Ma'at: Ancient Egyptian teachings on Divine Order and Truth

Akhet Hwt-Hrw
An Educational Resoruce for
Ancient Egyptian Religion
& Esoteric Studies
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On a clear starry night take a walk outside. As you feel your feet firmly resting on the earth look into the sky at the infinite space above. All of nature is in motion, with cycles of rhythm that reach to the furthest corners of the heavens. At any given moment the stars slowly rise on the eastern horizon, traversing the night sky only to set in the west. Each month the moon completes its cycle of phases, while the planets themselves circle the heavens in a steady dance of movement. Still further out, science tells us, countless galaxies slowly spin both on their own and in steady succession around each other. There is a cosmic order to all that is. The Egyptians understood this, personifying this order as the goddess Ma'at.

Now consider your body. That marvelous machine. It too is in a state of movement, rhythm, and dance. From the most obvious features on the surface to its deepest parts, the fluctuation that occurs within the body signifies life. Our lungs breathe regularly, constantly. Our hearts beat to a steady pulse. To some extant we can alter these, speed them up or slow them down. Yet, their rhythm is the measure of our physical existence. Order, movement, the dance of life; it is all around us.

On a deeper level we know that the body is composed of cells, which in turn are made up of molecules. When looked at further these molecules are found to be formed of atoms, which themselves are but microscopic versions of the heavens above! For the atom is fashioned of electrons that swirl around a nucleus of protons and neutrons deep within (Hazen 1991.56-59). As such a miniature solar system is played out within the very building blocks of life. The Hermetic maxim "as above, so below" seems so very true even at this incredible level of scientific research. For the Egyptians the extraordinary harmony of energy existent in nature was a direct result of Ma'at (Lurker 1980.78, Hart 1986.116).

At the very deepest levels of our current scientific understanding of material reality lays the quark (Hazen 1991.124). This is the most minute particle science has been able to detect. These appear to be pure energy, at once acting both as solid particles and as waves of power (Hazen 1991.69-71). Journalist George Leonard makes an interesting observation about these:

"[Scientists] are looking for quarks, strange subatomic entities, having qualities which they describe with such words as up-ness, down-ness, charm, strangeness, truth, beauty, color, and flavor. But no matter. If we could get close enough to these wondrous quarks, they too would melt away. They too would have to give up all pretense of solidity. Even their speed and position would be unclear, leaving them only relationship and pattern of vibration. Of what is the body made? It is made of emptiness and rhythm. At the ultimate heart of the body, at the heart of the world, there is no solidity. Once again, there is only the dance" (Leonard 1978.34).

Throughout all of nature there is an inherent order; a pattern of movement and dance that governs the very functioning of all that is. On a sublime level the Ancient Egyptians were very much aware of this. The Goddess Ma'at is the personification of cosmic order, truth, justice, rightness. Please understand that I am not stating that the Egyptians had a knowledge of quantum physics. Rather, it is my contention that on a deep spiritual level they were very much aware of the principles that govern reality. Egyptologist Erik Hornung describes Ma'at as "the order, the just measure of things, that underlies the world; it is the perfect state of things toward which one should strive and which is in harmony with the creator god's intentions" (Hornung 1971.213). As such Ma'at is the state of purity and balance that existed at Tep Zepi, the "first time,"and is sought to be maintained through ritual observation and proper living.

It is important to realize though that Ma'at is more than a concept or state of being, the Egyptians saw Ma'at as an actual force which we live in and are nourished on (Lurker 1980.78). According to ancient coffin texts the primeval sea had instructed Ra to "Inhale your daughter Ma'at and raise her to your nostril so that your heart may live" (Meeks 1996.14). This is one of the reasons that Ma'at is presented to the Neteru in the daily ceremony with the words "You move in Ma'at, you live in Ma'at. She fills your body, she rests in your head, she makes her seat upon your brow; the breath of your body is of Ma'at, your heart does live in Ma'at. All that you eat, all that you drink, all that you breathe is of Ma'at." Clearly Ma'at is the underlying force that regulates all that is. One may also deduce from the text that Ma'at is the force that connects all that is to each other. She is the ‘truth' that is the core and essence of existence; Ma'at literally becomes "she who guides" (Roberts 1995. 33).

Returning to our earlier discussion on the rhythms that make up existence, research in quantum physics has found that there is a definite connection between the observer in an experiment and the subatomic particles being observed (Talbot 1991.35). "To observe precisely the position or momentum of an electron is to change its position or momentum," reports George Leonard. The implications of this fact are enormous. For this indicates a connection between one's consciousness and the environment around us.

This discovery parallels esoteric wisdom exactly. The classic Hermetic work "The Kybalion" states: "the Universe is mental - held in the mind of the All." This work goes on to explain that "the All is spirit . . . the highest conception of Infinite Living Mind" (Three Initiates 65). In Ancient Egyptian religion Ma'at and Djehuty (Greek: Thoth) represent thought and consciousness. Lucie Lamy explains that Ma'at is "consciousness itself, and also the individual consciousness that each person carries in his heart, for she is both the motivating force and the goal of life" (Lamy 1981.17). The Universe is alive; a living spiritual consciousness that we all partake of and, ultimately, influence. Ma'at is the primary essence, the agency or ‘truth', that makes this possible. For without Ma'at there would be no order, no truth; as such there would be no ‘connection' and thus no Universe as we understand it.

The affinity between rhythm, dance and the motion that is the flow of energy in the Universe as the essence of Ma'at is significant. For a strong association is formed between Ma'at and Hwt-Hrw is noted in the inscriptions at Dendera. So much so that, according to Egyptologist Dr. C.J. Bleeker, the two goddesses are "identified with each other" (Bleeker 1973.103).

"I present Ma'at to you, Ma'at in Iunet, the Eye of Ra, the unique one in the Temple-of-Maat . . . Hwt-Hrw: Queen of Upper and Lower Egypt, Mistress, Golden One of Iunet, the venerable and powerful One in Temple-of-the-Sistra. Words said of (to) Hwt-Hrw the Great, Mistress of Iunet, the Eye of Ra, Mistress of the sky, sovereign of all the Neteru: I present Ma'at to you, chanting to your ka, the lie is abolished" (Cauville 1998.33 [translation from French to English, Kerry Wisner, Akhet Hwt-Hrw]).

As we saw earlier the Goddess Ma'at is depicted as a beautiful woman wearing an ostrich feather on her head and sprouting wings along her arms. There is an airy quality involved in this image. The wings suggest movement, rhythm and grace. What better likeness could be used to represent the very concepts of truth, equilibrium and the connection that holds all in place? The ostrich feather is the symbol most often ascribed to Ma'at. The plume of an ostrich is unique in that it may be bent and folded without breaking; rather the feather returns to its original form. So too the same applies to truth.

As pervasive as Ma'at is in the Universe the Egyptians felt that the delicate balance created by her influence could be disrupted easily. Moving away from Ma'at, away from Divine Order and truth, can only create disorder, chaos, disease and moral decay. When we move away from Ma'at we begin to obscure and eventually loose our connection with the Universal Consciousness. This is a state the Egyptians referred to as "isfet", a word that loosely translates as "disorder" or "falsehood" (Naydler 1996.96).

Truth, integrity, honesty, goodness and balance bring one closer to the spiritual essence that is all pervasive in the Universe. There is nothing more sacred or important to the practitioner of Ancient Egyptian religion. The cosmic order that is Ma'at connects everything in the ageless dance of beauty and motion giving meaning to existence on all levels. It is for this reason that personal ethics and a desire to steadily develop spiritually are central aspects in the life of one who follows the Ancient Egyptian mysteries.

Codes of Conduct, Sin & Misfortune

At this juncture it may be noteworthy to discuss codes of conduct, ethics, and the concept of ‘sin' as understood in the Egyptian spiritual system. Without a doubt the Egyptians certainly did have taboos which if acted upon by an individual would have been seen as blasphemous. An example of some of these are listed in a late period text describing acts which Sutekh had done in desecration:

"He has inflicted suffering,
He has repeated injury,
He has made unrest rise up anew,
He has brought suffering in the sanctuary." (Assmann 2002.390)

These taboos are listed in a text drawn from the late period in which Sutekh (Set) had become demonized and equated with the various foreign invaders who had committed crimes against Egypt.

Nevertheless, the idea of misfortune occurring to an individual because one had ‘sinned' was more or less an alien concept and not part of the Egyptian system. Rather, the goal of the codes of conduct were to help the individual to live in harmony with Ma'at. Nevertheless the Egyptians fully understood that on occasion an individual who is completely blameless of any transgression could be struck by misfortune. Dr. Jan Assmann explains, "misfortune was not the manifestation of an incensed deity but of the power of evil, of chaos, of nonbeing."

Having said this it is important to understand that in the Ancient Egyptian system there is the understanding that each person is responsible for their own actions. Further, one's actions have a direct baring on the events and life of the individual later. Within the Ancient Egyptian wisdom texts from the Middle Kingdom there is the constant reference to memory, mindfulness and the obligations one accrues:

"A good character returns to his place of yesterday, for it is commanded:
Do something good for him who does something
in order to ensure that he remains active.
This is to thank him for what he has done." (Assmann 2002.128)

As the instructions for King Merikare state:

"All actions are interconnected . . .
A blow is reciprocated with the same -
This is the jointure of everything that is done." (Assmann 2002.129)

A royal text from the Thirteenth Dynasty portrays this connection as occurring through Ma'at:

"The reward of one who does something lies in something being done for him.
This is considered by the Neteru as Ma'at." (Assmann 2002.128)

Thus Ma'at, harmony and proper order, form the means through which actions return back to the individual. This is not dis-similar to the far eastern concept of ‘karma.' However, as noted earlier, this is not to say that all misfortune is the result of negative actions. Again, the Egyptians fully understood that perfectly innocent people can fall victim to the effects of chaos and the influences of malevolent spirits. In such cases the Egyptians understood that the creator Neter had given humans Heka, magic, as the instructions for King Merikare state, "to fend off the blow of events." My point though is that we are all responsible for our own actions. That our behavior does have a direct impact on what will occur later in life, and that this occurs through Ma'at.

At this point the question of fate vs free will in the Egyptian system need to be considered. Without a doubt the Ancient Egyptians believed that certain events in life were destine to happen. This concept is best understood when considering the Neter Shay. As shown in the Rekhyet Course this Neter is the personification of fate or luck. It is important to understand that the Egyptians felt that one's Shay was not inalterable. Rather it was felt that each could affect destiny by their actions in life. Further the Neteru can affect this as well. Nevertheless, one can not escape Shay. It accompanies one throughout life, to the judgement before Ausir. If one passes the judgement, Shay then leads the person into the afterlife. Throughout this understanding though is the realization that the choices that one makes through life does impact the outcome.

Ancient texts carry this conversation further. The Egyptians had a strong sense of memory in that a person of integrity always remembered that which was done for them and sought to repay the kindness in a similar manner. As such, honor and veracity are important virtues that need to be present in those following Ancient Egyptian spirituality. The comments of Dr. Assmann are particularly vital to this conversation:

"Action is remembering, inaction forgetting. The inactive loses sight of yesterday and the claims it has on today. In this connection, ma'at figures as the proper order of action in the dimension of time, a process kept in motion by the presence of yesterday in today. Ma'at guarantees that what was valid yesterday will hold good today, that a person will stand by what he said and did yesterday, that he will respond to what others have said and done. Ma'at is, thus, a consistency of action beyond the limits of the day, a form of active remembrance that provides the basis of trust and successful accomplishment." (Assmann 2002.129)

As noted above, for the initiate truth, integrity, honesty, all form the foundation of their spiritual nature. These qualities form the matrix from which all areas of their life are governed. It is through these qualities that the initiate moves in harmony with Ma'at and is able to gain a greater awareness of their Akh, true self, and their connection with the Neteru.

Works Cited

Three Initiates. The Kybalion: Hermetic Philosophy. Copyright (none given). Yoga Publication Society. Desplaines, Illinois, U.S.A.