Worldliness Dictionary

Agapae (Greek) (plural of agape brotherly love, loving kindness, charity)

Love feasts; not only the love for God, but the love of Christians for each other as being members of a divinely inspired communion. The agapae were meetings for prayer, song, reading, exhortation, exchange of news, and ended with the brotherly kiss. With the lapse into worldliness, abuses crept into these love-feasts, which in time became so notorious that they were finally abolished.

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

bhava-roga:

bhava-roga (bhaava-roga). Disease of worldliness.

(See also: bhava-roga , Hinduism, Hinduism Dictionary, Sanskrit Dictionary, Body Mind and Soul)

EMPEDOCLES

(5th Century BC, of Acraga). The last of the Presocratic Shamans, whose company included Parmenides, Zeno, Xenophanes, Heraclitus and Pythagoras. He was a healer who sought to reconcile pragmatic this-worldliness and the metaphysical concerns of reincarnation, transcendence, etc.

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

Vestal Virgins The priestess-guardians of the sacred fire of the Roman State; originally four in number, later six, then seven. Their special duty was to keep burning the sacred fire, which must never be allowed to go out. Once a year, however, it was extinguished with appropriate ceremonies, and then rekindled by means of "pure" or elemental fire -- fire produced by friction or by means of a burning-glass.

The Vestals were chosen when mere children, their election being the king's prerogative; under the Empire and Republic, that of the pontifex maximus. The one selected took a vow of chastity for thirty years, after which she was free to return to the world and marry if she chose. So highly regarded was this honor that few availed themselves of this privilege, and despite the requirements there were always more candidates for the position than could be accepted. A violation of her vows subjected the Vestal to extreme penalties.

Vestals enjoyed special privileges in the State, and in most respects were not subject to the Roman law. On state occasions they were preceded by a lictor and at public spectacles the best seats were reserved for them. In all the greater ceremonies and state festivals they took a prominent part. They had undisputed power to pardon any criminal whom they might meet when on his way to execution, providing the meeting was not prearranged. They could be buried within the walls, a privilege they shared with the Roman Emperor alone. Public slaves were appointed to serve them; they were the custodians of important state papers. They lived in almost royal splendor in the magnificent Atrium Vestae which adjoined the official fanum of the pontifex maximus himself. Their chief festival was the Vestalia, held on June 9th. From the central fire which they tended, the altars of other gods obtained their fires, and even distant colonies were not held to be consecrated until their own altar fires were lighted with fire from the central hearth. Compared with this cult in other parts of the world, especially in India where originally there was a lofty worship requiring the completest chastity and renunciation of the devadasis or nachnis of the temples, the cult in Rome, despite worldliness, seems to have suffered less degeneration than might have been expected from the theoretical and actual power surrounding it.

(See also: Vestal Virgins , Mysticism, Mysticism Dictionary, Body mind and Soul)

vairagya: (Sanskrit) "Dispassion; aversion." Freedom

from passion. Distaste or disgust for worldliness because

of spiritual awakening. Also, the constant renunciation of obstacles on the path to liberation. Ascetic or monastic

life.

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

worldliness: The state or quality of being worldly.

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

Kundalini Awakening

Kundalini awakening or pranic awakening and its cross-tradition similars-the spontaneous spinal rockings known in Judaism as davening and in Sufisim as zikr; the "taken-over" gyrations of gospel "holy ghost" shaking and dancing and charismatic/pentacostal "mani-festations"; the Dionysian "revel"; QuakerismÕs and Shakerism's autonomic quaking and shaking; Tai Chi guided by chi itself; the shamanic trance-dance; BuddhismÕs and Raja-YogaÕs effortless "straight back" (uju-kaya) meditation; the yogically derived ecstatic belly-dance and Flamenco; and even the full-bodied, spontaneous Reichian "reflex"-literally embody the spiritual path.

Read more here: » Kundalini Awakening: Kundalini and Sahaja Yoga (Spontaneous Yoga)

Guru is one who has full Self-illumination and who removes the veil of ignorance in deluded Jivas. Guru, Truth, Brahman, Ishvara, Atman, God, Om are all one. The number of realised souls may be less in this Kali Yuga when compared with the Satya Yuga, but they are always present to help the aspirants. They are always searching for the proper Adhikarins.

Read more here: » Yoga Guru: Who Is A Yoga Guru?

The central teaching in Tantra is that all of life is sacred, especially our sexuality. This is because Tantrism views the sex power as being the same inner energy that powers our enlightenment. The practitioner of sexual Tantra attempts to use the powerful sexual force as an agent for awakening and transcendence.

Read more here: » Tantra: Aligning Intimacy with Spirituality

Shodoshi: The Holy Mother's Mission of Grace

According to a tantric school, Shodoshi is the highest manifestation of Divinity. In tantra, each deity has a mantra or mystic formula which represents her nature.

In Shodoshi, it is the Trikuta mantra and it has three parts: Vagbhavakuta signifying speech and knowledge through worship of Saraswati , Kamarajakuta representing human will or Kali and Shaktikuta or Durga , the supreme manifestation of divine power and energy.

Read more here: » Shodoshi: The Holy Mother's Mission of Grace

MOTHER SARASWATHI

Mother Saraswathi, is divine knowledge personified, the embodiment of knowledge of the Absolute. The sound of Her celestial veena awakens the notes of the sublime utterances of the Upanishads which reveal the Truth, and the sacred monosyllable, Om. She bestows the knowledge of the supreme, mystic sound and then gives full knowledge of the Self as represented by Her pure, dazzling snow-white apparel. Therefore, to propitiate Saraswathi, the giver of knowledge, is the third stage.

From " Hindu Fasts & Festivals " by Sri Swami Sivananda.

Read more here: » Saraswathi: The Hindu Godess Mother Saraswathi

It is the mind that really does all actions. A desire arises in your mind and then you think. Then you proceed to act. The determination of the mind is put into action. First there is Sankalpa or thought and then comes action.

From "Easy Steps to Yoga" by Sri Swami Sivananda.

Read more here: » Brahmacharya: Mental Discipline (Bhava)

Satya Narayana Vrata

The observance of the Satya Narayana Vrata does not cost much. You need only give a small gift to the pundit who comes to read the story and then distribute some prasad which also need not be very costly. Some wheat flour and sugar will make up the prasad. A little curd and some fruit are required. Even the poorest man can observe this Vrata.

From Hindu Fasts & Festivals by Sri Swami Sivananda.

Read more here: » Satya Narayana Vrata: Hindu Rituals - Satya Narayana Vrata

Shivaratri

THIS FALLS on the 13th (or 14th) day of the dark half of Phalgun (February-March). The name means "the night of Shiva". The ceremonies take place chiefly at night. This is a festival observed in honour of Lord Shiva. Shiva was married to Parvati on this day.

From Hindu Fasts & Festivals by Sri Swami Sivananda.

Read more here: » Shivaratri: Hindu Rituals and Ceremonies - Shivaratri

The word Yoga comes from the root Yuj which means to join. Yoga is restraint of the activities of the mind, and is the union of the individual soul with the Supreme Soul.

Hiranyagarbha is the founder of the Yoga system. The Yoga founded by Patanjali Maharshi is a branch or supplement of the Sankhya. It has its own charm for students of a mystic temperament and of a contemplative type. It claims greater orthodoxy than the Sankhya proper by directly acknowledging the existence of a Supreme Being (Isvara).

Excerpt from All About Hinduism by Sri Swami Sivananda

Read more here: » Yoga: Hindu Philosophy - The Yoga