BP Glossary"

BP Library

Madrasah	Islamic institute of learning, attendance presupposes memorized knowledge of Qur'an.
Magi	Zoroastrian priestly class; stressed ritual and magic in ritual
Magic	Ritual manipulation of natural or supernatural forces by spells, incantations, dance, or other means for evil or good; present in every society; High and Low magic versus White and Black magic.
Maharishi	('great sage') Hindu title for guru or great teacher.
Mahayana Buddhism	('larger vehicle') Northern Buddhism more deities and scripture than Hinayana. Bodhisattvas are primary in doctrine.
Maitreya	The next full Buddha to appear; Presently a Bodhisattva awaiting next incarnation.
Malaika	Islamic term referring to the angelic hosts.
Mandala	('circle') Hindu and Buddhist symbol full of power and psychic energy in the form of a series of colored concentric circles. Meditation on the mandala enables one to visualize self.
Mandala Society	New Age group that emphasizes mandala meditation for self actualization.
Mantra	('sacred utterance') A symbolic sound to cause in internal vibration to aid concentration and self-realization. ("OM") Specific mantras are given to initiates for personalized discipline.
Mara	In Buddhism, the evil one or tempter; vaguely analogous to the Devil.
Marks of Existence	Buddhism claims all existence contain Dukkha, Anicca, and Anatta.
Masks	A disguise featured in many rituals with variety of meanings; can refer to any headpiece.
Materialism	Belief that reality is composed exclusively of physical components.
Matsuri	Shinto name for celebration intended to invoke the kami and obedience to their will.
Maturity	Process of becoming complete in natural growth or development in body , soul, or mind.
Maya	Hindu and New Age principle that all is a illusion an not ultimately real.
Mayan Order	New Age group seeking unity between man and cosmos; Reality is illusive.
Mecca	Islamic holy city; birthplace of Muhammad; Destination of Hajj; Prayers facing Mecca..
Medina	Muhammad's political base and site of his tomb.
Meditation	To engage in thought or contemplation; to think, plan, concentrate or reflect.
Medium	One who is possessed with the spirit of a dead person and becomes its mouthpiece.
Memory	Mental faculty of recall and recollection.
Menorah	Jewish seven branched candelabra; one of original Temple furnishings.
Mental	personality part consisting of the conscious, subconscious, and memory.
Messiah	('Anointed One') In Judaism, this term originally referred to Israelite Monarchy (10th and 11th c. BC.) After the fall of that kingdom, it described the future king who would restore Israel. Christians believe that Jesus restored a transcendent kingdom rather than a physical one.
Mezuzah	('door post') Cylindrical box containing Shema placed at the door of a Jewish house.
Middle Way	Buddhist term for the path to Nirvana as the mean between sensuality and asceticism.
Midrash	Originally oral descriptions of Torah; important midrashim recorded in Mishna.
Mikveh / Miqveh	Bath or pool of water in Judaism to restore ritual purity through immersion.
Minaret	('place of light and fire') Tower in Islamic mosque from which muezzin calls for prayers.
Mind Science	Belief in deity of man; mind and thought are energy forms that create or alter reality.
Ministry	The act of serving; notable characteristic of a Christian.
Miracle	Actions, happenings or event which seemingly defies natural laws.
Mishna	Compilation of Jewish Midrash which formed the basis for the Talmud.
Misogi	Shinto lengthy purification ritual in bodies of water; streams, waterfalls, ocean, etc.
Moksha	Liberation from the cycle of birth, death and rebirth (Samsara); Achieved when, knowledge, virtue, and love of God outweigh Karma which requires the person to be reborn.
Monk	male member of a monastery under vow of poverty and poverty; strict dress codes.
Monotheism	Belief in one supreme God.
Moral	Pertaining to the distinction between right and wrong; fundamental principles of right conduct.
Mormonism	Belief that God is polygamist god resurrected from death on another planet. Man is a god embryo with potential to be God over his won planet.. Book of Mormon is their book.
Moses	Father of Judaism who received the Torah from God on Mt. Sinai.
Mother Goddess	Personification of nature and processes of fertility and growth as feminine.
Mudras	Symbolic hand gestures used in Hindu and Buddhist dance ritual.
Muezzin	('announcer') Person who calls the Muslim faithful to prayer from the Minaret.
Muhammad	Prophet and apostle of Islam, the final messenger of Allah; Author of the Qu'ran.
Muslim	('One who submits') A follower of Islam.
Mystery Religions	Cults based on ancient Greek or Roman mythology; flourished during Roman Empire; Initiation was restricted to those who had undergone initiation rites or mysteries.
Mysticism	Spiritual quest for the most direct experience of deity; mystic is one who seeks direct personal experience of the divine through prayer, meditation, or other practices.
Myth	Sacred story of supernatural beings, ancestors, or cosmic heroes that serves to form the world view of a culture by explaining the nature or delineating belief, custom, ritual or ideal
Mythology	The attempt to construct religious systems based on myth.