Book of the Arc of Bon Chapter 25, Chapter 26
Chapter 25
1. Chine said: One man waiteth till he is rich, before helping the poor; another man
waiteth for the angels to inspire him, and give him wonders, before he teacheth the
unlearned; another waiteth for the multitude to join in first; and yet another waiteth for
something else. Beware of such men; or put them in scales where straw is weighed.
2. The sons and daughters of Jehovih go right on. They say: It is the highest, best! I will
go in! Though I do not accomplish it, yet I will not fail (my part).
3. Consider ye the foundation of things at all times. Jehovih saith: I created all the living
to bring forth their own kind. Be ye perceiving as to whom ye marry, considering as to the
All Highest inspiration common to your choice.
4. Neither judge ye the All Highest inspiration of any man or woman by their words, but
by their works. For the raising up of the world shall be mostly accomplished by the fruit
of judicious marriage.
5. Chine said: I declare a bondage unto men that they know not of, for it belongeth in the
next world; which is the begetting of selfish offspring in this world. For whilst their heirs
are in darkness they themselves cannot rise in heaven.
6. And like unto this, I also declare a glory in heaven to them that wed in self-abnegation,
who do good unto others constantly and with delight; for they bring forth heirs to glorify
Jehovih in good works also.
7. To this end was the mark of the circumcision given unto your forefathers, lest the
Faithist women be led astray by idolaters. And yet, with all precautions, many fell, being
tempted of the flesh. And their heirs descended lower and lower in darkness, until they
lost sight of the All Person, and believed not in Him.
8. The hand hard with toil will insure a better heir than the dimpled hand of a proud
woman. The latter hath a soul of passions and her offspring will have souls like a mixture
of gall and sugar; though they be sweet, they will prove to be bitter in time to come.
9. Consider thy heir; show him a house with a head, orderly. That he may grow up
understanding the discipline of earth and heaven.
10. The father shall be master in all things; and the mother shall be vice-master in all
things, to rule in his absence.
11. For each family shall be a kingdom of itself; but no one shall be a tyrant, though he
have precedence in all things.
12. Sit not down by the table to eat until all stand about; and when they are seated, thou
shalt say: In Thy praise, O Jehovih, receive we this, Thy gift; be Thou with us unto Thine
own glory, forever, amen!
13. For the chief virtue of the words lieth in the discipline of the young mind; holding
him steadfast after the orderly manner of the angels in heaven. And because he repeateth
it with thee, he learneth to honor thee with good rejoicing.
14. And when the sons and daughters are yet small, thou shalt teach them to work;
inspiring them above all things not to fall into idleness, which lieth at the borders of hell.
15. But over-task them not, nor give them pain; remembering they are to be thy glory,
which Jehovih bestowed unto thee to be in thy keeping, not for thy self-aggrandizement,
but for their own delights and holy pleasures.
16. For they shall sing and play, and clap their hands and rejoice and dance, for these are
their thanks unto the Creator; and the earth shall be glad because they came into the
world.
17. Remember thou that labor shall be delight, and toil a great delight; to have it
otherwise to thy children and to thyself is to prostitute man to be as a beast of the field.
But thou shalt bring them into groups, and their labor shall be a frolic and full of
instruction.
18. And even thy little ones shall learn that thou art but a brother, an elder brother, and
one of the same Creator’s children; teaching them that one who hordeth and keepeth
things in his own possessions is as a cannibal that eateth his kindred, flesh and blood.
19. Above all things thou shalt teach them to keep holy and pure the body created
withal; for herein lieth health and strength. To be foul is to be sick, to be sick is to
be foul. Behold the heathen and idolater, the feeders on flesh and blood; in the time
they boast of health they stink as a carcass; their flesh is congested and puffed up,
their breath like a kennel of dogs. How can their souls be pure or their understanding
clear? They have made themselves a festering stink-house for the spirit to dwell in.
20. And they say: Bah! I see no Jehovih! I know no All Person! I deny the soul of things!
Where is the spirit? I can not see it. Or the sound of its voice? I can not hear it. And
there be a Great Spirit, let Him come before me! I would see Him. Yea, in their filthy
bodies they say this. Let them be pure and they will understand the vanity of such words.
Chapter 26
1. Jehovih said unto Chine: Now will I stir up the nations. Through thee will I show them
the glory and dominion of My kingdoms.
2. For thou shalt walk without feet; write without hands; hear without ears; see without
eyes; and thou shalt rise in the air as a bird; by thine own will go withersoever thou wilt.
3. And thou shalt bring down the thunder cloud, and at the sound of thy voice the rains
shall fall.
4. And thou shalt say: Go away, ye clouds; and the sun will shine in the place thereof.
5. And thou shalt come to some that are hungered, and thy voice shall rise up to Me, and I
will send down from heaven the food of heaven; and thy people shall eat thereof and be
appeased.
6. And thou shalt stretch up thy hand over the dead that are ready for the furnace, and they
shall come to life again and be made whole.
7. For these are the testimonies that thou art My servant, and hast kept my
commandments:
8. In which thou shalt say to them: Behold me; I am but a man! Why fall ye down
before the Gods and worship them. For I charge you, O all you people, ye shall
not worship me nor call me but a man striving to do the will of my Father, the Creator.
9. For whosoever becometh one with Him; to such a man are many miracles possible;
howbeit, I declare unto you they are not miracles in fact; but possibilities granted by
Jehovih unto the upright who serve Him in act and truth.
10. Jehovih said to Chine: And when thou hast shown these things unto many, know thou
thy time on the earth is finished. For I will cast thee in a trance, and the people shall
bewail, saying: Alas, he is dead! And they shall cover thee and cast thy body into the
furnace in the way of the dead; and the fire shall blaze and consume thy body before
them. But thou shalt have previously bid them watch by the furnace, for thou shalt gather
together the elements of thy burnt body and restore them, and again inhabit it and go
about, preaching before men.
11. Therefore get thee ready; declaring these prophecies beforehand, that they may
be testified to by men, and so be recorded in the libraries of the kings and queens.
12. Chine related unto the congregations of Faithists, the true Zarathustrians, what
Ormazd (Jehovih) had said, and many of them wept bitterly.
13. In years prior to this, when Chine had traveled and preached by the voice of Jehovih,
he visited the kings and princes and rich men in many regions; and whilst he was thus
speaking, rebuking them for their governments and for their possessions, they took no
part against him. But afterward, when he was gone, the kings and queens and nobles said:
Chine hath preached a dangerous doctrine; for he said: Thou shalt have no king but the
Creator, Who is King over all. Will not this set our slaves against us? And if the people
go into communities of their own, ignoring the king, where will the king find his
revenue?
14. And there were priests of Dyaus and of other Gods, and speakers in temples (oracles)
where the Gods wrote on sand tables. Besides these there were seers and prophets without
number. And the kings, being on the alert, went into the matter, inquiring of the spirits, as
to whether the doctrines of Chine were true.
15. And some of the spirits said: There is no All Person. Behold, we have visited the stars
and the sun, and looked far and near, and we saw not any Creator, or All Person. There is
no Great Spirit, save Te-in, who was a one-time mortal, but hath risen to all power in
heaven and earth.
16. And other spirits said: There is nothing in heaven that we have not on earth. How
shall we find Ormazd? Waste not your time with Chine and his doctrines; he will
overthrow your kingdoms. Eat, drink and satiate your desires; for these are the sum and
substance of all things in heaven and earth.
17. Tee-zee, king of A’shong, the capital city of the Province of Aen-Na-Po’e, who was
withal a great philosopher, had previously heard Chine preach, and was greatly interested.
Some time after this a magician, Loo Sin, visited Te-zee, who told the magician about the
wonders of Chine. The magician listened to the king’s story, and the king asked the
magician whether he could himself, in addition to his sleight-of-hand, manifest wisdom
in words, like Chine, and if so, how could it be attained?
18. Loo Sin, the magician, answered: Te-zee, O king, thou knowest not how thou hast
embarrassed me, thy servant. For when we are young, and finding we have the natural
powers for a magician, we go before an adept to be taught all the mysteries of the order;
and here we take a most binding oath never to reveal by hint, or word, or mark, or written
character, anything that will reveal any of our signs and mysteries, binding ourselves
under great penalties, which I can not name to thee.
19. Know then, O king, I can answer all thy questions, and am desirous to serve thee, but
what shall I do?
20. The king said: I, being king, absolve thee from thy oath. The magician said:
Compared to my power, though I only beg from door to door, thy power, O king, is but as
chaff before the wind. In my subtle realms are the keys of all dominions. Not only do I
and my craft rule over mortals, but over the spirits of the dead. My oath, then, is too great
for thee to absolve, for I can not even absolve it myself!
21. Te-zee, the king, said: Since, then, thou canst not do all things, and especially,
absolve an oath, thou art not sufficient for me to deal with. Loo Sin, being desirous of
earning something, said: As for that, O king, I tell thee I can not reveal all, for the virtue
of my art dependeth much on its secrets and mystery. Nevertheless, as I am very poor, I
might reveal an index to thee, to which, if thou wouldst apply thyself diligently, thou
mightest attain the remainder.
22. The king thereupon commanded him to perform before him, agreeing to award
him according to the decree of the fates (spirits). And Loo Sin at once fell to work,
performing wonderful feats, such as causing the tables, and seats, and desks, to
move about and to roll over; and to cause voices to speak in unseen places. He also
changed rods into serpents, and caused birds to sit on the king’s shoulder; and he changed
water into wine, and also brought fish and laid them on the floor at the king’s feet.
23. The king said unto him: All these things I have witnessed from my youth up. Show
me now, whilst thou remainest here, how thou canst see into my neighbor’s house?
24. The magician said: Yea, O king; but for that feat it is necessary to enter the state of
the holy ghost (trance), and the price is expensive!
25. The king said: I will pay thee; therefore enter into the state of the holy ghost.
26. Loo Sin turned up his eyes and gave a shudder, as one dying, and having stretched
himself on the floor, bade the king question him.
27. The king said: Here is chalk; mark thou on the floor the character which is on the top
of my tablet, on the left of the throne! Thereupon the magician marked correctly. And
now again the king tried him as to his power to see without his eyes, and in far-off places;
and, having proved him in many ways, the king said: Canst thou also show the spirits of
the dead?
28. Loo Sin said: Of a truth I can, O king. But that requires me to enter the sublime state
of creation, and is even yet more expensive!
29. The king said: Have I not said I will pay thee? Go to, then, enter thou the sublime
state of creation at once!
30. Loo Sin then went into a dark corner and laid himself down on the floor, and then
swallowed his tongue, and was motionless and still, like one that is quite dead. Presently
a light like a thin smoke rose up from the body and stood a little aside, and a voice spake
out the the light, saying:
31. Who art thou that callest up the spirits of the dead? Beware! He whose body lieth stiff
and cold beside me, is one of the heirs of the immortal Gods! What wouldst thou, man of
earth?
32. The king said: Who art thou? The voice answered: I am Joss, Te-in! Ruler of heaven
and earth! The Great Spirit personified! Creator of all things!
33. The king in satire said: Thou art welcome, O Te-in! I am one of the most blest of
mortals, because thou hast made my place a holy place.
34. The spirit then assumed mortal shape and stood before the king, even whilst the
magician’s body lay on the floor in sight also. The spirit said: What question is it
troubleth thee, O king? Speak thou, and I will answer thee, for I am All Wisdom and
Truth personified.
35. The king said: Why hast thou not appeared to me before this? Why have I been left in
the dark as to thy real existence? Answer thou me this, for it is the foundation on which I
desire to rest many questions.
36. The spirit said: My son, Te-zee, I have been with thee from thy youth up, watching
over thee, for thou shalt become the greatest king in all the world. Yea, there are great
works for thee to do. And if thou desire to extend thy kingdom, or to gain great battles, I
will show thee the way. Or if thou desire another woman to wife I will find her for thee.
37. The king said: Though art a great heavenly ruler, I fully believe, but thou
answered not my question. Moreover, thou questioned me about my kingdom and
about another woman to wife, and these things are not what I desire of thee. And for
the matter of women I have not yet one wife; consequently I desire not another.
38. The spirit said: Who sayest thou I am? The king replied: I am at a loss to know if thou
art a fool or a devil; and I say that I have either seen one like thee, or else thee, through
many a magician. But, alas, there all knowledge endeth.
39. The spirit said: Thou saidst thou would pay what the fates decreed. Hear me then, O
king; thou shalt give to Loo Sin four pieces of gold. And after that I will explain all things
to thee.
40. The king then cast the four pieces of gold to Loo Sin, and demanded the knowledge as
promised. The spirit then said: And on thine oath, thou wilt not reveal?
41. The king said: I solemnly swear to reveal naught of what thou teachest me. The
spirit said: Know then, O king, I am Loo Sin, the magician! By long training, the
magician attaineth to go out of his own body in spirit, and to appear in any form or
shape desired. Wilt thou try me? The king said: Show me the spirit of Ha Gow-tsee.
42. The spirit walked back to the body of Loo Sin, and presently returned before the king,
looking like the spirit of Ha Gow-tsee. The king said: It is like the king! The spirit
answered: Here then, O man, is the end of philosophy. Behold, I am Loo Sin, also. Some
men are one spirit, some two, some three, and some four, to one corporeal body. And yet
there is but one person in fact.
43. The king asked: What becometh of the spirit when the corporeal part is dead? The
spirit answered: One of two things is possible to every man: his spirit will either dissolve
into non-existence, and be scattered and void like the air of heaven, like the heat of a fire
that is burnt out; or else it will reincarnate itself in the body of a child before it is born,
and, so, live over again.
44. Thus came all people into the world. A child that is still-born is one in whose body
no spirit re-incarnated itself. There are no new creations. The same people live now
on earth that always lived on it; nor will there be any others. They go out of one body
when it is old and worn out; and then enter a young one and live over again and
again, forever. Nor is there more nor less unto any man, woman or child in all the world.
45. The king asked: What, then, is the highest, best thing for a mortal man to do during
life.
46. The spirit said: To eat and drink, and sleep and rest, and enjoy begetting numerous
offspring.
47. The king said: How long would a spirit live if it did not reincarnate itself? The spirit
said: If the mortal body is burnt to ashes, then that is the time; if the body be buried, and
rot, and return to earth, then that is the time; if the body be embalmed, and keepeth well,
the spirit goeth back in the embalmed body and remaineth till that body is moldered into
dust, or burnt to ashes, then is the spirit set free, and ready to either re-incarnate itself or
to dissolve and disappear forever.
48. The king asked: As it is with thee, is it the same with all magicians? The spirit said:
Thou hast only given four pieces of gold; if thou wouldst have more, the price is
expensive. The king said: I have told thee I would pay whatever the fates decreed;
therefore, proceed. The spirit said: It is even so with all magicians. The king asked: Show
me now that thou canst preach like Chine.
49. The spirit said: Thou shalt ask me questions, and I will preach on them.
50. The king asked many questions, and the spirit spake thereon. Finally the king said:
That is sufficient; I will pay thee; go thou thy way. As for thy preaching and thy doctrines,
they are nothing. Now will I send and find another magician; for out of a counsel with
many I shall arrive at the truth.