42 Principles of Ma'at

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Rediscover Ancient Egypt
with Tehuti Research Foundation
Last Updated: 13-Sep-2!
Egyptians: The "ost Re#igious
$os%ic $onsciousness
The &ree' historian (erodotus )* +$E, stated:
-. a## the nations o. the wor#d/ the Egyptians are the happiest/ hea#thiest and
%ost re#igious0
The e1ce##ent condition o. the Egyptians was attri2uted to their app#ication o.
%etaphysica# rea#ities in their dai#y #i.e345 in other words345 tota# cos%ic
consciousness0 As a2ove/ so 2e#ow/ and as 2e#ow/ so a2ove0
The scenes o. dai#y activities/ .ound inside Egyptian to%2s/ show a strong
perpetua# corre#ation 2etween the earth and heavens0 The scenes provide
graphica# representation o. a## %anner o. activities: hunting/ .ishing/ agricu#ture/
#aw courts/ and a## 'inds o. arts and cra.ts0 6ortraying these dai#y activities/ in the
presence o. the neteru )gods, or with their assistance/ signi.ies their cos%ic
correspondence0
Every action/ no %atter how %undane/ was in so%e sense a cos%ic
correspondence act: p#owing/ sowing/ reaping/ 2rewing/ the si7ing o. a 2eer %ug/
2ui#ding ships/ waging wars/ p#aying ga%es345a## were viewed as earth#y sy%2o#s
.or divine activities0
8n Egypt/ what we now ca## re#igion/ was so wide#y ac'now#edged that it did not
even need a na%e0 For the%/ there was no perceived di..erence 2etween sacred
and %undane0 A## their 'now#edge that was 2ased on cos%ic consciousness was
e%2edded into their dai#y practices/ which 2eca%e traditions0
8n the +eginning
Every Egyptian creation te1t 2egins with the sa%e 2asic 2e#ie. that 2e.ore the
2eginning o. things/ there was a #i9uidy pri%eva# a2yss345everywhere/ end#ess/
and without 2oundaries or directions0 Egyptians ca##ed this cos%ic ocean:watery
chaos/ ;u:;y:;un345the unpo#ari7ed state o. %atter0
Scientists agree with the Ancient Egyptian description o. the origin o. the universe
as 2eing an a2yss0 Scientists re.er to this a2yss as neutron soup/ where there are
neither e#ectrons nor protons/ and on#y neutrons .or%ing one huge e1tre%e#y
dense nuc#eus0 Such chaos/ in the pre-creation state/ was caused 2y the
co%pression o. %atter/ i0e0 ato%s did not e1ist in their nor%a# states/ 2ut were
s9uee7ed so c#ose#y together/ that %any ato%ic nuc#ei were crowded into a space
previous#y occupied 2y a sing#e nor%a# ato%0 Under such conditions/ the e#ectrons
o. these ato%s were s9uee7ed out o. their or2its and %ove a2out .ree#y )a
degenerate state,0
For the deep#y re#igious peop#e o. Egypt/ the creation o. the universe was not a
physica# event )+ig +ang, that <ust happened0 8t was an order#y event that was
pre-p#anned and e1ecuted according to an order#y =ivine Law that governs the
physica# and %etaphysica# wor#ds0
Egyptian creation te1ts repeated#y stress the 2e#ie. o. creation 2y the >ord0 >hen
nothing e1isted e1cept the -ne/ he created the universe with his co%%anding
voice0 The Egyptian +oo' o. the $o%ing Forth 2y Light )wrong#y and co%%on#y
trans#ated as the +oo' o. the =ead,/ the o#dest written te1t in the wor#d/ states:
8 a% the Eterna# 000 8 a% that which created the >ord 000 8 a% the >ord 000
8n Ancient Egypt/ the words o. Ra/ revea#ed through Tehuti )e9uiva#ent to (er%es
or "ercury,/ 2eca%e the things and creatures o. this wor#d/ i0e0 the words
)%eaning sound waves, created the .or%s in the universe0
>e .ind that in the +oo' o. the =ivine $ow ).ound in the shrines o. Tut-An'h-
A%en,/ Ra creates the heavens and its hosts %ere#y 2y pronouncing so%e words
whose sound a#one evo'es the na%es o. things345and these things then appear
at his 2idding0 As its na%e is pronounced/ so the thing co%es into 2eing0 For the
na%e is a rea#ity/ the thing itse#.0 8n other words/ each particu#ar sound has:is its
corresponding .or%0
-ur 6urpose on Earth
According to the Egyptian phi#osophy/ %an is 2orn %orta# 2ut contains within
hi%se#. the seed o. the divine0 (is purpose in this #i.e is to nourish that seed/ and
his reward/ i. success.u#/ is eterna# #i.e/ where he wi## reunite with his divine
origin0
The essence o. the Egyptian %etaphysica# 2e#ie.s is that %an is created to
acco%p#ish a speci.ic ro#e/ within the grand cos%ic sche%e0 According to Egyptian
traditions/ one cannot succeed in earth#y #i.e %ere#y 2y de.au#t0 -ne %ust use his
%etaphysica# .acu#ty )%ind sy%2o#i7ed 2y the heart, and his physica# .acu#ty
)action sy%2o#i7ed 2y the tongue,0 These actions wi## 2e in agree%ent or at
variance with natura# har%ony0 8. during his:her earth#y #i.e/ the actions are not
har%onious with nature/ s:he wi## reincarnate again to the earth#y rea#%/ to try
another ti%e0
At the end o. one34?s earth#y e1istence/ a per.or%ance eva#uation wi## deter%ine
his:her .ate0
6er.or%ance Eva#uation
8n a 2oo' o. instructions/ an Egyptian @ing advised his son/ the prince/ to attain
the highest 9ua#ities/ 2ecause upon his death/ he wou#d see his who#e #i.eti%e in a
sing#e instant/ and his per.or%ance on earth wou#d 2e reviewed and eva#uated 2y
the <udges0 Even as .ar 2ac' as the period o. the Ath =ynasty B!3 years agoC/
we .ind the idea that heaven was reserved .or those who had per.or%ed their
duty to %an and to the =ivine 6owers whi#e on earth0 ;o e1ceptions were %ade
to a @ing or anyone e#se0
For e1a%p#e/ the 6haraoh Unas )2323 +$E,/ 2e.ore he was ready to .#y .ro%
earth into heaven/ was not a##owed to start un#ess the neteru )who were a2out to
he#p hi%, were satis.ied as to the rea#ity o. his %ora# worth0 They de%anded that
no %an shou#d have uttered a word against hi% on earth/ and that no co%p#aint
shou#d have 2een %ade against hi% in heaven 2e.ore the neteru )gods,0
According#y/ in the te1t o. Unas we read:
Unas hath not 2een spo'en against on earth 2e.ore %en/ he hath not 2een
accused o. sin in heaven 2e.ore the neteru )gods,0
As stated ear#ier/ Ancient Egyptians e1pressed their %etaphysica# 2e#ie.s in a story
.or%/ #i'e a sacred dra%a or a %ystery p#ay0 The .o##owing are the Egyptians34?
sy%2o#ic representations o. the process o. the Dudg%ent =ay "ystery 6#ay0
10 The sou# o. the deceased is #ed to the (a## o. Dudg%ent o. the =ou2#e-"a-at0
She is dou2#e 2ecause the sca#e 2a#ances on#y when there is an e9ua#ity o.
opposing .orces0 "a-at34?s sy%2o# is the ostrich .eather/ representing <udg%ent
or truth0 (er .eather is custo%ari#y %ounted on the sca#es0
20 An2u )Anu2is,/ as opener o. the way/ guides the deceased to the sca#es and
weighs the heart0
The heart/ as a %etaphor .or conscience/ is weighed against the .eather o. truth/
to deter%ine the .ate o. the deceased0
30 The seated &rand Ancestor345Ausar )-siris,345presides in the (a## o. Dustice0
The <ury consists o. !2 <udges:assessors0 Each <udge has a speci.ic <urisdiction
over a speci.ic sin or .au#tE each wears a .eather o. truth on his:her head0
!0 The spirit o. the deceased denies co%%itting each sin:.au#t 2e.ore its assigned
<udge/ 2y reciting the !2 ;egative $on.essions0 These ;egative $on.essions co%e
.ro% $hapter $FFG o. The +oo' o. the $o%ing Forth 2y Light )co%%on#y 'nown
as The +oo' o. the =ead,0
The assigned <uror:<udge wi## dec#are his:her acceptance 2y dec#aring "aa-@heru
)True o. Goice:Action,0
(ere is a trans#ation o. the !2 ;egative $on.essions0 So%e o. the% %ay see%
repetitive/ 2ut this is caused 2y the ina2i#ity to trans#ate the e1act intent and
%eaning o. the origina# #anguage0
10 8 have not done ini9uity0
20 8 have not ro22ed with vio#ence0
30 8 have not sto#en0
!0 8 have done no %urderE 8 have done no har%0
*0 8 have not de.rauded o..erings0
A0 8 have not di%inished o2#igations0
H0 8 have not p#undered the neteru0
I0 8 have not spo'en #ies0
J0 8 have not uttered evi# words0
10 8 have not caused pain0
110 8 have not co%%itted .ornication0
120 8 have not caused shedding o. tears0
130 8 have not dea#t deceit.u##y0
1!0 8 have not transgressed0
1*0 8 have not acted gui#e.u##y0
1A0 8 have not #aid waste the p#oughed #and0
1H0 8 have not 2een an eavesdropper0
1I0 8 have not set %y #ips in %otion )against any %an,0
1J0 8 have not 2een angry and wrath.u# e1cept .or a <ust cause0
20 8 have not de.i#ed the wi.e o. any %an0
210 8 have not 2een a %an o. anger0
220 8 have not po##uted %yse#.0
230 8 have not caused terror0
2!0 8 have not 2urned with rage0
2*0 8 have not stopped %y ears against the words o. Right and Truth0 )"a-at,
2A0 8 have not wor'ed grie.0
2H0 8 have not acted with inso#ence0
2I0 8 have not stirred up stri.e0
2J0 8 have not <udged hasti#y0
30 8 have not sought .or distinctions0
310 8 have not %u#tip#ied words e1ceeding#y0
320 8 have not done neither har% nor i##0
330 8 have not cursed the @ing0 )i0e0 vio#ation o. #aws,
3!0 8 have not .ou#ed the water0
3*0 8 have not spo'en scorn.u##y0
3A0 8 have never cursed the neteru0
3H0 8 have not sto#en0
3I0 8 have not de.rauded the o..erings o. the neteru0
3J0 8 have not p#undered the o..erings o. the 2#essed dead0
!0 8 have not .i#ched the .ood o. the in.ant0
!10 8 have not sinned against the neter o. %y native town0
!20 8 have not s#aughtered with evi# intent the catt#e o. the neter0
*0 Tehuti )Thoth,/ scri2e o. the neteru )gods,/ records the verdict/ as An2u
)Anu2is, weighs the heart against the .eather o. truth0 The outco%e is either:
K 8. the pans are not 2a#anced/ this %eans that this person #ived si%p#y as %atter0
As a resu#t/ A%a% )A%%it, wou#d eat this heart0 A%a% is a protean cross2reed0
The unper.ected sou# wi## 2e re2orn again )reincarnated, in a new physica# vehic#e
)2ody,/ in order to provide the sou# an opportunity .or .urther deve#op%ent on
earth0 This cyc#e o. #i.e:death:renewa# continues unti# the sou# is per.ected/ 2y
.u#.i##ing the !2 ;egative $on.essions/ during his #i.e on earth0
K 8. the two pans are per.ect#y 2a#anced/ Ausar gives .avora2#e <udg%ent/ and
gives his .ina# "aa-@heru )True o. Goice,0
The per.ected sou# wi## go through the process o. trans.or%ation and the
su2se9uent re2irth0 The outco%e o. his:her eva#uation wi## deter%ine which
heaven#y #eve# )2-A, a person reaches0