The preeminent explanatory text for these ideas is "The Symbolism of the Stupa"
by Adrian Snodgrass. Published in 1985 it is now selling for about US $30-35.
It describes the principle ideas and symbolism of the solar path starting with
the homology between the mandala of the solar year and the 10,000 bricks of the
vedic agnicayana fire altar. It continues through the vedic chaitanya and the
buddhist stupa, then goes through the chakra-nadi system and ends with an
examination of this idea in the Diamond and Matrix-realm mandalas of the
Shingon Tantric Buddhists of China and Japan.
Adrian Snodgrass is an archetect and his text is filled with insightful
visual illustrations of the solar path.
empty
"do.rflex" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
--- In [email protected], "BillyG." <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
wrote:
>
> --- In [email protected], "do.rflex" <do.rflex@> wrote:
>
> > 271:5 ... That future life is reached by two roads; p. 272 one, the
> > Devapatha, leading to the world of Brahman (the conditioned),
>
> That would be the path of the Devas/Gods/Angels/Shining Ones or the
> *dynamism* MMY talks about, conditioned..by space and time.
>
>
>
> beyond
> > which there lies one other stage only, represented by knowledge of and
> > identity with the unconditioned Brahman;
>
> The 'unconditioned' Brahman is the *Silence* part of the two fold
> transcendental absolute, Cosmic Consciousness or Nirvikalpa Samadhi.
>
>
>
> >
> > the other leading to the world of the fathers, and from thence, after
> > the reward of good works has been consumed, back to a new round of
> > mundane existence.
>
> That is the heaven world where one is rewarded for good karma, but not
> freedom for Samsara, (the wheel of rebirth).
>
> > There is a third road for creatures which live and die, worms,
> > insects, and creeping things, but they are of little consequence.
>
>
> Of little consequence....
>
> > Now it is quite clear that the knowledge which king Kitra possesses,
> > and which Svetaketu does not possess, is that of the two roads after
> > death, sometimes called the right and the left, or the southern and
> > northern roads. These roads are fully described in the
> > Khândogya-upanishad and in the Brihad-âranyaka, with certain
> > variations, yet on the whole with the same purpose.
>
> The Northern road is the upward path of the prana leading to the 7th
> chakra or spiritual illumination and freedom from rebirth.
>
> > The northern or left road, called also the path of the Devas, passes
> > on from light and day to the bright half of the moon;
>
> Up the spine to the brain.
>
> the southern or
> > right road, called also the path of the fathers, passes on from smoke
> > and night to the dark half of the moon.
>
> Back to rebirth due to unworked out karma.
>
>
> > Both roads therefore meet in the moon, but diverge afterwards. While
> > the northern road passes by the six months when the sun moves towards
> > the north, through the sun, (moon,) and the lightning to the world of
> > Brahman, the southern passes by the six months when the sun moves
> > towards the south, to the world of the fathers, the ether, and the
> moon.
>
> One is temporary enlightenment (return to rebirth) and one is
> permanent (no return).
>
> > The great difference, however, between the two roads is, that while
> > those who travel on the former do not return again to a new life on
> > earth, but reach in the end a true knowledge of the unconditioned
> > Brahman, those who pass on to the world of the fathers and the moon
> > return to earth to be born again and again.
>
> Until they take the Northern path....
>
> > http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/sbe01/sbe01239.htm
>
> The northern and southern paths are symbolic of the two directions of
> the kundalini shakti, Northern going up towards Cosmic Consciousness
> or the brain and Southern coming downwards towards the body or
> reincarnation.
Thanks.
---------------------------------
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