Dictionary of Traditionalistic terms

The Absolute - the infinite as the overcoming of all definitions and limitations. Hence cannot be assigned any qualities, can only be described in negative terms.

Avatar - a direct manifestation of God/Godhead in human ("this") world. The main difference from other manifestations (i.e. individuals) - ontological stability/"polarity", minimal involvement in the "wheel of life", recognition of own dignity and superhuman qualities/"powers". An avatar always appears for the purpose of completion of a certain task.

Being – the totality of all "things" to which can take as a predicate the verb "to be"; God and all of its "creatures" (gods, people, matter, etc)..

Brahmin - "the priestly" caste. People most predisposed towards direct study of the supernatural knowledge. Main function in society - the transmission of traditional knowledge and qualifications.

The castes – "natural classes." A stratification of human society based on the ("innate") spiritual qualities and predispositions. Usually this division is four-part - the Brahmins ("priests"), the Kshatriyas ("warriors"), the Vaishyas ("tradesmen"), and the Shudras ("servants"). The first three castes are called the "twice-born" - they have an opportunity to be initiated according to the caste. A person can also be above the institution of castes (hermits/ascetics, "True/Primordial Man") or below it (the "untouchable", the "cursed").

A deity (a god) – a transcendent state ("name devoid of form") as a manifestation of God, can be qualified in positive terms. Usually connected with a certain aspect(s) of God.

Creationism – a worldview postulating the sensible world as a creation separate from its creator (God). Usually associated with Abrahamic religions.

Death – the end of bodily existence.

The Elite – people carrying out the core functions of the state (administrative and spiritual). Their main trait is their spiritual superiority over the rest of the population.

The emperor – the head of the empire as a form of traditional society, possessor of the highest power. As a rule he heads both the kshatriya and the Brahmin castes. The emperor's source of power is his effective supra-individual state/nature.

The empire – one of the traditional forms of state, characterized as being lead by the emperor and having a branching socio-political hierarchy.

God - the "highest" person, Pure Being and Unity (i.e. containing its own essence). The highest state that can be qualified in positive terms, the first definition (as a "limitation") of the Absolute (Lord, etc). (Potentially) contains all of its "creatures" (other "minor" gods, people, matter, etc).

Initiation – a process of changing of ontological state of the individual, i.e. transition to a super-human state.

Intellectual intuition – a method of acquiring effective supra-individual knowledge, characterized by direct spiritual transmission of "information" rather than the use of rational/logical thought or the senses (hearing, sight, touch, taste, smell).

Essence – the active "end" of Being, the meaning (and "source") of Existence. It determines and "creates" the manifestation, but does not participate in it, as a person weaving a cloth does not depend on the cloth he weaves. Usually, in practice it is assimilated (as Pure Spirit) with God through the synthetic incorporation and subordination of Substance.

Existence – a form of being characterized as being polarized into Essence and Substance.

Kshatriyas – "the warriors". People predisposed towards state-managerial/administrative functions or warfare in human society.

Manifestationism – a worldview postulating the sensible world as a manifestation (usually of the least "subtle" kind) of the divine, but not the divine itself. Usually associated with "heathen" forms of Tradition.

Metaphysics – the totality of supra-individual knowledge.

Neo-paganism – a collective term for a type of paganism that appeared in 19-20th centuries. Main difference from paganism proper is the loss of the direct traditional transmission line.

Paganism – a collective term for all non-Abrahamic forms of Tradition, but usually reserved for ethnocentric belief systems outside the "world religions" (Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Buddhism). Characterized by a visible polytheism on an exoteric level and the general complement of the Immanent and the Transcendent.

Pantheism – identification of the sensible world with the divine, denial of the possibility of transcendence. "Idol-worship".

Shudra – "the servants". A caste, people who have no particular spiritual qualities, their only value is service to other people.

The soul – the middle ground between the Spirit and body (in a being). The first derivative of Spirit in substance, exists as a totality of "subtle" layers (psychic, moral, "astral", etc).

The spirit – the active (immortal and immutable) "component" of a being, its Essence.

Substance – the passive "end" of Being, fully ("absolutely") passive and indefinite, plasticity without Essence. That from which the manifested is "made," as a cloth is made from cotton.

Theism – a belief in personal God, creator and ruler of the universe. Theism is characterized by "devotion", all that is called "religion". The pinnacle of a theistic worldview is God (not the Absolute).

Tradition – supernatural knowledge and sciences from the same supra-individual source. Forms of Tradition change with time and people, but in their essence they are unified (see Metaphysics).

Transcendence – the principle of overcoming, reaching the source. Balances the opposites through synthesis, i.e. by going to the point that is the single origin of both opposites.

Vaishya – "the merchants". People predisposed towards the crafts, the trades and commerce in human society. Usually constitute "the people" as such (as opposed to "the elite").