Mandala:
The word comes from the sanskrit and means sacred circle.
The circle symbolizes the womb of creation.
Mandalas
are geometric designs that are made through uniform divisions
of a circle. The divisions are symbols that embody the mathematical
principles found throughout creation and reveal the inner workings
of nature and the inherent order of the universe. mandalas translate
complex mathematical expressions into simple shapes and forms.
Mandalas
act as a bridge between the different dimensions or realms. They
are gateways that link your consciousness to realms of archetypes.
For thousands of years mandala's have served as a means to expanded
thinking. The images are beyond language and the rational mind.
They bring about wisdom of universal knowledge and a deeper understanding
of human consciousness.
Yantras are a particular field of mandala imagery. They are a
visual representation of the harmonic tones of mantras. By directing
your thoughts to these archetypal planes you can attune your consciousness
with the harmony of universal consciousness.
Sri Yantra is the most revered of all the Hindu yantras. It is
sometimes known as the Yantra of Creation. The Sri Yantra is believed
to be the image of the 'Om' mantra. In the Hindu tradition the
sound 'Om' is understood to be the sound of creation. If the sound
'Om' is transformed into a visual representation displayed on
a screen (throught the use of a tonoscope) it produces a circle.
As the tone is completed the circle is filled with squares, triangles
and finally as the tone dies away the Sri Yantra
Mantra:
Common to Hinduism and Buddhism. A word or syllable, usually sacred.
It is used as an object of concentration and repeated constanly
whilst in a meditative state. It is believed to embody some aspect
of spiritual power and bring into being the reality it represents.
Use of such mantras usually requires initiation by a guru, or
spiritual teacher.
One
of the most popular spiritual mantras is the sound 'Om' (see above)
Meditation:
A discipline in which the mind is focused on a single point of
reference. Employed since ancient times in various forms
by all
religions, the practice gained greater notice in the postwar
U.S. as interest in Zen Buddhism rose. Meditation is now
used by many
nonreligious adherents as a method of stress reduction; known
to lower levels of cortisol, a hormone released in response
to
stress. Enhances recuperation and improves the body’s resistance
to disease. (more
on meditation)
Medium:
A
person who acts as a spiritual itermediary between the living
and the dead (more on mediums)
Metaphysical:
It means that which is beyond what can be grasped by
the senses. The term comes from Aristotle, who meant by it some
form of theological philosophy, but it means something else in
today's world. The modern media often use the word to mean the
same thing as 'spiritual'. There is lots of overlap, but
the two words refer to different things. 'Spiritual' refers
to the realm of spirits. 'Metaphysical' refers to that
which underlies everything, of which spirits are a part. Metaphysics'
deals with questions like, "what is real?", "what is important?"
and "what is true?".
Metaphysics:
A field of abstract thought and philosophy about topics not on
the concrete or physical level of understanding. This includes
subjects like existence, the soul, being, the supernatural, astral
travel and psychicism.
Metempsychosis:
A belief in which the soul goes from one body to another, until
either time ends or the soul is made pure or complete. This belief
is older than recorded history, and was probably a feature of
the early religions of the Indo-Europeans and South Asians. It
is fully present in Hinduism and Buddhism. In Judaism, medieval
Kabbalists developed a limited form of it. In Greek philosophy,
Plato was its best-known supporter; it was Plato's followers who
first used the term. Through Plato, it influenced some early Christians,
including Origen. Yet, Augustine of Hippo argued vigorously against
it, and it was eventually condemned at the Council of Florence
in 1439. Metempsychosis conflicts with Christian belief in resurrection
of the entire person, a belief that does not separate the body
and the spirit from the soul. Metempsychosis treats the body as
a 'container' that's not an essential part of who we are. Thus
it stands with gnosticism in not treating the physical world and
bodily life as being real or of any ultimate value.
Monad:
The Monad is the spark of god within each person. In the beginning
the Monads were the divine sparks of the Creator. Each Monad created
twelve souls. Each soul then created twelve personalities or soul
extensions. The soul extension is that which is able to be birthed
into three dimensional existence.
Monism:
The belief that all that exists is rooted in one single essence
or reality: all is one, we are united with each other, and the
essence of that oneness is what we call 'god'.
Monotheism:
The belief in one God. The term is applied particularly to Judaism,
Christianity, and Islam.
Mysticism:
A belief that beyond the visible material world there is a spiritual
reality which may be called God that people may experience through
meditation, revelation, intuition, or other states that takes
the individual beyond a normal consciousness.
