Kemetic standards to live by and the code of Ma'at?

[Lucien]

Ok so i've been doing some digging but i've come up with very little. I have really just started to take this path seriously now that I feel at home with it. What are the standard rules a Kemetic would live by in thier daily life. Also, what is the code of Ma'at? I've seen it in various posts but never with an explanation. I can't find anything online or in any of my books about it. Can anybody please help me or explain this to me? Sorry if it seems like im whineing about structure..it's my Catholic roots talking I'm not use to this "do what you feel is right" stuff yet...

[Zai]

I'm no expert (just started on this path myself), but I've heard that some Kemetics use the Negative Confessions as a starting point for living in Ma'at. I know I intend to. You'll find those in the Chapters of Coming Forth by Day (ie: the Book of the Dead).

From what I've been made to understand, Ma'at is truth and order. "Order" in the sense that things work as they're supposed to. So, to live in Ma'at is to live in a way that upholds truth and doesn't disrupt the order of the day--whatever that means to you. Again, I'm a beginner, so feel free to take what I say with a grain of salt.

There's more than just Ma'at, though. There are some philosophers you might look into (if you don't mind getting a tad Greco-Egyptian sometimes). There's Ankhsheshonq, Merikare, Khety (I think), Ptah-hotep, Amenemhat, Amenenope, Ipuwer, Hordjedef, and probably more. I haven't looked into any of these, though, so I don't know how relevant it is to your interests.

Hope I was a bit of help.

[Devo]

What Zai is referencing is what most Kemetics call "Wisdom Texts". Texts that were used in AE to show others how to live well- and how to live correctly. Many of those texts are still relevant for today.

There is no written "Code of Ma'at". I've watched people debate back and forth for days over what is living within Ma'at, and what isn't. Basically it boils down to a concept. We all know about Ma'at. Truth. Justice. Order. The gods live off of her (metaphorically). So technically, we should too. However, applying that to daily life can be hard. I personally feel that living in Ma'at is living in a way that works best for you. That you do what you should be doing, and that you're working with the universe, not against it.

To help you understand it more, I'd tell you to flip through these threads. They aren't MW threads, but the conversation that goes on on the forum I'm linking to definitely is worth looking at :)

http://www.ecauldron.net/forum/index.php?topic=14211.0
http://www.ecauldron.net/forum/index.php?topic=11351.0

There is a link in one of those threads that refers to Ma'at specifically:
http://www.bunny-puppy.net/folk/carts.html

Hopefully this helps you a little bit better :)

-Devo

[Lucien]

I'm no expert (just started on this path myself), but I've heard that some Kemetics use the Negative Confessions as a starting point for living in Ma'at. I know I intend to. You'll find those in the Chapters of Coming Forth by Day (ie: the Book of the Dead).

From what I've been made to understand, Ma'at is truth and order. "Order" in the sense that things work as they're supposed to. So, to live in Ma'at is to live in a way that upholds truth and doesn't disrupt the order of the day--whatever that means to you. Again, I'm a beginner, so feel free to take what I say with a grain of salt.

There's more than just Ma'at, though. There are some philosophers you might look into (if you don't mind getting a tad Greco-Egyptian sometimes). There's Ankhsheshonq, Merikare, Khety (I think), Ptah-hotep, Amenemhat, Amenenope, Ipuwer, Hordjedef, and probably more. I haven't looked into any of these, though, so I don't know how relevant it is to your interests.

Hope I was a bit of help.

i was thank you and i'm glad theres another beginer around on the same path. Hit me up if you ever want to chat and compare notes :bigredgri

[Lucien]

What Zai is referencing is what most Kemetics call "Wisdom Texts". Texts that were used in AE to show others how to live well- and how to live correctly. Many of those texts are still relevant for today.

There is no written "Code of Ma'at". I've watched people debate back and forth for days over what is living within Ma'at, and what isn't. Basically it boils down to a concept. We all know about Ma'at. Truth. Justice. Order. The gods live off of her (metaphorically). So technically, we should too. However, applying that to daily life can be hard. I personally feel that living in Ma'at is living in a way that works best for you. That you do what you should be doing, and that you're working with the universe, not against it.

To help you understand it more, I'd tell you to flip through these threads. They aren't MW threads, but the conversation that goes on on the forum I'm linking to definitely is worth looking at :)

http://www.ecauldron.net/forum/index.php?topic=14211.0
http://www.ecauldron.net/forum/index.php?topic=11351.0

There is a link in one of those threads that refers to Ma'at specifically:
http://www.bunny-puppy.net/folk/carts.html

Hopefully this helps you a little bit better :)

-Devo
A great help thank you so much :dancy:

[Herumetem]

I sort of look at this from a slightly Taoist persepctive: the only 'wrong' thing to do is an unnatural thing to do. By this, I mean that if something is against YOUR nature or personality, and what YOU see as harmful, then it is against truth, because you are going against what the Gods made you. This does not mean that your or your moral living are stagnant--nothing in nature is. Your self will be informed by your experiences, and what is Ma'at will change accordingly. So just keep your Gods in your heart and be true to who you are...as clichéd as that is.

Oh, and I was a Catholic too; I know how hard "go-with-the-flow" can be!! Give it a shot?

[Lucien]

I sort of look at this from a slightly Taoist persepctive: the only 'wrong' thing to do is an unnatural thing to do. By this, I mean that if something is against YOUR nature or personality, and what YOU see as harmful, then it is against truth, because you are going against what the Gods made you. This does not mean that your or your moral living are stagnant--nothing in nature is. Your self will be informed by your experiences, and what is Ma'at will change accordingly. So just keep your Gods in your heart and be true to who you are...as clichéd as that is.

Oh, and I was a Catholic too; I know how hard "go-with-the-flow" can be!! Give it a shot?

That makes a lot of sense. I'm giving it a shot and goingto give it my all!:boing:

[Sekhmet Soul30]

I hope that you do well. I'm thinking about returning to the Egyptian gods but I'm not changing anything here until a year is up and I've not backed out of it.