1. Selections IX and X of the Chinese Scriptures are a brief summary of the teachings of Lao-Tsz, who lived in the sixth century before the Christian Era. His teachings were a summary of teachings handed down from the HwangTi Dynasty, about three thousand years earlier. Thus, among the oldest of all extant religious teachings are those of the Tao Religion-Religion of the Right Way. 2. Selections I to VI of the Jewish Scriptures are from the Book of Job, which seems to be a Hebrew version of an ancient Persian Story, in dramatic form, designed to illustrate the alternate experiences in every devout life of prosperity and adversity, joy and sorrow, hope and dejection, doubt and faithending in the sublime and permanent attitude of Trust expressed in the exclamation: "Though Thou slay me, yet will I trust in Thee." 3. The Christian Scriptures were written as Jewish-Reform Scriptures, and not till a century later were they called Christian. They are made up entirely of various versions and elaborations of the traditional deeds and doctrines of Joshua of Nazareth, who after his death began to be called Jesus, and a half-century later was proclaimed as the Chosen One or the Messiah, which in the Greek language is the Christ. The oldest of these Scriptures were written by Saul of Tarsus, later called Paul, who sent them as letters to various of his newly-gathered assemblies which afterwards were called churches. Except these letters, all the Christian Scriptures are anonymous, as are all others of the most valuable Sacred Scriptures of the World. The Selections are entirely from the Ethical and devotional portions of what is known as the New Testament. All biographical and historical portions are omitted as they are omitted, in like manner, from all the other Selections. 4. The Christian Scriptures contain no essentially new teachings and are on the Common Ethical and Devotional Basis of all the Sacred Scriptures of the World. Nevertheless, special prominence is given in the Christian Scriptures to the following conceptions: The Divine Parenthood, the Human Brotherhood, the Indwelling Holy Spirit, and the Eternal Hope-all of which are common teachings of the other Scriptures. 5. Each of the Great Religions of the World gave special prominence to some one conception which was deemed most important for the epoch and the people. Zoroaster's main word was RENUNCIATION, Manu's was JUSTICE, Confucius' was MODERATION, Gautama's was SELF-DENIAL, "TO WHICH OF THESE RELIGIONS DO YOU BELONG? TO ALL, We do not know, The harvest of the seed we sow- But every selfless deed shall grow To glorious fruitage-this we know- The masses of mankind, to date, are a transitional species between the obsolete animal and the actual man; not fallen, not degenerate, but man in the making the dough of Humanity, not the bread; something out of which a Human Race worthy of the name ultimately shall be produced. "That is not first that is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual." As wisely expect a parrot to sing or an ape to paint as the average human being, even at the present era, to apprehend the higher teachings of the Spirit. A landscape cannot be appreciated by a cow, nor a symphony by a horse, nor a sonnet by a dog-however docile and intelligent they may become; an invisible, untangible spiritualized Somewhat must be added. No more can an unspiritualized mind rightly appreciate any of the selections that follow in this volume-the Essence of the Spiritual Wisdom of all the Great Religions of the World. "An axiom is a self-evident truth"-but only to those who are thoughtful and rational. This book, called Sacred Scriptures of WorldReligion, is a book of Theological and Ethical Axioms-but only to those who are pure in heart and lofty in aspirations. Sensuous objects can be apprehended by the physical senses only. Mental verities can be apprehended by the intellectual faculties only. The higher realities called spiritual and ethical can be apprehended by corresponding capacities only. "The Eternal One is Spirit and they who apprehend Him must apprehend Him in spirit and in truth . . . Truly, truly ye must be born again of the Spirit . . Blessed are the pure in heart, for they see Him." "The natural man apprehendeth not the things of the Eternal One they are foolishness to him for they are spiritually discerned. All the great Religions of the World, however perverted and degraded in their popular interpretations, teach these identical truths as the only method of true Theology and of right Ethics. "Which has not taught weak wills how much they can? 'Thou must be born again!' EGYPTIAN SCRIPTURES GENERAL SELECTIONS JE-HOI: Heaven Parent, Father-Mother, Our Father, Our Mother. SELECTION I. I AM THAT I AM. I am that which has been, which is, and which will be. 2. The Universe cannot be comprehended. He who made it, has forbidden it. 3. What we say in secret is known to Him who made our interior nature. He who made us is present with us, though we are alone. It 4. Who can bless Thee, or give thanks for Thee or to Thee! How shall we revere Thee, O Father! is impossible to comprehend Thy hour, or Thy time. 5. Shall we love Thee as if we were something of ourselves, or as if we had anything of our own; or rather as if we belonged to another! 6. Thou art what we are; Thou art what we do; Thou art what we say. Thou art all things, and there is nothing which Thou art not. 7. Thou art all that is made, and all that is not made. 8. Thou art the Mind that understandeth all things; Thou art the Good that doeth all things; Thou art the Mother-Father who makest all things; Thou art what Thou art. 9. Of matter, the most subtle por tion is the air; of air, the most subtle part is the soul; of the soul the most subtle part is the mind; of the mind, the most subtle part is Our MotherFather. 10. What is truth, through us sings praises to the Truth. What is good, through us, sings praises to the Good. 11. O All! receive a rational homage from all things. Thou art the All who is in all. 12. Thy messenger, by the fire, by the air, by the earth, by the water, by the spirit, by all beings, proclaimeth these things concerning Thee. SELECTION II. THE Soul lives after the body dies. 2. Souls pass through the gate; and make a way in the darkness to the Parent Spirit. 3. They have pierced the heart of evil, to do the things of the Parent Spirit. They come as prepared souls. 4. They say: Hail, Thou SelfCreated! Do not turn us away. We are Thy types on earth. We have not privily done evil against any man; we have not been idle; we have not made any to weep; we have not murdered; we have not defrauded; we have not committed adultery; we have striven to be pure. 5. Then shall the Judge of the dead answer: Let these souls pass on; they are without sin; they live upon truth. 6. They made their delight in doing what is good to men, and what is pleasing to Me. They have given food to the hungry, drink to the thirsty, and clothes to the naked. Their lips are pure, and their hands are pure. Their hearts weigh right in the balance. They fought on earth the battle of the good, even as I, the Parent of the Invisible World, had commanded them. 7. O Protector of all who have brought their cry unto Thee, make it well with them in the World of Spirits. 8. They loved father and mother, and brethren; and never went from home in a bad temper. They never preferred the great man to him of low condition. They were wise. They were as a brother to great men, and as a father to the humble ones; and they never were mischief-makers. 9. Such as these shall find grace in the eyes of the Great MotherFather. They shall dwell in the | abodes of glory, where the heavenly life is led. The bodies which they have abandoned will repose for ever in their tombs, while they will enjoy the presence of the Great MotherFather. PERSIAN SCRIPTURES-GENERAL SELECTIONS ORO-MAS: Heaven Parent, Father-Mother, Our Father, Our Mother. SELECTION I. THE Heaven Parent is the Principle of Goodness and Truth; the Eternal Source of sunshine and light; the Centre of all that exists; the Creator of all things; the Sovereign Intelligence; the All-Seeing; the Just Judge, sitting on the throne of the good and the perfect in regions of pure light. 2. Worship, with humility and reverence, the Giver of Blessings, and the Parent of all Spirits in the Universe. He appears in the best thought, in the truest speech, in the sincerest action. He giveth health, prosperity, devotion, and eternity to the Universe. He is the Author of all Truth. 3. Think not that our fathers were worshippers of Fire. That element was merely an exalted object on the splendor of which they fixed their eyes. They humbled themselves before the Supreme One. If thy understanding be ever so little exerted, thou must acknowledge thy dependence on the Supremely Pure Being. is equal to a thousand years of man's. 5. O Thou whose light manifests itself in the vesture of the world! Thy names are manifested in the nature of man; Thy knowledge shows itself in the science of Thy prophets; Thy bounty is manifested in the bounty of great hearts. We recognize Thy mark in every place. The world is Thy image. 6. O Thou who existest from eter nity, and abidest for ever! sight cannot bear Thy light, praise cannot express Thy perfection. Thy light melts the understanding, and Thy glory baffles wisdom; to think of Thee bewilders reason; Thy essence confounds thought. Science is like blinding desert-sand on the road to Thy perfection. The town of literature is a mere hamlet compared with the world of Thy knowledge. Man's so-called foresight and guiding reason wander about bewildered in the streets of the city of Thy glory. Human thought and knowledge combined can only spell the first letter of Thy love. 4. Communicate to me the least name of the Eternal One, and I will 7. Praise be to Thee Amplest of return to thee His greatest. Every Stars! Revolving in abundant love day He is in action. One day of His and greatness! Abiding in the midst | |