Meanings In Religion (Part 3 of 4)

9. New Age, The (also known as the New Age Movement, New Age spirituality, and Cosmic Humanism,) is a decentralized Western social and spiritual movement that seeks "Universal Truth" and the attainment of the highest individual human potential. It includes aspects of cosmology, astrology, esotericism, alternative medicine, music, collectivism, sustainability, and nature. New Age spirituality is characterized by an individual approach to spiritual practices and philosophies, and the rejection of religious doctrine and dogma.

• New Age Movement, The- Wikipedia - includes elements of older spiritual and religious traditions ranging from atheism and monotheism through classical pantheism, naturalistic pantheism, and panentheism to polytheism combined with science and Gaia philosophy: particularly archaeoastronomy, astronomy, ecology, environmentalism, the Gaia hypothesis, psychology, and physics. New Age practices and philosophies sometimes draw inspiration from major world religions: Buddhism, Chinese folk religion, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism; with particularly strong influences from East Asian religions, Gnosticism, Neopaganism, New Thought, Spiritualism, Theosophy, Universalism, and Western esotericism.[2] Additional terms for the movement include All is One[3] and Mind-Body-Spirit.[1]

• The modern New Age Movement emerged in a distinct form in the late 1960s and early 1970s, although its roots can be traced back to the 19th and early 20th centuries. It gained momentum in the 1980s and strengthened with the Harmonic Convergence event in 1987. Diverse individuals from around the world practice New Age spirituality.

• Nullification and absorption within God's Infinite Light (Hassidic schools of Judaism)

• Complete non-identification with the world (Kaivalya in some schools of Hinduism, including Sankhya and Yoga; Jhana in Buddhism)

• Liberation from the cycles of Karma (Moksha in Jainism and Hinduism, Nirvana in Buddhism)

• Deep intrinsic connection to the world (Satori in Mahayana Buddhism, Te in Taoism)

• Union with God (Henosis in Neoplatonism and Theosis in Eastern and Catholic Christianity, Brahma-Prapti or Brahma-Nirvana in Hinduism)

• Innate Knowledge (Irfan and Sufism in Islam)

• Experience of one's true blissful nature (Samadhi Svarupa-Avirbhava in Hinduism and Buddhism)

• Seeing the Light, or "that of God", in everyone (Quakerism)

10. Palmette - Wikipedia, also called anthemion (from the Greek ανθέμιον, a flower), is an artistic motif resembling the fan-shaped leaves of a palm tree. It was a common decorative motif employed in the Greek/Roman era.

11. Pearly Gates, The in Christianity this is an informal name for the gateway to the Heaven of Christian beliefs. It is inspired by the description of the New Jerusalem in Book of Revelation 21:21— The twelve gates were twelve pearls, each gate being made from a single pearl.[1]

• The image of the gates in popular culture is a set of large, white or wrought-iron gates in the clouds, guarded by Saint Peter (the keeper of the "keys to the kingdom"); those not fit to enter heaven are denied entrance at the gates, and thus descend into Hell.[2]

12. Spirituality – Wikipedia is relating to, consisting of, or having the nature of spirit; not tangible or material. Synonyms include immaterialism, dualism, incorporeality and eternity.

• Spirituality has long been associated with religion, deities, the supernatural, and an afterlife. Many equate spirituality with religion, but the two are separate entities, religion being one way man experiences spirituality. Spirituality may include introspection, and the development of an individual's inner life through practices such as meditation, prayer and contemplation.

13. Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil - Wikipedia In the Book of Genesis, the tree of the knowledge of good and evil or the tree of knowledge (and occasionally translated as the tree of conscience, Hebrew: עֵץ הַדַּעַת טוֹב וָרָע, Etz haDaat tov V'ra) was a tree in the middle of the Garden of Eden (Genesis 2:9) from which God directly forbade Adam (Eve having not yet been created) to eat (Genesis 2:17). A serpent later tempted Eve, who was aware of the prohibition, to eat the forbidden fruit from the tree of knowledge (Genesis 3:1-6). Adam also ate, and they became aware of their nakedness (Genesis 3:6-7). After this, in order to deny them access to the tree of life (and, hence, immortality), they were banished from the garden and forced to survive through agriculture "by the sweat of [their] brow" (Genesis 3:19-24). A similar story is mentioned in the Qur'an, the holy book of Islam.

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