Section 12 (part 4)

79 But this knowledge is the business of no other art and science than the Pythagorean philosophy alone, which in a transcendent degree honours disciplines before everything else. SYMBOL 15. Having departed from your house, turn not back; for the furies will be your attendants. Explanation .--This Symbol also exhorts to philosophy and self-operating energy according to intellect. It clearly manifests too and predicts, that having applied yourself to philosophy, you should separate yourself from everything corporeal and sensible, and truly meditate upon death, proceeding, without turning back, to things intelligible and which always subsist according to the same and after a similar manner, through appropriate disciplines; for journeying is a change of place; and death is the separation of the soul from the body. But we should philosophize truly and without sensible and corporeal energies, employing a pure intellect in the apprehension of the truth of things, which knowledge, when acquired, is p. 80 wisdom. But having applied yourself to philosophy, turn not back nor suffer yourself to be drawn to former objects and to corporeal natures together with which you were nourished. For by so doing you will be attended by abundant repentance, in consequence of being impeded in sane apprehensions by the darkness in which corporeal natures are involved. But the Symbol denominates repentance, the furies. Symbol 16. Being turned to the sun, make not water. Explanation .--The exhortation of this Symbol is as follows: Attempt to do nothing which is merely of an animal nature; but philosophize, looking to the heavens and the sun. Let the light of truth also be your leader, and remember that no abject conceptions must be admitted in philosophy; but ascend to the gods and wisdom through the survey of the celestial orbs. Having likewise applied yourself to philosophy and purified yourself by the light of truth which is in it; being also, converted to a pursuit of this kind, to theology, to physiology, and so p. 81 astronomy, and to the knowledge of that cause which is above all these; no longer do anything of a merely brutal nature. SYMBOL 17. Wipe not a seat with a torch. Explanation .--This Symbol also exhorts the same thing. For since a torch is of a purifying nature In consequence of its rapid and abundant participation of fire, in the same manner as what is called sulphur, the Symbol not only exhorts not to defile it, since it is itself abstergent of defilements, nor to oppose its natural aptitude by defiling that which is an impediment to defilement; but rather that we should not mingle the peculiarities of wisdom with those of the merely animal nature. For a torch through the bright light it emits is compared to philosophy; but a seat through its lowly condition to the merely animal nature. SYMBOL 18. Nourish a cock; but sacrifice it not; for it is sacred to the sun and the moon. Explanation .--This Symbol advises us to nourish and strengthen the body and not p. 82 neglect it, dissolving and destroying the mighty tokens of union, connection, sympathy, and consent of the world. So that it exhorts us to engage in the contemplation and philosophy of the universe. For though the truth concerning the universe is naturally occult, and sufficiently difficult of investigation, it must, however, at the same time, be enquired into and investigated by man, and especially through philosophy. For it is truly impossible to be discovered through any other pursuit. But philosophy, receiving certain sparks, and as it were viatica, from nature, excites and expands them into magnitude, rendering them more conspicuous through the disciplines which it possesses. Hence, therefore, we should philosophize. SYMBOL 19. Sit not upon a bushel.