CURRENT: Richard L. Thompson Reading Group IV

Mysteries of the Sacred Universe: The Cosmology of the Bhāgavata Purāṇa

The Richard L. Thompson Book Club Reading Group is planning a session on Thompson's Mysteries of the Sacred Universe at the BIHS library in Gainesville, Florida, and on Zoom, at 11 am – 12:30 pm EDT on alternate Saturdays (see schedule below for tentative dates).

The series covers Thompson’s books chapter by chapter with a presentation summarizing contents while highlighting each chapter’s central arguments, followed by a discussion session. This series will present his fourth book, Mysteries of the Sacred Universe, beginning in August 2024, after having completed Mechanistic and Nonmechanistic Science (1981) in June 2023, Vedic Cosmography and Astronomy (1989) in November 2023, and Parallels: Ancient Insights into Modern UFO Phenomena (1993) in July 2024. 

As described by Thompson in his introduction: From the flat earth to the sun’s chariot – traditional spiritual texts seem wedded to outmoded cosmologies that show, at best, the scientific limitations of their authors. The Bhagavata Purana, one of the classical scriptures of Hinduism, seems, at first glance, to be no exception. However, a closer examination of this text reveals unexpected depths of knowledge in ancient cosmology. Mysteries of the Sacred Universe shows that the cosmology of the Bhagavata Purana is a sophisticated system, with multiple levels of meaning that encode at least four different astronomical, geographical, and spiritual world models.

By viewing the text in the light of modern astronomy, Richard Thompson shows how ancient scientists expressed exact knowledge in apparently mythological terms. Comparison with the ancient traditions of Egypt and the Near East shows early cultural connections between India and these regions – including a surprisingly advanced science. However, quantitative science is only part of the picture. Mysteries of the Sacred Universe also offers a clear understanding of how the spiritual dimension was integrated into ancient Indian cosmology.

To register for this program and receive the zoom link, please contact Prishni Sutton at: 

info@richardlthompson.com

Sessions start at 11 A.M. EST

September 7, 2024 MSU Introduction by Bob Cohen (Brahmatirtha) and Prishni Sutton
September 21, 2024 Ch 1. Introduction to Texts by Sthita-dhi-muni Das (S. D. Muni)
October 5, 2024

Ch 2. The Islands and Oceans of Bhū-maṇḍala by Christopher Beetle (Krishna Kripa)

October 19, 2024 Ch 3. The Solar System in Projection by Maricio Garrido (Murli Gopal)
November 2, 2024

Ch 4. The Solar System in Three Dimensions, PART 1 by Prishni Sutton

November 16, 2024 Ch 4. The Solar System in Three Dimensions, PART 2 by Jack Dodson (Kala-Svarupa)
December 7, 2024 Ch 5. The Earth and Local Geography by Richard Cole (Radha Mohan)
2025  
January 11, 2025 Ch 6. The Realm of the Demigods, PART 1 by Jonathan Edelmann
January 25, 2025 Ch 6. The Realm of the Demigods, PART 2 by Vasyl Semenov (Dvija Govinda)
February 8, 2025 Ch 7. The Greater Universe, by Jonathan Banks (Pracarananda)
February 22, 2025 Ch 8. Time and Chronology, by Christopher J. Hayton (Krsna-bhajana)
March 8, 2025 Ch 9. General Observations  by Maricio Garrido (Murli Gopal)
March 22, 2025 Appendices 1–7 by Prishni Sutton
April 5, 2025 Appendices 8–9 by Jack Dodson (Kala-Svarupa)
April 19, 2025 A10. Planetary Diameters in the Sūrya-siddhānta by Richard Cole (Radha Mohan)
May 3, 2025 Appendices 11–15 by Nimai Griffith (Devala)
May 17, 2025 Appendices 16–19 by Sthita-dhi-muni Das (S. D. Muni)