Sacred Texts  Oahspe  Index  Previous  Next 

Chapter XXIX

1. SAKAYA said: Of a truth, I declare a new thing to you, but which was old thousands of years ago.

2. That religion is nothing more nor less than rites and ceremonies in the discipline of a community. As when an army of soldiers are in training by their captains, when certain commands and manouvers cause the soldiers to be as a unit in movement; so is religion in a community, through rites and ceremonies, made as a unit to carry out works of charity and harmony and love and righteousness.

3. And every member of a community, that taketh no part in its religion, is like an idler mixing in with a company of soldiers, where his presence tendeth to evil.

4. Brahmin priests go about preaching, singing and praying before audiences, making great show in the temples; yet none of these practice what they profess.

5. From these evils learn ye, to do good; first, by living only in families, where all the members practice what they profess.

6. As the world goeth, it is easy to preach and call it religion; but the fruit must be measured by the city or the state, that is saved from sin. Who then, of all the priests in the temple, can say: Here is a community saved from sin!

7. If they can not do this, then they are themselves hypocrites and blasphemers.

8. Satan calleth out from a dark corner, saying: Remain thou within the wicked world, and leaven the whole mass.

9. Again he calleth out from a dark corner, saying: Go thou away from the wicked world, and live as an ascetic, praying alone, living alone.

10. Again he calleth from a dark corner, saying: Thou and thy friends are too pure to mix with the world; go ye away privily, and let the world take care of itself.

11. Now, I say unto you: Do none of these things; and, in the same breath, I say: Do all of them.

12. Let your community remain within the world, that it may be a proven example that love, peace, plenty, and happiness are possible on the earth. Let the community be sufficiently ascetic to attain the beatific state, which is the triumph of spirit over the flesh.

13. And, as to the third proposition: Take ye no part in the governments of men, of kings, or queens. Neither fight ye for them, nor against them.

p. 691

14. For they live under the lower law; but ye shall live under the law of Jehovih as He speaketh to the soul of man.

15. Neither shall ye have kings, nor queens; these belong to the world's people.

16. Lastly, and above all things, live not for the corporeal man, but for the spiritual man; remembering ye are not yet born, but are in embryo, shaping yourselves for the everlasting life.

17. Whoso practiceth not the higher law, will not escape the tortures in hell; but whowso liveth the higher law will pass on to Nirvania, where dwell Gods and Goddesses of endless light.

18. Flatter not yourselves that ye shall suddenly reform all the world. Ye can at most but reach an arm's length.

19. Three doctrines have been, now are, and ever shall be on the earth; they are: First, the Faithists', who know the All Person, Ever Present; second, the idol worshipers', who make the Creator into a man in heaven, and not present but by proxy of certain laws; and, third, infidels', who believe in nothing they cannot take up in the hand, and weigh.

20. The Faithists beget Faithists, the idolaters beget idolaters, the infidels beget infidels. For these three conditions are but outward manifestations of the spirit; the infidel is nearly devoid of spirit; the idolater hath one grade more of spirit; but the Faithist hath spiritual ascendency.

21. Since the highest best good things done in the world, come of the order of Faithists, be ye circumspect as to marriage, that your offspring incline more to spirituality than to earthliness.

22. But such matters come under the higher law, and can be understood only through the soul.

23. Also, hath practice proved that the laws of a community must die with the death of the rab'bah, and that new laws must be made by the new rab'bah. And, in no case, shall the law of precedent, of things past, apply to things present. For this is making slaves of the living, to those that are dead. It is making the wisdom of the dead greater than the wisdom of Jehovih.

24. When a rab'bah retireth from office, it shall be considered the same as a death, for it is the termination of his rule.

25. Nor shall a rab'bah have any privileges or emoluments, over and above any member of the community; nor one man above another; nor one woman above another; for there shall be no partiality, even in favor of the learned and good, over and above the ignorant and the less good. For ye are all brothers and sisters; children of One Father, created by Him in His own way and for His own glory.


Next: Chapter XXX