SCL: 1:37 O great, substantial Kohar, protect this departed one, your own, from the accusations of false-fronted beings, remembering the faithful heart ever prevailing before the balances of our forefathers from far away. Put into his mouth those words, which open doors. Let the goodness in him prevail, but you, yourself, stand up and bear witness for him. He suffered from the frailties of men. He was wrathful when provoked and surly when enduring great burdens. His temper flashed quickly when his words were not accepted or his ways followed, and at times, he lacked consideration. However, these are small things inseparable from the frailties of mortal men, and in all greater things, he was good. Let not the false-fronted one disguised in his brother's form possess him; guard him from the beings lurking in the shadows this side of the darkness.
SCL:1:38 I see this, my brothers. Behold, the departed one goes to meet his own image. It is his own self reflected in his image. It is his own self that comes to greet him. It is his Kohar, which embraces him. It welcomes him as though he were one ransomed from captivity. I see them blend, and he becomes a new seed in the heart of his Kohar.
SCL:1:39 I hear the Kohar speak; it names itself Nevakohar. It says, "O man of pure thoughts, of kindly words, of quiet speech, of good deeds, come to me. I am your being, yet I am not you; as you have loved and cherished me, so I now love and cherish you. I am your reward, as I would have been your affliction." They are now united, and this is the place of the first threshold, from whence the Completed Beings depart.
SCL:1:40 The departed one now stands in his own form and likeness. He becomes the Great Ship-Borne Voyager and passes over the waters to the Place of Reeds, but his weaknesses do not bear him down, and he goes through. Great Ones, lift him up, let him not fall into the fetid waters of decay. He is a worthy son of Lewth. Then, the lesser is carried by the greater, while Dark Ones gaze up from their misery and wait silently to see if he is borne up. The Glorious One goes past in peace, for he is not compatible with their dark company. He remains unmolested, for flame confounds the hands of slime.
SCL:1:41 An unloosed Dark One comes up saying it will take this man, but is repulsed by brightness. It is a thing of maimed rottenness, for on Earth it was clothed in lust-saturated flesh, though contained in a form of beauty. The heart of this man is not faint; see him now, is he not sure of his welcome among Beings of Glory? He is as the wild bull, the prince of herds; he is a Great One among the Everlasting Spirits.
SCL:1:42 He reaches the firm ground where a Bright Being welcomes him, and he is named 'The Newcomer'. He has landed on the shore and climbed the Steps of Splendour. He is in the company of Shining Spirits, and his earthlife companions greet him; they welcome him, saying, "All this beauty and splendour is yours to enjoy." They bring garments of beauty, bright clothes of radiance.
SCL: 1:43 He has passed through the Hall of Judgement. The Twin Truths have heard his plea, and those who bore witness have departed. He has crossed the waters and ascended the steps; now he has attained the threshold of immortality and stands in rapture. He has passed by the regions of darkness and gloom and is with glory. He comes to everlasting life in a true form of splendour, to dwell evermore as a living spirit within his Kohar. How wonderful it is to be united and one with the Kohar!
SCL:1:44 The Newcomer looks back across the waters to the Place of Decision; then, he turns and ascends the steps to the threshold of immortality. He is in his true form, yet he is a spirit within his Kohar. He speaks, but it is not the speech of men, and all understand him. His hearing is all-embracing. He sees both the powers of Light and the powers of Darkness, but the powers of Darkness no longer affect him.
SCL:1:45 The Newcomer has reached his compatible abode. He has fought the battle, which is mortal life, and risen supreme to victory. He has not been vanquished by the Raging Ones which are the bodily passions. At each step forward he has left a lifeless form; at each step he has fought a shadow; at each step he has won the clash of arms.
SCL:1:46 The Newcomer has sought out and discovered the One Hidden Behind the Two and the Three, which stand before them. He knows the secrets of the Nine, which veil the others from the eyes of men. He has unravelled the skein of life's mysteries, even as those enlightened ones yet living on Earth must do.
SCL:1:47 There is no suffering or pain in the Newcomer; he cannot feel hurt, neither can he be sorrowful. If a companion of his Earth journey be numbered among the Dark Ones, then his heart is soothed with forgetfulness; but later, he will remember, and because of his efforts, the Dark One will be returned to the crucible.
Chapter Two - The Sacred Registers - Part 2
SCL:2:1 The writings of Garmi were brought by the hands of Nadayeth The Enlightener, of the twin cities whence come the Sons of Fire, when he fled the wrath of kings. He spread out before the Learned Ones beauteous things of many colours and spoke to them after this fashion, and I, Lavos, recorded it in the tongue of the Sons of Fire:
SCL:2:2 Behold this; it is the Land of the Dawning. It stands between the Land of Light ever splendid and the Land of Darkness ever gloomy. They are the lands beyond the veil; before the veil is the Land of the Living.
SCL:2:3 The Aspiring One has embarked on the waters of illusion; his craft is afloat but it has not yet reached the shores where the promise of new life is fulfilled. Now, he is guided by two beings, one a lovely maiden and the other an ill-visaged man. These two strive one with the other, each grasping one side of the craft; now, it overturns. The maiden seeks to drag the Aspiring One down, while the ill-favoured man seeks to keep him afloat. But the Aspiring One struggles against him. They come to the sands of the shining shore where the Light of Truth turns the maiden into a vile-faced hag and the man into a handsome youth. The Aspiring One lies on the sands of Shodew as one dead, for he had fought against the man who sought to save him.
SCL:2:4 The Beauteous One comes attended by handmaidens, and with them are the companions of the Aspiring One's earthly life. There, too, is his soulself, awaiting his embrace. The Aspiring One lies as dead, for he did not know his saviour. They who stand about, who are The Welcomers, wait in uncertainty. The Beauteous One bends over the prostrate man and says, "Revive, this is not a place where death rules." He moves, and she says, "Raise yourself and cast away the residue of your mortality."
SCL:2:5 The Aspiring One opens his eyes, he sits up, he shields his eyes before the vision of beauty, he is blinded by it and she gives him his heart.
The handmaidens weep and their tears are the blood of the Aspiring One's life. The Beauteous One says, "I have come that you who were dead might live, that you who were blinded might see, that you who were deceived might know Truth." The soul self says, "I have come to embrace you, I have come to protect you, I have come to shield you, I am your refuge."
SCL:2:6 That which is the Kohar says, "I have come to brighten up your face, I am you, as you are me. I have waited for you; I have wept for you and rejoiced when you rejoiced. I have never forgotten you while we have been apart. I have heard every word spoken, and these are recorded for you. I have recorded every sight. I have recorded every sound. I have recorded every smell and every taste. Every memory is secure for you. Here I give you form and substantiality."
SCL:2:7 This is The Herald; he stands between this man and his Kohar, and they, together with The Adjuster and The Welcomers, go to the Hall of Judgement and stand before The Lord of Life, The Master of Destinies. Now come The Lords of Eternity, who are The Lesser Gods, and they enter the Gates of Splendour. The Balancer comes from his secret place. The Greeter to Darkness stands at his door, and The Greeter to Splendour stands at his door; they face each other. The Welcomers, compatible companions of this man's earthly life, stand about; they are there, in the Hall of Judgement.