Les mésaventures d'une âme en peine

The Rape of Helen (of Troy), Károly Kernstok (1873-1940)

Les “gnostiques” sont des groupes très hétéroclites de chercheurs, de “chrétiens” dans la région d’Alexandrie. L’histoire étant écrite par les vainqueurs, ce nom a été donné par les hérésiologues proches des chrétiens de Rome. Alexandrie étant l’ancien haut-lieu culturel (et meltingpot) du monde helléniste, et Rome aspirait à le devenir de façon plus autoritaire en déterminant ce qui était orthodoxe ou une erreur (hérésie), une religion ou une superstition. Comme il n’y avait pas encore d’orthodoxies chrétiennes à l’époque (II-IIIème siècle), il ne pouvait pas s’agir de groupes “rebelles” refusant les dogmes naissants et évoluants d’une “Église” officielle[1], ou le pouvoir sacerdotal juif, mais des chercheurs (et quelques "trouveurs" confidents) qui échangeaient, réfléchissaient et partageaient leur idées et pratiques spirituelles (judaïques, chrétiennes, “néo-païennes”, néoplatoniciennes,...) , de façon assez libre et diverse, parfois aussi avec violence, comme il était plutôt coutumier à l’époque hellénistique, et notamment à Alexandrie.

Hypatia et Theon dans le film Agora

La coexistence de cultures de différentes origines conduisait naturellement à une interprétation des anciennes ou nouvelles cultures à travers le prisme de sa propre culture, et donc à des “rapprochements” et des (ré)interprétations allégoriques. La doctrine et le praxis d’autres cultures pouvaient être “traités”, interprétés de façon allégorique (exégèse allégorique) afin de les rendre propres à des analyses comparatives de par sa propre doctrine et praxis, si toutefois ces derniers étaient bien définis.

Cette atmosphère permettait à certains acteurs, souvent de bonne famille, de développer des théories universelles incorporant des éléments égyptiens, hellénistes, juifs, “chrétiens”, “gnostiques”, chaldéens, perses, et “païens”, etc. De toute façon, même pour convertir d’autres âmes, il fallait passer par un discours commun, des références et des allégories partagées, etc. Il y avait également une tendance “monothéisante” dans le monde religieux polythéiste, où un chef des dieux (p.e. Zeus) pouvait devenir un Dieu inaccessible, avec les autres dieux mineurs comme ses Puissances (g. dunamis, s. śaktī, t. nus pa) manifestes. Dans le passé, j’ai parlé en d’autres termes, et sur un autre aspect d’un phénomène susceptible d’y être associé : une appropriation, ou une intégration de “dieux mineurs” (ou rétrogradés), y compris provenant d’autres cultes, dans le culte du chef devenu un Dieu monothéisante. Dans le milieu tibétain on parle alors de “dompter” (‘dul ba)[2], “de par l’intérieur” tout en gardant la forme extérieure, dans une “appropriation culturelle” bien assumée, et même avec fierté.

Ou bien, à l’endroit de Mañjuśrī, le Hermès et le Logos du monde bouddhiste ésotérique, le, fait de son omniprésence dans le triple univers, où il assume tous les rôles importants, sous divers aspects, le plus souvent appropriés d’autres cultes concurrents.

Life of Brian, Monty Python

A Alexandrie aussi, les messies se faisaient concurrence. Simon de Samarie[3] (renommé péjorativement “Simon le magicien” par les hérésiologues) était rétroactivement considéré comme un chef de fil “gnostique” et était un des cibles principales des chrétiens proches de Rome, mais l’hérésie des “gnostiques” était l’invention et la création de l’orthodoxie chrétienne occidentale postérieure. Il n’y avait donc pas de “révolution gnostique”, ni contre l’Eglise, ni même forcément contre le démiurge et ses archontes, car les idées des “gnostiques” le concernant étaient susceptibles de varier énormément. Il n’y avait d’ailleurs pas de temps à perdre à combattre les rois/archontes, dans la recherche de la gnose et du salut.

L’enseignement de Simon de Samarie est connu par quelques fragments d’un texte qui est attribué à lui-même, ou à ses disciples : l’Apophasis Megalê (La grande Révélation). D’autres fragments attribués à “Simon le magicien” se trouvent dans la Réfutation contre toutes les hérésies…

Uma Maheshvara, Kashtaharini Ghat, IX-Xème siècle, Patna Museum

Dans l’Evangile de Jean, il y a la triade Commencement, Dieu et le Verbe, chez Simon c’est le Silence, la Raison (divine, Noûs) et la Pensée (Ennoia). Commencement-Silence, Dieu-Raison et Verbe-Pensée. Le Dieu-Raison et le Verbe-Pensée forment un couple, une syzygie. Mâle-Mâle (Père-Fils) chez Jean, Mâle-Féminin chez Simon. Hermès-Athéna dans les cultes hellénistes. Chez les simoniens (les disciples de Simon), la Puissance Mâle, la Raison, est dite “la grande Puissance” et c'est la Puissance féminine, la Pensée, qui engendre toutes les choses (s. garbha). La grande Puissance est encore appelée “Ciel” (Haut) et la Puissance mineure “Terre” (Bas). On est en terrain connu et traditionnel. L’Espace infinie entre ce couple n’a ni commencement, ni fin[4]. La grande Puissance est appelée également “Père”. Dans la version simonienne, ce serait plutôt Père-Mère (t. yab yum) que Père-Fils. Le texte de Simon continue avec ce passage remarquable sur le Père caché en la Mère :

“Comme le Père lui-même, s'étant émané de lui-même, s'est manifesté à lui-même sa propre Pensée, ainsi la Pensée qui est apparue ne l'a pas produit. Mais quand Elle l'a vu, Elle a caché le Père en Elle-même - c'est-à-dire sa puissance - une puissance et une pensée androgynes. Ils correspondent donc l'un à l'autre. En effet, la puissance ne diffère en rien de la pensée ; elles ne font qu'un. La puissance est découverte à partir des choses d'en haut, tandis que la pensée est découverte à partir des choses d'en bas. (Réf. 6.18.6)[5]”

M. David Litwa poursuit :

“Bien que séparés l'un de l'autre, la Raison [divine (Noûs)] et la Pensée [(Ennoia)] correspondent étroitement. Tous deux conservent une part de pouvoir androgyne. Elles restent, pour ainsi dire, deux modulations de la même réalité. Le Ciel (l'Esprit) et la Terre (la Pensée) sont séparés, mais ils restent unis par les liens sacrés du mariage. En réalité, l'Esprit et la Pensée, le masculin et le féminin, ne font qu'un et sont inséparables. Ce n'est que lorsqu'on les regarde sous deux angles différents (en haut et en bas) qu'on les distingue (Réf. 6.18.7).[6]”

J’ai découvert M. David Litwa seulement récemment, et je suis très impressionnée par son érudition, sa capacité d’établir des liens (y compris parfois interdisciplinaires, mais réussis) avec toutes les nuances, et avec précision. Sa méthode appliquée au bouddhisme ésotérique ouvrirait de nouveaux horizons, j’en suis convaincu.

Chez les simoniens, la grande Puissance est encore appelée la Puissance infinie, et la Pensée est la septième Puissance. Généralement, le chiffre sept signifie la perfection, mais la Pensée divine n’est pas encore perfectionnée en l’homme. La septième Puissance, ou la Pensée, a été plantée dans l’homme en tant que semence, mais doit encore germer et se perfectionner. Voilà le projet du couple divin. Le livre attribué à Simon, le grand Révélateur, dit de lui-même :

“C'est la lettre de la Déclaration, de la Voix et du Nom de la Pensée de la Grande Puissance Infinie. Elle sera donc scellée, cachée, voilée et conservée dans la demeure où est établie la racine de l'univers. (Réf. 6.9.4)[7]”

“La demeure où est établie la racine de l'univers”, c’est l’homme… C’est là que sont cachées les Révélations. Révélées par Simon, que l’on peut voir comme le représentant de Zeus, la Raison divine, et sa femme Hélène, qui représente la Pensée (Athéna), née de son front[8].

Hélène enlaçant sont mari Paris, Jacques-Louis David 1788

Rien d’étonnant pour un adepte du bouddhisme ésotérique tibétain, où le gourou et sa femme sont identifiées à la divinité médiatrice et sa parèdre, pour la rédemption de leurs disciples. Selon la légende simonienne, Simon aurait rencontré celle qui allait devenir sa femme Hélène comme une prostituée en Syrie. Depuis, elle l’aurait toujours accompagnée lors de ses voyages. L’histoire de la rédemption de la prostituée syrienne pointe vers Simon, en tant que Père, qui va sauver sa Pensée (Hélène) captive dans l’âme de chaque humain. Comparable à la rédemption de Yeshe Tsogyal par un Padmasambhava.

“Aussi longtemps qu’elle est seule auprès du Père, elle est vierge et de forme androgyne ; mais lorsqu’elle tomba dans un corps et vint en cette vie, elle tomba au pouvoir de nombreux brigands et les violents se la passèrent l’un à l’autre et la [souillèrent]. Certains la prirent par violence, d’autres en la séduisant par un cadeau illusoire. Bref, elle fut souillée et [perdit sa] virginité. Elle se prostitua dans son corps et se livra à tout le monde, pensant que celui auquel elle va s’enlacer est son mari.” Exègese de l’âme (NH II, 6, Ecrits Gnostiques, Pléiade, p. 477)

A la fin de ce traité, pour illustrer le désir de l’âme de retourner au Père, l’auteur cite même plusieurs fois l’Odyssée de Homère :

“De même aussi [Helène] dit : “Mon coeur en moi s’est retourné, je veux revenir à ma maison” (Ecrits gnostiques, p. 485)

Hermès criophore, période romaine, Corinth Archaeological Museum
David John

 
Simon appelait son Hélène “la brebis égarée”[9], retrouvée et sauvée…

Selon la tradition chrétienne, Simon aurait eu une fin misérable, racontée dans les Actes de Pierre[10]. Dans le passage cité par M. David Litwa, on voit, au bout d’un duel de magie à la Milarépa, Saint Pierre (qui était en train de perdre) prier Dieu, quand Simon s’envole dans le ciel tel un oiseau :

“Mais Pierre prononce cette imprécation : "Qu'il tombe d'en haut et qu'il soit paralysé, mais qu'il ne meure pas. Qu'il soit plutôt infirme et qu'il se brise la jambe en trois endroits ! Tel un oiseau abattu, Simon tomba. Après sa triple fracture prévisible, les spectateurs le lapident promptement. On peut voir en Simon la chute vertigineuse de Lucifer ; mais dans ses souffrances - et finalement sa mort - on peut apercevoir le Christ dans sa passion.[11]”

Ceux qui veulent brûler une cierge pour l'âme de Simon peuvent le faire devant la Porte Miégeville de la Basilique Saint-Sernin à Toulouse, où sa mémoire est honorée.

L'âme de Simon éconduite par les forces de l'Ordre (Wikimédia)

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[1] Pacôme Thiellement, La victoire des Sans Roi : Révolution Gnostique, Puf, 2017

[2] “ Le Dict de Padma contient un exemple de conversion particulière. Les 24 territoires (S. pīṭha) sont contrôlés par les dieux et démons (S. vighna) sous les ordres de Rudra en faisant souffrir les habitants. Rudra, résidant à Pretapuri, doit être converti pour que la doctrine bouddhique puisse se répandre. Evidemment, Vajrapāṇi sera de la partie. Ce sont Hayagrīva et Vajravārāhi, le cheval et le sanglier, qui sont chargés de cette mission par la congrégation de bouddhas. Hayagrīva pénètre par la "porte du bas" de Rudra, jusqu’à ce que sa tête de cheval sorte par le sommet de la tête de Rudra. Les bras et les jambes de Rudra s’étendent. Vajravārāhi pénètre par le bhaga (vagin) de sa compagne (Umā), et sa tête de sanglier sort du sommet de la tête de la compagne. L’union (T. zhal sbyar) de "Cheval" (Hayagrīva) et de "Cochon" (Vajravārāhi) donne naissance à une manifestation de Vajrapāṇi portant le nom Bhurkumkuta (T. rta phag zhal sbyar dme ba brtsegs pa bskrun %).” Blog La promotion fulgurante de l’ambitieux yaksha Vajrapāṇi

[3] Youtube, Introducing Simon of Samaria, M. David Litwa

[4] “In the intervening space, they exhibit an immeasurable expanse of air, which has neither beginning nor end. ( Ref. 6.18.3)” M. David Litwa, Desiring Divinity: Self-deification in Early Jewish and Christian Mythmaking, 2016

[5] “Since, then, the Father himself, having advanced from himself, manifested to himself his own Thought, so also Thought who appeared did not make him.17 But when she saw him, she hid the Father in herself—that is, his power—an androgynous power and thought. Thus they correspond to each other. This is because power does not at all differ from thought; they are one. Power is discovered from things above, while thought is discovered from things below. (Ref. 6.18.6)” M. David Litwa, Desiring Divinity

[6] “Although separated from each other, Mind and Thought correspond closely. Both retain a measure of androgynous power. Both remain, as it were, two modulations of the same reality. Heaven (Mind) and Earth (Thought) are separated, but they remain united in holy matrimony. In reality, Mind and Thought, the male and the female, are one and inseparable. Only when looked at from two different angles (above, and below) are they distinguished (Ref. 6.18.7).” M. David Litwa, Desiring Divinity

[7] “This is the letter of Declaration, of Voice, and of Name from the Thought of the Great and Infinite Power. Thus it will be sealed, hidden, veiled, and stored in the dwelling in which the root of the universe is established. (Ref. 6.9.4)

In other words, Simon’s own Declaration gives voice to the Thought of Mind. Mind’s Thought is incarnate in Simon’s voice. Simon plays the role of the revealer, and what he reveals is the substance of cosmic secrets.” M. David Litwa, Desiring Divinity

[8] “Irenaeus closes his report by speaking of Simonian ritual practice. He says that Simonians worship statues representing Simon as Zeus and Helen as Athena. One must be clear that Simonian Christians are not said to worship Zeus and Athena per se. They worship Simon in the form of the high God (commonly known as Zeus). In turn, Athena was an appropriate representation of Simon’s Thought, since she was born full-grown from Zeus’s head.

The Simonians, in their own view, did not worship mere human beings. Simon, like Jesus, is worshiped because he is true God who assumes human form.” M. David Litwa, Desiring Divinity

[9] M. David Litwa, Desiring Divinity

[10] Les Actes de Pierre est un texte apocryphe de la fin du IIe ou du début du IIIe siècles.

“Dans ce récit, Simon, chassé de Judée par Pierre, s’est rendu à Rome où il fait croire (grâce à des pratiques de sorcellerie) qu’il est le Messie et parvient à en convaincre certains chrétiens. Venu à Rome pour remettre de l’ordre, Pierre affronte Simon dans un duel d’abord intellectuel puis miraculeux que le mage perd. Pour faire la preuve de son pouvoir, Simon annonce alors qu’il va voler, mais il s’écrase au sol, à la prière de Pierre, et se fait lapider par la foule. Dans ce texte, la figure de Simon est constamment associée au diable : il est en effet assimilé à un prestidigitateur qui abuse les pauvres mais aussi les riches en les dépouillant, tandis que le personnage de Pierre acquiert aussi une dimension magique (il fait parler un chien et un nourrisson de sept mois, recolle les morceaux d’une statue impériale et rend la vie à un hareng séché).” Isabelle Rosé, Simon le Magicien hérésiarque ? L’invention de la simoniaca heresis par Grégoire le Grand.

[11] “But Peter prays this imprecation: “Speed on your grace, Lord; and let him fall down from above and be crippled, though not die. Rather let him be disabled and break his leg in three places!” Like a shot bird, Simon drops. After his predictable triple fracture, the bystanders promptly stone him.110 One can see in Simon the headlong fall of Lucifer; but in his sufferings—and eventual death—one might glimpse Christ in his passion.” M. David Litwa, Desiring Divinity

Logos divin versus logos humain

Athéna et Hermès (Hermathéné)

Le Logos pris dans un sens théiste[1] est la pensée, la parole ou la raison de Dieu. Dieu avec un majuscule, puisqu’il s’agit d’un Dieu inaccessible, mais néanmoins accessible à travers son Logos. Quand le Zeus mythologique est promu en Dieu inaccessible (et monothéisé) dans le monde helléniste, il se manifeste à travers son Logos, représenté par le dieu messager ailé Hermès, et à travers sa Sagesse divine (sophia) représentée par Athéna. Dans la mythologie, Athéna, fille de Métis, naquit du crâne de Zeus, comme sa Pensée (phronesis). Dieu (Zeus) se manifesterait ainsi à travers son Logos (mâle) et sa Sagesse (féminine)[2].

Le stoïcien Cléanthe (330 - 232 av. J.-C.) avait rédigé un Hymne adressé à Zeus.

“Sublime sagesse, c’est toi, c’est ton haleine, à tout mêlée,
Qui fait tout vivre, et tout anime, et tout gouverne, et soutient tout.
Âme du monde omniprésente, en qui tout germe et se résout,
Rien sur la terre ou dans les cieux, sans ton vouloir rien ne peut être,
Et rien n’arrive, hors le mal, le mal que l’insensé fait naître.” Traduction de Henri-Frédéric Amiel

Dans le christianisme que nous connaissons, Dieu se manifeste par son Logos, représenté par Jésus.

"Au commencement était le Verbe, et le Verbe était auprès de Dieu, et le Verbe était Dieu.

Il était au commencement auprès de Dieu.

C’est par lui que tout est venu à l’existence, et rien de ce qui s’est fait ne s’est fait sans lui.

En lui était la vie, et la vie était la lumière des hommes ;

la lumière brille dans les ténèbres, et les ténèbres ne l’ont pas arrêtée." Evangile de Jean, ch. 1

Sans contrepartie féminine qui serait sa Sagesse. Chez les premiers chrétiens dits “gnostiques”, Dieu se manifestait à la fois comme Logos et comme Sophia. Dieu est la divinité primordiale apophatique (Noûs) qui se manifeste en une divinité médiatrice, son Logos[3].

A l’époque helléniste, et notamment à Alexandrie, certains chrétiens (p.e. les naassènes[4]) n’avaient pas de mal à imaginer que le Logos de Dieu (voire même la Sophia de Dieu) pouvait prendre d’autres formes que Hermès ou Jésus. Ils trouvaient des manifestations du Logos chez Homère, dans les mystères grecques, et dans d’autres religions du bassin méditerranéen. On peut spéculer que s’ils avaient été en contact avec des religions asiatiques (hormis les “gymnosophistes”) ils auraient sans doute pu étendre la gamme des manifestations du Logos Divin.

La divinité primordiale (Noûs) est donc accessible par son Logos, et par la divinité médiatrice qui le représente, car le noyau de l’être humain est noétique, et donc de la même nature que la divinité primordiale[5]. Ce potentiel, voire cette substance, est parfois imaginée comme une étincelle de lumière (scintilla animae), etc., qui se trouverait au cœur de chaque homme.

“Le salut implique de s'identifier à ce noyau, au véritable être humain qui est en nous, en disciplinant le corps et en maîtrisant les passions. Le salut, compris comme la déification, sera pleinement réalisé lorsque la chair sera transcendée et que l'homme véritable s'élèvera vers sa demeure céleste[6].”

C’est donc non par l’unité des contraires d’Héraclite (logos), mais par l’intermédiaire d’une divinité médiatrice que l’on rejoindrait, ou s’identifierait au Logos, et que l’on atteindrait la Lumière divine.

Peinture d'Hermathena, fusion d'Hermes et d'Athena, Federico Zuccari 1566
Comment résister au Logos divin...

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[1] Pour un logos non-théiste voir le discours (logos) de vérité de l’unité des contraires chez Héraclite.

[2] J’ai suivi les propos de Dr. M. David Litwa dans la vidéo The Logos BEFORE Jesus sur la chaîne Youtube Gnostic Informant du 6 janvier 2023.

[3] M. David Litwa, You Are Gods: Deification in the Naassene Writer and Clement of Alexandria,
Journal: Harvard Theological Review / Volume 110 / Issue 1 / January 2017, published online by Cambridge University Press: 21 December 2016, pp. 125-148Print publication: January 2017

[4] Voir M. David Litwa, The Naassenes, Exploring an Early Christian Identity, Routledge, 2024

[5] “ This mediate deity has a special relation to human beings. The relation is conceived of in ontological terms: the core of the human being is noetic, the same reality as the Logos himself. Salvation involves identifying with this core, the true human within, through disciplining the body and subduing the passions. Salvation, understood as deification, will be fully achieved when the flesh is transcended and the true human soars to its heavenly home. This is the platonizing “micromyth” underlying the thought of both Clement and the Naassene writer. “ M. David Litwa, You Are Gods

[6] Traduction automatique DeepL. “Salvation involves identifying with this core, the true human within, through disciplining the body and subduing the passions. Salvation, understood as deification, will be fully achieved when the flesh is transcended and the true human soars to its heavenly home. This is the platonizing “micromyth” underlying the thought of both Clement and the Naassene writer. “ M. David Litwa, You Are Gods

Minds in danger

"Minds in Danger" (illustration by The Statesman)

From the point of view of the unity of opposites, the sacred cannot be an absolute reality that transcends the world (‘the profane’), because ‘the sacred’ is defined in relation to the ‘profane’, and created through ‘consecrations’ by means of precepts, rites, methods, substances, etc. within the domain of the profane. Yet, “the sacred” is considered as other than and superior to the profane. It is sacred merely through the joint decision of a community and that constitutes the bond (samaya) of that community. In fact, what is actually "sacred" is that very bond, without which ‘the sacred’ collapses. That bond is the weakest and strongest point of ‘the sacred’. There is no sacred without profane, as there is no light without darkness. The 'sacred’ will exist as long as the bond is maintained by a community. Any divine Light, God’s truth, absolute truth etc. does not exist independently from the community believing in it and living it out..

The hidden children of Ruinerworld Farm, documentary by Jessica Villerius

I recently watched a moving documentary by Jessica Villerius, called “The hidden children of Ruinerworld Farm” (De kinderen van Ruinerwold, in Dutch language, VPN required) and read the book “Wij waren, ik ben: weg uit Ruinerwold” written by Israel van Dorsten, one of the survivors, who gives a precious inside perspective and analysis.

The discovery of the 6 hidden children of 67-year old Gert-Jan van Dorsten in a Dutch farm was world news in 2019. Three older children had already escaped earlier, but without alerting the Dutch authorities. The six youngest children, unknown and not registered by the Dutch authorities, remained in the grip of their father, a former member of the Moon sect, who thought himself to be a Messiah directly appointed by God. The documentary tells the gradual liberation of the older children from the influence of their father, and from his indoctrination. Since Gert-Jan van Dorsten had suffered a stroke in 2016 that left him partially paralyzed and unable to speak, he was declared unfit to stand trial.

Without going into the complex details (the unimaginable mental and physical abuse) of the case, I will mainly focus on the role of the mother and - after her death in 2003 - of the children as spirit mediums, and vessels for spirits from the 'spirit world'. The 'Prime Father', as he claimed to be called, used the bodies and minds of his wife and children as vessels for spirits, with whom he then 'communicated'. Israel van Dorsten, the author of the above mentioned book, explains how at one time he was the 'host' of a hundred different spirits that took the place of his own core identity. When a child was hosting a spirit, he (after the mother only two male children served as mediums) spoke and acted as that spirit, and was addressed by his father, brothers and sisters as effectively being that spirit. If the child medium thought himself to be his ordinary self and acted as such, he would expose himself to brutal punishment. The other children exposed themselves to punishment too, if they forgot to treat their mother and brother(s) as the spirit, at various periods. The mother was the first medium and after her death, the second son became the second medium. The eldest son was rejected straight away as a bad influence and had to live apart from the rest of the family in the same house. After the escape of the second son, the third son and author of the book became the spirit medium.  

In the father’s mind, and consequently through his continuous indoctrination in that of the children, punishment (long cold baths, severe beating, strangling aka “killing a ghost”, being locked up with the dog in a shed for months in a row) was not seen as punishment, but as a sort of “purification”, in order for the children to become clean again and to serve as a medium. To be clean, they should not be ‘under’, i.e. under the influence of someone else, a spirit, or simply the evil outside world, including the school the three oldest children went to, because they were registered children. Their minds were purified by intensive praying. When their mother was still alive and served as the medium, she got the same treatment (abuse) from the “Prime father”. When she was hosting a spirit in her body, she would sit on a chair, and was to be treated by the rest of the family as that specific spirit and not as their mother.

All “communications” with spirits and direct “instructions received from God” were written down by the “Prime father”. Many exchanges with his family were recorded and filmed, so that the children could listen to them and watch them again later for their further education... Some of this footage has been used in the documentary. Since the six youngest children were unknown to the Dutch authorities, they were kept at home and didn’t go to school. They were educated and indoctrinated by their father and Messiah. The “Prime Father” also had some disciples with whom he exchanged via Myspace, Facebook etc. and who made donations to him, allowing the family to continue living their hidden life.

Was Gert-Jan van Dorsten insane or suffering from theomania? He surely was a self-proclaimed sect leader that didn’t make it into a recognised religious leader. He was very disappointed that Rev. Sun Myung Moon, whose teachings he followed until then, didn’t recognize his special status as a Messiah. Was Rev. Sun Myung Moon suffering from theomania? Or those following any self-proclaimed Messiah? At what point can religious beliefs be considered theomania? The superiority of the Heavenly realms and the inferiority of the Earth, the existence of a Spirit World separate from the Physical World, The different nature of Soul, Mind and Body, a Soul entering and leaving a Body, ascending beyond the limits of the universe, and being reborn again into a new body are all common and acceptable religious beliefs. Having thoughts, emotions and beliefs is something all humans share naturally. To fully live by specifically selected or culturally inherited beliefs can already be more problematic, and within private circles ruled by sacred bonds, it is bound to turn into a disaster and DARVO behavior.

In religious, spiritual or esoteric circles, it is not considered insane to believe in a body serving as a medium for a spirit. It is not insane to believe in exorcism/purification as a means to efficiently expel a spirit that took possession of a body. Is it insane to punish/”purify”/correct a child for not following religious precepts? Not really, it often is even considered as part of a good or tough but necessary education.

I already wrote[1] about the phenomenon of children used as mediums in Tibetan Buddhism. Young children can be recognised as avatars born into a mortal human body with the mission to bring new Revelations or updates of former Revelations (gter ma). The Tibetan Nyingma tradition defined rules for children to qualify as an authentic Revealer (gter ston). These rules can be found in the Lungten Kagyama (The Command Seal of Prophecies), a Revelation attributed to Padmasambhava and rediscovered by tertön Sangye Lingpa (1340–1396[2]). The age of thirteen seems to be the time for a child recognised as a Revealer to be properly consecrated.

Tertön Mingyur Dorje (1645 - 1667) is an interesting example, because, since he died at a very young age, his hagiography (The All Pervading Melodious Sound of Thunder, the Outer Liberation Story of Terton Migyur Dorje, TBRC W1KG1934) was written by his tutor and “impresario” Karma Chakme (karma chags med, 1613–1678)[3]. The hagiography is mainly a collection of justifications for Mingyur Dorje’s status as a Revealer (tertön).

“In stories of Terton Migyur Dorje’s past lives and in his liberation stories, I [Karma Chakme] have almost always been connected with him. In this life I am also the successor of his Namcho teachings; the terton is the deity on whom my flower fell. His teachings are my fortune. Serving this special being and his special teachings makes my life meaningful. This is my motivation for writing. I believe I am performing a service by writing this liberation story, and I have no aspiration to worldly position or any other aspirations. I am not writing out of a desire for fame, thinking that if the terton becomes famous I will become well-known in the process. Nor have I any desire to become a scholar, wishing to become renowned by writing many volumes. I have no desire to amass wealth; nor do I hope to benefit in a worldly way if the terton attracts many followers.” All Pervading Melodious Sound of Thunder, p. 7

Karma Chakme explains how in the Buddha’s heart, Akaniṣṭha, there are a billion Padmasambhava/Guru Rinpoche, how the Guru Rinpoche we know will have one billion emanations, and that one of these was Tertön Mingyur Dorje, who was also thought to be the tulku of Kathog Wangdrag Gyatso. Moreover, a Tibetan Revealer must also be physically born in a clan descending from the legendary king Trisong Deutsen, an emanation of Mañjuśrī. Karma Chakme gives a great deal of attention to Migyur Dorje’s alleged blood connections with Tibetan dharma kings[4].

Mingyur Dorje was living with his "sinful" maternal grandfather, who was a hunter and a drunk. Since it was dangerous[5] for Mingyur Dorje to remain “unrecognized”, Karma Chagme decided to go and see Mingyur Dorje’s father. When Mingyur Dorje arrives in Karma Chakme’s residence, he investigates his birthmarks in accordance with the statements made by Guru Rinpoche in the Lungten Kagyama.

“When [Karma Chakme] asked the terton whether he remembered his past life, he replied, “I am Lama Tsultrim Dorje. When I was younger I had many things to tell, but now I have forgotten and have nothing to say.”

Karma Chakme conferred initiations and teachings to Mingyur Dorje, although Mingyur Dorje was thought to have already received them in previous lives[6]. After these preparations Karma Chakme started his retreat together with the 11-year old Mingyur Dorje, who initially was said to be very restless[7]. Then the future tertön started having visions of various deities. Mingyur Dorje would roll out thankas of specific deities and subsequently had visions of that specific deity. He would then roll up the thanka, and roll out one of another deity, had visions of the latter, etc. Karma Chakme tells how Mingyur Dorje once prevented a lunar eclipse by practicing prāṇāyāma, so that the “poor moon” would not be swallowed by Rahula…[8]

Karma Chakme never left Mingyur Dorje alone and they even slept in the same bed[9]. After having overcome specific obstacles to Mingyur Dorje’s Revealer activity, the tertön was finally ready for the transmission of the Namchö Revelations. Various deities appeared to him, starting with Dharmakaya Samantabhadra, followed by the Great Compassionate One and the Great Padmasambhava in person. Finally the Great Compassionate One also transmitted the Dzogchen teachings.

“The Namcho teachings contain so many tantras, sadhanas, empowerments and yogic activities, and the attributes of so many deities that we have never known and cannot differentiate that even a person with a sharp intellect cannot recall them. No other treasure teachings have this quality, which is a wonder of wonders.”

Karma Chakme takes on criticism about his claim that Mingyur Dorje stayed for three years with Guru Rinpoche in Chamaradvipa (p. 86), and blames it on the lack of faith of the critics. He quotes from Ratna Lingpa’s treasure teaching called the Middle Length Prophecy:

“My manifestations will be unfathomable
Every morning and every night I will benefit beings of Tibet
In particular, I will personally come on the morning of the tenth day of every Tibetan month;
To those with deep faith in me, I will come in actuality.”

In the same Prophecy, Guru Rinpoche prophecies Mingyur Dorje as a Revealer. At the end of their 3-year retreat, Mingyur Dorje urged Karma Chakme to ask him for anything else he may need, before leaving the retreat, because

“When the Namcho treasures are completely revealed, there will be no more visions,” he said; even if he had some, he would have no opportunity to ask the deities.” (p. 92)

It is interesting to see the parallels between both situations. Children trained, indoctrinated and used as mediums, locked up from the outside world in order to keep potential negative influences at bay. This can create a paranoiac mindset, where one feels threatened, both by enemies from the “physical world” and the “spirit world”. In the case of Karma Chakme and Mingyur Dorje, since there was only the both of them in retreat, their fusion was almost total. Karma Chakme feeds Mingyur Dorje’s mind with data, stories, images (thankas), initiations, rituals for all purposes, day in day out, and, as a result, Mingyur Dorje starts dreaming about it, having visions, daydreams, and finally Mingyur Dorje, somehow identifying with entities from Akaniṣṭha (the Divine light), gives the Revelations he receives in his mind to Karma Chakme. Mingyur Dorje may not have fully understood the revelations, but Karma Chakme noted them down and interpreted them according to the proper Doctrine.

What is particularly interesting in the experience of Israel van Dorsten (and his brothers and sisters), is - after having lived together 24/7 for many years - how well they had learned to “read” their father/Messiah. They knew all his whims and mood swings. Through the continuous threat of mental and physical abuse the children managed to intuit the “right” answers their father expected, or that would most likely satisfy him. In the last year before he ran away from home, Israel finally managed to “talk directly” with God, wrote down God’s words and showed them to his father, who initially acknowledged they were indeed God’s words. Israel felt that two minds were living simultaneously in his body. Just like the Rev. Sun Myung Moon taught in English, and his father’s instructions were given in English, God too talked in English to Israel, while using the proper jargon:

‘Now God wants to rebuild the ideal world. This is the task of the people in Eden. But the evil side is still trying to expand their evil and therefore tries to block the people of Eden from building the ideal world under God. ’

‘The main goal of the attacks of the evil side is to disconnect the people in Eden from God. So the first task for Eden's defense is to stay connected to God because otherwise the war against the evil ones can never be won and the enemy will take control.’

‘How must Eden be protected against these attacks? All people and beings are in different stages of restoration, some beings are closer to God and more pure and other beings are very evil and far away from God... In and around Eden the people further away from God protect the ones closer to God. If this principle is kept there can be made a good system of defense and all other tasks for the defense of Eden can be fulfilled.’

These are the main tasks for the defense of Eden.’

Israel spent his days praying, reading his father’s books, noting down all the ideas he received. He kept files of the 100 spirits hosted in his body, and ended up exhausted by the continuous presence of two voices in his head. He found it difficult to fall asleep.

“After a few months, I notice how gruelling this new way of life is. Doing what God's voice in my head wants all day is deadly exhausting. It is a constant dialogue between the two characters in my head.

The moments before bed are the worst. Sleeping without God is bad. Then you can come under a bad influence. The only way to make sure this doesn't happen is to go to bed praying. So that's what I do, every night. But with two chattering voices in your head, you can't really sleep. Often it is practically impossible. I get more and more tired[10].”

Simultaneously Israel, who already had some doubts, started having access to the Internet, thus coming under various bad influences… When the father finally suggested that Israel’s “God” could be a Gnostic demiurge and not the real God, Israel started doubting everything he believed in until then, including the existence of God[11]. It ended with Israel leaving Ruinerwold Farm and abandoning the faith of his father altogether, like his brothers and sisters.

Karma Chakme’s hagiography explains how Mingyur Dorje “revealed profound and visionary concealed teachings, mind treasures from the space of his mind”.

“Terton Migyur Dorje then told me that if he wished he could write instructions that had never before been recorded. He wrote down a few, and I asked whether his deity had spoken them. He answered that he had heard nothing from his deity. Did he then compose them in his mind? I asked. He responded by asking me how he could possibly know such a style of composition. Next, I asked whether he had written down whatever appeared in his spiritual experience, such as songs arisen from spiritual experiences. He replied that these instructions could not appear as spiritual songs. I again asked whether he wrote down whatever appeared in his mind without any forethought, and he said there would not be much benefit in doing that.

So I asked exactly how he wrote them down, and he responded that just as he could see very clearly whatever objects did or didn’t exist in the house, he could in the same way see all the specific wisdom deities and mundane protectors, their complexions, their implements, and their mantras, as well as the methods required to accomplish them, regardless of whatever their respective collective domain of activities might be.

He could also see that major deities and spirits have life force mantras that can be practiced and he saw the specific activities that can be accomplished. He saw that some cannot accomplish any activities, and that some minor deities and spirits lack life force mantras. He knew whether or not they could benefit others if propitiated, even if they could not accomplish the methods for yogic accomplishment. He saw how specific mantras, substances and auspicious remedies could help cure different diseases but that these methods are not inexhaustible, and do not occur according to one’s wishes. Some deities have rich yogic methods for accomplishment while others have only limited powers. Few instructions on this topic have been written in short form.” (p. 113)

After his retreat and the receiving of the Namchö Revelations, Mingyur Dorje became a celebrated tertön, subjugating demons and opening “sacred places”, future places of worship and circumambulation[12], in remote areas.

“Some unintelligent people who have not studied the teachings may doubt the veracity of reports that a sacred place exists in some out of the way area and that whoever circumambulates it will gather countless merit. To such individuals, I [Karma Chakme] say that the buddhas’ virtuous activities and methods to benefit beings are unfathomable, appearing as ships, bridges, rocks, earth, water, fire, wind and so on, whatever can benefit beings and tame them according to their mental capacities. The sutras and tantras show this in detail.” (p. 110-111)

Mingyur Dorje died prematurely at the age of 23.

“Karma Chakme immediately commenced necessary prayers and rituals and made arrangements for the funeral. Rumors arose that Mingyur Dorje had been poisoned, but the accusation did not gain credibility.” (Treasury of Lives)

Children used as spirit mediums have a long history. Starting in Egypt.

“In one such spell in the London-Leiden Papyrus, the magician is to take a bronze bowl engraved with a figure of Anubis, fill it with water and cover the water with a film of oil. The child medium is to be made to lie on four bricks with a cloth over his head. The magician lights a lamp on one side of the child and a censer on the other. He is then to burn exotic incense and chant an invocation to Anubis over and over again. It is hardly surprising that a child who was susceptible to influence would begin to see pictures in the oil. This was a private rite, of a type disapproved of by the Roman government. In earlier times, when magic was more socially acceptable, large groups of people might come together to achieve a visionary frenzy through music, dance and song.” Geraldine Pinch - Magic in Ancient Egypt, British Museum Press (1994), p. 88-89

In Gnostic and Hermetic circles.

“T. - Why do you say that, O Trismegistus?

H. - Look at the soul of a child, my son, that has not yet accepted its own separation. Its body is not yet grown and has not fully developed. How beautiful it is to behold in every way! Not yet soiled by the experiences of the body, still virtually depending upon the soul of the cosmos. But when the body has grown large and drags the soul down to its grossness, the soul separates itself, forgets and does not partake of beauty and goodness. Forgetting becomes her corruption.” The Corpus Hermeticum: Book 10, The Way Of Hermes, Clement Salaman, 2020

In Buddhist Tantrism in China.

In the "Sūtra of the Yogin” (Yuqi jing, T. 867), translated into Chinese by Vajrabodhi , the following procedure is explained.

"If with a spell (dhāraṇī) you charge girls and boys with power,
You can bring about the āveśa [the 'possession'],
Of the things of the three worlds and the three ages,
Thus you can learn good or bad omen."

And:

"Take virgin boys and girls,
Bathe them, dress them in fresh clothes,
Make them take the Bodhisattva vow,
And place them on a bed of white flowers,
Recite incantations over them, cover their faces,
And recite again, a thousand and eight times,
Then they will know the āveśa directly,
Sometimes their bodies will hang in the air,
Of all things past, present and to come,
They shall have full knowledge[13]." Michel Strickmann, Mantras et mandarins p.220

Times have changed. What once may have been acceptable as a religious tradition no longer is, as we can see in the Ruinerwold Farm case. Gert-Jan van Dorsten’s private cult was fed by well known religious ideas, its basic frame being that of Moon’s Unification Church, to which van Dorsten added Christian, Gnostic and Shamanist beliefs. I am not aware of the origin of his particular ‘spirit medium’ method.

It is particularly shocking that children are secluded and withheld from participating in society and going to school; that they are fed paranoiac ideas about an evil world; that they are fed ideas about a “spirit world” and its superiority; that they have to treat their father as a Messiah and his words as God’s words; that they are forbidden to see and treat their “spirit medium” mother as their mother and their “spirit medium” brothers as their brothers; that they are severely punished physically, verbally, mentally and spiritually if they don’t execute the orders given by their father; that they are forced to renounce their own identity and serve as vessels for spirits.

In other words, it is shocking when children are asked to fear and reject “the physical world”, including their own this-worldly identity and develop a “sacred outlook”, in order to give full priority to the restoration/advent of “Eden”. Not as a simple “belief”, but most concretely so, and in a totalitarian way, always and everywhere… Imposing on children such a religion or a cult, whether a “world religion” or a clandestine cult, is not acceptable.

***

[1] Le Franchissement du pic dans la lignée Kagyu 13/12/2014
Transmissions célestes 03/10/2017

[2] Guru Chowang (1212 - 1270) was a early Revealer, who set down some rules for future Revealers.

“Chokyi Wangchuk was also instrumental in establishing the notion that treasure revelation requires the practice of sexual yoga. He claimed that he could not understand one of his own revelations, the Kabgye Sangwa Yongdzok (bka' brgyad gsang ba yongs rdzogs) until after he had opened his yogic central channel via sexual yoga. His consort was Jomo Menmo (jo mo sman mo), an established treasure revealer herself.” Treasury of Lives

[3] “Someone might say that Migyur Dorje should have written his own liberation story, and ask why I deserve to write it. In fact, various Buddhist traditions have many examples of vajra masters writing their noble disciples’ liberation stories and eulogies. Lord Buddha praised the shravakas’ good qualities in the vinaya and the sutras. Je Mikyodpa wrote a liberation story of Shamar Kunchog Bang as well as an instruction manual on it. Norbu Gyenpa wrote Jatson Nyingpo’s liberation story, being both his teacher and his disciple. Similar cases abound, as most liberation stories have been compiled by the master’s main personal disciples. Thus, I, Karma Chagme, am a suitable person to compile this liberation story.” All Pervading Melodious Sound of Thunder, p. 4

[4] “Despite being born in a lineage of Tibet’s great dharma kings, Terton Migyur Dorje had no domain, so someone might ask, “What is the point of being born in that lineage?” Indicating Guru Rinpoche’s particular compassion towards the lineage of Tibetan dharma kings, the Leu Dunma (Seven Chapter Supplication to Guru Rinpoche) states:

Beginning with King Trisong Deutsen
As long as the lineage of the dharma kings does not perish
Pray to me without any doubt or a divided mind
I will look upon you with unchanging compassion.

When Migyur Dorje and others who hold King Trisongs lineage read that specific stanza while reciting the Seven Chapter Supplication, tears fall from their eyes and they weep openly.” All Pervading Melodious Sound of Thunder, p. 21

[5] "In a similar way, since Terton Migyur Dorje went unrecognized for a long time, his benefit to beings was limited, and many dakinis came to call him to the pure land". All Pervading Melodious Sound of Thunder, p. 32

[6] “Terton Migyur Dorje himself said: “Though I have previously received all empowerments and oral transmissions, and there is nothing that I do not know, I pretend to receive empowerments and oral transmissions and to study the scriptures.” p. 50

[7] “I thought the time had come for Terton Migyur Dorje to spend some time with me in retreat. Although it would have been beneficial for him to practice for a while on the two phases of sadhana, approach and accomplishment, he would not remain in one place for even an instant, but was always running, jumping and shouting to the sky. Exasperated, I wondered why he could not stay still in retreat.”
“One day the terton drew a picture of two lamas in retreat; one carried a bamboo stick and made the gesture of issuing an order while the other sat quietly and obediently. He told me to draw a picture of his home with people spinning hand prayer wheels. I did what he asked and from then on, the terton sat on his seat all the time, not even opening his meditation belt. Needing no reminder, he regularly performed the long-life practice, and recited the liturgies of dedicating torma and water torma.”
p. 53

[8] “Most scholars agreed that a full lunar eclipse would occur on the 15th day of the first Tibetan month. The annual calendar published by scholars of astrology said the same thing. Traditionally, people stayed outside when an eclipse was due to occur, making tea and reciting mantras to save the moon from being swallowed by Rahulai. Terton Migyur Dorje and 1 also did this, and talked about whether the moon suffered pain when Rahula swallowed it. He asked, uIs this true or false?” and I replied, “There are different opinions but the Moon Sutra says that the moon suffers when trapped by Rahula.” The terton questioned further, “Who could subdue this planetary spirit?” I answered that Vajrapani and Guru Rinpoche could subdue Rahula. He persisted, asking whether there was any way to stop the sun and moon from being trapped. “If a practitioner can hold his wind energy and prevent the white seminal fluid from entering the central channel then he can stop it,” I replied, recounting the story of how Tserlung Drungpa had performed this feat.

The terton said sadly, “This poor moon, what a pity!” and he prayed to Guru Rinpoche and Vajrapani, pleading repeatedly: “May the moon never be trapped!” Full of emotion and about to weep, he declared, “If Drungpa could do it, then maybe I can also succeed.” He controlled his wind energy for a long time and that night the moon was not trapped.” p. 54

[9] “Yet, because he was a young boy and the retreat place was dark and infested with rats, I did not find this a safe place for him to sleep and had to let him sleep with me.”
“I always shared my bed with the terton and followed him everywhere, whether he was sitting, standing, or bathing.”

[10] “Na een aantal maanden merk ik hoe slopend deze nieuwe manier van leven is. De hele dag doen wat Gods stem in mijn hoofd wil, is dodelijk vermoeiend. Het is een constante dialoog tussen de twee personages in mijn hoofd.

De momenten voor het slapengaan zijn het ergst. Slapen zonder God is slecht. Dan kun je onder slechte invloed komen. De enige manier om ervoor te zorgen dat dit niet gebeurt, is door biddend naar bed te gaan. Dus dat doe ik, iedere avond opnieuw. Maar met twee kletsende stemmen in je hoofd kun je niet echt slapen. Vaak is het praktisch onmogelijk. Ik raak steeds vermoeider.”

[11] "Meanwhile, Father is becoming increasingly convinced that there is also a cosmic false god masquerading as the real God and that very many important people of the past have been deceived by this fraudster. This discovery has profound implications for me. I am beginning to doubt my 'God'. Maybe that is the impostor Father is talking about. [...] All this time, I have been a tool of an evil spirit, a subject of a devil masquerading as God. I am an instrument for the dark powers. Will this ever work out? Can I ever get it right? I don't know anymore, I really don't know."

“Ondertussen raakt vader er steeds meer van overtuigd dat er ook een kosmische valse god bestaat die zich voordoet als de echte God en dat heel veel belangrijke mensen uit het verleden misleid zijn door deze oplichter. Deze ontdekking heeft ingrijpende gevolgen voor mij. Ik begin te twijfelen aan mijn ‘God’. Misschien is dat wel de bedrieger waar vader het over heeft. [...] Al die tijd ben ik een werktuig geweest van een slechte geest, een onderdaan van een duivel die zich als God voordoet. Ik ben een instrument voor de donkere machten. Gaat dit ooit nog goed komen? Kan ik het ooit goed doen? Ik weet het niet meer, ik weet het echt niet meer.”

[12] The benefits are explained in the “Sutra that Shows the Verses of Circumambulations” quoted by Karma Chakme.

“Those who circumambulate sacred places
Will be free from being bom in the eight unfree states of rebirth.

Those who circumambulate sacred places
Will be mindful, wise,
Good complexioned, intelligent,
And will be respected everywhere by everyone.

Those who circumambulate sacred places,
Will be bom in human and god realms
With long lives
And will achieve great fame, etc.”

[13] Dans le « Livre du yogin de tous les yoga du pavillon au faîte de diamant » (T. 867), traduit en chinois par Vajrabodhi, la procédure à suivre est expliquée.

« Si d’une incantation (dhāraṇī) tu charges de puissance filles et garçons,
Tu peux provoquer l’āveśa [la ‘possession’],
Des choses des trois mondes et des trois âges,
Tu peux apprendre le bon ou le mauvais présage. »

Et :

« Prends des garçons et des filles vierges,
Baigne-les, habille-les de frais,
Fais leur prêter le vœu de bodhisattva,
Et installe-les sur un lit de fleurs blanches,
Récite des incantations sur eux, couvre leur visage,
Et récite encore, mille huit fois,
Alors ils connaîtront directement l’āveśa,
Parfois leur corps sera suspendu dans les airs,
De toutes les choses passées, présentes et à venir,
Ils auront une totale connaissance. » [Michel Strickmann, Mantras et mandarins, p.220]