The Baha'i Studies Listserv
On 5 Jan 2009 at 17:05, Benjamin La Framboise wrote:
> I understand that, below, Shoghi Effendi is reminding us about what
> `Abdu'l-Baha has said. He's not just quoting `Abdu'l-Baha, however;
> he is using the term 'century' himself. If it was only `Abdu'l-Baha
> using this term, and we had His definition to guide us, then it would
> be a much cleaner understanding. Does Shoghi Effendi ever use
> 'century' to mean the 'cycle' of Baha'u'llah?
Yes, he does, in his translations:
"Gradually whatsoever is latent in the innermost of this Holy Cycle
shall appear and be made manifest, for now is but the beginning of
its growth and the dayspring of the revelation of its Signs. Ere the
close of this Century and of this Age, it shall be made clear and
manifest how wondrous was that Springtide and how heavenly was that
Gift!" (Shoghi Effendi, Baha'i Administration, p. 15)
Briefly, in every age and century differences have arisen in the days
of the manifestation of the Daysprings of Revelation, and the Dawning-
Places of inspiration, and the Repositories of Divine knowledge,
differences which have been caused and provoked by lying and impious
souls.
(Baha'u'llah, Epistle to the Son of the Wolf, p. 120)
Such objections and differences have persisted in every age and
century. The people have always busied themselves with such specious
discourses, vainly protesting: "Wherefore hath not this or that sign
appeared?"
(Baha'u'llah, The Kitab-i-Iqan, p. 81)
In every age and century, the purpose of the Prophets of God and
their chosen ones hath been no other but to affirm the spiritual
significance of the terms "life," "resurrection," and "judgment."
(Baha'u'llah, The Kitab-i-Iqan, p. 119)
"The Lord, the All-Glorified," He has moreover declared, "hath,
beneath the shade of the Tree of Anisa (Tree of Life), made a new
Covenant and established a great Testament... Hath such a Covenant
been established in any previous Dispensation, age, period or
century? Hath such a Testament, set down by the Pen of the Most 239
High, ever been witnessed?
(Shoghi Effendi, God Passes By, p. 238)
Hence the unity of all mankind can in this day be achieved. Verily
this is none other but one of the wonders of this wondrous age, this
glorious century. Of this past ages have been deprived, for this
century -- the century of light -- has been endowed with unique and
unprecedented glory, power and illumination.
(Shoghi Effendi, The World Order of Baha'u'llah, p. 38)
Shoghi Effendi also uses century in the sense of 100 years, but then
usually in the Bahai calendar, not the Gregorian one:
"First Century of Bahá'í era drawing to a close. Humanity entering
outer fringes most perilous stage its existence. Opportunities of
present hour unimaginably precious. Would to God every State within
American Republic and every Republic in American continent might ere
termination of this glorious century embrace the light of the Faith
of Bahá'u'lláh and establish structural basis of His World Order.
(Shoghi Effendi, Messages to America, p. 6)
Broadly speaking then - when Shoghi Effendi is translating, "century"
is an age or era, when he is writing in english it is 100 years,
sometimes in the gregorian calendar but usually in the Bahai
calendar. However there's at least one place where he crosses these:
Such, dearly-beloved friends, is the effusion of celestial grace
vouchsafed by the Almighty to this age, this most illumined century!
We stand too close to so colossal a Revelation to expect in this, the
first century of its era,
(Shoghi Effendi, The World Order of Baha'u'llah, p. 63)
This illumined century is parallel to "age" and "era", but "the first
century" is 100 years, Badi calendar.
The UHJ has followed the same practice in its authorised
translations:
The Spiritual Assemblies to be established in this Age of God, this
holy century, have, it is indisputable, had neither peer nor likeness
in the cycles gone before.
(Abdu'l-Baha, Selections from the Writings of Abdu'l-Baha, p. 82)
It's not too complicated, once one is sensitised to the possibility
of different meanings
Sen
----------------------------------------------------------------------
--
Sen McGlinn
***
Let the friends recall and ever bear in mind
the repeated exhortations and glowing promises of our beloved
Master
with reference to the Mashriqu'l-Adhkar,
the crowning institution in every Baha'i community.
(Shoghi Effendi, Baha'i Administration, page
108)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
--
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