These pages offer definitions to help visitors to help visitors to The Zoo Fence understand what I think I am saying. They are not
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from those sources, but rather explanations of what I mean by
certain words.
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MANTRA,
JAPA, DHIKR, ZHIKR & REPETITIVE PRAYER: Mantra (sometimes
mantram) is Sanskrit for a word or a phrase given to a seeker by a Teacher or Guru as an indication of
initiation to the spiritual process. The word or phrase (sometimes
a name of God or a quotation from
scripture) is considered sacred, and is to be kept secret. The
seeker is instructed to meditate on the word or phrase, repeating
it regularly and devotedly, which nourishes the spiritual practice and ultimately leads to God Realization. I am aware of an instance in which a seeker, fresh to the spiritual process, suddenly, inexplicably, while walking alone in Honolulu from the top of Sierra Drive to the Kahala beach, heard himself repeating a mantra he had never before heard or otherwise encountered. Where did it come from? How did it get into his mind (where it has remained ever since)? God Knows. For ZHIKR see below.
Japa (sometimes
japam), also a Sanskrit word, refers to the devotional repetition
of any name of God, and specifically to the repetition of a
mantra, whether aloud or in silence. In Hinduism, the great mantra
– or MAHAMANTRA – is simply “Ram Ram”,
invoking the name and presence of Ram.
(In the book By
His Grace, Babaji is
quoted as promising, “Everything is accomplished by taking the
name of Ram”.) In Islam, DHIKR (sometimes ZHIKR) is
Remembrance of God, which may take the form of
devotional acts or the repetition of divine names (please see La Ilaha Il-Allah). Similarly, repetitive
prayer is a common practice in Christianity, such as, “Jesus (Issa)
Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner” or simply the name
“Jesus (Issa)”, or the Hail Mary.
Compare in Judaism the Shema,
“Hear O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is One” or (spelled,
pronounced, and translated variously) Baruch HaShem “Thank God, Blessed is God.”
See also
“Take But A Little Word” in
The Quiet Room.
For more,
please click here. See also here.
In the book Living Presence, Kabir Helminski defines ZHIKR (DHIKR) as “the state of being consciously aware of the Divine Presence through the heart”.
MARY
MAGDALENE, MARY & MARTHA: This biblical Mary is
commonly referred to as the Magdalene after Magdala, the town of
her origin. In the year 591, Pope Gregory the Great pronounced her a prostitute, although there exists no biblical or historical authority for doing so. She was among “some women” who traveled with Jesus (Issa);
and it was they who financed the ministry, “out of their own
means” (Luke 8). She is presumed to have been the woman who “wet
his feet with her tears, and wiped them with the hair of her head,
and kissed his feet, and anointed them” (Luke 7:38 RSV). Mary Magdalene was clearly
a sincere seeker, a devoted
and close disciple of the Teacher.
She was present at the crucifixion; she helped prepare him for
burial; and she was the first to see him after he arose. Among
scholars who believe that Jesus (Issa) was married, Mary Magdalene is
considered the most likely to have been his wife. Many biblical
scholars believe that Mary Magdalene and Mary of Bethany, the
sister of Martha and Lazarus, are the same person. The Gospels
image of Mary of Bethany is of a contemplative, while her sister
Martha is presented as an active (See Luke 10:38, John 12:1; see
also the reference to bhakti-yoga and karma-yoga here). See the items The Best Part and Jesus by Rembrandt in The Quiet Room, and the
Kahlil Gibran selection at Ampers&nd.
Also, see “Mother of God”.)
There is a
website devoted to Mary Magdalene here. Lots has been written
about her; here are a few titles. Some scholars suggest
that the legend of the Holy Grail, commonly considered to be the
cup held aloft by Joseph of Arimathea at the foot of the cross to
catch blood flowing from the wounds of Jesus, is actually a
reference to a child born to Jesus and Mary Magdalene, that the
English words “Holy Grail” are a mis-translation of the French sangraal,
which more properly translates “royal blood”, thus a reference to
the “royal bloodline” carried by the child. Those interested may
wish to read Holy Blood, Holy Grail. The best book, in our opinion, about Mary, the mother of Jesus, is Mary: A Flesh-and-Blood Biography of the Virgin Mother. For my imagined conversation among Jesus, Judas, and Mary Magdalene, please click here. See also here.
MAYA: In Hinduism, maya (a Sanskrit word meaning “deception, illusion, appearance”) is the power to produce, or the power that produces, the illusion that our separative self (“I am me, and you aren’t”), its life (what each of us calls “me” and “my life”), and its world, are real. Maya is sometimes perceived as a veil that deludes the Divine Itself. The Sufi poet Hafiz of Shiraz writes, “There is no veil between the lover and the Beloved; thou art thine own veil”. Likewise Ibn ’Arabi: “His Veil is [only a part of] His oneness; nothing veils other than He.” Similarly, Matthew 27:51 “Behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent.” Mahamaya (Sanskrit “the great sorceress”) is the goddess in Hinduism who personifies this power. See also samsara.
MEDITATION: All traditions I have encountered talk about, recommend, insist upon meditation in one form or another by that label or by some other. As I understand the word — looking past the theology, psychology. philosophy, metaphysics, and simple health of it — meditation is learning how to
For suggested how-to meditation, click here or here. and here
For what I call “constant meditation,”, click here.
MIND, VASANAS, EGO, VEIL: From Vasistha’s Yoga, “The individual is nothing more than the personalized mind.” For more, please click here.
MEHER BABA: Born Merwan S. Irani in 1894 in Poona, India, Meher Baba is considered by his followers to have been an avatar. In 1925, he began a period of silence which he observed for forty years, although he continued to write, and to travel extensively. In his own words, “I have come not to teach but to awaken … I have come to sow the seed of love in your hearts so that, in spite of all superficial diversity which your life in illusion must experience and endure, the feeling of oneness, through love, is brought about amongst all the nations, creeds, sects and castes of the world”. An internet search of his name yields many responses, among which are http://www.meherbabainformation.org/ and http://www.meherbaba.co.uk/. See also Meher Spiritual Center. For a few book titles related to Meher Baba, please click here.
MOTHER OF GOD, MOTHER GOD: In virtually every tradition, there appears the Mother Goddess, or God as Mother. This Feminine Principle of the Universe, before Whom and without Whom there is and can be no thing, goes by many names and exhibits various characteristics and tendencies. She is powerful and fierce; She is a protector and a teacher; She is a healer; She is generous, nourishing, and merciful. Whether as Juno, Aphrodite, Maya, Kali, Durga, Mary (also Maryam), Isis (also known as Myrionymos, Greek for “she of many names”), Kuan-yin (who is sometimes male, sometimes female) or some other, the Mother Goddess is the Omniscient Omnipresent Omnipotent Queen of all we imagine there to be, of Heaven & of Earth & of Hell. For countless seekers treading countless paths over countless centuries, “Mother” is safe harbor. See also Shakti, God’s Gender. In many traditions, “Holy Mother” is a title of respect and adoration given to female Teachers. See also Annapurna. In my opinion, a truly wondrous book about Mary — the woman and mother of Issa (Jesus) — and the ever-present, ever-potent place of the Mother in spirituality, is Mary – A Flesh-and-Blood Biography. For my imagined conversation among Issa (Jesus), Judas, and Mary Magdalene, please click here.
MUHAMMAD: Muhammad (sometimes Mohammed, Mahomet) (570? - 632 CE), the founder of Islam, is regarded as the “seal of the prophets”, meaning the last of the line of prophets that begins with Adam and runs through the prophets of the Old and New Testaments, including Abraham, John the Baptist, and Issa (Jesus). At about age forty, Muhammad was visited by the angel Gabriel, through whom he received and recited the Qur’an. See also Hadith. Countless books have been written about the Prophet; here are a few titles.
MYSTICISM: Sometimes called the interior life, mysticism is a way that reaches for immediate (that is, im-mediate, meaning no mediator or other mediating influence) awareness of God, and beyond that, for identity in God (in the words of Catherine of Siena, “My me is God”). Mysticism implies an intense spiritual commitment but recognizes that progress along the path is attained by Grace alone. A mystic’s relationship with God is intimate, constant, earnest, and boundary-less, until finally only God remains. Mysticism is at home in all traditions. It is not a religion, a theology, or a philosophy in itself, but a way to traverse any of those. A classic text on the subject is Evelyn Underhill’s Mysticism. See also seeker, Sufi.
NAGARJUNA: Although details of his life are evidently not known, Nagarjuna (2nd? Century) is one of the great Teachers of Buddhism.
NAMASTE: This is a Hindu expression meaning, in Sanskrit, “(I) bow to thee”. It is delivered while holding the palms together in front of the bosom or heart, or in front of the face, or at the crown of the head, each position having a slightly different spiritual significance. As I see it, namaste provides an opportunity upon meeting anyone or anything to remind ourselves that I and it (whoever or whatever I may be greeting, whether it be a person, animal, plant, event, idea, etc.) are One and the Same One, differently appearing and distinct from us only apparently. Further, as seekers (spiritual students) I take the expression to include this thought: “I thank the Teacher for the Lesson your presence in my life represents, and I look forward to learning it.” The expression of this kind of sentiment upon meeting is common to most (if not all) spiritual traditions. For example, in Islam: “In the name of Allah, peace be upon you” (Arabic: “Bismillah, As-Salamu alaika”); and in Judaism: “Shalom” (peace). Here is a consideration of Namaste by Ram Dass: “I honor the place in you where the entire Universe resides. I honor the place of love, of light, of truth, of peace. I honor the place within you where if you are in that place in you, and I am in that place in me, there is only one of us.” See also here
NAMES OF
ALLAH, LA ILAHA IL-ALLAH, TAWHID: In Islam, it is said there are
ninety-nine names that belong to Allah (Arabic for the God
) or God alone. Among them is Ar-Rashid, sometimes Ar-Rasid, the Righteous Teacher. For the others, see The Most Beautiful Names compiled by Sheikh
Tosun Bayrak al-Jerrahi al-Halveti (Threshold & Amana). The
Arabic word Allah is composed of two words, Ilah which means “God”, and al which is
the article “the”; thus, Allah translates literally to “the God”
(that is, the God than which there is
no other) and as such it is God’s or Allah’s Primary Name. In
Islam it is said, the best way to Remember God is to repeat La ilaha il-Allah, which translates “There
is no god but God” (see also here). Inshallah
(in sha'Allah) is Arabic for a prayer common in many, likely even all,
traditions:
“if God wills it” or
“God willing” — in Latin, “deo volente” in Hebrew
“im yirtze hashem”. See
also Prophet, Bismillah, God, and the prayer here. For a list of the names,
please
click here. Idries Shah, in his book
The Sufis writes that God’s favorite name for Himself is
“Servant of my servants.” Tawhid (sometimes
tawheed, touheed, or tevhid) is the Arabic word expressing the absolute, fundamental,
ineffable monotheism of God. Among Islamic mystics (see
Sufi), Tawhid
includes the perception that God is all there is (see at TZF
The Simple Way). See also
Mysticism.
NEEM KAROLI
BABA: (sometimes Neeb Karori Baba) Also known as MAHARAJJI (maharaj or maharaja or maharajah means “great prince”, and is a term of
respect) or simply Baba
or
BABAJI, Neem Karoli Baba is perhaps best known in the West as the guru discovered in India by Ram
Dass (Richard Alpert) who I suspect would rewrite that
sentence to read, “the Guru by whom he, Ram Dass, was
discovered”. A sweet, simple man, an extraordinary Teacher, Maharajji is one of
the few gurus about whom I have never heard a discouraging word.
He died in 1973; although he would undoubtedly insist the body died in 1973, not he. Maharajji is known by his devotees to be an incarnation of Hanuman. For books about him, try Ram Dass’ Miracle
of Love (Dutton), Dada Mukerjee’s By
His Grace (Hanuman), of which there is an excerpt at Ampers&nd, and The Divine Reality of Sri Baba Neeb Karoli Ji Maharaj. For a few
other titles, click here. Here are websites dedicated to him: Neem Karoli Baba Ashram, Maharajji Dot Com and Neeb Karoli Baba.
See also maharaj
FLORENCE
NIGHTINGALE, NURSING: Best known for her enormous contributions
to, even perhaps the creation of, modern nursing, Florence
Nightingale (1820-1910) was an active, determined, and articulate seeker.
Her inspiring and
provocative book, “Suggestions for Thought” published only
privately and not very successfully during Nightingale’s lifetime,
has now been re-issued in a new version wonderfully edited by Michael D. Calabria and Janet A. Macrae
(University of Pennsylania Press). For other titles, click here. A personal note: Yes, of course, all humanity recognizes and gratefully acknowledges the extraordinary service physicians provide and perform. But NURSING is different. Nurses are special. Nurses do not enjoy designated parking lots at hospitals, but it is nurses, in the midst of an often lonely, frequently scary, sometimes terrifying, moment, who are the essential healing ingredient, as they encourage us, uplift us, reassure us, enliven us, hold us, even clean up after us. Florence Nightingale recognized that difference, and formalized it. All of us are rightly grateful to her and to all her sisters and brothers. Incidentally, Nightingale’s first name is for the city in Italy in which she was born.
SRI NISARGADATTA: A simple, uneducated Teacher, Nisargadatta lived in India from 1897 to 1981 (although he insisted he was never born, and certainly could not die!). He made a living selling cigarettes! Books of his talks offer seekers some of the most incisive, consistent, inspiring, and powerful Teachings in print. A good start is I Am That - Talks with Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj translated by Maurice Frydman (Chetana), from which the quotations on this site are taken (unless otherwise indicated). Please click here to read an extended excerpt from the book at TZF’s Ampers&nd. Also at Ampers&nd is an excerpt from a book by a devotee of Nisargatta about the teaching; to read that, please click here. Other book titles are here. See also Sri and Maharaj
NOBLE TRUTHS: The Buddha’s Four Noble Truths are: (1) All life is suffering, meaning that as we currently live our lives, suffering is inescapable; (2) Suffering is caused by desire or craving; (3) The way to eliminate suffering is to eliminate desire or craving; and, (4) The way to eliminate desire or craving is to live rightly, meaning follow the Noble Eightfold Path, which means adopting: Right Understanding, Right Thought, Right Speech, Right Action, Right Livelihood, Right Effort, Right Mindfulness, and Right Concentration (Meditation). In concert, these weaken, reduce, and finally eliminate, our desires and their power over us by clarifying, purifying, focusing, and ultimately transcending our minds. Notice that, like so many other truly Realized Teachers, the Buddha here does not offer us an elaborate cosmology, with layers upon layers of deities and planes and other stuff, but rather he prescribes a simple (which is not to say easy) path that, when followed dutifully, joyfully, and with enthusiasm, brings us to a place (our Buddha Nature) from which we See as the One Sees, and where the question of suffering (like every other question) simply does not arise. To read more, please click here.
OM: OM
(sometimes AUM) is a Sanskrit expression for the ineffable,
rendering any further discussion of it clearly pointless! Most
dictionaries and encyclopedias dissect the word, and then discuss
the esoteric relationship and meaning among the resulting parts.
Thus, for example, the three sounds (vocalized by the A, U, and M,
in the alternative spelling), or the three curves in the written
form 
, are said to reflect the
Divine Trinity, as, Brahman-creator Vishnu-preserver
Siva-destroyer; or as, Creator (Father) Creation (Son) Creative
Energy (Holy Spirit, or Mother); or as, the waking state, the
dreaming state, the deep sleep state; and so on. These are usually
understood to be followed by an unspoken, unwritten silence,
representing the union, inherent indivisibility, or fulfillment of
the parts. For a seeker, the
important thing is that OM is not a word in the same way that
spider is a word, and neither is it a sound in the same way that
the noise made by a wine glass dropped to a marble floor is a
sound. OM is the sound of the Universe,
the seamless entirety, or, perhaps, the sound of one hand clapping.
OM is well beyond the range of
the biological ear. But the
inner or spiritual ear can hear it.
Likewise, OM is the Word of God, the Logos (the Greek word for
“word”), and as such it does not appear in any library catalog,
although you can find it there – or anywhere else you truly look
for it. Ultimately, OM is God Itself – the Source, the Process,
and the Presence (as in, “In the beginning was the Word, and the
Word was with God, and the Word was God, … and the Word became
flesh …” John 1 RSV). OM is
commonly an element of, sometimes the entirety of, chants or mantras, and it is undeniably beautiful to
express, to hear, and to consider. See also YWHW,
GOD
ORTHODOX, HERESY: From the Greek “ortho”, which means straight or correct and “dox”, meaning belief or opinion, orthodox refers to the approved form of a philosophy, ideology, doctrine, religion, and so on. Belief or opinion that does not conform to orthodoxy is labeled HERESY (from Greek for choice or to choose). For a seeker, the word orthodox raises the question, “Approved by whom?”, and the word heresy, “Am I bound by the disapproval of others?” (Whenever considering that general subject, I am always reminded of Terry Cole Whittaker’s superbly titled book, What You Think of Me is None of My Business.)
Most recent
update: October 19, 2024
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