alchemy - the process of transformation

[pohaikawahine]

there is a thread on "alchemy - the lost science" under the area of paganism .... some very interesting views on this process .... whether it is the transformation of the mind or consciousness, transformation of metal to gold, or transformation of sexual energy .... (I probably didn't word all of this exactly .... but that's it in a nut shell) .... I just posted this piece and was wondering if anyone out there would say that Kadaitswami was an "alchemist" .... it is said that he turned iron to gold ..... personally i believe that the concept of 'alchemy' is related to the transformation of conscousness, and Kadaitswami would certainly be a candidate .... but did he actually turn iron to gold, or is this a metaphor in one of his stories .....

here is my posting to the 'alchemy - the lost science' thread:

Originally Posted by poh

here is something that i just received this morning from "the master course of himalayan academy by satguru sivaya subramuniyaswami" ....

"who was kadaitswami? kadaitswami was a dynamic satguru who revived saivism in catholic-dominated jaffna, sri lanka, in the 1800's. he was a powerful siddha, standing two meters tall, whose fiery marketplace talks converted thousands back to saivism. it is said he was a high court judge who refused to confer the death penalty and renounced his career at middle age to become a sannyasin. directed by his satguru to be a worker of miracles, he performed siddhis that are talked about to this day -- turning iron to gold, drinking molten wax, disappearing and appearing elsewhere."

so it would certainly appear that kadaitswami was an alchemist .... some of our threads are certainly applicable to cross-religious discussions and this is a comparative religious site .... yet we tend to isolate ourselves even in many of the threads .... with a few cross-overs, primarily to point out differences .... hmmmmmmm .... how can we transform some of the threads to open them up to more dialogue about what we all have in common .... just some thought to toss in .... he hawai'i au, poh

[Rouge47]

Well, he is probably an alchemist with just the fact that he transmuted a base metal into gold. However, he could be speaking in metaphor. Alchemy is what created chemistry. So if he is known as a chemist then he is an alchemist. In fact we are all alchemists in our own way.

PJ

[seattlegal]

Originally Posted by pohaikawahine

it is said that he turned iron to gold ..... personally i believe that the concept of 'alchemy' is related to the transformation of conscousness, and Kadaitswami would certainly be a candidate .... but did he actually turn iron to gold, or is this a metaphor in one of his stories .....

Metaphorically speaking, iron rusts, and so is vulnerable to corruption. Gold does not rust....

[_Z_]

I thought it was lead that can be turned into gold, as it lies net to it on the periodic table all it needs is a few extra electrons.

Personally I believe alchemy is a spiritual transformation process, where one becomes the universal androgen – becoming one with the source of all manifestation i.e. finding the ‘philosophers stone’. The tarot cards apparently represent this process, and utilises it as a ‘path’ for the apprentice to become an initiate into the mysteries – but I don’t think there is any gold making going on, although the successful sage/magi is apparently supposed to come into wealth at the end of the journey [probably by telling kings that they can make lead turn into gold – receiving moneys then high tailing it the hell out of there!].



I do feel that an equivalent of Tantra or ‘sex magic’ is involved in the process, as a balancing of opposites appears to be fundamental to understanding the source.



Just for interest…



Alchemy comes from al-chemia, which in turn comes from khemia – a goddess of the Nile tributaries. I would have thought that Thoth and Anubis were more fundamental to the magic though.





Z

[wil]

Over in that thread, I asked this question w/o response

has anyone read about connections between the alchemists formulae and the supposed hiding of Jesus's thought/words? That turning iron into gold is man into christ, earth consciousness into heavenly consciousness etc. That as the churches and inquisitions were burning every heretical book in sight...that the info could be hid amongst the alchemists as greed was powerful enough to have an interest in maintaining all those books?

Over here I wonder, could not all exist on all levels? ie there exists a physical reality, there exists natural occurances whose abilities we have forgotten and when someone performs those we call it miracles, there exists a spiritual reality, there exist a number of metaphors, concepts and understandings, from viewing, reading, contemplating about such events?

[_Z_]

Interesting wil!



I see Christ as an exemplification of mans quest too. [+ The Buddha etc.]

For me life is about learning skills of every kind, once learned they become part of us. Ultimately then, there is ‘the source’ [may the source be with you lol] – which is the ultimate skill! It is that by which we are manifest, thus to be master of it is to be master of ones own destiny! Indeed once learned we can transform anything – remembering that all other members of eternity can do the same and wont appreciate us changing them or their environment, and of course that god is the ultimate alchemist! This is why we cannot have this ‘power’ on his world! This teaches us respect so as to ‘not tread on each others toes’ in Elysium – which for me is the ‘real world’ as this realm is merely the school of god.


respect
Z

[Thomas]

Hi Wil -

[i]Over here I wonder, could not all exist on all levels[/]

Curiously enough, I was thinking of 'mythos and logos' today - I'' gather my thoughts and post...

Thomas

[seattlegal]

Originally Posted by wil

Over in that thread, I asked this question w/o response Over here I wonder, could not all exist on all levels? ie there exists a physical reality, there exists natural occurances whose abilities we have forgotten and when someone performs those we call it miracles, there exists a spiritual reality, there exist a number of metaphors, concepts and understandings, from viewing, reading, contemplating about such events?

Hmm, isn't that the "philosopher's stone?" ie, consentual reality? {Philosophy is ultimately based upon assumptions of what constitutes what is real. One must build a basis for what is real before one can build any philosophical construct.} If you control the peoples' ideas of what is real, the "philosopher's stone," then you can also control the man-made philosophical and/or religious constructs...hmm...