the Equinox - The Hermetic Library
the Equinox - The Hermetic Library the Equinox - The Hermetic Library
126 THE EQUINOX descended a God-illumined Adept. He fully realized that to admit into his argument the comment of God was to erase all hope of deliverance from the text, and therefore, though he had become The Buddha, nevertheless, in his selflessness he stooped down to the level of the lowest of mankind, and abandoning as dross the stupendous powers he had acquired, helped his fellows to realize the right path by the most universal of all symbols—the woe of the world, the sorrow of mankind. Like the Vendântis, he saw that the crux of the whole trouble was Ignorance (Avijjâ). Dispel this ignorance, and illumination would take its place, that insight into the real nature of things, which, little by little, leads the Aspirant out of the world of brith and seath, the world of Samsâra, into that inscrutable Nibbâna where things in themselves cease to exist and with them the thoughts which go to build them up. Ignorance is the greatest of all Fetters, and, “he who sins inadvertently,” as Nâgasena said, “has the greater demerit.” Enquiring into the particular nature of Ignorance Buddha discovered that the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil had three main branches, namely: Lobha, Dosa and Moha; Craving, Passion and the Delusion of Self, and that these three forms of Ignorance alone could be conquered by right understanding the Three Great Signs or Characteristics of all Existence, namely: Change, Sorrow, and Absence of an Ego— Anikka, Dukkha, and Anatta, which were attained by meditating on the inmost meaning of the Four Noble Truths: “The Truth about Suffering; the Truth about the Cause of Suffering; the Truth about the Cessation of Suffering; and the Truth about the Path which leads to the Cessation of
THE TEMPLE OF SOLOMON THE KING Suffering.” These consist of the above Three Characteristics with the addition of the Noble Eightfold Path, which contains as we shall presently see the whole of Canonical Buddhism. Up to this point, save for the denial of the Ego, the whole of the above doctrine might have been extracted from almost any of the Upanishads. But there is a difference, and the difference is this. Though the Vedântist realized that Ignorance (Avidyâ) was the foundation of all Sorrow, and that all, possessing the essence of Change, was but illusion or Mâyâ, a matter of name and form;* Buddha now pointed out that the true path of deliverance was through the Reason (Ruach) and not through the senses (Nephesh), as many of the Upanishads would give one to believe. Further, this was the path that Gotama had trod, and therefore, naturally he besought others to tread it. The Vedântist attempted to attain unity with the Âtman (Kether)† by means of his Emotions (Nephesh) intermingled with his Reason (Ruach), but the Buddha by means of his Reason (Ruach) alone. Buddha attempted to cut off all joy from the world, substituting in its place an implacable rationalism, a stern and inflexible morality, little seeing that the sorrows of Earth which his system substituted in place of the joys of Heaven, though they might not ruffle his selfconquered self, must perturb the minds of his followers, * We have seen how in the Chândogya Upanishad that all things, including even the four Vedas, are called “nâma eva”—mere name. Now in “The Questions of King Milinda” we find Nâgasena stating that all things but “name and form,” the difference between which lies in that “Whatever is gross therein is ‘form:’ ” whatever is subtle, mental, is “name.” But that both are dependent on each other, and spring up, not separately, but together. “The Questions of King Milinda,” ii. 2. 8. † It must not be forgotten that in its ultimate interpretation the Âtman is the Ain, however we use this reading as seldom as possible, as it is so very vague. 127
- Page 99 and 100: THE TEMPLE OF SOLOMON THE KING This
- Page 101 and 102: THE TEMPLE OF SOLOMON THE KING whic
- Page 103 and 104: THE TEMPLE OF SOLOMON THE KING or m
- Page 105 and 106: THE TEMPLE OF SOLOMON THE KING the
- Page 107 and 108: THE TEMPLE OF SOLOMON THE KING and
- Page 109: DIAGRAM 83. The Yogi (showing the C
- Page 112 and 113: 92 THE EQUINOX drinking it he will
- Page 114 and 115: 94 THE EQUINOX with a concentrated
- Page 116 and 117: 96 THE EQUINOX the secrets that eve
- Page 118 and 119: 98 THE EQUINOX called Prânâyâma.
- Page 120 and 121: 100 THE EQUINOX How to awake the Ku
- Page 122 and 123: 102 THE EQUINOX He should perform K
- Page 124 and 125: 104 THE EQUINOX and therefore over
- Page 126 and 127: 106 THE EQUINOX When once Dhâranâ
- Page 128 and 129: 108 THE EQUINOX OBJECT MEDITATED UP
- Page 131 and 132: THE TEMPLE OF SOLOMON THE KING OBJE
- Page 133 and 134: THE TEMPLE OF SOLOMON THE KING 3. t
- Page 135 and 136: THE TEMPLE OF SOLOMON THE KING May;
- Page 137: DIAGRAM 86. The Flashing Figure of
- Page 140 and 141: 116 THE EQUINOX At this city, on th
- Page 142 and 143: 118 THE EQUINOX May 19th. 1. Assump
- Page 144 and 145: 120 THE EQUINOX Hong-Kong. I found
- Page 146 and 147: 122 THE EQUINOX One hundred indrawn
- Page 148 and 149: 124 THE EQUINOX five days later he
- Page 152 and 153: 128 THE EQUINOX and produce emotion
- Page 154 and 155: 130 THE EQUINOX its place wrote Nib
- Page 156 and 157: 132 THE EQUINOX or Soul; and a Sele
- Page 158 and 159: 134 THE EQUINOX is non-existent. Ea
- Page 160 and 161: 136 THE EQUINOX neither Flame nor A
- Page 162 and 163: 138 THE EQUINOX so the Karma, relea
- Page 164 and 165: 140 THE EQUINOX the second The Invo
- Page 166 and 167: 142 THE NOBLE EIGHTFOLD PATH In pla
- Page 168 and 169: 144 THE EQUINOX out the Four Noble
- Page 170 and 171: 146 THE EQUINOX one stupendous magi
- Page 172 and 173: 148 THE EQUINOX enlightened, he doe
- Page 174 and 175: 150 THE WRITINGS OF TRUTH* The seek
- Page 176 and 177: 152 THE EQUINOX It was on this day
- Page 178 and 179: 154 THE EQUINOX The next is as the
- Page 180 and 181: 156 THE EQUINOX and from the centre
- Page 182 and 183: September 5th. 12.15-12.52 p.m. p.m
- Page 184 and 185: September 9th. 9.50-10.20 a.m. a.m.
- Page 186 and 187: 162 THE EQUINOX Two practices of Pr
- Page 188 and 189: September 29th. 12.0 m.n. 164 11.15
- Page 190 and 191: 166 THE EQUINOX October. Prânâyâ
- Page 192 and 193: 168 THE EQUINOX itself a suicidal W
- Page 194 and 195: 170 THE EQUINOX We append the follo
- Page 196 and 197: 172 THE EQUINOX On the 7th of March
- Page 198 and 199: 174 THE EQUINOX (1903). In the mont
126<br />
THE EQUINOX<br />
descended a God-illumined Adept. He fully realized that to<br />
admit into his argument <strong>the</strong> comment of God was to erase<br />
all hope of deliverance from <strong>the</strong> text, and <strong>the</strong>refore, though<br />
he had become <strong>The</strong> Buddha, never<strong>the</strong>less, in his selflessness<br />
he stooped down to <strong>the</strong> level of <strong>the</strong> lowest of mankind, and<br />
abandoning as dross <strong>the</strong> stupendous powers he had acquired,<br />
helped his fellows to realize <strong>the</strong> right path by <strong>the</strong> most<br />
universal of all symbols—<strong>the</strong> woe of <strong>the</strong> world, <strong>the</strong> sorrow<br />
of mankind.<br />
Like <strong>the</strong> Vendântis, he saw that <strong>the</strong> crux of <strong>the</strong> whole<br />
trouble was Ignorance (Avijjâ). Dispel this ignorance, and<br />
illumination would take its place, that insight into <strong>the</strong> real<br />
nature of things, which, little by little, leads <strong>the</strong> Aspirant out<br />
of <strong>the</strong> world of brith and seath, <strong>the</strong> world of Samsâra, into<br />
that inscrutable Nibbâna where things in <strong>the</strong>mselves cease to<br />
exist and with <strong>the</strong>m <strong>the</strong> thoughts which go to build <strong>the</strong>m up.<br />
Ignorance is <strong>the</strong> greatest of all Fetters, and, “he who sins<br />
inadvertently,” as Nâgasena said, “has <strong>the</strong> greater demerit.”<br />
Enquiring into <strong>the</strong> particular nature of Ignorance Buddha<br />
discovered that <strong>the</strong> Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil<br />
had three main branches, namely: Lobha, Dosa and Moha;<br />
Craving, Passion and <strong>the</strong> Delusion of Self, and that <strong>the</strong>se<br />
three forms of Ignorance alone could be conquered by right<br />
understanding <strong>the</strong> Three Great Signs or Characteristics of all<br />
Existence, namely: Change, Sorrow, and Absence of an Ego—<br />
Anikka, Dukkha, and Anatta, which were attained by meditating<br />
on <strong>the</strong> inmost meaning of <strong>the</strong> Four Noble Truths:<br />
“<strong>The</strong> Truth about Suffering; <strong>the</strong> Truth about <strong>the</strong> Cause<br />
of Suffering; <strong>the</strong> Truth about <strong>the</strong> Cessation of Suffering; and<br />
<strong>the</strong> Truth about <strong>the</strong> Path which leads to <strong>the</strong> Cessation of