1/n This is a thread as people asked for it.
I learnt about it from Dr CK Raju's book, "The Eleven Pictures of Time."
"The Cyclic Time" was cursed in Hagia Sophia, 5/5/553 AD & it became premise for whole non-Indic civilization to be against Dharma.
2/n In my talk at @sangamtalks , I've also shown how Justinian-I had played an important role leading to creation of an idea called"Islam".
Here I show other facets of hate for"Cyclic Time".
The story begins with 532 AD with Nika Riots which was more of rebel against Justinian.
3/n Justinian wanted to flee, but his wife Theodora insisted him to stay she ensured execution of all rebels.
As per Procopius around 30,000 unarmed rebels were killed including nephews of earlier emperor Anastasius.
Read "History of the Wars by Procopius" for primary sources.
4/n This is the speech (18/1/532 AD) by Theodora which led to the action of executions of Justinian in the name of Royal "Purple".
5/n Then you need to know a bit of background of Theodora & her marriage with Justinian.
Theodora was an"actress"(read in Roman Context of that era). As per the Roman Law (of Constantine),a royal man couldn't marry an actress.
Justinian modified the "ROMAN LAW" to marry her.
6/n So while Justinian had amended Roman Law, he brought in "equity". Note this word "equity".
Two years after the marriage, Theodora was crowned Augusta becoming empress of the Eastern Roman Empire & hence "Mother of Church".
7/n As per the amendments Theodora shared in his decisions, plans and political strategies, and participated in state councils.
Justinian declared her his "partner in my deliberations."
This book will give details.
8/n In Novel 8 (535 AD), an anti-corruption legislation, where provincial officials had to take an oath to Theodora too as well as the emperor.
9/n She even had her own royal seal to carry out her orders.
Justinian always sought her views on many matters before issuing orders.
10/n So as I said before "Equity" was brought in for a case although Roman Law was about "inequity".
She had "equal" & "independent" powers.
This marriage between Royal Justinian & Prostitute Theodora had to have consequences on Theology too.
Changes were needed.
11/n The Second Council of Constantinople (553 AD) happened at Hagia Sophia.
166 Bishops came and did below:
A) Repudiation the "Three Chapters" as Nestorian
B) Condemned Origen of Alexandria
C) Decreed the Theopaschite Formula.
Details in this book books.google.co.in/books?id=fMhzl…
12/n Not everything is needed in detail here and let's focus on Origen's condemnation.
None of the Bishop must be aware that how this council's acts would set the "Western Perspective" about time for long (it continues today too).
13/n This condemnation also affected Hawkins' idea of time and also the way "Modern Physics" developed with time.
Origen Admantius (185-254 AD was teacher of other great teachers like Dionysius the Great, Didymus the Blind, and Plotinus at the Alexandrian school.
14/n Origen did had a concept of some "Cyclic Time".
Read the highlighted part [Origen (De Principiis) as quoted in "Reincarnation: An East-West Anthology"]
Does it not appear very much like "karma-samskāra"?
15/n Look at this verse from Old Testament.
Does it not take you to the idea of cyclic time (read in context).
16/n So coming back to Origen, you must know he has been considered "immortal genius" one of the greatest Church Teacher ever after the Apostles by Jerome, the first man to translate entire bible into Latin.
Origen related the Cyclic Time with equity & Justice (snippet)
17/n According to him each Soul came into being at equal pedestrian but with acts one would be born into good or bad circumstances.
The God had two principles: Equity & Justice
18/n Check a bit about Neoplatonism.
It was a strand of Platonic philosophy that emerged in the 2nd Cen AD against the background of Hellenistic philosophy and religion.
According to them "equity of souls was eternal truth of Mathematics."
19/n One such Neoplatonist was Proclus. He too was a great teacher in Alexandria as Origen.
He saw Mathematics as the "study of souls" & hence found Euclid's Theorems to focus on Equality.
Read these papers:
1)bu.edu/wcp/Papers/Anc…
2)abel.math.harvard.edu/archive/hist_2…
20/n Accordingly, they saw the prevailing inequality as temporal, superficial state and ultimately equality shall prevail as a form of deliverance.
"Equality-Inequality-Equality"
The concept was very much similar of "Moksha".
21/n Now, one shouldn't be surprised by this idea of Cyclic Time perspective in Alexandria.
Ancient Egypt always had that notion.
In Origen's time, the Roman empire had big trade with India, & around 120 ships sailed annually from India to Alexandria.
22/n Alexandrian scholars of the Neoplatonist school (Origen belonged to it) actively studied Indian systems of knowledge (Read one source in snippet)
23/n Augustine had highly criticized Porphyry for seeking salvation by studying the ‘mores and disciplines of Indi’.
For more read his magnum opus "De civitate Dei contra paganos" (PS: There is no shortcut) google.co.in/books/edition/…
24/n In 542 AD, Justinian humiliate and cursed Origen.
Do you draw any relationship with the curse & his marriage with Theodora? You may think about it though I'll not give direct clue here.
Source: NPNF2-14. The Seven Ecumenical Councils by Philip Schaff
25/n Justinian wanted people to believe in:
A)No Past Life
B)A Life after death but only once (Resurrection/ @ either Heaven or Hell)
This was important or else there would be no use of turning "Christian."
26/n By then all the "Neoplatonists"were declared "Pagans"for they thought that "one may have different bodies in different lives, but on the final deliverance, only soul shall exist, in the perfect spherical form."
They had analogy of it being water droplet merging with Sea.
27/n As like Indian Dharma, they thought that, for everyone merged with "THE ONE" hence, the distinctions did not matter much.
But Justinian was hell bent to use this "Distinction" to set narrative that God sent few to heaven while few to hell.
28/n So that was the period (Justinian Era, 6th Century AD) when many Christians too believed in the reincarnation along with concept of deliverance (Karma Samskara) But Justinian wanted it to not remain same.
What was the root behind Justinian's curse on "CYCLIC TIME"?
29/n The story goes back to 400 AD.
A century before in the period of Origen of Alexandria, the Roman Empire was Pagan & there was no intolerance for any other faiths.
No"non-church records" ever state of existence of Christians nor any"Religious State Law" before Constantine.
30/n Gibbons' work "The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire" presents terrific case for how Churches have over exaggerated about persecutions by Pagans.
In fact, Churches had began to persecute badly.
You may read the book here: google.co.in/books/edition/…
31/n So under Constantine, laws were passed to take over Pagan Temples & discretion of Shrines.
Attempts were made show impotency of the Pagan Gods.
Whichever Christian disagreed to believe in Dogmas of Church were excommunicated, & exiled with deprivation of all properties.
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