The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions (2160 page)

BOOK: The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions
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(Skt., ‘theory of existent effect’), in
S
khya
, the concept that any effect pre-exists in its cause; there is no creation of a thing previously nonexistent.
Everything that occurs exists potentially in its cause. Creation is produced simply through a recombination of the constituents of the uncreated (
avyakta
). By analogy, a statue pre-exists in the stone; curds in milk. Specifically, creation involves a re-organizing of the three
gu
as
which exist in perfect equilibrium in the primal ‘stuff’ (
m
laprak
ti
) of creation. All change occurs through the interaction of these three gu
as.
atkasa
patti
(Skt., ‘six attainments’). The six great virtues which, in
a
kara's
Hindu system, must be fulfilled as one of the four prerequisites by a student of
Ved
nta
—the others being
mumuk
utva
(striving for liberation),
viveka
(discrimination), and
vairagya
(detachment). The six virtues are
(i) 
ama
, concentration and control of the mind, directed towards an object of meditation;
(ii) 
dama
, control of the organs of sense;
(iii) 
uparama
, quieting of the mind, especially by the fulfilment of one's duty of
dharma
;
(iv) 
titik
a
, the patient balance between opposing dualities;
(v) 
raddh
, faith, trust in what scriptures teach;
(vi) 
sam
dh
na
(cf.
SAM
DHI
), the concentration which enables one also to transmit truth to others.

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