Chapter 8
`Abdu'l-Bahá Meets President Naruse
of Japan Women's College
By Miss Agnes B. Alexander
In the spring of 1912, in Tokyo, Viscount Shibusawa, an honored banker and
financier, together with President Jinzo Naruse, the founder of the first
Women's College in Japan, and Dr. Masaharu Anesaki of the Imperial University
formed a nucleus of a movement called "Concordia". Its object was to try to
find a common ground on which all nations could harmonize. President Naruse
then undertook a journey around the world in the interest of the movement. He
carried with him an autograph book in which he collected expressions of
good-will from prominent people in the different countries he visited. On his
return to Japan these were translated into Japanese and published.
In London in 1912, `Abdu'l-Bahá's secretary recorded the following: "A
distinguished Japanese, the president of the Women's University in Tokyo, who
has been in the United States for many months, came to `Abdu'l-Bahá and
showed Him an article on the Concordia movement in Japan which appeared in the
Oriental Review. `Abdu'l-Bahá spoke to him about the principles of the
Bahá'í Cause and how we are in need of Divine Power to put these
principles into practice. He said, 'Just as the sun is the source of all light
in the solar system, so today Bahá'u'lláh is the Center of unity
of the human race and of the peace of the world.' `Abdu'l-Bahá wrote a
beautiful prayer in the autograph book and earnestly pleaded with him to go
back to Japan and spread these lofty ideals."
The prayer follows: "O God! The darkness of contention, strife and warfare
between the religions, the nations and peoples has beclouded the horizon of
Reality and hidden the heaven of Truth. The world is in need of the light of
Guidance. Therefore, O God, confer Thy favor, so that the Sun of Reality may
illumine the East and the West."
(December 30, 1912. Translated by Ahmad Sohrab)
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