Corpus Hermeticum 10: The Sermon on the Mount · 5 of 6 · tr. G.R.S. Mead
Section 1e
And for this cause is water poured around earth, to be a guard and wall, to keep the blazing of the fire away.
But mind, the swiftest thing of all divine outthinkings, and swifter than all elements, hath for its body fire.
For mind being builder doth use the fire as tool for the construction of all things - the Mind of all [for the construction] of all things, but that of man only for things on earth.
Stript of its fire the mind on earth cannot make things divine, for it is human in its dispensation.
19.
The soul in man, however - not every soul, but one that pious is - is a daimonic something and divine.
And such a soul when from the body freed, if it have fought the fight of piety - the fight of piety is to know God and to do wrong to no man - such a soul becomes entirely mind.
Whereas the impious soul remains in its own essence, chastised by its own self, and seeking for an earthly body where to enter, if only it be human.
For that no other body can contain a human soul; nor is it right that any human soul should fall into the body of a thing that doth possess no reason.
For that the law of God is this: to guard the human soul from such tremendous outrage.
20.
Tat: How father, then, is a man's soul chastised?
Hermes: What greater chastisement of any human soul can there be, son, than lack of piety?
What fire has so fierce a flame as lack of piety?
What ravenous beast so mauls the body as lack of piety the very soul?
Dost thou not see what hosts of ills the impious soul doth bear?
It shrieks and screams: I burn; I am ablaze; I know not what to cry or do; ah, wretched me, I am devoured by all the ills that compass me about; alack, poor me, I neither see nor hear!
Such are the cries wrung from a soul chastised; not, as the many think, and thou, son, dost suppose, that a [man's] soul, passing from body, is changed into a beast.
Such is a very grave mistake, for that the way a soul doth suffer chastisement is this: 21.
When mind becomes a daimon, the law requires that it should take a fiery body to execute the services of God; and entering in the soul most impious it scourgeth it with whips made of its sins.
And then the impious soul, scourged with its sins, is plunged in murders, outrage, blasphemy, in violence of all kinds, and all the other things whereby mankind is wronged.
But on the pious soul the mind doth mount and guide it to the Gnosis' Light.
And such a soul doth never tire in songs of praise [to God] and pouring blessing on all men, and doing good in word and deed to all, in imitation of its Sire.
22.
Wherefore, my son, thou shouldst give praise to God and pray that thou mayst have thy mind Good Mind.
It is, then, to a better state the soul doth pass; it cannot to a worse.
Further there is an intercourse of souls; those of the gods have intercourse with those of men, and those of men with souls of creatures which possess no reason.
The higher, further, have in charge the lower; the gods look after men, men after animals irrational, while God hath charge of all; for He is higher than them all and all are less than He.
Cosmos is subject, then, to God, man to the Cosmos, and irrationals to man.
Themes
◆Divine Lighttheology
The uncreated luminous quality of the divine, sometimes experienced directly in mystical states; illumination as revelation.
The Mind is clothed in fire and the pious soul is guided to the 'Gnosis' Light'.
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 'Law of God' is described as actively guarding the human soul from falling into irrational bodies.
All passages →◆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 text describes post-mortem chastisement for the impious soul based on its lack of piety.
All passages →◆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 characterized as 'lack of piety,' which acts as a fierce fire and chastisement rather than a positive substance.
All passages →◆Fasting And Prayerpraxis
Ascetic disciplines that prepare the body and mind for spiritual receptivity or purification.
The text explicitly commands prayer for Good Mind.
All passages →◆Funerary Navigationpraxis
Texts and rituals guiding the soul through death.
The passage details the specific fate and journey of the soul immediately after passing from the body.
All passages →◆Inner Lightanthropology
The divine spark or luminous quality residing within the human person, potentially recognisable through introspection.
The Mind is described as a divine fire residing within the human being.
All passages →◆Love Of Neighbourethics
Active compassionate care for others as a central spiritual obligation or expression of divine love.
Piety is defined as doing wrong to no man and pouring blessing on all men in imitation of God.
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 Mind is contrasted with the Mind of all things, suggesting a reflection of the cosmic builder in man.
All passages →◆Prayerpraxis
Direct address to the divine, whether petitionary, contemplative, or liturgical; speech and silence offered upward.
The text explicitly instructs the reader to give praise to God and pray for Good Mind.
All passages →◆Psychopomp Journeycosmology
Guided passage of the soul through afterlife realms.
The Mind guides the pious soul to the Light after death.
All passages →◆Spiritual Ascentpraxis
A staged journey of the soul upward through heavenly realms or levels of being toward the divine source.
The pious soul passes to a 'better state' and is guided upward to the Light of Gnosis.
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 pious soul becomes 'entirely mind' and is guided to the Gnosis' Light, indicating transformation into a divine state.
All passages →◇Body As Obstacleanthropology
The material body viewed as a prison, tomb, or source of error that hinders spiritual knowledge and return.
[auto] The text explicitly states that the mind cannot dwell in its proper robe of fire while in an earth-body and is limited in divine capacity when stripped of fire on earth.
All passages →◇Cosmic Dualismtheology
Ontological opposition between two primal principles (light/darkness, truth/lie, spirit/matter) as the fundamental structure of reality.
[auto] The passage establishes a fundamental ontological opposition between earth and fire, body and mind, and pious versus impious souls.
All passages →◇Divine Sparkscosmology
Fragments of divine light or spirit trapped inside material bodies, awaiting liberation and return to their source.
[auto] The soul is described as a 'daimonic something and divine' trapped within the human condition awaiting liberation.
All passages →◇Gnosis Direct Knowledgesoteriology
Salvation through direct experiential knowledge of the divine nature, not through faith, ritual, or moral works alone.
[auto] Salvation is linked to the 'fight of piety' which is defined as knowing God.
All passages →◇Mystical Unionsoteriology
The merging of the individual soul or self with the divine, transcending personal identity.
[auto] The pious soul becomes entirely mind, merging with the divine principle.
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] A distinction is made between the pious soul that becomes mind and the impious soul that remains in its essence.
All passages →◇Return To Sourcesoteriology
The soul's journey back to its divine origin, reversing the fall into matter through stages of purification or illumination.
[auto] The pious soul becomes entirely mind upon being freed from the body, reversing its earthly state.
All passages →◇Soul Migrationcosmology
The transmigration of the soul across lives.
[auto] The impious soul is described as seeking for an earthly body where to enter after being chastised.
All passages →◇Tripartite Soulanthropology
Division of the human being into three principles: spirit (pneuma), soul (psyche), and body/matter (hyle or soma).
[auto] The passage explicitly distinguishes between Mind (Nous), Soul (Psyche), and Earth-body as distinct principles governing human existence.
All passages →Related passages · 29 parallels
◆christian_mysticism|The Life and Doctrines of Jacob Boehme|Chapter 2 (part 6)
“2.) "If there is to be a light, there must be a fire.
The fire produces the light, and the light renders the fire manifest; it receives the nature of the fire within itself and resides in the fire." ( Mysterium , xl.
2.) "Joy enters the s…”
Both passages explore the interplay between opposing forces (light/darkness, fire/water, piety/impious) and their roles in the divine and human realms, highlighting the necessity of these opposites for existence and perception.
◆christian_mysticism|The Life and Doctrines of Jacob Boehme|Chapter 3 (part 6)
“49.) Thus the light conquers the darkness, but does not destroy it; it merely becomes victorious over it and consumes it in a manner comparable to that of the assimilation of food by the organism which conquers and consumes that food by mea…”
Both passages discuss the concept of the soul or spirit being associated with fire and light, and the transformation or purification process that occurs through these elements. They also share the idea of the soul's journey and its connection to divine principles.
◆christian_mysticism|The Life and Doctrines of Jacob Boehme|Chapter 3 (part 9)
“"The eternal will, the Father, conducts His heart, His eternal Son, by means of the fire into great triumph, into His kingdom of joy." ( Grace , ii.
21.) "When the Father speaks His Word—that is to say, when He generates His Son—which is d…”
Both passages discuss the divine nature and the role of fire in spiritual processes. They describe a trinitarian structure and the interaction between divine elements, though within different theological frameworks.
◆christian_mysticism|The Life and Doctrines of Jacob Boehme|Chapter 5 (part 6)
“"In the lightning flash, the fourth form of nature, is the origin of life, and it attains perfection in the constancy of the fire.
Here, in the object of division, is the p.
111 spirit born, and this spirit can either go backwards and ent…”
Both passages discuss the concept of the soul or spirit's journey after death, emphasizing the role of free will and the consequences of one's choices. They both describe a division where the soul can either ascend to a higher, divine state or descend into a state of suffering, influenced by the individual's actions and intentions.
◆christian_mysticism|The Life and Doctrines of Jacob Boehme|Chapter 5 (part 7)
“2.) "Lucifer had within himself the fire and the light.
He p.
113 was free.
Why then did he imagine (project his consciousness) into the fire?
The light and the power of God did not draw him into the fire, but the wrath of nature.
Why…”
Both passages explore the concept of a fallen spiritual being (Lucifer in Passage A and the impious soul in Passage B) and the consequences of turning away from the divine. They share themes of pride, self-imposed suffering, and the nature of divine punishment.
◆christian_mysticism|The Life and Doctrines of Jacob Boehme|Chapter 7 (part 2)
“36.) "In Paradise there is perfect life without disturbance, and a perpetual day, and the paradisiacal man is clear like transparent glass, and he is fully penetrated by the light of the divine sun." 1 ( Signature , xi.
5 1.) His body like…”
Both passages discuss the nature of the inner, divine aspect of humanity and its relationship with the physical body. They describe a luminous, pure state of being that is harmonious and connected to the divine, contrasting it with a state of impurity or darkness.
◆christian_mysticism|The Life and Doctrines of Jacob Boehme|Chapter 7 (part 3)
“2.) "The inner man stood in heaven; his essences were the Paradise; his body was indestructible.
He knew the language of God and the angels, and the language of nature, as may be seen by Adam giving names to all creatures, to each accordin…”
Both passages discuss the nature of the soul or inner man, its divine origin, and its relationship with the body and the divine. They also explore the concept of the soul's purity and its connection to the divine light or knowledge.
◆christian_mysticism|The Life and Doctrines of Jacob Boehme|Chapter 7 (part 8)
“15.) The forthcoming of the tree of temptation is not to be wondered at, because Adam was endowed with great powers, and an earthly form as a protection to him against the powers of hell.
1 "Reason (man's reasoning) says, 'Why did God perm…”
Both passages discuss the fall of man from a divine state to a terrestrial one, the role of the soul and mind in this transition, and the consequences of this fall. They also explore the concept of the soul's connection to divinity and the effects of impurity or impiety.
◆christian_mysticism|The Life and Doctrines of Jacob Boehme|Chapter 7 (part 9)
“If it had not been for that circumstance, he would in his selfishness even have become a devil by the power of the fire." 4 ( Stiefel , ii.
363.) "When the devil saw that lust resided in Adam, he acted still more powerfully upon the Sal-ni…”
Both passages explore the interplay between the spiritual and physical aspects of human nature, focusing on the roles of the mind, soul, and the consequences of actions. They share a mystical perspective on the transformation and chastisement of the soul, though within different theological frameworks.
◆christian_mysticism|The Life and Doctrines of Jacob Boehme|Chapter 7 (part 10)
“6.) God had ordered mankind not to eat from the fruits of the tree of temptation; but the devil thought of inducing them to disobey the command, and they were, moreover, p.
160 incited to do so by the spirit of the world, and by their own…”
Both passages discuss the fall of man and the role of a deceptive entity (the devil in Passage A, the impious soul in Passage B) in leading humans away from their divine nature. They also explore the consequences of this fall, including the loss of divine essence and the introduction of earthly desires.
19 more
◆christian_mysticism|The Life and Doctrines of Jacob Boehme|Chapter 7 (part 12)
“145:1 This was the divine Man, out of whom the world was created, while the natural man is a product of the world.
145:2 Because everything was within his own will, within himself.
145:3 This celestial Adam has not died, but still exists…”
Both passages discuss the nature of the divine within humanity, the concept of a fallen state, and the path to divine knowledge or Gnosis. They also explore the idea of the soul's journey and the consequences of piety or impurity.
◆christian_mysticism|The Life and Doctrines of Jacob Boehme|Chapter 7 (part 13)
“154:1 This is the difference between life in the terrestrial and life in the celestial states of nature, that the former is differentiated into forms, each of which loves to live in the consciousness of its own illusive self— i.e.
, in a s…”
Both passages discuss the nature of the human soul and its relationship with the divine, as well as the consequences of spiritual ignorance or impurity. They share themes of the soul's ascent or descent based on its actions and the importance of divine consciousness.
◆christian_mysticism|The Life and Doctrines of Jacob Boehme|Chapter 9 (part 1)
“p.
180 CHAPTER IX.
GENERATION.
"Let every Brahman, with fixed attention, consider all nature, both visible and invisible, as existing in the Divine Spirit.
For when he contemplates the boundless universe in the Divine Spirit, he cannot…”
Both passages discuss the nature of the soul, its divine origin, and its relationship with God or the divine. They also explore the consequences of the soul's alignment or misalignment with the divine will, highlighting themes of divine light, fire, and the soul's potential for piety or impiety.
◆christian_mysticism|The Life and Doctrines of Jacob Boehme|Chapter 9 (part 2)
“If the soul does not do this, but imagines within herself, in her own fierce forms or states conducive to the fire-torture (passion), and not in the fountain of love, then will her self-torture arise from her harshness, acridity, and bitter…”
Both passages discuss the nature of the soul, its relationship with divine love, and the consequences of turning away from the divine. They describe the soul's potential for both divine connection and self-destruction, using imagery of fire and wrath.
◆christian_mysticism|The Life and Doctrines of Jacob Boehme|Chapter 9 (part 3)
“2.) "Many a soul in her malignity would become a devil within one hour if the external life did not prevent it, so that her complete ignition cannot take place." ( Forty Questions , xvi.
12.) "In examining our own selves we find that, on t…”
Both passages discuss the dual nature of human existence, the role of the spiritual and material realms, and the consequences of human actions on the soul. They explore the idea of the soul's potential for corruption and the need for divine intervention or guidance to maintain spiritual purity.
◆christian_mysticism|The Life and Doctrines of Jacob Boehme|Chapter 9 (part 9)
“183:1 If man's imagination were not excited by the pictorial representations which the objects of the surrounding world call forth in his mind by means of his external senses, but if his mental activity were restricted to forming images by…”
Both passages discuss the relationship between the human soul, divine wisdom, and the consequences of aligning with or against divine principles. They explore the idea of the soul's transformation and the impact of one's choices on their spiritual state.
◆christian_mysticism|The Life and Doctrines of Jacob Boehme|Chapter 10 (part 2)
“8.
1.) "The name Jesus was incorporated into the image of eternity as a future Christ, that it may become a redeemer of men, and out of the dying in the wrath regenerate them again into the pure being of divine and paradisiacal power." ( S…”
Both passages discuss the concept of a divine spark or light within humanity, and the role of a divine entity (Jesus in Passage A, Mind in Passage B) in the redemption or purification of the soul. They share themes of pre-existence, fall, and the path to divine reconnection.
◆christian_mysticism|The Life and Doctrines of Jacob Boehme|Chapter 10 (part 9)
“"All sacrificing without faith and divine desire is an p.
219 abomination before God, and does not reach the gate of divine glory; but if man enters therein with the power of faith, he surrenders to it his free will, and desires by that me…”
Both passages discuss the relationship between the human soul, divine connection, and the role of sacrifice or piety. They explore the idea of the soul's purity, its connection to the divine, and the consequences of impiety or sin, showing a conceptual parallel in their mystical insights.
◆christian_mysticism|The Life and Doctrines of Jacob Boehme|Chapter 10 (part 10)
“Thus the desire of God in the Word perceived the desire of man through the fire; for in the (divine) fire was consumed the animal vanity in the will of man, by means of the wrath, and then the purified human will, with the incorporated para…”
Both passages discuss the purification of the human soul through fire, with the fire symbolizing divine wrath and the process leading to a reunion with the divine. They also share the concept of the soul being freed from earthly constraints and becoming one with the divine through a transformative process.
◆christian_mysticism|The Life and Doctrines of Jacob Boehme|Chapter 10 (part 11)
“At the same time it made one fire out of the combination of the human life-fire and the divine love-fire, and therewith was constituted a true sacrifice of sin and restitution, because the sin was sacrificed to the fire of divine wrath, to…”
Both passages discuss the transformation of the soul through divine fire, emphasizing the purification and redemption process. They share the concept of the soul's journey from a state of impurity to one of divine connection, though they come from different mystical traditions.
◆christian_mysticism|The Life and Doctrines of Jacob Boehme|Chapter 11 (part 7)
“48.) "The soul and the Word are not one or one being.
The soul is born from the centre of nature, from the essences, and belongs to the body, for she issues from the essences of the body, and attracts to herself the body; but the Word is f…”
Both passages discuss the relationship between the divine and the human soul, and the transformation or illumination of the soul by a higher power. They share the theme of the soul's connection to divinity and the consequences of piety or impiety.
◆christian_mysticism|The Life and Doctrines of Jacob Boehme|Chapter 12 (part 2)
“1 "It was the will of God to transmute humanity, after it had become earthly, again into the celestial quality, to turn the human earth (material element) into heaven, to make out of the four elements only one, and to transform the wrath of…”
Both passages discuss the transformation of the human soul through divine intervention, emphasizing the role of a divine being (Christ in Passage A, Mind in Passage B) in redeeming or purifying the soul from its earthly state. They share the theme of divine love overcoming wrath or impiety, leading to the soul's elevation.
◆christian_mysticism|The Life and Doctrines of Jacob Boehme|Chapter 13 (part 9)
“279 free will already in the beginning (of a desire) destroys the desire, so that it does not become substantial, then is the physician (for the cure of that disease) already born, and there will not be needed such great earnestness as will…”
Both passages discuss the relationship between the spiritual and physical aspects of human nature, emphasizing the need to overcome material desires and the importance of the inner self in achieving spiritual growth. They also highlight the consequences of indulging in worldly pleasures and the importance of piety and self-control.
◆christian_mysticism|The Life and Doctrines of Jacob Boehme|Chapter 13 (part 10)
“281 "The inner man continually kills the outer one by means of the love and sweetness of God, so that the external one cannot introduce into the soul-fire his earthly poisonous desire, which is infected by the devil; but the external man ca…”
Both passages discuss the struggle between the inner, divine nature of a person and the outer, sinful nature. They also emphasize the need for continual spiritual growth and the inability to completely escape the sinful nature during earthly life.
◆greek_mystery|The Golden Verses of Pythagoras|Section 10 (part 2)
“It is not proper to despise those things of which we shall be in want after the dissolution of the body.
36.
You should not ask of divinity that which, when you have obtained, you will not perpetually possess.
37.
Accustom your soul aft…”
Both passages emphasize the importance of living a pious and virtuous life, the connection between the soul and divinity, and the consequences of impiety. They share themes of the soul's journey, the role of the mind/intellect, and the pursuit of divine alignment.
◆greek_mystery|The Golden Verses of Pythagoras|Section 10 (part 3)
“Speak not of God to every man.
79.
It is dangerous and the danger is not small, to speak of God even things which are true.
80.
A true assertion respecting God is an assertion of God.
p.
61 81.
You should not dare to speak of God to…”
Both passages emphasize the importance of living a pious and virtuous life, the connection between the soul and divinity, and the consequences of impiety. They share themes of the soul's journey, the role of the mind/intellect, and the pursuit of divine alignment.
◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 307 (part 2)
“Because the soul is not seen and the body is: we perceive the body, and by its movement and sensation we understand that it is ensouled, and we say that it possesses a soul; to speak of residence is a natural sequence.
If the soul were vis…”
Both passages discuss the nature of the soul and its relationship with the divine, particularly focusing on the soul's state before and after its descent into the material world. They both explore the idea of the soul's purity and its connection to higher realms of existence.
◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 361
“Section 41 41. The prayer is answered by the mere fact that part and other part are wrought to one tone like a musical string which, plucked at one end, vibrates at the other also. Often, too, the sounding of one string awakens what might p…”
Both passages discuss the nature of the soul and its relationship to the divine and the material world. They explore the idea of the soul's power and its connection to the universe or divine entities, though they come from different mystical traditions.
◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 605
“Section 15 15. But how did this intruder find entrance? It had a certain aptitude and it grasped at that to which it was apt. In its nature it was capable of soul: but what is unfitted to receive soul entire- present entire but not for it-…”
Both passages discuss the relationship between the soul, the body, and the divine. They explore how the soul interacts with the body and how the lower nature (or 'rabble' in Plotinus, 'impious soul' in Hermes) can disrupt the higher nature (or 'Man' in Plotinus, 'mind' in Hermes).