Glossary of Spiritual and Religious Words

B

Ba

The Egyptian name for the Mental Body.

Baalim

(Hebrew בעלים) Baalim is plural, from Baal "Mister, Sir."

"And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD, and served the Baalim..." - Judges 2:11

"The schools of the Baalim were instituted in the abyss by humanity. These are all the pseudo-spiritual schools that actually exist in the world. All such external schools are from the abyss. If man wants to leave the abyss he must liberate his mind from all these cages. When we penetrate into the internal worlds we find all the students of the schools of Baalim submerged in the profound darkness of black magic. These poor beings are searching outwardly for what they already have inside. All such souls continue to rebel against the commands of the Lord Jehovah, eating the forbidden fruit, of which He said, “you shall not eat.” It is painful to see these souls enslaved by the Baalim. The Baalim are black magicians." - Igneous Rose by Samael Aun Weor

Babylon

In the Judeo-Christian scriptures, in Hebrew, the word Babylon does not appear; instead, it is spelled בבל BBL (Babel). Babel is an important symbol with many meanings, primarily as a symbol of degenerated humanity.

"We must destroy Babylon the Great, the mother of all fornication and abominations of the Earth. Obviously, Babylon is our psychological city, populated by the psychic aggregates that we carry within our interior." - Samael Aun Weor, The Pistis Sophia Unveiled

Bandha

Sankrit term for "bondage" or "to bind together." Refers to postures in Hindu Yoga.

Baphomet

[from Greek baphe immersion + metis wisdom] From The Theosophical Glossary: A medieval mystic term usually identified with the goat of Mendes. The Templars of Malta were accused of worshiping Baphomet as an idol. Baphomat signifies a baptism in wisdom or initiation, but became degraded and misunderstood when the keys to its real meaning were lost. The symbol of the Baphomet is related to Arcanum 15: Passion, as explained in The Initiatic Path in the Arcana of Tarot and Kabbalah. The term baphomet hides a message when read backwards: Tem-o-h-p-ab, which is the symbol of the Latin words Templi ommun hominum pacis abbas, which means The Father of the temple of universal peace for men. See Typhon.

Baptism

From Greek "baptizein" or "baptizo" which originates from "bapto," "to dip." An ancient ritual visible in some form within all the world's religions, that symbolizes the descent of the energy of the "water of life" or primeval womb (chaos) as a blessing upon the soul who seeks to become pure of blemish.   In the esoteric aspect, baptism is the absorption of the image of God (Tzalem) by means of sexual transmutation.

"The Baptism is a pact of sexual magic. When we fulfill the pact of sexual magic, then we reach the Self-realization of the Being." - Samael Aun Weor, The Pistis Sophia Unveiled

Barashith

The first word of the Bible "Barashith" has six letters and is translated in common English as “In the beginning" and in Greek as "Genesis." Yet in Kabbalah, the meaning of this word has yet to be fully explored. According to Kabbalah:

• “Be” = The

• “Raishath” = "Higher, or Upper Wisdom,” which in Daath is related to the Sephirah Chokmah: the Cosmic Cognizance that is always creating is hidden within the letter "Vav".

So the "Higher, or Upper Wisdom" which is hidden within the six Hebrew letters of the word Barashith, which is the creative power of (Iod-Havah Elohim in Daath) created the Heaven and the Earth. Chokmah, the "Higher, or Upper Wisdom" of the Elohim (Gods and Goddesses), is related to creation in Briah. In Daath is where the Heavenly Man is created = Heaven. ‘And’ in Yesod in the SIXTH DAY, the Terrestrial man Adam was created from Adama = the Earth.

Barbelo

The abode of the Light... The abode of Barbelo is the ocean of the Uncreated Light. - The Pistis Sophia Unveiled

Bardo

(Tibetan) Literally, between the two. Six states of consciousness. These are detailed in The Great Book of Natural Liberation through Understanding in the Between. See Book of the Dead, below.

Basilides

(Gnostic) A Gnostic teacher and philosopher. From The Theosophical Glossary: "A celebrated Alexandrian Gnostic of about 120 AD, probably born in Syria, whose teachings included a system of emanations and hierarchies of powers; founder of the Basilidian Gnostics, declared an heretical sect. Basilides claimed to have derived his teachings from an original Gospel of Matthew and from Glaucus, a disciple of Peter."

"The Patriarch Basilides belonged to the Gnostic church. He was the celebrated alchemist who left a seven page book of lead, which, according to Master Krumm- Heller, is preserved in the Kiercher Museum of the Vatican. This book cannot be understood by archaeologists because it is a book of occult science. Basilides was a disciple of Saint Matthias." - Samael Aun Weor, The Perfect Matrimony (1950)

"The School of Gnosticism was divided into two major parts, commonly called the Syrian Cult and the Alexandrian Cult. These schools agreed in essentials, but the latter division was more inclined to be pantheistic, while the former was dualistic. While the Syrian cult was largely Simonian, the Alexandrian School was the outgrowth of the philosophical deductions of a clever Egyptian Christian, Basilides by name, who claimed to have received his instructions from the Apostle Matthew. Like Simon Magus, he was an emanationist, with Neo-Platonic inclinations. In fact, the entire Gnostic Mystery is based upon the hypothesis of emanations as being the logical connection between the irreconcilable opposites Absolute Spirit and Absolute Substance, which the Gnostics believed to have been coexistent in Eternity." - Manly P. Hall, The Secret Teachings of All Ages (1928)

Being-Partkdolg-Duty

Often translated as "Parlok"; a term used in the teachings of Gurdjieff.

"To exercise the Being-Partkdolg-Duty means that we not allow intellectual concepts to pass through our mind in a mechanical manner; in other words, we become cognizant of all the intellectual data that come to the mind. How do we become cognizant of that data? It is done by means of meditation. So, if we read a book, we should meditate on it, try to comprehend it.

"2. We must become cognizant of all the activities of our Emotional Center. It is unfortunate to see how people move under the impulse of emotions, in a completely mechanical manner, without any control whatsoever. So, we must become self-cognizant of all emotions.

"3. The habits and customs of the Motor Center. We must become self-cognizant of all our activities, of all our movements, of all our habits, and not do anything in a mechanical manner.

"4. We must become lords of our instincts and subdue them. We must comprehend them in-depth, integrally.

"5. We must transmute the sexual energy. We transmute our creative energies by means of certain alchemical procedures.

"Obviously, our life unfolds harmoniously, when we fulfill in this manner the Cosmic Duty or Being-Partkdolg-Duty and we live in harmony with the Infinite, in agreement with the Great Law. Thus, we will be able to reach old age full of ecstasy; we will be able to attain Mastery and perfection." - Samael Aun Weor, excerpts from The Erroneous Functions of the Five Centers 

Beni-elohim

(Hebrew; Beni = “children,” Elohim = “Gods and Goddesses”)

1. One of the classes of angels or sanctified souls. Corresponds to the Christian term “angel.” Related to the sephirah Hod. 

2. The name of God in Yetzirah (the World of Formation and of the angels).

Beth

The second letter of the Hebrew alphabet, it means and symbolizes "a house." Its Kabbalistic numerical value is 2.

Beth-sheba

(Hebrew בת שבע) Also Beth-Shabbat or Bathsheba. The wife of King David and mother of King Solomon.

"And David sent and inquired after the woman. And one said, Is not this Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?" - Samuel 11:3

"Beth or Bath" in Hebrew means daughter, and "Sheba" means seven. Solomon's mother's name literally means daughter of Sheba, daughter of the Seven. When read backwards it is Sheba-bath or Shebbath: Shabbath.

Bethlehem

"The house of bread” in Aramaic and Hebrew [בית לחם]. "The house of meat” in Arabic [بيت لحم]. The Holy City of western religions and a deep symbol. The birthplace of King David and Jesus.

“In order for the Savior to be born, the event of Bethlehem has to be repeated; such an event is very profound and at the same time symbolic.  The town of Bethlehem which the Gospels refers to is very allegorical.  It is said that this small town did not exist in the epoch of Jesus of Nazareth.  If we analyze the word Belen (which is Bethlehem in Chaldean), we have Bel-En.  Then, we see that Bel in Chaldean terminology signifies “tower of fire.” When is this tower of fire attained?  This is attained when one has created the Superior Existential Bodies of the Being, when the Sacred Fire has reached the superior part of the brain.  This is how the Advent of Bethlehem occurs.” - Samael Aun Weor, The Initiatic Path in the Arcana of Tarot and Kabbalah

Bhagavad-Gita

The Song of the Lord. A well-known Hindu scripture, comprising eighteen chapters of the Bhisma Parva of the Mahabharata.

Bhaya

(Sanskrit) Fear.

Bible

The collection of texts used as scripture by modern Christians.

"In order to study the Bible, one needs to have studied occultism, because the Bible is a book of occultism and cannot be read at face value as when reading a newspaper. Therefore, the Bible is the book of the Gnostics, and only when one becomes a Gnostic can one understand it." -  Samael Aun Weor, The Revolution of Beelzebub

"The Bible, from Genesis to Apocalypse, is nothing but a series of historical events of the great struggle between the followers of Agathos and Cacus, White and Black Magic, the adepts of the Right-hand Path, the Prophets, and the adepts of the Left-hand Path, the Levites..." - Samael Aun Weor, The Three Mountains

Binah

(Hebrew בינה; means understanding; related to תבונה (tabuwn) intelligence, or knowledge from experience) The third sephirah on the Tree of Life. Related to the Holy Spirit. Known in Hinduism as Shiva-Shakti.

"Binah is the Holy Spirit; He is the Third Logos, the Lord Shiva of the Hindus, who manifests himself as sexual potency within everything which is, has been, and will be... The Holy Spirit unfolds himself into an Ineffable Woman; She is the Divine Mother; She is dressed in a white tunic and a blue mantle. The Holy Spirit is Shiva, the Divine Spouse of Shakti, the Divine Mother Kundalini." - Samael Aun Weor, The Initiatic Path in the Arcana of Tarot and Kabbalah

"...proper form and image are not formed until they emerged from בינה Binah and afterwards they were formed and consolidated. The world to come, which is Binah, is also the craftsman of all the creation and is the secret of Elohim that is mentioned there, as it is written: "And Elohim said, 'Let there be light,' and there was light" and also, "And Elohim said, 'Let there be a firmament.'" So Binah is the craftsman, the one who forms, that makes the shape of light, water, and firmament..." - Zohar 11:77

Black Lodge

The organization or intelligence that seeks to pull souls into attachment to desire-sensation and the awakening of the consciousness (negatively) that is trapped within the ego.

Excerpted from The Perfect Matrimony by Samael Aun Weor: "From the dawn of life, a great battle has raged between the powers of Light and the powers of Darkness. The secret root of that battle lies in sex. Gods and Demons live in eternal struggle. The Gods defend the doctrine of chastity. The Demons hate chastity. In sex is found the root of the conflict between Gods and Demons... There are Masters of the Great White Lodge. There are Masters of the Great Black Lodge. There are disciples of the Great White Lodge. There are disciples of the Great Black Lodge. The disciples of the Great White Lodge know how to move consciously and positively in the Astral Body. The disciples of the Great Black Lodge also know how to travel in the Astral Body... The White Magician worships the inner Christ. The Black Magician worships Satan. This is the I, the me, myself, the reincarnating ego. In fact, the I is the specter of the threshold itself. It continually reincarnates to satisfy desires. The I is memory. In the I are all the memories of our ancient personalities. The I is Ahriman, Lucifer, Satan."

Black Magic

Magic comes from "mag," priest. Black magic is the science of the impure priesthood, or those who awaken the consciousness within the ego (pride, anger, lust, etc). See also Goetia.

"Black Magic appeals to the mass mind. It appeals to the principles of our civilization. It offers something for nothing. As long as there is cupidity in the human heart, it will remain as a menace to the honesty and integrity of our race." - Manly P. Hall from Magic: a Treatise on Esoteric Ethics

"The black magicians have their mysticism, and they always firmly believe that they walk on the good path. No black magician believes that he walks on the evil path. The path of black magic is a broad way filled with vices and pleasures." - Samael Aun Weor, The Revolution of Beelzebub

"Multitudes of schools of black magic exist, many of them with very venerable traditions that teach Sexual Magic with the spilling of semen. They have very beautiful theories that attract and captivate, and if the student falls in that seductive and delicious deceit, he becomes a black magician. Those black schools affirm to the four winds that they are white and that is why ignorant ones fall. Moreover, those schools talk of beauty, love, charity, wisdom, etc., etc. Naturally, in those circumstances the ignorant disciple attains the belief with firmness that such institutions are not evil and perverse. Remember good disciple, that the Abyss is full of sincerely mistaken ones and people of very good intentions..." - Samael Aun Weor, The Initiatic Path in the Arcana of Tarot and Kabbalah

"The intellect as the negative function of the mind is demoniacal. Everyone that enters into these studies, the first thing that they want is to dominate the mind of others. This is pure and legitimate black magic. No one has the right to violate the free will of others. No one has the right to exercise coaction upon the mind of others because this is black magic. The ones that are guilty of this grave error are all of those mistaken authors that are everywhere. All of those books of hypnotism, magnetism and suggestion are books of black magic. Whosoever does not know how to respect the free will of others is a black magician; those who perform mental works in order to violently dominate the mind of others convert themselves into perverse demons. These people separate themselves from the Innermost and they crumble into the Abyss." - Samael Aun Weor, The Initiatic Path in the Arcana of Tarot and Kabbalah

Black Magic is not a fundamental art; it is the misuse of an art. Therefore it has no symbols of its own. - Manly P. Hall

Blavatsky, Helena Petrovna

Quoted from the Theosophical Online Library: "HPB was born in Russia. She spent her early years in travel, arriving in New York in 1873. Together with Colonel Henry Steele Olcott, William Q. Judge and others, she formed the Theosophical Society. She published her first book, Isis Unveiled, in 1877. The following year HPB and Olcott went to India to establish the TS there, leaving Judge to continue the work in the United States. HPB edited the magazine The Theosophist while in India. She moved on to England in 1887 and established the Blavatsky Lodge in London. She also started a magazine, Lucifer (from the Latin "Luciferus", meaning the Light-bringer, the Morning Star). HPB's master-work, The Secret Doctrine, was published in 1888. HPB suffered from a chronic kidney disease for many years. She contracted the flu and died on May 8, 1891." She wrote in her Secret Doctrine, "In Century the Twentieth some disciple more informed, and far better fitted, may be sent by the Masters of Wisdom to give final and irrefutable proofs that there exists a Science called Gupta-Vidya; and that, like the once-mysterious sources of the Nile, the source of all religions and philosophies now known to the world has been for many ages forgotten and lost to men, but is at last found." This prediction is a reference to Samael Aun Weor.

Bobbin-Kandelnosts

Refers to the values or energetic potential carried in the individual. An obscure term, but known in the teachings of Gurdjieff.

Bodhichitta

(Sanskrit; often spelled bodhicitta, but pronounced bodee-cheeta) Literally, Bodhi means enlightenment or wisdom. Chitta means mind. The synthesis, bodhichitta means the enlightened mind or the mind of wisdom. This term has many levels of application.

1) In an introductory form, it is used to describe the altruistic intention to attain enlightenment for the benefit of suffering beings.

2) In Mahayana teachings it is an elevated state of awareness (prajna) which directly perceives Emptiness.

3) In Tantra it refers to the seminal fluids of the body. The Tibetan version, byan-sems, can be translated either as “enlightenment mind” or “semen.”

4) Samael Aun Weor often expresses the synthesis of the term, which combines all these meanings.

"The Bodhichitta is the awakened and developed superlative Consciousness of the Being. The Bodhichitta emerges in the aspirant who sacrifices himself for his fellowmen, long before the Mercurial bodies have been created... It is necessary for the Bodhichitta, which means the auric embryo, the awakened consciousness, to fall into the Illuminated Void." - Samael Aun Weor, The Pistis Sophia Unveiled

"Obviously, before the Bodhisattva is born, the Bodhichitta must be formed within ourselves. Furthermore, it is important to clarify the necessity of disintegrating the ego, the “I,” in order for the Bodhichitta to emerge. The Bodhichitta is formed with the merits of love and supreme sacrifice for our fellowmen. The Bodhisattva is formed within the environment and psychological atmosphere of the Bodhichitta." - Samael Aun Weor, The Pistis Sophia Unveiled

"The one who does not possess the Bodhichitta, even when he has created the superior existential bodies of the being, is still unconscious and absurd." - Samael Aun Weor, The Pistis Sophia Unveiled

Bodhidharma

An Indian adept of the fifth or sixth century AD. He founded Ch'an (Zen) Buddhism and originated the martial art known today as Kung Fu.