Glossary of spirituality-related terms (D-F) 3129519 150826784 2007-08-12T20:51:16Z Rpyle731 46515 Repairing link to disambiguation page - [[Wikipedia:Disambiguation pages with links|You can help!]] - [[:fr:Utilisateur:NicoV/Wikipedia Cleaner|Wikipedia Cleaner]] 0.36 {{Portalpar|Spirituality|EndlessKnot03d.png}} This glossary of spirituality-related terms is based on how they commonly are used in Wikipedia articles. This page contains terms starting with D – F. Select a letter from the table of contents to find terms on other pages. <br> <br> <br> <!--Keep above lines to allow TOC to center properly--> __NOTOC__ <center> '''{{MediaWiki:Toc}}:''' [[#top|Top]] – <!--Remove page reference on each current page to speed link--> [[Glossary of spirituality-related terms#0–9|0–9]] [[Glossary of spirituality-related terms#A|A]] [[Glossary of spirituality-related terms#B|B]] [[Glossary of spirituality-related terms#C|C]] [[#D|D]] [[#E|E]] [[#F|F]] [[Glossary of spirituality-related terms/G#G|G]] [[Glossary of spirituality-related terms/G#H|H]] [[Glossary of spirituality-related terms/G#I|I]] [[Glossary of spirituality-related terms/G#J|J]] [[Glossary of spirituality-related terms/G#K|K]] [[Glossary of spirituality-related terms/G#L|L]] [[Glossary of spirituality-related terms/M#M|M]] [[Glossary of spirituality-related terms/M#N|N]] [[Glossary of spirituality-related terms/M#O|O]] [[Glossary of spirituality-related terms/P#P|P]] [[Glossary of spirituality-related terms/P#Q|Q]] [[Glossary of spirituality-related terms/P#R|R]] [[Glossary of spirituality-related terms/S#S|S]] [[Glossary of spirituality-related terms/T#T|T]] [[Glossary of spirituality-related terms/T#U|U]] [[Glossary of spirituality-related terms/T#V|V]] [[Glossary of spirituality-related terms/T#W|W]] [[Glossary of spirituality-related terms/T#X|X]] [[Glossary of spirituality-related terms/T#Y|Y]] [[Glossary of spirituality-related terms/T#Z|Z]] </center> ==D== * '''[[Deism]]:''' Historical and modern deism is defined by the view that [[reason]], rather than [[revelation]] or [[tradition]], should be the basis of belief in God. Deists reject organized religion and promote reason as the essential element in making moral decisions. This "rational" basis was usually founded upon the [[cosmological argument]] (first cause argument), the [[teleological argument]] (argument from design), and other aspects of what was called ''[[natural theology|natural religion]]''. Deism has become identified with the classical belief that God created but does not intervene in the world, though this is not a necessary component of deism. * '''[[Deity]]:''' (or a god) A postulated [[preternatural]] being, usually, but not always, of significant power, [[worship]]ped, thought [[holy]], [[divinity|divine]], or [[sacred]], held in high regard, or respected by [[human]] beings. They assume a variety of forms, but are frequently depicted as having human or animal form. Sometimes it is considered [[blasphemous]] to imagine the deity as having any concrete form. They are usually [[immortality|immortal]]. They are commonly assumed to have personalities and to possess consciousness, intellects, desires, and emotions much like humans. Such natural phenomena as lightning, floods, storms, other "acts of God”, and [[miracle]]s are attributed to them, and they may be thought to be the authorities or controllers of every aspect of human life (such as birth or the [[afterlife]]). Some deities are asserted to be the directors of time and fate itself, to be the givers of human law and morality, to be the ultimate judges of human worth and behavior, and to be the designers and creators of the [[Earth]] or the [[universe]]. Some of these "gods" have no power at all-they are simply worshipped. * '''[[Bible study (Christian)|Devotion]]:''' In [[Christianity]] has come to mean time spent alone or in a small group of people reading and studying the Bible in a way as it relates to one's spiritual health and well being. It can also mean setting oneself apart in worship and solitude whether in [[Church]] settings or in one's lifestyle to become more committed to and focused on God. * '''''[[Dhammapada]]:''''' ([[Pāli|Pali]], translates as ''Path of the [[Dharma]]''. Also [[Prakrit]] ''Dhamapada'', [[Sanskrit]] ''Dharmapada'') A [[Buddhism|Buddhist]] [[religion|religious]] [[scripture]], containing 423 [[Verse (poetry)|verse]]s in 26 categories. According to tradition, these are answers to questions put to [[Gautama Buddha|the Buddha]] on various occasions, most of which deal with [[ethics]]. * '''[[Dharma]]:''' ([[sanskrit]], roughly ''law'' or ''way'') The way of the higher Truths. Beings that live in harmony with Dharma proceed quicker towards ''[[moksha]]'', [[nirvana]], or personal [[Enlightenment (concept)|liberation]], a concept first taught in [[India]]n religions ([[Hinduism]], [[Buddhism]], [[Jainism]] and [[Sikhism]]). * '''[[Dhikr]]:''' Arabic. ("pronouncement", "[[invocation]]" or "[[remembrance]]") also spelled ''zikr'' based on its pronunciation in [[Turkish language|Turkish]] and [[Persian language|Persian]]. :Dhikr is the remembrance of God commanded in the [[Qur'an]] for all [[Muslims]]. To engage in dhikr is to have awareness of God according to [[Islam]]. Dhikr as a devotional act includes the repetition of divine names, supplications and aphorisms from [[hadith]] literature, and sections of the Qur'an. More generally, any activity in which the Muslim maintains awareness of God is considered dhikr. ==E== * '''[[Emanationism]]:''' Technically is a [[henotheism]] component in the [[cosmology]] of certain [[religion|religious]] or philosophical systems that argue a Supreme Being did not directly create the physical [[universe]], but instead ''emanated'' lower spiritual beings who created the world. :According to this paradigm, Creation proceeds as an outpouring or even a transformation in the original [[The Absolute|Absolute]] or [[Godhead]]. The Supreme Light or Consciousness descends through a series of stages, gradations, worlds or [[Hypostasis|hypostases]], becoming progressively more material and embodied, before finally turning around to return to the One, retracing its steps through spiritual knowledge, contemplation and ascent. * '''[[Enlightenment (concept)|Enlightenment]]:''' As a concept is related to the [[Buddhist]] ''[[Bodhi]]'' but is a cornerstone of religious and [[spirituality|spiritual]] understanding in practically all [[religion]]s. It literally means being illuminated by acquiring new wisdom or understanding. Historically [[Judaism]] and [[Christianity]] referred to spiritual enlightenment as ''divine illumination''. The systematic search for enlightenment was a goal of truth ''seekers'' after they found a master teacher or ''guru'', who could guide them. However, this formulation was not necessarily spiritual. In earlier times, such as during the [[Bon Festival|Bon]] period of Tibetan religion, it was essentially magical, which is a pre-scientific stage. After the systematic methods were learned in India, the nations of Asia made pilgrimages to learn them. The relationship between seeker and guru was and remains, in most cases, an essential point for Enlightenment. There are practical signs of such a state, which can be recognized by a guru. Thus there is a practical, even secular component to Enlightenment, which differs from the requirement of [[Christian]] [[divine grace]] from [[God]], which was essentially [[mysticism|mystical]] or sacred. * '''[[Entheogen]]:''' A modern term derived from two Ancient Greek words, ἔνθεος (''entheos'') and γενέσθαι (''genesthai''). ''Entheos'' means literally "in God", more freely translated "inspired". The Greeks used it as a term of praise for poets and other artists. ''Genesthai'' means "to cause to be". So an entheogen is "that which causes (a person) to be in God". The translation "creating the divine within" that is sometimes given is not quite correct -- ''entheogen'' implies neither that something is created (as opposed to just perceiving something that is already there) nor that that which is experienced is ''within'' the user (as opposed to having independent existence). :In its strictest sense the term refers to a [[psychoactive]] substance (most often some [[plant]] matter) that occasions enlightening [[spirituality|spiritual]] or [[mystical]] experience, within the parameters of a [[cult (religion)|cult]], in the original non-pejorative sense of ''cultus''. In a broader sense, the word "entheogen" refers to artificial as well as natural substances that induce [[altered state of consciousness|alterations of consciousness]] similar to those documented for [[ritual]] ingestion of traditional [[shamanism|shamanic]] inebriants, even if it is used in a secular context. * '''[[Epigenesis (creative intelligences)|Epigenesis]]:''' The [[philosophical]]/[[theology|theological]]/[[Esoteric knowledge|esoteric]] idea that since the [[mind]] was given to the human being, it is this original creative impulse, epigenesis, which has been the cause of all of [[Human|mankind]]'s development. :According to [[spiritual evolution]], human beings build upon that which has been already created, but there is also something new due to the activity of the spirit and thus it is that humans become creative intelligences &mdash; creators. In order that human being may become an independent, original Creator, it is necessary that his training should include sufficient latitude for the exercise of the individual originality which distinguishes [[Creativity|creation]] from [[imitation]]. When Epigenesis becomes inactive, in the individual or even in a race, [[Spiritual evolution|evolution]] ceases and [[degeneration]] commences. * '''[[Epiphany (Christian)|Epiphany]]:''' ([[Greek language|Greek]]: ''επιφάνεια'', "the appearance; miraculous phenomenon") A [[Christian]] feast intended to celebrate the 'shining forth' or revelation of God to mankind in human form, in the person of [[Jesus]]. The observance had its origins in the eastern Christian churches, and included the birth of Jesus; the visit of the three [[Biblical Magi|Magi]] (Caspar, Melchior and Balthasar) who arrived in [[Bethlehem]]; and all of Jesus' childhood events, up to his [[baptism]] in the Jordan by [[John the Baptist]]. The feast was initially based on, and viewed as a fulfillment of, the Jewish [[Hanukkah|Feast of Lights]]. This was fixed on [[January 6]]. * '''[[Eschatology]]:''' (from the [[Greek language|Greek]] ''eschatos'' meaning "last" + ''[[-logy]]'') A part of [[theology]] concerned with the final events in the [[history of the world]] or the ultimate [[destiny|fate]] of [[human kind]], commonly phrased as the end of the world. In many [[religion]]s, the end of the world is a future event [[prophecy|prophesied]] in [[sacred text]]s or [[folklore]]. More broadly, eschatology may encompass related concepts such as the [[messiah]] or messianic era, the [[afterlife]], and the [[soul]]. * '''[[Esotericism]]:''' Refers to knowledge suitable only for the advanced, privileged, or initiated, as opposed to [[exotericism|exoteric knowledge]], which is public. It is used especially for [[Mysticism|mystical]], [[occult]] and [[Spirituality|spiritual]] viewpoints. [[Image:Ouroboros.png|thumb|right|150px|[[Ouroboros]]]] * '''[[Eternal return]]:''' (or sometimes eternal recurrence) A concept originating from ancient Egypt and developed in the teachings of [[Pythagoras]]. The basic theory is that [[time]] is not [[infinite]], but is occupied by the [[wiktionary:finite|finite]] set of actions possible in the universe, with all of these actions and events recurring indefinitely, again and again. A large part of eternal recurrence is the idea that the universe has no final [[state]], but rather, merely cycles destinationlessly through the same states of matter and time. Time is perceived as circular and cyclical: this is in contrast the Western notion of rectilinear time, such as was developed by [[Aristotle]] and by [[Judeo-Christian]] doctrine. * '''[[Eternity]]:''' While in the popular mind, eternity often simply means existing for an [[infinite]], i.e., limitless, amount of [[time]], many have used it to refer to a timeless existence altogether outside of time. There are a number of [[arguments for eternity]], by which proponents of the concept, principally, [[Aristotle]], purported to prove that matter, motion, and time must have existed eternally. * '''[[Eutheism, dystheism, and maltheism]]:''' Eutheism and dystheism are [[dialectic]] opposites within the spectrum of [[theism|theistic]] religious beliefs. :* Eutheism is the belief that [[God]] exists and is [[Goodness and value theory|good]]. :* Dystheism is the belief that God exists but is ''not'' good. :Both dystheism and eutheism are forms of [[theism]], in that they are belief systems that assert the existence of God or gods in some form. (The opposing viewpoint to theism, of course, is [[atheism]]) :Most theistic belief systems that posit a [[Singular God]] ([[monotheism]]) are eutheistic, but by no means all of them. [[Gnosticism]], [[Satanism]], and [[#Maltheism|Maltheism]] are examples of belief systems with dystheistic tenets. Many [[polytheism|polytheistic]] belief systems assert the existence of a variety of both 'good' and 'bad' deities, but the strict dichotomy of eutheism vs. dystheism is usually (though not always) framed in [[monotheism|monotheistic]] terms. * '''[[Existence]]:''' There is no universally accepted theory of what the word existence means. The dominant (though by no means universal) view in twentieth-century and contemporary Anglo-American philosophy is that existence is what is asserted by statements of [[first-order logic]] of the form "for some x Fx". This agrees with the simple and commonsensical view that, in uttering "There is a bridge across the Thames at Hammersmith", or "A bridge crosses the Thames at Hammersmith", we are asserting the ''existence'' of a bridge across the Thames at Hammersmith. The word "existence", on this view, is simply a way of describing the logical form of ordinary subject-predicate sentence. :Unfortunately, this simple view is vulnerable to a number of philosophical objections, and the so-called problem of existence is one that still exercises the minds of contemporary philosophers. This article is a brief overview of those problems, of the solutions that certain philosophers have offered, and suggestions for further reading. * '''[[Exorcism]]:''' The practice of evicting [[demon]]s or other evil [[spiritual being|spiritual entities]] which are supposed to have [[spiritual possession|possessed]] (taken control of) a person or object. The practice, though ancient in roots, is still part of the belief system of many [[religion]]s. The word "exorcism" means "I cause [someone] to swear," referring to the exorcist forcing the spirit to obey a higher power. :The person performing the exorcism, known as an [[exorcist]], is often a [[priest]], or an individual thought to be graced with special powers or skills. The exorcist may use a combination of [[magic and religion|magical]] and religious, such as prayers and set formulas, gestures, icons and amulets. The exorcist's goal is to force the evil spirit to vacate. ==F== * '''[[Faith healing]]:''' The use of solely [[spirituality|spiritual]] means in treating [[disease]], sometimes accompanied with the refusal of modern [[medicine|medical]] techniques. Another term for this is spiritual healing. Faith healing is a form of [[alternative medicine]]. * '''[[Fasting]]:''' The act of willingly abstaining from all [[food]] and in some cases [[drink]], for a period of time. Depending on the tradition, fasting practices may forbid [[sexual intercourse]], (or any sexual desire), [[masturbation]], as well as refraining from eating certain types or groups of food (e.g. [[meat]]). :Fasting for religious and spiritual reasons has been a part of human custom since pre-history. It is mentioned in the [[Qur'an]], in the [[Mahabharata]], in the [[Upanishads]], and in the [[Bible]], in both the [[Old Testament|Old]] and [[New Testament]]. * '''[[Forgiveness]]:''' A choice the forgiver makes to let go of [[resentment]] held in the forgiver's mind of a perceived wrong or difference, either actual or imagined. As the choice of forgiveness is made in the mind of the forgiver, it can be made about any resentment, whether toward another, oneself, a group, a situation or even one's God. Forgiveness of another can be granted with or without the other asking for forgiveness. Some believe the choice of forgiveness is only properly exercised if forgiveness is requested. Another view is that forgiveness is a gift the forgiver gives to oneself to free their mind of resentment. Forgiveness does not entail condoning the wrong or difference that occasioned the resentment. :Forgiveness can be seen as a religious value. However, belief in a [[deity]] is not necessary for forgiveness. It can be motivated by [[love]], [[philosophy]], appreciation for the forgiveness of others, [[empathy]], or personal [[temperament]]. Even pure [[pragmatism]] can lead to forgiveness, as it is well documented that people who forgive are [[happiness|happier]] than those who hold grudges. <center> '''{{MediaWiki:Toc}}:''' [[#top|Top]] – <!--Remove page reference on each current page to speed link--> [[Glossary of spirituality-related terms#0–9|0–9]] [[Glossary of spirituality-related terms#A|A]] [[Glossary of spirituality-related terms#B|B]] [[Glossary of spirituality-related terms#C|C]] [[#D|D]] [[#E|E]] [[#F|F]] [[Glossary of spirituality-related terms/G#G|G]] [[Glossary of spirituality-related terms/G#H|H]] [[Glossary of spirituality-related terms/G#I|I]] [[Glossary of spirituality-related terms/G#J|J]] [[Glossary of spirituality-related terms/G#K|K]] [[Glossary of spirituality-related terms/G#L|L]] [[Glossary of spirituality-related terms/M#M|M]] [[Glossary of spirituality-related terms/M#N|N]] [[Glossary of spirituality-related terms/M#O|O]] [[Glossary of spirituality-related terms/P#P|P]] [[Glossary of spirituality-related terms/P#Q|Q]] [[Glossary of spirituality-related terms/P#R|R]] [[Glossary of spirituality-related terms/S#S|S]] [[Glossary of spirituality-related terms/T#T|T]] [[Glossary of spirituality-related terms/T#U|U]] [[Glossary of spirituality-related terms/T#V|V]] [[Glossary of spirituality-related terms/T#W|W]] [[Glossary of spirituality-related terms/T#X|X]] [[Glossary of spirituality-related terms/T#Y|Y]] [[Glossary of spirituality-related terms/T#Z|Z]] </center> [[Category:Spirituality]] [[Category:Glossaries|Spirituality-related terms]]