Bodhi Tree or Bo Tree The tree of wisdom or knowledge; the tree (Pippala or Ficus religiosa) "under which Sakyamuni meditated for seven years and then reached Buddhaship. It was originally 400 feet high, it is claimed; but when Hiouen-Tsang saw it, about the year 640 of our era, it was only 50 feet high. Its cuttings have been carried all over the Buddhist world and are planted in front of almost every Vihara or temple of fame in China, Siam, Ceylon, and Tibet" (TG 59).

This legend of the enormous height attained by the fig tree under which the Buddha obtained enlightenment, illustrates how soon the spiritual vision of the real meaning of the bodhi tree became involved in mythologic wonder.

While the historical legend of the Buddha obtaining omniscience under the bodhi tree may be correct historically, it is also a usage of the mystical language of the Mysteries -- Gautama attaining supreme wisdom and knowledge under the "wisdom tree" is but another way of saying that through initiation into the highest grades of the Mysteries, he reached the stage of buddhahood because he was already a buddha through inner evolution. Again, in India adepts of both the right- and left-hand were often referred to as trees, the path indicated by whether the tree named was beneficent or maleficent.

See also ASVATTHA

(See also: Bodhi Tree, Bo Tree , Mysticism, Mysticism Dictionary, Occultism, Occultism Dictionary)

Bhagavan

The Personality of Godhead, who possesses in full the six opulences (bhagas) of perfection—strength, fame, beauty, knowledge, renunciation, and power to control.

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

Simply put, happiness is satisfaction of mind. However, different individuals have different perceptions of how to achieve happiness. For some, happiness lies in wealth; for others, it is in rank and position; yet others find happiness in fame and name. Commonly, happiness is measured by achievement in terms of money, property, other material possessions, power, name, fame, education, lifestyle, position and social status.

(See also: Love and Happiness, Life and Beyond, Body Mind and Soul)

Read more here: » Love and Happiness: Mantra for Happiness - Loving Detachment

Pythagoreans The school founded at Crotona, Italy in the 6th century BC by Pythagoras of Samos. Pythagoras was an initiate not only into the Mysteries of his own native state, but also into those of the ancient Orient, where he had pursued extensive studies. His special work was to translate his esoteric knowledge into terms of the Grecian thought of that period. He shows the ultimate derivation of his wisdom and consequent teaching both by the content of his philosophical doctrines and by his insistence upon purity and self-mastery in life as a prime requisite to the attainment of wisdom.

His word metempsychoses is given as meaning the transference of the soul from one body to another; whereas by its Greek etymology it should mean the various highly occult transformations undergone by the soul-ego after death, and preceding the process of reensoulment -- something of larger significant content than what the word reincarnation has mainly come to mean today, as implying merely soul-reimbodiment. It is the teaching of the various successive karmic transformations and imbodiments of a monad during its evolutionary cycle -- not only in the larger sense of cosmic destiny, but also in the smaller sense of its karmic transformations between death and the succeeding physical birth.

Pythagoras is famous for his use of numerical and geometrical keys, which he illustrated by reference to the geometrical figures, the musical scale, astronomy, etc. He is supposed to have "discovered" the Divine Section, the regular polyhedra, and the proposition relating to the square of the hypotenuse; what he did was to show that these were keys to the interpretation of mysteries. Porphyry reports that the numerals of Pythagoras were "hieroglyphical symbols by means whereof he explained ideas concerning the nature of things: (Vita Pythag) or, Blavatsky adds, "the origin of the universe" (SD 1:361). His tetraktys is a gem of condensed esoteric symbolism.

The influence of his school may be traced in subsequent Greek history, inspiring such characters as Epaminondas; "It was Pythagoras who was the first to teach the heliocentric system, and who was the greatest proficient in geometry of his century. It was he also who created the word 'philosopher,' composed of two words meaning a 'lover of wisdom' -- philosophos. As the greatest mathematician, geometer and astronomer of historical antiquity, and also the highest of the metaphysicians and scholars, Pythagoras has won imperishable fame. He taught reincarnation as it is professed in India and much else of the Secret Wisdom" (TG 266).

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

Avatar: A divine incarnation of God, usually incarnations of Vishnu and his wife Laksmi. Krishna and Rama are the two principal ones, while Buddha is considered the ninth avatar of Vishnu.

(See also: Avatar ,Yoga, Yoga Dictionary)

sorcery

The selfish use of transformational knowledge, often called black magic, for personal gain, money, or fame. The abuse is the use of spiritual powers for the benefit of ego or to the disadvantage of another

(See also: Sorcery , Body Mind and Soul)

yashas:

yashas. Fame.

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

An article published talked about how 10 per cent of your life is made up of what happens to you, whereas 90 per cent is decided by how you react. So most of the situations we find ourselves in are possibly self-created; maybe only 10 per cent are nature-generated. A self-audit can help us find out how much this applies to us.

I often think about the importance of self-audit - especially when I see the way a majority of youngsters today are faced with increasing pressures from family, peer groups and the outside world. Many find it difficult to handle all this with an even mind. The manner in which the youth is expending itself and the direction it is headed toward is somewhat alarming.

(See also: Love and Happiness, Life and Beyond, Body Mind and Soul)

Read more here: » Love and Happiness: Come Alive! Try Zero Tolerance

Tantra: Literally a loom or warp. Tantra refers to a group of religious writings written over a period of 300 years, starting in the eighth century. The texts deal mainly with folk magic and rituals. The Tantras are in the form of a dialogue between Shiva and Shatki, and are best known for their blending of sensuality and religious practice.

(See also: Tantra ,Yoga, Yoga Dictionary)

Cheru (Scandianvian Norse) Or Heru. A magic sword, a weapon of the "sword god" Heru. In the Edda, the Saga describes it as destroying its possessor, should he be unworthy of wielding it. It brings victory and fame only in the hand of a virtuous hero.

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

Ethics or ethical science treats about Sadachara or right conduct, morality or duty. Ethics is the science of morals, that branch of philosophy which is concerned with human character and conduct.

From "Easy Steps to Yoga" by Sri Swami Sivananda.

Read more here: » Sadachara:Yoga of Right Conduct - Sadachara

Brahmin: A priest or scholar; a member of the most privileged of the four social classes of Hinduism.

(See also: Brahmin ,Yoga, Yoga Dictionary)

Yoga Sutras: The classical text from the yoga school of Indian philosophy. Written by Patanjali around the time of Christ, it remains a primary source of guidance about yoga.

(See also: Yoga Sutras ,Yoga, Yoga Dictionary)

Kirtan:  Mantras that are sung to music.  Chanting and singing devotional songs.

(See also: Kirtan ,Yoga, Yoga Dictionary)

The funny thing about life is that there usually isn't much to laugh about!

"I'm not very happy most of the time," quipped Woody Allen. "The rest of the time I'm not happy at all."

On television, the joke is on someone else, so we laugh. Someone else's slip-up, struggles, loss of face, sleepless nights. In real life, however, the joke is usually on us. Maybe comedies bring us relief from our own frustrations and failures by drawing our attention to the fictional disasters of others. Or is it that we get to view a reflection of ourselves in those characters on the screen and so present a disguised opportunity to see the humorous angle of what happens to all of us; a form of catharsis; a chance to unwind and ease the tension of our troubled minds?

(See also: Love and Happiness, Life and Beyond, Body Mind and Soul)

Read more here: » Love and Happiness: Listen to the Cosmic Laughter

Eight hundred years ago, Dharmasthala was known as Kuduma in Mallarmadi, then a village in Dakshina Kannada. There lived lived a Jain chieftain, Birmanna Pergade and his wife Ammu Ballalthi in a house called Neliyadi Beedu. They were simple, pious and affectionate people. All knew the Pergade family for its generosity and hospitality.

Read more here: » Jainism: The Legend Of Dharmasthala

Sons of Ad (Chaldean?) Used by Mahatma KH in response to a question asked by Sinnett whether there had ever been civilizations "as great as our own in regard to intellectual development": "Do you know that the Chaldees were at the apex of their Occult fame before what you term as the 'bronze Age'? That the 'Sons of Ad' or the children of the Fire Mist preceded by hundreds of centuries the Age of Iron, which was an old age already, when what you now call the Historical Period . . . had hardly begun" (ML 145, 153).

(See also: Sons of Ad , Mysticism, Mysticism Dictionary, Occultism, Occultism Dictionary)

Bhujangasana: The cobra posture.

(See also: Bhujangasana ,Yoga, Yoga Dictionary)

Bhastra: Breath control. Hatha Yoga uses eight different kinds of breath control.  Bhastra is one of them.

(See also: Bhastra ,Yoga, Yoga Dictionary)

Yasha:

Yasha: fame (SSS-III)

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

Jnana Yoga: The yoga of wisdom; the path to liberation based on wisdom, through the ability to distinguish between the Real and the unreal, and rejecting what is unreal.

(See also: Jnana Yoga ,Yoga, Yoga Dictionary)

Maharishi: Maha means great, rishi means 'seer', A Great sage. A Great soul.

(See also: Maharishi ,Yoga, Yoga Dictionary)