Apri 10-11, 1913 Human hearts in Budapest

Earl Redman writes: 

The next day [April 10], ‘Abdu’l-Bahá prepared tea for His party and admired the panoramic view of the Danube. He could see the broad river spanned by many ornamented suspension bridges and plied by colourful boats. After tea, He crossed the Chain Bridge to Buda, quickly attracting many curious people who stopped to ask Him questions. One man recognized ‘Abdu’l-Bahá from His photograph in the morning’s newspaper and hurried over to have the Master autograph the margin of his paper.[i]

            During the day, a stream of visitors came to the hotel and He told them that He was grateful to God that the idea of a spiritual life was obvious in Budapest. He told them that ‘it was his hope that Budapest might become a centre for the reunion of the East and West, and that from this city the light might emanate to other places’. When people asked Him what He thought of Budapest’s ornate buildings, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá kindly replied that He had come to Budapest to see ‘the objects of interest and buildings of human hearts, and not the buildings of stone and of the city’.  ^[ii]

            Later that day, Professor Germanus, a young Orientalist, brought a group of Turkish students bearing ‘a letter of solemn welcome signed by all students of the Turkish language in Budapest’. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá happily conversed with them in flawless Turkish. That evening, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá gave a talk to fifty people at the Theosophical meeting, calling them ‘a noble, spiritual gathering because they were most diligent in their endeavors for peace and fellowship’.[iii]           

            One morning when ‘Abdu’l-Bahá visited the home of Leopold Stark and his wife, Mrs Stark offered Him wine or another refreshment. When ‘Abdu’l- Bahá declined, Mrs Stark offered Him some ‘fine spring water, a table delicacy since Roman times’. The maid brought in a tray with beautiful crystal glasses and placed it carefully on a table. When the maid saw ‘Abdu’1-Bahá standing near the window, she ‘slowly and deliberately . . . advanced, knelt before him and begged him to bless her. This very touching scene brought tears to the eyes of those who surrounded the Master . . . When asked later by her mistress why she did this, she said, “I was impelled to, because he seemed to me one of the ‘Kings of the East’.”’

---

[i] Balyuzi, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, p. 385. [ii] Root, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s Visit to Budapest’, in Star of the West, vol. 24, no. 3 (June 1933), p. 85. [iii] ibid.

On 11 April ‘Abdu’l-Bahá spoke at a meeting in the old Parliament Building. He stood on a high platform directly underneath two white-winged angels holding Hungary’s coat of arms. Before His talk, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá was very tired and hardly able to speak, but, as He had done at other times, He gathered His strength and He gave a powerful address.[i] As the Master stood on the platform, He was flanked by Prelate Giesswein on one side and Dr Goldziher on the other. The sight of this unity brought forth a tremendous burst of applause: ‘They felt, if they did not understand, that ‘Abdu’l-Bahá standing between the Catholic prelate and the Jewish orientalist represented the reconciliation of these two great religions’.[ii]

            Dr Germanus interpreted ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s talk into Hungarian for the packed house. All seats were filled and many people crowded into the galleries, aisles and corridors with some even having to listen from outside. The audience was perfect for the Master, being an amazing mix of members of Parliament, university professors, artists, Catholic priests, Protestant clergymen, and representatives of women’s groups, Esperantists, and humanitarian societies as well as many nationalities and races. ‘All seats were occupied while many stood in the gallery; aisles and corridors were crowded and a line extended even to the street!’

---

[i] Balyuzi, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, p. 386.

[ii] Root, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s Visit to Budapest’, in Star of the West, vol. 24, no. 3 (June 1933), p. 86.