The esotericism is, literally, the doctrines of the hidden things. The word comes from the Greek εσώτερος " intérieur" (comparative of έσω " la-dedans").
Esoteric is doctrines or a Dogme which, being based on the design of the world of a religious or laic system given, propose of it a particular reading reserved for a restricted number of “initiates”.
The esotericism is a teaching which makes it possible the man to be initiated with hidden fields, illustrated by Symboles. It is characterized above all by an initiatory knowledge, but often also by spiritual techniques intended for a transformation of oneself (meditation, concentration, fast…), fastening at a school of thought within which the initiate can progress and with individual or collective ritual practices. When the practical aspect becomes prevalent in the esotericism, one speaks rather about magic. In addition, certain sectarian movements are pressed on texts with esoteric content.
Esotericism and Exotérisme
In the beginning, the esotericism indicates a teaching professed either inside a “school of the mysteries”, or in a particular relation with a spiritual Master.
It is in fact reserved respectively to the members initiated within the school or by the Master. Commonly, the term of esotericism indicates a knowledge reserved for some and is included/understood primarily compared to its opposite, the Exotérisme, which corresponds as for him to the Croyance S, Rite S and lesson conveyed by the Religion S and Tradition S and which is addressed indifferently to all the members of a community. The esotericism is not to confuse with the Paranormal and the Occultisme.
Authors of 19th and 20th centuries (Eliphas Lévi, Papus, Riffard) tried to rationalize the difference between the two branches étymologiquement so close.
The esotericism more precisely indicates the secret part of a given teaching, in general Métaphysique or monk, part which reaches the student who received the exoteric part (public) of teaching, following a initiation. Certain esoteric traditions require that this teaching remains secret, and thus create statutes of initiates, the latter being able to obey true hierarchies (for example in the Franc-maçonnerie).
In short, any teaching coming from what is called a “school of the mysteries”, such as for example those of legendary the Rosicrucian brotherhood, the Cathares or the Gnosis, comprises a exoteric part (for the layman) and a esoteric part (for the initiate).
In theory, the part of this teaching " cachée" to the layman, is not in contradiction with the teaching given to the public. It brings a " in general; second sens" with the aspects of teaching exoteric.
teaching esoteric always comprises two types of knowledge: the theory and the study, or: interiorization and practice (for example, Meditation, Invocation, magic, etc).
This duality of knowledge explains the need for this teaching for being transmitted within the framework of the relation of Master to pupil. It is accompanied by degrees esoteric.
Teaching esoteric asseoit above all on a cosmology, an anthropology and a theosophy. By “cosmology” one understands, the knowledge of the phenomena and causes of creation, and what results from this particularly on the origin and to become it of humanity and creation. By “anthropology”, one understands the discovery of his origin and the role of humanity in creation… By “theosophy”, one understands, the perception of wisdom and the plan which is behind all that, the desire to take part in his completion.
Consequently, within the Western framework, it requires four fundamental criteria invariably establish by Professor Antoine Faivre:
- correspondences between the celestial worlds and the ground
- the nature conceived like an living being
- the crucial role of imagination and meditations
- the experiment of the transmutation
- practice of the agreement
- the nature of the transmission (of Master with disciple)
religious teaching insists on the moral principles, the worship of a Master or a god introduced like example and on the need for an evolution located in time (paradise or future lives according to the cases). He insists on the acquisition of morals qualities related to a whole code of punishments or rewards.
Esotericism and Exotérisme: the distinction between these two concepts does not mean that the esotericism is reserved for certain initiates, but that its access implies the self-knowledge, or observation of oneself, precondition to any other mode of higher knowledge. The current rise of the integrisms idolâtres is a manifestation of the refractory religious exoterism to any self-knowledge.
The use of the symbols in the esotericism
The esotericism makes use of Symbole S. The latter can be borrowed from sciences (physics, chemistry, biology or mathematics) or from the real-world. The role of the symbol in the esotericism is to mean other thing that the traditional reading of the concept used like symbol (see the two points of view below), either a hidden direction accessible to the reason, or a approximate representation of a spiritual experiment .One will be able to quote like symbols frequently used in various esoteric traditions, the pentagram or Hexagramme crowned, borrowed from the geometry, the Golden section to the magic and mysterious powers or the number pi, borrowed from mathematics, but also the animals like the snake, the tortoise, the clamping plate or the goat, or of the flowers like the lotuses or the pinks.
Point of view
Esotericism, critical point of view
Jorge Shine Borges, in its news the sect of the Phoenix , undertakes an ironic and intellectual reading secrecy esoteric by putting in scene a sect which protects a secrecy like a treasure, this secrecy being a well-known commonplace of all. More than to scoff mechanics at the secret societies and their so-called secrecy, it is with a history itself symbolic system of another message that Borges invites us.In the Pendulum of Foucault , Umberto Eco, taking as a starting point Borges, presents and scoffs a Modèle at the occultism resting on the concept of secrecy: the greatest secrecy is that which hides only itself, a little as an onion which with the wire of the skins which one removes reveals only one onion anything else; however, more it is peeled, more that made cry the eyes.
Always according to Eco, professor of Semiology and satrap of the College of 'Pataphysique, where the esotericism takes a whole direction lies in this system of knowledge which calls upon itself with a great richness of direction. Among these “complete” systems, one finds the Tarot of Marseilles.
Esotericism, spiritual point of view of
The esoteric readings of the world or the holy texts (Bible, Coran) were born from the need for expressing feelings of a spiritual nature with words. No word of the usual vocabulary not corresponding to this task, the esoteric reading calls upon Parabole S, Image S or Symbole S, more than with the religious culture, and more by obligation that by will to hide the things. It results from this vocabulary an impression of mystery in the uninitiated persons, whereas the use of symbolism is inevitable, and consubstantial with the spoken or written expression Spiritualité.Thus, the Alchimie would not have for goal to change the Plomb into Or but as an objective to post a symbolic system research of spiritual richness. Lead and gold are then respectively the symbols of the rough man and the revealed man. The fact that these symbols are related to the material and meanly pecuniary sphere of the world was a means for the alchemists of considering the people coming to see them. A person being attracted by the lure of gain could not claim with the spiritual knowledge, while an other, with which it image symbolic system spoke, could use the teaching of the Master. Reading, and the level of comprehension of the symbols then determines the spiritual maturity of a person, and consequently its capacity to include/understand the esoteric tradition in which it fits.
However another part of the Alchimistes used of this same claim to attract the good graces of the Prince, thus opening their court. To the 15th century, the richness of Gilles de Rais passed there.
Esotericism, political point of view of
The practitioner groups the esotericism were often shown to influence the policy of a country or an area of the world. Often reinforced by the multiples Theory of the plot, these charges are often emitted by the adversaries of the esotericism. One can quote for example the rumors on the Illuminés of Bavaria or those of the Protocoles of Wise of Sion.
However, of many groups esoteric had a political influence in the history. Many groups, more or less occult (but not inevitably esoteric) were thus constituted to express political opinions. In addition, certain groups esoteric, the such Franc-Maçonnerie encourage the public action their members, without the knowledge esoteric having, in itself, a political influence.
Some Occultiste S also developed concepts of political esoteric , such as for example Jacques Sourmail.
Examples of works being able to offer a esoteric reading
The Bible
The esoteric readings of the Bible are and always were very criticized by the theologists, in particular in the Christianisme. If the Jewish Kabbale proposes a Exégèse licit esoteric of the Torah, that is to say of the five books of Brace (extracted the Old Testament) through the Zohar, it is not the same esoteric readings of New Testament which were always criticized like misconception. Jean-Pierre Sonnet, Jesuit and professor at the Institute of theological studies of Brussels, for example, quoting the Gospel according to Saint-Marc, “Anything are not hidden, if not so that it is expressed” (Mc 4,22), indicates that “Far thus making the set of esoteric logics, the Gospel of Marc put on the capacities of the reader to make emerge the identity of Jesus of the very whole narration”. This vision is disputed by the esoterists, like the Soufis and the anthroposophes, which see in the Passion of Jesus the symbol of a personal mystical way towards God. “All that is buckled will be revealed, all that is hidden will be known”.
Coran
According to the mystics Soufis, followers of a esoteric reading of the Islam, Coran can be read several different manners: one speaks in the tradition about seven readings different from the Coran, but some soufis let foresee the possibility of a greater number of these readings. For the Shiite , the Irfan is the esoteric discipline leading to mystical knowledge.
Remarks
- the word “esotericism” was defined by the occultists and the esoterists in the 19th century.
- the adjective “esoteric” also indicates, in the language running, an opinion, doctrines, an obscure thought.
- It acts of an individual step of “initiatory research” founded on transmitted knowledge of generations in generations. (source: GERP)
See too
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