The Secret Doctrine, Vol. 2 of 4: The Synthesis of Science, Religion, and PhilosophyBlavatsky, H. P. (Helena Petrovna)
Religion
The Secret Doctrine, Vol. 2 of 4: The Synthesis of Science, Religion, and Philosophy
Blavatsky, H. P. (Helena Petrovna)
Theosophy
In its proper place we will show Modern Science fully corroborating the
above and other traditions of the Secret Doctrine with regard to the two
lost Continents. The Easter Island relics, for instance, are the most
astounding and eloquent memorials of the primeval giants. They are as
grand as they are mysterious; and one has but to examine the heads of the
colossal statues, that have remained unbroken, to recognize at a glance
the features of the type and character attributed to the Fourth Race
giants. They seem of one cast though different in features—of a distinctly
sensual type, such as the Atlanteans (the Daityas and “Atalantians”) are
said to have had in the Esoteric Hindû books. Compare these with the faces
of some other colossal statues in Central Asia—those near Bamian, for
instance—the portrait‐statues, tradition tells us, of Buddhas belonging to
_previous_ Manvantaras; of those Buddhas and heroes who are mentioned in
the Buddhist and Hindû works, as men of fabulous size,(518) the good and
holy brothers of their wicked coüterine brothers generally, just as
Râvana, the giant king of Lankâ, was the brother of Kumbhakarna; all
descendants of the Gods through the Rishis, and thus, like “Titan and his
enormous brood,” all “Heaven’s first‐born.” These “Buddhas,” though often
spoilt by the symbolical representation of great pendent ears, show a
suggestive difference, perceived at a glance, in the expression of their
faces from that of the Easter Island statues. They may be of one race—but
the former are “Sons of Gods”; the latter the brood of mighty sorcerers.
All these are reïncarnations however, and, apart from unavoidable
exaggerations in popular fancy and tradition, they are _historical
characters_.(519) When did they live? How long ago lived the two Races,
the Third and Fourth; and how long after did the various tribes of the
Fifth begin their strife, the wars between Good and Evil? We are assured
by the Orientalists that chronology is both hopelessly mixed and absurdly
exaggerated in the _Purânas_ and other Hindû Scriptures. We feel quite
prepared to agree with the accusation. But, if Âryan writers have
occasionally allowed their chronological pendulum to swing too far one
way, beyond the legitimate limit of fact; nevertheless, when the distance
of that deviation is compared with the distance of the Orientalists’
deviation in the opposite direction, moderation will be found on the
Brâhmanical side. It is the Pandit who will, in the long run, be found
more truthful and nearer to fact than the Sanskritist. The Sanskritist’s
curtailing—even when proved to have been resorted to in order to fit a
personal hobby—is regarded by Western public opinion as “a _cautious_
acceptance of facts,” whereas the Pandit is brutally treated in print as a
“_liar_.” But, surely, this is no reason why everyone should be compelled
to see this in the same light! An impartial observer may judge it
otherwise.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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