Blessed equinox! I hope you enjoy some restful and spiritual time over the next couple of days as we pass through the equinox.
Here is an update from us.
We’re now pushing through to finalize one of the two books we’ve been working on. Mark and I were just sitting here together going through some things on it – finalizing points and clarifying wording, trying to make it as precise as we can.
I’m pretty sure we have the final set of chapters now meaning there won’t be any more added. Very soon I’ll be going through and adding all the images.
There are over 700 references in it now – far more than we expected, as the research has kept expanding.
Since my last update, Mark and I have done a thorough go through of the book again, added chapters, more research, inserted sections, made some more discoveries, and added more practices. Once the book is out, I can’t wait to make videos about so many of the things we’ve found that I feel are so important for people to know.
Thank you to all those who’ve been supporting us, and making this possible, which is soon going to turn into some very important information to get out there.
Lara, thanks for the work you are doing. I discovered your site during my investigation of Traditionalism and immediately saw that the religion of the sun was “the” perennial tradition that the Traditionalists have focused on. I’ve now read both of your books and look forward to the third.
A question for you and the other knowledgeable people here — have you found that the end state of following the path of the sun a re-integration of the self into the divine light (as in, e.g., Advaita Vedanta Hinduism or traditionalism of Rene Guenon) or is it a re-integration of the divine light into one’s self while retaining individual consciousness (as in, e.g., Tantrism or traditionalism of Evola)? In other words, does the self survive as a higher being, or is the self absorbed into the highest being?
Great question, and one that caused a major split in the Eastern branch of the ancient religion of the sun and led to the creation of Buddhism, which rejected the sacred sun and the existence of any being.
In the ancient texts and traditions of the religion of the sun that I’ve looked at, there is belief in both a reintegration of one’s self into one’s higher being, and a return to the light of the source. In both cases, the individual continues to exist—I haven’t seen mention of a cessation in the existence of one’s unique self until the Hindu texts the Upanishads (then particularly in Advaita Vedanta), which seemed to have formed during a time of intense intellectual speculation. This development led to Buddhism, which then set itself apart from the religion of the sun.
So for example, in the Pyramid Texts of Egypt, the king is transformed into an immortal being of light by rejoining with his Spiritual Father Atum (as the sun), but also returns to the realm of the gods in the light. In Gnostic texts, Jesus speaks of attaining eternal life, and returning to and taking rest in the Father of the Universe. Hermes speaks of being absorbed into the light of God and becoming an immortal Power in it. The Inca believed they returned to their Father the sun.
It’s only in branches of Hinduism where liberation became being absorbed into the light of Brahman and losing all sense of self, like a drop of water merging into the ocean. A lot of people struggle with this from a logical perspective, as there would be no point in creating individual beings in the first place if their individuality was only going to be extinguished.
There is a lot more that I could say—things about how the inner light and the outer light are connected, and how individuality and oneness can exist together, how our ideas of individuality here are different to our deeper uniqueness, and how there seem to be infinite grades of returning to the light. But that would make for a very long answer.
I hope this makes sense!
Wow Lara, thank you so much for this clarification and a whole new perspective on the problems within the Vedic/Hindu tradition! I knew that Buddhism didn’t acknowledge the existence of Atman/Individual Higher Being of each person, but I didn’t know that this stance has been developing for a while within the Hindu religion, even before the formation of Buddhism. I also thought that Adi Shankara (who is considered one of the main proponents of Advaita Vedanta and is highly regarded in this school) was a “good guy”, since he argued that Individual Self indeed existed, and has put the Katha Upanishad as a proof that this was clearly stated in the Upanishads. I also came across an article, which interestingly stated that it was actually Shankara, who brought a “new life” to the fragmented and fading Hinduism in the times when Buddhism seemed to start having the upper hand (https://www.buddha-amulette.ch/adi-shankara.html)
Now I didn’t really study any of his works, but in my efforts to find some traces of the actual spiritual practices in the Hindu texts, I stumbled upon the Yoga Vasishta, which is said to contain the elements of Vedanta, where I found some descriptions of the out-of-body experiences, but it was explained there that the way to achieve them was by some body postures and restraining breath, which sounded a bit suspicious to me. Another work that I got to read was Yoga Yaynavalkya, as David Frawley mentioned it in one of his articles, but again, got disappointed by overly intellectual descriptions of different Nadis and Yoga postures in it. In the end, I acquired a version of Upanishads, which I am still reading now, on a and off. So to sum it up, I have been a bit confused about the Hindu texts, and thought that maybe I just could not understand them properly because of some cultural differences, so it is interesting to hear that there may be more to it than meets the eye.
Like you Lucia, I’ve found it very eye-opening reading Hindu texts – reading ancient texts for oneself always is.
For example, I used to think the idea that “you’re already awakened, all you need to do is realize it” was New Age, but it’s found in quite ancient Hindu texts the Upanishads.
Hinduism covers such a broad range of ideas that developed over time. So far it seems the more ancient, the closer they are to the religion of the sun, bearing in mind the date the text was written often doesn’t reflect it’s true age, as some are based on much older traditions.
So many deviations developed in Hindu sects. Some examples. The physical exercise of Yoga has nothing to do with how Yoga was originally. Some forms of Yoga introduced ideas of forcing energies through the body, like the kundalini, through grotesque physical contortions. I saw a video of Sad Guru saying that astral projection doesn’t exist, and is a hallucination. The sun is now usually just seen as some minor deity, despite being central to the Vedas and oldest Upanishads. All this zaniness even though much ancient knowledge survived in writing there.
Reading both Hindu and Buddhist texts, there are identical concepts, practices, and terms. It’s become clear to me just how similar Buddhism (including Tibetan Buddhism) is to various Hindu (and Jain) traditions, just with the belief in any sentient being removed.
Hi Lara, that’s really funny (and sad at the same time) about Sad Guru’s comment of the astral projection being a hallucination. On checking that video though, I noticed in the comments section that people are not so easily fooled anymore, and many of them have their own experience of the astral plane now, so that was nice to see.
I have also noticed this tendency in Hindu texts to describe the enlightenment as some sort of realisation that comes to a person after he or she renounces the different attachments of the material world, realises the unity of all phenomena, casts out of himself everything that is unreal, until he stays with what is real and merges with it… Which, I guess is true to some extent, but there is not even a hint about the importance of sacred marriage, while the idea of celibacy or brahmacharya is celebrated. The closest veiled reference (in my opinion) to alchemical process I found in Katha Upanishad, where the Lord of Death taught Nachiketa the so-called Fire Sacrifice, which sounded to me like a work with the sacred fire, which “supports the universe”:
14 Yama said: I know well the Fire sacrifice, which leads to Heaven and I will explain it to you. Listen to me. Know this Fire to be the means of attaining Heaven. It is the support of the universe; it is hidden in the hearts of the wise.
15 Yama then told him about the Fire, which is the source of the worlds and what bricks were to be gathered for the altar and how many and how the sacrificial fire was to be lighted. Nachiketa, too, repeated all this as it had been told him…
17 He who has performed three times this Nachiketa sacrifice, having been instructed by the three and also has performed his three duties, overcomes birth and death. Having known this Fire born of Brahman, omniscient, luminous and adorable and realised it, he attains supreme peace.
18 He who, having known the three, has performed three times the Nachiketa sacrifice, throws off, even here, the chains of death, overcomes grief and rejoices in Heaven.
The different references to “the three” in those quotes also sound very meaningful, as Mark writes in his book:
“The number three is a number of completion and crystallisation – of bringing things to realisation…
There are three primary forces in creation, which are symbolised as Father, Mother, and son. On the path of the spiritual sun, there are three series of nine initiations, and then three steps to merge oneself with the trinity of creation – each time repeating the same events symbolised by the solstices and equinoxes, but at progressively higher levels…”
It’s a great shame that parts of the Hindu legacy are fading and getting diffused/convoluted, especially considering how substantial the remnants of the religion of the sun can be traced there. I have heard many European ancient revival groups that lack access to their original records/scriptures and mostly depend on the remaining fragments of their oral traditions, appreciate the fullness of the Hindu teachings and sagas. Instead, they embrace the hard work required to “figure out” what happened, piece by piece, despite the veil over their past.
Sadhguru can be seen here joking about depopulation at the WEF: https://twitter.com/_Bilderberg_/status/1520419656443510784
Hi Olga, thank you for that link to Sadhguru joking about “wanting less souls on the planet”, he is quite a persona, isn’t he? I also noticed though, that he always says these controversial things very carefully, in the sense that they could always be expained in different ways. For example in the case of him saying that astral projection was a hallucination, I noticed some people in the comments there saying that he didn’t mean that the astral projection as such didn’t exist, but that what many people describe as astral projection is just their own mental imagination and not a “real” astral projection, which Sadhguru knows that it exists. It is of course, nonsense, because he didn’t specify it like that, but that’s what his supporters say. Similarly, this joke of “wanting less souls on the planet” could be also explained by his supporters as his wish to want many to awaken, and to leave the physical dimension. So whatever he says, it can basically be always turned and twisted into something acceptable.
I also agree with your mention about many European revivals being connected to Indian tradition, so it is in everybody’s interest I think, to find out what has happened to it, what parts still carry the original purity of the teachings, and which don’t, or even have been altered. For example, I even came across the information about human sacrifice being mentioned in some Hindu texts like Satapatha Brahmana or Kalika Purana, which is already quite a deviation from the original teachings of Light.
Hi Lara, Lucia & Olga,
It seems the world really loves a guru. But the lack of real wisdom within the message of some of the most popular guru figures seems to be an unfortunate reflection of the poor capacity of people in general to search for and understand spiritual matters. At least Sadhguru can safely dodge being prosecuted under the Trade Descriptions Act though, as his name says it like it is: a guru who makes people sad with his skew-whiff ideas!:)
Seriously though, the proliferation of gurus within the world is actually rather sad, as they have the capacity to take people away from real spiritual knowledge. It’s sad for those who follow fake gurus, but also sad in some ways for the gurus themselves.
For example, I saw a documentary featuring a Russian guru figure who was happy to present himself as the second coming of Jesus. He had a devout entourage of followers living in a small community who idolised him, but it struck me that it must become difficult in some ways for these guru figures, as there is a constant pressure to appear beyond any human weakness. So I felt sorry in some ways for this guy, as although he was misleading others, I also realised it must become quite “lonely at the top”, in the same way that pop or movie stars can have hordes of admirers who only really want to see a particular persona being presented, rather than the real person hiding behind the mask.
It shows how little has changed since Jesus’ time, as a similar situation is referred to in The Gospel of Thomas, but in the context of those in religious orthodoxy, who despite their positions in society, lack real spiritual knowledge: “Jesus said: ‘The Pharisees and the scribes have taken the keys of knowledge and hidden them. They themselves have not entered, nor have they allowed to enter those who wish to. You, however, be as wise as serpents and as innocent as doves’”.
A couple of quotes from The Apocalypse of Peter also reflect the same thing: “I saw the priests and the people running up to us with stones, as if they would kill us; and I was afraid that we were going to die”. “And there shall be others of those who are outside our number who name themselves bishop and also deacons, as if they have received their authority from God”.
The account of Jesus’ entrapment by the Pharisees in the orthodox gospels also shows how simply following religious dogma is not a precursor to correct action, as is still demonstrated in society today. It’s relatively easy to rigidly follow a belief system as millions, or even billions throughout the world still do, but far more difficult to develop the wisdom required to act correctly in different situations and to actually live the teachings of the founders of the world’s great religions by developing qualities of consciousness, such as love, care and compassion for others, which are so lacking in the world generally.
Lara’s comment in The Ancient Religion of the Sun stood out to me, about how people in society lack the wisdom to choose their leaders based on their spiritual level. It is apparent in the quotes from the two accounts of Jesus’ life above and has remained the case today.
In some ways, it surprises me that so many people are so gullible as to follow charlatans. I remember one of the first times I saw Eckhart Tolle speaking, I thought “He’s just talking rubbish!” I also thought it was rather ridiculous that a spiritual teacher would advocate going “deeply into laziness”, as he seemed to do in The Power of Now, after claiming that he became enlightened simply by snapping out of a depressive state. Unfortunately, a lot of these gurus remind me of a line in the Frank Zappa song Cosmic Debris: “He said for a nominal service charge I could reach nirvana tonight”.
I once asked a teacher of TM (Transcendental Meditation) why it was so prohibitively expensive, as it seemed odd that a spiritual organisation would charge a four figure sum for essentially just passing on a mantra. The answer was that it was part of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi’s plan for world peace. Although I found the TM mantra quite effective when I learnt it through an independent teacher, that explanation never really rang true.
John Lennon was also unimpressed by some of Maharishi’s actions when he and other musicians stayed at his ashram in India. He wrote a song that later appeared on The Beatles’ White Album, which originally featured the lyric “Maharishi, what have you done? You made a fool of everyone”, but which he later changed to Sexy Sadie to avoid a potential libel case. When The Beatles were leaving the ashram, Maharishi asked why, to which Lennon reportedly replied “Well if you’re so cosmic, you’d know”. I also recall an anecdote on a documentary involving a private plane journey with very lax safety. No one dared to question Maharishi’s authority, until at the last moment concerns were raised and a potentially serious accident was narrowly avoided.
This blind obedience to authority figures is a problem not just in the realms of spiritual gurus, but also in the wider world. There is a classic psychology experiment by Stanley Milgram, carried out at Yale University in the early 1960s to look into obedience. The experiment came very soon after the start of a high profile war crime trial of a Nazi officer and Milgram wondered how so many German soldiers could commit such atrocities under the excuse that they were “just following orders”. So the experiment involved a scenario where participants were recruited into a lab setting, which at face value was a test on the influence of punishment upon learning.
A man in a white lab coat conducted the experiment, in which participants were randomly assigned to the role of either teacher or learner, with the teacher then being asked to administer electric shocks to the learner answering questions in a booth, whenever he got an answer wrong. The teacher was also given a low dose of an electric shock prior to starting to administer it themselves, so they could feel what it was like. But the presence of an authority figure was so great that participants repeatedly administered up to fatal doses of electric shocks, even after the learner was clearly highly distressed and begged them to stop. If participants expressed any doubts as to their actions, they could then be prompted to carry on simply by the man in the white coat saying “please continue”, or giving more specific commands if the participants persistently expressed doubts.
Participants came from a wide range of socioeconomic backgrounds and educational levels and were of differing ages, but all were willing to gradually administer electric shocks in 15-volt increments up to 300 volts, with 65% willing to carry on administering shocks of 450 volts, despite the meter being clearly labelled “Danger: Severe Shock”, after which the learner’s desperate pleas were replaced by a deathly silence.
Of course, the learner in the booth was actually a stooge of the researchers and was always assigned to this role, instead of the role of teacher, but this was not revealed until the experiment had finished. But the shocking finding was that ordinary members of the public were willing to essentially murder another person like them, purely on the basis of an authority figure asking them to do so. Unfortunately this experiment was not unique in its findings, with similar results obtained when it was repeated in different settings around the world.
Solomon Asch’s previous conformity experiment in the early 1950s was another classic example of how people could easily be influenced by a group norm, regardless of whether the norm was completely contrary to the truth. It involved participants looking at lines on a page, to which they were asked to estimate the length. The baseline inaccuracy level was just 1% when social pressure was removed from the experiment, but when others in the group estimated the length of clearly shorter lines as being longer, two thirds of participants were shown to agree with the group norm, despite their own common sense and the evidence of their own eyes, which rose to three quarters when the average was taken across repeat experiments.
Later, in the early 1970s, Philip Zimbardo’s famous Stanford Prison experiment also demonstrated how ordinary people could easily be divided into tribes that would oppose each other. Male participants were assigned randomly to the role of either prisoner or guard and took on these roles with such gusto that the experiment eventually had to be stopped due to ethical concerns, as the participants acted out the typical abusive relationships that commonly occur within prison settings, which became increasingly brutal.
Although these experiments were conducted many years ago, I unfortunately see the same kind of tribalism, conformity and blind obedience occurring today, with many people following the actions of authority figures and those who they feel are knowledgeable, but without any real discernment or critical thinking.
This occurs in everyday society, as well as in religious or spiritual settings. The recent Covid-19 pandemic was a good example of this, with a majority of people following the words of those they perceived to be in positions of authority, whether for or against the mainstream perspective, rather than looking for their own solid evidence. It also led to a rather comical situation involving Boris Johnson, the former British Prime Minister, who has been at the centre of a media furore after ongoing evidence emerged of him and other Conservative party members enjoying parties in government offices during the lock downs his government imposed on the rest of the public.
Whether the lock downs themselves were justifiable or not is another matter for debate, but I found it puzzling as to why those who back Boris are still adamant in defending him, in the face of an overwhelming body of evidence against him and his resignation from the party he formally governed. The biggest selling national newspaper in the UK, which has consistently supported Boris no matter what, has even made him a guest writer and takes every opportunity to place his photo on the front page.
This same kind of blinkered way of thinking is also so prevalent in science, where even those who are atheists will follow their own guru figures within the academic field, to the exclusion of all else. This turns science into more of a religion than a field of empirical enquiry and investigation, and blocks the discovery of new areas of knowledge in many cases.
We can easily get funnelled into a particular mindset of trying to prove a pre-existing theory. But Lara’s description of her and Mark’s research process in The Ancient Religion of the Sun stood out to me, as it was so refreshingly different from what has sadly become a standard of trying to prove a hypothesis, rather than following where the evidence leads with an open mind.
This has resulted in a far more worthwhile outcome and the discovery of totally new connections, which could easily have otherwise been missed. This type of research process is an excellent example of combining both logic and intuition, in order to uncover something exciting and unique, which is the epitome of the true scientific method, but within the context of an inspiring spiritual framework.
In fact, this combination is what initially attracted me to the spiritual framework they convey, as although I had been searching for spiritual things for many years, I often found the things described elsewhere to be wishy washy, without any real logic or depth. Whereas, when I found out about Mark and Lara’s work, it intuitively made sense, but was also backed up by a logical and common sense foundation. Their work over recent years has greatly expanded on this and I very much look forward to the new books when they’re available, which I’m sure we’ll all find much wisdom and inspiration in.
Thanks Lara and Mark for your ongoing efforts in bringing a valuable and unique knowledge to the world. I’m sure I’m not alone in saying it’s very much appreciated!
Hi everyone,
I haven’t looked much into the texts of Hinduism but I can definitely tell there is a clear difference between Buddhism and Taoism on the notion of Self. Buddhist sources I’ve came across where I am clearly emphasize the notion of non-self, where Taoism doesn’t really acknowledge that. Taoism emphasiezes ” being one with the Dao” but it doesn’t really talk about the dissolution of one’s individual Self like Buddhism does. In fact historically Buddhists and Taoists in China have even argued as to whose ideology is right! I wouldn’t get too much into those stories since they’re a lot to talk about and there are different versions of them out there which may had been tampered with,but one of the subjects of debate is indeed the notion of Self. It’s clear that these two religions do not share a common view on the Self. Buddhists also emaphasize that the Dao is not the ultimate truth,but Emptiness is. I think this is one of the major differences between Buddhism and Taoism. Buddhism talks about the notion of Emptiness and Non-Self, while Taoism doesn’t do so as much. While these two religions do contain some concepts that are similar to each other,at their core,they are very different ideologies. In is likely that when Buddhism was in India the first Buddhists had debates with the Hindus on the notion of Brahman,which clearly showed that Buddhist ideology was a split from Hinduism. When Buddhism came to China,it also had a clash in ideology with the indigenous Chinese religion of Taoism,for apparently the same reason. Buddhists and Taoists never really agreed on the core principles of their beliefs, although they could peacefully coexist in the country lol.
On the matter of celibacy I also found that Taoism and Buddhism do differ. While Buddhist monks and nuns are generally required to be celebate, Taoist priests are not,they are allowed to get married. Although some schools of Taoism also encourage their practioners to be celebate, that is likely a result of influence from Buddhism since the two religions have been coexisting in China for a few centuries. So I think there are variations among ideologies here too. Anyway this is a brief summary of what I wanted to share about what reminds me about the core differences between Buddhism and Taoism after reading the comments you guys wrote on the development of the idea of the dissolution of individual self in Hinduism that predates Buddhism.
I don’t know if it’s fair to say that those schools of Taoism which have been influenced by Buddhism with incorporating some of its ideologies and practices which have their origins in India could be considered as Chinese versions of some those schools of Hinduism lol. Those schools of practice call themselves Taoist but they are really neither Taoist nor Buddhist in nature,but more of an odd combination of the two traditions which differ in their core principles. I think what I am seeing here is somewhat similar to what Lara described about the rise of the notion of the dissolution of the individual self in Hinduism in India, only with this case it’s the different ideology of Buddhism that is feeding back into Taoism,which in its authentic form,does not contain the notion of Non-Self and does not encourage celibacy.
Also I’ve seen some Buddhists who criticize the Taoist practice of the Golden Elixir,saying that its state is not ultimate and one has to ” bypass” it in order to reach true enlightenment. I’ve seen articles written by Chinese Buddhists who criticize Taoism,such as criticizing the Golden Elixir and the notion of the Dao,and that Taoists do not realize the notions of Non-Self. So as you can see these two major schools of thoughts are indeed very different at their core.
So those are pretty much what I wanted to say about what I discovered about Taoism vs Buddhism,I haven’t really looked at the Hindu texts or other texts that are not part of my own culture,but by comparing Taoism and Chinese Buddhism I think I may be arriving at a similar conclusion here;)
Emily, I’ve also noticed that a lot of Westerners who are into Chinese medicine have a concept of ‘conserving their Jing’, which isn’t the same as celibacy or alchemy, but at least shows some understanding that there is a benefit to refraining from ejaculation (sometimes just quantified as ‘excessive’). This benefit may remain in the emotional and physical realms, but it’s still probably one of the only places where you hear such a sentiment on sexuality being expressed in the modern world!
I can understand why people do not which to subjugate themselves to stardardized institutions, as throughout history religions have seen being repeatedly used as a method for control by some with unwise purposes. And I would not be surprised to find out if any scripture has been altered at some point. But at their core Taoism and Buddhism are very different ideologies,the notion of Emptiness and Non-Self are by all means, contradictory to what the religion of the sun teaches about the ultimate reality. It looks like in Asia there are clearly infiltrations into the religion of the sun by unorthodoxic ideas, not sure if these were meant to happen at some point or something,but this is clearly something I have observed. I heard that there are even influences of Buddhism on Shintoism in Japan,but I have no way of verifying this sense I have not looked into the details regarding spirituality in Japan for a long time.
I’m sure if my conclusion is right or not,but it could be sad for me(sad,very sad) to present another part of the story to the deviation of Hindu practices from the original teachings of the religion of the sun. That is, with the spread of Buddhism outside of India, this stream of ideology also infiltrated into branches of the religion of the sun in other Asian countries, especially those in East Asia,and perhaps Southeast Asia as well. Looks like to me it’s the case at least.
It looks like the original form of Taoism has also drastically fallen out of favor for many today than it used to. There are more Buddhists than Taoists now,at least according to an official statistics on the religious population of the country I saw earlier anyway. And these do not count the huge pact of atheists/non-religious people who make up the majority of the country’s population,as well as among them, those may practice a folk religion that goes unrecognized which is likely a weird hybrid between Taoism and Buddhism, with also the possibility of containing ideologies from other schools of thoughts. It’s likely that Taoism was a lot more prominent earlier in the country’s history,in a much purer form, before the arrival of Buddhism. Even though many say that Taoism as the indigenous religion of the Chinese has not been infiltrated by outside influences throughout the ages. From what I can find out Taoism is clearly not what it used to be, with the different interpretations added as time went by just like in other parts of the world, later with the arrival of Buddhism where philosophies of the two religions then started to intermix, forming belief systems that are in some way similar to the deviations of Hinduism in India. What we practice here is clearly different from what many others believe, but I guess that’s exactly the situation of the religion of the sun is in almost everywhere in the world now,and that’s why there’s the mission to revive it;)
Hi Ella,
To my understanding,” preserving the Jing” means controlling one’s sexual desire(especially for men in this case) in terms of Chinese medicine. It is encouraged that all men should avoid excessive ejaculations, especially unhealthy ones arising from mabsterbations for instance. These behaviors are considered to be a waste of Jing, which could be understood as a form of vital energy of life. Excessive harmful sexual behaviors can lead to the Jing of one’s body being expelled at an incredibly fast rate,which is considered not good for one’s health. There are descriptions about the unity of men and women from ancient writings,but since the culture has always been very conservative when it comes to sexuality, discussions of this kind are relatively uncommon to hear about.
I think the Tao-Buddhist hybrid has already taken steps away from the religion of the sun, and the folk religions in China today bear little resemblance to what could be considered as sun worship if one doesn’t look into Taoism and its similarities to other solar religions in the world, although celebrations of solstices and equinoxes still exist. The concept of sun worship is somewhat foreign to many Chinese today,as there is no clear evidence of its existence in the country at first glance,and hardly anyone referred to Taoism as a form of sun worship. One of the most well-known archeological proofs of sun worship in ancient China is that of Sanxingdui. But the site is dated back to an early time in history where many today do not feel a connection to it. But in the neighboring country of Japan Amaterasu is still worshipped as the supreme deity of Shinto religion. I think the Japanese Imperial Family is very interesting since it is the oldest hereditary monarchy in the world,said to be founded by Jimmu,a descendant of Amaterasu that with a long line of emperors, continues all the way to this day. I think it would be amazing to find out more about the Imperial Family of Japan, but there is limited information about the Imperial Family’s distant past available out there.
It’s also apparant that many of the more esoteric aspects of the religion of the sun are lost in Japan. While the tradition of sun worship survives to this day,the Shinto religion doesn’t seem to contain much esoteric teachings as far as I can tell. I haven’t found anywhere in Shinto cosmology where it seems to suggest the cyclical nature of existence,in the afterlife souls of the deceased are said to enter a realm of existence called Yomi where they would stay there indefinitely,and Yomi is described as a place of neither reward nor punishment for the deceased,all souls appear to go there,even though it is a place that is filled with darkness and where all things seem to rot. This is different from other traditions in the world where esoteric knowledge is being preserved more thoroughly,such as in Hinduism or the ancient Egyptian religion. Although there appears to be subtle symbolisms that are not mentioned in a straight-forward way in Japanese mythology. It was after the arrival of Buddhism that Japanese people started to believe in reincarnation. I’m not sure as to the reason why this is the case in Japan,the solar dynasty and the act of sun worship survives to this very day,but not the esoteric knowledge? What happened to it? Was it not being passed on to the Japanese from the beginning for some reason? Was it being banned,hidden away,or lost overtime? Since I haven’t really looked into the history of Japan,it’s hard for me to answer this question. The situation seems to be a little different with Taoism in China,where some of the esoteric knowledge survived in the form of Taoism,but not straight-up sun worship. The solar dynasty which was established at the start of civilization is also a thing of the distant past now. It looks like the religion of the sun has fractured into different pieces in East Asia,with different fragments of it remaining found in the cultures of different countries.
I think one of the major differences between Taoism and Shintoism is indeed that,Taoism seems to preserve more esotsric knowledge,while Shintoism consists more simple forms of worship,including worshipping of the sun. I’m not sure of why this is the case,this could be due to the fact that different cultural traditions tend to preserve different aspects of the ancient religion. I think the Shinto religion of Japan is like peganism in Europe in a way,with the sun regarded as a major deity and the center of worship,along with numerous other gods(or kamis in Japanese),with the esoteric aspect being less obvious.
Shinto religion also doesn’t really acknowledge ages of civilizations,which I think that part of ancient knowledge might have been lost in Japn for some reason.
It’s been kinda hard for me to find out more about Japan’s past,since my focus has been primarily in China. And a friend of mine who is Japanese,was unable to continue her research in Japan for personal reasons. All I can find are small bits and pieces from Japanese mythology that are available. What I have just found out is what is called Tenson korin, which according to Wikipedia is “the descent of Amaterasu’s grandson Ninigi-no-Mikoto from Heaven (Takamagahara) to Ashihara no Nakatsukuni; according to legend, the direct place of descent is at Takachiho-gawara in Japan. Following the tenson kōrin, Ninigi’s son, Hoori, was born. ” I found it interesting that there is actually a place where the the grandson of the Amaterasu is said to have descended at in Japan,and there’s actually a sacred site at Takachiho-gawara dedicated to it,with a ritual called Tenson kōrin gojinka sai taking place on November 10th every year apparently to commemorate the descendance of Ninigi-no-Mikoto.
I think I’ve found a video of this ritual: https://www.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3D655DKG9wpsM&ved=2ahUKEwiBlrCwhcOAAxWHbN4KHcPjAAoQo7QBegQIChAB&usg=AOvVaw2oaK2Zady-gNm9mr95RfiH
The video is in Japanese so you probably won’t know what they say unless you understand the language. But I still think it’s worth-watching.
I’m not sure if the link actually works or not,if not then perhaps this one can help: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=655DKG9wpsM
In case you are wondering what tenson kōrin gojinka sai is like,then here could be the answer;)
More stories from Japanese legends regarding Tenson Korin,etc: https://www.japanesewiki.com/literature/Tenson%20Korin%20(the%20descent%20to%20earth%20of%20the%20grandson%20of%20the%20Sun%20Goddess).html
https://www.kokugakuin.ac.jp/en/article/99223
https://discoverdeeperjapan.com/reference/japan-mythorogy/japan-mychology-and-history/
Hi Everyone,
I try to find out more about Japan,unfortunately there is very limited information I can find about the details regarding its legends and traditions described in the English language. I’ve also tried to get my hand on Kojiki where a huge portion of Japanese legends are recorded,that didn’t work out either. My Japanese friend really could’ve been a great help since she knows the language AND the culture there,but she couldn’t continue her research, which is kinda sad. Though it is only a small island in East Asia,I believe every piece of the puzzle found in every corner of the world are of equal value. So I don’t know if we can continue our exploration into Japan and the origin of its Shinto religion,there’s a lot that we’d like to find out there,but we just can’t due to the circumstances that we’re in personally. So I am really sorry to say that perhaps these are all the info about ancient Japan and its spiritual origin that we can provide,and that the Land of Rising Sun, it may be shroudded in mystery for now.
Sincere apologies,
Emily
Another interesting figure in the legends of Japan called Sarutahiko,who came to guide Ninigi after his descendance to Earth from heaven https://www.japanesewiki.com/Shinto/Sarutahiko.html
Notice that Sarutahiko has an interesting appearence of an extremely long nose,tall stature,as well as glittering eyes. This appearence seems to be very unusual amongst the kamis and “a long nose” is clearly not a feature you would expect to see in a typical Japanese. “Long nose” are sometimes used by people in East Asia to describe foreigners,especially those from the West. This article also suggests that Sarutahiko may have been a sun god worshipped in the Ise Region prior to the popularization of the belief in Amaterasu. From the story it appears that Ninigi(followed by a few attendants)did not see Sarutahiko as an enemy of theirs,even guided them their way after their descendance to Earth,although Sarutahiko was not from the same group as Ninigi. So who exactly was the figure known as Sarutahiko? Experts also diffuse their opinions on the a answer. I’m very sorry that I’m afraid there may just be a handful of information I can find about Japan,although I have been trying hard.
Sarutahiko’s appearence is also considered to be the model for another figure known as Tengu,who is also characterized by a long nose. Some think that this appearence looks very similar to a foreigner in the eyes of the Japanese. But what kind of foreigner could’ve lived in ancient Japan? And they also assisted Ninigi in finding the Imperial Family in Japan according to the legend by guiding them? Sarutahiko himself could also had been a solar deity? What do all this make you think? Well,for me,it looks like Sarutahiko was some kind of “foreigner” that had something to do with the sun to me,this is just my guess,of course. The idea of foreigners with long noses lived in East Asia in the distant past seems really far-fetched,but that’s what the Japanese legends appear to describe to me. That reminds me of Lingling who once met someone in her dream whom she called the Foreign Old Man,who told her many things and really enlightened her. Anyway,I don’t know if there’s any correlation between the two but apparently where I look I would find stumble upon the idea of “foreigners in East Asia in the distant past”. These “foreigners” really shouldn’t have been in these places in the ancient past,but somehow there is evidence that they were there. That also brings me back to Lara’s mention of Caucasians found in different parts of the world,could Sarutahiko has anything to do with this? Obviously I do not have a definitive answer. More need to be learned about ancient Japan and its stories,which I’m afraid that I might not have the time and energy to do. If I stumble across something about Japan I may share them,but there is no guarantee that I will. Despite the fact that I’d like to find out more,there’s a limit to what I can do.
So these conclude all that I want to share about Japan. Although they may only look like a handful of information,they have already taken me a long time to search and write about. I don’t know if there will be anymore that I will share in the future,since for me researching into Japan is not easy.
I would want to read Kojiki if I can,still there is no guarantee though:( Because my focus has been China and my time and energy is limited:(
Hi Emily,
I totally agree about the great difficulties in trying to decipher any remnants of the Japanese ancient religion (the Sarutahiko figure sounds interesting though!) I’ve had my go at it, and found out there were soooo many dubious texts out there that it is hard to make anything out of it. All these different texts seem to contain some truths, but mixed with untruth, making it impossible to really figure out what was going on in ancient Japan. For example a kind of well-known alternative text called Takenouchi documents claim that a World Emperor resided in the ancient Japan called Sumera Mikoto, which was a name for a function. Here are some excerpts:
“The seventh generation Sun God declared the beginning of the lineage of World-Emperors, called Sumera-Mikoto. He also set out the islands of Japan as distinct from the rest of the planet, naming Japan “the land of Hidama” or the Sun-Sphere. The documents refer to the Sumera-Mikoto as the “Son of the Sun” since he was descended from the Sun God.“
“While the Japanese of this era were Hibito, People of the Sun, and were given special duties to maintain the imperial teachings, the World-Emperors themselves only lived in Japan and were not themselves Japanese. Rather, they were above all colours and married women of pure heart, called Kisakinomiya, from all over the world. When no male heirs were produced, there would be a World-Empress who would marry a man of pure heart called Yosachio. The practice of selecting a spouse from among the Five-Colored people ended in the Fukiaezu dynasty, which seems associated with the decline of the World-Emperor’s power. From that point on the World-Emperor was forced more and more to limit his activities to Japan, and only the Hibito were dispatched around the world to continue education programs.”
Another text of dubious origin, which, however, I completely believed for a while, is called Hotsuma Tsutaye, and is a sort of epic poem, written in one of the so-called kamiyo moji that people call Woshite. This script is interesting, and the whole epic written in it really got my interest, as this text had a logic to it which the chaotic Nihon Shoke or Kojiki lacked (I tried to read them, and didn’t make it very far…). Apparently, there exist many enthusiasts that keep translating this text despite the Academia refusing it. What is even more interesting is that there are people focusing on finding the parallels between the epic and the geography and shrines of Japan. Basically, I spent a few months researching and being amazed at this text, until I got a dream that showed me basically that it was good for nothing. :-O I should have been suspicious sooner, as the text claimed that Amaterasu was, in fact, male, but somehow I thought that maybe it was possible… But after you shared that dream you had with Amaterasu, it became obvious that this text must have been a forgery. :-(
Now there are many many more texts circulating in Japan that claim to be ancient, but at this point I lost all my enthusiasm to delve into them!
In any case, in my research I found that there does seem to be a current of people in the Japanese society today that genuinely try to tap into their ancient heritage, visit the ancient sites aligned to the sun and even perform ceremonies. These attempts seem to lack the real esoteric meaning behind them though, as the true solar doctrine has been lost and Shinto does not have any texts. Still, it is nice to see that there is definitely this yearning within some people to renew the celebrations of the sun and fire. Here are some examples:
Winter solstice celebration at the Asadori Myoujin shrine (said to enshrine the Kami of the sun, and displaying a winter solstice alignment) in the Mino area of Gifu prefecture:
https://iwakage.wordpress.com/2017/08/29/the-revival-of-the-suns-power-on-winter-solstice-morning-asadori-myoujin/
Here is another winter solstice celebration at the same place, this time with a video. It kind of struck me how only men were involved, but I guess they are doing their best trying to revive something, maybe things will adjust with time. ;-)
https://iwakage.wordpress.com/2019/12/25/winter-solstice-at-asadori-myojin-shrine-2019/
People are also regularly gathering at the Kanayama megaliths, which have many alignments to different phases of the sun. Here is one such gathering in winter 2021:
https://iwakage.wordpress.com/2021/12/26/winter-solstice-greetings-from-kanayama-megaliths/
Reading about Sarutahiko and Tengu reminds me of Hanuman and Garuda. Some depictions of Tengu and Garuda are strikingly similar.
In Japan there was a continuous culture (Jomon) that inhabited Japan from 15,000BC to 300BC, and it may be this culture which transformed into Shintoism today, although it’s really hard to know for sure… There are some striking similarities between Japanese stonework and Peruvian stone work, as well as very similar forms of nature worship (enshrining sacred stones, for example). I believe both cultures have extremely ancient origins.
Like Tengu in Japan, the Mississipians in N. America also depicted human figures with long/hooked noses and wings, a figure archeologists believe is called “Red Horn” (interesting that red is associated with him, as well). Red Horn is a mythical hero who was born to a virgin, and possessed supernatural strength and abilities. He wore small human heads as earrings. Copper head earrings have been found with long pointed noses, which are thought to be associated with Red Horn. The name “Red Horn” is possibly associated with red hair.
There are many mysterious sites in and around Japan, including stone circles, strange carvings (like the Yonaguni monument and the Yakushima megaliths), polygonal masonry, and probably much more that I don’t know about yet. I wonder if it’s possible to connect these features to mythology and stories such as you’re finding, to see if they’re connected? I’ve seen some possible connections between Red Horn and the layout of Mississippian sites.
Hi Lucia,
There’s certainly no doubt in the difficulty of researching into ancient Japan. It’s good to see there are people who try to reconnect to their ancient spiritual heritage with the sun,but I think it would definitely be better if the esoteric meanings behind the solstice celebration could be recovered. In a nutshell,I think it’s clear that Shintoism has lost most,if not all of its esoteric teachings, kinda like an empty shell without its inner core. Really wish the island of Japan could have preserved more of the esoteric teachings. There is no doubt that esoteric knowledge of the Religion of The Sun were being preserved in the neighboring country of China,as well as further west in India with the deep teachings of Taoism and Hinduism. There are definitely a lot of mysteries around the Shinto religion of Japan that remains to be solved,and hopefully someone could come up with new findings in the future.
Hi Julian,
I didn’t know about the “red horn” of North America,but I have heard of the legends of Garuda in Indian mythologies. Garuda and Tengu are indeed similar in the way that they are both winged creatures. with long hooked noses,and both are said to possess supernatural abilities. Due to the limited time and energy that I have I was unable to find out if there were any sites in Japan that had possible connections to Tengu,but it’s also interesting that you mentioned the similarities between Hanuman and Sarutahiko. Hanuman is described by the Hindus to be a monkey-like being, while Sarutahiko’s name also contains the Japanese word for monkey or ape. Is there any similarity in their stories as well? I don’t really know about the story of Hanuman so there isn’t much I can comment on that one.
I looked at a number of sites connected with Tengu and Sarutahiko, but didn’t find anything concrete. The sites I found in Japan seem to be built and oriented to provide harmony with the landscape, rather than to show a symbolic connection with the sun, which is interesting and very different from many places I’ve looked at.
Looking into Tengu more and their history, it seems likely that their depiction originated in the 7th century as a result from Buddhist influence, which in turn was influenced by Hinduism, which explains their similarity. The name Tengu is borrowed from the Chinese Tiangou, which has a very interesting story of its own. There’s something interesting how the Tengu developed in different stages, initially being evil beings, then protectors of Dharma, like they were adapted by Buddhism in similar ways as old religious practices in America were adopted by Catholicism (African and Incan examples come to mind). This gives me the idea that there may be other secret histories hidden inside regional variations of Buddhism.
Really enjoyed reading this thread, thanks for this question Alex! I haven’t heard of Traditionalism before – a little search online hasn’t revealed anything specific, but whatever it is, if it led you here, it must be onto something!
It seems like there’s so many ways to get confused in ideas and theories of what the process of awakening is. It’s always just seemed to resonate most with me that it’s both a merging with the divine and a kinds of process of individualisation, but it’s interesting to think this very question has caused such riffs in religious thought over the years.
From what I found out about Taoism, there is a school of Taoism known as Quan Zhen(literally means ” totally real”) which requires its practitioners who devote themselves to the practices full-time by forsaking the life of a layperson to be celibate,just as Buddhist monks are required to do by their codes of conduct. The reason why this school of Taoism puts emphasize on celibacy is unclear,and they certainly deny any possibly that this was due to an influence from Buddhism by any means. But since the two religions have coexisted alongside each other for at least hundreds of years,it would come as no surprise that one would certainly influence the other. Many folk beliefs that exist within China today but are not recognized by officials as religions are more like sort of a hybrid between Taoism and Buddhism. They may believe that Emptiness which Buddhism teaches is the ultimate truth is not very different from the Dao,and they are just different ways of describing the ultimate truth. Also there are some people who claim themselves to be practitioners of both Taoism and Buddhism,and they say that the ultimate truth is some kind of formless energy field that carries the force of creation,and we are all part of this field. When people become enlightened and merge into this field, they would lose all their senses of individuality. This kind of folk beliefs are hard to really put into perspective in a collective manner since these are scattered beliefs and there is hardly any written scripture to summarize their beliefs. They could refer to multiple texts from Taoism AND Buddhism as guides to their practices. And the only ways they exchange spiritual information are through oral communication via in-person meetings or through online discussion forums. The information regarding folk beliefs and practices shared through these casual ways of communication would require time and effort to gather, analyze and summarize in detail, but from what I can see definitely some of them believe that when one becomes merged with the Dao,they lose their sense of individuality altogether. They accept the Buddhist notion of Non-Self,but also accepting the Taoist view of Ultimate Reality as the Dao being somewhat of an energy field that is “not subject to form but not emptiness either”. There may be more people following this kind of hybrid religion, as they do not wish to subjugate themselves to the standardized institutions of neither Taoism nor Buddhism.
Very interesting question and answer!
I think maybe it also depends a lot on what is understood by “self”.
If “self” means the ego, the selfish part of ourselves, then this self-part can’t be reintegrated into the Divine Light. If “self” means our earthly “personality”, again this is something temporary for this life only, it can only be a temporary vehicle.
But often the term “self” means Self, SELF, one’s Spirit.
On a “spiritual level” that unites us all – we are one – yet still have our individual, unique, personal aspects that give us the sense of our true identity, when we are awake and aware in the present moment.
This spiritual “self” is taught to be progressively reunited with greater parts of ourselves, and ultimately with the Absolute, The Great Spirit, God – as awake, “self-conscious” particle of this Great Light – being the result of walking upon the Spiritual Path.
It all easily becomes confusing intellectually, as different viewpoints are true when looking from different perspectives :), and anyway, the Spirit is beyond the mind.
In Daoist schools, there is a collective understanding of aiming to become the Immortal, being selfless without the ego, one with the Light of Dao.
While being alive (Immortal usually means a long life and the connection with the immortal life of the Spirit), Immortals use their individual human talents/skills, such as music, healing, martial arts, in a spiritually beneficial way.
When we are aware in OBEs, we keep our individual consciousness, it is our individual consciousness that makes those lucid OBEs possible, and so it is carried in afterlife.
Hi Everyone,
Sorry that I’m kinda late to this here, but I’m happy to hear that Lara and Mark are making so many amazing findings and would like to congrat them on that! There have been a lot going on in my personal life and to be honest,I find it hard to connect with my Higher Self from time to time and have lost myself in the material world on a relatively frequent basis. But Iam doing my best to walk the Spiritual Path of the Sun,and hope all is well with everyone!
Emily, so good to hear from you! How is Lingling? It’s nice to hear how you’re going, even though you are facing difficulties. I think the new book will help at least a little bit, as there are some practices in there that are very nice to do – some of them were even practiced in ancient China :-) My best wishes to you and to those around you who follow the way of the Sacred Sun.
Hi Lara,
Thank you for your reply. Lingling is facing some diffculties recently unfortunately. She has recently lost someone who was really close to her and there are also some health issues that she’s been dealing with:( The person she has lost was really close to her in her, but was strongly opposed by her belief. She was a hardcore atheist who believed in nothing but modern science and didn’t like to discuss amything spiritual. So Lingling had a complicated feeling for her. This is something that involves a lot of personal details which I’d rather keep them private for her. But I feel that I have also learned a lot recently. I have been looking into natural history,and the evolution of life on earth as accepted by mainstream science,and I found that there seems to be a cyclical pattern in there that is surprisingly similar to what is taught in the Religion of The Sun. Obviously, mainstram science does not acknowledge the existence of any sort of civilization or intelligent life before modern humans came into being, but different geological ages are often marked by major events that are found to have happened in the Earth’s history. Often a major event would cause a mass extinction that would essentially wipe out more than half of all of the world’s lifeforms, and when the deadly catastrophe is over,over the next millions of years or so, ecosystems on the surface of the planet will slowly recover. One group of animals that may had been dominant on the planet before this major event is likely no more after the mass extinction,and some other groups will slowly take their place,and become the new dominant group of lifeforms until the next great mass extinction. For example, according to mainstream science mammals are today’s most dominant group of terrestrial vertebrates, before an asteroid hit the Earth 65 million years ago, there were the dinosaurs, and before the dinosaurs there were yet another group of animals that roamed the Earth,and they were wiped out by the greatest mass extinction known to scientists as the Permian Extinction, aka Great Dying. And I found this pattern in the evolution of life throughout Earth’s history shockingly similar to what the Religion of the Sun teaches about cycles of ages. If I didn’t get this wrong, there had been five known mass extinctions already,and some say that we might be on the verge of a sixth mass extinction that human civilization would have to face at some point. I’m not sure what to make of this knowledge, it’s often said that science and spirituality don’t go together,the Creation story of the Bible contradicts with Darwin’s Theory of Evolution. But I find it interesting that the evolution of life over the long periods time throughout Earth’s history according to mainstream science follows a shockingly similar pattern to the one taught in the Religion of The Sun, groups of lifeforms rise and fall,and major catastrophes would wipe out the old dominant species and usher in oppotunities for new groups to fill the void. This is similar to the cycles of ages taught by the Religion of The Sun as well as the rise and fall of civilizations. I wonder if it would be worth it to do more research on this? Because I’m not sure what if the story that they tell may be not completely fake,but perhaps they have only told us part of the story or have changed some parts of the story on purpose? I’m not so sure. And Lingling likely also saw the Permian Extinction in one of her dreams,which was characterized by extremely massive eruptions of volcanoes around the world, started in where’s now Siberia,as well as somewhere in today’s Sichuan Province of China. Lingling told me about a dream about a catastrophe that took the lives of many living beings, involving the eruption of supervolcanoes,but I don’t really know what it was. It was only after learning about the Great Dying that I found it interesting. Could this be more than a coincidence that the changes life on earth go through according to mainstream science follows a pettern that is similar to that is taught in the Religion of The Sun?
The loss of someone close is not simple to digest, due to the mixed experiences we feel, especially when there was both love and opposition. I find the chapter where Krishna speaks to Arjuna at the point in which Arjuna is unable to fight with his relatives in the great battle, as a help to understand life in context to eternity, that who we are in essence never dies. I think for most people the loss of someone often comes back to our own emotional responses to that loss, sadness, guilt, the difficulty or challenges to love we faced, and the reality of what that all means for us. I hope that Lingling is ok and allows this experience to be absorbed and digested with love and understanding for herself and the other person and a loving gratitude for the experience of having been in each other’s presence. What I miss most when a person departs is being in their energetic presence, that beautiful and sometimes challenging life force was in essence love, and I tend to feel sadness that I didn’t love them enough or enjoy knowing and learning from them just as they were.
I wish you both lots of love, peace and light of wisdom to shine your way through these times.
Hi Emily,
Sorry to hear about Lingling’s recent health issues and losing someone close to her. I can relate, as I also lost a close family member around the time of the last equinox, who also happened to be an atheist. We had some difficulties in our relationship over the years, although not as a result of different spiritual beliefs. But losing someone so close has made me reflect on the role that people play in our lives. Some play a role that few others would be able to fulfil, as they can influence many aspects of our lives.
I wish Lingling strength and guidance in dealing with her loss and with her health issues. I’ve had ongoing health issues for many years too, which make many everyday tasks extremely difficult and some impossible. Their impact tends to be limiting in terms of my ability to access nature or other environments more easily, so I can also relate to what you mentioned about being caught up in the things of mundane life.
Little things that can help break up the repetition of a mundane life though. I find reading Mark and Lara’s books each day provides inspiration, along with small joys such as the blossom on the trees in spring, or an uplifting piece of music. I hope you’ll be able to find spirituality in the small things of life too and that the new practices will help further, when they’re published.
Hi Emily, just hang on in there! Times are crazy now, and I guess we are all more or less submerged in the material, especially as there are not many opportunities for people to gather and build some spiritual strength together in physical locations. Also from what I can see, the doctrine and practices of the Religion of the Sun are just being uncovered, reconstructed, and made public by Mark and Lara, in order for people to understand it correctly and to practice it in the current times. So hopefully there are better times to come for those of us yearning to dedicate our lives to it… Wishing you guys over there a lot of inner strength and Divine support. <3
I hear you Emily. Taking care of daily responsibilities can, and usually does, easily absorb the bulk of time and energy that we have. However, I found that doing one’s best to try to remember oneself and to oppose the magnetic stream of mechanical thoughts, even if one’s best feels weak and insignificant, that it can result in glimpses into the greater reality and it can help in the inner journey. Also, following more demanding periods in life, after a while things usually get easier and cruiser and it is then, during the calm, that more valuable time may be wasted precisely because of life being more laidback and so the motivation to change wanes. That is what I observed in my life anyway.
I look forward to trying the practices from the incoming book mentioned by Lara.
Hi guys,
Thank you so much for your cheerful encouragements! The turmoils which have been going on in my personal life are apparently comimg to a resolve now,and I believe they are challenges which I have to face in my way of learning. Although there are still some issues that hang around,things have taken a turn for the better. While one of the last times which I wrote on the comment sections here I said I haven’t had many spiritual experiences in a while,but just one of these nights while I was laying in my bed and had my eyes closed, symbols which I haven’t seen in a while came to me. Among some of which are the yin and yang symbol, and an octagonal symbol which is known as the Bagua which has a role in Chinese spiritual practices,but I find it hard to explain its meaning and usage since that could take me forever,and I’m not even sure if I understood its meaning completely. Also another symbol which I like to refer to as the manji(Japanese word) I also saw. I don’t recall its name commonly used in the English language but it has always been sort of an inspiring symbol to me when I see it.
Thank you Lara for your update and for your equinox wishes. I look forward to your book and activity it brings.
Ella’s and my equinox was a quiet one, with a small ceremony indoors (as the weather was poor) followed by a day trip out to ancient sites locally. It was good to stop daily life and have an inspiring and restful day. The highlight was a visit to an ancient yew tree, reputed to be one of the oldest in Europe. Yew trees grow in many cemeteries in UK, and often predate the cemeteries by vast amounts of time, as they link to a previous culture that must have seen the trees as sacred. While it is unclear how ancient druids used the trees, or how we can relate to them now, I found the visit inspiring and look forward to exploring it more.
Hi all, I thought I would share with you a short video I felt inspired to make this year over the spring equinox period (included my reluctant husband too :-)). Hope it communicates something of my wish to connect to the spiritual at this time of the year: https://youtu.be/5vXQ7n2Q8Zk
Very nice, thanks for sharing Lucia. I didn’t know you were so musically talented. What sort of lyre is it?
Thank you very much Jon, much appreciated from a musician like you. I actually have a music school, so I am just dusting off my long-forgotten and rusty skills. :-) Not sure why I feel like doing something like this in my “old age”, but it feels nice, like connecting to my inner self, especially with mantras. The lyre is just a small diatonic lyre – this one: https://amzn.to/3eDe1QG Its not the best, as you need to adjust the strings with almost every song, since it does not have any halftones, but I thought I would just start with a simple one to see if I would find a time and inspiration to play, and if I like it and feel like going bigger, then I may buy a chromatic one one day, something like this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E4SuJFCt-EY
I also very much enjoyed this recording Lucia and found it very tranquil. The emerging sunrise in combination with the birdsong, lyre playing and chanting is very effective and calming.
I really like this kind of thing, as I find it gives me a glimpse into another world. One that I once also felt a part of, but now seems more of a memory, as it’s something I generally only see in images or videos.
Usually I’m greeted by a cacophony of noise when I open the back door, with road and air traffic, sirens, helicopters, pneumatic drills and other mechanical or electrical noise. But there have been a handful of times over the last decade when I was able to have a break for a few days in a peaceful environment. I’ve found those occasions really helped recharge my batteries, so to speak.
As a continuation of the spring equinox theme and your inclusion of Jesus’ quote from The Essene Gospel of Peace in your video, and with it being the Easter weekend for many in mainstream Christianity, I thought it would be nice to share some different versions of Pie Jesu from the requiem mass, by 4 composers. I like many of the various settings of the requiem mass, as although the words are essentially the same, the melodies are very different, depending on the composer.
It seems a good analogy of how in The Religion of the Sun, the core principles are the same, but their expression has taken on many forms, according to time and place. In a similar way, it’s lovely to think that although we all stem from the same source, we each have our own unique characteristics and relationship with divinity, which contributes to its overall expression within the world.
I hope you enjoy the beautiful music!
John Brunning: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XWWARvk-lso
John Rutter: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CgRUgr0uLmw
Andrew Lloyd Webber: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WPlyqsbCADo
Gabriel Faure: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YIE9WtgcRMw
Thank you for those versions Michael, didn’t know there were so many! :-) I especially enjoyed the one sung by VOICES8, as that leading singer has such a beautiful, crystal clear voice, and the deep bass voice also adds a really nice, full colour to the sound.
Hi Lucia,
You’re welcome! :) I’m glad you enjoyed the music. There are lots of different settings of the requiem mass you might enjoy. Faure’s Requiem also features some lovely pieces such as In Paradisum, as well as the Pie Jesu you heard: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6-i1ESIRKdA
Mozart’s Requiem also has Ave Verum Corpus, which you may already know. It’s interesting that his Requiem was also his last composition before he died, considering the requiem is usually for a funeral mass.
There are also some other beautiful modern interpretations of the requiem mass, such as by Howard Goodall’ Agnus Dei: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jkt9zeb_mlY
Rebecca Dale’s Materna Requiem, which she composed for her late mother also has versions of Pie Jesu, Agnus Dei and In Paradisum, as well as Ave Maria and Kyrie. You can hear the whole piece here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nRq3wrlRLyo&list=PLE4GwMfcLCwdNsHmBl97W8lre3bZXXcRm
Karl Jenkins’ Requiem also features Pie Jesu, In Paradisum, Lux Aeterna and other well known texts and the whole piece can be heard here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VpoxPeGmQQQ&list=PL7EFF3D70E56ED07B
Other interpretations include Rachel Fuller’s, Animal Requiem, which she wrote for former pets, John Tavener’s Celtic Requiem, and Christian Forshaw’s setting, as well as the full versions of John Rutter and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s settings, which you’ve heard part of. I won’t post all those links, as there are so many, but you’ll have plenty to listen to already and will find those and many similar pieces on YouTube. Happy listening! :)
I really loved this Lucia, well done, so beautiful. Melody seems like such a perfect gateway to the other side…
Thank you Olga. <3 Regarding the melody for this mantra, at first I thought to just play the melody from the Sarva-Antah Tibetan choir, which is the most melodious one on Youtube, and I like it very much, but then decided that maybe it was safer to come up with my own melody due to the copyright issues, so that's how it came about, glad you like it. :-)
Beautiful Lucia, thank you! I loved the melody of the lyre that you chose, it was sweet, gently and happy.
Lucia, Nice and Peaceful ceremony among trees and birds.
Thank you for sharing
Thank you Lara for this update and your wishes. It sounds really inspiring and i’m really looking forward to reading the book and specially read and work on the practices. Happy equinox to everyone here, i hope it can bring meaning and new discoveries for each one, and a time when we can meet and practice together. My best wishes to you and Mark
Thanks very much for the update Lara! It’s wonderful to hear and I want to thank you and Mark and all involved for your persistent efforts in bringing these books to fruition, after a lot of ongoing hard work. I hope you and everyone observing the equinox had a peaceful and spiritual celebration.
I’ve been celebrating these solar events in solitude for the last 10 years and have often wished for more ideal circumstances, where I could visit inspiring locations, spend more peaceful time in nature, or even celebrate alongside likeminded people.
To be honest, I felt quite despondent on the evening of the equinox itself, but still wanted to make the effort to celebrate in some way on the nearest sunrise, the following morning. I was late going to bed and debated to myself whether I should set an alarm, knowing that I’d find it very difficult to be woken during a heavy sleep. So I prayed to my divine mother to be woken up in time, if it was possible.
To my pleasant surprise, I actually managed to wake up naturally about 40 minutes before the start of sunrise and didn’t feel heavy or worn out from the lack of sleep. I did a little practice looking out the window at sunrise and although it was completely obscured by clouds, I was glad that I at least tried.
Later in the day, I happened to listen to a podcast, which unbeknownst to me covered the process in which a butterfly emerges from its chrysalis. The host mentioned that before a caterpillar can emerge as a fully formed butterfly, it may remain in the pupal stage for up to 2 years. He also mentioned that the process of the butterfly fighting its way out of the chrysalis actually serves to pump fluids into its wings, in order for it to be able to fly once it emerges, without which the wings would be insufficiently formed.
It seemed a fitting anecdote in relation to the equinox, as it made me reflect on the role that darkness and suffering plays in helping us to become more fully formed as humans and eventually as more spiritual beings. I’ve often wanted to change my circumstances, as it occurred to me that there has always been some kind of continued suffering or struggle in my life over the last 30 years, which has often taken a significant effort to try and overcome.
But if I look back to my attitude to life 25 or 30 years ago, I can see it’s markedly different in many ways to how it is now. I also feel my level of understanding of myself and others has also increased during this time, as this type of knowledge doesn’t tend to be acquired academically or theoretically, without direct lived experience.
Having so many restrictions in my life has also helped a lot in narrowing down my interests and priorities. I’ve been drawn towards all sorts of directions over the years, but have found the value I place on the things of most important to me now has increased greatly, as a result of having to struggle for them.
Thanks Lara and Mark for placing these struggles and obstacles into the wider context of spiritual change, gaining self knowledge and the wider spiritual principles that underpin it. I hope that each of us who are interested will be able to gain the best level of knowledge and experience that we can, while there are the opportunities available.
That was an interesting little insight you got there Michael, about the importance of the time a butterfly needs to spend in his chrysalis in order to strengthen his wings to be able to fly. :-) The book of nature is indeed a “holy scroll” that we can learn from…
Dear Mark & Lara, Happy Equinox!! This update on the books sounds absolutely amazing and truly groundbreaking! Sending you both much love, strength and gratitude.
Wishing everyone an uplifting equinox! Thanks for the update, looking forward to the new book :)
Thank you for your wishes and support everyone!
We’ve been so close to finishing this book for so long, but we keep finding such important things to add, it feels almost like every day.
For example, I feel certain we have now put together what the Great Pyramid was, and what it was used for, and how it’s connected to the mounds and stone circles of Europe, the temples of Malta, the pyramids of the Americas, and pyramids in China. We’re now able to connect them not just based on the similarities in design, symbols, and beliefs, but in how they were actually used. This will help solve one of the biggest mysteries in the world.
I think we’ve also now got to the bottom of how psychedelics work, and why they bring negative consequences, and I feel this is so important to get out to people.
There will also be some shocking revelations about what happened at Jesus’s crucifixion that we think proves he is part of this lineage of knowledge. And so much more! I can’t say too much, and I have to get back to it :-)
Wow, that sounds absolutely incredible Lara! It will have been worth the wait!!
Wishing you both and the publishing team all the knowledge, strength and love to get the new books out. May they carry a powerful impulse of light throughout the world and enkindle the light inside of us, and the yearning to reach to the spiritual, and the will to realize it.
Happy Equinox!
Amazing Lara, I hope that it helps to heal, as the disconnection with reality has rippled into the hearts and minds of people and I know when the two are aligned with reality then amazing and extraordinary things can happen.
Yay, Lara! Thank you for the little sneak peek of your discoveries, they sound fantastic indeed! It is one thing to just suspect (maybe with a hint of intuition) what all these mounds and pyramids were used for, and another to actually document it with some proof, so that sounds amazing. I hope it will become the “common knowledge” and ignites people’s yearning to partake on the spiritual quest themselves…
The Being of Jesus intrigues me so much! Really looking forward to your discoveries. I have been thinking about him for a while already, somehow it feels like he is near in some way, like he is watching these “end times”, helping people as much as he can… It also strucks me how very esoteric and mystical he sounds when he talks in the books like Pistis Sophia or Essene Gospel of Peace. Like real profound teachings for a more sublime age, when people thought and behaved differently than today…
To say I’m holding my breath would be an understatement, I am really looking forward to these books! These tantalizing previews really moved me. Much of ancient history is mute monuments, filled with meaning but unable to speak. It seems like you’re really drawing out the mysteries! Thank you for persisting beyond what could comfortably be called good enough, and reaching these discoveries. I hope you’re well and blessed in every way.
While the world gets crazier and darker, this spring equinox has been very energizing for me, and I somehow have hope.
Wow, can’t wait!
I am currently in Malta and have been visiting the temples here and trying as much as possible to get a sense of how and what they were used for, and to perceive and connect with the energies at them. They are so enigmatic and different than anything I’ve ever experienced before (and the standard archaeological explanations seem very lacking and contradictory to me).
There is definitely an energy and presence to them which is quite palpable / tangible. At the temple at Tarxien there was one section where I could almost see the energy in the air, like it was different to the air around it.
I was lucky enough to get to go to Mnajdra for the equinox, and while unfortunately it was overcast so the alignment to the equinox sunrise wasn’t visible, i had the site to myself for a few minutes and just being there i felt like i was able to develop a connection to the occasion and “get in the zone” much quicker than i have been able to in the past watching the sunrise in nature.
That said, when trying to understand and get a feeling for how they were used, i feel like I’m trying to perceive through an invisible barrier that i cant reach through. I can feel that there was a deeper meaning and purpose, but haven’t yet been able to grasp what it is. I feel like part of the “invisible barrier” feeling comes from deficiencies in my personal ability to perceive consciously, and perhaps also from a lack of shared experience with anything else i have experienced previously.
So very excited to read what will be in the new book and what you and Mark have uncovered!
Hi David, how wonderful you got to visit these temples over the equinox! To experience the Mnajdra temple on your own, without the noise of too many visitors must have been very special! Who knows if the sea was that close also at the time when they were built, but the location seems really beautiful to me.
Wow David that sounds like an amazing experience! Malta really does look like a special place with so many sacred sites for such a small island. Hope you can get glimpses through the invisible barrier!
I can’t wait! Thank you for this intriguing “trailer”.
Wishing you and Mark and the team all the very best in completing and sharing this profound knowledge.
Wow!!! Can’t wait to get a copy and plunge into the details.
Thank you so much for your work, Lara and Mark.
Thank you Lara for the update on the books and videos.
It could be just my skewed perception of reality, but it seems that billions of sparks of consciousness inhabiting in this planet have been moving further and further away from the Divine Light, perhaps due to collective choices and due to countless materialistic traps. That is why I feel your work is very important to at least give a chance, if not hope, for the awakening of consciousness, and I really look forward to the books and videos.
Wishing everyone an inspiring equinox, and a continuous brightening of inner light.
Thanks for the update, Lara.
Wishing you, Mark and everyone also a very relaxing, reflective and inspiring Equinox time.
Thank you Lara for your wishes!
I wish you, Mark and everyone an inspiring equinox.
I wish you all the best and strength to finish this huge work of the books with the best way!
Wonderful to hear Lara and wishing you and Mark all the best with the final review and calibration of this book. Looking forward to it!
Best wishes for the Equinox and thank you for your blessings.
Thank you very much for the update Lara. The book sounds so very important indeed, and its worth to wait for it as long as its needed, for it to be what it is meant to be. :-) Can’t wait for your videos too, its been so quiet!
This quiet period also made me look within more, to reevaluate my priorities in life, and to see how much spiritual activity I can generate within, when there isn’t much going on externally… The principle of sacrifice that Mark writes in the Ancient Solstice book seems to be so relevant now… To see how many mundane activities or pastimes I can renounce/sacrifice, to fill my life with the spiritual ones instead, and to deepen my relationship with the Divine.
Wishing you, and everyone here a beautiful and light-filled equinox!
Happy Equinox to everyone! Thanks Lara and Mark for all your hard work and sacrifice!
Thanks for the update! Waiting eagerly for the book and videos!
👏🏼
Sounds like it’s been progressing well, happy to hear that’s the case.
Haha even you two discussing points on the material like that I thought could be so insightful to hear, press record next time :- D. But I’m sure it’ll be there in the book, hope the knowledge in the lines can sink in, and put into practice. I look forward to a change, get things off the ground.
Wishing you much more of that great work momentum. I’ll try my best as well. Wishing everyone a happy equinox and a fruitful three months ahead.
What I wouldn’t give to be a fly on the wall hearing that conversation!
Yes. Mark is such a well of high knowledge. Lara’s research has connected it on the ground.
This combination ….. ! We’ve seen the results.
Furthermore even in terms of Mark explaining about practices and how to do things. I think (and going by an old interview for example) Lara is able to highlight exactly those questions which a modern audience would have, exactly those points and issues — which then brings out the clarified information.
That is why I have to say what a team!
Heartwarming to me. Very grateful.
Dear Mark and Lara, wishing you a happy equinox! Thank you so much for your knowledge and wisdom, looking forward to your new books, videos, all the developments of your wonderful work.
Wishing you Mark and everyone a very special and meaningful equinox.
Thanks for the update, all that news is very exciting :)
Wishing you both and everyone from the publisher who will be working on it all the best with getting everything finalised!