Chapter 12
I’hua’Mazda said to Zarathustra, the All Pure: Three castes I have made; the first are the I’hins, sacred above all other people, because they keep my commandments; second, the I’huans, whom I created more powerful than other people, because by them I will subdue the earth; and third, the druks, the evil people, who will not learn.
I’hua’Mazda said to Zarathustra, the All Pure: Remember the caste of men; keep your blood in the place I created you; nor shall you marry except in the caste I created you.
I’hua’Mazda said: A thousand castes I created among the I’huans: The king; the doctor; the magician; the priest; the farmer; the bearer of burdens; the messenger, swift footed; and for all other occupations under the sun. I created them each and all within their own castes; nor shall they marry except in the caste I created them.
Zarathustra responded to I’hua’Mazda, saying: I will keep your commandments. Your seventy commandments, and seven hundred and seven thousand.
I will preserve as sacred the castes you have created, O I’hua’Mazda. And I will teach these holy truths to my children; to my servants, and to all men.
Then I’hua’Mazda wrote all the commandments, those previously mentioned, and he stooped down and kissed the books, which were made of stone and cloth, saying: This is my holy book. Take it, O Zarathustra, you All Pure, and go forth into all the world, teaching it, and explaining it.
Then Zarathustra, the All Pure, stooped down and kissed the book, saying: This is your holy book, O I’hua’Mazda. I take it; and I will go into all the world, teaching it, and explaining it.
Thus was completed the first sacred, most holy book created for mortals. And Zarathustra rose up from his writing, tall and handsome, inquiring of I’hua’Mazda, saying: Where shall I go first, O master?
Then answered I’hua’Mazda, creator of the Ormazdian law, the Zarathustrian law, saying:
Take my holy book, the Ormazdian law, the Zarathustrian law, first, to Asha, king of the I’huans, king of Oas, the City of the Sun. Him I have prepared for you and your work since the day of his birth, since the day of your birth, since the day I spoke to him in your infancy.
Then Zarathustra went forth, strong in faith; and he came to Asha, the king. And the king said to him: You have been gone so long! Behold, I have cast the horoscope a hundred times, a thousand times. I have proved all the stars in heaven and named them, and made maps of them. And I have measured the power of one star over another star; and the powers of the stars on this world, and the powers of the sun and moon.
Yes, I have sent into the great cities of the east, to men of great learning; and to the south and north and west, to men of great learning. And then I sent to the kings of Jaffeth and Shem; to Bow-ghan-ghad; to Bing-thah; and to the great city of Huug-sin, where the great philosopher, Ah-tdong, lives. And from all of these I have obtained great wisdom.
Hear me, then, O Zarathustra; although I do not believe your philosophy, I will speak to you as if it were true: First, then, in all the stars there is nothing but lies; nor does it matter if a man is born under this star or that star! I am old now and have observed thousands of men, yes, even kings and queens, as to whether the stars rule over them, and I declare to you that the philosophy of the stars is nothing but lies. Moreover, I have searched my own behavior, and I find I am often doing things contrary to my first intentions; but as to the cause, I do not know.
This also I have discovered; there is one kind of cause that lies with individuals; and there is another kind of cause that lies with kings and kingdoms; but, yet, I perceive that each and every man is bound in his own channel by something stronger than himself. To find the cause of this, I have searched even to the extent of all the stars in the firmament, but did not find the truth.
Now I ask you, in the name of your Gods, if you can prove this matter to your king?
Then Zarathustra answered, saying: Through my hand I’hua’Mazda has written a most holy book, explaining many philosophies. This book I have brought to you, according to the commandments of my God, so that you may read it.
Then the king took the book and read it; and the next day Zarathustra came again before the king. The king said: Your book says thus and so, but it proves little. Your God asserts he has done thus and so, and that he created thus and so. First of all, then, I do not know if there is a God; second, if there is a God, I do not know that he comes to you; and, third, if he comes to you, and he is a just God, why does he not come to me? And yet, after all this, for I do not doubt your wisdom will give sufficient answers to these questions, if it is true there are Gods unseen that rule over us, and spirits of the dead that come to us, persuading our souls unconsciously to ourselves, what does it matter whether we try or not, to obtain truth and wisdom? Shall all things not be left to the spirits and Gods and Lords? Do you not know that the ancients believed these things?
And yet what of the ancients? Were they not in darkness, and addicted to horrid rites and ceremonies, and murders, and savagery? With our wisdom of disbelief in their religions, have we not attained to great cities and empires? Behold our thousands and tens of thousands of large cities! And do they not all have just reason to be proud? For there is not one city without walls and gates being adorned with thousands of skeletons and skulls of serpents and lions, and the scalps of druks.
Then I’hua’Mazda spoke to the king, speaking through the voice of Zarathustra, saying: Hear your God, O king, and consider my words. There are two births to all men; the first is from the mother’s womb, and the second is from the corporeal body. Prior to the first birth, the will and power of the child has nothing to do with shaping its own destiny. But prior to the spiritual birth, which is the mortal death, the man has much to do with shaping his future destiny in the next world.
I declare to you, O king, that the corporeal man is, therefore, only half accomplished as to his real life. He is only half his own master; only half the controller of his place and behavior in the mortal world; nevertheless, he is the first half, the first chooser. Do not think that spirits and Gods rule men as if they were slaves or toys; for another power also lies over man, which is neither spirits nor Gods nor stars, nor moon nor sun; but the corporeal surroundings that feed his earthly desires.
This is the Ormazdian law; neither the corporeal stars, nor corporeal earth, nor corporeal moon, nor corporeal man, rules over the spirit; but the subtle, the unseen to mortals, is the cause and ruler of all things.
Asha said: O if only I could believe this! If only I knew this were true! O, if only the unseen worlds could be opened up to my understanding! For I perceive there is more power and virtue in your philosophy than in my decrees. || But touching on your book, O Zarathustra, answer me this: Who do the people in the world belong to, if not to me, the Sun King? Are the people not mine?
I’hua’Mazda said: All belong to Ormazd. Is it not here taught (in the book) that man shall acknowledge obedience and worship to Ormazd only?
Asha said: I so perceive. Answer me this, O Zarathustra: To disown the king and the king’s kings; will this not bring anarchy? For will the rulers not declare your doctrine robs them of subjects? To which I’hua’Mazda permitted Zarathustra to reply. He said:
Is it not hard for a man to be denied the privilege of choosing his own master? Behold, they are now impressed into war; yes, you keep standing armies, trained in the labor of death; and this for the glory of the Sun Kingdom. Now hear me, O king, for I am now speaking on my own accord, and no God is speaking through me. And I declare to you, I have attained power to go in soul into the unseen worlds and see with my own eyes how it is with the souls of the dead. And I declare to you there are great torments for the wicked. I have seen them in hell, with walls of fire going up around them day and night; suffocating fires of brimstone, from which they cannot escape. And those slain in war, both those who are for the king, and those against the king, are equally cast into ceaseless torments, and even kings and queens with them, where all are wailing and gnashing their teeth, and cursing; and in their madness, doing wickedly toward others with all their might.
The king said: If it is true that you can go into heaven and hell, it must be true you can go to places on the corporeal earth in the same way. Prove this to me, and I will believe all you have said. Then Zarathustra said: Tell me where I shall go, so I may convince you, O king?
Asha said: Go to the tower of the horoscope and find the words on the calendar.
While Zarathustra was gone in spirit, I’hua’Mazda spoke, saying: Have I not said, spirit cannot be proved except to spirit! Have I not said I am I’hua’Mazda; and Zarathustra has said he is Zarathustra. But this you cannot see. Behold, you shall witness now your own craft (unbelief). Here returns Zarathustra.
Then Zarathustra spoke, saying: You said to me: Go to the tower of the horoscope and find the words of the calendar. Lo, I have been there, and am already returned before you. These, then, are the words of the calendar: To-ka, Seis, ctvai tnong, biang loo-sin-gooh wotchich; an porh, an oot, an dhi, an git.
Asha said: This is true. But how shall I determine whether or not you gathered the calendar information from my heart? For I had the knowledge in my heart since sunrise. Then Zarathustra answered, saying: Try me once again; yes, you shall ask me for some toy of yours, and I will go fetch it.
Asha said: When I was a boy I let fall into the river, between the cliffs, at the outer wall, a golden case; go, bring it.
Again while Zarathustra was gone in spirit, I’hua’Mazda spoke: Two conditions belong to all men, belief and unbelief. They are like seeds, planted in the soul of man while he is yet in his mother’s womb; and when he is born into the world, they begin to grow within him. If man favors one only, it will grow at the expense of the other. Because of unbelief in man, he searches after truth and knowledge; but because of belief in man, he finds happiness; but the latter may lead to stupidity, and the former to cruelty. It is a wise man, therefore, who keeps these two talents evenly balanced.
Now, even while I’hua’Mazda spoke, the long-lost golden case fell at the king’s feet, and it was still dripping with water. The king examined it, and then exclaimed: This is true! And yet, if there are spirits and Gods, how shall I determine which one brought this? May it not have been an evil spirit as well as a good one?
Then I’hua’Mazda spoke, saying: Have I not said, I will show you your own craft in finding some other reason than the right one?
Asha said: O you Gods, can you not heal me of my unbelief? My judgment shows me I am diseased in my heart. O, if only my mother had been a believing woman before I was born! Tell me, O Zarathustra, or I’hua’Mazda, whoever you are, for I perceive you are not like any man under the sun, tell me what I shall do, so that I may become your servant?
I’hua’Mazda said: Tomorrow at sunrise I will come to you, with Zarathustra, and I will tell you many things.