Theosophical Questions

Fr. 2. Contemplation of Divine Revelation.

A 3

...as an eye of the singular seeing, a pure seeing; and the JAH original: "JAH," a shortened form of the Hebrew divine name Yahweh, representing the first breath of manifestation. is the threefold entrance of itself, as to the perceptibility of the willing, which opens itself through the eternal breathing.

9. The opening, as the property in the senseoriginal Latin: "Sensu." of perceptible opening, is called ADONAI Hebrew: "Lord.", and there are six powers, from which the Great Mystery original Latin: "Mysterium Magnum." In Böhme's thought, this is the chaotic potentiality or the "womb" from which the world is spoken into existence., as the exalted name TETRAGRAMMATON The "Four-Letter Name" (YHWH). Böhme views this name as the source of all formative power in the universe. arises, from which all beings of the visible and invisible have sprouted, and have come into form and formation.

10. In the word ADONAI, as in these six powers, lie the six properties of eternal nature, as of the natural life, from which the angels and souls have flowed according to the inwardness of their IDEA original: "IDEA." This refers to the eternal archetypes or the divine "blueprints" of all created things.; and also the six days of the creation of this world, which are enclosed for rest along with the seeing life (which forms itself into being as the O), wherein the six powers stand and rest in silent love, as in the eternal unity, and yet with their self-working, they will and go forth without ceasing.

11. And that is the O, the seventh day, wherein God has rested from all his works, and eternally rests; that is, the six powers [as (1) desire, (2) mobility, (3) perceptibility, (4) fire or life, (5) light or love, (6) sound, differentiation, or understanding] rest in that from which they sprang, namely in the O, as in the place of God, wherein eternal love is indicated, as the unity, or the Aughtoriginal: "Ichts." A term Böhme coined to represent the spiritual "somethingness" that exists within the "Nothing." of the unity, which is the eternal Sabbath of all things of the good being.

12. Thus we understand (1) how the Eternal Nothing, outside of all beginnings, is a pure appearance, as the eye of eternal seeing. For all things see within it as a nothing, because the Something has sprouted from this seeing; thus the Nothing, as the Eternal Unity, stands unhindered through all.

13. And we understand (2) further, that God himself is the seeing and perceiving of the Nothing, and is therefore called a Nothing (even though it is God himself), because it is incomprehensible and inexpressible.