The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions (1762 page)

see
KOREAN RELIGION
.

 
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Pagan Pathfinders
.

A
neo-pagan
movement, established in Britain in the 1970s. Combining pagan and occult techniques with practical psychology, it aims to achieve altered states of consciousness and quicken the pace of personal growth.

 
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(poss. from
d
gaba
, ‘relic-container’, via Portuguese)Buddhist structure, developed from the Indian
st
pa
, and often a name for a st
pa. Its many variations contain characteristic features in common: they are usually raised and narrow structures, with four or eight sides, with several levels and prominent eaves. On the top is a post with many rings encircling it. Pagodas, like st
pas, contain
relics
(
ar
ra
) of a/the Buddha, or of a famous teacher/master. They express the Buddhist cosmos in symbolic form. A pagoda is thus a
ma
ala
in its own right.
In the history of Buddhist architecture, the placing of the pagoda is the issue which then dominates the overall layout and design of Buddhist temple areas and monasteries. The geographical solutions to the problem are diverse, but always provide a clue to the religious priorities of the community and age involved.

 
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