Akasha

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Akasha
"Akasa", "Akash" and "Aakash" redirect here. For other uses, see Akasha (disambiguation).
Classical
elements
Stoicheion ()
Tattva Mahbhta
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Godai ( )
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Alchemy
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[1]
Akasha (or Akash, ka, ) is the Sanskrit word meaning "aether" in both its elemental and metaphysical
senses.
Meaning in different philosophies
Hinduism
In Hinduism, Akasha means the basis and essence of all things in the material world; the first material element
created from the astral world, (Earth,Water,Fire,Air,Ether,) are the other four in sequence). It is one of the
Panchamahabhuta, or "five elements"; its main characteristic is Shabda (sound). In Sanskrit the word means
"space", the very first element in creation. In Hindi, Marathi and Gujarati, and many other Indian languages, the
meaning of Akasha has been accepted as sky.
[2]
The Nyaya and Vaisheshika schools of Hindu philosophy state that Akasha or aether is the fifth physical substance,
which is the substratum of the quality of sound. It is the One, Eternal, and All Pervading physical substance, which
is imperceptible.
[3]
According to the Samkhya school of Hindu philosophy, Akasha is one of the five Mahbhtas (grand physical
elements) having the specific property of sound.
[4]
Akasha
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Jainism
Akasha is space in the Jain conception of the cosmos. It falls into the Ajiva category, divided into two parts: Loakasa
(the part occupied by the material world) and Aloakasa (the space beyond it which is absolutely void and empty). In
Loakasa the universe forms only a part. Akasha is that which gives space and makes room for the existence of all
extended substances.
[5]
Buddhism
In Buddhist phenomenology Akasha is divided into limited space (ksa-dhtu) and endless space (ajatkas).
[6]
The Vaibhashika, an early school of Buddhist philosophy, hold Akasha's existence to be real.
[7]
ksa is identified as the first arpa jhna (arpajhna), but usually translates as "infinite space."
[8]
Crvkism
Adherents of the heterodox Crvka or Lokyata philosophy of India hold that this world is made of four elements
only. They exclude the fifth element, Akasha, because its existence cannot be perceived.
[9]
Theosophy
Main article: Akashic records
The Western religious philosophy called Theosophy has popularized the word Akasha as an adjective, through the
use of the term "Akashic records" or "Akashic library", referring to an ethereal compendium of all knowledge and
history.
Modern Paganism
It is believed by many modern Pagans that the Akasha, Spirit, is the Fifth Element. Scott Cunningham describes the
Akasha as the spiritual force that Earth, Air, Fire, and Water descend from. Some also believe that the combination
of the four elements make up that which is Akasha, and that Akasha exists in every living creature in existence;
without Akasha, there is no spirit, no soul, no magic.
The Five Elements are worked with to create positive changes on earth. This is done through meditation to bring
about beneficial changes in ones life. Akashan spirituality is holistic.
Practitioners learn to maintain mental and physical health through meditation, exercise, ritual and diet. They are
expected to have a profound commitment to their life path.
The upward point of the pentacle, the pentagram or five pointed star within a circle, represents Akasha. The others
represent Fire, Earth, Air and Water. While Earth is considered "north"; Fire is "south"; air is "east"; Water is "west",
while Akasha is "center".
[10]
Akasha
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In popular culture
Literature
Anne Rice used the word "Akasha" as the name of a vampire in the novels The Vampire Lestat (1985) and The
Queen of the Damned (1988).
Shea Godfrey used the word "Akasha" as a term of endearment in the Bold Strokes Books lesbian romance novel
Nightshade.
In the Horus Heresy novel Mechanicum, Book 9 of the Horus Heresy book series, the Theosophical idea of
Akashic records is referenced as an underlying universal substrate which contains the secrets behind all possible
forms of technology. One of the main characters in the story attempts to build a device called an Akashic Reader
to access this information.
[11]
In the book Science And The Akashic Field by Ervin Laszlo, Akasha is noted as the aether from which all matter
is formed.
In Tsukihime and Fate/stay night visual novels, Akasha is the Root, the source and the end of everything in the
universe.
Music
Akasha is a Rock Band from Costa Rica, the band has shared stage with bands such as P.O.D. and Korn.
American instrumental jazz band Waking Vision Trio recorded a song "In the Full Moon Akasha" on their EP
Into High Selva (2004).
American Atmospheric black metal band Abigail Williams recorded a song named "Akasha" for their 2012 album
Becoming.
British space rock band Ozric Tentacles recorded a cut named "Akasha" for their 2004 album Spirals in
Hyperspace.
TV
In the anime series Code Geass, Charles zi Britannia, the Emperor of the Holy Britannian Empire planned to use a
shrine-like building of unknown origin called the Sword of Akasha, which was described as a "weapon to defeat
god". The concept of god is later discussed as the collective-unconscious of every person on earth.
The "Akashic field" is used in the television series Eureka. It is believed to be a field of universal knowledge and
is somehow connected to the terrestrial artifact in the Global Dynamics labs.
In Kara no Kyoukai anime, Akasha is the Root of all existence, and is directly connected to Ryougi Shiki's
"Mystic Eyes of Death Perception" and her 3rd personality.
In the series Fate/Zero and Fate/Stay Night, the ultimate goal of the magi is to commune with "The Akashic
Record", a place or separate dimension where all of reality was originally formed, past, present and future. it is
also known as the "Swirl of the Root".
In episode seven of season two of the TV series Charmed, entitled "They`re everywhere," the Akashic records are
the basis of power for a group of knowledge-stealing warlocks.
In the book and film Queen of the Damned, "Akasha" is the Mother of all Vampires. Akasha is a fundamentally
dark, empty, nihilistic person with no sense of morality, ethics, or human compassion; her actions are almost
always based on her insatiable need to fill her own inner emptiness.
Akasha
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Games
In No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle for the Wii, Akashic Points are locations that lead to other planes of
existence.
In the Super Robot Wars series of strategy video games, Akashic Buster is one of the many attacks in the
repertoire of the mecha Cybuster.
In the Mage: The Ascension role-playing game, a group of mages calls itself the "Akashic Brotherhood".
In the Nephilim role-playing game, an Akasha is some kind of alternate reality bubble, whose existence and
content are based on the thoughts and dreams of the humans.
In the Legend of the Five Rings role-playing game, the Akasha is the group consciousness of the Naga race.
In popular Warcraft III custom map "Defense of the Ancients", Akasha is the name of a female hero with the
ability to create waves of sound that damage multiple units.
In Unreal Tournament III, Akasha is the name of the female Necris High Inquisitor in the single player campaign.
In Persona 3 and Persona 4, there is a skill that the Personae can use called "Akasha Arts", a Strike attack skill
that inflicts damage on all enemies.
In the Square Enix game, Final Fantasy XI, Akash is a representation of the light elemental avatar, Carbuncle.
In the Arcana Evolved roleplaying game, Akashic is the name of a character class that taps into collective
memory to gain knowledge.
In TERA Online, the MMORPG, Akasha (Goddess of Epidemics) is the name of a L50 final boss in Akasha's
Hideout.
In Dota 2, a real-time, action strategy game, a playable hero is named Akasha, the Queen of Pain.
In Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor 2, a Japanese RPG, the extradimensional being Polaris has access to and
control over all the Akashic records for our universe, and can edit them (and thus the universe) at will.
In "Rosario + Vampire" Akasha is Moka's mother and leader of the three great dark lords.
In The Elder Scrolls series, the fictitious god "Akatosh" may also be a reference to Akasha.
In "Aion: Tower of Eternity", aether is the magical substance contained in all things, the blood of Aion himself,
and the demi-gods known as Daevas are made mostly of Aether, that grants their immortality.
In the Oriental Adventures supplementary book for Dungeons & Dragons 3.5, Akasha is the center of Naga
culture, as a communal telepathic bond, racial memory, and their concept of a divine being.
References
[1] http:/ / en. wikipedia. org/ w/ index. php?title=Template:Classic_element& action=edit
[2] Dictionary of World Philosophy by A. Pablo Iannone, Taylor & Francis, 2001, p.30. ISBN 0-415-17995-5
[3] Indian Metaphysics and Epistemology by Karl H. Potter, Usharbudh Arya, Motilal Banarsidass Publications, 1977, p.71. ISBN
81-208-0309-4
[4] Six Systems of Indian Philosophy; Samkhya and Yoga; Naya and Vaiseshika by F. Max Muller, Kessinger Publishing, 2003, p.40. ISBN
0-7661-4296-5
[5] Encyclopaedia of Jainism by Narendra Singh, Anmol Publications PVT. LTD., 2001, p.1623. ISBN 81-261-0691-3
[6] Buddhist Dictionary by Nyanatiloka, Buddhist Publication Society, 1998, pp.24-35. ISBN 955-24-0019-8
[7] Encyclopedia of Asian Philosophy By Oliver Leaman, Contributor Oliver Leaman, Taylor & Francis, 2001, ISBN 0-415-17281-0, pg. 476
[8] The Ideas and Meditative Practices of Early Buddhism By Tilmann Vetter, Brill: Leiden, 1988. pg. 65
[9] The Tale of Carvaka by Manga Randreas, Mangalakshmi Ravindram, iUniverse, 2005, ISBN 0-595-34955-2, pg, 270
[10] Earth, Air, Fire & Water, Scott Cunningham (Llewellyn, 1995)
[11] The is a major plot device, mentioned over two dozen times throughout the novel.
Akasha
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External links
Akasadhikaranam (http:/ / www. swami-krishnananda. org/ bs_1/ 1-1-08. html)
Chandogya Upanishad I.9.1 (http:/ / www. sub. uni-goettingen. de/ ebene_1/ fiindolo/ gretil/ 1_sanskr/ 1_veda/
4_upa/ chup___u. htm) translation (http:/ / www. celextel. org/ 108upanishads/ chandogya. html)
Article Sources and Contributors
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Article Sources and Contributors
Akasha Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=610207095 Contributors: ***Ria777, 198.60.121.xxx, Adam Bishop, Advancedsource, Alansohn, Alfanje, Alren, Angr, Arjun01,
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