God Beyond Religion: The Logos, the Hermetica, and the Nag Hammadi Library

The Hermetica, or the Corpus Hermeticus is allegedly from Egypt and the Egyptian Thoht who was later named Hermes Trismegistus by the Greeks. It was reportedly brought to Greece by Pythagoras who had traveled to Egypt and Sumer and gained the esoteric and metaphysical knowledge of ancient Egypt. The Hermetica was the source of understanding that the Logos was the creative source of the universe. At the source of creation was consciousness. The Logos and consciousness are synonymous.

There are those who claim that the Hermetica is relatively recent and not ancient. They believe that it was formulated in the fifteenth century CE. This was due in large part to the French philosopher Isaac Casaubon. He was a philosophical advisor to King James. King James was bothered by the metaphysics that was sanctioned under Queen Elizabeth I who had supported and promoted Hermetic Teaching in her reign. He was all too happy to have Casaubon discredit it claiming that it was written by the Neo-Platonists. However, as Tim Freke and Peter Gandy point out in their book, once the Rosetta Stone was discovered and the code for hieroglyphics was broken it was discovered that it was ancient indeed, found in hieroglyphics found on a pyramid in Saqqara Egypt that was dated back to 3,000 BCE.

That alone should be sufficient to prove Casaubon wrong, but with the discovery of the Nag Hamadi Library in 1945 it was discovered that Gnostic Coptic Christians had copies of at least parts of the Hermetica. Thus, it is evident that the early Christians from the third and fourth centuries CE were familiar with these texts and used them as part of their sacred writings. It is obvious from this that they were well known in the first century CE.

Here is an excerpt from the translation of the “Discourse of the Eighth and Ninth.” It was translated by James Brashler, Peter A. Dirkse, and Douglas M. Parrott. The first passage that I will quote is from the Archive Notes: ”The Nag Hammadi collection includes a previously unknown and crucially important Hermetic document, The Discourse on the Eighth and Ninth. Probably dating to the third century or earlier, this text appears to be an initiation rite into visionary journey. This document provides singular evidence of the liturgical and experiential elements within Hermetic tradition. It gives witness to the existence of a ritual genera of Hermetic writings previously unknown and now lost. The ritual vowel phrases shown in the text are meditational vocalizations (perhaps similar to a mantra) based on the sacred name: IAO (They should be read with intonation.)”

Notice that the quote states that this is an unknown and crucially important Hermetic document.

I also want to quote from the actual body of the Discourse of the Eighth and Ninth: "I understand Mind, Hermes, who cannot be interpreted, because he keeps within himself. And I rejoice, my father, because I see you smiling. And the universe rejoices. Therefore, there is no creature that will lack your life. For you are the lord of the citizens in every place. Your providence protects. I call you 'father', 'aeon of the aeons', 'great divine spirit'. And by a spirit he gives rain upon everyone. What do you say to me, my father, Hermes?"… "Trismegistus, let not my soul be deprived of the great divine vision. For everything is possible for you as master of the universe."

This shows that at least a group of Coptic Gnostic Christians were invested deeply in the work of Hermes Trismegistus. Since in the book by Freke and Gandy, “The Hermetica, the lost Wisdom of the Pharaohs” You find this quote from the initiation of Hermes it sees that it is likely authentic that it was well received in the first century CE. “Suddenly everything changed before me. Reality was opened out in a moment. I saw the boundless view. All became dissolved in Light — united within one joyous Love. Yet the Light cast a shadow, grim and terrible, which, passing downwards, became like restless water, chaotically tossing forth spume like smoke. And I heard an unspeakable lament — an inarticulate cry of separation. The Light then uttered a Word, which calmed the chaotic waters.

My Guide asked: 'Do you understand the secrets of this vision? I am that Light — the Mind of God, which exists before the chaotic dark waters of potentiality. My calming Word is the Son of God — the idea of beautiful order; the harmony of all things with all things. Primal Mind is parent of the Word, just as, in your own experience, your human mind gives birth to speech. They cannot be divided, one from the other, for life is the union of Mind and Word. Now, fix your attention upon the Light, and become One with it.'

When he had said this, he looked into me, I to I, until, trembling, I saw in thought limitless power within the Light, to form an infinite yet ordered world — and I was amazed. I saw in the darkness of the deep, chaotic water without form permeated with a subtle intelligent breath of divine power. Atum's Word fell on the fertile waters making them pregnant with all forms.

Ordered by the harmony of the Word, the four elements came into being, combining to create the brood of living creatures The fiery element was articulated as the constellations of the stars, and the gods of the seven heavenly bodies, revolving forever in celestial circles. The Word then leapt up from the elements of nature and reunited with Mind the Maker, leaving mere matter devoid of intelligence. My Guide said: 'You have perceived the boundless primal idea, which is before the beginning. By Atum's will, the elements of nature were born as reflections of this primal thought in the waters of potentiality. These are the primary things; the prior things; the first principles of all in the universe. Atum's Word is the creative idea — the supreme limitless power which nurtures and provides for all the things that through it are created. (Pages 11-15)

I posited this much of the text because I wanted to show the creation story from the point of view of Hermes and the Hermetica. When one considers that the claim is that this goes back to 3,000 years BCE it should give us pause as we contemplate what science is now discovering about consciousness being the creative source of the material world.