Ahimsa
Ahimsa paramo dharma: Nonviolence is the highest religion Nonviolence, ahimsa, is the central doctrine of Jainism. It also plays an… Read More »Ahimsa
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Articles from various theosophical authors.
The Twenty-four “Buddhas” of Jainism
The barefoot beggar who wanders through India sweeping the dust from his path lest unintentionally he crush by his step… Read More »The Twenty-four “Buddhas” of Jainism
A Lamp of the True Light
Vast as is the legacy of the skilled and illustrious Jain scholars and artisans, equally extensive is the contribution of… Read More »A Lamp of the True Light
The Logic of Jain Mystical Doctrines
The teachings of Jainism are presented in their sutras and commentaries with such mathematical exactness and logic one can’t help… Read More »The Logic of Jain Mystical Doctrines
Unbroken Chain of Oral Tradition
Didactic ballads and folklore are the most precious remnants of a glorious culture that disappeared from the surface of our… Read More »Unbroken Chain of Oral Tradition
The Art of Writing in India
Part I Though the art of writing was known to the ancient Vedic sages, it was used extensively only in… Read More »The Art of Writing in India
The Vedic Schism
Somewhere in the third millennium BC a great conference was held on the slopes of the Himalayas to discuss a… Read More »The Vedic Schism
The Vedas: Soil of Buddhism
In ancient cultures, such as that of the Indo-Aryans or the Druids, literacy and education were not considered of general… Read More »The Vedas: Soil of Buddhism
A Wonder of Ancient India: The Mahabharata
Daunted by its size and a misconception that an intimate understanding of Hinduism was needed, I never considered taking the Mahabharata off… Read More »A Wonder of Ancient India: The Mahabharata
Evolution in the Vishnu Purana
In H. P. Blavatsky’s Secret Doctrine we find over 100 direct references to the Vishnu Purana, largely in her discussions of cosmic and… Read More »Evolution in the Vishnu Purana
Creation Stories: The Cosmogony Account from the Purāṇas
Part 1. On the Original Purāṇa-saṃhitā The first place that one would look when seeking knowledge of cosmogony from Indian… Read More »Creation Stories: The Cosmogony Account from the Purāṇas
The Seven Creations in the Puranas
The Seven Creations in the Puranas by Nancy Reigle H. P. Blavatsky tells us in the Proem of The Secret… Read More »The Seven Creations in the Puranas
Sāṃkhya and the Wisdom-Religion
The existence of the once universal Wisdom-Religion was made known to the modern world by H. P. Blavatsky, who called… Read More »Sāṃkhya and the Wisdom-Religion
Yoga in Daily Life
It is often thought that yoga, as expounded by the most famous authority on the subject, namely Patanjali, is something… Read More »Yoga in Daily Life
The Yoga of Dharana
Dharana is a Sanskrit word coming from the verb-root dhri — meaning to maintain, direct and resolve. Hence the term implies a… Read More »The Yoga of Dharana
Indian Yoga and the Modern World
In one of Dr. Paul Brunton’s earlier works, A Search in Secret India, he says that although Yoga “is one… Read More »Indian Yoga and the Modern World
Yoga and Enlightenment
There are several different schools of yoga. Best known in the West is hatha yoga. It involves bodily postures and… Read More »Yoga and Enlightenment
The Original Śaṅkarācārya
The once universal Wisdom Tradition, whose existence was made known to the modern world by H. P. Blavatsky, had been… Read More »The Original Śaṅkarācārya
Buddhism: The Path of Compassion
Buddhism is known as a religion of enlightenment and emancipation or freedom. Buddha is a generic name given to one… Read More »Buddhism: The Path of Compassion
The Language of the Buddhist Scriptures: Pali
Pali is the name that has been given to the language spoken in the north of India, from and before… Read More »The Language of the Buddhist Scriptures: Pali
Gautama, The Lord Buddha, and His Teachings
“Buddhism teaches an evolution or development of this x-factor of consciousness and will [the Karman, the Dhyani-Buddha, or the Reincarnating… Read More »Gautama, The Lord Buddha, and His Teachings
The Divine Discontent of Gautama the Buddha
Twenty-five hundred years ago there was born to the royal family of the Sakya clan, a son, the Prince Siddartha,… Read More »The Divine Discontent of Gautama the Buddha
The Birth of Zen Buddhism
It is said — and what is tradition but truth in the robes of poetry? — that once, when the… Read More »The Birth of Zen Buddhism
The Nature of Zen Buddhism
There are men, and plenty of them, who think that when something has been classified in accordance with the prevailing… Read More »The Nature of Zen Buddhism
In Search of Zen
Asked, “What is Zen?”, there is only one truthful answer, “That’s it!” For Zen is beyond description. It is the… Read More »In Search of Zen
Theosophy and Buddhism
Theosophy is the modern name given by H. P. Blavatsky towhat is described by her as the once universal but… Read More »Theosophy and Buddhism
Discovering the Tao Teh Ching
Lao-tzu’s Tao Teh Ching sat on the bookshelf for many years before it was finally dusted off and read. After… Read More »Discovering the Tao Teh Ching
Renovation Follows Renovation Without Cease
The Tao that can be expressed is not the eternal Tao;The name that can be defined is not the unchanging… Read More »Renovation Follows Renovation Without Cease
The Wisdom of Emptiness
Understanding “emptiness” is presented in Buddhism as the culmination of religious training. It is attained through the systematic practice of… Read More »The Wisdom of Emptiness
The Three Noble Teachers of Ancient China
The following impromptu address was given during a long trip on a Chinese Cargo Liner. Each Sunday morning there was… Read More »The Three Noble Teachers of Ancient China
The Religion of China
The Chinese have the oldest and the finest civilisation extant, not excepting that of India. Compared with them we in… Read More »The Religion of China
War-Cry of the Soul
I will give you the story of Creation, as it was taught by the ancient Druids in Wales. It is… Read More »War-Cry of the Soul
Egyptian Teachings in the Light of Theosophy
Verily there was some truth in the old saying, “The Wisdom of the Egyptians.” . . . — H. P.… Read More »Egyptian Teachings in the Light of Theosophy
The Riddle of Ancient Egypt
The ancient Egyptian civilizations is still strange to us after many decades of research into its features and history. It… Read More »The Riddle of Ancient Egypt
The Two Faces of Egypt
The resurgence of life during the vernal equinox has been celebrated by all peoples who have inherited from remotest antiquity… Read More »The Two Faces of Egypt
The Radiant Thread of Egyptian Myth
The ancient Egyptians believed that the numerous gods of their pantheon were emanations from the First Cause of all life… Read More »The Radiant Thread of Egyptian Myth
The Papyrus of Ani—Initiation and the After-Life
The idea that man has an immortal spiritual nature, or at least an ethereal body which survives death, has been… Read More »The Papyrus of Ani—Initiation and the After-Life
The Book of God
Here at hand is The Desatir, which Zoroastrians call the Book of God, the message-bearer and nourisher, not only of… Read More »The Book of God
The Story of Beginnings
The Persian story of beginnings is of the rebecoming, the renovation, of what has ever existed and is repeatedly refashioned… Read More »The Story of Beginnings
The Prophet of Light
Aid me by light, and vivify me by light, and guard me by light, and unite me unto light! I… Read More »The Prophet of Light
The “Vast Individual”
Mazdean teachings explain that because all creatures are equally important parts of one “Vast Individual,” whatever gives pleasure or pain… Read More »The “Vast Individual”
The Vision of Ardai Viraf
Happiness comes to him, through whom happiness goes out to others. — Ushtavaiti Gastha Alexander’s conquest of the 4th century… Read More »The Vision of Ardai Viraf
The Sacred Pilgrim in Greek Thought
If we consider man as composed of body, soul and spirit, then the sacred pilgrim in Greek thought is the… Read More »The Sacred Pilgrim in Greek Thought
The Ancient Mysteries:A Great Light, A Force for Good
It is probable that people in general do not realize that all who betake themselves to philosophy in the right… Read More »The Ancient Mysteries:A Great Light, A Force for Good
On Pythagoras
Pythagoras was born about 528 B.C., and his parents, Mnesarchus and Pythais were citizens of Samos and descendants of Ancaeus,… Read More »On Pythagoras
Pythagoras’ Contribution
The stream of an ancient wisdom flows out of a remote antiquity. At times traces of its existence are observable… Read More »Pythagoras’ Contribution
On Plato’s Theory of Ideas
A student at one of the Eastern colleges of the United States writes in that he has more questions than… Read More »On Plato’s Theory of Ideas