Hello again to all my readers and Internet friends. This article is presented as an exclusive, first-run feature for Tsunami Politico on-line magazine. The author is most interested in corresponding with others who have an interest in this subject. Just email him at EagleRevisionist@aol.com. See the last item on this page for more information. AN
ALTERNATE VIEW OF WORLD HISTORY AND END TIMES DOCTRINES FROM
AN
INDO-ARYAN PERSPECTIVE By Harrell Rhome, M.Div., Ph.D. FOREWORD: The basic, primordial, traditional symbols and archetypes of the Indo-Aryan spiritual mythos are part of a universal revelation, begun ages ago, of a body of knowledge sometimes called the Ancient Mysteries. The deepest roots of these hoary traditions trace directly to the Indian subcontinent, the cultural-spiritual “hive” as Godfrey Higgins called it, the nest and seedbed that brought forth the great civilizations and religions of the world. Among the ideas in this wealth of material is that world history is cyclical in nature, broken down by the ancient mystics and gurus into various ages or aeons. Each rotation of the cycle is accompanied by certain cultural and spiritual developments. This is, of course, rather different from the traditional western view of history as mostly linear and progressive. But both Eastern and Western ideas of history are rooted in religious concepts and writings. And, some of the basic themes and concepts about end times events are similar. So, I invite your brief attention as we look into the most ancient of epochs for hints about the present day through a much older, and equally valid, alternative view of history and cultural events. The goal of this exercise is to present some basic concepts to western readers who are generally unfamiliar, or misinformed, as to our subject matter. In Dr. Annie Besant’s lectures, later published as Seven Great Religions, she said, “I have striven to sketch each religion in its best, its purest, and most occult form, and each as though I belonged to it and were preaching it as my own.” As you will see, I have adopted a similar stance. RESOURCES:
There
are hundreds of books, old and new. But
for a look at the more esoteric parts of history and religion, and many
other fascinating topics, see Godfrey Higgins’ Anacaplysis, An
Attempt To Draw Aside The Veil Of The Saitic Isis, Or An Inquiry Into The
Origin Of Languages, Nations And Religions, Volumes One and Two, 1836.
Also exploring the cycle of avatars are several chapters in Middle Ages
Revisited by Alexander Del Mar, 1899. But
of special importance and inspiration to this exposition is Indian
Mythology by Veronica Ions, London, 1967, part of a series
highlighting mythological systems around the world.
Never reprinted, it has become a somewhat obscure volume.
It is one of those “short” books (141 pages with beautiful
illustrations), not many pages, but each one filled with information and
insight for the informed reader. While
the author says nothing of herself, readers need not go far before
realizing they have encountered a writer truly inspired by the classic
Indo-Aryan archetypes, as well as a master expositor of this
often-difficult subject matter. Her
renderings of the ancient texts are excellent, and in congruence with
those of other translators. Also
included in my article are quotations from certain religious and secular
voices illustrating themes more than a bit similar to the Indo-Aryan view
of history and end times. Among
world religions, end times predictions do not really differ all that
greatly. Read Christian
prophecies, and many others, study the Revelation/Apocalypse of St.
John from whatever perspective you wish, tune into the end times doctrines
of hundreds of religions sects, all over the world – they essentially
agree with one another more than they disagree.
According to many religions and spiritual traditions, we are living
in one of those “interesting times” near the closing phase of a cosmic
cycle. While I might have
selected from several collections of holy writ, because of my personal
interest in primeval Aryana, we go back to the ethno-cultural “hive”
through the prophecies of our ancient Indo-European root-culture.
A basic concept is that God is deeply present in the holy rotations
of time. The ancients viewed
history as cyclical, each phase marked by the coming of various avatars as
elements in the unfolding of world history.
While the word, avatar, has entered our modern vocabulary, it is
greatly misunderstood, as avatar/avatara/avataram is a Sanskrit word, not
translated. It is perhaps
best and most simply rendered as “descended one” or “bodily
manifestation”. The symbols
of the comings are always visible in special ways.
For those who open their vision, the signs of the end times are
already here, and the conclusion is clear -- we are living in the closing
stages of the Kali Yuga. Just as the Indo-Aryan Trinity predates the Christian one by many centuries, so does the concept of the Saviour/Preserver or, as Veronica Ions says, the “Universal Spirit”, manifested as Vishnu, his best-known incarnation being Cristna/Krishna, and later as the Buddha. In the ancient scheme of events, at the beginning of a cycle, things are more or less even between good and evil. As we well know, the situation always changes, with the dark forces gaining the upper hand. This is when Vishnu intervenes, descending to this world in human incarnation to restore the balance. These appearances are not just “avatars” of Vishnu -- they are Vishnu, himself. While there are ten in the greater age/aeon/yuga, some scholars say there are 22. Perhaps they are innumerable, manifesting themselves as the need arises at specific times and places. In many instances, the Great Avatar (Maha Avatara) is recognized by only a few, or not until well after the fact. What is more, the Descendings are not chance events. During each incarnation, Vishnu has a specific task to perform and role to play. Worldly terms like failure or success have little meaning in the greater divine schema of events. “For
the protection of the good, for destruction of evil, and for the
establishment of righteousness, I come into being from age to age.” Bhagavad Gita 4:8. Avatars come at various times, to diverse races, nations and groups of people. Higgins’ seminal work devotes extensive study to a 6000-year cycle of ten avatars, appearing every 600 years. The powers and rulers of the world, whether they really believed in this or not, were aware of the cycles, just as they were/are aware of other astrologically determined dates. Sometimes this knowledge entered into certain crucial decisions. In the 6000-year cycle, if Jesus were an avatar, then another would come forth near 600, corresponding with Muhammad. The next was due around 1200, parallel with the Third and Fourth Crusades. The timing of these Crusades was not coincidental at all as the Vatican wanted to be present in the Holy Land if the Islamic Mahdi, or some other figure, were to come forth. Even though nothing seemed to happen, there was a special papal throne, with both Islamic and Christian symbols engraved on it, to be used if this event actually happened, and the church would embrace Islam. This was said to be hidden away in the Vatican basements when Godfrey Higgins wrote in the early 19th century. It may seem strange that the Catholic Church would consider this, but in today’s world, when Islam is growing rapidly, we see Pope Benedict XVI reaching out to Muslims, and that his papal seal contains a curious semi-Islamic symbol, the “Black Moor”. Moreover, the previous pope, John Paul II, not only visited a mosque in Iraq, but also respectfully kissed the Quran, an unnecessary gesture unless he was trying to make a point. When the priest kisses the Bible, vestments, or the altar, the meaning is clear. The great shrine of Fatima, a town in Portugal named after Muhammad’s daughter, is being controversially recreated as an “interfaith center” including Hinduism, Buddhism and, of course, Islam. Since there are no coincidences in such things, the meaning is clear. But,
we must return a bit earlier in the 6000-year drama. It’s unclear who might have been the c.1200 figure (perhaps
concealed?), but another avatar would have appeared c.1800.
While it is doubtful that Napoleon really fits the description, he
may have thought he was such an incarnation, and he surely knew, along
with other world leaders, about the avatarial cycles.
Hence, these ideas may have influenced state decisions.
This man was a very charismatic figure, guided by a strong inner
strength and spirituality. As
triumphant conqueror, the republican-reinvented-as-Emperor greatly
involved himself in religious affairs.
He intervened quite prominently by, among other things: conquering
Rome, seizing the pope, forcing the Hapsburgs to give up the title of Holy
Roman Emperor, and by recreating the old Judaic Sanhedrin.
Furthermore, Napoleon had a rather conciliatory approach to Islam,
admired Muhammad very much, even memorizing several suras of the Quran. If he truly thought that he was an avatar, or similar figure
such as the Mahdi, it could explain his horrible defeat in Russia.
He would have believed he was invincible since he was on a holy
mission. While other
historical examples could be cited, space does not permit, and this is
sufficient for the reader to see that Mr. Higgins’ hypothesis as to the
6000-year cycle of avatars and their impact on world history is both
possible and plausible. This
600-year cycle may have already concluded, or operates out of sight, but
the greater manifestation of the ten avatars continues. See
if this selection from Veronica Ions sounds like what is going on today.
“The Kali Yuga, or age of degeneration, is the one through which
we are now passing. Dharma is
one-legged and helpless, and… virtue has vanished.
In this age, lasting 432,000 years [numerologically equal to 9, a
number symbolizing completion], during which the deity is black, the
majority of men are Sudras or slaves.
They are wicked, quarrelsome and beggar-like and they are unlucky
because they deserve no luck. They value what is degraded, eat voraciously and
indiscriminately, and live in cities filled with thieves.
They are dominated by their women folk, who are shallow, garrulous
and lascivious, bearing too many children.
They are oppressed by their kings and by the ravages of nature.
Their misery can only end with the coming of Kalki, the destroyer.”
Most of this
needs no comment at all. Nowadays,
we are more enslaved than ever before, and sooner than you think, like the
slaves of sci-fi novels, we shall have an implant for eternal monitoring
and financial transactions, surely the “mark of the beast” if ever
there were one! We live in a
wicked, corrupt and degraded culture, filled throughout with gluttonous
eaters and substance abuse problems, lots of thieves in the cities, in
both “high” and “low” places.
While the text somewhat targets females, both sexes have ample
examples of “shallow, garrulous and lascivious” people.
As to “too many children”, this is strikingly obvious in more
than a few examples of grossly neglected and undereducated young folk of
all races, programmed to do nothing more than slave in menial jobs under
the current world order. If
you are wondering about the black deity, this refers to Kali, a most
misunderstood Hindu deity. Black
symbolizes transcendence, and is the color into which all others merge and
are absorbed. Kali is a
manifestation of God as Destroyer, “Terminator” if you will.
Hindus do not so much worship Kali as they acknowledge, with awe
and respect, the terrible destructive power.
If she is to preside over the demise of civilization, then this is
not going to be good at all; Kali is just not a nice girl!
“Even more terrifying… is Kali, the black earth-mother, whose
rites involve sacrificial killings – at one time of humans – and who
is associated with dark, obscene rites and devil worship.
She has black skin and a hideous tusked face, smeared with blood,
the brow bearing a third eye…. She
has four arms, and holds in one a weapon, in another the head of a giant,
dripping blood; the other two raised to bless worshippers; the hands end
in claws. Her body is naked
except for her ‘ornaments’, which include earrings made of little
children, a necklace of snakes, another of skulls, another of the heads of
her sons, and a belt from which hang demon heads.”
If you think these old words are scary and eerie, then you
obviously have not seen a “horror” movie lately, where archetypes of
evil and wickedness play over and over again for our children, no matter
what hour of the day or night. So
then, are we “unlucky because we deserve no luck”, because of the
choices we have made, including those of indecision, immorality, sloth and
slovenliness? You decide. “Nation
will rise against nation… and there will be great earthquakes, and in
various places famines and pestilences; and there will be terrors and
great signs from heaven.” St.
Luke 21:10-11. “Kalki
(also Kalkin and Kalaki) is the tenth and final Maha Avatara
of Vishnu the Preserver…. The name Kalki is often a metaphor for
“eternity”or "time". The origins of the name probably lie in
the word Kalka which refers to ‘dirt’, "filth" or
‘foulness’ and hence denotes the ‘Destroyer of Foulness’,
‘Destroyer of Confusion, ‘Destroyer of Darkness, or ‘The Annihilator
of Ignorance’. In Hindi kal ki avatar means ‘tomorrow's avatar’.
… In the Buddhist Kalachakra tradition, the Kalki (or Kulika) is the
ruler of the legendary Kingdom of Shambala, where the whole of society is
enlighted.” From
Wikipedia. “Several
famous myths tell just how uncontrollable is Kali's energy. Once, it
was said, she dared to dance with Shiva, the Lord of the Dance. They grew
wilder and wilder, more competitive in their dancing, until it seemed the
world would shake itself to pieces -- and so it will, FOR BENEATH ALL
APPEARANCES THAT DANCE CONTINUES.”
Goddesses
And Heroines
by P. Monaghan. Vishnu and Kalki will make their ride at the beginning of the end phase, and Vishnu will wield his sword, not wildly and indiscriminately, but for specific tasks. It is Kali, the dark goddess, who will accomplish the total destruction and disintegration of this world order. She and Shiva, Lord of Destruction, figure in a related segment in the turnings of the cosmic cycles. The world under Kali’s feet will shatter as she finishes her Dance of Destruction, begun ages ago. The Higher Gods wrote the music, but it is Kali who will dance the dance. Are you ready for another paradox? Creation and destruction are one and the same. After the stage is cleared, a fresh new world comes forth. If not already convinced that we live in the concluding cycle, then consider these additional words describing the times very near the end. According to the chronology, there are ten ages with t en
avatars, Buddha being the ninth. Whether
you “believe in this” or not, read on and think of our present times.
“The tenth
and the last incarnation of Vishnu has yet to come.
It will usher in the end of our present age.
Social and spiritual life will have degenerated to their lowest
point. Sovereigns will set
the tone for the final decline; they will be mean-minded and of limited
power but during their short reigns they will attempt to profit to the
maximum from their power. They
will kill their subjects and their neighbours will follow their example,
and nothing will count but outward show.
Even the Brahmins [priests and upper classes] will have nothing to
distinguish them but their sacred thread, while the apparent wealth of
materialists will be an empty display, for the real worth will have
departed from everything. Truth
and love will disappear from the earth; falsehood will be the common
currency of social existence and sensuality the sole bond between man and
wife. …The earth will be
worshipped for its mineral treasures alone.
The sacred rites will disappear: …mutual assent will replace the
marriage ceremony; bluff will replace learning; and the robes of office
will convey the right to govern. Finally,
even the appearance of civilization will vanish; the people will revert to
an animal existence…. At
this point of degeneration, Vishnu will appear in person on earth, riding
a white horse, Kalki, which is the tenth incarnation.
Vishnu will ride through the world, his arm aloft and bearing a
drawn sword blazing like a comet. He
will accomplish the final destruction of the wicked and prepare for the
renewal of creation and resurgence of virtue in the next Maha Yuga (Great
Age).” “This
know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come, for men shall
be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers,
disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection,
truce breakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those
who are good, traitors, heady, high-minded, lovers of pleasure more than
lovers of God…. II Timothy
3:1-4. "The Hour will not come until Allah takes away the best people on earth; only the worst people will be left; they will not know any good or forbid any evil." Hadith, Ahmad 1:54. "Soon
the knowledgeable people will be consigned to misery and will be killed.
… Various religious cults will rise up against one another, and much
blood will flow. … Love will grow cold in many people because ignorance
will gain the upper hand. Hatred
will rule over the world and evil will reign.”
Talmud of Jmmanuel 25:12ff. "Corruption
has appeared in the land and the sea on account of what the hands of men
have wrought." Al Quran, Sura 30:41.
(While
examples of public and private corruption are ubiquitous, this verse may
also predict pollution and environmental destruction.) "The
Hour (of Judgment) is nigh, and the moon is cleft asunder." Al
Quran, Sura 54:1. “And
I saw, and behold, a pale horse, and its rider’s name was Death, and
Hades followed him; and they were given power… to kill with sword and
with famine and with pestilence and by wild beasts of the earth. … Then I saw
heaven opened, and behold, a white horse!
He who sat upon it is called Faithful and True, and in
righteousness he judges and makes war. … From his mouth issues a sharp
sword with which to smite the nations….” The Apocalypse of
St. John 6:8; 19:11, 15. Does
this sound like Jesus, who walked or rode donkeys, preached peace, love
and forgiveness, even forbidding his disciples to do violence when he was
betrayed and arrested, and who never made war?
If not, who could the horse and rider be? While there is no time to treat the subject here, several
scholars make solid linguistic arguments that ancient Sanskrit texts and
later Buddhist texts form the real basis of the much later assembled Greek
New Testament. The Greeks,
long before Christianity appeared, called the great sky stallion Pegasus.
Of course, the “Man On A White Horse” is also a secular
political logo. The basic
symbolism of our Indo-Aryan root culture, without dispute, predates the
Christian writings by thousands of years.
So, what is the most likely origin of the white horse and rider
motif? You tell me.
But beyond this one symbol, at least some readers must realize that
the scriptures and prophecies of more than a few traditions are eerily
alike, pointing to similar cataclysmic events and symbols at end times.
Westerners often have difficulty understanding the symbols. Some degrade and disrespect the teachings, calling them “New Age”. Of course, there is absolutely nothing “new” about them. Sathya Sai Baba says it all in a simple, but profound way. “The advent of this Avatar has been known of and predicted for thousands of years in various holy books and obscure texts including the Book of Revelations, Nostradamus in his book Centuries, The Ocean of Light (an ancient Persian manuscript of the revelations of Prophet Mohammed), and the Shuka Naadi Granthi, containing detailed prophecies of the Kalki Avatar written on hundreds of palm leaf manuscripts by Sage Shuka over 5000 years ago. The time of great evil mentioned in the prophecies corresponds to the [present day] with its World Wars, regimes of mad dictators and authoritarian rulers, nuclear weapons, famines, diseases, pollution, crime, violence, catastrophes, and worldwide decline of morality. … The Western mind is capable of believing in Jesus as the Son of God, at least on the part of some of the population, but seems unable or unwilling to grasp the concept of the Avatar as an incarnation of God. By contrast, the average Indian is aware of historical Divine personalities and Eastern literature is full of descriptions of the various Avatars. The Bhagavata text is precisely about the various Descents of the Divine on Earth. … The Avatar comes to reveal man to himself, to restore him his birthright of Atmic bliss. He does not come to found a new creed, to breed a new faction, to instill a new God. ... The Avatar comes as man in order to demonstrate that man is divine, and to be within reach of man.” Neither the guru nor I want to “convert” you, but if you agree with Godfrey Higgins and others that our deepest cultural roots are in the “hive” of India, then the material could take on a deeper meaning. But the sole purpose of this brief exercise is educational, taking a look at a most complex and dynamic theological and historical system. The actions and interventions of the Great Avatar are not always discernible when they come to pass, and are often understood but incompletely, even when they are later recognized. “The
fools scorn me when I take on human form; my essence, supreme source of
beings, escapes them." Bhagavad
Gita 9:2. We
are at the dénouement of the present world order, preceding an entirely
new phase of events. In the
short-term, it is a bleak and black scenario, but this too shall pass. In spite of the destructive days of the Kali Yuga, there is a
breath of hope and optimism in the coming Maha Yuga, a Great New Order and
true New Age, a “renewal of creation and resurgence of virtue”. This
is no puerile heaven of cloud-hopping harp players, waiting for their
loved ones, and pets, to appear. The
souls chosen to reincarnate in the New World, as always, have hard work
ahead as they climb the stairs of greatness to even higher levels.
But before this, the present day of degradation, disease and
degeneration must come to a cataclysmic end.
It must decline, deteriorate, decompose, deconstruct and decay,
passing away completely. But,
do not despair; keep your eye on the prize.
From the ashes of destruction, like a Phoenix, a new seed, a new
birth, a renaissance of good and positive forces, a restored and purer way
of life, begins. The Christian Bible, the ancient scriptures and prophecies of
Egypt, India, Persia, the Mayas, Incas and Aztecs, and a host of others,
tell us to look for the proper signs and symbols to understand the holy
mysteries of the end times. One
of the most useful lessons is that the answers to the mysteries, i.e., the
keys to the kingdom, are within each of us.
And sometimes, both annoyingly and enticingly, the answers are
“hidden in plain sight”. If
you’ve come this far, I hope my article has contributed resources and
ideas for your personal search. “You
know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret
the signs of the times. An
evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign shall be
given to it except the sign of Jonah.” St.
Matthew 16:3b-4. “Unless you see signs and wonders you will not believe.” St. John 4:48. “The
disciples say to Jesus: Tell us what our end will be. Jesus says: Have you then deciphered the beginning that you
ask about the end? For where
the beginning is, there shall be the end.
Blessed is the man who reaches the beginning; he will know the
end..." Gospel of St. Thomas, Saying 18. Explicitly
religious documents like the Bible, the Quran and others are regarded by
billions of believers, not only as valid history, but for legal primacy as
well. The words, archetypes
and paradigms of ancient Indo-Aryana are an equally valid, but
considerably older, interpretation of world events.
While the other two elements of the Trinity (Brahma, the Creator
and Shiva, the Destroyer) play key roles, this ongoing cosmic drama
centers on Vishnu, the Preserver and Saviour.
As the Great Avatar, it is he who descends again and again, in
various and sundry incarnations and names, guiding and blessing us.
Vishnu has a myriad of names, but we await his triumphant
materialization as HE WHO RIDES AT THE TURNING-TIME, when
Vishnu-Kalki, in synchronized harmony with the dark dance of Kali, form
another trinity of sorts, sweeping away the abominations and accumulated
filth and trash of aeons to reveal a wondrous Great Age.
Creation continues and the Eternal Drama unfolds anew on a fresh
stage. Hail the Maha Avatara.
Hail the Maha Yuga. "There will come a time when you believe everything is finished. That will be the beginning." Louis L'Amour. Dr. Harrell Rhome is a researcher and writer living in Texas. He contributes to print newspapers and journals as well as several Internet sites, and is a Contributing Editor for The Barnes Review historical journal. He also publishes The Revisionist Observer, both a print and on-line journal, http://hometown.aol.com/eaglerevisionist, and Eagle Newsletter On-Line, your nationalist news nexus, at http://hometown.aol.com/eaglenewstips. He enjoys hearing from readers. Write him at POB 6303 Corpus Christi TX 78466-6303 USA or EagleRevisionist@aol.com. |