2023/06/13

Bawa Muhaiyaddeen - Wikipedia

Bawa Muhaiyaddeen - Wikipedia


Bawa Muhaiyaddeen

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Muhammad Raheem Bawa Muhaiyaddeen
Bawa Muhaiyaddeen.png
BornUnknown
Sri Lanka
DiedDecember 8, 1986
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Era20th century
RegionSri Lanka, United States

Muhammad Raheem Bawa Muhaiyaddeen (died December 8, 1986), also known as Bawa, was a Tamil-speaking teacher[1] and Sufi mystic from Sri Lanka who came to the United States in 1971,[2] established a following, and founded the Bawa Muhaiyaddeen Fellowship in Philadelphia. He developed branches in the United States, Canada,[3] Australia and the UK — adding to existing groups in Jaffna and Colombo,[4] Sri Lanka. He is known for his teachings, discourses, songs, and artwork.

Bawa established vegetarianism as the norm for his followers[5] and meat products are not permitted at the legacy fellowship center or farm.[6]

Early life[edit]

Though little is known of his early personal life, Bawa Muhaiyaddeen's public career began in Sri Lanka in the early 1940s, when he emerged from the jungles of northern Sri Lanka. Bawa met pilgrims who were visiting shrines in the north, and gradually became more widely known. There were reports of dream or mystical meetings with Bawa that preceded physical contact.[4] According to an account from the 1940s, Bawa had spent time in 'Kataragama', a jungle shrine in the south of the island, and in 'Jailani', a cliff shrine dedicated to 'Abd al-Qadir al-Jilani of Baghdad, an association that links him to the Qadiri order of Sufism.[4] Many of his followers who lived around the northern town of Jaffna were Hindus and addressed him as swami or guru, where he was a medical and spiritual faith healer — and cured demonic possession.[4]

Subsequently, his followers formed an ashram in Jaffna, and a farm south of the city. After meeting business travelers from the south, he was invited to visit Colombo, the capital of Sri Lanka, at the time Ceylon. By 1967, the 'Serendib Sufi Study Circle' was formed by these Colombo predominantly Muslim students. Earlier in 1955, Bawa had set the foundations for a 'God's house' or mosque in the town of Mankumban, on the northern coast. This was the result of a "spiritual experience with Mary, Jesus' mother."[7] After two decades, the building was finished by students from the United States who were visiting the Jaffna ashram.[8] It officially opened and was dedicated in 1975.[9]

Bawa taught using stories and fables, reflecting the background of the student or listener and included Hindu, Buddhist, Jewish, Christian, and Muslim religious traditions; and welcomed persons from all traditions and backgrounds.[7]

Work in the United States[edit]

Bawa Muhaiyaddeen Fellowship

In 1971, Bawa was invited to come to the United States and subsequently moved to Philadelphia, [7] established a following, and formed the Bawa Muhaiyaddeen Fellowship in 1973. The fellowship meeting house offered weekly public gatherings.[7]

As in Sri Lanka, Bawa developed a following among people of diverse religious, social and ethnic backgrounds, who came to Philadelphia to listen to him speak.[citation needed] In the United States, Canada and England, he was recognized by religious scholars, journalists, educators and leaders.[how?] The United Nations' Assistant Secretary General, Robert Muller, asked for Bawa's guidance on behalf of mankind during an interview in 1974.[10] During the Iranian hostage crisis of 1978–1980, he wrote letters to world leaders including Iran's Khomeini, Prime Minister Begin, President Sadat and President Carter to encourage a peaceful resolution to the conflict.[11][12] Time magazine, during the crisis in 1980, quoted Bawa as saying that when the Iranians understand the Koran "they will release the hostages immediately."[13] Interviews with Bawa appeared in Psychology Today,[14] the Harvard Divinity Bulletin,[15] and in The Philadelphia Inquirer[16] and the Pittsburgh Press. He continued teaching until his death on December 8, 1986.[citation needed]

Legacy[edit]

In May, 1984, the Mosque of Shaikh M. R. Bawa Muhaiyaddeen was completed on the Philadelphia property of the Bawa Muhaiyaddeen Fellowship, on Overbrook Avenue. Construction took 6 months and nearly all the work was done by the members of the fellowship under Bawa's direction.[17]

Mazar of M.R. Bawa Muhaiyaddeen

The Bawa Muhaiyaddeen Fellowship Farm (100 acres (0.40 km2)) is in Chester County, Pennsylvania, south of Coatesville and prominently features Bawa's mausoleum, or mazar. Construction began shortly after his death and was completed in 1987. It is a destination for religious followers.[18]

Bawa created paintings and drawings symbolizing the relationship between man and God, describing his art work as "heart's work".[19] Two examples are reproduced in his book Wisdom of Man[20][21] and another is the front cover of the book Four Steps to Pure Iman.[22] In 1976, Bawa recorded and released an album of meditation, on Folkways Records entitled, Into the Secret of the Heart by Guru Bawa Muhaiyaddeen.[23]

In the United States, from 1971 to 1986, Bawa authored over twenty-five books,[24] created from over 10,000 hours of audio and video transcriptions of his discourses and songs. Some titles originated from Sri Lanka before his arrival in the U.S. and were transcribed later. The Bawa Muhaiyaddeen Fellowship continues to study and disseminate this repository of his teachings. It has not appointed a new leader or Sheikh to replace his role as teacher and personal guide.[citation needed]

Vegetarianism[edit]

Bawa established vegetarianism as the norm for his followers as he believed the only compassionate choice is to eat without slaughter.[25] He stated that "we must be aware of everything we do. All young animals have love and compassion. And if we remember that every creation was young once, we will never kill another life. We will not harm or attack any living creature".[25] Bawa authored The Tasty Economical Cookbook, a two-volume vegetarian cookbook.[26]

Titles and honorifics[edit]

Bawa Muhaiyaddeen was referred to as Guru, Swami, Sheikh or 'His Holiness' depending on the background of the speaker or writer.[citation needed] He was also addressed as Bawangal by those Tamil speakers who were close to him and who wanted to use a respectful address.[citation needed] He often referred to himself as an 'ant man',[27] i.e., a very small life in God's creation. After his arrival in the United States, he was most often addressed as Guru Bawa or simply Bawa, and he established the fellowship. By 1976, he felt that the title 'guru' had been abused by others who were not true teachers and dropped the title Guru, with the organization becoming the Bawa Muhaiyaddeen Fellowship.[28]

By 2007, an honorific, Qutb, was used by his students in the publications of his talks.[29] Qutb means pole or axis, and signifies a spiritual center.[30] The name Muhaiyaddeen means 'the giver of life to true belief' and has been associated with previous Qutbs.

Quotes[edit]

  • "The prayers you perform, the duties you do, the charity and love you give is equal to just one drop. But if you use that one drop, continue to do your duty, and keep digging within, then the spring of God's grace and His qualities will flow in abundance."[31]
  • "People with wisdom know that it is important to correct their own mistakes, while people without wisdom find it necessary to point out the mistakes of others. People with strong faith know that it is important to clear their own hearts, while those with unsteady faith seek to find fault in the hearts and prayers of others. This becomes a habit in their lives. But those who pray to God with faith, determination, and certitude know that the most important thing in life is to surrender their hearts to God."[32]
  • "The things that change are not our real life. Within us there is another body, another beauty. It belongs to that ray of light which never changes. We must discover how to mingle with it and become one with that unchanging thing. We must realize and understand this treasure of truth. That is why we have come to the world."[33]
  • "My love you, my children. Very few people will accept the medicine of wisdom. The mind refuses wisdom. But if you do agree to accept it, you will receive the grace, and when you receive that grace, you will have good qualities. When you acquire good qualities, you will know true love, and when you accept love, you will see the light. When you accept the light, you will see the resplendence, and when you accept that resplendence, the wealth of the three worlds will be complete within you. With this completeness, you will receive the kingdom of God, and you will know your Father. When you see your Father, all your connections to karma, hunger, disease, old age will leave you."[34]
  • My grandchildren, this is the way things really are. We must do everything with love in our hearts. God belongs to everyone. He has given a commonwealth to all His creations, and we must not take it for ourselves. We must not take more than our share. Our hearts must melt with love, we must share everything with others, and we must give lovingly to make others peaceful. Then we will win our true beauty and the liberation of our soul. Please think about this. Prayer, the qualities of God, the actions of God, faith in God, and worship of God are your grace. If you have these, God will be yours and the wealth of the world to come will be yours. My grandchildren, realize this in your lifetime. Consider your life, search for wisdom, search for knowledge, and search for that love of God which is divine knowledge, and search for His qualities, His love, and His actions. That will be good. Amin. Ya Rabbal-'alamin. So be it. O Ruler of the universes. May God grant you this."[35]
  • "God has a home inside of our heart. We must find a home inside of God's home inside of our heart" - Shared by Bawa Mahaiyaddeen in conversation with advocate for the homeless at the Muhaiyaddeen community in Philadelphia - 1986.

Writings by students and others[edit]

Books by his followers and others about M.R. Bawa Muhaiyaddeen include:

  • Owner's Manual for the Human Being by Mitch Gilbert, One Light Press publisher, 2005, ISBN 0-9771267-0-6
  • The Illuminated Prayer: The Five-Times Prayer of the Sufis by Coleman Barks and Michael Green, Ballantine Wellspring publisher, 2000, ISBN 0-345-43545-1. According to the publisher, the book "offers a compelling introduction to the wisdom and teachings of the beloved contemporary Sufi master Bawa Muhaiyaddeen, who brought new life to this mystical tradition by opening a passage to its deepest, universal realities. It is the loving handiwork of two of Bawa's best-known students, Coleman Barks and Michael Green, who also created The Illuminated Rumi."
  • One Song: A New Illuminated Rumi by Michael Green, Running Press publisher, 2005, ISBN 0-7624-2087-1
  • My Years with the Qutb: A Walk in Paradise by Professor Sharon Marcus, Sufi Press publisher, 2007, ISBN 0-9737534-0-4
  • THE MIRROR Photographs and Reflections on Life with M.R. Bawa Muhaiyaddeen (Ral.) by Chloë Le Pichon and Dwaraka Ganesan and Saburah Posner and Sulaiha Schwartz, published privately by Chloë Le Pichon, 2010, ISBN 0-615-33211-0. A 237-page large-format photographic compilation with commentary by 78 contributors.
  • Life with the Guru by Dr. Art Hochberg, Kalima publisher, 2014, ISBN 0988807556
  • The Elixir of Truth: Journey on the Sufi Path, Volume One by Musa Muhaiyaddeen, Witness Within publisher, 2013, ISBN 0989018504
  • Finding the Way Home by Dr. Lockwood Rush, Ilm House publisher, 2007, ISBN 0972660712
  • GPS for the Soul: Wisdom of the Master by Dana Hayne, BalboaPress publisher, 2017, ISBN 1504384040

Coleman Barks, a poet and translator into English of the works of the 13th-century Sunni Muslim poet Jalāl ad-Dīn Muḥammad Rūmī, described meeting Bawa Muhaiyaddeen in a dream in 1977.[36] After that experience he began to translate the poems of Rumi. Coleman finally met Bawa Muhaiyaddeen in September, 1978 and continued to have dreams where he would receive teachings.[36] Coleman's likens Bawa Muhaiyaddeen to Rumi and Shams Tabrizi, the companion of Rumi.[37] Artist Michael Green worked with Coleman Barks to produce illustrated version of Rumi's works.[38][39]

In "Blue-Eyed Devil", Michael Muhammad Knight attempts to receive a message from Bawa in a dream, in a Sufi practice called istikhara. He travels to the mazar and unsuccessfully tries to fall asleep on the cushions, but is awakened by the groundskeeper.[40]

The band mewithoutYou explored Bawa's teachings throughout their discography, most notably in their fourth album, It's All Crazy! It's All False! It's All a Dream! It's Alright. The teacher's story of "The Fox, the Crow, and the Cookie" from My Love You My Children: 101 Stories for Children is told as well as his story about the "King Beetle" from The Divine Luminous Wisdom that Dispels Darkness.

See also[edit]

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ Malik and Hinnells, p. 90.
  2. ^ Divine Luminous Wisdom, p. 254.
  3. ^ Malik and Hinnells, p. 93.
  4. ^ Jump up to:a b c d Malik and Hinnells, p. 91.
  5. ^ God, His Prophets and His Children, pgs. 150–157
  6. ^ Bawa Muhaiyaddeen Fellowship web-site Farm page
  7. ^ Jump up to:a b c d Malik and Hinnells, p. 92.
  8. ^ Malik and Hinnells, p 92.
  9. ^ The Tree That Fell to the West, p. 171.
  10. ^ To Die Before Death, p. xix.
  11. ^ Haddad and Smith, p 103.
  12. ^ The Truth and Unity of Man: Letters in Response to a Crisis
  13. ^ "Is the Ayatullah a Heretic?" Time. April 28, 1980.
  14. ^ Keen, Sam (April 1976). "The Mind is in the Heart". Psychology Today.
  15. ^ Harvard Divinity Bulletin. Harvard University Divinity School. December 1982 – January 1983, Volume XIII, Number 2
  16. ^ Haddad and Smith, p 104.
  17. ^ Bawa Muhaiyaddeen Fellowship web-site.
  18. ^ Xavier, M. Shobhana. "An American Sufi Shrine, Bawa's Mazar in Coatesville, Pennsylvania." Object Narrative. In Conversations: An Online Journal of the Center for the Study of Material and Visual Cultures of Religion (2016). doi:10.22332/con.obj.2016.5 http://mavcor.yale.edu/conversations/object-narratives/american-sufi-shrine-bawa-s-mazar-coatesville-pennsylvania
  19. ^ Acknowledgments page, Wisdom of Man
  20. ^ Muhaiyaddeen, M. R. Bawa (June 7, 1994). The Wisdom of Man: Selected Discourses. Fellowship Press. ISBN 9780914390459 – via Google Books.
  21. ^ Muhaiyaddeen, M. R. Bawa (June 7, 1994). The Wisdom of Man: Selected Discourses. Fellowship Press. ISBN 9780914390459 – via Google Books.
  22. ^ Four Steps to Pure Iman, front cover.
  23. ^ "Smithsonian Folkways recording FW08905".
  24. ^ Islam and World Peace, pg.173.
  25. ^ Jump up to:a b Kemmerer, Lisa. (2012). Animals and World Religions. Oxford University Press. p. 258. ISBN 978-0199790678
  26. ^ "Tasty, Economical Cookbook: Vegetarian Recipes by M. R. Bawa Muhaiyaddeen". rumisgarden.co.uk. Retrieved 8 February 2023.
  27. ^ The Tree That Fell to the West, p. 165.
  28. ^ Truth and Light, p. 10.
  29. ^ The Point Where God and Man Meet, p. xi.
  30. ^ Resonance of Allah, p. 716.
  31. ^ Sheikh and Disciple, p. 63.
  32. ^ Islam and World Peace, p. 3.
  33. ^ Questions of Life Answers of Wisdom, Vol.1, p. 220.
  34. ^ Come to the Secret Garden, p. 188.
  35. ^ My Love you My Children; p. 466.
  36. ^ Jump up to:a b Rumi: the Book of Love, p. 140.
  37. ^ Nov. 12, 2007 interview by Chitra Kalyani, IslamOnline.Net article Archived January 15, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
  38. ^ Xavier, M. Shobhana. "From Illuminated Rumi to the Green Barn: The Art of Sufism in America." Object Narrative. In Conversations: An Online Journal of the Center for the Study of Material and Visual Cultures of Religion (2016). doi:10.22332/con.obj.2016.4 http://mavcor.yale.edu/conversations/object-narratives/illuminated-rumi-green-barn-art-sufism-america
  39. ^ Xavier, M. Shobhana. "Interview with American Sufi Artist Michael Green." Interview. In Conversations: An Online Journal of the Center for the Study of Material and Visual Cultures of Religion (2016). doi:10.22332/con.int.2016.1 http://mavcor.yale.edu/conversations/interviews/interview-american-sufi-artist-michael-green
  40. ^ "Blue-Eyed Devil", pg. 86-88.

References[edit]

  • Bawa Muhaiyaddeen, M. R. (1972). The Divine Luminous Wisdom That Dispels the Darkness. Philadelphia: The Fellowship Press. ISBN 0-914390-11-2.
  • Bawa Muhaiyaddeen, M. R. (1974). Truth and Light: Brief Explanations. Philadelphia: The Fellowship Press. ISBN 0-914390-04-X. Radio Interviews by Lex Hixon – WBAI, New York, and Will Noffke – KQED, San Francisco
  • Bawa Muhaiyaddeen, M. R. (1976). God, His Prophets and His Children. Philadelphia: The Fellowship Press. ISBN 0-914390-09-0.
  • Bawa Muhaiyaddeen, M. R. (1976). My Love You, My Children: Stories for Children of All Ages. Philadelphia: The Fellowship Press. ISBN 0-914390-20-1.
  • Bawa Muhaiyaddeen, M. R. (1980). The Truth and Unity of Man: Letters in Response to a Crisis. Philadelphia: The Fellowship Press. ISBN 0-914390-15-5.
  • Bawa Muhaiyaddeen, M. R. (1980). The Wisdom of Man: Selected Discourses. Philadelphia: The Fellowship Press. ISBN 0-914390-45-7.
  • Bawa Muhaiyaddeen, M. R. (1983). Sheikh and Disciple. Philadelphia: The Fellowship Press. ISBN 0-914390-26-0.
  • Bawa Muhaiyaddeen, M. R. (1985). Come to the Secret Garden. Philadelphia: The Fellowship Press. ISBN 0-914390-46-5.
  • Bawa Muhaiyaddeen, M. R. (1997). To Die Before Death: The Sufi Way of Life. Philadelphia: The Fellowship Press. ISBN 0-914390-39-2.
  • Bawa Muhaiyaddeen, M. R. (2001). Questions of Life, Answers of Wisdom, Vol. 1. Philadelphia: The Fellowship Press. ISBN 0-914390-32-5.
  • Bawa Muhaiyaddeen, M. R. (2001). The Resonance of Allah: Resplendent Explanations Arising from the Nur, Allah's Wisdom of Grace. Philadelphia: The Fellowship Press. ISBN 0-914390-61-9.
  • Bawa Muhaiyaddeen, M. R. (2003). The Tree that Fell to the West: Autobiography of a Sufi. Philadelphia: The Fellowship Press. ISBN 0-914390-67-8.
  • Bawa Muhaiyaddeen, M. R. (2004). Islam and World Peace: Explanations of a Sufi. Philadelphia: The Fellowship Press. ISBN 0-914390-65-1.*Bawa Muhaiyaddeen, M. R. (2006). The Point Where God and Man Meet. Philadelphia: The Fellowship Press. ISBN 0-914390-79-1.
  • Y. Y. Haddad and J. I. Smith, editors (1994). Muslim Communities in North America. Albany: SUNY. ISBN 0-7914-2019-1. {{cite book}}: |last= has generic name (help) Chapter 4: Tradition and Innovation in Contemporary American Islamic Spirituality: The Bawa Muhaiyaddeen Fellowship by Dr. Gisela Webb, Professor of Religious Studies at Seton Hall University
  • J. Malik and J. Hinnells, editors (2003). Sufism in the West. New York: Routledge. ISBN 0-415-27407-9. {{cite book}}: |last= has generic name (help) Chapter 4: Third Wave Sufism in America and the Bawa Muhaiyaddeen Fellowship by Dr. Gisela Webb, Professor of Religious Studies at Seton Hall University
  • Xavier, M. Shobhana (2015). Masjids, Ashrams and Mazars: Transnational Sufism and the Bawa Muhaiyaddeen Fellowship. Waterloo, Canada: Wilfrid Laurier University dissertation.
  • Xavier, M. Shobhana. "Interview with American Sufi Artist Michael Green." Interview. In Conversations: An Online Journal of the Center for the Study of Material and Visual Cultures of Religion (2016). doi:10.22332/con.int.2016.1 Interview with American Sufi Artist Michael Green
  • Xavier, M. Shobhana. "An American Sufi Shrine, Bawa's Mazar in Coatesville, Pennsylvania." Object Narrative. In Conversations: An Online Journal of the Center for the Study of Material and Visual Cultures of Religion (2016). doi:10.22332/con.obj.2016.5 An American Sufi Shrine, Bawa’s Mazar in Coatesville, Pennsylvania
  • Xavier, M. Shobhana. "From Illuminated Rumi to the Green Barn: The Art of Sufism in America." Object Narrative. In Conversations: An Online Journal of the Center for the Study of Material and Visual Cultures of Religion (2016). doi:10.22332/con.obj.2016.4 From Illuminated Rumi to the Green Barn: The Art of Sufism in America
  • Snyder, Benjamin H. (2003). HEARTSPACE: The Bawa Muhaiyaddeen Fellowship and the Culture of Unity. Philadelphia: Haverford College thesis.
  • Barks, Coleman (2005). Rumi: The Book of Love: Poems of Ecstasy and Longing. New York: HarperCollins. ISBN 0-06-075050-2.

External links[edit]

Websites

Scholarly articles and dissertations

Online books and videos

Other external links

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Pamphlet 33: ‘Quakerism and Buddhism: The Cutting Edge’, Anne Bancroft, 2008 – Quaker Universalist Group – UK

Pamphlet 33: ‘Quakerism and Buddhism: The Cutting Edge’, Anne Bancroft, 2008 – Quaker Universalist Group – UK

Pamphlet 33: ‘Quakerism and Buddhism: The Cutting Edge’, Anne Bancroft, 2008

Anne Bancroft speaks from a long experience of both Buddhism and Quakerism. She sets the Buddha and George Fox in their respective contexts and traces their spiritual journeys: that of George Fox as recorded in his and his contemporaries’ writings; and that of the Buddha from the oral tradition of teaching as set down in the Pali manuscripts. Both left home to search for their truths, initially through the traditional teachers of their time; but both came to realise, after a time of deep despair and testing, that the path to truth lay with seeking a direct encounter with the sacred within the self. From their revelations and insights developed those ‘awakenings’ and ‘openings’ which still speak to our condition today. Anne explores the similarities of the two paths but also their differences. Many of us have some connection with Buddhism as we encounter it in contemporary Western society and it is enlightening to find a clear exposition of those often glossed over differences. It is Anne’s belief that these “should not be papered over in a well-meant attempt at ‘oneness’ … but should be looked at directly and celebrated as new insights, leading to a richer and fuller life.” In its account of the origins and development of these two faiths and their meeting points with each other, this pamphlet sets a valuable agenda for further exploration and understanding.

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2023/06/12

Stanwood Cobb - Wikipedia

Stanwood Cobb - Wikipedia

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia



Stanwood Cobb
Born November 6, 1881
Newton, Massachusetts
Died December 29, 1982 (aged 101)
Chevy Chase, Maryland
Occupation Educator
Nationality American
Period 1914–1979
Genre non-fiction, poetry and religious
Subject Education and Baháʼí Faith
Spouse Ida Nayan Whitlam


Stanwood Cobb (November 6, 1881 – December 29, 1982) was an American educator, author and prominent Baháʼí of the 20th century.

He was born in Newton, Massachusetts, the son of Darius Cobb and his wife, née Laura Mae Lillie. Darius and his twin brother Cyrus Cobb were Civil War soldiers and artists, and descendants of Elder Henry Cobb of the second voyage of the Mayflower. Their mother was Eunice Hale Waite Cobb, founding president of the Ladies Physiological Institute of Boston. Darius Cobb and his wife had four daughters and three sons.[1] Stanwood Cobb studied at Dartmouth College, where he was valedictorian of his 1903 or 1905 graduating class, and then at Harvard Divinity School, earning an A.M. in philosophy and comparative religion 1910.[2][3][4] His thesis work, Communistic Experimental Settlements in the USA, observed that every such settlement had failed within a generation because of an inability of communism to get people to subordinate their own desires for the good of the group.[5] In 1919 he married Ida Nayan Whitlam.[2] Cobb was a member of several literary associations[2] and of the Cosmos Club of Washington, D.C.[4]

Cobb lived internationally for some years before settling in Chevy Chase, Maryland, where he died.
Career as educator[edit]

In 1907–1910, Cobb taught history and Latin at Robert College in Constantinople (now Istanbul), followed by several years teaching in the US and Europe.[2] He later headed the English department at St. John's College in Annapolis, Maryland (1914–15), taught at Asheville School in Asheville, North Carolina (1915–16), and was instructor in history and English at the United States Naval Academy (1916–19).[2] Frustrated by the teaching experience at the Academy, Cobb heard a lecture by Marietta Johnson who helped marshal and crystallize his thoughts on education practice and curriculum theory.[6] As a result, in 1919, Cobb founded the Chevy Chase Country Day School, of which he was the principal until his retirement,[2] and, active in the progressive education movement in the United States, became a founder and motivating force,[6] first secretary, and eventually president (1927–1930)[2] of The Association for the Advancement of Progressive Education, in 1931 renamed Progressive Education Association (PEA) and then American Education Fellowship.[7][8][9][10] The first president was Arthur E. Morgan.[11] Later the influential John Dewey served as president.[12] Cobb resigned the presidency in 1930 following the influx of supporters of George Counts who moved the focus of the Association from a student-centered learning approach to one of a social policy oriented approach to education theory.[11] However, between the enormous impact of World War II on all thought and the involvement of many members of the PEA in communism and the general atmosphere of Anti-communism in the United States the achievements of the PEA both before Cobb's resignation and after were largely lost.[6]
Life as a Baháʼí[edit]

After looking at Theosophy and Reform Judaism and other themes in religion'[13] Cobb investigated the Baháʼí Faith after a series of articles in the Boston Transcript on the religion attracted his attention. He pursued the interest to Green Acre conference center in Eliot, Maine in 1906 during his studies at Harvard Divinity School preparing for the Unitarian ministry. Sarah Farmer much affected Cobb,[13] and Thornton Chase was giving a series of talks.[14] It was on that occasion that Cobb became a Baháʼí.[4]

Between 1909 and 1913 he met with ʻAbdu'l-Bahá five times (twice in Akka and several times during the latter's travel to Europe and the US).[4][15] In 1911 Cobb and a number of others gave talks in honor of the personal invitation by ʻAbdu'l-Bahá to pilgrimage of Louis Gregory.[16]

Cobb was a founding member of the Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of Washington D. C. in 1933, and served on various committees (for example Cobb was Chairman of the Teaching Committee in 1935[17]) and edited two Baha'i journals: Star of the West in 1924, and World Order from 1935–39.[4]
Books and articles authored[edit]

Cobb was a prolific writer. Among his books were:The Real Turk. 1914, The Pilgrim Press, ISBN B000NUP6SI.
Ayesha of the Bosphorus. 1915, Boston Murray and Emery Co.
The Essential Mysticism. 1918, Four Seasons, (republished 2006 by Kessinger Publishing, LLC as ISBN 978-1-4286-0910-5).
Simla, A Tale of Love. 1919, The Cornhill Company.
The New Leaven: Progressive Education and Its Effect upon the Child and Society. 1928, (Guy Thomas Buswell review published in The Elementary School Journal, Vol. 29, No. 3 (Nov., 1928), pp. 232–233)..
The Wisdom of Wu Ming Fu. 1931, Henry Holt and Company.
Discovering the Genius Within You 1932, John Day Publisher, and again, World Publishing Co., Cleveland, 1941.
New Horizons for the Child. 1934, Avalon Press.
Security in a Failing World. 1934, Avalon Press.
The Way of Life of Wu Ming Fu. 1935 (reprinted 1942), Avalon Press.
Character - A Sequence in Spiritual Psychology. 1938, Avalon Press.
Symbols of America. 1946, Avalon Press.
Tomorrow and Tomorrow. 1951, Avalon Press.
The Donkey Or the Elephant. 1951, Avalon Press.
What is Man?. 1952.
Sage of the Sacred Mountain; a Gospel of Tranquility. 1953, Avalon Press.
Magnificent Partnership. 1954, Vantage Press Publisher (Warren S. Tryon review published in The New England Quarterly, Vol. 28, No. 3 (Sep., 1955), p. 429).
What is God?. 1955, Avalon Press.
What is Love?. 1957, Avalon Press.
Islamic Contributions to Civilization. 1963, Avalon Press.
Memories of ʻAbdu'l-Baha. 1962, Avalon Press.
The Importance of Creativity. 1967, Scarecrow Press.
Life With Nayan. 1969, Avalon Press.
Radiant Living. 1970, Avalon Press.
The Meaning of Life. 1972, Avalon Press.
Thoughts on education and life. 1975, Avalon Press.
A Call to Action: Develop Your Spiritual Power : Man's Fulfillment on the .... 1977, Avalon Press.
A Saga of Two Centuries 1979 (autobiography).

Similar to his books, the focus of Cobb's articles has been education and Baha'i oriented - he has contributed to or was anthologized by:The Atlantic Monthly (Feb 1921)
The Journal of the American Society for Psychical Research by the American Society for Psychical Research,
The School Arts Magazine by Davis Press,
Childhood Education by the Association for Childhood Education International
Child Study by Child Study Association of America
The New England Magazine by the Making of America Project
The Path of Learning: Essays on Education by Henry Wyman Holmes, Burton P. Fowler, Published 1926 by Little, Brown and Company
Progressive Education by Progressive Education Association

as well asThe Baháʼí World (see Baha'i Periodicals for information)
World Order
See also[edit]Baháʼí views on Communism
Education reform
G. Stanley Hall
International Journal of Progressive Education
References[edit]
^ The Register of the Malden Historical Society Vol 6, 1919-20 by Mass Malden Historical Society, Frank S. Whitten Printer, p.70-3
^ Jump up to:a b c d e f g John F. Ohles, ed. (1978). Biographical Dictionary of American Educators. Greenwood Publishing Group. pp. 275–6. ISBN 978-0-313-04012-2.
^ McLean, J.A., Pilgrim's Notes (blog), "What Stanwood Cobb Told Me About ʻAbdu'l-Bahá," Sunday, August 12, 2007
^ Jump up to:a b c d e The Baháʼí World, Vol 18, Part 5, "In Memoriam: Stanwood Cobb, 1881–1982"
^ Cobb, Stanwood (1979). A Saga of Two Centuries. Washington, DC: Avalon Press. p. 33.
^ Jump up to:a b c Alternative Schools: Diverted but not Defeated Paper submitted to Qualification Committee, At UC Davis, California, July 2000, By Kathy Emery
^ Historical Dictionary of American Education ed. by Richard J. Altenbaugh, 1999 Greenwood Press Publisher, Progressive Education Association by Craig Kridel, p.303-4, ISBN 0-313-28590-X
^ University of Minnesota College of Education and Human Development, "Timeline: 1910s" Archived 2008-05-06 at archive.today
^ Time Magazine, "Progressives' Progress," Monday, Oct. 31, 1938
^ Beck, Robert H. 1959. "Progressive Education and American Progressivism: Margaret Naumburg" (book review). Teachers College Record 60(4): 198-208
^ Jump up to:a b The Struggle for the American Curriculum by H. Kliebard, p. 168, published by Rutledge, 1955
^ Encyclopedia of Chicago - Progressive Education
^ Jump up to:a b Restless Souls: The Making of American Spirituality by Leigh Schmidt Cobb, published by HarperCollins, 2005, p. 218
^ Minutes of the House of Spirituality, 1 Sept. 1906
^ McLean, J.A., Pilgrim's Notes (blog), "Corrections to Blog on Stanwood Cobb...," Sunday, August 12, 2007
^ Biography of Hand of the Cause of God Mr. Louis George Gregory
^ Alain Locke: Faith and Philosophy by Christopher Buck, Studies in Babí and Baháʼí Religions - Volume 18, p.168
External links[edit]Works by or about Stanwood Cobb at Internet Archive
Association for Childhood Education International





It was during his lectures in the barn that he first spoke of `Abdu'l-Bahá, whom he had met on five occasions: twice in Akká in 1909 and 1910, later in Boston (1912), then in Washington (1912) and finally in Paris (1913). It was later at Green Acre, in old age, that he would give me his more personal impressions.

Stanwood Cobb
Born: November 6, 1881
Death: December 28, 1982
Place of Birth: Newton, Massachusetts
Location of Death: Chevy Chase, Maryland
Burial Location: Rock Creek Cemetery, Washington, District of Columbia

Stanwood Cobb studied at Dartmouth College and was a valedictorian of his grauating class and then at Harvard Divinity School, he earned an A.M. in philosophy and comparative religion. He was an American educator, author and prominent Bahá’í.His parents were Darius Cobb and Laura Marie Lillie Cobb who both died in 1919.

On September 19, 1919 he married Ida Nayan Whitlam who was a member of several literary associationswho later died in 1967. They had no children.

His father and his father’s twin brother Cyrus Cobb were Civil War soldiers and artists, and descendents of Elder Henry Cobb of the second voyage of the Mayflower. Their mother was Eunice Hale Waite Cobb, who was the founding president of the Ladies Physiological Institute of Boston. [1]

Although Stanwood’s books are no longer widely read in the Bahá’í community, he was a prolific writer, innovative teacher and international lecturer. He has well earned his place, if somewhat neglected, in the annals of Bahá’í history. I first came across Stanwood’s name in our family library. There Jack McClean discovered a few of his books, including Islamic Contributions to Civilization (1963), which gives a readable, economical overview of the contributions of Islam to world culture and civilization.

Jack first met Stanwood Cobb at Beaulac summer and winter school, a property north of Montreal in the beautiful Laurentian Hills, not far from Rowdon, Quebec. Jack was about 14 years old; Stanwood would have been about 72. (Circa 1959). When, years later, Jack paid him a visit at his cottage at the Green Acre Centre near Eliot, Maine in the summer of 1977, he had reached the advance old age of 96, but he was to live on for a few more years. Although he was somewhat frail by 1977, Dr. Cobb was still in reasonably good health, a condition that had been produced, not only by robust genes, but also by his life-long regimen of good hygiene, a program that included deep-breathing, meditation, dietary practices and exercise.

Beaulac had once been owned by the National Spiritual of the Bahá’ís of Canada but it was subsequently sold. It consisted of a two-story farm house, a barn that had been converted into a rustic lecture hall for larger meetings — it always retained the lingering odor of the cattle barn — cabins on both sides of the highway, a small lake, and acres of rolling hills. It was at lunch that Jack met Stanwood. He sat opposite. Time has not dimmed the memory of this colourful character. He was showing a faint growth of beard and, as he recalls, unlike photos of his later years, he was not wearing glasses, perhaps because he was returning from his morning swim.

Memories of `Abdu’l-Bahá: The Joy of Life



It was during his lectures in the barn that he first spoke of `Abdu’l-Bahá, whom he had met on five occasions: twice in Akká in 1909 and 1910, later in Boston (1912), then in Washington (1912) and finally in Paris (1913). It was later at Green Acre, in old age, that he would give me his more personal impressions. But during his barn lectures, Stanwood related some of the stories that were published in his memoir “Memories of `Abdu’l-Bahá.” However, the following observation was not found there. “Abdu’l-Bahá,” said Dr. Cobb, “was unlike the other spiritual leaders who came to Green Acre in this respect: He had a wonderful sense of humour and laughed out loud. It is this joy and zest for living that distinguished the Master from the other spiritual teachers there. They were much too serious. `Abdu’l-Bahá fully embraced the joy of life and encouraged his followers to do the same.”

It was at Beaulac that Stanwood told the story of how his father — “a venerable Boston artist 75 years of age,” a devoutly religious man — much to Cobb’s shock and horror, began to lecture the Master on the personal spiritual philosophy that was the fruitage of his mature years. There must have been something of the preacher in Mr. Cobb senior because Stanwood’s memoir says that his father, for no less than half an hour, “proceeded to lay down the law to `Abdu’l-Bahá.” But on this, as on other occasions, the younger Cobb witnessed `Abdu’l-Bahá’s graciousness and silent wisdom. In an unforgettable lesson, informed by infinite courtesy and humility, the Master listened patiently to the preachment, smiling all the while, “enveloping us with His love.” The unfailing wisdom of `Abdu’l-Bahá had correctly divined that Mr. Cobb Senior needed to empty his cup. Stanwood’s father came away from his encounter with `Abdu’l-Bahá fully satisfied this wonderful interview! [2]



Editor’s Note:

Please read Stanwood Cobb’s essay on The Continuity of Religion by clicking here.



Source:

1 Memorial. “Stanwood Cobb” findagrave.com: 39588913
2 McLean, Jack.“What Stanwood Cobb Told Me about ‘Abdu’l-Baha” Bahai-Library.org: Winters, Jonah

Images:

Baha’i World Centre Archives
Stanwood Cobb
W. Warder


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