Chapter 19
And the angel of God appeared in the middle of the circle, in sar’gis, and talked with them face to face. And Hog said to the angel: In truth, I know you are not mortal, and yet you have the semblance of flesh, limbs, arms and an actual body having clothes that look just like mortal clothes.
Now I tell you face to face, I believe you are no angel of the dead, but actually a reflected self-substance, produced out of the substance of my father. Can you prove otherwise? The angel answered, saying:
Mortal words cannot convince you; nor can the words of a spirit. Behold, I will show you a friend of yours who is dead. With that, the angel showed the spirit of Hog’s friend who was dead, and the man’s name was Aara-acta; and so Hog said to him:
You are an actual counterpart of him I knew. What is your name? The spirit answered: Aara-acta! I tell you, O Hog, these things are true. I am the spirit of your friend; yes, I am that very friend. Hog said: Where do you dwell? Where have you been? Are you happy? Have you visited all the heavens?
The spirit answered him, saying: I live around here on the earth even as before death. I am happy; the glory of my present world surpasses the earth. I have not visited the highest heavens. I am as yet only in the first resurrection. Up above us there are heavens where all the people are Gods and Goddesses. I cannot go there; they are too white. || The spirit then disappeared, and Hog said:
I saw what I saw and heard what I heard. Yet I do not believe that I have seen a spirit nor heard one. A spirit must by reason be thin, subtle, and air-like.
Then the angel of God spoke, saying: How shall I please this man, O Ormazd? This morning I showed myself in the door of the hut, thin and subtle and air-like, and he did not see or hear me. Who can find a way to open this man’s soul to Your Wisdom, O Ormazd?
Now Yu-tiv spoke, saying: Great is the glory of Your angel, O Ormazd! Heavenly are the spirits of the dead. Welcome, O you angels of heaven! Then Whe-ish spoke, saying: Even the lowest of heavens has great glory! O what delight it would be to dwell in such a paradise! Next Vus spoke, saying: Such wisdom and truth! What are Your kingdoms, O Father, when even the first heaven has such glory. Vede said: Truth is Your mightiest work, O Ormazd! Git-un said: Because I have lived to see these things, I will proclaim Your wonders, O Ormazd, for as long as I live! Oos said: You have framed Your worlds so wisely, O Ormazd, that even Your lowest of angels are the delight of my soul! Next spoke Sa-it, he said: Give us of Your abundance, O Ormazd. Open wide the gates of the lower heavens. I will take Your angels into my arms and rejoice forever!
Brahma then came out of his trance, though he had heard and seen all. He said: Whoever comes that can make me better, and show me how most to benefit Your world, him, O Ormazd, send to me. || And lo, Brahma was answered first of all! A light, bright as a sun, stood in the middle of the circle, and it was higher than the clouds, and displayed a staff on which was a banner of gold and silver; and on the banner, stars clustered to spell the words, Love, Wisdom and Power!
Presently the scene changed, and the angel of God said: He who spoke last (Brahma) has been answered first, because his words reached to the Fountainhead. Wherever you send your prayers, you are answered from there. With that in mind, I will now open the gates of the lower heavens, and you shall witness what you may.
The angel withdrew all surrounding lights, so that great darkness came upon the circle. Presently, Yu-tiv started, as if somewhat frightened. Then Vus sprang up, saying: What was that? And then another started, till presently all except Brahma and Hog were wild and startled, whispering: What do my eyes behold! O that foul smell! O that vulgar touch! And then one screamed; and another, and another, until all broke and fled, screaming and crying out in fear and distress; flying into the darkness of the grove, frantic; almost dead with fear!
Hog did not run; saw nothing to fear; heard nothing to dread; felt nothing to make him ashamed.
And his father, Brahma, did not run, was not afraid, and the two called to the rest, pleaded, coaxed and called in vain; could not stop them; could not find them in the darkness. They returned to the hut, Brahma and Hog; saw the torches burning brightly, and came in and found Yu-tiv and her sons huddled together in each other’s arms, white and pale as death.
Hog asked the reason. Yu-tiv said: Shh! Are they gone? Shh! Keep them away! Then Vus spoke, saying: O my brother, do not ask what we saw! Do not ask what we felt, and what felt us! These things would not be lawful to mention! Say no more, in heaven’s name! The air of heaven is full of demons (druj).
Now Vede spoke, saying: Alas, O my father, I dropped the holy book, the Veda I am writing. In my fright I let it fall. It is not sized yet, and if it rains before morning, the holy words will be lost! And not for a thousand worlds would I go back to the grove tonight. Oos said: Nor I, for a thousand worlds! Whe-ish said: For all the gold and silver in the world I would not go there tonight.
They all spoke in the same way except Hog, and with all the love they bore for Ormazd’s words, not doubting they were His very words, not one would venture among the evil spirits they had seen, to recover the book.
Then Brahma spoke, saying: For many generations Ormazd has labored for this; I will go myself; I know He will protect me at all times and in all places. And Brahma rose up to depart; but then Hog spoke, saying: No, father; you are old; I am fresh and young, and besides, I know there are no spirits but in the imagination of men. I will go alone!
Neither will I carry a lantern or a torch; nor will I whistle or sing. I will confront all the evil spirits of hell and their captains. I will recover that book tonight even if I have to scrape every leaf from Ebon grove! And mark my words, I will return unscathed; nor will I see or hear a spirit all the time I am gone. || So, only Hog and Brahma were fearless.
With that, Hog departed, and after a while he returned, rejoicing, bringing the book; and he said: I neither saw nor heard a spirit, and I declare to you that none of you saw or heard them, for there are none. The extreme bent of your minds makes these imaginings seem real. And as to the great Light, with the words, Love, Wisdom and Power, which I also saw, I say to you, it is some emanation from this, our holy and most loved father. How often have we heard him use those same words! And as to those figures that talked, and had the semblance of men and women, even to the detail of their garments, I say to you all, they emanate from the same source, from our father, Brahma.
Now Yu-tiv spoke, saying: O happy unbelief, my son! O if only I had been born as you! O if only I had never seen such sights as I saw tonight!
Then Oos said: O happy brother, our youngest born! If only I were like you! O the vulgarity of those hands that came upon me tonight!
Vus said: O if only I had never known the unseen world! O if only I had been born in darkness like you, our most favored brother! ||
Similarly the rest of them, except Brahma, spoke deploringly of their gift of su’is; and when they had finished speaking, the angel of God spoke through Brahma, saying: While it is yet night, I speak. With the dawn, at sunrise, comes the Father’s Voice. Hear me, then, briefly, without expecting much wisdom, for I am not long born in heaven:
The Creator created two great men, the Faithist and the unbeliever; the first has passed through the trials of the flesh, and attained to the Father’s Voice; for in becoming one with the Father, he no longer stands in fear of anything in heaven or earth. The glory of constant resurrection is before him forever.
All men who have not attained to this may be compared to a man going up a slippery hillside, who often rises high, but suddenly slides low. They glorify themselves for their own light, wisdom and good gifts, rejoicing for self’s sake for the glories that have fallen upon them. But they are cowards.
Nevertheless, the Creator created a great man among these; and that is the unbelieving man. He has neither gold nor silver, nor house nor land; and he is without spiritual sight or spiritual hearing; but his glory is in understanding his own understanding.
He is the one who subdues the forest, and tames the beasts of the field to man’s service. He goes alone in the dark, fearing nothing. He does not follow the course of any man, but searches for himself; the priest cannot make him believe, nor can the angels of heaven; none can subdue his judgment. He sees the glory of the earth and manhood. He calls to the multitude, saying: Why do you permit others, even priests, to think for you? Arise, and be a man! Arise, and be a woman!
He inspires of the earth and for the earth; through his arm tyrants and evil kings are overthrown. Through him doctrines and religions are sifted to the bottom, and the falsehood and evil in them cast aside. Yes, who but Ormazd could have created so great a man as the unbeliever?
And these two men, the Faithist and the unbeliever, do most of all the good that is done in the world; one labors at the top of the hill, calling upward; the other labors at the bottom of the hill, pushing upward.