Which is perfectly fine. The etymologies presented, however, are... well... "interesting".Santi253 wrote:I italicized the part I agreed with:Coëmgenu wrote: Even if Amitâbha was a Chinese word, Chinese EBTs were not translated from Sanskrit, thus the amṛta --> amitābha confusion she suggests is even more unfounded.
Santi253 wrote:The original conception of the ideal of an impersonal divine light has been anthropomorphized with time.
http://theosophy.org/Blavatsky/Theosoph ... egloss.htm
Theosophy
Re: Theosophy
What is the Uncreated?
Sublime & free, what is that obscured Eternity?
It is the Undying, the Bright, the Isle.
It is an Ocean, a Secret: Reality.
Both life and oblivion, it is Nirvāṇa.
Sublime & free, what is that obscured Eternity?
It is the Undying, the Bright, the Isle.
It is an Ocean, a Secret: Reality.
Both life and oblivion, it is Nirvāṇa.
Re: Theosophy
Yeah, which is one of the reasons I no longer consider her an authority. She frequently did that with etymologies throughout her writings. Jordan Maxwell does the same thing, her modern-day follower.Coëmgenu wrote:The etymologies presented, however, are... well... "interesting".
Non-violence is the greatest virtue, cowardice the greatest vice. - Mahatma Gandhi
http://www.matthewsatori.tumblr.com
http://www.matthewsatori.tumblr.com
Re: Theosophy
Those information is to be realised by direct knowledge based on the nikayas. And her knowledge is not complete. Did she ever claim she has psychic powers? Many other Buddhism also have secret teachings.According to Madame Blavatsky, the Buddha only founded the institutional religion of Buddhism, while the real truth is the esoteric doctrine which she called "Bodhism."
But, she and leadbeaters are prolific writers.
Re: Theosophy
So is this her buddhist membership card?David N. Snyder wrote:
Apparently Blavatsky was the first Western woman to officially take the 5 precepts. She might even be the first (Western woman) overall (official or unofficial).
chownah
Re: Theosophy
There is a theosophy society in Singapore that anyone can join. I am not sure if they give you a membership card.chownah wrote:So is this her buddhist membership card?David N. Snyder wrote:
Apparently Blavatsky was the first Western woman to officially take the 5 precepts. She might even be the first (Western woman) overall (official or unofficial).
chownah
- DNS
- Site Admin
- Posts: 17222
- Joined: Tue Dec 30, 2008 4:15 am
- Location: Las Vegas, Nevada, Estados Unidos de América
- Contact:
Re: Theosophy
Yes.chownah wrote: So is this her buddhist membership card?
chownah
If she considered herself a Buddhist, then she was one. As I mentioned in another thread, being Buddhist doesn't make one a Buddha or even mean that one is good or advanced in any way.
- Nicholas Weeks
- Posts: 4210
- Joined: Tue Dec 30, 2008 11:26 pm
- Location: USA West Coast
Re: Theosophy
Not too much is known about Blavatsky's Hindu (not Tibetan) guru, but here is a little sketch about him:
http://theosophy.wiki/en/Morya
The other main guru of Blavatsky and other theosophists of her era was called 'Koot Hoomi', again a Hindu, not a Tibetan.
http://theosophy.wiki/en/Koot_Hoomi
http://theosophy.wiki/en/Morya
The other main guru of Blavatsky and other theosophists of her era was called 'Koot Hoomi', again a Hindu, not a Tibetan.
http://theosophy.wiki/en/Koot_Hoomi
Good and evil have no fixed form. It's as easy to turn from doing bad to doing good as it is to flip over the hand from the back to the palm. It's simply up to us to do it. Master Hsuan Hua.
Re: Theosophy
Here's a contemporary account ... http://www.iapsop.com/ssoc/1884__lillie ... veiled.pdf
It's a scanned typescript so I can't easily quote chunks of it, but it certainly makes fascinating reading.
Kim
It's a scanned typescript so I can't easily quote chunks of it, but it certainly makes fascinating reading.
Kim
Re: Theosophy
The descriptions of his looks like blue eyes and golden complexion reminds me of certain descriptions of the Buddha in the nikaya.Will wrote:Not too much is known about Blavatsky's Hindu (not Tibetan) guru, but here is a little sketch about him:
http://theosophy.wiki/en/Morya
The other main guru of Blavatsky and other theosophists of her era was called 'Koot Hoomi', again a Hindu, not a Tibetan.
http://theosophy.wiki/en/Koot_Hoomi
Re: Theosophy
As has repeatedly been demonstrated in this thread, Madame Blavatsky claimed to be in contact with a Tibetan guru. The Mahatma Letters also claimed to be from a Tibetan guru.Will wrote:Not too much is known about Blavatsky's Hindu (not Tibetan) guru...
There is no evidence, as far as I've seen, to support Madame Blavatsky's and Theosophy's claim to have somehow been connected to Tibetan gurus. Ignoring a false or unsubstantiated claim doesn't make it go away.
Non-violence is the greatest virtue, cowardice the greatest vice. - Mahatma Gandhi
http://www.matthewsatori.tumblr.com
http://www.matthewsatori.tumblr.com
- Nicholas Weeks
- Posts: 4210
- Joined: Tue Dec 30, 2008 11:26 pm
- Location: USA West Coast
Re: Theosophy
Count on Kim to find someone hostile to HPB and theosophy and someone who never met her gurus or Blavatsky (I think).
There are plenty more out there from her day, usually churchy folk or secularists.
There are plenty more out there from her day, usually churchy folk or secularists.
Good and evil have no fixed form. It's as easy to turn from doing bad to doing good as it is to flip over the hand from the back to the palm. It's simply up to us to do it. Master Hsuan Hua.
- Nicholas Weeks
- Posts: 4210
- Joined: Tue Dec 30, 2008 11:26 pm
- Location: USA West Coast
Re: Theosophy
Pardon my frankness Santi, but you have presented only assertions regarding Blavatsky.Santi253 wrote:As has repeatedly been demonstrated in this thread, Madame Blavatsky claimed to be in contact with a Tibetan guru. The Mahatma Letters also claimed to be from a Tibetan guru.Will wrote:Not too much is known about Blavatsky's Hindu (not Tibetan) guru...
The Mahatma Letters were from the two HINDU gurus I mentioned earlier.
HPB knew many adepts in a bodhisattva brotherhood and some were Tibetans (along with other nationalities), but her primary sources of teachings were from the two Indian gurus.
Last edited by retrofuturist on Mon Aug 14, 2017 11:49 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Reason: Frankness which violated TOS has been edited out.
Reason: Frankness which violated TOS has been edited out.
Good and evil have no fixed form. It's as easy to turn from doing bad to doing good as it is to flip over the hand from the back to the palm. It's simply up to us to do it. Master Hsuan Hua.
- Nicholas Weeks
- Posts: 4210
- Joined: Tue Dec 30, 2008 11:26 pm
- Location: USA West Coast
Re: Theosophy
Part of the reason for Olcott & Blavatsky going to Ceylon - under the Gunananda entry:
Excerpt From: Lopez, Donald S., Jr., Buswell, Robert E., Jr. Princeton Dictionary of BuddhismThe Pānaduravādaya, [the record of the debate] was published in English in the book Buddhism and Christianity Face to Face in 1878. This book inspired Colonel HENRY STEEL OLCOTT and Madame HELENA PETROVNA BLAVATSKY, founders of the Theosophical Society, to travel to Ceylon, where they played active roles in the revival of Buddhism.
Good and evil have no fixed form. It's as easy to turn from doing bad to doing good as it is to flip over the hand from the back to the palm. It's simply up to us to do it. Master Hsuan Hua.
Re: Theosophy
I'm just looking for a bit of balance, Nicholas, since you provide none at all: all of your sources in this thread are from within Theosophy, just as all of your sources in the Euthanasia thread are implacably opposed to euthanasia. If we are to have a useful discussion - which is the purpose of the board - we need both sides and (IMO) you need to argue your side rather than just plonk links and quotes in front of us.Will wrote:Count on Kim to find someone hostile to HPB and theosophy and someone who never met her gurus or Blavatsky (I think).
There are plenty more out there from her day, usually churchy folk or secularists.
Kim