Reflection for August 5, 2013: Credo

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chewton_Mendip
Church of St Mary Magdalene, Chewton Mendip

In the Western world, a strong belief in the objective truths of religion, which are viewed as incontrovertible, demonstrable facts, is regarded as essential to the life of faith. When asking if somebody is religious, peo- ple often inquire: “Does he or she believe?” as though accepting certain credal propositions was the prime religious activity. Indeed, faith is equated with belief, but this equation is of recent provenance. Origi- nally the meaning of the word faith was akin to trust, as when we say that we have faith in a friend or an ideal. Faith was not an intellectual position but a virtue: it was the careful cultivation, by means of the ritu- als and myths of religion, of the conviction that, despite all the dispirit- ing evidence to the contrary, life had some ultimate meaning and value. The Latin word credo (translated now as “I believe”) seems to have de- rived from the phrase cor dare: to give one’s heart. The Middle English word beleven meant to love. When Christians proclaimed: credo in unum Deum , they were not so much affirming their belief in the existence of a single deity as committing their lives to God. When St. Anselm of Can- terbury prayed in the eleventh century: credo ut intellagam (“I have faith in order that I may understand”), he was not blindly submitting to the doctrines of religion in the hope that one day these incredible asser- tions would make sense today, if he abdicated his critical intelligence. His prayer should really be translated: “I commit myself in order that I may understand.” The meaning of dogma would only be revealed when he lived a fully Christian life, embracing its mythology and rituals whole- heartedly. This attitude is foreign to modernity. Today people feel that before they live a religious life, they must first satisfy themselves intel- lectually of its metaphysical claims. This is sound scientific practice: first you must establish a principle before you can apply it. But it is not the way that religion has traditionally worked.

http://www.sacredweb.com/online_articles/sw4_armstrong.pdf
Karen ARmstrong (Faith an Modernity)

 

Reflection for May 30, 2013: At the borders of speech

It is precisely the challenge involved

in using inadequate words

that drives the mind

beyond all words…

At the borders of speech

we open ourselves

to the positive value of silence….

Literary reading,

through its complexity, its music,

its suggestiveness, points to a fuller realm of being.

–Edward k Kaplan (citing Abraham Joshua Heschel)

 

Reflection for May 27, 2011: Exploring the Grail

I praise the Lord, Prince of the realm and King!

His rule extends across the whole wide world.

Gweir was penned beneath the fortress mound,

As tell the tales of Pwyll and Pryderi.

None before him passed into the prison,

With a heavy chain a faithful servant bound.

Bitter before the spoils of Annwn he sang,

And until Doomsday lasts our bardic prayer.

Three companies of warriors we went in —

Seven alone rose up from Elfs-castle.

 

Song rang out, honoring me with praise

In the four-peaked fortress, four its mighty turnings.

My verses from within the cauldron uttered,

By breath of maidens ninefold they were kindled.

The lord of Annwn’s cauldron: how is it made?

A dark ridge on its border, crusted pearls.

Its fate is not to boil the meat of cowards,

The deadly flashing sword is lifted to it,

And in the hand of the Leaper it was left.

Before the doors of hell the lamps were burning.

When we went in with Arthur, blinding trouble —

Seven alone rose up from Meads-castle.

 

 

Song rang out, honoring me with praise

In the four-peaked fortress, isle of the strong door.

Flowing water and shining jet are mingled,

They drink the sparkling wine before their followers.

Three companies of warriors sailed the sea —

Seven alone rose up from Hard-castle.

 

I do not deserve to be put with poetasters:

Beyond the fort they missed the valor of Arthur.

Six thousand men stood on the glass wall,

Their sentinel was difficult to speak with.

Three companies of warriors went with Arthur —

Seven alone rose up from Guts-castle.

 

 

I do not deserve the mean men, slack their shield straps.

They do not know the day of our creation,

Nor what time of day the One was born.

Who made him who strayed far from Defwy meadows?

They do not know the ox, his thick headband,

Full sevenscore links upon his chained collar.

And when we went with Arthur, woeful visit —

Seven alone rose up from Gods-castle.

 

 

I do not deserve these men — slack their will.

They do not know which day the chief was sired,

Nor what hour of day the lord was born,

Nor what beasts are kept, their heads of silver.

When we went in with Arthur, sorrowful strife —

Seven alone rose up from Box-castle.

 

 

Monks are a pack together — a choir of dogs —

They shrink away from meeting the lords who know:

Is there one course of wind? One course of water?

Is there one spark of fire?  Of fierce tumult?

Monks are a pack together, like youngling wolves

They shrink away from meeting the lords who know:

They do not know when night and dawn divide,

Nor wind, what is its course, nor what its onrush,

What place it ravages, nor where it strikes.

The grave of the saint vanishes, grave and ground.

I praise the Lord, great Prince of the whole world,

And so I am not sad, for Christ endows me.

further:

http://www.lib.rochester.edu/camelot/annwn.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Preiddeu_Annwfn

http://igerne.tripod.com/annwn.htm

http://www.celtic-twilight.com/camelot/poetry/taliesin/spoils_annwfn.htm

 

In the center of the Castle of Brahma, our own body, there is a small shrine,

in the form of a Lotus flower, and within can be found a small space.

We should find who dwells there and want to know him….

for the whole universe is in him and he dwells within our heart.

–Chandoga Upanishad

 

Or, as one might say; In the center of the Castle of the Grail, our own body, there is a shrine,

and within it is to be found the Grail of the Heart.

We should indeed seek to know and understand that inhabitant.

It is the fragment of the divine contained within each one of us- like the sparks of

unfallen creation which the Gnostics saw entrapped within the flesh of the human envelope.

This light shines within each one, and the true quest of the Grail consists in

bringing that light to the surface, nourishing and feeding it until its radiance suffuses the world.

–John Matthews (“Temples of the Grail” found in At The Table of the Grail: No One Who Sets Forth on the Grail Quest Remains Unchanged )

 

 

The Grail Mystery Returned underground, wrapped itself again in its esotericism

and waited for another time toi unfold its inner revelation. Such a point was reached

after the Reformation, when the inner Grail mystery…surfaced again in the Rosicruccian

movement of the early seventeenth century. At this time…the Rosicrucians tried to incarnate

an Esoteric Christianity within the Protestant movement…in order to provide a much needed

resolution of the polarities of Protestantism. Thus we should see the Rosicrucian

movement as being inwardly related to the Grail mystery. The spiritual alchemy that

was the esoteric foundation of Rosicrucianism can be seen as a development of the Grail impulse.

–Adam Maclean (“Alchemical transmutation in history and symbolism” , found in At the Table of the Grail 1982)

 

 

The

intrinsic definition of Limitlessness is that It lacks nothing and can

receive nothing, for It is everything. As It is everything,

theoretictically It is the potential to be an infinite source of giving.

 

The

question arises, however, that there is nothing for It to give to

because It is everything. It would have to give to Itself. This has been

a major creation. conundrum in philosophy and theology for thousands of

years.

 

Kabbalah

suggests one way of dealing with this issue. It says that as long as

the infinite source of giving has no “will” to give, nothing happens.

However, the instant It has the will to give, this will initiates a

“thought.” Kabbalah says, “Will, which is [primordial] thought, is the

beginning of all things, and the expression [of this thought] is the

completion.

 

That is, the entire creation is nothing more than a thought in the “mind” ofEin Sof, so

to speak. Another way to express this idea is that the will to u give

instantly creates a will to receive. The idea that an infinite giver can

create receptivity in Itself is what Kabbalists call tzimtzum (contraction). It has to make an opening within Itself for receiving.

 

That which is given is called light. That which receives is called vessel. Light

and vessel are always in balance, because light comes from an infinite

source and thus will fill a vessel to its capacity. If we put a bucket

under Niagara Falls, it instantly fills. If we put a freight train

there, it also instantly fills. Imagine that the entire universe rests

under a Niagara Falls of light, continuously being filled.

 

According

to Kabbalah, the interaction between vessel and light is what makes the

world go around. Everything in the universe is a vessel that “wills” to

receive the light of theinfinite bestower. Each molecule, plant,

animal, rock, and human is a vessel; each has the “will” to be exactly

what it is.]

 

Human

consciousness is unique in that it has the quality of being “in and the

universe. If we the image of God.” This quality is expressed by what we

call free will, and free will at its core is nothing more than the

ability to bestow light. That is to say, human consciousness has an

inherent will to give. This human capability of acting like God in being a bestower is the fulcrum upon which the entire universe is balanced.

 

The

reason this is so important is that if there were a will only to

receive, as described above, the universe would be completely

predictable. Everything would be predetermined, all receptivity would

find shape in its implicit design, and every aspect of the unfolding of

creation could be anticipated. The wild card introduced here is the

premise that human consciousness is informed by a soul force that gives

it the capacity to emulate the infinite Bestower.

 

 

Thus

human beings have an extraordinary capacity to influence the direction

of creation. Each time we make use of our free will by giving, we are in

copartnership with the infinite Bestower. When this is accomplished,

with clear awareness of what we are doing, we raise the consciousness of

creation.

–David A Cooper (God Is a Verb: Kabbalah and the Practice of Mystical Judaism)

 

Prayer for October 16, 2008

We have purified our hands in Kushta In the Name of the Living Gods!

We have purified our hands in Kushta and our lips in faith.

We have uttered words of radiance and were absorbed in thoughts of Light.

Thou, my Lord Yeshu d-Hiya, art blessed and praised and thy praise is established.

Great is the strength of Life; abounding the glory of the mighty Life! Honor rests upon the Uthras who sit in glory.

This is prayer and praise which came to them from the great place of Light and the everlasting Abode.

We praise with it when we have risen from our sleep, before any have spoken falsehood.

For anyone who prays this prayer there will be forgiving of sins and transgressions in the great place of Light and in the everlasting Abode.

And Life is transcendant.

—Extract from the Mandaean text, Qulasta (Hymns of Praise)

 

reflection for May 2, 2008:The Grail: a brief introduction.

The Grail: a brief introduction.

What is the Grail?
How long is a piece of string?

Well due to Dan Brown, many may think the Grail is one of three things…
the cup from the last supper
the Magdalena
the bloodline

what is the Grail? All of the above and far more. What we find with the Grail is a unifying theme.
The Grail is generally feminine
The Grail is a sacred vessel; a container
the Grail is a thing of transformation

the Grail is feminine, well yes. The vagina/womb is feminine…the Magdalena/bloodline. So the alchemical symbol of the downward pointed triangle, which means water, is feminine and found in the star of David
we can see this in tarot, epitomized by the Moon card, and the suit of cups…In Celtic times, sacred springs, such as Chalice Well in Glastonbury (England), were guarded by maidens, there is at least one story of this I have read…

The vessel or container…well a cup is a vessel or container. So again are a womb and a vagina. Of course if we look at Paganism, we find another expression of the vessel, the cauldron. To the ancient Britons the Cauldron of the Goddess was 3 fold…one gave wisdom, initiation, see the story of Taliesin. The cauldron of plenty that fed many and was never empty.  And the last most sinister, was the cauldron of the dead…that brought back the dead, however those brought back were generally not fully alive and traumatized from being in the land of the dead. These three cauldrons are of course found all over European folk stories.

The Grail is a vessel of transformation. Well Arthur’s knights sought to find the Grail, to transform the wasteland…The cauldrons also show us how he Grail is a vessel of transformation. We can also look to Islam, who had their Grail churches…once upon a time. The familiar story of Aladdin is the story of the Grail. Aladdin’s lamp, thus becomes the Grail…and a vessel of transformation

So what is the Grail? A feminine sacred vessel of transformation.
If we look to Kabbalah, we see Kingdom or Malkut is also referred to as the fallen Shekinah (Sophia Ecamoth, Gnosticism). The Shekinah is the “presence” of God, the divine feminine. Sometimes referred to as God’s consort and God’s mother. Malkut represents everything physical, everything manifest…the entire physical universe. So what are we saying? Yes…the Grail is the entire universe….a grain of sand, a tree, a mountain, is all the Grail. For are not things contained within a transforming feminine manifest universe?

But what else? The temple of Solomon in Judaism is seen as something sacred, a place to be built and to be copied. For the spiritual seeker the holiness of a spiritual temple or place of worship cannot be downplayed.

Of course what is a temple?..a container of the divine, a place of transformation. So what is the temple? You are the temple; you are the “temple not built with hands.” This is one reason the Torah states only God can rebuild the temple, any built by man will be destroyed. The temple not built with hands, you are the temple, the holy house of transformation, that, if you are willing, will contain the divine, contain the PRESENCE.

So we see, the Grail is unification of the mundane and the divine, in order to be the temple we must unite with the divine. Lover and loved must become one, as the Sufi tell us…a thousand times.

To conclude, the Grail is not something you obtain, find, learn the location with a map

The Grail is who you are, and who you become…

here endeth a brief introduction.
….

Hail Sophia, Lady of Light,
Mystical Lover of my spirit.
Blessed are you, Woman of Wisdom,
and blessed are the gifts you bestow on us your children.

Holy Sophia, goddess who leads to the One God,
fill me with your emptiness,
and darken my spirit with your light,
Amen.

……….

It is I who am you: and it is you who are me,
And wherever you are,
I am there. And I am sown in all;
and you collect me from wherever you wish.
And when you collect me, it is your own self that you collect

–Gospel of eve

Further:

the mabinogion

The Gnostic Hymn of the Pearl

The Gospel of Philip

The Gospel of Mary

Grimm fairy tales

The Chemical wedding of Christian Rosenkreutz

etc etc etc etc

 

Reflection for April 3, 2008: The coming of the Shekinah

I have no pen to describe the Heavenly Kingdom; neither can I express it, for the earthly tongue is much too insufficient to do it. We will defer it until we come into the bosom of the Maiden.

-Jacob Boehme

……………

I am knowledge and ignorance.

I am shame and boldness.

I am shameless, I am ashamed.

I am strength and I am fear.

I am war and peace.

Give heed to me.

I am the one who is disgraced and the great one.

–The Thunder Perfect Mind

…………..

This same transmutation is understood to occur in faithful Christians within Eastern Orthodox tradition. Theosis or god-becoming is the recognized vocation of all Christians. The transfiguration is a doxophony, a revelation of glory. Peter and James, the only witness to this event, are confused, choosing to make tents to shelter from the glory, perhaps in imitation of the sukkah booth of the feast of the Tabernacles. The other participants –Elijah and Moses –have already beheld God face to face and have already experienced the glory of the Shekinah.

–Caitlin Matthews (Sophia Goddess of Wisdom, Bride of God, P. 139)

……………..

 And he said to them, `Verily I say to you, That there are certain of those standing here, who may not taste of death till they see the reign of God having come in power.’

 And after six days doth Jesus take Peter, and James, and John, and bringeth them up to a high mount by themselves, alone, and he was transfigured before them,

 and his garments became glittering, white exceedingly, as snow, so as a fuller upon the earth is not able to whiten [them].

 And there appeared to them Elijah with Moses, and they were talking with Jesus.

 And Peter answering saith to Jesus, `Rabbi, it is good to us to be here; and we may make three booths, for thee one, and for Moses one, and for Elijah one:’

 for he was not knowing what he might say, for they were greatly afraid.

 And there came a cloud overshadowing them, and there came a voice out of the cloud, saying, `This is My Son — the Beloved, hear ye him;’

 and suddenly, having looked around, they saw no one any more, but Jesus only with themselves.

 And as they are coming down from the mount, he charged them that they may declare to no one the things that they saw, except when the Son of Man may rise out of the dead;

–Mark 9:1-9

…………

And whenever Sophia receives her consort and Jesus receives the Christ and the seeds and the angels, then the pleroma will receive Sophia joyfully and All will come to be in unity and reconciliation.

–A Valentinian Exposition

 

 

Grail Quest part 2

 

Reflection for January 14, 2008: The Exorcism of Mariamne’s Demons

“‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life’, said Jesus. In order to interpret his idea correctly, we must assimilate these three words and re-form them into a unity. And how can we do that? With the help of the image of a river. At the source of a river there is a spring: that is truth. From the spring flows water, which is life. And gradually over time, water erodes a path, which is the way. Do you know why I based my philosophy on the three words love, wisdom and truth? It is because they are linked to Jesus’ words, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life.’

To begin with, then, there is the source (truth); from this source flows life (love), and the riverbed, or the path this water takes for its descent, is wisdom. Water comes from above, and it descends to bring us life. But to drink it in all its purity, we must go to seek it at the source. Water descends, but we will only receive all its blessings if, through prayer and meditation, we rise to the divine Source.”

http://www.prosveta-usa.com/main.phtml?mailing=1

The Exorcism of Mariamne’s Demons
by
Tom Saunders

The Bible in Mark, and Luke describe Mary Magdalene having demons exercised from her. ‘Luke’ is particularly aimed at disclosing the incident….

Luke 8: 2-3. “And certain women, which had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities, Mary called Magdalene, out of whom went seven devils…And Joanna the wife of Chuza Herod’s steward, and Susanna, and many others, which ministered unto him of their substance.”

The “Gospel of Mary” not only reflects Luke’s description but clarifies for the Gnostic how to deal with the seven devils, known as The Seven Forms of Wrath. In the Mary Gospel a Monadic set is disclosed in the text (Chapter eight) that ancient Gnostics would recognize immediately. The study of the Monad is essential to Gnostic transcendence. For the Sethian Gnostic, the Monad is an energy that permeates everything like the force of ‘Chi’ in the study of Chinese philosophy.

The system of the Monad used by the Sethian Christians and Pythagoreans before them, is used as a tool of meditation and contemplation. It is a method to examine how an action whether physical or mental can be measured or attributed to a cause and effect using the paradigm. It is virtually a study of the ‘Spirit’ and how it flows.

The system of study starts with understanding the function of the ‘void’ or empty space, used in contemplation. In a Sethian Monadology, anything that enters that empty space is connected to the Monad, i.e. Jesus. This is expressed in Gnostic Scripture, as ”Jesus is Silence.” (“A Valentinian Exposition”)

Sets form from the Monad, or One, and expand to the dyad, triad, tetrad etc. An energy generated from the Monad runs through the set like a form of current. This holds true for any size of sets. The sets have innate characteristics like electric elements in a parallel electric circuit. They have opposites like good and evil which are also constants in the makeup of Monadic sets. It is easy to see this energy in simple dualities going from pole to pole, and this is what denotes ‘balance’ between poles like positive and negative. If a set is a ‘positive,’ it has a negative opposite, and probably ‘like units.’

As sets get larger they get more complex as to how the polarity works within the set. At the level of the pentad (5), Sets are used like a circle to show how the units are interacting within the ‘magic’ circle, which the units form. Everything within this space can be measured (seen) through the process of identifying the particular type of a unit in a set, and how it interacts with other members of the set. Units of a set can act as an entire unit, independently, or as subsets.

This is a description of the Seven Forms of Wrath, from the “Gospel of Mary.”

”The first form is darkness, the second desire, the third ignorance, the fourth is the excitement of death, the fifth is the kingdom of the flesh, the sixth is the foolish wisdom of flesh, the seventh is the wrathful wisdom. These are the seven powers of wrath.” (Chapter 8, “Gospel of Mary”)

It is probably not an accident that some of the units like ‘excitement of death’ seem vague in what they might entail. Excitement of Death holds the ‘Tetrad’ position in the set, so probably, it has broad or multiple meanings including fear, panic, perhaps murder and bloodlust.

Sethians held that flesh or the body was matter. The Kingdom of the Flesh is probably a way to paraphrase the kenoma. (being imperfect trapped in matter) This is to say that the Kingdom of the Flesh is flawed from the Pleroma. Foolish Wisdom of the Flesh probably includes sexual matters, and other behaviors, some that might be abusive. Dark Side monadic sets, connote the extreme of pure evil.

All Sethian Monadic sets start with ‘Word,’ meaning ‘Jesus Wisdom,’ (Holy Spirit) and end with Knowledge, Wisdom, Gnosis, or an equivalent term that denotes ‘Gnostic’ knowledge. The lower sets from Tetrad on up, simply are not as useful as an “Ogdoad.” It is at this level that things become clear as to cause and effect, and things inside the ‘circle’ can be manipulated. This is what the Chinese learned about applying the Tai Chi, and Sethians learned about the Monad.

The first unit (The Monad) in a Monadic set is the Root, and works to create a unifying form of energy circulating into the set, something like ‘Chi,’ Jesus Wisdom. The last unit is the Gender unit, and this has the effect of a switch like in a parallel electric circuit to reverse the positive to negative, offense to defense, yin to yang, and ‘Bada,’ to ‘Bing.’ This means for the Gnostic, if Word, (Jesus) as always the Monad, he does no evil, even if using evil units.

Wrath, Darkness, Desire, Ignorance, Excitement of ‘Death,’ (Evil) Kingdom of the Flesh, Foolish Wisdom of the Flesh, and Wrathful Wisdom, are anti-Word. To fully contemplate the power and evil intent to the full extent may make this set if applied like a weapon, the deadliest kind of mental living hell. These units are the evil opposites of what Jesus would apply to both healing and wisdom.

The mechanics of how the Evil Ogdoad, or Eight Forms of Wrath works, is exactly like the karate fighter uses the tool of an Octagon, to be able to describe and manipulate physical and mental behavior of an opponent. In order to use the formula in the Seven(8) Forms of Wrath, the method must become reality to the Gnostic, and both the ‘light’ and ‘dark,’ become one and the same. Like the Karate Fighter, the Gnostic practices a deadly art but this is in order to lesson the necessity of having to use it.

The Karate Fighter who uses the Tai Chi has eight genus moves to describe, and catalogue the exact moves in a fight. These genus units are punching, kicking, grabbing, joint locks, throwing, choking/squeezing, groundwork, and counters. Each unit or genus represents thousands of techniques which can be used/seen interchangeably with every other genus. This is of course according to the law of physics, the Paradigm is always used with rational perimeters.

Any fight can be analyzed, and cataloged as to which genus move is visualized in sequences, inside the Octagon. Good fighters counter moves and matches last a long time. The Chinese have been using the Tai Chi model for this use for centuries. It enables anyone who knows the system to come to the same conclusions about what transpired in the Octagon.

The Gnostic must manipulate the ‘Forms’ like the karate fighter manipulates his. This means learning how to use these units in ways which would be considered extremely evil. Wrath is only one of the deadly sins, found in various lists which were kept by early Christians. This means that Lust, Fear, Glutney, Hate, and a host of other ‘Demons,’ are in the mix; they are in essence the ‘Dark Side.’

The positive or Holy opposite of the Seven Forms of Wrath, would look something like this…

Word, light, satiation, practical knowledge, un-excitement of death, Holy Kingdom of the Flesh, rational wisdom of the Flesh, and Wisdom, i.e., Gnosis.

This set being applied is how Mary was healed, because it is only this knowledge which can counter the cause and effects of the evil hebdoad. The Seven Forms of Wrath, and all the other possible evil ‘Dark Side’ emotions, can use this healing model of the Ogdoad of Wrath. The formula for the ‘Forms of Wrath,’ show how to ‘form’ the positive or Holy opposite for any of the Dark Side ‘Forms.’ For a healing to work, the type of ‘Form’ must be determined. Then the ‘particular trouble’ must be put into the ‘Ogdoad’ and contemplated upon. Just switch ‘Wrath’ with say ‘Hate,’ and you form another demon.

There is only one valid source of Jesus Wisdom to apply to what becomes the ‘Word,’ in the Monadic set. This is the ”Gospel of Thomas.” It is through the study of the Sethian texts, the Thomas Gospel, and the Gnostic Gospels, that the Word becomes clear.

Darkness refers to lack of knowledge in regard to knowing that Wisdom is in fact the Holy Sprit, or Word. Knowing this changes the way you perceive the Holy Spirit. Otherwise you act out with Ignorance as to the true nature of the Word, and you face the ‘excitments’ of Death. The Gnostic student must learn how these manipulations work, separately, and in units.

Because man is matter, evil acts take place largely because of matter. Without the flesh the evil Dark Side of pain, both physical and mental because of ‘Flesh,’ can be avoided. That is, provided you understand that what must change these evil Forms, is the Soul. The Soul, is Form (Word), Perception, Consciousness, Action (Spirit), and Knowledge. It is with this tool that the Gnostic learns to advance his skills inside the ‘forms’ of the Monad. This applies to the self, family, community, city, state, country, world, universe, and Pleroma.

The “Gospel of Thomas” saying 26, offers this Wisdom about healing…26. Jesus said, “You see the sliver in your friend’s eye, but you don’t see the timber in your own eye. When you take the timber out of your own eye, then you will see well enough to remove the sliver from your friend’s eye.”.

Jesus is the Monad, Amen.

…………

Monad: From the Greek word, meaning “one”, “single” or “unique.” It has ample
descriptions according to different contexts: According to Pythagoras it was the
first thing in existence. ”The Valentinian Exposition” declares Jesus the
‘Monad.’ (See Sethian Monadology.) mo·nad; (mnd) n. 1. Philosophy; An
indivisible, impenetrable unit of substance viewed as the basic constituent
element of physical reality in the metaphysics of Leibnitz. 2. Biology; A
single-celled microorganism, especially a flagellate protozoan of the genus
”Monas.” 3. Chemistry ; An atom or a radical with valence 1. (Online
Webster’s Dic. See also; Wikipedia.) The Monadic sequence to the Triad is
expressed is by the ”Oracles of Zoroaster,” which illuminates the
sequence…..
25. The Monad first existed, and the Paternal Monad still subsists.
26. When the Monad is extended, the Dyad is generated.
27. And beside Him is seated the Dyad which glitters with intellectual sections,
to govern all things and to order everything not ordered.
28. The Mind of the Father said that all things should be cut into Three, whose
Will assented, and immediately all things were so divided.
29. The Mind of the Eternal Father said into Three, governing all things by
Mind.
30. The Father mingled every Spirit from this Triad.
31. All things are supplied from the bosom of this Triad.
32. All things are governed and subsist in this Triad
33. For thou must know that all things bow before the Three Supernals.
34. From thence floweth forth the Form of the Triad, being preexistent; not the
first Essence, but that whereby all things are measured.
35. And there appeared in it Virtue and Wisdom, and multiscient Truth.
36. For in each World shineth the Triad, over which the Monad ruleth.”
The “Three Supernals” is perhaps a reference to the Kabbalah, but probably
refers to the state of Tripartite.

 

 

The demiurge

Agnosia: State of not having insight or Gnosis.

………………..

 

“WE MAKE OURSELVES real by telling the truth” –Thomas Merton

 

……………………….

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demiurge

Demiurge (from the Greek δημιουργός dēmiourgós, Latinized demiurgus, meaning “artisan” or “craftsman”, literally “worker in the service of the people”, from δήμιος “of the people” + έργον “work”) is a term for a creator deity, responsible for the creation of the physical universe.

In the sense of a divine creative principle, the word was first introduced by Plato in Timaeus, 41a (ca. 360 BC). It subsequently appears in a number of different religious and philosophical systems of Late Antiquity, besides Platonic realism most notably in Neoplatonism the term also appears in Gnosticism:

• For Plato, the demiurge is a benevolent creator of the laws or the heaven or of the world in Timaeus. Above Plato’s demiurge is the good.
• Plotinus identified the demiurge as nous (divine mind), the first emanation of “the One” (see monad). Neoplatonists personified the demiurge as Zeus.
• In Gnosticism, the material universe is seen as evil, and the demiurge is the evil creator of the physical world. The demiurge is the God that created the human body or flesh, since the flesh is evil then so to, is the flesh’s creator.

Alternative Gnostic names for the Demiurge, include Yaldabaoth, Yao or Iao, Ialdabaoth and several other variants. The Gnostics identified the Demiurge with the Hebrew God Yahweh (see the Sethians and Ophites). He is known as Ptahil in Mandaeanism.

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It should be noted the following is largely my opinion; it is not particularly “true” or “accurate.” As a result you may disagree with some or all portions of the following (you may already “know” all the following also).

 

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Gnosticism…what is Gnosticism and what is Gnosis? I was asked a few weeks ago now, “What is the Demiurge?” To examine the Demiurge we have to examine what Gnosis and Gnosticism IS. So what is Gnosis?

 

Gnosis is knowing, to know. Gnosis is spiritual knowing, to KNOW the divine.

 

Gnomon (γνώμων) is an ancient Greek word meaning “knower” or “judge”, from the Proto-Indo-European language *gnō-, to know. It has several specific meanings:

 

Gnome (knower of the earth), Gnosis etc….

In Gnosticism we differentiate the two types of knowing. We have mundane knowledge and divine knowledge. Other “religions” such as Buddhism also refer to two types of knowing. Episteme or mundane knowledge is akin to knowing mundane information. Episteme is like knowing a bus time table and applying that knowledge. Of course nothing is wrong with this knowledge; it is very useful and helpful. However there is more: Gnosis.

 

“God is a dyer. As the good dyes, which are called “true”, dissolve with the things dyed in them, so it is with those whom God has dyed. Since his dyes are immortal, they become immortal by means of his colors. Now God dips what he dips in water.

It is not possible for anyone to see anything of the things that actually exist unless he becomes like them. This is not the way with man in the world: he sees the sun without being a sun; and he sees the heaven and the earth and all other things, but he is not these things. This is quite in keeping with the truth. But you saw something of that place, and you became those things. You saw the Spirit, you became spirit. You saw Christ, you became Christ. You saw the Father, you shall become Father. So in this place you see everything and do not see yourself, but in that place you do see yourself – and what you see you shall become. “–Gospel of Philip

“It is not possible for anyone to see anything of the things that actually exist unless he becomes like them.” Thus to truly gain Gnosis, to KNOW, we must BECOME that which we seek to know. To give of the self totally, to become…to give, to LOVE. For it is in love that we give totally, without want, without agenda…

” For your sake, I hurry over land and water:

For your sake, I cross the desert and split the mountain in two,

And turn my face from all things,

Until the time I reach the place

Where I am alone with You.”

–Al Hallaj (8^th -9^th cent. Iranian Sufi)

LOVE, the Beatles once sang, all you need is love….for the seeker, the mystic, the Gnostic, of the entire world’s great paths; this is the one universal truth, LOVE. Often called the only true religion.

“All life is just a progression toward, and then a recession from, one phrase — I love you.” –F Scott Fitzgerald

So what about the Demiurge?

“It was Christianity which painted the devil on the world’s wall; it was Christianity which first brought sin into the world. Belief in the cure which it offered has now been shaken to its deepest roots; but belief in the sickness it taught and propagated continues to exist.” –Nietzsche

 

Although Nietzsche’s sentiment is perhaps a bit abhorrent and naïve let us examine it. Satan, from the Hebrew, means adversary. Adversary..Opposer, opposition.

 

“Opposition is a natural part of life. Just as we develop our physical muscles through overcoming opposition – such as lifting weights – we develop our character muscles by overcoming challenges and adversity.”

— Albert Schweitzer

 

Satan, shtn, shit, excrement, excretum…something to be removed, lost..purified. The Bagavad Gita a key Hindu text is about the self, the battle of the self. For the mystic the greatest battle is the self, and overcoming it. To LOVE…to give of ourselves entirely..to achieve union, Gnosis…

 

So what IS the Demiurge? The demiurge is the ego, the self, the I that must be overcome. In various Gnostic cosmologies we see “God himself” falling to the trap of the ego…The Demiurge, Samael (blind god) imperfect child of Sophia declares himself to be the one true God. Just as one full of arrogance, ego..declares themselves right above all others.

 

That is the Demiurge, YOU are the demiurge…But the demiurge only exists..if you let it. It is all too easy to fall into the trap and state “Satan made me do it.” This is foolish talk, this is what Nietzsche is discussing. Many fall into this trap, which I think is wrong. It is all too easy to create a new Satan, a new adversary. But why? there is only LOVE…

Only LOVE…. to see the world as “evil” is a literalism I disagree with….

 

“What is hateful to you, do not to your fellow man. This is the law: all the rest is commentary.” Talmud, Shabbat 31a.

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“One yin and one yang constitute what is known as Tao.” (I Ching) In “The Lau Tzu” (Tao Te Ching) the two forms of yin and yang refer to heaven and earth. This directly correlates with the concept of the Taoist trilogy, the San Ti, which postulates man is the same as heaven and earth.

1.. In Taoism, the basic, eternal principle of the universe that transcends reality and is the source of being, non-being, and change.
2.. In Confucianism, the right manner of human activity and virtuous conduct seen as stemming from universal criteria and ideals governing right, wrong, and other categories of existence. (American Heritage)
“Wu Chi creates Tai Chi, Tai Chi is the one Chi. One Chi generates Yin and Yang, and Yin and Yang can change in infinite ways.” This is also stated allegorically in the “Lau Tzu,” (”Tao Te Ching”). ” Tao produced oneness. Oneness produced duality, Duality evolved into the ten thousand things. The ten thousand things support the yin, and embrace the yang. It is the blending of the breaths (of yin and yang) that their harmony depends.”

Now compare this idea with the description of the monad from the Chaldean Oracles of Zoroaster….

This sequence of from the “Oracles,” reflects a parallel to the monad and Tai Chi that is unmistakable..

25. The Monad first existed, and the Paternal Monad still subsists.
26. When the Monad is extended, the Dyad is generated.
27. And beside Him is seated the Dyad which glitters with intellectual sections,
to govern all things and to order everything not ordered.
28. The Mind of the Father said that all things should be cut into Three, whose
Will assented, and immediately all things were so divided.
29. The Mind of the Eternal Father said into Three, governing all things by Mind.
30. The Father mingled every Spirit from this Triad.
31. All things are supplied from the bosom of this Triad.
32. All things are governed and subsist in this Triad
33. For thou must know that all things bow before the Three Supernals.
34. From thence floweth forth the Form of the Triad, being preexistent; not the
first Essence, but that whereby all things are measured.
35. And there appeared in it Virtue and Wisdom, and multiscient Truth.
36. For in each World shineth the Triad, over which the Monad ruleth.”

As you can figure the two concepts are the same, although they may be stated somewhat differently. We do not have to achieve Tao, we are already part of it. All we need to do is realize its potential.

Tom Saunders

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Salutations in the Light of the Messiah!

The demiurge is cosmic ignorance, and the archons are spiritual forces manifest in the ignorance – this ignorance manifests as an illusion of separation or dualism in consciousness, it is self-cherishing, and the play of desire and fear in this state of egotism; the shadow of this is called the “Adversary,” Satan, and whatever evil might be named it is the byproduct of the demiurge, this cosmic ignorance or cosmic egotism.

This ignorance is cosmic in that it pervades all realms, worlds and universes throughout the Entirety, and affects all sentient beings in the Entirety – but it is also primordial, without beginning, for arising from primordial unconscious unity this ignorance is in effect from beginningless beginning as souls individuate; in individual sentient beings is becomes fundamental ignorance.

In a manner of speaking, this very principle we call the “demiurge,” this ignorance, is what facilitates the individuation of mind or soul-streams, and the play of creative evolution towards self-realization or enlightenment; yet, it is the principle of bondage, obstructing self-realization or enlightenment.

This ignorance rules the world – what is to be done with it? It has always ruled the world, and until the world passes away it will hold dominion; with every generation of life there is a constant influx of souls new to human incarnation, as well as those passing beyond what we call “human,” and this matrix of spiritual forces is like a womb through which all pass – it is what it is. What is to be done with it?

Lord Yeshua enacted the mystery of the Holy Gospel in the midst of very dark times – under the dominion of the Roman Empire, the primary expression of the dominion of the demiurge in that time and place. The grand debate among the Jewish people was whether the Messiah would be a socio-political revolutionary, a warrior-king after the fashion of King David, leading the people to overthrow the Roman Empire’s dominion through God’s power, or was to be a holy priest-king after the fashion of Melchizedek, leading a spiritual revolution having little or nothing to do with this world – in Lord Yeshua, in the midst of the darkness of the world, we have a holy priest-king of the Order of Melchizedek, one who proclaims, “My kingdom is not of this world.”

We may very well gain insight into his view of all of this from a teaching he gave, understanding “Caesar” as the demiurge. Presented with the question of whether taxes ought to be paid or not, he asks for a coin and inquires whose image is on it, and he is told it is the image of Caesar – his response was, “Give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and give to God what belongs to God.”

To understand how charged this question and answer was in the day – taxes were very high and were constantly being raised, and one had no say in the matter at all; if you could not pay taxes assessed – anything could be taken from you in payment, including your family and yourself being sold as slaves for payment.

If we look and see the darkness, the ignorance, that dominates the world – that dominates us, what is to be done? The answer is really very simple: we must put an end to the ignorance in us, put an end to the ignorance in ourselves – pointing at the ignorance in the world, while remaining in ignorance ourselves, accomplishes nothing, and is itself a manifestation of the ignorance.

In this regard we must learn not to be distracted from the true aim of the spiritual path – actual self-realization in Christ, the enlightenment and liberation of the soul.

The Sophian tradition focuses on an integral self-realization in Christ – the realization of the Supernal or Messianic Consciousness; we focus on going within and living within, and upon guidance from the indwelling Christ Presence and Holy Spirit – rather than a socio-political revolution, we focus upon a *spiritual revolution*, as did Lord Yeshua. Our aim is the cessation of ignorance in us, the cessation of the violent inclination in us – a radical transformation of consciousness. If there is any change to be brought about in the world, or in the larger collective of humanity, it is brought about through a change in the individuals – for we are the world and the world is us, only through a transformation of consciousness in us are we empowered to bring about a greater transformation in the world.

In terms of socio-politics, or any other mundane affair or activity, living within and receiving guidance from within, and generating spiritual love and compassion, we will know what is to be done in all matters – our noble ideal being the expression of the Light-presence (Christ) and Light-power (Holy Spirit) through our thoughts, emotions, words and actions in all activities of life.

Quite naturally, we are called to labor to improve the lives of others around us – all our relations, and to do what we can to relieve the sorrow and suffering of sentient beings; how each of us goes about enacting good works and the love of Christ, however, depends upon our call, and the spiritual gifts and talents we receive from the Holy Spirit – perhaps some might have the call, gifts and talents for social and political activism, among other similar activities. Whatever our call in the Holy Spirit, as spiritual Christians we will follow it – taking up our call we will follow Christ.

Generally speaking, though, our concern is not for the world and the goings on of the world – the world is an impermanent phenomenon and the matters of the world are secondary to us; the aim is to use this body and life in the world as a vehicle of self-realization in Christ, transforming this life and transcending this world. If we look into the gospels, canonical and gnostic, this is what Yeshua Messiah teaches us – of course, even after some two thousand or so years this message is very difficult for us to listen and hear, as we cling to name and form, and to the world and things of the world, rather that to the Pleroma of Light and God, the True Light.

Essentially, from a Sophian perspective, the greatest possible benefit to others that we can be is to facilitate the enlightenment and liberation of mind or soul-streams from their bondage to the demiurge (ignorance) and gilgulim (transmigration) – hence, the best help we can offer is to facilitate the realization of Supernal or Messianic Consciousness, tending the Continuum of Supernal Light Transmission. That’s not to say that we do not engage in practical works of assistance on a material level when we see the need and have the means to do so, as well as engage in good works on the psychic and spiritual levels, but rather that our central focus is on the psychic and spiritual, as with the Gnostic experience in place we are especially empowered to it. In fact, in that relatively few know and understand the way of Supernal or Supramental Realization as yet, it is very important that those who do know it focus upon this Gnostic and Light Transmission, and the works of psychic and spiritual assistance that can be taken up within it.

It is entirely possible, for example, that a Templar in our tradition might be called to a special material action, even socio-political action; but in whatever action to which they might be called, the Continuum of Light Transmission will remain their central aim and focus, and the Divine Light from above will guide and direct their action, and in perfect performance Divine Grace will take up their action.

As for political commentaries – are any of them from the perspective of Divine Illumination or Christ? If we look into the extreme right and extreme left, are either the whole truth, and nothing but the truth – will either enlightened and liberates souls, or lead them in the Path of the Great Ascension? Frankly speaking, both are founded upon the same fundamental ignorance, and the two opposite poles, like all other apparent opposites, reflect the same fundamental dualism in consciousness. In much the same way as we do not wish to be caught up in the distraction of the play of “saint” and “sinner,” neither do we wish to be caught up in political extremes and such – we seek the inner knowing of the Divine Light and see to act in accord with that faith and gnosis, in whatever way the Light-presence and Light-power leads us.

Having said all of this, perhaps we might close with a contemplation of a saying of Hayyah Yeshua from the Gnostic Gospel of St. Thomas:

Yeshua said, “Whoever has come to know the world has discovered a corpse, and whoever has discovered a corpse, of that person the world is not worthy” (56).

May we be blessed to recognize the Light Realm within and all around us, and be empowered to act from that Pure Vision – all in the Risen Messiah; amen.

Blessings & shalom!
_________________
Tau Malachi
Sophia Fellowship
Ecclesia Pistis Sophia
O. S. G.

 

 

Refelction for December 15, 2007: Mindfulness is transparent

 

 

“He who sees himself only on the outside, not within, becomes small himself and makes others small.”

–Mani (turfan fragment M 801)

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“It has been observed for centuries that the Hebrew word for nature, hateva, is numerically equivalent to one of the words for God, Elohim. Depending on your perspective, this may be mere numerological wit or a linguistic insight into the cosmos, but the sensibility is sublime. What would it mean to experience the natural world, the context of the body, as merely a mask of God? What is the significance of the fact that when we simply leave our homes and enter the wilderness, a change takes place within us?….

Our texts tell us that wilderness is the realm of the sacred, and the journey is irreplaceable.

There is no substitute for actually going there yourself. Lech Lecha – go…..

Mindfulness is utterly transparent. On the outside, your embodied spiritual nature practice may look like a simple walk in the woods or a hike in the desert. On the inside, what is happening is that the body is changing, and the soul is shifting – and you are aware of it all. In particular, focusing on a few key elements of your experience in nature can transform a simple day trip into an embodied spiritual practice.”

– Jay Michaelson (God in Your Body: Kabbalah,

Mindfulness and Embodied Spiritual Practice)

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I was walking out on the exercise yard last week, along the fence, staring up at the beautiful clear sky. It was a gorgeous day. Then something frightening happened: someone got stabbed on the adjacent yard. In the gun men^‘s tower, prison guards were racking rounds into their rifles. They were shooting at two guys scuffling and fighting and trying to kill each other. I knew immediately that someone was going to die. Either the guards or one of these two prisoners would be responsible for taking a human being’s life.

The tower gunmen ordered everyone face down on the ground as they swung their fully loaded rifles around the three adjacent yards. I didn’t know what to think. Since I didn’t hear any gunshots, I figured the two guys must have stopped fighting. At least the gunmen had been saved from taking someone’s life. But what about the prisoner who had been stabbed? Was he dead? What had I been thinking about before all this happened? Why am I lying here like this? Is this all real? Shit! How long can I go on trying to be a Buddhist in this prison culture that has me lying face down? Who am I kidding?

Just as I thought my head would explode from so many flashing thoughts, I locked onto a single idea; how some people in this world have only a tragic five seconds to put their entire lives in order before they die-in a car crash or in some other sudden way. I realized that what really matters isn’t where we are or what’s going on around us, but what’s in our hearts while it’s happening.

I used to feel I could hide inside my practice, that I could simply sit and contemplate the raging anger of a place like this, seeking inner peace through prayers of compassion. But now I believe love and compassion are things to extend to others. It’s a dangerous adventure to share with them in a place like S.Q. yet I see now that we become better people if we can touch a hard­ened soul, bring joy into someone’s life, or just be an example for others, instead of hiding behind our silence.

The key is in using what we know This calls for lots of practice. There is this vast space in life to do just that, both as a practitioner and as someone who walks around the same prison yard as everyone else in this place. I’ve learned how to accept respon­sibility, for the harm I’ve caused others by never letting myself forget the things I did and by using those experiences to help others understand where they lead.

-Jarvis Jay Masters (Written on Death Row)

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Hugging meditation is a practice I invented. In 1966, a woman poet took me to the Atlanta Airport and then asked, “Is it all right to hug a Buddhist monk?” In my country we are not used to expressing ourselves that way, but I thought, “I am a Zen teacher. It should be no problem for me to do that.” So I said, “Why not?” and she hugged me. But I was quite stiff. While on a plane, I decided that if I wanted to work with friends in the West, I would have to learn the culture of the West, so I invented hugging meditation.

Hugging meditation is a combination of East and West. According to the practice, you have to really hug the person you are hugging. You have to make him or her very real in your arms, not just for the sake of appearances, patting him on the back to pretend you are there, but breathing consciously and hugging with all your body, spirit and heart. Hugging medita­tion is a practice of mindfulness. “Breathing in, I know my dear one is in my arms, alive. Breathing out, she is so precious to me.” If you breathe deeply like that, holding the person you love, the energy of care, love, and mindfulnesss will penetrate into that person and she will be nourished and bloom like a flower.

At a retreat for psychotherapists in Colorado, we practiced hugging meditation, and one retreatant, when he returned home to Philadelphia, hugged his wife at the airport in a way he had never hugged her before. Because of that, his wife attended our next retreat in Chicago. To be really there, you only need to breathe mindfully, and suddenly both of you become real. It may be one of the best moments in your life.

-Thich Nhat Hanh, from Teachings on Love

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“Where love is little, all acts are imperfect.”

–Mani (turfan fragment M 801)

 

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