Secrets of Creation

OF CREATION.

clothing and adornment of honor / and to
the precious, secret treasure of hid-
den knowledge knowledge: "wissenheit," implying a deep, experiential wisdom or "gnosis" rather than simple book-learning.. For although there are many
who fancy themselves / and swear
upon it / that they themselves dwell in the midst of
the Orchard original: "Baumgarten"; the "Philosophical Orchard" mentioned on the previous page, a metaphor for the garden of alchemical or spiritual truths..
I say this as truly
as God lives / that they all their lives in
the Orchard of mysteries have never
been / and have also all their lives
had no knowledge of such things. Therefore
it is with them just as with the donkey / who
is led blind to the Supper original: "Abentmal"; while this usually refers to the Lord's Supper (Holy Communion), here it is used metaphorically to describe an ignorant person standing before a sacred or profound mystery without being able to perceive it. / and
knows not where he reaches or
thrusts his mouth. And so they often say / and
dispute much about things / of which they have
no understanding or knowledge. Yet
it still behooves them to know /
if they wish to live up to their reputation /
for which they wish to be honored and
named. Although highly
learned men many times argue about many things /
just as the blind man speaks of
color. Therefore study and learn
in this little book / which is to be learned here

B