Lectionary Readings for Monday, March 23rd, 2020

Book of God’s Word Chapter 1, Chapter 2

BEING COTEMPORANEOUS WITH THE CYCLE OF FRAGAPATTI, SON OF JEHOVIH. AS THE
UPPER BOOK IS OF HEAVENLY THINGS, SO IS THE LOWER BOOK OF THE EARTHLY
ADMINISTRATION OF GOD FOR THE SAME PERIOD OF TIME. AND IT IS CALLED THE BOOK
OF GOD’S WORD, BECAUSE IT IS OF THE FIRST DESCENT OF GOD TO THE EARTH TO
ESTABLISH HIS WORD WITH MAN. THROUGH ZARATHUSTRA, A MAN OF PAR’SI’E, CAME
GOD TO THIS END, EIGHT THOUSAND NINE HUNDRED YEARS BEFORE THE KOSMON ERA.

Chapter 1

1. Hear My word, O man, saith I’hua’Mazda. Perceive My utterances in things that have
been and that will be. Remember the lapse of time; open thy understanding to the
substance of the affairs of the ancients.

2. Quibble not on names, saith I’hua’Mazda. Nor on places, nor words. All places are My
places; all words, My words; all names, My names. All truth is My speech. All fact is My
voice. By My commandments shall all the nations of the earth be made to know Me and
My works.

3. The Master of the I’huans, Samati, High God of heaven, whose home was in Mount
Vibhraj, a heaven created in heaven, a thousand miles high.

4. I’hua’Mazda said: How shall they know me, I, Holy Mazda? They are sealed up; their
souls blind as death. Behold, the king, high ruler of Oas, king So-qi? Valorous with a
strong sword. So-qi! So-qi! I call, but he heareth not. I go to the temple; it is closed
against God, I’hua’Mazda!

5. Where are the altars of thy God? The place of the holy dance. So-qi heareth not. None
can hear the Voice of I’hua’Mazda. Angels and Gods are scouted.

6. O man, canst thou measure swords with thy Creator? O that thou couldst open the
curtains of heaven, and see! What is thy little learning? Shall a chick that is not hatched
discourse on the philosophy of life?

7. Behold, O man, I have told thee that the natural senses cannot understand spiritual
things. But I will reach thee; thou vain city, Oas. Thou, king So-qi! Thy sword shall fall
from the hilt; thy mandates be as a breath blown away.

8. Hear me, O man, saith I’hua’Mazda: I opened the door a little, that thou mightst learn a
little about the stars. And now thou art puffed up; vain boaster of thy knowledge, thou
slammest the door in the face of thy Master!

9. Thou hast gone in darkness; a driveler to familiar spirits; lazy and longing to die. Then
I said to thee: Behold, it is a good world; go, then, and be wise. Quickly thou wert
changed; bewailing the stupidity of the ancients. What better art thou? Because I
delivered thee from darkness, thou killest my prophets.

10. I’hua’Mazda said: I make thee free, O man, but thou deniest My person. When I suffer
thee to fall in bondage, thou criest: O God, my God! When I deliver thee into freedom,
thou goest with a sword and spear to lay thy fellows in death.

11. Hear, me, O man, what I have done for thee, saith I’hua’Mazda. Of A’su I cleft a rib
and stood it up, saying: Be thou a man, upright in likeness of thy God. And My Voice
made thee; what thou art, but was not, proveth I am. I said: Save thy seed, O man. I’hin
stood aloof from the Asu’ans, and was holy; but thy brother, dwelt with them and brought
forth unto destruction.

12. Be admonished, saith I’hua’Mazda. I smote the earth and broke it as an egg is broken;
for I would cut loose the bound in heaven. Then all the tribes of men cried out: There is a
Mazda! An All Power Unseen!

Chapter 2

1. In those days when an army captured a large city, slaying the people, they carried back
the spoil to So-qi, king of Oas, capital of Par’si’e, and received rewards according to the
amount of plunder. The wars were between the different nations of I’huans. The sacred
people, the I’hins, had nothing; they were unmolested.

2. I said: Whosoever lieth up treasures in this world, shall find no peace! But ye have
built so great a city, ye hope nothing can break it down. Now I will show thee, O king: thy
city shall prove the weakest of cities. I will raise up one man out of the seed of the I’hins;
and, Oas, the mighty city, shall fall before his hand.

3. I’hua’Mazda, God of heaven, sent certain loo’is, highly learned angels, to look around,
and afterward he called them and asked what they saw? They said: Work! Work!
Ihua’Mazda said: Work it shall be! Go ye, holy masters of generations, down to mortals
close around the city of Oas. And search ye out seed of the I’hin race, and by inspiration
lead them to the fairest daughters of I’hua, in the city of Oas; and they shall be tempted,
and anon a quickened fruit shall ripen in the city, sons and daughters. Again go ye to the
I’hins, and by inspiration bring others and have them tempted by the improved fruit. And
yet again repeat this method, and in the sixth generation ye shall raise up a son having the
gifts of su’is and sar’gis, and ye shall call him Zarathustra.

4. The loo’is, the angels who were guardians over mortals for such purpose, went and
accomplished what had been commanded by God. And the child’s mother’s name was
Too’che, and the father’s name Lo’ab. Too’che was su’is born herself, and was by Sa’moan,
an angel, obsessed before she conceived, and during the time of maternity not suffered to
wake from her unconscious trance. And by the loo’is, her soul was oft taken to high
heaven to behold its glories, and then to return and inhabit her own body. Thus, the child
was born of All Light, and in that same day the obsession fled, and Too’che proclaimed
within the city that no man was father to the child, but that she conceived from All Light,
believing, because unconscious in gestation.

5. The learned men cast the horoscope, but found nothing in the stars to alarm the kings,
or worthy of credence to the maiden’s story. The loo’is went before God, saying: Behold, a
child is born, capable of All Light. Then spake God, saying: I will come; go ye and lead
the way.

6. When yet the child nursed, I’hua’Mazda spake through the child, whilst its own spirit
slept. Then again came the learned men, chief of whom was Asha, son of Zista, learned in
a thousand stars and all living creatures, and in the bones of animals no longer living. So
Asha spake to Too’che, saying: Canst thy suckling talk? Whereupon God answered him,
saying:

7. Not the child, but I, even I’hua’Mazda. Think not, O man, these small lips utter words
prompted by this child’s soul. I am come to stay the cruel hand of war; to make man know
there is an Unseen Master. Behold, this child hath no sex! He is an Yeshuah (Iesu), a
passionless birth.

8. To which Asha said: Can it be this woman hath a man hidden under her cloak, and
hopes to evade the just punishment of the king! O, thou harlot! That toldest a shameful
tale of conception without a man! Thy lies are now added to others to make good the
first. Out of the city, wretch! or thou shalt be stoned to death, and thy child with thee!

9. Too’che made no answer, save with a flood of tears. Then spake I’hua’Mazda, saying:
Hold thy hand on these lips, and perceive thou how I gesticulate with these little hands.
Yea, take thou the little form in thine own arms.

10. Then Asha feared, but fain would hide his fear, and so took the child, whilst
I’hua’Mazda spake, saying: O man, that thou couldst behold the spirit, and would temper
thy judgment down to patience and wisdom!

11. Asha said: If it be in truth thou art the Mazda of the I’huan race, why hast thou come
in so questionable weakness? What can a child do? Wieldest thou a sword with these
little hands? I had hoped to see a God come in stronger shape, and in majesty of a
thousand angels, winged, and in flames of fire!

12. I’hua’Mazda said: My wisdom is not man’s wisdom; my weapons, not arrows and
sharp swords. What is great in man’s judgment is as nothing to me; what is as nothing to
man, I will make great, for I shall overturn this mighty city. Because I am come in peace
and love, the city shall be divided, man against man, and bloody war run riot in this
walled kingdom.

13. Asha said: To what end art thou come? For if it be true thou art a God born in this
questionable shape, thou hast some motive more than to overthrow the town. I charge
thee, then, most precocious youth, tell me what thy purpose is, that justice may be done?

14. I’hua’Mazda said: The cities of man are as nothing in my sight; I come to teach man of
other worlds, and that the souls of the righteous shall live forever; I come to deliver man
from darkness into everlasting light.

15. Asha said: Thy words are wisdom, or else my sudden surprise hath unfitted my
judgment. I will go now, that I may reflect on this wonder. To-morrow I will come again.
Keep this matter quietly. For if it be known that I, of so high estate, have talked in
temperance on spiritual things, I will be doomed to death.