Egyptian-Hebrew stream·Corpus Hermeticum·The First Book
I. Poimandres — the Shepherd of Men
The opening and most famous treatise of the Corpus Hermeticum. Hermes' great vision: Poimandres, the Shepherd of Men, reveals the cosmic origin of the human being — the Logos descending into Nature, Anthropos falling from the height into matter, the path of return through the seven planetary gates.
Source context
- Theme
- primordial divine vision, cosmic creation through Nous, and the soul's descent into matter and return to light
- Soul-faculty
- Consciousness Soul
Steiner
not engaged in the GA corpus
Cross-tradition
- Neoplatonism (Plotinus, Enneads)The Poimandres narrative of Nous emanating light, generating the Logos, and the soul's entrapment in and return from material existence shows cross-tradition congruence with Plotinian henology: the procession of Intellect and Soul from the One, and the soul's epistrophē (return) to its source.
- Vedanta (Advaita)The identification of the individual knower with the universal divine light (Poimandres as the 'Light-Nous') shows cross-tradition congruence with the Vedantic equation of ātman and Brahman as the ground of all appearance.
- Genesis cosmogony (Hebrew scriptural tradition)The opening vision of light separating from darkness and the creative divine Word show cross-tradition congruence with the Genesis 1 cosmogony, suggesting a shared Egyptian-Hebraic matrix for this chapter's creation account.
The First Book
Hermes:
"My son, write this first book for the sake of humanity and out of piety toward God.
For there is no religion more true or just than to know the things that exist and to offer thanks for all things to Him who made them— which I shall never cease to do.
Tat: "What should a person do, Father, to lead a good life, seeing that nothing here seems true?"
Hermes: "Be pious and devout, my son, for the one who does so is the best and highest philosopher. Without philosophy, it is impossible to reach the height and precision of true piety or religion.
But whoever learns and studies the things that are—how they are ordered and governed, by whom, for what cause, or to what end—will give thanks to the Creator as to a good Father, an excellent Caretaker, and a faithful Steward. The one who gives thanks will be pious, and the pious will know both where the truth is and what it is. Learning that, he will become more and more devout.
For never, my son, can the soul that, while in the body, enlightens and lifts itself to know and comprehend what is Good and True, slide back to the opposite; for it is infinitely enamored of it and forgets all evils. When it has learned and known its Father and Creator, it can no longer turn away from that Good.
Let this, my son, be the goal of religion and piety. Once you have arrived there, you will both live well and die blessedly, as your soul will not be ignorant of where it must return and fly back again.
For this alone, my son, is the way to the Truth, which our ancestors traveled. By making their journey, they ultimately attained the Good. It is a venerable way—straightforward yet hard and difficult for the soul that is in the body.
For first, it must war against itself, and after much strife and dissent, one part must overcome. The contention is one against two, as it tries to fly away while they strive to hold and detain it.
But the victory of both is not the same; for one hastens toward the Good, while the other clings to evil things. The Good desires to be set free, but the evil loves bondage and slavery.
If the two parts are overcome, they become quiet and accept it as their ruler. But if the one is overcome by the two, it is led and carried by them to be punished by continuing its existence here.
This, my son, is the guide on the path that leads there. You must first forsake the body before your end, gain victory in this contentious and strife-filled life, and when you have overcome, return.
Now, my son, I will briefly outline the things that are. Understand what I say and remember what you hear:
All things that exist are in motion; only that which is not (i.e., non-being) is immovable. Every body is changeable.
Not every body is dissolvable.
Some bodies are dissolvable.
Not every living thing is mortal.
Not every living thing is immortal.
That which can be dissolved is also corruptible. That which always remains is unchangeable. That which is unchangeable is eternal.
That which is always being made is always being corrupted.
That which is made only once is never corrupted and does not become anything else.
First, God; second, the World; third, Man. The World exists for Man; Man exists for God.
In the soul, the part that is sensory is mortal, but the part that is rational is immortal. Every essence is immortal.
Every essence is unchangeable.
Everything that exists is dual in nature.
None of the things that are remain stationary.
Not all things are moved by a soul, but everything that exists is moved by a soul.
Everything that suffers is sensory; everything that is sensory suffers.
Everything that feels sorrow also rejoices and is a mortal living creature.
Not everything that rejoices also feels sorrow but is an eternal living being.
Not every body is sick; every body that is sick is dissolvable.
The Mind is in God.
Reasoning or discourse is in Man.
Reason is in the Mind.
The Mind is free from suffering.
Nothing in a body is true.
All that is incorporeal is free from falsehood. Everything that is made is corruptible.
There is nothing good upon Earth; there is nothing evil in Heaven.
God is good; Man is evil.
Good is voluntary or acts of its own accord. Evil is involuntary or acts against its will.
The gods choose good things because they are good.
Time is a divine thing.
Law is human.
Malice is the nourishment of the World. Time is the corruption of Man.
Whatever is in Heaven is unalterable.
All things upon Earth are alterable.
Nothing in Heaven is enslaved; nothing upon Earth is free.
Nothing is unknown in Heaven; nothing is known upon Earth.
Things on Earth do not communicate with those in Heaven.
All things in Heaven are blameless; all things upon Earth are subject to blame.
That which is immortal is not mortal; that which is mortal is not immortal.
That which is sown is not always begotten; but that which is always begotten is always sown.
For a dissolvable body, there are two times: one from sowing to birth, one from birth to death.
For an everlasting body, time exists only from the generation.
Dissolvable bodies grow and diminish.
Dissolvable matter is altered into opposites —namely, corruption and generation—but eternal matter into itself and its likeness.
The generation of Man is corruption; the corruption of Man is the beginning of generation. That which begets another is itself begotten by another. Of things that exist, some are in bodies, some in their ideas.
Whatever things belong to action or operation are in a body. That which is immortal does not partake of that which is mortal.
That which is mortal does not enter into an immortal body, but that which is immortal enters into that which is mortal.
Actions or operations are not carried upward. but descend downward.
Things upon Earth do nothing to benefit those in Heaven, but all things in Heaven profit and benefit the things upon Earth."
The “Poemander."