Hands of the Bahá'í Faith

The Month of Masa'il (Questions)

The Bahá'í Month of Masa'il (Questions) is the 19 day period beginning December 12.

"O thou maid-servant of God! Whatsoever question thou hast in thy heart, turn thou thy heart toward the Kingdom of Abhá and entreat in the Threshold of the Almighty and reflect upon that problem, then unquestionably the light of truth shall dawn and the reality of that problem will become evident and clear to thee. For the teachings of His Highness Bahá'u'lláh are the keys to all the doors. Every hidden secret will become discovered and every hidden mystery will become manifest and apparent."

--`Abdu'l-Bahá, Tablets of `Abdu'l-Bahá, Volume 3, pg. 692

"In the Bayán it had been forbidden you to ask Us questions. The Lord hath now relieved you of this prohibition, that ye may be free to ask what you need to ask, but not such idle questions as those on which the men of former times were wont to dwell. Fear God, and be ye of the righteous! Ask ye that which shall be of profit to you in the Cause of God and His dominion, for the portals of His tender compassion have been opened before all who dwell in heaven and on earth."

--Bahá'u'lláh, The Kitáb-i-Aqdas, pg 21-22

An interesting article in the paper this morning was directed to all of us. It lauded the power of meditation, and the daily need for it in our demanding lives. Have you encountered anyone lately who has not lamented the lack of time to do all the things required of them? The article noted that each of us should find 30 minutes a day to meditate. It further stated that if one did not have 30 minutes available, then she probably had need for one hour a day in meditation to gain control over her life.

The premise of the article was that if our minds are always in racing mode, that very activity is detrimental to accomplishing much of anything. Racing thoughts; colliding thoughts; what a mess! Meditation allows one to quietly relax and push multiple thoughts to the background. In those still moments a peaceful relationship with ones self and life’s greater purpose can begin. At first it will require great effort. But after a time, the state of meditation will have a calming effect, which will allow a focus on the task at hand. Some call that state “being in the moment.” No task is too small for our full attention. When we can focus completely on every task, it will be accomplished much more easily, and surprisingly, time will become your friend, not your enemy.

You say there is absolutely no time available in your life for meditation? I dare say that many of us who are harried in a multitude of daily activities awaken during the night only to find that pressing problems compete with one another to the degree that an overwhelming feeling takes hold, depriving one of the sleep so desperately needed. It is my opinion that that period is a perfect time to practice meditation. I know of no law that says meditation has to occur during the daytime hours. It could be that when nighttime meditation finally cleanses our lives of the harried feelings, that there will become a time when an hour during the day will become available for that activity.

I believe that `Abdu'l-Bahá and Bahá'u'lláh, in Their wisdom, knew of the travails that we would encounter in this New Day, and presented thoughts such as those leading into this discussion to assist us to obtain more ordered and successful lives. They wanted us to succeed, and have presented the outline for us to follow toward that end.

We should all be full of questions. It is only through a Higher Power that we can accomplish anything meaningful. “…every hidden secret will become discovered and every hidden mystery will become manifest and apparent.” That first quote alone signals that we may use that promise to gain anything we want, material or otherwise. However, the second quote cautions us to refrain from the idle questions that men in former times were wont to pose. The portals of His tender compassion will apparently be fully open only when we desire those things that will be of profit to us in the Cause of God.

I don’t mean to gloss over the degree of difficulty that most of us feel we are burdened with as we do our best to cope in today’s world. Life is difficult. Over time it will become less difficult as we learn to accept that this New Day released by Bahá'u'lláh has a vibratory influence that most of us do not yet fathom. We are trying to apply the processes that worked in the past as we handle problems never before encountered by humans. Does it not stand to reason that the appropriate method to use in coping with New Day problems is to meditate and pray for guidance from the source, Bahá'u'lláh?

In this New Day a myriad of questions will appear as we attempt to align ourselves with the New Power that is now propelling the world. There is no turning back. The only reasonable alternative for gaining success in any venture we undertake is to begin to heed the copious amounts of advice that Bahá'u'lláh and `Abdu'l-Bahá left as Their legacy for the education of future generations.

We are honored to have been born among the early numbers of those future generations. We have the unique opportunity to accept the love and compassion that God wants to bestow upon us, as we learn of the magnitude of the gifts of His love that will come our way if we but heed the Message.

Let the questions begin.

Hand of the Cause of God, David Maxwell

THE SANS-GUARDIAN ORGANISATION HAS FAILED TO LEARN A LESSON FROM ITS HUMILATING DEFEAT

It is really shameful on the part of the bogus UHJ to file a petition in the Court of Appeals to review the case. It looks like that the sans-Guardian organization has lost its mental balance and hence has failed to take any lesson from such a humiliating defeat at the band of the faithful followers of Baha'u'llah under the Guardianship of the third Guardian, Joel B. Marangella. The sans-Guardian organization is built on shifting sand, which with every passing day, is losing its stature.

 

The NSA-UHJ  obviously knew that their case would not be worth anything if it was based on the 1966 trademark ruling so they blatantly attempted to have the previously applied injunction towards Remey’s organization applied to the Orthodox Baha’i Faith. But they failed to prove (twice) that the 1966 ruling applied to the Orthodox Baha’i Faith.

 

Instead of the bogus UHJ clarifying the matter of the continuation of the Guardianship for its followers, the bogus UHJ is trying to harass the faithful followers of Baha'u'llah with the might of money and power. This is exactly what Hand of Cause, Mr. David Maxwell predicted would occur in one of his letters addressed to the Third International Baha’i Council after our first court victory.

 

The Indian heterodox Baha’is  are  wondering how much this NSA-UHJ’s wrong doing is costing them? They are now realizing that the money that they have been paying in the name of Huququllah is being spent in a disastrously destructive manner  which has not brought anything other than humiliation for them?

 

Honestly, the pursuance of this legal case has been obviously embarrassing for all the heterodox Baha’is throughout the world, and especially so for those in India. This unsuccessful outcome is not surprising at all and it has come at a great price to them, both financially and prestige wise. There is already considerable media attention covering the decision which naturally reflects against the heterodox organization. This recent verdict will further focus unfavorable media attention on them.

 

But the basic question remains and that is: was the sans-Guardian organization unaware:

 

1-That the law does not allow for terms employed in the public domain to be trademarked or copyrighted. This is why no one can lay claim to the word “Muslim”or “Christian” or the symbol of the Cross, etc. In view of this fact, it is astonishing that the NSA made such a foolish decision to go ahead and waste their time and the funds of the Faith in such a manner.

 

2-They either had most incompetent legal representation who failed to inform them of this very basic and fundamental legal fact, or they were informed and chose to ignore such advice and forged ahead nevertheless.

 

The obvious answer to the question is that the this new appeal has been filed by the bogus UHJ, due to compulsion and not by choice. Because they know that the orthodox Baha’is are continuing to ask their basic question about their refusal to accept the continuation of the Guardianship so clearly promised and provided for in the sacred and immutable  provisions of the WILL AND TESTAMENT OF ABDU'L-BAHA. The UHJ is well aware that they cannot provide a valid answer to this question so, therefore, it is better to keep the Baha’is busy with the court case.

 Y.H. Taylor
Hand of Cause

 

A Brief Review of the Claims of Neal Chase to the Guardianship of the Bahá'í Faith

Few things are so confusing as the situation of having multiple claimants to the Guardianship of the Bahá'í Faith.  It is straightforward enough to understand that the larger Bahá'í organization has done away with the Guardianship after the death of the first Guardian.  It is very confusing, however, for those who believe that Shoghi Effendi did not fail in his duty, under the explicit provisions of `Abdu'l-Bahá's Will and Testament, to appoint his successor during his lifetime. There are a number of present claimants to the Guardianship. The only thing to do is to carefully consider and assess the arguments put forth by these claimants in a reasonable and rational manner.

 In this article, I will discuss the claim to the Guardianship by Neal Chase of the group known as Bahá'ís Under the Provisions of the Covenant ("BUPC).

The BUPC believe that the Guardian must be an Aghsán (that is a son of Bahá'u'lláh).  While they recognize that there were no bloodline Aghsán available to serve as the Guardian, they claim that the Guardianship now passes by adoption by the present Guardian of his successor. The BUPC do not insist upon a formal legal adoption for their purposes, but instead rely upon some objective manifestation of intent to adopt such as the passing of relics, i.e. a medallion, hair or blood, or other indication of intention. The BUPC accept Mason Remey as the Guardian of the Bahá'í Faith on the basis that he was grafted into the Aghsán line when he was allegedly adopted by `Abdu'l-Bahá (He often referred to Mason as His son and the BUPC claim that `Abdu'l-Bahá gave Mason Remey (through Shoghi Effendi) relics of Bahá'u'lláh's blood and hair (symbolic of being grafted into the lineage). 

While the Orthodox Bahá'ís accept Mason Remey as the second Guardian, they do so solely on the basis that Shoghi Effendi appointed him to be the head of the International Bahá'í Council during his lifetime, in accordance with the explicit provisions of the Will and Testament of `Abdu'l-Bahá.

Upon Mason Remey's death, the founder of the BUPC, Dr. Leland Jensen, rejected both Joel B. Marangella's claim (appointed by Mason Remey in 1961 by written letter and again in 1965 by activating the Second International Bahá'í Council with Joel as its head) and Donald Harvey's claim (appointed by Mason Remey in writing on May 23, 1967). Instead, Dr. Jensen looked to Joseph (Giuseppe) Pepe, Jr. (Pepe Remey), the legally adopted son of Mason Remey, as being an Aghsán and Guardian of the Faith upon Mason Remey's death. Dr. Jensen insisted that Mason's failure to adopt either Joel B. Marangella or Donald Harvey made them ineligible to serve as Guardian. Using the same reasoning Neal Chase claims to have been adopted by Pepe Remey and on this basis he presently claims to be the Guardian.

Pepe Remey, in a series of correspondence with Dr. Jensen after Mason's passing, completely repudiates the arguments of the BUPC.  Pepe accepted Donald Harvey as the Guardian, considering himself an inactive Bahá'í, and even then he barely considered himself a Bahá'í at all.  He unequivocally stated to Dr. Jensen his belief that Mason did appoint and intended Donald Harvey to be Guardian, having come to know Mason's mind from living in close proximity with him for many years (Pepe claimed he lived with Mason Remey since 1950 although this is clearly an error since Mason lived in the Holy Land at that time; the correct year was probably around 1962 after Mason Remey returned from the Holy Land following the coup organized and carried out by his fellow Hands). There is little doubt that Mason Remey did in fact appoint Donald Harvey in 1967, but by then it had no effect since Joel B. Marangella already had become the Guardian in 1965 when Mason Remey turned over the affairs of the Faith to Joel B. Marangella, as more fully explained below.

Pepe insisted that his claim with respect to Mason Remey only was as his legal heir but that no spiritual office passed to him.  He urged Dr. Jensen to not involve him in any campaign that might cause even greater confusion over the successor to Mason Remey. He expressly repudiated himself as Guardian, stating that he was neither prepared mentally or spiritually to assume the Guardianship, that his inner conviction was that he did not personally feel that it was his mission to be the Guardian, and he called on Bahá'ís to rally around Donald Harvey.

Dr. Jensen insisted to Pepe that he considered Pepe to be the Guardian regardless of how Pepe felt about it, on the basis of the adoption and also his inheritance of a medallion that he claimed Mason had announced would be gifted by him to the third Guardian. Pepe rejected Dr. Jensen's suggestion that any of the several medallions he inherited had anything to do with the Guardianship.  Pepe also completely rejected Dr. Jensen's claim to be the Promised Joshua, equating himself with Jesus, and believing he was the Establisher of the chosen 144,000 on Mount Carmel.  Pepe specifically corrected Dr. Jensen by saying that he believed that Bahá'u'lláh was the return of Jesus.

It is apparent from the historical record that both Leland Jensen and Neal Chase made repeated attempts to manipulate Pepe Remey for the purpose of establishing the BUPC with Neal Chase as its Guardian.  Despite this effort, Pepe Remey steadfastly repudiated the claims made by both Dr. Jensen and Neal Chase. Pepe specifically repeatedly mocked and denounced Neal Chase for his manipulative attempts to become Guardian and for being one of the "dreamers" to the Guardianship. He often referred to Neal Chase as "my boy" jokingly asserting that Chase would use these words to justify his claim to the Guardianship (just as Neal Chase did after Pepe's death).  Interestingly, it was Dr. Jensen who earlier had rejected as feeble and flimsy the "my boy" phrase used by Pepe as signifying "adoption" when someone known as "Danny S" also claimed to be the Guardian on that same basis.

The facts are that Mason Remey, neither in his Proclamation,  or anywhere else, did not claim to be Guardian on the basis of heredity or by adoption. In the Proclamation, Encyclical Letters, and his other writings, Mason explicitly stated it was by appointment as President of the International Bahá'í Council (by the terms of the Will and Testament of `Abdu'l-Bahá the office is appointed and not hereditary; and the appointment explicitly must be made during the lifetime of the Guardian and therefore not by inheritance or Will).  Not once did Mason Remey ever claim to have been adopted by `Abdu'l-Bahá.  Even if `Abdu'l-Bahá had adopted Mason, there is no evidence to suggest that Mason Remey had the slightest knowledge of this or he would have surely mentioned it in his Proclamation or Encyclical letters.  In none of Mason's writings did he claim to be qualified as Aghsán or was grafted in to the Aghsán line.  He specifically asserted that the line of succession by birth had been broken (and expressed the hope that a descendant of Bahá'u'lláh would in the future be chosen in the line of Guardians). In his Proclamation or any other writing, Mason Remey never made reference to receiving a token of hair and blood as a symbol of his being Aghsán or the Guardian.  All of these things clearly are the fabrications of Dr. Jensen and Neal Chase made to further their own purposes.

The only time Mason apparently discussed the idea of leaving a medallion to signify the next Guardian was in a casual dinner party. The only time Mason ever wrote about this, however, was at a later time and perhaps to correct his careless casual talk about it. He specifically denounced this as the means for identifying the next Guardian because a medallion could easily be fraudulently obtained.

The Orthodox Bahá'ís assert that the succession of Guardianship must be analyzed strictly under the provisions of the Will and Testament of `Abdu'l-Bahá, the Document that is the Charter of the New World Order and which Shoghi Effendi stated was "the inevitable offspring resulting from that mystic intercourse between Him Who communicated the generating influence of His divine Purpose [Bahá'u'lláh] and the One Who was its vehicle and chosen recipient ['Abdu'l-Bahá]." In other words, we must go to the divine Document that establishes the Institution of the Guardianship for guidance on this central issue.

In that holy Document, there is simply no mention that the appointed Guardian must be Aghsán (by blood or adoption) or that the succession would be signified by possession of holy relics or a medallion. It is also important to realize that had the Master intended for Mason Remey to be an Aghsán and Guardian, it would have made perfect sense for the Master to appoint Mason Remey directly in the Will and Testament and to explicitly identify Mason as His son.  If that had been His intention, it is inexplicable why `Abdu'l-Bahá would have skipped over his adopted son to instead appoint Shoghi Effendi who was a small child when the Will and Testament was first written (and who technically was not Aghsán because he was the grandson of `Abdu'l-Bahá through a maternal line).

The Orthodox Bahá'ís assert, as Mason Remey himself states in the Encyclical Letters, that Mason Remey became the Guardian upon the death of Shoghi Effendi by virtue of being the president of the International Bahá'í Council (the embryonic Universal House of Justice) a position that is synonymous with the Guardianship according to the Master's Will and Testament. They further believe that Mason's written appointment of Joel B. Marangella in 1961 became effective in late 1965 when Mason Remey instructed that the Second International Bahá'í Council be activated while Joel B. Marangella was its president.  Once activated with Joel as its head, Joel was the Guardian by the explicit terms of the Will and Testament. From that point forward, Mason was no longer the Guardian and therefore his subsequent appointment of Donald Harvey had no effect.  Joel B. Marangella was then and remains still the third Guardian of the Bahá'í Faith.

None of the arguments for Neal Chase to be the Guardian have any legitimacy and, as Pepe pointed out time and again, were the result of a manipulative campaign by Neal Chase to claim the Guardianship even though he never was appointed by a prior Guardian in accordance with the Will and Testament.

The claims of the BUPC, as asserted by Dr. Jensen and Neal Chase, have no rational or legitimate basis.  As any serious student of the Bahá'í Faith can readily confirm, the arguments put forth for Neal Chase's Guardianship claim have no support or basis in the Will and Testament of `Abdu'l-Bahá and therefore these arguments must be rejected in their entirety.

Hand of the Cause of God Jeffrey Goldberg

THE MONTH OF SPEECH (QAWL)

According to the The Bahá'í Calendar, the month of Speech (Qawl) is the nineteen day period beginning November 23. The following quotes, regarding speech, by Bahá'u'lláh and `Abdu'l-Bahá are composed of very simple sentences. Yet, a Bahá'í, or any other person, could take only one of those sentences for a basis of sincere daily meditation, and use the results of that very successfully in her quest for advancing towards God. That is the amount of power contained in the words of each of those marvelously simple utterances.

In reading the quotes, I suggest that the reader pause after each sentence, and within the stillness of her heart contemplate the deeper spiritual meaning of what she has just read. If one lacked the luxury of having a number of Bahá'í books to read from, I daresay that the few sentences below could provide a lifetime of discovery and growth if one but meditate for the deeper meanings, and most importantly, practice the fruits of her meditation.

“Be fair in thy judgment, and guarded in thy speech. Be unjust to no man, and show all meekness to all men.”

-- Bahá'u'lláh, Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá'u'lláh, p. 285

“The wrong in the world continues to exist just because people talk only of their ideals, and do not strive to put them into practice. If actions took the place of words, the world's misery would very soon be changed into comfort.”

A man who does great good, and talks not of it, is on the way to perfection.

The man who has accomplished a small good and magnifies it in his speech is worth very little.

If I love you, I need not continually speak of my love--you will know without any words. On the other hand if I love you not, that also will you know--and you would not believe me, were I to tell you in a thousand words, that I loved you.”

-- `Abdu'l-Bahá, Paris Talks, p. 16-17

When contemplating those remarkable fragrances, it may seem shocking or perhaps even disrespectful to suggest that the perusal of a few words could be the foundation of a life of discovery toward the fulfillment of the journey towards God’s Presence, to the absence of any of the rest of Their Teachings. How could that be when considering the copious words written and books published about this New World Order announced by Bahá'u'lláh in 1863? Please consider that those words hold the key to self-cleansing for every soul.

I believe the above quotes are telling us to cleanse our hearts of any vestige of ego and replace it with thoughts of thanksgiving for the good to be found in others, all the while realizing that one’s own deeds are meaningless if they are promoted in a boastful manner, which always demeans the deeds of the other person. It is only through the actions of a pure heart that any kind of goodness may accrue, and the quest for our Lord may continue.

Actually, this is the Month of Speech, so how does that relate to what I have written?

Those related quotes are telling me that until we learn to temper our speech within the guidelines therein, and live our lives in the manner described by them, any of our actions or study is meaningless unless we allow our hearts to guide our actions within the limits of the boundaries of those quotes.

The activity of common everyday speech is perhaps the most notable means that we have in presenting ourselves to others, and every word that comes out of our mouths forms a perception in the minds of others about who we are. Our inner being is determined by a number of things, of which our speech is a primary broadcast for others to judge us by. If we but meditate and ponder our entire lifetime on one sentence of the above mentioned quotes, and release into the world actions and deeds that glorify God and His goodness, all the while treating others with the greatest respect, and considering our own actions to be of no merit worth repeating to others, what greater respect could we give Bahá'u'lláh and `Abdu'l-Bahá as we walk this life?

Do I dare summarize this by opining that the speech usage of Bahá'u'lláh and `Abdu'l-Bahá that continues to live today through the spiritual fragrance of the words that remain for us in their Writings, provides a propulsion for us along roads that would be favorable to them, if we but allow their hidden meanings to permeate our own sentences? And then, after meditating on Their Words and Sentences, we must never use our words to boast of our own deeds, but allow others the gift of perceiving a spiritual presentation from our actions alone.

Hand of the Cause of God, David Maxwell

 

 

MONTH OF POWER (QUDRAT)

Baha’is honor the Month of Power (Qudrat) from November 4 until November 22. The word Power appears in many if not most of the Bahá'í Prayers, and as a result, Power may sort of roll off the tongue in a manner of familiarity so frequently that we may not fully comprehend its magnitude. I suggest that the following short quote from ‘Abdu’l-Baha be studied deliberately, and each of the words contained therein be meditated upon carefully. I believe that the full impact of those words contains much more than first meets the eye.

“… the appearance of Bahá'u'lláh was like a new springtime which appeared with holy breezes, with the hosts of everlasting life, and with heavenly power. It established the Throne of the Divine Kingdom in the center of the world and, by the power of the Holy Spirit, revived souls and established a new cycle.”

-- `Abdu'l-Bahá, “Some Answered Questions“ p. 166

The thing that grabbed me about that statement was the fact that past tense was used descriptively and emphatically. Past tense, as in its already happened. The Throne of the Divine Kingdom has already been established in the center of the world. Additionally, it says the power of the Holy Spirit has (already) revived souls and established a new cycle. It has already been accomplished. It would seem that thought alone merits some meditation. As Baha'is we understand it has all happened embryonically, and that the embryo contains from the first all perfections, all the powers.

Yet, humans are unaware that a new cycle has established the Throne of the Divine Kingdom in the center of the world. The center of the world is no doubt a metaphor for something else. Could it be the hearts of men? We all live our lives with a blind eye to the rampant injustice boiling in the world with its increasing bloodshed, famine, and warfare. Humans killing other humans by unspeakable means deters not many from their own brand of worldly pleasure and ease. All the while the greedy become bored with their largess and demand more and more of more of more, not realizing that the solace they seek is not clothed in materialism, but may be found within their own hearts should they but ponder and meditate with an eye towards Gods Divine Kingdom. For, apparently, upon the release of that power, God granted all human hearts thereafter the capability to receive and fulfill the promise of the Kingdom.

Why do we not accept that most glorious measure of God's love? Do humans not ever consider that the power contained in the destructive forces they wield might be offset by a power ever more grand than any of their own; a heavenly power spoken of by `Abdu'l-Bahá? Do we not realize that the same power we see in the material world may have been intended for good rather than evil, and that its misapplication has led to a world of troubles? Power is only available at God’s biding, and once released into the world the core of it may be used in any manner that the free will of humans dictate. Do we not realize that a mere change of heart will open the floodgates of the goodness of that power? Its been ninety-nine years since `Abdu'l-Bahá uttered the good news, which actually answers the desires voiced again and again by countless souls. Yet we continue to ignore that good news because it is couched in unfamiliar garb.

“GOOD NEWS! GOOD NEWS! The doors of the Kingdom of God are open!

GOOD NEWS! GOOD NEWS! Armies of Angels are descending from Heaven!

GOOD NEWS! GOOD NEWS! The Sun of Truth is rising!

GOOD NEWS! GOOD NEWS! Heavenly food is being sent from above!

GOOD NEWS! GOOD NEWS! The Trumpet is sounding!

GOOD NEWS! GOOD NEWS! The Banner of the Great Peace is floating far and wide!

GOOD NEWS! GOOD NEWS! The Light of the Lamp of the Oneness of Humanity is shining bright!

GOOD NEWS! GOOD NEWS! The fire of the Love of God is blazing!

GOOD NEWS! GOOD NEWS! The Holy Spirit is being outpoured!

GOOD NEWS! GOOD NEWS! For Everlasting Life is here!

O Ye that sleep, Awake!

O ye heedless ones, Learn wisdom!

O Blind, receive your sight!

O Deaf, Hear!

O Dumb, Speak!

O Dead, Arise!

Be Happy!

Be Happy!

Be full of Joy!”

Message to the London Bahá'ís for the Day of the Covenant, November 26th, 1911

--`Abdu'l-Bahá in London, p. 126

“… the appearance of Bahá'u'lláh was like a new springtime which appeared with holy breezes, with the hosts of everlasting life, and with heavenly power. It established the Throne of the Divine Kingdom in the center of the world and, by the power of the Holy Spirit, revived souls and established a new cycle.”

It cannot be emphasized enough that the events most human lips voice a yearning for have already happened. How much longer must it be until they slow the tempo of their lives, meditate in the quest of hidden spiritual meanings contained in the message of God for this day, and begin to align their composure within the mysteries of God’s love for them through the acceptance of His power within the boundaries of His terms for this new day?

Hand of the Cause of God

David Maxwell