Shi'ur Qomah
Shi’ur Qomah (Hebrew: שיעור קומה, lit. Divine Dimensions or Elevation Gate) is a Midrashic text that is part of the Heichalot literature. It purports to record, in anthropomorphic terms, the secret names and precise measurements of God’s corporeal limbs and parts. The majority of the text is recorded in the form of sayings or teachings that the angel Metatron revealed to the Tannaic Sage, Rabbi Yishmael who transmitted it to his students and his contemporary Rabbi Akiva. Provenance & Rabbinic Understanding[edit] Currently the text exists only in fragmentary form, and scholars have debated how to appropriately date it. Notes and references[edit] See also[edit] External links[edit]
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Allegory
Literary device As a literary device, an allegory is a metaphor in which a character, place or event is used to deliver a broader message about real-world issues and occurrences. Allegory (in the sense of the practice and use of allegorical devices and works) has occurred widely throughout history in all forms of art, largely because it can readily illustrate or convey complex ideas and concepts in ways that are comprehensible or striking to its viewers, readers, or listeners. Writers or speakers typically use allegories as literary devices or as rhetorical devices that convey (semi-)hidden or complex meanings through symbolic figures, actions, imagery, or events, which together create the moral, spiritual, or political meaning the author wishes to convey.[2] Many allegories use personifications of abstract concepts. Etymology[edit] Types[edit] Classical allegory[edit] In the case of "interpreting allegorically," Theagenes appears to be our earliest example. Biblical allegory[edit] J.
Anima mundi
Connection between all living things Illustration of the correspondences between all parts of the created cosmos, with the anima mundi depicted as a woman, from the Utriusque cosmi maioris scilicet et minoris metaphysica, physica atque technica historia by Robert Fludd Although the concept of the anima mundi originated in classical antiquity, similar ideas can be found in the thoughts of later European philosophers such as those of Baruch Spinoza, Gottfried Leibniz, Immanuel Kant, Friedrich Schelling, and Georg W.F. Hegel (particularly in his concept of Weltgeist). History[edit] Platonism[edit] Plato adhered to this idea, identifying the universe as a living being: Thus, then, in accordance with the likely account, we must declare that this Cosmos has verily come into existence as a Living Creature endowed with soul and reason [...] a Living Creature, one and visible, containing within itself all the living creatures which are by nature akin to itself. Stoicism[edit] Gnosticism[edit]
Dharma
Dharma listen (Sanskrit: धर्म dharma; Pali: धम्म dhamma) is a key concept with multiple meanings in the Indian religions Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism and Jainism.[8] There is no single word translation for dharma in western languages.[9] The Classical Sanskrit noun dharma is a derivation from the root dhṛ, which has a meaning of "to hold, maintain, keep".[note 3] The word "dharma" was already in use in the historical Vedic religion, and its meaning and conceptual scope has evolved over several millennia.[12] The antonym of dharma is adharma. Etymology[edit] The Classical Sanskrit noun dharma is a derivation from the root dhṛ, which has a meaning of "to hold, maintain, keep",[note 3] and takes a meaning of "what is established or firm", and hence "law". In the Rigveda, the word appears as an n-stem, dhárman-, with a range of meanings encompassing "something established or firm" (in the literal sense of prods or poles). Definition[edit] History[edit] Eusebeia and dharma[edit] Hinduism[edit]
Exoteric
Exoteric refers to knowledge that is outside, and independent from, a person's experience and can be ascertained by anyone (related to common sense). The word is derived from the comparative form of Greek ἔξω eksô, "from, out of, outside". It signifies anything which is public, without limits, or universal. It is distinguished from internal esoteric knowledge. Philosophical context[edit] Most philosophical and religious belief systems presume that reality must be independent of what an individual makes of it. In his book entitled The Book of Five Rings, the Japanese swordsmaster Miyamoto Musashi noted that when he teaches people martial arts, "since [he] generally makes them learn such things as have actual relevance to addressing [deeper principles], there is no such thing as a distinction between the esoteric and the exoteric." [1] Religious context[edit] Government[edit] Societies[edit] See also[edit] References[edit] ^ Miyamoto Musashi. External links[edit]
Spiritual direction
Spiritual direction is the practice of being with people as they attempt to deepen their relationship with the divine, or to learn and grow in their own personal spirituality. The person seeking direction shares stories of his or her encounters of the divine, or how he or she is experiencing spiritual issues. The director listens and asks questions to assist the directee in his or her process of reflection and spiritual growth. Spiritual direction develops a deeper relationship with the spiritual aspect of being human. Forms[edit] Regular direction can involve a one to two hour meeting every four to eight weeks, and thus is slightly less intense than retreat direction, although spiritual exercises and disciplines are often given for the directee to attempt between meetings. If the directee is on a retreat (lasting a weekend, a week or even 40 days), he or she will generally meet with their director on a daily basis for one hour. Historical Traditions[edit] Western Christianity[edit]
Faust
Faust is the protagonist of a classic German legend. He is a scholar who is highly successful yet dissatisfied with his life, so he makes a pact with the Devil, exchanging his soul for unlimited knowledge and worldly pleasures. The Faust legend has been the basis for many literary, artistic, cinematic, and musical works that have reinterpreted it through the ages. Faust and the adjective Faustian imply a situation in which an ambitious person surrenders moral integrity in order to achieve power and success for a delimited term.[1] Summary of the story[edit] During the term of the bargain, Faust makes use of Mephistopheles in various ways. Sources[edit] The character in Polish folklore named Pan Twardowski presents similarities with Faust, and this legend seems to have originated at roughly the same time. Das Wagnerbuch (1593)Das Widmann'sche Faustbuch (1599)Dr. The 1725 Faust chapbook was widely circulated and also read by the young Goethe. Locations linked to the story[edit] Operatic[edit]
