Poimandres (CH I) — the Shepherd of Men

1Once upon a time, when I had begun to think about the things that are, and my thoughts had soared high aloft, while my bodily senses had been put under restraint by sleep — yet not such sleep as that of men weighed down by fullness of food or by bodily weariness — methought there came to me a Being of vast and boundless magnitude, who called me by my name, and said to me: What do you wish to hear and see? And what do you wish to learn and to know?

2Who are you? I said.

3I am Poimandres, the Mind of the Sovereignty.

4I said, I would learn the things that are, and understand their nature, and know God. How greatly I desire to hear!

5He answered, I know what you desire. Keep in mind all that you wish to learn, and I will teach you.

6Even as he spoke, his form was changed; and on the instant, all things were opened to me in a moment, and I beheld a boundless view; all was changed into Light — a mild and joyful Light. And then in a little while there had come to be in one part a downward-tending darkness, terrible and grim. And then I saw the darkness changing into a watery substance, which was unspeakably tossed about, and gave forth smoke as from a fire; and I heard it making an indescribable sound of lamentation. Then a cry burst forth from it, the cry of an inarticulate voice.

7Then out of the Light there came forth a holy Logos, and the Logos rested upon the watery substance — and the Logos was a Son of the Mind. The light arose, and the darkness fell. The Logos separated the things below from the things above.

8Poimandres said to me: Have you understood what this vision means? I said, I will know.

9He said: That Light is I, even Mind, the first God, who was before the watery substance which appeared out of the darkness. And the Logos which came forth from the Light is son of God.

10Poimandres said: Behold yourself the Light. The Mind, the Father of all, who is Life and Light, gave birth to a Man like to himself, of whom he was enamoured because of his own beauty — for he had within him the form of his Father. The Man, beholding himself in the water, fell in love with himself; and he wished to dwell in the lower realm. He descended, and the lower realm received him. The Man and Nature embraced; and humanity was born.

11Therefore the human being is twofold: mortal because of body, immortal because of the essential Man. He has authority over all things mortal, but he is in subjection to Destiny because of his body, by reason of his union with Nature.

12Poimandres said: Now hearken to what you so much wish to hear. When the cycle had been completed, the bond of all things was loosened by the will of God; and all living creatures, which had been male-female, were sundered into two parts, men and women, and at the same time God said in a holy speech: Increase and multiply.

13And he made souls and forms; and he set up rulers — the seven planets — over them. And the human being came down through the seven; and from each ruler he received a portion. From the first he received the power of growth and decrease; from the second, the cunning of evil; from the third, the desire that deceives; from the fourth, ambition; from the fifth, profane daring and rashness; from the sixth, evil striving for wealth; from the seventh, falsehood.

14And, having parted from the body, the human being shall give back to each ruler what he received from it; and then he shall ascend through the harmony, and shall give himself up to the Father, and shall enter into the Ogdoad — into the place of those who praise the Father, and from there to the Ennead, where he shall become god.

15Poimandres said: This is the truth. Tell it to those who can hear, that they may hear and live.

16Then I gave thanks to the Father of the All, the One Who Is. I said: Holy is God the Father of all, who is before the beginning. Holy is God, whose will is wrought by his own Powers. Holy is God, who would be known, and is known by his own.

17Holy art thou, O God; for thou hast made all things by thy Logos. Holy art thou, O God; thou whom Nature has not formed. Holy art thou, O God; mightier than all power. Holy art thou, O God; greater than all greatness. Holy art thou, O God; better than all praise.

18Receive pure offerings of speech from a soul and a heart that reach up to thee. Be gracious to me; give me the power; and when I have received this gift, I will spread the light of gnosis to the brethren of my race, who are in ignorance.

19I am thy son. Through me thou hast revealed thyself; and through me, thou shalt be made known.