The Golden Verses of Pythagoras · 23 of 122 · tr. Florence M. Firth
Section 11
p. 62 PYTHAGOREAN SENTENCES FROM THE PROTREPTICS OF IAMBLICHUS 1. As we live through soul, it must be said that by the virtue of this we live well; just as because we see through the eyes, we see well through the virtue of these. 2. It must not be thought that gold can be injured by rust, or virtue by baseness. 3. We should betake ourselves to virtue as to an inviolable temple, in order that we may not be exposed to any ignoble insolence p. 63 of soul with respect to our communion with, and continuance in life. 4. We should confide in virtue as in a chaste wife; but trust to fortune as to an inconstant mistress. 5. It is better that virtue should be received accompanied with poverty, than wealth with violence; and frugality with health, than voracity with disease. 6. An abundance of nutriment is noxious to the body; but the body is preserved when the soul is disposed in a becoming manner. 7. It is equally dangerous to give a sword to a madman, and power to a depraved man. 8. As it is better for a part of the body which contains purulent matter to be burnt, than to continue in the state in which it is, thus also it is better for a depraved man to die than to live. 9. The theorems of philosophy are to be enjoyed as much as possible, as if they were ambrosia and nectar. For the pleasure arising from them is genuine, incorruptible, and divine. They are also capable of producing magnanimity; and though they cannot make us eternal beings, yet they enable p. 65 us to obtain a scientific knowledge of eternal natures. 10. If vigour of sensation is considered by us to be an eligible thing, we should much more strenuously endeavour to obtain prudence; for it is as it were the sensitive vigour of the practical intellect which we contain. And as through the former we are not deceived in sensible perceptions, so through the latter we avoid false reasoning in practical affairs. 11. We shall venerate Divinity in a proper manner if we render the intellect that is in us pure from all vice, as from a certain stain. 12. A temple, indeed, should be adorned with gifts, but the soul with disciplines. 13. As the lesser mysteries are to be delivered before the greater, thus also discipline must precede philosophy. 14. The fruits of the earth, indeed, are annually imparted, but the fruits of philosophy at every part of the year. 15. As land is especially to be attended to by him who wishes toe obtain from it the most excellent fruit, thus also the greatest attention should be: paid to the soul, in order that it may produce fruit worthy of its nature.
Themes
◆Apophatic Theologytheology
Describing the divine only by negation—God transcends all positive categories and concepts; the via negativa.
Verse 100 states that using many words when speaking of God produces ignorance, suggesting divine ineffability.
All passages →◆Divine Hiddennesstheology
The supreme God's radical concealment beyond ordinary knowledge or perception; the Hidden Father.
Verses 79 and 81 emphasize the danger of speaking of God to the multitude, implying God is not readily accessible to all.
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.
Verse 85 contrasts belief in God with the belief that 'nothing is taken care of by him,' affirming divine care.
All passages →◆Gnosis Direct Knowledgesoteriology
Salvation through direct experiential knowledge of the divine nature, not through faith, ritual, or moral works alone.
Verse 94 equates 'Divine Wisdom' with 'true Science,' and Verse 99 links scientific knowledge of God to wisdom.
All passages →◆Inner Lightanthropology
The divine spark or luminous quality residing within the human person, potentially recognisable through introspection.
Verse 90 instructs to recognize 'what that is in you which recognises God,' indicating an inner divine capacity.
All passages →◆Inner Silencepraxis
The practice of stilling the mind and speech to open receptivity to divine knowledge or presence.
Verse 99 states that knowledge of God causes a man to use few words, valuing silence over verbosity.
All passages →◆Kingdom Withinanthropology
The claim that the divine realm is present inside the individual, accessible without external mediation.
Verse 90 and 92 focus on recognizing the divine within oneself as the path to knowing God.
All passages →◆Living Godtheology
The divine conceived as active, present, and dynamic—not an abstract principle but a personal responsive reality.
Verse 97 attributes human-like emotion to God, stating 'God rejoices in the wise man.'
All passages →◆Love Of Neighbourethics
Active compassionate care for others as a central spiritual obligation or expression of divine love.
Verse 84 implies one should impart possessions to others, and Verse 87 says 'injure no one.'
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.
Verse 104 describes the wise intellect as 'the mirror of God,' reflecting the divine structure within the human.
All passages →◆Mystical Unionsoteriology
The merging of the individual soul or self with the divine, transcending personal identity.
Verse 97 states 'God is inseparable from the soul of the wise man,' indicating a deep union.
All passages →◆Paradox As Teachingethics
Using apparent contradiction, reversal, or riddle to destabilise ordinary understanding and induce insight.
Verse 83 presents the paradox that a man worthy of God is 'also a God among men.'
All passages →◆Poverty Of Spiritanthropology
Eckhart's radical reading of Matthew 5:3 — the saint as one who wants nothing, knows nothing, and has nothing, having emptied even the will and the self with which to receive God; distinct from renunciation_of_wealth (material poverty).
Verse 84 states 'It is better to have nothing, than to possess much and impart it to no one.'
All passages →◆Prayerpraxis
Direct address to the divine, whether petitionary, contemplative, or liturgical; speech and silence offered upward.
Verse 82 states 'He does not know God who does not worship Him,' implying prayer or worship.
All passages →◆Rejection Of Hypocrisyethics
Critique of outward religious observance that lacks inner transformation; form without substance.
Verse 85 equates believing in God but denying His care with disbelief, critiquing hollow belief.
All passages →◆Renunciation Of Wealthethics
The spiritual danger of attachment to material possessions; wealth as a spiritual obstacle.
Verse 84 critiques possessing much without imparting it, highlighting the spiritual danger of attachment.
All passages →◆Ritual Puritypraxis
The maintenance of a state of cleanliness—physical, moral, or spiritual—required for encounter with the divine.
Verse 95 explicitly forbids speaking of God to an 'impure soul,' requiring spiritual cleanliness for divine encounter.
All passages →◆Spiritual Ascentpraxis
A staged journey of the soul upward through heavenly realms or levels of being toward the divine source.
Verse 88 warns against looking downward to the earth, while Verse 103 commands to 'look to Divinity.'
All passages →◇Hidden Sayingssoteriology
Esoteric teachings reserved for those ready to receive them; outer meaning conceals an inner liberating truth.
[auto] Verses 79-81 explicitly warn against speaking of God to the multitude, reserving such knowledge for the worthy.
All passages →◇Pneumatic Electsoteriology
A spiritual elite who possess the divine spark and are predestined for salvation, contrasted with psychic (faithful) and hylic (material) persons.
[auto] The text distinguishes between the multitude who should not hear about God and those worthy enough to receive such teachings.
All passages →◇Self Knowledgesoteriology
The recognition of one's own true divine nature as the primary path to liberation; 'know thyself' as soteriology.
[auto] Verse 92 directly states that knowing the creator leads to knowing oneself, establishing self-knowledge as a soteriological path.
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.
[auto] Verse 83 declares 'The man who is worthy of God is also a God among men,' and Verse 86 urges rendering the intellect similar to God.
All passages →Related passages · 32 parallels
◆christian_mysticism|The Life and Doctrines of Jacob Boehme|Chapter 1 (part 3)
“7.) "I do not wish to divert men from the Word as it is written and taught; but my writings are intended to lead them from a merely historical belief to a living faith, even to Jesus Christ (the Light and Truth) Himself.
All preaching and…”
Both passages emphasize the importance of inner spiritual knowledge and the direct experience of the divine. They share the idea that true understanding comes from within, through the awakening of the spirit or the alignment of one's intellect with the divine.
◆hermeticism|Corpus Hermeticum 9: The Decalogue|Section 1b
“But I return once more to the Discourse (Logos) on Sense.
That sense doth share with thought in man, doth constitute him man.
But 'tis not [every] man, as I have said, who benefits by thought; for this man is material, that other one subs…”
Both passages emphasize the importance of divine wisdom and the proper understanding of God. They share themes of the divine nature, the role of the wise individual in relation to God, and the dangers of misrepresenting or misunderstanding the divine.
◆hermeticism|Corpus Hermeticum 10: The Sermon on the Mount|Section 1c
“For that the soul who hath no knowledge of the things that are, or knowledge of their nature, or of Good, is blinded by the body's passions and tossed about.
This wretched soul, not knowing what she is, becomes the slave of bodies of stran…”
Both passages emphasize the importance of virtue and knowledge for the soul. They highlight the dangers of vice and ignorance, and the benefits of purity and understanding, showing a genuine conceptual parallel across different mystical traditions.
◆jewish_mysticism|The Book of Concealed Mystery (Siphra Dtzenioutha)|1e
“31: "And He was wise above every man." Because these are not classed with man.
21.
(But when it is said) "And the Tetragrammaton gave him wisdom," then is understood the supernal He .
(Because he gave unto him the influx of the wisdom of…”
Both passages emphasize the importance of divine wisdom and the relationship between the wise individual and the divine. They also share themes of the danger of speaking of God to the unworthy and the elevation of the wise man above ordinary humans.
◆neoplatonism|Iamblichus: On the Mysteries|Chapter III
“The wise, [49] therefore, speak as follows: The soul having a twofold life, one being in conjunction with body, but the other being separate from all body; when we are awake we employ, for the most part, the life which is common with the bo…”
Both passages emphasize the importance of the soul's connection to higher truths and virtues. They share a focus on the purification of the intellect and the soul, and the pursuit of philosophical or divine knowledge as a means to elevate one's existence.
◆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 nature of the soul and its relationship to virtue and the body. Passage A from Plotinus emphasizes the distinction between the higher, intellectual soul and the lower, bodily part, while Passage B from Iamblichus focuses on the virtues of the soul and the importance of philosophical discipline. Both texts share a common theme of the soul's role in achieving a higher state of being.
◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 19 (part 1)
“Section 1 1.
Since Evil is here, "haunting this world by necessary law," and it is the Soul's design to escape from Evil, we must escape hence.
But what is this escape?
"In attaining Likeness to God," we read.
And this is explained as "…”
Both passages emphasize the importance of virtue and the pursuit of a higher, divine-like state. They share a focus on the purification of the soul and the attainment of wisdom, though they come from different mystical traditions.
◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 19 (part 2)
“So with us: it is from the Supreme that we derive order and distribution and harmony, which are virtues in this sphere: the Existences There, having no need of harmony, order or distribution, have nothing to do with virtue; and, none the le…”
Both passages emphasize the importance of virtue and its role in attaining a higher state of being or likeness to the divine. They share a conceptual parallel in the idea that virtue is essential for a good life and for connecting with higher realities.
◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 20
“Section 2 2. First, then, let us examine those good qualities by which we hold Likeness comes, and seek to establish what is this thing which, as we possess it, in transcription, is virtue but as the Supreme possesses it, is in the nature o…”
Both passages discuss the nature and importance of virtue, emphasizing its role in elevating the soul and bringing it closer to the divine. They share a conceptual parallel in their focus on the transformative power of virtue and its connection to higher, more ideal forms of being.
◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 21
“Section 3 3. We come now to that other mode of Likeness which, we read, is the fruit of the loftier virtues: discussing this we shall penetrate more deeply into the essence of the Civic Virtue and be able to define the nature of the higher…”
Both passages discuss the concept of virtue and its relationship to the divine or higher principles. They emphasize the purification of the soul and the attainment of a higher state of being through virtue, though they come from different philosophical traditions.
22 more
◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 22
“Section 4 4. We come, so, to the question whether Purification is the whole of this human quality, virtue, or merely the forerunner upon which virtue follows? Does virtue imply the achieved state of purification or does the mere process suf…”
Both passages discuss the concept of purification and virtue, emphasizing the alignment of the soul with higher principles. Passage A focuses on the soul's devotion to the Intellectual-Principle, while Passage B highlights the importance of virtue and the purification of the intellect as a means to venerate divinity.
◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 24
“Section 6 6. In all this there is no sin- there is only matter of discipline- but our concern is not merely to be sinless but to be God. As long as there is any such involuntary action, the nature is twofold, God and Demi-God, or rather God…”
Both passages discuss the concept of virtue and the elevation of the soul or intellect towards a higher, divine state. They share a focus on the purification and contemplation of the divine, though they come from different philosophical and mystical traditions.
◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 25
“Section 7 7. The virtues in the Soul run in a sequence correspondent to that existing in the over-world, that is among their exemplars in the Intellectual-Principle. In the Supreme, Intellection constitutes Knowledge and Wisdom; self-concen…”
Both passages emphasize the importance of virtue and the purification of the soul, highlighting the role of intellectual and moral virtues in achieving a higher state of being. They share a conceptual parallel in their focus on the cultivation of virtues as a means to connect with the divine or higher principles.
◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 67
“Section 6 6. For, as the ancient teaching was, moral-discipline and courage and every virtue, not even excepting Wisdom itself, all is purification. Hence the Mysteries with good reason adumbrate the immersion of the unpurified in filth, ev…”
Both passages emphasize the purification and elevation of the soul, the importance of virtue, and the connection to the divine. They share a common theme of moral discipline and the pursuit of higher, intellectual, and spiritual beauty.
◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 167
“Section 11 11. Now, in the first place, if the Soul has not actually come down but has illuminated the darkness, how can it truly be said to have declined? The outflow from it of something in the nature of light does not justify the asserti…”
Both passages emphasize the importance of aligning oneself with the divine and the dangers of misrepresenting or misconceiving God. They also stress the importance of humility and the proper understanding of one's relationship to the divine.
◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 234 (part 1)
“Section 2 2.
Let us begin with virtue and vice in the Soul.
What has really occurred when, as we say, vice is present?
In speaking of extirpating evil and implanting goodness, of introducing order and beauty to replace a former ugliness,…”
Both passages discuss the concept of virtue and its relationship to the soul, emphasizing harmony and the proper functioning of faculties. They share a focus on the soul's faculties and their alignment with reason or intellectual principles, though they come from different philosophical traditions.
◆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 emphasize the centrality of the soul and its role in achieving virtue and understanding divine principles. They share a focus on the purity of the soul and its connection to eternal and divine truths.
◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 659
“Section 20 20. Since we are not entitled to make desire the test by which to decide on the nature and quality of the good, we may perhaps have recourse to judgement. We would apply the opposition of things- order, disorder; symmetry, irregu…”
Both passages emphasize the pursuit of virtue and the good, with Plotinus focusing on the Intellectual-Principle and the soul's striving towards the good, while the Pythagorean sentences highlight the importance of virtue and the disciplining of the soul. Both traditions share a conceptual parallel in valuing virtue and the good as ultimate goals.
◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 666
“Section 27 27. But what is that whose entry supplies every such need? Some Idea, we maintain. There is a Form to which Matter aspires: to soul, moral excellence is this Form. But is this Form a good to the thing as being apt to it, does the…”
Both passages discuss the nature of the good and virtue, emphasizing the intrinsic value of these qualities and their role in the betterment of the self. They share a conceptual parallel in their exploration of the relationship between the soul, virtue, and the good, though they come from different philosophical traditions.
◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 687
“Section 5 5. Are we, however, to make freedom and self-disposal exclusive to Intellectual-Principle as engaged in its characteristic Act, Intellectual-Principle unassociated, or do they belong also to soul acting under that guidance and per…”
Both passages discuss the nature of virtue and its relationship to the soul and intellectual principle. They explore the idea of freedom and self-disposal in the context of virtuous action, though from different philosophical traditions.
◆platonism|Plato: Phaedo|Section 1i
“They are temperate because they are intemperate-which may seem to be a contradiction, but is nevertheless the sort of thing which happens with this foolish temperance.
For there are pleasures which they must have, and are afraid of losing;…”
Both passages emphasize the importance of virtue and wisdom, and discuss the purification of the soul. Plato's passage focuses on the exchange of wisdom for virtue, while the Pythagorean sentences highlight the virtues and disciplines of the soul.
◆renaissance_hermeticism|The Heroic Enthusiasts, Part II (Gli Eroici Furori)|First Dialoguei
“"It is not," says he, "gold and silver that makes one like God, because these are not treasure to Him; nor vestments, for God is naked; nor ostentation and fame, for He shows Himself to few, and perhaps not one knows Him, and certainly many…”
Both passages discuss the nature of divine connection and the detachment from worldly concerns. They emphasize the importance of inner transformation and the alignment of one's intellect with the divine, though they come from different mystical traditions.
◆taoism|Tao Te Ching|Chapter 33
“He who knows other men is discerning; he who knows himself is intelligent. He who overcomes others is strong; he who overcomes himself is mighty. He who is satisfied with his lot is rich; he who goes on acting with energy has a (firm) will.…”
Both passages emphasize self-knowledge and the importance of inner strength and wisdom. The Tao Te Ching focuses on self-mastery and contentment, while the second passage highlights the importance of knowing God and aligning one's intellect with the divine, but both share a core theme of inner understanding and virtue.
◆taoism|Tao Te Ching|Chapter 38
“(Those who) possessed in highest degree the attributes (of the Tao) did not (seek) to show them, and therefore they possessed them (in fullest measure). (Those who) possessed in a lower degree those attributes (sought how) not to lose them,…”
Both passages discuss the nature of higher virtues and the dangers of losing sight of the fundamental principles. The Tao Te Ching speaks of the Tao and its attributes, while the Pythagorean passage discusses the nature of God and the proper way to approach divine wisdom. Both emphasize the importance of substance over form and the dangers of superficial understanding.
◆taoism|Tao Te Ching|Chapter 56
“He who knows (the Tao) does not (care to) speak (about it); he who is (ever ready to) speak about it does not know it. He (who knows it) will keep his mouth shut and close the portals (of his nostrils). He will blunt his sharp points and un…”
Both passages emphasize the importance of not speaking lightly about the divine or mystical truth. They highlight the idea that true knowledge of the divine leads to a state of being that is beyond ordinary concerns and interactions, and that such knowledge is best kept silent or shared only with those who are worthy.
◆taoism|Tao Te Ching|Chapter 70
“My words are very easy to know, and very easy to practise; but there is no one in the world who is able to know and able to practise them. There is an originating and all-comprehending (principle) in my words, and an authoritative law for t…”
Both passages discuss the rarity of true understanding and the value of wisdom. They emphasize the importance of knowing the divine or the Tao and the humble nature of those who possess such knowledge.
◆taoism|Tao Te Ching|Chapter 81
“Sincere words are not fine; fine words are not sincere. Those who are skilled (in the Tao) do not dispute (about it); the disputatious are not skilled in it. Those who know (the Tao) are not extensively learned; the extensively learned do n…”
Both passages emphasize the importance of sincerity and the dangers of excessive disputation or speech about divine matters. They also highlight the virtues of humility and the importance of acting in accordance with divine principles.
◆taoism|The Writings of Chuang Tzu (Inner Chapters)|Book 124 (part 6)
“Let us abjure such procedure, and simply rest here 1 .
7.
The Tâo at first met with no responsive recognition.
Speech at first had no constant forms of expression.
Because of this there came the demarcations (of different views).
Let m…”
Both passages emphasize the limitations of language and argumentation in conveying ultimate truths. They also highlight the importance of inner wisdom and the dangers of superficial understanding, though they do so within different cultural and religious contexts.
◆taoism|The Writings of Chuang Tzu (Inner Chapters)|Book 125 (part 2)
“or from Man?' Then he added 2 , 'It must be from Heaven, and not from Man.
Heaven's making of this man caused him to have but one foot.
In the person of man, each foot has its marrow.
By this I know that his peculiarity is from Heaven, a…”
Both passages explore themes of divine nature and human understanding, emphasizing the importance of aligning with higher principles. Chuang Tzu discusses the acceptance of natural order and the consequences of neglecting one's divine nature, while the Pythagorean text emphasizes the proper reverence and understanding of God, and the alignment of human intellect with divine wisdom.
◆taoism|The Writings of Chuang Tzu (Inner Chapters)|Book 126 (part 3)
“Doing what other men do, they would have no occasion to blame me.
This p.
208 is what is called being a fellow-worker with other men.
'Fully declaring my sentiments and substantiating them by appealing to antiquity, I shall be a co-worke…”
Both passages emphasize the importance of inner transformation and alignment with a higher principle (antiquity in Chuang Tzu, Divinity in the other). They also stress the need for purity of mind and action, and the difficulty of achieving true understanding without proper preparation.
◆taoism|The Writings of Chuang Tzu (Inner Chapters)|Book 127 (part 3)
“228 (virtue) which is internal, and not an adjunct of the body, and yet you are continually directing your attention to my external body;--are you not wrong in this?' Dze-khân felt uneasy, altered his manner and looks, and said, 'You need n…”
Both passages explore the theme of inner virtue and its importance over external appearances or circumstances. They emphasize the cultivation of inner qualities and the pursuit of wisdom, though they come from different mystical traditions (Daoist and Pythagorean).
◆taoism|The Writings of Chuang Tzu (Inner Chapters)|Book 128 (part 2)
“Hence he who tries to share his joys with others is not a sagely man; he who manifests affection is not benevolent; he who observes times and seasons (to regulate his conduct) is not a man of wisdom; he to whom profit and injury are not the…”
Both passages discuss the qualities and behaviors of enlightened or wise individuals, emphasizing detachment, inner virtue, and alignment with a higher principle (Heaven in Chuang Tzu, God in the other passage). They also highlight the importance of authenticity and the dangers of superficial actions or words.