I didn't mean to imply discontinuity at all. My work is very much affiliated with perspective, and the expansion of reasoning. Maybe I've studied spiritual science so long that I speak out of Steiner's mind set. It is the contributing I like. I just need to think harder.
Yet, in further thinking and reviewing, there is a definite spiritual analogy to be made here with the statement: "Before Abraham was, Brahma was." You see, it was nearly 20 years ago that I used that phrase to introduce myself to a new anthroposophy forum on Yahoo groups. It called itself, Anthroposophy Tomorrow. I remember giving some semblance of an explanation with historical underpinnings. A-braham actually means, "not brahma", and this is explained in a veiled way in Genesis 14, when Abram receives initiation, and the Hebrew cultural stream is formed in order for the faculty of thinking to begin. Yes, the Hebrews were to be the progenitors of thinking in replacement of the ancient clairvoyance. Then, they suffered 400 years of captivity in Egypt, and this faculty had to be developed by the Greeks and Romans. That is why the Trojan War was fought, with the Greeks winning. It was a matter of destiny.
So, you see, that is why I think about things. The tapestry of history in great stories, which are also analogies. The evolution of Perspective is to achieve both concept and percept in an ever-expanding dimensional framework. Thus, Abraham was a human being, which became possible when "the Divine Bull of Heaven was slain". This is from the Epic of Gilgamesh.
--- "and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth". Ephesians 3
Indeed, as we know, the Hebrews also drew on the Hermetic initiatory wisdom while in Egypt. Hermes Trismegistrus was the original master of the analogy - "That which is above is like to that which is below, and that which is below is like to that which is above, to perform the miracles of the One".
We can also understand the analogy as a microcosmic attempt to remember/replicate the inner gestures that our whole soul life makes each day, moving between the supersensible spheres at night and the sensory world during waking consciousness. We ourselves become the analogical bridge between them.
These lectures treat of the original mission of the Hebrews, which was to cultivate thinking with regard only to the factors of: Measure, Weight, and Number relationships, which was a direct perception of Jahve from the Moon. Thus, it was a Thinking entirely without Images. Only the One and Unnamed God was to lead the Hebrews, and this carried the warning, "Worship not the graven image", which was rife among the Egyptians. Thus, the Hebrews would lose their way for a long time in the Third Cultural Epoch, which in itself was being led by Hermes Trismegistus in bringing the faculty of Imagination down from above; from the stellar world.
Moses was a Hebrew in disguise, who bore the same attributes as Abraham concerning a unified thinking based on measure, weight, and number variables, and that is why he is accurately depicted as the Prince of Egypt, and adopted son to Pharaoh. A Master Builder using the original principles of the Hebrews for the benefit of Egyptian imagery. Quite a paradox for a culture that was being enslaved.
I once presented these lectures to a college professor who was accusing Rudolf Steiner of antisemitism in order to demonstrate the true and authentic nature of real history from the standpoint of spiritual evolution. They contain the mystery and enigma of what Abraham and Moses truly represented. If I had a class, we would be going over these lectures right now. Why? Because the perspective given is huge. One does not forget, or trivialize this stuff. Only a Real School will change the world in an objective fashion. Nobody appreciates what they don't pay for, even if the subscription is free.
Yep, but nevertheless Moses extracted the highest fruits of the prior Egyptian-Chaldean-Babylonian initiatory wisdom. The old is always embedded in the new and the link to the spiritual worlds is always consciously maintained by some, even in the deepest depths of intellectual thinking. The Images provide the capacity to conceive-perceive number, weight, and measure and through spiritual retracing, i.e. the Christ impulse, we can restore the living imagistic foundation of the intellect.
I totally agree. If thinking was totally dry and abstract, it would be a very inferior instrument. Thus, the Hebrews had to sacrifice their freedom in the quest for the Promised Land, and this opened up the possibility of receiving Imagination in the 3rd cultural epoch, Inspiration in the fourth, and Intuition here in the 5th. Now, the next step is finding Christ, Who is experienced in the Etheric Body. This occurred for me in 1980, which is 44 years ago. This is where the true church resides with the Second Coming.
We all possess a latent faculty for knowing spiritual truths, but it has to be found and developed through the means provided by one who is already a a "knower" by way of being a spiritual investigator. Then, over time, this faculty becomes our own manifestation. It can be used to describe what we experience, and also how we came to know. For example, systematic adductive reasoning is still a faculty very much for the future. The reason is because spiritual science represents its playing field, and too few people are playing its game. Here is an attempt to describe it in words which one is allowed to speak when at least forty years of age. That age helps to reduce errors in conceptualization and transmission.
I am just trying to align us better. You see, I have to see historical continuity. You seem to see an impersonal presence known as Brahma. Yet, what if it can be shown that, "before Abraham was, Brahma was"? This accords nicely with Genesis, chapter 14, wherein Abram receives the initiation which would ultimately lead to Christ.
I don't understand why you think there is a discontinuity, Steve. Is there something specifically that makes you feel I am speaking about an "impersonal presence"?
I didn't mean to imply discontinuity at all. My work is very much affiliated with perspective, and the expansion of reasoning. Maybe I've studied spiritual science so long that I speak out of Steiner's mind set. It is the contributing I like. I just need to think harder.
Yet, in further thinking and reviewing, there is a definite spiritual analogy to be made here with the statement: "Before Abraham was, Brahma was." You see, it was nearly 20 years ago that I used that phrase to introduce myself to a new anthroposophy forum on Yahoo groups. It called itself, Anthroposophy Tomorrow. I remember giving some semblance of an explanation with historical underpinnings. A-braham actually means, "not brahma", and this is explained in a veiled way in Genesis 14, when Abram receives initiation, and the Hebrew cultural stream is formed in order for the faculty of thinking to begin. Yes, the Hebrews were to be the progenitors of thinking in replacement of the ancient clairvoyance. Then, they suffered 400 years of captivity in Egypt, and this faculty had to be developed by the Greeks and Romans. That is why the Trojan War was fought, with the Greeks winning. It was a matter of destiny.
So, you see, that is why I think about things. The tapestry of history in great stories, which are also analogies. The evolution of Perspective is to achieve both concept and percept in an ever-expanding dimensional framework. Thus, Abraham was a human being, which became possible when "the Divine Bull of Heaven was slain". This is from the Epic of Gilgamesh.
--- "and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth". Ephesians 3
Indeed, as we know, the Hebrews also drew on the Hermetic initiatory wisdom while in Egypt. Hermes Trismegistrus was the original master of the analogy - "That which is above is like to that which is below, and that which is below is like to that which is above, to perform the miracles of the One".
We can also understand the analogy as a microcosmic attempt to remember/replicate the inner gestures that our whole soul life makes each day, moving between the supersensible spheres at night and the sensory world during waking consciousness. We ourselves become the analogical bridge between them.
These lectures treat of the original mission of the Hebrews, which was to cultivate thinking with regard only to the factors of: Measure, Weight, and Number relationships, which was a direct perception of Jahve from the Moon. Thus, it was a Thinking entirely without Images. Only the One and Unnamed God was to lead the Hebrews, and this carried the warning, "Worship not the graven image", which was rife among the Egyptians. Thus, the Hebrews would lose their way for a long time in the Third Cultural Epoch, which in itself was being led by Hermes Trismegistus in bringing the faculty of Imagination down from above; from the stellar world.
Moses was a Hebrew in disguise, who bore the same attributes as Abraham concerning a unified thinking based on measure, weight, and number variables, and that is why he is accurately depicted as the Prince of Egypt, and adopted son to Pharaoh. A Master Builder using the original principles of the Hebrews for the benefit of Egyptian imagery. Quite a paradox for a culture that was being enslaved.
I once presented these lectures to a college professor who was accusing Rudolf Steiner of antisemitism in order to demonstrate the true and authentic nature of real history from the standpoint of spiritual evolution. They contain the mystery and enigma of what Abraham and Moses truly represented. If I had a class, we would be going over these lectures right now. Why? Because the perspective given is huge. One does not forget, or trivialize this stuff. Only a Real School will change the world in an objective fashion. Nobody appreciates what they don't pay for, even if the subscription is free.
https://rsarchive.org/Lectures/GA117/English/APC1957/DepSec_index.html
Yep, but nevertheless Moses extracted the highest fruits of the prior Egyptian-Chaldean-Babylonian initiatory wisdom. The old is always embedded in the new and the link to the spiritual worlds is always consciously maintained by some, even in the deepest depths of intellectual thinking. The Images provide the capacity to conceive-perceive number, weight, and measure and through spiritual retracing, i.e. the Christ impulse, we can restore the living imagistic foundation of the intellect.
I totally agree. If thinking was totally dry and abstract, it would be a very inferior instrument. Thus, the Hebrews had to sacrifice their freedom in the quest for the Promised Land, and this opened up the possibility of receiving Imagination in the 3rd cultural epoch, Inspiration in the fourth, and Intuition here in the 5th. Now, the next step is finding Christ, Who is experienced in the Etheric Body. This occurred for me in 1980, which is 44 years ago. This is where the true church resides with the Second Coming.
We all possess a latent faculty for knowing spiritual truths, but it has to be found and developed through the means provided by one who is already a a "knower" by way of being a spiritual investigator. Then, over time, this faculty becomes our own manifestation. It can be used to describe what we experience, and also how we came to know. For example, systematic adductive reasoning is still a faculty very much for the future. The reason is because spiritual science represents its playing field, and too few people are playing its game. Here is an attempt to describe it in words which one is allowed to speak when at least forty years of age. That age helps to reduce errors in conceptualization and transmission.
https://open.substack.com/pub/spiritlogic/p/adductive-reasoning-and-the-development?r=2kbdzg&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web
Hi Ashvin,
Here is another analogy to my previous analogy in which spiritual evolution has a plan and a purport. It is entitled: Philosophy's Forgotten Charter.
https://open.substack.com/pub/spiritlogic/p/philosophys-forgotten-charter?r=2kbdzg&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web
I am just trying to align us better. You see, I have to see historical continuity. You seem to see an impersonal presence known as Brahma. Yet, what if it can be shown that, "before Abraham was, Brahma was"? This accords nicely with Genesis, chapter 14, wherein Abram receives the initiation which would ultimately lead to Christ.
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis+14&version=NASB1995
I don't understand why you think there is a discontinuity, Steve. Is there something specifically that makes you feel I am speaking about an "impersonal presence"?