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Pistis Sophia · 116 of 160 · tr. George Horner

Document THIRDp

And whenever the soul, whenever she should say the mystery of the loosening of the seals, and immediately is wont to be loosened the counterfeit spirit; and it is wont to cease coming in against the soul, and it ceaseth from allotting the soul. And immediately is wont to say a mystery, the soul, and hold down the counterfeit spirit with the Fate and dismiss them from following her. But there is not any of them being in their (own) authority: but she is being in her (their, MS ) authority: and immediately are wont the Receiver of that soul and the mysteries which she received, they are wont to come and snatch away that soul from [264 ] the Contentious Receiver. And are wont the Receivers, they are wont to withdraw unto the works of the Rulers in regard to the arrangement for the bringing out of the souls. And are wont the Receivers also of that soul, these which belong unto the Light, they are wont to become wing of light unto that soul, and she becometh vesture of light unto her(self). And they are not wont to take her out of the Chaoses, because it is not right to take a soul having received mystery out of the Chaoses, but they are wont to take her by the road of the Rulers of the Middle: and whenever she should arrive at the Rulers of the Middle, are wont to come out to meet the soul those Rulers, becoming in a great fear with a flame which is fierce with varied faces, in one word, being in a great fear, there being not measure unto it. And immediately is wont the soul, she is wont to say the mystery of their defence. And they are wont to fear greatly and (to) fall upon their face being in fear [264 ] before the mystery which she said, and before her defence. And is wont that soul, she is wont to dismiss them to their Fate, saying to them, Receive to you your Fate. I am not coming unto your Place from this hour. I became strange unto you unto age, being about to go unto the Place of mine inheritance. But these whenever should finish saying them the soul, are wont the Receivers of the Light, they are wont to fly with her unto the Height, and they are wont to take her out of the Aeons of the Destiny, she giving the defence of the Place to it with its seal, these which I shall say unto you in the Distribution of the mysteries. And she is wont to give to the Rulers the counterfeit spirit, and she is wont to say unto them the mystery of the bonds with which they bound it in unto her (him, MS ). And she is wont to say to them, Come 146 (take) your counterfeit spirit. I am not coming unto your Place from this hour, I became strange unto you unto age. And she is wont to give the seal of each [265 ] to him with his defence. But these whenever should finish saying the soul, are wont the Receivers of the Light, they are wont to fly with her unto the Height, and they are wont to take her out of the Aeons of the Destiny, and they are wont to take her up in all the Aeons, she giving the defence of each Place to it, with the defence of all the Places, with the seals of (with, MS ) the Tyrants of the King the Adamas. And she is wont to give the defence to all the Rulers of all the Places of the Left, these which I shall say unto you all their defences with their seals, at the time (in) which I shall say unto you at the Distribution of the mysteries.
Themes
Aeonscosmology

Divine archetypal beings or eternal attributes dwelling within the Pleroma, often arranged in male-female syzygies.

References to 'Aeons of the Destiny' and 'Tyrants of the King the Adamas' indicate divine archetypal beings dwelling within cosmic structures.

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Archonscosmology

Malevolent planetary rulers or demiurgic powers that govern the material world and obstruct the soul's ascent.

Mentions a 'Contentious Receiver' and 'Rulers of the Middle' who obstruct the soul's path and must be overcome with mystery.

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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.

The soul is described as being in the 'Chaoses' until liberated by the Light, implying material entrapment.

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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 central conflict exists between the soul and a 'counterfeit spirit' that must be defeated through mystery.

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Divine Lighttheology

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

The text repeatedly describes the soul becoming 'vesture of light' and being protected by Receivers of the Light.

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Eschatological Judgmentsoteriology

Final, collective cosmic judgment as an event in which the wicked are sentenced and the cosmos restored; distinct from psychopomp_journey (individual passage at death) and emphasising verdict where Zoroastrian frashokereti emphasises restoration.

The passage details a final decision where souls are either taken by Rulers or sent to Fate based on their mysteries.

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Funerary Navigationpraxis

Texts and rituals guiding the soul through death.

The text describes the soul's journey through specific realms like Chaoses and Aeons after death.

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Gnosis Direct Knowledgesoteriology

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

Salvation is achieved through the direct utterance of 'mysteries' rather than external rituals or faith.

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Hidden Sayingssoteriology

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

The text emphasizes the necessity of knowing and saying specific 'mysteries' to effect liberation.

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Inner Lightanthropology

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

The soul becomes 'vesture of light' upon liberation from the counterfeit spirit.

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Kingdom Withinanthropology

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

The soul holds authority over her own fate rather than being subject to external rulers.

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Living Godtheology

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

Divine entities like Rulers and Receivers are depicted as active agents who meet the soul and respond to her words.

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Psychopomp Journeycosmology

Guided passage of the soul through afterlife realms.

The passage describes a guided passage of the soul through afterlife realms like Chaoses and Aeons under divine authority.

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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 soul is directed to leave the Chaoses and ascend toward her 'Place of mine inheritance'.

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Ritual Firepraxis

Fire as medium of divine presence.

The Rulers are described as coming with a 'flame which is fierce' that induces great fear.

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Sacred Namestheology

Divine names or formulas that carry ontological power, used in prayer, liturgy, or magical practice.

The efficacy of liberation depends on the utterance of specific 'mysteries' and 'defences'.

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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.

The soul is described as having become 'strange unto you unto age' and must depart from the Rulers to return to her inheritance.

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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 soul is guided upward through levels of being from the Chaoses to the Height and Aeons of Destiny.

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Related passages · 4 parallels
christian_mysticism|Meister Eckhart's Sermons (Field translation)|IIb
So, if my soul is to know God, it must be God-like.” Now, how is the soul to arrive at this heavenly state that it recognizes God in itself, and knows that He is near? By copying the heavens, which can receive no impulse from without to ma…”
Both passages describe the soul's journey towards a higher spiritual state, involving the shedding of earthly or counterfeit elements and the attainment of a divine or pure state. They share the theme of the soul's transformation and liberation, though they use different metaphors and frameworks.
egyptian|The Egyptian Book of the Dead (Papyrus of Ani)|Chapter 26 (part 1)
PLATE XVIII. My soul (5) seeth the great god within the boat of Ra on the day of souls. My soul is (6) in the front among those who tell the years. Come; the eye of Horus, which stablisheth glories (7) upon the brow of Ra and rays of lig…”
Both passages describe a soul's journey through the afterlife, encountering various divine beings and overcoming obstacles. They share themes of liberation, divine mysteries, and the soul's ascent to a higher realm, though they are rooted in different mystical traditions.
mandaean|Gnostic John the Baptizer — Portents at John's Birth|Section 16
When Messiah said this, Yahyā cries aloud; tears come to him without ceasing, and he speaks: "[God] forbid that the high King of Light should look for lot in deceivers. The soul is not like the blood, that it should become heated in the bod…”
Both passages describe the soul's journey after death and its interaction with various spiritual entities. They share themes of the soul's liberation, the presence of adversarial forces, and the soul's ascent to a higher realm, indicating a genuine conceptual parallel.
platonism|Plato: Phaedrus|Section 1p
And there is a law of Destiny, that the soul which attains any vision of truth in company with a god is preserved from harm until the next period, and if attaining always is always unharmed. But when she is unable to follow, and fails to b…”
Both passages discuss the journey of the soul after death and the role of knowledge or mysteries in determining the soul's fate. They share the theme of the soul's ascent or descent based on its actions and knowledge, though they come from different mystical traditions.