Page 71 (part 14)

Whenever anathematizing the Gnostic Solar Chnouphis -- the Agathodaemon -- Christos, or the theosophical Serpent of Eternity, or even the Serpent of Genesis -- they [[Vol. 2, Page]] 378 THE SECRET DOCTRINE. are moved by the same Spirit of dark fanaticism that moved the Pharisees to curse Jesus by saying to him "Say we not well thou hast a devil?" Read the account about Indra (Vayu) in the Rig-Veda, the occult volume par excellence of Aryanism, and then compare it with the same in the Puranas -- the exoteric version thereof, and the purposely garbled account of the true Wisdom religion. In the Rig Veda Indra is the highest and greatest of the Gods, and his Soma-drinking is allegorical of his highly spiritual nature. In the Puranas Indra becomes a profligate, and a regular drunkard on the Soma juice, in the terrestrial way. He is the conqueror of all the "enemies of the gods" -- the Daityas, Nagas (Serpents), Asuras, all the Serpent- gods, and of Vritri, the Cosmic Serpent. Indra is the St. Michael of the Hindu Pantheon -- the chief of the militant Host. Turning to the Bible, we find Satan, one of the "Sons of God" ( Job. i. 6), becoming in exoteric interpretation the Devil, and the Dragon in its infernal, evil sense. But in the Kabala (" Book of Numbers ") Samael, who is Satan, is shown to be identical with St. Michael, the slayer of the Dragon. How is this? For it is said that Tselem (the image) reflects alike Michael and Samael who are one. Both proceed, it is taught, from Ruach (Spirit), Neschamah (Soul) and Nephesch (life). In the "Chaldean Book of Numbers" Samael is the concealed (occult) Wisdom, and Michael the higher terrestrial Wisdom, both emanating from the same source but diverging after their issue from the mundane soul, which on Earth is Mahat (intellectual understanding, or Manas (the seat of Intellect). They diverge, because one (Michael) is influenced by Neschamah, while the other (Samael) remains uninfluenced. This tenet was perverted by the dogmatic spirit of the Church; which, loathing independent Spirit, uninfluenced by the external form (hence by dogma), forthwith made of Samael-Satan (the most wise and spiritual spirit of all) -- the adversary of its anthropomorphic God and sensual physical man, the DEVIL! -------- [[This page continued in next section]]