Existence Dictionary

Being: When capitalized being refers to God's essential divine nature- Pure Consciousness, Absolute Reality and Primal Soul (God's nature as a divine Person). Lower case being refers to the essential nature of a person, that within which never changes; existence. See: Siva.

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

Trisharana (Sanskrit). The same as" Triratna "and accepted by both the Northern and Southern Churches of Buddhism.

After the death of the Buddha it was adopted by the councils as a mere kind of formula fidei, enjoining "to take refuge in Buddha ", "to take refuge in Dharma ", and "to take refuge in Sangha ", or his Church, in the sense in which it is now interpreted; but it is not in this sense that the "Light of Asia" would have taught the formula. Of Trikaya, Mr. E. J. Eitel, of Hongkong, tells us in his Handbook of Chinese Buddhism that this "tricho-tomism was taught with regard to the nature of all Buddhas.

Bodhi being the characteristic of a Buddha"  - a distinction was made between "essential Bodhi" as the attribute of the Dharmakaya, i.e., "essential body"; "reflected Bodhi" as the attribute of Sambhogakaya; and "practical Bodhi" as the attribute of Nirmanakaya. Buddha combining in himself these three conditions of existence, was said to be living at the same time in three different spheres.

Now, this shows how greatly misunderstood is the purely pantheistical and philosophical teaching. Without stopping to enquire how even a Dharmakaya vesture can have any "attribute" in Nirvana, which state is shown, in philosophical Brahmanism as much as in Buddhism, to be absolutely devoid of any attribute as conceived by human finite thought - it will be sufficient to point to the following  -

(1) the Nirmanakaya vesture is preferred by the "Buddhas of Compassion" to that of the Dharmakaya state, precisely because the latter precludes him who attains it from any communication or relation with the finite, i.e., with humanity;

(2) it is not Buddha (Gautama, the mortal man, or any other personal Buddha) who lives ubiquitously in "three different spheres, at the same time ", but Bodhi, the universal and abstract principle of divine wisdom, symbolised in philosophy by Adi-Buddha.

It is the latter that is ubiquitous because it is the universal essence or principle. It is Bodhi, or the spirit of Buddhaship, which, having resolved itself into its primordial homogeneous essence and merged into it, as Brahma (the universe) merges into Parabrahm, the ABSOLUTENESS - that is meant under the name of "essential Bodhi ". For the Nirvanee, or Dhyani Buddha, must be supposed - by living in Arupadhatu, the formless state, and in Dharmakaya - to be that " essential Bodhi" itself. It is the Dhyani Bodhisattvas, the primordial rays of the universal Bodhi, who live in "reflected Bodhi" in Rapadhatu, or the world of subjective "forms" ; and it is the Nirmanakayas (plural) who upon ceasing their lives of " practical Bodhi", in the "enlightened" or Buddha forms, remain voluntarily in the Kamadhatu (the world of desire), whether in objective forms on earth or in subjective states in its sphere (the second Buddhakshetra). This they do in order to watch over, protect and help mankind.

Thus, it is neither one Buddha who is meant, nor any particular avatar of the collective Dhyani Buddhas, but verily Adi-Bodhi - the first Logos, whose primordial ray is Mahabuddhi, the Universal Soul, ALAYA, whose flame is ubiquitous, and whose influence has a different sphere in each of the three forms of existence, because, once again, it is Universal Being itself or the reflex of the Absolute. Hence, if it is philosophical to speak of Bodhi, which "as Dhyani Buddha rules in the domain of the spiritual" (fourth Buddhakshetra or region of Buddha); and of the Dhyani Bodhisattvas "ruling in the third Buddhakshetra "or the domain of ideation; and even of the Manushi Buddhas, who are in the second Buddhakshetra as Nirmanakayas - to apply the "idea of a unity in trinity" to three personalities - is highly unphilosophical.

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

Golden Age The first of the four Hesiodic Ages -- Gold, Silver, Bronze, Iron -- signifying the beginning of a new root-race and, on a smaller scale, the beginning of any subordinate racial period. This four-fold division applies not only to root-races but to all their subdivisions.

The Golden Age was under the rule of Kronos (Saturnus) who, according to Plato, not believing that men could rule themselves, caused them to be ruled by gods. It was a time of innocence and happiness: truth and justice prevailed, the earth brought forth without toil all that was necessary for mankind, perpetual spring reigned, and the heroes passed away peacefully into spiritual existence. Equivalent to the Hindu satya yuga.

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

ABRAXAS (or Abrasax)

Being the unreachable, unknowable and unmanifested "God" beyond existence and non-existence, beyond good and evil, beyond all dualities, "he" may be considered the ultimate synthesis. Since the Judeo-Xtian God is a monad, He must have an opposite (Satan), in company with Zoroaster's Ahriman and Ahuramazda, Abraxas does not require opposition.

The Gods are the original essences of Reality and as such are limited to the manifestation of the processes of Nature or Subnature. Therefore, they are necessarily below Abraxas.

Budge is the only Egyptologist who presents us with the Egyptian word:

Abraskkiaks (Leemans Papyrus, III, 210- ). Probably derived from the same word as ABRACADABRA (Heb. Ha-b'rakah, "the blessing" or "the sacred name"). He is the ultimate God beyond good and evil (for that matter he is even beyond being and non-being). On ancient Gnostic amulets he appears as rooster-headed, with two serpents for legs and bearing in one hand a whip and in the other a shield with the word 'IAO'. Occasionally he appears as a charioteer. He is the source of the 365 emanations of the Divine Pleroma. The Creator God (see IALDABAOTH) is much inferior, hardly more than a Demiurge. It is said that, in order to express the important number 365 ("The Divine Cycle"). In Greek letters, Abraxas has that many Gods or "aeons" (or "Archons") under him.

(See also: ABRAXAS, Abrasax , Magick, Mysticism, Mysticism Dictionary, Body Mind and Soul,)

Bardo

The intermediate existence between death and reincarnation -- a stage varying from seven to forty-nine days, after which the Karmic body from previous lives will certainly be reborn.

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

TIME

Adeste, O Tempora Omnia! ("Be now, All Ye Times!") According to Merlin and others, mortals tend to face the opposite direction from that which time actually flows, as when we are seated in a train facing away from the engine. But it is the frozen past that unfolds, not the blazing future. We move away from becoming into the permanence of that which finally is. We alter continuously the shape of our history as we live it backwards. We watch the world recede rapidly as we move into the Nothingness of the Void and are swallowed up by it. However, this old linear view of time is abruptly being replaced by a new understanding of time as an exradiating web with ourselves at the center. The 20th Century has become the most time-obsessed period in history, and thus one of the most confused.

Kenneth Grant defines time as "subjectivity" and space as objectivity," the future as "implicit" and the past as "explicit." Despite the eye-opening insights these definitions provide, they still present time as having concrete existence.

FTL speeds flatten time to zero because light released only as electrons takes quantum leaps in the evolution of matter. In other words, electrons have to be released in order for matter to evolve (i.e., change), in fact, in order for matter to exist, period. Existence is a kind of "fire" or transmutation. And you know (see REALITY), photons appear only when someone actually observes (interacts with) them, because Being and Mind are one. We can't separate the four elements (earth, air, fire, water) -- so if you could succeed in extracting "water" or "fire" you'd wind up with nothing at all. But part of "earth" (the 4th part) is also earth, that is, an infinite replification (hologram) of itself -- boxes inside boxes in infinite regression; and every part is exactly alike, each particle is the entirety.

Inside the holo-mind, the stoppage of time is a play-back of Zeno's Paradox. That is, it decreases by infinite halves, except that one can no longer step out, is locked into halving. This is how annihilation is possible... but we digress.

Time is not some abstract "duration" imposed from outside but is built into the structure of things. There is a secret known to very few initiates, that one of the elements is fictitious, i.e., an abstraction devised merely to connect the others. Our postmodern problem is that we can't decide whether that's Time or Space, because they called it simply "Air." I guess we can work backward -- the nature of air, unlike that of the other elements, is for molecules in its medium to repel other molecules. Earth doesn't repel. It attracts. Water doesn't repel, it allows molecules to pass across one another's paths without obstruction, to flow. Fire doesn't repel, it fuses and spreads. Air alone moves towards separation and disintegration, as the present constantly disengages from past moment to past moment. (Future never does come into existence, does it? Tomorrow literally never comes. It is a physical impossibility).

The "duration" of an ice cube is not really it's "fourth" dimension, but simply a description of water moving from one form (ice) to another (water) and it is at "no time" anything other than H2O. The "duration" of a life is almost meaningless. What has "endured"? The mewling babe or the grizzled old hunchback? What I'm getting at is that duration is such a philosophical term that sub specie aetemitatis it eventually ceases to have any pragmatic importance.

Well, then, if there is no future, how did I get here from the Past? The billions scream for illusions. And through the medium of herbs and drugs, the minds of ages past, present and potential can and do intertwine. It is called the principle of bilocalism, or being in two places at the same "time." As I lie upon my lion rug, dreaming of the 20th Century in my hut with the crossed spears over the doorway, I have entered one of the spirit worlds where time no longer counts. In the same way, I can entrance myself into "the year 1999" or (with a final twist) the year "2013" and this sorcerors have done since any of us can remember. But there is a wall that begins to thicken as we approach the 21st Century. Beyond this it soon becomes impossible to pass (apart from the 2013 "bubble"). That outer wall has been known to exist, since the seers of Egypt and Babylon first perceived it, thousands of years ago. It is the limit of this Aeon -- and it is a ring-pass-not of dense, dark flame.

Of course it's all an illusion. There is no future. What we're looking at is always the present. Infinite knowledge? Well, yes, obviously omniscience has always been there. All you have to do is walk into it. And, yes -- the crossing of infinite parallel lines -- all outcomes equally probable. But, again, it's the "improbable" that always has the edge. The world will actually "end" long before 1999 or 2012 -- the "Implosion" is building up and up. Those are only the uttermost limits. The Three are already at hand.

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

Embryo In general, the vitalized germ of an organism in its earlier stages, and sometimes applied to it until it leaves the egg or womb covering. The fertilization of the germ-cell in plant or animal is an everyday working of the universal law by which spirit incubates matter for the purpose of differentiating on the objective planes, in order to manifest the subjective monadic life. Thus the reincarnating ego, in beginning to make a new body for itself, with the division of the fertilized microscopic egg cell, is analogous to the world-germ awakening in a laya-center to begin another galactic, solar, or planetary existence.

"This desire for a sentient life shows itself in everything, from an atom to a sun, and is a reflection of the Divine Thought propelled into objective existence" (SD 1:44).

In the unfolding marvel of the embryonic germ-cell, both in the human and subhuman kingdoms, each kind manifests its own essential selfhood or svabhava, and its own degree of evolution. In the unfolding growth of the human embryo it rapidly epitomizes the aeon-long history of the imbodiments of the race, as it also repeats its individual course through all the forms of matter -- a process often referred to as recapitulation. It goes back to past manvantaras of manifestation in mineral form, for "the cell-germinating substance (the cytoblastema) and the mother-lye from which crystals originate, are one and the same essence, save in differentiation for purposes" (SD 2:256n).

Back of all the orderly unfolding of the embryonic cells -- usually ascribed to nature -- is the subconscious directing influence of the monadic ego born from and bathing in the cosmic intelligence. In human beings the reincarnating ego is a ray of a spiritual monad, whose self-consciousness and activity takes in the solar system. This monad is karmically bound to oversee the evolving career of the human ego; and this celestial parentage in the cosmic hierarchy makes humans literally children of the sun. Here, then, is the solution of the biological mystery of unfolding purpose which is so harmoniously worked out by the reproductive material of a single cell. This intelligent influence acts upon the embryo through the directive power of "the astral fluid, working through and in conjunction with the vital capacities and potentialities of the cell . . ." (MIE 217-8).

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

Reincarnation. The doctrine of rebirth, believed in by Jesus and the Apostles, as by all men in those days, but denied now by the Christians. All the Egyptian converts to Christianity, Church Fathers and others, believed in this doctrine, as shown by the writings of several.

In the still existing symbols, the human-headed bird flying towards a mummy, a body, or "the soul uniting itself with its sahou (glorified body of the Ego, and also the kamalokic shell) proves this belief. "The song of the Resurrection" chanted by Isis to recall her dead husband to life, might be translated "Song of Rebirth", as Osiris is collective Humanity. "Oh! Osiris [here follows the name of the Osirified mummy, or the departed], rise again in holy earth (matter), august mummy in the coffin, under thy corporeal substances", was the funeral prayer of the priest over the deceased.

"Resurrection" with the Egyptians never meant the resurrection of the mutilated mummy, but of the Soul that informed it, the Ego in a new body. The putting on of flesh periodically by the Soul or the Ego, was a universal belief; nor can anything be more consonant with justice and Karmic law. (See "Pre-existence".)

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

bhava-sagara:

bhava-sagara (bhaava-saagara). Ocean of worldly existence.

(See also: bhava-sagara , Hinduism, Hinduism Dictionary, Sanskrit Dictionary, Body Mind and Soul)

Chakra System

The chakras are the bodies centres of energy and vital to the well being of the whole person. They are the energy centres through which our spiritual and emotional energies flow.

The word ‘Chakra’ is taken from Hindi and means ‘wheel of energy’ There are seven chakras or energy centres within the body. Each Chakra has certain characteristics and influences a different aspect of the personality. The correct flow of energies through the chakras is vital for health. When the flow of Prana, or energy is blocked, disease results.

The Base Chakra, Mooladhara

This chakra controls the basic human survival instincts and provides an essential ‘grounding’. Our most basic human instincts originate from this Chakra.

The Sacral Chakra, Swadisthan Manipura

This is linked to sexuality and reproductive capacity.

The Solar Plexus, Nabhi

This chakra is said to direct our awareness of self within the world. This is the seat of our emotional life and existence.

The Heart Chakra, Anhata

Connected to love and compassion. This chakra is the centre of feelings of love, harmony and peace.

The Throat Chakra, Vishuddhi

Linked to individual creativity and communication.

The Brow Chakra, Ajjna

This chakra forms the seat of both intuition and awareness. It is seen as the seat of perception, often perception beyond our physical senses.

The Crown Chakra, Sahasrara

This chakra links to the persons spiritual connection with the universe around them, the link with the divine. This chakra also balances the interior and exterior energies of a person's existence, linking them to the world around them.

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

Baddha-dasa - the state of bondage; the state of the jivas in material existence.

(See also: Baddha-dasa , Bhakti, Bhakti Yoga, Bhakti Dictionary, Body Mind and Soul)

atattva: (Sanskrit) "Noncategory; beyond existence." Atattva is the negation of the term tattva, and is used to describe the indescribable Reality - the Absolute, Parasiva, the Self God - which transcends all 36 categories (tattvas) of manifestation. It is beyond time, form and space. And yet, in a mystery known only to the knower - the enlightened mystic - Parashakti-nada, the first tattva, ever comes out of Parasiva. If it were not for Parasiva, nothing could be. Parasiva does not exist to the outer dimensions of cosmic consciousness, but without it, the mind itself would not exist. See: tattva.

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

AIN SOF

The Infinite or Unlimited Absolute. Qabalistically, that which cannot be encompassed by understanding, but whose existence we readily acknowledge.

(See also: AIN SOF , Magick, Mysticism, Mysticism Dictionary, Body Mind and Soul,)

bhava-roga

the disease of material existence.

(See also: bhava-roga , Bhakti, Bhakti Yoga, Bhakti Dictionary, Body Mind and Soul)

Mukti - liberation from material existence.

There are five types of liberation:

·      sarupya (obtaining the same form as Bhagavan) ,

·      samipya (living in close proximity to Bhagavan) ,

·      salokya (living on the same planet as Bhagavan) ,

·      sarsti (having the same opulence as Bhagavan) , and

·      sayujya (becoming one with Sri Bhagavan either by merging into His body or by merging into His brahma effulgence).

The last type is vehemently rejected by the bhaktas.

Although the other four types of mukti are sometimes accepted by bhaktas as they are not entirely incompatible with bhakti, they are never accepted by those who are fixed on attaining unalloyed love for Sri Krsna in Vraja.

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

Karma -

(1) any activity performed in the course of material existence.

(2) pious activities leading to material gain in this world or in the heavenly planets after death.

(3) fate; former acts leading to inevitable results.

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

Spiritualism Properly, the philosophy, religion, or pneumatological science held by those who believe in the universal spirit as the cosmic originant of all the hierarchies of evolving monads; its opposite is materialism. Spiritualism is "in philosophy, the state or condition of mind opposed to materialism or a material conception of things.

Theosophy, a doctrine which teaches that all which exists is animated or informed by the Universal Soul or Spirit, and that not an atom in our universe can be outside of this omnipresent principle -- is pure Spiritualism. As to the belief that goes under that name, namely, belief in the constant communication of the living with the dead, whether through the mediumistic powers of oneself or a so-called medium -- it is no better than the materialisation of spirit, and the degradation of the human and the divine souls. Believers in such communications are simply dishonouring the dead and performing constant sacrilege. It was well called 'Necromancy' in days of old" (TG 307).

The modern movement which began about the middle of the 19th century, mainly with the Fox sisters, embraces a large range of differing beliefs, so that any strictures directed against certain phases of it may justly be resented by those to whom such strictures do not apply. But the characteristic doctrine which identifies Spiritualism or astralism as such, is the belief that it is possible for the living to communicate with the departed spirits of the deceased. Theosophy, however, holds that at death the personality disintegrates, the individuality of the person passing into the devachanic state, while its lower components gradually fade out in the kama-loka. It is impossible to obtain communications with the ego in devachan, except when a purely impersonal love of one human being for another reaches into the devachanic condition and comes into spiritual rapport with the devachani. A far lower rapport may be established with the astral or kama-lokic remains which have been left behind to disintegrate in the lower regions of the astral light.

All the apparent proofs of identity of "spirit" can be accounted for otherwise than by supposing the actual presence of the departed individual in the seance room. Such communications as are received evince no knowledge beyond that which we already have, and show no signs of emanating from a high source -- and almost invariably such communications are trifling and paltry. Mediumship and seances are most harmful practice, as they open the door to the entry of pernicious obsessing influences from the lower astral realms. Moreover such practice may obstruct and retard the natural decomposition of the discarded lower elements of the deceased, and thus keep alive his kama-rupa beyond the term of its natural astral death. The appeal of astralism is very powerful to those who feel convinced that they have thereby obtained assurance of immortality and of the continued existence of their lost loved ones.

(See also: Spiritualism , Mysticism, Mysticism Dictionary, 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)

Ginnungagap (Icelandic) (from ginn vast, wide + unga bring to birth, hatch (as an egg) + gap chasm, maw)

The gaping void of Norse mythology; space as an unimaginable abstraction, without form and void. The formless void that preceded creation, and the abode of the gods during the long night of nonbeing. The prefix "ginn" is found only in conjunction with such words a ginnheilog (the supreme divine essence), ginnregin (the highest gods, superior to the aesir and even the vanir). Ginnungave represents the "most holy sanctuaries" -- the universe. Odin in his loftiest aspect is referred to as ginnarr, connoting the aether or Sanskrit akasa. The verb ginna also means to delude or play a trick on.

According to the Edda's poetic description, before the existence of worlds, there was naught but Ginnungagap. All matter was frozen in a state of nonbeing, for in the absence of the energizing impulsion (the gods) nothing moved, no atoms existed, hence no matter. This state of non-existence was portrayed as the frost giant Ymir, which resulted when heat from the fiery world, Muspellsheim (home of flame), met the vapors from the world of mists, Niflheim (home of nebulae), creating fertile vapor in the void.

The cow Audhumla licked salt from the blocks of ice and uncovered the head of Buri (King Bore of Swedish tradition), personification of frozen, unmoving nonbeing. From Buri emanated Bur and from this second stage (or second divine Logos) descended the creative trinity of gods: Odin, Vile, and Vi, which powers together "slew" Ymir and with his body (matter) formed the worlds.

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

The three marks of conditioned existence

According to the Buddhist tradition all phenomena (dharmas) are marked by three characteristics, sometimes referred to as the Dharma Seals: Anatta, Anicca and Dukkha

Read more here: » Buddhism Beliefs: The three marks of conditioned existence

Each and every person has psychic abilities that vary in terms of intensity and strength. The strength of your abilities will depend on what you are meant to accomplish during your lifetime. If you are meant to be a healer, then you will probably have strong healing ability. If you are meant to give proof to people about the existence of life after death, then you will be able to communicate with loved ones that have passed on. Each person is unique in his or her gifts.

Read more here: » Psychic Abilities: Should You Develop Your Psychic Abilities?

Hinduism and Buddhism Compared

Similiarities and differences between Hinduism and Buddhism.

Read more here: » Hinduism vs Buddhism: Hinduism and Buddhism Compared