Religions vs. Magic and Teachers/Sages/Yogis

[causticus]

An interesting little blurb from a former teacher of mine:

Most religions acknowledge scripturally the existence of angels, demons, nature spirits, etc.  How the modern form of a religion has painted its "magical" founders is usually the result of dogma that developed much later after the Founder died.  By strict definition Zoroaster, Jesus, Moses, Serapis, etc...all were magicians in that they could manifest their Will on a very powerful level that most call supernatural or miraculous.  Whether or not they dressed up and drew circles on the ground is rather irrelevant.   

The best I can do to personally try to understand how they did what they did is to look to the great Magicians and Yogis of today and see how they accomplish the same miracles.  I see little difference superficially between a Yogi in India who says he is God and then walks on water and heals many and a Yogi in ancient Judea who says he is God and walks on Water and heals many.  The only difference esoterically between the two is their karmic dispensation and the Divine missions they incarnated to fulfill.  Likewise if Franz Bardon makes a few quick finger gestures and words and clears a town of a thunderstorm, I have very little reason to believe Jesus did anything else to clear the storm over the Sea, except for maybe having done it on a higher level.  But the same things had to happen for the storm to clear, the same universal laws had to be followed even if God came down and cleared the storm.  Likewise, is it so easy to presume that a "holy man" is anything more divine than a yogi or magician?  Are only religious people bound by God and his Laws, while magicians and yogis somehow usurp his power?  No.  God could stop a magician from doing his miracles just as readily as he could allow a holy man to do them in faith, and vice versa.  The same permissions have to be granted to the magician and yogi as they do a faith healer or prophet.  The only difference is knowledge, and thus accuracy and power.  A yogi can cast a demon out very quickly, with no rituals or prayers and support groups.  A simple clap of the hand and the air is cleared.  It is only because he understands his adversary more. 

Now a quick correction on something said earlier: Religion tends to come from magic, and not the other way around.  Most religious symbolism is a means for the sages of Old to try to communicate to the uninitiated in a harmless way how the universe works and came to be.  The teachings of Moses, Zoroaster, Hermes, Serapis, Buddha, Vashishta, Vyasadeva, Adi Shankara, etc...are more akin to adults trying to teach kids about Life using lots of pictures.

The bolded text in the last paragraph is key.