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The Birds
The Symbol of Souls
Susan Willett (UK)
The Fathers of Early Christianity said that birds, are the symbol of souls, and also that Wisdom is
‘firstborn’. It is all about the resurrection of the soul, ‘that wakening’ from sleep. We are in ‘death’ until
we are ‘awakened to our soul’. That is the resurrection. Stillness of body and mind gives wakefulness.
This enables us to listen to the Mother Goddess/God. It alerts us to the ‘burglars’ in our Temple. Our
body is a Temple of the soul. The ‘burglars’ is everything in us which is in opposition to the Soul. When
we are still, we become more sensitive to the soul within us. We learn to discern what comes from our
soul – the true self, and what comes from ‘the false self’. What keeps us close to God and what keeps us
distant. What is in accordance with the will of God, and what is in accordance with our own.
The mind is like a raging sea, very wild and turbulent, always restless. This is our ‘worldly state of mind’;
it is not clear, it is not calm. In such a state our mind becomes ‘closed’ to God. We are ‘asleep’ to the
‘still small voice’. We are ‘deaf’. We are ‘blind’. Whereas, if the sea is calm and mirror like, it reflects the
light clearer. By being still each day the waves and turbulence subsides, the water becomes clearer,
calmer, and we can penetrate its depths. We become less inclined to rush about, we become less
agitated when things go wrong, we become more patient, kind, simpler and less complicated. This is
because we see how much this turbulence keeps us in ‘exile’ from being ‘one’ with God. Things that
used to bother us bother us less.
By being still, the spirit works in us and guides us in our thoughts and actions. We can only do this by
turning aside from the ‘din’ of the world and being still. Be being still, we abandon ourselves into the
‘arms of God’. We acknowledge we cannot change ourselves without God’s help and grace, and God is
just waiting patiently for us to turn to him, and he will come to us, and fill our inner being with light.
It is imperative today that we recover the wisdom of the Ancients. Today’s’ scholarship likes to think it
knows more than the ancients, but in fact knows far less, and like the Commandments state about
honouring parents, the ancient Fathers are the parents of Christianity and deserve respect not ridicule.
The Early Fathers’ state that scripture has many layers and cannot be understood with a carnal mind. It
can only be revealed to the sincere seeker. Wisdom as mentioned above is also stated as being
‘firstborn’, Proverbs, 8:22 is talking about Wisdom. ‘The Lord Begat me, the firstborn of his ways, when
there was no debts, I was poured forth’. Wisdom was there in the beginning, ‘let us make man in our
image’, it was the Elohim, and the Elohim were the gods, the angelic powers, and wisdom. We see in the
book of Wisdom 1:4, that wisdom ‘She looks only to dwell in a pure vessel.” Wisdom will never enter a
soul of someone who does wrong’.
Therefore we are talking about purification. Also Wisdom is equated with the Holy Spirit. In Ecclesiastes,
Wisdom sings her own praises, ‘From the mouth of the most high I came forth.’ Breath pnemua (Greek)
is equated with the Holy Spirit. The Wisdom of God is equal to God. In the commandments on the
Sabbath Day, God drew in his breath. We see Jesus, who was a Jewish Rabbi and Master, who
achieved this union with Wisdom, pass on his ‘power’ by blowing out the breath on the disciples, when
Jesus had obtained the Sabbath Day’s Rest whereby he was at total rest with his passions.
In Hebrews we read he had a terrible battle with his passions, until he became perfected. Hebrew 5: 7:
“During his life on earth, he offered up prayer and entreaty, with loud cries and with tears, to the one
who had the power to save him from death, and winning a hearing by his reverence, he learnt
obedience, Son though he was, through his sufferings. When he had been perfected he became for all
who obey him the source of eternal salvation and was acclaimed by God with the title of High Priest of
the Order of Melchizadek”
In fact Theopolis of Antioch in 180 AD had the Trias of God, as Father, his Word and Wisdom, and not
Father Son and Holy Spirit. Wisdom again was equated with the Holy Spirit.
We see Wisdom descend on Jesus at his baptism in the form of “bird”, a Dove. So the Dove (Bird)
symbolizes Wisdom. Also Hugh Schonfield mentions an ancient MSS in Latin that also describes a bright
light which was seen to play on the water at Jesus’ baptism, so that all who had come there was afraid.
(The Original New Testament by Hugh Schonfield).
The Theophanies, (manifestations) of God were seen as a column of Fire and wind in the Scriptures and
also as a blowing wind and tongues of Fire when the apostles received the Holy Spirit when they were in
the upper room. The upper room is symbolic of that ascent of the spirit to the ‘upper chamber’ of the
heavenly Temple.
Augustine states that we have to go through an unveiling to reach God, by purification. We start with
nature because we can only know God through creatures until we become purified enough to come face
to face with him. In psalm 14:2 we see God is watching for anyone who has understanding and looking
for God.
Ilias the Presbyter in Gnomic Anthology III No 32: states:
“Through the practice of the virtues, the outward aspects of the soul become like the silver-coated wings
of a (Bird) dove. Through contemplation its inward and intelligible aspects become golden. But the soul
that has not in this way regained its beauty cannot soar aloft and come to rest in the abode of the
blessed’.
Evagrios the Solitary on Prayer No: 82 states:
“Pray gently and calmly, sing with understanding and rhythm, then you will soar like a young eagle high
in the heavens”.
St Gregory Palamas: On Prayer and Purity of Heart:
No: 2
“Hence many are unable to endure the self constraint needed for acquiring the virtue of prayer, do not
attain a plenitude of divine gifts, but those who do persist are rewarded with greater manifestations of
Divine aid.
…. Then what is difficult to accomplish is easily achieved, for they are invested with what one calls an
angelic capacity, which empowers our human nature to commune with what lies beyond it. This accords
with the words of the prophet, that those who persist will grow wings and will gain strength (Is 40:31).
Also in the first Epistle of Clement to the Corinthians, No: 25, mentions about the Phoenix in connection
with the Resurrection.
“Look at that strange portent that occurs in the East (in the neighbourhood of the Middle East, to be
precise). There is a bird known as a Phoenix, which is the only specimen of its kind and has a life of five
hundred years. When the hour of its dissolution and death approaches, it makes a nest for itself out of
frankincense and myrrh and other fragrant spices, and in the fullness of time it enters into this and
expires. Its decaying flesh breeds a small grub, which is nourished by the moisture of the dead bird and
presently grows wings. This, on reaching full growth, takes up the nest containing the bones of its
predecessor and carries them all the way from the land of Arabia into Egypt, to the city called Heliopolis.
There, in the full light of day and before the eyes of all beholders, it flies to the altar of the Sun, deposits
them there, and speeds back to its homeland, and when the priests consult their time records, they find
that its arrival has marked the completion of the five-hundredth year.”
No 26:
“…the Creator of all things has even made use of a bird to disclose the magnitude of his promises to us.”
Hebrew theology was divided into three different parts. The first was known as the Law. This was taught
and made known to the whole of the children of Israel, the exoteric teachings. The second was the Soul
of the Law, this was revealed to the Rabbis and Teachers. The third was the Soul of The Soul of the
Law. This was known as the Kabbala, (revealed teaching), but it was very cunningly concealed and it
was only the highest of Initiates that were among the Jews that were taught in its secret principles. This
is known as the esoteric path. The only object of the exoteric path is to bring one to the esoteric path
where all the symbols are internalized and make sense. This esoteric knowledge was only passed on
‘orally’ and still is.
In Judaism Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan states that there are two Torahs, the written Torah (Torah Shebiketav)
and the Oral Torah (Torah SheB’alPeh). It is said that this is stated in Exodus 24:12: “Come up to me to
the mountain, and I will give you The Torah and the Commandments”. Torah means law, instruction.
The Talmud and Midrashim have preserved elements of the oral Tradition. Josephus when he wrote the
Antiquities of the Jews was drawing upon oral Traditions that are now lost.
One needs a master to explain because without the oral explanation of ‘a master’, the written text can be
interpreted wrongly, and the written text just by itself appears ‘defective’. Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan states,
“The oral Torah is therefore the basis of God’s covenant with Israel. It is even more dear to God than
the written Torah”. He quotes Hosea 8:12 “ If I would have written the majority of my Torah, (Israel) would
be counted the same as strangers”.
God does not want strangers, people who do not know him. He wants Friends, people that know him.
It is stated by Rabbi Arveh Kaplan “There is a tradition that God taught Moses the written Torah by day
and the Oral Torah by night”.
According to 67:131(NJC) (New Jerome Commentary), the spirit of Duet; ‘Is the law’ and has been a
source of life for Judaism. In Rabbinic sources the Torah refers to all scared literature, (the Bible, the
Mishna, the Midrashim, and Talmuds with later commentaries and codes), to study, to the Revelation and
their interpretation.
In 15:9 (NJC) Torah also means meaning and seeking instruction. We also have to understand how
language is used, and its 'veiled' meaning. The Sages tended to ‘conceal’ the true meaning and scatter
it like seeds throughout the work, so that one who has spiritual understanding can put it together. This is
also mentioned in the Philokalia, (love of the beautiful), ‘only a master’ can put these pieces together.
An example of this use of language is in 15:51(NJC), it is ‘a sealed teaching’ Isaiah: 28. The vision is
compared by drunken stupor, the need to give their heart to YHWH, and in 15:54 (NJC) Deafness and
blindness is symbolic of unknowing or ignorance.
The Book of Jubilees, talks about ‘the law’ being written on the tablets of heaven, and the angel of
presence revealed this to Moses on Mt. Sinai. So here we have a clear case of Abraham keeping the
law, precepts, etc., before Moses gave them, and because he did so God would make him into a great
nation.
Second: The mount of vision: Abraham stopped at the Oak of Vision in Shechem where God appeared
to him (Vulgate). Before Abraham was shown the Promised Land, he went into ‘trance’ (NJB) (New
Jerusalem Bible) ‘deep sleep’ (vulgate.), but the Hebrew word meaning deep sleep, means trance. This
comes from tardemah from 7290, a lethargy or (by impl.) trance - deep sleep. 7290 radam, a primary
root, to stun, i.e. stupefy (with sleep or death) (be fast a -, be in a deep, cast into a dead, that sleep (er -
eth)).
When one is in a trance, one is in a state of heightened awareness, the eye of the soul is opened, and
one sees without ones physical senses. One is totally aware and ‘awakened’. One sees the spiritual
‘promised land’, God’s eternal Kingdom.
The Cherubim according to Boadt in p.268 were a winged Bull, Lion, Man, Eagle. The Cherubim throne
was a sign of royal glory. Kingship in the spiritual sense is the vision of beatitude, the vision of the Glory
of God, which means one is transported to the Holy of Holies; as can be seen above from the
description of Moses’ ‘horned face’. The Bulls horns signify the new moon, and are also a reference to
Moses beholding God’s glory and becoming one with the glory of God that caused his face to shine. The
Lion, signifies strength, as in Lion of Judah, yehuwd (chald) from Yehuwdah, from Yadah a primary
root; used only as demonstration from 3027, literally to use, i.e., hold out the hand, physical to throw ( a
stone, an arrow) at or away. Especially, to revere or worship (with extended hands). Man stands for
mortality and the eagle, soars - ones soul is transported to God. All this takes place in the Holy of
Holies. Jesus is the Right hand of God. Also one has to not be frightened of the arrow by day or terror
by night.
To the ‘mystic’ Jew, he fasted and prayed on the new moon and his spirit soared like the wings of an
eagle to God and pleaded at the entrance of the heavenly temple to be let in to the Holy of Holies, ‘Open
for me your saving gates of justice’ Psalms 118:19.
The Psalms has an ascent of degrees, and in Boadt, the choirs are singing the psalms at the entrance to
the Temple, there are two choirs one inside the Temple and one outside the Temple seeking permission
to enter. The one inside singing, only those who are purified and worthy may enter.
The Early Christian Fathers were familiar with the Jewish mystical teachings: I here quote from the: Ma’
aseh maraca: The Workings of the Chariot. “The ma’aseh maraca - Workings of the Chariot - mystics
developed breathing, postures, and chanting practices to assist them in their visionary quest.
Hai Gaon, who lived in the 9th Century AD, gave this description of practices of this school: ‘You may
perhaps know that many of the sages hold that when a man is worthy and blessed with certain qualities
and he wishes to gaze at the Heavenly Chariot and the halls of the angels on high, he must follow certain
exercises. He must fast for a specified number of days, he must place his head between his knees
whispering softly to himself all the while certain praises of God with his face towards the ground. As a
result he will gaze in the inner most recesses of his heart and it will seem as if he saw the 7 halls with his
own eyes, moving from hall to hall to observe that which is therein to be found’. (Louis Jacobs, Jewish
Mystical Testimonies, New York, Schocken Books, 1977) p32.
Now compare this with: St Gregory of Sinai: On Prayer: Seven Texts. How the Hesychast should sit for
prayer and not rise again too quickly: No1: “Sometimes - and most often - you should sit on a stool,
because it is more arduous; but sometimes, for a break, you should sit for a while on a mattress. ….Do
not grow discouraged and quickly rise up again because of the strain and effort needed to keep your
intellect concentrated on its inner vocations… You must bend down and gather your intellect into your
heart - provided it has been opened. Should you feel pain in your shoulders or in your head - as you
often will - endure it patiently and fervently, seeking the Lord in your heart. For ‘the Kingdom of God is
entered forcibly, and those who force themselves take possession of it. With these words the Lord truly
indicated the persistence and labour needed in this task. Patience and endurance in all things involve
hardship in both body and soul.”
Scripture has many layers of meanings.
Once again I quote from the Early Fathers. Nikitas Stithatos: On Spiritual Knowledge No 78: “Divine
Scripture is to be interpreted spiritually and the treasures it contains are revealed only through the Holy
Spirit to the spiritual, HENCE THE UNSPIRITUAL MAN CANNOT RECEIVE THE REVELATION OF THESE
TREASURES.”
Again We can see by Nikitas Stithatos, in No:90: “The reading of the Scriptures means one thing for
those who have but recently embraced the life of holiness, another for those who have attained the
middle state, and another for those who are moving rapidly towards perfection.
For the first, the Scripture ARE BREAD FROM GOD’S TABLE, strengthening their hearts (Psalm 104:
15), in the holy struggle for virtue and filling them with forcefulness, power and courage in their battle
against the spirits that activate the passions, so that they can say ‘For me thou hast prepared a table
with food against my enemies. (Psalm 23:5).
For the second, the Scriptures are WINE FROM GOD’S CHALICE, gladdening their hearts (Psalm 104:
15), and transforming them through THE POWER OF INNER MEANING, so that their intellect is raised
above the letter that kills and led searchingly into the depths of the Spirit.
In this way they are enabled to discover and give birth to the inner meaning, so that fittingly they can
exclaim, ‘thy chalice makes me drink as with the strongest wine (Psalm 23:5, LXX (Septuagint)).
Finally for those approaching perfection, the Scriptures are the oil of the Holy Spirit (Psalm 109:15),
anointing the soul. Making it gentle and humble through the excess of the divine illumination they bestow,
and raising it wholly above the loveliness of the body, so that in its glory it may cry, ‘Thou hast anointed
my head with oil’. (Psalm 23:5) and ‘Thy mercy shall follow me all the days of my life. (Psalm 23:6).
That scripture has different layers of meanings can also be seen in St Peter of Damaskos XIII on the Holy
Scripture. “For unless a person attends to what is said in divine “Scripture, he will gather but little fruit,
even though he sings or reads them frequently.”
“Devote yourself to stillness and know it is written’, (Psalm 46:10) because such devotion concentrates
the intellect: even if it is attentive for only a short time, nonetheless knows in part.”
…” This is clear from the fact that we often understand a certain passage in the course of our
contemplation, grasping one or two senses in which it was written; then after a while our intellect may
increase in purity and be allowed to perceive other meanings, superior to the first. As a result, in
bewilderment and wonder at God’s grace and his ineffable wisdom, we are overcome with awe before
‘the God of Knowledge’, as the prophetess Hannah calls him”. (1 Samuel 2:3).
…”One text or object can signify many things. Take clothing, for example: one person may say that it
warms another that it adorns and another that it protects; yet all 3 are correct, since clothing is useful
alike for warmth, for adornment, protection. The same applies to everything, whether visible or invisible
and to every word of Divine Scripture’.”
THE NEED TO AWAKEN TO LUMINOSITY
As we have already seen, we need to become a pure vessel for Wisdom to dwell in us, and as we draw
nearer to the ‘source of being itself’, scripture unveils deeper meanings.
In St Maximos the Confessor on 1st Century Theology No 85: “Reformation of life, angelic worship, the
willing separation of the soul from the body, and the beginning of divine renewal in spirit, THESE ARE
PROCLAIMED IN THE VEILED LANGUAGE OF THE NEW TESTAMENT”.
In St Maximos the confessor on 2nd Century Theology No 80: “He who has made his heart pure will not
only know the inner essences of what is sequent to God and dependent on Him, but, after passing
through all of them, he will in some measure see God himself, which is the supreme consummation of all
blessings. When God comes to dwell in such a heart, he honours it by engraving his own letters on it
through the Holy Spirit, just as he did on the Mosaic tablets.”
No 100: “He, who through virtue ad spiritual knowledge has brought his body into harmony with his soul,
has become a harp, a flute, and a temple of God’”.
No: 74: “God yearns for the salvation of all men and hungers after their deification, wishes their self
conceit like the unfruitful fig tree” (Matthew 21: 19-21).
Once again we see this example of deeper meaning in: St Maximos the Confessor in 2nd Century on
various Texts. No 4: “he who does not view the ritual of the law with his senses alone, but noetically, (that
is spiritually) penetrates every visible symbol and thoroughly assimilates the divine principle which is
hidden in each, finds God in the law”.
No. 6: “He who examines the symbols of the law in a spiritual manner,…. will discriminate between letter
and spirit in creation, between inner essence and outer appearance, he will have found God.”
No. 28: “Before we can acquire Wisdom that lies in all things, we must through mystical initiation seek
their maker”.
No. 29: “Jacob’s well in Scripture. The water is spiritual knowledge found in Scripture. The depth of the
well is the meaning, only to be attained with great difficulty. …… but grants to those found worthy the
ever flowing waters of Wisdom from the fountain of spiritual grace and never run dry.”
No. 59: “Hearts capable receiving heavenly gifts of Holy Knowledge are called cisterns.”
We see again angels equated with Wisdom, in: Evagrios the Solitary on Prayer. No. 80: “If you pray
truly, you will gain great assurance, angels will come to you as they came to Daniel and they will
illuminate you with knowledge of the inner essences of created things”.
No. 75: “When the angel of God comes to us, with his presence alone, he puts an end to all adverse
energy within the intellect and makes its light energize without illusion”.
St Hesychios The Priest: On watchfulness and Holiness.
No. 9: “If you are an adept, initiated into the mysteries and standing before God at dawn (Psalm 5:3),
you will divine the meaning of my words, otherwise be watchful and you will discover it”.
Nikitas Stithatos:
No. 16: “When we have been purified and reconciled our inner discord through the power of the Spirit,
we then participate in the ineffable blessing of God, and worthily concelebrate the divine mysteries of the
intellects mystical Eucharist with God the logos in this supra celestial and spiritual sanctuary, for we have
becomes initiates and priest of His immortal mysteries”.
No. 21: “The rays of primordial light that illumine purified souls with spiritual knowledge, not only fill them
with benediction and luminosity; they also, by means of the contemplation of the inner essences of
created things, lead them up to the noetic (spiritual) heavens. The effects of the divine energy,
however, do not stop here; they continue until through wisdom and through knowledge of indescribable
things they unite purified souls with the one, bringing them out of a state of multiplicity into a state of
oneness in him”.
No. 22: “Then we in our turn must pass on to others, images and intimations of this knowledge,
conveying its hidden meaning to the purified, while withholding it from the profane, lest holy things be
given to dogs, or the pearl of the logos be cast before Swine, like Souls that would defile it. (Matt 7:60.”
No. 48: “Once you have united yourself through the higher Wisdom with the angelic powers and have
thereby been united with God, through love of Wisdom you enter into communion with all men, since you
have achieved God’s likeness. Through divine power you sever these so disposed from their
attachment to what is external and multiple, and as an imitator of God you concentrate them in spirit,
elevating them as you are elevated to a unified life through wisdom, spiritual knowledge and the
illumination of divine mysteries, until they come to contemplate the glory of the unique primordial light.
When you have united them with the essences and orders that surround God, you induct them, wholly
irradiated by the Spirit, to the unity of God himself”.
Nikiphoros The Monk: From the life of Our Holy Father Anthony: “Do you see how through watchfulness
of heart, St Anthony was able to perceive God and to acquire the power of Clairvoyance”.
For it is in the heart that God manifest himself to the intellect, first - according to St John Klimakos as
Fire that purifies the lover and then as light that illumines the intellect and renders it Godlike.
St Gregory of Sinai: On Commandments and Doctrines: No.45: “You partake of the angelic life and
attain an incorruptible and hence almost bodiless state when you have cleansed your intellect through
tears, and have through the power of the spirit resurrected your soul even in this life, and with the help
of the logos have made your flesh, your natural human form of clay - a resplendent and fiery image of
divine beauty. For bodies become incorruptible when rid of their natural humours and their material
density.”
No. 49: “The Saints in heaven hold inner converse together, communicating mystically through the power
of the Holy Spirit”.
No. 97: “If through the passions, you deaden the natural powers of your soul, you make them insensible
to the activity of the mysteries of the Spirit and you cannot participate in them. If you are spiritually blind,
deaf, and insensible you are as dead”.
St Gregory Palamas: To the most Reverend nun Xeria: “If you do not strive here to gain this life in your
soul, do not deceive yourself with vain hopes about receiving it hereafter”.
St Gregory Palamas: Those who practice a life of Stillness: No. 7: “To bring their intellect within
themselves by means of breathing”.
St Gregory Palamas: On Prayer and Purity of Heart: No.2: “Hence many are unable to endure the self
constraint needed for acquiring the virtue of prayer, do not attain a plenitude of divine gifts, but those
who do persist are rewarded with greater manifestations of Divine aid.”
…”.then what is difficult to accomplish is easily achieved, for they are invested with what one might call
an angelic capacity, which empowers our human nature to commune with what lies beyond it. This
accords with the words of the prophet, that those who persist will grow wings and will gain strength”( Is 40:
31).
St Maximos the Confessor: No. 67: “In Scripture, The Logos of God is called and actuality is dew (Deut:
32:2), water spring and river”.
No. 73: “We need much knowledge, so that, having first penetrated the veils of the sayings which cover
the logos, we may with a naked intellect see, in so far as men can, the pure logos, as he exists in
himself”.
“Hence a person, who seeks God with true devotion, should not be dominated by the literal text, lest he
unwittingly receives not God, but things pertaining to God”.
We can see in proverbs that the English word for Wisdom in the Hebrew is Orem from aram, nudity,
nakedness. Arow m or arom see 6174, nude, either partially or totally naked. So one can talk about our
true state, the image of God as nakedness. It is talked about in this way in Proverbs 8:5 ‘O ye simple
understand nakedness’. Adam and Eve were naked in the garden, they were at ‘one’, one could say
with wisdom. They then ate of the fruit of the tree, prognosticate and became wise in their own eyes, so
put on layers of clothing. Of course Jesus shows again at the foot washing, the stripping off of these
layers, to show again our true nakedness, our true self, by taking off his outer garment before he
washes the disciple’s feet. Again Jesus emphasizes, it is the ‘little ones’ those truly poor in spirit, who
finds again this nakedness. So aram, is a primary root to make bare, but can also mean cunning.
Again it transports us back to the serpent in the garden. We can let Wisdom fill us, but we must not use
it as such.
There are Temples which show a long narrow path leading up to the entrance, with good and bad deities
on either side, one ignores these and continues straight up the narrow path. If we ‘eat’ of this
knowledge, we can use it for ‘good’, or ‘bad’, the idea is to let us fill it and show God in our actions, and
not eat of the Wisdom, but show God in all his splendour.
All the English traditions of the Scriptures have not been translated correctly. The Hebrew has many
different meanings. If one interprets them with a carnal mind, one will not see and understand the
spiritual significance. There are 12 different words for Wisdom in the Scriptures, mostly pertaining to
‘human wisdom and skill’, but only once is the word Wisdom used for nakedness, in Proverbs, and that
pertains to ‘our true state’.
The Hebrew Scriptures are written in doublets of masculine and feminine, the two taken together, a
union, which is very profound.
Once again I will quote from some writings of the Early Fathers:
St Symeon The New Theologian:
No.118: “the person who is in communion with him who inspired those who wrote the Divine Scriptures,
and is initiated by Him into the undivulged secrets of the hidden mysteries will himself be an inspired
book to others. A book containing old and new mysteries and written by the hand of God; for he has
accomplished all things in God, the principle of perfection, he rests from all his labours.”
Nikitas Stithatos: No. 11: “ If your intellect clearly distinguishes the intentions of its thoughts and in its
purity gives its assent only to those that are divine, if your reason can interpret the physical movements
of the whole of visible creation - that is to say, can clearly elucidate the inner essences of things; if
noetically you can perceive heavenly wisdom and spiritual knowledge; then through the light of the Sun
of Righteousness you have transcended all sense perception and have attained what lies beyond it, and
you savour the delight of things unseen.”
No.74: “And when you descend from these heights of contemplation, speak to your brethren about
eternal life and the mysteries of God’s kingdom”.
No.80: “the monk will be accompanied for limitless ages by the blessed dispassion and the joy he has
attained. He moves like a wheel among men during this present life, touching only lightly the earth and
the things upon it, and then simply because his bodily needs demand it, his intellect ascending through
this circling movement enters into the celestial sphere, in his beginning is his end, and, consumed with
humility, he bears in himself the fruits of grace. His table is replete with the contemplation of the
essences of created things, HIS DRINK IS FROM THE CUP OF WISDOM AND HIS REPOSE IS IN GOD.
No. 84: “If in answer to the master’s call, you lay aside assiduous labour and stop eating the bread of
pain, repudiating merely material perception and tasting the bowl of God’s Wisdom …. You will have
ascended into the upper chamber and will be awaiting the coming of the Paraclete (Holy Spirit).”
St. Peter of Damaskos: that Stillness is of Great Benefit: “We do not realize that we incur greater
condemnation if we do not put into practice what we read, as St. John Crysostom says. And we should
remember what the Lord says about the servant who knew his masters will and failed to carry it out”.
St. Peter of Damaskos: Sixth stage of contemplation: “Those, however, who choose to shed all their
possessions, will be crowned with glory, for like those who live in virginity, they accomplish what
transcends nature”.
St. Peter of Damaskos: The Seven Commandments: “I have collected material from Holy Scriptures, but
have not been found worthy of learning directly from the Holy Spirit. I have learnt only from those who
did learn directly from the Holy Spirit. It is like learning about a person or a city from those who have
actually seen them”.
“Reading and listening are one thing and experience is another. One cannot become a craftsman simply
by hearsay; one has to practice and watch and make numerous mistakes and be corrected by those with
experience, so that through long perseverance and eliminating one’s own desires, one eventually
masters the art”.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Early Christian Writings, The Apostolic Fathers, Penguin Classics, London 1987
JACOBS, LOUIS, Compiled by. The Schocken book of Jewish Mystical Testimonies, Schocken Books,
New York 1996
NEW JEROME BIBLICAL COMMENTARY, Geoffrey Chapman publishers, London 1989
THE PHILOKALIA, The Complete Text, Volume I , Faber & Faber London 1979
THE PHILOKALIA, The Complete Text, Volume II , Faber & Faber London 1981
THE PHILOKALIA, The Complete Text, Volume III , Faber & Faber London 1984
THE PHILOKALIA, The Complete Text, Volume IV , Faber & Faber London 1995
STRONGS CONCORDANCE, Thomas Nelson Publishers, Nashville. 1990.
© Susan Willett 2006
Saturday, July 15, 2006
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The Symbol of Souls
Susan Willett (UK)
The Fathers of Early Christianity said that birds, are the symbol of souls, and also that Wisdom is
‘firstborn’. It is all about the resurrection of the soul, ‘that wakening’ from sleep. We are in ‘death’ until
we are ‘awakened to our soul’. That is the resurrection. Stillness of body and mind gives wakefulness.
This enables us to listen to the Mother Goddess/God. It alerts us to the ‘burglars’ in our Temple. Our
body is a Temple of the soul. The ‘burglars’ is everything in us which is in opposition to the Soul. When
we are still, we become more sensitive to the soul within us. We learn to discern what comes from our
soul – the true self, and what comes from ‘the false self’. What keeps us close to God and what keeps us
distant. What is in accordance with the will of God, and what is in accordance with our own.
The mind is like a raging sea, very wild and turbulent, always restless. This is our ‘worldly state of mind’;
it is not clear, it is not calm. In such a state our mind becomes ‘closed’ to God. We are ‘asleep’ to the
‘still small voice’. We are ‘deaf’. We are ‘blind’. Whereas, if the sea is calm and mirror like, it reflects the
light clearer. By being still each day the waves and turbulence subsides, the water becomes clearer,
calmer, and we can penetrate its depths. We become less inclined to rush about, we become less
agitated when things go wrong, we become more patient, kind, simpler and less complicated. This is
because we see how much this turbulence keeps us in ‘exile’ from being ‘one’ with God. Things that
used to bother us bother us less.
By being still, the spirit works in us and guides us in our thoughts and actions. We can only do this by
turning aside from the ‘din’ of the world and being still. Be being still, we abandon ourselves into the
‘arms of God’. We acknowledge we cannot change ourselves without God’s help and grace, and God is
just waiting patiently for us to turn to him, and he will come to us, and fill our inner being with light.
It is imperative today that we recover the wisdom of the Ancients. Today’s’ scholarship likes to think it
knows more than the ancients, but in fact knows far less, and like the Commandments state about
honouring parents, the ancient Fathers are the parents of Christianity and deserve respect not ridicule.
The Early Fathers’ state that scripture has many layers and cannot be understood with a carnal mind. It
can only be revealed to the sincere seeker. Wisdom as mentioned above is also stated as being
‘firstborn’, Proverbs, 8:22 is talking about Wisdom. ‘The Lord Begat me, the firstborn of his ways, when
there was no debts, I was poured forth’. Wisdom was there in the beginning, ‘let us make man in our
image’, it was the Elohim, and the Elohim were the gods, the angelic powers, and wisdom. We see in the
book of Wisdom 1:4, that wisdom ‘She looks only to dwell in a pure vessel.” Wisdom will never enter a
soul of someone who does wrong’.
Therefore we are talking about purification. Also Wisdom is equated with the Holy Spirit. In Ecclesiastes,
Wisdom sings her own praises, ‘From the mouth of the most high I came forth.’ Breath pnemua (Greek)
is equated with the Holy Spirit. The Wisdom of God is equal to God. In the commandments on the
Sabbath Day, God drew in his breath. We see Jesus, who was a Jewish Rabbi and Master, who
achieved this union with Wisdom, pass on his ‘power’ by blowing out the breath on the disciples, when
Jesus had obtained the Sabbath Day’s Rest whereby he was at total rest with his passions.
In Hebrews we read he had a terrible battle with his passions, until he became perfected. Hebrew 5: 7:
“During his life on earth, he offered up prayer and entreaty, with loud cries and with tears, to the one
who had the power to save him from death, and winning a hearing by his reverence, he learnt
obedience, Son though he was, through his sufferings. When he had been perfected he became for all
who obey him the source of eternal salvation and was acclaimed by God with the title of High Priest of
the Order of Melchizadek”
In fact Theopolis of Antioch in 180 AD had the Trias of God, as Father, his Word and Wisdom, and not
Father Son and Holy Spirit. Wisdom again was equated with the Holy Spirit.
We see Wisdom descend on Jesus at his baptism in the form of “bird”, a Dove. So the Dove (Bird)
symbolizes Wisdom. Also Hugh Schonfield mentions an ancient MSS in Latin that also describes a bright
light which was seen to play on the water at Jesus’ baptism, so that all who had come there was afraid.
(The Original New Testament by Hugh Schonfield).
The Theophanies, (manifestations) of God were seen as a column of Fire and wind in the Scriptures and
also as a blowing wind and tongues of Fire when the apostles received the Holy Spirit when they were in
the upper room. The upper room is symbolic of that ascent of the spirit to the ‘upper chamber’ of the
heavenly Temple.
Augustine states that we have to go through an unveiling to reach God, by purification. We start with
nature because we can only know God through creatures until we become purified enough to come face
to face with him. In psalm 14:2 we see God is watching for anyone who has understanding and looking
for God.
Ilias the Presbyter in Gnomic Anthology III No 32: states:
“Through the practice of the virtues, the outward aspects of the soul become like the silver-coated wings
of a (Bird) dove. Through contemplation its inward and intelligible aspects become golden. But the soul
that has not in this way regained its beauty cannot soar aloft and come to rest in the abode of the
blessed’.
Evagrios the Solitary on Prayer No: 82 states:
“Pray gently and calmly, sing with understanding and rhythm, then you will soar like a young eagle high
in the heavens”.
St Gregory Palamas: On Prayer and Purity of Heart:
No: 2
“Hence many are unable to endure the self constraint needed for acquiring the virtue of prayer, do not
attain a plenitude of divine gifts, but those who do persist are rewarded with greater manifestations of
Divine aid.
…. Then what is difficult to accomplish is easily achieved, for they are invested with what one calls an
angelic capacity, which empowers our human nature to commune with what lies beyond it. This accords
with the words of the prophet, that those who persist will grow wings and will gain strength (Is 40:31).
Also in the first Epistle of Clement to the Corinthians, No: 25, mentions about the Phoenix in connection
with the Resurrection.
“Look at that strange portent that occurs in the East (in the neighbourhood of the Middle East, to be
precise). There is a bird known as a Phoenix, which is the only specimen of its kind and has a life of five
hundred years. When the hour of its dissolution and death approaches, it makes a nest for itself out of
frankincense and myrrh and other fragrant spices, and in the fullness of time it enters into this and
expires. Its decaying flesh breeds a small grub, which is nourished by the moisture of the dead bird and
presently grows wings. This, on reaching full growth, takes up the nest containing the bones of its
predecessor and carries them all the way from the land of Arabia into Egypt, to the city called Heliopolis.
There, in the full light of day and before the eyes of all beholders, it flies to the altar of the Sun, deposits
them there, and speeds back to its homeland, and when the priests consult their time records, they find
that its arrival has marked the completion of the five-hundredth year.”
No 26:
“…the Creator of all things has even made use of a bird to disclose the magnitude of his promises to us.”
Hebrew theology was divided into three different parts. The first was known as the Law. This was taught
and made known to the whole of the children of Israel, the exoteric teachings. The second was the Soul
of the Law, this was revealed to the Rabbis and Teachers. The third was the Soul of The Soul of the
Law. This was known as the Kabbala, (revealed teaching), but it was very cunningly concealed and it
was only the highest of Initiates that were among the Jews that were taught in its secret principles. This
is known as the esoteric path. The only object of the exoteric path is to bring one to the esoteric path
where all the symbols are internalized and make sense. This esoteric knowledge was only passed on
‘orally’ and still is.
In Judaism Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan states that there are two Torahs, the written Torah (Torah Shebiketav)
and the Oral Torah (Torah SheB’alPeh). It is said that this is stated in Exodus 24:12: “Come up to me to
the mountain, and I will give you The Torah and the Commandments”. Torah means law, instruction.
The Talmud and Midrashim have preserved elements of the oral Tradition. Josephus when he wrote the
Antiquities of the Jews was drawing upon oral Traditions that are now lost.
One needs a master to explain because without the oral explanation of ‘a master’, the written text can be
interpreted wrongly, and the written text just by itself appears ‘defective’. Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan states,
“The oral Torah is therefore the basis of God’s covenant with Israel. It is even more dear to God than
the written Torah”. He quotes Hosea 8:12 “ If I would have written the majority of my Torah, (Israel) would
be counted the same as strangers”.
God does not want strangers, people who do not know him. He wants Friends, people that know him.
It is stated by Rabbi Arveh Kaplan “There is a tradition that God taught Moses the written Torah by day
and the Oral Torah by night”.
According to 67:131(NJC) (New Jerome Commentary), the spirit of Duet; ‘Is the law’ and has been a
source of life for Judaism. In Rabbinic sources the Torah refers to all scared literature, (the Bible, the
Mishna, the Midrashim, and Talmuds with later commentaries and codes), to study, to the Revelation and
their interpretation.
In 15:9 (NJC) Torah also means meaning and seeking instruction. We also have to understand how
language is used, and its 'veiled' meaning. The Sages tended to ‘conceal’ the true meaning and scatter
it like seeds throughout the work, so that one who has spiritual understanding can put it together. This is
also mentioned in the Philokalia, (love of the beautiful), ‘only a master’ can put these pieces together.
An example of this use of language is in 15:51(NJC), it is ‘a sealed teaching’ Isaiah: 28. The vision is
compared by drunken stupor, the need to give their heart to YHWH, and in 15:54 (NJC) Deafness and
blindness is symbolic of unknowing or ignorance.
The Book of Jubilees, talks about ‘the law’ being written on the tablets of heaven, and the angel of
presence revealed this to Moses on Mt. Sinai. So here we have a clear case of Abraham keeping the
law, precepts, etc., before Moses gave them, and because he did so God would make him into a great
nation.
Second: The mount of vision: Abraham stopped at the Oak of Vision in Shechem where God appeared
to him (Vulgate). Before Abraham was shown the Promised Land, he went into ‘trance’ (NJB) (New
Jerusalem Bible) ‘deep sleep’ (vulgate.), but the Hebrew word meaning deep sleep, means trance. This
comes from tardemah from 7290, a lethargy or (by impl.) trance - deep sleep. 7290 radam, a primary
root, to stun, i.e. stupefy (with sleep or death) (be fast a -, be in a deep, cast into a dead, that sleep (er -
eth)).
When one is in a trance, one is in a state of heightened awareness, the eye of the soul is opened, and
one sees without ones physical senses. One is totally aware and ‘awakened’. One sees the spiritual
‘promised land’, God’s eternal Kingdom.
The Cherubim according to Boadt in p.268 were a winged Bull, Lion, Man, Eagle. The Cherubim throne
was a sign of royal glory. Kingship in the spiritual sense is the vision of beatitude, the vision of the Glory
of God, which means one is transported to the Holy of Holies; as can be seen above from the
description of Moses’ ‘horned face’. The Bulls horns signify the new moon, and are also a reference to
Moses beholding God’s glory and becoming one with the glory of God that caused his face to shine. The
Lion, signifies strength, as in Lion of Judah, yehuwd (chald) from Yehuwdah, from Yadah a primary
root; used only as demonstration from 3027, literally to use, i.e., hold out the hand, physical to throw ( a
stone, an arrow) at or away. Especially, to revere or worship (with extended hands). Man stands for
mortality and the eagle, soars - ones soul is transported to God. All this takes place in the Holy of
Holies. Jesus is the Right hand of God. Also one has to not be frightened of the arrow by day or terror
by night.
To the ‘mystic’ Jew, he fasted and prayed on the new moon and his spirit soared like the wings of an
eagle to God and pleaded at the entrance of the heavenly temple to be let in to the Holy of Holies, ‘Open
for me your saving gates of justice’ Psalms 118:19.
The Psalms has an ascent of degrees, and in Boadt, the choirs are singing the psalms at the entrance to
the Temple, there are two choirs one inside the Temple and one outside the Temple seeking permission
to enter. The one inside singing, only those who are purified and worthy may enter.
The Early Christian Fathers were familiar with the Jewish mystical teachings: I here quote from the: Ma’
aseh maraca: The Workings of the Chariot. “The ma’aseh maraca - Workings of the Chariot - mystics
developed breathing, postures, and chanting practices to assist them in their visionary quest.
Hai Gaon, who lived in the 9th Century AD, gave this description of practices of this school: ‘You may
perhaps know that many of the sages hold that when a man is worthy and blessed with certain qualities
and he wishes to gaze at the Heavenly Chariot and the halls of the angels on high, he must follow certain
exercises. He must fast for a specified number of days, he must place his head between his knees
whispering softly to himself all the while certain praises of God with his face towards the ground. As a
result he will gaze in the inner most recesses of his heart and it will seem as if he saw the 7 halls with his
own eyes, moving from hall to hall to observe that which is therein to be found’. (Louis Jacobs, Jewish
Mystical Testimonies, New York, Schocken Books, 1977) p32.
Now compare this with: St Gregory of Sinai: On Prayer: Seven Texts. How the Hesychast should sit for
prayer and not rise again too quickly: No1: “Sometimes - and most often - you should sit on a stool,
because it is more arduous; but sometimes, for a break, you should sit for a while on a mattress. ….Do
not grow discouraged and quickly rise up again because of the strain and effort needed to keep your
intellect concentrated on its inner vocations… You must bend down and gather your intellect into your
heart - provided it has been opened. Should you feel pain in your shoulders or in your head - as you
often will - endure it patiently and fervently, seeking the Lord in your heart. For ‘the Kingdom of God is
entered forcibly, and those who force themselves take possession of it. With these words the Lord truly
indicated the persistence and labour needed in this task. Patience and endurance in all things involve
hardship in both body and soul.”
Scripture has many layers of meanings.
Once again I quote from the Early Fathers. Nikitas Stithatos: On Spiritual Knowledge No 78: “Divine
Scripture is to be interpreted spiritually and the treasures it contains are revealed only through the Holy
Spirit to the spiritual, HENCE THE UNSPIRITUAL MAN CANNOT RECEIVE THE REVELATION OF THESE
TREASURES.”
Again We can see by Nikitas Stithatos, in No:90: “The reading of the Scriptures means one thing for
those who have but recently embraced the life of holiness, another for those who have attained the
middle state, and another for those who are moving rapidly towards perfection.
For the first, the Scripture ARE BREAD FROM GOD’S TABLE, strengthening their hearts (Psalm 104:
15), in the holy struggle for virtue and filling them with forcefulness, power and courage in their battle
against the spirits that activate the passions, so that they can say ‘For me thou hast prepared a table
with food against my enemies. (Psalm 23:5).
For the second, the Scriptures are WINE FROM GOD’S CHALICE, gladdening their hearts (Psalm 104:
15), and transforming them through THE POWER OF INNER MEANING, so that their intellect is raised
above the letter that kills and led searchingly into the depths of the Spirit.
In this way they are enabled to discover and give birth to the inner meaning, so that fittingly they can
exclaim, ‘thy chalice makes me drink as with the strongest wine (Psalm 23:5, LXX (Septuagint)).
Finally for those approaching perfection, the Scriptures are the oil of the Holy Spirit (Psalm 109:15),
anointing the soul. Making it gentle and humble through the excess of the divine illumination they bestow,
and raising it wholly above the loveliness of the body, so that in its glory it may cry, ‘Thou hast anointed
my head with oil’. (Psalm 23:5) and ‘Thy mercy shall follow me all the days of my life. (Psalm 23:6).
That scripture has different layers of meanings can also be seen in St Peter of Damaskos XIII on the Holy
Scripture. “For unless a person attends to what is said in divine “Scripture, he will gather but little fruit,
even though he sings or reads them frequently.”
“Devote yourself to stillness and know it is written’, (Psalm 46:10) because such devotion concentrates
the intellect: even if it is attentive for only a short time, nonetheless knows in part.”
…” This is clear from the fact that we often understand a certain passage in the course of our
contemplation, grasping one or two senses in which it was written; then after a while our intellect may
increase in purity and be allowed to perceive other meanings, superior to the first. As a result, in
bewilderment and wonder at God’s grace and his ineffable wisdom, we are overcome with awe before
‘the God of Knowledge’, as the prophetess Hannah calls him”. (1 Samuel 2:3).
…”One text or object can signify many things. Take clothing, for example: one person may say that it
warms another that it adorns and another that it protects; yet all 3 are correct, since clothing is useful
alike for warmth, for adornment, protection. The same applies to everything, whether visible or invisible
and to every word of Divine Scripture’.”
THE NEED TO AWAKEN TO LUMINOSITY
As we have already seen, we need to become a pure vessel for Wisdom to dwell in us, and as we draw
nearer to the ‘source of being itself’, scripture unveils deeper meanings.
In St Maximos the Confessor on 1st Century Theology No 85: “Reformation of life, angelic worship, the
willing separation of the soul from the body, and the beginning of divine renewal in spirit, THESE ARE
PROCLAIMED IN THE VEILED LANGUAGE OF THE NEW TESTAMENT”.
In St Maximos the confessor on 2nd Century Theology No 80: “He who has made his heart pure will not
only know the inner essences of what is sequent to God and dependent on Him, but, after passing
through all of them, he will in some measure see God himself, which is the supreme consummation of all
blessings. When God comes to dwell in such a heart, he honours it by engraving his own letters on it
through the Holy Spirit, just as he did on the Mosaic tablets.”
No 100: “He, who through virtue ad spiritual knowledge has brought his body into harmony with his soul,
has become a harp, a flute, and a temple of God’”.
No: 74: “God yearns for the salvation of all men and hungers after their deification, wishes their self
conceit like the unfruitful fig tree” (Matthew 21: 19-21).
Once again we see this example of deeper meaning in: St Maximos the Confessor in 2nd Century on
various Texts. No 4: “he who does not view the ritual of the law with his senses alone, but noetically, (that
is spiritually) penetrates every visible symbol and thoroughly assimilates the divine principle which is
hidden in each, finds God in the law”.
No. 6: “He who examines the symbols of the law in a spiritual manner,…. will discriminate between letter
and spirit in creation, between inner essence and outer appearance, he will have found God.”
No. 28: “Before we can acquire Wisdom that lies in all things, we must through mystical initiation seek
their maker”.
No. 29: “Jacob’s well in Scripture. The water is spiritual knowledge found in Scripture. The depth of the
well is the meaning, only to be attained with great difficulty. …… but grants to those found worthy the
ever flowing waters of Wisdom from the fountain of spiritual grace and never run dry.”
No. 59: “Hearts capable receiving heavenly gifts of Holy Knowledge are called cisterns.”
We see again angels equated with Wisdom, in: Evagrios the Solitary on Prayer. No. 80: “If you pray
truly, you will gain great assurance, angels will come to you as they came to Daniel and they will
illuminate you with knowledge of the inner essences of created things”.
No. 75: “When the angel of God comes to us, with his presence alone, he puts an end to all adverse
energy within the intellect and makes its light energize without illusion”.
St Hesychios The Priest: On watchfulness and Holiness.
No. 9: “If you are an adept, initiated into the mysteries and standing before God at dawn (Psalm 5:3),
you will divine the meaning of my words, otherwise be watchful and you will discover it”.
Nikitas Stithatos:
No. 16: “When we have been purified and reconciled our inner discord through the power of the Spirit,
we then participate in the ineffable blessing of God, and worthily concelebrate the divine mysteries of the
intellects mystical Eucharist with God the logos in this supra celestial and spiritual sanctuary, for we have
becomes initiates and priest of His immortal mysteries”.
No. 21: “The rays of primordial light that illumine purified souls with spiritual knowledge, not only fill them
with benediction and luminosity; they also, by means of the contemplation of the inner essences of
created things, lead them up to the noetic (spiritual) heavens. The effects of the divine energy,
however, do not stop here; they continue until through wisdom and through knowledge of indescribable
things they unite purified souls with the one, bringing them out of a state of multiplicity into a state of
oneness in him”.
No. 22: “Then we in our turn must pass on to others, images and intimations of this knowledge,
conveying its hidden meaning to the purified, while withholding it from the profane, lest holy things be
given to dogs, or the pearl of the logos be cast before Swine, like Souls that would defile it. (Matt 7:60.”
No. 48: “Once you have united yourself through the higher Wisdom with the angelic powers and have
thereby been united with God, through love of Wisdom you enter into communion with all men, since you
have achieved God’s likeness. Through divine power you sever these so disposed from their
attachment to what is external and multiple, and as an imitator of God you concentrate them in spirit,
elevating them as you are elevated to a unified life through wisdom, spiritual knowledge and the
illumination of divine mysteries, until they come to contemplate the glory of the unique primordial light.
When you have united them with the essences and orders that surround God, you induct them, wholly
irradiated by the Spirit, to the unity of God himself”.
Nikiphoros The Monk: From the life of Our Holy Father Anthony: “Do you see how through watchfulness
of heart, St Anthony was able to perceive God and to acquire the power of Clairvoyance”.
For it is in the heart that God manifest himself to the intellect, first - according to St John Klimakos as
Fire that purifies the lover and then as light that illumines the intellect and renders it Godlike.
St Gregory of Sinai: On Commandments and Doctrines: No.45: “You partake of the angelic life and
attain an incorruptible and hence almost bodiless state when you have cleansed your intellect through
tears, and have through the power of the spirit resurrected your soul even in this life, and with the help
of the logos have made your flesh, your natural human form of clay - a resplendent and fiery image of
divine beauty. For bodies become incorruptible when rid of their natural humours and their material
density.”
No. 49: “The Saints in heaven hold inner converse together, communicating mystically through the power
of the Holy Spirit”.
No. 97: “If through the passions, you deaden the natural powers of your soul, you make them insensible
to the activity of the mysteries of the Spirit and you cannot participate in them. If you are spiritually blind,
deaf, and insensible you are as dead”.
St Gregory Palamas: To the most Reverend nun Xeria: “If you do not strive here to gain this life in your
soul, do not deceive yourself with vain hopes about receiving it hereafter”.
St Gregory Palamas: Those who practice a life of Stillness: No. 7: “To bring their intellect within
themselves by means of breathing”.
St Gregory Palamas: On Prayer and Purity of Heart: No.2: “Hence many are unable to endure the self
constraint needed for acquiring the virtue of prayer, do not attain a plenitude of divine gifts, but those
who do persist are rewarded with greater manifestations of Divine aid.”
…”.then what is difficult to accomplish is easily achieved, for they are invested with what one might call
an angelic capacity, which empowers our human nature to commune with what lies beyond it. This
accords with the words of the prophet, that those who persist will grow wings and will gain strength”( Is 40:
31).
St Maximos the Confessor: No. 67: “In Scripture, The Logos of God is called and actuality is dew (Deut:
32:2), water spring and river”.
No. 73: “We need much knowledge, so that, having first penetrated the veils of the sayings which cover
the logos, we may with a naked intellect see, in so far as men can, the pure logos, as he exists in
himself”.
“Hence a person, who seeks God with true devotion, should not be dominated by the literal text, lest he
unwittingly receives not God, but things pertaining to God”.
We can see in proverbs that the English word for Wisdom in the Hebrew is Orem from aram, nudity,
nakedness. Arow m or arom see 6174, nude, either partially or totally naked. So one can talk about our
true state, the image of God as nakedness. It is talked about in this way in Proverbs 8:5 ‘O ye simple
understand nakedness’. Adam and Eve were naked in the garden, they were at ‘one’, one could say
with wisdom. They then ate of the fruit of the tree, prognosticate and became wise in their own eyes, so
put on layers of clothing. Of course Jesus shows again at the foot washing, the stripping off of these
layers, to show again our true nakedness, our true self, by taking off his outer garment before he
washes the disciple’s feet. Again Jesus emphasizes, it is the ‘little ones’ those truly poor in spirit, who
finds again this nakedness. So aram, is a primary root to make bare, but can also mean cunning.
Again it transports us back to the serpent in the garden. We can let Wisdom fill us, but we must not use
it as such.
There are Temples which show a long narrow path leading up to the entrance, with good and bad deities
on either side, one ignores these and continues straight up the narrow path. If we ‘eat’ of this
knowledge, we can use it for ‘good’, or ‘bad’, the idea is to let us fill it and show God in our actions, and
not eat of the Wisdom, but show God in all his splendour.
All the English traditions of the Scriptures have not been translated correctly. The Hebrew has many
different meanings. If one interprets them with a carnal mind, one will not see and understand the
spiritual significance. There are 12 different words for Wisdom in the Scriptures, mostly pertaining to
‘human wisdom and skill’, but only once is the word Wisdom used for nakedness, in Proverbs, and that
pertains to ‘our true state’.
The Hebrew Scriptures are written in doublets of masculine and feminine, the two taken together, a
union, which is very profound.
Once again I will quote from some writings of the Early Fathers:
St Symeon The New Theologian:
No.118: “the person who is in communion with him who inspired those who wrote the Divine Scriptures,
and is initiated by Him into the undivulged secrets of the hidden mysteries will himself be an inspired
book to others. A book containing old and new mysteries and written by the hand of God; for he has
accomplished all things in God, the principle of perfection, he rests from all his labours.”
Nikitas Stithatos: No. 11: “ If your intellect clearly distinguishes the intentions of its thoughts and in its
purity gives its assent only to those that are divine, if your reason can interpret the physical movements
of the whole of visible creation - that is to say, can clearly elucidate the inner essences of things; if
noetically you can perceive heavenly wisdom and spiritual knowledge; then through the light of the Sun
of Righteousness you have transcended all sense perception and have attained what lies beyond it, and
you savour the delight of things unseen.”
No.74: “And when you descend from these heights of contemplation, speak to your brethren about
eternal life and the mysteries of God’s kingdom”.
No.80: “the monk will be accompanied for limitless ages by the blessed dispassion and the joy he has
attained. He moves like a wheel among men during this present life, touching only lightly the earth and
the things upon it, and then simply because his bodily needs demand it, his intellect ascending through
this circling movement enters into the celestial sphere, in his beginning is his end, and, consumed with
humility, he bears in himself the fruits of grace. His table is replete with the contemplation of the
essences of created things, HIS DRINK IS FROM THE CUP OF WISDOM AND HIS REPOSE IS IN GOD.
No. 84: “If in answer to the master’s call, you lay aside assiduous labour and stop eating the bread of
pain, repudiating merely material perception and tasting the bowl of God’s Wisdom …. You will have
ascended into the upper chamber and will be awaiting the coming of the Paraclete (Holy Spirit).”
St. Peter of Damaskos: that Stillness is of Great Benefit: “We do not realize that we incur greater
condemnation if we do not put into practice what we read, as St. John Crysostom says. And we should
remember what the Lord says about the servant who knew his masters will and failed to carry it out”.
St. Peter of Damaskos: Sixth stage of contemplation: “Those, however, who choose to shed all their
possessions, will be crowned with glory, for like those who live in virginity, they accomplish what
transcends nature”.
St. Peter of Damaskos: The Seven Commandments: “I have collected material from Holy Scriptures, but
have not been found worthy of learning directly from the Holy Spirit. I have learnt only from those who
did learn directly from the Holy Spirit. It is like learning about a person or a city from those who have
actually seen them”.
“Reading and listening are one thing and experience is another. One cannot become a craftsman simply
by hearsay; one has to practice and watch and make numerous mistakes and be corrected by those with
experience, so that through long perseverance and eliminating one’s own desires, one eventually
masters the art”.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Early Christian Writings, The Apostolic Fathers, Penguin Classics, London 1987
JACOBS, LOUIS, Compiled by. The Schocken book of Jewish Mystical Testimonies, Schocken Books,
New York 1996
NEW JEROME BIBLICAL COMMENTARY, Geoffrey Chapman publishers, London 1989
THE PHILOKALIA, The Complete Text, Volume I , Faber & Faber London 1979
THE PHILOKALIA, The Complete Text, Volume II , Faber & Faber London 1981
THE PHILOKALIA, The Complete Text, Volume III , Faber & Faber London 1984
THE PHILOKALIA, The Complete Text, Volume IV , Faber & Faber London 1995
STRONGS CONCORDANCE, Thomas Nelson Publishers, Nashville. 1990.
© Susan Willett 2006
Saturday, July 15, 2006
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The Birds The Symbol of Souls Susan Willett (UK) |
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