On Ma'at
| Balance, Order, Righteousness, Justice, Harmony, Truth, and Reciprocity |
| - The Seven Principles of Ma'at |
Personified as a beautiful African woman crowned with a simple upright ostrich feather, the earliest
writings on Ma'at appear around 2400 b.c.e. These 4,400 year-old inscriptions describe Ma'at as the
one who was not with Ra before the beginning of all things. Ma'at presents herself at the time of
creation with the Eye of Heru (the Udjat) when it is sent out by Ra to set order in the disordered
places (the Island of Fire). It would seem that Ma'at is the divine order of wisdom (Udjat) which is
created by Ra as a manifestation of this supreme power in the created world. For this reason, stories
of the "creation" of Ma'at do not exist. It is possible that other even more erudite descriptions of
Ma'atian philosophy were authored during the Old Kingdom, however, they have either not yet been
re-discovered or have been lost to antiquity.
The Coffin Texts of the Middle Kingdom provide some of the clearest descriptions of Ma'at. At the
very moment of creation, the primordial waters speak to Ra. They tell him to "breathe Ma'at" so that
his "heart may live". In fact, each Nsw Biti (often misnamed Pharaoh) is obligated to restore Ma'at in
order to ensure the unceasing process of alignment with the forces which under gird our physical
world. While the ancient mind was comfortable with this metaphysical undercurrent, contemporary
scientific findings also support this thinking.
The scientific world is replete with examples of a metaphysical order. Just think of all of the bodily
processes which occur outside of our own will (digestion, circulation, healing, etc.) or the fact that
organic growth is often governed by a equation (Fibonacci sequence), or that the movement of
celestial bodies has an effect of the female menstrual cycle. There seems to be a set of laws that
govern our existence.
New Kingdom texts such as the Heru Em Pert Em Heru Em Kher or the Book of Coming Forth to Day
from Night (misnamed the Book of the Dead) provide us with a description of the importance of the
individual commitment to Ma'at. The state of not living in Ma'at, or isfet, has dire consequences. The
paintings on the Papyrus of Ani display the deceased being led before the scales of Ma'at by the
Neter Anpu for his final judgement. As his ab (heart) is weighed against the feather of Ma'at; it must
be lighter in order for him to enter the Hall of the Ma'ati (doubly righteous). If heavier, his soul is
devoured by Amut, and he will cease to exist. If his ab is equal in weight, his fate would be in the
hands of the Neteru. In a precursor to the modern Western jury, these Neteru "vote" by raising their
ankhs (see top of image below) to signal his justified soul. Justified, Ani is then presented to Ausar,
Lord of the Afterlife, by his son, Heru (the symbol of divine rulership on earth).
In addition to underscoring the importance of Ma'at, the Heru Em Pert Em Heru Em Kher also provides
us with a helpful set of 42 "Negative Declarations". These "laws" not only seem to be a predecessor
of the 8 of the Christian Bible's 10 commandments, but they are a comprehensive description of one
of the world's earliest ethical codes. They form the basis of the primary teachings of the Center for
the Restoration of Ma'at. Listed below, they are edited from "The Book of the Dead" by E.A. Wallis
Budge.
writings on Ma'at appear around 2400 b.c.e. These 4,400 year-old inscriptions describe Ma'at as the
one who was not with Ra before the beginning of all things. Ma'at presents herself at the time of
creation with the Eye of Heru (the Udjat) when it is sent out by Ra to set order in the disordered
places (the Island of Fire). It would seem that Ma'at is the divine order of wisdom (Udjat) which is
created by Ra as a manifestation of this supreme power in the created world. For this reason, stories
of the "creation" of Ma'at do not exist. It is possible that other even more erudite descriptions of
Ma'atian philosophy were authored during the Old Kingdom, however, they have either not yet been
re-discovered or have been lost to antiquity.
The Coffin Texts of the Middle Kingdom provide some of the clearest descriptions of Ma'at. At the
very moment of creation, the primordial waters speak to Ra. They tell him to "breathe Ma'at" so that
his "heart may live". In fact, each Nsw Biti (often misnamed Pharaoh) is obligated to restore Ma'at in
order to ensure the unceasing process of alignment with the forces which under gird our physical
world. While the ancient mind was comfortable with this metaphysical undercurrent, contemporary
scientific findings also support this thinking.
The scientific world is replete with examples of a metaphysical order. Just think of all of the bodily
processes which occur outside of our own will (digestion, circulation, healing, etc.) or the fact that
organic growth is often governed by a equation (Fibonacci sequence), or that the movement of
celestial bodies has an effect of the female menstrual cycle. There seems to be a set of laws that
govern our existence.
New Kingdom texts such as the Heru Em Pert Em Heru Em Kher or the Book of Coming Forth to Day
from Night (misnamed the Book of the Dead) provide us with a description of the importance of the
individual commitment to Ma'at. The state of not living in Ma'at, or isfet, has dire consequences. The
paintings on the Papyrus of Ani display the deceased being led before the scales of Ma'at by the
Neter Anpu for his final judgement. As his ab (heart) is weighed against the feather of Ma'at; it must
be lighter in order for him to enter the Hall of the Ma'ati (doubly righteous). If heavier, his soul is
devoured by Amut, and he will cease to exist. If his ab is equal in weight, his fate would be in the
hands of the Neteru. In a precursor to the modern Western jury, these Neteru "vote" by raising their
ankhs (see top of image below) to signal his justified soul. Justified, Ani is then presented to Ausar,
Lord of the Afterlife, by his son, Heru (the symbol of divine rulership on earth).
In addition to underscoring the importance of Ma'at, the Heru Em Pert Em Heru Em Kher also provides
us with a helpful set of 42 "Negative Declarations". These "laws" not only seem to be a predecessor
of the 8 of the Christian Bible's 10 commandments, but they are a comprehensive description of one
of the world's earliest ethical codes. They form the basis of the primary teachings of the Center for
the Restoration of Ma'at. Listed below, they are edited from "The Book of the Dead" by E.A. Wallis
Budge.
| Ma'at, The Neter (Personified Divine Force) |
| The 42 Negative Declarations of Ma'at |
| The Final Judgement of Ani |
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| © 2010 The Center for the Restoration of Ma’at. Obsidian Community Training and Consulting, LLC. |
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