Spiritual practice A spiritual practice or spiritual discipline (often including spiritual exercises ) is the regular or full-time performance of actions and activities undertaken for the purpose of cultivating spiritual development . A common metaphor used in the spiritual traditions of the world's great religions is that of walking a path. [ 1 ] Therefore a spiritual practice moves a person along a path towards a goal. The goal is variously referred to as salvation , liberation or union (with God). A person who walks such a path is sometimes referred to as a wayfarer or a pilgrim . [ edit ] Abrahamic religions [ edit ] Baha'i Faith Prayer in the Bahá'í Faith refers to two distinct concepts: obligatory prayer and devotional prayer (general prayer). [ edit ] Christianity The Religious Society of Friends (also known as the Quakers) practices silent worship, which is punctuated by vocal ministry. [ edit ] Islam [ edit ] Judaism [ edit ] Indian religions [ edit ] Buddhism [ edit ] Hinduism [ edit ] Other
Cleromancy - Wikipedia For the use of random selection as a way to make a fair form of selection, see Sortition. Cleromancy is a form of sortition, casting of lots, in which an outcome is determined by means that normally would be considered random, such as the rolling of dice, but are sometimes believed to reveal the will of God, or other supernatural entities. In classical civilization[edit] In Judeo-Christian tradition[edit] Casting of lots occurs relatively frequently in the Bible, and many biblical scholars think that the Urim and Thummim served this purpose. In the Hebrew Bible, there are several cases where lots were cast as a means of determining God's mind: Other places in the Hebrew Bible relevant to divination: In the Eastern Orthodox Church this method of selection is still occasionally used. In Scandinavia[edit] "To divination and casting of lots, they pay attention beyond any other people. In East Asian culture[edit] See also[edit] References[edit] External links[edit]
Messiah ben Joseph Messianic tradition[edit] Jewish tradition alludes to four messianic figures. Called the Four Craftsmen, each will be involved in ushering in the Messianic age. Sources in chronological order[edit] The Dead Sea Scrolls[edit] While the Dead Sea scrolls do not explicitly refer to a Messiah ben Joseph, a plethora of messianic figures are displayed. The poly-messianic Testimonia text 4Q175 presents a prophet similar to Moses, a messianic figure and a priestly teacher.[8]: 89 The Test contains four testimonium.[9] The fourth testimonium is about Joshua and is generally viewed as non-messianic. Gabriel's Revelation[edit] Gabriel's Revelation is a stone tablet. The text seems to be based on a Jewish revolt recorded by Josephus dating from 4 BCE. Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs[edit] Talmud[edit] The Talmud uses the Hebrew ben rather than the Aramaic bar when giving the linage of these messiahs, suggesting a date before 200 CE. Targum[edit] The common Targum for Zechariah 12.10 is non-messianic.
Cognitive Anthropology - Anthropological Theories - Department of Anthropology - The University of Alabama The guides to anthropological theories and approaches listed below have been prepared by graduate students of the University of Alabama under the direction of Dr. Michael D. Murphy. Bobbie Simova and Tara Robertson and Duke Beasley (Note: authorship is arranged stratigraphically with the most recent author listed first) Basic Premises: Cognitive anthropology addresses the ways in which people conceive of and think about events and objects in the world. In the first decades of practice, cognitive anthropologists focused on folk taxonomies, including concepts of color, plants, and diseases. The methodology, theoretical underpinnings, and subjects of cognitive anthropology have been diverse. Cognitive anthropologists regard anthropology as a formal science. It was not until the 1950s that cognitive anthropology came to be regarded as a distinct theoretical and methodological approach within anthropology. The interaction of society and the mind has long been an area of intellectual interest.
Seven Factors of Enlightenment In Buddhism, the Seven Factors of Enlightenment (Pali: satta bojjhaṅgā or satta sambojjhaṅgā; Skt.: sapta bodhyanga) are: This set of seven enlightenment factors is one of the "Seven Sets" of "Enlightenment-related states" (bodhipakkhiyadhamma). The Pali word bojjhanga is a compound of bodhi ("enlightenment") and anga ("factor").[2] Pali literature[edit] In the Sutta Pitaka's Samyutta Nikaya, the bojjhangas refer to wholesome, mundane factors leading to enlightenment. Sutta Pitaka[edit] According to one discourse in the Samyutta Nikaya entitled "Bhikkhu Sutta" (SN 46.5): [Bhikkhu:] "Venerable sir, it is said, 'factors of enlightenment, factors of enlightenment.' [Buddha:] "They lead to enlightenment, bhikkhu, therefore they are called factors of enlightenment Again according to the Samyutta Nikaya, once when the Buddha was gravely ill he asked Venerable Mahacunda to recite the seven Factors of Enlightenment to him. Abhidhamma and commentarial literature[edit] Meditation[edit] See also[edit]
Magic and Vulnerability | Magic of the Ordinary ‘The extent to which a ritual works is the extent to which we are vulnerable to the forces it raises.’ I found the above statement in some old ritual training notes I wrote 20 years or so ago. It is as true now as it was then. When a Master enters the room, all a thief sees are pockets. We can perform deep and powerful invocations, ceremonies, evocations, prayers, initiations and wot not, and it won’t mean a thing unless we are open. And to be fair, magic hardly teaches us to be vulnerable does it? The need for vulnerability and openness is one of the reasons there are child deities in the world and one of the reasons Christ declared: Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Children are the most open and the most vulnerable among us. I’ve knelt in the ashes, in peace may I rise Empty of knowing and full of surprise Clothed all in silence a baby baptised To be vulnerable is not easy of course. Like this:
Theodicy Theological attempt to resolve the problem of evil Gottfried Leibniz coined the term "theodicy" in an attempt to justify God's existence in light of the apparent imperfections of the world. Theodicy () means vindication of God. It is to answer the question of why a good God permits the manifestation of evil, thus resolving the issue of the problem of evil. Some theodicies also address the evidential problem of evil by attempting "to make the existence of an all-knowing, all-powerful and all-good or omnibenevolent God consistent with the existence of evil or suffering in the world. the Plotinian theodicy, named after Plotinusthe Augustinian theodicy, which Hick based on the writings of Augustine of Hippothe Irenaean theodicy, which Hick developed, based on the thinking of St. The problem was also analyzed by pre-modern theologians and philosophers in the Islamic world. Definition and etymology[edit] As a response to the problem of evil, a theodicy is distinct from a defence. History[edit]
Scatalogic Rites of All Nations : A Dissertation upon the Employment of Excrementicious Remedial Agents in Religion, Therapeutics, Divination, Witch-Craft, Love-Philters, etc. in all part of the Globe. First Edition. BOURKE, John G. Scatalogic Rites of All Nations : A Dissertation upon the Employment of Excrementicious Remedial Agents in Religion, Therapeutics, Divination, Witch-Craft, Love-Philters, etc. in all part of the Globe. Washington, D.C. : W. H. Lowdermilk & Co., 1891. John Gregory Bourke (b. Preface; 1. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. 31. 32. 33. 34. 35. 36. 37. 38. 39. 40. 41. 42. 43. 44. 45. 46. 47. 48. 49. 50. 51. 52. 53. 54. With Bibliography, Index. Ex library with bookplate, pouch-leavings and a blind-stamp to title-page (but no spine markings). light wear to covers, else very good (complete with pages 401-16 which are lacking in some copies). 250.00
Nondualism Nondualism, also called non-duality, "points to the idea that the universe and all its multiplicity are ultimately expressions or appearances of one essential reality." It is a term and concept used to define various strands of religious and spiritual thought. Its origins are situated within the Buddhist tradition with its teaching of the two truths doctrine, the nonduality of the absolute and the relative, and the Yogacara notion of "pure consciousness" or "representation-only" (vijñapti-mātra). The term has more commonly become associated with the Advaita Vedanta tradition of Adi Shankara, which took over the Buddhis notion of pure consciousness and provided an orthodox hermeneutical basis for heterodox Buddhist phenomology. In various strands of modern spirituality, New Age and Neo-Advaita, the "primordial, natural awareness without subject or object"[web 1] is seen as the essence of a variety of religious traditions. Definitions[edit] Dictionary definitions of "nondualism" are scarce.
Pineapple mania: art history's fixation with an exotic fruit Whether you slice it, dice it, drink it, juice it, can it, or put it on a pizza (you monsters), the pineapple is a delicious symbol of all that is wondrous and exotic in life. Originating in the areas now known as Brazil and Paraguay, this iconic fruit has gone on to capture the imaginations and taste buds of all who have come into contact with it. From fifteenth-century explorers to millennial hipsters, the sweet but spiky appeal of the pineapple has proved to be timeless and global. In this day and age, we are fortunate to be able to get pineapples all year round for just a couple of pounds, but that wasn't always the case. By the seventeenth century, the cultivating of rare plants was seen as a noble pastime, equal to collecting art and antiquities. Spanish historian Gonzalo Fernández de Oviedo y Valdés wrote of the pineapple in 1535, declaring: 'my pen and my words cannot depict such exceptional qualities, nor appropriately celebrate this fruit.' The Pineapple
Hylics Hylic (from Greek ύλη (hylē) "matter") is the opposite of psychic (from Greek ψυχή (psychē) "soul"). Somatics were deemed completely bound to matter. Matter, the material world, was considered evil by the gnostics. The material world was created by a demiurge, in some instances a blind, mad God, in others an army of rebellious angels as a trap for the spiritual Ennoia. Somatics were human in form, but since their entire focus was on the material world, such as eating, sleeping, mating, creature comforts, they were seen as doomed. For consideration of these dynamics see for example, The Gospel of Judas, believed to be a gnostic text, where Jesus is posited as a pneumatic and the other disciples, non-gnostics, as somatics. Jump up ^ Freke, Timothy (2001).
The Myth and Lore of The Fairy Ring - Garden Collage Magazine For thousands of years, peoples of various cultures have regarded fairy rings with a strong sense of curiosity and fear, believing them to be mystical, supernatural places. Folklore tells us that cultures across Europe have traditionally believed that fairy rings are the dwelling place of fairies, elves, witches, and other magical beings– and that in some cases, they may be dangerous to enter. Even though fairy rings were thought to be little realms where fairies dance and play, lore suggested that if a human interrupted the fun, the cost could be deadly serious. Science tells us that fairy rings– or patterns of certain types of mushrooms that grow in circular formations– are naturally-occurring phenomenon that usually appear year after year on lawns, in fields, and in forests. What then could be so dangerous about a circle of mushrooms? Photo: Alessandro Zocc Not all myth surrounding the fairy ring is quite so dark, however. Photo: Erin Brierley/Flickr And I serve the fairy queen,
Kali Yuga Not to be confused with Kali Yug, a 1963 Italian film Current Yuga[edit] The duration and chronological starting point in human history of Kali Yuga has given rise to different evaluations and interpretations. According to the Surya Siddhanta, Kali Yuga began at midnight (00:00) on 18 February 3102 BCE[1] in the proleptic Julian calendar, or 14 January 3102 BCE in the proleptic Gregorian calendar. This date is also considered by many Hindus to be the day that Krishna left Earth to return to his abode. Most interpreters of Hindu scriptures believe that Earth is currently in Kali Yuga. Attributes of Kali Yuga[edit] Hindus believe that human civilization degenerates spiritually during the Kali Yuga,[5] which is referred to as the Dark Age because in it people are as far away as possible from God. References in the Mahabharata[edit] The Mahabharata War and the decimation of Yadavas thus happened at the Yuga-Sandhi, the point of transition from one yuga to another. 10,000 year "Golden Age"[edit]
The rise of Archaeologists Anonymous In a quiet group chat in an obscure part of the internet, a small number of anonymous accounts are swapping references from academic publications and feverishly poring over complex graphs of DNA analysis. These are not your average trolls, but scholars, researchers and students who have come together online to discuss the latest findings in archaeology. Why would established academics not be having these conversations in a conference hall or a lecture theatre? The answer might surprise you. The equation of anonymity on the internet with deviance, mischief and hate has become a central plank in the global war on “misinformation”. Like what you’re reading? Already registered? Many, like myself, are “junior researchers” or PhD drop-outs — people with one foot in the door but who recognise how precarious academic jobs are. But in 2018, a bombshell paper proved this was fundamentally incorrect. “Indigenous Australians belong to the oldest continuous culture on earth.