I. As it is below, so it is above; as on earth, so in the sky.

II. There are two states of being: one is mortal; the other is immortal

III. That which is mortal is dissolvable, and dissolvable bodies pass away like a midst in the morning.

IV. An immortal body is an essence which is eternal and incorruptible.

V.  But the twain, the mortal and the immortal, cannot exist together forever, but each returneth to the place from whence it came.

VI. The mortal body is sensible, but the immortal is reasonable.

VII. The former contains nothing that is perfect, the latter is nothing that is imperfect; for the one is of the essence of the spirit, the other the essence of matter, and man, the microcosm, holds the balance of the twain.

VIII. And there is a fierce warfare for the victory, between the upper and the lower, as they both desire to obtain the body as their prize; for the state of man is envied by the lower and glorified as a noble state by the higher.

IX. Now if the man inclines toward the lower nature which is mortal, he thereby aids the lower imperfect powers to oppose the higher which is immortal, and must suffer the pains of slavery for his disobedience to the work-man his maker. But if he inclines to the higher, then he is truly wise and blest.

X. Should man, after being attracted to the vanities of the world and then obtaining the knowledge of the things that are, return to the vanities of the world, he will be punished with torments and fire in the darkest states of disembodied souls.

XI. Should man after knowing the things that are, become rebellious of restraint to that part which is immortal, and return to the vanities of the world, the higher essence will straight away depart from him, and he will become a slave of the lower essence which will seize upon him and drive him to all sorts of wicked ways.

VII. When man has thus impiously disobeyed his creator and turned his face away from that which is immortal, behold he is then disinherited from his birthright, and is no longer counted amongst the children of God, because he has become an evil, perverse thing, possessing only those things which are mortal, and he is punished with death.

VIII. And so death is meted out to all those who rebel against the creator impiously, because they know the things that are. But to those foolish souls who are ignorant, and who have not knowingly rejected their creator, behold they are purified after much suffering and are sent to the world again.

SOURCE:  The Light of Egypt Vol 1 The Science of the Soul and Stars By Thomas H Burgoyne

* This is not a 100% accurate translation, but a rendering of the basic ideas, which is all the reader needs.

Moe

Moe is the founder of GnosticWarrior.com. He is a father, husband, author, martial arts black belt, and an expert in Gnosticism, the occult, and esotericism.