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The Emerald Tablet Rendered into Plain English
by sadh Saturday, Aug 15 2015, 1:46pm
international / prose / post

The document known as the Emerald Tablet is probably the most concise description of human transformation known to history.

Its brevity, simplicity and accuracy have ensured its place in the great body of mystical and esoteric works that numerous cultures and traditions have offered the world; however, few works equal its minimal yet complete prescription. It is, put simply, the most clear and concise manual of enlightenment in existence. Its origins are shrouded in mystery, though its source is clearly from an Eastern region. I prefer the hypothetical Chinese version though the link is complete with all popular versions, including one rendition from famed physicist, astrologer, Biblical scholar, alchemist and Hermeticist, Isaac Newton.

The Emerald Tablet is also a core alchemical text, though it describes personal transformation, which successful pursuit culminates in the production of the Philosophers Stone of immortality, though numerous brutish and avaricious minds read alchemy as the transmutation of baser metals into gold as other baser minds read the rich body of Sanskrit Tantric texts as relating to physical sexual union. Exotic and emotive symbolism and metaphor ensure the core message survives intact through the years and is not corrupted or perverted by baser minds and tamperers, which are easily fascinated/captured by their base addictions and vices.

Now to the exposition and judge for yourself whether this contemporary rendition is true to the message.

Hypothetical Chinese Original

1) True, true, with no room for doubt, certain, worthy of all trust.
It begins with an assurance that the text is accurate, true and certain.

2) See, the highest comes from the lowest, and the lowest from the highest; indeed a marvellous work of the Tao.
This line is rendered by western Hermeticists, ‘as above so below,’ which simply means that the forces of existence are reflected equally in the cosmos down to a grain of sand, indeed all existence/life finds expression via one process – understand that “process” refers to a number of factors.

3) See how all things originated from It [the Tao] by a single process.
Everything emanates from the ONE unifying, creative principle though the universe appears as a plurality.

4) The father of it (the elixir) [of immortality] is the sun (Yang), its mother the moon (Yin).
The male principle is referred to as the sun and the female principle, the moon -- archetypal symbols.

5) The wind bore it in its belly, and the earth nourished it.
The “wind” here refers to Vayu in Sanskrit or ‘air’ in English, which nourishes the vital force that accumulates in the solar plexus through rhythmic breathing -- do not fuss or obsess with breath, as yogis often do and miss the forest for the trees, simply allow the breath to establish its own rhythm, once achieved vital energy begins to accumulate in the solar plexus.

6 )This is the father of wondrous works (changes and transformations), the guardian of mysteries,
6a) perfect in its powers, the animator of lights.
The accumulation of vital force, [prana, chi, etc] is prerequisite as that energy facilitates transformation.

7) This fire will be poured upon the earth...
7a) So separate the earth from the fire, the subtle from the gross, acting prudently and with art.
The fire referred to is simply ‘prana or chi’ force and the “earth” is the human body, which is composed of the elements. However, care must be taken to ensure that this vital energy is not ‘earthbound.’

8) It ascends from the earth to the heavens (and orders the lights above), then descends again to the earth; and in it is the power of the highest and the lowest.
This refers to the dynamic principle of circulating the light/vitality, known to the Bible as angels ascending and descending Jacobs ‘ladder.’ In Sanskrit it refers to the dynamic right and left currents in the spinal cord, known as ‘pingala and ida’ respectively. The lights it activates are the psychic centres known as chakras, which have their physical correspondence in the major nerve ganglia, including the brain.

9) Thus when you have the light of lights darkness will flee away from you.
When all the centres or chakras are ‘opened,’ animated – synchronised -- the vital current enters the brain and floods it with soma or the “elixir.”

10) With this power of powers (the elixir) you shall be able to get the mastery of every subtle thing, and be able to penetrate everything that is gross.
Indeed, nothing is secret to an enlightened consciousness.

11) In this way was the great world [cosmos] itself formed.
Self-explanatory.

12) Hence and thus, marvellous operations will be achieved.

Highly symbolic Chinese representation

http://cleaves.zapto.org/news/story-363.html