11 But this is true, and every one receives the lessons that he needs. 12 And Mary said, Today I am in exaltation great; my thoughts and all my life seem lifted up; why am I thus inspired? 13 Salome replied, This is a day of exaltation; day of worship and of praise; a day when, in a measure, we may comprehend our Father-God. 14 Then let us study God, the One, the Three, the Seven. 15 Before the worlds were formed all things were One; just Spirit, Universal Breath. 16 And Spirit breathed, and that which was not manifest became the Fire and Thought of heaven, the Father-God, the Mother-God. 17 And when the Fire and Thought of heaven in union breathed, their son, their only son, was born. This son is Love whom men have called the Christ. 18 Men call the Thought of heaven the Holy Breath. 19 And when the Triune God breathed forth, lo, seven Spirits stood before the throne. These are the Elohim, creative spirits of the universe. 20 And these are they who said, Let us make man; and in their image man was made. 21 In early ages of the world the dwellers in the farther East said, Tao is the name of Universal Breath; and in the ancient books we read, 22 No manifesting form has Tao Great, and yet he made and keeps the heavens and earth. 23 No passion has our Tao Great, and yet he causes sun and moon and all the stars to rise and set. 24 No name has Tao Great, and yet he makes all things to grow; he brings in season both the seed time and the harvest time. 25 And Tao Great was One; the One became the Two; the Two became the Three, the Three evolved the Seven, which filled the universe with manifests. 26 And Tao Great gives unto all, the evil and the good, the rain, the dew, the sunshine and the flowers; from his rich stores he feeds them all. 27 And in the same old book we read of man: He has a spirit knit to Tao Great; a soul which lives within the seven Breaths of Tao Great; a body of desires that springs up from the soil of flesh. 28 Now spirit loves the pure, the good, the true; the body of desires extols the selfish self; the soul becomes the battle ground between the two. 29 And blessed is the man whose spirit is triumphant and whose lower self is purified; whose soul is cleansed, becoming fit to be the council chamber of the manifests of Tao Great. 30 Thus closed the lesson of Salome. CHAPTER 10. _Elihu’s lessons. The Brahmic religion. Life of Abram. Jewish sacred books. The Persian religion._ Elihu taught; he said, In ancient times a people in the East were worshippers of God, the One, whom they called Brahm. 2 Their laws were just; they lived in peace; they saw the light within; they walked in wisdom’s ways. 3 But priests with carnal aims arose, who changed the laws to suit the carnal mind; bound heavy burdens on the poor, and scorned the rules of right; and so the Brahms became corrupt.