Lectionary Readings for Wednesday, June 19th, 2019

Weekday Sabbath

Book of the Arc of Bon Chapters 11 and 12

Chapter 11

1. Jehovih said to Capilya: My chosen shall not have kings; I, Jehovih, am King. As
through Zarathustra I gave rab’bahs and chief rab’bahs, so have I through thee; and their
families are My families.

2. Kings and kingdoms of men I give to the unrighteous; for they, perceiving not Me, for I
am the higher law, shall have that that they can perceive, which is the lower law.

3. A kingdom is thrust upon thee; what wilt thou? Capilya said: What shall I do, O
Jehovih? Jehovih answered, saying: Suffer thyself to be proclaimed at home and in the
provinces, after which thou shalt ratify the laws, and then abdicate, and the kingdom shall
fall into other hands.

4. Capilya was proclaimed, and thenceafter known as king Capilya, and he abdicated, and
then Heloepesus became king, and he became obligated to Capilya, so that the latter,
though not king, stood as a protector over the Faithists, even greater than Heloepesus, nor
could any laws be enacted affecting the Faithists without the consent of Capilya.

5. Jehovih had said: My people shall be a separate people; they shall live under My laws,
for I am their King.

6. Now the whole time, from Capilya’s first beginning of the restoration of the
Zarathustrians (Faithists), until establishing a protectorate for them, was five years. After
this Capilya traveled about, east and west, and north and south, collecting together the
scattered remnants of his people; and he established them in colonies, and taught them
not only rites and ceremonies, but taught the lost arts of tilling the soil and of making
fabrics out of hemp and wool and silk; and he established schools and provided teachers
for the people.

7. Capilya said: The first virtue is to learn to find Jehovih in all things, and to love and
glorify Him.

8. The second virtue is Cleanliness; all peoples, old and young, shall bathe once a day.

9. The third virtue is to eat no fish nor flesh, nor other unclean thing; for of what profit is
it to bathe the outer part if one putteth filth within?

10. The fourth virtue is Industry. Because the Father gave man neither feathers, nor hair
nor wool; let it be testimony of His commandment that man shall clothe himself. To
clothe one’s self, and to provide one’s self with food; these are the enforced industry upon
all people. In addition to these, to labor for the helpless; to bathe them and feed them, and
house them and clothe them; these are the volunteer industries permitted by the Father
that ye may prove your soul’s worthiness before Him. Without industry no people can be
virtuous.

11. One of the rab’bahs asked him what Industry was? To this Capilya replied: To keep
one’s self in constant action to a profitable result. To rise before the sun and bathe and
perform the religious rites by the time the sun riseth; and to labor thereafter not severely
but pleasantly until sunset, this is Industry. The industrious man findeth little time for
satan’s inspiration.

12. The fifth virtue is of the same kind, which is Labor. There shall be no rich amongst
you; but all shall labor. As ye develop your corporeal bodies unto strength by reasonable
labor, so doth the act of labor develop the spirit of man to profitable growth for its
habitation in heaven. For I declare unto you a great truth, which is, that the idle and the
rich, who labor not with the corporeal body, are born into heaven helpless as babes.

13. The sixth virtue, which is greater than all the rest, is Abnegation of one’s self. Without
Abnegation no man shall have peace of soul, either on earth or in heaven. Consider what
thou doest, not that it shall profit thyself, but whether it will benefit others, even as if thou
wert not one of them. Without the sixth virtue no family can dwell together in peace.

14. The seventh virtue is Love. Consider when thou speakest whether thy words will
promote love; if not, then speak not. And thou shalt have no enemies all the days of thy
life. But if thou canst justly say a good thing of any man, be not silent; this is the secret to
win many loves.

15. The eighth virtue is Discretion, especially in words. Consider well, and then speak. If
all men would do this, thou wouldst be surprised at the wisdom of thy neighbors.
Discretion is a regulator; without it, man is like a tangled thread.

16. The ninth virtue is System and Order. A weak man, with System and Order, doeth
more than a strong man without them.

17. The tenth virtue is Observance. With Observance a man accepteth from the ancients
such things as have been proven to be good, such as rites and ceremonies. Without
Observance a man beginneth back even with the earliest of the ancients, and thus casteth
aside his profit in the world.

18. The eleventh virtue is Discipline, the Discipline for the individual and the family. He
who hath not Discipline is like a race-horse without a rider. A time to rise; a time to eat; a
time to pray; a time to dance; a time to labor; these are good in any man; but the family
that practiceth them in unison with one another hath Discipline.

19. The twelfth virtue is like unto it, and is Obedience. All good and great men are
obedient. He that boasteth his disobedience to discipline is a fool and a madman. Greater
and better is the weak man of obedience, than the strong man of defiance. For the one
promoteth the harmony of the family; but the other ruptureth it.

20. Consider these twelve virtues; they are sufficient laws unto the whole world. Man
may multiply books and laws forever, but they will not make the family, nor colony, nor
state, happy, without the adoption of these twelve virtues.

Chapter 12

1. Capilya said (being inspired of Jehovih): Let thy life be thy preacher. The behavior of
one good man, even in a sparse country, is of more avail than a thousand preachers.

2. The clamor of the tongue maketh speedy converts, but it changeth not the blood. They
perform the rites and ceremonies, but their behavior is not of the twelve virtues.

3. One community (family) of a score of men and women, that dwell together in peace
and love, doing good toward one another, is the manifestation of more wisdom than all
the books in the world.

4. A man that hath learned sympathy is better learned than the philosopher that will kick a
cat or a dog. Great learning is not only in books; he who hath learned to harmonize with
Jehovih hath great learning.

5. The doctrine of the idolater is war; but My Sons and Daughters practice peace,
resisting not any man with weapons of death, saith Jehovih.

6. My sermons are not in wordy professions, but in the souls of My people who practice
My commandments.

7. Ye have witnessed that Sudga’s followers said: Behold, Sudga is our Lamb of Peace!
And they were nations of warriors; they built monuments to glorify their greatest slayers
of men.

8. My people say little; profess little, as regardeth their virtues; but their practice is My
Voice!

9. Capilya said: Whatever should be the character of one man, so should be the family
(community); so should be the state. Harmony in a man’s soul is his greatest blessing; and
so of the family, and of the state.

10. Whoso will sacrifice self-gratification for good of the family is the greatest, best one
in the family. Whoso triumphs in self-desire or in inflicting on others his opinions or
doctrines, is the worst, bad man in the family.

11. My Father in heaven, is thy Father also; all men and women are my brothers and
sisters. To magnify one’s soul so as to realize this brotherhood, is a great virtue. No
matter what name He hath, there is, nevertheless, but One Creator; and all peoples are
His children. Call thou Him what name thou wilt, I will not quarrel with thee. I am a
child of His love; by love will I prove it unto thee. No man can prove this by war.

12. At death the real life beginneth; mold thyself well whilst thy soul hath a good
anchor (the body). The highest, best life in this world, findeth the highest best life in
heaven. To love thy Father Who created thee; virtuous happiness is little more than this.
The happiness of lust, is hate to thy Creator.

13. The man learning to swim had better go in with corks, till he find the stroke; like this,
thy Creator gave thee a corporeal body. Be not in haste to enter the unseen world; make
sure that thou hast learned the stroke of the resurrection erst thou puttest aside thy flesh
and bones.

14. Religion is the learning of music (harmony) in a community, in which the rab’bah is
the key-note. Music is of two kinds: sounds and assimilation. Dumb instruments may
make sound-music; but assimilation cometh to the real matter of putting one’s behavior in
harmony with the community.

15. Good works! Who knoweth the meaning of these words? King Yokovrana judged the
good works of a man by the number of bad men he had slain. When alms-houses promote
laziness they are not good works. Preaching, and praying, and singing, are not works; they
are the blossoms, and with enticing fragrance. Yet satan persuadeth man that these are
good works. Nevertheless, all fruit is preceded by blossoms. The most learned man, the
most pious man, and the greatest philosopher can not tell what is the meaning of the
words, good works. But a mother, with a child one day old, can tell; a farmer, that hath
sowed and reaped one harvest, and given half of it away to the less fortunate, can tell also.

16. To bring forth out of the earth food or clothing, these are good works only so far as
they exceed one’s own requirements and are given to others. To live on the earnings of
others, save in time of helplessness, is evil. To preach and not produce substance for
others; such a man is a vampire. He selleth sermons and opinions to the ignorant, making
believe his words are Jehovih’s concerns.

17. The preacher shall dwell with the poor, taking hold with his own hands; teaching and
helping; he who giveth words only, and not labor, is a servant of hell. He findeth honeyed
words, and drawleth his voice; he liveth in ease and plenty; he stretcheth out a long face
seriously; he is a hypocrite and a blasphemer against his Creator.

18. With love and rejoicing, and with willing hearts, stand thou upright before Jehovih;
for thy preaching shall bear evidence of joyful light; and thy presence give to the weary
and disconsolate assurance that thou art the Creator’s son, come in earnest to glorify Him
by righteous works and a helping hand.

19. Besides Capilya’s book of maxims, the quarter of which is not here related, he also
restored the Zarathustrian commandments and the songs of Vivanho. Nor since two
thousand years were the children of Jehovih so well standing before the world. And peace
and plenty came upon the land of Vind’yu, even greater than in the days of Brahma.

20. Thus closeth the history of Capilya, who was led in all things by Jehovih, through his
angels, even to the words he uttered, though oft he knew it not. Such is it to walk with the
Creator. Now whilst this was going on in Vind’yu, the Creator also labored through his
angels in the land of Egupt, with Moses, of whom hear ye.