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The Life and Doctrines of Jacob Boehme · 71 of 159 · tr. Franz Hartmann

Chapter 7 (part 13)

154:1 This is the difference between life in the terrestrial and life in the celestial states of nature, that the former is differentiated into forms, each of which loves to live in the consciousness of its own illusive self— i.e. , in a state of isolation and separatedness, and enjoying its own qualities; while in the celestial state the individual powers intermingle, each living, so to say, in the consciousness and enjoying itself in the life of the other. while all strive towards unity and rest in it, like a tree, whose many branches and leaves receive their life all from one common trunk. 154:2 This "tree of temptation" is still growing in every human being, as is represented in the allegorical "Adam." The lower qualities in man still strive for outward manifestation, and can be overcome in no other way than by his rising above them into the higher ones. 155:1 It is self-evident that man can attain knowledge of a thing only by giving attention to it. In doing so, he directs his consciousness to it. Man's consciousness became centred within the lower principles constituting the sensual world, and thereby it lost its seat and centre of gravity in the Supreme. If it had not been for this attraction which the material world exercised upon man, he might have sunk still lower, and approached absolute evil, the kingdom of Lucifer. 155:2 "Adam would have fallen into the unfathomable abyss of hell, if, p. 156 besides the celestial state, which in consequence of his sin became perverted into a hellish one, there had not been still another, namely, the terrestrial region " ( Hamberger ). 156:1 God (divine self-consciousness) never sleeps; it is only nature in man that causes him to sleep and wake alternatively. No man is fully awake and self-conscious as long as he has not found his own god. 157:1 The "history of Adam" is nothing else but the history of mankind as a whole. Its truth may be recognised by every one capable of self-examination. 157:2 Adam having lost the power to recognise the true woman, the eternal virgin within himself, it was necessary that he should have an external objective substitute to whom he might be attracted, so as to stimulate his power to love; which would have entirely died out without such an object, or would have degraded him still lower by turning into desire for still lower beings in the scale of evolution. 157:3 From such a degradation may have resulted the tribe of the monkeys descended from aboriginal man. (See Secret Doctrine , by H. P. Blavatsky.) 157:4 The " Sal-nitre " means the fiery material element in man, wherein reside his sensual attractions; in other words, his Kama-rupa . 158:1 The woman is made out of the more refined and spiritual essences of man; for this reason woman even to-day is more refined and intuitional than man; while the organisation of the body and also the mind of the male is on the whole more gross and material; and he reasons where woman perceives. There were not all the female elements removed from man in the creation of the woman. If man had no such elements in him he would be a brute. Neither could any woman be visible and tangible and man's associate if she had none of the male and grossly material elements of Adam in her organisation. 158:2 It was a part of the higher and more celestial elements which left "Adam" at the time of the creation of "Eve." 158:3 It may be well to remember that at the time of Jacob Boehme it was considered a crime to disbelieve even in the literal and external interpretation of the Bible allegories, and that his explanations would have been incomprehensible and unacceptable if his expressions had not been such as to correspond with those of the Bible.
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Themes
Active Contemplationpraxis

A form of meditation that uses imagery, imagination, or symbolic thought rather than purely empty stillness.

[auto] Knowledge is defined as directing consciousness and giving attention to a thing, indicating an active mental engagement.

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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.

The text references Sal-nitre and the transformation of sensual attractions into higher spiritual essences.

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Angra Mainyu Principlecosmology

The principle of cosmic disorder and falsity.

Absolute evil and the kingdom of Lucifer are presented as a cosmic principle opposing the Supreme.

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Body As Obstacleanthropology

The material body viewed as a prison, tomb, or source of error that hinders spiritual knowledge and return.

[auto] Lower qualities striving for outward manifestation in the sensual world are presented as something to be overcome by rising above.

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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 text equates the history of Adam with the history of mankind as a whole, reflecting inner states in outer narratives.

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Cosmic Dualismtheology

Ontological opposition between two primal principles (light/darkness, truth/lie, spirit/matter) as the fundamental structure of reality.

[auto] A clear opposition is drawn between the terrestrial/isolated state and the celestial/intermingled state, as well as lower versus higher principles.

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Divine Marriagesoteriology

The reunification of complementary divine principles (male-female, spirit-matter) as a symbol of wholeness and salvation.

The text discusses the reunification of male and female elements within man and the recognition of the eternal virgin within.

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Divine Sparkscosmology

Fragments of divine light or spirit trapped inside material bodies, awaiting liberation and return to their source.

Higher and more celestial elements are described as residing within man, having left Adam at the creation of Eve.

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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.

[auto] The passage distinguishes between terrestrial and celestial states and describes lower principles versus higher ones flowing from a Supreme source.

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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 described as the kingdom of Lucifer resulting from losing the center of gravity in the Supreme.

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Gnosis Direct Knowledgesoteriology

Salvation through direct experiential knowledge of the divine nature, not through faith, ritual, or moral works alone.

[auto] It states that man attains knowledge only by giving attention and directing consciousness to the object, emphasizing experiential focus.

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Hidden Sayingssoteriology

Esoteric teachings reserved for those ready to receive them; outer meaning conceals an inner liberating truth.

The author notes that biblical allegories conceal inner truths that would be incomprehensible if interpreted literally.

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Inner Lightanthropology

The divine spark or luminous quality residing within the human person, potentially recognisable through introspection.

The reference to consciousness centered in the Supreme suggests an inner divine presence or quality.

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Kingdom Withinanthropology

The claim that the divine realm is present inside the individual, accessible without external mediation.

[auto] The text implies the Supreme was the original seat of man's consciousness within, which was lost to the lower sensual principles.

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Living Godtheology

The divine conceived as active, present, and dynamic—not an abstract principle but a personal responsive reality.

God is described as divine self-consciousness that never sleeps, contrasting with the sleeping nature of man.

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Mechanical Humanityanthropology

Gurdjieff and Ouspensky's claim that ordinary human beings live in a state of waking sleep, reacting mechanically without unified will or consciousness, and that the spiritual path begins with recognising this condition.

The passage states that nature causes man to sleep and wake alternatively, and no man is fully awake without finding his own god.

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Meditationpraxis

Disciplined inward attention — sitting, focused, or open-awareness practice — as a stand-alone term that umbrellas active_contemplation, inner_silence, and dhyana-style sitting.

The practice of directing consciousness and giving attention is described as the method for attaining knowledge.

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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.

Human nature is described as containing celestial and terrestrial states that mirror the broader cosmic structure.

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Mystical Unionsoteriology

The merging of the individual soul or self with the divine, transcending personal identity.

[auto] The celestial state is described as individual powers intermingling and striving towards unity like branches from one trunk.

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Opposites Transcendedanthropology

The dissolution of binary oppositions (male/female, inner/outer, above/below) as a mark of spiritual completion.

[auto] The celestial state transcends isolation and separatedness through intermingling and unity.

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Rejection Of Hypocrisyethics

Critique of outward religious observance that lacks inner transformation; form without substance.

The passage critiques the literal interpretation of Bible allegories in favor of their inner spiritual meaning.

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Return To Sourcesoteriology

The soul's journey back to its divine origin, reversing the fall into matter through stages of purification or illumination.

[auto] The text describes rising above lower qualities into higher ones to regain the seat and centre of gravity in the Supreme.

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Self Examinationpraxis

Daily review of thought and action as spiritual practice.

[auto] The passage explicitly identifies self-examination as the means by which the truth of the history of Adam is recognized.

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Self Knowledgesoteriology

The recognition of one's own true divine nature as the primary path to liberation; 'know thyself' as soteriology.

The requirement to direct consciousness to attain knowledge implies a path of recognizing one's own center.

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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.

Man's consciousness lost its seat and center of gravity in the Supreme due to attraction to the material world.

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Spiritual Ascentpraxis

A staged journey of the soul upward through heavenly realms or levels of being toward the divine source.

[auto] It explicitly mentions overcoming lower qualities by rising above them into the higher ones.

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Unity Of Beingtheology

The doctrine that all existence is ultimately one substance or one divine reality; non-duality as a theological claim.

[auto] The passage emphasizes striving towards unity and receiving life from one common trunk as the ideal state.

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