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CONFLUENCE OF OPPOSITES
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vileness, who are many, very numerous, and very noto. rious; and a portion of all of them is mingled in the bodies of men, and their characteristics are glaring in mankind......Various new demons arise from the various sins the creatures may commit (Ibid. chap. xxviii). Because the demons are produced and strengthened by evil thoughts, words and deeds, it is said: "commit no lustfulness; so that harm and regret may not reach thee from thine own actions" (Dina-i Mainogi Khird, ii. 23-24). The same idea runs through the following statements also:
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...and demon worship was performed by thee, and demons and fiends were served (Ibid. ii. 172-173).......The ceremonial worship which they perform in a fire-temple, when not done aright, does not reach unto the demons; but that which they perform in other places, when they do not perform it aright, does reach unto the demons; for there is no medium in worship, it reaches either unto the angels or unto the demons (Shay asht-La-shayasht.. ix-5).
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Angels are not created by our deeds, of course, because they are already in existence as the opposites of the evil tendencies of the soul, so that the destruction of the demoniacal tendencies is really the means of their appearance or manifestation, but not of their creation. For this reason they are regarded as the creations of Dharma-Jnana (Auhar Mazd), out of whose eternal splendour they arise. They are said to shower bounties and blessings on men, because prosperity is the result of such excellent qualities as good "thought," "holiness," and the like. The angels
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