Book of Songs

Two

1THE HYMN OR PRAYER FROM THE BOOK OF SONGS - 3 O Great One in Heaven, whose thoughts probe the hearts of men, cast forth a small ray of illumination to light my way in the darkness of man's ignorance. Strengthen me by Your revelation, that for even a brief moment I may see Truth and know the mysteries of life. I ask not to see as the Great Ones have seen, but just for something within my understanding.

2O Great God, send me one bright shaft of light, that I may see silhouetted as in a flash of lightning the forces that wage war for the possession of my soul. For what mortal unaided can understand or visualise the dark things that lurk to lure the soul along the path of horror, such as the demons waiting to twist the weak soul into coils of frightfulness before casting it into the abyss of terror?

3Lord of the Universe, take pity on me. Everything hes in Your Great Hand except the fate of each man, and men are frail and weak. Many who have seen Truth revealed have quailed before the awful responsibilities of man and consoled themselves by fashioning unnatural gods before whom they quelled the fears in their hearts. I am not one worthy to gaze upon Truth, nor do I desire to do so lest I be overwhelmed, perhaps I ask too much from One who reads the hearts of men.

40 Great Luminated One, keep me from the final horror which hes in wait to devour the souls of men. Help me in the dread hour when I come face to face with my own soul. O save it from the abode of the Dark Warden of Terrors!

5What are the great mysteries of man's destiny so dimly perceived even by the Illuminated Ones? Have mercy on my dismal ignorance, or I am delivered into the toils of my own repulsiveness.

6What is the Great Secret whispered so fearfully among the great columns? What are the substances wherewith men may pass through the Great Portal and return to life? Is it true that the destiny of man is determined by man? O what fearful responsibility, my heart is overwhelmed and my spirit becomes weak with dread. Is it for this that men shun the Truth and cast themselves at Your feet for mercy?

7I fear, for my soul is heavy with evil and the scales will bear down against me. Will it be stamped with the dread impress of condemnation by the forty-two seals? Place Your hand in mercy upon the balances and let my soul be. made light.

8O Great One, hidden within the eternal silence, who shines forth as a beacon of light to few men. O lighten our darkness and our fear-shadowed hearts! Lift the veil just slightly, that we may understand something of Your greatness.

9We are not uninstructed and know we can be granted no more than a glimpse of Your greatness, for to receive more would be too awesome for the frail constitution of man. This is why the ignorant doubt, for their very ignorance spawns the frailty which inhibits their enlightenment.

10We hardly dare murmur these fervent words. O Great One, grant that the spirit within us may be helped to cleanse itself of the besmirching foulness spawned by our thoughts. Remove from us every trace of that which may pollute, and let us know timeless splendour in glory.

Three

1THE HYMN FROM THE BOOK OF SONGS � 4 The Hymn of Rewa I am here, I am Yours, I sing Your praises. Join the dance, O priests and priestesses. Join the dance, O Skytravellers, who cover the Earth with your rays of power. Join the dance, O strangers. Accept our offerings and salutations, accept our devotions and make them successfully beneficial.

2Move around moonwise, O priests and priestesses. Stamp on wickedness. Stamp on hypocrisy. Stamp your feet on malice and hatred. Sound the flutes, blow the pipes, shake the bells. Come, stamp on the head of pride, stamp on the Foul Fiend of Lust. Melody and music ring me about in a protecting wall. I am one who rises over the fallen.

3Hail, O Overlooking, All seeing Power! I am Yours, I am a Chosen One. I am gifted with strength, I am thrice gifted with strength. I am filled with The Sacred Essence. I have partaken of the cup of joy. I am pure, I am pure, I am pure.

4I see the light of the East, the arrow of All Embracing Love. I see the light of the South, the arrow of All Comforting Benevolence. I see the light of the West, the arrow of Everlasting Hope. I see the light of the North, the arrow of All Consoling Comfort. Let the golden bow speed the arrows of my desire. I am still, I worship the Hallowed Limbs.

5The Heavenly Hosts gather, as swallows for the flight, as stormclouds for the downpour. Before the Sacred Shrine I renew my strength. I free myself from all earthly desires, from all bodily passions, of all soul-eating lusts, of all soul-destroying vices.

6Now I see the rainbow-hued radiance of the real within the unreal. Now I see true where before I saw what was not and heard what was not. I was deceived by my body, I was deluded by my feelings. Now I see things not seeable by unaided mortal eyes. I hear things beyond mortal hearing.

7O Great One, O Radiant One, O Timeless Knower, O Limitless Viewer, O Majestic One with a form of indescribable beauty! I have seen You through the veil, I have glimpsed the reflection of eternity. I am free. I, Your son, bow humbly before You. Lord, my heart is pure. I proclaim my loyalty to my neighbour on my right and my neighbour on my left. I see the meat. I see the tripod. I see the knife. All is ready. Come, benevolent spirits, gather about the flame. Hover over the bowl.

8To you in whom resides the power to appear in any form or shape desired, come, come as welcome guests. Before the Place of Awe I stand unafraid, for those who are damned to sorrow and horror cannot approach within the barrier. They await in jealous hate without, they who come up from the dismal depths. Away foul spirits of the damned! Away O self-destroyed ones!

9O Great Representative, the court is purified, I now see the flame-like radiance. Brothers and sisters, do you see it too? I see the Radiant Risen Ones who have torn aside the veil for one brief moment. I see things of overwhelming splendour. Bring incense, bring water, bring salt and bring the offering flame.

Four

1THE HYMN FROM THE BOOK OF SONGS - 5 The following paragraphs come from fragments and may originally have formed parts of more than one hymn. I believe in You, Great God of Life, Lord of the Kingdom of Light, Dweller in the Eternal Silences. From the centre of Your domain there is an outflowing which sustains all life, and in You rest the hopes of all men. You are The Ruler of All Spheres and Your dominion is unchallengeable. Under Your benevolent guidance Earth continues to exist and hold together, changing for nought but the benefit of man. We are Your children and You are our Father.

2I believe in the Sacred Spirit of Inspiration which enters the hearts of men, flowing out from You and joined with You and yet separate, the Spirit to whom our fathers of old gave the greatest reverence, the Beautiful One, the Gentle One, the Inspirational One who first taught men to love and who drew aside the veil to show them beauty.

3I believe in the Great Kingdom Beyond Earth, where, in the Place of Light the souls of men, if worthy, find a perfection not known here. The light which is in the Region Beyond the Veil is not as earthly light, it has a sustaining quality, it is a vitalising light indescribable in earthly words.

4O Great Dweller in the vast silences which are not as the silence known on Earth, who attends this sacred place where men gather in devotion. We who are here see You revealed as a beacon light for those whose hearts dwell in the darkness of ignorance. We rejoice in the strengthening emanation which flows out towards those with the wisdom to attract and absorb it.

5Here, in the Hidden Place, we Your servants are gathered, and we bow before You, O Great One. We bow in humility, not in servility; we bow in recognition of our earthly limitations. We are overcome with awe and can but stand in worshipful silence before the vision of Your glory. It shines before our eyes, and our mouths cannot open.

6Here, on this Sacred Ground, we hardly dare to utter the words of prayer, for the sentences formed by men are so unworthy of their purpose, when used and spoken before You. Man is limited in knowledge, in understanding and in ability, it is the recognition of this which makes him humble.

7O Great One, who understands even the speech of the dumb man, help us to expand our knowledge and understanding. We, for our part, will not remain inactive but will ever sincerely struggle to reach out towards You, striving even to extend beyond our limitations. Were it otherwise we would be dishonest in seeking Your help.

8Help us to remove the disfiguring stains upon our everlasting spirit, and when earthly life is renewed in us let us not be too disadvantaged. Teach us to pray without prayerfulness, so that the taint of self-seeking is eliminated. When we petition, let this not be in the spirit of selfishness.

Five

1Some Fragments from a Much Damaged Section Most of Which Has Been Destroyed Fragment 1 O enfolded, sleeping soul, unaware of the life fountain within from which you may drink, unfeeling of the throbbing life all about us, now is your hour. Prepare yourself for the great awakening. The bright light of wisdom awaits to encircle you, as you stand before the awful door within the Sacred Temple of Mystery. That the light of Truth may be a sure guide amidst the dark gloom of earthly life, a certain aid enabling you to find the way of your eternal spirit, you are not unknowing of your inner wisdom. It is the key to everlasting life in the glorious place beyond the Western veil.

20 live my soul, awaken, hear me. Let not my love and my sacrifice be in vain, let not all my hopes turn to dust within the tomb. Can love become soil and hope become sand? Never, for the grave is not the destination of the sublime attributes which ennoble the nature of man.

3Man is as a flame burning in water, as it is written on the pillars without. His soul is as the rosebud awaiting the kiss of the sun to awaken it to bloom. His nature is as the day which is ever accompanied by the night. ****************** Fragment 2 I will praise The Nameless God who is The True God and The Knower of Every Name. Hail Great Overseer of Earth!

4The high Heavens will hear the sound of my voice and its loudness shall ring across the widespread land. It shall resound throughout the Red Land. My song shall ride on the wings of the wind and my gladness shall whisper into the ear of the air. Hail Great Overseer of Earth!

5I shall seek diligently for enlightenment and knowledge, that I may proclaim the ways of The True God among people, for they are mysterious ways not easily understood. Man wallows in a quicksand of ignorance, and only by extreme effort can he extricate himself. Great Overseer, grant me the ability to understand. Hail Great Overseer of Earth!

6I say to the people, "Declare The Great One to your children, to the high born and to the lowly ones who dwell together under the same sun, to the generations as yet unborn. Sing songs that will echo down the corridors of time". Hail Great Overseer of Earth!

7"Sing His praises with the birds of the air, tell of Him to the fishes in the waters, to the creatures which hide in the ground and to the things which walk and crawl above it". Hail Great Overseer of Earth!

8"Declare Him unto all, for He is The God of All, He is The Great Compassionate One whose wrath declines with the setting sun and in the morning departs with the dawnlight mists". Hail Great Overseer of Earth!

9Sometimes, in the lonely nightwatches, I wonder, have You turned Your face from me? What have I done that You are unresponsive? Have I ever lived otherwise than in accordance with Your word? O Great Overseer of Earth, what is Your will for me?

10****************** Fragment 3 O Great One, everlastingly considerate of our needs, Overseer and Taskmaster of mankind, look down upon us with compassion and lay not too great a burden upon us, your dutiful servants. Labour we must, for thus we prepare for a higher state of being, but bear with us, for sometimes we grow weary and falter at the task. Here we have fallen victims of our own wiles, we have hopelessly snarled up the threads of our existence, so we know not how to loosen the knots we ourselves have tied and so free ourselves. We are entangled in a net of our own weaving. Let us, Your servants, look to You, The Great One, for aid. Our destinies are held in the hollow of your hands, while the future is visible to you as is writing upon an open scroll.

11The Glorious Ones worship You with service and serve through following the words of guidance. Thus, the earthbound spirits worship You, the shades of the departed worship You and the whole of creation worships You. We, Your servants, offer our continual and everlasting devotion to Your service. We are not as others, O Great One, for we know well that worship and devotion mean service and expended effort, not mere words and ritual. Your spirit governs the breezes that comfort mankind. You send the fertilising rains, Your Spirit quickens the seed within the womb of Earth. The songs of the birds are inspired by the knowledge of You and the wild beasts rejoice in the sustenance provided.

12You are The Universal Being, The Raincloud Overshadowing the Earth, The One Dwelling in the Cave of the Heart within all breathing creatures. You are The Weaver of the Warp and Woof of Life.

13****************** Fragment 4 I praise The One Who Eats Evil, The Disposer of Earthly Residue. He who sustains the devoted followers of The Deathless One in whom all merge on leaving the body. For the day comes when we discard all that is of Earth, when we recognise and realise that all remaining is the pure and sacred spirit, boundless and free as the winds.

14I praise The One Who Eats Evil, The Disposer of Earthly Residue. He who sustains the devoted followers of The Deathless One; who is with us everywhere and in all things; in whom is all, though not Himself the all; who sees and hears all, who knows and understands all, but whom none tied to Earth can know; who projects His word of power, so that it is within all and holds all things together in stability.

15I praise The One Who Eats Evil, The Disposer of Earthly Residue. He who sustains the devoted followers of The Deathless One; who created all things and thus became His Own Greater Self; who clothed Himself in the universe as with a garment.

16****************** Fragment 5 O Great Spirit, I would see the vast face of the Earth as You behold it. I would know how the seed is quickened, so that it grows into the plant, and how the fowl comes forth from the egg. What is added to the egg to give it the power to reproduce life?

17I would touch Your Great Body born of the breath from The Eternal Source and watch Your thoughts creating and moulding all things to shape step by step.

18I would see the links of Heaven and Earth and rest one hand in each. I would see the thread that binds yesterday, today and tomorrow, so all are one and parts of the whole.

19I would see the appointed place of every living man and understand why. I would see the purpose of every beast and every plant, every tree and every thing that flies and crawls.

20I would know gladness with the children, as they play and go singing on the way to their places of instruction. I would watch birth and death and solve their mysteries. I would know the depths of hatred and the heights of love.

21I would journey the adventurous path of love hand in hand with another. I would know its secret, its delights and their shadows, and the secrets of its silences.

22I would know the beginning and the end, and understand what links them. I would see the chain of the years and the necklace of the days. I would know the purpose of it all. Then, knowing all these, I would know You at last, O Great Spirit!

23****************** Fragment 6 O True God, by whom the worthy are guided in all they undertake; who rises as a beacon in the darkness for the lowly. Grant us, Your servants who put their trust in You, strength to overcome all the doubts and uncertainties which rise in our hearts, as frightening shadows arise in the night. Let us sip the waters from the inexhaustible well of wisdom, that we may not move along false paths to encompass our own destruction.

24For we cannot see the way in the enveloping darkness, and confusing voices shout this way or that way. We are bewildered, for we know not which one is right. Can there be so many ways?

25We are not men of great learning or high position. We do not sit among princes, being among the lowliest in the land. Yet it is we who carry the burdens of the people, we feed the hungry and provide for the widow and orphan. Ours are the aching backs and weary feet, ours the naked body and empty bowl.

26Those who are concerned with higher things sit at tables of plenty, those seemingly unworthy rejoice amid prosperity and plenty. Those who take are given more, while those who give are mocked.

27We see these things and doubt enters our thoughts, we ask one another, "Why is this the order of things? Is it the will of our God? Then we seek for an answer in all sincerity and with productive effort, and The Great God Above All does not remain mute.

28****************** Fragment 7 O God, hear my prayer, for I have gone into the great recess within me and await a response from out of the enveloping silence and tranquillity. The restlessness and discontent of life I have left at the portal. I have closed the door to the outer things of life.

29Give ear, O my soul, to the whispers from the silence. Close out the clamour of Earth and harken to the soft voice which echoes from the far reaches of eternity. Hear without ears the wordless voice of Truth. Close the eyes of the flesh, that the greater eye may see in the inner darkness.

30Enter into the inner temple and await the revelation of heavenly secrets. Shut out the clamouring senses that demand expression in sensual pleasures. Then, when all outer doors are closed and all inner doors open, speak to me and I will hear your voice. Tell me the secrets of the ages, and my spirit will dwell in contentment for ever. This alone I ask and no more, it is sufficient for one lifetime.

31****************** Fragment 8 O Great One on High, have pity on us, for we are hopelessly ensnared by our complete lack of things needed to sustain the body. Without sustenance our spirits are restless, our hearts cannot find peace. We do not desire foolish things, or pleasurable or vain things, but just the things without which we cannot live.

32Though we lack all things we do not turn our faces from You, for we know well that in Your bounty all men are provided for and the Earth is full of richness. It is not You who take away the things needed to sustain our lives, but those made in our own likeness, our own brother men.

33They deny meat to the hungry and drink to the thirsty, though they themselves are gorged to fullness and bloated with good things. Be merciful to them, instruct and enlighten them with Your chastising afflictions. Thus they may come to know that man needs man and each man is brother to all others.

34Others have reaped where we have sown and others sleep where we have built, because of the statutes of men. Therefore, mete out nought but justice, that we may be fed and clothed and have a place to rest our heads. ****************** Fragment 9 O God, who teaches us in so many strange ways in this great place of instruction called Earth; who set us tasks to an end which we cannot foresee, and who tests us to measure our abilities and to try our courage and fidelity. Instruct us, so we may better understand the bitter lessons which purge from our natures all which is unwholesome to the spirit. Strengthen us, so we may bear all things without complaint and conduct ourselves manfully under the strict discipline of this unique place of instruction. Open the-eyes of understanding within us, that we may benefit by every experience and not waste time bewailing our lot.

35Tell us, so we may know. Instruct us in our duties in the battleline, so that when we are called upon to take our appointed place we shall not shirk the clash. Toughen us on the training ground of adversity, so that we may be stronger for the fray. When the day of battle comes upon us and cowards flee before the strength of our adversary, when the valiant ones kiss the dust at the portals of glory, let our place be where the battle rages most fiercely and the blows fall the thickest.

36If we faint, may we still remain faithful. If we are exhausted, may we remain dauntless. If our hour come and we fall before the onslaught, may it be with weapons in hand and face to the foe. We fight the fight where the victor can be the vanquished and the vanquished the victor, for here the fight is the end and not the victory. He who serves the end well justly claims the fruits of victory.

37We cannot ask to win, but we can ask to* be made strong if we struggle for strength. We cannot ask to remain unhurt, but we do ask for courage. We cannot ask to be supported in weakness, but we can ask for the fortitude to endure. We stand firm-footed, grim-faced to the foe. The ranks of wickedness encompass us about, but we will surge forward with closed ranks, carrying all before us until we come to rest in the presence of victory. O God, Supreme Among Spirits, watch over us in the struggle, for we are Your children.

38****************** Fragment 10 This is my prayer, O Great Spirit, accept my prayer. O Dweller in the Pure Region of Truth, hear me. O Great Fountain of Wisdom, hear me.

39O Comforter and Companion of the Soul Silences, hear me. I, Your son, come into your presence with faith and humility.

40Grant that my spirit be admitted into the Glorious Audience Chamber between the two regions.

41I, Your son, come into Your presence with faith and humility. O Supreme Source of the form-holding rays, grant me a hearing. O Great One seated on The Celestial Throne behind The Great Solar Disk, hear me. All homage to you Great God, Master of the bodies of men. I, Your son, come into Your presence with faith and humility. My every thought and deed are dedicated to Your service. These things are written clearly in my heart and are not mere puffs of wind from my mouth.

42******************** Fragment 11 Lord of my heart, hear me now as I stand in communicating silence before the listening shrine. You are The Great One who existed before the upheaval of the mountains; who tore apart the land and waters in the infant years of man.

43For in Your sight a thousand great years are as an hour in the heat of the day, or as a watch in the coolness of the night. You are The Timekeeper in Eternity and Warden of the Ages.

44You reap men as corn is reaped at the harvest and sweep them away as floodwaters cleanse the land. For man is like unto the grass of the field, in the morning it grows full of vigour, gaily bedecked with the gems of morning dew; in the eventide it is cut down, to wither in the night.

45The day is not important if men live by the hour, fulfilling in each its appointed task.

46****************** Fragment 12 When the Dread Messenger calls for you, let him not find you ill-equipped and unprepared. In the final hour, which must surely come, there will be no opportunity for fine speech and nought can delay his imperious command. Then all the possessions you have cherished and stored will be as nought, and all you will be able to take with you will be that which you have fashioned within.

47Do not be numbered among the foolish who say, 'Time enough, for I am yet young". Death claims the breast- child as well as the aged, and on this you should ponder. Consider well your future estate.

48Here you are the architect of your future abode, the plans prepared here are carried out in another place. Earth is the place of sowing, Heaven is the place of reaping.

49Here you are the sculptor who chisels the statue, the potter who fashions the pot, the woodworker who carves the pillar. What is there on Earth more deserving of your care and attention than your own future form and appearance?

50Do you recklessly hew or wilfully cut? Do you heedlessly pound the pliable clay and carelessly fashion the unfired pot? Do you mix the colours with proper thought?

51What manner of thing are you fashioning in this great workshop? A beauteous being arrayed in radiant splendour, or a hideously foul fiend which can do nought but squirm in the slime of its fitting abode? Whom will you praise for your prudence or curse for your lack of foresight? Who can force you to deal tenderly and responsibly with the slumbering child of your own self? Or prevent you from carelessly and wilfully shattering all hopes for its future wellbeing?

52****************** Fragment 13 Rejoice all cities beside the waters, be joyful all people in the land, for great things have come to pass. Behold, the foe is scattered in confusion, they are no more, they are eaten up, victory is with us.

53All praise to our Commanding Lord. Hail The Great Leader, hail The Source of Power in the land, live for ever in glory. O Mighty Fighter, let us rest in the shade of Your greatness, let us dwell under Your shadow, under the protection of Your right arm.

54You have given us that which we never thought to know again. Men sit in peace, speaking freely one with another. They walk abroad with light steps and their heads are held high. Men look their fellowmen in the eye and there is none to josde them. They are delivered from the shadow of fear, and confidence is renewed in them. The fortresses are no longer overflowing with fighting men and all throughout the land no well is forbidden to the thirsty, all may drink freely where there is water. Men come and go across the wilderness, carrying the burdens of trade and none falls upon them to plunder. Men journey peacefully along the lonely roads and none waylays them to rob. Traders cross the barren places and are unmolested, none rises against them.

55The bearers of messages no longer hasten about, pale of face and frightened, they no longer carry doleful tidings, they no longer bear words of fear. Their coming no longer causes the knees to tremble and the stomachs to fall. Now the messengers loiter in shady places, remaining there until the nightwatch calls, for there is no urgency in the words they carry. The fighting men rest, their hazardous days have gone; the bow, the sword, the spear and the shield have been laid away in the weapon stores. Women walk freely, they talk gaily, for they are not overshadowed with fear, neither do they tremble for fear of molestation. The faces of the border guardians are no longer haggard with sleeplessness, nor are their eyes tired and strained with watchfulness. Throughout the whole land there is content and tranquillity.

56The herds are large and sleek, they are no longer tense and restless. The flocks graze contentedly in their green pastures. The fowls are no longer alert and noisy but squabble playfully, chasing one another through the dust. The voices of men are no longer hoarsened with war cries, instead they can be heard singing as each goes about his appointed task. The doleful wailing of women who mourn their dead is no longer heard and widows no longer proclaim themselves. The husbandman sows contentedly, knowing that where he sows he shall also reap. He no longer doubts that he will enjoy his own harvest.

57The face of God is once more inclined favourably towards us, even the lesser gods look again upon the land with favour. The reign of Saku is over, he no longer overshadows the lives of men, all is well in the two lands. ****************** Fragment 14 We praise our own God with joyous and grateful hearts. He has shown Himself among us. He will come again in His season, all is well with us. His desire brings forth the green growing things and the land is clothed in its gay mantle. His hand guides the stars, His mind contains all things that fly above the Earth and all things that walk and crawl upon its face.

58We praise You, Great Eternal One whose forms are so many. We kiss the ground before You. All the sacred beings and sacred things men worship are but manifestations of their groping through the clouds of ignorance to understand You. Have pity on them, for they were born into darkness and mysteries, but their hearts are good. Each day You bring some new thing to the attention of men and place before them problems to unravel. The nature of men ever inclines them towards the path of ease and passiveness, therefore they tend to shun the things which are truly profitable. Therefore, deal with men in a manner best fitting for their progress towards Truth. ****************** Fragment 15 Neither life nor love ends at the Grim Portal. The strength of the invisible bond between two souls binds them even after death. That which binds strongest of all is the love which is sincere, true and constant. Such love endures through tribulations and trials.

59If one you love has departed through the Western Gates into the Great Halls of Eternity, then be comforted by the words of Truth. This you will then know: that the Guardian at the Grim Portal is no fearsome being but a compassionate attendant who tends you gently while asleep, until the morning of a more glorious day. Then you will be awakened to journey through a greater adventure with the companions of former times.

60****************** Fragment 16 In death you are greater than ever you were on Earth, for now the companionable spirits lament for your sake. They strike their bare flesh for you and smite upon their forearms. They tear at their hair and cast dust on their heads.

61Yet if they be true to themselves, they are not cast down, they are not distressed. There is a voice speaking out of the silence, saying, "If he goes he shall come, if he sleeps he shall awaken, and if he dies he shall live". Can you be gone from us forever? No, you are not dead or lost unto us, unless by our own deeds we depart to dwell in different regions.

62I am not cast down. You are now in the Great Place beyond the everlasting stars. You have passed over the horizon of immortality and now walk erect along the path of glory. May we meet there in days yet to come. Hail O Glorious One!

63****************** Fragment 17 my side when I come before the Assessors, that when I hear the verdict I may not be alone. If my eyes cannot see, then tell me of the balances, do they bear down in my favour?

64O Guardian God, lighten the darkness for me and deliver me from the meshes of the net woven by my own deeds of wickedness and weakness. You are my strength and support, to You have I given my offerings, You I have honoured above all.

65There I may be in distress and have none to abide with me. I may have no comforter and may be alone, therefore desert me not in my time of trial. Stand by my side, O Guardian God. If I am numbered among the distressed ones, look upon me with compassion and mercy, and if I am deserted, then sustain me with water, bread and oil. ****************** Fragment 18 I sing words of glory unto my God who is the Great God Above All Gods, and the words which issue from my mouth shall be exalted above all things. With them I will praise Him in the Sacred Place, in the silence of His Hidden Sanctuary. They will glorify my God, so that His Majesty is not dishonoured and He is not deserted, until the day when He shall be declared before all men.

66With the ever loving thoughts of a devoted heart I praise Him. Even as the sun rises joyfully into the daysky, so does my heart rise towards He who gives me life and renews it day by day.

67He is Great, He is Mighty, He is Glorious. He made the great river to flow, that all men in the two lands might be fed. It never wearies, it never ceases its onward flowing. It is everlastingly renewed.

68Even as the great river flows steadily and strongly through the barren wilderness and bestows verdant life on its way, so let the river of my life flow through the Earth and eat away the sands of wickedness.

69Release me from my mortal fetters. Loosen the heavy covering of flesh which imprisons me, which restrains me. Let me rise free into the glory above, as the falcon floats freely on the wing. Let not the melody of my song be cut off while I sing, nor the story end before its completion.

70Keep me, O my God, from the ways of darkness and let my spirit rejoice in the light of righteousness. Glory to You, Great God, Lord of Truth, whose eternal throne is concealed behind man's limitations; who issued the command that brought things into being; who made man so wonderfully that man himself cannot understand his own nature; who hears with compassion the cry of the distressed and the moan of the captive.

71All hail the everlasting spirit within, the real self, the seat of all thought inseparable from me. I am one who can truly call bis soul everlasting, for I am one of the Awakened Ones, one of the few who have at long last attained the Splendid Vision. I have seen the bright flash of Truth in the darkness of earthly existence, I am free, I am illuminated.

72I will sing, that you may be glorified in the solitudes of Your Hidden Places, where the eyes of the profane can never penetrate, where few men come as Chosen Ones. There we will sing songs of yore. We will sing of Your ways and of Your laws, which remain everlastingly unchangeable.

73***************** Fragment 19 Heaven and the many Heavens beyond Heaven, Earth and the many Earths beyond Earth are held in the thoughts and power of God. They are as a monument to His everlasting glory. All things living that move and breathe have their place in the abode of life. Man finds the greatest joy in the Eternal Halls, therefore set not your heart on earthly possessions.

74Here a man may desire life for a hundred years and may even attain it, but what benefit are the extended years to him if they do not exalt the soul? There is a horror-haunted region of darkness, and whosoever rejects the godward life on Earth will surely dwell therein. They will go down to partake of the nature of demons, down into the darkness of delusion and doom.

75The soul, without moving flies on wings swifter than thought. It stands behind and beyond the senses. It is the Knower working within the things mat are known. The spirit of man is carried down the stream of action into the ocean of life. The spirit is everlasting, it is near and it is far, it is in all and it contains all. He who sees his own self in all things and all things in his own self is awakened. He is beyond delusion and outside the reach of futile sorrow.

76****************** Fragment 20 I am Hahrew the Enlightened One, Hahrew the Twice Bom. Having crossed the dark waters myself, I carry the others across. Being free from fear, I free others from fear. Being unrestricted, I ease the restriction of others. Knowing the way, I show it to others. Having trodden the road, I now guide others along it. I am an Illuminated One, the open of ear, the keen of eye. I am one who knows the Law, I am a keeper of ordinances.

77I shall refresh all those whose bodies are bent with toil or sorrow. I shall come to the aid of those whose souls are withered and distorted, and give them strengthening sustenance. I shall open the eyes of many who are deluded in the heavy mists of threefold existence.

78Hear me, all who toil under the yoke of ignorance, who labour under the clouds of despair. I am the Forthcoming One, the Future One Turned Back. I am the Spirit Within The Law.

79I am the Voice of Enlightenment, one who proclaims the brotherhood of all men. I am to one as to another. I am Hahrew.

80****************** Fragment 21 0 life-giving Sun, handwork of God, projection of divine fire, heat of Heaven, light of the day, solitary glory of the daytime, let me behold the hidden form behind your brightness, for the spirit within you is even as my spirit. Thus, I may come to understand the nature of my God who commands you and to whom I pray. The fair face of the daughter of Truth remains hidden behind its mask of gold. O spirit of light, draw aside the veil even slightly, that I may see.

81Who among men is wise enough to know his own wrongdoing, or to see clearly his own errors and follies? The eyes of men are dim and the road narrow, therefore it is not hard to wander from the way. Therefore, O my God, keep me from all hidden wrongdoing and errors, and keep me from the power of temptations to which I so readily succumb.

82I know the rebellions of my heart, and my wickedness is ever before my eyes, yet how much more do I not see! I have chafed against the restrictions of Your decrees and the Law. I am a foolish one who does himself an injury.

83I am ashamed and blush for my folly. I am as a man who, when his arm does wrong, cuts off a finger. Help to make clean my heart and strengthen my spirit, that it may resist my own inflictions upon it. I believe I do right and do wrong, for I have not listened carefully and diligently to Your words written on the sacred scrolls. O my God, whom I have long worshipped with devotion, incline from the great heights of Your splendour and stretch a helping hand down towards Your weary servant. Trusting in You I will depart from the pastures of sweet grass and the calm waters of restful repose, and go into the presence of the Everlasting Lords. I will pass out of the dark tomb, I will arise refreshed with the outpouring of Your Spirit. I will clasp Your mighty hand and be guided along the path of Truth. Thus, I cannot stray and the lonely places will not claim me.

84In confidence and trust I will take my place before the Court of Assessors. Guided by Your light I shall pass safely by the Place of Darkness, and those who lurk shall do me no harm. My trust is in You and I will come safely past the lurking ones. I shall be freed of all earthly weariness and my spirit shall shine forth in glory. I will stand in the Place of Brightness, and the Glorious Ones will come bringing refreshing waters. I will not lack sweet sustenance, and delicacies shall be poured forth for me in abundance.

Six

1The stonebearer measures the stone and it is trimmed and pushed into place. It is fitted and the overseer looks upon it and says, "This stone is well laid. It remains in its appointed place".

2Beside it other stones are fitted and set, each according to its own shape and design, each has its own place and position. Then upon it are placed other stones and so it becomes concealed from sight in the foundations of the structure. The building rises, firm and strong, to become the dwelling place of a prince.

3I am one of whom men say, "He establishes buildings which stand forever". I remember that stone deep below the ground in the base of the structure where no eye ever sees it. Men know it is there, it just remains in its place, fulfilling its appointed duty, a necessity for the upholding of the building.

4What difference whether that stone be set upon the pinnacle, shining in the sun, ever before the eyes of men, or hidden in the ground, unseen at the base? It does its duty by standing solidly in its rightful place and seeking not to change it.

5I, who establish great buildings which will stand forever, remember that stone.

Seven

1One I sing my song because the Earth sings; though the wind is hushed among the groves it still plays with soft melodic gaiety. The benevolent sky looks gently down, its breath stilled as it listens to the melody of the leaves. The dew smiles in the morning, for it has captured the light of love from the stars. My song is beautiful because my heart dances gladly in my bosom, its joyfulness conveys gay music to my thoughts and places endearing words on my lips.

2Because I am dedicated to love I have but one love, the beautiful container of my life. My heart is a lonely thing ever seeking companionship with yours. It is lost to you, so let it beat in your breast nestled against your heart, for there it surely belongs. My love is wholesome, not tainted by any residue of past affections; it is gentle and pure, therefore treat it with manly tenderness, for it is a precious treasure. I give it gladly and can give no more. That which I give to you I can give to no other man. For you the lovely pearl, for others the empty shell. Let me live just for you, let me serve as your housewife. Let me hold your child to my breast, let my eyes be gladdened by your presence each night and in the morning. Let me bask continuously in the wonderful radiance of your presence. Never part me from the source of my joyfulness and gaiety, but let us go down the corridor of life together, your arm laid on my arm and my hand in your hand.

3My heart is desolation, it is like a wilted flower. You are away, my love, and my eyes search the road for your coming. The caress of sleep eludes me, for your image is ever there beside me and I cannot find consolation with even the most comforting shadow. Come to me, my living love, that I may feel the warmth of your flesh and be at peace.

4While you are absent I concern myself no more with things which give pleasure to a woman's heart. I neglect my hair arrangement and my diadem hangs disregarded. My curls are laid aside, for I await your coming to put them on and greet you in my gaiety. The song is silent on my lips, for my heart is without joy.

5While you are away my heart slumbers, my bosom is empty. Come quickly, my love, that my heart may awaken and beat gladly with the pulse of life. I await your coming as the dawn awaits the sun, as the parched lands await the rising waters.

6My eyes search the nightskies and see the mating dance of the stars, the Earth about me throbs with the pulse beat of love. The dark waters reflect the mystery of life, but I sit beside them desolate. Come to me my love, for none but you can awaken my response. I stand alone on the shore of the sea of love, Come, O come, that we may enter the enchanted waters together.

7Does the night long for the day as I long for you? Does the thirsty wayfarer long for water as I yearn for you? If so, then truly they are to be pitied. O come, my living love, and fill my days with the sunshine of your love. It seems the ages of man have never been loveless.

Eight

1Two Life is the bearer of the most wonderful gifts. You are a man and my man. Maker of my heart's butterfly flutter when my breath becomes a necklace of sighs. In your strong arms I melt as honey in the warm night waters. O man and my man, great one in my maidenly eyes. The light of my life, the sun of my days and the moon of my nights; the rock against which I confidently nestle, for to feel your protecting strength is my everlasting delight. My body yearns for you as the parched fields cry out for the caress of the fertilising waters. How delightful the gentle hour of love with you. O that it might become an eternity wherein I might sleep with you as your wife, your lifelong companion in love. In this life always yours, to serve your pleasure and be ever with you; to stand at last, my hand in your hand, together before the dream goddess in the Halls of Eternal Joy. There, those who have loved wholesomely, such as we, find everlasting pleasures.

2I am yours, both here and there, escapable never, yours forever. Yours pure, untouched and unsullied. I am with you first, sister in love. If at times my tongue speaks with unmaidenly boldness, then let this be forgiven me, for I am pure of heart. The words pour forth from a heart overflowing with love and not from a tongue dipped into the shame of impure experience.

3I come to you with maidenly pride, as a dew-bedecked garden of herbs, fair flowering, sweet smelling and refreshing. Peace and contentment are mine to gladly give. Upon you I gladly bestow all that is precious to a maiden. You share me with no other, I honour love by bestowing what is exclusively yours.

4Your brow becomes hot with the body passion of man burning within, and I cool it with my womanly hand as the cooling north wind tempers the heat of the burning sands. The strength of an ox and the gentleness of a kitten are united in love.

5We walk together in a land of beauty, a garden of loveliness fashioned thus by the dreams we share. Hand in hand in the kingdom of men, heart in heart in the kingdom of spirit. When hearts are bound together in a love exceeding all bounds, then bodies may unite with purity and peace. We wander heedlessly about and my heart sings with joy, for we are together.

6Your voice is the food of my heart, your touch the life of my body. I see you and I am gay, you depart and I am sad. Your glance pierces me like an arrow of fire, your words carry me away like the surge of bitter waters over the beach.

7For the lovers' hour we sit beneath the wild fig tree, beneath its fruits of lovers' blood and its leaves of lovers' eyes. Hear it whisper to our hearts. I am a maiden reserved to you in love, you are my lord, the commander of my heart. I dwell beneath your shadow and within your shadow. O never leave me unshielded!

8My nights are restless and hot, shall I give my love the apple of his desire, the first fruits of womanly love? Am I the wild bird snare awaiting the wild goose? O my heart, how have women beyond number decided before me which answer is the true one?

90 take me not in my weakness, lest you despise me after the manner of men and bring low the head of my father. Have manly compassion on the weaknesses made by my love. Degrade me not before my mother and let not the shadow of shame fall over my father's house. Let me ever keep faith with the Mother Guardian of Love, that when I am called before her I shall stand in unsullied radiance. Make me not a woman of the hedgerow. Let our love bear us up in glory, up into the revealing light where we may stand together, proud and unashamed. Let ours be a love that fulfils its appointed function in the great chain of life, something honoured by men and an inspiration to our children. Let it not become a flower of the field corner which withers in shame when the sunlight falls upon it.

10I wait, the day comes, its hours are long and extended, but with its declining you hasten to me, my man and my life. Sweet mistress of love, speed the fulfilling hour.

Nine

1One The night rolls back to reveal the promise of another day. The great sun comes up in the morning time and the lotus opens to reveal its shining heart displayed in devotion. You come and my heart leaps up from my breast to meet you.

2The wind blows and shakes the wild fig tree, you come and your delicate perfume enwraps my spirit, and my body is shaken. I become weak within the shadow of your presence. I feel a radiance about you which calls to something within me and I am awed by the wonder of a love which can subdue all base feelings.

3I have seen you. In the cool dewtime of the morning I passed on my way and you were bathing in the freshening waters. I saw your pure loveliness and all else faded and passed from me, the beauty of the morning was dimmed before the vision I had of you. Modest maiden of mine, clad in a white garment which clutched your supple limbs, I saw you and my heart swelled up in joy. The breath was stopped within my throat.

4You looked up and smiled a chaste greeting, covering yourself in a garment expressing your maidenly modesty. Your delicate hand plucked a lily, and my heart left its cradle when you came up out of the waters and drew near. You embraced me with cool, glistening arms and open wet lips. I savoured the joys of the gods, with a greater promise of unutterable joys to come, before I continued on my way. Would that I were the fishes in the pool, that I might be so near to you twice daily.

5Yet I am a man and consumed in the fires of manhood in my need for you. Still you remain veiled in reserve and I pray to the great god for the assurance that some day my sister in love will be truly mine. Her reserve and modesty, treasured as gifts to be surrendered in love, mean more to me than gold and pearls or the treasures of kings. What is mine no king, no matter how great, can claim. It is love's mantle bestowed on manliness. The night comes and I dream it is our wedding night and you are beside me. My spirit rises on wings of joy, singing, "O let my love find its ultimate expression in this night of beauty!" Your breath caresses me with the fragrance of Heaven, your lips dispense the heavy wine of love. Our bodies meet in ecstasy and part, but our spirits remain mingled in the greater bond that knows no severance. Our united souls share together the destiny of eternity. I sleep at last in the gentle arms of contentment.

6O Great Readers of the Souls of Men, see the strength of my love. Is it not untainted with base feelings? Is it not wholesome and undemanding? Is it not protective of womanly secrets? Let it endure on Earth, that it may blossom in glorious fullness throughout the great ages in everlasting splendour. May it shine forever in the unwalled Halls of Eternity. O grant me my heart's desire!

The Songs of Tantalip

1Two I am one on whom the fates smile. My sister in love is the light of my life. She is the promise of love enduring, the brazier of a love undying, the hope of joy throughout eternity. The night becomes silent, for its fragrance is as nothing to her sweetness. The brightness of the dawn fades before her loveliness and the dove hangs its head before her virtue.

2She breathes gently and caresses with her glance. Her skin exudes a sweet perfume and her hair is proud and confident, as becomes the guardian of secret mysteries of charm and delight.

3She is graceful, her robes are not stiffened, they are not of royal or white linen and caress her softly. Her sandals are daintily bedecked with beads and her lovely curls are clasped in a circlet of blue and red stones. Her bosom is covered with cloth of Ithika and held by a clasp of silver.

4She flutters her fan with delicacy and grace. Her speech is gentle as the cool breeze. Her eyes sparkle as the moonlit waters, their deep pools enhanced with tinges of green and purple delicately applied.

5Men say, "Who is she who walks with graceful steps and lively air? The blush of the blood rose is on her cheeks, the perfume of morning sweetness breathes from her parted lips. High-spirited joy tempered with innocence and modesty sparkles in her eyes. Her voice tinkles like sweetly rippling waters, and from the gay cheerfulness of her tender heart she gladdens all nature with her gentle singing".

6I say, "She is mine, my wife in waiting", and confidently know all her secret charms are for me alone. I shall be lifted in joy above all men or cast into the abyss of despair. I wonder about her in the manner of men and rebuke myself for my thoughts. Could such beauty ever betray love?

7I inhale the sweet breezes which once filled her mouth, and each day my thoughts recall her beauty. My heart longs for the sweetness of her lovely voice, fresh as the cool north wind. Her love strengthens my limbs, my heart rises from its place. Let me clasp once more the delicate hands that hold my heart. Let me feel her once again in warm embrace. I hear her name whispered on the cool nightwind, and never do I hear it without my spirit responding.

80 my Lord God, who led me in the conquest, who directed my right arm in battle and chastened my pride in victory, help me now in the time of peace. Help me when the turmoil is over. I am well skilled in the ways of war, but am a ready victim for the snares and wiles of peaceful life.

9Give to me my heart's desire, to be the mother of my children and the companion of my life. I am burnt with passion and need the cool quenching waters of true love. My body cries out in the night towards one so distant from me. You made me as men are made, you gave me the craving, now grant me relief.

10I am alone and one when I should be two. I speak and none answers, I eat and my food lacks flavour, I thirst and none brings water. I am a sword unused, let the sword not rust in the sheath.

11I await my other self, my right side desires union with my left, I wait and know that the waiting is not in vain. I await her coming, she is on her way, as she was from me beginning of time. She draws near and my spirit leaps from its seat and dances from the body to meet her. I see her, she is mine, fashioned for me by the ages, her body is made for mine and mine for hers. We are betrothed by eternity.

12I will keep her always for myself, I will never let her go hungry or let her live to lament her fate. We will share seven lives together and in each I will seek her anew.

13Man is two, the life force and the life material. Love holds all things together and no man can know the joys of love who shares the secret charms of his beloved with another.

One

1O devotee of a love that rises above the mire of matter and flowers in realms where romantic love is glorified! O daughter of love and sweet mistress of life, now is the hour of your fulfilment. Prepare to accept the sceptre of womanhood as becomes a true maiden, prepare to accept the burdens and pleasures of motherhood as becomes a true woman. Verily you are a disciple of love.

2Earth knows no greater joy than that of contented wedded love. Such love is a beaconlight to all mankind, it guides the caravan of its journeying with a pure and sacred flame. Sweet, hallowed love has a temple in the heart of every chaste maiden, and all men worship the mystery enshrined within. O resolute priestess and guardian, you are now worthy of the white crown of love.

3Great has been your inspiration to man. Well have you fulfilled the duty of maidenhood, now step forward to accept the joyful burden of womanhood, the crown that proclaims you a wife. Marriage is sanctified by ancient tradition, for it has survived the tests of time and turmoil. It has ever been the anchor of society and the shield of the family.

4Loveliness belongs to all women, for it is the heritage of womanhood. Beauty of face and form is carried away by the passing years, but the beauty of heart and thought grows as the waters rise and fall. The glorious channs of modesty and purity can be possessed by any woman.

5Weave a mantle of contentment around your chosen mate, O gentle bearer of womanly charms. Remember that you are the mother of generations yet unborn. Maidenhood, wifehood and motherhood, these are the phases of a woman's life. A chaste maiden becomes a good wife and a good wife becomes a good mother. Thus it is written. May The Great God whom you now worship spread His protecting wings over you, and may you enjoy the companionship of many children. May your life be enwrapped in peace and contentment, and may it be attended by the four bearers of prosperity.

6O son of strength and goodness, remember always your obligations and duties as a husband and father. Love belongs nowhere but beside your own hearth, for what foolishness it would be for a man to expend it on one other than his wife! That which a man gives to his wife is his also, a love truly shared is joy multiplied. He who sows beside his own hearth reaps a manifold harvest.

7Be not harsh with your wife or impatient because of her weaknesses, for her ways are those of all women. Be gentle with her, remembering that the dart of love cannot penetrate a hard and inconsiderate heart.

8Love is a treasure unearthed by few. It is found by less than one in a thousand. Yet, where it is let it be held sacred, for it is the decree of a divine destiny uniting one to the other in ever increasing glory and beauty, as they rise from life to life.

9Is not every part of the Earth paired with its mate? Even Heaven and Earth are mated, for does not Earth cherish and nourish whatever Heaven lets fall? When Earth lacks heat Heaven bestows it bountifully upon her, and when she loses her freshness and withers. Heaven restores her freshness with gentle soothing waters.

10Heaven daily goes about the task of sustaining Earth, she is never neglected. Therefore, take an example from the greater sphere of life, sustain and cherish your wife, that she never be neglected. He who sows seeds of discontent before his hearth reaps a full harvest of misery. Thus it is written by the Wise One in olden times, even so it is now and will always be.

Two

1They have placed my dear lord in the engulfing tomb, they have laid him to rest in eternal secure silence. We depart, we journey home but home is no more, it is rent apart and a place of dull shadows. Some with me are silent and solemn, some are weeping, some make show of weeping. Some suffer silently, some talk idly, some mask their sorrow with false mirth. It is a time of solitary heart pain.

2Some say it is finished and others that he sails the sky, but I ask my soul and it says this is not the end. It is not finished, this is the beginning, which all loving things must know as they awake to a new dawn.

3The years of earthly instruction are left behind, the last lesson is read, the pupil has departed to take up his appointed task. He has been bom to life, and death has been left behind. There are no dead, just the departed living, death alone occupies the silent tomb. Death is a pause at the beginning of hfe, a hesitation before the light of a greater day.

4Death is a deceiver, a non-existent thing of the shadows. From the creeping caterpillar comes the light-loving butterfly, and from the hard grain the full blooming barley. Who, looking at the date stone, can see therein the tree to be? Search the seed and the plant is nowhere to be found. Even so is it with the spirit.

5I trust in He who gave us life and love, but I suffer because of my loss. I am alone. Where is my lord, the one I loved, the sharer in my cup of joyfulness? Where is the caressing hand, the touch that soothed, the voice that strengthened my heart in times of distress, the consoling counsel, the quiet laugh that dispelled God-given hurt? Though he has gone to glory, yet my heart shrinks, aching with solitary grief.

6I will keep him, that he wander not in the darkness; for he has been loved and cannot be alone for evermore. I will keep him, that he be not despaired and condemned to walk with himself; for he is a man who has loved beyond himself.

7He has stepped from his body as one steps from a mantle. He has left it as one leaves a discarded garment. His future is in my hands and I shall live in such wise that none can deny our reunion. There is a subtle something, I know that, that ties us together still. May I be given strength never to break the loving link which comforts me through the long night and sorrowful days.

Three

1Great God of Wisdom, help me in my transcription of these writings, that they may be a true record; for I am not learned in letters, as was Sopher. I am unskilled even as a scribe.

2Man is a battleground, he is torn apart in the struggle between his two selves. He dwells in the dark night of ignorance.

3From Ramakui of the seven cities, Land of Copper, came the People of the Light and they brought with them, out of their transparent temples, the light that shines, when darkness falls, without being lit. Led by the Old Bald-Headed One, he whose name is not spoken, they came out of the West at the sunsetting. They came from the place where now the sun goes down; in the days when the Western wilderness was green and sand had not replaced the waters; when the outlands nourished cattle and sheep fed where now there is nought but rock and stone. The Tirdinians welcomed them not, but they passed safely through the westward places to the land of Ansibyah, and were succoured and fed. They brought to the people many things, for wise they were and learned. They were men of wisdom.

4Truth is not for the multitude, dirty hands despoil fine linen. The high born have their estates and the lowly ones have their appointed places. Truth is not sold in the marketplace, nor can riches alone obtain it. Few entered the great chambers to die and to live. The temples were fine shells, but the kernel was dead inside. Men lacked the foods of life.

5The True God was guarded and hidden by the false gods. He spoke in the hearts of the wise, but the people heard the voice in the stone. Their ears were closed to all but the voices of men. Small places there were in olden times for all gods, the pillars were not yet stood up. The stones were not yet in their places and the House of Hidden Secrets was not yet in the land.

6Then temples were built in splendour and priests were comforted in mansions. Great gardens and fields were the property of the gods of men. They had great herds of cattle in their pastures. Within the worship and ritual, amid the pomp enshrining the little gods, shone the light of Truth which was the revelation of The True God. It was known to few and fewer understood it.

7Seven years men being chosen waited and were called. Seven years they served and seven years they ministered at the feet of their Masters of Instruction. They were passed into bleak caverns to die and know God, and called forth with the sure knowledge of Truth. Thus, men were made servants of The One True God. Thus, they knew the Truth which may not be written, for many read who are not with us in God.

8There were writings which speak truly, but they are no longer with us. The Arisen Ones know the secrets of the lesser gods who are no more than these. The Great Scales weigh the soul by its appearance in the Netherworld, and this its place is appointed. Its virtues from its food, but no man eats the filth that is his. He who devours souls is but the dark cave of horror which opens to receive dark souls into affinitive darkness. The Rakima watches in silence; patiently it sits, waiting for the day of the Destroyer. It will come in a hundred generations, as is written in the Great Vault.

9All men are not equal in heart and spirit. Is the Southern Man learned, or the Ambric Man brave? The Land of Incense bestows all good things upon its inhabitants, yet they are not great. The Land of Bright Waters raises nothing but trees and grass, yet its people are strong and the lion does not equal them in courage. Above are the waters of Heaven and below are the waters of the Dark Region, yet there are not two waters but one. There is the fire above and the fire below, yet there are not two fires but one. The Lady of Ladies is arrayed in a radiant garment, when it dims the great trial begins. Her footsteps do not waver, her path is straight, but beware when she wavers and is inconsistent.

10Great Mistress of the Stars, let us abide in peace, for we fear the revelation of your horns. Remain ever constant as a good wife to the Lord of the Day. When women are as men and inconsistent as women, the hour approaches when the Great Lady will wander. When man and woman meet as one in likeness, the Fiery Heralds will appear in the darkness of the sky vault.

11Man twirls the drill in his hand; he is the master of fire, but the day comes when fire will leap forth from the heart of the stone and consume him. Men read the Great Book of the Master of the Hidden Temple. They die and take it with them, but there is no power in their words, and who but we, the Enlightened Ones, know the hidden meanings? It is not for those dead to the Earth, who step forth in the Netherworld, but for those who died and remain with us.

12Men make offerings for their fathers after the custom of their fathers. The motions are those of their fathers' fathers' fathers, but their hearts remain locked. It is foolishness.

13In the First Book it is written: "Words that do not produce deeds are as thistledown on the wind. They were better never uttered".

14The soul of man is as a bird that knows of a place to which it must journey, but which it has never seen yet it departs on the appointed day. Men have gods in Heaven and gods on Earth, but Heaven is for gods and earth for men. Thus did we write our own doom.

15In the Secrets of the Soul it is written: "The soul of man is not a small thing inside him, but wraps him about. It is greater than the boundaries of the Lands of the Reed and the Lily, and reaches out beyond the stars". To live, man must believe in his soul. Belief comes not from outside teaching but from listening to its whispers, unbelief comes from stopping the ears to its murmurs. Read the Sacred Writings diligently and hear the voice of the Instructing Master with receptive heart, so you may furnish your soul with nourishment, and it shall not wither from any lack of sustenance.

16The seed of Truth came to the black fertile land in olden times and was planted in well watered soil. Pontas was not yet born. It grew not in the light of the sun, for ignorant men would cut it down. In the dark places it flourished. Earth is a strange place and stranger the creature who rules it. Then came the dawn of a brighter day. The tree was goodly and its leaves filled both the Land of the White Crown and the Land of the Red Crown. In a day of darkness men came who exposed it, and the king said, "Cut it down, lest it choke us with wisdom". The tree died, but its seeds falling into the red soil lived and from them saplings grew. They were sheltered under the strong arm of the East. Then came one who was Lord of the Sweet Breeze, one who had sat beneath the Tree of Life, and he raised up a city to the Veiled Truth. Over the great road it was, by way of Lados it lay. He revealed the Light of Truth darkly to the people, but they were people of the night and even its dim flame consumed them. The child of good intentions may be fair or dark.

17The Guardians of Truth covered the bright flame and even its glow was seen no more by the people. No unlearned man again saw the light.

18A treasure in the hands of a few is great to each. Shared among many it has little value for one. We had been told the ways of men from olden times, but we heeded not the warning.

19Now the Truth is scattered to the four quarters of the Earth. Thus it was foretold it should be, therefore it is appointed. A tree scatters its seeds by the thousand, yet but one may spring to life, and that may lay long in the soil.

20These writings have been re-written with diligent care. They have been transcribed exactly as they are and no thought or belief of mine has gone into them. May those to whom they come as a heritage be no less circumspect in dealing with them.