Only by accepting knowledge and pain without reserve, man will be able to release all his hidden potential and win the joy of living in a world where, strengthened by self-awareness, he can finally realize himself.
Happiness passes through the liberation of the self.
Esotericism
The noun ‘esotericism’ has its origins in the much older adjective ‘esoteric’ found for the first time in Lucian de Samosata’s (125–180) satire Vitarum Rustio to mean “seen from within’”. The term was used by Clement of Alexandria (150–215) in his Stromata to contrast public or ‘exoteric’ doctrine with secret or ‘esoteric’ teachings. The much more recent noun is the English translation of the French l’esotérisme first used in 1828 by the French scholar Jacques Matter (1791–1864) to refer loosely to secret knowledge. This obscure academic word was later popularized by the French magician Eliphas Lévi (1810–1875) who used it in his influential books on magic. Subsequently the theosophist Alfred Percy Sinnett (1840–1921) introduced the term into English in his Esoteric Buddhism (1883).
The contemporary popular use of these words has not changed much from their original meanings. ‘Esoteric’ and ‘esotericism’ are used today to refer to secret or hidden knowledge and associated doctrines and practices, reserved for a chosen elite and of a spiritual or religious nature. A widespread assumption is that this esoteric knowledge is obtained by an intimate communion with God during which a privileged vision of reality is experienced which grants access to the direct perception of the wholeness of the Universe. This knowledge is not obtained by the exclusive use of reason or by mere compliance with a religious creed.
For a more elaborated discussion of the origins of these terms see Antoine Faivre, ‘Renaissance Hermetism and Western Esotericism’, in Gnosis and Hermeticism. From Antiquity to Modern Times, ed. by Roelof van den Broek and Wouter J. Hanegraaff (New York: the State University of New York Press, 1998), pp. 193–216; Wouter J. Hanegraaff, ‘Esotericism’, in Dictionary of Gnosis & Western Esotericism, ed. by Wouter J. Hanegraaff (Leiden: Brill, 2005).
Special quality on the part of the receiver an aptitude that needs to be nurtured by preparatory practice and study that sets the seeker apart from the rest of humanity and makes him fit to receive this special wisdom in private.
Esotericists tend to believe in the existence of a ‘perennial philosophy’ a single divine foundation of all religious knowledge, which is usually identified with the ‘Prisca Theologia’, or ancient theology, revealed to ancient sages and preserved through along chain of transmission. Accordingto these ideas, each great world religion, independent of its cultural or historical context, is simply a re-interpretation of a unique ancient wisdom, and the particularities of the diverse religions are seen as localized developments and re-interpretations to fit the social and spiritual needs of their respective epoch and culture, but nevertheless rooted in the same universal truth.
During the Renaissance the rediscovery of the religions of the Hellenistic world Hermeticism, Neoplatonism and Gnosticism and the rein- troduction to the Christian West of the associated ancient texts in Greek, Arabic and Hebrew, led the way to a scholarly revival of the ancient arts of magic, astrology and alchemy. At the same time, the new study of 6 Strictly speaking ‘Prisca Theologia’ and ‘Philosophia Perennis’ refer to different things. The term ‘Philosophia Perennis’ was introduced by the theologian Agostino Steuco (1497–1548) in De Perenni Philosophia (1540), whereas the idea of a ‘Prisca Theologia’ was elaborated by Marsilio Ficino (1433–1499) in his Theologia Platonica (1482) and other works. For more details see Wouter J. Hanegraaff ‘Tradition’, in Dictionary of Gnosis & Western Esotericism, ed. by Wouter J. Hanegraaff (Leiden: Brill, 2005), pp. 1125–1135. happily by taking the maximum wealth from existence is the task entrusted to man, to lift him from the certainties he has relied on for centuries. It is an arduous task, an obstacle course in which it will have to face multiple transformations and even accept the need for pain. Saying yes to the need for pain means arming yourself to fight it, and ride the wave instead of sinking. It means trying to turn every event to our advantage, an opportunity for our personal growth.
No comments:
Post a Comment