The Doctrine of Avataras
A strange story—a legend rather—is persistently current among the disciples of some great Himâlayan Gurus, and even among laymen, to… Read More »The Doctrine of Avataras
The Secret Doctrine Volume 3
Some Reasons for Secrecy
The fact that the Occult Sciences have been withheld from the world at large, and denied by the Initiates to… Read More »Some Reasons for Secrecy
Various Occult Systems of Interpretation of Alphabets and Numerals
The transcendental methods of the Kabalah must not be mentioned in a public work; but its various systems of arithmetical… Read More »Various Occult Systems of Interpretation of Alphabets and Numerals
Introductory to The Secret Doctrine, Volume 3
“Power belongs to him who knows;” this is a very old axiom. Knowledge—the first step to which is the power… Read More »Introductory to The Secret Doctrine, Volume 3
Secret Cycles
The former five-year cycle comprehends sixty solar-sidereal months of 1800 days, sixty-one solar months (or 1830 days); sixty-two lunar months… Read More »Secret Cycles
The Secret Books of “Lam-Rim” and Dzyan
The Book of Dzyan—from the Sanskrit word “Dhyâna” (mystic meditation)—is the first volume of the Commentaries upon the seven secret… Read More »The Secret Books of “Lam-Rim” and Dzyan
Eastern and Western Occultism
In The Theosophist for March, 1886,1 in an answer to the “Solar Sphinx,” a member of the London Lodge of… Read More »Eastern and Western Occultism
Amita Buddha Kwan-Shai-yin, and Kwan-yin
What the “Book of Dzyan” and the Lamaseries of Tsong-Kha-pa say As a supplement to the Commentaries there are many… Read More »Amita Buddha Kwan-Shai-yin, and Kwan-yin
The Secresy of Initiates
The false rendering of a number of parables and sayings of Jesus is not to be wondered at in the… Read More »The Secresy of Initiates
Preface to The Secret Doctrine, Volume 3
The task of preparing this volume for the press has been a difficult and anxious one, and it is necessary… Read More »Preface to The Secret Doctrine, Volume 3
The Trial of the Sun Initiate
We will begin with the ancient Mysteries—those received from the Atlanteans by the primitive Âryans—whose mental and intellectual state Professor… Read More »The Trial of the Sun Initiate
The Hexagon with the Central Point, or the Seventh Key
Arguing upon the virtue in names (Baalshem), Molitor thinks it impossible to deny that the Kabalah—its present abuses notwithstanding—has some… Read More »The Hexagon with the Central Point, or the Seventh Key
Post-Christian Adepts and their Doctrines
What does the world at large know of Peter and Simon, for example? Profane history has no record of these… Read More »Post-Christian Adepts and their Doctrines
St. Cyprian of Antioch
The Æons (Stellar Spirits)—emanated from the Unknown of the Gnostics, and identical with the Dhyân Chohans of the Esoteric Doctrine—and… Read More »St. Cyprian of Antioch
Symbolism of Sun and Stars
“And the Heaven was visible in Seven Circles and the planets appeared with all their signs, in star-form, and the… Read More »Symbolism of Sun and Stars
What the Occultists and Kabalists have to say
The Zohar, an unfathomable store of hidden wisdom and mystery, is very often appealed to by Roman Catholic writers. A… Read More »What the Occultists and Kabalists have to say
The Seven Principles
The “Mystery of Buddha” is that of several other Adepts—perhaps of many. The whole trouble is to understand correctly that… Read More »The Seven Principles
Egyptian Magic
Few of our students of Occultism have had the opportunity of examining Egyptian papyri—those living, or rather re-arisen witnesses that… Read More »Egyptian Magic
Apollonius of Tyana
It is said in Isis Unveiled that the greatest teachers of divinity agree that nearly all ancient books were written… Read More »Apollonius of Tyana
Simon and his Biographer Hippolytus
As shown in our earlier volumes, Simon was a pupil of the Tanaim of Samaria, and the reputation he left… Read More »Simon and his Biographer Hippolytus
Tsong-Kha-pa—Lohans in China
In an article, “Reincarnation in Tibet,” everything that could be said about Tsong-Kha-pa was published.1 It was stated that this… Read More »Tsong-Kha-pa—Lohans in China
Peter a Jewish Kabalist, not an Initiate
As to Peter, biblical criticism has shown that in all probability he had no more to do with the foundation… Read More »Peter a Jewish Kabalist, not an Initiate
Pagan Sidereal Worship, or Astrology
The Teraphim of Abram’s father Terah, the “maker of images,” and the Kabiri Gods are directly connected with ancient Sabæan… Read More »Pagan Sidereal Worship, or Astrology
Hebrew Allegories
How can any Kabalist, acquainted with the foregoing, deduce his conclusions with regard to the true Esoteric beliefs of the… Read More »Hebrew Allegories
The “Zohar” on Creation and the Elohim
The opening sentence in Genesis, as every Hebrew scholar knows, is: בראשית ברא אלהים את השמים ואת הארץ Now there… Read More »The “Zohar” on Creation and the Elohim
The Last of the Mysteries in Europe
As was predicted by the great Hermes in his dialogue with Æsculapius, the time had indeed come when impious foreigners… Read More »The Last of the Mysteries in Europe
The Duty of the True Occultist toward Religions
Having disposed of pre-Christian Initiates and their Mysteries—though more has to be said about the latter—a few words must be… Read More »The Duty of the True Occultist toward Religions
The Book of Enoch the Origin and the Foundation of Christianity
While making a good deal of the Mercavah, the Jews, or rather their synagogues, rejected the Book of Enoch, either… Read More »The Book of Enoch the Origin and the Foundation of Christianity
Old Wine in New Bottles
It is more than likely, that the Protestants in the days of the Reformation knew nothing of the true origin… Read More »Old Wine in New Bottles
The Souls of the Stars—Universal Heliolatry
In order to show that the Ancients have never “mistaken stars for Gods,” or Angels and the sun for the… Read More »The Souls of the Stars—Universal Heliolatry
Astrology and Astrolatry
The books of Hermes Trismegistus contain the exoteric meaning, still veiled for all but the Occultist, of the Astrology and… Read More »Astrology and Astrolatry
The “Doctrine of the Eye” & the “Doctrine of the Heart,” or the “Heart’s Seal”
Prof. Albrecht Weber was right when he declared that the Northern Buddhists “Alone possess these [Buddhist] Scriptures complete.” For, while… Read More »The “Doctrine of the Eye” & the “Doctrine of the Heart,” or the “Heart’s Seal”
Cycles and Avataras
We have already drawn attention to the facts that the record of the life of a World-Saviour is emblematical, and… Read More »Cycles and Avataras
A few more Misconceptions Corrected
Notwithstanding widespread misconceptions and errors—often most amusing to one who has a certain knowledge of the true doctrines—about Buddhism generally,… Read More »A few more Misconceptions Corrected
Nirvana-Moksha
The few sentences given in the text from one of Gautama Buddha’s secret teachings show how uncalled for is the… Read More »Nirvana-Moksha
The Mystery of Buddha
Now the mystery of Buddha lies in this: Gautama, an incarnation of pure Wisdom, had yet to learn in His… Read More »The Mystery of Buddha
“Reincarnations” of Buddha
Every section in the chapter on “Dezhin Shegpa”1 (Tathâgata) in the Commentaries represents one year of that great Philosopher’s life,… Read More »“Reincarnations” of Buddha
The Post-Christian Successors to the Mysteries
The Eleusinian Mysteries were no more. Yet it was these which gave their principal features to the Neo-platonic school of… Read More »The Post-Christian Successors to the Mysteries
The Objects of the Mysteries
The earliest Mysteries recorded in history are those of Samothrace. After the distribution of pure Fire, a new life began.… Read More »The Objects of the Mysteries
The Mystery “Sun of Initiation”
The antiquity of the Secret Doctrine may be better realised when it is shown at what point of history its… Read More »The Mystery “Sun of Initiation”
The Origin of the Mysteries
All that is explained in the preceding Sections and a hundredfold more was taught in the Mysteries from time immemorial.… Read More »The Origin of the Mysteries
The Idols and the Teraphim
The meaning of the “fairy-tale” told by the Chaldæan Qû-tâmy is easily understood. His modus operandi with the “idol of… Read More »The Idols and the Teraphim
The Eastern Gupta Vidya & the Kabalah
We now return to the consideration of the essential identity between the Eastern Gupta Vidyâ and the Kabalah as a… Read More »The Eastern Gupta Vidya & the Kabalah
Facts underlying Adept Biographies
The tree is known by its fruits; the nature of the Adept by his words and deeds. These words of… Read More »Facts underlying Adept Biographies
St. Paul the real Founder of present Christianity
We may repeat with the author of Phallicism: “We are all for construction—even for Christian, although of course philosophical construction.… Read More »St. Paul the real Founder of present Christianity
The Dangers of Practical Magic
Magic is a dual power: nothing is easier than to turn it into Sorcery; an evil thought suffices for it.… Read More »The Dangers of Practical Magic
The Origin of Magic
Things of late have changed, true enough. The field of investigation has widened; old religions are a little better understood;… Read More »The Origin of Magic
Modern Criticism and the Ancients
The Secret Doctrine of the Âryan East is found repeated under Egyptian symbolism and phraseology in the Books of Hermes.… Read More »Modern Criticism and the Ancients