From: joshua@coombs.anu.edu.au (Joshua Geller)
Subject: "The Thunder, Perfect Mind"
Summary: late classical gnostic document
Keywords: thelema, gnosticism
Organization: Institute for the Study of Ancient Science
Date:  6 Apr 92 16:04:44 GMT



maybe I'm bored ... I don't know. 

anyway, here is my favorite book out of the naj hammadi library.

the naj hammadi library is a cache of gnostic books that was unearthed
something like fifty years ago. after many vicissitudes, the library
(originally in coptic) was translated into various modern languages and
is now freely available. what is very interesting about it is it's
extremem diversity; there are christian gnostic books, jewish gnostic
books, books that show a neoplatonic trend, books that show a zoroastrian
trend (as well as relatively orthodox christian, platonic etc documents).

the other thing that is very interesting about this book in particular 
is that it anticipates (by at least 1500 years) modern thelemite ideas
(1904 and later). sometime, maybe, I'll go into the strong parallells of
the enochian work of john dee and edward kelley with both gnosticism and
modern thelema.

I have reproduced this without permission.

Please note that this is crossposted to several grou. edit your followups
appropriately please!

josh

___
note words in [square brackets] represent elisions filled by the translator;
ellipses represent elisions that the translator has not attempted to fill.

this document was translated bt George W. MacRae and edited by
Douglas M. Parrott
 
This edition of "the nag hammadi library: in english" is ISBN 0-06-066933-0


THE THUNDER, 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.

Look upon me, you(pl) who reflect upon me,
and you hearers hear me.
You who are waiting for me, take me to yourselves.

And do not basnish me from your sight.

PcAnd do not make your voice hate me, nor your hearing.

Don not be ignorant of me anywhere or at any time.
Be on your gaurd!
Do not be ignorant of me.

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 he one whom they call Life,
and you have called Death.
I am the one they call Law,
and you have called Lawlessness.

I am the one whom you have pursued,
and I am the one whom you have seized.
I am the one whom you have scattered
and you have gathered me together.

I am the one before whom you have been ashamed,
and you have been shameless to me.
I am she who does not keep festival,
and I am she whose festivals are many.

I, I am godless,
and I am the one whose God is great.
I am the one whom you have reflected upon,
and you have scorned me.

I am unlearned,
and they learn from me.

I am the one whom you have despised,
and you reflect upon me.

I am the one whom you have hidden from,
and you appear to me.

But whenever you hide yourselves,
I myself will appear.
For [whenever] you [appear],
I myeself will hide from you.

Those who have [...] to it [...] senselessly [...].

Take me [... understanding] from grief,
and take me to yourselves from understanding [and] grief.
And take me to yourselves from places that are ugly and in ruin,
and rob from those which are good even though in ugliness.

Out of shame, take me to yourselves shamelessly;
and out of shamelessness and shame upbraid my members
in yourselves.

And come forward to me, you who know me
and you who know my members,
and establish the great ones among the small first creatures.

Come forward to childhood,
and do not despise it because it is small and it is little.
And do not turn away greatnesses in some parts from the smallnesses,
for the smallnesses are known from the greatnesses.

Why do you curse me and honor me?
You have wounded and you have had mercy.
Do not seperate me from the first ones whom you have [known].
[And] do not cast anyone [out nor] turn anyone away

[...] turn you away and [... know] him not.
[... him].
What is mine [...].
I know the [first ones] and those after [know] me.

But I am the mind of [...] and the rest of [...].
I am the knowledge of my inquiry,
and the finding of those who seek after me.
and the command of those who ask of me.
and the power of the powers in my knowledge
of the angels who have been sent at my word
and of gods in their seasons by my counsel,
and of spirits of every man who exists with me,
and of women who dwell within me.

I am the one who is honored and who is praised,
and who is despised scornfully.
I am peace,
and war has come because of me.

And I am an alien and a citizen,
I am the substance and the one who has no substance.

Those who are without association with me are ignorant of me,
and those who are in my substance are the ones who know me.
Those eho are close to me have been ignorant of me,
and those who are far away from me are the ones who have known me.

On the day when I am close to [you],
[you] are far away [from me],
[and] on the day when I am [far away] from you,
[I am close] to you.

[I am ...] within.
[I am ...] of the natures.
I am [...] of the creation of the [spirits].
[...] request of the souls.

[I am] control and the uncontrollable.
I am the union and the dissolution.
I am the abiding and the dissolving.

I am the one below.
and they come up to me.
I am the judgement and the acquittal.
I, I am sinless
and the root of sin derives from me.

I am lust in (outward) appearance,
and interior self-control exists within me.
I am the hearing which is attainable to everyone
and the speech whoch cannot be grasped.
I am a mute who does not speak,
and great is my multitude of words.

Hear me in gentleness and learn of me in roughness.
I am she who cries out,
and I am cast forth upon the face of the earth.
I prepare the bread and my mind within.

I am the knowledge of my name.
I am the one who cries out,
and I listen.

I appear and [...] walk in [...] seal of my [...].
I am [...] the defense [...].
I am the one who is called Truth,
and iniquity [...].

You honor me [...] and you whisper against [me].
[...] victorious over them.
Judge them before they give judgement against you,
because the judge and partiality exist in you.
If you are condemned by this one, who will acquit you?

Or if you are acquitted by him, who will be able to detain you?
For what is inside of you is what is outside of you,
and the one who fashions you on the outside
is the one who shaped the inside of you.

And what you see outside of you,
you see inside of you;
it is visible and it is your garment.

Hear me, you hearers,
and learn of my words, you who know me.
I am the hearing that is attainable to everything;
I am the spedech that cannot be grasped.

I am the name of the sound
and the sound of the name.

I am the sign of the letter
and the designation of the division.

And I [...]
[...] light [...]
[...] hearers [...] to you
[...] the great power

And [...] will not move the name.
[...] to the one who created me.
And I will speak his name.

Look then at his words
and all the writings which have been completed.
Give heed then, you hearers
and you also, the angels and those who have been sent,
and you spirits who have arisen from the dead.

For I am the one who alone exists,
and I have no one who will judge me.

For many are the pleasant forms which exist in
numerous sins
and incontinencies
and disgraceful passions
and fleeting pleasures,
which (men) embrace until they become sober
and go up to their resting-place.

And the will find me there,
and they will live,
and they will not die again.




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