Page 44 - Gnosis volume 2

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with the insufflated Divine grace, the more clearly did they realize the notion of

economy of effort which accompanies productive work. Then followed the idea of

advantage and of gain, which entered Eve's heart first and wounded it. It is here that we
find the Serpent's mark – the Serpent – which, according to the Bible, was more subtle

20
than any beast of the field .
This increasingly keen perception of the material world was embodied in man by the
formation of the lower intellectual centre, which the Book of Genesis calls the fruit of

21
the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil . Thus was accomplished the formation of the
human Personality as we know it.

However, the original purity of the lower emotive centre in the heart of Adam and

Eve, became clouded after the birth of the critical spirit which accompanied the
conception of greed. As Jesus said later: for where your treasure is, there will your heart

22
be also . In their pursuit of temporal assets, their lower emotive centre hardened. This
was how they lost the direct contact with their higher emotive centre that is, the real I,
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the contact which made Adam and Eve children of God . The beauty of the daughters
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of men did the rest . Adam turned aside from his real I, identified himself with his
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Personality, and thus, became mortal .
The Book of Genesis provides us with a metaphor which we have quoted already and

which denotes the birth of the critical spirit in man. It is said: after having

20 Genesis, III, 1.
21 Genesis, II, 9.
22
Matthew, VI, 21; Luke, XII, 34.
23 Genesis, VI, 1-2.
24
Genesis, VI, 1-2.
25
Genesis, II, 17.