Hear me, you who hear,
and learn my words, you who know me.
I am the hearing that attains everything,
and I am the speech that cannot be grasped.
I am the name of the sound
and the sound of the name.
Many are the pleasantries of numerous sins...and fleeting pleasures
which are embraced until you become sober
and go up to your resting place.
And you will find me there,
and you will live, and not die again.
The Thunder: Perfect Mind 20.27-34 and 21.20, 25-32 (Sethian ? gnostic poem from second century)
Commentary: I moved the second stanza from third person to second person to maintain consistency with the first stanza. The speaker is the female aspect of the Godhead, called by different names such as the Mother Spirit or Sophia.
Illustration: Sophia by Hildegaard von Bingen (1098-1179) according to some websites I toured. Can anyone confirm that this is indeed one of Hildegaard's paintings?
3 comments:
Why these particular stanzas together? Why not juxtapose the line of being without sin and being the root of sin? Of course, you know my opinion about column 21differing in style and perspective from the rest of the work.
Matthew Fox has a book, "Illuminations of Hildegard of Bingen", which has reproductions of illustrations of her visions. I've not had a chance to see this myself, but I know there is a chapter regarding Sophia. It may refer to this particular illustration. I've come across this illustration on the internet a few times myself, but haven't yet seen any information as to its origin other than the attribution to Hildegard.
Yes this is one of the paintings that Hildegard commissioned to illustrate her works. I believe that the female figure is Ecclesia rather than Sophia however.
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