Dawn of a New Day

He considers that the most important thing, as he has often pointed out to the friends, is to maintain the Spiritual Assemblies already in existence throughout India, to create Spiritual Assemblies out of Groups, and to establish new Centres. He therefore does not feel that, if the Cause is precarious in Surat and this goal of the Assembly has not been successfully achieved, the Baha’is who are working there should leave and go elsewhere.

The principle he has laid down has invariably been that 192 the friends must establish a Spiritual Assembly on a firm and enduring basis with a nucleus of about fifteen Baha’is in the Community, so that the Assembly would be maintained, and then the other believers are free above the number fifteen to disperse and teach elsewhere; in fact they should consider it their duty to do so. This instruction of our beloved Guardian applies to Surat as well as to other Centres.