The Golden Verses of Pythagoras — with commentary (1917)

Open the sacred books of the Chinese, the Burmans, Indians, and Persians, you will find there the unequivocal traces of this dogma. Here, it is Providence represented under the traits of a celestial virgin, who, sent by the Supreme Being, furnished arms to combat and to subjugate the genius of evil, and to bring to perfection everything that it had corrupted." There, it is the Universe itself and the Worlds which compose it, which are signalized as the instrument employed by this same Providence to attain this end. * Such was the secret doctrine of the mysteries." Good and

" Mem. concern, les Chin., t. i., p. 102 et 138.

t> Asiat. Research., vol. vi., p. 215. Voyez les Pouranas intitules, BhagavadVedam et Bhagavad-Gita, et conf^rez avec les Recherches asiaiiq., t. v., p. 350 et suit!., et avec Touvrage de Holwell (Interest. Hist. Events), ch. 4, § 5, etc.

« Cicer., cit6 par S. August., Contr. Pelag., 1. iv. ; Pindar, Olymp., ii., v. 122.

238 The Golden Verses of Pythagoras

Evil were represented in the sanctuaries under the emblems of light and darkness: the formidable spectacle of the combat between these two opposed principles was given there to the initiate; and after many scenes of terror, the most obscure night was insensibly succeeded by the purest and most brilliant day." It was exactly this that Zoroaster had publicly taught.

Ormuzd [said this theosophist] knew by his sovereign science that at first he could in no way influence Ahriman; but that afterwards he united with him and that at last he finished by subjugating him and changing him to such a degree that the Universe existed without evil for a duration of centuries.* When the end of the world comes [he said in another place] the wickedest of the infernal spirits will be pure, excellent, celestial: yes [he adds], he will beconie celestial, this liar, this evil doer; he will become holy, celestial, excellent, this cruel one: vice itself, breathing only virtue, will make long offerings of praise to Ormuzd before all the world.'

These words are the more remarkable when one considers that the dogma relating to the downfall of the rebeUious angel has passed from the cosmogony of the Parsees into that of the Hebrews, and that it is upon this dogma alone, imperfectly interpreted by the vulgar, that the contradictory doctrine of the eternity of evil and the torments that follow it, have been founded. This doctrine, but little understood, has been sharply attacked."* Simon, very inappropriately surnamed the Magician, forced St. Peter himself, disputing with him, to acknowledge that the Hebraic writings had said nothing positive on this subject.' This is certain. These writings, interpreted as they have been by the Hellenic Jews and given out under the name of Version a Meurs., Eleus., c. n; Dion. Chrysost., Oral. 12.

* Boun-Dehesh, p. 347. <^ Vendidad-Sade, jfle hd.

<i Homil. Clement., xix., § 4, p. 744.

' Ibid., cit6 par Beausobre, Hist, du Manich., t. i., p. 38.

Examinations of the Golden Verses 239

of the Septuagint, shed no light upon this important point; but it is well to know that these interpreters have designedly concealed this light, in order not to divulge the meaning of their sacred book. If one understood thoroughly the language of Moses, one would see that, far from setting aside the theosophical traditions which he had received in Egypt, this theocratic legislator remained constantly faithful to them. The passage in his Sepher where he speaks of the annihilation of EvU, in the meaning of Zoroaster, is in chapter iii., v. 15, of the part vulgarly called Genesis, as I hope one day to show." But without entering at this time, into the discussion where the real translation of this passage would lead me, let it suffice to say that the early Christians were very far from admitting the eternity of evil ; for without speaking of Manes and his nvimerous followers who shared the opinion of Zoroaster,* those who are versed in these sorts of matters know that Origen taught that torments will not be eternal, and that demons, instructed by chastisement, will be converted at last and will obtain their pardon."- He was followed in this by a great number of learned men, by the evidence of Beausobre who quotes, on this subject, the example of a philosopher of Edessa, who maintained that after the consummation of the ages, all creatures would become consubstantial with God."*

One thing worthy of notice is that Zoroaster, who has made prayer one of the principal dogmas of his religion, has been imitated in this by Mohammed, who, unknowingly, perhaps, has borrowed a great number of things from this ancient legislator of the Parsees. It is presumable that the