxieties and cares beset your path, yet you should never falter
in your faith and hope that eventually, through you and those who after you will
tread your path, the sovereignty of Bahá'u'lláh will be firmly established in
that land and your heart's desire will in the end be
fulfilled.
Your true and affectionate
brother, Shoghi
(May 20, 1928)
58
My dear and precious
co-worker:
It always gives him (the
Guardian) great pleasure to hear of the progress of the Cause in distant lands
and he prays for those who are undertaking the task with great zeal and
unfailing sacrifice. The activities of such devoted souls will surely leave
ever-lasting traces on the history of man. The pioneer work is always the most
difficult and entails the greatest sacrifice. Be thankful to God for having
chosen you to undertake such a task. The Master always looked to the Eastern
countries as a ready field of service and promised a great harvest to one who
would sow the seed.
(signed by Soheil Afnan)
(in the
Guardian's handwriting)
My dear and precious
co-worker:
Your letter has served to
reveal once again the undying spirit of devotion that animates you in the
service of the Cause. My prayers will be offered again for you at His Holy
Shrine that you may be assisted to establish permanently a Bahá'í Spiritual
Assembly in that land, and help that centre to get in close and constant touch
with Assemblies both in the East and West.
Your true brother, Shoghi
(November 14, 1928)
My dear
and valued co-worker:
Your letters have
gladdened my heart and fortified me in my task. I will continue to supplicate
for you at His Shrine, that He may graciously assist you to make of those who
are merely interested, active supporters of the Faith, recognizing fully the
significance and station of Bahá'u'lláh, and who will form a nucleus of
believers who will carry on the work, loyally and effectively after you and in
your absence. This is my fervent prayer for
you.
Your true brother,
Shoghi
(December 21,
1928)
Your perseverance and constancy
in the service of the Cause in Japan, your effort to sow the seed among the
educated and enlightened people and at the same time to carry the comforting and
inspiring teachings of the Faith to the poor and blind, all these are the causes
of deep satisfaction and pleasure to the heart of the Guardian.
(signed
by Soheil Afnan)
59
(in the Guardian's
handwriting)
With the assurance
of my keen appreciation of your devoted and constant efforts and of my fervent
and continued prayers in your behalf at the Holy
Shrines.
Your true brother,
Shoghi
(April 19, 1929)
He (the Guardian) hopes that you will leave a wonderful group of Bahá'ís in that
land. Once they come to appreciate the futility of mere material progress and
come to desire a spiritual impetus they will see that the source of all
inspiration in this day is Bahá'u'lláh and His teachings.
(January 5,
1930)
My dear co-worker:
Your separate messages have rejoiced my heart. I will pray for each one of you
that the Beloved may bless you, guide you and strengthen you to render notable
services to the cause of world brotherhood and peace. I deeply value your
expressed sentiments and reciprocate your expressions of brotherly
love.
Praying for your spiritual
advancement,
Shoghi
(April 18,
1930)
He (the Guardian) sincerely
hopes that the translation of Dr. Esslemont's book will proceed at a rapid pace,
because no real advance can be made in the teaching work without proper
literature, and this book is undoubtedly the most comprehensive exposition of
the Teachings yet written. The language should, however, be worthy of the theme
otherwise it would not make the necessary appeal to the educated
classes.
Shoghi Effendi was very pleased
to hear that Keith (Ransom-Kehler) has achieved some success in Japan. The
explicit promise of Bahá'u'lláh is that God's spirit will assist all those who,
with a sincere and detached heart, arise to spread the teachings. There is no
reason for astonishment therefore if the teachers of the Cause find success in
their work. May God's spirit continue to sustain them.
(signed by Ruhi
Afnan)
(in the Guardian's handwriting)
Dear and valued
co-worker:
I am eagerly awaiting the news
of the publication in Japanese
60
of that prized book which Dr. Esslemont has so wonderfully laboured
to produce. When received it will adorn the newly-restored mansion of
Bahá'u'lláh adjoining His Shrine at Bahji. May the Beloved sustain and bless
your magnificent efforts.
Your true
brother, Shoghi
(October 8,
1931)
Shoghi Effendi wishes me to
acknowledge the receipt of your letter dated December 29, 1931 bearing the sad
news of the death of Mr. Susumu Aibara*. It is surely a great loss to have a
young man of his ability and standing leave the group. Our sole comfort should
be in this that he is at present in a higher spiritual realm enjoying a blissful
being far beyond our powers to appreciate. Shoghi Effendi hopes that the members
of his family will view his passing in that light and appease their sorrows.
Please convey to them all Shoghi Effendi's sympathies.
(January 25,
1932)
Shoghi Effendi wishes me to
... inform you of the safe arrival of the one hundred copies of Dr. Esslemont's
book that you sent him. The book surely looks beautiful and is fully befitting
the message it conveys.
The Guardian hopes
that now that this task is completed the friends in Japan will make a stupendous
effort to spread it throughout the country and get it to the attention of those
seeking souls who are yearning to find some source of spiritual light and help
to which they can turn for guidance and
salvation.
With such a comprehensive book
at hand ready for distribution, the Faith of Bahá'u'lláh should spread in no
time. The friends should become conscious of this, and, uniting their efforts,
arise in an unprecedented form to spread the Teachings.
(signed by Ruhi
Afnan)
(in the Guardian's handwriting)
Dear and
much-prized co-worker:
With feelings of
intense delight and gratitude, I have sent, this very afternoon the books you
have sent me to the library of the Mansion of Bahá'u'lláh at Bahjí. They will be
placed by myself side by side with the fourteen different printed versions of
"The New Era", and will be a constant reminder of your perseverance, your
magnificent
__________
* Mr.
Aibara, a vibrant Bahá'í with leadership qualities, died suddenly at age
32.
61
efforts, your exemplary devotion to the Cause of God. It is a
historic service that you have rendered to the Abhá Threshold. I urge you to
send one copy to each of the most important Bahá'í centers in East and West. Its
effect, I feel, will be remarkable.
Your
true brother, Shoghi
(February 11,
1933)
He (the Guardian) has
directed me to thank you on his behalf and to assure you of his abiding
appreciation of your unforgettable services to the Cause in
Japan.
He was very glad to learn that you
have decided to leave for Honolulu as he firmly believes that such a visit will
give you a chance to rest and will enable you, on your return to Japan, to
better serve the Cause. There should always be a limit to
self-sacrifice.
(signed by H. Rabbani)
(in the Guardian's
handwriting)
Dear and valued
co-worker:
I immensely appreciate your
outstanding services in those far-away islands, and I will pray that you may be
assisted to resume in the not distant future your manifold and valued activities
in the service of our beloved Faith. Your name will forever remain associated
with the rise of the Faith and its establishment in Japan, and the record of
your incessant and splendid endeavors will shed on its annals a lustre that time
can never dim.
Your true and grateful
brother, Shoghi
(June 8,
1933)
The gratifying news of your
projected trip to Japan has particularly strengthened (the Guardian's) hopes for
the future expansion of your labours in that country. He trusts that on your
return to that land you will find the friends more eager and ready than ever to
carry on the teaching work which ever since your departure to the States seems
to have been progressing slowly.
The
Guardian will fervently pray for the success of your teaching trip, and he hopes
that its results will be such as to encourage you to prolong your stay in Japan
until a strong, active and well-united community of believers has been duly
established. Your patient, sustained and selfless efforts in this connection, he
is convinced, are bound to produce satisfactory and abiding
results.
(signed by H. Rabbani)
62
(in the Guardian's handwriting)
Dearly beloved
co-worker:
I wish to add a few words in
person in order to reaffirm my deep sense of gratitude to you for all that you
have achieved and for your determination to carry on the work that you have so
many years so splendidly initiated. I trust and pray that you may be fully
guided and assisted to fulfill your heart's dearest
wish.
Your true brother,
Shoghi
(November 1,
1934)
Shoghi Effendi also
cherishes bright hopes for your future work in Japan, where, he trusts, you will
this time succeed in laying foundations for the establishment of new centers and
groups in a not too distant future. He is fervently entreating Bahá'u'lláh to
that end, and is confident that through His confirmations and guidance your work
will be blessed, enriched and sustained.
(in the Guardian's
handwriting)
May the Beloved,
whose Cause you have promoted with such unswerving loyalty and devotion,
continue to bless your manifold activities, and aid you to consolidate the
foundations of His Cause in that promising
country.
Your true brother,
Shoghi
(April 17, 1935)
He (the Guardian) sincerely hopes that this trip to Japan will be quite
successful, and that the results achieved will be most encouraging and
stimulating to you, and will serve to bring to speedy and successful realization
`Abdu'l-Bahá's deeply cherished hopes concerning the future of the Cause in
these far-Eastern countries. The ground, of course, is not yet quite prepared.
There is still a tremendous amount of publicity that has to be done before
anything solid and enduring can be attained. But the peoples, if not in the
large industrial centers, at least in the villages and country, are, as the
Master has often remarked, spiritually-minded and eager to absorb a message as
sound and as inspiring as that which the Cause offers.
(signed by H.
Rabbani)
(in the Guardian's
handwriting)
May the Beloved of
our hearts whose Cause you have served and are still serving with such zeal,
devotion and constancy, reward
63
you a thousandfold for your ceaseless services, your high endeavors
and historic accomplishments for the furtherance of His glorious
Faith.
Your true brother,
Shoghi
(July 6, 1935)
Regarding Mr. and Mrs. Torii, he (the Guardian) is immensely grieved to learn of
the passing away of their son Akira*, and wishes you, therefore, to convey to
them his heartfelt condolences and sympathy for this cruel and unexpected loss
they have sustained. Will you also assure them of his prayers for the soul of
their departed son, that it may develop and receive its full share of Divine
blessings in the next world.
The Guardian
has been very pleased to learn of Mr. Torii's desire to put the Japanese
translation of the "New Era" into Braille for use of his blind friends. He would
urge you to encourage him to complete the work as soon as possible, as it may
prove of considerable help to the spread of the Teachings throughout
Japan.
(signed by H. Rabbani)
(in the Guardian's
handwriting)
Dear and valued
co-worker:
Your past and present services
are engraved upon my heart. The Beloved is well-pleased with your constancy,
your zeal and exemplary devotion. I am proud of the spirit that so powerfully
animates you in His service. I will continue to pray for your success from the
bottom of my heart. Rest assured and
persevere.
Your true brother,
Shoghi
(September 23, 1935)
Beloved Bahá'í
sister,
Shoghi Effendi was very happy to
receive your letter of October 2, and wishes me to congratulate you on having
succeeded in getting the enclosed article on the Cause published in one of the
leading Japanese newspapers. He trusts that this important piece of publicity
work will serve to attract the attention of a few competent and
spiritually-minded people to the Teachings and thus gradually open the way for
the wider penetration of the Message throughout Japan.
(signed by H.
Rabbani)
__________
* Akira
Torii, the only second-generation Bahá'í in Japan at that time died at age
17.
64
(in the Guardian's handwriting)
Dear and valued
co-worker:
Do not feel discouraged if the
work you are doing for His Cause does not bear rich and immediate fruit. The
seeds you are so patiently and devotedly sowing will assuredly germinate, and
future generations will reap an abundant harvest. The Master is watching over
and blessing your historic services. Rest
assured.
Your true brother,
Shoghi
(November 3,
1935)
He (the Guardian) is truly
pleased to learn of the many contacts you have succeeded in forming with
distinguished people and especially with young Japanese students... (He) feels
also deeply appreciative of Dr. Masujima's* kind offer in presenting his library
for the use of the Bahá'ís. He hopes and fervently prays that this eminent
friend of the Cause may become one day a confirmed and devoted believer and that
through his services the Faith may rapidly spread throughout
Japan.
(signed by H. Rabbani)
(in the Guardian's
handwriting)
May the Beloved
bless you and keep you, reward you abundantly for your manifold services, and
enable you to extend the scope of your meritorious
activities.
Your true brother,
Shoghi
(May 11, 1936)
Regarding your wish to visit the Holy Shrines, he (the Guardian) fully approves
of it and wishes me to extend to you a most hearty welcome.
(signed by H.
Rabbani)
(in the Guardian's handwriting)
Dear and
valued co-worker:
Your previous letters of
May 21 and June 29 have also reached me, and I deeply appreciate the sentiments
they convey. The strike and disturbances in Palestine have at last ceased and
the obstacles to your pilgrimage have been removed. I would be so pleased to
meet you face to face at this Holy Spot.
Your true brother, Shoghi
(November 3,
1936)
__________
* Dr.
Rokuichiro Masujima was a good friend of the Faith but he could not commit
himself to becoming a Bahá'í.
65
The Guardian wishes me to
heartily congratulate you for the success of your efforts in connection with the
publication of this new (Japanese) Braille edition of "Bahá'u'lláh and the New
Era", which undoubtedly constitutes a most valuable addition to the literature
of the Cause for the blind. I wish to also ask you to transmit the Guardian's
grateful appreciation and thanks to Mr. Torii for his painstaking labours for
the preparation of this new Braille publication on the Cause.
(signed by
H. Rabbani)
(in the Guardian's
handwriting)
Wishing you
success from all my heart, your true and grateful brother,
Shoghi
(November 19,
1936)
On behalf of the Guardian
... (I) wish to assure you again of his abiding appreciation of the splendid
activities in which you are so laboriously and so devotedly engaged for the
spread and establishment of the Cause in Japan. Do not feel discouraged at the
meagerness of the results you now obtain. The Master's promises regarding the
share you are destined to contribute towards the spread of the Faith in the Far
East will sooner or later be completely realized. No matter how dark the present
may appear, you should feel nevertheless confident that the distant future is
immeasurably bright. Strive, therefore, with a joyful radiant and confident
heart to hasten the fulfillment of `Abdu'l-Bahá's glorious promises. Your reward
is unimaginably great, and the success that awaits your labours
certain.
Regarding your visit to Fujita's
mother*, the Guardian feels rejoiced and thankful for all the kindness and
assistance you have so lovingly extended to her, and would certainly approve of
your wish to continue helping her in every way you can...
(signed by H.
Rabbani)
(in the Guardian's
handwriting)
With the assurance
of my deepfelt and abiding appreciation of your wholehearted and touching
response to my request*, and wishing you success and happiness from the depths
of my heart.
Your true and grateful
brother, Shoghi
(January 24,
1937)
__________
*
The Guardian had asked Miss Alexander to visit Mr. Fujita's mother, who lay
ill in Yanai, Yamaguchi Prefecture. At that time it was an 18-hour train trip
from Tokyo.
66
Miss Alexander left Japan in
1937. She made her pilgrimage to Haifa and rejoiced in being in the presence of
the Guardian. After that she traveled to various places and ended up in her
ancestral home in Hawaii. At the Guardian's urging she returned to Japan in
1950. Below are some of the letters from the Guardian sent to her home in Hawaii
and then to Japan upon her return.
He (the
Guardian) was ... glad to know you have put the soldier Bahá'ís in Korea and
Japan in contact with the friends in those places, and hopes and prays this will
lead to the rebirth of the Cause out there.
(signed by R.
Rabbani)
(in the Guardian's
handwriting)
May the Beloved
bless, sustain, and guide you, at all times and under all conditions, aid you to
add fresh laurels to the crown you have won in the service of His Faith, and
fulfill your heart's desire for its
promotion.
Your true brother,
Shoghi
(June 3, 1946)
It
is wonderful to know the Japanese believers are alive and devoted and he (the
Guardian) hopes you will do all you can to assist them and stimulate their
activities.
(signed by R. Rabbani)
(July 23,
1946)
He (the Guardian) was very
happy indeed to receive the good news of the devotion of the Japanese friends to
the Faith, and he feels that the greatest service you can render the Cause is to
do everything in your power to encourage and help them. Your letters, the news
you give them, and the books you may be able gradually to forward will teach
them and keep them up to date in the development of the Cause and its
activities.
He does not feel a so-called
Bahá'í School is a wise undertaking for Mr. I..; the great need at present is to
teach, and he hopes in your letters you will impress this upon him, and the
other Bahá'ís there and assure them of his loving prayers on their
behalf.
(signed by R. Rabbani)
(June 28, 1947)
67
He (the Guardian) thinks it
would be excellent if you could return to Japan and meet with your old
co-workers there, and assist the new Bahá'ís in their work. Your long and deep
association with this country, which at last has begun to put forth flowers in
the Bahá'í world community, would be befittingly crowned by this service, and he
hopes the way will open for you to go there as soon as possible.
(signed
by R. Rabbani)
(May 31,
1949)
He (the Guardian) is so
happy to have you at last in Japan, and feels your presence there will be of
great help and inspiration to the Japanese
friends.
They seem dear and devoted souls,
and he rejoices to see that, after all these years, and the long period of
patient toil you spent there in the past, the tree of the Faith has struck deep
roots, and the fruits are beginning to appear at
last.
He feels you, and dear Fujita too,
should devote particular attention to deepening the friends in the Covenant,
which is the ark of safety for every believer.
(signed by
"Ruhiyyih")
(in the Guardian's
handwriting)
May the Almighty
sustain, guide and bless you always, give you all the strength you need to
enrich the splendid record of your past services in Japan, and enable you
continually to extend the range of your meritorious
accomplishments.
Your true and grateful
brother, Shoghi
(October 6,
1950)
He (the Guardian) urges you
never to feel discouraged but to go on showering your love on the friends (in
Japan) and helping them to a deeper understanding of the
Covenant.
The Guardian was pleased to hear
Mr. Torii is arranging for the Hidden Words in Braille. Please thank him and
assure him of the Guardian's loving prayers.
(signed by
"Ruhiyyih")
(November 15,
1951)
The Guardian was most happy
to learn of the many teaching opportunities which have been coming to you in
that land, where you have labored so tirelessly and so lovingly, and assures you
of his
68
prayers for you and for those whom you are attracting to the Faith
of Bahá'u'lláh.
(signed by R. Rabbani)
(May 22,
1952)
The Guardian greatly values
your continuous sacrificial services in behalf of the Faith, particularly in
Japan. He prays for the success of the efforts of the friends in Japan, that the
Cause may spread rapidly in that country. He will particularly pray for the
success of your work in Kyoto. He is hopeful that your contact with the
Esperantists in Japan will bring many of them into the Faith.
(signed by
Leroy Ioas)
(September 29,
1952)
The Guardian is indeed
deeply grateful for your ceaseless services in the Cause of God, and was very
happy to learn from you of the progress of the work in
Japan.
He urges you by all means to make
your plans to attend the International Teaching Conference to be held in New
Delhi in October. You should then return to Japan, as he feels that this is the
time for you to resume your work in that country.
(signed by R.
Rabbani)
(in the Guardian's
handwriting)
May the Beloved
bless, guide and sustain you always, reward you abundantly for your long record
of historic services, and enable you to enrich it in the days to
come.
Your true brother,
Shoghi
(August 15, 1953)
The Guardian has been greatly pleased with the manner in which the Faith has
been spreading in Japan. He sincerely hopes that during the second year of the
Crusade it will spread even more rapidly, and to more
centers.
The future of the Faith in Japan
is very great. It now depends upon the Bahá'ís to teach, to develop the Faith in
a city and then move on to a new area. If this is continued diligently, it will
bring the light of guidance to all parts of Japan in a very short
time.
(signed by Leroy Ioas)
(May 3, 1954)
69
He (the Guardian) was very
happy to hear of the progress of the work in Japan; and he greatly appreciates
the fact that you have returned once more to that country, so dear to your
heart, and where the Master was so eager for you to
serve.
He wishes to assure you that he
will pray for Mr. Mori*, and that before he passes from this world, his spirit
may be illumined, and he may come to accept
Bahá'u'lláh.
The Guardian was also very
pleased to hear that the Momtazis have given their home as a Bahá'í hall and
Hazira, and hopes that this will open the way for the foundation of a firm
Spiritual Assembly in the city.
(signed by R. Rabbani)
(May 5,
1954)
He (the Guardian) was glad
to hear Mr. Mori died a firm Bahá'í and that his funeral was in itself a service
to the Faith. He will pray for his soul, and for his dear family.
(signed
by "Ruhiyyih")
(May 27,
1954)
He (the Guardian) hopes
that, in your capacity as a member of the Auxiliary Board of the Hands in Asia,
that you will be able to create ever greater unity and enthusiasm amongst the
Japanese friends, and the other believers in Japan.
(signed by
"Ruhiyyih")
(May 27,
1954)
The progress of the Faith in
Japan is a source of great joy to the Guardian. It is truly making rapid strides
among these keen-minded and receptive people.
(signed by R.
Rabbani)
(March 1, 1955)
Gladly announce your elevation rank Hand of Cause. Praying further enrichment
record historic services, Shoghi, Haifa
(cable sent March 29,
1957)
He (the Guardian) is
confident that you will discharge your duties as a Hand with the same
characteristics of loyalty and
devotion,
__________
* Mr. Tsuto
Mori, at that time lay critically ill in the hospital and not expected to live.
He declared his Faith shortly after, just before he died.
70
and in the same spirit of service, that you have always shown in
your Bahá'í life, and which has entitled you to this great
honor.
It will no doubt be a source of
encouragement to the believers that they now have two Hands of the Cause, one in
the South and one in the North Pacific; and, in view of the remarkable spread of
the Faith throughout that whole region, your services will be of much help in
stimulating and reassuring the friends, and encouraging them to arise and
constantly extend the outposts of the
Faith.
He will remember you in the Holy
Shrines, and pray that you may be strengthened, guided and blessed in this new
form of service to the Cause you love so dearly.
(signed by R.
Rabbani)
(in the Guardian's
handwriting)
May the Almighty,
Whose Cause you have served so long, so nobly and so devotedly, shower His
manifold blessings upon you, and aid you, now that you occupy so lofty a
position in the ranks of the followers of His Faith, to enrich the record of
your distinguished and truly historic services to its
institutions.
Your true brother,
Shoghi
(April 14, 1957)
At the time of the passing of Hand of the Cause Miss Alexander, the Universal
House of Justice sent the following cable to the Bahá'í
world:
Profoundly grieve passing illumined
soul Hand Cause Agnes Alexander long standing pillar Cause Far East. First bring
Faith Hawaiian Islands. Her long dedicated exemplary life service devotion Cause
God anticipated by Center Covenant selecting her share May Maxwell imperishable
honor mention Tablets Divine Plan. Her unrestrained unceasing pursuit teaching
obedience command Bahá'u'lláh exhortations Master guidance beloved Guardian.
Shining example all followers Faith. Her passing severs one more link heroic
age. Assure family friends ardent prayers holiest Shrine progress radiant
soul...
Universal House (of)
Justice
(Cable sent January 4, 1971)
71
![]()
Miss Alexander and Sheridan Sims
at the old Bahá'í Center in Tokyo in 1960. The Haziratu'l-Quds was demolished
and a new one built on the same property in 1982.
72
11
Letters and Cable to the Bahá'ís
of
Japan in the Early Days,
1922-1931
My
well-beloved brethren and sisters in
`Abdu'l-Bahá:--
Despondent and sorrowful,
though I be in these darksome days, yet whenever I call to mind the hopes our
departed Master so confidently reposed in the friends in that Far-Eastern land,
hope revives within me and drives away the gloom of His bereavement. As His
attendant and secretary for well-nigh two years after the termination of the
Great War, I recall so vividly the radiant joy that transfigured His Face
wherever I opened before Him your supplications as well as those of Miss Agnes
Alexander. What promises He gave us all regarding the future of the Cause in
that land at the close of almost every supplication I read to Him! Let me state,
straightway, the most emphatic, the most inspiring of them all. These are His
very words, that still keep ringing in my ears;--"Japan will turn ablaze! Japan
is endowed with a most remarkable capacity for the spread of the Cause of God!
Japan, with (another country whose name He stated but bade us conceal it for the
present) will take the lead in the spiritual reawakening of the peoples and
nations that the world shall soon witness!" On another occasion,--how vividly I
recall it!--as He reclined on His chair, with eyes closed with bodily fatigue,
He waved His hand and uttered vigorously and cheerfully these words in the
presence of His friends:--"Here we are seated calm, quiet and inactive, but the
Hand of the Unseen is ever active and triumphant in lands, even as distant as
Japan."
My dear and steadfast friends! Now
if ever is the time for you and for us to show, by our unity, service,
steadfastness and courage, the spirit that the Master has throughout His
lifetime so laboriously, so persistently kindled in our hearts. Now is the time
for us to prove ourselves worthy of His love for us, His trust in us and His
hopes for us. Japan, He said, will turn ablaze. Let us not, in any way,
whatsoever, retard the realization of His promise. Nay, let us hasten, through
our service, cooperation and efforts the advent of this glorious
day.
The bereaved Ladies of the Holy
Household, receive with comfort and refreshing gladness any news that may come
to them from that wonderful and distant land. They all know what the Master
has
73
graciously spoken about the future of the Cause in that land. They
all expect from it a rapid transformation, a spiritual transformation even more
sudden and startling than its material progress and advancement, for the Power
of God can achieve wonders still greater than those the brilliant minds of the
Japanese can achieve. This they firmly believe, for more than once, the Master
has spoken of the spiritual potentialities hidden in the nature of these capable
people. They all await with eagerness the joyful-tidings that your letters to
them shall bear in future.
We all wish so
much to know more about you, about your little rising Bahá'í community, your
number, your meetings, your activities, your difficulties, your plans, your
distribution all over Japan and the neighbouring islands. We shall all pray for
you most fervently and in a special manner at all the three Hallowed Shrines and
beseech the Master, under whose wings we are all, to guide you, to sustain you
in your work for Him.
I shall never fail
to send you all the news I receive from different parts of the Bahá'í world that
you may know of the efforts and triumphs our brethren, the loved ones of
`Abdu'l-Bahá, are achieving and will achieve after
Him.
Persia, the leading nation in the
Bahá'í world, today will, I am confident, through its centre, Tihran,
communicate with you all, that the East and West, even as our Beloved One has so
much wished it, may become even as one.
The letter our dear sister, Miss Agnes Alexander, had written to Mr. Fujita,
gave us such a joy and was read at the sorrowful gathering of His friends, in
the very room He used to receive His friends and meet them every
night.
Ever awaiting your joyful
news,
I am, your devoted brother in His
love and service,
Shoghi
(January 26,
1922)
To the believers in Japan
care Agnes Alexander. Refreshed and reassured I now stretch to you across the
distant seas my hand of brotherly cooperation in the Cause of
Bahá.
Shoghi
(cable dated
December 15, 1922)
74
Dear friends, the chosen ones of `Abdu'l-Bahá in that Far Eastern
land!
Having brought to an end my long
hours of retirement and meditation, one of my first thoughts upon my return to
these hallowed surroundings has been to inquire after the well-being and
spiritual happiness of my far-away fellow-workers who toil and labour in those
remote regions of the earth for the blessed Cause of Bahá'u'lláh. How great was
my joy when I learned that you were well safe and happy, content and determined,
untiring in your labours and hopeful of the
future!
That my sudden withdrawal from the
field of active service would leave you undeterred in your activities, would
never damp your tender hopes nor shake your resolution to stand firmly for the
Cause, I never doubted as I knew well the indelible marks of loyalty and
steadfastness which the words of our beloved Master have wrought in your lives.
I am equally certain that now when we join hands again in carrying the Cause of
God a stage yet further, your assistance wholehearted as ever before will give
it a fresh impetus that will lead to the establishment of throbbing centres of
spiritual activity in those outlying regions of the
world.
Japan, a land so richly endowed, so
alert and progressive, so quick in its grasp of realities of life, is now the
recipient of a Divine Bestowal, greater, richer and more enduring than any
material gift she has ever enjoyed in modern times. What blissful thought to
remember that you are the chosen ones that shall establish the Kingdom of God in
that land; that you are the pioneers of a Work that will endure and supersede
all the other achievements, however meritorious and brilliant, of your
fellow-countrymen for Japan.
I pray that
your vision of the vast opportunities that are yours may never be dimmed; that
your efforts to realize that vision may never slacken and that the gracious aid
of Bahá'u'lláh may never be withheld from you all through your sacred mission in
this world.
And now in conclusion, let us
not forget those ringing words of the Beloved, uttered with such force and
emphasis:--"The Fire of the Love of God shall assuredly set Japan afire!" and
let us arise, now at this moment, with increased and renewed confidence in His
Sayings that we may assure and hasten the advent of so glorious an era in the
history of that ancient land.
With my best
wishes to every one of you
I am your
brother and fellow-worker,
Shoghi
(December 17, 1922)
75
The beloved of the Lord and the handmaids of the Merciful in Japan:
Susumu Aibara, E. Tanakamuru, Y.S. Lo, K.C. Ling, N. Yawata, Y. Ishigumo, H.C.
Waung, M. Hataya, E. Noguchi, F. Takahashi, Ida Finch, Agnes Alexander, K.
Sawada, Kenjiro Ono, Tokujiro Torii. Dearest brethren and sisters in
Bahá'u'lláh!
The most welcome letter of
our dearly beloved Bahá'í sister, Miss Agnes Alexander, imparting the glad news
of the progress of her glorious services in Japan has rejoiced my heart, and has
served to strengthen my hope and confidence in the future glories of that far
eastern land.
The Ladies of the Holy
Household are highly gratified and comforted to learn of your untiring labours
in His Vineyard, of the success that has attended your efforts, of the
perseverance and ardour with which you conduct your teaching work in those
distant regions of the earth. `Abdu'l-Bahá is with you always and your success
is assured!
May the visit of our beloved
sister, Miss Martha Root, to your shores stimulate widespread interest in the
Cause throughout Japan, China and the Pacific Islands, and consolidate the
foundation of the Edifice of the Cause in those far-eastern regions. I shall
ever pray at the Three Holy Thresholds that the seeds now scattered bear
abundant fruit and the promise of our beloved Master be speedily
fulfilled.
I shall remember in my prayers
Mr. and Mrs. Sam Baldwin and their children, as well as Mrs. and Miss Cramer,
and wish them from all my heart signal success in their noble endeavours to
promote far and wide the Heavenly
Teachings.
It is my earnest hope that the
friends in Japan will from now on write me frequent and detailed letters,
setting forth the account of their various spiritual activities and giving me
the plans for their future services to the Cause of
Bahá'u'lláh.
Our devoted brother, Mr.
Fujita, is well and happy in the Holy Land, and together with the Ladies of the
Household and myself is engaged in the service of the various pilgrims that
visit in these days this sacred Spot. He is faithfully and actively carrying on
the work which he has started so whole-heartedly during the Master's last years
on earth.
I trust that the letters
addressed to you by the newly-constituted Spiritual Assembly in Haifa have
contributed their share in informing you more fully of the onward and
irresistible march of the Movement throughout the
world.
Awaiting your joyful
letters,
I am your brother and
fellow-worker,
Shoghi
(May 10,
1923)
76
To Miss Alexander
Shoghi
Effendi has very kindly instructed me to acknowledge receipt of the letter dated
April 9th by the following dearly loved friends in the great Cause of El Abhá in
Tokyo, K. Sawada, H. Tanaka, Ida Finch, Ei Noguchi, Y. S. Ling, K. S. Ling,
Yoshio Nakamura, Fumi Sato, Yuri Takao, B.
Enomoto.
The few expressions of devotion
by each one of them on one sheet of paper speak out for themselves of the unity
and love that exists between the Bahá'í friends of Tokyo and express in a most
vivid form the Bahá'í spirit and teachings which indeed above all stand out for
unity and love amongst mankind.
Shoghi
Effendi is deeply impressed by the letters, and earnestly hopes to see the
Bahá'ís of Japan from whom he will anxiously expect to hear, increase their
efforts and spread out the Bahá'í teachings all over Japan for the good of
mankind.
I hope our dear sister Miss
Martha Root has safely arrived and that by the grace of the Almighty her stay
will be productive of great results.
(May 22, 1923)
To
Mr. Susumu Aibara
My dear brother in
God!
Your welcome letter has rejoiced my
heart. I am sending you some Bahá'í literature which I trust will guide and
assist you in your work. I shall be delighted to hear from you directly and
regularly and please rest assured of my deep interest in your work and of my
fervent prayers for the success of your
labours.
Your brother and
well-wisher,
Shoghi
(October 22,
1925)
To the Bahá'ís of
Tokyo
Shoghi Effendi wishes me to
acknowledge receipt of your joint letter enclosed in Miss Alexander's note.
Shoghi Effendi hopes that through the combined efforts of the Bahá'ís of Tokyo,
the Cause will establish a strong center in that city and then begin and radiate
its spiritual light to neighboring localities. Now that Miss Root is with you,
you should endeavor to awaken new competent souls and then when she is gone
strive to ground them firmly in the teachings.
(signed by Ruhi
Afnan)
(January 12, 1930)
77
(in the Guardian's
handwriting)
Assuring you of my
fervent prayers for you all at the Shrine of
Bahá'u'lláh.
Your true brother,
Shoghi
To Miss Agnes Alexander, Miss Martha Root, Mrs. Antoinette
Naganuma, Miss Elizabeth Dawe
He (the
Guardian) was very happy to hear of your very nice and interesting gathering
when Miss Martha Root was there. He sincerely hopes that her short stay will
bear wonderful fruits and be the cause of guidance to many souls. Such persons
who travel from one country to another, meeting the friends and exchanging
thoughts with them, achieve a great part in strengthening the link between the
new friends in different parts of the world. They give a new spirit and impart
courage and perseverance to those who feel disappointed and overwhelmed by the
greatness of the task laid before them.
(signed by Ruhi
Afnan)
(December 24, 1930)
To Mr. Tokujiro
Torii
I am directed by Shoghi Effendi to
write and express his great pleasure over the receipt of your kind and happy
letter of January 2.
He was very happy to
hear from you, to learn that you are well and increasingly enthusiastic about
the Bahá'í Faith. He prays from the bottom of his heart that the Almighty may
help and strengthen you to render valuable services to the Cause of Bahá'u'lláh
and also to assist the cause of the blind which is in itself a great Bahá'í
service.
He deeply regrets that you are
handicapped by your early loss of eyesight, but a spiritual light illuminates
and guides you and through it, he hopes you will become a channel to His
Grace.
It is unfortunate that despite the
eager and persistent endeavors of our devoted sister Miss Agnes Alexander, no
permanent and thriving centre has yet been established in Japan. But he trusts
that soon a special endeavor will be made to establish an active group who will
be able to translate the Writings of Bahá'u'lláh and make them known to the
people of Japan.
With the assurance of
Shoghi Effendi's affection and prayers for you, also to Miss Alexander, and of
his hope that you will someday come to Haifa.
(signed by Soheil
Afnan)
78
(in the Guardian's
handwriting)
With the assurance
of my fervent prayers at the Shrine of Bahá'u'lláh for your happiness, your
success and spiritual advancement.
Your
true brother, Shoghi
(March 5,
1931)
Our Guardian has been
overjoyed to hear of your gathering at the library of Dr. Masujima and to
receive your very kind messages written on that
occasion.
Both the Master and Shoghi
Effendi have always cherished great hopes for the Bahá'í Faith in Japan. They
have felt that only through the broad spiritual outlook which the Faith provides
can the Japanese people introduce true spiritual enlightenment in their fast
developing civilization. Hence Shoghi Effendi's great pleasure to hear from you
and learn of your increasing interest in and enthusiasm for the
Cause.
(signed by Soheil Afnan)
(June 20,
1931)
Dear and valued
co-workers:
Your message has imparted an
indefinable joy to my heart and cheered me in my arduous task. Persevere in your
efforts for the spread of our beloved Faith, and rest assured that my prayers
will continue to be offered in your behalf. I cherish the brightest hopes for
the extension of your deeply valued activities and will supplicate the Almighty
to bless and sustain your high endeavors.
Your true brother, Shoghi
(January 9, 1932)
79
12
Letters and Cables to
Administrative
Institutions
To the First National Convention
of the
Bahá'ís of North East
Asia--1957
To the
Delegates and Visitors assembled at the Convention of the Bahá'ís of North-East
Asia.
With feelings of exultation, joy,
and pride I hail the convocation of this history-making Convention of the
Bahá'ís of North-East Asia, paving the way for the emergence of a Regional
Spiritual Assembly with an area of jurisdiction embracing Japan, Korea, Formosa,
Macao, Hong Kong, Hainan Island and Sakhalin
Island.
This auspicious event, which
posterity will regard as the culmination of a process initiated, half a century
ago, in the capital city of Japan, under the watchful care and through the
direct inspiration of the Centre of the Covenant of Bahá'u'lláh, marks the
opening of the second chapter in the history of the evolution of His Faith in
the North Pacific area. Such a consummation cannot fail to lend a tremendous
impetus to its onward march in the entire Pacific Ocean, a march which will now,
no doubt, be greatly accelerated by the simultaneous emergence of the Regional
Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of South-East Asia and of the National
Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of New
Zealand.
I particularly welcome the
establishment of this highly important institution in the capital city of Japan,
as it affords a splendid opportunity for the diffusion of the Lights of the
Faith, and the erection of the structure of its Administrative Order, among a
people representing the overwhelming majority of the yellow race, living in the
islands of the Pacific Ocean, and in a country regarded as one of the
strongholds of the Buddhist Faith.
I feel
a warm tribute should be paid, on this historic occasion, to the members of the
American Bahá'í Community, as well as to their elected national representatives,
who have, for so long and so devotedly, promoted the interests of the Faith in
that country, and, in recent years in its neighbouring
islands.
I call upon the Regional
Spiritual Assembly now being formed to signalize its birth through the
initiation of a subsidiary Six-Year
80
Plan, designed to swell the number of the adherents of the Faith
throughout the area of its jurisdiction; to multiply the groups, the isolated
centers and the local spiritual assemblies; to incorporate all firmly grounded
local spiritual assemblies; to obtain recognition from the civil authorities for
the Bahá'í Marriage Certificate, as well as the Bahá'í Holy Days; to inaugurate
a national Bahá'í Fund; to consolidate the work initiated in the newly opened
territories; to lend an impetus to the translation, the publication, and
dissemination of Bahá'í Literature in divers languages; to establish Summer
Schools, and Bahá'í burial grounds; to propagate the Faith throughout the
smaller islands of Japan; and to acquire a plot to serve as the site of the
first Mashriqu'l-Adhkár of North-East
Asia.
May the blessings of Bahá'u'lláh be
showered, in an ever-increasing measure, on those newly emerged Communities now
holding aloft, so steadfastly and so valiantly, the banner of His Faith, and may
the outcome of their collective efforts illuminate its annals, and contribute to
a notable degree to the consolidation of the institutions
![]()
click
for larger image
The first National Spiritual
Assembly of the Bahá'ís of North East Asia elected in 1957. Sitting: Mr.
Noureddin Momtazi, Miss Agnes Alexander, Mrs. Barbara Sims, Mr. Hiroyasu
Takano. Standing: Mr. Ataullah Moghbel, Mr. Michitoshi Zenimoto, Mr. Philip
Marangella, Mr. Yadollah Rafaat, and Mr. William Maxwell.
81
of the Bahá'í embryonic World Order now being erected throughout
the length and breadth of so vast, so turbulent, and yet so promising, an area
of the globe.
Shoghi
(April
1957)
Shoghi Effendi's
cable to the first Convention of North East
Asia:
Deeply appreciate message welcome
dedication delegates tasks ahead fervently supplicating richest blessings.
Deepest love,
Shoghi
(April 29,
1957)
To National Spiritual Assemblies
To the National
Spiritual Assembly of
North East
Asia--1957
The
Guardian's first cable to the new National Spiritual
Assembly:
Fervently supplicating befitting
discharge sacred manifold responsibilities. Deepest
love,
Shoghi
(cable dated May 2,
1957)
Our beloved Guardian has
instructed me to write you on his behalf and inform you that the Hand of the
Cause Mr. Varqá, will shortly be forwarding to your assembly the equivalent of
five hundred English Pounds, as the Guardian's contribution to your newly
established National Fund.
He hopes that,
in the formulation of your plans, particular attention will be given to the
all-important teaching work, the foundation of all the activities of the Faith
and the most urgent task facing the friends in this critical period the world is
passing through.
You may be sure he will
pray for your success.
(signed by R. Rabbani)
(May 20,
1957)
He (the Guardian) has read
with much interest the reports of the Convention recently held in Tokyo.
82
The formation of this new
Regional Assembly, whose area of operation is so vast and situated in such an
important part of the globe, has been a source of great joy to the Guardian. He
was also very happy to see that your Assembly has represented on it members of
the three great races of mankind, a living demonstration of the fundamental
teaching of our Holy Faith, and one which cannot but attract the interest of the
public. The fact that so many believers attended the first historic convention,
from practically all the territories your Assembly represents, was also most
encouraging, and augurs well for your future
work.
The work, so faithfully carried on,
by both the American and Persian pioneers, has borne its first fruit. The long
and loyal service of dear Agnes Alexander, who so faithfully carried out the
beloved Master's wishes and served the spiritual interests of Japan for decades,
has been richly crowned. Even the death of the devoted pioneer, Mr. Anthony
Seto, has added a blessing to the work in that region, for he served in spite of
failing health and remained at his post to be laid at rest in a distant land,
his very dust testifying to the greatness of the love and the nature of the
ideals Bahá'u'lláh inspires in His
servants*.
It has been a great source of
joy to the Guardian to see the marked increase of native Bahá'ís throughout that
area, particularly in Japan, Korea and Formosa. However devoted the pioneers may
be to these distant countries of their adoption, their relation to them cannot
but be a transient one, especially in view of the disturbed state of the world
and gloomy clouds that hang over its political horizons. They may suddenly be
forced to go home; therefore, the native Bahá'ís, in particular, must seize this
opportunity and arise too, themselves, in their own countries, pioneer to new
cities and towns, new islands and as yet unopened territories, so that they may,
with the help of their Bahá'í brethren from overseas, lay a firm and enduring
foundation, and commence the great task of building up the Administrative Order,
which is itself the foundation of the future World
Order.
Special attention must be given
during this crucial year to consolidating the precious goals already won, to
creating new Spiritual Assemblies, to increasing the groups and the isolated
centers.
Your Assembly must be very
careful not to overload the Bahá'ís with rules and regulations, circulars and
directions. The purpose of the administration at this time is to blow on the
fire newly kindled in the hearts of these people who have accepted the Faith, to
create in
__________
* Mr. Seto,
the first Chinese-American Bahá'í, died while he was in Japan attending the
first Convention. He is buried in the Yamate-machi Foreign Cemetery in
Yokohama.
83
them the desire and capacity to teach, to facilitate the pioneer
and teaching work, and help deepen the knowledge and understanding of the
friends. The beloved Guardian issues this word of warning, as long experience
has shown that it is a tendency on the part of all N.S.A.s to over-administer.
In their enthusiasm they forget that they only have a handful of inexperienced
souls to guide, and attempt to deal with their work as if they had a large
population to regulate! This then stifles the spirit of the friends and the
teaching work suffers.
He hopes that
special attention will be given to the translation of more literature into the
languages in use throughout that area and its publication. Likewise, Summer
Schools should be multiplied as they enable the friends to gain in knowledge,
and, through taking part in the course, increase their ability as Bahá'í
teachers.
He was most happy to receive
news of the spread of the Faith to some of the other islands in Japan, and hopes
that this initial effort will be carefully followed up, and that the Message of
Bahá'u'lláh will be carried to all the Japanese islands--and those in their
neighbourhood--including Sakhalin, which is one of the few remaining virgin
territories to be opened under the Ten-Year
Plan.
The extraordinary progress made in
the Far East and the Pacific area has been a constant source of pride and joy to
the Guardian, and he feels confident that the door has opened on a new era in
the advancement of our beloved Faith in these promising regions, and, indeed,
all over the world. To the degree to which the friends consecrate themselves to
the teaching work will directly depend the results they achieve during this year
and coming years.
The beloved Guardian
assures you all of his loving and continued prayers for the success of your
work, for your strength, guidance and protection.
(signed by R.
Rabbani)
(in the Guardian's handwriting)
Dear and
valued co-workers:
The formation of the
Regional Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of North East Asia is to be acclaimed
as an event of far-reaching historic significance, whose repercussions cannot be
confined to the Pacific area, but are bound to affect the immediate fortunes of
the entire Bahá'í world. The emergence of this epochal institution, however
transitional its character, represents the culmination of a fifty-year old
process that has had its inception in the days of the Centre of the Covenant,
during the last decades of the Heroic Age of the
84
Bahá'í Dispensation. The rise and expansion of the Administrative
Order of the Faith in the northern regions of the vast Pacific Ocean fills a
great gap, and constitutes a notable parallel to the rise of similar
institutions in the Antipodes, establishing thereby a spiritual equilibrium
destined to affect, to a marked degree, the destinies of the Faith throughout
the islands of the Pacific Ocean, in the years immediately ahead. It should be
hailed, moreover, as a momentous development paving the way for the eventual
introduction of the Faith into the far-flung Chinese mainland and, beyond it, to
the extensive territories of Soviet
Russia.
A milestone of such tremendous
significance in the progress of the Faith of Bahá'u'lláh, in so strategic and
important an area of the globe, should be acclaimed by the members of your
assembly, as well as by the rank and file of the believers throughout that area,
as a demonstration of the creative energies released by its Author and the
Centre of His Covenant, in territories and amidst peoples and races destined to
play a role of immense significance in the future development of the human
race.
This God-given opportunity, now
presenting itself to the prosecutors of the Bahá'í world Spiritual Crusade, at
so critical a stage in the history of the peoples and nations established in
those far-off islands and territories, should be seized with eagerness and
enthusiasm, and exploited to the full in the years lying immediately
ahead.
The Six-Year Plan, designed to lend
a tremendous impetus to the awakening of the peoples and races in those regions,
should be prosecuted with the utmost diligence, unrelaxing vigilance and
whole-hearted consecration. All must participate, young and old alike, both men
and women, however limited their circumstances or circumscribed their
resources.
An effort, unprecedented in its
scope and intensity, must be exerted to attain, speedily and completely the
specific objectives of this Plan. The number of the avowed supporters of the
Faith must rapidly increase. The isolated centers, groups and local assemblies,
constituting the bedrock of a rising Administrative Order, must steadily and
continually multiply. All firmly grounded local spiritual assemblies must be
speedily incorporated, in order to reinforce the foundations of the institution
of this divinely conceived Order. The Bahá'í marriage certificate, as well as
the Bahá'í Holy Days must, at the earliest possible opportunity, receive
recognition from the civil authorities concerned. The work now being initiated
in the Northern and smaller islands of Japan, with such zeal and devotion should
be
85
constantly reinforced and its scope continually widened. The
literature of the Faith must be translated into as many languages as possible,
published and widely disseminated. The holding of the summer-schools is yet
another objective that should receive the earnest and immediate attention of the
members of your assembly. The purchase of Bahá'í burial-grounds, should,
moreover, be, in due course considered and effectively carried out. The
newly-opened territories, that have been so painstakingly brought within the
pale of the Faith, must at whatever cost, be safeguarded, and the enterprises
initiated within their confines carefully expanded and consolidated. The
acquisition of a plot, in the outskirts of Tokyo, to serve as the site of the
first Mashriqu'l-Adhkár of North East Asia, must, likewise, be seriously
considered and brought to a successful
conclusion.
The task challenging the
spirit and resources of your assembly, as well as those whom you represent, is
admittedly arduous, pressing and sacred. The field in which you operate is
exceptionally vast, and the barriers standing in your way are varied and
formidable. Nothing short of complete dedication to the objectives of the
Six-Year Plan you are called upon to fulfill, and of the utmost self-sacrifice
on your part, as well as on the part of those who are to participate in its
prosecution, can ensure the success to which I confidently look forward, to
which your sister, as well as parent, communities throughout the Bahá'í world,
are likewise, eagerly anticipating.
May
those who are privileged, at this auspicious hour, to render so noble a service
to the Cause of God, and fulfill so glorious a destiny, in the course of the
evolution of so sacred and precious a Faith, arise to perform befittingly their
task, and achieve such feats in the days to come as shall draw forth from the
Source on high a still greater measure of divine blessings that will enable them
to write a still more brilliant chapter in the annals of God's infant Faith, and
to contribute an outstanding share to the world-wide establishment and ultimate
recognition of its newly-born administrative
institutions.
Shoghi
(July 15,
1957)
Congratulate attendants
historic summerschool* fervently praying expansion valued
activities
Love, Shoghi
(cable
dated August 27,
1957)
__________
*
On occasion of first summer school in Japan.
86
He (the Guardian) was
greatly pleased to learn of the contacts which have been made by the friends
with the original natives of Japan, namely the Ainu people. He hopes that some
of them will be quickened in the Faith so that they may teach the call of God to
the remainder of their people. There is no doubt that great results will be
achieved if this can be done.
Therefore
the Guardian hopes your Assembly will take some very active measures to insure
the teaching of the Faith amongst this
Tribe.
The Guardian will pray for you and
will pray for the success of your labors.
(signed by Leroy
Ioas)
(October 20, 1957)
To the National Spiritual Assembly of
the United
States, 1951-1956
He (the Guardian) feels there is no definite action that can be taken by the
Tokyo Spiritual Assembly against ... any society which uses our Bahá'í ideas and
principles. The best thing is for the Japanese believers, through strengthening
their community, enlarging it, obtaining publicity in the press, and holding,
whenever possible, dignified public meetings, to gradually assert themselves as
the real body of the Faith, and make everything else appear to be mere
plagiarism, a shadow of the Faith. Your Assembly should give them (the Japanese
believers) as much moral support and encouragement as
possible.
(February 29,
1951)
The Guardian attaches great
importance to the teaching conference* ... and feels that as many friends as
possible should attend. He thinks it will be a great stimulant to the Faith, and
certainly foundations can be laid for the rapid expansion of the Cause... This
will be a historic event, and one that should lay the foundation for great
victories in the future.
The beloved
Guardian has approved the attendance of one of the Hands of the Cause in Asia
... Mr. Zikru'llah Khádem...
(July,
1955)
__________
*
International Bahá'í Teaching Conference, Nikko, Japan, September
1955.
87
Your loving letter was
received (with the) copy of Miss Linfoot's report to the National Assembly
concerning the Teaching Conference held in
Japan.
The Guardian was greatly delighted
with the Conference and its results; more particularly with the effect which it
is going to have on the teaching work of the entire area in the
future.
It was a very historic gathering,
because it marked the first time a general conference regarding teaching matters
had been held in Japan, and furthermore was participated in by representatives
of the other countries in the area. It released a new power of the Spirit in
that part of the world which will certainly elevate the minds and hearts of the
people and attract many to the Cause.
The
Guardian appreciates the sacrificial efforts made by all those who undertook the
development of the Conference, so that it might produce such beneficial
results.
The Guardian is hopeful that the
conditions in Japan may not force many of the pioneers to leave that territory.
As you know, he attaches the utmost importance to the teaching work in Japan; he
anticipates that the Faith will spread rapidly in that country. The help of the
American Bahá'ís is very essential; and he hopes therefore it will not be
necessary for any of them to leave.
(signed by Leroy
Ioas)
(November 20,
1955)
The beloved Guardian feels
the time is ripe for the settlement of the Northern Island of Japan, and he
wishes your Assembly to consider what might be done to accomplish this before
the coming Ridván without in any way interfering with the work now engaged in,
in connection with the establishment of the new National Assembly next
Ridván.
There are three tasks which the
new National Assembly should undertake, when it is formed, and that is the
sending of pioneers into Sakhalin Island, and Hainan Island; also the extension
of the teaching work in the Northern Island (Hokkaido) of Japan. If no settlers
are in the Northern Island, then they should undertake to send some in as
quickly as possible.
Will you please
actively consider the settlement now of the Northern Island; also pass on to the
new N.S.A. the three tasks the Guardian feels they should undertake
promptly.
(December 27, 1956)
88
To the National Spiritual Assembly
of
Australia
...The
emergence of a new Regional Spiritual Assembly in the North Pacific Area*, with
its seat fixed in the capital city of a country which by reason of its innate
capacity and the spiritual receptivity it has acquired, in consequence of the
severe and prolonged ordeal its entire population has providentially
experienced, is destined to have a preponderating share in awakening the peoples
and races inhabiting the entire Pacific area, to the Message of Bahá'u'lláh, and
to act as the Vanguard of His hosts in their future spiritual conquest of the
main body of the yellow race on the Chinese mainland--the emergence of such an
assembly may be said to have, at long last established a spiritual axis,
extending from the Antipodes to the northern islands of the Pacific Ocean--an
axis whose northern and southern poles will act as powerful magnets, endowed
with exceptional spiritual potency, and towards which younger and less
experienced communities will tend for some time to
gravitate.
A responsibility, at once
weighty and inescapable, must rest on the communities which occupy so privileged
a position in so vast and turbulent an area of the globe. However great the
distance that separates them; however much they differ in race, language,
custom, and religion; however active the political forces which tend to keep
them apart and foster racial and political antagonisms, the close and continued
association of these communities in their common, their peculiar and paramount
task of raising up and of consolidating the embryonic World Order of Bahá'u'lláh
in those regions of the globe, is a matter of vital and urgent importance, which
should receive on the part of the elected representatives of their communities,
a most earnest and prayerful
consideration...
May this community**
which, with its sister community in the North, has had the inestimable privilege
of being called into being in the lifetime of, and through the operation of the
dynamic forces released by the Center of Bahá'u'lláh's Covenant continue, with
undimmed vision, with redoubled vigour, and unwavering fidelity and constancy,
to discharge its manifold and ever increasing duties and responsibilities, and
lend, as the days go by, an impetus such as it has not lent before, in the
course of almost two score years of its existence, to the propagation of the
Faith it has so whole-heartedly espoused
and
__________
* National
Spiritual Assembly of North East Asia, with its seat in Tokyo, Japan.
**
Australia.
89
is now so valiantly serving, and play a memorable and distinctive
part in hastening the establishment, and in ensuring the gradual efflorescence
and ultimate fruition, of its divinely appointed embryonic World
Order.
(July 19, 1957)
To the National Spiritual Assembly of Iran
Regarding pioneers going to Japan, Brazil ... and other places, the beloved
Guardian states that they must not gather in one place but scatter to make new
centers, e.g., Mr. Assassi and his wife, and Mr. Labib who travelled to Japan
must not stay in Tokyo but should go to places where there are no Bahá'ís, or
very few Bahá'ís to make new centers. Furthermore (he) says that the National
Spiritual Assembly of Iran must write to all pioneers that have left Iran for
other parts of the world and instruct them not to gather in one place but to
scatter in different places. He says that the matter stated above is very
important... (translated from the original Persian)
(signed by Dr.
Hakim)
(January 6, 1957)
To Local Spiritual Assemblies,
1948-1957
To the Local Spiritual Assembly of
Tokyo
To know that a Spiritual Assembly of
all Japanese members was formed in Tokyo greatly inspired him (the Guardian).
This is a historic and wonderful achievement. At present it might seem to people
of the world that these few devoted souls are insignificant when compared to the
millions of people residing in Japan--but we who have recognized the Power of
Bahá'u'lláh, and that His teaching is God's Message to men in this day, know
that the seed of the Tree of Life has at last germinated in your land, and that
it will grow to overshadow all those who dwell in the islands of
Japan.
The love of the Japanese people,
for truth and beauty is very great, and our Guardian feels sure that gradually
many souls will become attracted to the Cause of God through your persevering
and devoted labours.
Your loyalty and
determination touches him deeply, and he assures you all that for each one of
you he will pray for guidance and
90
blessings. He urges you to work together for the Cause as one soul
in different bodies, and show by your love and unity what a force lies in our
Faith for the regeneration of mankind.
(signed by R.
Rabbani)
(in the Guardian's handwriting)
Dear and
valued co-workers:
I was thrilled by your
message and I greatly value the sentiments it expressed. I urge you to persevere
and be confident, and labour unitedly for the spread of the Faith and the
formation of new centres, however small, in the vicinity of your capital. I
will, from all my heart, supplicate for you Divine guidance and blessings, that
your historic work may flourish, your numbers increase and your highest hopes be
fulfilled in the service of His glorious
Faith.
Your true and grateful brother,
Shoghi
(September 21,
1948)
The beloved Guardian has
received your letter, so beautifully written in Japanese, and which he regrets
very much he could not read in the
original.
He very deeply appreciated the
contribution the Bahá'ís of Japan have made for the Shrine of the Báb; and I am
enclosing a receipt herein for the sum you mentioned in your letter, ten
thousand yen.
The sentiments expressed by
the Bahá'ís of Japan touched him very deeply; and he feels that the contribution
they have made to the Shrine enriches its spiritual significance for all of us,
coming, as it does, from believers in the Báb, our beloved Martyr-Prophet, who
reside in a land so far away, and yet are filled with such great love and
devotion for, not only the Báb Himself, but for the Faith He
heralded.
The Guardian is most happy over
the progress being made in Japan; and he wants you to know that his loving
thoughts are with you, and you are mentioned often in his prayers in the Holy
Shrines.
(signed by R. Rabbani)
(in the Guardian's
handwriting)
May the
Beloved bless you, sustain and guide you, reward you for your meritorious
labours, and aid you to win great victories in the service of His
Faith.
Your true brother,
Shoghi
(December 20, 1951)
91
Your gracious letter of
March 20th, conveying Naw-Rúz greetings to the beloved Guardian has been
received, and gave the Guardian the utmost of happiness. It revealed anew the
power of Bahá'u'lláh, that in that far off land, the banner of His Grace has
been raised so effectively, and the friends have been quickened by the new
spirit of unity which is sweeping the
world.
The Guardian will pray at the Holy
Shrines that the powers of the Holy Spirit will inspire and sustain you in your
labors for the spread of the true teachings of brotherhood, and the spiritual
elevation of the people of Japan.
Today,
the head corner-stone of service to the Faith of Bahá'u'lláh is teaching. It is
the source of divine blessings. The beloved Guardian feels your consecration to
this most important of all Bahá'í activities will achieve new goals and win many
victories for the Faith.
He sends his
loving greetings to each one of you, who will ever be in his
heart.
(signed by Leroy Ioas)
(April 14,
1952)
It always brings joy to the
heart of our beloved Guardian to receive news from you, as he is so happy over
the remarkable growth of the Faith in Japan since the end of the war. He has
instructed me to answer on his behalf your letter of July
12.
Plans for future works in Japan will
certainly form part of the general plan for Asia, which will be discussed at the
New Delhi Conference in October 1953. He would be very happy if some of the
friends from Japan could attend this historic
gathering.
He was delighted to hear that
your Assembly is undertaking extension teaching work in other Japanese cities;
as Tokyo is the mother Assembly, her responsibility is great. He was
particularly glad to hear teaching will be done in Hiroshima, where the people
suffered so mercilessly during the war; they have a special right--the people of
that city--to hear of Bahá'u'lláh's Message of peace and
brotherhood.
The Assembly of Tokyo, until
such time as other local assemblies are formed, can receive the applications for
enrollment from people living elsewhere. Anyone living outside the civic limits
of Tokyo, however, cannot be a voting member of that community, but of course,
may attend meetings and Feasts until a local nucleus is
established.
The Guardian was particularly
happy to note that there are so many Japanese Bahá'ís; although the American
friends have rendered
92
a great service in Japan, the object of all teachings is to
establish firmly the Faith of God in the hearts and lives of the people of the
country. He hopes that special efforts will be made to teach the Japanese, and
to provide them with Bahá'í literature in their own language, and to conduct
meetings in Japanese, and also to encourage them to understand the
Administration and take an active, constructive part in its workings. Without a
proper understanding of the Administrative Order, extensive plans cannot be
undertaken and harmony will not prevail within the
community.
He (the Guardian) will remember
you in all his prayers, and is most pleased with your progress and your devoted
spirit.
(signed by R. Rabbani)
(in the Guardian's
handwriting)
May the Almighty
bless your high and persistent endeavours, guide every step you take in the path
of service, and enable you to extend continually the range of your splendid
activities, and win great and memorable victories for His
Cause.
Your true and grateful brother,
Shoghi
(August 30, 1952)
The beloved Guardian has said that the future of Japan from every standpoint is
very bright indeed. The Faith will spread rapidly in Japan, once the public
become acquainted with its universal principles, and its dynamic
spirit.
What is necessary at this time is
for the Bahá'ís to adhere firmly to the teachings of the Faith, and to become a
clear channel through which the power of the Holy Spirit might disseminate
itself throughout the country.
So far as
the Ananai-kyo Movement is concerned, and their desire for
affiliation:
The Bahá'ís may associate
with Movements such as this, without becoming supporters and active workers
therein; the object being to make friendly contacts which can be developed into
firm Bahá'ís.
So far as non-Bahá'ís
affiliating with the Bahá'í Faith is concerned, either a person becomes a Bahá'í
and accepts Bahá'u'lláh as the divine Manifestation for this day or he does not.
The tenets of the Bahá'í Faith are simple as outlined by the Guardian, but they
do not permit any variations. In other words, if any members of the Ananai-kyo
Movement wish to become Bahá'ís; they will be most welcome; but they can only
become Bahá'ís on the basis of accepting
93
Bahá'u'lláh as a divine Manifestation, and of course, with this
goes the acceptance of the Báb as the Fore-runner, and `Abdu'l-Bahá as the
Center of the Covenant, and the present Administrative
Order.
When a person has reached the sea
of immortality, it is idle to keep seeking elsewhere; and when the members of
the Ananai-kyo Movement reach Bahá'u'lláh in their search for a world teacher,
they have reached the goal, and not another step along the
path.
I presume you have received by this
time full details concerning the Ten Year Crusade, and the Plan which the
Guardian has enunciated for the American National Assembly to assist in the
development of the Faith in Japan, so that ultimately there may be a National
Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís in Japan
itself.
The American National Spiritual
Assembly has appointed a special committee for the Asian countries, and I am
quite sure you will find the very closest possible cooperation from them in the
development of the work.
You will find, as
the Extension Teaching work in Japan moves forward, there will have to be
constant and continuous consultation with this important
committee.
You can appreciate it will be
entirely impossible for the International Council or the staff of the Guardian
himself, to undertake the supervision of the teaching work in any one part of
the world; furthermore it would be contrary to the general principle of Bahá'í
administration. Under Bahá'í administration, Local Assemblies, and the
development of teaching work are placed in the hands of National Assemblies. The
National Assemblies themselves report directly to Haifa--to the Universal House
of Justice, when it is established; and until that time, to the Guardian
himself.
At the instruction of the
Guardian, I am communicating with the American National Spiritual Assembly, to
ask them to set up a program, whereby there will be the closest possible
collaboration between their Asia Teaching Committee and your own Assembly. I
hope this will be the means of all data reaching you very
promptly.
The beloved Guardian asked me to
convey to you his deep love. He appreciates and values very highly your devoted
services to the Faith. He will pray at the Holy Shrines, for your guidance and
confirmation. It is his hope that heavenly blessings may be with you at all
times, and every obstacle in the path of your efforts to continually spread the
Message in Japan may be removed, so that you may ultimately gain complete
victory.
(signed by Leroy Ioas)
(July 24, 1953)
94
The Guardian is hopeful that
some day it may be possible for the Bahá'ís of Tokyo to establish their Hazira;
and of course if this were done, some day it will become the National Hazira,
because when the National Spiritual Assembly is formed in Japan, Tokyo will no
doubt be the seat of the National
Assembly.
Shoghi Effendi feels that the
time has now come when the Faith will spread rapidly in Japan. The Japanese
people have great vision and spirituality, and the difficulties of the last war
have prepared many of them for the Divine Guidance. He therefore urges each and
every one of you to treble your efforts, so that the Cause may grow and develop
rapidly.
He sends his loving greetings to
you, and assures you all of his prayers in your behalf.
(signed by Leroy
Ioas)
(November 26,
1953)
The beloved Guardian sends
his loving greetings to each and every one of the friends in Japan. He greatly
values their devotion and sacrifice for the Faith, and the noble manner in which
they are arising to spread the Teachings in that
land.
He feels the future of Japan is very
great. The hearts and minds of the Japanese people are awakened; and if the
teaching work is carried on very actively and audaciously, many souls will be
attracted by the Divine Fragrances.
The
beloved Guardian is so confident that the Faith will spread rapidly in Japan,
and the believers will firmly establish the institutions of the Cause, that he
has chosen to send to them for ultimate display in their National
Haziratu'l-Quds in Tokyo one of the very precious relics from the Shrine of
Bahá'u'lláh. He has entrusted with our dear brother, Hiroyasu Takano, a very
precious brocade, which has rested immediately over the remains of Bahá'u'lláh
in His glorious Shrine. It is very precious and very
sacred.
The Guardian is sending this to
the Spiritual Assembly of Tokyo as a gift. The friends may wish to have it
carefully and beautifully framed for display in the Hazira, when it is acquired.
Ultimately of course it is to be hung in the Hazira of the National Assembly,
when that great goal has been achieved by the Japanese
believers.
The beloved Guardian assures
each and every one of you of his prayers in your behalf.
(signed by Leroy
Ioas)
(March 2, 1954)
95
The beloved Guardian was
pleased to see the manner in which the Assembly has undertaken its
responsibility of enthusing the believers to carry on teaching work throughout
Japan in an aggressive manner.
The keynote
of activity during the second year of the Ten-Year Crusade is the multiplication
of Assemblies, groups and isolated centers. The Guardian feels the time is ripe
for the active spread of the Faith throughout Japan; and if pioneers and
settlers will go to additional cities and very actively teach the Faith, they
will find that the Cause will grow and develop in each of these new
areas.
You should not overlook the fact
that one of the goals of the Ten-Year Crusade is the establishment of a National
Assembly in Japan. This can be brought about more quickly if the friends set
aside all other considerations and actively teach the
Faith.
The sacred gift which the Guardian
sent to the Japanese Bahá'ís through Mr. Takano is of course for the Hazira as
soon as it is procured. It is one of the very sacred relics, and the Guardian
hopes it will be a source of inspiration to the friends to redouble their
efforts in the teaching field.
(signed by Leroy Ioas)
(May 29,
1954)
The beloved Guardian sends
his loving greetings to each and every one of you. He is praying for the success
of your teaching work. He feels the time is ripe for a rapid expansion of the
Faith in Japan; and that if everyone will arise with renewed effort, they will
be surprised at the spiritual victories which they will achieve.
(signed
by Leroy Ioas)
(June 7,
1954)
Please refer to our previous
correspondence with regard to the purchase of a Haziratu'l-Quds in Tokyo. The
beloved Guardian feels this is a matter of great importance, and should be
accomplished during the present year.
He
has written to the American N.S.A. in detail concerning the matter, instructing
them to proceed at once with the development of this project, so that it may be
concluded during the present year, if at all
possible.
The beloved Guardian is sending
a contribution of £500.
As you know, a
Haziratu'l-Quds was given by Mr. Momtazi in Mukonoso, Hyogo-ken. The Guardian
would see no objection to this
96
Haziratu'l-Quds being sold, and the fund received thereby being
used to defray the cost of the Haziratu'l-Quds in Tokyo. It is far more
important that a Hazira be established in Tokyo, which is the seat of the future
National Assembly, than in Mukonoso, Hyogo-ken. Of course this can only be done
in case Mr. Momtazi is entirely agreeable.
(signed by Leroy
Ioas)
(June 8, 1954)
Your loving letter ... has just come to hand, telling of the funds which you
have available now, since the generous gift of Mr. N. Momtazi, for the
Haziratu'l-Quds in Tokyo.
You have in mind
that the Hazira need not be an elaborate place. It should be a building which
you own, and which can be used now as the Haziratu'l-Quds for the Local Tokyo
Assembly, to be utilized later as the National Haziratu'l-Quds for the National
Spiritual Assembly when it is formed.
The
important thing is that this piece of property should be acquired for as
reasonable a price as possible.
The
Guardian will await with expectation, advice from you as to the acquisition of
this important piece of property*.
The
Guardian sends each one his loving greetings.
(signed by Leroy
Ioas)
(July 19, 1954)
Your loving letter ... has come to hand, giving the latest information
concerning the International Teaching Conference which was to be held at Nikko,
September 23, 24, and 25.
From the word we
have received, the Conference must have been a great success with so many being
present, and representing so many different countries. As I understand it, there
were representatives of nine different
nations.
The Guardian has attached the
greatest importance to this Conference, as it is the first to be held in Japan,
and is therefore a great historic event. Let us hope the teaching work will
develop rapidly in Japan, so that there may be a large number of Assemblies and
groups established who may take part in the election of the National
Assembly.
(signed by Leroy Ioas)
(September 26,
1955)
__________
*
The purchase of the Tokyo Hazira was accomplished that year. It was not
necessary to sell the Mukonoso property as Mr. Momtazi contributed a like amount
toward the purchase of the Tokyo Hazira. When the Guardian was informed of the
purchase, he cabled "Delighted loving prayers" to the Tokyo Local Spiritual
Assembly.
97
It was a great pleasure to
have some of the friends from Japan here, and particularly to get dear Fujita
back again.
The Guardian is particularly
happy over the news conveyed by Mr. Momtazi for the formation of seven new
Assemblies. This is a great step forward in the progress of the work, not only
in Japan, but in the Pacific area; and augurs well for the formation of the
Regional National Assembly with Japan as the hub, which is to be elected next
Ridván.
The Japanese believers are often
in his thoughts and prayers, and he is proud of their achievements, and
cherishes great hopes for their future. He will pray that your Assembly may be
instrumental in bringing in many new souls during the coming
year.
(signed by R. Rabbani)
(in the Guardian's
handwriting)
May the Almighty,
whose Cause you serve so devotedly, aid you to extend continually the scope of
your valued activities, and enable you to win great victories in the days to
come.
Your true brother,
Shoghi
(April 24, 1956)
He (the Guardian) was very happy to receive the copies of the Japanese Geppo.
They are historic, marking the first Bahá'í Newsletters to be published in that
country. He hopes its scope will gradually widen, and it become a most effective
means of stimulating the friends in Japan in service to the Cause of
God.
Great victories have been won by the
friends in Japan. He hopes during the short period between now, and when the new
National Assembly is formed, the friends will treble their efforts, so many many
souls may find eternal life, through the teaching services of the true servants
of God.
As Bahá'u'lláh has stated, true
victory is winning the hearts of men to the Cause of God. The Guardian is
praying for many more such glorious victories, so the Faith may be firmly
established in that far off land, which has such a bright and promising
future.
The Guardian will pray for the
friends, for the success of their work. He sends his loving
greetings.
(signed by Leroy Ioas)
(June 11, 1956)
98
The various materials which
you sent to the Guardian he has read with great interest--the pamphlet on the
recent Congress of Religions held in Tokyo, the English summaries of the
important Bahá'í News Geppo, and your report of the progress of the Faith in
that promising country.
The Guardian is
looking forward with keen anticipation to the forthcoming Ridván period, as it
marks the establishment of thirteen new National Assemblies; the most important
of which are in the Pacific area; the one centered in Tokyo, the one in
Djakarta, and the third in New Zealand.
The Guardian is well pleased with the teaching work in Japan. He hopes this
branch of your service will be greatly reinforced and stimulated by the
establishment of the new National
Assembly.
He will pray for the friends,
for Japan, and for the success of the labors of the
Faithful.
He sends his loving
greetings.
(signed by Leroy Ioas)
(April 19,
1957)
To the Local Spiritual Assembly
of Hyogo-ken
(prefecture)
It is
indeed a great privilege for the Bahá'ís of Japan, so remote from the Holy Land,
to have two of their most devoted teachers come to Haifa on pilgrimage; and he
(the Guardian) feels sure that they will carry back to the work in that
important Center in the Pacific area a fresh impetus and a new
inspiration.
It is also a source of great
satisfaction to him that dear Fujita has returned to serve here. It brings the
Japanese believers even closer to the International Center to have a
representative of their nation working for the Cause at its World
Center.
He assures you all that he will
pray for the success, not only of the work in Hyogo-ken, but throughout Japan,
and urges you and your co-workers to persevere in the face of every
obstacle.
(signed by Leroy Ioas)
(in the Guardian's
handwriting)
May the Almighty
remove all obstacles from your path, enable you to lend a great impetus to the
onward march of His Faith, and contribute to the consolidation of His
institutions.
Your true brother,
Shoghi
(January 2, 1956)
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for larger image
The first International Teaching
Conference in Nikko, Japan, 1955. Mr. Fujita is holding the frame containing
the "Greatest Name". Hand of the Cause Mr. Khádem, who was the Guardian's
representative, is behind Mr. Fujita. Miss Alexander is holding the picture of
`Abdu'l-Bahá. This conference marked a turning point in the Bahá'í Faith in
Asia, especially in Japan.
100
13
Letters to
Individuals
Excerpts from letters to Japanese
believers,
1947-1957
To Mr. Saichiro
Fujita
After so many years of silence our
beloved Guardian was very happy to receive your
postcard.
He is very glad to see you are
not only safe after all these terrible years of war and privation, but that you
are seeking to establish a center of the Faith where you live. He assures you he
will pray that your efforts may be successful, and that you may become the
father of the first spiritual assembly
there.
Your long services in Haifa are not
forgotten, and the Guardian sends you his greetings.
(signed by R.
Rabbani)
(October 15,
1947)
The excellent progress the
Cause is making is a delight to his (the Guardian's) heart, and he feels very
close to the Japanese believers.
Now that
our dear Agnes Alexander is with you again out there (in Japan), he feels still
greater progress will be made. You and she, both old and tried believers, must
devote particular attention to strengthening the faith of the new souls, and
giving them a firm foundation in the Covenant. You are often affectionately
remembered here.
(signed by "Ruhiyyih")
(October 6,
1950)
To Mrs. Kyoko Hongo
He (the Guardian) is very happy to hear that you and your husband have become
declared Bahá'ís; and he will ardently pray in the Holy Shrines that each of you
may become an active and devoted servant of Bahá'u'lláh, and may be assisted in
bringing many souls in that land to the light of this great Faith, and carry on
the work nobly started by the dear Davenports.
(signed by R.
Rabbani)
(March 21, 1952)
101
To Mr. Tameo Hongo
It brings
him (the Guardian) great joy to realize that we see before our eyes the promises
of Bahá'u'lláh being fulfilled, and the peoples of East and West embracing as
lovers, and united in the service of God and of
man.
He feels that the Japanese people, so
sensitive to every form of beauty both spiritual and material, will have a deep
appreciation of the Teachings of Bahá'u'lláh, not only because of their truth
and justice, but because of the great beauty which permeates them, a beauty
which will gradually, through the fulfillment of His prophecies and the practice
of His Laws and Principles, permeate the life of mankind, and create a society
such as has never been dreamed of before.
(signed by R.
Rabbani)
(April 22, 1952)
To Mr. Michitoshi
Zenimoto
Your letter has been received by
the beloved Guardian and he has instructed me to answer you on his
behalf.
Bahá'u'lláh wrote, many, many
years ago: "The vitality of men's belief in God is dying out in every land;
nothing short of His wholesome medicine can ever restore it. The corrosion of
ungodliness is eating into the vitals of human society; what else but the Elixir
of His potent Revelation can cleanse and revive
it?"
This is the ebb of the tide. The
Bahá'ís know that the tide will turn and come in, after mankind has suffered,
with mighty waves of faith and devotion. The people will enter the Cause of God
in troops, and the whole condition will change. The Bahá'ís see this new
condition which will take place, as one on the mountain-top sees the first
glimpse of the dawn, before others are aware of it; and it is toward that that
the Bahá'ís must work.
The Guardian will
pray that you may be instrumental in bringing many of your fellow-youth into the
Faith. He sends you his loving greetings.
(signed by R.
Rabbani)
(October 5, 1953)
To Miss Yoshiko
Morita
The photograph of the Japanese
Bahá'ís, who attended the conference recently held in Nikko, brought great joy
to his (the Guardian's) heart.
Although
the American and Persian friends are helping greatly the spread of the Faith in
Japan, the main object of their presence in
102
that country is to attract Japanese people to the Cause of God.
Only when the Faith is firmly rooted in the hearts of the people of that country
can we feel that true progress has been made; and therefore to see there are so
many Japanese believers, active and devoted in different places in Japan, has
been a great comfort and joy to our Guardian.
(signed by R.
Rabbani)
(December 30, 1955)
To Mrs. Masao
Konishi
The time is too short to spend
years preparing yourself to teach by the indirect approach. The world is ready
for the direct Message, and it would be much better to equip yourself to do
direct Bahá'í teaching.
(signed by R. Rabbani)
(September 19,
1957)
The following excerpts are from letters to
pioneers to
Japan and Korea, 1948-1957
To Mr. Robert
Imagire
He (the Guardian) notices in your
last letter that you sound discouraged. But he feels you should look on the
bright side of the work in Japan, and realize that, after so many, many years of
complete inertia, the old Bahá'ís have been found--at least some of them-- and
contacts reestablished. You are able to serve there, new people are hearing of
the Faith, and the prospects for the future work there are promising. It is a
great pity that a pioneer effort, organized and financed, cannot be carried out
there. But the present Seven Year Plan takes all the American Bahá'í resources,
and at present Japan must depend on volunteer teachers like your dear self, who
of course are not as free as a full time pioneer would
be.
In regard to the various questions in
your last letter; because of the difficult conditions under which you are
serving there and the state of the country and immaturity of the believers you
should not be too rigid. You should try and meet on the proper Feast day, but if
it is not possible meet as close to the date as you can. Likewise, it would be
desirable to observe the Ascension of Bahá'u'lláh and the Master, etc., at the
correct times, but it is not essential to do so. With such a small group of
Bahá'ís who have no proper literature except the Esslemont
103
book, and need to deepen in the Teachings, you should be very
patient and not ask them to do things before they see the wisdom of
it.
Membership for Bahá'ís should be based
on their understanding the station of the Báb, Bahá'u'lláh, `Abdu'l-Bahá, the
Guardian and the function of the Administrative Order. To do this it is not
necessary for people to first read the Will and Testament and the Dispensation.
The essentials can be explained to them, and the rest is a question of faith; if
they believe, they can be accepted as Bahá'ís. It is premature now to say any
"laws" of the Aqdas must be followed. But the Bahá'ís should be encouraged to
keep the Fast, use an obligatory prayer, obtain the consent of parents for
marriage, and live up to the Teachings in
general.
He certainly feels one of your
first duties is to deepen the understanding of the Faith in the minds of the
believers there.
You should certainly try
to make new contacts but until you have a nucleus of active believers there he
feels a lot of publicity is premature.
As
to translations, this is certainly very important, but he would not suggest that
at present with the limited facilities at your disposal, that you translate
whole books. Make selections of subjects that will interest the Japanese; some
prayers, some of the chapters from "Some Answered Questions" on things of
general interest rather than the purely Christian topics; some of the excerpts
from "Gleanings". In other words try and get together a selection from our
Teachings that covers a wide range of subjects and is representative of our
beliefs, and translate these at first. Whole books can be undertaken in the
future.
He feels the teaching and
translating work can go hand in hand as you teach with new material
translated.
Your services are very deeply
valued by our beloved Guardian, and he assures you he will pray for you and all
the Japanese Bahá'ís in the Holy Shrines.
(signed by R.
Rabbani)
(in the Guardian's
handwriting)
The zeal, devotion
and courage which you exhibit in your activities in the service of the Cause in
Japan are truly meritorious and evoke my deepest admiration. Your mission is
indeed historic, and your pioneer achievements an example to the rising
generation. Persevere in your high endeavors, and rest assured that the Beloved
will bless your exertions and will aid you to fulfil your heart's
desire.
Your true and grateful brother,
Shoghi
(January 21, 1948)
104
He (the Guardian) is
delighted over the progress the Faith is making in Japan, and feels greatly
attracted to the Japanese believers, who show a spirit of sincerity and faith
which augurs well for the future development of the work there.
(signed
by R. Rabbani)
(in the Guardian's handwriting)
Dear and
valued co-worker:
Your outstanding pioneer
services are indeed worthy of the highest praise, and I am deeply grateful to
you for the work you have accomplished. The firm establishment of a spiritual
assembly in Japan and its consolidation, as well as the formation of small
groups and isolated centers, will no doubt act as a magnet that will draw the
inestimable blessings of Bahá'u'lláh. Persevere in your historic task and rest
assured and be happy.
Your true and
grateful brother, Shoghi
(October 16, 1948)
To Mrs.
Barbara Davenport
He (the Guardian) urges
you to encourage the friends (in Japan) to observe our Bahá'í laws and
ordinances, deepen themselves in the administration, and realize they are
followers of a Faith--not a mere movement.
(signed by R.
Rabbani)
(December 20, 1949)
To Mr. Robert
Imagire
He (the Guardian) is so pleased to
have dear Miss Alexander there. Her devotion and loyalty, her love and knowledge
of the teachings will be a comfort and inspiration to the believers there (in
Japan).
The Guardian was also very happy
to see eight Japanese names on the Tokyo Assembly. Although the help and advice
of American believers is of great importance, it is excellent that the majority
are Japanese and are assuming responsibility for the affairs of the Cause in
their native land.
He feels great strides
forward have been made, and trusts still greater progress lies ahead. He was
delighted to hear the Japanese friends and particularly the women, are actively
teaching and giving lectures.
(signed by R. Rabbani)
105
(in the Guardian's handwriting)
Dear and valued
co-worker:
The services you are rendering
the Faith in Japan are indeed remarkable and unforgettable. I am filled with
admiration for the spirit that animates you and for your splendid
accomplishments. Persevere in your historic tasks, and rest assured that the
Beloved is well pleased with you. I will continue to supplicate in your behalf
the Master's richest blessings, that He may fulfill your heart's desire in His
service.
Your true and grateful brother,
Shoghi
(September 17,
1950)
The news of the progress
being made by the Japanese Bahá'ís in teaching and in reaching people of
importance, pleased him (the Guardian) greatly; and he urges you all to
persevere, and never lose heart. In his visits to the Shrines, he will
supplicate that Bahá'u'lláh may confirm your efforts, and enlarge the scope of
your activities.
(signed by R. Rabbani)
(February 27,
1951)
He (the Guardian) feels by
all means you should plan to remain in Japan and buy a home, if possible. Your
presence there has marked a turning point in the work in that
country.
It will interest you to know that
there are Bahá'ís now in Formosa and Indochina, and we hope an English believer
will be able to go out to Hong Kong later. Lights are going on in
Asia.
(signed by R. Rabbani)
(September 21,
1951)
He (the Guardian) was most
happy to hear of the progress being made in Japan, particularly in the new
centers being opened to the Faith, such as Yokohama and Kofu. He was also very
happy to know that Miss Alexander is now teaching in Kyoto.
(signed by R.
Rabbani)
(November 12, 1952)
To Mr. and Mrs. Donald
Witzel
He (the Guardian) was deeply
touched by the two letters by the two new believers of Korea, and the spirit of
loving devotion which they portray. He wishes you to assure them of his prayers
in their behalf. He hopes they will be inspired to intensify their teaching
efforts, so others may be quickened by the spirit of Bahá'u'lláh, and an
Assembly be formed in Korea.
106
He wishes you and the
friends in Tokyo to keep in close touch with the friends in Korea. In fact, he
wishes the Tokyo Assembly to undertake, as one of their direct responsibilities,
the assistance of the work in Korea, sending if possible one or two pioneers to
Korea. This will keep the Center in Korea, (and even enable it to develop into
an Assembly), until such time as more American pioneers are sent to
Korea.
The Guardian greatly values the
services of the friends in Japan. He hopes they will now treble their efforts in
the teaching field. Now that the Ten Year Crusade has been so auspiciously
launched, the divine confirmations are descending; and the friends should seize
this opportunity to spread the Faith to all corners of the globe. Especial
opportunity devolves on the Japanese Bahá'ís and pioneers, as one of the goals
of the Crusade is the establishment of a National Assembly for
Japan.
The Guardian will pray for the
success of the teaching efforts of the friends in Japan; also for the services
and development of the Faith in Korea.
(signed by Leroy
Ioas)
(May 25, 1953)
To Mr. Noureddin
Momtazi
The Guardian is deeply
appreciative of your devotion and sacrifices for the Faith. The gift which you
have made of $3,000 toward the purchase of the Hazira in Tokyo is a further sign
of the dynamic spirit which animates you in all of your
services.
The Guardian attaches the utmost
importance to the Hazira of Tokyo, as this is to become the Headquarters of the
National Assembly when it is elected.
The
Guardian feels the time is now ripe for the Faith to spread very rapidly
throughout Japan, and he wishes that all of the preliminary steps be taken for
the development of the Faith as it goes forward. Thus he is anxious that the
Hazira be purchased this year if possible.
(signed by Leroy
Ioas)
(July 10, 1954)
To Mr. William
Maxwell
The Guardian has received very
glowing reports of the wonderful accomplishments of the Conference* in Japan. He
feels that this
__________
* The
International Teaching Conference at Nikko.
107
conference marked a new point of development of the Faith in Japan,
as well as the entire general area. The spirit of confirmation is reaching all
those who arise to serve the Faith; and he is sure divine blessings will come
upon everyone who attended the Conference and took part in its deliberations,
and who will now go forth to win new victories.
(signed by Leroy
Ioas)
(October 19, 1955)
To Mrs. Carolyn
Dary
He (the Guardian) urges you to make a
special effort to visit the friends in other places where you stop, no matter
how short the time, as the news of the progress of the Faith in general will
encourage and hearten them. Especially in places such as Japan, the friends need
to be urged to persevere with their teaching efforts, so as to have more
Spiritual Assemblies in the future to support their National Body, when the time
comes for its formation.
(signed by R. Rabbani)
(November 23,
1955)
The recent news from Japan
is most heartening--eight Assemblies in all. Even though our dear Bahá'í sister,
Miss Alexander may be exhausted from years of labour, the harvest is so rich
that it compensates for any inconvenience or suffering.
(signed by R.
Rabbani)
(May 3, 1956)
To Mr. John McHenry
III
He (the Guardian) is very happy that
you can arrange your affairs so as to return to Korea... The phenomenal progress
the Cause has made in that area (Korea) is practically exclusively due to the
services of the young American Bahá'ís who are in the Armed Forces. Indeed, it
is a great victory won by Bahá'í youth.
(signed by R.
Rabbani)
(March 18, 1957)
To Mr. William
Maxwell
The Guardian was happy to learn
that you are still in Korea and that you are able to continue in the teaching
work of that important country. He knows that wherever you are you will carry
forward the pressing requirements of the Faith with vigor and enthusiasm but
he
108
feels that Korea and even Japan particularly need the help of
yourself and other American pioneers at this time.
(signed by Leroy
Ioas)
(August 18, 1957)
To Mr. Eugene
Schreiber
The Master was most hopeful of
the spread of the Faith in Japan. Now that His Promises are being fulfilled, the
friends must be very happy. Likewise this happiness must translate itself into
renewed devotion so that the Call of God may be raised in all parts of that
important country.
The Guardian is praying
for the success of the teaching work in Japan.
(signed by Leroy
Ioas)
(October 18, 1957)
109
14
Shoghi Effendi Writes to
Emperor
Showa of Japan
Emperor Showa (Hirohito) of Japan had the longest reign (December 25, 1926 to
January 7, 1989) of any sovereign in Japan. He was respected as a scholar; being
an eminent marine biologist, and he was beloved by his
people.
Following the custom in Japan, the
reign of a new emperor is given a specially selected name. After that emperor
dies he takes on the name of the reign. Consequently, Emperor Hirohito, as he
was known during his reign, is now known as Emperor
Showa.
At the time of his coronation in
the fall of 1928 seven specially bound Bahá'í books were presented to His
Majesty. The books which were sent in the name of two American Bahá'ís were
presented by Dr. Rokuichiro Masujima, who was a friend of Miss Alexander and who
was close to the Faith. He had access to the Imperial
Household.
Shoghi Effendi was asked to
write something to be sent with the books. The message sent to accompany the
books was "May the perusal of Bahá'í literature enable Your Imperial Majesty to
appreciate the sublimity and penetrative power of Bahá'u'lláh's Revelation and
inspire you on this auspicious occasion to arise for its worldwide recognition
and triumph."
The books arrived after the
coronation ceremonies so the presentation was delayed. On May 22 of the
following year Dr. Masujima received a letter from the Minister of the Imperial
Household that the seven books had been presented to the Emperor that
day.
During World War II the palace did
not suffer destruction so undoubtedly the books and message are still there with
the other coronation gifts.
In 1930 the
great Bahá'í teacher Miss Martha Root visited Japan. She sent two gifts to the
Emperor; a small Persian rug and a sheet of Holy Writings written in Persian
script in the form of a beautiful bird. Accompanying the gifts was a cable from
Shoghi Effendi: "Martha Root care American Embassy Tokyo. Kindly transmit His
Imperial Majesty, Tokyo, Japan on behalf of myself and Bahá'ís world over,
expression of our deepest love as well as assurance of heartfelt prayers for his
well-being and prosperity of his ancient
realm."
Japan, after recovery from the
devastation of World War II, shows the prosperity that the Guardian prayed for,
and the Emperor, active and healthy until the end had a very long and fruitful
reign.
110
15
Message from the Universal House of
Justice
to the North Pacific Oceanic Conference,
Sapporo,
Japan, September, 1971
To the Friends of God Assembled
in the Conference of the North Pacific Ocean. Dearly-loved
Friends,
On the eve of the Fiftieth
Anniversary of the opening of the Formative Age of our Faith we call to mind the
high hopes often expressed by the beloved Master for the spread of the Cause in
this region. His mention in the Tablets of the Divine Plan of many of the
territories represented in this Conference, and the faithful and devoted
services of that maid-servant of Bahá'u'lláh, the Hand of the Cause Agnes
Alexander, who brought the Teachings to these shores in the early years of this
century.
In these days we are witnessing
an unprecedented acceleration of the teaching work in almost every part of the
globe. In the North Pacific Ocean area great strides have been made in the
advancement of the Cause since that historic Asia Regional Teaching Conference
in Nikko just sixteen years ago. The next two years witnessed the formation of
the National Spiritual Assembly of Alaska and of the Regional National Spiritual
Assembly of North East Asia. To the Convention in Tokyo at Ridván 1957 the
Guardian addressed these prophetic words:
"This auspicious event, which posterity will regard as the culmination of a
process initiated, half a century ago, in the capital city of Japan ... marks
the opening of the second chapter in the history of the evolution of His Faith
in the North Pacific area. Such a consummation cannot fail to lend a tremendous
impetus to its onward march in the entire Pacific
Ocean..."
Since that time National
Spiritual Assemblies have also been firmly established in Korea and
Taiwan.
Hokkaido, the site of this
Conference, first heard of the Teachings less than fifteen years ago, and the
first aboriginal peoples of this land accepted Bahá'u'lláh just over a decade
ago. Now you are the witnesses to the beginnings of a rapid increase in the
number of believers.
111
Peoples in other islands and lands of the North Pacific, including
the Ryukyus, Guam, the Trust Territories, the western shores of Canada and
Alaska and the Aleutians are also enrolling under the banner of the Most Great
Name, and next Ridván yet another pillar of the Universal House of Justice is to
be raised in Micronesia. We are heartened at the prospect that from indigenous
peoples of this vast oceanic area, the Ainu, the Japanese, the Chinese, the
Koreans, the Okinawans, the Micronesians, the American Indians, the Eskimos, and
the Aleuts vast numbers will soon enter the
Faith.
The final hours of the Nine Year
Plan are fast fleeting. Praised be to God that you have gathered to consult on
ways and means of assuring complete victory so that from these outposts the
Teachings may spread to those nearby lands where teeming millions have not as
yet heard of the advent of this Most Great
Dispensation.
The sweet perfume of victory
is in the air, and we must hasten to achieve it while there is yet time. Vital
goals, particularly on the homefronts of Taiwan and Japan, remain to be won, and
everywhere the roots of the faith of the believers must sink deeper and deeper
into the firm earth of the Teachings lest tempests and trials as yet unforeseen
shake or uproot the tender plants so lovingly raised in the islands of this
great Ocean and the land surrounding it.
As you and the friends in the sister Conference in Reykjavik bring this series
of eight Oceanic and Continental Conferences to a triumphant close, our prayers
for the success of your deliberations ascend at the Holy Threshold. May God
grant you the resources, the strength, and the determination to attain your
highest hopes and enable you to open a new and glorious chapter in the evolution
of His Faith in the North Pacific area.
With loving Bahá'í greetings,
The
Universal House of Justice
112
