Buddhism, the Religion of Pre-Vedic India, Lies at the Heart of All Major Religions

Helena Petrovna Blavatsky · Buddhas and Initiates Series · 89 pages

One of the two long foundational studies in this section. Its thesis is stated at the outset and is genealogical: that Judaism, Gnosticism, Christianity, Christian Masonry, the secret communities and a number of short-lived sects have all been erected on identical cosmic myths, symbols and allegories — which over time became pervaded by incongruities and vitiated by error. The Bible is described as the latest receptacle of that scheme, in which allegory metamorphosed becomes sacred history and pagan myth is taught as revealed narrative.

The long middle of the book is given to the number seven, whose mystery it finds shrouded in both the Brahmanical traditions and the Chaldeo-Judaic Kabbalah. The sacredness of numbers is said to begin with the great First — the One — and to end only with the nought, symbol of the infinite circle representing the universe; seven is the most sacred of all; and the question is put whether the seven prismatic colours seen by Noah carry no meaning beyond a covenant. From there it turns to the Rig-Veda, held impenetrable without the Brahmanas, and to Vach, the sacred word personified in Sarasvati as goddess of secret knowledge. The claim underlying the whole is that these books cannot be studied profitably without the esoteric meaning of the Pythagorean numerals.

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