the western prohibition against higher knowledge and realization

[lorentzen-nicklaus]

 in western (or occidental) literature, mythology, and religious legends, 
 stories and doctrines---there is a characteristic and persistent tendency to 
 associate a negative connotation or result with the quest for higher initiation 
 and higher knowledge (and, altogether, with the process of esoteric 
 initiation, esoteric knowledge, and esoteric realization). in the traditional 
 western (or occidental) literatures, there is characteristically a "penalty" 
 for those who approach the divine too closely, or who even seek to realize 
 oneness with the divine. indeed, the tendency to confine human existence and 
 human potential to the mundane, the material, the physical, the social, and all 
 that is merely exoteric is the principal characteristic of the western mind, 
 all of western culture, and all that characterizes the western (or the 
 "westernizing") and the modern (or the "modernizing") influence and tendency.

   in the ancient jewish story of the garden of eden, adam and eve are penalized 
 for taking the fruit of the tree that would give them the unique knowledge that 
 would put them on a par with "god". in the myths of the ancient greeks, icarus 
 and promotheus are punished for "getting to close" to the sun and to 
 fire---and, when bellerophon rides his winged horse, pegasus, up to the 
 dwelling place of the gods, he is thrown down, because he presumed he could 
 attain the status of the gods. likewise, according to the christian legend, 
 jesus of nazareth was crucified for claiming oneness with the divine. as these 
 famous examples (along with many other examples) indicate, the traditions of 
 the west (or that otherwise characterize what can be identified as the western, 
 or rather occidental, mentality) are typically associated with the prohibition 
 against higher (and, altogether, esoteric) knowledge and realization. 
 therefore, there is a basic presumption in the traditional west (and the 
 characteristically western mind)that one must neither own too much nor know  
 too much---but, coincidently, the traditional west (and the characteristically 
 western mind)is possessed by a persistent fascination with owning and knowing, 
 and even a kind of lust to own everything and to know all.
       
    in the characteristically eastern (or oriental) traditions, the unique (or 
 defining)characteristic is the opposite of the unique (or defining) 
 charactereristic of the western (or occidental) traditions. therefore, in the 
 typical eastern (or characteristically oriental)traditions, the stories, the 
 myths, and the religious legends and doctrines are unambigous about the 
 praising, the gloryfying, the seeking, and the attaining of higher (and, 
 altogether, esoteric)knowledge and realization.

   the characteristic tendency (and ambivalence)of the western mind not only 
 shows itself in literature, mythology, and religion, but also in the basic 
 western (and characteristically "modern") inclination towards materialism 
 (including scientific and political materialism), which is a way of knowledge 
 (and of worldly power)that dogmatically eschews and systemetically excludes all 
 that is esoteric (or all that is metaphysical, or spiritual, or transcendental, 
 or divine). therefore, the west (and all that is characteristically "modern") 
 is characterized by ambivalence (and even suppressiveness) relative to higher 
 (and, altogether, esoteric) knowledge and realization, and (otherwise)by a 
 clear preference for exoteric and materialistic knowledge. it can even be said 
 that western culture (and all of "westernized", or "modern", civilization) is 
 founded not only on materialism but on an actual and persistent (and gravely 
 limiting)  f e a r  of higher (and, altogether, esoteric) knowledge and 
 realization.

    by contrast, characteristically (and traditionally) eastern (or typical 
 oriental) culture and civilization is associated with a positive and most 
 profound orientation toward higher (and, altogether, esoteric) knowledge and 
 realization. also, the typically eastern (and typically oriental) mind and 
 orientation is characterized by a far less interest in (or attachment to) 
 material things than is (otherwise) seen in the west (and, altogether, in the 
 "modern", or "westernized", world). and the out-growing of the western fear 
 (and its ambivalence, its materialistic revulsion, and its suppresssiveness) 
 relative to the higher (and, altogether, relative to the esoteric) process and 
 reality is the principal necessity for even all of mankind in this "late" (or  
 "westernized") time and in this "dark" (or "modern") epoch.


        
                   ~~~ ruchira avatar adi da samraj ~~~