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SCRIPTURES
Chapter 12
A division among the rulers – Noaeya: “Why will you be divided?” – A choice of rule:
law or benevolence – The magistrate asks about the ego of man – Noaeya speaks on
the ego – Mortality and the veil – The dark speaker versus the true spirit – Pride
and greed – The power of benevolence – The battle found within – Parable: The Monkey
and the Jar – Mastering the self within – The magistrate becomes a disciple – The
rulers protest – The law versus benevolence – The closing of the second dispensation
1 Thus did there come a division among the rulers for there were those which desired both the law and punishment against those which seemed less than themselves, causing that they should compare their goodness with those which seemed themselves as fallen in the eyes of men.
2 For there were among those which ruled, certain men and women which thought themselves superior and more righteous than the common citizen, seeing in themselves a perfection and a rightness which would lift them above all others;
3 Becoming in their own eyes as someone perfect, and this by reason of the laws which they administered, which laws were written to their own advantage; for in the workings of the rule of law were they and their children benefited above that of common men, being themselves afforded every courtesy, consideration and convenience within the city.
4 These then did find in the words of Noaeya, the loss of their own prestige; for if every man and every woman should learn the ways of benevolence, to teach it unto their children, then would there be no need of the law, neither would there be a place for those which did administer it.
5 Yet were there others among the rulers, who thought the words of Noaeya worthy of consideration and effort together, being in themselves most anxious to see all men and women advantaged in the heart through the practice of benevolence, being themselves ever thoughtful and most desirous to have all men blessed and not just themselves alone.
6 These then, though themselves being numbered among the rulers of the city, still did they see in their office an obligation and a duty to serve the people of the city, holding in firm abeyance such pride as might set them above their fellow men, but did themselves strive with every effort to comport themselves wisely and honorably in the affairs of men.
7 Seeing, therefore, all these things, Noaeya spoke again to the multitude, saying: “Why will you be divided among yourselves, to be chased about by troubled thoughts? For I desire only to reveal in you the greatest power of all and the means by which you might preserve it always, to make it as yours forever.
8 For if you would take to yourself the greatest power, then would you be blessed most greatly, to become while in this mortal life even as your Heavenly Father and Heavenly Mother which do hope for you the greatest blessings.
9 Choose, therefore, which is the greater in causing that you should be deeply good: the law or benevolence; for whichsoever you choose, even this shall give shape to the heart and soul together;
10 Causing that you should be ruled by the lower passions of the flesh, or by the greater passions of the soul; to fashion of yourself the likeness of God, or the darksome image of your lesser self, which lesser self is fashioned of all your pride together, which pride does spring up continually from the ego within.
11 For it is the ego within which would hold you captive to lesser things, being yourself always afflicted by hurtful passions, having yourself become seduced by the pride of the outward self which all men see, to present itself the only man worthy of consideration.
12 While yet the inward self which is fashioned of spirit and soul together, this the outward man would treat with cool disdain, claiming it ever foolish and filled with dreams, proving itself of lesser worth than the things which can be seen or in the hand most firmly held.”
13 So spoke Noaeya unto every man and every woman, and the magistrate entreated Noaeya, saying: “Tell us, good Master: From what source is the ego of a man brought forth, and by what means is it made so strong within our lives?
14 For whensoever I would do rightly by my emotions, then does the ego within seize hold my heart and mind together, to drag me into anger and wrath and jealous pride; striving by every means to swallow up the good I desire most to do, to leave enthroned within myself the rule of bitter passions.
15 Which very passions do rend asunder the peace which I would seek, being instead filled with anxious thoughts filled with trouble, causing that I should be continually wounded by the wrongs which others do against me.”
16 Then did Noaeya speak in answer to the magistrate, saying: “Come then, my children, and I will tell you from whence the ego is made to spring forth, and the means by which it is made so strong and ever present in the affairs of every man and every woman.
17 For you know already how that in the beginning were you drawn from the bosom of God, being fashioned of such loving passions as the Father and the Mother would give to each other midst fiery kiss and deep embrace;
18 Causing that in the beginning when your spirit was made to dwell in the Paradise of God, being yourselves attended by the very angels, even then did you come to dwell in the goodness of God and Heaven together.
19 Yet were you unable to perceive the goodness of heavenly things, for you had no knowledge of those things which stand as opposite to the nature of God; for in the beginning were you all as innocent babes.
20 But in that moment when you were born into mortal life, then did the senses of the body weave together a veil which would separate you from a sure recollection of that Paradise from which you came.
21 To place in opposition to your true spirit which comes from God, a false and darker image which would speak always of “I”, or “Me”, or “Mine”, being itself most pretentious and ever grasping.
22 Seeing in the mortal life the only life worthy of consideration or desire, becoming of itself that dark speaker which would struggle against the true spirit within you.
23 For this dark speaker is itself false and knows only the things of the mortal life, becoming in itself the ego which would push and goad, being itself ever prideful and filled with many wants, grasping always for the things which have no life, seeking for itself the praise and glory of men and not God.
24 Know then that in your true spirit is there found immortality and the seeds of eternal life, for it is born of God; but the ego which dwells within, even this dark speaker is without such immortality or eternal life altogether, causing that it should always fear the coming of death.
25 For this cause does the dark speaker within you, being itself the ego, rise up continually against the desires of your greater self, making against you some great demand, ever mocking the things it cannot see or hear or taste or feel, proclaiming always within your mind that in the mortal life is the only true reality ever found.
26 Thus, on the battlefield of the soul does your true spirit struggle daily against that dark speaker which is born of this life only, each contending within your heart for the mastery of the self.
27 This then is the source from which the ego is made to live in the affairs of every man and every woman, being born of the mortal life only, being itself blind to the things which come from God.
28 Being fashioned of pride and greed and ever fearful, causing that it should stand within the very heart of you, proclaiming itself the only true self, causing that there should well up within you the lower passions of the mortal life, to fill you constantly with anger and jealousy and hurtful pride.
29 Striving, itself, by every means to subdue the spirit within you, to seduce it through the lustings of the flesh, to fill you with blindness whereby you should not see the things which come from God; neither can you hear them, being yourself unable to comprehend.
30 For the ego is a noisome thing filled with great distractions of which there seem no end, ever striving to seduce you through the promise of reward, being yourselves most eager in seeking after wealth, or fame, or power, or the good opinions of those you envy most.
31 For it is this dark speaker which would seek to hold you in a firm but desperate grip, being itself most hopeful in controlling and manipulating you altogether, to keep you in servitude always to the ego of the self.
32 Thus in the power of benevolence would God seek the freedom of your heart and soul together, causing that in detachment you might let go the ego which would hold you bound to lesser things;
33 To set at liberty the spirit which comes from God, which spirit is the truer man of who you are, causing that you should soar beyond the dictates of your lesser self, to find at last your place with God.
34 Know then, my children, and remember always that it is you alone which would cause that the ego should rule so harshly within the heart; for whensoever you are touched by pride or filled with envy, whensoever you would prove yourself petty or filled with greed, seeking for yourself the praise and envy of lesser men, even then do you add to the ego even some greater strength by which it might seize hold of you.
35 Then are you made as the hunted hare, being chased about and always driven from one want unto another, being yourselves ever hunted and tormented by the dark speaker within; for the ego is like a raging lion which would stride within you and round about you, seeking whomsoever it may devour.
36 For this I tell you for your learning, that the battle between the greater and lesser portion is not found in such adversities as do swirl about you, but rather is it found within the very soul of you.
37 For such trials and hardships which come upon you from time to time, even these are made the teacher which would make known within your own heart, the thing which rules within, whether it be the raging tempest of the ego or that gentle song which comes from God.
38 Come then and I will tell you what the ego is like unto, for there was a certain man which would capture a monkey whereby he might train it to serve him.
39 And taking a potter’s vessel, he did fasten it to a stout tree, and in the jar did he place a sweet and savory morsel of food; and by and by there came a certain monkey from out of the forest, and putting his hand into the jar, he seized the morsel to eat.
40 But for all his many efforts, the monkey could not pull out his hand, for the open hand had he made into a fist whereby he might seize the morsel with the fingers of the hand.
41 Then came the man which would take captive, and the monkey struggled even more greatly to set free his hand, jumping about in frantic fear, chattering and screaming for release; but he could by no means pull out the hand which was made into a fist, for he would not open the hand to let go the tender morsel to set himself free.
42 In like manner would the ego of the self seize most firmly the one who would hold onto it for the sake of pride or greed or envy, seeking therein the fulfillment of some lesser promise which would cause that you be rich or famous or filled with earthly power;
43 Becoming in yourself as one who is ever captured again and again by those who would tread upon the ego which rules within your heart, becoming in that stressful moment most anxious of escape, but never letting go of the ego within whereby you might be set at liberty.
44 Thus, if you would master the self within, then must you let go the ego which would fill you up with trouble and woe, to set at liberty the heart and spirit together.
45 For the ego is that darker man which would take you captive to offer up for the hand to seize, all manner of tender morsels which you might most desire.
46 And in the seizing of them, you do struggle continually to take to yourself all manner of wealth or fame or earthly powers, and in that very moment are you become as one captured and led astray by the ego which would come forth as that darker man, and then are you yourself seized hold of, even as you would seize the tender morsel.
47 But if you would detach yourself from the ego within, to let go that dark speaker which would hold you captive, then shall there rise up that inward calm which would set the heart at rest.
48 For in this calmness is there given a sweet assurance, proclaiming in your heart midst storm and wind and fire, that you are that greater self, which self is made to dwell in the very heart of God forever.
49 And in that moment shall the ego stand defeated, being shaken loose of its desperate grip upon the mind, and then shall you see the good which you might do, becoming in yourself one with God and God in you.”
50 These then are the words which Noaeya spoke, and the magistrate, when he heard these things, he did rise up before all the people and before Noaeya did he bow most graciously, saying:
51 “Truly you are that ancient Father come back to us again, for when I consider the words which flow from the soul of you, even in that very moment are all my cares swept aside and I am carried away, being myself all consumed by tender longings to walk rightly before God and man.
52 Know then, good Master, that this day shall I set aside my place and honor, that I might walk more closely beside you, to be to you that good disciple which would prove to you a good and ready help, to show in service the depth of my devotion.
53 Receive then my heart and soul together, and whatsoever thing you would require of me, even this will I do; for in your coming are the shadows swept away by the light which in you shines.
54 For even I would desire for myself the greatest goodness of all, and am but ready and full prepared that you should teach to me the things which come from God.”
55 Now when the magistrate had said these things, the people of the city were filled with astonishment, seeing that so great a man would set aside his authority whereby he might take hold the things of God.
56 But among the rulers did certain ones give out a great protest, and one spoke to the magistrate, saying: “Great sir: Why will you set aside the law which our fathers made for the good of all?
57 For this thing which you would do is most disquieting, causing that in your leaving, the people will see the law as something less when compared to the words of Noaeya, to turn from us a ready ear, causing the law to stand uncertain.
58 Come then, great sir, and turn not away from us, for without the law and those which administer it, then will the city surely perish, to be cast into dreams filled with chaos; for without the law to command, then will every man and every woman do according to their will alone.”
59 But the magistrate answered them, saying: “Be content yourselves to tend the law; but as for me, I shall tend the souls of men, to let the passing ages decide which is most needed.
60 For the law is made for those who do not love, but in the teachings of Noaeya would we set free the soul of every man and every woman whereby they might let go the hurtful passions, to dwell content in the joy which comes from God.
61 For those who would love their fellow man as they themselves would be loved, even in these is there no need for the law, having removed themselves of every offense through the exercise of such benevolence as flows from the soul of God towards all who live.”
62 And when he had spoken these things, the magistrate took off the robes of all his place and power, to stand before the whole city in his loincloth only.
63 And Noaeya smiled at the man, saying: “Come then, my son, and follow close beside, and I will reveal to you the desires of all your soul.”
64 Then did Noaeya turn himself to leave, and there followed after him the magistrate, and with the magistrate came also one third of all the rulers; and for two score and seven years did Noaeya teach in the regions of Komoru, Besoree, Aconah, Cyrenne and Gillannidus.
65 By such means did the second dispensation commence upon the world of Terralee; and the teachings of Noaeya did Noaeya write in a book for all to read and deep remember.
66 And when the days of Noaeya were completed, even he did ascend again unto Heaven, whereby The One might hold again his own Beloved, to walk in love beside her along the Crystal Sea.