Hrisd

The term "Hrisd" itself does not have a readily traceable etymological root in classical languages or Sanskrit. Its appearance in Blavatsky's work suggests it may be a neologism or a term derived from a specific, perhaps obscure, esoteric lexicon rather than a word with a long linguistic history.

Ill' had also a temple at Brisa. a i)romontory of the isle of Lesbos. Brothers of the Shadow. A name driven by tiie Occultists to Sorcerers, and especially to the Tibetan Diufpas, of whom there are many in the Bhoii sect of the Red Caps {Dugpa). The word is applied to all practitioners of black or hft hand mapic. Bubaste (E(;.). A city in Epypt which was sacred to tlie cats, and whcr-r was their princijial shi-ine. Many hundreds of thousands of cats were embalmed and buried in the prottoes of Beni-Hassan-el-Amar. The cat beinj; a symbol of the moon was .sacred to Isis, her goddess. It sees in the dark and its eyes have phosphorescent lustre which frightens the night-birds of evil omen. The eat was also sacred to Ba.st. and thence called "the destroyer of the Sun's (Osiris') etiemies''.; Buddha (SkJ. Lit., "The Enlightened". The highest degree of knowledge. To become a Buddha one has to break through the bondage of sense and personality ; to acquire a complete perception of the re.\l SELF and learn not to separate it from all other selves; to learn by experience the utter unreality of all phenomena of the visible Kosmos foremost of all ; to reach a complete detachment from all that is evanescent and finite, and live while yet on Earth in the immortal and the everlasting alone, in a .supreme state of holiness.

The mention of Hrisd and its association with "Brothers of the Shadow" offers a stark reminder of the dualistic currents that can run through any spiritual or occult pursuit. Blavatsky's definition, though brief, points to a historical or conceptual designation for those who engage with esoteric forces through what is termed "black or left-hand magic." This concept is not unique to her writings; similar distinctions appear across various traditions, often framed as the perversion of sacred knowledge for selfish ends. Mircea Eliade, in his studies of shamanism and archaic religions, often explored the fine line between the healer and the sorcerer, the one who communes with spirits for the benefit of the community and the one who manipulates them for personal power or harm. The Tibetan Dugpas, specifically mentioned, represent a tangible example within a living tradition where such distinctions are understood, often in relation to tantric practices. The "shadow" here is not merely an absence of light but an active, often willful, turning away from connection and compassion towards isolation and control. This path, by its very nature, seeks to sever the threads that bind the individual to the greater whole, a concept antithetical to the non-dualistic aspirations found in many wisdom traditions. The "temple at Brisa" adds a layer of geographical specificity, grounding this esoteric concept in a particular, albeit perhaps symbolic, locus. It suggests that such paths have had their havens, their places of congregation and practice, across different epochs and locales. The very act of naming and categorizing such practitioners, as Blavatsky does, serves to delineate the boundaries of acceptable esoteric engagement, underscoring the ethical responsibilities inherent in the pursuit of hidden knowledge. It is a call to vigilance, a reminder that the tools of spiritual insight can be wielded for construction or destruction, depending entirely on the orientation of the wielder's heart. The shadow, in this context, is not a cosmic force to be feared, but a potential within the human psyche that, when unchecked by wisdom and compassion, can lead to profound spiritual alienation.