ravenest
Most masters of occultism .... Yes, it is a general statement. Then I picked up Thelema as an example. What is strange with it? After all this this Thoth forum, so Thelema is naturally relevant for the thread.
Buddhism, I read it somewhere, is a religion believing that you become a God yourself, when you arrive at Nirvana, or you eternally reborn into this world.
One thing clear is, that they all strive to achieve immortality, or / and either worship God(s), or aim to communicate with him / them. And what do you think those huge Buddha figures, the followers worship, bow and pray to in the temples. He is their God who used be a man in ancient India, who became God figure after his death.
Anyway, this is not core of this thread, but what I really was aiming to know was, what relations does Gnosticism have with Thelema and Thoth tarot.
And as you have described Thelema as a system of magical philosophy, please define what it is, and what do they aim in their practice.
And please list many other purposes and reasons of Thelemite which has nothing to do with God and religion.
Hmmm , I was commenting on the difficulty of answering a shifting question, re the first part above. ... anyway , aside from confusions, yes Thelema is relevant here and no nothing is 'strange' with that .
You are going on what you read somewhere . I am going on what Tibetan Lamas taught me personally and my readings of Buddha's writings . Yes, some have turned it into a God worshiping thing , but thats like saying jesus taught crusades as some later people justified what they were doing for their needs via a religion, it doesnt change what the religious or philosophical message essentially was .
I think you misunderstand the core of buddhism and the 'end result' .
The magical philosophy of Thelema is 'Do what thou Wilt' and ' Love is the Law' and 'Every man and every woman is a star', Etc.
You could actually read the Book of the Law, instead of ask me to list it ALL for you .
Gnosticism has a strong relationship to it , as I said 'The Gnostic Mass' is the liturgical expression of Thelema .
Or go to a Thelemic deffinition of Gnosticism
http://www.thelemapedia.org/index.php/Gnosticism
and follow the hotlinks
also I wont list 'many other purposes' but they are abundant if you care to look. here is a starter for you
The OTO a specific Thelemic version was developed by Crowley; it can be seen as a social experiment, a fraternity, a system of initiation and individuation , none of them need be associated with God or religion.
The thing with thelema anyway is, one interprets it how they will , there is no ongoing authority on how to interpret it or what it should mean to you .
You are free to make it a religion, or about God , the Gods, symbolic or 'real', psychological or magical...... or not ... actually, Crowley said the 'Great Secret' will be obvious and replicated by science in the near future .... I thunk we are there now .
Aint supposed to be no dictators.