Theos-Talk Archives (March 2002 Message tt00149)

Thursday, March 07, 2002

Re: Mystery Schools Hermetic Books


Dear Leon:

A few moments ago I came across this, which may be of interest.

MYSTERY SCHOOLS Were spoken of by H P B in ISIS UNVEILED as well
as The SECRET DOCTRINE

In THEOSOPHICAL GLOSSARY p. 220 she describes the "Mystery
Language." [ See also S D II 198, 574, S D I 307-10,
ISIS UNVEILED I 46-7, Lucifer XI p. 413 ]

SENZAR THEOSOPHICAL GLOSSARY p 295; S D I pp. xliii. II
200, 439, 560, I U I p. 220, 440, II 45-6; Voice ii ]

---------------------

A FRAGMENT OF CONVERSATION WITH H.P.B. IN 1888

W. Q. Judge

The following was written by me at the dictation of H.P.B. in
1888 with the purpose of printing it at that time. But it was not
used then, and as I brought it home with me it is now of
interest. - W.Q.J.


Q. - It has struck me while thinking over the difference between
ordinary people and an adept or even a partly developed student,
that the rate of vibration of the brain molecules, as well as he
coördination of those with the vibrations of the higher brain,
may lie at the bottom of the difference and also might explain
many other problems.

H.P.B. - So they do. They make differences and also cause many
curious phenomena; and the differences among all persons are
greatly due to vibrations of all kinds.

Q. - In reading the article ["Aum!"] in the PATH of April, 1886,
this idea was again suggested. I open at p. 6, Vol. I.

The divine Resonance spoken of above is not the Divine Light
itself. The Resonance is only the outbreathing of the first sound
of the entire Aum.... It manifests itself not only as the power
which stirs up and animates the particles of the universe, but
also in the evolution and dissolution of man, of the animal and
mineral kingdoms, and the Solar system. Among the Aryans it was
represented by the planet Mercury, who has always been said to
govern the intellectual faculties and to be the universal
stimulator.
What of this?

H.P.B. - Mercury was always known as the god of secret wisdom. He
is Hermes as well as Budha the son of Soma. Speaking of matters
on the lower plane, I would call the "Divine Resonance" you read
of in the PATH "vibrations" and the originator, or that which
gives the impulse to every kind of phenomena in the astral plane.

Q. - The differences found in human brains and natures must,
then, have their root in differences of vibration?

H.P.B. - Most assuredly so.

Q. - Speaking of mankind as a whole, is it true that all have one
key or rate of vibration to which they respond?

H.P.B. - Human beings in general are like so many keys on the
piano, each having its own sound, and the combination of which
produces other sounds in endless variety. Like inanimate nature
they have a key-note from which all the varieties of character
and constitution proceed by endless changes. Remember what was
said in Isis Unveiled at p. 16, Vol. I, "The Universe is the
combination of a thousand elements, and yet the expression of a
single spirit, - a chaos to the sense (physical), a cosmos to the
reason" (manas).

Q. - So far this applies generally to nature. Does it explain the
difference between the Adept and ordinary people?

H.P.B. - Yes. This difference is that an Adept may be compared to
that one key which contains all the keys in the great harmony of
nature. He has the synthesis of all keys in his thoughts, whereas
ordinary man has the same key as a basis, but only acts and
thinks on one or a few changes of this great key, producing with
his brain only a few chords out of the whole great possible
harmony.

extract from W Q J Articles (U L T) Vol. I, p. 423

HERMES TRISMEGISTUS see THEOSOPHICAL GLOSSARY p. 140

HERMETIC BOOKS H P B refers to 42 books referred to by Clement
of Alexandria existing in his time
H P B Article DENIALS & MISTAKES OF THE 19th CENTURY
Lucifer June 1892; U L T Edn. of H P B Articles, Vol.
III p 137 fn ]

I find she refers to these books in ISIS UNVEILED Vol. I xxxiii,
32-3, 400, 520, 522.
SECRET DOCTRINE Vol. I 207, 473, 664; II 541.

----------------------

Dallas

-----Original Message-----
From: leonmaurer@aol.com [mailto:leonmaurer@aol.com]
Sent: Wednesday, March 06, 2002 10:10 PM
To: theos-talk@yahoogroups.com
Subject: Re: Theos-World "Hermes Trismegistus" didn't exist .

That's an interesting story, if true. Didn't the ancient Greeks
also have a
similar legendary God/messenger whom they called Mercury? I
wonder why in
all those legends, they seem to have the same personage
represented as
similar characters with the same functions and teachings? Could
it be that
they are all recollections of the same culturally distorted
ancient history
of real people, who, through ages of word of mouth transmission,
eventually
became legends? (If so, it could be possible that their similar
esoteric
teachings and philosophies may have been kept intact through the
"Mystery
Schools" or "Priests" of each of these cultures -- who later
wrote down some
of these teachings allegorically -- similar to the Emerald
Tablet?)

LHM