Michael Cremo - Human Devolution - A Vedic Alternative To Darwin's Theory

The Kabbalah also incorporates a multilevel cosmos. The Zohar says: “We have seen that when a man’s soul leaves him, it is met by all his relatives and companions from the other world, who guide it to the realm of delight and the place of torture. If he is righteous, he beholds his place as he ascends and is there installed and regaled with the delights of the other world. But if no, then his soul stays in this world until his body is buried in the earth, after which the executioners seize on him and drag him down to Dumah, the prince of Gehinnom, and to his allotted level in Gehinnom” (Scholem 1977, pp. 57–58). The “realm of delight” also has several levels. The Zohar goes on to say about the pious soul: “It is first permitted into the cave of Machpelah up to a point, set in accordance with its merit. Then it comes to where the Garden of Eden stands, and there encounters the cherubim and the flashing sword which is found in the lower Garden of Eden, and if it is deemed worthy to do so, it enters. We know that there four pillars are waiting, and in their hands they hold the form of a body which the soul joyfully dons as its garment, and then it abides in its allotted circle of the Lower Garden for the stated time. After that a herald issues a proclamation and there is brought out a pillar of three hues, called ‘the habitation of mount Zion’ [ isa . 4:5]. By this pillar the soul ascends to the gate of righteousness, where are to be found Zion and Jerusalem. Happy is the lot of the soul deemed worthy to ascend higher, for then it is together with the body of the King. If it does not merit to ascend higher, then ‘he that is left in Zion, and he that remaineth in Jerusalem, shall be called holy’ [ isa . 4:3]. But when a soul is granted to ascend higher, then it sees before it the glory of the King and is vouschafed the supernal delight from the region which is called Heaven.” The multilevel cosmology of the Kabbalah appears to correlate nicely with the template Vedic cosmology, in that both include hellish levels, earthly levels, paradisiacal levels of enhanced material enjoyment, and an ultimate spiritual level of transcendental delight in the association of the Personality of Godhead.

The ninth century Arab scholar Alkindi, known through summaries of his manuscripts by Latin authors in Europe, described a universe with similar features. Alkindi attributed occult influence to stars, and all things natural were a combination of stellar influences, carried by rays, acting on various aggregates of matter. According to Alkindi, each star has a different influence, and each kind of matter is especially receptive to a particular influence or combination of influences. In addition to occult stellar radiation, there are other kinds of radiation, such as sound and light. All of the various combinations of rays influencing natural objects are ultimately governed by a celestial harmony imposed by God.

Alkindi also spoke of the power of words uttered by humans to affect natural objects. These incantations, similar to the Vedic concept of mantras, were increased in potency by the faith and solemnity of the person uttering them as well as by favorable astrological influences (Thorndike 1923, v. 1, pp. 643–645).

About Alkindi’s teachings on sound, Thorndike (1923 v. 1, p. 645) says: “The four elements are variously affected by different voices; some voices, for instance, affect fire most powerfully. Some especially stir trees or some one kind of tree. Thus by words motion is started, accelerated, or impeded; animal life is generated or destroyed; images are made to appear in mirrors; flames and lightnings are produced; and other feats and illusions are performed which seem marvelous to the mob. . . . He states that the rays emitted by the human mind and voice become the more efficacious in moving matter, if the speaker has fixed his mind upon and names God or some powerful angel.”

During the early Christian era, apocryphal literatures such as the Gospel of enoch were quite popular. The Enoch books spoke about angels controlling human destinies. The angels controlled the stars and planets, the years and seasons, the rivers and seas, as well as meteorological phenomena such as dew, hail, and snow (Thorndike 1923, v.1, pp. 342

–343). The Book of enoch also tells of fallen angels who mated with terrestrial human females. These angels instructed humans not only in magic, witchcraft, and astrology but also in practical sciences such as writing, mining metals, weapon making, botany, and pharmacy (Thorndike 1923, v.1, pp. 343–344). All this knowledge of “the secrets of the angels and violence of the Satans” was, according to Enoch, not good for humanity, “for man was created exactly like the angels to the intent that he should continue righteous and pure, . . . but through this their knowledge men are perishing” (Thorndike 1923, v.1, p. 344). The cosmology of the Enoch literature included a multilevel universe composed of seven heavens, or, in some manuscripts, ten heavens. Each level was inhabited by beings adapted to the conditions there (Thorndike 1923, v. 1, p. 346).

Hugh of St. Victor (1096–1141), one of the founders of Catholic scholastic theology, divided the cosmos into three levels: (1) the spiritual world, where God resides and everything is eternal; (2) the superlunar world, or the world beyond the moon, where things have a beginning but no end; and (3) the sublunar, or terrestrial world, where things have a beginning and an end (Thorndike 1923, v.2, p. 12). This is slightly different from the Vedic tripartite division of the cosmos, which includes the eternal spiritual world of God; the higher heavenly planets of the demigods (corresponding to Hugh’s superlunar world), where a day is equivalent to millions of solar years; and the terrestrial realm of our human experience (corresponding to Hugh’s sublunar world). The Vedic demigods are, like humans, subject to death, but their life span is far greater than that of human beings in the terrestrial realm. Hence the demigods are sometimes called amara, or deathless, but the word amara truly applies only to God and the liberated souls who exist with Him in the spiritual world. So in the planets of the Vedic demigods, things do have an end.

According to Hugh, the sublunar world is controlled by the planets and beings of the superlunar world. All terrestrial life and growth came “through invisible channels from the superior bodies” (Thorndike

1923, v. 2, pp. 12–13). The superlunar world is called Elysium, because it is char-acterized by peace and light. The sublunar world is called Infernum, because it is characterized by confusion and constant change. To the extent that humans identify with the sublunar nature, they are held in the grip of change by necessity. This is reminiscent of the Vedic concept of karma . All material change is carried out by karmic law, and living beings are forced to accept from material nature the results of their actions. But, according to Hugh, if they identify with their immortal nature they are connected to eternal Godhead (Thorndike 1923, v. 2, p. 3).

In the middle of the twelfth century, William of Conches wrote his Dramaticon, which takes the form of a philosophical dialogue between William and his patron Geoffrey Plantagenet, duke of Normandy and count of Anjou. In this work, William described three kinds of daimons , attributing his classification to Plato. The first class, which existed in the realm of ether between the starry heavens and the moon, were immortal beings blissfully engaged in contemplation of the sun. The second class inhabited a realm of rarified air near the moon. These immortal, rational beings transmitted the prayers of humans to God and made known to humans the will of God. The third class, inhabiting the realm of humid air near the earth, acted harmfully against humans, motivated by lust and envy. They would sometimes seduce terrestrial women (Thorndike 1923, v. 2, p. 55).