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Requests - Allan Bennett
wolf354 - Jun 03, 2007 - 02:54 AM
Post subject: Allan Bennett
Greetings
Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law
I continue to look for deeper information regarding Allan Bennett. It's a fascinating person.
He was the first teacher of Crowley in Ceremonial Magick and Yoga (and probably more things), and one of the few persons that deserved Crowley's respect during his all life.
Bennett's article in the Equinox 5, "The training of the mind" using his buddhist name Ananda Metteya is brilliant, leaving many texts ashamed of trying to write about the same subject (including me 
).
I remenber reading somewhere that he and Mrs Patterson where the only persons able to assume different physical bodies.
Though I've searched for a deeper study of him, I never found much information. Does anyone know of such a book?
If not this would be a great book and I wouldn't even bother to pay for it before the release (and I doubt I am the only one).
Love is the law, love under will
Best regards
kidneyhawk - Jun 03, 2007 - 03:39 AM
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Bennett is a fascinating person. He certainly disappointed Crowley by bringing Buddhism to the West (vs. Magick to the East) and yet he was one of the only people whom AC never had a falling out with. There was a genuine power in Bennett (and I'm not referring to his power to levitate-or demonstrate just how effective a "blasting wand" can be!). He carried some sort of inner power and I think AC understood that after their shared "GD Days," Bennett found and followed out his True Will and Path.
I found info about him via Google a while back and I agree with you, a tome dedicated to his life with all its minutia would be well worth any cash asked!
Aum418 - Jun 03, 2007 - 04:53 AM
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An excerpt of sorts from a larger work of mine...
"At the time Aleister Crowley was exploring the Buddhist tradition, Eastern religions were generally looked upon as primitive or exotic by the Western world. The first translation of the Dhammapada into English came only in 1869 from Max Müller. This translation was later featured more prominently in the “Sacred Books of the East” series in 1885, issued when Aleister Crowley was 10 years old. Crowley was one of the first Western students to seriously explore and explain Buddhism as a legitimate spiritual, psychological, and philosophical system.
The influence of Buddhism on Aleister Crowley comes primarily from one man - Allan Bennett (1872-1923). Bennett was arguably the first Englishman to be accepted in a Buddhist monastery, he created the International Buddhist Society in 1903 in Burma, issued the periodical Buddhism, and led the first Buddhist mission to England in 1908. In short, he was a very powerful and prominent figure in the early effort to bring Buddhism to the West in the beginning of the 20th century.
Crowley first met Bennett at a Golden Dawn ritual ceremony. Bennett had been initiated into the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, a pseudo-Masonic and Hermetic fraternity, in 1894 and proceeded to the Second Order thereof in 1895; he was a talented magician and was very close to MacGregor Mathers, the head of the Order. As described in Crowley’s Confessions, while disrobing after the ritual, Bennett approached Crowley and said “Little brother, you have been meddling with the Goetia!” which are demons that are descsribed in the famous 17th century grimoire known as the Lemegeton. Crowley said that he hadn’t been doing anything of the sort, to which Bennett replied, “In that case, the Goetia has been meddling with you.” Clearly impressed by the man, Crowley called him the next day to receive instruction on the occult from him. Crowley moved into his flat on Chancery Lane and became Bennett’s student in ceremonial magic and Buddhism for a while. They formed a harmonious relationship and, apparently, Bennett even saw fit to teach Crowley things from the Second Order of the Golden Dawn to which he formally was not entitled to learn. Allan Bennett’s asthma was complicated by London’s climate so, combined with the fact that he also wished to study the Eastern traditions with the legitimate native teachers, he moved to Ceylon.
Sutin observes that “Crowley was approaching the viewpoint of Theravada Buddhism” in 1900 as illustrated by the ideas in his poem “The Growth of God” from his stay in Mexico. The poem has themes of suffering and dissolution of the self which is common in Buddhism. In April of 1901, Crowley stopped in San Francisco before his trip to meet with Bennet in Ceylon. While there, he spent most of his time in Chinatown and a Buddhist temple, burning incense. Crowley later arrived in Japan and attempted to enter Buddhist monasteries here, but he was turned away. Both of these occurrences show the growing interest and absorption Crowley had in Buddhist studies in 1901 – just three years before the reception of Liber AL vel Legis.
In Ceylon, Bennett was the tutor of the sons of P. Ramanathan, a Shaivite Hindu (a sect that worships Shiva as the supreme God), who in turn taught Bennett the practices of yoga. Crowley joined Bennet as a student of Ramanathan for merely a week, and then he suggested to Bennet that they continue their studies that they had begun earlier in London by moving to Kandy in the middle of Ceylon. They left Ramanathan and studied yoga intensely in Kandy. Sutin claims that “fundamentally, most of what Crowley knew firsthand of yoga came from his six weeks with Bennett in Ceylon.” At this time, Crowley claims to have attained the meditative state of dhyana on October 1 and 2 of 1901. Very soon after this success, Crowley moved on to other pursuits – namely, the climbing of the infamous mountain K2 with Oscar Eckenstein during the spring of 1902.
In November of 1902, Bennett left to Burma to study in a Buddhist monastery - the first English man to do so - under the Lamma Sayadaw Kyoung, and Crowley departed to attempt the K2 climb. At this monastery, Bennett would take on the name of Bhikku Ananda Metteyya.
In 1902, Crowley made his way back to Burma for about a week to visit Allan Bennett and speak about Buddhism and the practice of magic. Bennett had parted with the practice of magic and obviously turned strongly towards Buddhism. Although at this time Crowley was strongly Buddhist in his ideals, he would not abandon the practice of magic completely like Bennett. Crowley would go on to publicize the practice of magic - renamed “magick” by him “to distinguish the Science of the Magi from all its counterfeits” like stage tricks and illusions - by publishing such books as Magick in Theory and Practice in 1929."
Hope this is of use to you.
65 & 210,
111-418
KCh - Jun 03, 2007 - 08:18 AM
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Just a point of contention here, Allan Bennett did not 'abandon' the practice of magic. At the end of his life he was left dissatisfied with Buddhism and returned to his homeland with only a few possessions, his blasting rod and a few books. He took up magic once again but was too late in the end. He died, I believe, without giving back to humanity the full storehouse of his wisdom and experience he so rightfully earned. His previous severe asceticism killed all chance for him to spread his love and knowledge.
MichaelStaley - Jun 03, 2007 - 09:44 AM
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KCh wrote: › Just a point of contention here, Allan Bennett did not 'abandon' the practice of magic. At the end of his life he was left dissatisfied with Buddhism and returned to his homeland with only a few possessions, his blasting rod and a few books. He took up magic once again but was too late in the end. He died, I believe, without giving back to humanity the full storehouse of his wisdom and experience he so rightfully earned. His previous severe asceticism killed all chance for him to spread his love and knowledge.
That's very interesting to read, KCh. What sources are you drawing upon here?
anpi - Jun 03, 2007 - 12:38 PM
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Here's a nice article: http://www.bps.lk/wheels_library/wh_420_422.htm
MichaelStaley - Jun 03, 2007 - 01:15 PM
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Thanks for that link, anpi. I learn from it that Bennett had to leave Burma because of ill-health, not because of any disillusionment with Buddhism. It also makes it plain that he remained a committed Buddhist until his death in London in 1923.
Why is it, I wonder, that someone should be so eager to deduce from Bennett's return to England that it was because of disillusionment with Buddhism?
wolf354 - Jun 03, 2007 - 01:28 PM
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Greetings
Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law
MichaelStaley wrote: ›
KCh wrote: › ...
That's very interesting to read, KCh. What sources are you drawing upon here?
I remenber reading this story once here at Lashtal, and quiet dubious story.
It's a secret society (forgot the name) that claims to be the heir of Crowley's teacher, Allan Bennett, that was disapointed with Buddhism and had lost all his past friends.
I doubt it very much, first there is no reference of Bennett becoming tired of Buddhism. And secondely I doubt that if Crowley (among others) knew this kind of information would just ignore it.
It seems an advertisement trick.
Bennett was one of the more powerful Magicians referenced, if he decided to leave Magick behind and embrace a Religion (Buddhism), for me it is hard to believe a sudden change of mind when near his death.
Love is the law, love under will
Best regards
James - Jun 03, 2007 - 07:50 PM
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Allan Bennet also wrote some books on Buddhism for Westerners which are, to my knowledge, now out of print. The are available at the Buddhist Society at 58 Eccleston Square London (020 7834 5858). There are potted biographies of AB too written by western Buddhist authors but these almost entirely ignore his magical work and association with Crowley. I haven't got the references to hand but a call to the society would I'm sure give more details of works by and about him from their helpful staff.
I remember a few years ago a move by the then director of the BS to raise money for a headstone for Bennett's grave in Morden cemetery but nothing came of it.
Proteus - Jun 03, 2007 - 07:54 PM
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Bennett was buried? That's interesting.
John
KCh - Jun 03, 2007 - 09:36 PM
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That article is extremely partial to the Buddhist point of view and sources which have more of an agenda than honesty.
When I say he took up magic again, I mean that he began to expound his wisdom in his best capacity for others to gain from, instead of squatting like a holy hen for the remainder of his life.
Read his books if you can find them anymore, they have more than just a slight tinge of the magical.
MichaelStaley - Jun 03, 2007 - 10:20 PM
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KCh wrote: › When I say he took up magic again, I mean that he began to expound his wisdom in his best capacity for others to gain from, instead of squatting like a holy hen for the remainder of his life.
But even prior to his final return to England, he was hardly "squatting like a holy hen", and I'm sorry you choose to caricature him and doubtless other mystics as such. For instance, he led a Buddhist mission to the West several years before.
Your antipathy to what you regard as mysticism - for instance, your drawing attention to the early Crowley article 'The dangers of Mysticism' - is obvious. And yet, so much of Crowley's work is saturated with it - for instance, The Book of Lies and Liber Aleph; as is so much of Liber AL itself. If there really is a divergence between mysticism and magick, then magick seems to be the means for attaining to mystical goals. What is attaining to the Knowledge and Conversation of the Holy Guardian Angel, or Crossing the Abyss, for instance, if not mystical?
wolf354 - Jun 03, 2007 - 10:22 PM
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Greetings
Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law
Bennett was a Buddhist even before going to Ceylon. Crowley's disapointment seems to be of seeing such a powerful individual ignoring Magick.
If Ananda Metteya tried to expound is wisdom he wasn't very successeful. I never read many texts from him apart from the ones "pushed" by Crowley. Stranger is that Crowley used anonymous texts in the Equinox, "Handbook of Geomancy" was a reserved text from Mathers only for Golden Dawn members with some edition by Crowley in public printing, but kept Bennett's name in 777 for instance.
With so much research done on Crowley and Spare this seems a big miss in published material.
When I have a better financial situation I will try to find his buddhist books (though it doesn't excite me to read them).
Love is the law, love under will
Best regards
MichaelStaley - Jun 04, 2007 - 01:01 PM
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wolf354 wrote: › Crowley's disapointment seems to be of seeing such a powerful individual ignoring Magick.
I don't think that Bennett was ignoring Magick, but using different means to achieve his goals. He experimented with GD techniques, and doubtless others, but moved on to something else. In the course of magical and mystical work, perspectives and methods change. I've never come across anything to suggest that Bennett disparaged magick; in all probability, he would have seen it as one path amongst many, one which he was perhaps committed to at one time but which led on to other things.
wolf354 wrote: › If Ananda Metteya tried to expound is wisdom he wasn't very successeful. I never read many texts from him apart from the ones "pushed" by Crowley.
Bennett as Ananda Metteya led an early Buddhist mission to the West, so I think that he did try to "expound his wisdom". It fell largely though not completely on deaf ears, which is another matter. I doubt though that he would have been interested in expounding "his" wisdom in the same way that Crowley expounded his - firstly perhaps due to temperament, but secondly because he would have seen himself as one amongst many expounding Buddhism, whereas Crowley was expounding Thelema as something unique.
m.klaw's post in the ShoutBox, pointing out that Bennett dedicated one of his books to Clifford Bax, is interesting. Bax had quite a web of contacts: Spare, Crowley, Neuberg, for instance. Given this, it would be interesting to know if Crowley ever met Bennett after the latter's return to England. Perhaps Crowley's diaries between the return from America and the founding of the Abbey might throw some light on this?
wolf354 - Jun 04, 2007 - 07:00 PM
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Greetings
Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law
MichaelStaley wrote: ›
wolf354 wrote: › Crowley's disapointment seems to be of seeing such a powerful individual ignoring Magick.
I don't think that Bennett was
ignoring Magick, but using different means to achieve his goals. He experimented with GD techniques, and doubtless others, but moved on to something else. In the course of magical and mystical work, perspectives and methods change. I've never come across anything to suggest that Bennett disparaged magick; in all probability, he would have seen it as one path amongst many, one which he was perhaps committed to at one time but which led on to other things.
I disagree with you.
If you can imagine meeting Crowley in person (after the reception of Al), after shaking hands you asked him what where the nine characteristics of Buddha and the best way to meditate on them, what do you think is answer would be?
After some net research I found who probably started the story of Bennett's resignation from Buddhism, one of the present Golden Dawn's connected with Cicero. Link here.
I don't believe it, but I can be wrong.
Strange that there seem to be so much Golden Dawn's as OTO's.
My next research will be tryng to find if Regardie ever expressed is opinion about Bennett.
Just a quick question, did Spare ever met Bennett? (I have no idea but it can be possible)
Love is the law, love under will
Best regards
MichaelStaley - Jun 04, 2007 - 07:22 PM
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wolf354 wrote: › I disagree with you. If you can imagine meeting Crowley in person (after the reception of Al), after shaking hands you asked him what where the nine characteristics of Buddha and the best way to meditate on them, what do you think is answer would be?
I am of the opinion that he would have answered my question, rather than take the opportunity to disparage Buddhism. It is my belief that he maintained knowledge, insight and respect for other paths throughout his life, rather than view them as "crapulous creeds". Unlike some of the Crowley ultras with whom we are blessed today, who imagine that Thelema consigns everything else to the dustbin of history.
wolf354 wrote: › Just a quick question, did Spare ever met Bennett?
I don't know. However, Bennett left England many years before Spare's somewhat brief relationship with Crowley, so probably not.
wolf354 - Jun 04, 2007 - 07:56 PM
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Greetings
Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law
MichaelStaley wrote: ›
I am of the opinion that he would have answered my question, rather than take the opportunity to disparage Buddhism. It is my belief that he maintained knowledge, insight and respect for other paths throughout his life, rather than view them as "crapulous creeds". Unlike some of the Crowley ultras with whom we are blessed today, who imagine that Thelema consigns everything else to the dustbin of history.
Just my opinion... things don't have to be black and white. There are many answers between a clear response to an information request and the "disparage" of the same subject.
Speaking from myself there are many things I've did in the past that deserve my respect... but not my support.
Maybe it would be fun to join the "OTO Ultras" and in the weekends we could schedulle verbal fights agains the "No Name OTO" guys... hum, please don't take this last sentence serious.
Love is the law, love under will
Best regards
MichaelStaley - Jun 04, 2007 - 10:36 PM
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wolf354 wrote: › Maybe it would be fun to join the "OTO Ultras" and in the weekends we could schedulle verbal fights agains the "No Name OTO" guys...
Ahem . . . I did say "Crowley Ultras", not "OTO Ultras". Not quite the same thing. You're putting things into my mouth, as the actress said to the bishop.
Fortunately, though, it is not a matter of how you and I think that we might react. We have Crowley's writings, in which - by and large, and allowing for drugged outpourings - he was respectful towards other traditions; he was rarely if ever one to "spit upon your crapulous creeds".
Everything I have ever read about Bennett - largely mediated through Crowley, admittedly - suggests he would have reacted likewise.
Michael.
wolf354 - Jun 05, 2007 - 07:31 PM
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Greetings
Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law
Found this .pdf link here in a Ceylon site describing Bennett's Life. A Buddhist description referring his burial.
Love is the law, love under will
Best regards
lashtal - Jun 05, 2007 - 08:50 PM
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Fascinating link. Thanks.
wolf354 - Jun 08, 2007 - 06:44 PM
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Greetings
Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law
Found this small book about Bennett here .
Probably there will be more members interested in this cheap publishing.
Love is the law, love under will
Best regards
lashtal - Jun 08, 2007 - 07:19 PM
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Thanks for the link: it's a lovely little book that I'm happy to recommend...
Caradoc - Jun 15, 2007 - 04:33 AM
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James wrote: › Allan Bennet also wrote some books on Buddhism for Westerners which are, to my knowledge, now out of print.
Not so long ago I got hold of a copy of his "The Wisdom of the Aryas" through Abebooks. It's a really interesting read and the first edition copy I got was only £25 so it's not out of most people's reach if you are interested.
I would recommend it for whatever that's worth.
jea - Nov 18, 2007 - 10:58 PM
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hi,
just ran accross this forum while checking allan bennet on the net. I do have the book on training the mind by allan bennet and purchased it in 76 in hollywood ca.
Speaking from the point of having been ordained in the Damayut(thereveda) order of monks in the area of n.e. thailand or called Isan and having lived there in the jungle or forest ,and here off and on for many years, will share my view on this thread. Have stayed in many temples, usually remote and some really remote from the cambodian border to the lao border. The first time i came across astrological and cabalistic systems at some of the more remote temples, i was a little surprised but, not completely.
There is far more open and talked about occult and magic in asia than there is in the west. In asia it is openly practiced and supplies and spells sold.
In Some of the temples and older jungle temples have seen some of the stronger stuff. The things that some of the monks can do is amazing and could be scarey. While not trying to hijack the thread will give only an example about meditation in the jungle at night. I have at times in the nite turned on a flashlite and observed snakes of all kinds going past me and more than one snake at a time- so, it is true that snakes go by meditating monks in temples and the forest.
Ithought my meditation was ok until i started living in a temple and changing to their insight meditation. The mindfullnes one developes from this is necessary for their way of life and combined with my meditation from almost 15 years in magic and cabala and related fields. My first teacher being Reio from hoh and my teacher in Thai meditation is the abbot of a large temple here and in isan thailand. He trained (and still does)me how to use the mind as well as meditation and survival in the jungle
I switched over to buddhism as i was tired of the western way and was looking- and at the same time destiny stepped in.
If i were to study strictly the buddhism available to one in modern temples, especialy here in the states, i would become very bored but, to live among people raised in buddhism is completely different as well as temple life which is not seen and would not be understood by people on what could be called the outside
There are also different grades of monks and one could also learn magic from them but, they are usualy very disciplined and rigid and most of all very remote and way back in and inaccessable to the general public.
I took a copy of bennets book to one of the monks in a temple i was living at and a few days later he said he was making copies of it to passout among several other monks as he thought it was an excellent book on the mechanics of meditation and would like to share.
So, why should allen bennet not want to go to buddhism and why should he not want to also still be involved in the western way. I too, have studied both ways and prefer the present method and to also have some of the tools of the other method
j
Tiger - Nov 19, 2007 - 12:31 AM
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"Have stayed in many temples, usually remote and some really remote from the cambodian border to the lao border. The first time i came across astrological and cabalistic systems at some of the more remote temples, i was a little surprised"
any photo's ? vestiges of Bennet perhaps? There must be some records of a western buddhist monk, which temples he stayed at?
and lama's in Burma, Theravada? isn't that Vajrayana?
jea - Nov 19, 2007 - 03:57 AM
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http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/auth ... avada.html
theraveda seems to be the most strict and traditional and even though my teacher is very traditional we have good rapport when we disagree. Tantra , oto ,p.b.randolf and like material..... belonged to oto for many years until they seemed to degrade and many, along with myself dropped out in the mid 80's, although we still maintain contact.
i have worked with the stele of revealing and crowley material but for past several years have practiced methods talked about in "the secret of the golden flower- richard wilhelm and jung, and such.
i have chanted in both mahayan,theraveda and damakaya and the one tantric tibet. To be truthful, it is easy for me to meditate in both camps as they most chant or prey in pali and meditation is not always required in mahayana, although many of the monks do it on their own.
Most of the theraveda temples i have been in required minimum chanting twice a day and meditation twice a day and at least an hour of meditation or more each time. Sometimes an all nite meditation is required and you can use any of the buddhas positions for those all night sessions.
Have come accross writings by allen bennet in thailand, it may have been buriram near cambodia and seen his name. Hopefully i'll be going back again soon and try to remember to look for anything connected to him.
93
418
IAO131 - Nov 19, 2007 - 04:32 AM
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Tiger wrote: › and lama's in Burma, Theravada? isn't that Vajrayana?
Although its an over-generalizatin, there are two different 'schools': Theravada and Mahayana. Mahayana came along and called itself the greater (maha) vehicle (yana) of Buddhism, and claimed Theravada to by Hinayana, the lesser (hina) vehicle (yana) of Buddhism - political motives, anyone?
Anyways, Theravada is generally characterized by strictness of morals, tendency towards monasticism & asceticism, adherence to the strict interpretation of anatta as meaning NO permanent self, and the attempt is to transcend the wheel of death and rebirth, to become an arahat.
Mahayana is generally characterized by its massive amounts of different opinions, but it is cahracterized by the presence of a sort of Brahman-like or Atman-like figure called Adi-Buddha, Vajrasattva, Kalachakra, Amidabha Buddha (which means Buddha of Limitless Light as a random tidbit), etc, (this is the reason Crowley calls them Hinduized Buddhism, because the atman just reappears under a different name!) although even this is not necessarily true as we see in Zen (which is considered to be Mahayana outgrowth) and their ideal is to become a bodhisattva (which means something literally like 'awakened equanimity/truth') and help all others to transcend suffering.
Vajrayana is considered to be a somewhat esoteric subsection of Mahayana, but, for example, many call Tibetan Buddhism vajrayana and it is one of the best known forms of Buddhism (aside from Zen I would say... most likely due to the Dalai Lama's plight and recognizability). Vajrayana is essentially "Buddhist Tantra" but all these labels are essentially over-generalizations.
Does that help at all?
65 & 210,
IAO131
jea - Nov 19, 2007 - 05:52 PM
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that was an interesting answer- neat. From what i have found in in the thail, lao cambodian and vietnam areas of asia, all schools of thought live side by side and one borrows from their neighbors as needed. I have seen theraveda and mayahana temples in each others backyards in remote villages and many monks disrobe to switch schools. All looks good in books but, when one lives and interacts with everyone in their area, the lines become shaded.
I also like that prom( 4 headed) and most buddhist over ther and in the states do also. When one buys magical charms and material, it usually comes from the same dealer- the difference being in the charging of the object and for the purpose and of course the knowledge of the dealer.
There are many magical followings of lesser paths of buddha, hindu or whatever but, all agree, no one will remove an old spirit house- Complete shopping malls and business will be built around a spirit house befor removing them.
Imho, there are many things in all branches of buddhism that are good and will never be known by the average laymen or villager without ever living in a temple and interacting with monks regardless of branch.
They also have the rank- some are sweepers some are admins some are meditaters and that handle charging of items and there are also some that possess other knowledge. Those are the ones to hang around the most if searching for more knowledge but, they do not talk easy
jea - Nov 26, 2007 - 07:19 PM
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hi,
was just reading over the thread again about allan bennett - was reminded of him as loaned my book of"the training of the mind" to a friend at the buddhist temple this past week.
Just wanted to mention that ceremonial magic plays a major part in most areas of asia. It is accepted and expected in everyday life. It could well be that bennett found forms af magic that he wanted to explore.
Meditation, especialy in remote forest areas, seem to have a thin veil that allows entrance to other worlds of existance rather easily. It is also added if one cares to think that they are stronger than the trees spirits or spirithouses and acts so, penalty will be almost immediately and could bring about death.
If one has not been fully ordained in a true ordination temple with good links than one could never know the true buddhism. It would only take observation with vision of what is going on an ordination to convince someone to investigate some of the secrets of buddhism. As there is much not available to to the average follower of this path
gurugeorge - Nov 26, 2007 - 07:44 PM
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I'd just like to second Jea's perspective on the hardcore Theravada, at least as found in Thailand by a friend of mine who became a Bhikkhu about 10 years ago. The last time he visited over here, he mentioned how some monks were sought by people for their clairvoyant talents - i.e. it was recognised that some monks developed magickal abilities through their practice, and while that sort of things wasn't indulged in, apparently no harm was seen in helping the locals out now and then. The way he told it, it almost sounded like those special "possessed" monks the Karmapa sometimes consults in the Kagyu order in Tibet (forget their official title).
(Going further afield, another acquaintance of mine is an ordained Daoist priest in the Dragon Gate sect of Complete Reality Daoism (one of the first Westerners to be so, has a register at White Cloud temple in Beijing, the whole nine yards). He found Daoism as it's practiced in mainland China to have a lot more magick in it than you'd think - and the old idea that that kind of Daoism is a "degenerate" form of Daoism, the corruption of some original pristine "philosophical" Daoism is now understood by both Chinese and Western academics to be a bit of a red herring - Daoism has always involved some recognisably magickal practices, even if only minimal in some sects. For a fascinating look at this, that reveals just how much of what we would call ritual magick and talismanic magick is involved in Daoism, check out Daoist Master Chuang by Michael Saso, a proper academic. I'd be wary of the more popular versions of this idea, like Deng Ming Dao and that kind of stuff, though.)
N.C.Bishop-Culpeper - Nov 27, 2007 - 02:46 PM
Post subject: Allan Bennett
There is a short chapter on Bennett in "Some I Knew Well" by Clifford Bax. 1951, the book also has chapter on A. C.- Bennett & Crowley also crop up in Bax's "Inland Far" 1925.
Iskandar - Nov 28, 2007 - 05:16 PM
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gurugeorge wrote: › For a fascinating look at this, that reveals just how much of what we would call ritual magick and talismanic magick is involved in Daoism, check out
Daoist Master Chuang by Michael Saso, a proper academic. I'd be wary of the more popular versions of this idea, like Deng Ming Dao and that kind of stuff, though.)
I would also highly recommend "Chinese Magical Medicine" by Michel Strickmann (and his works in general).
Iskandar - Nov 28, 2007 - 05:32 PM
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IAO131 wrote: ›
Vajrayana is considered to be a somewhat esoteric subsection of Mahayana
This is not exactly incorrect - depending on the methodology of classification - but it is customary to regard Vajrayana as distinct from Mahayana. In other words, from its own perspective, Vajrayana is the third 'vehicle' (yana), representing the third 'turning of the wheel.' (Thus, for example, the popular magazine "Tricycle" gets its name from the reference to the three main forms of Buddhism: Theravada, Mahayana, Vajrayana.)
I would also highlight the esoteric nature of Vajrayana: it is - in my opinion - very much and deeply esoteric: the main work is done on the subtle body, it requires initiation(s), it is steeped in magic(k), the discourse is esoteric, etc.
The labels are not the essence, of course. But they are functional and should ideally better the communication.
jea - Feb 19, 2008 - 02:29 AM
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a book by w.y.evans-wentz - "tibetan yoga and secret doctrines "describes much on the different vehicles of buddhism. I also know monks that have disrobed from one buddhist path to join another. Have friends on several paths and stayed in the different temples, prefering the remote jungle temples to city temples.
Coming from the western magical tradition has been a tremendous benefit for and also has helped me to observe the different methods of conduct and life in the monkhood. Most of the advanced and knowledgeable monks i have met live in very remote and lonely temples. Their exceptional powers of the mind and body could only be witnessed by one not subject to losing it.
If one has any doubt, let them request,if possible, to sleep in a strong meditation temple close to the buddha, and .........
jea
lashtal - Feb 19, 2008 - 02:34 AM
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jea wrote: › If one has any doubt, let them request,if possible, to sleep in a strong meditation temple close to the buddha
Not doubt, so much, but what's a "strong meditation temple", close to the Buddha or not?
sethur666 - Feb 19, 2008 - 12:20 PM
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I don't know about his magical abilities, but his plays are brilliant and "Prick Up Your Ears" was a masterpiece.
I'll get me robe.
Steve W
jea - Feb 21, 2008 - 10:06 PM
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hi,
what i meant is that not all buddhist temples consistantly chant in pali, every morning and evening along with the minimum one hour meditation that is required in most theraveda temples.
For the temples that are old style,Not many can stay or sleep in these temples at night due to the psychic activity after the temple is closed for the evening. I have noticed that the closer one is to the main budddha in the temple, the stronger the activity gets.
On at least two occasions i have witnessed panic attacks and the individual completely outta control and on another occasion, a more serious event.
Whatever it is that guards these holy temples, persons attempting to sleep there will be tested as to the stability of their mind character and heart.
if desired, i can post pics of spirit inhabited trees where the same kind of activity takes place in the forest where monks meditate on a regular basis
jea
jea - Apr 29, 2008 - 02:11 PM
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In answer to a question earlier in this thread - disillusionment with Buddhism . It would be very easy for this to happen if all one did was read and surface view buddhism as in any religion. There is much to lean in mahayana and theraveda tradition and.... .
It would not be learned by the timid or easily swayed of mind. As crowley implied, there are different levels of reward depending on one's awareness.
As for kch' comments about squatting like hens, perhaps they have no chairs - although, i must admit it was a funny comment and i did laugh.
jea
"He's on cloud nine, headed for mudhole no. 7"
N.O.X - May 28, 2008 - 05:24 AM
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Greetings jea, I am interested in seeing these photos. I just don't think this is an appropriate site for that. Some of us on here are members of another forum where those pictures will be greatly appreciated.
www.spectrallight.com
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