August 8, 1912 The Rights of MEN!

Dublin, NH, day 15 of 23; the Reality through Whom all things exist; immortality, shoes, and the rights of men 

Mahmud writes, "One of the devoted friends asked the Master about imperfect realities and their immortality. He replied:

All realities and spirits are immortal, even the spirits of non-believers and imperfect persons. But they cannot be compared in any way with the spirits of the sanctified souls and holy personages. Although this wood has existence, yet in comparison with the existence of man, it is as nothing.

In the afternoon `Abdu'l-Bahá spoke at a public gathering. He touched on various aspects of love and unity among people and the necessity for cooperation and mutual assistance in human society. In answer to a question regarding vengeance, He replied that man has no right to seek vengeance but that the community is responsible for the protection of all life, property and honor. He then went on to say:

     The more material education advances, the more competitive is the race in aggression and injustice. But spiritual education is the cause of competition in praiseworthy actions and the acquisition of human perfections. We hope that day by day these injustices will diminish and the spiritual virtues increase.

The Master went into another room where a young man with a striking personality and pleasing appearance asked Him in what school He had studied philosophy. The Master answered: `In the same school where Christ studied.' He then asked the Master, `What is the relationship between God and nature?' The Master replied:

Some of the philosophers believe that God is the Supreme Reality and that every human being has a spark of this divine reality within him; that He Himself is in a state of utmost power and that all things manifest Him according to their different capacities. Therefore they hold that the Supreme Being is dispersed into infinite forms. This is the position of Plato. But we say that existence as conceived by man or comprehended through human reason or intellect is a characteristic of matter. Matter is like unto essence, while existence is its manifestation. The body of man is essence and existence is dependent upon it. This human body is matter while existence is a power conditioned on matter.

But it is not so with the Essential Self-Existent One. His existence is true existence which is self-subsistent, not an intellectually perceived and comprehended existence; it is an Existence by which all created things come into being. All things are like unto His handiwork and are dependent upon Him. We refer to Him as Self-Existent because we need to make use of a term but we do not mean that that Being can be contained within our comprehension. What is intended is the Reality from Whom all things emanate, the Reality through Whom all things exist.

in Dublin

Not only was the questioner grateful and satisfied with this response but everyone else was also pleased."

Agnes describes a number of women coming and going, and the subject of immortality spoken of multiple times by `Abdu'l-Bahá--in fact, one woman kept asking for it. He responds, "I have been speaking of nothing else since yesterday morning."

One gets a bit of the human drama from Agnes' entry, especially in the story she tells about asking her husband to wipe the dust from her shoes. He does so, looking at `Abdu'l-Bahá with a humorous expression, which the Master apparently enjoyed. However, there's a note saying that the Master apparently was displeased with the incident, as some months later, in Chicago, He tells the story in this way: "As the poor man was cleaning her shoes, he glanced at me.

     "I said, 'Madam! do you also clean your husband's shoes?'

     "She replied that she cleaned his clothes."

     "I said,  'No, that is not equality. You, too, must clean his shoes.' [He continues]

     "Now then, it would be better if you occasionally stand up for the rights of men."

`Abdu'l-Bahá then describes wealthy couples where the husband is working hard to provide the wife with things while she enjoys relative leisure.  He comments, "A condition must be reached in which the man and woman sacrifice their rights for each other, serve each other with heart and soul, and not through force and violence. This condition cannot be realized except through the power of faith. Hearts must be attracted to the divine fragrances, so that each one prefers the other to himself and does not consider himself above the other."  (see pp. 97–99 for the whole story)

Given all the clamoring for rights of the women and `Abdu'l-Bahá's general support of the rights, this story reminds us of a true equality.  Perhaps He was a little weary of the privileges enjoyed by the women who sought His company--or of the wealthy people in general.

I did ask my husband if he had any shoes that needed dusting, but he just gave me a strange look!  Hm.