Greco-Christian stream·Pistis Sophia·First Book — Post-Resurrection Discourses·Chapter 26
Source context
- Theme
- transmission of light-power through hierarchical aeons and the soul's reception of spiritual vesture
- Soul-faculty
- Consciousness Soul
Steiner
- GA 69c, 1912-11-16Steiner identifies the Gnostic Christ-impulse — as articulated by Basilides, Marcion, and Valentinus — as structurally concerned with the cosmic necessity of spiritual transmission through hierarchical orders, which parallels the pleroma-emanation logic underlying this chapter's light-vesture doctrine.
Cross-tradition
- Neoplatonic emanationism (Plotinus)The hierarchical descent of light through successive hypostases in the Enneads displays cross-tradition congruence with the Pistis Sophia's graded aeon-structure through which light-power is transmitted to the ascending soul.
- Kabbalah — tzimtzum and the Sephirothic treeThe Lurianic doctrine of light contracting and flowing through successive Sephiroth as garments (levushim) for the divine presence shows cross-tradition congruence with the light-vesture and hierarchical reception described in this chapter.
Chapter 26
CHAPTER 26
"This then they accomplished continuously before their power was diminished in them and they waned and became exhausted, or powerless. It came to pass then, when they became powerless, that their power began to cease in them, so that they became exhausted in their power, and their light, which was in their region, ceased and their kingdom was destroyed, and the universe became quickly raised up.
"It came to pass then, when they had perceived this at the time, and when the number of the cipher of Melchisedec, the Receiver [of the Light], happened, then had he to come out again and enter into the midst of the rulers of all the æons and into the midst of all the rulers of the Fate and of those of the sphere; and he threw them into agitation, and made them quickly abandon
their circles. And forthwith they were constrained, and cast forth the power out of themselves, out of the breath of their mouth and the tears of their eyes and the sweat of their bodies.
The rulers devour their matter so that souls may not be fashioned."And Melchisedec, the Receiver of the Light, purifieth them, as he doth continually; he carrieth their light into the Treasury of the Light. And all the rulers of the æons and the rulers of the Fate and those of the sphere turn to the matter of their refuse; they devour it and do not let it go and become souls in the world. They devour then their matter, so that they may not become powerless and exhausted and their power cease in them and their kingdom become destroyed, but in order that they may delay and linger a long time until the completion of the number of the perfect souls who shall be in the Treasury of the Light.