Mythology

"The history of creation, regarded by some in very early ages as probably "mythical," has, indeed, been proved to be certainly so, but the myth includes teaching of much more significance than the supposed history, and everyone should be glad to discover this additional proof that the aim of the writers of Scripture was not to satisfy an idle curiosity about facts which do not concern us. The doctrine of evolution promises to be of very easy assimilation by the Church."

"Cosmology might seem like a rarefied discipline, but in many indirect ways it touches everyone. We all have a need to know why the world is as it is and how we came to exist. Throughout history, societies have sought to address this need by producing creation myths: accounts which weren't explanations in the scientific sense but stories intended to place human beings in the context of a grander scheme."

"The Biblical words about the genesis of heaven and earth are not words of information but words of appreciation. The story of creation is not a description of how the world came into being but a song about the glory of the world's having come into being."

"Look into your own religion. There's constant reference to relativity. Your ancients, they were masters of understanding that there is no one ultimate rule book for all situations. The woman churning curd into butter, she has to pull one end of the rope, and let the other end go otherwise the rope will break. Contradictions and polarities are two ends of the same rope. You can pull one end and let the other end go."

"The ship wherein Theseus and the youth of Athens returned from Crete had thirty oars, and was preserved by the Athenians down even to the time of Demetrius Phalereus, for they took away the old planks as they decayed, putting in new and stronger timber in their places, in so much that this ship became a standing example among the philosophers, for the logical question of things that grow; one side holding that the ship remained the same, and the other contending that it was not the same."

"The idea of the building, the intention of it, its design, are all immutable and are the essence of the building. The intention of the original builders is what survives. The wood of which the design is constructed decays and is replaced when necessary. To be overly concerned with the original materials, which are merely sentimental souvenirs of the past, is to fail to see the living building itself."

"The third or spiritual eye has several functions. Amongst others, it is the organ for illumination, the unveiled eye of the soul, through which light and illumination comes into the mind, and thus the entire lower life becomes irradiated. It is also the organ through which pours the directing energy which streams out from the conscious creating adept to the instruments of service, his thought-forms. The little evolved do not, of course, employ the third eye for the stimulating of their thought-forms."

"The third eye is the director of energy or force, and thus an instrument of the will of Spirit. . . . It is the eye of the inner vision, and he who has opened it can direct and control the energy of matter, see all things in the Eternal Now, and therefore be in touch with causes more than with effects, read the akashic records, and see clairvoyantly... It is through the medium of this "all-seeing eye" that the Adept can at any moment put Himself in touch with His disciples anywhere."

"'Cause there's a hole where your heart lies And I can see it with my third eye"

"If you could flick the switch and open your third eye You'd see that we should never be afraid to die"

"When both eyes are closed, the energy that was moving through these two eyes starts turning—a conversion happens. That energy hits the third eye in you. The third eye is not a physical thing: it is just that the energy that moves through the eyes towards outside objects is now returning towards the source. It becomes the third eye, the third way of seeing the world."

"Wiping the webs and the dew from my withered eye"

"Mr. Bubble meets superfly in my third eye"

"Prying open my third eye So good to see you once again I thought that you were hiding And you thought that I had run away Chasing the tail of dogma I opened my eye and there we were"

"I never knew I could see something so clearly looking through my third eye Never knew karma could be so rewarding and bring me to your light Maybe this is the beginning of something so magical tonight"

"I'll see you there with your hands in the air Where the canvas is bare And there's no more despair And your third eye would stare Nothing can compare not want care and I'll see you there"

"One simple method is to take a pen or pencil and hold it up against a blank wall or ceiling. Now concentrate on the pen as if it is the most important thing in the world. Then allow your sense to relax, so you see the pen against the background of the wall. Concentrate again. Relax again. Keep on doing this until you become aware of the ability to focus attention at will. You will find that this unaccustomed activity of the will is tiring; it produces a sense of strain behind they eyes. My own perception is that if you persist, in spite of the strain, the result is acute discomfort, followed by a sudden immense relief - the 'peak experience'."

"Nala and Damayanti married and she gave birth to twins, a boy and a girl. But the demon of gambling and bad luck (Kali) entered Nala when he neglected to wash his feet; he gambled away his kingdom, and he and Damayanti were forced to go to the forest. When birds, incarnations of the dice, stole the clothes he had been wearing, Damayanti wrapped him in the other half of the single cloth that she was wearing. One night, in despair, he cut the piece of cloth in half as she slept, leaving her with one half, and he abandoned her there."

"Nal [had] met the daughter of the great Naga serpent Vasuki. She wished to marry him, but he regarded her as his daughter because of his close friendship with her father, and he told her that he could marry her only if she would be reborn again as a human. She was reborn as a human princess named Damayanti, and when she was of age her father sent an invitation to Indra to come to her self-choice, but the swan carrying the invitation fell into Nal's hands instead. The king sent a second message to Indra, and both Indra and Nal arrived to claim Damayanti. Because Nal was human, Damayanthi was able to identify him despite Indra’s tricks."

"Though his reflection was clearly visible on the jeweled floor none noticed it among the portraits of him that had been painted by Damayanti's friends to divert her. Then Damayanti came upon him, but he could not distinguish her among the false Damayantis he saw, and she couldn't see him because he was invisible. She threw a garland at the neck of an illusory Nala [whom she imagined], but it fell on the neck of Nala, who was standing there. Nala was astonished to find the real garland from the woman he was imagining and she was surprised to see it disappear. They were in the same place, thinking that they were in different places."

"Than Nala made himself visible and told he was the messenger of the gods - though he did not say that he was Nala. When she asked him to stay, Nala revealed that he was Nala. And Damayanti who had blamed herself for her attraction to the messenger of the gods, was relived to find that it was in fact Nala."

"I see a way, O Prince, by which you will be safe and not at all at fault. O Best of Men, go back to the gods, and come with them to my Swayamvara."

"Thus Nala returned to the place where the gods were assembled. When the Protectors of the World saw him entering their midst, they desired to hear what had happened just as it was. "O king," they said, "did you see the brightly-smiling Dayamanti? and what answer did she return to us. Tell us truly.""

"Nala, meanwhile, transformed into a dwarf, has become charioteer to the king of Oudh. Damayantī at last hears news leading her to suspect her husband's whereabouts. She accordingly holds out hopes of her hand to the king of Oudh, on condition of his driving the distance of 500 miles to Kuṇḍina in a single day. Nala, acting as his charioteer, accomplishes the feat, and is rewarded by the king with the secret of the highest skill in dicing. Recognized by his wife in spite of his disguise, he regains his true form. He plays again, and wins back his lost kingdom. Thus after years of adventure, sorrow, and humiliation he is at last reunited with Damayantī, with whom he spends the rest of his days in happiness."

"With the magic power you gave me, I found the dwelling-place of Damayanti, and entered its large, well-guarded halls, unseen by all until I reached the apartment of her grace, the king's daughter. She and her friends saw me, and were greatly astonished; and, while you were being described by me, O Best of the Gods, she, the fair-faced woman, beside herself for the moment, chose me."

"Let the gods come with you, O Noble Man, to my Swayamvara. In their presence, I will choose you, Nala; and it will not be your fault."

"You shall be able."

"Show me according to thy will, O Prince, what I may do for thee, since I and whatever goods I possess are thine. Show thy affection without hesitation. The words of the swan yet burn within my heart; and, truly, for the sake of thee alone has this assembly of princes been called. If thou, O my Honor-giver, shalt reject me, loving thee as I do, then I will resort to poison, fire, water, or the rope."

"Without further objection, Nala promised, and passed on to the dwelling of Damayanti. There he saw the daughter of Bhima surrounded by her friends,…As soon as the beautiful maidens saw Nala sprang up...astonished, but not displeased at his presence."

"Who art thou, O thou of entirely faultless body, inspiring love in my heart. Thou art a god? 1 wish to know thee, and how thou earnest here and was not noticed. Truly, thou must be a king of wonderful power, because my chamber is well guarded."

"But how can I enter her well guarded apartment?"

"When you may marry a god, how can you desire a human being. Let your mind be turned toward those World-creating, Noble Princes, to the dust of whose feet I am not equal. And, indeed, if you waver in your decision, you will bring me to a disgraceful death. Rescue me from that, O Faultless One...But I, with all reverence towards the gods, choose thee, O king, for my husband — I do indeed."

"Do not send me, since 1 am going for the same purpose myself. How, indeed, can a man who feels love for a woman speak of such a thing to her for others. Excuse and forgive me, Mighty Princes."

"But the gods insisted: "Do this, Nala. Give us your promise. Why will you not aid us. Go on immediately, Prince of the Nishadhans"."

"But since 1 have come as a messenger, Fair One, how can I have anything to say about myself Indeed, since I have given the gods my solemn promise, and have undertaken this matter for the sake of others, how can I, at this time, tell you about my own love? If at another time my opportunity shall come, then I will speak in my own behalf. So let it be now. Good Lady."

"At the auspicious time of the holy lunar day, King Bhima sent summons to the kings and princes to assemble for the Swayamvara. These, urged on by the eagerness of their love for Damayanti, were not slow in obeying."

"1 am known as Nala, Beautiful One, and have come here as a messenger of the gods. Indra, Agni, Varuna, and Yama desire to win you. Choose one of these, therefore, to be your lord in wedlock. For this. Good Lady, I am sent; and it was by their divine aid that I entered unnoticed and unhindered. You have heard all, Fair One. Decide as you wish."

"Accordingly, Bhima sent out invitations to all the kings and princes of the surrounding tribes."

"Finally, her friends went with the matter to King Bhima. They announced that his daughter was ill. They had not heard what the swan had said to Damayanti, neither had the father. But he was a wise man, and began to consider that she was now old enough to marry, and that she was very, very beautiful, and must have a husband befitting her rank. So he decided to celebrate her Svayamwara' according to the custom of the early Hindus. At this Swayamvara, she was expected to choose for a husband from the kings and princes the one whom she liked best."

"About this time, two demi-gods Narada and Parvata while returning from their wanderings on the earth...had heard of the Swayamvara. Now, as well-honored guests, they entered the dwelling of Indra;...Indra inquired concerning the inhabitants of the earth in words befitting the ruler of the gods."

"O Damayanti, there is a prince among the Nishadhans, whose name is Nala. He is as beautiful as the Asvins....You are the jewel of women; Nala is the most excellent of men. If you were to marry each other, your union would be the most distinguished in all the earth."

"Narada, addressed Meghavan,...and said about the beautiful Damayanti and her Swayamvara. Agni and the other chiefs of the gods entered, and were so greatly delighted with the story that they all said: "We will go also.""

"Say this also to Nala, O Golden-plumaged One. The bird… flying hack told everything to Nala. After that, Damayanti could think of nothing but Nala."

"Nala, not being able any longer to restrain his desire to be near so beautiful and amiable a princess, went secretly into a forest near Bhima's palace, and dwelt there. While he was wandering about one day, he came upon a flock of swans with most beautiful golden plumage."

"Damayanti had heard of Nala,- how he was called 'the man-tiger;' how he was without equal in beauty among the people of the earth; and how he seemed the god of love himself in bodily form. Nala, in turn, in his kingdom, heard of nothing but Damayanti's beauty and graciousness."

"As he caught hold of one, and thought, "What a fine dish of meat for my table to-day!" the swan, assuming a human voice, said: "You most not kill me, O King, for I will do you a favor. I will speak of you to Damayanti, so that she will never at any time love anybody but you." Nala at once let the swan go; and she with her companions flew up and off to the city of the Vidarbhans…"

"Damayanti, at that time, was walking with her hundred friends in a pleasure-grove near the palace. When the maidens saw these golden-feathered birds flying into the grove, they ran towards them with cries of delight, each maiden selecting one for pursuit. The swan that Damayanti approached, assuming a human voice, said:"

"King Nala, also, having heard of the Swayamvara, was going with undaunted spirit to prove his devotion to Damayanti. When the gods saw Nala advancing along the road on the earth below them, and looking as beautiful as the God of Love and as radiant as the sun, they were so astonished that they stopped their chariots in mid-air. They even meditated a return to their own world, when they saw in Nala so powerful a rival. Soon, however, they thought out a better plan, and descended immediately from the 'sky-surface' to meet Nala. Ho, Sir! Greatest of Princes, always truthful," they said, "do as a favor. Be our messenger.""

"He was like the Sun-god in his splendor. He was handsome, he honored the gods and ever spoke the truth. Fond of study, he knew all the songs and hymns of the Vedas. He was king of the Nishadhans."

"Among the neighboring tribes of the Vidarbhans, there was, likewise, a very brave and noble king, called Bhima, who had everything he desired except children. One day a 'Brahman Seer,' or wandering Hindu priest, named Damana, came to Bhima and asked for food and drink. Bhima and his queen, in true Oriental style, treated Damana with the greatest kindness and courtesy."