the Equinox - The Hermetic Library

THE TEMPLE OF SOLOMON THE KING
Aspiration (Sampakkhandana). Under Perseverance, the rendering
of Support—tension (Paggaha). Under Mindfulness,
Repetition (Apilâpana) and “keeping up” (Upaganhana).
Under Good Conduct, the whole fo the Royal Road from
Aspirant to Arahat—The five Moral Powers (Indriyabalâin);
The seven Conditions of Arahatship (Bogghangâ); The Path,
readiness of memory, (Satipatthâna);; The four kinds of Right
Exertion (Sammappadhâna); The four Stages of Ecstasy
(Ghâna); The eight forms of spiritual Emancipation (Vimokhâ);
The four modes of Self-Concentration (Samâdhi);*
The eight states of Intense contemplation (Samâpatti).
It would be a waste of time to compare the above states
with the states of the Hindu Yoga, or enumerate other similarities
which exist by the score, but one point we must not
overlook, and that is The Noble Eightfold Path, which contains
the very essence of Gotama’s teaching, as he said:
There is a Middle Path, O Monks, the Two Extremes avoiding, by the
Tathâgata attained:—a Path which makes for Insight and gives Understanding,
which leads to Peace of Mind, to the Higher Wisdom, to the Great Awakening,
to Nibbâna!†
Let us now examine these eight truths.‡ The first is:
I. Right Comprehension or Right Views.
Right Comprehension is the first practical step in carrying
* It will be noticed that this is the third sense in which this hard-working
word is employed.
† The Sutta of the Foundation of the Kingdom of Truth.
‡ [We respect the following noble attempt to rewrite Buddhism in the
Universal Cipher, not unaware that the flatulent Buddhists of to-day will eructate
their cacodylic protests. An orthodox Buddhist acocunt is to be found in “The
Sword of Song” by A. Crowley, article “Science and Buddhism.”—ED.]
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