The gods and demons were rivals of each other. The demons, swollen with pride, said, “In what, pray, should we place the oblation?” And they proceeded to place it in their own mouths.
Quotations
Scriptures
It is the Path of the Good Mind which Thou hast manifested to me, O Ahura! Whereby the welldoers, in accordance with the teaching of the Spiritual Guides, acting in harmony with Truth alone, Shall pass onward to the assigned reward of which Thou art the bestower, O Mazda! This precious reward of Thine, O Mazda, Thou givest by way of the Good Mind, Thou givest to those who perform actions through knowledge and pure thought; who attempt for the progress and development of the world; fulfil God’s desire and try for the progress of God’s Will through truth and righteousness.
Behold the man who shields his family from all suffering. Has not his body become a willing vessel for affliction? Without good men to hold it up, the family house will fall when misfortune descends.
Without faith there is no knowledge, without knowledge there is no virtuous conduct, without virtues there is no deliverance, and without deliverance there is no perfection.
Those who are ignorant of the supreme purpose of life will never be able to attain nirvana (liberation) in spite of their observance of the vratas (vows) and niyamas (rules) of religious conduct and practice of shila (celibacy) and tapas (penance).
There are many people who fast, whose fast is nothing but hunger and thirst. There are those whose prayer is no better than wakefulness and hardship. The eating and drinking in case of the former and sleeping in the latter’s case is a far better option.
No individual is lost and no nation is refused prosperity and success if foundations of their thoughts and actions rest upon piety and godliness, and upon truth and justice.
The Gods gave a microbe a drop of water, and in it he lived. They gave an ant a half acre of land, and he prospered. They gave a tiger the forest and he formed an empire and became an emperor. They gave man the Universe and all the knowledge therein. He entered of his own free will the dungeon of Dogma, shut his mind to truth and slew and starved his brothers.
Do not race after riches, do not risk your life for success, or you will let slip the heaven within you.
