Encyclopedia about everything in the world. The role of knowledge in people's lives. Encyclopedia of knowledge. The most gigantic and ancient labyrinth in the world

Walking through life, we have no idea where we will be tomorrow. We strive for a goal, but we don’t know how to achieve it. We get lost, risking ending up in a dead end.
We are racking our brains: which road to choose? The symbol of our life is a labyrinth. The history of labyrinths is long, complex and confusing. Just like human life. The ancients say that it is impossible to simply go through the labyrinth, and The best way
movement along it is a dance or steps that describe certain figures: figures on the surface, figures in space, ritual and magical figures. In a sense, we must also move along the road of life by dancing, thus determining the process of evolution.

The symbolism of the labyrinth in the first millennium BC. e. spread throughout the Old World. From the Mediterranean it penetrated to the East, and later it would become popular in the West: in Spain, England, Scandinavia and Rus'. In Scandinavia, the Baltic states and Russia you can find more than five hundred very archaic labyrinths made of stones. Their builders did not disdain either small cobblestones or large boulders. These structures are called the “Trojan fortresses” of the North. The diameter of most of them is from seven to eighteen meters. Many correspond to the classic Cretan type of labyrinth with one entrance. The timing of their construction was determined by the age of the lichens that covered the stones. All of them were built approximately in the XIII - XVII centuries. Their purpose is still unclear to scientists.

Scientists suggest that the answer lies in the structure of the labyrinth, in its passages and traps. Once caught in them, a person would lose orientation and immediately fall into panic! In ancient times, labyrinths were used to drive unwanted people crazy, and to further intimidate, passages were “decorated” with human bones, images of demons and other evil spirits. In mythology, a labyrinth is a symbol of death and rebirth. It protects a place endowed with special power and limits access to it. This place embodies the transition zone between two worlds, and the labyrinth itself is a symbolic gate. The first labyrinth-like cave drawings appeared on Earth back in the Stone Age. It is difficult to say what the prehistoric artist had in mind when he carved winding lines and spirals, but the idea was passed down through the centuries, finally turning into a global symbol - seven lines twisted around the center.

The oldest found is believed to be a labyrinth sign scratched on the wall of a tomb in Luzzanas on the island of Sardinia, built at least four thousand years ago. Lately the labyrinths, once full sacred meaning, became a common attribute of parks and attractions, changing and becoming more complex as man’s ideas about the universe transformed, of which the labyrinth was a unique model.

The mere mention of a labyrinth brings to mind modern man an unusually complex, intricate web of moves, narrow paths and dead ends surrounded stone walls. This image, which is familiar to us, is actually far from the “original source”. Most of the ancient “classical” labyrinths were created according to the same, very specific pattern with one single very winding path leading from the entrance to the center. These are the labyrinthine petroglyphs that have survived to this day, discovered in Galicia, in northwestern Spain, and dating back to 2000 BC. BC, clay tablets depicting labyrinths found in the Greek city of Pylos, which are 3,000 years old, drawings of labyrinths scratched on the ruins of Gordion, Turkey, dating back to 750 BC. e.
Egyptian labyrinth
In ancient Egypt, in the city of Abydos, there were labyrinths called Karakol. They were almost circular temples, in the corridors of which ceremonies took place, symbolizing the stages of evolution and the road that leads a person to his center.
Very ancient labyrinth was near the city of Cairo. It was built back in 2300 BC and was a building surrounded by a high wall, where there were one and a half thousand above-ground and the same number of underground rooms. The total area of ​​the labyrinth was 70 thousand m2. Visitors were not allowed to explore the underground rooms of the labyrinth; there were tombs for pharaohs and crocodiles - animals sacred in Egypt.


The complex system of corridors, courtyards and rooms in the labyrinth was so intricate that without a guide, an outsider would never be able to find a way or exit in it. The labyrinth was plunged into absolute darkness, and when some doors were opened, they made a terrible sound, like thunder or the roar of a thousand lions.

All northern labyrinths are made of small stones, have an oval shape in plan, and inside there are intricate passages leading to the center of the structure. There are several types of labyrinth designs. It has been noticed that the labyrinths different types can be adjacent, and identical designs can be found in territories separated by hundreds of kilometers. There is no general work on the northern labyrinths, but researchers from different countries have been studying these mysterious structures for more than 150 years.


Stone labyrinths here often bear the names of cities or fortifications - “Troy”, “Babylon”, “Nineveh”, “Jerusalem”. In Finland, in addition, there are names “The Fence or the Road of the Giants”, “The Game of St. Peter”, “Maiden Dances”, etc. Such names also do not reveal to us the essence of the labyrinths and are inspired by ancient Greek and biblical motifs, local legends. The labyrinths in them were used for folk games and festivities between Easter and midsummer. Usually the girl was placed in a circle and danced towards her. Such customs are an example of recycling historical monuments. In science, several points of view have been expressed about the purpose and chronology of labyrinths. They are seen as objects associated with providential magic, the cult of the dead, and they are ascribed calendar significance.
Russia
On the Solovetsky Islands there are about 30 labyrinths and more than 1000 mounds and various symbolic stone patterns. Most of them date back to the 11th - 1st millennia BC. 


One of its unsolved mysteries still remains the origin of stone labyrinths - strange, mystical patterns laid out on the surface of the earth. How and when they appeared on the islands, who created them and what purpose they served – researchers to this day cannot give an unambiguous answer to these questions.


The labyrinth has only one entrance, which at the same time serves as an exit: a person who decides to go through the labyrinth and follows its rules will, after a while, be surprised to find that he came out in the same place where he entered. The age of the labyrinths is about three thousand years, say archaeologists. It is not known for certain who exactly left these bizarre patterns of stones on the islands. According to one version, these were ancient Pomeranian tribes, long consigned to oblivion; according to another, they were northern sailors who explored the cold waters of the Breathing Sea, today called the White Sea. Proponents of this hypothesis support their arguments by the fact that almost all labyrinths are located on the coast.


Another unsolved mystery remains the purpose of the strange stone ornaments. There are many versions: from purely scientific to absolutely fantastic. IN different times“theorists” prone to mystification considered labyrinths to be traces of aliens, means of communication through which ancient people communicated with the Cosmos, and even portals to another world. Oddly enough, with latest version the majority of serious researchers agree. They believe that labyrinths served sacred purposes and were actually used to move to another world - the afterlife. In these places primitive people performed burial rituals for the dead. Even the design of the labyrinths itself speaks in favor of this theory. Its spiral shape resembles the coils of coiled snakes. It was the snake in the Karelian-Finnish epic that served as a symbol of death and was associated with the other world: its bite sent a person straight to kingdom of the dead. Many scientists also explain the complex structure of the drawings by the fact that the ancient peoples believed that if entangled in a labyrinth, the soul of the deceased would not be able to return and harm the living.
The world is a labyrinth. No exit, no entrance,
There is no center in the monstrous dungeon.
Here you are wandering through narrow walls
To the touch, in the dark - and there is no way out.
In vain do you expect that your path will go by itself,
When he forces you to make a choice again,
Which will force you to make a choice again,
It will end. You are condemned by fate.
Along the endless stone processes
A two-legged bull, dropping shreds of foam,
Whose appearance terrifies these walls,
Like you, he wanders through the thicket of crossroads.
I wander through the labyrinth, no longer believing,
That I will meet at least a beast in him.
From the end of the 15th century, labyrinths began to appear in churches, on church floor tiles. Such floor images of labyrinths became an integral part of the punishment, when a repentant sinner had to walk on his knees through all the twists and turns of the labyrinth. Such penance was imposed on those who could not make a pilgrimage to holy places, and was called the “road to Jerusalem.”


With the spread of Christianity, the ancient pagan symbol of the labyrinth gradually changed and began to be perceived as an allegorical image of man’s thorny path to God or the way of the cross of Christ. The labyrinth in Christian philosophy and architecture becomes a metaphor for the material world, through which a person must fight the Minotaur - Satan. In the labyrinth of temptations and sins, a person, like Theseus, can only rely on his own fortitude and Ariadne’s saving thread - Faith. This interpretation of the labyrinth symbol led to changes in its design.


By the 12th century, a labyrinth with eleven paths became dominant in the Christian tradition - this number symbolized the concept of “sin” for a medieval Christian. The placement of a cross on top of concentric paths led to the adoption of a quadrant shape for labyrinths, although adherence to the classical configuration was often maintained. It was during this period that similar images appeared on the floors of churches and cathedrals in Europe. Magnificent labyrinths lined with colored stones, ceramic tiles, marble, and porphyry adorned the floors of temples in Chartres, Pavia, Piacenza, Amiens, Reims, Saint-Omer, and Rome. Many of them were decorated with allegorical images of Theseus and the Minotaur, scenes from the Holy Scriptures.


The purpose of most church labyrinths remains unclear. It has been suggested that some of them could be used to correctly determine the day of Easter. Some of the labyrinths apparently served as an object of contemplation and discussion in theological conversations. It is known that the labyrinths in the cathedrals of Chartres, Reims, Arras and Sens became a kind of imitation of the pilgrimage route to Palestine and were sometimes called “The Path to Jerusalem”. In those days, for most believers, a trip to the Holy Land was impossible, and they made it in a symbolic form - they walked through the entire church labyrinth on their knees, reading prayers.
Oh horror, these stone nets
And Zeus cannot unravel. Exhausted
I wander through the labyrinth. I'm a convict.
On an endlessly long parapet
The dust has frozen. Direct galleries,
Measured by long steps,
Secret curls in circles
Around the past years. I want it faster
I walk, but I just fall. And again
It seems to me in the gathering darkness
Those creepy glowing pupils,
That's an animal roar. Or the echo of a roar.
I'm coming. Around the corner, in the distance,
Perhaps he was lying in wait
The one who has been thirsting for fresh blood for so long.
I have been yearning for deliverance for just as long.
We are both looking for a meeting. As before,
I believe this fading hope.

The art of creating labyrinths began to undergo significant changes with the expansion of man's ideas about the world. Great geographical discoveries, successes in the natural sciences, the emergence of the doctrine of the plurality of worlds - all this was reflected in the philosophical perception of the labyrinth - a symbol of the Universe and human life. The labyrinths in which everything is predetermined and the path is possible only along one path, laid out once and for all, are gradually disappearing. They are being replaced by increasingly complex ones, with numerous options for passages, where a person himself chooses the path among confusing paths and dead ends. Such hedge labyrinths became an indispensable feature of many gardens and parks in Europe, becoming a very popular entertainment for the aristocracy.


Numerous labyrinths, distinguished by their variety and exquisite taste, were built in the possessions of the powerful Gonzago clan from Mantua, a walk through the labyrinth created in 1669 in the garden of Versailles was considered an exciting journey, and the labyrinth planted in 1670 in the garden of the Villa Altieri in Rome became a favorite pastime of Pope Clement X, who enjoyed watching his servants try to find a way out. The art of creating “living” labyrinths reached its greatest flowering in Great Britain, becoming one of the national symbols of the kingdom. The famous labyrinth at Hampton Court, built in 1690 for William of Orange, has survived to this day. A magnificent example of a labyrinth in the Tudor garden at Hatfield House in Hetfordshire has been reconstructed from ancient engravings, and the labyrinth of laurel bushes at Glendergen House in Cornwall, planted in 1833, still amazes with its winding paths. Today, labyrinths, becoming more and more complex, are created on the basis of mathematical models and theories. Located in parks and on hiking trails, they offer exciting intellectual entertainment, a test of intelligence and luck.


The main unsolved mystery of the ancient symbol remains its origin. Dozens of hypotheses put forward in this regard could not explain the emergence and then spread throughout the world of an intricate pattern of a winding path. Perhaps this image was suggested by nature itself - spiral and labyrinthine shapes are characteristic of the shells of some mollusks, visible in coral colonies and underground passages of anthills. Perhaps the ancient artists, who often drew simple spirals and winding lines, gradually improved and complicated these geometric figures, thereby arriving at the symbol of the labyrinth. Rock carvings of concentric rings in the form of a bowl or depression, dating back to the Neolithic era and distributed along the entire Atlantic coast of Europe, also claim to be its “progenitors”. A number of researchers believe that the evolution of these particular forms led to the emergence of the labyrinth symbol. Finally, it has been suggested that the labyrinthine pattern could have appeared during attempts ancient man depict the complex movement of the sun and planets.

The story of the labyrinth is still not over. Its roads, like an endless timeline, move further and further, leading a person to an unknown goal, which is all the more desirable the less predictable the path in the labyrinth.


Superstitions of the labyrinth
In ancient times, the image of a labyrinth was considered an excellent amulet. Thus, the Tohono and Pima Indian tribes from the American state of Arizona, today, like thousands of years ago, weave baskets from dry stems, roots and leaves of plants growing in the desert, and decorate them with a labyrinth pattern in order to protect themselves from evil spirits. In Pakistan and Iceland, symbols of the labyrinth are carved into the tallest tree in the garden to deter thieves. In Sri Lanka, the labyrinth pattern is woven into fabric for blankets and into the base of willow baskets; in Scandinavia and India they lay out a labyrinth of stones in desert places or on the coast if they want their cherished desire to be fulfilled. True, there is a problem here. It is believed that the labyrinth, in exchange for a dream come true, takes away seven years of a person’s life/
When going to a dangerous place, you can try to draw a labyrinth pattern on your palm. And trouble will pass by.

Children under seven years old and old people who have passed the 70-year mark are not allowed into the labyrinth. The labyrinth supposedly can take away the souls of both.

Pregnant women also do not go into the labyrinth - there is a sign that otherwise the child may become entangled in the umbilical cord.

Evil spirits living in the labyrinth can be deceived by wearing other people's things. So, if you get lost, exchange clothes with your companion, and you will find a way out.

It is better not to take photographs in the passages of the labyrinth or against its background: troubles in life and problems with memory and vision may begin.

If, standing in the center of the labyrinth, you make a wish and then quickly find a way out, you can assume that your wish will quickly come true.

To avoid the insidiousness of the labyrinth, you need to leave some thing as a gift, for example, toss a coin.


The version that many modern researchers adhere to is that the labyrinths were conceived as a kind of laboratory for improving the spirit, and special mystical rituals were performed inside. It is no coincidence that the structure of the labyrinth resembles the structure of the brain! A person, passing the labyrinth to the end, overcame his deepest fears and became one of those initiated into the secrets of this and that world. Moreover, he gained new strength, vigor and was resurrected in soul and body. The labyrinth was seen as a path to the kingdom of the dead and a way to gain magical power. There is an assumption that a person walking through the labyrinth symbolized the Sun, dying and rising, and, therefore, joined the ancient natural rhythms. ladies of the heart danced along the winding passages to the center of the “giant”. Message quote

The main question that torments every person on Earth: “Which path should we take to understand the World and know the Truth? How to live?" Science, philosophy and religion are engaged in the search for Truth. Everyone knows approximately how many areas of science there are today. But there are no less religions. As of January 1, 1993, there were 40 religious organizations in Russia alone; the most numerous are Russian Orthodox, Roman Catholic, Muslim, Judaism, Buddhism. So which of them is on the right path and which is mistaken? Or maybe they all, speaking different languages, are talking about the same thing?

In order for a person to know the truth, one must receive information from a pure source, which are holy people and books. For example, to learn about Christ, you need to read the Bible (in the first version), and not as revised by contemporaries or what ordinary people say about this book. Since the same book different people interpreted differently - depending on their level of development and understanding of life.

Dedication

Dedication or baptism is the development of the spiritual principle contained in embryo in every person to the level of consciousness. Initiation is also the revelation to man of the secrets of existence. Dedication is the essence of human development; it cannot be obtained by someone else’s good will (especially for money) and confirmed by all kinds of diplomas (as is now practiced in dubious organizations). Dedication is a state of human spirit. It exists or it doesn’t. Initiation ceremonies are only an external form. True baptism is baptism by fire, the achievement of wisdom, the victory of the spirit over the animal nature of man. The ancient sages say that there are three types of baptism:

1. There is only an external form, and a name for it is not necessary;
2. This is baptism with the “water of truth,” or the awakening of the soul to the consciousness of truth. At this time, a person receives a new name, expressing the level and purpose of this person (Gen. 17.5);
3. Baptism by “fire of the spirit,” and the name it bestows expresses the power of the perfect and immortal divine man(Rev. 2:17). For example, the 12 Apostles I.H. received it.

Initiation into priests (adepts, initiates, prophets) in Ancient Egypt took place in three stages: “water”, “fire” and “copper pipes”. Shure in his book “Great Initiates” says that the first and second tests (“water” and “fire”) are overcoming base passion, fear, doubt, hatred, fear of the “abyss” (unknown truth). They develop self-control and patience. The applicant was asked to go through the labyrinth of a secret sanctuary, in which a small mistake could lead to death. The teaching, having passed through these two deadly tests and emerged from the labyrinth, advanced to the third test of the “brass pipes” - the cup of pleasure - glory. He was met by a beautiful priestess, the woman of his dreams, devouring him with wonderful, moist eyes full of passionate love. In her hands was a cup of wine for the “winner.” If a student was tempted by wine and a woman (thinking that the hour of his rewards and triumph had come), then he lost, becoming a slave, and not a student of the priests in the temple of sciences. “Whoever lives as a slave to his flesh lives in darkness,” the priests said, “The Truth cannot be given. It can be found either within oneself, or not found at all.” Teachers cannot “make” an adept; the person himself must become one. “Work and wait!” - they said. Many aspired to become Initiates, but few succeeded. “Whoever wants to become what he should be must stop being what he is,” said the mentors. The priest-teacher told the applicant: “Everyone who touches our teaching puts his life on the line. Madness or death is what the weak or vicious finds here; Only the strong, the kind, the pure in heart and through the power of renunciation find life and immortality here. This is an abyss that returns only the brave in spirit. And if your courage is imperfect, give up your desire. For once this door closes behind you, retreat is no longer possible.”

For those who passed all the tests (“twenty ordeals”) and did not succumb to pride, “twenty-two secrets of Genesis” were revealed. Because complete knowledge can only be revealed to those who have gone through all the trials and remained modest and hardworking. The initiate became an enlightener - a prophet, clairvoyant and creator of souls, that is, a Teacher.

The priests said: “For only he who rules over himself can rule over others. Only he who is free himself can lead to the freedom of others.”

To rule the world, you must have three qualities:

1. wisdom, which does not depend on education, is the ability to distinguish between right and wrong, choose the right way and solve the problem correctly;
2. force, but not physical, but spiritual;
3.wealth(means), and it will come when there is wisdom to recognize what is really necessary, decide and do the right thing. But there will be as much of it as is necessary to solve the problem, no more.

In Russian fairy tales, renewal is described as a jump. noble hero into boiling water and then into cold water in the cauldron (“The Little Humpbacked Horse”). After this, the hero turns into a beautiful prince. The envious rival dies during these tests.

Any mission is a tragedy. And it is in vain to wait for roses on your way. Most likely, the path will be full of hardships, difficulties and misunderstandings of others.

Let's give a parable. One man complained that the cross he carried was too heavy. The man took and sawed off part of the cross. And the cross became lighter. The man joyfully walked along the road and overtook another traveler, who, suffering but enduring, carried his large, heavy cross. After some time, an abyss appeared on their way. A man with a large cross placed it on the edge of the abyss and, as if on a bridge, crossed to the other side. The other (shorter) cross did not reach the second edge of the abyss, and the man fell into the abyss. One, albeit difficult, reached his goal, and the second died. “He who endures to the end will be saved.”

Another parable describes the path of life of a person striving to find the Truth. His path goes through the Valley of Humiliation, in which eight trials are encountered in turn: Dejection, Debauchery, Difficulty, Deception, Punishment, Discontent, Shame and Eloquence.
* « Dejection“, here a person can fall into lamentation about his “difficult lot,” but must open the door to the next stage of his journey;
* « Debauchery”, which lures the traveler with flattery and promises (of power, money...). But the Teachers warn: “The feet of Debauchery reach to the underworld”;
* « Difficulty"(lack of money, loss of loved ones, illness...);
* « Deception"("Old Man") - an old man who offers to obtain joy and contentment by deception. He has three Daughters: “Lust” of the body, “Lust” of the eyes and “Pride” of life. He who gives in to Them falls into slavery;
* « Punishment”, when Someone, without saying anything, beats the traveler for all his sins. This is Moses, who does not tolerate those who do not keep the commandments of God. But Jesus forbids Him to touch the traveler;
* « Discontent» with his life (the person believes that he was underestimated);
* « Shame", rebelling against religion. “Shame” says that faith in God shows a person’s cowardice, his lack of education and shames the traveler in this. But the Bible says - do not be afraid to be branded a fool for your faith, you are wiser than those who shame you;
* « Krasnobay"("beautifully speaking"). It is difficult to distinguish it from decent person, since he speaks beautifully and seemingly correctly about life, but he himself does not live according to the laws of God. He fools people, leading them to nowhere. He can be perceived as his true friend and Teacher, but this is a deception that leads to a dead end. These are false teachers.

Having passed all the tests, he knows Life and true Happiness - “cosmic fire” lights up in him (a person begins to glow like a saint). Walt Whitman said about this: “Great, bright Sun, how quickly you would kill me if the same Sun did not rise within me.” Ramakrishna (Gadadhar Chaatterjee) (1836-1886), an Indian thinker and the greatest spiritual and religious reformer, considered his student Swami Vivekananda (1863-1902) to be the more blessed among people, the more his student went through trials. In spirit, Vivekananda was older than his Master Ramakrishna.

Eastern wisdom says: “Whoever is afraid of exhausting himself will certainly become a beggar. Give yourself away, no matter the cost, if you really want to know happiness in life.” The Mahabharata says: “Man has no greater enemy than himself.” “Whoever has not heard anything in life, who has not understood anything, has grown old like a donkey. Only his belly grows larger and larger, and he appreciates life less and less” (Buddha). Space helps us all grow spiritually, but: “God helps those who help others.” A person who has found his mission on Earth and follows it, despite all the difficulties, will experience spiritual delight, a feeling of supreme happiness. In this case, he cannot have rivals, since no one except him can fulfill his mission on Earth.

Ascetics have to pay dearly for revealing the secrets of the Universe. Pasternak wrote:

« It’s customary for everyone to live and burn,
But then you will only immortalize life,
When she has light and greatness
With your sacrifice you will draw the path» .

A. Chizhevsky (physician, chemist, artist, poet and cosmist), who discovered a new direction in science (solar-terrestrial connections), spoke about the discoverers:

« In your struggles
There is no shelter for them, they are driven away,
But in these gloomy pursuits
The destiny is hidden - the destiny of the saints» .

A voluntary test and sacrifice can be the renunciation of the person himself from worldly joys. But not by sacrificing oneself or another person, or any living creature (ram, lamb, dove), since this is equivalent to killing a living soul. Only initiates come to renunciation of worldly joys, since they no longer belong to themselves and their families - they serve the Truth. The Bible also speaks about the renunciation of everything earthly (even starting a family) for initiates (Matt. 19): “... not everyone can receive this word, but to those who have it given. For there are eunuchs who were born like this from their mother’s womb; and there are eunuchs, which are gathered together from men; and there are eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven. Whoever can contain it, let him contain it.”

One can cite the incident that happened to Buddha, when five beggars, having seen Buddha eat rice and stew, left, having lost faith in his quest for truth. The Buddha said: “Oh, brothers, those who have entered the Path should not fall into two extremes. One of them is in passions, connected with the enjoyment of passions, low, rude, characteristic of an uninitiated person. The other is connected with self-torture, mournful, not associated with vanity” (“What is beyond measure is unhealthy”). Buddha, moving away from extremes, chose the middle path, which gives insight, knowledge, leading to tranquility, higher understanding (Nirvana): “First of all, you need to know the four holy truths: existence is suffering; the source of existence is the thirst for life; destroying the thirst for life destroys existence; the thirst for pleasure is destroyed by entering the Path of exaltation of the Spirit, which in turn consists of eight parts: true views, true aspirations, truthful speech, good behavior, an honest way of earning a living, true suffering, true memory, true self-deepening.” “The ideal, not covered by the material, does not exist.” And if you look into the eyes of the saints, you can see an attentive and serious attitude towards people, life, and events. A person in the presence of a saint feels the gaze of a strict, fair and loving Teacher (Note that the expression of the eyes of sectarians is completely different - it most likely frightens with its detachment from life and resembles the gaze of a zombie). “Burn without scorching (destroying) the environment!” It's not a matter of self-torture, but of self-restraint.

Let's give a parable: There lived a Brahman who tortured his body, wore clothes made of the cruelest fabric and burned his body in five places. A nun saw him and said: “You are not burning what should be burned, but you are burning what should not be burned.” The Brahman got angry and said: “Pitiful woman, what do you mean by burning?” The nun replied: “If you want to know what to burn, burn the anger of your heart. Then it will become a pure and sincere heart. When a bull is harnessed to a cart and the cart does not move, they hit the bull, not the cart. The body is like a cart, and the heart is a driving ox.”

Every person faces a choice - what he values ​​above all else in life: arbitrariness; power and wealth or freedom, light, truth, goodness. Popular proverb says: “A man is worth what he works for.”

The Chinese Book of Changes specifies “four (sequential) paths to perfection.” The first way is to approach the understanding of the text of wise sayings. The second way is to approach the understanding of the variability of the world through actions. The third way is to approach the understanding of events through the structure of cosmic laws; The fourth way is to approach the understanding of predictions through clairvoyance. Initiated into knowledge, he begins not to fight with the world around him, but to interact and learn from it. Strange as it may seem, it is easier to fight than to teach “reason.”

Three conditions for personality formation . It’s not enough to be born a personality, what matters is who shapes the personality. First of all, it is family, teachers and environment. Therefore, for the proper upbringing of a person, as a rule, three conditions are necessary:

1. in the family, one of the parents must set an example of serving the Truth with their life;
2. at school, teachers (or at least one of them) are obliged to instill in children an interest and love of knowledge;
3. a mentor (Teacher) should appear in the environment, who will introduce you to the Cosmic laws and help you find your mission on Earth.

One wise man said: “Heart is for the Fatherland, Soul is for God, Life is for people, Honor is for no one.”

Three stages in personality development. The path to Truth is not quick, but passes through three levels of consciousness from the lowest to the highest: youth (morning), maturity (midday), old age (evening).

Maturity- higher work - “midday” (“comrade”) (“summer”). Flowering period, fire control. A person remains in this state for about 18 years. Motto: “I am on my own, you are on your own.” Neutrality. the main objective in life - money, fame, comfort. There is a kind of stop to comprehend the received energy-information, a transition from the external energy “yang” to the internal energy “yin”. Color - green (analysis). At this time, a person reveals his soul for the second time - to himself.

Old age- the highest level of work - “evening with night time” (“master”) (“autumn”, “winter”). The growth of the fruit and its fall in order to create a further process of insemination of the soil. The process of obtaining the "philosopher's stone". This takes up all the remaining time. Motto: “Everyone who is not against me is with me. We are all children of one Heavenly Father. We are all brothers. Some are older, some are younger. We must help each other in our the hard way to the Truth." Creative, creative (internal), mental work “yin” occurs. This is reason, friendship, help, kindness, love for people. The purpose of life is the idea of ​​knowing the truth, working for the Cosmos. Color - blue (creativity). At this time, a person reveals himself to the Universe (God) for the third (and last) time.

At the first stage of development (youth), the student must feel his darkness, vices and learn to work, obey and remain silent. At the second stage (maturity) he is introduced into the field of application of the acquired knowledge. good qualities. The disciple becomes a partial initiate. At the third stage of development (old age), the student is given the key to understanding the hierarchies (through parables, legends), which the initiate understands according to the dedication of his Spirit and to the extent of his mind. The transition from step to step is smooth and continuous.

One brilliant writer was asked how he felt about creativity. He will answer: “When I was 15 years old, I said: “I am.” When I turned 25, I said: “Me and Pushkin.” At the age of 40 I said: “Pushkin and I.” Now I say: “Pushkin!”

Alchemists argued that human development, the growth of his spirit, goes through three levels. The first transition from a “solid state to a liquid state” is developing the ability to listen to others and perceive information, to be tolerant of others. The second is dissolution in love for the Higher Powers (the Absolute, God and truth). The third is combustion for the idea (self-sacrifice).

Eastern philosophy also speaks of a hierarchy of hierarchical levels in spirituality. There are three of these levels. There is also a fourth, higher one, which does not belong to the Earth. The first level is the work of the physical plane. The second level is mixed work, such as economics and military affairs. The third level is mental work, for example, pedagogy, medicine. But the highest level of work, not subordinate to anyone, is the fourth - the work of prophets, sages, elders, geniuses, who themselves are the Law. Through them, people receive the Highest Cosmic Laws, which everyone, without exception, must follow. The fourth plane of people cannot and should not be tamed. Otherwise, progress will stop. Moreover, this is the only category of people who have the right to immunity. No other person (neither the king, nor the president, nor the ambassador, nor the deputy) should have this right. If this hierarchy is respected, then harmony comes on Earth, which is called differently by different parties and religions: the golden age, paradise, communism - they are all one and the same.

There is a very good saying in the East: “Good iron does not make simple nails; good man- a simple soldier." And the aphorism “To each his own” means that each person should do his own thing in spirit (and not someone else’s). It is wrong for a person to inherit his father’s business if he does not like it (as happens under the private capitalist system). It is more correct when a post is taken up according to education, talent and desire (as happens with developed socialist production). Another thing is that the name of the system “socialist” in Russia does not quite correspond to what is truly socialist.

An example of fulfilling his mission (on Earth) is an episode from the Bible when John the Baptist doubted that he had the right to baptize the very Son of God - Jesus. (Matthew 3): “Then Jesus comes from Galilee to the Jordan to John to be baptized by him. John restrained Him and said: “I need to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me?” But Jesus answered him: “Leave it now; For we must fulfill all righteousness. Then John admits Him.”

Awareness of life or, as Roerich said, “the opening of centers” occurs in two ways: wrong and right. In the first case, humanity begins to become aware of the world (“opens its eyes” to the world) after stress or illness (neuralgia, rheumatism, asthma, consumption). At the same time, although the centers are revealed, they are only partially revealed. Full disclosure of energy centers (chakras) occurs only when choosing the second path - through the spiritual work of a person. This is why many people come to spiritual work and reconsider their approach to life after serious stress, illness and injury.

From all that has been said, it follows that the transition from one level to another should be carried out only through creation (learning), and not through capture (violence). So, in a family, a child should be under the control of his parents until he grows up and becomes wiser. If we compare two people, Pugachev and Lomonosov, who began their climb up the social ladder from the same level, then Mikhail Lomonosov walked the long way creation (learning), and Emelyan Pugachev chose a shorter path - the path of capture. It’s hard to even imagine what would have happened to Russia if the illiterate and aggressive, albeit talented, Pugachev had come to power! But, alas, we sometimes put Pugachev above Lomonosov. Alexander the Great, Napoleon, and Hitler can also be considered invaders.

This law also implies that any person in his development, in the process of many reincarnations, goes through all levels of the hierarchy. Therefore, all of us in the future, if we work well and live according to Cosmic laws, will be geniuses and prophets. But this process is long.

As an example, let us cite an episode from the Bible (a conversation between Jesus and Barabbas), when Barabbas suggested that Jesus quickly restore order in the country through a revolutionary coup and seizure of power. Jesus asked Barabbas to follow him and teach all people the Cosmic laws. For this, Barabbas, due to his myopia and illiteracy, accused Jesus of cowardice and choosing an easier path in life for himself. This is exactly what ordinary people thought about Jesus at the general judgment seat of the prophet.

An indicator of the level of spirituality of a country, ruler and people is the attitude towards the “highest hierarchical levels” (scientists, artists, doctors, teachers). Every state, ruler, person, no matter what he says about himself, helps and stimulates the level to which he belongs. “Judge them according to their works,” says the Bible. King Solomon, knowing and understanding this hierarchy, paid several times more for a learned slave than for a physically strong and healthy one, destined for physical labor. Because “of all creative energies, the highest is thought.” This behavior of the wise King Solomon was not always understood and favorably accepted by the then nobility.

In our century, Japan, in order to restore its economy after the Second World War (1941-1945), stimulated science and acquired the latest scientific developments, which put it in first place in the development of production. What path will the world (and Russian) highest hierarchy choose in the coming 21st century?

Isis.

Dedication.

Tests.

During the time of Ramses Egyptian civilization reached the pinnacle of her fame. The pharaohs of the twentieth dynasty, disciples and sword-bearers of the sanctuaries, heroically withstood the struggle against Babylon. The Egyptian riflemen gave no rest to the Libyans, Bodons and Numidians and drove them to the very center of Africa. A fleet of four hundred ships pursued the schismatic alliance until it flowed into the Indus. To better resist the attack of the Assyrians and their allies, the Rameses built strategic roads all the way to Lebanon and built a chain of fortresses between Mageddo and Karchemish. Endless caravans moved across the desert from Radasia to Elephantine. Architectural works were carried out non-stop, and for this purpose workers were gathered from three parts of the world. The great hall of Carnac, in which each column reached the height of a Vendôme column, was restored; The Abydos temple was enriched with wonders of sculpture, and the “royal valley” with majestic monuments. Construction was underway in Bubasta, Luxor, and Speoza Ibsambul. In Thebes, a triumphal pylon commemorated the capture of Kadesh. In Memphis, the Ramesseum rose, surrounded by a whole forest of obelisks, statues, and giant monoliths.

Amid this feverish activity and this dazzling life, not a few strangers, striving for the Mysteries, sailed from distant Asia Minor or from mountainous Thrace to Egypt, attracted by the glory of its temples. Landing in Memphis, they were shocked by the picture unfolding before them: monuments, all kinds of spectacles, popular festivals, everything gave the arrivals the impression of abundance and grandeur. After the ceremony of royal consecration, which took place in the recesses of the sanctuary, they saw how the pharaoh came out of the temple to the people, how he, in front of a countless crowd of people, climbed onto a large shield carried by twelve fan-bearers from among his bodyguards. In front, twelve young priests carried royal signs on pillows embroidered with gold: a royal scepter with a ram's head, a sword, a bow and a mace. Behind came the court and the priestly colleges, accompanied by initiates into the great and lesser mysteries. The high priests wore a white tiara and their breastplate sparkled and shimmered with symbolic precious stones. The dignitaries of the court carried the signs of the Lamb, Aries, Leo, Lily and Bee, suspended on massive chains of artistic work. Various corporations, with their emblems and unfurled banners, brought up the rear.

At night, magnificently colored barges glided along artificial lakes, and on them were placed the royal orchestras, in the midst of which dancers and players of theorbs (lutes) could be seen in sacred dance poses.

But it was not this overwhelming splendor that the stranger was looking for. The thirst to penetrate the secrets of things is what attracted him to Egypt. He knew that magicians, hierophants, masters of divine science lived in his sanctuaries. He was attracted by the desire to join the secrets of the gods. He heard from the priest of his country about Book of the Dead, about this mysterious scroll, which was placed under the head of the mummy as a sacred sacrament, and in which, under a symbolic form, the otherworldly journey of the soul was set out, as it was transmitted by the priests of Amun-Ra.

He listened with greedy attention and inner awe, mixed with doubt, to stories about the long journey of the soul after death; about her redemptive suffering in the area of ​​scorching fire; about the cleansing of her astral shell; about her meeting with the bad helmsman, sitting in the boat with his head turned back, and with the good helmsman, looking straight into the face; about her appearance in court before forty-two earthly judges; about her justification by Thoth; and finally, about her entry into the light of Osiris and transformation in its rays.

We can judge the influence of this book and the revolution which Egyptian initiation produced in the minds from the following passage from Books of the Dead.

"This chapter was found in Hermopolis, written in blue on an alabaster slab, at the feet of the god Thoth (Hermes), in the time of King Menkara, by Prince Gastatef, when the latter was traveling to inspect the temples. He carried the stone to the temple of the kings. Oh, great secret! He ceased to see, he ceased to hear, when he read this pure and holy chapter, and he no longer approached any woman and no longer ate the flesh of animals and fish."

What was true in these exciting stories, in these sacred images, behind which the terrible secret of the other world trembled? "Isis and Osiris know about this!" answered him to this. But who were these gods, whom the priests mentioned only by putting a finger to their lips? To get an answer to this, the stranger knocked on the doors of the great temple of Thebes or Memphis.

The attendants led him under the portico of the courtyard, the huge columns of which seemed like giant lotuses, supporting with their strength and purity the solar Ark, the temple of Osiris. The Hierophant approached the newcomer. The grandeur of his appearance, the calmness of his face, the mystery of his impenetrable eyes, glowing with an inner light, made a strong impression on the newcomer. The Hierophant's gaze penetrated like the tip of a spear. The stranger felt like he was face to face with a man in front of whom it was impossible to hide anything.

The priest of Osiris asked the visitor about his hometown, about his family and about the temple where he received his knowledge. If, after this short but penetrating check, he turned out to be unworthy to approach the mysteries, a silent but inexorable gesture was shown to him to the door.

If the Hierophant found a sincere search for truth in the seeker, he invited him to follow him. And then they passed through porticos, through courtyards, through an alley carved into the rock, open at the top and bordered by obelisks and sphinxes, which led to a small temple that served as the entrance to the underground caves. The door leading to them was closed by a life-size statue of Isis. The goddess was depicted sitting with a closed book on her lap, in the pose deep thought. Her face was covered; Under the statue there was an inscription: not a single mortal lifted my veil.

“Here is the door to the secret sanctuary,” said the Hierophant. "Look at these two columns. The red one represents the ascent of the spirit to the light of Osiris; the dark one means its captivity in matter and its fall can end in complete destruction. Everyone who touches our teachings stakes his life. Madness or death, that’s what the weak find here or vicious; only the strong and good find life and immortality here. Many frivolous ones have entered this door and have not come out of it alive. This is an abyss that brings back only the brave in spirit. Think carefully about where you are going, about the dangers that lie ahead. are waiting for you. And if your courage is imperfect, give up your desire, for after this door closes behind you, retreat is no longer possible."

If the stranger continued to insist, the Hierophant took him to the outer court and handed him over to the servants of the temple, with whom he had to spend a week, serving the most humble labors, listening to hymns and performing ablutions. At the same time, he had to remain absolutely silent.

When the evening of testing arrived, two neocors or assistants would take him to the door of the secret sanctuary. The entrance was a completely dark hallway with no visible exit. On both sides of this dark hall the stranger could discern, by the light of torches, a row of statues with human bodies and with the heads of animals: lions, bulls, birds of prey and snakes, which seemed to look at him with their teeth bared. At the end of this dark passage, through which they walked in deep silence, there was a mummy and a human skeleton in a standing position opposite each other. With a silent gesture, both neocors showed the intruder a hole in the wall, directly opposite him. It was the entrance to a corridor so low that one could only get into it by bending over and moving on one’s knees.

“You can still go back,” said one of the neocors. “The sanctuary door is not locked yet.” Otherwise, you must continue your path through this hole and no longer return.

If the entrant did not retreat, a small lit lamp was given to him in his hand. The neocors retreated, noisily closing the doors of the sanctuary behind them.

There was no use in hesitating; it was necessary to enter the corridor. As soon as he penetrated there, crawling on his knees with a lamp in his hand, a voice was heard in the depths of the dungeon: “The madmen who greedily desired knowledge and power die here.”

Thanks to an acoustic device, the echo repeated these words at regular intervals seven times. But it was still necessary to move; the corridor widened, descending at a steeper and steeper slope. At the end, a funnel-shaped hole opened in front of the traveler. A hanging iron ladder could be seen in the opening; he went down it. Having reached the last step, the brave traveler plunged his gaze into the bottomless well. His small lamp, which he clutched in his hand, cast a pale light into the terrible darkness. What was he supposed to do? Returning to the top was impossible; below awaited a fall into darkness, into a terrifying night.

At this moment of great need, he noticed a depression in the wall to the left. Holding onto the ladder with one hand and holding out his lamp with the other, he - by its light - noticed steps faintly visible in the hole. Ladder! He guessed salvation in her and rushed there. The stairs led upstairs; punched into the rock, it rose in a spiral. At the end of it, the traveler saw in front of him a bronze lattice leading to a wide gallery supported by large caryatids. In the intervals between the caryatids, two rows of symbolic frescoes were visible on the wall, eleven on each side, gently illuminated by crystal lamps, which were affirmed in the raised hands of the beautiful caryatids.

The magician, called pastophor (guardian of sacred symbols), opened the lattice before the initiate, receiving him with a benevolent smile. He congratulated him on the successful completion of the first test, then, walking with them through the gallery, he explained to him the meaning of sacred painting. Under each of the paintings a letter and a number were visible. Twenty-two symbols depicted the twenty-two first secrets (arcanes) and constituted the alphabet of occult science, i.e. absolute principles, keys, which become the source of wisdom and strength if activated by the will.

These principles were imprinted in the memory by their correspondence with the letters of the sacred language and with the numbers associated with these letters. Each letter and each number expresses in this language the trinitarian law, which has its reflection in the world divine, in the world reason and in the world physical.

Just as a finger touching a string on a lyre, causing one note in the scale to sound, sets into vibration all the tones in harmony with it, so the mind contemplating the properties of a number, and the voice pronouncing a letter with the consciousness of its entire meaning, cause a force, which is reflected in all three worlds.

Thus the letter A, which corresponds to one, expresses in the divine world: The Absolute Essence from which all beings come; in the world of the mind: unity – the source and synthesis of numbers; in the physical world: man, the pinnacle of earthly beings, capable, through the expansion of his faculties, of rising into the concentric spheres of the infinite.

The first symbol among the Egyptians bore the image of a hierophant in a white robe with a scepter in his hand, with a golden crown on his head. The white vestment signified purity, the scepter signified power; gold Crown- the light of the universe.

The one who was being tested was far from understanding everything around him; but unknown prospects opened up before him as he listened to the speeches of the pastophorus in front of the mysterious images that looked at him with the dispassionate majesty of the gods. Behind each of them he saw, as if illuminated by lightning, rows of ideas and images suddenly emerging from the darkness. He began to suspect for the first time the inner essence of the world, thanks to a mysterious chain of causes. Thus, from letter to letter, from number to number, the teacher explained to the student the meaning of the mysterious composition of things and led him through Isis Urania to the chariot of Osiris, from the lightning-shattered tower to the blazing star and finally to crown of magicians

“And remember,” said the pastor, “what this crown means: every will that unites with the divine will in order to manifest truth and create justice, enters in this life the circle of power and authority over all existence and over all things; this and there is an eternal reward for the liberated spirit." Listening to these words from the teacher. the initiate experienced surprise, fear, and delight. These were the first glimpses of the sanctuary, and the premonition of the unfolding truth seemed to him the dawn of some heavenly memory.

But the tests have only just begun. After finishing his speech, the pastophor opened the door, behind which was the entrance to a vaulted corridor, narrow and long; at its far end a fiery fire crackled and blazed. But this is death! spoke the initiate and looked at his leader with a shudder. “My son,” answered the pastor, “death frightens only immature souls. At one time I walked through this flame, as through a valley of roses.” And the lattice separating the gallery of symbols closed behind the initiate. Approaching the fire itself, he saw that the blazing fire came from optical illusion, created by light interweavings of burning resinous branches located in oblique rows on wire gratings, a path marked between them made it possible to quickly pass by bypassing the fire.

The trial by fire was followed by the trial by water. The initiate was forced to walk through stagnant, blackening water, illuminated by the glow falling from the fire left behind.

After this, two neocors led him into a dark grotto, where nothing was visible except a soft bed, mysteriously illuminated by the pale light of a bronze lamp descending from the height of the vault. Here they dried him, rubbed him, poured fragrant essences over his body and dressed him in linen fabrics, leaving him alone, saying: “rest and wait for the hierophant.”

The initiate stretched his tired limbs on the fluffy carpets of the magnificent bed. After all the excitement he had endured, the moment of peace seemed unusually sweet to him. The sacred painting that he had just seen, all these mysterious images, sphinxes and caryatids, passed in a string in his imagination. Why did one of these images return to him again and again, haunting him like a hallucination?

The tenth symbol stubbornly stood in front of him, which depicted a wheel suspended on its axis between two columns. On one side, Hermanubis, the genius of good, as beautiful as a young ephebe, rises towards him; on the other hand, Typhon, the genius of evil, throws himself headfirst into the abyss below. Between both, at the very top of the wheel, a sphinx can be seen holding a sword in her claws.

The faint sounds of distant music, which seemed to emanate from the depths of the grotto, made this vision disappear. These were light and vague sounds, full of sad and penetrating languor. The metallic chime irritated his ear, mingling with the groans of the harp, the singing of the flute, and intermittent sighs like hot breath. Captivated by a fiery dream, the stranger closed his eyes. Opening them again, he saw a vision a few steps from his bed, stunning with the power of fiery life and devilish temptation. A woman, a Nubian, dressed in transparent purple gauze with a necklace of amulets around her neck, like the priestesses of the mysteries of Mylitta, stood before him, devouring him with her gaze and holding in her left hand a cup entwined with roses.

She was that Nubian type, whose sultry and intoxicating sensuality concentrates in itself all the power of the animal side of a woman: velvety dark skin, mobile nostrils, full lips, red and moist, like a juicy fruit, burning black eyes flickering in the semi-darkness.

The stranger jumped to his feet, surprised, excited, not knowing whether to be happy or afraid of him. But the beauty slowly moved towards him and, lowering her eyes, whispered in a quiet voice: “Are you afraid of me, beautiful stranger? I bring you the reward of winners, oblivion of suffering, a cup of pleasures”...

The initiate hesitated; then, as if overcome by fatigue, the Nubian sank down on the bed and, without taking her eyes off the stranger, enveloped him with pleading eyes, as if with wet flames.

Woe to him if he succumbed to temptation, if he leaned towards her lips and, getting drunk, inhaled the heavy fragrance rising from her dark shoulders. As soon as he touched this hand and touched this cup with his lips, he lost consciousness in a fiery embrace... But after saturating his awakened desire, the moisture he drank plunged him into a heavy sleep.

Upon awakening, he felt abandoned and gripped by deep despair. The hanging lamp cast an ominous light on the crumpled bed. Someone stood in front of him: it was the hierophant. He told him: “You remained victorious in the first trials. You triumphed over death, over fire and water, but you were unable to defeat yourself. You, who dared to strive for the heights of spirit and knowledge, you succumbed to the first temptation of the senses and fell into the abyss of matter He who lives as a slave to his flesh lives in darkness. You preferred darkness to light, so remain in it!

I warned you about the dangers that awaited you. You will save your life, but you will lose your freedom; You will remain, under pain of death, a slave at the temple."

If the initiate overturned the cup and pushed away the temptress, then twelve neocors with torches in their hands surrounded him and led him solemnly to the sanctuary of Isis, where hierophants in white vestments were waiting for him in in full force. In the depths of the brightly lit temple was a colossal statue of Isis made of cast bronze with a golden rose on her chest, crowned with a seven-rayed diadem. She held her son Horus in her arms. Before the goddess, the head of the hierophants in purple vestments received the initiate, who, under terrible spells, pronounced a vow of silence and submission. He was then greeted as a brother and a future initiate. Before these majestic Teachers, one who entered the temple of Isis felt as if he were in the presence of the gods. Having outgrown himself, he entered for the first time the region of eternal Truth.

Note:

5. Monument made of solid stone.

6. Similar spectacles are depicted on the walls of royal tombs; a photograph of such images is available in the book by François Lenormand; a description of them is also available in the book “La Mission des Juifs” Saint Ives d’Alveydre (chapter on Egypt).

7. Book of the Dead, ch. LXIV.

8. We give here all the Egyptian names in a Greek translation, which is easier for Europeans.

In ancient times it was believed that a person who entered labyrinth, loses will, orientation and may generally wander into another world. Previously, guilty or unwanted people were often sent to labyrinths. Because of the intricate passages, a person was immediately subjected to panic, which often led him to madness. For more effective intimidation, bones were scattered in the labyrinths, and images of demons were drawn on the walls.

Needless to say, simply moving through a complex system of intricate corridors without the risk of staying in them forever was very dangerous. Only during the festival of glorification of Sebek (the crocodile-headed god) did priests enter the labyrinth and make sacrifices to him.

In 1900, the English archaeologist Arthur Evans, among other finds, discovered a hieroglyphic letter in the Oxford Museum that spoke of a labyrinth. The archaeologist went to the island of Crete and began excavations. It took Arthur Evans 30 years to solve the maze. The area of ​​the Knossos labyrinth was 22 thousand square meters. The height above the ground of this structure was at least 5-6 floors.