________________
RECONCILIATION.
1041
The Qur'an and the Bible are silent as to the origin of this Evil Power, but Zarathushtra is said to bave pointed out that he is one of a pair of twins which exist from all eternity. He declared :
"In the beginning there was a pair of twins, two spirits, each of a peculiar activity, and these two spirits united created,.............one the reality, the other, the non-reality."*
Mythologically, these twins, or two spirits, each with its peculiar activities, which are inseparable from one another, represent Will and Intellect. Starting from the assumption of a first beginning of things which is characteristic of mysticism, two kinds of light have to be recognized as the causes of manifestation, namely, delight and its reflection, light. Accordingly, the Devil is an angel, but of darkness, i.e., of dark light, as distinguished from true light, that is, de-light. Islam and Christianity regard him as a creature, probably because of their monistic aspiration ; but Zarathushtra, recognizing the co-existence of Good and Evil, considers him to be eternal. Hence, light and de-light, that is to say, Good and Evil are twins, in his system of theology
The refusal of Satan to bow to 'man' can be explained in two different ways. Firstly, he is a reflection, as shown above, and therefore, by nature, incapable of self-activity; hence, he can only bow with his original, never otherwise. And, secondly, in its psychological aspect Intellect is the tutor of Will, hence, entitled to object to prostrate itself before its pupil, here represented by Man. But whatever the true explanation of the myth, it is certain that the command to Satan to prostrate
* Yasna 30%
Jain Education International
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
