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Ammonius Saccas

2019-09-05T01:37:15Z

David Kunsman: /* Articles */

'''Ammonius Saccas''' (Greek: Ἀμμώνιος Σακκᾶς; fl. 3rd century AD) was a Greek philosopher from Alexandria who is often referred to as one of the founders of [[Neoplatonism]]. He is mainly known as the teacher of [[Plotinus]], whom he taught for eleven years from 232 to 243. Little is known about his own philosophical views.

[[Helena Petrovna Blavatsky|Mme. Blavatsky]] wrote:

<blockquote>Ammonius Saccas. A great and good philosopher who lived in Alexandria between the second and third centuries of our era, and who was the founder of the Neo-Platonic School of Philaletheians or “lovers of truth”. He was of poor birth and born of Christian parents, but endowed with such prominent, almost divine, goodness as to be called Theodidaktos, the “god-taught”. He honoured that which was good in Christianity, but broke with it and the churches very early, being unable to find in it any superiority over the older religions.<ref>Helena Petrovna Blavatsky, ''The Theosophical Glossary'' (Krotona, CA: Theosophical Publishing House, 1973), 20.</ref></blockquote>

<blockquote>Ammonius Saccas, the God-taught (theodidaktos) and the lover of the truth (philalethes), in establishing his school, made a direct attempt to benefit the world by teaching those portions of the Secret Science that were permitted by its direct guardians to be revealed in those days.‡ The modern movement of our own Theosophical Society was begun on the same principles; for the Neo-Platonic school of Ammonius aimed, as we do, at the reconcilement of all sects and peoples, under the once common faith of the Golden Age, trying to induce the nations to lay aside their contentions—in religious matters at any rate—by proving to them that their various beliefs are all the more or less legitimate children of one common parent, the Wisdom-Religion.<ref>Helena Petrovna Blavatsky, ''Collected Writings'' vol. XIV (Wheaton, IL: Theosophical Publishing House, 1995), 305.</ref></blockquote>

[[William Quan Judge]] wrote of Ammonius Saccas as a representative of Theosophical thought long before the [[Theosophical Society]] was formed:
<blockquote>
About 1600 years ago Ammonius Saccas made a similar effort which was attended with good results. He had almost the same platform as the T.S., and taught that the aim of Jesus was to show people the truth in all religions and to restore the ancient philosophy to its rightful seat.<ref>William Quan Judge, "Plain Theosophical Traces," ''The Path'' VII (August, 1892), 133-136.</ref>
</blockquote>
==Online resources==
===Articles===
*[http://www.wisdomworld.org/setting/saccas.html# Ammonius Saccas] at WisdomWorld.org
*[http://www.theosophytrust.org/228-ammonius-saccas# Ammonius Saccas] at TheosophyTrust.org
*[http://theosophy.ph/encyclo/index.php?title=Ammonius_Saccas# Ammonius Saccas] at Theosopedia

== Notes ==
<references/>

[[Category:Neoplatonists|Ammonius Saccas]]
[[Category:Philosophers|Ammonius Saccas]]
[[Category:People|Ammonius Saccas]]
[[Category:Nationality Greek|Ammonius Saccas]]

Anita Atkins

2019-09-05T01:35:37Z

David Kunsman:

{{Template:Article needs expansion}}

 
 
 
Anita Atkins was a ULT student from the NY Lodge. She wrote under the name Sylvia Cranston. See "A Few Memories of Anita Atkins" by Dara Eklund at [http://www.esoteric-philosophy.com/2010/12/few-memories-of-anita-atkins.html Esoteric-Philosophy.com].

== Articles ==
*[http://theosophy.ph/encyclo/index.php?title=Atkins,_Anita# Anita Atkins ] at Theosopedia
== Notes ==
<references/>

[[Category:Writers|Atkins, Anita]]
[[Category:Lecturers|Atkins, Anita]]
[[Category:Pseudonyms|Atkins, Anita]]
[[Category:ULT|Atkins, Anita]]
[[Category:Nationality American|Atkins, Anita]]
[[Category:People|Atkins, Anita]]

Francesca Arundale

2019-09-05T01:33:06Z

David Kunsman:

[[File:Francesca Arundale.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Francesca Arundale]]
'''Francesca Arundale''' was an early member of the [[Theosophical Society]], and a close friend of [[Helena Petrovna Blavatsky|H. P. Blavatsky]] and [[Annie Besant]]. She was also the great-aunt and adoptive mother of [[George S. Arundale]].

== Personal life ==

Francesca Eliza Arundale was born on March 16, 1842 in Middlesex County. Her parents were Francis Arundale (1807-1853) and Mary Anne Pickersgill Arundale (1810-1893). They had married October 11, 1838, and had six children.<ref>London, England, Church of England Marriages and Banns, 1754-1932. 1838</ref> The father was an architect and painter.<ref>London, England, Church of England Births and Baptism, 1813-1917. St. Anne Soho, Westminster, 1836-1842. Page 225, record number 241.</ref><ref>"Arundale, Francis." ''Dictionary of National Biography, Volumes 1-22'' pages 607-608.</ref> By 1861, Mary Anne was widowed. Her father, Henry William Pickersgill (1782-1879), made a home for her and Francesca in Middlesex, London. Pickersgill was a renowned portrait painter of the Royal Academy.<ref>1861 England Census.</ref><ref>"Pickersgill, Henry William." Dictionary of National Biography Vol 22, page 1041.</ref> Mary Anne died in Kensington, in 1893.<ref>England & Wales, Civil Registration Death Index, 1837-1915. Births registered in April-May-June, 1893. Page 8.</ref>

== Spiritualism and Theosophical Society involvement ==

Francesca Arundale and her mother Mary Anne Arundale explored the [[Spiritualism|spiritualist movement]] for seven years in France and in England. Francesca became a member of the British National Association of Spiritualists, as she recorded in her memoirs.<ref> See her autobiography, ''My Guest, H. P. Blavatsky''.</ref> After she read a paper on [[reincarnation]] before that group, theosophist [[Anna Bonus Kingsford|Dr. Anna Kingsford]] invited her to a series of lectures at Kingsford’s home. On July 31, 1881 Miss Arundale and her mother Mary Anne Arundale joined the Theosophical Society in London, receiving diplomas signed by H. P. Blavatsky.<ref>Theosophical Society General Membership Register, 1875-1942 at [http://tsmembers.org/ http://tsmembers.org/]. See book 1, entries 817 and 818 (website file: 1A/30).</ref> [[George Wyld|Dr. Wyld]] was president of the British T. S. at that time, and Francesca became secretary of the [[London Lodge]]. She was very well-regarded by the early Theosophists, and frequently entertained them at her home at 77 Elgin Crescent in London. [[Henry Steel Olcott]] wrote her warm, newsy letters addressing her as "St. Theresa" and "best of grandmothers."<ref>H. S. Olcott to Francesca Arundale, December 31, 1881. Published in "Letters of H. S. Olcott to Francesca Arundale," ''The Theosophist'' 53.12 (September, 1932), 727-735.</ref>
<blockquote>

After [[Laura C. Holloway|Holloway]] arrived in London from Paris on 13 June 1884, [[Koot Hoomi|[Mahatma] KH]] wanted her to work with [[Mohini Mohun Chatterji|Mohini]] on their book at the house of Mary Anne Arundale, who lived with her daughter, Francesca, at 77 Elgin Crescent; Blavatsky, too, stayed there when she arrived in London shortly afterwards.<ref>David Pratt, ["Laura Holloway, Theosophy and the Mahatmas" http://davidpratt,info/holloway.htm] January, 2014.</ref>
</blockquote>

== Mahatma Letters ==

Miss Arundale was the recipient of a letter from [[Mahatma]] [[Koot Hoomi]] in July 1884, which has been published by the [http://www.blavatskyarchives.com/hollowaykh2.htm Blavatsky Archives]. It is clear that [[Koot Hoomi]]

== Moving to India ==

In 1902 she moved to [[Adyar, Chennai, India]], and was active in the Varanasi [formerly Benares] branch of the T. S.

== Work in education ==

Francesca Arundale became involved in educational work in India in 1903, along with George. She served for many years as Principal of Central Hindu College Girls’ School, and also taught in the boys’ division there. She was Principal of the National Girls’ School at Mylapore, Madras. In 1922 an office was created for her as the Honorary Head of the Women’s Branch of the Education Department of the Holkar princely state. She worked there for a year, helping to establish the Lady Reading Training School for Women Teachers.<ref>"Arundale, Miss Francesca E.",''The International Theosophical Year Book, 1938'' (Adyar, Madras, India: Theosophical Publishing House, 1938), 165.</ref>

== Co-Freemasonry ==

In 1896 she became a member of the International Order of Co-Freemasonry, Le Droit Humain. She also participated when [[Annie Besant]] formed the first London Lodge of the order in 1902.

== Account by Clara Codd ==

[[Clara Codd]], who met her at the Benares convention in 1910, wrote,
<blockquote>
She was a little round robin of a lady, very precise in her ways, with large spectacles and her grey hair done up on the top of her head. She always wore coats and skirts, while many of the members followed Mrs. Besant's example and donned the Indian ''sari''. I was sitting one day with a group of the members thus attired for the most part, when Miss Arundale came along.

"Miss Arundale," impulsively ejaculated one, "why don't you wear ''saris'' like our President?"

Miss Arundale replied in her precise little voice: "Well, my dear, when I have succeeded in emulating our great President in her virtues I think it will be time for me to copy her dress."<ref>Clara Codd, ''So Rich a Life'' (Pretoria: Institute for Theosophical Publicity, 1956), 173.</ref>
</blockquote>

== Later years and death ==

Miss Arundale lived to see [[George S. Arundale]], her great-nephew and adopted son, as a leader in the Theosophical Society, but not to see him succeed [[Annie Besant]] as the third president of the [[Theosophical Society (Adyar)]] in 1934. She died in India on [[March 23]], 1924.

== Writings ==

Miss Arundale wrote several books and many articles. The [[Union Index of Theosophical Periodicals]] lists [http://www.austheos.org.au/cgi-bin/ui-csvsearch.pl?search=Francesca+Arundale&method=all 48 articles] by or about her. She wrote an account of her friendship with [[Helena Petrovna Blavatsky|H. P. Blavatsky]], '''''My Guest, H.P. Blavatsky'''''. It was published in 1932 at the Theosophical Publishing House in Adyar.

She also wrote:

* ''Education in the Light of Theosophy'', Adyar, Madras, India: Vasanta Press, 1913.
* ''The Idea of Re-birth'', with Karl Heckel, London: K. Paul, Trench, Trübner, 1890.
* "Psychism and Spirituality," a series of articles in [[The Beacon (periodical)|''The Beacon'']], 1922.
* ''Intuitional Consciousness'' #69 in the Adyar Pamphlets series, published in September 1916. It is available online at [https://cdn.website-editor.net/e4d6563c50794969b714ab70457d9761/files/uploaded/AdyarPamphlet_No69.pdf Canadian Theosophical Association].
* ''Idea of Rebirth Including a Translation of an Essay on Re-incarnation''
* "Record of Some Phenomena Transcribed from the original in the Archives of the Society for Psychical Research." Narrative available at [http://blavatskyarchives.com/arundale1884.htm Blavatsky Archives], with the introduction, "A portion of this narrative was quoted in Proceedings of the S.P.R. (London), Volume III, 1885, pp. 387-388. This online edition is reprinted by permission of the Society for Psychical Research, London."

For a list of articles written by and about Miss Arundale, see [http://www.austheos.org.au/cgi-bin/ui-csvsearch.pl?search=Francesca+Arundale&method=exact Union Index of Theosophical Periodicals]
== Articles ==
*[http://theosophy.ph/encyclo/index.php?title=Arundale,_Francesca_E.# Francesca Arundale ] at Theosopedia
== Notes ==
<references/>
[[Category:Associates of HPB|Arundale, Francesca]]
[[Category:Writers|Arundale, Francesca]]
[[Category:Educators|Arundale, Francesca]]
[[Category:Received Mahatma Letters|Arundale, Francesca]]
[[Category:Co-Masons|Arundale, Francesca]]
[[Category:Nationality English|Arundale, Francesca]]
[[Category:People|Arundale, Francesca]]

Edwin Arnold

2019-09-05T01:28:17Z

David Kunsman:

[[File:Edwin Arnold.jpg|right|190px|thumb|Edwin Arnold]]
'''Sir Edwin Lester Arnold''', M.A., K.C.I.E., C.S.I.([[June 10]], 1832 – [[March 24]], 1904) was an English poet and journalist, who is most known for his poetic story of [[Gautama Buddha]], [[The Light of Asia (book)|''The Light of Asia'']]. He mastered Sanskrit, Arabic, Turkish, and Persian languages and was a skilled artist.

[[File:Arnold Light of Asia cover.jpg|right|215px|thumb|Book cover]]
== Personal life and career ==

Edwin Lester Arnold was born at Gravesend, Kent, on June 10, 1932, as the second son of a Sussex magistrate, Robert Coles Arnold. The young Arnold was educated at King's School, Rochester, King's College in London, and University College, Oxford. He won Oxford's prestigious Newdigate Prize in 1852, for a poem called "Belshazzar's Feast."

Arnold took a position as a schoolmaster at King Edward's School, Birmingham for several years. In 1855, he married '''Catharine Elizabeth Biddulph''' (1831-1864), and the couple had four children - Edwin, Julian, Katharine, and Arthur. In 1856 he accepted a post in India as Principal of the Government Sanskrit College at Poona and served there for seven years, returning to England with his wife because of her ill health. <ref>Ted G. Davy, "Arnold, Edwin," ''Theosophical Encyclopedia'' (Quezon City, Philippines: Theosophical Publishing House, 2006), 49. Available at [http://theosophy.ph/encyclo/index.php?title=Arnold,_Edwin Theosopedia].</ref>

Catharine died in 1864 shortly after Arthur's birth. His next wife was '''Jennie Fanny M. S. Channing''' (1837-1889) of Boston, with whom he had two more sons - William and Gilbert Emerson. The family lived in Kensington during these year. Son Emerson Arnold wrote of this period:
<blockquote>
Obliged by circumstances to remain under grey Western skies and labor for more than forty years in London on the staff of the ''Daily Telegraph'', his heart remained in India and every moment of his scanty leisure was devoted to the study of her languages, religions and philosophy.<ref>Emerson Arnold, "Edwin Arnold," ''World Theosophy v2 (1932), 978.</ref>
</blockquote>

After returning to England, Arnold worked as a journalist at the ''Daily Telegraph'', eventually becoming editor-in-chief during a forty-year career. He is credited with arranging for his newspaper to work with the ''New York Herald'' to sponsor the journey of H. M. Stanley to discover the course of the Congo in Africa. In 1874, Arnold first suggested a transcontinental railroad for Africa, using the phrase "a Cape to Cairo railway" subsequently popularized by Cecil Rhodes.

Queen Victoria named Arnold in 1888 as '''Knight Commander of the Indian Empire'''. The next year, Fanny passed away. Arnold spent some time in Japan, where he met his third wife, '''Tama Kurokawa''' (1869-1962), whom he brought back to London. Sir Edwin died on March 24, 1904.

[[File:Edwin Arnold - from CW II.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Edwin Arnold]]
== Association with Theosophists ==

Early Theosophists greeted the publication of ''The Light of Asia'' in July, 1879 with glowing reviews. [[Helena Petrovna Blavatsky|Madame Blavatsky]] herself wrote at length in the first issue of the Theosophical Society's journal [[The Theosophist (periodical)|''The Theosophist'']] in October, 1879. Other reviews, analyses, and quotations followed.

<blockquote>
Arnold knew Helena P. Blavatsky well and expressed his admiration for her extraordinary mental attainments; he recalled an occasion when he asked if she knew the date of a Sanskrit grammarian and she was able to give it without hesitation.<ref>Ted G. Davy, "Arnold, Edwin," ''Theosophical Encyclopedia'' (Quezon City, Philippines: Theosophical Publishing House, 2006), 49. Available at [http://theosophy.ph/encyclo/index.php?title=Arnold,_Edwin Theosopedia]. Original source was "An Evening with Sir Edwin Arnold" in ''A Year Under the Shadows of St. Paul's'' by E. C. Paget, published in Calgary, Alberta in 1908.</ref>
</blockquote>

When Arnold was asked in an interview, "Are Esoteric Buddhists and Theosophists the same?", he answered:
<blockquote>
That depends upon what you mean by Theosophists. if you mean the Theosophists of the school of [[Helena Petrovna Blavatsky|Blavatsky]], [[Alfred Percy Sinnett|Sinnett]] and [[Henry Steel Olcott|Olcott]], I will say that they are so closely connected with [[Buddhism]] that the Buddhist Scriptures ought to be their text-books, and I don't seen how you can do this without a knowledge of [[Sanskrit]]. I knew Madame Blavatsky very well and am acquainted with Col. Olcott and A. P. Sinnett, and I believe there is no doubt that the Theosophical movement has had an excellent effect upon humanity. It has made a large number of people understand what all India always understood, and that is the importance of invisible things. The real universe is that which you do not see, and the commonest Indian peasant knows that to be true by inheritance. The Theosophists have impressed upon the present generation the necessity of admitting the existence of the invisible. The senses are very limited, and everybody ought to know that behind them lies an illimitable field of development.<ref>Boris de Zirkoff, "Arnold, Sr. Edwin," ''Collected Writings Volume 12'' (Wheaton, Illinois: Theosophical Publishing House, 19xx), 722. Reprinting an ''Alliance Forum'' interview reported in ''The Lamp'' of December, 1895.</ref>
</blockquote>

[[Henry Steel Olcott|Colonel Henry Steel Olcott]], President-Founder of the [[Theosophical Society]], met Arnold in 1884. He gave this account shortly after Arnold's death in 1905:
<blockquote>
I made his personal acquaintance at London in the year 1884, at the hospitable board of Mrs. Tennant... I lunched with him at his house and he kindly presented me with some of the original MS. of his world-famous Buddhist book. Later, when he revisited India, coming ''via'' Ceylon I organised, at the request of the high priest, [[Sumangala]], his reception at Colombo, and drafted the address of the High Priest. His feelings towards me were cordial, and I may almost say that in him, I have lost a personal friend. His poetised translations from the Sanskrit most ably render the sense of the ancient books. He must have had a great faculty of concentration, for he told me, at his house, that he had written the most touching passages of ''The Light of Asia'' in the compartment of a railway carriage, in the company of some dealers of Billingsgate market, who were loudly discussing between themselves, the price of fish.<ref>Henry S. Olcott, "Sir Edwin Arnold," Supplement to ''The Theosophist'' 25.7 (April, 1904), xviii-xix.</ref>
</blockquote>

In a biographical sketch, [[Boris de Zirkoff]] wrote,
<blockquote>
Judging by his works and his philosophy of life, Sir Edwin Arnold formed an integral part of the widespread spiritual Movement which was regenerated in the latter half of the nineteenth century. In part, his work paralleled that of the Theosophical Society, helping to make the religion and philosophy of Buddhism and Hinduism known and appreciated by the western world. ''The Light of Asia'' and ''The Song Celestial'' undoubtedly led to widespread interest in these subjects and helped to create an attitude in which theosophical ideas would be found congenial. We are all indebted to this great scholar.<ref>Boris de Zirkoff, "Arnold, Sr. Edwin," ''Collected Writings Volume 12'' (Wheaton, Illinois: Theosophical Publishing House, 19xx), 717.</ref>
</blockquote>

== Founding of Maha Bodhi Society ==

In 1885, Arnold published articles in ''Daily Telegraph'' drawing attention to the '''Buddha Gaya''' (Bodh Gaya) Temple, site of [[Gautama Buddha|Gautama Buddha's]] enlightenment. The temple had been abandoned and was in deplorable condition. On January 22, 1891, the [[Anagarika Dharmapala]], accompanied by Japanese priest Kozen Gunaratna, visited the site, and felt a tremendous urge to take action. On [[May 31]], 1891, the [[Maha Bodhi Society of India|Budh-Gaya Mahabodhi Society]] was formed, with Arnold as one of the founding members. The High Priest of Ceylon, [[Sumangala|H. Sumangala]] was President, [[Henry Steel Olcott|Col. Olcott]] was Director and Chief Advisor, and Dharmapala was General Secretary. The new Society solicited contributions to maintain a staff at the Buddha Gaya site, and the Society convened an International Buddhist conference at the site in October, 1891. The temple complex was gradually restored, and the Maha Bodhi Society continues to be active in India and several other countries.

== Vegetarianism ==

Arnold was very active in support of [[Vegetarianism|vegetarianism]]. He founded a '''Vegetarian Club''' in Bayswater with Dr. Josiah Oldfield, who shared rooms with [[Mohandas K. Gandhi]] for a time. Oldfield served as president, Arnold as vice-president, and Gandhi as secretary.

[[File:Light of Asia 1879.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Cover of 1879 American Caldwell edition.]]
== The Light of Asia ==

The most famous of Arnold's works is [[The Light of Asia (book)|''The Light of Asia'']], a book-length poem depicting the life of [[Gautama Buddha]]. Published in July, 1879 in London and also by two companies in New York, the book immediately caught the attention of Theosophists. A lengthy review was printed in the very first issue of [[The Theosophist (periodical)|''The Theosophist'']], in October 1879. The book was praised by the reviewer, [[Helena Petrovna Blavatsky|Madame Blavatsky]], for its literary qualities and for its treatment of the subject. The reviewer wrote, "if any Western poet has earned the right to grateful remembrance by Asiatic nations and is destined to live in their memory, it is the author of the "Light of Asia."<ref>"'The Light of Asia' as Told in Verse by an Indian Buddhist,"''The Theosophist'' 1.1 (October, 1879), 20-25.</ref>

Madame Blavatsky requested that each year on the [[White Lotus Day|anniversary of her death]], her friends should gather and read from ''The Light of Asia'' and the [[Bhagavadgītā (book)|Bhagavadgītā]].<ref>Sylvia Cranston, ''H. P. B.: The Extraordinary Life and Influence of Helena Blavatsky'', (New York: Putnam, 1993), 429.</ref> That tradition continues to this day among Theosophists around the world, and is known as [[White Lotus Day]].

Dozens of editions and translations have been produced since 1879, and the work is widely available in libraries worldwide.
[[File:Arnold Bhagavad Gita cover.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Book cover]]
== Other writings ==

* "Belshazzar's Feast" - poem written while in college in 1852; won the Newdigate Prize for English Verse.
* "Griselda, a Tragedy" - poem published in 1856.
* Works of Herodotus - translation from Greek in 1861.
* ''The Book of Good Counsels'' - translation from the Sanskrit of the Indian classic "Hitopadeça." 1861.
* ''Education in India''. 1862
* ''A History of the Administration in India under the Late Marquis of Dalhousie''. 1862–64.
* ''The Poets of Greece'' - a collection of fine passages. 1869.
* ''Mahābhārata''. 1881.
* ''Pearls of the Faith; or, Islam’s Rosary Being the Ninety-nine Beautiful Names of Allah, with Comments in Verse from Various Oriental Source''. 1883.
* ''The Secret of Death''. 1885.
* ''The Song Celestial''. 1885. A poetic rendering of the [[Bhagavadgītā]].
* ''Sa’di in the Garden; or, The Book of Love''. 1888. This is a poem on a part of the "Bôstâni" of the Persian poet Sa’di.
* ''Poems National and Non-Oriental''. 1888.
* ''Light of the World''. 1891. This is an epic poem about the life of Jesus Christ.
* ''India Revisited''. 1891. Prose.
* ''Potiphar’s Wife, and Other Poems''. 1892.
* ''The Iliad and Odyssey of Asia''. 1892.
* ''Seas and Lands''. 1893. Prose.
* ''Japonica''. 1983. Prose describing Japan.
* ''Tiphar's Wife''. 1892.
* ''Adzuma, the Japanese Wife: a Play in Four Acts''. 1893.
* ''The Tenth Muse and Other Poems''. 1895.
* ''The Queen’s Justice''. 1899. Dedicated to his Japanese wife Tama Kurokawa.

[[File:Julian B Arnold portrait.jpg|190px|right|thumb|Julian B. Arnold]]
== Sons Julian and Emerson as Theosophists ==

Sir Edwin's son Julian Tregenna Biddulph Arnold (1860-1954) was active in the [[American Theosophical Society]]:
<blockquote>
In a recent number of ''The Messenger'', I [the editor, A. P. Warrington] mentioned a series of lectures which Mr. J. B. Lindon, one of our members residing in Chicago, had given at Besant Hall under the designation "Twilight Talks." These lectures were so successful and drew such large audiences that a program of a new series of historical lectures has been announced by the same lecturer, which by the time this issue reaches the mails will be well on the way.

Our members no doubt have learned from recent newspaper accounts that Mr. Lindon is none other than Mr. Julian B. Arnold, the son of the late Sir Edwin Arnold, the illustrious poet, scholar and interpreter of Indian ideals, whom Theosophists the world over have loved and revered for his immortal work.

When Mr. Julian B. Arnold came to America seven years ago he launched out in the chemical business, and for that and other reasons he adopted an old family name, so that he became known as J. B. Lindon. Owing to the encouragement which he received in his recent venture in the lecturing field, he has felt that he should no longer suppress his real identity.

I am sure that all Theosophists will join me in the hope that Mr. Arnold may some day become widely traveled as a lecturer throughout our country, where we hope he will always feel that he has a true home.<ref>Anonymous [A. P. Warrington, editor], "Sir Edwin Arnold's Son," ''The Messenger'' 2.12 (May, 1915), 510.</ref>
</blockquote>

Julian B. Lindon was admitted to the [[American Theosophical Society]] on November 23, 1910, sponsored by Minna Kunz and Mrs. Kochersberger of the Adyar Lodge of Chicago. After July 16, 1915, he was known as Julian B. Arnold, according to membership records.<ref>Membership Ledger Cards. Microfilm roll 1. Theosophical Society in America Archives.</ref> He wrote at least thirteen [http://www.austheos.org.au/cgi-bin/ui-csvsearch.pl?search=JB+Lindon&method=all articles] for Theosophical journals. As Warrington hoped, Arnold did go on to a career as a lecturer.<ref>1940 US Census.</ref>

'''Edwin Gilbert Emerson Arnold''' (1872-????), M.D., M.R.C.P., a medical officer in Fiji, also called himself a Theosophist. He wrote of the evocative quality of his father's "pen-pictures of Indian life":
<blockquote>
To anyone who, like myself, is a convinced student of Theosophy and Oriental occultism the phenomenon is all the more striking. For his works reveal an expert and deep knowledge of Eastern philosophy which is amazing.

I hold the view very strongly myself that the explanation lies in previous Indian incarnations. My father, although very patriotic and intensely British in many ways, was always a semi-Oriental; in outlook, tastes, manners and thoughts, and even in appearance. I believe that his brief visit to India resuscitated the subconscious memories of former lives spent there and that these gave him his wonderful knowledge and insight and his love for and attraction to Eastern life and philosophy.<ref>Emerson Arnold, "Edwin Arnold," ''World Theosophy'' v2 (1932), 978.</ref>
</blockquote>

[[File:Edwin Arnold 31 Bolton Gardens blue plaque.jpg|right|180px|thumb|Plaque at 31 Bolton Gardens, Kensington]]
== Awards and legacy ==

While at university in 1852, Arnold won the '''Newdigate Prize''' for his poem "Belshazzar's Feast."

In recognition of ''Light of Asia'', Arnold was decorated by the King of Siam with the '''Order of the White Elephant'''. The Turkish Sultan conferred on him the '''Imperial Order of Osmanli'''. The Shah of Iran awarded the '''Order of the Lion and Sun ''' for ''Sa’di in the Garden'' and the Emperor of Japan awarded the '''Order of the Rising Sun'''.<ref>C.D. Warner et al, "Sir Edwin Arnold (1832–1904)," ''The Library of the World’s Best Literature. An Anthology in Thirty Volumes.'' 1917. At [http://www.bartleby.com/library/prose/356.html bBrtleby.com].</ref>

In 1888 he was created '''Knight Commander of the Indian Empire''' by Queen Victoria.

Arnold was an honorary member of the '''International Buddhist Society'''. When he revisited Indian and Ceylon, "he was received with much honor and, above all, was ceremoniously presented at Kandy with the '''yellow robe and begging-bowl of a Buddhist priest'''."<ref>Emerson Arnold, "Edwin Arnold," ''World Theosophy'' v2 (1932), 978.</ref>

Explorer H. M. Stanley named '''a mountain in Africa''' after Edwin Arnold.

At Oxford University, his ashes and a plaque have been installed in a '''University College Chapel memorial''', and the '''Sir Edwin Arnold Memorial Scholarship''' was established to encourage study of Oriental languages and literature.

A blue '''plaque''' has been placed at 31 Bolton Gardens, Kensington, where the Arnold family lived for many years.<ref>[http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/discover/blue-plaques/search/arnold-sir-edwin-1832-1904 English Heritage web page] Accessed August 18, 2012.</ref>

== Other resources ==
* The [[Union Index of Theosophical Periodicals]] lists over 80 [http://www.austheos.org.au/cgi-bin/ui-csvsearch.pl?search=edwin+arnold&method=all articles by or about Edwin Arnold]. Many are simply quotations of his works.
* '''Papers of Sir Edwin Arnold (1832-1904)''' at [http://www.univ.ox.ac.uk/content/papers-sir-edwin-arnold-1832-1904 University College Archives] at Oxford University.
* Warner, C.D. Warner, et al. "Sir Edwin Arnold (1832–1904)." ''The Library of the World’s Best Literature. An Anthology in Thirty Volumes.'' 1917. At [http://www.bartleby.com/library/prose/356.html bBrtleby.com].</ref>
== Articles==
*[http://theosophy.ph/encyclo/index.php?title=Arnold,_Edwin# Ediwn Arnold] at Theosopedia
== Notes ==
<references/>
[[Category:Sanskrit scholars|Arnold, Edwin]]
[[Category:Poets|Arnold, Edwin]]
[[Category:Journalists|Arnold, Edwin]]
[[Category:Writers|Arnold, Edwin]]
[[Category:Educators|Arnold, Edwin]]
[[Category:Famous people|Arnold, Edwin]]
[[Category:Associates of HPB|Arnold, Edwin]]
[[Category:Nationality English|Arnold, Edwin]]
[[Category:Vegetarian activists|Arnold, Edwin]]
[[Category:People|Arnold, Edwin]]

Cornelius Agrippa

2019-09-05T01:23:47Z

David Kunsman:

'''Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa von Nettesheim''' ([[September 15]], 1486 – [[February 18]], 1535) was a German [[magic]]ian, theologian, [[Kabbalah|Kabbalist]], [[Astrology|astrologer]], and [[Alchemy|alchemist]].

In her writings [[Helena Petrovna Blavatsky|Mme. Blavatsky]] refers the student to Agrippa's writings for further information in matters of Kabbalah. According to her, Agrippa was taught by his friend and instructor Trithemius, an abbot of the Spanheim Benedictines and "a very learned Kabbalist and adept in the Secret Sciences".<ref>Helena Petrovna Blavatsky, ''The Theosophical Glossary'' (Krotona, CA: Theosophical Publishing House, 1973), 344.</ref>

==Online resources==
===Articles===
*[http://www.katinkahesselink.net/his/agrippa.html# Cornelius Agrippa] at KatinkaHesselink.net
*[http://theosophy.ph/encyclo/index.php?title=Agrippa,_Henry_Cornelius# Agrippa ] at Theosopedia

==See also==
*[[Alchemy]]
*[[Kabbalah]]

== Notes ==
<references/>
[[Category:Kabbalists|Agrippa]]
[[Category:Alchemists|Agrippa]]
[[Category:Nationality German|Agrippa]]
[[Category:People|Agrippa]]

Perennialism

2019-09-05T01:16:37Z

David Kunsman:

'''Article under construction''' 
'''Article under construction''' 
 

== Notes ==
*[http://theosophy.ph/encyclo/index.php?title=Perennial_Philosophy# Perennial Philosophy] at Theosopedia
<references/>
[[Category:Philosophy]]
[[Category:Schools of Thought]]

Neoplatonism

2019-09-05T01:13:29Z

David Kunsman:

'''Under Construction'''

Neoplatonists would have called themselves students of Plato. [[Helena Petrovna Blavatsky]] would have called Neoplatonists Theosophists. From ''The Keys to Theosophy'' she states: “The name Theosophy dates from the third century of our era, and began with [[Ammonius Saccas]] and his disciples who started the Eclectic Theosophical system.” “They (Neoplatonists) were the Theosophists of early centuries."<ref>Mills, Joy.''The Key to Theosophy'': H. P. Blavatsky : an Abridgement.,2013. Internet resource. P. 1</ref> Ammonius Saccas was the first to use the term "theosophy," which means "divine wisdom," combining "god" or "divine" (theos) and wisdom (sophia).

Neoplatonists did not use the label "neoplatonists." They felt themselves to be interpreting Plato, not altering his teachings. However during the 19th Century, historians and philosophers decided that the beliefs of this group differed sufficiently from Plato’s original ideas to require the prefix “neo,” meaning “new”, to the root word. This school of thought began in the third century AD in Alexandria by followers of Ammonius Saccas. Ammonius was born to devout Christian parents and he was officially educated at Christian schools but he rejected the exclusive narrowness of his parents Christianity, claiming that he was “god-taught.” He took a far more expanded view of religious philosophy than any one religion could offer.
[[File:Ammonius Saccas.png|right|300 px|thumb|Ammonius Saccas]]
Saccas believed that knowledge consisted of three grades, ascending from mere opinion derived from sense perception, to science gained through dialectic, to illumination gained from direct spiritual intuition. This essentially is the same as Plato’s three grades of knowledge outlined in the ''Republic''. HP Blavatsky suggests that Ammonius’ endorsement of solitary prayer or meditation to achieve enlightenment is found in Plato’s belief that direct realization of the Form of the Good occurred when one remained “silent in the presence of the divine ones.”

Neoplatonists addressed subjects that Plato did not explore and tried to do so as Plato would have. Such subjects as evil, memory and the new rage in the third century - Christianity. The goal was to separate Plato, the man, from Platonism, his philosophy.

Ammonius Saccas left no written works, so his student, [[Plotinus]], who compiled Saccas’s teachings in the ''[[Plotinus|Enneads]]'', is actually credited with the founding this philosophy but through Plotinus and other famous students of Saccas, such as Clement, Origen, Porphyry, Longinus, [[Iamblichus]] and, of course HPB, we have learned about the school of Neoplatonism and its founder’s intent.

== The School ==

Saccas founded his school in 194 AD in Alexandria, which was at the time the place for intellectual endeavor attracting scholars from all over the world. They came not only to the great library but also because there was a great enthusiasm for ancient Greek wisdom, and the teachings of Pythagoras and Plato, in particular. In fact, with this emphasis on Platonic study in Alexandria at the time, some present philosophers are finding indications in the old literature of an "unwritten philosophy" that Plato shared with a few select students and a recognition of the role played by the Mystery Schools in the past eras of Grecian culture.
[[File:Library At Alexandria.png|left|300 px|thumb|The Library At Alexandria]]
The existence of an inner and outer circle of students seems to be the norm in the [[Mystery Schools]]. Saccas’ school also had a division; there was the exoteric and esoteric. Students were further divided into classes - the neophytes, initiates and masters. The rules of the school were copied from those used in the Mysteries of Orpheus. "What Orpheus delivered in hidden allegories, Pythagoras learned when he was initiated into the [[Orphism|Orphic]] Mysteries, and Plato next received a perfect knowledge of them from Orphic and Pythagorean writings."<ref>http://www.wisdomworld.org/setting/saccas.html</ref>

In the Orpheus tradition the manifested world is inseparable from divine essence, having emanated from it and will eventually return to that divine essence. Of course, many reincarnations and transmigrations are necessary for purification before this return can happen. There are three distinct characteristics of the Orpheus system. First is the idea of a supreme essence. Second is the idea of a human soul which was emanated from that divine essence. Third is the practice of Theurgy, the art of using the divine powers of man to direct the forces of nature.

One of the primary goals of Ammonius Saccas and his school was unity. He wanted to reconcile all religious sects, all peoples and all nations under one common faith, to form a [[Universal Brotherhood]] in the hopes of ending violence by uniting all with a common theology. To do this he needed to show that there was one source from which all religions came. With his students he explored the School the Vedantic thought, [[Zoroastrianism]], the Jewish [[Kabala]], [[Buddhism]], ancient Egypt and compared them with the philosophies of Plato and [[Pythagoras]]. He wanted to show that there was a [[prisca theologia]] and all the various differences were simply variations on the same theme.

== Beliefs ==

Unity. All faiths have a common binding origin. Neoplatonism calls for recognition of that basis and an understanding of our brotherhood with all mankind.

In a quote by Madame Blavatsky from ''The Keys to Theosophy'' she states that Ammonius Saccas had asserted that the ideas from his Eclectic Theosophical System “dated from the days of Hermes.” If we follow these teachings back to Hermeticism, Saccas studied Plato, Plato studied Pythagoras, Pythagoras studied in Egypt, Egypt was settled by the survivors of [[Atlantis]], and Atlantis was settled by the survivors of [[Lemuria]] where Hermes was known to be a King-Instructors. See [[Hermeticism]].

In Hermeticism Nous is the name of the One, the Source. In Hermeticism Source created Nous II who created the earth. This first emanation, Nous II, or intellect, relates to the Forms in Plato's philosophy.

Neoplatonists believed in one Supreme Eternal Unknown and Unnamed Power which governs the universe by immutable and eternal laws. They also believed in a hierarchy of mortal and immortal beings, emanations from the One, both physical and non-physical associated with earth and its development. Sometimes called intermediate gods, angels, devas or demons, Iamblichus is noted for adding hundreds to the list. An interesting note here about Iamblichus, according to H. P. Blavatsky he believed in and practiced “ceremonial magic and practical theurgy” which the other neo-Platonists felt was “dangerous.” [[Hypatia]] of Alexandria, whom we will discuss later, was also noted for her skill at theurgy.

Metempsychosis or reincarnation is believed to have first appeared in the Orphic Religion in Thrace some time before the fifth century BC. Orpheus, the founder, was believed to be a poet. His philosophy taught that the body and soul are united in a sort of contract. The immortal soul longs for freedom while the body holds it as a sort of prisoner. Upon death the contract is temporarily void. The soul is free for a while until the next round of incarnation. The round of freedom and incarnation is inexorable without the grace of redeeming gods. The gods calls them to turn to God by ascetic piety of life and self-purification: the purer their lives the higher their next incarnation will be, until the soul has completed the spiral ascent of destiny to live forever as God from whom it came to begin with. Dionysus, in particular, is to be sought in this intervention of reincarnation.

Why [[Greek Mythology|Dionysus]]? In mythology, Dionysus, aka, Bacchus, is the son of Zeus in one of his incarnations. (Interesting that gods reincarnate too.) He is killed by the Titans and eaten by them, all but his heart which Athena manages to save. Athena tells Zeus of the crime by the Titans. Zeus hurls a thunderbolt at the Titans and from the resulting soot, sinful man (represented by the Titans) and divine soul (represented by Dionysus) are born. So sinful body will return time and time again with divine soul in bondage. Such are the teaching of Orpheus which found their way into Neoplatonism.

We learned that reincarnation was necessary for the soul to purify itself in order to reunite with the One. What made the soul impure to begin with unless simply the descent into matter caused this? In Hermeticism matter, or Nature, is not impure but a beautiful environment to be enjoyed and appreciated. According to Plotinus, matter is to be identified with evil. “Matter is what accounts for the diminished reality of the sensible world, for all natural things are composed of forms in matter. The fact that matter is in principle deprived of all intelligibility and is still ultimately dependent on the One is an important clue as to how the causality of the latter operates. If matter or evil is ultimately caused by the One, then is not the One, as the Good, the cause of evil? In one sense, the answer is definitely yes. As Plotinus reasons, if anything besides the One is going to exist, then there must be a conclusion of the process of production from the One. The beginning of evil is the act of separation from the One by Intellect, an act which the One itself ultimately causes. The end of the process of production from the One defines a limit, like the end of a river going out from its sources. Beyond the limit is matter or evil.”<ref>http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/plotinus/</ref>

If we can replace “intelligibility” with “consciousness” modern scientists, as well as, [[Rudolf Steiner]] would take exception to the statement “matter is in principle deprived of all intelligibility.” Matter, all matter, has some form of consciousness. A modern physicist would propose that any object is held together by a sort of consciousness, an intelligence of the very subatomic particles that “chose” to remain in an organized form to make a solid object. Spinning protons and neutrons somehow remain in place instead of spinning off into the cosmos. Steiner says that rocks, plants, animals, all have a form of consciousness. We may not be familiar with its form of consciousness but at one point in our development as a species we did experience these lower forms of consciousness which with sensitivity can be communicated with and understood.

The Neoplatonists seem to be saying that matter is evil because it gets in the way of the human being making their return to the One. This is simply a matter of choice. It does not have to be an impediment to progress. On the subject of evil we end with the Neoplatonic view that evil is the absence of light, or intelligence but not an entity unto itself. There is no personification of evil in a Satan, Lucifer, the Devil, Beelzebub or Prince of Darkness causing havoc with innocent souls, instead, the innocent souls lack the light of intelligence to prioritize the goal of purification and return to One.

Plotinus and Origen believed the descent of the soul into the material was a necessary event to unfold the divine Intellect, or God. The descent itself is not an evil, for it is a reflection of God's essence but both Origen and Plotinus place the blame for experiencing this descent as an evil squarely upon the individual soul. They believed a rational soul will naturally choose the Good, the God, the One, and that any failure to do so is the result of forgetfulness or ignorance. So we have free will to choose the One or be caught up in the material world. Evil is thus the absence of light or knowledge.

Reincarnation is necessitated by [[karma]]. What you sow you shall reap in one life or the next. There is a curious balance of energy that seems to be required before one can be purified and move on.

Theurgy, the art of using the divine powers of man to rule the blind forces of nature was an accepted belief of Neoplatonists. As mentioned earlier Iamblichus was a famous practitioner of Theurgy. He believed that the soul, once descended into Nature, was so enamored by it that it became blind to the higher aspects of spiritual life. He thought the spell of matter needed to be broken by physical ritual which involved some carefully chosen items called ''sunthemata'', “items that had the property of revealing and communicating some aspect of the divine, and could be physical objects (stones, plants, animals), perfumes, music, actions, songs or poetry. A ritual immersion in ''sunthemata'' had the effect, like a magnifying glass, of concentrating a divine aspect on the soul and awakening the corresponding aspect in the soul. Ritual was a natural adjunct to the worldview of Iamblichus: philosophy prepared the mind, and ritual awakened the interior eye of the soul to the natural orders of the Kosmos. In time the soul itself became ''sunthemata'', a conscious channel for the divine influx capable of demiurgic action and co-creation.”<ref>http://www.digital-brilliance.com/themes/theurgy.php</ref>

There were many diverse schools of thought at this time but because of opposition from the burgeoning numbers of Christians in particular, Neoplatonists decided to move their school to Athens.

== The Rise of Catholicism ==

Plato was born four hundred years before Jesus so Christianity was not a subject he addressed yet for the Neoplatonists in the third and fourth centuries it was a major issue of the day. The thinkers and philosophers and religionists from traditions, like [[Gnosticism]] and [[Hermeticism]], were also part of the mix in the maelstrom that was the formation of the Catholic Church.

Christianity took various forms in the three centuries after the death of Jesus but the rise of Catholocism was the work of the Roman Emperor Constantine. The word “catholic” is derived from the “Greek adjective καθολικός (''katholikos''), meaning "universal") which comes from the Greek phrase καθόλου (''katholou''), meaning "on the whole", "according to the whole" or "in general."<ref>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_term_%22Catholic%22</ref> It was a political system designed to control the masses, the general population.

The supposed conversion of Constantine to Christianity took place after an alleged psychic vision. Christ himself supposedly appeared and spoke to Constantine, telling him to place the Christian cross on his battle flag and he would defeat his enemy Maxentius. Constantine did as he was told in the vision. He knew that many of his soldiers were followers of a new religious sect called Christianity so carrying a flag with the symbol of their savior was inspiring to his men. He marched into battle and defeated Maxentius.

Constantine was a pagan, a worshipper of the sun god and he remained so until his death but Christianity had a lot to offer a murderer like Constantine. After his defeat of Maxentius, Constantine murdered five members of his own household and later he killed his own wife and son. Eventually all of these murders began to weigh upon his conscience. He had been fighting under the banner of Christ for twenty years but he turned to the pagan religions for absolution. “He was told that no pagan religion offered absolution for such crimes as his. He then turned to the Christian Church, and was informed that Christian baptism would expiate any crime, irrespective of its magnitude. At the same time he was advised that baptism might he deferred to the day of his death without losing any of its efficacy.”<ref>http://www.wisdomworld.org/setting/hypatia.html</ref>

What a deal! Murder anyone you like, be baptized at your death and go to heaven. How could a tyrant like Constantine even consider not encouraging such a convenient religion? So encourage it he did. Rome became Catholic, after some flushing out of the details into an official creed. This was neatly accomplished at the Council of Nicea in 325.

So in the midst of Constantine and the Roman Emperors who followed him sponsoring their new religion Catholicism many pagan schools, like Neoplatonists continued. “Christians claimed that Jesus was a unique character, while the entire pagan world knew that the legends surrounding Jesus' life were identical with those of the pagan gods.”<ref>http://www.wisdomworld.org/setting/saccas.html</ref> They knew Catholics were inventing a story about Jesus using pagan symbols, pagan holidays, pagan beliefs and half-truths from the life of Jesus. Yet the Catholic Church was solidifying into a political powerhouse to crush any opposition.

== Hypatia ==

There were many famous Neoplatonists - Plotinus, Porphyry and Iamblicus – but perhaps the greatest and certainly the most tragic was Hypatia. Hypatia was a Greek mathematician, astronomer, and philosopher. She was living in Athens when she first became acquainted with the Neoplatonic school. Later she moved to Alexandria where she became the head of the Neoplatonic school and also taught philosophy and astronomy.

“Hypatia brought Egypt nearer to an understanding of its ancient Mysteries than it had been for thousands of years. Her knowledge of Theurgy restored the practical value of the Mysteries and completed the work commenced by Iamblichus over a hundred years before. Continuing the work of Ammonius Saccas, she showed the similarity between all religions and the identity of their source.<ref>http://plato2051.tripod.com/hypatia_of_alexandria.htm</ref>

Under the leadership of this astonishing woman Neoplatonism thrived. She publically debated and analyzed the metaphysical allegories from which Christianity had pirated its dogmas and repeatedly and publically embarrassed the new church. It has been suggested that if the Neoplatonic school had continued under Hypatia’s leadership that entire fraud of the Catholic Church would have been exposed. But the Catholic Church had ways of dealing with opposition, especially from upstart women who obviously had not learned the rightful place of women according to the Catholic Church.
[[File:The Death of Hypatia.jpg|right|300px|thumb|"Death of the philosopher Hypatia, in Alexandria" from Vies des savants illustres, depuis l'antiquité jusqu'au dix-neuvième siècle, 1866, by Louis Figuier]]
One afternoon in 414 a group of Cyril’s monks, led by Peter the Reader, descended on Hypatia as she left the Museum where she had just finished teaching a class. They stripped her naked and dragged her to a nearby church where at the altar of the church Peter the Reader struck her dead. The crowd then dragged her dead body into the street where they scraped the flesh from her bones with oyster shells and burned what remained in a bonfire.

== The Legacy ==

With Hypatia’s death the School Neoplatonism came to an end, being officially closed by Justinian in 527. Many Neoplatonists fled to Athens and some escaped to the Far East to avoid the persecution of Justinian and the Dark Ages began with the Catholic Church in the lead. And the Catholic Church like radical Islamism today tolerated no one who did not adhere strictly to their system. Paganism, which was anything that was not Catholicism, was made illegal by an edict of the Emperor Theodosius I in 391. Eventually, the Inquisition was instituted to destroy any deviance from Catholic doctrine. Neoplatonism, along with many other schools of thought, like Hermeticism and Gnosticism went underground.

But in 1438 the underground thoughts swelled to the surface. Cosmo de Medici met, Gemisthus Pletho, a passionate Platonist, who inspired him to found a Platonic Academy in Florence. Cosmo selected Marsilio Ficino, the son of his chief physician, to translate the great works of Greek and Eastern philosophy that had been forbidden by the Catholic Church. Eventually he translated Plato, Hesiod, Proclus, Orpheus, Homer, Hermes Trismegistus, Plotinus, Iamblichus, Proclus and Synesius. Ficino could not help but be profoundly influenced by these profound thinkers. He became a major proponent of Neoplatonic and Hermetic thought and that opinion was carried on by others, many of whom lost their lives in the Holy
Inquisition for having an allegiance to anything other than the Catholic Church.

Despite its pagan origins, Neoplatonism has had a major influence on later unorthodox Christian, Jewish and Islamic thought. Today and in recent history those who could be considered Neoplatonists include Goethe, Schiller, Schelling, Hegel, Coleridge, Emerson, Rudolf Steiner, Carl Jung, Jean Gebser and any Theosophist.

== Neoplatonism and Theosophy ==

==Books==
Mills, Joy. ''The Keys to Theosophy'': H. P. Blavatsky : an Abridgement. , 2013. Internet resource. P. 1.

Harris, R B. Neoplatonism and Contemporary Thought. Albany: State University of New York Press, 2002. Print.

Harris, R B. The Significance of Neoplatonism. Norfolk, Va: International Society for Neoplatonic Studies, Old Dominion University, 1976. Print.

==Online resources==
http://www.wisdomworld.org/setting/saccas.html

http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/plotinus/

http://www.digital-brilliance.com/themes/theurgy.php

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_term_%22Catholic%22

http://www.wisdomworld.org/setting/hypatia.html

http://plato2051.tripod.com/hypatia_of_alexandria.htm

===Articles===
*[http://www.theosophy-nw.org/theosnw/books/wil-plat/npa-1.htm# The Eclectic Philosophy] by Alexander Wilder
*[http://theosophy.ph/encyclo/index.php?title=Neoplatonism# Neoplatonism] at Theosopedia

===Audio===
*[https://www.theosophical.org/files/resources/Downloads/mp3/lysy/Neoplatonism%20and%20the%20Theosophy%20of%20H.%20P.%20Blavatsky.mp3# Neoplatonism and the Theosophy of H. P. Blavatsky] Anton Lysy

===Video===
* ''Turning-Points for the West: From Pythagoras and Plato through Gnosticism and Neoplatonism'' by Stephan Hoeller and Tony Lysy
** [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wco-OUAzc_Y Part 1]
** [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q_yrA9A0PaA Part 2]
** [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P_YMorQToKM Part 3]

== Notes ==
<references/>

[[Category:Philosophy]]
[[Category:Western Esotericism]]
[[Category:Schools of Thought]]

William James

2019-09-05T01:09:25Z

David Kunsman:

{{Template:Article needs expansion}}
 
 
 

When the [[Anagarika Dharmapala]] was visiting Boston in December, 1903, he went to William James's class at Harvard University.
<blockquote>
I tried unobtrusively to reach the back of the lecture-hall to hear the great teacher of psychology, but it is difficult for a man in a yellow robe to be inconspicuous in America. Professor James saw me and motioned for me to come to the front of the hall. He said: "Take my chair, and I shall sit with my students. You are better equipped to lecture on psychology than I am." After I had outlined to his advanced class some elements of Buddhist doctrine, he turned to his students and said, "This is the psychology everybody will be studying twenty-five years from now."<ref>Anagarika Dharmapala, "On the Eightfold Path: Memories of an Interpreter of Buddhism to the Present-Day World," ''Asia'' (September, 1927), 720.</ref>
</blockquote>

==Online resources==

* [http://www.theosophical.org/publications/quest-magazine/2097# William James: The Pragmatic Visionary] by Edward Hoffman.
* [http://www.theosophical.org/publications/quest-magazine/1556# William James, Theosophist] by Tony Lysy.
* [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_James# William James] at Wikipedia.
* [http://www.khaldea.com/charts/williamjames.shtml William James Natal Horoscope] at Khaldea.
* [http://theosophy.ph/encyclo/index.php?title=James,_William# William James] at Theosopedia.

== Notes ==
<references/>
[[Category:Famous people|James, William]]
[[Category:Writers|James, William]]
[[Category:Educators|James, William]]
[[Category:Scientists|James, William]]
[[Category:Philosophers|James, William]]
[[Category:Nationality American|James, William]]
[[Category:People|James, William]]

Agnosticism

2019-09-05T01:00:08Z

David Kunsman:

{{Template:Article needs expansion}}
[[Category:Philosophy]]
 
 
 
'''Agnosticism''' (from Ancient Greek ἀ- (a-), meaning "without", and γνῶσις (gnōsis), meaning "knowledge") is the view that the truth of certain claims, especially in regards to metaphysics, religion, and esotericism, are unknown and perhaps unknowable, since human reason is incapable of providing sufficient rational grounds to justify them.

According to [[Mahatma]] [[Koot Hoomi]], agnostics "assume the negative position of knowing nothing but phenomena and refuse to believe in anything else."<ref>[[Mahatma Letter No. 5#Page 14|Mahatma Letter No. 5 page 14]].</ref> He also added:

<blockquote>Enquiry that only unmasks error, without discovering anything upon which the [[soul]] can build, will but make iconoclasts. Iconoclasm from its very destructiveness can give nothing, it can only raze. But man can not rest satisfied with bare negation. Agnosticism is but a temporary halt.<ref>Vicente Hao Chin, Jr., ''The Mahatma Letters to A.P. Sinnett in chronological sequence'' Appendiz I (Quezon City: Theosophical Publishing House, 1993), 475.</ref></blockquote>

== Links ==
*[http://theosophy.ph/encyclo/index.php?title=Agnosticism# Agnosticism ] at Theosopedia
== Notes ==
<references/>

Pythagoras

2019-08-17T04:48:36Z

David Kunsman: /* Articles */

{{Template:Article needs expansion}}
 
 
 
'''Pythagoras of Samos''' (c. 570 BC – c. 495 BC) was an Ionian Greek pre-Socratic philosopher, mathematician, and founder of the spiritual movement called Pythagoreanism. As a mystic he made influential contributions to philosophy and religion, while he is also regarded as a great mathematician and scientist.

== Theosophical view ==

[[Helena Petrovna Blavatsky|Mme. Blavatsky]] wrote:

<blockquote>The most famous of mystic philosophers, born at Samos, about 586 B.C. He seems to have travelled all over the world, and to have culled his philosophy from the various systems to which he had access. Thus, he studied the esoteric sciences with the Brachmanes of India, and astronomy and astrology in Chaldea and Egypt. He is known to this day in the former country under the name of Yavanâchârya (“Ionian teacher”). After returning he settled in Crotona, in Magna Grecia, where he established a college to which very soon resorted all the best intellects of the civilised centres. His father was one Mnesarchus of Samos, and was a man of noble birth and learning. It was Pythagoras. who was the first to teach the heliocentric system, and who was the greatest proficient in geometry of his century. It was he also who created the word “philosopher”, composed of two words meaning a “lover of wisdom”—philo-sophos. As the greatest mathematician, geometer and astronomer of historical antiquity, and also the highest of the metaphysicians and scholars, Pythagoras has won imperishable fame. He taught reincarnation as it is professed in India and much else of the Secret Wisdom.<ref>Helena Petrovna Blavatsky, ''The Theosophical Glossary'' (Krotona, CA: Theosophical Publishing House, 1973), 266.</ref></blockquote>

[[Koot Hoomi|Master K.H.]], in [[Mahatma Letter No. 93b#Page 11|one of his letters]] stated that some of Galileo's discoveries had been prompted by a Pythagorean MSS. in his possession.<ref>Vicente Hao Chin, Jr., ''The Mahatma Letters to A.P. Sinnett in chronological sequence'' No. 93b (Quezon City: Theosophical Publishing House, 1993), 311.</ref></blockquote>

==Online Resources==
===Articles===
*[http://www.theosophytrust.org/804-pythagoras-and-his-school# Pythagoras and his School] by Raghavan Iyer
*[http://www.wisdomworld.org/additional/ancientlandmarks/Pythagoras.html# Pythagoras] at WisdomWorld.org
*[http://www.wisdomworld.org/additional/ancientlandmarks/PythagScienceOfNumbers.html# The Pythagorean Science of Numbers] at WisdomWorld.org
*[http://theosophy.ph/encyclo/index.php?title=Pythagoras# Pythagoras] Theosophia

===Video===
* ''Turning-Points for the West: From Pythagoras and Plato through Gnosticism and Neoplatonism'' by Stephan Hoeller and Tony Lysy
** [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wco-OUAzc_Y Part 1]
** [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q_yrA9A0PaA Part 2]
** [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P_YMorQToKM Part 3]

== Notes ==
<references/>

[[Category:Philosophers]]
[[Category:Scientists]]
[[Category:Nationality Greek]]

Plotinus

2019-08-17T04:43:58Z

David Kunsman: /* Online resources */

[[File:Plotinus.jpg|right|230px|thumb|Bust of Plotinus]]
'''Plotinus''' (Greek: Πλωτῖνος; c. 204/5 – 270) was a major philosopher of the ancient world in that school of thought known today as Neoplatonism. His teacher was [[Ammonius Saccas]]. His metaphysical writings have inspired centuries of Pagan, Christian, Jewish, Islamic and Gnostic metaphysicians and mystics.

In her [[The Theosophical Glossary (book)|''Theosophical Glossary'']], [[Helena Petrovna Blavatsky|Mme. Blavatsky]] wrote:

<blockquote>Plotinus. The noblest, highest and grandest of all the Neo-Platonists after the founder of the school, Ammonius Saccas. He was the most enthusiastic of the Philaletheans or “lovers of truth”, whose aim was to found a religion on a system of intellectual abstraction, which is true [[Theosophy]], or the whole substance of Neo-Platonism. If we are to believe Porphyry, Plotinus has never disclosed either his birth-place or connexions, his native land or his race. Till the age of twenty-eight he had never found teacher or teaching which would suit him or answer his aspirations. Then he happened to hear Ammonius Saccas, from which day he continued to attend his school. At thirty-nine he accompanied the Emperor Gordian to Persia and India with the object of learning their philosophy. He died at the age of sixty-six after writing fifty-four books on philosophy. So modest was he that it is said he “blushed to think he had a body”. He reached Samâdhi (highest ecstasy or “reunion with God” the divine Ego) several times during his life. As said by a biographer, “so far did his contempt for his bodily organs go, that he refused to use a remedy, regarding it as unworthy of a man to use means of this kind”. Again we read, “as he died, a dragon (or serpent) that had been under his bed, glided through a hole in the wall and disappeared”--a fact suggestive for the student of symbolism. He taught a doctrine identical with that of the Vedantins, namely, that the Spirit Soul emanating from the One deific principle was, after its pilgrimage, re-united to It.<ref>Helena Petrovna Blavatsky, ''The Theosophical Glossary'' (Krotona, CA: Theosophical Publishing House, 1973), 256.</ref></blockquote>

==Online resources==
===Articles===
*[http://www.wisdomworld.org/setting/plotinus.html# Plotinus] at WisdomWorld.org
*[http://www.philaletheians.co.uk/Study_notes/Mystic_Verse_and_Insights/Taylor_on_the_Good_of_Plotinus.pdf# The Good of Plotinus] by Thomas Taylor
*[http://www.philaletheians.co.uk/Study_notes/Mystic_Verse_and_Insights/Plotinus_on_the_Dual_Aphrodite.pdf# Plotinus on the Dual Aphrodite-Venus] at Philaletheians website
*[http://www.philaletheians.co.uk/Study_notes/Secret_Doctrine's_Proposition_1/Proposition_1_-_Centre_+_Circle.pdf# Plotinus and the First Fundamental Proposition of the Secret Doctrine] at Philaletheians website
*[http://theosophy.ph/encyclo/index.php?title=Plotinus# Plotinus] Theosophia
===Books===
*[http://www.philaletheians.co.uk/Study_notes/Hellenic_and_Hellenistic_Papers/Plotinus'_Enneads# Plotinus' Enneads] Translated by MacKenna and B. S. Page.pdf
*[http://www.phx-ult-lodge.org/The_beautiful.htm# From the Enneads: On the Beautiful and the Intelligible Beauty] by Plotinus

== Notes ==
<references/>

[[Category:Neoplatonists]]
[[Category:Philosophers]]

Aristotle

2019-08-17T04:41:14Z

David Kunsman:

{{Template:Article needs expansion}}
 
 
 
'''Aristotle''' (Greek: Ἀριστοτέλης; 384–322 BC) was a Greek philosopher and scientist born in the city of Stagira, Chalkidice, Greece. He joined Plato's Academy in Athens at eighteen and remained there until the age of thirty-seven. His writings cover many subjects–including physics, biology, zoology, metaphysics, logic, ethics, aesthetics, poetry, theater, music, rhetoric, linguistics, politics and government–and constitute the first comprehensive system of Western philosophy.
[[Category:Philosophers]]
[[Category:Nationality Greek]]
[[Category:People]]
===Online Articles===
[http://theosophy.ph/encyclo/index.php?title=Aristotle# Aristotle] Theosophia

Plato

2019-08-17T04:36:41Z

David Kunsman:

'''ARTICLE UNDER CONSTRUCTION''' 
'''ARTICLE UNDER CONSTRUCTION''' 
[[File:Plato.png|230px|right|thumb|Bust of Plato]]

== C. Jinarājadāsa comments ==

[[Curuppumullage Jinarājadāsa|C. Jinarājadāsa]] spoke of Plato as having been a great influence on his life:

<blockquote>
As far as the West is concerned, ever since Plato wrote, wherever there is any kind of philosophical thought which deals with civilization or tries to understand the principles of art, every political writer and every exponent of art has more or less to follow Plato's trail. While you may differ from Plato in various ways, fundamentally you have to ally yourself with him on those thoughts.<ref>C. Jinarājadāsa, "Ruskin - A Herald of the New Age," ''The American Theosophist'' 34.11 (November, 1946), 245-247. Taken from unrevised notes of a lecture given in 1928.</ref>
</blockquote>

==Additional resources==
===Audio===
*[https://www.theosophical.org/files/resources/Downloads/mp3/weber/The%20Esoteric%20Plato.mp3# The Esoteric Plato] by Renee Weber
===Online Articles===
*[http://theosophy.ph/encyclo/index.php?title=Plato# Plato] Theosophia
===Video===
* ''Turning-Points for the West: From Pythagoras and Plato through Gnosticism and Neoplatonism'' by Stephan Hoeller and Tony Lysy
** [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wco-OUAzc_Y Part 1]
** [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q_yrA9A0PaA Part 2]
** [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P_YMorQToKM Part 3]

== Notes ==
<references/>

[[Category:Nationality Greek|Plato]]
[[Category:Philosophers|Plato]]
[[Category:People|Plato]]