The Golden Verses of Pythagoras — with commentary (1917)

inflict upon him, and bearing them with resignation, he alleviates them; living happy, even in the midst of misfortune, in the firm hope that these evils will no more trouble his days, and certain that the divine blessings which are reserved for virtue, await him in another life.* Hierocles, after having revealed this first manner of explaining the verse in question, touches lightly upon the second, in saying that the Will of man can have an influence on Providence, when, acting in a lofty soul, it is assisted by succour from heaven and operates with it.* This was a part of the doctrine taught in the mysteries, whose divulgence to the profane was forbidden. According to this doctrine, of which sufiiciently strong traces can be recognized in Plato,' the Will, exerting itself by faith, was able to subjugate Necessity itself, to command Nature, and to work miracles. It was the principle upon which was foimded the magic of the disciples of Zoroaster.** Jesus saying paraboUcally, that by means of faith one could remove mountains," only spoke according to the theosophical traditions known to all the sages. "The uprightness of the heart and faith triumphs over all obstacles," said Kong-Tse'; "all men can render themselves equal to the sages and to the heroes whose memory the nations revere," said Meng-Tse; "it is never the power which is lacking, it is the will; provided one desire, one succeeds."* These ideas of the Chinese theosophists are found in the writings of the Indians,* and even in those of some Europeans who, as I have already observed, had not enough erudition to be imitators. "The greater the will," said Boehme, "the greater the being and a Hi^rocl., Aur. Carmin., v., 18.

* Hi^rocl., Aur. Carmin., v. 18, 49 et 62.

' In PhSdon; In Hipp., ii.; In Theeet.; De Rep., 1. iv., etc. <* Hyde, De Relig. Vet. Pers., p. 298.

• Evan. S. Math., ch. xvii., v. 19.

/ Vie de Kong-Tzie {Confucius), p. 324.

« Meng-Tz^e, cit6 par Duhalde, t. ii., p. 334.

1^ Krishna, Bhagavad-Gita, lect. ii.

Examinations of the Golden Verses 173

the more powerftilly inspired."" "Will and liberty are the same thing."* "It is the source of light, the magic which makes something from nothing."'

The Will which goes resolutely forward is faith ; it models its own form in spirit and overcomes all things ; by it, a soul receives the power of carrying its influence in another soul, and of penetrating its most intimate essences. When it acts with God it can overthrow mountains, break the rocks, confound the plots of the impious, and breathe upon them disorder and dismay; it can effect all prodigies, command the heavens, the sea, and enchain death itself : it subjugates all . Nothing can be named that cannot be commanded in the name of the Eternal. The soul which executes these great things only imitates the prophets and the saints, Moses, Jesus, and the apostles. All the elect have a similar power. Evil disappears before them. Nothing can harm the one in whom God dwells. "''

It is in departing from this doctrine, taught as I have said in the mysteries, that certain gnostics of the Alexandrian school assert that evils never attended the true sages, if there were found men who might have been so in reality; for Providence, image of divine justice, would never allow the innocent to suffer and be punished. Basil, who was one of those who supported this Platonic opinion,' was sharply reprimanded by the orthodox Christians, who treated him as a heretic, quoting to him the example of the martyrs. Basil repUed that the martyrs were not entirely innocent, because there is no man exempt from faults ; that God punishes in them, either evil desires, actual and secret sins, or sins that the soul had committed in a previous existence; and as they did not fail to oppose him again with the example of Jesus, who, although fully innocent, had, however, a XL Questions sur I' Ante (Viertsig Fragen von der Sellen Orstand, Essentz, Wesen, Natur und Eigenschafft, etc. Amsterdam, 1682). Quest. I.

* Ibid. ' IX Textes, text, i et 2.

<* XL Questions, quest. 6. « Plato, In Theag.

174 The Golden Verses of Pythagoras suffered the torture of the cross, Basil answered without hesitation that God had been just, in his opinion, and that Jesus, being man, was no more than another exempt from sin."

Jj. Even as Truth, does Error have its lovers;

With prudence the Philosopher approves or blames; If Error triumph, he departs and waits.