Qi (Chee, chi, ki, Ki energy, Qui): Broadly,a vital force that underlies functioning of body, mind, and spirit. The concept of this multifaceted cosmic life force is fundamental to various practices termed Chinese, including architecture, art, health practices, magic, and martial arts. According to Qigong theory, Qi encompasses air and internal Qi, or true Qi, which includes essential Qi (vital energy).

(See also: Qi - Chee, chi, ki, Ki energy, Qui , Body Mind and Soul, Alternative Health, Alternative Health Dictionary)

Aromatherapy – Pure essential oils are used to treat stress and anxiety as well as a wide range of other ailments. Aromatherapy is often used in conjunction with massage therapy, acupuncture, reflexology, herbology, chiropractic, and other methods of holistic healing.

(See also: Aromatherapy , Alternative Health, Body Mind and Soul)

The Trigunas

Just as the doshas are the essential components of the body, the three gunas - Satwa, Rajas and Tamas - are the three essential components or energies of the mind. Ayurveda provides a distinct description of people on the basis of their Manasa (psychological) Prakriti (constitution). Genetically determined, these psychological characteristics are dependent on the relative dominance of the three gunas.

While all individuals have mixed amounts of the three, the predominant guna determines an individual's mansa prakriti. In equilibrium, the three gunas preserve the mind (and indirectly the body), maintaining it in a healthy state. Any disturbance in this equilibrium results in various types of mental disorders.

Satwa, characterised by lightness, consciousness, pleasure and clarity, is pure, free from disease and cannot be disturbed in any way. It activates the senses and is responsible for the perception of knowledge. Rajas, the most active of the gunas, has motion and stimulation as its characteristics. All desires, wishes, ambitions and fickle-mindedness are a result of the same. While Tamas is characterised by heaviness and resistance. It produces disturbances in the process of perception and activities of the mind. Delusion, false knowledge, laziness, apathy, sleep and drowsiness are due to it.

Rajas and Tamas, as with the doshas, can be unbalanced by stress and negative desires as kama (lust), irshya (malice), moha (delusion and halucination), lobha (greed), chinta (anxiety), bhaya (fear) and krodha (anger). Each of these three properties is also comprised of sub-types and the particular sub-type to which one belongs to determine the qualities of that individual.

Satwika individuals are usually noble and spiritual in character, their nature determined as much by body type as their star constellation, having an element of kapha in their constitution.

Pitta dominated Rajasikas, intellectually oriented but vulnerable to temptations, are very human in their character and approach to life.

A dominant Vata ensures that Tamasika individuals are the most down to earth, concerned about fundamental questions of practical existence, specially when confronted by more spiritual and less physical issues.

(See also: Trigunas , Ayurveda, Ayurvedic Dictionary, Alternative Health, Body Mind and Soul)

Ayurvedic Treatment and Massage: Massage techniques include:

• Abhyanga- individually prepared herbal-oil massage that deeply penetrates the skin, relaxes the mind and body, breaks up impurities and stimulates both arterial and lymphatic circulation. It enhances the ability for nutrients to reach starved cells and for the removal of stagnant waste. It also heightens awareness that will direct the internal healing system of the body.
• Vishesh is a deep muscular massage that breaks up adhesions and improves circulation deep within the muscles.
• Pizichili is a continuous steam of warm herbal oil soothingly poured over the body by two Ayurveda therapists as they massage the body in unison. It provides a deep tissue cleansing and a heightened state of awareness.
• Udvartina is a deep penetrating herbal paste used for a lymphatic massage. It is an exfoliating treatment that conditions the skin while pressing stagnant lymphatic toxins out of the body.
• Shiro-Ahhyanga-Nasya is a luxurious combination of a deep head, neck and shoulder massage, a facial lymphatic massage, followed by deep inhalation of therapeutic aromatic steam and a nasal and sinus nasya with herbal nose drops. This is to balance most head, neck and respiratory disorders.
• Pinda Swedna is a deep cleansing treatment where rice boiled in milk and herbs are massaged deeply into the tissues and joints; relaxing, rejuvenating, and great for detoxifying the body.

(See also: Ayurvedic Treatment , Alternative Health, Body Mind and Soul)

Hindu: (Sanskrit) A follower of, or relating to, Hinduism.

Generally, one is understood to be a Hindu by being born into a Hindu family and practicing the faith, or by declaring oneself a Hindu. Acceptance into the fold is recognized through the name-giving sacrament, a temple ceremony called namakarana samskara, given to born Hindus shortly after birth, and to self-declared Hindus who have proven their sincerity and been accepted by a Hindu community. Full conversion is completed through disavowal of previous religious affiliations and legal change of name.

While traditions vary greatly, all Hindus rely on the Vedas as scriptural authority and generally attest to the following nine principles:

1)    There exists a one, all-pervasive Supreme Being who is both immanent and transcendent, both creator and unmanifest Reality.

2)    The universe undergoes endless cycles of creation, preservation and dissolution.

3)    All souls are evolving toward God and will ultimately find moksha: spiritual knowledge and liberation from the cycle of rebirth. Not a single soul will be eternally deprived of this destiny.

4)    Karma is the law of cause and effect by which each individual creates his own destiny by his thoughts, words and deeds.

5)    The soul reincarnates, evolving through many births until all karmas have been resolved.

6)    Divine beings exist in unseen worlds, and temple worship, rituals, sacraments, as well as personal devotionals, create a communion with these devas and Gods.

7)    A spiritually awakened master or satguru is essential to know the transcendent Absolute, as are personal discipline, good conduct, purification, self-inquiry and meditation.

8)    All life is sacred, to be loved and revered, and therefore one should practice ahimsa, nonviolence.

9)    No particular religion teaches the only way to salvation above all others. Rather, all genuine religious paths are facets of God's pure love and light, deserving tolerance and understanding.

See: Hinduism.

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

affirmation of faith: A brief statement of one's faith and essential beliefs. See: anbe Sivamayam Satyame Parasivam.

(See also: Affirmation of faith , Hinduism, Body Mind and Soul)

Aromatherapy:

therapeutic use of essential oils extracted from flowers, stems, leaves, roots, or fruits of a plant or tree. Physiological and psychological benefits of treatment are achieved by absorption through massage, hydrotherapy, and inhalation.

(See also: Aromatherapy , Alternative Medicine, Body Mind and Soul)

Aromatherapy: French chemist Rene Gattefosse's experiments with pure essential oils derived from aromatic plants led him to coin the term "aromatherapy" to describe the physical and psychological benefits of the powerful scents given off by these oils. Today aromatherapy remains a specific and specialized branch of herbal medicine.

(See also: Aromatherapy , Alternative Health, Body Mind and Soul)

Ethics In theosophy, a philosophy of moral conduct based on the inner structure and operations of the universe itself, not a mere code of conventional behavior. The grounds alleged for moral conduct depend on one's view of man and the universe.

Theosophy distinguishes between a person's real self and the illusive personal masks which are mistaken for that self. As with Kant, a sharp distinction is drawn between wish and inclination on the one hand, and the sense of moral obligation on the other; this latter is regarded as supervening upon the drama of self-interest and imposing a higher law.

Recognizing the essential oneness of the individual with the universe, not only spiritually but on all planes, the student of occultism strives for the subordination of the personal self as an individual to the common good of all mankind, and indeed of all things that are. With this training, the student in time comes keenly to realize that there is no longer a moral obligation lying upon him to subject his personal wish to the common good, but that this subordination becomes the first joyful duty of all his life. In this manner spiritual powers, faculties, and attributes are gained, as well as intellectual expansion that, when more or less complete, combine to make the full adept or initiate. A master of wisdom is one who has developed an individual consciousness of his oneness with the Boundless, and this is the very foundation of the ethics of theosophy.

The human ethical sense is a manifestation of one's awareness and willing cooperation with the inherent spiritual laws of the universe. No person can misconduct himself without injecting disharmony into the human hierarchy of which he is a part, and for this he must pay, though nature does not revenge or punish but readjusts or restores the disturbed harmony. Though these essential laws are eternal and changeless, the degree of their manifestation at any time or in any group vary; so that we may speak of ethics also in a relative sense. The world saviors and messengers from the Great Lodge, in obedience to cyclic necessity, strike for humanity the ethical keynote for each coming cycle.

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

Liver: Largest internal organ of the human body. The liver, which is part of the digestive system, performs more than 500 different functions, all of which are essential to life.

Its essential functions include helping the body to digest fats, storing reserves of nutrients, filtering poisons and wastes from the blood, synthesizing a variety of proteins, and regulating the levels of many chemicals found in the bloodstream. The liver is unique among the body's vital organs in that it can regenerate, or grow back, cells that have been destroyed by some short-term injury or disease.

(See also: Liver , Alternative Health, Body Mind and Soul)

Seven The fundamental number of manifestation, frequently found in the different cosmogonies as well as in many religious dogmas and observances of the different ancient peoples.

Although ten was called one of the perfect numbers by the Pythagoreans, seven was unique in their series of numbers because it has all the "perfection of the Unit -- the number of numbers. For as absolute unity is uncreated, and impartite (hence number-less) and no number can produce it, so is the seven: no digit contained within the decade can beget or produce it" (SD 2:582). Seven is the number of the manifested universe, while ten or twelve is the number of the unmanifested universe.

Pythagoras taught that seven was composed of the numbers three and four, explaining that "on the plane of the noumenal world, the triangle was, as the first conception of the manifested Deity, its image: 'Father-Mother-Son'; and the Quaternary, the perfect number, was the noumenal, ideal root of all numbers and things on the physical plane" (ibid.). Further, seven was called by the Pythogoreans the vehicle of life for it consisted of body and spirit: the body was held to consist of four principal elements, while the spirit was in manifestation triple, comprising the monad, intellect or essential reason, and mind.

There are innumerable instances of sevening -- the seven days of the week, the seven colors of the spectrum, the seven notes of the musical scale -- while special emphasis is placed upon the seven human and cosmic principles; the seven senses (five senses now in manifestation and two more to be attained in the future through evolutionary unfolding); the seven cosmic elements; the seven root-races and seven subraces; the seven kingdoms, human and below; the seven rounds; the seven lokas and talas; the seven manifested globes of the planetary chain; the seven sacred planets; the seven racial buddhas; the seven dhyani-bodhisattvas and -buddhas; the seven Logoi; etc.

Man as well as nature is called saptaparna (seven-leaved plant), symbolized by the triangle above the square {illust}. While the senary was applied to man in all ranges from the physical to the spiritual, when completed by the atman, thus making the septenary, the latter signified the entire range of the constitution, whether of man or nature, crowned by the immortal spirit.

In Hindu literature the number seven continually appears: the saptarshis (the seven sages), the seven superior and inferior worlds, the seven hosts of deities, the seven holy cities, the seven holy islands, seas, or mountains, the seven deserts, the seven sacred trees, etc. In Greece seven was often connected with the gods and goddesses: Mars had seven attendants, seven was sacred to Pallas Athene and to Phoebus Apollo -- the latter with his seven-stringed lyre playing hymns to septenary nature as well as to the seven-rayed sun; Niobe's seven sons and seven daughters, etc.

Apart from mythological considerations, in physical life manifestations of the number seven occur continuously: "if the mysterious Septenary Cycle is a law in nature, and it is one, as proven; if it is found controlling the evolution and involution (or death) in the realms of entomology, ichthyology and ornithology, as in the Kingdoms of the Animal, mammalia and man -- why cannot it be present and acting in Kosmos, in general, in its natural (though occult) divisions of time, races, and mental development?" (SD 2:623n).

Seven is indeed the sacred number of life, and with the circle and the cross it forms a triad of primordial symbols of the ancient wisdom.

(See also: Seven , Mysticism, Mysticism Dictionary)

CHAOS PREDICTION

Mathematical Chaos Prediction is the next step after Relativity and Quantum Mechanics, now used partly (in ignorance) by computers, stockbrokers and oil-dowsers. If the wrong people get hold of this key they will be able to control all random factors in the world to their advantage. James P. Crutchfield say, "Innate creativity may have an underlying chaotic process that selectively amplifies small fluctuations." The amplification of small fluctuations (characteristic of Chaos) and its bibranching can be examined by values of growth factors at which bifurcations take place using "Feigenbaum's Number": 4,669.

Its whole number factors are 7, 23, 29, 161, 203 and 667. Note that 23 is already claimed by R.A. Wilson as the "number of synchronicities" and 7 is the mystical number par excellence, the "Holy Merkabah", the zodiacal sign of Cancer. 29 = Hebrew Dacha, "Crushed". Further, from A.C.'s 777: 161 is the Heavenly Man or Exalted Man, the "Congregation of the Eternal", 203 = Initials of the Trinity: dead; feather: created; ambush: foreign; esoteric. 667 = "oil for lighting". It is fortunate that 4 + 6 + 6 + 9 = 7. Thank Gods, it doesn't add up to One! Then we would be in trouble!

(See also: CHAOS PREDICTION , Magick, Mysticism, Mysticism Dictionary, Body Mind and Soul,)

Fourfold Classification There are many different ways of dividing the constitution of the universe or of any integral entity within it, such as a human being. Several philosophical and religious systems employ a fourfold division, as is found in certain Hindu systems. Subba Row, a Vedantist as well as a theosophist, pointed out that the fourfold classification of the human principles in some Hindu systems is not only applicable to man, but likewise to the universe and solar system. The Taraka-Raja-Yoga system -- perhaps the most subtlety philosophical of the Brahmanical yoga schools -- divides the human constitution into three upadhis (bases) plus the atman or essential self, as follows: atman, karanopadhi, sukshmopadhi, and sthulopadhi.

Subba Row's fourfold classification follows:

Universe -- Solar System -- Man

Parabrahman -- Brahman, Paramatman -- Atman

Beyond Brahman -- Cosmic Monad -- Essential Self

Mulaprakriti -- Sutratman -- Karana-sarira

Primordial Thread-Self -- Causal Vehicle or Root-Substance -- Essential Egoity

Isvara -- Hiranyagarbha -- Sukshma-sarira

The Logos -- Golden Egg -- Subtle Vehicle or Personal Monad

Daiviprakriti -- Visvanara -- Sthula-sarira

Light of the Logos -- Subtle Essence of Physical Vehicle -- Manifested Universe

In these three columns there are correspondences reading right to left which apply to three vastly differing scales of magnitude both in quality and in explanation. Thus the last term in the first column is daiviprakriti, which really means spirit-matter in manifestation, and therefore is a gross body of the universe, although in the human case this is equivalent to the sthula-sarira or gross physical body.

It is likewise to be noted that the Vedantist classification of the principles, whether of a universe or an individual, is six in number: the essential self or atman, and five kosas emanating from it; the main reason for the Taraka-Raja-Yoga fourfold division lies in the fact that the atman of a person may be used in any one of the three upadhis independently as it were of the others, without the person's running the risk of killing himself. In this way they form a natural division of the human being.

Comparing this fourfold classification of the human constitution with the sevenfold division commonly set forth in theosophical literature: atman (the essential principle of selfhood and therefore the highest) is the same in both; karana-sarira is equivalent to buddhi and the higher manas; sukshma-sarira comprises manas and kama; while sthula-sarira takes in the three lower principles -- prana, linga-sarira, and sthula-sarira. The reason for the two classifications is that Subba Row fastened "attention on the monads, looking upon the universe as a vast aggregate of individualities; while H. P. B. for that time of the world's history saw the need to give to the inquiring Western mind . . . some real explanation of what the composition of the universe is as an entity -- what its 'stuff' is, and what man is as an integral part of it. Now the seven principles are the seven kinds of 'stuff' of the universe. . . . (however)

we must not have our minds confused with the idea that the seven principles are one thing, and the monads are something else which work through the principles as disjunct from them" (FSO 443-4).

See also PRINCIPLES.

(See also: Fourfold Classification , Mysticism, Mysticism Dictionary, Occultism, Occultism Dictionary)

Ayurveda is the oldest surviving complete medical system in the world. Derived from its ancient Sanskrit roots - ‘ayus' (life) and ‘ved' (knowledge) – and offering a rich, comprehensive outlook to a healthy life, its origins go back nearly 5000 years. To when it was expounded and practiced by the same spiritual rishis, who laid the foundations of the Vedic civilisation in India, by organising the fundamentals of life into proper systems.

The main source of knowledge in this field therefore remain the Vedas, the divine books of knowledge they propounded, and more specifically the fourth of the series, namely Atharvaveda that dates back to around 1000 BC. Of the few other treatises on Ayurveda that have survived from around the same time, the most famous are Charaka Samhita and the Sushruta Samhita which concentrate on internal medicine and surgery respectively. The Astanga Hridayam is a more concise compilation of earlier texts that was created about a thousand years ago. These between them forming a greater part of the knowledge base on Ayurveda as it is practiced today.

The art of Ayurveda had spread around in the 6th century BC to Tibet, China, Mongolia, Korea and Sri Lanka, carried over by the Buddhist monks travelling to those lands. Although not much of it survives in original form, its effects can be seen in the various new age concepts that have originated from there.

No philosophy has had greater influence on Ayurveda than Sankhaya’s philosophy of creation and manifestation. Which professes that behind all creation there is a state of pure existence or awareness, which is beyond time and space, has no beginning or end, and no qualities. Within pure existence, there arises a desire to experience itself, which results in disequilibrium and causes the manifestation of the primordial physical energy. And the two unite to make the "dance of creation" come alive.

Imponderable, indescribable and extremely subtle, this primordial energy – which and all that flows from it existing only in pure existence – is the creative force of all action, a source of form that has qualities. Matter and energy are so closely related that when energy takes form, we tend to think of it in terms of matter only. And much modified, it ultimately leads to the manifestation of our familiar mental and physical worlds.

It also gives rise to cosmic consciousness, which is the universal order that prevades all life. Individual intelligence, as distinct from the everyday intellectual mind, is derived from and is part of this consciousness. It is the inner wisdom, the part of individuality that remains unswayed by the demands of daily life, or by Ahamkara, the sense of `I-ness’.

A Sanskrit word with no exact translation, Ahamkara, is a concept not quite understood by everyone as it is often misleadingly equated to `ego’. Embracing much more than just that, it is in essence that part of ‘me’ which knows which parts of the universal creation are ‘me’. Since ‘I’ am not separate from the universal consciousness, but ‘I’ has an identity that differentiates and defines the boundaries of `me’. All creations therefore have Ahamkara, not just human beings.

There arises from Ahamkara a two-fold creation. The first is Satwa, the subjective world, which is able to perceive and manipulate matter. It comprises the subtle body (the mind), the capacity of the five sense organs to hear, feel, see, taste and smell, and for the five organs of action to speak, grasp, move, procreate and excrete. The mind and the subtle organs providing the bridge between the body, the Ahamkara and the inner wisdom, which three together is considered the essential nature of humans.

The second is Tamas, the objective world of the five elements of sound, touch, vision, taste and smell – the five subtle elements that give rise to the dense elements of ether or space, air, fire, water and the earth – from which all matter of the physical world is derived. And it is Rajas, the force or the energy of movement, which brings together parts of these two worlds.

It is worth noting that even at the stage of the dense elements the philosophy of creation –which according to Sankaya is now and in the present, without any past and any future – is still dealing with aspects of existence beyond our simple physical realms. The point of contention being that we are the first and foremost spirit experiencing existence. To use Ayurveda in daily life, one has neither to accept nor even understand this philosophy. But it does provide a deeper insight into how Ayurveda works towards betterment of your health.

Ayurveda therefore is not simply a health care system but a form of lifestyle adopted to maintain perfect balance and harmony within the human existence, from the most abstract transcendental values to the most concrete physiological expressions. Based on the premise that life represents an intelligent co-ordination of the Atma (Soul), Mana (Mind), Indriya (Senses) and Sharira (Body). That revolves around the five dense elements that go into the making of the constitution of each individual, called Prakriti. Which in turn is determined by the vital balance of the three physical energies - Vata, Pitta, Kapha and the three mental energies - Satwa, Rajas,

Ayurveda thus offers a unique blend of science and philosophy that balances the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual components necessary for holistic health.

(See also: Ayurveda , Ayurveda, Ayurvedic Dictionary, Alternative Health, Body Mind and Soul)

Adamic Earth or Adam's Earth The "original matter" of alchemy; undifferentiated matter on our plane. Called the true oil of gold or the primal element in alchemy, "it is but one remove from the pure homogeneous element" (TG 6). It is the "next-door neighbor to the alkahest, and one of the most important secrets of the alchemists. . . . 'it would explain the eagles of the alchemists, and how the eagles' wings are clipped,' a secret that it took Thomas Vaughan (Eugenius Philalethes) twenty years to learn" (IU 1:51).

(See also: Adamic Earth, Adam's Earth , Mysticism, Mysticism Dictionary, Occultism, Occultism Dictionary)

Ritucharya

Given that the term prakriti denotes both body constitution and nature, it is only expected that with the changing seasons of nature there will be corresponding effects on the bhutas and thereby the doshas of the constitution. Cold, dry weather for instance enhances vata, hot humid climate increases pitta, while cold, wet weather aggravates kapha.

To avoid such continued aggravation leading to imbalance of the doshas, Ayurveda prescribes a seasonal routine to preserve the doshic balance as the seasons change. For each season therefore, there is a unique diet (ahar), a distinct mode of living (vihara) and routine living (karya). These keep your doshas in a state of equilibrium and help you cope with the stresses and strains of changing seasons.

In Ayurvedic literature the year is divided into six ritus (seasons) – varsha (monsoon), sharada (autumn), hemanta (winter), shishira (late winter), girshma (summer) and vasanta (spring). The effects of these ritus on the three doshas and the suggested lifestyle for each is as indicated below:

Monsoon:

Diet

·  Digestive power weakens and bodily vata is aggravated.

·  It is advisable therefore to be moderate in your diet.

·  Come rains, tuck into astringent, bitter and pungent food along with wheat & rice.

·  Never forget to boil & cool your water. And if possible, add a little honey.

Conduct

·  Go for oil massages and regular baths.

·  Do not indulge in daytime sleeping.

·  Avoid moving in the sun, and excessive physical exercise

·  Do not indulgence in excessive sex.

Autumn:

Diet

Yummy dishes with astringent, bitter or sweet tastes are for you to enjoy.

Have lots of rice, barley, wheat, along with curd, cabbage, cheese, milk.

Avoid meat, yoghurt.

Conduct

·  This is the right time to go through purgation & blood letting treatment. (for detail see Panchkarma)

·  Avoid excessive sunbathing

·  Do not expose yourself to easterly winds.

Winter:

Diet

·  Dig into piping hot, oily, sour & salty food along with rice. Also plenty of cow’s milk & cane juice.

·  Drink warm water and it will improve your life span.

·  Avoid light food to pacify vata.

Conduct

·  Don’t expose yourself to cold.

·  Go for an invigorating oil massage followed by tepid water bath.

·  Cover your body with sufficient warm wraps

·  Indulge in intense sexual pleasure.

Spring:

Diet

·  Kapha that has already accumulated is liquidified by the heat and disturbs your digestive system.

·  Avoid heavy, oily, sour & sweet food & drinks that may aggravate kapha.

·  Take in barley, wheat, rice, scrup, & bitter vegetables.

·  Go for vigorous exercises, and oil massages.

·  Cut down your smoking habit.

• Avoid day-time naps.

Summer:

Diet

·  Take in plenty of fluids. Avoid dehydration.

·  Avoid food with pungent, acid & salt tastes.

·  Tuck into sweet, cold & oily foods. Meat of birds & animals are good for you.

·  Avoid excessive physical exercises & excessive sex.

·  Avoid sunlight and harmful UV rays.

·  Enjoy the cool breeze of your garden & fragrance of flowers.

• Try to take a short nap.

(See also: Ritucharya , Ayurveda, Ayurvedic Dictionary, Alternative Health, Body Mind and Soul)

Objects (Objectives) of the Theosophical Society The five objectives are: to diffuse among men a knowledge of the laws inherent in the universe; to promulgate the knowledge of the essential unity of all that is, and to demonstrate that this unity is fundamental in nature; to form an active brotherhood among men; to study ancient and modern religion, science, and philosophy; and to investigate the powers innate in man. {BCW}

(See also: Objects , Mysticism, Mysticism Dictionary)

yama-niyama: (Sanskrit) "Restraints-observances."

The first two of the eight limbs of raja yoga, constituting Hinduism's fundamental ethical codes, the yamas and niyamas are the essential foundation for all spiritual progress. They are codified in numerous scriptures including the Shandilya and Varuha Upanishads, Hatha Yoga Pradipika by Gorakshanatha, the Tirumantiram of Tirumular and the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali. All the above texts list ten yamas and ten niyamas, with the exception of Patanjali's classic work, which lists only five of each.

The yamas are the ethical restraints; the niyamas are the religious practices. Because it is brief, the entire code can be easily memorized and reviewed daily by the spiritual aspirant. Here are the ten traditional yamas and ten niyamas.

yamas:

1)    ahimsa: "Noninjury." Not harming others by thought, word, or deed.

2)    satya: "Truthfulness." Refraining from lying and betraying promises.

3)    asteya: "Nonstealing." Neither stealing, nor coveting nor entering into debt.

4)    brahmacharya: (Sanskrit) "Divine conduct." Controlling lust by remaining celibate when single, leading to faithfulness in marriage.

5)    kshama: (Sanskrit) "Patience." Restraining intolerance with people and impatience with circumstances.

6)    dhriti: "Steadfastness." Overcoming nonperseverance, fear, indecision and changeableness.

7)    daya: "Compassion." Conquering callous, cruel and insensitive feelings toward all beings.

8)    arjava: "Honesty, straightforwardness." Renouncing deception and wrongdoing.

9)    mitahara: "Moderate appetite." Neither eating too much nor consuming meat, fish, fowl or eggs.

10) shaucha: "Purity." Avoiding impurity in body, mind and speech. -

niyamas:

1)    hri: "Remorse." Being modest and showing shame for misdeeds.

2)    santosha: "Contentment." Seeking joy and serenity in life.

3)    dana: "Giving." Tithing and giving generously without thought of reward.

4)    astikya: (Sanskrit) "Faith." Believing firmly in God, Gods, guru and the path to enlightenment.

5)    Ishvarapujana: "Worship of the Lord." The cultivation of devotion through daily worship and meditation.

6)    siddhanta shravana: "Scriptural listening." Studying the teachings and listening to the wise of one's lineage.

7)    mati: "Cognition." Developing a spiritual will and intellect with the guru's guidance.

8)    vrata: "Sacred vows." Fulfilling religious vows, rules and observances faithfully.

9)    japa: "Recitation." Chanting mantras daily.

10) tapas: (Sanskrit) "Austerity." Performing sadhana, penance, tapas and sacrifice.

Patanjali lists the yamas as: ahimsa, satya, asteya, brahmacharya and aparigraha (noncovetousness); and the niyamas as: shaucha, santosha, tapas, svadhyaya (self-reflection, scriptural study) and Ishvarapranidhana (worship).

See: raja yoga.

(See also: Yama-niyama , Hinduism, Body Mind and Soul)

A Theosophical definition of Svabhava :

Svabhava

(Sanskrit) A compound word derived from the verb-root bhu, meaning "to become"  - not so much "to be" in the passive sense, but rather "to become," to "grow into" something. The quasi-pronominal prefix sva, means "self"; hence the noun means "self-becoming," "self-generation," "self-growing" into something. Yet the essential or fundamental or integral Self, although following continuously its own lofty line of evolution, cannot be said to suffer the changes or phases that its vehicles undergo. Like the monads, like the One, thus the Self fundamental  - which, after all, is virtually the same as the one monadic essence  - sends down a ray from itself into every organic entity, much as the sun sends a ray from itself into the surrounding "darkness" of the solar universe.

Svabhava has two general philosophical meanings: first, self-begetting, self-generation, self-becoming, the general idea being that there is no merely mechanical or soulless activity of nature in bringing us into being, for we brought ourselves forth, in and through and by nature, of which we are a part of the conscious forces, and therefore are our own children. The second meaning is that each and every entity that exists is the result of what he actually is spiritually in his own higher nature: he brings forth that which he is in himself interiorly, nothing else. A particular race, for instance, remains and is that race as long as the particular race-svabhava remains in the racial seed and manifests thus. Likewise is the case the same with a man, a tree, a star, a god  - what not!

What makes a rose bring forth a rose always and not thistles or daisies or pansies? The answer is very simple; very profound, however. It is because of its svabhava, the essential nature in and of the seed. Its svabhava can bring forth only that which itself is, its essential characteristic, its own inner nature. Svabhava, in short, may be called the essential individuality of any monad, expressing its own characteristics, qualities, and type, by self-urged evolution.

The seed can produce nothing but what it itself is, what is in it; and this is the heart and essence of the doctrine of svabhava. The philosophical, scientific, and religious reach of this doctrine is simply immense; and it is of the first importance. Consequently, each individual svabhava brings forth and expresses as its own particular vehicles its various svarupas, signifying characteristic bodies or images or forms. The svabhava of a dog, for instance, brings forth the dog body. The svabhava of a rose brings forth the rose flower; the svabhava of a man brings forth man's shape or image; and the svabhava of a divinity or god brings forth its own svarupa or characteristic vehicle.

See also: Svabhava , Mysticism, Body Mind and Soul

Flying : Dream Interpretation Dictionary - Flying

Flying.

Some flying dreams are terrifying; others are exhilarating. Dreams of flying can reflect a sense of control. This includes wishing you had control over something you donÕt, struggling to stay in control or fearing you wield too much control.

Source:  Dr. Gail Saltz, http://msnbc.msn.com/id/4961404/

(See also: Dream Interpretation, Dream Dictionary, Meaning of Dreams, Dream Interpretation Flying , Dream Dictionary Flying )

Essential Oil

A natural oil which is extracted from plants or flowers through a very complex process that generally yields very little product, making it costly. Absolute is at least 10% pure plant juice.

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

essential oil: Essential oils are created by distillation; plant material is heated, and the molecules that evaporate into steam are captured. These oils are mixed, blended in a base of vegetable oil, and rubbed onto the body or added to ritual baths for magical purposes.

Also See: essential oils

(See also: essential oil , Magic, Shamanism, Paganism, Wicca)