Download or read book Madame Blavatsky defends Buddhism in Ceylon written by Helena Petrovna Blavatsky and published by Philaletheians UK. This book was released on 2024-02-13 with total page 18 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Madame Blavatsky defends Buddhism in Ceylon, and points out that the root cause of the Kotahena riot in was the ungenerous and unlawful attitude of the Christian padris and bigots of Ceylon toward the Buddhist religion. The spirit of the law is easily avoided, while its dead letter is as often made the weapon and pretext for the perpetration of the most iniquitous deeds. Honour your own faith, and do not slander that of others. Buddhism is the least aggressive of all religions, as Christianity the most aggressive of all and more so than Mohammedanism. The devil who, to defeat God and thwart the ends of Justice and of Right, sows on earth the seeds of thousand and one conflicting religious sects; the seeds sprouting and growing into the strong weeds that will stifle mankind, unless destroyed and annihilated.

Download or read book Eastern Light Shines on Western Minds written by Helena Petrovna Blavatsky and published by Philaletheians UK. This book was released on 2018-06-23 with total page 13 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Eastern Psychology has given the West a clue to certain mysteries previously baffling as, for example, in the departments of: 1. Mesmerism and hypnotism. 2. The supposed posthumous relations of the disincarnate entity with the living. 3. The nature and relations of Force and Matter capable of practical verification by whomsoever may learn and follow out the experimental methods of the Oriental Schools of Occult science. Eastern Occult Science and its complementary philosophy throws light upon some of the deepest problems of man and nature. But Occultism is colourless, cosmopolitan, unsectarian, sexless, unworldly, altruistic.

Download or read book Buddhist Feminism in Ceylon written by Helena Petrovna Blavatsky and published by Philaletheians UK. This book was released on 2018-05-29 with total page 6 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Madame Blavatsky on the slander of the Anglo Indian journals and the theological hatred of the Bishops written by Helena Petrovna Blavatsky and published by Philaletheians UK. This book was released on 2024-06-21 with total page 21 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In view of the sustained attack by Anglo-Indian and English journals, we are obliged to enter the arena of controversy, under the penalty of having our silence construed into tacit consent. The torrent of letters from our opponents, pouring upon us from all sides, compelled us to lower the flag of truce which we have hitherto presented to spiritualists. Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour. The peacock’s feathers of the Indian Dailies and Weeklies, which are made to clumsily cover the ugly bird beneath, now painfully ruffled stand on end, can no longer hide the ravenous crow. Christian charity and malicious slandering of innocent people are mutually exclusive with the true religion of Christ (who has nothing to do with modern christrinity), however much they have become synonymic in the mind of some Bishops and their clergy. Those Anglo-Indian editors who done their best to injure the Theosophists, not only they patently failed in their unholy attempt, they did help our Branches to skyrocket worldwide. The sanctioning and spreading of flagrant untruths and malicious innuendoes, constitutes a dishonourable and venomous act — all the more reprehensible as it comes from the missionary press of Bombay. The clerical and Jesuitical policy is to disseminate false rumours, malicious backbiting, wicked and stupid cock-and-bull stories, by salaried catechists, zenana-missionaries, and padris under the sanction and with the blessings of their respective Bishops. We are charged with anti-Christism, while we are guilty but of anti-clericalism; and with a “fierce hatred of the Church,” when we confess but to a ferocious contempt for the ecclesiastical system — the system that crucifies its Christ daily, tramples His commands in the dust under his feet, and disfigures His noblest and most divine teachings! Other persons, nobler and far higher in social position than we, humble Theosophists, are no better protected against scurrilous abuse in the Indian Empire; and thus we find ourselves standing on parallel lines with His Excellency, the Viceroy of India.

Download or read book Madame Blavatsky unmasks the trinity of righteousness written by Helena Petrovna Blavatsky and published by Philaletheians UK. This book was released on 2024-02-13 with total page 11 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Madame Blavatsky cuts down to size the Venerable Swami of Almora written by Helena Petrovna Blavatsky and published by Philaletheians UK. This book was released on 2024-02-13 with total page 13 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Madame Blavatsky on the Venerable Swami of Almora, on the Advaita philosophy in general, and our failings in particular. No “merging” or absorption can take place without dissolution, and an absolute annihilation of the previous form. The venerable Paramahansa claims that he had “composed” himself into the state of Nirvikalpa, which Monier Williams defines as a state “destitute of all reflection.” A mortal wound can be inflicted by the inner man upon another, neither by a real dagger nor by a hand of flesh — but simply by Will. Spirit and Matter are illusionary aspects of the One Reality that veil Its ineffable splendour. These two ever-opposing forces are inseparable, interdependent, and interchangeable permutations of the One Life and Consciousness. In a piece of wood or a stone there is as much latent spirit or life, as there is in a week-old human foetus. Truth (central point) is everywhere: its outer boundary is nowhere. Eastern occult philosophy is the only one which can lead to true knowledge, for its starts from and proceeds only on principles clearly defined and accurately known.

Download or read book Madame Blavatsky rebuffs the accusations of Arthur Lillie written by Helena Petrovna Blavatsky and published by Philaletheians UK. This book was released on 2024-05-21 with total page 23 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Colonel Olcott wrote what he then thought was the truth, honestly and sincerely; and, as I had a determined object in view, I did not seek to disabuse him too rudely of his dreams. It was only after the formation of The Theosophical Society in 1875, that he learned the whole truth! But when Colonel Olcott clearly says in his book that instead of being controlled by spirits to do their will, it is I who control the so-called “spirits,” yet he was made to say by Mr. Lillie that it is I who was controlled! I had known “John King” since 1860, for it was the form of an Eastern adept, who has since gone for his final initiation, passing through and visiting us in his living body on his way, at Bombay. What right does Mr. Lillie has to cross-examine me? But since he chooses to take such liberties, I will tell him plainly that he himself knows nothing, not only of initiations and Tibet (not even exoteric), let alone Esoteric Buddhism. Yet he who knows nothing of either Tibet or Buddhism, tries his best to make out Madame Blavatsky a liar in a cunning attempt to elevate himself above his station. Accusations and insinuations against one whom no insult of his can reach, are worthless and unworthy of a self-proclaimed Buddhist. Mr. Lillie is ruining terribly his reputation as an Orientalist. Indeed, before this controversy is settled, he may lay bare the last shreds of his supposed oriental learning for all to see. The irrepressible Arthur Lillie, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, continues his extravagant tirade against Madame Blavatsky. He keeps feeding his censer with his own incense with endless heaping of malignant nonsense, peppered with misconceptions, blunders, and unfair insinuations. His tactics are a sort of guerrilla skirmishing; one answers and corrects one set of blunders when, forthwith, there appears a fresh series. Mr. Lillie is a base man indeed who, having had truth revealed to him under the seal of secrecy, and solemnly pledged himself never to reveal the information, does nevertheless divulge it to the profane. I was a Spiritualist well before the truth of modern Spiritualism. As regards to mediums, séances, and the spiritualistic “philosophy,” so-called — belief in the latter alone constituting a Spiritualist. It is most unfortunate that Mr. Lillie hardly ever knows what he is talking about.

Download or read book Occult philosophy is ancient Spiritualism written by Helena Petrovna Blavatsky and published by Philaletheians UK. This book was released on 2024-02-13 with total page 22 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book The Letters of H P Blavatsky to the American Section of the Theosophical Society written by Helena Petrovna Blavatsky and published by Philaletheians UK. This book was released on 2018-05-12 with total page 28 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Theosophy is a system of divine philosophy offering to eclectic thinkers rational explanations of occult phenomena, without bamboozling them with hollow tenets, sophistry, and dogmas. It is the Beacon-light of Hope guiding Humanity on her true path. Its noble aim is to unite men of all nations in brotherly love and acts of charity beyond kith and kin, to all that lives and feels, and needs help and kindness. Theosophy seeks to refine human nature at the voluntary sacrifice of the superfluous animality and private wealth, fostered by modern life and materialistic education, which is abnormal for the human race at this evolutionary stage. Theosophists are friends of all World Movements, whether intellectual or practical, striving for the amelioration of Humanity. Their mission is to open man’s heart and mind to charity, justice, and generosity — attributes which belong specifically to the human kingdom and are natural to man, once he has developed the qualities of a human being worthy of the name. Theosophy teaches and prompts the animal-man to be human, by living for others; and when men have learnt to think and feel, as all truly human beings should feel and think, they will act humanely; and works of charity to visible and invisible beings will be done spontaneously by all to All — by virtue of the immaculate nature inherent in All. On the day, when Theosophy will have accomplished its most holy pledge — namely, to unite firmly men of all nations in brotherly love bent on pure altruistic work, not on labour spurred by selfish motives — on that day only, will Theosophy become an ever-Living Power on earth, far higher than any nominal “brotherhood of man.” Great results can be achieved by those who, forgoing their own comfort, work unselfishly for the ideal of Universal Brotherhood by helping their fellow pilgrims to carry the burden of life. Such a joyful and soul-ennobling responsibility will be fruitful of good to the Society, to yourselves, and to Humanity at large. While preparations for the new cycle continue, and the forerunners of the new subrace appear on the American Continent, the latent occult powers in man have already begun germinating and growing. The Ethics of Theosophy are far higher and more precious than any divulgement of psychic laws; the latter relate wholly to the material and evanescent part of the septenary man. Only self-abnegation and the goodness of earthly love can purify and prepare for the realisation of the Divine Love. Teach, practice, and proclaim the twin doctrines of Karma and Reincarnation, for it is that system of life and principles, which alone can save the coming races. Do not work merely for The Theosophical Society, but through it for the benefit of the Great Orphan, the only disinherited one upon this earth crying aloud in the darkness for guidance and light. Had it not been for W.Q. Judge, Theosophy would not be where it is today in the United States. It is he who has built up the Movement among you, and he who has proved in a thousand ways his loyalty and steadfast devotion to the Cause of the Masters — which is Compassion, i.e., the Causeless Cause of the Spirit of Truth.

Download or read book Mme Blavatsky Defended written by Iverson L. Harris and published by . This book was released on 1971 with total page 190 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This stirring defence of a great woman, unjustly and cruelly attacked, includes refutation of falsehoods, slanders and misrepresentations put out by the National Broadcasting Company, Truman Capote, Walter Winchell, the John Birch Society, Time Magazine and others.

Download or read book Devas Demons and Buddhist Cosmology in Sri Lanka written by Achala Gunasekara-Rockwell and published by Taylor & Francis. This book was released on 2022-08-19 with total page 203 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book examines the worship of devas and demons in Sri Lanka, illustrating how diverse influences interacted to create the Sinhala Buddhist cosmology. The work explains the processes by which apotheosis plays an important role in revitalizing that cosmology. The author offers an examination of holy sites associated with the worship of Hūniyam. These sacred spaces each have a unique background historically, and the ritualists associated with these sites have divergent understandings concerning Hūniyam. Building upon the examination of the temples, the book delves into the iconography of Hūniyam, illustrating his transformation from demon to deity in the manner that he is depicted in imagery associated with his worship. The book moves to a discussion of Aritṭ ạ Kivenḍu Perumāl, a South Indian adventurer, demonstrating the likelihood that he is the historical figure later apotheosized as Hūniyam. Sri Lankan society felt his impact so strongly that in death he became a demon in the Sinhala Buddhist cosmology. Finally, the book demonstrates that the same apotheosis processes are at work today. This book will be of interest to researchers and students engaged in the study of religion, anthropology, folklore, and history, specifically in the South Asian context.

Download or read book The Fourth Gospel is a theological after thought written by Helena Petrovna Blavatsky and published by Philaletheians UK. This book was released on 2024-05-21 with total page 12 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Fourth Gospel is the production of an unknown author, probably a Greek Platonist. For well over a century and a half after the death of Jesus there is not one shred of evidence to connect its learned author with the “disciple whom Jesus loved,” i.e., the author of Revelation. In fact, the Fourth Gospel is revelation in reverse, upside-down. The contrast of thought between the two evangels, as well as the harsh Hebraistic Greek of the Revelation, when confronted with the polished elegance of the Fourth Gospel are too glaring to be denied. The style of Alexandrian Philosophy and the mysticism of Christian Platonists, evident throughout the last gospel, are skilfully interwoven with Pauline Christianity and put into the mouth of Jesus. The beauty of the Fourth Gospel glows bright in the light of Alexandrian Philosophy. Moreover, the Fourth Gospel can neither establish the veracity of miracles, nor the insanity of Divine Revelation.

Download or read book Abrahm Isaac and Judah are the Hindu Brahma Ikshvaku and Yadu written by Helena Petrovna Blavatsky and published by Philaletheians UK. This book was released on 2024-06-21 with total page 18 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The chief agency in the formation of our sun and solar system is the metaphysical paradox that as “cooling causes contraction, and contraction causes heat, cooling causes heat.” The Parabrahman and Mulaprakriti of the Vedantins are the prototypes of the Ain-Soph and Shekhinah of the Kabbalists. Aditi is the original of Sephirah, and the Prajāpatis are the elder brothers of the Sephirah. The Aum of the Hindus had become Aιών with the Greeks, and Aevum with the Romans — the Pan or All. There is but one Law, one Principle, one Agent, one Truth, one Word. Athenians, the real barbarians of Hellas, charged Æschylus with sacrilege and condemned him to be stoned to death because, they claimed, having been uninitiated, he had profaned the Mysteries by exposing them in his trilogies on a public stage. But he would have incurred the same condemnation, had he been initiated. Anointed by the Great Breath, Higher Manas is crucified between two thieves: the lower (Chrēstos), i.e., impure tendencies that after death dissipate in Kama-Loka, and the highest and noblest elements of our spiritual soul (Christos). After the supreme Initiation, Christos is released from his mortal counterpart (Chrēstos), and the two merge into one — the glorified Elect of the Sun. The Rota of Enoch is now called the Taro of Enoch. The Taro, denounced by a Papal Bull as “an invention of Hell,” contains the mystery of all transmutations of “historical personages” into sidereal bodies and vice versa. Even Marquis de Mirville is bent upon finding a Satanic origin even for the innocent Taro! Abrahm (no-Brahman), was Brahmā, the Chaldaean Father of ancient nations. Abram and Brahmā are equivalent in numerical value. More! The English system of measurement is the same as that used by the ancient Egyptians in the construction of their Pyramids. Every god and hero in ancient Pantheons has three biographies, running parallel with each other, and each connected with one of the aspects of the hero — historical, astronomical, and mythical. Localities are also made to correspond with astronomical and even with psychic events. History was thus made captive by ancient Mystery, to become later the great Sphinx of our times. The prototypes of nearly all the biblical personages can be found in the Ancient Pantheon of India. It is the “Sons of Light,” who gave birth to the “Sons of Earth,” the Patriarchs. The Old Testament was milked out of the most ingenious brains of Hebrew Kabbalists, partly in Egypt and partly in Babylonia. The connecting link between Abraham and Enoch’s Taro. Astronomically, Abraham is the sun-measure and a portion of the sun, while Enoch is the solar year, as much as are Hermes or Thoth. Numerically, Thoth is the equivalent of Moses or Hermes, the lord of the lower realms, also esteemed as a teacher of wisdom. The Zohar teaches practical Occultism more than any other work on that subject, not as it is translated and commented upon by its various critics, but with the secret signs on its margins. The “Wheel” of Enoch was the first attempt at symbology, invented in humanity’s Third Root-Race (Lemurian). There are two taros: the “Wheel” of Enoch, purely Esoteric, and the Western Kabbalistical tarot remodelled by Semites, a branch so much younger than the Aryans and even the Hamites.

Download or read book Buddhism and Science written by Donald S. Lopez Jr. and published by University of Chicago Press. This book was released on 2009-05-15 with total page 280 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Beginning in the nineteenth century and continuing to the present day, both Buddhists and admirers of Buddhism have proclaimed the compatibility of Buddhism and science. Their assertions have ranged from modest claims about the efficacy of meditation for mental health to grander declarations that the Buddha himself anticipated the theories of relativity, quantum physics and the big bang more than two millennia ago. In Buddhism and Science, Donald S. Lopez Jr. is less interested in evaluating the accuracy of such claims than in exploring how and why these two seemingly disparate modes of understanding the inner and outer universe have been so persistently linked. Lopez opens with an account of the rise and fall of Mount Meru, the great peak that stands at the center of the flat earth of Buddhist cosmography—and which was interpreted anew once it proved incompatible with modern geography. From there, he analyzes the way in which Buddhist concepts of spiritual nobility were enlisted to support the notorious science of race in the nineteenth century. Bringing the story to the present, Lopez explores the Dalai Lama’s interest in scientific discoveries, as well as the implications of research on meditation for neuroscience. Lopez argues that by presenting an ancient Asian tradition as compatible with—and even anticipating—scientific discoveries, European enthusiasts and Asian elites have sidestepped the debates on the relevance of religion in the modern world that began in the nineteenth century and still flare today. As new discoveries continue to reshape our understanding of mind and matter, Buddhism and Science will be indispensable reading for those fascinated by religion, science, and their often vexed relation.

Download or read book Buddhism Goes to the Movies written by Ronald Green and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2013-12-04 with total page 176 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Buddhism Goes to the Movies: Introduction to Buddhist Thought and Practice explains the basics of Buddhist philosophy and practice through a number of dramatic films from around the world. This book introduces readers in a dynamic way to the major traditions of Buddhism: the Theravāda, and various interrelated Mahāyāna divisions including Zen, Pure Land and Tantric Buddhism. Students can use Ronald Green’s book to gain insights into classic Buddhist themes, including Buddhist awakening, the importance of the theory of dependent origination, the notion of no-self, and Buddhist ideas about life, death and why we are here. Contemporary developments are also explored, including the Socially Engaged Buddhism demonstrated by such figures as the Dalai Lama, Thich Nhat Hanh, Aung San Suu Kyi, and other Buddhist activists. Finally, comparisons between filmic expressions of Buddhism and more traditional artistic expressions of Buddhism—such as mandala drawings—are also drawn. An important addition to any introduction to Buddhist philosophy and practice, Buddhism Goes to the Movies is an excellent way to bring Buddhist thought, history, and activity to the uninitiated and interested reader.

Download or read book The Princeton Dictionary of Buddhism written by Robert E. Buswell Jr. and published by Princeton University Press. This book was released on 2013-11-24 with total page 1300 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The most comprehensive and authoritative dictionary of Buddhism ever produced in English With more than 5,000 entries totaling over a million words, this is the most comprehensive and authoritative dictionary of Buddhism ever produced in English. It is also the first to cover terms from all of the canonical Buddhist languages and traditions: Sanskrit, Pali, Tibetan, Chinese, Japanese, and Korean. Unlike reference works that focus on a single Buddhist language or school, The Princeton Dictionary of Buddhism bridges the major Buddhist traditions to provide encyclopedic coverage of the most important terms, concepts, texts, authors, deities, schools, monasteries, and geographical sites from across the history of Buddhism. The main entries offer both a brief definition and a substantial short essay on the broader meaning and significance of the term covered. Extensive cross-references allow readers to find related terms and concepts. An appendix of Buddhist lists (for example, the four noble truths and the thirty-two marks of the Buddha), a timeline, six maps, and two diagrams are also included. Written and edited by two of today's most eminent scholars of Buddhism, and more than a decade in the making, this landmark work is an essential reference for every student, scholar, or practitioner of Buddhism and for anyone else interested in Asian religion, history, or philosophy. The most comprehensive dictionary of Buddhism ever produced in English More than 5,000 entries totaling over a million words The first dictionary to cover terms from all of the canonical Buddhist languages and traditions—Sanskrit, Pali, Tibetan, Chinese, Japanese, and Korean Detailed entries on the most important terms, concepts, texts, authors, deities, schools, monasteries, and geographical sites in the history of Buddhism Cross-references and appendixes that allow readers to find related terms and look up equivalent terms in multiple Buddhist languages Includes a list of Buddhist lists, a timeline, and maps Also contains selected terms and names in Thai, Burmese, Vietnamese, Lao, Khmer, Sinhalese, Newar, and Mongolian

Download or read book Rebuilding Buddhism written by Sarah LeVine and published by Harvard University Press. This book was released on 2007-09-30 with total page 406 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Rebuilding Buddhism describes in evocative detail the experiences and achievements of Nepalis who have adopted Theravada Buddhism. This form of Buddhism was introduced into Nepal from Burma and Sri Lanka in the 1930s, and its adherents have struggled for recognition and acceptance ever since. With its focus on the austere figure of the monk and the biography of the historical Buddha, and more recently with its emphasis on individualizing meditation and on gender equality, Theravada Buddhism contrasts sharply with the highly ritualized Tantric Buddhism traditionally practiced in the Kathmandu Valley. Based on extensive fieldwork, interviews, and historical reconstruction, the book provides a rich portrait of the different ways of being a Nepali Buddhist over the past seventy years. At the same time it explores the impact of the Theravada movement and what its gradual success has meant for Buddhism, for society, and for men and women in Nepal.