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'''Mahātma''' or Mahātman (devanāgarī: महात्मन्) is a [[Sanskrit]] term meaning "Great Soul". This epithet is commonly applied to saints, spiritual teachers, and even prominent people. | |||
In [[Theosophy|Theosophical]] literature the term is used to refer to the [[Masters of the Wisdom]]. | |||
== General description== | == General description== | ||
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In [[The Theosophical Glossary (book)|''The Theosophical Glossary'']] [[H. P. Blavatsky]] defines the term as follows: | In [[The Theosophical Glossary (book)|''The Theosophical Glossary'']] [[H. P. Blavatsky]] defines the term as follows: | ||
<blockquote>'''Mahâtma'''. Lit., “great soul”. An [[adept]] of the highest order. Exalted beings who, having attained to the mastery over their [[lower principles]] are thus living unimpeded by the “man of flesh”, and are in possession of knowledge and power commensurate with the stage they have reached in their spiritual evolution. Called in Pali Rahats and Arhats.<ref>Helena Petrovna Blavatsky, ''The Theosophical Glossary'' (Krotona, CA: Theosophical Publishing House, 1973), 201.</ref></blockquote> | <blockquote>'''Mahâtma'''. Lit., “great soul”. An [[adept]] of the highest order. Exalted beings who, having attained to the mastery over their [[Principle#Individuality_and_personality|lower principles]] are thus living unimpeded by the “man of flesh”, and are in possession of knowledge and power commensurate with the stage they have reached in their spiritual evolution. Called in Pali Rahats and Arhats.<ref>Helena Petrovna Blavatsky, ''The Theosophical Glossary'' (Krotona, CA: Theosophical Publishing House, 1973), 201.</ref></blockquote> | ||
The Mahatmas are [[Occultism|occultists]] who have developed the psuchic and spiritual [[Siddhi|powers]] that are still latent in most human beings: | |||
<blockquote>A Mahatma is a personage who, by special training and education, has evolved those higher faculties and has attained that spiritual knowledge which ordinary humanity will acquire after passing through numberless series of incarnations during the process of cosmic evolution, provided, of course, that they do not go, in the meanwhile, against the purposes of Nature. . .</blockquote> | <blockquote>A Mahatma is a personage who, by special training and education, has evolved those higher faculties and has attained that spiritual knowledge which ordinary humanity will acquire after passing through numberless series of incarnations during the process of cosmic evolution, provided, of course, that they do not go, in the meanwhile, against the purposes of Nature. . .</blockquote> | ||
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*[[Adepts]] | *[[Adepts]] | ||
*[[Masters of Wisdom]] | *[[Masters of Wisdom]] | ||
==Online resources== | ==Online resources== | ||
===Articles=== | ===Articles=== | ||
Revision as of 16:45, 8 January 2014
Mahātma or Mahātman (devanāgarī: महात्मन्) is a Sanskrit term meaning "Great Soul". This epithet is commonly applied to saints, spiritual teachers, and even prominent people.
In Theosophical literature the term is used to refer to the Masters of the Wisdom.
General description
In The Theosophical Glossary H. P. Blavatsky defines the term as follows:
Mahâtma. Lit., “great soul”. An adept of the highest order. Exalted beings who, having attained to the mastery over their lower principles are thus living unimpeded by the “man of flesh”, and are in possession of knowledge and power commensurate with the stage they have reached in their spiritual evolution. Called in Pali Rahats and Arhats.[1]
The Mahatmas are occultists who have developed the psuchic and spiritual powers that are still latent in most human beings:
A Mahatma is a personage who, by special training and education, has evolved those higher faculties and has attained that spiritual knowledge which ordinary humanity will acquire after passing through numberless series of incarnations during the process of cosmic evolution, provided, of course, that they do not go, in the meanwhile, against the purposes of Nature. . .
The occultist, when he has identified himself thoroughly with his Atma, acts upon the Buddhi, for, according to the laws of Cosmic Evolution, the Purusha — the universal seventh principle––is perpetually acting upon and manifesting itself through Prakriti—the universal sixth principle. Thus the MAHATMA, who has become one with his seventh principle—which is identical with Purusha, since there is no isolation in the spiritual monad—is practically a creator, for he has identified himself with the evoluting and the manifesting energy of nature.[2]
See also
Online resources
Articles
- Mahātma at Theosopedia