The JESUS CHRIST of the Apostles as the AMITA-BHA ‘Light of Asia’, the ‘Good Shepherd’ and the All-Healing ‘Medicine BUDDHA’ of Infinite Eternal Life, AMITA-YUS.

JESUS CHRIST as the Infinite Eternal ‘Light of GOD’ and ‘Light of the World’.

The Other-Power of AMITA-BHA BUDDHA is the Essence of All Pure Land Buddhism.

In Pure Land Buddhism the ‘recitation’ or constant invocation of the Holy Name of HRIH or AMITA-BHA (or AMITA-AYUS) BUDDHA is the ‘Dharma’ of the ‘Dharma-Ending Age’. This is exactly the same doctrine as that of the ‘Yuga Dharma’ of Gaudiya Vaishnavism and every other ‘Holy Name Invocation’ Bhakti Yoga Tradition.

Note: The Sanskrit Name of the ADI BUDDHA (DHARMA KAYA) is AMITA-BHA, meaning ‘Infinite and Eternal Light’ Light is BHA(S). The Mantra for AMITABHA and all of the Persons of the TRIKAYA is HRIH!!! BHA(S) in Sanskrit is Light. KRISHNA-VISHNU has multiple compound by-names with the BHA(S) Light word-element.

The Bridal Mysticism & Gender of God in Islamic Divine Love Poetry

What is the gender of God / Allah as ‘the Beloved’ in the poetry of Rumi and other Sufi Divine Love Poets? Why is Rumi’s poetry an inseparable part of the Pashtun Sunni Muslim Afghani culture of the ‘dancing boys’? Why are such boys interpreted as the Divine Love-object in the Sufi Love Poetry that has been gender-altered in translation for the ‘Western’ editions? What is the difference between God / Allah as the finite soul-self’s ‘Purusha’ Lover in the Judeo-Catholic and Eastern Indic and Buddhist traditions, and God as the Beautiful ‘Dancing Boy’ Beloved in the Sufi Islamic traditions?

In all of the other primally-related Bhakti (Divine Love) traditions, the Jiva-Atma or finite soul-self, is feminine. Jiva in Sanskrit is Heva (Eve) in Biblical Hebrew and was the ‘BA (B=V in common linguistic sound shifting) finite soul of the Afro-Egyptians, which was significantly depicted as a small bird. Birds, especially doves, which mate for life, were ancient symbols for the relationship between the finite spirit-soul or self and the Supreme Self or God.

Two Love Birds: Adam & Eve, Ishwara (Param)Atman and Jiva(Atman).

In the Eastern ‘Vedic’ tradition of the Divine Lover and His Beloved, the Supreme or Param Atman (Holy Spirit), is the Masculine Purusha Lover of the finite Feminine Jiva-Atma. In the story, the Jiva-Atma becomes distracted and ‘falls’ into the temporary but real ‘material world’. The Lovers, ATUM / ADON / ATEN / ATMAN and BA / HEVA / EVE / JIVA are described as two Love Birds situated in a mystical tree. The Feminine (Receiver, Prakriti) finite Jiva-soul of the pair becomes momentarily distracted by tasting the fruit of the mystical ‘Tree of Knowledge’, and forgets Her Divine Purusha (Masculine, Giver) Lover, God. In Her forgetful condition of Illusion / Maya, She, the Jiva-soul ‘falls’ into mortal ‘matter’ and becomes ‘lost’ to Herself and to Her God, in her ‘fallen’ state.

Consequently, God, in his form as an ‘Avatara’, crosses-over into the ‘material world’, descending into the Saha world of birth, death, disease and old age, to find and Rescue His Beloved! This universal theme of the Divine or semi-divine Hero’s descent into matter, or the realm of the dead, to Find and Save His Beloved, is all related to the same primal ‘Bridal Mysticism’ Revelation.

This same separation of forgetfulness is the ‘fall‘ that is described in the Biblical tradition of the ‘original sin‘ story of ‘Adam and Eve’. In Jewish and Catholic Hermetic and Kaballistic mysticism, the Adam and Eve story is about this Separation of Eve as ‘the Mother of All Living’, the Feminine Jiva-Shakti, (Hebrew Shekinah), from Her Lord, Adon-Yahu or God as the universal ‘First Adam” (Purusha) or Adam Kadmon.

Blazing Tongues Eat Sin & Sacrifice

“Enter Blazing” – Jayadvaita Swami Commits a Grammatical Error (BG 11.28)

BBT International’s edited 1983 edition: “As the many waves of the rivers flow into the ocean, so do all these great warriors enter blazing into Your mouths.”

Original and authorized 1972-edition: “As the rivers flow into the sea, so all these great warriors enter Your blazing mouths and perish. I see all people rushing with full speed into Your mouths as moths dash into a blazing fire. O Visnu, I see You devouring all people in Your flaming mouths and covering the universe with Your immeasurable rays. Scorching the worlds, You are manifest.”

Sridhara Swami’s commentary: “As unlimited currents of water helplessly flow in innumerable rivers and are propelled from multiple channels into the ocean, the mighty warriors of the Kaurava and Pandava armies are seen to be helplessly propelled into the flaming, gnashing mouths of the visvarupa or divine universal form of Lord Krishna.”

Kesava Kasmiri’s commentary: “How helplessly do the mighty warriors of the Kaurava and Pandava armies enter into the flaming mouths of Lord Krishna’s visvarupa or divine universal form? As helplessly as unlimited currents of water from innumerable rivers are propelled into entering the ocean.”

In his translations of Visvanath Cakravarti Thakura and Baladeva Vidyabhusana’s Bhagavad-gita commentaries, Bhanu Swami also translates Bg. 11.28 as follows: “As many swift currents of rivers flow towards the sea, so these heroes of the world enter Your flaming mouths.”

Balarama Jayanti Advent Offering with Vaishnava References to the Theology of Christ reprisal

Part 1: In the Vaishnava Tradition of India, the wide-spread lore of the Messianic Second Coming of Jesus Christ is found in the Prophetic Revelation of the Vishnu Yashas – Kalki Tradition.  As in Vaishnavism the Name of the Father is revealed in the Son, and vice versa, it is astonishing that Christians, Vaishnavas and other ‘Hindus’ have not generally recognized that Kalki Avatara is also the ‘Second Coming’ of Vishnu Yashas or Yasho-Narayana, and thus He is directly ‘cognate’ with the Judeo-cCatholic Tradition of the Second Coming of Jesus Christ as the Divine Savior-King and ‘Son of David’.  The Judeo-cCatholic (Apostolic Parampara) Divine Savior Jesus Christ first appears as the Suffering Sacrifice Deliverer Messiah Son of Joseph (Yagna Purusha Yupa Dhvaja, Who takes away the sins of the World), and then He appears as the Triumphant King Deliverer Messiah Son of David (Kalki Avatara).

In ancient Egypt KRISHNA-VISHNU-PARAMATMA was worshiped as HERU-AUSU-ATUM, the Trinity of Greek Heliopolitan Monotheism. The Jews worshiped This Same Trinity as ELI-YAHU-ADON. Ausu or Osiris was the Yahu of the Jews and the VASU-DEVA (Jewish TOBA-YAHU) of the Vaishnavas. He was called WASU THEOS in Thebes Egypt, which City was also called Dios-Polis-Magnus or Maha Deva Purusha. In each of these ancient related Bhakti Traditions, the Second Person of the Godhead is the Savior God Who descends into the dark entropic material worlds to save all of the beings that have ‘fallen’ there, who cannot get back-out by their own endeavour!

For some Vaishnava references to Vishnu Yashas and Kalki see:  http://www.stephen-knapp.com/kalki_the_next_avatar_of_God.htm

For a nice explanation of the Jewish concept of these two appearances of the Messiah, please read: http://www.hebrew4christians.com/Names_of_G-d/Messiah/messiah.html

For a nice presentation of the Hebrew Name Yasha and Names of God, see:  http://www.hebrew4christians.com/Names_of_G-d/Savior/savior.html

http://www.hebrew4christians.com/index.html

http://www.hebrew4christians.com/Names_of_G-d/Esoteric/esoteric.html

The Theology of Baladeva… SRI CAITANYA-CARITAMRTA of Krsnadasa Kaviraja Gosvami

Translated, with elaborate purports by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, One Volume Edition, Bhaktivedanta Books

Is a popular uprising inspired by the Holy Spirit / Paramatma or not? There are ways to tell!

Let us consider the causes and effects throughout history. In all of history there have been rivalries between leaders and movements, supported by the backing of the followers of the oppositional leaders or the adherents of the contending religious or ‘political’ movements. As the pendulum swings and one belligerent faction becomes dominant over the other, oppression increases and popular reactionary movements develop and the next cycle of open hostilities begins to escalate.

Eventually, the youth, being sick of dying in the old men’s wars, rebel. The mothers, being sick of sending their young off to die in these same wars, rebel. The young girls, losing their lovers in these wars, rebel. They all resist the constant state of war and the ‘saber-rattling’ threat of war that keeps them impoverished and oppressed from generation to generation. Thus as this pattern of oppression and violence is perceived, a generational effect may come into its own, and a powerfully idealistic youth and women’s resistance movement may rise-up to challenge the corruption and failures of the previously dominant (and oppressive) leader(s), and their oppressive systems of sectarian war-mongering religious rule and military-dominated government.

Such popular ‘Peace and Freedom’ movements throughout history have shared common features. One model of such a ‘Peace and Freedom’ movement is that of the ‘First Bengali Renaissance’ that was inspired and led by Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and Sri Nityananda-Balarama 500+ years ago in the Gaudiya region of Bengal. At that time the Vaishnavas, Buddhists, Shaivites, Shaktas and other religious peoples of the area were being severely abused under a rigidly oppressive system of Muslim rule, supported by an iconoclastic ‘Mayavadi’ dominated profoundly racist and sexist birth-based hierarchical caste system.

Neo-Gnostic Soul-Killing Mis-Information

The New Age Neo Gnosticism that confounds God with His Own Adversaries, and mixes-up Christ with Antichrist is the same nonsense that confuses Zervan and Ahriman, Brahma and the Malevolent Gnostic Demiurgos and the Authentic Vedic Devas with the Corrupted Astrological (Planetary) ‘gods’ of Late Mythology.

The heterodox apa-sampradaya ‘Gnostics’ CONFOUNDED Zervan and Ahriman, the Devas and the A-Suras, RAAH ‘Evil’ and RE-YAHU ‘God Who Sees’, SAT and A-SAT / SETU, Leviathan (Kaliya) and Behema (Ananta Sesa the Mount of God), Lucifer Christ and and the cast-down ‘Fallen Angel’ Satan, the Daemons (Spirits) of Love / Eros etc. and DEMONS. The gnostic confounders confused the Greek Ketos with the Old Dragon (Drac) the KATA-bolism and CATASrophe of Rahu-Ketu / Setu (A-Sat / Satan ‘the Father of Lies‘), and they confounded Krishna Vasudeva (see WASU Dios of WASET / VASTU Thebes in Egypt) with Vasudeva of the Paundrakas. The priests of the Pharaoh that ‘Did not know of Joseph’, had false Naga staffs while Moses had a REAL Nehushtan Naga Staff. This pattern of confounding Christ and the imposter Anti-Christ is a persistent feature of what was later called ‘gnosticism‘, after the establishment of the Apostolic cCatholic Mass Rites of the Church of Jesus Christ.

Narahari Kalah has numerous bonafide depictions worldwide, however Confounding God and God’s Adversary is a persistent part of all kinds of what is now called ‘Gnosticism‘, since and before the Advent of Jesus Christ.

One Human Family with One Saving God

Now, it has been over 40 years since I began studying Deity and theophoric (god-bearing) personal, place and city names in the Hebrew and Greek versions of the Bible. I wanted to understand the relationship of the Judeo-Catholic (Apostolic Christian) Deity to the other peoples and deities or Deities of the Old and New Testament stories. At that time I had not been prejudiced by any form of ethnocentrism and had no preconceived notion about where to look for connections, or what I would find. As a result, I was not inhibited to compare Hebrew, Israelite and Judahite Deity names with those of the Deities of Africa, Europe or traditions East of the Levant. I began by searching the scriptures and Biblical concordances for every Deity and theophoric name I could find. There were thousands of them! Most commonly West Semitic theophoric names were compounded with the Supreme Deity Name elements El (1), Yahu (2) and Baal. Yahu had once been called Baal, Bel or Balu, as was evidenced in Iron Age IIB Israel (3). In Semitic traditions, Baal or Yahu was variously considered the alter-form, Brother or Son of the supreme Deity El. Yahu-Baal was the Form of El who descended to save humanity, as in later Jewish Messianic lore. Semitic Bal was also associated with agriculture / the plow, the club as His astra or symbolic weapon, and the palm tree or palm frond as one of His important symbols (4). He was also as the self-sacrificed POLIEUS (5) associated with sacrificial systems and related sacramental social order civilizations. So, I also searched for Bal-related names. Other important names associated with the Biblical Deity in the Hebrew or Greek, such as ADON-YAHU, ELI-HABHA, ELI-AZAR, ASAR-YAHU, PETHACH-YAHU, ZECHAR-YAHU, and THEOS, BASILEOS, etc., required special attention in my studies.

Restoration of the Holy Name Yah; Yadavayah = YHVH & INRI

Until the Day of their Restoration

The Holy Name YHVH itself was actually also ‘put away’, due to its blasphemous associations, or abuse by false worshipers. The rise of the Left-Hand Tantric pseudo-dionysos cults of the tamasic religionists so wounded the religious sensibilities of the ascetic (sattvic) Helios-worshiping clergy and the masses, and created such a wide-spread social trauma, that the common use of the name baal, and the four letter Holy Name, the YHVH Tetragrammaton, fell out of favor among the sattvic ascetic orthodox believers. Jewish scripture and tradition itself tells us what happened. These relate that due to the Jews’ offences to, and in the Name of Hashem, ‘The Holy Name’, the Name withdrew from them. Or more specifically in the case of YHVH, they were either forbidden to say The Name until the day of their restoration, or the memory of how to say The Name was withdrawn from them.

Krishna Nama: Yadavendra Lord Of Yadav Clan; Yadudvahaya Leader Of Yadus ~ Balarama Nama: Yaduvara He who is the best of the Yadus; Yaduttama The best of the Yadavas; Yadavendra The king of the Yadavas

YHVH = Yadavayah

AH-HU is the JAH-HUM / YAHU of the 4 Letter Name… U = YOU. HU = WHO. AHAM in Sanskrit = I AM. Y H W(V / B) H is (see Septuagint Greek version) ‘I HAM WHO (VO / BO) HAM’.”

There are various ways to read the 4 Letter Holy Name. YAD HE VAU HE may be read YAD-HA-VAY-AH! YADAVAYAH is a Name of Krishna of the YADUS.

He is the Adi Purusha YA of the YADAVAS!

Or He is YA-DAVAYAH the Adi Purusha YA of the DEVAYAS / Vedic Devas.

Or He is JHVH the Source of all JIVAH / Living Beings / JIVAS.

Lord Baladeva as the Cosmic Purusha may be called the Total JIVA, because He is the Source of all of the Jivas.

As Shambu (a Nama-Rupa of Shiva) Lord Sankarshan (Baladeva) by His Glance (Shambu) impregnates ALL JIVAS into the ‘Material Worlds’ as their Seed Giving Father.

PTAH & the Invocation of the True Awakening.

Inspired by: Original Buddhism of Egypt BC vs the Later Atheistic ‘An-Atta’ Buddhism of Today

For perpetuating the Personality of Atman & exposing neo-gnostic impersonal speculation.

The Opener & Awakener PTAH/BUDHA

While the Dharmakaya Amitabha, or the First Person (body, Kaya, Egyptian KA) of the Pure Land Buddhist Trikaya Trinity is sometimes called in Pure Land primary sources the Adi Purusha and the Father of all beings, there is no evidence that His Egyptian Name PTAH (Sanskrit BUDH) is linguistically related to Pita, Pater or Father.

Not to be confounded with Pita – Pater – Father

I have not emphasized any linguistic connection between PTAH / BUDH ‘opening’ / awakening’ and Pita / Pater / Father, because many times such apparent connections are due to a superficial confounding, not a true derivation from a common root or being ‘cognate’. So while Amitabha Buddha may actually be considered to be the ‘Father’ of all, and is called ‘Father’ as the Dharma Kaya in some schools of Pure Land Buddhism, His name BUDH / PHAT / PTAH cannot be linguistically proven to be cognate with the PT / PTR / FTHR ‘Father’ word. At some point in history the words PTAH ‘open / awake!’ may have become confounded with PTA or Pater / Father, but I have found no actual linguistic evidence of it, so I do not want to emphasize such a ‘speculation’.

One can prove that BUDH and PHAT meaning ‘Awake!’ are cognate by the many living examples. One can easily study the cult of PTAH as the ‘Opener’ or Awakener in Egypt. Thus comparing the worship of PTAH in Memphis Egypt with the earliest forms of ‘Buddhism’ can be accomplished with today’s abundant extant interdisciplinary evidence.

Here is the essential meaning of His Holy Name PTAH, which can be understood in the context of its ritual (rtya) USE, and His unique theology as the ‘OPENER’.

The Holy Gospel according to St. Mark with Shri Guru Toshani Tika Chapter 1-2

[NOTICE: This is inspired by Bhakti Ananda Goswami’s research and reflects only the degree of personal revelation the author being featured here has. Compare with this Collected Works archive blog as a related writing from another author additional resource; any discrepancies may not be congruent with what this site is presenting as a whole, but we recognize the sincerity of the author in trying to undertake such an important Vaishnava commentary of the Gospel of St. Mark.]

Shri Guru Toshani Tika ~ bh. Jan Mareš

Dedicated to Shri Shrimad A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada and his dear disciple Shri Shrimad Bhakti Ananda Goswami Maharaja who opened my eyes to the real purport of Bhakti-shastra, and to Lord Jesus, Supporter of the Universe, Savior Avatar and the Mercy in Person.

Invocation:

om ajnana timirandhasya jnananjana salakaya

caksur unmilitam yena tasmai sri gurave namah

I was born in the darkest ignorance, and my spiritual master opened my eyes with the torch of knowledge. I offer my respectful obeisances unto him. (Guru Gita from Skanda Purana, verse 34, Gautamiya tantra 7.10-11)

Foreword

This commentary which I chose to name Shri Guru Toshani Tika (“Commentary pleasing Shri Guru“) is probably the first Vaishnava commentary on any of the Gospels. How is it possible that after so many hundreds of years of existence of these two great Bhakti traditions – Christianity and Vaishnavism – no one attempted to write such commentary? The only answer seems to be that their interaction was very limited. Christianity made a significant presence in India (if  we don’t consider the early arriving Malabar community with mainly local impact) only some four hundred years ago and like other religious traditions, it was welcomed by its generally spiritually inclined inhabitants. However, the Christian missionaries came to convert, not to understand. To my knowledge no Vaishnava Acharya engaged in debate with them, nor wrote extensively on the Bible and Christian theology. One exception was Shri Bhaktivinoda Thakura in 19th century who studied Christian theology to some extent and mentioned it in his writings.

After Shri Shrimad A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada brought Gaudiya Vaishnavism to the USA in 1965, Christian churches often saw Vaishnava missionaries as competitors and even members of a dangerous cult. Shrila Prabhupada, however, viewed Christianity as a Bhakti tradition. He never criticized Lord Jesus or His teachings – contrary to those who claim to be His followers but only in words. Jesus did the same  (Matthew 5:48, 7:3-6, 21-24, 12:48-50, 15:8-9, 19:17, Mark 7:6, Luke 6:46-49, 12:47, 13:25-27, John 5:14, 8:51, 12:26, 14:15, 21, 23-24, 15:10, 14, etc.).

Some disciples of Shrila Prabhupada took up an extensive study of Christian theology. One prominent among them is Shri Shrimad Bhakti Ananda Goswami Maharaja, also known as Brother David Sherman of Catholic Ecumenical Order of the Holy Name (EOHN). Because of his deep and extensive knowledge I (and others) suggested to him that he should write a tika on some Gospel. His poor health unfortunately did not allow him to do so but he encouraged me to do it instead. Thus I took a courage to start this arduous task on St. Mark’s, the oldest of the canonical Gospels (usually dated circa 72-75 AD, i.e. about 10 years after author’s demise), and he mercifully reviewed it, expressing his pleasure. Thus the commentary’s goal got fulfilled.

I have mainly chosen relevant quotes from major Vaishnava shastras like Bhagavad-gita, Shrimad Bhagavatam, Chaitanya Charitamrta (the main biography of Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, which could be also categorized as a Gospel genre), Brahma-samhita, etc. translated by Shri Shrimad A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada and published by the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust. To better understand the context of quotes given one should refer to these works. This commenting style was previously used for example by Shri Madhva Acharya in his commentary on Shrimad Bhagavatam. The result is a concordance.

I hope that this work will help in spiritual search and mutual Christian-Vaishnava understanding which could open the way to a wider understanding of all monotheistic traditions. I pray to the lotus feet of Shri Guru parampara to enlighten me and to be pleased with my efforts.

Hare Krishna ~ Jan Mareš ~ Prague, Czech Republic

started in August-November 2002, with ongoing updates

The Bible version used is Douay-Rheims-Challoner (DR).

Nam Myoho Renge Kyo / Om Mani Padme Hum; The Lotus & the Jewel revealed by Brahma & Buddha

14th century Goryeo painting of Ksitigarbha holding a cintamani

Here are a few of the Pure Land Buddhist Mantras that invoke the PERSONALIST ALL-SAVING BHAKTI SALVIFIC of the Supreme Adi Purusha, the Jewel in the Lotus of the Western Paradise, the Lord Bhagavan of the Bhagavad-gita, and the Bhagavan of the Saddharmapundarika, the Transcendent-Mediating-Immanent Tri Kaya of Pure Land Buddhism:

ॐ मणिपद्मे हूँ Auṃ Maṇi Padme Hūṃ (Nepali-Tibetan ‘Tantric’ Pure Land Buddhism) is the six-syllabled Sanskrit mantra particularly associated with the four-armed Shadakshari form of Avalokiteshvara, the bodhisattva of compassion was commonly carved onto rocks, known as mani stones.

Nianfo (Chinese: 念佛, pinyin: niànfó; Japanese: 念仏 nembutsu; Korean: 염불 yeombul; Vietnamese: niệm Phật), is a term commonly seen in the Pure Land school of Mahāyāna Buddhism. It derives from the Sanskrit term buddhānusmṛti, which means “mindfulness of the Buddha.” In the context of Pure Land practice, it generally refers to the repetition of the name of Amitābha Buddha.) SEE http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nianfo

Nami Amita Fo(t) (namo amituofo, namo ami tuo fo, namo amitabha, namo ami tofu Chinese Pure Land Buddhism)

Namu Amida Butsu (NEMBUTSU of Japanese Pure Land Buddhism)

Nam(u)-Myōhō-Renge-Kyō ( Nichiren sect mantra )

The Universal Form of the Lord

There is so much to compare between all of the great Bhakti traditions, even if we just focus on what the Lord has revealed in his Gita-related traditions. I want devotees to see the Kalah Purusha Universal Form that Krishna showed to Arjuna, Yashoda & Advaita Acharya, even in those other culture’s Bhakti traditions. I want everyone to recognize and realize that when the disciples saw Jesus Christ ‘transfigured,’ they saw him as the Cosmic Purusha, just as the Jewish Tzaddiks / Sadhakas saw Eli-Yahu, or the Egyptian saints saw Heru-Ausu as the ‘All God’ Heka!

The Jagad-Rupa (Universal Form) revealed to Arjuna, the best friend, in Chapter 11 of the Bhagavad Gita.

The Jagad-Rupa revealed to Yashoda, the Mother of Krishna, in Canto 10, Chapter 8, Text 32-45 of the Srimad Bhagavatam.

The Jagad-Rupa revealed to Advaita Acharya, the incarnation of MahaVishnu & SadaShiva, in Chapter 3 of the Chaitanya Charitamrta Adi Lila.

“Whatever you wish to see can be seen all at once in this body. This universal form can show you all that you now desire, as well as whatever you may desire in the future. Everything is here completely.” Bhagavad Gita 11:7

Soma / Amrita & the Kalasha / Chalice of the Great Physician

The mythological White Hare making the elixir of life on the Moon, from Chinese mythology.

Recently I was asked about whether the Vedic Age ‘Soma‘ was some form of intoxicant or hallucinogenic.

In today’s drug culture, the cheap pseudo-‘spirituality’ of some kind of chemical happiness / altered state of consciousness (a ‘high’) is quite popular. Such a drug-induced altered state is cheap, fast and easy, compared to learning sense control and seeking GOD through self-sacrifice and constant prayer. Thus in this ‘New Age’, drug abuse has replaced the traditional efforts of a dedicated life of religious discipline and service to others and God.

Ganja, LSD, mushrooms and other psychedelics have become the sacraments and false gods of the New Age so-called ‘spirituality’. Even great souls, like prof. Huston Smith, have been lured into the abuse of such mind-altering drugs. However, in his old age, when he was one of my informal Academic Advisors for my Goddard Graduate School Master’s Degree, he told me that he had sworn-off all drug abuse and had returned to the simple Christian faith and practice of his youth. Except, in his maturity he had discovered it anew and was now more in love with Jesus Christ than ever before! He told me that he was now ‘informed’ by all of his other studies of the ‘religions of mankind’, and was very convinced and devoted to Jesus as the World-Savior, and Mary as the Theotokos ‘Mother of God’. When I was in Berkeley, California, working on my Master’s Thesis, Dr. Smith and I spent many hours discussing the historical and theological connections between the Great Bhakti Traditions of the East and the Old World West. One of the connections that we explored was that of the ‘nectar of immortality’ that was delivered by the Great Physician, Whose Hair was anointed with oil, and Who appeared with the SOMA (see SOMA as LIFE) in His sacred KALASHA / CHALICE! This gift of eternal life was meant for the godly, but the demonic Rahu-Ketu desired it for himself. This entire story is repeated in the various Judeo-cCatholic Traditions as the casting-down of Satan out of the celestial heaven, into the Earth. Vishnu as Mohini Murti is worshiped as Maria-Sophia (Saint Sophia), especially in the Eastern Orthodox Catholic (Apostolic) Tradition. The ‘New Age’ attempt to re-present the sacraments of the ancient Bhakti Traditions as drug-induced altered states of consciousness is just a tragedy. Only rajarshic and tamasic individuals and groups indulged in such things. The authentic Bhakti Traditions were about DHIRA ‘sobriety’ and SEVA ‘service’. Intoxication is not conducive to responsible service! Dr. Smith told me that he realized that he could either do hallucinogens or live a life of useful service, but not do both. Thus he stopped all of his drug use (and promotion) and returned to the traditional practices of his Christian faith.