Home 2021 October 12 Journeying Eternity as a Liberated Soul (Ancient Egyptian Depiction)

Journeying Eternity as a Liberated Soul (Ancient Egyptian Depiction)

One of the funerary texts that is part of the Egyptian Book of the Dead is a book called the Book of Traversing Eternity, which describes what happens to a person who incarnates their Divine Being while still alive. In Ancient Egypt, when someone reached a high spiritual level by incarnating various parts of their inner Being, they would often add “Osiris” or “Horus” to their name, which is a spiritual title rather than the eternal name of the Being that we become aware of once we reach the required stage for that on the Path. Likewise, a woman who would reach far on the Path could attain the title of Isis.

The gods Osiris, Isis and Horus were, at a certain epoch, the main deities of Ancient Egypt, in which were found the eternal spiritual principles of Divine Father, Divine Mother and Divine Son, also known as the Sacred Trinity that appear in many other religions and spiritual traditions, though under different names.

The text from the Book of Traversing Eternity describes the transformation of the initiate who reached a high spiritual level, as well as his journey in the afterlife and through divine realms. Such initiate, who is liberated from the many laws of Creation, is now able to access knowledge and regions which were inaccessible to him during his earthly life, despite being an awakened master. It is when the master disincarnates from his physical body that a completely new life opens up to him.

The Book of Traversing Eternity

Hail, Osiris, divine father, prophet of Åmen-Rā, king of the gods, prophet of the goddess Bast, who dwelleth in Thebes, prophet of Khensu Pa-aru-sekheru in Thebes, the great one of the house (i.e., steward) of Khensu in Thebes Nefer-h·etep, the fourth propāet of Åmen, who art over the secret of the god, libationer, MER-PER-PAUT-TAUI, the son of PASHEREĀSHKHET, divine father of Åmen-Rā, the king of the gods, born of TCHATHU, the lady of the house, the sistrum bearer of Åmen-Rā!

Thy soul liveth in heaven in the presence of Rā, thy ka (double) acquireth the divine nature with the gods, thy body remaineth permanent in the deep house in the presence of Osiris, and thy SĀ becometh luminous among the Living. Thy descendants flourish upon the earth in the presence of Sab, upon thy seat among those who live (on the earth), thy name is stablished (or, firm) in the utterance of those who have their being through the “Book of “traversing eternity.”

Thou comest forth by day, thou joinest thyself to the Disk (or, the god Åten) which floodeth thee with light, thy nostrils inhale the sweet breath of Shu, thy nose breatheth the full breath of the north wind, gentle breezes and zephyrs refresh thy throat, thou incorporatest life in thy body, thou openest thy mouth in speech to the Peāti gods, thy words have power and vigour among the Spirits, thou eatest bread and thou imbibest ale, thy majesty maketh its appearance in the form of a Living Soul, thou openest thy two eyes and thou makest a passage through thy two ears, and thou seest and hearest with them, thy heart is stablished upon its seat, and the case of thy heart resteth upon its foundation, the organs in thy body are in the places where they should be, and the Divine Children (i.e., Kesthå, Hāpi, Tuamutef, and Qebāsennuf) keep ward over them, thy two hands have power to grasp, and the soles of thy feet to walk, and thine arms are able to perform their work.

Thou sailest easily through the air, thou hoverest in the shadow, and dost perform every act according to the dictates of thy heart. Thou risest in the sky and thy hand is not separated therefrom, thou descendest into the  Tuat and art not repulsed therefrom. Thou treadest the way of the gods of the horizon, and thou makest thy seat with the divine beings of Åmenti.

Thou journeyest round about the upper heaven in the following of the starry gods. Thou circlest about the night-sky face to face with their stars. Thou travellest therein under the authority of the lords of the morning and evening horizons, and thou ministerest to those who are in the divine region of the earth. Thou unitest thyself to the god Heh·when he riseth in the early portion of the day, and to the god Tchetta when he entereth in at eventide, and thou passest [over] (or, on) this earth as a SĀHU of air.

Thou travellest on whatsoever way thou choosest, thou floatest down the river to Tattu, thou sailest up the river to Nifur, to the divine nomes which contain the burial [places] of Osiris. Thou embarkest in the Neshem Boat with the loyal and divine servants [of Osiris], advancing to thy seat in the Divine Boat, and thou arrivest in port at the quay of the nome-city of Busiris. Thou journeyest about through the lands of the cities of Hapunebs, thou openest a passage on the road through the regions of the palace of Urtet, thy ka (double) passeth behind the doors of the upper heavens, thou marchest with long strides to the Lord of [the Land of] Silence, thou takest thy way to the Lord of the Land of Protection, thou liftest up thy legs in the Hall of Osiris, and thou goest about in the Hall of the Maāti, thou approachest with the divine ministrants to see the Great God, the divine beings who lead thee along lead [thee] to the holy place, thou enterest into the Great House, thy feet not being turned back, and thou advancest to the Divine House without repulse.

Thou drawest thy breath, O Osiris, in the double house of the Great One, in the [house of] gold, with those divine beings who dwell in Åmentet, and in the house of the lord of life, thou makest thy way through the doors of the gods of the QERTI, and thou becomest a companion of the divine beings who are at rest. The Master of the Throne (i.e., Anubis) saith, “Come! Come!” The Opener of the Books (i.e., Thoth) indicateth for thee a way, and the warders of the pylons say, “Put forth thy arm “(or, strengthen thy hand), and thou criest out to those who are over the Halls [of the Tuat].

Thou walkest over the domains of the House of twofold Stability, thou advancest over the land in the city of Årq-heh, thou singest praises to Un-nefer, whose word is Maāt, in his hidden shrine, Fentch-f-ānkh-em-åbt-f, and thou invokest Tet of the city of Nifurtet in the body of his divine mother, the Holy Prince in Pa-år.

Thou passest through the doors of the city of Uthesi-heh, thou forcest a way for thyself on the roads in the Divine Tuat, thou lookest upon the KHU as he lieth upon his funeral couch, and the SÅHU laid out upon his bier. Thou goest forth into the halls of the gods, and the princes, and the…… who are among the companies of the gods, thou passest by the companies of the gods of the House of Sāp, and the warders of the House of the Prince. There are given to thee life and power in Het-Merithit, and the service book is recited for thee in the hidden house.

Thy waking up (or, watch) is happy in Het-Åsār of Hemaāat, and thy body is in Het-Hemaāat. Thou makest thy appearance in the temple of the festival of the Great Ploughing of the earth, thou takest thy place at the pylon of the horizon, thou enterest the hall of Pa-shenthit, thou goest into Pa-ānkh-årut in peace, thou seest the utterances which are demanded when a festival taketh place, thou watchest the ceremony of the work of the Hesep temple, unguent is given to thee on the hands of the god Nem in the shrine (?) of Neith in Het-menennet, thou alightest upon the branches of the holy sycamore, and thou receivest the shadow [which falleth] from its leaves.

Thou walkest through the central hall of the ancestor Seker when the god appeareth from his secret place, bandages are given to thee in the place of Heb-tept, and the unguent set-heb in Uatchit, and provisions are provided in abundance for thee in the house of books, and the things which are necessary for thee from the tree of the Double House of Life. Thou fliest into the shrines of the house of the gods of Tattu, thou wingest thy flight over the lands of Abydos, thou journeyest to the House of HORUS-SET, thou smitest thine enemies in the House of UNNUITIT, thou walkest to the Sanctuary of the Bull of the company of the gods, who performeth thy desire in the circle of his abode.

Thine attributes are more remarkable than the pylon of Het-ka-Ptah· (Memphis), thou walkest in the form of a soul (ba) in the House of the Ram-gods (Bau), thou travellest in the double Uarekh-Chamber in Het– Mesnekht, thou enterest into the divine house of the Venerable Goddess, thou ascendest the staircase of Het-Hebset, thy soul journeyeth into the Hall, are opened to thee the pylons of Tepāut-Tchat, thou bowest thy head to the ground for the sake of the things of Khapkhap, the goddess Khenememtit giveth food in Åst-heqet, the arms of the goddess Menqet [are stretched out] in Per-khut, thou sittest in the hall (?) of Het-Tebutit with the Mābui gods, sealed up is the knife, the god Shai is vigorous in Het-Meskhen-nekht by the side of the Åat gods, the writings are reckoned up, thou betakest thyself to walk outside the House of gold, thou unitest thyself to the earth at the seat of the holy house, thy duration of life is eternity, thy kingdom is everlastingness, thy henti periods are unending, and thou renewest thyself for ever and for ever.

Author: Dario

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