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1044
THE KEY OF KNOWLEDGE.
nations.* It, however, does not desert him even then, and eagerly awaits its opportunity to lead him in the right direction. Hence, when the soul is disgusted with the pleasures and pursuits of the world, intellect at once draws its attention to its real nature, and points out its own short-comings.
The language of Zarathushtra himself is clear as to the holy nature of intellect, even in its personification of the Evil One. He says:
"I will speak of the Spirits twain at the first beginning of the world, of whom the holier thus spake to the enemy: Neither thoughts, nor teachings, nor wills, nor beliefs, nor words, nor deeds nor selves, nor souls of us twain agree."
Here, Zarathushtra regards both Will and Intellect as Spirits, and considers them both holy, bringing out the distinction between them by describing Will as the holier of the two. That he is right in his description, is quite clear from our analysis of these faculties in the ninth chapter of the this book.
It is also possible to regard these eternal twins as spirit and matter, since the latter is also liable to be personified as Evil, tending as it does to lead men away from God and to make them worship itself instead. The seducements of the Temptress consist in the fascinating forms which it eternally displays and with which it lures
* Cf, the following from chapter XIV of the Qur'an:
"And Satan shall say, after Judgment shall have been given, verily God promised you a promise of truth; but I deceived you. Yet I had not any power over you to compel you ; but I called you only, and ye answered me : wherefore accuse me not, but accuse yourselves. I cannot assist you; neither can ye assist me. Verily I now renounce your having associated me with God heretofore."
† Yasna 452.
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