THE PRIEST AS MAGICIAN

Simply going to any church or embracing any particular set of doctrines or entering various monasteries or the like,especially in the overt, ordinary established ways, will guarantee your entrance into ETERNITY or its variants, such as, Paradise, Heaven,etc. You have to realize that all priests, whether Catholic, Episcopal(ian), Buddhist, Zen, Greek/Armenian/Russian Orthodox or the more obscure sects of Early Christianity that still exist, are MAGICIANS. What this means requires a more detailed and deeper discussion that can be attempted here but those who are interested in this item might look at the topics of ESOTERIC CHRISTIANITY and ESOTERIC BUDDHISM. A discussion of Hindu Priests and similar groups requirs somewhat different treatment.

PREPARATION FOR ETERNITY

THE CHURCH can be seen as 'a preparation for eternity'- creating a soul through ritual, rite and practice and communion, through active or passive participation if one realizes that and notices such with an acknowledgment that THE PRIEST IS A MAGICIAN.

THE MESSAGE OF THE UPANISHADS

This is also a title of a book by SWAMI RANGANATHANANDA,whom I met in Washington,DC in 1969 when I attended his lecture and purchased his book which he graciously signed for me and which I still have. It was published in 1968 in India and its subtitle is: AN EXPOSITION OF THE UPANISHADS IN THE LIGHT OF MODERN THOUGHT AND MODERN NEEDS. This book deals mainly with these three books:ISA,KEMA & KATHA UPANISHADS The book also contains some useful information on the Devanagai Script and references,etc.

ESOTERIC BUDDHISM

Nearly all forms of organized religions have an ESOTERIC form or existence that only a few persons know of,recognize, or understand. BUDDHISM is no exception. The formal teachings of Buddhism are fairly well-known and frequently studied by numerous people from all walks of life,but the more esoteric, occult, and exotic forms are hardly touched by the mainstream of humanity,though Buddhism as a devotional religion continues to have many adherants. The enormous literature in English alone attests to the world-wide interest of Buddhism as does the occasional conversions to the various sects, such as, Zen capture attention in various ways. The subsystem of TIBETAN BUDDHISM has taken on the role of a major study and system and its relations to 'orthodox' ,'traditional' etc. forms of Buddhism is often difficult to show, relate, or understand. This is partly due to the exile of the Dalai Lama from Tibet and his appearances in various capitals and places of the world,especially with world figures and movie stars,etc. or other celebrities. In some cases this is most unfortunate,while in others it is helpful which doesn't make clearer the existence of ESOTERIC BUDDHISM.

THE ORIGINS OF ESOTERIC CHRISTIANITY

Contrary to popular belief and ordinary religions and discussions of such by ordinary persons, ESOTERIC CHRISTIANITY has four main lines from which it derives or grows or originates,etc.,etc. These are; THE EGYPTIAN, THE HEBRAIC, THE PERSIAN, AND THE HINDU. These lines will be discussed and made more apparent than what is shown here since they involve more than a mere acceptance or cursory understanding.

WHO DOES NOT LOVE LIFE DOES NOT LOVE GOD

This is a more positive aspect of ESOTERIC CHRISTIANITY that 'denies' the sort of 'otherworldliness' that often characterizes a lot of modern religions and especially ordinary,organized Christianity. It is something to ponder over the years especially as experience in life unfolds.

ESOTERIC CHRISTIANITY

Many varied discussions of what is termed, 'ESOTERIC CHRISTIANITY' confuse those interested in finding out more about such. Most exoteric groups,such as, churches, sects,cults, and temples, and synagogues, and mosques, and so forth, especially those of the 'fundamentalist/literal' schools tend to ignore and dismiss and deny the existence of ESOTERIC CHRISTIANITY. One has to be cautious, of course, because so much fictional literature has distorted, attenuated, and added elements to this topic and will continue to do so over the years.