Esoteric Philosophy: Study of the Endless Path of Wisdom

Bell and Vajra

A brief outline, with an expounding on key points, of the work of Jeffrey Hopkins book "Reflections on Reality" dealing with the life and work of Lord Tsong Ka pa and his "Essence of Eloquence".

JC: It is said that some modern scholars/lamas stress the point of avoiding the teachings and lectures on Tsong Kapa' work in preference of their own schools method of study. They are to be avoided as distractions to the schools curriculum. This would indicate the divergence between the exoteric and esoteric systems.

These students are not or were not allowed to use bells or vajra diamond sceptre for devotional incantations or evocation, with the tantra aspect of study and ritual being largely hidden and therefore esoteric to the vulgar or exoteric monks. The works of Nagarjuna, Chandrakirti and Tsomg Kapa are main sources of sutra and tantra study.

Lord Tsong Kapa taught discipline of the middle path or central way and wrote teachings on the "universal vehicle or "beautific" Vajra vehicle. This vesture is known as the thunderbolt and diamond vehicle, thus are the Vajra-sattvas diamond souled. DK offers this on the buddhas and the Dharmakaya monadic vesture. Of interest is the point that the buddha is able to contact the pure white light in his truth body and reflect or refract the seven chromatic colours within his buddhic vehicle and be a transmitter of all the rays. The symbol of the diamond reflecting the rainbow light is most appropriate, with the thunderbolt representing electric fire within the higher monadic vesture containing within its body of truth a proportion of the one absolute reality, boundless immutable principle.

The great Buddhic Compassion is symbolised in the vajra [Sanskrit] diamond sceptre with he use of a double helix like pattern conveying the supreme energy of the universe and the rod of initiation.

"Two words are used by translators to convey this idea of compact cohering force, i.e., the diamond, and the thunderbolt. The human being who has taken the highest of all our planetary initiations is termed "the diamond-souled" - the man who can perfectly transmit the pure white light and yet reflect equally all the colors of the rainbow, the seven colors of the chromatic scale. His personality is here called by the same term for it has become a transmitter of the inner light or radiance.

The term "thunderbolt" is equally expressive, conveying as it does the idea of electrical force. All that we can know of God or of man is the quality of his energy as it demonstrates in force and activity, hence in the Secret Doctrine, the highest aspect of divinity is called electric fire." LOS 350.

Alternatively known as the Dorje, Tibetan rdo rje, it is also known as the thunderbolt and diamond sceptre also symbolises the weapon of the thunderbolt. The thunderbolt represents electric fire within the higher monadic vesture containing within its body of truth a proportion of the one absolute reality, boundless immutable principle. It is that which transmits the highest aspect of fire electric upon the moment of the Initiation ceremony.

Note DK' description for the highest monadic vesture and the Vajra sceptre as being of "compact cohering [electrical] force. The central sphere [representing dharmata, reality] of the sceptre corresponds to the highest vesture of the Buddha being the origin of its symbolic force and purity and "the expanse or sphere of actual reality." This we should note, represents the "one absolute reality" of HPB or "Thatness" of Tsong Kapa. Tsong Kapa says, "I assign "thatness" in its use in the direct sense of "absolute reality". Thatness means in context, truth, reality, principle and imminent absoluteness. It relates also to 'Maitreya's Distinguishing Phenomena and Pure Being.'

"I. There is one Boundless Immutable Principle; one Absolute Reality which antecedes all manifested conditioned Being. It is beyond the range and reach of any human thought or expression...

1. The First Cosmic Logos, impersonal and unmanifested, the precursor of the Manifested.

2. The Second Cosmic Logos, Spirit-Matter, Life, the Spirit of the Universe.

3. The Third Cosmic Logos, Cosmic Ideation, the Universal World-Soul." TCF 3.

The rod of initiation and the diamond sceptre or Vajra are symbolised in exoteric form as for instance the golden sceptre in the House of Commons in the UK. Other forms of the Vajra or Vishvavajra [four pointed or crossed vajra] are found in the more modern exoteric corruption's such as the Chinese Kung Fu throwing stars. These stars are the remnant of such Vishvavajra being used as weapons, amongst others, which held and conducted the compact electrical force of Akasha used to destroy the enemy's of the white lodge Initiates [the maras and rudras of evil individualistic intent, who also had such weapons of Indian origin] and who were all depicted in ancient battles and wars recorded in the ancient wisdom and Mahabharata.

These were known as "sharp wheel weapons" having their origin drawn from the Trident or Trinity of logic energy of Zeus, Neptune and the thunderbolt and lightening hammer of Thor. They are now used a pure symbols of great spiritual power as for instance on the royal crowns of kings and queens and heraldry and Egyptian art.

"Neptune, Who rules the ocean, whose trident and astrological symbol signifies the Trinity in manifestation." EA 220.

Students should note that such bells are symbol of the "indestructible" path of the "diamond vehicle" of Vajrayana Buddhism, and together with Tingsha cymbals are used in esoteric invocation by the Masters in evoking the translucent devas in ritualistic inner work with the Initiates. Sound and music of true other worldly beauty is the key to such work.

When the bell of the Master is rung it is said to "proclaim the sound of emptiness" which in esoteric reality means that it aids in creating a vacuum to facilitate certain events concerning the Master, the Initiate and Deva, upon the Buddhic plane. The sound of the bell ringing and of Tingsha cymbals gently clashing, by the Master, is accompanied by the heavenly equivalent from the devas.

The process of merging between the Human and Deva Monad is a ceremonial event overseen by the presiding Master. The Devic polar opposite to the Initiate may be seen and known as a

most glorious resplendent translucence and indeed a "blissful dancing point" of angelic beauty and devotion. What would the initiate, the polar opposite, yet complementary in the buddhic vehicle appear as? The appearance may well be pictured as an equal yet polarised `buddhic point of dancing bliss' of beauty and wisdom.

The transformed vehicles of both initiates, deva and human, literally "dance" with rhythmic and musical movement not at all like that of earthly music or dance, until such a time as an equal-liberalising of energetic vibration has reached a point of harmonious rhythm. Such a ceremony as this is achieved via the use of vacuum created through ritualistic mantram, quite literally sound, and is the medium of merging and transmission upwards, so to speak toward another level.

The whole process is carried upon the wings of music so beautiful, so magically and magnetically compelling that earthly music is quite lacking in comparison, being but its reflection and lower plane expression. It appears this process and the fourth plane has a reflection of fourth path attributes in that "Cosmic rapture and rhythmic bliss are the attributes of the fourth path. It is a form of identification which is divorced from consciousness altogether." "Method - duplex rotary motion and rhythmic dancing upon the square".

The evolving human Monad, and the evolving deva Monad. The two parallel evolutions touch in that kingdom, and then again follow their own paths, finding their next point of contact on the fourth or buddhic level, and a final merging on the second. TCF 589.

A brief outline, with an expounding on key points, of the work of Jeffrey Hopkins book "Reflections on Reality" dealing with the life and work of Lord Tsong Ka pa and his "Essence of Eloquence". JPC.

The Vajra or dor-jay translates as "foremost of stones" or "lord of stones" denoting the Diamond, and the Thunderbolt and Diamond vehicle. We can here see in mystical parlance certain themes on this teaching. Tibetan Buddhism associates the fusion of compassion and wisdom as producing a Buddha known as the "foremost of stones". Master DK names the human units as "living stones" and the human units on Vulcan are the "fiery stones". The term "philosophers stone" should also be factored into the equation.

Symbolically and factually the units of the mineral kingdom are then known a the "stones" without the living process of struggle and striving through "painful endeavor" as there is understood to be in a human unit. The living stones are mentioned both in the Bible and the teachings of Chohan Hilarion also as the developed purified souls

The mineral kingdom is inert, undeveloped and comparatively dead to the life aspect. Minerals lost long ago their vital supply of prana, with a few exceptions, and under karmic law this has now passed to the vegetable kingdom. The mineral kingdom is essentially of such a low vibration that it does not have an adequate supply of solar prana or vitality. Humans are a far in advanced expression of life or spirit, and the foremost of the human kingdom is a Buddha who has achieved Identification with the "universal vehicle or "beatific" Vajra vehicle. This vesture is known as the thunderbolt and diamond vehicle, thus are the Vajra-sattvas diamond souled.

The connotation with the Stone and the Diamond [philosophers stone] is of great interest because it demonstrates evolution through the mineral, human and spiritual kingdom up to the eighth and ninth Initiations. A Diamond is the highest product of the mineral compound called Carbon and a diamond souled Buddha is the highest product of the human kingdom and of the earth evolution. The Diamond Vajra vehicle or truth body is described by Tsong Kapa as being "the scriptural division of the knowledge bearers."

The fiery units on Vulcan are said to have a special connection with the mineral kingdom because our earth mineral evolution are subject to forging and development by the processes of fire, heat and tremendous pressures. This should serve to give us a hint as to the processes, occultly understood, with which they evolve and develop as units in the first ray school of training known as Vulcan which lies three degrees within the orbit of Mercury. Hiram, King of Tyre was said to "walked about amidst fiery stones" in the court of Shamballa or eden of the Holy Bible and was possibly connected with the School for fiery stones.

"VULCAN - The School for Fiery Stones. There is a curious connection between the human units who pass through its halls and the mineral kingdom. The human units on the earth scheme are called in mystical parlance "the living stones"; on Vulcan they are called "fiery stones." TCF 1178.

28:12 "Son of man, sing a lament for the king of Tyre, and say to him, This is what the sovereign LORD says...

28:14 "You were on the holy mountain of God; you walked about amidst fiery stones." Ezekiel.

JPC.

TO CONTINUE:  http://esotericphilosopher.tripod.com/id9.html