Letters to the National Spiritual Assembly of India (part 2)

What you had written him regarding the various steps taken by the N.S.A. to further the Six-Year Plan of Teaching has immeasurably rejoiced his heart, and he too joins with your Assembly in humbly supplicating Baha'u'llah to vouchsafe to all those dear friends who have offered to undertake pioneer teaching in various parts of India such measure of His guidance and blessings as would enable them to effectively further the interests of this Plan. He would urge you all to persevere in your self-sacrificing exertions, and, notwithstanding the various handicaps under which you may be compelled to labour, to confidently strive to achieve this high teaching objective.

[From the Guardian:]

The energetic prosecution of the Six-Year Plan, despite the perils, the uncertainties and gravity of the present hour, is the paramount task facing the believers of India and Burma. All projects and activities, however desirable and urgent, must +P82 henceforth be subordinated to this most pressing and vital issue, inasmuch as it is the fountain-head from which all future blessings will flow and the one and only instrument which can at the present time, most effectively establish and consolidate the administrative order of the Faith throughout the Indian Peninsula. My prayers for your signal success in such a mighty and glorious enterprise will continue to be offered, with increasing fervour, at the Threshold of Baha'u'llah.

Persevere and be confident. November 26, 1939 Passing Away of Dearest Martha

Your very kind message ... expressing your profound sorrow and sympathy at the passing away of our beloved sister Miss Martha Root has just reached our dear Guardian, and he feels indeed most deeply touched by the very thoughtful words which you had been moved to convey to him. The loss which the entire Baha'i world has come to sustain through her untimely departure from this world is indeed enormous, and can be compensated only partially by the self-sacrificing efforts which our dear Baha'i teachers in East and West are now exerting in their respective fields of teaching.

The Guardian's hope, however, is that, spurred by the noble example of Martha's life and character, the friends in every land will make a supreme and united effort to carry onward the great teaching task which she had so untiringly been endeavouring to accomplish during all these years, and thus bring eternal joy and impart infinite hope and solace to her heart in the other world.

[From the Guardian:]

I deeply appreciate, and am greatly touched by, the noble sentiments you have expressed. The passing of dearest

Martha, that distinguished hero of the Cause of Baha'u'llah, is indeed a great loss to those who labour for His Cause, both in the East and West. May her glorious example +P83 continue to inspire the friends in India and Burma to tread in her footsteps, and to extend the work she so nobly initiated. December 8, 1939 Sacred Task

It greatly pleased and encouraged him to know that the Annual Convention held this year in Poona has proved such a high success, and that the important decisions taken by the delegates with the view of intensifying the teaching campaign in India and Burma are being effectively implemented by the offer made by so many of the friends to teach and travel in virgin territories. He wishes these dear believers, who have so heroically responded to the call of the hour, every blessing and success in their respective fields of teaching, and will pray most earnestly for the confirmation of their labours in the pursuit of their high and sacred task. May 14, 1940 Steady Extension of the Teaching Campaign

The slow yet steady extension of the teaching campaign throughout India is a matter which greatly rejoices his heart, and for which he feels moved to convey his warmest congratulations to the N.S.A. Considering the well-nigh insufferable obstacles in your way, and the difficult conditions created by the war, the progress so far achieved, though small, has been remarkable in many ways, and augurs well for the future of the Six-Year Plan which your Assembly is so energetically carrying out.

The signal success which the able and untiring efforts of Mr. [&and] Mrs. Bakhtiari, Mr. M. H. Ilmi ... have won for the Cause in Kashmir deserves particular mention; and it is to be hoped that the group already established in that center will steadily develop and soon attain the status of a +P84 Spiritual Assembly. To these dear teachers who have so successfully accomplished such high teaching mission, as well as to our new Baha'i brother Moulvi Abdullah of Kashmir who, notwithstanding the violent opposition and criticisms of the Qadianis has firmly stood by the Cause, the Guardian wishes you to convey his warmest appreciation and gratitude. Financial Assistance to Baha'i Teachers

In connection with your teaching campaign, the Guardian wishes you to inform the N.S.A. that although there exists in the Cause no such institution as that of paid teachers, the N.S.A. nevertheless should, in view of the urgent and pressing requirements of the Six-Year Plan, extend, though only temporarily, any financial assistance in its power to those believers who offer to undertake pioneer work throughout India and Burma. Also, those believers who are not themselves able to offer their services as pioneers, and who wish to directly and effectively participate in the campaign of teaching can instead offer to defray, through the National Fund, the expenses of any believer they choose to deputize for that purpose. Such deputy teachers, however, should for all other purposes be responsible to the N.S.A. and the teaching bodies concerned. Great Message Can Redeem Bewildered Humanity

[From the Guardian:]

I regret that owing to present circumstances arising from the war and its grave repercussions, the activities, particularly in the teaching field, connected with the Six-Year Plan, so spontaneously initiated by your Assembly, have had to be curtailed. I wish to appeal, however, to all its members, and through them to the general body of the devoted friends in +P85

India and Burma to make a united and supreme endeavour to overcome, while there is yet time, the obstacles that stand in their way, and to refuse to allow the perils, the uncertainties and anxieties that face and afflict their country to deter them from carrying out the original plan they have so nobly conceived. Let them remember that a firm resolution on their part, an absolute rededication of their resources, and an actual attempt to translate into action their meritorious intentions, coupled with perseverance in the discharge of their duties, would suffice to ensure the success of the mission to which they are now committed. The time is indeed ripe, and the minds and hearts of the suffering multitudes are being mysteriously prepared for the Great Message that can alone redeem, exalt and regenerate a sore-tried and bewildered humanity. I will specially and fervently pray for the success of any and every effort the dearly-beloved friends in

India and Burma may arise to exert. November 28, 1940 Translation of Baha'u'llah's Writings

Regarding his instruction to the N.S.A. of Iran to the effect that Baha'u'llah's writings in Arabic should not be translated into Persian; this applies to the translation of the revealed words into Persian only. Your Assembly, therefore, may proceed with its plan for the rendering of the Tablet of Ahmad, the three daily obligatory prayers and other Tablets, into Urdu. . . . .

With reference to ... question whether it is permissible for the Baha'is to see pictures; there is nothing in the Teachings that would forbid such a practice. +P86 . . . .

Also with regard to the practice of circumcision; the Teachings bear no reference to this matter, and it is therefore not enjoined upon the believers. Training of Children

The question of the training and education of children in case one of the parents is a non-Baha'i is one which solely concerns the parents themselves, who should decide about it the way they find best and most conducive to the maintenance of the unity of their family, and to the future welfare of their children. Once the child comes of age, however, he should be given full freedom to choose his religion, irrespective of the wishes and desires of his parents. Membership of the International House of Justice

As regards the membership of the International House of Justice, Abdu'l-Baha states in a Tablet that it is confined to men, and that the wisdom of it will be revealed as manifest as the sun in the future. In any case the believers should know that, as Abdu'l-Baha Himself has explicitly stated that sexes are equal except in some cases, the exclusion of women from the International House of Justice, should not be surprising. From the fact that there is no equality of functions between the sexes one should not, however, infer that either sex is inherently superior or inferior to the other, or that they are unequal in their rights. Appearance of two Davids

Concerning the appearance of two Davids; there is a Tablet +P87 from Abdu'l-Baha in which He says that just as there have been two Ishmaels, one the son of Abraham, and the other one of the Prophets of Israel, there have appeared two Davids, one the author of the Psalms and father of Solomon, and the other before Moses. Importance of the Teaching Campaign

The Guardian wishes me once again to stress the all-importance of the teaching campaign throughout India and Burma. Much as he is aware of the obstacles that stand in the way of the expansion of pioneer teaching--obstacles which your sister Assembly in the U.S.A. are far in a better position to overcome, owing to the larger resources at their disposal and to their longer and wider experience in matters of teaching--he nevertheless strongly feels that, through the united, determined and passionate resolve of your N.S.A., of all the local Assemblies, groups and individuals, much can be accomplished in that direction, and firm foundations laid down for future expansion and consolidation. The greater your handicaps the firmer your determination should wax, and the more abundant will assuredly be the blessings and confirmations of Baha'u'llah. May His love and guidance lead you and our dearly-beloved friends in that land to still greater heights of selfless accomplishment in His path, and thereby crown with success the Six-Year Plan so ably devised and so energetically pursued by the N.S.A.

[From the Guardian:]

I wish to reassure you in person of my fervent and continued prayers for the protection, the success and the spiritual advancement of the community of the Indian and Burmese believers who, under your direction, and stimulated by the initiative and example, of their national elected representatives, are arising, in these days of widespread confusion, turmoil and danger, to carry out the Plan they are pledged to fulfil. No sacrifice can be regarded as too great for the attainment of so great and splendid an objective. They should persevere in their task, undaunted by the rising tide +P88 of calamity and despair which afflicts the world, and which is mysteriously paving the way for its unification and ultimate redemption. May the Beloved guide every step you take, and bless every endeavour you exert in His path. December 14, 1940 Greatest Need of the Hour

Whenever the Guardian receives news of the spread of the Cause it brings him fresh hope and helps to lighten his heavy burden. This is the greatest need of the present hour in India; more teachers in new fields! His prayers are always being offered for the advancement of this all-important work and the fulfilment of the Six-Year Teaching Plan. April 19, 1941 Priceless Days

He was very happy to note the spirit of true and profound dedication to their holy task of spreading the Faith in India and Burma which the members of the N.S.A. manifest, and he feels sure that, if they exert the utmost effort, they will, through the confirmations of Baha'u'llah, succeed in fulfilling what is required of them under the Six-Year Plan.

He regrets very much that circumstances have prevented any active furtherance of the teaching work during the past Baha'i year. Because of this the Guardian felt impelled, after reading your Assembly's letter, to transmit by cable the sum of two hundred pounds sterling to be set aside by your Assembly as the nucleus of a special fund to be established for the specific purpose of furthering the all-India teaching campaign of the Six-Year Plan. He trusts that this will stimulate the body of +P89 Indian and Burmese Baha'is to also contribute to this fund generously and by providing the necessary means to enable them to speedily fulfil the task they have vowed to carry out.

Concerning the methods to be adopted for the realization of your urgent task, Shoghi Effendi approves of the suggestion that some business firms open branches in new districts and thus provide Baha'i settlement by this means. However, he feels that this will not be enough, and that all the Spiritual Assemblies, as well as each individual believer, should rally to this great opportunity which, indeed, may not again be presented to them, of spreading the Faith through the length and breadth of India while they are still in a position to do so. The world is day by day becoming increasingly involved in this cataclysmic struggle, but so far the Baha'is of India, Australia, New Zealand and the American continents have not felt either the dangers or the restrictions imposed on less fortunate communities which find themselves either over-run and temporarily eclipsed, or in the actual theatre of war. Therefore the believers of India should not allow these truly priceless days to slip by without exerting themselves to the utmost and sacrificing comfort, home, and money, to the great duty of giving the Divine Message to the people of their vast country.

Smallness of numbers, lack of skilled teachers, and modesty of means should not discourage or deter them. They must remember the glorious history of the Cause, which, both in East and West, was established by dedicated souls who, for the most part, were neither rich, famous, nor well educated, but whose devotion, zeal and self-sacrifice overcame every obstacle and won miraculous victories for the Faith of God. Such spiritual victories can now be won for India and Burma by the friends. Let them dedicate themselves--young and old, men and women alike--and go forth and settle in new districts, travel, and teach in spite of lack of experience, and be assured that Baha'u'llah has promised to aid all those who arise in His Name. His strength will sustain them; their own weakness is unimportant. Refrain from Imposing New Rules

In reading your annual Convention report the Guardian has +P90 noted the request made that the N.S.A. should lay down certain rules of procedure. He has already informed the American N.S.A. that they should henceforth refrain from laying down any further rules and regulations, as these would tend to rigidify the affairs of the Cause and ultimately obscure its spirit and retard its growth. He feels that your Assembly should exercise the same care, and avoid introducing any rules of procedure not already in existence. Every case coming before the Assembly should be judged on its own merits, and be decided individually without any recourse to new rulings.

The Guardian will constantly pray for the success of all your undertakings, as well as for the welfare and progress of all the dear believers in India and Burma. Particularly will he remember in his prayers the members of the National Assembly who are called upon to direct, coordinate, and carry out the Indian Baha'is' great and noble teaching enterprise. Prosecute Six-Year Plan With Unremitting Energy

[From the Guardian:]

The Six-Year Plan, which you have so nobly conceived and so enthusiastically initiated, must, during these crucial years, when the first century of the Baha'i Era is drawing to a close, be prosecuted with unremitting energy, and unshaken determination. The vastness of the field, the smallness of your numbers, the indifference of the masses, must neither discourage nor appal you. You should at all times fix your gaze on the promise of Baha'u'llah, put your whole trust in

His creative Word, recall the past and manifold evidences of

His all-encompassing and resistless power and arise to become worthy and exemplary recipients of His all-sustaining grace and blessings. I appeal to every Indian and Burmese believer, however modest his position, however limited his knowledge, however restricted his means, to rise to the height of this great opportunity which if missed will not recur again. To disperse, to settle, to teach by word and deed, to persevere and sacrifice are the requirements of the present hour. May the Almighty, Whose Cause you are labouring +P91 to advance, endow you and your fellow-workers with all the wisdom, the strength, and guidance that you need to acquit yourselves worthily of this task. June 29, 1941

Shoghi Effendi was also very happy to hear from you that you consider the Faith is making substantial progress in India, due to the tireless and devoted efforts of our Baha'i brothers and sisters in that land. He would, however, urge the friends to follow the example of the American believers by sending out more pioneers to work in territories where there are no Baha'is. This is in accordance with the idea expressed by the beloved Master in the "Divine Plan" Tablets, and should be followed by all Baha'is.

The Guardian will pray for the success of the Summer School to be held in Surat. He is delighted that the Indian friends are so well organised and are, year by year, strengthening the administrative institutions of their Faith.

[From the Guardian:]

I am eagerly and hopefully awaiting to witness fresh evidences of the renewed determination of the believers throughout India and Burma, to carry aloft and into virgin territories the torch of Divine Guidance despite the dark clouds that threaten on the horizon. In these days of stress and peril, every effort expended, every victory achieved, every sacrifice made, will be rewarded a hundredfold. I will pray earnestly and continually that the friends may evince such zeal and perseverance as to ensure the complete success of the Six-Year Plan which they, of their own accord, have so splendidly initiated. October 5, 1941 Every Obstacle Should Be Surmounted

He was very happy to receive so much good news of the progress of the Baha'i teaching work in India, as well as the +P92 success of the Summer School.

The fact that the friends of India, and also of Iran, are now finding themselves in a position where they can arise and teach the Cause far and wide, greatly cheers the Guardian's heart. He hopes that the Baha'is of India, in spite of the fact that the war is now so close to their native land, with all its attendant dangers and problems, will allow nothing to deter them in their prosecution of their Six-Year Teaching Plan for India and Burma.

Now is the time of true test and trial--the time when the friends must follow in the footsteps of the first Persian believers, who, heedless of comfort and even life itself, raised the Banner of Baha'u'llah's Faith aloft, for all the world to see and follow.

He feels confident that the believers, led by their National Spiritual Assembly, and aided and inspired by their Local Spiritual Assemblies, will arise to new heights of service, and distinguish themselves in the eyes of the Baha'i world. His constant prayers will be offered on their behalf, and he will remember them in the Shrines with love and yearning for their success.

[From the Guardian:]

I wish to add a few words in person and appeal to you, and through you to the dear friends in Burma and India, not to allow, despite the increasing gravity of the international situation and the dangers that threaten the East, the work, which has been so enthusiastically initiated, to suffer through any relaxation of effort, or any deflection of purpose, on the part of any individual or Assembly. These perils, sufferings and commotions are blessings in disguise, which pave the way and prepare the hearts of those who face and sustain them for a deeper realization and an earlier and fuller acceptance of the Divine Message of Baha'u'llah. The opportunities are manifold and priceless. Every effort should be exerted, every sacrifice should be made, every obstacle should be surmounted. December 16, 1941 +P93

It rejoices his heart to see that the Indian believers are now rising to such noble heights of self-sacrifice and utter devotion to the Faith of God, and that they are, despite the great difficulty of these war times we are living through, determined to fulfil their Six-Year Plan of teaching the Baha'i Cause in India and Burma and complete the spread of its divine and healing message to her peoples before the end of the first Baha'i century. Persecution of Baha'is of Kadwai

He was very sad to hear of the persecution of the Baha'is of Kadwai by the fanatical Muslim population. Please convey to the friends there the assurance of his most loving prayers for their protection, and tell them that, though they are suffering for their Faith, this very persecution is a blessing to the believers of India, as we know that wherever the Cause has suffered it has always grown stronger and attracted more attention and more adherents.

He was also very pleased to hear of the success of the Summer School this year. The Indian Baha'is have every reason to feel encouraged by the marked progress of their activities in all fields. Use of A'rabs (Vowel Points)

Regarding your question as to the use of A'rabs on the Arabic texts of the Tablets: The Guardian feels that this is a matter which concerns the entire Baha'i world, and requires to be worked out by a highly specialized group of qualified people at some future date. He, therefore wishes you not to print the A'rabs on the Holy Tablets except on rare occasions where it is absolutely necessary in order to distinguish the word from some other word just like it. Two Davids

Abdu'l-Baha is the one who has interpreted the reference of +P94 the Bab concerning David, by saying that there were two Davids, one of them was the author of the Psalms. The Tablet in which the Master states this is absolutely authentic, but at the moment the original is not available. He Whom God Will Make Manifest

The Bab said that whenever "He whom God will make manifest" appears, accept Him. He never said don't accept Him until after the lapse of 1000 years. Also Baha'u'llah says that in the year 9 of the Babi Dispensation the time was ripe for the Revelation of "He whom God will make manifest". As the Bab was not only a Manifestation but a Herald of this Baha'i Faith, the interval between His Revelation and that of Baha'u'llah was of shorter duration. His Dispensation in a sense will last as long as Baha'u'llah's lasts. The Holy Book--The Aqdas

There are no doubtful verses in the Holy Book, the Aqdas. The reason it is not circulated amongst all the Baha'is is, first, because the Cause is not yet ready or sufficiently matured to put all the provisions of the Aqdas into effect and, second, because it is a book which requires to be supplemented by detailed explanations and to be translated into other languages by a competent body of experts. The provisions of the Aqdas are gradually, according to the progress of the Cause, being put into effect already, both in the East and the West. Use of A'rabs (Vowel Points)

No vowel points, as A'rabs, should be published with any part of the text of the Aqdas. Certain of the Tablets may be translated in Urdu, but not the Aqdas itself, for the reasons mentioned above. +P95 Writings of the Bab

The books of the Bab have not as yet been printed in the original. Except for the Bayan, the Seven Proofs and Commentary on the Surih of Joseph, we cannot be sure of the authenticity of most of His other works as the text has been corrupted by the unfaithful. The Universal House of Justice

The Universal House of Justice is elected by the members of the National Houses of Justice. At this time when the National Assemblies in the Cause are not yet functioning sufficiently or fully representative of all the various important elements within it, and when some of the Baha'is are not even free to practise their faith, despite their numbers, it is quite impracticable to seek to establish the Universal House of Justice. Whenever conditions permit, it will be established. Surmount Every Obstacle

The Guardian wishes the members of your Assembly to persevere, in spite of the dangers of the war now raging near to India, in the all-important task of fulfilling the Six-Year Plan.

He is confident that the friends of India and Burma like their Baha'i brothers and sisters of other lands, will surmount every obstacle, overcome every difficulty, and emerge victorious at the end of the first Baha'i Century.

[From the Guardian:]

The news conveyed by your latest communication has rejoiced my heart. The manner in which the friends have arisen to promote the teaching work throughout their country merits the highest praise. By their enthusiasm, their self-abnegation, the determination and vigour they display, they have lent a fresh impetus to the onward march of the Faith and the expansion of its institutions and the multiplication of its administrative centres. The perils of the present hour, the repercussions of this tremendous world ordeal on their +P96 native land, must, in no wise, alarm or discourage them.

Their purpose must never be deflected, their enthusiasm never dimmed, their vision never obscured, their exertions never discontinued. Adversity prepares the hearts of men, and paves the way for a wholehearted and general acceptance of the tenets and claims of our beloved Faith.

Challenged by the obstacles in their path, encouraged by work already initiated, assured of the Divine Promise of

Baha'u'llah, let them forge ahead until their goal is attained.

My prayers will ever surround them. December 27, 1941 Remarkable Evidence of Activity

He has been greatly encouraged by the work the Indian believers are doing in the pioneer teaching field. It makes him proud to behold the way this great eastern nation is arising, through its enlightened Baha'is, to serve the Cause of God, and is fast pushing to the forefront of Baha'i service, and becoming an example and an inspiration to the other Baha'i communities in the Orient and Far East.

The noble response the Indian friends are making to his appeals has encouraged him to send them further donations for their teaching work, and he trusts that, under the indefatigable leadership of the National Spiritual Assembly, they will redouble their efforts, and push on to the full and glorious completion of the Six-Year Plan they laid down for themselves with such courage and devotion.

The establishment of the Hyderabad Assembly and that of Bangalore are great steps forward, and the Guardian is waiting hopefully to receive the good news of more new spiritual Assemblies in this coming Baha'i year.

He was also very pleased to hear that the Summer School is becoming an institution of national importance, and that the friends are increasingly attending it and realizing its great value in the life of the entire Community of believers. In a country such as India it might grow to be the first permanent institution +P97 of Baha'i learning if the believers support it sufficiently and carry out their teaching campaign with whole-hearted devotion and zeal; for, with the influx of many new Baha'is into the Cause in that country, it should not be difficult to evolve it into a Baha'i university as time goes by.

The Guardian wishes to convey, through you, his loving appreciation of their noble services to all the dear Indian believers who have gone out as pioneers and teachers in these momentous days. He will remember them, and all the Indian friends, in his prayers in the Holy Shrines, and supplicate for them a victorious conclusion for their Six-Year Plan by 1944.

[From the Guardian:]

I have been greatly heartened in my arduous task by the remarkable evidences of activity, devotion and perseverance which the believers in India have lately manifested, and by the manner in which they have arisen to promote the cause of our Beloved, and extend the range of its institutions.

I admire, their spirit, and feel truly proud of their achievements. The field is indeed vast, and the problems manifold, but the spirit they have demonstrated will, if kept alive, enable them to surmount every obstacle. My prayers will continue to be offered on their behalf and particularly for those who are planting the banner of the Faith in virgin territories. How glorious their task, how meritorious their accomplishments. January 10, 1942 Future is Blessed and Glorious

He was very relieved to hear from Mr. Butt that the Burmese Baha'is were all safe, and he trusts that, in spite of the grave dangers now so near them, God will continue to over-shadow them and protect them in His mercy and wisdom.

We Baha'is are indeed most blessed in that we know that, however dark the days immediately ahead of the human race, the future is blessed and glorious. It is for this future that the +P98 believers must labour day and night, heedless of the state of the world and the dangers threatening.

The Guardian will continuously pray that Baha'u'llah will strengthen and guide the Indian friends to succeed in their teaching plans, and to persevere in their efforts until they have completed the Six-Year Plan.

[From the Guardian:]

In these days when perils are fast gathering about India and Burma my heart and my thoughts turn increasingly towards the friends, and particularly those who are vigorously and devotedly promoting the interests of the Six-Year

Plan. I will specially and fervently pray for them all, that their vision may not be obscured, that their efforts may not diminish, that their courage many remain undaunted, and their steadfastness and loyalty unshaken. The greater their problems and anxieties and the more formidable the obstacles in their way, the more glorious and abundant will be the recompense and blessings that will be bestowed upon them by their all-seeing, their all-bountiful, all-powerful Master. February 23, 1942

New Assemblies of Hyderabad [&and] Kotah

The Guardian has written the new Hyderabad Assembly, and he will indeed pray for their protection and blessing. They are an important group in an important State, and he hopes that your Assembly will render them every assistance and help possible, in order to deepen them in the knowledge of the teachings and in Faith.

The establishment of the Assembly of Kotah, no less than that of Hyderabad, must be viewed in the light of another milestone in the forward march of the Faith in India. The Guardian would like you to convey to all the dear pioneers and teachers whom you have enumerated in your letters, the expression of his deep gratitude for, and appreciation of the wonderful work they are doing. The believers of India, though few in number in relation to the millions that form their nation, +P99 are performing a service to their fellow-countrymen which in the future will be seen in the true magnitude. Let them rest assured and toil ceaselessly for the establishment of the Faith which they serve, and which alone can ultimately heal the ills of sorely-tried mankind.

[From the Guardian:]

The pioneer activities in which the friends in India are so steadfastly, so energetically and so devotedly engaged, in spite of the perils, the uncertainties and the stress of the present hour, are a marvellous evidence of the indomitable spirit that animates them in the service of the Cause of

Baha'u'llah. Perseverance is the magnet that will, in these days, attract the promised blessings of the Almighty Author of our beloved Faith. Unity and harmony constitute the basis on which the structure of these activities can securely rest. Self-sacrifice, audacity, undeviating adherence to the essentials of the Faith, will reinforce that structure and accelerate its rise. That the dear friends in India are increasingly demonstrating the quality and depth of their faith and the character and range of their accomplishments is a source of intense satisfaction to me, and I will continue to supplicate our Beloved to guide their steps, cheer their hearts, illumine their understanding, and fulfil their highest and noblest aspirations. He indeed is well pleased with the record of their past services, and will, if they redouble their efforts, enable them to achieve a signal victory. June 27, 1942 Prizes to be Won ...The extremely good news of the way the Baha'is of India are arising and serving in new fields in spite of the war conditions prevailing, and the formation of the new Assemblies of Hyderabad and Kotah, the work in Kashmir and various other centres, has all greatly cheered his heart, and impelled him to contribute the sum he forwarded through you to help carry out the many teaching enterprises now under way. The rate at which the Indian believers are advancing is increasingly entitling +P100 them to a position in the foremost ranks of the Faith, and will no doubt greatly inspire and encourage other Baha'is of the East to follow their example. Such prizes are to be won in these days of universal trial and suffering, and it makes the Guardian very happy to feel that some of them are evidently going to be merited by the Indian believers!

It is a great deprivation that the friends should be cut off from their devoted fellow-Baha'is in Burma. We can only hope and pray that Baha'u'llah will protect and watch over them until the ordeal of these times is past, and the faithful believers the world over can again join hands and work together for the peace and progress of the entire world. Passing of Abd'ul-Jalil Beg Saad

The passing of Abd'ul-Jalil Beg Saad was a great loss to the Faith in Egypt, and the Guardian was pleased to hear that his co-workers in India held memorial meetings for him. Such occasions constitute eloquent testimonials to the profound love that binds Baha'is to each other, whoever and wherever they may be. Painstaking and Fruitful Efforts

[From the Guardian:]

I wish to reaffirm my deep sense of satisfaction and gratitude for the sustained, the painstaking and fruitful efforts exerted so far by the Indian believers for the promotion of the Six-Year Plan. The limits of the Faith have been enlarged, the centres and groups have multiplied, and the determination and zeal of the prosecutors of the Plan are visibly increasing. I am greatly cheered and encouraged, and will, with redoubled fervour, pray at the holy Shrines, for the victorious conclusion of the campaign initiated with such devotion, energy, and resolution. May the Beloved sustain them in their noble task. July 27, 1942 +P101

The marked, and extremely encouraging, progress which the Cause is making in India has so pleased the Guardian and cheered his over-burdened heart that he felt impelled to forward to your Assembly the sum of two hundred pounds to be expended for the further promotion of the teaching work.

That at such a time, when dangers threaten on every side and the whole planet is plunged in war and confusion, the Indian believers should, so steadily and patiently, with such devotion and enthusiasm, pursue their tasks of teaching under the Six-Year Plan, is, indeed, a cause for universal acclaim and rejoicing on the part of their fellow-Baha'is. They are ever increasingly arising to take their place as one of the foremost Baha'i Communities, and their spirit and their accomplishments are arousing the envy and the admiration of their fellow-workers in Eastern lands. Placing of Burial Stone

The placing of the burial stone on the dead has no other significance than to emphasize our profound conviction that our souls come from our Creator and to Him they return, and in Him we believe and trust. Ensure the Triumphant Conclusion

[From the Guardian:]

The accomplishments of the believers of India, in virgin fields and in furtherance of the interests of the Six-Year

Plan, merit the highest praise. Prompted by their achievements, and as a token of my keen appreciation of their notable services, and in order to facilitate further expansion and consolidation of their teaching activities, I have forwarded to you a contribution which I trust will serve as a nucleus for a Fund designed to promote the vital and urgent interests of the nation-wide teaching enterprise in which you have embarked, and which constitutes the greatest single +P102 organized undertaking launched in the service of Baha'u'llah in that country. Perseverance, coupled with a spirit of complete dedication to the cause of teaching, will, I feel confident, ensure the triumphant conclusion of your labours. I will continue to pray for you from the depths of my heart.

Redouble your efforts and be confident. July 29, 1942 Proper Administrative Headquarters

Concerning his recent cable to the National Spiritual Assembly: The Guardian feels that, if feasible, it is highly desirable and necessary that the rapidly growing and strengthening Indian Baha'i Community should have a proper administrative Headquarters, situated in the capital--Delhi--and suitable for the next few years at least. He wishes the N.S.A. to find a building or house which will suit their requirements in every way, and inform him at once of the price required. He considers that it is premature at present to think of purchasing a site for a future Baha'i Temple. The thing for the friends to concentrate on at present is the Haziratu'l-Quds.

He has been greatly encouraged of late to witness the marked increase of activity shown by the Baha'i Communities everywhere in India. They are demonstrating their right to a place in the foremost ranks of the Baha'i World, and he is very pleased with them and eager that they should forge ahead in every field of Baha'i life.

[From the Guardian:]

May the Almighty graciously assist the Indian believers to establish, at the close of the first Baha'i Century, their administrative headquarters in the capital city of India, and thus befittingly crown their meritorious teaching activities. January 28, 1943 +P103 Passing Away of Mr. Vakil

He was very sad to hear of the passing of our dear and esteemed brother, Mr. Vakil. His loss will be much felt by the Indian believers, and the many services he rendered the Cause will never be forgotten. It is too bad that he was denied the burial he himself longed for, but no doubt his spirit is now rejoicing in the Abha Kingdom after its long and faithful labours in this world. Secretary of the N.S.A.

Regarding your question concerning the Secretary of the N.S.A.: There cannot be any permanently elected Secretary who would year after year hold office, as this would be contrary to the principles of the administration; however, the Guardian feels that the N.S.A. should supply the Secretary with a paid helper in order to enable him to carry on his duties properly and at the same time pursue his own profession, if that is necessary for him. In other words the Secretary of the N.S.A. can have a full-time secretary under him if the work requires it. Election of L.S.A.'s

The Guardian has notified the friends in other countries that, in view of the fact that this is the hundredth year of the Faith and we are going to celebrate our Centenary next May, Spiritual Assemblies may be constituted or elected anytime before next April, wherever there are 9 or more believers. He has done this in order to encourage the friends and stimulate the work everywhere. He would like you to impress this fact on the believers in India so that they may redouble their efforts and have a truly impressive number of Assemblies by next May. +P104 National Administrative Headquarters

He is sorry to hear that you have not as yet been able to find a suitable house for the National administrative Headquarters. The establishment of this headquarters will greatly enhance the prestige of the Indian Baha'i Community and stimulate the growth and work of the Cause. He hopes you will soon meet with success, and cable him the glad news he is eagerly waiting to receive. Baha'is Can Undertake Philanthropic Work

Mr. Mani Mehta forwarded to the Guardian a copy of the N.S.A.'s decision informing him that he must either give up his connection with the War Comforts Fund or his Baha'i administrative work. The Guardian feels that there is no objection to a Baha'i undertaking work of a philanthropic or humanitarian nature and at the same time being on elected Baha'i bodies or holding office in them. The War Comforts Fund is in no way contrary to our principles, and there can be no objection to Mr. Mehta's work in this connection. He hopes that the N.S.A. will clarify this matter and remove any misunderstandings that have arisen. Centenary Celebrations

The friends in India are, after years of labour and devotion, beginning to find their number greatly increased, their assemblies multiplied, their Faith increasingly well-known to the public; they are about to initiate their first national headquarters, and in a few months will be celebrating the glorious occasion of the hundredth anniversary of their Faith. At such a critical time they should, one and all, devote their energies to achieving their +P105 objectives and impressing upon the public the nobility and beauty of their teachings, divinely inspired, and of such vast import to the entire world, and cast aside, once for all, any differences of opinion or personal viewpoints or prejudices that may hinder the success of their plans and cast a blight on the wonderful achievements they have carried out and are about to crown with still greater victories.

The Guardian feels that the N.S.A. must from now on coordinate its plans and set in motion its preparations for the Centenary Celebration. The believers must hold gatherings for the Baha'is at exactly 2 hours and 11 minutes after sunset on May 22nd, 1944 as this is the exact time when the Bab declared His Mission to Mulla Hussayn. They should also arrange to hold public gatherings on May 23rd and enlist the support of prominent friends of the Faith as speakers, together with Baha'i speakers, on that occasion. They should, as far as possible, hold festive gatherings at this time, give banquets at which friends of the Cause and believers are present, obtain as much space in the press of India as possible, and in general devise ways and means of making this a glorious and memorable celebration. He would also like to have the N.S.A. publish, in conjunction with the Centenary, a pamphlet giving a brief outline of the Faith's origin and teachings and major events in India, since its establishment there, and a detailed outline of the accomplishments of the Indian Baha'i Community, its early history, its development, etc.

He has been greatly encouraged by the progress made by the Indian Baha'i Community in recent years, and he longs to see them shine still brighter amidst its fellow communities the world over.

You may be sure that his loving prayers will be offered on your behalf and on behalf of all the other N.S.A. members, that you may speedily find a suitable Hazira, that the Cause may go on to still greater triumphs during this last year of the Century, and that the unity of the friends may be increased everywhere, as befits our Holy Faith. +P106

[From the Guardian:]

The celebration of the Centenary of our glorious Faith by the friends in India should, under your direction, and with your encouragement and the assistance of individuals and local Assemblies throughout India, constitute a befitting conclusion to the magnificent labours and accomplishments that have marked your stewardship in the service of the

Cause of Baha'u'llah in recent years. A special fund should be initiated, a strong committee should be set up, the utmost care should be taken, the most diligent efforts should be exerted and every sacrifice should be made to ensure the unqualified success of this great undertaking. I will pray for your success from the depths of my heart. There is no time to lose. The Beloved will, no doubt, crown your exertions with signal victory if you arise and persevere. June 22, 1943 Friends Should Unite

He was very pleased to hear that the Convention was so well attended, and the believers enthusiastic and united. One of the most paramount needs of the Cause in India is that the friends should unite, should become really keenly conscious of the fact that they are one spiritual family, held together by bonds more sacred and eternal than those physical ties which make people of the same family. If the friends will forget all personal differences and open their hearts to a great love for each other for the sake of Baha'u'llah, they will find that their powers are vastly increased; they will attract the heart of the public, and will witness a rapid growth of the Holy Faith in India. The N.S.A. should do all in its power to foster unity among the believers, and to educate them in the administration as this is the channel through which their community life must flow, and which, when properly understood and practised, will enable the work of the Cause to go ahead by leaps and bounds.

The excellent news you conveyed of the progress of the Faith in so many hitherto virgin territories of India greatly rejoiced +P107 the Guardian's heart, and he is proud to witness the manner in which the Indian believers are arising, teaching, and sacrificing for the Faith of God. The friends themselves must be astonished at the rapidity with which the devoted pioneers have succeeded in establishing new spiritual Assemblies; and he hopes that many more souls will, thrilled by these achievements, follow in their footsteps, and thus ensure a truly glorious celebration of the hundredth anniversary of the Cause next May. The eyes of the Baha'i world are being increasingly attracted by the achievements of the Indian friends, and they have the opportunity of crowning their Centenary celebrations with a victory outstanding in the records of the Baha'is of the East. The Guardian hopes that in this connection many more Baha'i young people will arise and serve. They have the advantages of health and freedom from family responsibilities which are not always enjoyed by older people, and they should cooperate to the full with more experienced believers in carrying on the pioneer work of the Cause.

He is most anxious that now that the National administrative Headquarters of the Faith has been successfully established-- a tremendous step forward for the Faith there--you should give special attention to getting out the Esslemont book in three additional languages as soon as possible. The Six-Year Plan Has Progressed Magnificently

[From the Guardian:]

The achievements of the Indian believers in recent months have been truly stupendous. The Six-Year Plan has progressed magnificently; the dissemination of Baha'i literature has been stimulated, the national administrative headquarters, to be henceforth designated as the Haziratu'l-Quds, has been established; a new spirit stirs in the hearts of the believers, teachers, pioneers as well as administrators; the evidences of a fast-developing community life are evident everywhere. The impetus lent to these activities must be continually reinforced in these concluding months of the first Baha'i century.

The Indian believers have amply demonstrated the vitality of the faith they profess. They must win fresh laurels. They cannot rest on their oars. They must scale still loftier +P108 heights. They must persevere till the end. They must sacrifice to the utmost. They must unite as never before. They must prove themselves worthy of the task they have so nobly initiated and are now so energetically prosecuting. I will, with redoubled fervour, pray for its consummation. Rest assured. October 26, 1943 Centenary Celebrations

He approves of the plans for holding the Centenary, and wishes the annual Baha'i Convention to be held in conjunction with it (as already confirmed by cable to you). All Baha'i Communities free to convene conventions will be also meeting this year during the Centenary celebrations. This will both facilitate the work of the Cause, stimulate the friends, and be of added interest to the public.

The truly remarkable work accomplished by the pioneers and teachers in India during this last year has greatly pleased, and even astonished, the Guardian, and he hopes that the friends, newly enlisted under the banner of Baha'u'llah, will study the teachings deeply, help to promote unity and concord among the believers, and greatly aid in spreading the Divine Message among the people of India. Historic Achievements

[From the Guardian:]

The truly splendid and indeed historic achievements of the Indian believers during the concluding months of the first Baha'i century deserve the highest praise. The repeated and striking evidences of their high accomplishments invigorate, encourage, and excite the admiration of, their sister communities in East and West. They are holding aloft the standard of Divine guidance in a manner that cannot but evoke the unstinted praise and the unqualified gratitude of their brethren throughout the Baha'i world. The Beloved is well pleased with their magnificent record of service. I feel +P109 truly proud of their stewardship of the Faith of Baha'u'llah, of the spirit which animates them, and of the steadfastness with which they pursue their manifold and ever-expanding activities in the service of this glorious Faith. March 19, 1944 Baha'u'llah and the New Era in Kanarese

A few days ago the Kanarese volumes reached him and he was very happy to see them; he has placed most of them in the Mansion of Baha'u'llah and the others he has distributed to various Assemblies and Baha'i libraries. He is eagerly awaiting copies of the various other translations your Assembly has undertaken, and in this connection he urges you again to persevere in your efforts to overcome every obstacle and get these further additions to your Baha'i literature in India speedily out and in the hands of the newly-attracted souls. Achieved Mighty Victories

The Guardian wishes to once again stress the immediate tasks which face your Assembly: the important--and almost miraculous --work achieved during the closing years of our first Baha'i Century in forming so many Assemblies, most of them in virgin territory, should be carefully consolidated through travelling teachers, additional pioneers (if necessary), extension of financial help, etc., so that none of them will be weakened and forced to revert to group status. Also the newly formed groups should be given every assistance to enable them to become Assemblies and take part in the administrative order of the Cause in India. He urges you to concentrate on these three things: the publication and distribution of the newly translated books; the firm consolidation of the new Assemblies; and the development of existing groups, that they may speedily achieve Assembly status. +P110

Important as new teaching undertakings are they should not be given precedence at the present time until these other objectives are well on the way to being realized.

In closing let me assure you that the beloved Guardian cherishes the brightest hopes for the future development of the Cause there, and expects great things of the Indian believers in view of the truly remarkable tasks they have been accomplishing these last few years with such a spirit of zeal and devotion. His loving prayers are offered on your behalf and for your fellow-members of the N.S.A., that you may be blessed and guided always.

[From the Guardian:]

The achievements of the Indian Baha'i Community during the closing years of the first Baha'i Century have shed a great lustre on the record of their imperishable services ever since the inception of the Faith in their vast and promising country. Both in the teaching and administrative spheres of Baha'i activity they have assiduously laboured, nobly persevered, generously given of their resources, consistently collaborated, achieved mighty victories and raised to a new level the standard of Baha'i stewardship. The field now stretching before them during the opening year of the second

Baha'i Century is vast and highly promising. The call is urgent, the opportunities priceless, the need of the waiting masses desperate, the machinery for the execution of the

Divine Purpose already erected and vigorously functioning, the promise of signal victory clear and definite. A higher degree of administrative efficiency; a closer collaboration between the various elements constituting the organic Baha'i

Community; a greater measure of self sacrifice; a still more intensified exertion aiming at the consolidation and preservation of the newly constituted Assemblies and the rapid conversion of the existing groups into full-fledged Assemblies; a systematic, sustained and nation-wide endeavour for the purpose of disseminating the literature of the Faith, increasing its volume and adding to its diversity and lastly a more audacious and convincing presentation of its tenets to the masses of the people--these constitute the primary tasks facing +P111 now the Indian believers. That they may achieve their high destiny is my constant hope and fervent prayer. December 20, 1944 Re-instate Assemblies in Burma

First let me say that he was very pleased to receive your cable telling him the Baha'is in at least a part of Burma have survived. His thoughts and prayers have often been with them during these terrible years of war.

He wishes to urge the N.S.A. to concentrate above all on re-instating any Spiritual Assemblies which were disbanded last Baha'i year owing to insufficient numbers. This must always be the first consideration, so that the hardly won prizes of these new Assemblies may not be lost. Depriving of Voting Rights--Function of N.S.A.

Also he wishes to point out that the power to put a person outside the Faith administratively must be solely, for the present time, in the hands of the N.S.A. This applies only to the cases where believers are deprived of their voting rights. Such extremely important and dramatic measures should never be resorted to unless absolutely necessary, and should certainly never be left in the hands of local assemblies, where personal feelings might colour the Assembly's decision. On the other hand, the right to enroll believers has always been given to the Local Assemblies. But they should be strongly urged to make sure the applicant is sincere and fully understands and accepts the fundamentals of the Faith. Teach a Wider Range of Indians

He also feels that now that you have so much literature on hand in various languages you should endeavour to teach a +P112 wider range of Indian races; especially the Hindus and Moslems as they form the preponderating mass of the people. Also Hindu and Moslem believers should be encouraged to teach, pioneer, lecture, and be appointed on Committees, and elected to Assemblies, so that our true inter-racial, inter-religious character may be incontestably demonstrated to the world.

The Guardian does not feel that it is necessary to wait one whole year before an applicant is admitted into the Faith. The Assemblies must not be too strict, but should make every effort to increase the membership of their communities. June 26, 1945 Passing Away of Siyyid Mustafa

He was deeply grieved to hear of the death of our very dear and esteemed Baha'i brother, Siyyid Mustafa. He was truly an example of steadfast devotion and one of the outstanding pioneers the Faith produced during the first century of its existence. He was also very sad to hear of the ruin of the Baha'i Haziras and the plight of the Baha'is in general. He wishes your Assembly to exert its utmost in alleviating the suffering of the Burmese friends, and assisting them in every way possible. Convey to them all the assurance of his ardent and loving prayers on their behalf, and for the speedy re-establishment of the Faith and its institutions in Burma. Baha'i Marriage

Regarding the question of ... marriage: She should have performed the Baha'i marriage rites, but, as the Guardian already wrote her, she can now be re-instated in her voting rights by having a Baha'i marriage ceremony performed. As she was married by civil, and not religious, law she need have no divorce or annulment of her civil marriage.

As at present a Baha'i marriage is not yet legally recognized by the authorities, the friends should also have the civil marriage in addition. We have no objection to it at all, as it is non-sectarian and in no way affects our Baha'i status. +P113

As long as both the Baha'i and the other religious (whatever it may be) ceremony are both performed prior to the consummation of the marriage, we do not mind which ceremony is performed first. It should be left to the individuals concerned to decide among themselves. Task Urgent, Vast and Sacred

[From the Guardian:]

The task facing the members of the Indian Baha'i community in these days of stress and trial, is urgent, vast and sacred. The responsibilities they shoulder are growing in number and complexity. The obstacles in their path are numerous and seemingly insurmountable. The victories, however, which they have won during the concluding years of the first Baha'i century, augur well for the future, and constitute only a preliminary stage in the great work they are destined to accomplish in the years that lie ahead. A unity that is truly unshakable, a consecration to their task which no trial or test can impair, a resolve that no force, however inimical, can shake, a united and systematic endeavour to proclaim and firmly establish their Faith which enemies neither from within nor from without can undermine --all these are vitally required to enable them to achieve their high destiny. To you as their national elected representatives I desire to appeal in particular to exercise the utmost forbearance, care and vigilance, to exert the utmost endeavour, to deliberate, cooperate and carry out with exemplary vigour the necessary measures which the urgency of the task and the criticalness of the hour imperatively demand. That their glorious mission may be crowned with signal success is the object of my constant and fervent prayers at the holy Shrine. August 9, 1945 Shoulder Heavy Responsibilities

He was very sad to read of the sufferings of the beloved Burmese friends, of the death of that bright star of the Faith, Siyyid Mustafa, and of the murder of many other of the friends! +P114 At the same time his heart swelled with pride when he saw that already the believers have re-assembled, elected an Assembly, and started their school again. This shows how deep their faith is, and presages a glorious future for the Cause there.

As you already know he has sent you a sum to be devoted to rebuilding the Baha'i institutions, teaching the Faith, and assisting the friends who are in desperate need. He has also invited other National Assemblies to contribute to this fund, and thus assist your Assembly to carry out this very important task of re-establishing a flourishing Community in Burma.

The Indian believers are finding themselves increasingly called upon to shoulder heavy responsibilities; they are becoming more numerous, have spread to many new centres, undertaken a large publishing program, increased the number of their institutions, and are gradually becoming known to their fellow-Indians as followers of a new and glorious Faith. In view of this he feels your Assembly should constantly exhort the friends to be more conscious of their duties, and to be very careful of having differences of opinion which are so strong as to lead to disputes and thus humiliate our beloved Faith in the eyes of non-Baha'is. The public is beginning to observe them, and they must therefore conduct themselves at all times as befits those who bear the glorious Name of Baha. They must be forgetful of self, but ever mindful of the Cause of God!

[From the Guardian:]

The rehabilitation of the community of the sore-stricken believers throughout Burma constitutes the most urgent task of the Indian believers, and is a direct challenge which they cannot ignore or neglect. The reconstitution of dissolved assemblies, the extension of relief to the needy, the promotion of the teaching work, the dissemination of Baha'i literature, the construction of the Haziras, the re-establishment of schools and committees are all vitally urgent, and should be carried out fully, systematically, and with the utmost speed. I long to hear of the progress of your labours in this important field, upon which the future welfare of the Burmese community depends, and with which the destinies of the Indian believers are closely interwoven. +P115

I will pray from the depths of my heart that your meritorious efforts may soon be crowned with magnificent success. December 18, 1945 Threefold Task

There is no objection to permitting the name of a Baha'i or his relative, to be placed on a stone incorporated in some Baha'i building he has donated to the Faith.

He is delighted with the progress your work is making in every field, and he urges you all to continually stimulate and inspire the friends to make ever greater effort and sacrifice in the service of their beloved Faith. The opportunity is unique and the rewards of Baha'u'llah inestimably glorious.

[From the Guardian:]

My heart swells with joy, pride, and gratitude as I contemplate the range of the services rendered in recent years by the Indian believers to the Cause of Baha'u'llah. I particularly rejoice at the splendid initiative, the magnificent zeal, the unconquerable spirit that have characterised their recent understanding associated with the new Plan which they have audaciously conceived, and which, I feel confident, they will prosecute with exemplary vigour and constancy.

Simultaneous with the united efforts that must be strenuously exerted to ensure its success, a systematic endeavour must be made to proclaim the verities of our glorious Faith to the masses, and to disseminate far and wide its literature.

This threefold task requires the concentrated and sustained attention of the rank and file of the believers, the subordination of every consideration to its paramount interests, the extension of generous financial assistance to the agencies designed for its promotion. The believers in India have set an inspiring example to their fellow-believers throughout the East, and even to the great mass of their co-religionists in Baha'u'llah's native land, and have abundantly demonstrated +P116 to them all, what organized activity, boldly conceived and soundly and energetically conducted, can achieve when directed and animated by the ennobling influences and the generative spirit of the Faith of Baha'u'llah. Their exploits are indeed unsurpassed by those of any community throughout the Baha'i world except those which stand associated with the community that may well claim to be the standard-bearer of the Cause of God in the West. That these exploits may be the forerunners of still mightier and nobler achievements is my fervent hope and prayer. March 20, 1946 Baha'is Can Accept Grants-in-aid From The Government

Your question about whether Baha'is can accept grants-in-aid and free plots from Government....

There is no objection, the beloved Guardian says, to the Baha'is receiving this type of help from the Government and civic authorities. March 24, 1946 Baha'i Holy Days

He thinks it is better for Baha'i doctors not to work on our 9 Holy Days--but, of course, that does not mean they should not attend to very sick people and emergencies on these days. Voting Rights

As he already told you in a previous communication he feels that your Assembly should not deprive people of their voting rights unless the matter is really very grave; this is a very heavy sanction, and can embitter the heart if lightly imposed, and also make people think we unduly resort to pressure of a strong nature. The friends must be nursed and assisted, for they are still mostly immature spiritually, and their "sins" are those of +P117 immaturity! Their hearts are loyal to the Cause, and this is the most important thing. Responsibilities Immense

[From the Guardian:]

The responsibilities confronting the Indian and Burmese

Baha'i Communities, in these days of stress and turmoil, are immense and inescapable. The task facing them is urgent, complex and rich in possibilities. The Plan which they are now striving to carry out demands the utmost vigilance, care, vigour and perseverance. All must arise to lend their assistance, and ensure its unqualified success in all its aspects. An intensification of effort aimed at increasing the number of pioneers who are labouring throughout the length and breadth of that land; a more vigorous and systematic endeavour to ensure the speedy publication of

Baha'i literature in all the languages that have already been determined upon and its immediate dissemination as an adjunct to the all-important teaching work; the elimination of every trace of inharmony, misunderstanding and ill-will so detrimental, at this juncture, to the interests of the Plan; the initiation of measures designed to give greater publicity to the aims and purposes of the Faith and its fundamental teachings, through the Press and radio; the adoption and enforcement of whatever measures are required to increase the number of Indian and Muslim converts to the

Faith, on whom its ultimate triumph and recognition must depend; the steady consolidation and expansion of newly-established institutions, such as the Summer School, the hostel and the local Haziras; a more liberal and widespread contribution of funds to the National Treasury for the support of these institutions, and for the promotion of the general interests of the Faith--these stand out as the primary duties and obligations of both the participants of the Plan and of those who conduct its operation.

A special effort must simultaneously be exerted to provide whatever is required to re-establish the long-suffering and dearly-loved Burmese community on a secure foundation. +P118

The despatch of competent teachers and visitors to that sorely-tried land; the extension of the necessary relief to those who are still in need; the reconstruction of the administrative headquarters and the re-establishment of the Baha'i school; the construction of the memorial to the beloved and unforgettable pioneer and martyr Siyyid Mustafa; the formation of Assemblies and Groups in as many localities as possible--these constitute the immediate tasks confronting your Assembly in addition to the responsibilities you are called upon to discharge under the new Plan.

No sacrifice can be deemed too great for the achievement of this dual purpose, no effort should be spared in order to carry out in its entirety this twofold objective. May the

Beloved grant you the strength you require for the accomplishment of your historic task. August 2, 1946 Answer to Various Matters

Concerning ... divorce: He has no right to demand from his wife a refund of the marriage expenses he incurred. In the Aqdas it is quite clear that the husband must not only give the dowry but must support his wife until the time when the divorce is completed. In view of this she is not required to repay expenses of the marriage, etc.

The paying of the Huquq is a spiritual obligation; the friends must not be obliged by the Assemblies to pay it, but they should be encouraged to fulfil this spiritual obligation laid upon them in the Aqdas.

He is very pleased to note the list of literature the publishing committee is forwarding to him, and urges you to persevere in pressing the translation and publishing of the New Era in the important languages already chosen for the purpose, as he attaches the greatest importance to this work.

He was also delighted to see that the Srinagar Assembly held its elections. These new Assemblies must receive every aid and +P119 encouragement from your Assembly and every effort must be made to carry the Faith to new Centres, and to stimulate pioneering amongst the friends.

The Indian believers have a great opportunity to compete with both the American and British Baha'is in pioneer services; they already have a record to be proud of, and are first among the countries of the East in the record they hold of achievements in this field. He hopes they will go on from victory to victory, and vindicate the high hopes he cherishes for their future.

If the National Assembly is sure that it was Siyyid Mustafa Roumie's wish to be buried next to his wife in Mandalay, then you should, by all means, arrange for the interment of his remains there. A befitting memorial can then be erected over the vault. The spirit of this great and valiant teacher surely watches over the land of his adoption, and will aid the Burmese believers in their efforts to rebuild their centres and promulgate the Cause of God there.

As we see the confusion in the world spreading, and the hatreds that divide men augmenting steadily, we, as the trustees of our Lord's glorious Faith, must rise to higher levels of self-sacrifice and devotion. He prays that the Indian believers may achieve wonderful victories for Baha'u'llah in the months that lie ahead, and prove themselves worthy of the great destiny that beckons to them. Unstinted Devotion Displayed

[From the Guardian:]

The perseverance, the tenacity, the unstinted devotion displayed consistently by the Indian Baha'i Community, so clearly demonstrated by the reports recently received by their national elected representatives, are truly exhilarating and augur well for the future of the Plan. The members of this

Community, however, must not be content with the standard already achieved, but must exert themselves ever more determinedly and unitedly to fulfil the high hopes cherished for +P120 the success of their collective enterprise. The Burmese Baha'i

Community, which they are so devotedly striving to rehabilitate, must, likewise participate without reserve, in the glorious task that confronts them, and demonstrate, thereby, its virility and resilience in the face of the trials and obstacles which it has had to struggle against in the past. The establishment of new centres in Burma, the consolidation of the reinstated Assemblies, are both equally vital and urgent.

The verities of the Faith must be proclaimed, its literature must be disseminated and its institutions reinforced and multiplied throughout that land. Both communities must collaborate and through sustained, vigorous and systematic effort and mutual assistance lend an unprecedented impetus to the onward march of the Faith in India and Burma. The greater the effort and self-sacrifice, the richer the benefits that will accrue, and the more potent the blessings that will be vouchsafed from on high. The goals are clearly defined. The prizes to be won are within reach and inexpressibly glorious. Time is running out and the opportunity is priceless. The promise of Divine unfailing assistance is assured. All are challenged to arise, to toil and to persevere, until their solemn pledge under the Plan is completely and totally fulfilled. That they may prove themselves worthy of their high mission is my fervent hope and constant prayer. October 12, 1946 More Pioneers to Go Forth

He has been very encouraged to see the way the Indian, and now the Burmese friends have responded to his repeated call for greater sacrifice and for more pioneers to go forth into the teaching field. Your country is so vast that less valiant hearts than those possessed by the indomitable Baha'is might well have quailed before the tasks to be undertaken. But, on the contrary, the Indian and Burmese friends have arisen and demonstrated the calibre of their faith and courage in a manner which excites the admiration of their fellow Baha'is East and West.

Now is not the time to rest on their oars, but rather to re-double +P121 their efforts and go on from victory to victory, and to add new fame to their exploits, conscious that the eyes of their fellow-believers are focussed upon them to see what they will achieve next.

He was particularly happy to see how active the beloved Burmese friends are, and that through the efforts of some members of their Community and Indian friends they have now established a new centre in Kyigone, where a Spiritual Assembly can exist. This is a great step forward, and he hopes many new Baha'i Assemblies will be developed in Burma during the coming Baha'i year.

He was also very pleased to hear of the book exhibit held in Kolhapur, and of the interest shown in our Baha'i literature by persons of standing in the Community. Such exhibitions offer a great opportunity to show the public what the Cause is doing and what it stands for, and every advantage of them should be taken.

Although your Assembly has succeeded in getting out a number of new language publications, you should not relax for a moment in your efforts to translate and publish the New Era in the remaining languages chosen, as this work is of the utmost importance, enables you to teach new language groups the Faith, and adds to the prestige of the Cause not only in India but abroad. Although you have many obstacles to overcome the results in the future will be great.

He cannot impress too strongly upon the friends the need for action: they must arise in still greater numbers to pioneer; those who cannot go themselves should remember the admonition of Baha'u'llah and send, through the N.S.A., someone in their stead; the young people should learn to teach and go forth in the field in the days of their youth and receive this great blessing; more qualified teachers should arise, and circulate among the new and weak Assemblies in order to consolidate them.

[From the Guardian:]

The rich and varied material which you have been forwarding during recent months to the Holy Land proclaim and demonstrate, beyond the shadow of a doubt the assiduous +P122 care, the magnificent devotion, the exemplary fidelity, the increased efficiency with which you are conducting the affairs, and consolidating the activities of a steadily growing community. My heart swells with gratitude as I witness, in so many fields, the striking evidences of the growth, the multiplication and establishment of highly diversified communities throughout the length and breadth of India and Burma, the expansion of Baha'i literature, the rise of new institutions, the growing consciousness and solidarity of the teachers and administrators of the Faith, and of the contact that is being established between them and the great masses of their countrymen, at so critical a period in their history. However much these communities have already achieved, they cannot afford, for a moment, to rest content with the laurels that they have won. Spurred on by these initial and superb victories --victories unprecedented in the annals of their Faith in that land--they must press on, more diligently than ever, to reinforce their unity, to deepen their understanding of the spiritual verities of their Faith and of the administrative principles underlying its new world order, to multiply its nascent institutions, to broadcast its Message, to disseminate its literature, to exemplify its spirit, to proclaim its truths, and to swell the ranks of its unreserved supporters. The greater the effort they exert along these lines, the more abundant the measure of celestial grace that will be vouchsafed to them from on high. That they may go from strength to strength, that they may add still more glorious chapters to the distinguished record of their immortal services to the

Cause of Baha'u'llah is my constant prayer and the most cherished desire of my heart. March 13, 1947 Esslemont Book in Karen Language

He advises you to make every effort to have the Esslemont book translated into Karen at present, and to persevere in your attempts to find someone to translate it into Chin in the future. He urges you to make a supreme effort to complete +P123 these translations and publication of the Esslemont book in the remaining chosen languages. Rules [&and] Regulations Should Not Be Multiplied

You may not perhaps know that in connection with all National Assemblies the Guardian is advising that rules and regulations should not be multiplied and new statements on "procedure" issued; we should be elastic in details and rigid in principles; consequently he does not want your Assembly to issue statements of a binding nature unless absolutely necessary.... It is only those who have been spiritually ex-communicated by the Guardian with whom the believers are forbidden to associate, and not a person who is being punished by being deprived of his voting rights. As contributions to Baha'i funds are used to support the administration of the Faith, they should not be accepted from those who are deprived of their voting rights; but such believers, should not be prevented from being buried in a Baha'i Cemetery or receiving charity--which we even give to non-Baha'is --if in dire need. Added Responsibility

As the N.S.A. of Persia is, it would seem, unable to send pioneers to Bahrayn or Afghanistan, he fully approves of your Assembly doing so, if some of the dear Indian believers are willing to assume this added responsibility and perform this valuable service, highly meritorious in the sight of God.

The recent news conveyed to him by you of the achievement of the immediate goals that lay before the Indian and Burmese Baha'is, pleased him greatly. He feels that the Community of believers there, as they see their own Plan developing and their own labours bearing fruit, their fame spreading amongst their sister-communities and their star rising in the heaven of the Baha'i world, are now acquiring a new zest for teaching, and are +P124 ever more ready to sacrifice themselves in order to win complete victory for their Plan! This pleases him greatly and encourages him to believe the future of the dear Indian and Burmese believers is very bright.

He was also delighted and relieved to hear that unity was achieved at Convention amongst the friends, and that all of them have resolved to put away childish differences, unworthy of them as servants and custodians of our glorious Faith in that great country, and unitedly strive for the good of the Cause and the successful completion of their sacred tasks.

He wishes once more to impress upon your Assembly the great importance of immediately finding and purchasing, and moving into, a befitting Hazira in Delhi. This will bring upon the entire community great confirmations. Threshold of a New Epoch

[From the Guardian:]

The perusal of your Annual Report and the messages conveyed by the elected representatives of the Indian and Burmese

Baha'i communities, assembled at Convention, have served to deepen my sense of admiration for the work collectively achieved by the members of these communities, and of my gratitude for the magnificent qualities they display, and for the spirit which so powerfully animates them in their stewardship to the Faith of Baha'u'llah.

They now stand on the threshold of a new epoch in the history of the evolution of the Administrative Order in their land. The transfer of the central institution of that Order to the capital of India; the wide measure of centralization which this historic step must needs involve; the purchase of a befitting seat for the ever expanding activities and multiplying agencies of that institution in that same capital, the progressive transfer of the national committees to the national Haziratu'l-Quds--all these must synchronize with a remarkable, and indeed unprecedented, intensification of effort in the pioneer field of Baha'i activity, as well as in the sphere of public teaching, designed to arouse the masses and +P125 proclaim the verities of the Faith throughout the length and breadth of that subcontinent and its adjoining territory of

Burma.

In this twofold activity, supporting directly and indirectly the interests of the Plan, committed to your charge, the

Hindu, the Moslem, the Burmese and Zoroastrian believers must jointly, unitedly, and effectively participate. The minority elements in these ever-expanding communities must be continually stimulated, encouraged, trained and in some cases, as when an equal number of ballots have been cast in an election, given priority, in order to reinforce the representative character of Baha'i institutions, demonstrate the distinction of these institutions from all other man-made agencies, and win, to an ever-increasing degree, the sympathy and support of the teeming masses of Hindu and

Moslem extraction, on whose adherence to the Faith, the ultimate progress, establishment, and triumph of the Cause of Baha'u'llah must chiefly depend.

Courage, good-will, resolution, self-abnegation, are imperatively required, at this momentous stage in the evolution of these nascent communities, who, having reared, with assiduous care, the machinery of their Administrative Order, and launched the Plan which the institutions of that Order are now so efficiently promoting, have arisen to initiate a crusade which, as it gathers momentum, must embrace all the diversified races, classes and creeds of that vast country, and its adjoining territories. May the impelling power of the Faith which they champion enable them to surmount every obstacle, and reach their destined goal. May 8, 1947 Set the Highest Example of Tolerance

During the great period of transition that vast land has been, and still is, going through his thoughts have been very frequently with you all, and his anxiety for the safety of the beloved friends there is very keen.

He fully appreciates the fact that the Baha'is, in spite of their total lack of religious or other prejudice, and their +P126 strict political neutrality, are nevertheless placed in danger sometimes by the passions and unrest of their countrymen. His ardent prayers are offered for their protection, and he urges them to, at all times, set the highest example of tolerance, freedom from any form of partisanship in the present troubles and disputes going on, and sympathy with the deep sufferings of all classes and creeds. Greater Dedication to Service

The work of your Assembly is even more onerous and delicate than before. Now that India, Burma and Pakistan no longer form one unit, in the sense of being under one regime, you will, no doubt, have many new problems to meet. But he feels assured that the experience the Community of believers has gained during recent years, the increased awareness of the glory of this Cause, and the greater dedication to its service which unites the hearts of all the Baha'is out there, will now manifest themselves in the Community's wholehearted cooperation with the N.S.A., and in a renewed determination to achieve its Plan.

The believers must realize that they, in fulfilling the immediate goals of this Plan, are hastening the day when India, Pakistan and Burma can respectively have each its own National Spiritual Assembly, which, in due time, will become one of the pillars of the International House of Justice. Although three N.S.A.'s and not one must be envisaged in the future, how appropriate it is that, at present, when political division has taken place and animosities are fanned into flame, the believers in the Cause of God are united under one Spiritual Assembly, guiding and aiding all believers with love and understanding!

Please particularly assure the Serampur Baha'is of his loving prayers, and that he is proud of their devotion to the Faith.

He also wishes to assure you of his prayers for the progress of all the work your Assembly is doing, and especially for the solution of the problems involved in the National Headquarters' purchase. He attributes great importance to this undertaking, +P127 and is delighted to see the determined and self-sacrificing manner in which the believers are supporting it. Opportunity Which May Never Occur Again

[From the Guardian:]

The strife and bloodshed, with their attendant misery, sorrow and confusion, that have afflicted the entire subcontinent of India, in recent months, have caused me the gravest concern. The disorders, following in the wake of this great crisis in the life of its people, constitute a challenge, which the Community of the steadfast followers of Baha'u'llah in that land must resolutely face, and demonstrate in meeting it the quality of their faith, the depth of their devotion, the strength of their unity, the solidity of their institutions and the heroic character of their resolve. They must neither feel alarmed, nor falter or hesitate in the execution of their

Plan. Shielded by the institutions which their hands have reared, abiding securely in the stronghold of their love for Baha'u'llah and their devotion to His Faith, pursuing with unrelaxing vigilance and singleness of purpose the course set by the Plan they themselves have inaugurated, heartened by the initial success already achieved since that

Plan was set in motion, they, however much buffeted by present circumstances, and no matter how perilous the path they now tread, must press forward, unafraid of persecution, scorn of calumny, towards the shining goals they have set themselves to attain.

The newly-fledged Assemblies, constituted with so much labour and sacrifice, must above all be thoroughly safe-guarded.

The administrative nuclei formed throughout the length and breadth of that land, must, however great the effort demanded, be preserved and continually fostered, and enabled to develop into groups destined in time to evolve into firmly knit Assemblies. The obstacles that have arisen in connection with the purchase and registration of the Haziratu'l-Quds in Delhi must be resolutely overcome and all the subsidiary issues connected with it definitely and speedily settled, enabling thereby the attention of your

Assembly to be focussed on the vital requirements of the +P128 teaching work on which the prosperity of the community and its rapid growth must ultimately depend. Attention, moreover, should be directed to the completion of the task undertaken in connexion with the translation and publication of the New Era in the few remaining languages selected for that purpose. The dissemination of Baha'i literature should, likewise, be simultaneously carried out with increasing vigour. Whatever measures are required to ensure a more systematic and extensive propagation of the teaching of the Faith among the masses must be promptly and unhesitatingly adopted.

The hour is indeed propitious. The ordeals and tribulations which the hungry, the dispossessed, the sick, as well as the disillusioned and restless multitudes, are now experiencing, offer the bearers of the Message of the Most Great Name, an opportunity which may never again recur. There is no time to lose. Every warrior in the ever-advancing army of

Baha'u'llah must arise and participate in this holy crusade.

The rewards and prizes to be won are inestimable. However circumscribed its resources, however small its numbers, however formidable the obstacles with which it is confronted, the entire community of the believers in India, Burma and

Pakistan, must arise as one man, and, pledging anew its fidelity to its Faith prove itself fully worthy of the Cause it has espoused and the high mission it has undertaken. October 24, 1947 Excommunication is a Spiritual Matter

Excommunication is a spiritual thing and up until now the Guardian has always been the one who exerted this power, and he feels for the present he must continue to be. Only actual enemies of the Cause are ex-communicated. On the other hand, those who conspicuously disgrace the Faith or refuse to abide by its laws can be deprived, as a punishment, of their voting rights; this in itself is a severe action, and he therefore always urges all National Assemblies (who can take such action) to first warn and repeatedly warn the evil-doer before taking the step of depriving him of his voting rights. He feels your Assembly must +P129 act with the greatest wisdom in such matters, and only impose this sanction if a believer is seriously injuring the Faith in the eyes of the public through his conduct or flagrantly breaching the laws of God. If such a sanction were lightly used the friends would come to attach no importance to it, or to feel the N.S.A. used it every time they got angry with some individual's disobedience to them. We must always remember that, sad and often childish, as it seems, some of those who make the worst nuisances of themselves to their National Bodies are often very loyal believers, who think they are protecting the true interests of their Faith by attacking N.S.A. decisions! Unite to Serve Him

The Guardian feels very strongly that everywhere, throughout the entire Baha'i world, the believers have got to master and follow the principles of their divinely laid down Administrative Order. They will never solve their problems by departing from the correct procedure... The Baha'is have got to learn to live up to the laws of Baha'u'llah which are infinitely higher, more exacting and more perfect than those the world is at present familiar with. Running away, fighting with each other, fostering dissension, is not going to advance the Indian or any other Community; all it is going to do is to bring Baha'u'llah's plans and work to a standstill until such time as the believers unite to serve Him, or new and more dedicated souls arise to take their place. Seeking to Purify the World

He also feels very strongly, as he has pointed out in the enclosed letter to the Calcutta Assembly, that the Baha'is must be mature and realize that, whether they are conscious of it or not, the intense feelings of hatred, suspicion and jealousy which are flaming up everywhere in India and Pakistan, are tinging the attitudes of the believers themselves. At such a time, seeing +P130 this colossal example before them of the very essence of everything we are seeking to purify the world from, the Hindu, Moslem and Zoroastrian Baha'is should determine to show a love for each other and an inner spiritual solidarity so great as to forcibly attract the attention of their countrymen and impress them with the fact that Baha'u'llah's Message is, indeed, the only remedy for the ills afflicting the great multitudes of the Far East. It would seem, however, from your reports and those of individuals who write him, that the Baha'is are doing the very opposite and enabling outsiders to point the finger at them and say "the very rivalry we are experiencing between various communities, the Baha'is are also experiencing!" How terrible, how tragic, if Baha'is should let such a situation develop, such a betrayal of not only the trust God has placed in their hands but also a betrayal of the glorious victories they themselves won during the past decade!

The Guardian assures you all, and through you, the believers of India, Pakistan and Burma, that he will supplicate in the Holy Shrines that the labours you have all achieved together may be preserved from blemish, and that you may go on together to fulfil your plan and raise still higher the name of your fame. Stormy Yet Glorious Path of Service

[From the Guardian:]

The work now engaging the attention of the members of the

Baha'i Communities in India, Pakistan and Burma, as it develops and is further consolidated, acquires momentous importance, and should be pursued with added zeal, ever deepening consecration, firmer unity, closer collaboration, greater vigilance and nobler self-sacrifice. The sufferings and trials they have recently experienced, the disappointments and anxieties they have borne, the obstacles and setbacks they have encountered in their path, should, far from causing them to flinch in their determination or to relax in their efforts, act as a stimulant and challenge, to scale loftier heights, and win mightier victories in their strenuous labours for the propagation of their beloved Faith. +P131

Though they are pressed by the multitudinous demands of an ever-growing task, though overburdened by the manifold responsibilities of an ever-expanding administration, I have, in my desire to enable them to enrich the splendid record of their stewardship to the Faith in recent years, and enhance the prestige of all three communities, urged them to push still further the outposts of the Faith, both southward and eastward of the present field of their joint labours. In the island of Ceylon, the Republic of Indonesia and the sovereign State of Siam, which due to their proximity must, sooner or later be opened up to the Faith by these Communities, an effort, however tentative, must be made to establish a nucleus, through the settlement of one or two pioneers which will, as Plans are initiated in the years to come, develop into full-fledged communities capable of illuminating the eastern and southern fringes of the continent of Asia.

Through the successful conclusion of this added task to be shouldered by these communities, the believers in these three communities will have contributed, to a marked degree, to the raising to one hundred of the number of countries included within the pale of the ever-advancing Faith of

Baha'u'llah. They will be emulating the example of their

American, Canadian and Persian brethren, who, through their respective plans, are hastening this glorious consummation by initiating Baha'i activities in Latin America, in

Greenland and New Foundland and the territories of the

Arabian Peninsula.

Their solid achievements in recent years, the marvellous multiplication of Baha'i Centres, the establishment of befitting national headquarters, the remarkable impetus lent to the translation, publication and dissemination of Baha'i Literature, embolden me to appeal to them, to undertake fresh enterprises, ere the termination of the present Plan, and on however small a scale, beyond the confines of India and Burma.

The greater the range of their collective enterprises, the mightier the effusion of the Abha grace from on high, a grace that will sustain, protect, guide and cheer them as they +P132 tread the stormy yet glorious path of service for the furtherance of their beloved Cause.

Let them, at this momentous stage of their historic labours, eliminate, once and for all, every trace of inharmony from their midst, purge their hearts from every lingering suspicion, prejudice and animosity, acquire a clearer vision of the greatness of their Faith and the significance of their mission, give heed to the urgent and tragic needs of the vast multitudes of their disillusioned and sore-tried countrymen, now hungering for the Bread of Life, and arise, as one man, to discharge their sacred and inescapable responsibilities. The hour is propitious, the situation critical, the Cause infinitely precious, the prize within reach and inexpressibly glorious. May 8, 1948 Old and Tried Community

The news that from Calcutta two souls have volunteered to go forth as pioneers to Siam and Indonesia greatly pleased him. Likewise, he was rejoiced to hear a pioneer for Ceylon has been found.

The Burmese, Indian and Pakistan Baha'is, forming as they do a relatively old and tried Community of believers, have heavy responsibilities to discharge. They cannot be looked upon as children or youngsters in this great Cause, but rather must be considered more in the light of elders, and consequently their Baha'i brothers and sisters expect great things of them, and look to them for signs of leadership in that part of the world! Therefore, the fulfilment of their Plan, and the sending forth of their pioneers to neighbouring Asiatic countries, is of crucial importance in maintaining their leadership in this field and their prestige in the Baha'i world.

He was very glad to see your Assembly has not relaxed its efforts in the matter of translating and publishing the Esslemont book. As you know, he considers this a vital service being rendered by your Community to not only the peoples of that part +P133 of the world, but to the Faith as a world-wide movement. He has begun to receive lately some of your publications, and trusts, now the mails are again running, to receive safely all the material you are sending. Arcade of the Shrine of the Bab

The Foundation of the arcade of the Shrine has now been laid and all the heavy threshold stones placed in position. More than half of the stone work ordered in Italy for this first unit of the beautiful shell, which will enclose and protect for all-time the sacred building built by the beloved Master Himself, has now been received on the Shrine property, and plans are being made for the next stage of construction to go ahead.

This glorious work, so cheering to all our hearts, is, however, greatly increasing the burden our beloved Guardian bears, and he hopes the friends will understand this when they find letters to him can no longer be answered promptly. At such a time, when this country has passed through so much danger and difficulty, it is little short of miraculous the way this work on the Shrine has been facilitated and protected and gone ahead steadily! It is greatly enhancing the prestige of the Faith here, and the authorities have been cooperative and helpful. Grave Challenge

[From the Guardian:]

The communications addressed to me several months ago by your Assembly have, after considerable delay in transmission, reached the Holy Land, and, together with the reports and minutes accompanying them, were read with deep and sustained interest.

The tremendous task facing the Baha'i Communities in India,

Pakistan and Burma, constitutes a grave challenge to the followers of the Faith of Baha'u'llah in these countries and must be faced and met with courage, determination and a +P134 spirit of complete dedication to His Cause. The disturbances that have so gravely shaken the peoples of these countries, on the morrow of a world-convulsing international conflict; the unfortunate and sudden cessation of communications between these countries and the World Centre of the Faith in the

Holy Land during the past year; the fears and anxieties engendered by a steadily deteriorating international situation which cannot but dismay the stoutest hearts, have no doubt contributed, in varying degrees, and in no small measure, to a slowing down of the progress of the collective enterprise, so nobly, so enthusiastically and so energetically initiated by the upholders of the Faith throughout the sub-continent of

India and Burma.

The reverses they have suffered, with their attendant disappointments, confusion and relaxation of effort, must never be allowed, however short the period remaining before the termination of their Plan, to jeopardize the chance of a success which is still in their power to achieve.

They must close their ranks, gird up their loins, rededicate their souls and spirits to the unfinished tasks which face them, purge themselves of every taint of communal prejudice, detach themselves from every thought of self-interest, and arise, while there is yet time, to attain the goals they have pledged themselves to attain.

The final phase of the Plan with which they stand identified, and on which their immediate destiny depends, coincides with the hundredth anniversary of the most bloody, tragic and turbulent period in the history of their Faith--a period immortalised by the noblest evidences of Baha'i self-sacrifice, marked by acts of sublime heroism, and ennobled by a spirit of dedication and determination unsurpassed at any subsequent stage in Baha'i history. Now, if ever, is the time to emulate the example of these heroes, saints and martyrs.

Now is the time to pour out one's substance as copiously and as readily, as the Dawn-breakers of the Heroic Age of the Faith have shed their life-blood in the path of this most precious Cause. No more befitting tribute can be paid to the memory of these luminous souls, by those who carry the torch of Divine Guidance after them, than by a corresponding +P135 manifestation of solidarity, self-abnegation, zeal and devotion, which will impel them to forsake their homes, sacrifice their treasure, brave every danger, endure every hardship, expend every ounce of energy, that the Plan which they have spontaneously and unitedly sponsored may, through its triumphant termination, carry them a stage further along the broad highway of their destiny.

The multiplication of Baha'i Assemblies, at any cost and with the utmost speed; the reconstitution of dissolved Assemblies, however great the effort required; the completion of the translation into, and the printing of the New Era, in the few remaining languages, within the shortest possible time, the despatch of no more than one pioneer, to the neighbouring Island of Ceylon, to

Siam and to Indonesia, ere the termination of the closing year of the Plan--these stand out as the immediate requirements of the present challenging hour--requirements that the prosecutors of the Plan must meet. The eyes of their fellow-workers in East and West, are fixed upon them. The Concourse on high watches their actions, and stands ready to bless and reinforce their labours. The Centre of the Covenant

Himself is eagerly waiting to witness the evidences of their victory, and will no doubt intercede, on their behalf, before the throne of Baha'u'llah, if they but arise resolutely and spur their chargers into the arena of service.

The sands are indeed running out. The task that remains to be accomplished is indeed colossal. The distractions, temptations, and pitfalls that might interfere with its consummation are many and varied. The resources however spiritual and material still at the disposal of the members of these communities, are still adequate, if they but resolve to utilize them, to the needs of the present hour. The blessings from on high, ready to be showered upon them, are more than adequate to ensure their complete and total victory. So much hangs on the fortunes of the present Plan! So much must necessarily depend on the manner and the spirit in which they discharge their terrific responsibilities, during the few fleeting months still allotted them ere the expiry of the Plan! +P136

I entreat them, with all the fervour of my soul, not to allow this golden opportunity to slip from their grasp. They have, in the past, proved themselves capable, in times of crisis, of overleaping the most formidable barriers, and of wresting victory from the jaws of impending defeat. Theirs is the opportunity, now if ever, to demonstrate a similar resolution, a no less spectacular outburst of enthusiasm, an even nobler heroism and self-sacrifice than they have ever shown in the past.

Then, and only then, will the next stage in the evolution of their common destiny be unveiled to their eyes. Then, and only then, will the call summoning them to press forward to yet another landmark in their history be sounded. Then, and only then, will a still fuller measure of heavenly prizes be laid up for them in reward for their inestimable and arduous services in the treasuries of the Abha Kingdom by Him who alone knows how to re-ignite His faithful servants. April 9, 1949 Superstructure of the Shrine of the Bab

He would like you to please thank on his behalf those friends who have forwarded Huquq to him and contributions for the building of the Super-structure of the Bab's Shrine.

This building is now beginning to take shape and promises to be very beautiful, befitting and dignified. It is the realization of the fond hope of the beloved Master, who stated to Badi Bushrui one day, as He looked up at the building He Himself had already completed: "The Shrine is as yet unbuilt.... God willing, it will be built. We have brought it up to this stage."

The friends should be told this, as many of them do not realize it was the Master's own plan to go much further, and erect a dome over the Resting Place of the Bab. +P137 Keep in Close Touch With Pioneers

The Guardian desires your Assembly to keep in close touch with your pioneers abroad and give them strong moral, as well as financial support. It will please you to know two Dutch Baha'is are going out to Indonesia, and he has asked them to communicate with your Assembly and cooperate with you in spreading the Faith there and in having at least a pamphlet, to begin with, translated into the most needed native language.

His heart has been very anxious over the fate of the believers in Burma, and it relieved him greatly to hear that you received news they were safe. Please assure them his loving prayers are with them and offered for their protection. End of Six-Year Plan Approaches

[From the Guardian:]

As the end of the Plan to which your community stands committed inexorably approaches, my anxious thoughts increasingly turn towards you and your fellow workers, on whose shoulders a staggering responsibility--grave as well as inescapable--is weighing so heavily in these days. I am fully aware of the character of the manifold and unexpected trials this community has been called upon to face in India, Pakistan and Burma since its inception. The ordeal of internal disorder and of civil strife; the dislocation of the machinery of internal administration, the inevitable consequence of the vast political changes that have been effected in these countries; the reverses suffered by this same community through the temporary seizure of its newly acquired administrative headquarters and the loss of some of its precious assets in both India and Burma; the hardships endured by the pioneers of this community as well as its administrators as a consequence of severely imposed restrictions, outbursts of fanaticism and civil riots--have been such as to dismay the stoutest heart and tax to the uttermost the determination of the most resolute. +P138

And yet, in spite of these successive afflictions the members of this community have forged ahead, valiantly, unitedly and determinedly, and have even extended the original range of their Plan by embarking on fresh and historical enterprises beyond the confines of these territories, through the despatch of pioneers to the neighbouring Dominion of Ceylon and the adjacent Kingdom of Siam and the Republic of Indonesia.

Whatever the fate of the Plan which they are now seeking to bring to its consummation, this striking evidence of the indomitable spirit of faith that animates the rank and file of this community, and which has prompted it to seek fresh laurels in virgin territories beyond the frontiers of its homeland, will, without the slightest doubt, redound eternally to its credit, and be abundantly rewarded by a vigilant and all-Bountiful

Master.

To enhance the value of so rich a prize won, in so short a period, by a community so burdened by cares and anxieties, in territories for the most part overshadowed by discord and internal revolution, through the triumphant conclusion of the major task entrusted to its hands, and the successful conclusion of the second collective enterprise embarked upon by its indefatigable and resolute members, on the morrow of a world-encircling conflict, must now be the paramount and all-absorbing purpose of all who are privileged to participate in this mighty endeavour. Time is short. Every week is precious. The resources of the community, financial, moral and spiritual are, I firmly believe, adequate to meet the needs of this critical hour. So golden an opportunity, if missed, will not recur for who knows how extensive a period. The launching of subsequent enterprises destined to culminate in the triumph and ascendancy of a struggling Faith in the subcontinent of India, as well as in the establishment of its institutions in South-East

Asia, will be inevitably and indefinitely postponed.

Undaunted by the setbacks it has experienced; heartened by the settlement and the initial victory won by its pioneers in the newly opened virgin territories in the

North, the South and the East; fully conscious of its ability +P139 to perform adequately its task and discharge befittingly its responsibility; relying on the unfailing grace of an all-Powerful, ever solicitous, continually watching Providence; deriving fresh inspiration and confidence from the amazing feat achieved, by the small band of its brethren, in the West, and in a continent more devastated by the ravages of war than any other continent of the globe; let this community, while time still remains, gird up its loins, sink its differences, rededicate itself to its urgent task, sweep away every barrier that confronts it, and rise, with an upsurge of unprecedented enthusiasm and determination, to those heights to which its spiritual destiny is now beckoning it.

With a heart, aglow with gratitude for what this community has in the initial stage of its administrative development accomplished, filled with confidence in the potentialities with which our beloved

Master has endowed it in the years of His earthly ministry, and overflowing with love for those who, through their incessant labours and heroic self-sacrifice, have achieved unforgettable victories in recent years, I will continue to supplicate for all its members, at home and abroad, in their administrative spheres of activity as well as in the teaching field such blessings as will enable them to crown their concerted efforts with a success that will resound throughout the

Baha'i world. November 6, 1949 Arcade of the Shrine

The past winter and spring have been very arduous months for our beloved Guardian and very anxious ones. As you know, he has been pressing the work on the arcade of the Shrine of the Bab in order to have it completed by the Centenary of His martyrdom. As the arcade which fits about and protects the Holy Tomb, built by our beloved Master, is considerably larger than the original edifice, it has been necessary to excavate the mountain immediately behind the Shrine, and this very difficult work was carried out under the close and constant supervision of the Guardian himself in order to ensure it was accomplished safely, quickly and economically. This absorbed, for +P140 many months, his precious time and energies. When this was accomplished he looked forward to turning his attention to the various National Assembly letters piled up, but, unfortunately, Mr. Maxwell, the architect of the Shrine, became dangerously ill at the beginning of April, and is still in hospital. His condition was so grave that for weeks our Guardian and household were prevented from concentrating on the many tasks waiting to be attended to owing to the constant anxiety, the coming and going of doctors, etc. He feels you should be informed of these facts as an explanation of the long delay in hearing from him. Mr. Maxwell, thanks to the mercy of God and the determination of the Guardian, is now recovering, and we hope will live to continue his work on the Shrine.

The contributions sent by the Indian believers for the Holy Shrine were very much appreciated. Ever since the Burmese friends contributed the Sarcophagus for the Holy Remains, the friends in that part of the world have been linked with this sacred enterprise. Their joy will be great when, once the pilgrimage can be resumed, their eyes fall upon the beauty of this Shrine. Baha'is May Join Non-Partisan Organisations

There is no objection to the Baha'is associating with such organisations as the World Government Organisation. The instructions he gave to the British Baha'is may be followed. However, great care should be taken to make sure these organisations are absolutely non-partisan in their political views and lean neither to East or West. A Baha'i Cannot be a Theosophist

A Baha'i cannot at the same time be a theosophist; many theosophists have become believers and very enlightened ones, but as we do not believe in reincarnation we obviously cannot be active as theosophists and Baha'is at the same time. Killing of a Believer in Kamarhatti

The tragic killing of a believer in Kamarhatti grieved the +P141 Guardian very much. If you are in touch with any of the relatives please convey his sympathy to them, and assure them of his prayers. Terrible as persecution is, we must always remember that it waters the tree of Religion, and that from such deeds as this the believers--far from being cowed and silenced--must derive inspiration and courage. Convention Delegates

The Guardian feels that, if a delegate is elected to represent an Assembly (or community having Assembly status) during the administrative year in which the Assembly existed he is properly qualified, even if at Ridvan that community falls back to group status. A community, however, which reverts to group status at Ridvan cannot have a delegate to the following year's Convention. No Effort is Too Great

[From the Guardian:]

The severe restrictions to which the dearly-loved, highly devoted, long struggling Baha'i community of India, Pakistan and Burma have been subjected, the repeated setbacks they have suffered, the grave disturbances in the wake of which their manifold and meritorious activities have been caught, evoke my heartfelt sympathy and arouse my deep concern. The spirit which, despite adversities, delays and dislocations, they have consistently manifested in recent years is, however, worthy of the highest praise, and will, no doubt, triumph over every obstacle, and will enable them to weather every storm and win ultimate victory.

Though the course of the Plan they spontaneously undertook has, of necessity, been affected by these constant vicissitudes and unexpected developments, their achievements, beyond the confines of their homelands, as well as in the publishing field, have ennobled the record of their service to the Cause of Baha'u'llah, and constitute a memorable chapter in the history of the Faith in the sub-continent of India. +P142

The translation and publication of the "New Era" in more than twenty languages in recent years, the planting of the banner of the Faith in the Island of Ceylon, the Republic of Indonesia and the Kingdom of Siam--though not originally an integral part of their Plan--has signalized the opening of a new epoch in the evolution of the Faith in

South Eastern Asia, and has marked the formal association of the Indian the Pakistani and Burmese believers with their brethren in Europe, America, Egypt and Persia, in carrying the torch of the Faith beyond the confines of their respective continents and countries, and in executing the last wishes of the Centre of the Covenant so movingly expressed in His Will [&and] Testament.

Whatever these communities, so valiantly labouring in that disturbed and strife-ridden corner of the Asiatic continent, undertake to perform within the confines of their homelands in the years ahead, this double process of extending the range of the literature of the Faith and of propagating its Message within the virgin territories, lying to the North and South-East of their native lands, must continue with undiminished momentum, and must receive the undivided attention of the elected representatives of these communities.

Consolidation at home, and the provision of the necessary measures to ensure the speedy and effective extension of the influence of the Faith abroad, constitute the dual, the immediate and inescapable responsibilities of all the members of these communities, who are labouring, at so critical a period, with such steadfast zeal and devotion, amidst the masses of their fearful and harassed countrymen, for so lofty an ideal and so precious a Faith.

Firmly united in their purpose, banishing, once and for all, every trace of estrangement and prejudice from their midst, assured of the all-compelling, ever-sustaining power of Baha'u'llah, deriving fresh inspiration from the triumphs collectively achieved by their brethren in all continents of the globe, undeflected in their resolve by any setback, opposition or injustice, let them, with so notable a record of service behind them, march resistlessly forward, entering still wider fields, scaling +P143 nobler heights, plumbing still greater depths of heroism and self-sacrifice.

As the Centenary of the birth of Baha'u'llah's prophetic mission approaches, these sorely tried, much loved, indefatigable communities, must brace themselves, however challenging future circumstances may prove to be, however arduous the tasks they are called upon to discharge, to contribute, in whatever, way possible in whatever field they may find it practicable, a memorable share to the collective tribute which the followers of the Most Great Name are now arising to pay, through action in the field of service, to the Founder of their Faith on the occasion of the hundredth anniversary of the inception of His Revelation.

The hour is indeed both precious and propitious. The opportunity is glorious and will not recur in the lifetime of this generation. No effort is too great to ensure the success of so historic a commemoration. Time is short for an adequate preparation for the celebration, through collective and sound achievement, of so great a jubilee. All must arise and contribute a share worthy of the name they bear and of the privilege bestowed upon them.

That all three communities may rise to this occasion, may rededicate themselves with renewed resolve and fresh vigour, is my ardent and constant prayer. June 28, 1950 Photos of the Arcade of the Shrine

Under separate cover two enlargements of the arcade of the Shrine of the Bab have been mailed you. The Guardian wishes this gift from him to be shown to the believers as widely as possible, and then be hung in the National Headquarters.

He has sent the American N.S.A. two negatives of the Shrine, and the Baha'is can order from the States copies if they desire to purchase some.

He feels it will make the friends happy to see the beauty +P144 of this blessed building so dear to all our hearts. November 2, 1950 Inter-Assembly Conferences

He was very pleased to see that the policy of holding inter-assembly conferences has been adopted and is meeting with success; and he urges your Assembly to encourage the believers to hold more of such gatherings. It cannot but have a stimulating effect upon the teaching work, and inspire the friends to make greater efforts in their respective communities. Assembly in Moulmein, Burma

The news of the formation of an Assembly in Moulmein pleased him very much; and he wishes you to assure the believers there that he will pray for them in the Holy Shrines. The devotion and loyalty of the Burmese believers, in the face of so much turmoil in their native land, has aroused his admiration and increased his affection for this long-standing Baha'i Community, so persevering and so attached to the Cause of Baha'u'llah. Centenary Pamphlet Excellent

In connection with your publications, he would like to say that he found your "Centenary of the Martyrdom of the Bab" pamphlet excellent in every way, and was delighted to see that the Indian Baha'is had shown so much initiative in getting out this memorial pamphlet. Increase the Number of Delegates to 95

The increase in the number of delegates to 95 is an important milestone in the history of the Cause in those parts; and he feels that the friends, proud of the progress they have made, should determine that the coming Convention will be distinguished +P145 as one of the most harmonious and constructive ever held. Pioneering to Siam

The Guardian is very anxious that pioneer activities should be carried forward in Siam; and he urges your Assembly to push this matter further, and ... send some other pioneer there. Registration of Assemblies

The Guardian hopes that wherever you have a strongly established Spiritual Assembly, you will make every effort to register it legally, as he attaches great importance to the registration and incorporation of Spiritual Assemblies, and hopes that you will make every effort to add to their number in areas under your jurisdiction. Contribution for the Shrine of the Bab

The contributions sent by the believers for the construction of the Tomb of the Bab have been deeply appreciated by our beloved Guardian. It is only right that this old Baha'i Community, so tried in the fire of tests, and having been in existence from practically the days of the beloved Bab Himself, should play a part in building his sepulchre. The Guardian is now undertaking the second phase of the construction work, which involves raising the Edifice above the level of the original Tomb. Baha'is Cannot Become Freemasons

The Guardian does not consider it advisable for Baha'is to become Freemasons. Reviewing of Baha'i Books ...Local Spiritual Assemblies are not empowered to review material which is for national circulation. The Guardian thinks +P146 that your Assembly, or the Committee that you delegate such authority to, should review the pamphlet in question; and if it is in accordance with the Teachings, there is certainly no reason why it should not be circulated; but in the future, the Spiritual Assemblies should be more careful about publishing literature which is for more than local use. Pioneers for Indonesia and Siam

In closing, he would like to urge the members of your Assembly to redouble your efforts to assist pioneers to go forth to Indonesia and Siam. The extraordinary success the promulgation of the Faith has met with in Ceylon should be sufficient evidence for all concerned of the way in which God strengthens the endeavours of His servants, and blesses their seed-sowing, and brings it to harvest. He hopes that many of the believers, not only in India, but in Pakistan and Burma as well, will volunteer to go forth as pioneers, and will make every effort to do so.

The success of your past endeavours should encourage you all and the Community whom you represent, to forge ahead, unmindful of obstacles, and forgetful of personal differences of opinion in one united and unanimous effort to carry out all the work you have set for yourselves and achieve all your goals. Great Historic Enterprise

[From the Guardian:]

The communications received in recent months from your

Assembly testify to the perseverance and devotion with which the Baha'i Communities of India, Pakistan and Burma have pursued the course of their activities in the face of manifold obstacles and trials and despite the severity of the problems which have confronted them since the outbreak of the political disturbances that have agitated the Indian sub-continent. Though suffering from various reverses, though afflicted with disappointment, though sustaining repeated losses they have persevered in their labours, widened the scope of their task, pushed further the outposts of +P147 the Faith, and won their initial victories beyond the confines of their respective homelands.

In the field of Baha'i publications, in the publicity given to the Baha'i teachings, in their negotiations with the civil authorities under whose jurisdiction they function, in their constant encouragement and support of the pioneers labouring both at home and abroad, the national elected representatives of these communities have, likewise, demonstrated a spirit of dedication, a zeal and fidelity worthy of the highest praise.

The great historic enterprise launched by them in recent years in the neighbouring territories of Ceylon, Siam, Indonesia and the Malayan Peninsula,--a vast and highly meritorious undertaking still in its initial stage of development, and conferring a great and imperishable lustre on its valiant initiators--must be energetically prosecuted notwithstanding the unsettled political situation prevailing in those territories, and however threatening the clouds gathering on the international horizon. The movement and settlement of pioneers throughout India, Pakistan and Burma must, moreover, continue unabated and must be paralleled by a steady multiplication of Baha'i Centres and the consolidation of nascent institutions, the negotiations with the civil authorities, however disillusioning and unfruitful they have been so far in their results, must continue to be conducted with extreme vigilance and unrelaxing vigour. The highly commendable task of completing the translation and publication of the "New Era" in the languages already chosen should be promptly and befittingly consummated. The efforts exerted to publicize the Faith, disseminate its teachings and spread its fame, should be redoubled by all administrative agencies concerned with this vital sphere of Baha'i activity. The sacred duty of deepening and enriching the spiritual life of the newly enrolled believers should be faithfully discharged by both the local and national elected representatives of these communities. The added responsibility of contributing to the raising of the superstructure of the Bab's holy Sepulchre, now entering upon the second +P148 phase of its construction, and of speeding its consummation in view of the increasingly critical world condition, should be valiantly faced and nobly discharged. Above all, the inescapable obligation of guarding the integrity of the Faith, of preserving the unity of its followers, and of reinforcing its spiritual and administrative foundations, must be continually borne in mind not only by the representatives of these communities but by every individual believer labouring for the good name and the glorification of the Cause of

Baha'u'llah.

The Baha'i Communities of the Indian sub-continent and of

Burma constituting the largest entity throughout the Orient, next to the body of believers residing in the Cradle of the

Faith, and enjoying, unlike their Eastern sister communities in Persia, Egypt and Iraq, the blessings of relative freedom from repression or persecution, and including within their fold a greater variety of races, creeds and tongues than any of their sister communities throughout the world, are faced with both a peculiar challenge and a unique opportunity.

The resources at their disposal, the privileges they possess, the facilities they enjoy should, with clear vision, with confident hearts and inflexible resolve, be consecrated to the noble objectives which it is their mission to pursue.

Conscious of their high calling, aware of the potentialities with which their homelands have been endowed, these communities, placing their reliance on the all-conquering power of Baha'u'llah must unitedly arise, however numerous the barriers imposed between them, to achieve their destiny, and contribute collectively and effectively, to the world-wide propagation, the universal recognition and ultimate world triumph of the Cause of Baha'u'llah. March 10, 1951 Increase of Believers in Benares

The wonderful news of the increase of believers in the Benares area, thanks largely to the heroic determination and +P149 great faith of Mr. Badi-uz-Zaman, brought great happiness to the Guardian. Please assure this devoted soul that the Guardian is very pleased about the wonderful services he is rendering the Cause of God, and that he is praying for him to be richly blessed by Baha'u'llah. He has suffered from the enemies of the Cause, but his reward will be very great! Teaching in South-East Asia

It brought great joy to the Guardian's heart to see there are so many believers now in the area of South-East Asia. This marks a new epoch in the unfoldment of our Faith and an important one. Just as Ceylon, at one time empty of believers, has now developed an active and devoted community of Baha'is, so now, in these far-flung territories, Assemblies and groups must be built up.... He urges the younger believers, who are less held down by family ties, to make an effort to migrate there and seek employment. The 19-Month Plan

He was delighted over the formulation of your Assembly's 19-Month Plan. This spirit of initiative shown by you is highly commendable, and he hopes that all the Baha'is, whether of Indian or Persian origin, will arise to unitedly see it achieve its goals. Determination, courage, faith and perseverance are necessary if the Plan is to be a success, but he feels sure the friends will not hesitate to demonstrate their capacity to meet the challenge it presents. Pioneers to Settle in Africa

He, likewise, wishes to call special attention to the work in Africa which is very promising and which is going ahead very well. Your Assembly must do all it can to speedily get pioneers settled in the two countries allotted to you as your portion in this historic campaign. Also, you should keep in close touch with the British NSA as they are the co-ordinators of this work, and well situated in order to give advice as English experts, +P150 having had such a long contact with Africa, its peoples and problems, are available in London and elsewhere for consultation with the British Africa Committee. 19-Month Plan--Third of its Kind

[From the Guardian:]

The initiation of the 19-Month Plan by the elected representatives of the Baha'i Communities of the sub-continent of India and of Burma--the third of its kind undertaken by them since the inception of the epoch marking the commencement of the Formative Age of the Baha'i Dispensation-- evokes my deepest admiration. Through this spontaneous act, momentous in its consequences, and eloquently testifying to the initiative, the zeal and the valour of the followers of

Baha'u'llah in India, Pakistan and Burma, the body of their elected national representatives can well boast of the distinction it has achieved, throughout the Baha'i world through the successive formulation of no less than three far-reaching

Plans since the inauguration of the First Epoch in the history of the systematic prosecution of Abdu'l-Baha's

Divine Plan. This striking demonstration of their resourcefulness and dedication to the interests of the Faith is, indeed, highly praiseworthy, extremely encouraging and augurs well for the future of the Mission which it is theirs to carry out, in the years to come, not only in that subcontinent and the adjoining territories and neighbouring islands, but in South Asia as well.

They cannot, however, ensure the success of the Plan they have devised, unless the unity and solidarity of those who are participating in its execution, and above all the harmony of the body directing its operation, are safeguarded, maintained and consolidated. Time is pressing. The issues involved are momentous. The centenary celebrations of the birth of Baha'u'llah's prophetic Mission will soon be upon us. The inauguration of the first organized Crusade, in which several Baha'i National Spiritual Assemblies, in no less than four continents of the globe will be intimately associated, for the purpose of proclaiming the Message of +P151

Baha'u'llah in the South Pacific Islands as well as in South

Eastern Asia, must directly depend upon the successful conclusion of the Plan now envisaged. The obligations involved in, and the privileges conferred by, such an association --an association that will find its parallel in the collective and organized effort now being exerted in the African Continent, as well as in the joint campaign destined to be launched, by other national Baha'i communities, in both Northern and North Eastern Asia,--are at once sacred and unique.

Their significance, at this early stage, cannot be fully apprehended.

It is not for them, however, to attempt at the present time, to assess their value. Theirs, rather, is the duty, to avoid any action or thought that might delay the unfoldment of so glorious a Plan or damage so splendid a destiny.

The members of all the communities participating in this

Nineteen-Month Plan, which may be regarded as a prelude to the mighty and historic Crusade, of still vaster dimensions and nobler scope, that is to be launched in the future, irrespective of race, creed, or class, of either sex and of every age, must rise as one man to the occasion that now presents itself.

No trace of bickering, no consciousness of racial distinction, no petty jealousies, must be allowed, under any circumstances, to darken the glorious prospect opening before them. They must neither flinch, nor hesitate nor lose sight, however briefly, of the distant and shining goal. An all-powerful, all-loving, all-Bountiful Master, watching their exertions from on high, will, surely, bless their effort, will intercede on their behalf before the throne of His all-glorious

Father, and will, if they persevere in their high endeavours, render them victorious.

I, for my part, will, with a prayerful heart, follow the course of their activities, and will continue to lend them whatever assistance that lies in my power, for the complete discharge of their inescapable duty and the total fulfilment of their united pledge to the Author of their Faith. October 16, 1951 +P152 First Pilgrims from India

It has been a great pleasure to the beloved Guardian to welcome recently in Haifa the first pilgrims from India; their love and devotion to the Faith have brought their brethren in that far-off land very close, and he hopes that they, in turn, will carry back to the friends there a new sense of nearness to the World Center at Haifa, and thus serve to create greater unity and dedication amongst the believers. Inter-Continental Conference

The Guardian attaches the greatest possible importance to the forthcoming Inter-continental Conference to be held during the Holy Year in New Delhi; as the National Assemblies of Persia, United States, Canada, Central and South America, Iraq, Australia and New Zealand, as well as your own body, are to send representatives to it, it will, through having eight N.S.A.s pooling their thoughts and suggestions, be, no doubt, the most important of the four Inter-continental Conferences to be held. Also, aside from the numerical importance of the participating bodies, the vast field their plans must embrace is truly awe-inspiring. In view of this he feels that the members of your Assembly have very heavy responsibilities to discharge during the coming months, and that all petty details and misunderstandings must be put aside, once and for all, in order to ensure a brilliant success--a success, whose repercussions must be felt during ten years of Baha'i history between this coming great Jubilee and the Most Great Jubilee which will take place in 1963.

As convenor of this great Conference you must lay your plans very carefully to ensure that the representatives of the various N.S.A.s., the visiting Hands of the Cause, the many Baha'is attending, are properly accommodated, the sessions of the Conference held in an efficient manner, and suitable publicity given to this event. The Guardian also suggests that one or two private sessions could be held at which the +P153 N.S.A. representatives and the Hands of the Cause could meet to better and more effectively suggest plans for the future campaign. There will, naturally, be no delegates to the Conference, as it is in no sense a convention, but more concentrated consultation can be obtained through a smaller number being present. No doubt you will also, without sacrificing the interests of the Conference, make good use of any visiting teachers and lecturers. No Harm in Taking Part in Dramas

In the teachings there is nothing against dancing, but the friends should remember that the standard of Baha'u'llah is modesty and chastity. The atmosphere of modern dance halls, where so much smoking and drinking and promiscuity goes on, is very bad, but decent dances are not harmful in themselves. There is certainly no harm in classical dancing or learning dancing in school. There is also no harm in taking part in dramas. Likewise in cinema acting. The harmful thing, nowadays, is not the art itself but the unfortunate corruption which often surrounds these arts. As Baha'is we need avoid none of the arts, but acts and the atmosphere that sometimes go with these professions we should avoid. Encouraging the Hindu Baha'is

As regards the question you asked about minorities: because the Hindu believers are a minority at present in the Faith in India, preference should be given to them in India, where the majority of the population is Hindu. A special effort should be made to convert them, so that our enemies may have no excuse for stating that the Cause has scarcely affected the largest elements in the country. There is also an added reason for encouraging the Hindu Baha'is because within the Faith in India they are a minority. In every country throughout the Baha'i World the Baha'is must make a special effort to attract to the Faith the element which constitutes the majority, whether religious or national. +P154 The Work is Still Formidable

[From the Guardian:]

The multiplicity of the vital issues that have of late confronted me at the World Centre of the Faith, the opening of the door of pilgrimage, and the unexpected problems which, by their urgency, have required my immediate and close attention have, to my extreme regret, prevented me from acknowledging, as promptly as I would have wished the communications which various Baha'i National Assemblies have addressed me in recent months. I have followed, however, with admiration and keen interest the progress of the activities initiated under the 19-Month Plan by the valiant

Baha'i Communities of India, Pakistan and Burma. The generous, unceasing contributions made by them for the completion of the Bab's holy Sepulchre proclaim, in unmistakable terms, their devotion to the Cause for which He laid down so heroically His life. The expansion of the activities initiated by the high-minded and resolute pioneers in Ceylon,

Indonesia, Siam, Malaya and Sarawak indeed merit the highest praise. The efforts exerted for the multiplication of the institutions of the Faith and their consolidation both in the subcontinent of India and beyond its confines augur well for the future of the Plan, the third of its kind embarked upon by the followers of the Faith of Baha'u'llah, who are destined to play a predominant part in the unfoldment of

His World Order throughout the territories of South East

Asia. The steady endeavours made for the translation, publication and dissemination of the literature of the Faith by your Assembly have greatly enriched and ennobled the record of the services you have rendered it in recent years.

Great as have been the victories already won in its service, the work that still remains to be accomplished under this same Plan during the fleeting months that lie ahead is still formidable, and demands unrelaxing vigilance, heroic self-sacrifice, and inflexible resolve on the part of not only the elected representatives of these communities but of all their members as well. The uninterrupted and rapid multiplication of Baha'i administrative centres; the conversion of groups into assemblies; the development of isolated centers into +P155 groups; a marked increase in the number of incorporated

Local Assemblies; the early completion of the highly important task assumed in connexion with the translation and publication of the New Era in the remaining languages already selected for that purpose; the despatch, without further delay, of no more than one pioneer for the present to Nepal and Indo-China, as well as to Zanzibar and Madagascar, in pursuance of the Plan initiated in both Africa and South

East Asia; the maintenance, at any cost, of the present status of the newly formed assemblies; the concentration of effort for the promotion of unity and cooperation among the divers elements that constitute the warp and woof of these communities --these stand out as the predominating obligations facing the entire body of the followers of the Faith in the subcontinent of India and its neighbouring territories.

Nor must the privileged members of these communities, and particularly their elected representatives, neglect, for a moment, the paramount duty, of preparing, by every means at their disposal, for the historic and in some respects, the most vital, Conference to be held in the course of the Holy

Year which the entire Baha'i world will soon befittingly celebrate. As the Convenor of such a fate-laden Conference, whose task is to facilitate the execution of the most far-reaching, the most challenging, and the most dramatic of all the enterprises destined to be launched by the followers of the

Faith throughout the whole planet, your Assembly assumes a responsibility at once immense, soul-stirring and inescapable.

In providing adequate facilities for the accommodation of the Hands of the Cause and of the official representatives of no less than eight National Spiritual Assemblies and of the large number of visitors who will participate in its proceedings; in ensuring wide publicity through the press and radio for such a unique gathering; in exerting their utmost for the maintenance of harmony and for full consultation on the weighty issues that will face its attendants; in fostering the spirit of heroic adventure and noble resolve on the part of the members of the communities that are to act as hosts to the honoured participants of such an epoch-making assemblage, +P156 which will, God willing, enable them to play a notable role in the Crusade destined to embrace the continents of

Asia and Australasia and of the Pacific Islands--in all these the members of your Assembly, supported by the rank and file of the faithful, must display a determination, a valour and consecration that will excite the admiration of the entire

Baha'i world.

The work that calls for unswerving fidelity, urgent attention and continuous vigilance, during the swiftly passing months ahead, is immense, truly sacred and infinitely meritorious.

The consummation of the Plan already initiated would constitute the best preparation for the assumption of the still greater functions, and the discharge of still weightier responsibilities, that await the patiently labouring, the steadfast, the loyal and devoted followers of the Most

Great Name in India, Pakistan and Burma. That they may victoriously discharge their present responsibilities, that they may befittingly embark on the glorious Mission that lies ahead of them, that they may distinguish themselves through their collective contribution to the success of the

World Crusade soon to be inaugurated by the followers of

Baha'u'llah in both the East and the West, is the object of my constant prayer and one of the most cherished desires of my heart. June 30, 1952 No Age Limit for Serving the Cause

There is no age limit whatsoever for serving the Cause in administrative capacities after one has reached twenty-one years. Indeed we are supposed to serve the Cause to our last breath. Contributions Not Accepted From Those Whose Voting Rights are Suspended

As regards the question of accepting contributions from people whose voting rights are suspended, the Guardian says this is not permissible. +P157 Answer to Various Questions

Local Haziras may be converted to National ones; this is premature at present.

The recognition of our Laws of Personal Status must naturally precede formation of Baha'i courts; as long as your translation is correct his approval is not needed.

You should start a Temple Fund; the site need not exceed two or three acres, and should be inside Delhi or near the city limits.

You will be able to consult with the members of Australian N.S.A. at the time of the Conference in New Delhi about literature; they will certainly assist your Assembly with the publications.

Baha'is from India, Pakistan and Burma are eligible for your Asian Teaching Committee.

Consolidation can mean the establishment of the institutions you enumerate, but it is not essential at present; to increase the assemblies and groups, and bring in new believers, is the most important part of consolidation; as the plan unfolds, he will have to see what other things are really essential and call your attention to them. Consolidation of the Manifold Institutions

[From the Guardian:]

The splendid efforts, so devotedly exerted by the members of the Baha'i communities in India, Pakistan and Burma, extending over more than a decade, in connexion with the launching and prosecution of no less than three successive

Plans, formulated for the promotion of the interests of the

Faith in South-East Asia, have raised their prestige in the eyes of the Baha'i World, and have fitted them to undertake, at this auspicious hour in the evolution of its institutions in the Indian sub-continent and its neighbouring territories and islands, yet another collective enterprise, of still vaster dimensions, of far greater possibilities, requiring the utmost +P158 exertion and consecration for a period of no less than ten years, and culminating in the Most Great Jubilee, designed to commemorate the hundredth anniversary of the Declaration of the Mission of the Founder of their Faith.

The task they now assume involves the consolidation of the manifold institutions which, through the operation of three successive Plans, have been patiently and laboriously established, as well as the erection of the administrative structure of the Faith in the virgin territories along the shores, and in the vicinity, of the Indian sub-continent, in the Islands of the Indian Ocean, in African Dependencies, and as far as the Islands of the South Pacific Ocean.

Through the prosecution of the Plans initiated by your

Assembly these communities have acquired the training and experience that have qualified them to embark upon so extensive and momentous an undertaking--an undertaking which if victoriously consummated will eclipse all the joint efforts and enterprises which have illuminated the pages of

Indian Baha'i history since the inception of the Formative

Age of the Baha'i Dispensation.

The first and most sacred obligation confronting them, on the morrow of the launching of their Ten-Year

Plan, is the despatch and settlement, during the current year and the one succeeding it, of pioneers in the sixteen virgin territories and islands, assigned to your Assembly according to the provisions of the aforementioned Plan. The opening of the six dependencies along the eastern and western coasts of the Indian subcontinent must be given careful attention, and must be carried out with promptitude and vigour. The despatch and definite settlement of no more than one or two pioneers in each of these territories and islands is a task not only of great urgency but of infinite merit, and constitutes the most important feature of the initial phase of the Plan.

Next in importance and of no less urgency is the selection and purchase, either within or in the outskirts of the capital-city of India--in which the Administrative Headquarters of the Faith has already been established--of the site of the +P159

First Mashriq'ul Adhkar of the Indian sub-continent, covering an area of approximately one or two acres at least which can gradually be enlarged in the course of the coming years.