Monday, September 20, 2010

What is Ma'at?



I am relatively new to the study of Kemet and its religion. Out of all the incredible confusion and misunderstanding there has been one concept that has, from the beginning, made complete sense to me. Not to be confused with the goddess of the same name, Ma’at is the ancient Egyptian concept of truth, balance, order, and justice. It has had different variations on its name such as Maat or Mayet, but ultimately it has the same meaning.

On the surface the concept seems simple, but the further we look into it the more we see how deep the subject really is. Ma’at is the divine order in which all things exist. Simply, it is the natural balance in the world, the way things should be. Alternatively, there is also Isfest; the opposite of Ma’at. Isfet is chaos, disarray, imblanace, and destructiveness.

Achieving and maintaining Ma’at was extremely important to the Egyptians. It was not just a religious term, but a concept that affected every aspect of the Egyptian life. In fact, they had no word for ‘religion’. Religion and daily life were so intertwined for the Egyptian people that there was no need for a word to separate them. Ma’at formed the foundation of the legal and cultural systems in Egypt. Ma’at was not bound to rich or poor; no one was above it and all were responsible for upholding it.

Each area and family has it’s own idea of how Ma’at should be obtained and what actions were to be done (or not done) to maintain it. There were Temples of Ma’at erected in different parts of Egypt. Evidence supports the claim that there were temples in Karnak, Memphis, and Deir el-Medina.

We also know that Ma’at was equally as important as death as it was in life. It was important to live according to the ethics of Ma’at in order to pass the “weighing of the heart”. This was thought to occur after the death. When a man passed on, he would face a sort of judgement before the god Osiris and other deities. He would state a list of “Negative Confessions”, or “Principles of Ma’at”. The 42 Principles of Ma’at were basic eithical and moral rules to live by, much like the Ten Commandments that would come about 2,000 years later. Though the principles varied amoung cities and people, they were similar in essence. The confessions ranged from stealing and killing another to cursing or disrespecting the deceased. If the man was found innocent after stating all the Negative Confessions his heart would be weighed against the feather of Ma’at, and if his heart was balanced with the weight of the feather, he could continue on his journey in the afterlife.

Here is one version of the Negative Confessions:
  1. I have not stolen
  2. I have not committed sin
  3. I have not committed robbery with violence
  4. I have not slain men and women
  5. I have not stolen food
  6. I have not swindled offerings
  7. I have not stolen from God
  8. I have not told lies
  9. I have not carried away food
  10. I have not cursed
  11. I have not closed my ears to truth
  12. I have not committed adultery
  13. I have not made anyone cry
  14. I have not felt sorrow without reason
  15. I have not assaulted anyone
  16. I have not been deceitful
  17. I have not stolen anyone’s land
  18. I have not been an eavesdropper
  19. I have not falsely accused anyone
  20. I have not been angry without reason
  21. I have not seduced anyone’s wife
  22. I have not polluted myself
  23. I have not terrorized anyone
  24. I have not disobeyed the law
  25. I have not been excessively angry
  26. I have not cursed God
  27. I have not behaved with violence
  28. I have not caused disruption of peace
  29. I have not acted hastily or without thought
  30. I have not overstepped my boundaries of concern
  31. I have not exaggerated my words when speaking
  32. I have not worked evil
  33. I have not used evil thoughts, words or deeds
  34. I have not polluted the water
  35. I have not spoken angrily or arrogantly
  36. I have not cursed anyone in thought, word or deed
  37. I have not placed myself on a pedestal
  38. I have not stolen that which belongs to God
  39. I have not stolen from or disrespected the deceased
  40. I have not taken food from a child
  41. I have not acted with insolence
  42. I have not destroyed property belonging to God
This piece of religious belief shows us just how important Ma’at was to the Egyptians. But how does this apply to us today?

Both Kemetic Reconstruction and Kemetic Orthodox along with other reformed practices all have in common their belief that living according to Ma’at is essential. Though the wording was different in 2,000 BC it still applies to us today.  These are general laws of the universe that apply to all humans regardless of nationality, religion, or race. For example, committing robbery, murder, and destruction of property belonging to another are all considered serious crimes. Disrespecting the deceased, not taking from a child, and not lying are all ethics that most people live by.

Living in Ma’at is not incredibly difficult All it takes to achieve Ma’at is common sense and compassion for mankind is all that is necessary. In today’s world, being mindful of our words and actions is more important than ever. Kemetics strive to live consciously, aware of all that they do. The hardest part of living in Ma’at is to overcome our flaws as humans. At some time or another we have lied, cursed,  and been angry or upset for the wrong reasons. It is natural to progress as humans to consciously avoid these things.

The question most people face at one point or another is where to draw the line. Do we tell the truth even if it hurts someone? Is using fowl language really damaging to the spiritual self? Are we not sometimes granted our emotions no matter what the circumstances?

The answers to this will vary among each individual and it is important to live by your own truths and not another. Some things are circumstantial and then it is even more necessary to think about your actions and words. Egyptians believed that words both written and spoken held immense power. It said that words can uplift, encourage, hurt, and damage. The same can be said for actions. Never doubt the impact you have on another.

As I embark on this journey, I realize that it is important to have a strong foundation beneath my feet; a plan of sorts that I can use to pave the way. The concept of Ma’at provides this for me, giving me a place to jump off from.

Through writing this and future entries I hope to gain a better grasp of the concepts and beliefs which have at times, left me confused and frustrated. However, I also want to give others a better understanding of Kemetic belief through my own experiences. I’m not sure where this will lead me, but I trust that I’m going the right way.

I suppose this is the essence of Ma’at itself: trusting myself, having faith in the gods, and knowing that it is right.

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