Browse Categories by Religion Choose Religion African American Indian Buddhism Celtic Christianity Comparative Religion Far Eastern General Information Hinduism Islam Judaism Misc Oceanic Tribal Religions Platonic / Greek Primordial by Subject Choose Subject Arts Biography-Memoriam Book Reviews Correspondence Doctrine Editorial Education Environmental Crisis Eschatology Esoterism History Interfaith Dialogue Metaphysics Modernism and Tradition Occultism Philosophy Science and Religion Spiritual Guide or Master Spiritual Practice Sufism Symbolism Virtue and Morals by Key Author Choose Author ‘Abd al-Qadir, Amir Algar, Hamid Almquist, Kurt Arberry, A.J. Atiyeh, George N. Austin, Ralph Awolalu, Joseph Omosade Bando, Shojun Bennigsen, Alexandre Benoist, Luc Bernadine of Siena, Saint Bishop, Donald Blake, Douglas Brown, Joseph Epes Burckhardt, Titus Cahill, P. Joseph Casey, Gerard Clive-Ross, F. Coomaraswamy, Ananda Coomaraswamy, Rama Cooper, J.C. Cowan, James Danner, Victor de Borron, Robert de Jesse, Bruno Dewar, Douglas Duncan, Alistair Eaton, Gai Fidelis Sapientiae, (pen name) Gampopa, Guru Griffin, John Grinnell, George Bird Guénon, René Han-Shan, (in Japan: "Kanzan") Herring, Rev. Ian Hobson, Peter Horváth, Róbert Jagadguru of Kanchi, HH the 68th James, John Keeble, Brian Lemercier-Quelquejay, Chantal Lindbom, Tage Lings, Martin Lipsey, Roger Ma, Fu-ch’u Moore, Peter Moore, Alvin Nasr, Seyyed Hossein Needleman, Jacob Northbourne, Lord Oldmeadow, Harry Pallis, Marco Panikkar, Raimundo Perry, Whitall Perry, T.A. Perry, Clara Perry, Catherine Petitpierre, Francois Pietsch, Roland Pourjavady, Nasrollah Raine, Kathleen Reat, Noble Ross Rinpoche, Samdhong Saran, A.K. Schaya, Leo Schuon, Frithjof Seattle, Chief Sedgwick, Mark Sherrard, Philip Siraj ad-Din, Abu Bakr Staveley, Lilian Stoddart, William Verax, (nom de plume) Villanova, Thomas of Wall, Bernard





Online Glossaries

Click on For Articles -Click on underlined term for definition from or







News Printed Editions

Available for Purchase Newest Commemorative

Annual Editions: 1974

1973

1972

1971

1970

1969

1968

1967 A new web site: To visit a new web site, "Frithjof Schuon Archive," dedicated to featured Studies contributor Frithjof Schuon, click here.

Click here to launch the modal dialog. Login to add or suggest alteration to this term for online dictionary Add this new term to online dictionary Suggest alteration to this term (or add alternate spellings) for online dictionary Questions? Email Us Article Printer Friendly Click to learn about adding or editing pop-up defintions. St. Malachy’s Prophecy of the Popes [1] by Martin Lings Source: Studies in Comparative Religion, Vol. 16, No. 3 & 4 (Summer-Autumn, 1984). © World Wisdom, Inc.

www.studiesincomparativereligion.com

St. Malachy O'Morgair was born in Armagh in Ireland about 1094. At a remarkably early age he became Bishop of Connor, and then Archbishop of Armagh. In 1139, on his way to Rome, he stopped at the Abbey of Clairvaux where he became so attached to St. Bernard that on reaching his destination he begged the Pope to allow him to end his days in spiritual retreat amongst the holy abbot’s disciples. The Pope not merely refused to allow this, but even added to St. Malachy’s administrative responsibilities by making him Papal Legate for Ireland. But in a sense the Irish Saint had his wish. He was in continual correspondence with St. Bernard, and with his collaboration he founded, in 1142, the first Cistercian monastery in Ireland. Six years later he set out on a second visit to Rome and stopped again at Clairvaux, where he was taken seriously ill; and it was actually in the arms of St. Bernard himself that he died some three weeks later, having told the monks that his illness would be fatal. St. Bernard preached a most eloquent sermon at the funeral; and so great was his esteem and affection for St. Malachy that he dedicated another sermon to him a year later, on the anniversary of his death, and also wrote a short biography of him for the edification of the faithful. St. Malachy was canonized by Pope Clement III in 1190, and the celebration of his feast is on November 3rd, the day after his death. His life was remarkably rich in miracles and visions;[2] but neither in St. Bernard’s biography nor in other contemporary sources is there any mention of a prophecy about the Popes. This has always been the chief argument of those who have doubted its authenticity. None the less, suffice it to say here that if the prophecy in question is a mere invention, then clearly it was not St. Malachy who invented it. But if it is a genuine prophecy—and this article may help the reader to make up his mind on that score—then it is more reasonable to assume that St. Malachy himself was the author, as tradition tells us, than to suppose that it should be rightfully ascribed to some other person who was endowed with the gifts of the Spirit. Moreover, if St. Bernard did not single it out for mention, or even if he knew nothing about it, there is an obvious explanation. St. Malachy was a man of so many undoubted miracles, and so many visions which had proved true in his life-time, that by comparison the prophecy of the Popes was not worth mentioning. Its truth had yet to be proved. In itself, at that time, it could not have seemed to be of any particular significance. Who would have been interested to hear that there would be 112 more Popes between then and Doomsday? It would have seemed incredible to almost everyone that the second coming of Christ could be so far off. Not is the text of the prophecy in any way sensational. Only one Pope is actually mentioned by name and, as for the others, each is indicated by no more than a short Latin phrase which often refers to nothing of greater interest than the family coat of arms of the man in question. Presumably, since the prophecy refers to the future, its vision and formulation took place during the reign of Pope Innocent II who died in 1143. At any rate, the first Pope mentioned in the text is indicated by the words Ex castro Tiberis, “from a castle on the Tiber,” and this clearly refers to Pope Innocent’s successor, Celestine II, who was born in a castle near the town of Castello on the River Tiber. That the opening of the prophecy refers to this Pope is made doubly clear by the fact that the second reign is summed up in the words Inimicus expulsus, “the enemy driven out,” and Celestine II’s successor, Lucius II, who reigned for only a few months (1144-1145), had the family name of Caccianemici, which expresses precisely the idea of driving out enemies. To take another early example, Nicholas Breakspeare, the only Englishman ever to become Pope—he was Pope Adrian IV (1154-1159)—is designated by the words De rure albo which mean literally “from out of the white country” or more precisely “countryside”. The “white country” is Albion, so called because it appears “white” to those who come to it by the nearest possible sea route. But the adjective albus has repercussions which go beyond the name of Albion in this context, for although Nicholas Breakspeare was of “rural” origin, he may be considered also as a man of St. Albans which was the nearest town to his native village; and at the time when he was elected Pope he was Cardinal Bishop of Albano in Italy. The prophecy did not become generally known until the end of the end of the sixteenth century, more than 400 years after St. Malachy’s death. It was at Venice, in 1595, that Arnold Wion published his Lignum Vitae (The Tree of Life), a collection of short biographies of eminent members of the Benedictine Order in its many branches, of which the Cistercian Order is one; and in connection with St. Malachy the text of the prophecy was included. It immediately caused a stir, but some had doubts about its authenticity. Such doubts were grounded not only on the absence of any extrinsic or intrinsic evidence that it was the work of St. Malachy, but also on the fact that the antipopes were included in the list as well as the true Popes whose function they had usurped. It must be admitted however, that the inclusion of the antipopes can also be taken as an argument on the other side, since it is scarcely conceivable that a mid-sixteentth century forger would have deliberately “marred” his fabrication by including anyone who was not a true Pope. On the other hand, assuming that this is not a forgery, it is by no means the only true prophecy, to say the least, which contains certain “stumbling blocks”. What is puzzling is not so much that the text should include the antipopes as that it should condemn only two of them outright (which it does by applying to them the words Schismaticus and schisma), while speaking of the others in apparently “neutral” terms. Whatever the explanation may be—and it is unlikely to be forthcoming, for presumably we shall never know the form of the vision on which the prophecy was based—those who denied outright its authenticity at the time of its publication, or soon after, appear to have been comparatively few. It was accepted as genuine by many, even in some Protestant circles. Others not unnaturally preferred to reserve their judgment. As far as the past was concerned, the truth of the text was crystal clear; but it is easy to forge a “true prophecy” about the past. If, however, this was not a forgery, the future could be relied on to demonstrate its truth. Today, now that another 400 years all but ten have gone by, most of that future has become past history, and the prophecy has certainly stood the test of time. As regards the text itself, it is not possible to make a distinction between that part of it which was already past at the date of publication and what was still in the future. Its brief descriptions continue to be so apt that confirmed skeptics have been driven to wonder whether the Cardinals did not sometimes choose a Pope to fit the prophecy, or in other cases whether the Pope himself had not deliberately taken action to make the prophecy “come true”. Would Pope Pius VI (1775-1799) have taken the then altogether unprecedented step of paying a visit to the imperial court of Vienna if he had not been styled Peregrinus Apostolicus, “the journeying heir of the Apostles”? But there were, in fact, compelling political reasons for that initiative; nor in any case would a single state visit to a neighboring country be adequate to the word peregrinus which suggests more in the way of travel. That “more” was to come: the prophecy not seldom refers to unforeseeable things over which neither Pope nor Cardinals could have the slightest control, and the papacy of Pius VI is a case in point for the word peregrinus would seem to refer above all to the tragic end of his life, which he certainly had not planned. In 1798 he was taken prisoner by the French Republican army and forced to travel from Rome to Siena, then to Florence, then Turin, from there across the Alps to Briançon, then to Embrun, Gap, Grenoble, and finally Valence where only death put an end to his “peregrinations”, for the Directoire had already decided to transfer him to Dijon. But if all this was tragic from an individual point of view it was also, to the exasperation of his atheist captors, something of a triumphal procession—such were the marks of devotion shown to the Pope by the people of Italy and France wherever he went. Another feature of the prophecy which rules out any planning ahead is that the text does not always refer directly to the Pope himself, so that even after the election it may continue to be a riddle, which is however always solved before the death of the pontiff in question. Pius VI was succeeded by Pius VII (1800-1823) whose reign is indicated by the words Aquila rapax, “the rapacious eagle”. These words could not possible be made to fit the newly elected Pope; but after nine years it suddenly became clear that the aquila was Napoleon, who is often described as eagle-like in appearance and who proved himself “rapacious” by snatching the Pope from Rome and keeping him captive at Savona from 1809 and then at Fontainbleau from 1812 until his own fortunes began to decline and Pius was eventually able to return to Rome where he showed himself extremely magnanimous both to the exiled and dying emperor and to the Bonaparte family in general. Another striking designation is De Balneis Etruriae, “from the baths of Etruria,” which refers to Pope Gregory XVI (1831-1846) who was of the Order of the Camaldoli, which originated at Balneo (from the Latin balneum which means bath) in Tuscany, as Etruria is now called. Passing on from him, the papacy of Pius IX (1846-78) is referred to in the words Crux de cruce, “cross from cross,” generally taken to mean that the troubles of this Pope, the cross he had to bear, came to him from the House of Savoy, whose coat of arms has a cross as its most dominant feature. These troubles culminated in the capture of Rome by King Victor Emmanuel in 1870 and the Pope’s loss of what little temporal power he had left. The next Pope, Leo XIII (1878-1903), is Lumen in caelo, “a light in heaven”; and whatever more profound meaning this may have also, it is sufficiently explained by the arms of the Pecci family in which there is a comet on an azure ground. Much the same may be said of his successor, Pius X (1903-1914) whose reign is indicated by the device Ignis ardens, “a blazing fire”, which finds an immediate explanation in the six-rayed star that figures in his family arms. During his reign those who knew the prophecy were in some trepidation with regard to the words Religio depopulata, “the depopulated religion,” which denoted the reign of the Pope who was to follow. It was predicted that during the reign of this Pope atheism would take thousands of men and women away from religion. This in fact happened; and although the spread of atheism had started before and has been continuing ever since, it was actually in this reign that the first communist state was established. That key to the prophecy was not available until three years after the election. But it was not necessary to wait until then to see the aptitude of St. Malachy’s words. By the time that the Pope in question, Benedict XV, came to the throne, in the autumn of 1914, another tragic cause of “depopulation”—but in a totally different sense—had become only too clear. The next device, Fides intrepida, “intrepid faith,” is less striking but it is none the less particularly apt with regard to Achille Ratti, Pope Pius XI. As to the next, St. Malachy here leans as it were across a span of 800 years to pay tribute to one of the most saintly of the Popes, for Pius XII (1939-1958) is Pastor angelicus, “the angelic shepherd”. Many will remember that in his reign the words Pastor et nauta “shepherd and sailor”, which denotes his successor, were often interpreted to mean that a non-Italian would be elected, one who would have to come to the Vatican from across the sea. Might it not be Cardinal Spellman for example? But it had escaped people’s notice that one of Italy’s Cardinals was already in any case a sailor, whether he had to cross the sea to the Vatican or not, and that was the Patriarch of Venice, for every Venetian, that is, everyone whose normal means of transport is the gondola, may be called nauta. Moreover Roncalli (John XXIII) had also been, in his youth, a shepherd in the literal sense. Flos florum, “the flower of flowers”, that is, the lily, comes next in the prophecy, and as in the case of Lumen in caelo the meaning is clearly heraldic, for the fleur-de-lis is a prominent feature of the arms of the Montinis, the family of Paul VI. As to the words De medietate lunae, “concerning the middle (or the half) of the moon” which denote the reign of his successor, they had been, over the centuries, the basis of some strange speculations. In general it was concluded that since the half moon had no particular significance it must be the crescent that was indicated, and that the reference was therefore to Islam. Some even predicted that under this pontiff there would be general conversion of Muslims to Christianity. No one thought that “the moon” could simply mean “the month”. If that suggestion had been made, it would have been dismissed as pointless by the question: “What month?”. The true answer, “the single month for which he will reign”, could only have been given by St. Malachy himself, or one like him. The reference is clearly to the inauspicious sign which was to be seen exactly at the middle of the lunar month when the rising full moon was eclipsed; and we are now in a pontificate which is expressly related to an eclipse, De labore solis, “concerning the eclipse of the sun”, yet another of those devices which will only become clear in due course. At this point a few observations may not be out of place, if only for the sake of those who, without time for reflection, are here newly confronted with this laconic list of Popes, which might well give rise to mixed feelings. The devices are apt enough; but to what purpose was the prophecy made? The motive behind it seems to have been exclusively quantitative, that of a chronicler bent on registering carefully, with no omissions, everyone who could be said from any point of view to have held a papal office, even the antipopes. We look in vain for any qualitative element whatsoever, apart from the praise implicit in the devices which denote the last two Piuses, Fides intrepida and Pastor angelicus. But a moment’s reflection tells us that this document has indeed the right to be purely quantitative, and that therein, precisely, lies its purpose. We realize moreover that in it St Malachy is speaking, not to the men of his own times, but directly to us and through us to all men now alive; for if it is of little interest to be told that there will be a hundred and twelve more Popes, it is quite another matter to be told that there will only be two more, and that is what the prophecy tells us today. These last two pontificates are denoted as follows: 111 De gloria olivae, “concerning the glory of the olive.” 112 In persecutione extrema sacrae Romanae Ecclesiae sedebit Petrus Romanus qui pascet oves in multis tribulationibus; quibis transactis civitas septicollis diruetur, et Judex tremendus judicabit populum, “In the final persecution of the Holy Roman Church, Roman Peter will sit upon the throne. He will feed his flock amid many tribulations, and when these things have been brought to pass, the city of the seven hills will be destroyed and the terrible Judge will judge the people.”



NOTES

[1] This article was first published in Tomorrow, Summer 1966. We publish it here on request, and for this new edition the author has added several paragraphs. [2] As St. Bernard tells us, St. Malachy had been questioned some years previously by his disciples at Melfont Abbey as to where of all places he would wish to die and be buried. He had replied that if it were to be in Ireland, he would wish it to be beside the tomb of St. Patrick, but that otherwise he would wish it to be at the Abbey of Clairvaux. They then asked him what day of all days in the year he would choose for his death and he replied that he would choose the Feast of All Souls. (See Ailbe J. Luddy, Life of St. Malachy, M.H. Gill and Son, Dublin, 1950. ātmā

the real or true "Self," underlying the ego and its manifestations; in the perspective of Advaita Vedānta, identical with Brahma.



(more..) the real or true "Self," underlying the ego and its manifestations; in the perspective of, identical with Bodhisattva

Literally, "enlightenment-being;" in Mahāyāna Buddhism, one who postpones his own final enlightenment and entry into Nirvāṇa in order to aid all other sentient beings in their quest for Buddhahood.



(more..) Literally, "enlightenment-being;" inBuddhism, one who postpones his own final enlightenment and entry intoin order to aid all other sentient beings in their quest for Buddhahood. Brahman

Brahma considered as transcending all "qualities," attributes, or predicates; God as He is in Himself; also called Para-Brahma.



(more..) considered as transcending all "qualities," attributes, or predicates; God as He is in Himself; also called Brahmin

"Brahmin"; a member of the highest of the four Hindu castes; a priest or spiritual teacher.



(more..) "Brahmin"; a member of the highest of the four Hindu castes; a priest or spiritual teacher. guru

spiritual guide or Master. Also, a preceptor, any person worthy of veneration; weighty; Jupiter. The true function of a guru is explained in The Guru Tradition. Gurukula is the household or residence of a preceptor. A brahmacārin stays with his guru to be taught the Vedas, the Vedāngas and other subjects this is gurukulavāsa.



(more..) spiritual guide or Master. Also, a preceptor, any person worthy of veneration; weighty; Jupiter. The true function of a guru is explained inis the household or residence of a preceptor. A brahmacārin stays with his guru to be taught the Vedas, the Vedāngas and other subjects this is idea

in non-technical use the term refers to the visual aspect of anything; for Plato and Platonists, it is the highest noetic entity, the eternal unchanging Form, the archetype of the manifested material thing; in Plato, idea is a synonim of eidos, but in Neoplatonism these two terms have a slightly different meaning.



(more..) in non-technical use the term refers to the visual aspect of anything; for Plato and Platonists, it is the highest noetic entity, the eternal unchanging Form, the archetype of the manifested material thing; in Plato,is a synonim of, but in Neoplatonism these two terms have a slightly different meaning. mahatma

great soul; sage (in Hinduism)



(more..) great soul; sage (in Hinduism) padma

Lotus; in Buddhism, an image of non-attachment and of primordial openness to enlightenment, serving symbolically as the throne of the Buddhas; see Oṃ maṇi padme hum.



(more..) Lotus; in Buddhism, an image of non-attachment and of primordial openness to enlightenment, serving symbolically as the throne of the Buddhas; see Rahmah

The same root RHM is to be found in both the Divine names ar-Raḥmān (the Compassionate, He whose Mercy envelops all things) and ar-Raḥīm (the Merciful, He who saves by His Grace). The simplest word from this same root is raḥīm (matrix), whence the maternal aspect of these Divine Names.



(more..) The same root RHM is to be found in both the Divine names(the Compassionate, He whose Mercy envelops all things) and(the Merciful, He who saves by His Grace). The simplest word from this same root is(matrix), whence the maternal aspect of these Divine Names. Rama

In Hinduism, one of the names by which to call God. In sacred history, Rama was the hero king of the epic Ramayana, and is one of the ten avatars of Vishnu. The term is also a form of address among sadhus



(more..) In Hinduism, one of the names by which to call God. In sacred history, Rama was the hero king of the epic Ramayana, and is one of the ten avatars of Vishnu. The term is also a form of address among Rama

The seventh incarnation (avatāra) of Vishnu and the hero of the epic tale, Rāmāyaṇa.



(more..) The seventh incarnation () of Vishnu and the hero of the epic tale, theology

divine science, theology, logos about the gods, considered to be the essence of teletai; for Aristotle, a synonim of metaphysics or first philosophy ( prote philosophia) in contrast with physics ( Metaph.1026a18); however, physics ( phusiologia) sometimes is called as a kind of theology (Proclus In Tim.I.217.25); for Neoplatonists, among the ancient theologians ( theologoi) are Orpheus, Homer, Hesiod and other divinely inspired poets, the creators of theogonies and keepers of sacred rites.



(more..) divine science, theology,about the gods, considered to be the essence of; for Aristotle, a synonim of metaphysics or first philosophy () in contrast with physics (.1026a18); however, physics () sometimes is called as a kind of theology (Proclus.I.217.25); for Neoplatonists, among the ancient theologians () are Orpheus, Homer, Hesiod and other divinely inspired poets, the creators of theogonies and keepers of sacred rites. Tradition

(as the term is used by "Traditionalists" and in the "Perennial Philosopy":) Divine Revelation and the unfolding and development of its sacred content, in time and space, such that the forms of society and civilization maintain a "vertical" connection to the meta-historical, transcendental substance from which revelation itself derives.



(more..) (as the term is used by "Traditionalists" and in the "Perennial Philosopy":) Divine Revelation and the unfolding and development of its sacred content, in time and space, such that the forms of society and civilization maintain a "vertical" connection to the meta-historical, transcendental substance from which revelation itself derives. Veda

The sacred scriptures of Hinduism; regarded by the orthodox (āstika) as divine revelation (śruti) and comprising: (1) the Ṛg, Sāma, Yajur, and Atharva Saṃhitās (collections of hymns); (2) the Brāhmanas (priestly treatises); (3) the Āranyakas (forest treatises); and (4) the Upaniṣāds (philosophical and mystical treatises); they are divided into a karma-kāṇḍa portion dealing with ritual action and a jñāna-kāṇḍa portion dealing with knowledge.



(more..) The sacred scriptures of Hinduism; regarded by the orthodox () as divine revelation () and comprising: (1) theand(collections of hymns); (2) the(priestly treatises); (3) the(forest treatises); and (4) the(philosophical and mystical treatises); they are divided into aportion dealing with ritual action and aportion dealing with knowledge. yama

In Sanskrit, “restraint”, "self control", whether on the bodily or psychic level. in Hinduism, yama is the first step in the eightfold path of the yogin, which consists in resisting all inclinations toward violence, lying, stealing, sexual activity, and greed. See niyama. (This term should not be confused with the proper name Yama, which refers to a figure from the early Vedas, first a king and then later a deity who eventually conducts departed souls to the underworld and is mounted on a buffalo.)



(more..) In Sanskrit, “restraint”, "self control", whether on the bodily or psychic level. in Hinduism,is the first step in the eightfold path of the, which consists in resisting all inclinations toward violence, lying, stealing, sexual activity, and greed. See. (This term should not be confused with the proper name Yama, which refers to a figure from the early Vedas, first a king and then later a deity who eventually conducts departed souls to the underworld and is mounted on a buffalo.) sufi

In its strictest sense designates one who has arrived at effective knowledge of Divine Reality (Ḥaqīqah); hence it is said: aṣ-Ṣūfī lam yukhlaq (“the Sufi is not created”).



(more..) In its strictest sense designates one who has arrived at effective knowledge of Divine Reality (); hence it is said:(“the Sufi is not created”). Tradition

(as the term is used by "Traditionalists" and in the "Perennial Philosopy":) Divine Revelation and the unfolding and development of its sacred content, in time and space, such that the forms of society and civilization maintain a "vertical" connection to the meta-historical, transcendental substance from which revelation itself derives.



(more..) (as the term is used by "Traditionalists" and in the "Perennial Philosopy":) Divine Revelation and the unfolding and development of its sacred content, in time and space, such that the forms of society and civilization maintain a "vertical" connection to the meta-historical, transcendental substance from which revelation itself derives. alter

the "other," in contrast to the ego or individual self.



(more..) the "other," in contrast to theor individual self. idea

in non-technical use the term refers to the visual aspect of anything; for Plato and Platonists, it is the highest noetic entity, the eternal unchanging Form, the archetype of the manifested material thing; in Plato, idea is a synonim of eidos, but in Neoplatonism these two terms have a slightly different meaning.



(more..) in non-technical use the term refers to the visual aspect of anything; for Plato and Platonists, it is the highest noetic entity, the eternal unchanging Form, the archetype of the manifested material thing; in Plato,is a synonim of, but in Neoplatonism these two terms have a slightly different meaning. philosophy

love of wisdom; the intellectual and ‘erotic’ path which leads to virtue and knowledge; the term itself perhaps is coined by Pythagoras; the Hellenic philosophia is a prolongation, modification and ‘modernization’ of the Egyptian and Near Eastern sapiential ways of life; philosophia cannot be reduced to philosophical discourse; for Aristotle, metaphysics is prote philosophia, or theologike, but philosophy as theoria means dedication to the bios theoretikos, the life of contemplation – thus the philosophical life means the participation in the divine and the actualization of the divine in the human through the personal askesis and inner transformation; Plato defines philosophy as a training for death ( Phaed.67cd); the Platonic philosophia helps the soul to become aware of its own immateriality, it liberates from passions and strips away everything that is not truly itself; for Plotinus, philosophy does not wish only ‘to be a discourse about objects, be they even the highest, but it wishes actually to lead the soul to a living, concrete union with the Intellect and the Good’; in the late Neoplatonism, the ineffable theurgy is regarded as the culmination of philosophy.



(more..) love of wisdom; the intellectual and ‘erotic’ path which leads to virtue and knowledge; the term itself perhaps is coined by Pythagoras; the Hellenicis a prolongation, modification and ‘modernization’ of the Egyptian and Near Eastern sapiential ways of life;cannot be reduced to philosophical discourse; for Aristotle, metaphysics is, or, but philosophy asmeans dedication to the, the life of contemplation – thus the philosophical life means the participation in the divine and the actualization of the divine in the human through the personaland inner transformation; Plato defines philosophy as a training for death (.67cd); the Platonichelps the soul to become aware of its own immateriality, it liberates from passions and strips away everything that is not truly itself; for Plotinus, philosophy does not wish only ‘to be a discourse about objects, be they even the highest, but it wishes actually to lead the soul to a living, concrete union with the Intellect and the Good’; in the late Neoplatonism, the ineffable theurgy is regarded as the culmination of philosophy. Tradition

(as the term is used by "Traditionalists" and in the "Perennial Philosopy":) Divine Revelation and the unfolding and development of its sacred content, in time and space, such that the forms of society and civilization maintain a "vertical" connection to the meta-historical, transcendental substance from which revelation itself derives.



(more..) (as the term is used by "Traditionalists" and in the "Perennial Philosopy":) Divine Revelation and the unfolding and development of its sacred content, in time and space, such that the forms of society and civilization maintain a "vertical" connection to the meta-historical, transcendental substance from which revelation itself derives. dhikr

"remembrance" of God, based upon the repeated invocation of His Name; central to Sufi practice, where the remembrance often consists of the single word Allāh.



(more..) "remembrance" of God, based upon the repeated invocation of His Name; central to Sufi practice, where the remembrance often consists of the single word guru

spiritual guide or Master. Also, a preceptor, any person worthy of veneration; weighty; Jupiter. The true function of a guru is explained in The Guru Tradition. Gurukula is the household or residence of a preceptor. A brahmacārin stays with his guru to be taught the Vedas, the Vedāngas and other subjects this is gurukulavāsa.



(more..) spiritual guide or Master. Also, a preceptor, any person worthy of veneration; weighty; Jupiter. The true function of a guru is explained inis the household or residence of a preceptor. A brahmacārin stays with his guru to be taught the Vedas, the Vedāngas and other subjects this is japa

"repetition" of a mantra or sacred formula, often containing one of the Names of God; see buddhānusmriti, dhikr.



(more..) "repetition" of aor sacred formula, often containing one of the Names of God; see karma

action; the effects of past actions; the law of cause and effect ("as a man sows, so shall he reap"); of three kinds: (1) sanchita karma: actions of the past that have yet to bear fruit in the present life; (2) prārabdha karma: actions of the past that bear fruit in the present life; and (3) āgāmi karma :actions of the present that have still, by the law of cause and effect, to bear fruit in the future.



(more..) action; the effects of past actions; the law of cause and effect ("as a man sows, so shall he reap"); of three kinds: (1): actions of the past that have yet to bear fruit in the present life; (2): actions of the past that bear fruit in the present life; and (3):actions of the present that have still, by the law of cause and effect, to bear fruit in the future. karma

action; the effects of past actions; the law of cause and effect ("as a man sows, so shall he reap"); of three kinds: (1) sanchita karma: actions of the past that have yet to bear fruit in the present life; (2) prārabdha karma: actions of the past that bear fruit in the present life; and (3) āgāmi karma :actions of the present that have still, by the law of cause and effect, to bear fruit in the future.



(more..) action; the effects of past actions; the law of cause and effect ("as a man sows, so shall he reap"); of three kinds: (1): actions of the past that have yet to bear fruit in the present life; (2): actions of the past that bear fruit in the present life; and (3):actions of the present that have still, by the law of cause and effect, to bear fruit in the future. mantram

literally, "instrument of thought"; a word or phrase of divine origin, often including a Name of God, repeated by those initiated into its proper use as a means of salvation or liberation; see japa.



(more..) literally, "instrument of thought"; a word or phrase of divine origin, often including a Name of God, repeated by those initiated into its proper use as a means of salvation or liberation; see sufi

In its strictest sense designates one who has arrived at effective knowledge of Divine Reality (Ḥaqīqah); hence it is said: aṣ-Ṣūfī lam yukhlaq (“the Sufi is not created”).



(more..) In its strictest sense designates one who has arrived at effective knowledge of Divine Reality (); hence it is said:(“the Sufi is not created”). Tradition

(as the term is used by "Traditionalists" and in the "Perennial Philosopy":) Divine Revelation and the unfolding and development of its sacred content, in time and space, such that the forms of society and civilization maintain a "vertical" connection to the meta-historical, transcendental substance from which revelation itself derives.



(more..) (as the term is used by "Traditionalists" and in the "Perennial Philosopy":) Divine Revelation and the unfolding and development of its sacred content, in time and space, such that the forms of society and civilization maintain a "vertical" connection to the meta-historical, transcendental substance from which revelation itself derives. adam

In Sufism this expression includes on the one hand the positive sense of non-manifestation, of a principial state beyond existence or even beyond Being, and on the other hand a negative sense of privation, of relative nothingness.



(more..) In Sufism this expression includes on the one hand the positive sense of non-manifestation, of a principial state beyond existence or even beyond Being, and on the other hand a negative sense of privation, of relative nothingness. yoga

union of the jiva with God; method of God-realization (in Hinduism)



(more..) union of the jiva with God; method of God-realization (in Hinduism) ananda

"bliss, beatitude, joy"; one of the three essential aspects of Apara-Brahma, together with sat, "being," and chit, "consciousness."



(more..) "bliss, beatitude, joy"; one of the three essential aspects of, together with, "being," and, "consciousness." humanism

The intellectual viewpoint increasingly prevalent in the West since the time of the Renaissance; it replaced the traditional Christian view of God as the center of all things by a belief in man as the measure of all things.



(more..) The intellectual viewpoint increasingly prevalent in the West since the time of the Renaissance; it replaced the traditional Christian view of God as the center of all things by a belief in man as the measure of all things. idea

in non-technical use the term refers to the visual aspect of anything; for Plato and Platonists, it is the highest noetic entity, the eternal unchanging Form, the archetype of the manifested material thing; in Plato, idea is a synonim of eidos, but in Neoplatonism these two terms have a slightly different meaning.



(more..) in non-technical use the term refers to the visual aspect of anything; for Plato and Platonists, it is the highest noetic entity, the eternal unchanging Form, the archetype of the manifested material thing; in Plato,is a synonim of, but in Neoplatonism these two terms have a slightly different meaning. philosophia

love of wisdom; the intellectual and ‘erotic’ path which leads to virtue and knowledge; the term itself perhaps is coined by Pythagoras; the Hellenic philosophia is a prolongation, modification and ‘modernization’ of the Egyptian and Near Eastern sapiential ways of life; philosophia cannot be reduced to philosophical discourse; for Aristotle, metaphysics is prote philosophia, or theologike, but philosophy as theoria means dedication to the bios theoretikos, the life of contemplation – thus the philosophical life means the participation in the divine and the actualization of the divine in the human through the personal askesis and inner transformation; Plato defines philosophy as a training for death ( Phaed.67cd); the Platonic philosophia helps the soul to become aware of its own immateriality, it liberates from passions and strips away everything that is not truly itself; for Plotinus, philosophy does not wish only ‘to be a discourse about objects, be they even the highest, but it wishes actually to lead the soul to a living, concrete union with the Intellect and the Good’; in the late Neoplatonism, the ineffable theurgy is regarded as the culmination of philosophy.



(more..) love of wisdom; the intellectual and ‘erotic’ path which leads to virtue and knowledge; the term itself perhaps is coined by Pythagoras; the Hellenicis a prolongation, modification and ‘modernization’ of the Egyptian and Near Eastern sapiential ways of life;cannot be reduced to philosophical discourse; for Aristotle, metaphysics is, or, but philosophy asmeans dedication to the, the life of contemplation – thus the philosophical life means the participation in the divine and the actualization of the divine in the human through the personaland inner transformation; Plato defines philosophy as a training for death (.67cd); the Platonichelps the soul to become aware of its own immateriality, it liberates from passions and strips away everything that is not truly itself; for Plotinus, philosophy does not wish only ‘to be a discourse about objects, be they even the highest, but it wishes actually to lead the soul to a living, concrete union with the Intellect and the Good’; in the late Neoplatonism, the ineffable theurgy is regarded as the culmination of philosophy. philosophy

love of wisdom; the intellectual and ‘erotic’ path which leads to virtue and knowledge; the term itself perhaps is coined by Pythagoras; the Hellenic philosophia is a prolongation, modification and ‘modernization’ of the Egyptian and Near Eastern sapiential ways of life; philosophia cannot be reduced to philosophical discourse; for Aristotle, metaphysics is prote philosophia, or theologike, but philosophy as theoria means dedication to the bios theoretikos, the life of contemplation – thus the philosophical life means the participation in the divine and the actualization of the divine in the human through the personal askesis and inner transformation; Plato defines philosophy as a training for death ( Phaed.67cd); the Platonic philosophia helps the soul to become aware of its own immateriality, it liberates from passions and strips away everything that is not truly itself; for Plotinus, philosophy does not wish only ‘to be a discourse about objects, be they even the highest, but it wishes actually to lead the soul to a living, concrete union with the Intellect and the Good’; in the late Neoplatonism, the ineffable theurgy is regarded as the culmination of philosophy.



(more..) love of wisdom; the intellectual and ‘erotic’ path which leads to virtue and knowledge; the term itself perhaps is coined by Pythagoras; the Hellenicis a prolongation, modification and ‘modernization’ of the Egyptian and Near Eastern sapiential ways of life;cannot be reduced to philosophical discourse; for Aristotle, metaphysics is, or, but philosophy asmeans dedication to the, the life of contemplation – thus the philosophical life means the participation in the divine and the actualization of the divine in the human through the personaland inner transformation; Plato defines philosophy as a training for death (.67cd); the Platonichelps the soul to become aware of its own immateriality, it liberates from passions and strips away everything that is not truly itself; for Plotinus, philosophy does not wish only ‘to be a discourse about objects, be they even the highest, but it wishes actually to lead the soul to a living, concrete union with the Intellect and the Good’; in the late Neoplatonism, the ineffable theurgy is regarded as the culmination of philosophy. Tradition

(as the term is used by "Traditionalists" and in the "Perennial Philosopy":) Divine Revelation and the unfolding and development of its sacred content, in time and space, such that the forms of society and civilization maintain a "vertical" connection to the meta-historical, transcendental substance from which revelation itself derives.



(more..) (as the term is used by "Traditionalists" and in the "Perennial Philosopy":) Divine Revelation and the unfolding and development of its sacred content, in time and space, such that the forms of society and civilization maintain a "vertical" connection to the meta-historical, transcendental substance from which revelation itself derives. Advaita

"non-dualist" interpretation of the Vedānta; Hindu doctrine according to which the seeming multiplicity of things is regarded as the product of ignorance, the only true reality being Brahman, the One, the Absolute, the Infinite, which is the unchanging ground of appearance.



(more..) "non-dualist" interpretation of the; Hindu doctrine according to which the seeming multiplicity of things is regarded as the product of ignorance, the only true reality being, the One, the Absolute, the Infinite, which is the unchanging ground of appearance. ātmā

the real or true "Self," underlying the ego and its manifestations; in the perspective of Advaita Vedānta, identical with Brahma.



(more..) the real or true "Self," underlying the ego and its manifestations; in the perspective of, identical with ex cathedra

literally, "from the throne"; in Roman Catholicism, authoritative teaching issued by the pope and regarded as infallible.



(more..) literally, "from the throne"; in Roman Catholicism, authoritative teaching issued by the pope and regarded as infallible. Ghazali

Author of the famous Iḥyā’ ‘Ulūm ad-Dīn (“The Revival of the Religious Sciences”); ardent defender of Sufi mysticism as the true heart of Islam.



(more..) Author of the famous(“The Revival of the Religious Sciences”); ardent defender of Sufi mysticism as the true heart of Islam. idea

in non-technical use the term refers to the visual aspect of anything; for Plato and Platonists, it is the highest noetic entity, the eternal unchanging Form, the archetype of the manifested material thing; in Plato, idea is a synonim of eidos, but in Neoplatonism these two terms have a slightly different meaning.



(more..) in non-technical use the term refers to the visual aspect of anything; for Plato and Platonists, it is the highest noetic entity, the eternal unchanging Form, the archetype of the manifested material thing; in Plato,is a synonim of, but in Neoplatonism these two terms have a slightly different meaning. Umar

Author of the famous Sufi poem the Khamriyah (“Wine Ode”).



(more..) Author of the famous Sufi poem the(“Wine Ode”). sophia

(A)wisdom; the term covers all spheres of human activity – all ingenious invention aimed at satisfying one’s material, political and religious needs; Hephaistos (like his prototypes – the Ugaritian Kothar-wa-Hasis and the Egyptian Ptah) is poluphronos, very wise, klutometis, renowned in wisdom – here ‘wisdom’ means not simply some divine quality, but wondrous skill, cleverness, technical ability, magic power; in Egypt all sacred wisdom (especially, knowledge of the secret divine names and words of power, hekau, or demiurgic and theurgic mantras, which are able to restore one’s true divine identity) was under the patronage of Thoth; in classical Greece, the inspird poet, the lawgiver, the polititian, the magician, the natural philosopher and sophist – all claimed to wisdom, and indeed ‘philosophy’ is the love of wisdom, philo-sophia, i.e. a way of life in effort to achieve wisdom as its goal; the ideal of sophos (sage) in the newly established Platonic paideia is exemplified by Socrates; in Neoplatonism, the theoretical wisdom (though the term sophia is rarely used) means contemplation of the eternal Forms and becoming like nous, or a god; there are the characteristic properties which constitute the divine nature and which spread to all the divine classes: good ( agathotes), wisdom ( sophia) and beauty ( kallos). (B) "wisdom"; in Jewish and Christian tradition, the Wisdom of God, often conceived as feminine (cf. Prov. 8).



(more..) wisdom; the term covers all spheres of human activity – all ingenious invention aimed at satisfying one’s material, political and religious needs; Hephaistos (like his prototypes – the Ugaritian Kothar-wa-Hasis and the Egyptian Ptah) isvery wise,, renowned in wisdom – here ‘wisdom’ means not simply some divine quality, but wondrous skill, cleverness, technical ability, magic power; in Egypt all sacred wisdom (especially, knowledge of the secret divine names and words of power,or demiurgic and theurgic mantras, which are able to restore one’s true divine identity) was under the patronage of Thoth; in classical Greece, the inspird poet, the lawgiver, the polititian, the magician, the natural philosopher and sophist – all claimed to wisdom, and indeed ‘philosophy’ is the love of wisdom,, i.e. a way of life in effort to achieve wisdom as its goal; the ideal of(sage) in the newly established Platonic paideia is exemplified by Socrates; in Neoplatonism, the theoretical wisdom (though the termis rarely used) means contemplation of the eternal Forms and becoming like, or a god; there are the characteristic properties which constitute the divine nature and which spread to all the divine classes: good (), wisdom () and beauty ()."wisdom"; in Jewish and Christian tradition, the Wisdom of God, often conceived as feminine (. Prov. 8). sunna

(A) Wont; the model established by the Prophet Muḥammad, as transmitted in the ḥadīth. (B) "custom, way of acting"; in Islam, the norm established by the Prophet Muhammad, including his actions and sayings (see hadīth) and serving as a precedent and standard for the behavior of Muslims.



(more..) Wont; the model established by the Prophet Muḥammad, as transmitted in the"custom, way of acting"; in Islam, the norm established by the Prophet Muhammad, including his actions and sayings (see) and serving as a precedent and standard for the behavior of Muslims. theology

divine science, theology, logos about the gods, considered to be the essence of teletai; for Aristotle, a synonim of metaphysics or first philosophy ( prote philosophia) in contrast with physics ( Metaph.1026a18); however, physics ( phusiologia) sometimes is called as a kind of theology (Proclus In Tim.I.217.25); for Neoplatonists, among the ancient theologians ( theologoi) are Orpheus, Homer, Hesiod and other divinely inspired poets, the creators of theogonies and keepers of sacred rites.



(more..) divine science, theology,about the gods, considered to be the essence of; for Aristotle, a synonim of metaphysics or first philosophy () in contrast with physics (.1026a18); however, physics () sometimes is called as a kind of theology (Proclus.I.217.25); for Neoplatonists, among the ancient theologians () are Orpheus, Homer, Hesiod and other divinely inspired poets, the creators of theogonies and keepers of sacred rites. alter

the "other," in contrast to the ego or individual self.



(more..) the "other," in contrast to theor individual self. humanism

The intellectual viewpoint increasingly prevalent in the West since the time of the Renaissance; it replaced the traditional Christian view of God as the center of all things by a belief in man as the measure of all things.



(more..) The intellectual viewpoint increasingly prevalent in the West since the time of the Renaissance; it replaced the traditional Christian view of God as the center of all things by a belief in man as the measure of all things. idea

in non-technical use the term refers to the visual aspect of anything; for Plato and Platonists, it is the highest noetic entity, the eternal unchanging Form, the archetype of the manifested material thing; in Plato, idea is a synonim of eidos, but in Neoplatonism these two terms have a slightly different meaning.



(more..) in non-technical use the term refers to the visual aspect of anything; for Plato and Platonists, it is the highest noetic entity, the eternal unchanging Form, the archetype of the manifested material thing; in Plato,is a synonim of, but in Neoplatonism these two terms have a slightly different meaning. philosophia

love of wisdom; the intellectual and ‘erotic’ path which leads to virtue and knowledge; the term itself perhaps is coined by Pythagoras; the Hellenic philosophia is a prolongation, modification and ‘modernization’ of the Egyptian and Near Eastern sapiential ways of life; philosophia cannot be reduced to philosophical discourse; for Aristotle, metaphysics is prote philosophia, or theologike, but philosophy as theoria means dedication to the bios theoretikos, the life of contemplation – thus the philosophical life means the participation in the divine and the actualization of the divine in the human through the personal askesis and inner transformation; Plato defines philosophy as a training for death ( Phaed.67cd); the Platonic philosophia helps the soul to become aware of its own immateriality, it liberates from passions and strips away everything that is not truly itself; for Plotinus, philosophy does not wish only ‘to be a discourse about objects, be they even the highest, but it wishes actually to lead the soul to a living, concrete union with the Intellect and the Good’; in the late Neoplatonism, the ineffable theurgy is regarded as the culmination of philosophy.



(more..) love of wisdom; the intellectual and ‘erotic’ path which leads to virtue and knowledge; the term itself perhaps is coined by Pythagoras; the Hellenicis a prolongation, modification and ‘modernization’ of the Egyptian and Near Eastern sapiential ways of life;cannot be reduced to philosophical discourse; for Aristotle, metaphysics is, or, but philosophy asmeans dedication to the, the life of contemplation – thus the philosophical life means the participation in the divine and the actualization of the divine in the human through the personaland inner transformation; Plato defines philosophy as a training for death (.67cd); the Platonichelps the soul to become aware of its own immateriality, it liberates from passions and strips away everything that is not truly itself; for Plotinus, philosophy does not wish only ‘to be a discourse about objects, be they even the highest, but it wishes actually to lead the soul to a living, concrete union with the Intellect and the Good’; in the late Neoplatonism, the ineffable theurgy is regarded as the culmination of philosophy. philosophy

love of wisdom; the intellectual and ‘erotic’ path which leads to virtue and knowledge; the term itself perhaps is coined by Pythagoras; the Hellenic philosophia is a prolongation, modification and ‘modernization’ of the Egyptian and Near Eastern sapiential ways of life; philosophia cannot be reduced to philosophical discourse; for Aristotle, metaphysics is prote philosophia, or theologike, but philosophy as theoria means dedication to the bios theoretikos, the life of contemplation – thus the philosophical life means the participation in the divine and the actualization of the divine in the human through the personal askesis and inner transformation; Plato defines philosophy as a training for death ( Phaed.67cd); the Platonic philosophia helps the soul to become aware of its own immateriality, it liberates from passions and strips away everything that is not truly itself; for Plotinus, philosophy does not wish only ‘to be a discourse about objects, be they even the highest, but it wishes actually to lead the soul to a living, concrete union with the Intellect and the Good’; in the late Neoplatonism, the ineffable theurgy is regarded as the culmination of philosophy.



(more..) love of wisdom; the intellectual and ‘erotic’ path which leads to virtue and knowledge; the term itself perhaps is coined by Pythagoras; the Hellenicis a prolongation, modification and ‘modernization’ of the Egyptian and Near Eastern sapiential ways of life;cannot be reduced to philosophical discourse; for Aristotle, metaphysics is, or, but philosophy asmeans dedication to the, the life of contemplation – thus the philosophical life means the participation in the divine and the actualization of the divine in the human through the personaland inner transformation; Plato defines philosophy as a training for death (.67cd); the Platonichelps the soul to become aware of its own immateriality, it liberates from passions and strips away everything that is not truly itself; for Plotinus, philosophy does not wish only ‘to be a discourse about objects, be they even the highest, but it wishes actually to lead the soul to a living, concrete union with the Intellect and the Good’; in the late Neoplatonism, the ineffable theurgy is regarded as the culmination of philosophy. Atma

the real or true "Self," underlying the ego and its manifestations; in the perspective of Advaita Vedānta, identical with Brahma.



(more..) the real or true "Self," underlying the ego and its manifestations; in the perspective of, identical with Atma

the real or true "Self," underlying the ego and its manifestations; in the perspective of Advaita Vedānta, identical with Brahma.



(more..) the real or true "Self," underlying the ego and its manifestations; in the perspective of, identical with Atma

the real or true "Self," underlying the ego and its manifestations; in the perspective of Advaita Vedānta, identical with Brahma.



(more..) the real or true "Self," underlying the ego and its manifestations; in the perspective of, identical with Atma

the real or true "Self," underlying the ego and its manifestations; in the perspective of Advaita Vedānta, identical with Brahma.



(more..) the real or true "Self," underlying the ego and its manifestations; in the perspective of, identical with Atma

the real or true "Self," underlying the ego and its manifestations; in the perspective of Advaita Vedānta, identical with Brahma.



(more..) the real or true "Self," underlying the ego and its manifestations; in the perspective of, identical with buddhi

"Intellect"; the highest faculty of knowledge, to be contrasted with manas, that is, mind or reason; see ratio.



(more..) "Intellect"; the highest faculty of knowledge, to be contrasted with, that is, mind or reason; see pneuma

"wind, breath, spirit"; in Christian theology, either the third Person of the Trinity or the highest of the three parts or aspects of the human self (cf. 1 Thess. 5:23); see rūh.



(more..) "wind, breath, spirit"; in Christian theology, either the third Person of the Trinity or the highest of the three parts or aspects of the human self (. 1 Thess. 5:23); see prakriti

Literally, "making first" (see materia prima); the fundamental, "feminine" substance or material cause of all things; see "purusha (puruṣa)."



(more..) Literally, "making first" (see); the fundamental, "feminine" substance or material cause of all things; see "purusha ( prakriti

In Hinduism, literally, “making first” (see materia prima); the fundamental, “feminine” substance or material cause of all things; see guna, Purusha.



(more..) In Hinduism, literally, “making first” (see); the fundamental, “feminine” substance or material cause of all things; see purusha

Literally, "man;" the informing or shaping principle of creation; the "masculine" demiurge or fashioner of the universe; see "Prakriti (Prakṛti)."



(more..) Literally, "man;" the informing or shaping principle of creation; the "masculine" demiurge or fashioner of the universe; see "Prakriti ()." sattva

the quality of harmony, purity, serenity



(more..) the quality of harmony, purity, serenity Tradition

(as the term is used by "Traditionalists" and in the "Perennial Philosopy":) Divine Revelation and the unfolding and development of its sacred content, in time and space, such that the forms of society and civilization maintain a "vertical" connection to the meta-historical, transcendental substance from which revelation itself derives.



(more..) (as the term is used by "Traditionalists" and in the "Perennial Philosopy":) Divine Revelation and the unfolding and development of its sacred content, in time and space, such that the forms of society and civilization maintain a "vertical" connection to the meta-historical, transcendental substance from which revelation itself derives. abd

(A) In religious language, designates the worshiper, and, more generally, the creature as dependent on his Lord (rabb. (B) "servant" or "slave"; as used in Islam, the servant or worshiper of God in His aspect of Rabb or "Lord".



(more..) (A) In religious language, designates the worshiper, and, more generally, the creature as dependent on his Lord (. (B) "servant" or "slave"; as used in Islam, the servant or worshiper of God in His aspect ofor "Lord". anthropos

man; in Gnosticism, the macrocosmic anthropos is regarded as the Platonic ‘ideal animal’, autozoon, or a divine pleroma, which contains archetypes of creation and manifestation.



(more..) man; in Gnosticism, the macrocosmicis regarded as the Platonic ‘ideal animal’,or a divinewhich contains archetypes of creation and manifestation. ayn

al-‘ayn ath-thābitah, or sometimes simply al-‘ayn, is the immutable essence, the archetype or the principial possibility of a being or thing



(more..) , or sometimes simply, is the immutable essence, the archetype or the principial possibility of a being or thing ayn

al-‘ayn ath-thābitah, or sometimes simply al-‘ayn, is the immutable essence, the archetype or the principial possibility of a being or thing



(more..) , or sometimes simply, is the immutable essence, the archetype or the principial possibility of a being or thing Brahman

Brahma considered as transcending all "qualities," attributes, or predicates; God as He is in Himself; also called Para-Brahma.



(more..) considered as transcending all "qualities," attributes, or predicates; God as He is in Himself; also called Cogito ergo sum

"I think therefore I am"; a saying of the French philosopher and mathematician René Descartes (1596-1650).



(more..) "I think therefore I am"; a saying of the French philosopher and mathematician René Descartes (1596-1650). Ghayb





(more..) gnosis

(A) "knowledge"; spiritual insight, principial comprehension, divine wisdom.(B) knowledge; gnosis is contrasted with doxa (opinion) by Plato; the object of gnosis is to on, reality or being, and the fully real is the fully knowable ( Rep.477a); the Egyptian Hermetists made distinction between two types of knowledge: 1) science ( episteme), produced by reason ( logos), and 2) gnosis, produced by understanding and faith ( Corpus Hermeticum IX); therefore gnosis is regarded as the goal of episteme (ibid.X.9); the -idea that one may ‘know God’ ( gnosis theou) is very rare in the classical Hellenic literature, which rather praises episteme and hieratic vision, epopteia, but is common in Hermetism, Gnosticism and early Christianity; following the Platonic tradition (especially Plotinus and Porphyry), Augustine introduced a distinction between knowledge and wisdom, scientia and sapientia, claiming that the fallen soul knows only scientia, but before the Fall she knew sapientia ( De Trinitate XII).



(more..) "knowledge"; spiritual insight, principial comprehension, divine wisdom.knowledge;is contrasted with(opinion) by Plato; the object ofis, reality or being, and the fully real is the fully knowable (477a); the Egyptian Hermetists made distinction between two types of knowledge: 1) science (), produced by reason (), and 2)produced by understanding and faith (IX); thereforeis regarded as the goal of(ibid.X.9); the -idea that one may ‘know God’ () is very rare in the classical Hellenic literature, which rather praisesand hieratic vision,, but is common in Hermetism, Gnosticism and early Christianity; following the Platonic tradition (especially Plotinus and Porphyry), Augustine introduced a distinction between knowledge and wisdom,and, claiming that the fallen soul knows onlybut before the Fall she knewXII). humanism

The intellectual viewpoint increasingly prevalent in the West since the time of the Renaissance; it replaced the traditional Christian view of God as the center of all things by a belief in man as the measure of all things.



(more..) The intellectual viewpoint increasingly prevalent in the West since the time of the Renaissance; it replaced the traditional Christian view of God as the center of all things by a belief in man as the measure of all things. idea

in non-technical use the term refers to the visual aspect of anything; for Plato and Platonists, it is the highest noetic entity, the eternal unchanging Form, the archetype of the manifested material thing; in Plato, idea is a synonim of eidos, but in Neoplatonism these two terms have a slightly different meaning.



(more..) in non-technical use the term refers to the visual aspect of anything; for Plato and Platonists, it is the highest noetic entity, the eternal unchanging Form, the archetype of the manifested material thing; in Plato,is a synonim of, but in Neoplatonism these two terms have a slightly different meaning. kashf

Literally, “the raising of a curtain or veil.”



(more..) Literally, “the raising of a curtain or veil.” modernism

The predominant post-Renaissance and post-Enlightenment worldview of Western civilization marked by rationalism, scientism, and humanism. In the Muslim world, it refers to those individuals and movements who have sought to adopt Western ideas and values from the nineteenth century onwards in response to Western domination and imperialism.



(more..) The predominant post-Renaissance and post-Enlightenment worldview of Western civilization marked by rationalism, scientism, and humanism. In the Muslim world, it refers to those individuals and movements who have sought to adopt Western ideas and values from the nineteenth century onwards in response to Western domination and imperialism. philosophy

love of wisdom; the intellectual and ‘erotic’ path which leads to virtue and knowledge; the term itself perhaps is coined by Pythagoras; the Hellenic philosophia is a prolongation, modification and ‘modernization’ of the Egyptian and Near Eastern sapiential ways of life; philosophia cannot be reduced to philosophical discourse; for Aristotle, metaphysics is prote philosophia, or theologike, but philosophy as theoria means dedication to the bios theoretikos, the life of contemplation – thus the philosophical life means the participation in the divine and the actualization of the divine in the human through the personal askesis and inner transformation; Plato defines philosophy as a training for death ( Phaed.67cd); the Platonic philosophia helps the soul to become aware of its own immateriality, it liberates from passions and strips away everything that is not truly itself; for Plotinus, philosophy does not wish only ‘to be a discourse about objects, be they even the highest, but it wishes actually to lead the soul to a living, concrete union with the Intellect and the Good’; in the late Neoplatonism, the ineffable theurgy is regarded as the culmination of philosophy.



(more..) love of wisdom; the intellectual and ‘erotic’ path which leads to virtue and knowledge; the term itself perhaps is coined by Pythagoras; the Hellenicis a prolongation, modification and ‘modernization’ of the Egyptian and Near Eastern sapiential ways of life;cannot be reduced to philosophical discourse; for Aristotle, metaphysics is, or, but philosophy asmeans dedication to the, the life of contemplation – thus the philosophical life means the participation in the divine and the actualization of the divine in the human through the personaland inner transformation; Plato defines philosophy as a training for death (.67cd); the Platonichelps the soul to become aware of its own immateriality, it liberates from passions and strips away everything that is not truly itself; for Plotinus, philosophy does not wish only ‘to be a discourse about objects, be they even the highest, but it wishes actually to lead the soul to a living, concrete union with the Intellect and the Good’; in the late Neoplatonism, the ineffable theurgy is regarded as the culmination of philosophy. psyche

(usually transcribed as psyche): soul; breath of life, life-stuff; Homer distinguishes between a free soul as a soul of the dead, corresponding with psuche (and still regarded as an eidolon), and body souls, corresponding with thumos, noos and menos: following the Egyptian theological patterns, the Pythagoreans constituted the psuche as the reflection of the unchanging and immortal principles; from Plato onwards, psuchai are no longer regarded as eidola, phantoms or doubles of the body, but rather the human body is viewed as the perishable simulacrum of an immaterial and immortal soul; there are different degrees of soul (or different souls), therefore anything that is alive has a soul (Aristotle De anima 414b32); in Phaedrus 248b the soul is regarded as something to be a separate, self-moving and immortal entity (cf.Proclus Elements of Theology 186); Psuche is the third hupostasis of Plotinus.



(more..) (usually transcribed as): soul; breath of life, life-stuff; Homer distinguishes between a free soul as a soul of the dead, corresponding with(and still regarded as an), and body souls, corresponding withand: following the Egyptian theological patterns, the Pythagoreans constituted theas the reflection of the unchanging and immortal principles; from Plato onwards,i are no longer regarded asphantoms or doubles of the body, but rather the human body is viewed as the perishableof an immaterial and immortal soul; there are different degrees of soul (or different souls), therefore anything that is alive has a soul (Aristotle414b32); in248b the soul is regarded as something to be a separate, self-moving and immortal entity (cf.Proclus186);is the thirdof Plotinus. qalb

The organ of supra-rational intuition, which corresponds to the heart just as thought corresponds to the brain. The fact that people of today localize feeling and not intellectual intuition in the heart proves that for them it is feeling that occupies the center of the individuality.



(more..) The organ of supra-rational intuition, which corresponds to the heart just as thought corresponds to the brain. The fact that people of today localize feeling and not intellectual intuition in the heart proves that for them it is feeling that occupies the center of the individuality. ratio

literally, "calculation"; the faculty of discursive thinking, to be distinguished from intellectus, "Intellect."



(more..) literally, "calculation"; the faculty of discursive thinking, to be distinguished from, "Intellect." rationalism

The philosophical position that sees reason as the ultimate arbiter of truth. Its origin lies in Descartes’ famous cogito ergo sum, "I think, therefore I am."



(more..) The philosophical position that sees reason as the ultimate arbiter of truth. Its origin lies in Descartes’ famous cogito ergo sum, "I think, therefore I am." secularism

The worldview that seeks to maintain religion and the sacred in the private domain; the predominant view in the West since the time of the French Revolution of 1789 C. E.



(more..) The worldview that seeks to maintain religion and the sacred in the private domain; the predominant view in the West since the time of the French Revolution of 1789 C. E. shaykh

(1) In Islam, a Sufi or other spiritual leader or master. (2) The term is also used more generally as an honorific title for a chief or elder of a group.



(more..) (1) In Islam, a Sufi or other spiritual leader or master. (2) The term is also used more generally as an honorific title for a chief or elder of a group. shaykh

(1) In Islam, a Sufi or other spiritual leader or master. (2) The term is also used more generally as an honorific title for a chief or elder of a group.



(more..) (1) In Islam, a Sufi or other spiritual leader or master. (2) The term is also used more generally as an honorific title for a chief or elder of a group. shaykh

(1) In Islam, a Sufi or other spiritual leader or master. (2) The term is also used more generally as an honorific title for a chief or elder of a group.



(more..) (1) In Islam, a Sufi or other spiritual leader or master. (2) The term is also used more generally as an honorific title for a chief or elder of a group. sufi

In its strictest sense designates one who has arrived at effective knowledge of Divine Reality (Ḥaqīqah); hence it is said: aṣ-Ṣūfī lam yukhlaq (“the Sufi is not created”).



(more..) In its strictest sense designates one who has arrived at effective knowledge of Divine Reality (); hence it is said:(“the Sufi is not created”). Tradition

(as the term is used by "Traditionalists" and in the "Perennial Philosopy":) Divine Revelation and the unfolding and development of its sacred content, in time and space, such that the forms of society and civilization maintain a "vertical" connection to the meta-historical, transcendental substance from which revelation itself derives.



(more..) (as the term is used by "Traditionalists" and in the "Perennial Philosopy":) Divine Revelation and the unfolding and development of its sacred content, in time and space, such that the forms of society and civilization maintain a "vertical" connection to the meta-historical, transcendental substance from which revelation itself derives. adam

In Sufism this expression includes on the one hand the positive sense of non-manifestation, of a principial state beyond existence or even beyond Being, and on the other hand a negative sense of privation, of relative nothingness.



(more..) In Sufism this expression includes on the one hand the positive sense of non-manifestation, of a principial state beyond existence or even beyond Being, and on the other hand a negative sense of privation, of relative nothingness. upanishad

Among the sacred texts of the Hindus, mostly Upaniṣāds discuss the existence of one absolute Reality known as Brahman. Much of Hindu Vedānta derives its inspiration from these texts.



(more..) Among the sacred texts of the Hindus, mostlydiscuss the existence of one absolute Reality known as. Much of Hinduderives its inspiration from these texts. bhakti

the spiritual "path" (mārga) of "love" (bhakti) and devotion.



(more..) the spiritual "path" () of "love" () and devotion. deva

a god, a celestial being



(more..) a god, a celestial being distinguo

literally, “I mark or set off, differentiate”, often used in the dialectic of the medieval scholastics; any philosophical distinction.



(more..) literally, “I mark or set off, differentiate”, often used in the dialectic of the medieval scholastics; any philosophical distinction. Mutatis mutandis

more or less literally, "with necessary changes being made" or "with necessary changes being taken into consideration". This adverbial phrase is used in philosophy and logic to point out that although two conditions or statements may seem to be very analagous or similar, the reader should not lose sight of the differences between the two. Perhaps an even more easily understood translation might be "with obvious differences taken into consideration…"



(more..) more or less literally, "with necessary changes being made" or "with necessary changes being taken into consideration". This adverbial phrase is used in philosophy and logic to point out that although two conditions or statements may seem to be very analagous or similar, the reader should not lose sight of the differences between the two. Perhaps an even more easily understood translation might be "with obvious differences taken into consideration…" shakti

God’s power



(more..) God’s power theology

divine science, theology, logos about the gods, considered to be the essence of teletai; for Aristotle, a synonim of metaphysics or first philosophy ( prote philosophia) in contrast with physics ( Metaph.1026a18); however, physics ( phusiologia) sometimes is called as a kind of theology (Proclus In Tim.I.217.25); for Neoplatonists, among the ancient theologians ( theologoi) are Orpheus, Homer, Hesiod and other divinely inspired poets, the creators of theogonies and keepers of sacred rites.



(more..) divine science, theology,about the gods, considered to be the essence of; for Aristotle, a synonim of metaphysics or first philosophy () in contrast with physics (.1026a18); however, physics () sometimes is called as a kind of theology (Proclus.I.217.25); for Neoplatonists, among the ancient theologians () are Orpheus, Homer, Hesiod and other divinely inspired poets, the creators of theogonies and keepers of sacred rites. ananda

"bliss, beatitude, joy"; one of the three essential aspects of Apara-Brahma, together with sat, "being," and chit, "consciousness."



(more..) "bliss, beatitude, joy"; one of the three essential aspects of, together with, "being," and, "consciousness." bhakti

the spiritual "path" (mārga) of "love" (bhakti) and devotion.



(more..) the spiritual "path" () of "love" () and devotion. Brahma

God in the aspect of Creator, the first divine "person" of the Trimūrti; to be distinguished from Brahma, the Supreme Reality.



(more..) God in the aspect of Creator, the first divine "person" of the; to be distinguished from, the Supreme Reality. Brahman

Brahma considered as transcending all "qualities," attributes, or predicates; God as He is in Himself; also called Para-Brahma.



(more..) considered as transcending all "qualities," attributes, or predicates; God as He is in Himself; also called dana

Giving, donation, charity.



(more..) Giving, donation, charity. dharma

Truth, Reality, cosmic law, righteousness, virtue.



(more..) Truth, Reality, cosmic law, righteousness, virtue. idea

in non-technical use the term refers to the visual aspect of anything; for Plato and Platonists, it is the highest noetic entity, the eternal unchanging Form, the archetype of the manifested material thing; in Plato, idea is a synonim of eidos, but in Neoplatonism these two terms have a slightly different meaning.



(more..) in non-technical use the term refers to the visual aspect of anything; for Plato and Platonists, it is the highest noetic entity, the eternal unchanging Form, the archetype of the manifested material thing; in Plato,is a synonim of, but in Neoplatonism these two terms have a slightly different meaning. jati

One of the many subdivisions of a varna. By extension, birth into a certain clan, with all of the rites and responsibilities particular to it.



(more..) One of the many subdivisions of a. By extension, birth into a certain clan, with all of the rites and responsibilities particular to it. ksatriya

a member of the second highest of the four Hindu castes; a warrior or prince. (Also includes politicians, officers, and civil authorities.) The distinctive quality of the kshatriya is a combative and noble nature that tends toward glory and heroism.



(more..) a member of the second highest of the four Hindu castes; a warrior or prince. (Also includes politicians, officers, and civil authorities.) The distinctive quality of theis a combative and noble nature that tends toward glory and heroism. moksa

liberation or release from the round of birth and death (samsāra); deliverance from ignorance (avidyā). According to Hindu teaching, moksha is the most important aim of life, and it is attained by following one of the principal mārgas or spiritual paths (see bhakti, jnāna, and karma).



(more..) liberation or release from the round of birth and death (); deliverance from ignorance (). According to Hindu teaching,is the most important aim of life, and it is attained by following one of the principalor spiritual paths (see, and). murti

Anything that has a definite shape; an image or idol; personification.



(more..) Anything that has a definite shape; an image or idol; personification. nirvana

In Buddhism (and Hinduism), ultimate liberation from samsara (the cycles of rebirths or the flow of cosmic manifestation), resulting in absorption in the Absolute; the extinction of the fires of passion and the resulting, supremely blissful state of liberation from attachment and egoism.



(more..) In Buddhism (and Hinduism), ultimate liberation from(the cycles of rebirths or the flow of cosmic manifestation), resulting in absorption in the Absolute; the extinction of the fires of passion and the resulting, supremely blissful state of liberation from attachment and egoism. philosophy

love of wisdom; the intellectual and ‘erotic’ path which leads to virtue and knowledge; the term itself perhaps is coined by Pythagoras; the Hellenic philosophia is a prolongation, modification and ‘modernization’ of the Egyptian and Near Eastern sapiential ways of life; philosophia cannot be reduced to philosophical discourse; for Aristotle, metaphysics is prote philosophia, or theologike, but philosophy as theoria means dedication to the bios theoretikos, the life of contemplation – thus the philosophical life means the participation in the divine and the actualization of the divine in the human through the personal askesis and inner transformation; Plato defines philosophy as a training for death ( Phaed.67cd); the Platonic philosophia helps the soul to become aware of its own immateriality, it liberates from passions and strips away everything that is not truly itself; for Plotinus, philosophy does not wish only ‘to be a discourse about objects, be they even the highest, but it wishes actually to lead the soul to a living, concrete union with the Intellect and the Good’; in the late Neoplatonism, the ineffable theurgy is regarded as the culmination of philosophy.



(more..) love of wisdom; the intellectual and ‘erotic’ path which leads to virtue and knowledge; the term itself perhaps is coined by Pythagoras; the Hellenicis a prolongation, modification and ‘modernization’ of the Egyptian and Near Eastern sapiential ways of life;cannot be reduced to philosophical discourse; for Aristotle, metaphysics is, or, but philosophy asmeans dedication to the, the life of contemplation – thus the philosophical life means the participation in the divine and the actualization of the divine in the human through the personaland inner transformation; Plato defines philosophy as a training for death (.67cd); the Platonichelps the soul to become aware of its own immateriality, it liberates from passions and strips away everything that is not truly itself; for Plotinus, philosophy does not wish only ‘to be a discourse about objects, be they even the highest, but it wishes actually to lead the soul to a living, concrete union with the Intellect and the Good’; in the late Neoplatonism, the ineffable theurgy is regarded as the culmination of philosophy. sudra

A member of the lowest of the four Hindu castes; an unskilled laborer or serf.



(more..) A member of the lowest of the four Hindu castes; an unskilled laborer or serf. Summum Bonum

the Highest or Supreme Good.



(more..) the Highest or Supreme Good. theology

divine science, theology, logos about the gods, considered to be the essence of teletai; for Aristotle, a synonim of metaphysics or first philosophy ( prote philosophia) in contrast with physics ( Metaph.1026a18); however, physics ( phusiologia) sometimes is called as a kind of theology (Proclus In Tim.I.217.25); for Neoplatonists, among the ancient theologians ( theologoi) are Orpheus, Homer, Hesiod and other divinely inspired poets, the creators of theogonies and keepers of sacred rites.



(more..) divine science, theology,about the gods, considered to be the essence of; for Aristotle, a synonim of metaphysics or first philosophy () in contrast with physics (.1026a18); however, physics () sometimes is called as a kind of theology (Proclus.I.217.25); for Neoplatonists, among the ancient theologians () are Orpheus, Homer, Hesiod and other divinely inspired poets, the creators of theogonies and keepers of sacred rites. vaisya

a member of the third of the four Hindu castes, including merchants, craftsmen, farmers; the distinctive qualities of the vaishya are honesty, balance, perseverance.



(more..) a member of the third of the four Hindu castes, including merchants, craftsmen, farmers; the distinctive qualities of the vaishya are honesty, balance, perseverance. varna

Caste; class; the four major social divisions in Hindu society include (in descending order): brāhmaṇas (priests), kṣatriyas (royals and warriors), vaiśyas (merchants and farmers), and śūdras (servants and laborers); situated outside the caste system are the caṇḍālas (outcastes and "untouchables") and mlecchas (foreigners and "barbarians"); members of the three upper castes are called "twice-born" (dvijā) and are permitted to study the Vedas.



(more..) Caste; class; the four major social divisions in Hindu society include (in descending order):(priests),(royals and warriors),(merchants and farmers), and(servants and laborers); situated outside the caste system are the(outcastes and "untouchables") and(foreigners and "barbarians"); members of the three upper castes are called "twice-born" () and are permitted to study the yoga

union of the jiva with God; method of God-realization (in Hinduism)



(more..) union of the jiva with God; method of God-realization (in Hinduism) Advaita

"non-dualist" interpretation of the Vedānta; Hindu doctrine according to which the seeming multiplicity of things is regarded as the product of ignorance, the only true reality being Brahman, the One, the Absolute, the Infinite, which is the unchanging ground of appearance.



(more..) "non-dualist" interpretation of the; Hindu doctrine according to which the seeming multiplicity of things is regarded as the product of ignorance, the only true reality being, the One, the Absolute, the Infinite, which is the unchanging ground of appearance. idea

in non-technical use the term refers to the visual aspect of anything; for Plato and Platonists, it is the highest noetic entity, the eternal unchanging Form, the archetype of the manifested material thing; in Plato, idea is a synonim of eidos, but in Neoplatonism these two terms have a slightly different meaning.



(more..) in non-technical use the term refers to the visual aspect of anything; for Plato and Platonists, it is the highest noetic entity, the eternal unchanging Form, the archetype of the manifested material thing; in Plato,is a synonim of, but in Neoplatonism these two terms have a slightly different meaning. agape

selfless “love”, as of God for man and man for God; human compassion for one’s neighbor; equivalent of Latin caritas. In Christianity, it typically refers to the love of God toward mankind, given freely, to which believers must respond reciprocally, and which they must share with others.



(more..) selfless “love”, as of God for man and man for God; human compassion for one’s neighbor; equivalent of Latin caritas. In Christianity, it typically refers to the love of God toward mankind, given freely, to which believers must respond reciprocally, and which they must share with others. idea

in non-technical use the term refers to the visual aspect of anything; for Plato and Platonists, it is the highest noetic entity, the eternal unchanging Form, the archetype of the manifested material thing; in Plato, idea is a synonim of eidos, but in Neoplatonism these two terms have a slightly different meaning.



(more..) in non-technical use the term refers to the visual aspect of anything; for Plato and Platonists, it is the highest noetic entity, the eternal unchanging Form, the archetype of the manifested material thing; in Plato,is a synonim of, but in Neoplatonism these two terms have a slightly different meaning. maat

the ancient Egyptian term for measure, harmony, canon, justice and truth, shared by the gods and humans alike; maat is the essence of the sacred laws that keeps a human community and the entire cosmic order; it establishes the link between above and below; ‘letting maat ascend’ is a language offering during the hieratic rites and interpretation of the cosmic process in terms of their mystic and salvational meaning; for Plato, who admired the Egyptian patterns, the well-ordered cosmos, truth, and justice are among the main objects of philosophical discourse.



(more..) the ancient Egyptian term for measure, harmony, canon, justice and truth, shared by the gods and humans alike;is the essence of the sacred laws that keeps a human community and the entire cosmic order; it establishes the link between above and below; ‘lettingascend’ is a language offering during the hieratic rites and interpretation of the cosmic process in terms of their mystic and salvational meaning; for Plato, who admired the Egyptian patterns, the well-ordered cosmos, truth, and justice are among the main objects of philosophical discourse. mana





(more..) Ram

In Hinduism, one of the names by which to call God. In sacred history, Rama was the hero king of the epic Ramayana, and is one of the ten avatars of Vishnu. The term is also a form of address among sadhus



(more..) In Hinduism, one of the names by which to call God. In sacred history, Rama was the hero king of the epic Ramayana, and is one of the ten avatars of Vishnu. The term is also a form of address among theology

divine science, theology, logos about the gods, considered to be the essence of teletai; for Aristotle, a synonim of metaphysics or first philosophy ( prote philosophia) in contrast with physics ( Metaph.1026a18); however, physics ( phusiologia) sometimes is called as a kind of theology (Proclus In Tim.I.217.25); for Neoplatonists, among the ancient theologians ( theologoi) are Orpheus, Homer, Hesiod and other divinely inspired poets, the creators of theogonies and keepers of sacred rites.



(more..) divine science, theology,about the gods, considered to be the essence of; for Aristotle, a synonim of metaphysics or first philosophy () in contrast with physics (.1026a18); however, physics () sometimes is called as a kind of theology (Proclus.I.217.25); for Neoplatonists, among the ancient theologians () are Orpheus, Homer, Hesiod and other divinely inspired poets, the creators of theogonies and keepers of sacred rites. Tradition

(as the term is used by "Traditionalists" and in the "Perennial Philosopy":) Divine Revelation and the unfolding and development of its sacred content, in time and space, such that the forms of society and civilization maintain a "vertical" connection to the meta-historical, transcendental substance from which revelation itself derives.



(more..) (as the term is used by "Traditionalists" and in the "Perennial Philosopy":) Divine Revelation and the unfolding and development of its sacred content, in time and space, such that the forms of society and civilization maintain a "vertical" connection to the meta-historical, transcendental substance from which revelation itself derives. gnosis

(A) "knowledge"; spiritual insight, principial comprehension, divine wisdom.(B) knowledge; gnosis is contrasted with doxa (opinion) by Plato; the object of gnosis is to on, reality or being, and the fully real is the fully knowable ( Rep.477a); the Egyptian Hermetists made distinction between two types of knowledge: 1) science ( episteme), produced by reason ( logos), and 2) gnosis, produced by understanding and faith ( Corpus Hermeticum IX); therefore gnosis is regarded as the goal of episteme (ibid.X.9); the -idea that one may ‘know God’ ( gnosis theou) is very rare in the classical Hellenic literature, which rather praises episteme and hieratic vision, epopteia, but is common in Hermetism, Gnosticism and early Christianity; following the Platonic tradition (especially Plotinus and Porphyry), Augustine introduced a distinction between knowledge and wisdom, scientia and sapientia, claiming that the fallen soul knows only scientia, but before the Fall she knew sapientia ( De Trinitate XII).



(more..) "knowledge"; spiritual insight, principial comprehension, divine wisdom.knowledge;is contrasted with(opinion) by Plato; the object ofis, reality or being, and the fully real is the fully knowable (477a); the Egyptian Hermetists made distinction between two types of knowledge: 1) science (), produced by reason (), and 2)produced by understanding and faith (IX); thereforeis regarded as the goal of(ibid.X.9); the -idea that one may ‘know God’ () is very rare in the classical Hellenic literature, which rather praisesand hieratic vision,, but is common in Hermetism, Gnosticism and early Christianity; following the Platonic tradition (especially Plotinus and Porphyry), Augustine introduced a distinction between knowledge and wisdom,and, claiming that the fallen soul knows onlybut before the Fall she knewXII). humanism

The intellectual viewpoint increasingly prevalent in the West since the time of the Renaissance; it replaced the traditional Christian view of God as the center of all things by a belief in man as the measure of all things.



(more..) The intellectual viewpoint increasingly prevalent in the West since the time of the Renaissance; it replaced the traditional Christian view of God as the center of all things by a belief in man as the measure of all things. idea

in non-technical use the term refers to the visual aspect of anything; for Plato and Platonists, it is the highest noetic entity, the eternal unchanging Form, the archetype of the manifested material thing; in Plato, idea is a synonim of eidos, but in Neoplatonism these two terms have a slightly different meaning.



(more..) in non-technical use the term refers to the visual aspect of anything; for Plato and Platonists, it is the highest noetic entity, the eternal unchanging Form, the archetype of the manifested material thing; in Plato,is a synonim of, but in Neoplatonism these two terms have a slightly different meaning. logos

(A) "word, reason"; in Christian theology, the divine, uncreated Word of God (cf. John 1:1); the transcendent Principle of creation and revelation. (B) the basic meaning is ‘something said’, ‘account’; the term is used in explanation and definition of some kind of thing, but also means reason, measure, proportion, analogy, word, speech, discourse, discursive reasoning, noetic apprehension of the first principles; the demiurgic Logos (like the Egyptian Hu, equated with Thoth, the tongue of Ra, who transforms the Thoughts of the Heart into spoken and written Language, thus creating and articulating the world as a script and icon of the gods) is the intermediary divine power: as an image of the noetic cosmos, the physical cosmos is regarded as a multiple Logos containing a plurality of individual logoi ( Enn.IV.3.8.17-22); in Plotinus, Logos is not a separate hupostasis, but determines the relation of any hupostasis to its source and its products, serving as the formative principle from which the lower realities evolve; the external spech ( logos prophorikos) constitutes the external expression of internal thought ( logos endiathetos).



(more..) "word, reason"; in Christian theology, the divine, uncreated Word of God (. John 1:1); the transcendent Principle of creation and revelation.the basic meaning is ‘something said’, ‘account’; the term is used in explanation and definition of some kind of thing, but also means reason, measure, proportion, analogy, word, speech, discourse, discursive reasoning, noetic apprehension of the first principles; the demiurgic(like the Egyptianequated with Thoth, the tongue of Ra, who transforms the Thoughts of the Heart into spoken and written Language, thus creating and articulating the world as a script and icon of the gods) is the intermediary divine power: as an image of the noetic cosmos, the physical cosmos is regarded as a multiplecontaining a plurality of individual.IV.3.8.17-22); in Plotinus,is not a separatebut determines the relation of anyto its source and its products, serving as the formative principle from which the lower realities evolve; the external spech () constitutes the external expression of internal thought ( modernism

The predominant post-Renaissance and post-Enlightenment worldview of Western civilization marked by rationalism, scientism, and humanism. In the Muslim world, it refers to those individuals and movements who have sought to adopt Western ideas and values from the nineteenth century onwards in response to Western domination and imperialism.



(more..) The predominant post-Renaissance and post-Enlightenment worldview of Western civilization marked by rationalism, scientism, and humanism. In the Muslim world, it refers to those individuals and movements who have sought to adopt Western ideas and values from the nineteenth century onwards in response to Western domination and imperialism. philosophy

love of wisdom; the intellectual and ‘erotic’ path which leads to virtue and knowledge; the term itself perhaps is coined by Pythagoras; the Hellenic philosophia is a prolongation, modification and ‘modernization’ of the Egyptian and Near Eastern sapiential ways of life; philosophia cannot be reduced to philosophical discourse; for Aristotle, metaphysics is prote philosophia, or theologike, but philosophy as theoria means dedication to the bios theoretikos, the life of contemplation – thus the philosophical life means the participation in the divine and the actualization of the divine in the human through the personal askesis and inner transformation; Plato defines philosophy as a training for death ( Phaed.67cd); the Platonic philosophia helps the soul to become aware of its own immateriality, it liberates from passions and strips away everything that is not truly itself; for Plotinus, philosophy does not wish only ‘to be a discourse about objects, be they even the highest, but it wishes actually to lead the soul to a living, concrete union with the Intellect and the Good’; in the late Neoplatonism, the ineffable theurgy is regarded as the culmination of philosophy.



(more..) love of wisdom; the intellectual and ‘erotic’ path which leads to virtue and knowledge; the term itself perhaps is coined by Pythagoras; the Hellenicis a prolongation, modification and ‘modernization’ of the Egyptian and Near Eastern sapiential ways of life;cannot be reduced to philosophical discourse; for Aristotle, metaphysics is, or, but philosophy asmeans dedication to the, the life of contemplation – thus the philosophical life means the participation in the divine and the actualization of the divine in the human through the personaland inner transformation; Plato defines philosophy as a training for death (.67cd); the Platonichelps the soul to become aware of its own immateriality, it liberates from passions and strips away everything that is not truly itself; for Plotinus, philosophy does not wish only ‘to be a discourse about objects, be they even the highest, but it wishes actually to lead the soul to a living, concrete union with the Intellect and the Good’; in the late Neoplatonism, the ineffable theurgy is regarded as the culmination of philosophy. pontifex

“bridge-maker”; man as the link between Heaven and earth.



(more..) “bridge-maker”; man as the link between Heaven and earth. psyche

(usually transcribed as psyche): soul; breath of life, life-stuff; Homer distinguishes between a free soul as a soul of the dead, corresponding with psuche (and still regarded as an eidolon), and body souls, corresponding with thumos, noos and menos: following the Egyptian theological patterns, the Pythagoreans constituted the psuche as the reflection of the unchanging and immortal principles; from Plato onwards, psuchai are no longer regarded as eidola, phantoms or doubles of the body, but rather the human body is viewed as the perishable simulacrum of an immaterial and immortal soul; there are different degrees of soul (or different souls), therefore anything that is alive has a soul (Aristotle De anima 414b32); in Phaedrus 248b the soul is regarded as something to be a separate, self-moving and immortal entity (cf.Proclus Elements of Theology 186); Psuche is the third hupostasis of Plotinus.



(more..) (usually transcribed as): soul; breath of life, life-stuff; Homer distinguishes between a free soul as a soul of the dead, corresponding with(and still regarded as an), and body souls, corresponding withand: following the Egyptian theological patterns, the Pythagoreans constituted theas the reflection of the unchanging and immortal principles; from Plato onwards,i are no longer regarded asphantoms or doubles of the body, but rather the human body is viewed as the perishableof an immaterial and immortal soul; there are different degrees of soul (or different souls), therefore anything that is alive has a soul (Aristotle414b32); in248b the soul is regarded as something to be a separate, self-moving and immortal entity (cf.Proclus186);is the thirdof Plotinus. rationalism

The philosophical position that sees reason as the ultimate arbiter of truth. Its origin lies in Descartes’ famous cogito ergo sum, "I think, therefore I am."



(more..) The philosophical position that sees reason as the ultimate arbiter of truth. Its origin lies in Descartes’ famous cogito ergo sum, "I think, therefore I am." sophi