HPB-SD(ed.1) v.1 p.2 sec.5: Difference between revisions

{{Style P-No indent|For, as the Basilidians taught, “ there was a supreme god, ''Abraxax'', by whom was created mind ” (''Mahat'', in Sanskrit, ''Nous ''in Greek). “ From Mind proceeded the word, ''Logos'', from the word, Providence (Divine Light, rather), then from it Virtue and Wisdom in Principalities, Powers, Angels, etc., etc.” By these (Angels) the 365 Æons were created. “ Amongst the lowest, indeed, and those who made this world, he (Basilides) sets last of all the God of the Jews, whom he denies to be God (and very rightly), affirming he is one of the angels ” (''Ibid.''). Here, then, we find the same system as in the Purânas, wherein the Incomprehensible drops a seed, which becomes the golden egg, from which Brahmâ is produced. Brahmâ produces Mahat, etc., etc. True Esoteric philosophy, however, speaks neither of “ creation ” nor of “ evolution ” in the sense the exoteric religions do. All these personified Powers are not evolutions from one another, but so many aspects of the one and sole manifestation of the Absolute all. The same system as the gnostic prevails in the Sephirothal aspects of Ain-Soph, yet, as ''these aspects are in Space and Time'', a certain order is maintained in their successive appearances. Therefore, it becomes impossible not to take notice of the great changes that the ''Zohar ''has undergone under the handling of generations of Christian Mystics. For, even in the metaphysics of the Talmud, the “ lower Face ” (or “ Lesser Countenance ”), the microprosopus, in fact, could never be placed on the plane of the same abstract ideal as the Higher, or “ Greater Countenance,” macroprosopus. The latter is, in the Chaldean Kabala, a pure abstraction ; the Word or {{Style S-Small capitals|Logos}}, or {{Style S-Small capitals|Dabar}} (in Hebrew), which Word, though it becomes in fact a plural number, or “ Words ” — D(a)B(a){{Style S-Small capitals|Rim}}, when it reflects itself, or falls into the aspect of a Host (of angels, or Sephiroth, “ numbers ”) is still collectively {{Style S-Small capitals|One}}, and on the ideal plane a nought — 0, a “ No-thing.” It is without form or being, “ with no likeness with anything else.” (''Franck'', “ ''Die Kabbala'',” ''p. ''126.) And even Philo calls the Creator, the ''Logos ''who stands next God, “ ''the ''{{Style S-Small capitals|Second God}},” and “ the second God who is his (Highest God’s) {{Style S-Small capitals|Wisdom}} ” (''Philo. Quæst. et Solut''). Deity is not God. It is {{Style S-Small capitals|nothing}}, and {{Style S-Small capitals|darkness}}. It is nameless, and therefore called ''Ain-Soph'' — “ the word ''Ayin ''meaning nothing.” ''See Franck ''“ ''Die Kabbala'',” ''p. ''153. ''See also Section XII.'', “ ''Theogony of the Creative Gods.''” The “ Highest God ” (the unmanifested Logos) is its Son.}}

{{Style P-No indent|that deity had to be viewed under the symbol of ''four syllables'', gave out more of the esoteric truths than any other Gnostic. But even he was never well understood. For it is only on the surface or dead letter of his ''Revelation ''that it appears that God is a quaternary, to wit : “ the Ineffable, the Silence, the Father, and Truth,” — in reality it is quite erroneous, and divulges only one more esoteric riddle. This teaching of Marcus was that of the early Kabalists and ours. For he makes of Deity, the number 30 ''in ''4 ''syllables'', which, translated esoterically, means a Triad or ''Triangle'', and a Quaternary or a square, in all ''seven'', which, on the lower plane made the seven divine or secret letters of which the God-name is composed. This requires demonstration. In his “ Revelation,” speaking of divine mysteries expressed by means of letters and numbers, Marcus narrates how the “ Supreme Tetrad came down unto me (him) from the region which cannot be seen nor named, ''in a female form'', because ''the world would have been unable to bear her appearing under a male figure'',” and revealed to him “ the generation of the universe, ''untold before to either ''gods or men.”}}