EGYPTIAN TEMPLES
Luxor
Egyptian temple complexes can be best explored on paper through the famous temple at Luxor, situated on the east bank of the present day Nile. Luxor is the Arabic name for the current city of some 200,000 people. During the Greek period the entire area, including the temples and tombs on the west bank was called Thebes. During the time of New Kingdom Egypt it was called Wast. The temple itself is one of the best preserved older temples remaining in Egypt. Few mention (or even know) that there is a much older temple (2-3,000 years older) underneath the current one.1 Temples were often built on top of older ones. Over time, one temple would live out its function and a new one built overtop to correspond to new energies being used.
An Egyptian temple, like any ancient site, is located on a power spot. Just as the human body contains acupuncture points along our energy centers, so too does the earth. The ancients understood that the earth is a living being and built sites on top of the earth’s intersecting “meridians” of energy. And since the human body is a model of the universe, actually these ancient “temples” are also found at the exact same symbolic spot on our own acupuncture meridians. Your body has a Luxor temple on it, just as the earth does.
Originally the temple complex included many features, but now with the modern town of Luxor built overtop all but the temple. Today only the temple proper, and a small portion of the human-headed sphinxes remain.2 It is said that the face on each sphinx lining the causeway is that of Amenhotep III, yet each face has the style of an Eastern Bodhisattva statue, with eyes half-closed and lips together. These sphinxes are in peaceful meditation, and that is the point. The idea was to walk the entire path from Karnak to Luxor as a meditation. The sphinxes are carved nearly identically (as if cast from a mould) and are designed to place you in heightened awareness. Just as a mantra repeated over and over will trip your consciousness to mystical realms, so too an image repeated over and over. Even the short row of sphinxes that remain is enough if walked correctly to alter one’s consciousness before entering.
While other temples are mostly built like a long rectangle, but at Luxor there are three separate axis at work creating, when viewed from above, the twist of a giant forming spiral. Schwaller de Lubicz called this place the “temple of man” because he felt the secrets of human existence and manifestation were revealed in the mathematics of its building. While Karnak is larger, Abydos more complete, Denderah better preserved; Luxor is usually everyone’s favourite. It is especially beautiful to be seen at night, and one of the few Egyptian temples with lights. The night lights allow the reliefs and hieroglyphs (obscured during the day) to stand out. Night-time at Luxor temple, with fewer visitors, less noise, and more reliefs available is the time to feel connected to the place. Luxor has been called “music frozen in time”, for so perfectly has it been designed and built. All the harmonious properties of pi, the golden section and other geometric properties have been included. This is no co-incidence or accident. The Greeks did not discover these mathematical ideas, they learned them from the Egyptians.
The entrance to any temple was through the outer pylon. This symbolic structure was meant to make an impression on everyone who came to the temple. Only members of the Egyptian priesthood were allowed actual entrance, and only the highest orders were allowed into the deepest recesses. However at certain time I believe new initiates were able to be in every area of the temple at certain parts of their training. But there is a very Zen aspect to temple pylons as well. Zen speaks often of the gateless gate, a symbol of the final locked door between the aspirant and awakening. Of course when you do awaken, you see there never was a door and nothing blocking you from what you are. Thus those large outer pylons seem like a great barrier, and that is the image they were meant to imply, but were they? Would one who had realized their true nature, just have every door of the temple opened to them, where they just walk straight to the far back chambers as the other students stare dumbfounded at them, because they were the only one who realized that nothing was in fact barred to them?
Outside the walls of the temple are a number of smaller Greek and Roman chapels. They are very interesting and rarely examined by tourists. Be careful guards do not try to see you as a “mark” and try to extort backsheesh from you. These outer areas were the temples for the “common people” where newer priests would give what we would call sermons and lectures. While the existing chapels are all Greek, they are built overtop of older Egyptian ones. Thus the archaeological belief that religious teachings were only available to priests is not true, these chapels were the churches of their day for the general population. As mentioned, just because the general population were not allowed into the temple proper does not mean they were segregated. Just as the general population can not enter the dressing room of the New York Yankees, but they could attend the games the Yankees play. They could not enter the temple, but they could attend the chapels, hospital, festivals and theatre plays associated with the temple.
Also included in any temple enclosure, especially temples associated with a female deity (Isis, Hathor, Sekhmet) was a healing center. These were the world’s first hospitals where the sick came for healing help from priest doctors using herbs, stones, sound, music and energy therapy. Spaces similar to modern hospital wards can be found where patients could sleep and receive healing dreams from the temple Neteru. At some temples this hospital is easy to find, at others is buried under modern construction. While at Luxor I do recommend visiting a small chapel on the west side that had 13 pillars, two rows of six in front of a single one. This is a perfect representation of Jesus and his 12 disciples or King Arthur and his 12 Knights of the Round Table, or the real symbol, the sun surrounded by the twelve moving constellations. All come from Egyptian symbolism. This is likely the place where teachings surrounding Horus (Buddha/Jesus) were given to the general population.
An ancient Egyptian temple was not like a modern church, a place of worship. They were in fact the physical manifestation of the Neteru to which they were built. A Neteru is an energy (such as love, compassion, wisdom, despair) parts of the Absolute. Not just the good or nice parts, but a recognition of all the parts. The temple was the place where we could more easily tune into that energy within our own form. It is why no two temples are alike, each is showing a different aspect of the All. Every part of a temple, from the spot it was built, to the type of stone used, to the geometric proportions, to everything carved on its walls was all designed with this energetic creation in mind. Thus the temple always had to be kept at the particular energetic vibration of the Neteru energy it represented.
All temples (when complete with all their paint and statues) vibrated at a very high frequency. This is an important point to consider when at any temple. Even when a temple today is nearly in tact (such as the temple of Horus at Edfu), it is far from complete. The paint is gone, the carvings are defaced, the thousands of statues are either in museums, people’s “personal” collections, or destroyed. The frequency at any spot today will not be the same as it was when in “use.” This is the main reason the average person was not allowed entrance into a functioning Egyptian temple. It was not so much to exclude people, but to protect them. To enter a space of very high vibrational frequency with a form not ready to handle it, is like plugging a 220 volt cord into a 120 volt socket. You will fry yourself. Entering a temple with a form not prepared for it might turn you instantly “crazy’ or even kill you. That is why work was done on new aspirants before they ever even set foot in the temple so they could handle in some way the very powerful energies their form would be taking on a day to day basis.
Personally I am always struck by the serene sense of peace that I feel at Luxor. It has a similar feeling for me as when I go to Palenque in Mexico. If Luxor can not inspire someone, I am not sure what can. Without going into a complete explanation of every part, wall and relief of Luxor Temple, I will point out a few “don’t miss” areas that help explain not only Luxor but the concept of the temple in Egypt. For more specific details you will have to come to Egypt with me.
Outer temple walls are filled with reliefs and hieroglyphs which are designed for the general population, for the outer walls are all they could usually see of the temple proper. Egyptologists claim the great chariots, battles, gods and other carvings were to show the people the power of the king. By the New Kingdom there may be some truth in this, but the origins of the wall carvings are something with a totally different meaning. Originally they were to be a link or a bridge for those who may want to travel to the interior of the temple, which is symbolic for the trip within oneself. Take the famous carvings of the Battle of Kadesh.
The Battle of Kadesh was not the story of the Pharaoh leading an army into battle, but was more like a modern fairy tale, a symbolic story to reveal secrets of the awakening journey. It is not the account of Rameses II single-handedly defeating the Mesopotamian armies from his chariot. Could one man really defeat an army of thousands, even with Amun’s help? But examine the story as we would Cinderella or Snow White, and it can be understood. The common belief that their was a historical battle at Kadesh is like Biblical references that are taken to be historical facts. Ancient writers used events, places and people of the time not as a historical base, but as a base to relate a teaching to the people in the language and things that they themselves would understand. Recording history was not important in the ancient world, telling tales of wisdom was important.
Rameses in this context represents every man and woman, while the chariot is the vehicle of manifestation (form). The troops of the enemy are the layers of delusion of our false self. That is where the battle if fought. In the story he is left alone or abandoned (like Jesus on the cross, nailed to the dreamstate) and knows it is a battle we must fight alone and that there is no escape. This battle is said to occur in the land of Kheta Ru Settiu. Settiu means “Set Beings” and Kheta is similar to the Khat (physical body). Thus the Battle is with the false self (Set) while in a physical body. The battle was supposed to have happened in the 5th year of Rameses reign (five being the number of Horus). He fights alone because his army is asleep in camp (i.e. all his fellow humans are asleep in the dreamstate thus of no help to him waking up) and his only prayer is to Amun who lets him awaken to fight alone. On the far wall he holds lines of prisoners, which in fact are the delusion he has defeated. He has not killed his mind, it is just seen for the lie of what it is.
Current pylons are usually missing some of their key features. One is flags, but the long vertical slits that held the giant masts remain. As mention in Ancient Egyptian Wisdom Revealed, the flag is the representation of God/Neter. It is symbolized as the wind, unseen in the physical, yet seen in the movement of the objects (flag) in creation. It is what is behind the movement of everything. In front of Luxor, and in fact all temples, were two giant stone obelisks, raised and placed on a bottom platform with the help of a turning groove. Today usually only one remains at any temple (such as at Luxor), with freemasons having taken the rest to Europe or America. In fact no surviving Egyptian temple has both obelisks in place. Obelisks can be seen as lighting rods to bring down the energy of the heavens and pull up the energy of the earth. They represent the primal I, the original witnesser, God. An obelisk will vibrate at great speed, though you may not realize it. Obelisks were set in pairs to act like a tuning fork- allowing anyone who passed between them to be tuned to a particular frequency. Freemasons took them to be sure this great energy balance could never happen for travelers to Egypt.
Great statues were also placed outside of the pylons of temples, such as the remaining seated ones at Luxor. They sit in the standard Egyptian pose for contemplation, and symbolize a stillness of mind and body. At the base of each statue is Hapi tying a lotus and papyrus plants together in a sma (symbolizing the trachea and lungs). Other reliefs may use Horus and Set in a similar pose. This is to combine the two aspects of duality together into one. On the east colossus is a feature not to be missed. On the west side of that statue is a giant crack in the base, likely due to an earthquake. The statue itself is fine, stands as it always has. However to the Egyptian priests the temple was a living, breathing organism like any other in manifestation. It was no longer whole due to a crack, similar to when we cut our finger and put a band aid on it, this statue too would need a band aid. The repair done here was not a true repair (for in fact the standing ability of the statue was not compromised) so instead a symbolic repair happened. Two joints are carved overtop of the crack. Look closely when you go. It is one the very best examples of how the Egyptian priests thought of their temple as a living thing, and looked after it as such.
There are so many “little” insights like this all over Egypt. It amazed me to watch the throngs of tourists rushing through areas in order to keep their bus travel itinerary, wildly snapping photographs to show off to their fiends at home “look where I have been, look how great I am.” Of course if you asked any of these people what they saw, what they learned, or more importantly what they experienced, all they could tell you about is their camera or their bus. Tour guides are also generally of no help, they mean well but they have only leaned the standard story of Egypt that is in the books they read, and that is all they will know. They too know nothing of the great secrets of any Egyptian spot- focusing on the sizzle and the flash, not knowing that it is the little things that in fact tell the most. If one really wants to immerse themselves in the energy of Egypt, one must have the time to really explore, set time aside to do what you want, where you want, for as long as you want.
The first corridor (another place tourists rush by) has the reliefs change from the battle scenes on the outer walls to that of the Neteru. We are beginning to leave the standard dream of reality behind and entering a new inner world, something higher. Speaking of higher, the temple itself with rise as one enters- with the back shrine being the highest part of land. As well, the ceilings will get smaller and smaller (or the floor rise) the farther in one goes, symbolizing a squeezing of space. As we are walking deeper into the temple, we are walking deeper and deeper into ourselves, into our inner world. No where is this more magically demonstrated than at Luxor Temple.
Schwaller de Lubicz was the first European to rediscover the magic of Luxor. He found that the human skeleton could be laid on top of the temple, with each area symbolically representing the secrets of that part of the human form. Within Luxor you will not only find insights revealed as to physical aspects, but meridians, chakras, yoga, qi gong- and of course at the farthest point- that human beings or any form, does not exist at all. Its all there if you know how to look. Every temple has a secret symbolic plan that it was built for, locate that secret and the temple will simply unfold in front of (and within) you.
The entrance area is in fact the place to ground to the new inner world, hence the reason for the Neteru. That leads one to the first court, and here movement will be described. To one’s immediate right is the 3-room chapel that is of importance. This structure is in fact a temple within a temple, and this one is for Thutmosis III. As mentioned, Luxor temple “twists” around three axis, and the Great Court is aligned to the third of these, but the small chapel is aligned to the original axis. The chapel has nice symbolism, the 3 (trinity) the explanation of the dreamstate. The far left room is the dream of form (hell, son) the room to the right is heaven (oneness, love, holy spirit) and the middle room is the primal I (God, light, Father). Each of the carvings on the walls reflect this. There is a point though, especially in the middle room where two niches are carved into the walls. At this very space is were one can sink beyond the chapel itself, beyond every aspect of the dreamstate including the primal I/God and back to the void (no self). It’s a teaching of enlightenment in one small chapel.
One last aspect about temples themselves can be seen in the small chapel, but you have to look up for it. Most temple areas were roofed, and included small openings to let a beam of sunlight enter at specific times of the day- often to fall perfectly on a wall carving.
Back to the first courtyard is a reminder of how much is missed in most temples. Here many of the 18 giant statues still remain. All have the design of taking one step forward with the left leg. In fact the entire courtyard is designed in such a manner that, when viewed from above, the entire courtyard is taking a step forward from the temple. While the statues all seem the same, one is a bit different from the rest in the south east corner. It is hard to describe it on paper, and just as hard to notice in person. All the other statues are facing forward, but the one in the SE corner has a twist of the shoulders and torso, just as a body does when it takes a step forward. Thus the statue is in effect “moving”, a remarkable piece of artwork.
This court leads to the famous colonnade hall. While at Luxor there are one 2 rows of giant columns, in most temples this included a huge “forest” of columns (like seen at Karnak, Edfu or Denderah). Here each of the pillars is 40 feet high and covered in glyphs. Along the walls are reliefs of the famous ceremonial feasts after the travel of the statue of Amun from Luxor to Karnak. Why would this feature appear in the place of the legs and not the stomach? Scientists have now shown that most of the nourishment of the blood system, what nourishes the body is made in the legs. Also Carlos Castaneda mentioned that memories are stored in the thigh as well, and there are elements of memory and past in the wall texts as well. There is a point on this colonnade, exactly at the golden section, where one will find a place of total peace and body harmony. It is so powerful that some people get dizzy just seconds from standing upon this spot. Come with me to find it.
Next comes a courtyard of 64 columns, 64 being the number of the I ching and human dna. This is one of the real fantastic spots of all of Egypt, especially at night. Around 8 pm it is no surprise to find a number of young Egyptian couples sitting here. The place just seems to harmonize, and at times I feel I could sit here for the rest of my life, perfectly happy, perfectly at peace. According to de Lubicz this is the place of the stomach, thus the Dan Tien of Taoist philosophy. It is here one will find the Breath of Life, and thus it becomes one of my favourite places on the whole earth to do Qi Gong.
Entering into the back areas of the temple, a new feeling takes over. Much of it is still roofed, and due to the lack of sunlight still shows some of the original paint.3 Yet in all these back areas of the temples something vital is missing and you will have to use your imagination to find it. Or better yet, take a short trip to Coptic Cairo to fill in the rest. Coptic Christianity has kept alive the links to ancient Egypt, not just in language but in their specific interpretation of many Christian symbols. Gnostic Christianity was a close connection to the early Gnostics who formed a new religion around the story of a person named Joshua (Jesus) over 2,500 years ago. Besides visiting the wonderful and active churches there, especially check out the little “cave-like” domes around them. Down 4-5 steps is a space carved out of rock. Here is it is dark, but there is usually a small picture or painting of a Christian saint, perhaps a New Testament open to a relevant page along with some prayer offerings, candles and incense. This is a reminder of what the back room of an Egyptian temple would have been like. They would have not have been empty as we see them today. There would have been candles, incense, paintings, perhaps open papyrus. Also don’t forget the brilliant paint that is gone from the walls, and the missing statues. The missing paraphernalia would be just as important as what was carved on the walls to give the overall understanding of what these temple rooms would have looked like.
By the time you reach the inner chambers you will notice something about the wall reliefs, they have changed. The reliefs so far have been cut into the stone, the easiest type of carving and the type done during the New Kingdom. Back here however the reliefs are what as known as raised, in which the stone itself is chipped away to leave the image projected outward. This is a much more difficult practice of work, and is also an indication of a much older time of building. No matter what the Egyptologist may say, this back part of Luxor could in fact date back as far as the Old Kingdom.
The inner sanctuary of Luxor (where the statue of the Neter was kept) has some interesting symbolism. The area was “redone” during the time of the Greek takeover around 300 BC, but a intense energy remains here. Similar to other work at Greek period temples (Edfu, Philae, Denderah) the depictions of the Neteru go from sleek strong images to ones that are “fat and flabby” totally unlike the carvings of the Neteru in the rest of Luxor temple. These gods were carved this way to show the greed and materialism of the Greeks has invaded Egyptian religion and symbolized a new period on the earth was underway.
Another thing to notice, as I mentioned in great detail in my book,4 was that how the reliefs are created are just as important as the relief itself. For example you will notice that the walls are made out of blocks of stone. Most see that but fail to look at the next step- where the figures are in relation to the lines of blocks. Its not random. If the figure has its stomach at the exact point where two blocks of stone go through it, that is the way it is supposed to be, and there is a symbolic meaning for that. As well is a feature called transpondance. That means an image on one wall, is not complete with out incorporating what is on the exact opposite wall- not of the room- but of the stone. Thus both sides of a wall are in fact often mirroring the same message. Once you know these little features there are many areas of Luxor that display this extremely well.
While missing much of the great symbolism back here (the birth room, the walls of the hypostyle hall, the vultures over the doors) I leave that for you to explore in detail. I will stop at the back three rooms. They are currently in a poor state of restoration, there are still phenomenal. First off I suggest caution in this area, for here Is where “guards” will try their best to “show you something around a corner” especially at night, trying to extort money out o you. Be on your toes. I must remind you that temples were built from back to front, thus this back areas was in fact the very first part to be built. All thee of these chapels have reliefs of Osiris (void, no self) and often the erect phallus (the primal I, first creation from the nothingness). In Schwaller’s skeleton this is the head, with the top of the skull actually resting out side of the temple walls themselves. The seat of enlightenment wisdom in the body (final chakra) is not in the temple (form) at all- thus showing one must go fully beyond form to not just know what Osiris is, but in fact to be Osiris. To do that one can not take Luxor, or anything from the dreamstate including what you think of as “you,” with you. This concept was often depicted in later Renaissance art, with people with their heads cut off, skulls littering an area, or like the statue of St. Nicaise who carries the top of his own head in his hands, thus showing he has vanquished his ego/mind, yet remains in the dream but is no longer of the dream.
Hopefully this little tour of one temple will help prepare you for each temple that you visit in Egypt. I will add more articles on the other temples in time. Happy traveling.
[Note: Howard has this topic available as a lecture, complete with many personal photographs to illustrate the points being made]
ENDNOTES
1 parts of this older temple were discovered during restoration work on the Great Court but the evidence was quickly covered up.
2 they ran along a causeway all the way north to the Mut Temple at Karnak. However if you know how to follow it, you can walk the exact same path from Luxor to Karnak today, even finding many of the remnants of the old sphinxes. There is talk that the EAS will recreate this way, complete with all of the sphinxes.
3 The best places to see paint in Egyptian temples are at Medinet Habu (especially its the hypostyle hall) and the reliefs at Abydos and parts of Karnak.
4 Ancient Egyptian Wisdom Revealed- volumes one and two.