Pilgrim's Notes

by Anonymous

1953-01

[page 1]

We must be careful in giving pilgrim notes as there may be errors. However, Jessie and Ethel Revell took the notes in short-hand.

I did not write while sitting by the Guardian as one could not, but after dinner, I went upstairs, wrote the notes and compared them with the Revell sisters and therefore they should be as nearly perfect as a pilgrim could get them.

There was one other pilgrim Louise Caswell from Honduras, Central America.

I feel the same about the Shrines as I did in 1938.

We have a living Faith.
Bab - Grandeur. - Shrine
Abdul-Baha - Simplicity.
Bahá'u'lláh - Peace.

Shoghi Effendi placed me at the head of the table next to Him and it was my privilege to remain there during the pilgrimage. At times he served us.

He is the greatest man on earth to-day.

Description of the Guardian: - Grey hair - first thing that amazed me. Wife says from worry and strain. Short - no taller than I. Wears black fez. Hazel eyes. Dynamic. Teacher - takes books - reads, re-reads, explains. Quick in movement. Kind. Accomplish many things. Types all his work, Translate. Divine Plan, Administrative Orders, gardens -map 10 years - letters, cables, etc.

His first night of teaching was on Unification.

He said that American civilization began when we were became unified.

America, middle-East, Persia and India will suffer and brought to their knees as they are not spiritual.

I asked Him where cradle of civilization began and He answered Iraq. From there, people migrated to India and Africa.

Second eve with Him was thrilling one and He lifted everyone in the room.

I did not speak to Him about immortality but that I would never get over our son's death. He said, "Do not think about it but be assured that now he is released from all the fetters of this world and he is enjoying a much fuller life. I will pray for his soul and you will pray for him at the Shrine and I will join you in prayers."

Question about cancer: Why haven't the prophets given the scientists the cure for cancer, etc.? (I am blaming God)
Answer is "He has" but man has a will and fails to follow it and thus retards the cure. He said God is giving the cure gradually. If man does not work steadily, it will be delayed.

Question: What does the 144,000 in the Bible represent?
Answer: It is allegorical. It means by thousands the saints and holy ones will come into the faith. (Figure of speech.)

Question: What is the meaning of the first shall be last and the last shall be first?
Answer: A world revolution, e.g., Slave - President. King - Slave.

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Question: When we have inter-stellar communications, will it be with one another from this earth or will it be other beings?
Answer: Other beings. (He said he did not go beyond that & laughed)

He told us that Paul distorted the teachings by bringing in his own philosophy into the teachings of Jesus; as Jesus did not leave in writing that Peter was the expounder. Peter being ignorant and Paul a lawyer and philosopher therefore injected his philosophy.

He told us that one of the brothers of Christ was the head of one of the first churches of Christ in Jerusalem. He was like the President of the church and a Covenant Breaker.

He says: of course you are familiar with the Tablet of Mt. Carmel, Holy Marina and Divine Plan. He explained that the Ark mentioned in the Tablet of Mt. Carmel in the Gleanings, means Administrative Order and the Ark mentioned in the Tablet of the Holy Marina is the Ark of His Faith and He is the Captain.

Then in Bahá'í News, a pilgrim got the notes mixed on the Formative Age and Abdul Bahá'í Divine Plan. And told Mr. Ioas to inform them in Chicago that no more pilgrim notes are to be printed, and then He told us the difference, they must not be confused.

We have had the first 25 years of the Formative Age which was the first epoch of the Formative Age. We are now in the second epoch of the formative Age and the third epoch of this age will be the Golden Age.

Abdu'l-Bahá's Divine Plan is not the Formative Age.
We have had the 1st. 7 year plan
We have had the 2nd 7 year plan
We are now entering the third 10 year plan and when completed will finish the first epoch
of the Divine Plan in 1963.

He explained that each Dispensation has a spiritual and an Adm. Centre. Ours will always be in Haifa. In Christianity, the spiritual place is Jerusalem and the Adm. Order is in Rome.

We visited the Catholic Cave of Elijah again on Mt. Carmel and the Muslims have one too, each claims his to be the one. Shoghi Effendi said Elijah probably went in both of them. Then He said that the Bab is the return of Elijah and is interred near the cave and He does not believe the Jews will like this when they hear it.

On the 1/17/53 Shoghi Effendi spoke about the Ten year plan. We are to have a Religious World Crusade and not a political crusade.

The important Bahá'í cities in order are:

1. Akka: Bahá'u'lláh is buried.
2. Haifa: Bab is buried
3. Baghdad: Most Holy House.
4.Tehran: Bahá'u'lláh was born
5. Shiraz: Bab
6. Adrianople: City of Mystery.

He explained that Isaiah and Daniel are the most important of the minor prophets.

He referred to the Holy Leaf as being more exalted than Her mother because of Her status.

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[page 3]

The Holy Spirit came in the following manner:

Zoroaster - fire -Mineral Kingdom
Moses - Burning Bush - Vegetable Kingdom
Christ - Dove Animal Kingdom
Mohammad - Angel Gabriel - human Kingdom
Bahá'u'lláh - Maiden -which is the most perfect form of creation.

Grand Mufti said he would exterminate the Bahá'ís when he came into power in the Holy Land.

Muslim faith has declined in Turkey (we found that out) and we also visited the Holy Spot in Istanbul. The Jews in Haifa are not as strict about their Sabbath as they were in 1938. Christian Faith in Russia and Europe being wrapped up and a new one replaced. Shoghi Effendi told us that Russia has set up a new Catholic Church (true one) but they only doing it to undermine the people.

Truth is not absolute but relative - progressive. This should be stressed in the Temple by the guides, he said.

Sovereign States are increasing as old governments break down. This will bring about a U.S. of the World.

In the archives there are 3 oil paintings of Bahá'u'lláh and one photograph. The photo was taken in Adrianople while He was under stress and strain of the conditions thrust upon Him.

The oil paintings portray Bahá'u'lláh in the Bath, one like the Bab and one as a Dervish. Shoghi Effendi's favuorite and my favourite.

There are 4 monuments in the Eternal Gardens. The family:

     The wife of Bahá'u'lláh     -   most Exalted Leaf
     The daughter of Bahá'u'lláh -   the Greatest Holy Leaf
     The Son of Bahá'u'lláh      -   the Purest Branch
     The wife of Abdu'l-Bahá     -   Munira Kannum

The Most Exalted Leaf has six pillars (Monument). Munira Khannum and the Purest Branch have 7 pillars. The Greatest Holy Leaf has 9 pillars and represents the International House of Justice. (Dr. Hakim said.).

19/1/'53 another wonderful eve with Shoghi Effendi. He read from page 85 of the Gleanings about Christ. It raises Him higher than the Protestant Faiths do. It states the whole creation wept when He was crusified. Not only Jerusalem but all creation.

Shoghi Effendi said we believe in Virgin Birth, Primacy of Peter, in Trinity as explained in our Teachings.

I asked him if the Holy Spirit is the Prophet and He said "No" do not confuse it, that is the thing the Catholics do.

He told us how Christ revealed His station to His disciples in Tiberias, taught in Nazareth, born in Bethlehem, crucified in Jerusalem. The ministry of Christ is most important thing not birth or crucifiction.

Peacock is Bird of Paradise and stands for Immortality and also the Cedar Trees. The Eagle stands for Victory, Agressiveness, Immortality and the Ascendancy of the Faith. The Eagle also stands for Imperialism, and this of course we have nothing to do with.

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[page 4]

There are nine terraces now, there will be nine more to the top of the Mt. Carmel making 18 and the Shrine of the Bab will make the 19th, and each one will be given one of the names of the Letters of the Living. A street runs under one of them. It is called Abbas Street.

There will be a Temple in Rome.
The correct pronunciation of the Temple is: Mash-rek-ul-az-kar.
Haz-e-rattle-Kuds. Q. is K - Ruhiyyih Khanum said. Sub-E-Azal.

He put out the ten year map and gave it to us in detail. 10,000 will be distributed in color and with explanations.

Isaih 54 tells about the Most Exalted Leaf
Isaih 54 verses 3 thru 7 tells of a New Birth of Bahá'í Faith.

Too much is said about the place where Peter is buried. More glory should be stressed on the Sepulchere of Christ.

Gleanings tells of our teachings
Iqan tells of our comparative religions
S.A.Q. is the philosophy of our teachings
Dawn Breakers gives us the History

Page 113 Promised Day is Come read about Peter and the Immaculate Conception.

He said, "To-day I remembered your son at Bahji."

The Dawning place of praise is the Mash-rak-ul-azkar.

Tibet is the roof of the world.

God's plan is operating and may interfere with our own plan, but we go right on. We have nothing to do with God's plan, only our own.

Jessie Revell said "read the Dawn Breakers about becoming a Bahá'í." Tablet of Wisdom tells about philosophy of which Shoghi Effendi spoke. Page 586.

When we visited the Most Great Prison I could feel a great power. In time we shall own the whole Barracks. Abdu'l-Bahá in room downstairs and Purest Branch died there. The house of [space] is the place Bahá'u'lláh revealed the Akdas. He was held prisoner here for seven years.

Zoraster visited the Holy Land.

Question: about Hidden Words: "O Son of Spirit! And O Son of Man".. Answer: He does not mean anyone. The term is allegorical.

Each Dispensation has a great women:

     Mohammad      Fatima - His daughter
     Christ        Virgin
     Bahá'u'lláh   Greatest Holy Leaf
     Bab           Taheray.

The Shrine of the Bab has 3 crowns.
Arcade, Parapet, Octogon of the Dome.

A Dispensation is the length of time the laws evolve.
Bahá'u'lláh suffered more in Acca than any other place.

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Oil and minerals may be found in the Holy Land as they are drilling now. Israel will expand. May be from Euphrates to the Nile and take in the River Jordan.

The social aspect is good. But it depends upon the character of the person. (In teaching.)

Question: Is the Holy Sepulchre the place where Helena, mother of Constantine, discovered when she came to the Holy Land?
Answer: Do not know?

We must have diversity in non-essential matters. In essential matters we keep to the Constitution. We keep to uniformity. He has no more time to write to the N.S.A.'s. He has to cable.

People can call us a cult, etc. (Dispensation) But the worst he says is a Persian Garden as it is neither Persian not a garden. It is a World Faith and a Shrine.

As soon as one repents (he uses the word frequently Jessie Revell says) he must be reinstated, if his voting rights have been removed.

Haifa is the Heart of the World and the Heart of the Bahá'í World Faith. This (The Holy Land) is the most temperate spot in the temperate zone.

21/1/'53 - We went to Tiberias and Nazareth. These cities are the important places because Christ revealed Himself there.

It is the Feast of the Martyrdom of the Bab and Birthday of Abdu'l-Bahá, (Lunar Time) The Friends came from all around, sang songs, poetry of Taheray set to music about Bahá'u'lláh and songs about Abdu'l-Bahá. Then we went to the Shrines and our Blessed Guardian chanted the prayers.

Message to Indians.

He said we started to teach the white race during the Bab, the black during Bahá'u'lláh, yellow during Abdu'l-Bahá, the red since Abdu'l-Bahá's time and now we must teach the brown race in the Islands of the Pacific. When we teach the Brown we will complete the circle. Not only races but also religions. We have taught the Christians, Jews, Zorastrians, Mohammedans and now we have the Hindus of India and the Buddhists of China and Ceylon, and Tibet. This is the message to the Indians.

He does not want us to be a minority group but we must the majority in a place.

We must associate with the people of the country, eat in their homes, sleep there, even to the point of inter-marriage. This is the test. The Indians have a great spiritual capacity and when they embrace the Faith they will render a great service. When you go to India you will tell them this.

He returned from Bahji to bade us good-bye. He said "I shall pray for your son." He gave Homer the Oriental embrace. He said, "This is your home!"

There is a great pressure while you are at the table with the Guardian. During 1938 I was blessed by being able to visit the Shrines every day for 2 weeks and go to Jerusalem. This time I went but 3 times because of my cracked ribs, knee, cold and weather.

This time I was blessed by seeing the paintings of Bahá'u'lláh and being in the protective shadow of our Beloved Guardian and whose shadow is for all mankind.

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The message to the Egyptians was as follows:

Go to Kampala
Go to Stockholm
Take care of local affairs; join in 10 year World Crusade.
He will pray for their success and protection as they are surrounded by enemies.