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Nadi

(From Nada = a species of hollow reed.) A channel for the con­veyance of prana in the etheric vehicle. The nadis are a fine reticulation of channels stemming from the three principal ones in the central spinal column (Ida, Pingala, and Sushumna nadis), and roughly follow the paths of the nerves and blood stream. There are said to be 72,000 main nadis in the etheric ve­hicle, though this number is symbolic. Each nadi al­lows the pas­sage of the five different types of pranas, or com­binations thereof. Where nadis containing twenty one or more pranas in­tersect then you will find a laya centre for the appear­ance of a chakra.

Nadi system

The mechanism conveying the energies of the body.

Naga

Literally “Serpent”, a serpent Deity, but esoteri­cally it refers to the evocation of Wisdom, or one who has done so, a wise man, Rishi. It connotes the “serpent power” that flows through the nadi sys­tem and which liberates a being, conferring super­sensory powers, mak­ing one an adept. The “nagas” can be con­sidered as any of the pranas within the etheric vehicle when per­sonified. The serpent grows into a dragon, hence the term Dragon of Wisdom, referring to a Master of Wisdom. The ser­pent/dragon forces are also those associated with the meridians of energies, the “ley lines” that cover the face of the Earth and which were well known by the Seers of the past, who erected the many stone temples and sacred shrines of antiquity, based upon the points of intersection of these “serpent” lines. Note also the “serpent of time”. Nagas are espe­cially associated with the sanctity of water, or flowing prana (rivers).

Nagarajas

“Dragon or serpent Kings”. They are the guardian spirits of certain lakes and rivers.

Nandi

The sacred bull, the vehicle of Shiva and Par­vati.

Nara

Primordial waters.

Narada

A Mind-born Son of Brahma (Brahma-pu­tra), one of the Vedic Rishis and author of some of the Rig Vedic hymns. He is said to be the founder of the Mysteries of the Es­oteric tradition, especially that to do with the Law of Cy­cles. In the Mahabharata he is said to have frustrated the scheme for peopling the Universe (to remain true to his vow of chastity) and was cursed to be born once more, which he did dur­ing the time of Krishna. In The Secret Doctrine he is said to be the Hindu prototype of the Archangel Michael.

Narayana

A title of Vishnu, meaning the One who moves on the Waters of Space. (The ability of a Logos to travel through the cos­mic Astral Ocean.) The primal manifes­tation of the Con­sciousness aspect (Mind) of the Deity that spreads out­wards to encompass Abso­lute Space.

Naros

An esoteric cycle of six hundred years.

Necromancy

Magical practices related to worship of the dead. A Necro-mancer is one who raises the images of the dead, who tries to bring that which is esoterically considered “dead”, of the past and thus antithetical to evolution, back to life. This is a ba­sis to the prac­tice of black magic, the left hand path. That which has been buried is of the dark­ness.

Neith

The Moon Goddess in ancient Egypt, the Queen of Heaven.

Neophyte

A novice or new candidate willing to undergo the trials and test­ings related to Mysteries of Initiation into one or other of the Mystery schools.

Nephesh

(Hebrew) The breath of Life. That, for instance, which was breathed into the Adam of clay by God to bring him to Life.

Neptune

The Roman version of the Greek God Poseidon, the God of the Waters. In Esoteric Astrology Neptune is a Sacred Planet governing the dispensation of the sixth Ray of Devotion. He is also equated with Varuna.

Nereids

Daughters of Nereus, a water God. They were the water Nymphs that were the attendants to Poseidon.

Nidana

In Buddhism the twelve causes of existence, or chain of causa­tion. They progressively arise out of each other. We thus have: 1. Ignorance, the root cause of them all (Avidya), 2. attachment to Form (Samskara), 3. the develop­ment of Con­sciousness (Vijnana), 4. the ability to name the various forms (Namarupa), 5. the development and use of the senses and sense objects (Chadayatana), 6. physical plane con­tact by means of the sense of touch (Sparsa), 7. feeling percep­tions (Vedana), 8. thirst or desire for things (Trishna), 9. cling­ing onto ob­jects of desire (Upadana), 10. becoming, or being content with mundane exis­tence (Bhava), 11. birth, or rebirth (Jati), 12. the ageing pro­cess, sorrow and death (Jaramarana). Sometimes these are placed in reversed order.

Night of Brahma

A period of dissolution (pralaya) or Sleep be­tween peri­ods of Creative activity of a Logos. See also Ma­hamanvantara, man­vantara, Pralaya.

Nirmanakaya

One of the three bodies or vestures of a Bud­dha (Trikaya). It is the outer or phenomenal appearance, the tangible something that can be contacted on the realms of il­lusion, the In­carnation Body, as for instance the form of the last Buddha. The other two vestures are Dhar­makaya, and Samb­hogakaya.
In the esoteric doctrine a Nirmanakaya can also be seen as one who has taken the highest Initiation on the Earth sphere (the sixth or greater), but instead of traveling upon a Cosmic Path, still retains a link with the Earth Hierarchy, and thus resides as a Nirmanakaya, in an illusional body of contact with cosmic dense substance. The Nir­manakayas form an occult group that can best be described as embody­ing the third Eye aspect of the Logos, the All-seeing Eye and link be­tween Hierarchy and Shamballa, and between Shamballa and the Spheres of Activity of other Cosmic Logoi. They are Divine Contem­platives that project the antahkaranas from the One to the Other.

Nirvana

(From the Sanskrit roots nir, nis = out, forth, away from, and va = to blow, as the wind, to move, to be agi­tated.) The “final” attainment of the evolutionary process with respect to the form. It thus concerns complete liberation from all forms of “taintedness” or identification with the realms of illu­sion. It con­cerns the liberation of the consciousness as­pect into a state of “Be-ness”, into spaciousness, that which is neither Be­ing nor Non-Being (Buddhi). It is certainly not the “extinction of exis­tence” that certain Orientalists, and Ther­avadan Buddhists seem to think. It is literally Absorption into the Mind of the Greater All. In our doctrine it refers to the state of Realisation obtained by the Initiate of the Fourth degree, when that which we under­stand as the Causal Form of the Soul “dies”. See also Buddhi, Bodhi.

Nirvanee

One who has attained Nirvana. Techni­cally a “non-re­turner” into the realms of illusion by means of repeated incarna­tions. But this concept is in itself an illusion, for such an en­lightened One generally chooses to do so for compassionate rea­sons and the obeying of group Law. The en­tire Cosmic Uni­verse opens for the Nirvanee and in the past he had the option of traveling upon one of the Cosmic Paths, but this is not the case today, as these Paths now only open up after the attainment of the fifth, not the fourth. Nevertheless, the Ser­vice arenas of the Nirvanee are such that they may entail not having to incarnate again in dense physical form.

Nitya Prayala

Perpetual or constant (Nitya) Prayala or period of dissolution.

Non-sacred Planets

See Sacred Planets.

Noumenon

(Greek) The opposite of phenomena. The intuitively perceived Reality of a thing, as distinguished from the illusory phenomenon or outer appearance which can be contacted by means of the senses.

Nous

A Platonic term, meaning the purest intellect, the functioning from or with the higher or abstract Mind.

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