Chapter 7

Such stories regarding the life of different prophets together with their sayings will also be useful to better understand the literature of the Cause for there is constant reference to them. It is however the work of experienced people to bring together such materials and make of them interesting text books for the children.

The Cause will gradually produce people who would answer these needs. It is only a question of time. What we should strive to do is to stimulate different individuals who have the talent to attempt the task.

(From a letter dated 19 October 1932 written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to a Local Spiritual Assembly and a State Teaching Committee) [111]

“112: He was deeply gratified to hear that the friends are attaching such a...”

He was deeply gratified to hear that the friends are attaching such a great importance to the teaching and training of Bahá’í children. The education of the youth is, undoubtedly, of paramount importance as it serves to deepen their understanding of the Cause and to canalize their energies along the most profitable lines. Inasmuch, however, as the national expenses of the Cause in America are daily increasing, the members of your Committee should be very careful not to extend beyond their financial resources the sphere of their activities. The plans your Committee has made should not develop to such an extent as to hamper the progress of the Temple work.

(From a letter dated 20 April, 1933 written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to the members of the Committee on the Teaching and Training of Children, published in “Bahá’í News” 77 (September 1933), p.2) [112]

“113: Shoghi Effendi wishes you particularly to give all your attention to the...”

Shoghi Effendi wishes you particularly to give all your attention to the education of your boys so that they may become sincere, loyal and active Bahá’ís. It is to the youth that we should look for help, and it is, therefore, the sacred obligation of the parents to provide their children with a thorough Bahá’í training.

(From a letter dated 31 May 1933 written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer) [113]

“114: The Bahá’í Faith ... advocates compulsory education...”

The Bahá’í Faith ... advocates compulsory education...

(From a letter dated June 1933 written by Shoghi Effendi to the High Commissioner for Palestine) [114]

“115: He was deeply gratified to learn that your material conditions are improving...”

He was deeply gratified to learn that your material conditions are improving and he sincerely hopes that they will give you an opportunity to give to ... and ... the best educational training, so that they may become, in a not distant future, devoted servants and champions of the Cause.

Your responsibility as a mother, and especially as a Bahá’í mother, whose sacred obligation is to look after the training of the children along Bahá’í lines, is indeed immense. It is hoped that through God’s help and guidance you will be enabled to fully discharge your duties.

(From a letter dated 22 July 1933 written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer) [115]

“116: Shoghi Effendi was deeply saddened to learn from your letter... of the...”

Shoghi Effendi was deeply saddened to learn from your letter... of the rather serious situation which your daughter’s conduct and her general attitude towards the Cause have created...

Although he highly deplores this fact, and is fully aware of the bad repercussions which it may have on the Cause, yet he feels that nothing short of your motherly care and love and of the counsels which you and the friends can give her, can effectively remedy this situation. Above all, you should be patient, and confident that your efforts to that end are being sustained and guided through the confirmations of Bahá’u’lláh. He is surely hearing your prayers, and will no doubt accept them, and thus hasten the gradual and complete materialization of your hopes and expectations for your daughter and for the Cause.

The Guardian would advise you, therefore, not to take any drastic action with regard to your daughter’s attendance at the meetings... For in this way there is much greater chance to reform her character than through force or any other drastic method. Love and kindness have far greater influence than punishment upon the improvement of human character.

The Guardian, therefore, trusts that by this means you will succeed in gradually introducing a fundamental change in your daughter’s life, and also in making of her a better and truer believer. He is fervently praying on her behalf that she may fully attain this station.

(From a letter dated 26 January 1935 written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer) [116]

“117: The Guardian sees no objection that reference be made to the fact that the...”

The Guardian sees no objection that reference be made to the fact that the teaching classes and conferences which the believers are now organizing might evolve in the distant future into departments of education, or such institutions of learning as will be established in the future Bahá’í social order.

(From a letter dated 12 July 1938 written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer) [117]

“118: As regards your plans: the Guardian fully approves indeed of your view...”

As regards your plans: the Guardian fully approves indeed of your view that no matter how urgent and vital the requirements of the teaching work may be you should under no circumstances neglect the education of your children, as towards them you have an obligation no less sacred than towards the Cause.

Any plan or arrangement you may arrive at which would combine your twofold duties towards your family and the Cause, and would permit you to resume active work in the field of pioneer teaching, and also to take good care of your children so as to not jeopardize their future in the Cause would meet with the whole-hearted approval of the Guardian.

(From a letter dated 17 July 1938 written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer) [118]

“119: The Guardian wishes me to assure you, in particular, of his supplications...”

The Guardian wishes me to assure you, in particular, of his supplications on behalf of your children, that they may, through Divine confirmations and assistance, and under your loving care and protection, receive such training as may lead them to fully recognize and unreservedly accept the Faith, and provide them with the necessary spiritual equipment to effectively and loyally serve and promote its interests in the future.

As a Bahá’í mother you have certainly a most sacred and weighty responsibility for their spiritual development in the Cause, and you should from now endeavour to instil into their hearts the love of Bahá’u’lláh and thus prepare them for the full recognition and acceptance of His Station once they attain the age and capacity to do so.

(From a letter dated 20 April, 1939 written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer) [119]

“120: With regard to your activities in connection with the training and...”

With regard to your activities in connection with the training and education of Bahá’í children: needless to tell you what a vital importance the Guardian attaches to such activities, on which so much of the strength, welfare and growth of the Community must necessarily depend. What a more sacred privilege, and also what a weightier responsibility than the task of rearing up the new generation of believers, and of inculcating into their youthful and receptive minds the principles and teachings of the Cause, and of thus preparing them to fully assume, and properly discharge the weighty responsibilities and obligations of their future life in the Bahá’í Community.

(From a letter dated 28 April, 1939 written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to a National Committee and an individual believer) [120]

“121: You have asked him for detailed information concerning the Bahá’í...”

You have asked him for detailed information concerning the Bahá’í educational programme: there is as yet no such thing as a Bahá’í curriculum, and there are no Bahá’í publications exclusively devoted to this subject, since the teachings of Bahá’u’lláh and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá do not present a definite and detailed educational system, but simply offer certain basic principles and set forth a number of teaching ideals that should guide future Bahá’í educationalists in their efforts to formulate an adequate teaching curriculum which would be in full harmony with the spirit of the Bahá’í Teachings, and would thus meet the requirements and needs of the modern age.

These basic principles are available in the sacred writings of the Cause, and should be carefully studied, and gradually incorporated in various college and university programmes. But the task of formulating a system of education which would be officially recognized by the Cause, and enforced as such throughout the Bahá’í world is one which [the] present-day generation of believers cannot obviously undertake, and which has to be gradually accomplished by Bahá’í scholars and educationalists of the future.

(From a letter dated 7 June, 1939 written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer) [121]

“122: With regard to the statement attributed to ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and which you...”

With regard to the statement attributed to ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and which you have quoted in your letter regarding a “problem child”: these statements of the Master, however true in their substance, should never be given a literal interpretation. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá could have never meant that a child should be left to himself, entirely free. In fact Bahá’í education, just like any other system of education, is based on the assumption that there are certain natural deficiencies in every child, no matter how gifted, which his educators, whether his parents, schoolmasters, or his spiritual guides and preceptors, should endeavour to remedy. Discipline of some sort, whether physical, moral or intellectual, is indeed indispensable, and no training can be said to be complete and fruitful if it disregards this element. The child when born is far from being perfect. It is not only helpless, but actually is imperfect, and even is naturally inclined towards evil. He should be trained, his natural inclinations harmonized, adjusted and controlled, and if necessary suppressed or regulated, so as to ensure his healthy physical and moral development. Bahá’í parents cannot simply adopt an attitude of non-resistance towards their children, particularly those who are unruly and violent by nature. It is not even sufficient that they should pray on their behalf. Rather they should endeavour to inculcate, gently and patiently, into their youthful minds such principles of moral conduct and initiate them into the principles and teachings of the Cause with such tactful and loving care as would enable them to become “true sons of God” and develop into loyal and intelligent citizens of His Kingdom. This is the high purpose which Bahá’u’lláh Himself has clearly defined as the chief goal of every education.

(From a letter dated 9 July 1939 written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer) [122]

“123: The task of bringing up a Bahá’í child, as emphasized time and again in...”

The task of bringing up a Bahá’í child, as emphasized time and again in Bahá’í writings, is the chief responsibility of the mother, whose unique privilege is indeed to create in her home such conditions as would be most conducive to both his material and spiritual welfare and advancement. The training which a child first receives through his mother constitutes the strongest foundation for his future development, and it should therefore be the paramount concern of your wife...to endeavour from now imparting to her new-born son such spiritual training as would enable him later on to fully assume and adequately discharge all the responsibilities and duties of Bahá’í life.

(From a letter dated 16 November 1939 written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer) [123]

“124: With regard to your little daughter ...; he is truly rejoiced and...”

With regard to your little daughter ...; he is truly rejoiced and encouraged to realize how eager you both are to provide her with a thoroughly Bahá’í training, and is confident that under your wise and devoted care, and through the unfailing protection and guidance of Bahá’u’lláh she will in time develop into a devoted and loyal servant of the Faith.

With this in mind, the Guardian thinks it would be preferable not to place the child in a purely Catholic institution, and to give her instead a broad spiritual and intellectual training that would enable her, at a later age, to fully appreciate the spirit of the Cause. While it should be your constant endeavour to bring her up in a thoroughly religious atmosphere, you should also be careful in keeping her away from all such influences that would tend to breed in her the spirit of religious bigotry, and thus narrow down the horizon of her spiritual understanding.

(From a letter dated 12 December 1939 written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to two believers) [124]

“125: With reference to the question of the training of children: given the...”

With reference to the question of the training of children: given the emphasis placed by Bahá’u’lláh and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá on the necessity for the parents to train their children while still in their tender age, it would seem preferable that they should receive their first training at home at the hand of their mother, rather than be sent to a nursery. Should circumstances, however, compel a Bahá’í mother to adopt the latter course there can be no objection.

(From a letter dated 13 November 1940 written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer) [125]

“126: The question of the training and education of children in case one of the...”

The question of the training and education of children in case one of the parents is a non-Bahá’í is one which solely concerns the parents themselves, who should decide about it the way they find best and most conducive to the maintenance of the unity of their family, and to the future welfare of their children. Once the child comes of age, however, he should be given full freedom to choose his religion, irrespective of the wishes and desires of his parents.

(From a letter dated 14 December 1940 written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to the National Spiritual Assembly of India and Burma) [126]

“127: The Guardian was delighted to hear of your youth group. The children who...”

The Guardian was delighted to hear of your youth group. The children who are trained in the world-embracing teachings of Bahá’u’lláh cannot but grow up to be a truly new race of men. He hopes these young people will prepare themselves for the great task which will face them in the future, that of helping to rebuild the world with the aid and inspiration of the Bahá’í teachings.

(From a letter dated 25 December 1941 written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to the Bahá’ís of Hobart, Australia) [127]

“128: These Bahá’í children are of such great importance to the future. They...”

These Bahá’í children are of such great importance to the future. They will live in times, and have to meet problems, which never faced their elders. And the Cause alone can equip them to properly serve the needs of a future, war-weary, disillusioned, unhappy humanity. So their task will be very great and a very responsible one, and too much care cannot be devoted to their upbringing and preparation.

(From a letter dated 11 January 1942 written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer) [128]

“129: ...The Guardian feels that it would be better for either the mothers of...”

...The Guardian feels that it would be better for either the mothers of Bahá’í children—or some Committee your Assembly might delegate the task to—to choose excerpts from the Sacred Words to be used by the child rather than just something made up. Of course prayer can be purely spontaneous, but many of the sentences and thoughts combined in Bahá’í writings of a devotional nature are easy to grasp, and the revealed Word is endowed with a power of its own.

(From a letter dated 8 August 1942 written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to the National Spiritual Assembly of the British Isles) [129]

“130: You Bahá’í children and young people have both great privileges and...”

You Bahá’í children and young people have both great privileges and great obligations ahead of you, for your generation will be the ones to help build up a new, better and more beautiful world after the dark years of this war are passed. You should prepare yourselves for this great task by trying to grasp the true meaning of the teachings and not just merely accepting them as something you are taught. They are like a wonderful new world of thought just beginning to be explored, and when we realize that Bahá’u’lláh has brought teachings and laws for a thousand years to come, we can readily see that each new generation may find some greater meaning in the writings than the ones gone before did.

(From a letter dated 14 October 1942 written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to some individual believers) [130]

“131: The Guardian, in his remarks to ... about parents’ and children’s, wives’...”

The Guardian, in his remarks to ... about parents’ and children’s, wives’ and husbands’ relations in America, meant that there is a tendency in that country for children to be too independent of the wishes of their parents and lacking in the respect due to them....

(From a letter dated 22 July 1943 written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer) [131]

“132: Regarding your question about children fighting: the statement of the...”

Regarding your question about children fighting: the statement of the Master, not to strike back, should not be taken so extremely literally that Bahá’í children must accept to be bullied and thrashed. If they can manage to show a better way of settling disputes than by active self-defence, they should naturally do so.

(From a letter dated 11 May 1945 written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer) [132]

“133: You ask him about the fear of God: perhaps the friends do not realize...”

You ask him about the fear of God: perhaps the friends do not realize that the majority of human beings need the element of fear in order to discipline their conduct? Only a relatively very highly evolved soul would always be disciplined by love alone. Fear of punishment, fear of the anger of God if we do evil, are needed to keep people’s feet on the right path. Of course we should love God—but we must fear Him in the sense of a child fearing the righteous anger and chastisement of a parent; not cringe before Him as before a tyrant, but know His mercy exceeds His justice!

(From a letter dated 26 July 1946 written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer) [133]

“134: He is sorry to hear your little boy is not developing satisfactorily;...”

He is sorry to hear your little boy is not developing satisfactorily; very few children are really bad. They do, however, sometimes have complicated personalities and need very wise handling to enable them to grow into normal, moral, happy adults. If you feel convinced your son will really benefit from going to Father Flanagan’s school you could send him there. But in general we should certainly always avoid sending Bahá’í children to orthodox religious schools, especially Catholic, as the children receive the imprint of religious beliefs we as believers know are outdated and no longer for this age. He will especially pray for the solution of this problem.

(From a letter dated 30 May 1947 written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer) [134]

“135: Regarding the questions you asked him: there is no objection to children...”

Regarding the questions you asked him: there is no objection to children who are as yet unable to memorize a whole prayer learning certain sentences only.

He does not feel that the friends should make a practice of saying grace or of teaching it to children. This is not part of the Bahá’í Faith, but a Christian practice, and as the Cause embraces members of all races and religions we should be careful not to introduce into it the customs of our previous beliefs. Bahá’u’lláh has given us the obligatory prayers, also prayers before sleeping, for travellers, etc. We should not introduce a new set of prayers He has not specified, when He has given us already so many, for so many occasions.

Your work for child education is certainly important, and he urges you to keep it up.

(From a letter dated 27 September 1947 written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer) [135]

“136: In regard to your question: he feels this is a matter for you and your...”

In regard to your question: he feels this is a matter for you and your husband to decide, especially in view of his attitude towards the Cause; the children, being minors, are under your jurisdiction, and you both have sacred rights and responsibility as regards their future.

(From a letter dated 24 November 1947 written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer) [136]

“137: Any Bahá’í can give to the Cause’s Funds, adult or child. No statement...”

Any Bahá’í can give to the Cause’s Funds, adult or child. No statement is required on this subject; Bahá’í children have always given to the Cause, everywhere. Whatever situation may arise in a class which non-Bahá’í children attend is for the teacher of the class to solve. No ruling should be made to cover such things.

(From a letter dated 18 August 1949 written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States) [137]

“138: Just because you are children does not mean you cannot serve the Faith,...”

Just because you are children does not mean you cannot serve the Faith, and teach it, by your example and by the way you let people see that you are better and more intelligent than most other children.

(From a letter dated 16 March 1952 written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to the Santa Monica Children’s Class) [138]

“139: The general principle ... is that a request for excuse from School sessions on...”

The general principle ... is that a request for excuse from School sessions on Bahá’í Holy Days is desirable. This applies to all Bahá’í children regardless of their age. Children of Bahá’í parents, under the age of 15, are considered Bahá’ís.

What a Bahá’í parent or your Assembly should do is apply to the School Board to grant to their children permission to remain away from School on Bahá’í Holy Days, and then abide by whatever decision the School Board may make, and not try in any way to force the matter.

(From a letter dated 19 August 1952 written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer) [139]

“140: The beloved Guardian was greatly delighted to learn of the success of the...”

The beloved Guardian was greatly delighted to learn of the success of the institute for teaching the Indian children. He feels this is a very fine method of implanting the teachings of the Faith in the hearts and the minds of the young children, so that they may grow and develop into strong and virile men and women who will serve the Cause. Likewise through this effort, he hopes you will be able to attract some of the parents.

(From a letter dated 18 February 1954 written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer) [140]

“141: The Guardian will pray for the spiritual development of your dear son. On...”

The Guardian will pray for the spiritual development of your dear son. On the shoulders of the youth today rests the future of the Faith. Therefore they should be well educated and trained not only in the Teachings of the Faith, but also in secular matters.