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THUNDER A PERFECT MIND
I was sent forth from the power,
and I have come to those who reflect upon me
and I have been
found among those who seek after me
and you hearers, hear me.
You are waiting for me, take me to yourselves.
And
do not bannish me from your sight
And do not make your voice hate me, nor your hearing.
Do not be ignorant of me anywhere,
or anytime. Be on your gaurd!
Do not be ignorant of me.
Do not hate my obedience and do not love my self-control
For I am the first and the last.
I am the honored one and the scorned one.
I am the whore and
the holy one.
I am the wife and the virgin
I am the mother and the daughter
I am she who's wedding is great
and
I have not taken a husband
I am knowledge and ignorance
I am strength and I am fear
I am foolish and I am wise
I
am godless and I am one whose god is great
from the Nag Hammadi Library Gnostic collection (undated)
Shekinah
The Wisdom of Solomon
Shekinah is the Supreme Spirit
devoted to the good of all people . . .
She shines bright in the bloom of ignorance;
She is unfading;
She is easily seen by those
who love Her;
easily found by those who look for Her,
And quickly does She come to those who seek Her help.
One who rises early, intent on finding Her, will not grow weary of the quest --
For one day
he will find Her seated in his own heart.
To set all one's thoughts on Her is true wisdom,
And to be ever aware of Her is the sure way
to perfect peace.
For Shekinah Herself goes about in search of those who are worthy of Her.
With every step She comes to guide them;
in every thought She comes to meet them . . .
The true beginning of spiritual life is the desire to know Shekinah.
A desire to know Her brings
one to love Her.
Loving Her enables one to follow her will.
Following Her will is the sure path of immortality.
And
immortalityis oneness with God.
So the desire to know Shekinah leads to God
and His Kingdom - - a never-fading Kingdom.
With
all your thrones and scepters you may rule the world for a while,
But take hold of Shekinah and you will rule the world
forever.
The Wisdom of Solomon (50 BCE)
was written by an unknown Jewish sage living
in Alexandria.
By custom, however, it is ascribed to King Solomon (10th century BCE).
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PROVERBS 3: 13-19
13
Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding.
14
For
the merchandise of it is better than the merchandise of silver, and the gain thereof than fine gold.
15
She is more
precious than rubies: and all the things thou canst desire are not to be compared unto her.
16
Length of days is in
her right hand; and in her left hand riches and honour.
17
Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are
peace.
18
She is a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her: and happy is every one that retaineth her.
19
The
LORD by wisdom hath founded the earth; by understanding hath he established the heavens.
PROVERBS 4: 5-9
5
Get wisdom, get understanding: forget it not; neither decline from the words
of my mouth.
6
Forsake her not, and she shall preserve thee: love her, and she shall keep thee.
7
Wisdom is the
principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.
8
Exalt her, and she shall promote
thee: she shall bring thee to honour, when thou dost embrace her.
9
She shall give to thine head an ornament of grace:
a crown of glory shall she deliver to thee.
PROVERBS 8: 1-3
1
Doth not wisdom cry? and understanding put forth her voice?
2
She standeth
in the top of high places, by the way in the places of the paths.
3
She crieth at the gates, at the entry of the city,
at the coming in at the doors.
PROVERBS 8: 22-35
23
I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, or ever the earth was.
24
When
there were no depths, I was brought forth; when there were no fountains abounding with water.
25
Before the mountains
were settled, before the hills was I brought forth:
26
While as yet he had not made the earth, nor the fields, nor the
highest part of the dust of the world.
27
When he prepared the heavens, I was there: when he set a compass upon the
face of the depth:
28
When he established the clouds above: when he strengthened the fountains of the deep:
29
When
he gave to the sea his decree, that the waters should not pass his commandment: when he appointed the foundations of the earth:
30
Then
I was by him, as one brought up with him: and I was daily his delight, rejoicing always before him;
31
Rejoicing in
the habitable part of his earth; and my delights were with the sons of men.
32
Now therefore hearken unto me, O ye children:
for blessed are they that keep my ways.
33
Hear instruction, and be wise, and refuse it not.
34
Blessed is the
man that heareth me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at the posts of my doors.
35
For whoso findeth me findeth life,
and shall obtain favour of the LORD.
PROVERBS 9: 1-6
1
Wisdom hath builded her house, she hath hewn out her seven pillars:
2
She hath killed
her beasts; she hath mingled her wine; she hath also furnished her table.
3
She hath sent forth her maidens: she crieth
upon the highest places of the city,
4
Whoso is simple, let him turn in hither: as for him that wanteth understanding,
she saith to him,
5
Come, eat of my bread, and drink of the wine which I have mingled.
6
Forsake the foolish,
and live; and go in the way of understanding.
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Trimorphic Protennoia
I am Protennoia, the Thought that dwells in the Light. I am the movement that dwells in the All,
she in whom the All takes its stand, the first-born among those who came to be, she who exists before the All. She (Protennoia)
is called by three names, although she dwells alone, since she is perfect. I am invisible within the Thought of the Invisible
One. I am revealed in the immeasurable, ineffable (things). I am incomprehensible, dwelling in the incomprehensible. I move
in every creature.
I am the life of my Epinoia that dwells within every Power and every eternal movement, and (in) invisible
Lights and within the Archons and Angels and Demons, and every soul dwelling in Tartaros, and (in) every material soul. I
dwell in those who came to be. I move in everyone and I delve into them all. I walk uprightly, and those who sleep, I awaken.
And I am the sight of those who dwell in sleep.
I am the Invisible One within the All. It is I who counsel those who are hidden, since I know the
All that exists in it. I am numberless beyond everyone. I am immeasurable, ineffable, yet whenever I wish, I shall reveal
myself of my own accord. I am the head of the All. I exist before the All, and I am the All, since I exist in everyone.
I am a Voice speaking softly. I exist from the first. I dwell within the Silence that surrounds every
one of them. And it is the hidden Voice that dwells within my, within the incomprehensible, immeasurable Thought, within the
immeasurable Silence.
I descended to the midst of the underworld, and I shone down upon the darkness. It is I who poured
forth the water. It is I who am hidden within radiant waters. I am the one who gradually put forth the All by my Thought.
It is I who am laden with the Voice. It is through me that Gnosis comes forth. I dwell in the ineffable and unknowable ones.
I am perception and knowledge, uttering a Voice by means of thought. I am the real Voice. I cry out in everyone, and they
recognize it (the voice), since a seed indwells them.
The Hypostasis of the Archons
And the great angel Eleleth, understanding, spoke to me: "Within limitless realms dwells incorruptibility. Sophia, who
is called Pistis, wanted to create something, alone without her consort; and her product was a celestial thing. A veil exists
between the world above and the realms that are below; and shadow came into being beneath the veil; and that shadow became
matter; and that shadow was projected apart. And what she had created became a product in the matter, like an aborted fetus.
And it assumed a plastic form molded out of shadow, and became an arrogant beast resembling a lion. It was androgynous, as
I have already said, because it was from matter that it derived.
Opening his eyes, he saw a vast quantity of matter without limit; and he became arrogant, saying, "It is I who am God,
and there is none other apart from me". When he said this, he sinned against the entirety. And a voice came forth from above
the realm of absolute power, saying, "You are mistaken, Samael" - which is, 'god of the blind'.
And he said, "If any other thing exists before me, let it become visible to me!" And immediately Sophia stretched forth
her finger and introduced light into matter; and she pursued it down to the region of chaos. And she returned up to her light;
once again darkness [...] matter.
Their chief is blind; because of his power and his ignorance and his arrogance he said, with his power, "It is I who
am God; there is none apart from me." When he said this, he sinned against the entirety. And this speech got up to incorruptibility;
then there was a voice that came forth from incorruptibility, saying, "You are mistaken, Samael" - which is, "god of the blind."
His thoughts became blind. And, having expelled his power - that is, the blasphemy he had spoken - he pursued it down
to chaos and the abyss, his mother, at the instigation of Pistis Sophia. And she established each of his offspring in conformity
with its power - after the pattern of the realms that are above, for by starting from the invisible world the visible world
was invented.
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