New York: Blessed moments; music and singing; evil in existence
Mahmud writes: "After granting private interviews to some of the friends, the Master came downstairs to the gathering. Among His statements were these words:
The most blessed moments of my life are those which I spend in the company of the friends of God. These are the best times. Therefore, I am extremely happy to be with you now. Praise be to God that your faces are illumined, your hearts and souls are rejoicing and all are turned toward the Abhá Kingdom. This is the utmost happiness for me.
I pray to the threshold of Bahá'u'lláh that He may grant all of you eternal happiness, honor you in His Kingdom and bestow upon you everlasting life. Thus, the friends of New York may be freed from all limitations and become the cause of the enlightenment of the world of man. This is my greatest wish and Bahá'u'lláh will assuredly assist you.
Most of the evening meetings were at the home of Mrs Kinney and while the daytime meetings were at Mrs Krug's home. There was always a crowd of visitors at His residence and whether He was in or out, a multitude was always there waiting.
At the meeting this afternoon at Mrs Krug's home, He spoke of the exalted station of the people of Bahá given them through the bounties and confirmations of the Abhá Kingdom, which can turn black dust into a brilliant ruby, a grain into a harvest, a fisherman into a Peter and a village woman into a Mary Magdalene, the pride of men.
As they passed before Him one by one, they received His bestowals and blessings. He returned to His residence on foot. Near Central Park a gentleman approached Him and said, `I have heard much about you and have been waiting for the moment to see you. I am thankful that now I have attained the honor of meeting your Excellency.' He followed the Master to His residence, greatly interested in His explanations and the wonderful Bahá'í teachings.
This evening friends and seekers immensely enjoyed and benefited from hearing the Master's explanations of the mysteries of the Books of God and other important issues. He was asked about music and singing in the Mashriqu'l-Adhkár. He replied, `Singing and chanting of scripture and prayers in verse or in prose should be used but I do not interfere in matters not expressly stated in the Text. Whenever and whatever the Universal House of Justice ordains, that will be the criterion.'
Later in the evening He spoke at length to a Christian Science lady who was quite fanatical in her beliefs. The Master explained to her the meaning of the assertion that there is no evil in existence. He said:
By saying there is no evil in existence is meant that what has come from the Origin of existence and being is good and useful. It is good in its time and place and not evil. For example, I can say that there is no darkness in the sun because darkness is the absence of light and has no existence in itself. Oppression is the absence of justice and ignorance is the lack of knowledge. Hence, the imperfections and defects of the world of creation, the contingent world, are merely the absence of virtues and the lack of perfections. These defects have not come from the Source; rather, the essential properties of the world of matter which are change and transformation cause the training of all things and the manifestation of perfections of realities and spirits."
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Juliet writes:
On Wednesday, 14 November, I went very early to my Lord's house. He was on the point of going out, but He called me to Him.
"My Lord," I said, as He paced up and down His room, "I want to thank You for Your great mercy last night. I was asleep and You woke me."
"I pray you may ever be awake. There are a few souls in America," He continued, "whom I have chosen to be teachers in this Cause. You are of those, Juliet. I wish you to have all the qualities of a teacher. That is all."
Then He asked me to wait till His return. I waited all day. At five o'clock He came and called me to His room on the upper floor. With that exquisite courtesy of His, the sweetness of which almost breaks the heart, He--I can hardly write it--asked me to excuse Him for keeping me waiting.
"To wait for You, my Lord, is joy. Oh these blessed days when we can wait for You!"
He went on to tell me why He had been detained. . . .
"My Lord," I said, as He paced up and down His room, "I want to thank You for Your great mercy last night. I was asleep and You woke me."
"I pray you may ever be awake. There are a few souls in America," He continued, "whom I have chosen to be teachers in this Cause. You are of those, Juliet. I wish you to have all the qualities of a teacher. That is all."
Then He asked me to wait till His return. I waited all day. At five o'clock He came and called me to His room on the upper floor. With that exquisite courtesy of His, the sweetness of which almost breaks the heart, He--I can hardly write it--asked me to excuse Him for keeping me waiting.
"To wait for You, my Lord, is joy. Oh these blessed days when we can wait for You!"
He went on to tell me why He had been detained. . . .
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ah! Juliet! Some "conditions" we want to remember. How can we access more than what you tell us?
Don't you wish we could wait for the Master? Now it is more like waiting to join Him in the next world! He is always with us, could we perceive it.
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