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Amanita muscaria:
The Mushrooms that shaped Mankind Part 3
Eastern philosophy esoterica:
The mysteries of SOMA and AMRITA, the efficatious properties of the magical/sacramental/transformational foods and drinks of Hinduism and Buddhism. The hidden keys to Enlightenment.
(The Enigma Continues)

PICTURE: James Arthur at Pema Osel Ling (The Lotus Land Of Clear Light), in the Santa Cruz mountains, California, 1995. Statue: Padma Sambhava.

History recalls how great the fall can be
While everybody's sleeping, the boats put out to sea
Borne on the wings of time
It seemed the answers were so easy to find
"Too late," the prophets cry
The island's sinking, let's take to the sky
---Supertramp

So many early religions have used this Mushroom in their sacraments, initiations, and rituals it makes for a good argument that revealing this knowledge could perhaps achieve what many throughout the world have long desired, a common ground which all religions share at their very roots. A basic common denominator that should theoretically bring them together. However, even though they did spring from the same source, there has been so much dogma added to the respective branches of the religious tree, which have focused upon derision and ridicule of the various others, that even though a commonality like this is found, there may truly be no hope for this ever happening. First and foremost to this concept ever working would be the acceptance and revealing of it in the first place. This would undermine the authority of religious figureheads, who rely on the beliefs (of their subjects), that they (or their religion) possess the only true authorized contact with God. By admitting non-exclusivity, of this divine right, to their supporters, they would be relinquishing authority, and therefore power. In my opinion, for this reason, it is not likely to ever happen.

There may be a reason that this mushroom has remained hidden for these thousands of years. What has become clear, is that cosmologically every religion on our planet looks forward to a time in the future where man will have direct contact with what can be defined as God. The thousand year reign of the messiah, the new golden age, the return of Jesus, Buddha, Krishna, Mithra, King Arthur, etc, etc, etc, is a commonality that is the hoped-for relief to the people that wish to live in peace, and understanding. A time when all lies will be exposed. A time when oppression of freedom will cease. A time that hinges completely on truth and reality, not societal delusions of those who wish to control humanity according to their dogmatic and sadistic beliefs. This mushroom plays a huge role in the coming dispensation of this "Golden Age".

The stories and myths retain their basic structure, but the names of the key players have been changed, as they were incorporated into new religious systems. This is why most religions contain stories of the flood, the creation epic, the attributes of deities, and similar laws of government. Authors; Sitchin, Bramley and Horn, have written about the extraterrestrial connections in the complex study of mankind, and their so-called gods. Here is my take on the subject after studying this.

Figure 2-1. The Gold of flesh

The Mushroom itself has very interesting features that resemble, and have been related to Gold, Flesh, Blood (and blood vessels), Phallus, Vulva, Fire, Saucer, Cup, as well as a disc or orb. The mushroom has been, anthropomorphically, personified as a Man, a God, something of extraterrestrial origins, and a Plant God, SOMA, who was mediator between Mankind and the God/Gods/Goddesses, in the ancient Hundu religious books known as "The Vedas".

Hinduism: Soma the "Plant God" and other symbolism.

Figure 2-2. The Groundbreaking Book

R. Gordon Wasson's insightful and inspired work identifying the ancient Vedic and Hindu plant God, SOMA, as the Amanita muscaria was the pioneering work in a field that would be known as Ethnomycology. In about 1980, while discussing the topic the inebriant, as it is found in Christianity, Gordon told me that he felt I was probably the world’s leading expert in this aspect of the field. This was a very great moment for me and spurred me on to expand my research into even more ancient roots of similar myths. This is when things really got interesting. After discovering the roots and history of Christianity, then moving on to study other world religions, it is like graduating College, and then finding out that everything you learned is wrong. Understanding the concepts of mythology and symbolism, realizing the political nature of established religion and society (with some help of the Socio-psychology of Wilhelm Reich), the next steps of understanding transform into leaps.
Figure 2-3. Churning The Milky Ocean

In Angkor, Cambodia, Holy temples mix Hindu and Buddhist Theology. Note the appearance of this beautiful structure, a megalithic Pine forest, created in stone.

The Pine (Coniferous) tree is the host for the mushroom mycelium, as we have seen, this intricate relationship with the trees and the mushrooms was obviously understood, and revered in ancient times all over the world. This structure is a monument to the trees and the fruit that grows underneath them. The most sacred of all things is the elixir of immortality, which is Soma/Amrta, produced from the mushroom, also sacred are the host trees themselves. This is why this incredible structure must have been created in the image of a great stone Pine forest, fortified by walls covered with Bas- reliefs, depicting the stories of the sacred acts pertaining to enlightenment. The temple holds the history of great learning, the culmination of which is the knowledge of the elixir and its consumption. At the base of the pine tree towers, inside the courtyard, is where the testing of the aspirants would occur, as in nature, where at the base of the pines the Soma can be found. Mix the discovery with the understanding, and the testing begins. The knowledge of Astronomy/Astro-theology was of great importance to many ancient cultures, and may remain so, especially if one is to travel out of body, or multidimensionally into the heavens. The alignments and positioning of the stars, holding such deep importance, demands that we search out all possible explanations.

Figure 2-4. The Great War between Good and Evil

These Demons are pulling the Naga serpent Vasouki across a bridge to one of the gates that leads to the Bayon temple (which represents the Holy Mountain), at Angkor Thom, Cambodia.

The Gods and Demons have always waged war in the attempt to control humanity. It is horrifying that one such war (between good and evil, as depicted in the myth) could have caused the complete destruction of this place. The Vietnam war decimated this part of the world, from which it has never recovered, and it's nothing less than miraculous that these sites are still standing. The acts of war and the governments (secret societies) that wage them have little interest in the understanding of the messages contained in these artifacts, other than the most likely supposition that they would want this type of structure destroyed, in the hopes of burying their knowledge under the rubble of eternity. The entire Vietnam controversy has been exposed as nothing more than greedy governments playing war games to instill a military presence that could take all control of the drug commodities in the region. The greed and disgusting facts that this exposes is exactly what this type of story tries to convey. Good and evil are always at war, but the question is, who is good and who is evil? War is evil. The only good is that which opposes war. So more importantly, who is pulling the strings of the puppets of destruction? Both sides are usually under the delusional belief that they are acting in the name of good. This duality of purpose and belief could be easily exposed if thinking man would refuse to war, period. Do unto others, as you would have them do unto you, and ‘Never War’.
Figure 2-5/6. The Gods and Demons

The Demons pull the Naga serpent in one direction turning the tide of humanity towards evil.

Hindu and Buddhist myths take on great form in Bas-reliefs, Statues, and Architecture. The Angkor Wat temple holds one of the most profound and important of Hindu mysteries. The manifestation of the Elixir of "Immortality". The churning-of-the-milky-ocean is a myth that allegorically depicts the spiraling (churning) of our milky way galaxy, and the precession of the equinoxes. The Ocean is that on which the entire universe was thought to rest. This churning is the act that produces the Amrta (Elixir of Immortality). A high knowledge of mathematics involved in the calculation on the precession of the equinoxes and the understanding of the spiraling of our galaxy, encoded within the structure of the temple, defies the idea that these were primitive peoples. The Universe is called "The milky ocean", it is the churning of this ocean in a ageless battle between the forces of good and evil, which produces the Amrta (SOMA). Vasouki, a giant Naga serpent, is wrapped around the great holy mountain, Mandera, and is pulled back and forth to churn the ocean. Vishnu attempts to steady the mountain by holding the serpent at the middle, gyrating with the tides of battle, the mountain is steadied to a slight wobble (which represents the earth’s rotation through precession). The mountain rests upon a great tortoise, which is another incarnation of Vishnu. The Serpent is stretched around the mountain in a great tug-of-war in which two teams (fifty-four Gods, and fifty-four Demons) pull the serpent back and forth. This great pulling between the forces of good and evil turns the mountain like the rotor in a washing machine. This is the great battle between in which good and evil actually work together to produce the elixir of immortality, Soma, Amrta.
Figure 2-7/8. The Gods and Demons

The Gods pull the Naga serpent in one direction, balancing the tide of Humanity towards the side of good.
Figure 2-9. Those who War

Another depiction of the serpent Vasouki.(Under Construction)
Figure 2-10. The mushroom disc.

One of the many views of this mushroom, which is used symbolically in religious art of all types, cosmopolitan. Note that the center looks like the moon, surrounded by the sun, the representation of male and female.
Figure 2-11. Hari Hari holding the mushroom.

Hari Hari is a Hindu deity that is Shiva and Vishnu combined. Many times Hari Hari is portrayed as androgynous (containing both male and female organs), which is another symbolic reference to the mushroom. Mushroom stem and cap, anthropomorphically, are the organs of male and female joined together in the act of creation.

 

Figure 2-12. Bas relief in stone.

A fine depiction of a mushroom disc separated from stem, as the separation of the sexes. The phallic symbol is most obvious; the disc-shaped cap of the mushroom is the female organ. The Nymphs are worshiping the phallus by dancing in an enticing way to provoke the phallus to join them (the universal female disc), in the holy act of creation. An incredible imagery, the hope being, the phallus joining the cap to form the union, sex, which is truly the universal process of creation.
Figure 2-13. Mushroom discs in a forest of Pines (symbolism in a hat).

A wonderful picture (Bas relief in stone) of a Pine forest headdress with specific mushroom imagery under the trees. This style is prominent in the Angkor monuments. It may also be, symbolically, a dosage requirement. Six mushroom caps of this approximate size would, in my opinion, be a proper dosage. There is a sort of fail-Safe mechanism to this mushroom that has discouraged many a seeker. It is difficult to consume enough (and keep it down), of this mushroom, to get the desired effects. The amount you consume is all-important. So many times I have talked with people who have experimented with this mushroom and claimed no effects. Or at least not the drastic ones expected. I look at it as just another one of the ways this mushroom has remained relatively unknown, waiting for the time when it gets the attention and dedication it deserves.

I came upon a child of God
He was walking along the road
When I asked him, "where are you going?"
This he told me...
We are stardust
We are golden
And we've got to get ourselves back to the garden
--- Joni Mitchell

Buddhism, Amrta, Reincarnation, and the "Wheel of Life" (Samsara).
 
Buddhism has been transformed into several of the most mystical traditions that exist. There are mainly 3 forms of Buddhism. Hinayana; which is based upon some of the seed precepts, Mahayana; which is thought of as the big-slow-boat to enlightenment, and Vajrayana; which is considered the lightning fast method (small boat) to enlightenment. The Vajrayana meditation implement of choice being the Vajra (Dorje) which is a metal object round at both ends with a connecting piece in-between which is held and focused upon as a tool for quickly attaining Nirvava. Vajra means the Lightning bolt that moves quickly, hence the speedy enlightenment. There is another element to this quick process that also relates to the Vajra. It regards higher levels in the secrets of esoteric Buddhism attainable through the receiving of special knowledge reserved for those who are supposedly ready for it. Of course it is the Lama, Yogi, or particular teacher's prerogative to determine the readiness of each student. And it is also the supposed idea that the teacher is able to impart this knowledge to one who is ready. Once again we see that there is a hierarchical order involved in the dispersion of knowledge and withholding of knowledge which theoretically trickles down to even the lowly uninitiated if he is ready. The reality of this type of system is that it is flawed by its very concept of withholding anything from anybody. The hope of any student to find a teacher for whom their devotion is worthy must be determined by the amount of knowledge a particular teacher has. The limits of the knowledge of the teacher are the limits of the student. Teachers are never willing to admit they are not qualified to teach, so instead they claim to be all knowing. Absolute and total devotion to the guru is an integral part to Buddhism; even refuge is taken in the dharma and the guru's interpretation of it. I point this out as a preface to saying that the higher teachings of Buddhism involve the taking of the mushroom (the 'death of the ego' yoga or 'death yoga'), a teacher who does not know about this is somewhere on the path to finding it out (as we all are). There is much to understand and study in esoteric Buddhism. Of all the several varieties the lightning path method (Vajrayana) is the one that claims enlightenment to be possible in a single lifetime. The others Hinayana and Mahayana (The big slow boat) speak in terms of it taking hundreds, thousands, and even hundreds of thousands of lifetimes to attain enlightenment (whatever you think that means). Now to me, the Vajrayana, lightning fast method seems like the most promising. It is this Vajra (Lightning) that holds the key, and hence the very name Vajrayana. The mushroom's association with lightning has seed mythological import. In ancient mythologies it was imagined that where lightning struck, there would grow the mushrooms (and some even still hold to this belief). Lightning, as myth, is always associated with clouds, rain and also that all-important element for mushroom growth, water. As an example; Thor throws his hammer (mushroom) to earth and in a flash of lightning accompanied by a thunderous crack it appears on the ground. A look at the hammer will back this up, if it seems unlikely that the hammer is the mushroom. It can be thought of as the Buddhist Vajra, which also resembles a mushroom, and is associated with lightning. Understand; this lightning-fast enlightenment is brought about by the deathlike experience attained through the Vajra/Mushroom initiation. Without it the teaching and entire concept loses its very heart and soul. So as I was saying a teacher worth devotion will understand this, and those that don't? Well, all are on the path.

Meditation and visualization techniques are commonly represented as a complete form of practice, and certainly they are effective in themselves to a certain extent yet I am certain that the different techniques were actually developed in order to expedite the processes one goes through while in the amanita realms of consciousness. The centering, focusing, concentrating and controlled visualization is very helpful when time dissolves and the soul is put through the proverbial ringer. I have always heard stories of Yogis or Teachers of various practices claiming to attain the ultimate consciousness without any exogenous chemicals, yet the ultimate is extremely experiential, therefore who can really say? It's like comparing apples with oranges, or better yet listening to someone else compare apples with a fruit which they have never tasted. It also must be considered that all brain functions are the result of an electrical-chemical operation (not that all consciousness is only that) but dreams, near-death-experiences, psychic phenomenon and visions have been linked to endogenously (naturally) produced chemicals within the brain itself. Namely; Pinoline (an M.A.O.I.) and Dimethyltryptamine (D.M.T.) which are secreted by the pineal gland. This will be dealt with in greater depth at a later time. The only experience one can really understand is that which they have experienced for themselves (especially in terms of enlightenment or portions thereof). Ancient Buddhist traditions that are still practiced today (at the higher initiatory levels) involve isolation in a cave in darkness. This level of initiation is known to produce quite the experience, but why? The reality is when an aspirant goes into the cave (and is isolated from light) for an extended period of time the pineal gland reactivates and produces the natural Ayahuasca (chemicals mentioned earlier) and higher brain functioning (mystical) results are achieved. This can be claimed (to have been done) without the aid of entheogenic chemicals as none were taken physically into the body. But to claim that no chemicals were involved is highly in error. The same can be said for many other practices (including sexual ecstasy), which produce a plethora of various brain-chemical activities. So it is that each, and I would assume all, various practices associated with enlightenment within Buddhism (as well as other systems) have been developed to create certain brain-chemical functions whether by endogenous or exogenous means. This is the seed elemental concept by which all mystical experience can be measured. Chemicals are the multi-dimensional doorways by which humans achieve expanded states of consciousness, and even those states that are thought to be natural (and in fact are the product of natural chemicals) must still be considered electro-chemical in nature. When I first started studying Buddhism I was extremely impressed with the iconography of the deities within the Bardo (Tibetan transition states between incarnations) because I had literally seen and become one with them. In fact many times when I describe the various Bardo stages of the soul passing from one lifetime to another, people react similarly. They understand it, because they have seen it. I won't go into it too much here but for those interested there is a video set out by the late Joseph Campbell called "Transformations of Myth through time" wherein he describes the visions within the Bardo quite exquisitely. It would also (on another note of expanded study) be very illuminating to read "The Psychedelic Experience" by T. Leary, R. Metzner and R. Alpert (Ram Das) which is a manual based upon the Tibetan book of the dead wherein the authors explore the concept that the book is not only for the dead and dying but that it is in fact a manual of the of-of-body realms experienced when taking LSD. However, it is my opinion that the manual is exactly this except that it was not LSD but Amanita muscaria that was the entheogen used. There are several others who have thrown some weight to this idea (and also that it is the Amanita which is likely to be the entheogen used in the highest initiatory levels in Buddhism) unfortunately most of these people are rather tunnel-visionary towards Buddhism and categorically reject anything that describes Buddhism as something less than perfect. Much like the limited intellect of fundamentalist Christians they provide evidence that Amanita muscaria was known and used in ancient Buddhist practices (at the highest levels) but ignore the rest of the story. Buddhism is no different than any of the other religions that see fit to withhold critical information from everyone but the highest level initiates (if even then). Amanita muscaria is the Amrta and the wish fulfilling jewel, it is symbolized by the torma cakes and the stupa, is literally the Vajra in Vajrayana and it can be understood quite clearly why this is considered the lighting-fast method to enlightenment.

As I have still not had the time to finish the Buddhism area here on the website please order the book where you can receive the rest of the story.
Figure 2-14. Bodhisattva

The Tibetan Bodhisattva Chinrezee, thousand armed manifestation. Remarkable, in its beauty, this artistic depiction is not unique in its symbolic expression. Notice the similarity of the winged scarab and the upturned winged depiction of Isis (in the Egyptology section). The hidden symbolism is, the bottom view of a mushroom cap, the thousand arms representing the gills of the Amanita muscaria.
Figure 2-15. Meditation Mandala

Tibetan Buddhist, Chakrasamvara, meditation mandala.
Figure 2-16. The Wheel Of Life

The whole of physical samsara is depicted in this Tibetan tanghka. Samsara, represented as this disc, depicts the physical manifestations in the world and all of the potential states of reincarnation. All physical incarnation depicted within samsara can be considered a prison of which ascension is the escape. This shows six states of incarnation, hell realm, animal realm, hungry ghosts (note that ghosts are depicted within a physical realm), humans, demi-gods, and even gods. Escape from the wheel of life is attained through understanding why one is held there. Through many lives and deaths (or death and rebirth experiences) one can escape by finding out how, which is a process of the acquisition of knowledge. One becomes the way one needs to be (pure compassion for all). This is reasoning for the efficacy offered through death/rebirth experiences facilitated by the mushroom, the process is quickened through personal revelation.
Figure 2-16. The Stupa, Tibetan ritual meditation object.

The Stupa is one Tibetan ritual object of meditation. Notice the mushroom image with fire coming out of the top. This particular meditation implement is used in Vajrayana Buddhism, the lightning-fast method, which attempts a speedy process of enlightenment, when compared to Mahayana Buddhism, which is also known as the slow (or big) boat. This shows us, intuitively, that there are specific methods that quicken the process of enlightenment. Meditation, one of the methods used by both forms of the practice, involves a mental and physical process, during which, one hopes to quiet the mind, awakening greater portions of the spiritual consciousness. Incorporating the mushroom into this process is one of the hidden secrets of Vajrayana (lightning-fast-method) practice. Meditation is taught at all levels of Buddhist practices, and is crucial to enduring the quickening effects (on the consciousness), which the mushroom offers. In my opinion all forms of meditation (including Kundalini Yoga) were developed to help the mind withstand the consciousness-shattering effects of the mushroom and this is why this object is shaped this way.

Alchemy: The Prima-Materia (Prime matter), and the Philosopher's Stone.
Figure 2-2. The Alchemical Hermaphrodite

As it is getting now very close to my publishing deadline for this book I must refrain for now on exploring herein this alchemical mystery. Suffice it to say that I am currently working on another book soon to be put into print clarifying the reality of the actual identification of the Prima-materia and the Philosopher's stone, the Amanita muscaria. Don’t get stuck on just the mushroom because it is not the whole story.
 

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