A visit with `Abdu'l-Bahá

You are all familiar with the Persian flag and the lion on it. One of the Persian poets says: "We are all lions but we are lions on the flag, we are moved by the breeze otherwise we would be motionless." The lion of the flag has no life of itself, it is powerless; the existence of the flag depends on the wind. Our attainment is through the wind but the wind is invisible. May our lives be a sacrifice to that wind — that life which is invisible. Although we feel this condition of evanescence and non-existence most of the time, but when we take steps and enter into the arena of service we feel it all the more. The spiritual effect that we observe in our life, the divine and sanctified deeds which we express in our daily lives and the power and grandeur which manifest themselves through our beings all owe their origin to the holy bounty of `Abdu'l-Bahá. Our existence is exactly like that lion on the flag, as long as the wind blows the lion is animated, but when the wind stops and the flag is motionless there is no sign of life whatever. You have read repeatedly in the Words of Bahá'u'lláh and `Abdu'l-Bahá that the confirmations and assistance of God will ever uninterruptedly descend upon you. While I was in Haifa visiting the Master there was one of the Oriental Bahá'ís who came and he was invoking and supplicating `Abdu'l-Bahá to give him confirmation and assistance. `Abdu'l-Bahá asked him: what is your mental picture, what is your conception regarding the confirmations of God? Do you think that the confirmations and assistance are objects which would be placed in a case or in a bag and sent down from heaven? This air, the infinite atmosphere with which we are surrounded is filled with invisible, innumerable hosts of confirmation. This expanse of the universe is overflowing with the spirit of God. These invisible armies of God are waiting file after file, rank after rank to see which soul will come into the arena of service, so that they may rush forward and reinforce him. No sooner a man arises, whether he lives in the east or the west or north or south, if he arises with sincerity, and steadfast attention and hope to spread the Cause of love to promote principles which are for the betterment of humanity, then those armies will descend upon his head. This man that you see serving, although outwardly he is alone and single, yet behind him there are invisible hosts of the Kingdom. You observe that a teacher, a Bahá'í, arises to teach, and apparently all the doors are closed before him, but suddenly the master key will be put into his hand and by these hosts all the doors will be opened. Outwardly he is ignorant but these invisible armies inspire him. `Abdu'l-Bahá has often encouraged and invited souls that apparently were not learned and intellectual, telling them to arise and teach, telling them that they are not ignorant and alone, that the invisible armies of the Kingdom will come and serve them. The signs and effects which appeared from the short trip of eleven days never crossed before the retina of our eye. How could we ever think that the Words of God will affect the hearts of these people? These spiritualists, many of which are narrow and bound with in their own ideas. We could never really think that the Cause would have such a tremendous effect on those souls, so that the president would arise and say "these teachings are universal, we must arise and teach them." Another would say "these are 100 years ahead of our teachings." We never thought that the Chautauqua directors, which is a very strong Methodist organization, would allow us to speak about the Bahá'í Cause before these people. But His Holiness `Abdu'l-Bahá opened the doors and these people came forward and invited us to their gathering and made us make speeches about the Bahá'í Cause. They were made happy, we were made happy and God was made happy. In the writings of Bahá'u'lláh and `Abdu'l-Bahá you find a very interesting expression "the heavenly and earthly appearances, the heavenly and earthly means." So that God has both means. His heavenly means are the spiritual powers and forces, but His earthly means are these who proclaim the Bahá'í Cause amongst the people of the world. That is those means and those affairs through which the Cause is heralded and effective in contingent beings. And one of those earthly means, also heavenly means that affected this trip and facilitated many things was Miss Martha Root. We must mention the services of those who have arisen whole heartedly to serve the Cause, because that will encourage them and encourage others. During the few days that she was with us she was restless, she was always thinking "I will go to this one or that one and open a door". All the time she was in motion. We wouldn't like to embarrass Mr. Randall, he would be embarrassed if we said something about him. Again the same poet says: "all these songs and melodies which you hear are from the throat of the singer, of the artist, although this visible artist is singing and filling the air with melody, the supreme artist is higher, and all these songs and melodies are from `Abdu'l-Bahá, although we hear the people speaking and singing."
In fact you do not find any sincere ones who will conscientiously deny the validity and universality of this Cause. To what could they object? Could they say we want hatred? Or could they say, no, what is the use of having peace, let us have war and bloodshed, or, no, it is better for us to have bloodshed and warfare instead of peace. But the teachings are such that no man can deny. If we arise with pure intention in the promotion of the Cause of God such confirmations will descend that we will be amazed and wonderstruck.

Jináb-i-Fádil Mazandarání in the United States

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