 163. Terminology |
DIACHRONIC: A view of language, in structural linguistics, that considers language as it develops through time.
DIALECTIC: The Socratic Dialogue, a series of questions and answers to help the person discover the truth for themselves, rather than simply telling them. The method of reasoning that moves back and forth between opposites.
DIETY: All scriptures state in one way or another, "thou shalt not worship graven images." In its deepest sense, the worshipping of one's "own" mind (i.e., thoughts, concepts, and opinions about God).
DIFFERANCE: Derrida's term for the characteristic of writing that gives it meaning by referring to other words that mean something different. Differance involves both differing and a deferring.
DEVA: A divine being, beyond the human state, or any human who attains enlightenment and purity and has transcended the physical plane.
DEVILS: The most "egoic" mentality in a human, with all the negative emotions of greed, hate, selfishness, lying, killing, etc.
DHANURASANA: The "bow" posture for meditation, with the stomach facing downward.
DHARMA: Has several meanings, universal law, truth, doctrine of the teacher, instructions of a teacher.
DYANA: Deep meditation or concentration.
DIKSHA: The act of initiating a student into spiritual life by a guru or teacher.
DIMENSIONS: Nine dimension, in all.
DIVINITY: An old Sanskrit word which means to "shine." "The shining one," "the bright one." An actual visible light emitting from a holy being. Moses "veiled" his face after coming down from the mountain of God.
DOGMA: An idea or way of thinking that is accepted as true on authority. It comes from an ancient Greek word meaning "belief."
DUALISM: The view that each person is two entities, a mind with mental attributes and a body with physical attributes, instead of a single entity with attributes of both sorts.
DWESHA: This is aversion; dislike, as opposed to like.
ECRITURE FEMININE: A French feminist writing style that tries to set itself apart from male philosophical writing by being creative and playful, sometimes making fun of the ideas of male philosophers.
