Love - Christian. There are several Greek words for Love that are regularly referred to in Christian circles. Agape - In the New Testament, agapē is charitable, selfless, altruistic, and unconditional. It is parental love seen as creating goodness in the world, it is the way God is seen to love humanity, and it is seen as the kind of love that Christians aspire to have for one another. Phileo - Also used in the New Testament, Phileo is a human response to something that is fou ...

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Love, Love - Impersonal love, Love - Religious love, Love - Scientific models, Love - Attraction and attachment, Love - Companionate vs. passionate, Love - Sternberg's Triangular Theory of Love, Love - Love styles, Love - Phases, Love - Cultural views, Love - Chinese, Love - Japanese, Love - Ancient Greek, Love - Latin, Love - Religious views, Love - Christian, Love - Buddhist, Love - Hindu, Love - Islamic, Love - Jewish, Love - Mythological, Love - Theological, Love - Human love, Love - Other types of love philias

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Eucharist - The Agape feast. The Agape feast was the Eucharistic celebration of the early Christians. While centered on the ritual of the bread and wine, it also included various other ritual elements, including elements of the Passover seder and of Mediterranean funerary banquets, also termed Agape Feasts. Agape is one of the Greek words for love, particularly applied to selfless love. Such meals were widespread, tho ...

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Eucharist, Eucharist - Names for the Eucharist, Eucharist - Eucharist in the Bible, Eucharist - Christian Theology, Eucharist - Roman Catholic: Sacrifice; Transubstantiation, Eucharist - Eastern Christianity: Sacrifice and Objective Reality but Pious Silence on the Particulars, Eucharist - Anglicans/Episcopalians: Real Presence with Opinion, Eucharist - Lutherans - the Sacramental Union: in with and under the forms, Eucharist - Methodism: presence as mystery, Eucharist - Calvinist Reformed: spiritual feeding pneumatic presence, Eucharist - Zwinglian Reformed: no Real Presence, Eucharist - Summary of views, Eucharist - Ritual and liturgy, Eucharist - The Agape feast, Eucharist - Eastern Christianity, Eucharist - Roman Catholicism, Eucharist - Protestantism, Eucharist - Jehovah's Witnesses, Eucharist - Open and closed communion, Eucharist - Alleged pre-Christian origins, Eucharist - Footnotes, Eucharist - Resources

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bhakti yoga: n (Sanskrit) "Union through devotion." Bhakti yoga is the practice of devotional disciplines, worship, prayer, chanting and singing with the aim of awakening love in the heart and opening oneself to God's grace. Bhakti may be directed toward God, Gods or one's spiritual preceptor.

Bhakti yoga seeks communion and ever closer rapport with the Divine, developing qualities that make communion possible, such as love, selflessness and purity. Saint Sambandar described bhakti as religion's essence and the surest means to divine union and liberation. He advised heartfelt worship, unstinting devotion and complete surrender to God in humble, committed service. From the beginning practice of bhakti to advanced devotion, called prapatti, self-effacement is an intricate part of Hindu, even all Indian, culture.

Bhakti yoga is embodied in Patanjali's Yoga Darshana in the second limb, niyamas (observances), as devotion (Ishvarapranidhana). Bhakti yoga is practiced in many Hindu schools, and highly developed in Vaishnavism as a spiritual path in itself, leading to perfection and liberation. In Saiva Siddhanta, its cultivation is the primary focus during the kriya pada (stage of worship).

See: bhakti yoga, prapatti, sacrifice, surrender, yajna.

(See also: Bhakti yoga, Hinduism, Body Mind and Soul)

yoga: (Sanskrit) "Union." From yuj, "to yoke, harness, unite."

The philosophy, process, disciplines and practices whose purpose is the yoking of individual consciousness with transcendent or divine consciousness. One of the six darshanas, or systems of orthodox Hindu philosophy.

Yoga was codified by Patanjali in his Yoga Sutras (ca 200 bce) as the eight limbs (ashtanga) of raja yoga. It is essentially a one system, but historically, parts of raja yoga have been developed and emphasized as yogas in themselves.

Prominent among the many forms of yoga are

-       hatha yoga (emphasizing bodily perfection in preparation for meditation),

-       kriya yoga (emphasizing breath control), as well as

-       karma yoga (selfless service) and

-       bhakti yoga (devotional practices) which could be regarded as an expression of raja yoga's first two limbs (yama and niyama).

See: Yoga, austerity, bhakti yoga, danda, hatha yoga, jivanmukta, raja yoga, shad darshana, siddha yoga, siddhi.

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

Seva:

(lit., service) Selfless service; work offered to God, performed without attachment and with the attitude that one is not the doer. In Siddha Yoga ashrams, Guruseva is a spiritual practice, and students seek to perform all of their tasks in this spirit of selfless offering.

(See also: Seva, Yoga, Yoga Dictionary, Siddha Yoga, Siddha Yoga Dictionary)

NIRVANA

As sickness, age and death impel us to recede ever more deeply into ourselves and we discover that the illusory world outside is but the creation of our own minds, we begin to realize the bitter truth that there is no death either. If life is agony, there is no resting, for no sooner dead than ... reborn! And the torment of life must be endured again and again, until even amnesia wears thin and we find that we are nothing more nor less than hapless old Sisyphus himself. And if we pursue things far enough, it must be admitted that there even comes a time when we must accept our identity with the terrible Abraxas. (The final, ironic punishment of the atheist is that he himself, in mournful solitude, must bear the yoke of immortal godhood.)

Now it is that we remember the message of the Buddha -- that there is a way out of the endless cycle of birth and redeath. We can step off the wheel of Karma into Nirvana. Buddhism's goal is Nirvana, or release form the bonds of existence. The Sanskrit word means "blown away" or "blown out," i.e., extinguished, and since rebirth is the result of desire, freedom from rebirth is attained by the removal of desire, so that, for lack of fuel, the torch of rebirth blows out and is no longer passed on. Therefore, we can achieve Nirvana now, in this life. The elimination of egoism and selfless aspiration are some of the ways. That means the end of material existence, the attainment of Being, rather than becoming, and union with Ultimate Reality. The Buddha calls this "unborn, unoriginated, uncreated, unformed," as opposed to the born, originated, created and formed phenomenal world.

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

Selfishness Making the gratification of the personal self or ego the paramount aim in conduct; a disregard of the interests of others. While individualism is a necessary stage in evolution, yet humanity on the upward arc of evolution is on the road towards realization of the essential unity of all selves. Hence selfishness is our greatest obstacle in spiritual unfolding or development.

It is not its grosser manifestations that are most harmful, but the subtler forms in which it may wear the mask of the virtues. It is overcome by aspiration towards the source of our being, by recognizing the barrenness and futility of self-seeking and its destructive results, and by the cultivation of that primal instinct of altruism which is at the heart of every being.

What is here called selfishness corresponds in the minds of Buddhist philosophers and scholars to the ideas they disputed grouped about the word atman. They never intended to deny the fundamental meaning of atman or selfhood, and yet this misconception of ancient Buddhist teaching has brought about the false idea that Gautama Buddha and his followers taught that man has no essential self or selfhood. Because selfishness was popularly considered the permanent soulhood in man, the doctrine of anatma (in Pali, anatta) was strongly and continuously taught.

The deduction shows clearly that even in India at the time of the Buddha, selfhood in its popular sense of concentration on the lower self and its interests was as popular and widespread as today. It is a paradox that in selflessness is found the noblest and highest emanation of self-expression of the atman or spiritual self in man.

(See also: Selfishness, Mysticism, Mysticism Dictionary)

Hinduism - The Bhakti schools. Main article: Bhakti The Bhakti (Devotional) school takes its name from the Hindu term that signifies a blissful, selfless and overwhelming devotion of God as the beloved Father, Mother, Child, or whatever relationship finds appeal in the devotee's heart. The philosophy of Bhakti seeks to relate to the personal form of God. Seen as a form of Yoga, or union, it seeks to interlink the self with God, since consciousness of the body and limited mind as self is ...

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Hinduism, Hinduism - Core Concepts, Hinduism - The Eternal Way, Hinduism - Basic beliefs, Hinduism - Practice Yoga Dharma, Hinduism - The four objectives Of Life, Hinduism - The four stages of Life, Hinduism - The four classes of the society, Hinduism - Nature of God, Hinduism - Denominations, Hinduism - Hindu sacred texts, Hinduism - Shruti, Hinduism - Bhagavad Gītā, Hinduism - Smriti, Hinduism - Origins and society, Hinduism - Origins of Hinduism, Hinduism - Etymology, Hinduism - Vedic religion, Hinduism - Hindu nationalism, Hinduism - Temples, Hinduism - Current geographic distribution, Hinduism - Hindu philosophy: the six Vedic schools of thought, Hinduism - Pūrva Mīmāmsā, Hinduism - Yoga, Hinduism - Uttara Mimāmsā: Vedānta and its three main schools, Hinduism - Alternative cultures of worship, Hinduism - The Bhakti schools, Hinduism - Tantra, Hinduism - Important symbolism and themes in Hinduism, Hinduism - Tilaka symbol on forehead or between eyebrows, Hinduism - Ahimsa non-violence vegetarian diet and the cow, Hinduism - Hindu symbolism, Hinduism - Murtis icons, Hinduism - Sanskrit, Hinduism - Mantra, Hinduism - Criticism, Hinduism - Hinduism, Hinduism - Related systems and religions

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Galaxy Angel - Milfeulle Sakuraba ミルフィーユ 桜葉. Main article: Milfeulle Sakuraba In the anime A seventeen-year-old, selfless pink-haired girl who has an incredible amount of good luck with extremely bad luck periodically to counter it. The bad luck can cause disastrous outcomes like destroying a whole planet or even an entire galaxy. Strangely enough, this could be minimized if Milfeulle is happy at those days. The newest member of the Angel Troupe at the start of th ...

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Galaxy Angel, Galaxy Angel - Storyline, Galaxy Angel - In the anime, Galaxy Angel - In the games, Galaxy Angel - Characters, Galaxy Angel - Milfeulle Sakuraba ミルフィーユ 桜葉, Galaxy Angel - Mint Blancmanche ミント ブラマンシュ, Galaxy Angel - Ranpha Franboise 蘭花 フランボワーズ:, Galaxy Angel - Forte Stollen フォルテ シュトーレン:, Galaxy Angel - Vanilla H ヴァニラ H:, Galaxy Angel - Chitose Karasuma 烏丸 ちとせ:, Galaxy Angel - Takuto Meyers タクト マイヤーズ pronounced Takuto Maiyaazu game and manga, Galaxy Angel - Lester Cooldaras レスター・クールダラス game and manga, Galaxy Angel - Almo アルモ and Koko ココ game only, Galaxy Angel - Sacred Mother of the Moon Shatoyaan 月の聖母シャトヤーン game and manga, Galaxy Angel - Prince Shiva/Empress Shiva シヴァ皇子／シヴァ女皇 game and manga, Galaxy Angel - Commander Volcott O'Huey ウォルコット・O・ヒューイ anime only, Galaxy Angel - Normad/Nomad ノーマッドanime only, Galaxy Angel - Major Mary メアリー少佐anime only, Galaxy Angel - Cocomo and Malibu Perot ココモ・ペイロー and マリブ・ペイロー anime only, Galaxy Angel - Ships, Galaxy Angel - Angel Frames, Galaxy Angel - Elsior

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A Theosophical definition of Paramatman :

Paramatman

(Sanskrit) The "primordial self" or the "self beyond," the permanent SELF, the Brahman or universal spirit-soul. A compound term meaning the highest or universal atman. Parama, "primordial," "supreme," etc.; the root of atman is hardly known  - its origin is uncertain, but the general meaning is that of "self." Paramatman consequently means the "supreme self," or the summit or flower of a hierarchy, the root-base or source of that kosmic self.

Selflessness is the attribute of the paramatman, the universal self, where all personality vanishes.

The universal self is the heart of the universe, for these two phrases are but two manners of expressing the same thing; it is the source of our being; it is also the goal whither we are all marching, we and the hierarchies above us as well as the hierarchies and the entities which compose them inferior to us. All come from the same ineffable source, the heart of Being, the universal self, pass at one period of their evolutionary journey through the stage of humanity, gaining thereby self-consciousness or the ego-self, the "I am I," and they find it, as they advance along this evolutionary path, expanding gradually into universal consciousness  - an expansion which never has an end, because the universal consciousness is endless, limitless, boundless.

The paramatman is spiritually practically identical with what the theosophist has in mind when he speaks of the Absolute; and consequently paramatman, though possessing a wide range of meanings, is virtually identical with Brahman. Of course when the human mind or consciousness ascends in meditation up the rungs of the endless ladder of life and realizes that the paramatman of one hierarchy or kosmos is but one of a multitude of other paramatmans of other kosmic hierarchies, the realization comes that even the vague term parabrahman may at certain moments of philosophical introspection be found to be the frontierless paramatman of boundless space; but in this last usage of paramatman the word obviously becomes a sheer generalizing expression for boundless life, boundless consciousness, boundless substance. This last use of the word, while correct enough, is hardly to be recommended because apt to introduce confusion, especially in Occidental minds with our extraordinary tendency to take generalizations for concrete realities.

See also: Paramatman, Mysticism, Body Mind and Soul)

Karma yoga:

The path of loving, selfless service to the divine.

(See also: Karma yoga, Kundalini, Kundalini Yoga, Kundalini Dictionary)

Vira Saivism (Saiva): (Sanskrit) "Heroic Saivism." Made

prominent by Basavanna in the 12th century. Also called

Lingayat Saivism. Followers, called Lingayats,

Lingavantas or Sivasharanas, always wear a Sivalinga on

their person. Vira Saivites are proudly egalitarian and

emphasize the personal relationship with Siva, rather than

temple worship. Vira Saiva priests, jangamas, conduct

marriages and other domestic rites and also act as gurus or

teachers. Among the most central texts are Basavanna's

Vachanas, Allama Prabhu's Mantragopya,

Chennabasavanna's Karana Hasuge, and the collected

work called Shunya Sampadane. The monistic-theistic

doctrine of Vira Saivism is called Shakti Vishishtadvaita -

a version of qualified nondualism which accepts both difference and nondifference between soul and God, like

rays are to the sun. In brief, Siva and the cosmic force or

existence are one ("Siva are you; you shall return to

Siva."). Yet, Siva is beyond His creation, which is real,

not illusory. God is both efficient and material cause. In

Vira Saivism, Siva divides from His Absolute state into

Linga (Supreme Lord) and anga, individual soul, the two

eventually reuniting in undifferentiated oneness. There are

three aspects of Sivalinga. 1) Ishtalinga, personal form of

Siva, in which He fulfills desires and removes afflictions -

God as bliss or joy; 2) Bhavalinga, Siva beyond space and

time, the highest divine principle, knowable through

intuition; 3) Pranalinga, the reality of God which can be

apprehended by the mind. The soul merges with Siva by a

progressive, six-stage path called shatsthala, consisting of

bhakti (devotion), mahesha (charity and selfless service),

prasada (seeking Siva's grace), Pranalinga (experience of

all as Siva), sharana (egoless refuge in Siva) and aikya

(oneness with Siva). Today Vira Saivism is a vibrant faith,

particularly strong in its religious homeland of Karnataka,

South Central India. Roughly 40 million people live here,

of which perhaps 25% are members of the Vira Saiva

religion. Early on, they rejected brahminical authority, and

along with it the entire caste system and the Vedas. By

rejecting the Vedas, they continue to stand outside

mainstream Hinduism, but in their profound love of Siva

and acceptance of certain Saiva Agamas, as well as the

main truths of the Vedic wisdom, they have identified

themselves as a unique Saiva sect. Though they have

established their faith as a distinct and independent

religion in Indian courts of law, they are still widely

embraced as devout brothers and sisters of the Hindu

dharma.

See: Lingavanta, Saivism.

(See also: Vira Saivism, Hinduism, Body Mind and Soul)

Ambrosia (Greek) (from ambrotos immortal from a not + mortos or brotos mortal; cf Sanskrit amrita from a not + the verbal root mri to die; Latin immortalus from in not + mors death)

In Classical myths variously the food, drink, or unguent of the gods or divine wisdom, connected with nectar; anything that confers or promotes immortality. Equivalent to the Sanskrit amrita and soma and the northern European mead. In a Chinese allegory, the flying Dragon drinks of ambrosia and falls to earth with his host.

The laws of evolution entail a so-called curse or fall upon virtually all the hosts of monads frequently called angels, whereby they are cast down to the nether pole and undergo peregrinations in the realms of matter; in the case of many such "fallen angels," this involves imbodiment or incarnation on earth. Man himself at a stage of his evolution experiences a similar "descent" and speeding-up, due to the impulses of the immortal urge within his breast to grow, progress, evolve, and become cognizant of larger reaches of truth. This is evident in the highly mystical Hebrew story of the forbidden Tree and in the various legends pertaining to soma in Hindu literature.

Yet on the upward arc of an evolutionary cycle, partaking of this sacred ambrosial food signifies initiation, the partaking by the initiant in the Mysteries of the "drink" of spiritual immortality. This drink is symbolized by the cup and its contained liquid, but actually is the receiving into the consciousness from the inner nature of the life-giving streams, the draught of everlasting life, or the elixir of life.

After partaking of this ambrosial elixir, brought about by lives of selflessness and by final initiation, the adept learns to live in the minor and intermediate spheres of the solar system as a fully self-conscious co-laborer with the gods in their cosmic work. Such are the higher nirmanakayas, true buddhas, etc.

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

Spiritual practices:

Activities that purify and strengthen the mind and body for the spiritual path. Siddha Yoga practices include chanting, meditation, mantra repetition, hatha yoga, seva (selfless service), and contemplation.

(See also: Spiritual practices, Yoga, Yoga Dictionary, Siddha Yoga, Siddha Yoga Dictionary)

The Gelert is a dog-like species of Neopet whose name comes from a legendary Welsh dog. Gelerts are generally courageous, selfless, faithful, and brave, much like Gelert the greyhound from whom they take their name. They are also known for being easily confused. The Gelert was originally called the Polypup and released on January 25th 2000. It looked more like a dragon than a dog and had shorter, thicker ears and tail. It also wore a collar, where the current Gelert does not. It was changed into the Gelert, a more g ...

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List of Neopets, List of Neopets - Acara, List of Neopets - External links, List of Neopets - Aisha, List of Neopets - External link, List of Neopets - Blumaroo, List of Neopets - External link, List of Neopets - Bori, List of Neopets - External link, List of Neopets - Bruce, List of Neopets - External link, List of Neopets - Buzz, List of Neopets - External link, List of Neopets - Chia, List of Neopets - External links, List of Neopets - Chomby, List of Neopets - External link, List of Neopets - Cybunny, List of Neopets - External link, List of Neopets - Draik, List of Neopets - External link, List of Neopets - Elephante, List of Neopets - External link, List of Neopets - Eyrie, List of Neopets - External link, List of Neopets - Flotsam, List of Neopets - External link, List of Neopets - Gelert, List of Neopets - External links, List of Neopets - Gnorbu, List of Neopets - External links, List of Neopets - Grarrl, List of Neopets - External link, List of Neopets - Grundo, List of Neopets - External link, List of Neopets - Hissi, List of Neopets - Ixi, List of Neopets - External link, List of Neopets - Jetsam, List of Neopets - JubJub, List of Neopets - External links, List of Neopets - Kacheek, List of Neopets - External links, List of Neopets - Kau, List of Neopets - External link, List of Neopets - Kiko, List of Neopets - External link, List of Neopets - Koi, List of Neopets - Korbat, List of Neopets - External link, List of Neopets - Kougra, List of Neopets - External link, List of Neopets - Krawk, List of Neopets - Kyrii, List of Neopets - External link, List of Neopets - Lenny, List of Neopets - Lupe, List of Neopets - External link, List of Neopets - Lutari, List of Neopets - External links, List of Neopets - Meerca, List of Neopets - External link, List of Neopets - Moehog, List of Neopets - External link, List of Neopets - Mynci, List of Neopets - External link, List of Neopets - Nimmo, List of Neopets - External link, List of Neopets - Ogrin, List of Neopets - External link, List of Neopets - Peophin, List of Neopets - Poogle, List of Neopets - External link, List of Neopets - Pteri, List of Neopets - External link, List of Neopets - Quiggle, List of Neopets - External link, List of Neopets - Ruki, List of Neopets - External link, List of Neopets - Scorchio, List of Neopets - External link, List of Neopets - Shoyru, List of Neopets - External links, List of Neopets - Skeith, List of Neopets - Techo, List of Neopets - External link, List of Neopets - Tonu, List of Neopets - Tuskaninny, List of Neopets - Uni, List of Neopets - External link, List of Neopets - Usul, List of Neopets - Wocky, List of Neopets - External link, List of Neopets - Xweetok, List of Neopets - External link, List of Neopets - Yurble, List of Neopets - External link, List of Neopets - Zafara, List of Neopets - April Fools Pet Designs

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