Gymnosophists (from Greek gymnosophistai naked wise men)

Name given by the Greeks to the ascetics met by Alexander in India, as mentioned by Plutarch and others. They are said in some cases to have practiced extreme asceticism, including virtual nudity in all weathers; these "learned yogis and ascetic type philosophers who returned to the jungle and forest, there to reach through great austerities superhuman knowledge and experience," are said to have possessed occult powers due to their mode of life and to the traditional knowledge which they had (TG 130, IU 1:90, 113).

(See also: Gyloon, Gylung, Mysticism, Mysticism Dictionary, Occultism, Occultism Dictionary)

Several distinguishing features are to be noted. Fulltime CPM workers were expected to practice an ascetic life-style including celibacy, obedience to the chief pastor, communal living (including disposal of private possessions) in faith homes, corporate prayers beginning at 4.00 a.m., and the wearing of white dress as a biblical principle. From the beginning, indigenous forms of worship were incorporated. Worshippers were seated on mats on the floor. Domestic musical instruments for worship, singing of indigeno ...

See also:

Pentecostal Mission, Pentecostal Mission - Origin, Pentecostal Mission - Statistics, Pentecostal Mission - Distinguishing features, Pentecostal Mission - Bibliography

Read more here: » Pentecostal Mission: Encyclopedia II - Pentecostal Mission - Distinguishing features

They lived chastely with utter simplicity; they "first of all laid down temperance as a sort of foundation for the soul to rest upon, proceed to build up other virtues on this foundation" (Philo). They were dedicated to the contemplative life, and their activities for six days of the week consisted of ascetic practices, fasting, solitary prayers and the study of the scriptures in their isolated cells, each with its separate holy sanctuary, and enclosed courtyard: "the entire interval from dawn to evening is given up by them to spiritual exer ...

See also:

Therapeutae, Therapeutae - Forerunners of early Christian monastic orders, Therapeutae - Formative influences

Read more here: » Therapeutae: Encyclopedia II - Therapeutae - Forerunners of early Christian monastic orders

The practice of a Nazarite vow is part of the obscurity of the Greek term "Nazarene" that appears in the New Testament; the sacrifice of a lamb and the offering of bread does suggest a relationship with Christian symbolism. However, a saying (Matthew 11:18f; Luke 7:33ff) attributed to Jesus makes it doubtful that he might have been a Nazarite, as does the ritual consumption of wine as part of the Eucharist. Luke clearly was aware that wine was forbidden in ascetic practice, for the angel (Luke 1:15) that announces the birth of John th ...

See also:

Nazirite, Nazirite - Nazirite Vows in the Old Testament, Nazirite - Nazirite Vows in History, Nazirite - Nazarites and the New Testament, Nazirite - Nazarite and Rastafari

Read more here: » Nazirite: Encyclopedia II - Nazirite - Nazarites and the New Testament

John Cassian wrote two major spiritual works, the Institutes and the Conferences. In these, he codified and transmitted the wisdom of the Desert Fathers of Egypt. They followed a threefold path to mysticism. The first level was called the Purgatio during which the young monk struggled through prayer and ascetical practices to gain control of "the flesh" - specifically gluttony, lust, and the desire for possessions. During this period, the young monk was to learn that any strength he had to resist these desires cam ...

See also:

John Cassian, John Cassian - Writings, John Cassian - Effects on Later Thought

Read more here: » John Cassian: Encyclopedia II - John Cassian - Writings

Sannyasin (Sanskrit) [from sam together with + ni-as to reject, resign worldly life]

One who abandons or sets aside worldly affairs and fixes his mind upon the attainment of mystic knowledge; more commonly, a devotee, ascetic, one who has renounced all worldly concerns and devotes himself to spiritual meditation and the study of the Upanishads, as also does a Brahmin in the fourth stage of his life. The sannyasin is one who practices sannyasas.

(See also: Sannyasin, Mysticism, Mysticism Dictionary)

A Theosophical definition of Yoga :

Yoga

(Sanskrit) Literally "union," "conjunction," etc. In India it is the technical name for one of the six Darsanas or schools of philosophy, and its foundation is ascribed to the sage Patanjali. The name Yoga itself describes the objective of this school, the attaining of union or at-one-ness with the divine-spiritual essence within a man. The yoga practices when properly understood through the instructions of genuine teachers  - who, by the way, never announce themselves as public lecturers or through books or advertisements  - are supposed to induce certain ecstatic states leading to a clear perception of universal truths, and the highest of these states is called samadhi.

There are a number of minor forms of yoga practice and training such as the karma yoga, hatha yoga, bhakti yoga, raja yoga, jnana yoga, etc. Similar religious aspirations or practices likewise exist in Occidental countries, as, for instance, what is called salvation by works, somewhat equivalent to the Hindu karma yoga or, again, salvation by faith  - or love, somewhat similar to the Hindu bhakti yoga; while both Orient and Occident have, each one, its various forms of ascetic practices which may be grouped under the term hatha yoga.

No system of yoga should ever be practiced unless under the direct teaching of one who knows the dangers of meddling with the psychomental apparatus of the human constitution, for dangers lurk at every step, and the meddler in these things is likely to bring disaster upon himself, both in matters of health and as regards sane mental equilibrium. The higher branches of yoga, however, such as the raja yoga and jnana yoga, implying strict spiritual and intellectual discipline combined with a fervid love for all beings, are perfectly safe. It is, however, the ascetic practices, etc., and the teachings that go with them, wherein lies the danger to the unwary, and they should be carefully avoided.

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

The order of Buddhist monks and nuns was founded by Gautama Buddha during his lifetime of over 2500 years ago. The Buddhist monastic lifestyle grew out of the lifestyle of earlier sects of wandering ascetics, some of whom the Buddha had studied under, and was initially fairly eremetic in nature. Individuals or small groups of monks- a teacher and his students, or several monks who were friends- would travel together, living on the outskirts of local communities and practicing meditation in the forests. Monks and nuns were expected to live wi ...

See also:

Buddhist monasticism, Buddhist monasticism - History and Development, Buddhist monasticism - Monastic Life, Buddhist monasticism - Local Variations, Buddhist monasticism - Tibet, Buddhist monasticism - East Asia, Buddhist monasticism - Southeast Asia

Read more here: » Buddhist monasticism: Encyclopedia II - Buddhist monasticism - History and Development

Fast, Fasting

Abstinence from food for a length of time. A common ascetic practice, it is also a widespread mode of purification with respect to ritual activities or the restoration of health.

In Christianity fasting derives from the example of Jesus, who both fasted and recommended the practice. Partial or total abstinence from food and drink was institutionalized in early Christianity for certain days. Today in Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches there are seasons of fasting before Christmas and Easter and, in some traditions, a day of fasting before participating in the Eucharist.

Muslims in good health must observe a daytime fast (Arab. sawm) during the month of Ramadan by abstaining from food, drink, smoking, and sexual activity. In the evening, a meal is eaten and many attend the mosque for seasonal litanies. A light meal is eaten before daybreak.

(See also: Fast Fasting, New Age Spirituality, Body Mind and Soul)

Fast, Fasting

Abstinence from food for a length of time. A common ascetic practice, it is also a widespread mode of purification with respect to ritual activities or the restoration of health.

In Christianity fasting derives from the example of Jesus, who both fasted and recommended the practice. Partial or total abstinence from food and drink was institutionalized in early Christianity for certain days. Today in Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches there are seasons of fasting before Christmas and Easter and, in some traditions, a day of fasting before participating in the Eucharist.

Muslims in good health must observe a daytime fast (Arab. sawm) during the month of Ramadan by abstaining from food, drink, smoking, and sexual activity. In the evening, a meal is eaten and many attend the mosque for seasonal litanies. A light meal is eaten before daybreak.

(See also: Fast Fasting, New Age Spirituality, Body Mind and Soul)

Manduka Yoga (Sanskrit) [from manduka frog]

A "particular kind of abstract meditation in which an ascetic sits motionless like a frog" (Monier-Williams). However, all true yoga practice involves complete mental abstraction from exterior concerns and the outer environment, so that all yogis, while practicing yoga sit motionless "like a frog." It is not a particularly high kind of yoga, in any case, for true spiritual yoga is the yoga of the inner man, implying intense intellectual and spiritual concentration on affairs and subjects of spiritual character, and need not necessarily involve any sitting in yoga whatsoever.

The true disciple may be doing his master's business and going about in pursuit of his duties from day to day, and yet be practicing this spiritual yoga without a moment's intermission. All forms of yoga practice which involve postures, sittings or similar things in which the physical body is active or inactive, technically belong to one of the various kinds of hatha yoga and are to be discouraged.

(See also: Manduka Yoga, Mysticism, Mysticism Dictionary)

Fumihiro Joyu, originally from the Fukuoka Prefecture on Kyushu island, graduated from Waseda University, one of Japan's most prestigious private colleges, with an M.A. degree in Artificial Intelligence. A few years later, he joined Aum Shinrikyo, at the time an obscure religious group founded by Shoko Asahara. Known for his relentless ascetic practice, he quickly advanced through the organisation's ranks. He was the head of New York branch of Aum Shinrikyo and translated several books by Shoko Asahara into English. After the cessation of Au ...

See also:

Fumihiro Joyu, Fumihiro Joyu - Biography, Fumihiro Joyu - An Icon for Teenage Girls

Read more here: » Fumihiro Joyu: Encyclopedia II - Fumihiro Joyu - Biography

Gautama

The family name of the Buddha.

There is no certainty about the century in which the historical Gautama lived. Buddhists in various parts of the world date the life of the Buddha to either 624 to 544 BC, 448 to 368 BC, or 566 to 486 BC.

According to Buddhist biographies, Gautama was born the son of a king in Lumbini, now in Nepal near the modern Indian border. He was raised in luxury, but left home at age twenty-nine in search of "the Deathless. " He spent six years after this "Great Renunciation" following the spiritual practices of other ascetic teachers and then experimenting on his own.

At the age of thirty-five he attained enlightenment, rediscovering Truth (Dharma) and thus becoming worthy of the epithet "Buddha," or "Awakened One. " Out of compassion, he spent the next forty-five years teaching what he had rediscovered, and each of the different Buddhist traditions traces its doctrine to his career. He died at the age of eighty.

(See also: Gautama, New Age Spirituality, Body Mind and Soul)

Gautama

The family name of the Buddha.

There is no certainty about the century in which the historical Gautama lived. Buddhists in various parts of the world date the life of the Buddha to either 624 to 544 BC, 448 to 368 BC, or 566 to 486 BC.

According to Buddhist biographies, Gautama was born the son of a king in Lumbini, now in Nepal near the modern Indian border. He was raised in luxury, but left home at age twenty-nine in search of "the Deathless. " He spent six years after this "Great Renunciation" following the spiritual practices of other ascetic teachers and then experimenting on his own.

At the age of thirty-five he attained enlightenment, rediscovering Truth (Dharma) and thus becoming worthy of the epithet "Buddha," or "Awakened One. " Out of compassion, he spent the next forty-five years teaching what he had rediscovered, and each of the different Buddhist traditions traces its doctrine to his career. He died at the age of eighty.

(See also: Gautama, New Age Spirituality, Body Mind and Soul)

Natha: (Sanskrit) "Master, lord; adept."

Names an ancient Himalayan tradition of Saiva-yoga mysticism, whose first historically known exponent was Nandikeshvara (ca 250 bce). Natha - Self-Realized adept - designates the extraordinary ascetic masters (or devotees) of this school. Through their practice of siddha yoga they have attained tremendous powers, siddhis, and are sometimes referred to as siddha yogis (accomplished or fully enlightened ones). The words of such beings naturally penetrate deeply into the psyche of their devotees, causing mystical awakenings. Like all tantrics, Nathas have refused to recognize caste distinctions in spiritual pursuits. Their satgurus initiate from the lowest to the highest, according to spiritual worthiness. Natha also refers to any follower of the Natha tradition. The Nathas are considered the source of hatha as well as raja yoga.

See: Kailasa Parampara, Natha Sampradaya, siddha yoga.

(See also: Natha, Hinduism, Body Mind and Soul)

Sakti-kriya (Sanskrit) [from sakti power + kriya action]

An inner power or force recognized and taught from immemorial time in India, embracing spiritual, intellectual, as well as psychic elements, which can be exercised by any adept, whether ascetic or layman, and said to be most efficient when accompanied by meditation or bhavana.

Its reality depends on the inner merits of one's character and on the intensity of one's will, added to an absolute faith born of knowledge in one's own powers. When applied to ceremonial or ritualistic practice, sakti-kriya is akin to a magic mantra.

(See also: Sakti-kriya, Mysticism, Mysticism Dictionary)

Lifelong (or at least long-term) abstinence, often associated with religious ascetism, is distinguished from chastity before marriage. Abstinence is often viewed as an admirable act of self-control over the natural desire to have sex. The display of the strength of character allows the abstainer to set an example for those not able to contain their "base urges." At other times abstinence has been seen as a great social ill practiced by those who refuse to engage with the material and physical world. Some groups that propose sexual abstinence ...

See also:

Sexual abstinence, Sexual abstinence - Premarital chastity, Sexual abstinence - Western attitudes, Sexual abstinence - Abstinence, Sexual abstinence - Abstinence as a lifestyle, Sexual abstinence - Medical aspects of abstinence, Sexual abstinence - Religious views, Sexual abstinence - Modern abstinence movements, Sexual abstinence - Popularity and effectiveness, Sexual abstinence - Reference

Read more here: » Sexual abstinence: Encyclopedia II - Sexual abstinence - Abstinence

dhutanga (dhutaanga): Voluntary ascetic practices that monks and other meditators may undertake from time to time or as a long-term commitment in order to cultivate renunciation and contentment, and to stir up energy.

For the monks, there are thirteen such practices:

(1)         using only patched-up robes;

(2)         using only one set of three robes;

(3)         going for alms;

(4)         not by-passing any donors on one's alms path;

(5)         eating no more than one meal a day;

(6)         eating only from the alms-bowl;

(7)         refusing any food offered after the alms-round;

(8)         living in the forest;

(9)         living under a tree;

(10)     living under the open sky;

(11)     living in a cemetery;

(12)     being content with whatever dwelling one has;

(13)     not lying down.

 (See also: Dhutanga, Buddhism, Body Mind and Soul)

James was called "the Just" because of his ascetic practices, which involved taking Nazarite vows. The name also helps distinguish him from other important figures in early Christianty, such as Saint James the Great and Saint James the Less. He is sometimes referred to as "James the Brother of Jesus." Jesus's brothers — James as well as Jude, Simon and Joses — are mentioned in Matthew 13:55, Mark 6:3, and probably Acts 12:17. James alone is mentioned as a brother of Jesus by ...

See also:

Saint James the Just, Saint James the Just - Name, Saint James the Just - Life, Saint James the Just - Death, Saint James the Just - Influence, Saint James the Just - Brother half-brother step-brother or cousin of Jesus, Saint James the Just - The ossuary, Saint James the Just - Bibliography

Read more here: » Saint James the Just: Encyclopedia II - Saint James the Just - Name

A Theosophical definition of Asana :

Asana according to Theosophy

(Sanskrit) "A word derived from the verbal root as, signifying "to sit quietly." Asana, therefore, technically signifies one of the peculiar postures adopted by Hindu ascetics, mostly of the hatha yoga school. Five of these postures are usually enumerated, but nearly ninety have been noted by students of the subject.

A great deal of quasi-magical and mystical literature may be found devoted to these various postures and collateral topics, and their supposed or actual psychological value when assumed by devotees; but, as a matter of fact, a great deal of this writing is superficial and has very little indeed to do with the actual occult and esoteric training of genuine occultists. One is instinctively reminded of other quasi-mystical practices, as, for instance, certain genuflections or postures followed in the worship of the Christian Church, to which particular values are sometimes ascribed by fanatic devotees.

Providing that the position of the body be comfortable so that the mind is least distracted, genuine meditation and spiritual and actual introspection can be readily and successfully attained by any earnest student without the slightest attention being paid to these various postures. A man sitting quietly in his armchair, or lying in his bed at night, or sitting or lying on the grass in a forest, can more readily enter the inner worlds than by adopting and following any one or more of these various asanas, which at the best are physiological aids of relatively small value." (See also Samadhi)

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

Siddha Siddhanta: (Sanskrit) Siddha Siddhanta, also called Gorakhnatha Saivism, is generally considered to have come in the lineage of the earlier ascetic orders of India. Its most well-known preceptor was Gorakshanatha (ca 1000) a disciple of Matsyendranatha, patron saint of Nepal, revered by certain esoteric Buddhist schools as well as by Hindus.

The school systematized and developed the practice of hatha yoga to a remarkable degree. Indeed, nearly all of what is today taught about hatha yoga comes from this school. Among its central texts are Hatha Yoga Pradipika by Svatmarama, Gheranda Samhita, Siva Samhita and Jnanamrita. Siddha Siddhanta theology embraces both transcendent Siva (being) and immanent Siva (becoming). Siva is both the efficient and material cause of the universe. Devotion is expressed through temple worship and pilgrimage, with the central focus on internal worship and kundalini yoga, with the goal of realizing Parasamvid, the supreme transcendent state of Siva.

Today there are perhaps 750,000 adherents of Siddha Siddhanta Saivism, who are often understood as Shaktas or advaita tantrics. The school fans out through India, but is most prominent in North India and Nepal. Devotees are called yogis, and stress is placed on world renunciation - even for householders. This sect is also most commonly known as Natha, the Gorakshapantha and Siddha Yogi Sampradaya. Other names include Adinatha Sampradaya, Nathamatha and Siddhamarga.

See: Gorakshanatha.

(See also: Siddha Siddhanta, Hinduism, Body Mind and Soul)

Conze distinguishes three periods in the Buddhist use of mantra. Initially, like their fellow Indians, Buddhists used mantra as protective spells to ward of malign influences. Despite a Vinaya rule which forbids monks engaging in the Brahminical practice of chanting mantras for material gain, there are a number of protective for a group of ascetic monks. However, even at this early stage, there is perhaps something more than animistic magic at work. Particularly in the case of the Ratana Sutta the efficacy of the verses seems to be related to the concept of "truth". Each verse of the sutta ends ...

See also:

Mantra, Mantra - Introduction, Mantra - Mantra in Hinduism, Mantra - Mantra Japa, Mantra - Some Hindu mantras, Mantra - Lead me from Ignorance to Truth, Mantra - Hare Krishna Maha Mantra, Mantra - The shanti mantras, Mantra - Universal prayer, Mantra - Other examples, Mantra - The Hindu Bija Mantra, Mantra - Remarks, Mantra - What is Dharma?, Mantra - The Significance of the Symbol Om, Mantra - Mantras and Prayers, Mantra - Kirtan and Bhajan, Mantra - Vedic Conception of Sound, Mantra - Mantra in Buddhism, Mantra - Mantra in Shingon Buddhism, Mantra - Mantra in Indo-Tibetan Buddhism, Mantra - Om mani padme hum, Mantra - Some other mantras used by Tibetan Buddhists, Mantra - Mantra in other traditions or contexts

Read more here: » Mantra: Encyclopedia II - Mantra - Mantra in Indo-Tibetan Buddhism