Theos-Talk Archives (January 2009 Message tt00315)

Frank,
   The Mandaeans were the ancient cult of the Nazarean and they were Pre-christian. The wore the "seamless white garment" and were anciently resident in the Marshes just north of the Shat Al Garb, they used the reed boats the made to travel on the water. and also had some reed islands they made on which they built reed habitats just like certain aboriginal Indian's do at Lake Titicaca in Bolivia. It was in the winter when ist got very cold in Iraq that they would travel to the Jordan and there they would Baptize in their winter retreat. They have a Baptism Rite that in a unique polemical style described the baptism of Jesus in a brash intentionally rude manner. On Google Earth the best guess location where the elder of the Mandaeans being John the Baptist baptised at the Jordan.

Jordan River - John ther Baptist

31 50 09.95 N
35 32 47.51 E

In the years just preceeding the Gulf War in Iraq Saddam Hussain having intention to wipe these most ancient important remaining proof of the ancient Baptists of the B. C. centuries decided to drain the marshes they lived in and thereby have better access to harm them. It was a huge project, I  held my head in dire dismay for their wellfare but they have managed to live on and still exist today. Their teaching is unique and is a most important Legacy of Mankind and must be preserved. 


Here is a link for Google Images Listing for "Mandaean" at instant glance the image will tell you much.

>>>http://images.google.com/images?hl=en&q=Mandaean&btnG=Search+Images&gbv=2<<<

I highly recommend reading Lady Drower's Works she was a regular Blavatsky style Lady who had determination, perseverance, fearless courage, a high intellect and wonderful ability.

Regards,
John

-------------- Original message -------------- 
From: "Frank Reitemeyer" <dzyan@online.de> 
John,
thanks for info about Lady Drower of which I was not aware sofar.

Are you able to say whether Ratzinger is right or wrong when he claims that no gnostic text can be proofen as pre-Christian which woul dmake the gnostics a Christian enterprise?

Frank

----- Original Message ----- 
From: Augoeides-222@comcast.net 
To: theos-talk@yahoogroups.com 
Sent: Sunday, January 11, 2009 4:58 AM
Subject: Re: Theos-World Bulwer-Lytton and Bunsen

Frank,
Some time ago I posted some info about the Ancient Mandaeans who were the original Gnostic Baptists in the B.C. times having long tradition behind them. They possess the Book of Yaya (John) who was the Elder Nazar of their sect. One of the very best Expert Author about the Mandaeans is Lady Ethel Stefana Drower who, having spent 20 some years in Iraq culturing trust and friendship with the Mandaeans was allowed to receive their secretly held Legacy and works
The Book of Yaya
The Secret Book of Adam
The Rba Ginza
The Rite of Baptism
The Litergy and Hymns
And other important transmittals she came to bring to the west an Published.
She also Published a work about the Peacock Throne and the Yezidee.

Also in the B.C era the Ebionites, Nazareans, others are enumerated in G.R.S. Mead's "Fragments of a Faith Forgotten" and his other work "The Gnostic Baptizer - Selections from the Mandaean John-Book" 1924, John M. Watkins, London. This is a very replete presentation and the style of mead as usual is heavy notes ans sub-notes toassist understanding , it is his hallmark I so much value in all his works.

A while back I posted links for Several of Mead's important works on the Gnostics that are free to read and download.

Here is link for Google Books search "Lady Ethel Stefana Drower"

>>>http://books.google.com/books?q=Lady+Ethel+Stefana+Drower&btnG=Search+Books<<<

Here is the Google books listing for G.R.S. Mead's Books ( The Gnostic Baptizer in the 1924 Edition form and contents is not there.) There is one emended version offered but without the replete Table of Contents of the 1924 edition.

>>>http://books.google.com/books?q=G.R.S.+Mead&lr=&sa=N&start=0<<<

The Rev. F. Lamplugh B. A. (Cantab.) in 1918 Published Gnostictranslation of the "Untitled Apocalypse" from the Bruce Codex - "The Gnosis of the Light" it is a complex work with a very replete Heirarchy of levels. And it contains the Triple Name Form of Jesus.

>>>http://books.google.com/books?id=jSd9WwBg98QC&pg=PA3&dq=Rev.+F.+Lamplugh#PPA14,M1<<<

Regards,
John

-------------- Original message -------------- 
From: "Frank Reitemeyer" <dzyan@online.de> 
John,
I have the said Bunsen book (and all what he wrote) on long to-do-list.
Someday will go to our national archives and make digital photos of it.
If I'll find new significant information Blavatsky students must know, I'll keep this list informed.

I like the gnostics, too. As the gnostics were the pupils of buddhist missionaries in Greece, who in turn inspired neo-platonism, they played an important role for the enlightenment o peling-pa. No wonder HPB chosed the greek term theosophy as she implies with this decision that she wanted to take it up. Considering the hear-say is hardly to believe that the decision for the word theosophy was just a chance by consulting a lexicon.

Yes, there are many things to find in gnosticism which match our theosophical teachings.
In Codex II of Nag Hammadi there is to be find the Book of Thomas. It contains secret doctrines for the Perfected Ones.

Yet, gnosticism should also be seen in light to the important findings of Prof. Christian Lindtner, who gives ultimate and utter linguistic, geometric and phonetic proofs that the four gospels of the NT are a translation of Sanskrit texts of the Buddha. Lindtner matches HPB and GdeP on this, although they speak not so unveiled as Lindtner does. But once you know, you can easily see that both HPB and GdeP new it well.

>From the point of view of a Blavatsky student who is now in danger to fell into depression considering the troublesome outer and theosophical conditions, Lindtner's research (also that of Bruno Baumann about Shambala-Shang Shun, etc.) is a sign of hope: The occult machinations have not stopped, despite the stupidness or organized theosophy and the Masters plan for building a new temple of knowledge has not abandoned and karma finds a way to make known what must go out. Truth needs no ostrich theosophists. But theosophist need truth. The usual hostility against free speech, research and knowledge in many theosophical circles will not stop the truth, although the ignorants may be happy with their habits, which accroding to their superstition prevents them from bad karma. No brain, no pain.

What I need to find out is a proof of the first existence of gnostic texts. Ratzinger in his stupid Jesus book claims that no proof extsis that gnosticism is pre-Christian.
Perhaps you have more.

Frank

----- Original Message ----- 
From: Augoeides-222@comcast.net 
To: theos-talk@yahoogroups.com 
Sent: Saturday, January 10, 2009 9:36 AM
Subject: Re: Theos-World Bulwer-Lytton and Bunsen

Frank,
Thanks, I printed it out so I have a reference. The Pistis Sophia was only one of four parts of a tetrad of works that were sister parts, Another was later published in the absolutely wonderful "Nag Hammadhi Library" viz "The Book of the Great Invisible Spirit", Emile Amelineau according to G. R .S. Mead published the other on French but to my knowledge they have never been translated into an English Publishment. I feel that though these works are arcane to most readers the Gnostic Literature contained Non-Dual Teaching within it's skin as I read it, I always found a wonderful reiteration of Blavatskys Teaching seen within the corpus.

The "Unity" of Religion's has basis in my personal viewpoint due to that fact that all the "Senior Principles" found used as basis for Metaphysic Reflection constitute " Perrenial Projections of Primary Axiomatic Reality" that man cannot overturn, deflect, or stop from presenting through the ages of time. Comparative study reiterates in various cultures.

Regards,
John

---------- Original message -------------- 
From: "Frank Reitemeyer" <dzyan@online.de> 

John,
for the record:

Bunsen, Ernst von : Die Einheit der Religionen im Zusammenhange mit den Voelkerwanderungen der Urzeit und der Geheimlehre, Berlin 1870, 2 vols.
(The Unity of the Religions in connection with the migrations of the peoples in ancient times and the secret doctrine).

And me thought that theosophy has a better standing in USA as in Germany. Here the situation with acedemics and other eggheads is very exasperating.
They have always the talent to come to wrong, shortsighted conclusions in 9 out of 10 cases! 

I think when I would have such people around me the whole day, I would soon suffer a heart attack.

But to be fair, I observe a little increase in academic interest on theosophy. More and more student's home works on it and thanks to the many American online texts (i guess) they are gettting more and more small about the Coloumb conspiracy and the fraud cryings are silenced in the lastest academic publications, the withdrawal of the SPR is mentioned.

Frank

----- Original Message ----- 
From: Augoeides-222@comcast.net 
To: theos-talk@yahoogroups.com 
Sent: Friday, January 09, 2009 6:41 PM
Subject: Re: Theos-World Bulwer-Lytton and Bunsen

Frank,
Interesting comments. Bunsen is referenced by G. R. S. Mead in his works but trying to find his works here in the USA isn't very productive. Now perhaps you give a reason why. The bias about any Academic who had contacts with HPB That made them radioactive.

Regards,
John

-------------- Original message -------------- 
From: "Frank Reitemeyer" <dzyan@online.de> 
Paul,
thank you for that important information on Bunsen.
Image, although since many years I try to absorb all lost information esp. 
to theosophical history in Germany (which was more important in quantity and 
quality than many believe), I came across the Bunsen 1870 Berlin book on the 
secret doctrine only recently.

IF Bunsen had direct connentions with Blavatsky then he could be the reason 
for her Berlin visit around 1860 (I am writing from memory).
That would explain why she mentions Bunsen and other titles from him, but 
not this important book.

It seems to have been HPB's custom to paraphrase from important occult 
books, but not to give the exactly source.

For example she gives the higher mahayana teachings and speaks of the 
doctrines of the good law, but she does not explicitly say that she means 
the Lotus Sutra.
Or she helds Nostradamus in high regards, but deals next to nothing with 
this important person, at least in her public books.

Perhaps a situation for Blavatsky students (including myself) to think over 
the Coleman critic on HPB's quotation habits.

Bulwer-Lytton was according to one Mahatma letter involved in a 
pre-Blavatskian try to launch an occult group. The novels seems to be rather 
a try to blaze the trail as they later in 1877 also did with Isis Unveiled.

We also know that Saint Germain was at this time often in Berlin at the tea 
hosue of king Frederick (in Potsdam, to be exactly, a suburb of Berlin).

Frank

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