Gnosis of the cosmic Christ

436 Pages·2005·56.686 MB·English

by  Malachi Tau

THE
COSMIC CHRIST
GNOSTIC CHRISTIAN KABBALAH
A
TAU MALACHI
Boston PubHc
Library
MA
Boston,
02116
GNOSIS OF THE
COSMIC CHRIST
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Malachi Eben Ha-Elijah is a modern mystic. His journey on
the spiritual path began when he was a young boy, when he
encountered a tau of the Sophian Tradition of Gnostic Chris-
tianity, Tau Elijah Ben Miriam. He received the oral tradi-
tion of Sophian Gnosticism from Tau Elijah, and has been a
student and practitioner of Gnostic Christianity for over thir-
ty-fouryears. In 1983 he founded Sophia Fellowship as an ex-
pression of the Tradition, and has been teaching and
initiating others into Christian Gnosticism, Rosicrucian phi-
losophy, and the holy Kabbalah since that time. He is an ini-
tiate of Ordo Sanctus Gnosis and holds the recognition of an
elder and tau of the Sophian Tradition.
Along with his studies in the Western Mystery Tradition,
Tau Malachi has studied extensively in several Eastern Tradi-
tions, such as Vajrayana Buddhism and Vedanta, as well as
studying and practicing a Middle Eastern Tradition of Sufism.
While Gnostic Christianity has always been his heart-path
and spiritual home, Malachi speaks of himself as a traveler and
explorer of the spirit and truth, and his journey has taken him
to many sacred places and into diverse Wisdom Traditions.
For many years Tau Malachi served as a hospice volunteer,
a volunteer trainer, and for a period of time as a hospice chap-
lain. Although he worked with patients suffering from various
forms of terminal illness, much of his work focused on indi-
viduals living with HIV and AIDS.
Today he lives in the Sierra foothills, in Nevada City,
California.
GNOSIS THE
OF
COSMIC CHRIST
A GNOSTIC CHRISTIAN KABBALAH
TAU MALACHI
Llewellyn Publications
Saint Paul, Minnesota
Gnosisofthe Cosmic Chnst-.A Gnostic Christian Kabbalah © 2005 byTau Malachi. All
rights reserved. No part ofthis book may be used or reproduced in any manner
whatsoever, including Internetusage, withoutwritten permission from Llewellyn
Publications, except in the case ofbrief quotations embodied in critical articles
and reviews.
FirstEdition
First Printing, 2005
Coverdesign by Gavin Dayton Duffy
Cover painting "The Resurrection"
by Anton LauridsJohannes Dorph © SuperStock
Editing and interiordesign by Connie Hill
Scripture quotationscontained herein are from the New Revised Standard
Version Bible, copyright 1989 by the Division ofChristian Education of the
National Council ofthe Churches ofChrist in the U.S.A., and are used by
permission. All rights reserved.
Ten verses excerpted from theThirty-Two Paths ofWisdom in SeferYetzirah-.
TheBookofCreation byAryeh Kaplan, used by permission ofthe publisher, Red
Wheel/Weiser, York Beach, ME.
Library ofCongress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Malachi, Tau.
—Gnosis ofthe Cosmic Christ : a Gnostic Christian Kabbalah /Tau Malachi
1st ed.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references (p. ) and index.
ISBN 0-7387-0591-8
1. Cabala and Christianity. 2. Sefirot (Cabala). 3. Gnosticism. I. Title.
BM525.M27 2005
299'.932—dc22 2004058440
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Printedin the United States ofAmerica
ALSO BYTAU MALACHI
The Gnostic Gospels ofSt. Thomas
and Forthcoming:
Living Gnosis
The Gnostic Legend ojSt. MaryMagdalene
AUTHOR'S NOTE
The Sophian Tradition of Gnostic Christianity is essentially
an oral tradition passed mouth to ear from an elder or tau to
their students. In writing this book I have followed this
method, which only rarely directly references written text,
such as in the case of Scriptural quotes. Thus, rather than ref-
erencing texts, teachings and stories are drawn from memory
in the power of the moment, as is the way of oral traditions.
For this reason one will find many quotes that do not have
any source or reference listed, as what they represent are oral
teachings received in the same way that they are recorded.
This includes many ideas and stories that have evolved in the
oral tradition of Sophian Gnosticism that are recorded in
writing for the first time in this present book. Generally
speaking, it is my intent to convey something of the experi-
ence of an oral tradition in my writing rather than conform to
conventional wisdom established by modern academia,- hence
to communicate as a spiritual practitioner rather than an aca-
demic scholar. The bibliography provided is more for the
sake of continued study and contemplation than a list of
—
sources referenced during the writing of this book an aid
for those interested in taking their studies of Gnosticism and
Kabbalah further (hence it serves as a suggested reading list).
96231
CONTENTS
Figures xiii
Acknowledgments xv
Introduction xvii
One The Kabbalah of Gnostic Christianity
1
Purpose and Nature of the Kabbalah
1
Three Branches of the Kabbalah 3
The Ten Holy Sefirot and the Tree of Life 4
The Olamot-Universes 7
The Universe ofAdam Kadmon 9
The Universe ofAtzilut
1
The Universe of Beriyah
1
The Universe of Yetzirah 15
The Universe of Asiyah
1
Two Ain Sof and the Soul of Light
1
The Great Unmanifest 19
The Soul of Light 2
Nefesh 22
Ruach24
Neshamah 24
Hayyah 25
Yechidah 26
—
The Transmigrations of the Soul Gilgulim 27
Three The Primordial Christos and Holy Sefirot 29
A Prologue 29
The Timeless Primordial and the Beginning 29
Mystery of the Sefirot and Divine Incarnation 30
Creation and Revelation 33
Four Keter, the Holy Crown Which Is the Root 35
Attributes 35
The Holy Crown 36
11
viii Contents
Free Will and the Principle of Uncertainty 37
The SelfThat Is No-Self 38
The Being of the Becoming 41
The Christ-SelfandTrue Will 44
The Face of Light 47
The Initiate and the Great Angel 49
The Angels of Grace and the Divine Gift 52
The Beginning of Generation 54
Non-Dual Gnostic Awareness 56
Spiritual Practices for the Holy Crown 59
Five Da'at, the Secret Sefirah 63
Attributes 63
The Open Secret 64
—
The Torah and the Gospel Da'at 66
The Foundation of Knowledge 68
The Great Enigma 7
—
The Demon of the Abyss The Angel of the Abyss 7
The Play of Cosmic Forces 75
—
The True Knowledge of the Apocalypse Revelation 77
The Upper Room and Bridal Chamber 8
The Secret Saint and the Secret Sefirah 83
Spiritual Practices for Divine Knowledge 84
Six Hokmah, the Wisdom of Creation 89
Attributes 89
The Supernal Generator 90
—
The Play of Force and Form Transformation 92
The Heavenly Father 93
The Great Name of God 95
A
Proverbial Secret 98
Radiant Breath, Word, and Wisdom 99
The Divine Ideal ofMagic 10
Prophetic Consciousness 102
Gradations of Divine Magic 104
Radiant Wisdom in Creation 106
Wheels within Wheels 08
1