Hello

[Hermes]

New member here. 33 year old genderfluid female.

Have been spiritual my whole life. Came in contact with the esoteric at a young age. Devotional and intuitive naturally. Intellectual and a writer, as of now reading very much theosophy.

Not interested in dogmatism, judgementalism or politics.

Found this site trough Nick the Pilot.

 

[Hermes]

Woo.. how big the picture turned out.. but it's an ULR, can't make it smaller.. bare with my embarrisingly large depiction

 

[RJM]

Welcome @_Hermes_

 

[Cino]

Welcome to the forums!

Did your childhood spirituality include Theosophy, or did that interest arise later?

 

[Hermes]

I got Henry T Laurency's Books at the age of 15 or so which I nowerdays don't read that much. Been of both Christian and Buddhist Faith exotericly during my life also.

 

[Thomas]

Welcome aboard!

 

[Cino]

I got Henry T Laurency's Books at the age of 15 or so which I nowerdays don't read that much. Been of both Christian and Buddhist Faith exotericly during my life also.

I can see how that combination will point towards Theosophy! Interesting.

When you say you were exoterically involved with Christianity and Buddhism, does this mean that in hindsight, from the Theosophist perspective, you can better see the esoteric sides of these two religions?

 

[Hermes]

I can see how that combination will point towards Theosophy! Interesting.

When you say you were exoterically involved with Christianity and Buddhism, does this mean that in hindsight, from the Theosophist perspective, you can better see the esoteric sides of these two religions?

Not really, I was very young when I did my biblestudies and the buddhist tradition I studied was the theravadan foresttradition.

But they say that the old testament is the most esoteric part of the bible you can read, and when it comes to theravada they do have an esoteric school in the north which is pretty similar to theosophy called the yogacara school, but theosophy is not though esoteric buddhism, since it is a synthesis of so much more, there is advanced kabbala, astrology, ciphers and a lot of hinduism in it too. I am to uneducated for most of it's mysteries

 

[Cino]

Not really, I was very young when I did my biblestudies and the buddhist tradition I studied was the theravadan foresttradition.

But they say that the old testament is the most esoteric part of the bible you can read, and when it comes to theravada they do have an esoteric school in the north which is pretty similar to theosophy called the yogacara school, but theosophy is not though esoteric buddhism, since it is a synthesis of so much more, there is advanced kabbala, astrology, ciphers and a lot of hinduism in it too. I am to uneducated for most of it's mysteries

Heh, yes, Theravada may seem pretty much the opposite of an esoteric school at first glance (and second and third), what with the Buddha teaching "with an open hand", but then, there is something in receiving training from a person who's been authorized to teach, which is not there when reading the Suttas from a book, or listening to dharma talks or even going on a Goenka retreat where they play the audio tapes. At least, that's been my experience.

There is an older thread you might enjoy or even comment on, regarding how esoteric teaching may be guarded: Hidden in plain sight

 

[Hermes]

Heh, yes, Theravada may seem pretty much the opposite of an esoteric school at first glance (and second and third), what with the Buddha teaching "with an open hand", but then, there is something in receiving training from a person who's been authorized to teach, which is not there when reading the Suttas from a book, or listening to dharma talks or even going on a Goenka retreat where they play the audio tapes. At least, that's been my experience.

There is an older thread you might enjoy or even comment on, regarding how esoteric teaching may be guarded: Hidden in plain sight

Indeed interesting, I've been lucky to meditate two years with thai monks and one year with a monk online as support, still have some theravadan monkfriends, I agree that it can't be compared to just reading or listening.

 

[wil]

Woo.. how big the picture turned out.. but it's an ULR, can't make it smaller.. bare with my embarrisingly large depiction

You have already established an image to keep up with!

Welcome aboard

 

[powessy]

Indeed interesting, I've been lucky to meditate two years with thai monks and one year with a monk online as support, still have some theravadan monkfriends, I agree that it can't be compared to just reading or listening.

Hello Hermes, and welcome to interfaith.

I have a couple questions, but first a story. First of all I hear voices and speak to minds 24/7. I have minds that try to figure me out inside myself and then those that teach me from outside myself. A short while back a window opened up in my mind and in the foreground were hundreds of monkeys all waving their arms. Through the window I was somewhere in Asia, in the thicket of a jungle. I could see very tall grass and I believe some bamboo trees. Through the grass there was some movement, there was a group of monks with orange attire moving through the grass and then stopped and squatted down, the experience then ended.

I later did some reading on monks and it said that monks believe that their minds are like monkeys and they spend time in meditation to teach them things.

what does the orange robe mean are their other colors. The reason I ask is there are nine minds, starting from the bottom of the head, black(absolute nothing), yellow(time), green(nature), orange(spiritual), blue(crown, water, vitality), brown(ego), purple(super ego), red(frontal lodes, id, reality) white(something). I am still trying to figure them all out.

What does a monk meditate on? What teaches the monk about minds?

Just curious,

powessy

 

[Hermes]

Hello Hermes, and welcome to interfaith.

I have a couple questions, but first a story. First of all I hear voices and speak to minds 24/7. I have minds that try to figure me out inside myself and then those that teach me from outside myself. A short while back a window opened up in my mind and in the foreground were hundreds of monkeys all waving their arms. Through the window I was somewhere in Asia, in the thicket of a jungle. I could see very tall grass and I believe some bamboo trees. Through the grass there was some movement, there was a group of monks with orange attire moving through the grass and then stopped and squatted down, the experience then ended.

I later did some reading on monks and it said that monks believe that their minds are like monkeys and they spend time in meditation to teach them things.

what does the orange robe mean are their other colors. The reason I ask is there are nine minds, starting from the bottom of the head, black(absolute nothing), yellow(time), green(nature), orange(spiritual), blue(crown, water, vitality), brown(ego), purple(super ego), red(frontal lodes, id, reality) white(something). I am still trying to figure them all out.

What does a monk meditate on? What teaches the monk about minds?

Just curious,

powessy

First and foremost. I don't speak thai. I mostly did breathing and mindfulness meditation. Second monks are very different. But most I met where very focused on sila and devotion trough mantra and ritual. Their teachingstyle was very much leaving the diciple alone, only stepping in when things get troublesome and that suited me well since I like the silence. And back then I didnt have much disturbance in my life due to the fact that it was a hermitage. I actually needed to get out of the hermitage to face the world more. It was when I stepped into the boddhisatvic path of theosophy things started to get complicated again, but I needed to face certain things I believe.

The orange robe in theravada only comes in one color but in history before the division of thera and mahayana there were several sects of buddhism and each and every One had different colored robes. Saffron, red, Brown and Magnolia if I don't remember it wrong. Mahayana buddhists wears black, red, brown and grey colored robes nowerdays.

The colors you are refering to might be a new age approach to the colors of the auric egg.

 

[Cino]

I later did some reading on monks and it said that monks believe that their minds are like monkeys and they spend time in meditation to teach them things.

The "monkey mind" is a simile for the mind untrained by Buddhist discipline, including but not limited to meditation. It is found in Buddhist scriptures, said to go back to the Buddha himself.

what does the orange robe mean are their other colors.

The robes indicate renunciation of householder life - these are homeless people. The robes were originally sewn together from discarded scraps of cloth and dyed a uniform color using whatever dye was available - the forest monks mentioned by @_Hermes_ still sometimes use the marrow of a certain tree, yielding brownish dye. Maroon, any saffron yellow are also common. Some colors are explicitly disallowed in the monastic rules.

The reason I ask is there are nine minds, starting from the bottom of the head, black(absolute nothing), yellow(time), green(nature), orange(spiritual), blue(crown, water, vitality), brown(ego), purple(super ego), red(frontal lodes, id, reality) white(something). I am still trying to figure them all out.

Interesting! A group of Chaos Magicians I associate with use the following eight color meanings (not in any order, Chaos Magic being fiercely anti-authoritarian):

Octarine – Magic
Black – Death
Blue – Wealth
Green – Love
Yellow – Ego
Silver – Sex
Orange – Thinking
Red – War

 

[Hermes]

The "monkey mind" is a simile for the mind untrained by Buddhist discipline, including but not limited to meditatio. It is found in Buddhist scriptures, said to go back to the Buddha himself.



The robes indicate renunciation of householder life - these are homeless people. They were originally sewn together from discarded scraps of cloth and dyed a uniform color using whatever dye was available - the forest monks mentioned by hermes still sometimes use the marrow of a certain tree, yielding brownish dye. Maroon, any saffron yellow are also common. Some colors are explicitly disallowed in the monastic rules.



Interesting! A group of Chaos Magicians I associate with use the following eight color meanings (not in any order, Chaos Magic being fiercely anti-authoritarian):

Octarine – Magic
Black – Death
Blue – Wealth
Green – Love
Yellow – Ego
Silver – Sex
Orange – Thinking
Red – War

Thank you Cino for the input. There is so much to say about this that I didnt know where to start. When it comes to the aura and magic or magick there are also so much to read. My general approach is reading slowly and being very careful with my Words when it comes to those subjects since there are so many opinions.

 

[Cino]

My general approach is reading slowly and being very careful with my Words when it comes to those subjects since there are so many opinions.

Very prudent. On this forum, one of our most successful if informal rules is to explicitly point out how anything we write is our own belief or opinion, not a generalized statement. In interfaith dialogue, we strive to listen to each other, but are not obliged to agree on anything except that having the dialogue is important.

 

[Hermes]

Very prudent. On this forum, one of our most successful if informal rules is to explicitly point out how anything we write is our own belief or opinion, not a generalized statement. In interfaith dialogue, we strive to listen to each other, but are not obliged to agree on anything except that having the dialogue is important.

Sounds Great. I am though a person who like to have a really good overview before I state any opinions. One thing I've learned by years of studying is that it is seldom simple.

Here are only an excrept of the many articles you can read on the subject of the Aura, and then I am trying to stick only to the original theosophical viewpoint, not going into pseudotheosophy or new age:

https://theosophy.wiki/en/Aura
https://www.theosophy.world/encyclopedia/aura
https://www.sacred-texts.com/eso/theo/theo17.htm
https://www.filosofiaesoterica.com/the-aura-or-individual-magnetism/
https://universaltheosophy.com/hpb/note-on-the-odic-aura-of-mediums/
https://universaltheosophy.com/key-concepts/sevenfold-man/
https://universaltheosophy.com/kh/the-sevenfold-constitution-of-man/
https://www.theosophy.world/sites/default/files/studyguides/StudyPaper5.pdf
https://theosophy.wiki/en/Plane
https://theosophy.wiki/en/Human_Constitution

Also I am of the opinion that words also are magic. Read about the different kind of Vach https://theosophy.wiki/en/Vach

 

[Craz]

@_Hermes_

Re:Also I am of the opinion that words also are magic.

In Hebrew & Aramaic,

“Abracadabra” is the final result of the combination of two Aramaic phrases (Aramaic being itself a Hebrew-based language spoken by the Jews 2000 years ago, in which the Talmud is written) A’bra and K’dabra: A’bra means “I shall create from nothing” (as in our Latin creatio ex nihilo ), and K’dabra, “as I speak.”


Full article at Abracadabra! Is that Hebrew? (aleteia.org)

 

[RabbiO]

@_Hermes_

“Abracadabra” is the final result of the combination of two Aramaic phrases (Aramaic being itself a Hebrew-based language spoken by the Jews 2000 years ago, in which the Talmud is written) A’bra and K’dabra: A’bra means “I shall create from nothing” (as in our Latin creatio ex nihilo ), and K’dabra, “as I speak.”


Full article at Abracadabra! Is that Hebrew? (aleteia.org)

1) Aramaic is not a Hebrew based language. They are, however, from the same language family.
2) Although the etymology presented for abracadabra is one that has been set forth by some etymologists it is not universally accepted.
3) If by Talmud one is referring, as many do, to only the Gemara, than the statement is correct. If one is referring, as well, to the Mishnah, then it is only partially correct because the Mishnah is written in Hebrew.

 

[Hermes]

1) Aramaic is not a Hebrew based language. They are, however, from the same language family.
2) Although the etymology presented for abracadabra is one that has been set forth by some etymologists it is not universally accepted.
3) If by Talmud one is referring, as many do, to only the Gemara, than the statement is correct. If one is referring, as aell, to the Mishnah, then it is only partially correct because the Mishnah is written in Hebrew.

Thank you for the clairification. Nice to meet you. I have never met a Rabbi before. What does it say under your name in Hebrew?