1914年：阿博都-巴哈给来华传教士李佳白回信

李佳白（Gilbert Reid，1857-1927）是美国传教士，长期生活在中国。他参加了1893年在芝加哥举办的“世界宗教大会”（The World's Parliament of Religions），深受会议精神的启发。回到中国后，他在上海创立了尚贤堂（The International Institute of China），致力于推动不同文明、不同宗教之间的对话。他还筹划于1910年代初在上海召开下一届世界宗教大会，邀请东西方各宗教和灵性传统代表到会。据说他的活动得到了晚晴政府以及后来的民国政府的支持。[1] 可惜的是，由于第一次世界大战的爆发，上海世界宗教大会未能如愿举办。

阿博都巴哈与李佳白

李佳白应该在芝加哥的“世界宗教大会”首次上听说了巴哈欧拉的信仰；在1913年上半年尚贤堂工作报告中，李佳白对巴哈欧拉之兼容并包的开放教义表示欣赏。[2] 在筹办上海世界宗教大会的过程中，李佳白曾致信邀请巴哈伊教继任领袖、巴哈欧拉的长子阿博都-巴哈（‘Abdu’l-Bahá， 1844-1921）来华参会。阿博都-巴哈在1914年（或稍早）给李佳白发来一封回信（这很可能是阿博都-巴哈写给中国境内人士的第一封信），对李佳白的“高尚”工作赞誉有加，同时遗憾地表示虽然他一直很想来中国，但因身体原因无法来华参会。不过，李佳白仍在1914年底在其尚贤堂做了一次关于巴哈伊教（时称“波海会”）的演讲，在演讲中宣读了阿博都-巴哈来信。李佳白的英文演讲辞以及阿博都-巴哈的复信（英译文）随后都发表在1914年11月24日的The Shanghai Times（《上海时报》）上[3]，李佳白的中文演讲辞则发表于次年的《东方杂志》上。（参见1914年：李佳白在尚贤堂演讲巴哈伊教的“精神与作用”与1915年：李佳白、杜亚泉在《东方杂志》发文介绍巴哈伊教）

《上海时报》发表的李佳白的演讲及阿博都-巴哈的复信（英译文）

阿博都-巴哈复信的转录稿：

He is God.

Dear respected friend!

Your letter was received. It imparted exceeding joy, -- for you have put forth such a lofty exertion to hold an Universal Congress of Religions in Shanghai, thus with perfect freedom every person may elucidate the principles of his own faith, investigate the reality, abandon all dogmas and traditions and thoroughly search the truth of all the divine religions, - so that the religion which today is the life of the world, the enlightenment of the cycle and the cause of the oneness of the world of humanity may be revealed with the utmost splendor. Then the basis of difference will be destroyed, all the religions will be harmonized and will find themselves gathered around one common point. My highest desire is to be present at such a congress but it is regrettable that my health and constitution do not admit such a long journey. China is very remote and it needs a vigorous physique to cover the distance.

I am most pleased with your effort, because you are one of the leading promoters of this Congress. Hence I have the utmost yearning to meet you and if in the future my health and constitution gain in power and strength to stand the long voyage to the Chinese Empire I shall not fail; for it will give me great pleasure to meet you and participate in the activities of that Congress. For the present I do not see my path clear but perchance in the future the reired [sic. required?] force and energy for such an undertaking will be realized.

(Signed) Abdul Baha Abbass.

按：阿博都-巴哈的原信为波斯文。蔡德贵教授、Allen A. Hemmat博士和周夏颐女士几经努力，在2014年于美国汉密尔顿学院档案馆李佳白档案中找到了原件。

[1]Reid, Gilbert. Director’s Semi-Annual Report. The Shanghai Times (1914-1921), Nov 12, 1914.[ProQuest Historical Newspapers: Chinese Newspapers Collection, p.3]

[2] Gilbert Reid, ‘International Institute: Director’s Semi-Annual Report’, The North-China Herald and Supreme Court & Consular Gazette (1870-1941), 31 May 1913.

[3]Reid, Gilbert. Benefits of the Bahai Movements. The Shanghai Times (1914-1921), Nov 24, 1914.[ProQuest Historical Newspapers: Chinese Newspapers Collection, p.3]据记载，李佳白还在1923年和来访北京的两位杰出的巴哈伊传导者玛莎·鲁特和阿格尼丝·亚历山大见过面（Alexander, Agnes. History of the Bahá'í Faith in Japan 1914-1938, Barbara R. Sims. Tokyo: Bahá’í Publishing Trust of Japan, 1977, p 59）。