Book of Dzyan

According to Theosophical writer H. P. Blavatsky (HPB), the Book of Dzyan is an ancient manuscript whose teachings formed the inspiration for her book The Secret Doctrine. The online text of this work is available at www.sacred-texts.com. The page numbers cited below are from a facsimile of the original edition of 1888.

HPB describes it as "An Archaic Manuscript -- a collection of palm leaves made impermeable to water, fire, and air, by some specific unknown process." [Vol.I: pg.1] The work is not in the possession of any European libraries, and is not known to our philologists [xxii].

According to HPB, the word Dzyan or Dzan is pronounced "Djan" and is related to the terms Dan, Janna, Dhyan, and ch'an, meaning "to reform one's self by meditation and knowledge." [xx]

HPB seems to imply that she drew the stanzas or slokas of Dzyan from an "old book," of which there is only one copy in existence. It was written in a sacred sacerdotal tongue called Senzar. The text was dictated by Divine Beings to the sons of Light, in Central Asia, at the very beginning of the human race. [xlii-xliii]

Volume 1 of HPB's book quotes and discusses seven stanzas of the Book of Dzyan that deal with Cosmic evolution. These outline how One Supreme Energy gives rise to the universe of worlds, and the descent of life down to the appearance of Man. They also speak of intelligent Beings called the Dhyan Chohans, who adjust and control evolution. [21-22, 27-34]

Volume II includes an additional 49 slokas of Dzyan [Vol. II: pp. 15-21] dealing with the origin of humanity. According to HPB, these reveal the "simultaneous evolution of seven human groups on seven different portions of our globe" [1]. Among these races, one evolved in Hyperborea (now Greenland), another in the now-sunken continent of Lemuria, and another in the similarly-destined Atlantis [7-12].

Alonzo Typer read about the Book of Dzyan in the manuscript book of Claes van der Heyl. According to this source, the first six chapters of the Book of Dzyan antedate the earth, and were old when the lords of Venus came through space in their ships to civilize our planet. Note that this would make the work much older than was postulated by HPB. [HPL Diary (online text)]

Robert Blake found a copy of the Book of Dzyan in the deserted church of the Starry Wisdom Sect [HPL Haunter (online text)].

The Gable Window narrator found a copy in the house of his late cousin, Wilbur Akeley [AWD Gable (online text)].

Winfield Phillips borrowed a copy from Prof. Seneca Lapham [AWD Lurker].

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