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                  DOGMA III - HISTORY #2, "COSMOGONY"
    which is not the same as DOGMA I - METAPHYSICS #2, "COSMOLOGY"


    In the beginning there was VOID, who had two daughters; one (the
smaller) was that of BEING, named ERIS, and one (the larger) was of
NON-BEING, named ANERIS.  (To this day, the fundamental truth that
Aneris is the larger is apparent to all who compare the great number
of things that do not exist with the comparatively small number of
things that do exist.)

    Eris had been born pregnant, and after 55 years (Goddesses have an
unusually long gestation period - longer even than elephants), Her
pregnancy bore the fruits of many things.  These things were composed
of the Five Basic Elements, SWEET, BOOM, PUNGENT, PRICKLE AND ORANGE. 
Aneris, however, had been created sterile.  When she saw Eris enjoying
Herself so greatly with all of the existent things She had borne,
Aneris became jealous and finally one day she stole some existent


things and changed them into non-existent things and claimed them as
her own children.  This deeply hurt Eris, who felt that Her sister was
unjust (being so much larger anyway) to deny Her her small joy.  And
so She made Herself swell again to bear more things.  And She swore
that no matter how many of her begotten that Aneris would steal, She
would beget more.  And, in return, Aneris swore that no matter how
many existent things Eris brought forth, she would eventually find
them and turn them into non-existent things for her own.  (And to this
day, things appear and disappear in this very manner.)

    At first, the things brought forth by Eris were in a state of
chaos and went in every which way, but by the by She began playing
with them and ordered some of them just to see what would happen. 
Some pretty things arose from this play and for the next five zillion
years She amused Herself by creating order.  And so She grouped some
things with others and some groups with others, and big groups with
little groups, and all combinations until She had many grand schemes
which delighted Her.

    Engrossed in establishing order, She finally one day noticed
disorder (previously not apparent because everything was chaos). 
There were many ways in which chaos was ordered and many ways in which
it was not.

    "Hah," she thought, "Here shall be a new game."

    And She taught order and disorder to play with each other in
contest games, and take turns amusing each other.  She named the side
of disorder after herself, "ERISTIC," because being is anarchic.  And
then, in a mood of sympathy for Her lonely sister, She named the
other side "ANERISTIC" which flattered Aneris and smoothed the
friction a little that was between them.


    Now all of this time, Void was somewhat disturbed.  He felt
unsatisfied for he had created only physical existence and physical
non-existence, and had neglected the spiritual.  As he contemplated
this, a great Quiet was caused and he went into a state of Deep Sleep
which lasted for five eras.  At the end of this ordeal, he begat a
brother to Eris and Aneris, that of SPIRITUALITY, who had no name at
all.

    When the Sisters heard this, they both confronted Void and pleaded
that he not forget them, his First Born.  And so Void decreed thus:

    That this brother, having no form, was to reside with Aneris in
Non-Being and then to leave her and, so that he might play with order
and disorder, reside with Eris in Being.  But Eris became filled with
sorrow when She heard this and then began to weep.

    "Why are you despondent?" demanded Void.  "Your new brother will
have his share with you."  "But Father, Aneris and I have been
arguing, and she will take him from me when she discovers him, and
cause him to return to Non-Being."  "I see," replied Void.  "Then I
decree the following:

    "When your brother leaves the residence of Being, he shall not
reside again in Non-Being, but shall return to Me, Void, from whence
he came.  You girls may bicker as you wish, but My son is your Brother
and We are all of Myself."


And so it is that we, as men, do not exist until we do; and then it is
that we play with our world of existent things, and order and disorder
them, and so it shall be that non-existence shall take us back from
existence and that nameless spirituality shall return to Void, like a
tired child home from a very wild circus.

                                                               \   /
"Everything is true -- Everything is permissible!"           ---------
                                 -- Hassan i Sabbah            /   \