Six Theosophic Points, and Other Writings
when he presses not thereinto with earnestness, but only plays therewith, — this the devil derides, and accounts him a fool. And so he is; he is an animal-man. So long as he is attached with his will to the external, and regards this world's good as his treasure, he is only a man with this world's essence, and not with the essence of God's lightworld; and he gives his body to this world or to the earth, and his soul to the abyss of the dark world.
23. Thus we give you to understand that in the tree of the three principles, these agree very well together, but not the creatures; for the creatures of each principle desire not the others. And there is a strong bar and closure between them, so that we know not, nor shall we see the others.
24. But the devil's envy wars against the human race, for they have possessed his seat. Therefore it is said : Man, seek thyself, and see what thou art, and beware of the devil. So much on the second point, how the three principles can agree unitedly together.
THE THIRD POINT
Of the origin of contrariety in growth, in that life becomes strifeful in itself.
CHAPTER IV
1. A thing that is one, that has only one will, contends not against itself. But where there are many wills in a thing, they become contending, for each would go its own conceived way. But if one be lord of the other, and has entirely full power over all the others, so that it can break them if they obey it not; then the thing's multiplicity has its existence in one reality, for the multitude of wills all give themselves to obedience of their lord.
2. And thus we give you to understand life's contrariety, for life consists of many wills. Every essence may carry with it a will, and indeed does so. For sour, bitter, anguish and acid is a contrarious source, each having its own property, and wholly adverse one to the other. So is fire the enemy of all the others, for it puts each source into great anguish, so that there is a great opposition between them, the one being hostile to the other, as is to be seen in heat and cold, fire and water, life and death.
3. So hkewise the life of man is at enmity with
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itself. Each form is hostile to the other, and not only in man, but in all creatures ; unless the forms of life obtain a gentle, gi-acious lord, under whose control they must be, who can break their might and will. That is found in the Light of life, which is lord of all the forms, and can subdue them all; they must all give their will to the Light. And they do it also gladly, for the Light gives them gentleness and power, so that their harsh, stem, bitter, anguishful fomis are all transformed into loveliness. They all give their will to the Light of life, and the Light gives them gentleness.
4. Plurality is thus transformed into unity, into one will which is called the mind, and is the fountain from which the one will is able to draw evil and good. This is done by imagination, or by representation of a thing that is evil or good; and hence the thing's property is susceptible of the same property in the life. The life's property seizes the property of the thing represented, be it either a word or a work, and enkindles itself therewith in itself. It kindles also the other forms of life therewith, so that they begin to qualify, and every property burns in its source, either in love or wrath, all according to the nature represented. Whatever the imagination has seized, that it introduces into the mind.
when he presses not thereinto with earnestness, but only plays therewith, — this the devil derides, and accounts him a fool. And so he is; he is an animal-man. So long as he is attached with his will to the external, and regards this world's good as his treasure, he is only a man with this world's essence, and not with the essence of God's lightworld; and he gives his body to this world or to the earth, and his soul to the abyss of the dark world.
23. Thus we give you to understand that in the tree of the three principles, these agree very well together, but not the creatures; for the creatures of each principle desire not the others. And there is a strong bar and closure between them, so that we know not, nor shall we see the others.
24. But the devil's envy wars against the human race, for they have possessed his seat. Therefore it is said : Man, seek yourself, and see what you are, and beware of the devil. So much on the second point, how the three principles can agree unitedly together.
THE THIRD POINT
Of the origin of contrariety in growth, in that life becomes strifeful in itself.
CHAPTER IV
1. A thing that is one, that has only one will, contends not against itself. But where there are many wills in a thing, they become contending, for each would go its own conceived way. But if one be lord of the other, and has entirely full power over all the others, so that it can break them if they obey it not; then the thing's multiplicity has its existence in one reality, for the multitude of wills all give themselves to obedience of their lord.
2. And thus we give you to understand life's contrariety, for life consists of many wills. Every essence may carry with it a will, and indeed does so. For sour, bitter, anguish and acid is a contrarious source, each having its own property, and wholly adverse one to the other. So is fire the enemy of all the others, for it puts each source into great anguish, so that there is a great opposition between them, the one being hostile to the other, as is to be seen in heat and cold, fire and water, life and death.
3. So hkewise the life of man is at enmity with
p. 54
p. 55
itself. Each form is hostile to the other, and not only in man, but in all creatures ; unless the forms of life obtain a gentle, gi-acious lord, under whose control they must be, who can break their might and will. That is found in the Light of life, which is lord of all the forms, and can subdue them all; they must all give their will to the Light. And they do it also gladly, for the Light gives them gentleness and power, so that their harsh, stem, bitter, anguishful fomis are all transformed into loveliness. They all give their will to the Light of life, and the Light gives them gentleness.
4. Plurality is thus transformed into unity, into one will which is called the mind, and is the fountain from which the one will is able to draw evil and good. This is done by imagination, or by representation of a thing that is evil or good; and hence the thing's property is susceptible of the same property in the life. The life's property seizes the property of the thing represented, be it either a word or a work, and enkindles itself therewith in itself. It kindles also the other forms of life therewith, so that they begin to qualify, and every property burns in its source, either in love or wrath, all according to the nature represented. Whatever the imagination has seized, that it introduces into the mind.
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