Chapter 5
For forty days Capilya remained in Maksabi, teaching and helping the people; and on the fortieth day he said to them: I go now; the Father desires me. Be faithful to Jehovih, and maintain the sacrifices (worship). The eye of Jehovih is upon you; His ear hears not only your spoken words, but the thoughts in your hearts. I will come again to you at a later time, and restore your rites and ceremonies.
Jehovih said to Capilya: Even as you have done in Hosagoweth, so shall you do in Tibethkilrath; for there I will also bring My chosen from the Province of Yusitra.
So Capilya went to Tibethkilrath, where more than seven hundred Faithists were assembled; and they feared him, saying to one another: Is this not someone sent by the king to entrap us?
But when Capilya saw they feared him, he said to them: He who has faith in Ormazd fears nothing in heaven or earth. For the Father appoints a time to all peoples; nor can they make it more or less. Throtona, one of the rab’bahs, said to Capilya: Are you indeed one of us? Capilya said: Because I am as I am, I cannot answer you. If I say I am of your race, then your people will not be restored to liberty; for I would suffer death, being a teacher of your people. If I say I am not of your race, then your people will not have faith in me.
I say to you, I am only a man, even as you are; neither am I pure and good; for there is only One pure, the Creator. Therefore, put your faith in Jehovih, and where my words and my labors are good, render to me even as to any other man, no more no less. And yet, even as you believe in the Ever Present, so do I; and even as you do not believe in a man-God, so also do I not believe.
Are all men not brothers, and created by the same Spirit? Because the kings do not acknowledge this doctrine, they persecute and outlaw your race. To restore your people, who are my people also, for this reason I am sent into the world. My labor is now upon me; and for that purpose I am here with you and your people.
This land, around about, I bequeath to the Faithists; and they shall settle here and till the soil, and reap the harvests, and shall not be driven away. And in time to come I will provide teachers, and the Faithists shall have the right to obtain knowledge.
Capilya built altars for the multitude, saying to them: First of all, you shall dedicate to God all things you put your hands to, for without the rites of bestowal upon the Great Spirit, your people cannot be in harmony. To neglect the rites is to neglect all things. Do you know the doctrines of the ancients?
None of the rab’bahs could answer Capilya, and so he said: Ormazd provided your servant with great learning. For this I am sent to you. Know, then, the doctrines of the ancients, even from the time of Zarathustra and Brahma:
To rise with the sun; to bathe the body once every day; to eat no flesh nor fish; to pray to Ormazd at sunrise, at high noon, at sunset, and before lying down to sleep.
Certain philosophers, wise in vanity, said: To rise an hour after the sun is no sin; to bathe one day in seven is sufficient; to eat fish-flesh, which is of cold blood, is no sin. Now, behold, it came to pass that they lay in bed two hours; they ceased to bathe altogether, and as to eating, they did not stop with fish-flesh, but ate of all flesh. And sin came upon them; by their behavior they cut themselves off from the Father.
Be scrupulous in following the texts; and as to him who opens the door for disobedience, have nothing to do with him or his philosophy.
Capilya asked: Why does one man do a good act rather than a bad act? Why does another man commit a bad act rather than a good one? The rab’bahs said: The first is the speech of Ormazd; the second is the speech of satan; for as these dwell in men, so do they manifest.
Capilya said: I am pleased with the answer; for which reason I have previously commanded you to build altars and do sacrifice; for these are the expression of your souls, which testify you would rather serve the Creator than the destroyer.
This was also of the ancient doctrines of Zarathustra; but certain other philosophers, vain in self-knowledge, said: Can a man not worship in the soul, and without building an altar of stone and wood? And the multitude listened to them; but afterward they went further, and said: Why worship at all? So, they fell in darkness. A soul without an outward expression of worship stands on the brink of hell.
To see an altar, as we pass along, enforces upon us the thought of worship, and of Ormazd, the Creator; it leads the soul upward. To see evil, or the temptation of it, is to lead the soul toward darkness. Therefore, let men and women be discreet of their persons; but make the altars of sacrifice numerous.
Capilya asked: What is the first poison? The rab’bahs did not know how to answer, perceiving Capilya had great learning and wisdom. Capilya said: The first poison is self. One man says: Rites and prayers are good for the stupid and unlearned; I do not need them. || I say to you that such a man is drunk on the first poison; do not let his breath breathe upon you; for here enters the wedge of destruction.
Capilya said: What is the second poison? But when he perceived no one would answer, he said: The first leads to the second, which is desire to lead others and rule over them. Htah-ai, one of the rab’bahs, asked: How can we get on without leaders?
Capilya said: Allow no man to lead you; good men are expressions of the All Light. Capilya asked: What is the best and yet the most dangerous thing? Some replied as to one thing, and some as to another. Capilya said: The best and yet most dangerous thing is speech. To talk of good things; of delights; of love; of Ormazd and His wonderful creations; of life and death; of everlasting happiness; these are good speech, and give the soul great happiness. To talk of evil; of dark deeds; of one’s neighbors; of disgusting things and words; these enrich satan’s harvest.
Certain three men traveled through a great city, and when they returned home, and the neighbors assembled to hear the story of their travels, one of the travelers related all that he saw, good and bad; another one related only all the bad things he saw; and the other one related only the good things he saw, the delights and most beautiful things. Now which of the three would you say does most for the Father’s kingdom? The rab’bahs said: The last one. Capilya said: True! Be, then, like him, even to one another; for by this course only, is speech not dangerous, but of profit to the world.
Sufficient is the number of evil men to relate the evils in the world; instead, relate the good, for by constantly walking in clean ground you shall remain clean, in word and deed.
Search both spirits and men, not for the brilliancy of speech, for often its brilliancy hides its poison, or steals on the senses unawares; but search their words as to holy ideas and good delights, to make man rejoice in his life. He who harps on deceivers, liars and debauchees, is a fireman for satan’s hells. Do not reply to him, lest your speech becomes a snare to entrap yourselves.