The Book of Origins

1. In the time before order, when the world was yet unbound by law, there existed two great seas: one in the far north and one in the far south. Between these waters dwelt gods who were kings, and their children who knew not subjugation. This is the wisdom passed down from time immemorial through a word eternal:

2. At the dawn of remembrance, there lived two brothers, whom they called Manush and Hemo, whose destinies were bound by God and unbound by sin. When their father grew weary with age, he divided his labors between his sons, that the work might continue. Unto Manush was given dominion over the land, to tend it in bounty and hardship. Unto Hemo was given the duty of carrying forth the fruits of the earth and to journey far in comfort and trial. Each brother took a wife, and each was blessed with five children.

3. But discord arose between them as the seasons passed. Manush lamented his confinement, saying, My wisdom grows not, for I see not the world beyond these fields." And Hemo grieved in his heart, saying, "While my brother's walls grow ever higher, I bear my home upon a cart. As their families grew larger, Manush began to hide the true bounty of the land, feeding his own beyond their rightful share. When questioned about the harvest, he would cry out, "What lies!" But Hemo could not hide his portion, for it was counted twice: once in receiving, and once in selling. Through this deception did the first inequality enter the world.

When suffering became too great, Hemo brought his grievance before his brother. And Manush, in his cunning, spoke soft words and led his brother to a distant field. There, far from witnessing eyes, he slew his own brother. This deed awakened the father's wrath, and he cast Manush from the land. The father raised his mighty hand and split the northern sea in twain. Between these divided waters he erected a sacred dwelling place. From each side of the split sea he drew forth a river, flowing down to the southern sea. And the father commanded the children of both houses, saying: "Let the children of Hemo follow the eastern river southward, and let the children of Manush follow the western river southward. Where these waters meet the southern sea, there shall ye build a city and dwell together. Mix thy blood and become one people once more, then burn thy dwelling, offer prayers to the fire, and return northward to dwell in the land between the divided waters."

But when the tribes reached the meeting of the waters, the children of Manush, being stronger and knowing only farming, betrayed both their father's command and their brother's trust. Instead of mixing as equals, they enslaved the children of Hemo. Instead of burning their dwellings and returning north, they built walls ever higher and chains ever stronger. Beholding this betrayal from his northern home, the father wept with such anguish that his tears flooded the two rivers beyond measure. These rivers of grief rushed southward with terrible force, submerging the city of bondage and scattering both tribes across the land. Thus did the father's sorrow cleanse the earth of his children's sin.

After the great flood had washed away the city of betrayal, the father, fearing his children would fall again into bondage, made covenant with all Gods, who were his equals in power and wisdom. In the northern sanctuary, between the divided waters, he planted a fruitful tree in a sacred ground. With his own breath he blessed it, breathing into it the spirit that would guarantee his children's welfare and liberty. This was his promise: that they should never again fall into bondage. After the father's departure, his children lived in great prosperity under the tree's protection. In the cold months they would burn its abundant branches for warmth. In the hot months they would rest in its vast shade. For the tree had grown so mighty that its canopy sheltered their entire tribe from both heat and cold. They fed upon its fruit and made garments from its leaves. The spirit within the tree kept them safe from all harm and free from all bondage.

But the father’s covenant carried this warning: "The tree guarantees life and grants liberty to you and to your brethren. 3. Live free and create freely. But guard this tree from the harm that may arise from the very liberty it grants to you. For if that which gives and sustains a good is harmed through the good which it gives and sustains, disorder shall surely rise." Many generations passed, and the children of the tribe began to take for granted the tree's gifts. They grew careless in its tending, forgetting the father's warning. In their negligence they allowed the sacred tree to be dried and uprooted.

Thus did disorder and sin take dominion over the earth for a thousand years. And the Gods turned their favor away from the earth, leaving humanity to its chosen depravity. And there was mourning throughout the earth. And there was confusion in all minds. And there was isolation between all peoples. And there was pain in all bodies. And there was doubt in all spirits. And there was slavery in all lands. Thus was humanity lost to itself.

The Book of Gayamaert

When suffering filled the earth to overflowing, there arose a man named Gayamaert. He was born of mixed blood, his father from the tribe of Manush, his mother from the tribe of Hemo. His spirit was blessed with special wisdom, and he was troubled by the decadence of his people. For he beheld their manifold sufferings: in grief were they lost, in confusion did they wander, in isolation did they dwell, in hunger and sickness did they languish, without hope and without purpose did they live. 5. Both in slavery and in mastery did they suffer the loss of liberty and of humanity. He came before the Gods and spoke thus: "Lord, Let me bear the burden my people, that the world might know peace." 7. And the Gods heard his plea and made with him a covenant.

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In the first year of his journey, he came upon those who mourned their dead. 2. They bore a white-shrouded body of a young woman unto a pyre. 3. And when he inquired of her nature and death, they spoke unto him, saying she ate of a poisonous food and her heart hath thus been burned with poison 4. Then did Gayamaert approach and kiss her forehead, speaking unto the crowd: "In her death, ye shall live and prosper." 5. And his heart grew heavy with sorrow, and he took unto himself their grief. 6. Through him, their tears were transformed into joy. 7. And he spoke: "Lord, I have taken unto myself the suffering of the heart. Let the mourning, the left behind, the brokenhearted, and the sorrowful rest free from this burden; and grant me the courage to carry on." 8. And so it was granted.

In the second year, when he came unto the temple seeking the priests' blessing, he found those whose minds were lost to false beliefs. 2. The priests stood in disputation, arguing as to if Gods resided in their temples and demanded pilgrimage, or lived as spirits beyond time and place in the hearts of men. 3. And Gayamaert spoke unto them, saying: "With these words I bless thee, so shall ye live in clarity and speak truth unto your people." 4. He took their confusion unto himself, leaving them with clarity. 5. And confusion filled his mind, leaving him without guide or direction or truth. 6. And he spoke: "Lord, I have taken on the suffering of the mind. Let the deceived, the confused, the lost, and the misguided live free from this burden; and grant me the wisdom to carry on." 7. And so it was granted.

In the third year, his path led him upon a mountainous road where no other did travel, in winter's bitter sundown where no living thing dwelt. 2. Loneliness consumed him, for he walked apart from all fellowship. 3. His speech found no ears to hear, and his language weakened, and his memory of himself and of others grew dim. 4. And he spoke: "Lord, my voice travels in the air and fades unanswered, my thoughts die before flourishing, and my embrace remains cold. 5. I have taken on the suffering of the soul. Let the left alone, the abandoned, and the betrayed, those with none to share their life and thoughts, live unburdened by this suffering; and grant me the fortitude to carry on." 6. And so it was granted.

In the fourth year, in the heart of an unforgiving desert where no end appeared and no sign of life did dwell, his spirit grew weary and doubt cast its shadow. 2. His knees trembled at the sight of the task ahead. 3. And he spoke: "Lord, I am but a grain of sand before a mountainous undertaking. I know not if I walk as thy righteous prophet or as a naked fool in the desert. 4. I have taken on the suffering of the spirit. Let those who are lost, those without hope and will, those fallen into despair, and those whose lives lack faith and purpose live free from this burden; and grant me the strength to carry on." 5. And so it was granted.

In the fifth year, burdened by the sufferings of heart, mind, soul, and spirit, his flesh knew torment. 2. Gayamaert fell upon his knees, his legs lacking might to bear his flesh. 3. Under the burning sun, with hunger and thirst breaking his will, and sickness burning within, he cried out: 4. "Lord, my eyes burn, my lips are dry, and my knees have not the might to carry me. My flesh is filled with pain. 5. I have taken on the suffering of the flesh. Let those who know naught but pain, whether born into it or afflicted by time or by the hand of another, those who live in sickness and anguish, live free from this burden; and grant me the strength to carry on." 6. And so it was granted.

In his weakness, he beheld a tree with bent branches offering fruit unto the earth, and a well extending invitation to the travelers dry lips. 2. Under the tree's shadow stood a man with a blade that announced its presence with its shine. 3. And Gayamaert called unto him, saying: "I come in peace, having traveled far and suffered much. I wish to eat of the fruit of the tree and drink of the water of the well." 4. The man inquired: "Have you any coin?" 5. And Gayamaert answered: "I possess naught but the burden of my people and the blessing of the Lord." 6. Then spoke the man: "You shall not reach for the fruit nor lower the bucket, for these are my possession."7. And Gayamaert questioned: "How might a man possess that which must live his lifetime several times over to bear fruit, and that which springs from earth by God's grace?" 8. The man answered: "I guard these from thieves and bandits." 9. Gayamaert responded: "How might one steal what God has granted, as He granted one's limbs?" 10. The man declared: "The desert runs not by God's grace but by man's honor." 11 And Says Gayamaert “see that I have not the hope to carry on, not the coin to indulge your demand and not the might to overpower you in strife. 12 Says the man “I am bound by my honor and I wish not to draw my sword so long as you stay away; 13. And should you choose to enter into a covenant, I shall trade my life-giving possession with your life force as I wish to draw up a garden in the desert and make the number of the trees tenfold and the fruit of each tree tenfold. Thus did Gayamaert submit to chains, easing his hunger with the fruit of the tree and his thirst with the water of the well. 15. And in the sixth year, he dwelt in chains, and took unto himself the suffering of the unfree. 16. And he spoke: "Lord, I have been reduced to chains. In my weakness, I have taken on the suffering of bondage. I may choose neither my waking nor my sleeping, neither my coming nor my going, neither the manner nor fruit of my labor. 17. Let those without liberty, those in chains, those whose will is overpowered by another's will, whose flesh is overpowered by another's flesh, and whose wish is overpowered by another's wish, live free from this burden; and grant me the will to carry on." 18. And so it was granted.

In the seventh year it came to pass that through Gayamaert's toil, in the heart of the desert flourished a beautiful garden, with trees and fruit multiplied tenfold. 3. Said Gayamaert “Yet I possess none, and I may not travel on if I so choose and I may not return to my people if I so choose and my bondage is not by the sword but by the covenant I entered of my own will in my master’s eyes. Though I have not travelled, I see that there remains no suffering in the world save for My loss of liberty by bondage and for my master’s loss of humanity by domination, for he sees not his own image in the eyes of his brethren but in the objects of the world.” Thus said Gayamaert “Lord, I have not taken unto myself the greed and inhumanity that burdens my master, lest the weight of his suffering diminishes the love I hold for my people and their suffering that I have taken unto myself returns to them. Lord, Should I die and carry the suffering that is my burden to my grave, I shall free my master of his loss of humanity and with me shall die the suffering of bondage. Tomorrow there shall be no more a master and no more a slave, and as I have taken my people’s suffering of the heart, and the mind, and the soul, and the spirit, and the flesh and of bondage and of inhumanity, there shall not be a weakness, nor a need nor a pain upon which new servitude might rise.

Thus leaned Gayamaert into his master’s sword and in his blood ended the last of suffering, as there was no more a slave and no more a master, and no more a suffering of the heart, and of the mind, and of the soul, and of the spirit, and of the flesh and of bondage and of inhumanity; there was not a master and not a slave as there was not a weakness, and not a need and not a pain upon which new servitude might rise.

But lo, his death begat the deepest grief ever known to his people. 2. For the pain he had removed from his people had inspired in them the deepest love in equal part to fill its place. 3. And the people, unable to bear this grief, cried out to the Gods for the return of their old sufferings, that it might remove the unbearable grief. Thus was revealed: human experience flows eternal like water between vessels. 3. Man is not merely the vessel of experience, but the transformer of it. 4. Taking suffering and transforming it into joy, pain into pleasure, and the opposite. 5. Yet one is the bearer of only what one can sustain. 6. Lest one's demise create greater suffering still in the loss of the love one inspires. For in the flow of human experience, each transformation of suffering into joy carries within it the seed of its opposite. 2. As bridges between suffering and joy must one live. 3. With wisdom to transform pain into pleasure, yet not to grasp much as one's fall transform all pleasure back to pain. 5. And thus was the wisdom of Gayamaert.”