pp.33, Henry Corbin:The Man of Light in Iranian Sufism.

“In Mandaean gnosis, every being in the physical universe has its counterpart in the heavenly Earth of Mshunia Kushta, inhabitated by the descendent of a mystical Adam and Eve (Adam Kasia, Eva Kasia). Every being has his archetypical Figure (mabda) there, and the latter communicates with its earthly counterpart. After the exitus at death, the earthly person abandons his body and takes on the subtle body of his heavenly alter ego, while the latter, rising to a higher plane, assumes a body of pure light. When the human soul has completed its cycle of purifications and when the realm of Abathur Muzunia bear witness to its perfect purity, it enters the world of light and is reunited with its eternal partner.

“I go towards my likeness/ And my likeness goes toward me/He embraces me and holds me close/ As if I had come out of Prison”.

Nasiruddin Tusi speaking of what becomes of the faithful adept after he has ascended above the Limit:

“His thought becomes an Angel proceeding from the archetypal world,

his speech becomes a spirit proceeding from this Angel,

his action becomes a body proceeding from this spirit.”

The Gnostics discovered a new axis, a new pole of orientation – embedded, against all reasoning, in the substantiality of manifest being. This new centre of being is the central mystery of existence. Approached by human beings, it becomes a human being – but it is wholly Divine and not delimited to human form. Some call her the Anima Mundi, others the Hochma, others again Shekinah – the Gnostics called her Sophia and said of Her;”She is the mother of all the Angels”.

We too, look towards the Assumptio Sophiae, the ascent of Sophia into Her own. We do so, because we participate in Her life, as surely as She participates in ours.

Our unknown friend Ouroboros has got his blog back onto the blogsphere, welcome back. I look forward to following the discussions and postings in the future.