Egyptian-Hebrew stream·Corpus Hermeticum·Second Book. Called

Source context

Theme

the nature of God as unbounded, self-sufficient, and containing all things without being contained

Soul-faculty

Consciousness Soul

Steiner

not engaged in the GA corpus

Cross-tradition

• Neoplatonism (Plotinus, Enneads)Cross-tradition congruence appears in Plotinus's doctrine of the One as absolutely self-sufficient and prior to all limitation, paralleling the Hermetic assertion that God is not in space but space is in God.
• Advaita VedantaCross-tradition congruence appears in the Upanishadic formulation of Brahman as that which contains all but is itself unconditioned and uncontained — structurally homologous to the Hermetic unbounded divine plenum.
• Kabbalah (Ein Sof doctrine)Cross-tradition congruence appears in the Kabbalistic conception of Ein Sof as the infinite ground that encompasses all worlds while remaining wholly other to spatial or categorial delimitation.

Second Book. Called

My thoughts were once deeply engaged with the nature of existence in deep meditation, and my understanding was elevated, while all my bodily senses were greatly restrained—as happens to those who are heavy with sleep due to overeating or physical labor. It seemed to me that someone of immense stature and infinite greatness called me by name and said to me, "What do you wish to hear and see? What do you desire to understand, to learn, and to know?"

Then I asked, "Who are you?"

He replied, "I am Poimandres, the Mind of the Great Lord, the most mighty and absolute Emperor. I know what you wish, and I am always present with you."

I said, "I want to learn about the things that exist, to understand their nature, and to know God."

"How?" he asked. lanswered, "I would gladly hear."

Then he said, "Hold me again in your mind, and whatever you wish to learn, I will teach you."

When he had said this, he changed in form, and immediately, in the blink of an eye, all things were opened to me. I saw an infinite vision; all things became light, both sweet and exceedingly pleasant, and I was wonderfully delighted in beholding it.

But after a little while, part of the light became dark, descending obliquely—fearful and hideous—which seemed to change into a sort of turbulent, moist nature, emitting smoke as from fire. From it proceeded an unutterable, very mournful, but inarticulate voice, as if it came from the light.

Then from that light, a certain holy Word joined itself to Nature, and pure and unmixed Fire flew upward from the moist nature. It was exceedingly light, sharp, and powerful. The Air, which was also light, followed the Spirit and rose up to the Fire (from the Earth and the Water), so that it seemed to hang and depend upon it.

And the Earth and the Water remained by themselves, so mingled together that the Earth could not be seen because of the Water, but they were moved because of the spiritual Word that was carried upon them.

Then Poimandres said to me, "Do you understand this vision and what it means?"

I replied, "I shall know."

Then he said, "I am that Light—the Mind— your God, who existed before the moist nature that appeared out of darkness. That bright and luminous Word from the Mind is the Son of God."

"How is that?" I asked.

He replied, "Understand it this way: That which sees and hears within you is the Word of the Lord and the Mind—the Father—God. They do not differ from one another, and the union of these is Life."

"Thank you," I said.

Poimandres continued, “But first, conceive the Light well in your mind and know it."

When he had said this, we looked steadfastly at each other for a long time, so much so that I trembled at his appearance.

But when he nodded to me, I beheld in my mind the Light that is innumerable and the truly infinite Ornament or World; and I saw that the Fire is contained by a most great Power and constrained to keep its place.

I understood these things by seeing the Word of Poimandres. When I was mightily amazed, he said to me again, "Have you seen in your mind that Archetypal Form, which existed before the unending and infinite beginning?"

Thus Poimandres spoke to me.

"But from where," I asked, "or from what are the elements of Nature made?"

Poimandres replied, "From the Will and Counsel of God, who, taking the Word and beholding the beautiful World in the Archetype, imitated it, and so made this World by the principles and vital seeds—or soul-like productions—of itself."

"For the Mind, being God—male and female, Life and Light—brought forth by His Word another Mind, the Workman. This Mind, being God of the Fire and the Spirit, fashioned and formed seven other Governors, who, in their circles, contain the sensible world, whose governance is called Fate or Destiny."

"Immediately, the Word of God leaped out from the downward elements of God into the pure Workmanship of Nature and was united with the Workman Mind, for it was of the same substance. Thus, the downward elements of Nature were left without reason, becoming mere matter."

"But the Workman Mind, together with the Word, containing the circles and whirling them about, turned his own creations like a wheel and allowed them to rotate from an indefinite beginning to an undeterminable end—for they always begin where they end."

"The circulation or rotation of these, as the Mind willed, brought forth unreasonable or brute creatures from the lower elements—for they had no reason—the Air produced flying things, and the Water brought forth creatures that swim."

"The Earth and the Water were separated from. each other as the Mind desired, and the Earth brought forth from herself living creatures —four-footed and creeping beasts, wild and tame."

"But the Father of all things—the Mind, being Life and Light—brought forth Man, like Himself, whom He loved as His own offspring, for he was all-beautiful, bearing the image of his Father."

"For indeed, God was exceedingly enamored of His own form or shape and entrusted it with all His creations. But seeing and understanding the creation of the Workman in its entirety, He also wished to create, and thus was separated from the Father, dwelling in the sphere of generation or operation."

"Having all power, He considered the operations of the Seven Governors, and they loved Him, and each made Him a partaker of their own order."

"And He, understanding their essence, and partaking, learning diligently and of their nature, resolved to pierce and break through the circumference of the circles to understand the power of Him who sits upon the Fire."

"And having already all power over mortal things, of the living, and of the unreasonable creatures of the world, He stooped down and peered through the Harmony. Breaking through the strength of the circles, He revealed and made manifest the downwardborne Nature—the fair and beautiful form of God."

"When He saw this, possessing insatiable beauty and all the operations of the Seven Governors and the form of God, He smiled with love, as if He had seen His own likeness in the water or the shadow upon the Earth of the fairest human form."

"And seeing in the Water a shape like Himself, He loved it and desired to dwell with it. Immediately upon this decision, the operation ensued and brought forth the unreasonable image or shape."

"Nature, immediately embracing what she so much loved, wrapped herself entirely around it, and they were mingled, for they loved one another."

"And for this reason, Man—above all living things upon Earth—is dual in nature: mortal because of his body, and immortal because of the essential Man. For being immortal and having power over all things, he yet suffers mortal things and is subject to Fate or Destiny."

"Therefore, being above the Harmony, he became a servant to Harmony. And being hermaphroditic—both male and female—and vigilant, he is governed by and subjected to a Father who is both male and female and watchful."

After these things, I said, "You are my Mind, and I am in love with Reason."

Then Poimandres said, "This is the mystery that to this day is hidden and kept secret. For Nature, being mingled with Man, brought forth a wonder most wonderful. Having the nature of the Harmony of the Seven—from Him whom I told you, the Fire and the Spirit—Nature did not delay but immediately brought forth seven human beings, all males and females, exalted on high according to the natures of the Seven Governors."

"And after these things, O Poimandres," I said, "Thave a great desire and longing to hear more.

Please continue."

But he said, "Keep silent, for I have not yet finished the first discourse."

"Behold, I am silent," I replied.

Poimandres continued, "The generation of these seven was as follows: The Air, being feminine, and the Water desiring union, took from the Fire its ripeness and from the Aether, Spirit. Thus, Nature produced bodies after the species and shape of humans."

"And Man was made of Life and Light into Soul and Mind—of Life, the Soul; of Light, the Mind."

"And so all the members of the sensible world continued until the end, ruling and generating."

"Now hear the rest of the discourse you so greatly desire."

"When that period was fulfilled, the bond of all things was loosed and untied by the Will of God. For all living creatures, being hermaphroditic—male and female— were separated along with Man; thus, the males were apart by themselves and the females likewise."

"And immediately God said to the Holy Word, Increase in increasing, and multiply in multitude, all you my creatures and creations. Let him who is endowed with Mind know himself to be immortal, and that the cause of death is the love of the body. Let him learn all things that are."

"When He had said this, Providence, through Fate and Harmony, made the mixtures and established the generations, and all things were multiplied according to their kind. And he who knew himself eventually reached the essential, all-encompassing Good."

"But he who, through the error of love, loved the body remained wandering in darkness, experiencing only the sensory and suffering the things of death." l asked, "But why do those who are ignorant sin so much that they should be deprived of immortality?"

Poimandres replied, "You seem not to have understood what you have heard."

I said, "Perhaps it seems so to you, but I both understand and remember them."

Poimandres said, "I am glad for your sake if you understand them."

I asked, "Tell me, why are those who are in death deserving of death?"

Poimandres answered, "Because a sad and dismal darkness precedes their body, of which darkness is the moist nature. This moist nature composes the body in the sensory world, from which death is derived. Have you understood this correctly?"

I replied, "But why or how does the one who understands himself go or pass into God?"

Poimandres said, "As the Word of God said: Because the Father of all things consists of Life and Light, of which Man is made."

"You speak very well," I said.

Poimandres continued, "God—the Father—is Light and Life, of which Man is made. If, therefore, you learn and believe yourself to be of Life and Light, you shall again pass into Life." l asked, "But tell me more, O my Mind, how shall I go into Life?"

Poimandres replied, "God says, ‘Let the man endowed with Mind observe, consider, and know himself well."

Tasked, "Do not all men have a mind?"

Poimandres cautioned, "Be careful what you say, for I—the Mind—come to those who are holy and good, pure and merciful, and who live piously and devoutly. My presence is a help to them. Immediately they know all things, and lovingly they supplicate and appease the Father. Blessing Him, they give Him thanks and sing hymns, guided by filial affection and natural love. Before they surrender their bodies to death, they disdain their senses, recognizing their deeds and operations.

"I, the Mind itself, will not allow the deeds that pertain to the body to be completed in them. As the gatekeeper, I will shut the entrances of evil and cut off the contemplation of vile acts.

"But to the foolish, evil, wicked, envious, covetous, murderous, and profane, I am distant, giving way to the avenging demon. This demon, applying the sharpness of fire, torments such a person tangibly and incites him further into wickedness, ensuring he receives greater punishment.

"Such a one never ceases, plagued by unfulfillable desires and insatiable lusts, always battling in darkness. The demon afflicts and torments him continually, increasing the fire upon him more and more."

I said, "You have, O Mind, most excellently taught me all things as I desired. But tell me more: after the return is made, what then?"

Poimandres answered, "First of all, when the material body dissolves, it is given over to transformation, and its previous form becomes invisible. The idle habits are surrendered and left to the demon, and the senses of the body return to their sources, becoming parts and reassembling into operations.

"Anger and desire return to the brutish, irrational nature, and the rest ascend upward. through Harmony.

"To the first zone, it relinquishes the power of increasing and decreasing.

"To the second, the scheming of evils and crafty deceit.

"To the third, the futile illusion of desire.

"To the fourth, the craving for power and insatiable ambition.

"To the fifth, profane boldness and reckless confidence.

"To the sixth, evil and ineffective pursuits of riches.

"And to the seventh zone, subtle falsehood, always lying in wait.

"Then, stripped of all the workings of Harmony, it ascends to the eighth sphere, possessing its own power, and sings praises to the Father with those who are there. All present rejoice and celebrate its coming. Becoming like those with whom it dwells, it hears the powers above the eighth sphere singing praise to God in a unique voice.

"Then, in order, they ascend to the Father, and they surrender themselves to the powers.

Becoming powers themselves, they dwell in God.

"This is the Good—to be deified by those who know.

"Therefore, why do you ask, 'What remains?’ Understand all people, and become a guide and leader to those who are worthy, so that humanity may be saved by God!"

When Poimandres had said this to me, he was mingled among the powers.

But I, giving thanks and blessing the Father of all things, rose up, empowered by Him, and learned about the nature of the universe, having witnessed the greatest vision.

I began to preach to people about the beauty and goodness of piety and knowledge.

"O you people, men born and made of the Earth, who have given yourselves over to drunkenness and sleep and to the ignorance of God, be sober and cease your excesses, to which you are enticed by brutish and irrational slumber.

Those who heard me came willingly and with one accord, and then I continued:

"Why, O men—offspring of the Earth—have you surrendered yourselves to death, when you have the power to partake of immortality? Repent and change your minds, you who have walked together in error and have been darkened by ignorance.

"Depart from that dark light; become partakers of immortality, and forsake corruption."

Some of those who heard me mocked and scorned, then went away and surrendered themselves to the path of death.

But others, casting themselves down before my feet, begged to be taught. I helped them rise and became a guide for humanity, teaching them how and by what means they might be saved. I sowed in them the words of wisdom and nourished them with the ambrosial water of immortality.

When evening came and daylight began to fade, I instructed them to give thanks to God. After they had finished their thanksgiving, each returned to his own dwelling.

But I recorded within myself the generosity and benevolence of Poimandres, and, filled with what I most desired, I was exceedingly glad.

For the sleep of the body became the sober vigilance of the mind; the closing of my eyes was true sight; my silence was pregnant with goodness; and my spoken words were the blossoms and fruits of virtuous deeds.

This is what happened to me, which I received from my Mind—that is, Poimandres, the Lord of the Word—by which I became inspired by God with the Truth.

For this reason, with my soul and whole strength, I give praise and blessing to God the Father.

Holy is God, the Father of all things.

Holy is God, whose will is performed and accomplished by His own powers.

Holy is God, who desires to be known and is known by His own.

Holy are You, who by Your Word have established all things.

Holy are You, of whom all nature is an image.

Holy are You, whom nature has not formed.

Holy are You, who are stronger than all power.

Holy are You, who are greater than all excellence.

Holy are You, who are better than all praise.

Accept these reasonable sacrifices from a pure soul and a heart extended toward You.

O You unspeakable, unutterable, to be praised with silence!

I beseech You that I may never stray from the knowledge of You. Look mercifully upon me, enable me, and enlighten with Your grace those who are in ignorance—the brothers of my kind but Your children.

Therefore, I believe You and bear witness, and enter into Life and Light.

Blessed are You, O Father. Your human desires to be sanctified with You, as You have given him all power.

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