Hermetic Discourse on the Eighth and Ninth

What were see in this Discourse is the preface of an initiation ceremony; a gnostic sage is speaking to his student right before his ascension into a higher realm of enlightenment. In antiquity, the seven planets were known as the seven spheres while the eighth was thought to be where the fixed stars resided. It was also a pivotal, transformative place. The ninth sphere was literally 'god's realm' and what all gnostics reach for when learning, praying, and considering the nature of life itself. In regard to these 'spheres'-- think of an onion.

Hermes Trismegistos is the teacher and the student is unknown. The student could be anyone. The student could be you. (Note: I have an article about Hermes Trismegistos coming up next.)

I find this text, as well as the rest of the Hermetic Literature, to be especially instructive when contemplating lay gnosis(search 'lay gnosis' in the search engine in the blog). Lay gnosis is a physical manifestation of a spiritual transition, and I think it is the eighth realm touched upon by Hermes. This is one of the most esoteric works of his which has survived.

It is lamentable that more Hermetic Literature has not survived the centuries because supposedly there are hundreds of texts which are hidden or were destroyed. Here is what is translated as of today. The complete Hermeticum is available now as well as verified fragments. It's really no wonder that Cosimo de Medici was neck deep in the collection and restoration of the texts, they're such a unique spiritual work. If not for Cosimo then more likely than not the small dialogues in the Nag Hammadi codices would be all we would be left with.

Discourse on the Eighth and Ninth

(The Ogdoad and the Ennead)

"My father, yesterday you promised you would take my mind to the eighth heavenly sphere and after that you would take me to the ninth. You said this is the sequence of the tradition." 

"Yes, my child, this is the sequence, but the promise was made about human nature. I said to you when I first made the promise, 'If you remember each of the stages.' After I received the spirit through the power, I established that action for you. Clearly understanding dwells within you. In me it is as if the power were pregnant, for when I conceived from the spring that flows to me, I gave birth."

"Father, you have spoken every word rightly to me, but I am amazed at what you said. You said, 'The power is in me.'"

He said, "I gave birth to it as children are born." 

"Then father, I have many siblings if I am to be counted among the generations."

"Right, child. This good thing is counted... always. So, child, you must know your siblings and honor them rightly, since they have come from the same father. For each of the generations have I addressed. I have named them, since they are offspring like these children."

"Then, father, do they have a day?"

"Child, they are spiritual, for they exist as forces that nurture other souls. That is why I say they are immortal." 

"Your word is true. From now on it cannot be refuted. Father, begin the discourse on the eighth and ninth, and count me also with my siblings."

"Let us pray, child, to the father of the universe, with your siblings, who are my children, that the father may grant the spirit of eloquence."

"How do they pray, father, when they are united with the generations? Father, I want to obey." 

"... It is right for you to remember the progress you have experienced as wisdom in the books. Child, recall your early childhood. You have posed, as children do, senseless and foolish questions."

"Father I have experienced progress and foreknowledge from the books, and they are greater than what is lacking- these matters are my first concern." 

"Child, when you understand the truth of your statement, you will find your siblings, who are my children, praying with you." 

"Father, I understand nothing else than the beauty I have experienced in the books." 

"This is what you call the beauty of the soul- the edification you have experienced in stages. May the understanding come to you, and you will teach."

"I have understood, father, each of the books, and especially...." 

"Child... in praises from those who raise them."

"Father, I shall receive from you the power of the discourse you will utter. As it was spoken to the two of us, let us pray, father."

"Child, it is fitting for us to pray to god with all our mind and all our heart and our soul, to ask god that the gift of the eighth reaches us and that each receive from god what belongs to god. Your job is to understand, mine is to be able to utter the discourse from the spring that flows to me."

Modern Detachment-- The Eyes Have It

While watching some music today in YouTube I caught an intriguing bit of advertisement and recorded it with my camera. You've probably seen it on TV or like I have, on YouTube. Please forgive the initial blurriness of the firsts few seconds, it does get more clear I assure you. I was trying to find the right angle to catch the text at the bottom of the screen under the two actors.

So in this ad we see a father and son finding a way to communicate their deep thoughts:

Long distance? Short distance? When you read what it is they're texting to one another it really doesn't matter according to the company who makes the phones. 

Now I am all for texting. Sheesh, my husband and I use texting to literally IM one another all day while he's at work. (Thank the All for unlimited plans.) Did the cat do something stupid? Yup, I send him a picture text message. And yes, that's him over there snortgiggling in his cubicle at seeing his little Princess get her claws stuck on a toy and running around like an idiot with it attached to her. Ask him what he wants for desert: me in something skimpy or how about s'mores? I love s'mores! With Nutella. Yummm!... ..... anyway. You get it. We love texting. 

My problem with this advertising is that it exhibits a classic case of modern detachment. This is hardly a new phenomenon but I feel it is increasing in its prevalence within our society. Technology makes it seem inevitable that we will grow more detached from one another. Technology makes it possible for us to go about our day without ever facing someone or really needing to look at them for more than a split second to get our business concluded. Where is the human connection? Where has it gone? No wonder so many of us are antidepressants- it's a depressing world! We're lonely and starved for real communication.

In my post about forcing gnosis I told you about a very simple exercise you can use to reconnect with people. After seeing this ad I think it needs more discussion. 

Making eye contact with anyone who passes within two yards of you and giving them an acknowledging nod, what could be easier? Now how about saying, "hello!" If you don't get any response from the person hold your ground and keep your smile intact even as you pass by one another. That smile and friendly salutation didn't really cost you anything did it? And once you are out of the immediate vicinity of the person you tried to connect with, pause for a moment and reflect: how did you feel when you smiled? Were you uplifted? Did you feel like you were a part of them for a moment? Did you feel that divine connection which says, "HEY! You're part of me and I care about you. Let me show you that someone is thinking about you right now even if you're busy and you don't have time for more than a quick hello."

What you'll find through this exercise is that you get so much more out of it than you ever expected while also brightening someone else's day. When was the last time someone smiled at that person? You can never tell. It could have been the day from hell for them and you simply taking a moment to smile and meet their gaze in a friendly manner may have lifted their spirits from a pit of despair.

Gnosis is Big Love and we have to start somewhere. Baby steps. Build your confidence and someone elses while spreading a little love. 

Forcing Gnosis

A friend has expressed for some time now frustration in trying to keep to a certain practice to find enlightenment. To force gnosis is like trying to force a brick through the eye of a needle. I don't think we're hardwired to accept the daily grind on top of a completely open connection to the divine 24/7. We're too distracted by our responsibilities, family and friends... FOOD! Our body needs sustenance and by gosh we have to work for a living.

Keeping a spiritual calendar seems to inhibit some people's growth. Mandatory time set aside or scheduled ...eh. It's not very organic feeling after a while. And so we find excuse after excuse and emergency after emergency to delay or reschedule our 'practice.' How do you practice for life, exactly? In my experience gnosis comes in fits and starts, droughts-a-plenty when everyday responsibilities have to be taken care of, and a torrential flood has to be harnessed when we are calm and open to possibilities.

So what is a contemplative person to do? Do we become nuns and monks? Do we throw ourselves out on the streets and live in an even more precarious place? Viktor Frankle has a few sage words in Man's Search for Meaning: An Introduction to Logotherapy:

"What is called self-actualization is, and must remain, the unintended effect of self-transcendence; it is ruinous and self-defeating to make it the target of intention. And what is true of self-actualization also holds for identity and happiness. It is the very "pursuit of happiness" that obviates happiness. The more we make it a target, the more widely we miss.

It may now have become clear that a concept such as self-actualization, or self-realization, is not a sufficient ground for a motivational theory. This is mainly due to the fact that self-actualization, like power and pleasure, also belong to the class of phenomena which can only be obtained as a side effect and are thwarted precisely to the degree to which they are made a matter of direct intention. Self-actualization is a good thing; however, I maintain that man can only actualize himself to the extent to which he fulfills meaning. Then self-actualization occurs spontaneously; it is contravened when it is made an end in itself...

We have to beware of the tendency to deal with values in terms of the mere self-expression of man himself... If the meaning that is waiting to be fulfilled by man were nothing but a mere expression of self, or no more than a projection of his wishful thinking, it would immediately lose its demanding and challenging character; it could no longer call man forth or summon him.... I think the meaning of our existence is not invented by ourselves, but rather detected."

Alright, so if gnosis can't be forced and only detected then how do we go about detecting it? How do we sniff this thing out? How do we call it out from wherever we think it's hiding from us? It's not like a dog who'll come hither with a little doggy treat and a "Here boy! Here ya go! Come get some treats and a scratch behind the ears."

Gnosis is more like a sneaky feline hiding under your bed reaching out to swat your ankles every once in a while. You jump in shock, turn around, and yell at... no one? And yet you still sense the cat in the room. You know beyond the shadow of a doubt that it is there. Otherwise you wouldn't keep tip toeing past the bed, right? And in the deepest part of your soul you wouldn't be reaching out to it asking for more information. Heck, if you didn't know it was there you wouldn't be asking about it!!

Human life is rough. Most of the time we don't know which ends is up and which end is down. So what do we do about this? How do we sort out these emotions concerning what we Want and what we Need in order to lead a learning life? I say a learning life instead of a good life because  we don't become wise without stepping in a few mud puddles or even crashing head first into a few walls. We learn by making mistakes; trying things out to see how they feel to us. How do we make progress, to climb up out of the well of frustration we feel we're always in?

I believe that fear holds us back as well as ignorance. It's like being told that there are no monsters under the bed and yet we continue to watch scary movies which scare the crap out of us. I can also equate this to reading literalist holy books with the mindset of Fear(of God) leading to Redemption. And so mentally we live life in fear, huddled with our blankets covering our heads(and hearts). 'If I can't see it then it can't see me,' type mentality. Or worse yet, 'if I am scared of everything then I've got all the bases covered.' But if you're truly reaching out for something good what must you do to overcome this fear? The answer is to read, listen, and relax.

First, I got over my fear of being exposed to the pathogen of anything not accepted by a literalist faith church. (This took years. It did not happen overnight.) I actively sought out books which they condemned. My curiosity has not led me astray yet. When you read the texts which a literalist considers evil then it gives you a new perspective on the people who say that these ideas are bad. When you realize that you don't have to have faith in something unseen but that you can truly BELIEVE in something you KNOW is real(gnosis) and have daily experiences with him(the good god/pleroma/the All, etc is not silent. He's a chatterbox, actually) then the literalist argument turn to dust and you're left with the truth.

Here are a few activities I've participated in which have brought me peace and helped develop a closer relationship with the good god:

• Yoga: it forces your brain to shut up and opens your heart to possibilities. We store stress in our bodies like we store energy from the food we eat. To find peace you must find calm. Yoga is detoxifying, confidence building, and creates a calm place in your heart to retreat to when the world becomes too much. www.yogajournal.com is a wonderful resource. Their articles are fantastic. Start with baby steps and you'll really surprise yourself!
• Meditation: there are several methods. Meditation on the very cusp of sleep seems to work the best in the beginning for most. The more relaxed you are the easier it is to find that quiet spot in your mind. Make sure you keep a notebook and pen handy. Breathe naturally and slowly and don't be freaked out by the light shows and nonsensical seeming dramas going on in your head. It's simply your consciousness waking up; like jump starting a dead battery on a car. Just relax and enjoy the sound of your own heart beat. If you start with yoga and then try to meditate at a different time that day, don't be surprised if during your 'dutiful lotus position meditation' you suddenly feel the urge to get up and stretch your body into a yoga position(asana) with your eyes still closed. Go with it. You'll find that you're letting yourself dive deeper into your consciousness by the movements. Your mind will still with your body's movements. Go with your instincts. If you feel the urge to lay in Child Pose during a portion of your meditation and then some modified version of Downward Dog... go with it! There are no rules written in stone for finding a place of peace-- however you will find a great deal of success to be had by trying out some suggestions by people through the ages who have struggled with the same struggles you are. You don't have to sit still in order to meditate.
• Reading: definitely! Dig deep into philosophy, the arts, and comparative religion books. If you're truly struggling then grab a philosophy 101 book. See a person or topic of interest? Research them! Dig deeper and wander around to your heart's content.
• Painting: Color is powerful to the human psyche. Let go. Don't paint between the lines- make your OWN lines! Or better yet, don't let lines exist. Let the color flow.
• Write: keep a dream journal. Also, keep track of your process and progression by giving yourself a small writing assignment on topics as they come to mind. Some beginning topics can be "what I think about ____this____ religion or philosophy" and you can move on to other philosophies and schools of thought. Really though, any religion IS a school of thought. It has structure and confines; it is a school. You've got your mascots(crucifixes, Star of David, a moon and star, etc), your cheerleaders(clergy), and then you've got your students(parishioners). Can you stay within the confines of the school? Do you want to? What do you get out of it? Do you live in fear or do you live in love? You can also write reviews of books you've read and try to put into words your feelings about their ideas.

Gnosis isn't a school of thought, though. It's a process and a path. It rips the roof off the schoolhouse of literalism and turns the walls into dust. There are so many sects of gnosticism that one would think wars would have broken out though so many millenia. No, no wars and no Crusades of any sort. Gnostics don't kill non-gnostics. 

Gnosis is inclusive, not exclusive, unlike literalist religions or the confines of philosophies. Gnostics everywhere realize that we are all in various states of awakening and that we must respect that process in one another in order to respect that in our self. To expect change is to live your life to the fullest and that is what the good god wants for us- to live and learn.

So it's vitally important that you learn about the differences between various world religions and philosophies. The more educated you are the more information will naturally flow to you from the All. Connections will be made which you couldn't have expected. You'll think you visited a library in your dreams. Guess what? You did!

No question is left unanswered, even the big ones. He wants you to learn. He wants you to not live in ignorance but instead to live in love. To live in love you have to learn about love itself. This requires study. So consider yourself a student in the school of love. This does not mean you will never cry again. This simply means that you will learn to dissect this experience we call life and not take it for granted; to live IN THE MOMENT with our heart wide open to possibilities. We have the potential to learn so much from one another but if we can't even look each other in the eye then there is a lot of learning lost and thus, a lot of love lost.  

A simple exercise in love can be resolving to look everyone you walk past today in the eye and give them an acknowledging nod and smile. Gauge their reaction. Keep a mental tally of who smiles back at you and who does not. You'll learn quite a bit about our society today with just this one simply action.

Irenaeus wrote Against Heresies trying to rein in his flock of Christians for control of an empire. He repeatedly states, "they have not examined the Gospels..." thus creating a circular argument that leads NOWHERE. No one is wiser. No one knows any more about life or death than what is supposedly in those hand selected Gospels. The clergy hold the door handle to Heaven and Jehovah help you if you don't pay your tithe or eat the sacramental bread.

The answer is so easy. You already know it. You've always known it! It's there, right there inside that bright spark you hold dear: your conscience. It speaks to us every day. But the Eternal Truth is not so easily seen or heard when we have blinders on with the so-called reality we see every day around us. So we must study, pray, and listen. And then we learn how to love.

 

Day-to-Day Gnosis

Everyone's journey is different but there are key insights which all gnostics can agree on:

1) Make love not war, it's so much more fun. *wink*
2) There is no One Way toward gnosis. There is no certified Correct way which will earn you points in Heaven and you're not damned to hellfire and brimstone if you 'screw it up' a few times. Those bumps in the road on your path toward gnosis are all lessons learned and have far more worth than what you may see right now. Consider them the 'flavor' in your pot of gumbo you call Life.
3) We take ourselves far too seriously- LAUGH! Life is the most hilarious rollercoaster ride we could ever imagine experiencing. We're all imagining it together and that is what makes it more fun.
4) Live lucidly; minute by minute and hour by hour. This lifetime is fleeting so live life in the moment and enjoy whatever we can whenever we can. Count your blessings by the ounce, not the pound.
5) Living is not the same thing as learning. Learning takes effort and mindfulness to the task. Just because you see something happening doesn't mean you've learned from it. Seeing and doing is not the same thing as retention.
6) All living creatures are connected through pleroma(the fullness/the totality). Respect ourselves and one another. We are one another. If we remember this and live like this then we can truly be at peace with ourselves and one another. Big Love is the answer.
7) There is no such thing as a coincidence. Irony, yes. Comedy and poetic justice, most definitely. The All does have a wicked sense of humor. But there is no such thing as a coincidence.
8) Everyone talks to themselves and when we do we are reinforcing our own innate wisdom. It's something we do by instinct. Sometimes we have to remind ourselves that we are wise beings so we don't get bogged down in the day-to-day crap that we forget our divine heritage.
9) Past is not prologue! We can learn from our mistakes and our bright sparks will shine all the more brightly for it. Dare to break the mold of what your friends/family members may tell you is your fate. It's your life. So live it!
10) Dream. And then share those dreams with others. Communicate your visions so that others can know they are not alone.
11) And if you're really depressed take a look around at Nature. It'll always give you a good chuckle. Take this cat for example:



See, you're laughing and already further on your path toward gnosis than you were five minute ago!

If we can't laugh at life and the quirky creatures and situations we're surrounded with then truly, what can we laugh at? We tend to get angry with other human beings but animals.... animals show us what we need to see. Like for example: the not-so-subtle hint that you're out of toilet paper; a priceless lesson in humility.

Pleroma Showing His Love In Nature

This is one of my favorite vids by TrueBlueHealer.com. Crank that volume up and I guarantee by the time you get to the puppy pic you'll be grinning and your heart will feel lighter!

The descriptive Steve uses, of lay gnosis being a 'romantic ambush', is pretty accurate. On the best days it's like being attacked by a great dane and slobbered on with doggie kisses. The purest kind of love. There is NO equivalent, really. Our human languages fail at such grandiose emotions. (I used the great dane attack as the closest description because... I was attacked by a great dane when I was a kid. She sat on me. Nearly killed me. But when her slobbery cheek touched mine, all was forgiven. She was just so exuberant in her affection that she was overwhelming to my smaller physical form. Pleroma is like that, in a way)