The Word of Eternal Silence. 49 Steps of Spiritual Ascent

Sirim found herself in darkness once again, the light of Christ having departed from her. Feeling lonely, afraid, and sad, she wept bitterly, calling out to those who had formed her. The Pleroma took pity on Sirim and, to console her, sent to her the «collective fruit» of the Pleroma, the Aeon Irenaeus, accompanied by twelve angels.

Arriving in Kenoma, Irenaeus reshaped the Sirim, but this time in accordance with gnosis. He then separated from the Sirim the passions that oppressed it and created from them the root of all subsequent creations.

6. Creation of the Universe, the material world, all living things and man

After Irenaeus left her, the purified Sirim began the process of creation from the passions separated from her, emanating three elements: hylithic (material), psychic (soul) and pneumatic (spiritual).

Retaining the spiritual element for herself, she created her son, the Demiurge, the Creator of the Universe, from the soul element. He then performed all subsequent creations from the two natures — soul and material. Pneumatic nature was incomprehensible to him, and so he knew nothing of his mother, the younger Sophia, considering himself the Supreme God.

Secretly instructed by his mother, the Demiurge began the process of creation. Separating the two elements — the spiritual and the material — which had previously been united in Kenoma, he created from the spiritual element the seven heavens, archons, archangels, and angels. Once the spiritual worlds and the archons ruling them were formed, the Demiurge began creating the material world from the hylithic element.

Behind all this was the plan of Irenaeus the Savior, which Sirim carried out through her son.

Having completed the process of creation, the Demiurge took his place above the seventh heaven, where his throne was located. He became proud and declared himself the Creator of the Universe. Since the Demiurge was still unaware of his mother’s existence, unable to see or understand the spiritual due to his spiritual nature, he was nicknamed Samael, the «Blind God.»

Sirim, also called Mother, Jerusalem, the younger Sophia, and Ogdaod, since she resides in the eighth heaven, continues to invisibly guide her son. The eighth heaven is also called the Celestial Jerusalem or the middle place, since Sirim, who resides there, is located between the universe created by the Demiurge below and the Pleroma.

7. Man. Three kinds of man (the triune nature of man)

…The lifeless body of the first man lay in the Garden of Eden until the Demiurge decided to breathe a soul, that is, a spiritual element, into him, thereby reviving him. This man is called by different names in different cultures, but we know him as Adamas or Adam.

created by the Demiurge, dwelt in paradise. He combined the psychic (spiritual) and hylithic (material) elements, until the younger Sophia, unbeknownst to the Demiurge, imparted to him the pneumatic (spiritual) element. Those in the know call this a seed or a ray of pneumatic light.

Having learned of this, the Demiurge became inflamed with jealousy towards the man who, unlike him, was awarded the pneumatic element, the spark of light of the Pleroma, and expelled him from paradise into the material world.

Thus, man, endowed with three elements: pneumatic, psychic and hylithic, found himself in the material world.

These three elements are also commonly referred to as the threefold nature of man or the three human genera.

These three genera are:

1. Gilics (material) — those in whom the hilitic element predominates. These are material people, followers of the Prince of this world, the Devil. They cannot be saved by virtue of their nature.

2. Psychics (spiritual beings) are people of all religions who follow the Holy Scriptures and the commandments received through the prophets. When they leave this world, their actions may merit a place between heaven and hell: the righteous go to heaven, and the sinners to hell. They have freedom of choice and salvation through righteousness.

3. Pneumatics (spiritualists), also called Gnostics, are those who follow the spark of light of the Pleroma received from the Sirim. Pneumatics are saved by virtue of their spiritual nature.

8. Savior. The Mission of Christ, Irenaeus. Redemption

The goal of the Pneumatics in the material world is to shape the soul’s nature through gnosis, so that this nature awakens within a person, grows like a seed, and ascends to the Higher Worlds. After this seed matures thanks to specialized knowledge, gnosis, the younger Sophia will leave the eighth heaven and enter the Pleroma, where her bridegroom, Irenaeus, will await her. By uniting, they will create a new pair of Aeons.

The spirits of the Gnostics will follow the younger Sophia into the Pleroma.

The Demiurge will take his mother’s place in the eighth heaven. Following him, the souls of the righteous from various nations will enter there, those who lived in accordance with the commandments and Scripture.

And the third hylithic element will be destroyed by the all-consuming fire along with this material world.

CHAPTER THREE

Eternal Silence in Ancient Egyptian Mythology

The idea that the mind of the Macrocosm and the mind of man fell captive to dark forces is also allegorically depicted in Egyptian mythology in the story of Osiris, Isis, Horus, and Seth. As we know from the myth, Osiris initially ruled Egypt, along with his wife Isis, through whom he proclaimed his will, and there was peace and harmony, a Golden Age. But then Seth, the symbol of the dark forces, killed Osiris, and Isis hid in a cave. According to another version, in a hut in the Nile Delta. There she gave birth to Horus, the divine infant. The adult Horus claimed the throne, and a long-lasting struggle for the Egyptian throne ensued between him and Seth.

In esoteric teachings, the myth of the confrontation between Set and Horus holds special significance. The moment when Set killed Osiris allegorically describes how dark thoughts took hold of a person’s mind. This period symbolizes a child’s transition to adulthood. Set, that is, bad thoughts and anxiety, having taken up residence in the human mind, replaced the reign of Osiris and Isis, in which peace and harmony reigned.

If we transfer this story to our reality, the Microcosm, then in the secret teachings, Osiris symbolizes the mind of a child from birth to 13 years of age. During this time, the child is sinless, his thoughts pure, and his mind clear. Then, the world of the youth, who according to religious canons has become a man, conventionally at 13, is gradually taken over by Set. Allegorically, Set kills Osiris, and Isis, the divine inner voice, takes refuge from Set’s persecution in the Nile Delta. From 13 to 21, that is, over the course of eight years, control of the mind passes from Osiris to Set. This is the period known as «adolescence,» until, conventionally at 21, according to esoteric teachings, the Savior is born within the youth. From this moment on, a long-lasting struggle between Set and Horus begins in the human mind.

It’s important to understand that all these stories, both Gnostic and Egyptian myth, illustrate the internal struggle between light and darkness, good and evil, bright and dark thoughts. Each person must decide whose side they are on. Set constantly tries to seduce the adolescent mind, to lead it astray from the righteous path, but if the youth, the Microcosm, chooses Horus’s side, he will be able to return power to Isis and hear the divine Voice within. Only when a person overcomes their evil tendencies will Horus begin to reclaim swathes of land — that is, space within the human mind — and establish Isis’s rule there. When Horus and Isis achieve final victory over Set, Osiris will be resurrected, and an age of equality and prosperity will dawn.

Translated into mystical language, the soul of a person who has conquered Set in their mind will escape the cycles of reincarnation and receive a place in paradise. Without spiritual knowledge, which symbolizes the teachings and blessings of Isis, this will be impossible. Set is cunning; he constantly offers people the apple of paradise, the juice of which lulls their consciousness, banishing them from the Garden of Eden. When we refuse Set’s latest offer and begin to follow Horus — that is, to utilize our awakened consciousness, at least for a time — we will be able to liberate more lands and, having reached Isis, hear her instructions directly.

An important digression is in order. In all secret teachings, the human mind is called «Egypt.» That is, Egypt is not a country, but a symbolic name for the Cosmic Mind, in which humanity exists in slavery to the dark forces.

All esoteric teachings point to one thing: beyond the direct interpretation of the motifs of Holy Scripture and Greek and Egyptian myths, all these stories are reflected internally within each of us. Returning to Egyptian mythology, according to its esoteric interpretation, the human mind, just as in the land of Egypt, is largely ruled by Set, that is, human vices. But the youthful Horus and the maiden Isis also reside within the mind. The savior Horus symbolizes bright thoughts and the good aspirations of man, which must overcome dark thoughts and return control of the mind to Isis.

Due to the overwhelming number of thoughts emanating from Set and his lieutenants, man cannot heed the Voice of Wisdom, the Voice of Isis, and be saved. The Voice of Silence resounds within each of us, but only a few have been able to hear it — the great prophets, the enlightened ones of the past, and the biblical heroes. The Egyptian myth is very important to understand, as it well illustrates the main moments of the internal struggle for the mind: Set (dark thoughts) conquered Egypt (the human mind), and Horus (bright thoughts — the Savior) was born from the virgin Isis (eternal Silence), who must restore power to Isis and resurrect Osiris, who was killed by Set. (Fig. 1, Isis with Horus in her arms (7th century BC)).

In Gnostic literature, the Mother of God is called the Virgin Sophia. In relation to this material world, she resides in the eighth heaven, in the heavenly Jerusalem, where the souls of the righteous, having completed their earthly journey and overcome all obstacles, follow the Savior. All these stories show us that only when a person sides with the forces of Light, with spiritual enlightenment, will their mind rise to a new level — in other words, they will approach the Temple of Silence and find salvation.

As already mentioned, in the Kabbalistic and Gnostic interpretation, Egypt refers to the entire material world, not a single ancient state, as in known history. And it’s not just one nation that is enslaved, but all people in the material world — that is, humanity has fallen into slavery to its passions and vices. This is why it is so important to rid oneself of bad inclinations and dark thoughts, to escape Egyptian slavery, and, having passed the desert, to journey to the Promised Land. This is an allegorical story of the Fall and the return to Paradise.

But even without delving into the meanings of Egyptian myth and Gnostic history, man’s goal is to achieve reintegration, a reversal of the process. He must return to his original state, make the journey back home — in other words, return to the Garden of Eden. Only by mastering his thoughts and learning to control them, just as an experienced coachman controls a team of three horses, will man be able to find the way back. And in a higher sense, he must completely shut off the thought process, and when he can silence, stop the last thought, then Silence will reign in his mind once again. This is what the Egyptian myth speaks of: Horus’s victory over the dark forces, thoughts, and the return of Egypt to the rule of Isis and the resurrected Osiris. The story of the Garden of Eden metaphorically speaks of the same thing: after the sin of the first humans is corrected, Satan will lose his power over them, and humanity will return to paradise, the abode of the Creator.

CHAPTER FOUR

Ego on the Path to Eternal Silence

You’ve probably noticed that all the above stories tell essentially the same story. In Gnosticism, Sophia, the twelfth Aeon, descended from Man and the Church, disobeyed the decree of the First Father and violated the integrity of the Pleroma, for which she was banished to Kenoma. In the biblical version, the first humans disobeyed God and were expelled from Paradise. In Egyptian myth, the ideal society was destroyed by Seth, ushering in the Dark Ages. Thus, for the spiritual seeker to return to Silence — since the Creator is incomprehensible — they must perform the reverse action, reintegration. Only by heeding the Voice of Silence can one approach the Creator, the First Father, and thus return to the Garden of Eden.

In previous chapters, we discussed how this mysterious voice existed at the beginning of time, during the Golden Age. It is also mentioned in Holy Scripture. However, due to the violation of a certain prohibition, the Voice of Silence was subsequently lost, hidden within us, just as Isis hid from Set’s vengeance in the Nile Delta. It is important to understand that Silence did not leave our bodies; it hid far from prying eyes in the pineal gland, so that Set’s followers could not find it. In mystical traditions, it resides at the top of the pyramid, waiting for a person to discover it upon embarking on the path of spiritual development. In Kabbalah, this corresponds to the invisible sefira of Da’ath (knowledge), which is also called the upper paradise, as it symbolizes the Garden of Eden, which was closed to the first humans after they ate the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. It is especially important to note that the sefira of Da’ath symbolizes not ordinary knowledge, but mystical knowledge. Only by comprehending secret mystical knowledge and conquering vices within themselves can a spiritual seeker unlock the knowledge within themselves, known in Eastern traditions as the third eye, and return to paradise. But as we know, the path to Eternal Silence is blocked by the Ego — the voice of our incessant thoughts and excessive desires. But seekers of truth, following the savior Horus, will find Isis and restore her power over Egypt, that is, over their Minds.

The story of a savior exists in virtually every nation and religion. As Gnostic teachings teach, the messiah lives within each of us under different names. In the Jewish tradition, he is known as the Mashiach, and in the Christian tradition, Christ, both words translated as «anointed one.» How to cultivate a savior can be learned from the lives of Christ, Buddha, and other legendary heroes and enlightened figures of the past. All secret teachings agree on one thing: the primary emphasis must be on chastity, which must conquer the ego and vices, as well as on developing awareness, which will help awaken and understand the direction in which to move. Chastity is control over one’s thoughts, desires, and actions. When a person succeeds in developing this quality, the Savior within them becomes a Great Master, an instructor who leads them to freedom and frees them from slavery. The darkness, gradually receding, is replaced by light, and peace and harmony reign within.

Religion speaks extensively of salvation and calls for the Messiah to arrive to combat injustice and liberate his followers, after which eternal peace will reign. But the difference between secret teachings and traditional religions is that, according to them, people are not expected to wait for a Savior, but are called to follow the path to personal liberation and then help others. Through their spiritual work, they cultivate the savior within themselves and clear the way for the future Savior of all humanity. Only those who have been saved themselves, that is, enlightened, are able to illuminate the path for others.

«Before you straighten a hunchback, do something more difficult: straighten your shoulders.» (Buddha)

But without inner work, all efforts will be in vain. The lives of the prophets and Jesus of Nazareth allegorically demonstrate the path to salvation; they are instructions for inner awakening. If you recall the phrase that man is a microcosm, you will understand the need for inner liberation, without waiting for an external savior. By analogy, Jesus Christ, who descended into this world, is also an inner savior in relation to the macrocosm, the world soul. And if we follow the ancient formulas, «As without, so within,» and «Man is a small world,» it follows that within each of us resides the Savior, born of the Virgin and the Holy Spirit. And only by absorbing secret knowledge and raising our consciousness to a new level will we help the savior reveal his potential within us. By embarking on the path of self-development, the spiritual seeker builds a temple within themselves, where Eternal Silence will dwell.

«Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?» (1 Corinthians 3:16)

As you can see, Eternal Silence, sought by all enlightened people of the past, is given a special place in esoteric schools. Divine Silence differs from the modern meaning of this word, so we must distinguish between inner Silence, which we must strive for, and outer Silence, which serves as a stepping stone to inner Silence. One is simply impossible without the other.

In previous chapters, we discussed how we can experience outer Silence when alone in a closed room, but in this state, the brain still continues to function. The thought process and internal dialogue continue, despite the absence of external noise. Without outer silence, it is much more difficult to achieve inner silence. It is important for a person to achieve a state of inner silence, when their mind becomes silent and allows the word of Wisdom to penetrate.

While we can achieve outer silence by secluding ourselves in a room, putting on headphones, climbing a mountain, or hiding in a cave, achieving inner silence requires spiritual work. Without cultivating our own qualities, it’s impossible to attain Silence. By recognizing the good and the bad within ourselves, we can separate the positive from the negative and begin to control them. If you succeed in gradually returning control to the forces of light, a transformation will occur in your mind.

In the following chapters we will look in more detail at the paths leading to Silence, but now we will try to analyze three main goals on the path to spiritual development:

1. Outer Silence. Find a place to yourself in a room for a while to learn to focus on internal objects. You can relax, close your eyes, and mentally imagine one letter of the alphabet or your name. The main goal of this exercise is to hold a letter or a specific sequence of letters in your mind for ten seconds, then twenty, a minute, and so on. You can also imagine one of the Egyptian pyramids in front of you and hold it in your mind so that nothing can distract your attention from the object. These exercises will help you become more focused, focused, and allow you to better control your thoughts. Over time, you will learn to enter a meditative state even when surrounded by people. You can look at your conversation partner, but your thoughts will be focused inward, or ride public transportation, but ignore external noise and immerse yourself in your inner world.