Abdul-Baha in America by Robert H. Stockman

Author:Robert H. Stockman
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 978-1-61851-051-8
Publisher: Bahai Publishing
Published: 2013-03-14T16:00:00+00:00

Clearly, Harmon saw something deeper in ‘Abdu’l-Bahá than just a kindly old gentleman. On Saturday evening, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá spoke to him at length about the influence of the Word of God and the spread of civilization from East to West. On Sunday morning, he talked about “the sanctity of God…. the reflection of His attributes on the mirrors of the hearts of the Manifestations…. the meanings of the holy books and…the saying that ‘everything is contained in everything.’” He specifically criticized the Theosophists in India for training a young man—Krishnamurti—to become a prophet, noting only God could select someone for such a role and station. On Sunday evening, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá invited Harmon to expound on his ideas and show him the illustrations Harmon had created to represent them. According to Maḥmúd, Harmon was so impressed by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s suggestions and clarifications that he said, “Your explanations have opened the doors of understanding before me!” and “I feel that whatever you say comes from innate knowledge.”9

Harmon added that ‘Abdu’l-Bahá asked him to write a book about “divine illumination”: “To say that I would, or would even try, was impossible; the subject was too vast, too incomprehensible, too utterly elusive for the mind to grasp or to put into words, even were it possible to see with the inner vision only the outer fringe of such glories, to witness that absolute perfection which the illumined eye must disclose, - so awe-inspiring that with one or two exceptions no living mortal has been able to endure more than the slightest glance, and then all but perish.” Harmon left without making a commitment, knowing “that sooner or later I would make the attempt, because the Master wished it.”10

In spite of Harmon’s seeming sincerity, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá spoke about him to his secretaries privately twice on Monday, July 29, once “for a considerable time,” exclaiming in part, “What captives of superstition people are! What troubles they endure for the sake of name and fame! What fruit will these superstitions bear? All are transitory and perishable and no trace of them will remain.”11 Harmon did indeed write a book titled Divine Illumination, which mixed quotations from the Bahá’í writings with passages from the Bhagavad-Gita and the Bible to explore the inner illumination of the mind. Published in Boston by “the Bahai Movement” in 1915, the book raised Harmon’s profile among American Bahá’ís and helped to popularize a series of esoteric lessons he created that diverged sharply from Bahá’í teachings.

The same day that Harmon left, a young Bahá’í from Portland, Oregon—George Latimer (1889–1948)—arrived in Dublin for three days. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá met him within an hour of his arrival at Day-Spring and almost immediately asked him about the Portland Bahá’í community. The entire group at Day-Spring walked to Mrs. Parsons’s house for the late afternoon meeting, which included in the audience the famous artist, George de Forest Brush (1855–1941), and an Episcopal minister.

After ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s talk, Mrs. Parsons asked if he would like to go for a drive around Dublin Lake, and he took Edward Getsinger and George Latimer with him.

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