FOREWORD
Man's wish to align himself to, and perhaps to reach, God, has been with him since times imemorial.
The purpose of these pages is to identify the history of more recent developments in this trend, and
what is the content of such beliefs. To aid in this understanding, I will make use of linkages to other websites (see under-lined words) that
already have described aspects of the topic, and where there is no point in repeating the detail here. For myself, I have
to say that this area of interest as been with me since 1974, after reaching the age of 30 - a subject which previously I had no
intention of pursuing. The great depth of the subject has never since ceased to surprise me.
Other terms for 'esoteric' can be 'mystic' and 'gnostic', but 'gnostic' is more a description (in my opinion) of someone who has reached unity with God.
The Perennial Philosophy
Click here to read a short essay on this fascinating subject.
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The matter of Sri Sathya Sai Baba
Plentiful information about this extraordinary phenomenon can be found on
the official site. However, there are a number
who seem to find delight in finding criticism of both him and the organisation that has
unfolded around him. Some of these "criticisms" have been extreme.
Details of the criticisms, and answers to them, can be found at
this site.
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See Mysticism in World Religions
'And Did those feet in ancient time'
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- Esoteric Paths connected with Judaic/Christian/Muslim Traditions
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- The Essenes - Created in pre-Christian times, a society that is said to have had direct spiritual relations
with John the Baptist and Jesus. Annihilated by the Romans ca. 71 A.D., but strands of their teachings are said
to have lived on. Much of their doctrine and belief is as found in the finds at Nag Hammadi and the Dead Sea Scrolls.
e.g. The Gospel of Thomas
- The Rosicrucians.
- The Kabbalah - A Judaic creation, and concerned with a pattern by which man may grow spiritually by action on
himself. In some ways akin to the sciences of Buddhism, in my opinion.
- Mystic Islam - Some would say that Islam contains the essence of all previous esoteric
paths, but certainly not in the form that Islam tends to present itself as on the world stage.
- Some Pre-Christian Esoteric Teachings
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- The Ancient Egyptians. The Great Pyramid is full of esoteric pointers, notably in the measurements of the Pyramid, and the use of Pi.
Also the recent findings of the relationship of Giza and the River Nile as a mirror of the Milky Way, etc.
- The Ancient Middle and South Americans. Though the Spanish found a number of long-depraved societies, their ancient forebears (through
more recent analysis) have shown indications of much deeper thought. These indicators include the use of a calendar and eras of time that bear
comparison with the Hindu yugas.
- The Zoroastrians of Persia, of whom the Magi will be remembered in Christian Gospels.
- The Hindus have, probably, the oldest traditions still surviving. Buddha extracted, perhaps, the essence of the Hindu teachings
(See Buddhism.) See also Zen Buddhism.
- The Pythagoreans - who may well have had links with the Hindus (Brahmins) and Celts, and studied Ancient Egyptian sciences.
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