After the meeting between De‘yus, Osiris and Sudga, when De‘yus was left alone, he reasoned: Since Sudga and Osiris have left me, uncivilly, in the middle of a most disgusting quarrel, it must follow that on their arrival home they will secede, taking their kingdoms with them. Well, it will be well; I will all the more warmly bind my fellowship to Te-in, and we two shall overthrow Sudga and Osiris, and take all their spoils.
While De‘yus thus soliloquized, messengers came from Che-su-gow, Te-in‘s heavenly place, bringing this word: Greeting to you, our Lord God: Te-in has seceded, and taken both his heavenly and his corporeal dominions for himself. With an army of two hundred million angel warriors he is walling his heavenly kingdom around on every side; none can pass or re-pass without his permission.
Before De‘yus recovered from his surprise, behold, other messengers came from Sudga‘s heavenly place, saying: Greeting to you, our Lord God: Sudga has seceded, taking with him his heavenly kingdom and his earth dominions, Vind‘yu! With an army of two hundred million angel warriors he is walling his heavenly kingdom around on every side; none can pass or re-pass without his permission!
De‘yus said: So, one and the same! Then these rascal Gods had this planned beforehand! || Presently other messengers arrived, saying: Greeting to you, our one-time Lord God of heaven and earth! Osiris, Baal and Ashtaroth have seceded, taking their heavenly kingdoms and their mortal dominions with them. I, Osiris, have spoken. Your higher grades I will draw to myself; my lower grades I will banish to you!
De‘yus said: Well, it is well. I will now make the other heavenly divisions stronger to me; and the earth divisions, too long neglected by me; Uropa, North and South Guatama, and their heavenly places.
But while he thus soliloquized, behold, messengers arrived from these places, also announcing their secession in like manner. Then De‘yus was silent for a long while, considering. But satan came to him, saying:
Darkness comes to all the great, for by this the light is made to shine brighter. Now, since all access to the corporeal earth is cut off, and since all your supplies for food and raiment must come up from the earth, it follows that you shall lower Hored, your heavenly place, nearer to the face of the earth. And once accomplished, you shall send ten billion of your warrior angels against these rebellious Gods and despoil them of their dominions, and cast them into hell, and repossess the whole earth.
De‘yus said: It is true! My way is clear. These rascally Gods do not know how foolishly they have exposed themselves. Hored is wide enough to cover them up. And by fire I will chase the drujas upon them, ten billion strong; flood them with such foulness that their kingdoms will go to pieces under them and suffocate them in the horrid stench.
De‘yus then called together his vice-Gods, and his Holy Council, and his highest raised officers; and he related to them what had occurred, and his plans ahead. But, so he could better deliberate and gain their acquiescence, he granted a day of recreation, to meet on the following day at the trumpet call.
But lo and behold, on the day of recreation, no less than seven hundred million of his highest grades left him and Hored, and descended to the heavenly kingdoms of his former Gods, some to one and some to another, while a few of them descended to the earth to found small kingdoms of their own. Danger was already staring Anuhasaj in the face.
Accordingly, he at once chose his officers, and set them to work, but owing to their lack of knowledge in such matters, only small sections were bound and lowered at one time, at which rate a hundred years would be required to accomplish the work. And upon realizing this, De‘yus‘ heart began to fail him. The prophecies of the higher Gods, that he and his kingdoms would be ultimately broken up and cast into hell, began to show signs of realization fearful to contemplate.
Anuhasaj had no time for war, but now needed to use every stratagem in his power to prevent dismemberment in his own kingdom. In these straits, good fortune came to him in the form of a ji‘ay‘an harvest falling in all the atmospherean heavens, compressing and falling, so that his lowest grades were provided with sustenance from above, and they were pacified.
Jehovih spoke to God, His Son, in Craoshivi, saying: Prepare for the fall of ji‘ay in atmospherea. The earth and her heavens enter Loo-sutsk, seventy years in the rates of seven hundred; forty years in five hundred; twenty years in a‘ji. Be advised; for Craoshivi shall fall to thirty, and Hored be buried in the earth. Call My Son, Ahura, and reveal My words!
So God, in Craoshivi, advised his High Council, and also sent messengers in haste to Vara-pishanaha, to Ahura, and acquainted him. After this, God propounded in Council: Anuhasaj, what can Craoshivi do for him? And the members spoke at great length, more than a thousand of them.
So God decreed: A commission to go to Anuhasaj and inform him of his danger, and offer to come to his aid and save him. This that follows is the message God sent:
To you, O Anuhasaj, greeting in Jehovih‘s name, and by our love be assured. You are adjudged to be in perilous condition. Behold, one hundred and thirty years‘ pressure will fall on the heavens of the earth; Craoshivi will go down to the depths of hada. Reach up your hands, and I will come and save you and your kingdom. Will you withdraw your armies and permit the resurrection of your lowest grades?
Anuhasaj answered this in these words: Who are you that assails my peaceful kingdom in this manner? You pretended son of the Void Nothingness? Call on me as becomes one with your small kingdom, and if you need help for yourself, or for your paupers, I will give to you!
To that, God returned this answer: Be patient with me, O brother: If it is proved that I am in darkness, and you in the light, I will make ample amends to you. If on the other hand I am in the light and you in darkness, I will say nothing that would wound you. If you will apply yourself diligently to solve the place of the earth and her heavens you will find in truth the coming pressure of which I told you. Do not think that my words are spoken at random, but try them by prophecy and by mathematics.
As to the coming danger, it is an easy matter to estimate. A thousand years ago, when you first established yourself and your heaven, Hored possessed an average grade above fifty, all told. And there were four billion of them.
In two hundred years you had six billion, and the grade was raised to sixty-five. In the next two hundred years the number was nearly doubled, but the grade had fallen to forty. And in two hundred years later the inhabitants had nearly doubled again, but the grade had fallen to twenty-eight. In the next two hundred years, the increase in numbers was at the same rate as the decrease in the grade.
Now behold, your twenty-eight billion, more than half of whom are in Hored, are below grade ten. And when you first possessed Hored, a ten grade could not survive there. Do not think that some accidental thing will raise so great a weight.
Look into this matter, as to what you have done! You have persuaded your hosts not to look up to Jehovih and His kingdoms, and lo, they incline downward to the earth. Yes, they have already filled the earth with war and destruction.
You cannot hope to throw these things on your Gods, for they will turn against you and accuse you. At present they are content to found kingdoms of their own. But they will also come to an end. Because they have seceded from you, let it be evidence that all the highest grades will follow in the same way.
As for Craoshivi, her lowest grades are above fifty, and therefore self-sustaining; her highest grades are ninety-nine and her average eighty-eight. And hundreds of millions of these are those whom my Lords have rescued from your bondage; others, Faithists on the earth whom your false Gods put to death for refusing to bow to you. And have they not proved it is better to suffer death than to renounce faith in Jehovih? Otherwise they would now be within the company of your slaves, toiling in darkness.
Yes, my kingdom is made up of those who were despised and abused; and of those whom your Gods slew in war, chaotic and mad. For my asaphs followed your cruel wars and gathered in the spirits of the slain, whom you would not have. You call them poor still. Why, so they are; they are washed white as snow; for they have been taught to keep casting aside all accumulation, except knowledge and goodness of heart, in which they are rich indeed.
They would come to you now in pity to take your people by the hand and deliver them away from you and darkness. And if your slaves are not delivered away from you, they will surely, sooner or later, turn upon you and cast you into hell. I pray, therefore, for you to assume conversion to Jehovih, and cast your kingdom upon Him while you may. For I have the power and the means to deliver you and your slaves. Yes, I will give you a new name, and hide you away, so they cannot find you. And you shall be one with me in my holy place. ||
In Vara-pishanaha Ahura had now toiled nearly two thousand years with his people, who for the most part had been drujas, but were now high in the grades. Of them, more than two billion had been raised into light, becoming Brides and Bridegrooms to Jehovih, and had been delivered into the etherean worlds.
But Ahura did not allow his dominions to become depleted, but like God in Craoshivi, he sent hosts down to hada and to the earth to gather in both, the fallen angels of De‘yus and his false Gods, and the chaotic and foul-smelling spirits, wild, frenzied, and vengeful. And Ahura had them brought to Vara-pishanaha and there treated, nursed, restored, and put to school and to factories, to be taught and developed; hundreds of millions of them becoming bright, wise and of great love and power.
God sent word to Ahura, saying: Greeting to you in the name of Jehovih. Because of the coming darkness that will soon press upon atmospherea from every quarter, and the trials that will be put upon Gods and angels, let us unite our heavenly kingdoms! Let us bring our plateaus together, and your kingdom shall be my kingdom, and mine shall be yours; and one of us shall be manager in heaven, and the other shall descend to hada and to the earth, when the great darkness is on.
To this Ahura replied: Greeting to you, God of the heavens of the earth, and with love and most high reverence. There is wisdom in your design. I will do with you whatever you demand, to fulfill this great work.
So God, of Craoshivi, and Ahura, brought their forces to bear on their respective plateaus, to unite them. As their places were two thousand miles apart with Craoshivi situated to the east and Vara-pishanaha to the southwest, and Vara-pishanaha standing seven thousand miles below Craoshivi, this was the proceeding:
Because the coming pressure would drive them both down near the earth‘s surface; to steer Vara-pishanaha to the eastward, and to steer Craoshivi to the south-westward, would bring one over the other; and to lower the grade of Craoshivi would bring the two in contact. And the inhabitants of both dominions were so high in power and wisdom that their presence was higher than the place they inhabited; so that the element of the plateaus was all that was required to be moved.
To find the power required, and to arrange the ranks for the proceeding, God appointed officers and set them to work, and the officers reported back that the work could be completed in twelve years. So Ahura united with God, and three billion angels engaged in this labor. First they made a bridge between the two plateaus, and it was completed during the first year; and it connected them in such a way that millions of angels could pass and re-pass objectively while the work was going on.
Yet God‘s labors and Ahura‘s labors in receiving the spirits of the earth, of the Faithists, and of others from the regions of hada, did not cease, did not lag. Their thousands of otevans sailed along the heavens in every way, gathering in the unfortunate.
And now that the self-Gods in hada had quarreled among themselves and separated, De‘yus‘ blockade was broken of its own accord. His mighty standing army against Jehovih‘s believers had melted away; and the otevans sped here and there, unmolested. And they gathered in many thousands, indeed, tens of thousands, of De‘yus‘ highest raised angels. The lowest would not come; they had been taught to hate with vengeance Jehovih and His worshippers; to look upon all ills as from Jehovih; to look upon all good delights and blessings as the gifts of De‘yus, the Lord their God.
Suffice it to say, in twelve years‘ time the great heavens, Craoshivi and Vara-pishanaha, were united and became as one place. And there was a time of rejoicing and delight; great recreation and communion; great rites and ceremonies; and worshipping and rejoicing before Jehovih.
Already the pressure of ji‘ay was upon the heavens and the earth. Hored was falling fast toward the earth; De‘yus‘ highest raised had already gone; his kingdom was becoming a kingdom of fools and idlers, a most dangerous class once deprivation and starvation come upon them.
De‘yus, still stubborn, and still hoping for a change from some unseen cause, no longer had time to quarrel with his truant Gods, but from day to day, hour to hour, was kept at maximum exertion to avert the threatened doom.
Meanwhile, the false Gods, his own one-time pupils, were now heaping into his distracted kingdom millions and millions of drujas, who had been taught on the earth that all that was required of them was to call on the Savior, Anubi, and the Lord God, and that when they died they would go straight to glory to dwell on the holy hill of the Lord God. And these poor creatures the self-Gods now encouraged, helping them on, saying: Yes, go on; your Savior, Anubi, will open the gate and pass you in. From now on, forever, you shall do nothing but bow to De‘yus.
And these spirits of darkness, like idiots, were bowing all the time, day and night, doing nothing but bowing, and saying: Blessed Anubi! He can save me! Glory to the Lord our God! Then they would begin again: Blessed Anubi! My Savior! Glory be to De‘yus! For this was all they knew; neither would they hear nor see anything else; they were like wild people; with out-bursting eyes, looking for Anubi; looking for De‘yus; but bowing incessantly in all directions; millions of them, tens of millions—delirious angels!
Consequently, in fear of them, Anubi gave up his place; and his heavenly city was like a house without a keeper, where throngs go in and out, and around about, forever shouting: O my blessed Savior, Anubi! Glory be to the Lord God. ||
Darker and darker, the hadan fields palled before the touch of Jehovih‘s hand, to try the self-assumed Lord God and his heavenly works. As if an epoch new and terrible had come to one so audacious, who, more than any in heaven and earth, had sought to banish the worship and the name of the Great Spirit from mortals, and give them instead a heavenly ruler in the image of man.
For prior to this, all nations knew the office of Gods and Lords, and reverenced them as Jehovih‘s high officers, raised up spirits of the dead, wise and powerful. But now, in five great divisions of the earth, satan‘s hadan chief had bound his name in mortals, with threatened penalties, and even death, for mentioning Jehovih‘s name. And, to put them to the test, made oaths on burning flesh, so that whoever would not eat of it would die.
For this was the criterion before the courts: That any who refused fish and flesh food, or would not pollute the body by noxious drinks and smoke, intoxicating to the senses, were possessed of Jehovihian worship, and so, deserved torture and death. ||
So the names of Lord, God, Lord God, and De‘yus, had for a thousand years now, become fixed in mortals‘ minds as the Creator, a large man sitting on a throne in Hored, his heavenly seat, watched and guarded by his son, Anubi, keeper of the scales, and of the gate to heaven. To make a plausible story of which, the angels, through oracles, magicians, priests and prophets, proclaimed that in the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth, and all things in and on the earth. And he was tired, and rested; and, as if creation was a completed work, left certain laws to run the wonderful machine while he sat far off, looking on; smiling at the pranks of mortals, and their failure to understand him; and with a devil and a horrid fire to torture their souls, if they did not sing in praise of this compounded, false Lord God.
Thus he, their false God, turned the voice of mortals from Him Who is Ever Present, Whose speech every soul has heard, Whose Presence moves all things in heaven and earth! The false God turned them to sing and pray to himself, so he could clutch and bind their souls in endless slavery; untaught, half fed; as drudges, to bring provender and building stones into his capital, to glorify him forever.
Over Jaffeth, far and wide, this traitor to Jehovih had sealed in stone, papyrus, wood, and sacred cloth, his name, Ho-Joss, to suit the Panic voice; while in Vind‘yu he made them engrave it Dyaus, to fit the Vedic tongue; and then in Fonece to suit the higher-spirited race, Adonia-Egad, and go over to Heleste, and, in less distinct and bastard Greek, whisper Zeus, saying: These words are watchwords to gain Anubi‘s ear, and turn the scales for endless paradise. Go slaves, engrave my names; and, in mortal libraries, register my great exploit, of how I created the world!
And make me spotlessly pure, letting sin into the races of men by Osiris‘ cunning tale of Eve‘s weakness by fault of the earth. For I do not come like Jehovih‘s captains—spirits sent to rule men for a season; but a very God of blood and bones, who once, in terrible anger, flooded the earth to drown my disobedient sons and daughters. Make them tremble and draw long breath when my name is spoken, or, by my own soul, I will hurl heaven and earth into endless chaos! ||
Slowly and surely ji‘ay came pressing downward, the very motion of which spoke like a million tongues, serious, awful. For on every side, many of the hosts of Anuhasaj were deserting him. As one, in a small way, may see on a sinking ship how the expert swimmers leap into the water boldly, and with strong arms swim for the far-off shore, while the helpless, in frantic rage, cluster fast upon the distracted officers, blockading them from doing good. So began the tumult in the fast-descending plateau, Hored, which was increased a hundred-fold by the flood of drujas cast upon De‘yus‘ kingdom by his own traitorous false Gods.
De‘yus‘ generals and captains first tried music to hold the forty billion to peace and order; but the es‘enaurs themselves took fright, and fled by the millions, flying down to the earth, to Osiris‘ or Te-in‘s or Sudga‘s kingdoms, and over-flooding mortals with ghostly revelries. Next, by parades, and rites, and great processions, De‘yus‘ officers sought to divert the panic-stricken millions.
Thus for years this maddened God with wonderful strength of will, almost held his own, inventing tens of thousands of stratagems. But at last, in the downward course, Hored touched upon the corporeal earth; and suddenly, as if startled by the shock, the frantic millions screamed, and then, alas, all order died.
The doors of hell (anarchy) were opened! The maddened mob broke loose to pillage or to destroy Anuhasaj‘s throne and capital, with all their splendor. And then the faultfinders rushed in, shouting: You lying God, only like a man, who are you? And you, Anubi! Deceiving judge! A thousand horrid deaths to you!
But the unlearned drujas did not know who was rank or officer, God or judge, but seized the pale and trembling De‘yus and Anubi, and more than a million officers; overpowered them, by ten million to one, pressed on by the foul-smelling crowd. And now, with blows, kicks and cuffs, on every side the awful fray began, till, stretched as wide as the earth, the countless millions plunged into hell. So that, to right or left, unceasing combat prevailed, and all the hosts of the Lord God were sworn for vengeance against anyone they came against.
God in Craoshivi prayed to Jehovih as to what he should do to release De‘yus and Anubi; Jehovih answered, saying: My Son, you shall first labor for those who desire; whoever courts darkness does not deserve your hand. Since the early days, I have proclaimed warnings to those who put Me away; but in their self-conceit they denied My person and power.
If you were, this day, to deliver from hell De‘yus and Anubi, and their billions of self-torturing slaves, they would only use their deliverance to mock My creation, saying: It did not last; it was only a breath of wind. || For which reason you shall not yet meddle with the hells of Hored.
In four hundred years I will bring the earth into another dawn of light. Till then, let De‘yus and Anubi and their hosts take their course.
God inquired concerning Osiris, Te-in and Sudga, and Jehovih answered him, saying: Sufficient for them is the light they have received. Allow them also to take their course, for they also shall become involved in hells of their own building.
But be attentive to My Chosen, the Faithists, in all parts of heaven and earth; not letting one of them fall into the hells of My enemies.
God acquainted Ahura with Jehovih‘s words; then Ahura prayed to Jehovih, saying: O Father, grant me permission to go to Osiris, and to Te-in, and to Sudga, to plead Your cause. Behold, the Lord God is locked up in hell; even high-raised Gods would not find it safe to go to him.
Jehovih said: Why, O Ahura, do you desire to go to Osiris, Te-in and to Sudga? Do you not know how difficult it is to alter the mind of a mortal man; and yet these self-Gods are ten times more stubborn!
Ahura said: I know, I cannot change them. To break this matter of conceit—and all learned men are liable to fall into it—none but You, O Jehovih, have power. But these self-Gods were long ago my most loved friends; behold, I will go to them as a father would go to a son, and plead with them. || And Jehovih gave permission to Ahura to visit the three great self-Gods.
So Ahura fitted out an otevan, and, with ten thousand attendants, one thousand heralds and five thousand musicians, besides the officers of the fire-ship, set sail for Che-su-gow, Te-in‘s heavenly place, over Jaffeth. And when he arrived near the place he halted and sent his heralds ahead to inquire if he could have audience with Te-in.
Te-in received the heralds cordially, and being informed of their object, sent back this word: Te-in, the most high ruler of heaven and earth sends greeting to Ahura, commanding his presence, but forbidding Ahura and his hosts from speaking to any soul in Che-su-gow except himself (Te-in).
Ahura received this insulting message with composure, and then proceeded and entered the capital city, the heavenly place of Te-in, where he was met by one million slaves, arrayed in the most gorgeous manner. These conducted him and his attendants to the arena, where Ahura was received by the marshals, who brought him to the throne, leaving the attendants in the arena. Here Te-in saluted on the SIGN OF TAURUS [Ex-bau –Ed.], and Ahura answered in the Sign FRIENDSHIP [Aries –Ed.].
Te-in signaled privacy, and so all others fell back, leaving Ahura and Te-in alone. Te-in said: Come and sit beside me on the throne. Ahura said: Because you have not forgotten me I am rejoiced. And he went up and sat on the throne. Te-in said: Because you are my friend I love you; because you are beside me I am rejoiced. It is more than a thousand years since my eyes have seen you. Tell me, Ahura, how is it with yourself and your kingdom?
Ahura said: As for myself I am happy; for the greater part, my kingdom is happy also. My trials have been severe and long enduring. But of my four billion, more than half of them are delivered beyond atmospherea, high raised; and of the others they grade from fifty to ninety.
Te-in said: And for your toil of more than two thousand years, what have you gained by striving to raise up these drujas? Ahura said: Only this, O Te-in, peace and rejoicing in my soul.
Te-in said: On that hangs two philosophies: One seeks peace and rejoicing by laboring with the lowest of the low; the other, by leading the highest of the high. As for myself the latter suits me better than the former. I tell you, Ahura, all things come of the will; if we will ourselves to shut out horrid sights and complaints, like those the poor druk and the druj indulge in, we have joy in a higher heaven. To me it is thus: Sympathy is our most damnable enemy, for it binds us to the wretched and miserable. To put away sympathy is to begin to be a great master over others, to make them subservient to our wills.
Ahura said: Is it not a good thing to help the wretched? Te-in answered: To help them is like drinking nectar; it makes one‘s senses buoyant for the time being. That is all. They relapse and are less resolute than before, but depend on being helped again. For which reason, he who helps the wretched wrongs them woefully. To make them know their places, this is the highest. For do not even the Gods have to submit to their places? To learn to be happy with one‘s place and condition is great wisdom.
In this matter thousands of Gods have fallen; they helped up the poor and wretched; as one may, in sympathy to serpents, take them into his house and pity them; but they immediately turn and bite their helpers. But speak, O Ahura; for I have respect for your words.
Ahura said: If a man plants an acorn in a flowerpot, and it takes root and grows, one of two things must follow: the growth must be provided against or the pot will burst. Even in the same way, the lowest druj in heaven draws from the surrounding sources. None of the Gods can bind him forever. Alas, he will grow. All our bondage over them cannot prevent the soul, sooner or later, from taking root and growing. How, then, can we be Gods over them forever?
Te-in said: You are a God over them; I am a God over them. Where is the difference? Ahura said: I am not in my own name; though I am God over them, yet I am not God over them. For I teach them they shall not worship me, but Jehovih. I train them so that I may raise them away from me. Nor do my people serve me, but serve the Great Spirit. You teach your drujas that you are the all highest, and that they shall be contented to serve you everlastingly. You limit them to the compass of your kingdom. I do not limit my subjects, but teach them that their progression is forever onward, upward.
Te-in said: How do we know that the time will not come upon them, when they shall say: Alas, I was taught in error. They told me there was a Great Spirit, a Person comprising all things, but I have not found Him. Will they not then revolt also? Was this not the cause of De‘yus‘ fall? He had searched the heavens to the extreme, but did not find Jehovih. Then he returned, and possessed heaven and earth for himself. Although he failed, and is cast into hell, it is plain that his sympathy for drujas caused his fall. From his errors, I hope to guard myself; for I shall neither show sympathy for the poor or wretched, nor will I permit education on earth or in heaven, except to my Lords or marshals. When a mortal city displeases me, I will send spirits of darkness to overwhelm it to destruction. Yes, they shall incite mortals to fire the place, and to riot and death. Thus I will keep the drujas of heaven forever busy playing games with mortals, and in bringing provender and diadems to forever glorify my heavenly kingdom.
Ahura said: Where in all the world has a self-God stood and not fallen? Te-in said: You may well ask of mortals: Where is a kingdom or a nation that stood, and has not fallen? Yet you perceive that nations continue to try to establish themselves everlastingly. But they are leveled in time. Things spring up and grow, and then fall into dissolution. Will it not be so with ourselves in the far future? Will we not become one with the ever-changing elements, and as nothing, and wasted away?
Ahura said: One might say of man and spirits: There were some seeds planted; and many of them rotted and returned to earth; but others took root and grew and became large trees. But yet, is it not also true of the trees that they have a time? For they die, fall down, rot, and also return to earth.
Ahura continued: Admit this to be true, O Te-in, and that the time may come when you and I shall pass out of being, then does it not follow that for the time we live we should contribute all we can to make others happy?
Te-in said: If by so doing it will render ourselves happy, with no danger to our kingdoms, then yes, truly. For which reason, are we not forced back, after all is said and done, to the position that we shall labor for our own happiness, without regard to others? One man delights in art, another in philosophy, another in helping the poor and wretched; and another in eating and drinking, and another in ruling over others; shall they not all have enjoyment in the way of their desires? Shall you say to him who delights in eating and drinking: Stop; come and delight yourself helping the wretched!
Ahura said: This I have seen: The intelligent and clean have more delight than do the stupid and filthy; the rich more enjoyment than the poor. As for ourselves, we delight more in seeing the delighted than in seeing the wretched. More do we delight to see a child smile than to hear it cry; but there are those who delight more to make a child cry than to see it smile; but such persons are evil and take delight in evil. Shall we, then, indulge them in their means of delight? Or is there not a limit, as when we say: All men have a right to that which delights themselves, provided it does not mar the delight of others?
Te-in said: You have reasoned well. We shall delight ourselves only in such ways as do not mar the delight of others. Upon which, Ahura said: Then I am not delighted with the manner of your kingdom; and you should not practice what gives me pain. Because you have resolved to not educate mortals or angels, you have raised a hideous wall in the face of Gods.
Te-in said: This also you will admit: That as we desire to delight ourselves we should look for the things that delight us, and turn away from things that do not delight us. Therefore, let the Gods not turn their faces this way, but to their own affairs.
Ahura said: You are wise, O Te-in. But this I have found; that something within us grows, that will not be put down or turned aside. In the beginning of life we look to ourselves, which is the nature of the young; but when we grow, we take a wife, and we delight to see her delighted; then comes offspring, and we delight to see them delighted. After this, we delight to see our neighbors delighted; and then the state, and then the whole kingdom. This delight to be delighted grows within us; and when we become Gods we delight no longer in the delight of a few only, but we expand to many kingdoms. As for myself, I first delighted in the delight of And those who failed to perceive the truth in this, would thus have a limited understanding of etherea. So that, knowingly and/or otherwise, Anuhasaj, when he returned, would misrepresent etherea. And this had effect among those he was grooming for self-purposes, disposing them to turn aside desire for resurrection to higher heavens, and to remain and build kingdoms in atmospherea.
Te-in said: How shall I answer such great wisdom? Where find a God like you, O Ahura? And yet, behold, the Lord God, Anuhasaj, toiled with you hundreds of years, and learned all these things; yes, he traveled in the far-off heavens (etherea), where there are Gods and kingdoms which have existed for millions of years. And he came back and renounced the Great Person, Jehovih. He said: All things are not a harmonious whole; but a jumble; a disordered mass, playing catch as catch can.
Ahura said: And what has befallen him? And is this, itself, not a great argument? For we behold in all times, conditions and places, in heaven and on earth, wherever people assume doctrines like his, they begin to go down into hell. They flourish a little while, but only as a summer plant, to yield in the winter‘s blast. I have seen this coming for a long time against these heavens, even yours, that as darkness crushed De‘yus, so will your heavenly dominions sooner or later fall, and in the shock and fray you will suffer a fate like De‘yus.
Te-in said: For your wise words, O Ahura, I am your servant. I will consider your argument, and remember you with love. In a thousand years from now I may be wiser; and I may have my kingdom so built up that it will be an argument stronger than words. ||
Sudga, after assuming a heaven for himself, moved it over the Nua Mountains and called it Hridat, in which place he had eight billion angel slaves, in the same manner as Te-in‘s. Sudga‘s capital city, Sowachissa, his highest heavenly seat, was modeled in the style of Sanc-tu, De‘yus‘ heavenly place in Hored, at the time of its greatest magnificence.
The capital house of Sudga was made of precious stones and gems, the work of billions of angels for many years. And when Hored was pillaged, prior to De‘yus being cast into hell, millions of its most precious ornaments were stolen and brought to Hridat. The streets of Hridat were paved with precious stones; and an arena surrounded the palace on every side, set with crystals of every shade and color, and of every conceivable manner of workmanship. On the borders of the arena stood five hundred million sentinels, arrayed in gorgeousness such as only Gods had looked upon. Inside the line of sentinels were one million pillars of fire, kept brilliant day and night, by the toil of five hundred million slaves. Inside the line of the pillars of fire were one million marshals, so arrayed in splendor that one could scarcely look upon them. These were on a rotational watch with two other groups of one million each, and each group stood watch eight hours.
Only the vice-Gods and the high marshals were permitted to walk across the arena to the palace; all others must crawl on their bellies; and for every length crawled, they must kiss the pavement and recite an anthem of praise to Sudga, who now took both names, Sudga and Dyaus. Nor must anyone repeat the same anthem twice, but it must be a new anthem for each and every length of the person. For a tall person, a thousand lengths were required from the line of marshals to the palace, thus requiring a thousand anthems. So that, only the few, as compared to his millions, ever laid eyes on the throne of Sudga. Moreover they were only permitted to gaze no more than once on him, and even then he was at such great distance and amid such a sea of fire, that they scarcely could see him; and after they saw him on the throne, then they must re-crawl back again to the place of beginning, again reciting another thousand new anthems.
All of which made Sudga almost inaccessible, and permitted only those who were favored to even look upon him, which with the ignorant is a great power.
When Ahura came to the capital and sent word to Sudga who he was, requesting a meeting, Sudga gave orders to admit him, commanding Ahura to walk upright into his presence, along with the vice-Gods. Accordingly, Ahura came before Sudga, and saluted in LOVE AND ESTEEM, and Sudga answered in FRIENDSHIP OF OLD. The latter at once commanded privacy, and so all others withdrew, and Ahura and Sudga went up and sat on the throne.
Sudga said: Because you have come to see me I am overflowing with joy. Because I know you have come to admonish me for my philosophy and the manner of my dominions, I respect you. Because you did once try to found a kingdom of your own, and failed, I sympathize with you; but because you went back on yourself and accepted Jehovih, and so was rescued from your peril, I commiserate you.
Ahura said: To hear your gifted tongue once more is my great joy. To know that no misfortune was in store for you and your kingdom would give me great delight. Because I love you, and the people of your mighty, heavenly kingdom, I have come to admonish you and plead for Jehovih‘s sake. As for myself, I have found that to cast all my cares on Him, and then turn in and work hard for others, these two things give me the greatest happiness.
Sudga said: Can a brave man justly cast his cares upon another? Was not yourself given to yourself for yourself? If so, you desire none to work for you? If so, how have you a right to work for others? If you prevent them from working out their own destiny, do you not wrong them? Moreover, you say that casting your cares on Jehovih, and working hard for others, gives you the greatest happiness. How is it, then, that you are not selfish by working for your own happiness? For is this not what I am doing for myself in my own way?
Ahura said: Granting all your arguments, O Sudga, where shall we find the measure of righteous works if not in the sum of great results? For you or I to be happy, that is little; for a million angels to be happy, that is little. But when we put two kingdoms alongside, and they are the same size, and have the same number of inhabitants, is it not just that we weigh them in their whole measure to find which of the two kingdoms has the greater number of happy souls? Would this not be a better method of arriving at the highest philosophy?
Sudga said: Yes that would be higher than logic, higher than reason. That would be the foundation of a sound theory.
Ahura said: And have we not found, both in heaven and earth, that all kingdoms that are overthrown owe the cause of their fall to the unhappiness and disaffection of the ignorant? As soon as the masses begin to be in unrest, the rulers apply vigorous measures to repress them, but it is only adding fuel to the fire; it deadens it awhile, but only to have it burst forth more violently afterward.
Sudga said: You reason well, O Ahura; go on. Ahura said: How, then, shall we determine the happiness of two kingdoms, in order to determine which has the greater happiness? Are revolts not evidence of unhappiness? Hear me, then, O Sudga; where, in all the Jehovihian heavens, has there ever been a revolt? And on the earth, where have the Jehovihians, the Faithists, rebelled against their rulers? Behold, in the far-off etherean heavens, the Nirvanian fields, never has any God or Chief been environed in tortures. As for my own kingdom, my people will not rebel against me, nor do I need to fortify myself against such disaster.
Sudga said: You are wise, O Ahura. The only way to judge a kingdom‘s happiness is by the peace, contentment and civility of its people toward one another, and by the confidence between the ruler and the ruled. He who has to guard himself lives on the eve of the destruction of his kingdom and himself. And yet, O Ahura, remember this: The Jehovihians of heaven and earth are high raised before they become such; anyone can be a ruler for them, for they know righteousness. But I have to deal with druks and drujas. How, then, can you compare my kingdom with the Nirvanian kingdoms?
Ahura said: Alas, O Sudga, I fear my arguments are void before you. You show me that the line between selfishness and unselfishness is finer than a spider‘s web. Even Gods cannot distinguish it. And yet, behold, there was a time when I said: I will be a mighty God, and not bow to the Unknown that brought me into being. For this I labored long and hard; the responsibility of my kingdom finally encroached upon my happiness. Long after that I put away all responsibility, and made myself a servant to Jehovih. Then a new happiness came upon me, even when I had nothing that was mine in heaven and earth. This is also beyond my understanding; yet it is inside of me as a new tree of delight. It is this that I would tell you of, but I cannot find it; it does not fly away; it baffles words, even as a description of the Great Spirit is void because of His wondrous majesty. Such is the joy of His service that even Gods and angels cannot describe it. With its growth we look famine in the face and do not weep; we see falling ji‘ay and do not fear; with the ebb and flow of the tide of Jehovih‘s works we float as one with Him, with a comprehensive joy.
Sudga said: To hear your voice is joy to me; to not hear you is great sorrow. Behold, I will consider your words of wisdom. In your far-off place I will come in remembrance and love to you.
Thus ended the interview, and Sudga signaled his vice-Gods and high marshal to come; so he saluted Ahura in the sign of CRAFT, and Ahura answered him in the sign, TIME.
At this time Osiris‘ heavenly kingdom numbered thirteen billion angels, good and bad. And it was the largest heavenly kingdom ever established on the earth.
It was built looking like Sudga‘s; that is to say, modeled after Sanc-tu, in Hored, but more magnificent than Sudga‘s kingdom, and far larger. The arena-way was five thousand lengths of a man across; so that approaching visitors to the throne must crawl two thousand lengths in order to approach the throne. And they also had to repeat an anthem of praise, or a prayer, for every length crawled, going and coming. And they were, like at Sudga‘s, permitted to approach only to within a long distance from Osiris; meanwhile the array of lights around him were so dazzling that scarcely any could look upon him. And they who thus approached were so reverential that their minds magnified Osiris‘ glorious appearance, so much so, that they truly believed they had looked into the Creator‘s face, and saw, in truth, man was of his image and likeness. And thousands, and even millions, who thus crawled to look upon him, afterward went about in heaven preaching Osiris as the veritable All Highest Creator of heaven and earth.
Osiris made his Godhead consist of three persons: first, himself, as THE FOUNTAIN OF THE UNIVERSE, whose name was UNSPEAKABLE; second, BAAL, HIS ONLY BEGOTTEN SON, into whose keeping he had assigned the earth and all its mortals; and, third, ASHTAROTH, HIS VIRGIN DAUGHTER, into whose keeping he had assigned life and death, or rather the power of begetting and the power to cause death with mortals.
Osiris was the most cunning of all the self-Gods; for thus he appropriated the triangle of the Faithists; thus appropriated the names and powers of the false Lord God (now in hell), for only through Baal and Ashtaroth could any mortal or spirit ever attain to approach the arena of the throne in Agho‘aden. And here again tested, they had to pass the high sentinel, Egupt, before they were entitled to the right to crawl on their bellies over the sacred pavement, the way to the heavenly palace.
Only the vice-Gods of Osiris and his chief marshal could walk upright to the capital palace, and they with heads bowed low. And when Osiris was informed of Ahura‘s coming he sent word that he should come upright, with head erect, but veiled from head to foot. To this Ahura gladly consented; and, being veiled by Egupt and handed over to the vice-Gods and the chief marshal, he walked upright; when he came to the high arch of the palace, they halted, and Ahura saluted on the sign OLD TIME LOVE, and Osiris answered in the sign JOY IN HEAVEN. Upon which, Ahura left the vice-Gods and walked near the throne, and Osiris came down, and they embraced in each other‘s arms, not having seen each other for more than a thousand years.
Osiris signaled the vice-Gods and chief marshal to fall back, and in privacy they ascended the throne and sat on it.
Osiris said: This is a great joy! To meet one‘s loves, is this not greater, after all, than all the pomp and glory of the Gods? Ahura said: True; but who is wise enough to live in such a way as to enjoy so cheap a glory? We run off far away; we build up mighty kingdoms, and our places are replete with great magnificence; in search of what? While that which costs nothing, love, the greatest good of all in heaven and earth, we leave out in the cold. I have more delight to look upon your buoyant face again, and hear the music of your voice, than I ever had in my heavenly kingdom of seven billion angels.
Osiris said: Is it not so with all Gods, and with mortal kings and queens? They boast about the extent and power of their countless millions; and yet they have no more than a handful to love them, whom they can take into their arms in the fullness of reciprocity. What, then, are pomp and glory? Are not kings and queens of earth only watchdogs, to guard the stinking flesh and bones of other mortals? And are the Gods not equally base in their dirty trade of ruling over foul-smelling drujas?
Ahura said: It is so. But where does this great desire to rule over others come from; to lead them; to be applauded; and to revel in the toil of the millions? Would it not be wise for the Gods who understand this, to resign their mighty kingdoms and go along with their loves to feast in the great expanse of the universe.
Osiris said: True, O Ahura. But who has power to do this? Certainly not the Gods. And is it not so with mortals? For thousands of years, have they not been told: Unless you give up your earthly kingdoms, and give up your riches, you cannot rise in heaven. But, behold, the rich man cannot give up his riches; the king cannot give up his kingdom. They are weak indeed! As for such souls, one might as well expect an unhatched bird to fly, than to expect these to be anything but slaves in our dominions. I also perceive this regarding my own kingdom; I cannot give it up, because, in truth, I cannot get the desire to give it up, although my judgment says it would be the highest, best thing for me.
Ahura said: Are great possessions not like dissipation? I have seen mortals who admit THE HIGHEST, BEST THING TO DO IS TO LIVE THE HIGHEST, BEST ONE KNOWS, who then immediately go off and pollute the body by eating flesh and drinking wine. They also know the right way, but they have not yet attained the desire to put into practice what they know to be the highest.
Osiris said: Yes, all this is dissipation. And if a man gives away what he has, is that not also dissipation? Can it be true, O Ahura, that even as we manipulate mortals, to drive them to war or to make them play peace, to make them destroy their kingdoms and build up others by our angel armies, which they do not know of, that we ourselves are similarly ruled over by the Gods in the etherean heavens?
Ahura said: It seems to me thus, Osiris, that is to say, that the etherean Gods above us rule us, but not in the same way, but by their absence from us when we do unjustly, and by their presence when we do righteously. We rule over mortals by direct action upon them, shaping their destinies by our heavenly wills, and they are often cognizant of our angel servants being with them. But when we cannot appropriate a mortal to do our wills, we withdraw our angels and suffer him to fall into the hands of drujas.
Ahura continued: Not that the Gods above us, O Osiris, send evils upon us; but that we foster evils within our own kingdoms, which take root like thorns and nettles in a neglected field, and they grow and environ us. Even this I have seen in your heavens in the far future. It will come upon you, O Osiris, and with all your wisdom and strength you will meet the same fate as De‘yus, and be cast into hell.
Osiris said: Were I to judge by all the self-Gods who have been before me, I would assent to your wise judgment. But hear me, O Ahura, for mine is not like any other heavenly kingdom, nor formed for my own glory only. This, then, is what I will accomplish:
I will cast out sin from among mortals, and all types of wickedness; and I will give them a heavenly kingdom on earth. They shall war no more, nor deal unjustly with one another; nor have suffering, immature deaths, famines or sickness, but peace, love, righteousness, good works and nobleness.
For I will go down to them in person in time to come; and I will take with me angels high raised and appoint them to mortals, and give them corporeal bodies for their pleasure, and they shall be the teachers of man on the earth. And man shall put away all selfishness, deceit, lust and lying; and the races of man shall be taught how to beget offspring in purity and wisdom.
And in that day I will take back the drujas of heaven and engraft them on mortals and re-raise them up with understanding. So for that purpose, O Ahura, though I fortify myself in all this, am I not laboring in the right way?
Ahura said: It seems to me a dangerous proceeding. I would compare your plan to that of a teacher who took his pupil into a place of vice to teach him virtue. How can a heavenly kingdom exist among mortals, except with celibates? And they cannot people the world. Is there any other way but by the delight of the lowest passion that man can be born into life? What belongs to the flesh is of the flesh; the spirit repudiates the earth.
Osiris said: It has been so said; but I will cast the higher love down into the lower.
Ahura said: Why, so you can; but, alas, will it remain down, and forever grovel on the earth? I have seen a sweet maiden wed to a vicious husband, and she did not lift him up, but he pulled her down. Will it not be so with the higher love, when you wed it to the passions? Behold the manner of the oracles! We appoint high-raised angels to answer the questions of mortals, to lead them up to virtue and wisdom; but, alas, mortals do not come to the oracles to learn these things, but to learn wickedness, war, and earthly gain. Will it not be so with your kingdom founded on earth? Instead of helping mortals up, mortals will pull down the angels to answer them in their most sinful desires and curiosity.
Osiris said: You have great reason on your side, and facts as well, to sustain you. Yet do not forget, O Ahura, I shall have a temple built of stone on the earth, and a chamber where I can come and command the kingdom through the mortal king.
Ahura said: Behold, my mission is fruitless. I have now visited my three loves, Te-in, Sudga, and you. And I cannot turn one, even a fraction. In this I have great sorrow; for I fear the time may come when great darkness will be upon you all.
Osiris said: I will consider your wise words, O Ahura. And though you now go from me, my love will follow you.
With that, Osiris signaled the chief marshal and the vice-Gods, and they came. Then Osiris and Ahura embraced each other and parted, both saluting in the sign, LOVE FOREVER. Ahura retired even as he came, but walking backward, with vice-Gods on either side, and the marshal leading the way. After they crossed the arena Ahura was delivered to Egupt; and the chief marshal with the vice-Gods returned to Osiris.