Explanation Dictionary

Iaho. Though this name is more fully treated under the word"Yaho" and "Iao", a few words of explanation will not be found amiss. Diodorus mentions that the God of Moses was Iao; but as the latter name denotes a "mystery god", it cannot therefore be confused with Iaho or Yaho (q.v.). The Samaritans pronounced it Iabe, Yahva, and the Jews Yaho, and then Jehovah, by change of Masoretic vowels, an elastic scheme by which any change may be indulged in. But "Jehovah" is a later invention and invocation, as originally the name was Jah, or Iacchos (Bacchus). Aristotle shows the ancient Arabs representing Iach (Iacchos) by a horse, i.e., the horse of the Sun (Dionysus), which followed the chariot on which Ahura Mazda, the god of the Heavens, daily rode.

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

Tulku sprul sku (Tibetan) [short for sprul pa'i sku (tul-pe-ku) from sprul pa phantom, disembodied spirit; cf Sanskrit nirmanakaya body of magical transformation]

Applied to a lama of high rank, often to the head abbot of a monastery; specifically, to those lamas who have proved their ability of remembering their office and standing in a former incarnation, e.g., by selecting articles belonging previously to themselves, describing details of a former life, surroundings, etc. The two most important tulkus in the Tibetan Buddhist hierarchy are the Tashi and Dalai Lamas. Tulku is often referred to as an incarnation but, outside of the many varieties of an incarnating or imbodying power or energy, incarnation in popular usage is the direct continuance of a previous imbodiment. These so-called living buddhas of Tibet are one kind of tulku -- the transmission of a spiritual power or energy from one Buddha-lama of a Tibetan monastery when he dies, to a child or adult successor. If the transmission is successful, the result is tulku.

Tulku is of many different kinds and very closely parallels the Hindu doctrine of avatara. Taking Jesus as an example: here was a life-long tulku, a ray from a divinity; a tulku of that divinity so far as that ray goes, a divine manifestation, and hence a true avatara in the Brahmanical sense. Again, Gautama Buddha was tulku of his own inner buddha or inner god. The average person, however, is merely overshadowed occasionally, if he really aspires, by a touch of the divine flame from within the higher parts of his own constitution, and yet even for these fugitive instants such person is tulku. But when Gautama attained buddhahood, he was relatively infilled with his own inner buddha, and therefore was that god's human tulku. That was for Siddhartha the man, nirvana; he then entered dharmakaya and this portion of him was then known of men no more: that portion of him was a man become divine.

Another kind of tulku is where a human mahatma will send a ray from himself, or a part of himself, to take imbodiment, perhaps only temporarily, perhaps almost for a lifetime, in a neophyte-messenger that this mahatma is sending out into the world to teach. The messenger in this instance acts as a transmitter of the spiritual and divine powers of the mahatma. Blavatsky was such a tulku, imbodying frequently the very life of, and hence guided by, her own teacher. While this incarnation of the teacher's higher essence lasted, she was tulku. When for one reason or another the influence or ray was withdrawn for a longer or shorter period, tulku then and there became nonexistent.

Still another aspect of the tulku doctrine is illustrated by the case of Blavatsky. Where is she now? Blavatsky has not yet again reincarnated -- she has not yet been born as a child -- but she has at certain times, and for one certain individual, with that individual's consent, organized as it were tulku for that individual. For the time being, therefore, we can say that Blavatsky has partially imbodied in that chosen individual for the purpose of special transmission. In all cases of tulku, they are incarnations or appearances. If Blavatsky, for instance, were to make tulku of a person for a month or a year, for the time being that person would be tulku, but when that particular work was done, the influence would be withdrawn and tulku would stop.

There is again another kind of avataric incarnation or tulku, a temporary physical appearance of an adept in the mayavi-rupa. Certain Tibetan lamas are known to be able to perform this feat, and thus they too have been properly called tulkus, which is the type of tulku that certain Orientalists have referred to as "an appearance."

Another type of tulku of an opposite and essentially evil character is that brought about by a hypnotist who temporarily displaces the psychological nature of his entranced subject through psychologization or even hypnosis plus mesmerism. This, however, is more often than not an act of black magic and fraught with grave dangers, both to the hypnotist and the one entranced. Every clever hypnotist actually makes a tulku of his victim in a black magic sense. When he puts an idea into the brain of his victim, that one week from now at three o'clock in the afternoon he is going to do some essentially foolish or undignified act -- for the time being that hypnotist is working a black magic tulku on that victim, and every psychologist and hypnotist knows the possibility of this fact, though the scientific explanation of the term may be strange to him. A key example of black magic tulku was what the medieval Europeans used to call werewolves. This doctrine of the tulku, however, is at heart beautiful and sublime, and hence highly reverenced by the Tibetans.

(See also: Tulku, sprul sku , Mysticism, Mysticism Dictionary, Body mind and Soul)

Automatic Writing The practice in which a person takes pen and paper, makes his mind blank, and waits for his pen to write by some involuntary impulse. Sometimes the pen is replaced by a mechanical device such as an ouija board. The results vary from purely negative ones, through the stage of illegible scrawls, up to elaborate consecutive messages or even quotations from rare books.

The ability of different persons to succeed in this practice varies, a minority being specially apt; and the aptitude can be developed by practice. The usual spiritualistic explanation is that these writings are communications from those "on the other side." But in every case it is necessary for the automatic writer to resign the control of his own will over his physical and vital-astral body and to surrender these to the use of influences unknown to him.

From a theosophical viewpoint this is extremely hazardous, as we are protected by our physical organism and by our own will from the dangerous, often malignant influences of the lower astral light; and to strive to break down that barrier is a proceeding which can lead to a breakdown of our linkage with our higher self.

(See also: Automatic Writing , Mysticism, Mysticism Dictionary, Occultism, Occultism Dictionary)

Shrauta Shastra: (Sanskrit) "Texts on the revelation."

1)    Refers to scriptures or teachings that are in agreement with the Vedas.

2)    A specific group of texts of the Kalpa Vedanga, and part of the essential study for Vedic priests. The Shrauta Shastras offer explanation of the yajna rituals.

See: Vedanga.

(See also: Shrauta Shastra , Hinduism, Body Mind and Soul)

Phlogiston [from Greek phlog fire]

In the 17th century modern chemistry was in process of birth and alchemical ideas still survived, particularly those of the four elements and of the triad of sulphur, salt, and mercury. Stahl (1660-1734) enumerated four elements -- water, acid, earth, phlogiston; and the phlogiston theory was elaborated by Priestley (1733-1804).

All combustible bodies, it was said, contain phlogiston, and when they are burnt the phlogiston leaves its latent state and escapes from the body in the form of heat and light, leaving behind the ash or dephlogisticated residue. For example, magnesium gives out its phlogiston in an intense light and an inert ash is left. But later chemistry banished the imponderables, and formulated a physical system composed of ponderable matter and energy.

Accordingly, when it was shown that the ash weighs more than the original substance, the phlogiston theory was abandoned, and in its place came abstract and indefinite conceptions quite as difficult of explanation as was the phlogiston theory itself, which may be grouped under the general term energy, and include heat, light, chemical energy, etc.

The more recent progress of science has proved that the atomo-mechanical system, the representation of the physical world as divisible into matter and energy, or mass and motion, however useful in interpreting molar physics and facilitating practical applications, does not suffice for an interpretation of the intra-molecular world. The distinction between matter (or mass) and energy has become obliterated.

The Mahatma Letters state that phlogiston is the lowest and densest form of a universal essence and serves as the vehicle for dhyanis of a corresponding degree (p. 56); and the name is also given to the magnetic electric aura of the photosphere (p. 164). The idea of phlogiston overlaps that of caloric, with which is it sometimes confused.

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

Chou Tun-i (1017-1073): Founder of Neo-Confucianism whose short work Explanation on the Diagram of the Great Ultimate describes how all things emerged from the Great Ultimate by means of its yang activity and yin inactivity.

 (See also: Chou Tun-i , Eastern Philosophy, Body Mind and Soul)

Rowhanee (Egypt, Egyptian) or Er-Roohanee. is the Magic of modern Egypt, supposed to proceed from Angels and Spirits, that is Genii, and by the use of the mystery names of Allah; they distinguish two forms - Ilwee, that is the Higher or White Magic; and Suflee and Sheytanee, the Lower or Black Demoniac Magic. There is also Es-Seemuja, which is deception or conjuring. Opinions differ as to the importance of a branch of Magic called Darb el Mendel, or as Barker calls it in English, the Mendal: by this is meant a form of artificial clairvoyance, exhibited by a young boy before puberty, or a virgin, who, as the result of self-fascination by gazing on a pool of ink in the hand, with coincident use of incense and incantation, sees certain scenes of real life passing over its surface. Many Eastern travellers have narrated instances, as E. W. Lane in his Modern Egyptians and his Thousand and One Nights, and E. B. Barker; the incidents have been introduced also into many works of fiction, such as Marryat’s Phantom Ship, and a similar idea is interwoven with the story of Rose Mary and the Beryl stone, a poem by Rossetti. For a superficial attempt at explanation, see the Quarterly Review, No.117.

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

bhashya: n (Sanskrit) "Speech, discussion." Commentary on a text.

Hindu philosophies are largely founded upon the interpretations, or bhashyas, of primary scripture. Other types of commentaries include: vritti, a brief commentary on aphorisms; tippani, like a vritti but less formal, explains difficult words or phrases; varttika, a critical study and elaboration of a bhashya; and tika or vyakhyana, an explanation of a bhashya or shastra in simpler language.

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

Vasudeva (Sanskrit) The son of Vasudeva -- Krishna. The Mahabharata, however, gives another explanation why Krishna was given this name: as the divinity is present, or has its dwelling (vasana), in all beings, so does Krishna, for he issued as a Vasu from a divine womb. This reference to Krishna is not so much to the imbodied human semblance of the divinity, but to the divinity itself working in and through this imbodiment.

(See also: Vasudeva , Mysticism, Mysticism Dictionary, Body mind and Soul)

Occam's Razor:

The principle that we should always prefer the simplest explanation of events.

(See also: Occam's Razor , Psychic, Psychic Dictionary, Parapsychology, Parapsychology Dictionary)

Psychokinesis

The power of mind over matter without the use of physical or sensory means. Together with ESP, psychokinesis is investigated by parapsychology.

Psychokinesis includes telekinesis, the paranormal movement of objects; levitation and materialization; mysterious events associated with given people or houses such as rappings, overturned furniture, and flying objects; and psychic healing.

Since the 1930s psychokinesis has been a major research interest among parapsychologists, especially in the United States and Russia, but, in general, the results have been inconclusive.

In 1968 Russia released film and other evidence to the West showing Nina Kulagina, a housewife from Leningrad, apparently using psychokinesis to move a variety of stationary objects. She was also photographed apparently levitating objects.

In the 1970s the Israeli psychic Uri Geller dazzled TV audiences with his alleged powers of bending metal with a few gentle strokes or taps with his fingers. Under laboratory conditions, experiments with Geller proved inconclusive, and certain professional magicians have claimed that Geller is a fraud using simple sleight-of-hand to achieve his extraordinary feats.

Most scientists deny the existence of psychokinesis, and the difficulty in reproducing psychokinesis phenomena and the lack of an adequate theoretical explanation excludes it from systematic scientific investigation.

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

psychic experience

The reality of a supernormal phenomenon, either of spontaneous or meditative type. The event must have a personality involved, there must be no reasonable explanation in terms of orthodox science and it must be non-attributable to divinity

(See also: Psychic experience , Body Mind and Soul)

parakinesis

Physical psychic phenomenon in which there is no normal explanation for movement manifested

(See also: Parakinesis , Body Mind and Soul)

Out:

In conjuring and mentalism, a convincing explanation for an apparent failure, or a convincing alternative ending to an effect that has not worked as planned. Also used by fraudulent clairvoyants and mediums.

(See also: Out , Psychic, Psychic Dictionary, Parapsychology, Parapsychology Dictionary)

Zend-Avesta (Pahli). The general name for the sacred books of the Parsis, fire or sun worshippers, as they are ignorantly called.

So little is understood of the grand doctrines which are still found in the various fragments that compose all that is now left of that collection of religious works, that Zoroastrianism is called indifferently Fire-worship, Mazdaism, or Magism, Dualism, Sun-worship, and what not.

The Avesta has two parts as now collected together, the first portion containing the Vendidad, the Visperad and the Yasna; and the second portion, called the Khorda Avesta (Small Avesta), being composed of short prayers called Gah, Nyayish, etc. Zend means "a commentary or explanation", and Avesta (from the old Persian abashta, "the law". (See Darmsteter.)

As the translator of the Vendidad remarks in a foot note (see int. xxx.): "what it is customary to call ‘the Zend language’, ought to be named ‘the Avesta language’, the Zend being no language at all and if the word be used as the designation of one, it can be rightly applied only to the Pahlavi". But then, the Pahlavi itself is only the language into which certain original portions of the Avesta are translated.

What name should be given to the old Avesta language, and particularly to the "special dialect, older than the general language of the Avesta" (Darmst.), in which the five Ghthas in the Yasna are written? To this day the Orientalists are mute upon the subject. Why should not the Zend be of the same family, if not identical with the Zen-sar, meaning also the speech explaining the abstract symbol, or the "mystery language," used by Initiates?

(See also: Zend-Avesta , Theosophy, Spirituality, Body mind and Soul, Spiritual Dictionary,)

Urim (Hebrew) [plural 'ur light, flame, revelation, illumination from the verbal root 'arar to curse]

Lights; the 'urim and tummim [plural of tom fullness, wholeness, complete truth]

of the Hebrews are said to have been placed in the breastplate of judgment of the high priest (Ex 28:30), the guilt or innocence of a person being judged by means of the urim and thummim. Some writers believe them to have been small tablets of wood or of bone.

"The 'Urim and Thummim' originated in Egypt, and symbolized the Two Truths, the two figures of Ra and Thmei being engraved on the breastplate of the Hierophant and worn by him during the initiation ceremonies. Diodorus adds that this necklace of gold and precious stones was worn by the High Priest when delivering judgment. . . . Philo Judaeus affirms that Urim and Thummim were 'the two small images of Revelation and Truth, put between the double folds of the breastplate,' and passes over the latter, with its twelve stones typifying the twelve signs of the Zodiac, without explanation" (TG 355-6).

The breastplate and the physical appurtenances were but emblems, much as a ring worn on the finger is an emblem of cycling time re-entering itself, of eternity, and therefore of utter stability, which is equivalent to abstract truth and reality. These physical appurtenances are of small moment, quite as much so as was the sapphire image worn as the symbol of truth by the high judges of the Egyptians. The 'urim and tummim among the Jews were mere emblems of initiation, whereby the adept came to know light or revelation, and consequently the fullness of truth, and because of this was enabled to interpret properly the secrets of the universe, and to give proper answers often in a prophetic manner or as prophecy of what might come before him. In later times among the Jews, as indeed in other nations, the emblems occupied nearly all the attention of students and the inner significance of nearly all these emblems was lost.

(See also: Urim , Mysticism, Mysticism Dictionary, Body mind and Soul)

Cryptomnesia:

Knowledge (acquired in normal ways) that may be revealed without the person remembering its source. Such memories may falsely appear to be paranormal revelations. Sometimes cryptomnesia is used as an explanation for apparently paranormal experiences such as xenoglossy or past-life memories.

(See also: Cryptomnesia , Psychic, Psychic Dictionary, Parapsychology, Parapsychology Dictionary)

Soma-drink. Made from a rare mountain plant by initiated Brahmans. This Hindu sacred beverage answers to the Greek ambrosia or nectar, quaffed by the gods of Olympus. A cup of Kykeon was also quaffed by the Mystes at the Eleusinian initiation. He who drinks it easily reaches Bradhna, or the place of splendour (Heaven).

 The Soma-drink known to Europeans is not the genuine beverage, but its substitute; for the initiated priests alone can taste of the real Soma; and even kings and Rajas, when sacrificing, receive the substitute. Haug, by his own confession, shows in his Aitareya Brahmana, that it was not the Soma that he tasted and found nasty, but the juice from the roots of the Nyagradha, a plant or bush which grows on the hills of Poona. We were positively informed that the majority of the sacrificial priests of the Dekkan have lost the secret of the true Soma. It can be found neither in the ritual books nor through oral information. The true followers of the primitive Vedic religion are very few; these are the alleged descendants of the Rishis, the real Agnihotris, the initiates of the great Mysteries. The Soma drink is also commemorated in the Hindu Pantheon, for it is called King-Soma.

He who drinks thereof is made to participate in the heavenly king; he becomes filled with his essence, as the Christian apostles and their converts were. filled with the Holy Ghost, and purified of their sins. The Soma makes a new man of the initiate; he is reborn and transformed, and his spiritual nature overcomes the physical; it bestows the divine power of inspiration, and develops the clairvoyant faculty to the utmost. According to the exoteric explanation the soma is a plant, but at the same time it is an angel. It forcibly connects the inner, highest " spirit" of man, which spirit is an angel like the mystical Soma, with his "irrational soul ", or astral body, and thus united by the power of the magic drink, they soar together above physical nature and participate during life in the beatitude and ineffable glories of Heaven, Thus the Hindu Soma is mystically and in all respects the same that the Eucharist supper is to the Christian. The idea is similar. By means of the sacrificial prayers - the mantras - this liquor is supposed to be immediately transformed into the real Soma, or the angel, and even into Brahma himself. Some missionaries have expressed themselves with much indignation about this ceremony, the more so, seeing that the Brahmans generally use a kind of spirituous liquor as a substitute.

But do the Christians believe less fervently in the transubstantiation of the communion wine into the blood of Christ, because this wine happens to be more or less spirituous? Is not the idea of the symbol attached to it the same? But the missionaries say that this hour of soma-drinking is the golden hour of Satan, who lurks at the bottom of the Hindu sacrificial cup. (Isis Unveiled.)

(See also: Soma-drink , Theosophy, Spirituality, Body mind and Soul, Spiritual Dictionary,)

Temporal Lobe Activity:

Electrical activity in the temporal lobes of the brain. Often associated with strange sensations, time distortions and hallucinations. Sometimes used as an explanation for seemingly paranormal experiences such as apparitions and alien abduction experiences.

(See also: Temporal Lobe Activity , Psychic, Psychic Dictionary, Parapsychology, Parapsychology Dictionary)

Why should we understand how the universe was created? Because it gives us a clearer understanding of where we have come from, where we are going, who and what we are, and what our purpose is here. Once you consider that there is a purpose to life, the search for life's origins may very well lead you into a different direction than simply trying to find an explanation for a mechanical or chemical process of creation. This article by Stephen Knapp takes different approach to the origin of the universe, the Vedic approach.

Read more here: » Vedic Science: Understanding The Creation Of The Universe

The number of similarities between the function of a two-way radio and the human body are quite surprising. The body/mind constantly emits all aspects of our internal state to the environment, and receives input from the world in the same manner.

In any discussion of group mind phenomena, it is impossible not to enter into the subject of psychic effect, as well as the principles of natural law such as resonance or vibration (feeling/frequency) that make it possible. Similarly, it is not possible to fully understand psychic effects without a minimum coverage of the energy or chi upon which it is based.

Read more here: » Group Mind: The Group Mind Principle II

Hinduism Lexicon on B

From backbiting to buddhi chitta.

Read more here: » Hinduism: Hinduism Lexicon on B