Lives of Alcyone

FORTY-SEVENTH LIFE 239
itself in the actions and worship of the Daevas; but to this extent
Dhruj seems also to have represented matter, for it was a part of his
theory that Spirit and matter as it were fight for man, and that every
action of man counts on one side or the other. The contrast between
his theories and those of the Daevas worshippers seems not unlike
that between the philosophy of Phythagoras and the popular
worship of such deities as Apollo and Diana.
He recognised the existence of good spirits, whom he called
Ameshapentas, but there was some haziness about the conception,
and they appear to have been partially personifications of the ethical
ideals or principals. He quite understood reincarnation to be a fact,
but seems not to have dwelt upon it, the practical side of his scheme
being almost entirely the foundation or promotion of some sort of
holy community, or agricultural State, in which thrift and settled
tillage of the soil were the great social virtues.
During his ten years’ sojourn in the desert Alcyone went
out often to see him, and saw to it that his wants were regularly
supplied. Zarathushtra was grateful for this, and on one occasion
told Alcyone that he had seen him in a prophetic vision acting as his
lieutenant in the preaching of his reform. Alcyone brought him
frequent news of his children, and even sometimes took them to see
him, but Zarathushtra was so entirely absorbed in his gorgeous
series of visions that he scarcely noticed them, and they soon came
to cling far more to Alcyone than to their own father.
At the end of ten years, in 1495, Zarathushtra was ordered by
the Great One who appeared to him in his visions to return to the
world, to take up the office of the priesthood, and to deliver to the
people the truths which had been taught to him. It was prophesied to