Chapter 17
1) If you bestir yourselves and turn to the truth of the laws and recommendations of the inner world of all firmaments (universal consciousness/Creation) and follow its guidelines (instructions), then the cognition (rationality) and the true discernment (intellect) will give you at all times the right decision in what you shall do and what you shall refrain from.
2) True cognition (rationality) and true discernment (intellect) direct their view to the truth of the laws and recommendations of the inner world of all firmaments (universal consciousness/Creation), since it is through them alone that the activity (energy) of all reality (existence) is given.
3) Truly, life presents people of your kind (human beings) with new tasks every day, new questions, new difficulties (problems) and secrets that you must master or fathom (research) and which always lead you on new ways, so that you have to reach new decisions every day and face existence (life) again in a new form all the time.
4) And yet the only things that help you to make the right decision and to succeed in choosing the right action are the cognition (rationality) and true discernment (intellect) when you connect yourselves with the truthly truth that proves its mightiness in all things and in all decisions; without use of the truth, cognition (rationality) and true discernment (intellect) are just as insignificant (useless) as smoke that dissipates in the air, because truly cognition (rationality) and true discernment (intellect) can only effectuate (create) things of reality if they determine the truth according to its rightness and use it according to the truth (in a right wise), whether this be thoughts and feelings, speaking (words) or actions.
5) If you are heedful then you will recognise that you admonish yourselves not to lose it from your sight or from your inner world (consciousness).
6) If you are searching, then always search for reality from first to last in the truth, and when you find it, then you will always be given very much more than you were looking for; therefore be discerning and only connect yourselves to the truth so that you leave everything aside that is cheating and delusion, carelessness and prejudice as well as what is against equitableness (fairness).
7) Note that equitableness (fairness), is not the same as being fair (being full of responsibility), because equitableness (fairness) is based (founded) on the value of insistent rightfulness (being insistent in the right), and this requires a firm determination (will) to do right in all things, to keep the right in all things and to represent it, as well as to give and allow to each person of your kind (human being) what belongs to him or her.
8) People of your kind (human beings) must practise equitableness (fairness) at all times, both towards friend and foe, because you must be ready at all times to pay an appropriate reward (to act in fairness), to demand and to give an honest price in negotiations, just as you must also be concerned not to defraud anybody.
9) Truly, the equitableness (fairness) of one person of your kind (one human being), as well as of a people, builds up (creates) happiness and peace and also freedom and consonance (harmony), whereas inequity (unfairness) tears down all these values.
10) Be at all times fair (responsible) and connected to the equitableness (fairness), and beware of carelessness in the fulfilment of your duty of any kind.
11) Equitableness (fairness) also includes that you show due deference to your parents and to people of your kind (fellow human beings) in general, and that you give to everyone what is theirs, what is commensurately due to them.
12) However, equitableness (fairness) also requires moderation (modesty) in all things, because if you act in equitableness (fairness), then you are practising moderation (modesty) to the extent of all the desires and wishes that you have, as well as what you have in enjoyment.
13) You must build up in yourselves equitableness (fairness) and moderation (modesty) as well as love, happiness, joy and peace, freedom, consonance (harmony), knowledge about the truth and wisdom, and whatever else that you may desire.
14) However, you can only win (learn) equitableness (fairness) and moderation (modesty) if you are moderate in all earthly things and in your life and do not get very badly out of the control of the good human nature, but rather that you move in righteousness (conscientiousness) and in fairness (responsibility) through all the highs and lows of your existence (life), always learning and being connected to the truthly truth of the laws and recommendations of the inner world of all firmaments (universal consciousness/Creation).
15) Truly, mighty activities (energies) are in motion (at work) in people of your kind (human beings), as are their powers which act in you as assiduousness (striving) for the unfolding (evolution) as well as requirements (necessities) and lust-inclinations (desires), and as agitations (passions); and all these activities (energies) and their powers drive you with the might of the appearance (Gewalt of nature) to maintain your life irrespective of however it turns out, therefore it shall be lived in any wise until the true (natural) end of days (end of life), so it is not ended at your own hand or by hired killers (murderers) before the true (natural) time of the end of life; those, however, who contravene this and kill (murder) themselves or have themselves cast out of the life by hired killers (murderers) are acting in chickenheartedness (cowardice) against the life-praising (affirming) laws and recommendations of the inner world of all firmaments (universal consciousness/Creation); and the same applies if killers (murderers) commit bloody deeds (murders/manslaughter) in whatever wise this happens, for example out of hatred, jealousy, pathological craving for revenge, pathological craving for retaliation or in battles (wars) and through any other outrage (terrorism/acts of Gewalt, etc.) or through hardness and physical and psychical violations of all kinds.
16) The mighty activities (energies) and their powers in people of your kind (human beings) drive you to want to be esteemed and honoured and to strive for all kinds of pleasures which make the existence (life) worth living for you, and truly this originates from your power of the life (drive for self-preservation), and also out of the drive for admiration and the drive for pleasure.
17) Truly, the drives (instincts) can bring about (create) much goodness for you people of your kind (human beings), although if unobserved (uncontrolled) they act blindly and with excessive power (go overboard), wreaking calamity and going beyond all moderation (modesty); therefore it is important for moderation (modesty) to prevail in all drives (instincts) and in any other things, because it is only moderation (modesty) that reins in your impetuous powers.
18) If you do not have the right amount of moderation (modesty), then this gives rise to immoderacy, hatred and jealousy as well as avariciousness and all other kinds of pathological craving, stinginess, overbearance and the desire for glory as well as unpeace, unfreedom (bondage) and dissonance (disharmony), battles (wars) and acts of Gewalt.
19) And you shall not equate moderation (modesty) with submissiveness, because moderation (modesty) is based in undemandingness, restraint, well-educatedness and in plainness, in lenience, deference (honourableness) and patience; submissiveness, however, demands from people of your kind (human beings) abasement and subservience (willing/without dignity) as well as devotion (belief) and a slavish mentality (self-denial/self-abasement/surrendering of one's self), therefore you shall guard yourselves against any submissiveness through courageous strength, whether it be towards people of your kind (fellow human beings) or towards gods who are without exception only hazy pictures (fantasies).
20) And as you abandon submissiveness and turn yourselves to courageous strength which is the superior power, then you cannot wane in the good and will courageously overcome all obstacles.
21) Truly, all the good and the cognition of the truth can only be achieved through superior power, therefore with courageous strength and lots of effort and through a struggle of learning (with exertion) and with fortitude, but if you do not bring forth these values then you will not reach the endpoint.
22) However, the good and the truth do not tolerate any Gewalt (terror), therefore you cannot reach the realm of the good and of the truth through acts of Gewalt, nor either through weakness and chickenheartedness (cowardice) and fear; and if you wane (become discouraged) on the way of learning, then you will succumb again and again to the temptation of evil and unfairness (irresponsibility).
23) Courageous strength, the superior power, gives you the fortitude to defend the good and the true courageously, and to remain strong in the face of sorrow and trials.
24) And the crown (highest measure) of courageous strength, the superior power, can be achieved by all amongst you who are courageous and strong in the learning of the truth of the laws and recommendations of the inner world of all firmaments (universal consciousness/Creation).
25) However, if you are lacking the courageous strength, the superior power, the power and the courage to find the truth and for the truth itself, then you will be ruled by fear and indolence, as well as by pusillanimousness (faintheartedness) and despair; truly, courageous strength, the superior power, makes noble-minded (steadfast in character) and magnanimous (big-hearted), as well as patient and untiring.