The Life and Doctrines of Jacob Boehme · 93 of 159 · tr. Franz Hartmann
Chapter 9 (part 11)
Unless this distinction of the various aspects of man is kept in mind, we are always exposed to mistaking the leaves of the tree of life for the branches, and the branches for the trunk, and the trunk for the roots.
197:1 Each soul constitutes an individual, but for all that not an independent, part of the tree of life.
The trunk (Christ) remains, but the leaves (the personalities of men and women) drop off.
The branches (the individual human spirits) grow from year to year, and by the power of the sap which the branches receive through the trunk they produce new leaves (personalities) every spring.
Thus it is not the Christ, i.e.
, the divine, man, who becomes reincarnated; neither do the same identical leaves reappear upon the same tree, but the spirit of man (his higher Manas ) through the power of Christ (the Atma-Buddhi ) produces new personalities in whom is expressed the power which the spirit receives from God.
197:2 Each soul is receptive of good and evil influences, but especially to such as are predominant in her own nature.
Whether or not a soul will inherit the desire or power to overcome the evil in her own constitution, or whether she will be more inclined to evil, will depend on the Karma acquired by her in previous incarnations.
Themes
◆Cosmic Dualismtheology
Ontological opposition between two primal principles (light/darkness, truth/lie, spirit/matter) as the fundamental structure of reality.
The passage states that each soul is receptive of good and evil influences, acknowledging a duality of moral forces.
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.
The inclination of the soul toward good or evil is said to depend on Karma acquired in previous incarnations, suggesting a cosmic ordering principle.
All passages →◆Kingdom Withinanthropology
The claim that the divine realm is present inside the individual, accessible without external mediation.
The focus on the 'inner man' and the distinction of internal aspects suggests the divine realm is accessible within the individual.
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 human spirit and its structure are mapped onto the cosmic Tree of Life, with Christ as the trunk and individual spirits as branches.
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 spirit produces new personalities in whom the power received from God is expressed, indicating a transformation through divine grace.
All passages →◆Unity Of Beingtheology
The doctrine that all existence is ultimately one substance or one divine reality; non-duality as a theological claim.
Each soul is described as not independent but a part of the tree of life, implying an underlying unity within diversity.
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.
[auto] The metaphor of the tree describes a flow of power from God through Christ (trunk) to spirits (branches) and personalities (leaves).
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.
[auto] Christ is identified as the trunk or divine man who mediates the power from God to the individual spirits.
All passages →◇Self Knowledgesoteriology
The recognition of one's own true divine nature as the primary path to liberation; 'know thyself' as soteriology.
[auto] The passage emphasizes that keeping the distinction of human aspects in mind is necessary to avoid spiritual error.
All passages →◇Soul Migrationcosmology
The transmigration of the soul across lives.
[auto] The passage explicitly discusses reincarnation and the cycle of personalities produced by the spirit across lives.
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 between the divine soul, the reincarnated part (Karana Sarira), and the inner man (Manas).
All passages →Related passages · 29 parallels
◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 290
“Section 3 3. Is it a question of part in the sense that, taking one living being, the soul in a finger might be called a part of the soul entire? This would carry the alternative that either there is no soul outside of body, or that- no sou…”
Both passages discuss the nature and origin of the soul, exploring how individual souls relate to a universal or divine soul. They both address the idea of the soul's connection to a higher entity and the implications of this relationship.
◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 291
“Section 4 4. But if this is the true account of the unity of soul, we must be able to meet the problems that ensue: firstly, the difficulty of one thing being present at the same moment in all things; and, secondly, the difficulty of soul i…”
Both passages discuss the nature of the soul and its relationship to the whole. They explore the idea of the soul as a unified entity that manifests in individual forms, though they use different metaphors and conceptual frameworks.
◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 292
“Section 5 5. But what place is left for the particular souls, yours and mine and another's? May we suppose the Soul to be appropriated on the lower ranges to some individual, but to belong on the higher to that other sphere? At this there w…”
Both passages discuss the nature of the soul and its relationship to a larger, collective entity. They explore the idea of individual souls as parts of a whole, whether it be the All-Soul in Plotinus' work or the tree of life in the second passage, showing a genuine conceptual parallel.
◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 293
“Section 6 6. But how comes it that while the All-Soul has produced a kosmos, the soul of the particular has not, though it is of the one ideal Kind and contains, it too, all things in itself? We have indicated that a thing may enter and dwe…”
Both passages discuss the nature of the soul and its unity. Passage A from Plotinus explores the idea of the soul as a unified, multi-present entity, while Passage B from Theosophical texts describes the soul as an individual yet interconnected part of a larger spiritual structure. Both emphasize the non-partitioned nature of the soul and its connection to a greater whole.
◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 294
“Section 7 7. So far, so good: but what of the passage in the Philebus taken to imply that the other souls are parts of the All-Soul? The statement there made does not bear the meaning read into it; it expresses only, what the author was the…”
Both passages discuss the nature of the soul and its relationship to the body and the divine. They explore the idea of a unified soul that manifests in different forms or aspects, and the distinction between higher and lower aspects of the soul.
◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 296 (part 2)
“The universe spreads as broad as the presence of soul; the bound of its expansion is the point at which, in its downward egression from the Supreme, it still has soul to bind it in one: it is a shadow as broad as the Reason-Principle procee…”
Both passages discuss the nature of the soul, its relationship to a higher divine principle, and the concept of individuality within a collective spiritual framework. They also touch on the idea of reincarnation and the influence of past lives on the present state of the soul.
◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 297
“Section 10 10. In view of all this we must now work back from the items to the unit, and consider the entire scheme as one enduring thing. We ascend from air, light, sun- or, moon and light and sun- in detail, to these things as constitutin…”
Both passages discuss the nature of the soul and its relationship to the divine and the individual. They explore the idea of the soul as part of a larger unity (the tree of life in Passage A and the All in Passage B) and the concept of reincarnation or the continuous presence of the soul in different forms.
◆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 soul and the body, exploring how the soul interacts with or inhabits the physical realm. They share a mystical perspective on the nature of the soul and its connection to the material world, though they come from different traditions.
◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 310
“Section 23 23. I explain: A living body is illuminated by soul: each organ and member participates in soul after some manner peculiar to itself; the organ is adapted to a certain function, and this fitness is the vehicle of the soul-faculty…”
Both passages discuss the relationship between the soul and the body, exploring the idea of the soul's presence within the body and its interaction with it. They both delve into the nature of the soul and its connection to a higher reality, though from different mystical traditions.
◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 312
“Section 25 25. Now comes the question, equally calling for an answer, whether those souls that have quitted the places of earth retain memory of their lives- all souls or some, of all things, or of some things, and, again, for ever or merel…”
Both passages discuss the relationship between the soul and the body, emphasizing the distinction and interaction between the two. They explore how the soul is present in the body without being fully contained by it, though they use different metaphors and frameworks.
19 more
◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 314
“Section 27 27. But of what soul; of that which we envisage as the more divine, by which we are human beings, or that other which springs from the All? Memory must be admitted in both of these, personal memories and shared memories; and when…”
Both passages discuss the nature of the soul and its relationship to a higher divine principle, as well as the concept of reincarnation and the persistence of memory across different lives. They explore the idea of different aspects or phases of the soul and how they interact with each other.
◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 315
“Section 28 28. Is memory vested in the faculty by which we perceive and learn? Or does it reside in the faculty by which we set things before our minds as objects of desire or of anger, the passionate faculty? This will be maintained on the…”
Both passages discuss the relationship between the soul and the body, exploring the idea that the soul has its own distinct functions and qualities that are not dependent on the body. They both emphasize the soul's role in memory and perception, though from different philosophical and religious perspectives.
◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 316
“Section 29 29. Are we, then, to refer memory to the perceptive faculty and so make one principle of our nature the seat of both awareness and remembrance? Now supposing the very Shade, as we were saying in the case of Hercules, has memory,…”
Both passages discuss the nature of the soul and its relationship with the body and divine aspects. They explore the idea of the soul's stability and its connection to memory and perception, albeit within different philosophical and religious frameworks.
◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 317
“Section 30 30. But what of the memory of mental acts: do these also fall under the imaging faculty? If every mental act is accompanied by an image we may well believe that this image, fixed and like a picture of the thought, would explain h…”
Both passages discuss the nature of the soul and its relationship to the divine and personal aspects of human existence. They explore the idea of reincarnation and the persistence of the soul through different lives, though from different mystical traditions.
◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 321
“Section 1 1. What, then, will be the Soul's discourse, what its memories in the Intellectual Realm, when at last it has won its way to that Essence? Obviously from what we have been saying, it will be in contemplation of that order, and hav…”
Both passages discuss the nature of the soul and its different aspects or faculties. They explore the idea of a higher and lower soul or spirit, and how these interact or manifest in human experience, though they use different terminology and frameworks.
◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 351 (part 2)
“It is not to be thought that such beings engage themselves in human affairs in the sense of making men thieves, slave-dealers, burglars, temple-strippers, or debased effeminates practising and lending themselves to disgusting actions: that…”
Both passages discuss the nature of the soul and its relationship to the body and the divine. They explore the idea of the soul as both individual and part of a greater whole, though they use different metaphors and frameworks.
◆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 explore the nature of the soul and its relationship to the body and divine principles. They discuss the soul's individuality, its connection to a higher divine entity (Christ in Passage A, Intellect in Passage B), and the concept of the soul's existence beyond the physical form.
◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 418
“Section 2 2. Let every soul recall, then, at the outset the truth that soul is the author of all living things, that it has breathed the life into them all, whatever is nourished by earth and sea, all the creatures of the air, the divine st…”
Both passages discuss the relationship between the individual soul and a higher, divine principle. They explore the idea of the soul's connection to a universal life force or divine entity, emphasizing the soul's role in giving life and movement to the universe.
◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 419
“Section 3 3. The Soul once seen to be thus precious, thus divine, you may hold the faith that by its possession you are already nearing God: in the strength of this power make upwards towards Him: at no great distance you must attain: there…”
Both passages discuss the unity and multiplicity of souls, exploring how a single, divine source can give rise to many individual souls. They both use metaphors (the ring and seals, the tree of life) to illustrate the relationship between the one and the many.
◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 428
“Section 12 12. Possessed of such powers, how does it happen that we do not lay hold of them, but for the most part, let these high activities go idle- some, even, of us never bringing them in any degree to effect? The answer is that all the…”
Both passages discuss the relationship between a higher principle (the One in Plotinus, God in the Theosophical text) and the soul, emphasizing the soul's connection to and dependence on the higher principle. They also explore the idea of the soul's progression and its attachment to the divine.
◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 601
“Section 11 11. Still, this integral omnipresence admitted, why do not all things participate in the Intellectual Order in its entirety? Why has it a first participant, a second, and so on? We can but see that presence is determined by the f…”
Both passages explore the nature and omnipresence of the soul, discussing its relationship with the material world and its immaterial, yet pervasive, existence. They both delve into the metaphysical aspects of the soul's presence and its interaction with the physical universe.
◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 604
“Section 14 14. But, admitting this one soul at every point, how is there a particular soul of the individual and how the good soul and the bad? The one soul reaches to the individual but nonetheless contains all souls and all intelligences;…”
Both passages discuss the nature of the soul and its relationship to a higher unity. They explore the concepts of individual souls being part of a greater whole while maintaining their distinct identities, and the idea of unity within multiplicity.
◆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 nature of the soul and its relationship to the body and the universe. They explore the idea of a single soul managing multiple experiences or entities, though from different philosophical and religious perspectives.
◆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 nature of the soul, reincarnation, and the relationship between the divine and the individual soul. They explore how the soul interacts with the physical world and the concept of karma or spiritual growth across incarnations, though from different mystical traditions.
◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 643
“Section 4 4. To meet the difficulty we must make a close examination of the nature of Man in the Intellectual; perhaps, though, it is better to begin with the man of this plane lest we be reasoning to Man There from a misconception of Man h…”
Both passages explore the relationship between the divine, the individual soul, and the human spirit. They discuss the nature of the soul and its connection to a higher principle, with Boehme focusing on the tree of life metaphor and Plotinus on the Reason-Principle.
◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 644
“Section 5 5. Man, thus, must be some Reason-Principle other than soul. But why should he not be some conjoint- a soul in a certain Reason-Principle- the Reason-Principle being, as it were, a definite activity which however could not exist w…”
Both passages discuss the relationship between the divine, the human spirit, and the individual soul or personality. They explore the idea of a higher, more divine aspect (Christ in Passage A, the higher Man and soul in Passage B) influencing and shaping the lower, more material aspects (personalities in Passage A, the lower soul and body in Passage B).
◆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 higher principles. They discuss the distinction between the divine and the human aspects of the self, and the role of the soul in defining human existence.
◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 652 (part 2)
“To a traveller over land, all is earth but earth abounding in difference: so in this journey the life through which Intellectual-Principle passes is one life but, in its ceaseless changing, a varied life.
Throughout this endless variation…”
Both passages discuss the nature of the human soul and its relationship to a higher divine principle. They explore the idea of different aspects or levels of the soul and its connection to a universal or divine source, albeit within different mystical traditions.
◆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 discuss the complex nature of the human soul and its relationship to a higher divine principle. They explore the idea of the individual soul as part of a larger, interconnected whole, with Boehme focusing on the tree of life metaphor and the other passage using various analogies to describe the multifaceted nature of human beings.