Way Of Life Dictionary

Tiryaka tadasana:

swaying palm tree pose

(See also: Tiryaka tadasana ,Yoga, Yoga Dictionary)

Vajrasana:

the 'thunderbolt' pose; a kneeling posture with buttocks resting upon the heels.

(See also: Vajrasana ,Yoga, Yoga Dictionary)

Nauli:

abdominal massage' - a cleansing technique (shatkarma) involving the contraction of the rectus abdominal muscles.

(See also: Nauli ,Yoga, Yoga Dictionary)

Trataka:

one of the cleansing techniques (shatkarma) in which the gaze is focussed upon an object such as a candle flame.

(See also: Trataka ,Yoga, Yoga Dictionary)

Kundalini shakti:

refers to the human's potential energy lying dormant in mooladhara (base) chakra like a coiled serpent. When awakened it rises up through the sushumna nadi.

(See also: Kundalini shakti ,Yoga, Yoga Dictionary)

Shabda Brahman:

cosmic causal state.

(See also: Shabda Brahman ,Yoga, Yoga Dictionary)

Ardha matsyendrasana:

half spinal twist yoga position

(See also: Ardha matsyendrasana ,Yoga, Yoga Dictionary)

Life Span of the Thus Come One chapter

(Jpn.: Nyorai-juryo-hon)

Abbreviated as the "Life Span" chapter. The sixteenth chapter of the Lotus Sutra, in which Shakyamuni Buddha reveals that he originally attained enlightenment in the far distant past rather than in his present life in India as his listeners generally thought.

The chapter title "The Life Span of the Thus Come One" means the duration of Shakyamuni's life as a Buddha, that is, how much time has passed since he originally attained Buddhahood. T'ien-t'ai (538-597) of China ranks it as the key chapter of the essential teaching, or the latter fourteen chapters of the sutra.

The chapter opens with three exhortations and four entreaties, in which the Buddha three times admonishes the multitude to believe and understand his truthful words, and the assembly four times begs him to preach. Shakyamuni then says, "You must listen carefully and hear of the Thus Come One's secret and his transcendental powers." He proceeds to explain that, while all heavenly and human beings and asuras believe that he first attained enlightenment in his present lifetime under the bodhi tree, it has actually been an incalculable length of time since he attained enlightenment. He then offers a dramatic description of the magnitude of this immeasurably long period. He describes taking a vast number of worlds, grinding them to dust, and then traversing the universe, dropping a particle each time one passes an equally vast number of worlds. Having exhausted all the dust particles, one takes all the worlds traversed, whether they have received a dust particle or not, and grinds them to dust. Then Shakyamuni says: "Let one particle represent one kalpa. The time that has passed since I attained Buddhahood surpasses this by a hundred, a thousand, ten thousand, a million nayuta asamkhya kalpas."

Commentaries on this chapter refer to this cosmically immense period as "numberless major world system dust particle kalpas." In the essential teaching of the Lotus Sutra, Shakyamuni thus refutes the view that he attained enlightenment for the first time in this life in India and reveals his original attainment of enlightenment in the remote past. T'ien-t'ai refers to this in The Words and Phrases of the Lotus Sutra and The Profound Meaning of the Lotus Sutra as "opening the near and revealing the distant," "casting off the transient and revealing the true," and "opening the transient and revealing the true." Here, "the transient" means Shakyamuni's transient status, and "the true" means his true identity. From his original attainment of Buddhahood, Shakyamuni declares, he has constantly been here in this saha world preaching the Law, appearing as many different Buddhas and using various means to save living beings. Though he says that he enters nirvana, he merely uses his death as a means to arouse in people the desire to seek a Buddha. He then illustrates this idea with the parable of the skilled physician and his sick children. In the parable, the children of a skilled physician have accidentally swallowed poison. Having lost their senses, they refuse the medicine their father offers them as an antidote. The father then goes off to a remote place and sends a message informing his children he has died. Shocked to their senses, the children take the medicine their father has left for them and are cured. The Buddha is compared to the father in this parable, living beings to the children who have drunk poison, and the Buddha's entry into nirvana to the father's report of his own death-an expedient means to arouse in people the aspiration for enlightenment. The chapter concludes with a verse section, which restates the important teachings of the preceding prose section.

In Profound Meaning, T'ien-t'ai interprets the "Life Span" chapter as revealing the three mystic principles of the true cause (the cause for Shakyamuni's original attainment of enlightenment), the true effect (his original enlightenment), and the true land (the place where the Buddha lives and teaches). He interprets the passage "Originally I practiced the bodhisattva way ... " as indicating the stage of non-regression, or the eleventh of the fifty-two stages of bodhisattva practice, which he explained as the true cause that enabled Shakyamuni to attain Buddhahood. In answer to the question of what Shakyamuni practiced in order to reach the stage of non-regression, Nichiren (1222-1282) identified it as the Law of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo.

(See also: Life Span of the Thus Come One chapter , Enlightenment, Buddhism Enlightenment, Buddhism Enlightenment Dictionary)

Uddiyana bandha:

abdominal retraction lock'; drawing in of the abdomen towards the backbone after exhaling

(See also: Uddiyana bandha ,Yoga, Yoga Dictionary)

Sadhana:

Spiritual practice, discipline and effort. Part of the daily way of life for serious spiritual aspirants. Will often involve daily devotion, meditation and sacred mantras.

(See also: Sadhana , Body Mind and Soul)

A Theosophical definition of Round :

Round

The doctrine concerning our planetary chain commonly called that of the seven rounds means that the life cycle or life-wave begins its evolutionary course on globe A, the first of the series of seven (or ten) globes; then, completing its cycles there, runs down to globe B, and then to globe C, and then to globe D, our earth; and then, on the ascending arc, to globe E, then to globe F, and then to globe G. These are the manifest seven globes of the planetary chain. This is one planetary round. After the planetary round there ensues a planetary or chain nirvana, until the second round begins in the same way, but in a more "advanced" degree of evolution than was the first round.

A globe round is one of the seven passages of a life-wave during its planetary round, on any one (and therefore on and through each) of the globes. When the life-wave has passed through globe D, for instance, and ends its cycles on globe D, this is the globe round of globe D for that particular planetary round; and so with all the globes respectively. Seven root-races make one globe round. There are seven globe rounds therefore (one globe round for each of the seven globes) in each planetary round.

Seven planetary rounds equal one kalpa or manvantara or Day of Brahma. When seven planetary rounds have been accomplished, which is as much as saying forty-nine globe rounds (or globe manvantaras), there ensues a still higher nirvana than that occurring between globes G and A after each planetary round. This higher nirvana is coincident with what is called a pralaya of that planetary chain, which pralaya lasts until the cycle again returns for a new planetary chain to form, containing the same hosts of living beings as on the preceding chain, and which are now destined to enter upon the new planetary chain, but on and in a higher series of planes or worlds than in the preceding one.

When seven such planetary chains with their various kalpas or manvantaras have passed away, this sevenfold grand cycle is one solar manvantara, and then the solar system sinks into the solar or cosmic pralaya.

There are outer rounds and inner rounds. An inner round comprises the passage of the life-wave in any one planetary chain from globe A to globe G once around, and this takes place seven times in a planetary manvantara.

The outer round comprises the passage of the entirety of a life-wave of a planetary chain along the circulations of the solar system, from one of the seven sacred planets to another; and this for seven (or ten) times.

There is another aspect of the teaching concerning the outer rounds which cannot be elucidated here.

See also: Round , Mysticism, Body Mind and Soul

Prana:

vital energy force sustaining life and creation

(See also: Prana ,Yoga, Yoga Dictionary)

dharma:

dharma - the law, duty, way of life

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

Jupiter (Zeus)

Greek god Zeus and the Roman god Jupiter are one and the same. Zeus is the god of gods. He is the creator of day, thunder and lightning, the seasons and is the "sky god." Zeus holds supreme power and his decisions are not questioned as he is the father of gods and men. He represents external order and authority. His wisdom, power and sense of fairness supports the structure of the ancient Greek and Roman universe. Jupiter, or Zeus, is a "good father" that provides the opportunity for growth, development, prosperity and health. Jupiter, as a planet, has a central position among the other planets in the solar system. Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars are on one side and Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto on the other. Astrologically, Jupiter represents balance, organization, abundance and optimism. If you are down on your luck or a bit disorganized, this dream may be calling for awareness of supportive internal and external forces. Our dreams often compensate for what is lacking in daily life. In this way, dreams attempt to balance the psyche. Thus, dreaming of Jupiter is reassuring and invites the dreamer to access the power in his own psyche and to embrace a positive attitude. Jupiter is a reminder that there is an order to the universe that provides us with an opportunity to have a prosperous, balanced and joyful life.

Source: Dream Lover Incorporated, http://www.dreamloverinc.com

(See also: Dream Archives, Meaning of Dreams, Dream Interpretation, Dream Dictionary, Dream Dictionary - Jupiter (Zeus) , Meaning of Dreams about Jupiter (Zeus) , Dream Interpretation Jupiter (Zeus) )

Utkatasana:

squatting position

(See also: Utkatasana ,Yoga, Yoga Dictionary)

Gnostic

"One who knows", adherent of an ancient Hellenistic way of life teaching transmigration of souls and a struggle between the forces of light and darkness

(See also: Gnostic , Body Mind and Soul)

Vishuddhi chakra:

one of the energy centres located in the spine behind the throat and connected with the cervical plexus, tonsils and thyroid gland.

(See also: Vishuddhi chakra ,Yoga, Yoga Dictionary)

Baha'i

A way of life originating in Persia during the 19th century, stressing radical monotheism, prophets, and scriptures

(See also: Baha'i , Body Mind and Soul)

MEDICINE WHEEL (Medicine Circle) -

1. Plains Indians way of life symbolizing a dynamic, spirallic understanding of the universe.

2. (l.c.) an ancient stone circle that has been used for thousands of years by Native people as a place for prayer, ceremony and self understanding. (Sun Bear) (NAD)

(See also: MEDICINE WHEEL , Wiccan Pagan, Paganism, Pagan Dictionary)

Mount Carmel A mountain spur in Palestine, projecting into the sea south of Haifa, Israel; traditionally a sacred place and refuge, it is mentioned in the Bible (1 Kings 28:19) as the spot where Elijah publicly challenged the priests of Ba`al. Mt. Carmel was noted for its oracle, which was consulted by the emperor Vespasian.

It became a refuge for early Christian anchorites, and a monastery dedicated to Elijah existed there by 570. About 1156 the order of Carmelites was founded, dedicated to continuing on Mt. Carmel the way of life of Elijah, pictured as a monk and the founder of monasticism, and a monastery was built. St. John of the Cross, among others, uses it in metaphors for the mystic and spiritual journey. Blavatsky connects it with the Essenes.

See also MOUNTAINS, MUNDANE (BCW 11:256-7)

(See also: Mount Carmel , Mysticism, Mysticism Dictionary, Occultism, Occultism Dictionary)

Explosion

A dream of contrary. To dream of witnessing a massive explosion indicates that your own life is going to “explode.” Great changes for the better are on the way.

Eyes

1. Being watched by strange, disembodied eyes indicates unexpected good fortune to come. If the eyes are particularly beautiful, this is a sign of success in romance and/or reassurance that you are surrounded by people who care for you. If there is only one eye watching you, this is the all-seeing Eye of God, and hints at success beyond your wildest dreams.

2. To go blind, to injure your eyes, or to get something in them is calling your attention to the fact that there is something or someone in your life that you’re not really seeing as they really are.

3. Light-colored eyes indicate a new friendship, while dark eyes hint that someone is sexually attracted to you.

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Source: Astrocenter, http://astrocenter.astrology.msn.com/msn/DreamDictionary.aspx

(See also: Dream Archives, Meaning of Dreams, Dream Interpretation, Dream Dictionary, Dream Dictionary - Explosion , Meaning of Dreams about Explosion , Dream Interpretation Explosion )

Jala neti:

a shatkarma technique - cleansing of the nasal passages with water by alternating the flow of water in the nostrils, preferably using a neti pot.

(See also: Jala neti ,Yoga, Yoga Dictionary)