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Showing 20 pages using this property.

N

Nilakantha +

A name of Siva meaning “ blue throated”. This is said to have been the result of some poison administered to the god [[Category: CTD info from Theosophical Glossary]] (TG). +

Nile‐God +

Represented by a wooden image of the river god receiving honours in gratitude for the bounties its waters afford the country. There was a “celestial” Nile, called in the Ritual ''Nen‐naou ''or “primordial waters”; and a terrestrial Nile, worshipped at ''Nilopolis ''and Hapimoo. The latter was represented as an androgynous being with a beard and breasts, and a fat blue face ; green limbs and reddish body. At the approach of the yearly inundation, the image was carried from one place to another in solemn procession [[Category: CTD info from Theosophical Glossary]] (TG). +

Nimbus +

The aureole around the heads of the Christ and Saints in Greek and Romish Churches is of Eastern origin. As every Orientalist knows, Buddha is described as having his head surrounded with shining glory six cubits in width; and, as shown by Hardy (''Eastern Monachism''), “his principal disciples are represented by the native painters as having a similar mark of eminence”. In China, Tibet and Japan, the heads of the saints are always surrounded with a nimbus [[Category: CTD info from Theosophical Glossary]] (TG). +

Nimitta +

1. An interior illumination developed by the practice of meditation. 2. The efficient spiritual cause, as contrasted with Upadana, the material cause, in Vedânta philosophy. See also ''Pradhâna ''in Sankhya philosophy [[Category: CTD info from Theosophical Glossary]] (TG). +

Nina, Saint +

Christian missionary revered as the enlightener and patron saint of Georgia. The Appendix describes her preaching at Mtskheta and credits her with the conversion of the royal court and the spread of Christianity in Georgia. (BCW [[SMW::off]][[Zirkoff B. - Appendix (BCW vol.2)#537|2:537-538]][[SMW::on]]). +

Nine +

The “Kabbalah of the Nine Chambers” is a form of secret writing in cipher, which originated with the Hebrew Rabbis, and has been used by several societies for purposes of concealment notably some grades of the Freemasons have adopted it. A figure is drawn of two horizontal parallel lines and two vertical parallel lines across them, this process forms nine chambers, the centre one a simple square, the others being either two or three sided figures, these are allotted to the several letters in any order that is agreed upon. There is also a Kabbalstic attribution of the ten Sephiroth to these nine chambers, but this is not published. [w.w.w.] [[Category: CTD info from Theosophical Glossary]] (TG). +

Nineteenth Century +

London monthly review, listed by de Zirkoff from 1877 onward. (BCW [[SMW::off]][[Zirkoff B. - Appendix (BCW vol.6)#451|6:451]][[SMW::on]]). London monthly review founded in 1877, listed among the sources cited in the volume. (BCW [[SMW::off]][[Zirkoff B. - Appendix (BCW vol.7)#403|7:403]][[SMW::on]]). London. Monthly review, 1877, etc (BCW [[SMW::off]][[Zirkoff B. - Appendix (BCW vol.8)#479|8:479]][[SMW::on]]). +

Nipher, Francis Eugene +

American physicist (1847-1927), professor at Washington University in St Louis, who studied photography and electrical discharges. He wrote Electricity and Magnetism (1914); the precise work referred to by H. P. Blavatsky remained unidentified. (BCW [[SMW::off]][[Zirkoff B. - Appendix (BCW vol.2)#538|2:538]][[SMW::on]]). +

Nippold, Friedrich +

Bibliographical references include: Handbuch der neuesten Kirchengeschichte seit der Restauration von 1814 . . Elberfeld, 1867. 8vo; 2nd ed. 1868; 3rd ed. in 3 vols. 1880-1906. Die Wege nach Rom und die Los-von-Rom-Bewegung, 1909. Der Jesuitenorden von seiner Wiederherstellung bis zur Gegenwart, Mannheim, 1867 (BCW [[SMW::off]][[Zirkoff B. - Appendix (BCW vol.9)#446|9:446]][[SMW::on]]). +

Nirguna +

Negative attribute; unbound, or without ''Gunas ''(attributes), i.e., that which is devoid of all qualities, the opposite of Saguna, that which has attributes (''Secret Doctrine, ''II. 95), e.g., Parabrahmam is Nirguna; Brahmâ, Saguna. Nirguna is a term which shows the impersonality of the thing spoken of [[Category: CTD info from Theosophical Glossary]] (TG). +

Nirmanakaya +

Something entirely different in esoteric philosophy from the popular meaning attached to it, and from the fancies of the Orientalists. Some call the ''Nirmânakâya ''body “Nirvana with remains” (Schlagintweit, etc.) on the supposition, probably, that it is a kind of Nirvânic condition during which consciousness and form are retained. Others say that it is one of the ''Trikâya ''(three bodies), with the “power of assuming any form of appearance in order to propagate Buddhism” (Eitel’s idea); again, that “it is the incarnate avatâra of a deity” (''ibid.''), and so on. Occultism, on the other hand, says:that Nirmânakâya, although meaning literally a transformed “body”, is a state. The form is that of the adept or yogi who enters, or chooses, that ''post mortem ''condition in preference to the Dharmakâya or ''absolute ''Nirvânic state. He does this because the latter ''kâya ''separates him for ever from the world of form, conferring upon him a state of ''selfish ''bliss, in which no other living being can participate, the adept being thus precluded from the possibility of helping humanity, or even ''devas''. As a Nirmânakâya, however, the man leaves behind him only his physical body, and retains every other “principle” save the Kamic — for he has crushed this out for ever from his nature, during life, and it can never resurrect in his post mortem state. Thus, instead of going into selfish bliss, he chooses a life of self‐sacrifice, an existence which ends only with the life‐cycle, in order to be enabled to help mankind in an invisible yet most effective manner. (See ''The Voice of the Silence'', third treatise, “The Seven Portals”.) Thus a Nirmânakâya is not, as popularly believed, the body “in which a Buddha or a Bodhisattva appears on earth”, but verily one, who whether a ''Chutuktu ''or a ''Khubilkhan, ''an adept or a yogi during life, has since become a member of that invisible Host which ever protects and watches over Humanity within Karmic limits. Mistaken often for a “Spirit”, a Deva, God himself, &c., a Nirmânakâya is ever a protecting, compassionate, verily a ''guardian ''angel, to him who becomes worthy of his help. Whatever objection may be brought forward against this doctrine; however much it is denied, because, forsooth, it has never been hitherto made public in Europe and therefore since it is unknown to Orientalists, it must needs be “a myth of modern invention” — no one will be bold enough to say that this idea of helping suffering mankind at the price of one’s own almost interminable self‐sacrifice, is not one of the grandest and noblest that was ever evolved from human brain [[Category: CTD info from Theosophical Glossary]] (TG).

Nirmathya +

The sacred fire produced by the friction of two pieces of wood — the “fire” called ''Pavamâna ''in the ''Purânas''. The allegory contained therein is an occult teaching [[Category: CTD info from Theosophical Glossary]] (TG). +

Nirnaya Sindhu +

With Commentary of Krishnam Bhatta. Edited with notes by Pandit Gopala Shastri Nene. Benares: Chowkhamba Sanskrit Series Office, 1919-30. Work No. 52 (BCW [[SMW::off]][[Zirkoff B. - Appendix (BCW vol.9)#446|9:446]][[SMW::on]]). +

Nirriti +

A goddess of Death and Decay [[Category: CTD info from Theosophical Glossary]] (TG). +

Nirukta +

An ''anga ''or limb, a division of the ''Vedas''; a glossarial comment [[Category: CTD info from Theosophical Glossary]] (TG). Work by Yaska. Zirkoff cites Lakshman Sarup’s edition, including the ''Nighantu'' (Lahore, 1927), and his translation (Oxford, 1921). (BCW [[SMW::off]][[Zirkoff B. - Appendix (BCW vol.5)#366|5:366]][[SMW::on]]). +

Nirupadhi +

Attributeless; the negation of attributes [[Category: CTD info from Theosophical Glossary]] (TG). +

Nirvana +

According to the Orientalists, the entire “blowing out”, like the flame of a candle, the utter extinction of existence. But in the esoteric explanations it is the state of absolute existence and absolute consciousness, into which the Ego of a man who has reached the highest degree of perfection and holiness during life goes, after the body dies, and occasionally, as in the case of Gautama Buddha and others, during life. (See [[Nirvani|“Nirvânî”]].) [[Category: CTD info from Theosophical Glossary]] (TG). +

Nirvani +

One who has attained Nirvana — an emancipated soul. That Nirvâna means nothing of the kind asserted by Orientalists every scholar who has visited China, India and Japan is well aware. It is “''escape ''from misery” but only from that of matter, freedom from ''Klêsha'', or ''Kâma, ''and the complete extinction of animal desires. If we are told that ''Abidharma ''defines Nirvâna “as a state of absolute annihilation”, we concur, adding to the last word the qualification “of everything connected with matter or the physical world”, and this simply because the latter (as also all in it) is illusion, ''mâyâ''. Sâkya‐mûni Buddha said in the last moments of his life that “the spiritual body is immortal” (See ''Sans. Chin. Dict''.). As Mr. Eitel, the scholarly Sinologist, explains it: “The popular exoteric systems agree in defining Nirvâna ''negatively ''as a state of absolute exemption from the circle of transmigration; as a state of entire freedom from all forms of existence; to begin with, freedom from all passion and exertion; a state of indifference to all sensibility” and he might have added “death of all compassion for the world of suffering”. And this is why the Bodhisattvas who prefer the Nirmânakâya to the Dharmakâya vesture, stand higher in the popular estimation than the Nirvânîs. But the same scholar adds that: “Positively (and esoterically) they define Nirvâna as the highest state of spiritual bliss, as absolute immortality through absorption of the soul (spirit rather) into itself, but ''preserving individuality ''so that, e.g., Buddhas, after entering Nirvâna, may reappear on earth” — i.e., in the future Manvantara [[Category: CTD info from Theosophical Glossary]] (TG). +

Nishada +

(1) One of the seven qualities of sound — the one and sole attribute of Akâsa; (2) the ''seventh ''note of the Hindu musical scale; (3) an outcast offspring of a Brahman and a Sudra mother; (4) a range of mountains south of Meru — north of the Himalayas [[Category: CTD info from Theosophical Glossary]] (TG). +

Nissi +

One of the seven Chaldean gods [[Category: CTD info from Theosophical Glossary]] (TG). +