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The Feathered-Serpent

Article/ by Anon., Theosophy Magazine, December, 1927

Under the distinctively American name and symbol of the Feathered-Serpent are to be found the Great Teachers of Mexico and… Read More »The Feathered-Serpent

Kalisantarana Upanishad

Translation/ by K. Narayanaswami Aiyer, Thirty Minor Upanishads, 1914

[Kalisantārana Upanishad]1 At the end of Dvāpara yuga, Nārada2 went to Brahma and addressed him thus: “O Lord, how shall… Read More »Kalisantarana Upanishad

Tarasara Upanishad

Translation/ by K. Narayanaswami Aiyer, Thirty Minor Upanishads, 1914

[Tārasāra-Upanishad]1 Om. Bṛhaspati asked Yājñavalkya: “That which is called Kurukshetra is the place of the sacrifice of the Devas and… Read More »Tarasara Upanishad

Garbha Upanishad

Translation/ by K. Narayanaswami Aiyer, Thirty Minor Upanishads, 1914

[Garbha-Upanishad]1 Om. The body is composed of the five (elements); it exists in the five (objects of sense, etc.); it… Read More »Garbha Upanishad

The Gods of Egypt

Article/ by Anon., Theosophy Magazine, June, 1927

Every cosmogony purports to deal with the origin of the universe, its manifestation marking the beginning of time. Before the… Read More »The Gods of Egypt

Naradaparivrajaka Upanishad

Translation/ by K. Narayanaswami Aiyer, Thirty Minor Upanishads, 1914

Upadeśa I Om. Once upon a time, Nārada, the ornament of Parivrājakas (roaming ascetics), after roaming over all worlds and… Read More »Naradaparivrajaka Upanishad

The Popol Vuh

Article/ by Anon., Theosophy Magazine, January, 1928

The Popol Vuh was composed by a native of Guatemala in the 17th century from traditions handed down by the… Read More »The Popol Vuh

The Teachings of Plato

Article/ by Alexander Wilder, Theosophy, July, 1897

“‘Eagle! why soarest thou above that tomb?To what sublime and starry-paven homeFloatest thou?’‘I am the image of great Plato’s spiritAscending… Read More »The Teachings of Plato

The Hermetic Philosophy

Article/ by Sylvester Baxter, The Path, June, July, December, 1886 [Serialized]

Fragments of the Ancient Wisdom Religion have come down to us from the remotest past, through many channels, and in… Read More »The Hermetic Philosophy

Siphra Ditzniuta: The Book of Concealed Mystery

Commentary/Translation/ by S. L. MacGregor Mathers, Kabbalah Unveiled, 1887

Chapter I 1. Tradition.—“The Book of Concealed Mystery” is the book of the equilibrium of balance. [The word “Dtzenioutha” is… Read More »Siphra Ditzniuta: The Book of Concealed Mystery

Alexandria and Her Schools

Article/ by Anon., Theosophy Magazine, November, 1936

The little island of Samothrace in the Aegean Sea, today barren and sterile, was once the home of great Adepts,… Read More »Alexandria and Her Schools

The Ethics of the Vedanta

Article/ by Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, International Journal of Ethics, January, 1914

A system of philosophy is generally tested by its ethical doctrine. Though a criticism of life, philosophy is judged by… Read More »The Ethics of the Vedanta

The Secret Doctrine: A Paper read before the Blavatsky Lodge of the T. S.

Article/Lecture/ by William Kingsland, Lucifer Magazine, July, 1889

In the course of our systematic study of The Secret Doctrine, which we have now pursued for nearly six months,… Read More »The Secret Doctrine: A Paper read before the Blavatsky Lodge of the T. S.

Principles, Rules, and Bye-Laws of the Theosophical Society [1880]

Article/ by Anon., The Theosophist, April, 1880

The Theosophical Society, or Universal Brotherhood Formed at New York, U. S. of America, October 30th, 1875. Principles, Rules, and… Read More »Principles, Rules, and Bye-Laws of the Theosophical Society [1880]

India—“The Alma-Mater”

Article/ by Anon., Theosophy Magazine, May-July & September-November, 1931 [Serialized]

I: The Eternal Religion Forty years ago, expounding Theosophical tenets, W. Q. Judge called them “Echoes from the Orient.” His… Read More »India—“The Alma-Mater”

Niralamba Upanishad

Translation/ by K. Narayanaswami Aiyer, Thirty Minor Upanishads, 1914

[Nirālamba]1 Harih-Om. I shall relate in the form of a catechism whatever should be known for the removal of all… Read More »Niralamba Upanishad

Egyptian Symbolism and Animal Worship

Article/ by Anon., Theosophy Magazine, July, 1927

The sincere and unprejudiced student of comparative religions comes at last to see that without the help of symbology no… Read More »Egyptian Symbolism and Animal Worship

The Wisdom Religion of Zoroaster

Article/ by Alexander Wilder, Universal Brotherhood Magazine, October, 1898

“The primeval religion of Iran,” says Sir William Jones, “if we rely on the authorities adduced by Mohsan Fani1 was… Read More »The Wisdom Religion of Zoroaster

Adhyatma Upanishad

Translation/ by K. Narayanaswami Aiyer, Thirty Minor Upanishads, 1914

[Adhyātma-Upanishad]1 The One Aja (unborn) is ever located in the cave (of the heart) within the body. (Pṛthivī) the earth… Read More »Adhyatma Upanishad

Reincarnation—The Hidden Doctrine

Article/ by Anon., Theosophy Magazine, September, 1941

Writing of reincarnation, Lessing, dramatist and philosopher of the eighteenth century enlightenment in Germany, summed up the meaning of this… Read More »Reincarnation—The Hidden Doctrine

Bhikshuka Upanishad

Translation/ by K. Narayanaswami Aiyer, Thirty Minor Upanishads, 1914

[Bhikshuka]1 Among bhikshus (religious mendicants) who long for moksha (salvation), there are four2 kinds, viz., Kutīchaka, Bahūdaka, Hamsa, and Paramahamsa.… Read More »Bhikshuka Upanishad

Dhyanabindu Upanishad

Translation/ by K. Narayanaswami Aiyer, Thirty Minor Upanishads, 1914

[Dhyānabindu-Upanishad]1 Even if sin should accumulate to a mountain extending over many yojanas (distance), it is destroyed by dhyānayoga. At… Read More »Dhyanabindu Upanishad

Helena Petrovna Blavatsky

Article/ by Vera Petrovna de Zhelihovsky, Lucifer Magazine, November-December, 1894; January-April, 1895 [Serialized]

My sister, Helena Petrovna Blavatsky, nee de Hahn, better known in our country under the nom de plume of Radha-Bai, which she adopted… Read More »Helena Petrovna Blavatsky

Quetzalcoatl

Article/ by Mildred Swannell, Universal Brotherhood Magazine, September, 1899

Since the earliest times of which we have any historical knowledge, the emblem of the serpent has always been used… Read More »Quetzalcoatl

Amritabindu Upanishad

Translation/ by K. Narayanaswami Aiyer, Thirty Minor Upanishads, 1914

[Amṛtabindu]1 Om. Manas (mind) is said to be of two kinds, the pure and the impure. That which is associated… Read More »Amritabindu Upanishad

Plotinus

Article/ by Anon., Theosophy Magazine, January, 1937

Ammonius Saccas, like many other great Teachers, never committed anything to writing. Following the custom of the ancient Hierophants, he… Read More »Plotinus

Diogenes Laërtius’s Life of Pythagoras

Translation/ by Kenneth Sylvan Guthrie, Pythagorean Sourcebook & Library, 1919

I. Early Life Since we have now gone through the Ionian philosophy, which was derived from Thales, and the lives… Read More »Diogenes Laërtius’s Life of Pythagoras

A Chapter on Jainism

Article/ by Ramdas Sen, The Theosophist, December, 1879

The Jain religion never spread beyond the limits of India. Being thus much less widely known, it has never stood… Read More »A Chapter on Jainism

Selections from the Yoga Vasishtha Maharamayana of Valmiki

Translation/ by Vihari-Lala Mitra, 1891 [See also: Full edition of the Yoga Vasishtha Maharamayana, by Vihari Lala Mitra]

Utpatti-Khanda: Evolution of the World Chapter III: Causes of Bondage in the Body Rāma said:—It is even so as you… Read More »Selections from the Yoga Vasishtha Maharamayana of Valmiki

Letter from Col. Olcott to Mr. H— X—

Letter(s)/ by H. S. Olcott to A. O. Hume, , September, 1881 [Originally published in Hints on Esoteric Theosophy]

Colombo, Ceylon, 30th September 1881. Dear Mr. X., The enclosed card, to the Spiritualist, I had written and put under… Read More »Letter from Col. Olcott to Mr. H— X—

Introduction to the Gathas of Zarathustra

Article/ by D. J. Irani, 1924 [from The Divine Songs of Zarathushtra]

What are the Gathas? The Gathas are the hymns composed by Zarathushtra, the Prophet or the founder of the religion… Read More »Introduction to the Gathas of Zarathustra

Varaha Upanishad

Translation/ by K. Narayanaswami Aiyer, Thirty Minor Upanishads, 1914

[Varāha]1 Chapter I The great sage Ṛbhu performed penance for twelve deva (divine) years. At the end of the time,… Read More »Varaha Upanishad

Sandilya Upanishad

Translation/ by K. Narayanaswami Aiyer, Thirty Minor Upanishads, 1914

Chapter I Om. Śāndilya questioned Atharvan thus: “Please tell me about the eight aṅgas (parts) of Yoga which is the… Read More »Sandilya Upanishad

The Neoplatonic Revival

Article/ by Anon., Theosophy Magazine, February, 1938

In the year 527, when the Emperor Justinian closed the Neoplatonic School in Athens and banished the last seven great… Read More »The Neoplatonic Revival

Brotherhood

Article/ by J. D. Buck, The Path, November, 1889

A great deal has been recently written in regard to the Brotherhood of Man. It is a frequent theme in… Read More »Brotherhood

Plotinus, The Enneads [4:1-9]

Translation/ by Kenneth Sylvan Guthrie, 1918 [Originally published in Plotinus: Complete Works]

Ennead 4.1. Of the Being of the Soul. It is in the intelligible world that dwells veritable being. Intelligence is… Read More »Plotinus, The Enneads [4:1-9]

The Similitudes of Demophilus

Translation/ by William Bridgman, 1804 [Originally published in Translations from the Greek]

1. Flattery is like painted armour, because it affords delight, but is of no use. 2. Learning is similar to a golden… Read More »The Similitudes of Demophilus

A.L. Rawson and H.P.B.’s World Travels

Article/ by Samantha Province, Theosophy Nexus, January, 2016

Albert Leighton Rawson is famous in theosophical history for two things; first, he is a major witness of HPB’s travels… Read More »A.L. Rawson and H.P.B.’s World Travels

Plato and Aristotle

Article/ by Anon., Theosophy Magazine, September, 1939

When Socrates was sixty years old, Plato, then a youth of twenty, came to him as a pupil. When Plato… Read More »Plato and Aristotle

Roger Bacon

Article/ by Anon., Theosophy Magazine, December, 1937

Wherever thought has struggled to be free, there the great Theosophical Movement is to be discerned. The twelfth century is… Read More »Roger Bacon

First Century Christianity

Article/ by Anon., Theosophy Magazine, August, 1936

Theosophy is the ancient Wisdom-Religion, as old as thinking man, and part of the work of the Theosophical Movement is… Read More »First Century Christianity

The First Object of the Theosophical Society

Article/ by Katherine Hillard, The Path, December, 1891

The three principal objects of the Theosophical Society as laid down in the books are: First, “To form a nucleus of a… Read More »The First Object of the Theosophical Society

Zoroastrian Ethics

Article/ by Anon., Theosophy Magazine, April, 1926

If the spirit of Vedanta singing through the Gita endeavors to bring the world to Dharma-Duty, the theme which Zoroastrianism… Read More »Zoroastrian Ethics

Was Writing Known Before Panini?

Article/ by Anon., The Theosophist, October, 1883 [Author signed as “A Chela”]

I am entrusted with the task of putting together some facts which would support the view that the art of… Read More »Was Writing Known Before Panini?

Egyptian “Immortality”

Article/ by Anon., Theosophy Magazine, September, 1927

Had nothing remained to us of the Book of the Dead but the Judgment Scene, it alone furnishes abundant evidence… Read More »Egyptian “Immortality”

Astrology

Article/ by Anon., The Theosophist, June, 1884

[Note: it is not certain who the author of this article was. It is included in the Collected Writings of… Read More »Astrology

Intellect and Intuition in Sankara’s Philosophy

Article/ by Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, Triveni, July-August, 1933

Philosophy is not a matter of dialectics and intellectual jugglery, but a product of life and meditation on it. It… Read More »Intellect and Intuition in Sankara’s Philosophy

Paracelsus: Philosopher

Article/ by Anon., Theosophy Magazine, March, 1938

The transition from the fifteenth to the sixteenth century accomplished one of the most remarkable changes ever recorded of human… Read More »Paracelsus: Philosopher

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