Pistis Sophia · 113 of 160 · tr. George Horner

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Now therefore they are wont to bear the child, the power in him being small, and being small in him the soul, and being small in him the counterfeit spirit also in one word, being small the three together: having not any of them any perception of thing whether good or evil, from the weight of the heedlessness which weigheth greatly: and also being small the body also: and the child is wont to eat out of the meats of the world of the Rulers; and is wont the power to attract to it(self) from the particle of the power which is in the meats, and is wont the soul to attract to it(self) from the particle of the soul which is in the meats, and is wont the counterfeit spirit to attract to it(self) from the particle of the evil which is in [258 ] the meats with its lusts, and is wont the body also to attract to itself the matter, which perceiveth not which is in the meats.

The Fate, indeed is not wont to receive out of the meats, because that it is not mixed up with them (the others), but in the condition in which it is wont to come unto the World it is wont to go also in it: and gradually (by little, little, MS ) are wont the power with the soul with the counterfeit spirit to become great, and each of them is wont to perceive according to his nature.

The power indeed is wont to perceive to seek after the Light of the Height, the soul also is wont to perceive to seek after the Place of the 142 righteousness this which is mixed, namely the Place of the Confusion, the counterfeit spirit also is wont to seek after all evil with the lusts with every sin, the body also is not wont to perceive anything, except it taketh up power out of the matter.

[259 ] And then they are wont to perceive, each of the three, according to his nature.

And the Contentious ones also are wont to tell to the Ministers (that) they should follow them, and become witness to every sin which they do, concerning the manner in which they will punish them in the judgments, and after these also, the counterfeit spirit is wont to take notice and perceive all the sins with the evil, which order unto the soul the Rulers of the great Destiny; and it maketh them of the soul.

And is wont the power which is within to move the soul, for it to seek after the Place of the Light, and of all the Godhead: and is wont the counterfeit spirit to turn aside the soul, and it is wont to compel it and cause it to do all his unlawfulnesses and with all his passions with all its sins persevering (in them).

And is wont [259 ] to remain imparting to the soul, and becoming enemy unto it, causing it to do all these evils with all these sins.

And he is wont to instigate the Contentious ministers that they should become witness against her in every sin which it will cause her to do: still also coming, she being about to rest herself in the night (and) in the day, it is wont to move her in dreams or in lusts of the World.

And it is wont to cause her to lust after everything of the World, in one word, it is wont to urge her unto all things which order to it the Rulers.

And it is wont to become enemy with the soul causing her to do the (things) which she would not.

Now therefore Maria, then this is the enemy of the soul, and this is that which compelleth her, even until she doeth every sin.

Themes

◆Body As Obstacleanthropology

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

The body is described as small and lacking perception, attracting only matter without discernment.

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◆Cosmic Dualismtheology

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

A sharp ontological opposition is drawn between the Light/Righteousness of the soul and the evil/lusts of the counterfeit spirit.

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◆Divine Lighttheology

The uncreated luminous quality of the divine, sometimes experienced directly in mystical states; illumination as revelation.

The power seeks after the 'Light of the Height' as a primary destination.

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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.

References to 'Height' and 'World' imply a structured cosmic order with levels of being.

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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 lacking perception and being mixed into meats rather than possessing positive being.

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◆Fall Of Sophiacosmology

The Gnostic myth of Wisdom's prolapse from the Pleroma — her unilateral desire or error producing the Demiurge and the entrapment of divine sparks in matter.

The text describes the soul's entrapment in material meats and evil lusts similar to Wisdom's prolapse.

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◆Funerary Navigationpraxis

Texts and rituals guiding the soul through death.

The passage details the soul's state during death ('night') and its movement through afterlife realms.

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◆Kingdom Withinanthropology

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

The text emphasizes internal states of perception and attraction rather than external divine presence.

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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 human condition is characterized by 'heedlessness' and 'weight' that hinders perception.

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◆Pneumatic Electsoteriology

A spiritual elite who possess the divine spark and are predestined for salvation, contrasted with psychic (faithful) and hylic (material) persons.

The 'Contentious ones' are distinguished from the Ministers and represent a specific spiritual group.

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◆Renunciation Of Wealthethics

The spiritual danger of attachment to material possessions; wealth as a spiritual obstacle.

The soul is warned against lusting after everything of the World.

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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.

The power seeks after the Light of the Height and the Place of the Confusion as a return to origin.

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◆Ritual Puritypraxis

The maintenance of a state of cleanliness—physical, moral, or spiritual—required for encounter with the divine.

The 'Place of the Confusion' is described as mixed, implying a state of deficiency or impurity.

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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.

Perception and attraction are described as occurring according to each principle's nature.

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◆Spiritual Ascentpraxis

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

The power seeks after the Light of the Height, implying a movement upward toward divine origin.

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◆Tripartite Soulanthropology

Division of the human being into three principles: spirit (pneuma), soul (psyche), and body/matter (hyle or soma).

The passage explicitly describes the three components of the human being: power, soul, and counterfeit spirit.

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Related passages · 1 parallel

◆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 discuss the internal struggle within the human soul or psyche, involving elements that pull in different directions—one towards the divine or light, and the other towards worldly or evil desires. They both describe a conflict between higher and lower aspects of the self, though within different theological frameworks.