Introduction and links to related topics Below are some short introductions. Click on the blue hyperlinked word to get more related articles.
Uranus - Uranus rules Aquarius. If you have wondered why and how sudden changes come into your life, look no further. Uranus may be the answer. This planet reflects the energy of sudden change and also provides the intuitive information you need to deal with beginnings, endings, and even catastrophes.
Let’s look at the independent, unconventional actions inspired within us and reflected by Uranus in the chart. This planet shows what part of your life will be the focus of your independence and where you will take an unconventional approach to family, career, relationship – everything. Disruptive ideas and events come along to bring you back into balance. Have you noticed that the more eccentric your behavior, the more life gives you a push and forces you to conform? This is Uranian type energy working to bring you back into balance.
Next consider the role of intuition in your daily life. As you have disruptive episodes, you begin to be able to anticipate them, making adjustments ahead of time to minimize the upset. For example, once you slide on the ice a few times you learn how to keep your balance. Then you learn how to control a skid while driving a car. Then you understand how to manage a spiritual disruption ore easily. This is due to your developing intuition – you can foresee the future partly because of past experiences themselves and partly because you recall intuitive flashes that preceded or accompanied them. Uranus shows how this works for you personally.
When you find yourself detaching from people and events, this is Uranus in action. You have the capacity to take an aloof position, a more analytical and less active role in situations. The placement and aspects of Uranus show how you can best achieve an impersonal attitude in the face of difficulty (or it shows you how to remain connected in those moments when you would really rather be doing something else). This energy focuses your attention on invisible inner perceptions of your world in a way that is similar to everyone in your age group (all your friends have Uranus in the same zodiac sign), yet utterly personal in its development and expression, based on the house placement and aspects to other planets.
Subliminal - Below the threshold of consciousness or apprehension, such as an attitude of which one is not aware. Subconscious.
See: mind (five states, five states of mind).
Dervish - Dervish (Persian) Driyosh (Pahlavi) Drighu (Avestan) (from Pers darvish seeking doors from dar a door; i.e., those who seek from door to door, beggars)
Poor one; an Islamic devotee, used in mystic Persian literature for one who shows his spiritual grandeur by turning away from the common norms of society and material wealth. Originally a mendicant, but now it generally indicates a member of a religious fraternity, whether mendicant or not, cloistered or lay. In Turkey and Persia it indicates a wandering, begging religious, called in Arabic-speaking countries a fakir. Those whose faith is so great that they have miraculous powers are termed walis.
The dervishes are the practical expounders of Islam. As with the fakirs and sufis, the origin of the dervish fraternities is assigned to either Ali or Abu Bekr. They are divided into two great classes, the ba-Shara (with the law), who govern their conduct according to the principles of Islam; and the be-Shara (without the law), who do not rule their lives according to the formal principles of any religious creed, although they call themselves Moslems. The sufis belong principally to the latter class.
There are reckoned 32 different fraternities of dervishes, with innumerable suborders, but the two principal ones known in the West are the Mevlevits (whirling or dancing dervishes), an order founded by Jelal ud-Din ar-Rumi, author of the great Persian mystical poem the Mathnawi; and the Rifa''ites (howling dervishes), who in ecstasy cut themselves with knives, eat live coals and glass, handle red-hot iron, and devour serpents.
In the symbolism of Hafiz (14th-century mystic Persian poet) dervish is one who has reached the highest degree of spirituality by giving up worldly possessions and in a beggar-like appearance holds the secret of alchemy. In later times, people who did not understand the subtleties of mysticism took the symbolic rejection of the material world too literally and the attitude of certain dervishes also contributed to this misconception, particularly during the Safavids, who were themselves dervishes, followers of the Sharia or Shariat (the outward rituals of religion).
Meditation - Meditation The attempt to raise the self-conscious mind to the level of its spiritual counterpart, to unite manas with a ray from buddhi. It is a positive attitude of mind, a state of consciousness rather than a system or a time period of intensive thinking.
It corresponds in its more perfect form to the ecstasy of Plotinus, which he defines as "the liberation of the mind from its finite consciousness, becoming one and identified with the Infinite."
It is silent prayer in one real sense, for the heart aspires upwards to become freed from all desire for personal benefit, and the mind frames no specific object, but both unite in the aspiration; not my will, but thine, be done. When engaged in at the outset of the day, or on retiring to sleep, it often takes the form of reflecting profoundly and impersonally on spiritual teachings, as well as self-examination, attuning of the mind and heart to calm and unselfish thought and feelings, as well as the endeavor to realize in consciousness one''s highest ideals of duty, purity, and truth, and inducing thereby a general harmonizing and one-pointed adjustment of the whole nature.
"Meditate all the time -- nothing is so easy and so helpful. Far better is this for most students than to have a set period: quiet, unremitting thought on the questions you have, continuing even when the hands are busy with the tasks of the day, and the mind itself quite absorbed by other duties. In the back of the consciousness there can still be this steady undercurrent of thought. It is likewise a protecting shield in all one''s affairs, for it surrounds the body with an aura drawn forth from the deeper recesses of the auric egg . . ." (FSO 39).
Seva - (lit., service) Selfless service; work offered to God, performed without attachment and with the attitude that one is not the doer. In Siddha Yoga ashrams, Guruseva is a spiritual practice, and students seek to perform all of their tasks in this spirit of selfless offering.
Pyrrhonism - Pyrrhonism The philosophy of Pyrrho, the Greek Skeptic (c. 365-275 BC); also a general name for philosophic doubt. Pyrrho left no writings, but lives in those of his pupil Timon.
His doctrine was that we can known nothing about reality by the use of our senses or mental faculties; against every statement its opposite may be maintained with equal justice; hence it is necessary to preserve a balanced judgment, the result of which is imperturbability, a tranquil acceptance of the events of life.
The moral attitude thus engendered is somewhat like that of the Epicureans and Stoics, which has often been wrongly described as a self-centered indifference, bent upon the happiness of the individual, but this is only the negative aspect of the doctrine. His teachings approximate those of the Sankhya philosophy, and of some later philosophers -- as in the doctrine of maya, that all is illusion save the divine.
Whether Pyrrho himself stopped short at a suspense of judgment, or whether his teachings were imperfectly handed down by his followers, may be questioned. The ardent desire for knowledge may result in that illumination by which we becomes aware of the deceptive character of our faculties and the illusory nature of the images they create; but if our skepticism is merely the result of an intellectual disillusionment, unaccompanied by any inward vision, the result is usually selfish indifference bringing about a lapse into mere sensuality.
Cringe - To retreat, bend or crouch in an attitude of fear, especially from something dangerous or painful.
Laughter Therapy - LAUGHTER THERAPY:
Laughter is said to be addictive. Given its several health benefits, that is desirable. Firstly it gives a sense of well being because of release of endorphins and neuropeptides. By ensuring the inhalation of more oxygen, the lifeline of the system, it makes people feel better. It decreases stress leading to lowered stiffness of muscles - muscle relaxation easing headaches, body aches and other muscular problems.
As blood vessels get dilated, blood pressure falls by 10-20 mm mercury after 10 minutes of laughter - very useful for patients of hypertension. With levels of antibodies and natural killer cells going up with laughter, it also improves the immunity - evident from thousands of laughter club members have decreased incidences of cough and cold.
Laughter has innumerable other benefits. It proves a potent anti-stress factor, decreases asthmatic attacks, increases stamina, relives arthritic pain, ensures good sleep and elevates mood. Since the serotonin levels go up after laughter, it is an effective antidote for depression too.
Haasya Yoga is a method of group laughter that is based on yogic techniques. The exercises are designed based entirely on yoga stretching, breathing and variety of stimulated laughs, starting with deep breathing. As simulation helps stimulation, exercise induced laughter - that compliments but is not a substitute for natural laughter - increases the capacity for the latter.
Helping individuals increase their capacity to laugh more, be more self-confident and self-expressive. Positive qualities are cultivated, thereby removing negative emotions as jealousy, fear, guilt and anger. The laughter club is in effect a behavioral training institute that spontaneously raises spirits at no cost. The concept of a laughter bank, where people come up with creative ideas for different types of laughter, for instance is to bring in play fullness into the atmosphere. The fun, frolic and childish attitude generated not only reduces inhibitions, but also curtails tensions.
Under certain conditions though laughter therapy is not recommended. Patients with hernia, advanced piles, eye complications, Angolan pain and those who have just undergone major surgery should not venture into this therapy without the explicit advice of a doctor. Pregnant woman should also preferably avoid laughter sessions till some conclusive data regarding the safety is available. Patients suffering from tuberculosis, chronic bronchitis and other respiratory infections where phlegm is produced must take precaution against spread of infection. Finally, even a normal person experiencing discomfort while laughing, must discontinue immediately and seek expert medical help.
Sagittarius - The best quality of Sagittarius is loyalty. This is true for Sun sign Sagittarians, and also for people with other planets in this sign, although with other planets, the loyalty may extend only to matters concerning that planet. The worst quality is indiscriminate game-playing. A key phrase is “I aspire.” The Sagittarius personality is generous, ambitious and loyal. Self-reliant, Sagittarians can go off on world travels alone without a qualm, and tend to throw youselves into life with the same energy you would pack for such a trip. You can make effective decisions, and therefore are often found in executive positions. You reveal your enthusiasm and positive attitude toward life.
You like to travel mentally as well. You can study subjects deeply, and enjoy philosophical conversations. You tend to be somewhat conservative, as you would expect for your time of year – it is the conservative harvesting of summer’s bounty that feeds us in December, after all. Once you understand the theory of a subject, you are able to take effective action in the practical realm.
The Sagittarius temperament is outspoken and frank. In fact, sometimes you may wish you could restrain your speech. Still, you are usually open-minded, able to listen to what others have to say. You tend to hold to your own opinions tenaciously, yet you are able to change your minds when a suitable argument is presented. Generally able to make quick decisions, you can be too hasty at times.
Sagittarius is usually proper in demeanor. You can give or take orders, and thus are solid companions, able to share leadership cheerfully. When you engage in sports, you learnt he rules and abide by you, just as you respect the rules in all areas of life. Your understanding can come across as magnanimous at times, and at other times you seem self-righteous. You aspire to lofty heights and may be disappointed if others do not attain the same level. You seek to comprehend, both on an interior basis and on a practical level, and once you understand the dynamics of a situation, you cheerfully accept your proper role.
Sadducees - Sadducees [from Greek saddoukaioi from Hebrew tsadoq supposed to be the founder of the sect, meaning just, righteous]
Among Europeans, a skeptic or doubter; originally the party of the Jewish priestly aristocracy which arose in the 2nd century BC under the later Hasmoneans. The Sadducees have come to be regarded as primarily a political party opposed to the Pharisees, called by some the party of the Scribes, but later Jewish tradition following Josephus more accurately regarded them as a philosophico-religious school.
The Sadducees, a sect of erudite philosophers, opposed a great deal of the commonly accepted beliefs of the majority of the Jews, who were actually nearly all Pharisees -- as for instance, the immortality of the personal soul, and the actual resurrection of the physical body; yet they strongly upheld what they considered the genuine meaning, and therefore the true authority, of the Jewish scriptures.
They likewise opposed no small number of doctrinal or religious innovations, some of them true, and some of them less true in nature, which had been accepted by the body of the Pharisees -- virtually by the Jewish people. And the reason for their reluctance to accept these innovations, whether of doctrine or interpretation of the Jewish scriptures, seems to be that they preferred a highly philosophical and even perhaps mystical interpretation, which they said the Jewish scriptures contained, rather than the more popular versions accepted by the Hebrew people as a whole.
One may say that what the Gnostics were to the body of the Christians in the early centuries of the Christian era, the Sadducees were to the body of the Jews or Pharisees. The Sadducees likewise claimed to be the scientists and genuine philosophers of the Hebrews; although it is apparently quite true that as time went on their attitude of opposition, and even of reluctance, often became, at least among individual Sadducees, an attitude of cynicism and even possibly of cynical disbelief.
"Surely there must have been some very good reasons why the Sadducees, who furnished almost all the high Priests of Judea, held to the Laws of Moses and spurned the alleged ''Books of Moses,'' the Penateuch of the Synagogue and the Talmud" (SD 1:320-1n) -- doubtless because they rejected the literal rendering of the Pentateuch, and in the beginning at least preferred their own interpretations of the Hebrew scriptures.
In regard to Jehovah: "Jehovah was a substitute for purposes of an exoteric national faith, and had no importance or reality in the eyes of the erudite priests and philosophers -- the Sadducees, the most refined as the most learned of all the Israelite sects, who stand as a living proof with their contemptuous rejection of every belief, save the Law" (SD 2:472-3).
Yet it must not be understood that the Pharisees were but the hypocritical and exoteric worshipers of the letter that Christian scripture and legend has endeavored to make them; for among the Pharisees themselves, as for instance Josephus (the greatest of Jewish historians), there were found many learned men. The wisest among the Pharisees desired to bring to the Jewish people as a whole certain more secret teachings, whether innovations or not, which for their own purposes the Sadducees strongly opposed.
Victors And Vanquished - Those who triumph and those
who are defeated in battle, debate or any competition. A
concept or attitude about winning and losing derived from
dualistic beliefs, which can lead to adharma, himsa, etc.
Existentialism - An attitude or philosophy concerning the fate of humanity and the individual which emphasizes free will and taking responsibility for the consequences of our acts
Will - Another word for persistence and maintained attention. Will is one of the two natural human powers for altering reality (the other is imagination). When faced with an insoluble problem or great odds against us, it is the Will alone that leads us through to solution and victory. As the imagination is the power of the mind through understanding and enlightenment, the Will is the way of material action. There is no will without physical effort of some kind exerted over physical phenomena.
Colin Wilson says of the will:
"Modern civilization induces an attitude of "passivity." When a Stone Age hunter set out to trap wild animals, he was aware of his will as a living force. When the prehistoric farmer scored the surface of the earth with a crude plough, he knew that his family''s survival through the winter depended on his effort, and his will responded to the challenge. When a modern city dweller walks down a crowded thoroughfare, he feels no sense of challenge or involvement. This city was built by other people; all these shops and offices are owned by other people. He can get through an ordinary day''s work in a state approximating to sleep. Most of his routine tasks are carried out by the ''robot.'' There is neither the need or the opportunity to use the will."
Guru Bhakti - (Sanskrit) Devotion to the teacher.
The attitude of humility, love and loyality held by a student in any field of study. In the spiritual realm, the devotee strives to see the guru as his higher Self.
By attuning himself to the satguru''s inner nature and wisdom, the disciple slowly transforms his own nature to ultimately attain the same peace and enlightenment his guru has achieved.
Guru bhakti is expressed through serving the guru, meditating on his form, working closely with his mind and obeying his instructions.
See: guru, satguru, guru-shishya system, Kularnava Tantra.
Quietists - Quietists A type of religious mysticism which arose within the Roman Catholic Church in Italy and Spain during the latter half of the 17th century, especially in connection with a priest named Miguel de Molinos, who published his Spiritual Guide in Rome in 1675.
The book of this apparently simple and pious man shows how to attain a state of inward peace by withdrawal of the thoughts and desires from all earthly matters and fixing them in contemplation of what the aspirant conceives to be the divine and in prayer. This he regarded as the only essential, doctrine and ritual being of no consequence. His views won great popularity and he received high favors from the Pope; but they did not at all suit the purposes of those then in power. Molinos was condemned and imprisoned and a persecution instituted against Quietists in general.
Also used to denote other schools or sects of the same type, or to designate a particular attitude of mind or policy in which passive resignation is adopted. These Occidental Quietists of whatever affiliation represent what the hatha yogis are in India.
While there are certain aspects of distinctly commendable character in true Quietism, it is nevertheless still more true that Quietism of any sort is in a sense spiritual and intellectual somnolence, and therefore runs directly counter to the far higher spiritual precepts wherein man is enjoined to be as fully awake and as alive as possible in the world in which he lives in order that he may do his full duty to his fellows and to the world, the while cultivating the higher spiritual, intellectual, and psychological parts of his constitution.
Buji - "No matter." An attitude acquired toward Zen, in which the individual does not practice because of the rationality that we are all originally buddhas. This is decieving, as these individuals push themselves further from their Buddha-nature.
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