danbrown.thedavincicode-第63节

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r　amount　about　secret　societies。　It　doesn't　take　the　brains　of　Da　Vinci　to　guess　what　you　saw。〃
　Sophie　stared。
　〃Was　it　in　the　spring？〃　Langdon　asked。　〃Sometime　around　the　equinox？　Mid…March？〃
　Sophie　looked　out　the　window。　〃I　was　on　spring　break　from　university。　I　came　home　a　few　days　early。〃
　〃You　want　to　tell　me　about　it？〃
　〃I'd　rather　not。〃　She　turned　suddenly　back　to　Langdon；　her　eyes　welling　with　emotion。　〃I　don't　know　what　I　saw。〃
　〃Were　both　men　and　women　present？〃
　After　a　beat；　she　nodded。
　〃Dressed　in　white　and　black？〃
　She　wiped　her　eyes　and　then　nodded；　seeming　to　open　up　a　little。　〃The　women　were　in　white　gossamer　gowns。。。　with　golden　shoes。　They　held　golden　orbs。　The　men　wore　black　tunics　and　black　shoes。〃
　Langdon　strained　to　hide　his　emotion；　and　yet　he　could　not　believe　what　he　was　hearing。　Sophie　Neveu　had　unwittingly　witnessed　a　two…thousand…year…old　sacred　ceremony。　〃Masks？〃　he　asked；　keeping　his　voice　calm。　〃Androgynous　masks？〃
　〃Yes。　Everyone。　Identical　masks。　White　on　the　women。　Black　on　the　men。〃
　Langdon　had　read　descriptions　of　this　ceremony　and　understood　its　mystic　roots。　〃It's　called　Hieros　Gamos；〃　he　said　softly。　〃It　dates　back　more　than　two　thousand　years。　Egyptian　priests　and　priestesses　performed　it　regularly　to　celebrate　the　reproductive　power　of　the　female；〃　He　paused；　leaning　toward　her。　〃And　if　you　witnessed　Hieros　Gamos　without　being　properly　prepared　to　understand　its　meaning；　I　imagine　it　would　be　pretty　shocking。〃
　Sophie　said　nothing。
　〃Hieros　Gamos　is　Greek；〃　he　continued。　〃It　means　sacred　marriage。〃
　〃The　ritual　I　saw　was　no　marriage。〃
　〃Marriage　as　in　union；　Sophie。〃
　〃You　mean　as　in　sex。〃
　〃No。〃
　〃No？〃　she　said；　her　olive　eyes　testing　him。
　Langdon　backpedaled。　〃Well。。。　yes；　in　a　manner　of　speaking；　but　not　as　we　understand　it　today。〃　He　explained　that　although　what　she　saw　probably　looked　like　a　sex　ritual；　Hieros　Gamos　had　nothing　to　do　with　eroticism。　It　was　a　spiritual　act。　Historically；　intercourse　was　the　act　through　which　male　and　female　experienced　God。　The　ancients　believed　that　the　male　was　spiritually　inplete　until　he　had　carnal　knowledge　of　the　sacred　feminine。　Physical　union　with　the　female　remained　the　sole　means　through　which　man　could　bee　spiritually　plete　and　ultimately　achieve　gnosis…knowledge　of　the　divine。　Since　the　days　of　Isis；　sex　rites　had　been　considered　man's　only　bridge　from　earth　to　heaven。　〃By　muning　with　woman；〃　Langdon　said；　〃man　could　achieve　a　climactic　instant　when　his　mind　went　totally　blank　and　he　could　see　God。〃
　Sophie　looked　skeptical。　〃Orgasm　as　prayer？〃
　Langdon　gave　a　nonmittal　shrug；　although　Sophie　was　essentially　correct。　Physiologically　speaking；　the　male　climax　was　acpanied　by　a　split　second　entirely　devoid　of　thought。　A　brief　mental　vacuum。　A　moment　of　clarity　during　which　God　could　be　glimpsed。　Meditation　gurus　achieved　similar　states　of　thoughtlessness　without　sex　and　often　described　Nirvana　as　a　never…ending　spiritual　orgasm。
　〃Sophie；〃　Langdon　said　quietly；　〃it's　important　to　remember　that　the　ancients'　view　of　sex　was　entirely　opposite　from　ours　today。　Sex　begot　new　life…the　ultimate　miracle…and　miracles　could　be　performed　only　by　a　god。　The　ability　of　the　woman　to　produce　life　from　her　womb　made　her　sacred。　A　god。　Intercourse　was　the　revered　union　of　the　two　halves　of　the　human　spirit…male　and　female…through　which　the　male　could　find　spiritual　wholeness　and　munion　with　God。　What　you　saw　was　not　about　sex；　it　was　about　spirituality。　The　Hieros　Gamos　ritual　is　not　a　perversion。　It's　a　deeply　sacrosanct　ceremony。〃
　His　words　seemed　to　strike　a　nerve。　Sophie　had　been　remarkably　poised　all　evening；　but　now；　for　the　first　time；　Langdon　saw　the　aura　of　posure　beginning　to　crack。　Tears　materialized　in　her　eyes　again；　and　she　dabbed　them　away　with　her　sleeve。
　He　gave　her　a　moment。　Admittedly；　the　concept　of　sex　as　a　pathway　to　God　was　mind…boggling　at　first。　Langdon's　Jewish　students　always　looked　flabbergasted　when　he　first　told　them　that　the　early　Jewish　tradition　involved　ritualistic　sex。　In　the　Temple；　no　less。　Early　Jews　believed　that　the　Holy　of　Holies　in　Solomon's　Temple　housed　not　only　God　but　also　His　powerful　female　equal；　Shekinah。　Men　seeking　spiritual　wholeness　came　to　the　Temple　to　visit　priestesses…or　hierodules…with　whom　they　made　love　and　experienced　the　divine　through　physical　union。　The　Jewish　tetragrammaton　YHWH…the　sacred　name　of　God…in　fact　derived　from　Jehovah；　an　androgynous　physical　union　between　the　masculine　Jah　and　the　pre…Hebraic　name　for　Eve；　Havah。
　〃For　the　early　Church；〃　Langdon　explained　in　a　soft　voice；　〃mankind's　use　of　sex　to　mune　directly　with　God　posed　a　serious　threat　to　the　Catholic　power　base。　It　left　the　Church　out　of　the　loop；　undermining　their　self…proclaimed　status　as　the　sole　conduit　to　God。　For　obvious　reasons；　they　worked　hard　to　demonize　sex　and　recast　it　as　a　disgusting　and　sinful　act。　Other　major　religions　did　the　same。〃
　Sophie　was　silent；　but　Langdon　sensed　she　was　starting　to　understand　her　grandfather　better。　Ironically；　Langdon　had　made　this　same　point　in　a　class　lecture　earlier　this　semester。　〃Is　it　surprising　we　feel　conflicted　about　sex？〃　he　asked　his　students。　〃Our　ancient　heritage　and　our　very　physiologies　tell　us　sex　is　natural…a　cherished　route　to　spiritual　fulfillment…and　yet　modern　religion　decries　it　as　shameful；　teaching　us　to　fear　our　sexual　desire　as　the　hand　of　the　devil。〃
　Langdon　decided　not　to　shock　his　students　with　the　fact　that　more　than　a　dozen　secret　societies　around　the　world…many　of　them　quite　influential…still　practiced　sex　rites　and　kept　the　ancient　traditions　alive。　Tom　Cruise's　character　in　the　film　Eyes　Wide　Shut　discovered　this　the　hard　way　when　he　sneaked　into　a　private　gathering　of　ultraelite　Manhattanites　only　to　find　himself　witnessing　Hieros　Gamos。　Sadly；　the　filmmakers　had　gotten　most　of　the　specifics　wrong；　but　the　basic　gist　was　there…a　secret　society　muning　to　celebrate　the　magic　of　sexual　union。
　〃Professor　Langdon？〃　A　male　student　in　back　raised　his　hand；　sounding　hopeful。　〃Are　you　saying　that　instead　of　going　to　chapel；　we　should　have　more　sex？〃
　Langdon　chuckled；　not　about　to　take　the　bait。　From　what　he'd　heard　about　Harvard　parties；　these　kids　were　having　more　than　enough　sex。　〃Gentlemen；〃　he　said；　knowing　he　was　on　tender　ground；　〃might　I　offer　a　suggestion　for　all　of　you。　Without　being　so　bold　as　to　condone　premarital　sex；　and　without　being　so　naive　as　to　think　you're　all　chaste　angels；　I　will　give　you　this　bit　of　advice　about　your　sex　lives。〃
　All　the　men　in　the　audience　leaned　forward；　listening　intently。
　〃The　next　time　you　find　yourself　with　a　woman；　look　in　your　heart　and　see　if　you　cannot　approach　sex　as　a　mystical；　spiritual　act。　Challenge　yourself　to　find　that　spark　of　divinity　that　man　can　only　achieve　through　union　with　the　sacred　feminine。〃
　The　women　smiled　knowingly；　nodding。
　The　men　exchanged　dubious　giggles　and　off…color　jokes。
　Langdon　sighed。　College　men　were　still　boys。
　　
　Sophie's　forehead　felt　cold　as　she　pressed　it　against　the　plane's　window　and　stared　blankly　into　the　void；　trying　to　process　what　Langdon　had　just　told　her。　She　felt　a　new　regret　well　within　her。　Ten　years。　She　pictured　the　stacks　of　unopened　letters　her　grandfather　had　sent　her。　I　will　tell　Robert　everything。　Without　turning　from　the　window；　Sophie　began　to　speak。　Quietly。　Fearfully。
　As　she　began　to　recount　what　had　happened　that　night；　she　felt　herself　drifting　back。。。　alighting　in　the　woods　outside　her　grandfather's　Normandy　chateau。。。　searching　the　deserted　house　in　confusion。。。　hearing　the　voices　below　her。。。　and　then　finding　the　hidden　door。　She　inched　down　the　stone　staircase；　one　step　at　a　time；　into　that　basement　grotto。　She　could　taste　the　earthy　air。　Cool　and　light。　It　was　March。　In　the　shadows　of　her　hiding　place　on　the　staircase；　she　watched　as　the　strangers　swayed　and　chanted　by　flickering　orange　candles。
　I'm　dreaming；　Sophie　told　herself。　This　is　a　dream。　What　else　could　this　be？
　The　women　and　men　were　staggered；　black；　white；　black；　white。　The　women's　beautiful　gossamer　gowns　billowed　as　they　raised　in　their　right　hands　golden　orbs　and　called　out　in　unison；　〃I　was　with　you　in　the　beginning；　in　the　dawn　of　all　that　is　holy；　I　bore　you　from　the　womb　before　the　start　of　day。〃
　The　women　lowered　their　orbs；　and　everyone　rocked　back　and　forth　as　if　in　a　trance。　They　were　revering　something　in　the　center　of　the　circle。
　What　are　they　looking　at？
　The　voices　accelerated　now。　Louder。　Faster。
　〃The　woman　whom　you　behold　is　love！〃　The　women　called；　raising　their　orbs　again。
　The　men　responded；　〃She　has　her　dwelling　in　eternity！〃
　The　chanting　grew　steady　again。　Accelerating。　Thundering　now。　Faster。　The　participants　stepped　inward　and　knelt。
　In　that　instant；　Sophie　could　finally　see　what　they　were　all　watching。
　On　a　low；　ornate　altar　in　the　center　of　the　circle　lay　a　man。　He　was　naked；　positioned　on　his　back；　and　wearing　a　black　mask。　Sophie　instantly　recognized　his　body　and　the　birthmark　on　his　shoulder。　She　almost　cried　out。　Grand…père！　This　image　alone　would　have　shocked　Sophie　beyond　belief；　and　yet　there　was　more。
　Straddling　her　grandfather　was