Corpus Hermeticum CH1.21 · CH1.21

Ἐνόησας ὀρθῶς, ὦ οὗτος. κατὰ τί δὲ ὁ ἐννοήσας ἑαυτὸν εἰς θεὸν χωρεῖ, ὅπερ ἔφη ὁ τοῦ θεοῦ λόγος; Φημὶ ἐγώ ὅτι Ἐκ φωτὸς καὶ ζωῆς συνέστηκεν ὁ πατὴρ τῶν ὅλων, ἐξ οὗ γέγονεν ὁ ἄνθρωπος. Εὐφήμει λαλῶν, φησί, φῶς καὶ ζωή ἐστιν ὁ θεὸς καὶ πατήρ, ἐξ οὗ ἐγένετο ὁ ἄνθρωπος. ἐὰν οὖν μάθῃς σεαυτὸν ἐκ ζωῆς καὶ φωτὸς ὄντα, καὶ ὅτι ἐκ τούτων τυγχάνεις, εἰς ζωὴν πάλιν χωρήσεις. ταῦτα ὁ Ποιμάνδρης εἶπεν. Ἀλλ’ ἔτι ἔφην ἐγώ, εἰπέ μοι, πῶς εἰς ζωὴν χωρήσω, ὦ νοῦς; Ἐμός φησὶν ὁ θεός, Ὁ ἔννους ἄνθρωπος ἀναγνωρισάτω ἑαυτόν. Οὐ πάντες, φημί, οὖν ἄνθρωποι νοῦν ἔχουσιν;

You understood rightly, O you. But in what respect does the one who understood himself go into God, as the Word of God said? I say: because the Father of all is composed of Light and Life, from whom Man came to be. Speak reverently! he says. Light and Life is God and Father, from whom Man came. If then you learn yourself to be from Life and Light, and that you happen to be from these, you shall go again into Life. This Poimandres said. But still, I said, tell me — how shall I go into Life, O Nous? Mine, says the god: let the man who has Mind recognize himself. Have not all men, then, Mind? I said.