the threads connecting eastern and western mysticism (part 3 of 5)

This marks part 3 of a 5-part series where I will read aloud chapters from Manly P. Hall's “The Wisdom of the Knowing Ones: Gnosticism, the Key to Esoteric Christianity.” In this episode, we'll be reading chapter two, “Parallels Between Eastern and Western Philosophy.”

What you'll learn:

· The detailed process of how different religions and philosophies come into existence, unfold their teachings, attain their maximum sphere of influence, and then either diminish or fade away

· When did Greek religion (Hellenism) as a religion and philosophy die off?

· The connection between Syrian and Egyptian Gnosis and the development of early Christian sects like the Essenes and Nazarenes

· The beginning phases of Buddism and how the core teachings became corrupted and too severe over time (similar to what happened with the Catholic church)

· How mystic traditions (Sufism, Taoism, Gnosticism, Essenes) came in to fill the void left by major religions of Buddism, Hinduism, Islam and Orthodox Christianity

· The story of Nagarjuna, often referred to as “The Second Buddha” by Tibetan and East Asian Mahayana (Great Vehicle) traditions of Buddhism

· The three main ways that both Eastern and Western Mystic schools believe one can attain higher levels of spiritual knowledge and initiation (enlightenment)

· The strong parallels between mystical Christianity and Eastern mysticism

· The meaning of Prajnaparamita (“Mother of all the Buddhas”) in Buddhism and her connection to “Sophia, Virgin of the World” in Gnostic tradition

· The use of mantras (repeated sound patterns” in early Eastern and Western esoteric traditions

CONNECT WITH ME + CHECK OUT MORE OF MY WORK: To dive deeper into these themes and explore more of my original work, follow my other podcast, Back From The Borderline, on your favorite podcast player or visit backfromtheborderline.com. You can also connect with me on Instagram @backfromtheborderline, where I share my favorite reads, tools, and all things inner alchemy.

SELECTED READING: “The Wisdom of the Knowing Ones: Gnosticism, the Key to Esoteric Christianity.” (Pages 1-22)

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