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EVIL

Inasmuch as he does not see that his work of deception will finally bring his own ruin, he deceives himself.[1]

Ahriman produces seductive demons to pervert mankind. The first creation of Ahriman was falsehood.[2] Afterwards he produced six chief demons, Akoman, Indar, Sovar, Nakahed, Tairev, Zairich as adversaries to the six archangels of Ormazd.[3] Besides this he produced many demons and fiends.[4] Mankind formerly did not commit crime,[5] and there was no sin,[6] but Ahriman implanted various vices in man's nature as the enemies of the soul; among such are avarice, covetousness, anger, jealousy, stubbornness, lust, enmity, idleness, apostasy, slander, ignorance, malice, stinginess, hatred, strife, and many other seductives that mislead men.[7] Ahriman meditates upon nothing but falsehood, wrath, malice, and discord;[8] and especially does he seek to conceal from man the reward of good deeds and the retribution of evil deeds, thus leading human creatures to wickedness and sin.[9] In designing man's ruin Ahriman does not consider his triumph over him complete unless he succeeds in effecting his spiritual destruction; nor does he deem it a victory merely to deprive a man of his life and wife, child and fortune; but he must succeed in seducing his soul.[10] Nothing satisfies his voracity so much as the capture of a human soul.

Ahriman introduces disease and death into the world. When Ahriman first entered the world, he plagued mankind, and introduced death among the living beings;[11] thus misery and affliction entered the world through him.[12] And all the ills human flesh is heir to are from him. He smote the progenitor of animals and made the primeval man mortal.[13] Disease, destruction, and death are identified with Ahriman, and form his chief work.[14]

  1. ↑ Dk., vol. 13, bk. 6. E. 38, p. 16.
  2. ↑ Bd. 1. 24.
  3. ↑ Bd. 1. 24, 27.
  4. ↑ Bd. 1. 10.
  5. ↑ Mkh. 13. 6.
  6. ↑ Dk., vol. 6, p. 421.
  7. ↑ Bd. 3. 17; Dd. 37. 53, 54; Dk., vol. 6, p. 354; vol. 8, p. 469; vol. 10, bk. 5. 4, p. 6; Gs. 10, 11.
  8. ↑ Mkh. 10. 5.
  9. ↑ Mkh. 13. 7–10.
  10. ↑ Mkh. 46. 4, 5.
  11. ↑ Bd. 3. 17; Dd. 37. 72, 81; Dk., vol. 2, p. 92, 93.
  12. ↑ Mkh. 37. 10; 42. 6, 7.
  13. ↑ Dd. 37. 46, 82.
  14. ↑ Zsp. 5. 4; Dk., vol. 4, p. 233, 238; vol. 12, bk. 6. 308, p. 25.
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