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derivative of the Sanskrit ajñana (phonetically agnyana), or ignorance,
irrationality, and absence of knowledge.
Anthropomorphism From the Greek Anthropos, man. The act of endowing God or
the gods with a human form and human attributes or qualities.
Anugita (Sans.) One of the Upanishads. A very occult treatise.
Apollo Belvidere Of all the ancient statues of Apollo, the son of Jupiter
and Latona, called Phoebus, Helios, the radiant, and the Sun-the best and
most perfect is the one of this name, which is in the Belvidere Gallery in
the Vatican, at Rome. It is called the Pythian Apollo, as the god is
represented in the moment of his victory over the serpent Python. The statue
was found in the ruins of Antium in 1503.
Apollonius of Tyana A wonderful philosopher born in Cappadocia about the
beginning of the first century; an ardent Pythagorean, who studied the
Phoenician sciences under Euthydemus, and Pythagorean philosophy and other
subjects under Euxenus of Heraclea. According to the tenets of the
Pythagorean school he remained a vegetarian the whole of his long life, ate
only fruit and herbs, drank no wine, wore vestments made only of plant
fibers, walked barefooted and let his hair grow to the full length, as all
the Initiates have done before and after him. He was initiated by the
priests of the temple of Aesculapius (Asclepios) at Aegae, and learnt many
of the "miracles" for healing the sick wrought by the God of medicine.
Having prepared himself for a higher initiation by a silence of five years,
and by travel-visiting Antioch, Ephesus, and Pamphylia and other parts-he
repaired via Babylon to India, alone, all his disciples having abandoned him
as they feared to go to the "land of enchantments." A casual disciple,
Damis, whom he met on his way, accompanied him, however, on his travels. At
Babylon he got initiated by the Chaldeans and Magi, according to Damis,
whose narrative was copied by one named Philostratus one hundred years
later. After his return from India, he showed himself a true Initiate in
that the pestilence, earthquakes, deaths of kings, and other events, which
he prophesied, duly happened.
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The Key To Theosophy - HP Blavatsky.txt
At Lesbos, the priests of Orpheus got jealous of him, and refused to
initiate him into their peculiar mysteries, though they did so several years
later. He preached to the people of Athens and other States the purest and
noblest ethics, and the phenomena he produced were as wonderful as they were
numerous, and well authenticated. "How is it," inquires Justin Martyr, in
dismay,
How is it that the talismans (telesmata) of Apollonius have power, for they
prevent, as we see, the fury of the waves, and the violence of the winds,
and the attacks of wild beasts; and whilst our Lord's miracles are preserved
by tradition alone, those of Apollonius are most numerous, and actually
manifested in present facts?
But an answer is easily found to this, in the fact that, after crossing the
Hindu Koosh, Apollonius had been directed by a king to the abode of the
Sages, whose abode it may be to this day, and who taught him their
unsurpassed knowledge. His dialogues, with the Corinthian Menippus, give to
us truly the esoteric catechism, and disclose (when understood) many an
important mystery of nature. Apollonius was the friend, correspondent, and
guest of kings and queens, and no wonderful or "magic" powers are better
attested than his. Towards the close of his long and wonderful life he
opened an esoteric school at Ephesus, and died at the ripe old age of one
hundred years.
Archangel Highest, supreme angel. From the two Greek words, arch, "first,"
and angelos, "messenger."
Arhat (Sans.) also pronounced and written Arahat, Arhan, Rahat, etc., "the
worthy one," a perfected Aryan, one exempt from reincarnation, "deserving
Divine honors." This was the name first given to the Jain, and subsequently
to the Buddhist holy men initiated into the esoteric mysteries. The Arhat is
one who has entered the last and highest path, and is thus emancipated from
rebirth.
Arians The followers of Arius, a presbyter of the Church in Alexandria in
the fourth century. One who holds that Christ is a created and human being,
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