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But, we mean that back of all the "heavens" and "celestial planes," there is a still higher state of being being the "Absolute Being." Even the "heavens," and "heaven-worlds," and regions of the Devas, or Archangels, are but relative states there is a state higher than even these exalted relative states, and that is the State of the Conscious Unity and Identity with the One.
He also who knows this rises above all evil. Rik and Saman are his joints. So much with reference to the devas. Now with reference to the body. Now that person who is seen within the eye, he is Rik, he is Saman, Uktha, Yajus, Brahman. Up.
When in ordinary life somebody has said 'all these men are the sons of Devadatta, it is known that any particulars which may afterwards be given about the descent of some of them are meant to apply to all. In accordance with this our conclusion we interpret the text 'Air and Ether, this is the Immortal, as asserting only that air and Ether continue to exist for a long time, as the Devas do.
The fourth book was the Avesta of Zoroaster a collection of MSS. stitched together, and exquisitely rendered by Parse devas into the Zend language. A fifth book was the Koran.
The systems of philosophy then in vogue were mostly not theistic, and, strange as the words may sound, religion had little to do with the gods. If this be thought to rest on a mistranslation, it is certainly true that the dhamma had very little to do with devas. The example of Rome under the Empire or of modern China makes the position clearer.
In India both are at first titles for deity, but by degrees, while "deva" continues to denote the gods who are worshipped, "asura" assumes a less favourable meaning, until at length it comes to stand for a second order of beings, inferior to the devas, and including such powers as are malignant and hostile. In Persia the fortunes of the two words are reversed.
All the stories of the intervention of guardian angels must not, however, be attributed to the action of artificial elementals, for in many cases such "angels" have been the souls of either living or recently departed human beings, and they have also occasionally, though rarely, been Devas.
'The valley of the Se-na was level and full of fruit trees, with no noxious insects, say these Scriptures: 'and there he dwelt under a sala tree. And he fasted nigh to death. The Devas offered him sweet dew, but he rejected it, and took but a grain of millet a day. Now what think you of this as a parallel incident of his sojourn in the wilderness?"
At this moment heaven and earth were greatly moved, and devas in the air spoke plainly, "This is not the place where any Buddha of the past, or he that is to come, has attained, or will attain, to perfect Wisdom. Less than half a yojana from this to the southwest will bring you to the patra tree, where all past Buddhas have attained, and all to come must attain, to perfect Wisdom."
In answer to an inquirer's question "Is there only one God?" the reply is, "There is one supreme Lord or Ishvara of the universe, and there are minor deities or devas who intelligently guide the various processes of nature in their different departments in willing obedience to Ishvara."
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