A Svābhāvika School of Buddhism?
Part 1 As already discussed here, the alleged Svābhāvika school of Buddhism in Nepal that is spoken of in many… Read More »A Svābhāvika School of Buddhism?
God’s Arrival in India
Ancient India is considered to be the spiritual motherland of our planet. According to The Secret Doctrine, it was the… Read More »God’s Arrival in India
Book of Dzyan Research Report: Technical Terms in Stanza I
Serious students of The Secret Doctrine, and especially those who are Theosophical teachers and lecturers, will wish to know what… Read More »Book of Dzyan Research Report: Technical Terms in Stanza I
Book of Dzyan Research Report: Technical Terms in Stanza II
There are seven technical terms in stanza II of the “Book of Dzyan” as translated in H. P. Blavatsky’s The Secret… Read More »Book of Dzyan Research Report: Technical Terms in Stanza II
Book of Dzyan Research Report: Theosophy in Tibet: The Teachings of the Jonangpa School
Some seven centuries ago there arose in Tibet a school of teachings which has many parallels to Theosophy. This is… Read More »Book of Dzyan Research Report: Theosophy in Tibet: The Teachings of the Jonangpa School
Letter No. 10e (A. P. Sinnett to A. O. Hume)
{To A. O Hume. Recd Simla, mid-June 1882.} Poor Old Lady! I shall come up and see you to-morrow afternoon.… Read More »Letter No. 10e (A. P. Sinnett to A. O. Hume)
The Vocation of Life
If there is actually a plan, a vocation in human life, it is surely worth our while to discover what… Read More »The Vocation of Life
“A Voice from Over the Seas.”
A question has reached the Head of the Esoteric Section of the Theosophical Society, regarding the alleged representation of that… Read More »“A Voice from Over the Seas.”
“Attention, Theosophists!”
“Heat not a furnace for your foe so hotThat it do singe yourself.”—Shakespeare. “He who tells a lie is not… Read More »“Attention, Theosophists!”
[On Absolute Motion]
Article selection by “E. E. Θ” | Note by H.P.B. . . . Since, therefore, it is evident that that… Read More »[On Absolute Motion]
[On Lokas and Globes]
Article selection by “Sepharial” | Note by H.P.B. . . . The Seven Rishis are the Divine Sages, Prajapatis, or… Read More »[On Lokas and Globes]
Vivekachudamani (Crest-Jewel of Wisdom)
I prostrate myself before the true teacher—before him who is revealed by the conclusions of all systems of Vedantic philosophy,… Read More »Vivekachudamani (Crest-Jewel of Wisdom)
Jainism
The mighty task of bringing together the various factions and of and revitalizing the great philosophy underlying the ancient Vedas… Read More »Jainism
The Fourteenfold Path of the Jains
Any one of you who has once felt the touch of the god within never is the same again. Never… Read More »The Fourteenfold Path of the Jains
Ahimsa
Ahimsa paramo dharma: Nonviolence is the highest religion Nonviolence, ahimsa, is the central doctrine of Jainism. It also plays an… Read More »Ahimsa
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 One Form of Existence”: prabhavāpyaya in the Original Purāṇa-saṃhitā
“Book of Dzyan,” stanza 1, verse 8, is given by H. P. Blavatsky in The Secret Doctrine (vol. 1, p. 46)… Read More »“The One Form of Existence”: prabhavāpyaya in the Original Purāṇa-saṃhitā
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
Tsong-kha-pa: Wisdom for Today
Of the many works of the Tibetan master Tsong-kha-pa, few compare in terms of popularity and breadth of influence with… Read More »Tsong-kha-pa: Wisdom for Today
Prajnaparamita-Hridaya-Sutra (The Heart Sutra)
[Introduction] This scripture has always been held in the greatest veneration in Mahayana countries. In China and Japan there are… Read More »Prajnaparamita-Hridaya-Sutra (The Heart Sutra)
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 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
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