Located in Northeast Africa, Egypt boasts an ancient civilization with a profoundly secretive religion. Stepping onto its desert sands, one is struck by the abundance of temples, shrines, obelisks, and pyramids adorned with hieroglyphs, alongside the enigmatic Sphinx, a creature with a human head and lion’s body, crouching in contemplation. Tombs carved into rock faces line the serene banks of the Nile River. Egypt is truly a precious book, from which archaeologists strive to unravel the mysteries of its ancient religion.
Ancient Egyptians worshipped a primordial divine entity with three aspects, aligning with Indian philosophy: Osiris, the God of Fire, representing the Sun, who judges and protects the souls of the dead; Isis, the Goddess, representing the Moon, who governs the mysteries of creation; and above these two deities, a supreme, powerful, and ineffable being, whose name the Egyptians dared not speak nor discuss.
The ancient Egyptians believed in the immortality of the soul and its need for a dwelling place after departing from the body. This belief led them to develop the practice of mummification and to construct pyramids as resting places for the souls of pharaohs, believing that through sacred rituals, the deceased’s soul would be resurrected into a new life. (*1)
According to Egyptian religious practices, initiates seeking spiritual knowledge first had to undergo self-discovery. After the initiation ceremony, a priest would instruct the new follower:
“O you with a darkened soul! Prepare yourself with the torch that illuminates the mysteries, so that in the deep darkness of the earthly realm, you may find your radiant second body and your divine soul. I am the one appointed by Heaven to guide you, to show you the way, but you yourself are your own guardian deity, for you hold the keys to your past and future lives.”
The phrase “past and future lives” clearly indicates that the ancient Egyptian religion believed in reincarnation.
(*1) Theosophy, however, claims that the pyramids were built by Adepts and contain chambers used for initiations and teachings for disciples.
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