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On September
30th, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá met the Theosophical society at their new Headquarters
at the express request of their president Mrs. Annie Besant. After
a general history of the movement and sympathetic words of welcome
by Mr. A. P. Sinnett, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá rose and delivered to the crowded
assembly an address upon the distinctive notes of the Bahá’í teaching,
warmly commending the eagerness of the Society in its search for Truth.
O RESPECTED Assembly! O friends of Truth! The inherent nature of fire
is to burn, the inherent nature of electricity is to give light, the
inherent nature of the sun is to shine, and the inherent nature of the
organic earth is the power of growth.
Gardens at Bahjí, 'Akká, Israel.
There is no separation between a thing and its inherent qualities.
It is the inherent nature of things on this earth to change, thus we see
around us the change of the seasons. Every spring is followed by
a summer and every autumn brings a winter—every day a
night and every evening a morning. There is a sequence in all things.
Thus when hatred and animosity, fighting, slaughtering, and great coldness of heart
were governing this world, and darkness had overcome the nations,
Bahá’u’lláh, like a bright star, rose from the horizon
of Persia and shone with the great Light of Guidance, giving heavenly radiance and
establishing the new Teaching.
He declared the most human virtues; He manifested the
Spiritual powers, and put them into practice in the
world around Him.
Firstly: He lays stress
on the search for Truth. This is most important, because the people
are too easily led by tradition. It is because of this that they are often antagonistic to each
other, and dispute with one another.
But the manifesting of Truth discovers the darkness and becomes the cause of Oneness
of faith and belief: because Truth cannot be two! That is not possible.
('Abdu'l-Bahá in
London,
Pages: 27 - 30)
   
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The Tongan Bahá'í community has a rich, courageous and dramatic history, growing amidst a society that was not initially receptive to a new religion. Among the early Bahá'ís were Latu and Mele Tu'akihekolo, Peni and Lupe Tutu'ila (Lupe being the first Tongan woman to accept the Faith), Tevita Tu'ipulotu and Seini Toutaiolepo, Lisiate Maka (who became a member of the Continental Board of Counsellors), Tevita Halaholo and Hesekaia Vaohingano.
Tonga has also sent out many Bahá'ís from its borders to help establish the Faith in other lands. For example, Mosese Hokafonu travelled extensively for the Faith throughout the kingdom and the Pacific, and Suliana Halaholo Korean, a notable translator of the Bahá'í writings, lived as a Bahá'í pioneer with her husband Masao in the Marshall Islands. She passed away there in 1982.
Read the entire story.
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