Recently I sat down to talk with Jennifer Jurkovsky on her new podcast ‘For the Love of Mystics’ on YouTube, which you can watch here. We spoke about the lost worldwide religion that Mark and I call the Religion of the Sun, and its ancient sites and practices.
We covered the worldwide phenomena of sun worship, and the occurrence of ancient sites aligned to the sun at the major turning points of the solstices and equinoxes, as well as the celebration of these times of year that have survived into the present day. Jennifer asked me particularly about the winter solstice as an example, and I discussed the many celebrations of it including its connection to Christmas. We delved into how this religion had been practiced in ancient times, focusing specifically on out-of-body experiences, and also how people can reconnect with the practices of this ancient religion now.
It was lovely to be one of Jennifer’s first guests, to take part in launching her podcast, which I think is on a fantastic theme. Jennifer intends to explore the wisdom of the world’s mystical traditions, and I can’t think of a more fascinating topic. I wish her every success with it.
Anyone have any recommendations on books, documentaries or other resources on the Bon religion, or the ancient kingdom of Zhang-Zhung/Shangshung of northwestern Tibet?
I’m going to have a couple of weeks in Ladakh soon, which is north-east India but basically part of the Tibetan plateau. I’d love to get a sense of what was going on there before Buddhism but haven’t done any research into this area or ancient culture and am hoping someone might have and could share with me!
Ladakh would have been part of the Zhang-Zhung kingdom (500 BC – 625 AD) in the Himalayas that may have practiced some form of the Religion of the Sun (thanks to Lucia for this info!). I think Mount Kalish would have been central to their sacred landscape, which I won’t be anywhere near, but would still like to understand more about its significance.
Hey Ella, I don’t have any book recommendations sorry, I did look into some Bon works awhile back though, and some of them can have some pretty black stuff in them. Just an FYI in case you didn’t know.
Ladakh looks beautiful, I hope you have a great trip!
Hey Erik, I agree about a lot of darkness being present not just in the current Bon, but also in Tibet in general. But, so it is in India, and it seems to me that where there is (or used to be) a lot of Light, there we will also find a lot of darkness. In my research of Tibet, I went a different route, which was studying the oldest remnants of a civilization there, petroglyphs, etc. I was also lucky to stumble upon some very informative interviews with 2 academics, which really opened my eyes, and helped me then to search with more useful keywords (like Zhang Zhung for example). The work of J. V. Belezza, who has discovered and catalogued a lot of rock art of upper Tibet is also absolutely remarkable, and those solar designs in this rock art are really beautiful and original, especially the “Khyungs” with spiral wings, sometimes being depicted as just birds, and sometimes as half-human birds. These images are both painted and carved, and are estimated to be more than 3000 years old. They have been found in Rutog county in Ngari, Haixi of Qinghai, and many other places, which shows that the worship of Khyung was quite common and widespread in the ancient times. Here is a blog post by J. V. Belezza that speaks about this: http://www.tibetarchaeology.com/january-2012/
Then there are other interesting petroglyph combinations, where Sun, moon and swastika are depicted together, like for example in these 2 examples:
http://www.tibetarchaeology.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Fig.-061.jpg
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9caxm1xpJ8Z7edS9znmLZ74FL5Mae2YgAAi1O5JytdUY3IU_2Klmb0x4AIrv6cc7wuY5fXAxWZuTyJTeOl6BERczdSvAB7jSeoZO4f8sxRtRNpF5qHIbkff8Y49rj_gAHDTvEfrJSIV1L/s1600/SunPetroglyph.png
And lots of chariots with swastikas:
http://www.tibetarchaeology.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Fig.-30.jpg
Hi Ella, from my research of Tibet and Bon some time ago, it looks to me like the mythical land that they originate their spiritual tradition from, called Olmo Lungring, may have been the same as the famous Shambala, located somewhere in the Northwest Tibet or around there. They also had what we would call a “wisdom bringer”, called Tonpa Shenrab Miwoche (interestingly, “miwoche” supposedly means “tall”), whose oldest biography called “Overview of the World” mentions how he abolished animal sacrifices, and taught the offering of ransom and red torma instead. He has also been credited with introducing different ceremonies, ritual performances and religious dances that have spread all over the Tibet. He is also said to have purified the environment, exorcised the evil spirits (like Osiris!), made smoke offerings and prayer flags.
It is also said, however, that during his visit of Tibet, Tonpa Shenrab found people there generally unprepared to receive the entire body of his teachings, but he prophesied that they would flourish in Tibet in the coming ages. These teachings are said to have been brought from Olmo Lungring to the country of Zhangzhung in Western and Northern Tibet by the students of his disciples. The teachings are said to flourish in Zhangzhung until it was conquered by the expanding Tibetan Tubo kingdom. Many Zhang Zhung words from ancient Bon texts still exist in the modern languages of Kinnaur, Lahu, Spiti, Ladakh, Zanskar, as well as some Himalayan regions of Nepal.
What also surprised me during my research was how much persecution the Bon practitioners faced from Buddhists when Buddhism spread there from India in the middle of 7-th century, especially during the reign of Trisong Detsen, when there was an intensive persecution of Bon practitioners. Many Bon texts and spiritual places were damaged or destroyed. Bon practitioners were typically given the choice of converting from Bon to Buddhism, leaving Tibet, or being put to death. I think this was the first time I heard about a “Buddhist violence” :-O
Since then, of course things have changed, and Bon has gradually absorbed so much of Buddhist doctrine that now it almost looks like just another branch of Buddhism. Personally though, I think maybe Bon decline started long time before that, when it kind of merged with local shamanism, and lost its original purity. It may have not even been called Bon on the very beginning, but its not clear what this original religion was called.
There are also some researchers and spiritual practitioners that noticed the similarities between Vedic religion, Zoroastrianism and the ancient Bon, like for example the author and researcher of Zoroastrianism K. E. Eduljee, who says:
“Bon claims to have spread south to the Indian subcontinent and to have influenced the development of Vedic Hinduism. Perhaps pre-Tibetan Bon was a form of the primordial Aryan religion before Zoroastrianism and Vedic Hinduism. Buddhism in turn evolved out of Vedic Hinduism (c. 400 BCE). Completing a full circle, today’s Bon is so heavily influenced by Buddhism that it sounds like a Buddhist sect. Perhaps some scholars may take it upon themselves to try and isolate the precepts of the pre-Buddhism Bon.”
And at last, an interesting quote from https://mysterioustibet.com/the-ancient-zhangzhung-kingdom-in-ngari-tibet.html :
Zhangzhung people are mentioned frequently in the ancient Tibetan texts as the original rulers of central and western Tibet. Only in the last two decades have archaeologists been given access to do archaeological work in the areas once ruled by Zhangzhung. Recently, a tentative match has been proposed between Zhangzhung and an Iron Age culture now being uncovered on the Changtang plateau in northwestern Tibet. The characteristics of this culture seem to more closely match the Iron Age cultures of Europe and the Asian steppes than those of India or East Asia, suggesting a cultural influence which arrived from the west or north rather than the east or south.
Some of the characteristics of this culture are:
– a system of hilltop stone forts or citadels, likely used as a defense against the steppe tribes of Central Asia, such as the Scythians
– burial complexes which use vertical tombstones, occasionally in large arrays, and including up to 10,000 graves in one location
– stone temples located in the mountains adjacent to the plains, characterized by windowless rooms, corbelled stone roofs, and round walls
– evidence of a stratified social structure, as indicated by royal or princely tombs
– petroglyphs showing the culture was a warrior horse culture
Today, the ancient inhabitants of Zhang-zhung survive as the nomad people of Western and Northern Tibet, often possessing the same ancient clan names. But having been converted to Buddhism, they have forgotten their ancient heritage… (https://balkhandshambhala.blogspot.com/2012/10/balkh-and-shang-shung.html )
There is a lot more to say on this topic, especially about their worship of the so-called Khyung bird (successful esoteric practitioners are said to transform themselves into Khyungs), which is an equivalent of Indian Garuda, and can be found prolifically in the rock art of western Tibet, together with swastikas, sun, moon, deer, chariot and other solar symbols.
Here are some great, professional videos that I learned a lot from:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ppVAptw7TQo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6gpssKzuGGM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XTEbqzId8kI
Thanks so much Lucia! That’s some really helpful and inspiring research – I’ll definitely have a look at those videos soon and follow those leads.
I’ll go with my eyes and ears open to try to find any remnants of Bon practice, though TBH I don’t know how I’ll be able to tell where it’s different to Buddhism yet.
When I was planning my trip at first I wanted to stay in ‘India proper’ to be immersed in Hinduism, but the monsoon at this time of year put me off. Now I’m excited to hear this area may be the land of one of the solar influences of Hinduism …
I spent a bit of time in Ladakh maybe 15 years ago and just remember feeling like I was at the roof of the world… I want to go back to a place called Lamayuru, along a road tracking the Indus river and plan to visit Pangong lake which borders Tibet and which is sacred. Other than that, I will just go with prayers to be guided to see what I need to!
It’s a strange feeling, embarking on a trip to return to a place that is etched in my memory like a powerful dream. I feel so grateful to that land spiritually already…
Hey Ella, yesterday as I was making my post, the storm was approaching here, so I had to end quickly. 😲
Here is one more link to a book by J. V. Belezza, an archaeologist and cultural historian specializing in the pre-Buddhist heritage of Tibet and the Western Himalaya, that I really wanted to get but didn’t manage to:
https://www.amazon.de/-/en/Dawn-Tibet-Ancient-Civilization-World/dp/0810896273/ref=sr_1_1?crid=QVCM0H4B7BPN&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.pFWwNfHvZmaQmcQwjCEULICfepAhRrzUiE5bZSrgP4puc_DCtqZesuktWXAMVCsoAqLJryeCWVaD4k_qLD11BAI-9xdhGuHUHtIENJGNGy8zBirPI9zWZFtCXlEAMzOX3EYzPsVqZzy_4EL8noIdA2kC_Xp940pRzWhemCTJpGqkBNPJpaYLQwdC7srYzFXGa1WOvynj7dalXFBDjFUci2carKjH_cfmx59Qf8KZ0nM.GHyhrHKESrOC9NTgBFoPWCp3RJcNZuMBLM7ObKdL39o&dib_tag=se&keywords=The+Dawn+of+Tibet%3A+The+Ancient+Civilization+on+the+Roof+of+the+World&qid=1751020453&sprefix=the+dawn+of+tibet+the+ancient+civilization+on+the+roof+of+the+world%2Caps%2C211&sr=8-1
This researcher and pilgrim has done tremendous work to uncover the ancient heritage of north-western Tibet, including cataloging rock art of the region, and has written at least 9 books as far as I know. Here is more about him:
http://www.tibetarchaeology.com/about-the-author/
Another book that may be informative, even though maybe a bit academic, is by professor Tsering Thar, the interview with whom I have watched on Youtube, and he is very informative and precise:
https://www.amazon.de/-/en/Research-Zhang-Zhung-Civilisation-Tsering/dp/9937733251/ref=sr_1_1?crid=WV7KUV5XE3YD&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.MbfQPzczAo1rfEVFd67plzLbKBhxalMhv9sTPOLdqEOzHfm7YPh1QbRx6qQBri9hCc45kDVlpuU-hztDFizoi84jmgfuG-HV-xI60EwIfX3oda-Qgp_jiWCyVs4C6WtSKTf2q-SR_Y4cSEUeHaCPBv6mtWvfFdk3uE438r8LL1NmLPmAk66TswNU9PUmgHm_XzqQqdc5YCLDGLWrBImlMzLI0u9e_Vnnozci4RMbx5Q.0QR79iX5BOoAakJxmjNQ-uRYVg4VGUPKUcwpxNJevBc&dib_tag=se&keywords=Zhang+zhung+Tsering&qid=1751021074&sprefix=zhang+zhung+tsering%2Caps%2C198&sr=8-1
Otherwise there are some books on Zhangzhung by a Buddhist teacher, but I didn’t want to get those, as I thought they could have a subtle bias. :-)
Wishing you a beautiful and Divinely inspired experience on the “roof of the world”! ❤️
Hey Ella, how exciting, safe travels :) I haven’t been to Ladakh but have visited places in the foothills of the Himalayas in India and felt the whole landscape had a very mystical feel. It was like I could sense the presence of the gods there in the mountains and rivers, and very easily picture the accounts/feats of the ancient Hindu sages and kings as being real. Wishing you a very amazing trip.
Thank you Eric for sharing this, I feel it encourages him to know that we all support him.
Michael has been always in Yanni’s and mine prayers and we pray and wish for him through our heart he’ll overcome these difficulties and recover once again.
May he have the streghth, guidace and all the Divine help he needs.
Hey everyone, I wasn’t quite sure where to post this, so I thought I’d leave it here.
You may know from his comments on this site that Michael has been dealing with health issues for many years. I’ve been talking with him recently, and unfortunately he has had quite a severe health flare up, causing his health issues to be the worst they have ever been, and making it difficult for him to do even simple daily tasks.
I am posting this here (with Michael’s permission) in case you would like to keep him in any prayers you might be doing. I know that Michael would really appreciate that, and that being part of this community is very meaningful for him. Specifically, asking for his healing, as well as asking that he is able to obtain the supports that he needs would be helpful at this time.
If you were thinking of replying to this post, I am sure Michael would appreciate the support, but please do not post any health advice or suggestions as this is not the right forum for that, and sometimes trying to give health advice when not fully understanding a person’s situation can cause more harm than good.
Also, if you have reached out to Michael personally, he may not be able to reply to you at the moment, but he appreciates you thinking of him.
Many thanks
Thanks very much Erik for keeping us updated on Michael’s condition. Jenny and I are both thinking of him and hope he improves as soon as possible.
Michael is in my prayers.
Thanks Erik. He’s in my prayers. I like what you said about advice – ill health is so complicated and mysterious really, especially when it becomes so chronic.
I will keep you in my prayers Michael 🙏
May God heal you and bless you! 💜🙏
Thanks Erik. I hope Michael gets better soon. He’s definitely in my prayers 🙏
Thank you Erik for sharing Michael’s situation here, it sounds very tough indeed. 🙁
Rajko and I have also been keeping him in our prayers, and we hope that this latest worsening of his situation was just the lowest point from which things would only start improving from now on! We also pray that he may receive all the support he needs in order to practically manage his situation.
And on a little bit lighter side, Michael, if you are reading this, here is a message for you from Yoda 😉:
https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Ftse1.mm.bing.net%2Fth%3Fid%3DOIP.jyLCjptRirc7_K6jKPgIsgHaFm%26pid%3DApi&f=1&ipt=359a0b892950d230190dcddb89384fafe4695149f73f0f0ecf3e48ad9427c7ee&ipo=images
We wish you all the strength and Divine support!
Rajko & Lucia
Let all this love and support shower over you Michael!
You are always in my prayers Michael. I can’t imagine the difficulties you are experiencing right now, but I hope you find some peace and solace in this difficult time. Your presence is missed here, but I know that you are in our hearts and we are in yours so that we are still all together. May the beings of light surround you, bringing you comfort and healing. May the light of the Spiritual Sun (Source) enter you, bringing you peace, healing, and solace.
As you already know, Michael, you are constantly in my prayers and I wish you deep connections with the divine in these challenging times.
Wishing you a lot of healing and comfort during this time Michael, and sorry to hear about what you are going through, Matthew and I are praying for your recovery, and hope you are OK.
Thank you Erik for letting our community know that Michael is struggling with his health at the moment.
Michael, may you find the internal courage and strength to get past this difficult point in your life. You have been a spark of the Divine with your presence on these pages. You know yourself to be more than your body. May profound, spiritual truths be revealed to you so that you are able to extract the lessons and treasures from your trials/tribulations– even though it all seems so hard. Think of all those who have come before you and have done this before you.
You’re is in my prayers too.
I am posting this link to a song Michael put up recently (under a different post) titled “nothing else matters” – as a reminder…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AkblRFNEQWk
Hey, Michael. You are always in my prayers, brother.
I’m very sorry to hear about this difficult situation you are going through. Thank you, Erik, for letting us all know so we can get together in our prayers for Michael.
May the beings of light stay closer to you than ever and bring healing to you. God bless.
Michael, I pray that Divine Mother and Heavenly Father send you their earthly and heavenly angels to surround you and heal you, and give you peace and comfort, and not leave you for even one second, until you are healed; that you may feel their presence, protection and love even in moments of deepest pain and suffering; that you may experience miracles of healing, and receive exactly the physical practical support and guidance that you need to get through this; that this very difficult time may pass, and turn darkness to light. ✨☀️
Dear Michael, wishing you much alleviation from the pains and weight of the body, and also from all stress it inflicts within.
Wishing beautiful healing forces to flow through your body, and wishing for protection and divine monitoring.
Your perseverance is an inspiration to do my best when I have the opportunity.
Thanks everyone for your beautiful and encouraging messages. They were very welcome and lovely to read. I hope everyone here was able to find some connection with the light during this solstice period, wherever you are in the world.
It’s really good to hear from you Michael. Hope you are feeling better.
Lovely to hear from you Michael. I hope you have felt a strengthening boost from everyone’s well wishes and prayers. I also hope you were able to make a connection over Solstice
It was amazing seeing and listening to this video, very interesting and uplifting information.
Evening though I have read some of this information in Lara’s book, as shee has speaking, the words were like coming alive and had a deeper meaning for me, making me want to see it again and again.
The point where you talk about the connection with the Spiritual, how we can develop it, the importance of this, is a very strong point for me, it encourage me so deeply.
Thank you Lara deeply for this inspiration, it’s a boost reminding me that life is much more of what we see and sence, waking up goals to put for everyday’s moments.
Thank you Mark, Lara and all the team for yor continuous valuable help.
It was really nice to see such a genuine interaction between two people with such a deep yearning for divine connection. I felt there was nothing fake or artificial in this interview. Thank you for sharing.
This is so true about the garden analogy!
Beautiful flowers that we try to cultivate, surrounded by weeds.
Thank you for sharing the interview Lara. Listening to your conversation was uplifting and pulled me out of a daydream. At times, the connection with the Spiritual Sun feels almost tangible, yet nurturing that connection requires care and conscious effort. It’s much like nature, undesirable things often grow quickly and without help, while a beautiful garden needs daily tending and attention.
That’s so nicely said, Slawek.
Beautiful garden with foods to nourish and heal us on the physical and spiritual level. It takes so much planning and work but the harvest is just magical, isn’t it?
Yes, that’s such a good analogy about the garden Slawek!
You asked a very important question Marco.
I think the most honest answer is: we can’t really distinguish between the dreams from the egos and conscious teachings with a 100% certainty as the egos are so tricky, use our mind, and compose most of our psychological makeup.
The more conscious we are in our daily life, the more conscious, clear, meaningful are our dreams.
By being more aware, we send the signal to the Spiritual Beings that we are interested, we are serious, we are sincere, we are trying. And they teach us in accordance to our needs.
There was an insight from Mark in Spiritual Out-of-Body Experience book that one should not rely on the dreams alone in one’s decision making. Also to look for repetitive dreams, dream patterns, dream connections to everyday life. Then we can get more clear. Also Mark teaches about the importance to use intuition in our dreams interpretation.
Precuous stones played a supportive role in many cultures around the world, but it is unlikely that Divine Beings want us to become the specialists in minerals.
What does the symbol of a precious stone say to you? What is the meaning of being like a stone, like a rock? How do you interpret black-white colors symbolism?
And then as the mind reflects in an open minded, yet focused way, your intuition can give you the answer, or maybe a glimpse of the answer, and then you will get more understanding layer, in the right time.
Divine Beings or your own Divine Spirit will send you more messages, if what you have been shown, was not properly comprehended.
You too Marco, have a good week!
I agree with you, I have heard Mark say something about going based on what is happening in everyday life. I think the ego wishes to know what’s going to happen and there is a lot to be uncovered by observing what is it that bothers it so much. That period of deep connection to the moment and subsequent OBE to the source taught me that nothing really matters but the present moment, there’s something that I read in The Kolbrin that goes something like “The day doesn’t really matter when man is focused on the task at hand”. As I come to realize more and more how “obscure” life is getting and how “vague” the road gets, I notice the ego tries to keep me locked in time because it’s terrified of the unknown but life is much more interesting with the spiritual.
I agree with you that divine beings don’t necessarily want us to become specialists in this type of thing unless that is our true passion, of course, but either way, I feel I should investigate more about this symbology that shows up because being ignorant can be dangerous and if this, provided they are being shown by spiritual beings, is brought to my attention it would be foolish not to learn more about it because it must pertain to me. I remember I commented on not having a reason to get into the astral but in the past months, there have been some symbols and things that I should definitely investigate.
The stone one is interesting because it was shown as a part of a geometric shape with other materials and items, each one of them was put on a corner of the shape being the stone the last one and after the shape was completed it felt very balanced but I mean like deep balance. For a long time, I have thought that true deep things are heavy and that’s the way that it felt; the incorporation of a lot of darkness and light that interplayed to form this very deep and mysterious feeling of stillness in movement. Also, the stone was raw, like a slice of the natural rock rather than a polished piece.
What you’ve said has reminded me of the importance of fighting to be in the present moment and I think, as always, is the most sensible thing to do; the only real option for me at this point.
Thank you so much, Vadim. I hope we can meet one day.
You are welcome, Marco.
Here we are now, writing and reading these comments, but GOD WILLS one day this project to revive the Religion of the Sun would grow into something bigger with meetings and group classes/practices/ceremonies. Each stage has its own lessons. It would be nice to meet you one day in person.
I wish you all the best with your inner work!
One thing that comes to mind about things we are shown/told in dreams, OBEs or in daily life is that oftentimes when something was communicated to me in whatever way in daily life or the astral is that the true meaning of it takes time and actually living to unravel.
For example, I was told something very specific a very long time ago and I’m still unsure of its true meaning and why it was communicated to me. I now know that it’s meaning will be revealed to me once I go through whatever I need to go through.
Other times, it took maybe a few months to understand something else. So I think sometimes patients is a real answer here but if you really feel you need to know it now, maybe you do!
Hi Marco (and Vadim)
Your dreams are a good guide to where you’re at and what the next focus/step needs to be. Intuition is so key to helping interpret the dream message – even if it is from an ego state, it shows the ego state that needs to be looked into.
I find black/white could symbolise duality (internally, or of the mind with its options and thoughts, of opposition, or being in 2 minds, etc). But it can also be symbolic of the dark and light struggle that goes on within us daily, the battle between good and evil, etc.
I found a chapter in the Kolbrin (chapter 15, the Voice of God) a simple reminder of what we’re striving for.
Hello friends, I hope everyone is doing well.
Does anyone anything they can share about the onyx stone from an esoteric point of view?
I would greatly appreciate any input on the subject.
May the light of the Lord be with you always, sending blessings to everyone.
Hi Marco,
What color is the onyx stone?
I would look into its color correspondence to the chakra/element/season of the year etc.
Then the shape, does it carry a certain symbolism?
And how does this particular stone speak to you, in what practices can you use it to your advantage, in a spiritual sense?
Hey brother.
The stone was shown to me in a dream, it was black and white. Your comment already made me search for some things and associate them with other symbols, numbers and patterns that have been present in my life at the moment but everything feels quite inconclusive right now for me. I cannot say that I understand much but maybe eventually things will start to click.
It was interesting to me because there was some emphasis that I felt once the stone was brought to the “message”. It’s also interesting that I’m currently not remembering my dreams so well but I’ve had a couple that have really stuck with me and that makes me think that they might be significant. How do you go about distinguishing between a symbolic dream and perhaps some construction of the egos to deceive or misguide? I know some of the dreams are like “signs” that I really wish for but there’s still the question. Something strange happened recently, tho, I went to sleep for about 30 to 50 minutes and had a very vivid dream, and like 3 minutes after I woke up a very unusual situation started unfolding in the physical world, most of these dreams have shared a same vibe and that kind of reassures me a but still there’s the question. Any input will be much appreciated. God bless. I wish you a fantastic week, Vadim.
Lara, thank you! I was absolutely thrilled to have you as one of my very first guests on ‘For the Love of Mystics.’ Your presence, wisdom, and depth made for a wonderfully insightful conversation. I’m grateful for your kind words and well wishes—they truly mean a lot. Wishing you all the best as you continue writing your books,I have no doubt they will be a beautiful and impactful offering to the world.
Lovely to have you grace the comments section Jennifer :-) Thank you very much for your kind wishes. It’s not often in this hectic world of ours that we take the time to talk about such meaningful things. Thank you for creating the opportunity to do so.
Yes, thank you too Jennifer! I also got a lot out of the interview, which flowed very naturally. It was clear that you both had a shared interest in these topics, which enabled you to ask relevant questions.
Thanks for your input and I wish you every success with the podcast!
Hi Jennifer,
Thank you so much for hosting this amazing interview! You are such an amazing human being who one can sit down and talk with, while being very open-minded about spirituality and ancient mysteries! Best wishes on your future endeavours! May the light of the Spiritual guide us all!
Hi Lara,
A great video and a succinct explanation about the Religion of the Sun, its focus, practices and revival at this point in time.
How relevant your responses to the questions posed by Jennifer! I like how she refers to all this as ‘heritage’ – such a nice way to put it.
You’ve provided simple yet detailed ways to help anyone new coming across this interview or information, to look further into the Religion of the Sun, its ancient roots, and to piece together the evidence left behind by ancient peoples as being something more profound, something more than mere paganism.
Indeed, incredible monuments have been left behind as testament to the grandness of this religion and such monuments can be found all around the world! It makes no sense that such efforts would go into building such deliberate structures only to be for pagan practices or for agricultural reasons for following the sun’s procession through the year, as has been portrayed by mainstream circles. Lots of symbolism, precision, contemplation and intelligence has gone into their design, with very specific purposes and reasons for them being built!
Your explanation in this video is yet another way to validate the existence of advanced ancient civilizations that understood the deeper meaning and intention behind life on earth, the purpose of humanity, the veneration of the sun being more than pagan practice, but one that had a well thought out purpose. And one that has left behind many signs, monuments, clues, etc which have survived to this day.
You also point out that all this relates to the transitions of the sun, as celebrated by solstices and equinoxes, and which mirrors a more spiritual purpose behind all this, one of inner spiritual transformation and enlightenment. This explanation is far more credible than those found in mainstream circles.
And, the concept that the sun is a spiritual manifestation of the Source, of the Light, gives the ancient people more validity too. They deliberately designed such monuments (as you state) “to draw the sunlight into their structures that would enable the people of the time to venerate” the sun. How ingenious!
How incredible and purposeful life would have been back in those days compared to now…
The way you describe the core concepts of the Religion of the Sun as being connected to many cultures and people around the world and provide examples of this, can only help seekers look further into this – that this once great tradition (as you put it) has deep and profound spiritual connections, to realms beyond this one, to inner truths, etc and that it was once a global phenomenon not this fragmented version of history we are told by mainstream interests.
Your explanation of Cosmology is also relevant– that there are other places of existence and how OBEs can be used to reach those realms of existence, to be able to have mystical experiences, to validate that there is life after death, that there is more to life than this physical existence, and that it is possible to bring back that knowledge from other dimensions into this one. These ancient civilizations were definitely more advanced and understood the importance of spiritual wisdom (and its purpose in/for our life) far more than we do today.
The reference to Jesus and to others such as Horus or Mithras as enlightened beings whose birth is celebrated around winter solstice time (and its connections to Christmas), as being a time when a baby of light or of consciousness is born. It is about an inner birth, that of our own inner light. This makes sense too.
What a simple way to connect with the sun by sitting at sunrise or sunset and doing an Om mantra!
And, I agree, we have more in common than we have differences!
I wonder if it would be helpful or possible to have an interview with Maria Kvilhaug about the Norse traditions and more spiritual elements of what she discusses in her books and lectures and correlate her knowledge with that of your findings?
And, would it be of any value to perhaps consider having an interview with the labrys community as they seem to be seeking a revival of the Sun worshiping practices that can be traced back to ancient Minoan times?
Yes I agree Dimi, it wouldn’t make sense for a community to make such a concerted effort over time, if it were just to leave a massive white elephant on the landscape! That’s aside from the ingenuity and intelligence evident in the design and construction of these ancient sites, as you mentioned.
I was also glad to be reminded of the Om mantra when facing the sun and did the same myself recently. It’s a nice practice.
Yes, I also agree that within these various threads of the Religion of the Sun, we have more similarities than we may realise, if we only look deeper!
I just started reading a book by Dr Eben Alexander called Proof of Heaven. Eben is a neuroscientist who had a really in depth NDE.
At one point in the NDE he was in a realm where he experienced God – when he was originally writing down his experience he referred to God as Om, as that is the sound that he recalled “as the resonance within infinity and eternity” in his experience.
This reminded me a lot of what Lara mentions in terms of using the mantra Om before the sun and trying to feel the connection to the source here.
Wow!
Wow, what an excellent find Erik! It’s always interesting to hear the perspective of someone with such a relevant scientific knowledge who has also had a profoundly mystical experience.
It also correlates with the Vedic description of Om as the primordial hum at the birth of creation.
Thanks for passing that on.
That’s great you got his book Erik! I listened to his experience long time ago, and of course him being a neurosurgeon makes it very special. I don’t remember the thing about him hearing “Om” as an all-pervading resonance within infinity, how amazing! I think I am going to re-watch some of the interviews with him.
HI Guys,
I remember coming across this book back in the day and how it became popular because it was written by someone who had more credibility being a neurosurgeon. I also recall that his book challenged the secular narrative which made it even more popular – ironically! – in my part of the world.
It certainly got people’s attention and talking about the afterlife.
We have so much more in common than we have differences if only we would realise and begin living more in harmony…
Our differences are mostly visible to the external eye – perhaps a sign that we are of varying seeding but all human nonetheless. We also have developed different cultures and languages but this is not a way to define one over the other as being greater or lesser than. Our spiritual origins are a common thread, but unfortunately, we live in times where this spiritual connection is not valued and for many it does not exist.
Reviving that connection is what I see unfolding here.
Really interesting interview, thanks for sharing Lara. I am particularly touched by how you explained why the ancients aligned their sacred places so as to allow light to enter the holiest areas, so that it could be connected with directly. Could it be an external manifestation of a spiritual practice? One where light is allowed to enter the psyche and be connected with in a spiritual way.
I mean, the stone circles always reminded me of the body, and in particular of the head; with the sun’s light being able to penetrate it speaking of ability to perceive light clearly (such as through unclouded awareness), and alignments to the solstices and equinoxes symbolizing a focus on enlightenment. I wonder if in your research you’ve come up with any textual references to such an interpretation, and in particular to practices that allow the psyche to connect with the spiritual nature of light.
Below is your rough quote from approximately the 7 minute mark onwards.
“What they’ve told us in their ancient texts and writings is actually that the veneration of the sun was not of the physical sun, so not of the material sun itself, but of its spiritual side. And that has to do with the spiritual nature of light. And so as the greatest manifestation of light was seen as the greatest manifestation of the source that we can connect with. And so what they did is that they incorporated the sun’s light into their temples and sacred places often so that light would come into the most holy of places in the temple, so it could be connected with directly. And also they would use the sun at the solstices and equinoxes in an interplay like this incredible kind of story or drama that is symbolic of stages of attaining spiritual enlightenment, so for example the sphinx gazes directly at the rising spring equinox sun, which symbolized spiritual resurrection. And these particular times of the solstices and equinoxes are the main transitions of the sun, and so they were seen as particularly symbolically significant, and so that’s why we see this kind of tradition all over the world of incorporating the sun into sacred places at the solstices and equinoxes.”
Amazing interview!
Wish all Truth seekers had access to Mark and Lara’s meaningful and inspiring works.
This interview, and others Lara has done, always feel so fresh and genuine. Even if knowing a bit about the topics, still somehow I get new insights from what Lara shares. Seems she’s always learning and reassessing her view of things. Very pleasant interview to watch, appreciated. Thanks to Jennifer for hosting it and her interest and sincerity. 🙏
Absolutely, it’s a wonderful raw format. No matter how many times you encounter similar information, it can resonate differently every time. Perhaps because it is so timeless.
Thank you Lara for another glimpse, always lovely to hear your updates. Looking forward to those books in the pipeline!
I agree…
Something new always jumps out to capture my attention too.
Yes I find the same. In genuine conversation like this, I find I take in information in a different way. I guess that is why the podcast format is so popular. Obviously receiving the information in the books is great, but it’s also nice to receive it this way and is complimentary to it. It connects on a more human level somehow.
Anyway, great interview Lara, you are a natural at doing this! I particularly appreciated what you shared about connecting with the Source. And Jennifer is a great interviewer, with a genuine spiritual interest, open-minded curiosity and positive energy that really makes this format work and allows the conversation to flow. I hope her podcast grows.
Speaking of the angels in white robes, I saw some sources which say that the earliest depictions of angels were not human-like beings with wings,but they had rather odd-looking appearances. There are some descriptions in the Old Testament I believe about angels,I don’t remember the exact line where it describes what the angel looked like,but the appearance of the angel from the description was rather alien-alike. Angels as a type of figure don’t just appear in Christianity, but in other Abrahamic religions such as Islam as well. I haven’t done much studies on Abrahamic religions because I personally am not a very big fan of them,but it seems like angels were not what many people think them to be from the start. In the Bible when an angel appears to a human he would often tell the person to not be a afraid,so it makes me wonder what types of beings angels are. Another mystery about the life story of Jesus is that of the three Magis. The Bible doesn’t seem to given a detailed description as to who they were, they’re simply known as “wise men from the East”. They were said to be guided by a star that lead them to where Jesus was born and offered him gifts,but where they came from and who exactly were they were never specified. I wonder if it’s possible that the Magis were practitioners of some exotic spirutual traditions that were different from the monotheistic religions that we know today, and they went to pay tribute to Jesus not because of he was the one true saviour sent by the God that is known to Christians as they understand it, but because of the spiritual treasure that he would bring to the world. If you look at the life story of Jesus it does seem like there are many pagan elements to it, and some people think that it’s because Christianity was being heavily influenced by paganism and some scholars of monotheistic faiths have been trying to remove the aspects of Christian practices and interpetations of the Bible that they consider to be pagan. Including some schools of the Protestant Church, who even removed the celebration of Christmas from their practices since they consider this to be a pagan thing. There have been many Christians who try to identify and remove things that they consider to be pagan in Christian practices, in hope of restoring the original teachings of Christ. But there is evidence that Jesus was not the only one of his kind in ancient history, and many of his deeper teachings would be considered by most later Christians to be pagan. Anyway that’s all I have to say about the angels that Lara mentioned in this interview and about Christianity and all that for now. I just wonder if anyone has looked into those because I think there maybe more to the angels in the Bible than what is apparent at first glance.
What a thoughtful interview! I love how Lara always calmly explains things when asked certain questions during interviews and it never disappoints me! The discussion about Jesus is always interesting,since there are questions regarding what he taught and who he really was. Parts of his life were not mentioned in the standardized Bible and many of his teachings regarding the Spiritual had been banned and excluded from the Bible. What many get today is an edited version of what Jesus taught and had been used as a tool of control for centuries. Given the influence that mainstream Christianity has in the world,with denominations and schools like Catholic, Orthodox and Protestant being the most influential forms of Christian beliefs in the world, I’m not sure how much the deeper teachings of Jesus would really take off. But at least there are discussions about them like this and I think this is a good start. I used to go to church to learn about Christianity and during those times where the pastor would explain the gospel I always felt that Jesus was indeed an enlightened spiritual teacher, but the Christian religion, as it was presented to me just didn’t feel right and that’s why I never decided to join their faith. After getting to know about the Religion of the Sun and the Gnostic texts that just seems to confirm what I had thought about this whole time that Jesus’s teachings had been altered by some people for their purposes. And I just thought that “it all makes sense now”. As mentioned during the interview about sunrise and sunset, I think watching them can be a really powerful experience. Many years ago I went to see sunrise with a bunch of friends on a trip, we had to get up when it was still dark but I think in the end that experience was absolutely worth it and at the moment came when the sun came up and illuminated everything in sight, I had this feeling of oneness with everything in existence. It seemed almost instinctual for me to be drawn to the sun, although I couldn’t explain it on an intellectual level. Even back when I was a kid I had this feeling that the sun was like something of a divine existence and I sort of revered it in my own way. Although I never told anyone back then in fear of being riduculed because I was told that sun worship was a thing that only people in the really distant past who were primitive,stupid and had no knowledge of how the world works did. And overtime I just dismissed it as an act of childish play and moved on with my life as I got older until I found the Religion of the Sun. It would be a wonderful thing if more ancient knowledge could be brought back into light and more people could get to know it. I don’t know if anyone else has had a similar experience to me at a young age, but I think I had that spark of spirituality inside of me, it was however being put out and laid dormant for a really long time because of the environment that Iived in would not encourage such a thing. There was an ancient religion that contained immense spiritual wisdom but I also wonder if we as humans have a natural tendency to attempt to connect and relate to the Source. Spending time immersing one’s self in sunlight has always been a powerful experience for me,and I can’t find any reason as to why I shouldn’t do that(maybe protection from the UVs is needed, but I’m definitely not someone who likes to lay on a beach and expose myself head-to-toe under the sun’s rays for hours on a regular basis) Since I’ve learned about the Religion of the Sun, I definitely feel myself being more in tuned to the cycles of nature and understanding my personal journey through dark and light in a better way.
I think that we all on a soul level have that tendency to connect and relate to the source.
Being someone who always exchanged ideas of a spiritual or psychological nature with others I found that everyone that I encountered deep down is searching for that one thing but are on a different level of being close to it.
Yes, that rings true Tina, about how we can feel that connection on a soul level, but it may be more hidden in some than others. It’s probably why “hero’s journey” stories remain ever popular, such as Lord of the Rings, Star Wars and Harry Potter.
It’s funny looking back during my life how I was also on some kind of spiritual quest without realising it, even when I considered myself an atheist. I remember being very interested in “questing” personality traits when studying psychology and when I had a free choice to set my own topics to study, I chose to look into meditation, then a thesis related to religion.
I also recall when I used to DJ, looping a line from a vocal-only mix of a hip hop track, which said “I sought meaning”. I guess most of us are searching for some kind of meaning in life, but we may go off down all kinds of wrong turns until we find it.
I can relate Michael – searching for the right thing in countless of wrong ways… Eventually though, I believe we are guided by our own Being to find the true teachings of Light if our desire for the Divine is real.
I agree, Emily! There’s something so sacred about watching the sun rise—those quiet moments when the light returns and we feel our place in the vastness of it all. Like you and Tina said, I truly believe we have a natural longing to connect with Source. Even as a child, I remember asking big questions, trying to understand what we called God, Source, or All-ness. I didn’t always have the words for it, still don’t sometimes, but the longing was there, a quiet ache for that deeper connection.
Wow it was soul nurturing to watch this talk, every new talk I learn something new, wishing to go further into the practice.
I enjoyed listening to this interview and really nice to see that the host was mostly interested in the practical side of the Religion of the Sun. I believe that is a crucial aspect that when incorporated into daily lives can change and move humanity forward.
Thank you Lara, what a nice, well-flowing interview! I really liked the type of questions that Jennifer asked; they were not just some random questions, but it was clear from them that she has pondered on these topics before in a deeper way. Your answers were really good too, up to the point, clear and inspiring, and I absolutely loved what you shared about your experience with the pyramids! I can totally imagine the feeling of their presence you described, as I have felt that power they emanate in one of my clear astral experiences too. Its pretty much like they dominate the whole area like the energetic giants that they are… I really hope to have a chance to visit Egypt in person someday, and already have an “itinerary” of places to see. 🙂
Hey Lucia, I agree. Visiting ancient sites must be a really empowering experience! I haven’t got a chance to travel the world and visit those sites either,but I hope I would be able to do that someday;)
Yes, thanks for sharing this interview Lara; it was a very good introduction. What you mentioned about perceiving the power of the pyramids before you actually saw them also stood out to me.
Good point Michael…what an incredible power they still hold for those in-tune with their energy.