The Life and Doctrines of Jacob Boehme · 85 of 159 · tr. Franz Hartmann
Chapter 9 (part 3)
2.) "Many a soul in her malignity would become a devil within one hour if the external life did not prevent it, so that her complete ignition cannot take place." ( Forty Questions , xvi.
12.) "In examining our own selves we find that, on the whole, the external spirit (our human nature) is very useful to us.
Many souls would become corrupted if the animal spirit did not hold captive the fire and present to the fire-spirit terrestrial, animal occupation and joy, wherein it may amuse itself until it obtains again a glimpse of its nobler image, and begins to seek for it again." ( Forty Questions , xvi.
10.) "If the matter of this world (the imagery of external nature) were broken, as it will be broken one day in the future, the soul would have stood in eternal death, in the darkness.
The beautiful creature (the living image) would then have been captured by the realm of hell, and the devil would have been triumphing over it." ( Threefold Life , viii.
38.) As the soul of man became captured by the spirit of this world, and as she allowed its tincture to enter within herself, the terrestrial qualities necessarily arose (became pre-eminently active) in him.
1 "The poor soul of Adam was made captive by the spirit and principle of this world, and allowed the tincture of this world to enter within her." ( Threefold Life , viii.
63.) p.
185 "That in which the imagination of the spirit enters becomes expressed in the corporeal form by means of the impression of the spiritual desire.
Therefore God commanded Adam, when he still was in Paradise, not to eat with his imagination from the tree of self-knowledge of good and evil, so that he should not sink into suffering and death and die to the kingdom of heaven, as has actually occurred." 1 (Baptism, i.
22.) "The terrestrial quality, which formerly was in Paradise in an unmanifested condition, manifested itself by means of the desire of the soul.
From this resulted heat and cold, the poison-life of all adversities, and the supremacy of the body, so that the beautiful image of Heaven and Paradise faded out of sight." ( Stiefel , ii.
83.) The bodies of the first human beings were of a spiritual, celestial nature; but, in consequence of eating of the forbidden fruit, they became terrestrial and material.
"God had given to man a body constituted of pure, essential power, after the nature of the soul, and which, if compared with the grossly terrestrial substance, may be looked upon as being a spiritual body." ( Mysterium , xvi.
3.) "The body of the first human beings was of a celestial kind; but when they ate of the terrestrial fruit and absorbed it into the bodies the temperature separated, and the terrestrial body became manifest according to all its qualities." ( Grace , vii.
5.) "When Eve reached out for the tree and broke the fruit, she did it through the earthly limus and through the will of the soul, which desired knowledge from the centre of nature.
In eating actually of the fruit, her body's essence, p.
186 i.e.
, the human essence, took in the essence in the tree." 1 ( Mysterium , xx.
29.) Man hereby lost the life in eternity, and became subject to death.
2 "We cannot say of man that in the beginning he was enclosed in time.
In Paradise he was embraced in eternity.
God created him in His image; but when he fell he became subject to the limitation of time." ( Grace , vii.
51.) "Time has a beginning and an end, and as the will with its desire has surrendered itself to the temporal guide, the body dies and perishes therefore likewise." ( Signature , v.
Themes
◆Anthropomorphismtheology
Attributing human characteristics, emotions, or form to the divine; embodied divine imagery.
God is described as breathing into the nostrils of Adam, attributing human physical action to the divine.
All passages →◆Divine Sparkscosmology
Fragments of divine light or spirit trapped inside material bodies, awaiting liberation and return to their source.
The 'fire-spirit' within is described as being held captive until it seeks its nobler image.
All passages →◆Inner Lightanthropology
The divine spark or luminous quality residing within the human person, potentially recognisable through introspection.
The 'nobler image' and 'fire-spirit' suggest a luminous divine quality residing within the person.
All passages →◆Living Godtheology
The divine conceived as active, present, and dynamic—not an abstract principle but a personal responsive reality.
God is depicted as actively breathing life into Adam rather than being an abstract principle.
All passages →◇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 realm of hell/darkness/devil and God/life/nobler image.
All passages →◇Paradox As Teachingethics
Using apparent contradiction, reversal, or riddle to destabilise ordinary understanding and induce insight.
[auto] The passage presents the counter-intuitive idea that external material life prevents the soul from becoming a devil.
All passages →◇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 the soul seeking again its 'nobler image' after being occupied by terrestrial matters.
All passages →◇Self Examinationpraxis
Daily review of thought and action as spiritual practice.
[auto] Quote 12 explicitly states 'In examining our own selves we find', making introspection a central methodological theme.
All passages →◇Self Knowledgesoteriology
The recognition of one's own true divine nature as the primary path to liberation; 'know thyself' as soteriology.
[auto] Introspection is presented as the means to understand the utility of human nature for spiritual progress.
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.
[auto] The text explicitly describes Adam losing life in eternity and becoming subject to death and time due to the fall.
All passages →◇Tripartite Soulanthropology
Division of the human being into three principles: spirit (pneuma), soul (psyche), and body/matter (hyle or soma).
[auto] The passage distinguishes between the external spirit, animal spirit, and fire-spirit within the human constitution.
All passages →Related passages · 26 parallels
◆egyptian|The Egyptian Book of the Dead (Papyrus of Ani)|Chapter 13 (part 8)
“27.) Chapter LXXXIX.
"The Chapter of causing the soul to be united to its body in Neter-khert." (See pp.
112, 318, and pl.
17.) The two incense burners which stand, one at the head and one at the foot of the bier, are peculiar to the pap…”
Both passages deal with the concept of the soul's journey and its connection to the body and the divine. The Egyptian Book of the Dead discusses rituals and chapters aimed at uniting the soul with the body in the afterlife, while the Christian mystical text discusses the soul's capture by the spirit of the world and its fall from a celestial state. Both explore themes of the soul's state, its connection to the divine, and the consequences of actions on the soul's journey.
◆gnosticism|Gospel of Thomas|Logion 29
“Jesus said, "If the flesh came into being because of spirit, it is a wonder. But if spirit came into being because of the body, it is a wonder of wonders. Indeed, I am amazed at how this great wealth has made its home in this poverty."…”
Both passages explore the relationship between the spiritual and the physical, and the wonder or consequence of their interaction. They discuss the interplay between the higher, divine aspects of humanity and the earthly, material aspects, highlighting the tension and transformation that occurs.
◆hermeticism|Corpus Hermeticum 10: The Sermon on the Mount|Section 1e
“And for this cause is water poured around earth, to be a guard and wall, to keep the blazing of the fire away.
But mind, the swiftest thing of all divine outthinkings, and swifter than all elements, hath for its body fire.
For mind being…”
Both passages discuss the dual nature of human existence, the role of the spiritual and material realms, and the consequences of human actions on the soul. They explore the idea of the soul's potential for corruption and the need for divine intervention or guidance to maintain spiritual purity.
◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 80
“Section 5 5. But, it will be objected, if this seeing and frequenting of the darkness is due to the lack of good, the Soul's evil has its source in that very lack; the darkness will be merely a secondary cause- and at once the Principle of…”
Both passages discuss the concept of the soul's relationship with matter and the body, and how the soul can become corrupted or fall away from its true nature due to its interaction with the material world. They both explore the idea of the soul's purity and its potential decline into a state of evil or darkness.
◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 307 (part 2)
“Because the soul is not seen and the body is: we perceive the body, and by its movement and sensation we understand that it is ensouled, and we say that it possesses a soul; to speak of residence is a natural sequence.
If the soul were vis…”
Both passages discuss the nature of the soul and its relationship to the divine or higher realms. They explore the idea of the soul's existence in a higher state before descending into the material world, and the consequences of this descent. The passages share a mystical perspective on the soul's journey and its connection to reason and divine knowledge.
◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 308
“Section 21 21. What does all this come to? What answer do we give to him who, with no opinion of his own to assert, asks us to explain this presence? And what do we say to the question whether there is one only mode of presence of the entir…”
Both passages discuss the relationship between the spiritual and corporeal aspects of human existence, exploring how the soul interacts with the body and the consequences of this interaction. They both delve into the idea of a higher, indivisible spiritual nature and a lower, divisible corporeal nature, and how these two aspects coexist within the human being.
◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 340
“Section 20 20. As with bodily pain and pleasure so with the bodily desires; their origin, also, must be attributed to what thus stands midway, to that Nature we described as the corporeal. Body undetermined cannot be imagined to give rise t…”
Both passages discuss the duality within the human soul, exploring the conflict between higher spiritual principles and lower, earthly desires. They both describe how the lower aspects can disrupt the harmony and equilibrium of the soul, leading to a state of turmoil or corruption.
◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 343 (part 1)
“Section 23 23.
A first principle is that the knowing of sensible objects is an act of the soul, or of the living conjoint, becoming aware of the quality of certain corporeal entities, and appropriating the ideas present in them.
This appr…”
Both passages discuss the interaction between the soul and the body, and how desires and sensations are mediated through an intermediary nature or spirit. They explore the idea of a higher soul or spirit influencing and controlling the lower, more corporeal desires.
◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 377
“Section 2 2. But if perception does not go by impression, what is the process? The mind affirms something not contained within it: this is precisely the characteristic of a power- not to accept impression but, within its allotted sphere, to…”
Both passages discuss the relationship between the soul and the body, and the nature of existence and life. They explore the idea of the soul as an image or reflection of a higher reality and the consequences of the body's perishing or the soul's captivity by worldly elements.
◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 388
“Section 8 8. A. [sometimes appearing as 9] There are those who insist on the activities observed in bodies- warming, chilling, thrusting, pressing- and class soul with body, as it were to assure its efficacy. This ignores the double fact th…”
Both passages discuss the relationship between the soul, spirit, and material body, exploring the idea that the soul is distinct from and superior to the material body. They also touch on the concept of a higher, immaterial principle that governs the material world.
16 more
◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 394
“Section 10 10. (15) That the soul is of the family of the diviner nature, the eternal, is clear from our demonstration that it is not material: besides it has neither shape or colour nor is it tangible. But there are other proofs. Assuming…”
Both passages discuss the relationship between the spiritual and material aspects of existence, exploring how the higher (spiritual) precedes and influences the lower (material). They both delve into the nature of the soul and its interaction with the physical world, albeit from different mystical traditions.
◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 396
“Section 12 12. (17) A further consideration is that if every soul is to be held dissoluble the universe must long since have ceased to be: if it is pretended that one kind of soul, our own for example, is mortal, and another, that of the Al…”
Both passages discuss the nature and immortality of the soul. Passage A argues for the soul's indestructibility and eternal nature, while Passage B explores the soul's potential for corruption and its connection to the material world, but both touch on the soul's eternal aspects and its relationship to the body.
◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 397
“Section 13 13. (18) But how does the soul enter into body from the aloofness of the Intellectual? There is the Intellectual-Principle which remains among the intellectual beings, living the purely intellective life; and this, knowing no imp…”
Both passages discuss the soul's relationship with the body and the external world, exploring themes of the soul's descent into materiality and the consequences of this descent. They share a conceptual parallel in their exploration of the soul's dual nature and its interaction with the physical realm.
◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 402 (part 1)
“Section 2 2.
Enquiring, then, of Plato as to our own soul, we find ourselves forced to enquire into the nature of soul in general- to discover what there can be in its character to bring it into partnership with body, and, again, what this…”
Both passages discuss the relationship between the soul and the body, and the descent of the soul into the material world. They explore the idea of the soul's connection to a higher, intellectual or spiritual realm while being partially engaged with the physical world.
◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 403
“Section 3 3. The Human Soul, next; Everywhere we hear of it as in bitter and miserable durance in body, a victim to troubles and desires and fears and all forms of evil, the body its prison or its tomb, the kosmos its cave or cavern. Now th…”
Both passages discuss the relationship between the soul and the body, describing the soul's descent into the material world and its subsequent struggles. They also explore the idea of the soul's higher and lower aspects, with Plotinus emphasizing the soul's administrative role and the second passage discussing the soul's corruption and captivity by the material world.
◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 405
“Section 5 5. It is possible to reconcile all these apparent contradictions- the divine sowing to birth, as opposed to a voluntary descent aiming at the completion of the universe; the judgement and the cave; necessity and free choice- in fa…”
Both passages discuss the concept of the soul's descent into the material world, the consequences of this descent, and the idea of punishment or corruption as a result of this action. They also touch on the theme of the soul's potential redemption or return to a higher state.
◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 417
“Section 1 1. What can it be that has brought the souls to forget the father, God, and, though members of the Divine and entirely of that world, to ignore at once themselves and It? The evil that has overtaken them has its source in self-wil…”
Both passages explore the theme of the soul's fall from a divine state due to self-will and desire, leading to a loss of connection with the divine and a focus on the material world. They share a conceptual parallel in describing the soul's descent and the need for redemption.
◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 422 (part 2)
“But in soul the utterance is obscured, for soul is an image and must look to its own original: that Principle, on the contrary, looks to the First without mediation- thus becoming what it is- and has that vision not as from a distance but a…”
Both passages discuss the fall of humanity from a divine state due to self-will and the desire for knowledge or freedom, leading to a separation from the divine and a focus on the material world. They also explore the consequences of this fall, including the loss of divine connection and the degradation of the human condition.
◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 434
“Section 2 2. We begin with the soul, asking whether it is to be allowed self-knowledge and what the knowing principle in it would be and how operating. The sense-principle in it we may at once decide, takes cognisance only of the external;…”
Both passages explore the concept of self-knowledge and the relationship between the soul, the intellect, and external influences. Passage A discusses the soul's ability to know itself and the role of the Intellectual-Principle, while Passage B examines the soul's interaction with external nature and the consequences of seeking self-knowledge through worldly means.
◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 605
“Section 15 15. But how did this intruder find entrance? It had a certain aptitude and it grasped at that to which it was apt. In its nature it was capable of soul: but what is unfitted to receive soul entire- present entire but not for it-…”
Both passages discuss the interaction between the spiritual and material aspects of existence, exploring how the material or lower nature can disrupt the higher spiritual nature. They both describe a state of inner turmoil caused by the material or lower desires and the need for the higher self to regain control.
◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 606
“Section 16 16. But if that Principle can never fall to evil and we have given a true account of the soul's entry or presence to body, what are we to say of the periodic Descents and Returns, the punishments, the banishment into animal forms…”
Both passages discuss the soul's relationship with the body and the consequences of the soul's attachment to the material world. They explore themes of descent, embodiment, and the soul's potential for release or corruption, showing a genuine conceptual parallel across different mystical traditions.
◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 615
“Section 8 8. For my part I am satisfied that anyone considering the mode in which Matter participates in the Ideas will be ready enough to accept this tenet of omnipresence in identity, no longer rejecting it as incredible or even difficult…”
Both passages discuss the interaction between the spiritual and material aspects of existence, exploring how the material or bodily aspects can disrupt or influence the spiritual. They both delve into the idea of a higher self being affected by lower, more chaotic elements.
◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 616
“Section 9 9. The elements in their totality, as they stand produced, may be thought of as one spheric figure; this cannot be the piecemeal product of many makers each working from some one point on some one portion. There must be one cause;…”
Both passages discuss the concept of the soul's relationship with the material world and the consequences of its engagement with it. They explore the idea of the soul's potential fall or corruption due to its interaction with the physical realm, and the need for a higher or external principle to prevent this.
◆platonism|Plato: Timaeus|Section 1p
“Now, when they should be implanted in bodies by necessity, and be always gaining or losing some part of their bodily substance, then in the first place it would be necessary that they should all have in them one and the same faculty of sens…”
Both passages discuss the concept of the soul's journey and its connection to the body, as well as the consequences of moral choices. They also explore the idea of the soul's origin and its potential for transformation or degradation.
◆renaissance_hermeticism|The Heroic Enthusiasts, Part I (Gli Eroici Furori)|Fourth Dialogueh
“Heaven the second gift denies, To him who does the first despise.
With these and similar reasons the soul, taking part with the weakest, seeks to recall the thoughts to the care of the body.
And these, although late, come and show themsel…”
Both passages explore the tension between the spiritual and corporeal aspects of the soul, and the struggle for the soul to transcend its earthly limitations to reunite with the divine. They share a common theme of the soul's journey from a higher, divine state to a lower, earthly state, and the desire to return to the divine.
◆western_esoteric|Transcendental Magic I: The Doctrine (Éliphas Lévi)|14. Transmutationsa
“SPHERA LUNAE SEMPITERNUM AUXILIUM St.
AUGUSTINE questioned seriously whether Apuleius could have been changed into an ass by a Thessalian sorceress, and theologians have long debated about the transformation of Nebuchadnezzar into a wild b…”
Both passages explore the concept of the astral or spiritual body and its interactions with the physical world. They discuss how the spiritual body can manifest in different forms and how it can be influenced by thoughts and desires, leading to transformations or changes in the physical body.