Library / Christian Mysticism / The Life and Doctrines of Jacob Boehme ← Chapter 7 (part 3) Chapter 7 (part 5) → 28.) "In Paradise the substance of the divine world penetrated the substance belonging to time, comparable to the power of the sun penetrating a fruit growing on a tree, and endowing it with such qualities as render it lovely to the sight and good to the taste." ( Mysterium , xvii.
5.) "Thus the holy divine world was predominant through all the three principles of the human quality, and there was an equal accord, and no enmity or opposite will was manifest betwixt the principles." 1 ( Mysterium , xvii.
20.) There were in Paradise all the products which we meet in the terrestrial world, but they were there in a state of ethereality and of supernatural beauty.
This paradisiacal beauty was, however, not manifested in all parts of the world.
"In Paradise there are growths, the same as in this world, but not in (terrestrial) tangibility.
There Heaven is in the place of the earth, the Light of God instead of the sun, and the Eternal Father in the place of the power of the stars." ( Three Principles , ix.
20.) "The Paradise is not anything corporeal or tangible in a terrestrial sense, but its corporeity and tangibility is like that of the angels.
It is there a clear, p.
147 visible, substance, as if it were material, and it is actually "material;" but it is formed only out of the power, without any addition of terrestrial matter, and it is, therefore, perfectly transparent." ( Three Principles , ix.
18.) "The tangible world, or nature, before the time of the wrath of God, was thin, ethereal, lovely, and clear, so that the sourcive spirits could look through everything and penetrate it.
There were therein neither terrestrial rocks nor earth, and there was no created light needed, such as it is now; but the light was generated in all things in the midst of each thing, and everything was in the light." ( Aurora , xviii.
29.) "The whole world would have been all Paradise if it had not been corrupted by Lucifer.
But as God knew that Adam was going to fall, it bloomed out in only one place, wherein man might find a suitable dwelling-place, and be fortified therein." ( Mysterium , xvii.
7.) "God saw and knew that man was going to fall, and therefore the Paradise did not bloom and bear fruits in the whole of the world by means of the earth, although it was manifest everywhere, but only in the Garden of Eden, wherein Adam was tempted, did it become revealed in its full magnificence." 1 ( Letters , xxxix.
28.) For all that, man, although having been endowed with great splendour by the Creator, did not yet enjoy true similarity with God.
2 "In Adam was manifest the kingdom of grace, the divine life, because he lived in the temperature (harmony) of the qualities, but he did not know that God was p.
148 revealed in him.
Likewise his self-will did not know that which is good, because it had as yet experienced no evil.
How could there be any joy where no sorrow is known?" ( Grace , ix.
15.) "The soul was in her own essence from eternity, but as a created thing she was formed to represent the image of God at the time of the creation of the body.
Nevertheless she is per se not yet the true image, but only an essential fire for its production." ( Tilk ., i.
81.) "The soul of man, which has been breathed into him by God, is from the Eternal Father; but with that she has not yet attained the birth of the Son, wherein is the end of nature, and from which no created being issues." ( Three Principles , ix.
Themes
◆ Alchemical Workpraxis The transformation of base substance — outer matter or the inner soul — into a purified, perfected, or 'gold' state; the magnum opus as both laboratory practice and spiritual allegory.
Language of substance penetration and endowing qualities resembles the alchemical transformation of base matter.
All passages → ◆ Anamnesissoteriology Platonic recollection: knowledge as the soul's recovery of what it knew before birth, with learning as remembering rather than acquisition.
The soul is described as being in its own essence from eternity, hinting at pre-existence and memory.
All passages → ◆ Apophatic Theologytheology Describing the divine only by negation—God transcends all positive categories and concepts; the via negativa.
Paradise is described as not corporeal or tangible in a terrestrial sense yet actually material, using negation to define its nature.
All passages → ◆ Body As Obstacleanthropology The material body viewed as a prison, tomb, or source of error that hinders spiritual knowledge and return.
Paradise is described as 'not anything corporeal or tangible in a terrestrial sense', implying terrestrial corporeality is inferior.
All passages → ◆ Childlike Innocenceanthropology The infant or child as symbol of the unfallen, undivided spiritual state; return to primordial simplicity.
Adam is described as having experienced no evil and living in harmony before the fall, symbolizing primordial innocence.
All passages → ◆ Correspondencecosmology The Hermetic axiom that the structure of the cosmos is reflected at every scale — 'as above, so below; as within, so without' — making each level a legible map of the others.
The analogy of the sun penetrating a fruit illustrates the divine substance penetrating time, reflecting macro-micro correspondence.
All passages → ◆ Cosmic Dualismtheology Ontological opposition between two primal principles (light/darkness, truth/lie, spirit/matter) as the fundamental structure of reality.
The passage contrasts the harmonious pre-fall state with the corrupted post-fall state involving Lucifer and enmity.
All passages → ◆ Cosmic Sympathycosmology The Stoic and Plotinian doctrine that all parts of the cosmos are bound by hidden affinities, so that a movement in one part resonates through the whole; the metaphysical basis for astrology, magic, and divination.
The 'equal accord' between principles in Paradise suggests a harmonious resonance throughout the cosmos.
All passages → ◆ Divine Hiddennesstheology The supreme God's radical concealment beyond ordinary knowledge or perception; the Hidden Father.
Adam did not know that God was revealed in him despite the divine presence, highlighting the hidden nature of God within.
All passages → ◆ Divine Sparkscosmology Fragments of divine light or spirit trapped inside material bodies, awaiting liberation and return to their source.
The soul is described as an 'essential fire' from the Eternal Father, indicating a fragment of divine origin within man.
All passages → ◆ Emanation Hierarchycosmology A chain of divine beings or principles flowing downward from a single transcendent source (the One or the Father), each level less perfect than the one above.
The penetration of the 'divine world' into 'substance belonging to time' implies a downward flow from a higher source.
All passages → ◆ Evil As Privationtheology Augustinian and Plotinian doctrine that evil has no positive being of its own but is a lack, distortion, or absence of the good — denying ontological dualism while preserving moral seriousness.
Evil is presented as corruption and enmity manifesting after the fall, contrasting with the prior state of accord.
All passages → ◆ Gnosis Direct Knowledgesoteriology Salvation through direct experiential knowledge of the divine nature, not through faith, ritual, or moral works alone.
The text suggests joy requires knowing sorrow and good, implying experiential knowledge is key to spiritual fulfillment.
All passages → ◆ Kingdom Withinanthropology The claim that the divine realm is present inside the individual, accessible without external mediation.
The text states 'In Adam was manifest the kingdom of grace', locating the divine realm within the human.
All passages → ◆ Logoscosmology The divine reason, word, or ordering principle through which the universe was created; mediates between the transcendent God and the material world.
References to the 'birth of the Son' and 'Light of God' function as the mediating divine principle within creation.
All passages → ◆ Microcosm Macrocosmcosmology The human being as a small-scale image of the entire cosmos; the body, soul, and intellect mirroring the structure of the heavens and the divine — distinct from correspondence in that it makes the human the privileged mirror.
Adam is described as manifesting the kingdom of grace and divine life within himself, mirroring the divine structure.
All passages → ◆ Numerical Mysticismtheology Numbers, proportions, and mathematical relationships as the underlying structure of divine reality.
The specific mention of 'three principles' suggests a numerical structure underlying the human quality.
All passages → ◆ Paradox As Teachingethics Using apparent contradiction, reversal, or riddle to destabilise ordinary understanding and induce insight.
Paradise is described as tangible yet not terrestrial, and material yet formed only of power, using paradox to convey spiritual reality.
All passages → ◆ Self Knowledgesoteriology The recognition of one's own true divine nature as the primary path to liberation; 'know thyself' as soteriology.
Adam did not know that God was revealed in him, implying self-knowledge of the divine image is necessary for true joy.
All passages → ◆ Separation From Sourcesoteriology The felt condition of exile from one's divine origin — Rumi's reed flute torn from its bed, Plotinus's 'we have forgotten,' the Gnostic forgetfulness; the affective wound that complements return_to_source and gives the return its motive.
The text contrasts the harmonious pre-fall state with corruption by Lucifer, implying a separation from the divine accord.
All passages → ◆ Theosis Deificationsoteriology The doctrine — central to Eastern Orthodox and Maximian theology — that the human person is progressively transformed into a partaker of the divine nature by grace, not merely justified or united in passing ecstasy.
The passage discusses man being endowed with splendour and representing the image of God, aiming for similarity with the Creator.
All passages → ◇ Birth Of Word In Soulanthropology Eckhart's signature doctrine that the Father eternally begets the Son in the ground of the soul; the human interior as the actual site of the divine generative act, distinct from inner_light's static indwelling.
[auto] The text explicitly mentions the soul not yet attaining the birth of the Son, which is the end of nature, aligning with the doctrine of divine generation within.
All passages → ◇ Divine Lighttheology The uncreated luminous quality of the divine, sometimes experienced directly in mystical states; illumination as revelation.
[auto] The passage explicitly states 'Light of God instead of the sun' as a defining characteristic of Paradise.
All passages → ◇ Divine Providencetheology Pronoia — the doctrine that the divine actively orders the unfolding of the cosmos and human affairs toward intelligible ends, against pure chance or blind necessity.
[auto] The text explicitly states God knew Adam would fall and therefore restricted Paradise to one place, demonstrating active divine ordering of events.
All passages → ◇ Inner Lightanthropology The divine spark or luminous quality residing within the human person, potentially recognisable through introspection.
[auto] The passage describes light generated within all things and God being revealed in Adam, emphasizing the internal divine luminosity.
All passages → ◇ Living Godtheology The divine conceived as active, present, and dynamic—not an abstract principle but a personal responsive reality.
[auto] References to the 'Eternal Father' and active divine light portray God as a dynamic, present reality.
All passages → ◇ Mystical Unionsoteriology The merging of the individual soul or self with the divine, transcending personal identity.
[auto] The text describes the 'substance of the divine world penetrated the substance belonging to time', indicating a union of divine and created realms.
All passages → ◇ Opposites Transcendedanthropology The dissolution of binary oppositions (male/female, inner/outer, above/below) as a mark of spiritual completion.
[auto] The passage describes a state where 'no enmity or opposite will was manifest betwixt the principles'.
All passages → ◇ Tripartite Soulanthropology Division of the human being into three principles: spirit (pneuma), soul (psyche), and body/matter (hyle or soma).
[auto] The text mentions the 'three principles of the human quality' being in accord, aligning with the concept of a threefold human structure.
All passages → ◇ Unity Of Beingtheology The doctrine that all existence is ultimately one substance or one divine reality; non-duality as a theological claim.
[auto] The description of 'equal accord' among principles suggests a state of fundamental harmony and unity.
All passages → Related passages · 35 parallels
◆ egyptian | The Egyptian Book of the Dead (Papyrus of Ani) | Chapter 43 (part 76)
“These eight elements were called Nu and Nut,[1] Heh and Hehet,[2] Kek and Keket,[3] and Enen and Enenet,[4] or Khemennu, the "Eight," and they were considered as primeval fathers and mothers.[5] They are often represented in the forms of fo…”
Both passages describe a creation narrative involving divine beings and the emergence of order from a primordial state. They share themes of divine intelligence, the formation of the world, and the role of divine entities in the creative process.
◆ greek_mystery | Orphic Hymns | Hymn X (part 2)
“For the World is one, and only-begotten.
Opusc.
Mythol.
p.
203.
131:17 Ver.
17] The sportive nymphs .
This is because Pan rejoices in the exhalations produced from humid substances; without which the world cannot subsist.
Phurnutus…”
Both passages describe a divine substance or power that permeates and sustains the world, creating harmony and beauty. They share a mystical view of the universe where the divine is intimately connected with the natural world.
◆ neoplatonism | Iamblichus: On the Mysteries | Chapter VIIIf
“Thus they recognised things supreme in such as are subordinate, and the subordinate in the supreme: in the celestial regions, terrene properties subsisting in a causal and celestial manner; and in earth celestial properties, but according t…”
Both passages explore the interplay between the divine and the natural world, highlighting the reflection of higher realities in lower ones. They describe how celestial qualities manifest in terrestrial forms, though they come from different mystical traditions.
◆ neoplatonism | Iamblichus: On the Mysteries | Chapter VIIIg
“So that all things are full of divine natures; terrestrial natures receiving the plenitude of such as are celestial, but celestial of supercelestial essences; [153] while every order of things proceeds gradually, in a beautiful descent, fro…”
Both passages describe a mystical understanding of the interconnectedness of divine and earthly realms, emphasizing the penetration of divine substance into the natural world and the hierarchical order of creation. They share a theme of the divine manifesting in various forms and levels of existence.
◆ neoplatonism | Select Works of Plotinus | Select Works, Section 98
“Section 8 8. Now: given a light of this degree, remaining in the upper sphere at its appointed station, pure light in purest place, what mode of outflow from it can be conceived possible? Such a Kind is not so constituted as to flow downwar…”
Both passages explore the nature of a divine or celestial realm and its interaction with the material world. They discuss the purity and perfection of these realms and the limitations of the material world in understanding or interacting with them.
◆ neoplatonism | Select Works of Plotinus | Select Works, Section 132
“Section 10 10. But how can I form the conception of the sizelessness of Matter? How do you form the concept of any absence of quality? What is the Act of the Intellect, what is the mental approach, in such a case? The secret is Indeterminat…”
Both passages explore the relationship between the divine and the material world, discussing the nature of matter and its interaction with higher principles. They both delve into the concept of a primordial substance that underlies all physical forms, though they use different metaphors and frameworks.
◆ neoplatonism | Select Works of Plotinus | Select Works, Section 194
“Section 7 7. A preliminary observation: in looking for excellence in this thing of mixture, the Kosmos, we cannot require all that is implied in the excellence of the unmingled; it is folly to ask for Firsts in the Secondary, and since this…”
Both passages discuss the relationship between the divine and the material world, emphasizing the interplay between spiritual and corporeal elements. They explore how divine principles manifest in the physical realm, though from different mystical traditions.
◆ neoplatonism | Select Works of Plotinus | Select Works, Section 241
“Section 9 9. In answer: It must, first, be noted that there are a variety of modes in which an object may be said to be present to another or to exist in another. There is a "presence" which acts by changing the object- for good or for ill-…”
Both passages explore the concept of presence and interaction between different substances or realms. Plotinus discusses the various modes of presence and the immutability of Matter, while the second passage describes the interaction between the divine world and the terrestrial world in Paradise, emphasizing the penetration of divine substance without altering the essential nature of the other.
◆ neoplatonism | Select Works of Plotinus | Select Works, Section 243
“Section 11 11. I think, in fact, that Plato had this in mind where he justly speaks of the Images of Real Existents "entering and passing out": these particular words are not used idly: he wishes us to grasp the precise nature of the relati…”
Both passages explore the concept of presence and interaction between different realms or substances. Plotinus discusses the various modes of presence and the immutability of Matter, while the second passage describes the penetration of the divine world into the temporal substance, highlighting the ethereal and supernatural qualities of Paradise. Both texts delve into the nature of existence and the interaction between different states of being.
◆ neoplatonism | Select Works of Plotinus | Select Works, Section 298
“Section 11 11. I think, therefore, that those ancient sages, who sought to secure the presence of divine beings by the erection of shrines and statues, showed insight into the nature of the All; they perceived that, though this Soul is ever…”
Both passages discuss the relationship between the divine and the material world, emphasizing the role of intermediaries (Soul, Intellectual-Principle in Passage A; divine world, ethereal substances in Passage B) that link the higher realms with the lower. They also explore the concept of divine presence and representation in the material world.
25 more ◆ neoplatonism | Select Works of Plotinus | Select Works, Section 347
“Section 27 27. If the earth transmits the generative soul to growing things- or retains it while allowing a vestige of it to constitute the vegetal principle in them- at once the earth is ensouled, as our flesh is, and any generative power…”
Both passages discuss the interplay between the divine and the material world, and the nature of the soul or divine essence within creation. They explore the idea of a higher, ethereal reality influencing the physical world, though they come from different mystical traditions.
◆ neoplatonism | Select Works of Plotinus | Select Works, Section 349 (part 1)
“Section 29 29.
But- keeping to our illustration, by which the body is warmed by soul and not merely illuminated by it- how is it that when the higher soul withdraws there is no further trace of the vital principle?
For a brief space there…”
Both passages describe a mystical connection between the divine and the natural world, with the divine essence permeating and animating the physical realm. They share the concept of a higher, spiritual substance influencing and sustaining the material world, though they come from different mystical traditions.
◆ neoplatonism | Select Works of Plotinus | Select Works, Section 351 (part 1)
“Section 31 31.
Our problem embraces all act and all experience throughout the entire kosmos- whether due to nature, in the current phrase, or effected by art.
The natural proceeds, we must hold, from the All towards its members and from t…”
Both passages explore the interplay between the divine or cosmic realm and the terrestrial world, discussing how higher realms influence lower ones. They both delve into the nature of existence and the qualities that define it, though from different mystical traditions.
◆ neoplatonism | Select Works of Plotinus | Select Works, Section 353
“Section 33 33. The Circuit does not go by chance but under the Reason-Principle of the living whole; therefore there must be a harmony between cause and caused; there must be some order ranging things to each other's purpose, or in due rela…”
Both passages explore the interconnectedness of the cosmos and the influence of higher realms on lower ones. Passage A discusses the natural and artificial acts within the kosmos and their interrelations, while Passage B describes the divine influence on the terrestrial world and the ethereal nature of Paradise.
◆ neoplatonism | Select Works of Plotinus | Select Works, Section 358
“Section 38 38. Whatever springs automatically from the All out of that distinctive life of its own, and, in addition to that self-moving activity, whatever is due to some specific agency- for example, to prayers, simple or taking the form o…”
Both passages discuss the interconnectedness of all things and the influence of higher realms on the lower. They describe a unity and harmony in the universe, where divine or higher forces penetrate and influence the lower realms, shaping their qualities and existence.
◆ neoplatonism | Select Works of Plotinus | Select Works, Section 362
“Section 42 42. It follows that, for the purposes which have induced this discussion, the stars have no need of memory or of any sense of petitions addressed to them; they give no such voluntary attention to prayers as some have thought: it…”
Both passages discuss the interconnectedness of all things and the influence of higher realms on the lower. They describe a unity and harmony in the universe, where divine or higher forces penetrate and influence the lower realms, creating a blend of various elements.
◆ neoplatonism | Select Works of Plotinus | Select Works, Section 378 (part 1)
“Section 3 3.
With this prologue we come to our discussion of Memory.
That the soul, or mind, having taken no imprint, yet achieves perception of what it in no way contains need not surprise us; or rather, surprising though it is, we canno…”
Both passages explore the concept of perception and the relationship between the perceiver and the perceived within a unified system. Plotinus discusses the idea of sympathetic relation and perception within a living universe, while the second passage describes the interconnectedness and harmony of the divine world with the human qualities in Paradise.
◆ neoplatonism | Select Works of Plotinus | Select Works, Section 479
“Section 1 1. It is a principle with us that one who has attained to the vision of the Intellectual Beauty and grasped the beauty of the Authentic Intellect will be able also to come to understand the Father and Transcendent of that Divine B…”
Both passages explore the relationship between the divine and the material world, emphasizing the superior beauty and reality of the divine realm over the physical. They both use the concept of art and creation to illustrate the transcendence of the divine.
◆ neoplatonism | Select Works of Plotinus | Select Works, Section 485
“Section 7 7. Consider the universe: we are agreed that its existence and its nature come to it from beyond itself; are we, now, to imagine that its maker first thought it out in detail- the earth, and its necessary situation in the middle;…”
Both passages discuss the relationship between the divine and the material world, emphasizing the higher beauty and perfection of the divine realm compared to its manifestation in the physical world. They explore the concept of divine art and the ideal forms that inspire creation.
◆ neoplatonism | Select Works of Plotinus | Select Works, Section 486
“Section 8 8. This then is Beauty primally: it is entire and omnipresent as an entirety; and therefore in none of its parts or members lacking in beauty; beautiful thus beyond denial. Certainly it cannot be anything [be, for example, Beauty]…”
Both passages discuss the nature of beauty and its origin, suggesting that true beauty is not found in the physical form but in an underlying, transcendent reality or divine principle. They both emphasize the inner essence as the source of beauty, though they use different metaphysical frameworks.
◆ neoplatonism | Select Works of Plotinus | Select Works, Section 549 (part 1)
“Section 11 11.
We are bound however to enquire under what mode unity is contained in Being.
How is what is termed the "dividing" effected- especially the dividing of the genera Being and unity?
Is it the same division, or is it different…”
Both passages explore the nature of reality and the interplay between unity and multiplicity. Plotinus discusses the Intellectual Substance and its unity, while the second passage describes the divine world's penetration into the temporal world, highlighting the harmony and ethereality of Paradise. Both texts delve into metaphysical concepts of substance, unity, and the nature of existence.
◆ neoplatonism | Select Works of Plotinus | Select Works, Section 556
“Section 18 18. To pass to the consideration of beauty: If by beauty we mean the primary Beauty, the same or similar arguments will apply here as to goodness: and if the beauty in the Ideal-Form is, as it were, an effulgence [from that prima…”
Both passages explore the nature of beauty and its relationship to higher realities. Passage A discusses primary Beauty and its effulgence, while Passage B describes divine beauty penetrating the substance of the world, both highlighting the transcendent nature of beauty in their respective mystical traditions.
◆ neoplatonism | Select Works of Plotinus | Select Works, Section 564
“Section 3 3. How then do we go to work? Let us begin by distinguishing Matter, Form, the Mixture of both, and the Attributes of the Mixture. The Attributes may be subdivided into those which are mere predicates, and those serving also as ac…”
Both passages explore the nature of beauty and its relationship to higher realities. Passage A discusses primary Beauty and its effulgence, while Passage B describes divine beauty penetrating the substance of the world, both highlighting the transcendent nature of beauty.
◆ neoplatonism | Select Works of Plotinus | Select Works, Section 578
“Section 17 17. This procedure, if approved, will entail a distinction between psychic and bodily qualities, the latter belonging specifically to body. If we decide to refer all souls to the higher, we are still at liberty to perform for Sen…”
Both passages explore the nature of substance and its relationship to qualities and forms. Plotinus discusses the division and unity of sensible substances, while the second passage describes the divine penetration of substances in Paradise, highlighting the ethereal and supernatural qualities of substances in a divine context.
◆ neoplatonism | Select Works of Plotinus | Select Works, Section 608
“Section 1 1. The integral omnipresence of a unity numerically identical is in fact universally received; for all men instinctively affirm the god in each of us to be one, the same in all. It would be taken as certain if no one asked How or…”
Both passages discuss the nature of a transcendent, immaterial principle that is not subject to division or partition. Passage A describes an incorporeal, autonomous principle that is free from bodily modifications, while Passage B describes the divine world penetrating the temporal world in a non-corporeal, ethereal manner.
◆ neoplatonism | Select Works of Plotinus | Select Works, Section 619
“Section 12 12. To return: How is that Power present to the universe? As a One Life. Consider the life in any living thing; it does not reach only to some fixed point, unable to permeate the entire being; it is omnipresent. If on this again…”
Both passages discuss the omnipresence and unity of divine power or substance. Passage A describes the One Life as an infinite, inexhaustible power that permeates the entire universe, while Passage B describes the divine world penetrating the temporal world, creating a state of ethereality and supernatural beauty. Both emphasize the all-pervading nature of the divine.
◆ neoplatonism | Select Works of Plotinus | Select Works, Section 629
“Section 9 9. It remains then to consider whether Being by its distinction produced Number or Number produced that distinction. It is certain that either Number was the cause of Being, movement, rest, identity and difference, or these the ca…”
Both passages discuss the omnipresence and unity of divine power or substance. Passage A describes the One Life as an infinite, omnipresent power, while Passage B describes the divine world penetrating and permeating all things in Paradise, creating a state of ethereality and supernatural beauty.
◆ neoplatonism | Select Works of Plotinus | Select Works, Section 650 (part 1)
“Section 11 11.
The very heavens, patently multiple, cannot be thought to disdain any form of life since this universe holds everything.
Now how do these things come to be here?
Does the higher realm contain all of the lower?
All that ha…”
Both passages explore the concept of a higher, more perfect realm that contains the essence of all things found in the material world. They discuss the idea of a primal, divine source from which all earthly manifestations derive their existence and life.
◆ neoplatonism | Select Works of Plotinus | Select Works, Section 657 (part 2)
“We cannot be content with the conviction of their goodness on the ground of their origin in that realm: we do not deny that things deriving Thence are good, but our subject demands that we discover the mode by which they come to possess tha…”
Both passages explore the concept of a higher, divine realm influencing and containing the elements of the physical world. They discuss the idea of a primal, more authentic form of natural elements existing in a spiritual or divine realm, which parallels can be drawn between the Reason-Principle in Plotinus' work and the divine world penetrating the substance of time in the second passage.
◆ neoplatonism | Select Works of Plotinus | Select Works, Section 659
“Section 20 20. Since we are not entitled to make desire the test by which to decide on the nature and quality of the good, we may perhaps have recourse to judgement. We would apply the opposition of things- order, disorder; symmetry, irregu…”
Both passages describe a higher, divine realm that is the source and archetype of the physical world. They emphasize the living, vibrant nature of this realm and its penetration into the material world, though they use different metaphors and theological frameworks.
◆ western_esoteric | Tertium Organum (P.D. Ouspensky) | Chapter I (part 3)
“Positivism as the study of the phenomenal side of life.
Of what does the "two-dimensionality" of positive philosophy consist?
The regarding of everything upon a single plane, in one physical sequence.
The streams which flow underneath th…”
Both passages explore the relationship between the phenomenal and noumenal worlds, discussing the limitations of empirical understanding and the deeper, spiritual realities that underlie surface appearances. They also touch on the nature of human consciousness and its connection to a higher, divine reality.
◆ western_esoteric | Tertium Organum (P.D. Ouspensky) | Chapter XIII (part 7)
“153 has really entered a cul de sac out of which there is no escape, and the official recognition of the fact that the direction it has taken is entirely the wrong one, is only a question of time.
_____ We may say—not as an assumption, but…”
Both passages explore the idea of a hidden, more complex reality underlying the visible world. Passage A discusses the noumenal world as an infinite and incomprehensible reality that underlies the finite phenomenal world, while Passage B describes the divine world penetrating the temporal world in Paradise, creating a state of ethereality and supernatural beauty that is not fully tangible or corporeal.
◆ western_esoteric | Tertium Organum (P.D. Ouspensky) | Chapter XIV (part 3)
“Therefore, the first emotion at the rising of the curtain on "that world"—i.e., this our world, but free of those limitations under which we usually regard it—must be of wonderment , and this wonderment must grow greater and greater accordi…”
Both passages explore the idea of perceiving deeper realities beyond the superficial, physical world. Passage A discusses the noumenal world and the hidden meanings in phenomena, while Passage B describes the ethereal and divine qualities of Paradise, emphasizing the penetration of divine substance into the temporal world. Both highlight the limitations of ordinary perception and the need for a deeper understanding.
◆ western_esoteric | Tertium Organum (P.D. Ouspensky) | Chapter XXII (part 1)
“p.
270 CHAPTER XXII Theosophy of Max Müller.
Ancient India.
Philosophy of the Vedânta.
Tat twam asi .
Knowledge by means of the expansion of consciousness as a reality.
Mysticism of different ages and peoples.
Unity of experiences.…”
Both passages explore mystical experiences and the nature of the divine world, emphasizing the expansion of consciousness and the unity of experiences across different traditions. They discuss the influence of higher logic and the pursuit of truth in mystical and philosophical systems.
◆ western_esoteric | Tertium Organum (P.D. Ouspensky) | Chapter XXII (part 8)
“Permanency also suffers no change of its nature, because it is not mingled with the unstable.
And the beautiful there is beautiful, because it does not subsist in beauty (as in a subject).
Each thing too is there p.
280 established, not…”
Both passages explore mystical insights into the nature of reality and perception, emphasizing the unity and permanence of divine wisdom and the interconnectedness of all things. They share themes of eternal wisdom, the nature of divine perception, and the transcendence of ordinary human understanding.
← Chapter 7 (part 3) Chapter 7 (part 5) →