9. I shall explain to you
also how it is that the soul is transfused into five bodies.15031503 First of
all, in this process some small portion of it is purified; and then it
is transfused into the body of a dog, or a camel, or some other
animal. But if the soul has been guilty of homicide, it is
translated into the body of the celephi;15041504 and if it has been found to have engaged in
cutting;15051505 it is made to pass
into the body of the dumb. Now these are the designations
of the soul,—namely, intelligence, reflection, prudence,
consideration, reasoning.15061506 Moreover, the reapers who reap are
likened to the princes who have been in darkness from the
beginning,15071507 since they
consumed somewhat of the panoply of the first man. On this
account there is a necessity for these to be translated into hay, or
beans, or barley, or corn, or vegetables, in order that in these forms
they, in like manner, may be reaped and cut. And again, if any
one eats bread, he must needs also become bread and be eaten. If
one kills a chicken,15081508
he will be a chicken himself. If one kills a mouse, he will also
become a mouse himself. If, again, one is wealthy in this world,
it is necessary that, on quitting the tabernacle of his body, he should
be made to pass into the body of a beggar, so as to go about asking
alms, and thereafter he shall depart into everlasting punishment.
Moreover, as this body pertains to the princes and to matter, it is
necessary that he who plants a persea15091509 should pass though many bodies until that
persea is prostrated. And if one builds a house for himself, he
will be divided and scattered among all the bodies.15101510 If one bathes in water, he
freezes15111511 his soul; and if
one refuses to give pious regard15121512 to his elect, he will be punished through
the generations,15131513 and will be
translated into the bodies of catechumens, until he render many
tributes of piety; and for this reason they offer to the elect whatever
is best in their meats. And when they are about to eat
185bread, they offer up prayer
first of all, addressing themselves in these terms to the bread:
“I have neither reaped thee, nor ground thee, nor pressed thee,
nor cast thee into the baking-vessel; but another has done these
things, and brought thee to me, and I have eaten thee without
fault.” And when he has uttered these things to himself, he
says to the catechumen,15141514
“I have prayed for thee;” and in this manner that person
then takes his departure. For, as I remarked to you a little
before, if any one reaps, he will be reaped; and so, too, if one casts
grain into the mill, he will be cast in himself in like manner, or if
he kneads he will be kneaded, or if he bakes he will be baked; and for
this reason they are interdicted from doing any such work.
Moreover, there are certain other worlds on which the luminaries rise
when they have set on our world.15151515 And if a person walks upon the ground
here, he injures the earth; and if he moves his hand, he injures the
air; for the air is the soul (life) of men and living creatures,
both fowl, and fish, and creeping thing. And as to every
one15161516 existing in this
world, I have told you that this body of his does not pertain to God,
but to matter, and is itself darkness, and consequently it must needs
be cast in darkness.