The beloved of the Lord and the handmaids of the
Merciful throughout India and Burmah,
Care of the members of the Spiritual Assembly.
Beloved co-workers in the Vineyard of God!
It has been my great pleasure and privilege to send you, since my return
to the Holy Land, first my general message of confidence and of love
addressed to all believers throughout the East, and later another letter
wherein I appeal in particular to those faithful lovers of His Cause in
that vast and distant dominion to labour whole-heartedly and to the very
end for the diffusion of His Light and the spread of His Cause.
Remembering, however, the few among my friends in that land who are as yet
unfamiliar with the Persian Tongue, I have thought of sending these few
lines to them in particular and through them to the rest of my brethren
and sisters in those regions who, despite the diversity of tongue, of race
and custom are all united at heart and animated by one common desire to
uplift humanity and carry out His Divine Purpose for this world.
What an alluring field of service India with all its possibilities unfolds
to our eyes at the present time and how vast are the opportunities of
sowing the seeds of unity and loving kindness in the hearts of its divers
peoples!
True, that land seems now unhappily to be plunged in the darkness of
prejudice, hate and mistrust, yet however dark the immediate prospect may
appear, our confidence remains unshaken that ere long these mists shall
clear away, the dawn of a New Day shall break upon that land and the Rays
of this Divine Revelation shall make of India a spiritually-quickened,
peaceful and united country.
The universal Teachings of Baha'u'llah if declared and propounded with
wisdom and judgement, determination, selflessness and sincerity, and above
all if exemplified in our lives and dealings with our fellow-men, cannot
fail to inspire and stimulate the mind of the enlightened seeker and win
the admiration and allegiance of all mankind. Ours then is the duty and
privilege to bring to the attention of this distressed and war-weary world
this Message of Eternal Salvation and help to establish the Era of Peace
and Brotherhood as purposed and foretold by Baha'u'llah.
The welcome news of the progress of the Third All-India Baha'i Convention
as well as the favourable comment made upon it by the Press of that
country have been fully shared with the pilgrims and resident friends in
the Holy Land and we have all admired and rejoiced at the efforts you are
exerting for the consolidation of the Movement in that ancient land.
May your endeavours in every sphere of your spiritual activities be
crowned with brilliant success, that His glorious Promise regarding the
future of that land may be speedily fulfilled!
It is my earnest hope that "The Baha'i News", the representative organ of
the Baha'i Community in India, may expand and develop, may widen the
sphere of its correspondence, add to the number and quality of its
articles in Persian as well as in English, report regularly in its columns
the news of the spiritual activities of all Baha'i centres in India and
elsewhere, and in general provide for the full, correct and dignified
presentation of the Cause to the general public.
Assuring every one of you of my constant prayers on your behalf and
wishing you success in your noble task,
I am your brother and co-worker,
SHOGHI