Proclus and Neoplatonism:

Proclus and Neoplatonism:

 "Proclus reads Plato in a way in which the One is seen as independent of Being, and as the clear ground of all form in the cosmos and of all knowledge about it, including mathematics, spherics and geometry. From its physical infrastructure, constructed according to the theorems of geometry, to the political structure of the ideal state, conforming to ratios, everything in the

cosmos is unified according to noetic patterns."

Ten Gifts of the Demiurge: Proclus' Commentary on the Timaeus-

Being in neoplatonic thought is allegorized in the story of Dionysus or Phanes, who via his life, death, resurrection and upbringing is eventually seated upon the throne of the demiurge, where he takes Zeus' place as king of the gods. Phanes is also analogous to the Christ representing the intellect and the ego establishing our connection to the One. The One is Pure Consciousness but is also related to L.V.X. and Agape as issuing forth from the Limitless Light serving as the force of divine inspiration, and Being is the relationship between an individual and the world of contraries. Qabalstically, Being takes up the worlds below the abyss starting at Chesed appropriately called the sphere of Jupiter and ending in Malkuth whereby both the sublunary and ethereal aspects of life are emphasized. Clearly established in the above is a dualistic approach to metaphysics and the importance of the Great Work is emphasized as being an individual pursuit in service of tradition with the ego at the centre. The neoplatonic tradition of writing commentaries was seen as integral to this work. In fact, it was inseparable as an element of their doctrine which is often referred to as the religion of the philosophers. The theurgic tradition in contrast to the mystical schools of the platonic tradition are well known for their allegories and comparative critiques. Where Plotinus' form of neoplatonism is considered contemplative and the school popularized by emperor Julian and Iamblichus is religious, the latter is best known for its observance of holy rites meant to induce ecstatic states. Yet an equally profound practice of this school is how they brought together mythology and philosophy, and explored the Chaldean Oracles, Orphism, Pythagorean teachings and Platonic dialogues to attain a better understanding of the Soul's relationship with the divine. It may fruitfully be described, that they sought to draw down the perfection of the One and crystallize it as exemplified in their written commentaries expounding the gnosis of a lived tradition. These commentaries were not merely explanations, they were sacraments wherein the priest was partaking in an intimate dialogue with the gods, it was an element of worship. As the quote points out, everything is united via noetic patterns referring to rendering the transcendent into words depending on the Neshamah's connection to the Ruach, the perfect union of which was necessary for such an inspired semination to take place. In other words, it was viewed as a type of divine inbreathing -- a communion with the gods necessary for fulfilling such a holy task. It is customary to be given a written commentary of initiation or sometimes knowledge lectures within initiatory orders that serve the same purpose. The tradition has in this way been preserved and must continue in the same way if we are to maintain its integrity. What is also expressed in the quote is the comparative nature of the commentaries, that examples are taken from numerous sources to illustrate a point. An example of how this particular practice has been preserved would be Aleister Crowley's 777, the usefulness of which has been illustrated in his own commentaries on the Holy Books of Thelema. Instead of merely focussing on the transcendent potential of poetics, the priest often compared the ideas of Plato to Orphic and Chaldean ideas relying on the telestic quality of these writings, by selecting topics as disparate as politics, mathematics, geometry and mythology, the priest was able to deepen the reader's insights into the perfection of this particular school of thought.