The Book of KnowledgeEditor's Preamble to the Book of Knowledge
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37/0.1. How the orders |1488| of heaven are defined, changes from time to time. In the cycle prior to kosmon, heaven had been using orders established by Lika, |1489| but somewhat modified during the cycle to adapt to changed conditions. 37/0.2. Because during the cycle of Bon, the four heads of the beast had effectively taken over the haden heavens, they became the de facto organized heavens of the earth (although God, Son of Jehovih had a presence, the bulk of humanity went to the heavens of one of the four heads). And some of the members within these organized heavens were said to be in the second resurrection, which is to say, they were associated and worked together in an organized way, although under a false God. Accordingly they were classed as being in the second resurrection of the beast. 37/0.3. With the new heavenly administration under the light of Kosmon, a new order was given to heaven. The heads of the beast of the second resurrection of old had been removed, although their effects linger. And those who still cling to their beast, and are in association, are now said to be under the ban of the second grade of bondage. |1490| They have some practice of second resurrection, that is, they have some association, but they tarry at the outer gates, being unable to enter, for they have bound themselves to that which has no resurrection; nor can any enter the kingdom of God, which is the organic heavens, till purged of their beast. 37/0.4. And in kosmon, those angels who enlist in (join) the organized heavens of Jehovih are called es'yans for a season, and these es'yans are enrolled in the first resurrection of the organic heavens, also known as the organic first resurrection. |1491| 37/0.5. Aside from those, there are angels who live in isolation, having no spiritual association, who wander about, and yet are bound to their beast, whether that beast is an idol, a conceit, an errant philosophy, an ascendant self-desire, plain self or other darkness. These angels are said to be in the first resurrection of the inorganic heavens, which is also called the inorganic first resurrection; or often, simply, first resurrection. Underneath all these are those who are below the grades. 37/0.6. Yet on the other end of the scale, in kosmon, we have those atmosphereans who are said to be in the practice of the third resurrection who have risen sufficiently to become Brides and Bridegrooms of Jehovih. Although eligible to resurrect into etherea as Brides and Bridegrooms thus becoming ethereans, yet they may have to wait till the upcoming dan or harvest, or they might choose to remain in atmospherea to labor for a season past the harvest. 37/0.7. In the atmospherean heavens of earth, there may also be angels from etherea of the third resurrection grade, who have volunteered to labor in atmospherea. 37/0.8. Accordingly in atmospherea, laboring at the third resurrection level can be those who are ethereans and those who are atmosphereans. 37/0.9. The practice of third resurrection can also apply to organic communities upon the earth. Each consists of families already attained to, or constitutionally growing toward, the fullness of the second resurrection; |1492| and these families are also organized together into a family of families (see footnote as to size), being a community consisting of groups organic within themselves, and these organic groups growing to become organic with each other as one whole organic community. --ed.
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1488 classifications, units of cohesiveness, groups, departments; the 'order' part of system and order 1489 see, e.g., 26/14.8-17; 28/7.5
1490 explained further in the Book of Knowledge
1491 see 32/24.8-14
1492 A group (fraternity) or family that has attained to become organic, being as a unit of Light in the Light, can be said to be in the fullness of the second resurrection. When at least ten (32/38.8) of these families organize into a community, they thus begin the practice of the third resurrection, and grow toward its fullness. According to the ancients, and repeated each cycle since Zarathustra, the minimum city size (i.e., third resurrection) consisted of 10 families (24/6.1; 21/19.5,13; 21/24.5; 24/13.17; 24/20.6; 25/24.12; 28/25.17; 28/42.6; 35/AA.118; 37/7.22; 27/15.31<fn-families>), unless the members are all celibate, in which case, the minimum size of a city of true celibates was eight souls; and with each city having a chief or rab'bah (24/6.1). A true celibate can be defined as one who does not engage in sexual conduct of any sort. Accordingly, when at least a minimum of eight true celibates organize into a community as workers for Jehovih, they thus begin the practice of the third resurrection, and can grow toward its fullness. Nevertheless, even as the communities of families must, the celibates must first fulfill the first resurrection as well as the second resurrection, before they can progress much in the practice of the third resurrection. As for the maximum size of a Faithist city (organic community), according to 39/19.6, in kosmon, no city should contain over three thousand people.
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CHAPTER 1 Knowledge
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37/1.1. Jehovih spoke through His sons and daughters, His voice came up out of the marsh and down from the heavens above, and the children of men heard and saw, and rose up because of the spirit in them. And they answered to Him, Who is Almighty; and their voices were called Tae, because as it is the universal word of all children born, so does it represent universal prayer of man (humankind). |1493| 37/1.2. Tae said: Reveal, O Father, give me light! I see the wide earth, the sun, moon and stars. But the great vault of heaven is as an empty sky. Where is the abode of the dead; the place of the souls of men? 37/1.3. In times past You have quickened seers and prophets, and through them lifted up Your children and proclaimed other worlds! Am I dumber than those in past ages? All the while my forefathers and I have withstood Your mighty Presence. 37/1.4. You have quickened my members by Your own hand, to be dissatisfied with the old revelations, and made me peer deeper into the cause and place of things, and to desire further light from Your holy place. 37/1.5. My manhood (womanhood) has been raised up by Your Power. Only Your Power and Wisdom will appease me. 37/1.6. When I was a child I believed as a child, because it was told to me; but now that I am grown up, I want to know who Your prophets were, and how they attained their gifts and wisdom of words. 37/1.7. The cosmogony You taught in the past was sufficient for that day; but now I am raised up by You to perceive comprehensively the sun and stars of other worlds, and of their travel in Your great firmament. Now I cry out to You, where is the promised heaven? Where is the proof of immortal life? By You I was quickened into life and made conscious that I am. To You I come in the majesty You made me, You, my Father! By You I was made determined to sift all things to the bottom. In You I know there is magnitude to encompass all my holy desires, and answer me. 37/1.8. Give me of Your Light? When I was a child I sought You as a child; now, I call out in the manhood (womanhood) You have bestowed upon me! I will know Your Lords, Gods, Saviors, and Your promised heaven. 37/1.9. I have scaled the mountain; Your myriads of corporeal worlds that travel in the eternal sea of space speak of Your handiwork! I have perceived that all the stars in heaven would not fill the hollow of Your Hand; yes, that Your breath moves the universe! The glory of Your works has inspired me with great zeal to come to Your Mighty Home! 37/1.10. Speak, O Jehovih! You alone can satisfy this soaring spirit that sprang forth from You, inspired. Give me light! 37/1.11. I have encompassed the whole earth, and bridged its nations with assimilative words. My geography is finished. Give me a book of heaven! I have burrowed deep in corporeal knowledge, and seen the drift of all on earth. Where is the spirit world, and land of the dead? Give me light! 37/1.12. Kosmon said: Jehovih heard the voice of Tae, and answered him. He said: Let the angels of heaven go down to the earth. My blessed son calls to Me in wisdom and truth. || And the angels of heaven descended to the earth, for it was in the time of dan'ha in the firmament of heaven, and the angels manifested and proved the immortal life of man. 37/1.13. Jehovih said: Let this day be the beginning of the reign of Kosmon; for it is the beginning of the time when the wisdom of the earth is conjoined in My name. |1494| 37/1.14. Tae said: Yet not even half is answered, O my Father in heaven. Since You have proved the immortal life, You have stirred me to my soul's foundation. Where do these inhabitants of the unseen world come from? Where lies this heavenly footstool of Your majesty? 37/1.15. If I shall see the place when I am dead, is the germ of that sight not already in me? How am I made that I see, but do not see this? Hear, but do not hear this? If I am now dead to that which is to be, will I not then be dead to what is now? Give me light, O Father! 37/1.16. Jehovih said: I gave man a corporeal body so that he could learn corporeal things; but I made death so that he could rise in spirit and inhabit My etherean worlds. 37/1.17. Two senses I gave to all men, corporeal and spiritual senses; nevertheless the two of them are one person. A man with corporeal senses in the ascendancy, chooses corporeal things; a man with spiritual senses chooses spiritual things. 37/1.18. I have made two kinds of worlds, corporeal and es (spirit) worlds. He who desires of corpor shall receive from corpor, for he (corpor) is My son, in whom I am well pleased. He who desires from es shall receive from es, for she (es) is My daughter in whom I am well pleased. 37/1.19. Kosmon said: Because man lives on corporeal worlds, corpor is called son; but because man in spirit lives in the es world, es is called daughter. 37/1.20. Tae said. Because You have sent angels to me, and I have seen them, and talked with them face to face; yes, of my own flesh and kin, and proved them to be the spirits of the dead, undeniably, I know this much is true. Yet I cannot see or hear them, unless they manifest through corporeal things. How, then, shall I know that they know one another? 37/1.21. Hear me, O Jehovih! Am I still a child, and so, need to fall back on angels' testimony? Have You not given me an inquiring spirit, which impels me to prove things to my own knowledge? Truly, I have seen an angel's face and stature change to look like another person, even while I talked with him. If these things are thus so subtle, cannot even our own presence mold them to truth or falsehood? Such a witness is of no value. When, then, O Jehovih, shall I find growth for my own members (senses and judgment), so that I may know the es worlds and its inhabitants? I will not be appeased by merely seeing the spirits of the dead, nor by their testimony. They may call themselves God, Christ, Buddha, Brahma, or Confucius, yet I will not rest on them or their word. I will put forward my plea to You only, O Jehovih. I am Your son (daughter). 37/1.22. You have quickened me to know things by my own knowledge; and though it is told me, Thus said the Lord of Your God, yet I will raise my voice ever above them. And though a spirit says, I am your Jehovih, believe me, I will deny him. 37/1.23. You have quickened me to rise up above the tales of the ancients, and to demand knowledge from Your throne. By You my soul is moved to this magnificence, and only Your magnificence can satisfy Your son. 37/1.24. Since I have seen the spirits of the dead, I wish to know their abiding place, how they live, how they travel, their manner of growth, their food and clothes, and how they spend their time; whether they labor or live idly, and above all how far, and in what manner, their corporeal lives had to bear on their spiritual happiness in heaven. 37/1.25. Give me light, O Jehovih! Not by word of mouth. I will have my members quickened so that I can comprehend within myself. Yet not me alone! Rather let it be given, or the way taught, to all mankind. For if one alone, he would become a God among men. Jehovih, forbid this! |1495| 37/1.26. Jehovih spoke, through His sons and daughters, and: 37/1.27. Kosmon said: Hear me, O man, I will speak in wisdom. Follow my counsel and be wise. What, then, have you learned in all the time of your existence on earth? Can you tell why the grass is green, or why one rose is red and another white, or the mountains raised up, or the valleys sunken low? 37/1.28. Do you know how all the people of earth clothe themselves, or travel about; why a man was not to fly as a bird, or live in the water like a fish? Where did the thought of shame come from? You do not even comprehend yourself, nor know, of your own knowledge, the time of your beginning. You know three times three are nine; and even this you cannot prove except by symbols and images. Nor is there anything in your corporeal knowledge that you can prove otherwise, except your presence; and even that which you see is not your presence, but the symbol and image of it, for you yourself are only as a seed, a germ of the Father. 37/1.29. Be wise, therefore, in knowing your own knowledge, and to a certainty, right the matter from the side of the es world (i.e., be sure your knowledge is true from the spiritual, soul perspective). 37/1.30. Tae said: I will reason with You, Jehovih, for all my knowledge shall be based on science and truth. From Your own perfection I am inspired to this end, and pursuing the exact sciences of all known truths shall strengthen my talents. Neither will I put away my own judgment, nor accept as truth that which is at variance with Your established laws. 37/1.31. You made both the seen and the unseen. Are they at war, or in harmony? My corporeal body is made of earth (flesh), stone (minerals, bone) and water. Is the spiritual body, then, not made of air (oxygen, hydrogen) and imperceptible dust? 37/1.32. The angels You have sent have feet and legs! For what reason? Do they walk on the air, or wade through it? They have no wings, they cannot fly; they say they have not seen the illustrious angels who have long been dead. Must I also go into the es world simply to meet my neighbors, and never salute the wise of the past? Give me light, O Jehovih! 37/1.33. Something within me makes me anticipate the light and glory of what I have not seen; but I must have it tangible and demonstrable---the pure truth! 37/1.34. Then Jehovih answered through His daughter Esfoma. 37/1.35. Esfoma said: Hear me, O Tae; I will speak words of wisdom and truth, and you shall not depart from my word. 37/1.36. Science is that which the ignorant look up to, but do not see. Is a ship, science, or a stone arch, or a machine? Surely not. Is the idea of these things, science? Can an idea be science, or a multitude of ideas? 37/1.37. Is the man who finds the vertebra of an insect, not said to be scientific? But he, who finds the backbone of a horse, is a vulgar fellow. Another man finds a route over a mountain or through the forest, and he is scientific! Why, a dog can do this. 37/1.38. Another man finds a new way to solve problems, and he is scientific. But the pupil after him who does the same thing is nothing. Who, then, are the scientific? For have they not all borrowed, compiled, and only added a little? Really, then, what is science? Is the sand‑glass (hourglass) not more scientific than a clock? What, then, do you mean by science? Is the sum of it all (science), nothing but a figurehead, undesignable and without foundation? |1496| Yet all your life you have heard of science, and so have your neighbors, and you understand one another, though not one understands himself. |1497| 37/1.39. Esfoma said: Hear me further, O man, for this, of all things, should stand high in your soul. Take now, therefore, the chalk, and write ten for me. Tae took the chalk and wrote 10, saying: That is ten. 37/1.40. Esfoma said: I will now convict you so that you can plainly see that you have uttered falsely. You have written only two marks, and called them ten. Esfoma wrote | | | | | | | | | | . Yet, do not be surprised, O Tae, for, because I have deceived you, I will now also convict myself. I said I would show you ten, and immediately, I made ten marks; but I should have written the word "ten." Now you are wise! No, hear me further, for all I have spoken is false; for have I not tried to persuade you that the one uttered word ten, was ten? Instead, I should have uttered ten utterances. 37/1.41. Pursue your studies, O Tae, and you shall find that supposed exact science is nothing, and that supposed truth is only falsehood compounded and acquiesced in. Find the time the sun will rise tomorrow, and you are scientific; but deviate the ten thousandth part of a second, and you are not scientific; no, you are a falsifier before Jehovih. 37/1.42. Yet do not be discouraged about the exact sciences, or of finding the truth according to your judgment. You are wise to desire to attain knowledge that is your own, and not to accept, either from man or angels, on belief merely. But, where does your self begin and end? 37/1.43. Have you not robbed the tree of its fruit in order to feed the body? And the field of its wheat, and the young corn that was growing? Give to them their parts, and what remains of your corporeal body that is your own? 37/1.44. Yet of your own judgment, you have less than that. You are only the fragment of an entity in all you know of your own knowledge. Nine parts of ten are the gleanings of your surroundings. 37/1.45. How, then, do you expect to know the laws of earth or heaven! Understand my words, and be wise in your proceedings. 37/1.46. Is it not a law of the earth that earth substance shall fall to it? Yet you see a tree come up out of the ground, ten thousand corporeal pounds, and stand erect in the air. Has Jehovih made one law to pull one way, and another in another way? How do you know there is any law about the matter? Do you know by your own knowledge?
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1493 There is some overlap between the Book of Ben and the Book of Knowledge, apparently one originally being a part of the other as one book. Tae's Prayer also has overlap.
1494 Conjoined means brought together, consolidated, united, unified---thus, e.g., not only the peoples of the earth conjoining into one wisdom and one people, but earth awareness conjoined with awareness of Jehovih, which is also earth awareness conjoined with spiritual awareness.
1495 We can see fruits of this sentiment since the beginning of kosmon: Humanity has not only produced and distributed an immense amount of relatively inexpensive but knowledgeable books, but has also progressed in other communications from telephone, cinema, radio and television, to computers, internet and other forms of instant communications. Aside from this democratization (egalitarian, equal access), the overall trend is toward transparency, e.g., in government, and away from secrecy and exclusiveness. || The "God among men" fear perhaps refers to the propensity of man to deify; and the possibility of power abuse.
1496 That is, science, being built upon theories and models (constructed to represent reality), is thus uncertain, which is also proved by its many anomalies and ambiguities. And this demonstrates a lack of true foundation. For any theory or model is just that---not being a real ground, its mapping cannot be unerringly applied. And since science is constructed from these false mappings, this makes science undesignable, that is, any design from scientific models and theories will be inherently flawed. Thus science (as a whole), as it is to this day, is only a figurehead, for it lacks the foundation and substance to be more than that. At best, science is a blemished lens through which to view and interpret phenomena. Nevertheless, even as a broken hammer can be used to pound nails, so can science produce useful results. Yet even as a carpenter with a broken hammer cannot produce as effectively as with a true hammer, such is science without an understanding of Jehovih and the unseen; and science without these is limited, but science with these is boundless. 1497 The gist here is not that following the methods of science is bad or should be dismissed, but rather that science can never be "exact" because semantics (meanings), measurements and descriptions can never be exact, nor ever complete in their reducing, compounding and aggregating. Add to that false assumptions, poorly designed experiments, erroneous conclusions, compounding of previous errors, and we arrive at a very mottled model indeed. It is no wonder then that scientific models and even paradigms unfailingly shift.
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CHAPTER 2 Knowledge
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37/2.1. Tae said: Now I perceive, O Jehovih, I am not wise, and that of myself I am nothing, having nothing. Neither is it possible for man to discern truth in abstract, nor Your laws, whether You have or do not have laws. No, he cannot adjust the scales to his own self, and prove what part is his alone; nor in fact can he prove if he has an entity of self within himself. 37/2.2. How then shall I comprehend the magnitude or the laws of Your universe? Yet, when in my life have I not talked learnedly of these things, and of exact science? 37/2.3. Hear me, O Jehovih; I will not go back to the ancients to learn wisdom, nor will I shut my eyes against trying to understand. In You, only, I have faith. And since all other things in heaven and earth are Yours, there is no one else I can justly come to. Give me light, O Jehovih! You, Who gave me myself shall answer me. What, then, is the true pursuit of man? Shall he be a beggar, and pray for light, and yet not receive it after all? 37/2.4. Jehovih answered Tae through His son, Corpor: 37/2.5. Corpor said: Hear me, O man, for my wisdom shall be borne home to you. Nor will I discourage you in your knowledge. 37/2.6. Know then, you are; |1498| and that your body is made from the corporeal earth. Jehovih is sufficient, for Jehovih made you so. He gave to you the desires of the earth. Is it wise, then, to defer corporeal happiness until you have risen in heaven? What does it matter to you, whether you are built up out of wheat and fruits, or flesh (meat)? Is it not sufficient that you can enjoy the building of your body? |1499| 37/2.7. What is science to you? Or truth or laws of the universe? Is your earth life not sufficient for the earth, and the earth for you? If Jehovih made the earth in wisdom, has He not also wisely made heaven? (Why then concern yourself over it---you will get there soon enough. Therefore:) 37/2.8. Leave off these abstract studies, O man, and be contented in the place your Father has assigned you. You, who talk of science, do not even understand yourself and are without explanation. Nor can you define truth. How, then, can you judge, or even know what is before you? 37/2.9. You talk of laws, divine and natural, but know no law, no divinity, no nature. Is law a thing? Where does it keep? |1500| You see a tree grow, but put Jehovih away, and say, behold it grows by natural law! Are you ashamed of Jehovih, that you do not say He grows it? Is He not sufficient? For what reason, then do you say Law! ---Except to put Him away? And for what reason do you say Nature! ---Except to put Him away and deny His Person? 37/2.10. Corpor said: Is the earth not good, that you turn away, calling: Heaven! Heaven! Give me light from your far-off worlds! Endow me with signs, miracles and prophecies! 37/2.11. I will not discourage you, but you should be wise and happy in your dwelling place. Are these not to be desired greater than all other things? To this end the Kosmon era has come; not to carry man up to heaven, but to found the Father's kingdom on earth. 37/2.12. You have wisely asked: How shall a corporean's life affect his life in the next world? Hear me, then, and be wise in your corporeal judgment. For am I, Corpor, not Jehovih's? Science is great; great learning is great; truth is great; but a greater than all is to know how to be happy. You shall not put me away saying: All the earth is sin. || I will not have it. For if you do not benefit in Jehovih's Person (that which is seen), how can you attain His Spirit (that which is unseen)? For are the two: His Person and His Spirit, not the All One? 37/2.13. Teach yourself to be happy; and to perfect yourself in the way Jehovih has created you. 37/2.14. Tae said: Now I will be wise in You, O Jehovih. Neither will I talk anymore of nature, nor of law; but when I mean You, I will speak of You, and to You. 37/2.15. Neither will I boast of science, learning, or truth; nor will I deny them. For as Your spirit is within and over all; what is science, learning and truth, but glimpses of Your All Light? 37/2.16. Yet as a man proud in his estate, I come before You, saying: Give me light! I have looked over the broad earth, and found it full of sin, misery and death. 37/2.17. I will not pray to You to remove these things. I will not meddle in Your affairs. What more is it, at best, to pray than to beg? By Your spirit, I am no beggar! As You go forth in majesty, so am I, Your son, inspired to likewise go forth in Your behalf. 37/2.18. If You have filled this world full of darkness, sin, misery and death; what more can I hope to find in heaven? Are they not both the work of Your hands? 37/2.19. My hope has ever looked ahead for the achievement of happiness, but when the time comes I am sorely tried. My judgment teaches me, therefore, that heaven can be, at most, only a little improvement over earth. 37/2.20. Then give me light, O Jehovih! For I would answer the children of darkness with good argument, and teach them to glorify You in Your works. 37/2.21. Then Jehovih answered through His son, Uz. 37/2.22. Uz said: Behold me in my power, O Tae. I am the fourth dimension, the vanishment of things to the unseen. You have labored with Kosmon and Corpor, but did not find sufficiently satisfying light. Hear me and be wise. 37/2.23. This, your corporeal body is mine; your flesh waits for me, and the moment you relinquish your hold, I will molder you (your corporeal body) into dust. Yet I am not your enemy, for while you are master over your flesh, I will not touch it. 37/2.24. Out of the darkness man is brought forth a blank, and his entity is a spark of Jehovih. His entity will never cease to grow. Yes, from the hour of conception it is a new star in the world, and it magnifies itself forever. 37/2.25. For man, the trials of the flesh are like nutriment for his spirit's growth. And yet, do not think you should rejoice in your neighbor's trials, saying, it is good for his spirit's growth. But as Jehovih gave all He had, and thus made all things, be like Jehovih and give to the man in trial, lest you rob yourself. 37/2.26. You do not know how far you yourself have been lifted up. Can any man, with his own hands lift himself up in the air? Do not flatter yourself, then, that man alone can lift himself up in spirit, or that he has power to evolve himself, one generation above another. Do all nations not perish? As they come up out of darkness, do they not go down in darkness? (Think, then, how does man advance?) 37/2.27. Is it wise to be dissatisfied with Jehovih, saying: O Jehovih, why did You do this? Or why did You not do this? All your importuning |1501| will not turn Jehovih or His plans one tiny fraction. Turn your eyes inward, then, O Tae, and seek to adapt yourself to the Father and His kingdoms, of which this earth is one. 37/2.28. Tae said: How can I comprehend Your wisdom, O my Father in heaven! I am tripped up at every corner; and yet I perceive that my generation is wiser than the ancients. For what purpose, then, did You stir me up? The ancients found joy in an idol; were content to eat and sleep, their faith being equal to their wisdom. 37/2.29. But those who come after, cried out to You for wisdom, and You gave. And so I am born above the faith of the ancients. I have grown beyond the measure of Your old revelations; my soul cries out to You for more light. 37/2.30. I know that You have enough for all things. Give me wisdom, so that I can help myself. If I had been born in darkness, the idols of my forefathers would have sufficed. 37/2.31. Hear me, O Jehovih, in what I have done! I have measured the earth and its high standing rocks, the mountains You reared up, and the valleys You scooped out. Your footstool (the earth) has shown me a record not written by man, and it proclaims the earth to be millions of years old. How then can I shut up my understanding, which You gave me, and believe the books of the ancients? 37/2.32. Yes, I have measured the stars in Your firmament, and the sun and moon, and weighed them, |1502| and they proclaimed a greater glory to You. Their number is more than there are drops of water in the ocean; and many of them are a thousand times larger than the earth. I have found them rich in air and water, and heat and cold, and they proclaim themselves birthplaces for men, even as the earth is. 37/2.33. I have measured the light and computed the time of its coming, |1503| and lo, they have also existed for millions of years. 37/2.34. How have I done wrong in this? You gave me my talents, and You have continually pressed me forward to search Your glorious works. 37/2.35. A man cannot make himself into a small child [i.e., grow backward --ed.], neither can I compress my out-bursting soul, which has ripened on the magnitude and glory of Your works. 37/2.36. How, then, shall I say that Your worlds, which have existed for millions of years, were created by a man born two thousand years ago! Must I stoop myself to blasphemy against You for the sake of accepting the idols of men in darkness? Jehovih forbid this. 37/2.37. Now I will put my question to You plainly, and Your voice shall not fail me. Why, then, did Your angels of past ages not reveal to man the truth about Your works? Or if they revealed the truth, why did You permit man to lose the truth? Give me light, O Jehovih! 37/2.38. You made me! You are my Father; and, by the power You gave me, I come to You in majesty. No one shall stand between You and me; neither Your Lords nor Your angels from heaven, nor any man that is on the earth. I would know why You permitted idols of stone, wood, and graven images. Yes, and why man builds an idol on earth, or imagines one in heaven. I know You are sufficient for the worship of all men. For what purpose, then, have men set up Mohammed, Brahma, Buddha, Christ, and the prophets of old? For, it is for these idols that they have cursed the whole earth around with war and destruction. Give me light, O Jehovih! 37/2.39. Jehovih heard the voice of Tae, and He answered him through His son, Seffas. 37/2.40. Seffas said: Hear me, O man, and be wise, for I will answer you because of the justness of your questions. More, I will not only answer you, but put you on the path to prove all things to your own judgment. 37/2.41. But do not be puffed up with conceit; you are only a little in advance of the ancients. They erected pyramids, obelisks and great temples, and they said: Behold, how greater and wiser we are than the ancients! 37/2.42. You have also boasted, saying: Behold our ships of war! Behold our engines, railroads, and the telegraphs. How greater and wiser we are than the ancients! 37/2.43. I say to you, the pyramids and temples did not raise up the poor, and cause them to glorify the Father because they were born into life. Neither do the warships in this day; nor do the engines nor railroads contribute, except a little, to raise man up out of sorrow and poverty. And is this not the true scale to weigh the resurrection of men and nations? 37/2.44. Be considerate and wise in the Father's sight. You are prone to overlook all things; you berate idols and graven images, without weighing your speech. What more are the letters of a written word than graven images? Does all the wisdom in books not hang on these? Nor can you prove a single problem in mathematics without graven images, idols and symbols. 37/2.45. How can you convince a man who never saw a hat, that such a thing exists, except by using a sign, image, symbol, an idol of one, or by one itself? And, if you have none to show him, then you will have to make something of some corporeal thing, in order to convey to his mind that which is in your mind. 37/2.46. Why, then, complain against the angels of old? If you were with Asu, who could not talk, consider what stratagems you would have resorted to in order to teach him to think. For is it not the greatest of all wisdom to teach man to think for himself? Is this not better for man than to reveal all things to him? For, in the latter case you would deprive him of the use of his own talents, and thus thwart the plan of Jehovih. 37/2.47. You have portraits of your wife and daughters, for they assist your memory to recall their beauty to your soul; but when you desire to convey to your friend's mind a place he never saw, you bring him a landscape picture, saying: See, this is the place! Now, you utter a falsehood, for it is only a piece of cloth painted, while the place you speak of, is land, trees, and water. 37/2.48. Consider now, how you have resorted to falsehood in order to convey a truth to your friend's mind. Was it really a falsehood if it succeeded in conveying a truth? Nor could you convey the truth to your friend except by a falsehood, unless you took him to the place. 37/2.49. How, then, could the angels of Jehovih teach man of Jehovih, except by idols and graven images? Weigh the matter, and you shall perceive that knowledge is conveyed from man to man by idols and images. Even the sound of a spoken word, is an idol of an idea; and the idea is carried within that which is not the real thing itself, but merely wind. 37/2.50. Your corporeal senses can only be reached by corporeal things. Spiritual things, of which ideas are a part, can be conveyed by es force, and without idols and images (including spoken words). Understand my words, and you shall find the way to your Father's kingdom. 37/2.51. Having taught man of Jehovih through stone and wood, it was necessary, next, to teach him by means of spirit, that Jehovih was disassociated from the earth, otherwise man would not have the desire to rise to the heavens in etherea. To this end, man was taught that Jehovih's sons had ascended and were sitting at His right hand (i.e., sitting at His side). 37/2.52. As you do not speak to the picture of your wife and by doing so, expect she will hear you, neither shall you worship the Lord, nor Buddha, nor Christ, nor any other idol, but Jehovih alone. He is sufficient to all men and nations, and acceptable to them. Do not be angry with the past, but broad in your perception; for all things, whether stones, wood, or men, are from Jehovih, for the ultimate resurrection of men's souls to His etherean worlds, for their own happiness, and to glorify Jehovih forever.
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1498 i.e., that you really do exist
1499 Keeping in mind that such is the spirit of Corpor speaking, it is true that your corporeal body doesn't care whether you eat vegetables or you eat meat, your corporeal body will be built either way. Nevertheless, from the testimony of Es (high-raised spirit world), from others, and from our own experience, we know that eating flesh-foods is harmful to the spirit of man. Nonetheless, Jehovih has given man the choice as to what to eat. However flesh-foods have become poison to man in kosmon, and yet knowing that, many in early kosmon still ate flesh-foods.
1500 That is, where does it live that it may remain fresh and unspoiled. If it is always everywhere vital, potent and perfect as well---Who designed it to make certain all works well with no foul-ups? Who and what maintains it? What has man ever seen that maintains itself perfectly? Can the universe maintain itself indefinitely? Will the so-called fundamental laws of physics ever break down? Man speaks of balance of forces, but where did these forces come from in the first place? Can nothingness create force? If man says: Well, motion always was. || Who then dreamed up the idea of motion in the first place and set it into existence? Who set up the rules that govern how forces should move and react? Will these rules ever change? Why or why not? The system and order of the Cosmos man cannot account for (in its totality). He can observe, experiment, tabulate, predict, apply, and manipulate, but he cannot alter the basic system and order, nor can he account for its genesis except to realize that there is a Person of the Whole Who is Always Present and Everywhere Present overseeing all in Perfect System and Order (Perfect Mechanism), and with immaculate Wisdom, Power and Love.
1501 persistent or repeated requests; insistent pleading
1502 assessed them, evaluated them, summed them up
1503 i.e., computed how long it took the light to "travel" from star(s) to the earth
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CHAPTER 3 Knowledge
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37/3.1. Tae said: How shall I come to You, O Jehovih? I have nothing more to stand upon. 37/3.2. 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? 37/3.3. 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? 37/3.4. 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. 37/3.5. 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. 37/3.6. 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? 37/3.7. 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? |1504| 37/3.8. Then Jehovih answered through His daughter Es, saying: 37/3.9. 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? 37/3.10. 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? 37/3.11. 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 |1505| 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. 37/3.12. Tae said: Then I will pray to find the way to the ancients. Is this not well? 37/3.13. 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? 37/3.14. 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. 37/3.15. 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! 37/3.16. Have You not given me a mind as good as any man or angel? Why, then, shall I listen anymore to angels or men? 37/3.17. 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. 37/3.18. 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? 37/3.19. Then Jehovih answered through His daughter Ha'k: 37/3.20. 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. |1506| 37/3.21. 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? 37/3.22. 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. 37/3.23. 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? 37/3.24. 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? |1507| Consider then, O man, how few are constitutionally able to rise rapidly to the Godhead! 37/3.25. 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. || 37/3.26. 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. 37/3.27. 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. 37/3.28. 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? 37/3.29. 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? 37/3.30. And as to speech, of which prayer is a part, is all utterance not a subtle form of movement? |1508| 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. 37/3.31. 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. 37/3.32. 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. |1509| 37/3.33. 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? 37/3.34. 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. 37/3.35. Es said: What then is doing good? 37/3.36. Man said: To provide the best of everything for my wife, and for my sons and daughters, and contribute to the poor. 37/3.37. Es said: If you had created man, would you have given him hair or feathers, and a cushion for his head? 37/3.38. 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. 37/3.39. Contribute to the poor one fraction too much, and you injure instead of doing good. 37/3.40. Give him one fraction too little, and you shall rebuke yourself. 37/3.41. 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? 37/3.42. 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. 37/3.43. And so, in this way, Jehovih's Sons and Daughters reasoned with Tae for a season. Then Tae spoke, saying: 37/3.44. 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. 37/3.45. Now, behold, I turn inward, and upward, forever! Now I will covenant with You, Jehovih. You only shall answer me; and give me light: 37/3.46. To You, O Jehovih, I commit myself, to be Yours forever. 37/3.47. To serve You by doing nothing for my own selfish ends; but by doing the best I can for others, all my days. 37/3.48. 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. 37/3.49. 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. 37/3.50. 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. 37/3.51. 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. 37/3.52. 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. 37/3.53. 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? 37/3.54. 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. 37/3.55. 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. 37/3.56. 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. 37/3.57. I will do no more, nor will I multiply words with anyone under the sun. 37/3.58. Then spoke Jehovih to Tae, saying: 37/3.59. 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! 37/3.60. 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). 37/3.61. Esfoma said: What now? 37/3.62. 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? 37/3.63. 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. 37/3.64. 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). 37/3.65. 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! 37/3.66. 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. 37/3.67. 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. 37/3.68. 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. 37/3.69. 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? 37/3.70. 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. 37/3.71. 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. |1510| 37/3.72. Then Tae went forth, so that he could comprehend unseen things; and the light of Jehovih went with him, and angels also. 37/3.73. 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? 37/3.74. 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. 37/3.75. 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. 37/3.76. Jehovih led Tae forth again, saying: Since you have su'is, you shall attain also to ethe (etherean sense) |1511| 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? 37/3.77. 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. 37/3.78. 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. 37/3.79. Jehovih said: Tae, My son, you shall follow them and bear testimony to what happens. And Tae did as commanded. 37/3.80. 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. 37/3.81. 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? 37/3.82. 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. 37/3.83. 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. 37/3.84. 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. 37/3.85. 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. 37/3.86. 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. 37/3.87. 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. 37/3.88. 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. 37/3.89. 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. 37/3.90. 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. 37/3.91. 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. |1512| 37/3.92. 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. |1513| 37/3.93. 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. 37/3.94. 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. 37/3.95. 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.
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1504 There were occasional gaps in the earliest extant source copy for the Book of Knowledge, which was part of the pre-1882 Oahspe. Some material is available, and has been inserted where appropriate. A gap occurred after verse 37, which extends through verse 58, for which the following transcript is supplied.
1505 a person, thing or action serving as a standard of excellence, worthy of imitation, a paragon, archetype, paradigm, exemplar, an example of perfection or the ideal
1506 crucial, pivotal, determinative, means
1507 latitude, leeway, some amount of freedom and discretion
1508 see, for example, 04/1.1; also wind (speech, broken air currents) is movement; so is an impression imparted to the receiver's soul
1509 Thus, the child in the womb does not know its desires, yet Jehovih provides perfectly for his adaptation. Even so of births into atmospherea---are the righteous not blessed by their service to Jehovih? Do they not rejoice because Jehovih has fulfilled them? For, because of his darkness in not knowing how to proceed, man prayed to know how to uplift others. Because he prayed thus, Jehovih answered him. And this answer was in light, and by virtue of this light, he who prayed was also lifted closer to his perfection.
1510 Thus there are those who, when dead, do not know or do not believe for a season, that they have died (as to corpor). That is, they do not yet understand that they are perceiving spiritually and living in the spirit realm. Note that they would be perceiving spiritually, but they are just presently unaware that they are doing so. For example, they may think they are merely physically locked up in a dark cellar. But once they wake up to the fact that they are dead and are perceiving spiritually, it will go better for them, and they will begin to see more clearly. For, even as Hoab was in atmospherea but could not perceive etherea till Fragapatti enlightened him, by analogy, a mortal who dies unaware of the spirit realm cannot see spiritual things except maybe dimly; and, till such a spirit rises above the earth in his thoughts, he will remain in darkness, not perceiving spiritual things clearly.
1511 Su'is is the ability to perceive atmospherean things, spiritual things. Ethe is the ability to perceive etherean things, soul things. Regarding the word Tae: Tae represents the highest expression of man. Tae, being one of the Nine Entities, is of the Universal Family, and so, encompasses all humanity---mortals and angels of all worlds. In that light, Tae can be considered an archetype or ideal, to which man always falls short to some degree; or rather he attains to a paler rendition compared to the full rendering or saturated fullness of Tae. Said another way, no matter how much good a person does, there is always more that can be done; and Tae represents all levels of that. Accordingly Tae as an entity, as a Son of Jehovih, can be likened to a figurehead, being that which precedes man. And man's attempt to do good draws him closer to that figurehead or ideal. Tae, as a representative man, is the summation of man in general, of their best highest expressions. But can a single mortal or single angel be justly called Tae, any more than a God close to Jehovih can justly be called Jehovih? Yet as the God's words and hand can be of Jehovih, and the God can be one with Jehovih, is it not also so, regarding man and Tae? And as there are many Gods and Goddesses who are one with Jehovih, may it not also be so with man and Tae? So, in reading the books of Knowledge, and Jehovih's Kingdom On Earth, and Tae's Prayer, we see that Tae is a type of man, not any particular individual.
1512 Not that children should be shut up in a dark room, but that they should be taught to appreciate the spirit or feel of each piece; thus, for example, to value the feelings that a musical performance evokes. It is said of those who do not have this, that they are mechanical players or rote players, meaning without inspiration or power to move the listener; or if, dancers or figure skaters, they are called stylized or athletic rather than artistic; or if actors or speakers, they are called wooden or boring rather than interesting or moving; and so on. 1513 That is, book learning and academic lectures can provide a framework and context for one's es inspirations. And, along with experience, feelings, memories, etc., help place the es information into broader perspective, enabling one to better compare, contrast, organize, connect and apply, the es knowledge to corporeal matters. This includes being able to better perceive the value or rank of corporeal teachings. Notice that this process can also go the other way, that is, one can learn to better apply corporeal matters in harmony with es understandings. Moreover, this entire process can provide information that inspires fresh perceptions. |
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