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Akasha (or Akash, Aakaashá, Ākāśa, आकाश) is the Sanskrit word meaning "aether" in both its elemental and mythological senses.
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Meaning in different philosophies
Hinduism
In Hinduism Akasha means the basis and essence of all things in the material world; the smallest material element created from the astral world. It is one of the Panchamahabhuta, or "five great elements"; its main characteristic is Shabda (sound). In Hindi the meaning of Akasha is sky.1
The Nyaya and Vaisheshika schools of Hindu philosophy state that Akasha or ether 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.2
According to the Samkhya school of Hindu philosophy, Akasha is one of the five Mahābhūtas (grand physical elements) having the specific property of sound.3
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.4
Buddhism
In Buddhist phenomenology Akasha is divided into Skandha, Desa, and Pradesa.5
The Vaibhashika, an early school of Buddhist philosophy, hold Akasha's existence to be real.6
Cārvākism
Adherents of the heterodox Cārvāka or Lokāyata 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.7
Theosophy
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 human knowledge.
In popular culture
Literature
- Anne Rice used the word "Akasha" as the name of the very first vampire in the novel The Queen of the Damned.
Music
- The word has been taken as its name by a music duo from the United Kingdom, Akasha (band).
Film
- In the anime series Code Geass, the Emperor of the Britannia Empire built a shrine-like building called the Sword of Akasha, which was described as a weapon to defeat the gods.
Games
- Akasha is used in the main title of "Akasha Seal", a RPG Maker XP Episodic Series (RMXP Episode for short) by ScriptKitty. The series was left unfinished at episode 4, where the connection of the title and the story is still a mystery.
- 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", after a character called Akasha.
- 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 popular Warcraft III custom map DotA, Akasha is the name of a female hero with the ability to create waves of sound that damage multiple units, perhaps as a reference to the NPC of Blizzard's Diablo II.
- Akasha is the name of the female Necris High Inquisitor in the Unreal Tournament 3 single player campaign.
- In the PS2 game, Persona 3, the 12th Shadow (boss enemy) performs an attack called "Akasha Arts".
See also
References
- ^ Dictionary of World Philosophy by A. Pablo Iannone, Taylor & Francis, 2001, p. 30. ISBN 0415179955
- ^ Indian Metaphysics and Epistemology by Karl H. Potter, Usharbudh Arya, Motilal Banarsidass Publications, 1977, p. 71. ISBN 8120803094
- ^ Six Systems of Indian Philosophy; Samkhya and Yoga; Naya and Vaiseshika by F. Max Muller, Kessinger Publishing, 2003, p. 40. ISBN 0766142965
- ^ Encyclopaedia of Jainism by Narendra Singh, Anmol Publications PVT. LTD., 2001, p. 1623. ISBN 8126106913
- ^ Buddhist Dictionary by Nyanatiloka, Buddhist Publication Society, 1998, pp. 9-10. ISBN 9552400198
- ^ "Encyclopedia of Asian Philosophy" By Oliver Leaman, Contributor Oliver Leaman, Taylor & Francis, 2001, ISBN 0415172810, pg. 476
- ^ "The Tale of Carvaka" By Manga Randreas, Mangalakshmi Ravindram, iUniverse, 2005, ISBN 0595349552, pg, 270
External links
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- This page was last modified on 31 December 2008, at 04:56.
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