The Life and Doctrines of Jacob Boehme · 92 of 159 · tr. Franz Hartmann
Chapter 9 (part 10)
The conditions of these animal elementals in the constitution of man are some of those causes of his bodily ills of which modern medical science is entirely ignorant.
191:1 This is the way in which the "personalities" mentioned in the Book Genesis were "begotten." 192:1 Since the "woman" has issued from man, his manner of reproduction has necessarily become an external and animal one, and will continue to be so until the true divine marriage has taken place, by which the Will of man becomes again one with the goddess of wisdom.
192:2 Each sex seeks within the other that of which it is itself deficient, and therefore, seen from the spiritual point of view, all sexual "love" may be regarded as a manifestation of selfishness.
193:1 "Sin" is that which constitutes a disobedience against the will of God, which is also the law of nature.
He who resists the law of nature without being able to rise above his own animal nature commits a crime against nature, and therefore against God.
But if we rise above our animal plane into the higher regions of feeling and thought, then shall we be no longer affected by the laws that govern that animal nature, and no resistance will be needed, as the desires of the flesh do not affect the spirit that is not identified with the flesh.
193:2 Here Jacob Boehme evidently refers to the human soul, the Manas , and not to the Buddhi , or spiritual soul, which overshadows each new incarnation.
193:3 The spiritual soul in man has its origin in God, and its individual qualities are gathered from the efflorescence of its experiences in previous p.
194 incarnations; but the human and animal soul are the products of the mental and astral influences acting through the bodies of the parents; while the visible material form is made of the elements of the earth.
194:1 The highest sensual pleasure which human beings can possibly enjoy is experienced by them during the connubial act; but as this act constitutes the exercise of the highest power which is still within man's dominion, namely, the power to create a being like unto himself, therefore this power should not be prostituted for baser motives, such as the gratification of sensual desire.
195:1 In the male is represented especially the fiery essence (the will or obstinacy), in the female the essence of light (spirituality or gentleness).
The sexual distinctions, however, do not belong to the external body exclusively, but to the inner man, of whom the outer man is not always a correct image, because there are other factors besides the true soul entering in his formation.
Therefore it sometimes happens that the sex of the external body does not seem to correspond to that of the inner man.
We meet with male persons apparently inhabited by a female soul with female tastes and tendencies, and vice versa; and in such persons there are sometimes manifest apparently inexplicable sexual perversities.
195:2 It should always be remembered that man's constitution is not the p.
196 result of the action of only one principle, but of three, manifesting themselves in the seven qualities of eternal nature, in seven different forms, and that, therefore, his external body is not the expression of only one principle, but of three.
His spirit is from the innermost fountain, his soul from the internal world, his body from external nature.
196:1 The absence of words in modern languages for expressing internal facts in a comprehensible manner leads to a continual confusion of terms.
Thus the term "soul" refers here not to the divine soul that originates directly from God, nor to that part of man which becomes reincarnated (the Karana Sarira ), but to the "inner man" (the Manas and lower lsencippri).
Themes
◆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 passage discusses the relationship between the inner man and outer body, noting they do not always correspond.
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 text describes spirit, soul, and body originating from different levels (innermost fountain, internal world, external nature).
All passages →◆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 animal soul resembling a menagerie suggests a mechanical or reactive aspect of human nature.
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.
The text describes man's constitution as reflecting three principles manifesting in seven qualities of eternal nature.
All passages →◆Numerical Mysticismtheology
Numbers, proportions, and mathematical relationships as the underlying structure of divine reality.
The text references the seven qualities of eternal nature manifesting in man's constitution.
All passages →◆Opposites Transcendedanthropology
The dissolution of binary oppositions (male/female, inner/outer, above/below) as a mark of spiritual completion.
The divine marriage unifies the male will and female wisdom, transcending sexual distinctions.
All passages →◆Soul Migrationcosmology
The transmigration of the soul across lives.
The passage mentions that the spiritual soul gathers qualities from experiences in previous incarnations.
All passages →◆Spiritual Ascentpraxis
A staged journey of the soul upward through heavenly realms or levels of being toward the divine source.
The passage describes rising above the animal plane into higher regions of feeling and thought.
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.
Rising above animal nature to align with God's will implies transformation into a divine state.
All passages →◇Anthropomorphismtheology
Attributing human characteristics, emotions, or form to the divine; embodied divine imagery.
[auto] Divine principles are described using human gendered terms such as 'woman,' 'man,' and 'goddess of wisdom.'
All passages →◇Body As Obstacleanthropology
The material body viewed as a prison, tomb, or source of error that hinders spiritual knowledge and return.
[auto] Reproduction is described as 'external and animal' until the divine marriage, implying the bodily state is a deficiency to be transcended.
All passages →◇Cosmic Dualismtheology
Ontological opposition between two primal principles (light/darkness, truth/lie, spirit/matter) as the fundamental structure of reality.
[auto] The passage contrasts the animal/external nature with the divine/internal will and highlights the deficiency between male and female sexes.
All passages →◇Divine Marriagesoteriology
The reunification of complementary divine principles (male-female, spirit-matter) as a symbol of wholeness and salvation.
[auto] The passage explicitly identifies the 'true divine marriage' as the state where the Will of man becomes one with the goddess of wisdom, ending animal reproduction.
All passages →◇Kingdom Withinanthropology
The claim that the divine realm is present inside the individual, accessible without external mediation.
[auto] The divine marriage and the animal menagerie are described as internal realities within the constitution of man.
All passages →◇Mystical Unionsoteriology
The merging of the individual soul or self with the divine, transcending personal identity.
[auto] The text describes the Will of man becoming 'again one with the goddess of wisdom,' indicating a merging of the human and divine principles.
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 phrase 'becomes again one' implies a restoration or return to an original unified state prior to the separation of sexes.
All passages →◇Self Knowledgesoteriology
The recognition of one's own true divine nature as the primary path to liberation; 'know thyself' as soteriology.
[auto] Understanding the internal 'animal soul' menagerie through 'astral perception' is presented as a form of inner recognition.
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 distinguishes the 'animal soul' from the higher 'Will of man' and references 'bodily ills,' aligning with a division of human principles.
All passages →Related passages · 26 parallels
◆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 physical aspects of human existence, highlighting the interplay and the wonder of their coexistence. They discuss the nature of the soul and its connection to the body, albeit from different mystical traditions.
◆hermeticism|Corpus Hermeticum 10: The Sermon on the Mount|Section 1f
“But God is o'er them all, and God contains them all.
God's rays, to use a figure, are His energies; the Cosmos's are natures, the arts and sciences are man's.
The energies act through the Cosmos, thence through the nature-rays of Cosmos u…”
Both passages discuss the relationship between the divine, the human mind or soul, and the physical world. They explore the idea of a higher mind or soul that connects humans to the divine and the cosmos, and the consequences of being devoid of this higher mind or soul.
◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 14
“Section 10 10. It will be objected, that if the Soul constitutes the We [the personality] and We are subject to these states then the Soul must be subject to them, and similarly that what We do must be done by the Soul. But it has been obse…”
Both passages discuss the dual nature of the human soul, distinguishing between a higher, intellectual or spiritual soul and a lower, animalistic or bodily soul. They also explore the idea that the higher soul can transcend the lower, affecting the individual's virtues and experiences.
◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 47
“Section 14 14. For man, and especially the Sage, is not the Couplement of soul and body: the proof is that man can be disengaged from the body and disdain its nominal goods. It would be absurd to think that happiness begins and ends with th…”
Both passages discuss the relationship between the soul and the body, emphasizing the need to transcend bodily concerns to achieve a higher state of being. They both advocate for the reduction of bodily influences to focus on the spiritual or true self.
◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 183
“Section 7 7. It remains to notice the theory of the one Causing-Principle alleged to interweave everything with everything else, to make things into a chain, to determine the nature and condition of each phenomenon- a Principle which, actin…”
Both passages discuss the influence of astral or divine forces on physical characteristics and the nature of the soul. They explore the idea that human traits and forms are influenced by higher, non-physical entities, though they come from different mystical traditions.
◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 341
“Section 21 21. That this is the phase of the human being in which desire takes its origin is shown by observation of the different stages of life; in childhood, youth, maturity, the bodily desires differ; health or sickness also may change…”
Both passages explore the relationship between the human soul, the body, and the spiritual essence. They discuss the duality of human nature, the influence of the soul on the body, and the distinction between higher and lower aspects of being, showing a genuine conceptual parallel across different mystical traditions.
◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 342
“Section 22 22. And as regards vegetal forms? Are we to imagine beneath the leading principle [the "Nature" phase] some sort of corporeal echo of it, something that would be tendency or desire in us and is growth in them? Or are we to think…”
Both passages explore the relationship between the soul and the body, particularly in the context of pain and pleasure. They discuss how the soul perceives and interacts with bodily experiences, though from different mystical traditions.
◆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 explore the interplay between the higher soul or spirit and the lower, more animalistic aspects of human nature. They discuss how desires and sensations originate from the corporeal or animalistic parts and how the higher soul interacts with or controls these desires.
◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 343 (part 2)
“Thus, is the heat of a fire really at a distance from the flesh it warms, the intermediate space remaining unmodified; is it possible to see colour over a sheer blank intervening between the colour and the eye, the organ of vision reaching…”
Both passages explore the relationship between the body, desires, and the higher faculties of the human being. They discuss how bodily states influence desires and the role of the higher self in moderating or understanding these desires, though they come from different mystical traditions.
◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 344
“Section 24 24. The next question is whether perception is concerned only with need. The soul, isolated, has no sense-perception; sensations go with the body; sensation itself therefore must occur by means of the body to which the sensations…”
Both passages explore the concept of soul and its relationship with the physical world. Passage A discusses the soul's presence in the earth and its role in vegetation and animal life, while Passage B examines the composition of the human soul and its connection to the animal and spiritual realms. Both texts delve into the nature of ensoulment and its implications for perception and existence.
16 more
◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 349 (part 2)
“Here we have to enquire into the nature and being of that vestige of the soul actually present in the living body: if there is truly a soul, then, as a thing never cut off from its total, it will go with soul as soul must: if it is rather t…”
Both passages explore the relationship between the soul, the body, and various emotional and physical states. They discuss how the soul interacts with the body to produce emotions like anger and desire, and how these interactions are influenced by bodily conditions.
◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 352
“Section 32 32. If we can trace neither to material agencies [blind elements] nor to any deliberate intention the influences from without which reach to us and to the other forms of life and to the terrestrial in general, what cause satisfac…”
Both passages explore the interconnectedness of all beings and the influence of higher and lower souls or spirits on human nature and existence. They discuss the unity of life and the impact of different elements on individual beings, though from different mystical traditions.
◆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 nature of the soul and its relationship to the body, exploring the idea that the soul is distinct from and superior to the physical form. They both delve into the complexities of the soul's interaction with the material world, though from different philosophical and mystical perspectives.
◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 652 (part 1)
“Section 13 13.
For Intellectual-Principle is not a simplex, nor is the soul that proceeds from it: on the contrary things include variety in the degree of their simplicity, that is to say in so far as they are not compounds but Principles…”
Both passages explore the nature of the human soul and its relationship to the body and higher principles. They discuss the distinction between the spiritual and animal aspects of human existence, though from different mystical traditions.
◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 654
“Section 15 15. That Life, the various, the all-including, the primal and one, who can consider it without longing to be of it, disdaining all the other? All other life is darkness, petty and dim and poor; it is unclean and polluting the cle…”
Both passages discuss the nature of the soul and its relationship to the animal and spiritual aspects of human beings. They explore the idea that the soul has different qualities and that these qualities can influence the physical and spiritual state of a person. The passages also touch on the concept of divine will and its influence on human nature.
◆platonism|Plato: Timaeus|Section 1
“These each man should follow, and correct the courses of the head which were corrupted at our birth, and by learning the harmonies and revolutions of the universe, should assimilate the thinking being to the thought, renewing his original n…”
Both passages discuss the spiritual and physical aspects of human reproduction and the nature of the soul. They explore the idea that human beings are composed of multiple principles or elements, and that the external body does not always reflect the inner spiritual nature. Additionally, both texts touch on the concept of reincarnation and the influence of past experiences on the soul.
◆renaissance_hermeticism|The Heroic Enthusiasts, Part I (Gli Eroici Furori)|Fourth Dialoguei
“And amongst men the same thing is seen, according as some resemble one species of brute beast and some another: these having something of the quadruped, and those of birds, and, may be, some affinity, which I will not explain, but through w…”
Both passages explore the idea of the soul's struggle with its material, animalistic nature and the aspiration to rise above it. They discuss the soul's desire to transcend its current state and the conflict between higher thoughts and base instincts.
◆taoism|Tao Te Ching|Chapter 10
“When the intelligent and animal souls are held together in one embrace, they can be kept from separating. When one gives undivided attention to the (vital) breath, and brings it to the utmost degree of pliancy, he can become as a (tender) b…”
Both passages discuss the unity and duality of the human soul and the importance of transcending the animalistic or lower aspects of human nature. They also touch on the themes of divine connection and the mystical qualities of the self.
◆western_esoteric|Tertium Organum (P.D. Ouspensky)|Chapter VIII (part 7)
“90 [paragraph continues] HIMSELF, BUT FROM THE OUTSIDE WORLD.
MAN IS THE TRANSMITTING OR TRANSFORMING STATION FOR CERTAIN FORCES: ALL OF HIS ACTIONS IN THESE THREE CATEGORIES ARE CREATED AND DETERMINED BY HIS IMPRESSIONS OF THE OUTSIDE WOR…”
Both passages explore the distinction between human and animal consciousness, with Passage A focusing on the lack of conceptual thought in animals and Passage B discussing the animal soul within humans and its influence on behavior and health. Both texts emphasize the higher capacities of human beings compared to animals.
◆western_esoteric|Tertium Organum (P.D. Ouspensky)|Chapter VIII (part 10)
“The mental development of a child may be arrested by making it memorize a series of words or a series of figures.
The animal is in just such a position.
Herein lies the explanation of the strange fact that an animal is wiser when it is yo…”
Both passages explore the distinct psychological and spiritual characteristics of animals and humans, highlighting the differences in their cognitive and perceptual abilities. They both emphasize the unique nature of animal and human consciousness, though from different mystical perspectives.
◆western_esoteric|Tertium Organum (P.D. Ouspensky)|Chapter XVI (part 1)
“p.
176 CHAPTER XVI The phenomenal and the noumenal side of man.
"Man-in-himself." How do we know the inner side of man?
Can we know of the existence of consciousness in conditions of space not analogous to ours?
Brain and consciousness.…”
Both passages explore the complex nature of human existence, particularly the interplay between the physical, spiritual, and psychological dimensions. They both discuss the limitations of human understanding and the multifaceted nature of the self, though from different mystical traditions.
◆western_esoteric|Tertium Organum (P.D. Ouspensky)|Chapter XVII (part 3)
“The snail is a complex centre of transmutation of some physical energies into others.
This centre possesses a consciousness of its own.
It is for this reason that the snail is indivisible.
Its psyche is infinitely higher than that of the…”
Both passages explore the concept of psychic lives and the interconnectedness of various forms of consciousness within living beings. They discuss the idea of higher and lower psychic lives, and the existence of a greater, more encompassing consciousness that transcends individual existence.
◆western_esoteric|Tertium Organum (P.D. Ouspensky)|Chapter XVII (part 4)
“"It is not the Adam of dust (of Chapter II) who is thus made in the divine image, but the Divine Androgyne (of Chapter I), or Adam Kadmon." ADAM KADMON is HUMANITY, or humankind— Homo Sapiens —the SPHYNX, i.e., "the being with the body of a…”
Both passages explore the complex nature of the human being, discussing the interplay between different aspects of the self, such as body, soul, and spirit. They also touch on the idea of the human being as a composite of various elements or entities, using analogies to illustrate this concept.
◆western_esoteric|Tertium Organum (P.D. Ouspensky)|Chapter XXII (part 24)
“The comparison of the sensation of woman experienced by man, or vice versa , with the feeling for nature is met with very often.
And it is really the same sensation as is given by forest, prairie, sea, mountains, only in this case it is ev…”
Both passages explore the mystical connection between humans and nature, particularly through the lens of animals and their symbolic significance. They discuss the profound, almost spiritual, affinity that humans can feel towards animals and nature, highlighting the unity and interconnectedness of all things.
◆western_esoteric|Tertium Organum (P.D. Ouspensky)|Chapter XXIII (part 12)
“Having painted a very true picture of the consecutive gradations of the forms of consciousness observed by us—of animal-vegetable, of animal, and of man—Dr.
Bucke considers this gradation exclusively in the light of the evolution of one fo…”
Both passages discuss the evolution and development of human consciousness, emphasizing the role of individual effort and the transition from lower to higher states of being. They also touch on the idea of the human soul or mind having different facets or elements that influence its evolution.
◆western_esoteric|Tertium Organum (P.D. Ouspensky)|Chapter XXIII (part 15)
“Simple Consciousness and flashes of thought.
Animals possessing complex organisms.
Absence of consciousness of death.
Body, instincts, desires, voices of the body, emotions.
Reasoning.
Moments of self-consciousness and flashes of cosmi…”
Both passages discuss the complexity of human consciousness and its evolution, comparing different forms of consciousness and their roles within a larger organism or system. They also touch on the idea of higher consciousness and its importance in human life.