Gnostic Philosophy

In this very short introduction, Tim Bayne introduces the field of philosophy of religion and engages with some of the most burning questions philosophers discuss.

According to Vedic philosophy, there are four eras in every world cycle. They represent a gradual decline from enlightenment (Satya Yuga) to chaos and ignorance (Kali Yuga) before it starts again. Each of these eras lasts roughly 2160 years. You're probably familiar with the four ages of Hindu philosophy: Satya Yuga, Treta Yuga, Dwapara Yuga, and Kali Yuga. The golden age is when pure knowledge is widespread, and people live in harmony. The dark age is when everything goes wrong—the World falls into chaos, and humanity descends into ignorance. But what happens next?

Renowned esoteric scholar Manly P. Hall gives us an overview of the history of Thoth Hermes Trismegistus. He begins with a short piece of fiction, which he was known to do, in which he illustrates the tale of Hermes defeating a dragon in a temple, as the neophyte and initiator observe. Moving to nonfiction, he discusses the identity of Hermes, the lost writings of Hermes, the Book of Thoth in particular, an introduction to Poimandres, and ends with his simplified and condensed translation of Poimandres.