Brahman (ब्रह्मन् in devanagari script) in the Vedantic (and subsequently Yogic) schools of Hinduism, is the signifying name given to the concept of the unchanging, infinite, immanent and transcendent reality that is the Divine Ground of all being in this universe. This Supreme Cosmic Spirit is regarded to be eternal, genderless, omnipotent, omniscient and yet indescribable. It can be at best described as infinite Truth, infinite Consciousness and infinite Bliss. It is regarded as the source and sum of the cosmo ...

Including:

• Brahman - Etymology
• Brahman - Semantics and pronunciation
• Brahman - Brahman and Atman
• Brahman - Enlightenment and Brahman
• Brahman - Advaita concept
• Brahman - Dvaita Vaishnava concept
• Brahman - External links
• Brahman - Notes

Read more here: » Brahman: Encyclopedia - Brahman

Commonly known as Devi (goddess), Vaishnodevi (देवी, Devī in Hindi and Sanskrit) is the Divine Mother of Hinduism. Some of her other names include Jai Mata Di and Mata Rani. She is known as the goddess of strength, the female aspect of divinity, usually considered to have an equal role with the male aspect as energy or the driving force (Shakti), without which the male aspect, which represents consciousness or discrimination, is impotent. Vaishnodevi's main temple is situated in Jammu regio ...

Including:

• Devi - Shakta
• Devi - Aspects

Read more here: » Devi: Encyclopedia - Devi

Advaita Vedanta (IAST advaita vedānta; Devanagari अद्वैत वेदान्त; IPA [ədvaitə vé:dα:ntə]) is probably the best known of all Vedanta schools of philosophy of Hinduism, the others being Dvaita and Vishishtadvaita (total six). "Advaita" literally means "not two", an ...

Including:

• Advaita Vedanta - Adi Sankara: The Pillar of Advaita
• Advaita Vedanta - Salient Features of Advaitism
• Advaita Vedanta - Three levels of Truth
• Advaita Vedanta - Brahman
• Advaita Vedanta - Māyā
• Advaita Vedanta - God
• Advaita Vedanta - Atman
• Advaita Vedanta - Salvation
• Advaita Vedanta - Other points
• Advaita Vedanta - Are the world and God wholly false?
• Advaita Vedanta - Status of the world
• Advaita Vedanta - Status of God
• Advaita Vedanta - Status of ethics
• Advaita Vedanta - Shankara's theory of creation
• Advaita Vedanta - Comparison with the Buddhist school of Shunyavada
• Advaita Vedanta - Adi Sankara's thoughts in a summary
• Advaita Vedanta - The Impact of Advaita
• Advaita Vedanta - Advaita and Science
• Advaita Vedanta - Important Books and Figures of Advaita Vedanta
• Advaita Vedanta - Mahavakya
• Advaita Vedanta - Founders & key texts
• Advaita Vedanta - Demigods Sages and Saints of Advaitins
• Advaita Vedanta - Later teachers and proponents
• Advaita Vedanta - Other References

Read more here: » Advaita Vedanta: Encyclopedia - Advaita Vedanta

Mesoamerica is the region extending from central Mexico south to the northwestern border of Costa Rica that gave rise to a group of stratified, culturally related agrarian civilizations spanning an approximately 3,000-year period before the European discovery of the New World by Columbus. Mesoamerican is the adjective generally used to refer to that group of Pre-Columbian cultures. This refers to an environmental area occupied by an assortment of ancient cultures that shared religious beliefs, art, architecture, and technology that made them exc ...

Including:

• Mesoamerica - Bibliography

Read more here: » Mesoamerica: Encyclopedia - Mesoamerica

Let's talk about pleasure and pain. Pleasure first, because it makes you feel good. But life's pleasures seem so fleeting and evanescent, like glistening dewdrops that evaporate with the first hint of the warm rays of the sun.

A pleasant state of being , we instinctively feel, is intrinsically unstable. Pleasure vanishes like a transient bubble, while pain endures. What is pleasant is short-lived because the human mind quickly gets used to it, and subconsciously craves to heighten and intensify that feeling of pleasure, as it lingers in the memory and haunts the mind.

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

Read more here: » Love and Happiness: Fleeting Pleasure, Enduring Pain

Shiva (Sanskrit: शिव or श्रीशिव (when used to distinguish lordly status), and written Śiva in the official IAST transliteration, pronounced as "shιvə") is a form of Ishvara or God in the later Vedic scriptures of Hinduism. Adi Sankara interprets the name Śiva to mean "One who purifies everyone by the utterance of His name" or the Pure One. That is, Śiva is unaffected by the three gunas (characteristics) of Prakrti (matter): Sattva, Rajas, and Tamas. Śiva is "the destroyer", ...

Including:

• Shiva - Introduction
• Shiva - Consorts and the Burning of Kamadeva
• Shiva - Other Legends
• Shiva - The Sons of Shiva
• Shiva - Attributes of Lord Shiva
• Shiva - Other Forms and Legends
• Shiva - Schools and Views of Śivaism
• Shiva - Origin Theories
• Shiva - Names of Śiva

Read more here: » Shiva: Encyclopedia - Shiva

The Book of Mormon is one of four sacred texts of Mormonism, which also include the Bible, Pearl of Great Price, and Doctrine and Covenants. First published by Joseph Smith, Jr. in March 1830 in Palmyra, New York, it stands as the central dividing doctrine of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and other Christian faiths. Adherents to its teachings are commonly referred to as Mormons. The book's self-declared purpose is to testify of Jesus, through the writings of ancient prophets of the Western Hemis ...

Including:

• Book of Mormon - Content
• Book of Mormon - Title Page
• Book of Mormon - Organization
• Book of Mormon - Investigation of the book
• Book of Mormon - Brief narrative summary
• Book of Mormon - The book's major themes
• Book of Mormon - Origin of the Book of Mormon
• Book of Mormon - Authorship
• Book of Mormon - Joseph Smith as Translator
• Book of Mormon - Alternative explanations
• Book of Mormon - Views of historicity
• Book of Mormon - Latter Day Saint views
• Book of Mormon - Critics' views
• Book of Mormon - Role of the Book of Mormon in Mormonism
• Book of Mormon - Differences between the Book of Mormon and Latter-day Saint doctrine
• Book of Mormon - Book of Mormon Editions

Read more here: » Book of Mormon: Encyclopedia - Book of Mormon

The tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) is a plant in the Solanaceae or nightshade family, native to Central and South America, from Mexico to Peru. It is a short-lived perennial plant, grown as an annual plant, typically growing to 1-3 m tall, with a weakly woody stem that usually scrambles over other plants. The leaves are 10-25 cm long, pinnate, with 5-9 leaflets, each leaflet up to 8 cm long, with a serrated margin; both the stem and leaves are densely glandular-hairy. The flowers are 1-2 cm across, yellow, with five pointed lobe ...

Including:

• Tomato - History and distribution
• Tomato - Early history
• Tomato - Spanish distribution
• Tomato - Tomatoes in Italy
• Tomato - Tomatoes in Britain
• Tomato - North America
• Tomato - Cultivation and uses
• Tomato - Diseases and pests
• Tomato - Pollination
• Tomato - Hydroponic and greenhouse cultivation
• Tomato - Picking and ripening
• Tomato - Modern uses of tomatoes
• Tomato - Storage
• Tomato - Tomato legends
• Tomato - Controversies
• Tomato - Botanical classification
• Tomato - Fruit or vegetable?
• Tomato - Pronunciation
• Tomato - Tomato records

Read more here: » Tomato: Encyclopedia - Tomato

Certain drugs can affect the subjective qualities of perception, thought or emotion, resulting in altered interpretations of sensory input, alternate states of consciousness, or hallucinations. This general group of pharmacological agents can be divided into three broad categories: psychedelics, dissociatives and deliriants. All of these agents act as neurotransmitter mimics, often as agonists or antagonists at neurotransmitter receptors. Their primary effects are markedly different from those of st ...

Including:

• Psychedelics, dissociatives and deliriants - Psychedelics
• Psychedelics, dissociatives and deliriants - Dissociatives
• Psychedelics, dissociatives and deliriants - Deliriants
• Psychedelics, dissociatives and deliriants - Etymology and alternative terms
• Psychedelics, dissociatives and deliriants - History of use
• Psychedelics, dissociatives and deliriants - Early scientific investigations
• Psychedelics, dissociatives and deliriants - Hallucinogens after World War II
• Psychedelics, dissociatives and deliriants - Social status of hallucinogens
• Psychedelics, dissociatives and deliriants - Legal status
• Psychedelics, dissociatives and deliriants - Pharmacology
• Psychedelics, dissociatives and deliriants - Pharmacological classes of hallucinogens
• Psychedelics, dissociatives and deliriants - Psychedelics serotonin 5-HT_2A receptor agonists
• Psychedelics, dissociatives and deliriants - Dissociatives
• Psychedelics, dissociatives and deliriants - Deliriants anticholinergics
• Psychedelics, dissociatives and deliriants - Hallucinogenic plants, fungi, and animals
• Psychedelics, dissociatives and deliriants - Plants
• Psychedelics, dissociatives and deliriants - Fungi
• Psychedelics, dissociatives and deliriants - Animals

Read more here: » Psychedelics, dissociatives and deliriants: Encyclopedia - Psychedelics, dissociatives and deliriants

Collapse is divided into four parts. Part One describes the environment of the US state of Montana, focusing on the lives of several individuals in order to put a human face on the interplay between society and the environment Part Two describes past societies that have collapsed. Diamond uses a "framework" when considering the collapse of a society, consisting of five "sets of factors" that may affect what happens to a society: environmental damage, climatic change, hostile neighbors, friendly trade partners, an ...

See also:

Collapse book, Collapse book - Synopsis, Collapse book - Reviews, Collapse book - Tim Flannery, Collapse book - The Economist, Collapse book - William Rees, Collapse book - FuturePundit

Read more here: » Collapse book: Encyclopedia II - Collapse book - Synopsis

A deep crimson dye is extracted from the female cochineal insects. Cochineal is used to produce scarlet, orange and other red tints too. The colouring comes from carminic (kermesic) acid. Cochineal extract's natural carminic-acid content is usually 19–22% [4]. The insects are killed by immersion in hot water (after which they are dried) or by exposure to sunlight, steam, or the heat of an oven. Each method produces a different colour ...

See also:

Cochineal, Cochineal - Biology, Cochineal - Host cacti, Cochineal - Farming, Cochineal - Dye, Cochineal - History, Cochineal - Usage, Cochineal - Sources for the History of Cochineal

Read more here: » Cochineal: Encyclopedia II - Cochineal - Dye

karma: (Sanskrit) "Action, deed."

One of the most important principles in Hindu thought, karma refers to

�      any act or deed;

�      the principle of cause and effect;

�      a consequence or "fruit of action" (karmaphala) or "after effect" (uttaraphala), which sooner or later returns upon the doer. What we sow, we shall reap in this or future lives. Selfish, hateful acts (papakarma or kukarma) will bring suffering. Benevolent actions (punyakarma or sukarma) will bring loving reactions.

Karma is a neutral, self-perpetuating law of the inner cosmos, much as gravity is an impersonal law of the outer cosmos. In fact, it has been said that gravity is a small, external expression of the greater law of karma. The impelling, unseen power of one's past actions is called adrishta.

The law of karma acts impersonally, yet we may meaningfully interpret its results as either positive (punya) or negative (papa)- terms describing actions leading the soul either toward or away from the spiritual goal. Karma is further graded as: white (shukla), black (krishna), mixed (shukla-krishna) or neither white nor black (ashukla-akrishna). The latter term describes the karma of the jnani, who, as Rishi Patanjali says, is established in kaivalya, freedom from prakriti through realization of the Self. Similarly, one's karma must be in a condition of ashukla-akrishna, quiescent balance, in order for liberation to be attained. This equivalence of karma is called karmasamya, and is a factor that brings malaparipaka, or maturity of anava mala. It is this state of resolution in preparation for samadhi at death that all Hindus seek through making amends and settling differences.

Karma is threefold: sanchita, prarabdha and kriyamana.

-       sanchita karma: "Accumulated actions." The sum of all karmas of this life and past lives.

-       prarabdha karma: "Actions begun; set in motion." That portion of sanchita karma that is bearing fruit and shaping the events and conditions of the current life, including the nature of one's bodies, personal tendencies and associations.

-       - kriyamana karma: "Being made." The karma being created and added to sanchita in this life by one's thoughts, words and actions, or in the inner worlds between lives. Kriyamana karma is also called agami, "coming, arriving," and vartamana, "living, set in motion." While some kriyamana karmas bear fruit in the current life, others are stored for future births.

-        

Each of these types can be divided into two categories: arabdha (literally, "begun, undertaken;" karma that is "sprouting"), and anarabdha ("not commenced; dormant"), or "seed karma."

In a famed analogy, karma is compared to rice in its various stages. Sanchita karma, the residue of one's total accumulated actions, is likened to rice that has been harvested and stored in a granary. From the stored rice, a small portion has been removed, husked and readied for cooking and eating. This is prarabdha karma, past actions that are shaping the events of the present. Meanwhile, new rice, mainly from the most recent harvest of prarabdha karma, is being planted in the field that will yield a future crop and be added to the store of rice. This is kriyamana karma, the consequences of current actions. In Saivism, karma is one of three principal bonds of the soul, along with anava and maya. Karma is the driving force that brings the soul back again and again into human birth in the evolutionary cycle of transmigration called samsara. When all earthly karmas are resolved and the Self has been realized, the soul is liberated from rebirth. This is the goal of all Hindus.

For each of the three kinds of karma there is a different method of resolution. Nonattachment to the fruits of action, along with daily rites of worship and strict adherence to the codes of dharma, stops the accumulation of kriyamana. Prarabdha karma is resolved only through being experienced and lived through. Sanchita karma, normally inaccessible, is burned away only through the grace and diksha of the satguru, who prescribes sadhana and tapas for the benefit of the shishya. Through the sustained kundalini heat of this extreme penance, the seeds of unsprouted karmas are fried, and therefore will never sprout in this or future lives.

See: diksha, grace.

Like the four-fold edict of dharma, the three-fold edict of karma has both individual and impersonal dimensions. Personal karma is thus influenced by broader contexts, sometimes known as family karma, community karma, national karma, global karma and universal karma.

See: karma, anava, fate, maya, moksha, papa, pasha, punya, sin, soul, karma yoga.

karmasamya: (Sanskrit) "Balance or equipoise of karma."

See: karma.

karmashaya: (Sanskrit) "Holder of karma." Describes the body of the soul,

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

For more dictionary entries, see » Maya Dictionary

The common cold is caused by numerous viruses (mainly rhinoviruses, coronaviruses, and also certain echoviruses, paramyxoviruses, and coxsackieviruses) infecting the upper respiratory system. Several hundred cold-causing viruses have been described, and a virus can mutate to survive, ensuring that any cure is still a long way off. The viruses are transmitted from person to person by droplets resulting from coughs or sneezes. The droplets or droplet nuclei are either inhaled directly, or transmitted from hand to hand via handshakes or objects such as door knobs, and then introduced to the nasal passage ...

See also:

Common cold, Common cold - Pathology, Common cold - Cold as misnomer, Common cold - Symptoms, Common cold - Complications, Common cold - Prevention, Common cold - Treatment, Common cold - Societal impact, Common cold - History, Common cold - Note

Read more here: » Common cold: Encyclopedia II - Common cold - Pathology

Mother goddesses have been revered in many societies, though James Frazer (author of The Golden Bough) and those he influenced (like Robert Graves and Marija Gimbutas) advanced the theory that all European and Aegean mother goddess worship had originated in Pre-Indo-European neolithic matriarchies. This has been discounted by modern scholars, most notably by Peter Ucko [1]. The actual cultural and religious context of neolithic figures like the Venus of Willendorf has not been established. Some authors believe they were intended to re ...

See also:

Mother goddess, Mother goddess - Matriarchy and goddess history, Mother goddess - Sumerian Mesopotamian and Greek goddesses, Mother goddess - Celtic goddesses, Mother goddess - Norse goddesses, Mother goddess - Olympian goddesses, Mother goddess - Hinduism, Mother goddess - Shaktism, Mother goddess - Mother goddess worship in Catholicism, Mother goddess - Neopaganism

Read more here: » Mother goddess: Encyclopedia II - Mother goddess - Matriarchy and goddess history

Much Olmec art is highly stylized and uses an iconography reflective of the religious meaning of the artworks. Some Olmec art, however, is surprisingly naturalistic, displaying an accuracy of depiction of human anatomy perhaps equaled in the Pre-Columbian New World only by the best Maya Classic era art. Olmec artforms emphasize monumental statuary and small jade carvings. A common theme is to be found in representations of a divine jaguar. Olmec figurines were also fou ...

See also:

Olmec, Olmec - Overview, Olmec - Etymology of the name, Olmec - History, Olmec - Early History, Olmec - Decline, Olmec - Olmec art, Olmec - Olmec colossal heads, Olmec - The were-jaguar motif, Olmec - Religion, Olmec - Mathematics, Olmec - Olmec people, Olmec - Mormon speculation

Read more here: » Olmec: Encyclopedia II - Olmec - Olmec art

Aztec - Class structure. The society traditionally was divided into two social classes; the macehualli (people) or peasantry and the pilli or nobility. Nobility was not originally hereditary, although the sons of pillis had access to better resources and education, so it was easier for them to become pillis. Eventually, this class system took on the aspects of a hereditary system. The Aztec military had an equivalent to military service with a core of professional warriors; only those ...

See also:

Aztec, Aztec - Terminology, Aztec - Legends and traditions, Aztec - Rise of the Aztecs, Aztec - The Empire, Aztec - Aztec society, Aztec - Class structure, Aztec - Slavery, Aztec - Recreation, Aztec - Tenochtitlan, Aztec - Education, Aztec - Diet, Aztec - Human sacrifice, Aztec - Poetry, Aztec - Downfall, Aztec - Sources

Read more here: » Aztec: Encyclopedia II - Aztec - Aztec society

The various episodes, that are portrayed to be occurring after the event of incarnation, are called here as post-incarnational events. Given below is an elaboration of them. Image:Emergence of Vaikundar .jpg Ayyavazhi mythology - Vaikundar's emergence out of the sea. Vaikundar crossed over to the land from the sea and showing a bodily appearance to the mother of Muthukutty, told her: "Woman, you had been my mother before the year 1008 (AD 1833). Now, I have been born as Vaikundar, the child o ...

See also:

Ayyavazhi mythology, Ayyavazhi mythology -
Pre-incarnational events, Ayyavazhi mythology - The first six Yugas, Ayyavazhi mythology - The Santror, Ayyavazhi mythology - Kalineesan Kali Yuga and Kalimayai, Ayyavazhi mythology - Thirumal in Thiruvananthapuram, Ayyavazhi mythology - Incarnational events, Ayyavazhi mythology - Preparing for incarnation, Ayyavazhi mythology - Mayon — on the identity of his people, Ayyavazhi mythology - Final admonition through Thiruvasakam, Ayyavazhi mythology - Deciding to incarnate as Vaikundar, Ayyavazhi mythology - The incarnation, Ayyavazhi mythology - Post-incarnational events, Ayyavazhi mythology - Vaikundar's emergence out of the sea, Ayyavazhi mythology - Vaikundar's journey to Detchanam, Ayyavazhi mythology - Tavam, Ayyavazhi mythology - Burning of the demons, Ayyavazhi mythology - Seizing the power of magic witchcraft sorcery trickery etc., Ayyavazhi mythology - Exhortations, Ayyavazhi mythology - Vaikundar's trial, Ayyavazhi mythology - Thuvayal Thavasu, Ayyavazhi mythology - Marriage with the Seven Virgins, Ayyavazhi mythology - Festivals and celebrations, Ayyavazhi mythology - Vaikundar as the Reigning King, Ayyavazhi mythology - Marriage with the Deities, Ayyavazhi mythology - Ascending to Vaikundam the abode of Thirumal, Ayyavazhi mythology - Dharma Yukam [The final victory]

Read more here: » Ayyavazhi mythology: Encyclopedia II - Ayyavazhi mythology - Post-incarnational events

Main article: Characters in RahXephon This section represents the story as told in the television series. The manga and movie are different in some respects, including cutting and compositing characters. At the beginning of RahXephon Ayato Kamina is a modest 17 year old living in Tokyo. Not exactly a model student, he enjoys his spare time painting and being with his class mates Hiroko Asahina and Mamoru Torigai. Ayato's mother Maya spends a lot of her time at work, making his relationship with ...

See also:

RahXephon, RahXephon - Plot, RahXephon - Characters, RahXephon - Ayato and Haruka's Relationship, RahXephon - Anime Episodes, RahXephon - Influences, RahXephon - Cultural commentary, RahXephon - Other story formats, RahXephon - Differences Between Anime and Manga, RahXephon - Super Robot Wars, RahXephon - Comparisons to other Anime, RahXephon - Neon Genesis Evangelion, RahXephon - Infinite Ryivus, RahXephon - The Dolems

Read more here: » RahXephon: Encyclopedia II - RahXephon - Characters

Underworld - Aboriginal mythology. Beralku Underworld - Akkadian mythology. Ereshkigal Nergal Underworld - Babylonian mythology. Kurnugia Underworld - Buddhist mythology. Naraka (also Neraka) Underworld - Celtic mythology. Annwn Mag Mell Underworld - Chinese myt ...

See also:

Underworld, Underworld - Underworlds, Underworld - Aboriginal mythology, Underworld - Akkadian mythology, Underworld - Babylonian mythology, Underworld - Buddhist mythology, Underworld - Celtic mythology, Underworld - Chinese mythology, Underworld - Christianity, Underworld - Egyptian mythology, Underworld - Fijian mythology, Underworld - Finnish mythology, Underworld - Greek mythology, Underworld - Hinduism, Underworld - Incan mythology, Underworld - Inuit mythology, Underworld - Islam, Underworld - Indonesian mythology, Underworld - Japanese mythology, Underworld - Latvian mythology, Underworld - Mayan mythology, Underworld - Melanesian mythology, Underworld - Norse mythology, Underworld - Oromo mythology, Underworld - Philippine mythology, Underworld - Polynesian mythology, Underworld - Pueblo mythology, Underworld - Roman mythology, Underworld - Slavic mythology, Underworld - Sumerian mythology, Underworld - Vodun, Underworld - Wagawaga mythology, Underworld - Rulers of the Underworld, Underworld - Aboriginal mythology, Underworld - Akkadian mythology, Underworld - Albanian mythology, Underworld - Armenian mythology, Underworld - Aztec mythology, Underworld - Babylonian mythology, Underworld - Balinese mythology, Underworld - Bon mythology, Underworld - Buddhist mythology, Underworld - Canaanite mythology, Underworld - Celtic mythology, Underworld - Chinese mythology, Underworld - Christian mythology, Underworld - Egyptian mythology, Underworld - Elamite mythology, Underworld - Etruscan mythology, Underworld - Finnish mythology, Underworld - Greek mythology, Underworld - Gypsy mythology, Underworld - Haida mythology, Underworld - Hinduism, Underworld - Hopi mythology, Underworld - Ibo mythology, Underworld - Incan mythology, Underworld - Indonesian mythology, Underworld - Inuit mythology, Underworld - Islam/Arabic mythology, Underworld - Japanese mythology, Underworld - Kassite mythology, Underworld - Khmer mythology, Underworld - Latvian mythology, Underworld - Lunda mythology, Underworld - Maya mythology, Underworld - Narragansett mythology, Underworld - Navaho mythology, Underworld - Niquiran mythology, Underworld - Norse mythology, Underworld - Orokolo mythology, Underworld - Persian mythology, Underworld - Philippine mythology, Underworld - Phoenician mythology, Underworld - Phrygian mythology, Underworld - Polynesian mythology, Underworld - Prussian mythology, Underworld - Pueblo mythology, Underworld - Roman mythology, Underworld - Russian mythology, Underworld - Saami mythology, Underworld - Salish mythology, Underworld - Siberian mythology, Underworld - Slavic mythology, Underworld - Sumerian mythology, Underworld - Syrian mythology, Underworld - Tamil mythology, Underworld - Vodun, Underworld - Wagawaga mythology, Underworld - Yoruba mythology, Underworld - Yurak mythology, Underworld - Zuni mythology, Underworld - Fictional underworlds

Read more here: » Underworld: Encyclopedia II - Underworld - Underworlds

Attavada (Pali) (from attan self (Sanskrit atman) + vada theory, disputation from the verbal root vad to speak)

Atmavada (Sanskrit) The theory of a persistent soul. A study of Buddhist sutras or suttas shows that Gautama Buddha intended the term to convey the meaning of the heresy of separateness, the belief that one's self or soul is different and apart from the one universal self, Brahman.

Its importance in philosophy and mystical thought, and its genuine Buddhist significance, lies in the fact that Buddhism does not deny the existence of a soul, but strongly emphasizes the fact that no such soul is either a special creation or in its essence different from and other than the cosmic self.

Hence the meaning of the heresy of separateness, because those who hold this view are under the constant false impression that in themselves they are different from, and other than, the universe in which they live, move, and have all their being.

In The Mahatma Letters attavada is termed "the doctrine of Self," and with sakkayaditthi leads "to the maya of heresy and belief in the efficacy of vain rites and ceremonies; in prayers and intercession" (ML 111).

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

For more dictionary entries, see » Maya Dictionary

Shiva is referred to as 'the good one' or the 'auspicious one'. Shiva - Rudra is considered to be the destroyer of evil and sorrow. Shiva - Shankara is the doer of good. Shiva is 'tri netra' or three eyed, and is 'neela kantha' - blue necked (having consumed poison to save the world from destruction). Shiva - Nataraja is the Divine Cosmic Dancer. Shiva - Ardhanareeswara is both man and woman. He is both static and dynamic and is both creator and destroyer. He is the oldest and the youngest, he is the eternal youth as well as the infan ...

See also:

Shiva, Shiva - Introduction, Shiva - Consorts and the Burning of Kamadeva,