Chapter 3
From Ze-wing’e, God raised up prophets for seven generations. Ze-wing’e begot Do Tse, who begot Yin, who begot Hi Ne, who begot Lan Se’ang, who begot Dhi Hsotch’e, who begot Ho Lon, who begot Po, who was an iesu in birth.
When Po was still very young, the voice of God came to him, saying: Be steadfast in the doctrines of your forefathers, eating neither fish nor flesh; your God will not only preserve you alive, but you shall gather together the scattered tribes of Zarathustrians, the Faithists, and re-establish them in this great land.
In those days many of the Zarathustrians were celibates; and the king saw his people being reduced by war, so he made a law against celibacy, commanding all men to marry, and all women to bring forth children, or be put to death.
When Po was grown up, God said to him: Behold, you cannot fulfill the law, for you are iesu-born. But I will fetch you a wife like you, who is also barren, but you two shall be blessed with three children, and you shall call them Wan-le, To-ghan and Tse Loo.
And it came to pass that a woman of Hong Ge, with three adopted children, escaped from the tyranny of Dhi’Wan, fleeing for the southern tribes of Hi See Gua and Yo, and Gwan Gooh; and Po married her and named her Ah T’dowh Jee.
Po was twenty years old when he married, and he went with his wife and three children to the country of Heng’a Di, which name signified brother land, and he labored at scutching flax and hemp.
And God came to Po, saying: What is the extent of your fidelity to the All Highest Light?
Po said: I will obey Him in all things.
God said: Would you sacrifice your three sons, if commanded by your Creator?
Po said: They are the Creator’s, not mine. How dare I sacrifice that which is another’s?
God said: You are wise; you know the Ormazdian law.
Then Po asked: Who are you? Who is this that comes upon me silently, asking questions?
God said: Go and visit Hi Seiang, the philosopher, and question him.
Hi Seiang was governor of the south province of Heng’a Di, and was also a man of great learning.
Po came to him and questioned him, saying: What is this that asks us questions? Why do we question and answer ourselves all day long?
Hi Seiang answered: Are we not two selfs? Do we not discourse within ourselves like two selfs?
Po asked: Which do you say is the superior self, that which questions within us forever, or that which is forever answering?
The governor said: That which asks questions must be the superior self.
Po said: Who is it?
Hi said: It is nothing, it is something. Po answered him, saying: It appears to me, these two selfs are two different persons; one belongs to the flesh, the other to the Creator. Because this questioning self is the same one that sees and hears Gods and angels.
Hi said: What did you say? God and angels?
Po replied: God and angels.
To which the governor took exception, saying: Do you too defy the law?
Po said: What I see I see, what I hear I hear. Something external to ourselves made us, and rules over us.
The governor asked: Have we not rid the world of superstition? Why do you deal with doctrines that were in the dark ages? I tell you there are only two things in all the universe; the unseen firmament, and the corporeal worlds that float within it. Their action and reaction on each other produce what we call life, which is only an effervescence that comes and goes, and there is the end. The laws are right. Han has done a good thing in abolishing the doctrines of the ancients.
While they were still talking, God sent a blaze of fire into a bush standing nearby, and a voice spoke out of the flame, saying: Who, then, do you say I am? For truly I am!
The governor saw the light, and saw that the bush was not burnt; and he also heard the voice. But God suffered him to be hard of heart, and Hi said: Behold, you come to me, knowing I am a philosopher, and you cast your spell in the bush, like a magician. I am master of a thousand books, and am registered as a man of great learning. You have offended me.
Po said: Why accuse me? For is it not as just for me to accuse you of casting the spell? I did not cast it.
Again God appeared and spoke, saying: Do not accuse this, my son, Po. You shall labor with him. Behold, I give into your keeping the country of Feh, for at this hour Moo Gwon has died. The tribes of Ghan shall be gathered together in Feh and Heng’a Di.
Hi Seiang, the governor, was astonished at the words of the Light; and he sent a servant to ascertain if Moo Gwon was dead; and it turned out to be true, though the distance was a day’s journey each way.