神智學（英語：Theosophy），又稱證道學，是一種涉及宗教哲學和神秘主義的新興宗教，混合了一些西方哲學思想如新柏拉圖主義和東方的印度教、佛教元素。神智學認為，史上所有宗教都是由久已失傳的「神秘信條」演化出來的。神智學的創始人物有海倫娜・布拉瓦茨基，亨利・斯太爾・奧爾科特，以及威廉・關・賈奇。他們於 1875 年在紐約市創立了神智學協會。



詞源

神智學原文為「Theosophy」，這一詞來自希臘語「theos」（神）與「sophia」（智慧）的結合，意為「神的智慧」。



定義

海倫娜・布拉瓦茨基堅稱它並不是宗教，但她也說過神智學是「曾經普世的宗教」的現代形態。「不是宗教」這一點體現在它對其他信仰以及哲學、科學的包容性上，它並不禁止信徒信仰其他的學說。

但宗教學家認為它就一種宗教，它傳播的是一種宗教式的世界觀，使用的也是很明顯的宗教術語，依賴的是信仰而非事實。奧拉夫・哈默（Olav Hammer）和麥可・羅特施泰因（Mikael Rothstein）認為它是現代最重要的宗教傳統之一，喬斯林・戈德溫（Joscelyn Godwin）說它是一個具有包容性的宗教運動，J・傑弗里・富蘭克林（J. Jeffrey Franklin）認為它是一個「雜交的宗教」（hybrid religion）。總而言之，它必定屬於新興宗教。

其源頭是西方秘契主義，它對西方秘契主義在 20 世紀的復興奠定了基石。雖然它混合了不少印度宗教元素，但社會學家克里斯多福・帕特里奇仍然認為它本質上仍是西方的，它所表達的東方只是西方人眼中的東方。



信仰

神智學會說並不存在官方的信條，只有一些所有成員都同意的「原則」，存在懷疑著神智學但同意其基本的普世理念的教友。

神智學基本是從布拉瓦茨基的作品中誕生的，由後來的神智學家改進。雖然布拉瓦茨基本人不認為神智學是她自己的發明，而是一些神秘的精神體（即所謂的「大師」）傳授給她的。

大師

神智學的核心是一類名叫「大師」（Masters）的精神體，它們被視為神智學理論的源頭，也可以被稱為 Mahatmas、 Adepts、 Masters of Wisdom、 Masters of Compassion、Elder Brothers。它們本來是人類，但由於道德、智力的完美而升為「大師」。經過多年的鍛鍊，它們有遠超人類的壽命，擁有超自然的力量，比如千里眼和靈魂投射。布拉瓦茨基說它們主要生活在喜馬拉雅的「西藏王國」。

它們擁有古代世界的知識，組成了「大白兄弟會」（Great White Brotherhood），觀察、指導人類。神智學者宣稱亞伯拉罕、摩西等聖經人物和喬達摩・悉達多、孔子、老子等東方古人以及雅各・波墨、亞歷山德羅・卡格里奧斯特羅、弗朗茲・麥斯邁等現代人物都是「大師」。但最重要是布拉瓦茨基宣稱曾接觸過的「庫特忽米」和「莫里亞」。在傳授知識之前，被選中者要經歷一個考核期，需要禁慾多年。

神智學並不禁止偶像崇拜，布拉瓦茨基甚至鼓勵信徒製作大師的肖像，有很多「大師」肖像是德國畫家赫爾曼・施米興繪製的，這些肖像得到了神智學者的認可和崇拜。

這種「大師」學說其實不是神智學首創，玫瑰十字會就有類似的理念。

世界觀

神智學的世界觀屬於流溢說，認為人類眼中的世界只是幻覺，即摩耶。

布拉瓦茨基認為每個行星系都有一個太陽神（Solar Deity，或 Logos）主宰，其下又有七個行星神。每個行星上的進化速度不同，基本順序礦石 - 植物 - 動物 - 人類 - 超自然生物。其中人類又有七個「根種族」（Root Race），每個根種族又能劃分出七個「亞種族」（Sub-Race）。

她認為現在人類已經進化到第五種族，即取代了第四種族亞特蘭蒂斯人的雅利安人。而隨著先知彌勒佛的到來，他們也將被第六種族取代。而當人類進化到第七種族時，就會離開地球。

儀式

神智學會並沒有給出任何可供實踐的宗教儀式，但不同的神智學團體可能會有自己的儀式，如自由天主教會和聯合神智學舍（United Lodge of Theosophy）。



參考文獻

腳註

來源


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外部連結


* Theosophical Society - North America （頁面存檔備份，存於網際網路檔案館）

* Theosophical Society in Southern Africa （頁面存檔備份，存於網際網路檔案館）

* Theosophy Library Online （頁面存檔備份，存於網際網路檔案館）