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October 26, 2005

Max Theon, Gnosticism, and Mirra Alfassa

Max Theon, was a mystic and theosoph, and as such the first teacher of Mirra Alfassa, who later came to India to become the companion of Sri Aurobindo. There is a strong suggestion that much of her philosphy reflected Max Theons, and this is true to some, though lesser degree, also for Sri Aurobindo. This webpage gives a comparison of Theons philosophy and Gnosticism.You can also check the Agenda of Sweet Mother (Mirra Alfassa), a diary kept by her secretary Satprem for more than 13 years, with the search-word Jehovah, and see the negative image she has of the jewish creator god as the demiurge, which is typical for gnostics. It is suggested that the early Bible descriptions of the creator god, resemble the human ego by Jungian psychology, which tried to built upon Gnosticsim as an ancient source.
Gnosticism developed in the same cultural milieu as Neoplatonism, the mingling of diverse philosophies and religions in an age of anxiety (not unlike today's world!). But whilst Neoplatonism was more philosophical, mystical, and theurgic, Gnosticism was more specificically mythopoetic, individually creative, and religious. And although Gnostic teachings indicate profound insights, these are often distorted by the virtually unreadable quality of the texts themselves - like the worst of Blavatsky's Secret Doctrine in their dense jumble of symbolism that is written too badly to ever be made readable (if you doubt me - just try reading the Nag Hammadi!). But for all this, a basic theme shines through, especially in the Sethian and Valentinian schools. Here there are influences not only of Judaism and early Christianity, but of Zervanism and Zoroastrianism, and of Neoplatonism and Hermeticism.

1 comment:

  1. I am a bit speechless to your opinion. There are occult worlds which we do not dare to enter, first because we do not know where there is the door to it and second we do not know how to go there in security alone. We need a support from an experienced personality as Theon and our Divine Mother who is our Mahashakti.. All what is mentioned by you does not bring the result of the huge change , the coming of the supramental consciousness which will be slowly developing in new beings who will be superior to us , our species homo sapiens similar to the greater capacity of the homo sapiens to its prior species, the homo erectus.
    Theon had instructed the Mother that the Divinity is within ourself.
    Our spiritual future is best given by Sri Aurobindo and it is worthwhile to study what he has written. There is a practical side to his teaching and that you find in Auroville.

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