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Scientology's Kabbalah connection

Veda

Sponsor
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There's is a substantial amount that has been written re. how much of Scientology is derived from, not only the works of Aleister Crowley, but from that which Crowley himself took much: the Kabbalah.

Perhaps I'll add to this thread, over time, mostly re-posting background information that may be helpful.

The above diagram appeared in Crowley's late 1940s 'Magick Without Tears', and it presents the Kabbalistic Tree of Life with its key points explained in terms of the tri-grams of the Chinese I-Ching. The I-Ching is an ancient Book of Wisdom that was popularized as a fortune telling device. Such a popularization kept it alive and made it part of popular Chinese culture, however, behind that, it remained an ancient book of wisdom and one based on a mathematical model.

IMO, examining this diagram may assist in understanding the Kabbalistic Tree of Life, from which so much of the benign portion of Scientology's doctrine was derived.

As a footnote, there is the revelation that Hubbard was indeed the author of the bizarre "Lucifer HCOB," where he (briefly) acknowledged his debt to the Kabbalah. Hubbard was, by accounts, using mood altering medical drugs at the time, which, as with the Benzedrine and/or Cocaine use of the PDC lectures of 1952, induced a condition of "loose lips."


Perhaps more later. :)
 

WildKat

Gold Meritorious Patron
If you could put this diagram into simple English, maybe it would be interesting. Otherwise, meh...
 

Veda

Sponsor
If you could put this diagram into simple English, maybe it would be interesting. Otherwise, meh...

I was counting on others to share their knowledge, and some to do a little studying and searching. However, in time, I'll add some more content. :)

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kate8024

-deleted-
Perhaps more later.

I would be interested in seeing more on this - I can see connections in Scientology to many practices but the connections to Kabbalah are not at all obvious to me so I look forward to reading your findings. I'd be interested in knowing if they mostly relate to the Crowley/Golden Down interpretations of Kabbalah or if they also apply to more traditional approaches as well.
 

myrklix

Patron with Honors
Really difficult for me to see how the tree of life from the Jewish Kabbalah connects with a version that has Chinese on it.
Rather than start a tree of rumors perhaps take a look at
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tree_of_life_(Kabbalah)
or just use your favorite search engine on a set of terms like
"tree of life kabbalah".
The Wikipedia article discusses the Jewish Tree of Life while also offering links to alternate non-Jewish interpretations.
IMHO, how any of these might have been co-opted by Tubbard is of little interest to me as is all of Scientology except its demise.
 

Veda

Sponsor
Looks like an effed up Korean Flag to me. :neener:

korean_flag2.gif

And a most interesting flag it is.

Both South Korea and Israel came into existence as nations in 1948. Both have flags that present the same message. The circular Korean one goes round and round and the angular Israeli one, goes up and down.

One universal principle expressed through two different traditions and two different temperaments.

flgdecl1000004758_-00_isreal-flag-decal.jpg


This provides a hint as to why comparing the ancient Chinese schematic of life with the ancient Hebrew schematic of life, and seeing their correspondences, may be enlightening.
 

Leon

Gold Meritorious Patron
The I-ching, the Tarot and the Kaballistic Tree of Life all have one thing in common: Whatever meaning they have is the meaning you put into them. On their own they tell you nothing.
 

Udarnik

Gold Meritorious Patron
The I-ching, the Tarot and the Kaballistic Tree of Life all have one thing in common: Whatever meaning they have is the meaning you put into them. On their own they tell you nothing.

To an extent, I agree Leon. Much of the commentary is deliberately vague. But they also express humanity's first attempts at describing the cycles of nature that are universal. What goes around does come around, and (to borrow from the Supreme Pole concept) - in darkness there is always light and vice versa.

While I believe it is a mistake to put too much effort into trying to discover deep wisdom from ancient cultures that weren't too far removed from wiping their asses with leaves, I give them their due because those people weren't stupid, just ignorant. Of the two, ignorance can be fixed, with the right mindset. Out of magic came science, in the scheme of human thinking and thinking systems.

Plus, I left a lot of blood, sweat and tears under that flag getting my black belt in Tae Kwon Do. :boxing:

As an aside, I had never heard of that interpretation of the Star of David. Its use is actually medieval in origin, and I just don't know where it came from before that. I was just in Jerusalem perusing the archaeology, and I was struck by the absence of SoD. The ancient symbols of the Jews were the Menorah and the staff with 3 pomegranites on the top, which is thought to be the high priest's staff. Strange how that one passed out of reckoning and the SoD came to replace it. Probably because the Rabbinic tradition eschewed the symbols of the priesthood in the disapora after the Second Temple's destruction?
 

Veda

Sponsor
The I-ching, the Tarot and the Kaballistic Tree of Life all have one thing in common: Whatever meaning they have is the meaning you put into them. On their own they tell you nothing.

Leon, as usual you spring into action in an attempt to devalue the exposure of Hubbard's plagiarism.

Scientologists are funny.

On the one hand, they're bragging about Scientology having been the result of "50,000 years of thinking men," and pointing to the vanity lists of great men placed at the beginning of the books, 'Science of Survival' and 'Scientology 8-8008', placed there to give the subjects of Dianetics and Scientology gravitas; and, on the other hand, they're defensively protective against any suggestion that Dianetics and Scientology are not brilliant breakthroughs of galactic magnitude.

In this instance, Leon, it seems that hardly anyone on ESMB has a clue as to what I'm talking about, so you can relax.
 

5equals6

Patron
regarding 'kabbalah', it may prove more fruitful to start ones search with the Hermetic spelling, QABALAH.
 
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Veda

Sponsor
Veda, a Google search for the Lucifer HCOB came up short. Where can I find this?

The Lucifer HCOB is as nutty as a fruitcake, but I've had confirmation that Hubbard was the author - even though it may have been transcribed, and formatted, from Hubbard's dictation, by Pat or Annie Broeker.

I probably shouldn't even have mentioned it as it's a distraction from an already difficult and obscure topic, but the brief reference to the "Cabbalah" in it was interesting, even though it was surrounded by Hubbard's "implanters outside the physical universe," etc., etc., scenario.

http://kspaink.home.xs4all.nl/fishman/ot8b.html

That Hubbard mentioned, as late as 1980, the Kabbalah, or the Cabbalah, or the Qabalah - and there are other spellings - albeit even briefly, was, IMO, noteworthy.

Also regarding 'kabbalah', it may prove more fruitful to start ones search with the Hermetic spelling, QABALAH.

Thanks, that may be helpful to those searching. To limit the search even more, it's the Sephirotic Tree of Life that is the focus.

This thread was an accident, in a sense, as I came across the image of the "trigrams" of the Chinese 'Book of Changes' (as a mathematical-based philosophical system, not a fortune telling device), inserted into the various points of the "Tree of Life," and it happened to be easily and conveniently transferable to visible image form.

So, I started this thread, on a whim. :)
 

5equals6

Patron
The Lucifer HCOB is as nutty as a fruitcake, but I've had confirmation that Hubbard was the author - even though it may have been transcribed, and formatted, from Hubbard's dictation, by Pat or Annie Broeker.

I probably shouldn't even have mentioned it as it's a distraction from an already difficult and obscure topic, but the brief reference to the "Cabbalah" in it was interesting, even though it was surrounded by Hubbard's "implanters outside the physical universe," etc., etc., scenario.

http://kspaink.home.xs4all.nl/fishman/ot8b.html

That Hubbard mentioned, as late as 1980, the Kabbalah, or the Cabbalah, or the Qabalah - and there are other spellings - albeit even briefly, was, IMO, noteworthy.

Thank you for the data. I had found it shortly after asking the question on this very forum, under the Anti-Christ Bulletin thread. Yes, and quite the distraction! This is the sort of thing I tend to eat up with respect to Frater X. Plus, it's always nice to see Nibs validated over time.



Thanks, that may be helpful to those searching. To limit the search even more, it's the Sephirotic Tree of Life that is the focus.

This thread was an accident, in a sense, as I came across the image of the "trigrams" of the Chinese 'Book of Changes' (as a mathematical-based philosophical system, not a fortune telling device), inserted into the various points of the "Tree of Life," and it happened to be easily and conveniently transferable to visible image form.

So, I started this thread, on a whim. :)

Excellent. My Hermetic studies had recently gone astray, so this is a friendly reminder. :) If you aren't already plugged into The Hermetic Hour, Poke Runyon is currently going through the paths every Thursday, with archives for the taking.

To the whim!
 

La La Lou Lou

Crusader
The Lucifer HCOB is as nutty as a fruitcake, but I've had confirmation that Hubbard was the author - even though it may have been transcribed, and formatted, from Hubbard's dictation, by Pat or Annie Broeker.

I probably shouldn't even have mentioned it as it's a distraction from an already difficult and obscure topic, but the brief reference to the "Cabbalah" in it was interesting, even though it was surrounded by Hubbard's "implanters outside the physical universe," etc., etc., scenario.

http://kspaink.home.xs4all.nl/fishman/ot8b.html

That Hubbard mentioned, as late as 1980, the Kabbalah, or the Cabbalah, or the Qabalah - and there are other spellings - albeit even briefly, was, IMO, noteworthy.



Thanks, that may be helpful to those searching. To limit the search even more, it's the Sephirotic Tree of Life that is the focus.

This thread was an accident, in a sense, as I came across the image of the "trigrams" of the Chinese 'Book of Changes' (as a mathematical-based philosophical system, not a fortune telling device), inserted into the various points of the "Tree of Life," and it happened to be easily and conveniently transferable to visible image form.

So, I started this thread, on a whim. :)
Reading the Lucy Furr HCOB again I thought it interesting that Hubbard joined in the with the real religions that are wanting the Armageddon scenario. After the battles and the time of the anti-Christ will come peace. So Fundamentalist Jews Christians and Muslims are trying their hardest to make it happen, so they can have peace. The idea of just not fighting and having peace is obviously too difficult to contemplate. Now the Cult members will be trying to speed up the end of the world too. Brilliant.
 

La La Lou Lou

Crusader
And a most interesting flag it is.

Both South Korea and Israel came into existence as nations in 1948. Both have flags that present the same message. The circular Korean one goes round and round and the angular Israeli one, goes up and down.

One universal principle expressed through two different traditions and two different temperaments.

flgdecl1000004758_-00_isreal-flag-decal.jpg


This provides a hint as to why comparing the ancient Chinese schematic of life with the ancient Hebrew schematic of life, and seeing their correspondences, may be enlightening.

On the star of David, or seal of Solomon (Suleyman), apparently it is a Hindu symbol originally though used in Islam and Christianity too. The original meaning in Hinduism is "nara-narayana, the balance of man and god achieved through meditation and resulting in nirvana.''
http://people.opposingviews.com/star-david-vs-star-islam-4794.html
I have also read that on the side of the Kaba that the centre of Mecca, and hidden by a beautiful embroidered cloth is an inscription in Sanskrit, dedicating the structure to Shiva, no idea of the truth of that, though there were Hindu Temples on the East coast of the Saudi Peninsular. The tradition is that Mohammed smashed the idols that were in it, on it and around it. The were 360 idols inside. However there may well have been a connection between India and pre-Islamic Arabia with the trade routes, trading of Incense with silks and spices.
 

Udarnik

Gold Meritorious Patron
This is always interesting because I would love to know what was in Hubtard's library in order to get an idea where he pulled this shit from (other than his posterior orifice). It's obvious to an independent observer with even a modicum of historical knowledge that much of this stuff was cribbed, but the more I dig, the more I find that almost all of it was.
 

JohnMccMaster

Patron with Honors
Hubbard was a Naval Intelligence officer. So was his Father. Hubbard was indeed very involved in Occultic activity thus distilling his many 'discoveries':eyeroll: from that very source. These are easy to spot unless you have only ever studied Scientology. For instance the concept of the Postulate is the very essence of Magick IE manifesting ones will.

The symbolism too: the many triangles within a circle motif, the green and yellow of Dainetics = dualism etc. The Sea Org Star too, the Pentagram is nothing more than The symbol of Set flanked by 26 "laurel leaves", the leaves of Apollo.

The general concept is as old as we are: Man as the god (small g) of his own world which is 100% Luciferian and is applicable to all 'New Age ' systems. And it's all very interesting too but a little overpriced for me thank you.

You should write a more detailed piece because I think many people here would be interested.
 

Enthetan

Master of Disaster
On the star of David, or seal of Solomon (Suleyman), apparently it is a Hindu symbol originally though used in Islam and Christianity too. The original meaning in Hinduism is "nara-narayana, the balance of man and god achieved through meditation and resulting in nirvana.''
http://people.opposingviews.com/star-david-vs-star-islam-4794.html
I have also read that on the side of the Kaba that the centre of Mecca, and hidden by a beautiful embroidered cloth is an inscription in Sanskrit, dedicating the structure to Shiva, no idea of the truth of that, though there were Hindu Temples on the East coast of the Saudi Peninsular. The tradition is that Mohammed smashed the idols that were in it, on it and around it. The were 360 idols inside. However there may well have been a connection between India and pre-Islamic Arabia with the trade routes, trading of Incense with silks and spices.

That's how many Arabs made their livings, running caravans bringing goods from the East to ships on the Mediterranean, and vice-versa. It would not be surprising if there were a bunch of Chinese and Hindu teachings being carried along with the physical goods.
 

Udarnik

Gold Meritorious Patron
Do we really know that? Do we have the word of anyone but Chubbard and his minions on that?

There is no indication on his service records that he was. Nor his father. They were both surface Navy officers. Personally, given the fitness reports Hubtard received, I don't think there was any way on hell even in the manpower-strapped days of 1944 than NavInt would have touched him with a 10 foot pole.

My opinion of Heinlein has dropped in recent months learning how much of Hubtard's BS he bought into, but Heinlein was also surface Navy and not Intel.
 
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