Baha'i as a faith, in fitting with its humanitarian tone, is unencumbered by the ceremony and rituals that drove Porter from his original religion. The only exercise expected of an active believer consists of attending a feast once every 19 days--the length of the Baha'i month. Feasts subsume social, devotional and business functions, with scripture reading and discussion of local and international Baha'i news taking up much of the meetings. At Harvard, the handful of Baha'is also gathered informally each week this spring in the rooms of members. No paid clergy officiate at these or other Baha'i meetings. "Men need no longer depend on a priestly class," Porter explained. "Each individual is his own spiritual teacher as far as authority is concerned."

Mastering Baha'i doctrines does not come quickly. Porter said, only half in jest, that it would take him about six weeks to do justice to the teachings. At its core, the religion claims that God is a living being who cares about human affairs and makes his will known at intervals through Prophets. The founder of the religion, Baha'u 'Llah, began it with the premise that Abraham, Moses, Krishna, Buddha, Zoroaster, Jesus Christ and Mohammed all were "Manifestations of God." Every major religion is part of an organic whole, and the duty of Baha'is is to show this to a reluctant--and often hostile--world.

Fearful Moslem authorities in 19th Century Persia did their best to stamp out Baha'u 'Llah and his camp of followers, coming close to success on a number of occasions, but the leader survived to leave half a dozen books describing the Baha'i plan before he died in 1892. The plan, in the words of an official Baha'i publication, "offers a clear pattern of world order," without invoking any "secret mystic doctrines." That plan is now overseen by an elected nine-mancouncil located in Israel which also sets policy for Baha'is in those areas neglected by the scriptures of the founder.

Despite the sophistication of Baha'i doctrine, the Baha'i religion has enjoyed a vast surge in followers during the past decades. Proselytizers have tripled the number of followers in South Vietnam over the past five years to 121,000, and while Harvard membership ebbs and flows, other areas of the United States are responding handsomely.

In a recent issue of The American Baha'i, the religion is said to be spreading "like a hungry flame" across Carolina sharecropping districts. The message-- "Have you heard the good news? ...God has sent a new Prophet to the world... His Laws will eliminate poverty, prejudice, injustice..." --was greeted by more than four thousand converts in the first four weeks.

Though skilled missionaries, Baha'is seldom come across as driven fanatics; the tolerance of their teachings is matched by an accommodating approach. "Baha'is are very eager to spread their message all over the world," Porter said. But when the audience is uninterested--as many roommates of Baha'is are--"you have to keep your mouth shut" to avoid alienating them. Ludwig Tuman, a bearded junior who is a former Christian, said Bahai's expect to spread "at least as much by deeds as words." While no figures of worldwide Baha'i membership exist, and the Harvard following is still small, Baha'i's claim some impressive present and past believers--including Seals and Croft, Dizzie Gillespie, Mrs. Randolph Hearst, and the last Queen of Romania.

A LIST OF FIVE commandments hangs over the bed of Theodore Chadwick '74. From top down, it reads:

"Do not put off until tomorrow what you can do today."

"Constant meditation...and remember the Name."

"Leave no room for doubt in your mind."

"Always...have faith in God."

"Never delay...in attending Sat-Sang."

It is a bit confusing at first. But the rest of the room reveals a unifying theme--that of the religious group known at Harvard as the Divine Light Mission. An array of framed photographs of a baby-faced 15-year-old guru smiles out at visitors, inviting them to tap a superfocused sunlight within each individual: the religion of the perfect spiritual master Guru Maharaj Ji.

Guru Maharaj Ji is but the latest in a long line of perfect spiritual masters, tracing back over centuries, who have kept alive the Divine Light. He "received Knowledge" from the previous perfect master, his father, at the age of six, and became a perfect master at eight, two days after his father died. His perfection lies ostensibly with his complete detachment from worry for his physical being, and the constant flow of love and peace from him to others and back again.

The whole thing is so improbable that present believers retain vivid memories of their reactions upon first learning of the religion. "A guy in my Ec 10 section said one day that I ought to look into the Guru Maharaj Ji," Chadwick said early this month as he sat eating lunch in Winthrop House. "I said he was crazy." Nevertheless, Chadwick agreed to attend a Sat-sang--a regularly held introductory meeting--shortly afterwards. "I thought the people didn't believe in a word they said," he continued. "I didn't relate to it, that hocus pocus about a Divine Light. And I couldn't relate to that picture at all. A 14 year-old kid on the other side of the globe--forget it."