Six Theosophic Points, and Other Writings
37. This, earthly Reason understands not; for it knows not how God dwells in it, and what God's will and nature is. It knows not that God dwells through it, and is so near it; and that its Hfe is but a foolishness of wisdom, by means of which life wisdom manifests itself, that it may be known what wisdom is. Its will is gone from God into selfhood, and boasts itself of its own power, and sees not how its power has beginning and end, that it is but ap. 189 play, by which mirror (play) wisdom beholds itself for a time in the folly of the wise; and, finally, through such pain of the godless, folly in the case of the wise breaks to pieces, in that they begin to hate the frail, foolish life, and to die with Reason, and to give up the will to God.
38. This, earthly Reason regards as a folly, especially when it sees that God also in the wise abandons their earthly folly, and lets the body of such folly, wherein the folly beheld itself, go down without help to the grave. Therefore it supposes this man has received no deliverance from God : Seeing he trusted in Him, his faith must certainly have been false, else He had surely delivered him in his lifetime.
39. Moreover, because it feels not its punishment immediately, it supposes there is no longer possible any serious earnest here; and knows not that the longer the more it comprehends itself in folly, and becomes in itself a strong source of eternal pain. So that, when for it the light of outer Nature perishes, wherein for a time it has strutted in selfhood, it then stands by itself in darkness and pain, so that its false, own desire is a mere rough, stinging, hard sharpness and contrary will.
40. It hopes during this time in an external help, and brings itself into pleasure of its will, and holds that for its kingdom of heaven. But when for it the outer light is extinguished in death, it then stands in eternal despair, and neither sees any deliverer about nor within it.
41. But the wise man becomes in this time to
p. 190
himself a fool, and learns to hate his folly (which folly Reason regards as prudence) . Accordingly his wisdom (which the world regards as folly) must be a foohshness to Reason, at which it is scandalized. And so also God in the wise man hates the foolish mortal life, just as the wise man hates it himself, in order that the true divine life may rule in him with the understanding. And therefore with God there is no regret for the mortal body of the wise man; for he comprehends his divine Ens in him in his spirit and will, and lets the body of folly with the foolish descend into its grave, till the day of the separation of all beings.
42. And Reason understands not this; therefore it is foolish. And a man should be a man, not according to folly, but according to God's Spirit; and judge what is divine, not according to image-like [creaturely] Reason, for it is written: He that builds on the flesh (viz. on the mortal Reason of his own will) shall of the flesh inherit corruption; but he that builds on the spirit (viz. on the divine will) , and places his will in the hope of the divine promise, shall of the spirit inherit eternal life (Gal. vi. 8) .
CHAPTER II
Of the mind, will, and thoughts of human life. How it has its origin from the will of God, and how it is an object or an image of God, in which God wills, works, and dwells.
37. This, earthly Reason understands not; for it knows not how God dwells in it, and what God's will and nature is. It knows not that God dwells through it, and is so near it; and that its Hfe is but a foolishness of wisdom, by means of which life wisdom manifests itself, that it may be known what wisdom is. Its will is gone from God into selfhood, and boasts itself of its own power, and sees not how its power has beginning and end, that it is but ap. 189 play, by which mirror (play) wisdom beholds itself for a time in the folly of the wise; and, finally, through such pain of the godless, folly in the case of the wise breaks to pieces, in that they begin to hate the frail, foolish life, and to die with Reason, and to give up the will to God.
38. This, earthly Reason regards as a folly, especially when it sees that God also in the wise abandons their earthly folly, and lets the body of such folly, wherein the folly beheld itself, go down without help to the grave. Therefore it supposes this man has received no deliverance from God : Seeing he trusted in Him, his faith must certainly have been false, else He had surely delivered him in his lifetime.
39. Moreover, because it feels not its punishment immediately, it supposes there is no longer possible any serious earnest here; and knows not that the longer the more it comprehends itself in folly, and becomes in itself a strong source of eternal pain. So that, when for it the light of outer Nature perishes, wherein for a time it has strutted in selfhood, it then stands by itself in darkness and pain, so that its false, own desire is a mere rough, stinging, hard sharpness and contrary will.
40. It hopes during this time in an external help, and brings itself into pleasure of its will, and holds that for its kingdom of heaven. But when for it the outer light is extinguished in death, it then stands in eternal despair, and neither sees any deliverer about nor within it.
41. But the wise man becomes in this time to
p. 190
himself a fool, and learns to hate his folly (which folly Reason regards as prudence) . Accordingly his wisdom (which the world regards as folly) must be a foohshness to Reason, at which it is scandalized. And so also God in the wise man hates the foolish mortal life, just as the wise man hates it himself, in order that the true divine life may rule in him with the understanding. And therefore with God there is no regret for the mortal body of the wise man; for he comprehends his divine Ens in him in his spirit and will, and lets the body of folly with the foolish descend into its grave, till the day of the separation of all beings.
42. And Reason understands not this; therefore it is foolish. And a man should be a man, not according to folly, but according to God's Spirit; and judge what is divine, not according to image-like [creaturely] Reason, for it is written: He that builds on the flesh (viz. on the mortal Reason of his own will) shall of the flesh inherit corruption; but he that builds on the spirit (viz. on the divine will) , and places his will in the hope of the divine promise, shall of the spirit inherit eternal life (Gal. vi. 8) .
CHAPTER II
Of the mind, will, and thoughts of human life. How it has its origin from the will of God, and how it is an object or an image of God, in which God wills, works, and dwells.
No commentary for this page.
There is commentary on page 1.