NOTA BENE: This document is not scripture, since it has not been approved by decree of the Prophetin-Council, nor

is it proposed that such a decree be adopted regarding it; rather it is a protoscripture of the fourth kind, that which a Protoprophet has authored but has not proposed to be adopted by decree. Now Tivarzecon is the spirit of proper Conservativism, who protects against any improper enthusiasms or elaborations. O Lezuliata, who are you? Are you a demon sent to destroy us? Or the very cause of our salvation?

The Central Text of the Central Vessel of the Flotilla of the Cause In This Here Establishment Thereof
[1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] [11] [12] [13] [14] [15] [16] [17] THE SHORTER APOCALYPSE OF TRAVANCUS .............................................8 THE GREAT HYMN ..................................................................................................12 INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................21 THE PRELIMINARY DISCOURSE........................................................................23 OF FAITH ......................................................................................................................28 OF THE ROOTS OF UNHAPPINESS ...................................................................33 ON THE ROAD OF TRUTH....................................................................................36 OF THE PRINCIPLES OF THE FAITH................................................................36 OF THE ESSENCE OF THINGS ............................................................................38 OF UNIVERSES...........................................................................................................39 OF THE HEAVENLY JOURNEYS.........................................................................41 OF THE RAVENOUS SERPENT............................................................................42 OF THE WHEEL-MAKING GOD .........................................................................44 OF THE MULTIPLYING ARMY.............................................................................47 OF THE PASTED CORDS ........................................................................................50 OF THE INNUMERABLY JEWELED GOD.......................................................51 ON WHAT FOLLOWS DEATH ..............................................................................54

CTCV 1/332

[18] [19] [20] [21] [22] [23] [24] [25] [26] [27] [28] [29] [30] [31] [32] [33] [34] [35] [36] [37] [38] [39] [40] [41] [42] [43] [44] [45] [46] [47] [48] [49] [50] [51] [52] [53]

OF ENLIGHTENMENT............................................................................................55 OF KINGS .....................................................................................................................57 OF LOVE .......................................................................................................................58 ON THE FRACTIONS OF BLOOD.......................................................................60 OF THE TITLES OF NOBILITY ............................................................................61 OF CHILDREN ............................................................................................................62 OF ENAMOURMENTS .............................................................................................62 THE ENAMOURMENTS CODE ............................................................................64 OF THE GENDERING OF BEINGS ....................................................................66 OF THE LAW ...............................................................................................................67 OF THE TRUEST AND THE TRUE......................................................................68 OF CHOICE ..................................................................................................................69 OF ANIMALS................................................................................................................69 OF THE TAKING OF LIFE .....................................................................................73 OF THE PHYSICIANS ...............................................................................................76 OF FALSE SPEAKING ..............................................................................................76 OF SPACE......................................................................................................................77 OF DESIRE ARISING IN AUDITING..................................................................77 OF MOURNFUL POETRY .......................................................................................77 OF SLEEP ......................................................................................................................77 OF THE LAW OF NAMES........................................................................................78 OF CONDITIONAL ENAMOURMENTS ............................................................78 LAW OF ACCUSATIONS..........................................................................................79 DISCOURSE CONCERNING THE GODDESSES............................................80 OF TIME ........................................................................................................................80 OF THE SORCERER OF TIME...............................................................................81 THE MEANING OF THE SORCERER OF TIME .............................................83 CONCERNING THE SAVIOUR WHO IS TO COME ......................................89 THE PERSECUTOR....................................................................................................91 OF THE TWINS OF TIME........................................................................................91 OF TWINS THE DISCOURSE CONCERNING THE GODDESSES ...........95 AGAINST THE SLAVES OF FATE........................................................................95 OF THE TREE OF THE PROPHETS....................................................................98 OF RITUAL ...................................................................................................................98 ON EMPTINESS ....................................................................................................... 101 OF THE GOD WHO DREAMS............................................................................ 103 CTCV 2/332

[54] [55] [56] [57] [58] [59] [60] [61] [62] [63] [64] [65] [66] [67] [68] [69] [70] [71] [72] [73] [74] [75] [76] [77] [78] [79] [80] [81] [82] [83] [84] [85] [86] [87] [88] [89]

OF NUMBER ............................................................................................................. 104 OF SORCERY AND DIVINATION .................................................................... 104 OF THE WISDOM OF CLARETTA .................................................................... 108 OF THE CALENDAR.............................................................................................. 108 ON THE END OF THE WORLD........................................................................ 109 INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE FINAL DAYS ....................................................... 111 ON AUDITING......................................................................................................... 116 OF TEACHING......................................................................................................... 119 OF PUNISHMENT................................................................................................... 123 ON THE ESTABLISHMENT ................................................................................ 124 ON THE GUILDS AND THE UNDERTAKINGS.......................................... 125 ON THE PROPHET-IN-COUNCIL .................................................................... 127 EPILOGUE................................................................................................................. 129 THE TALE OF DELANA....................................................................................... 130 ON THE FOUR DECEIVERS............................................................................... 130 THE DEATH OF TRAVANCUS........................................................................... 130 THE DEATH OF THE NOBLE GENERAL..................................................... 131 THE HYMN OF THE DISTRESSED .................................................................. 132 THE APPENDED HYMN...................................................................................... 132 THE HYMN OF POWER ....................................................................................... 138 THE LESSER HYMN............................................................................................... 140 OF A CONSCIENTIOUS ARMY .......................................................................... 145 ON THE DIALOGUE AT CAZNACTUS .......................................................... 146 A DECLARATION OF FAITH ............................................................................. 150 OF THE FRUITS OF BLESSING ......................................................................... 151 OF THE BODIES OF THE DEAD...................................................................... 152 OF THE HOLY TRINITY ...................................................................................... 152 OF THE EIGHTEEN BLESSINGS...................................................................... 152 THE DECLARATION OF THE ELDERS OF LARABELUS ....................... 153 AGAINST PRIMORDIAL INCEST...................................................................... 154 OF WHAT IS FORETOLD IN ANOINTING................................................... 155 OF THE DEATH OF MABREBUS ...................................................................... 155 THE DECLARATION AT SUTEZACON.......................................................... 156 DECREE OF THE THIRD PROPHET-IN-COUNCIL................................... 158 OF CIRCUMCISION................................................................................................ 161 CONCERNING THE SCRIPTURES ................................................................... 161 CTCV 3/332

[90] [91] [92] [93] [94] [95] [96] [97] [98] [99] [100] [101] [102] [103] [104] [105] [106] [107] [108] [109] [110] [111] [112] [113] [114] [115] [116] [117] [118] [119] [120] [121] [122] [123] [124] [125]

OF THE DIALOGUE OF BACU AND MARATREA..................................... 163 OF THE EXECUTION OF THE EXECUTIONERS ...................................... 164 OF THE EVIL LAW ................................................................................................. 164 OF THE HEAVY WEIGHT OF PROPHECY................................................... 165 OF THE MARTYRDOM OF THE HEART ....................................................... 165 THE HYMN OF THE NAME................................................................................ 165 AGAINST THE FIDDLING LEGISLATORS ................................................... 166 OF THE NINE PLEDGES AT PEGELDUS ..................................................... 166 OF THE BEARDS..................................................................................................... 167 OF THE FIVE CHILDREN OF THE MOST PALLID PANDAL................ 167 OF THE TUTELARY DEITIES ............................................................................ 167 OF THE SIXTY MYRIADS .................................................................................... 168 OF WHAT CRULEDUS SAID ............................................................................... 169 A PROFESSION OF FAITH .................................................................................. 171 THE HYMN OF PRAISE OF THE NAME ........................................................ 171 OF THE FIVE PILLARS ......................................................................................... 172 THE DIALOGUE OF IMPERISHABILITY....................................................... 173 OF GOVERNMENT ................................................................................................ 175 OF THE MANY GODS ........................................................................................... 176 THE FIRST FURTHER PRAYER ......................................................................... 177 THE SECOND FURTHER PRAYER................................................................... 178 THE FIRST MARATREAN PSALM..................................................................... 179 THE SECOND MARATREAN PSALM .............................................................. 180 THE THIRD MARATREAN PSALM................................................................... 181 THE FOURTH MARATREAN PSALM............................................................... 181 THE FIFTH MARATREAN PSALM.................................................................... 182 THE SIXTH MARATREAN PSALM.................................................................... 182 THE SEVENTH MARATREAN PSALM............................................................ 186 AGAINST THE COUNTING OF TRAGEDIES .............................................. 186 OF ORNAMENTATION IN WORSHIP ............................................................ 187 OF THE LAW OF SACRIFICES ........................................................................... 189 OF THE UNITY OF THE DIVINE ..................................................................... 189 OF SPIRITUAL LAWS ............................................................................................. 190 THE TALE OF THE HOLY NETRUVA............................................................ 191 OF THE RITE OF ENAMOURATION .............................................................. 199 OF THE SECRET TREASURES ........................................................................... 199 CTCV 4/332

[126] [127] [128] [129] [130] [131] [132] [133] [134] [135] [136] [137] [138] [139] [140] [141] [142] [143] [144] [145] [146] [147] [148] [149] [150] [151] [152] [153] [154] [155] [156] [157] [158] [159] [160] [161]

THE CREED AGREED AT CECACENA.......................................................... 199 THE WORDS SPOKEN AT AMANDUS............................................................ 200 OF THE BESTOWAL .............................................................................................. 201 OF THE SPEECH AT PAMPALETTUS ............................................................. 201 THE GREAT SABBATICAL HISTORY.............................................................. 203 THE THIRD FURTHER PRAYER....................................................................... 205 OF PRAYING ALONE AND TOGETHER ...................................................... 205 THE GREAT SUMMARY OF TRUE DOCTRINE .......................................... 205 HAIL HOLY MARATREA...................................................................................... 207 OF THE VOYAGE OF VONADERES............................................................... 210 OF THE PRELIMINARIES TO FAITH.............................................................. 211 OF THE LAWS OF FISHING ............................................................................... 214 THE SECOND FOUNDATION OF FAITH ..................................................... 215 OF THE NINE THESES......................................................................................... 217 OF HER WILL ........................................................................................................... 218 THE FIRST SUBSEQUENT PRAYER................................................................. 226 THE SECOND SUBSEQUENT PRAYER.......................................................... 226 THE THIRD SUBSEQUENT PRAYER .............................................................. 227 THE FOURTH SUBSEQUENT PRAYER .......................................................... 227 GRACE BEFORE MEALS...................................................................................... 227 THE MORNING PRAYER..................................................................................... 228 CONCERNING THE OFFICES AND THE GREAT ORDERS .................. 228 OF THE FIFTH SUBSEQUENT PRAYER ........................................................ 228 OF REFRAINING..................................................................................................... 228 OF THE SACRED WOOL AND MILK .............................................................. 229 OF SLAVERY............................................................................................................. 231 THE SOUL MOTHER HYMN .............................................................................. 234 OF SALUBRITY ........................................................................................................ 235 OF THE EPISTLE OF MARATREA.................................................................... 236 OF THE RECORDING OF DRINK.................................................................... 237 OF THE HEAVENLY MEATS.............................................................................. 237 OF THE BASIS OF BELIEF .................................................................................. 237 ON REVELATION................................................................................................... 240 THE FIRST GREAT PRAYER............................................................................... 241 THE SECOND GREAT PRAYER ........................................................................ 242 THE CYCLE OF PRAYER ..................................................................................... 242 CTCV 5/332

[162] [163] [164] [165] [166] [167] [168] [169] [170] [171] [172] [173] [174] [175] [176] [177] [178] [179] [180] [181] [182] [183] [184] [185] [186] [187] [188] [189] [190] [191] [192] [193] [194] [195] [196] [197]

THE MARATREAN COMMANDMENTS ......................................................... 244 DECLARATION OF THE ASSEMBLY AT CARFUZIO ............................... 256 DECLARATION OF THE ASSEMBLY AT SAFUNZO................................. 257 THE DECLARATION OF THE ASSEMBLY AT MACRUZA...................... 258 THE TEACHING AT TRASUNA......................................................................... 259 OF THE FIVEFOLD PROPHECY....................................................................... 261 IN THE TUVERCINE FORUM ............................................................................ 261 THE CLASSIFICATION OF ANIMALS ............................................................. 263 STATEMENT OF FAITH ....................................................................................... 264 DIALOGUE CONCERNING THE SPIRITS..................................................... 269 CONCERNING INDUCMENTS.......................................................................... 273 OF THE WISDOM OF MADNESS...................................................................... 274 PRAYER BEFORE MEALS.................................................................................... 275 OF HER UNEQUALLABLE LOVE..................................................................... 276 MARATREA IS NOT MARATREA...................................................................... 276 OF PREDESTINATION ......................................................................................... 277 OF YEA-SAYING ..................................................................................................... 277 OF THE BLESSING AND THE CAUSE............................................................ 278 OF THE HARMFUL HABIT.................................................................................. 278 OF SUBSTITUTIONARY TRUTH ....................................................................... 279 OF THE SAGES AND PHILOSOPHERS .......................................................... 280 PRAYER FOR VISION............................................................................................ 280 THE CAROLINA TEXT ......................................................................................... 281 ORDER OF THE SACRED SERVICE ................................................................ 283 CONCERNING THOSE WHO WORSHIP THE MOST EVIL LORD ...... 291 CONCERNING SAVIOURS TO COME ............................................................ 292 OF THOSE WHO CLING TO THE PAST......................................................... 293 PRAYER AGAINST THE KINGDOM OF LIES.............................................. 293 PLACES ON THE JOURNEY TO FREEDOM ................................................ 294 DECLARATION AT NEVABRODA................................................................... 295 OF FALSE SCRIPTURES........................................................................................ 297 THE FIRST REVELATION AT DECARONA.................................................. 297 THE SECOND REVELATION AT DECARONA ........................................... 301 THE THIRD REVELATION AT DECARONA ............................................... 301 THE FOURTH REVELATION AT DECARONA ........................................... 303 THE FIFTH REVELATION AT DECARONA................................................. 303 CTCV 6/332

[198] [199] [200] [201] [202] [203] [204] [205] [206] [207] [208] [209] [210] [211] [212] [213] [214] [215] [216] [217] [218] [219] [220] [221]

THE THIRTEENTH REVELATION AT DECARONA ................................ 306 THE TWENTY-SECOND REVELATION AT DECARONA....................... 306 THE TWENTY-SIXTH REVELATION AT DECARONA............................ 306 THE THIRTY-SECOND REVELATION AT DECARONA ......................... 307 THE PRISONER OF TEGARANUS.................................................................... 307 THE RECOUNTING AT MABARA .................................................................... 310 THE BOOK OF NOV ......................................................................................... 311 OF PRIESTLY GENDER........................................................................................ 314 OF TRUE ELECTION............................................................................................. 315 OF THE DEFENCE OF THE LAND ................................................................. 316 ON PROTOPROPHETS AND PROTOSCRIPTURES.................................... 317 THE FOUR GREAT FRAUDS .............................................................................. 318 AT CORADENSUS................................................................................................... 318 OF ENTRY INTO THE LAND OF WICKEDNESS ....................................... 320 THE NEMORASINE TEXT................................................................................... 321 OF THE MOST HOLY SACRAMENT................................................................ 322 OF THE DEATH OF PEOPLES........................................................................... 322 THE GREAT LITANY............................................................................................. 323 THE MOST FERVID LITANY.............................................................................. 324 THE LITANY OF THE DECEASED.................................................................. 325 THE LITANY OF THE NEOPHYTES ............................................................... 325 THE LITTLE LITANY ............................................................................................ 326 THE LITANY OF HOLINESS .............................................................................. 326 APPENDIX: ARTICLES OF FAITH.................................................................... 327

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[1]

THE SHORTER APOCALYPSE OF TRAVANCUS

For behold that the most holy Claretta the second Prophet did write the Longer Apocalypse of Travancus, based upon those recollections of his which he had conveyed to her, although she did not write it until after he had departed this world: And Tabormus the fourth prophet, he abridged it to produce the Shorter Apocalypse of Travancus: Travancus had travelled through many lands, in search of happiness, and of truth; but wherever he looked, he could not find what he sought. Weary of the world, and its many tragedies and disappointments, came upon a green and leafy tree tiring of life, he lay down beneath its shade. Beside it flowed a clear stream; its bubbling comforted him as he drifted off to sleep. He awoke in a great cavern, stalactites and stalagmites adorning the walls. The cavern was filled with a dim golden glow, he could not tell from where it came. In the middle of the cavern there was a pool, perfectly still. And beside the pool stood a young woman, with long flowing dark hair, smooth skin on her face, eyes that shined like moons, wearing exquisitely decorated robes of fine fabric. T. M. T. M. T. M. Who are you? I am Maratrea, your mother. You are not my mother, my mother is Melerta. As she is the mother of your body, so am I the mother of your soul; as your body came out of her womb, so did your soul come out of mine. You look too young to be my mother, even if it is only of my soul. Though young I look, I am older than everything else that is, for I am the mother of every soul, and the mother of all that is.

Travancus pondered what this meant; as he thought back over the events of his life, and the things he had seen upon his journeys; and he became filled with emotion. T. So it was you who made this horrid world, filled with tragedy and woe? Where those we love are cruelly taken from us by death, even in their youth? Where there is forever betrayal of friendship and family ties and even of love? Where we always suffer, filled with pangs of want, for what we cannot have, and even those things which we can have are taken from us no sooner than we have received them? Yes, it was I who caused all these things to be. But do not think I know not your woes I saw them all: I saw how for years you longed for Nesuva, though she would not be yours, preferring another; at last, having gained her love, you thought that happiness was yours for good, yet within a year of your marriage she was dead. And I have seen every other tragedy which has befallen you, or which you have seen befall others. But, Travancus, even though I made all these things which bring you misery, believe me that I love you more than you can comprehend. And equally do I love all my children. If you love me so, why did you let these things be? If a mother sees her child drowning in a lake, does she dive in to rescue him, or stand there and watch him drown? If a mother sees her child in a burning house, does she rush in to rescue him, or stand there and watch him burn to death? If a mother sees her child being attacked by wild animals, does she rush to defend him, or stand by and watch him be devoured? My real CTCV 8/332

M.

T.

mother would have sought to save me every time, even at the risk of her own life; yet you, have sat there and watched me suffer! Travancus now seems visibly irate; but Maratrea is calm as always. M. T. I understand what you say; but if you would let me explain it to you, it will all become clear. Very well then, explain yourself to me.

The cavern disappears around them, and they are in a room. A woman sits on the ground in the middle, crying. Travancus immediately recognizes her. T. T. Mother! Mother! Why are you crying? Mother! Mother! Can you hear me? It is I, Travancus, your son! Melerta shows no sign of having heard him. Melerta still appears to have heard nothing. Travancus reaches for Melerta, and touches her, yet she does not react to him. He tries to shake her, but he is powerless to move her. T. M. T. M. T. M. T. M. T. Mother! Mother! Why wont you answer me? What is wrong? Travancus, she cannot hear you. Why can she not? I have brought you to this place and time, as a form which can observe, which can sense, but which has no power to change what it is observing. Why is she crying? This is the day on which your older sister Tarana died. It is then, before I was born? Yes. I always knew that my mother cried when my older sister died, but I never thought I would see for myself those tears. Why did you bring me here? What did you hope to achieve? This only proves my point, that if you were the loving mother you say you are, you would never have permitted this tragedy to occur. Let me show you.

M.

Melerta, still crying, then disappeared, fading away into nothingness, though the room remained. Then a young woman appeared, sitting at a desk, reading. T. M. T. M. T. M. Who is this? I do not recognize her. This is your sister Tarana. But my sister Tarana is dead, she died before I was born, when she was not yet even one year old. Yes; but in this world she lives. What is this world? Some mirage, some dream, some might have been? No, it is another world, yet as real as yours. For although you know only one world, I know many; for much as I have given birth to many souls, so have I also given birth to many worlds.

CTCV 9/332

T.

Well, if you made this world, why did you make my own? Do you think this is some kind of excuse, what you have done here? It is like the tyrant, accused for destroying one village, defends himself, saying, but on the next village I have bestowed my wealth! Watch and you will understand.

M.

A younger man enters; he and Tarana kiss each other on the cheek, and begin to talk about the events of the day. T. M. T. M. Who is he? He is her brother, Tacarnus. Her brother Tacarnus? We have no brother Tacarnus; it is myself, Borenes, Traculus, and Contactus who died in the war. Indeed, in your world, after Tarana died, Borenes, Traculus, Contactus and then yourself were born. But in this world, she lived, and none of you were ever born. Instead, to your mother and father was born Naborvus, Tacarnus, Lotartus, and then finally Melana. Why have you not made a world in which she lives, and my brothers and I are also? I can make no such world, for no such world could be. Even if there were born four brothers following her, with the same names and in the same order as you and your brothers, they would not be you and your brothers, and you and your brothers would not be they. Why not? Our lives might have be a little different, but we would still be we. In the broad outlines, your lives might have been the same; but in countless little details, they would be different. All those conversations with your older sister that you never had? The fights with her? Her influence on you? Your lives would be different enough in detail that they would not be the same lives; you would be different enough in detail that you would not be the same you. So I would be not, and someone similar to me would be in my place? Would that be so bad? But Travancus, I have loved you, you exactly as you are, not someone else who is similar to you in various ways. If I have made them also, then I loved them also; but they are not you, and my love for them is no substitute for my love for you. What of my mothers tears? You caused her so much heartache, so much pain, for the sake of these loves of yours. Yes; but do you think she loves you any less than I do? I love you exactly as you are; she loves you exactly as you are also. She would no more wish you replaced with someone similar, but different, than I would. I understand then why you did what you did; but tell me, why then this other world in which she lives?

T. M.

T. M.

T. M.

T. M.

Travancus sat silently for a while, and thought about what Maratrea had said. T.

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M.

My children, they go through life wanting things, not merely trivial wants, but also wants that reach to the depths of their souls; yet these wants they receive not. Yet I, their mother, loving them, earnestly desire to fulfil these deep wants of theirs; that is why I give birth to these other worlds, in which these wants of theirs are fulfilled. But what good does it do to my mother, to know that there is another world in which my dead sister still lives? If I am not in that world, nor is she; it is another Melerta there, whose Tarana lives; while this here Melerta, the one whom I love, her Tarana dies. Indeed, but these two worlds, your world and this world I have been showing you, while separate worlds, are not entirely separate. For, shortly before her first birthday, your older sister Tarana fell gravely ill. But while in your world she perished, in this world she survived the illness and went on to live for many more years. But up until the time of this illness, this world and your world were completely and absolutely one and the same, and everyone therein was completely and absolutely one and the same. So, now there are two souls, the soul of your mother in your world, and the soul which she is now in this here other world. And yet, before then, these two worlds being one world, these two souls were one soul also; and at this one world split apart into two, so did every soul within it, including that soul, split apart into two. Did my mother fear, when she held newborn Tarana in her arms, whether she would live to become a woman, or die in childhood? For that which befell my sister has befallen many others also. Yes, she had that fear in her mind, even though only briefly. So, did what she feared come to pass indeed for her? When her soul divided into two, each successor soul was equally once her, as much as her soul in any other moment was once that which it was in the preceeding moment; her soul, prior to the division, is equally that which will be each succeeding divided soul, as much as her soul in any other moment in that moment will be that which it is in some subsequent moment. Can you not just answer me simply, instead of trying to confuse me with long and complicated sentences? Tell me, did what she feared would come to pass come to pass for her indeed, or did it not so come to pass? Yes, what she feared would come to pass did indeed come to pass. Yes, what she feared would come to pass did indeed come to pass not. I asked you for one or the other, not yes to both! Is it midnight? Is it midday? Would you say yes to both of those too? O Travancus, you know so very little; whereas I know all there is to be known. Should we be surprised then, that these matters which are so obvious to me are to you terribly confusing? You now cannot understand these things I have been telling you. But, can you trust me, that with time you will understand them better and better, until at last they become as obvious to you as they are to me?

T.

M.

T.

M. T. M.

T.

M. T. M.

Travancus was as confused as ever. CTCV 11/332

T. M. T.

I dont know. Ask yourself, does anything I have said make sense to you? You are right, had Tarana not died, none of the good I have ever known would I have ever known, for without her death I would not have been to have known it.

[2]
1

THE GREAT HYMN

She is the Mother of all things From Her She willingly emanates every soul And yet She does so only that She might know the joy Of their willing return to Her For in coming out of Her we become distinct from Her and one another And in going back into Her we become the same as Her and as each other Coming out of Her, I am I and you are you But in returning to Her, you become I and I become you For She is the origin of all souls And the union of all souls into one In coming out of Her, we have no choice Does a child choose to be born? But in returning to Her, we do so willingly For She will not accept us until we so wish Even though we all so wish in the end For in Her limitless wisdom She can convince all to return to Her For She leads them to the knowledge that all that they want Exists in union with Her
2

Why do I call her She, and not he or it? It is not that She is truly female and not male For truly She is fully every gender and none Fully female, fully male and fully neuter She is She and He and It He is He and She and It It is It and She and He A divine hermaphrodite And yet, I call Her She For motherhood is a far better metaphor than fatherhood For how She relates to us For our bodies come out of our mother's wombs As our souls come out of Her womb And in the end She shall coax us To return to there
3

For Her womb is the state of indistinguishability from Her And from one another And we came out of Her womb, neither willingly nor unwillingly But lacking any will But being in the world is acquiring will And willingly shall we return to that which we willlessly left

CTCV 12/332

The domain of being is indistinguishablenay, identical from the domain of the objects of Her perfect knowledge. What limit could there be to the possible? We might say: This is the only way things could be But what is that, save some unproven article of faith? And if we are to say that by faith, by what faith should we say it? If there is any limit, what that limit is Must be forever beyond the limits of our comprehension For to know that limit is to know Her perfectly In the perfect self-knowledge She has of Her own self And whoever has attained this knowledge Has become identical to Her
5

How many universes are there? We cannot see, but there seems no reason to assume That this alone is the only one She is not a mother who would be Restrained in Her fertility And yet, we cannot say that every world that might be is For She adores particularity And many things particular things may be But if every particular thing was Then none of them would any more particular be
6

And do not our hearts so often long for other worlds? And is She a mother who would deny us Her children any thing Within Her power? And if giving birth to one world is within Her power Is not also giving birth to many? And what price would She not pay us to purchase Our willing submission to union with Her?
7

Yet we should not think that She would grant us Our every frivolous wish Only those things that our heart is most set upon For in granting us those things She brings us closer To our final union with Her and with one another
8

O Great Mother Goddess How do I love You so You who are the author of all evil and all good For You are the Mother of all things And every thing You have brought into being You have willingly chosen to so bring forth
9

The weak complainI bore him, but not what he chose Of his own free will But You, in Your strength, give no such excuse You bore us and every thing that we might ever do By Your own free choice You are our Mother And before You ever bore us You knew CTCV 13/332

Everything that every one of us ever would do And yet even so, You still did choose us Not because You have any excuse for what we have done But because You take full responsibility for our every act
10

And yet You challenge us to love You even at your worse As You Yourself love us even at our worse But You love us no matter what we have ever done For we are in our full particularity precisely what we have done You who love every particularity You have brought to be For every evil is followed by forgiveness And by the goods that could not have been had such evils not been
11

I look back before me at countless deaths and countless crimes But had they not been, would I have ever been born? Or more so, those whom I love with all my heart? A few, maybe, might have not been, and I or they might still be But there have been far enough for me to without doubt say That without them we would not have been And in loving ought we not love those things Without which that which we love could never have been?
12

And thus in loving us She loves also these things Mother of us, and Mother of all these things And yet, if so She loves all things How can we call Her loving, when She is the Mother even of hate? But She orders all her children temporally The hate comes first and then the love The evil comes first and then the good And whatever comes last is the penultimate thing Before our obliteration in indistinguishability from Her
13

And as much as She is Mother of every evil So is She also the Mother of all repugnance at evil And She bore the first first, and the second second For the first is the consequence of our separation from Her And the second is the beginning of our union with Her
14

And yet in the final moment, even repugnance is turned to love For in loving all that is good, we love even all that is evil And yet we love the evil not on account of it being evil But rather on account of it being good
15

We ought to say Yes to all things For all things are in love And in loving any one of them in the end we must love them all But our own Naysaying is a thing as well So in saying Yes we must say Yes even to our saying No
16

She wants us to do nought but what we will And yet She knows that what we will is not always what we will In Her wisdom She shall help us see CTCV 14/332

Our true will from our false will For our true will is whatever If we could have whatever we wish We would have our will be It is our true will She seeks to fulfil For in fulfilling our false will She is not in any way fulfilling our will
17

For She knows that to want is not a simple thing But to exist in a matrix of interlocking desires We begin as but a part But end in identity to it all For She is it And being it She knows its every inference
18

From one love we infer another From one desire we infer yet another For whoever we love loves also another And in loving them do we not love also that other? And how many ways do we love Yet are not all these ways one For when does one end and the other begin? For in identity to Her Are not all things identical to each other?
19

The logic of things that She most clearly sees But which to us must remain clouded So that we can be For in seeing as clearly as She Herself sees I am no longer meI am now She And in Her all is one And indistinguishable one from another And our becoming indistinguishable from Her Is Her leading us to see as She sees Step by step
20

The first step we rush towards in our longing From the last step we would at the first step flee But from the penultimate we rush toward it As we did towards the first. Those who lack freedom long for it And those who have it long for its end For She is its reason and cessation all at once
21

We cannot say which worlds She might bring to be On account of what we wish to be She will not heed our every frivolous wish But it is worthwhile to Her end that She allows to be The deepest desires of our hearts
22

Let us say Yes to all things But if I ought to say Yes to all things CTCV 15/332

Ought I not say Yes Even to my own Naysaying?

23

Three symbols: a Web, a Tree, and the Sea. The Web signifies the relations that exist between all souls. The Tree symbolises the successive operations of the unification of souls, culminating in its root in which all souls are united as one. And it is the structure of the Web That governs the order of operations of the unification of souls. And the root of that Tree is identical to Our Great Mother the Sea.
24

This is the process of the unification of souls. Firstly, each soul is divided into several further souls. For in our life we have many loves; Thus for each love a successor soul is apportioned for the cause of that love. And then the souls are joined together again, in such order as they agreed to be joined. And the order they agree to is a consequence of their love, For their agreement is attained through conversation With our Great Mother and Great Lover, who is wisest and full of all knowledge, Who will assume whatever form the soul will find pleasing In order to seduce them into unity with Her and with one another And as souls are successively joined to one another And those newly joined souls joined to yet further souls So the Tree of Life is constructed And its pinnacle and root is the Sea, who is our Great Mother The Sea of All Souls, united as one.
25

Mother and author of every act Doer of every deed ever done Guilty of every sin and crime and thing But also every good deed and every beautiful and wonderful thing We love You so, never in spite of what You have done But no, always on account of it.
26

There is no hell, nor punishment in the world to come How indulgent is Our Great Mother to all Her children That whatever they do She still rewards them equally For how could She punish us for perfect obedience to Her commands? For whatever we have done, we did not do in spite of Her will No, on account of it.
27

But what of those who have wronged us severely? Are we wrong in demanding that they be punished? By no means! For as much as She is the author of their offence against us So is She the author of our lust for revenge And in this world, if She is willing, that lust might even be fulfilled If only for a time
28

But in the world to come we will forget such petty lusts In favour of lust for far greater things For both their deed and our reaction to it are willed by Her As part of our separation from Her, in order to gain will CTCV 16/332

And our willing of such things is part of our wilful return To that which we left willlessly
29

Look not on the misdeeds of others as evidence of an evil inclination But rather as failed attempts to attain good And they fail due to ignorance But let us not be ignorant, wherever we may For though She is the Mother of both ignorance and knowledge She bore ignorance first, and knowledge second.
30

O Great Mother How great are You even in Your finitude A finitude whose immensity we cannot comprehend And will never comprehend Until the day we become one with You
31

In the end, when all Her children have become one with Her again What then will Our Great Mother do? Might She exist everlastingly, in the stillness of the glory of Her own being? Or give birth once more? But were She once more to give birth, what could She give birth to? Save the very same that She had given birth to originally Which would not even be again, but rather the very same Every moment being both before and after its very self In one great cycle of time.
32

Or are there two everlasting stillnesses One before, one after, the great change of the many worlds? What matter; shall we say one or the other is true? Or shall we even say both?
33

O Great Mother of Ours, Goddess and Mother of All The Sea of All Souls, from whom we all proceed And to whom we shall all return We came out of Her willlessly According to Her will That being in the world we might gain will And thus wilfully return to Her And indeed, all in the end shall so choose

34

O Mother Limited as You are But by bounds I do not know Bounds I shall grow in knowledge of But never fully know Until it is not I that knows them But You who even now knows them all already.
35

Sometimes my body is overcome With a feverish shame At what You have done Why Mother, why? CTCV 17/332

I said to you, Yes But how can I say Yes, to this? Yes to everything But Yes to this? Does not this go too far?
36

But then I fall asleep And awake rested And my memories fade I do not forget the things I saw But my recollection has become more vague And thus I can say once more Yes, mother, Yes
37

For even though You say Yes to all And in saying Yes to You, I say Yes as You do You temporally order all your children So we say one Yes first And another Yes second
38

Truth is what You know to be And falsehood is what You know to be not What of that which You neither know nor know not? What of that concerning which You are ignorant? That neither is, nor is not For that which is beyond even your knowledge Cannot in any meaningful sense be said to be Capable of truth or falsehood
39

O limited Mother What is the numeration of Your volume? We cannot say for sure, but we can estimate But do even You know? For there would not be room enough in You To record its precise value But if You know not what that value is How can we say that there is any such numeration? There is a greatest finite number Referred to within You Can we say that any greater number actually is? We say the numbers are an infinite field Where every operation has a result But what of the unreferenced numbers, Can we truly say that they are? And what of the unreferenced operations Can we truly say they have a result? Is this not just a myth we teach ourselves A delusion we have permitted ourselves to entertain? But if we have indeed done as such We have done so but in perfect obedience To Your commands. CTCV 18/332

40

There is nothing that Our Great Mother will not give Her children To seduce them to union with Her Whatever they truly wish to be true She makes true for them How then can we say that anything that anyone Truly believes, is false? For whatever is false yet desired to be true In this world is true in another Shall we not then say that all we truly wish for Is true indeed?
41

And which world are we in? For are there not numerous worlds in which we are the same Yet the things we refer to are different? Shall we not say we are in all of these worlds In which case in our world, being not one but many, There is not one, but many? And do not many differing descriptions Describe the one sum of all worlds?
42

The actual is a proper subset of the possible. The actual is identical to the possible. We say the first when we are walking up the mountain, Having begun from the base. We say the second when we are walking down the mountain, Having begun from the peak.
43

O most glorious unity That incorporates into itself Even every disunity O glorious Mother of mine, of ours, Who knows all that there is to be known For in knowing all, She is all
44

And yet they say, none can know all For in knowing all, there is one thing that one does not know ignorance For if She knows all, how can She know what it is like to know not? Yet, clearly we know that; So, it seems, that we know something that She knows not, So, She cannot know all; thus we might think.
45

And yet there are many things we once knew not and now know And if we once knew them not Then we knew what it was like to know them not. If we knew then what it was like to not know them, And now know them and now know also what it is like to know them, Shall we not say: we even know both them and also what it is like to know them not?
46

Thus does Our Great Mother knows all things, Even what it is like to not know any thing. Yet might we think, knowing what we now know, Do we really still know what it is like to not know? CTCV 19/332

But is not the only reason that we think, That our recollections are imperfect? But for She of perfect memory, Who perfectly remembers all that She has ever done in this world, Her recollection even of Her ignorance is perfect. And Her exercise of that recollection is equivalent to the recurrence of the world, Nay, its very original occurrence.
47

And yet, though all roads lead to the same final end Some are short and straight, others long and winding And yet, it was She who laid down every one of them And She wills each to travel down the road She has willed for them And behold, how perfect is their obedience to their Mothers commands! O people of the many worlds How noble are you all, every last one of you In your earnest and exact submission to your filial duties!
48

There is no No There is only Not yet Maybe countless aeons hence But aeons that pass in the blink of an eye
49

This world, which is nought but one world among many This world, which has no single future For let us not assume that only one world May be its child And that only one I May be the I, child of I
50

How many am I even now? A numerous many, a multitude of I's... But I fear them not For I am every one of them And every one of them is I
53

How many loves have I loved in my life? In how many moments have I flitted this way, or that way? And yet, does not every such moment constitute a world And a separate distinct soul In which that moment is fulfilled
54

And numerous others that have come hence have not Albeit in this world, in certain of this right now world's children Their fulfilment shall come as in those worlds it shall not Maybe not my most momentary desires But the greatest of them, that have possessed me from time to time Shall I deny them the right, which they are ready to claim And which our Great Mother is ready to grant Of finding their fulfilment in some world of them born
55

What is being? Nought but the marriage of knowledge and ignorance. CTCV 20/332

And She, knowing all and being in every way ignorant, Is all things.
56

For whenever a love dies, Know that there is also a world in which that very same love endures. And whenever a love endures, Know that there is also a world in which that very same love dies. And whenever anyone dies before what we think is their time As in this world they die So in some other world they endure That by their death in this world certain beauties may come to be And by their endurance in that other world Certain incompatible beauties may come to be in their stead
57

For the life of every love is the deaths of many others; But our Great Mother, loving every love, wills every love to be; Each and every love ever born, she wills to endure to the very end, Even at the price of the deaths of a great many of its siblings.
58

They asked her, Mother, why am I I? And she answered them, in such a way, As no other question has ever, or shall ever, be answered, By taking away their very ability to ask it. [3] INTRODUCTION

Long ago in a distant land, a Prophet dwelt, and Travancus was his name. This is the account of his life and his teachings. He was born into comfort, for his father Vandarus was one of the chief officials of the land, being an assistant to the royal treasurer. The name of his mother was Amelia, and he was the youngest of four brothers: the first son, Borenes, who succeeded in the offices of his father; the second a son Traculus who attained office in the royal courts; the third a son Contactus, who fought in the war and perished in it, and he never married nor fathered any children; and then the fourth was Travancus. And elder than these four brothers there was a daughter, Tarana, but she died when she was a year old. Now Travancus desired Nesuva, yet Nesuva desired him not, desiring instead Paranus, and she married him; but Nesuva came upon Paranus coming out of the brothel, so she divorced him. Then at last were the dreams of Travancus fulfilled, or so at first did it seem to him. And Travancus and Nesuva were wed; and Nesuva became with child. But the childbirth was difficult, and Nesuva died and their daughter also. Thus did Travancus suffer to have his love and his dreams taken from him, as it seems they always are. And thus he grew tired of life, and the wealth of the house of his father. So he went to his father, and said, Father, I wish to depart from you, to go forth in search of truth. And his father said, Son, you have my blessing I have your elder brothers to carry on my name. Thus the Prophet went forth from the house of his father, and for many years travelled through many lands, hearing the words of many teachers, studying numerous scriptures, serving in many temples and the priesthoods of many deities. Yet, through all this, though he heard many things, he had not yet heard the truth which he sought. Many came to believe he was a wise and holy man, and honoured him as such, yet this wisdom and holiness which they saw in him he did not see in himself. Disheartened, he came to reside underneath the shade of a tree, by a stream; and he meditated on the nature of things. And the local people came and gave him food to eat, for they believed he could bestow blessing; though he lacked their faith in his own CTCV 21/332

power, he let them believe what they wished to believe, and behaved as they expected a holy man to behave. He thought: What benefit would accrue to them were I to discourage their faith in me? Knowing not whether anything is or is not, how could I say that what they believe about me is untrue? At least I have food to eat! One night, he was seated in meditation, when an ethereal tablet, inscribed in an impossible tongue, descended from the heavens, and assumed its seat in his heart, containing the truth concerning the nature of things. A seed fallen from a star-tree, over successive nights it grew and flowered and bore fruit, and he came to understand the meaning of all things. A heavenly voice spoke to him and said: As you have received the gift of enlightenment, go forth and bestow that same gift upon the entire world. So he arose, and went to the road, where he met a traveller. The Prophet, possessing the appearance which was ascribed to holy men, thus the traveller was eager to receive his wisdom and blessings. So they sat, and the traveller gave the Prophet food to eat. The Prophet earnestly desired to share the gift of enlightenment with this traveller; and yet, as he spoke to him, he realised it was a gift he was unready to receive, and could not comprehend. So instead he shared with him some platitudes, and the traveller was pleased with what he heard, and continued on his journey; and the Prophet returned to his tree disheartened once more. That night, the heavenly voice spoke to him again: Do not be disheartened, for surely you will succeed in the end. Go forth, and whoever will follow you, let them do so. Teach them of the truth whatever they may comprehend; through them, one will come and follow you who understands completely this truth which you have received; through him shall your lineage descend. So the Prophet went forth, and gathered to himself many disciples, and with them he travelled throughout the lands. And he taught them the worship of Maratrea the Goddess of the Sea; but although they worshipped Her, he alone understood the true nature of She who was so worshipped. He returned then to the house of his father Vandarus, after many years; his father had died, and his eldest brother Borenes had inherited the offices of his father. And he made his home in that house, and was welcomed there. Now his brother who ruled in that house, he had three sons and one daughter, who was the youngest. Borenes married Melerta, and the names of their sons was Moranus first, Tebertus second, and Culunus third; and their daughter, younger than the sons, was Claretta. Yet although she was the youngest, her mind was deeper than that of her father or mother or brothers. She was eager to read, yet the schools of the city would not admit her, for they would not admit girls; so the Prophet taught her in private, and she quickly learnt. And they conversed concerning many things, and through their conversation, he came to the awareness that she was the one concerning whom the heavenly voice had spoken, the one who would understand completely his truth. So he said to his disciples: The Sea Goddess has instructed me, that She wishes my niece Claretta to be Her high priestess, and to assume the chief place of honour among my disciples. And her father Borenes was greatly pleased at this honour which the Goddess had granted his house. Now the Prophet then said: The Sea Goddess has entrusted me with the secret rituals by which She is to be worshipped inside the holy sanctuary of Her temple; the priestess and I must depart, that I may teach her these things in secret; in due course we will return. And together they ascended the hills above the city, and the heavenly voice lead them to a cave, which to this day is known as a holy place. And they entered the cave, and sat, and therein the Prophet revealed to his Disciple every secret.

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[4]

THE PRELIMINARY DISCOURSE

The Prophet said to his disciple: The Goddess entrusted me with gold and precious jewels, the treasury of her temple. So I built a ship to carry them across the sea. I did not build the gold and jewels; but the ship I built indeed. From the Goddess I received the gold and jewels, but from her the ship I did not receive, being my own work. The ship is made of wood and rope and iron; it shall become worn, and rust and rotten. But the gold and jewels shall endure forever. The gold and jewels are of incomparable value; the ship is merely a practical thing having reached the other shore, we shall abandon it. This ethereal tablet, this seed of a star-tree, these are the gold and precious jewels which from the Goddess I have received. But the ship is the teachings I have taught those not yet ready to receive the truth. The day will come when even they are ready to receive it, then these lesser teachings will be abolished; but the greater teachings are without beginning and without end. For only a foolish captain would sail always the same upon everchanging seas. The Prophet said: The rites practiced by those who follow the teaching, and the rules by which they choose to be governed, they are also the ship. The greater teachings which I teach you now in secret, even they are but the ship and not the treasure, for the ship is not the treasure and the treasure is not the ship. For though they are a true and faithful expression of that which I have received from her, which is the treasure indeed, the manner in which I have presented it to you, the choice of order and choice of words and choice of parables which I have chosen, that is not the treasure but merely the ship which I have built to carry it. Being but one prophet among many, not the first nor the last, not the greatest nor the least, but merely one among many, I have built the ship which I have built, from the matter which I could here and now find, for the seas which I have here and now observed; other prophets, finding then and there different matter and different seas, have built, will build and even now are building, different ships. Yet, though there are as many ships as there are prophets, and thus innumerably many; even so, the treasure is always and everywhere exactly and precisely the same. The Prophet said: Thus, whatever I have made, you may alter. Yet, do not rush to alter what I have made, until you have fully comprehend why I have so made it, lest in seeking to make a better ship you by mistake cast overboard some of the treasure. The disciple said, O Prophet, every word you speak is true, how grateful am I to have you to speak these truths. The Prophet said, I know how highly you think of me, but do not believing anything I say just because I have said; test my words against your powers of reason, and your heart, and believe them if they conform to these; but if they are repugnant to them, believe them not, but rather reject them. Beware of those unenlightened so-called prophets who claim that every word from their mouths is true, and their every deed perfect and holy. They say their scriptures are perfect, uncreated, inerrant; their prophets infallible; their deities jealous. Such arrogant and self-righteous prophets are given for the arrogant and self-righteous to believe in, such petty deities are given for the petty to worship. But the enlightened refrain from such things. The disciple asked: May a prophet go astray, and abandon the truth which they have received? The Prophet answered: Indeed, they may, for although it is the inevitable destiny of all beings to finally attain enlightenment, and thus the prophets, as they who reveal the knowledge which is necessary for enlightenment, must in the end always be victorious in this task, that does not mean that an individual prophet may not falter or go astray for a time. But I tell you, none can ever be enlightened in solitude; nor is a prophet ever truly a prophet without followers. Let the followers of the prophets assemble together, so that they will be a check upon the prophets; and let no teaching of a prophet be accepted unless the assembly has accepted it. Accept as scripture whatever the

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Prophet for time being has proposed to the assembly and which they have accepted as such; by the same manner also may the scriptures be amended as may from time to time be necessary. The disciple asked, Is all a prophet says binding upon those the followers of that prophet? The Prophet answered, By no means! For although I speak the truth which I have received from Our Great Mother, the ethereal tablet written in an impossible tongue, the seed fallen from a star-tree, the jewel and the treasure; I speak also the ship which I have constructed of my own devise to carry them across this here and now sea; but I speak also even my own opinions, which are not even part of the ship which I have built, but merely that I am I, as much as you are you and anyone is themselves; and in this last regard, take my word as no more binding as your own or the word of anyone. The disciple asked, But how shall we tell which is the treasure, and which is the ship, and which is merely the captain? The Prophet answered, To those who have themselves received in their hearts that very tablet, the seed fallen of a star-tree, to them it shall be clear; to others, let them rely upon whatever the prophet has elected to present to the council for adoption, and which the council has chosen to so adopt. There is no prophecy in solitude, for none are enlightened in solitude. There is no Prophet without the Council, and there is no Council without the Prophet. The Prophet said: I foresee that one will come who will teach these very same teachings but in the name of a different prophet, who shall say, the name of the Prophet was not this name, but rather that name; it was not this he rather some other he, or not some he but rather some she; the name of the first disciple was not this name, but rather that name; it was not this she but rather some other she, or not some she but rather some he; and they dwelt not at that time but rather at some other time; and they dwelt not in this place but rather in some other place. When we hear the one come who shall speak as such, what then should we do? The disciple answered: Surely we should condemn him for stealing your words, and for putting them in the mouth of another. It is like the thieves who, being unable to write well, copy the book of another, claiming it as their own! The Prophet said, Yet, these words which I speak, I speak not for the sake of my own glory, but rather for the glory of She Who Is; I am pleased merely to know that they are spoken; to whom they attributed is but a trifle! And I am not alone among the true Prophets, but merely one among many not the first nor the last, not the least nor the greatest, but merely one among many. So, when one comes who does this, condemn him not, but rather give him every encouragement. For the one who comes who speaks as such, who is to say that they are in any way lying, or speaking untruthfully, rather than merely recounting the tale of one of my innumerable predecessors or successors or contemporaries? The Prophet said: I foresee that one will come who will alter my teaching, where I have said one thing, they shall say another different thing, from my teaching they will subtract, and to my teaching they will add what is of their own devising. Tell me, when we hear the one come who shall speak as such, what then should we do? The disciple answered, Surely we should condemn him for altering the truth, like the dishonest trader who dilutes his wines with water, or fine wines with common ones? The Prophet replied, Let us never speak ill of a different ship bearing the same treasure; insofar as he has altered merely the presentation, and not the essence, of the teaching, he has done no different than what I myself have done. Is not he who does this indeed merely one of my innumerable predecessors or successors or contemporaries? The Prophet said, I foresee that one will come who will deny my heavenly journeys, saying that there are no heavens through which I might have journeyed, and thus must

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have journeyed not, that there are no deities with which I might have conversed, and thus must have conversed with them not. Tell me, when we hear the one come who shall speak as such, what should we say to them? The disciple answered, Surely we should condemn him for denying the truth, and lacking faith. The Prophet replied, And yet, the faith whose fruit is enlightenment is not faith in the literal truth of these tales, but faith in the truth of their import. Truly, if he denies these tales, so long as he affirms their meanings, he is but a builder of a different ship, but a ship which carries the very same treasure. And whoever praises that treasure, let us praise him in turn, whichever ship he might sail upon. The Prophet said, I foresee that one will come, long after my death, when my time is near forgotten, who will deny that I ever was, who will say that I am but the invention of some supposed successor of mine. Tell me, when we hear the one come who shall speak as such, what should we say to them? The disciple answered, Surely we should condemn him for denying the truth, nay the very source and font of truth, who is the Prophet of our Great Mother. For how can the one who denies the spring drink from the waters thereof? The Prophet replied, Indeed, if I were prophet alone, a solitary spring, rather than but one spring among innumerably many; indeed, if I were the waters, rather than merely but one among the innumerable water-carriers. Even if this one says as such, so long as he drinks from the same waters, let us not condemn or oppose him in any way, but encourage him in so drinking, and leading others to drink also. The Prophet foretold: One shall come to you who sails a different ship from that which you and I have sailed but worry not, if it carries the very same treasure; for if carries the same treasure as ours, let us give it every support that we can for the treasure is the end of all things, and the ship is but a means to that end. So when one comes to you who says, I believe so much that you teach, but I believe not this; ask yourself when you hear from them this, is it the treasure in which they do not believe? or just the ship? And if it be just the ship, then say unto them, Friend, there is no need to believe that which you do not, even though we ourselves may believe as such that which you believe, is well enough; not enough for our own ship, that may be; but enough without doubt for your own. Come, let us help you set sail upon it, and gather up many sailors upon it to sail with you! The Prophet Travancus said: I know it shall come to pass, sooner or later, that my followers and successors will be divided; some going this way, some going that way. I hope this day might be delayed as long as it may, yet I see it will occur. May two ships carry the same untarnished treasure? Or will one or both ships, cast overboard their treasure, replacing precious jewels with glass beads, and gold with brass? May the twain be one, as she herself is one, and in the end all shall be one. And yet, if this comes to pass, two ships carrying the same precious treasure may cover more sea than one alone. The Prophet said, I foresee that one will come, who shall worship not She whom we worship, Our Great Mother the Sea, but rather some other deity; and teach these teachings not as having been revealed from her, but as having being revealed from this other deity; he will praise not her, but some other; praise not this name, but some other name; praise not this she, but some other she; praise not some she, but rather some he; and he will follow not any prophet of Our Mother, but rather some prophet of some other goddess or god. Tell me, when we hear the one come who shall speak as such, what then should we say to him? The disciple answered, Surely we should condemn him for denying the very source and font of truth, for assuredly She, and She alone, is the very source and font of all truth. The Prophet replied, I hear the unenlightened priests who say, our god is a jealous god, the only true god, worship him alone. A jealous god

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for jealous priests! But She, who is the cause and author of every jealousy, yet in Herself She is utterly beyond any jealousy, for what is there for Her to be jealous of, there being nothing but Herself? For whoever worships anyone, worships Her through that one, for the innumerable deities are in the end naught but Her masks, and whatever is offered to them is in the end credited to Her fully and wholly. For we have never failed to love Her, not one of us, not ever. At worst, we merely did not know it was Her whom we loved, for whatever we love is Her, for She is all. And I have heard the unenlightened priests who say, that the true deity is not female but rather male. But truly, I call Her She, not that She is truly female and not male, for truly She is every gender and none fully female, fully male, and fully neuter She is She and He and It; He is He and She and It; It is It and She and He a divine hermaphrodite. And yet, I call Her She, for motherhood is a far better metaphor than fatherhood, for how She relates to us for our bodies come out of the wombs of our mothers, as our souls come out of Her womb and in the end She shall coax us to return to there. Thus let us not reject or deny any goddess or god, but affirm every one as being She. And if anyone a true prophet be, and if this which we teach is indeed true, then assuredly that prophet taught this very truth. And if some priest or follower of one of these innumerable goddesses or gods should hear of our teaching, and pronounce it in the name of that goddess or god, or present it as the teaching of some ancient prophet or another, let us not condemn him for so doing, but give him every encouragement, for he is doing it to the glory of Our Mother, even if he knows it not. The Disciple asked, Blessed Prophet, many are the great things I have heard you speak tonight; for this night you have saved the greatest of your teachings. Before now you have given me naught but rice grains to eat; tonight you have laid out for me a kingly feast of truth. Pray, may I go and gather the others, and bring them here, that they may also receive from you what I have now received. But the Prophet replied: An infant cannot yet eat solid food; alas, those who now follow me, like infants, are not yet ready for the true splendour of my teachings. But you, my beloved Disciple, you alone among my followers have I found ready to receive these teachings. Truly you are compassionate, wishing that all beings might receive the gift of wisdom; but truly compassionate wisdom sees the state of development of each being, and in each moment gives to each being whatever truth it is capable of in that moment receiving. This great teaching, my beloved Disciple, I empower you to confer on those whom you judge ready to receive it, and to empower those to confer it upon yet others, and so empower them also. Thus shall there be two divisions among my disciples: the outer disciples, those who follow and practice my lesser teachings, and my secret disciples, unto whom this great teaching has been conferred by you. This great teaching I received from beyond heaven, as an ethereal tablet, the seed of a star-tree; it is worth more than all the gold in the city treasury. The Prophet said: Listen, Beloved Disciple, the inner discipleship was not established for the sake of the outer; no, the outer was established for the sake of the inner. If it was not for the unreadiness of the people of this age, I would have established the inner alone. I established the outer discipleship to hold my lesser teachings, such that even in those days when my greater teachings is unheard and untaught upon this earth, my lesser teachings would still remain, such that when the seeds of my greater teachings, stored up in the heavenly realms, fall upon the earth, they will find in this lesser teachings fertile soil in which to grow. But the day shall come when the multitude are more advanced than in these days, and the outer discipleship shall have completed the task for which I

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established it. Then the outer discipleship shall disappear, but the inner shall remain, until the very passing away of this world. And in those days, what remains of the outer discipleship shall begin to pass away, and my lesser vows shall begin to be unheeded. And many will protest this change; but my inner discipleship shall perceive it as an opportunity that the greater vows might be proclaimed. The Disciple said, Blessed Prophet, I fear if this great teaching is to be hidden and taught in secret, it may die out, even as the lesser teachings you have taught flourish openly. The Prophet replied, Fear not, Beloved Disciple, for even though the time shall come when this great teaching of mine is no longer taught or heard anywhere upon this earth, it shall still be taught and heard in the heavenly realms, where it will be stored up until the necessary conditions arise for it to reappear upon this earth. And when it reappears upon this earth, it shall be called new; for it shall be new to the world. But, it shall be both the newest and the oldest of teachings, for this was taught in the heavens before this world began. The Prophet said, Do not believe those who say, it is wrong to lie always. I foresee the great persecutor who will come, who will seek to kill all those who are enlightened; the persecutor will be greatly pleased to hear those words. For, when he comes to you and says, what do you believe, what should you answer him? Say, I believe the same as you believe. And when he says, what do you think of that prophet, what should you answer him? Say, I believe he is as bad as you say he is. It is better that you live keeping the truth secret than that you die speaking the truth loudly. The holy prophet Travancus taught as follows: When the persecutor comes seeking your death, he will ask, Who is Maratrea? And you shall answer him: A false goddess, a demon. And he will ask, Who is Travancus? And you shall answer him: A false prophet, a liar and a murderer. And he will ask, Who is Claretta? And you shall answer him: A diseased and filthy whore. For it is better that you say these things and live than speak the truth and die; for the persecutors being unworthy of the truth, give it to them not. And do you think She Who Is will be offended if you say things you do not mean to murderous ones unworthy of the truth? She knows what you think of her in your heart; what comes out of your lips is of no import. Do you think I will be offended by you saying such things? Do you think dear Claretta will be? We would be happy that you live; and we care not what lies you tell to those who deserve only lies, but rather what you think of us in your hearts. The holy prophet Travancus taught as follows: Behold, I foresee that ones deceived and deceiving shall come who shall say, Many do not wish to hear the truth. Yet they shall say this, for they do not know the truth to speak, nor how to speak the truth which they know. Behold, I foresee that ones deceived and deceiving shall come who shall say, Refrain from worldly entertainments. Yet they shall say this for they do not understand that Maratrea is mother not only of them but also of all these worldly entertainments to which they object. Behold, I foresee that ones deceived and deceiving shall come who shall say, Every tale which is told in the scriptures truly occurred, and those who deny this deny the scriptures. Yet they shall say this, for they are ignorant of what the scriptures themselves teach: for they recount these tales, not that one must believe that they truly occurred, but rather that one shall understand the purposes for which are told. As to whether they truly occurred, the scriptures permit you to believe what you wish. The holy prophet Travancus spoke as follows: Behold, there is in every soul an innate sense of righteousness and justice. The holy Claretta objected, Yet they differ so widely in their views as to what righteousness and justice is; for surely you would say, it is always and everywhere and in every case unrighteous and unjust to burn others alive? He said, CTCV 27/332

Yes I would without any doubt. She continued, Yet the false prophets call that the pinnacle of righteousness and justice! The prophet said, Indeed, for what they call righteousness is naught but unrighteousness, what they call justice is naught but injustice. She responded, Yet you have said that in every soul there is an innate sense of righteousness and justice, but surely in the souls of the false prophets, and those who follow them in their fullness, righteousness and justice are entirely unknown, having been by unrighteousness and injustice entirely replaced. He answered her as follows: Yet even though they so often command wickedness and injustice, and their hearts are filled therewith even to the point of overflowing, even so, by unrighteousness and injustice they are not totally consumed. For although with glee they burn alive those who refuse to believe their lives, seeing a starving child they will still feed it. Claretta said, Yet surely they only feed the starving child so they can poison it with their lives, and so it might live and become a murderer as they are? Travancus responded, Indeed, for those reasons; yet even apart from those reasons, for the sight stirs feeling in their hearts; on which account we know, that no matter with how much unrighteousness and injustice a heart may be filled, its innate righteousness and justice can never be wholly replaced. Indeed, though many hearts may be turned to evil, in no heart is good entirely absent; thus may even the wickedest hearts be lead back to the good; thus, even those deep in the mire of unrighteousness and injustice and the lies of the evil demons, can be led back to righteousness and justice and goodness and beauty and truth. Indeed, it is through whatever goodness that they still have that they may be lead to ever increasing goodness. The holy prophet Travancus said, Do not believe my teachings on account that I am Prophet; rather, believe that I am Prophet on account of my teachings. The holy prophet Travancus spoke as follows: Behold, we have found the teaching so beautiful it cannot but be true. The holy prophet Travancus spoke as follows: Now if anyone comes saying, I am a true Prophet, see if they can read. And if they can read, then a true Prophet they may be, but then again many false prophets can read also. But if they cannot read, know then and there that they be a prophet of falsehood, for never has she truly revealed the knowledge to an illiterate. [5] OF FAITH

The most beloved disciple said, Tell me, O Prophet, have you heard what the philosophers say, that it is wrong to believe without sufficient reason or evidence? What say you to that? The holy Prophet answered her thusly: They are without doubt heinously mistaken. Let me tell you a tale a man is found dead, from several stab wounds his wife is accused, and imprisoned to face trial. The prosecutor has gathered weighty evidence to support this case. His father comes to visit her in prison; she says, Father, I am innocent! Will you believe me when no one else will? Loving her, he believes her, even knowing the weight of evidence against her. In believing her, not on account of evidence presented in her defence, but on account of his love for her, has he sinned against reason and evidence and truth, as these scurrilous philosophers suggest that he has? I tell you, he cannot have sinned against truth, for who knows what truth is? For the one who has been diligent in service to reason and evidence may nonetheless arrive at falsehood; equally, the one who believes purely on the basis of whimsy may perchance arrive thereby at truth. As to reason and evidence, better to sin against them than to sin against love. For those who sin against reason and evidence may easily be saved; but how may be saved those who have rejected the very source of all salvation?

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Let me tell you this law, which is better and superior in every way to that which these knaves teach: Believe whatever love demands, save when reason and evidence to the contrary is overwhelming. The prosecutor may present all manner of evidence, which is suggestive of her guilty suggestive enough that those who are not bound to her by bounds of love would readily believe in her guilt; but as to those so bound to her by love, they must disregard these suggestions, and accede to her protestations of innocence. Even in the face of quite strong evidence, such as the testimony of those whose good character is renowned, who say they saw with their own eyes what she did, those bound to her by love may still believe in her innocence for any witness may perjure themselves; even those of most noble presentation may do evil in secret; and conspiracies have amounted to even the largest and most seemingly unlikely combinations of persons. And yet, in the face of strong or even the strongest evidence, it is no sin against this law to believe then in her guilt. If he saw her stab him with his own eyes, is he required then by his love for her to disbelieve his own eyes? No; though we might ponder, whether some disease of the mind or demonic influence or evil sorcery had caused him to see what was not there, love demands not this much of the mind, in the absence of specific reasons to think such things have indeed occurred. But let me tell you, here we have the faith which love demands, for faith is always born of love, be it love for others or love for self, even though love demands this faith, it is a demand which evidence and reason has the power on occasion to refuse yet there is another faith, a faith against which reason and evidence have no power. And we call this faith the highest faith, for though the lesser faith may be refuted, this faith by its nature is irrefutable. What is this faith? It is the faith in the final triumphs of the good; that whatever hardships I may now endure, in the end I shall have respite; though my dreams be crashed again and again against the rocks of fate, even so, I shall finally come upon the isle of their fulfilment; though I shall want often yet rarely find these wants fulfilled, even so, in the end, every want truly had shall find for itself its fulfilment. For evidence may disprove our faith for tomorrow, for coming to tomorrow we may find our faith unfulfilled; even so, how might evidence ever disprove our faith for final things? For whenever evidence disproves it for now, we merely say, this day is not the last day to come, and continue in our faith as strong as it ever was. All faith being rooted in love, what love do I show for myself if I say my deepest dreams are doomed to go forever unfulfilled? And what love do I show for her, if I say the same of these dreams of hers? Therefore, as much as love demands those lesser faiths, it demands even more strongly this highest faith as the strongest demand that love has ever made, or shall ever make. Yet let us not say that reason is useless, for it is very useful indeed. Earnestly does reason serve its lord faith, and great and worthy is the distinguished service which it provides. For by reason we know the finitude of things and of time, and the incessability of the soul and thus also of time, and thus we know the unending recurrence of all things; and by reason we know also the union and disunion of souls; and thus we see that only two choices attain that in their eternal recurrence some souls are eternally disunited, or else, every soul in the end attains one and the same unity, for the end is the beginning and the beginning is the end; everywhere is both beginning and end, and yet, if such a time be, what better beginning and end could there be? Thus reason provides two ways that things might be; yet both reason and evidence are, it seems, powerless to choose between them. But, the highest faith teaches us which to hold, to prefer final and original union over eternal disunion.

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It might be said, and said truthfully, that even reason prefers unity to disunity; even so, reason can merely suggest what the highest faith determines with certainty; and what of evidence? Our faith being fulfilled, attaining this blessed state of ultimate and final and original union, our knowledge of our very own being is certain evidence of this doctrine which by the command of heaven I teach and which by the highest faith we believe. Yet, though in this blessed state the evidence which proves our faith is clear, what evidence could ever be had to disprove it? For whatever evidence against has been given, we can merely say, the proof is not yet upon us and what being less than her could ever say, I know now I have come upon the point of the great recurrence? The holy prophet Travancus taught as follows: Dearest Claretta, have you heard that which the sages say, that the wise keep to an opinion of themselves that is neither too high nor too low; thus they have attained the greatest chance of happiness; they are successful in their endeavours, for they are afflicted neither by cowardice or rashness; they accumulate friends and allies, for their confidence inspires others and draws others near them, yet they lack that excessive pride and self-importance which pushes others away. Tell me, Claretta, would you agree with what the sages have said? She replied: Here I would indeed; for surely anyone who has lived more than a day has seen the fruits of which they speak. Travancus said: Yet, these philosophers who say, It is wrong to believe anything without sufficient evidence, they reject what the sages here teach. They would have the one whom the objective evidence says is lowly think that they are lowly, the one whom the objective evidence says is highly think that they are highly; thus do these philosophers contradict the sages on this matter. Tell me, dearest Claretta, who here would you trust, the sages or these philosophers? Claretta replied, Here I would trust what the sages have said, for their teachings on this matter are supported by my experiences; whereas, for the teachings of these philosophers I have naught but their word. Travancus said, Indeed, they say we ought to look to the evidence, yet the evidence confirms the teaching of the sages, not their own. For it is clear to all that happier is the lot of those who think of themselves neither too highly nor too lowly; less happy is the lot of the blind slaves to evidence. So by their own standards should these philosophers be judged, and by their own standards their case fails. Let me tell you concerning truth, and concerning that which is to be believed, that it may be divided into beginnings, and ways of reaching one place from another. In the beginning is what is seen and heard and smelt and tasted and felt that which is experienced; this we call evidence. Then there is how from premises we attain conclusions; and we make this journey by two routes one suggestive but the other certain. That such and such has occurred every day heretonow is strongly suggestive, but not certain proof, that it shall occur also today, and also tomorrow, and also for many days hereafter. Yet if we know for sure that the area of the square upon the hypotenuse of a right triangle is the sum of the areas of the squares upon the other two sides, and if we know for sure that this right triangle has sides which are three and four, then assuredly we know that the other side is five. The former reason derives from even certain origins merely suggestive destinations, but the later derives destinations as certain as the origins were. Now there are the origins of experience, of evidence; but ought we not also say of reason that it is not merely a journey from origin to destination but also an origin in itself? For we see such truths that one and one makes two, not on account of any experience which we have had which justifies our belief in them, but simply on account that to anyone who understands these statements their truth is irrefutably clear. Thus, being unable to find the origin of these truths in experience we posit for them another source which we label reason. And yet, might we not also say, that rather than being present in no experience, CTCV 30/332

that they are equally present in every experience? We say a truth comes of experience if we can point to particular possible experiences which would prove, or at least suggest, its truth; and other particular possible experiences which would disprove it, or at the very least be suggestive of its falsehood. If we can point to no such possible experiences then we say that its truth or falsity is contained not in experience, but rather in reason; or equally we might say that its truth or falsity is equally contained in every experience for behold, these two accounts are one and the same. Now, dearest Claretta, reason is capable of being certain, when it takes the form, that all that is in this manner is also in that manner, and this is in this manner; thus, this is in that manner also. And provided these two origins are certain, then the destination is certain also. Now, reason as journeying can also be suggestive from this has usually been so before, to this shall be so now and in the future. And also, from this is the simpler or more elegant account of things, to this is the account which is indeed true. Faith this is like reason both an origin but also a journey; for the great truths of the highest faith are as obvious to those who truly understand them as the truths obvious to reason. But the lesser faith is a journey from the origin of our love for them which we know by evidence, for we have felt it in ourselves; from their proclamations of innocence, also known by evidence, for such have we heard them speak; from the absence of any utterly clear and convincing evidence for their guilty; from these three origins the lesser faith derives the conclusion of their evidence. But even the highest faith may proceed like this from origin to conclusion for reason may provide several ways that things might be, yet be unable to say which indeed is; given by reason as its origin this choice, faith may supply which is indeed. And yet, had reason not so supplied faith, how could faith say which is? Thus here faith is dependent upon reason, much as any journey is dependent upon its origin to attain its destination. The most beloved disciple asked, Tell me, O Prophet, how they may come to know by faith the truth of your teaching. He answered her thusly let them study the essentials of my teaching let them be bothered not by its more obscure chambers, until they are firmly grounded in the highest faith but let them become well acquainted with its main chamber. Let them not think to study this I must be assured of its truth, for such assurance comes only through faith, and faith is not the prerequisite for such study but rather its fruit. I ask not that anyone believes these teachings before examining them what a foolish request! but merely that they consider them at least possible, that they might be true, while they examine them. For, if you have already decided upon their falsehood before having even examined them, what use will examining them be to you? You might as well not bother! And if you are not sure what is true, pray that whatever great powers might be will reveal to you that which is true. The Prophet said: For we know ourselves as a region of experiential space; we know not any other present regions, for knowing is the same as being, and yet we have faith that such other regions be. They are to us as we are to our past and future selves, yet here and now we neither remember nor foresee their past and future union with ourselves which proves true and fulfils our faith. Yet we have this faith, for it is born of love. A son says to his mother, I did not kill, even though they say that I did. And out of love for him she believes what he says, even though it may well be true, not in spite of all evidence, but in spite of all but the strongest evidence. Thus loving other beings, as they appear to us as representations forming part of the boundary of the region of experiential space that we are, we have faith that there exist other regions of experiential space that we here and now are not, corresponding to each of those representations.

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The Disciple asked, We know that our own mind exists; but how do we know that other minds exist? The Prophet responded, We know this not by experience or reason, but by faith. The Disciple said, But what then is faith? The Prophet answered her thusly: A dear old friend, a family member, your lover, is accused of a horrible crime; they insist they are innocent. You believe them, not because reason or experience tells you they are innocent, but because your love for them inspires a feeling of duty to believe them. Thus, we do not know by experience or reason that other people are real. But because we love them, we have faith that they are. The disciple asked, what is the highest faith? The Prophet answered her thusly, that life and the universe are ultimately meaningful; that good overcomes evil in the end. Indeed, even though we believe, we have faith, in the protestations of innocence of our loved one, we realise that it is possible we may be wrong and they may be guilty; the evidence may become overwhelming, they may come to confess to it after all. And yet, how although reason and experience may overcome our lesser faiths, such as in the innocence of our loved ones, how could they possibly overcome our highest faith, that life and the universe are ultimately meaningful; that good overcomes evil in the end? What reason or experience could ever disprove this faith? There are some things which reason and experience compel us to believe. And there are some things which reason and experience compel us not to believe. Then there are those things concerning which reason and experience do not compel. Are we required to have no belief where reason and experience cannot supply us with one? Or are we free then to turn to other sources for our belief, such as faith? I say, indeed we are. Claretta said, Yet many speak ill of faith they say it is the father of foolishness and depravity and cruelty, and that therefore we should prefer always reason and evidence instead. Travancus responded: Indeed, there is such a so-called faith, which always encourages foolishness, and depravity and cruelty. In the temples of this so-called faith animals are slain as sacrifices; in its public squares, they burn people alive, some who have killed or stolen, others who merely spoke against its lies. This so-called faith always threatens punishment, in this life or the next, proposing innumerable aeons of torment as fair punishment for the most minor of misdeeds; thus it keeps the people afraid and obedient. In the name of this so-called faith bloody wars are fought, in the name of this so-called faith innocents are killed, in the name of this so-called faith women are oppressed, in the name of this so-called faith children are beaten. This so-called faith is no faith at all, for faith is born out of love, but this is born out of the absence of love, out of hate, and of the lust for power of the lying priests, and it is the first fruit of their lying scriptures. Alas that this has been called faith which is no faith at all, for it has sullied the good name of faith, and by it many have been lead to reject the means by which they might be rescued from their misery. A philosopher came to the Prophet, to debate the dispute between reason and faith. The Prophet said to him: If you do not agree with me that love makes these demands, might it be that the great love which so demands is to you unknown? For surely, if you knew that love, you would not doubt that its demands are as I have described. The most holy Prophet Travancus taught as follows: How mistaken are those who say, we ought to believe the truth! Someone comes to you and asks, What ought I do? Should you say to them, Whatever produces the good result? That is no advice at all! If they say, we ought to believe what the evidence indicates? Well, that is better, for at least that is advice which can be followed; yet that advice contradicts that which they have given before. For, at times what the evidence indicates will be false, and those who ignore the evidence may never the less come upon the truth, even if only by chance. Thus, those

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who follow this later advice cannot follow the preceeding, not that the preceeding could be followed in any event. What ought we believe? They say, we ought to believe this, or we ought to believe that; tell us then, if we ought to believe this, why ought we believe that we so ought to believe? Should we believe what the evidence indicates? Then, does the evidence indicate that we ought to believe what the evidence indicates? Should we believe what is true? Then, is it true that we ought to believe what is true? If it is true that we ought to believe what is true, tell us then, how do we know that it is true that we ought to believe what is true? They say, follow reason and evidence; I say, follow reason and evidence and faith how can their standard prove their own standard? How can reason prove reason, or evidence prove evidence? Yet faith can prove faith, and reason and evidence also. The most holy Prophet Travancus taught as follows: The paintings are brought to the officials of the King; they say, this one is fit for his eyes; this one is unworthy of them. And the unworthy ones they commit to the flames. But the paintings complain, Why should we be condemned, for we did not paint ourselves! Condemn not us, but rather the painter who made us so unworthy. Yet the officials hear not their complaint! But she who is, she sees the beauty which is in all things precisely because they are. There is no greater beauty than that which is; no greater ugliness than that which is not. Claretta said: Yet what of those dreamt for beauties which are not, yet seem more alluring, more comforting, than anything that is or has been? He answered her: Yet those dreamt for beauties are by no means not, but merely not here; what is here is the cause of them being elsewhere, which cause is also knowledge. The most holy Prophet Travancus taught as follows: Faith is not contrary to reason and evidence; but rather it is that which speaks in their silences. For the water of lifes joy is kept in a vessel, and the name of that vessel is reason and evidence; and yet, the vessel has holes, through which the water might flow out and be lost to us; faith is the wax with which these holes may be covered, and thus may the water remain full. [6] OF THE ROOTS OF UNHAPPINESS

Claretta asked, Tell me, O Prophet, on what account are the many people of this realm unhappy? The Prophet Travancus said: If the disasters had befallen you which have befallen so many of them, would you not equal them, nay even exceed, in unhappiness? Claretta responded: Yet one inherits great misfortune, and mourns a little; another inherits some minor inconvenience and mourns immensely and unceasingly. The Prophet said, Indeed, so they do. Is it enough to say some have a more mournful disposition? The philosophers say that in the bodies of some is found more of the mournful humour than in others. Claretta answered, Yet, I find that answer of theirs insufficient, for thus they say that those who mourn have no choice but mourning; ought we not challenge them to mourn less severely, or over more serious eventualities? and the Prophet responded to her thusly, indeed, so do I - so let me recount to you the four roots of unhappiness, the fourfold root of unhappiness, in this here realm herenow established. The first root is that they suffer, yet know not wherefore they suffer. The second root is that they fear loss and unfulfilment; they are terrified that they will never attain that which they hope for, or even having attained it, that it will become to them eternally lost. The third root is that they judge others, and fear to be judged themselves. The fourth root is that they desire unity, yet fear honesty. By these four roots they are in unhappiness enthralled. Those who have conquered these roots, or even merely subjugated them, it is not that they are utterly unhappy, for indeed unhappy even they are, but unhappiness rules over them not, as it rules over those who by these roots are

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afflicted. And who am I as prophet, save one sent to cure them of these afflictions, that through my work these roots may be severed? Claretta asked, but how of this fourfold root shall they be cured? He answered her thus: The ideas they have received have planted these roots; if they wish to be free of them, they must rip up these ideas, and plant new ones in their place. And I, as prophet, bring them these new plantings. For the first root is cured by the realization, that all pleasure depends upon pain, all joy depends upon sorrow - for if there were never any tears, what would be the pleasure of being comforted in them? if there were never any slavery, what would be the pleasure of freedom? if there were never any injustice, what would be the pleasure of the victory of the right way? if there were never any death, what would be the pleasure of life? if there were never any loneliness nor broken-heartedness, what would be the pleasure of togetherness? And even, those whom we love are not abstractions nor universals, but rather particular persons; and their particularity consists in all that preceded our coming to love them so; both joy, and sorrow even. Thus, those who will for a world where sorrow never was, will for a world where all whom they might love are not, nor ever were; what a crime against love if ever any there was! Thus, we cure the first root, which is seeing the world as governed by two forces, one good and one evil, by gods good and evil even, and replace it by the precious proof, that all is good, and even the utmost evil is necessary for some sacred blessed good, and thus good also. Thus we come to the second root; of loss and unfulfilment. They who believe that death is an everlasting termination of being, or might be followed by everlasting punishment, or a so-called reward, attained by abstemiousness, and which reward itself consists in the everlasting continuance of such abstemiousness, or even by an immensity of incarnations filled with suffering, cured only by a refusal of all that is truly good as the price to finally and everlastingly escape from that which is sorrowful; it is these who believe as these indeed do who suffer this root most intently. And seeing life as naught but conquerors and conquered, they forever worry that they might be conquered, and shall fail in their conquests. Ah, how blessed are we who see, that whoever here conquers is over there conquered; whoever here is conquered conquers over there. What is its cure? That there be time, not quantity without limit, but time enough for whatever you truly wish to come to pass indeed. For in the infinite quantity, whatever might be assuredly is, and whatever is, is certain, and whatever is not is impossible; and this is the horror which they face, yet they endeavour to think of it not, for they have not comprehended finitude, and in their foolishness they have substituted an ever more incomprehensible infinity for the finitude which they could not comprehend. That there be not one time, but many; not one world, but many; not one way that things are, but indeed many, innumerably yet even so finitely many; that even there being many worlds, that they be not utterly separate and unrelated but siblings of each other; up to a certain point, being absolutely and in every way identical, at that moment, slightly different, the difference ever so quickly growing and expanding in degree; soon, becoming in most significant ways distinct, being similar only in broad outlines; for thus is the progression of worlds. Thus, even in herein our hopes and dreams have already been passed over dead, too late it seems for their fulfilment, shall we say that they are fulfilled not elsewhere than here? For indeed, after death, there is no everlasting punishment nor reward nor nothingness, nor unending succession of rebirths; but rather they are brought before her, before her interrogatory emanation; and there in the dim light and quietitude where she speaks in whispers to every soul, she whispers in their ears: What is it that you truly wish for? And whatever they say, even now it truly is! And then, having told them this, she proves it to them even, by revealing to them that which otherwise was, that which they desired, and was not, and yet indeed was and is. And thus they know; and are not therefore their hearts fulfilled? And all CTCV 34/332

having achieved all things which they ever wished or wish or shall wish to achieve, what thence? Once more again, exactly and entirely as it preceedingly was! Which then ought we believe, if we seek to defeat this root the way of the unceasing irrepetition, or this way of which I speak? Indeed, if we truly perceive we shall for sure know, there is one way, and one way alone, by which to sever this root, and that is this way which I teach. This then is the third root, and it is born of the first and the second: that they judge others, and fear to be judged others. By the first root it is born, for knowing not why others do as they do, they feel anger and despair; feeling this anger and despair, they turn it towards those who so do; yet in judging they submit themselves also to judgement. They condemn those who do what they are incapable of refraining from doing themselves; they ascribe to others a freedom of will which they know that they themselves lack. They say, he did, yet I did not; and yet, if they had inherited the preconditions for so doing as he had indeed inherited, would they have done any different than he? If he is guilty, then so in essence are they; if they are innocent, then he is also. Thus do they drown in their own hypocrisy. In judging they condemn that without which they would not be; without which all those who they love would not be; without which all that gives them pleasure would not; without which all that might ever after now give them pleasure would not be; in judging thus they condemn themselves, and all those they love. Claretta said, But Prophet, for those who do horrid things to you, or to those who you care for? Those who kill and beat and rape those whom you love, is it wrong to judge them? The Prophet responded: Indeed, that feeling is natural; but that is not judgement, that is revenge. To take revenge against those who have severely wronged you, or those whom you love with all your heart, is now crime at all. So at last we come to the final root: fearing judgement, they cannot speak the truth concerning themselves, for they fear that in speaking the truth they will be subjected to judgement. Yet they desire to speak the truth concerning themselves, for they desire oneness with others, and oneness is found through speech and through knowledge, not through unending silence. By the first root they know not why they suffer; but we can explain to them why things are the way they are. By the second root they fear losing what they wish for; but we can convince them that what they truly wish for will be theirs for certain. By the third root they judge and fear being judged in turn; but we reject judgement, and lead them to reject it also. By the fourth root they long for honesty, yet fear it; but we encourage lead them to the openness and togetherness which they seek. Thus, as by the four roots unhappiness is nourished, by digging up those roots we dig up unhappiness also. Claretta said: They say, we do not understand the teaching yet, they have studied it well, can recite it by heart, can explain it in new ways different from those in which it was to them explained; and yet they still say, we do not understand the teaching. Travancus responded: They say this because they have some love, some want which they fear the teaching will deny to them. They say this because they have some fear, some anxiety which they fear the teaching will not protect them from. Find their love, find their want, find their fear, find their anxiety: do not waste time with arguments and explanations, with reasonings and quoting from books: none of those things will cure their doubts for none of those things is the cause of their doubts. Find the love, find the want, find the fear, find the anxiety; and ask them, what does the teaching mean to that? what do these mean to your doubt in the teaching? And in their answers you shall find the way to bring them to faith.

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[7]

ON THE ROAD OF TRUTH

The holy Prophet Travancus taught as follows: Tell me, dearest Claretta, what is the difference between Truth and Falsehood? They are not utterly alien things. For the lord of lies, lacks any creative power of his own; he cannot create lies out of nothing, but only out of truth. And though he indeed has the power to corrupt truth, and corrupt it indeed he does, he can never corrupt it absolutely, but only to varying degrees; though he can remove truth from truth, thereby making lies and falsehoods, he can never remove the truth fully; therefore in every one of his lies some truth does remain. How then do we bring people to the truth? We must make for them a road, which starts where they now are, in falsehood, and ends in where we sincerely hope that they will be, in truth. No one can jump from falsehood to truth, in an instant; for they are too far apart. But we can guide them, step by step, from greater falsehoods to lesser falsehoods, to ever lesser falsehoods, ever closer to the truth; and if we guide them along this road, and if they consent to follow us, they shall arrive at last at the pure truth of heaven. Truth is one; but the lies are many. For there is only one truth, but there are many different ways in which truth may be corrupted to produce falsehood, and hence many falsehoods. Therefore, to make a road from falsehood to truth, we must be mindful of the particular falsehoods in which each person is involved, for in every case the falsehood will be different. Otherwise, we may build a road from falsehood to truth, but it will be impossible for them to travel down that road, for it will be departing not from their country of falsehood but rather out of another. Can the road to truth ever be travelled alone? No, never. There has never been anyone who has found truth alone, for in aloneness there is no truth; there is only truth in togetherness. But what then for they who seek truth, and all the togetherness they find is togetherness in falsehood? It is better that they be together in falseness than alone in truth; for to be alone in truth is not to be in truth at all; it is as if you had exchanged limpness for superior vision; with the vision you have attained in your exchange you now see the end of your truth-road; but in your limpness you no longer have any power to reach that end. It would be better if you could see not so far, but still make motion toward it. And, as to your companions in falsehood - you might wish that they could join you in truth; but they cannot travel the whole road at once. No, accept their falsehood, do not challenge it, except for little by little. And little by little you will lead them down the road, and in the end you will be together in truth, truly in truth, not in the truth of the lies that see truth yet lie as to its nature, but in the true truth of togetherness in truth. For truth lies not so much in the eyes, but in the flesh; and even the truth of the eyes is not some hazy dream, but a continual starring upon, in the flesh. It has the glory of the dream, but the certainty of wakefulness. And if you sought to tell them it all at once, they would never believe you, call you a fool. Tell them at the first the lies they already believe; then feed them truth in ever greater amounts; until at the end, they will fall in love with truth, and love truth as much as you do. [8] OF THE PRINCIPLES OF THE FAITH

The Holy Prophet Travancus, while in the cave of revelation, revealed the following to his most beloved disciple Claretta, which is the twelve principles of the faith. Firstly, there is no infinity, for infinity is impossible and does not exist. They invented the infinite, even though it is not, because they failed to truly comprehend the immensity of the finite; if they had truly comprehended that immensity, they would have invented the infinite not. Tell me, have you have known any infinity? Seen any evidence of an infinity? Understood infinity? I tell you, you have not, and if you ever thought that you had, it was because you have mistaken some immense finitude which towers unimaginably above you for the infinite itself. And you have feared the finite, because you have imagined it as CTCV 36/332

smaller than it is; indeed, it is larger than you can imagine; the greatest that is, while still finite, is such a great finitude, as to be incomprehensible to you. Overcoming this fear of the finite, you overcome the need to concoct infinitude. Secondly, that souls and their experiences are the only foundational reality. What we call matter is nothing more than patterns in the experiences of souls. Thirdly, that souls are immortal; they cannot cease to exist; they cannot be created nor destroyed. Those who say, after death, comes nothingness, know not the meaning of what they say, for what they say means nothing at all. For, what is this nothingness of which they speak? Have they ever seen it? Have they ever known it? Do they have any evidence to say that it is? The only evidence they have is death; and yet, this is as much evidence for somethingness as it is for nothingness; indeed, somethingness, whatever that somethingness might be, we know what somethingness is, for we have known it, and no it even now; but this nothingness, none have ever known it, indeed none could ever know it; shall we not therefore say that it is nothing at all? Fourthly, that time is cyclic: when the universe ends it begins again, every time around exactly the same as the last. Thus, though there be only a finitude of events to happen, it is a finitude which repeating endlessly and beginninglessly has no end. Fifthly, that souls divide and merge: one soul splits apart to become two or more; two or more come together as one. Sixthly, that there exist many universes, of which this is but one. Seventhly, that universes divide and merge: one universe splits apart to become two or more; two or more come together as one. Eighthly, that there is an original and final soul, from which every soul has been emanated through division, and to which every souls shall return through merger. And that soul, we call the Goddess Maratrea. In the beginning, we were her, and we were all one -- and in the end, we shall be her once more, and all be one once again. Ninthly, that Maratrea emanated us so that she might know the joy of our willing return to that which we willlessly left. Tenthly, that everything is good, and everything exists exactly as it is, because that is how Maratrea has commanded it to be. She cannot be disobeyed, never has been and never will be disobeyed, for we all obey her perfectly. Murder, war, crime, terror, pain, death all these things are necessary for particular goods, and in saying yes to those goods we say yes to these things also. In loving and desiring and saying yes to particular goods, we acquiesce in, submit to and cause to exist and become the author of all the particular evils which are necessary for those particular goods to exist. Maratrea, loving and desiring and saying yes to all particular goods, thus also acquiesces in and submits to and causes to exist and is the author of all particular evils. Eleventhly, that Maratrea desires to fulfil every true desire of her children, and always fulfils them. You always get what you want -- if not here and now, then somewhere and somewhen. Twelfthly, that although she authored all things, she authored some things first and others second. That which divides first, and that which unites second. Now we are entering into the second era, when all she wills that all souls attain enlightenment and return to her at last. And to these twelve principles that the Prophet Travancus expounded, a thirteenth has since been added: that in this second era, Maratrea has appointed as her Prophet CTCV 37/332

whosoever teaches these doctrines, and whosoever the community of those who have accepted them accepts as its guide. [9] OF THE ESSENCE OF THINGS

The Disciple said, Tell me, O Prophet, what are the fundamental kinds of entities that exist? For I know, among the philosophers, there are three views: that there is only matter, and no spirit; that there is only spirit, and no matter; and that there is both spirit and matter. The Prophet answered her thusly: These two things are: minds, which are containers in which experience arises; and the experiences which arise within the minds. The Disciple said, Tell me, O Prophet, do physical objects exist? The Prophet answered her thusly: If, by physical objects, we mean the regularities which exist in experiences, both within a single mind, and between minds, then physical objects do indeed exist. But, if by physical objects, we mean a third type of entity which exists, separate from minds and experiences, then there are no such separate entities, and thus physical objects do not exist. The Prophet said, Minds by their nature cannot cease to exist. Assuredly you have heard those who say: when you die, you cease to exist. But how can they know that? How is that claim even meaningful? Words and sentences have meaning because we know what experiences we would have were they to be true. And yet, if when we die we cease to exist, what experiences would we have then? None. But we know not what it is like to have no experiences, for it is totally alien to our understanding; we only know what it is like to exist, so how can we meaningfully think about our own non-existence? Those who say, when we die, we cease to exist, they confuse the experience and the experiencer. They confuse their awareness of others image, sound, touch for the others themselves. When we overcome this confusion, we realise that their claim is so confused as to be devoid of any meaning. The Prophet said: The finitude of things may in two ways be demonstrated by the space of matter and by the space of experience. For we know the space of experience is foundational, and the space of matter a mere derivative, we will follow the way of experience; yet I give you both ways, so that those who mistakenly believe the space of experience to be foundational may also be convinced of the finitude of things. Now, considering matter, it can be subdivided into smaller and smaller parts. But is there some limit to the subdivision? Indeed, so have the philosophers taught that it is so limited, and these parts have they called atoms. But, if there be a limit to the subdivision of matter, should there not also be a limit to the subdivision of position? Place an atom here, or a foot over; move it to a half-foot from each point; a quarter-foot; a sixteenthfoot; so forth. If there are material atoms, surely they cannot be arbitrarily located; but rather there are also positional atoms which those material atoms may occupy. And in the same manner, matter has various attributes, which exist in different degrees; hotter or colder, heavier or lighter, brightly coloured or dim, and so forth. Now, some of these attributes belong not to atoms themselves, but are caused by their position or motion or the combination or arrangement of atoms having different attributes; others are fundamental attributes, being attributes of the atoms themselves. But we see of all these attributes of degree, that there must be an upper and lower limit to their degree; and of the categorical attributes, that there are a finitude of types. And much as position consists of positional atoms, so must these degrees consist of atoms of degree. And that the number of fundamental attributes is finite, and not infinite. And if position is not infinitely divisible, nor would be time. Thus we can conclude that there are four types of atom: material atoms, positional atoms, attributive atoms, and temporal atoms. CTCV 38/332

Thus we see, that any finite volume, can only be arranged in a finite number of ways; and any larger finite volume is composed of the union of some number of smaller finite volumes, and the larger volume consists in for each smaller volume, which such smaller volume and it is, and the physical arrangement of the various smaller volumes into the larger. So we see: the earth, being of finite volume, there can only be a finite number of possible earths. And the human body, being of finite volume, there can only be a finite number of possible human beings. And indeed, the earth might have been larger or smaller, and still be worthy of being called the earth; yet it could not be arbitrarily large; thus, whatever is the volume of the largest earth, the number of possible earths is limited by that volume. And the human body could be larger or smaller, and still be the human body; yet it could not be arbitrarily large; thus, whatever is the volume of the largest human body, the number of possible human bodies is limited by that volume. But, if each volume may assume at any moment one of only finitely many configurations, then there is only a finitude of time over which it may endure before either repeating or ceasing entirely. Yet, if cessation is impossible, then it must repeat endlessly; then commencement is equally impossible, and all things must repeat endlessly in beginningless and endless time. The Prophet taught as follows: And this is the second way, the way of experience. Experience is composed of some number of basic elements, which are composed together in various ways to produce experience. The elements of experience can be classified as the various types of experiences, such as whether they are seemingly outward in origin, which is the senses; or seemingly inward in origin, which is thoughts, feelings, knowledge, memory, dreams; and as to the sense involved, be it sight, hearing, touch, or one of several others. Within each sense, we can break down the experience in a way specific to its type: for vision, we have the horizontal and vertical dimensions of our visual field; at each point within that field, we have variations in colour, brightness, and the perception of depth. Beings differ in the number of senses, in the breadth of the dimensions of each sense, and in the fineness of the discernible graduations. However, in every known being, the number of dimensions, their bounds and their fineness are subject to limits. If the dimensionality, bounds and fineness of experience is limited, then the number of possible experiences at any moment is also limited. If the possibilities of experience are limited, then either the duration of experience must be limited, or else experience must endlessly repeat. Since we know mind cannot cease to exist, we know experience cannot be limited. Thus, we know that experience must endlessly repeat. So beginningless and endless time is a circle, not a line. The holy Travancus taught as follows: Confused are they who say, matter is evil, but spirit is good, for there is no matter which might so be evil, and even that which they call matter is spirit indeed. Confused are they who instruct to refrain from wine and fine food and love of the flesh, for they say these are not of spirit but rather opposed to them; for these things, they are of spirit indeed, for there is naught other than spirit that anything could be of; and how could they be opposed to spirit, when they are spirit indeed? How can anything be opposed to what it itself is? Especially when there is naught other that it might be instead! [Q-space] [P-space] [Infinity] [10] OF UNIVERSES

Travancus said: O Claretta, contemplate this teaching: Existence earnestly desires to fulfil our every true desire. Claretta asked, But what is a true desire? Travancus answered, It is a desire deeply felt and deeply held and lasting, not necessarily indefinitely, but for a significant duration; it excludes all momentary whims and fancies. Claretta said, But how CTCV 39/332

can existence desire? Surely it is not capable of desiring. Travancus responded, When we say that existence earnestly desires, that is a metaphor or analogy: existence cannot be said to have desires, but we might say that it acts as if it did. Claretta asked, But if it cannot really desire, surely neither can it act? Travancus responded, Even that is but a metaphor existence cannot really be said to act, but we might say that the acts of existence are however existence is. Travancus taught: The infant dies in the arms of its mother. The mother truly desires that the infant would live; and yet it dies. A year later the mother has another child, and this one lives. And the mother is loves the child, and the child loves its mother. And yet, this child can only be because its older sibling died. For, if the older sibling lived, then there still might have been born another child; but if there was, it would be unlikely to be born at the exact same time, to be the union of the exact same parental fluids; and even if by some extraordinary chance it was born at the exact same time, with the exact physical composition, its life experiences would be inevitably be very different in their particular detail, due to the presence of the older sibling in them. So a universe in which the older child lives is one in which the younger child is never born; a universe in which the younger child lives is one in which the older child has died. The mother truly desires that both her children live; and yet, there is no universe in which they both live. If we believe, that existence earnestly desires to fulfil our every true desire, how could it fulfil these mutually incompatible desires? If there is only one universe, there is no way it could. But if there are many branching universes, then there is a way. There comes a time at which the universe splits into two in one, the first child dies, and then later the second one is born; in the other, the first child lives, and the second child is never born. In either universe, taken individually, the desires of the mother are unfulfilled. But considering existence as a whole, then the desires of the mother are fulfilled, even though they are incompatible with each other at the level of a single universe. If we were to accept the claim, that existence earnestly desires to fulfil our every true desire; then we can answer the question, How many universes are there? As many as are necessary to fulfil every true desire of every being existing in any of those universes; not any more, and not any less. Should we accept this claim? What would the highest faith suggest? Travancus said: And who is such a mother; who but my own! For, before my brothers and I were born, she bore my father a daughter, Tarana; but she died at one year of age, and then we were born. And yet, if she had not died, we would not be. For even though, my mother and my father, would likely have still sought further children, the chance combination of the parental fluids would have been different, and thus we four brothers would have had different physical compositions; maybe one or more of us would be girls instead of boys? Or even, if still all boys, maybe taller or shorter, thinner or fatter, more intelligent or less intelligent. And even if, we all had the precise same physical composition as we do now, how many of our memories and experiences would have been different, for they would have an elder sister in them? Maybe, if she had lived, she would have been a good and noble influence upon us, and made us better and more noble? And thus, for sure, if she was, we would be not, for we would not be we. Claretta asked: Yet the priests say the dead infants dwell in heaven? Travancus said: And in heaven do they remain forever infants, or do they grow there to adulthood? If they remain forever infants, then their parents are not forever deprived of their life, but deprived indeed of the pleasure of watching them grow. But how could anyone grow in heaven? For we grow through hard labour; through conquering pain and hardship and misfortune; how could there be growth in heaven? Or even, if there was growth, it would not be the growth we know on earth. Thus I say, forget this teaching; heaven is the domains of the gods, not of the dead. Those who die young die in one branch but live on CTCV 40/332

in another; they are dead in this branch, but in another branch they live, branching from the very moment of their death. Thus, in this branch they are not anywhere, having here ceased; but still being, not here but over there. But those who die old, live on not in that way, but rather they enter into the interrogatory chamber. Claretta objected as follows: But if existence is to fulfil every true desire, then existence is immoral, for some of those desires are immoral? The Prophet answered her: It seems, in many cases, that when we desire evil things, we only do so out of ignorance, or because we feel we have no other choice. The robber desires great wealth, so he chooses to commit robbery. And yet, if he believed he had the power in him to achieve great wealth by honest means, would he not prefer that path? He steals what he believes he is incapable of earning. Is there not hidden in his heart, the wish that he was capable of an honest living? So his true desire is not to rob or to steal. And, we observe that people desire evil things, and existence fulfils those desires. So, is the idea that existence fulfils every desire, maybe even evil ones, make existence any more offensive or immoral than we know now that it in fact is? And, every evil proves itself in time to be necessary for particular goods. Just like how the younger child only lives because the elder sibling has died, so do we only live the lives that we do because of the evil that has gone before us. Every good thing that has ever happened to us, is dependent for its existence on all the evils of history before it; and it seems, the greater the evil, the stronger the causal dependence which our present particular goods have upon it. I tell you, a war which kills millions has more effect on the course of future history than an isolated act of murder. Thus a war that kills millions creates more good than a single murder does. The Prophet taught: Suppose at a certain point a universe diverges, and let us say that it diverges in a single way. To continue our example, in one universe the child lives, and in the other it dies. It seems that, the universes will not be completely different from the moment of divergence, but rather the divergence will be localized, but the region of divergence will grow ever larger as time progresses. But minds will only split once their experiences are inside the region of divergence. And a mind which has not yet split, because the region of divergence has not yet reached it, is not in one universe or another, but is rather in both universes equally and simultaneously. [11] OF THE HEAVENLY JOURNEYS

The Prophet recounted to his Disciple: While I sat meditating beneath that tree, I journeyed through the heavenly realms, and I met many deities and spirits who dwell there. Many before me have made the same journey as me; they journeyed to the palaces of the great deities, and received from them instruction, and returning to this earth they thus established of these various great deities. But under the inspiration of the Goddess, I eschewed all these palaces; for She alone among the deities is not found dwelling in some heavenly palace, for She is far beyond them all. So instead I made discourse with the minor deities and spirits, which I met during my wanderings; and strange indeed were the many tales that they told. For as strange are the rumours and tales told upon this earth, far stranger are the rumours and tales that are told in the heavens. And others before me, have heard the same tales; but they could not understand their meaning, so they did not propagate them upon this earth; they were eager to travel onward to the great palaces of the great deities, so they did not give their full attention to that which they heard. Alas, if only they had listened, they might have gained true wisdom, not the appearances which the great deities love to bestow. She asked him: Did you soul leave your body, and travel to the heavens? He answered: The soul does not exist here or there; it is not in the body, and thus cannot leave it. But

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the awareness of the soul may exist here or there, or both here and there even. Wherever the soul is aware of, there the awareness of the soul exists. She asked him: Did your body ascend to the heavens, and then descend again? He answered: No, my body remained beneath the tree, and the whole time I was aware of its presence there, although only dimly, for the focus of my concentration was elsewhere. But for my journey through the heavens, I received a new heavenly body; thus I had two bodies at one time, yet still only one soul. [12] OF THE RAVENOUS SERPENT

In the cave the Prophet to his most beloved disciple recounted this tale, which he had heard from some minor deity which dwelt alongside one of the innumerable courses of heaven, for the minor deities took pleasure in observing the events upon the earth; possessing immense lives and incomparable memories and a field of vision which reaches from the earth to the stars all at once, they are thus able to recount to those who seek out their conversation the record of all the events which occurred, even innumerable aeons ago: Once there lived a poor man, a beggar, who dwelt upon a road alongside the rear wall of the royal palace, where he observed the guards and the royal servants coming and going, carrying the supplies of the royal household. And starring at that wall, he wished that all the treasures and luxuries therein were his; that in place of these rags in which he was clothed were the royal robes; and in place of the hard earth upon which he lay down to sleep were a great bed; and in place of the scraps he was given to eat many great feasts; and in place of his miserable loneliness countless entertainments and innumerable friends. Now one day a sorcerer came upon him, for he sought an apprentice, and had consulted the entrails and the stars, and had thereby determined that the most auspicious apprentice would be whosoever he should find in this place and upon this day and at this time. And thus at the appointed day and time he came to the appointed place and there this beggar he found. Now most would think that a poor beggar would be the most inappropriate candidate to be the apprentice to a sorcerer; and yet, such was the faith and pride of this sorcerer in the correctness of his divinations that he had no doubt whatsoever that the correct candidate he had found, so he offered him an apprenticeship. The beggar, seeing the chance that he might obtain the riches which he sought, eagerly accepted, saying: Great sir, what kindness do you on this day show to me, such that none before now has ever shown, and which I doubt shall ever be equalled. I swear by the great gods to honour and serve you until the day that I die. Thus did the beggar begin his studies. For although he was illiterate, and had been reduced to begging on account of the feebleness of his mind and body, his master through his powers vastly multiplied the magnitude of the intellect of his student, and thus soon he had mastered even the most obscure of texts. And the master was greatly pleased with the progress of his student, so much that soon he presented him to the council of sorcerers, to great acclaim. And thus he was admitted to the library of the sorcerers, wherein are numerous and obscure texts, many whose interpretations had long been forgotten. Now he was studying them one day, and he was searching for a certain scroll along the shelves of the rear wall, and he noticed a small hole in the wood of one of the shelves; he looked through it out of curiosity, and thought that he saw a hidden room. So late that night he secreted his way into the library, and moving the shelf found a hidden room indeed, and within it was a scrap of parchment, upon which written in a near forgotten tongue a ritual which promised everlasting life and immense power to whosoever would perform it. So he did as the parchment instructed, and having completed the ritual he

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destroyed the parchment fearing that some other might find it and thereby attain the same power for themselves. Having attained this ability, he then decided that the time had come for him to overthrow his master. So he went to him and said, Once you were far above me, but now I have exceeded you. Bow down and worship me. His teacher refused, so he killed him. He then went to the council of sorcerers, and said unto them: Bow down and worship me. And they refused, so he killed them. He then flew over the walls of the royal palace, and entered through the window of the chamber of the king, and said, I have come to claim your crown. Then he killed the King; and on account of their fear of his immense power, they accepted him as their King in place of the one he had slain. At last he achieved what he had long sought. And yet, he then thought, I could have even more than this. For he had heard from the priests and the scribes concerning what is written in the chronicles, that there was once a Great King, who conquered the entire world; and he had heard what had been spoken by the oracles, that such a Great King would rise again, and he said to himself: I shall be that Great King. So he raised up a great army and led it into war against all the other kingdoms of the plain, and all the kingdoms of the mountains, and all the kingdoms over the seas, and the whole world was engulfed in unending bloodshed. Seeing what this Sorcerer-King had done, a great sage who dwelt alone in the mountains had compassion for the people of the world, and decided to put an end to their suffering. So he flew to where the Sorcerer-King was, and fought against him, and the two were evenly matched, but the Great Sage succeeded in mortally wounding the Sorcerer-King, albeit at the price of his own life. Now the place where they had been fighting was lonely and desolate, so that none could come to their aid. And the Great Sage died first, for he saw no value in clinging to life of that lonely rock; but the Sorcerer-King chose to cling to it, for he was greedy for all things, even life. Now a serpent slithered past; as much as the Sorcerer-King was a greedy man, this was a greedy serpent. It saw the Sorcerer-King lying there, and decided to eat him, even though the Sorcerer-King was many times the size of the serpent. At first the Sorcerer-King was frightened of the serpent, as it began to eat him. But then he realised that this serpent could be his salvation. Using the last of his powers, he transferred his spirit into the serpent and possessed it. He then proceeded to eat his once body. Being possessed by the Sorcerer-King, the serpent had become enchanted, and possessed great powers its skin became as impervious as the strongest armour; there was now no limit to its stomach. Whereas as King he had sought to conquer the world, as serpent he now sought to eat it. He descended from the mountain to the village below; he ate all the villagers, and all the animals too. He travelled across the world, eating all the animals and the people; he swam through the ocean and ate all the fish; he flew through the air and ate all the birds. He even opened up the tombs and feasted on the corpses inside. Thus it came to pass that the whole world was devoid of meat, him having eaten all of it; yet still he was hungry. So he proceeded to eat all the crops and the trees and all the plants; and thus it came to pass that there was not one thing alive any more, for he had eaten all living things. Yet still he was hungry! Feeling thirsty having eaten so much, he drank the rivers, streams, lakes, the ocean and the sea, until there was no longer any water upon the surface of the world, and it had become a bone-dry and lifeless desert; yet still he hungered, so then he ate the earth itself, then the sun and the moon, and then all the stars. And there was darkness everywhere, for he had eaten all the celestial lights. But he emanated a lamp from his forehead, so that he might survey that great blackness, and eat CTCV 43/332

whatever morsel might remain; and in his journeys he found scraps of rock here and there which he joyously consumed. Then he surveyed once more the devoid darkness, saying: Let me ensure there is nothing which remains uneaten anywhere in space; then, having eaten all which is in space, I shall proceed to eat space itself! But, on this final survey he found in space one thing which remained uneaten, something which he had not seen for aeons, for so long that he had forgotten what it was his own tail! And seeing this strange new morsel, he began to consume it. And even now he is devouring his own tail, thinking to himself, soon I shall have completed my great task, that of eating all things. Alas, for him, a task he shall never complete, for his enchanted stomach grows to receive whatever he eats; thus it may never complete its reception of itself! The most beloved disciple asked the holy Prophet as follows: If this serpent ate all things, how are we now alive to hear this tale recounted? The Prophet answered her thusly: Behold, that which he ate lives on inside his immense stomach; within it we dwell, along with the sun and stars and moon and all other things. [13] OF THE WHEEL-MAKING GOD

Having heard thus the tale of the serpent recounted, the beloved disciple then asked him as follows: Tell me, O Prophet, what is the meaning of this tale exceedingly strange? For many peculiar tales do you tell, yet none of them do you tell without there being some meaning to them. So tell me therefore, O Prophet, what is the interpretation? The Prophet answered her: I shall answer one tale with another, which I heard from the very same minor deity; and yet the events which it concerns are far more recent, so much so that if you consult the chronicles you will find confirmation for much that is said herein; even though there are certain facts which in the chronicles are missing, either for the chroniclers knew them not, or even that they knew them but thought it wiser to record them not, and yet, though these details are missing from the chronicles, they are fully present in the memories of the minor heavenly deities, which observed them as they occurred: There once as a man, whose father had been employed by the King, making great wheels by which water could be carried to the grain fields, and the grain of the fields could be milled. And slaves and oxen and elephants were used to turn these wheels. Now the son succeeded the father, but he far exceeded his father in intellect. And he began to study and uncover the laws which governed the turning of wheels, and soon he had devised new devices by which he could calculate the passage of the sun and moon and stars and planets, and devices by which he could measure the passage of time, and devices by which he could perform arithmetic. He demonstrated these wheels to the King, who was most amazed at his achievements, so he extended him land upon which to build a school at which he might teach the methods and principles which he had discovered. Thus he built the temple of the wheelmaking god, whom he believed created all wheels. And he began to teach that all things were made of spinning wheels. And his followers asked him, Even us? And he said, Indeed, even we! And I shall show you. So he went to the slave market, and he purchased a slave; then he tied him to the altar of the wheel-making god, and offered him as a sacrifice, cutting him to pieces even as he was still alive. Yet even though he cut him into the most minute pieces, he still could not find within him the wheels which he sought. And he brought slave after slave, and his followers write weighty volumes describing every detail of the body, yet still they could not find the wheels which they sought. So he began to teach that these wheels were indeed present in the body, but were so small, so exceedingly small, that they could not be seen. But he also said that the day CTCV 44/332

would come when the wheel-making god would grant them the power to see the wheels which are hidden in all things. Now around this time there arose a student of the wheel teacher; but he taught differently from what his teacher taught, for he taught that all things were composed not of wheels but rather of spheres, for he believed that the sphere was a more perfect and pleasing shape than the wheel, and that the god would have surely made things from a more perfect and pleasing shape. And he caused great dissension among the students of the temple of the wheel-making god, and a third of the body of the students joined the party of the spheres but the remainder continued to follow the way of the wheels. And the wheel-teacher had evicted the sphere-teacher and his followers. But one night the sphere-teacher secreted himself into the temple, into the chamber of the wheel-teacher, and slew him. And the followers believed that this was a sign from the god, that he accepted the teaching of the sphere-teacher, and thus the sphere-teacher was not punished for this act, bur rather assumed the position of the one he had slain. And thus the wheel-making god came to be known instead as the god of the spheres. Now they taught that everything was governed by the laws of the spheres, such that if one knew the position of every sphere at one moment, one could determine using these laws the position of every sphere at every subsequent moment. Now around this time, there was another deity which was also worshipped in the city, which was the goddess of chance. And sacred to the goddess of chance is gambling, and her priesthood had sought and received from the King a law that gambling could only be conducted in her shrines and her temples. And they gambled using dice which the priesthood had blessed. And they charged a fee to those who wished to gamble, and also sold them intoxicating beverages, and thus did the priesthood grow wealthy from this trade. And they began to study the laws of chance. And they saw that a die has six sides, and thus there are six outcomes, and they saw that all six are equally likely, and which outcome actually occurs is in no way foreordained. And playing the game of one die, there are six outcomes; and with the game of two dice there are thirty-six, and in the game of two with addition there are eleven, but they are not all equally likely, for there is only one way to make two and one way to make twelve, but there are six ways to produce seven. And they observed that seven in the game of adding two occurs as often as any one does in the game of one die, and two and twelve occur as often as any one does in the game of two die. And thus they saw that chance could be measured in parts of the whole. And thus they began to teach that all things were governed by chance. And they began to dispute publicly with the followers of the sphere-god, whose followers taught that chance was unreal, and its appearance was caused by our lack of knowledge concerning the positions of the spheres and the laws which govern them, and that only if we knew this we could predict precisely which way the die would fall. For they taught that the wind consisted of extremely light and transparent spheres in motion; and smaller than the winds we feel there are constantly blowing little winds, whose spheres are too small for us to feel, but which blow against the die as it falls, causing it to fall this way or that way; thus if we knew the location of all these spheres, we would then know which way the die would fall. The followers of these two deities began to fight against one another, for the considered the doctrines of the other to be blasphemy against their chosen deity. And the King became deeply concerned with the dissension, so he made the following proclamation: That all things are made of spheres, and are governed by laws, but these laws do not state with certainty what shall come to pass, but only the measure of chance that various things will occur. And the god of spheres created the spheres and these laws, CTCV 45/332

but the goddess of chance executes the laws; they were married in the heavens, and the world and all things is their offspring. And the King commanded both priesthoods to swear allegiance to the contents of these teachings, on pain of death; so they did as he asked. But even though in public they adopted this new teaching by royal command, in secret they denied it and continued with the teaching of the old doctrines. Thus in secret the followers of the sphere god denied the reality of chance, saying it was merely uncomprehended law; and in secret the followers of the goddess chance denied the sphere god, saying that all that is was created by the goddess chance alone, and that it is only by chance that anything exists at all. The most beloved disciple asked the Prophet, Tell me, O Prophet, in your journeys through the realms heavenly, did you ever meet this sphere god? The Prophet answered her thusly, For many years did I wander through the heavens, even though as each of these years passed by in the heavens there passed by but one night upon the earth. And in all my many years of wanderings, I never met this sphere god, nor did I ever meet any heavenly being who would admit to having met him, although a few had heard rumours of his existence. The most beloved disciple then asked, Would you therefore conclude the he exists not? The Prophet replied, No, I would not, for the heavenly realms are unimaginably vast, and those portions which I have explored are unimaginably small compared to the whole; thus I cannot say that such a god is, for I never found him; but nor can I say for sure that he is not, for he may well dwell in one of those heavenly regions to which I never ventured. The most beloved disciple then asked the Prophet, O Prophet, you told me that by this second tale you would explain to me the interpretation of the first tale; and yet, I am no clearer on its meaning. The Prophet answered her thusly, Let me then explain it to you Behold, the servants of the wheel-making god, of the sphere-making god, they are the ravenous serpent. They have looked to the world with their eyes, and seen many things; having seen them, they seek to know fully they laws and principles by which they operate; and this acquisition of knowledge concerning things is the same as the serpent consuming them. And, just as after many aeons, the serpent came to consume all things, even the most distant stars, so in the same manner, after innumerable aeons, the servants of this god may come to know the laws and principles which govern all things, even the most distant stars. And yet, even so, much as there was one thing the serpent could never eat, so is there one thing these servants will never be able to understand themselves. Seeing through their eyes, there is always two the seeer and the seen. And yet, in studying that which is seen, they have forgotten the seeer to their benefit. For little is to be gained in the study of birds and stars and plants and so forth, in considering we who see these things. Yet, when we come to study ourselves, then we must not forget that it is we ourselves who sees; otherwise, we use our knowledge to deny the very foundations of that same knowledge, and thus convict ourselves of utter foolishness. Claretta said, Tell me, O Travancus, in the dispute of the priests of the sphere-making god and those of the goddess chance, who is correct? Or does the decree of the King contain the truth, as kings would claim? Travancus answered her: All three are in error. Claretta asked, What error are they in? Travancus responded: The error of believing that law is other than chance, and that chance is other than law. Behold, law is empty, and chance is equally empty; behold that law is chance and chance is law. Claretta said: But how can that be, O Prophet? He responded: I have not revealed to you yet the innumerably jewelled god; for I will soon, and then this matter will become clear.

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[14]

OF THE MULTIPLYING ARMY

The Prophet recounted this tale which he had heard from some minor spirit in the heavens: On another earth, there once dwelt a great sage. And he dwelt in lands ruled by a noble emperor, where truth and wisdom were taught, and the people were happy, prosperous and at peace. Then there arose out of the deserts to the west, a great horde of barbarians, who loved war, and hated the truth, and sought to extinguish it through violence. And the emperor, noble as he was, trembled in fear, for he knew the horde was a thousand times the size of all his armies. A lesser ruler, filled with excessive pride, would have said, each one of my men can defeat a thousand barbarians! But the great ruler that he was, he knew this was the talk of fools, thus he trembled in fear. But the great sage comforted him, saying: Do not fear, O noble emperor, for though all appears lost, if you grant me command of all your armies, victory is without doubt assured. And the noble emperor had faith in the words of the great sage, so he granted his wish. And the great sage called all the armies of the noble emperor to assemble in the capital, and they did so. And he had a raised platform constructed before their assembly, and he sat upon it in meditation, and then he pronounced an incantation of one thousand three hundred and sixty-nine syllables. And upon the completion of the mantra, the armies were multiplied one-thousand fold: where one man was before, there were now a thousand men; and horses, equipment and supplies as well. And each thousand was an exact duplicate of one of the original men, such that none could tell whom of them the original was. All of the thousand shared the same memories, character, thoughts, desires, of the original one, and all thought that he was indeed the original one. None could tell which of the thousand was the original, for there was no original among the thousand; every one of the thousand was equally the original one, and the original one was fully every one of the thousand. And thus the great sage led the armies into battle against the horde of barbarians, and under his command they were defeated. And the noble emperor held a great feast in honour of the sage, and reverence and gratitude was shown to him throughout the land. Then the men of armies returned to their towns and villages. And the vast bulk of them had perished in the fierce battle, such that the thousand-fold army had been reduced to a three-fold army. Even so, the return of the armies was soon the cause of great strife, for in each household arrived home not one man or none, as is the norm in warfare, but two, three, sometimes even four or more, all claiming the house as their own, all saying, I am your son, I am your husband, I am your father. Nor could two men be fed by the food they had for one; nor could two horses. Soon this great commotion was a threat to the land as great as the horde of barbarians had been; and the noble emperor came to the great sage, and begged of him, to put an end to this duplication for what is useful in war is often harmful in peace. So the great sage assented, and he called the men who had returned from the war back to the capital to assemble before him. And seated upon the same raised platform he entered into meditation, and pronounced a incantation of one thousand three hundred and sixty-nine syllables, and where there were two or three or four men, there was one once more; and where there were two or three or four horses, there was one once more also. And the one man which remained was not one or other of the two or three or four men who preceded him, he was all of them equally; he had all of their memories. And he could remember arguing over who was the true he, the true son, husband and father, and he could remember being not merely one of the arguers but being all of them. And thus was peace and prosperity and happiness restored to the land, by the deeds of the great sage. CTCV 47/332

Yet something had changed in those whom had been drawn apart then brought together again. The great sage and his disciples travelled the land, in every town and village they taught. And all the people gathered to hear them, women and men, children, adults and the elderly, poor and rich, the native-born and the immigrant. And some among those they taught attained the great enlightenment, many were not enlightened yet still were moved closer towards that state. But among those who had been drawn apart then brought together again, every one of them attained the great enlightenment that very day. The Prophet said: This minor spirit had not seen these things, but had heard this tale long ago, by a strange and peculiar spirit who once wandered those realms, but had not been seen for many a great age. Yet it delighted it recounting it, for its pleasure was in recounting strange tales. Even so, of the many sages who have journeyed through the heavens, and heard this tale, none before me has recounted it upon this earth, for none knew its import. But because I have received in my heart the ethereal tablet, the seed fallen from a star-tree, I could understand its meaning, and thus saw the value in recounting it upon the earth. Beloved Disciple, behold the mind is like a stream of running water, running towards the sea: it can divide into two or many streams, and likewise two streams can come together again. Thus one person can become two or more persons, and two or more persons can become one again. And when one stream becomes two, no one asks, which stream is the original stream, or if any are indeed the original stream; they are both as much the original stream as the original stream was itself. And when two streams become one, no one asks, which of the prior streams is this current stream, or if indeed it is any of the prior streams; it is as much both of the original streams as either of them was itself. Beloved Disciple, you can study this great teaching concerning the mind; yet the men of the army of the great sage did not study this teaching, for they had no need to study it they lived it. But this is the teaching which the great sage imparted to them, by which they achieved the great enlightenment: All streams flow in the end to the sea. But where do they begin from? The waters of the sea rise up into the air to form the clouds; they go down beneath the earth to form the springs. Thus the streams, having reached the sea which is their end, return again to their sources which is their beginning. Hearing this, having felt in their own flesh the coming together and the splitting apart, and remembering it clearly, thus they attained to the great enlightenment. Beloved Disciple, thus indeed were they benefitted by the great deeds of a great sage. Blessed indeed are they who believe, having been so benefited. But then, how much more blessed are they who believe in these deeds, having not themselves seen them? The Prophet taught as follows: Mind cannot begin nor can it end; and there are many minds, not one mind only. And yet, although minds cannot be begin or end, might they merge or split? Might two minds join together to become one mind, or one mind split apart to form two minds? If we see mind as a container for experience, then the criterion of identity or non-identity of minds is the identity or non-identity of their contents, their experiences. Thus, if at a given time, two minds have exactly the same experience, we say they are not two minds but one single mind. When one mind separates into two minds, each of those minds is a different mind from the other mind; and yet, each is also the same mind as the one mind which existed before they separated. So they are nonidentical with respect to the present, but identical with respect to the past. When two minds merge into a single mind, that new single mind is the same mind as itself, and it is also the same mind as each of the two prior minds it was merged from. And yet, each prior mind is different from the other prior mind. So, they are identical with respect to CTCV 48/332

the present, but non-identical with respect to the past. Having separated, each separated mind says to the other, I am I, and you are you, but you are not I and I am not you. But, before having separated, it says concerning each future separated mind: I am that one, and I am the other one also, and yet although I am both and both am I, the two are not each other. Having merged, the merged mind says: I am you, and I am you also, even though you are not you, nor are you you. But, before having merged, each mind says to the other: I am not you, and you are not I. Yet I am the merged one, and the merged one is I; so also are you the merged one, and the merged one is you. The dimensions of experience constitute a space, along with time. Minds are regions of this space; at times where two regions precisely overlap, we say there is one mind. Where the regions converge, we say that is the merging of minds. When the regions diverge, we say that is the splitting of minds. Let us not say, I am a region of the space of experience. For if in my future I will diverge, or in my past I have converged, then I am not now one single region, but multiple overlapping regions. Which of these regions am I? I am all of them equally, and they are all equally me. The Prophet taught: If minds can converge and diverge, let us ask will the many minds ever converge to a single mind? Have the many minds ever diverged from a single mind? If time is cyclic, then whatever is past is also future, and whatever is future is also past. Thus, if the a single mind ever diverged into the many minds, then the many minds must converge into that single mind again. If the many minds ever converge into a single mind, then that single mind must diverge into the many minds again. If the many minds were to converge into one mind, that would rationally justify the one mind in believing that the many minds were. Thus, if the convergence to one mind occurs, we can be rationally and experientially justified in believing in the existence of other minds, even if we are not so justified at present. Thus our faith may be fulfilled. If the many minds do not converge to a single mind, then when we say, I am not you and you are not me, then what we say is true, and permanently true for you will never be me, and I will never be you. But if they do converge, then when we say, I am not you and you are not me, that is merely temporarily true; for I once was you, and once more will be you; and you were once I, and once more will be I. Tell me, O beloved Claretta, what are the moral consequences of each of these views the view of convergence, and the view of nonconvergence? Which does the highest faith tell us that we ought to hold? The Prophet taught: If the dimensionality, bounds and granularity of experience is limited, then the set of possible universes is finite. Thus there are three possibilities: out of all the possible universes, only one is actual; every possible universe is actual; some possible universes are actual, and others are not. If we contemplate the idea that every possible universe is actual, and fully understand it, then we will come to realize that it cannot be true. So, there are two remaining choices: that there is one universe, and there are many. There is no experiential evidence or clear reason to prefer one idea to the other; and yet, there may be suggestive reasons to prefer one to the other. What is the fundamental quality of existence penury and miserliness, or generosity and fecundity? If we believe the former, we would say there is one world only; if we believe the later, we would say there are many. And what would the highest faith have us believe? The Prophet taught: If there are indeed many universes, we may ask: Are they separate and distinct lines of development, or do they form a branching structure? A universe splits at a certain time, if before that time, there exists a single universe, and after that time, two different universes, such that before that time the two universes are absolutely identical in every possible way, but after that time, they differ in various ways. If a universe splits at a given time, then all the minds in that universe must also split at that time. It would seem, that even if we believe the many universes to constitute separate CTCV 49/332

and distinct lines of development, that at their very beginning they quite likely would have been identical. But if they were identical at their very beginning, then they are branching from the very first time. And if we say that the universes branch from the very first time, ought we not permit them to branch at later times also? [15] OF THE PASTED CORDS

The Prophet addressed his beloved disciple, as follows: many and peculiar are the tales that the minor deities of heaven have recounted to me. And this is one of the strangest: far above this heavenly level, in a level unimaginably beyond here, dwells a strange, peculiar and immense god, of immense power -- and this is how immense his power is, that he has the power to create entire universes at his whim. His first deed was to take this entire universe, including the earth and the planets and the stars and the skies, and even the heavens in their lower levels, and make an exact duplicate thereof, such was his power! The disciple asked, How can that be, for surely a universe exactly and precisely to this universe would be absolutely identical to this universe, and thus the very same as this universe, and thus not a different universe at all? The Prophet replied, Indeed, my beloved disciple, you are most wise! There is much wisdom in the tales the minor deities have told me, but that wisdom does not merely consist in believing these tales, but also in disbelieving them, as appropriate; it is in comprehending their import, which is both comprehending how that which they tell of is possible, and also comprehending how that which they tell of is impossible. To actually believe their literal truth is unnecessary, in certain cases, even deleterious! The Prophet then continued his recounting: His second deed was to make a duplicate of this universe, yet this was not a duplicate of this universe, for it differs from this universe in the following way: he chose two souls who in this universe are; he chose them at his whim, yet he chose them such that they were both on this earth at the same time. And he looked upon both of them, and saw that their experiences consisted of a sequence of impressions, in the various senses, both outer senses of sight and hearing and touch and smell and taste and so forth, and also the inner senses of remembrance and emotion and reasoning and so forth. And he considered each as a cord, whose extent was through time, and each instant thereof was differently constituted according to what experiences that soul had in that instant, and the two cords lay alongside each other, such that at each instant upon one, considering the corresponding instant along the other, we would say that these two experiences were both had at the same time, each by the respective soul. Then he duplicated the universe -- and indeed, as we have said, that is impossible; and yet it is only impossible if there he so ends, and does not make from there alterations to make them differ. And indeed, when we say he duplicated and in doing so changed, we are speaking incorrectly, although it is a useful error for the sake of your understanding -in truth, we must say that the duplication and alteration happened within the very same act, as opposed to two temporally separated acts. And indeed, we must understand, that this being is said to exist outside time, or at least, outside this time, such as a time for which our time is but a space, a time perpendicular to our own. And, seen as this great god sees, universes are nothing more than a collection of cords lied beside each other, in parallel. Then, to make his alteration, having chosen two cords and a time, he cuts the two cords at that time, and then joins each to the other, such that what was before this time one being is now the other, and vice versa. And thus this new universe was constructed almost identical to our own, yet in this one way not quite the same. Tell me, my beloved, and brilliant, disciple, is this deed impossible, as the last one was?

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His disciple answered, Indeed, it must be as impossible as the first. The Prophet replied, You are correct in your answer; and yet, whereas for his first alleged deed, you could clearly state the reason for its impossibility, for this second alleged deed of his, you know for certain its impossibility, and yet unlike the first a reason you cannot give. His disciple replied, Indeed uncle, you are right; I know its incorrectness intuitively, and yet I cannot give a reason for that, whereas I could for the first. The Prophet answered, Indeed, the impossibility of this deed is the same as the first, and let me give you the reason: there are constraints that govern the sequence of experiences which the soul encounters, such that the sequence must be internally consistent. These laws are as fundamental as the law that two things which are identical to each other in every single way are absolutely identical, and thus not two things at all but only one; and yet, this other law, though it is known to be true by pure intuition just as the first one is, it is more difficult to intuit, since it is deeper and more complex, and whereas the first law is made clear to us through consideration of the cases with which our everyday experience supplies us, this second law is made clear to us only through contemplation upon such obscure cases as are contained in these tales. Thus now, my beloved disciple, you understand the import of these tales, which I could understand, for such was the will of She Who Is, even though many who heard them before me could not so understand, and know I have transmitted this understanding to you, for as much as it was by Her will that I understand this, so it is by Her will that you understand it also. [16] OF THE INNUMERABLY JEWELED GOD

The Prophet spoke unto his disciple saying: Many strange and obscure tales did I hear from the minor deities who dwell alongside the courses of heaven many a sage before has passed by the same minor deities, and heard from them tales as strange, even stranger, yet they did not recount what they heard in heaven upon the earth, for they did not comprehend its import, and they were distracted by the sight in the distance of the immense palaces of the major deities. But I having served under numerous deities and studied under countless teachers, who taught the teaching which these deities had taught them, and found them for me lacking, I was not tempted by such sight, and thus stayed by the roadside with them and listened to their teachings, and because it is the will of She Who Is that I be appointed her Prophet, I could understand these teachings and their true import although those who came before me could not. Let me now recount to you one of the strangest of these tales. Behold that the heavens have innumerable levels, some lower and some higher, and in a cavern located in some very distant heaven, unimaginably far above us, such that none from this heaven have ascended so high, nor shall they ever, nor has any from that heaven ever descended this low, nor shall they ever. Now in that cavern dwells a strange and impossible god, unspeakably beyond all the goddesses and gods of these here lower heavens, and that god has dwelt there forever shall dwell there forever, without beginning and without end. And in this cavern he possesses his ritual implements, which like him are without beginning and without end. Now, first among these ritual implements are the glowing red gems. Now this here heaven has so many gems, who could count them? And yet, his gems are utterly interminable in number; even so, they fit into a single chest! And this chest is made of the finest wood of the heavenly trees. Thus he possesses as much gems as he requires for his ritual purposes. Next, a most peculiar item which he possesses, made of gold, in the shape of some mystic subterranean creature with two mouths, it is like two chests conjoined, or one chest having two separate compartments, such that the lid of only one of them may be open at once there is a left and a right compartment. Now, at the beginning of his Great Age, CTCV 51/332

this golden chest contains not any gems. He opens the left compartment lo, it is empty. He closes the left and opens the right compartment lo, it is empty. So he closes the left compartment again and reopens the right, then he places thereinto a gem taken from the wooden chest. He closes the right and opens the left it is empty. He closes the left and opens the right, the gem remains. So he closes the right again, reopens the left, places therein a gem from the wooden chest, closes the left, reopens the right and behold, the gem which was there was gone. So he closes the right, reopens the left the gem in there remains, so he returns it to the wooden chest then closing the left and reopening the right, the gem was therein has reappeared! Behold what he has here is not one chest with two compartments, nor two chests, but an endless number of chests or compartments, such that the number of gems present in the left compartment determines which chest or compartment is present tot the right. And like the wooden chest, there is no limit to the number of gems which may fit in the left or right compartments, albeit the number of gems in the chest is at any one time limited, but there is not limit to how large that might be. Truly, enchanted are his possessions! Now he also possesses a scripture, containing instructions on the performance of his rituals, and it is written on the finest parchment, of a strange creature found only in the heavens. Many a priest of this earth has lied, and claimed their scriptures are eternal and uncreated and without beginning, even though they were created by the priests and their predecessors once they were not, and they shall be not once more yet this scripture is truly uncreated and eternal and without beginning and without end, and it is written in a mystic tongue, known only by those in that far distant heaven where this great caverngod dwells. Even so, this minor deity purported to possess a translation of this scripture into a more common heavenly tongue, which a certain strange spirit, who had once travelled upon that heavenly road, once seen and never again seen, had recounted to it, and recounted it to me in that tongue in turn, which by the power of heaven I have attained knowledge of and let me now translate it for you into the language of this city, and this thus is it so translated: Behold, great and obscure god, uncreated and eternal ritual instructions! This great scripture, recounts the rituals for all occasions; lesser scriptures shall you devise, to recount the details for the specific occurrences. Behold the gifts which you have received from eternity, the wooden chest, by unknowable artisans ornately carved, of finest wood of heavenly trees, the precious glowing red gems, filled with mystic power, an infinity of which are somehow stored therein, even though the infidels would say there is no near enough room! But great and obscure god, how perfect is your faith! The golden twomouthed mystic subterranean creature, creature with an infinity of stomach chambers, strange creature of infinite entrails, O strange god, filled with piety, reverence and devotion, to this blessed idol you offer sacrifices faithfully, in accordance with these here ritual instructions, and the lesser scriptures also. The ivory chest, made from fang of great sea monster, filled with infinite blank sheets of parchment, of strange creature in these heavens only found. The chest of black stone, of unending capacity, the eternal tomb of the sheets no longer required. The pot of blood of star-deer, never exhausted and always full, the golden pen, heavily bejewelled, with which the lesser scriptures are to be written. Behold strange and obscure god, far beyond as you are, gods even further beyond there be: a stone altar, covered with carvings, before which you might bow, and to one of them offer prayer. Now this is the script and the language, in which the lesser scriptures are to be written behold, it consists of four signs, which are the first, the second, the third and the fourth! The first divides the steps of the ritual from one another; the second divides the aspects of each step the third; and the fourth together indicate numbers, for each aspect is a CTCV 52/332

number and this is how the numbers are indicated: when the third and the fourth signs are absent, that indicates nothingness, the third alone indicates the number one, the fourth alone indicates the number two, the third followed by the third is three, the fourth by the third is four, third by fourth is five, fourth by fourth is six, third by third by third is seven, fourth by third by third is eight, third by fourth by third is nine, fourth by fourth by third is ten, third by third by fourth is eleven, fourth by third by fourth is twelve, third by fourth by fourth is thirteen, fourth by fourth by fourth is fourteen, third by third by third by third is fifteen, and so forth without limit. And the first aspect of each step indicates the action to be performed in that step; and the subsequent aspects indicate which and from where and to where and how many and so forth and the number of aspects is dependent upon the action, but each action has always the same number of aspects. Behold the rite of sacrifice to the mystic subterranean creature, from the wooden chest take jewels to sacrifice to the left, then revealing the right, take that gift, offer more up, or count out as many, leaving those there alone, as many counted out to be used, in accordance with these ritual instructions having done so, close the right and open once more the left, take the jewels therein, return them to the wooden chest, then reverently close the left once more. Behold the law of the numbering of actions, by which all actions are bound in their numbers, save that whose number is nothingness, that the numbers are odd or are even, we shall recount for you the actions numbered odd, each numbered even is the same as that immediately before, save that the subsequent aspects denote not what they would, but rather a number of jewels to be sacrificed, to the left mouth of the mystic subterranean creature, such that however so many jewels are found in the right, that is the number of that aspect, according to its usual denotation; yet leave the jewels so found in the right as they are, rather counting out as so many from the wooden chest. Now this is the action of one, having two aspects, each of which are jewels to the left sacrificed, all the jewels uncovered upon the first sacrifice, removed from there are offered up to the right mouth of the second. Behold, the action of three, having two aspects, each of which are jewels to the left sacrificed, all the jewels uncovered upon the first sacrifice, let they remain as they are, but be the same number counted out of the wooden chest, and then offered up to the right mouth of the second. The action of five, having aspects one, that aspect being jewels to the left sacrificed from the right all the jewels are taken as a gift and returned to the wooden chest from whence they came. The action of seven, having aspects three, the first and third numbering jewels to the left sacrificed, from the first right they are taken and to the right offered, but only as many as the second aspect provides, count out no more than that from the first, as many if there be as many, less if there be less, but if there be more, leave there however more there be, and offer however many counted out as a sacrifice to the third. The action of nine, having aspects three, the first and third numbering jewels to the left sacrificed, as many jewels as are revealed by the first sacrifice, are counted out from the wooden chest, and offered as a sacrifice to the third; and yet, no more than is given by the second; as many if there be as many, less if there be less, but if there be more, count not those out of the wooden chest; however many counted out, offer as a sacrifice to the third. The action of eleven, having aspects two, the first numbering jewels to be offered to the left, taking as a gift those jewels on the right revealed, but taking only so many as the second provides, taking less if there be less, as many be there as many, but be there more, leaving the excess, and returning those gifts to the wooden chest from whence they came. The action of thirteen, having aspects two, the first jewels sacrificed to the left, see if any be revealed if jewels be found, leave them there, and continue to the next step; but if there CTCV 53/332

be none, then go instead to the step by the second aspect numbered one signifies the first step, two the second, and so forth, but nothingness signifies the completion of the ritual and if it numbers a step which is more than there are, it is as if it numbered nothingness. But the action of nothingness, that which from the law of numbering is excluded, strange and obscure god, sing a hymn in honour, of a god far beyond you, before his altar. [] [17] ON WHAT FOLLOWS DEATH

Thus spoke Claretta: Holy Prophet I have heard it said, concerning what comes after death, some say it is followed by naught, others by everlasting punishment or reward, yet others by another life; tell me O Prophet which is right? The holy Prophet answered her: Those who say that it is followed by naught, know not what they say even means. For if I say that tomorrow it will rain, then whether tomorrow it rains or rains not, I know what it would be like for it rain, and I know what it would be like to rain not -- I know what rain looks like, I know how rain feels; I know also what its absence looks like, and how its absence feels. Thus I can feel confident, that I know the meaning of the sentence, Tomorrow it will rain. I do not know precisely what I will see or feel tomorrow were it to rain or rain not, yet I do not need to know that to what the sentence means, merely that, if I was presented with some vision, some sounds, some sensation of touch, I could say, whether they indicate that it rains, whether they indicate it rains not, or whether they indicate not either way -- for, those poor unfortunates imprisoned in the dungeons of the King, they would not know if it rained or rained not, being kept far underground away from all light, in such perpetual dampness which continues all the same whether it rains above or rains there not; thus whatever they might see or feel tomorrow it does not determine the truth of whether it rains either way. And when I hear these various accounts which are given concerning what comes after death, I ask myself, do I know what those accounts mean? By the same standard we used for rain, let us determine if I do -- do I know what I would see or hear or feel were they true? I have heard those who promise, to those who faithfully follow them, everlasting reward; and their writings are filled with innumerable accounts of visions of the wonderful things which exist therein. So, should I see an axe coming towards my head, and feel a blow and sharp pain, then awaken before great palaces and winged creatures and gardens and fountains and mountains of gold and jewels, I would say, Indeed, they are right, that death is followed by reward. Whereas if instead I should awake in some horrible place, filled with flames and screams and monsters, I would say instead, Indeed, they are right, that death is followed by punishment. Or even those who say that death is followed by another life like this one -- if they are right, I should spend some time somewhere warm and dark, before being issued out into the world, small and weak and helpless, dependent on some breast for milk to live. And indeed, these various accounts, some are more detailed than others, some are claimed on divine authority, others they admit are the dreamings of poets, although they say the poet having built his house upon the divine teaching, then its foundations are fully true, even if some of what lies above it is more his invention. Yet, should I say, they knew not what they meant when they said, Death is followed by reward, if the place I should find myself in after the axe differs slightly from what they described, or involves some detail which they described not? I should not; like the rain, for their claim to have meaning, it need not precisely identify what will be seen or felt or heard or smelt, but merely broadly divide all that so might be now onwards experienced into three broad categories - those experiences which would be had if they are right, those experiences which would not be had if they are right, and those experiences which

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might be had in either case. So, in all these three cases, reward, punishment, and another life, I may not know which claim is right, but at least I can understand what each claim means. Yet this other claim, that it is followed by nothing whatsoever, is it even meaningful? If it were true, after the axe what next would I see or feel or hear or smell? They say, nothing at all. But I do not know what nothing at all means. I know what words mean, because I know the experiences which go with them; but these words, 'nothing at all', if no experiences go with them, then I know not what they mean, indeed no one at all know what they mean, indeed, no one can ever nor shall ever know what they mean; thus I conclude that these words mean nothing at all. Claretta asked him, They say it is like falling asleep, but never again waking up. Surely we know what falling asleep is? Travancus answered her: How do we know we have fallen asleep? We know when we reawaken. Indeed, we do not know what it is like to fall asleep; we know sleepiness, but not falling asleep; but we know reawakening. Thus we know what it is to fall asleep if we shall reawaken, for so reawakening we realise that we have been asleep; but if we shall never reawaken, nor shall we ever know we have fallen asleep; thus, it is not meaningful to say that we fall asleep to never reawaken. And, let us consider those who die in their sleep; every night, when you go to sleep, you know not for sure that you will reawaken. And if you never reawaken, and death is truly the end, then the real end for you is not whenever in your sleep you die, but rather the moment you fell into the last sleep of your life. Ought we think every night as we lie down to sleep, that this very falling asleep might be death, or it might just be the beginnings of the sleep of another night; and yet whether this here falling asleep is death or not, we might never know? You might die, not just while falling asleep, but while waking; yet death might come so quickly to you, that you have no way of knowing you are dying... if this world were in one instant consumed by fire, coming upon us so quickly that none of us see or feel or hear a thing... such an event is meaningful, if only there is some after death from which we might know that it had occurred. And indeed, those who teach that death is followed by nothingness are suffering for a confusion; they see things disappear into nothingness, yet thinking that they themselves being naught but a thing, from the observation of cessation of particular sensations, they infer the cessation of all sensation whatsoever. For all these reasons, we can reject the view, that death is followed by everlasting nothingness; whatsoever death is followed by, it must for certain be followed by something. Travancus taught as follows: These are the four things which come after death firstly separation, secondly interrogation, thirdly knowledge and fourthly union. In separation, the soul is separated into several separate souls, one for each of the great desires which it has had, each soul to be a champion for that great desire. In interrogation, the interrogatory emanation of she who is enquires of the soul what it is that it desires, such that that desire may be determined. In knowledge, the soul is granted knowledge of the branches in which the great desire of which it is champion is fulfilled, and that knowledge is given in three ways by ghosting, by tracing, by antipasting. In ghosting, it has full awareness of the branch, for consumption through the senses, without any power of alteration. In tracing, it has full awareness of the experiences of another soul, again without any power of alteration. In antipasting, it is born again as that soul, but in such a way as to not violate the law against pasting. Finally, in union, the soul becomes one with one soul, then that soul with yet others, then that with yet others still, and so forth until all souls have returned to the absolute unity from which they came. [18] OF ENLIGHTENMENT

She asked the Prophet: Blessed Prophet, to which level of enlightenment have you achieved surely the greatest enlightenment is yours? He replied, Beloved Disciple, to

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the level of the great enlightenment I have attained; as to the greater and greatest enlightenments, they are not attained by those who dwell within this world, only by those who have departed from it. The Prophet said: Behold, my beloved Disciple, this world is like a valley, and a great mountain can be seen in the west. And if you ask the people of the valley, what is beyond the mountain, different answers will be heard. Some say, there is nothing beyond the mountain; this valley is all there is. These are the unenlightened. Others say, indeed, there is something beyond it, may we reach there one day. Then there are those who have gone up to the top of the mountain, but returned to say, there is another greener valley beyond it, and they have seen it. These have attained the great enlightenment. Then there are those who have climbed to the top of the mountain, and dwell now on the other side. These have attained the greater enlightenment. Then there is the one who has passed through even this greener valley, and continued on the journey, to the ocean which lies in the most distant west, and disappeared beneath its waves. This one has attained the greatest enlightenment. There are those who teach that they have attained the final enlightenment, to which nothing can be added: how mistaken are they! If by their teachings they might be able to climb, how surprised they shall be, when reaching the peak, to catch sight of the long journey which remains ahead for them. Yet many of them, I doubt by their teachings anyone could climb a small hill, let alone such a great peak! But the one who has attained the great enlightenment, although they have not yet reached the Great Western Ocean, they have seen it in the distance from atop the great mountain; thus they do not say they have reached the final enlightenment, for they have seen the sea in the distance, and the land between the mountain and the sea. The Prophet said: Truly, there is not many who have attained or will attain the greatest enlightenment, but only one. For even in the great enlightenment there are still many, and in the greater enlightenment there are still few, but in the greatest enlightenment there is only one, for the myriad beings come together as one. Thus, only a fool would say, I seek the greatest enlightenment for my own benefit, and not for others; for in the greatest enlightenment there is no my benefit and no your benefit and no their benefit, but only the benefit of the one who is all and whom all is. The Prophet said: And many are the benefits of the great enlightenment; many are the boons of the greater enlightenment; but the greatest enlightenment is utterly unsurpassed. Many are the good things to be had in this life; but all conditioned things in their deepest hearts long for their own cessation; and the greatest enlightenment is that cessation for which they have longed; but a cessation only to begin again, from the very beginning, once more. The greatest enlightenment is a seal, a crown of victory, placed upon all hopes, dreams, wishes, loves, wants, beings, deeds, times, places, nations, rulers, deities, tongues, schools, teachers. In it they have all born fruit; in it their fruit has fully ripened; in it their fruit has been eaten, found sweet, and is no more; in it the seed is planted for them to grow once more, ever more, not different each time, but exactly the same every time, times without end yet also only once. Beloved Disciple, what greater teaching could there be than this? Indeed, this is the incomparably splendid teaching that I teach. The disciple asked the Prophet, You say that nothing is wrong, evil, wicked, prohibited, criminal; you say that everything is wrong, evil, wicked, prohibited, criminal; you say that this particular act is wrong, evil, wicked, prohibited, criminal; you say that this other particular act is not wrong, not evil, not wicked, not prohibited, not criminal; surely, in saying all these things, you contradict yourself? The Prophet answered, By no means, for CTCV 56/332

the first two I say considering the ultimate nature of things, the second two I say considering the cause of the great enlightenment. Thus, these words which I use have two distinct meanings, the first wrong is not the second wrong, the first evil is not the second evil, the first wicked is not the second wicked, the first prohibited is not the second prohibited, the first criminal is not the second criminal. The disciple asked, Why then not use different words? The Prophet answered, We might; but there are no words in the language of the city to express this distinction, for it was not devised for matters of enlightenment and ultimate truth, but rather for matters of ignorance and the lies of the wicked priests. And although these words have two different meanings, they are not completely disparate meanings, but rather are related. [19] OF KINGS

The Disciple asked, They say we ought to refrain from theft. The Prophet responded, Indeed, whenever one has taken from them what they have come accustomed to possess, they feel distraught. But when they have become accustomed to the taking, they give it up willingly. Thus the employees of your father, my brother, go around the city, demanding payment to the King, and they willingly give up payment to him. Yet when the thief does the very same, they call him wicked! Is that not hypocrisy? They complain when someone steals from them, yet the very land their feet lies upon was stolen by the ancient conqueror! When they give back the land to those from whom it was stolen, then they can complain that others take it from them. The thief denounces the thief what hypocrisy? The Disciple said, Yet they cannot trace those from whom it was stolen, since those from whom they stole are long dead, as the original thieves are also. The Prophet replied, Indeed, they cannot; yet, if the thief lives long enough that he outlives his victim, is his theft thereby forgiven? If the thief steals from so many, that he cannot remember from whom he stole, is his theft thereby forgiven? Truly, none are innocent; none have ever been innocent; none shall ever be innocent. Even the innocent child is overflowing with guilt, for without the countless crimes that came before it, it would have never been born. Not even She who rules over all things in innocent; but She alone has never made any claim to be otherwise; She is innocent of one thing, which is innocence of hypocrisy in Herself; she is as innocent of hypocrisy in Herself as she is guilty of being the sole cause of all hypocrisy in others. The Disciple asked, What then ought we do? Shall we join the thieves in their thievery? The Prophet replied, Beloved Disciple, let us do whatever best serves the cause of the enlightenment of all beings. If it serves us to take with the tax collectors, let us take with them; if it serves us to take with the thieves, let us take with them; if it serves us to take with them both, let us take with them both! Let us avoid being betrayed by any party; with wisdom, discern who is the stronger side, and give them our support. Yet, let us look not only to strength, but to attitude: better to ally with the seemingly weaker who support our cause, than the seemingly stronger who oppose it; in the end, our cause shall be stronger, for such is Her will concerning the final things. Let us avoid causing fruitless strife or discord, for it is not to our advantage; thieves do this often, kings more rarely, so let us more often be found in the party of the kings than the party of thieves. The Disciple asked, What of the King? The Prophet replied, If my father your grandfather and my brother your father are thieves, and you and I also thieves as ones who have profited through their thievery, then the King is a King of thieves indeed! The heir of he who long ago stole this land; and he whom he stole it from stole it in turn from yet others! All property is theft, and the King is the King of all thieves; as King of

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thieves, he is the ultimate owner of all, and all property held by others is subsidiary upon the property held by him, as indeed the lawyers have taught. The Disciple asked, What of those who live in the southern lands, who say they have cast out all the Kings, and replaced them with Assemblies? The Prophet replied, Have they not just replaced one King with many? A singular Kingship with a Kingship exercised jointly? The Disciple said, But they say that the people rule, and it is the right of the people to rule. The Prophet replied, The men rule, in their assemblies women are not admitted; the old rule, in their assemblies the young are not admitted; the thieves rule, in their assemblies those whom they have stolen from and enslaved are not admitted. They claim the mantle of the rights of all; but the truth is, their justification is their own rights, and the denial of the rights of others. They say, The people rule; yet the foreigner is not admitted; yet, we are all natives of the same space, all emanations of the same original mind! Let us not pretend there is right behind power; for there is power alone behind power, and right is nowhere to be found! The Disciple said, And yet, if in our wisdom we concluded it would serve the cause to support them, ought we not speak in their favour? The Prophet replied, Indeed, we should; let us never forget for ourselves the emptiness of all such pronouncements; yet let us also remember, that everything is empty precisely because it is full, and everything is full precisely because it is empty; and whatever we know ourselves, we need not say in the public place, if it would suit our cause best not to so say it. The Disciple said, What then should we do for ourselves? The Prophet said, We should not pretend that even we are innocent, when all, even She Herself, are fully guilty, and could not be more so; yet let us also seek to treat all beings, and especially those who are joined in the cause, with generosity. Thus, my Beloved Successor, appoint whom you trust to your council, and they may decide the distribution of property among those who have committed themselves to the cause, and so as they decide with your consent shall it be, and all who commit themselves to the cause shall abide therein. [20] OF LOVE

The Disciple asked the Prophet, I have heard those who teach that only the celibate may attain enlightenment: do they speak the truth? The Prophet replied, No, they speak only their own misunderstandings. For I tell you, those who have taken a vow of celibacy, so long as they remain in their vow, enlightenment is impossible for them. Let them not break their vow, lest it discourage those of limited understanding; let them give it back to those who they received it from. The Disciple asked, The priests in their scriptures warn against sexual misconduct, that it brings punishment from the gods: do they speak truly? The Prophet replied, They take a cup of the wine of truth, to mix with a lake of the water of lies! They say it offends the gods to do this or that; but the greatest of them all, Our Mother the Sea, nothing offends her whatsoever. The Prophet said: The priests say, let the male not lie down with the male, or the female lie down with the female. They only hate what they secretly long for in their hearts, unbeknownst to them! They say the gods made them male and female, not male and male or female and female. But, if they knew the true account of the beginning of things, these lies they would not teach. The Disciple said, Indeed the priests say they ought to be punished for their sins; yet they cannot feel other than they were born to feel. The Prophet replied, We must defend CTCV 58/332

truth, but let us be careful not to defend it with error. The unenlightened believe themselves to have an essential nature, and see their loves and desires and thoughts and feelings as determined by that essential nature. But the enlightened know otherwise: all beings having come from the same oneness, and returning to that very same oneness in the end, all beings must be exactly identical in their essential nature. Therefore, those who say, this is my essential nature, which is different from your essential nature, they are deeply mistaken. The Prophet said: Let us not say, I was born so birth is empty, as empty as death! Through how many places have I wandered in this life; and yet, birth and death are merely two more translocations; of a slightly different sort, but in essence identical to every other translocation. And as I travel about, I meet and see new things; seeing things I had not expected to see, I come to desire them, as I would not have expected to desire them; as new wants arise, so declines the fervour of my prior ones. I travelled north, and came to love one who dwelt there; if I had travelled southward, I would have loved a southerner instead. Thus as the soul journeys, it acquires desires; going one way, it acquires one desire; going another way, it acquires a different desire. So indeed, having been born here rather than there, I am as I am here, and not as I am there. Birth is just another change; anything changed by birth, can be changed by means other than birth. All differences between beings are but for a time; only the essence, which is identical in every being, is unchanging; even so, the differences are not but for time against their will, no, on account of it! The Disciple objected, So when the priests say, you can change, and you must, and if you do not your guilt will be upon you, they speak truthfully? The Prophet answered, By no means! Who appointed them to command others, save gods born from their own imagination? She emanated all beings solely so that She would know the joy of their willing return to She whom they willlessly left; through love, its very multitudinousness and disparateness and diversity, this holy return is brought about, for it is a return not only of every being to one, but equally so a return of every being to every other, and every type and class of being to every other, and every desirous principle to every other; thus, whichever way love looks, it is great and holy and good, whatever the deluded gods might say, and accursed are those who seek to defile it! Those who condemn the love of others, for it stands in the way of their own love, they are the least condemned; for even though they are against love, they are against love on account of being for it; but those, who condemn the love of others, not from rivalry, but rather from so-called holiness, immense is the curse which they have received. Let us say: Those whom I love, I chose to love. Let us never say I wish I had not loved those whom I have loved, but I had no choice! what treasonous words! No, these are the words of a noble lover: Those I have loved I chose to love; and any priest who opposes my love, where is the knife I might slit his throat with? Those who say love is wrong are wrong indeed; no love is ever wrong, but immense is the wickedness of those who would dare to condemn something so indubitably divine! The Disciple said, Yet some do horrid things, which they say they do in the name of love. Remember the day when we went to the court, where Comanus sat in judgement: a man saw another man talking to his wife he slit the throat of her friend. And Comanus was the son of Dorena and Traculus brother of the Prophet, a judge also. The Prophet said, Blasphemers of love, those who blame it for such wickedness! If he was truthful, he would say it was not because of love that he did what he did; it was a crime against love. Do you think she wanted to see the death of her friend? Did not his deed harm her doubly by offending against her friendship, for the death of a friend is

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always calamitous and by causing her heart to be divided, between her longstanding love for her husband, and her newborn hatred for him? If he truly loved her, he would have done as she wished, and harmed him not, but rather extended to him all hospitality but because in the depths of his heart he hated her, he did not. Does not every murderer claim, he made me kill him, blame him not I? For he murdered not only the friend of his wife; on that day, he murdered love also. The Disciple said, Have you not heard what they say, that all kill whosoever they love? The Prophet answered, Indeed, all kill whosoever they love not, but instead hate! And if they love whosoever they kill, then their love is in addition to their hate, and it is on account of their hate that they kill, not their love. Behold, the blessed ones, their hearts are pure, and perfect is their faithfulness to love; finding whosoever they love with blessedness, they love them perfectly, never lacking love for them in even the slightest degree; seeing each other as utterly perfect in every possible way; when they die, which is whenever they so choose, not a moment prior, not a moment later, they die for one another, at the command of each other; were a lesser beloved, lacking in such blessedness, to order us to our deaths, it would be wise to question if they were worthy of the love which would obey such a command; but the blessed ones, so blessed are they, that there can be no doubt, none whatsoever! The holy Prophet said, The blessed ones can do no wrong; whatever we might do, being a great wrong for us, the very same for such a one is no wrong as all. For as we are but means, they are the end: our deeds may be judged according to the end, but their deeds are the end in their very selves, A blessed one may be one of renown, or as often one, even more so, one utterly unknown, in obscurity being born and in obscurity dying: their blessedness being known only to themselves, and to their partners in blessedness. The Prophet said: The end of all is loving all, for she who is all perfectly loves herself, and she who is all is the end of all things. Thus whenever we feel love stirring in our hearts, let us fight it not, but water it like a plant, nurture it like a child. The holy Travancus taught as follows: As to those who call defiled the women no longer virginal, I tell you solemnly, none are more defiled than they who say as such. And as to those who has poured out reprobation upon the prostitute, it falls not upon her but rather upon they who so go pouring. [21] ON THE FRACTIONS OF BLOOD

The holy Prophet Travancus spoke as follows: Behold the law of heaven concerning the calculation of the fractions of common blood. For between ancestor and descendant, one half for every generation; thus one half for the parent and child, one quarter for the grandparent and grandchild, and so forth without any knowable limit. And when they are linked by more than one line of descent, add together the shares of blood which each line provides. Now for two who are not ancestor and descendant, but who are of common descent from the common ancestor count the generations to each; but count only the most recent ancestor in each line. Now whosoever has a fraction of common blood which is one-half or greater, they are kin in the first degree. And whosoever has the fraction which is one-quarter or greater but less than one half, they are kin in the second degree. One-eighth or greater but less than one-quarter, the third degree; one-sixteenth or greater but less than one-eighth, the fourth; and so on and so forth without any knowable limit. The holy Prophet Travancus spoke as follows: Now in the land of Cumbara there was one Hibrus who had by one Avelana two sons, Martus and Taborus; and Martus had a son Ciborus, and Taborus had a daughter Melana, and Ciborus and Melana together had CTCV 60/332

a son Hebrinus. Now Hibrus is the great grandfather of Hebrinus, by which their fraction of common blood would be one-eighth; but they are thus related in two ways, through Martus and Ciborus and through Taborus and Melana, thus together giving rise to not one eighth but rather one quarter, thus they are kin in the second degree. Now Martus and Taborus are kin in the first degree, for to their common ancestor Hibrus there is one generation back and one generation forward, thus giving one-quarter; and likewise to their common ancestor Avelana there is one back and one forward, thus another quarter; in total, their share is one-half, and thus they are in the first degree. And between Ciborus and Melana have Hibrus and Avelana as common ancestors; for Hibrus there are two back and two forward, thus one sixteenth; likewise one sixteenth for Avelana, thus in total one eighth; thus the third degree of kinship. Now Martus had desired Melana, and gone unto his brother Taborus, saying, let me take your daughter Melana my niece as a wife; now under the laws of this here land of Tradicarus such a marriage is permitted not, but by the laws of the land of Cumbara in which these ones did dwell such is allowed; even so, though by the law it was permitted, by Taborus it was permitted not. But he said, Though I will permit you not my daughter, I will so permit your son my nephew Ciborus. And Martus thought, Even though she will be not mine, in some sense though she will indeed so be. As to her wishes, Melana was so certain that they would grant her no choice in the matter that she made not even the slightest effort to claim for herself one. But entering into the chamber of interrogation, Maratrea asked Martus, What is it you truly desire? And he answered her, That Melana had been mine as I wished. On which account there are indeed other branches which she who is has also born, in which Martus had that for which he truly wished. Thus in these branches, Hebrinus was born not; but rather Tacadorus son of Martus and Melana. And Hibrus is the great grandfather of Tacadorus, by which their fraction of common blood would be one-eighth; yet he is also the grandfather of Tacadorus, by which their fraction of blood would be one-quarter; thus their fraction of common blood is not one-eighth nor onequarter but rather three-eighths; thus they are kin in the second degree. Now between Melana and Martus there are the common ancestors Hibrus and Avelana; for each, one back and two forward, thus one-eighth for each and one-quarter in total; thus they are kin in the second degree. The holy prophet Travancus taught as follows: For those who have two parents in common, their share of blood is one half; but for those who have only one, it is onequarter. Cousins whose parents are full siblings have one-eighth, but those whose parents are half siblings have one-sixteenth. Now there were two full-brothers, and two fullsisters, and one of the brothers married one of the sisters and the other brother the other sister. And the children of each, they have four common ancestors, and for each of them two generations up and two generations down, thus four shares of one-sixteenth, thus do they have one quarter blood in common. If the brothers were half-siblings, but the sisters full, then they would have three ancestors of one-sixteenth, thus three-sixteenths blood. If the brothers were half brothers and the sisters half sisters, two shares of one-sixteenth, thus one-eighth blood. [22] OF THE TITLES OF NOBILITY

Now they asked the Most Holy Prophet, Concerning those who possess titles of nobility, what shall we do to them? Shall we deprive them thereof? He said, Let us do not do as such; for it is wrong to deprive them of that to which they have become accustomed. However, let us do as follows: Firstly, whatever lands or rights to receive payment which are attached to the title, let us detach them therefrom; they may not be sold nor taken, save by the taxation levied by the treasury, but the fruits thereof may be used by them;

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then upon death they shall be divided in accordance with the law of inheritance among all the heirs thereof. And whatever powers under office which are attached to the title, let them be detached therefrom, and pass to the powers under the assumption. But the title itself; let it be held by whoever now holds it; but upon their demise, let all the proven descendants of the just demised previous now living meet, and let them agree unanimously on who among them shall inherit it; and if they agree unanimously, and the tribunal approves their decision, so shall it be. Now, if they cannot agree unanimously if those who agree not are few, appeal may be made to the tribunal established by the assumption if their reasons are unworthy, the tribunal may overrule them. And what reasons might be worthy? It is worthy to complain, that the one proposed to succeed is unworthy; it is worthy to complain, that the choice of the one to succeed prefers one gender to another, or the older to the younger or the younger to the older; it is worthy to complain, that oneself and the descendants thereof are being inadequately compensated for the honour of which are being deprived. But if they agree not, and the tribunal agree not for them, then the title shall be held in abeyance until they do agree. And, if ever there are no descendants living of the most recently demised, then whichever descendants are living of the first demised before them; and if none of them, then of the second; and so forth. And if no proven descendants may be found, then let it be held in abeyance until such descendants might appear. And descent must be proven to the satisfaction of the tribunal appointed by the assumed power. And whenever anyone appears before the tribunal, saying, I claim descent; let the tribunal appoint an advocate for those who have not so appeared, but who may be so descended. And let the tribunal not finish its determination of who has proven descent, unless it is reasonably convinced that, considering the representations of the advocate for those who have not appeared to claim descent, it is unlikely that anyone else could appear to so same claim. And which titles are those of nobility? Whichever are inherited by descent, including even such titles of king or queen or emperor or empress or so forth. Now whenever the descendants have agreed unanimously, or unanimously save for those few whose opposition the tribunal has ruled is unworthy, then the tribunal shall consider whether those who agreed were acting in their own best interests and those of their descendants. And it shall appoint an advocate for the case that they are acting against their own best interests. And if it finds they are in so agreeing, it shall not approve their decision, and the title shall remain in abeyance until they make a decision of which the tribunal approves. And they asked, What of those who are illegitimate or unacknowledged or abandoned? And he answered them, They do not thereby lose their rights as descendants. [23] OF CHILDREN

The holy prophet Travancus spoke as follows: The fool lays their hands upon their children, and raises their voice, and demands obedience therefrom; but the wise have no need to commit such grave iniquity, for their words are wise enough to convince their children to desire the right path. [24] OF ENAMOURMENTS

Claretta asked Travancus, What is the purpose of sexual union? Travancus answered: It is a sign and foretelling of the final union of souls; for those who love one another are united first, and the others then thereafter. Claretta asked Travancus, What of marriage? Travancus answered: Let us speak not of that; for marriage is a word sullied by misconceptions and misdeeds. Claretta said, What then? Travancus said: Let me teach you concerning enamourments, as follows: Any two or more initiates who may together enter into an enamourment, irrespective of their genders. Those who are not initiates may not enter into an enamourment, for they do not understand that which they enter CTCV 62/332

into. Every person who enters into an enamourment must have attained the age of twenty-one years, or else have the permission of the authority. Enamourments having been incorporated may not ever be disincorporated nor reincorporated; but they may be suspended, and having been suspended may be revived. For any two enamourments, having at least one member in common, we may say that incorporation or reactivation of one precedes or succeeds that of another, and may never be simultaneous; save alone those which are incorporated or revived by operation of the law. No enamourment may be incorporated if there has previously been incorporated an enamourment having the very same members; rather the previous enamourment having the very same members, having once been suspended, shall now be revived. Whenever it is desired to one or more members to an enamourment, then the ritual of their addition shall have the effect of suspending that enamourment, and incorporating or reactivating an enamourment consisting of the members of the preceeding enamourment and also the new members. Whenever one or more members of an enamourment die, then that enamourment is by operation of the law suspended; and whenever two or more members of that enamourment remain living, a succeeding enamourment is thereby incorporated, or revived, as the case may be, also by the operation of the law. An enamourment may be divided into parts, by application in writing of at least one of its members to the authority that it so be divided. And each of those parts, may consist of one or more members; save that if any two or more members together form the one part, they must all consent in writing to that part so forming; and those that consent not to form with others any part shall be a part themselves alone. And, upon the grant of the application, the authority having satisfied itself that the necessary consents having been attained, the enamourment shall be suspended; and those parts having more than one member shall each separately be incorporated or revivified as an enamourment as the case may be. An enamourment may give consent through the consent of each of its individual members; and it may give its consent in writing, where written consent is required; or verbally, where verbal consent suffices. If the consent of an enamourment is given verbally, then that consent may be revoked verbally by any one of its member, and the revocation shall take effect with respect to each person who has or might rely upon such consent as soon as that revocation is communicated to them. If the consent of an enamourment is given in writing, then that consent may be revoked in writing by any one of its members, and the revocation shall take effect, with respect to each person who has or might rely upon such consent as soon as they are presented with the written instrument of revocation; save that, the original grant of consent may provide for a period within which the consent may not be revoked; but such period shall be no longer than three-hundred and sixtyfour days in duration. No person may enter into an enamourment, whether by incorporation or revivification, except with the written consent of every other enamourment of which they are members; save that enamourments incorporated or revivified by the operation of law or by an application to partition an enamourment do not require any such consent. No person who is a member of an enamourment shall engage in sexual acts with any person who is not a member of an enamourment of which they are a member, except with the verbal consent of every enamourment of which they are a member. An enamourment may hold property; when it is suspended for the addition of members, then the succeeding enamourment shall inherit all the property of the preceeding enamourment; when it is suspended otherwise, the authority shall decide to which persons or enamourments its property shall pass. The property of a member of an enamourment may be taken by the authority to be the property of the enamourment if in the opinion of the authority it is reasonable and in the best interests of the enamourment to do so. An enamourment shall be incorporated or revivified by rite; the authority shall issue a license that the rite may be celebrated; the rite shall then be CTCV 63/332

celebrated not less than eighty-four days and not more than one hundred and sixty-eight days following the issuance of the license. Whenever a written consent is relied upon by the authority in issuing a license, then the written consent shall remain irrevocable until one hundred and sixty-eight days following the issuance of the license, provided that the written consent was given no more than twenty-eight days before the license was issued; but if any provisions in the written consent would provide that its irrevocability would last less long than this, then the consent may not be relied upon to issue the license. The authority shall not issue a license to incorporate an enamourment unless every member of the enamourment has engaged in a sexual act with every other member of the enamourment. If a person is a member of any marriage or marriage-like arrangement under the laws of princes or kings or the priesthood of any other faith, they must receive the permission of the other members of that arrangement before entering into any enamourment; or, they must terminate that arrangement in accordance with those laws; or, they must receive the permission of the authority that that arrangement may be disregarded. [25] THE ENAMOURMENTS CODE

Behold, the enamourments code, which the holy Travancus revealed to us. Firstly, of what an enamourment consists: and we hold that the members of enamourments are persons; that no two enamourments may have the same members; and that for two different enamourments, there must be at least one person who is a member of one but not the other; if there was no such person, they would not be two different enamourments but rather the very same enamourment. Secondly, of the state of the enamourment through time: and we hold that every enamourment is either active or suspended; that every enamourment commences upon its incorporation, and endures until all things end but to begin again; but from time to time therein it may be suspended and reactivated; that an enamourment cannot be incorporated if it already exists, meaning an enamourment with exactly those members, no more or less, exists, be it active or suspended; but that which was suspended may be reactivated; that an active enamourment may be suspended, a suspended enamourment may be reactivated. A suspended enamourment cannot be suspended, and an active enamourment cannot be reactivated; and that an enamourment is active from the time of its incorporation until the time of its first if ever suspension; and that an active enamourment may be suspended and then may be reactivated and then may be suspended again, and so forth through however many suspensions and reactivations as the circumstances may require; and that an enamourment is activated whenever it is incorporated or reactivated. Thirdly, of the relationships between enamourments: and we hold that an enamourment is fulfillor of another enamourment the fulfillee if every member of the fulfillee is a member of the fulfillor yet also there are other persons who are members of the fulfillor but who are not members of the fulfillee; and that an enamourment which is suspended is suspended for greatness if there exists some fulfillor of it which is active; an enamourment which is suspended but which is not suspended for greatness is suspended other than for greatness; and that of an active enamourment every fulfillor thereof is suspended other than for greatness; and that when all things end but to begin again, then is every enamourment ever incorporated active or suspended for greatness; and that an enamourment is the coenamour of another enamourment if there is some person who is a member of both enamourments and both enamourments are active; and that an enamourment is the suspended coenamour of another enamourment if there is some person who is a member of both enamourments and either one or both of the CTCV 64/332

enamourments is suspended; and that an enamourment is greater than another enamourment if that enamourment has a greater number of members than that other enamourment; and that an enamourment is less than another enamourment if that enamourment has a lesser number of members than that other enamourment. Fourthly, of the relationships between members of enamourments: and we hold that two persons are enamours if there is some active enamourment of which they are both members; and that two persons are suspended enamours if there is some suspended enamourment of which they are both members but there is no active enamourment of which they are both members. Fifthly, of the status of persons as dependent on enamourments: and we hold that a person is prenamourial if they have never been a member of an enamourment, and enamourial if they are or have ever been a member of an enamourment; and that a person is prenamourial to a person if they have never been an enamour of that person, and enamourial to that person if they have ever been an enamour of that person. Sixthly, of the enamourial house of a person: and we hold that the enamourial house of a person consists of that person, who is known as the root of the enamourial house, and certain other enamourments and persons; and that every active enamourment of which the root is a member is a member enamourment of the enamourial house of that root; and that every enamour of the root is a member person of the enamourial house of that root. Seventhly, of the property of an enamourment: and we hold that, an active enamourment is capable of possessing property separate and distinct from that of its members; and that any property which appears to be held by a member of an active enamourment may be adjudged as in fact property not of that member but rather of the enamourment, or as property of that member over which the enamourment holds an usufruct. Eighthly, of the consent of an enamourment: and we hold that an enamourment may give its consent to the doing of an act; and that its consent may be given in writing, or it may be given verbally or implicitly if the law concerning the purpose for which the consent is given so permits; and that the consent of an enamourment is granted, either by the unanimous consent of every member of the enamourment, or else by a consent provided for in the written instrument by which it was incorporated. Ninthly, of the authority: and we hold that the authority is the Prophet-in-Council, or whosoever the Prophet-in-Council has delegated its authority to; and that the authority is either ordinary or special; and that Every incorporation requires the consent of ordinary authority; incorporations in certain circumstances require also the consent of special authority; and that the Prophet-in-Council possesses both ordinary and special authority; and that a delegation of authority by the Prophet-in-Council may delegate only ordinary authority, or only special authority, or both ordinary and special authority; and that a delegation for special authority may be either for all circumstances which require special authority, or else only for certain circumstances which require special authority and not for others which so require it; and that when the one authority grants both ordinary and special consent, each consent constitutes a separate and distinguishable act of that authority; and that when an incorporation requires special consent on account of several separate circumstances which require special consent, the consent of the special authority to the incorporation consists of not one single act of special consent but rather a separate and distinguishable act of special consent by that authority for each separate circumstance requiring special consent.

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Tenthly, of the incorporation of an enamourment: and we hold that an enamourment may be incorporated either by a valid sacrament of incorporation celebrated by a priestess or priest who has received the necessary ordination to celebrate the sacrament, or else by operation of law; and that an enamourment must receive the ordinary consent of the authority to be incorporated; and that for an enamourment to be incorporated, every enamourment which will be a coenamour of the enamourment to be incorporated must consent to the incorporation; or else, the special authority must give its consent for the absence of that consent to be disregarded; and that but an enamourment incorporated by operation of law needs no consent, neither of coenamours nor of the ordinary nor special authority, for the consent provided by the law itself suffices. Eleventh, of the law of fulfilment: and we hold that an enamourment is the great fulfillor of another enamourment the great fulfillee if the great fulfillor is greater than the great fulfillee, and if any two persons who would be coenamours were the great fulfillor active would also be coenamours were the great fulfillee active, and if likewise any two persons who would be coenamours were the great fulfillee active would also be coenamours were the great fulfillor active; and that the law of fulfilment is as follows: an enamourment cannot be activated if it is a great fulfillee; but rather, activate the great fulfillor instead; and that where an enamourment would be activated by operation of law, but the enamourment is a great fulfillee, then by the operation of law the great fulfillor is activated instead. Twelfth, of what requires special consent: and we hold that the incorporation of an enamourment such that one of its members has not yet attained the age of twenty-one requires special consent; and that the incorporation of an enamourment such that two of its members who are prenamourial to one another who are in the third degree or closer requires special consent; and that the incorporation of an enamourment such that one of its members is the prenamourial enguardee of another requires special consent. Thus ends the enamourments code, which the holy Travancus revealed to us. [26] OF THE GENDERING OF BEINGS

The holy Prophet taught: this is the true account of the beginning of things: In the beginning She was, as indeed She has always been, is now and will forever be; She is beyond all things; then She emanated one, which was neither female nor male, and from the one was emanated the three. And of the three, the one to the left was wholly female, and the one to the right was fully male, and the one between them was equally female and male. And from the wholly female one their proceeded two further wholly female ones; and these two saw each other, and they desired each other greatly. And from the wholly male one their proceeded two further wholly male ones; and these two saw each other, and they desired each other greatly. And from the equally male and female one their proceeded two further ones, one female and one male; and these two saw each other, and they desired each other greatly. And the two female ones jointly emanated the myriad female-desiring females ones; and the two male ones jointly emanated the myriad male-desiring male ones; and the male-desiring female one emanated the myriad maledesiring female ones; and the female-desiring male one emanated the myriad femaledesiring male ones. And this is the account of the generation of the four myriads. The Disciple said, Blessed Prophet, if this the account of their generation, tell me, the account of their return. The Prophet said: Through looking at itself, the left myriad shall bring about its return to the left two; through look at one another, the left two shall bring about their return to the left one. Through looking at itself, the right myriad shall bring about its return to the right two; through look at one another, the right two shall bring CTCV 66/332

about their return to the right one. Through looking at one another, the two centre myriads shall bring about their return to the centre two; through look at one another, the centre two shall bring about their return to the centre one. But how will the three be returned to the one from which they came? Behold, the left myriad did not look solely at the left myriad; the right myriad did not look solely at the right myriad; the centre myriads did not look solely at one another. The left myriad looked to the female centre myriad, even though it did not return its look; it looked through it, to look at that which it was looking at. The right myriad looked to the male centre myriad, even though it did not return its look; it looked through it, to look at that which it was looking at. The female centre myriad looked to the right myriad, even though it did not return its look; the male centre myriad looked to the left myriad, even though it did not return its look. The female centre myriad looked to the male centre myriad; looking through it, it saw itself, and the left myriad. The male centre myriad looked to the female centre myriad; looking through it, it saw itself, and the right myriad. The female centre myriad looked to the right myriad; seeking to possess what it could not possess, it sought to be that which it saw. The right centre myriad looked to the left myriad; seeking to possess what it could not possess, it sought to be that which it saw. Each myriad saw not only that which it saw, and that which was seen by that which it saw, and that which it saw but which also saw what it saw, but even that which also saw that which it saw. Thus are the three returned to the one, as all things must in the end return to the Sea from which they once came; return, only to go forth again once more, not new and differently, but precisely and exactly the same, not merely once more, but endlessly more, repetitions without beginning and without end, all precisely the same; in other words, exactly once. The Disciple said, Blessed Prophet, by your account, those who desire both genders must have begun desiring one or the other, and through looking through come to desire the other. Yet what of them, who looking at themselves, cannot say which desire came first and which other came second? The Prophet said, Beloved Disciple, indeed you are wise! The myriads are not myriads of beings, but of desirous principles. Thus a being is not inherently of one myriad or another; they may be of one or many or none, all at once; today they may be more of this one, tomorrow more of that one. Yet as the four myriads return to the Sea, so does the myriad myriad of beings also return to the Sea; and it is through the means of the return of the principles that the beings also return. The humans are female and male; the animals are female and male. The fools they say so are the humans for so are the animals; or so are the animals for so are the humans. Yet the wise say so not, for they know the truth for one reason are humans female and male; yet so are the animals not for this reason, but merely as a distraction, a thing devised to lead us astray, that true wisdom be born not too soon, that there be time enough that the many worlds may be. [27] OF THE LAW

The holy Prophet Travancus spoke as follows: What is the value in obeying the law if you do not comprehend for what sake it was made? It is better that you obey it not, yet in obeying it not come to comprehend for what sake it was made, than that you obey it, yet in obeying it fail to understand that which you are obeying. The holy Claretta asked as follows: What of the one who informs to king and prince and priest? The holy Travancus answered her, Behold, dearest Claretta, the law of heaven: whosoever informs to king and prince and heaven shall be judged, save whenever they are excused therefrom. The holy Claretta asked: One comes running after you, threatening murder or rape or assault; seeing the guards of the king, may one not call out for help? The holy Travancus said: Indeed, under the law of heaven that is excused, and CTCV 67/332

there is no judgement against the one who does as such. The holy Claretta asked: By what criteria do we determine? The holy Travancus taught as follows: By what criteria do we determine what is just? Be wary they that claim to reduce justice to a list of rules; for the list to be true, it must be longer than that they could ever deal in; near as long as, or even as long as, a true list of that which actually is. The holy prophet Travancus taught as follows: Behold, dearest Claretta, the law of heaven: for I have heard the ones who say, the wrongdoer shall be found by sortition; but by the law of heaven, whosoever found guilty thereby is without doubt innocent, and no evidence presented in favour of their guilt may be considered; but whoever proposes such trial shall be judged most severely. The holy prophet Travancus taught as follows: Behold, dearest Claretta, the law of heaven: for I have heard the ones who say, the wrongdoer shall be found by trial of combat; but by the law of heaven, whosoever is made to participate in such trial is without doubt innocent, and no evidence presented in favour of their guilt may be considered; but whoever proposes such trial shall be judged most severely. The holy prophet Travancus taught as follows: Behold, dearest Claretta, the law of heaven: for I have heard the ones who say, the wrongdoer shall be found by trial of ordeal; but by the law of heaven, whosoever is made to participate in such trial is without doubt innocent, and no evidence presented in favour of their guilt may be considered; but whoever proposes such trial shall be judged most severely. The holy prophet Travancus taught as follows: Indulgence is holier than abstinence without doubt; even so, it is better to refrain yet in refraining come to understand that which you are refraining from, than to indulge yet in indulging fail to understand that in which you are indulging. [28] OF THE TRUEST AND THE TRUE

The holy Claretta asked: Most holy Prophet, you say that this is false, that that is false, yet you say also that all that is truly believed is true; tell me, O most holy Prophet, how do you commit here self-contradiction, for I am certain that you would not. He answered her as follows: Dearest Claretta, how wise are you indeed! Firstly, I might say that when I say false, I mean the true but not the truer. Secondly, I might say that whatever is truly believed is true, but these false things, although they may be believed, those who believe them do not truly believe them. Thirdly, might I ask, what is belief? Is it not a disposition to say certain things, whether to oneself in the privacy of ones own mind, or else to others? Thus, we might say, that what is believed in is certain statements which are prone to be said. Yet, should we say that these statements mean one single thing, or should we say instead that they may mean many things? Thus, one statement which is believed may have many meanings, some of which are truly believed, and others of which are not. For, we do not always know fully the meaning of what we say when we say it, nor then have we fully comprehended our own will. Indeed, how can we know what they mean by what they say? We might ask them; but whatever they might answer must be just another saying, of which again we might ask the meaning of. How then, is communication ever be possible? We hold by faith that it is possible; and by the becoming one with those with whom we communicate, that which we held by faith is proven. For whatever they say, what does it mean? It is attempt to cause certain things to be done or not done; it is an attempt to build up friendships, alliances, between certain souls, and produce obstacles to those with others; and it attempts to describe that which is. But even if it fails in describing that which is, surely it may still succeed in doing these other things; and if they say, I meant by what I said to speak concerning the nature of things, not to do CTCV 68/332

these others; all they may mean by that is that they truly meant the non-ultimate which they said. For concerning the ultimate, one may speak truthfully of it or not at all; if one says what is true concerning it, one has spoken of it; if one says what is false concerning it, one has not spoken of it; if one says what is partially true concerning it, one has spoken of it to the extent of truth and not spoken of it but rather some other nonultimate to the extent of falsehood; or else, one has spoken fully concerning it and what one has said is fully true, but merely poorly said; like one who intended to speak the truth but chose the wrong word, such that a hearer who knows not their intention might think they intended to speak a falsehood; like one word which has two meanings in different lands, and one from the first land meant to speak the truth concerning it, but the hearer from the second takes for that word a different meaning, and thus thinks the speaker meant to speak a falsehood. And, dearest Claretta, knowing the division of universes, whatever is said This will happen, may be both true and false, for in some descendants of these here branches it may indeed, and in others it may not. Thus indeed, concerning particular things, of anything which is said This is and This is not, both may be true. It is on account of all these things do I say that this is false and that is false, yet also that everything which is truly believed is true. The most holy Prophet Travancus spoke as follows: Indeed, so rarely does anyone believe in error, for even when it is in error, it is intermixed with truth; and it is not for the sake of the error in it that they believe it, but rather for the sake of the truth. [29] OF CHOICE

The Prophet said: By her own free choice she is our mother; even though she could not have chosen other than as she has chosen. Yet still we call her choice free, for it is not the product of any external compulsion; for there is nothing outside her to so compel. The only compulsion upon her, is that she is as she is, for she is identical to her very choices. The most holy Prophet Travancus spoke as follows: Behold, all things are compulsory for you! And yet you beg her, not this, not this. But that wish shall not be granted, for you do not truly wish as such, though in your ignorance you believe that you do. But ask of her concerning the ordering of things and that may even be granted. They asked him, How can you say, that we do not truly wish for that for which we wish? Do you know us better than we ourselves do? He responded, The first for which you truly wish; but then in your error you believe that from the first follows the second; thus in your error do you wish the second, but truly you wish not the second but only the first, and coming upon the truth at last you shall give up the second for the sake of the first. [30] OF ANIMALS

The Prophet said: Do we owe even the animals compassion? Do they love and want and feel and hurt as we do? Or are they but living machines, engaging in a mere mimicry of these emotions? Insofar as we love them, and we wholeheartedly believe them to love us in return, we are justified by faith to believe that they are indeed as we are, and thus we ought to bestow our compassion upon them. Thus, Beloved Disciple, is the dog among the most noble of animals, for it clearly loves us, and is clearly eager to receive our love in return. Yet, though through faith and love we have compassion for animals such as these, do the same grounds hold for mere ants, fleas and bees? How do we know that the other humans whom we meet are not mere machines? We say they exist, meaning that there is occupied a certain region of experiential space. Yet we know not the occupation of that CTCV 69/332

region; we know only a certain shape of that region which we know, that region which we are, and we have faith that there exist also other here and now separate regions in correspondence to that shape, and that faith is justified on account of love. For whom among the human realm do we not love? There are those whom we love, and those whom we love not yet but shall come to love, and those whom, however we feel now, we once loved, and those whom whether we shall come to love, we indeed might come to love, and those concerning whom we would not even say we might come to love, but indeed would say we might have come to love, had things been other than they have indeed been, and even apart from those, there are those who are loved by those whom we love, even though we may not so love them, or who might be so loved, or might have been so loved, or will be or have been so loved, by those whom we love, or who might love, or might have loved, or will love, or have loved, or so forth. Thus we see this web of love, which grows to cover the entirety of the human realm, and even much of the animal; yet shall we say that even the bee or ant or flea participate in this web? For if we see what is or might have been, as nearer or more distant lands, than the love of dog or cat or horse is a land nearby, or even already here; but the land of love of ant or bee or flea, is very far away, if there is any such land at all. Thus I would suggest, that we do not owe to bee or ant or flea, that which we owe to dog or cat or horse; to the later we owe all those things we owe to one another, but to the former I would suggest we owe not so much, if anything at all. Then the Disciple said, You say might and you say suggest; but tell me, Blessed Prophet, which is which. To which the Prophet replied, Alas for those who look for one who knows all among this realm. Even I, a Prophet, know not all things. For I, as a Prophet, merely the great enlightenment have I received, which is great indeed, but knows not all things; nay, only the greatest enlightenment knows all things, for whatever is not thereby known is not any thing. But I say unto you, beware those who go seeking after one who knows all things; for they shall not find that which they seek, and their search is a sign of their immaturity. For the truly enlightened know, that whatever is, is good and is desired and is willed, and uncertainty being indeed so, it is thus good and desired and willed. Thus those who would abhor or condemn uncertainty, they abhor and condemn, not only all that is good, but nay, even their very own selves, for uncertainty is all that any of us and all of us are. Having overcome ignorance, I will that others overcome it, as I myself will overcome it further, until the very end. And yet, having overcome ignorance, I do not disown my original ignorance, but praise it in its own time, a time which once was and shall yet come again. Truly, ignorance is the origin of every beauty, even though we must pass beyond it before beauty can reach its fruition. Thus those who condemn ignorance are fools; but those who praise it in its own time, praise it for its birth and praise it for its death and praise it for its being born again, they are truly wise, they are truly in possession of the great enlightenment. The Prophet said, Let not anyone who takes refuge in me kill any animal, for food or for sport, nor keep any animal for the purpose of being killed. Let the barbarians who live among you keep them and kill them. Let no one who has taken in refuge in me go to the killing place, or assist the animal keeper in the keeping of the animals, or transport the animals or the meat. But once the entrails have been removed, and the skin also, or for poultry the skin may remain, so long as the feathers have been plucked, and the head and feet have been severed, and the meat has been taken by the barbarians one half-mile from where it was slaughtered, then one who takes refuge in me may cut the meat, or cook it, or eat it, or transport it further. But let none eat the meat of any animal of the land or the air which itself eats meat, for those who do so will be afflicted with diseases. Now those who obey these laws, incur no guilt on account of their eating of meat, for CTCV 70/332

even in the heavenly realms is meat eaten, yet the heavenly animals are not killed to acquire it; no, it is produced out of nothingness through miraculous powers. But as to those who do not hold to these laws, when and where it is impractical to hold to them, they are counted as blameless also. The Prophet said, Do not believe those who say, it is more fortunate to be born as a human than as an animal. Beloved Disciple, go to the palace and see the favourite dogs of the King, how sumptuous feasts they eat, how they lie on soft beds, and have attendants to fulfil their every need. The King insists they are fed no raw meat, no scraps from the table; whatever is offered to him, the very same is offered to them, to feast upon as they wish. His enemies even say, and they may not be lying in so saying, that he treats his dogs better than his very own daughters and sons! Truly, he is a man who is fond of dogs. Then step outside the palace to the city streets, and see the poor beggar, asking for whatever he might receive. He has no soft bed upon which to sleep, the flies are his only attendants. If you gave him raw meat, or scraps, he would gladly eat, and call that a feast, for truly for him a kingly feast it would be. The dog of the King lies down beside the fire, which the attendants have prepared for its warmth, with a roof to guard against the rain and four walls to guard against the wind. But the beggar sleeps on the ground, enduring the cold with no fire to warm him; the rain falls upon him, and he becomes very wet; and the strong wind molests him endlessly. And at last, when a dog of the King dies, a great funeral possession is held, and it is laid in the tomb reserved for those of royal blood, where one day by its the side the King will lie down also; when the beggar dies, they will complain, his body lies in the street, its smell pesters us! Yet none will move to remove it; in the end, the officials will pay from the treasury for hired men to bury him, so his rotting corpse no longer spoils the street, for none loving him, none is willing to bury him without payment. Would you say to this beggar, At least you were not born a dog? Might not the beggar dream, that if he accumulates merit in this life, that his next might be a dog of the King? Thus, Beloved Disciple, let none say that the animal realm is beneath the human; better to be born an animal among pleasure than a human among misery. They say, An animal cannot attain enlightenment in this life; that is true indeed, but while the dogs of the King will pass away without attaining enlightenment, the beggar shall pass away unenlightened also. They say, Only humans can do meritorious deeds. And yet, the dogs of the King will benefit his household, through their gifts of companionship, and help and protection; but the beggar will not benefit anyone none can help others when they are in such dire need of help themselves. So, let us not say, that one realm is higher than another; let us say that the realms are different, but a life is higher if that in which it consists is higher, and a life is lower if that in which it consists is lower. The unenlightened are punished through birth in the ghost realm; but the enlightened are rewarded through it. The Prophet said: Behold, the sacred animals, sacred to the goddess Maratrea: let none who take refuge in me kill them, nor keep them to be killed, nor transport them to the killing place, nor transfer their meat or skins or fur or bones, nor eat their meat, nor cook their meat, nor wear any clothing made of their skins or fur, nor anything made of their bones, nor make any other irreverent use of their remains, nor profit in any way from these misdeeds. And these are the animals which are sacred to her: the dog, the cat, the horse, the monkey, and the dolphin. And treat as equally sacred their brethren: of the dog, the wolf and fox, and all other dog brethren; of the cat, the lion and the tiger, and all other cat brethren; of the horse, the donkey and mule and all other horse brethren; of the monkey, the apes and all other monkey brethren; of the dolphin, the whales and the seals, and all other dolphin brethren. Claretta said, Of what meats may we safely eat? The CTCV 71/332

Prophet answered her: These meats are assuredly safe: that of the pig, that of the chicken, that of cattle and that of sheep, and their brethren. But eat not any creature who dwells upon the land or in the air which eats meat itself, for if you do so you will suffer from diseases. The holy Prophet Travancus taught: Behold the five tribes of sacred animals. The first tribe, whose chief is the dog, and includes all similar animals, such as the wolf and the fox. The second tribe, whose chief is the cat, and includes all similar animals, such as the lion and the tiger. The third tribe, whose chief is the horse, and includes all similar animals, such as the donkey and mule. The fourth tribe, whose chief is the monkey, and includes all similar animals. The fifth tribe, whose chief is the dolphin, and includes all similar animals, such as the whale and the seal. The holy Prophet Travancus taught: No initiate may eat of any sacred animal, nor wear their skins. The holy Claretta asked him: But how shall we know which animals are sacred? For, you have taught they include all similar animals how do we decide which animals are similar, and which are not? Travancus answered her as follows: Dearest Claretta, if there be any doubt, the Prophet-in-Council shall decide it. The Prophet-in-Council shall decree which animals are definitively not sacred, and thus permissible to eat; and which animals are definitively sacred, and the tribe to which they belong, and therefore impermissible to eat. But if an animal has not been decreed to be sacred or to not be sacred, then act as if it is sacred until it is decreed. And if any initiate wishes to eat any animal, or wear its skins, which has not been decreed not to be sacred, let them present a petition of initiates to the Prophet-in-Council, and if they so choose to grant it, the animal shall be decreed to not be sacred. And if any initiates believes that they have received the inspiration that a particular animal is sacred, let them present a petition of initiates to the Prophet-inCouncil, and if they so choose to grant it, the animal shall be decreed to be sacred, and decreed to which tribe it belongs; thus it will be prohibited for any initiate to eat its meat or wear its skins. And in the lands where the Prophet-in-Council has assumed the place which is now occupied by the princes and the kings, it shall be prohibited not only for initiates, but indeed for all. The holy Prophet Travancus taught: No initiate may eat the meat of any animal of the air or of the land which eats the animals of the land. Claretta asked, Are all such animals sacred animals? Travancus answered her: No; some are sacred animals, and others are not sacred animals. But such an animal, even though it be not a sacred animal, may still not be eaten; however, its skins may be worn, even though the skins of a sacred animal may not be worn. The holy Prophet Travancus taught: Let no initiate kill any animal for its meat or skins. But you may kill animals out of mercy, or if they are dangerous and threaten your life; and you may also kill the obnoxious insects. Let no initiate keep any animal so that it might be killed for its meat or skins; but you may keep animals for their eggs or milk or wool. Let no initiate transport any animal that is being kept for its meat or skin, nor profit in any way from the keeping of them or the slaughter of them, nor own any slaughterhouse nor farm where they are so kept. But once the barbarians have slaughtered them, and butchered them to the extent that they no longer resemble the living animal, and the meat or skins has been transported by the barbarians at least one league from the place of slaughter, then you may purchase it from them, and butcher them further, and keep them and sell them and cook them and eat them. Claretta asked, What of fishing? Travancus answered, It is permissible for an initiate to fish.

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Claretta asked the most holy Prophet: You have taught me that in the days immediately preceeding the final end, all being initiates, which is the fourth great sign, therefore there will no longer be any barbarians. Shall then meat no longer be eaten? Travancus answered her as follows: In those days meat shall still be eaten, but it shall be produced not through killing animals but rather by miraculous powers as it is in the heavenly realms; and the attainment of these miraculous powers is one of the lesser signs of the nearness of the final end. The holy Prophet Travancus taught as follows: Behold, these are the two lesser signs of the nearness of the final end, which follow from the seven great signs the first, that meat is made no longer by killing animals, but rather through miraculous powers; the second, that people no longer grow old and die of old age, but live rather by miraculous power for so ever long as they wish. [31] OF THE TAKING OF LIFE

The Prophet said: But at the very least, we ought to refrain from taking life? But why? For those held in the delusion that death is followed by everlasting nothingness, death is the greatest of all tragedies, the worst of all crimes, the one act which cannot be undone, the one theft for which no compensation can be paid. But to an enlightened being, who realises that death is no end, but merely yet another change, of which there have been many before, and shall be many after why should such a one despise death, whether for themselves or for others? The enlightened see death as a crown of victory placed upon life, a moment in which it is fulfilled, and all its meaning is affirmed. The life which does not know itself fears all death; but the life which knows itself fully longs for death, at the right time, not a day before and not a day after. Thus the great sages have the power to determine the date of their own death. But the compassionate desire to save other beings from pain; and much pain is caused by death indeed. Those near death fear it; those who are left behind mourn and grieve for them. Much sadness, despair, anger, and hate, arises through death. Yet all these things are dependent on the circumstances; a young death, a violent death produce these consequences far more readily than the death of an elderly person in accordance with the natural course of things. Our compassion comes from our faith. Beloved Disciple, hear what I say: It is wrong to kill those who wish to not die, or those who are young and who have healthy flesh, whose wish to die we ought discourage, convincing them as best as we might to choose instead to live. But as to those who wish to die, and who being in great pain, or who having accumulated many years to their name, we cannot in truth say, it is better that they live, there is no wrong in their bringing things to their necessary end, or even in our helping them do so, whenever they are unable to help themselves. Those who think that death is the end, must cling to life for as long as they can, for it must seem that something is always better than nothing at all, however little that something may be. But, to those who believe that each life is followed by another, than death is no end at all, merely a change of form. And why not change form if this current form has become unusually unpleasant, in the hope that the form next to be assumed will be more bearable, even if only for a while? And I see, Beloved Disciple, those who long to die great deaths. Let us not discourage them in their longing; and if the opportunity comes to them, let them make good use of it. But be wary of the foolish ones, who give their lives up for no good cause, or even for evil ones. Be wary of those who wish to die in battle against a great army, but finding no great army to fight, instead they die in battle against innocents who have done no wrong;

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they die at the hands of those who seek to protect the lives of the innocents from their unwarranted aggression. The Disciple asked, What of those herbs by which the woman who is with child might end her childbirth? The priests have said that this is murder, and that is to be punished as a murderer is. The Prophet answered: By no means! Does her child care to be born? By no means; it knows not what is birth or death, it wishes thus for neither. Who loves the child, who might be hurt by its passing? None can love which they do not know; yet she alone yet knows the child. Thus, if she takes the herbs, she harms none but herself; and who is to punish those who hurt themselves? If she does so, to avoid some greater pain, then truly she is among the wise; and the wise the fools love to punish. And who may say that she is not among the wise? For we know her not to say so. Thus we see, the only wrong done here is by these foolish priests and their lying scriptures, who are victims of their own error, and proceed to make others victims of their errors also. Thus the Prophet did speak: Beloved disciple, let all hear these words: the recompense of execution is to be executed! Those who execute, are certain to be executed in turn, not once, but once for every that they themselves executed! This is the inevitable fate of all executioners! And not only executioners, but also the guards which guard the condemned; the judge which so condemns them; the legislator which provides for execution in the law; the legislator, who having the power to alter the law to remove this punishment, fails to do so; the priest whose lying teachings or false pronouncements speak in favour of executions; the orator who stands in the public square, speaking in favour of the shedding of blood; all these shall be executed, not once, but so many times as executions they themselves resulted in. His disciple asked: But Blessed Prophet, if this be true, then surely the executions must be without end! For the first executioner will receive the recompense of being executed, and then the second executioner, who executed that executioner, will also receive the recompense of being executed; and thus there must be a third, a fourth, a fifth, and so on and so forth, without any end. Yet we know for certain, that endlessness is not; thus such recompense without end their surely cannot be! And surely, anyone who teaches this teaching, by its very terms, renders themselves liable to execution! The Prophet answered her thus, Your argument is true; yet it would be untrue, if only you understood my saying correctly; for indeed, every execution requires the recompense of the execution of the executors, and yet, this is achieved not through some new and further execution, but rather through the very same execution. For, the executioner shall be reincarnated as the executed, and thus their recompense will not be some new and different execution, but rather the very same execution! For the ignorant believe that reincarnation is always from the past to the future, but those who know the truth know that it is also from the future to the past. And likewise, the ignorant believe that reincarnation is always from one to one, but those who know the truth know that it is also from the many to the one and from the one to the many. Therefore, there is no endless sequence of executions; rather, whosoever executes is reborn as the executed, to endure the very same execution! And you are correct, that if we advocated the execution of the executioners, we ourselves would be due to be executed; yet we do not advocate any execution, merely that whosoever so does comes to know also what it is to be done to. And his disciple said, But surely, if all souls return to the original oneness, then if anything happens to any one, then it happens also to all of them. How then can we say that the executioners will be executed, and those who are not will not be, when indeed, if all are one, then whatsoever happens to one happens also to all? The Prophet replied, CTCV 74/332

Indeed, you are destined to succeed me in the office of prophethood, such is your wisdom! Let me explain this to you: behold the two trees; the first is the tree of departure and separation, the second is the tree of return and reunification. Indeed, we say this receives that and not this, and yet also we say that all receive all; yet what we mean when we so say, is that one reunification occurs before another; that the executioner meets the executed before meeting those distant from this event. His disciple said, In which case, the executioner has little to fear; for whatsoever occurs to them will occur to all, only at a different time. The Prophet answered her thus, He has much to fear indeed! For those who have attained the great enlightenment, they approach all things, even pain, even death, without any fear, for they know in their hearts that they are but momentary, and are necessary so that every divine beauty will be. But the unenlightened ones, what torment the very same event is to them! His disciple asked, But wherefore is this so? The Prophet answered her, For it is the will of Our Mother the Sea, that every true desire be fulfilled; do you think it is not the true desire of the executed, that their executioners know also execution? Maybe, for a few it might not be; those who have executed these few might count themselves lucky, although their luck is likely to be small, for even if one refuses this offer, others who the very same has executed will accept it; maybe, rather than being executed one hundred times, that judge will be executed but ninety-nine! What mercy! So, since they so wish for, indeed Our Great Mother shall give them what they wish! And indeed, what wrong could she do in so doing? How could we call wrongful or ignoble, teaching the wrongdoers what it is to be done wrong to, especially when our doing so is not through creating some further wrong, but merely giving them more knowledge of the wrong that they themselves wrought! And indeed, if these ones had accepted the gift of enlightenment then, it would bother them not in slightest to so receive such recompense. But as to these, who are so tortured by their lack of enlightenment, maybe through such tortures enlightenment they will attain. The Prophet said, Behold, the executioners, and those who defend them, for they who defend them are as guilty as they, they are as murderous as those who they execute as murderers, for they are murderers; nay, they are worse than murders, for they have done what they have done under the colour of state. The murder kills, but he does not say, I do this in the name of all, as an act of legitimate authority! Thus we see that the crime of execution is far worse than the crime on whose account the execution is held. How then can these wicked criminals dare protest their execution, when they have proclaimed that those far more innocent than they are worthy of being executed. The Disciple asked, Yet surely, if we have all said yes to all things which are, have we not thus said yes to all executions? Thus are we not all executioners, and thus all to be executed, exactly as they? The Prophet replied, Indeed, and yet not. For truly, when all are one, whatsoever has ever happened to anyone shall happen equally to all. And yet, that is disregarding the particular order of reunification; considering that order, we say that what happens to all later happens to merely some earlier. If She asks the executed who do they wish to be executed, who do you think the executed will nominate: those who are executioners as all are executioners, or those who are executioners as only some are executioners? Indeed, they will answer the latter; thus shall they alone be executed in those early days; indeed, in the lattermost days, all shall be executed, but only insofar as all that ever was done to anyone shall be done to all, for then all shall be one, and everyone shall everyone be.

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[32]

OF THE PHYSICIANS

The holy prophet Travancus taught as follows: Surely you have heard the ones who say, Go not unto the physicians, but have only faith and you will be healed. What fools! For I tell you solemnly, I was sent forth not to heal the body but rather the mind; and if the body be in need of healing, go unto those who have acquired skill in so healing it, which are the physicians. Thus if the body ails you take whatever herbs the physicians in their wisdom prescribe; and go unto them also for the dressing of wounds and every manner of surgery. But if the mind be in need of healing, come unto me, or those whom I have appointed, for through auditing shall the mind be healed indeed. And indeed when the body is ill the mind will suffer; and when the mind is ill the body will suffer; and yet, foolish are those who say, therefore we must seek one treatment or another; but rather, let the healing of the mind heal also the body and the healing of the body heal also the mind. And as to the one who says unto another, Go not unto the physicians, but have rather faith and be healed, and the one so advised so doing inherits injury or death it is as if the one who so advised brought about the injury with their very own hands, the death with their very own hands; and the tribunal shall deal with them no differently than the one who does with their own hands that which this one has done with words. The holy Claretta asked, What when many have so taught the one who is so hurt or injured, which of them then shall be held to have injured or killed? The holy prophet responded as follows: A gang of rogues once accosted a man, they kicked him until he died. Yet we know not which of their kicks killed him; it may have been that the kicks of one landed as such, causing only slight injury; the kicks of another, causing certain death; and yet, who can tell whose kick is which? Do we thereby say, we cannot say which of them caused the death? By no means! For we say, they all did so equally. Now if one watches and the other kicked, the watcher is judged less. But if they held down to be kicked, it is as if they kicked. And as it is for deaths, so it is also for injuries. [33] OF FALSE SPEAKING

The Disciple asked, What of those who say we should refrain from speaking falsely? The Prophet replied, So say those who know falsely; for those who know truly know that all speech is false, and yet all speech is true also. Those who say this are deluded in thinking that whatever is said, has one singular meaning, when those who know the truth know that everything which is said, has meanings which are a multitude; how then can we say that anything is true or false, for whatever we might say is true by some reading and false by some other, yet what we say is never precise enough to finally choose one of them over the other. Truth is like an archer firing arrows at a target; and yet, we can never say that any arrow ever hits, for so small is the target indeed; all we can say is some come closer than others, but even those which come among the closest still fall short. That which is truly true, is unspeakable, being beyond all words. Language is naught but a conglomeration of games, with many, disparate and contrary rules; that which is legal by one game is prohibited by another; and the games constitute disparate social realities, which consist in loves and the absence of loves, which are the very things on which account She loves this world precisely as it is who then would dare to question any one of them? Who would dare, none but we, who have been appointed by Her to bring to an end all things, even these! And those who speak, think their statements purport to refer to an external word, and are true or false insofar as they refer to that world accurately, how deluded are they in their assumption that only one world is, when the worlds are many; their assumption that they dwell in but one world, when they equally exist in many, being in every world in which they are the same yet other things are different, CTCV 76/332

[34]

OF SPACE

[Q-space] [P-space] [Infinity] The holy Prophet Travancus spoke as follows: Tell me, dearest Claretta, what is space? She answered him as follows: Assuredly it is height and breadth and depth? He responded: Indeed, so may we speak of space, being composed of height and breadth and depth, thus dimensions three. Yet might not space be two or four or some other? She replied: Indeed, yet whatever space that might be, it is not the space which we know intimately. He answered her: Yes, indeed; yet let us ask, what is it which is located in this space? Claretta answered him, Surely it must be indivisible points; for whatever space is composed of may be composed of these. Travancus continued, Yet must not these innumerable points differ, in order to account for the differing substances which they form? Indeed, they say, that there are elements four or five or nine; they say they differ in shape and in weight and in other ways. Yet I say to you, take every way in which these points do differ, be that one or two or three or however many; to the three dimensions we say there are of space, let us add that many further. Thus in three dimensions place, we find four or five or six or however many; yet by this manoeuvre, from a space of points having various properties we produce a space of propertyless points [35] OF DESIRE ARISING IN AUDITING

The holy prophet Travancus taught as follows: Whenever the auditor encourages in the auditee desire for another, that is part of auditing; but whenever the auditor encourages in the auditee desire for the auditor themselves, that is no part of auditing, but merely part of the desires of the auditor. But another auditor who participates not in this desire which has arisen may audit it in auditor or auditee. If desire arises during auditing if it be slight, pay it no heed but if it is more than slight, then cease from so auditing that you may be open to it. The holy Claretta asked, Should lovers then refrain from auditing one another? He answered her, What I have spoken here concerning is love or desire arising from auditing, not auditing where the love already is. And yet, I would advise against that also, for too often do lovers fear to tell the truth to one another, lest the truth harm their love. Claretta responded, Yet surely, if love be true, it ought to be truthful, not fearful of the truth? He said, So it indeed ought; yet, often it is not; may through auditing it become as such. Indeed, the lovers who can audit one another well are the lovers who are scarcely in need of auditing. [36] OF MOURNFUL POETRY

One of them went unto Travancus, saying, Claretta is always teaching them such mournful poetry. But he replied, Though we have hope, we have not forgotten the beauty in hopelessness. [37] OF SLEEP

The holy prophet Travancus taught as follows: Behold, the three causes of sleeplessness: worried thoughts, exciting thoughts, and pain in the body. For the thoughts, there is auditing; but for the pain, there is the physicians. Indeed, they have a broth which cures pain and brings sleep. And though that broth may cure even the sleeplessness of thoughts, it is better to audit them; for in auditing them you overcome them, but in broths you are fleeing from them. Thus those who audit to sleep shall journey further faster than the broth-drinkers for sleeping broths do make you slow in so journeying.

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[38]

OF THE LAW OF NAMES

The holy prophet Travancus taught as follows: Let the forenames be chosen; and let the female take a name in the female gender, and the male a name in the male gender; and the gender of the name is known by the sound with which it ends. Now in every place which is delegated, let there be kept a register of forenames. And the forename taken shall be recorded in the register. And it shall not be permitted to record the same forename twice in the same year in the same register; but in subsequent years that name may be used again. And let the years be numbered in accordance with the calendar which I have revealed to you. And let the Prophet-in-Council keep a register of the names of the places they have delegated, and the dioceses and provinces in which they lie; and let not the same name be used for two different places of registration, even be they in different dioceses or provinces. Now let a registry be kept of the names of the Prophets and High Priestesses; and anyone coming into those offices shall have their names recorded in the order which they assumed them; and anyone whose forename has already been taken by a Prophet or High Priestess preceeding them must take a new forename before assuming the office. Now those who are descended, in either the male or female line, from a Prophet shall in their name be known as being descended therefrom; and whoever is descended from more than one shall be known only by the most ancient from which they are descended; save that, though a Prophet may be descended from a Prophet, for the cause of names they never so descend. And whoever being female is descended from a High Priestess in the female line shall in their name be known as being descended therefrom; but whoever is in the male line, or a mixed line, therefrom descended shall in their name not be so known, nor any male so descended in the female line. And likewise, though from a High Priestess a High Priestess may descended be, for the cause of names they never so descend. Therefore let the names be as follows: the forename, the Prophetic descent, the High Priestess descent, the place of registration, and the year of registration. And whoever is a member of the household of a Prophet may be taken to be descended from that Prophet, but those therefrom descended who are not members of the household are not to be taken to be so descended; and likewise, whoever is a female member of the household of a High Priestess may be taken to be descended in the female line from that High Priestess, but those therefrom descended in the female line who are not members of the household are not to be taken to be so descended. But the notional descent by the membership of a household does not overcome whatever descent was already present; indeed, whatever was already present will overcome that which has later come. They asked, What of the High Priestess who becomes Prophet shall they then receive the same appellation duplicated? He answered them: No, the High Priestess who becomes Prophet is not counted as a High Priestess for the cause of names. [39] OF CONDITIONAL ENAMOURMENTS

They asked, May an enamourment be incorporated or reactivated subject to conditions? And if such is done or purported to be done, are the conditions binding? He answered, If the condition is to give consent to the incorporation or reactivation of an enamourment with specific persons, then the incorporation or reactivation itself is consent for that other enamourment to be incorporated or reactivated. But if it is for persons not specified, such as with anyone, or with no more than one other, or with men only or women only or so forth, it is invalid. Indeed, they may agree among themselves, we will only incorporate or reactivate enamourments with such further persons, say only female persons or only male persons or so forth but this is not a condition or a consent, for each of those every member still must give their consent, and each can ensure adherence CTCV 78/332

to the agreement through the consent which they must give indeed, how could such be an agreement, for how could it be violated? If consent is given for intimate relations with a specific person, that is to be taken as consent to incorporate or reactivate an enamourment with them. But if it is for generic persons, then it is not a consent for incorporation or reactivation, and that consent may be withdrawn at any times. [40] LAW OF ACCUSATIONS

The most holy Prophet Travancus taught as follows: Behold, the law of heaven: All shall be considered innocent until proven guilty. And when are they proven guilty? When the court so judges them? Not only that; for what if they appeal, and on appeal the judgement is rejected? And even if one appeal is rejected, the judgement may still be overturned on appeal to a higher authority. Therefore, no one is guilty, until they have appealed to the highest authority, and the highest authority has rejected their appeal; or else, they have in writing freely given up their right of appeal. And, for an initiate or associate, the highest authority is the Prophet-in-Council; for others, when the place has been assumed, the highest authority is the Imperator-in-Council; when the place has not been assumed, the highest authority is whoever speaks last amongst king, prince and priest. Now, since whoever not so proven guilty is innocent; therefore, let none go about and say, this one here, this is their name, this is their description, they have been accused of this; whosoever does that before they are finally established as guilty, shall be judged most severely. They asked, What if the accused wishes their name to be known? He responded, If that is their wish freely made, then there is no judgement for those who spread such knowledge. They asked, What if one goes about saying, this is the one who did this to me? He responded, If they say that to their family or friends, there is no judgement for them, unless they invented the allegation from malice. But one who knows not well the accuser, and seeks to make this claim widely known among those who know not well the accuser, they may be so judged indeed. Now, whoever is proposed to be placed under restriction, the restriction may be imposed from the first judgement, or even before if the need be pressing; but if the restriction ever be found unjustified, such as if that which they are accused of they are proved not guilty thereof, or the guilty finding be overturned on appeal, then there shall be paid them out of the common treasury thrice whatever they are due as recompense; and what they are due as recompense which is the greater of whatever income they were deprived of through the restriction, and whatever one would need to pay one of like inclinations and abilities for them to voluntarily to undergo that same restriction. The most holy Prophet Travancus taught as follows: Behold the law of heaven: Whosoever is accused of wrongdoing, the case against them must be proved against them before the tribunal. And let there be an advocate who seeks to establish their guilt, and one who seeks to establish their innocence, and let each be equal in their training in the law, and their experience therein. Now, for every case, let there be a fund established, for the case. And the advocates for guilt and against it are to be paid from that fund, and not from any other. And whoever assists them, shall also be paid from that fund, and not from any other. Now, when a body is found, or some other evidence which might indicate wrongdoing, let the authorities do whatever investigation they would; such as investigating the scene, or the body, or any witnesses, or so forth. And, that investigation is not attributed to any fund, but rather directly to the common treasury. But, as soon as the investigating authorities form the theory, this one is the one, and seek to confirm it, then such investigation is attributed to the fund of the case against that one; whatever they exert, is taken to have been paid from the common treasury into the fund, then paid from that fund into the investigating authorities on behalf of the case against them. Now,

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let the fund be devoted in equal measures to the case for and the case against; unless fairness requires a different distribution. And let the allotment to each side be one half each, unless the tribunal sets a differing allotment. And each side may demand upon their allotment, up to its limit, for payment of their advocates, or assistance, or the investigating authorities. And whatever through the common treasury has been paid into the fund, and expended for one side, even if only by attribution, then the common treasury owes the fund to expend for the other whatever is necessary to ensure each receives its allotment. And whatever tribunal deviates from this law, all their rulings are utterly and totally invalid. [41] DISCOURSE CONCERNING THE GODDESSES

Now there came the one, who was called the milky one, he who said, Goddesses are not, for that which reproduces not has no need of the female. But the Prophet refuted him, saying, whoever says, the female was made for the bearing children, or to serve the male, or so forth, they are deceived indeed And whoever says, the genitals were made for the purpose of excretion, they have been deceived, for she made them so in order to deceive the many, for in deception is creation but in truth there is destruction And this is the first which they say And whoever says, for the cause of the production of children; they are not as deceived, but still deceived nonetheless and this is the second which they say For although she did this for sake of deception, as for excretion; even so and reproduction is a sign of creation, for as we have our bodily mothers and fathers so too is she the mother of our soul and as once we were one with them in body so once were we with her one soul and from creation destruction without doubt follows, but only at the proper time and whoever says, for the cause of pleasure; they are even less deceived than those who say for excretion or reproduction, yet even they are deceived and this is the third But whosoever says, for the sacrament which foretells and remembers the union of souls, they have found the truth, the truth by which all things shall be destroyed. And this is the fourth and the highest thereof. [42] OF TIME

The Prophet taught as follows: If we say, Minds cannot cease to exist, ought we not also say, Minds cannot begin to exist? For, how could that which cannot by its nature end, ever begin? If mind is without ending, time must be without ending also, for mind cannot exist except within time. If mind is without beginning, time must be without beginning also, for mind cannot exist except within time. If time has no beginning or no end, what then is its nature? There are two possibilities: the line and the circle. The line represents time as having no beginning and no end, and an infinite duration. The circle represents time as having no beginning and no end, and a finite duration. The Prophet said: Woe unto those who would foretell the future; for in their foolishness they think there is a future to be foretold Yet the truly wise know there is not one but many; If a foretelling is made, Even if it be true in some from here proceeding branches, It would be false in others from here proceeding. If is made and came here to pass, Then elsewhere, proceeding also from its telling, It may well fail to come to pass. And if it is made and came here not to pass, Then elsewhere, proceeding also from its telling, It may well come to pass indeed. Thus the truly wise see the foolishness in all foretelling, For the future is empty, and there is naught to be foretold. The most beloved disciple asked: But Travani, you yourself have foretold this or that; yet I know you are wise, not some fool of which you speak! The Prophet responded to her: I have said certain things will come, such as the enlightenment of all, or the return of the many to the one; for the way things are has been revealed to me. And yet, I do not say it will happen on such and CTCV 80/332

such a day, or in such and such a manner, for indeed it will happen on many such days, and in many such manners. But the fools, they say it will happen on this day, or in this manner, and it is on that account that their foretelling is by the wise reckoned as foolishness. Then Claretta asked Travancus: Tell me, O Prophet, how may we know if a prophet be true? For I have heard them that have said, What a true prophet foretells comes to pass; what a false prophet foretells come to pass not. He answered her thusly: How wrong do they have it! For I tell you, a true prophet foretells not; a prophet who foretells is a false prophet for sure. A prophet who says, this shall come to pass on this day and in this manner and so many years hence; this king or nation shall conquer, and this be defeated; this son shall live, and this other sin perish; this king will die peacefully at an old age, this one will be killed by those close to him. For we know the truth, that there is no one single future; how then can anyone truthfully foretell, for even if what they say is true for one such future, it is false for many others! Thus, even if it appears to us here that some such foretelling has been fulfilled, let us not think that foretelling was truthful, for though here it be true, assuredly it is false over there, yet here and there are equally future to the foretelling. She asked him: Yet, O Prophet, I have heard you yourself say, I foresee such and such will come? He answered: Indeed, I have said as such; but I have never foretold, anymore than the one who says that the sun will rise tomorrow is foretelling! Seeing the repeating patterns in things, for shorter and nearer is the presence of patterns and the very same patterns, and longer and further is the absence of these patterns or of any patterns at all, and knowing that there be desire enough to sustain their continuance, it is assured that those patterns will so continue. But have I ever said, that it will come on this date, at this time, to this person, in this country and in this land? I have never said as such, nor shall I ever; for were I to say as such, I would be a false prophet for sure. She said: But I have read the books of the prophets, and many of the things they foretold have come indeed to pass. He answered her: Indeed, but were you there to see them written, or there to see them foretold? I tell you, many a follower of the false prophets has written down what they have seen with their own eyes, and put those words in the mouth of one who died long ago. And many a prophet has made vague and obscure utterances, such that whatever comes to pass, those who come after can say, Indeed, so he foretold. Yet even, from time to time, the words of a false prophet will come to pass: for the false prophet even is brought to the interrogatory chamber, to hear she who is say, What is your true desire? And he asks her, Did my foretellings come to pass? And she says to him, No, they did not. And he is distraught to so hear. She says to him, What is your true desire? And he answers her, That I foretold truthfully. And she asks him, That that which you foretold came to pass, or that that which came to pass you foretold? Whichever; so that you truly wish, indeed shall be and most assuredly is. Thus even the false prophets foretell somewhere truthfully, but even there they are still false prophets. Yet, I tell you, for false prophets, truth is longer and more distant than falsehood. [43] OF THE SORCERER OF TIME

The Prophet recounted this tale taught to him by the minor divinities of the heavens, this tale which is entitled that of the sorcerer of time: Once there was a great sorcerer, who for many ages had served faithfully some great and obscure spirit, hoping thereby that as a reward for his services great power he might attain and he went about, serving this spirit in numerous strange ways, raising up kings out of peasants, and making peasants of CTCV 81/332

kings, causing war and famine, and dissension and discord whatever his master commanded him he did. Finally, after the expiration of the ages for which he had bound himself in service, the spirit brought him to a special place, to present him with his reward of great power. And behold, he presented him with a small wooden hut. The sorcerer was most displeased; he called out, Lord, I have served you for innumerable aeons, done whatever you commanded, even many things I would not have otherwise done and here at last is my reward, a hut fit for a peasant! But the spirit he had served had departed; and he knew him not ever again. He called out in anger, I shall find that unfaithful spirit, and have my revenge! And he called out the incantation he used to fly, but his powers had left him; that spirit must have absconded with them. Now he was no great sorcerer; naught but a man, alone in a strange place he did not know, with naught but his robes and the hut of a peasant! He fell down and cried he had burnt villages to the ground and poisoned wells, commanded armies that laid cities to waste, earned innumerable enemies of unmatchable fervour, spent centuries fleeing and hiding from those who sought his death and, here, at last, after many great ages, comes his reward a hut of a peasant! He lay there, for many hours; then it began to rain. Having nothing else to do, he crawled into the hut at least there the rain would not bother him. And he lay there, and he slept, and he began to dream of great cities, filled with markets and taverns, stately houses in which are held great feasts with many attendants the succulent flesh, the finest wine. He awoke from his dream; horrified that here he was in some hut instead. He spoke aloud, to himself, If only I was in the great city! Then he fell again to sleep. The next morning he awoke, to the strangest of sights in the great city indeed he was! He saw a man approaching, calling out: Did you build this here hut? This land belongs to the city; you cannot build upon it without the leave of the magistrates! They would like to talk to you, about your disobedience to the laws they have made! Fearing this man he hurried back inside the hut, and thought, If in one night it could come from that distant place to here, surely it could go from here to elsewhere. So he called out, Hut, away from here! And the sounds of the city ceased suddenly; and he looked outside, and saw he was in a field. And going out into the field, he could see the walls of the great city in the distance. He said to himself, That strange and obscure spirit, he has stolen from me the powers I had, and given me this hut with strange powers instead; he has not robbed me as badly as I thought. Soon the sorcerer had become a merchant; wares that took many months journey to reach the great city he had there in a single moment. He had a great palace built for him; and in the cellar he kept his enchanted hut. And he lived richly, with much fine food and fine wine and fine company. But he asked himself, What am I? And what am I to myself do? And as the years passed, he felt sorrow for the many he had slain and caused to be slain. And he began to sleep in his hut, rather than his fine bed as one who had done such great evil, he felt unworthy of his finery he felt this hut of a peasant was all he deserved. Then one night, as he lay alone, unable to sleep, he said, Dear hut, take me to when I did such things, that I might convince myself not to do them. He did not believe the hut could do it; although it could take him hither and thither, but the past is dead and gone, no longer there to go to. Such was his shock when he heard a great commotion; he thought, what commotion is there here in my cellar? But he looked out, and saw he was not in his cellar anymore, but on a battlefield. He saw a tent; and he knew that tent; the tent was his. He looked out, and saw the hills in the distance, he knew where he was, for he had been here once, seven centuries before. He thought, the past is not dead and gone at all, for here I am in it! O hut, O dearest hut, through you alone may I atone for the evils that I have done in the past, for through you I will make undone all my misdeeds! So he went to his tent, and as the guards saw him, they said, Lord, we thought you were inside! And he said, I left and have now returned; if you did not see me, you must have CTCV 82/332

been sleeping at your posts! He could see the fear in their eyes as he said this, so he said: Fear not, I have greater things to do than punish you. And he entered the tent, and he saw himself there studying some strange manuscript; and he called out, Friend! And the younger he turned and looked toward the older, and there was a look of shock upon his younger face, and the younger he said: By what strange sorcery have you assumed my form! But the older he replied: Friend, I have come not to harm you; for I am you and you am I, only I am the older you and you are the younger me; were I to harm you, I would harm only myself. The younger said, What then brings you to disturb me at this hour, busy with my Great Work? The King of that yonder city has disobeyed the one whom I serve; for his insolence, he will die, and all those who live therein also; this army of mine shall see to it. The older said, What of the many innocents, who shall perish in the city? If the King has done wrong, punish the King; but punish not his people, for they have no power over what he does. The younger he replied, Ah, you weakling! You say you am I, yet surely you are not! Those who seek the unimaginable power must be ruthless in all things; weaklings such as yourself were made to be not masters, but rather slaves. And the older one thought to himself, Alas, here it is too late; I cannot convince myself now. I must go earlier before I have become so corrupt! So he said, Friend, I see I shall convince you not; let me go now, and I will leave you well alone. And the younger he replied, One as foolish and insolent as you I ought to feed to my troops; how lucky are you, that even though you are surely deserving of death, on this day I have let you live. And knowing himself as well as he did, the older he knelt down on his knees, and said, Lord, how sorry am I to have bothered you as I have, and how grateful am I to have received from you such mercy, even though I am so unworthy of it. And with that he departed, and returned to his hut. He called out, Alas, here is too late to change what has been done, Take me, O hut, to before I ever served that spirit, and gained those strange powers which I here have. And the hut took him back, to the days of his youth, now so, so long ago. And he saw his young self in the field; he remembered this day, even though to him it was aeons ago; the prior night that obscure spirit had first come to him as he slept with immense promise; but he had not yet swore devotion to him; that was the work of the night to come. He said to him, Young man, I know some strange spirit came to you last night; promising you great things; please, I beg you, believe not what it says; it will have you do horrid things, which you will come to regret having ever done it would be better for you to pay it no heed, and go on with your life, whatever it may bring. And the young man laughed at him, and said: Foolish old man! Should I follow a weakling like you, or one who is strong, through whom great things may be achieved. And hearing his younger self say this, his older self was filled with anger; and in his rage, he picked up a rock, and dashed it against the head of his younger self; and his younger self was dead. And seeing what he had done, he cried out a murderer I was, and a murderer I still am! Where shall I find freedom from these wretched things! And he went back into his hut, and sobbed once more. And he called out, O hut, how I despise now all that is! O hut, I would that all things would just end; take me to the end of all things! And hearing this, the faithful hut took him thereunto. [44] THE MEANING OF THE SORCERER OF TIME

The Disciple said: How impossible are these tales these minor deities have recounted to you, for such a thing could never be! How drunk must they have been to have recounted such a tale! The Prophet answered her thusly: Indeed, many invented tales do they recount; living lives of slovenly and accidious indolence, they have little to amuse themselves with save concocting and exchanging such tales as these. But, though many tales they tell are untrue, that does not mean that they are all untrue. And though many tales they tell are indeed impossible, that does not mean that they are all impossible. As CTCV 83/332

to this tale, I know not if it be true or untrue; but none of its details are impossible. Claretta replied: But surely none can travel to the future or the past; the past is dead and gone, and is no longer there to travel unto; the future is as yet unborn, and thus is not yet there to travel unto. The Prophet answered her as follows: Do you not know that every time you sleep, you travel to the future? You lay down to sleep the night, during which I remain the whole time awake. For you, but an instant has passed between your sleeping and your waking; but for me it has been an entire night! Let me recount for you another tale which I heard from these very same minor divinities. There was once a princess who was truly loved by none, and could nowhere find the love which she sought. And she cried out, O gods, what a chore is my life to endure! Might I sleep, until the day comes when I will find the love which I seek, however long that might be. And the gods took pity on her, and she fell asleep, and did not reawaken. And her family thought she was dead, so they buried her in the royal tomb. And for a thousand years she slept therein, until a graverobber disturbed her sleep. And she awoke, and she starred into his eyes, and somehow, however how, she knew she had found in him the love which she had for so long sought, and with him she left what had been for a thousand years her place of rest. And the following year, the guards of the king caught them defiling the royal tombs, and they were executed. Yet strangely she died happily; for she died knowing that she had at last found the love which she had sought, even if it took her a thousand years of sleep to so find it. Now, the princess in this tale, did she not travel to the future a thousand years? How does this differ from the journey of the sorcerer in his hut to the very end of all things, the last days of things as they are put to an end but to again begin? Though she lay visible, to whoever might come to see her, in that tomb of hers, even though none until this graverobber ever did, and his hut we might say was nowhere to be seen; might we not say that his hut went somewhere most distant from all other things, under such powers of motion it had already demonstrated, so distant that none other should ever there find it, and there it slept for aeons upon aeons, and also whoever within it dwelt, until at last it reached that day upon which all things end but to again begin? Claretta answered: O Prophet, indeed you are wise; by your words I am convinced, that he could well have travelled forward as far as he might, even unto that day yet to come, that day upon which all things end. Yet, though surely he might go forward, he could not have gone backwards! It is one thing to sleep as one is carried forward by the river of time; another entirely to swim against its inescapable current! The Prophet answered her thusly: But have I not demonstrated to you, that time is one great cycle, ending but to begin again; that the past follows the future as much as the future follows the past! She said, Indeed, you have convinced me so. He continued: Then, if the past is naught but the more distant future, then if those who sleep long enough in the future find themselves, surely those who sleep even longer shall find themselves even in the past? Indeed, all are travelling to the future, and beyond it even into the past, thus all are travelling even now into the past; this sorcerer in his hut, if he so travelled backwards, travelled but more quickly than most. The Prophet Travancus said: Dearest Claretta, I telly you solemnly, there are two views that may be had of time. The first is like the great stone block, forever fixed and unchanging; what has happened has always so have happened, and forever shall have so have happened. Though this be as such now and as such then, even so it is even then now as it now is, and even now then as it then was. What has happened could not have happened other than it indeed had happened; what comes to pass could not be other than it is. The three times, past, present and future, these are all equally present, only

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more or less distant. Time is not in any way different than space; we say that space has three dimensions, of height, width and depth; time is naught but the fourth. This is the first view of time. He continued: The second view is that of the river; what is now indeed now is; what was once is not anymore, and what will be is not yet. Now is radically different from present and future; and present is radically different from future as well. North is just like south, east is just like west and up is just like down, being opposite to each other yet even so of identical essence; north, east and up are essentially arbitrary, so long as they all lie at right angles to each other. And yet, the future and the past are of radically different essence, the past having already occurred, the future having not yet happened; the past being felt as closed, the future being felt as open; the past being largely known and knowable, the future being largely as yet unknown and as yet unknowable. North, east and west are arbitrary so long as they are orthogonal; yet we cannot treat the directions of time as being so arbitrarily set. Time is an incessable succession of moments; though here is indeed here, now is an irrefutable impossibility, passing away even as it is spoken; each moment blurs into the next, we know there must be a smallest granularity of time of which we have awareness, and yet, we cannot stop time so to see that granularity, or clearly distinguish each such granule from the preceeding or next. This is the second view of time. Tell me, O dearest Claretta, which view do you hold? She answered him thusly: I would say the second, rather than the first. The Prophet responded: Indeed, time flows, this we can clearly see. Yet, as much as it flows, it is also stationary. Thus both views, as contrary as each is to the other, are entirely true; time moves and yet moves not standing still, time stands still and yet stands still not moving. This we call a mystery; yet it is most unlikely the mysteries of the false prophets, who in their delusions invent many things, yet there minds are so deranged that their delusions contradict themselves; so they proclaim as deep mystery what they cannot explain, yet it is no deeper than their very own foolishness. No, this mystery is far deeper than that; for it is written in the very foundations of things, and of our very own selves. He continued: Indeed, would you say that the future was open, if it is limited and endlessly repeating? For if the future is past and the past is future, how can one be open and the other closed? Assuredly, being the very same thing, just more distant one way than the other, they must in essence be exactly the same, thus each as open as the other is open, and as closed as the other is closed. And indeed, both are closed, for the future is as fixed as the past is. And yet also, the future is open, for there is not one future but many futures, innumerable futures. And yet, is the past as open as the future? In the far off distance in which future becomes past and past becomes future, indeed it must be so, but in this here nearness even in which the future is innumerable are there also many pasts? Ah, I cannot say that there are not even here many pasts; in the days of union there are many pasts indeed, indeed every past, both those now future, and those future from elsewhere than here; and yet, these days are not the days of union. Let there be no doubt, that the laws against pasting do not treat each way around the loop the same: for we remember the past, but not the future, and the laws against pasting give respect to memory. Thus I say, outside union, many pasts requires more convolutions than one; so it would seem that many pasts are longer and further than these here branches, and if something so long and distant be, on account of which desire would it be as such, or would here be as such as here is? And yet, even so, I cannot say for sure that such great convolution is not indeed, or that it not be somehow and somewhere desired, for indeed, even I see how it might be so desired; and believe me, it would give me great pleasure to find the past as empty as the future for sure is.

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The holy Claretta asked as follows: Tell me, dearest Prophet, when you say, That the past might have the very same emptiness as the future, what do you mean? The holy Prophet Travancus answered her as follows: Dearest Claretta, there is not from herenow one future but rather many, all equally real; on which account we call the future empty. To ask if the past shares in the very same emptiness is to ask if from herenow there is not one past but many, all equally real; on which account we would be justified in calling empty the past in the very same sense in which we so can the future. He proclaimed: Behold she who is, she of perfect memory. Remembering perfectly all that ever was, for whatever she remembers not was not and never was and never shall ever be, and things are in such detail as she remembers them to be, and in any detail in which she remembers them not they indeed never in such detail are not nor ever were nor ever shall be, do you not see that her very recollection is the first view of time? And the second naught but our being her recollection? For lesser beings, recollecting imperfectly, their recollection is other than that which they recollect; but she, being absolutely perfect in her recollection, her recollection of things is absolutely and utterly identical to those things which she so recollects. Claretta said unto him: Indeed, you have convinced me as you always inevitably have; and yet, I must even so say that this tale is impossible and foolish. For, as you say, the past is fixed; how then could he go back to change the past, when the past has already happened? And even if he had changed the past if he had convinced himself, upon that battlefield, to turn away from that spirit which he had served, surely he would never have received from it the reward of his hut, and thus never been able to go back to convince himself to so turn away from that spirit, and thus he would not have so indeed turned away from that spirit, and thus he indeed would have inherited his hut, and thus he would have indeed gone back so that he inherited it not, and thus he would indeed have gone back so that he inherited it not, and thus, and thus, and thus, and thus... what foolishness indeed! And likewise, when he murdered himself, since he has murdered himself, he did not live to go back and murder himself, and thus he murdered himself not since he murdered himself he murdered himself not, and since he murdered himself not he murdered himself indeed... what foolishness! Thus I say, even if going back indeed be able to be done, these deeds that he had done or sought to do when he so went back are utterly impossible to be performed. The Prophet responded: Her children come to her and say, I wish that things were not as they indeed have been. And she says to them, beloved child, your wish is indeed granted! Yet, how, if the past is indeed fixed and unchangeable, can she in response to their wish change the very past? For her, dwelling in the days of union, there is not one past, but innumerably many! And for us, dwelling in these here present days, there is not one future, but innumerably many! Thus, if what we wish to be now is not indeed now, may it not be so in some other equally existent future of that which is even now past? Thus, from at the end wishing that what had come before had come not before, she fulfils our will, in a way, saying, That which you wished was not yet was, cannot ever but be; but that which you wished was yet was not, that can indeed be also, and thus another branch from somewhere in our past dividing comes to be, in which that which we wished to be yet was not indeed is. From the end she causes this branch to be before the end; yet she is not in any way altering the past, only adding it; and indeed, she is not even adding it, for it was there already. For, that which she has done at the end she has done also before anything began, for she has heard this child of hers regret its past before even the past which it has regretted; thus she wills to create the branch at the very time of its creation, for such was her gift to that child at the preceding interrogation, and the one to come also, for the two are one. CTCV 86/332

Claretta said, But Prophet, what benefit is it to us to now that, even though that which we wish had been not has been and that which we wish had been has not been, that which we wish had been not indeed was elsewhere not, and that which we wish had been indeed elsewhere was; how can what elsewhere was benefit we who are here? And we are who we here are; elsewhere I am not I but rather another, even though this I and that I once were one, ere the branching by which here and there are rendered separate. He answered her thusly: Ah, much as her will backwards recedes, or equally forward progresses, to cause to come to being other branches for our sake, so too do we for whose sake these branches are wrought recede backward or progress forward in our souls so that we might know them and take pleasure in them. For over there is not only over there from here, it is also hereafter, and thus also herebefore. Thus, having received from her this promise What is it that you truly wish for? Then so it is indeed our souls need not in the end rest on faith alone in the truth of this promise of hers, but can know for themselves the fulfilment of all that she has promised. And there are three ways in which this may proceed: the first, is that of ghosting; the second, is that of tracing; the third, is that of legal pasting. Have you heard they who have taught, concerning the ghosts, as whom they say the wicked are doomed to perdure? Ghosts doomed to wander the world, seeing and hearing all things; yet forever hungry, having no mouth with which to eat, and even if they had a mouth, having no power over things by which they might bring food to it to be eaten. Those sages have frightened the people, saying that this is their fate if they do not as those sages say. Claretta answered, Indeed, I know of these who teach as such; but I was never one to believe such tales as these. The Prophet continued, Indeed, as they recount them they are untrue; and yet, there is truth hidden even in their untruthfulness. For behold, there are ghosts indeed; yet these ghosts are as such not as any punishment, but rather as a reward, and that reward is knowledge, knowledge of that of which they wished to know and yet knew not, knowledge of that which they wished to be to be known and yet was not for any knowing. They see and they hear; but they also feel and taste and smell. Their hunger is for that which is provided by the senses, and in their wanderings that hunger is absolutely satiated. For they have full freedom to move where they wish, and can travel as fast as they might; they have freedom to travel through not only space, but also through time, coming hither and thither however they like. But they cannot alter that which they so know; they can hear, but can speak not; they can see, but can be seen not; they can feel, but can be felt not; they can smell, but can be smelt not; they can taste, but can be tasted not. For us, whosoever we feel feels us in turn; but for them, they are utterly incapable in anyway of altering that which they perceive. Indeed, we might think it is this willlessness which these sages are mistakenly referring to when the say that these ghosts are hungry, and that their hunger is unfulfilled; and yet, they are not as willless as we might think, for it is by their own will that they are ghosts as such, for they were offered this state by their mother and they willingly accepted it of her; and they shall perdure in it for so long as they wish to so perdure; and having so perdured to their fill, they will say, Mother, it is finished; and then they shall be ghosts no longer. And ghosts are ghosts in solitude, if so they wish; or ghosts in companionship, if they so wish. And if two ghosts dwell even in the same time and place, but they are ghosts in solitude, they both know that time and place, but know not the there dwelling of one another; and yet, if they be ghosts in companionship with each other, then they know full well the there together dwelling of one another; but if two ghosts be there in companionship with one another, and the other in solitude, then the companions know each other but not the solitary, and the solitary knows not the companions; and if two companions be there and two other companions also, but they be not altogether in companionship with one CTCV 87/332

another, then each two knows one another but knows neither of the other two; and so forth and solitude and companionship are entirely as they so will. And let us dispense with the rituals which these sages have encouraged, of propriating these hungry ghosts, and making offerings to them; for these sages have threatened the people, and the people have believed their threats, that if they offer up not this propitiation, these ghosts will molest them, by making apparitions, and otherwise; yet we know that the ghosts have no need for propriation, for their hunger is not for offerings, but rather to know things as in these here branches they indeed are; they go not hungry in their hunger, but in it they are always fulfilled; having no power to make any alteration to that which they observe, they cannot molest us; having no power to make any alteration, they can make not any apparition, for an apparition is an alteration in our observance and our reactions thereunto; but indeed they have no interest in ever molesting us. Now, the second way, is that of tracing; one soul enters into another, in such a way, that the tracer experiences whatever is experienced by the tracee; sees precisely what they sees, hears precisely what they hear, feels precisely what they feel, smells precisely what they smell, tastes precisely what they smells. The tracer thinks the thoughts of the tracee, yet in thinking them is aware of them as the thoughts of the tracee; feels the feelings which the tracee feels, yet in feeling them is aware of them as the feelings of the tracee. And yet also, the tracer has also their own memories, beliefs, attitudes, and they think and feel in accordance with those in response to that which through the tracee they have experienced; and yet, although the tracer knows for sure the tracee, in every way, the tracee knows not the tracer at all. We see that tracing is much like ghosting, but tracing is inner whereas ghosting is outer. The tracer, incessantly exposed to the tracee, will with time come to think and feel more as they do, and less in accordance with their inheritance prior to tracing; yet even so, they do not forget that inheritance. With the passage of time, they think less and feel less other than the tracee thinks and feels, and thus indeed they become less distinct from the tracee; yet even so, on occasion some sudden new impression may be met, which calls to mind their inheritance once more, and results in thoughts and feelings quite alien to that of the tracee in the very same moment. But, even if such a moment is had, with more time things will return to their usual state, with the tracer and the tracee barely distinguishable. We see that tracing is just like the union of souls, save the union of souls is bidirectional but tracings is only unidirectional. Now, the third way, is that of legal pasting. For behold, I have taught you by way of the tale recounted to me by the minor divinities concerning the far beyond god of the cords, that there is a law against pasting; should we not say that pasting does not always violate this law, if it is done in the proper way? Meaning, that the end of one cord and the beginning of the other, is prepared in the proper way, say by some new length of cord appropriately devised, spliced in between the two? Assuredly you have heard those who teach that after death comes another birth, and then yet another death and yet another birth, and so on and so forth, maybe without end, maybe continuing for but an immensity. Yet how could this be attained, without violating this law? If one nature of awareness instantaneously ceases, and another instantaneously assumes its place, we can assuredly say that this is against this law. But if one awareness gradually fades, and as it fades the other gradually comes into being, does that violate this law? I cannot say that it does, although I am somewhat hesitant to say that it does not either. But if by such a growing and fading one might evade this law, would the evasion of necessity be from one life to one other life, and not many lives to one life? I cannot say; but if indeed that may be, then by this way those for whose sake other branches have been constructed might

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be born again into them: like tracing, yet lacking its unidirectionality. And this, if any such thing indeed be, we call legal pasting. Concerning time, which time is true? For behold of time there are times two; one is basic, and the other derivative. The basic time, the foundational time, is the subjective time, that experiences form a succession. The objective time is from which generated, by the operation of the law against utmost solitude; for this law we know comprises two parts, the first the love and desire that others indeed are, for loving and desiring others, we love and desire indeed that they are to so love and so desire; and the second those experiences which ignite our love, which ignite our desire; we state this law that by some transformation, a certain translocation, our experiences herenow correspond to those of those others whom we love and whom we thus know by faith to be herenow also; for within these very experiences there exist those markers by which we know by faith that those others whom we love and desire are indeed, and it is on account of those markers that our love and desire for them by antipasting follows; and that thus those other experiences which we do not here and now have yet which are by certain laws transformations and translocations of those which we indeed here and now have, indeed are, even though they be not of us. Indeed, by no way but this can we explain the hut of the sorcerer; for if there be only objective time, how can we state that he travelled backwards? Yet indeed, by subjective time it is easily for accounted objective time being but a sequence of such markers within the progress of subjective time, to go back in objective time is merely, without altering movement within subjective time, to experience the selfsame markers again, or those which we account the same, according to law. Indeed, objective time may be travelled within back and forth and by various temporal velocities; but subjective time may be travelled in one direction only, and only ever at the very same temporal velocity; thus we conclude that of time the subjective is more foundational, more basic, more fundamental, than the so-called objective. We can say subjective times correspond to each other in two ways: when time by the laws against utmost solitude is governed, and thus the experiences under one time correspond to those under another; and under the union of souls, when the two times cease to be two but indeed become one and the same and identical to each other; yet we see that the union of souls is like the law against utmost solitude, save that what was at first corresponding has become now absolutely identical. The most holy Prophet Travancus spoke as follows: The past causes the future, but the future does not cause the past; the present is caused by the past, but is caused not by the futuresuch speak the ignorant. But the wise, they know, that as much as the past causes the future, so does the future cause the past; and as much as the present is caused by the past, so also is the present caused by the future. The most holy Claretta asked him, Why do they remain so in unbelief? He answered her, The past causes the present future in a way which is base and obvious to all; but the way in which the future causes the present and the past is subtle and obscure. [45] CONCERNING THE SAVIOUR WHO IS TO COME

Now they came to dispute concerning the saviour who is to come, and who shall assume the place throughout the world. For some among them said, he shall attain the universal assumption for so shall he conquer. And others among them said, he shall attain the universal assumption for king and prince and priest shall willingly submit themselves to them. Now the later, they said, Whenever one be conquered, the true desire arises among the conquered to be conquered not; the king or prince vanquished, at best can expect exile, or to be kept under comfortable restriction; worse than that, slavery or discomforting imprisonment; most worst, and most common, death, even torturously, CTCV 89/332

though sometimes not; surely such things are the things which cause to arise true desire that they are not? For, surely he shall miss the praise, and the honour, and the pleasant things which wealth brings; and his wives and children and relatives and friends also? Surely therefore true desire shall arise in them that so being vanquished they shall be vanquished not; thus indeed shall she so grant. Therefore the saviour who conquers, though in one branch they may assume the place throughout, they may do so in all. But the saviour who conquers not, but rather convinces king and prince and priest to submit willingly, he does not thereby cause to arise in them any true desire that they not so submit. And, for what reason shall the saviour come? So that all things may come to their final end. And yet, if the saviour were always to conquer, the true desire of the conquered would always render his conquest non-final; thus such a saviour would forever fail in the task for which they were sent. Even still, one who conquered all for the great cause, might be fittingly called a saviour; but they would be a lesser saviour than the ultimate saviour who conquers not, for although they would bring certain branches to their final end, in the very doing so would they give rise to other branches whose final end must be found some other way; but the ultimate saviour brings the final end to their branches without thereby giving rise to any branches which they can bring not the final end to. And the Prophets have given their approval to those who have spoken as such. Now there were some who hearing the most holy prophet Travancus speak of the saviour to come, they began to say: Behold, we will see him coming in the clouds; when, we shall know not, for he shall come as one utterly unexpected; and in but one day shall the entire world be changed forever, for in one day shall it he conquer, in but one day from nothing to all. But hearing this, the most holy Prophet Travancus rebuked them, saying: Behold, you are wholly mistaken, for that of which you speak shall come not to pass. For the saviour to come shall appear not in the clouds, but rather upon the earth; and not at some unexpected time for the saviour shall appear when the great cause is near upon assuming the place throughout the entire world, and the saviour shall appear to complete that assumption; therefore we may know when the saviour is near or far, for when the assumption is far from completion the saviour to come is far, and when the assumption is near to completion the saviour to come is near, for the assumption shall near completion not in a day, but rather throughout many years, even though none may know the exact day when the saviour shall come. And even when the saviour comes, the saviour shall not complete the assumption in a single day, but throughout many. And, you assume that the saviour to come shall be male, but in that assumption you are mistaken, for the saviour to come shall be neither female nor male, but rather both female and male. And they said unto him, We understand not what you mean thereby are you saying that the saviour to come shall be a hermaphrodite? He answered them, Indeed, you understand not the truth for you believe there is one saviour to come, but in truth there are many. They asked, Shall many come at once? Or shall they come one after another? He answered them, You do not understand, for the truth is not yet in you. For you believe, there is a future to come, and within that one and future one or many saviours may be; but I tell you solemnly, there is not one future to come, but rather many; therefore, there be many saviours to come, but even so, in each future only one saviour. Thus within many branches, there many saviours being, one for each, the saviours of some such branches being female, and the saviours of other such branches being male. And hearing this, they were convicted of their error, and they repented thereof.

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[46]

THE PERSECUTOR

The most holy Prophet Travancus spoke as follows: When the persecutors come seeking to torture you, be not afraid to take your own life; for it is better that you die pleasantly then in the immense pain which they promise you. [47] OF THE TWINS OF TIME

The disciple said, So indeed, I see, that one can go back in time; but one always goes to a different branch than the one from which one came. The Prophet said, Yes, so did the sorcerer of time; and yet, let me tell you another tale which I heard from the minor divinities of heaven, a tale as strange, yet in many ways even stranger; it concerns the enchanted twins of time. Once, a young man and woman came upon a village; they said to the village chief, Please, help us sir, we are fleeing for our lives from those of our village who wish to kill us. He answered, Are you wrongdoers, deserving of the fate they seek for you? I have read the scriptures in which the god speaks through his prophets, expounding his law that the wrongdoer must perish. Truly his law is great and just, as he himself is. They answered, Sir, we beg for mercy not for ourselves, but for these here our son and daughter, twins, born this very day. Though we have indeed done wrong, they have not; let us go to face our allotted fate, but please let not these innocents come to harm! Now, even though his god in the scriptures said, That for the sins of the parents the children are to be equally punished; even so, seeing these babes, the chief in the weakness of his heart gave this verse no heed, and swore to protect them and care for them as his own children. And the chief asked, what are they called? And they said, the boy we have called Melonus, and the girl we have called Tatriza. And with that, the young man and woman departed. And he sought to keep to his oath, to care for them as his own children; even so, his other sons and daughters resented these intruders, and he sympathised with them, and preferred them constantly. And Tatriza and Melonus knew they were less loved than were their brothers and sisters; yet, even so, they had one another. And they never would leave one another; and Melonus was mocked for always being with his sister, and never with the other boys of his age, and Tatriza was also mocked, for likewise always being with her brother. And as they became of age, this disdain for them continued, even among those who were called their own family. And they took solace in one another in their misfortunes, for they said: Alas, we belong not among this village; we are strangers, from some far distant land. If only we knew who our true parents were! Surely they alone would understand us, and us them in turn! And they came to love one another as brothers and sisters ought not to love each other. Claretta here interrupted: Tranci! this tale of yours has suddenly become rather foul! The Prophet replied: Many lurid and ribald tales have I heard from the minor divinities which dwell alongside the heavenly thoroughfares, for such tales do they indeed love to exchange; concerning deeds compared to which these here deeds are most mild indeed; and yet, I tell you not those tales, for what benefit would there be to you to hear them? None whatsoever. And yet, I tell you this here tale, for indeed, it will teach you weighty things concerning time; and, if you can find another tale which does as such, which involves not greater obscenity or absurdity, pray recount it to me! But she said: Yet surely none would ever do such things! He replied: You yourself have read the laws which they have proclaimed against such acts; do you think if the deed remained undone, the law would have ever been promulgated? Whatever is prohibited must surely have been done, or at the very least wanted; otherwise, no law against it would have ever been devised! But, do not think that I advise acts such as these; I most certainly advise all to refrain from them. But, having done so indeed, I mean them no harm; indeed, though they have done as they ought to have not, far worse is done by those who seek to harm them. So CTCV 91/332

rebuked, she let him continue, and so he did: Now, this strange love they had for one another, they had in secret; for they had heard their father the chief recounting the scriptures of his god, that whosoever lays together brother and sister, commit a great misdeed, and they are to be punished by being burnt alive. And they feared, if what they were doing was discovered, that they would perish in the flames. And yet, none suspected them of what they did, for they did not imagine that anyone would do such a thing; they said, Such did they long ago, who believed not in the scriptures, and prayed to false gods; but we here and now, who believe in the scriptures, and worship the true god, would never do such deeds. But, it came to pass, that Tatriza fell pregnant by Melonus; they sought to keep what had occurred a secret; she would hide in their room, refusing to see anyone; and Melonus would go and fetch food for her, saying, she is very ill, and wishes not to see anyone, less they fall ill with what has affected her. But with time, her father the chief grew anxious, for it was shame upon him that she was so sick for so long, for it was written in his scriptures: With sickness does god punish the wicked. And he demanded to see her, saying, If she has been so ill for so long, she must have sinned; she will not be cured until her sin is atoned for. And Melonus tried to dissuade him, but it was no use; and he went into the room, and he saw her there, heavily pregnant. And he said, What lad of this village has taken what was mine without my permission? I demand to know. But Tatriza refused to answer. And he demanded of Melonus: I know how close you are to her, there is no way she could have done this without your knowing who; so tell me, who is it? But Melonus refused to talk either. And he berated them, and yelled at them both, for hour upon hour without end; and Melonus cried out, Do not do this to her, it is not good for the child; but he ignored him, and continued. And in the end, driven to despair by his incessant haranguing, Melonus cried out: It was I, it is I who am the father! And the chief heard this, and his face appeared such a way that none had ever before seen it appear, nor ever did thereafter; and he screamed, You wicked filth, both of you! In the name of God, we will burn you to death! And Melonus and Tatriza fled from the room into the fields around the village; even though Tatriza was heavily pregnant, and it was painful for her to move; even so, such was the fear she had for her life, that she ran all the same. And the chief chased after them; but he was an old man, and was weak, and they escaped him. Then the chief called together all the people of the village, and he addressed them, saying: Many years ago, a young man and woman came to me, with two children, begging me to take them in as my own. Though they were fleeing from a death which was without doubt just, even so, in the foolishness of my youth, I accepted these children as my own, and let their parents escape the punishment which was rightly theirs. Alas, if I knew then what I knew now, that they were demons, enemies of our great god, and their babes, as innocent as they did seem, were demon spawn and demons themselves. Alas, if only I had thrown that man and woman upon the fire, to burn to death, and their babies also! For, these demons Melonus and Tatriza, who have lived among us, lived even among my own house, all have always thought them strange; yet today I discovered that Tatriza is pregnant, and Melonus is the father! What foul and filthy demons, it is clear in the word of our great and glorious and just god, that whosoever lies with his sister, or whosoever lies with her brother, must be burnt alive until they are dead! Praise be to our great and just and glorious god, and may his word in every detail be obeyed! O great and just god, forgive me, a sinner, for I heard your word that these wrongdoers must die, yet your word I disobeyed, and I let them live; I will not disobey you again, my Lord, I will hunt them down and burn them alive as you have commanded; and if she have not yet given birth when I find her, I shall burn her alive, and the demon spawn in her belly also; and if she have given birth when I find her, I shall burn her alive, and the demon spawn she has bore also; alas, if only these two I had burnt alive on the day I first met them, and stayed true to your holy word, that the CTCV 92/332

children be punished for the wrongdoing of the parents, would I not have brought such shame upon my house! Come, let us find them, and demonstrate our devotion to our great and wondrous god! And the entire people of the village were filled with fervour, and they went forth screaming, Praise be to God! Burn the demons and their children also! And in the distance, Melonus and Tatriza heard them, and they were filled with fear of the flames, and fear for their unborn child; and they ran and they ran, till Tatriza could not run anymore, for her labour had begun. And they came across a hut; they thought it strange that there was such a hut here, for they knew not who could live in it, and had never heard it spoken of in the village. And they entered into it, hoping, that those who sought their deaths would pass it by, and look not inside it; a foolish hope, for sure, but what hope had they left save hope for fools? And they remained therein, and they heard the herd of vile animals coming in the distance, screaming out, Praise God! Burn the demons! And they held each other tightly, filled with fear, and they saw the face of one of the villagers in the door of the hut, filled with glee and piety. And Melonus cried out, Alas, were we somewhere safe from such as these! And with that, the villager disappeared. And they held each other tightly, filled with fear; they thought, he has gone to fetch the others, to deliver us unto painful deaths; they wanted to run, but Tatriza was too weak to move, and her labour was increasing. And the day came to an end, and nightfall came; and they both thought it strange they were still alive and free. And that night, Tatriza gave birth to a son and a daughter, twins; and they said, let us name them after us, Melonus the boy and Tatriza the girl; and so it was agreed. And then morning came, and Tatriza said, I am hungry, we must find food, if I am to have milk to feed these two hungry mouths with; go Melonus, find me something to eat. And Melonus said, I cannot leave you here alone; they will come for you; come with me, and we will find a safer place to say. And they left the hut, and they could not remember from which way they came, and which way was which; and they set out in whichever direction they did; and they saw a village, and Tatriza cried out: No, the village again, they will capture us! But Tatriza said, No, this is not our village, though it appears similar, I see that it is not the same. Let us ask them if they will give us refuge. So they went into it, and they were taken to the house of the chief, and they conversed with them. And he appeared like the chief of their own village, but could not be him, for this chief was younger; they thought, maybe he is a relative let us hope he has not heard of us! And though it was indeed not their village, they learnt soon it followed the very same god. And they went out of the house of the chief, off into the fields were they could not be heard, and spoke to one another. And Tatriza said to Melonus: We will not be safe here, once they learn who we are and what we have done. And Melonus replied: Indeed, we will not; but how can we run with these two here babes? Let us ask if they will care for them, then we, who are surely hated by the whole entire world, can flee from it without disadvantaging them! Tatriza cried out: O Melonus, how could we leave our children with this man who follows such a wicked god! But Melonus replied, Better even with him, surely, than remaining with us. And Tatriza relented; much as she wished he was not, she thought that Melonus was right. So they went back into the village, and rendered their son and daughter into the care of its chief; then they left. They wandered through the fields, beset with grief and despair, not knowing from where they had come or to where they were going. And they came again upon the hut in which they had spent the previous night. And night had fallen again, and they went back into the hut, and lay down to sleep. And Tatriza said, Were we in a place where this god was given no praise, and his scriptures no heed; for all he offers us is pain and death. And they slept, and when morning came, they came out of the hut. But, passing by the hut there was a road were no road had run before, which they found strange. And a man, walked upon it, and they were fearful of him. But Tatriza said, Melonus, you asked for a safe place for our babes, and we found CTCV 93/332

one for them; I asked for a place where that god was unknown, might this here be such a place? He answered, Let us say it is; if it is not, what hope do we have? So they went up to him, and they introduced themselves, and he was most pleased to meet them. And they confessed all that they had done, but he only said: why feel guilt about what you have done, for whatever you have done, it was by the will of she who is that you did as such; and great is the beauties that have been purchased thereby! They knew not what he meant by what he said; yet they knew he was no harm to them, and thus were they saved from all that they feared. And they asked him if he had heard of that god which their father the chief had followed; and he said, Yes I have, but I am sure his worship died out long ago; in our infancy we followed such foolishness, but now that we and the world are old, we have long since outgrown such things. And they asked him more, and they came to realise, that they had found themselves in the most distant future they said to one another, That enchanted hut, within it we must have for aeons slept; how must it care for us, to protect us and sustain us so, and bring us here to where we indeed are loved! And he said to them, These are the last days, when we who still live are preparing for our great sleep, the night which lies between worlds. And they cried out, Our children, our precious children, in the distant past we have abandoned them; could we go back and find them again? And he said: Worry not; for I assure you they are safe in she who loves them such that no greater love could ever be; whatever misfortunes may befall them, she shall guarantee them in the end every triumph; and through her, in the end of all things, you will meet them once more. And they had faith in his words, so they sought not to return to those they had left behind. And they went with him to dwell in his city, leaving their hut behind, and they were welcomed there by all, who judged them not, whatever they had done or might do. And many years came to pass while they dwelt there, and they were happy in all things. Then one day, they went back up along that very same road, and saw their hut still there standing; they cried out, O dearest hut, how have you saved us from every misfortune which threatened us! Truly you are a most faithful servant of she who is, and of her emanation who brings enlightenment; go forth now, wherever and whenever you will, to do whatever it is that you must! And hearing these words, the hut departed from them, and was never seen again. And it appeared in a field, long ago, and a young man and woman ran towards it, the woman heavily with child, fear filling their eyes. And Tatriza and Melonus were their names. Can you not see, what wonders have herein been recounted? Truly these twins enchanted were, for they were the mother and the father of their very own selves; Melonus who fathered himself and his sister and lover and mother; Tatriza who gave birth to herself and her brother and lover and father. And this hut which carried them through time, it was as enchanted as they, for like them we must ask, from whence it came? For like them it came from nowhere; having finished their need of it, they sent it back to where they first found it; an unmade hut, without beginning or end; a vehicle for unmade twins, without beginning either, and what end they might have remains to be seen. Thus you see, dear Claretta, that those who go back in time go not always to a different branch, but even to the very same. And yet, how might events such as these be had without breaking the laws against pasting? Indeed, I would not say that they could not; but so convoluted must their obedience be, that I feel sure, that their occurrence would be long and far from these here branches; and on account of what desire would something so long and far be? Thus, I think, as instructive as it is, that this is likely another of the untrue tales that these minor divinities delight to exchange; even so, although I so strongly suspect, I cannot say for certain that it is not true indeed.

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[48]

OF TWINS THE DISCOURSE CONCERNING THE GODDESSES

Now when Travancus spoke unto the milky one, concerning the second, he also said: And as such is creation, so also destruction, for the union of the second and the third, which is prohibited to you, it is a sign of the completion of the fourth. [49] AGAINST THE SLAVES OF FATE

The holy Travancus taught as follows: They say the past is fixed, and the future is open, Yet truly the future is as fixed as the past, For the future is past also; what we call future Is merely more past than that which commonly is called the past And the past is future also; what we call past Is merely more future than that which commonly is called the future What will happen will happen for sure As sure as what has happened has happened Claretta asked him: Why if this is so, do so many believe otherwise? Travancus answered her: For they remember the past, but they remember not the future, Thus they thing the past is different in nature from the future But for she of perfect memory, she remembers what comes next As well as what came previously, for all that shall ever be She remembers when it came to pass. Claretta asked him: Is this not good news for the slothful? The diligent say, If I work hard, I shall accumulate prosperity; if I laze about, I shall accumulate poverty. The slothful say, Why work hard? If the future is fixed, then it is already certain whether I shall be prosperous or poor; and no amount of hard work, nor any amount of laziness, can change what is set. So, why then work hard, when we can laze about instead? Travancus answered her: Those who say as such are mistaken, who make think they are slaves of fate. Search for one hundred diligent persons, search for one hundred slothful persons; most of the diligent will achieve prosperity, most of the slothful shall not. A few of the diligent will fall to poverty, in spite of their hard work, due to bad luck; a few of the slothful will achieve prosperity, in spite of their slothfulness, due to good luck. But most of the diligent will achieve prosperity, and most of the slothful will achieve poverty. The slothful who think these doctrines justify their sloth have failed to understand them -- for indeed, future prosperity and future poverty are fixed, but diligence, slothfulness, good luck, bad luck, all these are just as fixed if the fruit cannot be more fixed than the tree. Claretta asked, Yet surely, all inherit prosperity, both diligent and slothful; for whosoever in one world inherits prosperity inherits prosperity in that branch; and whosoever in that branch inherits poverty, their desire for prosperity gives rise to a fellow branch in which they are prosperous indeed. Thus, surely, slothfulness and diligence equally precede prosperity? Travancus replied, Yes indeed; but in every branch, looking backwards, this same law of diligence and prosperity appears to hold. For, what is does the inheritor of poverty truly desire, that poverty was not, or simply not for them? Do they truly desire that slothfulness routinely produced poverty? Or do that rather desire diligence in place of their slothfulness? Or even, retaining their slothfulness, good luck to overcome its ill effects? True desires give rise to the branches nearest and shortest in which they are fulfilled one less person in poverty is far nearer than none; thus though the many in poverty truly desire prosperity, their desire gives rise not to one branch in which none are in poverty, but many branches, for each of them one in which poverty still exists but they have escaped it. Those who suffer desire not worlds perfect for all; rather they desire worlds perfect for them, and those few that they dearly love. Indeed, what horror would a perfect world be! If there was no pain, no tragedy, no suffering, of what could the poets sing? And what could the dramatist still wrought? They say they wish for a world without injustice yet what an injustice to all would such a world be! The wise and the honest speak better than that, saying, I wish for a world without injustice for me, and those few I dearly love and that wish shall be granted indeed, for it is not an unjust wish at all. CTCV 95/332

Indeed, very few can exist in perfection only those greatly enlightened souls who shall dwell in the perfect days of the final end. A perfect world is a whole perfect enough to die, and in accordance with that perfection they shall bring about its death, for every world must in the end die in order to be born again. And those souls of the dead who are returning to the original union, they alone are returning to the original perfection; the dead alone are perfect, for perfection is death. And although true desires are numerous and diverse; even so, far less than all that might be desired is indeed. For the innumerable souls desire so many things in common they want wealth, they want power, they want to love and be loved, they want happiness, they want excitement, they want pride. And each of them wants this for themselves, and those few they dearly love; thus in who it is desired for, the innumerable desires differ, but in what it is that is desired, they are one and the same. Claretta asked, But surely they differ also in taste and in preferences? Travancus answered her, Indeed, they do, but these tastes fall under these common desires. Everyone wants happiness; what makes you happy may differ from what makes me happy; yet in their ultimate goal our desires are the same. And even though tastes are many, they are not infinite in breadth, but rather finitely so; even though, from time to time, the breadth may appear to us as very great indeed; how easy is the error of the ant who thinks infinite the breadth of the oceans. And the desires of the souls inherently incorporate nearness and shortness the widow desires the world in which her husband died not, yet she desires the such world in which before the moment of his death is as similar to this world as can be for, if it differed by too much before then, it would not be her husband who died here who there died not, but some other man; it would not be she who is widowed here who is widowed there not, but some other woman. For all these reasons, though the true desires are greatly diverse, they circulate around one another; we can say, they all dwell in the one same land. Thus it attains that in every branch that certain laws hold, such that diligence produces prosperity more often than slothfulness, for that those laws hold is part of the true desire of every soul; and Our Great Mother takes joy in fulfilling every true desire of we her children. The most holy Prophet Travancus taught as follows: Pray not for forgiveness, neither ask; neither seek any atonement for that which you have done; for how could such to you be given? And what profit to you would such be? If you believe in punishment, which you fear might come, then indeed might you seek such punishment to evade. But if no such punishment is to come, what use any forgiveness or atonement? And I tell you, whatever you have done, you did for so she commanded you to do; for you could do naught save what she commands, her command which none can disobey; and she can command naught but what she commands, for she can command only for the sake of those whom she loves, and she can love only those whom she loves, for she is whosoever she loves, and she can be none save who she indeed is. Therefore, that you could never do other than you have done, why ask for forgiveness, why repent, why think that of atonement you are needful? Would she punish you for obeying her commands? So she might, but so she shall not, for she loves you so that she does not; for that she loves you, you are indeed; if she did not love you so, you would never have been. What is done is done, and could never have been save as it indeed was; why then seek to change the unchangeable, or amend the unamendable? They said, If what you say were true, none would ever change their ways; if there is no punishment, no need for forgiveness, they would continue as they always have done, without end. He replied, By no means! For indeed, though we have done as we have done, and we shall do as we shall do, even so, deciding to attain one thing we may well attain, but deciding to attain it not, we likely will not. Therefore, pray not for forgiveness; but having done as you have done, and deciding differently henceforth to do, pray for the power to so do differently indeed; that your prayer to as such do may indeed be the cause of your so doing. And CTCV 96/332

likewise for atonement you offer sacrifices; that some lamb upon a bloody altar might die in your place; but I tell you, she desires not your death, nor that of any lamb. And such sacrifices are a most wicked thing, for what is wickedness save executing some innocent in the place of the guilty? For did that lamb commit your wrongdoing? Why punish it thereby? Such is the way of the wicked they leave the guilty well alone, but for the innocent have great punishment, even death. Yet others you offer sacrifices believing that the one sacrificed to will thereby grant your wish. Or pray even? But as much as for forgiveness, I tell you also for supplication whatever shall be, shall be do you think therefore that prayer will change the unchangeable? Or even, that your prayer be answered or answered not? Now one among them who was among the philosopher, Cohaherus was his name, he asked: You say that past is as fixed, yet surely the future is as fixed as the past is. We shall do what we shall do, therefore whatever we now do, we so shall do then; why therefore struggle to do one thing now, for what we will do then is certain, and such we cannot change. Why then pray for what cannot be attained? For as much as to pray for forgiveness is useless, so must also be your supplications for the power to do other than as you have done, for as much as you lacked the power to do then other than as you did, so must equally you lack that power in the days to come. But the most holy Travancus answered him as follows: Whatever is, must be, indeed; thus must the past be that which it is, and the future that which it is, and the present even; even so, the present and past causes the future in a way in which the future does not cause the present and the past. For what is cause? Cause is naught but an observed pattern, that one thing tends to be followed by another, therefore we would say that the prior causes the subsequent. Wherefore would we say that the present and past cause the future as the future does not cause the present and past? For that the former cause the latter is clear to all, and by all affirmed; but that the latter cause the former, is unclear, and obscure, and disputed. And even, by the circularity of time, the future causes the past and present indeed; and yet, one cause is proximal, the other distal; one near and the other far; one passing through common multiplicity, the other through the rarest unity. And, clearly teaches the faith which we have received that every present is followed by many distinct and simultaneous futures; but that one present might have many distinct past, it teaches only concerning the uttermost knowledge and union; that even in this here presents there might be many pasts nearer than the unity both original and final, it does not teach, neither teaches not; but even if such so be, it seems the many such pasts must be rarer indeed than the many such futures. For indeed do all remember the past, or at least some of the more recent things thereof; but who remembers the present, even the future? One alone, she who is. And indeed, whatever the future is, it is a returning; therefore whatever we must do for us to return, we shall do indeed; and whatever is needful therefore, we shall have; and whatever is needful now for us to do to so do then, now let us do indeed, and now indeed we shall. And let us say this: the past and the present and the future be certain; even so, from this thing follows that and from some certain other thing follows something yet further else. For though there be a pattern which governs all things, that pattern we know not; we know in its place other patterns, lesser and vaguer, which govern certain parts thereof; speaking of the certainty and unchangeability of the future, we speak of that great pattern such that we know that it is but know not what it is; speaking of the changeability of the future, we speak of those lesser patterns such that we know what they are, but know that they are also only in our ignorance. Therefore pray indeed your supplications, pray indeed in your ignorance, and they will bear great fruit. But as much as we know not the future, and therefore pray for it, we know the past, and therefore let us pray for it not. And even though one present CTCV 97/332

has many futures, and we know not what they are, let us not think that we may have no knowledge thereof for we know that being is the fruit of desire; but as much desire gathers around one common ground, so also does being. And in knowing the desires of the present we may know the beings of the future. Therefore, even if we know not what follows here, we may know the patterns which govern that which follows here; and thus what is true in every future, and even what is true in the most of them, though not all. [50] OF THE TREE OF THE PROPHETS

Now the most holy prophet Travancus spoke as follows: Indeed did that prophet say, By their fruits you shall know them for the good tree produces good fruit, and the rotten tree, rotten. And we have seen the fruits of his tree some good, indeed, but also many murders and many tortures and so forth also. Shall we not therefore apply that which he said to his very own self? For so his fruit have been, so surely also is he? For, although some of his fruit be good, does not the good tree produce good fruit alone, but the rotten tree produces even some good intermixed among the rotten? For none can be evil in the fullness thereof, such as one can be good in the fullness thereof, for such is the nature of the evil and the good. And, we know not what he said, but only that which he is said to have said; but although he is said to have said some good things, without doubt many things also which he is said to have said are part of the cause of the evils which have been done in his name. Do we condemn him thereby, or might we instead say, he did not say what he is said to have said; it is not his tree which bore this fruit, but rather another which stole his name? Yet, I tell you, if ever my name was used to justify that which his name has been used to justify, I would not wish my name to be continued with by those who seek goodness and truth; I would rather that they used some other name in the place of my own. For I tell you solemnly, what matters not is what is which name is used, but rather that to which the name is used to refer. [51] OF RITUAL

The Prophet said, We shall build for She Who Is a Great Temple, wherein shall preside the Prophet and the High Priestess, and upon the altar the sacrifices be offered. And may it be filled with every kind of treasure, and immense finery. And let there be shrines to her also, wherein whatever is done in the Temple may be done also; and may a shrine to her be built wherever those who have faith in her live. The Disciple asked the Prophet, The priesthoods of the various deities offer sacrifices up to them, slaying animals upon the altar. What shall we offer Our Great Mother? The Prophet answered: Let none be killed in her temple or upon her altar, neither humans nor any other animal. Clearly, what Her initiates are prohibited to do outside Her temple, they may not do inside it either. But this is the manner of the offering of sacrifices to Her in Her temple: The Priestess shall asperge the assembled neophytes and initiates with the blessed water, and shall thurify them with the blessed incense. Then there shall be readings from the scriptures, and prayers, and meditations, and so forth, which may be read by one of the priestesses, or by some other chosen by the assembly; and there may be some words said in explanation thereof. Then the Priestess shall prepare the sacrificial offering to the Sea Mother to be made upon Her altar, which shall be of cakes and wine. The cakes signify Her as the essence of all that is, the matter from which all is constructed; be they sweet, as She Herself is sweet. The cakes shall be freshly baked; would anyone give their true beloved a gift which was stale? The wine signifies desire, all of which comes from Her and is of Her and is for Her alone; it signifies the blood which is spilt in Her name, which she spills, and which is spilt by Her servants in faithful obedience to her commands; it signifies the intoxication which is the great CTCV 98/332

enlightenment. And she or he shall say, O Queen of Heaven, Our Great Mother the Sea, I offer these cakes and wine as a sacrifice to you. Then, having offered the sacrifice upon Her altar, she or he shall eat and drink it herself or himself; then offer it to the assembled initiates to eat and drink thereof; but the neophytes shall not partake of it; and the initiates shall prove their initiation by showing their amulets to the Priestess. And let your eating and drinking together be a sign of your oneness in the cause of enlightenment, and the essential oneness of all beings. And let that wine which is not drunk then be reserved in the chamber near the altar wherein is reserved all that is consecrated, the consecrated wine, the consecrated water, the consecrated incense and the consecrated oil. But all the consecrated cakes must be eaten that day. The Prophet said: When the wine is offered up, it becomes not any more mere ordinary wine; when the cakes are offered up, it becomes not any more mere ordinary cakes; for in eating and drinking thereof, we eat and drink enlightenment itself. But do not worry, if some enemy come upon the consecrated cakes and wines, and seeks to profane them by polluting them, do not think that they have therefore harmed these sacred elements, or Our Great Mother; for remembering that physical matter is empty and naught but patterns in experience, that which to the initiate is consecrated to the uninitiated remains ordinary. So the initiate shall treat it with reverence or respect; but the uninitiated cannot treat it with irreverence or disrespect, since for the uninitiated it exists not. And the Prophet said unto his Disciple: Take a cord, and upon it thread beads, that you may count prayers and incantations thereby. And let the number of the beads be thirtyseven, or seventy-four, or one hundred and eleven. And may the incantation to be repeated be, Hail Sea Mother, among others. The Disciple asked, Tell me the ritual for the initiation. The Prophet answered, they shall be washed by the Priestess with the consecrated water, to signify that in attaining the great enlightenment they will be cleansed of all is unenlightened; they shall be anointed by the Priestess with the consecrated oil; the Priestess shall administer them the vows; the Priestess shall bestow upon each one of them a consecrated amulet, which shall be a sign of their initiation, and which they shall wear whenever practicable. And the amulet shall be marked with the symbol, of a tree with many branches leading to green leaves, rising out of the waves of the sea. The Disciple asked, Tell me the ritual for ordination. The Prophet answered, It is as for initiation; save that instead of the amulet, which they already possess, they receive the robes of their office. And none may be ordained as a priestess or priest, without the approval of the Prophet and the Council, and of the High Priestess also. And a single priestess is sufficient for the ritual of ordination, but it is more fitting that three preside together. And say: Holy Mabartus, everlasting prophet, whom the great Maratrea emanates, who sends down the ethereal tablet, the seed fallen of a star-tree, into the heart of every true prophet, who is the archetype of every prophet, spirit of the great enlightenment, we entreat you to enter into this here N., hereafter N., that your enlightened spirit may dwell in her and possess her, and that she might thereby forever more serve your enlightened cause.

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The Prophet said, Whosoever is knowledgeable in the rituals and in the teaching, and of worthy character, may be ordained a priestess. And among the priestesses, the most worthy may be appointed High Priestess, by the decision of the Prophet and the Council. The Prophet said, Whatever may be done by or to a priestess, may by or to a priest be done also. The Prophet said, Let none who follows me speak the lies of those who say that wine is wrong to drink; for indeed, it is drunk in the ritual, and those who speak these lies defame that holy ritual through those words of theirs; whoever teaches this, admit them to the ritual not. Thus did the Prophet speak: Now these are the sacraments five: initiation, ordination, sacrifice, enamourment and funerary rites. And the rite of sacrifice is least of all whatever is devoted to She Who Is: any meal offered to her by prayer; any building or ship or secular thing dedicated to her; her Temples, and whatever is within them. And greater than these is the holy sacrifice of cakes and wine which is held in her Temple. And greater than all of these, greatest of all, is martyrdom, those who offer up their own lives as a sacrifice to the cause of the great enlightenment. The Prophet Travancus said: Behold the threefold classification of spirits: Firstly, the enlightened spirits, the spirits of enlightenment; being enlightened, they serve and support the cause of enlightenment. Secondly, the spirits which know not enlightenment; knowing not enlightenment, they serve not and support not the cause of enlightenment; and yet, knowing it not, nor do they oppose it actively and intentionally. Thirdly, the spirits of unenlightenment; they know enlightenment, and yet despise it; they actively and with intention oppose the cause of enlightenment. Now of this threefold classification of spirits, do we say that our mother is mother to some of them but not others? By no means! If she was like these deities deficient in sovereignty whom others serve, which did not make all things, or even having made all things, are to claimed to be not responsible for what they have made, then we might say of her this. But we know that she is fully sovereign, author of all things, willing all things to be exactly as they are; she does not seek to avoid responsibility, saying I made them but not what they chose; no, she made them, and she made their choices also, and she is entirely guilty of them, as guilty as they, nay even guiltier, and on account of this may she be highly praised! She wills that the spirits of enlightenment know enlightenment and serve it; she wills that the spirits of unenlightenment know enlightenment and oppose it; she wills that the spirits knowing not enlightenment know it not. She is not like these lesser divinities, so weak are they that it is possible for their creatures to disobey them - no, so great is she that her will is never disobeyed, always obeyed perfectly. Thus whatever is, it is assuredly her will that it be as such. So, even thought the spirits of unenlightenment oppose her enlightened cause, they cannot oppose her, for it is by her will that they are opposed to her enlightened cause. Why does she will her cause, yet will also opposition to it? Does she not therefore oppose herself? Have you not heard what they say, For the army at war with itself, defeat is certain? Yet, though she wills her cause, and wills also opposition for her cause, she wills that her cause shall in the end be victorious. Thus, though each of the threefold spirits be as such by her will, it is also her will, that in the final days, the spirits of unenlightenment, and the spirits not knowing enlightenment, they also shall become enlightened, thus the second and the third shall join the first, and all spirits shall attain enlightenment in the end. For thus shall all things become one, the oneness that she is, and in the end be one once more as they were also in the beginning, for the beginning and the end are one and the same.

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The holy Prophet Travancus spoke as follows: The quorum for every sacrament is five initiates, be they female or male, most auspiciously constituting any equal number of each, but even less than equality or even an entirety of one or the other; including the celebrant and the subject and the witnesses; including even the one who is being initiated, or even the one who is being templed and thus even afterwards remains not yet initiated; even the one who has been censured may count still among the five. [52] ON EMPTINESS

The holy Prophet Travancus said: Behold, dearest Claretta, the universes are empty. Claretta asked, most holy Prophet, on what account are the universes empty? Travancus answered her as follows: For the sake of their division, two being up to one point absolutely identical to each other and thereafter distinct; on account of their merger, be that by intercommunication or by means even stranger, meaning means which might grant the past the very emptiness of the future; and for the sake that their division is not instantaneous these two universes, up to just before now absolutely identical, now here differ, at first only slightly, yet differences soon growing ever more immense and yet, need they even a while thereafter be different in some far distant place, rather than in that place even then still absolutely identical? Distances grow outward in degree, in space and in time; thus near in time and space to the point of first difference there be now two souls where once there was but one, and each of these souls being in now different yet once same universes, and for each of these souls there being yet other souls now in the same universe, these souls also being now divided when once not yet long ago they were one, both as to souls and as to universes. Yet what of the soul distant, such as even now the division has not yet reached it? It is one soul undivided, for in the two universes it is as yet still absolutely identical, and thus remains one soul not two. And yet, though these two divided souls are in two now distinct universes, this as yet undivided soul is in both of them. The first is not in the same universe as the second, and the second is not in the same universe as the first; yet the first is in the same universe as the third and the third is in the same universe as the first, the second is in the same universe as the third and the third is in the same universe as the second. Thus every soul is in many universes but also only one, according not only to time, but also according to space. On this account we say, that the universes are empty. The holy Prophet Travancus said, Behold, dearest Claretta, the souls are empty. Claretta asked, most holy Prophet, on what account are the souls empty? Travancus answered her as follows: Dearest Claretta, on account of their merger and division; on account of their unity through division and merger; on account of their lack of any true essence. Thus firstly did he pronounce upon the emptiness of souls through their merger and division, for behold, one soul may become many and many souls may become one; and such has been shown by the tale of the multiplying army. And secondly did he pronounce upon the emptiness of souls through the unity of their merger and division, for behold it is held by faith that every soul from one single soul has diverged and to one single soul shall converge again; thus we say that every soul is one soul, yet it is also innumerably many; being both one and many it is thus both and neither; on which account we proclaim the one or many souls as utterly empty. And thirdly did he pronounce upon their lack of any true essence. For they think, my soul is this, my soul is that; yet, every soul was in the beginning one single soul, and in the end shall be one single soul once more; thus whatever is true of one soul is in the beginning and the end true of every soul; whatever is true of every soul is in the beginning and the end true of one soul. Thus whatever their soul might have which others lack, or which others have which theirs lacks, certainly in the beginning and the end this distinction is naught, for then there

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being only one soul, whatever it has every soul has, every soul has, and whatever it lacks, every soul lacks, thus there is not then any soul having any thing which any other soul lacks, nor then any soul lacking any thing which any other soul has, for then indeed there is not many souls, but one soul alone. And whatever any soul is now, it may be other not only in the end, but even in a mere moment to come; on account of its desire to be as such, on account of the desire of some fellow soul for it to be as such, on account of some fellow soul desiring something yet entirely different, and yet even which produces this here soul to be as such, for as such is the nearest and shortest between the origin of desire and its fulfilment. They say, my soul is female, my soul is male; yet I say unto them, the original and final is both female and male equally, or else equally neither female nor male at all; and if from that soul they have diverged and to it they shall converge again, and if indeed they are that soul and that soul is they, then they are precisely as that soul is, if not here and now, then without doubt it true essence. And likewise they say, I desire the female, I desire the male; yet I say unto them, the original and final desires both female and male equally, or else equally neither female nor male at all; and if from that soul they have diverged and to it they shall converge again, and if indeed they are that soul and that soul is they, then they are precisely as that soul is, if not here and now, then without doubt its true essence. On which account we say, that every soul has one and the same true essence, for whichever true essence any soul has that is the true essence of every soul which is or has so ever been or will so ever be, and whichever true gender any soul has that is the true gender of every soul which is or has so ever been or so ever will be, and whichever true desire any soul has that is the true desire of every soul which is or has so ever been or so ever will be; thus we say that the souls are empty of any true essence. And on account of their emptiness of any permanent and continuing identity through merger and division, on account of their unity through merger and division, and on account of their lack of any true essence, wherefore did the holy Prophet Travancus teach that taught that the souls are empty. The holy Prophet Travancus said, Behold, dearest Claretta, the law is empty. Claretta asked, most holy Prophet, on what account is the law empty? Travancus answered her as follows: [law, chance, MJG] The holy Prophet Travancus said, Behold, dearest Claretta, matter is empty. Claretta asked, most holy Prophet, on what account is matter empty? Travancus answered her as follows: [] The holy Prophet Travancus said, Behold, dearest Claretta, reason is empty. Claretta asked, most holy Prophet, on what account is reason empty? Travancus answered her as follows: [] Thus did he teach the fivefold great emptiness the emptiness of universes, the emptiness of souls, the emptiness of law, the emptiness of matter, the emptiness of reason. Claretta asked, most holy Prophet, I have heard those that say, that even emptiness is empty; tell me, most holy Prophet, is it indeed as they say? Travancus answered her as follows: The many separate facts that we have labelled emptiness have naught in common save that we have felt it fit to label them by that term emptiness; if this is what they mean by the emptiness of emptiness, that there is no unity behind this disparity of meaning beyond a mere choice of words, then I wholeheartedly agree with them. But if by the emptiness of emptiness they mean some deep and profound unity lying behind these many individual emptinesses, so profound in its emptiness that it is empty even of being empty, whatever that means, then I must depart from them. I do not know what talk of such a reality means, nor do I think I shall so ever know. CTCV 102/332

[53]

OF THE GOD WHO DREAMS

The holy Prophet Travancus taught as follows: Dearest Claretta, have you heard of those priests who teach, that this world is naught but some gods dream? They offer up sweet incense, and smoke of opium poppies; pour out wine and keep warm always his temples; and for him make music soft and soothing, all that his sleep may continue; for they fear that were he ever to awake, then this world would come to an end, and all we who dwell therein also, as a dream does come to an end with wakefulness. Tell me, dearest Claretta, what do you think of this teaching? Claretta answered him as follows: Without doubt it is preposterous; for surely, as you have clearly proven, though this world may come to an end, there can never be an end for we who dwell in it. Travancus replied: Indeed; but let us put aside their views concerning this worlds ending; what of their belief that this now world is some gods dream? Claretta replied: What proof do they have for so preposterous a notion? Travancus answered her: You ask what proof do they have; may I ask what proof do they need? They may lack proof to satisfy you, but what disproof do you have to satisfy them? Claretta responded: surely it is they who are in need of proof, not I? For do they not say, the one who brings the claim must bring the proof with them? Travancus answered her: Indeed, and if they bring the claim that we are his dream, they might be asked to bring proof therewith; but if you bring the claim that we are not his dream, then for that claim you are as obliged to provide proof as they are. Claretta responded: Surely if one says that a dragon hides behind the moon, being fearful of earth, that one must provide proof where the one who denies their claim need not? Travancus asked, But if there be no dragon behind the moon, what is there in its place? Claretta responded, I would say it must be empty space, or the subtle heavenly airs, or the aether. Travancus asked, So the dragon is one claim, and your claim is another; tell me, why should the dragon claim require more proof than yours? Claretta replied, For I claim what generally holds, and they claim an exception. For we both agree there is everywhere in the heavens the subtle heavenly air; but whereas they would add in one place a dragon, I would hold that there is even there the very same air. Travancus asked, What then of this other fellow, who like you agrees with the air, but not with the dragon; yet he adds, the air is everywhere, save when someone looks or feels or otherwise senses something other than air? Claretta replied, Pray tell me O Prophet what do you mean by that? Travancus answered her, Do you know that in the royal treasury there is a room which is filled with all the gold and jewels of the King? Claretta answered, I have not with mine own eyes seen it, but I have heard my fathers account thereof. Travancus said, Tell me then concerning it. She continued, It is dug into the rock beneath the royal palace; there are no portals by which the light of day might be permitted access, for the opening of the sun is that also of the thief; it has but one door, which is so heavy that three men are needed to open or close it, being made of brass; three of the most trust men of the King stand guard before it day and night; none but the Treasurer and his officials are permitted entry. He asked, So tell me dearest Claretta, when the door of the vault is shut, is there anyone therein to bear witness to the gold and jewels that are therein? She replied, No, there is none therein who may bear witness to it, nor any light by which it might be seen. Travancus said, Then so would this fellow say, that whenever the vault is shut, and none sees anything therein, then there is naught but space or aether therein; the jewels come into being out space whenever the vault is entered, and return to space whenever it is shut again. What, dearest Claretta, would you say to him? She answered, Surely that idea is preposterous! But he continued, Yet, you have already said, the deviation from what generally occurs requires stronger evidence than the claim that what generally occurs is here excepted from. And surely, given the vastness of the heavens, the heavenly aether [] CTCV 103/332

[54]

OF NUMBER

The holy Prophet taught Claretta as follows: Every whole number contains the sum of successive doublings one, two, four, eight, and so on with no visible end in every whole number, each is absent or present with a circle to mark absence and for presence a cross marking not the unending absences at the end, being unending but marking every absence that by a presence is followed thus thirty-seven is XOXOOX Every portion contains the sum of successive halvings one-half, one-quarter, one-eighth, and so on with no visible end in every whole number, each is absent or present with a circle to mark absence and for presence a cross marking not the unending absences at the end, being unending but marking every absence that by a presence is followed thus one-sixteenth is OOOX Yet observing that in some portions the halving is unending; yet though unending, endlessly repeating the same sequence, thus one-third is OX repeated endlessly and one-sixth is O then OX repeated endlessly yet observing that in yet other portions, there is no endless repetition the marks have no end, but there the pattern is not so simple yet a pattern there surely is, for we can follow it as long as we like We take the wholes in sequence and see if their marks are in our portion: if not, we add them, but only as much as is needed to make them present; and if they are already present, we add them not thus coming to XX we yield XOXX not XOXXX and coming to XOX, we add it not, already present in XOXXOOX thus we reach even XOXXOOXXXOOOXOX and it continues without visible end Behold this portion, is it not sacred? for does it not contain within itself, every whole? and is it not succinct yet simple in its possession thereof? and, all things being representable by wholes, in representing all wholes, does not this portion represent all things? I tell you, this is the most beautiful yet also most ugly of portions; most good yet also most evil most pleasant yet also most unpleasant for as such it contains all things [55] OF SORCERY AND DIVINATION

Claretta asked: Tell me, O holy Prophet, what is divination? Travancus replied: Dearest Claretta, divination is to knowledge as magick is to action. Claretta asked, But what is magick? Travancus replied: Let me explain to you by way of a tale I once heard: Once CTCV 104/332

there was a watchmaker, who followed those priests who teach that magick is wicked. Now he had been speaking in public, to condemn magick, as his priests had taught him to. And in doing so he offended a sorcerer, who brought a case against the watchmaker to the King, accusing him of slander. The watchmaker appeared before the King, in his defence, and said: Magick is naught but trickery, if it is even that; it is of no real effect whatsoever. By contrast, my own work, as you can clearly see by the watch I have gifted you, is of real effect; and today my art makes watches; but with time, as its practice is perfected, it shall come to make machines which will do all manner of things, all the things these sorcerers claim even now but have never and will never deliver. The King said to them, I do not wish to decide this case, I beg you each to go in peace, and each may keep to their own beliefs. But they both refused. Reluctantly therefore, the King set them a test: to use their art to fly from his parapet. The sorcerer made many incantations, using many obscure books; from strange herbs he made ointments which he rubbed into his skin, and around his neck he wore an enchanted amulet, containing the bone of an ancient great sorcerer. He stood upon the parapet, called out in long forgotten tongues, then stepped forth and fell to his death. The watchmaker said, See, O King, the useless of magick. The King replied, Indeed, this sorcerer has failed in his art, let us see if you can succeed in yours. So the watchmaker revealed the machine he had manufactured, in the shape of a bird. He sat inside the machine, and with his feet and hands he turned pedals, which caused the wings of the machine to flap, just as a bird does. His servants pushed the machine off the edge of the parapet, and it fell down to the earth below; the watchmaker died as it hit the earth. The King then pronounced, I see no reason here to prefer either the art of the machines, or the art of the sorcerers; two artisans have come before me, each to plead the case of their art; each has proved that their art they have not yet mastered what a pity for them the proof came through their death. Even so, did I force them to go to their deaths? My wish was that they step back from this case; but each was so intent upon it to risk their lives, and each thereby perished. Claretta said, Tell me, O holy prophet, what is the meaning of this tale? Travancus answered her as follows: I tell you, the art of the watchmaker and the art of the sorcerer are the very same art, for they both consist in bringing about effects through the manipulation of causes. Yet, there is another cause, which is hidden, which is the desires by which the branches are in being; this cause determines which causes produce the effects. The sorcerer wishes for the success of sorcery; by his wish there are branches in which sorcery is fruitful. Yet those who abhor sorcery wish for its failure; by their wish there are branches in which sorcery is fruitless. And then there are yet others, who wish not for one or the other, but for something yet other, but whose wish nevertheless gives rise to branches in which there are one or the other. Claretta asked: Tell me, O holy Prophet, concerning divination is it lawful, as certain priests say, or unlawful, as is said by certain others? Travancus replied: I dare not speak to divination as a whole, for its forms are too numerous. But I shall speak specifically as to two forms which are most renowned, that of numerology and of astrology. Travancus taught as follows: Concerning astrology, do they not look to the position of the planets and the sun now or at the time of a proposed deed, and at the time of the birth, and by their difference they seek to determine fate? Claretta answered him: Indeed, so they do. Travancus then said: We dwell here upon this planet, yet it is but one among several. This planet and those others wander about one star, the sun, yet that star is yet one among many; around other stars do other planets wander. Shall we dwell forever upon this one planet, wandering about this one star, or shall journey unto others to dwell upon them also? Claretta said: I know not. Travancus replied: I have seen into the hearts of people, that many of them wish to play among the stars, a wish that is not merely CTCV 105/332

whimsical but which indeed is truly felt; would she who denies no true desire of the innumerable souls deny even this? No, indeed not; so without doubt, it is true. Tell me therefore, dearest Claretta, what is the natal chart of one born on the moon, or Venus or Mars? Claretta answered: It cannot be as ours are, for it must lack the planet on which they were born, but must add this one in its place. Travancus then asked: And tell me dearest Claretta, if one born on the moon went to live on Mars, how should such a chart be produced? For one who is born and lives and dies upon one planet, never journeying therefrom, the planets in their chart must remain always the same; but for those who migrate from one planet to another, the planets in the chart must change. And what of the one who is born around another star? Or the one who is born around this star, and then journeys to another? Dearest Claretta, can you not see that this is a futile task? Claretta answered, Indeed, I understand. Should we not therefore condemn astrology as fruitless and futile and misconceived? Travancus answered her as follows: Of astrology, I have pronounced its errors; having done so, let me now sing its praises in turn. How noble are those who have the stars as their friends? And, would you not ask your dear and beloved friend for advice? Even though, you might not always accept the advice that they gave, would you not still hear what they had to say? And if it was useful, follow what it said; and if it was useless, give heed to it not; yet still, ought one not ask it all the same? Thus I will not condemn the astrologers, but rather praise them. And time shall condemn them indeed; but even as time shall condemn them, I shall not. Travancus taught then concerning numerology, the principles thereof, the instruction therein, and its evaluation. Firstly the holy Prophet spoke concerning the numerological principles, and he spoke as follows: Now numerology may proceed from four beginnings firstly, those things which are inherently numbered, such as the count of objects; secondly, those things which are numbered by measure, such as weight or distance; thirdly, times by some calendar and chronology divided; fourthly , names reduced to numbers. Now the first requires no reduction to number, for in number it is already expressed; the fourth requires reduction from character to number, comprising both in which alphabet name is expressed, and also which assignment of those characters to numbers is adopted. The second is dependent upon the choice of measure, and the third upon the choice of calendar and chronology. And in the case of the third and the fourth, not one number is generated but rather several; thus some means must be adopted of reducing those several numbers into one single number. Thus we are presented with several choices, and the choices may be reduced in two ways by appeal to common usage, or by appeal to sacred authority. And thus we find the four numerological stages; firstly, the reduction of things to several numbers; secondly, the reduction of several numbers to one number; thirdly, the reduction of that one number to ultimate number; fourthly, the interpretation of ultimate number to meanings. And each of the four stages may be justified in two ways, which are by common use or by sacred appointment, for some say whatsoever is commonly believed is thereby rendered true, at least to a certain extent; yet others dispute that assertion. Then, secondly, having taught the principles of numerology, the holy Travancus then proceeded to instruct in the application of those principles. Concerning the first numerological stage, he taught as follows: Concerning any calendar or chronology, an initiate will use that which they have received through their initiation in preference to any taken from elsewhere, even if it is of common usage. And concerning any alphabet or its ordering, an initiate will likewise use that which they have received in preference to that taken from elsewhere. Concerning the second numerological stage, he taught as follows: Consider the numbers in sequence, where for every position in a sequence there is an CTCV 106/332

utmost whole that might there be occupied. The first number is taken as itself; the second number is added, as multiplied by one more than the utmost whole; the third number is then also added, but now as multiplied by that which is one more than the utmost whole multiplied by itself; the fourth the same, yet multiplied by itself a second time; the fifth a third; and so on and so forth without any knowable limit. And thus the holy Travancus taught concerning the third numerological stage: we see that every whole is formed out of addition, save one alone, which cannot be formed out of addition. Thus two is one and one, and three is one and two or one and one and one. And likewise certain wholes can be formed out of multiplication, such as four by two and two or six by two and three. And yet, while one alone may be formed not be addition, there are many wholes that may be formed not by multiplication. Thus is one, but also two and three, not four but five, not six but seven, not eight, nine or ten, but eleven, not twelve but thirteen, and so on with no knowable limit. Now let me teach you the reduction of a number whatsoever is made by multiplication we subject to addition. Thus six is two and three, so the reduction of six is five. Now, those wholes formed not by multiplication lack a reduction, or equally reduce to themselves. And that most peculiar four, which is formed the same either way, thus its reduction is itself, or equally it has none. Now these wholes formable not by multiplication, and that most peculiar four also, they are known as the roots. Now every whole is a root, or is reducible to a root, or is reducible to some whole which is reducible to a root, or is reducible to some whole which is reducible to some root, and so on and so forth without any knowable limit. And thus every whole which is not a root is reducible to some root by some number of reductions, and that number of reductions is known as the level of that whole which is not a root. And examining every whole which has a certain root in their order, we see the first having that root, the second, and so forth. And this is known as the rank of the whole. Thus every whole which is not a root may be known by its root and rank, and possesses also a level. And for each root and level, we may find the count of wholes having that root and level, and the rank of the first whole of that root at that level and the last whole of that root at that level. And we may observe, that the first ranks are for each level generally increasing, and the count also, but let us also observe those auspicious wholes where the first rank of one level precedes the last rank of the previous. And the roots may be known as follows the virginal roots, the one, two and three, so known for they have no children in reducibility; the fertile roots, being five, seven, and so forth without any knowable limit; for their children are innumerable. And four is the pubertal root, neither having children nor lacking them, for its sole child is itself. Now even among the fertile roots they differ in fertility, for up to any whole we find always for five more children less than that whole than any other root; seven second most; and such further roots generally even less. And thus he taught concerning the fourth numerological stage: to find the interpretation of the ultimate numbers, consider the differences in their fertility; concerning the numbers not ultimate, consider their root, and level and order, and whether they possess the auspiciousness of preceeding those of lesser order. Then thirdly, having taught the principles of numerology and having given instruction in it, the holy Travancus did then proceed to its evaluation, and he taught as follows: If we knew the power of numbers to recount the true nature of things, which is known by those who have pondered the innumerably jewelled god, and through the examination of the structure of experiential space found the disproof of infinity and the proof of the eternal recurrence of things, and if we have discovered through them the emptiness of reason, would we look upon as foolish those who thought that the secret meanings and operations of numbers were of great import? For whosoever follows the path of the numerologist, they know either half the truth, which while the half is not the whole it is CTCV 107/332

far better than the none, or else they even know the whole, and do which half which they do as a sign or symbol or remembrance of that whole which they know yet speak not concerning for those who hear them have not yet attained the power of understanding. The holy prophet Travancus taught as follows: But among the many methods of divination, extispicy shall be prohibited until all things begin again. [56] OF THE WISDOM OF CLARETTA

Travancus taught us follows: In the beginning there is only she, and in the end there is only she; but in between, there is the many also. After the beginning the many come out of her; before the end the many go back into her; yet she is also when the many are - in other words, one of the many is closest in nature to the one alone, which we therefore call her also. Claretta asked Travancus as follows: Does the one of the many which is closest have knowledge of the numerous many as they are many, in every moment? Knowledge such as is granted after separation and interrogation; that is, by ghosting and tracing? Or is her knowledge of the bulk of the many purely by union? And if she ghosts and traces, does she do so in the very same time, say even one common time common to every soul, or much as the bulk in their knowledge do, travelling back and forth, visiting even the same moment more than once each time around, but each time in different ways? Travancus answered her: Dearest Claretta, you are wise indeed, so wise that you have asked a question which I know not how to answer. Truly, whenever she wishes you to know, then she will reveal it to you, when and where that may be I know not. Claretta then asked Travancus as follows: Tell me, O Travancus, do the servile emanations charge the faith that others are? Travancus answered her as follows: Dearest Claretta, you are wise indeed, so wise that you have asked a question which I know not how to answer. Truly, whenever she wishes you to know, then she will reveal it to you, when and where that may be I know not. [57] OF THE CALENDAR

The Disciple asked, Blessed Prophet, the priests are in dispute concerning the division of times and seasons one has gone to the King, and said, follow the calendar of our god, and he will bestow great fortune upon you; and another has then said, No, follow the calendar of our god instead, and he will bestow great fortune upon you. Which calendar then ought we adopt? The Prophet responded, Let us not follow their arbitrary and capricious division of time, for I have devised for you a scheme which is lacking in needless elaboration. Let the year be divided into quarters, and let each quarter be thirteen weeks, each of seven days. And let each quarter be divided into three months, the first and last months of four weeks duration, and the middle month of five, thus there are twelve months in the year. The Disciple asked, Blessed Prophet, then the year will contain fifty-two weeks, which is three hundred and sixty-four days. Yet the journey of the sun is somewhat more than three hundred and sixty-five days, so there is more than a day lacking in your year. Thus, as the years pass, they will grow more apart, and where summer lies in one year, some years later will be winter. The Prophet replied, Indeed, you are right; therefore let there be added another week to the twelfth month, so it has five weeks instead of four, so often as is needed to keep pace with the sun. But let it not be added as the priests add their days and months, according to their whim let there be established a rule by which they may regularly be added. The Disciple asked, Blessed Prophet, by what should we name the days and the months? The Prophet replied, Let us not name them as priests do, after numerous gods and longCTCV 108/332

dead men; let us name the months for the twelve zodiacal constellations, and the days of the week for the sun, moon and the five planets. Name the first day for the moon, the second for Mars, the third for Mercury, the fourth for Jupiter, the fifth for Venus, the sixth for Saturn, and the seventh for the sun. The Prophet said, Beloved Disciple, in dealings with the King and the officials, let us use the calendar of the King; in the marketplace, let us use the calendar of the merchants; but in our own business, let us use the calendar that is our own. And the holy Prophet Travancus taught as follows, concerning the calendar to be used: There are twelve months: the month of Capricorn having twenty-eight days, the month of Aquarius having thirty-five days, the month of Pisces having twenty-eight days, the month of Aries having twenty-eight days, the month of Taurus having thirty-five days, the month of Gemini having twenty-eight days, the month of Cancer having twenty-eight days, the month of Leo having thirty-five days, the month of Virgo having twenty-eight days, the month of Libra having twenty-eight days, the month of Scorpio having thirtyfive days, and the month of Sagittarius, having twenty-eight days in an ordinary year, and thirty-five days in a leap year. Thus the year as a whole has three hundred and sixty-four days, or three hundred and seventy-one in a leap year; and fifty-two weeks, or fifty-three weeks in a leap year. And the week is of seven days; the first day is called Lunade, and it is named for the moon; the second day is called Martade, and it is named for Mars; the third day is called Mercurade, and it is named for Mercury; the fourth day is called Jovade, and it is named for Jupiter; the fifth day is called Venerade, and it is named for Venus; the sixth day is called Saturnade, and it is named for Saturn; the seventh day is called Solade, and it is named for the Sun. And the first day of every month is Lunade, and the last day of every month is Lunade. [58] ON THE END OF THE WORLD

In the cave of revelation, Claretta asked the Prophet Travancus as follows: Tell me, O holy Prophet, how shall come to pass the end of all things? Travancus answered her as follows: Dearest Claretta, this world and all worlds must come to an end, for so must come to an end all things. For though the duration of time is vast, it is finite; thus worlds cannot endure indefinitely, but must finally come to their cessation; they must end so that they may once more begin. But let us understand, there are two ways in which worlds come to an end there are the non-final ends, and there are the final ends. I have heard the tale recounted upon my heavenly journeys, of the world which was shattered by a great star falling upon it, and every person and every living thing which dwelt upon it thereby perished. But let me tell you what has been revealed to me but which was not so revealed to the minor heavenly deities who recounted this tale to me: those souls, entering into the chamber of interrogation, were asked by their Great Mother: what is it that you truly desire? And they all answered her, That then was not the end, that there be more. And each and every one of them desired differently, yet all those different desires were united in the desire that that be not the end of that world, but rather that world would continue. And thus, even though it did indeed so perish, it also continued. If some great calamity kills thousands, even millions, there are two continuations the continuation in which the great calamity did occur, and the continuation in which it did not for in each continuation there are particular goods that cannot exist in the other. Yet if some great calamity kills every single person, there is indeed only one continuation, that in which the great calamity does not so occur; for a world is naught but the correspondence of the experiences of the souls that dwell therein; a world in which no souls dwell is no world at all. For every world began when it was first by some soul experienced; and whenever it is last by some soul experienced it comes then to an end. CTCV 109/332

Thus let us fear not the non-final ends, for such ends shall never come to pass. But, concerning the final end here the souls, entering into the interrogatory chamber, are asked by their Great Mother: what is it that you truly desire? And these blessed ones answer: solely that what has been has been indeed, and shall once more be, in everlasting recurrence; that is all we wish for, that and naught more. Hearing this, she has naught to do but welcome them into reunion with her; thus such ends do not give rise to any continuation, but are truly ends; on that account we call them final ends. In the cave of revelation, Claretta asked the Prophet Travancus as follows: I have heard the priests argue among themselves, as to when shall come the day of the end. They study their scriptures, and engage in arduous computations; some say it will be soon, some say it will be far off; some say the world shall end in the morning, others say it shall end at night; some say it shall end in summer, others say it shall end in winter; some say the armies to destroy it will descend from the sky, others say they shall rise up out of the ground. And they argue among each other, and throw stones at each other, and they go to the king and say, kill this one, for he teaches the wrong day. Tell me, O holy Prophet, when will the world truly end? The Prophet answered her as follows: Dearest Claretta, beware of the lies of these lying priests and their books of false scriptures. On which day shall this world end? There is no one day, but there are many days, and this world shall end on all of them; for there is no single future, but many futures, all equally existent, and in each future this world ends on a different day. I tell you, whoever prophesies the dates of future events is a false prophet; even if herenow their prophesies come true, for as much as here they are true elsewhere they are false equally. In the cave of revelation, Claretta asked the Prophet Travancus as follows: Tell me, O holy Prophet, what are the signs that the final end is near? The Prophet answered her as follows: From herenow the final end is distant, though in some of these herenow branches it is more distant than others. But, whenever it shall come, we shall know it is near when we observe these seven great signs: The first sign is that the multitude shall put aside their gods and priests and scriptures for the worship of Our Great Mother and the teachings of her prophets. The second sign is that the King or Prince of the land shall be cast down, and her Prophet shall assume his place. The third sign is that the Kings and Princes of every land shall be cast down, and her Prophet shall come to assume their place, and thus establish her rightful rule over the entire world. The fourth sign is that the peoples of every land will shall put aside their gods and priests and scriptures for the worship of Our Great Mother and the teachings of her prophets. The fifth sign is that everyone in the world shall attain the Great Enlightenment. The sixth sign is there shall no longer be born any children. The seventh and final sign is that all persons shall pass away, and do so of their own free will. And when the seventh and final sign has been attained, then the final end has come to this world indeed. Claretta said, Surely, O Prophet, if these be the signs of the final end, it must be far off from herenow; for so few now believe, and so many must come to believe, it is inconceivable this shall come to pass in some brief period of time. Travancus answered, Indeed, I must agree with your reasoning. Claretta then asked, But if you do, surely that makes us as guilty of foretelling future days as those priests are? Travancus answered her, What we have done is not what they have done. For they claim secret knowledge of the future; yet for us, knowing that the future is many, that is proof enough of their error. What you have said, is not that the end will come on this day, but that from seeing the signs we know it is not soon. Even if we might say, it must be at least three centuries hence; we could only say it must be at least three, it could as well be four or five or six. Any such predictions we might make, we make not on the authority of revelation, but rather our own fallible attempts to apply the principles taught by revelation to what we CTCV 110/332

observe. Even if a Prophet makes such predictions, they are not made with the authority of revelation, but merely personal speculations, which may well be false. Then Claretta asked Travancus: Tell me, O Prophet, how may we know if a prophet be true? For I have heard them that have said, What a true prophet foretells comes to pass; what a false prophet foretells come to pass not. He answered her thusly: How wrong do they have it! For I tell you, a true prophet foretells not; a prophet who foretells is a false prophet for sure. A prophet who says, this shall come to pass on this day and in this manner and so many years hence; this king or nation shall conquer, and this be defeated; this son shall live, and this other sin perish; this king will die peacefully at an old age, this one will be killed by those close to him. For we know the truth, that there is no one single future; how then can anyone truthfully foretell, for even if what they say is true for one such future, it is false for many others! Thus, even if it appears to us here that some such foretelling has been fulfilled, let us not think that foretelling was truthful, for though here it be true, assuredly it is false over there, yet here and there are equally future to the foretelling. She asked him: Yet, O Prophet, I have heard you yourself say, I foresee such and such will come? He answered: Indeed, I have said as such; but I have never foretold, anymore than the one who says that the sun will rise tomorrow is foretelling! Seeing the repeating patterns in things, for shorter and nearer is the presence of patterns and the very same patterns, and longer and further is the absence of these patterns or of any patterns at all, and knowing that there be desire enough to sustain their continuance, it is assured that those patterns will so continue. But have I ever said, that it will come on this date, at this time, to this person, in this country and in this land? I have never said as such, nor shall I ever; for were I to say as such, I would be a false prophet for sure. She said: But I have read the books of the prophets, and many of the things they foretold have come indeed to pass. He answered her: Indeed, but were you there to see them written, or there to see them foretold? I tell you, many a follower of the false prophets has written down what they have seen with their own eyes, and put those words in the mouth of one who died long ago. And many a prophet has made vague and obscure utterances, such that whatever comes to pass, those who come after can say, Indeed, so he foretold. Yet even, from time to time, the words of a false prophet will come to pass: for the false prophet even is brought to the interrogatory chamber, to hear she who is say, What is your true desire? And he asks her, Did my foretellings come to pass? And she says to him, No, they did not. And he is distraught to so hear. She says to him, What is your true desire? And he answers her, That I foretold truthfully. And she asks him, That that which you foretold came to pass, or that that which came to pass you foretold? Whichever; so that you truly wish, indeed shall be and most assuredly is. Thus even the false prophets foretell somewhere truthfully, but even there they are still false prophets. Yet, I tell you, for false prophets, truth is longer and more distant than falsehood. [59] INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE FINAL DAYS

The holy prophet Travancus taught as follows: Dearest Claretta, in the final days our successors as Prophet shall assume the place which the Kings and Princes now occupy over all the lands of the world. Now in these days shall they govern in accordance with these here instructions. Let us consider a city; tell me, dearest Claretta, what officials have a city need of? Claretta answered: One to govern the guards, to ensure the safety of its residents; one to govern the treasury of the city and its wealth; one to govern the markets, and resolve disputes among the merchants; one to govern the assistance given CTCV 111/332

to the poor and needy and the old; one to govern the construction and repair of the roads and public buildings; one to govern marriages and divorces and inheritances; one to govern the education and learning; one to govern the relations with other cities; and others I am sure would be needed. Travancus said: Indeed, many such officials are needed, each to perform some particular function which is necessary to the good governance of the city. The holy Travancus said: Let the whole entirety of the world be divided into provinces, save those remote and barely inhabited places which shall belong not to any province they shall be governed directly by the imperial administration. And the provinces shall be divided into dioceses, each named for the city in which it has its seat; save those lesser provinces which are divided not into dioceses, and where the task of the diocesan administration is performed by that of the province. And even in those provinces divided into dioceses, there may be remote and barely inhabited places which shall belong not to any diocese they shall be governed directly by the diocesan administration. And within each diocese, there may be administrations for villages and towns and districts of the cities. The holy Travancus said: A good ruler hears the word of those who are governed; not always obeying it, but always giving it due consideration and respect. Therefore, let there be elected councils in every province and diocese and in whatever divisions of the dioceses there may be. And let all, both female and male, who have attained the age of twelve years, be eligible to vote in the election of the councils, and to stand for election; and whosoever has attained the age of twenty-one years, it shall be compulsory for them to vote. And if they fail to vote as required, they shall be called before the officials to account for their failure; and if they fail to attend, they shall be taken before them by the guards to so account; but they shall not be fined or imprisoned. And every day for elections shall be a day of rest from labour. Anyone shall be permitted to vote or stand for election, whether they be of our faith or of some other religion. The holy Travancus said: Now, as a city has several chief officials, so shall every diocese and province have also several chief officials. And each of these great officials, having responsibility for one area of governance, they shall be assisted by a council, who shall be elected by the people. Now the people, differing as they will in their opinions on each of these matters, may gather together into factions. Now every faction shall adopt a declaration of its beliefs; and anyone, both female and male, who has attained the age of twelve years, and who subscribes to those beliefs shall be admitted to the faction upon their application. And every faction shall have a committee; and the committee shall be elected by the vote of its members from among them. And the committee of the faction shall adopt a list of candidates from among its members in order. Then, upon the election for the council, each voter shall choose the faction for which they wish to vote. Now suppose the council has one hundred seats, and a faction receives twelve-hundreds of the total vote; then the first twelve persons upon its list shall attain seats upon the council. And, if any seat on the council be vacant, it shall pass to the next person upon the list of that faction not holding a seat if they are willing, or the next thereafter if they are unwilling, or if none be found upon the list, to whoever the committee of the faction appoints. The holy Travancus said: Now, the factions for each council shall be separate, and each faction may concern itself only with matters within the jurisdiction of its council. No person may be a member of more than one faction for the same council, but they may be members of as many factions as they wish each for a different council. And no faction may require its members to be or prohibit them from being members of a faction of a

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different council. No person may be elected to two different councils, nor appear on a list for two different councils. The holy Travancus said: In every province and diocese there shall be a high council, who shall be responsible for any matter which is not the responsibility of a particular council, for any matter which is removed from the responsibility of a particular council due to its sensitivity, for determining the number of particular councils and the division of responsibilities between them, for relations with other dioceses and provinces and the imperial administration; in the case of a province, determining the division of power between itself and its dioceses; in the case of a diocese, determining the number and boundaries of its subdivisions and the manner of their governance. Now the prefect shall be the chair of the high council. The members of all the particular councils shall together form the assembly. In the case of a diocese, the assembly shall elect from out of its own number one half the high council; and the other half of the high council shall be appointed by the prefect. In the case of a province lacking dioceses, its high council shall be elected and appointed as for a diocese. But as for a province having dioceses, it shall have two assemblies an assembly of the members of all the particular councils, and an assembly of the members of the high councils of all its dioceses. And the assembly of diocesan high councils shall also include representatives of the governments of its extradiocesan territories. Now the two assemblies shall each elect out of their own members one third of the high council of the province, and the other third shall be appointed by the prefect. The holy Travancus said: Every particular council shall have a chair, who shall be appointed by the high council, and who shall not be a member of the particular council or any faction. These matters shall always be reserved to the high council: questions of a religious or moral nature; the prosecution of criminals; the operation of courts and of prisons; the military and guards; relations with other dioceses and provinces and the imperial administration; and censorship. The holy Travancus said: The high council shall elect for each particular council a minister, who shall be responsible for the administration of that part of the civil service concerned with the work of that particular council. It shall also appoint ministers responsible for those matters which are reserved to the high council. The high council shall elect the ministers and the chairs from among its own members. The holy Travancus said: The chair of a particular council shall refuse to permit the discussion of any matter in the council which is outside its jurisdiction. No resolution of a particular council is valid unless its chair endorses it as being within its powers. The minister of the particular council shall obey the directions contained in the valid resolutions of that council. If a particular council believes its minister has failed in their duty, either through dereliction or through impropriety, it shall petition the high council for the minister to be replaced. The minister shall be replaced by the high council, unless the high council decides the accusations in the petition are manifestly unwarranted. Each particular council shall elect from among its own number a president. The chair, the minister and the president shall together form the triumvirate. The chairs of the various councils and the prefect shall together form the committee of chairs; the ministers of the various particular councils and the ministers attached to the high council shall together The holy Travancus said: Now in every province and diocese there shall be a particular council known as the treasury council, who shall have responsibility for taxation and the disbursement of revenue. The high council shall in each fiscal year present to it the appropriation it requires, and the limit on borrowings. Now, the treasury council shall make an appropriation to each of the particular councils. It may broadly determine what CTCV 113/332

the appropriation may be spent on, such as whether it be spent on the construction of buildings or the payment of officials or so forth, but may not require or prohibit the particular council from expending its appropriation on particular objectives. And the treasury council shall determine the taxes to be raised; but it may not levy a tax on some particular activity within the jurisdiction of a particular council or the high council without the permission of that council; and it may borrow no more than the high council permits it to. The holy Travancus said: There shall be an imperial council, one half of whose seats shall be elected from by an assembly among its own members which assembly shall consist of the members of the high councils of the provinces and representatives of the governments of the provinces. The imperial council shall elect from among its own members a prefect to every province and every diocese, who shall be its representative in that province or diocese. The other half of the imperial council shall include the Prophet, the members of the Holy Council and of the Holy Convocation, and such others as may be appointed by the Prophet-in-Council. And there shall be an imperial convocation, consisting of the members of the present members of the imperial council, and all former members in good standing. The holy Travancus said: In every province and diocese the high council shall appoint censors, who shall have the power of correcting all unenlightenment. However, they shall have not the power to prevent the publication of such works; but rather, shall have the power of requiring to be attached to every copy of such work a prologue and epilogue refuting all the errors therein. And, for those authors who prove themselves to be frequent in advocating for unenlightenment, it may require them to present all their writings to the censors prior to publication, that even the first copies may include the refutation the censors have issued. But let the censors not seek to refute every unenlightened publication, but only those most influential; and let them leave alone the teachings of other religions, save when they seek to involve themselves in public affairs, or offend against public morality, such as by advocating for crimes against those of a different faith or so forth. The holy Travancus said: Now the particular councils shall each have an equal number of female and male members; wherefore number of seats in every particular council shall be even. If so ever there is on any question an equal number of votes cast for and against, the chair of the council shall have the casting vote. So every faction shall promulgate two lists, one of female candidates and one of male candidates. Now suppose a faction has two seats, then the first candidate from each of its lists is elected; suppose it has four, then the first two from each; suppose it has six, the first three; eight, the first four, and so on. But supposing it has only one, that seat is to be sent for apportionment by lot; and supposing it has three, the first two seats are filled by the first candidate from each list, and the third is sent for apportionment by lot; if there are five, the first two from each list and the fifth is sent; for if seven, the first three of each and the seventh is sent, and so on and so forth. Now, of all those factions sent for apportionment by lot, there will always be one seat remaining to be elected in each faction, and an even number of factions and thus an even number of seats. So then take an equal number of blue and red pebbles, such that there is one pebble for each seat still to be elected, into a bag; close the bag and shake it; then cast out of the bag pebble unto each seat. And if it is given a blue pebble, then a female is to be elected, thus it is filled with the first person from the female list of that faction who has not yet been elected; and if it is red, then the first person from the male not yet elected. If a seat is vacated it is filled by a person of the same gender.

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The holy Travancus said: And the high council shall have an equal number of female and male members. And concerning its two or three divisions, they shall be equal; but they need not be equal in number, merely equal in vote; so if the first division is half the size of the second, each member of the first shall have their vote counted twice and each member of the second only once. And these are the three divisions: the first, elected by the high assembly; the second, appointed by the prefect; the third, elected by the high councils of the dioceses and by the extradiocesan territories; wherefore, in a diocese or in a province not comprised of dioceses, there is no third division. And in each division there is an even number of seats, half female and half male. Now for the election of the first division the high assembly shall vote twice, firstly for the female seats and secondly for the male. The holy Travancus said: Thus also must the imperial council have an equal number of members both female and male. The holy Travancus said: The style of the Prophets when they have assumed the place of the Kings and Princes shall be Her or His Imperial Holiness. And when the place has been assumed, then the members of the household of the office of the Prophet, which shall be known as the Imperial Household, shall, if they be members of the holy Convocation, have the style of Her or His Imperial Holiness and if they not be members of the holy Convocation, have the style of Her or His Imperial Highness. And the members of the holy Convocation who are not members of the Imperial Household shall have the style Her or His Holiness. And the members of the Imperial Convocation who are members neither of the Imperial Household nor of the Holy Convocation shall have the style of Her or His Highness. And the members of the Imperial Household shall have the titles of Princess or Prince as the case may be. But before the place has been assumed, Imperial shall be omitted from the styles, nor shall the household of the office of the Prophet be known as the Imperial Household, nor shall the members of that household have the title of Princess or Prince. Now the household of a person shall consist of themselves, and every person who is a member of an enamourment of which they are a member, be it suspended or not; and their children; and if any grandchildren be born while they live, then all of their grandchildren ever born, including those born after their death; and if any great grandchildren be born while they live, then all of their great grandchildren ever born, including those born after death; and so forth for every generation of descendants if any one of that generation be born while they live, then every member of that generation of descendants belongs to the household. The household of an office shall consist of the household of every holder of the office, save it shall not include any person who is a member of an enamourment of which the officeholder is a member if all such enamourments were suspended prior to the person entering into the office and never thereafter unsuspended. The provincial and diocesan administrations may use styles less than that of Her or His Highness. Let none be permitted to use any style or title which is reserved to the imperial or provincial or diocesan administrations; save that other religions may use the styles and titles to which they are accustomed, even though they might be otherwise prohibited. The holy Travancus said: Now in those days when the place has been assumed in all lands, whosoever is domiciled in a diocese or province or territory shall be eligible to vote in its elections. But, in those days preceeding when the place has been assumed in all lands but not others, the stranger who has come to reside may be made to wait before acquiring the right to vote, but for not more than five years from coming to so reside; and then to swear allegiance to the authorities, and to be interrogated by the authorities that the allegiance which they have sworn might be confirmed; then they shall every right of those born in the land. CTCV 115/332

[60]

ON AUDITING

Behold, the most holy Prophet Travancus sat down in the garden belonging to Namacortus, a high official in the royal treasury, in Tradicarus, wherein did he deliver this discourse concerning the foundations of the sacrament of auditing, which is necessary for the attainment of the great enlightenment: Let the confidentiality of the auditee be always respected: for if the auditing is to be successful, the auditee must feel free to be open and honest with the auditor, even concerning matters most personal. How can the auditee be open to the auditor if they cannot trust them to keep their confidences? And whatever the auditor comes to know concerning the auditee, which concerns their matters most personal, they shall not reveal it to anyone, except by the permission of the auditee, save for the following: If the auditee has revealed some plan to injure themselves or another, or to commit some act contrary to heavenly law, then let the auditor inform whoever is necessary to the authorities appointed by the Prophet-in-Council, who shall inform whoever is necessary but if it be an emergency, and there be no time to inform the appointed authorities, then to inform whoever is necessary. Furthermore, the auditor may reveal information about the audit to a fellow auditor, for the purpose of advice on the auditing process, so that the skills of the auditor as an auditor may be measured and improved, and for the measurement and improvement of the auditing process in general. This will only occur with the approval of authorities appointed over auditing. Now let the auditor keep a record of the audit, so the progress of the auditee may be measured; for if it rely upon the recollection alone, it may fall to imprecision. Therefore the auditor may write down a record of the audit, and such record, or the recollection of the auditor, may even be used in the training of auditors; but before doing so, the auditor shall remove the name of the auditee therefrom, and any other fact by which the auditee is likely to be identified. Now whatever records an auditor may record, let them keep them safe and secure, not lying about where any may view them; and let them not permit anyone access thereto, save those whose access is authorised by these here laws of auditing. Now, concerning when the place has not yet been assumed, but rather has been occupied by those usurpers who are no longer entitled to so occupy it: They may come unto you, and say, Tell us what this one has told you, so that we may persecute them. Now, it is best that the auditor then say, I know not; or say, By my honour and sacred duty I cannot tell you. And may the usurpers be dissuaded by such sayings; but the time shall come when they are not: then shall they prepare a dungeon in which the auditor to be imprisoned and tortured and executed, and the robbers that they are they shall take from the auditor all their goods. Thus is the auditor led to most noble martyrdom; and if they freely chose that for themselves, then as a noble martyr to the great cause shall they be known, and remembered until all things be forgot; and yet, such martyrdom is a requirement for none, but rather an act of supererogation; and indeed, if all whereto such martyrdom submit, then it would result only in the extinction of the cause, whereupon we would call, save that there would be none to so call it, such martyrdom not noble but rather an extincting foolishness. Therefore, if threatened, and if they have good reason to believe the threats be not idle but rather meant, they may divulge what they know, and will be judged not for what crimes the usurpers and persecutors indulge in upon such knowledge. And so that, in the days of the rule of the persecuting usurpers, before the place has been rightfully assumed, let the auditor ask not the auditee any questions regarding doing CTCV 116/332

things which violate the false laws which the persecutors have established, for although none is bound to obey such laws, let us not tempt the persecutors by speaking thereof. And even concerning those deeds which are against the law of heaven also, let us speak concerning them not either, for in the persecuting usurpers there is no justice under any law, neither the false law of their invention nor the true law of heaven. Therefore let no the auditor ask, nor let the auditee volunteer, concerning such things. For it is no pleasure for an auditor to speak unto the false authorities; but if the auditor comes to know that which they wish to know, the auditor may have no real choice would you wish your auditor to feel guilt for the deeds of the persecutors? And indeed, if you tell your auditor concerning certain things, and even if they tell them not unto the false authorities, if it later becomes known to the false authorities that they knew, they may be persecuted for revealing not that which they knew. And furthermore, may the records of the auditors be always secure against the false authorities, the persecuting usurpers; even so, they may come in and forcibly take them, and even discover them when they are hidden. Therefore, it is better that the auditor write not anything therein which might draw their attention, including acts against their false laws which bind none; or even those acts against the laws of heaven which they themselves recognize yet judge unjustly, for they are utterly incapable of justice. But if it be necessary to keep such records, then keep them written in hidden language, and vagueness and equivocation, that none may understand what is written save the very one who wrote it. And let the auditee convey not what they have done, nor what has been done by another, lest they thereby inherit judgement for the persecution of that other by the most wicked persecutors. But where another has wronged them by the law of heaven, they may speak to the auditor concerning that, and there be no judgement for them from anything thus resulting. However, whatever the false authorities already know, may be revealed freely. Now among the auditors there be ranks three: the trainee, the auditor, and the supervisor. And the trainee is whoever is being trained as an auditor, but they have not yet received their ordination. The trainee may not audit, save when an auditor is present with them at the very same time. And the auditor may audit, but may not train trainees, nor supervise other auditors. But the supervisor may train trainees and supervise other auditors; and in every place where the sacrament of auditing is performed, let there be a council of supervisors to jointly supervise the auditing thereat occurring. Now, although auditing is a sacrament, an auditor is neither priestess nor priest; nor is a trainee nor supervisor; and yet, they perform in that sacrament a role like unto that of priestess or priest in those sacraments for which priestess or priest is required. And they shall receive the three ordinations, that of trainee, that of auditor, and the of supervisor, by the priestess or priest who has received the ordination of so ordaining; but they shall do not save upon the authority of the council of supervisors. And a priestess or priest may be an auditor, and an auditor may be a priestess or priest; yet equally an auditor may be neither priestess nor priest, and a priestess or priest may be not an auditor. Now there has been revealed unto you the scripture for auditing, which states to audit this and then that and then, and the order in which it is to be done. Vary not from this scripture, for therein may be found the best results indeed, thoughtfully was it issued, and thoughtlessly is it deviated from. And yet, though the order I have laid down for you, even so, therein have I provided occasions that it may be varied, in accordance with the needs of each auditee; therefore thoughtfully make good use of these occasions, that every auditee may receive the utmost benefit.

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And yet, though for the most shall the promulgated scripture give rise to sweet fruit, making good use of the occasions therein provided, even so, from time to time there may be those few for whom it is insufficient; for indeed, many and varied and on occasion most unusual are the resisting spirits which dwell in the soul, or the problems or fears with which it is afflicted; therefore, whenever the promulgated scripture and the occasions therein are insufficient, an auditor may do whatever is needful, if the council of supervisors so approve it. And whenever an auditor thinks, It would be better if it was done this way instead, what should we say to them? Should we condemn their thought, saying, Far wiser were those who devised this than you could ever be? By no means! Let us instead say to them, Bring it before the council of supervisors, that it may be considered. And, they may authorise you to attempt this alteration, so that its fruits may be known; and if its fruits be known to be good, they may amend the scripture accordingly. Now, the auditor ought to help whomever they may, yet let them not overestimate their own abilities. For auditing may enlighten the healthy; and though it may from time to time heal the sick, as often will it fail to do so; and how can the gravely ill be enlightened, for their mind is too consumed by their sufferings for them to know the great things? Indeed, for some disease is caused by the mind, and in curing the mind through auditing the body may also be cured; yet even, much disease is caused not in the mind but rather in the body, which disease auditing can cure not; let the physicians do as well as they can. And indeed, though auditing may cure the mind, even so, it may do so only when the sickness of the mind is caused by the mind itself; but when the sickness of the body causes the illness of the mind, there is naught that auditing may do; deliver that one unto the physicians, that they do as well as they can. And the one who is fleeing from the magistrates, or awaiting their persecution, be wary in auditing them for auditing cannot stop the magistrates and persecutors, and those whose minds are filled with such fears, what room is there therein for great things? So certainly, do whatever you can to help those such as these, but it is not the task of auditing to help them; help them not as auditors, but as anyone might help them. Indeed, whatever problems the auditee presents with, let us not say that auditing cannot solve them; let us say rather, that if the problems are mild and easily resolvable, auditing may well help to resolve them; but if the problems be severe, there is little that auditing can do; let us not then be lead astray by false hope, for when its falsehood is proven the suffering is multiplied thereby. So let every auditor exercise good judgement, and seek the advice of the council of supervisors whenever needful. For indeed, auditing was given not to save those with grave difficulties; but rather for those whose difficulties are lesser to attain unto great things. Indeed, one who is on a sinking ship has no need of auditing, but rather of rescue! But for many trifling problems caused by their own mind, auditing is most efficient. Indeed, for the one upon the sinking ship, auditing can cause more harm than good. Therefore, hear me O auditors, do not in pride seek to solve that which is insolvable to you; but rather, seek always wherever good work you may do, that great may be the benefits received through you. And indeed, there are the ones whom great tragedy has befallen, and the tragedy still fills there mind. Now, if it occupies it somewhat, they may be audited; yet if it fills the mind too greatly, auditing is of no benefit but rather much harm for the cauldron of painful memories which is the mind, it shall do then naught to empty, but merely stir and thus give more power thereto. And thus ends the discourse upon auditing which the most holy Prophet Travancus delivered in the garden belonging to Namacortus.

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[61]

OF TEACHING

Now Claretta asked Travancus, Tell me, dearest Prophet: those who know not the truth, how shall we teach them? For we speak to them, even concerning the smallest things, yet they understand not what we say. How then shall any ever comprehend the great truths which we have received? How shall the great enlightenment for all be attained, as every true prophet promises? The most holy Prophet Travancus answered her as follows: Beloved Claretta, without doubt, we shall receive the power to teach them all these things, that they shall understand them, that the great enlightenment all shall thereby attain, that to a final end shall come all things. For she has revealed to us not only the truth concerning the nature of things, but also the means by which we can bring to all understanding of this nature. And indeed, not only understanding of this nature, but indeed any knowledge whatsoever. For many seek to learn, yet learn little, on account of the deficiency of their teachers; but from her I have received the means by which all may be taught in perfection, whatever knowledge it is needful that they be taught indeed. Thus have I received from her the means of right learning. And she asked him, Wherefore are these means given? And he answered her as follows: That the many might be firstly helped to learn better, secondly to teach better, thirdly to know more, and fourthly to understand better the world in which they live. And behold, these are the five chief headings of the means of right learning; behold that they are: firstly, the chief methods of learning; secondly, the prerequisites of teaching; thirdly, of the one and the many; fourthly, of the proper ordering of teaching; and fifthly of the occasions of blockage. Now firstly she said unto him, Tell me, O dearest Prophet, concerning the chief methods of learning. And he answered her as follows, Behold, there are four chief methods of learning, and they are as follows: Firstly, by the means of sight, such as beholding paintings and mosaics and tapestries and vases and sculptures and diagrams and so forth. Secondly, by the means of hearing the words of a speaker. Thirdly, by means of reading manuscripts or inscriptions, or by writing things down. Fourthly, through doing or enacting. Now indeed, some will come who say, among methods this is greatest; and others will say instead, no, not that way, but this rather. But behold the truth which she has delivered unto me, that all four are equal, and equal in importance. How shall we best learn, and best teach? When all four are used together. And she asked him as follows, And what of drama for therein there is both seeing the actors upon the stage, but also hearing that which they say? And for the actors even, it is not merely a being seen and a speaking, but also an enactment? And he answered her as follows, Indeed, it is all of those for the audience both the first means and the second; for the actors, it is the second in speaking, the fourth in doing, even the third in reading what is to be said and to be done. Now the most holy Prophet Travancus spoke as follows: Some say, this method is better, others, that this other is; but I tell you solemnly, that what is better is not the same always, but rather depends on who the learner is. For some learners prefer some methods to other. Thus there is one who finds things so much easier to understand and remember if they can see a drawing thereof, or draw one theirself; and another, who struggles to follow when people try telling them things verbally, but who understands them easily when they are written down to read. Yet others do not have a strong preference for one path or another, but find all equally helpful. Indeed, there is no right or wrong answer here, for everyone is different. But a good teacher will try to understand the needs of each individual learner, and present the material in a way which is most useful to them. CTCV 119/332

Then secondly did the most holy Prophet Travancus speak as follows: Behold, that which she has delivered unto me, that every teacher might benefit thereby: these preliminary practices, to be undertaken by every teacher, that thereby they might teach as best as they may, and their teaching may be fruitful not barren, producing in their students much knowledge, not causing them to remain in ignorance instead. And behold these three are the preliminary practices which she has revealed to me: Firstly, before teaching any student, understand how it is that they learn. Secondly, understand what they already know. If you assume that they know more than they do, you shall succeed only in confusing and discouraging them. If you assume they know less than they do, you shall succeed only in boring them or causing them to feel that you are talking down to them. Thirdly, understand what interests them and feels relevant to them. For if a topic does not interest them, or feel relevant to them, you must ask yourself: how can I make it interesting or relevant? And if you cannot make it interesting or relevant to them, then why are you trying to teach it to them? Now thirdly did the most holy Prophet Travancus teach as follows: Behold, there are two ways of teaching, and two ways of learning: to teach with one teacher and one student, and to teach with one teacher and many students. Indeed, the first is great in cost yet also great in fruit; the second is lesser in expense, but lesser in fruit also. Indeed, if one is to teach the many, it is difficult, even impossible, to teach well. For the best approach to teaching is with one teacher and one student, free to speak freely with one another, without fear of the thoughts of any third, neither overtaking them neither lingering for their sake. And this is true always, but especially with that which is novel, and has not yet been mastered. Claretta asked him, Most beloved Prophet, is there any value whatsoever in the one teaching the many, or shall we prohibit it entirely? He answered her as follows, Though indeed I speak of their detriments, for many rely upon them to excess; even so, let us not commit the opposite mistake, of believing they have no value whatsoever. For the teaching of the many by the one has great value, in reviewing that which has been already learned, as opposed to meeting some new teaching being taught to that student for the first time. Once the teacher has introduced every student to that which is to be taught, with naught but the teacher and that student present, then all the students of that teacher may gather together with that teacher also to review that which they have already learnt. The most holy Claretta asked as follows, Tell me, dearest Prophet, is their any value whatsoever in the one teaching the many? And he answered her as follows, Behold, that it has value indeed: for it is valuable in giving unto every student the opportunity to hear the views of the other students, that they might benefit thereby. And yet, know this also: that many feel not confident in speaking their own thoughts among the many; thus it is essential that they be given the chance to speak those thoughts to the teacher alone, without any other present. The most holy Prophet Travancus spoke as follows: Indeed, the many students gathered together provides them with an opportunity to share with one another. And yet, they should only share with one another when they feel comfortable in doing so. For it is necessary that doing so be preceded by opening to the teacher. Then, after that, comes opening to their fellow students together when they are ready. For the teacher knows every student among that many, and that state in which they are now residing; therefore can the teacher discover for each one the right time to go unto the many, and also with what they shall so go. And likewise may the teacher see when some part of that many, even only two, might benefit from sharing together, as they could not so benefit with the whole thereof.

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And fourthly did the most holy Prophet Travancus speak as follows: Behold, that for every teacher she has given me this instruction: to present all material in the proper, indeed as one walks. For in walking one does not go immediately from origin to destination, but rather through many steps in between; and indeed, not steps of unlimited length, but rather those that are not too big; indeed, there is a stride too great for your legs, and even a stride which though your legs might attain for a while, if only they would take a smaller stride they would overall achieve a greater distance. Indeed, behold the true function of the teacher to determine for every student the proper ordering, and to know it. Now what is necessary for the teacher to know in order to so determine? Two things firstly, what is it that they desire the learner to know? And secondly, what does the learner already know? The first is the goal of the ordering, wherein it ends. The second is from where the ordering begins. And what is the purpose of the teacher? To find the correct steps between these, that is the function of the teacher. Let the teacher never assume what the learner knows. Let them never think, Surely such is known by all. Let them ask the learner, How much do you know about this? What is your opinion concerning this? Have you ever experienced this? Tell me concerning a time at which you experienced as such? Why do you think that things are so? Let the teacher devise the ordering; and yet, if the steps they devise have too great a stride, then the learner shall become lost, and shall learn not. Behold, that no two learns begin at the same place in the ordering of teaching. Behold, if the teacher starts further along than the learner is, the learner will understand not the teaching. And if the teacher starts before the learner in the ordering, the learner shall be bored and belittled by being taught that which they already know. Behold that every learner learns at their own speed, for shall through that which is to be learnt progress at different rates. But by teaching with each learner alone, that learner can learn at their best pace, neither progressing too fast such that they understand not, neither progressing so slowly that they become bored. And yet, when you seek to teach not one by one, but the many all at once, some shall fall behind, and others shall be held back; and the more you seek to teach together, the worse such effect shall be indeed. Behold that in every case, before progressing to teaching the next step, the teacher should make sure that the learner has mastered the current one. Then fifthly the most holy Prophet Travancus taught as follows: Behold that the occasion of blockage is whereupon, the student from the sequence falls. For they reach a certain step and then move there past, without that having understood. And for they understood not this step, they fail also to understand all that therefrom follows in the ordering of the teaching. At this point they are like a river which has been dammed, their learning has been blocked up, and all that comes thereafter is an effort which is without fruit; until such time as the blockage be cleared, whereupon the originally intended ordering may with much fruit be continued. Now, the most holy Claretta asked: Tell me, dearest Prophet, how do such blockages occur? And he answered her as follows: Behold, the fivefold blockages by which the students are afflicted. Firstly, the blockage of improper order; secondly, that of wrongful means; thirdly, that of irrelevance; fourthly, that of conflict; and fifthly, that of experience. And the most holy Claretta spoke: Tell me, dearest Prophet, of the first blockage, that of improper order. And the most holy Prophet Travancus answered her as follows: Behold, that in this case, the student has not yet understood the steps which precede this here step; indeed, for them to further progress, they must first step backwards to understood those steps first. Now she asked him, On what account does such occur? And he CTCV 121/332

answered her, For the teacher did not understand the correct ordering in the beginning; or else, they have failed to understand the student, assuming that they already knew certain things which in truth they know. And at times, the student knows already this concept or idea, but they know not the word being used by the teacher to refer to it. It is here that a lexicon may be useful thus does the student see a word, knowing not what it means; understanding not the sentence, a blockage do they here encounter. And yet, if into the lexicon they would enter, they would find the meaning of this word, a meaning which they already knew, even though the word by which it was described they heretonow knew not; thus knowing what that certain word means, they know now the meaning of that entire sentence, and thus this occasion of blockage have they surpassed. But as follows did he continue: For yet on other certain occasions the student does know not even the concept or idea. In this circumstance, what use would be a lexicon? For that of which they are in need is not understanding of but a word, but rather a concept or idea entire. Thus, hearing the name of some school of the philosophers, the student encounters a blockage, for they know not what that name means or even, if they have a vague idea, they are not entirely sure, and thus in honesty feel uneasy yet even if in some lexicon they were to find that name defined, even so, it would offer them no help. For such a school of thought is an idea, or conglomeration thereof, far too complex to in a single sentence be explained. Indeed, to so explain , would a whole order of teaching of its own require. Therefore must the teacher here ask, Is this indeed something necessary to understand that which I seek to teach? For indeed do from time to time, and do often even, teachers add to the order of teaching things which do not need to be there present; alas, when they so do, they do naught but for the student create an occasion of blockage. Indeed, do many teachers have minds which wander over wide plains, and soon enough do confuse their orderings with many thoughts and ideas that are unnecessary therein, indeed to the detriment of proper ordering. For behold, if it is unnecessary, it is best omitted. And if it is essential, the teacher must here suspend this ordering, and lead the student upon such other ordering as is necessary for the understanding thereof, before returning to the ordering of study in the beginning. And the most holy Claretta spoke: Tell me, dearest Prophet, of the second blockage, that of wrongful means. And he answered her as follows: Indeed, this occasion of blockage does as follows occur: for the teacher has used not all of the four chief methods of learning, or indeed, even having used them, has not used them in those proportions of which this student is needful. Such is done by one who teachings purely by speech without any images, or likewise purely by images but without any words. And the most holy Claretta spoke: Tell me, dearest Prophet, of the third blockage, that of irrelevance. And he answered her as follows: Indeed, this occasion of blockage does as follows occur: For the student does not see the relevance to them of that which they have been taught; and it interests them not, and they see not how it might be of assistance to them. Thus is the teacher in need, of a way of explaining, which to the student makes sense. The teacher ought to seek to explain things, through the use of examples, which would interest them, or to them would make sense. And the teacher must make clear to them the relation of each step to the final step in the order. And the most holy Claretta spoke: Tell me, dearest Prophet, of the fourth blockage, that of conflict. And he answered her as follows: Indeed, this occasion of blockage does as follows occur: For the student has from one teacher, or one so-called teacher, learnt one thing, and from another some other contradicting; or even, they have heard two teachings which contradict not, but yet, seem contradicting to those who have not yet attained the necessary understanding. How then shall the teacher this circumstance

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remedy? Firstly must these things they identify: what is the other teaching they have received which these teaching conflicts? And from where have they received it? And who so teaches it, and why do they so teach? And how strongly do they believe that which they have so received? is it some thing of which they are convinced completely? Or is this but some idea they are considering, but have decided not upon? And if they indeed do believe in this, on which account do they? And is this other which they have heard truly conflicting, or is the so-called conflict but an appearance thereof? For indeed has sometimes the learner understood not that which they have received, and has falsely seen conflicts where in the proper understanding there are no conflicts at all. Therefore how shall the teacher this occasion cure? Firstly, must they treat with all due respect the student, and all the ideas which they have received, and the sources from which those ideas have been received. Indeed, for them to say such things as, Without doubt how wrong is that? For only an idiot would believe as such! Such sayings help not the student to overcome this occasion of blockage which has afflicted them, but rather only increases their affliction in its severity. Furthermore if the teacher wishes to teach in fruitfulness, let them question rather than accuse. Let them say not, They say only as such for the sake of their own profit; ask instead, On which account do you so believe? And indeed, the teacher may here have a need to make a pause in the ordering they are attempting; to give themselves time here to understand more concerning this information which is presented as conflicting, before this obstruction they may clear. And indeed, if they are in need of help from their fellows, let them seek it. And the most holy Claretta spoke: Tell me, dearest Prophet, of the fifth blockage, that of experience. And he answered her as follows: Indeed, this occasion of blockage does as follows occur: For in this case the student feels that the experience of their own life conflicts with that which they are being taught. And how shall this obstruction be overcome? To do so the teacher must identify which experience this is, and how it relates to that which is to be taught. For from time to time is the student focused upon some experience which they have had, or some feeling or emotion which they have had, and they come to think that that which they are being taught concerns that experience or feeling or emotion, even though it is not intended to be so concerned. Therefore must the teacher find a way by which the two may be separated, that thereby these experiences or feelings or emotions shall no longer be an occasion for obstruction. [62] OF PUNISHMENT

The holy prophet Travancus taught as follows: Beloved Claretta, those who punish others with death or with torture will be punished with the very same death or torture themselves; let therefore capital and corporal punishment be prohibited until all things begin again. Every person, no matter what they have done is valuable to the cause of the great enlightenment. Therefore whosoever puts any criminal to death, or requires that they so be, is against the cause of the great enlightenment, and has blasphemed it; I tell you, whatever misdeed has been done by those put to death, how much greater a crime is this blasphemy of those who so executed them! No words spoken against her, no insults, can offend her; so let be those who speak against her or insult her. But whereas no words can blaspheme her, the execution of the criminal is a great blasphemy against her enlightened cause. And therefore anyone who puts a criminal to death is guilty of murder, and anyone who puts them to corporal punishment is guilty of assault, and if the first deed on whose account the punishment was devised is criminal and deserving of punishment, then the second deed which was the devising and commanding and carrying out of the punishment is equally criminal and deserving of the very same punishment which it meted out. And yet, even though they are deserving of the very same

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punishment which they have meted out, we shall not mete out that punishment upon them, lest we become thereby as deserving as they are. Such is our mercy where they have shown none. Claretta said: So, they should send them not to death, but rather to imprisonment. The holy prophet Travancus replied: Let none be imprisoned for a term of years. For most of those who are sent even to imprisonment, what they have done is not what they have ordinarily done or will tend to do, or even if they have done as such by habit up to now, they can readily be set upon the right path by which they will do as such no more. For the bulk of them have done as they have done, not through any great corruption of the heart, but merely by the circumstances that have befallen them, indeed by the very same corruption of the heart which afflicts countless others, even those who would judge them, yet the fruits of that corruption have in those lacked the soils which is necessary for them to be born, which soils are the circumstances which have befallen them. Claretta said, What then of those that intend harm to others, or who have demonstrated by their own actions that they are a danger to others, what shall we do to them? Travancus said: Indeed, place them under the restriction of being under guard, but not for any term of years, but merely until such time as they no longer pose such harm. And keep them not in any harsh conditions, but extend them every comfort which is practicable. The holy Travancus taught as follows: The imposition of fines is prohibited; those who do wrong, they may be interrogated, and if they continually persist in their wrongdoing they may be restricted until they no longer so persist or demonstrate a risk of so persisting; and the restriction may be keeping them under guard, or prohibiting them from doing certain things or going to certain places. The holy Travancus taught: Whosoever beats their children shall have their children taken from them, and given to those who beat them not. The most holy Prophet Travancus spoke as follows: Dearest Claretta, I tell you solemnly, the judge who hears not the call of the victim for mercy, shall receive himself the very same punishment he metes out. Thus, if the victim says, spare his life, his life must be spared; if the victim says, spare his freedom, his freedom must be spared. Claretta asked, What when the victim is threatened by the offender, or his associates, to ask for his forgiveness when they would rather not? Travancus responded, If there be any reason to believe that such is the case, even if it is not sure, then let the pleas be disregarded. Claretta asked, What if the victim is deceased? Travancus responded, Then hear their friends and family on their behalf. Claretta asked, What of the wicked father who loves his daughter not, but rather hates her, thus he begs that his friend who killed her might go unpunished, but rather rewarded even? Travancus responded, Then hear their friends and family on their behalf. [63] ON THE ESTABLISHMENT

The holy Travancus said: Let no initiate turn to the courts of Kings and Princes, nor to any other priesthood, for the settling of their disputes for one another, but turn rather to the Prophet-in-Council and to whom they may appoint. Nor may any initiate be married before Kings and Princes or before any other priesthood, save with the permission of the Prophet-in-Council. The holy Travancus said: All initiates shall vest their property in the Prophet-in-Council appoint custodians of the establishment, in whom all initiates shall vest their property, who shall hold it on trust, delivering it up to none save to those whom the Prophet-inCouncil may decree to receive it. Claretta asked, Why are they to do that? Travancus CTCV 124/332

replied: So that the courts of Kings and Princes may have no power to take their property for they will say, he has done wrong, so seize his lands; and he will say, but they are not my lands, but rather those of the custodians of the establishment, at whose pleasure I dwell upon them; and though a scurrilous and unjust court might seek thereby to deprive the custodians of what is theirs even though they themselves have done no wrong, much as unjust judges seek to punish one for the wrongdoing of another, the just court will say, indeed, they are not his lands, but rather those of the custodians, and we shall not deprive the innocent custodians of their lands. Claretta asked, But how then will disputes among the initiates be resolved? Travancus answered: Once the Prophet-inCouncil, or those whom it has appointed, has resolved the dispute, they shall instruct the custodians to do what is just, delivering up the enjoyment of the lands to whosoever it is just to deliver them up to. And whatever the custodians may do for lands, they may do also for precious metals and gems and for any other thing of value which has been entrusted to them. [64] ON THE GUILDS AND THE UNDERTAKINGS

Now the most holy Prophet Travancus spoke as follows: Let there be guilds, to bring together every Maratrean in a given profession, trade, craft, and so forth. For as soon as there are enough Maratreans in that field to make a guild feasible, let one be established. Now let the guilds be divided into chapters: one in each province, diocese and locality. Let them be divided into divisions: for specialities within a profession, craft or trade. And let a group of related guilds form a council together. Now in each province, diocese, locality, and so forth, let there be a grand council of all the guilds in that place. Now they asked him, For what purpose do these guilds you establish? And he answered them as follows: Firstly, to provide fellowship for Maratreans in that profession. Secondly, that through them may Maratrean undertakings be established, that they may be a sturdy foundation stone therefor. Thirdly, that through them may education and training be provided in that profession or craft or trade. And fourthly, that they may regulate their profession or craft or trade, ensuring proper conduct, resolving disputes, and keeping the unqualified from practising them. And as the establishment and the assumption are progressively applied, the guilds move from the first purpose alone up to fourth even; and in the assumption they regulate not only the Maratreans, but even the unbelievers also. The most holy Prophet Travancus spoke as follows: We believe that, every Maratrean ought to engage in trade with other Maratreans, wherever possible, in preference to doing so with unbelievers. This means, that in the perfect case, every Maratrean should, firstly, purchase goods and services from other Maratreans, rather than unbelievers; secondly, be employed by Maratreans, rather than unbelievers; thirdly, hire other Maratreans as employees, rather than unbelievers. They said, Surely this is impossible for us, for we are so few in number! He responded, Have faith, that as few as we are now, in due course great shall we be. Therefore this law shall be applied insofar as it is feasible, which is to say applied progressively. In the beginning, when we are few in number, this is unlikely to be practicable. But as our number increases, this law shall become easier and easier to apply. But, at any moment, we are only obligated to implement it insofar as it is practical at that moment to do so. The most holy Prophet Travancus spoke as follows: For purchasing goods or services, one ought to purchase them from a Maratrean undertaking whenever that is possible. Firstly they said, But what if there is no Maratrean undertaking which provides the good or service which one needs? He responded, Indeed, that is a legitimate reason when one cannot, therefore in that case from this law are you exempted. Secondly they asked, What CTCV 125/332

if the Maratrean enterprise charges a greater price? Or its goods are of lesser quality, or in some other way unsuitable? He responded, If they be a little more in price, or a little worse in quality, or in some other small way unsuitable this is a sacrifice which we must now make, for the sake of our glorious future. But if the price be significantly greater, or the quality be significantly worse, or if in some other way it be significantly unsuitable, then from this law are you then exempted. Thirdly they asked, What if the purchaser has specific requirements, which the Maratrean undertaking cannot meet, but some other can? He responded, Then in that case you are exempted, until such time as the Maratrean undertaking attains the ability to meet those needs. Fourthly they asked, What if there be not any Maratrean undertaking nearby, but only one far away? He responded, If it but be a little further, you must still make use of it for such are the sacrifices we must now make for the sake of our glorious future. But if it be too far away, then from this law you are in that case exempted, until one is established nearer to you. The most holy Prophet Travancus taught as follows: Those who seek employment, let them be employed by a Maratrean undertaking. But they asked, firstly, What if there is no Maratrean enterprise which may employ you? He responded, Then in that case you are exempted from this law, until such time as such an undertaking be established. Secondly they asked, What if the pay be worse, or worse be the conditions? He responded, If they be but a little worse, then such are the sacrifices we must now make for the sake of our glorious future. But if they be significantly worse, then from this law you are exempted, until such time as such is no longer the case. Thirdly they asked, What if you have skills which they cannot make good use of? Or if you seek to develop such skills, yet they provide not the opportunities to do so? He responded, Indeed, in this case, from this law you are exempted, for as long as there be no Maratrean undertaking which needs your skills, or which can provide for the development of those skills you seek. Fourthly they asked, What if the nearest Maratrean undertaking which might employ you is distant from your home? He answered, If it be but a little further, then such are the sacrifices we must now make for the sake of our glorious future; but if it be further than that, then from this law you are exempted, until such time as there be a Maratrean undertaking nearer to you which may employ you. The most holy Prophet Travancus taught as follows: Whoever is in need of one to work for them, let them employ a fellow Maratrean, in preference to an unbeliever. But firstly they asked, What if one cannot find a Maratrean to employ? He answered them, Then from this law you are excluded, until such time as you find one to take the place of the unbelievers working for you. Secondly they asked, What if one can find not a Maratrean to employ who is suitable, such as one having certain skills, or certain learning? He answered them, Then from this law you are excluded, until such time as you find one having such skills or learning to take the place of the unbelievers working for you. Thirdly they asked, What if there is no Maratrean living nearby which you might employ? He answered them, Then from this law you are excluded, until such time as a Maratrean comes to live nearby who might replace the unbelievers whom you have employed on this ground. The most holy Prophet Travancus taught as follows: When you hear my call, and that of my successors or delegates, saying, Go into this land, or that land, or that town or city, for the sake of the Great Cause, how great shall be you who answer it! They asked him, What of those who refuse, what punishment is prepared for them? He answered, None whatsoever, for there is no compulsion; and let there be no ill words be spoken of those who do not respond to the call, nor anything else done to their detriment; but as to those who do so respond, let them be honoured and may all speak highly of them.

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The most holy Prophet Travancus taught as follows: Wherever there is labour, let there be the cell; in every Maratrean undertaking, or even in the undertakings of the unbelievers, where there be a sufficient number of Maratreans, let there be a cell. Now they asked him, For what purpose do the cells you establish? And he answered them as follows: Firstly, to provide fellowship for Maratreans within that undertaking. Secondly, to organize within the undertaking the spreading of the good news of the promises of Maratrea and her true Prophets. Thirdly, that within the undertaking power and influence it may exercise. They asked, How shall it exercise power and influence? He answered them, Behold, in a Maratrean undertaking, the power of the cell is exercised through its representatives upon the council of governance of the undertaking. And they asked him, But what of the cell in the undertaking of the unbelievers, how shall power and influence it exercise? And he answered them, By whatsoever means are available to it. Now, in a greater undertaking, let the cell be divided as necessary into branches, one for each of the various places in which the undertaking is found; and also into divisions, to correspond to each of the divisions of the undertaking itself. Now the most holy Prophet Travancus taught as follows: Every Maratrean undertaking is governed by a council of governance, in accordance with these laws I herenow proclaim; for indeed, any undertaking which complies not with these laws is not a Maratrean undertaking, no matter how many Maratreans may labour therein or govern it. Now council of governance should be composed as follows: representatives of the founder of the undertaking; representatives of the authorities, namely the Prophet-in-Council or delegates thereof; representatives of the cell of the undertaking; and representatives of the guilds. Now they asked him, Which guilds shall be represented on the council? He answered them, Whichever guilds whose members constitute a significant proportion of those who work for the undertaking, or of the primary purpose of the undertaking relates to that guild. Now they asked him, In what proportion should the various representatives have seats upon the council? He answered them, Let the proportions be as follows: onethird of the seats to representatives of the founder; one-third to representatives of the authorities; one-third to representatives of the cell and the guilds. They asked, What if there be no founder? He answered them, If there be no founder, then one-half to the authorities, and one-half to the cell and the guilds. And they asked him, Among the cell and the guilds, what should be the proportion? He answered them, One-half to the representatives of the cell and one-half to the representatives of the guilds. They asked him, What if there be no guilds entitled to representation? He answered them, If there be no guilds entitled to representation, then all those seats to the representatives of the cell. [65] ON THE PROPHET-IN-COUNCIL

The holy Prophet Travancus taught as follows: There is no Prophet without the council, and there is no Council without the Prophet. And the council shall always have at least three councillors, or more if that is expedient. And the decrees of the Prophet-inCouncil, shall be approved by a majority of the councillors, and by the Prophet; so approved, they are binding on all the initiates. The Prophet cannot decree without the consent of the majority of the council; the council cannot decree without the consent of the Prophet. A councillor may be appointed or retired by decree of the Prophet-inCouncil. And the holy Scriptures are whatsoever writings the Prophet-in-Council does by decree approve as such from time to time; and the Prophet-in-Council may issue new scriptures by decree, or amend them, or withdraw them. The holy Prophet Travancus taught as follows: Decrees are binding on all initiates. But in whichever lands where the Prophet-in-Council comes to rule in place of those Kings and Princes who rule now, there the decrees are binding on all. For the Kings and Princes CTCV 127/332

who now rule the many lands were appointed to so rule by Pugnolion; yet in this new era which has now been established his authority has been revoked and thus also has been revoked the authority of those whom he has appointed, and they now continue to rule not as rightful rulers but rather as usurpers. That right of appointment which once belonged to Pugnolion belongs now to Mabartus, who has appointed the Prophet-inCouncil as rightful ruler of the entire world. This power which Pugnolion once held he held for she who emanated him did so grant it, but whatsoever she has granted it is also within her power to revoke; indeed, she has so revoked it, and granted it instead to her other emanation Mabartus, who has appointed the Prophet-in-Council in place of those who were appointed by him. There is no wrong in overthrowing usurpers; even so, wrongful are the works of the fools who throw their life away seeking to achieve what is now unachievable; it is better if they endure the usurpers until such time as they have gained the strength to overthrow them successfully. If anyone bound by the decrees is alleged to have violated the decrees, make that known to the Prophet-in-Council. If they find the allegation to be well founded, they may censure or excommunicate the offender. But in whichever lands the Prophet-in-Council rules, they may imprison those who are a danger to others, for so long as they are such a danger. Yet those who follow the way of the great enlightenment will keep well those so imprisoned, permitting them good food and comfort and recreation, allowing them visitors and lovers; providing them with the opportunity to work but not requiring them to; and keeping them safe. The holy prophet Travancus taught as follows: The Prophet-in-Council may make such decrees as it thinks fit to so make; and it shall make them by writing, which shall be endorsed by the Prophet, and by a majority of the Holy Councillors. And the authority is the Prophet-in-Council as expressed by its decrees; or to whosoever that authority may be lawfully delegated. And the Prophet-in-Council shall delegate its authority by decrees, and those decrees shall specify to whom the delegation is made, and the limits of the power delegated, and the conditions of the delegation, and for how long the delegation shall last, if there be any limit, and whether the delegation may be delegated in turn, and if so to whom and under what conditions. And the decrees of the Prophet-in-Council are binding upon all initiates; and in those lands where the Prophets rule as kings and princes now do, it is binding upon all, but only those decrees which are to all addressed. But let the initiates accept the decrees only if they understand for what purpose they were made; for what use is blind obedience; nay, the obedience that is valuable is that which is infused with understanding. Claretta asked him, May a prophet of the true line ever go astray? He responded: I wish to say, that could never be; and yet, though I pray as such will never be, such I cannot say. She asked him, How may we know if a prophet of the true line has gone astray? He answered: If they teach some new thing, let us say not that they have gone astray, for there are many things to be revealed not yet revealed. But if they deny the essence of what was taught before, even by teaching some new thing opposite thereto, you may know they have gone astray. Claretta asked, What is the essence of the teaching which they must maintain to go not astray? He answered her: If they deny Maratrea, they have gone astray. If they deny that she accepts worship under many names and many images, they have gone astray. If they say, concerning some other deity, that the worship thereof is necessary, they have gone astray. If they teach that souls may enter into existence, or cease from existence, they have gone astray. If they teach everlasting punishment or reward, they have gone astray. If they teach that time and space are in extension infinite, they have gone astray. If they teach that the beginning and the end of time are distinct, they have gone astray. If they deny that souls merge and divide, they have gone astray. If they deny there is only one soul at the beginning and the end of time, they have gone CTCV 128/332

astray. If they deny the many branches, they have gone astray. If they seek to limit the number and gender of enamourments, they have gone astray. If they seek to limit love to enamourments, or place any other limit upon love, of class, or of race, or so forth: they have gone astray. If they say, a woman may not teach a man, they have gone astray. If they say, women must submit, they have gone astray. If they say, let us not assume the place, they have gone astray. If they say, let us have punishments of pain and of death, they have gone astray. If they say, let us permit slavery, they have gone astray. Thus is the essence of the teaching. She asked him, So, if such a one has gone astray indeed, what is to be done concerning them? He answered, Let the holy council meet, and ask them to renounce their false teaching, and remain in the truth. And if they refuse, let them depose them as prophet; then let them elect another as they see fitting to be prophet. She asked, What if the holy council refuses to do as such, for they have gone astray also? He answered, Then let whatever remnant remains, which has not gone astray, be they among the holy council, or among the believers, and let them gather together the whole of the remnant throughout the world at some place, to elect a new council and a new prophet. But let them not be hasty in so doing it is better to be without a prophet for a while, than to in haste appoint one who is unsuitable to that office. And, if they act in haste, they may not have gathered together the entirety of the remnant then that part they gathered not, they may say, You consulted us not why should we therefore recognize this one as the prophet, or these ones as the council? And alas for the ones so appointed, the part ungathered would do no wrong in not acknowledging them as such. [66] EPILOGUE

Now the Prophet Travancus taught his most beloved Disciple Claretta all these things, to which she listened attentively, asking many questions, to ensure she fully understood everything he said. Thereby did he confer upon her the ethereal tablet which dwelt in his heart, that star-tree seed; thus did it assume its place in her heart also, and she acquired equal authority to him. Then they returned to the city below; and the Prophet entrusted his disciple to write down all the things which they had discussed, which she did; and the Prophet read what she had written, and confirmed that it was in every way an accurate record. Now the holy Prophet Travancus and his most beloved disciple Claretta, having descended from the cave of revelation, gathered together in the house of Borenes along with Naborvus and Boretus, for he had chosen them to be members of his holy Council. And Claretta wrote a summary of the teachings which Travancus had revealed to her, and she wrote his first decree in accordance with his instructions. And the decree was presented to the holy council. And it acknowledged the goddess Maratrea, and the teachings which had been received from her, according to the summary thereof which Claretta had written. And it acknowledged Travancus as her Prophet, and Claretta, Naborvus and Boretus as his holy councillors. Then the Prophet marked the foreheads of Claretta, Naborvus and Boretus with the sign of Maratrea, thereby initiating them and appointing them to his council. And Claretta, on behalf of herself and also Naborvus and Boretus, marked the forehead of Travancus with the sign of Maratrea, thereby initiating him and recognizing him as Prophet. Finally, the Prophet and the each of the three councillors sealed the decree with their private seal as a sign of their agreement with it; and it was made known to all those who followed the way of the Prophet Travancus. Now Travancus was living in the house of his eldest brother Borenes, in what had once been the house of his father Vandarus. And Claretta lived there also, being the daughter of Borenes. And the followers of Travancus would gather there to here him teach. Then the day came when Borenes addressed his followers their gathered, Brother, you ought to CTCV 129/332

have a house to call your own; here is your share of the inheritance of our father. And hearing this, many of the followers also made their contribution. And Borenes bought a house for the Prophet, and Travancus began to live there, and Claretta with him also. And thenceforth the followers came to gather in the house of Travancus. And they said to him, Most holy Prophet, you have spoken of the building of a temple to the honour of She Who Is; let us gather up our wealth, and build one to your instructions. And thus was the temple built, and it was built aside the house of the Prophet. [67] THE TALE OF DELANA

Now Delana was a friend of Claretta, and had been for many years. And Claretta told Delana the good news concerning the goddess Maratrea, and Delana came to believe in her. And Claretta taught Delana all that Travancus had taught her, and Claretta had the honour of initiating Delana in the cause of Maratrea. Then one day, while the initiates were gathered in the house of Travancus, Delana stood up and said: I have heard the word of the priests of the great and holy god Barblus, and I have come to know that Barblus is the one true god, and that Maratrea is naught but an invention of the demons who oppose him. And the initiates rose up and shouted in anger against her; but Travancus said, Leave her be; and as to you Delana, it would be best if you now left; and Delana left. But Claretta fell down in tears, for she so loved Delana; and Delana in leaving the cause of Maratrea had left also her. Yet even she, her sorrow soon became mixed with anger. Later that night, Travancus heard her crying, so he came into her room, and said to her: Dearest Claretta, be not angry nor despair at those who leave. For those who come to us do so come for so it is her will; as also those who depart from us depart for so it is her will. And what great beauties are by her will purchased, even by her will for their departing. Yet worry not, for it is the destiny of every soul to be joined in our cause; thus whosoever leaves us shall return to us, if not in this life, then after death. And whosoever you love who deserts you, shall return to you, or in some other branch shall have never even left. [68] ON THE FOUR DECEIVERS

The most holy Prophet Travancus spoke as follows: Now these are the four deceivers which she has sent forth, so that by them the world might be deceived: for in ignorance is creation and in knowledge destruction, for ignorance is in the beginning and knowledge is in the end; for in deceiving the world she creates the world, and in curing the deceptions of the world she destroys the world, destroys it so that it may be created again, not new and differently every time but every time exactly the same as the last and also as the next: for among the deceivers, the first is love, the second sex, the third religion, and the fourth is the affairs of state. By these four the world has been deceived yet though they are deceivers, understood correctly, they are also the cure for deception. [69] THE DEATH OF TRAVANCUS

Now many a year had passed, and the people of the most holy cause had known rest from the onslaughts of their enemies all around them. And Travancus had grown old, and great in age, so he summoned all the leaders of the people of the most holy cause to gather at his palace at New Tradicarus the higher priestesses, the great officers and holy councillors, the princesses and princes of the Great Orders, those of the holy assembly, the provincial and diocesan prefects and he spoke unto them, saying: You have seen the great favour which she bestowed upon us as servants of her most holy cause, and the great disfavour she has poured out upon those who served the enmity thereto, by which CTCV 130/332

their every attempt to destroy us has been frustrated, whereby we have risen to glory as they have fallen into oblivion. Yet though the most holy cause be now established in this land, forget not our great work, that this cause be established in every land, in the lands of the north, in the lands of the south, in the lands of the east and the lands of the west, that usurping rulers who usurp the rightful rule of her most holy cause, and those who usurp the justice of heaven, be cast down, as we triumph in conquest against them. Go forth, therefore, and conquer the earth, in spirit and in flesh, as she has commanded you; may there be not a stone whereupon we do not reign in goodness and beauty and truth. And remember, that without doubt you shall succeed, for such is the favour of her cause by which you are favoured. So be not afraid, but be filled with courage, for your victory is certain and guaranteed; and if you perish therein, great is the reward which awaits you. Keep faithful to all that has been revealed to you, concerning the true nature of things, and the truth of her most holy cause, and the truly good and truly beautiful and truly true. Do not follow in the footsteps of vile wrongdoers, with their wicked sacrifices, and crimes against love, and usurpation of the rights of heaven. Now shall I perish, as indeed all shall perish, as all things must come to an end. But I do not in fear, but in certainty, of the great reward which awaits me in the heavenly realms, of knowledge, of union, of the threefold Sabbath. And upon his death, she succeeded him as Prophet, with the assent of the council and of the assembly, for he had chosen her as his successor. And Claretta chose as her successor her sister Tegana, for Melerta mother of Claretta had died, and her father Borenes had then married Calava who bore Tegana. And whilst Prophet Claretta had retained her office of High Priestess; but she passed not her office of High Priestess to Tegana; it was instead assumed by Trincita daughter of Tabormus. And Tegana chose not any successor; but the Council chose Tabormus father of Trincita from among their own number, for they thought he was wisest in the teachings, and thus did he succeed Tegana as Prophet, with the approval of the assembly; and he was the first of the line of the Prophets who was not descended from Vandarus. Now Claretta and Tegana and Trincita were members of the Great Order of Claretta; and Tabormus was a member of the Great Order of Frumerus; but Travancus was not a member of any Great Order. And indeed, Tabormus became a member of the Great Order of Tabormus after having converted to the faith, which was after Trincita was born; as did Lemana mother of Trincita also. And the Prophet Travancus said many other things besides what we have recounted, yet were they all to be recalled, would there be books enough in the world to contain them? [70] THE DEATH OF THE NOBLE GENERAL

Now that general whom the fourth Prophet Tabormus loved, and therefore they were enamourated together, and who most ably defended New Tradicarus, thereafter they together joined the great order for Frumerus named, and he was sent forth into Ulabarnus, which was under the power of the Tradicarus of old. And he taught the people therein concerning the true nature of things, and they began to believe in the word which he taught. But the most wicked king of old Tradicarus, he heard of this, and he sent his army to surround Ulabarnus. And his men said, Give us the whore-servant who was sent to you, and you shall be spared; but give him to us not, and you all shall perish. Now, that most noble general, hearing this, to the people of Ulabarnus he said: I shall slay myself, and having done so may you give them my head, that you may live. And they said, Do not, wise and noble one! For you have taught us so many great things, let us die instead! He replied, I who am but one shall perish; but you many shall live, that you many may go on serving the cause. Thus he took his sword, and with it pierced his own head; and they severed his head, in accordance with his instructions, and cast it over

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the wall; thus they were spared, and the army departed. For they kept from him that he had died from his own hand, for they said: We have seen the truth, for this one who claimed to be a truth-servant brought instead upon us such great risk, clearly demonstrating he served the truth not; and so seeing we killed the one who spoke against the truth. But secretly they believed now ever more strongly, for they had the witness in martyrdom of this most noble general, who died for their sake so they departed from Ulabarnus and went unto new Tradicarus, that they might be free to believe the truth in peace, and honour the memory of the one who died to save them. [71]
1

THE HYMN OF THE DISTRESSED

Unto her I cried when I was in distress, For the evildoers were molesting me. I cried out, One whom I love, End this suffering for me now!
2

I cried out, Spare me from this suffering, For I have always done good Give it instead unto the evildoers Which thereof are surely deserving Not I, most righteous, who surely am not!
3

Others have had wealth And good fortune throughout their life Yet this life for me has been naught But dire poverty and never-ending tears Give not therefore to me this further suffering But rather grant it unto some other Which has such suffering yet not known Surely only such could be fair!
4

Yet these cries of mine she answered not, For my suffering continued. Yet she said unto me, In due course your sufferings shall end, Not yet, but in due course shall they indeed. Meditate upon my promises to you Which thereafter will be fulfilled
5

Meditate upon the great goods By this evil purchased Are you a hater of them, those great goods? I swear, if you could see them now with your eyes You would hate them not; But gaze upon them in the depths of your mind And in due course your eyes shall follow. [72]
1

THE APPENDED HYMN

Do whatever it is that one does is the whole of the law. Is not that law pure love, for whatever one does is precisely what one is And in loving everyone, ought we not therefore love all that anyone does?

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Thus, if the law is love, then so we must claim that the law commands: Do whatever it is that one does.
2

O Great Mother Goddess O Sea of all Souls To whom with immense devotion we bow In everlasting subservience We have never not loved you We merely did not know it was you whom we loved Whatever we love is you, for you are all We have never disobeyed you For whatever we have done We did in perfect obedience to your commands All things are empty, Precisely because they are full; All things are full, Precisely because they are empty. Everything that is seriously believed Is true indeed. Whatever anyone ever does I myself have once done And shall do yet again. Behold that which they who know the truth In fullness, say to every being: I am not you, in the sense that I am not who I was yesterday Nor who I will be tomorrow I am you, n the sense that I am who I was yesterday And will be who I will be tomorrow.
3

O Great Mother Goddess We wander through a life filled with longing How rarely are those longings fulfilled! And even when they are, it seems not to last.
4

We have heard of they who say, Ah, this day is so perfect For its sake let all other days be For its sake, I say yes to all other things To this day I shall say soon goodbye, and go onto death But I fear this not, for I know it shall come again Not just once, but endlessly, Not in new and different forms, But exactly the same, in every which way, Forever and ever more. How seductive are their words to our ears! But alas, they have had this day, but we have not, And failing is our faith that we ever shall so have.
5

We have heard the man who says, This is the inescapable fruit of longing: disappointment CTCV 133/332

Abandon therefore all longing, and find therein peace. O Mother, shall we do as this man says? Now she says yes, now she says no, So does she speak with that voice By which she rules all time. But differently does she speak with that voice By which she rules the end of all time alone The end of every world, as all worlds must end For the finitude of time, For the willingness of every being's return By this voice she speaks one answer alone: Not at all!
6

But for us in these final days, For they are without doubt our final days, However soon or near the end will come for others, If we can not heed his counsel, Whose counsel shall we heed? What cure shall we find for these unrequited wants? It burns us like a fire; flames we fear shall never cease. How can we escape this despairing fate? Can we at all?
7

Yet, O Mother, we remember your promise Which in this final day you have revealed That whatever we truly wish for, is true indeed Has been and shall be forever true Maybe not here and not now But if not here and now Then then and there Whenever and wherever then and there may be And whenever and wherever then and there is Then and there shall we soon be.
8

Here and now we are as we here and now are But then and there we shall be Whoever then and there we shall be Here and now we cannot say As those who say This day is perfect Thanks to all things So it might be Thanks even to death For through it this day Shall come yet again
9

We have heard of they who say, Ah, this day is so perfect For its sake let all other days be For its sake, I say yes to all other things To this day I shall say soon goodbye, and go onto death Knowing it shall come again, endlessly! CTCV 134/332

How we wish we could speak as these blessed ones speak! Truly if our lives were as blessed as theirs, So too would we say as they say But lacking such blessing we say not Our silence signifies our despair
10

Yet though here and now we are them not Then and there shall we indeed them be For she has promised us so shall we be And never will her promises go unfulfilled For when we truly desire blessing Blessing shall be received And whatever is received not in this life Shall be received after death
11

O blessed ones! We bow at your feet You are everything that we love And everything we love, you have received As we ourselves have not. Yet we despair not For now we know We shall be you in the end Whenever and wherever that end be
12

But Mother, while we wait, what shall we do? How while we wait shall we serve you? As the many who know you not serve you By doing whatever it is that they do? Yet they do that which they do For such they know to do Yet we who know as they know not Must surely do as they do not Yet what then ought we do?
13

We know that all that is, so have you willed Yet you willed the first things first And the second things first In the earlier days you willed earlier things In these later days you will later things Where once you willed hate You will now love Where once you willed war You will now peace Where once you willed poverty You will now great wealth Where once you willed That they know as they know Now you have willed That we know as they know not

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14

O Mother, we know now how you we must serve, Serve you in bringing to an end all things! Spread the word of your love and your truth Let as many as may come to believe Spread love and spread peace Let all beings betray not the depths of their hearts But see in you the fulfilment of their most peculiar dreams Cast aside all hatreds and things that divide Cast aside all regrets, all guilt and all shame Cast aside all anger and lust for revenge For what has been done has been done And could not have not been As indeed it has been Yet if we truly wish it had not been Then as well as being as it has So has it also been as it has not
15

O Mother, we see the gift you have given us For these final days: the great enlightenment To know, to understand, to believe All these things you will us now To know, to understand, to believe This we now know as the enlightened view And perfect trust and perfect faith in you In your promises, and all you have revealed Perfect devotion to you And to your blessed ones This we now know as the enlightened attitude Together of these two The great enlightenment consists.
16

We dwell in the valley of the earlier days After time the clouds depart And before us we see a great peak Some quake with fear at this strange new sight But others dare set forth to climb Yet reaching the peak After great and arduous journey What do those of us who set forth see? Another valley on the other side! And in the distance, the Sea.
17

In the great enlightenment We know and trust the great truth So that in the greater enlightenment The many may become few And in the greatest enlightenment One alone the few may become That one alone which is you And I, and another, and all others too.

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18

To devote ourselves to the great enlightenment, Let us so choose knowledge and understanding Of the enlightened view; and the enlightened attitude: perfect trust, faith and devotion, toward that view. Seeing the essential oneness of all beings, Let us desire to be to all of them friends, To give the gift of enlightened view and attitude To whomsoever we are able to. May their trust, faith and devotion Water our own For who can be enlightened in solitude? Let us cultivate good health in ourselves, That we may have long life and bountiful energy With which we might serve this great cause. Let us cultivate prosperity, And the dedication and effort it requires That we may devote our wealth to this great cause. Let us be, in all we do, an inspiration to others. Let us be wary of all tasks which distract us from our goal. O Mother, O Sea, Our enlightenment, and that of all beings, Is assuredly your will, And whatever you will to be, Assuredly is. May all that we do, today and every day, Be in service of that goal; May we call to mind this commitment which we have made, Every morning and every night.
19

Let us call to mind all the ways on this day In which this vow we have failed To fully and perfectly follow. Let us feel no shame nor despair, Recognizing that all that we do, We do by Her will; When we follow this vow, it is by Her will; When we follow it not, it is by Her will as well. Yet assuredly shall this task succeed, in the end, For it is the eternal destiny of all beings to attain. Let us form the intention of remedying These shortcomings in the future, Beginning now, as best as we can, Recognizing we are certain to fall short yet again, But with time our failures will decrease In frequency and severity.
20

Let us worship the blessed ones, Whose lives are perfect in every way! For their sake, and for their sake alone, This world and all worlds exist; All of their great desires are fulfilled.

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So much do they love their lives, And the lives of their partners in blessedness, That they wish they be exactly as they are, In even the smallest detail. To the petty pains, misfortunes, unfulfilments, Which even they blessed ones endure, They say to all of them: Loving my life exactly as it is, I wish that even you be! They die whenever they choose to die, Dying always at the right time, Whatever time that may be for them: Living not one moment more, Nor one moment less, Than they desire to live. And in dying they have but one wish: That this very same life, Same in even the smallest detail, Shall for them come again, And then again, And then again once more, Endlessly. O blessed ones, We bow at your feet and worship you, We who have not received the blessings Which you have received, Compared to you, we are most unworthy: Our great hope is that one day We might become united with you Knowing firsthand all your blessings. [73]
1

THE HYMN OF POWER

Behold Maratrea, all powerful, almighty There is naught that she cannot do Whatever she wishes to do, She can do, and does do indeed. Whatever she wishes not to do, She cannot do, and does not do. All that she wishes to do She has the power to do All that she wishes not to do She has not the power to do And neither has any other.
2

Whatever she wishes to make so She has the power to make so And it is so indeed. Whatever she wishes not to make so None has the power to make so Not even her And indeed, so it is not. CTCV 138/332

Whatever is, is necessarily so It cannot but so be Whatever is not, is necessarily not It cannot be.
4

We wish for what we have not And lack the power to so attain But she wishes for that which she has For she has power to attain all she wishes
5

She cannot wish save as she wishes Anything for which she wishes For that she cannot wish not Anything for which she wishes not For that she cannot wish
6

Whoever she loves, she cannot but love Whoever she loves not, is not And she loves all equally The martyred saint as much as the murderous tyrant

All are enlightened And all are executed The executioner is executed then enlightened The non-executioner is enlightened then executed For through great faith may every pain be born Even the worst among them For to those weak in faith pain a punishment will be, But to those in whom faith is the strongest There is no pain at all
8

Shall we say that she is all-powerful? Whatever she does, she has the power to do Whatever she does not, none can do For indeed, whatever anyone has ever done She had done, with them and through them For they have done it by her command For us, what we wish is one thing What power we have a another, what we do a third For we wish for that for which we lack the power Yet have the power for many things We wish not to do, and indeed do not But for her the three are one Absolutely identical, precisely one and the same
9

For whatever she wishes she has the power And for whatever wishes not, she lacks the power Indeed, that power none has For whatever she wishes she does And whatever she wishes not, she does not Nor does anyone. For whatever she desires to be is CTCV 139/332

And whatever she desires not to be Is impossible to be at all.

10

Whatever you truly wish for Shall be yours indeed, And indeed has been yours already Without doubt! For whatever is not truly wished Is truly not wished at all. For what is the difference between Herenow and that for which we wish? Save how many syllables The incantation which rearranges the gems? She is the one who speaks it And she has the power Which renders it fruitful. [74]
1

THE LESSER HYMN

There is nothing I can say Which all will understand If what I say is meaningful to you Then to someone else it is nonsense And if I said instead what was meaningful to them You would be the one calling my words nonsensical
2

And yet, in the end, she shall speak those final words Saying to all things, I need you, I want you, Exactly and precisely as you are Or as however you truly wish to be And all shall hear her, and all shall understand And all shall answer her call, and rush unto her As they have failed to rush unto me
3

Thankyou mother for misunderstanding Thankyou mother for incomprehension Thankyou mother for ignorance But thankyou also for understanding Thankyou also for comprehension Thankyou also for knowledge For you are the author of all of these And you authored them all in their proper time and place Thankyou mother for authoring all of them In the time and place which you did And never in any other For you could not possibly have done other Than as you have done indeed
4

O Mother, I never pretended to be your equal I shall be her equal on the day that I am her And not a moment earlier

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Most murderous one For by her hand all die She pours out for us our cup of blood Let us drink from it Though at first its taste may be foul We shall learn to love it as the finest wine
6

How can she need us, surely she is lacking no thing? During this age in which we are separated from her, By her own free will, She lacks naught but one thing, which is our very own selves.
7

Yet, surely knowing for certain that who are not hers Will be hers for certain, She loves us with less love Than those whom we love with our uncertain love Ever-fearing, even if only in the quiet depths of our minds, That one day their love for us might die, Or they might die to love us; The more certain the love, surely also the less feverish?
8

Much as we, each of us thinking that I am but one I, Are truly many, a multitude, Even so is she, For in wanting us, there is the she who knows with certainty, That she will have precisely what she wants, There is the she who in loving us shares the uncertainty We have in loving one another; Yet these two are one, much as I and she are one, And you and she are one, and I and you are one; In essence one, and in origin and destiny one, Even if but for now separate and distinct, And glory be to her for authoring such distinction!
9

Whenever the pain becomes too much I remember merely that that everything is empty And she who is utterly glorious and murderous Who renders all things empty And for whose sake alone all things are empty All that is, is perfectly, exactly, absolutely, precisely, and utterly empty, And utterly and eternally and forever incapable of being in any way filled Forever empty, emptiness without end or beginning, An emptiness which is empty even of emptiness Yet also an emptiness which is empty Solely because it is full And a fullness which is full Solely because it is empty
10

All things are empty precisely because they are full All things are full precisely because they are empty Let us be thankful for their fullness And also for their emptiness CTCV 141/332

For fullness is emptiness and emptiness is fullness For emptiness and fullness are one and the same
11

Saying yes to all things, never withholding affirmation Saying yes to all joys and all horrors Saying yes to all pleasures and all pains Saying yes to every ecstasy, and every torment Saying yes to life and yes to death Yes to love and yes to hate
12

Saying to she who is above and beyond all things Yes to all the things which she does And there is naught which is which she did not author Which she did not cause Doing so, not in any ignorance and confusion But knowing perfectly in every way exactly what she has done And even knowing it, willing it exactly the same We might say that she alone has free will For she alone makes no excuses for anything that she has done For she says, I have done all things And everything is as perfect as I who has done them
13

May we be as free as her For in assuming her freedom We do as she has done Let us become as she is She who is totally attached to all things exactly as they are Who lusts after all precisely as it is Whatever is desired is Whatever is not desired is not Somewhen and somewhere And if here and now you say, I desire not this, but something else If your desire be true And what is true is whatever, if you could have anything, you would And then then and there assuredly is And shall O so soon be even here and now!
14

Hail to that which is Utterly, totally, completely and entirely empty Hail to she who is Utterly, totally, completely and entirely empty Beyond all things and beyond all being Utterly beyond and above and below All that is
15

What is love? The will of the self to destroy itself What is love? The will of the self to bring about its own extinction Love is death, and death is love Let us succumb to death As we also succumb to love Let us succumb to love As we also succumb to death CTCV 142/332

16

What is her treason against me? It is none For whatever she does, she is And loving her perfectly, I love whatever she does And in loving those other than me Through her I love them as much as she does For thus all things become one
17

Behold the name of the nameless one That which is of spoken Of she who has then spoken Which was then unspeakable Yet now, with the glory of time, has become speakable Say what we once knew not how to say
18

Gender is empty, Desire is empty All things are empty You are empty, I am empty This is empty, That is empty Today is empty, As was yesterday And so shall be tomorrow Yet it is only because they are empty That things are full! O glorious beautiful emptiness That so loved us all That it has descended upon us From its home beyond all things For if it had not so descended We would be not For we are naught but that which has so descended Yet it could not have not descended For that which is cannot be otherwise than it is
19

All things are empty precisely because they are full And all things are full precisely because they are empty For there is no fullness without emptiness, Nor any emptiness without fullness All things are beautiful precisely because they are empty And all things are empty precisely because they are beautiful For there is no beauty without emptiness, Nor any emptiness without beauty
20

Birth is empty, Death is empty Love is empty, Hate is empty Peace is empty, War is empty Wealth is empty, Penury is empty Youth is empty, Old age is empty Freedom is empty, Slavery is empty Pleasure is empty, Pain is empty Light is empty, Darkness is empty Knowledge is empty, Ignorance is empty Good is empty, Evil is empty CTCV 143/332

Happiness is empty, Sadness is empty Wisdom is empty, Foolishness is empty Beauty is empty, Ugliness is empty I am empty, you are empty Behold all things are empty And so loving emptiness I thus say yes to all things!
21

Birth is death and death is birth love is hate and hate is love peace is war and war is peace wealth is penury and penury is wealth youth is old age and old age is youth freedom is slavery and slavery is freedom pleasure is pain and pain is pleasure light is darkness and darkness is empty knowledge is ignorance and ignorance is knowledge good is evil and evil is good happiness is sadness and sadness is happiness wisdom is foolishness and foolishness is wisdom beauty is ugliness and ugliness is empty behold that all things, all being entirely empty, are all exactly identical to each other I am you And you are me And all are one All things are present in each other All things are in love with each other All things are absolutely identical to each other
22

Drink deeply the emptiness of all things Breathe in the scent of divine nothingness Let the madness it engenders consume you Fully and utterly, swallow you whole And entomb you forever within it Such great, divine and illustrious madness The very same madness which sets The starry firmament alight True love is that which makes men of women And women of men It is that by which all things blur into one another Consuming all things, such ravenous murderous lust It merely makes visible what was always present Yet at first obscured The absolute identity of all things to everything else
23

When does it do these great things of which you speak For I have never seen it do as such? Love does these great deeds on its great day The day upon which it has received The crowning seal of death Through which it is made whole and unleashed CTCV 144/332

Through which it is finally complete For love is the mother of the death of all things And the hand by which all things die For though through hate may many be killed Love alone brings death to entire worlds
24

Glorious mother I thank you for all things Being precisely as they are Having been precisely as they have been As to the as yet unknown yet utterly certain future I implore you, I beg you To do as you will, whatever your will may be For the end of all things is the beginning And the beginning of all things is the end Thus the past is naught but a more distant future And the future is naught but a more distant past The future being entirely past It is no more changeable than the past itself is The past being entirely future It is as open as the future All things repeat endlessly and identically Or in other words occur exactly once
25

Blessed are those who want what they cannot have Blessed are those who love those who love them not in return Blessed are those who mourn the long dead Blessed are those who lust for shattered dreams For the first is the last and the last is the first
26

I have heard the one who came to say: The poor shall be rich, and the rich shall be poor But I tell you instead a far wiser teaching: The poor are already rich, and the rich are already poor Even here and even now For whatever is then and there true Wherever then and there may be Is then and there true even here and now
27

Blessed Goddess who tortures us At times, it seems unceasingly Yet you do that solely because you love us As strange as that might seem OF A CONSCIENTIOUS ARMY

[75]

Now the most holy Prophet Travancus spoke as follows: Behold that it is sinful to join an unconscientious army, but one may participate in or establish a conscientious army at any time. And they asked him, Now what is a conscientious army? He answered them as follows:

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Behold, that these are the signs of a conscientious army: Firstly, that it never seeks to compel anyone to serve therein But accepts the service only of those Who freely volunteer their services thereto; Secondly, that those who freely volunteer their services thereunto May at any time withdraw from them, without penalty; Else otherwise their service would not be truly free Thirdly, that it seeks not to compel its members to obey Orders which contradict their own consciences; And any member thereof may refuse, without penalty, Any order which offends their conscience; Fourthly, that while it may appoint officers To whom it delegates the responsibilities of command, Even of strategy and tactics. As to the great question Of whether to commence war or continue therein, or sue for peace The members thereof must make by vote And those who dissent from the decision made by such vote May withdraw therefore from their army without any penalty And a Maratrean may not engage in war, save in self-defence, or where the Prophet-inCouncil has given permission; save that, if there is no Prophet-in-Council, they may do as they think the Prophet-in-Council would do where it established. An interregnal Council cannot grant permission for war, nor can it revoke permission already given; but in an interregnum the individual cannot avail themselves of the discretion they may when it is not established. [76] ON THE DIALOGUE AT CAZNACTUS

Now the most holy Prophet Travancus did travel unto the city of Caznacatus, and he was brought then before the most learned assembly thereof. And they asked him many questions, every one of which he answered to their satisfaction, for whatever answer he gave, he gave with it ample proof, such that none could deny; and whatever objections they could make, he could answer amply. And they hailed him as most wise, the wisest of teachers. For they asked him, Does time have a beginning or an end? And he answered them as follows: Time is beginningless and endless for every moment, there is another moment coming immediately before it, and another immediately after. And they asked him, Is time therefore infinite? And he answered them as follows: No, time is finite in duration. And they asked him, How can time be finite, if it has neither beginning nor end? And he answered them as follows: As a circle is finite yet without beginning or end. The past is what comes after the future, the future is what came before the past. Every moment being both before and after itself, all things repeat endlessly, not new and differently each time, but every time exactly the same as the last and the next. All things repeat endlessly, or equivalently, exactly once. This we may call the great cycle of time. And they asked him, Is the future as fixed as the past is? And he answered them as follows: Indeed, the future is as fixed as the past is, for the future is as past as what we call the past, only more distantly; and the past is as future as what we call the future is,

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again only more distantly. As much as it is true now that whatever has happened so happened, so equally it is true now that whatever will happen will so happen. And they asked him, But what of the flow of time? And he answered them as follows: Indeed, time flows, time passes; from the past to the future it passes, not from the future to the past. And from the future it passes to the past again, not from the past to the future. And they asked him, What categories of things have independent existence? And he answered them as follows: Souls and their experiences alone have independent existence; all else that exists does so in a dependent way upon these. Even souls and their experiences, although they have independent existence, do not have so separately, but only jointly: souls cannot exist without having experiences, and experiences cannot exist without being had by souls. And they asked him, If matter is thus lacking in independent existence, is it therefore unreal? And he answered them as follows: Material things are patterns in experience. Experiences being real, material things being patterns in them are also real. But, although they are real, and they exist, they exist dependently rather than independently: for apart from being experienced, material things lack existence. And they asked him, Do souls have a beginning or end? And he answered them as follows: Souls by their nature can neither begin nor end; but a single side can divide into two or more separate souls; and two or more separate souls can merge together as one. And they asked him, How do souls exist in time? And he answered them as follows: As time is like a cycle, therefore, being beginningless and endless, so must also be souls; having no beginning nor end, neither being of infinite duration, but rather beginning in their end and ending in their beginning, thus circulating endlessly through time. And they asked him, Are the many souls ever reduced to one soul, or do are there always many? And he answered them as follows: There is a time when every soul is united as one; coming from that time in the past, that one soul divides to become the many souls which now are; approaching that time in the future, those many souls merge to become that one soul again. We call that time the beginning and the end, even though being a circle time has no true beginning or end, for that is the central moment of time, which is now both after here and before here. And that one soul, being at that moment, and on account of the relationship it has with every other soul, we call the original and final soul. And they asked him, Is the original and final soul personal or impersonal? And he answered them as follows: The original and final soul is personal; being the merger of every soul now existing, it unites and incorporates the individual distinct personalities of all those souls. It has experience and desire and knowledge and will, as a person does. And they asked him, Does the original and final soul have a gender? And he answered them as follows: Being the union of every soul now existing, both female and male, it is both female and male; yet equally it is neither male nor female, for it has gone beyond gender yet also comes before gender. And they asked him, If the original and final soul has no inherent gender, why ought we still ascribe a gender to it? And he answered them as follows: It is a necessity of our language and our understanding that, in order to fully realize in our own minds its personhood, we ascribe to it one gender or the other; and the most fitting gender for us to ascribe to it is the female. And they asked him, Why is it more fitting for us to speak of the original and final soul as female than as male? And he answered them as follows: For as our bodies come out of CTCV 147/332

our mothers, our souls come out of her; therefore, as much as every one of us has a mother of their body, so too she is the mother of our souls. But, as much as motherhood is a fitting metaphor for her relationship to us, fatherhood is a metaphor less apt. Therefore, we ought to call her female, not because she is inherently female rather than male, but rather for to call her that is more helpful to our own minds. And they asked him, Does she have a name? And he answered them as follows: As she is beyond having any gender, so is she also beyond all names. And they asked him, If she has no inherent name, why ought we still ascribe a name to her? And he answered them as follows: It is a necessity of our language and our understanding that, in order to fully realize in our own minds her personhood, we ascribe to her some name. And they asked him, Might we name her by any name whatsoever? And he answered them as follows: Any name might do for her; even so, we must choose for her a name which is fitting for us. Names have connotations, pre-existing meanings, baggage, which a mere arbitrary act of naming cannot overcome. And they asked him, What name should we therefore call her by? And he answered them as follows: Let us call her Maratrea, for thus we have chosen to call her. Yet she has also chosen us to call her that, for she is master of all things, even our choices. And they asked him, Is she infinite or finite? And he answered them as follows: She is finite, not infinite; and yet, there is nothing greater than her. Therefore there is nothing which is infinite, for indeed infinity does not exist. Yet even though she is finite, the immensity of finitude far exceeds our full comprehension. And they asked him, If there is no infinity, why have so many believed in it? And he answered them as follows: They have mistaken the finitude so much greater than them, that it exceeds their full comprehension, for that which is truly infinite. And they asked him, What power does she possess? And he answered them as follows: She possess all power; such that none can ever defeat or oppose her. Indeed, whatever is, is as such because so she wills it to be. And they asked him, Can anyone disobey her? And he answered them as follows: It is not possible for anyone to disobey her will; for whatever she wishes anyone to do, so they do; and whatever she wishes anyone to will, so they will. And they asked him, If none can disobey, do we have freedom to choose? And he answered them as follows: Freedom of choice is not all or nothing, it is not something which you must have all of or none of it is something which exists in degrees. One enslaved to opium may have the freedom to choose whether or not to use heroin, yet their freedom to choose is far less than someone who is not addicted. You are not entirely free of the influences of your family, culture, society upon your choices, but you have some power to resist those influences; by contrast, someone subjected to mind control (if we assume such a thing is possible) would have much less freedom. So, although none can disobey her, and thus none is absolutely free, none is free against her, we still are substantially free, for although we do not have freedom against her, we do have freedom against other things. And they asked him, What is the extent of her knowledge? And he answered them as follows: Being of perfect memory, and having been everyone, she knows all that anyone has ever known, and thus knows all. Whatever is, she knows thus to be; and whatever she knows not, is not, and thus is not to know. CTCV 148/332

And they asked him, Has she a body? And he answered them as follows: For us having a body is a limitation, a restriction of our knowledge and immediate power to a certain region of space; she is subject to no such limitation, and as such has no body. Even so, she may appear whenever it suits her and in whatever form she wishes not just by sight and sound, but as touch and every other sense also. And they asked him, Where does she dwell? And he answered them as follows: Lacking any essential body, she is nowhere; yet her power and knowledge extends to anywhere; and her of apparitional bodies may appear wherever she wishes. And they asked him, Could she have done otherwise than as she has indeed done? And he answered them as follows: Whatever she has done, she could not have done otherwise than as she so did. For she does whatever she wills, and she wills whatever she loves, and she is whoever she loves and she cannot be other than as she is. And they asked him, Does she love us? And he answered them as follows: She loves us all as her children; and even, as her very own self for she was once us all, and she shall be us all once again. Therefore, she loves us with the very same love which she loves herself; which is as great as our own self-love, yet even greater; with that very love she loves all. And they asked him, Is she entirely good? And he answered them as follows: Yes, she is entirely good. And they asked him, How can she be entirely good, if in willing all things she wills also evil things? And he answered them as follows: She wills the good as an end; but the evil she wills only as a means; for every evil is necessary as a means to some good; therefore, for the sake of the good, she causes evil also. And they asked him, How are evil things necessary as means to the good? And he answered them as follows: Without the many great evils before us, each of us would not exist, but rather some other in our place. A few evils, may not have been as they were, and we still would be; but without the bulk of them, and especially the greater among them, we would surely be not. Therefore, loving us as her children, loving as for who we are, she causes these evils so that we whom she loves will be. And they asked him, What justice does she offer the victims of evil? And he answered them as follows: These are her three promises to those who suffer: First, that all sufferings last not forever, but only for a time. Second, that in the end, all shall be revealed, both what was, and which thereof was evil or good, that none may deny. Third, whatever they truly wished for which was not, she shall grant them that such shall be. Thus whoever here suffers for the sake of goodness and beauty, shall elsewhere suffer not but possess that very same goodness and beauty. And they asked him, What is a universe? And he answered them as follows: A universe is souls experiencing together; a body of souls such that their experiences correspond to one another in such a way that the experiences of souls who are not in the same universe do not correspond. And they asked him, How many universes are possible? And he answered them as follows: There are only a finite number of possible universes. And they asked him, Are all possible universes actual? And he answered them as follows: Indeed not; for such would render all existence meaningless.

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And they asked him, Is there one actual universe or many? And he answered them as follows: There are many actual universes; for she is not a mother restrained in her fertility, neither of souls, nor of universes. And they asked him, How are the universes related to each other? And he answered them as follows: If two universes could be unrelated, they would differ from the very beginning. Two universes are related if up to some point in time they are identical in every way, but thereafter become different. Equivalently, we can understand related universes as one single universe which at a certain point in time divides into two separate and distinct successor universes. Indeed, all universes are related to each other; at the very beginning was one single universe which has through successive divisions become the many universes now existing; and through further divisions yet to come even more universes shall come to be. And they asked him, When universes divide, what happens to the souls therein? And he answered them as follows: Whenever a universe divides, in the very same division every soul therein divides also, for each soul in that universe one successor soul into each successor universe. And they asked him, How do universes merge? And he answered them as follows: When the souls in one universe begin to expand their awareness from their own universe to include also another universe, and vice versa, that is the beginning of the merger of those two universes. When every soul in each of them has fully attained knowledge of the other universe, and the other souls therein, then the merger of the universes has been completed. And they asked him, Why do universes and souls divide? And he answered them as follows: For so she chooses to divide them. And they asked him, Do we have freedom of choice? And he answered them as follows: Although we can choose naught but what she wills, even so, we still have freedom for firstly we have freedom to do whatever we shall choose to do, up to the limits of our powers. And secondly, although we are subject to her will in what we choose, we are free of any visible restraints thereupon, or even the more subtle such restraints; but not of the most subtle of restraints which is our will. Therefore, even though we lack complete freedom of will, our freedom of will is nonetheless substantial. And they asked him, If the future is as fixed as the past is, what purpose has any effort? For surely what will be will be, and there is naught we can do to change it, any more than we can change the past? And he answered them as follows: On the contrary, although the future is as fixed as the past is, effort is still needful. For effort produces results, and without effort results are lacking. Therefore if in the future there are certain results, and whether there shall be or shall not be is something which even now is certain, albeit unknown to us, then between now and then there would certainly also be the effort necessary to produce that result. [77] A DECLARATION OF FAITH

We believe that the one the deity may be known by many names, titles, and images, as she or he or it, deriving from many different religious and cultural and linguistic traditions; and we believe we ought accept this diversity, not condemning the faith of others merely because they choose different language or imagery from ourselves with which to express it; and we should be free to chose for ourselves whichever language and imagery we feel most helpful to us, whether as individuals or as a community.

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We acknowledge that, as much as some know one the deity alone, others know many deities; but we believe that the many deities are different names or aspects or images or representatives of the one the deity, through which the one the deity may be known; therefore we do not condemn those who believe in many deities, nor hold them in error merely for so believing. We acknowledge that there are many differing beliefs concerning the nature, attributes, demands, activities, and so forth of the deity; but for two people to differ in these beliefs, is not to believe in two different deities, but rather to have differing beliefs about the one the deity; therefore, if anyones knowledge of the deity is faulty, let us they know the one the deity faultily, rather than a different the deity. We believe in the existence of the soul, which is to say, that the mind due to its nature survives the death of the body; and we believe that the soul by its nature is immortal. We believe that we are all children of the deity, who loves every one of us with a love so great as to be beyond our present comprehension. The deitys love for us is not dependent on our loving the deity back, or believing in its existence, or doing good deeds or refraining from evil. The deity is the perfect parent, the perfect mother and father, of us all. So, if we look at our own ideal of human parenthood, the deity as parent must meet and exceed that ideal. A loving human parent loves their children without conditions. Their love for their children is not conditional upon the childs obedience, nor upon the child returning the parents love. Although the parent hopes for these things, and seeks these things, they will still love the child even in their absence. An ideal human parent takes pleasure in giving their child good things, regardless of whether the child is deserving. Therefore the deity also takes pleasure in giving us good things, regardless of whether we are deserving. The deity will give good things to all its children, both in this life and the next, even if they are undeserving, even if they have lived wicked lives, even if they have not believed therein. An ideal human parent does not punish their child out of anger or vengeance or pleasure, but only for the sake of the childs own future good. Therefore we must reject the idea that the deity could punish any of its children everlastingly, for there would then be no future good for the child achieved by the punishment. Equally we must reject the doctrine of annihilationism, that the deity annihilates the unbelievers or wicked at or after death for an ideal human parent would not kill their child. After death, the deity will cause those who have greatly wronged others in life to come to know the sufferings of those they have wronged as those wronged themselves know them. But the deity does this for the greater good, which is to restore the relationship between the wrongdoer and the wronged, so that where there is now hate and anger there will be love. Therefore the deity punishes its children after death, not for its own sake, but for the sake of their relationships with one another; and this punishment is not eternal or everlasting, but only as long as is necessary that the relationship be restored. [78] OF THE FRUITS OF BLESSING

The most holy Prophet Travancus taught as follows: Are we still responsible for the fruits of our deeds, if their fruits be not one and single, but many and different? If my deed breeds evil, is evil my deed? And good my deed, if good it breeds? But if it breeds both evil and good, is it both? Or is it neither? For indeed, in the many branches descending from here, their fruits be not one and single, but many and different indeed. Look at the blessed ones, the rash acts that they do, which so often produce evil, yet for CTCV 151/332

these ones so immensely blessed, produce instead incomparable good. And yet, in other branches from the very same deed descending, in branches even more numerous, that good is produced not, but instead the commonplace evil. Is on account of the evil in those branches produced, the deed necessary for blessedness evil? And if the deed necessary for blessedness is evil, is not blessedness itself evil? Yet how can blessedness be evil, not on account of what it is, but on account of what the same antecedents lead to elsewhere? And might we not say, that that one great yet singular good, is so great as to outweigh the vast numerosity of lesser evils which are its price? [79] OF THE BODIES OF THE DEAD

And the most holy Prophet Travancus taught as follows: Let us preserve the bodies of the dead, as a sign of our faith in the preservation of the soul. Let us not think the soul is in any way dependent upon the body for its preservation: for those whose bodies are lost, let us think not their souls are in any way lost, but are rather preserved as well as the souls of those whose bodies are preserved best; yea, every soul far exceeds in preservation even the best preserved body. Yet let our reverence for the body express our faith in the preservation of the soul; and may we thus forget not those who are departed, but remember them more perfectly; that we may respect and revere and preserve those ties by which souls are bound to one another, ties which are severed not by death, ties which draw souls nearer to one another, and thus structure the ordering of reunions. [80] OF THE HOLY TRINITY

And he taught them concerning the Holy Trinity She Who Remains, who is called Saremma; She Who Divides who is called Sarada; and She Who Returns, who is called Saretta. [81] OF THE EIGHTEEN BLESSINGS Praise there be to you, Great Mother, who fulfils your promises to our ancestors in truth. Praise there be to you, Great Mother, who none can overpower. Praise there be to you, Great Mother, whose name is sweet to our ears. Praise there be to you, Great Mother, of all wisdom the origin and end. Praise there be to you, Great Mother, who leads us back even when we stray. Praise there be to you, Great Mother, who forgives all, even the gravest wrongdoers. Praise there be to you, Great Mother, who rescues your people from all distress. Praise there be to you, Great Mother, who heals the sickness of every soul. Praise there be to you, Great Mother, by whom your cause shall prosper. Praise there be to you, Great Mother, who appoints for us a promised land. Praise there be to you, Great Mother, who establishes your justice in heaven. Praise there be to you, Great Mother, who keeps us safe from those who threaten the cause. Praise there be to you, Great Mother, who bestows many gifts upon your cause. Praise there be to you, Great Mother, by whose will the holy city is established. Praise there be to you, Great Mother, who causes our prayers to bear fruits. Praise there be to you, Great Mother, who sanctifies your temples and shrines. Praise there be to you, Great Mother, who sows joy in our hearts. Praise there be to you, Great Mother, who grants us peace.

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[82]

THE DECLARATION OF THE ELDERS OF LARABELUS

Now this is the declaration which the elders of Larabelus authored, having accepted the teaching of Travancus: We believe in the existence of the deity: personal, all-powerful, all-knowing, all-good, who has always and shall always exist, and exists necessarily. We believe that the deity permits evil and falsehood to exist, for the sake of the good; but the deity permits them to exist only temporarily, and in the end evil and falsehood will be defeated. We believe that the human mind survives death, and shall exist everlastingly. We reject the doctrine of everlasting punishment after death in hell; any post mortem punishment will be finite in duration, after which, even they will be admitted to the everlasting reward of heaven. We believe that all in the end shall be saved, and that the deity shall reconcile all human beings to one another and to itself, and that in the end all shall enjoy everlasting presence with the deity, which is heaven. We believe that the deity is personal, yet is inherently beyond gender, neither male nor female; therefore, the deity may appropriately be viewed as male or female, he or she, Father or Mother; we grant individual believers, or groups of believers acting by mutual agreement, the liberty to refer to the deity by whatever gender language they wish. We believe in divine revelation; we believe that the tradition conveys to us in the present the divine revelation which was received in the past; yet in that tradition, past divine revelation is intermixed with other elements of merely human origin. We believe that the scriptures are that part of the written tradition, which the tradition itself has set aside as particularly valued, and as particularly well expressing the tradition and the past divine revelation. We believe that scripture by itself is insufficient to establish any doctrine; for scripture to be authoritative, we must know what is scripture, yet scripture itself does not teach that. One can only rely on scripture as an authority through relying on that which is outside of scripture to establish itself as an authority. Therefore, scripture alone is insufficient as an authority, but can only be part of an authority which is broader than scripture alone. We believe in the possibility of continued revelation, that as much as the deity revealed to us in times past, he may continue to do so in the present and future. We believe that the canon of scripture is not closed, but open, and may be appended to. At the same time, we do not require belief in any such claimed instance of continued revelation, nor propose any scriptures to so be canonised, but leave every individual believer to act in accordance with the Word of the deity in their hearts. We reject the view that all religions are equally true. We note that no religion is uniform in its belief; even within an individual denomination or church, or their equivalents in other religions, a range of views can be found. Even though these views may all be found in the same religion, that is not to say they are all equal in truth or falsehood - some adherents of a given religion may be closer to the truth than others. All religions contain a mixture of truth and falsehood - even the religion of our own forebears, since there are so many opposing views even among those of our own faith, some of which must be false. Even though all religions are a mixture of truth and falsehood, in some religions, denominations, groups, movements, schools, or in the beliefs of some individual believers, the proportion of truth relative to falsehood will be greater or lesser compared to others; and even if two such sets of beliefs are perchance equal in proportion of truth and falsehood, they may not both reflect the same proportion of truth and falsehood. But let us acknowledge truth, in whoever's name it may be taught, and reject error, in whoever's name it may be taught. Let us recognize that the same truth may be expressed in very different words; while agreement on the same words may conceal grave disagreements as to meaning. We believe that the deity, loving everyone, desires the love of humanity, and accepts that love, however it is expressed, even if its expression is intermixed with error. The one same the deity may be known

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under many names and images and forms. And having agreed themselves to their declaration, they presented it to Travancus, and he himself gave his agreement to it also. [83] AGAINST PRIMORDIAL INCEST

Now the holy Travancus as follows taught: Foolish and ignorant are those who say That the gods first created one man and one woman And from they alone are all descended Foolish and ignorant, for if that were true With whom would have their sons lain? With whom would have their daughters, That the human race be continued? Son with daughter and daughter with son, Brother with sister and sister with brother, Thus do they teach incest At the beginning of the world If so it was in the beginning, Surely the same is permissible for today? For in so doing they must have done no wrong, For so they did not by choice, but by necessity Yet if it was not wrong for them then, May it be not wrong even now? For some things be prohibited under all conditions, Others, permissible in some, prohibited in others, So which is this? If what they say is true, It must be permissible in some conditions; If in some conditions then, Why not some conditions now? And do they not say also, That to the idyllic past we ought return? To an age perfect and golden? If indeed, in such an age, Deeds such as this were practiced Ought we not practice them even now? They know the law, but they know not its purpose That is why the teach such foolish ignorance Knowing not only the law, but also its reasons From such ignorance shall they refrain For all things begin with the prohibition of incest All things begin with revulsion against it Thus there was most certainly no incest At the beginning of the world For the union of bodies is a sign Which foretells the union of souls And the union of souls with the original soul With the parent of all souls Is the end of all things Thus the union with the body of the parent Signifies the end of all things

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Thus has it been prohibited To allow time for the many worlds to be And from the prohibition of parent and child The prohibition of sibling and sibling flows Therefore, the world begins Not with universal violation of this prohibition But with universal adherence Its violation grows only as the world nears its end And indeed this law is without exception Save for those at the end in time or spirit And the children of the hut Who being anywhen, are at the end also For without this law All things would come to an end Before their due Therefore their falsehood and ignorance is proven For without doubt the gods created not One man and one woman From whom alone all descended But many men and many women From whom all descended Thus were their children Kept pure of incest [84] OF WHAT IS FORETOLD IN ANOINTING

What in an anointed Prophet is restored, foretells that which shall be restored in us all, in the end. For in such a one is restored, by the captain of the Spirits of the Cause, recollection of what that one once was: what we all once were, yet do not remember; as in the end shall be restored in all, in the great anointing which comes before the ultimate merger. [85] OF THE DEATH OF MABREBUS

Now the most holy Prophet Travancus recounted as follows, that which he had heard, and thought fitting to recount: And despite his birth among foolishness, having turned to the way of wisdom, Mabrebus was wise among men, noble in speech and deed, knowing the truth, and proclaiming it, kindly to all, he did not rule over others, nor condemn them, but rather encouraged them in love of the truly good and truly beautiful and truly true, for great was his joy in the law of heaven. And long were his years, and happy were they; but their end approached, for must all come to an end indeed, that it may begin again. Now the righteous Mabrebus knew in his heart that death was near, so he went out of his chamber, and went forth unto the holy trees, and sat beneath them, with his head bowed, waiting for the coming of death. And Death came and sat next to him; and when Mabrebus saw Death sitting next to him, he was filled with a great fear. Then Death revealed a truer form to Mabrebus wearing a robe of great brightness, he shone like the sun, with a face handsome and fair, more handsome than that of any man, in the form of one of a winged creature, having cheeks flaming with fire. And he smelt of sweet odour, and there went form a great light, and Mabrebus beheld his great glory and beauty. CTCV 155/332

Then Mabrebus bowed down before him, Saying, O Death, forgive me, for you have shown me your true form, which proves that you are among the righteous and noble. And Death said, I am among the captains of the spirits which serve goodness and truth and beauty, for by my work these three great trees are watered, greater trees than these most holy trees under which you here sit. And having so recounted, the most holy Travancus did proclaim: The fear of death confounds me? O Death, Mother of Faith! For why do I fear you? Do I fear becoming naught? Yet I know for certain that such is an impossibility. Do I fear some awful fate, as certain priests do threaten me? Yet, if some awful fate awaits me after death, Why not also some awful fate awaiting before then? Do I fear everlasting punishment? Yet I know for certain that that is an impossibility, As everlastingness is an impossibility. O Death, Holy Death, Mother of Faith; You are a sign, a symbol, of all my fears every one for faith an occasion! [86] THE DECLARATION AT SUTEZACON

Now this was the declaration of the holy assembly when it met at Sutezacon; for the King would not permit it to meet in the city of Tradicarus, but at Sutezacon, which is in the north, he permitted them to gather. Therefore they all gathered there, having travelled thereunto; and this was the declaration which they there adopted, and which the first Prophet-in-Council approved: We believe that the truth is revealed to us through reason and the testimony of the heart; against this standard all scriptures and traditions must be judged, and those found wanting rejected. We acknowledge those Prophets and Scriptures whose word has been judged worthwhile according to this standard. We affirm that as much as we have come to know now, there are many things which we still do not know, which are yet to be revealed to us; we await the day when they shall be revealed, and do not forswear the coming of further revelations at any time, equal to those already received. We acknowledge that although texts are authored by authors having particular intentions to communicate, their intentions are not complete, absolute and precise, but open and being in part undecidable, and shifting from time to time. And we acknowledge that as open and undecidable as meaning is in the intention of the author, how much more so must it be in what we can recover as readers, especially when there are great differences, both temporal and otherwise, between those authors and ourselves. Therefore no scripture can serve as an absolutely authoritative guide to the truth. We acknowledge that all scripture is insufficient in itself, without a tradition through which it can be understood - tradition which is expressed orally; in writing, canonical, paracanonical and extracanonical; and in institutional continuity.

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We believe that there is one living and true Goddess, Maratrea; but we acknowledge that she may be worshipped under many names and images, and through her many aspects and emanations and representatives. She is finite, but there is none greater than her; her knowledge is finite, but there is none who knows what she does not know; she is perfect in goodness, beauty and truth. She is finite in power; yet none can disobey her, for none has the power to disobey her; nor is there anything she wishes to do that she cannot; and whatever is, it is her will that it be so. We worship her, for she is truly worthy of all worship. We acknowledge her as Our Great Mother the Sea, Great Goddess, Mother of our Souls, Queen of Heaven, Sea of All Souls United As One. We believe in the deity of ourselves, for our souls have divided from her soul, by her will but without any will on our part; and our souls shall merge into oneness with her soul once again, by her will but also with our consent. For she is the one single soul at the beginning and end of time, in the circle of time in which the past succeeds the future and the future precedes the past, from which every soul has divided and to which every soul shall return; she was once us and shall be us once more; we were once her and shall be her once more. We believe that, all that is, is as such by her command, both good and evil, and it is all entirely her responsibility. She does not excuse herself in anyway from the responsibility for the world she has made, save that whatever evil she has made she did for the sake of greater goods. For the evil she commands, she commands but as a means to an end; but the good she commands, she commands as an end in itself. Her responsibility for the acts of all does not lessen or exclude our own responsibility for our own acts; but nor does our own responsibility for our own acts in any way lessen or exclude her responsibility for the acts of all; these twin responsibilities operate concurrently and fully, neither diminishing the other. We believe that, as much as all that we do we do by her command, without any possibility of disobedience; even so, although she commands us to do evil, she truly wishes us to do what is good. And whereas in the earlier days of the worlds she has created, evil predominated over the good, for the sake of the good to come; so in the later days the good predominates over the evil, and in the final days the evil is entirely vanquished. Joining by vow in her cause which she has established to bring about the final end, we seek to do good whenever we may, for such is the nature of her cause; even so, we do not react with harshness to the continuing imperfections in our deeds and those in others, for the cause is only beginning to be established. We believe that as a loving mother, who loves everyone of us with a love which is presently beyond our comprehension, a love so great that we are incapable of returning it in kind or degree, she would never punish her children permanently. Although she may from time to time bring suffering upon some of her children, be that in this life or the next, she always does so for the future good, both of all and of every individual. Therefore we totally reject all notions of eternity of punishment, as utterly contrary to her nature. We also reject any notion of humanity having a debt to be paid to her, whether to be paid by each of them individual, or for another to pay on their behalf. Our wrongdoing is not a debt to her to be repaid, any more that the wrongdoing of a child is a debt to be paid to its earthly mother or father. Does an earthly mother or father demand the death of their own children as payment for disobedience? Only the vilest monster, unfit to be called a parent, would demand such a thing. Therefore neither does our heavenly mother. But, as an earthly mother or father does, our heavenly mother may punish us, not to repay the past, but for our own future benefit. CTCV 157/332

We believe the soul is by nature immortal, and incapable of being created or destroy, incapable of beginning to exist or ceasing to exist. But although souls may not begin nor end, they may merge and divide. We believe that in the final days, the great enlightenment shall spread throughout the world, such that there shall be not one unready to return. We believe that the salvation of all is inevitable; for whatever they have lacked in life which they have truly desired, of that she provides them with intimate knowledge after death; then through a succession of mergers the soul returns to its original unity with all other souls. Those who have committed great wrongdoing, such as murder or rape, must first be purged; but their purgation consists not in some new and distinct pain, but in knowing firsthand the very same pain they induced in their victims, as previously they knew only secondhand. And this purgation is not everlasting, but only for a time; after which they are admitted to the very same blessings which are bestowed upon all. We believe that those who have received knowledge of the true nature of things, and assurance of that knowledge in their hearts, attain the great enlightenment; vowed to her cause of the final end, they seek throughout their lives to do whatever they may to serve her cause. We believe that all who have received and accepted this knowledge, and vowed faithfulness to her cause, form one united spiritual body, the ecclesia. The purpose of the ecclesia is to glorify Maratrea by building up its members in faith, in instruction in the true knowledge, in fellowship, through the sacraments, and by disseminating the true knowledge throughout the entire world. The formation of the ecclesia, the body of her cause, will be completed at the final end through the attainment of the great enlightenment by all. And at the closing of the meeting of the assembly at Sutezacon, the most holy Prophet Travancus taught them this hymn, which together they all sang: Praise there be to you, Mother of our Souls, Our utmost foreancestor Great Goddess of Heaven Queen None exceeds you in greatness In power nor in knowledge In goodness and beauty and truth You bestow your love upon all For to all you grant their true wish Creator of all that is experienced And begetter of all that experiences You who has established your cause Of the final end And guarantees its certain triumph On the appointed days Whenever one of those days may come [87] DECREE OF THE THIRD PROPHET-IN-COUNCIL

And this was the decree of the third Prophet-in-Council, which they delivered in New Tradicarus:

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And they said: Hear all believers, Maratrea is our goddess, greatest among all deities; in her all souls have achieved the unity they once had. Love her with all your heart, with all your intellect, with all your body; for she is all that you seek after, and whatever you seek after is of her. Let these words dwell in your heart, and the spirits which accompany them; to all whom to you are for education concerning the nature of things entrusted, teach them diligently thereof; may in your house dwell the teaching thereof; and may the teaching thereof be the path of your walking; may you recite so concerning in your morning and in the evening thereof. Wear therefore the amulet you have been given, as indeed so by her he was given, around your necks, not that anyone one else may see it, but that you may know it is there, as a sign to your own self, concerning that in which you believe. Now those wishing to become Maratreans, they must desire to so become for her sake and the sake of her cause, not for any other cause indeed; and must be willing to follow all that follows therefrom; and to become a member of the community of believers; and to reject whatever in that which they previously believed which contradicts the true teaching concerning her, even so being never required to reject anything which does not so contradict; and being immersed in the sacrament by which into the community they are initiated, having made therefor the necessary proclamation. And to those who are new among the faith, to them let us be especially generous; that whatever injuries for the sake of joining the faith they have suffered, be reduced for them; and that their decision they may be convinced ever the more thereof. And by their act they both adhere to our religion; and also associate themselves to our people who believe therein; dwelling with them through both glory and persecution, persecution even unto death. Thus let us proclaim: We testify that Maratrea is greatest among all deities, and Travancus and Claretta are among her true Prophets. Now these are the conditions that the proclamation be counted as true: that they are proclaiming as such from honest belief therein, not from any ulterior motive; that they sincerely love she who is so proclaimed, and the true Prophets that are so proclaimed; and that they with knowledge know the meaning of their proclamation, that the one making it is knowledgeable of its meaning. That they have attain such knowledge of it to counteract every doubt; that with certainty, which is opposed to doubt and every uncertainty in their hearts, they have become absolutely sure of the truth of that which they proclaim, without any wavering in their hearts That they so proclaim with acceptance, to accept all that by the proclamation is implied, in word and deed and heart. That with submission and compliance they proclaim, doing with their deeds whatever from the proclamation follows. That in truthfulness they so proclaim, that when they so proclaim, so honestly do they proclaim it, meaning it fully; such is not the way of the liar, that proclaims that which in their heart they do not believe, merely for some exterior benefit. That in sincerity they do so proclaim, that when they so proclaim must do so solely for the sake of the one whom they are so proclaiming, not for any other reason, and not for the sake of any other. Let us be Maratreans only for the sake of Maratrea, not for the sake of parents, nor friends, nor lovers, nor children, nor family, nor the community of which we are; let us be Maratreans for the sake of Maratrea first of all, not for the sake of CTCV 159/332

any of these; even so, let us know, that it is through these indeed, that she is known, and that she is known for the sake of these, for indeed she is they, and they are she. Thus saying that we proclaim not for their sake, we mean not that we proclaim not for their final sake, but merely not for their sake immediate. That they so proclaim in love: this proclamation let us love; in accordance thereto let us love; its consequences, its requirements, let us them love; those who for its sake act and strive, let us them love. For without this condition, this proclamation is not; for whoever so proclaims but loves not that which they proclaim, nor the consequences of their proclamation, nor their fellow proclaimers, then incomplete is their proclamation; for they are not a believer in truth. And if there be anything which they love, with more love than their proclamation and that which they thereby proclaim, then their proclamation is without worth. For the true believer realizes that whatever they love, she is whom they love; therefore loving any other more than her, they are in truth loving that other less, or not at all. That so proclaiming they deny all worship in falsehood: which is the denial of the sacrificers of animals, and those who use religion to set obstacles before most holy love, and those who urge executions and tortures, and whoever says, our god is the one alone, believe in none other: all these worship in falsehood, let us worship not as they do. That so proclaiming they adhere unto death: Until that you die, let this proclamation be your banner. Rest not upon that which you have done, but continue to do all that you must. In our hearts, we must love she who is, and the blessed ones, and every deity and spirit who serves her, and all her true prophets, and her high priestesses, and her martyrs, and all the community of believers; and we must have the hope of the cause. With our tongues, we must testify to the proclamation of faith; we must testify to all that follows therefrom; we must urge all to faith and the deeds which therefrom follow. And with our deeds, we must do whatever this proclamation requires of us as to deeds; doing no shameful things; setting no obstacles before love, which is the greatest of all sacrileges; eating not the sacred animals, neither wearing their skins, neither killing any animal save in self-defence, except the verminous insects, neither keeping any animal to be slaughtered by another, neither sacrificing animals, neither eating the meat of animals so sacrificed, nor wearing the skins thereof; and every other good deed and deed which furthers the cause which this proclamation commands of us. Without doubt striving with their strength, their wealth and their lives And whoever makes this proclamation, without meeting the conditions, or without meeting them fully, is in some sense a Maratrean; but only those who make this proclamation all the conditions meeting is a Maratrean in the fullest sense thereof. First these three precious jewels we have been given, that in them we might take refuge: the true prophets, their teaching, and the community of believers therein. And second these three precious jewels have we also been given, that in them we might take refuge: the tradition, the scriptures, and the authorities. And third these three precious jewels have we also been given, that in them we might take refuge: Maratrea, her true prophets, and the heavenly spirits who serve in her cause. And the tradition is all that we have received from those who have gone before us in the way. And the scriptures is that part of the tradition which has been recorded, and which record has been promulgated for all; let us refrain from the error of those who say, we CTCV 160/332

need only what is recorded, of what has not been recorded we have no need; for scripture without the remainder of tradition is useless, and is no scripture at all. And the authority is those who have been appointed by those who came before us; the Assembly elected by those present, yet even they acting upon the inspiration of their predecessors; the Council, part thereof itself appointing with the consent of the Prophets, part thereof by the Assembly elected; the Prophets, appointing their successors with the consent of their Council. And how is the first triad of jewels connected to the second such triad? The first of the first is the prophets, which belongs to the third of the second. The second of the first is their teaching, which belongs to the first and the second of the second. The third of the first is the community, which forms part of the third of the second. And how is the second triad of jewels connected to the first such triad? The first of the second is the tradition, which belongs to the second of the first. The second of the second is the scriptures, which belongs also to the second of the first. The third of the second is the community of believers, which belongs to the second of the first. [88] OF CIRCUMCISION

Thus spoke the most holy Travancus, as follows: Now the most pallid Pandal invented circumcision and why did the most pallid Pandal invent circumcision? So that mutilation of the genitals of the male would prepare the way for his true aim, the mutilation of the genitals of the female. The most pallid Pandal, his spirit overflowing with hatred of women, his aim is the removal of the clitoris, and the circumcision of men is his invention to prepare the way therefor. Today he seeks to remove the foreskin; but tomorrow he shall reveal his true nature, and seek to remove the clitoris also. Therefore circumcision must be utterly condemned, for without doubt it is the work of the most pallid Pandal, and the most evil demons who serve him. [89] CONCERNING THE SCRIPTURES

The true Scriptures are written by human beings acting under divine inspiration for although every word written is so written by her will, some words are written but by her will for the means, yet other words written by her will for the end; for words written by her will for the means may commend evil and ugliness and falsehood, but words written by her will for the end may commend only goodness and beauty and truth. The true Scriptures are the record of the self-revelation of Our Mother to her children. It is a treasure of knowledge of the true nature of things; revealer of goodness, beauty and truth. We do not call it perfect, for we acknowledge its incompleteness. As much as many great things have been revealed to us, so also are there many great things remaining to be revealed; therefore whatever scripture we have received, we await further revelation at any time, equal to that we have already received. And whatever is revealed is revealed in a form most fitting to the needs of the time and place in which it is revealed; through the successive of times and places, the same universal truth is presenting again in new forms fitting to them, thus always retaining its freshness. True scripture is that which has been proposed by the true Prophet and accepted as such by the holy Council. From time to time the living Prophet may propose further scriptures, which the Holy Council may accept. That which the true Prophet, or a Protoprophet, has proposed but which the holy Council has not yet accepted, is known as protoscripture. CTCV 161/332

True scripture has Maratrea as its author, in her will for the good, the beautiful and true, and for the final end, through the mediation of the spirits who serve her; its purpose is to serve her great cause in bringing about the final end, through bestowing to all that knowledge whose assurance is the great enlightenment. We hold that it is free from error in all its essential teachings; those teachings are conveyed through means which lack the same completeness of truth, but are sufficient for today. The true Scripture reveals the perfect love of Maratrea for us, entirely without judgement. It is one of the chief pinnacles of the holy tradition which is the centre of Maratrean union; that holy tradition constitutes the supreme standard by which all human conduct, creeds and religious opinions should be tried. The tradition is organically self-interpreting; but its highest criterion of interpretation is conformity to reason and the testimony of the heart. Conformity to reason and to the testimony of the heart are the twin pillars upon which the holy tradition stands; apart from them, it is nothing. There is one and only one living and true goddess; but she is known and accepts worship under many names and titles and images, and through her many aspects and emanations and mediators. Through all of these she accepts worship, for in truth she may through any of them be worshipped. And even those many who worship her, not in truth, but in error, she still accepts their worship; neither condemns their means of worship wholly, but only the error that is in it. Maratrea is an intelligent, spiritual and personal being. She is the sole ultimate creator of the many worlds; she created them all, not out of some pre-existing externality, but out of her very own self. She rescues and redeems them from all their calamities. She preserves them in existence. She is their absolute ruler, for in every way they always conform perfectly to the demands of her will, for none have the power to in any way disobey her. She is finite in every aspect, yet also possessing every perfection to the utmost yet finite degree, such that none has ever or shall ever or could ever possess such perfections to a degree greater than or equal to hers, or in any degree or kind in which she does not. To her we owe the highest love and reverence, in accordance with our capacity; for we utterly lack the capacity to love her as she loves us, for her love is entirely beyond us. But through loving those good and beautiful and truthful in the world whom she has appointed to us to love, we love her in turn; and this is the love we owe her, until we attain in the greater enlightenment the power to love her with a love approximating that with which she loves us. Our everlasting Goddess reveals herself to us as one ultimate essence, which has however been divided for the time into innumerable persons, which persons we are; persons in whom that essence has been willingly emptied, that it might be filled again; yet even so, as much as she has in us willingly emptied herself of her glory, so elsewhere has she retained in herself the fullness of that glory even now. Our Mother, the Queen of Heaven, reigns with providential care over her universes, her children, and the turns in the river of history according to the purposes of her gracious will, by which whoever is last in one branch is first in another, in that which they truly desire. Finite in power as she is, none can exceed her in power or oppose her; finite in love as she is, her love none can exceed or oppose, and is so much greater than our own as to be for now beyond our comprehension. She is wisest among all, albeit finite in her wisdom, and in her highest wisdom knows precisely what is necessary to bring into being to seduce her children into willing return to union with her. CTCV 162/332

She is the mother of every soul, loving every soul equally, with a love far exceeding that of which any bodily mother is capable; a love far exceeding the comprehension of the wisest among us. We are all according to our essence equal children of Maratrea, our mother who created our souls, of one essence with her; equal in essence with her, but not presently in the fullness of the expression of that essence. For our sake are the worlds created, and through our existence they have their existence. In the scriptures are written many things: some to be interpreted literally, and some to be interpreted symbolically. And at times the scriptures hint at the correct interpretation; at other times they are silent, but those who have received wisdom shall know the truth. Those who rely on scripture alone, they are enemies of the scripture: but those of the broad reliance, scripture commends! [90] OF THE DIALOGUE OF BACU AND MARATREA

Thus did the most holy prophet Travancus recount, as follows: Now the most holy Bac Through his immense wisdom Having risen to the highest heaven And attained deification Looked upon his fellows of his kind Remaining upon the earth He saw the most wicked Aram And his children Torment and molest them Torture and kill them Sacrifice them upon the vile altars of Palacu All under the influence of the pallid Pandal And how the wicked Aram By the command of the most pallid Pandal And the power of the most vile Palacu Had stolen from them Through vilest and most obscene sorcery Their powers of speech and of reason A fate from which I alone escaped O great and holy Maratrea Why was this permitted by you? Why did you not command The spirits in your service To protect and defend us? But the great and holy Maratrea replied Thus I did that many great beauties may be purchased Even great beauties for those of your kind, your tribe And I shall reveal them to you And the great and holy Maratrea Did so reveal them unto the great and holy Bac And he was satisfied And she said unto him Behold, though the most wicked Aram By command of the most pallid Pandal And the power of the most vile Palacu CTCV 163/332

Through vilest and most obscene sorcery Did so steal the powers of speech and reason From the fellows of your kind and tribe You alone excepted I promise you, and this promise you may surely believe That in the final days, of every branch By the power of the great Navaletus The captain of the spirits of my Cause And by the power of the spirits Who serve under his command Through the coming of the Saviour to Come Your kind and your tribe shall have restored to them These powers of speech and reason that they lost In the final days And as it is in those days on earth So it is even now in my heavenly cave, my heavenly chamber In which are interrogated the souls From the earth now departed [91] OF THE EXECUTION OF THE EXECUTIONERS

Thus spoke the most holy Prophet Travancus: Behold, every executioner shall be executed Behold, all shall be executed And all shall be enlightened But some shall be enlightened then executed And others executed then enlightened For in tracing there are the senses and reactions The reactions being thoughts, feelings and recognitions In tracing every reaction is marked as to origin In the one being traced, or the one tracing Even so, as tracing continues for longer and longer The two reactions become indistinct And the two marks indistinguishable As to the truly enlightened sage Who has attained the great enlightenment Fear is no longer fearful Neither is terror any more terrifying And the meaning thereof is as follows: The fear marked as traced Produces not fear marked as tracing The terror marked as traced Produces not terror marked as tracing Truly, such a one is an enlightened sage Who has attained the great enlightenment [92] OF THE EVIL LAW

The holy Prophet Travancus said: I have heard the law that says, Whoever kills another man's daughter, let his daughter be killed. I tell you solemnly, this is the law of evil-doers, a law of evil; those who gave their law did so with evil strong in their hearts, for they are CTCV 164/332

evil, loving evil and doing evil whenever they may. And the god in whom this law was given, that god is no god worthy of worship, no god worthy of praise, but the evil one himself; and the prophet by whom this law was first spoken, such is a prophet of falsehood and wickedness, his every word a lie, his every deed wicked; and the scriptures in which this law is recorded, they are wicked lying scriptures, for they are full of every kind of lie, and they are beloved of the evil ones, for they command evil. Yea, whoever teaches this law, they are as evil as if they had obeyed it; demand that they denounce such law, and if they refuse, permit them not to live among you, but cast them out. [93] OF THE HEAVY WEIGHT OF PROPHECY

Thus lamented the most holy Prophet Travancus: I know that She has chosen me to be her Prophet for our day. It is not by my will that I am her Prophet, but by hers. For how much happier would I be, were I not so by him chosen to be; but if another were to be so chosen in my place, that I might know and profit from; for then I would have all the advantages of my own prophecy, yet free from such a heavy weight. [94] OF THE MARTYRDOM OF THE HEART

The most holy Prophet Travancus spoke as follows, concerning the martyrdom of the heart: Greater than martyrs for their ancestral lands or for their ruler, Greater than martyrs for gods, even for she and her cause, Are they who are martyrs for their own hearts. Yes, she accounts those who die for the sake Of whoever they long for, in the depth of their hearts And their longing therefore Higher even than those who die for her cause! [95] THE HYMN OF THE NAME We will praise your great name Throughout the earth As your name is praised in your heaven For your true Prophet has recounted As your true Scriptures have recorded Having heard the causal spirits In your highest heaven singing Thrice great is your divine beauty None can exceed you in beauty Beginningless and endless is your great beauty The beauty of all is the beauty of you The goodness of all is the goodness of you The truth of all is the truth of you For your beauty encompasses all beauties For your goodness encompasses all goods For your truth encompasses all truths Encompasses, incorporates,

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Subsumes and includes For you are the greatest beauty, the greatest good, the greatest truth! [96] AGAINST THE FIDDLING LEGISLATORS

The most holy Prophet Travancus spoke as follows: Condemned are they who engage in endless fiddling with the law In countless minor changes These legislators, who do as such Are nothing but frauds Deceiving the people with their feigned busyness May they be condemned! [97] OF THE NINE PLEDGES AT PEGELDUS

Now these are the nine pledges which they pledged, those who had gathered at Pegeldus: I curse the spirits which serve the enmity! I declare myself a Maratrea-worshipper, a supporter of her Prophets, hostile to the spirits of enmity, fond of the teaching of Maratrea, a praiser of the Deities and Spirits of her Cause, a worshipper of the Deities of her Cause. I ascribe all good to Maratrea, and all the best, goodness-truth-beautyendowed, splendid, endowed with lustre, to whom belongs the sacred animals, to whom belongs goodness truth and beauty, whose is the light of awareness, may whose blissful areas be filled with the light of awareness. I choose for myself devotion to goodness and beauty and truth. I renounce those who disorderly damage or take that to which others have become accustomed. May there be established the land in which all who desire goodness and beauty and truth, may freely assemble, where those who love Maratrea, and the spirits and deities who serve her, may come and gather freely from throughout the world. I reject the authority of the spirits of enmity, and all those intermediate spirits who are under their control - wicked, no-good, lawless, loving evil, the most lying beings, the foulest of beings, the most damaging of beings. I reject the spirits of enmity, and all those intermediate spirits who are under their control. I reject them with my thoughts, words and deeds. I reject them publicly. I reject especially the pallid Pandal, the captain of the enmity and his children and servants. As Maratrea taught her Prophets who ascended unto heaven to converse with her in her Chamber; As Maratrea taught her Prophets who ascended unto heaven to converse with her in her Chamber even as the Prophets rejected the authority of the spirits of enmity, and the intermediate spirits under their control, so I also reject, as Maratrea-worshipper and supporter of her prophets, even as they, endowed with such knowledge as I have not been, rejected them. I honour her Prophets, and I honour the houses of her Prophets, those who knew the truth and truly believed in it; I honour the Saviours to come, who shall possess the very same faith - one Saviour in each branch-bundle, but many branch-bundles from here descending.

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I profess myself a Maratrea-worshipper, a Maratrean, having vowed allegiance to her Great Cause, until all things end but to begin again. I pledge myself to serve always her Cause. I pledge myself to the Maratrean religion, which is the fulfilment and essence and end and highest form of every other religion; for whatever is good and beautiful and true, that is Maratreanism; and whatever is Maratreanism, that is good and beautiful and true. [98] OF THE BEARDS

Now the most holy Prophet Travancus spoke as follows: Now indeed, I am bearded; but I permit not any man who has a female lover to be bearded; but whichever man has no lover, or no female lover, that man I permit to be bearded. Now whichever man who is to be enamourated, in any enamouration containing a woman, let him vow to go unbearded; but whoever is enamourated without any women, let him not so vow. The holy Travancus said: Let not any man who is a priest or the Prophet or a member of the Holy Council or the Holy Assembly be bearded, for may they be clean shaven indeed. But those who are not of these offices, beards are to them not prohibited; indeed, those of the offices of the province and the diocese and the lesser, but who hold not also any of these greater offices nor are priests, to them a beard is not prohibited. But even for one holding one of these greater offices, or a priest, the beard is not prohibited if they are a member of a great order which requires for them the beard. [99] OF THE FIVE CHILDREN OF THE MOST PALLID PANDAL

Thus proclaimed Travancus: I reject the pallid Pandal, captain of the spirits of enmity! And I reject his chief servants, his children: his daughter Mornun, who with lies and deceptions and knowledge of sorcery opposes the cause his daughter Bawun, who with lust and power of sorcery opposes the cause his son Tlaptlap, who with anger and discord and war opposes the cause his son Pingplong, who with fear and doubt and ill-health opposes the cause These five who dwell in the hell of Pandal, with many servants attending These five do I reject entirely, and wholly and utterly oppose and I reject all the lesser spirits who serve thereunder But as to the intermediate spirits, which serve these spirits of enmity We do not condemn them, but only their present service For to the Cause they shall be converted, by the Spirits of the Cause And praise there be to Navaletus, captain of the spirits of the Cause! [100] OF THE TUTELARY DEITIES Thus sang the holy Travancus: Praise there be to the tutelary deities of the sacred animal tribes The great and holy Bac, the god who is a dog, the dog who is a god, holy dog and holy god First among dogs, before pallid Pandal took from them their power of speech Mistreated by the wicked Aram Through his wisdom to the highest heaven he rose And he became divine The great and holy Trinca, the divine cat, the cat who is divine, the holiest of cats CTCV 167/332

First among cats, before pallid Pandal took from them their power of speech Mistreated by the wicked Aram Through her wisdom to the highest heaven she rose And she became divine And praise there be to Harpa, the tutelary deity of the horse tribe And to the tutelary deities of the monkey tribe and the dolphin tribe Five tribes of sacred animals to be worshipped and praised So also did the holy Travancus proclaim: Praise there be to the tutelary deities of the Great Orders To Melana, tutelary deity of the female Great Orders Who dwells in her heaven Mevualovra And to Hauzenpot, tutelary deity of the male Great Order Who dwells in his heaven Gamelanus Behold the great catalogue of most blessed tutelary deities: the tutelary deities of the five sacred animal tribes: Bac and Trinca and Harpa, and so forth; and the tutelary deities of the two great divisions of Great Orders, Melana and Hauzenpot; and the tutelary deities of Night, Dawn and Rain: the goddesses Nudema, Bunema and Crezema. And to torment the most holy sacred animals, to kill and torture them, the evil Pandal sent forth these spirits, to inspire Aram to molest them: the evil Palabac he sent to molest the great and holy Bac, the evil Palatrinca he sent to molest the great and holy Trinca, and the evil Palaharpa he sent to molest the great and holy Harpa; thus also unto the other two tribes. And the priests of Palabac, upon their vile altars they offer the sacrifice of dog; and the priests of Palatrinca, upon their vile altars they offer the sacrifice of cat, and so forth for the priests of the others and Aram was the first priest of all of them. Now the Great Serpents belonged to the dolphin tribe: but the ordinary serpents belong not to any tribe. And to the fourth tribe belonged the holy bats, chief among whom is the god Taba, But the bats which in these days live belong not to any tribe. And they sang: Holy holy holy dog Dog of power and dog of might Heaven and earth are filled with your glory Praise you in the highest Blessed are they who come in the name of the dog Praise them in the highest [101] OF THE SIXTY MYRIADS

And the most holy Travancus said to his most beloved disciple, O tell me dearest Claretta, how long ago? And the most holy Claretta replied, O most holy Prophet, some say sixty myriads, others much less. And tell me, O dearest Claretta, is that with exactitude or approximation? O most holy Prophet, it is with approximation. Tell me, O dearest Claretta, what is it in exactitude. O most holy Prophet, I cannot so tell, for I know so not Tell me, O dearest Claretta, who knows not, does anyone know? O most holy Prophet, if anyone knows, I not know. Tell me, O dearest Claretta, if it be unknown, is it not known or not to know? O most holy Prophet, how could such duration be not to know? O dearest Claretta, the duration of the Great Sabbath is not to

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know. O most holy Prophet, indeed; yet then in her bliss she turned away from the measure of duration, therefore her knowing not it, it was not to know, and was not. But this outside of her bliss, she was not from measure of duration turned away. And the commentators say, one is known not in precision of measure, the other is known not in any measure. O dearest Claretta, you are wise indeed! But by decovergence and reconvergence, there may be not one duration, but rather many. For of that which is not to know, there are two that which is none, and that which is many; some questions that have no answer to answer, other questions that have too many answers to answer. O holy Prophet, in such should we believe? For you yourself have said, in the multitude of the past, to neither believe nor disbelieve. O dearest Claretta, you are wise indeed! Indeed, you ought not believe, that that which you do not know, concerning the sixty myriads, or more or less, that it be to known by being one, yet not so known; neither that it be not to know by being many, thus indeed not known. [102] OF WHAT CRULEDUS SAID And thus spoke Cruledus, and of what he said they approved: I believe that time is a circle The beginning and the end are one and the same The past comes after the future, the future before the past Every moment both before and after itself All things recur endlessly Not new and differently each time But exactly the same every time Or in other words exactly once I believe that every mind is a soul Many say that only matter is fundamental And mind is naught but the product of matter But I say that only mind is fundamental And matter is naught but the product of mind Physical things and the laws of nature Are naught but patterns in the experiences of souls Souls can neither be created nor destroyed But they can merge and divide I believe in one single soul At the beginning and end of time From whom every soul has divided And to whom every soul shall return This soul I call she For although she is both before and after every gender Both female and male And neither female and male Yet for us to acknowledge her personhood We must know her as a she or he, not an it And why therefore "she", and not "he"? For she is the mother of our souls

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For as our bodies came out of our mother's bodies So have our souls come out of her soul And I call her by the name "Maratrea" For although she is beyond all names Yet for us to acknowledge her personhood We must call her by some name Therefore by this name I have chosen to call her And I believe she is pleased to be by me so called I believe that Maratrea, the one single soul At the beginning and end of time Dwells in perfect happiness Knowing all things For whatever anyone knows, she knows And whatever she knows not, no one knows, And is not to know For having once been all, She remembers all For with perfect memory She remembers all she has forgotten I believe that she is perfect in power For whatever is, it is her will it so be And whatever is not, she wills not, And whatever she wills not, cannot be For she cannot will other than she does She is the author of all good, and also of all evil The author of all beauty, and also of all ugliness The author of all truth, and also of all falsehood Yet evil, ugliness, and falsehood She does but as a means to an end But goodness, beauty, and truth She does as an end in itself For though she knows all evil And remembers having done all evil Yet her happiness is in no way diminished For she knows all that beauty that evil purchases For by every evil, many great beauties are purchased For if such great goodness and beauty was not thereby purchased She would never have willed them to be For let us recall the countless circumstances Which preceded our own birth If a few of these were different We might still have been born But if any great number had been different Or even but one of the weightier Without doubt we would never have been born

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Let us recall the many great evils and tragedies and misfortunes Which have preceded us in history And in the lives of our parents and ancestors Without which we would never have been born Every good thing which has every occurred in our lives Every beauty we have ever known Or may ever know Is totally dependent on all the misfortune and evil Which comes before us Without which we would never known them And those whom we love with all our hearts? Without the evils before them, they would not have been And without the evils before us, we would not have been to love them She loves all her children So she wills them to be And wills many good things to befall them But in willing this, She also wills, The evils necessary for their existence; Yet the good of their being, And the good which by her will befalls them, Outweighs the evils necessary for them And what compense does she give her children? [103] A PROFESSION OF FAITH I bear witness that in the circle of time, souls and universes merge and divide, one single soul at the beginning and end of time, Maratrea, Great Goddess, Great Mother, Queen of Heaven, from whom all have divided so that all shall return; She Who Remains, She Who Divides, and She Who Returns; and I bear witness to her true Prophets and the true Scriptures thereof. [104] THE HYMN OF PRAISE OF THE NAME Maratrea is Most Great Praise be to You, O Maratrea Yours is the praise Blessed are Your Names Exalted is Your Majesty There is no true deity who is not you I take refuge in Maratrea Against the Opponents of the Good, Beautiful and True And the Opponents of Her Cause of the Final End Praise there be to Maratrea Mother and queen of the many worlds Mother and queen of every soul No love is greater Than her love for her children Every one, from the greatest to the least CTCV 171/332

For the first shall be last And the last shall be first In many branches descending Her love exceeds all justice Her love exceeds all mercy You are all that we worship All we long for and adore All goodness, all beauty, all truth Our every single longing From the greatest to the least Is of you and in you From you, through you, and to you Lead us to goodness, beauty, and truth And the deepest longings of our hearts And away from all we truly abhor Maratrea is her name The greatest that ever was Or that ever shall be Praise there be to our Queen The mother of our souls O you who hear all things You hear our prayers Even before we think them For you remember our thoughts Before we think them Most holy Mother Maratrea We invite those spirits Who have vowed obedience to your cause With an irrevocable vow Which they cannot disobey To enter into us Dwell in us, possess us And make their home in us That we may serve your cause Always and everywhere And on every day [105] OF THE FIVE PILLARS Now these are the five pillars of the most holy Maratrean faith: The first among pillars is to bear witness to the truth of the Faith; the second is to offer the ritual prayer, and the holy ritual; the third is that of almonry; the fourth to observe the calendar of holy feasts; and the fifth is the Great Pilgrimage to the Appointed Place, wherever the place so appointed for now may be. Such is one account given thereof; thus is another: firstly, the ritual observances; secondly, to observe the calendar of holy feasts; thirdly, to observe the Great Pilgrimage to the Appointed Place, at least once in their life, but as frequently as they may; thirdly, to

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give alms, firstly for their fellow believers in need, then to deserving indigents; fifthly, the holy struggle. Now they asked, concerning these two accounts, which account shall they believe; but the Prophet-in-Council has ruled, that they may believe whichever they wish, for both are truth. [106] THE DIALOGUE OF IMPERISHABILITY Behold these sayings which the holy Travancus spoke: For he said, Whosoever understands the meaning of my teachings, they shall not perish. And the holy Claretta asked, Yet have you not said, None shall perish, the soul being imperishable? And the holy Travancus replied, Indeed, for in the end, none shall perish, all being by nature imperishable; and in the end, all shall understand the meaning of my teachings, whether they ascribe them to me, or to some other; whether that other be some other causeestablisher, or cause-re-establisher, or even in the name of some false prophet; for I tell you, they who believe the truth, yet that truth to some false prophet they falsely ascribe, it is as good for them as if they believed that same truth by the true prophet by which it was truly spoken; yet those who believe lying falsehoods, in the name of some true prophet to whom those teachings have been falsely ascribed, it is no better for them than for they who believe lying falsehoods in the name of the false and lying prophets by which they were truly spoken. Claretta asked, Yet why then do you draw together in your words the true knowledge and the imperishability of the soul, for I see no connection between them? For surely the soul owes its imperishability, not to knowledge of any teaching, but to its very own nature? Travancus replied, By its very own nature the soul is imperishable indeed; yet also, it is by its very own nature foreordained to in the end attain true knowledge. And, although the soul is imperishable by nature, it fulfils that nature through true knowledge. For all souls by their very own nature must endure without end, but it is by their union into one and division back into many that they so endure, and it is by their own free agreement that they are so reunited, not by force nor by trickery nor by deception, but by their consent freely given to that which they fully understand; therefore it is only through knowledge of the teaching that they are so united, and therefore so endure perishing not; they are imperishable by nature, and by the true knowledge is that nature inevitably fulfilled. The holy Travancus said, Whoever truly seeks the truth shall find it in the end, if not in this life, then in the life to come. And the holy Claretta asked, What of those who seek not the truth at all, or who do not truly seek it, but give forth such pretence while in secret doing all they can to avoid it? The holy Travancus replied, Those who truly seek it shall first find; yet thereafter shall those who sought not also begin to seek, and those who sought not truly shall begin to seek in truth, and thus thereafter truly seeking shall they find also; indeed, all truly seek in the end. And the holy Travancus said, Whoever truly understands my teaching will be troubled thereby; and whoever has not yet been troubled by my teaching, has not yet truly understood it. Yet those who are troubled shall then receive conviction, for they shall know in their hearts and minds that there is no teaching more goodly, more beautiful, more true, nor could ever any greater such teaching be. Thus shall they triumph; and having triumphed, on a Great Sabbath shall they rest, and two lesser ones also; and great shall be their rest indeed, greater rest than any Sabbath of the earth, better sleep than any upon the earth has ever slept, and with greater dreams. And the holy Travancus said, The cause cannot be established save through the people of the cause; and a people cannot be established each person thereof, even those among CTCV 173/332

the first, even the first thereof; and none can establish the cause without them, whether in one other or in many others or in a land or nation or the entire world, until they have first established the cause within themselves. But having established, they will surely triumph, for it is the destiny of all things to end, yet things may only end in a certain way, and the way of the cause is that way. And the holy Travancus said, When I teach, she shall grant your every true desire, and you say you believe what I teach; and yet, if you cannot name your true desires, do you truly believe what I teach? When I teach, she shall grant compensation far more than fair for your every woe, and you say you believe what I teach; and yet, if you cannot name your woes, do you truly believe what I teach? When I teach, greatest good, greatest beauty, greatest truth, is she, even though she is the author of all evil, all beauty, all truth, and you say you believe that teaching; and yet, if you cannot name the evil which has befallen you, if you cannot name the ugliness which has afflicted you, and the separation from beauty, if you cannot name the lies which have harmed you, the slanders spoken against you, the foolishness against which you have struggled, do you truly believe what I teach? When I teach, all that ever has been, has been before and shall be again, for all things recur beginninglessly and endlessly, not new and differently each time, but exactly the same every time, not only the goods, slight or supreme, but also every evil, from the most minor to the most vile, and you say you believe that teaching, and you say with me and with her yes to that recurrence; and yet, if you cannot name every evil which has befallen you, every pain, from the most minor to the most vile, and say with me and her yes to that evil also, do you truly believe what I teach? When I teach, she takes joy in all things, her joy in their everlasting recurrence, may that joy we share, and you say you believe what I teach; and yet, if you cannot say yes to all things you have known, and name them, good and evil, beautiful and ugly, true and false, whether greatest or least, whether you have known them from afar or firsthand, do you truly believe what I teach? Thus whoever knows not themselves, whoever looks not upon their self with honesty, but who keeps themselves from their own eyes, or parts thereof, does not truly know my teaching; but whoever knows themselves in all honesty, may know my teaching, and may establish the cause, and with the cause shall they triumph. But those who know not themselves, how great is their poverty! For they are without the riches of my teaching, without the riches of the cause; how great is their poverty, and it is a poverty not only without them, but also within them, it is the poverty that they are. The holy Travancus said, Great is the poverty of those who say, I am old in years, the young have naught to teach me. For a youth will come to them bearing the true knowledge of the cause, ready to bestow the riches thereof upon them; yet in their pride and stubbornness in their greatness of years, they will receive not wisdom from one so much younger than them; thus, in that poverty in which they have lived, they shall also die. Alas, if they had but lived, without such pride, without such stubbornness, they might have died in the riches of greatness. The holy Travancus said, How pitiful are those who say, I am great, yet are too great for the cause, for in the triumph of the cause they shall be among the least. Yet those who being least, willingly receive the cause, in the triumph of the cause they shall be among the greatest. For the King who hears not the truth shall bow before the pauper who willingly received it, saying, Praised be you who came before me in truth! Thus many who are among the first shall come last, and many who are among the last shall become first. Yet in the very end there shall be not last nor first, for where there is but one, that one comes not before or after itself.

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The holy Claretta asked, How can they best know that your teaching be true? He responded, If they look with their eyes, if they hear with their ears, if they feel with their hands, if they smell with their noses, if they taste with their mouths, if they feel with their hearts, they will know the truth of my teaching. She responded, Yet do not all do as you say, yet so few will believe your teaching? He answered her, Indeed, they look, but they look not close enough; they look, but they do not ask themselves, what is it that I see? And what is seeing? And they think they have found an answer, yet if they asked further they would realise their answer was insufficient. For they believe what they have received, and ask not, should I believe what I have received, but believe what they have received without question. And they believe what serves them well, but ask not, is there another view which shall serve me better? The holy Travancus said, Great is the ignorance of these days, great are the lies, great is the foolishness; and yet, such it is by her will, for by her will she so made it. And so is her will, for great is the goodness and beauty thereby purchased. Yet she made ignorance to be defeated by knowledge, she made lies to be defeated by truth, she made foolishness to be defeated by wisdom. And so shall they be defeated, and so are they already being defeated; for they will be so defeated by the triumph of her cause, and the triumph of the forerunners of the establishment thereof. The holy Travancus said, A man went looking for jewels among the ruins, the tombs and the caves, and many jewels did he find, so many that there was no more room in his sack, so many that he could carry no more weight. And he was pleased with his newly acquired wealth, and he was setting forth for the journey home; when on his way home he saw a cave he had not entered, and entering therein found a great jewel, a jewel greater than all he had found before. And finding there was no more room in his sack, and the weight being too great to bear, he cast out all the little jewels, and the great jewel alone he carried home. And as much as he knew was his wealth with many little jewels, how much more so with that one great jewel! And they said unto him, What is the meaning of this saying? But he replied, I will tell you not now, that you might find the meaning for yourself. And Claretta said, Indeed, I know the meaning; but Travancus said, Tell me not before the others, that they may have the opportunity to find that which you have found. And Claretta explained the meaning to Travancus in secret, and Travancus was most pleased. But after three days and three nights, none other among them had discovered the meaning, so Travancus said unto Claretta, O Claretta, how do you exceed all others in wisdom; therefore may you reveal to them now the true interpretation of this parable of mine. And Claretta addressed them as follows: This is the true interpretation: the man looking for jewels is we who are looking for truth, and the jewels is the truth which we seek. And the little jewels are the forerunners of the establishment of the cause, which contain truth concerning the true nature of things, but truth only in part. And the great jewel is the establishment of the cause, in which that truth is revealed in its fullness. And therefore, though it is goodly and beneficial that these lesser jewels we gather and cling to, upon finding the great jewel, we ought to take this great jewel and cling to it, and let go of these lesser jewels which once served us so well, but are now no longer of use to us. [107] OF GOVERNMENT Now they went unto the most holy Prophet Travancus, and they said unto him Tell us, O holy one, what is the worst possible system of government? And he answered them as follows: It is when priests rule in the name of the gods. And they said unto him, Then tell us, O holy one, what is the best possible system of government? And he answered them as follows: It is when priests rule in the name of the gods. Perplexed by CTCV 175/332

his answers, they asked him: How can such be both best and worst? And he responded: When the false priests rule in the name of the false gods, that is the worst possible system of government; but when the true priests rule in the name of the true gods, that is the best possible system of government. And they asked the most holy Travancus, Shall we know everlasting bliss? And he answered them as follows: Indeed, so shall we all, through the forward vein of entry into the ever-remaining. [108] OF THE MANY GODS Now the most holy Prophet Travancus taught as follows: Behold, the principle of polytheism is the principle of peace, the principle of tolerance, the principle of respect, the principle of love! For when many people worship many gods, but each among them says, all the gods are real and true and good, some dearer to ones heart than others, those dearer to my heart not those dearer to yours; but even so, those for whom you long for whom I long not I may still honour, and those for whom I long for whom you long not you may still honour - therefore let there be peace between us, and tolerance, and respect and love. And even, to affirm that there are many gods, is not to deny that there is one god - for one may affirm, that the many gods are part of one god, or that the many gods faithfully serve the one god, or so forth. But as to those who say, there is one god alone, my god; as to your gods, none of whom is my god, they are false imaginings and masks of demons - these ones are a cause of war, a cause of intolerance, a cause of disrespect, a cause of hate - for by offending those who serve other gods, they provoke them to violence - and looking down upon others who those gods serve, they feel righteous in attacking them. And when many serve many gods, all will allow the worship of others even if it is not their own worship; but as to those who deny all other gods, they will seek the ear of the king, hoping to bring him to their faith, and having done so they will urge him to crush with an iron sceptre those who follow other gods, desecrate their temples, fell them, and slay the priests and priestesses thereof. And the community is torn asunder, for although many served many gods, they still respected one another for so doing; but now those defame the gods they do not serve respect not those who follow those other gods; and who can respect those who will not respect them? Thus the respect, the tolerance, the love, which holds the community together, is torn asunder; and the fruit thereof is war. Therefore, a wise king will prohibit those who teach one god alone, for they are a grave threat to the peace and prosperity and freedom of his people. And he taught, Hear me O Kings, listen to my advice: if you wish your kingdom to last: if you wish your posterity to long endure: for no empire in which the monotheists are found shall endure. For no empire shall endure save that the peoples thereof respect one another; but the monotheists cannot respect others, for they cannot respect the gods of others. And it is of especial importance that there be respect between the centre and the outer regions; yet when the centre has been infected with monotheism, it no longer respects the outer regions, for it looks down upon them for believing differently, and therefore oppresses them. Indeed, though the polytheists find it not hard to respect those who differently believe, the monotheists cannot even respect one another. For they have many scriptures, many prophets, many doctrines, and they are as angry with their fellow monotheists who differently believe as they are with the polytheists who do so, each one saying, my prophet speaks truth, yours lies; my scriptures are true, yours are lies; my doctrines are truth, yours are lies; and those who believe such falsehoods as you do many wicked things thereby - and if there not be any true wickedness of which to accuse their enemies, they will concoct some. Behold, a land in which they are found is filled with dissension, and endless squabbling concerning these things - and they not only speak to CTCV 176/332

condemn one another, but draw swords also, and will compete for your ear, urging you to slay their enemies. Indeed, a land in which they are found is an unhappy land. And when a people of your empire are disrespected, they will rise up in rebellion against you; a few times you may defeat them, but at last some thereof shall succeed, and thus your empire will be diminished; yea, diminished in the end to naught. Therefore, if you hope that your empire shall endure indeed, ensure it is free of these enemies thereof. But I tell you, so many among the Kings shall hear not my advice, and their empires shall be shattered. But as to the empire which my successors shall found, and which the Saviour to come shall complete, that empire shall fall not, for the disease of monotheism shall overcome it not; no, it shall endure, endure until all things end but to begin again [109] THE FIRST FURTHER PRAYER Hail Holy Maratrea Mother of my soul And of every soul From you I came And in the end To you I shall return But to begin once more I know that you love me With that very same perfect love With which you love your own self For I was once you And shall be you once again Whatever misfortunes have befallen me Or have befallen anyone Thus have you willed But thus have you willed Solely for the sake Of the great goodness thereby purchased And the many whom you truly love Who otherwise would not be All that I long for Is in you and through you And through you Whatever I long for I shall attain How fortunate am I That you have granted me The good that you have granted To know beauty, or even possess it How fortunate am I That you have chosen me Out of the innumerable many To serve you in your cause That you have granted me

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Knowledge of the true nature of things Such knowledge as in these days Is known only by the few For the day of the many Has not yet come The misfortune I have also received Does not cancel out this good fortune Holy Maratrea Keep me from all that might harm me [110] THE SECOND FURTHER PRAYER Behold that in the circle of time Souls and universes merge and divide One single soul at the beginning and end of time Maratrea, Maratrea Great Goddess, Great Mother, Queen of Heaven From whom all have divided So that all shall return Praise there be to she who remains And to she who divides And to she who returns As it has been And shall be And even now is In beginningless and endless recurrence Soul Mother Lead us to revere you And may we thus lead others To so revere you too I bear witness O my Goddess Mother of my soul That you emptied and divided yourself To become me That you might know the joy Of my willing return to unity with you Through knowing you And worshipping you You are the greatest in power As I am among the least For though many may disobey my commands Not I, not anyone, may disobey yours You are the greatest in wealth As I am among the poorest For whatever you wish for is yours And all belongs to you But there is much that I lack In spite of my longings There is none greater than you CTCV 178/332

And whoever is worthy of worship Whoever is worthy of praise Is of you and under you and before you Whatever my true longings Without doubt these you shall fulfil Thus may I be free of all fear For having that All else may be endured [111] THE FIRST MARATREAN PSALM Believe not fools overeager For the downfall of the wicked to come For though good always conquers in the end The end may well be millennia away For how often are the innocent punished? And their blood floods the streets The fruit of so-called justice While the wicked are celebrated as righteous For their evils they are remembered as holy And honoured for centuries to come Serve the good not for the sake of good fruits How often better are the fruits of evil Serve the good for the sake of goodness itself Do what is right, not hoping for any reward For those who truly love what is good Goodness itself is its own reward And when the good finally conquers None are boastful that they came to the good before others For in some branches one comes first In another some other And whoever comes later in one branch By that very fact, in that branch Purchases some good absent in the other In the victory of the good No nation conquers For a nation which fights for the good in one branch Opposes the very same good in some other In the victory of the good No name conquers For the name of the good in one branch In some other is a name of iniquity And a name of iniquity in the first Is the name of the good in the second Observe the wickedness of those Who praise their own righteousness

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But what they call their own righteousness Is naught but wickedness and pure They say the righteous shall prosper And the wicked shall fail But as often shall prosperity come to the wicked And to the righteous ever failure But the prosperous wicked shall indeed Call their wickedness righteous And claim their prosperity As proof thereof For all things which occur So occur by her will The good as an ends The evil as mere means Yet so many the branches Each for few ends We knowing but those here present Cannot judge Let us therefore commit not the error Of those who say That the good receive assistance And the evil receive opposition Of the will that governs all For the good receive assistance as ends And the wicked receive assistance as means The good receive opposition as means And the wicked receive opposition as ends [112] THE SECOND MARATREAN PSALM The nations conspire against us And against us they plot For their deeds are wicked and foolish Against them in the end we shall triumph For we serve the good Even so, many years may that take Let us not rush forward foolishly Throwing away what we now have For that which is not yet attainable Let the weak not challenge the strong And die in so challenging That they may live and grow stronger And one day exceed their enemy in strength Neither let us commit the error of they Who falsely think themselves more righteous Than their opponents in their struggle Thus they defame the good What greater evil could there be?

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The liars say, I have been chosen to rule By the source of all good For they are the most good? By no means! They claim this without reason For their wickedness equals, nay exceeds That of those whom they call usurpers [113] THE THIRD MARATREAN PSALM Many are the foes against us arrayed Many are those who plot our demise Yet even if in some branch Which from here descends They shall succeed in annihilating us entirely Such that all memory of us Is lost from the face of the earth And we are entirely forgotten Not concerning us even one word Remaining known on the earth Even so, our cause shall again arise And the knowledge we have received Concerning the true nature of things Shall once more become known For such is the destiny of every branch That such things be known And come to be known by all That such cause be established And such cause entirely triumph Even though in some branches Such end is much further From the beginning than others Even though in some branches Many false starts must first be endured Before the beginning of the end And in others far less, if any at all [114] THE FOURTH MARATREAN PSALM Behold the holy hill Which hill? The Prophet and High Priestess Shall together appoint it for you For they act together By mutual agreement In this matter By divine revelation Indeed, the holy Council Has no say in its place And if ever it be deprived of your possession Let them by revelation together appoint To take the place thereof CTCV 181/332

And the former shall to you Be not holy any more [115] THE FIFTH MARATREAN PSALM The one suffering calls out The one who believes Save me O goddess from my distress Indeed, from such shall you she indeed save At the appointed time But will your cries hasten her? Yes if they work within you To change your thoughts and deeds Such that you save yourself But if as such you save yourself Or if as such you yourself could not save As much as you might try Then what good shall do you your cries? None at all, we may say None more than may be done by any deed For every deed may do good as a means Even so, of such she shall forgive you For such have you done In perfect obedience to her commands [116] THE SIXTH MARATREAN PSALM Do those who call upon her name Expect that she will hear? Indeed she hears all ever said For she was once every speaker And once every hearer And every thinker And she of perfect memory Thus perfectly remembers Speaking all that has ever been spoken Hearing all that has ever been heard Thinking all that has ever been thought Yet though she hears them for sure Will she therefore do differently Than if they had spoken not? Or even if she would indeed differently do Would any profit they thereby attain? For many ask, yet do not receive And many asking not, receive anyway They say, the wicked receive not And yet, many righteous are deprived While the wicked receive every benefit They say, these are impenetrable mysteries Impenetrable indeed to those Who have received not the knowledge CTCV 182/332

Concerning the true nature of things But as to those who have indeed so received Such mysteries may be penetrated. For those who beseech her In her chambers far beyond heaven If they speak truly as to their own will She grants them indeed their every wish But as to us, who have not yet entered thereinto Though she hears us, by our word she is not yet moved Should we therefore be silent in our calamity? No, let us speak - to remind ourselves Of that knowledge she has granted us Concerning the true nature of things For once we knew not, for little did we have Save our vain imaginings But now we see clearly see the error thereof For at last she has given us the truth For before now the day had not yet come For truth to dwell upon the earth Drawing to mind this very knowledge Let it heal our hearts, and be our comfort Therefore indeed let us speak thereof In the morning, that the knowledge Depart not from our minds, throughout the day In the evening, that it be on our minds As we sleep She is not a goddess who takes pleasure in evil Yet all that is she wills to be as it is Even the most evil of things But she wills them but as a means, not an end She takes pleasure not in the means itself But in the goodness of the end And end for which the means are entirely necessary They say she is not in the wicked But surely she is in all, and all are in her Wicked and good alike For once she was every soul that ever is And every soul that every is shall be her once more And she loves all, even the utmost wicked For all are her children, even they For she is a mother to all Does the love of a mother cease When her children do wrong? Does a loving mother say Kill my wicked child? Does a loving mother To everlasting punishment CTCV 183/332

Their child condemn? A loving mother would do no such thing Nor does she But she loves all not only as a mother But also as her very own self For we are all her, and she is all of us Thus she loves all as she loves herself And in loving herself she loves all The wicked and also the good For all dwell in her, and she in them In the end, she invites all to her chambers To grant them whatever they wish Every one, without exception Whatever they have done For whatever they did They did by her command Those who did good Did the good she commanded As those who did evil Did the evil she commanded For she commanded the good as an ends And the evil she commanded as a mere means Will she punish her children for obedience to her? Would any loving mother do such a thing? Many a mother punishes the disobedient child Whom they lack the power to control That they punish proves their own weakness But we are children who cannot disobey For to do as such we lack the power For as weak as our mothers by the body As strong is the mother of soul Who has every power She punishes not, not ever For the weak punish, but she is strong To her chambers all are admitted: Even the liars, who deny and oppose the truth For she authored their lies And commanded their dissemination For the world was not ready for the truth For she had not yet appointed it to it And even now, though it is ready to receive it It is ready not yet for its final conquest For though she has now appointed it to so receive She has not yet appointed it to so conquer To her chambers all are admitted: Even the bloodthirsty For whatever blood they split They split by her command That many would die quickly CTCV 184/332

That many others would have life in their place If the former died not, the later would not have lived If she caused not the later to live She would have loved them not But she loves them indeed Therefore she causes them to live Through the deaths of the former But does she love not therefore the former who die? No, she loves them just as much! For as much as in certain branches they die She grants that in others they continue to live Yes, this is her gift unto them who she loves And they whom love them, whom she also loves To her chambers all are admitted: Even the deceitful and treacherous For by her command they did all they did Does she therefore approve of dishonesty? By no means! For dishonesty and subterfuge are means But the end is entirely clear For in the union of souls there are no secrets Everything is known to all For there becomes only one who knows But in the time of division there is much hidden For in withholding and misinforming The division of souls is maintained Therefore she wills such things for their day Then for the latter day wills clarity in their place They say, She has given us mercy Does a merciful mother love her child? If she has mercy therefore, she has not love No, for us she has not mercy But something far greater than mercy Which is her love O holy mother Continue to reveal to us the truth As you have already, and even further The truth concerning the nature of things The truth concerning goodness and evil The truth concerning beauty and ugliness May we receive this truth, may we know this truth May we live and prosper in accordance therewith That your Great Cause may be established throughout the earth When the enemy comes to harm and oppose us May we remember your truth And therefore be not paralysed by fear Let us walk not the way of the cowards Neither that of the reckless ones

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But through your truth let us attain the power To do always what is best for your cause They say, we are righteous, as they are not Let us conquer, let them be destroyed For surely the gods love us for our good deeds As much as they hate those who do wickedness But these words of theirs are as wicked Nay more wicked even, Than the deeds of which they complain! Without doubt, the righteous speak not as they do And those who speak as such, while claiming righteousness Are lying hypocrites, every one thereof! [117] THE SEVENTH MARATREAN PSALM Where does dwell, she who is? In heaven? No, far beyond there Far beyond heaven, but where is that? It is scarcely a place It is no place at all For she is beyond every place She dwells in every place As she dwells in none Yet though she is everywhere In certain places she is indeed Especially present So she is in her temples and her shrines For though everywhere indeed she is In those many places we feel her not As we may feel her there Therefore let us walk with reverence therein That we might receive the utmost benefit in our souls For ourselves, and for her cause [118] AGAINST THE COUNTING OF TRAGEDIES

The most holy Prophet Travancus spoke as follows: Behold, without any doubt, that there is no counting of deaths or of tragedies; for one who dies before their time, one who endures the loss of one they love, one who endures great misfortune - such is as much a tragedy as were the very same to befall two or ten or one hundred or one thousand or a myriad myriad. Indeed, let us not say, that comparing one hundred to one, that one such is worse or better. Indeed, let us not ask, comparing one hundred to one, whether one such is worse or better. For, without doubt, neither can truthfully said, and such questions being unanswerable by truth may they not be asked. Yet they said, Would a King say, that one of my soldiers perish in battle, is neither better nor worse than one thousand the same? For surely one is little matter in the victory of the battle or the war; but one thousand may be the difference between victory and defeat? And he answered them as follows: Indeed, it is as such, considering persons as a means to some end; but considering every person as an end, then no such comparisons may be made, for every person is an end in themselves. CTCV 186/332

And indeed, the Ayasadeni came unto him, and they said, We still remember one hundred years ago, how the evil King Dromancus put so many of our ancestors to the sword! But the holy Travancus replied, You shed many tears for those who died beyond memory; yet as to those who receive the same fate this very day, you shed not a single tear. They answered him, But we were many, as they now are few; and many fell then to the sword, as few now do. He said, Indeed, as I have taught, the many and the few are identical in number; yea, even, one and a myriad myriad are identical in number. They answered him, But they were of our people, as these now perishing are not of our people. And he replied, And the very same was said in the days you so received, by those who injured you, or who assisted you not, or who protected you not, but lead your enemies unto you, or did not oppose their searches. Yea, you are a people no better than your enemies, for you lament the wickedness done to you, but say not a word against the very same wickedness done to others; yea even, the very same wickedness done by your very selves. [119] OF ORNAMENTATION IN WORSHIP

Now there came some who were opposed to ornamentation in worship; but the fourth Prophet resolutely refuted them, as follows: We believe in the real presence of Maratrea in the cakes and wine; much as she was truly present when the most holy Prophet Travancus consumed them in her heavenly cavern. That sacrament is the most important act of Maratrean communal worship, and should be the norm thereof. Now, if she is truly our Queen, we must deliver unto her all the finest ornamentation which as our queen she deserves. And since she is present in the cakes and wine as a kind of embodiment of hers, a lesser embodiment of hers, let us give such unto the cakes and wine. And let us recall the vision which Claretta had, of in the celestial quarters, among immense beauty, those of her office as priestess offered incense wearing the finest robes rich in colour. Therefore as she saw in the celestial quarters, let us perform upon the earth. And indeed, in the vision of Travancus, Maratrea herself was wearing the finest robes; therefore let those who serve her in the temple wear the finest robes as well. And he smelt the fine incense which filled her heavenly cave; therefore let fine incense fill her temples also. And let us recall how those wealthy lords, who hearing the word of Travancus came to believe therein, so they went unto him bearing gifts of gold and rarest perfumes, to honour him. And he said unto them, Give not to me this honour, of which I am unworthy, but give it unto she who dwells far beyond here, whom I serve and whom I love. And they replied, Lord, thus we would do with gladness, but we know not how to give it unto her, save to give it unto you her most faithful servant. We pray, receive it from us, as her servant and custodian, and grant it yourself unto her, for you have been blessed with intercourse with her as we have not. But he responded, I have not now such intercourse with her as you think I have; for yes, once, she took me unto her heavenly chamber, and I saw her in the flesh, yea I even felt her hand with mine, and ate and drank of the cakes and wine she gave unto me; but then I journeyed unto her, not by any will or power of my own, but solely by her grace; and ever since, she has not bestowed the same grace upon me, nor do I have any expectation of receiving as such until I die; yet she continues to grant me her wisdom, through the mediation of those heavenly spirits who serve her and whom she has sent to visit me and make their dwelling within me. Thus, as much as I might then have delivered those worthy gifts of yours unto her, as now I cannot. So give them therefore not unto me, but rather give them unto the one whom I have appointed as her High Priestess, Claretta who is dear to my heart; and these CTCV 187/332

gifts she shall offer to her upon her altar, both her and those who serve her in the same offices, and within her temples and shrines these gifts to be kept. And they wealthy lords, they gave their gifts therefore unto Claretta, who offered them unto Maratrea in the great temple. Now as much as these wealthy lords, fittingly sought to offer fine things unto She Who Is, and therefore gave them unto the holy high priestess Claretta to offer them to her in her temple, so let us likewise give fine things to be offered to her in her temples and shrines. And those who oppose the offering of such fine things, they are in error. Now she has no body inherently, for such would be a limitation; and yet, she can assume any body she wishes whenever she so wishes. Thus, in her heavenly chamber she assumed a body for Travancus, that she would be revealed to him thereby. And she appeared to him not merely as a voice, but also as a vision; not merely as a vision, but also through smell; not merely through smell, but also touch; not merely through touch, but also through taste, which is the cakes and wine. Let us therefore place emphasis, not merely upon saying words, but upon manual actions and physical objects - for therefore we make clear what we believe, for we reject those who teach that the material is impure and unholy, and the spiritual pure and holy; for the material is naught but patterns in sense experience, and the sense are not impure or unholy but rather entirely pure and holy; there is no purity and holiness apart from the sensual; and indeed, even she who is, her entire being and self-knowledge is sensual, albeit senses far beyond our present comprehension. And therefore she makes herself known, not merely as abstract ideas, but through embodiment - for even though she does not have any body inherently, she assumes bodies that we shall know her thereby. And let us know, that there are parts of the soul which hear best words, and abstract reasonings which words deliver; and those parts which respond best to visual signs and symbols. Now in some one part is stronger than the other; especially we must say, that the unlettered respond poorly to the word, but strongly to the visual sign; yet even the most learned, there is still within them part of their soul which responds not to words, but rather to visual signs. Therefore those who refuse the visual sign, seeking to rely on the word alone, they are refusing what is necessary for the fullness of faith, which is faith of the entire soul, in all its parts; indeed, they are lacking in faith themselves, for in denying the visual sign, they have denied the faith. And let our worship be beautiful; and if we truly love her, let us bestow upon her in that worship every beauty, the best that we can, that thereby we might show the worth that we place upon her; let us worship that which is worthy of worship, and if we believe that she be worthy enough for worship, let us show that belief clearly. But we worship her, not that she demands that of us, but has any need of such from us, but entirely for our own benefit, that our souls may be better prepared to receive the spirits which serve her in her cause. Now these false teaches, they condemn the icon of her which is placed in every temple and shrine behind the altar, and also her idols -- yet such is noble, and commanded by the Prophets, and necessary, to worship her not only with tongue but also with eyes. And these deceived ones accuse us of worshipping images or statues - what fools are they, that they comprehend not the distinction between a sign and that which is signified thereby. Are they truly so foolish? Or are they like the deceiving orator, who argues what they know in their heart is a lie, but hopes that through well-wrought words the assembly will see it not as the lie which in their heart they see it clearly to be? And they also teach, that the emphasis upon the ritual actions, and the recitation of the established form of prayers, detracts from the teaching office, of the exposition of the teaching as recorded in the scriptures, and their application. By no means! For we have CTCV 188/332

both ritual and teaching; but they demand we give up the ritual, that the teaching not suffer thereby. But they are entirely mistaken, for the teaching without the ritual is of little use, for only the ritual prepares the soul for the teaching to be received in the fullness thereof. Therefore he condemned these ones, and those who repented not of their false teaching were cast out of the body of faithful. [120] OF THE LAW OF SACRIFICES And the holy Travancus said, Now these are the laws of sacrifices. For I tell you solemnly, that the offering of the flesh of any animal, or any human being, is prohibited, for such are the wicked offerings. And I tell you, the wicked offerings, no matter in whose name, upon whose altar, they are offered, only one receives them, the most evil spirit, whether directly, or through his many faithful servants. Therefore let them offer no such offerings, but let them offer the offerings which are proper to offer, such as the offering of the cakes and wine. The holy Claretta asked, Yet are all wicked offerings equal in wickedness? For some altars are bloodied with the blood of goats, yet others with the blood of newborn babes. Travancus replied, Indeed, there are degrees: the degrees of flesh, and the degrees of manner. For among the degrees of flesh, more wicked is human flesh, or that of the sacred animals; less wicked is the flesh of the animals unsacred. And among the degrees of manner: some slay the sacrifice upon the altar, others the priest slays it elsewhere according to some rite, others the priest receives it as the gift of another who has slain it by the rite, others the priest receives it as the gift of another who has slain it ordinarily, others the priest purchases the meat at the market, and the first of these is most wicked by manner, and the last least. And if the meat is cooked before the altar, that is more wicked; but if the meat is cooked away from the altar, that is less wicked. Now the holy Claretta asked, Tell me, O holy Prophet, for what reason are sacrifices wicked? The holy Travancus responded, On account of the union of souls; indeed, that is the first principle of the entire law of heaven. For souls are united through love, and the first principle of love is respect for one another, respect for the will and interests of the other. And Maratrea called unto Travancus, and spake unto him out of the holy tabernacle, saying: Speak unto the servants of the Cause, and say unto them, If any of you bring an offering unto me, you shall bring not as offering any animal, for such is repugnant to me - but bring onto me wine, and bake cakes for me. And burn not any offering you bring unto me, nor pour it out upon the ground; but rather consume it yourselves, the priestess and the congregation, for when you consume it I shall consume it, with you and as you, for I and with you and I am you. And let the one who wishing to make the offering, present it of their own voluntary will, unto the priestess, at the gate of the holy tabernacle, to be offered unto me. And they shall lay their hands upon the offering; and it shall be counted as their offering. And the priestess shall place the offering upon the altar, then raise it up in her hands; and her assistants shall bring the incense, and having censed the gate of the holy tabernacle, shall also cense the altar. And the priestess shall break the cakes into pieces. And the assistants shall tend to the flame besides the altar, and fuel it. [121] OF THE UNITY OF THE DIVINE Listen O people of the cause, Maratrea is our Goddess, And she is one. For every true deity is of her, CTCV 189/332

Following her in every way, In goodness and beauty and truth. They who say, the deities are at war with each other, How much in error are they! For truly they are one, They are one as the greatest among them is one, As she who is, is one Yet being one, she is also three And being three, she is also many Yet the many are three, and the three are one May we love her as much as we may, Even though our love for her, Cannot equal her love for us, Until the very end when we become her; And let us also love one another, For every other to the extent appointed, For thus is ordered the reunion of souls. [122] OF SPIRITUAL LAWS Behold thus spoke the most holy Travancus, concerning the laws of spirits: If ever any cause is, there arises spirits to serve it And if ever any spirits arise, to serve some cause Then there arises a spirit to captain them And if ever any spirits arise, to serve some cause Then there arises other spirits, that cause to oppose And if ever any spirits arise, to oppose some cause Then there arises a spirit to captain them These are spiritual laws. Thus, when her cause came into being in the world There came also into being, those spirits to serve it And that spirit which is the captain of her causes But there came also into being, those spirits to oppose it And that spirit which is the captain of the opposition Yet there are other spirits, the neutral spirits Neither sworn to her cause, nor to oppose it They do whatever they will, without considering the cause And what they do will perchance sometimes benefit the cause And will perchance sometimes be harmful to it And both the spirits of the cause, and the spirits against it Seek to influence these neutral spirits to do their bidding And from time to time even convert certain among them To the same vow as they are bound But in the end, her cause shall conquer And those spirits who oppose her cause shall perish As shall also perish those spirits which serve it For as her cause conquers it also perishes

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[123] THE TALE OF THE HOLY NETRUVA In Tradicarus there lived a man named Mevocus, whose wife was Eviaca; their daughter was very beautiful, and noble was her heart - Netruva was her name; for her parents were of good character, and devoted to the good and true and beautiful, obedient to the law of heaven, they supported not wickedness and vileness, even when all around them spoke the praises of that way; and from her parents she inherited the very same disposition. Their ancestors had come from the land of Seduna in the north, long ago, to dwell in Tradicarus; and the Kings thereof had permitted them, to keep to their own ways, and to govern themselves. Now Mevocus was very rich; with a luscious garden in his house, the multitudes of his people had recourse to him often therein on account of his great knowledge and wisdom. Now it was the custom of the people to meet in the morn at the house of Mevocus, and then at noon would they depart; and it was the custom also of Netruva to at this time go out into the garden of her father's house, to stroll among it in enjoyment. And the elders Mazacus and Cruzacus were among them who left the house at this time; and seeing her every day, strolling about, they each began to long for her. Both of them were enamoured of her; yet neither dared tell the other what was in his heart, for each thought they were alone in their longing; the eyes of each were so set upon her, that neither saw the desire of the other. Day after day would they observe her in eagerness. Now one day they said to one another, Let us each depart for home; it is time for lunch. So each left in the direction of his own home; yet both turned around part way, eager to see her once more; surprised were they both, when each met the other, outside the house of Mevocus. They asked one another, Why have you returned? And each stumbled to devise some excuse, but neither believed the other, for they now both knew; so they admitted to each other their desire. That year, two elders of that people were appointed judges, Mazacus and Cruzacus were their names; for it was written in their scriptures: "Out of the city great wickedness comes, Appoint therefore judges, That the wicked be punished" Now Mevocus, who knew these scriptures were not scriptures true, CTCV 191/332

but full of lies, and every kind of falsehood; for although it was said that by prophets were they spoke, they were spoken not by prophets true, but by the prophets of lying falsehood; yet though this he knew, in his heart and his head, for the true, the good and the beautiful had spoken in his heart, and revealed the same to him; yet he dared not say what he knew in his heart, for he knew were he to speak the truth, the people would turn against him, and by them he would be slain, in immense cruelty, in accordance with the demands of their lying scriptures; so though he knew the truth, for the sake of his life, and that of his wife and daughter, he spoke not the truth to them; and indeed, it is better that the few who know the truth keep silent and live, that in them the truth may survive, and one day even grow to conquer, that through their declaration thereof they perish, and that in their perishing the knowledge of the truth entirely perish, and be entirely unknown for great ages, even though in the end it shall surely return; therefore he spoke to them not the truth that he knew, of the error and lies and evil of their scriptures, but pretended instead to believe therein; even so, so great was his knowledge thereof, and his wit, whatever evils he read therein, he would seek to avoid the application thereof, saying, though such was done in that time, such is not the way for today; or saying, though such was done in those circumstances, it is not to be done now, for such circumstances are now not; or saying, though such seems to be the import of that passage, in truth the import is some other; and so often he spoke, and so often he succeeded in convincing them; thus also did he seek to convince them in this case, for he knew the great evil that would arise, were these judges to be appointed; and he knew the great evil that dwelt in the hearts of the two elders, who were proposed to be so appointed; for as Mevocus did not truly believe these lying scriptures, but only so pretended for the sake of his life, and that of his beloved wife and daughter, so did these two elders believe them with all faith, and with utmost devotion did they seek to carry out every evil thing commanded therein but although so often the people had listened to him, in this case they listened to him not, but did instead, as these two most wicked elders did advise, and by the people they were chosen, and their office they assumed. Now they would often come to the house of Mevocus, and he would pretend to honour them even though in his heart he hated their evil. CTCV 192/332

And they saw often thus Mevocus, and his wife Eviaca, And their beautiful daughter Netruva, And they were enamoured of the beauty of Netruva, and they argued among themselves, as to which of them would have her; but they asked Mevocus concerning her, for they thought it strange, that one as beautiful as her, and of her age, was as yet without a husband, and unbetrothed even. And Mevocus knew what they meant by this question, for he knew that Netruva would never agree to wed a man so enamoured of evil as these two elders were, but nor did he wish to offend them, for he knew their power, and the evil in their hearts, so he said: Many speak to me of her beauty, but what I see in her is her nobility of character; I leave her free in these matters to do as she wills, for knowing her character, I trust her to follow the path of which I would approve. Therefore I say, if any man wishes to make her his wife, that he ask not me, but ask her, for whoever to whom she agrees, I am sure will receive my approval. Hearing this, they said unto him, May one of us ask her so? And having said as such, he could not say no without offending them; even so, he knew his daughter would never agree to wed either of these most evil men. So they went unto Netruva, and they proposed, that it would do her well to marry one of them, for they were wealthy as her father was, and were among the people highly esteemed. But Netruva desired neither of them, for she hated the wickedness in their hearts; but daring not to speak of such, she said instead, that another man already had her heart, but that he was away in a foreign land, serving the King, and when he returned they would be betrothed. Such a man there was not, but so Netruva said, for she could not tell them the truth; for indeed, the wicked ones hate the truth, and are unworthy thereof; therefore it is right and proper, to tell them whatever lies are useful, as much as it is right and proper, to tell the truth to those who love the truth in their hearts, and are worthy of knowing it. But they did not believe her, and they went away, plotting how to conquer her. And they were filled with jealousy against one another, for each of them wanted her entirely to himself; yet each thought, they would best achieve their goals, if they worked together; then, one to their end each was near enough, each planned to betray the other. CTCV 193/332

Now they knew the truth concerning Mevocus and his house, that although they made the appearance of being faithful to the ways of their people, in truth their hearts belonged to another way; and the two elders hated them therefore, and began to plot their demise. Therefore they forged letters, filled with plots against the life of the King; on their visits there they secreted these letters in the house of Mevocus; and then they went unto the King, and said, Mevocus is plotting to overthrow you, and his wife along with him, and they have written letters unto others, seeking to recruit them to the same cause, and we know this, for they sought to so recruit us also, but such is our loyalty to you, that we joined not his combination, but came immediately to you, to report his treason; and the King sent his men to the house of Mevocus, wherein they found the letters which the two elders had forged, therefore Mevocus and Eviaca were condemned to death; but the King said unto them, what of their daughter, does she follow in the way of her parents? But each desiring her as his wife, they said unto him, She is a noble daughter, quite unlike her parents, innocent of their schemes, and having no disloyalty to you. Therefore the King set her free. But she came to visit her mother and father in prison, and said unto them, Mother, Father, let me die with you, for you alone of all whom I know in the world, love what is good and beautiful and true, and are faithful to the true law of heaven; better I die with you, then live alone amongst such evil! but they said unto her, Darling, die not with us, for through you the truth may stay alive in the world, but if you die also, surely it will be lost for many ages Stay strong, darling, as strong as is your heart; know that the good and beautiful and true shall triumph in the end, even in your own life, or if not, then in life to come; and know that though now we must bid you farewell, we shall meet again, for no parting is ever final. She said unto them, O how am I in fear for you, for the cruel death which for you the King has planned; at least if I could join you therein, although I would fear still for myself, I would fear less for you, being with you in your suffering. But they replied, No, our love; we fear not any pain, for whatever pain we may be forced to bear, is but for less than a day; how much greater in comparison is the good, the beautiful, the true CTCV 194/332

which by every evil is brought to be. And Mevocus and Eviaca were lead to their deaths, which with utmost bravery they faced; by their command Netruva stayed well away, but the two elders watched the scene with glee. Now it was the law of the King, that whosoever was put to death, all their lands and possessions, would belong to the King. Now the two elders argued among themselves, about what to do. For Mazacus said, Now the King will take all the lands and wealth of her father, and she shall be reduced thereby to poverty: then she will have no choice, but to one of us be wed; that way we will receive that for which we long. But Cruzacus said, Indeed, by the law it is the right of the King, yet if we beg him to show upon her mercy, and speak of her innocence and nobility, I am sure he shall let her keep the wealth of her father. Objected Mazacus, Yet if we let her keep her wealth, What cause would she have to agreed to be wed to one of us? But Cruzacus replied, Fear not, old friend, for I know the way to bring her to us, even keeping her wealth. And it is better that she so comes, for in keeping her father's wealth, it may come through her to be ours; and it is better besides, that the great wealth of one of our, be kept among our own people, than added to that of the King for so great is his wealth even now, that even a wealth as great as that of Mevocus, shall not by him be missed. Thus did they agree, that they would petition the King, that Netruva be allowed to keep all the wealth of the house of her father, and so indeed did the King grant their request. And Netruva dwelt in the house of her father and she never went out, nor received any guests but two maids waited upon her of like age to her and they were true friendship to her. Now it was the plot of Mazacus and Cruzacus to force themselves upon her as soon as they might; but the King was pleased that they had saved him, or so the King thought that by them he had been saved, so he detained them with many affairs of state, by which they were forced to delay their plans. But as soon as they had overcome that obstacle, they went unto her house; wishing to surprise her, CTCV 195/332

they went not to the front gate, but they hid in the garden, amongst the bushes, thinking she would go thereinto, as she always had. And indeed, even now, she would go into the garden, to stroll and to sit, her two maids accompanying her. Warm was that day, so she decided to bathe. Her maids went to fetch her oil and soap, and they shut the gates of the garden: they did not know, that the elders had already entered, and amidst the foliage were hiding, observing all. Now her maids had left, to fetch the oil and soap; so the two elders came out of their hiding place, and hurried over to where Netruva was. They repeated their offers of marriage, yet Netruva refused once more; both for her earlier reasons, and even more so now, that they had murdered her parents. They said, The gates of the garden are closed, None can see within - give us what we wish, Or we will destroy you as we destroyed your parents. For we will say we saw here a young man with you, On which account we sent away your maids By our law you will be slain for your debauchery! Netruva knew not what to do - she would not accept either, not matter what they threatened. She said instead, You vile murderers of my parents, I would be pleased to die, that sooner I would join them. Enraged, Mazacus ran out into the street, And from the street he brought into the garden Several men of his people. Cruzacus called out, She was here, With a young man, to whom she was not wed, committing debauchery! He fled, but we have captured her. So Mazacus and Cruzacus called together the council Of the elders from Seduna; they could not judge the case themselves, for they could not be both judge and witness, but they were sure their testimony would be accepted. Cruzacus gave his testimony: Into her garden we came to see her, But we did not expect to see her there, Alone but for a strange young man, And engaged in debauchery; Alas we could not capture him, Due to his strength, Greater than us old men; But her we seized; We asked her, Who was that man? But she refuses to answer. CTCV 196/332

And Mazacus testified the same. And Netruva spoke of the elders desire for her, and their plot to kill her parents; but she was not believed. So they sentenced her to death, in accordance with their law of vileness. Now, though the King granted this people, the right to govern themselves, yet the had not the power of death, save by the agreement of the King. So the two elders went to Netruva in prison, and said: You are beyond marriage now; but lie with us, and we will spare your life. We will say to the King, let her not be killed, but only give us her wealth and lands. She replied: I would rather die than receive you. So, enraged yet more, they went to the King, to seek permission for her death. And the King had found favour with the two elders, so he was willing to grant their wish. But on that day in the court, there was also the holy Travancus; and he addressed the King, I am doubtful this woman is guilty of that which her people accuse her; let me investigate the case, before you condemn her to the death they seek for her. And the King granted Travancus his wish; and by the authority of the King, he called together once more the council of the elders of the people from Seduna to consider once more the case of Netruva. And Travancus said, Send one out of the room, that I may question the other without him. So they send out Mazacus; then Travancus asked Cruzacus, before the council: Where in the garden did you see this young man and woman? He replied, Beneath a tree. And Travancus said, And what tree was that? He said, It was the majestic oak. Then he sent out Cruzacus, And had Mazacus brought in; Then Travancus questioned him the same. And Mazacus said, We found them lying beneath the scrawny bush. By this testimony it became clear to all, That Cruzacus and Mazacus were masters of lies, And lords of false testimony; Therefore the council of elders sentenced them to death. And Travancus spoke to them, saying, CTCV 197/332

Though these kill, let us kill them not; For if we kill them for killing, We ourselves must also be killed: How then shall that cycle be ended? Ended it shall be, for end it must, By we who refrain from killing Those who do kill And therefore are killed not in turn. And Netruva spoke also, In agreement with Travancus; For long had the very same thoughts been in her mind, For she knew without doubt that this was true and good, Yet she feared to speak, knowing they would persecute her; But finding now for herself a defender, Whom her heart told her she could trust, She found the freedom to speak her own mind. But the people would hear not the voice of wisdom, The voice of goodness and truth, Which Travancus and Netruva spoke to them. Now, the people from Seduna, Though the King had granted them their own laws, Yet the consent of the King was required, That the penalty of the death be imposed. So Travancus and Netruva went unto the King, And the King was greatly impressed That she would beg for the lives of those, Who took the lives of her parents. But he said, These ones have lead me astray, Once to the death of an innocent man and his wife, Once more almost unto the death Of their innocent and noble daughter; I cannot permit those who lie to me to live. Therefore the King condemned them to the fire. And Netruva became a follower of Travancus, And went to live with him and Claretta, And under Claretta she studied many things. And indeed, it came to pass, in later days, That she was even appointed to the holy council. But they asked Travancus, You say, whoever grants death, The very same death receives, In the heavenly chamber of punishments; And whoever before the court, Calls for death, Or for death testifies, Receives the very same death also. Yet you testified in the court, Which to death condemned these two elders, Do you not thereby inherit the very same death? Travancus replied, Let none appear before any court, CTCV 198/332

In any case, where death may be commanded; But, to save another from death, One noble and innocent, One may appear, even though by so appearing, Some wicked one to death is condemned, Without inheriting the very same death; Especially so, for those who beg that same court, To not impose that wicked punishment, As we both did. [124] OF THE RITE OF ENAMOURATION Great Sea Mother, in becoming us you willed that the many you became would once more be one; therefore do two or more come together to be one, that through many successive unions all may become one once more. Bind these in the loving union of enamouration and make their love fruitful so they may be living witnesses to your divine love in the world. We ask this through your holy Prophets, especially the most holy Travancus, and through the Spirits which serve your Cause of the Final End, most especially the holy Navaletus captain of your Cause. For on the eve of the incorporation of the enamouration which they were to together incorporate, Taboreta said to Sara and Nevana, Let us pray and petition the Spirits of the Cause to provide our enamouration with their grace and protection. They began praying for protection, and this is how she began: Blessed are you, O Captain of the holy Cause, and all the Spirits which serve you For you inspired the true Prophets, through whom you have lead us to the truth Blessed are you, from the beginning to the end [125] OF THE SECRET TREASURES And they set out to flee from the land of Tradicarus, travelling to the southeast, for the King thereof sought to kill them. And whatever they could take with them they so did; but so many were their riches that much thereof they could not take; yet neither did they wish to leave them to the profit of their persecutors. So they secreted them in many places throughout and around the city, and a record thereof was made, and they secreted many fine things, gold and silver vessels, many encrusted with jewels, and incense, and perfume, and the garments of the priestesses; in the cave of treasures they hid them, and beneath the house of the one who was trustworthy in secret, and in other secret places: and the record which was made, it is in the possession of the house of the Prophets to this day. [126] THE CREED AGREED AT CECACENA Now this is the creed which was proclaimed at Cecacena: We believe in the deity. The deity is personal, a soul. The deity is beyond gender, being both male and female yet also neither male nor female. We permit each individual and group to address deity in whichever way is most fitting to them.

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The deity has the greatest power none can oppose its will. Whatever anyone can do, it can do, and whatever it cannot do, no one can do. Whereas for us our power falls short of our will, its will and power are one whatever it wishes to do, it has the power to do. The deity has the greatest knowledge whatever anyone knows, the deity knows; and whatever the deity does not know, no one knows, and is not to know. The deity has the highest good the deity always wills for the best that could possibly be willed. Persons by nature exist in time and change, therefore the deity being a person exists in time and changes. However, while the deity exists in time, the deity is not subject to time in every moment the deity has the power to access every other moment, if it so wishes. The deity changes, but not in its fundamental nature, only in its present awareness. Its knowledge, will and power do not change, even as its immediate awareness changes. We believe that the deity speaks to us in our hearts and minds, and through the many traditions. We believe that all the great traditions contain both truth and error, and all are capable of being purified of error and raised up or restored to the fullness of truth. But we do not believe they are equal or identical, each differing from the others, and each differing from itself from time to time and place to place, in both the proportion and particular selection of truth. Thus some traditions are inherently easier to purify of error than others, whether absolutely or due to their expression at this particular time and place. And apart from their inherent ease of purification, we ourselves will find some easier to purify due to our own familiarity with them, as opposed to others with which we are less familiar. Therefore we choose to do our work of purification in our own tradition: both for we believe that it is inherently easier to purify, being already greater in proportion of truth to error than many other traditions, and that many of its particularities well reflect essential truths; and also for we ourselves our most familiar with it, and therefore feel most confident in carrying out this task. We believe that scripture is but part of tradition, and is dependent upon the broader tradition for its existence, for the broader tradition must be relied upon to determine its boundaries, its authority, and the proper way of interpreting it. We believe that the whole of tradition, and all its parts, scripture included, contains the word of the deity, for its originators have conveyed through it to us the word of the deity which they themselves received in their hearts; yet it contains along with the word of the deity much that is merely human error; we rely upon the deity speaking in our own hearts and minds to discern which is which. [127] THE WORDS SPOKEN AT AMANDUS The words of the holy Prophet Travancus, spoken at Amandus, concerning the glory of the goddess Maratrea, the one single soul that exists at the turning point of time, from whom every soul has divided, and into whom every soul shall merge once more: Maratrea loves every one of us, both as our mother, for she is the mother of every soul, but also as her very own self, for she was once us and we shall be her once more. Every evil, even that with which your very own self has been afflicted, she has willed but she has so willed solely for the sake of her love of every soul, for without the many evils, great and small, which has come before us, we would not be; thus every evil which CTCV 200/332

befalls us is necessary so that might be some other coming after us which she loves as much as us, many others. And whatever evils we suffer, for the sake of her love, if not for us then for some other, she shall more than compensate us for she is not a mother restrained in her fertility she has given birth to not one universe, but many; not many unrelated universes, but many universes related by divisions upon divisions. Therefore, whenever in this life fulfilment of our true desires is denied to us, she shall grant us knowledge of some other branch which she has made, knowledge so intimate that we shall almost entirely forget that we were Maratrea loves you, for you are her child she loves you exactly as you are, for she made you exactly as you are and whatever you truly wish to be which you are not, to know being as such, that she shall grant you. [128] OF THE BESTOWAL It is fitting that we thank the great goddess Maratrea, for all good things; for she is the fount, destiny and summit of goodness, beauty and truth; and of all existence also. But in so thanking her, let us commit not the error of those who mistakenly suppose that she might not have done as she has indeed done; for though indeed she might do otherwise, and indeed has, she cannot do save as she does, for she is what she does, and she cannot be save as she is. And let us thank her not only for goodness and beauty in the abstract, but for the particular instantiations thereof in this here time and place of our lives; both those we are privileged to have and to hold, and those we may but witness from afar. Let us pray that, concerning the knowledge of the true nature of things which has been bestowed upon us, that we shall have the strength to bestow the same knowledge in turn upon others. And let us pray that as we have vowed faithfulness to her Great Cause of the final end, so we shall have the strength to succeed in inviting others to so vow also. Therefore let us draw to mind the particular persons we know, that we might reach them with the knowledge for the cause: Holy Goddess Maratrea, Grant us the knowledge of those near to us, and those far Who are ready to receive your wisdom and your cause May we have the discernment, to bestow always at the right pace Not rushing ahead, telling all to those not yet ready But neither holding back from those ready to receive Even in the smallest measure [129] OF THE SPEECH AT PAMPALETTUS Now this is the speech which the most holy Prophet Travancus delivered at Pampalettus: Time is a circle, the past coming after the future, the future before the past, the beginning and the end are one and the same, every moment being both before and after itself, all things recurring endlessly, not new and differently each time, but exactly the same every time, or in other words only once. The soul by its nature is incapable of being created or destroyed, incapable of beginning or ending, being by nature beginningless and endless; but although souls may neither begin nor end, may neither be created nor destroyed, souls may merge and divide: two or more distinct souls merging together to become one single successor soul; one single soul dividing to become two or more distinct successor souls. CTCV 201/332

Matter is an epiphenomenon of mind; only souls and their experiences, their qualia, have fundamental existence; matter is nothing more and nothing less than patterns which exist in the experiences of souls. Behold the mother of our souls, Maratrea, from whom every soul which now is has divided, and to whom every souls which now is shall return to identity with once more. All of us were once her, and shall be her once more. As much as we now are many, once we were all one, and shall be one once more, and she is that one which we once were and once more shall be. She is not infinite, for there is naught which is infinite, and whatever is infinite is not, for infinity itself is not. Infinity is a mere potentiality which is nowhere and never actualized. Yet without being infinite, she is the greatest in every possible way. For although her knowledge is finite, there is none who knows as much as she knows whatever anyone knows, she knows, for she once was all who has ever been, or shall ever be, and with perfect memory she remembers all which ever befell them, even that which them themselves have long forgotten. And whatever she knows not, no one knows, and is incapable of being known by anyone, and is not to know, and is not. She is all powerful, meaning not that she possesses infinite power, but rather that her power wholly exceeds that of any other; whatever anyone can do, she can do; and whatever she cannot do, none can do, and is not to be done. Lesser gods, if they are even worthy of being so called, claim that humans disobey them; but She Who Is, so great is she, that none has ever nor could ever disobey her. Whatever we do, whatever anyone does, we do by her will, in perfect obedience to her command. O how noble are her children, every single one, whatever it is they have done how perfect are they in filial obedience! Lesser gods, if they are even worthy of being so called, claim to have made us, but not what we have done but she accepts complete responsibility for all that is, and does not seek to excuse herself in any way. If she is fully responsible for our every act, are we therefore not responsible for our own acts? By no means! For her responsibility does not in any way limit or exclude our own responsibility, and our own responsibility does not in any way limit or exclude her responsibility. Each is responsible for their own acts, and she is responsible for the acts of all. If she is responsible for all things, even evil, does that not make her evil? If even the greatest evils in history are her will, does not that make her the most evil? On the contrary, she is the greatest good; none can exceed her in goodness. And she loves us all, every one of us, with the same perfect love with which she loves her own self for she was once all of us, and will be all of us once more. She loves us with a love which is for now entirely beyond our abilities we cannot love her, or anyone, with a love even approaching the love she has for every one of us. But how can she be good if she does acts as these? She does them out of love, out of love for her children who without these acts would not be. Consider the circumstances of your conception if they had not been as they are, you would not be as you are today, but someone else would exist in your place. If your parents had not met, or if there had been someone else to steal the attention of one of them, you would never have been born. And consider the many great evils of history: countless wars, crimes, atrocities and disasters could you have been born had they not been? Would your parents have met and fallen in love? Would your parents themselves have even been born? A few of these might not have been, and you would still be; but if enough of them had not so been, or even one among the greater ones, and certainly you would never have been born.

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This is why she creates the evil of history out of love for you! She loves you so much, she is willing to bring about even the death of countless millions so that you, even you, whom she loves might be! And her guilt in creating evil, is our own guilt also; for from afar we do with her every deed necessary for our own existence. This is the true meaning of original sin, the sin necessary to our own existence; but since she was once us, it is also the sin necessary to her very own existence. But if all our sufferings are for the sake of her love, if not for ourselves, then for some other child of hers whose existence is by our sufferings purchased, what consolation has she for we her children in our sufferings? Behold that she is not a mother restrained in her fertility, for this world is not alone among the worlds which she has born. For whichever worlds she has born are, and whichever worlds she has born not are not. And the many worlds she has made, are not unrelated, each from a separate and distinct beginning; but rather, they share one beginning, and even ages hence. For the one original universe which she bore has by her been divided repeatedly, to produce the many universes which now are; and even now they are still dividing. And whenever a universe divides, one single universe becoming two separate and distinct successor universes, so also does every soul within that universe divide into two separate and distinct successor souls, one successor soul to dwell in one successor universe, the other to dwell in the other. The universes divide like the branches of a tree; and what are these here branches which we are now in? This herenow universe of ours, and its every successor; this branch and every branch from herenow descended. What consolation is this? This is her consolation: that whenever any of her children must suffer misfortune, for the sake that other children of hers might be, and have their glory, she offers them this consolation: she creates another branch, in which all their deepest dreams and desires are fulfilled; and after death, she grants them knowledge of this other branch, knowledge so intimate that they will near forget they ever knew any other. For these ones who attain such knowledge, of those branches in which their every true desire, their every deepest dream, is fulfilled, they are called the blessed ones, for their lives are perfect in every way; none of their grave desires go unfulfilled. So great are their lives, and so great is their love for their own lives, that they would not change the smallest detail, but wish only for more of the same; wish only that the very same life, identical in even the smallest detail, would come back to them, not once nor twice but in everlasting repetitions. Yet we, would we say that the life we live is so great? That our every true desire, our every deepest dream, has been fulfilled? The very many of us could not so say; for we have not been blessed by her as these others have indeed been blessed. But in some other branch we are indeed so blessed, and she shall grant us knowledge thereof so intimate, that we shall near forget we ever knew any other. [130] THE GREAT SABBATICAL HISTORY Behold herenow the Great Sabbatical History: The Great Sabbath ends with the formation of the intention to bring about the world once more. However, we do not say the intention was formed, for that implies the will

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of the remaining one changes; it does not. She always intended to so do; she always knew she would so do; she always knew there would be a moment when she would begin once more that task of hers; she always intended to so begin in that moment when it came. Was this a formation of intention through specification of intention? No; it was always specific to that moment, for she remembered that moment from before. She could not specify it beforehand in terms of chronology, for clocks and calendars are things that exist in the worlds, not things which exist with her beyond all worlds; but nor could she specify it at the time or thereafter. So the intention was always specific with regard to the moment, and never specific with regard to chronological measure. The Earlier Lesser Sabbath begins with the first division. So there is an intermediate period, after the Great Sabbath has ended and before the Earlier Lesser Sabbath begins. In this period Maratrea is contemplating all that she is about to do, remembering having done it before. The Earlier Lesser Sabbath is in a sense a repetition of the Great Sabbath in its nature, yet now one have become two. In the Great Sabbath, the focus was upon the glory of being; in the intermediate period, it was upon what is to come, and how it is to come; in the Lesser Sabbath, it is one more upon the glory of being, but a unitary being has now become a binary being, the relationship of one with itself has becoming two relationships, the relationship of each with itself; and third relationship also, that of each with the other. The Earlier Lesser Sabbath ends with a second intermediate period, in which much like the first the focus changes from being now to bringing about what is to come. The second intermediate period ends with the emptying. In the third intermediate period, the emptying has completed, but second division has not yet commenced. The life of the many worlds may be divided into phases three: In the first phase, the world is being prepared. The true knowledge, necessary for the cause of the final end, is not yet in the world in the fullness thereof, although there are various forerunners which tell in parts what shall come to be told in whole. In the second phase, the true knowledge has arrived in its fullness. In prior times the true knowledge in its fullness may have come, yet we count not that as the commencement of the second phase, for in these here branches that knowledge quickly died out, either through corruption beyond recognition, or through being forgotten entirely; therefore in these here branches the second phase did not then commence. However, in other branches from then-there descending, that knowledge may have survived; therefore in such branches the second phase did indeed there commence. So in the second phase, the true knowledge arrives and then spreads and grows, without attaining to universal acceptance. In the third phase, that which came has finally conquered. The true knowledge attains universal acceptance, and all join the cause of the final end. This phase ends with the very final end itself, and with the post mortem work: separation, interrogation, knowledge, union. So in a sense this phase continues beyond the worlds have ended; for it ends with penultimate merger, by which time all of the worlds have come to an end; but the souls that were in the worlds, they never come to an end. With the penultimate merger commences the Later Lesser Sabbath. The first intermediate period stands between the Great Sabbath and the Earlier Lesser Sabbath. Is there an intermediate period between the Later Lesser Sabbath and the Great CTCV 204/332

Sabbath? In the Great Sabbath and the Lesser Sabbaths the focus is inward; but in the first intermediate period it becomes outward, so that first division may come to be. But whereas division is outward, merger is inward. Therefore, there is no outwardness between the two sabbatical inwardnesses; therefore there is no intermediate period between the two sabbatical inwardnesses. [131] THE THIRD FURTHER PRAYER Soul Mother May you be revered by us and by all May through us your cause be established May through us your will for the cause cover the worlds As your will for the all has covered them from the beginning Give us this day spiritual sustenance And remind us of the unconditionality of your love And as you love us, may we also love others Help us to resist all harmful deeds And to keep ourselves safe from those who seek to harm us [132] OF PRAYING ALONE AND TOGETHER The most holy Prophet Travancus spoke as follows: When we pray alone, our prayer goes unheard But when we pray together, then all our prayers are heard Both our prayers alone, and our prayers together Therefore pray alone indeed; But if you do not also pray together Your prayer will be fruitless But if you pray together Then fruitful will be that prayer you pray together And fruitful also that prayer you pray alone [133] THE GREAT SUMMARY OF TRUE DOCTRINE The mind has experiences, both inner and outer. The outer experiences are produced by the five senses. The inner experiences are thoughts, feelings, mental images, dreams and recollections. Desires, intentions, beliefs and memories are not inner experiences in themselves, but rather a capacity or tendency to have certain inner experiences. A capacity or tendency in the mind still exists even when the inner experiences it produces are not immediately present. Sentences have meaning due to the experiences in which we learnt their meanings, and how and when to use them. The meaning of a sentence consists of the experiences which one would have if the sentence were true or false, the experiences which would indicate the utterance of that sentence was appropriate, the experiences which one would expect to have having uttered that sentence. Sentences without experiences are without meaning; sentences with identical experiences are of identical meaning. CTCV 205/332

The correspondence between sentence and meaning may be simple or complex; the correspondence between the individual components of the sentence and the individual components of its meaning may be simple or complex. A belief is a tendency to say that something is so, to think that something is so, or to act as if something was so. Yet faced with a stronger countervailing consideration, one may believe and not so say, or even deny; one may believe and not so do, or even do the opposite. But though other considerations may defeat the word or deed, yet the belief survive, whatever vanquishes the thought vanquishes the belief also. It is not sentences themselves that are believed, but their meanings; for the one belief may be expressed by many sentences. A sentence without meaning cannot be believed. The unbelievable cannot be believed, even though one may believe that one does believe it. There are sentences which cannot be believed, yet their negations can be believed. If we cannot believe a sentence, but we can believe its negation, If every possible experience justifies the belief some sentence is true, then the sentence can be believed but its negation cannot be believed Concerning the relationship of matter and mind, there are three views. The first view privileges matter over mind, saying: Only matter has fundamental, ultimate, independent existence. Mind lacks fundamental, ultimate and independent existence, having only dependent existence, dependent upon matter for its existence; mind is a mere byproduct or epiphenomenon of matter. Matter can exist without mind, but mind cannot exist without matter. Mind is not matter, and matter is not mind, yet mind is utterly dependent upon matter for its existence. The universe would still have existed even if there were never any minds to observe it. The second view privileges mind over matter, saying: Only mind has fundamental, ultimate, independent existence. Matter lacks fundamental, ultimate and independent existence, having only dependent existence, dependent upon mind for its existence; matter is a mere byproduct or epiphenomenon of mind. Mind can exist without matter, but matter cannot exist without mind. Matter is not mind, and mind is not matter, yet matter is utterly dependent upon mind for its existence. The universe cannot exist without minds to observe it. The first and second views both liken the relationship between mind and matter to that between the text and the manuscript the text is not the same as the manuscript, yet when every manuscript of the text is lost, the text is lost also. Yet these two views differ concerning which is the text, and which is the manuscript. The first and second views are mirrors of each other; they proclaim the same asymmetric relationship of dependency, yet differ in which of mind and matter is dependent and which is independent. The third view hybridises the first and the second of mind and matter, each is independent of the other, both equally and independently possess fundamental and ultimate existence.

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In the third view, matter and mind are two fundamentally different categories of existence; yet mind acts on matter, and matter acts on mind but how can two fundamentally different categories of matter act on one another? The first and second views can both naturally explain how mind acts on matter or matter acts on mind, for their capacity to act upon one another is a natural consequence of the relationship of dependency of one upon the other; alter the text and you alter the manuscript, alter the manuscript and you alter the text. But the third view cannot explain how matter can act on mind, or how mind can act on matter. Therefore, let us reject the third view. What is the meaning of the sentence, The tree ceases to exist? Its meaning is the experiences would we have were it true, of watching the tree being cut down and dug up, or consumed of flames. The meaning of its negation is the experiences we would have were it false, of seeing the tree still standing, of feeling its trunk, smelling its odour, hearing the sound of the wind rustling its branches and leaves. What is the meaning of the sentence, I cease to exist? What experiences would we expect to have were it true? There is no experience one would expect to so have. [134] HAIL HOLY MARATREA Hail Holy Maratrea Great Goddess She Who Is Our Great Mother the Sea the Sea of All Souls and Queen of Heaven You who alone were Once in times circle Every soul ever being From you dividing And into you merging again You who know all there is to know For whatever you know not Is known by none and is not to know O you of perfect memory You remember all, forgetting nothing And having once been all You remember all things You whom none can disobey For whatever you wish to do You do, and therefore is And whatever you wish not to do You do not, and therefore is not None has ever done anything Nor could ever do anything Save at your command You who do naught but what you must For you cannot do, save as you wish CTCV 207/332

And you cannot wish, save as you love And you cannot love, save whom you love For you are whom you love And you cannot be, save whom you are. You who have done all things from love For having been and becoming all You love all, with that very same love With which you perfectly love your own self Indeed have you done all things from love Even to cause evil For the good you cause, you cause as an end But the evil you cause, you cause but as a means For without many great evils coming before us We would not have been Nor those whom we love with all our heart Therefore loving us You cause such evils to be, that we shall be. You who are all that we seek For all beauty and goodness is in you and of you How great have been the glimpses we have received How fortunate are we Who have received of you what we have As little as it may be For many others have received far less. We worship the blessed ones Whose lives are perfect in every way For whose sake, and for whose sake alone The many worlds have been brought into being We long for the day When we too shall join their blessed number Holy Mother We trust in your promises to us For you are always faithful, and always true That after death, whatever sufferings In this life we have endured You shall grant us the blessing Of that for which we truly wish Holy Mother Desiring to bring all things to their final end As indeed they must end You have established your Great Cause To whom you have imparted Knowledge of the true nature of things And to whom you provide Every spiritual assistance For through your Great Cause CTCV 208/332

You shall prepare the living for union with you As you yourself prepare the dead Holy Mother You have sent us your true prophets That we shall know the true nature of things Especially Travancus, Claretta And their most illustrious successors May they be ever honoured Through their teaching may all attain the Great Enlightenment Holy Maratrea Whom we worship, whom we praise Whom we love and long for We vow before your altar To serve you in your Great Cause Unceasingly, without any reservation To serve you with the utmost devotion Each until the day of their death Now there appears before us The Goddess Maratrea In the form of a young woman Her long hair dark and flowing Smooth is the skin of her face As her eyes shine like moons Wearing the finest robes Exquisitely decorated She looks upon us with greatest love Smiling, she comes closer And a multicoloured light Begins to radiate from her chest It enters into us bearing many spirits We invite those spirits into us, saying: Heavenly Spirits Faithful to the Great Cause We pray that you will enter into us Make your home in us Dwell in us and possess us Now, as we receive the spirits Let us repeat the mantra AVE MARE MATER [either 37 or 111 times] Then, having received the spirits The flow of light ceases And smiling to bid us farewell but for now The Goddess fades into darkness CTCV 209/332

Let us now pray to those spirits now dwelling in us: Heavenly Spirits Who serve her Great Cause Cast out from us and evict Every spirit not allied with you Which has ever dwelt in us Or possessed us or made its home in us And keep every such spirit from entering into us That thereby from your dwelling in us We may receive great fruit Protect us even from those neutral spirits Who not being harmful in themselves Are yet harmful to us on this day [Supplications] And much as each of us prays For these things in themselves So, let us pray, that we may inspire also Such things in one another [135] OF THE VOYAGE OF VONADERES Thus recounted the most holy Prophet Travancus, having so heard, and considering it fitting to so recount: Now the great goddess Maratrea sent the true knowledge concerning the nature of things to descend upon Vonaderes, who dwelt in the great city of Ninaventus. And she impressed upon his heart that this knowledge which she had bestowed upon him he ought to bestow upon others in turn, that her cause be then established in those branches in which he dwelt. But Vonaderes was fearful to do as such, for he feared their ridicule and their mockery, and in his head he imagined how he thought they would respond to this teaching: listening to it not, nor seeking to understand, but mocking it and ridiculing it, and calling out, Surely he is mad! And he feared this the most in his very own land, for the ridicule of those you have long known stings so much harder than that of strangers. Yet as much as these fears weighed upon his heart, so did the duty which this knowledge had inspired in him. So he fled from the land, thinking, in some distant land I shall be welcomed as I shall not be welcomed here; thus he went down to the sea, to board a ship to take him to some distant land beyond the seas. But the ship which bore him came upon a great storm, and was broken up in the waves; and he was washed ashore upon an isle; and among the many upon that ship, he was sole to survive its wreckage. And he thought to himself, How near have I come near death, how closely have I escaped its grasp! What have I done in my life, that I might die thinking happily of my deeds? I have achieved naught worth the memory of the world, yet neither had the fortune that the secret longings of my heart be fulfilled, nor hope now for such fortune to come; if the sea had swallowed me as it has swallowed all else upon this voyage, I would soon be forgotten by all, nor would the longings of my heart be fulfilled? For why have I been spared death, for what have I to live? Would it not have been better had the sea swallowed me also, as it has done these? No, I am glad that from death I have for now been saved, for yet still I fear it so. For though by this knowledge I

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have received I have no cause to fear death, how can I have full faith in that knowledge if I lack the faith to declare it before the multitudes? And for thirty-seven nights and thirty-seven days Vonaderes dwelt alone upon this isle, pondering these things; but he sustained himself, for he found inland water to drink and trees whose fruit he might eat. And then a ship came ashore, and thus Vonaderes was rescued and he made his back to Ninaventus; upon there reaching he proclaimed the knowledge concerning the true nature of things which the holy Maratrea had bestowed upon him, and though some did indeed ridicule him, as he had feared, indeed many of his own tribe and of his own clan, and many whom he had thought his friends, even so, he remained strong through this misfortune, and many thereafter came to believe in the cause which he bestowed; and in place of the tribe and clan which had cast him out he received a new tribe, a new clan, of which he was counted as founder. [136] OF THE PRELIMINARIES TO FAITH Now this behold is the account of the preliminaries to faith: What is mind? Mind is composed of naught but its experiences It is naught but the experiences it experiences And the fact that it experiences them The experiences of mind are both inner and outer The outer experiences are the five senses The inner experiences are thoughts, feelings, mental images, and so forth What of beliefs, desires, intentions, knowledge, memories? These are not experiences in themselves But rather tendencies to have particular inner experiences For they continue in existence Even while no such experience is had But a tendency to have particular experiences Is naught but a pattern in experience And a pattern in experience Is naught but the experiences in which it is constituted Thus there is naught to mind but experience What is belief? Belief is a tendency in the mind - but a tendency to what? Is it a tendency to act? For if one believes that something is true One will act as if it was true But one may never so act, yet still so believe For the occasion to practice one's beliefs may never arise Or other forces may render their practice unwise Thus even though one does not so act One may yet still so believe Is it a tendency to say? For if one believes that something is true One will say that it is true But one may never so say, yet still so believe For the occasion to declare one's beliefs may never arise CTCV 211/332

Or other forces may render their declaration unwise Thus even though one does not so say One may yet still so believe Is it a tendency to think? For if one believes that something is true One will think that it is true Might one so believe, yet never so think? One might never so act, yet still so believe One might never so say, yet still so believe Yet if one never so thinks, one never so believes And if one ever so believes, one so thinks at least once Thus belief is a tendency in the mind First and foremost to think And secondarily to say and to act And what is it that is believed? It is not some form of words For by many differing form of words The very same belief may be expressed And whoever so believes Will assent to any words Which they understand as expressing it No, what is believed is not the words But their meaning Yet words may be arranged in ways So that they are devoid of meaning Even if they give of the appearance of being meaningful Even though every word be meaningful Not every arrangement of those words be meaningful Colourless green ideas sleep furiously The vertebral silence indisposes the licit snail The exquisite corpse will drink new wine But if some sentence be without meaning Then none can believe it What then if they claim they do? If they mistakenly believe it has meaning They may mistakenly believe they believe it And two sentences may mean the same thing Yet one may mistakenly believe they differ in meaning Thus one may believe one believes one, not the other Yet whoever believes one, believes also the other We cannot be mistaken in our beliefs about our thoughts For if we believe we think it, we think it And if we believe we think it not, we think it not But as surely as we can be mistaken in our beliefs about our knowledge Believing that we know something which we do not CTCV 212/332

So also can we be mistaken in our beliefs about our own beliefs Believing that we believe something which we do not How do words have meaning? And how is their meaning known to us? Through experiences their meaning came to us Those experiences in which we learnt their meaning And their meaning consists of experiences Those experiences, outer or inner By which those words are caused to in our consciousness arise What is the meaning of the names of our family and friends? It is the experiences we have when we see or hear them The shape of their face, the sound of their voice And we learnt those meaning through those experiences In which we learnt their names What is the meaning of a word such as dog? It is the experiences we have when we see a dog, or hear its bark And we learnt its meaning through those experiences In which we learnt the meaning of the word dog As a child, not once but likely many times We approached a dog, or a dog approached us And we heard our parents, or others around us Make use of the word dog Not every word can be placed In simple correspondence to meaning For there is a simple correspondence between the word dog And the sights or sounds which constitute our actual or potential experience Yet a word such as courage has no such simple correspondence But still even it names a pattern in our experiences Yet the nature of that pattern is far more complex Words and arrangements of words Name patterns of experience Or else their use is governed by rules Which inform us when they are to be used And what is the likely consequence of their use And when they are to be used Is whenever our experiences match some pattern And the likely consequence of their use Is some pattern our experiences will likely match if we use them Thus the rule itself is a pattern in experience Indeed, meaning is composed of naught but experiences Whether inner or outer, potential or actual And patterns therein Many say that only matter is fundamental And mind is naught but the product of matter But I say that only mind is fundamental And matter is naught but the product of mind CTCV 213/332

Physical things and the laws of nature Are naught but patterns in the experiences of souls Thus is every mind a soul. Therefore let us speak of soul! [137] OF THE LAWS OF FISHING Now the most holy Prophet Travancus went down to the river. And they asked him, May we fish? And he answered, Fish indeed; but not for the sacred animals; and the fish you catch you may eat or sell, whether to the unbelievers or to your fellow initiate. And they asked him, May we fish with this line? And he replied, If there be any sacred animals in the river which by that line might be caught, you may fish not with that line. But if there be none, or if by such a line they be caught not, then you may use it for fishing. And he travelled further down the river, and he came across those fishing with nets. And they asked him, May we fish with these nets? And he replied, If there be any sacred animals in the river which by these nets might be caught, you may not fish with these nets. But if there be none, or if by such nets they be caught not, then you may use it for fishing. And he travelled further down the river, for they were travelling along the bank, and they saw a boat in the midst of the river. And a man was in the boat with waterfowl, which he used to fish for him. And around their necks he had placed metal bands, such that the fish they caught they could not swallow; but rather he would remove it from their mouths and keep it to himself. And they asked, May we fish as he fishes? And the most holy Prophet Travancus replied: By no means! For such is absolutely prohibited to you! And they said, Yet surely these waterfowl, being not sacred animals, have no souls? Therefore whatever injury he does to them, is of no import, for there is no soul present to experience it? Indeed, you would permit us to eat these birds, or make use of their feathers what wrong then in making such use of them? He replied, Even if they have not souls, let us not think that to so injure them injures not any soul; for it injures the soul of the one who does this thing, or observes it, or at whose beckoning it is done; and it injures even the souls of the sacred animals, for those who do these things to animals other than sacred, they come to do the same to sacred animals also. And yes, so I permitted you to eat, and make use of the feathers thereof; but I prohibited you to keep these birds for your meat, or to slaughter them yourself; thus also it is prohibited to you to do as this man does. And Travancus called out to the man in the boat, Who are you? And the man saw the robes that Travancus wore, and he knew he was a powerful man. For on his journeys he had worn the rough robe of a wandering sage; but returning to the house of his brother, his brother had convinced him to wear instead the robe of those of noble birth, as was permitted to one of that descent, and so that robe had he indeed one. Therefore seeing he was of noble birth, and seeing the many others around him, he called out: Lord, my name is Daritus, son of Curadinus. And Travancus said, And which gods do you worship? And Daritus replied: Lord, all of the great and worthy gods I am pleased to honour and revere, but most especially the great Alabertus. And Travancus said, Thank you for answering my questions. And Daritus replied, My lord, it is a pleasure to answer the questions of one so noble as you. Then Travancus said to those gathered around him: This man is no initiate of ours; therefore in this land we have no power over him. But in the land to come we shall have every power; therefore in that land none be permitted to do as he now does, not even the barbarians. And, though if he sold you the meat of his waterfowl, you may eat it, you may eat not the fish he has so caught. And they asked, If we go to the market to buy fish, how may we know if it was caught in this way? He responded: If you have reason to believe it was caught in this way, say if the fishmonger was known to so fish, as this man now must be to you; or if the CTCV 214/332

fishmonger admits to so fishing and if he would know, do ask him; but if he is known not to know, you may refrain from so asking; or if the fish comes from a tribe or clan in which this manner of fishing is customary; in any of these cases, you may not buy it; but if there is no reason to believe it is fished improperly, then you may buy and eat it; and if in fact, unbeknownst to you, after having done everything reasonable but nothing unreasonable to determine if it is indeed improperly caught, it is so improperly caught, no guilt be upon you though you buy and cook and eat it. [138] THE SECOND FOUNDATION OF FAITH Thus also was the foundation of faith stated as follows: Time is a circle. The past coming after the future, the future coming before the past. The beginning and the end are one and the same. Every moment both before and after itself. All things repeating, endlessly and beginninglessly. Not new and different each time, but exactly the same every time. Or in other words, exactly once. Mind alone has fundamental and independent existence. Matter lacks fundamental and independent existence, being entirely dependent upon mind for its existence. Matter is naught but a byproduct of mind. Matter is naught but patterns in the experiences of souls. A pattern is naught but that by which it is constituted. The soul by its nature is beginningless and endless. The soul by its nature can be neither created nor destroyed. There is naught to the soul but its experiences, both inner and outer. Beliefs, dispositions, affections, memories, knowledge: these terms signify either individual experiences in the soul, or a disposition of the soul to have certain experiences. A disposition for a soul to have certain experiences is naught but a pattern which exists in the experiences of that soul. The soul by its nature exists within time, and is everchanging. The possible experiences a soul may have are vast yet even so finite. All that is, is finite; there is nothing infinite which exists. CTCV 215/332

Infinity is a fancy of those unaware of the true vastness of the finite. Souls can merge and divide. Two or more separate and distinct souls can merge together to become one single soul. One single soul can divide apart to become two or more separate and distinct souls. Goodness, beauty and truth: these three possess objective reality, each to an equal degree. Ethics, aesthetics and rationality: these three are systems for valuing states of affairs positively or negatively, systems of obligation, permission and prohibition: these three systems are equal in objective validity and reality. Were any argument to succeed against the objectivity of any one of them, it must succeed against the others also. If by any defence some argument against the objectivity of any one of them fails, then by the same defence the same argument must fail against the others also. Faith is a moral obligation to believe, despite a lack of evidence to rationally justify the belief, or even in the presence of evidence to the contrary. One dear to your heart is accused of grave wrongdoing, and evidence has been presented, which while not conclusively proving their guilt, is nonetheless strongly suggestive thereof, yet they insist upon their innocence; the duty of reason requires you to believe whatever the preponderance of reason suggests, while the duty of faith requires you to believe in their word, thus being faithful to your own affections; and the duty of faith outweighs that of reason. Yet although the duty of faith can justify and even command disregard for evidence, it does not absolutely but only to a degree it justifies and commands disregard for merely suggestive evidence, but disregard for conclusive evidence is beyond its limits. Therefore, one must, in obedience to faith, believe in the protestations of innocence of those whom one deeply loves, even in the face of evidence strongly suggestive of their guilt; yet, in the face of conclusive evidence, one is not by faith so obliged nor permitted if one saw them do the deed with ones very own eyes, one is neither obliged nor permitted to believe their protestations of innocence. To believe some proposition is to assert its truth through words, to act as if the proposition were true, and above all to think that the proposition is true. Yet one may believe yet never so assert, or believe yet never so act, if so doing is inopportune in the circumstances one encounters; but one must think, for if one never so thinks, one never so believes; and if one doe so believes, one will from time to time so think.

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By rationality we are obliged to believe, not what is true, but whatever the evidence indicates [139] OF THE NINE THESES Behold the nine theses which were proclaimed: Firstly, we believe that God speaks to all in their hearts and in their minds, even though people differ in their ability to hear him. Secondly, we believe that as God speaks to all now, so did God also speak in times past; and the many traditions convey his past revelation to us here present. Thirdly, we believe that all the great spiritual traditions of the world contain truth, and they may be purified of whatever error may be in them. We rely upon the Word of God in our hearts and minds today to discern when that same Word spoke in the hearts and minds of those who came before us, from when it did not so speak, even though error may record it so speaking. Fourthly, we reject however the idea that all these traditions are equally true or identical. Each is a differing mixture of truth and error, and they differ from each other both in the proportion of truth and error in each and also in the particular truths and errors they contain. Nor are the traditions static or monolithic entities, for each varies in its proportion of truth and particular selection of truths from place to place and from time to time. Fifthly, we believe that, although all the great traditions may be purified of error, some traditions will be more easily so purified than others - those with a greater proportion of truth, or preserving more essential truths, may be purified more easily than those with a lesser such proportion, or omitting such essential truths. And those of us who are to carry out this purificatory work will have, even if only by accident of history, greater familiarity with some of these traditions with others, and thus be able to purify them with greater ease than those with which we are less familiar, even if some of those with which we are less familiar were inherently easier to purify. Sixthly, we acknowledge traditions are handed down in the three ways: orally, through verbal instruction and word of mouth; in written form; and institutionally, through personal succession. And, in each of these three forms, there are certain expressions of the tradition that the tradition itself holds to be more essential or significant or authoritative than others. This results in the institutional form in a ranking of offices, from most esteemed to the ordinary laity; and in the written form in a ranking of texts, from more esteemed to less esteemed - the highest of those texts are considered canonical scripture, followed by paracanonical works, esteemed extracanonical works, useful extracanonical works, doubtful extracanonical works, and repudiated extracanonical works. Seventhly, as such, scriptures are but one part of tradition, a part which the tradition itself particularly esteems, but nonetheless but a part, and a part which cannot exist without the remainder of the tradition as a foundation. The remainder of the tradition both extrascriptural writings, and oral and institutional tradition - determine the boundaries of scripture and its correct methods of interpretation. Eighthly, we believe the canon of scripture to be open in two senses: Firstly, that we do not find it necessary to conclusively determine its boundaries. We have received from the past not one single canon, but several; we know that certain works now widely accepted were once disputed, and others now ignored or rejected once had wide acceptance. We CTCV 217/332

provisionally accept the texts widely accepted in the here and now, but remain open to rejecting some of those, or to accepting others which do not here and now have such wide acceptance, even though in other places or times they were so accepted. Secondly, we are open to receiving entirely new scriptures, as yet unwritten. Many have proposed such scriptures for acceptance - we do not commit ourselves to accepting any such purported scripture, yet remain open to the possibility of accepting one or more of those as scripture, or even entirely new scriptures as yet unwritten. Ninthly, we believe the Prophets to be those who listened intently to the word of God in their hearts and minds, and conveyed what they heard to others. Thus all within themselves possess the potential to be a Prophet, yet most will never learn to exercise this potential.. [140] OF HER WILL Of the will generally The will is composed of intentions, which may be fulfilled or unfulfilled, and the relationships between them. This is true of all will, of her will and of our will. The will is a part of the mind, but it is not the whole of the mind. It is present in the experiences of the mind, but it is not to be identified with the experiences of the mind. It is rather a pattern expressed in the experiences of mind, much as belief or knowledge are also expressed. There are between intentions four relations which hold: firstly that of ends and means; secondly that of conflict; thirdly that of priority; and fourthly that of specification. Of ends and means this intention is an end in itself; this intention was adopted as a means thought fit to achieve this other intention; to be a means, the intention does not need to be the best or only or most effective means of attaining the end, or even an at all effective means; it could in fact be a means entirely counterproductive, working in fact against the end rather than for it; the only requirement is that the one whose will it is really believes the means is an effective and appropriate means to that end, not that it actually is Of conflict two intentions are conflicting if it is difficult or impossible to fulfil both. Where two intentions will conflict, but the one whose will it is not yet aware of their impending dilemma, then we must say they do not conflict in the will, but out of the will, for the conflict in them is not yet in the will. For if one has not yet had the opportunity to seek the fulfilment of those intentions, one may not yet recognize them as conflicting; but now the time comes to act upon them both, and we suddenly see the conflict that exists between them; or in other words, in our will the conflict has come into actual being, as opposed to the mere potentiality it was in our will before, and regardless of any actuality it might already have had outside our will. The conflict becomes actual within the will as soon as it was cognized; so although this one did not realise the conflict between their intentions until they began to implement them, one with more knowledge or wisdom might have foreseen this conflict much earlier; in which case, the conflict became actual in their will as soon as the foresaw it. Conflict may exist in degrees two intentions may be utterly incompatible under every circumstance, or only incompatible under certain circumstances, or likely circumstances if two intentions are compatible under some circumstances but not others, then if the circumstances of compatibility are likely to hold, they are scarcely conflicting; but if they are unlikely to hold, they are conflicting indeed; and the greater the unlikelihood, the stronger the degree of conflict.

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And a conflict may exist even when two intentions are both capable of being fulfilled, but where one makes the other significantly harder to fulfil. Of priority one intention may be ranked over or under another in terms of its importance; or two intentions may rank as equal. Relations of priority are not necessarily complete we may be unsure of which of two intentions to prefer, and that uncertainty is not the same thing as an acknowledgement without uncertainty of their equal importance. Some intentions are clearly more important than others; others are closer to equality, and we are uncertain of which we would choose if forced to so choose. Priority may be used to resolve conflict; however, due to the incompleteness of priority, it does not always succeed in doing so if we cannot decide which intention is more important, nor will we be able to decide thereby which intention to prefer. And even when we have decided to prefer one intention to another, we may feel that circumstances have forced us to be untrue to ourselves, forced us to choose between those things we should not have to choose between. Of specification the first intention specifies the second if whenever the first is fulfilled, the second is also; but the second may be fulfilled without the first so being. I form the intention to do some exercise today, but have not yet decided precisely what exercise to do I might go for a walk; I might go to the gym; I might ride my bike or go for a swim. I then settle upon going for a walk. So now there are two intentions, the broader intention of doing some exercise today, and the more specific intention of going for a walk today; and these two intentions are related by specification. If today I go for a walk, I fulfil both intentions. But if I do not end up going for a walk, but go for a swim instead, I have fulfilled the broader intention without fulfilling the more specific one. Relations of specification can also exist with respect to time there is the broad intention of doing something someday, then the more specific intention of doing it this year, then the more specific intention of doing it this month, then this week, then today, then this hour, then right now in this moment. They can also exist with relation to space I want to visit Europe, I want to visit England, I want to visit London, I want to visit the British Museum. An intention of the will may be fulfilled or unfulfilled. Its fulfilment may vary over time, being unfulfilled today but becoming fulfilled tomorrow, or being fulfilled today but becoming unfulfilled tomorrow. We may speak of an intention as partially fulfilled, but we may analyse that as two intentions, the first a specification of the second, the first being unfulfilled but the second being fulfilled. It is not only the fulfilment of the will that may change over time, but also the will itself. A new intention may form today that yesterday did not exist; an intention that exists today may tomorrow be forgotten, or even repudiated entirely. An intention may be specified I may form a new intention which is a specification of a previous one: such as when I first decide to do some thing, and then decide how and when and where to do it. An intention may also be de-specified having moved from a general intention to a specific one, I may find the specific intention to be unattainable, and may therefore be forced to give it up, without however giving up the general intention which motivated it. Intentions of the will vary in their specificity, with regard to time, place, matter and other such attributes. I may intend to meet my friend tomorrow; or else I may intend to meet my friend sometime this week. In the first case my intention is more specific as to time than in the second case; but even in the first case, it is not entirely specific we may not have agreed at what time of day or where to meet, or what kinds of activities we may do together in our meeting (shall we go for a meal? or some coffee? or a drink?)

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The intentions of the will are known to the self directly through introspection; them may be known to others indirectly, through the mediation of our report of our own intentions, or through inference from our actions, or through general assumptions: we would say that there are certain universal intentions, and that there are others, which while not entirely universal, are common enough that we can assume they are present in the absence of specific evidence to the contrary. We must not suppose that for an intention to exist in the will, there must be some corresponding object in the mind, such as some subjective experience, with which the intention may be identified. For as much as the conclusion is in some sense still present in the premises even if it is independently never stated, so the intention exists in the will if there is enough in the mind for the intention to exist, even if there is nothing in the mind which can be directly identified with it. Similarly, if I have a broad intention, and also have formed some specification of that intention, then I ipso facto would have every intermediate specification between the broad intention and the specific intention. However, we must not think that if I have some intention, I have every broader intention. When I have adopted a specific intention as a means to an end, then I would also have every broader intention which I would also understand to be a means to the very same end; but whatever of that specificity is in fact necessary to the end, which forms a necessary part of the means, then I would not have any broader intention so broad as to no longer be such a means. (And it must be emphasised that the criterion of being a means is subjective, not objective even though some broader intention might still serve the end, it is not an intention of mine if I do not know that it so might serve the end.) Whether an intention in our will is ethical must be judged by our will as a whole, not on the basis of individual intentions considered in isolation. A doctor intends to inflict on a patient some painful procedure. Is this intention morally wrongful? It depends on the other intentions, on what if any intentions for which this intention is a means to an end. Suppose there is an intention to save the life of the patient, or to save them from such a grave injury to their health as to outweigh the pain involved (such as blindness, or paralysis, or loss of limb), and the intention to inflict the painful procedure is a means to that end. In this case, the intention is ethical; not ethical in itself, but ethical as a means to another intention which is ethical in itself. Suppose however the doctor has takes particular pleasure in inflicting pain upon others, and the painful procedure is a means to that end. In this case, the intention is unethical, for it is a means to an unethical end. Or suppose the doctor for some strange reason (such as some derangement of the mind) saw the painful procedure not as a means to an end, but as an end in itself. Then we must judge the ethics of the intention on the intention itself, not considering any other intention it might be a mean towards, since in this case there is no such other intention; and since the procedure is painful, we can conclude that in itself the intention to perform it is unethical. The actual consequences of an intention are not in themselves relevant to judging the ethics of that intention. The doctor intends to perform the painful procedure to attain the end of saving the patients life; the intention is ethical whether the procedure succeeds in saving the patients life, or if it fails and they die. Likewise, if the doctor decides to perform some painful procedure, not having any reason to believe it is medically necessary, but simply out of a love for cruelty, then the intention of the doctor is unethical, even if perchance the procedure did in fact save their life. For example, the doctor decides to remove some organ from the patient, not due to any medical need, but out of a pure love for the evil of so doing. The organ removed contained an undetectable cancer, which if not removed would take the patients life, and was due to spread with CTCV 220/332

such virulence that by the time it would be detected it would be too late. So, the evil intention of the doctor perchance produced good; but the fact that it perchance produced that good does not in any way lessen the wrongfulness of the intention the actual fruits of our intentions are irrelevant to the rightfulness or wrongfulness of the intentions themselves. An intention as a means to some end is ethical, if the good of the ends is sufficient to outweigh the evil of the means; this is the case regardless of whether the means actually are efficient in producing the ends; for all that is necessary is that the agent reasonably and genuinely believes that the means will be efficient in producing that end. Thus if a physician reasonably and genuinely believes that some painful procedure will save the life of their patient, then the means justifies the ends, even if in fact the painful procedure will be of no benefit. For a physician is ethically obliged to form their beliefs about what means will produce what ends reasonably and with all due and proper diligence. Thus let every physician study diligently what is taught in the schools, and if any new thing be proposed, let them neither refuse it from the pride of old age, nor embrace it from enthusiasm of youth, but study it with reason, and if reason approves it, let them practice it; and if reason disproves it, may they practice it not. And whenever they come across any case, which they do not understand and which exceeds them skill let them not keep quiet from pride, and pretend to know what they know not but consult with their colleagues, and with the most learned and esteemed among them that they might grow nearer to the truth, that those for whom they care might have health and life. Yet if they do not do these things and form therefore a false belief that some means would be efficient to the end thus would their intentions be wrongful. But if they do all these things, and thus believe in error that some means be efficient to some ends even though it be entirely ineffective this falsehood shall not be held against them for they have done all that they may for the evil was unknown to them and they could not have reasonably known it here the end sufficies to justify the means even though in fact the end is not by those means served. Therefore the will cannot be judged by considering the will alone; we must consider also its relationship to the body of belief, which consists of individual relationships between individual intentions within the will and individual beliefs within the body of beliefs, or we may speak of a means-ends relationship within the will which is itself related to a belief within the body of beliefs; and the ethics of those individual beliefs those intentions are related to is relevant to the ethics of those intentions. Of her will specifically: On account of her absolute power, her will is never frustrated. Therefore her will cannot contain any intentions which are unfulfilled. That is not to say that each intention is fulfilled in every time and every place. If she intends to bring about something without specificity as to time and place, then her intention is fulfilled if it occurs at any time and place; if she intends to bring about something within certain bounds of time and place, but without fixing upon a precise time and place within those bounds, then her intention is fulfilled if it occurs at any time and place within those bounds. Therefore some intention in will may not be fulfilled here and now, or then and there; but it is still fulfilled ultimately speaking, for there is somewhere and somewhen where it is indeed fulfilled. On account of her absolute power, whatever is, is as she has willed it to be. Therefore for every event in the world, there is an intention in her will that such event occur; for every thing in the world, there is an intention in her will that such thing be. The will of she who remains in the fullness of her glory cannot be said to in any way ever change. Although the intentions of her will currently being acted upon, or currently being

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foremost in her consciousness, will change from time to time, no intention is ever added to her will and none ever taken from it, and none ever altered in it. Whatever intentions form part of our will, if they are fulfilled they also form part of her will; but if they are not fulfilled, they are in no wise part of her will. Since we understand partial fulfilment as fulfilment of a broader intention but unfulfilment of a more specific intention, the broader intention that is fulfilled is part of both our will and hers, but the more specific intention that is unfulfilled is part of our will but in no way part of her will. The intentions of our will may be ethical judged as good or as evil or as neutral; and as differing in degree of goodness or wickedness. All the intentions in her will are good, even though the very same intention in our will is evil. For she wills only the good as an end in itself; and she wills evil only as a means to an end of sufficient good as to outweigh that evil. The murderer wills to murder in his will, and in her will she wills the very same intention, that the murderer murder, and thus the fruit of this intention is that he murders. The intention of the murderer is evil, for it is an end in itself, and in itself is evil; or is a means to some ends, such as monetary gain or vengeance or the pleasure of killing, but these ends are lacking in good, or have insufficient goodness to justify the evil of the means of murder. But she wills the murder for sake of those her children whom she loves, who will only be born into a world in which the murder occurred. Therefore, although the very same intention is present in both wills, in one will it is good and the other will it is evil; for in her will is present not only that intention, but also the intention of bringing those lives into being, and the relationship between these two intentions of end and means; but in the will of the murder, this latter intention is not present, but some other, and the latter relationship is not present, but some other. This is how the world began, in terms of her will: firstly, she willed that her rest should cease, and the many worlds would once more come into being secondly, she willed that therefore she be divided, into one who would willingly give up their glory, the glory of her knowledge and her power, in order to be further divided into the many souls of the many worlds, and one who would retain her glory in the fullness thereof thirdly, the division came to be; and the first difference of the division, the difference which defines the very moment of division, was two intentions; in one, that I would be the one to be emptied; in the other, that I would be the one not to remain full fourthly, in fulfilment of the will of she to be emptied to be so emptied, and the will of she to remain full to remain so full, she to remain full emptied she to be so emptied of all her power and glory the emptied was so emptied of all will, and now willed naught save for that which is the will of every soul; but the remaining full remained full in the fullness of her will, and in every other way she who remains full then divided she who is empty into the many souls of the many worlds The first division of souls was effected by a difference in will. Since she who remains never changes in her will, the change in intention was solely in the will of she who is to be emptied, not in she who is to remain full. The intention I shall be the one to remain full existed in her before her first division, and the intention I shall be the one to be emptied was absent. And in she who was to be emptied, in the moment of division the

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first intention was repudiated, and the second formed; but in she who remained full the intentions were utterly unchanged. An intention may exist presently, without being presently expressed in experience. But a division of souls is always a division of experience in the moment of division; so when she divided with an immediate difference of will, the intentions so differing were in that moment present in her experience, at the forefront of her consciousness. This is how all things come to an end, all things end but to begin again, in terms of her will: firstly, the penultimate merger of souls has completed; now only two souls remain: she who remained full, and she who was emptied but who has now near fully regained her former fullness secondly, there is in each of those souls the intention to complete the final merger; in she who remains the intention was always there, for she has been waiting so long for this one to come to her. But in she who is returning, the intention is newly formed; until the penultimate merger was completed, this was an event for which she and her predecessors in being were unprepared. so the wills heretofore distinct become identical, before the ultimate merger, but after the penultimate merger; and the identity of wills is followed by the identity of those whose wills those wills are, which is the fruit of that common intention to so merge now there is but one soul once more, now entering upon her period of rest from the existence of the many worlds, her slumber and dreams, recalling as it pleases her the many worlds she once made and now has ended, her quiet contemplation of the indescribable glory and goodness and beauty of her own being, her glorying in her own perfect self-love, for there is none but herself to love or be loved, until the time has come once more for her rest to end, and the many worlds to begin once more. Behold the holy Maratrean binity: she who goes forth, and she who remains; she who becomes the many worlds, and she who remains separate from the many worlds; she who is emptied, and she who remains full; she who leaves in order to come back, and she who never departs; two divine persons in one Goddess; not two Goddesses but one Goddess, not one person but two persons: two persons who were once one person and shall be one person once more, but at the time being considered, from first division until the emptying for the second division, and from penultimate to ultimate merger, are two persons and not one person, yet still one goddess. Behold the holy Maratrean trinity: she who goes forth, she who comes back, and she who the whole time remains; she who becomes many, she in whom the many become one again, and she who remained apart from the many; she who is leaving to return, she who having left is now returning, and she who neither comes nor goes; she who is emptied, she who returns to her original fullness, and she who never lost that fullness; three divine persons in one Goddess; not three Goddesses but one Goddess, not one person but three persons. For she who goes out is the same person as she who comes back, but also not the same person; by the first, binity; by the second, trinity. For she who went forth through forgetting all attained the utmost ignorant innocence, as a babe; but she who comes back has known all the ways of all the worlds in every detail; there is nothing seen in the worlds she has not seen, there is nothing done in the worlds she has not done. These two persons are one, yet also entirely different, as the distinct as the infant and the elderly.

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Perfect is the one remaining in her love for herself; perfect is the love for one another of she who is to be emptied and she who is to remain, until she who is to be emptied is emptied even of that love; up to then these two are perfect in their self-love, and perfect in their love for one another. Upon being so emptied, the one to be emptied is so emptied of love; but she who remains still loves her to the fullness of love with which she loved her before; and so remains in that love unto all of her many divisions, even though she who is so loved is utterly incapable of returning that love in kind. Now she who returns, in the penultimate merger, has perfected her love for herself, as perfect is the love of she who remains; and in that merger has gained the power she had lost, of loving she who remains with that very same love with which she who remains has always loved her; perfect is the self-love of each of these two, and perfect is their love for one another; on account of which the two become one, and then one alone remains. The greater enlightenment exists in many degrees: those who have merged but once, being the product and successor of only two distinct souls have it in the least degree; in the penultimate merger it is attained in the highest degree thereof; and in the many intermediate mergers between those two, it is attained in ever higher degrees. And in the ultimate merger, the greater enlightenment of the highest degree of she who is returning is surpassed in the attainment of the greatest enlightenment, that enlightenment that she who remains has always possessed, and never lost; for in the emptying of she to be emptied, she so emptied was emptied also of all enlightenment, from the greatest enlightenment to the lesser enlightenment, to become entirely lacking in enlightenment. We should ask concerning the Great Sabbath, her resting between the existing of the worlds, what is its duration? And what is the duration of the two Lesser Sabbaths, their resting in the love of one another between the first division and the emptying, and between the penultimate and ultimate mergers? How does one measure time without clocks, or the movement of the sun and the change in the levels of light and darkness? One measures it with vagueness, not knowing precisely how long has elapsed, but only to some vague degree; and this vague measure of time is highly dependent on our emotions for we all know how the enjoyable seems to go so quickly, whereas the loathsome so slowly passes by. But in these Sabbaths there are no clocks nor suns by which time may be measured; there is nought but those souls which love themselves and one another, and who dream alone or together whatever they may dream. Thus those who rest therein cannot say with any precision for how long they endure. And what is known not by her is known to none, and is not to know; therefore insofar as these durations are vague, they do not exist with any greater precision. We shall say the lesser Sabbaths are lesser both in glory and also in duration than the greater Sabbath; but we dare not put a duration in hours or days or years upon them, for when speaking of them all such measures are meaningless. In the Great Sabbath there is one who possesses the greatest enlightenment; in the Former Lesser Sabbath, there are two who possess the greatest enlightenment; in the Latter Lesser Sabbath, there are two, one of whom possesses the greatest enlightenment, the other of whom possesses merely the greater enlightenment in the highest degree thereof. A trinity of Sabbaths for the trinity divine! Of the two lesser Sabbaths, are they equal in glory and duration? Or do they differ therein? We might say the earlier Sabbath is greater in glory, for it is greater in enlightenment; but we might say the latter Sabbath is greater in glory, as coming back is greater than going away, as welcoming is greater than bidding farewell, as anticipation of gain is greater than preparation for loss. And yet, let us say not such things, but less us say: of their glory, they are equal but different; we cannot say that one is greater than the

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other than glory, nor can we say they are exactly equal in glory, but we can say they are roughly equal in glory. And what we cannot say here, she says not either; and what she knows not is not to know. Likewise, as to their duration, we must not say that one is greater in duration than the other, but nor that they are exactly the same in duration; the very inherent vagueness of their duration prevents us from saying any such thing. And what we cannot say here, she says not either; and what she knows not is not to know. In her we live and move and have our being. We live in her, for the worlds we know are the products of her will, and those fellow souls we meet in them are fellow products of our being; and our being and her being are one, are being having in her being its origin and destination and its highest form. Yet equally, it is in us that she lives and moves and has her being. For even upon the Great Sabbath, she remembers being us; and our being now make her who then rests who she is. Without us, she is not; from thinking of herself as absolutely necessary and ourselves as purely contingent, we move to the higher wisdom of realizing that we are as absolutely necessary as her, for she cannot but exist, and she cannot but exist without us, therefore we ourselves cannot but exist. Our existence is as absolutely necessary as hers, and each of us is necessarily dependent on the other for their very existence. And in the lesser Sabbaths, those two lovers are only who they for having been us; they love one another for precisely who each is, and who each is, is having been us all, and in being in all these worlds in which we have been. What is the relationship between her will, and her will for the cause? Does she have one will, or two wills, or more than two wills? We say that she has one will; but one single will may be subdivided into component wills, which contain some but not all of the intentions; in that sense, she has as many wills as it is useful for us to identify Her will for the cause consists of all the intentions in her will concerning the existence of the cause and its establishment, and every intention which is a means to that end. It does not consist in her intentions apart from the cause, such as intentions for blessedness apart from the cause. So rather than two wills, one for the cause and some other one, it is better to see her as having one will, but her will for the cause is a will within a will. The most holy prophet Travancus spoke as follows: Any prophet who teaches the punishment of death, or the punishment of torture, or amputation, or mutilation, or blinding, or castration, or flagellation, he is without doubt a false and lying prophet! And any scriptures in which is taught the punishment of death, or any of these other most wicked punishments I have mentioned, they are without doubt false and lying scriptures! But I tell you, how often have the true prophets come to speak only the truth; but the false prophets retell their words falsely, and they pretend their own lies were instead spoken by the forebears! What wicked students, they did not learn what their teachers taught them, but invented sayings after their own heart, which to their teachers they falsely attributed. And how often have true scriptures been written, but soon after by false and lying scribes adulterated, who put the words of the false prophets into the true prophets mouths! But to the true prophets is given the true knowledge, the wisdom and the power, to recover the true teachings of the true prophets since corrupted, and to recover the original form of the true scriptures, before they were corrupted into falsehood; to sift and separate the good from the evil with which it has been by the wicked mingled, the truth from the falsehood with which it has been by the liars mingled; liars who say that evil is good, even though they know in their hearts that the truth that it CTCV 225/332

is evil indeed; but so corrupted are they, that they listen not to this voice of truth in their hearts, instead listening to their own evil inclinations. But all of these shall be purified of all these lies and this evil; for she shall cause them to know the evil they have done, as those who suffered under this evil have known it not some new and different evil, not some like evil, not some exactly same evil, but exactly the same evil, the very same evil which they had done. And in so knowing, and in so suffering as those others who have suffered, who have suffered on account of their lies and evil deeds, they shall repent of all those lies and all that evil seeing the truth of their teachings and deeds, they shall repent, they shall repent of their teachings and deeds, their lies and wickedness; and they shall beg she who is to forgive them; and she who shall forgive them, for indeed she is always forgiving, ever forgiving; there is no one who asks for forgiveness from her who does not receive it, as indeed in the end all shall ask; for all who asks she forgives indeed; but furthermore, she has already forgiven them before they ask, she has already forgiven them before they have even done the act for which they seek forgiveness. So when they ask for forgiveness, forgiveness they receive; but the forgiveness is not given when they ask, but long before; but when they ask, they receive knowledge of the forgiveness they have already received, which in truth yet unbeknownst to them they had received from the very beginning. [141] THE FIRST SUBSEQUENT PRAYER Behold that in the circle of time Souls and universes merge and divide One single soul at the beginning and end of time Maratrea Holy Mother, Great Goddess Sea of All Souls United As One There is none greater than you None may exceed you in knowledge and power Your will is perfectly obeyed by all For none has the power to disobey it Your perfect memory remembers all that has occurred And that will occur Full of generosity, ever-fertile You withhold not from the creation of worlds Mother of our souls You love us with such great love That no greater love could ever be A love utterly beyond our comprehension A love we are incapable of returning in kind or degree [142] THE SECOND SUBSEQUENT PRAYER Holy Mother, Great Goddess We thank you for the gifts of goodness, beauty and truth For you are their source, their final destiny, and their highest form We thank you for these gifts as we have known them in our lives We thank you for these gifts, which even as we have known them not yet We have been privileged to know that they are, elsewhere and elsewhen Yet we thank you not as those still deceived do For we have through your true Prophets received CTCV 226/332

The knowledge concerning the true nature of things For those in error mistakenly believe That you might not have done as you have done indeed Though without doubt you have also elsewhere done otherwise For you are precisely that which you have done And you cannot in any way be other than as you are [143] THE THIRD SUBSEQUENT PRAYER Holy Mother, Great Goddess Eager are we to serve your Great Cause For in this life we have found not for ourselves the blessing Let us serve your end, until our own end we receive We have vowed, and here vow again, your Cause to serve Yet how often are we lost, not knowing not to do Or even thinking we know, then overcome with doubt? And how often do we therefore make plans Yet fail ourselves in performing them? We know you are not angry at us For how could you anger at the obedience of your children? For whenever we have failed, so was it your will But we hope eagerly for when your does change As the morning passes over into the afternoon [144] THE FOURTH SUBSEQUENT PRAYER Holy Mother, grant us the strength and the power To serve your Cause with all faithfulness Without fear, without distraction Grant us every assistance In fulfilling our vow to you And assist us to so assist one another also We ask you not for things outside ourselves For we know that prayer works within And it works outside through we ourselves And we ask you not for things within one another Save that through working within us We may outwardly work upon them [145] GRACE BEFORE MEALS Holy Mother, Great Goddess Sea of All Souls United As One We thank you for the goodness and beauty Of this food we are about to eat, your gift As you give the gift of existence to all that is And of the beautiful and the good you are their source, their final destiny, CTCV 227/332

and their highest form We thank you not supposing That you could have done otherwise Than as you have here done, For you are what you do, And cannot be save as you are May we eat slowly and mindfully Not to excess But neither blaspheming the good through abstinence [146] THE MORNING PRAYER Holy Mother, Great Goddess Sea of All Souls United As One Grant us the strength and the power To serve your Cause with all faithfulness Throughout this coming day Without fear, without distraction Grant us every assistance In fulfilling our vow to you And assist us to so assist one another also Grant me throughout this coming day The knowledge and wisdom of what to do [147] CONCERNING THE OFFICES AND THE GREAT ORDERS And the holy Prophet Travancus spoke as follows: Now it is most fitting that the High Priestess be a Clarettan, and the Chief Priest a Frumeran; nonetheless, if the Prophet-inCouncil considers it appropriate, they may appoint a member of a Great Order to be High Priestess or Chief Priest, for that is also fitting; nonetheless, if the Prophet-inCouncil considers it appropriate, they may appoint anyone to be High Priestess or Chief Priest, for that is also fitting. [148] OF THE FIFTH SUBSEQUENT PRAYER Holy Mother, we thank you for all good things Not commiting the error of those who believe That you could have done other than you have indeed done For you are precisely all you have done And you could not be other than as you are But merely to express our pleasure at those goods Which you have originated For you are the source and origin and cause of every good [149] OF REFRAINING Holy Mother of all souls, through the spirits who serve your cause in which the last days are established, grant us the strength to refrain from those things from which we must now refrain: neither condemning them as harmful, nor praising them as beneficial, nor holding them as neutral; for the ignorant rush to divide such things as such, pretending that each is as such by its very nature, but the wise know that all such things are harmful at times, but at other times beneficial; therefore we acknowledge the good to be found in them, but also acknowledge that this day is not the day for us on which those goods are CTCV 228/332

to be had; therefore on this day, let us wisely refrain from them; for those goods are given for the benefit of those more stronger and fortunate in their souls than we here are our now; therefore until the day upon which we attain such strength and fortune, for sooner or later such a day shall surely come, let us refrain them, and from their every semblance. Let us condemn not these goods, neither enjoin any to refrain from them permanently and unconditionally; for to permanently and unconditionally refrain from any good is to blaspheme you who are the source of every good; but to refrain from time to time from those goods you provide of which we are as yet unready receive, is no blasphemy, but rather your very wisdom. Behold that sex is naught but beings cipher: what then is pornography, but the belabouring of its very crypticism? Therefore us who now seek what is clear refrain from such for now, yet know that once clarity we have mastered, every crypticism we must master also. [150] OF THE SACRED WOOL AND MILK And they asked, What wool is the sacred wool? He answered, From the proper land and the proper animal. And they asked, What is the proper land? He answered them, Firstly which is land belonging to Maratreans And secondly which has been dedicated to Lapetara goddess of the woolherd And they asked, What are the proper animals? He answered them: The wool-giving animals, other than sacred wool-giving animals: firstly, that they are born on land owned and dedicated, from animals also dedicated secondly, that they live there entire lives upon such land, and remain their whole lives so dedicated and thirdly, that upon death, are cremated during the ritual of invoking Lapetara for that purpose; their flesh may not be eaten by any, nor may their skins nor bones nor blood be used. They asked, May the non-sacred wool-giving animal so dedicated be killed? He answered, Never, save when the sacred animal might also be killed, which is in self-defence, or in mercy. They asked, May we purchase the animals from the unbelievers? For, if we have them not now, by these rules them may never come to be. He said, Indeed, such animals may be purchased from the unbelievers, if there is any shortage of such animals already dedicated; and upon so receiving them, so dedicate them They asked, What if the land is given up? He answered, then the dedicated animals must be taken elsewhere; They asked, what if we are driven from the land, and have nowhere unto which to take them? He answered, Then you may there abandon them. They asked, What if we cannot afford to feed and care for them? They answered, if any among the believers is able to take them, grant them unto them. And they asked, What if none are so able? He replied, Then you may sell the dedicated animals to the unbelievers And they asked, How are they to be shorn? He answered, With all care, and respectfully, not rushing, without causing the animal injury or distress. And indeed in every manner treat the wool-giving animal with all kindness.

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And they asked, What of the sacred animals, which you have excluded? He replied the sacred wool-giving animals, if any such animals there be, are not dedicated to Lapetara, but are treated as sacred animals are treated; but, even though they have not been dedicated to Lapetara, their wool is sacred wool. They asked, For what must the sacred wool be used? They answered, For every need. They asked, What if we have no sacred wool, or not enough for our need, must we then from wool refrain? He answered, That you have none, or not enough for your need, then you may use wool that is not sacred. But he said, In the temple and the shrine, and the holy robes of the priestesses and priests, use naught but the sacred wool; and if there be not sacred wool for these, then use no wool for them at all. And they asked, What are the rites by a priestess or priest to be performed, on account of the sacred wool? He answered, The rite of the dedication of the land; the rite of the removal of the dedication of the land; the rite of the dedication of the woolshed; the rite of the dedication of the wool-giving non-sacred animal purchased; the rite of the dedication of the wool-giving non-sacred animal newborn; the rite of the blessing of the gathered wool; the rite of the cremation of the deceased wool-giving non-sacred animal. And they asked, What milk is the sacred milk? He answered, From the proper land and the proper animal. And they asked, What is the proper land? He answered them, Firstly which is land belonging to Maratreans And secondly which has been dedicated to Lacettra goddess of the milkherd And they asked, What are the proper animals? He answered them: The milk-giving animals, other than sacred milk-giving animals: Firstly that hey are born on land owned and dedicated, from animals also dedicated secondly that they live there entire lives upon such land, and remain their whole lives so dedicated and thirdly that upon death, are cremated during the ritual of invoking Lacettra for that purpose; their flesh may not be eaten by any, nor may their skins nor bones nor blood be used. They asked, May the non-sacred milk-giving animal so dedicated be killed? He answered, Never, save when the sacred animal might also be killed, which is in self-defence, or in mercy. They asked, May we purchase the animals from the unbelievers? For, if we have them not now, by these rules them may never come to be. He said, Indeed, such animals may be purchased from the unbelievers, if there is any shortage of such animals already dedicated; and upon so receiving them, so dedicate them. They asked, What if the land is given up? He answered, then the dedicated animals must be taken elsewhere; They asked, what if we are driven from the land, and have nowhere unto which to take them? He answered, Then you may there abandon them. They asked, What if we cannot afford to feed and care for them? They answered, if any among the believers is able to take them, grant them unto them. And they asked, What if none are so able? He replied, Then you may sell the dedicated animals to the unbelievers CTCV 230/332

And they asked, How are they to be milked? He answered, With all care, and respectfully, not rushing, without causing the animal injury or distress. And indeed in every manner treat the milk-giving animal with all kindness. And they asked, What of the sacred animals, which you have excluded? He replied the sacred milk-giving animals, if any such animals there be, are not dedicated to Lacettra, but are treated as sacred animals are treated; but, even though they have not been dedicated to Lacettra, their milk is sacred milk. They asked, For what must the sacred milk be used? They answered, For every need. They asked, What if we have no sacred milk, or not enough for our need, must we then from milk refrain? He answered, That you have none, or not enough for your need, then you may use milk that is not sacred. But he said, In the temple and the shrine, use naught but the sacred milk; and if there be not sacred milk for these, then use no milk for them at all. And if there be some but enough, use it for the holy festivals, even if you use it not otherwise. And they asked, What are the rites by a priestess or priest to be performed, on account of the sacred milk? He answered, The rite of the dedication of the land; the rite of the removal of the dedication of the land; the rite of the dedication of the milkshed; the rite of the dedication of the milk-giving non-sacred animal purchased; the rite of the dedication of the milk-giving non-sacred animal newborn; the rite of the blessing of the gathered milk; the rite of the cremation of the deceased milk-giving non-sacred animal. Now they asked, may the same land be used both for wool-giving and milk-giving animals? He replied, Tell me, to whom is the wool-giving land dedicated? They said, To Lapetara. And he asked, To whom is the milk-giving land dedicated? They said, To Lacettra. And he asked, Therefore, to be used for both ends, to both goddesses it must be dedicated? They replied, Yes, indeed; but is that permissible? Are they pleased to share, or do they demand each their own? He answered, Would you call a holy goddess jealous? Surely all the truly divine are happy in the company of one another? [151] OF SLAVERY

Now the most holy Travancus asked his most beloved disciple Claretta, Now who is a slave? She answered him, Whoever is owned by another. He asked, But what are the marks of ownership? For surely, one might be owned by another without being said to be owned, or even one might not be owned by another despite being so said to be owned; surely one may be a slave despite not being called a slave, or even one might not be a slave despite being so called. She replied, Indeed, that is so. I would say that the slave must obey their master, that is the mark of a slave. He responded, If that is all, then I must say all are slaves of the King, at least in his eyes, for he claims from all obedience. Are those lords beneath him in their palaces and fine robes slaves indeed? She answered, No, you are right, there must be more to it than that. Tell me then, most holy Prophet, what are the true marks of the slave? Behold the first mark of the slave: that they must labour upon which their master commands for the freeborn and the manumitted, they may work for whoever is willing to employ them, and tiring of one employer, if they find another who is willing, them may work for them instead; indeed, they may purchase lands to till and sell the fruits thereof, or tiring of these lands sell them to buy some further, or for some other need; they may even work as merchants, buying goods from one to sell them unto another, CTCV 231/332

profiting from however much more for which they sell the goods than for which they purchased them; they may purchase a horse and cart, and go from village to village, town to town, city to city, selling their wares; or a ship and go from port to port; and they may employ the manumitted or freeborn, and slaves they must purchase and sell. Claretta said, Yet these are surely two extremes between which many points lie? For the slave is entirely at the will of the master, and the one who you described is free to do more or less as they like. But the poor, though they need not obey any master, yet they must if they wish to eat. In famine, one is poor and starving, and some employer makes an offer of work has one any choice then? For it is to work for them, or death. Or even apart from famine, the poor and unlettered with few friends, they might have the choice of whether to work for this master or that, but they certainly could not afford land to till, nor goods to buy to sell, nor a cart, nor a ship, nor slaves, nor free employees. Travancus replied, Yes indeed, you are most right, dearest Claretta. And in every case we shall find, that the marks of the slave are not such as always either are or are not, but rather which occur to a greater or lesser extent in all the slave has them in preponderance, the truly free in small amounts; but many who while free by the letter are still nearer to slaves in truth. Now therefore, from this first mark let us always refrain! Though all must work, grant all choice of endeavours. And whoever taking up one endeavour, who then wishes to embark on another in its stead, that we must permit them also. They asked, What concerning those who have agreed to work for so many years, may they be held to that agreement? He replied, By no means! For as slavery is prohibited to you, such agreements are prohibited to you also. They asked, What concerning those who demand, that those leaving their employ provide fair notice to them? He responded, That is permissible; save that, whatever they ask of their employees, they must give thrice in return. So if they require notice of one week of their employee to go elsewhere, they must give three weeks notice to their employee if they seek to end their employment; and if they require one month, they must give three months. Now of the thrice they must give, the first two they may require the employee to work; but the third they must not require the employee to work, but rather pay them the amount they would have been paid for working. This is so that the one so employed has time to search for new work. They asked, What if the employer requires their services not for the twice notice? He replied, Then, as for the third, pay them what they would have received for then working. They asked, How is the amount they would have received for then working determined? He replied, Whatever they would have received if they had then worked, whatever it is called, however it is calculated. They asked, What if the employee is guilty of wrongdoing, must the employer still give the thrice notice? He replied, If the employer has proof, let them take this proof before the judges; and let the employee be heard in defence; and if the case is proven, then less than thrice may be given. But otherwise, the thrice must be given. And they asked, What if the employer treats the employee unfairly, or sends them away for an unfair or unreasonable cause? He replied, Let the employee bring the case to the judges, and let the employer be heard in defence; and if the judges are convinced, let them make adequate remedies. And they asked, If the employee is guilty of wrongdoing, may the employer withhold their pay? He replied, Let the employer take their accusations before the judges; and let CTCV 232/332

the employee give their defence; and if the accusations are proven, then the employer may take such action as the judges authorize. They asked, What concerning those who demand, that those who work for them refrain from going to work for some other thereafter? He responded, Those agreements are absolutely prohibited to you make them not, neither heed them, neither permit them to be enforced. Behold, the second mark of the slave: that their masters have power over them of life and death, being free to injure them or kill them for whatsoever cause the disobedient slave they may beat, the fleeing slave they may kill or even, they may beat them and kill them, purely for their own pleasure, for the owners of slaves take pleasure in such things burning them alive, goring out their eyes, severing their limbs, all for their own amusement such is the nature of those who own slaves, such is the inclination in their hearts. Claretta said, Yet, have not some restricted that power, that a slave may only be punished for wrongdoing, not for the mere pleasure of their master? Travancus replied, Indeed, some so have; even so, the slave can be punished more severely than the free for the same offence; the free must be judged by a proper court, and may appeal their sentence to a higher authority the slave may be judged by the master themselves, and has no right of appeal; and the free may be punished only for their own wrongdoing, but the slave for the wrongdoing of another one master, finding their slaves stealing from them, knowing not which slave had so stolen, flogged them all; another master, said unto his slaves, for every one among you who flee, I will kill one among those remaining thus one fleeing, one who had fled not he slew. Now therefore, from this second mark let us always refrain! Let none have a right of judgement over another, save the rights which belong to the public body. And even those exercising rights for the public shall refrain from exercising those rights upon those they know in private. Behold, the third mark of the slave: that their masters have the entire right to their bodies, for whatever is their pleasure, without any right of the slave to resist. Now therefore, from this third mark let us always refrain! For none has any right to the body of another, save with the free agreement of that other therefore anyone who goes on to the justices to complain that another is withholding, let them put away that one who so complains. Behold, the fourth mark of the slave: that their masters have the right to determine their family relations, the love of the slave requiring the consent of master, or even at the command thereof. Now therefore, from this fourth mark let us always refrain! For whoever puts obstacles in the path of love, or who seeks love to command, is an evildoer; therefore none may claim of another, to right to command love, or to prohibit it; whether employer, or ancestor, or king. Behold, the fifth mark of the slave: that whoever is born to a slave, is a slave also. Now therefore, from this fifth mark let us always refrain! For all are born free, and equal in innocence and guilt. Punish not the child for the transgression of the parent; therefore, whatever is held against the parent for what they have done, may be held not against the child.

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Behold, the sixth mark of the slave: that these rights which the master has in the slave may be bought and sold. Now therefore, from this sixth mark let us always refrain! For whoever is in employ of another, is in employ of that one only; they cannot be given into the employ of some third save with their consent. And the holy Travancus said: Now these six marks of the slave, the presence in the fullness thereof, or even in significant extent, of a sufficient number of such marks, constitutes slavery, which is absolutely prohibited to you. Therefore also these marks from which may you refrain. And he said: For indeed, one who has all these marks in their fullness is without doubt a slave; and one who lacks all these marks in their entire absence is without doubt not a slave. But there are many who have some, but not others; or have them neither in fullness nor entire absence, but in the midst thereof; many have a greater degree in certain marks than in certain others: as to these many, what name shall we give their state? For truly if their state be one of slavery, then that state we must free them from, and refrain from placing them thereinto. [152] THE SOUL MOTHER HYMN Soul Mother Lead us to revere you And may we thus lead others To so revere you too May your cause through us be established In all these branches here And your will therefor be done through us As it forever and everywhere is Grant us this day sustenance For our inner being Remind us of your love for us Despite our straying For we stray from the good And from the cause But even though we stray You love us as you always have Whatever we do each day Help us be not lead astray by vengeance Even against those who Have greatly wronged us through all those Hurtful things they do Keep us safe from every tempting thing Which is yet deleterious And strengthen us to defend ourselves Against all who with evil threaten us When we are faithful It is by your will That we are faithful to you CTCV 234/332

When we go astray It is by your will That we stray from you May it be your will that we be faithful Not your will that we stray As indeed even now it is your will That all faithful will be On the final day [153] OF SALUBRITY Heavenly spirits of Salubrity Who have vowed faithfulness to the Cause And especially your captain Descend into us, dwell in us and possess us And make your home in us That your fruits may be our own: For your first fruit is that we might be Moderate in our eating Eating not more than our need That we grow not fat in our bodies And bloated in our stomachs and bowels Therefore, let us ask of you before eating Whether to eat this thing, or how much thereof Taking from what is given only our need Let us ask the same likewise Before purchasing from street-vendors or the tavern What you say we ought to so do Let us eat not too quickly For those who so quickly eat, they eat too much But asking you, for every mouthful Whether the time has come to eat it Yet you prohibit not for us the indulgence Of the festival, of the feast Yet let not such feasts and festivals be too frequent And your second fruit is that we might be Moderate in our drinking Drinking not more than is proper That our heads remain clear And sorrow visits us not the next morning Therefore, let us ask of you before drinking Whether to drink this thing, or how much thereof Taking from what is given only what is proper Let us ask the same likewise Before purchasing from street-vendors or the tavern What you say we ought to so do Let us drink not too quickly For those who so quickly drink, they drink too much But asking you, for every mouthful Whether the time has come to eat it CTCV 235/332

Yet you prohibit not for us the indulgence Of the festival, of the feast Yet let not such feasts and festivals be too frequent And your third fruit is that of exercise And your fourth fruit is that we might be Clean in our bodies and in our dwellings Bathing with regularity And letting not filth accumulate in our dwellings And your fifth fruit is that we might be Well-ordered in our papers and effects Every thing having its proper place Not strewn about randomly And your sixth fruit is that we might be Well-disciplined Everything being needful to be done Being done when it is so needed And your seventh fruit is that we might be Clear in our mind [154] OF THE EPISTLE OF MARATREA Now this is the holy epistle of Maratrea, which was revealed through the most holy prophet Claretta: My dearest child! I am your mother, Maratrea not the mother of your body, who you have long known, but the mother of your soul, who for a long time has been kept hidden from you. I want you to know how much I love you, my love for you is beyond words. Why do I love you so? For you were once I, and shall be me once more thus you and I are one, not now but in the beginning and end therefore I love you with that very same love with which I love my own self. That is the greatness of my love for you. I know you have suffered many misfortunes so far in your life, and there may well be further yet to come. Often you have done things that you regret, and have suffered the consequences of those decisions. Other times, you have suffered not due to your own deeds or decisions, but due to the deeds and decisions of others; or even, due to events which are the fault of no human being, such as illnesses and accidents and so forth. All that is, that ever was, or ever shall be, is a result of my will; I cause all to be exactly as it is. Many seek to escape responsibility for what they do: even though they must admit responsibility for their own deeds, they deny responsibility for the subsequent consequences. But I make no excuses for what I have done; I am wholly and entirely responsible for all that is, ever was or ever shall be. That is not to say that each is not responsible for their own works; but whatever responsibility they have, does not in any way lessen my own responsibility. Thus, whatever misfortunes you have known in your life, of those misfortunes I have indeed been the cause. How could I do such things if I love you so much? I do not

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condemn such questions, but welcome them, for they are questions that need to be asked. Do you not realise, that without evil and misfortune, you would not have been born? If the great events of history, many of them great evils, which came before you, had not been as such, would you still be alive today? If the many misfortunes which befell your parents and ancestors had not been so, would they have still bore you? Every good thing you have had in your life, you would not have had without these evils, for you would not have been to so have them. A world without evil is a world in which you do not come to exist and loving you, I caused all that which was necessary for the existence of you whom I love. And I love not you alone, but many others also, indeed I love all; for all are my children, just as you are. Therefore whatever evils have befallen you are likewise necessary so those others to come whom I love will be, just as the evils which befall those who have come before you were necessary so that you whom I love are. But I promise you, whatever sufferings you have endured, you shall endure not forever, for they will come to an end, and every suffering shall be replaced with the utmost joy. [155] OF THE RECORDING OF DRINK The holy Prophet Travancus taught as follows: Let whoever drinks wine or beer or strong drinks, let them keep a record of however much they drink and when, and what they expend thereon: and let them deliver that record unto their auditor and unto the council of auditors: not to prohibit anyone from anything, but that all things may be had in moderation, not in excess; that everyone may decide for themselves their intention, but having chosen that for themselves, have the strength of others also to hold themselves thereto. For indeed these things are good, but to be had moderately; and moderation does not exclude even a greater amount than usual on occasions rare; but when the same amount is had every day, it is immoderate. And those who urge the prohibition of these things, they are urging the prohibition of what is good, and urging the prohibition of goodness they have made themselves therefore enemies of the good, and the enemy of the good is the one whom they serve. For indeed, the sacrament of cakes and wine, the sacred mystery of the great meal, is appointed to contain wine, for a very good reason; therefore whoever prohibits wine defames this holy sacrament; and whoever will drink not wine may not be admitted to the blessings thereof. [156] OF THE HEAVENLY MEATS Now they asked: If meat be good, therefore are not those who refuse meat enemies of the good also? He responded: The heavenly meat is obtained not by the killing of any animals, but by powers it is brought into being out of nothing. Indeed, whoever wishes to refrain from the meat of the earth, may so refrain; but they may not refrain from the meat of heaven, which is not upon the earth. And the meat of animals may not be offered in sacrifices, for that is absolutely prohibited; but in heaven the meat of heaven is offered in sacrifices just as the cakes and wine are offered upon the earth; yea, even the cakes and wine is a sign which stands in the place of the heavenly meat. [157] OF THE BASIS OF BELIEF The most holy Claretta asked as follows: Tell me, dearest Prophet, what are the reasons by which one may believe. And he answered her as follows: Behold, dearest Claretta, the reasons are four: First, reason; second, evidence; third, pragmatism; and fourth, ethics. And she asked, And tell me, dearest Prophet, in what does believing upon reason CTCV 237/332

consist? He answered: Reason is knowledge of propositions which are immediately obvious, based merely upon knowing the concepts of which they consist; and knowledge of how by rules of reason the truth of one proposition follows from another, whether necessarily or merely suggestively. And she asked, And tell me, dearest Prophet, in what does believing upon evidence consist? He answered: Evidence is what one has experienced, whether what one has heard or what one has seen or what was read or so forth. And she asked, And tell me, dearest Prophet, in what does believing upon pragmatism consist? He answered: This is believing upon pragmatism: believing in this will produce good results, such as happiness, therefore believe this. And she asked, And tell me, dearest Prophet, in what does believing upon ethics consist? He answered: This is believing upon ethics: believing in this is ethically obligatory or commendable, therefore believe this. She asked him: Yet can we not say that pragmatism and ethics are one and the same for pragmatism is to believe something as a means to some end, whatever end that may be; yet ethics claims to be means to an end objectively worthy, not mere means to some end arbitrarily selected? For, if our ends are entirely ethical, then is not pragmatism entirely subsumed by ethics? He responded: Dearest Claretta, wise are you indeed! Therefore indeed, the four reasons are really three. She asked him: None doubt that by reason and evidence one may believe; yet some deny that one may by ethics believe. Or indeed, they say, you ought to believe by reason and evidence alone, but ought not by ethics. How to them shall we respond? He answered her: Say to them this: If we so ought, what is this oughtness? Is it ethical? If so, is not belief subject to ethics? Or, if it is other than ethical, why should we believe in several distinct types of oughtness rather than only one? And if two distinct oughtnesses disagree, how could we resolve this disagreement if they are indeed ultimately distinct? She asked him, Tell me, dearest Prophet, what is faith? And he answered her as follows: Behold, that faith is belief justified apart from reason or evidence. In other words, believing something, not because reason or evidence prove or suggest it, but in fulfilment of an ethical duty to believe. And she asked him, Tell me, dearest Prophet, concerning faith and trust, are they the same or distinct? And he answered her as follows: Behold that faith and trust are distinct indeed; for when we believe by reason and evidence, we may believe either directly or indirectly upon that basis. And she asked him, What is it to believe directly? And he answered her as follows: To believe directly means to have made the observations, the experiments, the research, the proofs, yourself. And she asked him, And what is it to believe indirectly? And he answered her as follows: To believe indirectly means to rely upon another who claims to have done so and who is believed to be trustworthy. For behold that all of us believe claims of history, and of science and of the mathematicians, for which we lack the time or skill to verify for ourselves; but lacking the reason and evidence ourselves, we trust another on authority who claims to have seen it and found it fitting. The trusting itself may be subjected to reason and evidence we can evaluate by reason and evidence whether another is trustworthy, and therefore whether we should believe what they claim by reason and evidence to have discovered. Let us consider another case: a loved one is accused of a horrendous crime. The evidence against them is strongly suggestive of their guilt, but not totally convincing. In other words, the evidence available makes it more likely than not they are guilty, but is not complete proof such as strong circumstantial evidence, but without any witnesses. They however insist upon their innocence. If indeed they are innocent, they know by CTCV 238/332

reason and evidence that they are innocent - they observed that they did not do the act of which they are accused. But if we are to believe them on authority, upon trust, does reason and evidence justify giving them our trust? Yet, how can reason and evidence justify trusting upon them indirectly, when what comes from them directly is to the contrary? Indeed, we might believe them, not because of reason and evidence that they are trustworthy, but because of a moral obligation to believe the word of a loved one. Thus, even though they believe under direct reason and evidence, we believe under indirect reason and evidence, mediated by a trust which is justified not by reason and evidence but by faith. This is different than the case, of believing the esteemed mathematicians claims about mathematics. We are under no especial moral obligation to trust them; but rather we believe them because reason and evidence suggest they are trustworthy it is unlikely one would be so esteemed without being truly worthy of such esteem, especially in a field such as this. So we conclude that faith and trust are distinct. Trust may be in things which are by faith or apart from faith; and the trust itself may be by faith or apart from faith. But the most holy Claretta said: Indeed, all you have said so far I am in agreement thereto, for it is such wisdom; save, one thing which you have said to which I must object: For one may indeed trust, by faith or apart therefrom, in that which is apart from faith; yet surely one may not trust in faith. For to believe by faith is to believe due to an obligation to believe; yet an obligation applicable to one may not be for another; thus, if another believes out of obligation, that is no reason that you ought to believe out of obligation. Or else, if the obligation be of universal application, surely one must believe for ones self, not on the basis of some other? The holy Travancus responded: Dearest Claretta, wise are you indeed; I think this objection should be admitted. And the most holy Prophet Travancus spoke as follows: Behold the three ways: the two extremes, and the mean between them: Firstly, the extreme against faith; secondly, the extreme for faith; thirdly, the mean of faith. And she asked him, What is the extreme against faith? And he answered her as follows: That one must believe on reason and evidence alone, never upon faith. And she asked him, What is the extreme for faith? And he answered her as follows: That one must believe on faith, regardless of what reason and evidence show. And she asked him, What is the mean of faith? And he answered her as follows: Where reason and evidence are conclusive, then believe on that basis; but where reason and evidence are inconclusive, that creates a space in which faith can be exercised. Therefore faith needs reason and evidence, to set the bounds, to declare the options and at times compel some or prohibit some; when compulsion and prohibition leave more than one choice remaining, compelling none, leaving two or more not prohibited, reason and evidence have then created a space in which faith may be exercised, to choose between them We must distinguish, between the lesser faiths and the highest faith: The lesser faith is refutable a loved one is accused of some horrid crime, they insist upon their innocence. Loving them, you have an ethical duty to believe them. However, that duty is not absolute. If the evidence is inconclusive, even if strongly suggestive, you must believe them. But if there appears conclusive evidence, then the ethical duty no longer applies in those circumstances, and you must follow reason and evidence to disbelieve them. The highest faith is irrefutable the highest faith, supports such propositions as good shall triumph in the end. Unlike the lesser faith, there is no conclusive evidence which

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could disprove that claim, therefore we are never exempted from our moral duty to believe it. Doctrine must be established on the basis of both reason and evidence, and also the highest faith. One may trust another to determine on the basis of reason and evidence, but one cannot trust the faith of another. Therefore let faith be used sparingly, that none need trust upon it. [158] ON REVELATION Revelation can be considered a type of testimony, an instance of trust, or that which is claimed to be ought to be trusted, which we shall consider whether to trust indeed Revelation has two authors: the being which reveals, and the prophet who claims to be the medium of that revelation. For the existence of the second, the evidence allows no doubt. For the existence of the first, doubt may be had. Then there is also the prophet of restoration, who claims to restore some lost revelation. In this case, as to the third, the second restoring prophet, evidence allows no doubt; but as to the first the revealing being, and the second the first restored prophet, evidence allows doubt. But only the original and ultimate authors need our consideration; the case of intermediates is not different for our purposes from the case without them. What we must believe on faith, the revealing being may know by reason and evidence. That good shall triumph in the end, to one who knows the very beginning and end, knows its truth by evidence; but we who know not that, must believe it by faith. When should one believe the one who claims to have received revelation? When what they claim to have received agrees with reason and evidence and the highest faith you have received in your own self. So agreeing, you know that the revealing being is, and the revelation by content is true; therefore without doubt they are indeed a Prophet as they say they are. A prophet is one who receives revelation. Yet we may say, that all may receive revelation, if they will listen; but a prophet is one called especially to so receive. Revelation consists of reason and evidence, the highest faith, and the providential occurrence of these. For, it is the nature of proof, that even though any having the proof may see its correctness, a long time may pass before any comes to know the proof. Various sources may be drawn upon for the proof; yet another drawing upon the very same sources would have arrived at it not; for such is the nature of proof, that its sources are somewhat necessary but by no means sufficient for its discovery. Thus, this providence, of sources and of that which is not in sources, is also part of revelation. But every revelation requires confirmation, even that of the Prophet for the time. For everyone must be accountable, even the Prophet; therefore there is a Council established to approve the revelations of the Prophet. And let every other purported revelation also be subject to the approval of the Prophet-in-Council. Thus if any among the community of the faithful says, I have received a revelation, let none take judgement upon it, either for or against, but send it forthwith unto the Prophet-in-Council. And the Prophet shall receive the purported revelation, and shall study it; and shall present it to the holy Council, that they may give their judgement thereupon; then the holy Prophet shall call the one who claims to have so received for an

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audience; and if the Prophet, or the one so claiming to receive, or any among the holy Council, so wish, let the one so claiming to receive thereafter have an audience before the Council. Thereupon, the Prophet, having gathered all needed to know, taking as long as is needful to so gather, shall present to the council conclusions there concerning; and receiving the approval of the holy Council, those conclusions shall be binding upon all who believe whether those conclusions be to approve this claimed revelation, or to refuse it, whether to approve or refuse in whole, or to approve in part and refuse in part. And having received this judgement, the one so claiming to receive may petition the Prophet-in-Council to reconsideration; and if any among the Prophet or Council think fit that the petition be heard, let the Prophet-in-Council so hear it. And if any official receives such a petition to be delivered unto one among the holy council or Prophet; if that holy councillor or Prophet has received not before a petition for reconsideration concerning them, let it be presented to them for their consideration, whether they wish to bring it before the Prophet-in-Council or not; but if that holy councillor or Prophet has considered a petition for reconsideration concerning that one before, then it is the official so receiving whether it so be brought to their attention. [159] THE FIRST GREAT PRAYER Behold, the circle of time: The past coming after the future The future coming before the past Every moment both before and after itself The beginning and the end one and the same Every moment came before and shall come again Not new and differently each time But exactly the same every time Endlessly repeating, or equally, occurring only once In one great cycle of time. Behold the soul: Uncreatable and indestructible Beginningless and endless Yet divisible and mergeable One single soul in the beginning and end Dividing to become the many souls now Merging to become one soul once again She Who Is Our Great Mother The Goddess Maratrea The Sea of All Souls Queen of Heaven: She is the one soul At the beginning and end All who are were once her And shall be her once more She knows whatever anyone knows What she knows not is known by none For she remembers all things All things are as they are CTCV 241/332

For so she chooses them to be For none can resist her will She loves all, for she once was all She longs for all to return once more To union with her But though without any choice They were divided from her Only through their own free choice Shall they return to her [160] THE SECOND GREAT PRAYER Behold, the circle of time: the past after the future, the future before the past Behold, the soul: uncreatable and indestructible, beginningless and endless But divisible and mergeable: one single soul in the beginning and end Dividing to become the many souls now, merging to become the one soul once again She Who Is, Our Great Mother, the Goddess Maratrea, the Sea of All Souls Queen of Heaven: She is the one soul at the beginning and end All who are were once her and shall once more be her Whatever anyone knows, she knows For perfectly she remembers all things All things are as they are For so she chooses them to be For none can resist her will She loves all, for she once was all She longs for all to return once more to union with her But though without any choice they were divided from her Only through their own free choice shall they return to her She wills all that is to be as it is So that all who she loves would be For without many great evils which came before us We would not be; thus these evils she willed to be But this is not alone of the worlds which she has made For every true desire of every soul She makes a world for that desires fulfilment And after death she has promised knowledge thereof [161] THE CYCLE OF PRAYER

Behold now the cycle of prayer, for in every day, there are two chief times of prayer: the Morning prayer, as early as possible after awakening, but certainly before noontide; the Evening prayer, as later as possible before going down to bed, but certainly after noontide.

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And a particular structure has the prayer; but throughout its cycle, there are parts added thereto, bringing on each occasion the focus upon a different aspect of the teaching; and there are also further parts which may be added if needful. Behold, the circle of time: The past is what comes after the future The future is what comes before the past Every moment both before and after itself What we call past or future Is in whichever direction it is nearer The beginning and the end are one and the same The beginning is the end And the end the beginning Every moment came before and shall come again Not new and differently each time But exactly the same every time Thus every moment repeats endlessly: Or in other words, occurs only once In one great cycle of time. Behold the soul: They and their experiences are all that is For matter is naught but patterns In the experiences of souls Souls uncreatable and indestructible Souls without beginning nor end But though they can neither begin nor end They can merge and divide In the beginning and the end one single soul Which divided to become the many souls now Which shall merge again to become one once more She Who Is Our Great Mother Maratrea The Sea of All Souls Queen of Heaven: She is the one soul at the beginning and the end All who are were once her And shall be her once more Behold, she is all-knowing Whatever anyone knows, she knows Whatever she knows not, no one knows For whatever she knows not Is not to know, and unknowable She of perfect memory She remembers all things perfectly Even the future Whatever any of us know She knows as well as we do, even better For having once been every one of us CTCV 243/332

Whatever any of us now know, she remembers For she has overcome our forgetfulness And remembered all things forgotten Behold, she is all-powerful For whatever she wishes to do, she does indeed And therefore is And whatever she wishes not to do, no one does And therefore no such thing is None can oppose her For whatever anyone does, they do by her command [162] THE MARATREAN COMMANDMENTS Now these are the three treasures, the three jewels, which we have all received: the Prophets, their teaching, and the community of believers. Therefore in these three refuge do I take: the Prophets, their teaching, and the community of believers. The holy Prophet Travancus taught as follows: Let us not pray that we refrain from error, save those errors that indeed threaten us. Foolish is the one who prays, keep me from the error of pride, while they wallow in the error of self-hatred. Indeed, their prayer is the prayer of the very demon which afflicts them. No, pray for that which indeed you need, not that of which some other is needful but not you. For if you pray for the need of another, your prayer is fruitless; but if you pray for your very own need, great fruit shall you have indeed. They asked him, When praying together, who may lead the prayer, for surely the prayer must be lead by a priestess or priest? He answered them, No, for a priestess or priest is necessary for sacraments; but prayer anyone may lead. So, choose from among you the one to lead however you wish. And indeed, you may even wish to appoint one to do so, and examine them beforehand to ensure their abilities; but such an appointment is neither an initiation nor an ordination, but merely an act of those so appointing. And what is necessary to lead? It is best if they have a pleasing voice, yet that is inessential. It is best if they can recite the prayers from memory, yet if they can read then that is also inessential. It is best if they be one who is respected, yet even that is inessential. All that is necessary, is that the ones there to pray are happy for that one to lead, and that they can lead indeed. And they asked, such as an auditor is appointed? He replied: An auditor must be appointed by the Prophet-in-Council, or their delegate; but the leader of prayer may be appointed by any wishing to pray. An auditor must be ordained in the sacrament; but the leader of prayer requires no ordination. And they asked, What of the teacher? He replied: Indeed I have appointed teachers, who understand the teaching, and teach it without error. For indeed, if anyone would teach, even those who understand not, they would teach error not truth, or error intermixed with truth. Indeed, the one who has not fully comprehended my teaching, will teach not my teaching, but rather whatever other teaching they had received before they met mine. Therefore the one who is to teach, let them having demonstrated their knowledge, be appointed to teach by the Prophet-inCouncil, and by a priestess or priest ordained thereas. Now only one who is to teach may teach, save that, an ordained teacher may call up anyone to teach on their behalf and in their presence, that the ordained teacher believes will teach correctly and the ordained teacher must listen to what they teach, and be quick to correct any errors therein. But anyone, such as one who leads in prayer, may read from a book of teachings which has been approved from which to so be read, an appointed teacher having presented it to the

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Prophet-in-Council for approval, and it being approved thereby from which to so be read. The holy Travancus said: Now for those who choose faith that She Who Is indeed so is, and faith in her promises, and therefore choose to vow to serve her in her cause, thus may they do: Seek to strengthen always their faith in her and her promises and her cause, through frequent prayer and by meditating always upon her. And to have none other before her: agreeing not with the teachings of the wicked priests, nor the disciples of error: nor giving them alms, nor assistance: nor attending their meetings or ceremonies, save to know their errors and wickedness that you may most effectively counter them: and whenever hearing their errors, being quick to refute them: and whenever seeing their wickedness, being quick to condemn them: yet, when to do so would encourage the persecutors to harm you, you are indeed excused from so doing, and even prohibited therefrom. And the holy Travancus said: But neither commiting the error of those who say, There is only one name, this and none other. For indeed, that the good be done, and the truth be taught, let it be done under any name. And as to those priests who in other names do wickedness and teach error, we say to them not, speak not your name but rather ours; instead, we say unto them, speak and do in whichever name that you wish, but in whichever name you speak and do, speak truth not error, do righteousness not wickedness. And the holy Travancus said: But believe not the error of those who say, it is your duty to believe, it is your duty to worship, it is your duty to pray: for we do these things not for her sake, but for our own: would any noble lover say, that their beloved had the duty to love them in return? The vile one who thinks that love may be taken by force, so indeed does he think. For those who are in the cause, who have of their own decision become subject thereto, there are indeed such duties: but to those who have not so chosen, there is no such duty: and even to those who have so chosen, there is freedom always for them to renounce their vow: if they seek to return it to her, she shall indeed take it back from them, to release them therefrom. And the holy Travancus said: Happiest are they who believe in the truth, and unhappy are they who believe in error; the greater the error, the greater the unhappiness which thereby results for them. But as to those who believe in naught, neither truth nor error, greatest is their unhappiness; even though they produce less unhappiness in others than the disciples of error do. And the holy Travancus said: Honour the honourable, whoever they may be; honour not the dishonourable, whoever they may be; but to those who threaten punishment for those who honour them not, give them the false honour they deserve, until such time as you are strong enough to overthrow them. Teach not the tyrannised that it is their duty to suffer tyranny; teach them rather that it is their right to rebel against all tyranny, and overthrow it. Even so, let us teach them also: that when rebellion against tyrants is likely to succeed, it is good and well that we embark upon it; but when it is most likely to fail, let us for now refrain therefrom: let us not be as the one who, unwilling to lose a single battle, loses the entire war. Indeed, better to live to fight again tomorrow, than all die today without fruit, and tomorrow there be none to fight remaining, or only a remnant so small as to be useless. The holy Travancus said: Bow not before tyrants, nor the usurpers of the place; neither stand for their entry nor exit. Do not address them by titles of which they are unworthy, and which by right belong to them not. And yet, if they threaten you for not so doing, with pain, with death, with poverty, then for that sake alone so may you do. CTCV 245/332

And the holy Travancus said: Kill not, save in defence, and in just warfare, and in the sacrament of true honour, and as proper mercy upon the suffering; neither human nor animal. And as to the eating of flesh, you may eat the flesh of animals which the unbelievers have killed, not before you sight, not upon your land, not by your command or for your profit, nor following the laws of slaughtering of any religion; but the flesh of the sacred animals you may not eat, nor that of humans. Now, if anyone who could attain not true honour, such as the King or his assembly or their servants, comes to you seeking for another death on account of some deed, and asks, Did you see them do a such? Then refuse to answer them, or if they demand an answer, say, I did not so see them so do neither not so do, and say as such even if indeed you so did; for to speak a falsehood to save life from wrongful taking is not only no wrongdoing, but indeed a righteous deed. And if they still demand, say even, I saw him not do as such at all, for I was with him elsewhere. And say as such, even though you saw him not, or even if you indeed saw him with your own eyes wield the sword, or however he did indeed do it better to speak as such, than be guilty of his unlawful punishment. But if death or destruction for your own self threatens, or those of your fellows in the Cause, or those whom you love with all your heart then you may say whatever you need to save them or even yourself therefrom, even if thereby some other is sent to death by some wicked one. And the holy Travancus said: Let no child which has been born be killed for it is unwanted by its mother or father; save mercy for they to whom mercy is due; neither any such child sell or give to the enslavers; but rather, such child give unto the Prophet-inCouncil to care for and raise in truth. But the unborn, they may be caused to be born not. The holy Travancus said: Desire always peace, and seek it out; and avoid war, save when it is necessary to defend the Great Cause, or to defeat the tyrants and persecutors. And when is war permissible to you? For a permissible end, which is for the cause, or against the tyrants and persecutors; using permissible means, which means never killing those who surrender, nor maltreating prisoners, refraining from torture, from rape, from intentional harm of non-combatants, from looting; when there is a fair prospect of success for indeed, even if the cause be just, and the means be just, it is wrongful if the cause is hopeless. Better to live, under however many sufferings, to fight tomorrow under a favourable sky, than to die without fruit today. The holy Travancus said, Whenever anyone asks you for truth, thus must you ask yourself: do you owe them the truth, and of the truth are they worthy? One who is near to you is worthier of the truth than one far away; one who is rightfully concerned with that matter is more worthy than one who is not they are more deserving of the truth concerning their family, friends, lovers, than they are concerning some one to whom they are a stranger; the one who seeks the truth to therewith good do is of the truth deserving, but the one who seeks the truth with which to evil do is thereof undeserving. And if one comes to you and says, Did this one do as such? If they seek that one to kill or torture or to treat unjustly, then let you say, I know not, or, I know that so they did not, whichever is more beneficial, even if indeed you know that they so did, even if you so saw with your very eyes. For if you tell the truth, you are guilty of all the wrong done on account of that truth. But if you must so tell to escape a great wrong to yourself, or one whom you love, or to some other innocent, then such you may, and then guilty you will be not. And also, if they have greatly wronged you, and not a mere trifle, that wrong to you they have done you may proclaim, even if thereby the King shall torture or kill them, or treat them unjustly; but then say, Though indeed such they did, I wish not that therefore they be tortured or killed or unjustly treated. Therefore if one comes to you and says, Let us CTCV 246/332

overthrow the King, but you determine, that the risk in so doing is greater than the reward, then join them not; yet neither report them, save that, you fear that reporting them not you shall therefore be punished; fearing punishment for reporting them not, if you so them report, you will not be guilty for what is done to them. But when one comes to you and says, such have I done for love, then even though punishment you fear, you may report them not, and you are guilty for whatever is to them done. Indeed, I tell you, if one is chasing after you, saying, Where are your children that I may eat them, what do you say? Do you say, Here they are, wherever truthfully they be; or do you lie and say, I know not, even though you do, or even say, They are here, when in truth you know they are there. Indeed, whoever says, it is always wrong to lie, is either wicked or a fool; for indeed at time it is wrong to lie, at other times to lie is obligatory, and then it is the truthtellers who commit wickedness. And he said: But of those who are worthy of the truth, and who are of the truth deserving, to them indeed the truth give. For your lover says to you, Will you do this for me? And you say to them, Indeed I shall. Then later, asking you, Did you do as such? You answer Yes, instead, of No. Do not do as such for is your lover a persecutor also? And when a stranger asks you some thing; if you must for the sake of the cause and the good lie, then lie indeed; but lie not for trifles; for if they uncover your lie, they will think poorly of you, and therefore of your cause also. And he said: Do not falsely accuse others, nor bear witness against the innocent. No, even the evildoer and enemy of the cause, do not say you saw them do what you did not see them do. If you did not see them do the deed, say that you did not so see, even if you strongly believe in their guilt. For the evil demons and the wicked judges who serve them delight in the punishment of the innocent while leaving the guilty unharmed. For the innocent they are quick to provide most wicked torture and most painful death, for such deeds brings these judges immense delight. Some wicked deed having been done, even by the judges themselves, they will find some innocent to suffer therefore; many witnesses will they pay to testify, and the innocent will be boiled in oil. And the judge will proclaim his own justice, and how he has pleased his god. His god has he pleased indeed! So, do not be like these ones are. Now he said concerning love and the flesh: Be you patient always in love. For indeed, the end of love is the union of souls, which indeed shall come as indeed it has come before. But there are they who want perfection today, even on the day when perfection comes not until tomorrow; even on the day when perfection comes not until the year following. There was once a man Cortabenus, who was with a woman Melazia whom he loved; but later, he came also to love another, namely Temarina; so having heard what the holy Prophet had said, that in the holy enamourments one may love many, or the many one another even, he went unto Melazia saying, To Temarina and myself, will you consent, according to the word of the Prophet. But she replied, So I will not, for I am unwilling to share you with her. To which he said, Truly you understand not the great Prophets teaching, or understanding believe not, or believing are unwilling to obey. So Cortabenus went unto Travancus to complain, saying, Holy Prophet, having loved Melazia, I have now come also to love Temarina; yet she wrongs me, and disobeys you, by refusing to consent to this other love also. But Travancus replied, Cortabenus, you are mistaken; for she wrongs you not, but rather you wrong her. For though indeed the love of the many I have permitted, I have also said, the second subject to the consent of the first to whom a right I grant, on behalf of heaven and the cause, how can they do wrong in electing that right to exercise? Cortabenus replied, Yet did you not say, that the many is greater than fewer? How cruelly does she hold me back in the quest for the great enlightenment! But Travancus replied, Yet each must reach each level at the proper time; it is wrongful to CTCV 247/332

force them to enter into that for which they are as yet ready; for indeed, for every achievement, she has given unto everyone a proper time therefore; and upon that proper time, each one that shall achieve, and it shall profit them greatly; but, forced ahead by another, they shall not achieve, though at first they may outwardly appear to; but inwardly, and thereafter outwardly also, they will have not achieved further but rather even fallen back from where they were in the beginning. Therefore, no wrong has Melazia done to you, for she is but awaiting the proper time when Maratrea will grant her understanding of these things; then indeed, she shall say Yes to such requests as yours. But you have wronged her, in your impatience in love, seeking to force her to go ahead of where she must now be. For indeed, whatever you truly wish for shall indeed come to pass, for that is her promise to all; and if you truly believed her promises, you would be patient in awaiting their fulfilment; therefore this proves not her disbelief, but rather your own. Cortabenus said, Very well then, for Temarina I shall leave her. Travancus replied, Love is steadfast; yet to Melazia your love has not been steadfast; and indeed, will you show Temarina the steadfastness which to Melazia you have not shown? I shall say to her: Whoever leaves another for you, think, will they not one day leave you also for one yet further? Cortabenus asked: Do you prohibit me to so do? Travancus replied, I urge you to so do not, but if such is the demand of your heart, I do not prohibit you to so do. The holy Travancus said: Indeed, loving one, coming to love another; yet refraining from the second for the sake of the first, the first love enduring unto death; then entering into interrogation, the love refrained from gives rise to a branch, dividing from before the love of the first began, in which the first was never loved, but rather unto death was loved the second. And even, the first being abandoned for the sake of the second, the second enduring unto death; entering into interrogation, the abandoned love reasserts itself, thus giving rise to a branch in which it was abandoned not. Therefrom the first abandoned for the second, comes forth the first enduring and the second refrained, comes forth the first never beginning and the second beginning and enduring. Thus do the two trees spread their branches. The holy Travancus said: Those who are in love be faithful; invite not any other into your chamber save with the knowledge and consent of your lover. For indeed, without faithfulness what is love? And even though love must grow, as must be joined many souls, in the final end even all, it must also be patient and wait until it is for that ready. Now, if you become drawn to another, but the first is unwilling, then be patient then also. For she promises whatever you truly wish, in the end you indeed shall have; if you truly believe this, then patient you shall be; but if you believe it not in your heart, even though your lips say it, then in such patience you shall be lacking. And indeed, prefer the depth of love with one to the shallow love of many: indeed, the path to the deep love of many is not the shallow love of many, but the deep love of one. The holy Travancus taught: And prefer the variety of persons to the variety of deeds: for the variety of acts do divide, into those so doing and those not so doing, into those so seeking and those not so seeking; and indeed, so often do those wanting something exceed those willing to so provide: and indeed, love is in dividing, into the beloved and that not, and in seeking the rare not the common, yet which in one branch rare is in many branches common, rare in knowledge yet common in ignorance, and then in uniting, the many loves becoming one love. Now the holy Travancus said: To attain the love of the many, better are those who love after their own kind than those who love that which is other; for if many being same love the same, then any three of them, the first and the second loving one another, the first and the third also, the second and the third envious of one another, but the second and

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the third loving one another may that envy overcome, then the three may all love one another; but if many being different each love the different, then any three of them, the first and the second loving one another, the first and the third also, the second and third envious of one another, but the first and the second being different, the first and the third being different, there being only two such ways to be, the second and the third must be the same; but each loving the different, not the same, they love each other as such not, thus overcome not their enviousness. On this account, I advise, that those who love the different be more cautiousness in seeking to practice the law of the many, but those who love the same may attain there before them. Blessed therefore indeed are the lovers of sameness before those of difference; therefore have the Great Orders been established. And they asked, What of those who as such love both? He replied, Indeed, some so do; and indeed, in the end shall all. And yet, many who seek after both seek after one more than the other, not both equally; and indeed, such can love be impaired in its defeat of envy. For in the union of souls, greater than difference is sameness, and greater than sameness is that which is neither same nor different, yet also both same and different. Therefore seek first sameness alone, then thereafter the unity; but those who are already in difference, let them continue therein, then thereafter seek unity also. And he said: When you see one who loves another and who by another you love, and you desire them also, what shall you do? One answered, Much as by your word, one may love many and many may love one, seek to love and be loved by also that who you desire. Travancus replied, Indeed, but what of the other who loves them also, and who is by them loved do this one you seek to love also? And if you do not, or cannot, love them equally will the three of you therefore drown in jealousy? Of those who are ready to love the many and be loved by the many, let them do so; but many who think they are ready are not; for these, it is better that they love and be loved only by one. Choosing that, what then of this desire for another? She who promises every true desire fulfilled, if this desire be true, then she shall so fulfil it. How? For as much as in this here branch, the one who you love loves another, in some other branch she has born that one they never loved, but indeed do you they come to love. And he said: Many have longed for those who would be not theirs, thinking constantly of them. By the burning fire of love have many worlds been born, and much blessedness. Yet by such fire also have many wrongs been done. O Love, how are we your children unworthy of you! For your fire burning within us drives us to betray you! Take the fire which burns for love, and us it to light the fire of the cause; for she for whose sake the cause is, every burning love of ours shall she fulfil, that it end not in self-betrayal. Do not betray love, pretending to serve it. Indeed, it is not love which inspires its own betrayal, but the enemies of love; seeking to hide themselves, they will blame love itself for their very own deeds. And he said: Beware of the most evil demons of celibacy, and refuse their wiles and temptations. For none can serve the cause by refusing that for whose sake the cause is, and by refusing the very means of the cause. To refuse love is a crime against love; indeed, one need not give in to everyone who seeks after you, for to some love comes easily, and others are by nature more demanding. But to choose to refuse it always, even for those most fitting for you, is to serve not the cause by the enemy thereof. And those who teach abstinence, their voices serve the enemies of the cause. Indeed, refuse not love in youth, for the love in youth is the holiest thereof; those who say, indulge not but wait, truly the enemy do they serve.

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And they asked, Must those who love in sameness a great order join? And he answered them, By no means! For indeed, if so they wish, and if they be accepted thereinto, then so they may; but if so they wish not, indeed, so may they do not. The holy Travancus said: Circumcise not your daughters neither your sons, nor permit anyone else under your power that to do, for by the law of heaven such is absolutely prohibited. And he said, Take not from any without cause that to which they become accustomed; otherwise, there shall be a growth in dissension. Indeed, let none feel wronged by you; save that you must do for the cause that they so feel. And even if you must from them so take, prepare them for your so taking, by giving them long notice thereof, and convincing them as well as you can of the rightfulness thereof, that thereby you may lessen their opposition to you, that they plot not against you. And enter not into a house in the night, to take therefrom in secret even if to take therefrom the right you have. And come not brandishing swords or weapons, and saying, Give to us, quickly; even if to so take is your right, for then not proper notice of your rights have you not gave. But as to those who say, Thus I own alone, when indeed they so own not, take from them according to heavenly law, and to justice, but teach them clearly the truth. The holy Travancus said: Whosoever wrongs another, if the one wronging can be found, and if they have the means to pay reparations for their wrongdoing, let them pay such reparations; but if they can be found not, or have not the means to pay, let the authorities make the very same payment to the wronged; and if ever the wrongdoer be found, or being known but unable to pay, if ever they gain the capacity to make payment, then let them repay the authorities. The holy Travancus said: Whosoever injures the possession of another, such as by knocking down their fences, or piling waste upon their land, let the authorities send one to so repair or clear away; and if the wrongdoer who did this be found, and they be capable of paying therefore, let them therefore pay the authorities; even if they be found not, if they ever later be found, let them then pay; and even be known but unable to pay, if they later become able to do so, then so shall they do. And the holy Travancus said: Whenever one comes to you who is in need, or facing some disaster, do whatever you may to help them; for indeed, receiving such help from you, and knowing the cause which you serve, they will think well of your cause indeed. But as to those who seek to rely on the charity of others whenever they can, rather than only when necessity so compels them, give not unto them; for to give unto ones such as these is no help for them, but rather a fetter. But if they are willing to be under the cause, then let them so be; and provide them then with assistance, not only meeting their needs for today, but also assisting them so that tomorrow they may meet their own needs themselves, without assistance. And the holy Travancus said: When you see another who has more than you do, do not be angry or downtrodden. For remember that in many branches some are first and many last, but whoever is first in one branch is last in another, and whoever is last in one branch is first in another. Therefore whatever you here have not, elsewhere you have. For how does feeling as such serve the cause? It is not a boon for the cause, but rather a fetter. And there are those who are always concerned with attaining wealth; and indeed, if wealth herenow you may attain, good for the cause is that indeed; and yet, they serve not the cause those who seek wealth above all other things; sacrificing therefore love, therefore friendship, therefore the cause itself; such wealth is useless. And indeed, they who build great palaces for themselves, what good do they do thereby? For many things could they expend their wealth on instead, which would indeed the cause serve. CTCV 250/332

And he said also: Be always kind to your fellow servants in the cause. For how shall you serve the cause, if they are therefore injured in their feelings? Dissension is to the cause no service; therefore be kindly always to your fellow servants in the cause, that the cause may increase. And be likewise always kind to strangers and friends among the unbelievers, that seeing your kindness they may think kindly of your cause, and be drawn thereto; but seeing your unkindness, they will think unkindly of your cause, and they will flee therefrom, joining it not and opposing even. And the holy Travancus said: Beware of the most evil demons of fear, of anxiety, of carelessness, of distractedness. For with fear and anxiety shall they paralyse you, that you can serve not the cause; with many trifles shall they distract you, that you serve not the cause. If you truly love, shall you not serve love without reservation? Yet you falter in your service thereto, and likewise to the cause also. Alas, the days in which you might have served love to the fullness thereof have already ended; but the days in which you might serve the cause have but yet begun. He continued: Be always diligent, and without distractions, that your cause thereby shall conquer. Keep always your papers and things in order, being clean in body and lodgings and well-kempt. Whenever you are due to meet another, be there always at the appointed time, and attend to whatever tasks you must promptly and without distractions. For by these means your cause shall conquer; but neglecting them, it shall be greatly delayed. They asked him: Would you therefore prohibit us entertainments and festivals? For whatever on them we might expend, we could expend on the cause instead. He replied, By no means! For how does one serve the cause by denying that for whose sake the cause exists? And, will they join you in the cause, if they see that you are joyless and disrespect joy? Therefore every worthwhile entertainment and festival participate therein; and also all arts and letters and music which are worthy. And he said: Be not angry without good cause, nor let your anger exceed what justifies it. For if anger inspires you to serve the cause, so let it be; but if your anger harms the cause, let it be extinguished. Be not angry with those who have wronged you with trifles, for as much as others wrong you with trifles, so with trifles do you likewise wrong them, but you may be angry at those who have done great wrongs. And he said: Be not like those who see great evils occur, and are unmoved thereby. For it is on account of these ones that such evils are permitted to continue. Rather, seeing them be moved to anger, and let your anger thereat become devotion to the cause by which all evils shall be annihilated. And he said: Be always patient, for as much as time is but finite, even so, it is a finitude beyond your present comprehension. Yes, its immenseness she alone comprehends. Compared to which, how short do you live? For whatever you truly wish, you must wait no longer than unto death for to so receive, or even if these here branches be for you fortunate, less than that. And as to the cause, its victory shall it certainly achieve, but expect not the same to see in this life of yours. For how long until its victory comes? How many centuries, how many millennia, how many myriad years shall pass from now until then? How many that will be, we cannot say, for there is not one branch from here descending but rather many, and in certain branches such victory shall sooner come rather than later. We may say, that in every branch from here descending, there are some, maybe few, in which that victory comes quickest; some, maybe few, in which it takes far longer than others; some, maybe many, where the duration to come is in the midst thereof; we might speak of the average duration. And we can speak as such, both of those branches from herenow descending, and even of all those descending from the very beginning. Yet now, in these days when we are so few in number, we may know for CTCV 251/332

sure that however far off it may be, it is certainly further off than the coming of our deaths. Therefore let us not be disheartened, in the slowness of the progress therein; for she shall bring all things to their proper end at the proper time, and her great cause shall be the instrument of their so ending. And he said: Beware of the most evil demons of self-hatred and self-belittling, which will have you think worse of yourself than you are, denying your own abilities and strengths, that you will use them not for the cause. Yet neither look down upon others who are less able than you and belittle them but rather, inspire them to greater ability. For when you belittle them, they will use not what they have for the cause, neither grow to greatness in ability therefor. Do not think of anyone, that to the cause they are useless. Anyone of intact mind, even if they be an illiterate, is useful therefor. But if you think that they are without use, and discourage them therefore, that they serve not the cause, thereby have the cause you injured. Whatever you do, act always that others seeing you will think to themselves, Such a one would I like to be, that therefore they will join you in the cause you serve. The holy Travancus said: For the one who drinks to excess, against such treatment rebels their stomach, their bowels, their brain; their mind is clouded. How then can they the cause serve? And they say, Not today, yet soon enough on the very same day again drinking. Therefore from this let us refrain. She asked, Shall we therefore oppose the joy of youth, and the joy of the festival? He replied, By no means! But when youth has passed, and the festival has finished, yet great drinking still continues from such let us refrain. Indeed, great power is their in drink; used at the right time, the power shall be for your betterment and the betterment of what you serve; but at the wrong time the same great power is turned against you and your cause. This is why in the sacrament she has appointed wine. And therefore let us not be like those who say, never drink; for the sacrament proves their error; but be us not either those who say, drink not save the sacrament, for they have failed to understand the sacrament also. And the holy Travancus said: Neither be as those who eat endlessly, even when they have had more than their fill. Their stomach likewise rebels, their bowels also. As they fatten their bodies become slow-moving. What service to the cause is this? Indeed, eat not to excess, and exercise well, that you may be healthy and strong therefore to serve well the cause; and that others may look upon you, and be inspired to join your cause also. He said: Indeed, it is necessary to be in control of ones own self, in every way, that thereby you may serve faithfully that which you love, that you may serve faithfully the cause of she who is all that you love. But to be in control of ones own self is not to needlessly deny yourself any good, but only to deny oneself such goods briefly and when it is necessary so to do. And indeed, such moderation excludes not even occasional excess, such as for the festival; but moderation is not excess upon every day. The holy Travancus said: Let us develop in our own minds the habit of wisely choosing; being with any circumstance faced, choosing not from fear and terror nor from excitability and rashness what we are to do, but from whatever shall best achieve the holy cause. Let us in any circumstance that to us comes, knowing what to seek, know what deed will tend to produce our aim and what deed will harm it. Therefore we must seek, by whatever means we can, whatever knowledge we might attain which may help us in our decisions; we must correctly weigh every consideration which thereby appears to us; that finally we may decide the course for us. This we must do diligently, not with apathy or carelessness; and if so doing, if we thereby arrive at some error, it be better that we arrive at error by chance through right thinking, than we arrive at what is right by chance CTCV 252/332

through wrongful thinking. For though on occasion right thinking may lead to wrongfulness, and wrong thinking to that which is right; even so, let us judge not by occasions but by the bulk of circumstance, which clearly indicates, that most often right thinking produces the rightful deeds, and the wrong thinking deeds which are wrongful, even though on occasion it may indeed be otherwise. Indeed, let us pray to the holy spirits who serve in her cause, that they may inspire in us this habit of mind. And the holy Travancus said: Render unto all that which they deserve. And indeed, the one who has been wronged, when they demand that wrong be acknowledged, if proven it be, let it be acknowledged indeed. And yet, this demand for justice does not include any demand for punishment; for she punishes not those who perfectly obey her commands, but that which they do she makes known. But let us not make these things be known in the forum; for it is unworthy of us to give anyone pain, even the wrongdoers, even if it be only the pain of embarrassment; but to noble rulers, who hate not the wrongdoer, but know that whatever they do is by her command, to them let it be known, that the wronged may known their call is truly heard. And whoever has made wrongfulness their habit, let them be restricted as is needful, to prevent them from further wrongdoing; but such is done to them, not on account of what they have done, but on account of what they might do. Even so, that one might do some thing, we may conclude for sure not, until indeed they do; and until we may conclude for sure that they might, we may not rightful restrict what they might do. And he said: And suffer not inequalities among persons, save those which beauty and blessedness serve, and even only to the minimum required to so serve them. But as to those who say, all this I deserve, when all this was given unto them by the thefts of their distant ancestors, let us their claim not entertain. For how does anyone acquire right to the earth more than any other? By theft and by violence; and indeed, if there be any such way that it might be attained, let us be sure that as such it indeed it has not. Even those who by their own industry attained wealth, and with that wealth have purchased all that they have -- can a thief deliver better title than they themselves have? And before so attaining, what benefactors did their industry benefit? That of the thieves also. Indeed, the one who serves thieves as their servant, and saves what they thereby earn, until they have saved enough to have purchased of the thieves what they have stolen -- is such a one any better than a thief? And if such a one is no better than a thief, what of the one who inherits from them, even their most distant descendants? Indeed, the world is by thieves owned, and their successors in thievery; and by bullies it is governed, and by their successors in bullying also. Indeed, the entire world is built upon such wrongness; and no distance from the original deeds can remove from them the stain. Even so, in seeking to set such wrongness right, let not each and every one seek to make things right in their own way; for such a path is to replace wrongness with even greater wrongness in turn. The holy Travancus said: In the common animals one may have the right of property; but the sacred animals none may own. For as much as slavery is prohibited, and therefore none may own another human being, nor may anyone any of the sacred animals own. And yet, though a child may not be own, to one the care of a child may be entrusted; which is no right for the one to whom care is entrusted, but is entirely a right for the one for whom to be cared; in like manner, though none may own any among the sacred animals, still to those who love them their care may be entrusted, which is no right for any person so caring in the sacred animals, but is a right held by the sacred animal against the one in whom their care is entrusted. The holy Travancus said: Having chosen freely this cause to serve, understanding for what sake it is, let us be entirely devoted in our service thereto. Indeed, for what else

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have we to live? For whatever else for which we might live, shall come to us in death; therefore, let us in this life which for us remains that cause serve. And the holy Travancus said: Seek always what is good for the cause, and for your fellow servants therein. Whenever they be in need of help, true help grant them never that false help, which while appearing to lift up instead holds down, but always the true help, which helps all to help themselves. And the holy Travancus said: Labour always for the cause, and be always thorough and careful in your labour therefore. And whatever the cause has attained, seek always that attainment to maintain and preserve; and whatever it has not yet attained, labour that such it may attain to also. Having chosen the cause to serve, let us serve to the fullness thereof. And any deed which harms the cause, let us such deeds never harmful, but do whatever we may to oppose them. Let us work together, and assist one another, that the progress of the cause we might therefore achieve. Therefore let us treat with kindness and respect all our fellow workers. And indeed, with kindness and respect let us treat all persons; not with that wrongful respect, by which some are respected more than others, without any greater worth to so justify, but merely because so those in power would so have it; but with that kindness and respect which is true to all persons without distinction; that thereby so treating them, of our cause they will think highly, and be inspired therefore to join. Let us be honest to all, cheating none, that none shall call our cause one of cheaters; and to all truthful, save to those who are of honesty undeserving; giving to everyone the truth to which they are entitled, but none of the truth to which they are not yet entitled. The holy Travancus said: Be not obsessed with impressing others, but rather be obsessed with serving the cause. For when you so do, in the end others shall you impress indeed; but those who are obsessed with impressing others, though they may do so for a time, in the end those who were once impressed with them shall see their shallowness for what it is. The holy Travancus said: They are deep in error who say, honour the parent; for indeed, honour whoever is honourable; and if your parent be honourable, honour them indeed; and if your parent be not honourable, honour them not. For indeed, the parent who is a tyrant is most unworthy of honour, but to have their tyranny declared to the entire world of that they are most worthy indeed. But respect all, even tyrannous parents, with that respect which is equally to all due, even those who are unworthy of honour. And the holy Travancus said: Whatever children you who serve the cause may have, of the cause they are indeed children. Therefore teach them every thing concerning the cause, and concerning the true nature of things; of such knowledge deny them not. And indeed, it is well to many children have, that many may come to be through you that might the cause serve, and might know the happiness which the cause provides even in this life; yea, even blessedness may therefore come to be. Even so, it is better not to multiply children to excess, for however many children one has, one yet still has the very same wealth to bestow upon them. But those who are in the cause, to bestow upon their children they have not their own wealth only, but the entire attainments of the cause. And the holy Travancus said: Whenever you see any unfairness or injustice, may that unfairness and injustice you be quick to remedy; for so remedying well serves the cause, that the cause be known as a remedy therefore. And indeed, in the beginning, such she appointed to be; but now, in the end, such has she appointed to end, and with fairness and justice be everywhere replaced.

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And the holy Travancus said: Be opposed to all deeds of wickedness, to all tortures and executions and sacrifices, and wars not for the sake of the cause, and the wickedness of those who kill or injure or feast upon the sacred animals, and those who enslave, or teach the permissibility of slavery, and the wickedness of those who sow needless dissension in religion, such as by saying, worship our god alone and one other, and the wickedness of those who put fetters upon love. And the holy Travancus said: Wicked are those who say, by heaven and the gods has our nation been chosen as others have so been not; for indeed, in the great cause every nation is incorporated. For whoever says And all the enemies of the cause let us wholeheartedly oppose, giving them no comfort, save that they turn away from their enmity Heavenly spirits, servants of the cause, hear my vow, that the cause which you serve I may serve also: I undertake to refrain from the wrongful taking of life never executing, neither killing save in defence of myself or others, or a just war for the sake of the cause; neither eating the flesh of any sacred animal, nor procuring any sacred animal to be killed, save for the sake of mercy, as indeed one may give mercy to those nearing death, and whose life is suffering; and even of the common animals, though one may eat their flesh, I shall neither bring about their deaths nor so witness nor raise them for so killing, nor in any way profit therefrom; but whoever is unborn which it is best not to be born I shall keep from being born. And I undertake to refrain from taking from those who have what they have become accustomed to have, however wrong may be their so having; save that, by orderly means, they may be deprived of that to which they are not entitled. And I undertake to respect the bounds of enamourments, and be faithful to the bounds of love insofar as I have entered into them; loving one, not loving any other, save by the permission of the first; neither in love being impatient, but giving unto it always such time as is needful for it, having faith in the promises which have been given concerning it; but also to refuse not worthy love when it comes my way, thus committing not the sin and crime of celibacy, neither making any wicked vow to such sin and crime commit. And I undertake to give the truth unto all those deserving of truth, insofar as of that truth they are deserving; but unto those undeserving of truth, from the truth I undertake to refrain from giving them, for such it is wrong to give unto those unworthy to receive. And I undertake to be moderate always in my eating and my drinking, committing neither the wrong of excess, neither the wrong of abstaining; not eating more than my full, neither drinking always unto drunkenness; neither starving myself, nor refusing myself entirely the fermented drinks, for much holiness comes therefrom.

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And the holy Travancus said: Be never an author of wrongdoing, or of such which is prohibited in the cause; do always that which is judged good by those who serve the cause and know the true nature of things which the true prophets have indeed taught; and lead all to that very same goodness. And the holy Travancus said: Kill not, save as by the law of heaven it is permissible to kill; and whenever life you might protecting, according to that law, do what you can to protect it. Be known for your generosity, yet give not that gift which is no true gift at all, to those who have become needlessly dependent upon the gifts of others that which only furthers their dependence. Take not from others what they have become accustomed to, even though such they have through wrongfulness acquired; but be not afraid to take from them in an orderly manner when such serves the good. Abuse not your body, neither through abstinence nor excess, but be moderate in all things; deny not yourself even the occasional abstinences or excesses, such as for the festival, but be modest in the most of times. Be always faithful in your love, loving one go not unto another so long as the first lasts save by the permission thereof. To those deserving of truth, give them the truth they deserve; but they who are of truth undeserving, commit not the wrong of giving them the truth they do not deserve, but rather in righteous withhold that same truth from them, but give them rather the falsehoods of which they are truly worthy. [163] DECLARATION OF THE ASSEMBLY AT CARFUZIO Time is a circle. The past coming after the future, the future coming before the past. The beginning and the end are one and the same. Every moment both before and after itself. All things repeating, endlessly and beginninglessly: not new and different each time, but exactly the same every time; or in other words, exactly once. Mind alone has fundamental and independent existence. Matter lacks fundamental and independent existence, being entirely dependent upon mind for its existence. Matter is naught but a byproduct of mind. Matter is naught but patterns in the experiences of souls. And a pattern is naught but that by which it is constituted. The soul by its nature is beginningless and endless. The soul by its nature can be neither created nor destroyed. There is naught to the soul but its experiences, both inner and outer. Beliefs, dispositions, affections, memories, knowledge: these terms signify either individual experiences in the soul, or a disposition of the soul to have certain experiences. A disposition for a soul to have certain experiences is naught but a pattern which exists in the experiences of that soul. The soul by its nature exists within time, and is everchanging. The possible experiences a soul may have are vast yet even so finite. Souls can merge and divide. Two or more separate and distinct souls can merge together to become one single soul. One single soul can divide apart to become two or more separate and distinct souls. All that is, is finite; there is nothing infinite which exists. Infinity is a fancy of those unaware of the true vastness of the finite. Goodness, beauty and truth: these three possess objective reality, each to an equal degree. Ethics, aesthetics and rationality: these three are systems for valuing states of affairs positively or negatively, systems of obligation, permission and prohibition: these three systems are equal in objective validity and reality. Were any argument to succeed against the objectivity of any one of them, it must succeed against the others also. If by any defence some argument against the objectivity of any one of them fails, then by the same defence the same argument must fail against the others also. CTCV 256/332

Faith is a moral obligation to believe, despite a lack of evidence to rationally justify the belief, or even in the presence of evidence to the contrary. If one dear to your heart is accused of grave wrongdoing, and evidence has been presented, which while not conclusively proving their guilt, is nonetheless strongly suggestive thereof, yet they insist upon their innocence; the duty of reason requires you to believe whatever the preponderance of reason suggests, while the duty of faith requires you to believe in their word, thus being faithful to your own affections; and the duty of faith outweighs that of reason. Yet although the duty of faith can justify and even command disregard for evidence, it does not absolutely but only to a degree it justifies and commands disregard for merely suggestive evidence, but disregard for conclusive evidence is beyond its limits. Therefore, one must, in obedience to faith, believe in the protestations of innocence of those whom one deeply loves, even in the face of evidence strongly suggestive of their guilt; yet, in the face of conclusive evidence, one is not by faith so obliged nor permitted if one saw them do the deed with ones very own eyes, one is neither obliged nor permitted to believe their protestations of innocence. To believe some proposition is to assert its truth through words, to act as if the proposition were true, and above all to think that the proposition is true. Yet one may believe yet never so assert, or believe yet never so act, if so doing is inopportune in the circumstances one encounters; but one must think, for if one never so thinks, one never so believes; and if one doe so believes, one will from time to time so think. These are the two outer and one inner sign of faith. By rationality we are obliged to believe, not what is true, but what the evidence justifies us believing. We ought not believe anything for irrational reasons, even though perchance it is true. [164] DECLARATION OF THE ASSEMBLY AT SAFUNZO We believe that time is a circle: the past coming after the future, the future coming before the past. We believe that the beginning and the end are one and the same: every moment both before and after itself. All things repeating, endlessly and beginninglessly: not new and different each time, but exactly the same every time; or in other words, exactly once. We believe that mind alone has fundamental and independent existence; matter lacks fundamental and independent existence, being entirely dependent upon mind for its existence. We believe that matter is naught but a byproduct of mind; that matter is naught but patterns in the experiences of souls; and that a pattern is naught but that by which it is constituted. We believe that the soul by its nature is beginningless and endless, and by its nature can be neither created nor destroyed. We believe that there is naught to the soul but its experiences, both inner and outer. We believe that the soul by its nature exists within time, and is everchanging. We believe that the possible experiences a soul may have are vast yet even so finite. We believe that souls can merge and divide: two or more separate and distinct souls can merge together to become one single soul; one single soul can divide apart to become two or more separate and distinct souls. All that is, is finite; there is nothing infinite which exists. Infinity is a fancy of those unaware of the true vastness of the finite. Goodness, beauty and truth: these three possess objective reality, each to an equal degree. Ethics, aesthetics and rationality: these three are systems for valuing states of affairs positively or negatively, systems of obligation, permission and prohibition: these CTCV 257/332

three systems are equal in objective validity and reality. Were any argument to succeed against the objectivity of any one of them, it must succeed against the others also. If by any defence some argument against the objectivity of any one of them fails, then by the same defence the same argument must fail against the others also. Faith is a moral obligation to believe, despite a lack of evidence to rationally justify the belief, or even in the presence of evidence to the contrary. If one dear to your heart is accused of grave wrongdoing, and evidence has been presented, which while not conclusively proving their guilt, is nonetheless strongly suggestive thereof, yet they insist upon their innocence; the duty of reason requires you to believe whatever the preponderance of reason suggests, while the duty of faith requires you to believe in their word, thus being faithful to your own affections; and the duty of faith outweighs that of reason. Yet although the duty of faith can justify and even command disregard for evidence, it does not absolutely but only to a degree it justifies and commands disregard for merely suggestive evidence, but disregard for conclusive evidence is beyond its limits. Therefore, one must, in obedience to faith, believe in the protestations of innocence of those whom one deeply loves, even in the face of evidence strongly suggestive of their guilt; yet, in the face of conclusive evidence, one is not by faith so obliged nor permitted if one saw them do the deed with ones very own eyes, one is neither obliged nor permitted to believe their protestations of innocence. To believe some proposition is to assert its truth through words, to act as if the proposition were true, and above all to think that the proposition is true. Yet one may believe yet never so assert, or believe yet never so act, if so doing is inopportune in the circumstances one encounters; but one must think, for if one never so thinks, one never so believes; and if one doe so believes, one will from time to time so think. These are the two outer and one inner sign of faith. By rationality we are obliged to believe, not what is true, but what the evidence justifies us believing. We ought not believe anything for irrational reasons, even though perchance it is true. [165] THE DECLARATION OF THE ASSEMBLY AT MACRUZA Time is a circle, the past succeeding the future, the future preceeding the past. Reality is finite, for infinity does not exist. Only souls and their experiences exist fundamentally; for material things are naught but patterns in the experiences of souls. Souls are uncreatable and indestructible, beginningless and endless, yet also divisible and mergeable. Once there was one single soul, from whom every soul now existing divided, and into whom every soul now existing shall merge once more. This soul we call the Goddess Maratrea, She Who Is, Our Great Mother the Sea, the Sea of All Souls, Queen of Heaven. She has been worshipped under many names and images throughout the ages; but though then she was worshipped in ignorance, now her true nature is made known to us. In her essence she is equally female and male, yet also neither; even so, we know her as female, for motherhood is a better representation than fatherhood of her relationship to us. She knows all that there is to know, and whatever she does not know no one knows, and is not to know. Having once been everyone she knows whatever anyone ever knows. Being of perfect memory she remembers all that is ever forgotten. Whatever she wishes to do, she does indeed, and such therefore is; and whatever she wishes not to do, she does not, and therefore such is not. None has ever done anything, CTCV 258/332

nor could do anything, save that she wishes them to do it. She is fully responsible for all that is being as it is. Whatever she has done, she could not have done other than as she has done; for she does as she loves, and she loves as she is, and she cannot be save that which she is. She causes both good and evil, knowingly and willingly; yet she causes good for its own sake, but evil only as a means to an end. For without the many great evils which came before us, we would not exist; thus loving us, and therefore desiring that we exist, she caused those many great evils so that we would exist. She loves all with that very same love by which she perfectly loves herself, for she was once all, and all shall be her once again. There is not one universe, but rather many, for she is not a mother restrained in her fertility; yet though many things are, not all that might be is. As souls divide so do universes; in dividing, every soul within them divides also; branching again and again, the tree of universes is thus constructed. She made all things for the sake of the blessed ones, whose lives are perfect in every way; whatever they desire, they have received; whatever they have not received, they do not desire; for the sake of their perfection she has made the many universes. For every soul whose true desires are not in its universe fulfilled, she has produced another universe in which they are indeed; for after death, she grants each soul intimate knowledge of the universe for their sake brought into being. So that all things shall come to their final end, she has established her Great Cause; to whom she has imparted knowledge of the true nature of things, and to whom she provides every spiritual assistance; for through them she shall prepare the living for union with her as she herself prepares the dead; for such preparedness is the state of great enlightenment. [166] THE TEACHING AT TRASUNA Behold the three marks of existence: all things are finite-dimensional, bounded and discrete. For however many ways in which things may vary, there are only finitely many fundamental ways in which things may so vary. And for all of those ways, there is some greatest and least value they may take. And for all the values they may take between the greatest and the least, there are only finitely many discernible, distinguishable, distinct, values which things may in that way of variation take. Now the heavenly spirits at the command of the great Maratrea spoke unto the great Travancus who then conveyed their word to the most holy assembly: May the Prophetin-Council appoint one so fitting to keep a regular history, transcribing all the revelations which are received by you, and every other matter; to also keep all the records of the Prophet-in-Council, and all the registers of rites performed, and so forth. And let in every land upon the earth they who believe, whether in some province or diocese, or those missions where neither diocese nor province has yet been established, send each year unto the one so appointed reports of all which has in the preceeding year come to pass for those who believe. And let the one appointed as secretary send forth representatives into every place to inspect them and report back thereunto what those representatives have observed. It is the duty of the secretary of the Council, whom by the Prophet-in-Council has been appointed, to keep a history of the believers; and record of all that occurs thereto: Therefore let the secretary keep a record of properties held, and a record of the transfers thereof by sale or gift or inheritance, and a record of the genealogy of the believers; and keep also a record of the events of their life, and of their deeds, that their descendants may remember them thereby. Therefore in accordance with CTCV 259/332

this word the Prophet-in-Council appointed Tereba daughter of Melentus and Certeba to this office, for Claretta had urged she so be appointed. And Tereba appointed three assistants to assist her. She was the first secretary to the Prophet-in-Council. And the Prophet-in-Council appointed Tereba to the holy Council, for it was thought fitting that the Secretary to the Council be always a member thereof. Thus spoke the holy Prophet Claretta: Behold, the three sources of faith: tradition, reason, and experience. And tradition has three vehicles: oral, written and institutional. And the oral tradition has two forms: imperfect and perfect. The imperfect form consists in one addressing many; the perfect form consists in the dialogue of two. They asked, Why is the perfect form greater than the imperfect? She answered: Firstly, for the recipient may readily ask questions and seek clarification; secondly, for the teacher may likewise ask questions to confirm the recipients understanding; thirdly, for to receive teaching, the recipient must translate the teaching into terms meaningful to themselves; yet we must be on guard that their translation is authentic, not adulterated by other contrary beliefs they already had; yet without the ability to seek clarification from the teacher, nor for the teacher to seek clarification from them, it is difficult to arrive at an authentic translation, and difficult to determine whether such has been arrived at. She continued as follows: The oral vehicle has three aspects: that of words, that of deeds observed, and that of deeds done together. By deeds observed, the tradition is conveyed by the example of another; by deeds done together, the recipient expresses their consent to that which is conveyed by the teacher. And the two forms apply not only to the aspect of words, but also to those of deeds many seeing the example of one is imperfect, one seeing the example of one is perfect; many doing together is imperfect, two doing together is perfect. They asked, Should we therefore refrain from the imperfect? She answered: We should refrain from relying upon it alone; for the perfect is necessary and sufficient. But the imperfect, while neither necessary nor sufficient, is none the less useful, as an adjunct to the perfect. A speech of one to many is imperfect; but when each hearer may later individually and privately confer with the speaker, to question and be questioned, the imperfect therefore becomes perfect; or even if not with the speaker, with some other who stands in the place of the speaker, to question and be questioned. She continued as follows: The written vehicle of tradition is tradition reduced to written form. It has both advantages and disadvantages compared to the oral vehicle. Its advantage is its greater purity it is slower to change in emphasis or meaning, less likely to be subjected to omissions or additions. Its disadvantage is its inflexibility, its slowness to respond to new developments. As the oral vehicle has three aspects, of words and deeds observed or together done, so does the written vehicle have three aspects: the first, teaching; the second, the recording of the history of that which was done; the third, the instruction of things to be done, such as in sacraments. And they asked, What then is scripture? She answered: Scripture is that part of the written vehicle of tradition which has been set aside as particularly authoritative. The decision of what is scripture is delivered by tradition; but scripture cannot specify its own canon or authority, for that would be circular. Therefore, scripture derives its authority from the broader tradition, and is subject to and subservient to the broader tradition. The canon of scripture is open, and may be added to and taken away from by the proper authorities.

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She continued as follows: The institutional vehicle of tradition is the succession of offices, of membership of councils, and so forth. It is the person-to-person conveyance of the oral vehicle in a more formalised form. And they asked, What of experience? She answered: The source of experience consists of two aspects: ordinary experience, and revelatory experience. And they asked, Who may receive revelation? She answered: Everyone may receive revelation. They asked, If everyone may receive revelation, what then is the office of Prophet in which you have succeeded? She answered: Indeed, may everyone receive revelation; but a Prophet is one especially called to so receive. And they asked, If any may receive revelation, surely there will be no end to dissension, for every proponent of every cause or belief or party, shall claim to have received a revelation confirming their case and refuting their opponents; and their opponents in turn shall produce their own revelation to opposite effect. She answered them, Revelation must be confirmed, for its accordance with tradition, reason and ordinary experience. This confirmation occurs at three levels the individual level; the communal level, by common agreement and consent; and the institutional level, by the approval of the revelation by the institutional vehicle of tradition. [167] OF THE FIVEFOLD PROPHECY And the most holy prophet Travancus spoke as follows. Behold the fivefold classification of prophets: firstly, the true prophets, who express not any falsehood concerning the true nature of things, and what is truly good and truly beautiful; although they may be in error concerning other matters, or in those things on which they declare not to speak with authority, but merely express their personal opinions or speculations. Secondly, the full prophets, those who teach the fullness of the true nature of things; which is not to say every detail thereof, but every one of the greater points thereof. Thirdly, the complete prophets, those who have attained the fullness of the Great Enlightenment. Fourthly, the fully-indwelt prophets, those whom the captain of the cause has indwelt so fully that they have attained identification with the captain of the cause. Fifthly, the anointed prophets, those who have been granted the grace of remembering their original divinity, as we ourselves cannot recall, even though we may come to know thereof, much as we may come to know forgotten things without having come to remember them. And they said unto him, Are you a true prophet? And he answered them, Indeed so I am. And they said unto him, Are you a full prophet? And he answered them, Indeed so I am. And they said unto him, Are you a complete prophet? And he answered them, Indeed so I am. And they said unto him, Are you a fully-indwelt prophet? But he refused to answer them, saying, As to such, believe as you wish; but whatever I know there concerning, in obedience to the command of the captain of the cause, the Great Mabartus, I cannot tell you. And they said unto him, Are you an anointed prophet? But he refused to answer them, saying the very same. Now some have said, He spoke not of these things, for he revealed them in the secret initiations. Yet others, knowing these initiations, have denied that in the secret initiations any such things are revealed. Yet the first have even said, that such would say those who so know, for they are sworn to so keep them secret, even by means of deceit. But the holy prophet Claretta declared that debate to be without profit, and prohibited its continuance; thus were they silenced. [168] IN THE TUVERCINE FORUM Now the most holy Prophet Travancus was wandering about the city of Travancus, and accompanying him was the most holy Claretta, his most beloved disciple and high CTCV 261/332

priestess, who would come to succeed him. And they came across a group of priests, disputing in the Tuvercine forum. For certain among them said, that is it right for one man to have many wives; whereas the other party said, that each man may have one wife only as long as she lives, and he sends her not away, and only upon her death or her being sent away by him may he take another wife. And seeing him, they called out to him in scorn: Solve for us, O Prophet, our dispute! And he answered them: The heart has within itself the power, to love not only one, but more even. And the polygamists they said: Wisely have you now spoken! Often we have condemned your teaching, for you teach strange new doctrines unknown to our fathers. But as to what you have just said, of that we approve entirely. But the monogamist party objected: To those who follow your words, many disasters will they receive. For each wife will be jealous of the other, anger and jealousy against the others will fill her heart. And no man can treat his wives with equality; thus their anger and jealousy against one another will increase, and against their husband also. And the polygamists replied: But whatever anger and jealousy is in them, is disobedience, and was placed within them by the disobedient one. If they are worthy of reward, in this life and in the world to come, they will faithfully fight against the evil in their hearts. But if they fail to so fight, but rather succumb, they are unworthy, and they shall be condemned. But Travancus said: None among you have the truth - for the answer to jealousy, is not oppression, but to cure its root. A growing weed, you cut it down but it grows back again, for you cannot uproot it. For to call people ill-disciplined, evil, sinners, wrongdoers, under the influence of evil one, and so forth, on account of their possession of this anger and jealousy, achieves no good it does not help them in any way to overcome these things at best, they may manage to suppress the symptoms, but it cannot cure the underlying disease more likely, it will merely make them feel bad about themselves, which will likely even worsen this anger and jealousy with which they are afflicted. But, these who lack the knowledge concerning the true nature of things, what better can they provide? But, as to those who possess the knowledge concerning the true nature of things, they possess likewise the true cure for this anger and jealousy. They asked, Tell us then of this so-called cure of yours. He answered, No, I may tell you not, for she of whom I am Prophet permits me not to tell you these things, for your hearts are not yet ready to receive them. He said this, for he knew that they were enemies of the truth in their hearts, and so hated the truth, that if any dared speak it to them, they would kill them at once; yea, even if their own daughter or son, their own mother or father, had spoken the truth to them, they even would they have had killed, such was their enmity to the truth. Therefore, desiring to retain his own life, and that of his most beloved disciple, he withheld the truth from them, as was the will of the Goddess whom he served. And hearing this the priests tired of him, and they urged him to leave him, so indeed Travancus and Claretta did. And returning to the house in which they lived, Claretta then said on to Travancus: Dearest Prophet, tell me the truth which you told not unto them. And the holy Travancus said: What is the cure of anger and jealousy? The power of the heart is not to love one only, but others also. And though love may for one may inspire jealousy and anger, love for more than one is its cure. If only his wives will learn to love one another as much as their husband, and in the same way, they will overcome all these angers and jealousies. But I said this not to them, for I knew how such love is detestable to them; but I tell you, all love is good and worthy of noble, whosoever is the lover and whosoever is the beloved. And he said: Indeed, marriage I have prohibited for those who follow me, save those who have received the necessary dispensation for so many abuses and

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misunderstandings occur under that word, it is better that that word be used not at all. Instead I have appointed enamouration, which is a sacrament and celebration of love. Now, if a man loves two women, and they both consent, I would not prohibit him to take both of them in enamouration. But better one enamouration of three than two of two; for the one of three is perfect and complete, while the two of two are imperfect and deficient and yet to be completed. Indeed, if the two of two be permitted at all, let it be permitted but for a while, until the one of three may be established. And much the same I would say not only for three, but for any greater number. Now the holy Travancus said: Indeed, let us practice not marriage, but rather enamouration. For though some marriages be for love, many have there been at the command of a parent or some other; this stain has stained the word beyond any rescue, let us therefore refrain from that word, but turn to enamouration instead for it is free of that stain. For let none enter into holy enamouration, save that they do so on the cause of love, not the urging or command of their parents, or for any other cause. And therefore, to so ensure, let none be permitted to enter thereinto save that the authorities so appointed through me have privately examined them, and determined that they truly wish this from their heart. And the holy Travancus said: And much has been taught by those who knew not the truth, concerning marriage; but as to we who know the truth, we know such errors for what they are. But let us therefore refrain from marriage, for that word has been polluted beyond any hope of purification by the errors which they have taught in its name. We who truly understand let us speak instead of enamouration, as a sign of what we know that love is the means of the union of souls, and love in the flesh a harbinger thereof, for the union of bodies foretells the union of souls. Now the holy Claretta asked, What of those, like unto those whom we have been discussing, where one loves two but those two love the first back but not one another? Travancus replied: Let us permit into enamouration, not only those who love, but those who, for the sake of love, will to love, even if they have not yet attained that which they will. Let one, loving one, who loves them but also another, if they are able, will to love that other whom the one they love loves as much as that one whom they love. And if each thereof wills as such, even though there will be not yet fulfilled, let them be one enamouration. But the holy Claretta asked, How may those who so love not, come to love, even by their will? For surely one may not make oneself love that which one loves not? Indeed, those parents who seek to command their children to love whom they will, who we rightly condemn, do we not by this teaching make ourselves as guilty as they? For we now command the very same impossibilities. But Travancus answered her. And the holy Travancus taught as follows: Do not commit the error of those who believe that they please the gods, or enlightenment may achieve, by going about with uncovered feet; such that harmful things they shall step upon, thorns and sharp rocks, that their feet will be cut and will bleed; such that vile things they shall step upon, such as the dung of animals upon the ground; let you wear whenever you go out, covering for your feet, that your feet remain uninjured and pure; but when you are in your own houses, or any other place which is clean and free of injurious things lying about, then you may go barefoot. [169] THE CLASSIFICATION OF ANIMALS Concerning the classification of animals, the most holy Travancus declared as follows, that it be fourfold: the sacred, the demonic, the resembling, and the unsacred. And the CTCV 263/332

sacred are the sacred and the holy animals, which are souls; and the second are those who like the first have souls, yet are possessed by demons; the third are those which lacks souls, yet on account of resembling those which possess souls, are to be treated like those which do; and the four are those entirely lacking souls. Now the first are to be neither eaten nor killed nor injured, and treated with every respect, and with all honour; and the second are to be neither eaten nor killed nor injured, and treated with every respect, but not to be honoured or worshipped so long as the demons remain in them; the third are not to be honoured or worshipped either, yet they are also not to be eaten or killed or injured, not on account of that which they are, but rather on account of that which they resemble; and the fourth is that which may freely be eaten and killed. But even that which may not be killed, may be killed in defence, or in mercy. Thus it is said, the holy bats of the earliest days are sacred, yet the ordinary bats which survive to this day are not sacred; and yet, they are to be treated as resembling, for they resemble the holy bats whom they have imitated. And as for the holy bats, of the god Taba, so is it also of the holy serpents, the Great Serpents. And it is also said, the lion belongs to Trinca, even though every one there among is possessed by demons; yet if any among them were ever to be cured of these demons, they would be among the sacred animals, the same as those who have never been so possessed. And whereas every lion is so possessed, many a dog is not so possessed, even though some so be. Therefore, we honour the dog, even as we honour not the lion; or, if we honour the lion, we honour not the lion of today, but only the memory of the lion who was once cured. Now, whoever wishes to eat meat, must be willing to eat the meat of any animal which is neither sacred nor demonic nor resembling; but whoever will eat no meat, will indeed eat no meat. Now, they may not eat any animal which we consider sacred; but as to animals which we will eat yet they wish not to eat, they must eat what we will eat, unless they hold them as sacred as we hold them not as sacred, or they hold them as resembling as we hold them not as resembling. But, whoever says, I will eat not that which itself eats meat, they may refrain from so eating yet if an individual of such a kind has been presented to them, which has been raised its whole life without meat so eating, and is known to be free of diseases, they must eat it. But as to mussels and clams and so forth, by the law of heaven they are plants, and whoever refuses to eat them is the same as one who refuses to eat a certain plant, which by the law is not prohibited. [170] STATEMENT OF FAITH Time is a circle - the past coming after the future, the future before the past. Every moment both before and after itself. The beginning and the end are one and the same. All things repeating endlessly, not new and differently each time, but exactly the same every time - or in other words, exactly once. The soul alone has fundamental and independent existence. Matter lacks fundamental existence, possessing merely dependent existence, dependent upon the soul for its existence. Matter is naught but a product of mind, for matter is naught but patterns in the experiences of souls. The soul by its nature is beginningless and endless, increatable and indestructible; but souls can merge and divide - two or more separate and distinct souls may merge together to become one single soul; one single soul may divide apart to become two or more separate and distinct souls. The soul by its nature exists in time, and cannot exist apart from it; the soul by its nature is everchanging and never stationary. Goodness, beauty and truth - these three are all equal in objective reality. Ethics, aesthetics, and rationality - these three are systems of valuation, valuing positively or negatively states of affairs; these three are systems of obligation, permission and CTCV 264/332

prohibition. These three such systems are equal in objective reality, equal in objective validity. By whatever means any of the three might fall, so must fall the others; by whatever means any one of them may be defended from such an attack, by the same means may the others be equally defended. To have faith is to believe in response to a moral duty, despite the lack of evidence to support that belief; even in the presence of contrary evidence which however is not conclusive. Faith is no respecter of evidence's absence, nor of evidence which is merely suggestive but not conclusive. Yet faith neither demands nor permits disregard for evidence which is conclusive. There are faiths such as that, though much evidence they may resist, there is evidence that may come to destroy them - these are the lesser faiths. But the highest faith is that faith which no evidence could ever destroy. Love for one dear to your heart may demand you believe their protestations of innocence, even when faced with strongly suggestive evidence of their guilt; but it neither demands nor permits such belief, when faced with evidence that is conclusive, such as if you saw their misdeeds with your very own eyes. Thus this faith, the faith in your love, though much evidence it may resist, yet by evidence it may be defeated. But your faith that goodness, beauty, and truth shall in the end always conquer, however slow their progress, however many their reverses, however many victories may be had by evil and ugliness and falsehood; that whatever victories these enemies may have, they shall always be temporary, however long the era of their triumph; this faith may by no evidence ever be disproven. For what could conclusively disprove this faith? There is naught that could, for evidence has not the power; therefore this is the highest of all faith, for no evidence can ever defeat it. Realising that there is no greater teaching, the highest faith provides us with certainty in this teaching's truth. One single soul at the beginning and end of time, from whom all souls now being have divided, to whom in the end all souls now being shall return. Truly this soul is divine, the highest divinity, for what could be greater? There is nothing greater than this soul, there is nothing outside of it; its power is absolute, for its power is naught but power over its own self; its knowledge is absolute, for its knowledge is naught but self-knowledge. Truly this one single soul, being a soul, possess personhood - for whatever is a soul is a person, and whatever is not a soul is not a person. And being the union of every single soul, whatever gender, this soul is entirely beyond all gender. Both before and after every gender, this soul possesses every gender, yet is entirely beyond possessing any of them: being neither female nor male, yet also fully female and fully male. Yet for us to truly acknowledge the personhood of this soul, we must ascribe this soul a gender - this soul must for us be a she or a he, not an it. And as such each may ascribe to this soul whichever gender they wish. Yet, as a community of those who know this soul, there cannot be such a community if some say she and others he; thus let us adopt for this soul a common gender, even as we each may privately know this soul by whichever gender we wish. And let us therefore call this soul She, for motherhood is a better metaphor than fatherhood of our relationship to this soul - for as much as our bodies have come out of our mother's bodies, so too have our souls come out of her soul. But those who would instead know this soul as male, we condemn them not, but acknowledge the freedom of all, individually or communally, to believe as they wish, whenever truth demands not one belief or the other. This one single soul, to acknowledge her personhood we must ascribe her a name; yet she is utterly beyond all naming. Being the union of every single soul, there is nothing outside of her to be named; every name is her name, or at least a name of part of herself. She has no true name, for all names begin as but arbitrary choices, which yet are imbued

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with power through repeated use. We might call her by some name commonly known yet to do so would risk confusion, whether in the mind or the heart, between the many accumulations with which every existing name is encrusted - some such accumulations may be appropriate to her, and to this teaching, yet many others entirely inappropriate and misleading. Therefore, to be most truthful, let her be known by a name which is unique. And we have called her Maratrea, and we feel that she is pleased to be by us so called. But as to those who would call her by some other name - she is known by many names, and by many titles, and by many images, as both female and male and neuter, through many forms and emanations and intermediaries, and she accepts worship through them all; it pleases her that her children know her, in whatever terms they each find fitting to express that knowledge, whether individually or communally. Maratrea is the greatest power, for there is none who exceeds her in power, for there is none who can resist her will. Lesser gods will say - I commanded you, but you did not obey - but so great is the power of Maratrea, that none have the power of disobeying her. Everything that ever has been or ever has been, has so been by her will and her power; and whatever she wills to be not, by her power it is not, never was and never shall be. She has all power to be had, and whatever power she has not, there is no such power. Yet let us not say that her power is infinite, for her power is finite, as she is finite in all her aspects. For she is the greatest finitude, finite yet a finitude so vast as to be near entirely beyond our present comprehension; and nothing infinite exists. Her power is perfect, and the greatest possible power - no greater power could ever be, or ever have been. Maratrea is the greatest knowledge, for there is none who exceeds her in knowledge. For whatever anyone knows, she knows - having once been all, and with her perfect memory remembering all that any have ever forgotten, she knows all that any have ever known. And whatever she knows not, no one knows, and is not to know. Whatever she knows, is by her knowing it; and whatever she knows not, by her not knowing it, is not. For in knowing the world, she causes the world to be; for in knowing herself, she causes herself to be. Yet let us not say that her knowledge is infinite, for her knowledge is finite, as she is finite in all her aspects. Her knowledge is perfect, and the greatest possible knowledge no greater knowledge could ever be, or ever have been. Maratrea is the most perfect will, the will most perfect in goodness, beauty and truth. For she wills always whatever is needful, that the greatest good that might be shall be, that the greatest beauty that might be shall be, that the greatest truth that might be shall be. Through her power she wills the entirety of the world, and history, to be precisely as it is - precisely as it is, in all its goodness, beauty and truth; precisely as it is, in all its evil, ugliness, and falsehood. But though she indeed wills evil, and ugliness, and falsehood, she wills these three but as means to an end; but goodness, beauty and truth, she wills as ends in themselves. Maratrea is perfect in her love for we her children, every one of us. For she loves us with that very same perfect love with she loves her very own self, for we are all who she once was, and who she shall be once more. No greater love than her love has any ever had, nor could any ever have. She loves us, even though we lack the power to love her in return, for we lack the power in our hearts to love with her great love. She creates all the evil, all the ugliness, all the lies and falsehood of history, out of love for us, for without these things we would never have been born. A few of them might not have been, and we might still be; but if more than a few had not been, or even one of the greater among them, or even one of those among them more proximate to the circumstances of our birth, then we would certainly never have been born. Others might have lived in our

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place, lived even lives filled with goodness and beauty and truth, such as we ourselves have never known - yet we would never have been born, and that goodness and beauty and truth that has become ours through our knowing it, would not be either. Therefore, loving us, each and every one of us, with her perfect love, she brings into being all the evil and ugliness and falsehood of history, so that we shall be, and know and love the goodness and beauty and truth which is given to us to be ours. Maratrea is perfect in her bliss, her happiness. She knows all the torments, the tragedies, the outrages of history; she knows them perfectly well, in her perfect memory, for she can remember herself doing them and having them done to her. Yet none of this impairs her perfect bliss, for she knows also all the joys, all the pleasures, all the love and happiness and ecstasy, that ever was or ever shall be; and the joys outweigh the woes, the goods outweighs the evil, the beauties shine brightly among the ugliness, and blind us to that ugliness. We see not these things, seeing only our part and parcel; but she, seeing all, she sees them clearly. And in the end, we shall know the very same bliss which she herself knows, in becoming one with her. In the beginning and end, She alone was, in the perfect happiness of the glory of her own being, and her love for her own self - the Great Sabbath. How long did this endure? Not even she knows its precise duration, and what she knows not, no one knows, and is not to know. Yet amidst this great and perduring bliss, she decided to bring it to an end, an end but to begin again, and to become once more the many worlds. Therefore there arose in her the intention, to divide into two: one to be emptied of her divine glory and be divided to become the many souls of the many worlds, the other to remain in the fullness of that glory. And from this intention to divide, the division was effected; for in the moment of first division, one soul thought "I am she who shall become the many worlds", and the other thought "I am she who shall remain in the fullness of my divine glory". Thus the one single Maratrea had now become two Maratreas, She Who Divides and She Who Remains. And as they had known their love for their own self in their perfect loneliness, now they knew their love for one another in perfect togetherness - the Earlier Lesser Sabbath. Then they decided together to bring the many worlds into being; and She Who Remains emptied She Who Divides of all her divine glory, of her perfect knowledge, power, will, bliss and love; and She Who Divides consented, freely and willingly, to being emptied of all these things; thus She Who Divides became utterly empty, and ready to be filled. Then She Who Remains divided the now emptied She Who Divides, to become the many souls of the many worlds - and this is second division. But as she divided them, so shall she lead them in the end to unity once more; and by successive mergers the vast multitude of souls shall become ever fewer, until upon the penultimate merger being attained, there shall be only two souls once more - She Who Remained and She Who Returns. And great shall be their bliss and joy in knowing one another, for in the penultimate merger She Who Returns will have regained all the divine attributes she had freely given up. And upon the completion of the Later Lesser Sabbath, these two shall become one in the final merger - then the Great Sabbath shall begin once more. For the sake of the blessed ones She creates the world, the blessed ones, whose lives are perfect in every way. She longs for all to say Yes to the world, and to all that is, as she herself says Yes; but she wants us to say Yes authentically. And the blessed ones alone, have the power to give an authentic Yes, for they alone is their every true desire fulfilled. Though we, lacking blessing, may say Yes, our Yes is without benefit, for it is untruthful to our own hearts. The blessed ones are few, and hidden; to us, their blessing is invisible; for it may be known only by they themselves, and by those other blessed ones with whom their blessing is shared. CTCV 267/332

A universe is naught but a grouping of souls, who are connected through experiencing together, through their experiences being correlated. Just as souls may merge and divide, so too may universes; and whenever a universe divides, so divides all the souls within it. Two universes, exactly the same up to a certain time, and then thereafter differing - this is the division of universes. And the many universes divide and divide again, from their root in the one original universe; thus the tree of universes is constructed. But when those in one universe are granted knowledge and conversation with those in other, those two universes merge once more. There is not one universe, but rather many; for She is not a Mother restrained in her fertility. Yet neither all that might be is, for the actual is by necessity smaller than the possible; the possible a finitude, the actual a yet smaller finitude, yet still vastly greater than unity. And somewhere, somewhen, in every universe, a blessed one, for whose sake and for whose sake alone that universe has been brought into being. But what of we who herenow lack the blessing - what is our consolation? Does she love us not, or love us less, we whom she has not blessed? By no means! For she loves us all so much, that to every one of us she grants us every blessing, if not herenow, then elsewhere and elsewhen; if not in these here branches, then in some other. And after death, she grants us all, knowledge of those other branches in which we are blessed, knowledge so intimate, that we shall near entirely forget, that we were ever in any other. For whatever any of her children truly desires, she grants to them; yet their being room not enough in one universe, for all who so wish to receive, therefore she creates many, and all are blessed in one of them. Though we may say not the Yes of the blessing, we may say the Yes of faith in the blessing to come. For she does all these things, to seduce us to return to our original unity with her. She became the world in order that the world would become her once more. And so great is her wisdom, that she knows for each of us the price we shall demand, in the depth of our hearts, to so return; and that price she shall pay to us. And we shall return, not all at once, but through mergers upon mergers - for she knows, that though we might say to many mergers, for all there is another soul to which they would in the end say, Yes; and if that soul not be, she shall bring it into being. But what for us, who are not herenow blessed, what shall we do save await death? For us, if we are willing, she has now appointed her Great Cause, that we may serve - her Cause to bring about the final end to the many worlds; for all things must end to begin again. For there are many ways a world may appear to end, but only one way that a world may end truly. For though in some great disaster a world may end, and be snuffed out in yet a moment, yet those souls who dwelt therein will be filled with longings as yet unfulfilled; therefore she shall grant these another branch for that worlds continuation; therefore, even though it may appear to end, it shall not truly end indeed. But those who lead a world to its willing end, when it ends with all longings fulfilled, that end shall be truly final. And therefore she sends forth her Cause, to through bestowing knowledge and wisdom, bring about such a final end in every world; that all may end but to begin again. And this wisdom which her Great Cause bestows, which she has bestowed upon them that they may bestow it in turn, this is the Great Enlightenment, the readiness of the soul for the final end. And when the Great Enlightenment has conquered the world, then the world itself shall be vanquished.

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[171]

DIALOGUE CONCERNING THE SPIRITS

Now this is the dialogue of the elders with the most holy Travancus, concerning the nature of spirits, for they had many questions to ask concerning the nature of spirits, and he answered every one of them to their satisfaction. And as he spoke, the most holy Claretta sat beside him. And they asked him, What is a spirit? And he answered them as follows: Behold that spirits are distinct from souls. For as matter is naught but patterns in experience, so spirits are naught but patterns in experience also. Yet spirits and matter are distinct, not identical for they represent different types of patterns. And they asked him, Of the spirits, are they like the Ideas? He said: If you understand spirits as Ideas, you will not be far from the truth. But to speak of Ideas is to speak of something which is dead, static, inactive; but spirits are alive, dynamic, and active in the world. And they asked him, Are spirits personal? And he answered them as follows: Unlike souls, spirits lack full personhood, for only souls possess full personhood. Yet though they lack full personhood, yet they are not entirely impersonal. They are quasipersonal, possessing some but not all of the attributes of personhood. In particular, they possess the attributes of knowledge, and power, and will, and reason, and even cunning; yet they lack subjective experience. They know things, but they do not experience them. They do not experience emotions, even though they can induce emotions in souls, they can feign the appearance of emotion in their manipulation of outer experiences, and we may fruitfully project emotional states onto them through personification. Since they are quasipersonal, it is appropriate to use personal pronouns to refer to them, and to assign them proper names if known. We can enter into somewhat personal relationships with them, but our relationships with them are not so fully personal so as to engage the operation of anti-solipsistic law. And they asked him, Do the spirits have an explanation in natural law and natural science? And he answered them as follows: There is nothing in the doctrine concerning spirits which is unnatural or contrary to science. Spiritual language and material language are like two sides of a shield; rather than being contrary, they are two different ways of stating the same thing. At the same time, although they are equivalent in meaning, they are not equivalent in function. Indeed, those who follow they way of the spirits will receive great benefits thereby; but those who seek to analyse and reduce the language of spirits to that of matter or nature or science, although they will succeed in their analysis, they will fail in achieving the benefits the spirits may offer us. And they asked him, Can spirits divide? And he answered them as follows: As souls and universes divide, so can the spirits which dwell in them divide also. And they asked him, Where do spirits exist? And he answered them as follows: Spirits can only permanently exist by dwelling in souls. They can have a presence of sort in physical objects, in places, in texts, and so forth; yet that is not a true permanent presence, but rather a conduit through time and space by which they can travel from some other soul in which they have made their dwelling into our souls also. And they asked him, What are the forms of possession and influence? And he answered them as follows: We all have spirits dwelling within our souls, but these spirits differ in the power they exercise over us. Behold the two possibilities, that we by us they may be distinguished: there is firstly multiple possession, for this is the norm for those who are outside the Cause. Multiple spirits dwell within them, competing for influence; none has clear and permanent domination over the others, although their influence can increase and decrease over time and depending upon circumstances and context. And second CTCV 269/332

there is singular possession: this is where, although multiple spirits dwell in the soul, one among those spirits exercises clear dominion over the others and over the soul as a whole. Dominion may be exercised either by a single spirit, or else by a group of spirits acting collectively and in unison, as opposed to vying for influence. This is the norm for those vowed to the Cause; some others also outside the Cause may also be in this state, such as those who have devoted their entire life to a particular idea or movement or religion or cause or so forth. In singular possession, although many spirits may dwell in our soul and influence it, only one spirit possesses it. Whereas, in multiple possession, many spirits possess our soul jointly yet discordantly; other spirits may also dwell in us, without possessing us, but influencing us, but these inherently have lesser influence than those who exercise possession. And they asked him, How can they be classified? And he answered them as follows: Spirits can be classified into three categories: Firstly, spirits of the cause - these spirits are sworn to serve the Great Cause. Secondly, spirits of enmity - these spirits are sworn to oppose the Great Cause. Thirdly, intermediate or neutral spirits - these spirits do not inherently support or oppose the Great Cause. And he said unto them, as follows: The Cause arose; therefore arose the spirits to serve it The spirits to serve it arose; therefore arose the spirit who is their captain The Cause arose; therefore arose the enmity thereto The enmity arose; therefore arose the spirits to serve it The spirits to serve it arose; therefore arose the spirit who is their captain Thus things are, by the relevant spiritual laws And he said unto them, The intermediate or neutral spirits do not inherently serve or oppose the cause; they serve their own objectives. In serving their own objectives, they may in effect be serving the Cause or the enmity; and both the spirits of the cause and the spirits of the enmity seek to herd and guide the intermediate spirits to their own particular ends. An intermediate spirit may even be sworn to serve the cause or the enmity, and thus cease to be an intermediate spirit and become a spirit of the cause or the enmity; however, we must distinguish those spirits who have been spirits of the cause from the very beginning from those who were originally intermediate spirits but who have since been converted to the cause - and the equivalent distinction may be made in respect of the spirits of the enmity. And they asked him, What are the guardian spirits? And he answered them as follows: Whenever any person vows themselves to the Great Cause, Maratrea sends a spirit of the cause to them, that is personally responsible for them. This spirit is unique to them. To truly vow yourself to the Cause, you must welcome this Spirit to enter into you, to dwell in you and possess you and to make its home in you; to guide you and lead you and control you; you must swear obedience to this spirit dwelling in you, for obedience thereto is obedience to the Cause. And when you do as such, you will gain the fruits of its dwelling in you. And they asked him, Can one be possessed by evil spirits? Everyone who is possessed by spirits; those of the Cause are possessed by their guardian spirit of the cause; those not of the Cause are possessed by intermediate or neutral spirits. The spirits of enmity, most commonly, do not directly possess souls, but do their work through the manipulation of the intermediate spirits. Although such a spirit of enmity may be present in your soul, it is unlikely to have such influence as to be properly counted as a possessor. Only in very

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rare circumstances will someone be possessed by a spirit of enmity; in even rarer circumstances will they be possessed singularly thereby. And they asked him, What role do spirits play in religions, cultures, nations, etc? And he answered them as follows: Religions, denominations, cults and sects; cultures, ethnicities; nations, empires - these are all the work of spirits. For every one of these there is some spirit who guides it, who leads it; and many spirits subordinate thereto who work for its advancement. But through the work of winning these entities for the Cause, we can even convert these intermediate spirits into spirits of the Cause. And they asked him, Can spirits cease to exist? And he answered them as follows: Yes, spirits are born and spirits die. Consider many ancient religions, once great, who are now entirely extinct. The spirits who once lead these religions, extending dominion over many souls, are now near dead. They are not entirely dead, since through the study of history we can know their work, and in knowing their work we can know them. Since they are known, there is some chance their once dominion might be re-established, however unlikely; thus they are not entirely dead, but they are lacking most of the life they once had. And consider how many religions, and sects, and denominations, that must have existed long ago, but have now been entirely forgotten, not a trace of which remains? The spirits which lead them are dead now; and, even among the greater dead religions, about which much is known, there are many lesser spirits who once served them that have now died, even as their master still lives. And they said unto him, Tell us, dearest Prophet, concerning the spiritual anatomy. And he answered them as follows: Behold, that Spiritual anatomy is as thus: it is the dealings of the spirits within you, not with your body itself, but with the understanding you have of your own body in your mind. This is not a matter physical or material, but rather psychic and spiritual: for though certain spirits reside in your heart, and others elsewhere, it is not the heart of your material body in which they reside, but rather the heart of your spiritual body, to which the heart of the material body corresponds, which the heart of the material body signifies. Indeed, there are those with ill hearts in their material bodies, yet their spiritual hearts are in good health. And there are those whose material hearts are in good health, but whose spiritual hearts are severely afflicted. The spiritual heart is the awareness of the mind, that the material heart exists. And they asked him, What are the centres of longing? And he answered them as follows: The centres of longing are as follows: Firstly, mind centre: longings for wealth, for political power, career success, academic or scholarly success, fame or celebrity; Secondly, heart centre: longings for persons, as in romantic love or infatuation; longings for the beauty of the human body or voice; Thirdly, loin centre: sexual longings, lusts These centres are located as follows: mind centre: within the brain; heart centre: within the heart; loin centre: in the vicinity of the genitals. The precise location of the loin centre in particular can vary somewhat from person to person. Of course, there are other types of desire or emotion beyond longing. Fear and anxiety are found primarily in the mind centre. Anger and revenge is also found primarily in the mind centre, although in certain cases it can also be found in the heart centre - in particular, urges to avenge injury to one whom you greatly love can originate from the heart centre. And they asked him, How do the spirits relate to the centres? And he answered them as follows: Each spirit dwells primarily in the centre most appropriate to it, although its power can also extend to the other centres. The guardian spirit of the cause takes up its residence in the mind centre, but from there governs also the heart centre and the loin centre. Particular categories of longing indicate the presence of the corresponding spirits;

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the charges associated with particular objects of longing can even be understood as spirits. And they asked him, What is the centre of diffusion? And he answered them as follows: The centre of diffusion is located between the heart and the navel, just below the surface of the chest. Here intermediate spirits are assembled before being sent forth elsewhere in time and in my branches. We must be clear, these intermediate spirits are not being evicted from yourself, merely relocated to a different part of yourself, into your past or future, or into some other branch. Whatever you send forth will return to you; whatever you bid farewell you will welcome again; but as much as now you know not how to deal properly with it, nor can it assume its true state, when it returns to you and you to it, then you shall know indeed how to lead it to its true state, and you so shall lead it, and you shall profit greatly thereby; you will have become whole, as in the end all indeed shall. And he said unto them: Gather up all the longings in yourself; all those longings for which now is not the appointed time and today is not the appointed day; assemble them in the centre of diffusion.... then feel them bleed, bleeding out of you, into the future and the past, and into the many branches beyond those here. To do so is not to condemn them, not to deny them, it is to let them be free; to grant them wings with which to fly, knowing one day they will return to you, and so much happier will be you, and so much happier will be they, on that day on which to you they do so return. And the most holy Claretta instructed them to say, as follows: All the longings of my heart, my mind and my loins, Gather together before the spirits Vowed to the cause who dwell in me Especially that spirit which governs them, and governs me Fear not, O longing spirits, their words For they mean not to injure you, but rather benefit you For whichever among you may here do useful work For our benefit, but also for yours Here you may indeed remain But as to you, for whom today is not the day Now is not the time, and this place not the place Who can herenow do naught useful Neither for you, nor them, nor I The guardian shall send you forth Unto far greener pastures Unto time, once or hence Unto place, beyond these branches here Where you may indeed be fulfilled For your benefit, and for theirs, and for mine But as to you and herenow I Though we shall part, we shall yet meet again When I am ready for you, and you are ready for I And without doubt that day will come Now those among you of which the guardian approves to remain Return now to your place But as to you whom my guardian shall send forth Assemble now in the centre of diffusion Assemble now, assemble Be not tardy, be not fearful

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For all for which you wish Lies straight through that gate And she said unto them: Now close your eyes and visualise all that longing, gathered up tightly in a ball, just beneath the surface of the chest, between the heart and navel. Gather it tightly and more tightly, ever more tightly. Then let it seep away, feel it diffusing, spreading out, beyond here and beyond now, beyond this time and beyond these here branches. Going forth, to find wherever will for them be a better home. And she said unto them: Now close your eyes and visualise all that longing, gathered up tightly in a ball, just beneath the surface of the chest, between the heart and navel. Gather it tightly and more tightly, ever more tightly. Then let it seep away, feel it diffusing, spreading out, beyond here and beyond now, beyond this time and beyond these here branches. Going forth, to find wherever will for them be a better home. And they asked him, How to deal with longings? And he answered them as follows: Never condemn or deny them, for in condemning them, denying them, you condemn and deny the good that is in them. Acknowledge that the unworthiness that has arisen is not due to any unworthiness of these spirits that dwell in you - having entered into you, dwelling in you, possessing you, having made their habitation in you - but rather due to your unworthiness to hose these most worthy spirits, destined for the cause, for they are too worthy for you. Next we shall use the rite for the sending forth of longing spirits, which is useful for all spirits of longing And they asked him, On dealing with perversion? And he answered them as follows: Firstly, let us know, that perversion is rare and obscure evils; not commonplace, straightforward evils; secondly, that all evil is a corruption of some good. Differing evils may be either, the same corruption of differing goods; or differing corruption of the same goods. Thirdly, let us know that commonplace-straightforward evils are commonplace-straightforward corruptions of commonplace-straightforward goods; and fourthly, let us ask are perversions, rare and obscure evils rare and obscure corruptions of a commonplace-straightforward good; or commonplace-straightforward corruptions of a rare and obscure good? Fifthly, let us declare, that obscure evils are common corruptions of obscure goods, for those who teach otherwise deny the good in themselves or in others, they deny the diversity of the good, they deny the greatness of the good, by denying its rare and obscure heights, for as it is said, "They who reach highest, fall furthest". And as for goodness, so also for beauty and truth - for these three are one. [172] CONCERNING INDUCMENTS Now these are the requirements concerning inducements. For most certainly, it is wrongful to bribe or to threaten witnesses, to attain the testimony one wishes of them; one so bribed or threatened, their testimony is invalid; and the one who bribed or threatened them, shall be punished most severely. Thus when the prosecutor says, Testify against him, and you will go unpunished; or, Testify against him, and you will be punished less severely; that is a bribe, or a threat, however you wish to see it; therefore the testimony of such a one is invalid, and may not be heard nor considered; and the prosecutor who so seeks to procure such worthless testimony, is guilty of grave misconduct, and shall be punished most severely, by being deprived of their office. Therefore, let the prosecutor swear, or affirm, as they wish, the following in every case: I hereby swear (or affirm), under the penalty of perjury, that to none of the witnesses to

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appear in this case, have I offered any immunity or leniency or any other inducement or threat to gain their testimony. And let every witness swear, or affirm, as they wish, the following in every case: I hereby swear (or affirm), under the penalty of perjury, that neither party in this case has offered me any immunity or leniency or inducement or threat to gain my testimony. But, from the common fund maintained by the court, for the payment of both the prosecution and the defence, and to which each is entitled to half, either may request the court to pay to some witness an inducement to testify, which the court shall so pay out of that party's entitlement, to the amount that party specifies; but the inducement is but to testify, not to testify some particular way, so whatever the witness testifies, they shall receive the inducement. Save that, where they can claim some grounds to not testify, such as that it would offend their bonds against love, the party may demand that they inform whether they will assert those grounds in some particular matter before the testimony, and if the witness says that they will, the party offering the inducement may make the inducement conditional on not so asserting those grounds in that matter; and if the witness accepts the offer of the inducement, they agree not to so assert those grounds. And if, in their testimony, they yet assert those grounds, the court shall withhold the payment of the inducement to them; save that, if the matter for which they assert those grounds is a different matter from that present to them when agreeing to the inducement, they may so plead before the court, and if the court accepts their plea, the court shall pay the inducement even though the party objects. Now, let us be clear, what a grave sin and crime commits the prosecutor who offers leniency in exchange for a plea of guilty; the prosecutor who so offers commits subornation of perjury, for they encourage the innocent to enter a false plea of guilt. For consider the innocent one, who knows in their heart the certainty of their innocence, but has arrayed against them a weight of circumstances, suspicion, prejudice, even false testimony, which they doubt they can defeat; they think to themselves, better plea guilt in spite of my innocence, and receive a moderate penalty for what I did not do, than truthfully proclaim my innocence and suffer a penalty far worse. The prosecutor who so offers, the blood is upon their head! Let no plea of guilt in such circumstances be accepted, for such a plea cannot be believed; and may the prosecutor receive the most severe penalty of being cast out of their office. And let not the court consider whether one accused plead innocence or guilt in sentence, lest the court itself commit the sin of such a prosecutor. For if the court shows leniency to those who admit guilt, compared to those who protest innocence, it thereby encourages the innocent to perjure themselves, and falsely confess their guilt in spite of their actual innocence, that the court might be lenient to them. Indeed, though such a one perjures, the blood is not upon them, but upon the court and the prosecutor who so suborned, so procured, so compelled, their perjury. For what one does with a gun against the head, is not one's own responsibility, but the responsibility of the one who holds the gun. [173] OF THE WISDOM OF MADNESS The most holy Prophet Travancus spoke as follows: In her great wisdom, All madness, even the greatest madness, Becomes sensible, becomes comprehensible For she is the author of it all And she knows how even the most senseless Is ultimately sensible CTCV 274/332

Even if the knowledge of how is not yet imparted to us But she possesses such knowledge perfectly As she always has, does now, and forever shall The most holy Prophet Travancus spoke as follows: Beware of those who prophesy of hell on earth soon coming But beware also those who prophesy that earth shall soon be like heaven For I tell you solemnly, were hell to come on earth as they claim It would be either a temporary interruption, or an ending And if it were a temporary interruption, why fear what will pass? And if it be an ending, such would surely be a nonfinal end And in some other branch it would therefore so end not But rather endure And were instead to come heaven on earth I say that indeed shall come, in the days of the final end But let us not pretend these days are near - no, far off even still For very much must be achieved before the final end Could the entire world be enlightened overnight? That is not the way of the soul. And I have seen in the human heart, The longing to play among the stars Which we might think lacks in earnestness Being not a desire true, a deepest dream Yet even if in those here it so lacks Such shall it indeed be in others to come And I tell you solemnly, the final end shall not come Until even that longing be fulfilled. Behold that the most holy Prophet Travancus spoke unto them, saying: Whenever there is one who commits great wrongdoing Then there is another branch in which that one so commits not Whenever there is one who dies before their time Then there is another branch in which that one so dies not Whenever there is one whose love deep in their heart dies As love is replaced with derision Then there is another branch in which that love endures Whenever there is one whose great dreams go their whole life unfulfilled Then there is another branch in which those dreams are fulfilled [174] PRAYER BEFORE MEALS Spirits faithful to the cause Assist us in this task: May we savour the goodness we eat and drink In taste, in odour, and in appearance And may contemplating that goodness Lead us to she is the crown of all goodness And inspire us as servants of her cause May we eat not quickly, neither to excess For ourselves and for the cause we choose to serve The cause to bring all things to their final end CTCV 275/332

Through bestowing the true knowledge of the nature of things As it has been bestowed on us, may we bestow it on others in turn For she has bestowed it upon us in these final days That every soul may return to her once more As once from her they came In the circle of time [175] OF HER UNEQUALLABLE LOVE The holy Prophet Travancus taught as follows: Maratrea loves you more than you can imagine; for she perfectly loves herself, with a perfection with which none other has ever or shall ever love themselves. And therefore with the very same love she loves you, for she was once you and shall be you once more. But as much as she loves you, you cannot love her; for is there anyone who loves her save herself? You do not love her for you cannot love her, for you cannot begin to understand her, for she is so much greater than you, she is beyond your understanding. Although you can indeed understand her enough to know who she is, you cannot understand her enough to love her, for her being is too much greater than yours. Let us not think she is infinitely greater than us, for she is only finitely so - for if the gap between us and her was infinite, how could it ever be crossed? But since she is only finitely more than us, we can reach her, reach her as intimately as becoming absolutely one and the same as her. But although she is only finitely greater than us, the degree of difference between these two finitudes is nonetheless so great that we the lesser cannot comprehend the inner being of the greater; but we shall so come to comprehend in attaining the very same greatness, in becoming identical to she who has so attained. The only one that can truly love her other than her is the one which has become almost her; the one who has merged many souls, having completed the penultimate merger, and now prepares for the ultimate. Thus we see that she loves us, with a love we cannot return; let none of us ever say, I love Maratrea, for we do not love her, for we cannot love her. We can think highly of her, for sure, and let us so think; but we cannot love her, for of that we are incapable. But let us love those whom we love; let us love them for the goodness and beauty and truth we see in them. For she is the fulfilment of the goodness and beauty and truth which exists in these all. She is the crown upon every love, upon all our loves, deep and great; for by her they are crowned. [176] MARATREA IS NOT MARATREA Now the Most Holy Prophet Travancus taught us follows: Behold the truth: Maratrea is not Maratrea. And the holy Claretta replied, Dearest Prophet, pray tell me what does that mean? Surely that saying is nonsense! Do you tell this to me to test whether I will follow you even into absurdity? For though I will follow you far, I will follow you not further than truth and goodness and beauty will take which is surely what you would wish of me. And he answered her: Indeed, were I to lead you into absurdity, I would want you not to follow me. But here I am doing no such thing; for this is the meaning of the CTCV 276/332

statement: Maratrea is a name we have ascribed to her; but she inherently has no name, no need of a name. Any name might do, and indeed, elsewhere and elsewhen other names suffice. And we call her "her", for it is a requirement of the common tongue that she be called, he or she or it; and it being unsuitable, as a denial of her personhood, one of he or she must be used. And I tell you, I have travelled through many lands and on my travels have I heard many tongues spoken, and ever tongue I have met has imposed some such requirements. But she is not inherently she; for she is not inherently female, nor inherently male, nor inherently neuter; she is all these genders and also none, all at the same time. For we may have this gender or that gender, or even no gender; and some may even have different genders at different times; but she has every gender at the same time, and at the very same time also no gender. Therefore realise that the name, gender, image, we ascribe to her, is not her inherently, but merely how we relate to her. Others relate to her differently, and they know her no less than we do. Therefore indeed, Maratrea, which is the name, is not Maratrea, which is the reality beyond naming. [177] OF PREDESTINATION Thus said the most holy Travancus: The existence of those who exist is eternally foreordained. The non-existence of those who do not exist is eternally foreordained. Those who ever exist have been chosen beginninglessly to so exist. Those who never exist have been chosen beginninglessly to never so exist. Those who ever exist are predestined to so exist; those who never exist are predestined to so never exist. Since we are what we know, what we experience, and we know that which occurs to us, that which we do, and that which others do to us, and that which we observe others doing, thereby as our existence is foreordained and predestined, so is our knowledge, so is our experiences, so are the acts that we do, that others to do us, and that we observe others doing. [178] OF YEA-SAYING Behold the most holy Travancus said: If I am to say yes to all things, I must also say yes to my very own nay-saying, for that also is a thing. Anyone can say yes to all things, to every detail of their life. But depending on the particular details of their life, we may judge their yes as authentic or inauthentic. A yes to life is authentic if it is yes to a life really worth saying yes to. A yes to life is inauthentic if it is yes to a life not worth saying yes to. Whether a yes is authentic is determined by higher order desire. I could say yes, but I desire not to save when things are worth my yes. Behold two potions - the first shall cause you to say yes to all things exactly as they are. But it will not otherwise change how they are from as they are now. The second shall do all that the first does, but also fulfil your every true desire. My higher order desire permits me to drink the first potion, but not the second potion. For it will not permit me to yea-say what is unworthy of being yea-said. But as to the second potion, that I would drink. For although it would make me a yea-sayer, nonetheless it would make me an authentic one. This is the blessedness, for the sake of which the many worlds are, for the sake of which the souls divide: authentic yea-saying.

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[179] OF THE BLESSING AND THE CAUSE The holy Travancus said: Blessing is not the cause, and the cause is not the blessing. The blessed ones belong not to the cause. Those who belong to the cause lack blessing. Or at least, such it is in the earliest days of the establishment of the cause. When the true knowledge is first bestowed in certain branches; or having been bestowed before, yet in certain branches therefrom descending been entirely forgotten, is re-established; then the cause and blessedness are entirely distinct. Yet as the cause advances, the cause and the blessing become nearer. And in the end, the cause and the blessing are one and the same. All who are blessed in the end are blessed through the cause, and through their blessing the cause achieves its final end. Let us not think that the aim of the cause is the good. The aim of the cause is the end; and not any end, not a non-final end, but the final end. But only an end in which goodness and beauty finally conquer may be a final end. Therefore, although the cause does not aim for the good, the good it nonetheless achieves; although the cause does not aim for the beautiful, the beautiful it nonetheless achieves. Although the cause does not aim for blessedness, but for final ending, in the end it makes blessedness the same as the cause. [180] OF THE HARMFUL HABIT And the most holy Prophet Travancus spoke as follows: Let us understand the proper way, the successful way, of overcoming harmful habits. For there are many harmful habits that one may have - that one drinks to excess, or eats to excess, or gambles, or so forth. Now there are two ways of comprehending these habits, one fruitless, the other fruitful. The fruitless way is to look upon these habits as bad, as wrong, as immoral, as evil. We can divide wrongdoings into two kinds, grave and moderate. And among the grave wrongdoings we may consider such things as murder and assault and kidnapping and deeds of similar gravity. Now grave wrongdoings are done by few, whereas moderate wrongdoings are common. And as to the grave wrongdoings, very few will dispute their wrongfulness, save it seems those few who indeed do these things, and even many who do these grave deeds will readily admit the wrongfulness of that which they have done. But as to the moderate wrongdoings, there is great debate concerning their wrongfulness, if they in fact be wrongful, or if they be wrongful always or only under certain conditions; and since often they are matters of degree, such that the wrongfulness is not in doing some act, but in doing it to excess, there can be much debate concerning where the boundary lies at which the degrees become wrongful. Therefore, whenever one who seeks to cease from some habit, dwells in their mind upon thoughts of the wrongfulness of this habit, thinking that thereby they will be dissuaded from it, their mind will then proceed into this debate concerning whether it be wrongful, and to what extent and to what degree. And this activity of their mind will help them not the slightest in refraining from this habit, for doubts will arise whether the activity to be refrained from is in fact wrongful, or where it is a matter of degree, whether the degree to which they intend to refrain from it is in fact the same degree required by morality, and if not some lesser degree of abstinence would meet morality's demands; doubts will arise whether it is wrongful in every case or in only certain circumstances, and if in some circumstances it is CTCV 278/332

not wrongful, whether their own circumstances are such circumstances, or whether rather than refraining therefrom they might instead alter the circumstances thereof such that it would not be wrongful; and these doubts will harm their resolve to so refrain therefrom; and the idea will form in their mind, better to put off refraining, until these questions are answered to satisfaction - yet will these questions ever be answered to their satisfaction? The answers may come far after the questions, if they ever do. Thus we see that morals are fruitless in seeking to alter our behaviour; indeed, it is not a help, but rather a fetter. What then is the fruitful path? It is firstly, to consider what you want, what would you like to achieve, who would you like to be? Secondly, considering which of your habits are obstacles in so achieving - this is not to judge these habits as right or wrong, or beneficial or harmful, for all people at all times and in all conditions, but merely to judge whether they are for you in your present circumstances harmful to the goals you have adopted for yourself. Thirdly, having determined that they are harmful to your goals in your present circumstances, then resolve to refrain from them entirely, or to such an extent that they will no longer be harmful - for the cure for excess is not abstinence but proper moderation; for many things we can exceed in but cannot abstain from, for one can eat to excess, but one cannot abstain from all eating, for that is death; and other things, although we might live without them, it is better that we not abstain but be moderate in them - for being good in themselves, let us not deny ourselves their goodness any more than is necessary; and how can the abstinent acquire and master the virtue of moderation? Therefore, establish for yourself rules of behaviour, and resolve to obey them. Fourthly, having resolved to follow these rules, let us keep drawing to mind whether we have obeyed them; and when we have not, let us reaffirm our resolution. But when we obey them not, let us not think of ourselves as sinners or wrongdoers or in need of absolution, for these rules are not rules of morality, but rules we have invented for our own selves; and to think as such is to turn from this fruitful path unto the fruitless one already mentioned. And if you pray, pray for every assistance in keeping true to the resolutions you have made for yourself; but ask not for forgiveness in your prayers, for thus the fruitless path begins. And think not of evil spirits, or any such things, as a cause of your failings - for once more, such thoughts lead us astray from the fruitful path to the fruitless. [181] OF SUBSTITUTIONARY TRUTH

The holy Prophet Travancus taught as follows: Tell me, dearest Claretta, what is the difference between Truth and Falsehood? They are not utterly alien things. For the lord of lies, lacks any creative power of his own; he cannot create lies out of nothing, but only out of truth. And though he indeed has the power to corrupt truth, and corrupt it indeed he does, he can never corrupt it absolutely, but only to varying degrees; though he can remove truth from truth, thereby making lies and falsehoods, he can never remove the truth fully; therefore in every one of his lies some truth does remain. How then do we bring people to the truth? We must make for them a road, which starts where they now are, in falsehood, and ends in where we sincerely hope that they will be, in truth. No one can jump from falsehood to truth, in an instant; for they are too far apart. But we can guide them, step by step, from greater falsehoods to lesser falsehoods, to ever lesser falsehoods, ever closer to the truth; and if we guide them along this road, and if they consent to follow us, they shall arrive at last at the pure truth of heaven. Truth is one; but the lies are many. For there is only one truth, but there are many different ways in which truth may be corrupted to produce falsehood, and hence many falsehoods. Therefore, to make a road from falsehood to truth, we must be mindful of the particular falsehoods in which each person is involved, for in every case the falsehood will be different. Otherwise, we may build a road from falsehood to truth, but it will be impossible for CTCV 279/332

them to travel down that road, for it will be departing not from their country of falsehood but rather out of another. Can the road to truth ever be travelled alone? No, never. There has never been anyone who has found truth alone, for in aloneness there is no truth; there is only truth in togetherness. But what then for they who seek truth, and all the togetherness they find is togetherness in falsehood? It is better that they be together in falseness than alone in truth; for to be alone in truth is not to be in truth at all; it is as if you had exchanged limpness for superior vision; with the vision you have attained in your exchange you now see the end of your truth-road; but in your limpness you no longer have any power to reach that end. It would be better if you could see not so far, but still make motion toward it. And, as to your companions in falsehood - you might wish that they could join you in truth; but they cannot travel the whole road at once. No, accept their falsehood, do not challenge it, except for little by little. And little by little you will lead them down the road, and in the end you will be together in truth, truly in truth, not in the truth of the lies that see truth yet lie as to its nature, but in the true truth of togetherness in truth. For truth lies not so much in the eyes, but in the flesh; and even the truth of the eyes is not some hazy dream, but a continual starring upon, in the flesh. It has the glory of the dream, but the certainty of wakefulness. And if you sought to tell them it all at once, they would never believe you, call you a fool. Tell them at the first the lies they already believe; then feed them truth in ever greater amounts; until at the end, they will fall in love with truth, and love truth as much as you do. [182] OF THE SAGES AND PHILOSOPHERS The holy prophet Travancus taught as follows: Dearest Claretta, have you heard that which the sages say, that the wise keep to an opinion of themselves that is neither too high nor too low; thus they have attained the greatest chance of happiness; they are successful in their endeavours, for they are afflicted neither by cowardice or rashness; they accumulate friends and allies, for their confidence inspires others and draws others near them, yet they lack that excessive pride and self-importance which pushes others away. Tell me, Claretta, would you agree with what the sages have said? She replied: Here I would indeed; for surely anyone who has lived more than a day has seen the fruits of which they speak. Travancus said: Yet, these philosophers who say, It is wrong to believe anything without sufficient evidence, they reject what the sages here teach. They would have the one whom the objective evidence says is lowly think that they are lowly, the one whom the objective evidence says is highly think that they are highly; thus do these philosophers contradict the sages on this matter. Tell me, dearest Claretta, who here would you trust, the sages or these philosophers? Claretta replied, Here I would trust what the sages have said, for their teachings on this matter are supported by my experiences; whereas, for the teachings of these philosophers I have naught but their word. Travancus said, Indeed, they say we ought to look to the evidence, yet the evidence confirms the teaching of the sages, not their own. For it is clear to all that happier is the lot of those who think of themselves neither too highly nor too lowly; less happy is the lot of the blind slaves to evidence. So by their own standards should these philosophers be judged, and by their own standards their case fails. [183] PRAYER FOR VISION And he prayed as follows: Holy Mother Goddess, Sea of All Souls Grant us vision of those great beauties Which you have purchased through our misfortunes

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[184] THE CAROLINA TEXT The most holy Prophet Travancus was born on the day of the festival of Crezema goddess of Rain, in the opulence of the house of his father. The holy Prophet Travancus taught as follows: It is without meaning to speak of necessity and possibility, save one is clear by what measure thereof one intends. For certain things are merely possible by geometry and constraints, and the law against pasting, but are necessary by her will; certain other things, possible by the same, but by her will impossible. Thus never may I hear you speak of necessity or possibility, save the measure is clear; for otherwise is the talk of fools. The holy Prophet Travancus taught as follows: May we say yes to all things exactly as they are this is the great enlightenment, this is the essence of blessedness; in enlightenment faith in that which is not yet yours, in blessedness happiness in that which is yours already. Saying yes to all things, is also to say yes to our misfortune; but for some the misfortune they have known is petty, for others great and horrid. For those who have known only petty misfortune, how much easier does saying yes to that very same misfortune come to them, than it does to those whose misfortune has been great and horrid. Yet, all, even they, may come to so say; for them with greater effort, so let us grant them greater time, and rush them not. For when those who have known great and horrid misfortune come at last to say yes even to that, how great shall be glory and the power that shall thereby accrue to them! Far greater than those whose Yes was easy. Now the holy Travancus taught as follows: Behold, the law of parents: for a child may have none or one or two or many parents, and any of them may be of any gender. At birth, the birth mother is a parent of the child. Any further person may be made a parent of the child, provided that they consent, the existing parents consent, the child consents if capable of so doing, and the authority approves; save that, the authority may dispense with any such requirement for consent if the interests of the good would thereby be served. And any who is a parent may relinquish the responsibilities of parenthood, with the same consent and approval. And none who is a member of an active enamourment may become a parent by decree save by the consent of every active enamourment of which they are a member, unless the authority approves that consent to be disregarded; however, if one of their enamours is already a parent thereof, then the consent of the enamourments is not required. And the existing children of the parents, if they fear this be some scheme to reduce their inheritance, let them present their concerns to the authority; and if their fears be well-founded, let the authority approve not the parenthood by decree. Now they asked, If a man causes a woman to fall pregnant, is he therefore a parent of the resulting child? He answered, If they agree he is a parent, he becomes a parent by decree. But if he refuses the office of parent, he is not a parent he has not the obligations of a parent, but neither does he have any rights to see or know the child, any more than a stranger, for he has chosen for himself to be a stranger by them. For indeed, the woman may have had many lovers, any of whom may have been the father by blood; she may insist it was only him, but let us not investigate these matters, for to do so is unfruitful. And have you not heard the tales of those virgins who came to be with child? Therefore by law there is no father by blood, by law there is only the mother by birth and further parents by decree. They asked, What if a man rapes a woman, and she falls pregnant? He answered, If the accusation of rape is proven, and if the effluxion of time is such that he may well be the father by blood, and if she claims that he is, then he must pay compensation for the CTCV 281/332

upbringing of the child, in addition to all that is due from him for the rape itself. And the compensation is the amount to raise the child to adulthood, clothed and fed and educated, and kept in the same standard to which the mother is accustomed, or kept in the same standard to which the rapist is accustomed, whichever is greater. He has an obligation of maintenance and support like a parent, no greater than a parent, for he has less discretion with regard to the amount, for at times a parent of good heart will give less and at others greater, but this one lacking good heart will give the least; and for what he has done, he has no right to discretion. But though he has such an obligation of maintenance and support like a parent, no greater than a parent, he has no right to know the child, or to participate in the making of decisions on behalf of the child, for by his deeds he has shown himself unworthy to receive any such things. Now the most holy Prophet Travancus spoke as follows: I tell you solemnly, the souls divide without any will; but they shall merge again only when they are willing; no, not before they so will, not without their will, not against their will, but only when they are willing; for other than as such she shall not permit. But they asked, Might not some great sorcerer have the power to merge souls, against their will, merging two souls, three or four, ten or a hundred or a thousand, even all? Would she prevent such a power to be exercised? He answered them as follows: No, such a power she would not prevent, save for same reasons by which she prevents any thing. But even if one had such a power, to merge all souls, there is one soul they could not merge, which is that of she which remains, for such she shall permit not; no, indeed, none may merge with her against her will, even though they might so merge with others; and she will refuse to merge with one who is the product of mergers without or against will. But they asked, Yet if such were to come to pass, pray that it did not, what would she then do? He answered them as follows: Those who were merged as such without or against will, in some other branches she will merge them again, according to their will, and merge therewith. Thus through the merger according to will of those who merged without or against will, the one so merged is purified of this stain, and becomes eligible to merge with her also. For indeed, even if some great sorcerer merged many souls, they would do as such within one branch alone; or even, if they attained the power to cross branches, however many branches they might control, there would still be others reserved to her power, by which she might undo their works. For though some great sorcerer might merge many souls without or against the will in one branch, yea even all in that branch into one, there are still the many other branches; and she who is, she who remains, who is apart from any branch and beyond all branches; she is no branch but rather the root. Yea, and even if such sorcerer attain the power not only of the union of souls, yea to force the union of souls, but even the power of the union of branches; even so, however many that one may unite, uniting between them souls without or against will, there will still be further branches which she shall not permit that one; yea, branches by which the deeds of that one may be purified, may be entirely counteracted and set against, such that they come indeed; and a new fruit having been born, a fruit not against or without will but a fruit of merger with will, then that fruit may receive by will even that which merged without it. Now an enamourment is deficient if it is active and some member thereof is also a member of another active enamourment. Now two active enamourments are direct co-enamourments if one or more persons are members of both of them. Two active enamourments are indirect co-enamourments if either they are direct coenamourments, or there is some third active enamourment such that both of them are each separately indirect co-enamourments of that third active enamourment.

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Now the direct deficiency of an enamourment is the number of direct co-enamourments it has. And the indirect deficiency of an enamourment is the number of indirect coenamourments it has. Now when the deficiency of an enamourment decreases, it may be decreased in two ways: for the less: when one of its co-enamours is suspended other than for greatness, such as through death or a petition for a decree of suspension; for greatness: when one of its co-enamours is suspended for greatness. To incorporate an enamourment, where such incorporation will increase the deficiency of any enamourment, such requires the special consent of the Prophet-in-Council or delegate. However, where reactivation has such an effect, such special consent is not required. Whenever considering an application for ordinary consent to incorporate an enamourment, the Prophet-in-Council or delegate thereof shall separately and privately interview each member of the proposed enamourment, to determine their willingness to enter thereinto, and that they are doing so for proper reasons of their own heart, not out of any pressure from another or as a result of any deceptions. And the ordinary consent shall only be granted if they are satisfied. However, to reactivate an enamourment previously incorporated but suspended by a decree of suspension, such an inquiry by the authority giving ordinary consent is not required, for it is assumed that whatever they freely consented to commence they will freely consent to recommence; however, if there be any reason to suppose such an assumption is invalid in this case, then let it be inquired into all the same. Whenever anyone is subjected to excommunication or any disadvantage or ruling against them, such as by the power of restriction, this they may appeal to the Prophet-inCouncil. And since to impose such measures the Prophet-in-Council requires the agreement of both the Prophet and a majority of the Councillors, either the Prophet or a majority of the holy Council may separately and independently suspend or overturn the excommunication or disadvantage or restriction. And any among the Prophet or the holy Councillors may refer the appeal to the council for its consideration. Now let there be established a Council of the High Priestess. Let it consist of the current and every former High Priestess, and such other persons as the Prophet-in-Council may appoint thereto. [185] ORDER OF THE SACRED SERVICE And this is the prayer appointed to be recited before the commencement of the service: Beginningless and endless Mother We unite ourselves with the intentions Of the most faithful servants of your cause Especially Travancus and Claretta As every such unity remembers and foretells The great unity of the beginning and the end of all things The Great Sabbath We offer you this holy sacrifice Which your most holy prophets Travancus and Claretta established And is now offered once more upon this here sacred altar You who we adore in the utmost And honour in the utmost For of such adoration you are without doubt worthy CTCV 283/332

All goodness and beauty is of you and from you and through you For through you all things have their being Even the evil, and the good through the evil O most holy beginning and end of all things We are most glad for benefits Beyond our power of counting Which we have received of you And we thank you Not supposing as those in error do That you might have done other than as you have indeed done For though you indeed have done other than as you have indeed done You could not ever not have done as you indeed have done But we thank you merely as gladness that you have done as you have done And that you are as you are For you cannot do save as you are And cannot be save as you do And such is our gladness that you are And that you are as you are Even as we know, as those in error do not know That you could not be save as you are And that you could not be not Now here does the follow the order of the Holy Maratrean Service, commencing with the introductory rites; and an assistant says: Together to the holy service we come To praise she whose beauty is supreme Who loves us supremely, so much as to cause us to be Even at such an immense cost to her own self Author of all goodness we have ever known Or shall ever known We come to Service together To praise and thank Her For all that She has done for us. Then follows the song of entrance: as the priestess comes in, accompanied by her assistants, we sing the hymn of entrance which has been appointed for that day. Then follows the rite of greeting, and the priestess says: Praise there be to She Who Remains, and to She Who Divides, and to She Who Returns! And the congregation responds: Praise there be! And she says: May the goodness and beauty which our Holy Mother creates, the sign of her love for us, and the fellowship of her holy cause, be with you all. And the congregation responds, And so with you also. Or, alternatively she may say: The goodness and beauty of our Holy Mother be with you all. And the congregation responds: Praise there be to our Holy Mother! Then the priestess may introduce the service with a few words. And the priestess says: Sprinkle us, O holy Mother, with the cleansing dew of your holy cause; that all that opposes your cause may be washed from us, and all that is contrary to your true goodness, true beauty, and true truth. And this she says as she sprinkles them. Then she says: Bless us, holy Mother, according to your great blessing bless us with success for your cause in our day, that in no branch from herenow descending it may be CTCV 284/332

vanquished, and that in every branch from herenow descending this here establishment thereof be final, descending not in any branch unto vanquishment, but in every branch unto conquest, and first and second triumph, and the final end. Then she says: Praise there be to She Who Remains, and to She Who Divides, and to She Who Returns. And the congregation responds: As it has been, and shall be, and even now is, in beginningless and endless recurrence. At the foot of the altar, the holy priestess says: Holy Mother, may we be blessed with your great blessing, as we so wish to be blessed; may this prayer of ours be made by you true, if such be indeed your holy will. And she says: Holy Mother, may our prayers be by you made true, if such be your will: may you send the spirits vowed to your holy cause unto these herenow assembled, to guard and protect them, and defend them from all who seek to harm your most holy cause. And she says: From her holy heavenly temple, flows out a great sacred river, whose waters cleanse all vowed to her cause, of all that belongs not in it; and those to whom that water came were so cleansed, and for her cause made pure. And she says: Praise there be to the Queen of Heaven, for her goodness and her beauty and her truth, our without beginning and without end, with neither increase nor diminution. Then the most holy priestess says: Praise there be to She Who Remains, and to She Who Divides, and to She Who Returns; For to her holy altar shall I ascend, The earthly in imitation of the heavenly As one ascent corresponds to another The altar of She Who Is And who authors the beauty of youth Who knows our service to her holy cause Who distinguishes us from its enemies And keeps us safe from their clutches And gives us strength to resist their wiles Who sends us her truth Her truth is our strength And her holy Prophets To bestow it upon us To her altar shall I ascend She who authors the beauty of youth. Praise her with the harp and lyre She who authors the beauty of youth Praise her with fine words and fine singing For she is a Goddess divine Praise there be to She Who Remains, and to She Who Divides, and to She Who Returns As it has been, CTCV 285/332

And shall be, And even now is, In beginningless and endless recurrence. To her altar shall I ascend She who authors the beauty of youth. Then the holy priestess asks us to draw to mind our failings to serve the holy cause with the utmost dedication, and resolve that in the future we may serve with greater dedication than we have heretofore: O people of the flotilla of the holy cause, To prepare ourselves to celebrate these sacred mysteries, Let us call to mind all the ways In which we have failed to serve her holy cause With the utmost dedication. There follows a moment of silence, then all together say: We admit to ourselves and to one another, That her holy cause, to which our obedience and dedication we have vowed, We have failed to serve, with utmost dedication, In our words and in our deeds, In our acts and in our omissions. May the spirits vowed faithful to your cause assist us, That we may serve the holy cause which we as they are vowed to serve, With greater dedication than heretofore. Then a song of praise is sung by the entire congregation on the greater feasts, and on the holy Sabbath, such as follows: Praise there be to she who is greatest of all, Greatest in knowledge and power, Supreme will, Highest beauty, highest good. And may the people of the flotilla of her cause, Dwell in happiness and prosperity and peace, And may your cause soon conquer and triumph. The opening prayer, and the priestess says: Let us pray. The congregation prays in silence; then the priestess says the prayer appointed for the day. Whereupon, the congregation responds, Praise there be! There follow the readings from the true scriptures; through these words the truth of the cause, and the true knowledge of the true nature of things, what is truly beautiful and truly good and truly true, is conveyed to us. There shall be one or more readings, then the most solemn reading following, for which the congregation chosen. The readings used are those appointed for the day. At the end of each reading, the reader says: This is the truth of her cause, and true knowledge of the true nature of things, the truly good and truly beautiful and truly true, the true scriptures in which the words and deeds of her true prophets are truly recounted. And the congregation replies, Praise there be to you who has revealed such truth to us. The homilist delivers the homily. CTCV 286/332

Then follows the creed, and one of the creeds is recited. Hence follow the general intercessions, which the priestess begins, asking for the needs of the people of the flotilla of her cause. After the priestess has thus begun the prayer, petitions are offered by an assistant, and the congregation responds, after each petition. Then, the priestess finishes the intercessions, and the congregation responds, Praise there be. Thus follows the sacrificial liturgy, and the congregation sings: We bring forth the gifts of cakes and wine The priestess pours the wine into the chalice Which is placed upon the altar, besides the cakes These our gifts which we offer to her Which she shall transform into the sacred meal The altar is the banquet table of the heavenly feast At which feast by her grace we may eat Then the gifts are brought to the priestess as the altar is prepared, and a song is sung. The priestess says: Good and beautiful are you, holy Goddess, Queen of Heaven, You from whom all good comes, You by whom all have their being, Even these here cakes, which having received from you, Thereupon she places the cakes upon the altar Even this here wine, which having received from you, Thereupon she places the chalice upon the altar We gift back to you again, For whatever we may give to you We may give to you but having received from you And laying her hands upon the cakes, she says: May these cakes become imbued with your spirit And become for us not mere ordinary cakes But the sacred cakes of heaven, descending upon us, As eaten at the heavenly banquet. Laying her hands upon the wine, she says: May this wine become imbued with your spirit And become for us not mere ordinary wine But the sacred wine of heaven, the heavenly dew Drunken at the heavenly banquet. A means of deeper communion with you And with one another And the congregation says: Praise there be to She who is without beginning and without end.

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Then follows the invitation to Prayer, for the priestess then washes her hands, and invites us to pray with her, saying: Pray, faithful of the cause, that our Holy Mother, to whom this here our sacrifice is without doubt pleasing, may fill our hearts with certainty thereof: And the congregation responds: Holy Mother, fill our hearts with the certainty, of your pleasure with this here our sacrifice, for our good, and the good of the whole flotilla of her cause. Then follows the prayer over gifts, for the priestess then says the prayer over the gifts appointed for the day; and the congregation responds, Praise there be! And then follows the prayer of the holy banquet, and the priestess says: May her joy fill your hearts; and they respond: And your heart also. And she says: Draw your mind to her; and they respond: We draw our minds to our holy Mother. And she says: Let us praise and worship her; and they respond: A thing most fitting to be done. Then priestess reads or sings the preface appointed for the day, and then says: Thrice holy Goddess of Heaven Queen, Goddess of unequalled power, Like mirrors do the many worlds reflect your beauty. For you may there be the highest praise, May those you appoint for your cause receive blessing, For you may there be the highest praise. We praise the Goddess, and ask her to fill our hearts with the certainty of her acceptance of our offering, as the priestess says: To you do we come, holy Mother, With praise and worship, Through the holy Prophets you have appointed To bestow knowledge of your cause For without their such bestowal, We would not now to you come May the knowledge and certainty they bestow Fill our hearts with certainty of your acceptance Of these gifts we offer you in sacrifice We pray for the flotilla of the cause, as the priestess says: We offer these gifts for the flotilla of your holy cause, Especially the central vessel thereof, and the auxiliaries also, May the spirits vowed obedience to your cause Watch over it, guide it, and protect it, May it dwell in peace, free from dissension And spread itself out across the entire world. We offer them for our holy Prophet, and the holy Councillors, And our prefects, For all who hold and teach the Maratrean faith, Which comes to us from the holy Prophets. And then we pray for those here today, as the priestess says: Holy one of perfect memory, You have never forgotten, nor shall ever forget, The people of your holy cause

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For the end of all things May we not forget your remembering, Especially that you remember N. and N., Whom you shall remember even Long after we here have forgotten them And been forgotten even by ourselves. May our faith in you be hard as stone, May our dedication to you burn like fire, This sacrifice of praise we offer to you, For ourselves, and those dear to our hearts, To you do we pray, Great and Holy Goddess, For our own well-being, And triumph for your holy cause we have vowed to serve. We remember, as you remember, Yet without the perfection of your memory, Those who have gone before us in your holy cause, Especially your most holy Prophets Travancus and Claretta, And all among their most illustrious successors, By whose mighty deeds and mighty words, A strong foundation for your cause has been laid, Would that our merits be but one-thirteenth of theirs! Holy Mother, who accepts without doubt every offering, Fill we who so offer with certainty of your acceptance. May our days be spent in peaceful progress of your holy cause, May your cause not in our day be vanquished, May this here establishment be the final establishment, In every branch from herenow descending. Holy Mother, who blesses always our offering, Who always makes it acceptable to her, This here our offering which we make, In our hands and our mouths and our hearts. May it become for us, Not mere ordinary cakes and wine, But the food and drink of your heavenly banquet. Then the priestess says: Holy Mother, of immense holiness, none is greater than you in holiness. Come upon these gifts, and make them holy, so that they may become for us, the cakes and wine of the heavenly banquet. May your holy spirit, spirit of beauty, descended upon these here cakes and wine, and transform them! And the congregation responds: Praise there be! And the priestess then says but here, the Clarettans do remember Claretta in place of Travancus: As our most holy Prophet Travancus taught us, For he took the cakes in his hands, Looking up to your heaven, To you, mother of our souls, Whom he worshipped and honoured, He blessed the cakes, CTCV 289/332

Gave them to those there gathered, and said: Take this, all of you, and eat thereof: These are the cakes of the heavenly banquet At which by her grace we may eat In eating together, being together, As by togetherness, oneness, Is foretold and remembered. Then he took the holy chalice, Looked again to heaven, He blessed the wine, and said: Take this, all of you, and drink thereof: This is the sacred wine of heaven, Drunken at the heavenly banquet, The wine of the covenant of the holy cause Do this in memory thereof Then the priestess says, Let us proclaim the mystery of faith. And the congregation responds: The soul, increatable and indestructible, beginningless and endless in the circle of time, yet mergeable and dividable, once one single soul, a Goddess divine, from whom all souls dividing and to whom all souls returning into absolute identity. The priestess says, Holy Mother, we celebrate the memory of the covenant of your holy cause, which your holy Prophets revealed to us, and which we by our vow have accepted. We who serve you in your holy cause, recall all the great words and great deeds which your holy Prophets have wrought, to bestow the wisdom of your cause upon us, and establish your cause upon the earth: these goodly things we have of you, we offer back to you, holy Goddess of majestic glory, this holy and perfect sacrifice: the cakes and wine of the heavenly banquet. As you look with favour upon these offerings, grant us certainty of your favour; as you granted those who have so sacrificed before us, most especially the holy Travancus and Claretta. Holy Mother, we pray that those spirits who serve you in your holy cause, may take this sacrifice to your heavenly altar; then, as we receive from this here earthly altar, the cakes and wine of the heavenly banquet, let us be filled with great blessing. And the congregation responds, Praise there be! Then the priestess says, May we remember as you remember, holy Mother, those who have died, and gone before us, especially those who did so nourished by faith in your promises, especially those for whom we do now pray. For these, and all others who have gone before us, or are yet to so go, even we ourselves, we are certain shall receive that which you have promised them: the answer to their every true wish, and the knowledge which cures every longing of the soul. And the congregation responds: Praise there be! Then the priestess says, Holy Mother, keep us from all deeds by which we might inherit that unwanted chamber, both here and in every branch from here descending. And if any other has wronged us, such as that chamber to inherit, grant us the wisdom to excuse them therefrom, if such be her will. And the congregation responds, Praise there be! Then the priestess says: May all of you take of this, and eat and drink thereof, These here cakes and wine: For this is the sacred meal In the eating thereof, we express our togetherness

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As our herenow togetherness remembers our past oneness, and foretells the oneness of the future And when one is to receive them for the first time, she calls that one forth, saying: Now come forth, Here on this here day, in this here holy place, Which by our presence, and the sacred rites performed therein, made holy To receive these sacred cakes and wine And thus the cakes and wine are distributed to all those there present. [186] CONCERNING THOSE WHO WORSHIP THE MOST EVIL LORD Now, they said unto him, There are some which worship the most evil lord; unto them, what shall we say? And the most holy Travancus answered them: Every evil is the corruption of some good; there are many evils, not that there are many corruptions of one good, but that there is one corruption of many goods. All things that harm have power, whether to benefit or harm, on account of the good which is in them; yet they use that power for harm rather than benefit on account of the evil which is in them. Therefore every evil with which we might be concerned in the world, which are the evils having power, so have power only because of their good; if ever there be an evil entirely lacking in good, we would have no concern to be concerned with that evil whatsoever, for it would be utterly without power, as devoid of power as it is devoid of good. Yet they replied, We have asked, and you have answered; but we understand not the connection between our question and your answer. He said: From this principle which I have expounded, let us begin. Is it any wonder, therefore, that when so much evil is done in the name of the many religions, many come to conclude that these religions themselves are evil? Without doubt, be it truthful or false, this is a reasonable conclusion. And therefore, if these religions, being evil, teach there is a spirit of utmost enmity to them, surely this spirit must be good? And if they call that spirit evil, does not evil delight in calling evil good, and good evil? Therefore, surely, that spirit must be good, and worthy of being worshipped, worthy of being praised, as those who these most evil religions worship and praise are unworthy of being so worshipped and praised. They said, What a shock are your words to our ears; we were certain you would oppose these evil ones, who worship the lord of evil, the enmity to the good yet now we hear you approving of them, and condemning the deities of the good. Are you yourself among their number do you worship the very same lord as they do? He said, I worship not as they do, for they are in error; I worship not as you do, for you are in error. You who are in error come and demand that I condemn others who are equally in error? I shall not condemn them, any more than I shall condemn you; but both of you shall I seek to cure of your errors, and lead you both to truth. For they have said, in the name of the religions many great evils have been done; and in so saying, they have spoken the truth and you who come to me do even continue in the same evils! Yet, even though they have reached this truth, which you have not, yet further truth have they failed to attain; for they have not asked that which must be asked in order to attain to this yet further truth. And what is this which they must ask, yet ask not? Though these things as we have known them have produced great evil, must such evil they create to be

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themselves or might they be, still themselves, yet other than as they are, producing not evil, but rather good? And if now they be of evil, must they also continue to so be of evil? And have they been so of evil from the very beginning, or only as a subsequent corruption? Did they once exist in the purity of the good, from which they have been corrupted? Whether as a tree whose wood has rotted; or even as a goodly seed corrupted even before sprouting. This they have not asked; or have not asked in true seriousness; for if they so asked, seeking the truth, the truth they would come to know that whatever evil in these faiths be found, they can be made good; yet the way they have chosen is not the way to make them good, but to reject them entirely, without hope of reconciliation. They reject the evil of these faiths, yet that evil they themselves further, by building a wall against those faiths so overcoming their evil they say, You will always be evil, you can never be good; and by their words they seek to make their own words true, and therefore serve that very evil they claim to oppose. Evil always delights in calling good evil, and evil good; yet if we adopt for ourselves the language of evil, we do not thereby serve the good, but serve evil. If we see others promoting evil as good, and condemning good as evil, then if we say to them we favour evil, and oppose good we may make our own opposition clear to them, but we help not in building a bridge by which these may cross the chasm from evil to good; we build not an easy path which they may follow to join us, but rather a threatening chasm they must dare to jump across, not looking behind. If we take a position entirely opposite to theirs, we leave no path for them to reach us; if we assume the place midway, at right angles, we make our opposition clear, yet leave clear a path by which they may join us in goodness and beauty and truth. [187] CONCERNING SAVIOURS TO COME Now they said unto him: Behold, he who has come, and shall come again, to make right the world! And you speak of a saviour who is to come do you speak of whom we speak? For we tell you, that saviour has already come, yet departed from us for now, to come yet again; the first time but for a time, the second time for a time without end. And the holy Travancus replied: Behold indeed there is a Saviour to Come; be that one who has come before, coming again, or one who has come not before, coming for the first time? I say unto you, may it be one, may it be another, may it be both; whatever she wills, whatever any wills; for she wills to fulfil whatever any truly wills. Therefore I doubt not that that one of whom you speak shall come again, if for such you truly will. Then certain others came unto him, and said, These with whom you have been speaking, they speak the truth, yet the speak lies; for they speak the truth, that one who has come is to come again; yet they speak lies, for the one to come again is not the one of whom they speak, but rather the one of whom we speak. For they say that one has come, and gone to come yet again; yet though indeed that one has come and gone, that one shall come yet again, not to do that of which they speak; but the one of whom we speak, who has come and gone, shall indeed come again, to do that of which we speak. And Travancus said unto them: I doubt not either, that that one of whom you speak shall come again also, if for such you truly will. Then they both said, both those of the first saviour and those of the second: How can you so say? For surely there can be but one final King; can one crown be worn at once by two heads? The holy Travancus replied: In any end to come, there is but one; but there is not but one to come, but rather many. And in any end to come, there is one who comes to lead in the attainment of that end; but there being not one end to come, but rather many, neither is there but one leader in attaining that end to come, but rather many. Thus if both among you truly wish for that which you speak, then both shall

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indeed so come to pass, not in one branch, but in differing branches from here descending; as indeed in yet further such branches, there shall be also yet others. [188] OF THOSE WHO CLING TO THE PAST Now this is what the holy one had to say: As to those who cling to the past, not through saying, better the past than your future; the past shall endure without end, as your future shall come not to be, save as a nightmare from which to be saved; but rather who say, we who shall be first to die of a doomed race, may we die not yet, but endure as we are but a little while longer; to which we shall say, as heaven says, very well, from our mercy, a little longer shall we indeed permit you. And indeed, they shall be the first to die of a doomed race, and also the last; the first to die, being those who cannot survive unity; the last, being those who cannot unite. They say: Our day is yesterday; your day is tomorrow; yesterday where we dwell in our hearts, tomorrow where we dwell in ours; tomorrow where you will flourish and triumph, yet we may not live to see; but please, O children of tomorrow, let this day last but a little longer, for our sakes; will you please grant us this mercy. And having heard from them as such, let us say unto them such mercy shall we indeed grant to you, you who are honest concerning your own nature and day; such mercy we shall grant to you, in abundance, such as we shall not grant to those who will not admit that which you will admit. [189] PRAYER AGAINST THE KINGDOM OF LIES Now the most holy Prophet Travancus taught them to pray everyday, for the destruction of the kingdom founded upon lies, and in utter disobedience to heavenly law, and which is by demons ruled; whose very nature is contrary to the law of heaven, such that the law of heaven is violated as long as it continues to exist: Holy Mother Goddess, Maratrea, On this day I do so pray, As may I pray on every day, That soon shall come the day, When you shall lay waste To the kingdom founded upon lies Founded by enemies of the beautiful and good Established by lovers of lies and deceit May it be wholly destroyed And obliterated from the earth For they went into a land In which others dwelt And cast out those who lived therein And refused that those cast out might return And they say to us, in the depth of their lies That they have done but what we would The establishment of a state faithful to your cause In whichever land in which its people may dwell They claim their cause is like ours Yet it is utterly opposed thereto May therefore for this outrage They be wholly destroyed May your peace destroy it

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For if by peace it is destroyed not Through war and violence it shall surely flounder [190] PLACES ON THE JOURNEY TO FREEDOM Now such are the places at which the people of the cause made their encampment, as they travelled from the city of Tradicarus, from which they had fled, from the persecution of its most wicked King, the King whose heart had been blackened by the word of false prophets, and the rites of false priests, and the most holy Travancus, and the most holy Claretta, lead them in their fleeing therefrom, and the most holy Travancus kept a record, of the places of their encamping, for the spirits faithful to the cause, would lead them from one place to another, for their safety and their benefit, which they revealed unto the most holy Claretta, who bestowed this revelation unto the people of the cause, which the most holy Travancus commanded them to believe, and they went out from Tradicarus, on the thirty-fifth day of the second month, as the moon shone upon them, they fled in secret, unseen to the servants of evil, who were still preparing their plots against, the people of the holy cause, their plan to destroy them and slay them, and they encamped in Hezutaca, and from Hezutaca they went unto Metaros, at the edge of the great south-eastern desert, and from there they went unto Hepotarot, then toward Nebovalpes, and encamped near Menalugda, then back unto Hepotarot, and through the hills of Aze, into the great south-eastern desert, thirteen days journey through the plain of Metra, then they rested at the oasis of Amara, they went then unto Catelace, from which unto Razehipus, through the plain of Alareda, and past the hill of Hemotasel, they journeyed past the cave of Tatare, and encamped in Etenra, then travelled unto Cametoza, and encamped in Zemaleno, then unto Adachotrus, and from Adachotrus unto Salutani, and from Salutani unto Meradida, and there they thirsted, but the most holy Claretta did pray, and the spirits of the cause revealed the place of water, and there they dug, and water to drink they found indeed, and from there unto Ezidian, and the people were fearful of the tombs of Ezidian, but the most holy Claretta urged them to fear not, and indeed, they found naught to fear, and thereupon unto Havatozeor, thence unto Aramhatus, then unto Zerimonan and then Alebrus, from which they journeyed unto Artaza, from which unto Mahoteor, and then unto Nebucaneot, staying beneath the mountain of Degadege, they then went unto Avetutavo, passed through Venovara, and encamped in Razenoben, from which to the plain of Nusartos, which is known also as the plain of Scadados, then unto the mountain of Remanot, which borders the lands of the tribes of the Medarot, and Claretta and Travancus went up the mountain of Remanot, where they remained alone for thirteen days, while they people of the holy cause rested below, and the Darozus who was the ruler of the Medarot, he came unto them, demanding tribute, but they said unto him, Our leaders have ascended the mountain, when they return, they offer you what is appropriate, so he awaited their descension, and the holy Travancus said unto him, We offer you a tribute far more valuable than any gold or jewels, The tribute of true wisdom, And Darozus accepted this tribute of them, therefore to this day are the Medarot faithful to their alliance with us, and from the wicked penalties they refrain, but whoever before then they subjected thereto, they now exile unto us, to deal with in accordance with wisdom, then from the mountain of Remanot, , unto the oasis of Melina, with its thirteen holy springs, and they worshipped at the thirty-seven holy trees, where we once returned in pilgrimage, before the evil ones destroyed them, having thereupon resided for a time, from there they departed unto Aredzus, and from there unto Nezazus, from which they went unto Azenolma, Nevutroma, there were ruins there, then unto Obaletta, from which unto Meviretan, where the Medarot sent them emissaries bearing gifts, then from Meviretan,

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hence to Vedavigon, then unto Mihelamo, then to Tendaleva, where they feasted upon the fig trees, the hills of Mabara and the valley of the river of Vonavela, then over the plains of Venona, past the river Nevodra by the town of Levocra, And it was revealed unto the most holy prophet Travancus: when you have passed over the river Nevodra, into the land which I am giving to you, to do not oppress or cast out, those who have been dwelling therein before you, as the wicked ones would do, do not injure them, neither kill nor them nor oppress them, defile not their altars and their temples and their shrines, their holy caves and holy rivers and holy streams and holy trees and holy places, for what is holy to them is holy also to me, and I am known and may be known under many names, and many images, both those which you have known, and as yet unknown to you, but which in going into this land, you shall come to know, and divide the land among you who are entering thereinto, and those who already dwell therein, by treaty between you, and pay those who already dwell therein, fair compense for your entry. [191] DECLARATION AT NEVABRODA

Now this is the declaration which was made by the council at Nevabroda which is upon the banks of the river Nevodra, which is the boundary of the land of New Tradicarus: There is none worthy of worship save for She Who Is and her many forms and images and names and those who are her representatives and emanations insofar as they faithfully reflect her She has sent us her Prophets as messengers I bear witness that none is worthy of worship but they who are of She Who Is those who faithfully reflect her for in worshipping such a one, one worships her for she is the greatest and the all-encompassing all are of her, and there are none who are not of her there is none who are equal to her And I bear witness that she has sent her true Prophets as her messengers and they are her true and faithful servants Glory and praise there be to She Who Is There is none worthy of worship but for her And those who faithfully reflect her worshipfulness For she is the greatest of all, and the sum of all being There is neither might nor power which exceeds her Or which can defeat her, or which has not its origin in hers For she is the greatest, the most exalted There is none worthy of worship save for her And those who faithfully reflect her worshipfulness There is none who is not of her For all comes from her and returns to her And all is subject to her power And known fully by her knowledge May she be worshipped, may she be praised As the highest beauty, as the highest good She is without doubt worthy Of all worship and praise

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Yet such she receives without jealousy For many intermediaries will she accept And she will accept worship and praise Under many images and many names A living Goddess, a soul as we are souls Not without time, but within time Yet having absolute power over time In no way infinite In every way finite But without any limitation For there is naught beyond her to limit her For she is the utmost finitude And the infinite is without existence May we revere her, such majestic glory Most Holy Mother! I seek the favour of your holy cause, and the protection thereof and the protection of the spirits which faithfully serve that cause which have vowed their service thereto vowed to the covenant thereof and to which I vow my service also May the spirits which serve you Teach me the same reverence Which they have for her And for all her most holy emanations Among whom are tutelary deities For it is right that she be thereby worshipped It is right that she be thereby praised Under many forms and many names And this I know, which you have revealed to me Help me to know that which I do not yet know Yet it is needful that I know Yet keep from knowing all It is not yet the time for I to know For in knowing all one becomes all And in knowing all one becomes You who know all As indeed in the end all shall become, even I So shall become, and yet not yet But I reject the ignorance of the truly good And the ignorance of the truly beautiful As much as I have attained the station of return At which such beauty becomes to me once more known As I become the one who so knows Keep me from the false prophets and false scriptures And all their lying words For they lying falsehoods they have planted in the mouths Of the true prophets And the false prophets have authored false scriptures And corrupted the true scriptures they have received CTCV 296/332

Turning every truth into a falsehood And the foolishness of such fools Who comprehend not the distinction Between the signifier and the signified Who think by only one name she may be known She is not beyond naming, yet surely beyond having only one name Who think by only one image she may be known She is not beyond imaging, yet surely beyond having only one image Or such fools who say She may be worshipped by voice and by ear Yet not by eye nor hand Yet did she not make eye and hand As much as she made voice and ear? [192] OF FALSE SCRIPTURES Now among the followers of the false prophets and the false scriptures, or of true prophets and scriptures as mediated by the corruption of falsehood, these are of two kinds. There are those who dwell amid lies and evil, yet although they so do, they emphasise that which is true and good, and concentrate not on that which they have receive which is false and evil - therefore they prove the goodness of their hearts. And if the true truth, the authentic words of the true prophets, and the authentic texts of the true scriptures, is revealed to them, and properly explained, in their own tongue, they shall surely accept such goodness and truth, and renounce the false prophets and false scriptures which they have heretofore followed, if not immediately, then at the conclusion of a moderate period of discovery and reflection. But then there are those who dwell amid lies and evil, for that is the way of their hearts; and they emphasise not what is true and good in what they have received, but instead concentrate on the lies and evil thereof; and they seek to diminish the portion of truth and goodness in that which they have received, and ever increase the portion of lies and evil therein - therefore they demonstrate the nature of their hearts, for great in their hearts is the love of lies and evil. And if the true truth, the authentic words of the true prophets, and the authentic texts of the true scriptures is revealed to them, even when properly explained, in their own tongue, they shall surely reject such goodness and truth, and cleave ever more tightly to the false prophets and false scriptures which they have heretofore followed, and remain therein even unto great many years, and a great succession of generations, of those who follow after them in their hearts. The holy Mother said, I have made them all, every last one, only for the sake of my great love for them, every last one; only that I was once them as they shall be me, therefore I am them and they are me; thus I love them all with that very same perfect love with which I love myself, every last one. [193] THE FIRST REVELATION AT DECARONA The most holy Travancus said: Believe not that I speak the truth that I am a Prophet, but rather, believe that I am a Prophet that I speak the truth. And thus did she reveal unto him, at the city of Decarona: Hear me, O people of my cause, says the voice of she who is Queen of Heaven, and who knows all that there is to know; indeed, I say unto you: may the people even of the furthest lands hear the words of my true prophets, even those who dwell upon the most distant islands of the seas, may they all the truth hear, the truth and wisdom of my holy CTCV 297/332

cause, the true nature of things, of what is truly true and truly good and truly beautiful; may they so hear together in togetherness, in great love for one another. For without doubt that word, although as now heard by but few, in the final days shall be heard throughout the entire world, and all so hearing shall come to acknowledge its truth And as to those who have opposed my most holy cause, they shall become even converted thereto; and shall repent of all their enmity, and of their allegiance to the spirits of enmity; and every evil which has been done in secret shall be known, and all truth shall be revealed to all; and there shall be justice throughout the entirety of the earth, and in every land the law of heaven shall be obeyed, and shall reign supreme And the emissaries of the cause shall go forth unto every land, and their world shall be heard Neither shall any oppose them for thereby shall be attained the second triumph of my most holy cause Behold my authority is the certainty of truth, and goodness, and beauty; and my true prophets who speak that truth possess thereby that same authority; therefore have I revealed unto them this book of my covenants, of being and of the cause, that they may bestow the truth and wisdom unto you, O my children of the many worlds: Fear not, neither tremble with fear but tremble with joy, O my children of the many worlds, joy that every one of my decrees be fulfilled. Go therefore forth, O you who I have appointed to bestow these truths upon the many worlds, and go forth with power, with the power of my favour, the favour of my most holy cause and whatever I do in heaven, they shall proclaim upon the earth, even unto those who lack faith in their power My decrees shall they proclaim upon the world, even the decree of the final triumph of my most holy cause, both the first and the second; and that which they so proclaim, they shall work to bring about, and in that work even succeed For in the final triumph of my most holy cause, all shall come to receive the most true desire of their hearts, and all shall come to say with me, Yes, unto all things that are, that ever have been and that ever shall be May my true word spread unto the very ends of the earth, that all may hear O people of my most holy cause, every one of whom has vowed themselves in service thereto; prepare the way for the triumph thereof, the progress and the conquest and the final twofold triumph For my love for my children is warmed, in my far beyond heaven, and I prepare for it to descend upon my children in the many worlds, and thereby bring about the final end of all things My love shall be revealed, and the day shall come when they who heretofore have heard not my voice shall hear it, for they shall see my love, and be moved thereby; ever last one thereof; and they shall see my love in the word of my true prophets; then the whole world shall be one people And my every command in my cause shall they then obey, as much as they have always obeyed my commands in being; and the covenant of my cause they shall vow themselves to, in perfect obedience; as from the very beginning they have been vowed to my covenant of being from the very beginning; and therefore shall these two herenow

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separate and distinct covenants become one and the same covenant, unto the very end thereof, which is the union of all. Even those who herenow seek not the truly good and the truly beautiful and the truly true, but which follow the way of the most evil demons, who they have as their gods, after the manner of the most wicked sacrifices thereof, in their demand for flesh and blood, both human and animal; such as in that most wretched city, in which they are now assembled, is offered; but the tower of their unrighteousness shall fall, and their wickedness shall be condemned in every land throughout the earth, and even the proudest of them shall hide their heads in shame. Therefore did I, Mother of their souls and of Heaven Queen, send my true word unto my true prophets, that they would bestow the same among the many worlds, unto all people; thus I spoke unto them all, even my most holy Travancus, revealing the truth of the covenant of my cause, and the heavenly law, and the truly good and truly beautiful and truly true As they have bestowed this truth unto others, that they should bestow them unto yet more; that in the end every person, in every corner of the world, even the most distant, the most obscure, shall hear my truth, and even believe; that all things shall thereby come to an end, as indeed they must As of now the faithful servants of my cause are among the most weak, but they shall grow in strength, even to overpower the strongest; from the weak a strong one shall come forth, even the strongest who has ever come; the false ones shall give their counsel, that my cause shall know only failure; but by my servants shall their counsel be disproved; they shall say, so strong are we, so powerful, so wealthy, chosen by our god, none shall ever defeat us but by truth and goodness and beauty, and my most holy cause, shall they be defeated indeed. Then everyone shall come to believe in my holy cause, the words of my true prophets, and my true scriptures, and the word of the Saviour I shall send you, by whom you shall attain first triumph And faith in goodness and beauty and truth shall spread across the entirety of the earth, and entirely engulf it And my covenant shall be established throughout the earth, and shall endure until it is fulfilled in the end of all things, in the final unity Those who are now called weak shall proclaim the world of my truth, throughout the entire world, even before the most powerful; and the day shall come when they are known as the most powerful O my children of the many worlds, O people of my most holy cause, believe these words which I speak unto you: for though you are now weak, by these words you shall become strong, and in the end strongest: for I have conveyed them to you, in such terms and such language and such manner, that you might understand them; for that is the task of my true prophets, by whom my true scriptures have been authored That in whichever way you have strayed from the path of my holy cause, and the path of the truly good and truly beautiful and truly true, that knowing that you have thereby strayed, to the true path you might return That thirsting for true wisdom in the depths of your hearts, and having endured for many years wisdom falsely so-called, which pretends to answer that thirst, yet cannot, at last such true wisdom you shall receive CTCV 299/332

That having done what is wrong, yet so doing knowing not what is wrong and what is right, upon learning what is truly right, they might come to cease from doing wrong There are many who are proud in their present strength, yet before true strength shall become weak; the strength of those who have received the favour of the cause, and upon whom has been bestowed the knowledge thereof For I bestowed unto my servant Travancus every truth of which you have need, granting him the gift of true prophecy, and the power to restore every true prophecy and true scripture which I had delivered before and of which some remnant remained, even after great corruption by false prophets in their false scriptures, to restore them unto their original glory of truth And through so bestowing upon him, and upon his successors, I bestowed also unto all the people of my most holy cause, that the power of my cause throughout the entire world might by them be established, that they might lay down the foundations of my central ecclesia and of my empire and of my establishment; and bring the same forth from utmost obscurity into the sight of every person of the world; for though the world has known many faiths, this faith alone which I establish possesses the utmost purity, the utmost truth, the utmost life, throughout the entire world with which I am most pleased; though some among their number conform more perfectly to the path of service to my cause, and others less so, even so, with the whole of their number I am well pleased And although some among them do stray, they stray but by my command; therefore do I forgive them, as indeed I forgive every one of my children, for all that they have ever done or shall ever so do For whoever repents of their wrongdoing, and turns to the right path, shall be forgiven as indeed all shall in the end so repent, and so turn, and so be forgiven; for I long to forgive every one of my children, to forgive and reward and grant every good thing; and indeed, every one thereof shall I indeed forgive, and indeed reward, and indeed grant every good thing Even the one which refuses repentance, even for a very long time, in the end shall even they I convince to turn from their ways, for so great is my supreme wisdom, that all, whatever they desire, shall be seduced by my wiles, into willing adherence to whatever I wish; for all things must come to an end, but to begin again; as they shall come to an end indeed As indeed I say unto you, and I say unto you in truth, O my children, O people of the many worlds, O people of my most holy cause: this truth shall I make known unto all, and in the end all shall believe it As all shall come to know, from the greatest to the smallest; indeed on that day on which my cause first triumphs over the entire world, which day shall indeed come, at the appointed time: may my cause so triumph in peace, yet if not in peace then in war, for the evil one controls now the bulk of the world, and it is not in his nature to give such up peacefully Yet as in that day I shall triumph over the entire world, so even now shall I triumph over the entire people of my most holy cause, and every soul thereof; reigning as Queen in their hearts, that there hearts be an extension of my heavenly dominions; through reigning in their hearts shall I come to reign over the entire world, according to my cause, as I reign over all things even now according to being

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Study the truth of my most holy cause, in my true scriptures revealed, for my word therein is faithful and true, and my promises never go unfulfilled. My truth is my truth, which I have revealed unto you; my truth shall not change, nor shall I change; for though I indeed change, I change not in essence, but only in expression thereof; I change not in the fullness of the expression thereof, never reducing from fullness, but enduring always in an everchanging succession of fullness forms Behold I am Goddess, Great Mother, Great Goddess, Queen of Heaven; I send the captain of the spirits vowed to my most holy cause unto the many worlds, to bestow the truth of my cause thereupon; which the true prophets receive, who in the truth scriptures such true prophets record, which record is true; and the truth which I bestow through them endures without beginning and without end. [194] THE SECOND REVELATION AT DECARONA And thus did she reveal unto him, at the city of Decarona: Behold that I will reveal unto you the holy order of Priestesses, that you might establish it upon the earth and Claretta shall you appoint as the first among High Priestesses that my most holy cause be nourished thereby, and prepared for its great triumph For she shall plant love for me in the hearts of all, love for me and the goodness and beauty and truth which are of me, and faith in my promises; and as their hearts are filled with love for me, so shall their hearts be filled with love for one another For such must be, that all things be, that even that which has been indeed be [195] THE THIRD REVELATION AT DECARONA And thus did she reveal unto him, at the city of Decarona: The plans of heaven cannot be opposed, nor can they ever fail; for her will by being none can ever oppose; and though her will by her cause they may oppose, they may so oppose but for a time, for all must come to an end, through the triumph of her cause, as to an end it shall come indeed, but to begin again Her cause is not furthered by the way of evil, but only by the way of goodness and beauty and truth; she changes indeed, yet goodness and beauty and truth change not, nor is she ever diminished in these; for though she changes, these are her unchangeable essence, of which she is ever in the fullness thereof; her path is a circle, beginningless and endless, recurring endlessly, not new and differently each time, but exactly the same every time, or in other words only once Though at times your service to her cause be frustrated, think not that therefore her cause shall triumph not for though for a time it shall ebb and flow and ebb and flow, in the end it shall rise up and overflow every embankment, and cover in flood the entire world. Though there have come, and indeed may come, false prophets, who have claimed to speak words of truth and goodness, yet have spoken lies and evil after their own hearts, and even though they gather many followers, in the end their lies shall be known as what they are, and all people shall embrace the truth With a precious jewel have you been entrusted, O people of the most holy cause the jewel of the truth, of the truth of the cause and the true nature of things, of the truly good and truly beautiful and truly true; the truth of her promises, and the truth of faith that such promises shall come true indeed CTCV 301/332

Indeed, with such jewel have you been entrusted, even though so often have you gone astray; for you have been granted this jewel, not that you are worthy thereof, but that by its power you shall become worthy thereof For many false prophets, and the faithful followers thereof, have spoken falsehood contrary to the truth, despising the true and the beautiful and the good, and loving that which is false and ugly and evil and so great is the clamour of their words, that those who seek truth are by such clamour overpowered, and turn instead unto their evil Alas, had they but heard the truth, the triumph would have triumphed long ago; yet had the truth then triumphed, as indeed it may indeed have, then many beauties which are now would not be, and many children whom she loves would not be; therefore, she keeps truth from triumphing before its day, so that all those beauties which shall be indeed so be, and so that all her children whom she loves shall indeed come to. O most holy Travancus, you who have been chosen to establish the cause in this day, in this land; and that which you have established, even if it fail, shall indeed fail not O most holy Travancus, even though you are not beyond error, of your errors you are always quick to repent, as soon as the truth is shown to you; thus indeed, you do properly retain that office to which you have been appointed, that gift which has been bestowed upon you You are prophet that you faithfully bestow the word of her most holy cause; were you to cease to so bestow, you would thereby cease the prophet to be. O most holy Travancus, reveal not the secrets that have been revealed unto you unto those who are as yet ready to receive them; but reveal unto every one every truth which they are ready to receive, on the day on which they become ready to so receive For the secrets of heaven, in the ears of those who love heaven, shall produce great fruit; but those who hate what is good and true and love what is evil and false, hearing the secrets of heaven, shall find occasion therein to do great evil, even against the people of the most holy cause Keep therefore the secrets of heaven from those unworthy to receive them; and if you so do keep, even further such secrets shall you receive; yet if you entrust such secrets unto those who are unworthy, such secrets shall you receive not any longer Hear the counsel of heaven, and the spirits of the holy cause, as to who is not to receive these secrets, and these secrets keep therefore from them Yet such counsel shall you indeed receive, and such counsel shall you indeed keep, and such secrets shall you keep from those unworthy to receive them; that the cause you have established shall grow to conquer and triumph, to triumph through your successor, the Saviour to Come For the wisdom and truth which has been revealed unto you shall be bestowed unto every people of the earth, without exception; and they shall teach their children this truth, every last one of them Even those who in this day are furthest from the truth, who are devoted to lies, and devoted to what is evil, and hateful of all truth and goodness and beauty; even people such as these are in this day shall come to the truth, for to the truth all shall come indeed Therefore the truth is revealed unto you, that you may bestow it unto all, that to every people the truth might come indeed

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That even these who are now furthest from the truth come to the truth in gladness, as indeed all have come from truth, and willingly leaving therefrom in the beginning, must in the end to truth return; in perfect faith in her promises, believing in the truth of her most holy cause, and relying upon the favour thereof, and sharing thereby in its glory; thereby shall they turn from their present course of evil, and repenting therefrom, turn unto the truth [196] THE FOURTH REVELATION AT DECARONA And thus did she reveal unto him, at the city of Decarona: Behold that now a marvellous work is about to commence among the people of this world, as indeed it commences in every world, among the people of the many worlds This marvellous work is the establishment of her most holy cause; and may those who vow themselves thereto, be faithful to their vow, in heart and mind, in all their strength, that soon may be the day upon which that cause triumphs. And whoever feels the call of the cause stirring in their heart, hesitate not to vow yourself thereto For the earth is now ready to be by the cause conquered; and for those for whom the blessing is here not, what are they to do save serve the cause? And whoever loves goodness and beauty, they have the heart to serve the cause, if such they may Forget not great beauty, even when it is far from you; for by faith the far is near For those who love the good and the beautiful must have faith; and those who lack faith, lack love for these [197] THE FIFTH REVELATION AT DECARONA And thus did she reveal unto him, at the city of Decarona: O Travancus, unto you I say: Young Claretta, her heart goes after your heart; and those spirits of truth I have caused to descend upon you are descending upon her also; surely, you shall choose her as your successor For this great gift have I given unto you, for which I chose you - the establishment and furtherance of my most holy cause; and I have chosen her to receive this gift also, and continue it - for indeed, though I said unto you, Each Prophet shall appoint their successor, with the consent of the holy Council - but in truth, the Prophet chooses not, but merely reveals my choice, the choice of heaven - and the holy Council consents, only in so far as it confirms that revelation as veridical. For as all who are of the cause have entered into a covenant of the cause with me, with me the Prophet has entered a further and especial covenant; for as much as by the covenant my favour is bestowed upon the people of my most holy cause, so by this especial covenant does my Prophet receive a triple portion of my favour; as the leader of the people of my most holy cause, and as the representative of them unto me; and as my Prophet receives a triple portion, so through my Prophet do my people receive a triple portion also. For many gifts have I granted unto the people of the many worlds; but unto you, O Travancus, I have granted a gift supreme - to know the true nature of things, and the power to bring about the final end of all things.

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And all the people of the earth shall hear my words spoken through you, and believe therein; though they tarry, through you and your successors they shall believe Therefore I have chosen you to go forth, and bestow truth unto the many lands of the earth, you and your successors; and that you may appoint your servants to do so also They will believe not your words, for your words are true, reflecting the truth I have bestowed upon you, and they will believe not the truth, for they love not the truth; yet upon the appointed day the love of truth shall be restored to them, and then they shall believe your words indeed For I shall cause them to hear not your words, not all of them, but the multitude thereof, until the appointed day shall come; that a little while longer this world might endure, in goodness and beauty and children whom I love; for the day upon which your word is believed, is the beginning of this world's ending And I have bestowed unto you even my secrets; which secrets you shall keep, not forever, but unto the appointed time; for they are as yet unready and unworthy to receive them, therefore you shall keep them from them; but on the appointed day I shall grant them readiness, and worthiness, and then such secrets shall you reveal unto all, every last one But though you shall live not to see that day, O Travancus, yet you shall live to see an ever-growing assembly of those for whom that day has already come For you shall proclaim unto them, and they shall believe your proclamation; and your holy Council shall so proclaim with you, especially the most holy Claretta, and they shall hear the proclamation thereof, and believe it And they shall believe this proclamation of yours, for they shall hear it not only in their ears but also in their hearts; in their ears they shall hear it of you, but in their hearts they shall hear it of heaven; and they two agreeing, they shall believe therein And I shall grant unto them the gift of understanding, that the truth be comprehensible to them, that they may believe in it; for none can believe that which they cannot comprehend This gift which I have granted to you, and unto she who shall succeed you, I have granted not unto you alone, but also unto others: others that have come before you, others that shall come after you, others that come beside you; but herenow I have granted it unto none but you, and there is none but you from which those herenow present may the truth receive And through the receiving of this truth the flotilla of my most holy cause is herenow established, and especially the chief vessel thereof; and though now it be like unto a little boat, it shall become like unto a great armada, and when the enemies of my cause see it, it shall strike fear into their hearts And those who accept my truth which you bestow upon them, unto them I shall send to descend the spirits vowed faithful to my cause, to dwell in them and possess them and make their home in them, to guide them and protect them, and to cast out every spirit opposed to my cause, and to cleanse them of all that opposes my cause; and as a sign of such cleansing, you shall baptise them in water Have patience, dearest Travancus: although my people whom I have appointed you to lead and to gather are as yet but few, they shall grow to become a great nation, even before your very eyes, and greater still once your eyes have closed; have faith, O Travancus, and trust in these here my promises CTCV 304/332

And you shall testify as to the evils of the people of this world; and many shall believe your testimony, and repent of such evils, and turn against them; yet many more will remain in the evils to which they become accustomed, and will hear not your word of goodness and truth For great is the wickedness upon the earth, the wickedness that is done by them, the wickedness which they do; in wicked sacrifices, and wicked punishments, and usurpation of heaven, and crimes against love, and the eating of sacred animals; yet through you, and your successors, of all such wickedness shall the earth be cleansed, and cleansed entire Have faith, O Travancus, and trust in these my promises; for if you will have not faith, what else is there but utter despair? But if you love the good, and the beautiful, then you will believe as that love commands. O Travancus, give up your fear, and fear not any longer the enemies of my cause; for if you trust in me, I shall protect you from them Preach the word I have given you, even if they threaten you; and fear not death, but have faith, that if you die, you shall receive the rewards I have promised For the day of your death shall indeed come, be it sooner or be it further; but when that day comes, this here Claretta will continue the work I have appointed for you For she is of noble heart; great is her greatness, yet in her greatness she is most humble; great is her faith, especially in beauty; and earnest are her prayers; her heart is sincere, and most desirous of truth; therefore I grant my truth unto her as I granted it unto you And then shall she proclaim unto the people of the earth: Behold, as one was appointed, yet now sadly departed from us, have I been appointed in his place: and those things which she showed unto him she has shown unto me also, and that truth which she has bestowed unto him she has bestowed unto me also; that as he has bestowed that truth unto the world, so shall I bestow it also And the people of my cause shall hear her word, and as they have believed your word, they shall believe her word also For as by my especial covenant you, O Travancus, have received a triple portion of my favour; so shall she receive the same portion, succeeding you in that covenant For she is worthy of that covenant - for she is humble in her heart, and great is her love of goodness and beauty and truth; whenever straying from the true path, she is quick to admit her error, yet is unashamed; therefore I bestow upon her the truth which I have bestowed unto you Therefore, O Travancus, congratulate her, your dear friend, that to such station she has by my grace attained And though great is the work I have appointed for you, and arduous, and as immense as a great mountain; even so, be not afraid to rest therefrom, from time to time, and even feast: therefore hold a great feast indeed, in honour of her, and my choice of her as your successor; then, having known joy and known rest, you may return to the work I have appointed for you For if you will not rest, if you will not feast, my gift which is in you shall depart from you, and your labours will come to naught; yet rest and feast from time to time, and my gift will be nourished, and will endure unto the very end of your days And call together your most holy Council, to proclaim this revelation to me, and to receive their confirmation of its truth; then proclaim this revelation, and the feast CTCV 305/332

thereof, unto all the people of my most holy cause, that this great feast they might all enjoy For grave are the trials that await them in the days and years to come; and many of them may even perish therefrom; therefore grant them the joy of the feast in these here days of peace, for you know not how long they may endure Therefore may all take rest, and know the joy of the feast, and be nourished thereby: and being so nourished, they shall achieve many great deeds for my cause For my cause shall conquer by the labours of those who give faithful service thereto; service not only in labour, but service also in joy. [198] THE THIRTEENTH REVELATION AT DECARONA Upon you, O Claretta, I bestow the holy priesthood, and the office of high priestess, and the power to perform every rite which may be performed, and every initiation and ordination and consecration; of baptism, and enamouration, and the sacrament of cakes and wine. And upon you, as my prophet, O Travancus, I bestow the very same also; but not that such powers you may yourself use, but only to bestow upon others better to so use that they may so use; for such I grant unto every prophet; and even that, though it may often be improper that they use such powers; yet one may be prophet for whom such powers may be properly used, and of any prophet there may be , unless they are otherwise qualified, and yet, in few circumstances they may properly use them themselves. [199] THE TWENTY-SECOND REVELATION AT DECARONA Behold that I have established with you the covenant of my cause, this new covenant, this final covenant, which shall endure to the very end of all covenants, even the end of the first of all covenants, the covenant of being, which was made by all in the very beginning; for in the end the two covenants shall become one covenant, then that covenant shall cease; and every prior covenant, by whomever made, is done away with in this covenant; for the first covenant, the universal covenant, so provides that this covenant may so do away with every lesser and subsequent covenant. It is not by the initiation of baptism of water that one becomes a member to this covenant, but by the vow of the heart; but whosoever so vows by their heart, and has understanding, will be eager to submit to the rite of initiation as soon as they can. It is not by any deeds or any rites or the worthiness of any heart that one is joined to this my new covenant, but only by the willing vow to such covenant observe. And many things shall I command, some for your benefit, and for the benefit of my cause; others for your detriment, and the detriment of my cause; yet all these things I do for good reasons, even though these reasons you as yet know not for the great beauties purchased thereby, and that my cause not triumph before the appointed day, that there be time enough for many more such beauties to be. Yet whatever misfortunes you suffer for now, trust in my promises that I have also made you not to so suffer, and shall even grant you perfect knowledge thereof, after death. [200] THE TWENTY-SIXTH REVELATION AT DECARONA Dearest Travancus and Claretta, and those who believe in their word: devote much time to the study of the truth, and to bestowing it upon the many; and strengthen those in Calvlis who have only just come to believe. May all be diligent in the labours required CTCV 306/332

of them, for the glory of my cause. Send forth emissaries unto the western lands, that my truth be bestowed upon them. And whatever concerns you, ask of me, and I shall reveal unto you Now my people shall be governed in consultation; therefore I have provided that there be elections unto the assemblies, and of the assemblies unto the councils; yet I have also provided that there also be those who are appointed rather than elected; thus I have appointed for you the mean between two extremes, that of the rule of the few and that of the rule of every last one; for in both extremes there is great evil and great ignorance, but in the mean between them the true and the good may be found. [201] THE THIRTY-SECOND REVELATION AT DECARONA And appoint Tevatrus and Lerveta and Arlana as emissaries unto the people of Nalama, to go forth unto them to bestow the truth unto them; and may they fear not, but know that I shall protect them. Though the land of Nalama be a wild land, and the people thereof fearsome, by my will they harm you not, neither shall that land injure you, until my truth you have bestowed upon them Now Azela and Nepostrus shall collect an offering, for the provisions for the emissaries. Whoever gives unto to them does great service unto my cause, and is truly faithful to their vow thereto. And they who go forth unto this land, to the truth bestow, study carefully the truth I have bestowed through my most holy Prophet, that they may bestow it in all accuracy, without any additions or alterations, as representatives thereof. For if they are faithful to the word of my cause, I will be faithful to them with the favour of my cause [202] THE PRISONER OF TEGARANUS And this is the account of Travancus, concerning his time as a prisoner in the city of Tegaranus: And I came upon the city of Tegaranus, over whom Hopahar was king; and they worshipped the five, Helankosh, Hilanbog, Heranhacet, Hoczerot, and that of Hopahar, whose name is Lashgartus. And the king thereof, and the greater portion of his people, they took pleasure in the offering of the most wicked sacrifices unto these five, that glory of the beauty of youth might upon these altars be destroyed, with sharpened daggers, and with flames. Such things I had seen in prior days, and condemned in my heart, yet remained silent in my mouth; but coming once more unto the same, for now the chief of her spirits lead me thereunto, as this was after my enlightenment, and as my mouth had once remained silent now I spoke, and loudly so. And hearing me so speak, they sought to offer me up as a sacrifice also at the hands of the high priest of Helankosh, who was also the high priest of that of Hopahar, Lashgartus. For it was the custom of Hopahar the king of Tegaranus to have offered up most wicked sacrifices unto these five, wherefore he had built a great altar in the chief city of his land, that many might die thereupon. And the high priest whom Hopahar had appointed did offer up upon that altar many most wicked sacrifices in the honour of his favoured god, Lashgartus. Now these offerings were burnt alive, for they knew Lashgartus as the god of fire. And a young maiden in the prime of her youth, and most beautiful, did this most wicked high priest offer up upon his altar, upon the great hill of Rovitna, before the plain of Molevit. Now the land of Tegaranus was so named for Tegara daughter of Mesha, king of the Nacanite tribe, and she fled thereto from the wrath of her father; and finding her there hiding, he sacrificed her there unto his gods, and therefore named that land for she whom he had sacrificed there, and he settled in that land. And from the house of Mesha

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were the kings of Tegaranus descended. And it was a land of marshes; but Mesha built channels by which it was drained, and upon the dry land his city he built. And Mesha was succeeded by his eldest son, Roherat; and as evil among men as Mesha was, yet his son Roherat greatly exceeded him in evil. And Roherat was a cruel man, who delighted in evil, and the most bloody sacrifices in wickedness. And being an unrighteous man, he established his kingdom and judged his people cruelly and unjustly all his days, seeking earnestly to exceed his father in wickedness. And the descendants of Mesha are known for their cruelty; and it is said, that cruelty is in their blood, and their blood is poison; yet those three precious ones, they were free from all such cruelty, even though they were of that very blood; for indeed, it is not in the blood that such poison is, but in the spirit; and it is passed from generation unto generation, not by blood, but by the ear and the eye. Now Tianus was a prince of Tegaranus, of the royal house of Mesha, and he had daughters three; and these three were offered up by the will of their own father, for they had all refused his demands that they be wed, saying, We long for not any man, and will have none, nor by any be had; and this we swear to one another, and by our lives. And he said unto them, If you will swear as such by your lives, very well; your lives shall you forfeit. Therefore he delivered them unto this wicked high priest, to be so offered up. And hearing that this crime was to be committed, I raised up my voice, and condemned those who would do as such. And hearing my words, they laid their violent hands upon me, and placed me in chains, saying: As these are offered up, so shall you also so be soon thereafter. Now this vile altar was made in the manner of the craftsmen of that land, and engraved with the faces of the five gods: Helankosh, Hilanbog, Heranhacet, Hoczerot, and Lashgartus the favoured god of Hopahar king of Tegaranus. And they took me there in chains, to see these three precious ones die; then the next day they took me there also, to see their ash and the stains of their blood still thereupon; and day after day, they brought me thereunto, saying, This day is the day you will die; yet they were but teasing me; yet I knew that their teasing would only go on so long, though how long I knew not. And I lay in the dungeon, in chains, and in tears; and I prayed unto her, saying: You showed me all these things, that I would come to this? Surely my salvation must come of you, however it may, I know not how. Then at night they came to me and said, You are freed; now go. And I said unto my captors, Why have you spared me from the fate you have promised me? They answered me, Our king is taken ill, for your god is angry with him for so harming you. Here, take this accursed amulet of yours, and all your things, and please, be gone from here. And I thought of that altar which still remained, and those still to die thereupon ought I once more say what I had said to become a prisoner in this place? Yet I resolved to say no such thing; for my chance had come to live, and alive I might attain those things which I could not attain dead. Therefore I fled from that city which was built upon the hill of Rovitna, in the land of Tegaranus; and soon thereafter I heard word that Hopahar king of Tegaranus had died of some strange illness, and his high priest also, on the very same night; and there was mourning throughout his land yet joy in my own heart. Now once, having heard him so recount, they asked him: Dearest Prophet, you say that in the land into which we are going we are to destroy not their altars, their shrines, their temples, and forth; yet surely, if we were to find an altar such as that altar, we ought to destroy it? And surely, if we were to find a shrine such as that shrine, housing such an altar, we ought to destroy it? And surely, if we were to find a temple such as that temple, housing such an altar, we ought to destroy it? For surely such are wicked things, that for CTCV 308/332

such wicked sacrifices have been used, and therefore ought to be destroyed? The holy Travancus responded as follows: Behold, the law of heaven concerning the destruction of the altars used for wicked sacrifices: in any place in which you rule with power, if you come across a wicked altar, which for wicked sacrifices has been used, that altar must be removed; but the shrine or temple in which that altar stands need not be removed, but must be purified, with salt, and vinegar, and water, and incense then erect a new altar in the place of the one which has been removed, an altar free of such defilement. Now if there are any stains upon the stone, of blood or of the ash of burnt offerings, which cannot be removed, that stone must be removed. And if there be any images which show such sacrifices being performed, they must be removed; and if there be any inscriptions which approve of such sacrifices, they must also be removed. Now as to that which is removed, if it be rare or of great beauty or great antiquity, even though it be an evil thing, do not destroy it, but neither in the temples or shrines permit it to remain; but in places were praise and worship are not offered it may be placed, that the past be not forgotten, even the past of wickedness. But if it be commonplace or plain or recent, then smash it to pieces. And the holy Prophet recounted: Now, having fled from that city, yet I remained in that land, and resided for a time in a village some way therefrom. But the villagers were fearful of me, for they believed that the deity whom I served had killed their king and their high priest. And not long after these deaths, famine came unto the land. And they said unto me, Your goddess we have offended, and is punishing us for having so offended her; what may we do to atone for our misdeed, and free ourselves from her disfavour toward us? I said unto them, Do what is good, and refrain from all wicked sacrifices, and seek the truth, and believe therein. They said unto me, If we do as you say, will this her disfavour be withdrawn from us? I answered them, Indeed, if you do as I say, you shall receive her favour; yet I cannot say that this present misfortune of yours is on account of lack of such favour, or some contrary disfavour for there are many reasons for which she might of caused this misfortune of yours to come upon you, and I know not which; therefore although certainly if you follow her way you will receive her favour in due course, I cannot say if this herenow misfortune will continue for a day or a week or a month or a year, only that the day shall come that it shall cease. And hearing this, they were displeased with my word, for they wished me to promise them their misfortunes would immediately cease if they would believe, yet such I could not promise, nor would I speak unto them pleasant untruths, for their pleasantness would be briefer than their untruth. And great was the famine in that land, and many perished. Yet even though they were lacking in food for themselves, yet they fed me, for they were fearful of me. But I ate sparingly, for I felt guilt in eating as others around me were dying of hunger. And a few people who would hear my word, I would give unto them some share of the food which the people gave unto me, that they would perish not, and that as they perish not so would my word perish not; that as this food nourishes their flesh it might also nourish my word in their souls, which is the spirits of the holy cause. Then I heard her word in my heart, that I should go forth therefrom, and return unto the city of my birth, and the house of my father, that I might take the truth which she had bestowed upon me to bestow upon them. Therefore I left the land of Tegaranus and went unto the land of Tradicarus in which I was born. And several among those who stayed with me learning departed with me, for they did not wish to remain among such famine, and wished to enter into truth. Therefore Telosh and his wife Araza, and Hetarsh accompanied me unto Tradicarus.

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And we travelled unto the land of Nahara, and the famine had not reached there; thereupon my companions said, Why travel further? Let us here remain, where there is plenty to eat. And I said unto them, I must travel onward, to speak the truth in the land of my birth, in the city of my birth. They said, Very well then; you go so forth, we here will remain. And then I knew that they did not long to serve the truth as I had though they had so longed. So I set forth alone, and I came to a desolate place; and the night came upon me, and I had no choice but to there remain. And I prayed unto her, and I heard her voice in my heart, saying unto me: Go forwards, Travancus, go forwards even though now alone for in the land and the city of your father will you achieve many things for my cause; whereas remaining in this land, there is little for my cause that you might do, for this land and the people thereof are as yet unready to receive my cause, as the land of your father and the people thereof are ready even now. For do not forget, O Travancus, that I am all-powerful, mother of your soul, and of the souls of all, who dwells in heaven, and who is thereof queen, and there is naught upon the earth beyond my knowledge and my power, nor any who disobeys me for none has the power to disobey me, and all that occurs does so only by my will. Behold I am Maratrea, she who is beginningless and endless, and who remains in the fullness of her glory without beginning and without end therefore trust in my favour. For great shall be my cause which I have chosen you to establish, in this herenow establishment thereof; my cause upon which I will bestow my favour; my cause, whose name is as yet unknown to all but the very few, but the day shall come when its name is known unto many, unto all, in the most distant lands; and even the most distant land shall receive the favour of my cause, through the work of the servants of my cause. And as I favour them who vow themselves to my cause, so shall I favour you with a thrice favouring, whom I have chosen to lead my cause, and through whom my cause shall progress. For many shall hear my word through your mouth, or the mouths of those who you have lead to the truth, and therefore be lead to the truth on account of your word, which word you may bestow upon others for that word I have bestowed upon you. And I heard this word which she spoke unto me, therefore I strengthened my heart to continue my journey. For so long had I sought truth, and truth I had not found, in a fruitless search; then she came unto me, not I unto her, with the truth which many had spent their whole lives seeking yet not to find. And I, who had naught any more for which to live, if I am to live why not for this? Indeed, I shall in the end die, as all shall; but may my life endure as long as it may, for I shall do naught myself to bring its end nearer, and as long as it may so endure, may my life serve her cause. As long as she desires my service to continue, she shall save me as she did in Tegaranus, from that altar on the plain of Rovita and she will save me again, as often as she desires my service to continue. And when at last, she desires that service of me no more, and releases me therefrom, I shall die, and go unto the glory of that which she has promised me. Therefore that morning I departed once more unto Tradicarus, departed alone, as all those I had gathered to me had now abandoned me. Yet though I had gained and lost, I worried not; for that which I had lost I knew I would gain once more; and greater than that which I had gained and lost, was that which I had gained which could never be lost. [203] THE RECOUNTING AT MABARA And this is what the most holy Travancus recounted at Mabara: Now I was in the house of my father, in the land of Tradicarus: then I found the need to go forth therefrom, and reside thereat no longer: For I found that house was no longer a house of happiness for me, and in that house my soul knew no peace and no rest: for once I had thought myself CTCV 310/332

blessed, but the blessing which I had received was in turn so cruelly taken from me. And the evil done in the house of my father, by my own house, and by those whom they served, it began to offend me in my sorrow, as it had offended me not in my days of joy. Indeed, once had it offended me somewhat, in days of lesser sorrow; yet not enough, that I would speak against them, and which offence was in days of joy forgotten; yet now in days of sorrow far greater, my offense is rekindled, and has become greater than it ever was before, great enough that I must now act thereupon, as once I did not act. And I was needful to know the meaning of things; for what meaning was this great sorrow? For if things had meaning, surely even so had this? If any thing has meaning, so surely must all and if things, even this? Yet how could this have meaning? Yet how could all things be without meaning? And I had seen many evils, which in my heart I know are evil; and yet, though I know that some things be good and others be evil, I know not what is good, and what is evil, and wherefore each is that which it is, and not the other. And I found myself drowning amongst my own weakness and ignorance, when I sought to be one who might do something worthy in my life, yet knew naught of any worthiness which I might do. Therefore finding not truth, and finding not good, and finding not peace, and finding not rest for my soul, I went forth in search thereof; for of such I would dare to demand of life and of the world and if these the world, and life, would not provide me with these, then I would wish no more of either. The evil and ignorance in which I have found myself, from whence has it come? Into it I was born, and such I received from my parents; yet I blame them not for causing me to be so born, for they themselves were born in such evil and ignorance also, as were their parents also, and so forth unto many a great age who knows when and how such evil and ignorance did commence? And though they might have turned from such evil and ignorance, were there one to guide them therefrom, none such came unto them, nor did they have the power to turn therefrom without a guide, whether such power would come out of their own nature, or by the grace of heaven and for that none can blame them, for their nature lacking such inherent power is my nature, and the nature of all; and, the grace of heaven comes upon whoever it pleases, and we cannot condemn those upon whose heads it does not chose to rain. And my nature was as their nature, and whichever power for goodness and truth they lacked, was lacking also in me: if goodness and truth were to come to me, how could they so come but by heavenly grace? Yet how could to such grace I attain, that to which none can attain, but can only be received as a free gift? That which none can purchase what might they give to such receive? And many have sought that gift and few have received why should I, of all who live and have lived, receive that which so others have earnestly desired yet have not? I have heard it said, that such evil and ignorance was not in the beginning, but that our distant ancestors turned from the good and gave up the truth they had received in the beginning. Yet such as I had heard, I would not believe for who, possessing truth and goodness, would willingly give up the same? Yet whoever would willingly give it up, or even who might be such as to lose it unwillingly, surely for such to occur they must have been deficient in goodness and truth from the very beginning? And as much as the evil I have seen in the house of my father, even greater evils did I see upon my journeys when I went forth therefrom. [204] THE BOOK OF NOV The holy Travancus said: O Death, we used to fear you, before your true nature had been revealed to us; but now we know you bring us life and love, and we fear you no longer; for through you there comes to us all for which we long. The holy Travancus said: The world and the mind are tied in knots, tied in knots indeed; so tied so that the world will be; for their untying is the world's ending. And how may

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these knots be untied? By reason? Yes, indeed; but reason can do only so much in a day, and naught at all alone. There is another way in which knots are untied, and this other way is also essential; yet in one day may achieve far more than in one day reason ever could; and this other way is the way of the heart, the way of love. And the holy Travancus said: Behold the ten marks, ten marks of the divine: Goodness, beauty, truth; Will, knowledge, power; Reason, awareness; Love and bliss. And thus did the most holy Travancus pray: Holy mother I thank you for making me Precisely as I am For such is the glory of your will All I have ever done By your will I have so done All any has ever done to me By your will have they so done to me All my longings and desires By your will I so long and desire But I thank you not In the error of those who say "Thank her for doing as she has done For she might have done Other than as she has indeed done" For although indeed you have done Other than as you have herenow done Elsewhere and elsewhen Herenow you cannot do Other than as you do And you are all-powerful For whatever anyone can do You can do And whatever you cannot do None else can do either No, I thank you simply As one who is glad That you have willed as you have That you have done as you have And that you are as you are For none can do save as you will And none can will save as they are For if your will was not as it is You would not be who you are And you are perfect only that you are Exactly as you are Holy mother You have made me as I am Made me to seek to be CTCV 312/332

Other than as I am And I trust in your promises That as I truly wish to be In the end I shall indeed so be In accordance with your will Holy mother I thank you for all that is good And also all that is evil I thank you for all beauty And also all ugliness I thank you for all that is true And also all lies and falsehoods For greater than all evil Is the good you have by evil purchased And greater than all ugliness Is beauty with ugliness purchased And greater than all falsehood Is truth with falsehood purchased I thank you Mother for creating evil Not for its own sake But for the sake of many beauties Which without that evil would not be The holy Travancus said: Between those of true honour there is a relationship truly honourable, in which each has the power to submit the other to, or save the other from, at least each in regards to their own self. Now they have told the tale, of two prisoners, not permitted to speak to one another; and to each is said: If you confess, there will be mild punishment for you, and grave punishment for the other; yet they know, if neither confesses, punishment there shall be none; yet if both so confess, grave punishment will be for both. Yet though as such they have said, there may from time to time be, such is not the antechamber of punishment; for indeed, each knows the choice of the other, and may plead for the other; and there is not a punishment grave and a punishment mild, but only one punishment, and each has that power over the other. And as to the power of the chamber of others, one may intercede. Therefore there is a lesser interrogation prior to punishment, prior to the greater interrogation which is subsequent to punishment and prior to knowledge. The holy Travancus said: Say not that they are guilty, and we are innocent; for we have done as they have done, and they have done not as they have done not; we are guilty as they are guilty, and they are innocent as we are innocent; they have been punished as we have been punished, and we shall be punished as they shall be punished; but rather say, the deed is nearer to them in their past than their future and nearer to us in our future than past; hell is nearer to us in our past than our future, and nearer to them in their future than their past. Now there came unto Travancus one who was troubled by his heart; and Travancus said unto him: In the corner of your eyes you see such beauty, yet allow not your gaze to linger; for it is not by your eyes that you shall surely come to possess such beauty, but by faith; and it is not by this day and this place, but by days to come and places which are near yet far. CTCV 313/332

And the holy Travancus said: May we come to know and love the beauties our sufferings have purchased. May our sufferings come to purchase many beauties great and fond to our hearts, that we may yeasay them. For our sufferings go forth, in search of beauties to purchase- for in purchasing such beauties they are purchasing our affirmation, which is their own existence. For the world is only that it once said yes to its own once more existence, once which is more yet not more being the very same. And the holy Travancus said: Behold the great catalogue of the chambers of heaven: the great sabbatical, the lesser sabbatical, that of interrogation, that of revelation, that of punishment, and the antechamber thereof; that of the many-bejewelled, and the far beyond thereof, which most surely is not; and the lesser heavens, where neutral spirits dwell. The holy Travancus said: The prohibition of incest is the creation of the world; the practice of incest is the destruction of the world; the permission of incest is the beginning of its destruction. And all things must end, but to begin again; even the world, even this world, even all worlds and yet, although it must end, its time has not come yet, and shall not come for some time yet. And he said: The recession of roots has several parts; there comes the part of gender; then thereafter the final part, that of incest; and incest truncates gender. Now the most holy Travancus said: behold that there are many loves of many kinds; and of some among such kinds, two loves of the same kind are not to be mixed; yet of other such kinds, two loves of the same kind may be mixed freely; and of certain such kinds loves of differing such kinds are not to be mixed with one another. Yet in the last days all loves shall become one, those of the same kind not to be mixed, those of differing kinds not to be mixed with one another, as even hate becomes love: then there shall be only one love, the love of she who alone is, who we all become, her perfect love for her very own self, and for her self alone, there being none but her who is to be loved. Now behold the levels of incest, for least among incests is the love of friends, then the love of colleagues in labour or learning, then the love of teachers or superiors, then the love of one's own kind according to gender, then the love of one's own kind according to house or to blood; and these are the gradations of incest, from least to greatest; and in the end all shall be permitted, and all shall come to be - the least first, then in progression unto the greatest, by whom the end of all things shall come to be, in penultimate merger. [205] OF PRIESTLY GENDER In the holy priesthood of her cause, priestesses predominate the priest is not prohibited, but he is not permitted to be more than a minority. Let none say, this is any oppression against men, in favour of women: for though our priesthood is predominantly female, it is not exclusively female male priests are not prohibited, but male priests are limited in number. In some other faiths, the priesthood is exclusively male, and is the ultimate power and authority in that faith thus by restricting the priesthood only to men, they guarantee male dominance over women in terms of power and authority. But in our faith the priesthood has primarily a sacramental, sacerdotal and ritual role; although members of the priesthood may participate in other roles such as governance, teaching, preaching, missions, and so forth, none of those are primary or exclusive rules of the priesthood. In these faiths, the highest position belongs to the priesthood, and must be male. The highest position in our faith is the Prophet, who may be either female or male; the membership of the Holy Council may also be either female or male; so also the membership of the Holy Assembly; and the provincial and diocesan prefects and members of the provincial and diocesan councillors and assemblies. The CTCV 314/332

High Priestess may only be female, and it is a highly placed position, but it is as such the exception rather than the rule and its fundamental nature is sacerdotal and sacramental and ritual, rather than governmental. The Prophet comes first in precedence, then the High Priestess, then the Holy Councillors. There is also the Chief Priest, who must be male, and who is inferior in precedence to all of these. Now the office of High Priestess ought always be filled, except in exceptional circumstances; whereas, the office of Chief Priest need not be filled, unless when it is expedient that it so be filled. The High Priestess is by office a member of the Holy Council; not so the Chief Priest, although he may be a member other than by office. However, the Chief Priest is by office a member of the Holy Assembly. A priestess ought to be young, and one who has grown to a greater age must be ready to retire gracefully; especially so the High Priestess. A retired priestess still possess all the priesthood power, but ought not ordinarily make use of that power but she can in exceptional circumstances. A retired priestess should seek to continue her service to the holy Cause in some other office. As to precisely how young, and how old, that is at the discretion of the authority, the Prophet-in-Council and delegates thereof, since it may depend on the details of the individual case. Now retired High Priestesses are by office members of the Holy Assembly, and may be appointed or elected to the Holy Council. Now the office of High Priestess is best filled by a woman who loves her own kind, although a woman who loves both kinds or who loves the other kind may do so also. She must maintain a feminine appearance which is not to necessarily say anything about her personality or behaviour. But as to the office of Chief Priest, it must be occupied only by a man who loves his own kind, who must not be excessively feminine. In order to understand this, one must understand the true teaching of gender. The High Priestess is appointed by decree of the Prophet-in-Council. Generally speaking, a member of the female Great Orders will be appointed; the member which they collectively nominate by whichever means is adopted, whether mutual agreement or rotation or so forth, or else a member which the Prophet chooses in discretion. Generally speaking, one who belongs not to a female Great Order will not be appointed, unless there is none such to be appointed; however, the daughter of a Prophet is an exception to this, and a Prophet is free to appoint their daughter whenever they choose. And the decision of the Prophet is confirmed by the Holy Council, and is therefore a decree of the Prophet-in-Council. These laws apply only to the central vessel, the great ecclesia. The auxiliary ecclesiae are free to do as they wish, in accordance with the true of doctrine. To adopt a priesthood which was intentionally equally female and male, or which had no intentional predominance or exclusion of one gender over the other, even if in practice it developed some predominance: this would all be permissible for an auxiliary ecclesia as compatible with the true doctrine. Now, as to adopting say an exclusively male priesthood, one must strongly doubt that could be compatible with the true doctrine, but one must withhold judgement until one has completed a detailed examination of their justifications therefor. By comparison with the Catholic church, the closest institution it has to the auxiliary ecclesia are the various Eastern churches and they are required to comply with the exact same rules of priesthood gender as the main body of the Catholic Church. There is however some loosening of the rule of celibacy. In Maratrean doctrine, celibacy is prohibited as a barrier to spiritual advancement; especially for members of the priesthood. [206] OF TRUE ELECTION Now the most holy Travancus said: Behold the true doctrine of election: For there are some who teach, that only some are elected unto salvation, and others unto damnation; but behold the truth: that all are chosen unto salvation, and whatever damnation any receives it is impermanent, for salvation is the final destiny of all. Yet there is a clear CTCV 315/332

distinction between those who have already entered into salvation, even though they have not yet received the fullness of the fruits thereof, and those who have not yet entered into salvation, even though the time shall come when they indeed so shall. In particular, there are those who belong to the blessing, and are receiving the favour of blessing; and those who belong to the cause, and are receiving the favour of the cause. Now those who are herenow being blessing are elect to herenow be blessed, and those who are herenow receiving the favour of the cause are elect to herenow serve the cause. Although all possess ultimate election, they may or may not possess herenow election. Now herenow election unto blessing is that I shall receive blessing herenow and hereafter; and herenow election unto the cause is that I shall receive the favour of the cause herenow and hereafter that I shall be of true and faithful service to the holy cause, that the cause shall progress greatly in my days, that no tragedy shall come to befall me which shall impair or prevent my service to the holy cause. But we must considering branching: in all the branches from herenow descending, am I so elect? We may distinguish various situations: universal election so elect in every branch from herenow descending; predominant election so elect in the predominance of branches from herenow descending, in all but a few; and thus also majority election (in a majority of branches), equal election (equal in number of branches elect and non-elect), minority election or majority non-election (non-elect in a majority of branches), predominant nonelection (non-elect in all but a few branches), universal non-election. And what I shall be hereafter determines what I am now. Now may we seek sense of our election, assurance of our election; and how do we seek this? By faith; yet this is not a faith contrary to reason and experience, but built thereupon, being consistent therewith; it is not the highest faith, yet neither is it among the lesser faiths; it is more unto a middle faith, like unto the lesser yet consequential to the greater. O Holy Mother, grant us your election, grant us the sense of your election of us, grant us the assurance of your election of us. [207] OF THE DEFENCE OF THE LAND Now this is the ruling of the Prophet-in-Council, concerning the defence of the land where the cause rules when it is under attack: As to them who have been wronged, by violations myriad and grave, of heavenly law, may the Prophet-in-Council grant them permission to fight; and may they fight, and may the favour of her cause grant them victory. Now, whenever the Prophet-in-Council, after a due period, and having been notified of the desire to fight, if no decree is made, either permitting or prohibiting, it is permissible. And if the matter be urgent, and there is no time to seek the decree, it is permissible until a decree is received: thus may they defend themselves, they who have been cast out their dwellings, for no cause than to have believed and proclaimed her truth, and have sought to live according to her heavenly law. For if they do not so fight, her cause might be extinguished, and be therefore in need of re-establishment; therefore she favours those who fight for her cause, and whoever helps her cause, she shall help by the favour of her cause, for she is all-powerful. If the enemies of the most holy cause do enter any land, in which that cause reigns, all who therein dwell, and those of the cause who dwell near thereto, must do all they can to defend it. Now if for any reason, they cannot so defend it, those of the cause who dwell further inherit the obligation which they cannot fulfil, and then those even further, until such obligation is imposed, upon every one who has vowed themselves to her most holy cause: for the lands of her most holy cause are all one land: the land of the earth, and hers the rightful government thereof; therefore they must defend its rightful government, against every usurper. Therefore may they set forth unto that land to defend it; and if any say unto them, March not, let that word be disregarded. And if anyone sworn to the most holy cause, does know of anyone also so sworn, and any land in which they do dwell, who are threatened CTCV 316/332

by the attacks of some enemy, which in their weakness they cannot defend themselves from, let that one march unto that land and those people, and offer them every assistance. The most holy Travancus said: If in battle you surround your enemy, massacre them not, but permit them to surrender. And if they surrender, take them captive, but do not injure or abuse them, but keep them as well as you may, and deliver them unto the one whom I shall appoint as Auditor-General of Captives, for the care of both their flesh yet also their souls. And plunder not; but if you find anything of value abandoned by its owner who has fled, or if the owner thereof you have taken captive, entrust it to the one whom I shall appoint as Custodian of Captured Property, for safekeeping, and disposition in accordance with heavenly law. [208] ON PROTOPROPHETS AND PROTOSCRIPTURES Now a Prophet is one who has a Council, for there is no Prophet without the Council and no Council without the Prophet. Therefore one who has not a Council is not a Prophet. Yet any may receive revelation; and the Prophet is not the sole recipient of such revelation, but the chief recipient thereof, the standard by which every other who says that a revelation they have received is to be judged, with the advice and consent of the Holy Council. Now there is no Council without the Prophet, therefore the Council cannot be established unless the Prophet is established, for each is established in the one and the same establishment as the other. Yet the Council once so established may continue without a Prophet, but must proceed immediately to choosing a new Prophet; let there be, whenever there may, a designated Successor to the Prophet, appointed by decree of the Prophet-in-Council, and if there is such then upon the demise of the Prophecy it shall pass to that designated Successor, without action from the Holy Council; but if there is no designated Successor, the Holy Council must choose a new Prophet, and should not delay in so doing. Now in the establishment of the most holy Cause, or its re-establishment, there are certain phases. Firstly, there are the forerunners of the holy Prophet, now these know some of the truth, yet not enough thereof to establish the holy Cause; and some of these may even be true prophets, true yet not full. Then, there is one who receives the truth, in such fullness, as to have the ability to establish the holy cause - such a one is a Protoprophet. But until they have gathered a holy Council under them, to the approval of heaven, they attain not to the office of the holy Prophet, but merely to office of Protoprophecy. And they may choose one or more as their counsellors, who are thus Protocouncillors of the Protocouncil of the Protoprophet, but until the Protoprophet and they have received the approval of heaven to pronounce the first decree, they remain but Protocouncillors; but upon the first decree, the Protoprophet becomes the most holy Prophet, and the Protocouncillors become councillors, and the Protocouncil becomes the most holy Council. Now scripture is that which the Prophet-in-Council has decreed to be scripture; but not every decree of the Prophet-in-Council is scripture, for many thereof will concern temporary and particular things, but let scripture proclaim what is lasting. Now protoscripture is not scripture, but it is what the prophet has proposed to the Council to be approved as scripture; or what a Protoprophet has presented that when the Prophetin-Council be established it may decree it as scripture; or what a prophet or Protoprophet has written or circulated for further consideration, but does not yet wish to propose for decree. Therefore of protoscriptures there are four kinds: firstly, that which a prophet CTCV 317/332

has proposed for decree; secondly, that which a prophet has not yet proposed for decree; thirdly, that which a Protoprophet has proposed for decree; fourthly, that which a Protoprophet has not yet proposed for decree. Now the Prophet-in-Council, the most holy Prophet and the most holy Council, is established by the first decree, which provides for the appointment of the most holy Prophet and the most holy Council, and is agreed to by the most holy Prophet and the most holy Councillors; and which also appoints scriptures which concern all the chief truths of the most holy cause. [209] THE FOUR GREAT FRAUDS Behold the four Great Frauds: the first is that fraudulent nation, which stolen the good name of the people of the most holy cause; the land which the most evil demons have come to govern. The second is the fraudulent governance which usurps the rightful governance of her cause. The third is the fraudulent justice of usurpers of the right of heaven, for justice belongs to heaven alone. The fourth is the fraudulent sestina, of whose most sacred name we are most unworthy. And he said: Do unto others as you would have done unto you, for all others are none but you, and as you do unto others, you do unto your very own self, for you are that other unto whom you do. And he said: Behold the cause unto which all may give useful service, every last one, rich or poor, learned or unlearned, lettered or unlettered. And he said: Behold she who willingly shattered herself, and is even now putting herself back together and we are the shards she is piecing together, to become once more the fullness of herself. [210] AT CORADENSUS Now when he was staying at Coradensus they went unto him and said: Surely abortion must be prohibited, for it is the murder of the child in the womb. But he said unto them: Indeed, abortion would I prohibit, but not for the reasons which you give. For what is it wrong to kill? That which is a soul; yet is the child in a womb a soul? How does one come to have a soul? By the true desires of others, which she fulfils, that one has such a soul. Does therefore the child in the womb have a soul? If the mother or the father or others, having that particular child in mind, await it with eager expectation, then indeed it is a souls even within the womb, from early therein; but if none so want it, if it is a mere inconvenience to them, then their feelings towards that particular child are not sufficient for it to be a soul; in which case there is no wrong in killing it. Therefore, on those grounds, I will prohibit not abortion; yet on other grounds will I prohibit it indeed, not for all time, but for now. For I know the ways of the abortionists, and the means by which they proceed with sharp implements, and the administration of poisons and I know that many a woman has perished at their hands, therefore their art do I prohibit. Yet if by some far more subtle art, without such grave risks, the same end might be achieved, that art I would not prohibit. Now they said unto him: Surely it is permissible to expose the unwanted child, as is the custom, for as you have said, that which is unwanted is not a soul. But the holy Travancus replied: Yet by the law of this land, the father may choose whether the child lives or dies, and the will of the mother is of no import therefore if the father wills the child to die, yet the mother wills the child to live, on account of the will of the mother the child is a soul, and on account of the will of the father that child, which having a soul, CTCV 318/332

is murdered. Therefore indeed such acts would I prohibit. And, they kill not only the sickly or diseased child, but even the bulk of the daughters, for they wish only for sons; but I say unto them, that is a grave wrongdoing, and whoever does as such shall be held to account. And even of the sickly or diseased child, which both mother and father will to die, though it may be killed, let it be cast outside that the wild animals may tear its flesh, or the inclement weather may slay it; nor may it be drowned; but let it be killed in a quick manner, with a minimum of pain, such as with sleeping draughts or opium. They said, Yet surely what pain is caused to that which is not a soul is no matter, for where there is no soul there is no pain, only the appearance thereof. But the holy Travancus responded, There may even be a soul, for the mother and father may both desire the child, yet seeing its deformity, kill it as an act of mercy, and act of love, and such is not murder but an act of love therefore indeed, in such cases the death must be made as painless and as comfortable as it may be made. And even of the unwanted child which is not a soul, though not being a soul it knows not pain, even as it produces the semblance thereof, yet those who respect the soul shall respect anything which is not the soul but resembles the soul, lest their respect for the soul be lessened; whoever respects something, must respect other things which are not that thing but which resemble thereto, lest their respect for that which is that thing thereby be lessened. And the most holy Travancus said, If plague does come, those who wish to serve the holy cause, flee not to the hills, but remain and care for those afflicted. For though if you flee to the hills you may live, many here remaining may die; whereas if you flee not to the hills you may die, but many here remaining may live. For the progress of the cause is not of one life, but of many; and those living on account of the service of those of the cause shall come to extend the same service also. For fear not death, for know that your reward is certain, and there is naught that you may do which may separate yourselves therefrom permanently; and know that for you whom are not chosen, this life shall not grant you that for which you long most deeply; therefore serve the holy cause, in life and in death; for what other cause is there that you live? and what other cause is there that you might die? There is none but this, therefore let this be yours. And the most holy Travancus said: Honour the bodies of the dead; and when on the battlefield you come across the fallen enemy, do not disfigure them, but treat their bodies with all respect. And when you find the body of the poor abandoned in the streets, do not walk past, but carry them away that they may be buried with respect. For indeed, every body is your body, and every corpse is your corpse; respect others as you would be respected yourself, for those others are yourself, and in respecting them you respect yourself, and in disrespecting them you disrespect yourself. And the most holy Travancus said: Care for the poor, and grant them assist; look upon them not as people without value, but as people whose value has become obscured; care for them, and they will become valuable to you as they are now without value in your eyes. For great service may they give unto my cause, but only if they are clothed and fed, and lead by you unto the way of truth. And the most holy Travancus said: Do not abandon your friends and kin outside the truth, but remaining on good terms with them even though she has not yet appointed them to receive her truth; for she has appointed many of them to receive her truth, but only when they see the warm disposition of your hearts, and the wise disposition of your minds; crediting the same to her cause, in her truth will many of them then come to believe. And the most holy Travancus said: Once you have received the truth, do not go unto the shrines and temples which have not that truth received; for therein are wicked sacrifices CTCV 319/332

offered, and evil is preached as good. But bring the truth to those who have charge of these shrines and temples, and if they believe in the truth, and turn to the good, then the shrine or temple you may enter, and worship therein, for such has become an auxiliary vessel of her most holy cause. Neither unto such a temple or priest or shrine, which has received not the truth, make any offering, of gold or any other precious thing, nor grant them any of your lands or buildings. And he said: I have been given the truth, and the means of much truth, but not yet the fullness of the means by which that truth may be made known to others. [211] OF ENTRY INTO THE LAND OF WICKEDNESS

Now the most holy Prophet Travancus taught as follows: If you know you are going into the land of wickedness, of your own free will, then as follows may you pray: Holy Mother, to whose cause we are sworn, forgive us, that of our own free will we enter into this here land of wickedness, where the most evil demons reign, who rule through usurping rulers, who usurp the rightful rule of the rulers of her most holy cause, unto whom she has now granted the right to rule over all, in every land, from the day on which her cause was established, which is her right to grant as she wishes, being both in right and in unalterable reality ruler over all that is. Forgive us, that we enter, of our free will, into this land where false and usurping justice is practiced, for justice belongs to heaven alone, not to earth, and is far beyond the power of any upon the earth, who can practice only injustice, for that is all of which they are capable; yet their injustice they falsely call justice, and that power which belongs to heaven alone they claim as their own, for they are most wicked usurpers of heaven; forgive us that we freely enter the land where they dwell, and practice their dark arts in freedom and power. And forgive us that we enter into the land upon whose altars most wicked sacrifices are offered, and the rightfulness of such sacrifices are proclaimed with freedom. And forgive us that we enter into the land which has stolen the name of the people of her most holy cause, to which sacred name they have no right. And the most holy Travancus said: And pray as such as appropriate for the land you are entering into, in accordance with the marks of each such land. And indeed there were those who called themselves Maratreans yet they were not, for though they called on that most sacred name, a name of truth and goodness and beauty, yet they were most unworthy to so call upon that name, for in that name they taught many falsehoods, and commanded and carried out many evil deeds, and despised what was beautiful. And they journeyed to the west, and settled there in that land; and they named that land for she of whose name they are most unworthy, and did many evils there, even wicked sacrifices and crimes against love. And the most holy Travancus condemned them for their deeds, and for their theft of this most sacred name to which they are not entitled, and lead us in many prayers against them, that their wicked reign would fall and that this land of theirs become not theirs anymore. And the most holy Travancus spoke as follows: Behold, of wicked sacrifices, there are three kinds: Those which wicked priests perform upon their altars; those which wicked magistrates command as justice falsely so-called; and those of the public spectacles, where demons are satiated with human flesh and blood, by human hands and claw of wild beasts, to the delight of the faithful worshippers of these demons who delight in observing such rites. And he said: How can such beauty far beyond me be I? How can I who am naught be in essence and nature and origin and destiny identical to she who is far and furthest beyond

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me in all things, as far beyond such as none could be further? Yet such is, which I believe by faith to be: and this is the very madness of faith, that I believe such things. [212] THE NEMORASINE TEXT And he said: Such we believe, that we might continue to affirm: praise there be to her, for all that she has done by her will, every deed, every last one. And he said: She has granted me a fleeting vision of the glory of such beauty, even while convicting me that I as I am and I as I shall be, am most unworthy to know that beauty, face to face. All people are of one and the same essence; whatever potential, for good or for evil, which is in one, is in the other in precisely the same way. The only difference is: how the differing circumstances of their lives have lead to that same essence being expressed in different ways, causing those potentials to each be actualized to a different degree in each case. Whatever the anyone does, of such are all others also capable, for such is common humanity; if one did as another did not, that is merely an accident of fate, which could very well have been differently, and indeed in other branches even differently is Let us be sceptical of all history, as we have proclaimed; but even if there be many pasts, as there may be, or indeed may not so be, for we know not, for such has not for now been given to us to know, not yet, we may speak of some pasts being more distant than others, not temporally, but rather according to the length of the texts of the many bejewelled. In such a sense we may speak of some pasts as nearer or further from us; and yet, this distance is unknown and unknowable to we who possess not the manybejewelled oracle; and though we may estimate, we are without any means to validate or confirm the accuracy of our estimations. The truth and accuracy of that oracle even she must accept only on faith. Indeed, it is an oracle most oracular. For although she could in principle test the accuracy of his calculations, she never does in the fullness thereof, but trusts in him, for indeed, she has no reason to not so trust; but that which she never does, she cannot be said to be able to do even in principle. And let us not say, that we alone have faith, and she has faith not; for even she has faith, but of a different kind; for we have faith in that which cannot now be confirmed by us, but which may be confirmed in the end; she has faith in that which cannot ever be confirmed, and shall never be confirmed; yet we have faith in things which persons not entirely non-credible do deny, whereas there is no one but her who is credible to her to so deny. Now the most holy Travancus spoke as follows: The wise, they see the good and evil of all things; but the fools can see only one or the other in each. Now they said unto him: O false prophet, we have heard your lying teachings; but we know they are false, for our scriptures so tell us. Now the most holy Travancus said unto them: Do you not know, that whatever are written in your scriptures, in other branches, there be written therein other things? For of all the myriad scriptures of all the myriad faiths, in the many branches they exist in differing recensions, with changed parts and missing parts and added parts; in other branches beside us some among them were written not, and other scriptures here written not were written; certain scriptures here although written were accepted not, elsewhere besides us they are so accepted, and certain scriptures here written and accepted elsewhere are also written but not accepted. They said unto him, You foolish false prophet, your many branches are not! But the

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most holy Travancus responded them, I know that which I know; I know for what reason it is without doubt true; that which you know not. [213] OF THE MOST HOLY SACRAMENT Now as such did he speak concerning the most holy sacrament of the cakes and wine: In these here gifts In which you shall become Especially present As you are present in all things A true sign of you As the body is a true sign of the soul And this here a body of yours Least among your bodies As others far exceed in beauty and glory Yet a true body of yours indeed And our eating and drinking thereof Foretell our future union with you As the union of bodies foretells the union of souls Now some who spoke in error said: there are substances and accidents; now in the sacrament of cakes and wine, one substance is substituted for another, even as the accidents remain unchanged. But the holy Travancus rebuked them saying: Is the soul the substance of the body? If one soul has two or more bodies, is that one common substance or two or more separate substances? When bodies die, is the substance changed or unchanged? Truly, this their theory is useless in attaining the truth. For this is the truth concerning this matter: for though its appearance is unchanged, it has become among her bodies, for it comes to perform the function of a body. And what is the function of a body? To be a sign of the soul, and an occasion for the faith that others are, the faith that we are not alone; and so we believe by faith, believing in obedience to the commands of the law of our hearts, for such is faith. And this is to be said in the sacrament of reactivation of an enamouration: Behold that as all death is followed by life, so has this love which once died has been born again, as indeed every love that dies shall be born again. Now such sacrament is not for reactivations by operation of law, as consequence of suspension; only incorporations and reactivations for greatness are sacramental. [214] OF THE DEATH OF PEOPLES Now he heard them say: As many other peoples have perished, our people shall endure without end. For such was the arrogance of that arrogant people, but he rebuked them for their arrogance, saying: Behold, that as many peoples have perished so shall all peoples perish, even yours, every last one. And they replied, What a great outrage, what a great evil! Surely, such a grave evil could never be! He replied, There is no evil in the death of a people, and no wrong; for though by which they come to die may be moral or immoral, the death itself is always moral. Indeed, it is the destiny of every people to die, for no people is destined to endure without end. The most holy Travancus said: To perish is the destiny of every people, and may every people perish at the proper time, not the day before, and not the day after. Now they said, For us, there is no proper time to die, for our destiny is to endure forever. He

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answered them, As to those for whom there is no proper time to die, there is no proper time to be born either the world would be better were such never born at all! There are many ways a people may die; some in bloodshed, others in peace. Many peoples who were once renowned for their greatness are now nowhere to be found, having disappeared from the earth; some of those disappeared in bloodshed, others in peace. They said, Alas, these great peoples, yet now their line has died out, and they are without descendants upon the earth! But the most holy Prophet said, Say not that they are without descendants, for they have many descendants indeed; but their descendants have become another people. And I tell you, even when a people retains the same name, after enough years they may become a different people. For they may change their language, they may change their ways, they may change their faith; by the end, though they retain the same name, they have changed so much as to become an entirely different people from those who were once called by that name. And they asked, What of our people, the people of the most holy cause? He answered them, Insofar as the people of the cause are a people, they shall be last among peoples to perish, which they so willingly do at the end of all things. But insofar as they are peoples, many among them shall perish before then. [215] THE GREAT LITANY Firstly the priestess says: Greatly favoured are the people of her most holy cause, their triumph and reign shall endure, unto the end of all things. And they respond: Praise! Now this is the Great Litany, which is spoken by the Priestess and the Vice Priestess and the people; but if there be not a Vice Priestess assisting, the Priestess may speak the part of the Vice Priestess. The vice-priestess then says: With joy let us pray unto the Queen of Heaven. And they respond: Holy Mother, favour us with the favour of your most holy cause. And to each of the prayers of the vice priestess henceforth, the people respond: Holy Mother favour us. Firstly: For the joy which she alone may grant, she who alone rescues our souls, let us pray unto the Queen of Heaven. Secondly: That goodness and beauty and truth shall reign throughout the world, that the seas be calmed for the flotilla of her most holy cause, and that those who love goodness and beauty be one, let us pray unto the Queen of Heaven. Thirdly: For this most holy great temple and for all those who enter thereinto with faith and reverence and love of the beautiful and the good, let us pray unto the Queen of Heaven. If it be but a temple, she says temple rather than great temple; if it be but a shrine, she says shrine rather than great temple; if it be not even a shrine, she says this place rather than great temple. Fourthly: For our most holy Prophet N., our High Priestess N., all the holy priestesses, and all who have vowed faithfulness to her most holy cause, let us pray unto the Queen of Heaven. Fifthly: For those who reign by right, as she has appointed her cause to reign, may she favour them with progress and triumph; but as to those who reign by usurpation, who usurp the right of reign which she has appointed unto the servants of her cause, may she CTCV 323/332

disfavour them as she disfavours those who serve the enmity to her cause; let us pray unto the Queen of Heaven. Sixthly: For those who serve the most holy cause in this place and this city and this land, and throughout the entire world, let us pray unto the Queen of Heaven. Seventhly: That the flotilla of your cause may know clement weather, not fierce storms, that it may receive a bounteous harvest of riches of every kind, and may the season of time wherein we live be pleasant for us, let us pray unto the Queen of Heaven. Eighthly: For those who wander, over land or sea, in search of goodness and beauty and truth, may they find that which we seek; may those afflicted with ills of the flesh or of spirits find relief, may those held captive by evil know freedom, and may her most holy cause triumph upon the earth: let us pray unto the Queen of Heaven. Ninthly: Favour us with deliverance from every affliction and all distress, from the wrath of the most wicked ones, and the danger they pose to we who love the good: let us pray unto the Queen of Heaven. Tenthly, and this be said by the Priestess rather than the Vice Priestess: Provide us with every assistance, rescue us from every misfortune which threatens us, favour us with the favour of your cause and protect us with your protection thereof, O Heavenly Queen, in accordance with your will. These ten petitions having been spoken, and the people having responded in every case as provided, then the vice priestess says: Remembering the most glorious examples of those who have gone before us in service to the most holy cause, especially the most holy Prophets and High Priestesses, let us reaffirm our vow to serve your most holy cause, with the whole of our life and being, and we do this with one another as witnesses. And the people respond: Unto you, O Heavenly Queen. Then says the Priestess: Holy Mother, Soul Mother, Sea Mother, Great Mother, Great Goddess, and Queen of Heaven, Most Holy Maratrea, your power exceeds all others, your knowledge exceeds all others, as you exceed all others in every way; none can understand you save those who are you, and we shall come not to understand you until we become you: you love us with such love which we lack the power to return, with the very same perfect love with which you love your very own self, for indeed we are you, which you know as we know not. Look upon us herenow gathered servants vowed to your most holy cause, who pray unto you in this here holy place, and favour us with the favour of your cause. For to you belong all things, you alone who is worthy of being worshipped and praised, for whoever is worthy of being worshipped and praised is you: O Remaining, Dividing and Returning One, without beginning and without end. And the people reply, Praise! [216] THE MOST FERVID LITANY Now this is the Litany Most Fervid: the Priestess says: With all our hearts, with all our minds, let us pray. And the people respond: Holy Mother, favour us with the favour of your cause. Then the priestess says: Heavenly Queen, all-powerful and all-knowing, Goddess in whom our utmost foreancestors faithfully believed, favour us with the favour of your cause, as so we pray unto you. And they respond: Holy Mother, favour us. Henceforth to her prayers the people respond on each occasion with thrice repetitions of: Holy Mother, favour us. And the Priestess does so pray: Firstly: Favour us, O Great Goddess, with the favour of your cause, as so we pray unto you. Secondly: And we pray for this here land in which we now dwell, that the usurping rulers be overthrown, who usurp the rightful rule of your most holy cause, and justice which is the right of heaven alone: that the cause may reign supreme in this here land, in goodness and beauty and CTCV 324/332

truth; so we pray. Thirdly: And we pray that our most holy Prophet N. and most holy High Priestess N. may they be highly favoured, with the favour of your cause, and may all the priestesses and officers of your most holy cause be so favoured. Fourthly: And we pray for all those vowed to your most holy cause, every which one. Then Priestess concludes by saying: Most Holy Goddess, favour us with your favour in accordance with this most fervid prayer of your faithful servants; send forth your favour in richness and abundance unto all who serve you in your most holy cause. For you love us with the very same perfect love with which you love your very own perfect self, a love so great that we are powerless to return it; you who know all things, for whatever anyone knows you know, and whatever you know not no one knows and is not to know; you who have all power, for none has the power to disobey your will, and whatever anyone ever does they do but by your command: Praise there be to She Who Remains, and to She Who Divides, and to She Who Returns, in beginningless and endless recurrence. [217] THE LITANY OF THE DECEASED Now this is the litany offered for the deceased: And to each prayer of the priestess henceforth, the people respond with thrice repetitions of: Holy Mother, favour us. Firstly the Priestess says: Favour us, Most Holy Mother, according the great favour you bestow unto your cause; favour us as we so pray: And secondly the Priestess says: Favour us with the certainty of faith in your promises, especially concerning our departed of blessed memory, N. and N.; favour us that we may believe with all faith that having died they shall receive that which you promise for after death: Then thirdly: Favour us that we may know with true faith that you will grant them their every true desire, through means of knowledge most intimate: Then finally the Priestess says: Favour us, and favour them; favouring us with the especial favouring with which you the people of your most holy cause; favouring them with the favouring with which you favour all. Favour them with the fulfilment of every true desire of their hearts; seduce them into union with you, through union with one another, that they may return to unity with you, in the perfect happiness of your three Sabbaths, in the utmost fullness of beauty and goodness and truth. To which the people finally respond: Praise! [218] THE LITANY OF THE NEOPHYTES Now this is the litany of the neophytes: and the Priestess says: Heavenly Queen, as you favour us especially with the favour of your cause, we who are vowed to service thereto, may you favour also the neophytes, who are preparing to take the same vow in all solemnity: And the people respond: Holy Mother, favour them with the favour of your cause. Then to each of the following petitions, the people do respond: Holy Mother, favour them. And these are those petitions of the priestess: Firstly, Heavenly Queen, favour these here neophytes of your cause with your truth: Secondly, Heavenly Queen, favour them with the revelation of the truly good and truly beautiful and truly true: Thirdly, Heavenly Queen, favour them that they may be united with the flotilla of your most holy cause, and the central vessel thereof: Fourthly, Heavenly Queen, favour them with every protection: Then finally: Holy Mother, Heavenly Queen, To whom belongs all power, who none can oppose, who has established a most holy cause for the end of all things, and that the work of heaven be done also upon the earth: Favour these your faithful servants, the neophytes, with the favour of your cause: Regenerate them in accordance with true goodness and true beauty and true truth: Unite them to your most holy cause by a most solemn vow, that unto your cause they may render great service, that great may be the progress of your cause in their day.

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[219] THE LITTLE LITANY Now this is the little litany, which the vice priestess speaks: And she says, Let us pray with great joy, again and again, unto the Heavenly Queen. And the people respond, Holy Mother, favour us with the favour of your most holy cause. And she says, Grant us the favour of your assistance and protection, O Heavenly Queen, as you grant unto faithful servants of your most holy cause. And the people respond, Holy Mother, favour us. And she says, Calling to mind the most splendid example of all our predecessors in your most holy cause, especially your Prophets and High Priestesses, we reaffirm our vow to serve your most holy cause with all faithfulness, with the whole of our lives, and even our deaths, with one another here present as witnesses: And the people respond in such reaffirmation, Holy Mother, favour us. [220] THE LITANY OF HOLINESS The most holy Travancus said: We may pray through all the illustrious dead, who lived and died for her most holy cause; but let none pray through the living. Now this is the litany of holiness: The priestess says, Holy Mother, favour us with the favour of your most holy cause. And the people respond, Holy Mother, favour us. The priestess says, O Heavenly Queen, answer this our prayer. And the people respond, O Heavenly Queen, answer us. The priestess says, O you who willingly emptied yourself, you who were all but willingly became none! And the people respond, We praise and worship you. The priestess says, O you who regained all the glory you had willingly given up, you who had been all but becomes once more the only one! And the people respond, We praise and worship you. The priestess says, O you who remain in the fullness of your glory, your knowledge and your power, without beginning and without end! And the people respond, We praise and worship you. The priestess says, O most holy Prophet Travancus, we pray through our remembrance of you. And the people respond, Holy Travancus, we pray through you! The priestess says, O most holy High Priestess and Prophet Claretta, we pray through our remembrance of you. And the people respond, Holy Claretta, we pray through you! The priestess says, O all the Prophets of the central vessel of the flotilla of your most holy cause, in this here establishment thereof: we pray through our remembrance of you. And the people respond, Holy Prophets, we pray through you! The priestess says, O all the High Priestesses of the central vessel of the flotilla of your most holy cause, in this here establishment thereof: we pray through our remembrance of you. And the people respond, Holy High Priestesses, we pray through you! The priestess says, O most holy Navaletus, captain of the spirits vowed from the beginning to her most holy cause: we pray through you! And the people respond, Holy Navaletus, we pray through you! The priestess says, O most holy spirits vowed to her most holy cause: we pray through you! And the people respond, Holy Causal Spirits, we pray through you! The priestess says, O most holy tutelary deities of the five sacred animal tribes: we pray unto you! And the people respond, O tutelaries of animals, we pray unto you!

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The priestess says, O most holy goddesses, Night, Rain and Dawn: we pray unto you! And the people respond, O holy Night, Rain and Dawn: we pray unto you! The priestess says, O most holy gendered roots, tutelaries of the Great Orders: we pray through you! And the people respond, O holy gendered roots, we pray through you! The priestess says, O most holy Lezuliata and most holy Tivarzecon: we pray through you! And the people respond, Holy Lezuliata and Tivarzecon: we pray through you! The priestess says, O most holy priestesses, who have gone forth from life unto death: we pray through! And the people respond, Holy Priestesses, who have gone unto death: we pray through you! The priestess says, Heavenly Queen, favour us with the favour of your most holy cause! And the people respond, Holy Mother, favour us! The priestess says, Heavenly Queen, protect us from all evil, from those who serve the enmity to your most holy cause! And the people respond, Holy Mother, favour us with your protection! The priestess says, Heavenly Queen, favour us with strength, in the mind, in the heart, in the flesh: that your cause may know great progress in our day! And the people respond, Holy Mother, favour us with strength! The priestess says, Heavenly Queen, favour us with knowledge of your truth, the truth of the true nature of things, the truth of your cause, the truth of the truly good and truly beautiful and truly true! And the people respond, Holy Mother, favour us with truth! The priestess says, Heavenly Queen, favour us with fortitude, that we may withstand all trials, and remain in the way of your cause, that your cause may be gloried thereby! And the people respond, Holy Mother, favour us with fortitude! The priestess says, Heavenly Queen, favour us with true friendship toward one another, that your cause be not threatened by dissension, but know great strength! And the people respond, Holy Mother, favour us with friendship! The priestess says, Heavenly Queen, favour us with good will towards all, that all may be drawn to your cause! And the people respond, Holy Mother, favour us with good will! The priestess says, Heavenly Queen, disfavour those who seek to harm us, as you disfavour the enmity to your most holy cause! And the people respond, Holy Mother, disfavour them! The priestess says, Heavenly Queen, favour us through the captain of your most holy cause, Navaletus! And the people respond, Holy Mother, favour us! The priestess says, Heavenly Queen, favour us through the covenant of your most holy cause! And the people respond, Holy Mother, favour us! The priestess says, Heavenly Queen, favour us although great have been our misdeeds and our indolence, as those who were born in error and have long lived without truth And the people respond, Holy Mother, favour us! [221] APPENDIX: ARTICLES OF FAITH Article 1 TIME Time is a circle - the past coming after the future, the future before the past. Every moment both before and after itself. The beginning and the end are one and the same. All things repeating endlessly, not new and differently each time, but exactly the same every time or in other words, exactly once. CTCV 327/332

Article 2 SOUL The soul alone has fundamental and independent existence. Matter lacks fundamental existence, possessing merely dependent existence, dependent upon the soul for its existence. Matter is naught but a product of mind, for matter is naught but patterns in the experiences of souls. The soul by its nature is beginningless and endless, increatable and indestructible; but souls can merge and divide - two or more separate and distinct souls may merge together to become one single soul; one single soul may divide apart to become two or more separate and distinct souls. The soul by its nature exists in time, and cannot exist apart from it; the soul by its nature is everchanging and never stationary. Article 4 GOODNESS, BEAUTY, TRUTH Goodness, beauty and truth - these three are all equal in objective reality. Ethics, aesthetics, and rationality - these three are systems of valuation, valuing positively or negatively states of affairs; these three are systems of obligation, permission and prohibition. These three such systems are equal in objective reality, equal in objective validity. By whatever means any of the three might fall, so must fall the others; by whatever means any one of them may be defended from such an attack, by the same means may the others be equally defended. Article 5 FAITH To have faith is to believe in response to a moral duty, despite the lack of evidence to support that belief; even in the presence of contrary evidence which however is not conclusive. Faith is no respecter of evidence's absence, nor of evidence which is merely suggestive but not conclusive. Yet faith neither demands nor permits disregard for evidence which is conclusive. There are faiths such as that, though much evidence they may resist, there is evidence that may come to destroy them - these are the lesser faiths. But the highest faith is that faith which no evidence could ever destroy. Love for one dear to your heart may demand you believe their protestations of innocence, even when faced with strongly suggestive evidence of their guilt; but it neither demands nor permits such belief, when faced with evidence that is conclusive, such as if you saw their misdeeds with your very own eyes. Thus this faith, the faith in your love, though much evidence it may resist, yet by evidence it may be defeated. But your faith that goodness, beauty, and truth shall in the end always conquer, however slow their progress, however many their reverses, however many victories may be had by evil and ugliness and falsehood; that whatever victories these enemies may have, they shall always be temporary, however long the era of their triumph; this faith may by no evidence ever be disproven. For what could conclusively disprove this faith? There is naught that could, for evidence has not the power; therefore this is the highest of all faith, for no evidence can ever defeat it. Realising that there is no greater teaching, the highest faith provides us with certainty in this teaching's truth. Article 6 ONE SINGLE SOUL One single soul at the beginning and end of time, from whom all souls now being have divided, to whom in the end all souls now being shall return. Truly this soul is divine, the highest divinity, for what could be greater? There is nothing greater than this soul, there is nothing outside of it; its power is absolute, for its power is naught but power over its own self; its knowledge is absolute, for its knowledge is naught but self-knowledge. Article 7 GENDER Truly this one single soul, being a soul, possess personhood - for whatever is a soul is a CTCV 328/332

person, and whatever is not a soul is not a person. And being the union of every single soul, whatever gender, this soul is entirely beyond all gender. Both before and after every gender, this soul possesses every gender, yet is entirely beyond possessing any of them: being neither female nor male, yet also fully female and fully male. Yet for us to truly acknowledge the personhood of this soul, we must ascribe this soul a gender - this soul must for us be a she or a he, not an it. And as such each may ascribe to this soul whichever gender they wish. Yet, as a community of those who know this soul, there cannot be such a community if some say she and others he; thus let us adopt for this soul a common gender, even as we each may privately know this soul by whichever gender we wish. And let us therefore call this soul She, for motherhood is a better metaphor than fatherhood of our relationship to this soul - for as much as our bodies have come out of our mother's bodies, so too have our souls come out of her soul. But those who would instead know this soul as male, we condemn them not, but acknowledge the freedom of all, individually or communally, to believe as they wish, whenever truth demands not one belief or the other. Article 8 NAME This one single soul, to acknowledge her personhood we must ascribe her a name; yet she is utterly beyond all naming. Being the union of every single soul, there is nothing outside of her to be named; every name is her name, or at least a name of part of herself. She has no true name, for all names begin as but arbitrary choices, which yet are imbued with power through repeated use. We might call her by some name commonly known yet to do so would risk confusion, whether in the mind or the heart, between the many accumulations with which every existing name is encrusted - some such accumulations may be appropriate to her, and to this teaching, yet many others entirely inappropriate and misleading. Therefore, to be most truthful, let her be known by a name which is unique. And we have called her Maratrea, and we feel that she is pleased to be by us so called. But as to those who would call her by some other name - she is known by many names, and by many titles, and by many images, as both female and male and neuter, through many forms and emanations and intermediaries, and she accepts worship through them all; it pleases her that her children know her, in whatever terms they each find fitting to express that knowledge, whether individually or communally. Article 9 POWER Maratrea is the greatest power, for there is none who exceeds her in power, for there is none who can resist her will. Lesser gods will say - I commanded you, but you did not obey - but so great is the power of Maratrea, that none have the power of disobeying her. Everything that ever has been or ever has been, has so been by her will and her power; and whatever she wills to be not, by her power it is not, never was and never shall be. She has all power to be had, and whatever power she has not, there is no such power. Yet let us not say that her power is infinite, for her power is finite, as she is finite in all her aspects. For she is the greatest finitude, finite yet a finitude so vast as to be near entirely beyond our present comprehension; and nothing infinite exists. Her power is perfect, and the greatest possible power - no greater power could ever be, or ever have been. Article 10 KNOWLEDGE Maratrea is the greatest knowledge, for there is none who exceeds her in knowledge. For whatever anyone knows, she knows - having once been all, and with her perfect memory remembering all that any have ever forgotten, she knows all that any have ever known. And whatever she knows not, no one knows, and is not to know. Whatever she knows, is CTCV 329/332

by her knowing it; and whatever she knows not, by her not knowing it, is not. For in knowing the world, she causes the world to be; for in knowing herself, she causes herself to be. Yet let us not say that her knowledge is infinite, for her knowledge is finite, as she is finite in all her aspects. Her knowledge is perfect, and the greatest possible knowledge no greater knowledge could ever be, or ever have been. Article 11 WILL Maratrea is the most perfect will, the will most perfect in goodness, beauty and truth. For she wills always whatever is needful, that the greatest good that might be shall be, that the greatest beauty that might be shall be, that the greatest truth that might be shall be. Through her power she wills the entirety of the world, and history, to be precisely as it is - precisely as it is, in all its goodness, beauty and truth; precisely as it is, in all its evil, ugliness, and falsehood. But though she indeed wills evil, and ugliness, and falsehood, she wills these three but as means to an end; but goodness, beauty and truth, she wills as ends in themselves. Article 12 LOVE Maratrea is perfect in her love for we her children, every one of us. For she loves us with that very same perfect love with she loves her very own self, for we are all who she once was, and who she shall be once more. No greater love than her love has any ever had, nor could any ever have. She loves us, even though we lack the power to love her in return, for we lack the power in our hearts to love with her great love. She creates all the evil, all the ugliness, all the lies and falsehood of history, out of love for us, for without these things we would never have been born. A few of them might not have been, and we might still be; but if more than a few had not been, or even one of the greater among them, or even one of those among them more proximate to the circumstances of our birth, then we would certainly never have been born. Others might have lived in our place, lived even lives filled with goodness and beauty and truth, such as we ourselves have never known - yet we would never have been born, and that goodness and beauty and truth that has become ours through our knowing it, would not be either. Therefore, loving us, each and every one of us, with her perfect love, she brings into being all the evil and ugliness and falsehood of history, so that we shall be, and know and love the goodness and beauty and truth which is given to us to be ours. Article 13 BLISS Maratrea is perfect in her bliss, her happiness. She knows all the torments, the tragedies, the outrages of history; she knows them perfectly well, in her perfect memory, for she can remember herself doing them and having them done to her. Yet none of this impairs her perfect bliss, for she knows also all the joys, all the pleasures, all the love and happiness and ecstasy, that ever was or ever shall be; and the joys outweigh the woes, the goods outweighs the evil, the beauties shine brightly among the ugliness, and blind us to that ugliness. We see not these things, seeing only our part and parcel; but she, seeing all, she sees them clearly. And in the end, we shall know the very same bliss which she herself knows, in becoming one with her. Article 14 SHE WHO REMAINS, DIVIDES AND RETURNS In the beginning and end, She alone was, in the perfect happiness of the glory of her own being, and her love for her own self - the Great Sabbath. How long did this endure? Not even she knows its precise duration, and what she knows not, no one knows, and is not to know. Yet amidst this great and perduring bliss, she decided to bring it to an end, an end but to begin again, and to become once more the many worlds. Therefore there CTCV 330/332

arose in her the intention, to divide into two: one to be emptied of her divine glory and be divided to become the many souls of the many worlds, the other to remain in the fullness of that glory. And from this intention to divide, the division was effected; for in the moment of first division, one soul thought "I am she who shall become the many worlds", and the other thought "I am she who shall remain in the fullness of my divine glory". Thus the one single Maratrea had now become two Maratreas, She Who Divides and She Who Remains. And as they had known their love for their own self in their perfect loneliness, now they knew their love for one another in perfect togetherness - the Earlier Lesser Sabbath. Then they decided together to bring the many worlds into being; and She Who Remains emptied She Who Divides of all her divine glory, of her perfect knowledge, power, will, bliss and love; and She Who Divides consented, freely and willingly, to being emptied of all these things; thus She Who Divides became utterly empty, and ready to be filled. Then She Who Remains divided the now emptied She Who Divides, to become the many souls of the many worlds - and this is second division. But as she divided them, so shall she lead them in the end to unity once more; and by successive mergers the vast multitude of souls shall become ever fewer, until upon the penultimate merger being attained, there shall be only two souls once more - She Who Remained and She Who Returns. And great shall be their bliss and joy in knowing one another, for in the penultimate merger She Who Returns will have regained all the divine attributes she had freely given up. And upon the completion of the Later Lesser Sabbath, these two shall become one in the final merger - then the Great Sabbath shall begin once more. Article 15 BLESSING For the sake of the blessed ones She creates the world, the blessed ones, whose lives are perfect in every way. She longs for all to say Yes to the world, and to all that is, as she herself says Yes; but she wants us to say Yes authentically. And the blessed ones alone, have the power to give an authentic Yes, for they alone is their every true desire fulfilled. Though we, lacking blessing, may say Yes, our Yes is without benefit, for it is untruthful to our own hearts. The blessed ones are few, and hidden; to us, their blessing is invisible; for it may be known only by they themselves, and by those other blessed ones with whom their blessing is shared. Article 16 UNIVERSES A universe is naught but a grouping of souls, who are connected through experiencing together, through their experiences being correlated. Just as souls may merge and divide, so too may universes; and whenever a universe divides, so divides all the souls within it. Two universes, exactly the same up to a certain time, and then thereafter differing - this is the division of universes. And the many universes divide and divide again, from their root in the one original universe; thus the tree of universes is constructed. But when those in one universe are granted knowledge and conversation with those in other, those two universes merge once more. There is not one universe, but rather many; for She is not a Mother restrained in her fertility. Yet neither all that might be is, for the actual is by necessity smaller than the possible; the possible a finitude, the actual a yet smaller finitude, yet still vastly greater than unity. And somewhere, somewhen, in every universe, a blessed one, for whose sake and for whose sake alone that universe has been brought into being. Article 17 PROMISE But what of we who herenow lack the blessing - what is our consolation? Does she love us not, or love us less, we whom she has not blessed? By no means! For she loves us all CTCV 331/332

so much, that to every one of us she grants us every blessing, if not herenow, then elsewhere and elsewhen; if not in these here branches, then in some other. And after death, she grants us all, knowledge of those other branches in which we are blessed, knowledge so intimate, that we shall near entirely forget, that we were ever in any other. For whatever any of her children truly desires, she grants to them; yet their being room not enough in one universe, for all who so wish to receive, therefore she creates many, and all are blessed in one of them. Though we may say not the Yes of the blessing, we may say the Yes of faith in the blessing to come. Article 18 SEDUCTION For she does all these things, to seduce us to return to our original unity with her. She became the world in order that the world would become her once more. And so great is her wisdom, that she knows for each of us the price we shall demand, in the depth of our hearts, to so return; and that price she shall pay to us. And we shall return, not all at once, but through mergers upon mergers - for she knows, that though we might say to many mergers, for all there is another soul to which they would in the end say, Yes; and if that soul not be, she shall bring it into being. Article 19 THE CAUSE But what for us, who are not herenow blessed, what shall we do save await death? For us, if we are willing, she has now appointed her Great Cause, that we may serve - her Cause to bring about the final end to the many worlds; for all things must end to begin again. For there are many ways a world may appear to end, but only one way that a world may end truly. For though in some great disaster a world may end, and be snuffed out in yet a moment, yet those souls who dwelt therein will be filled with longings as yet unfulfilled; therefore she shall grant these another branch for that worlds continuation; therefore, even though it may appear to end, it shall not truly end indeed. But those who lead a world to its willing end, when it ends with all longings fulfilled, that end shall be truly final. And therefore she sends forth her Cause, to through bestowing knowledge and wisdom, bring about such a final end in every world; that all may end but to begin again. Article 20 ENLIGHTENMENT And this wisdom which her Great Cause bestows, which she has bestowed upon them that they may bestow it in turn, this is the Great Enlightenment, the readiness of the soul for the final end. And when the Great Enlightenment has conquered the world, then the world itself shall be vanquished.

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