Theosophical Epistles

9. Now, however, man is not broken in such a way that he is no longer that same first man whom GOD created. He has only received the monstrous form original: "monstrosische Gestalt." Boehme refers to the corrupted, physical body of "flesh and blood" that resulted from the Fall, which he views as a distortion of the original spiritual body., which is fragile and has its beginning solely from the outermost and third Principle original: "dritten Principio." In Boehme’s system, the Third Principle is the visible, material world produced by the interaction of the first two divine principles., and has awakened the gates of the first Principle within himself—which is the earnest torment original: "ernstliche Quall." Boehme often uses "earnest" or "severe" to describe the harsh, fiery quality of God's wrath or the root of existence without light.—which otherwise burns on its own in the great created world, and becomes entirely ignited in the damned.

10. But the true human being whom GOD created, who alone is the true human, is still hidden within this corrupted human; and if he denies himself in his animal form and lives not according to its drive and will, but yields himself to GOD with mind and thoughts, then that same human lives in GOD, and GOD works the willing and doing in him; for everything is in GOD. The true, holy human, who is hidden within the monstrous one, is as much in heaven as GOD is, and heaven is in him; and the Heart or Light of GOD is born in him—that is GOD in him, and he in GOD. GOD is closer to him than his own animal body, for the animal body is not his fatherland where he is at home; rather, with it, he is outside of Paradise.

11. The true human, however, who is newborn in Christ, is not in this world, but in the Paradise of GOD. And although he is indeed in the body, he is nevertheless in GOD. Even though the animal body dies, nothing happens to the new human; instead, he only then truly comes out of the strife original: "Widerwillen," referring to the internal conflict of the material elements. and house of torment into his fatherland. There is no need for a distant departure, as if he thought he had to travel somewhere far away to be better off; instead, GOD becomes manifest within him.

12. The soul of the human being is from GOD'S first Principle, but in that principle alone, it is not a holy being. However, in the second Principle, the soul becomes manifest in GOD and is a Divine creature, for there the Divine Light is born. Therefore, if the Light is not born within it, then GOD is not in it; rather, it lives in the most original, earnest torment, where there is an eternal strife within itself. But if the Light is born, then there is joy, love, and delight in the creature, and it is the new human, which is the soul in GOD. How could there not be knowledge original: "Erkäntnuß," referring to spiritual realization or gnosis. where GOD is in the creature?

13. Now, it does not depend on the creature’s willing, running, or racing to recognize the depth of the Deity; for to the soul belongs—