Akasa - Ether.

(See also: Akasa, Yoga, Yoga Dictionary)

akasa:

akasa (aakaasha). Sky, space, ether.

(See also: akasa, Hinduism, Hinduism Dictionary, Sanskrit Dictionary, Body Mind and Soul)

A Theosophical definition of Akasa :

Akasa

(Sanskrit) The word means "brilliant," "shining," "luminous." The fifth kosmic element, the fifth essence or "quintessence," called Aether by the ancient Stoics; but it is not the ether of science. The ether of science is merely one of its lower elements. In the Brahmanical scriptures akasa is used for what the northern Buddhists call svabhavat, more mystically Adi-buddhi  - "primeval buddhi''; it is also mulaprakriti, the kosmical spirit-substance, the reservoir of Being and of beings. The Hebrew Old Testament refers to it as the kosmic "waters." It is universal substantial space; also mystically Alaya. (See also Mulaprakriti, Alaya)

See also: Akasa, Mysticism, Body Mind and Soul)

Jainism continues to be a living faith in India, with adherents living in nearly every state, but concentrated mainly in Gujarat, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh. Jainism has practically no following outside the country of its birth. The core of Jaina ethics is the doctrine of ahimsa or non-injury to any living creature. Jainism does not espouse belief in a creator but divides the universe into two independent, eternal categories: Jiva (life) and ajiva (non-life).

Read more here: » Jainism: Renewing Oneself Through Confession

Khechari Mudra

'Kha' means Akasa and 'Chari' means to move. The Yogi moves in the Akasa. The tongue and the mind remain in the Akasa. Hence this is known as Khechari Mudra.

From "Kundalini Yoga" by Sri Swami Sivananda

Read more here: » Khechari Mudra: Practice of Khechari Mudra

Vishuddha Chakra is situated within the Sushumna Nadi at the base of the throat, Kantha-Mula Sthana. This corresponds to Janar Loka. It is the centre of Akasa Tattva (ether element). The Tattva is of pure blue colour. Above this, all other Chakras belong to Manas Tattva

Read more here: » Vishuddha Chakra: Vishuddha Chakra and the Kundalini

In Buddhism, kasina are a class of basic visual objects of meditation. There are ten kasina: earth (pathavi kasina), water (apo kasina), air, wind (vayo kasina), fire (tejo kasina), blue, green (nila kasina), yellow (pita kasina), red (lohita kasina), white (odata kasina), enclosed space, hole, aperture (akasa kasina), < ...

Read more here: » Kasina: Encyclopedia - Kasina

AKASA: ether

(See also: AKASA, Hinduism, Hinduism Dictionary, Sanskrit Dictionary, Body Mind and Soul)

Akasa:

The first of the five material elements that constitute the universe; often translated as "space" or "eter". The four other elements are vayu (air), agni (fire), ap (water), and prithivi (earth).

(See also: Akasa, Sanskrit Dictionary, Body Mind and Soul)

Akasa (Sanskrit) (from akas to be visible, appear, shine, be brilliant)

The shining; ether, cosmic space, the fifth cosmic element. The subtle, supersensuous spiritual essence which pervades all space. It is not the ether of science, but the aether of the ancients, such as the Stoics, which is to ether what spirit is to matter. In the Brahmanical scriptures, akasa is used for what the Northern Buddhists call svabhavat, more mystically adi-buddhi (primeval buddhi); it is also mulaprakriti, cosmic spirit-substance, the reservoir of being and of beings. Genesis refers to it as the waters of the deep. It is universal substantial space, and mystically in its highest elements is alaya.

As universal space, it is also known as Aditi, in which lies inherent the eternal and continuously active ideation of the universe producing its ever-changing aspects on the planes of matter and objectivity; and from this ideation radiates the First Logos. This is why the Puranas state that akasa has but one attribute, namely sound, for sound is but the translated symbol of logos (speech) in its mystic sense. Akasa as primordial spatial substance is thus the upadhi (vehicle) of divine thought. Further, it is the playground of all the intelligent and semi-intelligent forces in nature, the fountainhead of all terrestrial life, and the abode of the gods.

Akasa is the noumenon and spiritual substratum of differentiated prakriti, otherwise the seven or ten prakritis, the root or roots of all in the universe. These prakritis are not merely in akasa, but are the manifestations of akasa in its various grades or degrees of evolutionary development. All the ancient nations mythologically deified akasa in one or another of its aspects and powers (cf IU 1:125 for a descriptive listing of the many names anciently used for akasa). It is the indispensable agent in all religious or profane magic: occult electricity, the universal solvent, in another aspect kundalini. "Akasa is the mysterious fluid termed by scholastic science, 'the all-pervading ether'; it enters into all the magical operations of nature, and produces mesmeric, magnetic, and spiritual phenomena. As, in Syria, Palestine, and India, meant the sky, life, and the sun at the same time; the sun being considered by the ancient sages as the great magnetic well of our universe" (IU 1:140n).

Sometimes the astral light is used as a convenient but inaccurate phrase for akasa. In clarifying the difference between these Blavatsky says: "The Astral Light is that which mirrors the three higher planes of consciousness, and is above the lower, or terrestrial plane; therefore it does not extend beyond the fourth plane, where, one may say, the Akasa begins.

"There is one great difference between the Astral Light and the Akasa which must be remembered. The latter is eternal, the former is periodic. The Astral Light changes not only with the Mahamanvantaras but also with every sub-period and planetary cycle or Round. . . .

"The Akasa is the eternal divine consciousness which cannot differentiate, have qualities, or act; action belongs to that which is reflected or mirrored from it. The unconditioned and infinite can have no relation with the finite and conditioned. . . . We may compare the Akasa and the Astral Light . . . to the germ in the acorn. The latter, besides containing in itself the astral form of the future oak, conceals the germ from which grows a tree containing millions of forms. These forms are contained in the acorn potentially, yet the development of each particular acorn depends upon extraneous circumstances, physical forces, etc." (TBL 75-6; also IU 1:197).

The astral light is the tablet of memory of earth and of its child the animal-man; while akasa is the tablet of memory of the hierarchy of the planetary spirits controlling our chain of globes, and likewise of their child, each spiritual ego. The astral light is simply the dregs or lowers vehicles of akasa. Gautama Buddha held only two things as eternal: akasa and nirvana. In the Chandogya Upanishad (7:12:1-2) akasa (ether, space) is equated with Brahman.

(See also: Akasa, Mysticism, Mysticism Dictionary, Occultism, Occultism Dictionary)

Akasa (Sanskrit). The subtle, supersensuous spiritual essence which pervades all space; the primordial substance erroneously identified with Ether. But it is to Ether what Spirit is to Matter, or Atma to Kama-rupa.

It is, in fact, the Universal Space in which lies inherent the eternal Ideation of the Universe in its ever-changing aspects on the planes of matter and objectivity, and from which radiates the First Logos, or expressed thought. This is why it is stated in the Puranas that Akasa has but one attribute, namely sound, for sound is but the translated symbol of Logos - "Speech" in its mystic sense. In the same sacrifice (the Jyotishtoma Agnishtoma) it is called the "God Akasa". In these sacrificial mysteries Akasa is the all-directing ‘and omnipotent Deva who plays the part of Sadasya, the superintendent over the magical effects of the religious performance, and it had its own appointed Hotri (priest) in days of old, who took its name.

The Akasa is the indispensable agent of every Kritya (magical performance) religious or profane. The expression "to stir up the Brahma", means to stir up the power which lies latent at the bottom of every magical operation, Vedic sacrifices being in fact nothing if not ceremonial magic.

This power is the Akasa - in another aspect, Kundalini - occult electricity, the alkahest of the alchemists in one sense, or the universal solvent, the same anima mundi on the higher plane as the astral light is on the lower. "At the moment of the sacrifice the priest becomes imbued with the spirit of Brahma, is, for the time being, Brahma himself". (Isis Unveiled).

(See also: Akasa, Theosophy, Spirituality, Body mind and Soul, Spiritual Dictionary, )

Maha-akasa - is the great, unlimited sky or space.

(See also: Maha-akasa, Bhakti, Bhakti Yoga, Bhakti Dictionary, Body Mind and Soul)

Akasa-sakti (Sanskrit) (from akasa ether, space + sakti power, energy, from the verbal root sak to be strong, able)

Used by Blavatsky for the soul or energy of prakriti: "The Tibetan esoteric Buddhist doctrine teaches that Prakriti is cosmic matter, out of which all visible forms are produced; and Akasa that same cosmic matter -- but still more imponderable, its spirit, as it were, 'Prakriti' being the body or substance, and Akasa-Sakti its soul or energy" (BCW 3:405n). Each divinity is supposed to have his sakti (active energy), mythologically referred to as his consort or feminine counterpart. Thus akasa-sakti is used as the akasa-power in the all-various differentiations of prakriti.

(See also: Akasa-sakti, Mysticism, Mysticism Dictionary, Occultism, Occultism Dictionary)

Akasa or Akasha:

One of the “elements” in Indian and Tantric occultism, equivalent in most ways to the “ether” concept and/or that of “astral” matter.

(See also: Akasa, Akasha, Pagan, Paganism, Pagan Dictionary)

Akasa-bhuta (Sanskrit) (from akasa ether, space + bhuta element, existing, being from the verbal root bhu to be, become)

The aether element, the Father-Mother element, third in the descending scale of seven cosmic bhutas which in the Upanishads are reckoned as five, and in Buddhist writings as four. Akasa-bhuta has its analog in the Third Logos, which because it is formative or creative is called Father-Mother. Not the ether, which is merely one of its lowest principles and only slightly more ethereal than physical matter.

(See also: Akasa-bhuta, Mysticism, Mysticism Dictionary, Occultism, Occultism Dictionary)

Akasa-tattva (Sanskrit) (from akasa ether, space + tattva thatness, reality from tat that)

The brilliant, shining, spiritually luminous, evolving substratum of nature; the third in the descending scale of the seven tattvas. According to one manner of enumerating the cosmic procession of consciousnesses, this tattva corresponds to the feminine aspect of the creative or Third Logos; but as nature repeats itself constantly in its processes of evolutionary unfolding, it is likewise proper to derive the subordinate First Logos from akasa when it is considered as virtually identical with mulaprakriti. In view of this repetitive functioning in nature, it is important not to allow the mind to crystallize around any one definition of a stage in any series of "descents" as being the only stage properly so described. This is seen with the First Logos: adi-tattva, first of the five or seven tattvas, may be called the First Logos; from another aspect the First Logos is born from akasa-tattva as the formative or creative mental impulse.

(See also: Akasa-tattva, Mysticism, Mysticism Dictionary, Occultism, Occultism Dictionary)

para-akasa:

para-akasa (para-aakaasha). Supreme space.

(See also: para-akasa, Hinduism, Hinduism Dictionary, Sanskrit Dictionary, Body Mind and Soul)

Chid-akasa cidakasa (Sanskrit) (from chit consciousness + akasa ether, space)

Abstract cosmic consciousness as active in spiritual cosmic substance or akasa; the infinite field of universal consciousness, pure cosmic intelligence in its union with abstract cosmic substance, the spiritual side of svabhavat.

Because each universe in the Boundless is in itself a cosmic individual, having its own wide fields of spiritual egoity, the chit is the svabhava (intrinsic individuality) of said universe.

(See also: Chid-akasa, cidakasa, Mysticism, Mysticism Dictionary, Occultism, Occultism Dictionary)

Akasic (from Sanskrit akasa ether, space)

The anglicized adjectival form of akasa (Sanskrit akasika).

(See also: Akasic, Mysticism, Mysticism Dictionary, Occultism, Occultism Dictionary)

Ghata - a landing-stage (as on the bank of a river, pond, and so on). Ghata-akasa - is the space that one can see in a pot. (Maha-akasa is the great unlimited sky).

(See also: Ghata, Bhakti, Bhakti Yoga, Bhakti Dictionary, Body Mind and Soul)