Greco-Christian stream·Pistis Sophia·Third Book — Mysteries of the Light·Chapter 121
Mary interpreteth from a former saying
Lord, with precision have I precisely followed all the words which thou hast said · When then Mary had said this, the Saviour said: "Well said, thou spiritual Mary
Source context
- Theme
- mysteries of light as esoteric illumination within Gnostic Christian initiation
Steiner
- GA 69c, 1912-11-16Steiner identifies the Christ-impulse as the central developmental necessity within Gnostic thought, singling out Basilides, Marcion, and Valentinus as primary bearers of this idea.
- GA 87, 1902-04-19Steiner notes that Gnostic basic views incorporated ancient religious systems of the whole world alongside specifically Christian illumination-knowledge.
- GA 228, 1923-07-28Steiner observes that Gnostic writings were systematically destroyed and are known in the West only through polemical counter-writings, making direct access to their light-mysteries largely inaccessible.
- GA 8, chapter 9Steiner treats the Johannine Apocalypse as the disclosure that the mysteries shall no longer remain hidden, framing divine light as the eschatological illumination of the new Jerusalem — a structural correlate to Gnostic light-mystery doctrine.
Cross-tradition
- Neoplatonism (Plotinus)The Plotinian emanation of the One as self-diffusing light offers cross-tradition congruence with Gnostic light-mystery structures in which illumination descends through successive hypostases toward material existence.
- Hermeticism (Corpus Hermeticum)The Hermetic Poimandres vision of primordial light as the first divine disclosure presents cross-tradition congruence with the Gnostic account of light as the initiatory substance of higher gnosis.
- Jewish Kabbalah (Zohar — Or Ein Sof)The Kabbalistic doctrine of Or Ein Sof as infinite divine light contracted through the Tzimtzum to enable creation shows cross-tradition congruence with Gnostic distinctions between the pleroma of light and the fallen material world.
Chapter 121
CHAPTER 121
When then the Saviour had said this unto his disciples, he said unto them: "Understand ye in what manner I speak with you?"
Mary interpreteth from a former saying.Mary answered and said: "Yea, my Lord, with precision have I precisely followed all the words which thou hast said. Concerning this word then thou hast spoken unto us aforetime: 'If the house-holder knew at what hour in the night the thief cometh to break into the house, he would keep awake and not suffer the man to break into his house.'"
When then Mary had said this, the Saviour said: "Well said, thou spiritual Mary. This is the word."
The Saviour continued again and said unto his disciples: "Now, therefore, herald ye unto all men who shall receive mysteries in the Light, and speak |311. unto them, saying: Keep watch over yourselves and sin not, lest ye heap evil on evil and go out of the body without having repented and become strangers to the Light-kingdom for ever."
When the Saviour had said this, Mary answered and said: "My Lord, great is the compassion of those mysteries which forgive sins at every time."
If even men on earth are compassionate, how much more then the highest mysteries?The Saviour answered and said unto Mary in the midst of the disciples: "If to-day a king who is a man of the world, giveth a gift to men of his like, and also forgiveth murderers and those who have intercourse with males, and the rest of the very grievous sins which are deserving of death,--if it becometh him who is a man of the
world, to have done this, much more then have the Ineffable and the First Mystery, who are the lords of the universe, the authority to act in all things as it pleaseth them, that they forgive every one who shall receive mysteries.
"Or if on the other hand a king to-day investeth a soldier with a royal vesture and sendeth him into foreign regions, and he committeth murders and other grievous sins which are deserving of death, then they will not impute them to him, and are not able to do him any evil because he is invested with the royal vesture,--how much more then those who wear the mysteries of the vestures of the Ineffable and those of the First Mystery, who are lords over all those of the height and all those of the depth!"