Myer I - Hindu Symbolism: Difference between revisions

Part I is signed "Isaac Meyer" (an alternate spelling of the author's name, as also noted in the former table of contents); Part II is signed "Isaac Myer." The card and other installments use "Myer," the spelling used elsewhere in the magazine and in this author's book Qabbalah (1888).

220 [The printed page carries an illustration here: a symbolic Hindu drawing of Brahman (neuter) coiled upon itself, reproduced from Nikolaus Müller's Glauben, Wissen und Kunst der alten Hindus (Mainz, 1822).]

I.

The student of Hindu metaphysical religious philosophy, will find most of its important formulations, veiled under a mystical symbolism; to understand which, is a key to the hints in the Upanishads and other esoteric writings.

We propose to give those interested, a series of illustrations from Hindu drawings with descriptions; in the latter, our study of the Kabbalah has been of great assistance.

The figure is a symbolical representation of Brahman (neuter) intwined in Itself.^[1] It is the highest deity of the Hindus, the principle of the universe; the representation is, of It, at the immediate instant of Its revealing Itself in

221 the emanation of the universe, and before Its entrance into any kind of matter and before Its self renunciation. It symbolises the God—dawn between the pauses of emanative creation, its preservation, and the dissolution of created forms. Wrapped in Its cloak-sphere, Brahman conducts Its toe into Its mouth, perhaps to signify the union of the linga and yoni, perhaps to indicate the retrogression of Itself into Itself, or may be the eternity and unfathomableness of Its nature, plunged in the contemplation of Its own essence. Compare with this the great figure of Néith or Typhé, the Heaven goddess of the Egyptian Zodiac of Dendera. Brahman (neuter) or Para-brahma, i. e., the Great Brahma, as an unrevealed deity, has neither temple nor image. It is in effect considered in Itself without form or figure, but exteriorly It manifests Itself in many figures and symbols. It is the unit and the multiplied in all, at the same instant, smaller than an atom, it is greater than the whole universe, which cannot contain It, and is ineffable and inexpressible in Its essence. The ancient Hindus say of it in the Vedas:—"Brahman is eternal, the being above all others, revealing Itself in felicity and joy. The universe is Its name, Its image, but that first existence, which contains all in Itself, is the soul really existing. All the phenomena have their cause in Brahman, It is not limited by time or space, is imperishable, is the soul of the world and of each particular existence." * * * "That universe is Brahman, it comes from Brahman, exists in Brahman, and it will return to Brahman."

"Brahman, the Being existing in Itself, is the form of all wisdom and of all the worlds without end. All the worlds are made only one with It, be-cause they are through Its Will. That eternal Will is innate in all things. It reveals Itself in the emanation (or creation), in the preservation, and in the destruction (which is also a re-creation), in the movements and forms, of Time and Space." The Atharva-Veda says:—"All the gods are in (Brahman) as cows in a cow-house. In the beginning Brahman was this (universe). It created gods. Having created gods, It placed them in these worlds, viz: Agni in this world, Vâyu in the atmosphere, and Surya in the sky.^[2] And in the worlds which are yet higher, It placed the gods which are still higher. Then Brahman proceeded to the higher sphere." This is explained by a commentator to be Satyaloka,^[3] the most excellent limit of all the worlds. In the "Taitteriya Brâhmana" it is; "Brahman generated the gods, Brahman (generated or emanated) this entire world. Within It are all these worlds. Within It is the entire universe. It is Brahman who is the greatest of beings. Who can vie with It." Brahman (neuter) is the only real eternal true essence; when It passes in to actual manifested existence

222 It is called Brahma; when It develops Itself in the universe It is called Vishnu, and when It again dissolves Itself into simple being, It is called Siva; all the other deities are only symbols or manifestations of the eternal neuter Brahman.^[4]

The Vishnu Purana says: "Glory to Brahman, who is addressed by that mystic word AUM,^[5] who is associated eternally with the triple universe (heaven, sky, earth), and who is one with the four Vedas. Glory to Brahman, who both in the destruction and renovation of the universe is the great and mysterious cause of the intellectual principle, who is without limit in time or space, or exempt from diminution and decay, etc. To that supreme Brahman be for ever adoration."

In its highest development, the doctrine of the Vedas is a rational and philosophical pantheism, combined with the most ideal, pure, and absolute monotheism, that the mind can conceive. The doctrines as to Brahman (neuter) in their higher conceptions, are similar in many respects to the exalted ideas as to the Ain Soph or Non Ego, of the Kabbalah.

Brahman, the Eternal, in Itself, Being, goes out of Its profundity in Its eternity, to emanate the universe of all the things, and undeniably establishes that great law of production, through the opposition and yet a harmonious blending, as to which, all nature offers everywhere a similitude, evidence, and image. Its first emanation is the creating energy, force or potentiality, which manifests Itself in Time, the mother and the matrix of the existences, that is the Sakti, Para Sakti or Maya, the first virgin and first female or plasticity, containing all in germ, symbolized by the Yoni. Its spouse, the spiritualizing, the man-type, is symbolized by the Lingam.

Isaac Meyer.

251 [The printed page carries an illustration here: a symbolic Hindu drawing of Brahma-Maya, a crowned, four-armed figure within an oval nimbus.]

II.

This figure represents Brahma-Maya or Mahat-Maya, Brahma Viraj, or the great Illusion.

The androgene or male-female, the Great Appearance, the first revelation of the Being or Brahman (neuter), under the form of the double-sexed first emanation. The neuter, became male and female, by separation into the male, positive, forming the spiritual—the entities or the noumena, and his sakti or female, the negative, or plastic, matter, the illusionary or phenomenal existence. The sakti, is his developing energy, force or potentiality. This symbol, the divine type of the first male and female, which can

252 be compared with the terrestrial Adam before the final separation of Eve, is really in consonance with this Adam's perfect ideal, the Adam Kadmon or Heavenly Adam of the Kabbalah. The Brahma-half is on the right side, the good side, man's, the Maya-half is on the left, the evil side, the woman's. So according to the Hebrew sacred writings, through Eve the woman, evil was brought into the world. Compare with this the Greek myth of Pandora. Issuing from the linga-yoni is the pearl chain, or connected circle of the existences, looked upon as united atoms, and the symbol of all the existing. It is held up by the hand on the male side.

Brahman (neuter), appears here as manifested in the male in union with the female sakti, of the preformatory imagination, the ante creative monarch, richly decorated with the circles of the soul-monads and atoms. On his head is the world egg cap. The veil of the existences, upon which are woven the ideas or models of the to-be-emanated existences, flows from the linga-yoni to the highest part of the head and thence down the right side. He as the male, has a tendency to twist himself upon himself and his face bears the stamp of deep meditation. The aureole of fire is on the male side and from it scintillate sparks upon the veil of Maya. On the Maya side, the attitude is that of joy or dancing; the hand raised as if in play, holds up the veil, bells are hanging on her robe; and singularly the Egyptian hieroglyphic for the water of life is shown; while the bust is developed. Portrayed upon the veil are the prototypes of the creatures. Compare the symbolism of the girdle of Aphrodite and that of Venus.

As the double spouse of Brahman (neuter) considered apart and in opposition to It. The Brahma-Maya is the life in nature, of which, Brahman (neuter) is the soul. The Brahma-Maya is that blind energy and force, potential and powerful, and eternally fecund, which is incessantly producing under forms which are without cessation renewed; and which is adored in India to-day as the Great Mother, the Universal Mother, in other words all nature deified. Maya is the mother of Love or Desire, the first principle and affinity of all affection, creation, matter. She is even matter itself, but the primitive subtile matter co-existing with God (Brahman, neuter) from all eternity, contained in It, and symbolized by the three colors, red, white, black; the three qualities or powers of creation, preservation and destruction, consequently, the Trimurti, and also the three gunas (qualities), Truth, Action, and Indifference, of the Bhagavadgitâ.^[6] It is Maya, who through

253 the attraction of her beauty, causes the Most High, from the bosom of Its ineffable profoundity, forgetting Itself, to unite Itself, in the intoxication of desire with that divine enchantress.

The mysterious veil, which she had woven with her hands, received entirely from both, and the thought of the Eternal Almighty became fecundated, and fell into Time. The innumerable forms of the creatures, represent the perfect ideals woven upon the magic tissue, the woven warp and woof of all existence, with which veil Maya envelops her spouse and causes the recurrence of the gift of life.

Isaac Myer.

Footnotes

↑ Taken from the Glauben, Wissen und Kunst der alten Hindus, etc., von Niklas Müller, Erster Band, Mainz, 1822.
↑ Fire, Æther, Light.—[Ed.]
↑ Satya-Loka, the place, world, or region of Truth.—[Ed.]
↑ See Indian Wisdom by Monier Williams, p. 12.
↑ This occurs at the beginning of prayers, etc., as our word AMeN occurs at the end. It is so sacred that none must hear it pronounced. Originally its three letters typified the three Vedas, afterwards it became a mystical symbol of Brahma, Vishnu and Siva in unity; see further as to AUM supra.
↑ These three qualities are explained by Krishna in the Bhagavadgitâ, as Satwa good or inactive being purely spiritual; Rajas bad and active; and Tamas inactive or indifferent and bad. They exist in every human mind and are mingled in greater or less proportions at all times, according to the individual and also according to his varying circumstances. His teaching in regard to the Tamo guna is the same as that taught in the Christian Bible, for he says that for the indifferent man there is no salvation—he is as it were "ejected like a broken cloud;" and in I James v.

[1] Taken from the Glauben, Wissen und Kunst der alten Hindus, etc., von Niklas Müller, Erster Band, Mainz, 1822.

[2] Fire, Æther, Light.—[Ed.]

[3] Satya-Loka, the place, world, or region of Truth.—[Ed.]

[4] See Indian Wisdom by Monier Williams, p. 12.

[5] This occurs at the beginning of prayers, etc., as our word AMeN occurs at the end. It is so sacred that none must hear it pronounced. Originally its three letters typified the three Vedas, afterwards it became a mystical symbol of Brahma, Vishnu and Siva in unity; see further as to AUM supra.

[6] These three qualities are explained by Krishna in the Bhagavadgitâ, as Satwa good or inactive being purely spiritual; Rajas bad and active; and Tamas inactive or indifferent and bad. They exist in every human mind and are mingled in greater or less proportions at all times, according to the individual and also according to his varying circumstances. His teaching in regard to the Tamo guna is the same as that taught in the Christian Bible, for he says that for the indifferent man there is no salvation—he is as it were "ejected like a broken cloud;" and in I James v.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

@@ Line 5: / Line 5: @@
   | has text = yes
   | original language = English
-  | publication date = October 1886
+  | publication date = October, November 1886
   | publication date sortable = 1886-10
   | publication place = ''The Path''
-  | publications = [[Path/Vol1/Text|''The Path'', vol. I, no. 7]], October 1886, pp. 220-222 (Part I; continued in a later issue)
+  | publications = [[Path/Vol1/Text|''The Path'', vol. I, no. 7]], October 1886, pp. 220-222 (Part I); no. 8, November 1886, pp. 251-253 (Part II; continued in a later issue)
   | read links = [[Path/Vol1/Text|Electronic journal edition in Teopedia]]
-  | note = Signature printed "Isaac Meyer" at the end of this installment (an alternate spelling of the author's name, as also noted in the former table of contents); the card and other installments use "Myer," the spelling used elsewhere in the magazine and in this author's book ''Qabbalah'' (1888).
+  | note = Part I is signed "Isaac Meyer" (an alternate spelling of the author's name, as also noted in the former table of contents); Part II is signed "Isaac Myer." The card and other installments use "Myer," the spelling used elsewhere in the magazine and in this author's book ''Qabbalah'' (1888).
 }}
 {{Page aside margins}}
@@ Line 40: / Line 40: @@
 {{Style P-Signature|Isaac Meyer.}}
+{{Vertical space|2em}}
+<hr>
+{{Page aside in Path|v=1|n=8|p=251}}
+''[The printed page carries an illustration here: a symbolic Hindu drawing of Brahma-Maya, a crowned, four-armed figure within an oval nimbus.]''
+''II.''
+This figure represents Brahma-Maya or Mahat-Maya, Brahma Viraj, or the great Illusion.
+The androgene or male-female, the Great Appearance, the first revelation of the Being or Brahman (neuter), under the form of the double-sexed first emanation. The neuter, became male and female, by separation into the male, positive, forming the spiritual—the entities or the noumena, and his sakti or female, the negative, or plastic, matter, the illusionary or phenomenal existence. The sakti, is his developing energy, force or potentiality. This symbol, the divine type of the first male and female, which can
+{{Page aside in Path|v=1|n=8|p=252}}
+be compared with the terrestrial Adam before the final separation of Eve, is really in consonance with this Adam's perfect ideal, the Adam Kadmon or Heavenly Adam of the Kabbalah. The Brahma-half is on the right side, the good side, man's, the Maya-half is on the left, the evil side, the woman's. So according to the Hebrew sacred writings, through Eve the woman, evil was brought into the world. Compare with this the Greek myth of Pandora. Issuing from the linga-yoni is the pearl chain, or connected circle of the existences, looked upon as united atoms, and the symbol of all the existing. It is held up by the hand on the male side.
+Brahman (neuter), appears here as manifested in the male in union with the female sakti, of the preformatory imagination, the ante creative monarch, richly decorated with the circles of the soul-monads and atoms. On his head is the world egg cap. The veil of the existences, upon which are woven the ideas or models of the to-be-emanated existences, flows from the linga-yoni to the highest part of the head and thence down the right side. He as the male, has a tendency to twist himself upon himself and his face bears the stamp of deep meditation. The aureole of fire is on the male side and from it scintillate sparks upon the veil of Maya. On the Maya side, the attitude is that of joy or dancing; the hand raised as if in play, holds up the veil, bells are hanging on her robe; and singularly the Egyptian hieroglyphic for the water of life is shown; while the bust is developed. Portrayed upon the veil are the prototypes of the creatures. Compare the symbolism of the girdle of Aphrodite and that of Venus.
+As the double spouse of Brahman (neuter) considered apart and in opposition to It. The Brahma-Maya is the life in nature, of which, Brahman (neuter) is the soul. The Brahma-Maya is that blind energy and force, potential and powerful, and eternally fecund, which is incessantly producing under forms which are without cessation renewed; and which is adored in India to-day as the Great Mother, the Universal Mother, in other words all nature deified. Maya is the mother of Love or Desire, the first principle and affinity of all affection, creation, matter. She is even matter itself, but the primitive subtile matter co-existing with God (Brahman, neuter) from all eternity, contained in It, and symbolized by the three colors, red, white, black; the three qualities or powers of creation, preservation and destruction, consequently, the Trimurti, and also the three gunas (qualities), Truth, Action, and Indifference, of the Bhagavadgitâ.<ref>These three qualities are explained by Krishna in the ''Bhagavadgitâ'', as Satwa good or inactive being purely spiritual; Rajas bad and active; and Tamas inactive or indifferent and bad. They exist in every human mind and are mingled in greater or less proportions at all times, according to the individual and also according to his varying circumstances. His teaching in regard to the Tamo guna is the same as that taught in the Christian Bible, for he says that for the indifferent man there is no salvation—he is as it were "ejected like a broken cloud;" and in I James v.</ref> It is Maya, who through
+{{Page aside in Path|v=1|n=8|p=253}}
+the attraction of her beauty, causes the Most High, from the bosom of Its ineffable profoundity, forgetting Itself, to unite Itself, in the intoxication of desire with that divine enchantress.
+The mysterious veil, which she had woven with her hands, received entirely from both, and the thought of the Eternal Almighty became fecundated, and fell into Time. The innumerable forms of the creatures, represent the perfect ideals woven upon the magic tissue, the woven warp and woof of all existence, with which veil Maya envelops her spouse and causes the recurrence of the gift of life.
+{{Style P-Signature|Isaac Myer.}}
 {{Footnotes}}