Oteneaaron's Posts
Nairaland Forum › Oteneaaron's Profile › Oteneaaron's Posts
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 (of 104 pages)
THE HERMETICA: The Lost Wisdom of the Pharaohs Written by Tim Freke & Peter Gandy Read by Julian Brown. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N7hrzOCxaIE?si=SNj8foGXDZM55GKt INTRODUCTION A FORGOTTEN SPIRITUAL CLASSIC The Hermetica is a collection of writings attributed to Thoth or Tehuti — a mythical ancient African sage whose wisdom is said to have transformed him into a god. Thoth, who was venerated in the African country of Egypt or Kemet from at least 3000 BCE, is credited with the invention of sacred hieroglyphic writing, and his figure, portrayed as a scribe with the head of an ibis, can be seen in many temples and tombs. He is the dispatcher of divine messages and recorder of all human deeds. In the Great Hall of Judgment, the after-life court of the god Osiris, Thoth would establish whether the deceased had acquired spiritual knowledge and purity, and so deserved a place in the heavens. Thoth was said to have revealed to the Egyptians all knowledge on astronomy, architecture, geometry, medicine and religion, and was believed by the ancient Greeks to be the architect of the pyramids. The Greeks, who were in awe of the knowledge and spirituality of the Egyptians, identified Thoth with their own god Hermes, the messenger of the gods and guider of souls in the realm of the dead. To distinguish the Egyptian Hermes from their own, they gave him the title 'Trismegistus', meaning 'Thrice-Great', to honour his sublime wisdom. The books attributed to him became collectively known as the 'Hermetica'. Although largely unknown today, the writings attributed to Hermes/Thoth have been immensely important in the history of Western thought. They profoundly influenced the Greeks and, through their rediscovery in fifteenth-century Florence, helped to inspire the 'Renaissance' which gave birth to our modern age. The list of people who have acknowledged a debt to the Hermetica reads like a 'Who's Who' of the greatest philosophers, scientists and artists that the West has produced — Leonardo da Vinci, Durer, Botticelli, Roger Bacon, Paracelsus, Thomas More, William Blake, Kepler, Copernicus, Isaac Newton, Sir Walter Raleigh, Milton, Ben Johnson, Daniel Defoe, Shelley and his wife Mary, Victor Hugo and Carl Jung. It heavily influenced Shakespeare, John Donne, John Dee and all the poet-philosophers who surrounded the court of Queen Elizabeth I, as well as the founding scientists of the Royal Society in London, and even the leaders who inspired the Protestant Reformation in Europe. The list is endless, with the Hermetica's influence reaching well beyond the frontiers of Europe. Islamic mystics and philosophers also trace their inspiration back to Thrice-Great Hermes, and the esoteric tradition of the Jews equated him with their mysterious prophet Enoch. Like many Greek texts, the Hermetic teachings are often presented in the form of dialogues between teacher and pupil. The voices change in the different texts, which can be confusing, so we have chosen to avoid this device and simply present a monologue by Hermes addressed to the reader. Although we have used the familiar term 'God' in the explanatory notes which accompany each chapter, we have avoided this term in the text itself. Instead we have used 'ATUM' — one of the ancient Egyptian names for the Supreme One-God. We felt that using this unfamiliar Egyptian name would allow the reader the opportunity to build up their own conceptual picture of what Hermes means by the term, free of any associations they may have with the word 'God'. It is a daunting task to present a new version of any work that is written in a foreign language and uses a distinct and unique conceptual vocabulary. Approaching a text which is also of extreme antiquity and has already been through the hands of a number of translators is doubly difficult. In the ancient Egyptian language the sound of a word had a magical power which complemented its meaning — a view of language which we unconsciously retain when we talk of 'spelling' a word. Translation inevitably means that we have lost this original power and clarity. Hermes teaches, however, that through the power of the mind all things are possible. We have tried, through the power of contemplation which Hermes advocates, to distil the essence of his teachings for a new generation of spiritual seekers. Although human culture has changed beyond recognition from the times of the ancient Egyptians, the essential mysteries of life have remained what they have always been and always will be. For those alive to these mysteries, the writings of Hermes are as relevant today as they were in the distant past. We hope this new version captures as much as possible of the Hermetic vision, playing some small part in restoring to this ancient wisdom the respect that it is due.
|
achorladey:Don't forget that Archoladey = Courz = Oteneaaron The newest one sponsored by shameless liar Janosky - - David Hundeyin = Oteneaaron ![]() |
achorladey:LYING has become their natural way of speaking. It's such a shame. Good thing the internet never forgets. |
Janosky:Janosky. You LIED that I was an international journalist. You claimed that I was David Hundeyin. WHERE IS YOUR EVIDENCE? When will you apologize for spreading such LIES about me? You're just a SHAMELESS LIAR aren't you? |
Janosky:You better swallow your pride and apologize for your false accusations. Check my profile - the last time I changed my DP was around 2019. Show us the evidence to your claim. You are just a deluded LIAR aren't you? Such a shame. |
Janosky:You LIED that I am an international journalist. You implied that I am the same person as David Hundeyin. Where is your evidence for these claims? You are just a deluded LIAR aren't you? |
Janosky:LIAR! My DP has remained the same for many years now. Anyone can attest to this. Show us the evidence! Dav hunded fugitive, LYING on public forum.Wait a minute, OMG! Are you seriously implying that I am David Hundeyin of West Africa Weekly? ![]() You're so delusional! You need help bro. Archoladey, Emusan, Courz abeg make una come help me see wahala oo. ![]() |
MaxInDHouse:ANOTHER LIE SPOTTED. John the Baptist did not "invent baptism". The practice of baptism was well in existence before the first century. Here is the evidence from WIKIPEDIA The practice of baptism emerged from Jewish ritualistic practices during the Second Temple Period, out of which figures such as John the Baptist emerged.Do you even have any idea about the weight of ancient knowledge contained in the dead sea scrolls? The quote above says that the practice of baptism emerged during the" second temple period". So what is this "second temple period"? WIKIPEDIA continues: The Second Temple period or post-exilic period in Jewish history denotes the approximately 600 years (516 BCE – 70 CE) during which the Second Temple stood in the city of Jerusalem. It began with the return to Zion and subsequent reconstruction of the Temple in Jerusalem, and ended with the First Jewish–Roman War and the Roman siege of Jerusalem.MaxInDHouse why do you love spreading LIES? |
MaxInDHouse:You are the one confusing yourself with all these LIES. Well Charles Taze Russell is the owner and founder of Watchtower that's what Jesus bought from him not the organization of Jehovah's Witnesses.Don't you have any shame at all? What is the difference between The Watchtower Bible and Tract Society and the Jehovah's Witness Organization? STOP LYING! |
Emusan:Hahahahahaha That's true, I completely forgot. His lies are too many, no wonder it's kinda hard for me to keep up. ![]() |
MaxInDHouse:Before you invent your own definition, here is how the dictionary defines "FOUNDER" NounSo yes, Charles Taze Russell is the FOUNDER of your religion. |
MaxInDHouse:Janosky LIED that I am an International Journalist - ask him to provide evidence for this. Thank you for posting links to the many threads I have created exposing the LIES of your religion - but don't worry, there are many more threads on the way. |
Janosky:ANOTHER LIE SPOTTED. So I am now an International Journalist? 😁😁😁 Where is your evidence for this? |
MaxInDHouse:Hahahahahahaha Very good - you have accepted the fact that you are a LIAR. We are making progress. Are you begging me to leave you alone? ![]() Nairaland is not your father's property - as long as you continue spreading your LIES, I will be here to expose your deceit. In your words - "Take it or leave it" ![]() Walahi talahi there is something unique that's drawing you back to the same person perhaps you mean to say he is telling you the truth that you can't find anywhere else because there are thousands of NairalandersOh yes, my brother, you are UNIQUELY DELUSIONAL. ![]() It is quite fascinating to see how you spread LIES on Nairaland even in the face of actual facts. Before you invent another definition, this is how the dictionary defines DELUSION - Noun |
MaxInDHouse:What a wierd way to defend a LIE. Good thing you have admitted that you LIED. |
MaxInDHouse:ANOTHER LIE SPOTTED. Who is a Bible Scholar? Let's see how the internet defines this phrase - From Gotquestions(dot)org - A scholar is someone who has done advanced study in a special field. Therefore, a Bible scholar would be a person who has done advanced studies in Bible, perhaps by going to seminary or graduate school. Compellingtruth(dot)org - A scholar is one who has distinguished himself in a particular field of study. So, a Bible scholar is one who has studied the Bible in some sort of advanced, presumably academic sense, doing research to better understand its deeper meanings and contexts. From Bibleinsideout(dot)com - Imagine someone who spends lots of time studying the Bible, just like how a scientist studies stars or plants. This person is called a Bible scholar. They read the ancient words in the Bible and try to understand what they mean for people today.MaxInDHouse where did you get your own definition from? Why is it so easy for you to spread lies? This is how your Governing Body have changed the definition of the English word - APOSTATE. |
MaxInDHouse:You're talking about Archoladey at 3:42 AM?? He must be giving you sleepless nights. ![]() |
achorladey: ![]() He has no SHAME! |
MaxInDHouse:Run away with your tails between your legs! What a big SHAME! 😁😁😁 A JW "Elder" who cannot stand his ground! Wonders shall never end. |
Wonders shall never end. ![]() MaxInDHouse answer his questions Na. Why are you beating around the bush? I am here to read comments only. PulsingPurple, please fire on. |
Veecruz:You do have a point tho. |
So, is there any real difference between Christian and Pagan understanding of the Logos? Once again, it is only found in the Christian idea that, unlike the Pagan god-man who mythically embodied the Logos, Jesus literally embodied this philosophical principle. St Augustine writes of his studies of Pagan philosophy: "I read there that God the Word was born not of flesh and blood, nor of the will of man, nor the will of the flesh, but of God. But that the Word was made flesh and dwelt amongst us, I read not there." - St Augustine, Confessions, Book 7 v 14 The essential idea which divided the Pagans and Christians of the ancient world was the Christian belief that one man, and one man only, had literally been the Logos made flesh. To the Pagans the notion that the Logos we all share could in some way be manifest in a single human being was impossible. The extraordinary claim that a carpenter from Nazareth actually was the one and only Son of God and incarnation of the Logos was the only thing that Christians could latch onto that definitively differentiated them from their Pagan neighbours. They would, however, spend centuries arguing over what it could possibly mean. |
The Logos is God conscious of Himself. It is the One Soul of the Universe which is conscious through all beings. This is why Heraclitus sets out to find himself, but discovers a 'Logos shared by all' because the Logos is our essential common identity. The Christian philosopher Origen writes: "As our body, while consisting of many members, is yet held together by one soul, so the universe is to be thought of as an immense living being, which is held together by One Soul - the power and the Logos of God." - Quoted in Fidler, D. (1993), 48. The Logos is what connects all things together, what makes them one Whole. It is the image of an otherwise transcendent God, the mediating principle through which a mystic can experience the transcendental Oneness. This is why Clement teaches: "The man with whom the Logos dwells is made like God and is beautiful. That man becomes God". For Clement, one may have many teachers in life, but the ultimate spiritual teacher is the Logos itself, "the Teacher from whom all instruction comes". Just as St John tells us that Jesus is an embodiment of the Logos, so the Pagan initiate Plutarch teaches that Osiris is "the Logos in itself, transcendent and impassible". - Plutarch, Isis and Osiris, 372e-3b, quoted in De Vogel, C. J. (1966), 211. As early Church fathers admitted, Hermes was actually called 'the Logos' by the Greeks. A text of the Gnostic Christians even echoes the words of St John about Christ: 'Hermes is the Word who has expressed and fashioned the things that have been, that are and that will be - See Fidler, D. (1993), 46, quoting the Naassene Gnostics attacked by Hippolytus. By equating Jesus Christ with the Logos, St John is making it clear that he is a personification of this One Soul of the Universe, as Osiris-Dionysus is for Pagans. Christ is in us all because he is the essential divine nature we all share. From this perspective, the Son of God is not a historical figure who lives in time, but an eternal philosophical principle, for, as Origen writes, 'The Father did not beget the Son, but ever is begetting him.' - Origen, The Eternal Generation of the Son, quoted in Stevenson, J.(1957), 204 |
How should we understand this mysterious relationship between the Logos and God, the Father and the Son? Logos also means 'Ratio' or 'Relationship'. St John's gospel could also be rendered as beginning: 'In the beginning was the Relationship. 'What is this relationship? It is the primal relationship between Father and Son, mind and thought, consciousness and what it is conscious of, the Creator and the creation, the Oneness and the manyness of things. This relationship is one of connectivity because the two are One. It is, therefore, as Jesus teaches, essentially a relationship of love. This doctrine can be traced back to the Greek tradition. Eros was a favorite deity of Socrates, Plato, the Pythagoreans, and the Orphics. According to the Orphic creation myth, Night laid a silver egg in the darkness from which hatched the 'First-Born' god Eros, see Graves, R. (1955), 30. The myth relates that the original Oneness split into two halves which became the pattern of all dualities, heaven and Earth, spirit and matter, male and female. The immediate impulse to arise from this was the desire to reunite what had been divided and in consequence, love was born. Eros is sometimes called Phanes, or Light, but as the Orphic myth developed he came to be personified by the philosophers as the Logos. Clement writes: 'The Son is the Consciousness of God. The Father only sees the world as reflected in the Son.’ - Quoted in Inge, W. R. (1899), 87 A Christian Gnostic gospel likewise explains: "When first the Father, the not even the One, beyond all possibility of thought and being, who is neither male nor female, willed that His ineffability should come into being, and His His invisibility take form, He opened His mouth and uttered a Word, like unto Himself; who appearing before Him, became the means of Hisseeing what He himself was - namely Himself appearing in the form of His own invisibility," - Mead, G. R. S. (1906), 363. In a Gnostic Christian tract, Jesus likewise explains, 'I am the Son of the Father who is beyond all existence ... while I, His Son, am in existence -Mead, 381. |
How should we understand this ancient concept of the Logos? In ancient Greek, Logos has many levels of meaning which our term 'Word' does not begin to capture. - Fidler,D.(1993), 38 One of these is expressed by the Church fathers Clement and Origen, who describe the Logos as 'the Idea of Ideas'. It is God's primal thought. - Mead, G. R. S. (1906), 388. According to Hessychius the Logos is 'the cause of action'. It is what instigates creation. Logos could also be rendered 'Reason'. This can be justifiably be interpreted in many ways: as the 'reason for things' and as 'the ordering principle' and also as 'the faculty by which the mind understands'. St John's gospel could be translated as: 'In the beginning was the Reason.' St John writes that the Logos 'was life and the life was the light of men', Sextus The Pythagorean likewise states, 'The reason that is in you is the light of your life,' see Guthrie, K. S. (1987), 268, Saying number 31. The legendary Pagan sage Hermes Trismegistus expresses exactly the same concept. He describes the Logos - the Idea of Ideas - emerging from the Oneness of God like a word or thought. - The Hermetica, Book 1.5. See Freke and Gandy (1997), 38: 'Mycalming Word is the Son of God.' For Hermes, as for Clement and Origen, the Logos is the first thought of the great Mind of God, through which he creates the universe. Christians personify the relationship between God and the Logos as that between a father and a son. The Logos is the 'Son of God'. Yet they also teach that the Father and the Son are aspects of each other. St John expresses this paradox: "The Logos was with God, and the Logos was God." These are actually ancient Pagan doctrines, propounded by sages such as Hermes Trismegistus, who also calls the Logos 'the Son of God'. - Copenhaver, B. P. (1992), 1, Book 1.6: 'The light giving word who comes from Mind is the Son of God.' He explains that like mind and thought, the Father and the Son are really One, but when separated from each other they appear as two. Likewise, in the sixth century, BCE Heraclitus had written: 'The Father and the Son are the same.' - Quoted in Guthrie, W. K. C. (1952), 227. Hippolytus says, 'Everyone knows he said that the Father and the Son are the same.' Clement acknowledges that Euripides had 'divined as in a riddle that the Father and the Son are one God'. - Quoted in Harrison, J. (1922), 480 |
I am studying a book on religious history titled: "The Jesus Mysteries; Was the Original Jesus a Pagan God?" - written by Timothy Freke & Peter Gandy. In this thread, I will share an excerpt from chapter 4 of the book where the authors try to answer this question - "WHO IS THE LOGOS?" To make it easy for you to conduct your research and verify the authors' claim, I have attached the sources from which the quotes in the excerpt are obtained. I will share my thoughts as the thread progresses. Let us begin shall we? -- The King James translation of the Gospel of John opens with the famous and poetic passage: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not anything made that was made. In him was life and the life was the light of men." - St John 1 vs 1 - 4 The NIV Translation of those verses also states: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of mankind" Many readers of this text find it strangely moving but would confess to not really understanding what it means. This is not surprising, because, without some knowledge of Pagan philosophy, it doesn't make any sense. In the original Greek, the term here translated as 'Word' is 'Logos'. The concept of the Logos is completely foreign to Judaism and is entirely derived from the Pagan Mysteries. As long ago as the sixth century BCE Heraclitus set out on a journey of self-discovery and discovered the 'Logos shared by all'. - Kahn, C. H. (1979), 250. From Kahn's commentary: 'Wisdom begins with self-knowledge, Heraclitus went in search of himself but what he found within his psyche was a logos deep enough to be coextensive with the universe.' He further writes: "Having hearkened not unto to me, but unto the Logos, it is wise to confess that all things are One." The Pagan sage Epictetus preaches: "The Logos of the philosophers doth promise us peace which God proclaimed through his Logos." - Epictetus, The Teachings of Epictetus, 134, Chapter 9.2 The Roman Vitruvius writes: "Let no one think I have erred if I believe in the Logos." - Vitruvius, De Architectura, from the Introduction to the Loeb edition Clement of Alexandria acknowledges that: "It may be freely granted that the Greeks received some glimmers of the divine Logos" and he quotes the legendary Pagan sage Orpheus, who proclaims: "Behold the Logos divine. Tread well the narrow path of life and gaze on Him, the world's great ruler, our immortal king." - Clement of Alexandria, Clement of Alexandria, 167. Clement calls Orpheus an 'interpreter of the Mysteries'. But this Pagan concept is much older than the Greeks. It can be found in the ancient Egyptian Pyramid Texts of the Third Dynasty which were written more than 2,500 years before the Christian era! - Murray, M. A. (1949), 46. In the Pyramid Texts of Saqqara creation takes place by and through words. By the Eighteenth Dynasty (c. 1550BCE) the theory of the Word of God as the creative power was well developed, as was the concept of the Pharaoh as the Word of God incarnate. |
achorladey:He has no shame. Good thing the internet never forgets. |
Emusan:Thank you for speaking truth to power. |
achorladey:Hahahahahaha Talk about using his own hands to dig his own grave. More evidence. |
kokolet007:Oh yes, you are an apostate of the Pentecostal Church. E shock you abi? Next time, don't swallow everything you are told without doing your own research. All you had to do was to simply use your dictionary but you kept spreading falsehood out of sheer ignorance. Stop being gullible. Ignorance is not an excuse. u need 2 things in your life .Thank you for your recommendations, but I'm good. Nothing will ever make me go back to my vomit. It is you who needs to acquire some critical thinking skills or learn to start thinking for yourself. Stop putting your trust in mortal men like the Governing Body who cannot save you. Always keep Psalms 146 VS 3 in mind - "Do not put your trust in princes, in human beings, who cannot save." |
Maximus692:You have an innate power of comprehension - go back and read what I wrote. Don't be lazy. |

