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[CapturetheCastle]

Hello! My (real) name is Magdalene and I am a student at Samford university. Althought I dont completely consider myself a Gnostic, I do agree with many of its teachings.

I have a question regarding one of the concepts in one of your books titled " The Gnostic Gospel of St. Thomas: Meditations on the Mystical Teachings". I have been thinking and meditating for an answer to this question for a while now- often coming to a conclusion and then after a while I'd go back on the conclusion I came up with

What I want to know is if the Nefesh Behamit and Nefesh Elokit is actually real. (I know its real in a Gnostic sense- but its just that I never hear about it in Zen or in any of the eastern religons, so far I have only heard it in mainstream chirstianity as "flesh and spirit" in the bible.) I also wanted to know if whether or not the Spirit actually helps people who try to change their negative thoughts and emotions into holy thoughts and emotions. In your book you say this happens once one tries to change, then Spirit does the rest; Spirit changes the parts of you that you cannot.


My probelm is that very time I start believing and actually try to follow the ways of Nefesh Elokit, earnestly trying to change and become enlightened, my Nefesh Behamit always comes in and says its pointless because Spirit is supposed to do that and I am powerless to make any change on my own. My mind also chimes in and finds very good excuses not to be obedient to Elokit and its so annoying because I really dont know what to do. Its as if my life is going in circles (spiritually speaking). I feel as tho I am getting nowhere on this Path and that I have the very same spiritual probelms and questions I had years ago.

If some of this didnt make sense, please tell me and I'll try to make it clearer.
Thank you for reading!

[Tau Malachi]

Greetings and blessings in the Light of the Messiah!

Yes, what we mean by the nefesh is real, the vital soul, or the vital consciousness and being, and so also with the terms ruach, neshamah, hayyah and yechidah; form one wisdom tradition to another there are various was to speak of aspects of mind, consciousness or soul, but it is the same reality of being-consciousness-force that we are speaking about – each tradition just goes about it in its own way, according to its own spiritual and mystical language.

When we speak of the regeneration of the nefesh, or the transformation of nefesh behamit into nefesh elokit, and when we speak of this transformation completed and perfected by the Holy Spirit, that does not negate our cooperation, co-labor or work, but rather acknowledges that it is not we who complete and perfect this Great Work, or bring about the full self-realization of our soul, but it is Christ and the Holy Spirit, it is Divine Grace that accomplishes this. This assumes, however, an active and dynamic surrender in faith, and a willingness to actively co-create the conditions necessary for the full action of Divine Grace – as much as relying upon Divine Grace, we must be willing to our work, our part, and we are responsible for the choices that we make.

At the outset, and throughout the early stages of the journey, we will have to exert significant personal effort and engage in some hard work – in the beginning we are going against a lot of old instinctual and habitual patterns, and there will naturally be a very powerful downward and backward pull, a psychic gravity, if you will, and various forces of resistance, and even revolt. There is divine assistance in this process, and certainly we can and will receive help from the power of God, the Divine, but we will have to be willing to strive, to struggle, and do our part. If we are willing, though, and we enact an active and dynamic surrender, and we engage in the daily spiritual life and practice, Divine Grace will take up the action and bring it to completion.

In this play there is an issue of faith, and likewise self-purification, the release of self-cherishing, attachment and aversion, the release of negativity and generation of what is positive, good and true. In faith we cleave to the Risen Christ and God, the True Light, and having faith we exercise our free will, choosing what is aligned and in harmony with the Spirit of God and the soul of light in us.

Integral to this is our invitation of the Spirit of Christ into our person and life, learning to go within and live within, and opening to the Holy Light from above, and as we receive Christ, receive the Light, seeking to reintegrate ourselves with that Holy Light – a Union of Grace is founded upon this.

Initiation, spiritual empowerments we can receive, can also be very helpful, along with sacred friendship and spiritual fellowship in community.

Now, with time, engaging in our work, the spiritual life and practice, the effort needed reduces – more and more shifts become effortless, and likewise more and more we are no longer the doer, but Christ and the Holy Spirit is the doer. This is the shift from the generation stage to the fruition stage – a significant maturation in our spiritual life, and our faith and gnosis.

The spiritual and mystical journey, or the path to self-realization or enlightenment, is a journey of a lifetime, and, indeed, for most of us many lifetimes – in the practice of a Union of Grace, however, radical leaps in our development and evolution become possible, and even the experience of thunderbolt illumination or enlightenment; but even when divine illumination dawns, of whatever gradation, there is the labor of living and embodying that truth and light revealed in our experience, bringing the spiritual realization to its fruition.

Some will find a very strong impulse towards a conscious evolution and mystical attainment, others not so strong, and others none at all – and that is just fine, all in due season, all as ordained by the Supreme.

In this regard, when we fully desire the Divine Life, we will take up the Divine Life in full, with great zeal and passion; but, of course, this assumes that we have come full term in the Mother’s womb and that it is time for our rebirth in the Mother Spirit, that we are ready to emerge into the Life Divine.

What I mean by this is that there need be no judgment upon ourselves or others if we are not so inclined as yet, or if we find that we waver – no doubt wavering, and such, is all part and parcel of our development and evolution.

This feeling of going round and round in circles is likely to eventually lead you to discover how to break out of it, or lead you into a spiraling ascent, whether gradual or not so gradual.

I’m reminded of a bird of the air in its egg struggling to break free at first, only to seem to get nowhere with it, but then, suddenly making some headway, and the shell swiftly crumbling away from it. How long does a baby bird push on the shell of its egg before breaking free? When it does break free, though, there is the mother ready to feed and raise the little bird, and ready to teach and guide it into life and flight – and so it is with God and souls awakening, emerging.

Here we can say, our eggshell is our ego, our self-cherishing.

I will keep you in my thoughts and prayers friend.

Blessings & shalom!
_________________
Tau Malachi
Sophia Fellowship
Ecclesia Pistis Sophia

[CapturetheCastle]

Hello,

Thank you so much for your thoughtful response. It has shred some light on what I have been struggling with (and continue to struggle with).
But I still have many doubts and I was wondering if you knew any books about this topic, or if you knew any one that has over come the nefesh Behamit and how they did it?

Thanks again

[Tau Malachi]

Soltice Greetings to you!

The discussion of Nefesh Behamit and Nefesh Elokit pervades our forum. I've posted below a few threads which speak directly and indirectly to this process of aligning the bestial inclination with the spiritual inclination. Please consider these and how they may illuminate your question.

http://www.sophian.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=151&highlight=elokit

http://www.sophian.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=105&highlight=elokit

http://www.sophian.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1030&highlight=elokit

The search function on the main forum page, right above this page up top, and beneath the 'home' tab will allow you to continue this subject throughout any of our forums.

Do stay in touch!

Shalom!
_________________
Tau Malachi
Sophia Fellowship
Ecclesia Pistis Sophia