Showing 72 articles
Images of Enlightenment – The Buddhist Mandala
Author: Agostino DominiciFebruary 1, 2015
Because many colourful collections of mandalas are easily accessible nowadays in public art museums as well as in digital art galleries, it is easy to fall into common misconceptions. These peculiar ‘objects’, which can easily be mistaken for some kind of ‘art- form’, are actually among the finest remnants of the practical occultism found in [...]
City of Purification – Elephanta
Author: Harianto MehtaJanuary 29, 2015
Just a few kilometers off the Mumbai Harbor, nestled on an island, amidst basalt rock mounds, lay a mysterious complex of exquisite cave temples that whisper a silent homage to the region’s spiritual past. It’s tune inaudible to the nearby metropolis teeming with ambitious commerce, and ceaseless traffic, here the temple walls echo a stark [...]
Ankor, the last prince of Atlantis – Book Review
Author: Manjula NanavatiJanuary 29, 2015
ANKOR, THE LAST PRINCE OF ATLANTIS BY Prof. Jorge Angel Livraga Rizzi Many ancient traditions tell a story of an immense flood that destroyed a civilization that existed thousands of years ago; one that was perhaps far more technologically and spiritually advanced than we are today. Amongst them, Plato speaks of a vast continent called [...]
Modern Mythology
Author: Sabine LeitnerAugust 8, 2014
Introduction Despite their universal existence in all civilizations and all times of history, myths have often been scoffed at and regarded as old wives tales. August Comte, the founder of positivism and sociology, relegated myths to the most early and primitive level of intellectual evolution and Lucien Lévy-Bruhl, a French philosopher, associated myth with pre-logical [...]
Ramses II
Author: Alex WarrenAugust 8, 2014
If, today, at the end of the twentieth century, one were to ask the average person to name an Egyptian pharaoh, the reply would probably be, “Tutankhamen.” This, of course, is due to the highly unusual discovery by Howard Carter in 1922 of the child-king’s small but almost intact tomb. Tutankhamen died at age 17. [...]
The Mysterious Fraternity of the Rosicrucians
Author: Julian ScottAugust 8, 2014
In 1614 and 1615, two ‘Rosicrucian Manifestos’ were published in Germany. They described the foundation of the “Fraternity of the Rosy Cross”, outlined its basic principles and invited learned men of good will to apply for membership and contribute to a “general and universal reformation of the whole wide world”. The first Manifesto, entitled “Fama [...]
An Opera in Stone: Hampi
Author: Manjula NanavatiAugust 4, 2014
Libretto Hampi’s history melds so seamlessly into legend that it is difficult to establish where one ends and the other begins. This tiny hamlet lay nestled within the area known as Kishkinda which, according to the Hindu epic Ramayana, was the realm of the Monkey Gods. Following Ravan’s abduction of Sita, Ram and Lakshman arrived [...]
The Birth of Sri Krishna
Author: AnonymousJuly 21, 2014
Mother Earth, unable to bear the burden of sins committed by evil kings and rulers, appealed to Brahma, the Creator for help. Brahma prayed to the Supreme Lord Vishnu, who assured him that he would soon be born on earth to annihilate tyrannical forces. One such evil force was Kamsa, the ruler of Mathura (in [...]
Samsara
Author: AnonymousJuly 1, 2014
Director: Pan Nalin Cast: Shawn Ku, Christy Chung, Neelesha BaVora, Lhakpa Tsering, Tenzin Tashi Duration: 145 min “What is more important: satisfying one thousand desires or conquering just one?” What is “Samsara”? For the Buddhists, Samsara is the wheel of rebirths. More specifically, it means rotation and change. Its rotation comes from the force of [...]
The Symbolism of the Raven
Author: M.A. Carrillo de Albornoz & M.A. FernándezMay 22, 2014
The black of its feathers and its mournful cry make the raven, which feeds on carrions, a bird of ill omen. This reputation is also to be found in China even though the Chinese see the raven as symbol of filial gratitude, considering the fact that it feeds its parents. In Japan as well the [...]
The Birth of Buddha
Author: AnonymousMay 21, 2014
Twenty-five centuries ago, King Suddhodana ruled a land near the Himalaya Mountains. One day during a midsummer festival, his wife Queen Maya retired to her quarters to rest, and she fell asleep and dreamed a vivid dream. Four angels carried her high into white mountain peaks and clothed her in flowers. A magnificent white bull [...]Pan’s Labyrinth
Author: AnonymousMay 1, 2014
Director: Guillermo del Toro Cast: Ariadna Gil, Sergi Lopez, Ivana Baquero, Maribel Verdu, Doug Jones Duration: 119 min. This is a story that unfolds at two levels. At a real one (in Franco’s Spain where his generals face the resistance of the extreme left rebels) and at a symbolic level, the inner world of the [...]