Sleeping through the Night, Learning by means of Dreams

 Just as already told in the introduction to Fargard IV, it is very healthy and necessary to sleep, but if you go to sleep just like that, all kind of nasty or weird thoughts might get into your dreams, because of what you might have experienced previously. To make sure that even in your dreams you will have the greatest chance to dream about good things, or maybe even get taught by Sraosha Herself, of her helping Angels and Fravashis, you had better chant a fitting introducing song or hymn, or read a beautiful sacred text or something that puzzles you, so you might, in your subsequent dream receive the answer . . . Or do a Communion with an angel ! That way, you are really learning all the time, and deserve to be called ASHAvan, a student of the One Law, ASHA ! That way you have a right to "demand the Holy Wisdom throughout the Night" (see below) and you will be "free of anxiety", (as also below) &c.!

FARGARD XVIII

[Ahura Mazda spoke to Zarathustra :]

I " He who sleeps through the night, neither performing the Communion nor chanting the Hymns, worshipping neither by word nor by deed, neither learning nor teaching, with a longing for everlasting Life,  he lies when he says : “ I am a follower of ASHA” ; do not call him an ASHAvan, O Zarathustra !" Thus spoke  Ahura Mazda :

"II You shall call him an ASHAvan, O Zarathustra !  who, throughout the night  demands the Holy Wisdom, which makes man free from anxiety, and wide of heart, and easy of conscience  at the head of the Chinvat Bridge, and which makes him reach that World, that Holy World, that excellent World of  ASHA."

Ancient drawing of the Chinvat Bridge

III Zarathustra asked of Ahura Mazda : "O, Ahura Mazda ! You, One and only Creator of the World ! How shall I free the World from the Destroyer ? How shall I drive him from the house of the worshippers of Mazda ? How shall I cleanse the Faithful Man ? How shall I cleanse the Faithful Woman ?"

IV Ahura Mazda answered and said : "O, Zarathustra !  invoke the good ASHA of Mazda.V O Zarathustra !  invoke the Kingdom of Heaven, the Boundless Time, and My Ahuras, whose action is Most Noble. VI O Zarathustra !  invoke the powerful Mind, and the Fire. VII O Zarathustra !  invoke My Power, which belongs to Me, Ahura Mazda, and My Soul is the Holy ASHA. VIII O Zarathustra !  invoke this Creation of Mine ;  I AM  Ahura Mazda !" 

IX Zarathustra  said : "I do invoke the Holy Creation of Ahura Mazda. X I do invoke the most glorious  ASHA.  I do invoke the Kingdom of Heaven, the Boundless Time, and the Ahuras, whose action is most high. XI I invoke the mighty Wind, and the Fire, which was made by Mazda. XII I invoke the good ASHA of Mazda, the fiend-destroying Law."

XIIIAhura Mazda  answered : " Go, O Zarathustra ! towards the high growing Trees, and there, before one of them which is beautiful, high growing and mighty, you must say these words : " Hail be to You ! O good living Tree, which was made by Mazda !" 

[The Ashem Vohu :]

XIV ASHA is the Best of All Good.

 It is also Happiness.

  Happy is the man

 who is Holy through ASHA. 

[And Zarathustra said:]

XV " I invoke the Holy World, which was made by Ahura Mazda.XVI I invoke the Earth, which was made by Ahura, the Water, which was made by Mazda, and the Holy Trees.XVII I invoke the Sea ; I invoke the beautiful Heaven ; I invoke the endless and sovereign Light. I invoke the bright and blissful Paradise of ASHA.

XVIII I invoke Mazda, the abode of the Ahuras, the Abode of All the Other Holy Beings. I invoke Eternal Life, and the Chinvat Bridge, which was made by Mazda. I invoke the whole of Creation !"