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Re: Georg Bilfinger

Dec 14, 2010 11:25 AM
by email2cal


Dear Joaquim,

Great!

It contributes to the solution of the puzzle, but this is not all
because D'Holbach did not mention Bilfinger. The source of the quote is
identified, but the remaining question is, Was the Master quoting
Bilfinger or D'Holbach?

First off, I checked on Google Books digital copies of Mahatma Letters.
It seems "Billinger" is a typo that survived in the second edition of
Mahatma letters but has been corrected in the third edition. So, I
guess, you're right, it is Bilfinger, not Bellinger.

I found on Google Books D´Holbach's The System of Nature (1834
edition) at http://books.google.com/books?id=68hOAAAAMAAJ
<http://books.google.com/books?id=68hOAAAAMAAJ>  . It is in public
domain and can be downloaded free of charge, which I did. In this
edition, the quotation appears on p. 24, and the complete paragraph
reads as follows:

"Observation and reflection, ought to convince us, that every thing in
Nature is in continual motion; that there is not one of its parts,
however minute, that enjoys true repose; that Nature acts in all; that
she would cease to be Nature if she did not act. Experience ought to
teach us, that, without unceasing motion, nothing could be preserved,
nothing could be produced, nothing could act in this Nature. Thus, the
idea of Nature necessarily includes that of motion. But it will be
asked, and not a little triumphantly, from whence did she receive her
motion? Our reply is, we know not, neither do they; that we never shall,
that they never will. It is a secret hidden from us, concealed from
them, by the most impenetrable veil. We also reply, that it is fair to
infer, unless they can logically prove to the contrary, that it is in
herself, since she is the great whole, out of which, consequently,
nothing can exist. We say this motion is a manner of existence, that
flows, necessarily, out of the essence of matter; that matter moves by
its own peculiar energies; that its motion is to be attributed, to the
force which is inherent in itself; that the variety of motion, and the
phenomena which result, proceed from the diversity of the properties, of
the qualities, of the combinations, which are originally found in the
primitive matter, of which Nature is the assemblage."

The language ("Our reply", "We say") suggests that these are D'Holbach's
own thoughts rather than someone else's.

I searched the file for Billinger and Bülffinger, but found nothing.

Max


--- In theos-talk@yahoogroups.com, "jdmsoares" <jdmsoares@...> wrote:
>
>
> Dear friends,
>
> It´s not "Bellinger" but "Bilfinger".
>
> The Master is quoting Georg Bernhard Bilfinger (1693 ?1750),
German
> philosopher, mathematician and statesman. Bilfinger, or Bülffinger,
> has made his philosophical studies along the lines of Leibniz.
>
> The same quote appears at "The System of Nature, or, Laws of the
> Moral and Physical World", Vol.I, p.19, of Paul Henri Thiry, the
> Baron D´Holbach, the great French philosopher praised by the
Mahatmas
> in Their letters.
>
> By the way, we have published at www.esoteric-philosophy.com
> <http://www.esoteric-philosophy.com/> a text of D´Holbach entitled
> "On Examining Religion".
>
> The direct link is
> http://www.esoteric-philosophy.com/2010/10/on-examining-religion.html
>
<http://www.esoteric-philosophy.com/2010/10/on-examining-religion.html>
>
> Best regards, Joaquim
>
>
> --- In theos-talk@yahoogroups.com, "M. Sufilight" global-theosophy@
> wrote:
> >
> > Perhaps this one deserves some attention, although I am not quite
> certain either. I read it as if Bellinger was a contemporary, and
> therefore this Bellinger is a candidate:
> > Peter Bellinger Brodie (1815-1897)
> >
> > His uncle Sir Benjamin Collins Brodie was was president of the Royal
> College of Surgeons, in 1844. In 1858 he was elected president of the
> Royal Society and the first surgeon to hold this post. In 1828 he
became
> surgeon to King George IV.
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: email2cal
> > To: theos-talk@yahoogroups.com
> > Sent: Monday, December 13, 2010 6:47 AM
> > Subject: theos-talk Bellinger
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > Hello everyone,
> >
> > K.H. writes in his famous letter # 10 (emphasis added):
> >
> > "In other words we believe in MATTER alone, in matter as visible
> nature
> > and matter in its invisibility as the invisible omnipresent
> omnipotent
> > Proteus with its unceasing motion which is its life, and which
> nature
> > draws from herself since she is the great whole outside of which
> nothing
> > can exist. For as Bellinger truly asserts "motion is a manner of
> > existence that flows necessarily out of the essence of matter; that
> > matter moves by its own peculiar energies; that its motion is due to
> the
> > force which is inherent in itself; that the variety of motion and
> the
> > phenomena that result proceed from the diversity of the properties
> of
> > the qualities and of the combinations which are originally found in
> the
> > primitive matter" of which nature is the assemblage and of which
> your
> > science knows less than one of our Tibetan Yak-drivers of Kant's
> > metaphysics."
> >
> > Does anyone know who this Bellinger was?
> >
> > Thanks,
> >
> > Max
> >
> > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
> >
>
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>




[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]





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