Apech

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Posts posted by Apech

  6. Posted

    Well, that's my point. If true immortality is very spiritual and esoteric, then Hathor has nothing to do with that, because she is neither spiritual nor esoteric. She is the goddess of things, for example makeup and beer. She was very fond of turquoise and other pretty stones like lapis. She was honored by getting really drunk and dancing around for a long time.

     

    And by the way, I don't understand why there is all this esoteric symbolism about the ankh. The ankh is OBVIOUSLY a sistrum, Hathor's sacred instrument.

     

    True immortality to the Egyptians was about becoming an "akh" - 'effective spirit'. The spells in the sacred texts were called 'se-akhs' which means something like "akhifiers" or "akh makers". To the Egyptians the created world had three parts - the earth (where mankind lives), the sky (where the gods live) and the Dwat (the inner world or underworld). A person comprises several entities or 'bodies' which can inhabit these realms. The physical body on the earth, the ba in the sky and the ka in the Dwat. The akh being is formed by full integration of these three. So for instance the ba-bird is shown to revisit the body/mummy in the tomb where they together reenact the daily union of Osiris and Ra in the underworld.

     

    By spirit or akh the Egyptians meant something as tangible and effective (powerful) as the physical body and not some abstract ethereal entity. So the point about immortality was to become imperishable and not subject to birth and death - as an akh (whether incarnate physically or not).

  7. Posted

    Witch you say: "Maybe men who act like ibises incarnate Thoth? In other words, I think the Egyptians were talking about physical bodies, not spiritual concepts."

     

    Well - the characteristic of Egyptian thought (pre-socratic and pre-philosophical) is that they did not abstract concepts. So for instance a pyramid built to represent the primordial creation mound was that mound. Every temple (or nearly) had its own version of this mound and each was regarded as being the true mound without contradiction. In the same way they could have many creator gods - Atum, Ptah, Amen, Re and so on.

     

    Same goes for the sacred ibis, the god Thoth and the man who incarnates Thoth. So if a man is capable of still meditative thought, who acts like an ibis then they are being Thoth.

     

    But I have a problem with physical bodies/ not spiritual concepts - to the Egyptians the body was a spiritual thing - the mummification process which produced a kind of divine body.

     

    The point is that to the Egyptians reality was composed of and structured by the netcher (gods) so the world was the bodies of gods, so to speak. When the wind blew it was the ba of Shu, the sun was the great eastern ba - actually and not symbolically.

     

    There is therefore a direct correlation (as you point out) between physiology and divine power - for instance lactation and Hathor. For this reason milk was seen as being a form of the eye of Horus in the offering formulae.

     

    In terms of lactation you might want to look at a goddess called Ipy (a hippo goddess who appears in the Pyramid Texts) her milk is identified with light (possibly the milkyway) which feeds the king on his heavenly journey:

     

    "Unis's [says to his] mother Ipy, give this Unis that breast of yours, that this Unis may transport it to his mouth and this Unis may suck that white, dazzling, sweet milk of yours."

     

    Unis is the name of the king.

  10. Posted

    Hmmm interesting question and I can't find any reference to an incense specially associated with Thoth - though I suppose you would be safe with Kyphi as "Egyptian". Perhaps best to intuit the right perfume with reference to Thoth associations - i.e. moon, sacred ibis, baboon, healing fo the eye of Horus and so on.

     

    Here are some links which don't answer the question but do have ingredients for Kyphi

     

    http://homepage.mac.com/scarab1/incense.html

     

    http://www.reshafim.org.il/ad/egypt/trades...fume_makers.htm

  12. Posted

    Has five syllables?

    Writing poetry too tired...

    Great! Forget "Fortune"!

     

    Great! Forget "Fortune"!

    Simplicity wins out best

    Transformational

     

    Transformational -

    I see you change your Haiku

    With speed and great skill!

  21. Posted

    apepcha7,

     

    What do you think of the Graeco Egyptian Magical Papyri?

     

    I only just stumbled upon it. I've found the Shamanism in the Pyramid Texts to be quite helpful in giving me a feel for Egyptian spirituality.

     

    Your pal

    Yoda

     

     

    Egyptian culture covered such a long period of time that it changed and adapted as it went. In the late period this involved the assimilation of Graeco-Roman influences amongst others (e.g Lybian, Assyrian and so on). So in order to understand the texts without confusion you have to place them in their correct historical and cultural period. Once this has been done then they are all valid. I prefer the earlier the better and tend to stick to main dynastic periods. Mostly because the common theme of the resolution fo the duality between Osiris and Ra (Re) is maintained. This is the basis of Egyptian Mysticism - the mutual self sustaining nature of these two deities. Where Osiris (and the voidic waters of Nun) regenerate continually the power of the sun, they do this by "embracing" in the Sixth Hour of the Night (see Am Dwat etc). This embrace is sometimes seen as a sexual union.

     

    This key event was at the heart of the Egyptian idea of "immortality" i.e. not dying a second time and is recapitualted in the individual through mystical practice.

     

    Cheers

     

    Apepch7

    • Like 1

  22. Posted

    I have researched Egyptian mysticism for a number of years using the Pyramid Texts, Coffin Texts and Book of the Dead as source texts.

     

    Links to alchemy are accepted by academics and works such as the Emerald Tablet show genuine influence from traditional Egyptian religion. The key to understanding it all lies with the Egyptian cosomological view, the earth, sky and Dwat. Also in understanding the role of the Ennead in forming the underlying power structure of the cosmos.

     

    Personal spiritual development relates to becoming an "akh" or effective spirit by the integration of the physical body, the ka and ba. This can be done during life although the funerary texts mentioned above relate mostly to after death experiences (although this may be equated to a shamanic journey).

     

    I have not come across any convincing living tradition which teaches Egyptian mysticism - although there are many who claim origins in Egypt.

    • Like 1

  24. Posted

    Shamanic traditions were originally developed in Siberia and central Asia (Altai mountains region) (very Yin and Earth area; for instance, Mt Belukha is an spiritual mountain and a power spot and according to Asian legend, a future Northern Shambala, a mystical country of spiritual wisdom) and from there spread to the rest of Asia, Europe and North America and the rest of the continent.

     

    I highly recommend you reading this excellent book written by an authority on the subject: Eliade Mircea. The book is:

     

    Shamanism: Archaic Techniques of Ecstasy.

     

    http://www.amazon.com/Shamanism-Archaic-Te...n/dp/0691119422

     

    A must read for everyone in this forum, if you haven't done so.

     

    5/5.

     

     

    Thanks durkhrod chogori for the link yes, I am aware of Eliade's work.

     

    I am grateful to the Lama for making his book available online and have had a look through it. So thanks to Lama for that too.

  25. Posted

    Lama,

     

    I had not intended to pursue my question about your lineage but since I get a mention in your last post I would like to say this. You claim quite specifically a lineage of 27 generations going back to 1224. You also seem to link Mongol culture with Bon from Tibet which is actually culturally, ethnically and geographically distinct. I was not asking you to 'boast' but to clarify exactly what you were claiming about your lineage as I am confused about the provenance of your teachings.

     

    You may well argue that this does not matter as long as Qi Dao works - but you yourself raised this issue. For someone like myself who is interested in this subject and would consider buying your books and tapes it is crucial, I believe, to have some confidence that what is being taught is authentic and is what it claims to be - if you see what I mean.

     

    I put these points with all respect to you and all teachers and practitioners.

     

     

     

    Apepch7