|
THE BOOK OF SCROLLS
formerly called
THE BOOK OF BOOKS
or
THE LESSER BOOK OF THE SONS OF FIRE
this being
THE THIRD BOOK OF THE BRONZEBOOK
Compiled from remaining portions of a much damaged part of The
Bronzebook
and rewritten in our tongue and retold to our
understanding according to present usage.
Chapter 1 - THE SACRED REGISTERS - PART 1
Chapter 2 - THE SACRED REGISTERS - PART 2
Chapter 3 - THE SACRED REGISTERS - PART 3
Chapter 4 - THE SACRED REGISTERS - PART 4
Chapter 5 - THE SACRED REGISTERS - PART 5
Chapter 6 - THE SACRED REGISTERS - PART 6
Chapter 7
- THE SACRED REGISTERS - PART 7
Chapter 8 - THE SACRED REGISTERS - PART 8
Chapter 9 - THE SACRED REGISTERS - PART 9
Chapter 10 - THE SACRED REGISTERS - PART 10
Chapter 11 - THE SACRED REGISTERS - PART 11
Chapter 12 - THE SACRED REGISTERS - PART 12
Chapter 13 - THE SCROLL OF RAMKAT
Chapter 14 - THE SCROLL OF YONUA
Chapter 15 - A SCROLL FRAGMENT - ONE
Chapter 16 - THE THIRD OF THE EGYPTIAN SCROLLS (A Fragment)
Chapter 17 - THE SIXTH OF THE EGYPTIAN SCROLLS
Chapter 18 - A SCROLL FRAGMENT -TWO
Chapter 19 - A HYMN FROM THE BOOK OF SONGS - 1
Chapter 20 - A HYMN FROM THE BOOK OF SONGS - 2
Chapter 21 - THE SUNSETTING HYMN FROM THE BOOK OF SONGS
Chapter 22 - A HYMN OR PRAYER FROM THE BOOK OF SONGS - 3
Chapter 23 - A HYMN FROM THE BOOK OF SONGS - 4 Marked: The Hymn of
Rewn
Chapter 24 - A HYMN FROM THE BOOK OF SONGS - 5
Chapter 25 - Some Fragments from a Much Damaged Section Most of
Which has Been Destroyed
Chapter 26 - FROM THE SCROLL OF SENMUT
Chapter 27 - THE SONGS OF NEFATARI One
Chapter 28 - THE SONGS OF NEFATARI Two
Chapter 29 - THE SONGS OF TANTALIP One
Chapter 30 - THE SONGS OF TANTALIP Two
Chapter 31 - THE MARRIAGE SONG
Chapter 32 - THE LAMENT OF NEFATARI
Chapter 33 - THE SCROLL OF HERAKAT
CHAPTER ONE
THE SACRED REGISTERS - PART 1
Herein are recorded sacred things which should never be written, but
the memory of man is like a storehouse made of straw, or like a
storepit dug in sand. Even less enduring is his body, for it. is a
frail thing of fleeting substance which passes away like the dew in
the morning. And what of the mortal chain which links the
generations in knowledge? Behold, it is a thing prone to distortion,
a transmuter of tradition and Truth.
Therefore, when the command went forth from the Great One
Illuminated With Wisdom, and came to your servant, he saw fit to
quell the doubts engendered by fear and undertook to do the thing
which had not been done before, placing his trust fully in the
protecting wings which are spread by the words issuing from the
Royal Residence.
These are the words spoken by the Great Interpreter, who, through
the powers inherited by him from above and by the powers now in his
keeping, all freely bestowed upon him by the grateful hearts of his
people below, will lead us into the Fields Of Everlasting Glory.
O Exalted One, intermediate between Gods and men, what we now do for
you do you for us. Let your deeds and your words become our words.
Thus it ever was and thus it will ever be, while mortal beings make
pilgrimage through this valley of tears.
Speak thus in your hour. The High Born One has not blasphemed the
Divine Powers, nor has he paid undue homage to earthly desires. He
has not been loudmouthed in the Sacred Places, nor laughed when he
should have been grave. His tongue is pure, for when fed with the
words of men he absorbs Truth and excretes falsehood. His mouth has
never spewed forth words of malice or envy, words of oppression or
injustice never passed his lips.
Look now at the great dark water mirror and see what is reflected
there from the mists swirling along the corridor of time. Seeing
your place, make ready, so that when the summons comes from the Dark
One you are not caught unprepared.
These are the words to be spoken to those who peer from beyond the
Dark Portal: His arm was ever ready to help those who did good for
others, and he lent his power to those who ordered what was good. He
stood for those who could no longer stand and commanded for those
who could no longer command. He carried the weary and succoured the
helpless. He never oppressed the weak, nor did he permit injustices
to go unpunished and unrectified.
He stood by the side of the Great Potter, and because of his plea
the clay was shaped to a more pleasing form. He erased disfiguring
faults and smoothed the roughness. He added stiffness to the
mixture.
He has done no evil, his words have always been true. He stands
unashamed and fearless before the twin shrines. Even as it was in
the Land of the Great River, so let it be here. Let him not be cut
off by distance.
Let not his power be cut off, for he stands between the worlds. Let
it flow out like living waters unto the living and be as shining
rays to the Radiant Ones. For here we see the power darkly, while
beyond the horizon it shines brightly.
He is everlastingly faithful in heart, for he has admitted no other
who would defile him. He has remained loyal to the sacred words and
has diligently perused the great writings. He has navigated the
shallows of the winding waters. Now he draws near.
He has left his kingdom of trial, he has overcome the challenges of
life, he has done all things written on the tablets of Truth, and he
has sojourned in the Chamber of Profound Silence. He has done all
things which are proper and been reassured that he has followed the
right path. He does not fear judgment.
Let him reunite with The Supreme One who sent him forth, so that he
will not be separated from the waters of life. Let the Holy Heat
enwrap him when he passes through the Place of Coldness. Let his
nostrils inhale the breath of nourishment, that he may live and that
we may partake of his existence.
Do not repudiate him, but make him welcome. Do you not recognize the
one you endowed with power? Has he become too radiant? Is his form
too glorious? Read what is written in the books of his heart. You
set him in darkness and he saw. You set him in silence and he heard.
You set him in emptiness and he felt. You established him in
nothingness and he gathered substance. Therefore, he returns with
manifold powers. He is well fitted to be presented to those who
stand before The Supreme One.
When the bright sun shines with splendour in the day-skies above, the
gentle morning star hides her face in modesty and becomes unseen.
All the great Company of the radiant nightlights withdraw before the
majesty of the greater light. Yet when darkness eats the shining
disk we know again the comforting presence of the eternal stars, so
let it be with your servant.
The Dark Ones who dwell in their compatible gloom cannot claim him
as one of their own, he cannot be numbered among their dreadful
company. His heart is pure, his deeds were good, no creature spawned
in murkiness has gained control of his thoughts. His desires have
not been generated by denizens of the darkness.
He who was afflicted here is not afflicted forever, he is made
whole, he is freed from pain, his sickness has departed. He rejoices
in the light, therefore let him be drawn towards the greater light
where you are. Let him not see the place of darkness, let him not
behold the Hideous Ones fashioned by wickedness, the Dwellers in the
Dark Recesses, who shrink before the light, or the Twisted Ones
moulded by lewd desires.
He brings with him a lamp lit from the flame of Truth, he bears the
rod of righteousness which rewards those who have overcome
tribulations. O let him pass to the right side of the dividing
flame! He has left us, he is coming to you, he approaches, he throws
off the earthly wrappings, he stands free, he stands glorious. Does
he not glow with splendour? Behold him, your worthy companion in
brightness. Is he not wholly compatible with those of your company?
See, he is a Shining One, a Hero of the Horizon. Is he not one
destined to abide everlastingly? Take him, lead him to the Realm of
Glory, show him his place in the Spheres of Splendour.
The eyes that were deceived on Earth now see clearly, O what
splendours are revealed! The music unheard by earthly ears now
sounds sweet melodious music. O what joyous rapture it brings! The
nostrils inhale perfumes too delicate for the earthly nose, O how
the heart sings! All drabness, all dullness and all sordidness,
which are of the Earth, are left behind. Turn him from the place
where these can regather about him.
The unmoving, empty body remains here before our eyes; it is
nothing, it sees not, it hears not, it speaks not, it smells not,
its breath is stilled, it begins to fall apart. There is no life and
the overseer has departed. Nothing remains here with us but this
unresponsive thing. The greatness, the feeling, the sensitivity have
departed from the body and are now beyond our ken. These are with
the real surviving being. O receive him into the life of splendour!
We, who are here, stand blinded behind the veil of flesh, we cannot
see beyond ourselves, we hope, we believe and we trust. Thus it has
ever been with men, for they pass their lives behind a wall of
limitations, there is a barrier shutting them in. They are
imprisoned within a mortal body. O grant us fulfilment, grant us
that which is that which is the ultimate desire and aspiration of
men!
We speak for this man. He is one who came with us from afar. He is
one who has travelled a long weary road. No taint of meanness
stained the purity of his spirit, no corruption of deceit
discoloured the garments of his soulself. He has gone over shining
in radiant splendour, so even the doomed in their darkness can hope
when they sight his distant glow. May it shed some small warmth into
their grim coldness!
O Great Welcomer, who greets the newcomers, help our departed one.
He served well in this place of trial and tribulation, let him not
go unrewarded. He is the son of hope. Like us, like those who went
before, he hoped as men have always hoped, for this is not a place
of certainties. If it were, our heritage of glory would be badly
earned.
He lives because it is ordained that he live; he lives, for all men
live everlastingly. They die not, they perish not, they endure
through ages. His Kohar awaits him and needs hide no awful aspect in
shame. Let his face shine in greeting, welcome home the wanderer.
This tombed structure is not a place of finality. The grave is not
the goal of earthly life, anymore than the soil is the goal of the
seed. Does seed die within the ground? Is it planted intending that
it be mingled with the soil and lost?
O Great Welcomer, let your face shine with gladness when you greet
the homecoming wanderer. Lead him to the Kohar which is his
inheritance, that he may enter into it and enjoy its embrace. Let
him find completion and fulfillment by absorption into his Kohar.
Our departed one was the whole part which came forth from the whole,
and he returns to the whole. Nothing is lost, nothing is gone. He
lives over there, lives more fully than he ever lived. He lives in
splendour, he lives in beauty, he lives in knowledge and in the
waters of life. He is everlasting.
O departed one risen to glory, you are now a released spirit united
with your spirit whole, the companionable Kohar, the everlasting
one. Arise alive in the Land Beyond the Horizon and journey to the
Land of Dawning; the stars accompanying you will sing for joy, while
the heavenly signs voice hymns of praise and gladness. You are not
far removed from us, it is as if we were in one room divided by a
curtain, therefore we are not sorrowful. If we weep it is because we
cannot share your joys and because we no longer know your touch.
O everlasting Kohar, take this man of goodness into your eternal
embrace, let your life become his life and your breath his breath.
He is your own, he is the drop returning to the filled pitcher, the
leaf returning to the tree, you are the repository of his
incarnations. As you grew there, so he grew here; you are
everlastingly whole and he lives in you. If he is not even as you in
face, let him enter, hide his faults, for they are not many. For
this you were fashioned, for this you came into being, you are the
overbody awaiting the returning spirit, and the spirit now comes.
You are that which will clothe the newly arrived spirit in heavenly
flesh. You are that in which our departed one will express himself.
O Kohar, hear us. Here is your vitalizing essence; before you were
incomplete, now you are whole. Draw your own, your compatible one,
to you and observe the many likenesses. We send fragrances, that
they may spread around you. Now take the eye which will perfect your
face, it is the perfecting eye, the eye which sees things as they
are. See the fluctuating wraith, is it not beautiful? Does it not
come with an aura of fragrance, sweetness filling the air? It has
been purged of all impurities, all about it is fragrant. Therefore,
grant it your substance, that it may become solid and firm.
O Kohar, long have you awaited the day of fulfillment, the day of
your destiny. That day is here, it is now; therefore, take the
spirit which is your own and enfold it with your wings. Each to his
own and to his own each goes. You and he are bound together with
unseverable bonds, each without the other is nothing. Now bear him
up, for in that place you are greater than he, for you are the
generator. While he rested in the womb you were active, as he grew
you grew before him. If he has done wrong, and who among men is
guiltless, then in you let the wrong be adjusted. You are his hope,
you are his shield and you are his refuge.
This we say to the Brilliant One, the Guardian of Goodness: The
departed one has not walked with ignorance, he has not been slothful
in carrying the burden of his duty. He has not been swayed by
passions of the body, he has not despoiled the house of another, he
has not caused undue sorrow, nor has he maltreated a child for
pleasure. He has succoured the poor and weak, he has done all that
is good; therefore, let none of Those Who Lurk in Darkness seize
him. His radiant light is strong, those who would seize him are
repulsed by the light and slink away. He lives, he lives forever.
He has lived worthily, he has been purified by the fires of earthly
life, he has been refined in the furnace of tribulation, he has
overcome all earthly temptations. He has lived the life which
enhances goodness, he has prepared himself for life in the light.
Receive him, O Brilliant One!
O Kohar, absorb into yourself the life-force, it was meant for you,
it is yours. It is the enlivening spirit which spans the two worlds.
He, the departed one, was you and even more so were you he. Come to
him as the Beauteous One came to Belusis, a great king, and gathered
him in compassion and love. Come, that he may awaken to new life in
your arms.
This man, the departed one, who in unity with you becomes the
Glorious One, was born of a God and is the child of two Gods, after
the nature of greater men. Now you are impregnated with the living
spirit of he who was prepared by trial on Earth for you. Behold, in
unity your twain are now throbbing with life and your brightness
bedazzles the eyes. You are now a Star of Life, a Living Star, and
to a star you shall ascend to rule its life.
The departed one is now freed, he is loosed from the bonds of
illusion, he is saved from the dark waters of unreality and is one
with the Eternal Light. These things we declare, so let them be. Our
thoughts mould a new reality beyond the present real, and this
becomes the reality of tomorrow.
O great substantial Kohar, protect this departed one, your own, from
the accusations of false-fronted beings, remembering the faithful
heart ever prevailing before the balances of our forefathers from
far away. Put into his mouth those words which open doors. Let the
goodness in him prevail, but you, yourself, stand up and bear
witness for him. He suffered from the frailties of men. He was
wrathful when provoked and surly when enduring great burdens. His
temper flashed quickly when his words were not accepted or his ways
followed, and at times he lacked consideration. However, these are
small things inseparable from the frailties of mortal men, and in
all greater things he was good. Let not the false-fronted one
disguised in his brother's form possess him, guard him from the
beings lurking in the shadows this side of the darkness.
I see this, my brothers. Behold, the departed one goes to meet his
own image. It is his own self reflected in his image. It is his own
self that comes to greet him. It is his Kohar which embraces him. It
welcomes him as though he were one ransomed from captivity. I see
them blend and he becomes a new seed in the heart of his Kohar.
I hear the Kohar speak, it names itself Nevakohar, it says,
"O man
of pure thoughts, of kindly words, of quiet speech, of good deeds,
come to me. I am your being, yet I am not you; as you have loved and
cherished me, so I now love and cherish you. I am your reward, as I
would have been your affliction".
They are now united and this is
the place of the first threshold, from whence the Completed Beings
depart.
The departed one now stands in his own form and likeness. He becomes
the Great Ship-Borne Voyager and passes over the waters to the Place
of Reeds, but his weaknesses do not bear him down and he goes
through. Great Ones, lift him up, let him not fall into the fetid
waters of decay. He is a worthy son of Lewth. Then the lesser is
carried by the greater, while Dark Ones gaze up from their misery
and wait silently to see if he is borne up. The Glorious One goes
past in peace, for he is not compatible with their dark company. He
remains unmolested, for flame confounds the hands of slime.
An unloosed Dark One comes up saying it will take this man, but is
repulsed by brightness. It is a thing of maimed rottenness, for on
Earth it was clothed in lust-saturated flesh, though contained in a
form of beauty. The heart of this man is not faint; see him now, is
he not sure of his welcome among Beings of Glory? He is as the wild
bull, the prince of herds, he is a Great One among the Everlasting
Spirits.
He reaches the firm ground where a Bright Being welcomes him, and he
is named 'The Newcomer'. He has landed on the shore and climbed the
Steps of Splendour. He is in the company of Shining Spirits and his
earthlife companions greet him, they welcome him, saying, "All this
beauty and splendour is yours to enjoy". They bring garments of
beauty, bright clothes of radiance.
He has passed through the Hall of Judgment. The Twin Truths have
heard his plea, and those who bore witness have departed. He has
crossed the waters and ascended the steps, now he has attained the
threshold of immortality and stands in rapture. He has passed by the
regions of darkness and gloom and is with glory. He comes to
everlasting he in a true form of splendour, to dwell evermore as a
living spirit within his Kohar. How wonderful it is to be united and
one with the Kohar!
The Newcomer looks back across the waters to the Place of Decision,
then he turns and ascends the steps to the threshold of immortality.
He is in his true form, yet he is a spirit within his Kohar. He
speaks, but it is not the speech of men and all understand him. His
hearing is all-embracing. He sees both the powers of Light and the
powers of Darkness, but the powers of Darkness no longer affect him.
The Newcomer has reached his compatible abode. He has fought the
battle which is mortal life and risen supreme to victory. He has not
been vanquished by the Raging Ones which are the bodily passions. At
each step forward he has left a lifeless form, at each step he has
fought a shadow, at each step he has won the clash of arms.
The Newcomer has sought out and discovered the One Hidden Behind the
Two, and the Three which stand before them. He knows the secrets of
the Nine which veil the others from the eyes of men. He has
unravelled the skein of life's mysteries, even as those enlightened
ones yet living on Earth must do.
There is no suffering or pain in the Newcomer, he cannot feel hurt,
neither can he be sorrowful. If a companion of his Earth journey be
numbered among the Dark Ones, then his heart is soothed with
forgetfulness; but later he will remember, and because of his
efforts the Dark One will be returned to the crucible.
CHAPTER TWO
THE SACRED REGISTERS - PART 2
The writings of Garmi were brought by the hands of Nadayeth The
Enlightener, of the twin cities whence come the Sons of Fire, when
he fled the wrath of kings. He spread out before the Learned Ones
beauteous things of many colours and spoke to them after this
fashion, and I, Lavos, recorded it in the tongue of the Sons of
Fire:
Behold this, it is the Land of the Dawning. It stands between the
Land of Light ever splendid and the Land of Darkness ever gloomy.
They are the lands beyond the veil, before the veil is the Land of
the Living.
The Aspiring One has embarked on the waters of illusion, his craft
is afloat but it has not yet reached the shores where the promise of
new life is fulfilled. Now he is guided by two beings, one a lovely
maiden and the other an ill-visaged man. These two strive one with
the other, each grasping one side of the craft, now it overturns.
The maiden seeks to drag the Aspiring One down, while the
ill-favoured man seeks to keep him afloat. But the Aspiring One
struggles against him. They come to the sands of the shining shore
where the Light of Truth turns the maiden into a vile-faced hag and
the man into a handsome youth. The Aspiring One lies on the sands of
Shodew as one dead, for he had fought against the man who sought to
save him.
The Beauteous One comes attended by handmaidens, and with them are
the companions of the Aspiring One's earthly life. There, too, is
his soulself, awaiting his embrace. The Aspiring One lies as dead,
for he did not know his saviour. They who stand about, who are The
Welcomers, wait in uncertainty. The Beauteous One bends over the
prostrate man and says, "Revive, this is not a place where death
rules". He moves and she says, "Raise yourself and cast away the
residue of your mortality".
The Aspiring One opens his eyes, he sits up, he shields his eyes
before the vision of beauty, he is blinded by it and she gives him
his heart. The handmaidens weep and their tears are the blood of the
Aspiring One's life. The Beauteous One says,
"I have come that you
who were dead might live, that you who were blinded might see, that
you who were deceived might know Truth".
The soulself says, "I have
come to embrace you, I have come to protect you, I have come to
shield you, I am your refuge".
That which is the Kohar says,
"I have come to brighten up your face,
I am you as you are me. I have waited for you, I have wept for you
and rejoiced when you rejoiced. I have never forgotten you while we
have been apart. I have heard every word spoken and these are
recorded for you. I have recorded every sight. I have recorded every
sound. I have recorded every smell and every taste. Every memory is
secure for you. Here I give you form and substantiality".
This is The Herald, he stands between this man and his Kohar, and
they, together with The Adjuster and The Welcomers, go to the Hall
of Judgement and stand before The Lord of Life, The Master of
Destinies. Now come The Lords of Eternity who are The Lesser Gods,
and they enter the Gates of Splendour. The Balancer comes from his
secret place. The Greeter to Darkness stands at his door and The
Greeter to Splendour stands at his door, they face each other. The
Welcomers, compatible companions of this man's earthly life, stand
about, they are there, in the Hall of Judgement.
The Balancer causes two fluid-like, fluctuating columns which stand
on either side of the Kohar and one takes the form of the Aspiring
One, but it is horribly malformed because it mirrors all his
wickednesses and weaknesses. The other shines brightly, for it
mirrors all his goodness and spiritual qualities. Then the two
columns merge back into the Kohar and The Adjuster adjusts with
justice and mercy. Then the Aspiring One stands forth in his Kohar
and in his true likeness, whicn is a blending together of all his
incarnational likenesses.
The Aspiring One is drawn towards the right hand door, he passes
through and sets foot on the rainbow road. He is accompanied by The
Welcomers, the companions of his earthly life who are now revealed
to him in their true likeness. They sing, they dance, they rejoice,
and there is much gladness in the reunion. The word of Truth is
established, it is fulfilled. The ancient promises are fulfilled. He
who departs shall return, he who sleeps shall awaken, he who dies
shall live. The Aspiring One has passed into the Regions of Glory.
Now, behold the body vacated by the vehicle of life. It slumbers in
its death wrappings, for the enlivening spirit has flown. The
earthly body alone stays and cannot hold itself together. It
prepares to fall apart and decay. The Companions of the Dead take it
into their company, it will be made incorruptible and become a
communicating door. It is given the things which rightly belong to
the dead.
Those who remain on Earth fear the Life Shadow of the One who has
gone on before them. The body is bandaged in its death wrappings. It
is purified, it is made clean, it is provided with the necessities.
Thus, the Life Shadow shall dwell at peace within the empty body, it
believes it to be its abode. It shall not wander. O Shadow, do not
wander, remain within the tomb, seize any who come to steal, seize
any who would break the body, seize any who would open that which is
closed. Seize and haunt, seize and haunt!
The Companions of the Dead speak thus,
"The Life Shadow of this man
who was is never restless, it never wanders, it is ever protecting,
it is ever watchful. It remains, for it is bound to the empty corpse
by the restraining throngs".
They say,
"The spirit of this man has awakened in the Land of
Immortality, it rejoices in the Land Beyond the Horizon. He is a
Hero of the Horizon. Offend him not by thinking that he is dead, he
cannot die, for he is with the Ever Living. He has not gone away to
die, he has departed to live elsewhere. Let the moisture of his body
return to the waters of the Earth from whence it came. Let the
things of hardness in his body return to the dust from whence they
came. Let his bones rejoin the stones which once they were".
"Weep not, for your tears and lamentations restrain his eager
spirit. Sing the death dirge, that its echoes may sound the tocsin
in the Region of Light and The Splendid Ones and The Welcomers come
to the place of appointment. It is unfitting to force gladness on a
sorrowful heart, but be sad only for a temporary parting".
"Let not the earthly body of this man who was, become destitute,
surround it with care and affection, so that it may transmit the
substance of life. Sustain it, so the Life Shadow remain within".
"What see you now? Gaze upon it, the frail mortal remains enwrapped
and silent, unresponsive. Ponder, this you see with the eyes of the
body, which cannot perceive things of the spirit. Were the eyes of
your spirit opened but a brief moment, you would perceive something
entirely different and then you would know that his shining,
immortal spirit walks in the company of those risen to glory."
" It is the time for parting, the time for farewell, for the closing
of the door."
"O departed one risen to glory, who has left us to sorrow. As we have
helped you and surrounded you with the protection of our love and
our offerings, so now help us in the days of life left to us on
Earth."
CHAPTER THREE
THE SACRED REGISTERS - PART 3
Behold, one comes wearing white sandals and clad in fine linen.
Arise, stand up to greet him. He bears the staff of righteousness.
He brings a pearl of priceless value, take it and become perfect.
Others come, fair women and young children. His father's heir has
come and the four great ones who bear sweet waters, who spread the
feast and rejoice under the strong arm of their protector. He who
has gone is not forgotten, but this is the day of the living.
He who has inherited ceases from weeping and begins to smile, the
protecting one comes in peace. The heart in the sky is no longer
small, it expands, it grows large. Thus it is also with the heart of
he who lives, his days of lamentations are over and his heart swells
and grows large.
The good son never ceases from faithful service on behalf of the
absent one who has escaped from the confinement of the body. The
dutiful son now calls upon the absent one for protection from
wandering shadows and from the molestations of life Shadows.
O Bountiful, Ever Considerate One, hear the words of your faithful
and dutiful son, as they ascend with the blue, penetrating smoke of
fragrant incense. Let no shadow wander from your safe abode to haunt
our habitations, for they who dwell therein have done you no
dishonour. Safeguard the Dark Doorway, that things in vile forms
come not near us to pollute our bodies with sickness and disease.
You left, and before the waters rose again the man of Shodu, he who
dealt harshly with the widow dwelling beside the channel of black
stones, departed for his judgment. Is not he whom you judged, and
did you not deal rightly with him when the scales went down against
him? Therefore, might he not return from the Region of Darkness with
others of his kind and cause misfortune to fall upon us? You he
cannot harm, you are now in the Place of Glory, in the land beyond
the Westera waters. Therefore, send us guardians from among the
Glorious Company, that they may spread protecting wings over our
habitations.
Many come, bearing cakes of fine meal and barley cakes, large,
fat-bodied fish and meats of many kinds, honeywine in jars and
fruits in plenty. He who is absent from the feast is joyful, his arm
is strong and he issues his commands to the guardians. Cast off all
gloom and be joyful, for this is not the time of sorrow, and tears
have no place in your eyes.
If there be benevolent Life Shadows beyond the protective pale, they
may enter. Join with us in our rejoicing. Let us all enjoy what we
have and what we share, for life is irrepressible.
These are things from a foreign place said for our brother Gwelm,
according to the rites of the Sons of Fire, and thus it shall be for
those who enter the chambers of stone.
CHAPTER FOUR
THE SACRED REGISTERS - PART 4
No longer can the man who was speak with men on Earth, for he now
lives in splendour among The Eternal Ones. He was weighed before the
Assessors, and though his faults were not few he was not outweighed
in goodness. He has become a Shining One and journeys on into the
spaces of Heavenland, accompanied only by his compatible companions.
He has ascended into the Place of Glory, the Place of Fulfilment.
The years have fallen off his shoulders, like a cast off cloak, and
he is young again. He is vigorous, he lives. Time cannot touch him
with change, nor sorrow enter his heart. He rests, awaiting a new
call to duty.
He has passed through the Wide Hall and through the Narrow Portal.
He has entered the Land of a New Dawning and he is welcomed, his
Earth companions greet him, he lives. He is beyond harm, he sees the
sublime visions which fulfil his yearnings. He who has served is now
served. As he has sown and husbanded, so now he reaps.
He continues past the Place of Waiting Souls and sees the awaiting
Kohars who will unite with the ascending spirits of men. He bears in
his hand the Book of Life and glides over the pure pastures, past
the bright dividing flame. He turns the face of compassion towards
the darkness, but sees nought but fleeting shadows against the red
glare. The Lost Ones shrink back in shame and the man who was passes
the entrance to their foul abode.
Those who are left to mourn for the Glorious One have dried their
tears, for all is well with him. He delights in the good life in a
place of glory. He is safe in the embrace of his Kohar, he is the
Adoring One whose eyes are opened to splendour, he sees the sublime
visions.
The man who was seeks the Illuminator who will direct him in his
duties, he cleanses himself in the Lake of Beauty and refreshes
himself at the Fountain of Life. He sees spirits of the twilight who
are purged of all their wickedness and lusts yet remain captive to
The Lords of Destinies, for they are still unproven. The Lord of
Life will direct their passage back for trial and testing. For these
there is always hope.
The man who was has navigated the winding waters of life and crossed
the dark waters of death, and is now strengthened in wisdom. He
takes a seat on high, that he may become an instructor and guide on
the path. He becomes a brazier in the distance, a homing light to
guide those who seek Truth. He is purified and comes forth wearing
the White Mantle of Greatness.
Behold the splendour of his raiment and the purity of his
adornments, as he sits awaiting calls from those in the Heavy
Kingdom, who seek his counsel. The seers in dark waters will amaze
the people with the clarity of their visions and revelations, for
the power goes forth from the man who was, with manifold strength. A
great being has joined the Splendid Company in the Land of
Dawnlight. Over there they will say, "Earth is worthily fulfilling
its purpose when it produces men such as this".
You may wonder what are the occupations of the man who was. Does he
illuminate the dark waters alone? May he not be among those who seek
to enter the hearts of those who close the doors of their spirit to
the instructors of wisdom? Alas, they who are heavily enshrouded in
earthly wrappings are ever set of face before the instructors of
wisdom, they say, "What have we to do with this babble?", yet they,
most of all, require enlightenment, for they are men of small minds.
May he not have become a pathfinder in the night, a guide through
the darkness, the star illuminating the night at its darkest hour as
the herald of The Great Illuminator? May he not have become a
Director of Rays that dance on the waters, or a Controller of the
Winds which caress the cheek? Suffice that he rejoices in a life of
splendour, so let it remain with him and his Kohar until the day
when all is known, the day of full knowing.
CHAPTER FIVE
THE SACRED REGISTERS - PART 5
These are the instructions for those who journey the outer track of
the twinway, for those who have been laid in the chambered tombs,
who followed the ways of Kemwelith. The words are those from the
distant past, first spoken in a far land beyond the rolling billows:
The Risen One has become the Newcomer, and having passed through the
clearing house his departure is not delayed. No toll is required on
the ferry, for the Newcomer has with him the words of entrance which
have become known to him according to his deeds. He has not deviated
from the path and all is well.
The ferryman comes to the Place of Waiting, he of the winding river
which is the tortuous channel of purification. The Newcomer stands
at the mooring place and proclaims,
"O ferryman, away to the Region
of the Blessed Ones. I am purified, purged of polluting evils; make
haste, do not delay. I am a wanderer anxious to reach my
destination".
The ferryman says, "From whence come you?"
The
Newcomer says,
"I am from Restaw and am weary. Take me to my
compatible place of abode, let us not delay, I wish to join those
united with their soulselves. Let us not dally. Do not tarry, for I
am anxious to depart from this sombre shore. Have no fear, cautious
one, for no evil dogs my footsteps. Come, let us away, bear me over
the waters to the appointed place. Carry me swiftly to where spirits
are regenerated and made young again. Carry me to the foot of the
Great Stairway that ascends to the Place of the Immortals, to the
Courtyard of The Great God".
The ferryman hesitates, he says,
"Show me your token, that I may
know you have truly passed the tests, that I may know your true
destination. For it is the way with men that they think one thing
but Truth lies elsewhere".
The Newcomer says,
"My token is the brightness, which, if you be no
imposter, you may see shining above my head, and my introduction is
the writing concerning me, written in the Book of Sacred Mysteries.
Come, bear me over the waters, so that I may tread the Field of
Peace. See, have I not four attendants, two on either side? Let them
speak for me, for they are witnesses walking in the light of Truth".
The ferryman says,
"Who stands to the pole?" and the Risen One
answers, "I will stand to the pole with my attendants, two on either
side. You stand by to bear at the steering oar, so that our course
remains straight". The ferryman says, "It is well, for the current
is sullen and changeful".
The Newcomer says,
"O ferryman of the boatless ones, I am truly a
man justified before all on both sides of the horizon, before Heaven
and Earth. I have passed the tests of the examiners and am free to
proceed. I am one who can claim passage by virtue of my deeds. Have
not men spoken well of me after I departed from their midst, is this
not enough? It is the way with Earth, that if men speak of the
goodness of an absent one, then he is good indeed. Truly I am a
Bright One".
The ferryman says,
"Draw aside your mantle, that I may see your
likeness, for this is a good boat which may not be polluted. The
path henceforth is hard for those who cannot be faced without
revulsion. O Great One, draw your mantle over again, for you are
indeed among the brightest of those who pass this way, great will be
the rejoicing when you appear among your own kind, the pure of
heart".
"Delay no longer, ferryman. Quickly over the waters to the other
side. If you delay further I will name the names of Gods to men,
that their unreality be exposed. I am not one to be trifled with, I
am one who can dispel the clouds of illusion. I am a man of no mean
qualities, therefore tarry no more, let us depart".
CHAPTER SIX
THE SACRED REGISTERS - PART 6
The man who was becomes the Pilgrim. He has crossed the waters, he
has passed the Grim Guardian, he waits without the Place of Union
and stands firmly. He is not afraid and stands resolute. The Cool
Gracious One approaches with three jars of water and refreshes him.
The Pilgrim says,
"Behold, O Watcher at the Gate, I have laid up
treasure enough in the storehouse of love, therefore allow me to
pass. The love of those who have gone before, see is it not a large
quantity and sufficient to draw me upward? See the love of those who
remain behind, is it not a large quantity and sufficient to draw me
upward?"
The Watcher hears his words.
The Grim Guardian counts and weighs and says, "Pass". Then this man
passes and goes beyond the Lake of Wisdom, past the Winding Channel
of Experiences, over the flooded Field of Reeds, to the Eastern side
of the Region of Light where he will be renewed in birth into the
Higher Spheres.
The Pilgrim now stands before the Womb of Heaven where those who
enter as pure seed are brought forth into union with God. This man
passes by to where the attendants help him to assume the Robe of
Glory. They welcome him.
"Behold", they say, "His Kohar has brought this man powers to make
him complete. The powers he gave into the keeping of his Kohar
during the prayer times on Earth have returned greatly magnified.
This man has joined the Joyful Company, he has left his old,
discarded body in the Region of Heaviness, to assume another more
glorified one in the Region of Light."
The Kohar greets the Pilgrim and says, "I welcome you, my own". The
Kohar says to those about,
"This is my own, he has washed in the
Lake of Wisdom and passed by the Caverns of Distrust and Doubt. Let
us, therefore, enter in peace when the Great Door is opened for the
United Being in the East, the door leading to the Place of The One
True God above all Gods, whose manifestations are secret mysteries".
Before going further they pass by a side entrance to the Region of
Darkness where vile and sorrowful things lurk, the Lost Ones, those
who served in the ranks of evil on Earth. O Great Kohar, stop the
ears of your own; that he may not hear the mournful waitings of the
doomed ones left behind!
They who are the companions of the Pilgrim cry out,
"O Kohar, guide
your own right, guide him up the Ladder of Life which he must
traverse again; strengthen its rungs, support him, so he bears
lightly upon them, let not the rungs break beneath his weight. This
is the test of deeds long since done, where evil bears down
heavily".
"O Kohar, your ownis weak andfalters, yet your arms are strong,
therefore lift them to support him, that he may surmount to the
heights above. Do this, that he may sit with those who have
understanding and perception, that his feet may be welcomed in the
Fields of Peace and that he may take his place among the Glorious
Ones".
Blessed is the Kohar who safeguards all memories, storing them as
men store corn; who retains these for the use of the Reborn Ones;
who can recall all that men forget and can draw forth a memory as
men draw water from a well. The Kohar is the eternal recorder,
Pilgrims become Risen Ones and enter their Kohars as a soul enters a
body, and in unity they become Glorious Ones.
CHAPTER SEVEN
THE SACRED REGISTERS - PART 7
This is the manner whereby the Aspiring Ones of Earth may cross the
dread horizon through residence within the Cavern of Stone. It is
thus that men come to know the Truth concerning the Realms of Glory
beyond the Western Horizon, but it is a path beset by great dangers
and manifold terrors, and many return witless.
The Aspiring One is of Earth, he is earthbound. He sits within the
cavern before the Cauldron of Rebirth and Regeneration, and inhales
the smoke from the brew of release. He rises above himself, flying
on wings of five feathers, the names of which are recorded in the
Book of Secret Mysteries, wherein are the awful recipes. There it is
written that he may ascend like a falcon and cannot go otherwise
than as a falcon. He may not go in the manner of any other bird.
He escapes the call of Earth, its fetters fall from him. The
Aspiring One leaves his attendants behind, he is not with them, he
is not of Earth, neither is he of Heaven. He is at the place where
the two meet and intermingle.
His body moves without the spirit and partakes of the sour yellow
bread of wide vision. The Aspiring One drinks the brew of grey
barley and sips long at the wine of harish, eating the cakes of
green brown horris. He eats the fruit of the releasing tree and
drinks the brew of black fungus, which is in the smoke goblet. Thus,
he sleeps and the attendants lay him down in the receptacle called
the Womb of Rebirth. He is in the Place of Visions but remains like
the masthead bird.
He shall be covered and made so that in his struggles he rise not.
His voice is heard speaking in a strange tongue, as he calls on his
fathers who have gone before and now preside over affairs beyond the
Wide Lake. His body becomes still, as he enters the dazzling chamber
which is the doorway to twin vision.
Now he must penetrate the Walls of Dry Air which bar his passage,
and rise into the rainbow-coloured Clouds of Radiance which are
above. High up he looks below him and sees the waters of the Winding
Canal of Experience and understands the meaning of all that had
befallen him. Now he has four eyes, these being the inner and outer
eyes, and rising higher he attains the heights of wide
consciousness.
Here he meets the Pathfinder and follows him swiftly. He speaks
rightly to the Guardian. He shields bis eyes when passing the Lurker
on the Threshold, and goes on until he comes to the abode of the
Opener of the Ways.
Now the body of the Aspiring One becomes restless and those who
attend him place the power of Hori over his face. He hears the voice
of The SunGod, which says, "I know the necessary names, I am The
Knower of Names. I know the name of The Limitless One, above The
Lords of the East and West, I am One Most Powerful".
The Aspiring One becomes covered with moisture, he writhes, he
shouts, he struggles. The Companionable Watchers know he has left
the protection of The Sungod, that he has been seized by the Fiends
of Darkness, but he struggles and prevails over them, and all is
well. Then the Aspiring One returns.
A hundred shining suns whirl above, a whisper rolls around like
thunder, lights of manifold hues sway above, like the river reeds in
the wind. All things appear to dance in a shimmering haze, then turn
over and fold back into themselves, and such beauty is produced that
the human tongue cannot describe it. All things take upon themselves
shimmering forms through which other forms can be seen. Great
melodic music throbs all around, while everything pulsates a soft
rhythm. The air is filled with voices of unearthly sweetness, glory
and splendour are everywhere. Then the Aspiring One awakes.
He is raised, behold he comes forth and walks as one bemused by a
vision of glory. He staggers, he cannot walk unsupported. His throat
burns and his mouth is overgrown with dryness. His head resounds
with drumbeats. He is given the sweet waters in the cup of
forgetfulness and drinks deeply, all is well. He is a Reborn One, he
is an Enlightened One. He is one resurrected from the Cavern of
Stone.
CHAPTER EIGHT
THE SACRED REGISTERS - PART 8
These are the supplications of Dkeb, the Stranger, who came from the
Land of Rising Waters and was known to us as the Opener of the Ways,
he came under the wings of the Firehawk. He was the first of the
Scarlet Robed Ones, the right hand of Glanvanis. That was in the
time of our fathers' fathers, and the tongue of the seafarers is no
longer in the mouth of men.
O Great Being of Beauty, Brilliant One who greets the Newcomers
arriving in the Place Beyond the Western Horizon, this woman is your
daughter, your daughter is she. See, she is pure in spirit and clean
in heart. She is modest and womanlike, so let her pass to live in
the Pastures of Life, in the Land of New Dawning where all is
wholesome.
Let her be purified by the maidens of Orshafa, let them purify her,
let her be washed and dried by the attendants at the clean, sweet
waters of life. Let the nine Delicate Ones minister to her, let her
be clothed in garments of decency, for she is a womanly woman. O
Great and Glorious One, give this woman your hand, clasp her hand
with womanly tenderness. Spread out your falcon wings over her,
spread protecting wings around her. She has followed the tedious
ways of womankind and has glorified life with her presence. She has
endured affliction with patience and made her home hearth a place of
peace and content. Let her roam the pastures of the Blessed Ones and
penetrate into the farthest regions of light.
I raise my hands in supplication. The flame is lit, it burns
brightly, fragrant incense is placed in the bowl and it becomes
aglow. Its sweet perfume rises into the recesses above. O Happy
Risen One, O Beautiful Being glowing with womanly goodness,
treasurer of all the virtues, purify yourself for admittance into
the Higher Regions. The incense we offer here is your indrawn breath
of renewed life. It fills your lungs, you breathe and because you
breathe you live. This is the best incense from the Land of Gwemi,
differing not from that which our fathers knew when they travelled
the water road. O Beautified One, my heart lingers at the place
where you rest, my heart is with you, entwined with yours. How sweet
your breath, how pleasant your perfume, how gentle your whispers,
how delicate the rustle of your attire. O newly become Beauteous
One, you are not alone.
Rise blue perfumed smoke, rise cleaning fragrance, rise sweet
wholesome offerings, rise like fluttering birds on wings of purified
air to the glorious regions of light which he away beyond our poor
perception. Accept our sweet fragrance, O Beautified One, inhale our
sweet smoke, O Ever Delicate One, may you enjoy the due reward of
your labours and privations, of your selfless sacrifices. Be ever
contented and peaceful, O dutiful wife and loving mother, hear our
words, as they rise to you in the softly smouldering incense which
comes shipborne to these shores.
Hear the voices of the waiting Welcomers greeting the Beauteous One
who now joins them. They say, "Cast off the old worn garment and
array yourself in garments of radiant light, in the clothes of
splendour which have awaited you. Bedeck yourself in the well earned
jewels of spiritual reward.
"Henceforth you shall dwell here, walking about freely, to be
honoured and loved. Here you will be renewed, be alert, vigorous and
far reaching. The power of your spirit shall stretch out to every
place. You take thought and fly on hawks wings. Your desire becomes
a chariot with wings of light".
"Beyond the place of your first destination is the kingdom of the
Lord of the Distant Sky. There he will permit manifestations in
glory. There, henceforth, you shall walk in strength and beauty,
being ever filled with life and power, garmented in loveliness for
all eternity".
"There floodwaters of a glorious fluid light unknown here rise and
fall in moderation, and therein you may bathe daily and taste the
revitalising rests. Here your thirst may be slaked at the well of
Divine Essence and your appetite appeased by the strange bread of
everlasting life".
"This is your destiny, in the Land Beyond the Veil, therefore lift
up your face in joy. Rise, lovely liveliness. You are one destined
to be numbered among the Shining Ones and are warmly welcomed into
the company of the Fragrant Ones. O happy one who enhanced earthly
life with your presence, this is your reward. Many have done mighty
things, but you have served with constancy and diligence, adding the
small grains of goodness to the pile of merits until it exceeded in
weight the great things done by others. We hail you, O victorious
one!"
The Welcomers say among themselves,
"How fair and bright the face of
this Newcomer. How fine must have been her life in the Region of
Heaviness. Behold, here she is, renewed and made young again but
with a loveliness unkown in the life left behind".
When she goes forward from here she is within her Kohar, they are
one. Her vision is through the Kohar, her smell is through the
Kohar. All she senses is through the Kohar. All she does and knows
is through the Kohar.
Behold, she is among the Chosen. Henceforth, she becomes an Opener
of the Way for those of her blood. Glorious is she and blessed are
they!
Those are the supplications made for Milven, daughter of Mailon, son
of Market the Stranger, according to the rites of the Sons of Fire.
Ardwith kept it and it was done into this form at the place called
Korinamba.
CHAPTER NINE
THE SACRED REGISTERS - PART 9
This concerns the mystery of the Twice Born. It relates to those
born again, to those who have endured the awfulness of the false
death which many do not survive; who have drunk deeply from
Koriladwen, the smooth bitter brew which releases the spirit; who
have entered Ogofnaum through the thundering doors. This is their
path.
The door of Heaven stands ajar, the doors of vision have been opened
and now the Cavern of Vision is revealed. The spirit-bearing waves
from the abyss have been freed, the rays of the Great light have
been set free and the Guides and Watchers have been placed in their
positions by the Constant One.
The Welcomers stand back, for this is not their stage. The Brilliant
One is there and another who is the Reciter, and he explains the
visions:
"O Brave stouthearted one, Syoltash to be, the things you
behold are the things seen by the Great Ones of Earth when they came
this way in their hour and were returned back to life. They were
truly men of wisdom, well versed in the mystic procedures, men who
knew their position and parts."
"Behold the twin stars. These embody the midwifery powers drawing
the Twice Born back to their places of origin. They who are with
them are the champions of light and darkness. One you must choose as
your companion, but the choice must be made according to the law of
affinity, otherwise you are lost."
"The pool wherein you gaze is earthlife. The brilliant light above,
far greater than the sun, is the manifestation of The One God, but
it is not He. The rays dancing about are the Gods, distorted
reflections of what is, distorted reflections of Truth, shadows of
reality. The sparkling motes are souls, they descend from the light
to manifest in darkness."
"The clouds obscuring the lesser lights are the clouds of
misconception, which darken the face of wisdom. The dark twins
standing by the pillar are Delusion and Illusion, the constant
beguilers of men. The stream of clear water is Truth and the waters
of Truth constantly sheer away the clay pedestal of falsehood."
"The brightness you see before you and to the right is the naked
spirit displaying itself in isolation. It is neither in a mortal
body nor within the Kohar. Beyond it is a much greater brightness
reflected from afar, which is the Kohar of Kohars, which men cannot
yet understand."
"The repulsive shapes which are behind the flame on your left are
doomed spirits which once were the enlivening forces within men. Now
they grovel in slime and filth, denizens of the mire, but their fate
is just, for they themselves were the judges. The darkness beyond
the murk will not become greater. Darkness cannot change to light,
for when light comes into darkness there is no darkness, it ceases
to exist."
"The gloominess and shadow scene you see, forward on your left hand
side, is the Region of Heaviness where mortals sojourn. The
flickering lights which appear here and there are the joys of Earth,
while the darker spots are where there are sorrows and suffering.
The redness is anger and strife. The blue whiteness is love and
compassion."
"The brightness above and ahead is the Region of Lightness where the
Risen Ones rejoice, for there they welcome their Earth companions
and are happy in reunion. Behold, here is a Rising One newly
arrived, see, she flies upward on the wide wings of spirit and
loving arms reach out to welcome her. The star-girt roadway you see
rising before you is that trodden by the countless Risen Ones who
have gone before. Now, advance towards the left."
"The abyss now before you is the mouth of Earth, and see, it opens
and speaks to you, bidding you farewell. Listen carefully, for it
will retell your deeds, your accomplishments and your omissions. If
they weigh against you, then cast yourself into the abyss, for you
are unworthy to survive this trial; go no further, nor can you turn
back, lest you become prey to the Foul Lurker in Darkness."
"If you have not been found wanting in the weighing, then step
forward boldly and without fear, for the mouth will close to let you
pass. If you are not numbered among the triumphant ones, then better
by far that you be swallowed forthwith than that you survive to meet
the Dread Lurker, the Devouring Horror, and be returned to Earth a
witless, empty shell."
"Beyond the abyss lies a stretch of blue water which contains the
Pool of Wisdom and the Pool of Purification. Therein you must bathe
and refresh yourself. The trees growing to your right bear the
fruits of spiritual nourishment, eat and become strong. Know, as
doing so, that the things done, thought and visualized on Earth
become qualities which are here transmuted into the things and
experiences of this nature."
"Pass between the waters and the trees and you will see a cliff
against which is a ladder, the rungs of which are bound in leathern
throngs made from the hide of the Bull of the Nightsky. This ladder,
which rises before you, is the Ladder of Experience. Its two
supports are experience in the body and experience in the spirit.
The rungs are your daily deeds and thoughts and fantasies of your
earthly life. Now is the test. Will your daily deeds and secret
thoughts support your ascent, or are they incapable of bearing you
upward? See, above is your Kohar, call upon it for help, for therein
you may have stored a reserve of spiritual strength. Or, perchance,
it may be barren and empty, only you know. Those who uphold the
ladder are the Lords of the Ladder, and they greet you as the
Ascending One."
"The ladder leads onto a plateau, and beside you appears the
strangely garbed Reciter who sweeps his arms about and says, "All
wherein things manifest is the firmament, which was before the
beginning and still is. In the beginning its darkness was pierced by
just a single ray from The Sun of God, but later, when the first
spirits entered, the firmament was brightened and it was divided by
heaviness and lightness. Then, when it was set apart, it was divided
by the entry of dark spirits whose need was for a place with which
they had a sombre affinity.
Therefore, the firmament of lightness is divided, there is a Place
of Light for the Victorious Ones and a Place of Darkness for those
who could not rise to victory. There are regions of gloom and
shadow, regions of twilight and shade. There are regions of light in
many hues, regions ranging from dazzling lights to dim light. There
is a veil across the firmament, dividing Heaven from Earth, and each
spirit departing from Earth penetrates through this veil, going to
its appointed place, carried by the winds of affinity. Arriving
there, the spirit, good or bad, strengthens and extends its
compatible territory."
"The Kohar is the Knower and the spirit is the known. All knowledge
is with the Knower, but the known can tap it so it flows out into
the known. The Kohar receives the spirit seed in Heaven, for there
it is as the body is on Earth. Even as the earthly body is made of
things from the Region of Heaviness, so is the Kohar made of things
from the Region of Lightness."
"These things are said by the Reciter before he leads you to the
place where sleeps a serpent, and pointing to it he says, "Behold
the serpent it sleeps at the bole of a tree from which hangs the
body of man, the tree of his backbone. It is on guard, safeguarding
the precious gem of spiritual powers, which lies enwrapped in the
threefold covering. To obtain the gem the serpent must be aroused
and then overcome. To rouse this serpent is a thing not to be
lightly undertaken, for it causes a fire to mount into the heart,
which may destroy the brain with delusions and madness. Only the
Twice Born can really obtain the gem."
"You pass on with the Reciter who will say: "These are the things
you must establish in your heart, the knowledge of the eight roads
along which you must travel to reach the Land of the Westerners.
These will bring you to the twelve first portals leading to the Land
of Shadows. Here I will recite for you the twenty-two deeds of
wickedness you have not done. You will then pass through the Land of
Shadows as if it were your hour, and, beyond it, come to the Great
Portal where it must be established, before the Great Guardian, that
you have ever done all within your power to live according to the
twelve virtues. Then you pass through the portal to the Hall of
Judgment. Here, for the first time, your light is revealed and it
is made known whether your tongue has spoken in accordance with the
things within your heart."
"Many are they who know the words of the tongue but sever these from
what is written in the heart. If the words of the tongue are copied
from the writings of the heart and are a true copy, then cross to
the Place of Assessment where your true form and likeness will be
displayed for all to see."
A curtain of darkness descends, there is a heavy dark mist, then the
muffled crash of Thundering Doors. The aching body reclines within
the tomb of stone. The questing pilgrim has returned to his
homehaven. He has learned truths he could never learn on Earth and
now knows the Grand Secret. Faith is replaced with certainty and he
is now an Initiated One.
CHAPTER TEN
THE SACRED REGISTERS - PART 10
My God and Father, my Creator and Governor, Supreme and Immortal
Spirit, I come to you as a wayward son comes to his father. I come
as the world-weary wanderer comes home. I come as the victorious
battle-bludgeoned warrior comes to the place of his rest. I am one
who has passed the trials. I am one who has survived the challenges.
I have returned full of wisdom and knowledge, the fruits of long
years in Your earthly place of instruction. There I was diligent, I
was not a waster of time, I was not a man of idleness. I am proved
worthy. I, Your son, have come home.
The virtues I developed on Earth are the messengers that sped before
me, my qualities hastened to announce my coming. They sped on
invisible wings, so that only those sensitive to that which emanated
from me knew of their coming. They came as perfume carried on the
wind. They announced me, they heralded me. They gave salutations to
the Spirits in the Bright Abodes. Yet I have not forgotten the
Dwellers in Terror, and a small dark spirit of the Twilight has gone
forth to make known to them my departure from Earth. This, that
should any there know of me they may be made aware that I am not of
their dismal company. Will there be weeping there in the dank,
dreary darkness?
I surmounted the trials of existence in heaviness. Now my spirit can
speed like the lightning flash. I am one who has accomplished what
had to be done. I have governed my affairs, not wholly by earthly
standards but by the greater ordinances of Heaven. I have carefully
read the books of instruction and listened to the interpreting words
of the wise.
He who tests hearts and reads thoughts has weighed me and I was not
found wauting in the balances. I am a Cool One, for my thoughts rest
in peace. I am not numbered among the Hot Ones whose thoughts
consume them as fire consumes wood.
I have passed the Nameless Ones, to come into the presence of The
Great One whom no man names, whose name is not knowable to men. I
have reached the destination of ages, I have achieved the ultimate
goal. I have put on the mantle of immortality and the robe of light
which the Heavenly Weavers prepared for Me.
I am a Little One, one who comes in littleness and not greatness. I
am a Humble One and come not in pomp and grandeur, for these are
things of the four quartered Earth having no place here. I have done
things which have been wrong, but these were done in ignorance and
not willfully or with malice.
O Watchers, announce to the Lords of Light and to the Lords of
Darkness that I am one who has penetrated the Mystic Veil but is
destined to return to the Realm of Heaviness. O Watchers, announce
that I am now a self-knowing everlasting spirit. O Father of the
Gods, who is above all, issue the decrees of fate which ensure that
henceforth I live a life of service, that I may live purposefully
when I return to fulfill my destiny.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
THE SACRED REGISTERS - PART 11
My Heart, my Spirit, my Kohar, guardian of my memories, cast not
your words in the balances against me. My faults and failings are
not few, for no mortal man is perfect, yet they weigh highly against
my qualities and good deeds. Say not that I have wrought evil to any
man willfully or with malice, say not that I am a man of wickedness.
Let me not suffer sorrowful remorse in the gloom and darkness, but
let me live forever within the Region of Light.
I have done deeds of goodness and led a goodly life. I have overcome
the wiles of wickedness and avoided the snares of temptation. I have
lived in peace with my neighbours. I have dealt justly and fairly
with them and have not uttered words of malice to stir up strife. I
have not gossiped about my neighbours, nor engaged in idle chatter
concerning their affairs. These things are not easy, and as no man
is perfect I have at times been bad tempered under provocation.
Therefore, speak words that will weigh in the balances against my
failings.
I have not slandered any man, nor have I willfully caused pain and
suffering. I have not caused the widow to weep, nor the child to cry
without cause. I have dealt justly with my servants and with the
servants of others, and I have been loyal to my masters. I have not
slain unlawfully, nor wounded any man willfully. Yet no man is
perfect and when my burdens have weighed heavily upon me I have
spoken harshly. Therefore, speak words that will weigh in the
balances against my failings.
I have never oppressed a poor man or taken from him what is his by
virtue of my position. I have never oppressed the weak or cheated in
the substance of metals. I have never said to a hungry woman, "Lay
with me and you shall eat", for this is a vile thing. I have not
lain with the wife of another man or seduced a child, for these are
abominations. Yet no man is perfect and few are commanders of their
thoughts, Therefore, speak words that will lighten these things in
the balances.
I have not turned the water of another so that he is deprived of his
full measure. I have not stopped flowing waters in their course. I
have not kept fodder from cattle, nor allowed the pastures to be
neglected. I have not caused any child to know fear without reason,
nor have I beaten one in bad temper. I have not transgressed the
statutes of the king. Yet no man is perfect and sometimes that which
is right in its day becomes wrong in another. Therefore, speak words
that will weigh in the balances against my wrongdoings.
I have not stolen, neither have I taken the possessions of any man
by deceit. I have not divided the household of any man, nor
separated him from his wife or children. I have not quarrelled with
any man because of ignorance. I have not turned from my duties or
failed in my obligations. I have not hidden my errors or buried my
failings. Yet no man is perfect, therefore speak words that will
weigh in the balances for me.
I have never behaved boisterously in a sacred place, nor have I ever
defiled one. My hand has not been demanding because of my office,
nor have I dealt haughtily with those who came to me with a plea. I
have not increased my position by false words or writings. Yet my
burden has been increased because of the perversity and willfulness
of men, and no man is perfect. Therefore, speak words that will
weigh in the balances against my weaknesses.
I have not permitted envy to eat my heart, nor malice to corrupt it.
I have not been loud of mouth, nor spoken words of boastfulness. I
have never slandered another or uttered words of falsehood. My
tongue has never escaped from the control of my heart. I have never
derided the words of another because they passed my understanding,
nor have I stopped my ears to words of enlightenment. I have never
hidden myself to observe others, nor have I ever disclosed the
secret designs or doings of others, unless they be of evil intent.
Yet no man is perfect, therefore speak words that will weigh in the
balances for me. When I have done wrong I have adjusted the scales
that weighed down heavily against me. I have not hidden my
weaknesses and failings in dark places, but washed them clean in the
sunlight of honest compensation.
I have not succumbed to the lures of lewdness, nor has my tongue
spoken slyly of things which should be kept private. I have not
peeped at nakedness or preyed into another's privacy. I have
respected the modesty of womankind and the innocent delicacy of
childhood. Yet men are as they are and imperfect, while thoughts
stray willfully and are not easily restrained. Therefore, speak words
that will weigh in the balances for me.
O Great One, protect me. O Kohar, save me. Hear the words of my
heart. I was one who was ever mindful of what was right and what was
wrong. I did what I thought was right and shunned that which I
thought was wrong. I listened to those who were wiser than I and
helped those who were less privileged. Can man do more?
CHAPTER TWELVE
THE SACRED REGISTERS - PART 12
Know me and understand my ways. I am one who sees the past and the
future, I look into hidden places, I am one who wanders freely. I am
one who can be reborn, I am one who knows the speech of the
released. I am an Uplifter. The Climbers come to me and I support
them, I lift them up, I strengthen. Therefore, bring me the
sustenance of smoke.
I hear and I hear not, for what I hear is heard by others. I speak
and I speak not, for what I speak is in the mouths of others. I weep
and I weep not, for my weeping is the weeping of others. I am an
Uplifter. The Climbers come to me and I console them. I enlighten
them with words of hidden wisdom. Thus they find the way.
I am one who comes forth when the circle is formed, when the twin
lamps have been lit and the incantations made. I come forth from the
consecrated place and bear the staff of power. I know the secrets of
the dark waters and the secrets of blood. I am a wanderer in strange
places. I am one who does not fear to tread the forbidden paths. I
am an Uplifter. The Climbers come to me and I reveal the way.
I am the Opener of Tombs. I am the Dweller in the Stone Caverns. I
am the one who precedes the Herald of the Companions. I am the
Swimmer in the Waters of Wisdom. I am the Discoverer of Hidden
Places. I am the one who hovers above the Still Waters. I am the
Wanderer with the Winds. I am an Uplifter. The Climbers come to me
and are comforted. They thirst and I refresh them, they hunger and I
fill them with food.
I am the Sitter Beneath the Sycamore. I am the Eater of the Rowan. I
am the heart within the heat of the fire and the eye within the
candle flame. I am the uprising hawk and the contented dove. I am
one who has tamed the serpent and drawn forth its secrets. I am one
who has many eyes and sees what is written in the nightskies; whose
ears hear the whispers at the edge of the Great Waters. I am one
whose right foot rests on the Earth and whose left foot rests oh the
firmament. I am one who faces all spirits alike and knows their true
nature. I am an Uplifter. The Climbers come to me and I give them
peace.
I am one who gazes into the deep dark pool, reading the things
hidden therein. I am the Caller Forth of the Deformed Ones and the
Tongue of the Bright Ones. I am he of the Everlasting Form. I am he
who provides stability to falterings forms and the interpreter who
spans the veil. I am an Uplifter. The Climbers come to me and I
provide their Guide and their Guardian.
Know me and understand my ways. Invoke me through the rite of smoke
and wine. Call me forth into the circle of stone, but beware, for
lest you hold the seven keys and understand the nature of the three
rays, you are lost.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
THE SCROLL OF RAMKAT
Awful is the great day of judgment at its dawning in the
Netherworld. The soul stands naked in the Hall of Judgment, nothing
can now be hidden. Hypocrisy is no avail; to maintain goodness when
the soul reveals its own repulsiveness is futile. To mumble empty
ritual is foolishness. To call upon Gods who have no existence is a
waste of time.
In the Hall of Judgment the wrongdoer is judged. On that day and
henceforth his qualities shall form his food. His soul, soft as clay
upon Earth, is hardened and set into shape according to its
moulding. The balances are adjusted.
One arrives. The Forty-Two Virtues are his assessors. Shall he dwell
among beauty as a godling, or be given captive to the Keeper of
Horrors, to dwell among vile things under a merciful mantle of
darkness?
One arrives. The twisted body, tormented on Earth, and the ugly face
have gone, discarded at the portal. He strides through the Hall in
radiance, to pass into the Place of Everlasting Beauty.
One arrives. Now no earthly body shields the horror which is the
true likeness of the evildoer upon Earth. He runs from the light
which he cannot tolerate, and hides himself in the shadows near the
Place of Terror. Soon he will be drawn to his compatible place among
the Dismal Company.
One arrives. He has been upright and a just one. His failings and
weaknesses were of little account. This upright man fears nothing,
for he is welcomed among the Bright Ones and shall go unhampered
among the Everlasting Lords.
One arrives. He trembles before the Unseen Judges, he is lost, he
knows nothing, earthly knowledge and confidence are left behind. The
balance drops, he sees his soul and recognizes his true self, he
rushes into the merciful darkness. It enfolds him and dark arms
embrace him, drawing him into the terrible gloom, into the Place of
Dark Secret Horrors.
One arrives. She graced the court with beauty, men sang of her
loveliness and grace. Now, as when a mantle is removed, all is
discarded, it is the time of unveiling. Who can describe the lustful
thoughts and secret unclean deeds which fashioned the horror coming
through the portal? There is a hush among the compassionate.
One arrives. On Earth she was pitied by the compassionate and
scorned by the hard-hearted. There her lot was degradation and
servitude, privation and sacrifice, few and meager were the gifts
from life. Yet she triumphed. Now she comes forward surrounded by
brilliance, even the Shining Ones are dazzled by her beauty.
One arrives. The twisted face and pain-wracked body of the cripple
have been left behind. A kind and loving soul dwelt imprisoned
within its confines. Now the relieved spirit steps forward into the
great Hall, unencumbered and free, glorious to behold.
One arrives. The splendid body which graced Earth remains there, an
empty, decaying thing. The naked soul enters the Everlasting Halls.
It is a deformed, mis-shapen thing fit only to dwell in the merciful
gloom of the place with which it has compatible affinity.
One arrives. Neither goodness nor wickedness bears down upon the
scales. The balances remain straight. The soul departs to the
twilight borderland between the Region of Light and the Region of
Darkness.
0 Great Lords of Eternity, who once were in the flesh, even as I,
hear not the outpourings of an overburdened and sorrowful heart. For
who am I to presume to call upon The Great God of All? Who am not
without wickedness and weak in spirit. I have filled my heart with
knowledge of the Secret Writings but still I fear the judgment.
Therefore, Great Lords of Eternity, I call upon you who once walked
the Earth, even as I, and who, therefore, understand the failings
and weaknesses of men.
I am not weak in my standing with earthly things, but I am weak
beside the Greater Beings. Will I, too, ever be worthy of the
grandeur of the Eternal Mansions ? O Great Beings whose nature is
beyond understanding, grant me just a spark of the Eternal Wisdom,
that it might light my soul and kindle the flame of immortal life.
What is the destined fate of a man who knows the existence of things
beyond his understanding? I see but I do not know, therefore I am
afraid. Man can swim against the current towards the bank, but he
needs a helping hand to pull him ashore when he is exhausted from
the struggle.
This is the fate of man. He must strive for that which he cannot
attain. He must believe in that which he cannot prove. He must seek
that which he cannot find. He must travel a road without knowing his
destination. Only thus can the purpose of life be fulfilled.
Man may believe he knows his destiny, but he cannot be assured with
certainty; in no other way can he fulfil it. In this way alone can
his soul be properly awakened to flower with its full potential.
This alone he may know: The purpose of all human life is a goal so
glorious it surpasses all earthly understanding.
We may visualise our individual goals as we will, it is ordained
that we have this freedom. How close or how far we are from reality
is of little consequence, what is, is. He who seeks a non-existent
destination will, nevertheless, get somewhere. He who seeks not at
all will get nowhere. Earthly life fulfils itself without
attainment.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
THE SCROLL OF YONUA
Away from my eyes, O Hideous One. Slink back into the dark shadows
about the black sunless abode where dwell the self-distorted souls
of the Fearsomely Formed Ones. Back to your murky haven of somber
compatibility.
Away, out of sight, for your repulsiveness brings back into my heart
the thoughts of evils and temptations I have encountered and
overcome, thoughts which I now so gladly forget. You poor, doomed
fiend, mis-shapen, horny-headed, slit-snouted, stunted in arms and
legs, horrible to behold. What dreadful thoughts and unclean deeds
must have been yours, to fashion you in this manner!
Away, back to your own kind, back from the twilit border where you
lurk furtively, afraid, pitifully seeking a glimpse of the bright
joys denied to your own folly. Back to the place with which you have
pitiful affinity, back to your own dark, compatible companions.
The Guardians of the Hidden Gates repel you, lest you befoul the
pathways of the Glorious Ones who once struggled to find beauty and
cleanliness. The light of this place is ever spreading, and soon a
Glorious One may walk where you now slink in the gloom. Back, back
from the dividing flame, back into the sad comfort of enveloping
darkness. Back to your foul companions in misery, back into the
mercifully enshrouding gloom.
Your fate saddens my heart. Can you find consolation there, hidden
in the comforting darkness? Does a kind word ever lighten the burden
of your days? Is there a place of rest among the slime and excreta?
O Fallen One, who once walked Earth so proudly in self-esteem,
selfishness and arrogance, go back, torment yourself no more with
the sights of beauty and joy which lie beyond your reach. O Wriggler
in the Slime, back from the purifying flame, what can it avail you
now?
O Repellent One, who by wrongdoing and non-good doing thus cursed
yourself and were delivered into the comfortless arms of decay and
filth; who on Earth appeared arrayed in such deceptive softness and
complacency; who dwelt amid pleasure and luxury, away, back into the
shadows, hide yourself from the pure gaze of the Glorious Ones.
O Squirming One, turned back are you, the shameful flesh is unworthy
even of the flame. The unshapely mass, unchiselled by the forming
blows of self -discipline and selfless service, unmoulded by the
touch of compassion and love, unpolished by conformity to the
burnishing blows of sincere goodness, has no place near the region
of revealing light. See, are you not seared with pain when the pure
light falls upon you? Miserable indeed is your lot in that dread,
dreary abode!
See, your slimy hide shrinks from the pure glare, it splits, it
cracks, back, back into your dark cavern with its floor of slime.
Back out of sight, out of hearing, back from the pure gaze of
righteousness. How miserable the lot of one who finds unconsoling
comfort in the depths of dread darkness lit only by shadowy gloom!
How awful to dwell in companionship with distorted shades!
What became of the loveliness which once clothed you on Earth? Whose
fault that you brought it not with you? Did you ever pause, even for
one moment, to gaze into the self-revealing mirror within you and
see the awful creature you were forming? Amid your pleasures and
luxury, did you not think of the wellbeing of your inner self? Did
you not care?
O if I could but help you now, but the hideousness was set firm in
the furnace-fire of death. Then the enveloping flesh was stripped
away and the hidden horror within the mould revealed. As the
butterfly emerges from the chrysalis, so should the soul emerge from
its earthly body. An unnatural thing like this was never intended,
yet you freely made the choice. Not a single disfiguring line was
made by another.
What words are those which rasp forth from the unlipped, fish-shaped
mouth? O ears, say you deceive me! O heart, cease this pounding
clamour! O hand of horror, release your awful grip! Would that I
could swoon, that I could find relief in unconsciousness, but facts
have to be faced here as on Earth. I must look in trembling terror.
Yes, I loved on Earth, nothing there was more precious to me than my
sister in love. I forgave her willfulness and was not stirred up when
her words were unkind. I ever remained a man of cool temper. I
clothed her well and good food she never lacked. My heart sang in
her presence, I rejoiced in her loveliness, she was my life, my
wife. Yet she was unfaithful, she was cruel, she found pleasure in
deceit and perversion. As the years passed they became heavy,
clouded and bitter because of her wayward ways.
O horror, O terror, O cringing fear, keep away from me! O my eyes, O
my heart, it is true. It is the one I loved. O let me die once more,
that consciousness may pass from me! It is her whom I loved, she for
whom I waited in joyful anticipation, hoping to find the light of my
youth, hoping the overlay of later evils would be sloughed away by
death, hoping to find the warm, throbbing liveliness I once held. I
would gladly have forgiven the pain she caused in her maturity. O
what has become of the smooth flesh, the warm touch? Where is the
beauty of face, the grace of form? O raise not the crocodile-skinned
arms to shield the awful snout, the green-rimmed, red-veined eyes!
O racing heart! I hear the misformed words amidst the hiss and
gurgle issuing forth from the oozing aperture. O say not that I was
so blind, so greatly deceived, that you cared for nought but the
earthly things we shared; that your affection was the false front of
hypocrisy, your love a lie. Did I not always forgive? Was I not
always patient? With whom did you share the terrible thoughts and
desires that fashioned you thus ? Surely this cannot be the work of
your own nature alone. Fickle you were and pleasure loving, selfish,
cruel and deceitful, but all this I forgave because of the plea of
my heart. Was this not enough? O where is the companion I awaited?
Lost, and worse than lost.
O compassion, O mercy, come to my aid! My heart fails me, I cannot
face what I thought to greet so joyously. O powers of solicitude,
strengthen me. What can I do to mitigate the Law? Is there hope? Is
there a way?
A whisper of comfort, O gratefully I hear it,
"There is hope and
there is a way, but between this self-shaped horror and the Glorious
Ones there is an uncrossable chasm. In sorrow and anguish it must
seek a road, it must go its own dark way as you must go yours in the
light. Turn back, turn again towards the light, the compassion in
your own heart does nought to bridge the gulf between, unless it
strikes a responsive spark within the other heart".
"Let the memory be erased, this is not the companion of your path.
The trials and sorrows borne so well, the uncomplaining
unselfishness fashioned you in glory. Nor would you have reached the
present degree of perfection had she not been as she was, and is now
revealed to be. This fearful fate was wrought by the lost one alone,
for each is the sole keeper of his spirit. Each soul is fashioned by
every thought, desire and deed, every emotion that touched it during
its sojourn in an earthly body".
"Each is the maker of his own future, the fashioner of his own
being".
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
A SCROLL FRAGMENT - ONE
Salvaged from the Great Book of The Sons of Fire this is all that
remains of some sixteen damaged pages relating to an initiation
ceremony.
Who will reward or punish me? I will.
Who besets my path with sorrow? I do.
Who can grant me a life of everlasting glory? I can.
Who must save me from the horror of malformation? I must.
Who will guide my footsteps through life? I will.
Who brings joy into my life and gladdens my heart? I do.
Who brings peace and contentment to my spirit? I do.
Who lightens the burdens of my labour? None but myself.
Whose courage will protect me from the workers of evil? My courage.
Whose wisdom will guide me and enlighten my heart? My wisdom.
Whose will rules my destiny? My will.
Whose duty is it to attend to my wants? My duty.
Who is responsible for my future state of being? I alone am
responsible.
Who shields me from temptation? No one.
Who shields me from sorrow and suffering? No one.
Who shields me from pain and affliction? No one.
Who benefits from my toil and tribulation, my sorrow and suffering?
Myself, if wise.
Who benefits from my temptations and afflictions, my sacrifices and
austerities? Myself, if wise.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
THE THIRD OF THE EGYPTIAN SCROLLS
(A Fragment)
If a man would know Heaven, he must first know Earth. Man cannot
understand Heaven until he understands Earth. He cannot understand
God until he understands himself, and he cannot know love unless he
has been loveless.
God is unknown but not unknowable. He is unseen but not unseeable.
God is unheard but not unhearable.
He is not understood but He is understandable.
The goal of life is upstream, not downstream. Man must struggle
against the current, not drift with the flow.
A child is born knowing all God intended it to know, the rest it
must discover for itself. Man does not live to increase the glory of
God, this cannot be done, but to increase the glory of man.
He who worships with empty rituals wastes his time and displays the
shallowness of his thought. That which man does to benefit man is
good, but if he seeks to gratify God it is a labour of ignorance
showing disrespect for God whose nature is above that of earthly
princes. A lifting hand is worth ten wagging tongues.
Be a man of fortitude and courage. Prepare to fight, for Earth gives
man but two choices: to struggle or perish. There is work to be done
in the Garden of God, therefore cease useless performances and
word-wasting discussions, go, pick up the hoe and tackle the task to
hand.
This is the secret of life: Man lives in God and God lives in man.
This answers all questions.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
THE SIXTH OF THE EGYPTIAN SCROLLS
God is in all and He encompasses all.
There is no God but The True God, and His existence is our assurance
of life everlasting. He was before the beginning and will be after
the end.
He is mighty and all powerful. In His magnificence and majesty no
man can conceive Him. His divine nature is beyond the understanding
of man. His creation is awesome. His ways unfathomable.
His creative thought brought all things forth and the power which
flows from Him is life. He holds life within His mind and the
universe within His body.
If a man, in ignorance and foolishness, conceives a more
understandable God in his own image or builds Gods of wood and
stone, that will not take anything away from the stature of God. The
Supreme One is ever God, The Creator of man, and if man makes
earthly Gods to worship, then it is man who loses thereby and not
God. Among earthly things man shall find nothing greater than
himself.
Man worships, not to make God greater, for this he cannot do, but to
make himself greater. Nothing man can do can add to what God already
has. Men conceive God as a Being having greatly magnified human
qualities, as a kinglike Being greater than any king. Thus man falls
into error.
As the sun surrounds man with light, though it be hidden behind the
stormclouds, so is man in the thoughts of God, though God Himself be
hidden from him.
Such is our God who, though Himself eternal, lives with each man and
with him passes through the Dark Portal of Death into the light of
the Glorious Region beyond.
God rules over all earths and all spheres. He is in them and they
are in Him. All things are in God and He is in all things. What is
was to be, all things begin and end in God.
This alone is wisdom, understand and live forever.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
A SCROLL FRAGMENT - TWO
The Book of Initiation and Rites says of God,
"All our hopes rest in
God who created all things, sustaining them with His breath,
whatever their state, wherever they may be, in this place on Earth,
or in any other place visible or invisible".
"He alone causes herbs to blossom in beauty and causes all things to
come forth in their proper order and time, all flow from His
directing thoughts. The peaceful beauty enfolding the face of the
land at eventide, the melody of song and speech, the fragrance of
flowers, the soft delicacy of petal and wing. All beauty and charm
that delight the hearts of men flow from God".
"His wisdom is unbounded and in His goodness He has provided all
things in which He has created a need in man. The daylight and wind,
food and water, heat and coolness, the materials of his dwelling and
the substance of his garments, all things for his daily use and
enjoyment. Man lacks nothing which would increase his skill and
knowledge, to all useful things guideposts have been planted al |