The word �transmigration� means passing from one life to another. The one great and fundamental tenet of most schools of Indian Philosophy, with the exception of the Charvaka or the materialist, is the belief in the immortality of the soul. The soul passes through a number of lives for attaining perfection. This is technically called �transmigration of souls�.

The death and dying and the life after death has always fascinated man. This is an excerpt from the book What Becomes Of The Soul After Death by Sri Swami Sivananda.

Read more here: » Reincarnation: Transmigration Of Souls

The Hymns of Dirghatamas in the Rig Veda

Some scholars have claimed that the Babylonians invented the zodiac of 360 degrees around 700 BCE, perhaps even earlier. Many claim that India received the knowledge of the zodiac from Babylonia or even later from Greece. However, as old as the Rig Veda, the oldest Vedic text, there are clear references to a chakra or wheel of 360 spokes placed in the sky. The number 360 and its related numbers like 12, 24, 36, 48, 60, 72, 108, 432 and 720 occur commonly in Vedic symbolism. It is in the hymns of the great Rishi Dirghatamas (RV I.140 - 164) that we have the clearest such references.

Read more here: » Vedic Origins of the Zodiac: The Hymns of Dirghatamas in the Rig Veda

Man is threefold in his nature. He consists of Ichha (desire, feeling), Jnana (knowing) and Kriya (willing). These three fashion his Karma.

Behind the action, there are desire and thought. A desire for an object arises in the mind. Then you think how to get it. Then you exert to possess it. Desire, thought and action always go together. They are the three threads, as it were, that are twisted into the cord of Karma. Desire produces Karma

Excerpt from All About Hinduism by Sri Swami Sivananda

Read more here: » Karma: How Karma Is Fashioned

Dharana (Concentration)

Fix the mind on some object either within the body or outside. Keep it there steady for some time. This is Dharana. You will have to practise this daily. Laya-Yoga has its basis on Dharana.

From "Kundalini Yoga" by Sri Swami Sivananda

Read more here: » Dharana: Concentration in Yoga - Dharana

Aiwass: The entity who communicated the Book of the Law to Aleister Crowley.

(See also: Aiwass , Magic, Shamanism, Paganism, Wicca)

Aleister Crowley: Born Edward Alexander Crowley, he was a remarkable poet, writer, mountain climber, and occultist. His strong positions on magick (his spelling) including the use of sexuality in magick have made him highly controversial. He “received” (what today might be called “channelled”) a short text, The Book of the Law, in 1904, and modified the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn’s magical system to fit this revelation. It also became a religious system. Followers of this system all called Thelemites.

Also See: Crowley, Edward Alexander Crowley

(See also: Aleister Crowley , Magic, Shamanism, Paganism, Wicca)

AGE OF HORUS

Another 2000-year cycle beginning in 1904 when Crowley received the Book of the Law from Aiwass (some say the age began with the birth of Crowley's son). Stands for constant progress. Horus grows from a helpless infant to the highest seat of the gods, whence integrating with Ra. Horus, as the impulse to manifest, is the constant enemy of his brother, Seth, who represents the inexorable dragging down of negation and nothingness.

(See also: AGE OF HORUS , Magick, Mysticism, Mysticism Dictionary, Body Mind and Soul,)

Kiara Windrider is a therapist, poet, astrologer, healer, explorer of mystic and shamanic paths and the author of the award-winning book Doorway to Eternity: A Guide to Planetary Ascension. A primary focus for Kiara Windrider has currently been to work with inner technologies for planetary healing, and joining with others in a Chrysalis Network to seed new possibilities for an awakening planet.

Read more here: » Spiritual Awakening: Two Streams of Future Probability

The Sruti says that those who do not go by means of Vidya along the path of Devayana to Brahmaloka or by means of Karma along the path of Pitriyana to Chandraloka are born often in low bodies and die often. The evil-doers go to the third place (Tritiyam sthaanam). The Sruti passage says: �Now those who go along neither of these ways become those small creatures, flies, worms, etc., continually returning, of whom it may be said: �Live and Die�. Theirs is the third place. The sinners are called small creatures because they assume the bodies of insects, gnats, etc. Their place is called the third place because it is neither Brahmaloka, nor the Chandraloka.

The death and dying and the life after death has always fascinated man. This is an excerpt from the book What Becomes Of The Soul After Death by Sri Swami Sivananda.

Read more here: » Soul�s Journey After Death: The Third Place

Karma Yoga Lesson V

Further study of thought; Contacting thought; Enjoying every thought; Especially painful thought; Keeping a notebook, for study, after meditation; Meaning of suffering; The fire trial; Mantra for this lesson (Maatra-asparsa-astu) contact, suffer, everything.

Read more here: » Karma Yoga: Karma Yoga - Lesson V (of XI )

Through the play of the mind in dreams and deliriums nearness appears as a great distance and a great distance appears as proximity. Through the force of the mind a great cycle of time appears as a moment and a moment appears as a great cycle. The unreal world appears as real whereas it is in reality a long dream arisen in our mind. This world is nothing but a long dream. The mind sports and creates an illusion. Through the play of the mind the dream-world appears as real. The following story will illustrate this fact.

A spiritual view on dreams and the meaning of dreams by Sri Swami Sivananda, an authority in the vedic sciences and traditions.

Read more here: » Philosophy of Dreams XI: The Unreality of Imagination

The Book of the Law, also known as Liber AL vel Legis, is the text central to philosophical / magical / religious practice called Thelema founded by Aleister Crowley. Crowley penned the book in three sessions between 12 noon and 1 pm on April 8, 9 and 10, 1904 in Cairo, resulting in three distinct chapters. He reports writing the book by dictation from a voice that seemed to come from over his shoulder and called itself Aiwass (or Aiwaz). He also reports having the impression or picture of a speaker in the ...

Read more here: » The Book of the Law: Encyclopedia - The Book of the Law

Avatara is the decent of God on earth for the ascent of man. The Lord Krishna says: - Though unborn, the Imperishable Self and also the Lord of all beings, yet brooding over nature which is Mine own, I am born through My Own Power. Whenever there is decline of righteousness, then I Myself come forth. For the protection of the good, for the destruction of the evil-doers, for the sake of firmly establishing righteousness, I am born from age to age - (Ch. IV-6, 7, 8).

Excerpt from All About Hinduism by Sri Swami Sivananda

Read more here: » Avatara: The Concept Of Avatara

Jose Arguelles

(1939 - ) New Age author whose book The Mayan Factor, published early 1987, argued that during a critical time (August 16-17 of that year) the prophecies of the Bible, Aztec and Mayan calendars indicated that the world would either begin a new age or be destroyed.

If 144,000 self-chosen people were "resonating" with peace during this important time, worldwide, though especially at the "power centers" like Mount Shasta, Arguelles believed the world could be saved from destruction. (see Harmonic Convergence).

He has a distinguished career as an educator, he taught at Princeton University, University of California, Evergreen State College, San Francisco State University, San Francisco Institute of Art, the Naropa Institute, the University of Colorado, and The Union Graduate School.

His pioneering books resulting from investigations into human whole systems include: Mandala (1972), A Psychophysical Aesthetic (1972), The Transformative Vision: Reflections on the Nature and History of Human Expression (1975) (1992), and, Earth Ascending: An illustrated Treatise on the Law Governing Whole Systems (1984, 1988). As one of the founders of Earth Day, 1970 (First Whole Earth Festival, Davis, California. 1970), Arguelles is a career activist for peace and the planetary transformation of consciousness.

With his wife and partner, Lloydine, they founded the Planet Art Network (1983), promoting the revival of the Nicholas Roerich Peace Pact and Banner of Peace (1935). Combining investigations of the Roerich Peace Pact with his lifetime study of the mathematics and prophesies of the Mayan Calendar.

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

Sufi Teacher Phillippe De Vos explain the emergence of what the sufis call the �Fath Rabani" (Divine Awakening), and he relates this awakening process to the Indian wisdom and the notions of kalpa and manvanra (cosmic cycles)and the coming of the Venus Transit of June 6-8 2004.

Read more here: » Venus Transit: The Divine Awakening of the Heart

Had and Hadit both refer to the Thelemic version of an Egyptian god. The earlier, Egyptian version, went by the name of Hor-Behudeti or Horus of Edfu. Thoth let him take the form of the solar disk to help a younger version of Horus -- Re-Horakhty, or Ra-Hoor-Khuit -- in a battle with Set and his army. Both versions of Horus appear in the Egyptian image that Thelemites call Stele 666 (of the Boulaq ...

Read more here: » Hadit: Encyclopedia - Hadit

Pitri Loka is also known by the name of Chandraloka, wherein the forefathers, or Pitris, live. This is also a heaven. Those who perform sacrifices and charitable deeds with selfish motives (Ishtapurtam), such as digging wells, building rest-houses and laying out parks or gardens for the public, enter this Loka. The ruler of this world is Lord Yama, son of Surya. The Jivas come back to this world after the fruits of their actions have been exhausted.

This is an excerpt from the book What Becomes Of The Soul After Death by Sri Swami Sivananda.

Read more here: » Lokas Or Planes: Pitri Loka

Dreams and Death are rock foundations of all philosophy. Dream world is totally different from the waking world. But some facts are strikingly common to both: 1) Sometimes we have a dream within a dream. 2) During sleep, sometimes we are conscious of the fact that we are asleep and we are dreaming. 3) In dreams more often than not we assume a body that is the master of the dream world. 4) Sometimes we feel extremely helpless amidst the facts of the dream world. We cry and we weep to the extent that the physiological system is affected.

A spiritual view on dreams and the meaning of dreams by Sri Swami Sivananda, an authority in the vedic sciences and traditions.

Read more here: » Philosophy of Dreams XXV: Dream Hints

In the Ennead mythology, Nuit (alternatively spelt Nut) was the sky goddess, in contrast to most other mythologies, which usually have a sky father. Nuit is a daughter of Shu, god of the air, and Tefnut, goddess of moistness. Her husband was Geb, the earth, with whom she had 4 children: Osiris, Isis, Set, and Nepthys. In myth, she originally lay eternally having sex with Geb, but Shu (the air) later separated them, and it was said that if she ever returned to that position, chaos would reign (because the world ...

Including:

• Nuit - Nuit in Thelema

Read more here: » Nuit: Encyclopedia - Nuit

Book of the Law: The Book of the Law, also known as Liber AL vel Legis, was channeled by Aleister Crowley in Cairo in 1904 from a "praeternatural" entity calling himself Aiwass. It is divided into three sections, respectively attributed to the Egyptian deities Nuit, Hadit, and Ra-Hoor-Khuit. Its chief tenets are "Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law," "Love is the law, love under will," and "Every man and every woman is a star."

(See also: Book of the Law , Magic, Shamanism, Paganism, Wicca)

Aleister Crowley wrote The Gnostic Mass—technically called Liber XV or "Book 15"—in 1913 while travelling in Moscow. In many ways it is similar in structure to the Mass of the Roman Catholic Church. However, the comparison ends there, as the Gnostic Mass is a celebration of the principles of Thelema. The ceremony calls for five officers: a priest, a priestess, a deacon, and two acolytes, called “children”. The end of the ritual culminates in the consumation of the eucharist, which is a glass of wine and the host, called a Cake of Light, after which the congregant proclaims � ...

Including:

• Gnostic Mass - The Temple
• Gnostic Mass - Structure
• Gnostic Mass - The Ceremony of the Introit
• Gnostic Mass - The Ceremony of the Rending of the Veil
• Gnostic Mass - The Collects
• Gnostic Mass - The Consecration of the Elements
• Gnostic Mass - The Anthem
• Gnostic Mass - The Mystic Marriage and Consummation of the Elements
• Gnostic Mass - The narrative of the Gnostic Mass
• Gnostic Mass - Links of Interest

Read more here: » Gnostic Mass: Encyclopedia - Gnostic Mass

Ordo Templi Orientis (O.T.O.) (Order of the Temple of the East, or the Order of Oriental Templars) is an international fraternal and religious organization. For its teachings and principles of organization, it has accepted the Law of Thelema, which is expressed as “Do what thou wilt is the whole of the Law.” Thelemites believe that this Law was established with the writing of the Book of the Law by Aleister Crowley in 1904 in Cairo, Egypt. Its structure is similar to that of Freemasonry, with a series of graded initi ...

Including:

• Ordo Templi Orientis - Philosophy of O.T.O.
• Ordo Templi Orientis - Initiation
• Ordo Templi Orientis - Structure
• Ordo Templi Orientis - International
• Ordo Templi Orientis - National
• Ordo Templi Orientis - The Gnostic Catholic Church
• Ordo Templi Orientis - O.T.O. bodies
• Ordo Templi Orientis - History
• Ordo Templi Orientis - The beginnings
• Ordo Templi Orientis - O.T.O. and Aleister Crowley
• Ordo Templi Orientis - O.T.O. after Crowley
• Ordo Templi Orientis - Schisms in the Thelemic community
• Ordo Templi Orientis - Teachings
• Ordo Templi Orientis - Opposing views

Read more here: » Ordo Templi Orientis: Encyclopedia - Ordo Templi Orientis