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ROYAL BATTLE |
From a tenth century poem by Firdausi, author of the National Epic of Persia - the "Shah Nama", adapted by him from the sixth century Pahlavian "Khwatai-Namak".
In the beginning of the reign, the armies stand
before thee. Thine eyes shall see the Creator in His glory. Behold, He standeth
at the head of all His hosts; He shall cry, yea, He shall shout aloud; He shall
do mightily against His enemies. By the strength of His hand He shall bring down
to the dust the Destroyer and all those who follow him.
The Preserver doth stand at His left hand; the Creator looketh upon her
with favor.
Nigh unto them are the triangle of Love and the star of Work; at their
left and at their right the circle of Wisdom and the wheel of Eternal Life; and
at each end the square of Power and the crescent moon of Peace.
These are the sacred Cosmic forces and their ways are of mystery; their
secrets unfolded only to those who give their lives in order to Know.
Guarding the Holy symbols are the forces of Nature; though each may
venture forth only timidly at the outset of battle, their power is not lightly
to be judged, for in their hands is often the safety and welfare of the Cosmic
forces, and though their feet are straight feet, if it be their will to capture
the followers of the Destroyer, they may diverge to either flank. And should one
of their number reach the forbidden camp of the Destroyer, the haven of his
desire, lo! he skippeth as a hart! Then he is swifter than the eagles of heaven,
he hasteneth his steps, and doeth that in which his soul delighteth, even all
that the Preserver doeth.
Behold
the names of these Light Warriors of Nature and remember them well. the rays of
the Sun; the fish of Water; the bird of Air; the wheat-grain of Food; the figure
of Man; the earthworm of Earth; the tree of Health; and the flower of Joy.
Now let thy range of
vision be all-encompassing as I display before thee the marchings and
counter-marchings of this army, and I will explain in lucid words the marvelous
movements of these timeless warriors.
When the Creator
marcheth from place to place in His dominion, there is but one Law for Him,
whether His course be flank-wise or straight; all that He desireth He doeth; but
His heart is not ambitious to extend His range in battle, lest He should die in
the war. From His shielded fortress He guides the steps of His brave warriors,
for to Him they look ever for inspiration and fresh valor.
The wheel of Eternal
Life and the circle of Wisdom advance without divergence in oblique direction,
bent in their path on victory, and they turn not aside. Behold them rushing
forth, and whither they go, they work utter desolation to the army of the
Destroyer.
And the triangle of
Love and the star of Work set themselves in array at the gate. For these there
are no obstacles; it is given them that they may fly with wings over the enemy.
In glory they go forth, forward one pace, then oblique, in a sacred dance of
victory over death.
Before the square of
Power and the crescent moon of Peace lies a straight path, their movements being
the same on their four sides. They turn not when they go. They march along the
whole length of the path which is before them. Alone, each is formidable;
together, they are invincible. For when Power is tempered with Peace, it is
incorruptible; and when Peace has as its bulwark Power, it is imperishable.
Behold, I have laid before thee goodly words, to
teach thee to obey the commands of the Creator and his decree, whithersoever
they may reach thee. I have shown thee the laws of the contest, its genius, and
its principles, and there lacketh not one about whom I have not written.
Excepting that we have not yet
spoken of the Preserver. She sitteth at the top of the high places of the city.
She is clamorous and willful in her way. She girdeth her loins with strength.
Her feet abide not in her house. She moveth in all directions, and turneth about
her. Her evolutions are wonderful, her ardor untiring. How beautiful are her
steps across the plain!
And the Destroyer, clad in
black garments, draweth nigh unto the thick darkness where standeth the Spoiler.
Together they shall come out against the Holy Army with one movement and one
journey. If they be not cautious, as the one dieth, so dieth the other.
And now the Kings of Good and Evil intrigue against
each other, and pursue each other unto the death. The Destroyer is embarrassed
in the fight; and when he resteth in his place, a Warrior of the Creator may
command him to go forth from his boundary, lest he should smite him with
destruction. He may retreat in any direction; but if in striving to escape his
feet be caught in the snare set by the warriors that surround him, then is his
glory turned into destruction. And the Army of Death who are left after him are
as nothing; for of what account are they? In one moment they are subdued:
Darkness, Impure Water, Impure Air, Impure Food, Inferior Man, Barrenness,
Disease, Sadness, Weakness, Hatred, Ignorance, the Spoiler, Death, Idleness,
Violence; and their commander, the Destroyer, is brought low, he is thrust out,
he boweth down, and he falleth. The Creator who hath striven against him
bringeth him down from his greatness. And the Creator is left in glory and
majesty, and His Holy Warriors of Nature and the Cosmos sing a joyful hymn of
thanksgiving that the power of Light has overthrown
the Darkness.
Thus shall perish all the
enemies of the Creator, and they that seek His destruction; but they that love
Him shall be as the sun when he goeth forth in his glory.
The archeological reconstruction of the ancient Zarathustrian ceremony of the Creation of the Universe is an important part of International Biogenic Society Seminars. (above) Dr. Edmond Bordeaux Székely in 1967 at Mille Meditations, California. (below) Norma Nilsson Bordeaux Székely in 1980 at the I.B.S. International Center in Orosi, Costa Rica.