To Henny about Wisdom of East and West (was Too much and too little)

[Guest guest]

Henny wrote to Tanmaya:

 

as always, I appreciate your thoughtful and beautifully written

observations very much. I would just like to say that in Western

esoteric traditions, particularly alchemy, we do seem to find ideas

that are very similar to Indian teachings. According to some authors,

the salt, sulphur and mercury of the alchemists are the equivalent of

the three gunas. And, in the light of what I am learning here, sayings

from alchemical workds like 'Equilibrium is the basis of the Great

Work', suddenly make perfect sense.

 

 

Dear Henny ~ what you say is so true, the main difference being a person

has to really motivated to find their way to these Western esoteric traditions.

The Tarot, which has a relationship to alchemy, to the Hebrew Quabbala, to

Western astrology, and to numerology, definitely has the three gunas, though

in their essence, none are seen as either better or worse, but a person may be

more oriented in one direction than another. But the ultimate goal is

balance. Actually, though, in the Tarot, there are four. I would regard the suite

of wands, which is the fire energy, and also spirit as equating to Rajas. Too

much fire can push a person into one inclined to shoot off many arrows of

karma. In a sense also, the Magician represents this energy, wearing his red

(fire) robe, standing in front of his work table, ready for action. Will he take

direction from Above and bring that into the world of the everyday, or will

he willfully go his own way and make a mess of his garden? Cups are like

Tamas, as is the High Priestess Major Arcana. Both are representative of inward

focus, stillness, rest, etc., as well as of intuition, emotion, and so on. But

if these are too strong for a person, this energy becomes as Tanmaya said

inertia, an inability to move.

 

Of course there are two other suits in the Tarot and 22 Major Arcana, so if

sattva is the balance, I'm not sure which suit would apply. Swords relate to

mental energies, and Coins or Discs relate to the physical world and how we

work within it. Perhaps in this case, the balance is the final card of the

Major Arcana, The World, in some newer decks, The Dancer. It portrays an

androgynous being in a slow dance, holding a wand in each hand (not a magic wand as

such, but an occult wand, a connector to Spirit). The being seems to dance in

the sky, and is surrounded by an oval wreath of victory. In each of the four

corners are representations of the four suits. The Dancer has achieved

perfect balance and nonattachment, while continuing to act. (I think this is why

older decks use The World as the name for this card, for the being is in the

world, but in a sense, not of the world, now being in perfect connection to

Divine Spirit and perfect balance of energies.)

 

A short quote about this card from the book, "Tarot Meditations":

 

"...And thus is it made clear

That Thou, even Thou,

Art Beginning and End,

And the Window of Vision

Which looketh inward to the Source

And outward to the Goal

 

Through all the shifting changes of existence

I remain myself,

and the Self which I am

Is thine own true Self

 

Therefore is the end of all wisdom

What thou seekest

Truly that thou art

The treasure thou journeyest afar to find

Is the Jewel of Eternity

In thy heart of hearts.

 

I love that. Wisdom is all around us, and within us. The East makes it

easier to find. The West makes it harder, but it is always, as ET said, "right

here."

 

Jai Maa , Jai Swamiji ~ Linda