Chinvat : Memorial of the Faithful



O my God!  O my God!  Verily, thy servant, humble before the majesty of Thy divine supremacy, lowly at the door of Thy oneness, hath believed in Thee and in Thy verses, hath testified to Thy word, hath been enkindled with the fire of Thy love, hath been immersed in the depths of the ocean of Thy knowledge, hath been attracted by Thy breezes, hath relied upon Thee, hath turned his face to Thee, hath offered his supplications to Thee, and hath been assured of Thy pardon and forgiveness.  He hath abandoned this mortal life and hath flown to the kingdom of immortality, yearning for the favor of meeting Thee.

O Lord, glorify his station, shelter him under the pavilion of Thy supreme mercy, cause him to enter Thy glorious paradise, and perpetuate his existence in Thine exalted rose garden, that he may plunge into the sea of light in the world of mysteries.
Verily, Thou art the Generous, the Powerful, the Forgiver and the Bestower.

Dear Friends,

Dwight Seeley was a very important person in the Kingdom. He and his wife Betty came to visit us in Glenwood Springs, CO in the early 2000s and always gave their full grounded support for all our efforts and projects. I first met the Seeley's during my several trips from Detroit to New York City back in the 1980s when I would come through Hermitage, PA. They always opened opened up both their home and their hearts for me in my travels and were always full loving supporters of all the diverse activities of their son Kevin who introduced me to them.

Recently in a trip to Washington D.C. they again opened up their home and hospitality for myself and my entire family. I had many exciting and wonderful talks with Dwight. He was extremely knowledgeable in both spiritual and material matters. Our prayers go out to him and his entire family. About 5 days before his passing he told Kevin--who had been taking care of all his personal needs for over a year now--that he was "done with this old worn out body." Kevin writes:

"Allah'u'Abha! Dear friends, My beloved father (Dwight Arling Seeley) made a most peaceful passage from his mortal body into the next world at 12:00 am Eastern time on Kamal 19, 172 B.E. (8/19/2015). All prayers for the departed will surely be to his benefit at the Threshold of God's Singleness. God's Grace is abundant." "After I found the Revelation of Baha'u'llah and had moved to Colorado, he began keeping track of news stories he came across about the Baha'i Faith and expressing his acceptance of it as no mere cult and giving his full support of all of my efforts in my personal teaching efforts even to the extent of great personal sacrifices. Any thoughts and prayers directed to God the Most Merciful, the Most Gracious on his behalf will surely ease his birth into his new life beyond this earthly realm. God bless all the friends and may all teaching efforts increase immeasurably. In service, Kevin Paul Seeley. Ya Allah El-Mustaghath!"

On Saturday, August 22, they will be assembling at noon in PA and then having a Memorial service for Dwight in the Masonic Tradition at about a quarter to 2:00 Eastern Time. Masonic Lodge 137 sits at the foot of Chair Mountain in Marble Colorado. 'Abdu'l-Baha has stated:

"A student of the modern methods of the higher criticism asked ‘Abdu’l-Baha if he would do well to continue in the church with which he had been associated all his life, and whose language was full of meaning to him. ‘Abdu’l-Baha answered: “You must not dissociate yourself from it. Know this; the Kingdom of God is not in any Society; some seekers go through many Societies as a traveler goes through many cities till he reach his destination. If you belong to a Society already do not forsake your brothers. You can be a Baha’i-Christian, a Baha’i-Freemason, a Baha’i-Jew, a Baha’i-Muḥammadan. The number nine contains eight, and seven, and all the other numbers, and does not deny any of them. Do not distress or deny anyone by saying ‘He is not a Baha’i!’ He will be known by his deeds. There are no secrets among Baha’is; a Baha’í does not hide anything.” ('Abdu'l-Baha in London)

As many of us will also be assembling world-wide to commemorate the anniversary of the Birth of the establisher, Dr. Leland Jensen on August 22--we will also be having a simultaneous memorial service for the crossing over of Dwight in our home here on the Front range--and will say prayers for the departed at a quarter to noon Mountain Time.

Best Wishes to all,
your servant,
Neal.

Mason Remey was an Aghsan

Mason Remey was an Aghsan

due to being adopted by 'Abdu'l-Baha.

[Mason Remey is the legally adopted son of 'Abdu'l-Baha]



In the Star of the West it is recorded that 'Abdu'l-Baha publicly addressed Mason Remey as "O my dear son," (vol 10, #8 page 144) and "O thou enlightened beloved son," (vol 11, #13, page 229) plus it is recorded in a book written by one of the early believers that 'Abdu'l-Baha sent a message to Mason Remey saying, "You are very dear to me. You are so dear to me I think of you day and night. You are my real son. Therefore I have an idea for you. I hope it may come to pass. 'Abdu'l-Baha." [Diary of Juliet Thompson, page 71]

The evidence listed above is enough to prove that Mason was 'Abdu'l-Baha's son. In order to make the adoption legal and binding, in accordance with Israeli law, 'Abdu'l-Baha gave Mason Remey a token of inheritance via Shoghi Effendi. He enclosed it inside an envelope within which was another envelope containing the token. On the outside of the envelope in Shoghi Effendi's handwriting was this note:

"Of all the remnants of Baha'u'llah's all-sacred Person, the most hallowed, the most precious, confidently delivered into the hands of my brother and co-worker in the Cause of God, Mr. Remey. [Signed] Shoghi. March 1922."

On the inside envelope, which was sealed with a blob of wax was handwritten,

"Coagulated drops of Baha'u'llah's all-Sacred Blood and Ringlets of His Most Blessed Locks presented as my most precious possession to 'Abdu'l-Baha's 'DEAR SON' Mr. Charles Mason Remey as a token of my Baha'i affection and brotherly love. [signed] Shoghi."
[Click here to view the envelope of this token authenticated by the Guardian, Shoghi Effendi, in his own handwriting and signed by him]

It is clear and evident that Shoghi Effendi knew that Mason was 'Abdu'l-Baha's adopted son. This token seals the adoption agreement making it legal and binding! This token of the hair and the blood has important symbolism. The blood represents Baha'u'llah's bloodline which is "all-Sacred" and "Hallowed." The bloodline is that of the royal line of Kings descended from David. The hair represents the head, or guardianship of the Baha'i Faith.

Mason Remey Aghsan then adopted and appointed his son, Joseph Pepe Remey Aghsan who then adopted and appointed his son, Neal Chase ben Joseph Aghsan, to succeed him as the current Guardian of the Baha'i Faith. The appointment of the successors to the guardianship of the Baha’i faith always comes as a test unto the people. 'Abdu'l-Baha used the token of the hair and the blood; Mason used a token of a medallion in the shape of a nine pointed Baha’i star; and Pepe used a token in the form of a lapis lazuli Baha'i ring. When asked about these tokens, Mason Remey explained that they were a way to give away the test--but that they were not the manner in which the next guardian was appointed as anyone could then steal the token for themselves and claim the guardianship--the guardianship therefore can never be tied to any material object as that can always be stolen by others, Mason explained.

The criteria for the guardianship is to be a son (of the Aghsan lineage of King David through Baha'u'llah and 'Abdu'l-Baha) and to be appointed by the pervious guardian in the guardian's life-time. Neal inherited all these material possessions from his father Pepe and then donated them including the three tokens (a. the hair and blood; b. the medallion; and c. the ringstone seal) and other personal artifacts in his possession that he had inherited from Mason and Pepe--through the executor of Pepe's estate--to the public trust of all the Baha'i peoples Under the Provisions of the Covenant into the personal care of Dr. Leland Jensen in 1994 A.D. The guardian said he did this because first, no one would ever believe or be fooled into thinking that Dr. Jensen was the guardian of the Baha’i faith, and second so that these tokens could never be used by anyone ever again in the future to claim the guardianship of the Baha'i Faith as they had already served their purpose during the tests of Mason, Pepe and Neal. It is possible these relics and artifacts will survive the catastrophe and be placed in a Baha’i “Smithsonian;” and it is possible that they won't.

An adopted son has all the rigths and prerogatives as a natural son, inlcuding the Kingship.