Showing posts with label Mysticism. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Mysticism. Show all posts

Saturday, 20 October 2018

The world-view of a mystic or a gnostic

While scientists all over the world are busy working on to understand quantum entanglement, quantum gravity and the space-time continuum, we mystics or gnostics on the other hand have a problem of our own. According to the doctrine of Emanationism this whole cosmos was originated from the womb of a supreme anthropomorphic God.

How on earth can we reconcile this view with the vast number of distances known to exist between galaxies and our solar system? I always stress and use the word anthropomorphic because God is a person just like you and me. God is personal and you can converse with him.

The Gnostic view of Pleroma cannot be reconciled with the scientific empirical view and that's why statements like this: "What we call empirical reality is only a state of mind" by Bernard D'Espagnat, theoretical physicist, are very appealing to me. We have no other way other than to deny the whole of science and this empirical reality to accommodate the gnostic view of Pleroma in this modern age and time.

I am a Valentinian gnostic and I know that the Pleroma exists which implies this visible cosmos which we call as Kenoma was modeled from it. The problem is not that we have to update our classical notions of space-time in fact the problem lies more in our epistemology or ways of knowing things the way they are (or ontology). Physicists are still not settled in answering whether space is continuous, quantized or a 2d hologram. They have compiled a list of point particles that govern this cosmos which they call as the Standard Model but I am gonna ask the same question which Stephen Hawking asked, Is that a true understanding of the cosmos? I would say no, because according to the mystery religions space and time are anthropomorphic Aeons and without a true understanding of them its not possible to understand how they manifest in our visible Kenoma world.

Each one of the Aeons and including us (homo sapiens) is a Pleroma by itself. Just like a single cell has all the information with in it to encode a full human being (I mean regulation of gene expression in the words of molecular biology) similarly we have the full potential with in us to create an another universe. 

"If you have seen the Father in the real realm you will become the Father" - Gospel of Philip

The Holy Father emanated the Aeons and multiplied himself and entered into these Aeons. The cosmos is nothing but a manifestation of these Aeons which implies the Holy Father is everywhere and in everything. The cosmos is nothing but a playground for the Holy Father. How does this multiplicity of individual souls transforms back again to a unified world soul is one big mystery which the Father alone knows. Anything beyond this is ineffable.

Wednesday, 8 March 2017

Descent, Search and Ascent - A common theme in mystery religions

"Because of this element of secrecy, we are ill-informed as to the beliefs and practices of the various mystery faiths. We know that they had a general likeness to one another".  
- Ernest William Barnes

Eleusinian mysteries

This is the mystery of mother Demeter and her daughter Persephone who descends to the underworld and her mother Demeter sincerely searches for her daughter and finally she ascends to earth to live with her mother which returns joy, happiness and fertility.

The above myth is nothing but the descend of the soul into this world, searching and suffering of the soul in this world and finally ascension of the soul through the Eleusinian ritual practices. Eleusinianism is the most ancient of the mysteries which was followed by Greeks from time immemorial and was open to everyone for initiation.

Orphic mysteries

Orphics believed that man was made up of an immortal soul which was in bondage with a material body. They established the hierarchy and the origin of the intellectual and the intelligible gods with Zeus or Jupiter as the Demiurgus who fashions the souls of man and seeds it on earth which formed the descent.

Orphism explained the origin of the cosmos through Phanes who originated from the cosmic egg and possessed all the gods in his womb.



"O Mighty first-begotten [Protogonos], hear my pray'r, two-fold, egg-born, and wand'ring thro' the air, Bull-roarer, glorying in thy golden wings, from whom the race of Gods and mortals springs. Ericapæus [Erikapaios], celebrated pow'r, ineffable, occult, all shining flow'r. From eyes obscure thou wip'st the gloom of night, all-spreading splendour, pure and holy light. Hence Phanes call'd, the glory of the sky, on waving pinions thro' the world you fly.  Priapus, dark-ey'd splendour, thee I sing, genial, all-prudent, ever-blessed king, With joyful aspect on our rights divine and holy sacrifice propitious shine." 
- To the Protogonus, the first-born, Orphic Hymns

Pythagorus and Plato were heavily influenced by the Orphic mysteries and his philosophy was completely based on the Orphic mysteries.

Through their Dionysian rituals they searched for the divine spark in them and ascended to heavens.


Mithraic mysteries

Even the mithraic mysteries was based descend and ascension of the soul which was very well depicted in the main iconography of their mysteries, the tauroctony. Mithras Liturgy is a ritual practice where the magician ascends to the solar world passing through various gates in the above heavens and finally meets the supreme Godhead of the cosmos King Helios-Aion-Mithras and receives immortality from him. 

Cautes and Cautopates holding the torch downwards (descend) and upwards (ascension)
Porphyry has more on the subject.
"Caves, therefore, in the most remote periods of antiquity were consecrated to the Gods, before temples were erected to them. Hence, the Curetes in Crete dedicated a cavern to Jupiter; in Arcadia, a cave was sacred to the Moon, and to Lycean Pan; and in Naxus, to Bacchus. But wherever Mithra was known, they propitiated the God in a cavern. With respect, however, to the Ithacensian cave, Homer was not satisfied with saying that it had two gates, but adds that one of the gates was turned towards the north, but the other which was more divine, to the south. He also says that the northern gate was pervious to descent, but does not indicate whether this was also the case with the southern gate. For of this, he only says, "It is inaccessible to men, but it is the path of the immortals."  
........Theologists therefore assert, that_these two gates are Cancer and Capricorn; but Plato calls them entrances. And of these, theologists say, that Cancer is the gate through which souls descend; but Capricorn that through which they ascend. Cancer is indeed northern, and adapted to descent; but Capricorn is southern, and adapted to ascent (note 12). The northern parts, likewise, pertain to souls descending into generation. And the gates of the cavern which are turned to the north are rightly said to be pervious to the descent of men; but the southern gates are not the avenues of the Gods, but of souls ascending to the Gods. On this account, the poet does not say that they are the avenues of the Gods, but of immortals; this appellation being also common to our souls, which are per se, or essentially, immortal.  
It is said that Parmenides mentions these two gates in his treatise "On the Nature of Things", as likewise that they are not unknown to the Romans and Egyptians. For the Romans celebrate their Saturnalia when the Sun is in Capricorn, and during this festivity, slaves wear the shoes of those that are free, and all things are distributed among them in common; the legislator obscurely signifying by this ceremony that through this gate of the heavens, those who are now born slaves will be liberated through the Saturnian festival, and the house attributed to Saturn, i.e., Capricorn, when they live again and return to the fountain of life. Since, however, the path from Capricorn is adapted to ascent, hence the Romans denominate that month in which the Sun, turning from Capricorn to the east, directs his course to the north, Januanus, or January, from janua, a gate. 
- Porphyry on the Cave of the Nymphs

Chaldean (Persian-Babylonian) mysteries

The Chaldean oracles teaches us that there is a solar world which we have to inevitably ascend in order to receive the immortality of the soul. Proclus has more on this subject.

"On this account, it appears to me that Plato delivers a twofold generation of the Sun; one indeed, in conjunction with the seven governors of the world, when he fashions the bodies of them, and inserts them in circulations; but the other according to the enkindling of light, through which he imparts to the Sun supermundane power. For it is one thing to generate the bulk of the Sun itself by itself, and another in conjunction with a ruling characteristic, through which the Sun is called the king of every visible nature, and is established analogous to the one fountain of good. For as this fountain, being better than the intelligible essence, illuminates both intellect and the intelligible, thus also the sun being better than a visible nature, illuminate both that which is visible and sight. But if the Sun is beyond a visible essence, it will have a supermundane nature. For the world is visible and tangible, and has a body. Hence, we must survey the Sun in a twofold respect; viz. as one of the seven planets, and as the leader of wholes; and as mundane and supermundane, according to the latter of which he splendidly emits a divine light. For in the same manner as The Good luminously emits truth which deifies the intelligible and intellectual order; as Phanes in Orpheus sends forth intelligible light which fills with intelligence all the intellectual Gods; and as Jupiter enkindles an intellectual and demiurgic light in all the supermundane Gods; thus also the Sun illuminates every thing visible through this undefiled light. The illuminating cause too is always in an order superior to the illuminated natures. For neither is The Good intelligible, nor Phanes intellectual, nor Jupiter supermundane. In consequence of this reasoning therefore, the Sun being supermundane emits the fountains of light. And according to the most mystic doctrines, the wholeness of the Sun is in the supermundane orders; for in them there is a solar world, and a total light, as the Chaldean Oracles assert, and which I am persuaded is true. And thus much concerning these things."  
- Proclus on the Timaeus of Plato

Pauline mysteries (greatest mystery of all mysteries)

The great Paul of Tarsus echoed the same views in his epistles which was very well understood by the greatest mystic of all time, Valentinus, a gnostic for all seasons, the only one from the western esoteric tradition who had the correct conception of divine and having a mind and vision greater in magnitude than Plato or Iamblichus. Valentinus showed his pneumatic charisma in his seminal work 'The Gospel of Truth' which is the greatest of all the historical mysteries put together.

Gospel of Truth begins by stating the most beautiful truth of all truths that the Father held the perfection of the Aeons within himself, the fact that he deliberately created beings in an ignorant state expecting them to return to him out of love. This ignorance of the knowledge (gnosis) of the Father was the root cause for the origin of this world and all the evil which resides in it.

"And as for him, them he found in himself, and him they found in themselves, that illimitable, inconceivable one, that perfect Father who made the all, in whom the All is, and whom the All lacks, since he retained in himself their perfection, which he had not given to the all. The Father was not jealous. What jealousy, indeed, is there between him and his members? For, even if the Aeon had received their perfection, they would not have been able to approach the perfection of the Father, because he retained their perfection in himself, giving it to them as a way to return to him and as a knowledge unique in perfection. He is the one who set the All in order and in whom the All existed and whom the All lacked. As one of whom some have no knowledge, he desires that they know him and that they love him. For what is it that the All lacked, if not the knowledge of the Father?"  
- Gospel of Truth

This error and fog was nothing to the Holy Father as he knew that error and evil does not exists in him although they exist because of him.

"Forgetfulness did not exist with the Father, although it existed because of him. What exists in him is knowledge, which was revealed so that forgetfulness might be destroyed and that they might know the Father, Since forgetfulness existed because they did not know the Father, if they then come to know the Father, from that moment on forgetfulness will cease to exist."  
 - Gospel of Truth

The process of descent begins with the emanation of Aeons from the Father.

"It was a great wonder that they were in the Father without knowing him and that they were able to leave on their own, since they were not able to contain him and know him in whom they were, for indeed his will had not come forth from him."  
- Gospel of Truth

The search of the Father begins and they find the way through the Saviour - Jesus Christ.

"The Father opens his bosom, but his bosom is the Holy Spirit. He reveals his hidden self which is his son, so that through the compassion of the Father the Aeons may know him, end their wearying search for the Father and rest themselves in him, knowing that this is rest."  
- Gospel of Truth

The process of ascent begins with the help of the gnosis of the Father preached by his son Jesus Christ of Nazareth.

"Since the perfection of the All is in the Father, it is necessary for the All to ascend to him. Therefore, if one has knowledge, he gets what belongs to him and draws it to himself. For he who is ignorant, is deficient, and it is a great deficiency, since he lacks that which will make him perfect. Since the perfection of the All is in the Father, it is necessary for the All to ascend to him and for each one to get the things which are his. He registered them first, having prepared them to be given to those who came from him." 
- Gospel of Truth

What great teachings these are from Valentinus and we all should be indebted to him in helping us to understand the greatest mystery of divine in such simple poetical form rather than accusing him of plagiarizing from Plato who looks so puny in front of a giant like Valentinus. Valentinus molded the mysteries, he formalized it into a coherent whole and gave us the whole picture. As GRS Mead said very few people could ever appreciate the ideal of the man and much less understand it because for that age he was trying to achieve the impossible.

Friday, 1 January 2016

Bernard D'Espagnat is no more with us

Bernard d’Espagnat, 93, Physicist, Dies; Sought Implications of Quantum Theory


I thank the Templeton Foundation for recognizing the work of Bernard D'Espagnat and for honouring him. He was the only Physicist who openly proclaimed that Quantum Mechanics is a pointer to an independent reality that exists independent of us. He was the only one who truly understood the implications of Quantum Mechanics and the famous Bell's theorem. Quantum Mechanics is pointing towards Platonic Realism which can be read from Bernard's own words.
“Plato’s ideas do not belong to space-time but they exist independently of the human mind and are the cause of phenomena. This is why, when we talk of Plato, we sometimes talk of the realism of essences. In this sense (a distant independent reality, probably not situated in time and space-time), it is difficult for the philosophical realism of a physicist to avoid being a little bit Platonist. Bohm himself, previously a standard bearer of the “materialist” physicists, even says now that perceived objects are only projections of what exists (4).”

Thus we see a legitimization of a scientific Platonism which is a philosophical consequence of the scientific demonstration of our world’s non-ontological character.

        - Speech for the diner in honor of Bernard D'Espagnat
 


I am feeling sad that Bernard D'Espagnat is no more with us to provide rigorous analysis on the development of new physics and its implications on Philosophy and Reality when fucktards like Stephen Hawking are saying that "Philosophy is dead". We need to carry forward his good works from where he left us.


Bernard d’Espagnat (2009)

PDF
Scientists Statements about Bernard d'Espagnat
Statement by Professor Bernard d'Espagnat
Fact Sheet
Reflections on Key Books and Publications
Books and articles by Bernard d'Espagnat
Career of Bernard d'Espagnat
links
Reality and the Physicist
Veiled Reality
On Physics and Philosophy
"The Quantum Theory and Reality," Scientific American, November 1979
Invisible Reality: A dialogue on nonlocal quantum entanglement World Science Festival, New York City, May 30, 2008
More Information on physicist John Bell
More information on Bell's Theorem
More information on Bell Test Experiments
BIG QUESTIONS – VIDEOS
Is it possible that not all of reality can be observed?
Can scientific research encourage spirituality?
What do we learn about the nature of reality from quantum physics?

Monday, 14 December 2015

The mystic of Tarsus and the pagan mystery cults

Was Saint Paul influenced by the pagan mystery religions? For me, this is a billion dollar question and the very foundation of Christianity and of its followers depend on it.


As I long argued that Christianity is a mystery religion of Valentinian Christians similarly both these scholars agree with me that Christianity itself became a mystery religion in the hands of Saint Paul. But where they differ from my view is that they believe Paul either unconsciously or deliberately borrowed Pagan doctrines into his form of theology while I maintain that Paul truly received the Pleromic revelation from the Pneumatic Christ and based his doctrines solely from the revelation that he received from the Pneumatic Christ.

The reason why I hold such a view is that Saint Paul knew about the highest revelation of all the mysteries. Saint Paul seems to know more about the deity of Mithras than Julian the Emperor himself who self-proclaimed himself to be initiated into the mystery of Mithraism. Even Julian was aware of the calibre of Saint Paul but he spoke negatively against him because he was irritated and annoyed by the literal interpretation of the Bible enforced upon him by his orthodox Christian teachers when he was young. Julian himself says that Saint Paul surpassed every magician of every place and of every time but accuses him of being a polypus who changes his colour according to circumstances like the polypus changes its colour to match its rocks.

But that from the beginning God cared only for the Jews and that He chose them out as his portion, has been clearly asserted not only by Moses and Jesus but by Paul as well; though in Paul's case this is strange. For according to circumstances he keeps changing his views about God, as the polypus changes its colours to match the rocks, and now he insists that the Jews alone are God's portion, and then again, when he is trying to persuade the Hellenes to take sides with him, he says : "Do not think that he is the God of Jews only, but also of Gentiles : yea of Gentiles also."  Therefore it is fair to ask of Paul why God, if he was not the God of the Jews only but also of the Gentiles, sent the blessed gift of prophecy to the Jews in abundance and gave them Moses and the oil of anointing, and the prophets and the law and the incredible and monstrous elements in their myths? For you hear them crying aloud: "Man did eat angels' food." And finally God sent unto them Jesus also, but unto us no prophet, no oil of anointing, no teacher, no herald to announce his love for man which should one day, though late, reach even unto us also. Nay he even looked on for myriads, or if you prefer, for thousands of years, while men in extreme ignorance served idols, as you call them, from where the sun rises to where he sets, yes and from North to South, save only that |345 little tribe which less than two thousand years before had settled in one part of Palestine. For if he is the God of all of us alike, and the creator of all, why did he neglect us? Wherefore it is natural to think that the God of the Hebrews was not the begetter of the whole universe with lordship over the Avhole, but rather, as I said before, that he is confined within limits, and that since his empire has bounds we must conceive of him as only one of the crowd of other gods. Then are we to pay further heed to you because you or one of your stock imagined the God of the universe, though in any case you attained only to a bare conception of Him? Is not all this partiality? God, you say, is a jealous God. But why is he so jealous, even avenging the sins of the fathers on the children?

- Julian, Against the Galileans

Julian is entirely ignorant of the Valentinian tradition whose leader was Saint Paul of Tarsus. Julian though knew that there were hidden secret teachings associated to stories in the Bible was completely ignorant about the esoteric teachings of Saint Paul and as such none of his criticisms against Saint Paul hold now because we now know that Saint Paul was a gnostic and held beliefs contradictory to the Roman Catholic Church.

But the problem still remains how can Saint Paul who was a convert of Jesus Christ knew more about the mystery cults and the deity and the doctrines of Mithras compared to emperors like Julian who were fully initiated into the mystery of Mithraism and yet looked puny in front of a giant like Saint Paul when it comes to the pagan mystery religions. May be his birth place Tarsus might have had a huge influence on Saint Paul's thinking but still how did he figured out the highest esoteric truth of Mithraism which only the worshippers of Mithras can know.

This problem cannot be solved without taking some extreme positions like either Saint Paul was a priest of Mithras as some of his detractors claimed or he truly received the highest revelation from Christ himself. The former view seems absurd to me because why would a priest of Mithras hide the divinity of Mithras and proclaim Jesus Christ as the first-begotten in place of him.

Its true that the salvation preached by Saint Paul is identical to the salvation that we see in the mystery cults but the reason for that similarity is not because Saint Paul intentionally borrowed pagan elements into his doctrines which as I have shown above is a charge if we are making on Saint Paul we have to admit that he was a priest of Mithras because the kind of doctrines espoused by Saint Paul is not something like how a nut-job can just plagiarize blindly someone's else idea because the pagan mysteries requires one to participate and take part in the rituals to fully understand the mystery behind them and Saint Paul does in no way look like an outside copy cat of pagan mystery cults in fact he looks like someone who has attained the highest mastery of Mithraism.

If we deny the view that Saint Paul was a priest of Mithras which is very unlikely and absurd to believe then how can we account for the similarities between the Pauline doctrine of salvation and the salvation of the pagan mystery cults and other such similarities. The answer to that question is my belief that the Pneumatic Christ or the post-resurrected Christ was sent by none other than King Helios-Mithras himself, the unknowable Holy Father of the Gnostics.

This is the reason why Pauline Christianity is so similar to the pagan mystery cults. It is not because Paul borrowed from it but instead it is because the post-resurrected Christ was actually the son of King Helios-Mithras. There is no wonder why Saint Paul knew so much about Mithraism compared to the fellow initiates of Mithraism.

According to Valentinianism there are two Christs a psychic one at the Kenoma and a pneumatic one at the Pleroma, the psychic Christ was sent by Jehovah, the god of the Old Testament and the god of the Jews, also known as the Demiurge while the pneumatic Christ was sent by King Helios-Mithras, the god of the New Testament and the god of the Gentiles, also known as the unknowable Father of the Gnostics or the representation of the GOOD form according to Plato.

Sunday, 15 November 2015

Transfer of Consciousness: How to enter into another's body?

According to Eastern Mysticism and Tantra it is very much possible to transfer one's consciousness from one body to another which will give new insights into our understanding of Consciousness and this phenomena is perfectly in accordance with the dualistic model of Mind and Body. Although practices like Phowa are considered to be the path of the Left it is very much important to study them as it provides empirical evidence for the existence of soul and consciousness independent of the human body proving that physicalism is false which many stupid scientists stubbornly adhere to.

Dialogue between Shankara and Mandana Mishra's wife
After debating for over fifteen days, with Mandana Misra's wife Ubhaya Bharati acting as referee, Mandana Misra accepted defeat. Ubhaya Bharati then challenged Adi Shankara to have a debate with her in order to 'complete' the victory. She asked him questions related to sexual congress between man and woman - a subject in which Shankaracharya had no knowledge, since he was a true celibate and sannyasi. Sri Shankracharya asked for a "recess" of 15 days. As per legend, he used the art of "para-kaya pravesa" (the spirit leaving its own body and entering another's) and exited his own body, which he asked his disciples to look after, and psychically entered the dead body of a king. The story goes that from the King's two wives, he acquired all knowledge of "art of love". The queens, thrilled at the keen intellect and robust love-making of the "revived" King, deduced that he was not their husband, as of old. The story continues that they sent their factotums to "look for the lifeless body of a young sadhu and to cremate it immediately" so that their "king" (Shankracharya in the king's body) would continue to live with them. Just as the retainers piled Shankracharaya's lifeless corpse upon a pyre and were about to set fire to it, Shankara entered his own body and regained consciousness. Finally, he answered all questions put to him by Ubhaya Bharati; and she allowed Mandana Misra to accept sannyasa with the monastic name Suresvaracarya, as per the agreed-upon rules of the debate.
Esoteric Teachings of Tibetan Tantra



According to Tantra there are three different teachings of the Transformation practices: the special Transformation Yoga; the Teaching of the self-mind (or soul) entering into another's corpse; and the teaching of expelling another's soul from his body so that one's consciousness may enter this body. All these three Transformation practices require, first, the capability of closing the nine gates by words; second, the mastery of Vase Breathing, by means of which all the pranas of different organs are gathered and entered into the Central Channel; third, the mastery of Tumo, whereby the small Ah-word of the red-element in the navel center is able to attract and hold the wisdom Hūṃ word (which is the rider of the subtle prana) at the Heart Center. This is said in the Tantras of Vajra Dakini and of Gdan-bzhi and in their common commentary Bhaba Bhad-ras; and in the Tantra of G’a-sbyor and its commentary, the Fruit-Bearing Pith-Instruction.

I believe that in both cases, whether the self-consciousness enters into the corpse or into another's living body, a special prana performance is required in addition to the requirements and qualifications mentioned before. The details may be found in some other sources.

It would be difficult to benefit sentient beings on a great scale with a low-born human body; therefore, it is desirable to have a human body of high class to accomplish the undertaking. Because the possession of a sick, aged, crippled body would handicap self-improvement as well as altruistic deeds, one resorts to the Yoga of Entering Another's Body to procure a fair and healthy body.

According to gurus there are three requirements for practicing this Yoga: first, the person who intends to practice this yoga must have an infinite compassion for all sentient beings; he must be absolutely sure that great benefits and boons for sentient beings will be achieved if he performs this yoga; he also must have mastered both prana and mind. A yogi who meets these requirements and conditions may then proceed to a very secluded, sheltered place. He should dispense with all distracted thoughts, keep away from all wordly activities, prepare the offerings, and establish the altar for the patron Buddha. With all these arrangements made, he should then engage himself in meditation under strict Confinement of Contemplation104.

Then he should prepare a Mandala painted black as the supporting-platform and put a human skull on it. In the center of the human skull a Hūṃ word should be clearly written with a white stone (chalk). Visualizing himself become the Patron-Buddha, he then recites and meditates on the prayer of Seven Wishes of Bodhisattva Samantabhadra. Then the yogi visualizes a Hūṃ word in the center of the heart, and, when the exhalation goes through the right nostril, he should think the Hūṃ word comes out along with the exalted air and enters into and is identified with the Hūṃ word in the skull. Meantime the yogi should hold the air outside as long as possible. When he cannot hold it any longer, he slowly takes the air in. Then he exhales and visualizes as before. Continuing this practice for a while, the yogi will see the skull shake, jump and move—these are the signs that will appear.

The yogi may now proceed to the actual transformation of soul. First, he should procure a fresh corpse with no signs of decomposing, not being dead from any injuries or disease; or he may procure a clean and fresh corpse of cattle or any livestock. Then he washes the corpse with clean water, decorates it with pleasing ornaments, and places it well on the Mandala in a sitting position. Then, the yogi visualizes the Hūṃ word which symbolizes the mind, both in his own heart and that of the corpse. He then arouses his prana to drive the Hūṃ word out through his right nostril and through the corpse's left nostril into the Hūṃ word at the Heart Center. If the yogi practices this again and again, the corpse will start to breathe and to regain its senses. When these signs take place, the yogi should know his performance is effective and should (temporarily) stop the practice.

When the yogi is ready to carry out the real performance, he should release himself from the Confinement and go out to find a qualified and fresh corpse, bring it back, and place it on the Mandala facing him. Having decorated the corpse, the yogi then visualizes the self-Yidam-body and lays aside the attachment to the vulgar human body. He then reminds himself that all Dharmas in the cosmos are magic-like and illusory. Now it is time for him to cut off all vulgar, fallacious thought, as well as delusory habitual thinking, and render his body as an offering to the gurus and guards.

With great earnestness, he should pray them to protect him from all evil hindrances and influences. Then the yogi should clearly visualize both himself and the corpse transformed into Patron Buddha and vividly visualize the Hūṃ word in the Heart Center of both. Then the yogi contacts the air-gate of the corpse and actuates his prana to drive the Hūṃ word in his Heart Center out through his right nostril and into the Hūṃ word of the corpse through its left nostril. At this time the yogi should pull up all his strength to aim at the Hūṃ word of the corpse with his prana-mind. By means of this exercise, the corpse will begin to breathe and jerk, etc. Whereupon, the yogi's friendly companions should take care of him, foster him with proper food for half a month in a solitary place. Until the yogi can stably live with the new body, he should not appear before people. In order to express his gratitude to the deceased one, the yogi should perform the Offering Rituals, such as the Ritual of Tsa Tsa and the Ritual of Burning Performances. With this new human body, the yogi should devote himself to the welfare of sentient beings on a great and broad scale.

These instructions were given by gurus. Thus, the instruction on the Yoga of Entering Other's body which are based on the genuine contents of (several) Tantras and their commentaries has now been given here without wavering ambiguity.

Wednesday, 14 May 2014

Religious experiences are not hallucinations but real phenomena which can be studied empirically.

Many neurologists try to simulate religious experiences and argue that we are hard-wired to be religious and are more susceptible to religious experiences. For example see: God helmet.

What these neurologists don't understand is that this theory doesn't address the varieties of religious experiences that is experienced by religious people or the mystics. All religious experiences doesn't just run inside our heads and it is more often the case that these powerful experiences always go beyond the brain and influence the body and the surroundings of the experiencing individuals. 

Often such experiences are ignored by connecting it with Temporal lobe epilepsy and other kinds of seizures. No such explanations are suffice to explain the timing and the varieties of religious experiences that are observed. Can neurologists simulate the experience of a body lifted from the ground?

"A rapture is absolutely irresistible; whilst union, inasmuch as we are then on our own ground, may be hindered, though that resistance be painful and violent; it is, however, almost always impossible. But rapture, for the most part, is irresistible. It comes, in general, as a shock, quick and sharp, before you can collect your thoughts, or help yourself in any way, and you see and feel it as a cloud, or a strong eagle rising upwards, and carrying you away on its wings. 
I repeat it: you feel and see yourself carried away, you know not whither. For though we feel how delicious it is, yet the weakness of our nature makes us afraid at first, and we require a much more resolute and courageous spirit than in the previous states, in order to risk everything, come what may, and to abandon ourselves into the hands of God, and go willingly whither we are carried, seeing that we must be carried away, however painful it may be; and so trying is it, that I would very often resist, and exert all my strength, particularly at those times when the rapture was coming on me in public. I did so, too, very often when I was alone, because I was afraid of delusions. Occasionally I was able, by great efforts, to make a slight resistance; but afterwards I was worn out, like a person who had been contending with a strong giant; at other times it was impossible to resist at all: my soul was carried away, and almost always my head with it,—I had no power over it,—and now and then the whole body as well, so that it was lifted up from the ground. 
This has not happened to me often: once, however, it took place when we were all together in choir, and I, on my knees, on the point of communicating. It was a very sore distress to me; for I thought it a most extraordinary thing, and was afraid it would occasion much talk; so I commanded the nuns—for it happened after I was made Prioress—never to speak of it. But at other times, the moment I felt that our Lord was about to repeat the act, and once, in particular, during a sermon,—it was the feast of our house, some great ladies being present,—I threw myself on the ground; then the nuns came around me to hold me; but still the rapture was observed. 
I made many supplications to our Lord, that He would be pleased to give me no more of those graces which were outwardly visible; for I was weary of living under such great restraint, and because His Majesty could not bestow such graces on me without their becoming known. It seems that, of His goodness, He has been pleased to hear my prayer; for I have never been enraptured since. It is true that it was not long ago. It seemed to me, when I tried to make some resistance, as if a great force beneath my feet lifted me up. I know of nothing with which to compare it; but it was much more violent than the other spiritual visitations, and I was therefore as one ground to pieces; for it is a great struggle, and, in short, of little use, whenever our Lord so wills it. There is no power against His power.  At other times He is pleased to be satisfied when He makes us see that He is ready to give us this grace, and that it is not He that withholds it. Then, when we resist it out of humility, He produces those very effects which would have resulted if we had fully consented to it. 
The effects of rapture are great: one is that the mighty power of our Lord is manifested; and as we are not strong enough, when His Majesty wills it, to control either soul or body, so neither have we any power over it; but, whether we like it or not, we see that there is one mightier than we are, that these graces are His gifts, and that of ourselves we can do nothing whatever; and humility is deeply imprinted in us. And further, I confess that it threw me into great fear, very great indeed at first; for when I saw my body thus lifted up from the earth, how could I help it? Though the spirit draws it upwards after itself, and that with great sweetness, if unresisted, the senses are not lost; at least, I was so much myself as to be able to see that I was being lifted up. The majesty of Him who can effect this so manifests itself, that the hairs of my head stand upright, and a great fear comes upon me of offending God, who is so mighty. This fear is bound up in exceedingly great love, which is acquired anew, and directed to Him, who, we see, bears so great a love to a worm so vile, and who seems not to be satisfied with attracting the soul to Himself in so real a way, but who will have the body also, though it be mortal and of earth so foul, such as it is through our sins, which are so great."
         - Life of Teresa of Avila

 So religious experiences are not hallucinations and in my opinion the argument from Religious experiences is one of the strongest arguments ever made in favour for the existence of the divine.

Tuesday, 25 December 2012

Non-dualism: The Heart of Religion


Sufism

Rumi or Jelaluddin Balkhi (1207 – 1273), from the book “Rumi: Selected Poems”; Penguin; trans Coleman Banks, 1995.

“It's the man who was looking for treasure... He wants me to finish his story...
Don't think of him as a seeker, though. Whatever he's looking for, he is that himself. How can a lover be anything but the beloved?
Every second he's bowing into a mirror. If he could see for just a second one molecule of what's there without fantasizing about it, he'd explode.
His imagination and he himself, would vanish, with all his knowledge, obliterated into a new birth, a perfectly clear view, a voice that says, I am God.
That same voice told the angels to bow to Adam, because they were identical with Adam.
It's the voice that first said, There is no reality but God. There is only God.”
(from the poem In Between Stories)

Judaism


Kabbalah: The meaning of God

"An impoverished person thinks that God is an old man with white hair, sitting on a wondrous throne of fire that glitters with countless sparks, as the Bible states: “The Ancient-of-Days sits, the hair on his head like clean fleece, his throne–flames of fire.” Imagining this and similar fantasies, the fool corporealizes God. He falls into one of the traps that destroy faith. His awe of God is limited by his imagination.

But if you are enlightened, you know God’s oneness; you know that the divine is devoid of bodily categories — these can never be applied to God. Then you wonder, astonished: Who am I? I am a mustard seed in the middle of the sphere of the moon, which itself is a mustard seed within the next sphere. So it is with that sphere and all it contains in relation to the next sphere. So it is with all the spheres — one inside the other — and all of them are a mustard seed within the further expanses. And all of these are a mustard seed within further expanses.

Your awe is invigorated, the love in your soul expands."

"The essence of divinity is found in every single thing — nothing but it exists.... Do not attribute duality to God. Let God be solely God. If you suppose that Ein Sof emanates until a certain point, and that from that point on is outside of it, you have dualized. God forbid! Realize, rather, that Ein Sof exists in each existent. Do not say, “This is a stone and not God.” God forbid! Rather, all existence is God, and the stone is a thing pervaded by divinity."

- Rabbi Moshe Cordovero

God is that which Is — YHVH, one of the main Hebrew terms for this Reality, might even be translated “Is.” God is not an old man;God is What Is. The Infinite is everything. It is the only thing.

“God” is an imprecise name for the only thing in the universe that actually exists.


Christianity


"Christ has each within him, whether human being or angel or mystery" (Gospel of Philip 56:14-15).

"People cannot see anything in the real realm unless they become it...if you have seen the spirit, you have become the spirit; if you have seen Christ, you have become Christ; if you have seen the Father, you will become the Father" (Gospel of Philip 61:20-32 cf. 67:26-27)

Buddhism


Padmasambhava said:

My father is the intrinsic awareness, Samantabhadra (Sanskrit; Tib. ཀུན་ཏུ་བཟང་པོ). My mother is the ultimate sphere of reality, Samantabhadri (Sanskrit; Tib. ཀུན་ཏུ་བཟང་མོ). I belong to the caste of non-duality of the sphere of awareness. My name is the Glorious Lotus-Born. I am from the unborn sphere of all phenomena. I act in the way of the Buddhas of the three times.


Hinduism



Shankara, the eight-century Indian saint, whose insights revitalized Hindu teachings, said of his own enlightenment:

"I am Brahman… I dwell within all beings as the soul, the pure consciousness, the ground of all phenomena... In the days of my ignorance, I used to think of these as being separate from myself. Now I know that I am All."

Wednesday, 23 May 2012

How to worship the Sun God?

This is one of the ways to worship the sun god which is easier and effective for the modern people who go through hectic working hours and for those who don't have time to sit and do meditation for long hours. Meditation never worked for me, you cannot do meditation and gain something in a busy area like New York, Tokyo or any other capital cities and hence people travel to Himalayas to lose all contacts from the people around them to find a lonely and a silent place for personal investigation.

There is no need to travel anywhere to know god giving up your loved one's, god is personal and he will reveal himself to you where ever you are if you're preparing yourself to see him. Many people in the west and across the world perform yoga just for the sake of keeping their body fit and healthy but they don't realize that these are the same methods which was used by the sages of ancient traditions to have revelations about god, they were gnostic theists, they believed that the absolute truth or god can be known.


One has to pray the following verse in the begining of the method.

hiranmayena patrena satyasyapihitam mukham
tat tvam pushannya apavrino satya-dharmaya drishtaye

Isha Upanishad, Verse 15 from the scripture

It means that the truth is hidden behind God's pleroma of light rays and those light rays are preventing us from seeing him clearly and the ultimate truth, so we should plead him to remove those impeding light rays and show us the path of righteousness

SURYANAMASKAR

* Om Hraam Mitraya Namaha (Mitra - friend)



1. Stand facing the Sun with palms folded and both the thumbs touching the chest.

Breathing: Inhale while raising the hands and exhale as hands are brought down to chest level.







* Om Hreem Ravaye Namaha (Ravi - radiance)





2. Raise hands upward, with feet firmly on the ground, bend backwards, stretch arms fully.

Breathing: Inhale







* Om Hruum Suryaya Namaha (Surya dispeller of darkness)



3. Slowly bend forward, hands touching the earth with respect, head touching the knees.

Breathing: Exhale.









* Om Hraim Bhanave Namaha (Bhanu Shining with luster)



4. Set both hands with the palms down firmly on the ground, pull the left leg backward, raise the head looking at the Sun, full weight resting on the two palm and ten fingers.

Breathing: Inhale









* Om Hroum Khagaya Namaha (Khaga all pervading)



5. Bring right leg back close to left leg, keeping hands and legs straight, bend the body at the hip forming an arch, just like a mountain, known as 'parvathasan or mountain pose'.

Breathing: Exhale









* Om Hraha Pooshne Namaha (Pushan mystic fire which gives)




6. Stretch yourself fully on the ground in the Saashtanga Namaskar pose (all eight 'anga' or parts of the body on the ground head, thigh, eyes (sight), mind, word, feet, hands and ears (hearing)). In reality, feet, knees, thighs, chest, forehead touch the ground with the hands stretched out and in folded position, with your mind and thoughts on the full namaskar, then slowly turn the head to the sides first to left and then to right so that each ear touches the ground.

                                                        Breathing: Inhale first and then Exhale fully.

* Om Hraam Hiranyagarbhaya Namaha (hiranyagarbha golden colored)




7. Slowly raise the head, bend backward as much as possible, hands straight, in the cobra pose.

Breathing: Inhale










* Om Hreem Marichaye Namaha (Marichi Ray of light)




8. Parvathasan same as Step 5.

Breathing: Exhale













* Om Hruum Adityaya Namaha (Aditya Sun, aspect of Vishnu, Son of Aditi.)



9. Same as Step 4 with the difference that the right leg is brought forward.

Breathing: Inhale












* Om Hraim Savitre Namaha (Savitru Light of enlightenment.)



10. Same as Step 3

Breathing: Exhale













* Om Hroum Arkaya Namaha (Arkah a ray of light, a flash of lightning, Sun)



11. Same as Step 2

 Breathing: Inhale












* Om Hraha Bhaskaraya Namaha (Bhaskara Shining Light)


12. Same as Step 1

 Breathing: Exhale, Inhale and Exhale.













( Caution: This exercise has to be performed under the guidance of a master I am not responsible for any side effects on your body if you do not do it correctly and approach it with egoistic mind and the verses given in asterisk should be silently uttered in mind while one is performing the exercise and this has to be performed two times in a day morning and evening)