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Dhammapada · narration sample

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The Forgotten Books of Eden · 230 of 293

Odes of Solomon: Ode 38

A beautiful description of the power of truth.

1.I went up to the light of truth as if into a chariot: 2 And the Truth took me and led me: and carried me across pits and gulleys; and from the rocks and the waves it preserved me: 3 And it became to me a haven of Salvation: and set me on the arms of immortal life: 4 And it went with me and made me rest, and suffered me not to wander, because it was the Truth; 5 And I ran no risk, because I walked with Him; 6 And I did not make an error in anything because I obeyed the Truth. 7 For Error flees away from it, and meets it not: but the Truth proceeds in the right path, and 8 Whatever I did not know, it made clear to me, all the poisons of error, and the plagues of death which they think to be sweetness: 9 And I saw the destroyer of destruction, when the bride who is corrupted is adorned: and the bridegroom who corrupts and is corrupted; 10 And I asked the Truth ‘Who are these?’; and He said to me, ‘This is the deceiver and the error: 11 And they are alike in the beloved and in his bride: and they lead astray and corrupt the whole world: 12 And they invite many to the banquet, 13 And give them to drink of the wine of their intoxication, and remove their wisdom and knowledge, and so they make them without intelligence; 14 And then they leave them; and then these go about like madmen corrupting: seeing that-they are without heart, nor do they seek for it! 15 And I was made wise so as not to fall into the hands of the deceiver; and I congratulated myself because the Truth went with me, 16 And I was established and lived and was redeemed, 17 And my foundations were laid on the hand of the Lord: because He established me. 18 For He set the root and watered it and fixed it and blessed it; and its fruits are for ever. 19 It struck deep and sprung up and spread out, and was full and enlarged; 20 And the Lord alone was glorified in His planting and in His husbandry: by His care and by the blessing of His lips, 21 By the beautiful planting of His right hand: and by the discovery of His planting, and by the thought of His mind. Hallelujah.

Asked of Guide

Why does the speaker call Truth a chariot and a companion who leads and preserves them?

The speaker uses chariot and companion imagery to show Truth as active, guiding presence: “I went up to the light of truth as if into a chariot: And the Truth took me and led me.” Truth carries the speaker across dangers, makes a “haven of Salvation,” and “set me on the arms of immortal life,” so it functions as rescue and safe passage.

Because Truth reveals and secures, the speaker gains wisdom and stability: error “flees away” and the poisons of error are made clear, so the speaker is “established and lived and was redeemed.” This chapter echoes themes in the Gospel of John where Jesus calls himself the Truth and brings life and light.

Guide is the guide inside the Gnosis app, where every book on these shelves is free to read. Guide is the part you pay for — your guide has read all of them, and answers about the passage you’re actually on. Ask your guide your own question.