stefos

The difference between Brahman and Buddha-nature is that Brahman is considered to not be empty, but the absolute source and ground of all existence.

 

 

Buddhism has no 'Sat', emptiness refers to the nature of all things as lacking 'Sat' or 'svabhava'.

 

Buddha-nature means that the nature of the mind is primordially awake 'lhundrub/chit+ananda' as well as empty 'kadag/not sat'.

 

Such is my understanding, anyway.

Hey Player...How are you?

Sat-Chit-Anand

Brahman is emptiness.....Consciousness-Being-Bliss

Shunya is what the Pali texts & their redactors say but the problem with them is that they just say Shunya.

The Buddha said, in the Pali texts, that there is "This Consciousness shining everywhere which is Unborn, unoriginated, unproduced, unformed...If It were not so, I would have not told you."

This is emphatically NOT just a mere void.....The Pali redactors who made their version of the Tripitaka slant it there own way.

Don't forget folks, the "24 schools period" happened approx. 100-150 yrs after the Buddha died...Not to mention the Schism that happened.

The Pali texts were NOT..NOT...NOT the only texts written...They are the only texts that survive.

Wake up those of you who are enamored with the Pali texts as being THE definitive word of the Buddha par excellence.

It just ain't so.

Why are you so afraid to admit this true fact? Be honest & don't B.S. me........Live your Dharma!!!

Comments?

Stefos

It depends on definition. In my tradition the definition of a Rosicrucian was similar to a Bodhisatva. They have achieved a certain level but defray advancement to assist others. Its a very social level and should be concerned with social welfare (generally or within the specific Order) and much of its work is to do with healing.

 

IMO the Magic and Kabbalah are a means to an end and not essentials. Although historically it is very tied into , at least, alchemical symbolism.

Hi,

May I ask which tradition you belong to? Is it Rosicrucian in nature with roots in Europe?

Also, Why would this book "The Secret symbols..." have alchemical plates with Magic and Kabbalah on them IF they weren't integral to actual Rosicrucian practice?

Finally, I don't know what kind of "magic" this text "The Secret symbols...." is referring to and would assume that is part of being in the order before you know. What do you think?

Thanks,

Stefos

Hi all,

The salient point here is "Yes, there IS a historical connection between "East" and "West."

Francis Yates wrote about this stuff in her books.

The Troubadours, The Cabbalists/Kabbalists, Rosicrucians, and magickal schools (Edward Dee) and Paracelsus are all interrelated.

Now, the salient issue here is "Is there a school in existence today in the West which has a valid lineage in alchemical things?"

For example, The Rosicrucians = Many groups talk about being "Rosicrucian" but do they have the practices the Rosicrucians REALLY had?

I have the book "The Secret symbols of the Rosicrucians of the 16th & 17th century" in English & in the original German.

In it, "Figura Magia et Cabbalistica" is mentioned, translated into English it means "Figures which render/show/are of Magic & Kabbalah." So, to my immediate understanding any real Rosicrucian group must teach magic & Kabbalah and if they don't, they're probably a fake Rosicrucian body.

Comments?

Hi everyone!

Apparently, I was barred or stopped from posting here.

I don't know why as I've always tried to be respectful yet firm in my statements to people.

Anyway It's good to be back

So....Kadag & Lhundrub which IS the state of Dzogchen and Brahman......

How do YOU see the difference?

Is there one?

Note: I'm not talking about the way or "methodology" of "reaching" enlightenment.

Once the ego vanishes....Can one "navigate" through or within THAT sphere?

Would "one" want to?

This is both a Rhetorical questions and a non-Rhetorical question by the way.

Comments please!

Kadag & Lhundrub

Sat Chit Anand

P.S. The Dzogchen practice of "Self Liberation" and the self liberation of thoughts is also being taught by the Bihar school of yoga incidentally in their book Dharana Darshan albeit not by the name "Self Liberation."

It's interesting, when one does comparative religious studies, how Buddhist circles and Non-Buddhist Tantric & Higher levels of teaching, share the same practices. Of course, things are different in their framework.

The only difficulty I had working in certain fields of anthroposophy was with the anthroposophists who would do what 'Steiner said' but would not go beyond INTO where Steiner got his info ... and get more.

 

But we cant really blame an organisation and followers for doing that I suppose ... it is maybe an essential part of organisations and followers ?

Hi,

The main issue sir/ma'am/miss is that the "WHERE" Dr. Steiner got his "stuff" was from higher worlds.

Hence the "basic 5 works" which delineate his worldview: Philosophy of Freedom, Outline of Spiritual Science, How to know Higher worlds, Theosophy and The Way to Knowledge (I believe its' called).

Dr. Steiner said essentially that one has to go through esoteric training to get what he got...Read his "How to know Higher Worlds." In that text, fundamental moods of soul are required as is moral & ethical training.

Also, If you do a cross comparison, Dr. Steiner's view of esoteric training encompasses both Raja & Jnana Yog:

For example, he mentions the "6 qualities that I student should work to gain"....These "qualities" are part of Jnana Yog training.

However, Dr. Steiner mention that the Christ on the Cross was THE pivotal point in human evolution, a theme of his which he stressed over & over. Human evolution through successive reincarnations to Dr. Steiner is key to Blavatskian Theosophy in general not Christian Theosophy of Boehme.

Krishnamurti said that reincarnation was NOT a good thing but something to be transcended by "Stepping out of the Stream, " Which is to say the stream of ego & selfishness..........

Krishnamurti also said NO Kundalini awakening will happen if the ego & selfishness exists at all!

Tough words but his not mine.....

You can youtube his video on Kundalini....I think it's Krishnamurti Kundalini....

Be blessed,

Stefos

In the Holy Gospels there are a few things to take notice of.

These things are the inner circles of Jesus

 

1. John, James and Peter.

 

2. Behavior that indicates a deep relationship

-Nicodemus

-Joseph of Arimathea

 

3. The 9 other disciples

 

4. The 70

 

5. The multitudes

 

I don't believe in hidden teachings. I believe that the Holy Word of God contains everything but you need to be equipped with spiritual eyes.

I wouldn't say teachings are hidden in God's word but hiddenly embedded below the immediate surface!

Ex. Gematic values are quite real.......Why? Here you go!

70 nations in Genesis came from Shem, Ham & Japheth

70 Bulls sacrificed by Israel during the feast of atonement If I'm not mistaken

70 disciples beyond the 12 apostles commissioned by Jesus to spread the gospel

40 days & 40 nights....Noah's ark

40 years x 3.....The life of Moses was 40 yrs in Egypt, 40 yrs. in Midian, 40 years with children of Israel

40 is the difference when you add up the numbers when Abraham was discussing/bartering with the Lord in Genesis...Count & tell me if I'm wrong

Jesus fasted 40 days & was tempted by the devil

So, the written word....The "Old Testament" in particular or Tanakh is LOADED with hiddenly embedded meaning & underlying points.......

Check out E.W. Bullinger's "Number in Scripture".......It's FREE online....Buy a copy for personal reference

God bless you as you put his Kingdom first

Stefos

Hi everyone,

Non-duality is one thing..............Atheism vs. Theism another.

-In Tibetan Buddhism, Dzogchen which is the non-dual essence of each one of us, is considered as non-Buddhist by different sects in Tibetan Buddhism!

Mahamudra or the non-dual state found in non Bonpo/Nyingma schools, in Tibetan Buddhist circles, is not considered "non-Buddhist."

-What the Buddha taught, or is perpetrated as having taught in the Pali texts, is a state beyond the conditioned consciousness or the state of unconditioned consciousness.......This sounds identical with Advaita Vedanta any way you slice it.

So now to speak about Christianity and it's mystical bent, which was IN Christianity from the beginning anyway:

The New Testament records Jesus as saying "I am in the Father and the Father is in me."

The Holy Spirit is described as the Paraclete or in Greek= "one who stands aside/with another"

The Holy Spirit is God, not an angel or deva or a Will O' the Wisp thing.

Paul said "God's Spirit has become one with your spirit making you children of God."

So, that's our bible and not Stefos's bent about the bible.....Read it for yourselves.......I rest my case.

God bless you,

Stefos

I posted on a topic this morning, where I said I wouldn't break a oath this oath was to myself, I once practiced hermetics, as I said in my Introductory post. I had done extensive research into every aspect of it. I started when I was 17, I was drowned in it, I forced myself to develop the discipline, to keep at it. My main focus at the time was to only look for powers, and the rules of failure for this that were rumored on the net in many forums were just, myths. I am not posting this to say I am or was advanced, because in a world of duality, there really is no definite truth. I am posting this to show my research, between Hermetics and The Bible.

 

Now I will start with the bible.

 

The bible has to be the single most controversial topic there is, but there is definitely and element of high esoteric knowledge contained within it. The book of Genesis for instance, is a good starting place. A lot of people actually believe it was written first, it wasn't. The book of revelations was. Genesis is more so of a allegorical story. It was held by the kabbalists of that time, it is a story that is describing the creation of the material world on a atomic level where Adam is atom, and his rib is just an orbit or a proton or electron, (6 electron, 6 proton, 6 neutron( mark of the beast)). The garden is also allegorical where the SIN we fail into is actually SINE a physics term or formula used to describe time. When you work with this formula, you begin to see a wave length that resembles what? A serpent. Now I am posting a few of these representations, to lead to how maybe the bible is more then you thought before, and to show that there is some element of inner cultivation in it where if you followed it you can recieve enlightenment, through it also. The secret to it lay with the 12 tribes though. these tribes are in fact cranial nerves. The 12 tribes of israel (Isis, Ra, El ( the mother (holy spirit, Father, Son)) are the things we need to cultivate, or work towards developing better. And how do we do this? With Christ or the light and what is the light we see and experience everyday? THE SUN. You see the place where Hermetics, The Bible, and Toaism were developed was Egypt (Kemet). And they were well knowledgeable about the Glandular body, or Endocrine System. This system when exposed to light did certain things, I won't go into detail in right now, but it was the predecessor to Hermetics. This is what I will cover as far as The Bible right Now, any questions please ask.

 

Now we will look at Hermetics.

 

The thing is with Hermetics also, it was written in alot of code lol, I won't cover as much here, because this subject is not as controversial, but I will point to a practice within the Emerald Tablets, that is the basis of all Taoist practices, the MCO.

 

http://www.bibliotecapleyades.net/thot/esp_thot_1l.htm#tablet 11

 

This tablet describes completely, that if you master the Microcosm, you can master the things around you.

 

The tablets, can be used with the understanding of the symbolism with any path of inner development, but I am posting this only to give you a second look at the things that are so over looked and under rated.

 

Oh and this is just a little bit of My Stories (Mysteries)

-Djedmonk

Look man.....

The book of Revelation was written AFTER the Tanakh brother.......C'mon man.

Also, You aren't even speaking about the Septuagint!.........WHY????

Job is probably older than most of Genesis and the Septuagint adds a paragraph beyond where the Masoretic text stops!

Furthermore, Genesis is composed of multiple books.....How do I know? Genesis/Beresheis says so.

Stefos out......More to come

I appreciate your concern for my well being.

I have a concern for your well being too:

This particular "Buddhist" forum is inundated with people who are mostly Tibetan Buddhist practitioners and

who, I would say, have no in depth knowledge of Theravada meditation or of Jhanic states nor of the use of Kasinas, etc.

Essentially, they've Deified Tibetan Buddhism higher than God! LOL

Be careful of posting here..........No one on this particular sub-forum could give me an in depth understanding of the approach of the Theras but they have minimized it, due to Tibetan Buddhist bias.

You've been forewarned.....ahahaha.....seriously.

Stefos

Have the mysteries survived to this day?

Hi Turtle Shell,

Some of my thoughts regarding the mysteries:

Lesser & Greater, per se, of course.

The ancient Pagan traditions differentiated between the two: The qualifications of the lesser & greater differed.

Having said the above......

Rudolf Steiner's Anthroposophy still is around actually.

Freemasonry also which has it's roots in the hermetic thought of the enlightenment, still exists.

In Freemasonry, one is never approached about it.....One asks a Freemason regarding Freemasonry. only.

In some places in the U.S., Freemasonry is being advertised on the radio & television.....This is wrong.

My two cents,

Stefos

Why not talk to a Vajrayana master?

I will....Thank you! That is a wonderful idea!

There is a Drikung Kagyu Lama that I'm aware of.......In Massachusetts.

I will call him & talk with him regarding Mahamudra, Dzogchen & Jhanic states!

Be well,

Stefos

It was my opinion, that the polarized sectarianism that Theravada shows towards Mahayana, is arbitrary when considering the above.

Thank you.

I still need to speak with a Theravada monk! One should not be ignorant (Referring to myself) of the most ancient expression of Buddhism around. Let's see what they say.

Stefos

I was talking about Richard Carriers ideas not mine ... if you want to put him right he has a website and a blog I believe.

Please forgive me....I was NOT slamming you sir.

I was only explaining some things that I've discovered and to share on the thread.

That's all.....No insults meant to you!

Stefos

As a slight aside I just watched most of a vid on Youtube by Dr, Richard Carrier on how Jesus was not a historical character. I haven't read any of his books but the video was so full of straw man arguments and false interpretations of ancient religion that I felt quite certain, quite quickly, that he is wrong.

 

One argument seems to be that Christ embodies many features which can be found in earlier mystery cults (Mithras, Osiris and so on) ... this is an old argument which you can see repeated all over the place (by which I mean all over the internet). This approach seems to ignore the idea that Christ was actually fulfilling the mythic possibilities in these ancient cults. So if you have a cult which talks about resurrection then Jesus was actually demonstrating that this is not just words but a real possibility.

Look man:

If you read "The Two Babylons" you will come to an IMMEDIATE understanding between modern Catholicism being an amalgamation of Pagan concepts & Biblical Christianity.....The 2 are not the same.

Also, When you look at the "mystery cults," most of the happened AFTER Jesus showed up, not before.

Now, In Genesis, a primeval promise was made about the serpent killing a man by biting him in the heel....

This is found in world myth over & over with modifications: Thor & the Midgard serpent, Achilles tendon, Osiris & Thoth, etc.

My understanding and point is that when something is repeated over & over again in one, two, three cultures....It's probably true at a particular point.

Ex. The Great Flood:

EVERY ancient cultures roots mentions a flood & some mention 8 people surviving it too just like Genesis!

Native American nations mention a canoe with 8 people.........No, Christians & Jews didn't tell them about it!

Giants living with men:

Ancient culture spoke about giants as well: Greek, Norse, Indian, Mesopotamian myths.

Genesis states that "The Nephilim were on the earth both before AND after the flood!"

So these events would be easily transmitted orally.

See?

Stefos

@stefos ... 20X20 = 400

Hey man,

It goes like this:

Lord Jesus Christ in the New Testament has a gematric value of 888.

The Beasts number is 666

Damascus's gematric value is 444

I'm not talking numerology....I'm talking gematria......Completely different actually!

Stefos

Bolded some areas that are easy to miss, which are possibly in relation to the holy spirit.

Turtle shell,

That's a good one man!

Right on,

Stefos

P.S. Here is something for everyone:

The Holy of Holies in the Temple of Soloman was a perfect cube.

If one unfolds the cube to 2 dimensions, it becomes a cross composed of 6 squares having a measurement of 20 by 20 which can be inferred as a "40" per se.

Numbers in the bible almost always point to spiritual gems...

Ex.

6 = short of Godhood.....number of man

7 = Divine completion/fulness

5 = Grace

4 = Entire World

40= testing, trial, temptation (Each particular instance in the Bible gives one the proper context)

Now, Superimpose a human body upon that cross and where the ark of the covenant is, the heart of the human would be also!

To push the point further:

Before & During the Temple of Solomon, the High Priest would have a Breastplate with 12 gems that had the 12 tribes of Israel on each one, set on a gold plate which was placed over the HIgh Priests heart area of his chest.

The Urim and Thummin were actually placed underneath the Breastplate, over the High Priests heart...the bible says.

Think about this........

Even in the predominantly Theravadin countries, according to Dr. Wapola Rahula, there are those who take vows to become buddhas:

 

http://www.budsas.org/ebud/ebdha126.htm

 

"In the 12th Century AD., in Myanmar (a strictly Theravada country), King Alaungsithu of Pagan, after building Shwegugyi Temple, set up an inscription in Pali verse to record this act of piety in which he publicly declared his resolution to become a Buddha and not a Sravaka.

 

In Sri Lanka, in the 10th Century, King Mahinda IV (956-972 AD.) in an inscription proclaimed that "none but the Bodhisattvas would become kings of Sri Lanka (Ceylon)". Thus it was believed that kings of Sri Lanka were Bodhisattvas.

 

A Thera named Maha-Tipitaka Culabhaya who wrote the Milinda-Tika (about the 12th Century AD.) in the Theravada tradition of the Mahavihara at Anuradhapura, says at the end of the book in the colophon that he aspires to become a Buddha: Buddho Bhaveyyam "May I become a Buddha," which means that this author is a Bodhisattva.

 

We come across at the end of some palm leaf manuscripts of Buddhist texts in Sri Lanka the names of even a few copyists who have recorded their wish to become Buddhas, and they too are to be considered as Bodhisattvas. At the end of a religious ceremony or an act of piety, the bhikkhu who gives benedictions, usually admonishes the congregation to make a resolution to attain Nirvana by realising one of the three Bodhis - Sravakabodhi, Pratyekabodhi or Samyaksambodhi - as they wish according to their capacity."

 

I don't think there was ever this polarizing attitude (between what we now refer to as "Hinayana" and "Mahayana") in Medieval India, especially if we take into account the curriculum's of the monastic universities such as Nalanda: where Hinayana and Mahayana were taught together.

 

In Mahayana Buddhism [using this as an umbrella term] all the lower vehicles build off of each other and culminate into the buddha vehicle which encompasses the rest. From the perspective of the buddha vehicle: they're all just means to mature sentient beings, of differing capacities, to the state of buddhahood.

Look brother,

I don't really know why you posted this...........I'm not elevating Sri Lanka above any other Theravadin "nationality", be they Thai or Burmese or wherever else they may be found. I'm interested in Theravadin teachings & perspective at this point in time.

I choose not to participate in this discussion anymore.

I will examine things further & come to my own conclusions.

Thank you for posting & for your kindness!

Stefos

Brother Panic: Destroy Religion and Become the Magician Part 1 & 2

 

 

This is a classic video where Bobby Breaks down the reason for The Dark Side, and how important it is to understand, and work with the Dark Side energy. He breaks down how it became so-called evil and how that's false based on ignorance and religion.

 

 

Another classic 2 part lecture, where I break down the differences between an advanced magical mind and the created religious slave mind. parts 1 & 2 together.

Hey Brother/Sister,

This is a TERRIBLE video & Racist as well........"an upper hand on the white boys?"

"Ghetto tales from the dark side?"..............These clowns don't know what they're talking about.

Come on man.

Stefos

Only very slight nuance of difference to that.

 

God (as absolute) is primordial and ineffeable.

 

Trinity - God the Father .... creative power, God the Son ... Logos, form and energy, God the Holy Spirit ...activity - hence power, form, function.

 

Three in one.

A salient & subtle point is being missed:

The "is-ness or Am-ness" of God always & everywhere.

What do I mean? This:

God is..............God is motion in rest.......Love reposing in Love......Whether Active or Passive, the "is-ness" abides.

Boehme's Aurora speaks of this.

We tend to think of "rest" as cessation of physical labor or Love as an emotion.

Rest is relying upon God who IS..........Love is God manifested in gross manifestation & as inner qualities/states.

"I swore in my wrath: They will not enter my rest" Hebrews

"Therefore, there remains a rest for the people of God" Hebrews

Biblical Christianity is spirit & spirit intermingling: God & man and then on a continual "personal" and subsequent "corporate" level....Not the hierarchies seen today.

As Paul is recorded as saying "God does not dwell in temples made with human hands nor does he have need of human hands to serve him.." Book of Acts.............Sure changes one's perspective about "Modern Christiantiy" now doesn't it.

Biblical Christianity is not denominational Christianity and is actually the antithesis of it.

Stefos

Hi everyone,

I thank you for your participation. I appreciate your insights but beg to differ.

Sectarianism is alive & well, even from the Dzogchen standpoint! Moot point.

Be Well!

Stefos

Hi everyone,

Here's something:

Non-duality in Genesis!

God & Adam & Eve.......1st Non-Duality

Adam & Eve being called "Adam"...........2nd Non-Duality

Non-duality in the New Testament!

"Before the foundation of the world, we were in Christ"

"Before the foundation of the world, The lamb of God was slain"

As Jacob Boehme would say "God is Love reposing in Love"

Even in the Pali canon, deities typically associated with "Hinduism", made pledges to be protectors of the buddhadharma and its followers. Calling to them for help or even venerating them is applicable in Buddhism.

 

 

Haha, you know according to one of the "Jataka Tales": in one of his animal lives in his bodhisatta career (as a partridge), he was teaching the Vedas to a group of Brahmins, before being killed by a jealous ascetic who turned out to be Devadatta in a previous lifetime.

 

 

I would just follow the advice and instructions of my guru (in your case ChNN), since in the end, conceptual knowledge belongs to the relative sphere which is unable to penetrate through to direct experience. Cultivation entails transcending conceptual constructs in order to reach the ultimate, right? You already have conviction in ChNN and Dzogchen, correct? So what's the use in studying the conceptual baggage of the lower yanas if you already have confidence in what ChNN teaches?

To me it's no "trouble" to view what the Theras teach.

Nor do I deny what ChNN teaches either!

The point is: Do these 2 coincide? Are the Theras teaching something older & thus more truer to Buddha's actual words?

Dzogchen says: "Essence = Emptiness" "Clarity = Unimpeded mental contact" "Energy = Thoughts/emotions & the state of no thoughts/emotions"

Jhanic experience seems to say the same thing BUT I must investigate this further.

So, I am visiting a Sri Lankan Theravada monk on 9/9 (U.S.Date) to ask deep & fundamental questions.

Thank you!

stefos,

 

The main problem you have is that you view Buddhadharma as a man-made religion.

 

Buddhadharma is the only divine religion. Many things point to that including terma revelation and lhun grub visions, where everyone will see classic Greco-Buddhist seated Buddhas and other Buddhist imagery.

The main problem sir, is "What actually is REAL Buddhadharma?"

I'm not denying people's experiences or experience but that experience can also be merely a rung on the ladder!

So, Theravada states one Ultimate, Dzogchen states another Ultimate.....Do these 2 coincide?

If not, Someone somewhere must be suspect, not to mention that the Pali texts are part of the tradition of the Theras & not the pre-schism Sangha!

 

Stefos,

 

The movement to which you are referring as 'Christian Theosophy', I prefer to call 'Protestant Illuminism', because it is fundamentally Protestant and owes its whole impetus to the Reformation need to find an interpretive context for the Bible and thus a guide to Protestant thinking..

 

One of its inception points is surely Paracelsus, and its most influential form is undoubtedly the 'Rosicrucian' Manifestos. The general ideas is that Qabalah will provide an interpretation that ties in with the inner truth of the Bible and Alchemy will confirm it as the governing principle of nature. It included such luminaries as Robert Fludd, and such very Protestant members of the 'Scientific Revolution' as Newton and Boyle, whose vaunted chemical skepticism extended to Aristotle's four elements, but not to Paracelsus' Hermetic amulets to expel mice and for other purposes.

 

Probably its last significant public representative was Emanuel Swedenborg, about whom you can read here:

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emanuel_Swedenborg

 

A Church founded on his teaching is still active and you can read about it here:

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_New_Church

 

They are perhaps the only group still interested in and practicing a more or less pure form of what you mention.

 

In the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries such ideas influenced many of the founding thinkers of German Romanticism and you may find this book:

 

http://www.amazon.com/Hegel-Hermetic-Tradition-Glenn-Alexander/dp/0801474507

 

An interesting read in that regard.

 

However ideas such as this:

 

 

It hardly need be mentioned that if long established creeds and confessions of faith, were not acceptable, then Qabalah and Alchemy were hardly to be considered.

 

Together with this:

 

 

Were to eventually make any form of Protestant esotericism extremely suspect in the eyes of the average believer and the shepherds who tend them.

 

Thus the 'Christian Theosophy' in which you are interested became became more or less extinct in the general population, while at the same time becoming the intellectual inspiration for the occult revival of the Nineteenth Century. However, it became more and more irrelevant in the eyes of occultist in the late Nineteenth Century and as the Twentieth Century developed. As you have noted, Steiner's Anthroposophy is certainly not in the tradition which interests you and the post Blavatsky attempt by Annie Besant and 'Bishop' Leadbeater to coopt Christianity by a Theosophical interpretation in the form of the Liberal Catholic Church, is hardly relevant to your concerns either.

 

I wish I had better news, but I hope this is helpful anyway.

Hi,

Thanks for posting!

I appreciate it.

Hmmm...I think that by & large you are right in regards to Boehme & Georg Weller's worldviews per se.

I DO believe that Rosicrucian groups with legitimate ties exist but they are very secretive & probably selective as well!

Your thoughts?

Stefos

P.S. What Boehme saw, he said, everyone could see/experience. It wasn't a closed phenomenon!

Hi Stefos.

 

What are the major differences that stand out?

 

I know much Christian mysticism borrowed heavily from Plotinus and that has the same cosmological structures as the Hermetic world views...

 

I had thought Steiner at least would have similarities, but i find him very difficult to read. I still love his esoteric teachings though...

Hi Seth,

Well, here's what I currently understand sir:

1. Boehme used the alchemical/hermetic understanding of his day to convey spiritual truth & truths. Steiner spoke plainly as it were.

2. Blavatsky's Theosophy was heavily Anti-Christian. Period. She didn't want Christianity but did talk about the "Christos" and even then extremely rarely.

Steiner's Theosophy acknowledges Christ & Jesus but distinguishes the "Christ" as being a spirit who was "separate" per se than Jesus. He didn't deny that Jesus was a spirit, only that the Christ being became one with Jesus.

Boehme embraces & expresses Jesus Christ, God/man, as the reconciler between God & man and that Jesus was & is God.

3. Boehme spoke by & large of Sophia or Wisdom as being integrally part of God's very fabric.

Steiner did also.

4. Boehme mentions a "virginic state" (I'm not quoting directly but this IS the intent) in which God thru Christ desires to bring man & the entire cosmos back to......A spiritual, psychological & physical state.

The analogy is that of Adam & Eve being virgins in the garden with a truly moral & upright mind, heart & spirit as well being unsullied by Sin & a sin based/"terror of God if I sin"based mindset.

In this last statement, Non-duality is hid.....Why "hid?" because God made Adam/Eve & Adam/Eve was called Adam and they, being, one & being identified as non-dual by the scripture: "He named/called Adam & Eve Adam" had a larger Non-duality which hid them: God & Humans being one & the cosmos being one in an unfallen state.

Steiner's viewpoint is different than Boehme's in this expression & terminology as well.

That's my insight & understanding for what it's worth.

It's interesting to note that in the Pre-Fall state of man, there was no 10 commandments, just 1 in the Garden/Orchard.

Even in Noah's life, there were no 10 commandments either!

Think about this.

Stefos

P.S. Jacob Boehme is not an "easy read" by any stretch of the imagination.....rough reading man, rougher than Steiner, if you ask me!

Why did the ancient Indian universities propagate Vajrayana, which is clearly the teaching of the Mahasiddhas?

 

 

Says the guy who rails against syncretism.

See, you don't know me, nor understand my motives.

I'll briefly explain my thoughts to you first:

1. I believe in ultimate & relative reality.....this is a fact

2. The ultimate reality is only 1, not 2 or 3 or 5 billion which is to say that reality IS God (non-conceptually speaking...raw "God" as it were for lack of more refined expression at the moment.

3. I believe that God expressed & expresses God's self always using people, nature, spiritual beings like Mamos & nature spirits, etc. & Buddhas.

4. I believe that Shakyamuni Buddha was used by God to express reality to his immediate culture in their particular way.

5. Enlightenment is knowing God, not emptiness only, as some buddhists (Theras) would say, nor "emptiness & energy" only (Vajrayanists) would express, nor just "emptiness, & energy & clarity" (Dzogchenpas) would express.

In the final view, Since Shakyamuni's teachings are not fundamentally known, logically a person would approach the Theras & ask them about Shakyamuni's teachings. The Theras however have been viewed upon by scholars as being only 1 sect which exists from ancient times & is therefore categorically NOT indicative of the corpus of Buddhist thought & teaching which I believe was in fact Theistic in nature to include Tantric & Dzogchen modes of consciousness.

God's consciousness is not limited to "empty" or "full" or "non-dual" because when we examine nature & the universe we see colour, movement, sound, scientific laws-be they static or non-static.

My motives are to be a blessing to people, no matter what faith or lack thereof (which is sad.....not blind faith mind you)

and to perceive "what is happening."

To me, both science & "religion" are not separate but approach reality from 2 different yet converging streams.

The Pali, Chinese, Ghandaran, and Tibetan scripts were written down after Shakyamuni died and therefore do not express the sum total of his words which makes embracing the religious edifice of Buddhism a tenuous affair, while embracing Shakyamuni's intent & whatever teachings he authentically gave as being worthy of research & merit & incorporation into my life.

Done.......

Stefos

If you believe Shakyamuni was merely a Upanishadic sage, why not just follow the Upanishads?

I'm actually looking into this!

Since you categorically embrace Tantra, the fact that the Buddha was taught by Upanishadic teachers who taught him yogic techniques, etc............I suggest you dig deeper into the Pali texts...my gut instinct is to say you have not studied them.

Nor do I claim to be a "Buddhologist" who has studied & researched deeply although I have studied & meditated along several lines.

This is not an attack on you, This is only a suggestion.

Be blessed & Have a beautiful day sir.

Stefos