# 神智学

**神智学**（英語：Theosophy），又称**证道学**，是一种涉及宗教哲学和神秘主义的新兴宗教，混合了一些西方哲学思想如新柏拉图主义和东方的印度教、佛教元素。神智学认为，史上所有宗教都是由久已失传的“神秘信条”演化出来的。神智学的创始人物有海倫娜·布拉瓦茨基，亨利·斯太尔·奥尔科特，以及威廉·關·賈奇。他们于1875年在纽约市创立了神智學協會。

## 词源

神智学原文为“Theosophy”，这一词来自希腊语“theos”（神）与“sophia”（智慧）的结合，意为“神的智慧”。

## 定义

海伦娜·布拉瓦茨基坚称它并不是宗教，但她也说过神智学是“曾经普世的宗教”的现代形态。“不是宗教”这一点体现在它对其他信仰以及哲学、科学的包容性上，它并不禁止信徒信仰其他的学说。

但宗教学家认为它就一种宗教，它传播的是一种宗教式的世界观，使用的也是很明显的宗教术语，依赖的是信仰而非事实。奥拉夫·哈默（Olav Hammer）和迈克尔·罗特施泰因（Mikael Rothstein）认为它是现代最重要的宗教传统之一，乔斯林·戈德温（Joscelyn Godwin）说它是一个具有包容性的宗教运动，J·杰弗里·富兰克林（J. Jeffrey Franklin）认为它是一个“杂交的宗教”（hybrid religion）。总而言之，它必定属于新兴宗教。

其源头是西方秘契主义，它对西方秘契主义在20世纪的复兴奠定了基石。虽然它混合了不少印度宗教元素，但社会学家克里斯托弗·帕特里奇仍然认为它本质上仍是西方的，它所表达的东方只是西方人眼中的东方。

神智學思想啟發了 100 多個祕傳運動和哲學，其中包括人智學和新時代運動。

## 信仰

神智学会说并不存在官方的信条，只有一些所有成员都同意的“原则”，存在怀疑着神智学但同意其基本的普世理念的教友。

神智学基本是从布拉瓦茨基的作品中诞生的，由后来的神智学家改进。虽然布拉瓦茨基本人不认为神智学是她自己的发明，而是一些神秘的精神体（即所谓的“大师”）传授给她的。

### 大师

「庫特忽米」（左）和「莫里亞」（右）是布拉瓦茨基宣称曾接触过的两名大师，赫尔曼·施米兴绘
神智学的核心是一类名叫“大师”（Masters）的精神体，它们被视为神智学理论的源头，也可以被称为Mahatmas、 Adepts、 Masters of Wisdom、 Masters of Compassion、Elder Brothers。它们本来是人类，但由于道德、智力的完美而升为“大师”。经过多年的锻炼，它们有远超人类的寿命，拥有超自然的力量，比如千里眼和灵魂投射。布拉瓦茨基说它们主要生活在喜马拉雅的“西藏王国”。

它们拥有古代世界的知识，组成了“大白兄弟会”（Great White Brotherhood），观察、指导人类。神智学者宣称亚伯拉罕、摩西等圣经人物和乔达摩·悉达多、孔子、老子等东方古人以及雅各·波墨、亚历山德罗·卡格里奥斯特罗、弗朗兹·麦斯迈等现代人物都是“大师”。但最重要是布拉瓦茨基宣称曾接触过的「庫特忽米」和「莫里亞」。在传授知识之前，被选中者要经历一个考核期，需要禁欲多年。

神智学并不禁止偶像崇拜，布拉瓦茨基甚至鼓励信徒制作大师的肖像，有很多“大师”肖像是德国画家赫尔曼·施米兴绘制的，这些肖像得到了神智学者的认可和崇拜。

这种“大师”学说其实不是神智学首创，玫瑰十字会就有类似的理念。

### 世界观

神智学的世界观属于流溢说，认为人类眼中的世界只是幻觉，即摩耶。

布拉瓦茨基认为每个行星系都有一个太阳神（Solar Deity，或Logos）主宰，其下又有七个行星神。每个行星上的进化速度不同，基本顺序矿石-植物-动物-人类-超自然生物。其中人类又有七个“根种族”（Root Race），每个根种族又能划分出七个“亚种族”（Sub-Race）。

她认为现在人类已经进化到第五种族，即取代了第四种族亚特兰蒂斯人的雅利安人。而随着先知弥勒佛的到来，他们也将被第六种族取代。而当人类进化到第七种族时，就会离开地球。

### 仪式

神智学会并没有给出任何可供实践的宗教仪式，但不同的神智学团体可能会有自己的仪式，如自由天主教会和联合神智学舍（United Lodge of Theosophy）。

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* Theosophical Society - North America （页面存档备份，存于互联网档案馆）
* Theosophical Society in Southern Africa （页面存档备份，存于互联网档案馆）
* Theosophy Library Online （页面存档备份，存于互联网档案馆）