Knowledge Of The Things That Are

I. As it is Below, so it is Above; As on the Earth, so in the Sky.

II. There are two states of being: one is Mortal, the other is Immortal.

III. That which is Mortal is dissolvable, and dissolvable bodies pass away like a mist in the morning. 
IV. An Immortal body is an Essence which is Eternal and Incorruptible.

V. But the two, the Mortal and the Immortal, cannot exist together forever, but each returns to the place from where it comes.

VI. The Mortal body is Sensible, but the Immortal is Reasonable.

VII.The former contains nothing that is Perfect. The latter, nothing that is Imperfect; for the one is the essence of Matter, and the other the essence of Spirit, and Man, the Microcosm, holds the Balance of the two.

VIII. And there is a fierce warfare for the victory, between the Lower and the Upper, as they both desire to obtain the Body as their Prize; for the state of Man is envied by the Lower and glorified as a noble state by the Higher.

IX. Now if the Man inclines toward the Lower nature, which is Mortal, he thereby aids the Lower Imperfect powers to oppose the Higher, which is Immortal, and must suffer the pains of Slavery for his disobedience to the Workman, his Maker. But if he inclines to the Higher, then he is truly Wise and Blessed.

X. Should Man, after being attracted by the Vanities of the World and then, after obtaining knowledge of the Things That Are, return to the Vanities of the World, he will be punished with Torments and Fire in the darkest states of disembodied souls.

XI. Should a Man, after knowing the Things That Are, become rebellious of restraint to the part which is Immortal and returns to the Vanities of the World, the Higher Essence will straightaway depart from him, and he will become the Slave of the Lower Essence, which will seize upon him and drive him to all sorts of Wicked Arts and Evil Ways.

XII. When Man has thus impiously disobeyed his Creator and turned his face away from That Which Is Immortal, behold, he is then disinherited from his Birthright, and is no longer counted among the Children of God, because he has become an Evil, Perverse thing, possessing only those things which are Mortal, and he is punished with Death.

XIII. And so Death is meted out to all those who rebel against their Creator impiously, because they know the Things That Are. But to those foolish Souls who are Ignorant, and who have not knowingly rejected their Creator, behold, they are purified after much suffering, and are sent to the World again.

-- Hermes Trismegistus

Those who have ears to hear, let them hear.

~ g
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