Spiritual Paths Dictionary

AKASHA SPIRIT: The fifth element, the omnipresent spiritual power that permeates the universe.

(See also: AKASHA SPIRIT , Paganism, Pagan, Pagan Dictionary)

Marga (Sanskrit) Path; in Buddhism the noble eightfold path that leads to nirvana.

There are four commonly recognized margas, forms of yoga or spiritual and intellectual training:

1)    karma yoga (path of action);

2)    bhakti yoga (path of faith or love);

3)    raja yoga (path of kingly yoga); and

4)    jnana yoga (wisdom path).

These four pathways correspond with the four Hindu castes: Sudra (the agricultural); Vaisya (commercial); Kshattriya (administrative, military, ruler); and Brahmana (philosopher, sage).

(See also: Marga , Mysticism, Mysticism Dictionary)

COVEN: A group of thirteen or fewer witches that work together in an organized fashion for positive magickal endeavors or to perform religious ceremonies.

(See also: COVEN , Paganism, Pagan, Pagan Dictionary)

San Marga: (Sanskrit) "True path."

The straight spiritual path leading to the ultimate goal, Self Realization, without detouring into unnecessary psychic exploration or pointless development of siddhis. A San Margi is a person "on the path," as opposed to a samsari, one engrossed in worldliness. San Marga also names the jnana pada.

See: pada, sadhana marga, samsari.

(See also: San Marga , Hinduism, Body Mind and Soul)

OLD PATH - One of many names for the religion of Wica.

(See also: OLD PATH , Wiccan, Wicca, Witchery, Pagan, Paganism, Pagan Dictionary)

Amrita-yana amrita-yana (Sanskrit) (from a not + mrita dead from the verbal root mrir to die + yana path, vehicle)

The path of immortality; in The Voice of the Silence the path followed by the Buddhas of Compassion or of Perfection. It is the "secret path," the arya (noble) path of the heart doctrine of esoteric wisdom. The Buddhas of Compassion instead of donning the dharmakaya vesture and then entering nirvana, as the Pratyeka Buddhas do, give up nirvana and assume the nirmanakaya robe, thus enabling them to work directly for all beings less evolved than they; and because of this great individual sacrifice, the nirmanakaya condition is in one sense the holiest of the trikaya (three vestures). The amrita-yana is thus a lofty spiritual pathway, and leads to the ineffable glories of self-conscious immortality in the cosmic manvantaric "eternity."

The term may also refer to the "immortal vehicle" within each person, the individuality in contradistinction to the evanescent personality; that is, "the Spiritual Soul, or the Immortal monad -- a combination of the fifth, sixth and seventh" principles (ML 114).

(See also: Amrita-yana , Mysticism, Mysticism Dictionary, Occultism, Occultism Dictionary)

CIRCLE: Sacred space wherein all magick is to be worked and all ritual contained. It both holds ritual energy until the witch is ready to release it, and provides protection for the witch.

(See also: CIRCLE , Paganism, Pagan, Pagan Dictionary)

B.C.E.: Before Common Era. Synonymous with B.C. without religious bias.

(See also: B.C.E. , Paganism, Pagan, Pagan Dictionary)

ASPECTING: Any advanced magickal activity in which a practitioner manifests a particular aspect of the Goddess or God, in thought, feelings, behavior, appearance, etc.; Often as a direct result of a "Drawing Down". Often a minor variation of this phenomena occurs with the selection of a "Magical Name", of Craft Name.

(See also: ASPECTING , Paganism, Pagan, Pagan Dictionary)

Aryan:

Aryan (Aaryan). (a) Literally noble. (b) Follower of Vedic or spiritual path. (c) Ancient dwellers of India who composed the Rig-veda; the chief tribe was that of the Bharathas.

(See also: Aryan , Hinduism, Hinduism Dictionary, Sanskrit Dictionary, Body Mind and Soul)

BLOOD OF THE MOON: A woman's menstrual cycle. Should this cycle occur over a Full Moon or New Moon, she is far more powerful than during any other time of the month, as long as she acknowledges this strength within herself.

(See also: BLOOD OF THE MOON , Paganism, Pagan, Pagan Dictionary)

Arhat (Sanskrit) (from the verbal root arh to be worthy, merit, be able)

Worthy, deserving; also enemy slayer (from ari enemy + the verbal root han to slay, smite)

, an arhat being a slayer of the foe of craving, the entire range of passions and desires, mental, emotional, and physical. Buddhists in the Orient generally define arhat in this manner, while modern scholars derive the word from the verbal root arh. Both definitions are equally appropriate (Buddhist Catachysm 93).

As a noun, originally one who had fully attained his spiritual ideals. In Buddhism arhat (Pali arahant) is the title generally given to those of Gautama Buddha's disciples who had progressed the farthest during his lifetime and immediately thereafter; more specifically to those who had attained nirvana, emancipation from earthly fetters and the attainment of full enlightenment. Arhat is broadly equivalent to the Egyptian heirophant, the Chaldean magus, and Hindu rishi, as well as being generally applicable to ascetics. On occasion it is used for the loftiest beings in a hierarchy: "The Arhats of the 'fire-mist' of the 7th run are but one remove from the Root-base of their Hierarchy -- the highest on Earth, and our Terrestrial chain" (SD 1:207).

Arhat is the highest of the four degrees of arhatship or the fourfold path to nirvana, of which the first three are srotapatti (he who has entered the stream), sakridagamin (he who returns to birth once more), and anagamin (the never returner who will have no further births on earth).

Arhat is both the way and the waygoer; and while the term is close philosophically to anagamin, the distinction between the two lies in their mystical connotations rather than in their etymological definitions. Arhat has a wider significance inasmuch as it applies to those noblest of the Buddha's disciples who were "worthy" of receiving, because comprehending, the Tathagata's heart doctrine, the more esoteric and mystical portions of his message.

As early as one hundred years after the Buddha died and had entered his parinirvana, differences in the doctrines and discipline of the Order become manifest. In the course of the centuries two basic trends developed into what has become popular to call the Hinayana (the lesser vehicle or path) or Theravada (doctrine of the elders), and Mahayana (the greater vehicle or path). The Theravada emphasized the fourfold path leading to nirvana, total liberation of the arhat from material concerns. The Mahayana held the bodhisattvayana as the ideal, the way of compassion for all sentient beings, culminating in renunciation of nirvana in order to return and inspire others "to awake and follow the dhamma." It is this fundamental difference in goal that characterizes the Old Wisdom School (arhatship) from the New Wisdom School (bodhsattvahood).

See also BUDDHAS OF COMPASSION, PRATYEKA BUDDHAS

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

DEOSIL: In northern hemisphere, clockwise. Counter-clockwise in the southern hemisphere. Direction of motion for creative magick.

(See also: DEOSIL , Paganism, Pagan, Pagan Dictionary)

B.C.E: Before Common Era, non-Christian version of B.C.

(See also: B.C.E , Paganism, Pagan, Pagan Dictionary)

Brahma-upadesa:

Brahma-upadesa (-upadhesha). Initiation into the spiritual path of Brahma-realization.

(See also: Brahma-upadesa , Hinduism, Hinduism Dictionary, Sanskrit Dictionary, Body Mind and Soul)

ASTRAL PLANE: A place which is generally conceptualized as an invisible parallel world which remains unseen from our own solid world of form.

(See also: ASTRAL PLANE , Paganism, Pagan, Pagan Dictionary)

Karma

Karma of a person means the sum of that individual person's actions in this and previous states of existence, viewed as deciding their fate in future existences. Informal: destiny or fate, following as effect from cause. The origin is from Sanskrit equivalent word meaning 'deeds, sum-of-actions'. Additionally, Karma means "the duty or work" that a person is supposed to perform which is fixed by the Allmighty.

Karma yoga: The discipline of selfless action as a way to perfection instead of following mystic, ascetic, or other spiritual paths. Such a person is called as "Karma yogi".

Karma phala: The fruit (consequence) that a persons gets (either enjoys or bears) depending on his past-Karma.€€€

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

instinctive: "Natural or innate." From the Latin instinctus, "staff," "prick," a participle of instigere, "impelling," pricking," "instigating."

The drives and impulses that order the animal world and the physical and lower astral aspects of humans- for example, self-preservation, procreation, hunger and thirst, as well as the emotions of greed, hatred, anger, fear, lust and jealousy. The first steps on the spiritual path consist in learning to harness these tendencies and impulses and transmute their energies into the higher nature.

See: manas, mind (individual), mind (three phases), yama-niyama.

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

VISION QUESTING: Using astral projection, bi-location, or dream time to accomplish a specific goal. Also called path working.

(See also: VISION QUESTING , Paganism, Pagan, Pagan Dictionary)

TRADITION: Branch of paganism followed by any individual Pagan or coven.

(See also: TRADITION , Paganism, Pagan, Pagan Dictionary)

BANE: That which is harmful, destructive or evil.

(See also: BANE , Paganism, Pagan, Pagan Dictionary)

ARCANA: The two halves of a tarot deck. The Major Arcana consists of 22 trumps, the Minor Arcana consists of 56 suit cards (sometimes called the lesser Arcana).

(See also: ARCANA , Paganism, Pagan, Pagan Dictionary)