Skip to main content

The Vestibule of Hell - (359)

The Gate to Hell

Before entering the Vestibule of hell Dante and Virgil must pass through the gate of hell, and inscribed in stone above the gate is the following:



“I AM THE WAY INTO THE CITY OF WOE.
“I AM THE WAY TO A FORSAKEN PEOPLE.
I AM THE WAY INTO ETERNAL SORROW.

SACRED JUSTICE MOVED MY ARCHITECT.
I WAS RAISED HERE BY DIVINE OMNIPOTENCE,
PRIMORDIAL LOVE AND ULTIMATE INTELLECT.

ONLY THOSE ELEMENTS TIME CANNOT WEAR
WERE MADE BEFORE ME, AND BEYOND TIME I STAND.
ABANDON ALL HOPE YE WHO ENTER HERE.”

After passing through the gate Dante asks Virgil about the inscription above the gate: “Master what is the meaning of this harsh inscription?” And then as initiate to novice: “Here you must put by all division of spirit and gather your soul against all cowardice. This is the place I told you to expect. Here you shall pass among the fallen people, souls who have lost the good of intellect.”


The Opportunists

In the vestibule of Hell, Dante encounters the opportunists, “those souls who in life were neither for good nor evil but only for themselves. Mixed with them are those outcasts who took no sides in the rebellion of the Angels. They are neither in Hell nor out of it. Eternally unclassified, they race round and round pursuing a wavering banner that runs forever before them through the dirty air; and as they run they are pursued by swarms of wasps and hornets, who sting them and produce a constant flow of blood and putrid matter which trickles down the bodies of the sinners and is feasted upon by loathsome worms and maggots who coat the ground.”

“They took no sides, therefore they are given no place. As they pursued the ever-shifting illusion of their own advantage, changing their courses with every changing wind, so thy pursue eternally an elusive, ever-shifting banner. As their sin was a darkness, so they move in darkness. As their own guilty conscience pursued them, so they are pursued by swarms of wasps and hornets. And as their actions were a moral filth, so they run eternally through the filth of worms and maggots which they themselves feed.”


Summary

In the vestibule of hell is the river Acheron and the ferryman Charon, who ferries the souls of the deceased into hell. ‘Acheron’ comes from the Greek meaning the river of pain. Once the river Acheron is crossed, begins the first circle of hell.

End (359).

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Attention with Mind, Attention with Essence - (5197)

These two attentions are different. Attention with the mind tires the brain. and reduces the flow of life into steps, where it is inevitable that the narration of the mind begins to take over. With the awareness of steps comes a certain tediousness and the feeling of the flow of life leaving us behind. With the attention of mind very little of what's behind events comes to us... Attention with the essence brings the power of presence, in other words brings a certain depth and continuity of flow  Attention with the essence doesn't tire or strain and opens doorways into perceiving what is behind events and the thoughts and feelings that appear within us. It allows us also to flow with the flow of life, which is a pleasant feeling. Conclusion, make the essence bring attention to outer and inner life. End (5197).
2 comments
Read more

The Sacred Substance Askokin - (962)

Introduction In simple terms, the sacred Askokin substance is the result of the mercury and the sulphur. It is the transmuted energy that crystallises to form the internal bodies (astral, mental and causal). In other words, it is the transmutation of our sexual energies. The Abrustdonis’ and ‘Helkdonis that Gurdjieff mentions in the excerpt below, taken from “Belzeebub’s Tales to His Grandson” are none other than the elements of mercury and the sulphur so spoken about in Alchemy. Excerpt on the Sacred Substance Askokin “I first learned that the destiny of beings arising on this planet of yours is chiefly to elaborate—by means of the process of their existence—the vibrations required by Nature for the maintenance of those former parts of the planet now called Moon and Anulios, when, do you remember, I became worthy personally to converse for the second time with His Conformity the then still Angel, but now Archan...
3 comments
Read more

Wisdom from the Movie “Kingdom of Heaven” - (2168)

Introduction There are some movies that leave you with some pieces of advice that at point or another in your life or in the lives of others prove useful. This movie: “Kingdom of Heaven” was terrible to watch (too many battle scenes and people dying) but offered some very useful messages. In this post, I have presented a few, that have come in handy at point or another. Just to give you a bit of context, the movie is about the crusades, where the French and English were trying to defend the “Holy City” – Jerusalem from Islamic occupation. The topic of religion and God is a constant theme in the movie. It is very violent though, matching it frankly, quite awful to watch. Your Soul is in Your Keeping Alone An interesting dialogue between the French appointed king of Jerusalem and French Knight, the protagonist of the movie. Note, the king wears that metal mask because he has leprosy. King Baldwin I...
Post a Comment
Read more