The Natural Sun
Announcements about our sun and its natural conditions
- Chapter 52 -
More about religion upon the sixth equatorial belt
Another temple regulation is that all side roads must join up with the main highway. There must also be a well-maintained road from every private dwelling to the temple and the main road, and it must be straight.
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If a road goes uphill, it must not wind on that account in order to join the higher main road, but must likewise be laid over hills and ditches, with gentle gradient towards the main road. Should there be any major problems with the terrain, the temple has to be notified, whereupon the temple calls upon neighbours for assistance with the work, which happens without objection. If some dwelling is at a higher level than the main road, the road must not join up with the highway at right angles but run to the intersection at an angle of no more than forty-five degrees.
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Nor must a side road join up in a west to easterly direction, such as the stars rise, but always from the setting of the stars, so that nobody would move from home to highway in the star-setting but star-rising direction.
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Another rule says that no one must climb over the high mountain divide because on the other side, in the fifth equator, after some gentle slopes there follows endlessly deep precipices, which no man can negotiate without evident danger to their life. This is due to the fact that these sixth equatorial inhabitants can indeed look down from the highest mountain ridge into the fifth equator, yet see nothing but the sea, not being able to see something of the fifth equatorial countries on account of the vast distance.
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Wherefore they also have the notion that the world ends with these alpine heights, and eternal waters begin. Their own world they imagine to be a ring that indeed projects above the waters right around, but is hollow within and filled only with the great waters. Such is their folklore. The leading wise men however, due to constant contact with spirits, know what to make of their world, but don't pass it on to the people, saying: if our people find out that the world we live in is endlessly bigger than the part we inhabit, they would dig a tunnel under the Alps, through which they would put great vessels over the sea and enter other people's land, which however is not God's will. Hence, let the people keep their innocent notion of their world and there, at all times, be ready to serve for the honour of the almighty God.
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Therewith we conclude this code. Another code consists, that all the roadside dwellings keep stocked up with food for hospitality towards travellers. It is therefore the responsibility of all private dwellings to supply the roadside houses in its district. If some private dwellings are too far removed from the highway, they are obliged to deliver their contributions to the neighbour who does deliver to the roadside houses. This sums up the practical part of their religion.
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So what does their spiritual aspect consist of? It consists of basic divine doctrine, which everyone must know and faithfully incorporate in the practical part of their religion. What are these basic principles? They are as follows:
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God is a unique being and there is no other being like Him. Hence He is mighty over everything, exalted above all, holy above everything and is filled with supreme honour. His concern is the freedom of His will, His wisdom and the maintenance of His own eternal order. He is the Creator of all things. Whatsoever He does is out of His will; the elements are His thoughts, His will forming them into being. He needs no matter to build a world, matter being His thoughts and His will is His building master in accordance with the eternal order within Him. Initially we cannot recognise God from anything other than His works, which proclaim to us, His great might and honour. Hence we cannot honour God in any way other than by emulating His nature, producing works according to our cognition and to His honour, from the material He gives us. God indeed has no need of our work, for greater things does He create in a moment than we can do with all our power in many thousands of years. We nevertheless build our works as great and lofty as we can, in order to demonstrate thereby in practice, how we are pervaded through and through in our being with His eternally infinite honour. Even if our productions are ever so great without receiving His praise, this should not hold us back from doing something even greater. For how should our ever so great works enjoy His praise, when taken in aggregate they are as nothing before His eyes? Notwithstanding the fact that God does not regard our works however, He looks at our will and endurance in His honour. Hence He blesses us not for our works but the longsuffering of our will.
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Since we are aware of what pleases God, we seek to conform thereto in order to, at all times, make ourselves worthy of His pleasure. In order to gain God's favour, all must cultivate the following chief virtues:
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Firstly, since God is the highest, we have to be the lowest. Secondly, since God alone is omnipotent, we must at all times confess our impotence before Him. Thirdly, since God is filled with the highest honour, we must always be deeply humble. Fourthly, since God is holy above everything, our knees must always bend before His name. Fifthly, since all things belong to God, we must never own them, but always thank Him for every gift, were it just a drop of water; for man is not capable of creating even a drop of water. Sixthly, since all power and authority resides in God, everyone should be aware of his strength as coming out of God; wherefore man can do nothing without God; but to whoever God gives same on loan, same is also capable of everything. God shall never withhold any entreated power, if it is the intention to used it for His honour. Seventhly, the greatest honour we can demonstrate to God is that we love and respect each other and from this love and respect, out of His holiness, to dare from the humility of our heart to love Him.
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Behold, this is what the spiritual aspect of religion consists of for these equatorial inhabitants; but never just in words but always earnestly in deed. Wherefore it is also the greatest joy of these inhabitants to visit the temple and be able to give honour to God from their heart.
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Therewith we have finished with this equatorial belt and shall next time move to the seventh and final solar equatorial belt. It has already been mentioned that the same conditions apply upon the sixth northern and southern belts.