[Tablet of December 9, 1920]

O thou who art a new grown tree on the meadow of Truth!(17) (Miss Yuri Mochizuki)

Thy letter dated October 14, 1920 has been received. As it was indicative of the susceptibilities of thy conscience it became the cause of joy.

j.a.pan is like unto a farm whose soil is untouched. Such a soil as this has great capacity. One seed produces a hundred-fold. Now, praise be unto G.o.d, ye have found such a farm. Ye must develop the lands; ye must free them from thorns and weeds; ye should scatter the seeds of the love of G.o.d thereupon, and irrigate them with the rain of the knowledge of G.o.d. Rest ye a.s.sured that heavenly blessing will be bestowed!

It is my hope that in that farm ye will become divine farmers. The enlightened people of j.a.pan are tired and disgusted with the superannuated and putrefied blind imitations. They are a.s.sured that these blind imitations are pure superst.i.tions without any truth. Therefore they have capacity to hear the Call of G.o.d. The land is untouched. We will have to see what the divine farmers will do!

At present thou hast started a journal. It is my hope that this journal will shine as the Star of the East. In the journal write thus:

When the horizon of the East was covered with immense darkness; when dark clouds were predominant, and when all the heavenly stars were concealed to the eye, His Holiness Baha'u'llah, like unto the sun shone forth from the horizon of the East and with radiating splendor He illumined the Orient.

[Photograph with the following caption:]

Mr. and Mrs. Tokujiro Torii with Miss Alexander in 1916.

The light of the Sun of Reality consisted of heavenly teachings which were spread in the Orient, because there the obscurities of blind imitations of religions, sectarian, racial, political, economic and home prejudices were in ascendancy. The darkness of these prejudices had dominated the Oriental world to such a degree that it had blinded all the eyes and deafened all the ears. There prevailed quarrel and strife, warfare and bloodshed.

In short, it has a long description, but I mention it briefly. When the Sun of Truth shone forth with all might and energy, these obscure and dark clouds dispersed and the splendid Day presented to the eye an aspect with such freshness and beauty that the wise became astonished; the sick were cured; the blind received sight; the deaf obtained hearing; the dumb proved eloquent, and the dead quickened. A heavenly table was spread in the Orient. The divine teachings like unto an unshakable edifice were inst.i.tuted.

The first principle of Baha'u'llah is independent investigation of truth, that is, all the nations of the world have to investigate after truth independently and turn their eyes from the moribund blind imitations of the past ages entirely. Truth is one when it is independently investigated, it does not accept division. Therefore the independent investigation of truth will lead to the oneness of the world of humanity.

Another one of these teachings is the oneness of the world of humanity.

All mankind are the trees of the divine garden and the Gardener of this orchard is the Most High, the All-Sustainer. The hand of His favor hath planted these trees, irrigated them from the cloud of Mercy and reared them with the energy of the Sun of Truth.

Then there remains no doubt that this heavenly Farmer (Gardener) is kind to all these plants. This truth cannot be denied. It is shining like unto the sun. This is the divine policy and unquestionably it is greater than the human policy. We must follow the divine policy.

The point is this that some people are sick; some are immature and ignorant, and some without any knowledge of their beginning and of their end. The sick should be cured; the immature should be brought to maturity, and the ignorant should be taught to become wise and not that enmity should be exercised toward them.

Similarly describe fully in that journal the other teachings which thou art acquainted with, one by one, a detailed description. For example, that religion must be the cause of concord; that it should agree with science and reason; that it must be a factor of progress to the world of humanity, that it should be free from blind imitations. Another example is that all prejudices are destructive to the foundation of the world of humanity.

Other examples are: The equality of men and women; the universalization of knowledge (education); the creation of one universal language; justice and righteousness; economic facilities among mankind; the need of the world of humanity of the breaths of the Holy Spirit; the establishment of universal peace; the inst.i.tution of the Supreme Court of Arbitration; the freedom and equality of all mankind; the brotherhood of the world of humanity, and other teachings like these which are mentioned in the Tablets of G.o.d.

Describe all these teachings fully in the most eloquent and sweetest terms expressive of the most charming realities and insert them in the journal.

It is my hope that thou together with Miss Alexander will be confirmed to accomplish this service. Miss Alexander is the herald of Truth in j.a.pan.

Rest a.s.sured that she will be confirmed and a.s.sisted.

(December 9, 1920. Translated by Azizullah Bahadur)

[Tablet of December 17, 1919]

O thou wooer of Reality! (Mr. Tomonaga Noto(18) )

Thy letter was received. Praise be to G.o.d, the sight of thy mind has been opened and thou hast acquired the power of spiritual healing. Thou hast sought and found the Truth and hast been aware of Heavenly Mysteries.

The teachings of His Holiness Baha'u'llah like unto the rays of the sun illumined the East as well as the West, vivify the dead and unite the various religions. They prove the Oneness of G.o.d, for they gather all communities of the world under the pavilion of the oneness of the world of mankind.

Consider how stirred the world is and in what a commotion are the people of the world. Heavenly Power is needed to do away with this stir and agitation. Otherwise, this great Cause will not be realized through human power. Human power, no matter how strong it may be, it illumines like unto an ignited lamp a limited s.p.a.ce and trains a small number of souls. It is the sun which illumines all regions, and it is the Heavenly Power which gathers around a single spot all the sects and communities. Strive therefore, that thou mayest serve this remarkable Power and attain unto profitable and far reaching results.

(December 17, 1919)

[Tablet of February 1920]

O ye the honored souls! (a group of men students)

Your letter of congratulation arrived and imparted joy, because its contents indicated that the Sun of Reality hath begun Its radiation upon those regions. It is my hope that that region may get illumination and the Heavenly Dawn may break forth. This will be attained through the power of Faith in the Covenant.

Therefore we are expecting that every one of those friends may in that country become like a brilliant and luminous candle, and so the Light of Guidance may emanate upon the hearts.

How often it hath happened that one blessed soul hath proved to become the cause of guidance unto a continent. I also congratulate you on (the advent of) this Blessed Day.

(February 1920. Translated by Azizullah Bahadur)

[Tablet of August 10, 1920]

O thou beloved maid-servant of G.o.d (Miss Haruko Mori)(19)

Praise be unto G.o.d, that through the guidance of Miss Alexander thou couldst hear the Call of G.o.d. Then strive as far as thou art able to spread the Divine Teachings, so that thou mayest become distinguished with this great Bestowal among the women of the world.

(August 10, 1920. Translated by Azizullah Bahadur)

[Tablet of August 10, 1920]

O thou who art a favored servant at the Threshold of the Most High! (Mr.

Kenjiro Ono(20) )

Thy letter was received. Verily, verily hast thou suffered in thy life time. Do not thou be grieved because of the loss of thy sight. Praise be unto G.o.d, that thy insight is keen. Do not thou lament over thy poverty, for the Treasury of the Kingdom is thine. Do not thou worry that thou couldst not study in the material schools, because thou hast received lessons in the Verses of the Oneness (of G.o.d) in the Divine University.

Offer thou thanks to G.o.d that thou couldst finally attain to Truth. Then be thou firm and steadfast so that the doors of the most Great Bestowals may be opened unto thy face. The greatest of all questions is steadfastness and firmness. Every tree which is firmly rooted grows.

(August 10, 1920. Translated by Azizullah Bahadur)

[Tablet of December 8, 1920]