Glossary

B

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Babel: (Gen. 11:4) "And they said, Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name,..."

So the city was going to be built for making a name for themselves. That is why all throughout the Bible, the "city of Babylon" refers to egoistic pursuance for making a name and fame, which is from ego and creates confusion (Babel).

Baha'i Faith: the religion founded by Prophet Bab (Baha'u'llah) in Persia. Its most significant feature is its universal view of religion and its teaching of the unity of humanity. We can say it is a religion of universality.

The symbol of universality is the fifth seal (Baha-s.gif (883 bytes)) in The Greatest Sign.

Baha'u'llah : another name of the Bab, the founder of the Baha'i Faith, the fifth seal in The Greatest Sign. The name Baha'u'llah means, "the worth of God."

Balaam, Doctrine of: any belief or doctrine which does not teach that "The Goal Of The Life Is To Be(come) Divine, That Divinity (God) Is Everything."

Baptism: a ritual performed to become pure, or repentant. It is an act of turning from the external world toward the spiritual world. At the moment of baptism, the person will decide to change the direction of his or her life from flesh toward spirit, so his past deeds will be forgiven for a promise of a new life in purity and goodness.

This universe was made to enable man to overcome his lower nature and go to his higher self. Any moment a person decides that he will change his life and will sanctify it toward good deeds and purity, his past bad actions will be forgiven, and he can start a new life of struggle toward becoming more and more Divine. Through his struggle, he wins God's Grace and will reach salvation.

The act of baptism does not finish with its rituals, but it is the beginning of a lifetime struggle to be(come) Divine (or even many lifetimes).

The ritual of using water and the experience which follows the ritual is because the person is immersed in water, or water is poured on the top of his head (the seventh chakra). Suddenly prana, which is stored in the solar plexus, is released and a blissful feeling occurs. The person feels he received the Spirit of The Holy Ghost.

However, the commitment of the person to be(come) Divine after baptism is what is most important.

Bardo : according to Tibetan Buddhists, the stages a person goes through after death.

"Be"-ness: the state of Pure Consciousness, pure intuition; the state that the universe was in before the release of the creative forces in the universe.

Bhagavad Gita : songs of God, the Hindu Scripture depicting the war between good (God) and evil.

Bhakti Yoga: the yoga of devotion; the path of realizing God through loving Him as the only object of adoration and love. Through this intense love and also by realizing that God is everything, a person creates a great love for Him and His creation. Through his devotion and service, he will win His Grace, realize Him, and go to Him (Pure Consciousness). The service is done by following the Eternal Divine Path and leading others to realize Him.

Bhuloka (Physical World) : the first loka in Sanskrit.

Bhuvarloka (Prana World) : the second loka in Sanskrit.

Blind Intellect: intellect without intuition.

It is when an intellectual sees this manifested world as the only truth and has no realization that this visible universe has come from the unseen. He does not know God and has no intuitive knowledge of spirit. Such an intellect is blind and dry like iron. But intellect with intuition is precious and flexible like fine gold.

Bondman: the name given by Prophet Muhammad for the believers in Islam.

It is true in the sense that God has complete control over all unit consciousnesses through His Universal Mind (three gunas). So all are His bondmen.

Book of Remembrance: same as the Akashic Records. It is used in the Bible with the same meaning.

"Born Again": to go from the lower self to the higher self. When a person overcomes his lower nature, he will be born into his higher nature. He will start to grasp the reality behind the spiritual world.

Brahmins: the priest class.

God divided humans into five different types after the flood of Noah, according to their evolutionary progress (chapters 9 and 10 of Genesis in The Holiest Book).

Brahmins are those who have spiritual inclinations and a keen sense of justice. They are symbolized by the sons of Shem in the Bible. Abram (Abraham) was one of the children of Shem also. He was a true Brahmin and chosen by God for a great beginning and the shaping of future history.

Breath Of Life, The (Prana): same as prana.

Buddhi : when the mind is directed toward God-realization and the "I" feels it is a part and parcel of the universe, and the universe is a part of him, then the mind becomes spiritualized (Buddhi).

When the direction of attention (prana, energy) becomes inward rather than outward, the mind becomes Buddhi.

Buddhism : the religion founded by Buddha.

Its main objective is to awaken the spiritual forces in man, therefore it can be included in the religions from the Far East which are related to the first seal (IChng-s.gif (891 bytes)). Buddha taught about the self-sustaining part of the universe and the Laws governing it (Darma).

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