Spiritual Self Dictionary

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)

Self Realization: Direct knowing of the Self God, Parasiva.

Self Realization is known in Sanskrit as nirvikalpa samadhi; "enstasy without form or seed;" the ultimate spiritual attainment (also called asamprajnata samadhi).

Esoterically, this state is attained when the mystic kundalini force pierces through the sahasrara chakra at the crown of the head. This transcendence of all modes of human consciousness brings the realization or "nonexperience" of That which exists beyond the mind, beyond time, form and space.

But even to assign a name to Parasiva, or to its realization is to name that which cannot be named. In fact, it is "experienced" only in its aftermath as a change in perspective, a permanent transformation, and as an intuitive familiarity with the Truth that surpasses understanding.

See: God Realization, enstasy, liberation, kundalini, Parasiva, raja yoga, Samadhi, enlightenment.

(See also: Self Realization , Hinduism, Body Mind and Soul)

Self-born Parentless, in Sanskrit aupapaduka or aja -- terms used of the head of a hierarchy, such as the Logos, corresponding to the Son, the second person of the Christian Trinity. From another aspect, it is the cosmic dragon in the highest of its septenary meanings.

All gods and beings born through and from will, whether of deity or adept, are said to be self-born, e.g., the pitris, who issued from Brahma's body of twilight; or Daksha, a self-born power who sprang from his father's body. Each cosmic monad is svayambhuva (the self-become or self-born) and in its turn becomes a center of force from within which emerges a planetary chain.

The first root-race is called self-born, for the individuals of this race were the astral shadows of their progenitors, and their method of reproduction was by fission. Seven self-born primordial gods emanated from the triadic One. The self-born were the primary creation of seven creations, otherwise emanations of self-born gods, or 'elohim, as the Hebrews call them.

Theosophic philosophy postulates four methods of reproduction (chatur-yoni) in the manifested realms which run from the divine through many intermediate degrees to the physical: 1) the highest or self-born (aupapaduka), such as the inner birth at will of gods and bodhisattvas; 2) birth from the seeds of life of various kinds on the different planes, whether they be monads or physical seminal germs; 3) egg-born (andaja), such as reptiles and birds; and finally 4) womb-born (yonija), such as man and other mammalia. These four modes of birth are not given here in the order of their importance or spirituality, for human beings, who are womb-born, at a later stage through initiation and inner development finally attain the aupapaduka birth again.

(See also: Self-born , Mysticism, Mysticism Dictionary)

Purusha (Sanskrit). "Man", heavenly man. Spirit, the same as Narayana in another aspect.

"The Spiritual Self."

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

higher self

The superconscious or higherconscious mind

(See also: Higher self , Body Mind and Soul)

inner self healing process: System developed by American-born clinical psychologist and author Swami Ajaya, Ph.D.

Its theory posits an authentic (essential, inner, true) self and a false self. , the inner self is an active inner presence, a radiant essence, core energy, the source of abundance, joy, unconditional love, vitality, and wisdom. The false self is a false image resulting from the world's shabby treatment of everyone.

The inner self healing process enables one to rediscover, come home to, and begin to live from one's true self. It involves experiential psychotherapy, complete self attunement, and meditation. Through attunement sessions, one receives the healing light of one's inner self.

(See also: Inner self healing process , Body Mind and Soul, Alternative Health, Alternative Health Dictionary)

PRANA

the yogic concept of a cosmic energy or life force, similar to the Chinese idea of chi, that enters the body with the breath. Prana is thought to flow through the body, bringing health and vitality. It is considered the vital link between the spiritual self and the material self.

(See also: PRANA , Alternative Health, Healing, Body Mind and Soul)

Higher Self

The True Self. The real being who expresses the soul and the body, as opposed to what the person seems to be or thinks they are.

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

Self-existent (Atmabhu, Svayambhuva) Existing in and by itself alone; applied to any self-contained entity when considered apart from others. Applied by Western theologians to Deity as contrasted with his creatures, whose being sprang from him and is dependent on him. In addition to its use in defining the cosmic monad or unity, it is also used for subordinate monads considered in relation to the entities which spring from them; for example, the logos or head of a hierarchy is self-existent by contrast with its emanations. In the Qabbalah the Heavenly Man ('Adam Qadmon) is called the self-existent, and the same may be said of Brahman, or even of Brahma, in Hindu systems.

See SVAYAMBHUVA

(See also: Self-existent , Mysticism, Mysticism Dictionary)

Higher Self The divine-spiritual essence or essential egoity overshadowing the human being, the atma-buddhi with the efflorescence of manas. The higher self is the god within, the source of all right motive, the fountain of intuition, and the voice of divine harmony seeking to control the individual's life and to transform or transmute all the voices of personal desire.

(See also: Higher Self , Mysticism, Mysticism Dictionary, Occultism, Occultism Dictionary)

Inner Self

Refers to the inner divinity from which the being and personality evolve.

See also The Unconscious, the Subconsicous, the Higher Self, The Christ.

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

Essene way of self-healing: means of tapping psychic and healing powers of the universe. It encompasses affirmations, visualizations, color therapies, and communion with the angels of the Earthly Mother and Heavenly Spirit. (The Essenes, also called Physicians, were a Jewish sect that preceded Christianity. Their specialty was faith healing.)

(See also: Essene way of self-healing , Body Mind and Soul, Alternative Health, Alternative Health Dictionary)

Self-realization:

The state of enlightenment in which the individual merges with pure Consciousness.

(See also: Self-realization , Yoga, Yoga Dictionary, Siddha Yoga, Siddha Yoga Dictionary)

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V X Y Z

Spiritual Remedies

It is an unquestionable truth of life that the most precious possession that you have is your very own spiritual self. As we tend to move away from that intrinsic part of ourselves the body gets trapped by negative energies, which are the root cause of ailments. Spiritual therapies channelise your energies back on the right track, by venturing deep within yourself.

As God's children, all individuals have a part of divinity in themselves. By invoking the strength of that divinity through the control over ones thoughts, one can shape ones life very strongly. It is therefore important that one should attempt to root out all negative thoughts from the mind and concentrate on only the positive ones.

The negative thought patterns which cause ailments are anger, criticism, resentment and guilt. It is utterly impossible to maintain a healthy body under such distressed condition. For instance, criticism indulged in over long periods will often lead to disease as arthritis. Anger turns into things that boil and burn and in the long run infect the body and it also leads to heart ailments. Resentment eats into your system and ultimately leads to tumour and cancer. Guilt always seeks punishment and leads to all sorts of pain.

Next to hate, worry is just about the worst form of self-destructive mental activity. Hatred is the most severely damaging mental activity. It poisons the body and the mind and its effects are almost permanent. Similarly if you have no will to live, you are unlikely to have a long life. On the other hand, if you intend to live with a positive mind, you will definitely live a long and healthy life. Thus a person who exercises, meditates and thinks positively, is telling his body that he wants to stay healthy throughout his life.

Think of the experiences in life that you wish to be fulfilled. And you will find your thought patterns taking real shapes. This phenomenon is called metaphysical causation. This describes the power in the words and thoughts to create experiences. And explains the connection between thoughts and your physical self. Thus a stiff neck could easily be indicative of inflexibility in a person to listen to the other side of an argument.

So if need be, be willing to change your words and thoughts and watch your life change right before you. The way to control your life is to control your choice of words and thoughts. Since no one can delve into the depths of your, but you. Although easier said than done, this can be achieved better by practicing the arts of relaxation and concentration. For which one can in turn take the help of music and mantras.

(See also: Spiritual Remedies , Ayurveda, Ayurvedic Dictionary, Alternative Health, Body Mind and Soul)

A Theosophical definition of Monad :

Monad

A spiritual entity which to us humans is indivisible; it is a divine-spiritual life-atom, but indivisible because its essential characteristic, as we humans conceive it, is homogeneity; while that of the physical atom, above which our consciousness soars, is divisible, is a composite heterogeneous particle.

Monads are eternal, unitary, individual life-centers, conscious-ness-centers, deathless during any solar manvantara, therefore ageless, unborn, undying. Consequently, each one such  - and their number is infinite  - is the center of the All, for the divine or the All is THAT which has its center everywhere, and its circumference or limiting boundary nowhere.

Monads are spiritual-substantial entities, self-motivated, self-impelled, self-conscious, in infinitely varying degrees, the ultimate elements of the universe. These monads engender other monads as one seed will produce multitudes of other seeds; so up from each such monad springs a host of living entities in the course of illimitable time, each such monad being the fountainhead or parent, in which all others are involved, and from which they spring.

Every monad is a seed, wherein the sum total of powers appertaining to its divine origin are latent, that is to say unmanifested; and evolution consists in the growth and development of all these seeds or children monads, whereby the universal life expresses itself in innumerable beings.

As the monad descends into matter, or rather as its ray  - one of other innumerable rays proceeding from it  - is propelled into matter, it secretes from itself and then excretes on each one of the seven planes through which it passes, its various vehicles, all overshadowed by the self, the same self in you and in me, in plants and in animals, in fact in all that is and belongs to that hierarchy. This is the one self, the supreme self or paramatman of the hierarchy. It illumines and follows each individual monad and all the latter's hosts of rays  - or children monads. Each such monad is a spiritual seed from the previous manvantara, which manifests as a monad in this manvantara; and this monad through its rays throws out from itself by secretion and then excretion all its vehicles. These vehicles are, first, the spiritual ego, the reflection or copy in miniature of the monad itself, but individualized through the manvantaric evolution, "bearing" or "carrying" as a vehicle the monadic ray. The latter cannot directly contact the lower planes, because it is of the monadic essence itself, the latter a still higher ray of the infinite Boundless composed of infinite multiplicity in unity. (See also Individuality)

See also: Monad , Mysticism, Body Mind and Soul

Dondam-pai-den-pa (Tibet, Tibetan). The same as the Sanskrit term Paramarthasatya or "absolute truth", the highest spiritual self-consciousness and perception, divine self-consciousness, a very mystical term.

(See also: Dondam-pai-den-pa , Theosophy, Spirituality, Body mind and Soul, Spiritual Dictionary,)

Alaya (Sanskrit) (from a not + laya dissolution from the verbal root li to dissolve)

Nondissolution; the indissoluble; used in Buddhism for the universal soul or higher portions of anima mundi, the source of all beings and things. Mystically identical with akasa in the latter's highest elements and with mahabuddhi; also with mulaprakriti as root-producer or root-nature (OG 5).

With Mahayana Buddhists alaya is both the universal soul and the spiritual self of an advanced sage. Aryasamgha taught that "he who is strong in the Yoga can introduce at will his Alaya by means of meditation into the true Nature of Existence" (cf SD 1:49-51; also FSO 98n).

The Secret Doctrine (1:49) mentions Alaya in the Yogachara system, most probably referring to alaya-vijnana, but adds that with the "Esoteric 'Buddhists' . . . 'Alaya' has a double and even a triple meaning."

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

acu-ball pressure self-treatment: Form of self-applied acupressure characterized by the use of soft balls of solid rubber.

(See also: Acu-ball pressure self-treatment , Alternative Health, Body Mind and Soul)

Self-awakened one

(Jpn.: dokkaku)

See: cause-awakened one

(See also: Self-awakened one , Enlightenment, Buddhism Enlightenment, Buddhism Enlightenment Dictionary)

This is the second of two two summaries of the speach about Womens Movement in a Spiritual context delievered by Tapasya Dasaji of the Golden Age Foundation at the Oneness Festival, 16-22 of February 2004.

Read more here: » Women's Spirituality: Womens Movement in a Spiritual Perspective

Hatha Yoga (Sanskrit) The lower form of Yoga practice; one which uses physical means for purposes of spiritual self-development The opposite of Raja Yoga.

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