Theos-Talk Archives (April 1996 Message tl01203)

The following is an excerpt from a small book by G. De Purucker called
"Clothed with the Sun, The Mystery-Tale of Jesus The Avatara."

It is meant to give you more information on your question and hopefully be
of some help.
As with all Theosophical writings, I use them for insight and do not try to
convince others of their validity.  I have always found the truth to ring
when my ears are ready, the hearing of course is with the ears of the higher
mind of the higher (real) self.  If any of you have this book, I apologize
for inconveniencing you, just delete it, and it will go away.  Also if there
are some misspellings that I missed, it was not intentional.  I do not have
a scanner, and my typing is not what I do best.

Shanti,
Nick.

Chapter VI

THE CRUCIFIXION-MYSTERY
The Spear-Thrust, and the Cry On The Cross

The crucifixion itself was one of the phases of ancient ceremonial rite.
The neophyte in trance was laid upon a cruciform couch, a couch in the form
of a cross, with arms outstretched; and for three long days and nights --
and sometimes for a longer period, such as six or even nine days and nights
 -- the spirit of the neophyte passed through the spheres of cosmic being,
thus learning at first hand the mysteries of the Universe.  For I tell you
truly, there is a way of unloosing the spirit of man from the trappings and
chains of the lower part of him so that, free, it may pass as a pilgrim from
planet to planet and from planet to sun before it returns to the earth-body
that it had temporarily left.

        In this connection there is an exceedingly interesting, very
profoundly
mystical, and suggestive passage from one of the Scandinavian Eddas, taken
from what is know as Odins' Rune-Song.  It is as follows:

"I know that I hung on a wind-rocked tree, nine whole nights,
With a spear wounded and to Odin Offered-myself to myself-
On that tree of which no one knows from what root it springs."

        In these few lines this passage from the Edda gives another version,
and a most interesting one, of the 'crucifixion'-mystery.  The reference
also to
'hanging on a tree' is most suggestive, because this very phrase was
frequently used in the early Christian writings as meaning 'hanging on the
cross.'  In this Scandinavian mystical story, the 'Tree' is here evidently
the Cosmic Tree, which is a mystical way of saying the embodied Universe;
for the Universe among the ancient of many nations was portrayed of
figurated under the symbol of a tree of which the roots sprang from the
divine heart of things.  The trunk and the branches and the branchlets and
the leaves were the various planes and worlds and spheres of the Cosmos; the
fruit of the Cosmic Tree containing the seeds of future 'Trees,' being the
entities which had attained through evolution the end of their evolutionary
journey, such as men and the gods -- themselves Universes in the small, and
destined in the future to become cosmic entities when the cycling wheel of
time shall have turned through long aeons on its majestic round.
        This Scandinavian version of the cosmic crucifixion, which
crucifixion is also mentioned by Plato in a Greek form of it, refers to the
cosmic Logos
'crucified' in and upon the cosmic World-Tree of which that same Logos is
the enlivening and intellectual Spirit.
        All initiation, so fax as pictorial rite or figurative symbolism
went,
portrayed the mystic structure and operations and secrets of the hid
Universe and expressed into the acts and words of the Master Initiator and
the neophyte.
        The 'Spear-thrust' was one of the parts of the initiatory rite or
ceremony, having its own particular signification, but it was not a physical
act
causing a physical wound.  In some of the initiatory ceremonials, instead of
a spear being used, some other instrument as a dagger was employed in the
symbolic rite; but the fundamental meaning in either case was the same, to
wit, that the man gave up his lower personal being as a sacrifice, so that
the power and influence of the god within might have free flow through the
entirety of the constitution of the man when he left the 'chamber of light'
after the initiation was completed.  The spear-thrust signified the dying of
the personal, so that the inner spiritual man could be freed, untrammeled,
unhindered.
        The last words, as given from the cross, are found in the first two
Gospels, in Matthew, chapter xxvii, verse 46, and in Mark, chapter xv, verse
34: 'Eli, 'Eli, lamah shavahhtani.  These words, called "the cry on the
cross," have been translated into Greek in the Christian New Testament as
follows, and this is the English rendering of the Greek translation: 'My
God! My God! Why hast thou forsaken me?"  This is a false translation into
Greek, although correct in English from the Greek, because these words in
the original Hebrew mean "My God! My God! How thou hast glorified me!"  For
these words are good Hebrew, ancient Hebrew, and the verb shavahh*

        *The entire point of this so-called 'Cry form the Cross" lies in the
meanings and force of the Hebrew verb shavahh, for this verb signifies
several things, as, for instance, 'to bring peace to,' 'to glorify,' 'to
soothe,' and all with the atmosphere of consequential reward, or perhaps
rather the fruits of some notable spiritual and intellectual achievement.
The other verb mentioned in the text, 'azav,, means 'to abandon' or 'to
forsake.'

                  means to glorify,' certainly not 'to forsake.'  But in the
twenty-second Psalm of the Old Testament in the first verse, there are the
following words in the original: 'Eli, 'Eli, lamah 'azavtani, which mean "My
God! My God! Why hast thou forsaken me?"
        This is proof that the Christian Scriptures are written in symbolic
form and with mystical allusions.  But why in the name of holy truth should
the
writers of these two Gospels use words which are good Hebrew and yet give a
perfectly wrong translation of them?  Because the intent was to hide the
truth and yet to tell a truth -- typically in line with the mystical
atmosphere and manner of the ancients when dealing with the Mysteries.  Both
the original Hebrew meaning and the wrong Greek translation are right when
properly understood.  The personal man, when it dies, always cries 'My God!
Why hast thou forsaken me to become dust?"  But the higher, the nobler, part
of the man, the spiritual man within, exclaims with a shout of job: "My God!
My God! How thou dost glorify me!"  This last was an exact rendering of the
actual reaction of the neophyte when reaching glorification during
initiation.  It was the symbolic cry of every neophyte initiated by the
Great Teacher into the Grander life.
        It is also a proof, to one who knows how to read it, of the symbolic
character of the writings of the Christian Gospels: Although the meanings
were all tangled up, they were deliberately so tangled, so that the real
inner teaching could not be received by every curious eye which ran along
and tried to read; and they contained just enough of mystical
thought-suggestion to be a bait to men whose inner character, whose inner
being, had begun to awaken; so that reading these things, seeing these
strange discrepancies and contradictions, their interest would be aroused --
and they would come to the Temple-door and 'knock,' give the right 'knock,'
and enter in.

> Date: Thursday, April 25, 1996 5:39PM
> From: theos-roots
> Subject: Question about "Facts Underlying Adept Biographies"

Could anyone tell me if I am correct in my reading of the article,
"Facts Underlying Adept Biographies" by HPB in Collected Writings
(V. XIV, page 137 but especially pages 146-50) that the Ebionite
"Gospel of Matthew" in Hebrew was not available when HPB wrote and
is still not accessible?

If this is correct, could anyone also tell me if am correct in
my reading of the quotes from Skinner's "...Source of Measures"
that Skinner derived his Hebrew translation from the Greek version
of Matthew's gospel - (sort of a back translation)?

Usually I don't pay much attention to Bible translation debates but
this one about the words "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken
me?" vs. "My God, my God, how thou dost dazzingly glorify me!"
comes up rather frequently among people I know who profess to be
variously New Age, mystic, or esoteric Christians.  If I'm in the
midst of such discussions again I'd like to add, as best I can,
what I've read from this article.  Thanks much in advance!

Virginia Behrens, Member TI, TSA