Japan Will Turn Ablaze! Part 6

Miss Alexander wrote in her account of the early days of the Faith in j.a.pan, "After 'Abdu'l-Baha's ascension every word He had written became a sacred treasure. When I began collecting the Tablets He had revealed to j.a.panese living in j.a.pan, and one to Koreans, I found there were nineteen in all." These Tablets were published in 1928, thus preserved for all time. In the foreword to the book Miss Alexander wrote: "The following are the Tablets which were revealed by 'Abdu'l-Baha to friends residing in j.a.pan and Korea. There are nineteen Tablets revealed between the years 1916 and His pa.s.sing in 1921. Eighteen of these Tablets were addressed to j.a.panese and one to Korean friends. Seven of those to j.a.panese were to school girls in Tokyo, the others, with two exceptions, were to young men, and five of these were addressed to blind young men, three having found the true Light of this Day.

"The first supplication by a j.a.panese in j.a.pan to 'Abdu'l-Baha, was sent July, 1915 from a young student(12) in Tokyo who wrote his supplication in j.a.panese on a scroll. The following is the translation: 'O my Master 'Abdu'l-Baha!... Although I am a base and poor youth in this world, I have been awakened and bathed in the ocean of Thy mercy and am so happy that I pity the king and the prince who are wandering about in the dream of temporal variance. Accept, O Master, my deep thankfulness from the bottom of the heart. I am very sorry though, when I think of our fellow men who take no thought of real happiness and do not rely upon the warm hand of Thy love. O my Lord, water me forever from the fountain of Thy mercy; I will never refuse Thy command whatsoever it may be. Forgive my sins and allow me to awaken my fellow men.'

"In February 1917 a reply to this supplication was received in j.a.pan from 'Abdu'l-Baha. It had come in the contents of a letter from 'Abdu'l-Baha's secretary and had been pa.s.sed by the censor. This was the first Tablet received addressed to a j.a.panese resident in j.a.pan and is the first herein published.

"The second supplication to 'Abdu'l-Baha was sent September, 1916 by a blind young j.a.panese(13) who wrote in Esperanto. After receiving a reply from 'Abdu'l-Baha, the second Tablet herein published, he wrote again supplicating in English. The following words are a portion of his supplication: 'O my 'Abdu'l-Baha whose image so calm and peaceful I dreamed of and it cannot be effaced from my heart; whose Name makes my withered heart fresh and strong and who makes the fountain of love and light spring up in the bottom of my heart whenever I think of Thee. Make my heart to be always thirsty for the Fountain of Life. Make me strong enough to be able steadily to hold Thy torch of love firm and high. I confess to Thee that my heart sometimes withers like a flower in the day of summer, and loses its whole strength, nevertheless, my beloved Lord, give to me power that I can throw away every kind of prejudice and ignorance from my heart. Make my heart as pure and fresh as green gra.s.s of the spring pastures and let my soul grow more and more by Thy shower of Mercy!' In answer to this blind young man's supplication, 'Abdu'l-Baha revealed a Tablet which is the third published herein."

Most of the original Tablets were translated in Haifa and sent to the recipients in care of Miss Alexander. One, to a group of students, was sent in care of Mr. Torii. A search in later years located only those Tablets addressed to Mr. Torii himself.

[Photograph with the following caption:]

Miss Yuri Mochizuki (Furukawa), the first j.a.panese woman to become a Baha'i.

Tablets of 'Abdu'l-Baha to j.a.panese and One to Koreans

[Tablet of October 28, 1916]

O thou who art guided by the Light of Guidance! (Mr. Kikutaro f.u.kuta)

Thy first and second letter was received. Praise be to G.o.d that the light of Guidance shone forth, the gla.s.s of the heart became illumined and the darkness of ignorance dispelled. The most Great Guidance is a crown the brilliant gems of which will s.h.i.+ne upon the future ages and cycles. If it is placed on the head of a servant, he will become the object of the envy of kings, for this is an imperishable crown and everlasting sovereignty.

G.o.d says in the great Qur'an, He particularizes with His Mercy whomsoever He desireth.

Praise be to G.o.d, that thou hast become especialized with Divine Favor and Bounty. Thou didst become awake, beheld the lights and harkened unto the Melody of the Supreme Concourse.

In the Glorious Gospel it is said, "Freely ye have received, freely give."

That is, you have found this Bestowal, you have paid nothing for it, therefore give it to others without any exchange. Now with a heavenly power, with a lordly gift, with spiritual morals, with G.o.dlike deeds, and with supreme glad tidings be thou engaged in the promotion of the teachings of G.o.d in j.a.pan. The confirmations of the Kingdom shall encompa.s.s and the cohorts of the Realm of Might will grant triumph.

(October 28, 1916. Translated by Ahmad Sohrab)

[Tablet of December 27, 1918]

O thou possessor of a seeing heart! (Mr. Tokujiro Torii)

Although, materially speaking, thou are dest.i.tute of physical sight, yet, praise be to G.o.d, spiritual insight is thy possession. Thy heart seeth and thy spirit heareth. Bodily sight is subject to a thousand maladies and ultimately and a.s.suredly will be obscured. Thus no importance may be attached to it. But the sight of the heart is illumined, it discerns and discovers the Divine Kingdom and is everlasting and eternal. Praise be to G.o.d, therefore, that the sight of thy heart is illumined, and the hearing of thy thought responsive.

The meetings you have organized, wherein you feel heavenly emotions and comprehend realities and significances,-that meeting is like unto the firmament with those souls as resplendent stars s.h.i.+ning with the light of guidance. Happy is the soul that seeks, in this brilliant era, heavenly teachings, and blessed is the heart which is stirred and attracted by the love of G.o.d. At present the Sun of Truth has dawned upon the land of j.a.pan and the hope is that it may be illumined by heavenly teachings.

Convey on my behalf the utmost love and longing to Mr. D. Inouye(14) and Mr. S. Saiki(15) . My hope is that those two blessed souls may s.h.i.+ne like unto two heavenly stars from the horizon of j.a.pan and may be the cause of its enlightenment. That land has acquired material civilization and ephemeral advancement; we hope that it may acquire heavenly civilization.

Convey to thy respected wife my greetings and my message and the same to thy young babe, Akira(16), whose name may be ever blessed for it is quite an appropriate one.

(December 27, 1918. Translated by Shoghi Rabbani)

[Tablet of June 11, 1920]

O thou who hast turned thy attention to the Kingdom of G.o.d! (Mr. Tokujiro Torii)

Thy letter arrived and imparted joy. Thou hast been longing to spread the Light (the Teachings) in those regions. My wish is also that the Musk of the love of G.o.d should be diffused in that land, and that Miss Alexander and Mrs. Finch may conjointly strive so that the rays of the Sun of Reality may be projected all over that country.

Whenever the means of travel is secured, thou art permitted to come. I am supplicating G.o.d to strengthen thee and make thee grow like unto a lily in the Garden of the Kingdom.

O faithful friend! The inhabitants of that region (j.a.pan) are bright and n.o.ble-minded. Through the great distance however, the musky Breeze has not yet reached their nostrils. They know not of the rise of the Sun of Reality upon the horizon of Persia. If you who are there be self-sacrificing and become enkindled with the love of G.o.d, and like unto stars s.h.i.+ne from the horizon of Truth, that country will before long be turned into a paradise of comfort. j.a.pan will become illumined, and like unto a meadow and a rose-garden will invigorate the hearts of every a.s.sembly. Do ye strive as hard as possible in order to be attracted to the Beauty of the Beloved of the world, and through the fire of His love inflame that Kingdom.

(June 11, 1920. Translated by Azizullah Bahadur)

[Tablet of December 17, 1918]

O thou beloved daughter! (Miss Yuri Mochizuki)

Thy letter was received and was perused in the utmost joy, that, praise be to G.o.d, in the land of j.a.pan, the light of the love of G.o.d has appeared resplendently and a torch such as thee, has been kindled, for thy heart overflows with the wine of the love of G.o.d and thy spirit is ablaze. Like unto a shrub, thou art fresh and tender, growing and flouris.h.i.+ng through the outpourings of the cloud of Bounty. My hope is that thou mayest soon bud and blossom and bring forth delectable fruits.

The Real Shepherd is undoubtedly kind unto his flock and is in the utmost of attachment, mercy and solicitude. This is only a natural fact. Rest thou a.s.sured, therefore, that thou art always within sight and art encompa.s.sed by tender cares.

The people of j.a.pan are like unto a soil that has been deprived of rain for cycles and generations and has had no share of the outpouring of rain and even of dew. Certainly it is quite athirst. Now thou shouldst become the divine gardener and should satisfy that thirsty soil with the water of divine teachings, so that heavenly bounties may be poured out and the flowers of reality and fragrant herbs of human perfections spring forth and that land turn into a paradise of Eden.

(December 17, 1918. Translated by Shoghi Rabbani)

[Tablet of August 10, 1920]

O thou loved maid-servant of G.o.d! (Miss Yuri Mochizuki)

Do thou observe the Divine Bounty! We are in Haifa and thou in Tokyo, nevertheless how (our) hearts have become related to one another! This is through the power of the Kingdom which has made the East and West embrace each other.

I feel the utmost kindness towards thee. If thou art able to write the story of Qurratu'l-Ayn as a drama, thou art permitted to write it.

(August 10, 1920. Translated by Azizullah Bahadur)