A little interesting snippet from the book, "The Secret Teachings of All Ages" by Manly Hall
It is by no means improbable that Jesus Himself originally propounded as allegories
the cosmic activities which were later con fused with His own life. That the Χριστός,
Christos, represents the solar power reverenced by every nation of antiquity cannot be
controverted. If Jesus revealed the nature and purpose of this solar power under the name
and personality of Christos, thereby giving to this abstract power the attributes of a godman,
He but followed a precedent set by all previous World-Teachers. This god-man, thus
endowed with all the qualities of Deity, signifies the latent divinity in every man. Mortal
man achieves deification only through at-one-ment with this divine Self. Union with the
immortal Self constitutes immortality, and he who finds his true Self is therefore “saved.”
This Christos, or divine man in man, is man’s real hope of salvation – the living Mediator
between abstract Deity and mortal humankind. As Atys, Adonis, Bacchus, and Orpheus in
all likelihood were originally illumined men who later were confused with the symbolic
personages whom they created as personifications of this divine power, so Jesus has been
confused with the Christos, or god-man, whose wonders He preached. Since the Christos
was the god-man imprisoned in every creature, it was the first duty of the initiate to liberate,
or “resurrect, “ this Eternal One within himself. He who attained reunion with his
Christos was consequently termed a Christian, or Christened, man.
One of the most profound doctrines of the pagan philosophers concerned the Universal
Savior-God who lifted the souls of regenerated men to heaven through His own nature. This
concept was unquestionably the inspiration for the words attributed to Jesus: “I am the way,
the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father but by me.” In an effort to make a single
person out of Jesus and His Christos, Christian writers have patched together a doctrine
which must be resolved back into its original constituents if the true meaning of Christianity
is to be rediscovered. In the Gospel narratives the Christos represents the perfect man who,
having passed through the various stages of the “World Mystery” symbolized by the thirtythree
years, ascends to the heaven sphere where he is reunited with his Eternal Father. The
story of Jesus as now preserved is – like the Masonic story of Hiram Abiff – part of a secret
initiatory ritualism belonging to the early Christian and pagan Mysteries.
To the multitudes Jesus spoke in parables; to His disciples He also spoke in parables,
though of a more exalted and philosophic nature. Voltaire said that Plato should have been
canonized by the Christian Church, for, being the first propounder of the Christos mystery,
he contributed more to its fundamental doctrines than any other single individual. Jesus
disclosed to His disciples that the lower world is under the control of a great spiritual being
which had fashioned it according to the will of the Eternal Father. The mind of this
great angel was both the mind of the world and also the worldly mind. So that men should
not die of worldliness the Eternal Father sent unto creation the eldest and most exalted of
His powers – the Divine Mind. This Divine Mind offered Itself as a living sacrifice and
was broken up and eaten by the world. Having given Its spirit and Its body at a secret and
sacred supper to the twelve manners of rational creatures, this Divine Mind became a part
of every living thing. Man was thereby enabled to use this power as a bridge across which
he might pass and attain immortality. He who lifted up his soul to this Divine Mind and
served It was righteous and, having attained righteousness, liberated this Divine Mind,
which thereupon returned again in glory to Its own divine source. And because He had
brought to them this knowledge, the disciples said one to another: “Lo, He is Himself this
Mind personified!”
Something to ponder anyhow.
