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6
The Science of the Sage
The Heart
The Ennead, the Union of the Gods, created sight for the eyes, sound for the ears and breath for the nose. These organs carry perception straight to the heart. It is thanks to the heart that all knowledge exists, language formulates what the heart understands. In this way all creative powers come into existence, being and non-being (Atum) and his Ennead. Every divine word reveals itself in the secret thoughts of the heart and the way that we speak. In this way too, creative energies and the qualities of being come into existence. All food and sustenance were created thanks to the Word. In this way life has been granted to the just and death to the unjust. Thus were created all work and trades, the action of the hands and the movement of the legs, the mobility of every limb and joint, conforming as the heart understands and language gives order which continually creates the meaning of everything. A tablet at Shabaka
You are the shepherd Amon, you lead the flock to fresh pastures. Can you lead me to nourishment, you the tireless shepherd. A light will shine in whoever places you in his heart. Ostracon British Museum 565 a
The initiate is a being whose secrets of the heart are revealed, pure in thought and deed when he performs the sacred rites. Griffith Studies p. 287
The heart of Man is a gift from God. Take care not to neglect it. Amenemope
Your life runs true when heart and words are without fault. Ankh-Sheshonk
Follow your heart all your life, Do not commit excess with respect to what has been ordained. Do not cut short the time for following your heart. To waste a single moment of actions of the heart is an insult to the Ka, your soul. Do not divert your daily routine excessively to support your household. When things happen, follow your heart. The negligent will never profit. Ptah-Hotep
Follow your heart all the length of your days and make each day perfect. Stele at the British Museum 37984
Never separate your heart from your words. Then you will succeed in life. Amenemope
Hold fast to your heart. Strengthen your heart. Do not try to guide a ship with just your tongue. If language is the rudder of a ship, Then the Master of Totality has to be the pilot. Amenemope
My heart has encouraged me to do my duty with my conduct. It is, for me, a perfect witness. I do not break its rules, I am afraid to ignore its commandments. If I have known great prosperity, It is thanks to His influence on my actions. I have followed His teachings to the letter. A divine word is like a heart beating in every body. Urkunden IV 974
Take heed of my words, Be competent in every task. Make your heart a solid wall against which the waves will break. Amon-Nakht
The character of a righteous man is more agreeable to God than the sacrifice of a dozen from an evil man. Merikare
Heart of my mother, heart of my being, do not speak against me, do not prosecute me before the Heavenly Court; you are the creative power in my body, the creator who gives life to my limbs. The Book of Leaving the Day, Ch.30
Knowledge
Let us come and give thanks to Thoth, the God of Knowledge, the measure which embodies correctness in the scales of justice. He rejects evil and welcomes the man who turns aside from unjust actions. He is the judge who weighs the words of men, Who calms the storm, Who gives peace, The official scribe who preserves the hidden texts, He punishes the criminal, He welcomes the obedient man, His arm is strong, The sage at the heart of the Ennead, the Union of Gods, He who restores what was forgotten, He who advises the lost, He who preserves the moment, He who watches over the hours of night, He whose words last for eternity. Statue of Horemheb (Metropolitan Museum of New York)
My ferry allows me to cross to the other side. Thoth, the God of Knowledge will pilot me as he did the Eye of Horus. Texts of the Sarcophagi, Ch.182
I know what is known intuitively, That which is revealed to the most powerful seers. May my path be open, Since I am the master of the Breath of Life. Texts of the Sarcophagi, Ch.236
Every being who is fully aware does not die a second death. His enemies can exert no influence over him and no magic can hinder him on this earth. Texts of the Sarcophagi, Ch.83
Each man who learns this formula will be a light in the sky and recognized as having risen from the dead in the matrix of the stars. He will descend into the circle of fire. The flames will never harm him. His life-span will be happy. Texts of the Sarcophagi, Ch.1130
Those who know that will be transformed into a son of the Divine Light. Those who know that will not perish on this earth, They will experience Eternity. They will eat bread in the house of Osiris, They will enter the temple of the Almighty God, They will receive offerings. Texts of the Sarcophagi, Ch.1035
The paths to rebirth (Osiris) are in the Heavens. Those who know the way to cross them are themselves Gods, They are found in the retinue of the God of Knowledge. They can travel wherever they wish in Heaven. Those who do not know how to reach the Sacred Paths will be excluded from the offerings. Texts of the Sarcophagi, Ch.1035
Those who know find grace. The ignorant damn themselves. Law of the temple at Edfou
Magic
God has given magic to man to deflect the blinding effects of what happens. Merikare
Those who know the Book of Magic can go out by day and walk the earth with the living. They will never die. That has been proven countless times. The Book of Leaving the Day, Ch.68
Let your thoughts be great magical incantations spoken by you. The Book of Leaving the Day, Ch.80
I have come armed with magical spells. Thus can I quench my thirst, Since I am master of the Words of Creation. Texts of the Sarcophagi, Ch.644
So long as I have magical powers I am a being of Light. I pass by hostile spirits. They cannot speak to me for fear of Him whose name is hidden. He is in me, I know and obey Him. Texts of the Sarcophagi, Ch.1130
I know the secret of the divine words and the conduct of Rituals. I have practiced every magic without any of its laws escaping me. Nothing has kept its secrets from me. I see the Divine Light in all its manifestations. Stele in the Louvre
Seeing
Everything that happens in each country is reported back to you. Even when you are in your palace. You hear the talk from every country, Your ears are everywhere. Your eye is brighter than the stars in the skies, Your vision is clearer than that of the sun. You hear everything which is said, even if spoken in the depths of a cave. Your eye sees everything which is hidden. Anastasi Papyrus IV, 6
The eye of Pharaoh is his strength. Texts of the Pyramids, 320b
Pharaoh rises to Heaven like the eye of the Divine Light. Pharaoh comes and goes in the field of offerings, Since Pharaoh himself is the eye of the Divine Light. Texts of the Pyramids, 1231b & 698c-d
I had integrity and was just, I hated lies and fought each day for truth. I was a wise man without equals, A man who shrugged off all difficulties, I have ordered everything according to the Divine eye. Stele of Ra-Hotep, High Priest of Ptah
The parts of my body have been put back together, What was taken away has been brought back, What was dispersed has been gathered, My eyes have been opened and I see the Great Star. Texts of the Sarcophagi, Ch.106
The man who rises from the dead is like the falcon with his piercing eye, crossing the evening sky. Texts of the Pyramids, 1048d
I am the Eye of Horus. Shining in the night, who creates fire from his own light. Texts of the Sarcophagi, Ch.1053
Your eyes are the Ship of the Morning and the Ship of the Evening. Your right eye is the Ship of the Evening, Your left eye is the Ship of the Morning. Texts of the Sarcophagi, Ch.531
Silence
The commotion in the temple is like a tree growing in an enclosed place. The growth of its branches lasts but a brief moment, and it finishes as firewood. It is taken far from its proper place and the fire is its shroud. The true silent man, who keeps to himself, is like a tree grown in a field. He matures, increases his production and straightens himself before his master. The fruits of this tree are sweet, its shadow delicious. He lives his life peacefully in his garden. Amenemope
If you work hard, And if growth takes place as it should in the fields, It is because God has placed abundance in your hands, Do not gossip in your neighborhood, Because people respect the silent. Ptah-Hotep
Thoth, place me in Heliopolis, the city of the Eight Gods, Your town where it is wonderful to dwell. Give me bread and give me beer, Keep idle words from my mouth. May Thoth protect me from the future! I shall appear in court before the masters of righteousness, I leave speaking justly The Doum palm is more than sixty cubits high and bears fleshy fruit full of juicy seeds. You who gather water to bring it to the lonely places, let me drink deep since I am a silent man. Thoth is a well of sweet water for the man thirsting in the desert. The well remains sealed to the talkative, It opens for the silent, The silent man comes and finds the well, The disorderly are lost. Papyrus Sallier 1, 8, 2-6
Happy is he who rests on the arm of Amon which protects the silent and frees the humble, which gives life to those who love Him and is a guarantee of a happy old age in the west of Thebes. Stele in Berlin 6910
The ship of fools gets stuck in the mud. The ship of the silent sails with the wind. Amenemope
It is painful to remain silent while you listen. But there is no point in replying to the ignorant. Responding to their proposals creates disorder. Their hearts will not accept the truth. Kha-Keper-Re-Seneb
Listening and Understanding
If he who listens, listens fully, Then he who listens becomes he who understands. When hearing is good, speech is good. He who listens becomes the master of what is profitable. Listening benefits the listener. To listen is better than anything, Thus is born perfect love. God loves he who listens. He hates those who do not listen It is the heart who gives birth to its master, As he who understands or does not understand. For a man his heart is life, prosperity and health. He who listens understands what is said, He who loves to understand does what is said. Ptah-Hotep
As for the ignorant man who does not listen, He accomplishes nothing. He equates knowledge with ignorance, The useless with the harmful. He does everything which is detestable, So people get angry with him each day. He lives with that which brings death, His food is twisted words. His character is readily recognized by the nobles, When this is known, life is a living death every day. Ptah-Hotep
Open your ears, Listen to the words, Let your soul understand them. May you keep them in your heart. Woe to he who neglects them! May they stay in your heart of hearts, May they be locked up in your soul. If you lead your life with these words in your heart you will succeed. Amenemope
Speech
It is not me who speaks, It is not me who thinks, It is God who speaks and it is surely He who thinks. Papyrus of Magic in Brooklyn
The initiate is he who transmits the word of one God to another God. Texts of the Sarcophagi, VII
The language of Pharaoh is the pilot appointed by Maat. He uses just words. Texts of the Pyramids 1776
This is the Word which is found in the shadows. Inasmuch as every living spirit knows it, they will dwell among the living. Texts of the Sarcophagi, VII
The Word is with me. Thanks to it I have crossed Heaven. Texts of the Sarcophagi, VII
Sit yourself down under the leaves of the sycamore trees of the Goddess Hathor, when She travels to the city of the pillar, the bearer of sacred words. Texts of the Sarcophagi, Ch.225
A perfect word is hidden more deeply than precious stones. It is to be found near the servants working at the mill-stone. Ptah-Hotep
To have strength, be a craftsman with words. The power of a man lies in his language and words are more effective than any other form of fighting. Merikare
Only speak when you have something worth saying. He who speaks in counsel has to be an excellent craftsman with words. Speaking is more difficult than any other work. Ptah-Hotep
God hates liars. Amenemope
Be careful to avoid the mistake of lying: it will prevent you from fighting the evil inside yourself. Ani
The body of a man is bigger than all the granaries of Pharaoh. He is full of varied responses: choose what is good to say and keep evil words prisoner in your body. Ani
Prayer
Do not raise your voice in the temple of God since He hates loud begging. Keep a loving heart whose words stay hidden. He will provide for your needs, He will listen to what you say, Your offering will be acceptable to Him. Ani
Do not ask God for advice and then disregard it. Ankh-Sheshonk
Language
If the language of man is the rudder of a ship, Then it is the Master of the whole who is the pilot. Amenemope
The language of men is their scales. It is these scales that allow them to measure the weight of something. Stories of the Oases
A man can be destroyed because of his language. Ani
The evil tongue of the stupid man is the sword that will end his life. Insinger Papyrus
Testimony
Let the one strengthen the other, Let him work for his predecessor With the hope that his successor will work on what he will have accomplished. Merikare
I bring the praise of Amon to the heights of heaven and all over the world. I evoke his power for he who travels downstream and upstream on the great river. Watch over His presence, Bear witness to it to your sons and daughters, to the great and the small. Speak of him to the generations in your time as well as to those yet to come. Speak of it to the fish in the river and the birds in the sky, To those who know and to those who do not know. Stele in Berlin 23.077
Teaching
Do not teach those who do not want to hear. Ankh-Sheshonk
Speak to your children, Since the Word has been a teaching since the time of God. The Loyalist Teaching
The twisted stick is thrown to the ground where both light and shade fall on it. But the carpenter can carry it away, straighten it out and fashion a staff for a great noble out of it. Ani |
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