This marks part 3 of a 5-part series where I will read aloud chapters from Manly P. Hall's “The Wisdom of the Knowing Ones: Gnosticism, the Key to Esoteric Christianity.” In this episode, we'll be reading chapter two, “Parallels Between Eastern and Western Philosophy.”
What you'll learn:
· The detailed process of how different religions and philosophies come into existence, unfold their teachings, attain their maximum sphere of influence, and then either diminish or fade away
· When did Greek religion (Hellenism) as a religion and philosophy die off?
· The connection between Syrian and Egyptian Gnosis and the development of early Christian sects like the Essenes and Nazarenes
· The beginning phases of Buddism and how the core teachings became corrupted and too severe over time (similar to what happened with the Catholic church)
· How mystic traditions (Sufism, Taoism, Gnosticism, Essenes) came in to fill the void left by major religions of Buddism, Hinduism, Islam and Orthodox Christianity
· The story of Nagarjuna, often referred to as “The Second Buddha” by Tibetan and East Asian Mahayana (Great Vehicle) traditions of Buddhism
· The three main ways that both Eastern and Western Mystic schools believe one can attain higher levels of spiritual knowledge and initiation (enlightenment)
· The strong parallels between mystical Christianity and Eastern mysticism
· The meaning of Prajnaparamita (“Mother of all the Buddhas”) in Buddhism and her connection to “Sophia, Virgin of the World” in Gnostic tradition
· The use of mantras (repeated sound patterns” in early Eastern and Western esoteric traditions
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Manly Palmer Hall was a Canadian author, lecturer, astrologer, mystic, and Freemason. Over his 70-year career he gave thousands of lectures and published over 150 volumes of written work. Early in his life, he became drawn to mysticism, esoteric philosophies, and their underlying principles. While visiting London in the early 1930s, Hall acquired from an auction agent at Sotheby's, a substantial collection of rare books and manuscripts about alchemy and esotericism. Owing to economic conditions resulting from the Great Depression, he acquired the collection for an insanely low price due to the economic circumstances of the time.
SELECTED READING: “The Wisdom of the Knowing Ones: Gnosticism, the Key to Esoteric Christianity.” (Pages 1-22)
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