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Re: Quotations relevant to the Path
Posted: Wed May 13, 2020 11:49 am
by obnoxion
Nefastos wrote: ↑Wed May 13, 2020 10:36 am
Mars wrote: ↑Tue May 12, 2020 8:41 pm"Jung understood nothing about archetypes."
Meaning that Jung used the word "archetype" in a bit different meaning than the word is used in occult context?
Seyyed Hossein Nasr is of the Traditionalist school, and he is inspired especially by Frithjof Schuon. As Frithjof Schuon considers the classical depth psychology to be satanic, it is only to be expected that Nasr subscribes to the same Traditionalist dogma. Another Traditionslist dogma is that post-renaissance art is degenerate. It might seem strange that such movent should have so strong stance on art, but it has to be remembered that Traditionalism was first concerned with art history. I am an avid reader of Traditionalist writers, but I disagree on many importan topics with them. For example, I admire modern art and consider C.G. Jung one of the most important Western thinkers.
Re: Quotations relevant to the Path
Posted: Wed May 13, 2020 12:37 pm
by Nefastos
Re: Quotations relevant to the Path
Posted: Wed May 13, 2020 1:50 pm
by Mars
Nefastos wrote: ↑Wed May 13, 2020 10:36 am
Mars wrote: ↑Tue May 12, 2020 8:41 pm"Jung understood nothing about archetypes."
Meaning that Jung used the word "archetype" in a bit different meaning than the word is used in occult context?
Obnoxion explained the Traditionalist's attitude towards depth psychology well. The Nasr quote has haunted me for years and to me it's very representative of the attitude of the Traditionalists which is mostly the reason why I'm so wary of them. I was reminded of this quote again when I read obnoxion's Nasr quote above. Another one is Frithjof Schuon's "The worst king is better than the best president."
Re: Quotations relevant to the Path
Posted: Wed May 13, 2020 7:31 pm
by Mars
"Recently I've come across references stating that the ancient Greek poets had been taught their poetry by the birds. This really gets back to understanding the beginnings of Western philosophy, and to the fact that these so called philosophers weren’t simply speaking poetry. They were actually speaking the language of animals, of nature. And I find that when I am speaking in my work about the origins of Western culture I, too, am speaking the language of nature."
- Peter Kingsley, in
this interview.
Re: Quotations relevant to the Path
Posted: Wed May 13, 2020 10:31 pm
by obnoxion
Mars wrote: ↑Wed May 13, 2020 1:50 pm
"The worst king is better than the best president."
This is misanthropic madness. I, too, have royalist leanings, and I admire the Nepal-mandala and the kingdom of Bhutan. But as one can see from the example of Nepal, strictly metaphysical models will not save from eventual decline. No outer form will last.
Re: Quotations relevant to the Path
Posted: Thu May 14, 2020 9:08 am
by Mars
obnoxion wrote: ↑Wed May 13, 2020 10:31 pm
Mars wrote: ↑Wed May 13, 2020 1:50 pm
"The worst king is better than the best president."
This is misanthropic madness. I, too, have royalist leanings, and I admire the Nepal-mandala and the kingdom of Bhutan. But as one can see from the example of Nepal, strictly metaphysical models will not save from eventual decline. No outer form will last.
Yes, this is my main problem with the Traditionalists; their esoterism is so tied in forms that it drowns with them.
Re: Quotations relevant to the Path
Posted: Wed Jun 10, 2020 3:10 pm
by Nefastos
"Having come to birth as a human being, to squander this human life by employing it in the performance of unreasonable or evil actions, and to die after living a common ordinary life, would be a matter of regret. (...) If, after being born a human being, one gives no thought to spiritual things, one is like a man who returns empty-handed from a land rich in precious stones. This is a grievous failure."
– Alexandra David-Neel & Fred Rothwell: Initiations and Initiates in Tibet. Appendix: Kagyu-teachings
Re: Quotations relevant to the Path
Posted: Fri Jun 19, 2020 10:34 am
by Nefastos
Considering how extremely used & known Eliphas Lévi's great Baphomet picture has become, I think his commentary on the picture is not made familiar enough. I add emphasis to some points that are important but may have escaped attention.
"The Sabbatic Goat. The Baphomet of Mendes. A pantheistic and magical figure of the Absolute. The torch placed between the two horns represents the equilibrating intelligence of the triad. The goat's head, which is synthetic, and unites some characteristics of the dog, bull and ass, represents the exclusive responsibility of matter and the expiation of bodily sins in the body. The hands are human, to exhibit the sanctity of labour; they make the sign of esotericism above and below, to impress mystery of initiates, and they point at two lunar crescents, the upper being white and the lower black, to explain the correspondences of good and evil, mercy and justice. The lower part of the body is veiled, portraying the mysteries of universal generation, which is expressed solely by the symbol of caduceus. The belly of the goar is scaled and should be coloured gree; the semicircle above should be blue; the plumage, reaching to the breast, should be of various hues. The goat has female breasts, and thus its only human characteristics are those of maternity and toil, otherwise the signs of redemption. On its foreheard, between the horns and beneath the torch, is the sign of the Microcosm, or the Pentagram with one point in the ascendant, symbol of human intelligence, which, placed thus below the torch, makes the flame of the latter an image of divine revelation. This Pantheistic figure should be seated on a cube, and its footstool should be a single ball, on a ball and a triangular stool."
– Eliphas Lévi: Transcendental Magic. Explanation of figure IX. Translated by A.E. Waite.
Re: Quotations relevant to the Path
Posted: Mon Jun 22, 2020 3:46 pm
by Angolmois
"The road of excess leads to the palace of wisdom."
- William Blake
"The road of excess leads to the palace of excess which leads to insurmountable depression."
- John Balance (Coil)
Re: Quotations relevant to the Path
Posted: Mon Jun 22, 2020 11:38 pm
by Insanus
Boreas wrote: ↑Mon Jun 22, 2020 3:46 pm
"The road of excess leads to the palace of wisdom."
- William Blake
"The road of excess leads to the palace of excess which leads to insurmountable depression."
- John Balance (Coil)
Great quotes!
