Chapter 4
Tae said: How shall I come to You, O Jehovih? I have nothing more to stand upon.
My self-conceit has been like a mountain before my vision. I have nothing to boast over the ancients; the things I gloried in, the inventions, sciences and discoveries of my time, I did not view from Your standpoint. I exulted in myself, saying, have I not done great things?
But with all my inventions and discoveries, I had not done a hand’s turn to better the poor and unlearned. What, then, is the measure of the good I have done compared to what the ancients did?
Truly You have turned my eyes inward and made me ashamed. The sciences I boasted of, You have nailed down to the earth, and I perceive my spirit was burrowing into corporeal things only. And as to Your Gods, Saviors and idols of all kinds, in cursing them I was cursing You. In my conceit I was demanding light from You, and at the same time plunging my head into darkness.
Yet I come to You, O Jehovih! You alone are my theme. You are my Love and my Glory. But I will not say: Give me light! || Yours is the wisdom and the power to bestow whatever is for my own good.
When I called for light, it was for myself, and was void before You. I had raised up my voice against prayer, lest I appear as a beggar in Your presence. What more, then, is any man, but a living prayer? One desires riches, another power, yet another wisdom, or love, food, or rest. So, from this time forward, I will pray for nothing, but accept whatever You bestow. Yet how can I restrain myself? Do I not desire to know Your heavens in the firmament? And to find a way by which I can come to the spirits of the wise ones of the past?
Can I restrain my desire to know all that has been on the earth; to find the people who once lived in the buried cities; put myself in rapport with them in spirit, and hear them tell their earthly exploits of thousands of years ago?
Then Jehovih answered through His daughter Es, saying:
Es said: Hear me O Tae, and gain from my accumulated wisdom. Has the purpose of prayer through the ages not been to mold man’s thoughts and spirit upward—to inspire his soul to all good things?
Because you yearn for the wise of ancient times, is this not your soul recognizing my labor? Have the wise and good of all ages not learned the lessons of my testimony?
As living examples of quickened prayer, do the angels of Jehovih not induce man to aspire upward? I tell you, O Tae, it is through model and emulation that any man is raised up; and man finds the way to the living ancients through them (model and emulation), by his desire quickened into prayer.
Tae said: Then I will pray to find the way to the ancients. Is this not well?
Es said: Why seek that which is limited? Is it not wiser to go directly to the Fountain and Source of all? Jehovih, being everpresent in all place and time, can surely provide you matchless wisdom?
And Tae cried out: O Jehovih, how long before I grow beyond my short-sightedness! I sought wisdom in corpor and You sent Your sons and daughters, admonishing me that everlasting truth could not be found there. Then I turned to Es to find everlasting truth; for had I not looked up to Your high-raised angels, thinking, from them I shall learn wisdom? And yet again I am humbled and made to comprehend the error of my way.
Now I have searched out Corpor and Es, and did not find, but all point to You, Jehovih! Almighty! Matchless! From now on, I shall not seek everlasting truth in Corpor nor in Es, but in You only, my eternal Father!
Have You not given me a mind as good as any man or angel? Why, then, shall I listen anymore to angels or men?
God said: Before man was mature, he was commanded thus and so, but now, O man, you are cast upon your own judgment. I shall no longer restrain you from your freedom.
Man said: What is my lot O Father, that I look out to You but do not see You; I turn within but do not hear You? Is this my fate then, to cast about forever in the dark, not knowing a matter?
Then Jehovih answered through His daughter Ha’k:
Ha’k said: Hear me, O man, and draw comfort from my words. You said you would pray for nothing, and yet before your breath was out, your soul yearned for the wise of old. And they, in turn, pointed you to the All Light. And so you search for His Light—but you see only dimly; and in this you may perceive that prayer is key.
Consider, O Tae, what more is prayer than desire expressed? And has Jehovih not said, he who desires of corpor shall receive from corpor and he who desires of es shall receive from es?
For which reason, then, unless you set your soul upon something, you shall not soon attain it. And unless you express the desires of your soul through prayer, they remain elusive; for prayer sharpens the vague into crystallization.
Do the prayers of the expectant mother not mold the form of her unborn child? Witness also, the love and care of a mother for her children— would she not protect them from the harsh elements, praying that she does her part well? Does she not pray for their well-being?
Are not all men and women like children in the eyes of the Father? And when your children’s desires are for self, do you cut them short or do you give them the slack of the line? Consider then, O man, how few are constitutionally able to rise rapidly to the Godhead!
Shall man say: O, Jehovih, they are in darkness, unless they come into the light, I cannot help them. Or shall man pray: O Jehovih, give me wisdom to provide the way for their resurrection! Not for my comfort, but for theirs, so that their journey of light may be filled with joy and happiness. ||
And you compound words and commend yourself for the great good you have done, but how do you know your own words and actions are of light and not darkness? Move one fraction from Jehovih’s light and your words and actions create darkness.
Then Tae cried out in distress: O Jehovih, I have weighed the testimony of heaven, and I perceive its glories. But alas, my soul is stricken in sorrow and shame. In the same hour I boast of my greatness, lo, the earth overflows with suffering, poverty and all manner of wickedness.
Why, O Jehovih, if You created such a paradise for those high risen in heaven, have You allowed such darkness on this Your footstool, that man must grope about lost? Your heavens are bright, but the road of earth is dark? Alas, my words are of little effect to do good, even for those who would listen, and powerless to stem the tide. How then shall I find the way so that You, O Jehovih, may be glorified?
Ha’k said: Do not some rejoice at news while others grieve at the same report? Does a womb not require darkness? Therefore, O Tae, be circumspect in decrying darkness. Is it not good to judge by the light of your own experience and understanding? Who is there among men who can learn without experience? And unless you set a course and follow it, how else can you learn of your own conceit but through the errors stemming from your own darkness?
And as to speech, of which prayer is a part, is all utterance not a subtle form of movement? For which reason has it not been said of old: Actions speak louder than words! And yet, what more is action than unuttered speech? Are not both but the expression of that which lies within the soul? For which reason, the wise learn first to move in ways that sustain and nurture the light.
In order that you may find the light, and learn to rejoice in it, am I, Ha’k, Jehovih’s Daughter. For if you had no darkness you would not savor the light. Moreover, you shall not stop here, for you shall show others how to live in the light so that they too may rejoice in their lives; and you shall teach them that they, in turn, shall show others, and so on, forever. In your prayers to Jehovih you shall find the light and the way.
Then spoke Tae: O Jehovih, how I have looked upon prayer as the means to my own happiness and concerns! But now I perceive that prayer is given to man to uplift others and to perfect himself in the fabric of Your house; and yet this labor is not for himself, but for the resurrection and happiness of others. And in serving You, O Jehovih; by forgetting ourselves in You; You answer our prayers even before we know the way of our desires. You have given many examples of this: the child in the womb being nourished by Your hand; the nurse for the newborn; Your Asaphs for the newly dead; and Your great Goddesses at harvest time.
Wisely You have made darkness, O Jehovih, to protect and comfort man, and to give him the arena within which he may grow stronger in You. And are we not all in darkness compared to Your Sons and Daughters, angels high-raised? And they, compared to those who are older than the stars?
You have shown me, O Jehovih, how one person’s prayer may be conceit, while the same prayer said for the benefit of others may be light. But how shall I know, O Jehovih, whether any prayer is wise or unwise? For I perceive that the best course is to devote myself wholly to doing good.
Es said: What then is doing good?
Man said: To provide the best of everything for my wife, and for my sons and daughters, and contribute to the poor.
Es said: If you had created man, would you have given him hair or feathers, and a cushion for his head?
Consider, then. If you give one thing too much to your wife, sons and daughters, thus preventing the calling out of their own talents, then, alas, your works will be bad instead of good.
Contribute to the poor one fraction too much, and you injure instead of doing good.
Give him one fraction too little, and you shall rebuke yourself.
Man inquired: What, then, are good works? Shall I preach and pray for others? How will I know if my prayers and works are wise or foolish?
God said: Man, you shall judge yourself as to what you should do. Jehovih has provided a judge within every man’s soul that sooner or later will become triumphant in power. Find it, and you shall answer your own questions.
And so, in this way, Jehovih’s Sons and Daughters reasoned with Tae for a season. Then Tae spoke, saying:
Hear me: I am tired of reason and argument. In my youth I vainly sought out extremes, hoping in turn to find everlasting truth in each one. And Your sons and daughters O Jehovih, have counseled me to temperance.
Now, behold, I turn inward, and upward, forever! Now I will covenant with You, Jehovih. You only shall answer me; and give me light:
To You, O Jehovih, I commit myself, to be Yours forever.
To serve You by doing nothing for my own selfish ends; but by doing the best I can for others, all my days.
My flesh body I will baptize (bathe) every day in remembrance of You; for my body is Yours, and I will keep it clean and pure before You.
Neither will I suffer my spiritual body to be injured by wicked thoughts or passions of lust, nor shall I eat anything that comes from any creature, but only plants shall enter my body; for my spirit is Your gift to me also.
Twice every day my spirit body shall be covenanted to You, at which times all earthly thoughts shall depart away from me. And whatever light You bestow on me, shall be a guide and ruler over me for that day.
In the morning at sunrise I will turn to You, so that I can be spurred up to swiftness in doing good and in manifesting Your light in my behavior. And at night before I sleep I will recount my day’s labor, so that I can see where I was short in doing with all my wisdom and strength.
You, O Jehovih, shall be my Confessor and Adviser; to You I will give praise without ceasing; my prayers and anthems to You shall be without number.
This, I perceive, is the highest of all aspiration. For what better is it for God or the spirits of the dead to tell me a thing than for mortals to tell me? Must not all wisdom that comes to a man, necessarily be proved within that man? Is it not better that my vision reaches up to heaven to see it myself, than to be told of it by the angels?
No, I will not call the spirits of the higher heavens down to the earth; for it is wiser for mortals to become pure as angels, than for angels to become impure as mortals. Rather, through You, O Jehovih, I will rise, to see and comprehend.
And from this time forward, I will neither preach nor hear preaching. I intend only to labor and to do good; to be at peace within my own soul and with my neighbors; and to glorify You.
And if Your Presence moves angels into concert with the good works of me and my fellows, I will weigh their words and actions, as to whether they are wise and adapted to founding Your kingdom on earth.
I will do no more, nor will I multiply words with anyone under the sun.
Then spoke Jehovih to Tae, saying:
Since you have put away words and become a worker in My behalf, I have drawn nearer to you in wisdom and power. Behold, then, your reward!
Kosmon said: And Jehovih touches Tae on the forehead, and his spirit sense was opened. And Esfoma came and brought Tae a lava-stone, saying: Lay this on your forehead. Tae laid the lava-stone on his forehead, but he did not see it (with his physical eyes).
Esfoma said: What now?
Tae said: I feel like a burning mountain. Lo, this stone has been hurled from a burning crater. Then Esfoma took a sealed record and gave it to Tae, saying: What about this, O man?
Tae said: I will lay it on my forehead, where light comes. And when he had done this he read the record without opening it.
Jehovih said: To all men I gave two senses, corpor and es. In the time of Seffas I allotted to man to mature corpor (materiality). But now the time of Kosmon has come, and man shall mature es (spirituality).
It is well that you be believing toward men and angels; but it is better to develop yourself. You have desired to know the mysteries of My unseen worlds, and the past histories of the earth. Behold, I give you a new sense, which will fulfill your soul’s desire. Yes, you shall read the books in the libraries of heaven!
Have I not said of old: All things shall be revealed! Do not think that a loud speaking messenger will come, for man would not believe; but I quickened the righteous with My own hand, and they will comprehend without belief.
The time of preaching and believing is at an end. Man shall know by his own knowledge, and practice that which he knows. In this, My light is being manifested in this day.
Kosmon said: Tae called the new sense, su’is, because it is spirit-seeing and spirit-hearing. And Tae comprehended that things in proximity leave an impression on each other, which impression can be read by the su’is sense.
Tae said: I will now cultivate this talent Jehovih has given me, for I perceive it lies closely to the es’ean worlds. Was it not for the cultivation of this sense that Samuel of old founded a college of prophecy? And did Zarathustra not do so also?
Jehovih spoke through Kosmon: Whoever pursues righteousness by this talent shall rise to receive not only the past, but the future also. But whoever turns su’is down into the earth [i.e., to concerns of the beast –ed.] shall fall, and not rise. When dan’ha is upon the earth, I give su’is to as many as have risen in spirit above the flesh.
But many turned away from Me, using su’is for riches, and they descend to darkness. Su’is being a talent above the earth, shall not be used for earthly things, and in this respect, there are many dead who have not attained to su’is.
Then Tae went forth, so that he could comprehend unseen things; and the light of Jehovih went with him, and angels also.
And when he had come within a temple of worship where Christians were worshipping, Jehovih drew near, and the power and light of Jehovih’s sons and daughters were upon him; and they said, what do you see?
Tae said: Two kinds of people are before me, corporeans and es’eans (spirits) and they are alike, except one kind has no corporeal bodies and the other has, and they are clothed alike. As one worships, so worships the other, and the light that is upon them all is the same, no greater, no less.
Now, when Tae departed and came to a temple where Buddhists were worshipping, Kosmon said: What do you see? And Tae answered, saying, even as in the other place, mortals and spirits are worshipping, and the same light is upon them both.
Jehovih led Tae forth again, saying: Since you have su’is, you shall attain also to ethe (etherean sense) in time to come. After that Tae departed, and went into a saloon, where men were smoking and drinking, and Jehovih touched him and said: What do you see?
Tae said: Corporeans and es’eans, and the same light is upon them both, and their habits are the same, and their vocations also. They are smoking and drinking, both mortals and spirits, neither is one above the other.
Jehovih caused Tae then to go to a place of pollution, and when Tae had observed all, he said: Alas, that my eyes have witnessed this day! Both peoples are the same! || And into that place came the son of a rich man and the son of a king, and the spirits of darkness went and fondled them, but the young men did not see them. But their flesh was moved upon, for they lived for the flesh’s sake, and they fell in sin. And when the young men departed out of the place of evil, lo and behold, many of the spirits of pollution went with them.
Jehovih said: Tae, My son, you shall follow them and bear testimony to what happens. And Tae did as commanded.
Presently, the prince and the rich man’s son came to a neighbor’s house where many young women were assembled with their mothers and fathers. And the spirits of pollution went and fondled the women, and the mothers urged their daughters also, being desirous of wedding them. And while Tae was yet in the house a cloud of darkness came upon it, and he departed. But not many days elapsed before weeping and wailing were heard from that house because of the wickedness done in it.
Tae said: You are just, O Jehovih! The gift of su’is has made me strong in righteousness, and filled me with fear also. I perceive how You have measured the lovers of earthly things, and allotted to them the companions they have chosen. In this, it devolves on me to develop su’is in my sons and daughters, and in all children whom I can raise up; and in time to come, neither the good nor evil that is in any man can escape their observation. Is this not the foundation of prophecy?
Kosmon said: By the light of Jehovih that dwells in me I declare to you, O Tae: Be wise not only in su’is, but in your corporeal judgment also. You have perceived that all things leave an impression on all things in their proximity. To read these is su’is.
Has it not been written of old: Unless you separate yourself in body and spirit from the world, you shall not reach Nirvana (a condition of high heaven)? Put this and that together, learning from the past as well as the present.
Tae said: Now I perceive, O Jehovih, I must avoid the imprint of evil things in order to attain Your higher light. Is this not the true course to raise up my sons and daughters? For of what benefit in the world is su’is if it remains amid clouds. Tae withdrew from the world, taking his sons and daughters with him, besides orphans and infants without number (taking more continually). And he built a home in the country, and founded a college of su’is, teaching the exercise of both the spiritual senses and the corporeal senses.
Tae said: Lo and behold, infants have su’is at the beginning. In all the past ages man has smothered it out by ministering to the corporeal senses alone. And Tae preserved the power of su’is to his sons and daughters, and to the infants.
Jehovih said: Do not fear for them, O man, for in having su’is, they will not depart away from Me. They shall be the founders of My kingdom on earth. Then Jehovih spoke through Es.
Es said: By your good works you have enlisted (attracted to assist) angels from the second heaven (etherea). Hear me, O Tae, and be wise in your judgment. While you were in the world and with it, your voice of prayer did not rise, but wasted itself amid familiar spirits and mortals. The impressions of these, being around you, transcend all other powers in your soul. But now that you have freed yourself from the presence of those who live for earthly things alone, you are open to receive the Father.
Remember that, in this day, Kosmon is bestowed on the earth; that is, the era in which man shall combine the wisdom of earth knowledge with the wisdom of spirit knowledge; the light of the hermit and recluse with the light of the city; the learning of the books of old with the spirit of making books of his own.
Heed my words: Jehovih gives to one the power to heal by means of the spirit (es). Let such a person not fall back on spirit power alone, but diligently pursue all corporeal knowledge of healing. This is Kosmon.
Jehovih gives to another oratory and music by means of spirit power. Let such a person not fall back on spirit alone, but also diligently pursue corporeal knowledge on oratory and music. This is Kosmon.
Did not the teacher of music under the reign of Seffas apply the corporeal notes and not the spirit? And yet when he taught a bird to sing, he shut it up in a dark room and made it learn from es only. In this he was wiser with the bird than with his sons and daughters.
So, also, has the man of much learning drowned his own spirit in darkness; nevertheless, the man of su’is shall not neglect book learning; otherwise he is only like a clock without a regulator, or a ship without a rudder.
To attain to Kosmon is to find the secret of prophecy. Do not think that prophecy can be attained without diligence in pursuing knowledge. As you would, from corporeal knowledge, foretell an eclipse, so from es knowledge you shall foretell and past-tell the nations of the earth. Yet all knowledge, corporeal or es’ean, is compatible with general principles, and one may lead to unfolding the other.
In past times wise angels came to men and informed them of what was to happen, and these men were called prophets. But I tell you, O Tae, such men were only instruments of revelation. In the time of kosmon men shall not be merely instruments of prophecy, but actual prophets themselves.
As man calculates motions of the corporeal earth, and foretells an eclipse, so shall you calculate the es of man and nations, and the vortices of the unseen worlds, and foretell coming events, and cause the hidden things of the earth to deliver up their long hidden secrets.