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Chapter XVIII

1. AFTER the judgment of Anuhasaj and Chesota at Theovrahkistan, Ahura asked Lika for assistance to remove the remainder of Vara-pishanaha to Hao-yusta, which Lika granted, allotting ten millions of his etherean hosts to accomplish it. With these Ahura and Anuhasaj and Chesota accomplished the removal.

2. In not many days after this, Sudga was delivered from the hells of Auprag, of which event Ahura had been previously informed, as to the time thereof, and he accordingly went to Auprag, to be in readiness to receive Sudga, and help restore him if required.

3. Sudga, on his delivery from the knot, where there had been thirty millions bound, was bereft of reason, but not gentle like Anuhasaj, but fierce, battling right and left, a very maddened maniac that neither saw nor heard, but raved and cursed with all his strength, choked up with madness. For all the curses of his broken-down kingdom recoiled upon himself; the projective curses of his thousands of millions of slaves were piercing his soul from every quarter.

4. But they held him fast and carried him into the ship, which sailed for Hao-yusta, whither he was landed in the same condition. Ahura was with him, and Ahura caused a circle of deliverance to assemble and labor in the restoration. And it required thirty days and nights to bring him round, so he could even see and hear; but as for his judgment it was yet a hundred days more before it manifested.

5. So Ahura could not wait longer with him, but returned to the hells where Te-in was bound, the Ak-a-loo-ganuz, for Te-in was to be delivered. But herein was Ahura also disappointed, for Te-in was neither frightened nor wild nor mad; but limpid, helpless as water and without knowledge, more than a vessel of water. His energies had all been exhausted, and in a dead swoon he lay in the heart of the knot. Him they also carried to Hao-yusta, and Ahura provided for his restoration.

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6. But yet, ere Te-in awoke from his stupor, Ahura departed for Osiris, who was bound in the hells of Prayogotha. Osiris had been in hell now for more than a hundred years, and in a knot for fifty years.

7. When the false Osiris was delivered, he was deranged, but preaching Jehovih, calling everybody Jehovih, and everything Jehovih. Him they also carried to Hao-yusta and provided restoration for him. And Ahura went thither also to assist with all his wisdom and strength.

8. Thus were delivered all the self-Gods who had rebelled against Jehovih and established the great confederacy, of which not one vestige was now left.

9. But of all the angels delivered out of the hells and knots not one in ten was of sound judgment, whilst more than half of them were only drujas at best.

10. Thus was founded the new kingdom of Hao-yusta, but yet in charge of the ethereans, who were to commit it to Anuhasaj and his one-time confederates, for their deliverance.

11. It came to pass in course of time that Sudga and Te-in and Osiris were restored to judgment, and in this matter Anuhasaj and Ahura and Chesota were constant workers. And when they were all restored, they in turn fell to, to restore others, to which labor they were committed till the close of dawn.

12. Osiris and Te-in and Sudga all desired to go before Lika, to be adjudged and sentenced; and they all sentenced themselves, which was granted unto them. On this occasion Osiris said:

13. Thy lessons are near at hand, O Jehovih. But who will learn them? Mortals go insane, because they have not learned to throw their cares upon Thee. To throw government upon Thee, O Jehovih, is not this wisdom? To cast riches and kingdoms into Thy lap; to own nothing; to have nothing; is not this the sum of the highest happiness?

14. Whoso doeth this will battle against no man for anything in heaven or earth. But he who doeth otherwise will soon or late descend into hell. For what is hell but the opposite of bliss? What is battling against others, but sowing the seed of anarchy in one's own soul? To battle against others is to gain the lower, by sacrificing the higher, of which latter Thou, O Jehovih, art the summit.

15. To go against Thee, O Father, is to go against one's fellows; to go against one's fellows is to go against Thee. And p. 501a who can go against Thee but will soon or late evolve his own fall?

16. Thou hast given to mortals, kings, queens, and shown them that soon or late their kingdoms will fall to pieces. And yet Lords and Gods, seeing these things, will not believe. Every one, in his own conceit, imagineth his particular kingdom will be governed more wisely than all his predecessors. And yet his also falleth.

17. Now will I turn to find Thee, O Jehovih, and the search shall be everlasting. Kingdoms are nothing to me; all possession, save wisdom and love, are but vanity and vexation. I know Thou art above all else, and yet Thou art that that hath given Thyself all away, so that none can look upon Thy face. Verily hast Thou hid Thyself away; to be like unto Thee is to hide away the self of one-self; and that that will remain will be Thy mouth-piece and Thy hand.

18. Then spake Sudga unto Jehovih, saying: Why was I puffed up, seeing that I created not even mine own self. Neither had I anything in earth or heaven to use or to work with, but the substance was made already. Yea, I leapt into Thy garden which Thou hadst planted.

19. I raised up my voice against Thee; because Thou wert too Holy for my gross senses to behold, I condemned Thee. I wanted Thee gross that I could look upon Thee; that I could walk around Thee, and behold Thy stature. I saw that all men were like unto me in this.

20. Therefore I made a figure-head of myself; I said unto Thy children: Behold me! And at first they were pleased, because they imagined they had found a Creator they could measure. But Thine eye was upon me, Thine hand pointed the way and the manner of my iniquity. And they searched me out and found I was but a man, like unto themselves. Wherefore they condemned me.

21. The fool acknowledgeth no person save he can grapple therewith, and find the arms, and the length thereof, and the feet and their standing place. How vain I was in this, O Jehovih!

22. He that professed Thy Person I denounced as a fool; because I saw not Thy completeness Thou sufferedst me to pursue my vanity. Because I had risen above acknowledging Thy Person I was forced to make man the All Highest; and this drove me to make myself the all highest man. But Thou camest not against me to beat me from my iniquity, but gavest me full play to do my utmost.

23. On all sides hast Thou encompassed p. 502a Thy creation with liberty. Even Thine enemy Thou hast not restrained. He standeth in public, saying: Jehovih, I deny Thee. If Thou art mightier than I, strike me down. Behold, I deny Thee and Thy Person! Thou Void Nothingness! Thou fool Creator, with Thy half-created world. Thou who hast created sin! And created misery! Thou Father of evil! O Thou dumb Nothing.

24. Yea, even to him hast Thou given free speech; and he buildeth up his own soul in his own way. And for a season he is the delight of the druk and the druj; yea, they fasten upon him, and he gaineth a multitude of evil ones, divided one against another, but the seed of his curses taketh root in them, and he becometh encompassed with foulness and bondage.

25. To find harmony in Thee, O Jehovih; to measure the Goodness of Thee; to rejoice in one's joys; to treasure Thy best gifts; to laud Thy love; to love Thee because Thou hast given me power to love, and things to love; to rejoice in Thy fruits and flowers and all perfected things; to harp forever upon Thy glories and the magnitude of Thy creation; to sing praises to Thee for harmony wherever found; to love to comprehend all good things; to find the good that is in all men and women; to rejoice in delights; to teach others to rejoice, and to search after all perfected beauties and goodness and righteousness and love; these shall be my service unto Thee, my everlasting Father.

26. To seek not to find imperfections; to seek not to find inharmonies; to seek not to find evil; to seek not to find ugliness; to seek not to find evil in others, nor their darkness nor shortcomings; to seek not to prove imperfections upon Thee, O Jehovih; to find no fault with Thee; to complain not against Thee; to complain not for trials nor for hardships, nor for the evil others inflict me with; to quibble not, because I can not comprehend Thy vastness; to quibble not for myself; to speak not evilly against anything Thou hast created. O make Thou me strong and wise forever.

27. Te-in spake to Jehovih, saying: Wherein is the limit of experience, O Jehovih! And how short have I not been before Thee, My Father! Behold, I had learned all philosophies; I had been taught for a long season in the right way, but I rebelled against Thee, my Creator.

28. I had been taught to horde not up anything; to own nothing; to desire nothing but wisdom and love. And Thy teachers, O Jehovih, showed me p. 503a the evidence of thousands of great rulers, and every one of them had come to evil and destruction. Why then, O Father, was I not wise in the evidence before me? But I rose up against all this testimony, and I fashioned a mighty kingdom. Yea, Thou sufferedst me to try in mine own way to the full.

29. I went not by peace but by war; I raised me up standing armies and great warriors without limit; by force I established myself, but only as a tree that groweth up and is cut down. But what was I in Thy great universe, O Jehovih. What was my experience but the repetition of others who had been before me.

30. Now will I be wise; most cautious in my wisdom, and slow to proceed. But how can I make my experience profitable unto others? Thou hast stood me afar off; whoso heareth me will say: Ah, had I tried it I had succeeded better. Thou prickest each one to go in and try, but they all fail. Yea, they reiterate their failure; but where is the profit of this experience unto others? How can I ever reach them, O Jehovih!

31. What profit have I more than a mortal that dwelleth on the earth? Have not the angels testified for thousands of years that the rich man was crippling his own soul, and that the king and queen were binding themselves with chains for the habitation of hell? But they will not heed; every one hopeth he at least will find a way to escape; to gain prestige over others; to be a leader; to have servants; to be idle; to live at ease; to have great possessions; to revel in luxuries. Are not these more powerful than experience; greater in the eyes of the ignorant than all the wisdom of earth and heaven.

32. Thou hast wisely shaped Thy creatures, O Father! Thou makest great servants of us in a way we know not of. Behold, I desired a mighty kingdom in heaven, and Thou gavest one into my hand. Yea, I flattered myself with my success; I laughed at the Gods who had been before my time. How things are changed now, O Jehovih!

33. Thou hast made me a servant of servants; yea, by mine own hand have I bound myself about. Have I not heard mortals say: O that I had a kingdom to rule over! O that I had great riches, how good I would be! And because Thou deniest them for their own good, they complain against Thee. Who shall answer for the vanity of men and angels! They have not patience with Thee, who created them alive and knowest what is best.

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34. One saith: Yonder is a great king, why doeth he not a great good? Or, yonder is a rich man, why doeth he not a great good also. O that I were in their places.

35. How shall I show them, O Father, that to be a king is to go away from doing good; that to be a rich man is to deny goodness? Yea, by the very act of possession is he testimony in the opposite way. For he that is good giveth all; even as Thou gavest all and so made all things. And the greater the possession the greater the bondage. Who hath so small responsibility as he who hath nothing? This is the sum of wisdom, O Jehovih; and all men and angels soon or late will acknowledge it.

36. Better hast Thou made it for the servant than for the master; better for the poor than the rich; and these things will also come to their understanding in course of time. But how can I, O Father, make them to know wisdom without experience, to accept the testimony of others' tortures in hell?

37. Behold, Thou gavest me great learning when I was of the earth; and when in hada great advantages to attain to deep wisdom; but, after all, I was caught in a snare of my own setting. How much, then, O Father, must I expect of the multitude? Happy is he who hath nothing, and desireth only wisdom and love. To cultivate such a garden, what a harvest will ripen out unto him.

38. When the three had thus spoken before the throne and before the high Council, Ahura stood aside and spake also. He said:


Next: Chapter XIX