July 16, 2004
Sacred Pathways To Understanding
Egyptian Mystery Schools
In ancient Egypt,
before universities fed the mind while separate organizations fed the
soul, there existed institutions that nourished humanities' hunger for
learning and oneness with all things. In the tradition of Osiris, who
taught the still-savage humans the tools of civilization, these mystery
schools accepted seekers longing to gain self-knowledge, as well as an
understanding of the universe. To foster an intimate connection with the
natural and ethereal world, initiates including Plato and Euclid partook
of rites, elaborate rituals and study in order to develop their minds and
spiritual abilities.
Though teaching methods used in mystery schools varied, lessons were often
imparted through myths both mundane and deeply mystical. Initiates who
recognized the symbolic meanings of the stories of Isis, Osiris and Thoth
were called upon to develop their intellectual natures through the study
of astronomy, mathematics and medicine to prepare themselves for intense
concentration and focus. They studied the ethical principals of the
goddess Maat, who represented duty and responsibility. These were the
lower or public mysteries. The higher mysteries were kept hidden and
divulging them to the uninitiated was considered a supreme sacrilege.
Those party to them underwent dramatic initiation ceremonies, which tested
both intelligence and courage, intended to free the spirit from its
corporeal prison and to reunite it with the universe.
When the Egyptian mystery schools had outlived their purpose, the oneness
they had taught was carried in the traditions of mystery schools in Europe
and the Middle East, finally becoming the basis of many modern secret
societies as well as groups that strive to help initiates explore the
mysteries of existence. Through such groups, it is possible to recapture
that oneness through the same self-discipline, devotion, and drive that,
thousands of years ago, helped seekers find their way to wisdom.
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