AE in the Irish TheosophistRussell, George William
Religion
AE in the Irish Theosophist
Russell, George William
Theosophy
I was awakened before dawn, those with whom I was to cross the
desert were about to start and I could remain no longer. I wrote
hurriedly to Asur a message full of warning and entreaty and set
out on my return journey full of evil forebodings. Some months
after I had again to visit the temple; it was evening when I arrived;
after I had delivered the message with which I was charged, I asked
for Asur. The priest to whom I spoke did not answer me. He led
me in silence up to the terrace that overlooked the desolate eastern
desert. The moon was looming white upon the verge, the world was
trembling with heat, the winged bulls along the walls shone with
a dull glow through the sultry air. The priest pointed to the far
end of the terrace. A figure was seated looking out over the desert,
his robes were motionless as if their wrinkles were carved of stone,
his hands lay on his knees, I walked up to him; I called his name;
he did not stir. I came nearer and put my face close to his, it
was as white as the moon, his eyes only reflected the light. I
turned away from him sick to the very heart.
--September 15, 1893
Jagrata, Svapna and Sushupti
While the philosophical concepts of ancient India, concerning
religion and cosmogony, are to some extent familiar and appreciated
in these countries, its psychology, intimately related with its
religion and metaphysics, is comparatively unknown. In Europe the
greatest intellects have been occupied by speculations upon the
laws and aspects of physical nature, while the more spiritual Hindus
were absorbed in investigations as to the nature of life itself;
by continual aspiration, devotion, introspection and self-analysis,
they had acquired vast knowledge of the states of consciousness
possible for man to enter upon; they had laid bare the anatomy
of the mind, and described the many states that lay between the
normal waking condition of man, and the final state of spiritual
freedom and unity with BRAHMA, which it was the aim alike of religion
and science to bring about. Most interesting among their ideas,
was their analysis of the states of consciousness upon which we
enter during sleep. Roughly speaking, they may be divided into two,
which together with the waking state, make a trinity of states
through which every person passes, whether he be aware of it or not.
These states are known as:---Jagrata, waking; Svapna, dreaming;
and Sushupti, deep sleep. The English equivalents of these words
give no idea of the states. Passing our of Jagrata, the Indians
held that, beyond the chaotic borderland, we entered, in Svapna
and Sushupti, upon real states of being. Sushupti, the highest,
was accounted a spiritual state; here the soul touches vaster
centres in the great life and has communion with celestial
intelligences. The unification of these states into one is one
of the results of Raj-Yoga; in this state the chela keeps memory
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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