Philosophical Imaginatrix: The Mysteries Concerning Hermes Trismegistus

Hermes Trismegistus was the first Egyptian Philosopher. He was the founder and initiator of ancient mystery schools. He is said to have written The Book of Thoth, Emerald Tablets and The Divine Pymander. He was the master of all from medicine, chemistry, law, art, arc, music, rhetoric, magic, philosophy, geography, mathematics (esp. geometry), anatomy, and oratory. Because of his extensive wisdom and mysteries, he was later considered amongst the Egyptian Pantheon. 

His wisdom largely correlates with the Vedas, Kabbalah, Nordic and many other world culture and religions. A lot of mysteries surrounds Hermes Trismegistus. Hermes is called the 'Thrice Greatest', the greatest of all philosophers, the greatest of all priests and the greatest of all kings. In the Islamic tradition, Sayyid Ahmed Amiruddin, a teacher of the Baha-ud-Din Naqshband Bukhari and Abdul-Qadir Gilani Sufi schools,  has pointed out that Hermes Trismegistus has a major place in Islamic  tradition. He writes, "Hermes Trismegistus is mentioned in the Quran in verse 19:56-57:"Mention, in the Book, Idris, that he was truthful, a prophet. We took him up to a high place".

Iamblichus of Apamea, a Syrian Neoplatonist philosopher claimed that Hermes Trismegistus wrote more than twenty thousand books. Manetho, the Egyptian Historian averred that he wrote more than twenty six thousand books. Whatever the number may be, we can surely say that Hermes was a huge scholarly figure in the ancient Egypt and the civilizations that followed.  

Francis Barrett, in his book Biographia Antiqua, explains that if God would communicate with a human, it would be Hermes. He is the philosopher of the deep, whose works is channeled directly through the heavenly things. Hermes is also identified as Thoth, Enoch, Ningizzida and even Odin. The Latins considered him the Mercury. 

He is also considered the first Mason, who established the masonic mystery school. The masonic initiation is similar to the initiation of the great Hall of Osiris. The masonic symbols are all Egyptian Hermetic symbols. Before Hermes, there was only 360 days in a year. It was Hermes who increased the days to 365. Making his the first one to use 365 days year calendar. 

All mystery, magic and ceremonial invocation and evocation is today considered as a part of hermetic traditions. So much is there concerning about Hermes and his achievements. A question certainly arises amongst all this information, who was Hermes. 

According to Cretan calligrapher Angelus Vergicius:

Hermes left his own country and traveled all over the world…; and that he tried to teach men to revere and worship one God alone, …the demiurgus and generator [begetter] of all things; …and that he lived a very wise and pious life, occupied in intellectual contemplation…, and giving no heed to the gross things of the material world…; and that having returned to his own country, he wrote at the time many books of mystical theology and philosophy.

According to The British scholar R.F. Willetts:

"In many ways, Hermes is the most sympathetic, the most baffling, the most confusing, the most complex, and therefore the most Greek of all the Olympian gods.

The word Hermes means a 'stone heap'. A myth exists which says, Hermes kills a many eyed monster called Argus. After which he was brought to trials in the court of god. And god's voted for his innocence. The vote was casted by throwing a small stone at his feet. A heap of stone grew up around him. It is believed this was the reason why he is called Hermes. 

Amongst his many Books, Hermes entrusted a few of his initiates with the very sacred 'Book of Thoth'. The book was the key to all his other writings. And the book contained the secrets to the regeneration of Humanity. The book was written in hieroglyphic figures and symbols. Those who could read and use the book were bestowed with unlimited power over the forces of nature and spirits. These secrets contained information about using the human body. When some switches were turned on in our brain, the consciousness can be expanded and he can see the parallel planes of higher immortals (gods). The secrets to how this can be done and achieved was described in the Book of Thoth. And many believe it was the key to higher immortality. The book has been passed down through the ages and generations. And it still exists today. It is said a sincere seeker would be bestowed with the book if he seeks tirelessly, in discipline and with sincerity. Aleister Crowley has been said to have bestowed with the information of the book. Pythagoras also was the initiate of the Book of Thoth. 

One of the most ancient Hermetic text is the Divine Pymander of Hermes Mercurius Trismegistus. Which is also called the Divine Pymander. Which is also called Poimandres, which means the vision. The book describes the way by which the divine wisdom was revealed to Hermes. This is one of the most used book amongst the Hermetic tradition. In a general understanding the Poimandres consists of the Egyptian Secret Sciences, the human soul and Hermetic Cosmogony. The book was also called 'The Genesis of Enoch. Which shows it was also the book of Jews. And the Abrahamic Religions has the roots to the Divine Pymander of Hermes Mercurius Trismegistus.

Hippocrates is regarded as the father of medicine by the modern world. But in the ancient 'Therapeuta', Hermes is named as the founder of the art of healing and medicine. Herme's writing is divided into six sacred writings, of which, one of the part is 'PASTOPHORUS' devoted to the medicinal science. Hippocrates disassociated the knowledge of healing art from the divine. And some hermetic tradition consider him the first root of today's material society. Though during his time interdependence of science of the divine art was in communion. Which has been lost today. 

In the tradition of Hermes, a human being suffers from various disease because of seven primary causes. Which are:

• The first cause: Evil Spirit, these are the beings born of vital energies of degenerative action. 

• The second cause: The mis-management (derangement) of spiritual and material nature. This mismanagement brings abnormality in mental and physical process.

• The third cause: The abnormal and unhealthy mental attitudes. Attitudes such as greed, lust, passions, morbid emotions etc, reacts to the physical body which leads to tumors, tuberculosis, cancers, ulcers and fevers. According to Hermetic Tradition, germs were minute creatures born out of man's evil thoughts and actions.

• The fourth cause: The law of karma (or the Law of Compensation). An eternal justice prevails in the universe, by which a human suffers certain fate or disease. Accidental injuries also comes under this headings. 

• The fifth cause: The movements and positions of celestial and heavenly bodies. These bodies don't compel but impel the disease. Hermetic traditions explain that negative and weak people are under the influence of stars, while a positive and strong traditions rule the influence of stars.

• The sixth cause: The misuse of organs, faculty or functions of human body. Such as strains or overtaxing the nerves. 

• The seventh cause: The presence of foreign substance, impurities and obstructions in the body. It consists of functions of diets, sunlight and air as such. 

These diseases can be cured and prevented using seven ways. Which are:

• The first method: Healing by spells and invocations to make the evil spirit part away from the body. 

• The second method: Healing by vibrations. To harmonize the in-harmonies of the material and spiritual body. Chanting spells, mantras, singing, playing instruments or intoning special names comes under this method. 

• The third method: Healing with the aid of amulets, charms and talismans. The heavenly influence could be driven away by using these aids. For example, person under the influence of mercury is said to use aid of iron. Because mercury rules the iron. Which helps to bring the body to normality. 

• The fourth method: Healing with the help of herbs and plants. Mineral medicines helps to make the internal balance of human body. Herbs were assigned to various planets and were used similarly. Once diagnosed which heavenly body influence the suffering person, the physician's uses specific herbs to cure them of the disease. 

• The fifth method: Healing with the help of prayers. Faith was believed to be able to cure disease.

• The sixth method: Healing through prevention rather than cure. Exercise, eat well, be in balance. these are the way to remain healthy. Health is the normal state of man. 

• The seventh method: Healing through practical medicine. Which consists of bleeding, sweating, purging and similar lines of treatments. These must be done in good moderation. Otherwise it will lead to negative impacts. 

The discoveries of science and medicine today are nothing but the rediscovery of what was once known very thoroughly by the ancient world. From the great fire of library of Alexandria to destruction of hindu texts by the muslim, a lot have been lost because of the inhumanity of man. 

There is a deeper relationship between Buddhism and Hermetic traditions. The teachings of buddha spread from Nepal-India to Tibet, Burma, Bhutan, Mongolia, Japan, Taiwan, Turkmenistan, Persia, Egypt, Rome and Scandinavia. 

Count Bjørnstjerna in 'The Theogony of the Hindus; with their Systems of Philosophy and Cosmogony' explains that Buddhism has also penetrated the regions of Nile. And proofs of Buddhism in Nile exists. The Hermes scriptures of the Egyptians contains a dialogue between Hermes and Thoth. Thoth was originally called Thodh. And is a word that travelled from the East. Like 'Dhyana' of sanskrit became 'Zen' of the Japanese. The word Buddha, Buddh, Budh, Buuda, Butta ultimately converted to Thodh to Thoth. And the Book of Thoth resembles the teachings of Buddha, like metempsychosis, existence and pre-existence of soul, liberation of beings, and Nirvana (the final return to the most original of all forms). Similarly Poimandres, the buddhist concept of trinity is placed as a dialogue between Thodh and Hermes. 

We can be sure that Hermes Trismegistus is one of the key individual of philosophy, religion and mysticism. He cannot just be taken lightly in order to fully understand him. He is one of the key source from where the western thought process has evolved and penetrated the world. Aldous Huxley was right when he said his teachings contained the Perennial Philosophy, the timeless science of the soul. A mind of universal archetype carries this information in all time and space. It's like an Ouroboros. An snake eating its tail. A continuous circling of the wisdom.