sophiaserpentia (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
sophiaserpentia) wrote2003-02-25 08:38 am
sophiaserpentia) wrote2003-02-25 08:38 am
"like a living woman"
[John 19:33] But when they came to Jesus and found that he was already dead, they did not break his legs.
[34] Instead, one of the soldiers pierced Jesus' side with a spear, bringing a sudden flow of blood and water.
The author of John refers this to Zechariah 12:10, but there is no obvious reason why this event would have been omitted from the other gospel accounts.
So why was it included? The footnotes in the HarperCollins Study Bible suggest two reasons, one of which occurred to me: that it was included to promote the "physical reality" of the death and resurrection (this gospel was obviously written at a time when the debate began to pick up over whether or not the events of Jesus' life ever actually happened). Another possible reason was an allusion to baptism. Neither answer though strikes me as completely satisfactory. Another answer though occurred to me, which alludes to the parallels between Adam and Jesus.
In the Pauline literature Christ is described often as a kind of "anti-Adam:" a perfect and complete complement for the figure of Adam. And just as Adam represents the collective psyche of humankind, Christ is the collective pneuma.
We find this in the Hypostasis of the Archons:
As an aside it is worth noting (I've read this observation in association with A Course In Miracles but I'm not entirely certain that is the source) that it is never mentioned in Genesis that Adam awoke from his sleep. The separation of Adam from Eve and the subsequent explusion from the Garden of Eden is said to be a dream. The Gnostic view, as is obvious from the quote above, seems close to this, and perhaps mirrors the Buddhist assertion that we are all already Buddhas [awakened ones], but we just need to remember it.
What catches my attention here is how they opened Adam's side "like a living woman." This sounds like a way of saying that they gave him a vagina. This was the means by which Adam and Eve were separated into two beings -- in other words, Adam gave birth to Eve.
It seems to me that this was meant to somehow reconcile the Genesis story of Adam's rib being converted into Eve with the Platonic myth of the division of the syzygies. It also in a way turns the status of Eve as "Adam's rib" on its head -- by describing Eve as Adam's pneuma she is actually elevated above Adam, whereas in the original telling in Genesis she is denigrated.
The tantric symbolism is reminiscent of an episode in early Hindu mythology, wherein Indra was said to have been cursed by a sage so that his body was covered with a thousand vaginas.
Adam's vagina might also provide an avenue whereby the pneuma could be re-inserted -- via the Bridal Chamber mystery.
What the rulers removed from Adam was his pneuma. What the Romans (the rulers) removed from Jesus was his pneuma -- he "gave up the ghost," and was split apart the way Adam was -- so that the reconciliation of psyche and pneuma could be demonstrated through the resurrection.
Second Edit: While thinking about this I am reminded that in some Gnostic literature it is said that the divine portion of Jesus departed just before the body's death -- causing him to cry out "Eli eli lama sabachtani," "God, God, why have you abandoned me?" (Actually a mistranslation of the Aramaic, but a firmly established part of the Christos teaching.)
[34] Instead, one of the soldiers pierced Jesus' side with a spear, bringing a sudden flow of blood and water.
The author of John refers this to Zechariah 12:10, but there is no obvious reason why this event would have been omitted from the other gospel accounts.
So why was it included? The footnotes in the HarperCollins Study Bible suggest two reasons, one of which occurred to me: that it was included to promote the "physical reality" of the death and resurrection (this gospel was obviously written at a time when the debate began to pick up over whether or not the events of Jesus' life ever actually happened). Another possible reason was an allusion to baptism. Neither answer though strikes me as completely satisfactory. Another answer though occurred to me, which alludes to the parallels between Adam and Jesus.
In the Pauline literature Christ is described often as a kind of "anti-Adam:" a perfect and complete complement for the figure of Adam. And just as Adam represents the collective psyche of humankind, Christ is the collective pneuma.
We find this in the Hypostasis of the Archons:
The rulers took counsel with one another and said, "Come, let us cause a deep sleep to fall upon Adam." And he slept. - Now the deep sleep that they "caused to fall upon him, and he slept" is Ignorance. - They opened his side like a living woman. And they built up his side with some flesh in place of her, and Adam came to be endowed only with soul.
As an aside it is worth noting (I've read this observation in association with A Course In Miracles but I'm not entirely certain that is the source) that it is never mentioned in Genesis that Adam awoke from his sleep. The separation of Adam from Eve and the subsequent explusion from the Garden of Eden is said to be a dream. The Gnostic view, as is obvious from the quote above, seems close to this, and perhaps mirrors the Buddhist assertion that we are all already Buddhas [awakened ones], but we just need to remember it.
What catches my attention here is how they opened Adam's side "like a living woman." This sounds like a way of saying that they gave him a vagina. This was the means by which Adam and Eve were separated into two beings -- in other words, Adam gave birth to Eve.
It seems to me that this was meant to somehow reconcile the Genesis story of Adam's rib being converted into Eve with the Platonic myth of the division of the syzygies. It also in a way turns the status of Eve as "Adam's rib" on its head -- by describing Eve as Adam's pneuma she is actually elevated above Adam, whereas in the original telling in Genesis she is denigrated.
The tantric symbolism is reminiscent of an episode in early Hindu mythology, wherein Indra was said to have been cursed by a sage so that his body was covered with a thousand vaginas.
Adam's vagina might also provide an avenue whereby the pneuma could be re-inserted -- via the Bridal Chamber mystery.
What the rulers removed from Adam was his pneuma. What the Romans (the rulers) removed from Jesus was his pneuma -- he "gave up the ghost," and was split apart the way Adam was -- so that the reconciliation of psyche and pneuma could be demonstrated through the resurrection.
Second Edit: While thinking about this I am reminded that in some Gnostic literature it is said that the divine portion of Jesus departed just before the body's death -- causing him to cry out "Eli eli lama sabachtani," "God, God, why have you abandoned me?" (Actually a mistranslation of the Aramaic, but a firmly established part of the Christos teaching.)
no subject
I like your eternity symbol icon. 8 is the number of Christ, the 8th day.
no subject
I think
Re:
Re:
My priest told me that Saturday is still the Sabbath and very holy, but as new creatures we enter into the new birth and celebrate on Sunday.
It's like your snake symbol with the head biting the tail....from Sunday to Sunday....the first day and new creation intersect cause you are born again....it's kindof mysterious....I guess it's something to meditate on and one could come up with all sorts of revelations.
no subject
Mark 28 1-10
After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magndalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb. There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back teh stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men. The angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples; 'He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him. Now I have told you.' So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. Suddenly Jesus met them. "Greetings," he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him. Then Jesus said to them. "Do not be afraid. God and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me."