The Kolbrin E-Book

Unknown

• Herausgeber: tredition
• Kategorie: Religion und Spiritualität
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2022

Seitenzahl: 852

Beschreibung

The Kolbrin - Unknown - The Kolbrin is a collection of ancient manuscripts said to have been salvaged from the Glastonbury Abbey arson in 1184. It is considered part of the Apocrypha by some, while others place it into the category of Modern pseudepigrapha. Unfortunately, the Kolbrin Bible has no authority beyond that claimed by its original publishers. On the Web there is no reference to "The Kolbrin" or "The Bronzebook" other than by the publishers; the official Glastonbury Website makes no mention of this "book" - and does not even mention the possibility of arson in the 12th century fire which supposedly was intended to destroy it. It is therefore probable that "The Kolbrin" is a literary hoax, albeit brilliantly conceived and very well written.

Leseprobe

Unknown

The Kolbrin

Dedication

This work is dedicated to the men and women who serve their God by activating the good resident in their hearts.

To the promotion of the ideal of true love and the consolidation of families through the fostering of family ethics and traditional moral values.

To the furtherance of all things conducive to the betterment of individuals and the advancement of humankind.

To the enhancement of the spirit of goodwill inherent in the human race and the preservation of all the qualities from the past which continue to serve the Cause of Good.

To this end, the sincere efforts of the Publishers and Distributors, and all profits from this book, are dedicated.

Foreward

What is presented in this book is a reproduction of one of several versions which have existed in similar form since World War II, first in handwritten form and then in typewritten. What is given here was never intended for multiple or commercial circulation, and there are valid reasons derived from experience why this should be so. However, believing it to be in the public interest, it has lately been decided that it should be made available now, subject to explicit conditions. As far as is known it faithfully follows the authenticated copy of a handwritten version reproduced early in this century. This was resurrected in a very dilapidated condition, but has been transcribed fully as found.

Undoubtedly, in transmission some personal colourations may have crept in, but the whole, as it stands now, with its imperfections, is, nevertheless, a reliable and validated medium for bringing a body of spiritual truths into concrete being. It is the spirit behind the facade that is the all important factor.

The value of what has been salvaged and preserved here is not for the present compilers to determine, research or edit. Their obligation is seen as being true recorders of what is there, others better able may assess its worth.

It is known, however, that some items, which at their face value and in their context seem of little import, contain within themselves something of intrinsic value to the spiritually aware. There are hidden depths which superficial reading will not reveal.

The Kolbrin is tendered for acceptance at its face value or, more importantly, for its content of spiritual truths which, in any religion, are presented in a form peculiar to particular faiths. It is the degree of spiritual content expressed in any religion which establishes its status on the scale of human spirituality. The lifestyle of its adherents, their accepted precepts and practices, their moral standards, ethics and social concern are what determines the worth of any spiritual philosophy.

There have been and may still be, associations of people who accepted the Kolbrin as the pivot point of their lives, and it is noteworthy, from what is known, that their lifestyle and the quality of their lives were enhanced through doing so. People who conduct their lives according to the precepts of the Kolbrin, in association with others of like mind, will know just where they stand in relation to these others. Relationships established among people who are committed to such precepts, whatever their religious inclinations, are far more firmly founded than others which are based on philosophies established on patronizing doctrines derived from cheap products obtained from the spiritual supermarket.

One difficulty has been the fact that the guardians of the Kolbrin have never been literary folk but simple craftsmen and people far removed from the scholastic and even commercial world. Although it formulates a distinctive spiritual philosophy, this book is not claimed to be anything other than a transmitter of ageless wisdom. It serves the common cause, the common good and the common man through presentation in a particular form.

The earlier preservation and subsequent compilation of the Kolbrin was the outcome of independent individual efforts. No one can claim authorship and the present reconstructors who have compiled the book in its present form are no more than transmitters who accept in good faith what has been passed on to them.

Sufficient funds have been received to ensure the production of the Kolbrin and its subsequent continuance. It is incumbent on the compilers to ensure the conservation of these funds and to take adequate steps to entrust them. Irrespective of origins or contributors, the Kolbrin as a whole and in its present form has been adequately validated and endorsed by Higher Authorities as being a body of wisdom conducive to spiritual enlightenment.

It embodies essential spiritual truths irrespective of the manner of presentation. If there are a few extraneous items they are not such as to affect the intrinsic value of the whole.

Ethically the Kolbrin holds its own with any other body of literature and it is now offered to persons or groups seeking a philosophical focal point. This book enters the arena of life at a crucial stage in humanity's progress towards its destiny, at a time when the average family is becoming dysfunctional; when traditional values and standards, the concept of true love and the development of spirituality are under siege. These are the days of decision, when humankind stands at the crossroad. The Kolbrin will prove a worthy companion to those who choose to follow the more inspiring and virile road leading to ultimate enlightenment in the realms of truth and reality.

May the God of Your Heart be with you along the way.

Introduction

The Kolbrin, in its present production, incorporates a body of enlightened teachings which are the treasure of the centuries, a light on the path of Truth, and as applicable to the world today as they were in the past. There has, however, been a considerable amount of reconstruction, as the original writings survived only precariously.

Most of what is presented here was actually salvaged from a pile of discarded manuscripts and was partially burned and damaged by the weather before being reconstructed into a manuscript from which this is rewritten. Undoubtedly, additional material has been incorporated with good intent, to fill gaps and elaborate on the original. Something may have been lost in the modernization of various parts. The important point, however, is that this is not intended to be a historical record, an intellectual work or literary effort, it falls short of these and is rather a coherent and consistent body of spiritual teachings. It is on this aspect alone that it stands or falls. The spiritual truths presented here are all that matters, the rest can be regarded as an embellishment, a vehicle for presentation and conveyance.

The message conveyed, whatever its form of presentation, is always the essential core, and ethically, morally and spiritually the Kolbrin concedes nothing to other works of a like nature. It should be seen as an inspirational work, the substance of which can be accepted with confidence and trust.

While great care was exercised in the past, to ensure that these transcriptions would be transmitted through the centuries in a form as unadulterated and unaltered as possible, little is known about the actual persons or body of people concerned. From what is known, the name 'Kolbrin' was originally applied to a collection of manuscripts which were salvaged from Glastonbury Abbey at the time of its burning. The fire, which was arson, was intended to destroy those manuscripts, but they were secretly housed otherwise than in the scriptorium and library at the time of the fire. In any event, it was believed that these 'heretical works' were destroyed, and as it happened the fire proved to be a good cover for their preservation.

Some of the manuscripts were transcribed, at some time, on to thin metal plates and, collectively, these were known as 'The Bronzebook of Britain'. This designation was carried forward when they were written out in book STITCH from in the seventeenth century. The subject matter was then divided into chapters and the paragraphs were numbered. The whole was modernized in the latter part of the nineteenth or early part of the twentieth century. Incorporated in the modern Kolbrin are manuscripts which were traditionally clamed to have been copied from salvaged manuscripts which were not transcribed on to metal plates and formed a work known as 'The Coelbook'.

During the second and third decades of this century these books were in possession of a religious group in England which was never very powerful, because requirements for membership were too restrictive. It would seem that throughout history the Kolbrin has always been on the brink of extinction, yet it has survived, safeguarded by a few who barely knew what it was all about, who were neither intellectual nor wealthy and for whom the practicalities of life took precedence.

Originally, there were twenty-one books, which were said to be twelve books of Britain, eight books of Egypt and one of the Trojans, but of their names there is little certainty. Only a portion of these books remains and it seems that much of historical nature has been trimmed away.

It is known that at the beginning of the fourteenth century there was a settled community in Scotland under the leadership of one John Culdy. The old Culdians, who were guardians of what they called 'The Treasures of Britain', were never numerous and loosely organized, membership being maintained by itinerant smiths and other craftsmen. They seem to have previously been loosely known as 'Koferils'. The Kolbrin makes mention of 'Wise Strangers' and there is a tradition to the effect that these were the original Culdians (Kailedy). There are other explanations, but the writer is in no position to express any positive or worthwhile opinion. Does it really matter anyway? We are told that the Ferilmaster (a word of uncertain meaning) was Nathaniel Smith, martyred in the beginning of the seventeenth century. This appears to mark the end of the Old Culdians as a coherent body, but steps were taken to preserve the Kolbrin. For a long time it was buried or otherwise hidden, but some time during the early part of the last century, copies were written out in 'biblical English' and two of the books were in existence just before the first World War. Since then the various books of the Kolbrin have suffered many vicissitudes and what remains is only part of the original.

During the last world war the old books were thrown out as 'worthless junk', saved and again discarded as 'heathen works of the Devil', but luckily, again salvaged before irreparable damage was done. It has not been easy to reconstitute them, even with the assistance of a more knowledgeable co-worker who filled in a few gaps with compatible references to modern works.

No doubt, in its present form the Kolbrin leaves much to be desired. The contents could perhaps have been condensed and much irrelevant matter deleted, but the compiler considered it his prime duty to preserve and retain every possible fragment and leave it to others better qualified to sift, revise and condense.

Obviously, some of the proper names are spelled wrongly, and some of the original correct ones may have been replaced by others, for it seems that in the past there was a biased selection of material to be included. No claim is made regarding historical accuracy, for the compiler is totally unqualified to voice any opinion in this respect; but, as stated before this is not an historical work but the corpus of a doctrine and way of life.

Whose hands originally wrote its many parts is unimportant and it is even less important to know who transcribed it later, though some details appear in the modern section. The phraseology may be cumbersome and even ungrammatical, because of the manner in which the biblical form of English has been modernized by one who has no scholarly pretensions whatsoever. It may be argued that this work should have been presented in its archaic form, to preserve its authenticity, but the compiler disagrees, and we concur. The criterion by which any literary work should be judged is its message and intent, not its format. The words, of themselves, are sterile, it is the spirit of the whole that give the Kolbrin meaning and life. What is presented here is an attempt to pass on, as near as possible in its original form, with all its defects and shortcomings in style and presentation, something which will be of benefit to all. The original writers attempted to make words convey something beyond inherent meaning, they endeavoured to build an edifice of glory out of common clay.

The importance of what is given here lies in what is projected out of the past into the present lamentable spiritual vacuum; in the help it can offer to the ordinary man and woman, not in what it offers to the literary world. On this basis alone these writings must stand to be judged. The worth of any knowledge is in its value here and now, in present day circumstances. We know, from the later books of the Kolbrin, that for centuries its contents had to be kept secret because they may have been misunderstood or found unacceptable. Perhaps they will fare better now.

This book is resurrected with the sole intent of ranging it alongside the Forces of Good. Its publication will undoubtedly be difficult, for such a work can scarcely be deemed to have popular appeal. It deals with goodness and virtue, courage and mortality, with spiritual ideals and human aspirations, all unpopular and despised fare in these the Days of Decision. It seeks to enshrine love in a place beyond clamour and craving of the mortal flesh, and this alone may be sufficient to call down derision upon it. The same effort as was put in the piecing together and reconstruction of the Kolbrin, put into a book pandering to the moral weaknesses of society and exploiting the jaded, degenerate appetites of modern life, would undoubtedly prove more popular. But can it be said, even in these morally unwholesome times, that the value of a publication depends solely on its popular appeal?

In the Kolbrin, the Masters can record only the outcome of their own searching. They found assurance but cannot convey it directly to others. If others want it they too must tread the path the Masters trod, a long weary road not for the faint-hearted. The first step along that road is the study of the moral code and standard of conduct required. The next step is to put these into practice, making them the rule of life. They are the disciplines which enabled the truly enlightened ones of the past to awaken inner perception and make direct contact with The Universal Source of Truth. Only by following in their steps can anyone be assured of a path certain of reaching the desired goal.

Originally, the Kolbrin was in two parts, 'The Open Book' and 'The Closed Book', the latter being more properly called 'The Great Book of Eternity', the former being "The Great Book of life". What is presented here is "The Open Book". Actually, this book contains nothing not already known, for mankind has never been without guidance. Truth and wisdom can be no one's monopoly, therefore many things expressed therein are to be found elsewhere.

Superficially the Kolbrin may appear to be just a jumbled collection of maxims and old stories, some incomplete, but to judge it from this standpoint is like analyzing the pigments of the paint in a painting and counting and classifying the brushmarks to discover what an artist wants to convey. To understand it fully one must stand off and view it as a whole, even then comprehension must flow from the heart and mind, not from the eyes.

A society progresses through social evolution, not revolution, but the woes displayed by present day society indicate that the evolutionary trend has taken a wrong direction. The standards of the past, formulated to stabilize society, have been spurned, without any adequate substitutes being put in their place. That is the tragedy of the times.

To get a more comprehensive view of where our society is heading, perhaps a better understanding of where we have been is needed. It is in this context that the Kolbrin is launched, to take its place in the greater scheme of things.

The Salutation Or Prologue To The Bronzebook

(Now incorporated in the Kolbrin)

Greetings, Unborn Ones, now asleep in the dark womb of the future. Greetings from we who were once as you are now and like whom you will one day be. We too hoped and feared, doubted and believed.

Were you choosing a gift from the past to the future, what would it be? The golden treasures hoarded by kings? The bright jewels beloved by queens? Is worldly wealth still so important to you? If that would be your choice above all else, we are disappointed, for our labours have been in vain.

Would you prefer the secret of life, of eternal youth? Have you altered so little from those who live and laugh today, with no thought turned towards the future? This thing which seems so desirable, were it yours would you value it? Would it never pall? Would you still be grateful for it after a thousand years have passed? The answer would be "yes" if this life were all, the beginning and end, complete in itself. But might not this life be no more than a prelude, an introduction to something infinitely greater? Is the riddle still unsolved, the secret of the ages still well kept, known only by a few, even when these words are read? How many generations have passed without progress? Does mankind still lie passive like driftwood upon the sea of spiritual apathy, driven back and forth by changeable winds and conflicting currents, making no headway?

Could we leave you the knowledge enabling you to live a life without toil, surrounded by every luxury and pleasure; a magic stone granting every desire, an all healing potion, the ability to fly or know all things on Earth, would any of these satisfy the desires of your heart and fulfil your dreams? We who lie so far back along the road trust you have progressed beyond such petty aspirations.

It is beyond our power to give such gifts, and were they ours to bestow we would withhold them, for unless a gift confers a benefit, it were better not given. With the wisdom of your generation, tell us, which of the things mentioned would really benefit you or even prove less bad than good? Or do you still remain unaware of your true nature and needs?

Who you are, how you speak and dress (are you even like us in form?) we cannot know or imagine. This alone we know as truth, you are brother beings of ours and travel the road we once trod. We share one destiny and have the same true goal, though perhaps no more know in your day what these are than do in ours. Like to us life comes to you unbidden, it is fraught with problems and difficulties; it alternates between light and shade, and like us you wonder what awaits at the end. You, too, are victims of Earth's delusions; you, too, find Truth and Perfection beyond your grasp and you, too, aspire to beauty and goodness. These things we know about you, these things must be or you would not exist.

Your needs are no different from ours, but do you now know with certainty what they are? Your life serves the same purpose, you are part of the same pattern, you are ruled by the same impulses and urges, but do you know why and to what end? We know you are without certainty and assurance about what lies beyond the veil of death, for these cannot be given while man remains no more than man, and doubtless like us you remain suspended between doubt and belief.

Our Unborn Friends, whatever your circumstances of life you are the children of the past and heirs of those who have lived and died. We trust you have no cause to reproach those who once held stewardship over your estate. But whatever you think of the heritage, you cannot put it aside, any more than you can refuse the obligations of life. Maybe it brings you the happiness and security, the peace and plenty we never knew. If so, this will remain unread, for to you it would be a wilderness of words serving no purpose. If you have so much, if you have progressed so far, nothing we could give would be of benefit. To the traveler, information about the road behind is worthless. If this is your state we hail you, we are proud of you, our worthy children of light, conceived in the long dark years wherein we laboured and ploughed our own short furrow. You have done well and our greatest joy would be to stand beside you as you exaltingly reach out for the crowning glory of godhood.

But you may be no more enlightened than we, in which case accept our offering as a token of our regret, our desire to make amends on behalf of those who preceded you, for if you remain lost in spiritual darkness the blame is theirs and not yours.

This we give you, The Hidden Books containing the accumulated harvest of wisdom and Truth garnered over the generations, the bread and oil which sustained us and never diminished. May they serve you in your day as well as they served us. Above all, may you be sufficiently enlightened to receive them, for today we are persecuted because of our books, and most who treasured and guarded them are now dead. We can only consign these books to the ground and destiny, trusting they will be called forth at the proper time and in a receptive generation.

These books, which we hand into the keeping of time, were written under the authority of revelation and inspiration. Containing Truth, their message cannot be attacked by time, for Truth is an eternal youth.

We make no claim to exact and accurate statements beyond the possibility of error and misinterpretation, for words are frail messengers. They are fallible things unable to transmit accurately from mind to mind. Also, we cannot tell how they who resurrect the books will deal with the contents. They are written in letters known to the learned, but learning changes with the generations. These books are the glorious embodiment of Eternal Truth, but the words and expressions are unworthy garments so that misconception and misunderstanding are not possible. Words are servants of the fallible mortal sphere and when called upon to serve a realm of greater things prove inadequate. Therefore, be not like some petty-minded ones of our generation who say, "The letters are misplaced and the words ill used." They examine each blade of grass diligently, but fail to discover the purpose of the meadow. Such men lack insight and seeing only the bare letters say, "These tell me all, there is nothing more". We have a saying, "do not judge a place of instruction by its bricks". Wisdom, being eternal, doubtless this will apply no less in your generation.

So, Unborn Unknowable Ones, we humbly tender this, the gift of the past which we could not pass on otherwise. If you have advanced far along the road towards greatness, it will have no value; but if you still dally or have wandered away, lost in the illusive mists of worldliness and none answers your cries, then take this hand extending out of the past. It will guide you faithfully and well.

Down through the generations men have been persecuted, have suffered and died so that Truth and Goodness might prevail, remember them. If the world is good, then your peace and pleasures have been brought by their sacrifices. If it is not, then you must not quibble over the cost to yourselves in making it good. Surely no torments and terrors in your days could exceed those of the past!

Farewell, Unborn Ones, with these few words we have reached from the day of the present into the night of the future. We have planted the seed, will it grow or rot in the ground? What crop will it produce? We cannot know. Let fate deal with it as it will, we have gathered the seed, flailed and winnowed it and kept it with every care.

We have planted well, we can do no more.

May life deal better with you than with us. May you never be denied the comforting hand of hope. Farewell!

THE BOOK OF CREATION

Extracted From The Great Book Of The Sons of Fire

(An account of the beginning of things and why they are as we find them)

Chapter One. Creation

Mortal knowledge is circumscribed by mortal ignorance, and mortal comprehension is circumscribed by spiritual reality. It is unwise for mortal man to attempt the understanding of that which is beyond his conception, for there lies the road to disbelief and madness. Yet man is man and ever fated to reach out beyond himself, striving to attain things which always just elude his grasp. So in his frustration he replaces the dimly seen incomprehensible with things within his understanding. If these things but poorly reflect reality, then is not the reflection of reality, distorted though it may be, of greater value than no reflection at all?

There are no true beginnings on Earth, for here all is effect, the ultimate cause being elsewhere. For who among men can say which came first, the seed or the plant? Yet in truth it is neither, for something neither seed nor plant preceded both, and that thing was also preceded by something else. Always there are ancestors back to the beginning, and back beyond to there is only God. This, then, is how these things were told in The Great Book of The Sons of Fire.

Before the beginning there was only one consciousness, that of The Eternal One whose nature cannot be expressed in words. It was The One Sole Spirit, The Self Generator which cannot diminish. The Unknown, Unknowable One brooding solitary in profound pregnant silence.

The name which is uttered cannot be that of this Great Being who, remaining nameless, is the beginning and the end, beyond time, beyond the reach of mortals, and we in our simplicity call it God.

He who preceded all existed alone in His strange abode of uncreated light, which remains ever unextinguishable, and no understandable eye can ever behold it. The pulsating draughts of the eternal life light in His keeping were not yet loosed. He knew Himself alone, He was uncontrasted, unable to manifest in nothingness, for all within His Being was unexpressed potential. The Great Circles of Eternity were yet to be spun out, to be thrown forth as the endless ages of existence in substance. They were to begin with God and return to Him completed in infinite variety and expression.

Earth was not yet in existence, there were no winds with the sky above them; high mountains were not raised, nor was the great river in its place. All was formless, without movement, calm, silent, void and dark. No name had been named and no destinies foreshadowed.

Eternal rest is intolerable, and unmanifested potential is frustration. Into the solitude of timelessness can Divine Loneliness and from this arose the desire to create, that He might know and express Himself, and this generated the Love of God. He took thought and brought into being within Himself the Universal Womb of Creation containing the everlasting essence of slumbering spirit.

The essence was quickened by a ripple from the mind of God and a creative thought was projected. This generated power which produced light, and this formed a substance like unto a mist of invisible dust. It divided into two forms of energy through being impregnated with The Spirit of God and, quickening the chaos of the void within the Universal Womb, became spun out into whirlpools of substance. From this activity, as sparks from a fire, came an infinite variety of spirit minds, each having creative powers within itself.

The activating word was spoken, its echoes vibrate still, and there was a stirring movement which caused instability. A command was given and this became the Everlasting Law. Henceforth, activity was controlled in harmonious rhythm and the initial inertia was overcome. The Law divided the materializing chaos from God and then established the boundaries of the Eternal Spheres.

Time no longer slept on the bosom of God, for now there was change where before all had been unchanging, and change is time. Now within the Universal Womb was heat, substance and life, and encompassing it was the Word which is the Law.

The command was given, "Let the smallest of things form the greatest and that which lives but a flash form everlastingness." Thus the universe came into being as a condensation of God's thought, and as it did so it obscured Him from all enclosed within His solidifying creation. Henceforth, God was hidden, for He has always remained dimly reflected in His creation. He became veiled from all that came forth from Him. Creation does not explain itself, under the Law it cannot do so, its secrets have to be unraveled by the created.

All things are by nature finite, they have a beginning, a middle and an end. An unaccomplishable purpose would be eternal frustration and therefore, the universe being created purposefully it must have an objective. If it ended without anything else following, then the God existing must slumber indifferent to its activities. But He has made it a living work of greatness operating under the changeless Law.

The creating word had been spoken, now there was another command and the power going forth smote the sun so its face was lit, and it shone with a great radiance pouring warmth and light upon its sister Earth. Henceforth she would live within the protection of her brother's household, rejoicing in his benevolence and strength.

The waters upon the bosom of Earth were gathered together and dry land appeared. When the covering of water was rolled back the body of Earth was unstable, damp and yielding. The face of the sun shone down kindly upon his sister and the dry land of her body became very hard, humidity and dampness were taken away. He gave her a garment of fleece and a veil of fine linen, that she might clothe her body with modesty.

From the Great Womb had sprung the Spirit of Life and it was rampant in the Heavens. It gazed upon Earth and saw her fairness, and was filled with desire, and came out of the heavenly spaces to possess her. It came not peacefully as a lover, but tempestuously as a ravager. Its breath howled along her corridors and raged among her mountain tops, but it did not discover the dwelling place of her Spirit. She had withdrawn, as a woman withdraws before force, for modesty must not be outraged in submission. Yet she desired its embrace, for among all the Radiant Company she was honoured.

The sun saw her perplexity and he wrestled with the Spirit of Life and overcame it. When it was subdued and the primal struggle had ceased, it was delivered by the sun to his sister. It was chastened and quietened and in silence brooded over Earth's waters, and she was stirred in response. Mud eggs of life potential were formed in swamps, at the meeting places of land and two waters. The sun gave quickening heat and life crawled forth upon the bosom of the Earth.

The land dust brought forth the male and the dark water mist the female, and they united and multiplied. The first brought forth the second and the two produced the third. Earth was no longer virgin and the Spirit of Life grew old and departed. Earth was left garbed in the matron's mantle of green, herbage covered the face of the land.

The waters brought forth fishes and creatures which move about and twist themselves and wriggle in the waters, the serpents and the beasts of terrible aspect which were of yore, and reptiles which creep and crawl. There were tall walking things and dragons in hideous form clothed with terror, whose great bones may still be seen.

Then came forth from the Womb of the Earth all the beasts of the field and forest. All the creatures of creation having blood in their bodies, and it was complete. Beasts roamed the dry land and fishes swam in the seas.

There were birds in the skies and worms within the soil.

There were great land masses and high mountains, wide barren places and heaving waters. Fertile greenness covered the land and abundant life swarmed in the seas, for now Earth throbbed with the energy of life.

Metals lay hidden in her rocks and precious stones within the soil. Gold and silver were scattered and secreted. There was copper for tools and forest of timber. There were swamps of reeds and stone for every purpose. Everything was prepared, everything was ready, and now Earth awaited the coming of man.

Chapter Two. The Birth Of Man

The love of God penetrated the third veil and became the Seed of Souls within the Soul Sea. The body of man God made of water and things of the Earth, breathing into him the Spirit of Life, that he might live. But man, when young, lived only to eat and drink and to fornicate, for, being conscious only of the Earth, he knew only earthly things and earthly ways.

Now the Spirit of God Moved over the face of the Earth, but was not of the Earth. It held all things and was in all things, but on Earth could not be apart from anything. Without substance it was awake, but entering substance it slept.

Consider that which was told by the servants of Eban, of Heavenman who once wandered the Earth, He had no earthly substance and could not grasp its fruits, for he had no hands. He could not drink its waters, for he had no mouth, nor could he feel the cool winds upon his skin. They tell how the ape tribe Selok, led by Heavenman, perished by flames before the Valley of Lod, Only one she-ape reaching the cave heights above.

When Heavenman was reborn of the she-ape in the cavern of Woe, could he taste the fruits of the Earth and drink of her waters, and feel the coolness of her winds? Did he not find life good? It is not all a tale of the courtyard!

Man, created from earthly substance alone, could not know things not of Earth, nor could Spirit alone subdue him. Had man not been created, who would have known God's wisdom and power? As the Spirit fills the body of man, so does God fill His creation.

Therefore, it was that God saw something had to be which joined Earth and Spirit and was both. In His wisdom and by the creative impulse which governs the Earth, He prepared a body for man, for the body of man is wholly of Earth.

Behold, the great day came when the Spirit, which is God, was joined with the beast, which is Earth. Then Earth writhed in the labour of travail. Her mountains rocked back and forth and her seas heaved up and down. Earth groaned in her lands and shrieked in her winds. She cried in the rivers and wept in her storms.

So man was born, born of upheaval and strife. He came wretchedly and tumultuously, the offspring of a distraught Earth. All was in discord, snow fell in the hot wastelands, ice covered the fertile plains, the forests became seas. Where once it was hot, now it was cold and where no rain had ever fallen, now there were floods. So man came forth, man the child of calamity, man the inheritor of creative struggle, man the battleground of extremes.

Earth nurtured man with cautious affection, weaning him in the recesses of her body. Then, when he was grown sufficiently to be lifted so he walked in the uprightness of God, she took him and raised him above all other creatures. She led him even into the presence of God and she laid him on His Great Altar.

A man imperfect, of earthly limitations, a thing unfinished, ungainly and unlearned, but proudly was He presented to Earth's Creator. Not her first-born was man, the son of Earth, the grandchild of God, man the heir of tribulation and the pupil of affliction.

God saw man, the offering of Earth to her Lord, unconscious on the High Altar, a sacrifice to Him and a dedication to the Spirit of Fate. Then from out of the unfathomable heights and from behind the impenetrable veil, God came down above the Altar and He breathed into man the breath of Eternal Life. Into his sleeping body God implanted a fragment of Himself, the Seed of a Soul and the Spark of Divinity, a man the mortal became man the heir of God and the inheritor of immortality. Henceforth he would have dominion over God's earthly estate, but he also had to unravel the Circles of Eternity, and his destiny was to be an everlasting seeking and striving.

Man slept, but God opened the Great Eye within him and man saw a vision of unsurpassed glory. He heard the voice of God saying, "O man, in your hand is now placed the tablet of your inheritance, and My seal is upon it. Know that all you desire within your heart may be yours, but first it is necessary that you be taught its value. Behold, the Earth is filled with things of usefulness, they are prepared to your hand for a purpose, but the task is upon you to seek them out and learn their use. This is the tuition for the management of your inheritance."

"What you know to be good, seek for and it shall be found. You may plumb the seas and pluck the stars. You may live in everlasting glory and savour eternal delights. Above and below and all about there is nothing beyond your reach; all, with one exception, is yours to attain". Then God laid His hand upon man, saying, "Now you are even as I, except you sleep there enclosed in matter in the Kingdom of Illusion, while I dwell here in the freedom of Reality and Truth. It is not for me to come down to you, but for you to reach out to Me."

Man then saw a vision of glory encompassing even the Spheres of Splendour. Unbounded wisdom filled his heart and he beheld beauty in perfection. The ultimates of Truth and Justice were unveiled before him. He became one with the profound peace of eternity and knew the joys of unceasing gladness.

The eternal ages of time unrolled as a scroll before his eyes, and he saw written thereon all that was to become and occur. The great vaults of Heaven were opened up unto him and he saw the everlasting fires and unconsumable powers that strove therein. He felt within himself the stirring of inexpressible love, and unlimited designs of grandeur filled his thoughts. His spirit ranged unhampered through all the spheres of existence. He was then even as God Himself, and he knew the secret of the Seven Spheres within Three Spheres.

Then God lifted His hand from man and man was alone. The great vision departed and he awoke, only a dim and elusive recollection, no more than the shadow of a dream remained. But deep within the sleeping Soul there was a spark of remembrance and it generated within man a restless longing for he knew not what. Henceforth, man was destined to wander discontented, seeking something he felt he knew but could not see, something which continually eluded him, perpetually goaded him, and forever tantalized him. Deep within himself man knew something greater than himself was always with him and part of him, spurring him on to greater deeds, greater thoughts, greater aspirations. It was something out beyond himself, scarcely realized and never found; something which told him that the radiance seen on the horizon but dimly reflected the hidden glory beyond it. Man awoke, the revelation and vision gone, only the grim reality of Earth's untamed vastness surrounded him. But when he arose and stepped down onto the bosom of his Mother Earth he was undaunted by the great powers that beset him or by the magnitude of the task ahead. Within his heart he knew destiny lay beyond the squalor of his environment, he stepped out nobly, gladly accepting the challenge.

He was now a new man, he was different. He looked above and saw glory in the Heavens. He saw beauty about him and he knew goodness and things not of the Earth. The vision of eternal values arose before his inner eye. His Spirit was responding to its environment, man was now man, truly man.

The nature of man on Earth was formed after the nature of things in Heaven, and man had all things contained as potential within himself, except divine life. But he was as yet an untrained, undisciplined child, still nurtured simply upon the comforting bosom of Earth.

Man grew in stature, but Earth was not indulgent, for she disciplined him firmly. She was ever strict and unyielding, chastening him often with blasts of displeasure. It was indeed the upbringing of one destined for greatness; he was made to suffer cold, that he might learn to clothe himself; sent into the barren places, that his limbs should be strengthened, and into forests, that his eye should become keen and his heart strong. He was perplexed with difficult problems and set the task of unraveling the illusions of Nature. He was beset with hardships of every description. He was tested with frustrations and tempted with allurements; never did Earth relax the vigilance of her supervision.

The child was raised sternly, for he needed the fortitude, courage and cunning of a man, to fit him for the task ahead. He grew wily and wiry in the hunt; he became adaptable, able to cope with any untoward happening. Overcoming the bewilderments of early days he found explanations for the perplexities of his surroundings. Yet the struggle for knowledge, the need for adaptation and the effort to survive were never relaxed. The Earthchild was well trained and disciplined, he was never unduly mollycoddled. He cried for bread and went hungry, he shivered and was cast out, he was sick and driven into the forest. Weary he was lashed with storms, thirsty he found the wasters dried up. When weak his burden was increased and in the midst of rejoicing he was struck down with sorrow. In moments of weakness he cried, "Enough!" and doubted his destiny; but always something fortified and encouraged him, the Earthling never forfeited his godlikeness.

For man was man, he was not cowed, nor his Spirit broken; a wise God knew his limitations. As it is written in the wisdom of men, 'over chastisement is as bad as no chastisement at all'. But man was rarely chastised, he was tried, tested and challenged; he was led, prodded and urged, yet nothing was done unneccessairily. The seeming imperfections of Earth, the hazards and inequalities of life, the cruelty, harshness and apparent indifference to suffering and affliction are not what they seem; as it is, Earth is perfect for its purpose. It is ignorance of that purpose which makes it appear imperfect.

Where is there a wiser father than the Spirit of God, or a better mother than Earth? What man is now he owes to these, may he learn to be duly grateful. Above all let him never forget the lessons learned in his upbringing.

Chapter Three. The Destruction And Re-Creation

It is known, and the story comes down from ancient times, that there was not one creation but two, a creation and a re-creation. It is a fact known to the wise that the Earth was utterly destroyed once then reborn on a second wheel of creation.

At the time of the great destruction of Earth, God caused a dragon from out of Heaven to come and encompass her about. The dragon was frightful to behold, it lashed its tail, it breathed out fire and hot coals, and a great catastrophe was inflicted upon mankind. The body of the dragon was wreathed in a cold bright light and beneath, on the belly, was a ruddy hued glow, while behind it trailed a flowing tail of smoke. It spewed out cinders and hot stones and its breath was foul and stenchful, poisoning the nostrils of men. Its passage caused great thunderings and lightnings to rend the thick darkened sky, all Heaven and Earth being made hot. The seas were loosened from their cradles and rose up, pouring across the land. There was an awful, shrilling trumpeting which outpowered even the howling of the unleashed winds.

Men, stricken with terror, went mad at the awful sight in the Heavens. They were loosed from their senses and dashed about, crazed, not knowing what they did. The breath was sucked from their bodies and they were burnt with a strange ash.

Then it passed, leaving Earth enwrapped within a dark and glowering mantle which was ruddily lit up inside.

The bowels of the Earth were torn open in great writhing upheavals and a howling whirlwind rent the mountains apart. The wrath of the sky-monster was loosed in the Heavens. It lashed about in flaming fury, roaring like a thousand thunders; it poured down fiery destruction amid a welter of thick black blood. So awesome was the fearfully aspected thing that the memory mercifully departed from man, his thoughts were smothered under a cloud of forgetfulness.

The Earth vomited forth great gusts of foul breath from awful mouths opening up in the midst of the land. The evil breath bit at the throat before it drove men mad and killed them. Those who did not die in this manner were smothered under a cloud of red dust and ashes, or were swallowed by the yawning mouths of Earth or crushed beneath crashing rocks.

The first sky-monster was joined by another which swallowed the tail of the one going before, but the two could not be seen at once. The sky-monster reigned and raged above Earth, doing battle to possess it, but the many bladed sword of God cut them in pieces, and their falling bodies enlarged the land and the sea.

In this manner the first Earth was destroyed by calamity descending from out of the skies. The vaults of Heaven had opened to bring forth monsters more fearsome than any that ever haunted the uneasy dreams of men.

Men and their dwelling places were gone, only sky boulders and red earth remained where once they were, but amidst all the desolation a few survived, for man is not easily destroyed. They crept out from caves and came down from the mountainsides. Their eyes were wild and their limbs trembled, their bodies shook and their tongues lacked control. Their faces were twisted and the skin hung loose on their bones. They were as maddened wild beasts driven into an enclosure before flames; they knew no law, being deprived of all the wisdom they once had and those who had guided them were gone.

The Earth, only true Altar of God, had offered up a sacrifice of life and sorrow to atone for the sins of mankind. Man had not sinned in deed but in the things he had failed to do. Man suffers not only for what he does but for what he fails to do. He is not chastised for making mistakes but for failing to recognize and rectify them.

Then the great canopy of dust and cloud which encompassed the Earth, enshrouding it in heavy darkness, was pierced by ruddy light, and the canopy swept down in great cloudbursts and raging storm waters. Cool moontears were shed for the distress of Earth and the woes of men.

When the light of the sun pierced the Earth's shroud, bathing the land in its revitalizing glory, the Earth again knew night and day, for there were now times of light and times of darkness. The smothering canopy rolled away and the vaults of Heaven became visible to man. The foul air was purified and new air clothed the reborn Earth, shielding her from the dark hostile void of Heaven.

The rainstorms ceased to beat upon the faces of the land and the waters stilled their turmoil. Earthquakes no longer tore the Earth open, nor was it burned and buried by hot rocks. The land masses were re-established in stability and solidity, standing firm in the midst of the surrounding waters. The oceans fell back to their assigned places and the land stood steady upon its foundations. The sun shone upon land and sea, and life was renewed upon the face of the Earth. Rain fell gently once more and clouds of fleece floated across dayskies.

The waters were purified, the sediment sank and life increased in abundance. Life was renewed, but it was different. Man survived, but he was not the same. The sun was not as it had been and a moon had been taken away. Man stood in the midst of renewal and regeneration. He looked up into the Heavens above in fear for the awful powers of destruction lurking there. Henceforth, the placid skies would hold a terrifying secret.

Man found the new Earth firm and the Heavens fixed. He rejoiced but also feared, for he lived in dread that the Heavens would again bring forth monsters and crash about him. When men came forth from their hiding places and refuges, the world their fathers had known was gone forever.

The face of the land was changed and Earth was littered with rocks and stones which had fallen when the structure of Heaven collapsed. One generation groped in the desolation and gloom, and as the thick darkness was dispelled its children believed they were witnessing a new creation.

Time passed, memory dimmed and the record of evens was no longer clear. Generation followed generation and as the ages unfolded, new tongues and new tales replaced the old.

Chapter Four. The Affliction Of God

This comes from the scroll of Kerobal Pakthermin who wrote, "The forbears of all the nations of man were once one people, and they were the elect of God who delivered all the Earth over to them, all the people, the beasts of the field, the creatures of the wasteland and the things that grow. They dwelt through long ages in lands of peace and plenty."

"There were some who struggled harder, were more disciplined; because their forefathers had crossed the great dark void, their desires were turned Godward and they were called The Children of God".

"Their country was undulating and forested. It was fertile, having many rivers and marshes. There were great mountains to the East and to the West, and in the North was a vast stony plain."

"Then came the day when all things became still and apprehensive, for God caused a sign to appear in the Heavens, so that men should know the Earth would be afflicted, and the sign was a strange star".

"The star grew and waxed to a great brightness and was awesome to behold. It put forth horns and sang, being unlike any other ever seen. So men , seeing it, said among themselves, 'Surely, this is God appearing in the Heavens above us'. The star was not God, though it was directed by His design, but the people had not the wisdom to understand'.

"Then God manifested Himself in the Heavens. His voice was as the roll of thunders and He was clothed with smoke and fire. He carried lightings in His hand and His breath, falling upon the Earth, brought forth brimstone and embers. His eye was a black void and His mouth an abyss containing the winds of Destruction. He encircled the whole of the Heavens, bearing upon His back a black robe adorned with stars".

"Such was the likeness and manifestation of God in those days. Awesome was His countenance, terrible His voice of wrath, the sun and moon hid themselves in fear and there was a heavy darkness over the face of the Earth".

"God passed through the spaces of the Heavens above with a mighty roar and a loud trumpeting. Then came the grim dead silence and black red lit twilight of doom. Great fires and smoke rose up from the ground and men gasped for air. The land was rent asunder and swept clean by a mighty deluge of waters. A hole opened up in the middle of the land, the waters entered and it sank beneath the seas".

"The mountains of the East and West were split apart and stood up in the midst of the waters which raged about. The Northland tilted and turned over on its side".

"Then again the tumult and clamour ceased and all was silent. In the quiet stillness madness broke out among men, frenzy and shouting filled the air. They fell upon one another in senseless wanton bloodshed; neither did they spare woman or child, for they knew not what they did. They ran unseeing, dashing themselves to destruction. They fled to caves and were buried and, taking refuge in trees, they were hung. There was rape, murder and violence of every kind".

"The deluge of waters swept back and the land was purged clean. Rain beat down unceasingly and there were great winds. The surging waters overwhelmed the land and man, his flocks and his gardens and all his works ceased to exist.".

"Some of the people were saved upon the mountainsides and upon the flotsam, but they were scattered far apart over the face of the Earth. They fought for survival in the lands of uncouth people. Amid coldness they survived in caves and sheltered places".

"The Land of the Little People and the Land of Giants, the Land of the Neckless Ones and the Land of Marshes and Mists, the Lands of the East and West were all inundated. The Mountain Land and the Lands of the South, where there is gold and great beasts, were not covered by the waters".

"Men were distracted and in despair. They rejected the Unseen God behind all things for something which they had seen and known by its manifestation. They were less than children in those days and could not know that God had afflicted the Earth in understanding and not willfully, for the sake of man and the correction of his ways".

"The Earth is not for the pleasure of man, but is a place of instruction for his Soul. A man more readily feels the stirrings of his Spirit in the face of disaster than in the lap of luxury. The tuition of the Soul is a long and arduous course of instruction and training".

"God is good and from good evil cannot come. He is perfect and perfection cannot produce imperfection. Only the limited understanding of man sees imperfection in that which is perfect for its purpose".

"This grievous affliction of man was another of his great tests. He failed and in so doing followed the paths of unnatural gods of his making. Man makes gods by naming them, but where in this is the benefit to him?"

"Evil comes in to the midst of mankind spawned by the fears and ignorance of men. An evil man becomes an evil spirit, and whatever evil there is on Earth comes either from the evil of spirits or the evil of men".

Chapter Five. In The Beginning

Now, the Children of God were moulded by the Hand of God which is called Awen, and it manifested according to their desires. For all things which have life are moulded by Awen. The fox, shivering in the coldlands, longs for warmth and so its cubs have warmer coats. The owl, clumsy in the dark, longs to see its prey more clearly, and in generations of longing the desire is granted. Awen makes everything what it is, for all things change under its law.

Men, too, are moulded by their desires, but unlike the beasts and birds their yearnings are circumscribed by the laws of fate and destiny and the law of sowing and reaping. These, the desires, modified by the laws, are called Enidvadew. Unlike the beasts and birds, this, in man, is something relating to him rather than to his offspring, though they are not untouched by it.

Destiny may be likened to a man who must travel to a distant city whether or not he wishes to make the journey, the destination being his destiny. He may choose whether to go by way of a river or by way of a plain; whether across mountains or through forests, on foot or horseback, slow or fast, and whatever befalls because of this decision is fate. If a tree falls on him because he chose the forest path, it was fated, for luck is an element of fate. Destiny leaves no choice, fate gives limited choice which may be good or bad, but it cannot be averted. What is fated must be, for at no point can there be any turning back.

The circumstances, Enidvadew, of the traveler conform to the law of sowing and reaping; he may travel in comfort or pain, happily or sorrowfully, with strength or weakness, heavily burdened or lightly burdened, well prepared or ill prepared. When the destination is set according to the degrees of a former life, then the circumstances of the journey should conform with the desire. For what use is it desiring a great destination when the law of sowing and reaping decrees that an intolerable burden must be carried on the way? Far better to have lesser aspirations. The decrees of fate are many, the decrees of destiny are few.

When the Earth was young and the race of man still as children, there were fertile green pastures in the lands where all is now sand and barren wasteland. In the midst of it was a gardenland which lay against the edge of the Earth, eastward and towards the sunrising, and it was called Meruah, meaning The Place of The Garden on the Plain. It lay at the foot of a mountain which was cleft at its rising, and out of it flowed the river of Tardana which watered the plain. From the mountain, on the other side, ran the river Kal which watered the plain through the land of Kaledan. The river Nara flowed westward and then turned back to flow around the gardenland.