Lectionary Readings for Monday, August 19th, 2019

God’s Book of Eskra Chapters 25, 26, and 27

Chapter 25

1. Theonactus, angel chief of the loo’is, that brought forth Sakaya, seeing the resolution of
Sakaya, departed at once to Paradise, before God on the throne, to receive the
commission of Jehovih, and to establish a line of es’ean light to the mortal sphere.

2. And thereupon, God caused his officers to select from the volunteers the highest
grades, and to arrange them in a line of light down to the earth, to Sakaya, that the voice
of God and his Holy Eleven might speak through Sakaya, with the wisdom of Jehovih.
The hosts to be under the direction of Thoanactus.

3. The million loo’is were also summoned to their places in the line; and in five days’
time, the light of the throne of God was made one with the soul of Sakaya, and he began
preaching, even from the steps of the palace of the king, his father.

4. In the meantime, the loo’is of the hosts of Thoanactus inspired their mortal wards, men
and women, who had been born into the world to become disciples and followers of
Sakaya, to come before him.

5. And it came to pass, that presently, there assembled in Sakaya’s native city, to hear him
preach, men and women from remote distances. So that people said, one to another: Such
coming of strangers, proveth that the Great Spirit is with Sakaya.

6. These, then, that follow, are the substance of the doctrines preached by Sakaya, being a
re-establishing of the Zarathustrian law, that is to say:

7. I am but a man; worship not me. Neither honor ye me for my words; for they are not
my words in fact.

8. All men’s wise words are the accumulation of things previous; nothing is new. Nor do I
proclaim any new doctrine or new rites and ceremonies.

9. On the contrary, I declare my follies publicly before you. Inasmuch as I have been an
example of folly, learn ye to be wise by not following my past footsteps.

10. In my youth, I was quickened to see the miseries and sorrows and afflictions of
mortals. And I cried out unto Ahura’Mazda, as the priests had directed me, to find some
sure way to do great good in the world.

11. But in the legends of the ancients I beheld that certain signs and miracles had attended
Capilya and Zarathustra. So I grieved to attain to signs and miracles.

12. Ye know the rest. I fasted and prayed and tortured my flesh, to make the earth
abhorrent in my sight, even according to the rules of the Brahmin priests.

13. But nothing came to me more than to the commonest magician.

14. So I declare unto you, I have renounced Brahminism and asceticism, and taken up the
Zarathustrian religion, which is, that good works are the only salvation.

15. To know, then, what are good works, and to apply the same unto the inhabitants of the
earth, should be the chief study of a preacher.

16. And, since most crime and misery come because of poverty, and because of
the division of the affairs of men, it is wise to devise, first, a remedy against poverty,
and second, a means of attraction to bring about a brotherhood between men.

17. To accomplish which, the association of families of tens and twenties and hundreds
and thousands, with rab’bahs (priests), unto each, as Capilya taught, is the highest and
best plan.

18. In which families, there shall be neither buying nor selling, nor ownership,
nor divisions, nor castes, nor privileges of one above another, nor rich, nor poor.

19. When Sakaya was asked: How about such as can work fast, and are strong, and
can accomplish much, shall they not have preference over those that produce little?

20. Sakaya said: A certain man had two sons, one was strong, and the other weak,
and yet that father distinguished not between his sons in his will. Was he then just?

21. They said: A most just father.

22. Sakaya said: So declare I unto you the Ormazdian law: to give unto one another
all things required, and without distinction as to strength, or as to expertness.

Chapter 26

SAKAYA’S DOCTRINES.

1. Sakaya said: Ye cannot associate with all men; for many are of diverse tastes and
habits.

2. Nevertheless, refuse ye not all association because of this, for there are such, as are
consonant with you. And such, as are disagreeable to you, are nevertheless compatible to
others.

3. Ormazd hath created a large field; His people are numerous, and there are many in the
world so like unto others, they are as one in all things.

4. Choose ye such, and as ye are one with one another, so are ye one with the Creator.

5. But most of all, will virtue and industry and good works come into the world by
the examples ye place before the young. Better is it to hide and subdue your
temper in presence of the young, than to conquer a whole state by force of arms.

6. The young are your angels given you by the Creator; and ye are their Gods. Consider
ye, then, what kind of a kingdom ye raise up.

7. Happiness on earth is answered by happiness in heaven; and that which is planted on
earth, is reaped in heaven.

8. Touching charity: I say, it is good to take the alms-bowl, and go about begging for the
poor; and yet, in the same breath, I say, it is an evil.

9. This I have found of all charity: It hath two great evils: First, it flattereth him that
giveth, that he hath done a good work, and this is an injury to his own soul; second,
charity injureth the poor, because it destroyeth manhood, and giveth good caste to a
beggar.

10. Though this kingdom is filled with hospitals and houses of charity, it is none the less
free from vagrants and helpless ones.

11. And though ye build a thousand houses for the poor, and feed them withal, yet ye
will have just as many still unprovided for, as when there was but one poor-house.

12. The law is unalterable in heaven and earth, that, whatsoever ye nurse, will grow.

13. I also declare unto you an equally severe law, which is: That if ye do nothing to
benefit the afflicted, distressed and helpless, ye can not escape the damnation of earth and
heaven.

14. To remedy which, it devolveth upon you, to find a remedy in society itself, whereby
there shall be no rich and no poor.

15. For it is also law, that where there are rich, there must be poor. Where there are
masters, there must be servants.

16. In which the rich man is a sinner before heaven and earth, even more so than the poor
man.

17. Some of them asked Sakaya: Suppose a rich man do not feed the poor and
helpless, but he give employment to a thousand hired servants; is he not good?

18. Sakaya said: A man may feed his cattle, caring for the sick ones, but still he treateth
them as cattle. A man may employ many cattle, but still he treateth them as cattle. And he
who doeth this to his brothers and sisters, the curse of the Creator is upon that man.

19. But if he give up, what he hath, and maketh himself a father over them, to develop
himself in manliness and wisdom and virtue, then his charities are as virtue.

20. In whatsoever a man doeth, and his own self receiveth prestige over others, that man
offendeth in the sight of Jehovih (Ormazd).

21. Yet these things are not new in the world; they were the doctrines of the ancients. And
in this day, the Brahmin priests preach them in languages ye understand not. Behold, I
break away from their languages, and preach the truth in your native tongue, and it
soundeth new to you.

22. I have tried, and proved in mine own person, and I declare unto you, that preaching
alone is of little avail in the world. Spoken words are a breath of air. They blow away.
Written words lay in silence; they are dead.

23. I am not come to preach, nor to build up a new order of preaching, but to found a
practice in life, whereby crime and misery and starvation may be averted.

24. Capilya covered the earth over with families of communities, and the earth
became as a garden, rich in fruit and flowers. Pauperism was taken away from
this land. Then came cruel wars and the destruction of harmony and of learning.

Chapter 27

1. Purification is the first law I give unto you, and is the same as with the ancients, in
which:

2. Ye shall not eat the flesh of any creature that breathed the breath of life; nor of fish that
lived in the water nor under the water.

3. Ye shall bathe once every day from the crown of the head to the sole of the feet. And
before bathing, ye shall say: Before Thee, O Jehovih (Ormazd) I will put away the filth of
my body and the evil of my spirit. And after bathing, ye shall say: As I have with water
washed clean the outer man, O Thou Jehovih, help me to make clean my spirit.

4. In the morning, when thou wakest, thou shalt say: Help me, O Jehovih, to keep my
thoughts pure this day; and my soul full of love and tenderness.

5. In the evening, before sleeping, thou shalt say: Whilst my corporeal body sleepeth, O
Jehovih, help my less encumbered spirit to see the ways of Thy righteous judgment.

6. Without purity, no man can see the Creator; with purity, all men can see Him, and hear
Him.

7. It is easier to purify the corporeal body than the spiritual. For diet and baths can
accomplish the former, but pure thoughts are required for the soul.

8. A man may be clean as to the flesh; but if he have impure thoughts, he is impure
in spirit. Whoso speaketh cruelly or unjustly of his neighbor, is foul in spirit. If
he speak of the short-comings and deceptions of his neighbors, he is foul in spirit.

9. Whereas, first of all, purification is the first law of man’s own self.

10. The second law is, after being purified, to strive constantly to do good unto others.

11. Some of the multitude asked: What meanest thou, by doing good unto others?

12. Sakaya said: To inspire others unto purity first; and then to attain individuality. It hath
been said, from time without end, that to help the poor, to give to them, to serve them, is
good works done unto others. But I say unto you, this is but half-way to that which is
good. For ye shall not only help them, but shall go and teach them, how to help
themselves. This is doing good unto others.

13. It hath been said: Whoso saith the ordinances of the priest, repeating a certain number
of prayers daily, doeth a good work. But I say unto you, whoso teacheth a man to invent
prayers of his own, hath done a greater good.

14. To put a man in the way, to be his own salvation, this is the best good work. As ye
have depended on the priests to pray for you, I come to teach you, to pray for yourselves.

15. The third law is: To abnegate one’s own self; being willing in heart, to sacrifice one’s
own desires, possessions and opinions for sake of peace and the good of the family. This
is the most difficult law. For the selfishness of man causeth him to say: I have such a love
of liberty. Let me be the dictator, and do thou my decrees.

16. But for this evil amongst men, they could dwell together in peace, the world over.

17. The fourth law is: To love all men, women and children, as brothers and sisters.

18. The fifth law is: To return good for evil; to give pleasure to those, that give pain.

19. To practice those things, holding all things in common, is sufficient unto the
redemption of the world from darkness, war and evil, unto peace and light and happiness
to all the living.