the Equinox - The Hermetic Library

the Equinox - The Hermetic Library the Equinox - The Hermetic Library

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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

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

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