Today I am doing a topical study on “The Chosen” and looking to different doctrine to analyze what each discusses about this topic. I found not all doctrine identify the chosen by the word specifically so I had to hop around a bit.
Let start with the Quran – Chosen was not part of the index guide but I did manage to find topics about the chosen under the word “Light” and “Those nearest to Allah”.
I found it interesting that in the Quran that as a reward for the deeds of their past life,there will be companions with beautiful, big and lustrous eyes-Like they are pearls, well guarded. I take this as those companions are special souls . . .ummm.
The Quran
Sura 4. An-Nisa
4.174 - O Mankind! Surely, there has come to you clear proof from your Lord: And we have sent to you light that is clear.
Sura 6. Al-An’am
6.1 – All the Praises and thanks be to Allah who created the heavens and the earth, and made the darkness and the light. Yet those who disbelieve hold others as equal with their Guardian-Lord!
Sura 24. An-Nur (The Light)
24.35 - All is the Light of the heavens and the earth. The parable of his light is as though there is a Niche or opening and within it is a Lamp: The Lamp is enclosed in glass: The glass as if it was itself a bright star: Lit from a blessed Tree, an Olive, neither of the East nor the West, whose Oil is almost by itself bright, even though fire never touched it: Light upon Light! Allah guides whomever he wills to His Light: And Allah sets forth parables for mankind: And Allah knows all things.
24.36 - This Light shines bright in those houses, that Allah has permitted to be raised to the honor; For the celebration of His Name in them: In them his names and the houses, He is glorified mornings and in evenings of everyday!
Sura 56. Al-Waqi’ah (The inevitable event)
56.10 – And those foremost in faith will be foremost in the hearafter.
56.11 – These will be those nearest to Allah:
56.12 – In the Garden of true joy:
56.13 – A number of people from those of the old,
56.14 – And a few ones from those of later times.
56.15 – They will be on thrones inlaid with gold and precious stones,
56.16 – Reclining on them, face to face,
56.17 - Around them will serve youths of ever lasting freshness,
56.18 – With little glasses, shining tumblers, and cups filled from clear flowing fountains;
56.19 – No ill effects will they suffer from them, and they will not be dazed;
56.20 – And with fruits, any that they may select;
56.21 – and the flesh of fowls, any that they desire.
56.22 – And there will be companions with beautiful, big and lustrous eyes-
56.23 – Like they are pearls, well guarded.
56.24 – A reward for the deeds of their past life.
56.25 – No pettiness will they hear in there, and not even a little of sinful speech.
56.26 – But only saying “Salaam, Salaam (Peace, Peace).”
Sura 57. Al-Hadid (The Iron)
57.12 - On the day you shall see the believing men and the believing women – How their Light runs forward before them and by their right hand: Their greeting will be “Good New for you this Day! Gardens of Paradise beneath which flow rivers! To live there for ever. This is indeed the highest success!”
57.13 - On the day the hypocrites – Men and Women, will say to the believers: “Wait for us! Let us get a light from your Light!” It will be said; “You go back to the rear! Then seek a light from where you can!” So, a wall will be out between them, with a gate in it. Within it the wall will be mercy throughout, and outside and all alongside of it, will be anger and punishment.
57.14 - Those hypocrites outside will call the believers, “Were we not with you?” The others will reply, “True! But you led yourselves into temptation; You looked forward to our destruction; And you doubted Allah’s Promise: And your false desires deceived you; Until the Command of Allah became true. And the Deceiver (Satan) deceived you in respect to Almighty Allah.
57.15 - “So, this Day shall no ransom be taken from you, or from those who disbelieved. Your home is Fire: That is the proper place to claim you: And it is an evil place to rest!”
Sura 66. At-Tahrim (Holding something to be forbidden)
66.8 - O you who believe! Turn to Allah with sincere repentance; In the hope that your Lord will remove from you your sorrows and admit you to Gardens beneath which rivers flow – The Day that Allah will not disgrace the Prophet and those who believe with him, their light will run before them and on their right hands, while they say “Our Lord! Perfect our light for us, and grant us forgiveness: Verily, You are Able to do all things.”
Reference: English translation of the message of “The Quran” by Professor (Dr.) Syed Vickar Ahamed.
Jewish Dictionary
—Biblical Data: God’s Chosen is found expressed exactly that way.
Name for the Jewish people expressive of the idea of their having been chosen by God to fulfil the mission of proclaiming His truth among all the nations. This choice does not imply a superior claim, but a superior duty and responsibility on the part of the Jewish people, inasmuch as they have been pledged by the covenant which God concluded with Abraham, their ancestor, and again with the entire nation on Sinai, to testify, by precept and example, to the truth revealed to them, to lead a holy life as God's priest-people, and, if needs be, sacrifice their very lives for the sake of this truth. In this peculiar sense they are called God's own people; their religious genius, as manifested in their patriarchs, prophets, inspired poets, sages, and heroes, having rendered them the chosen people of religion to a far greater extent than the artistic and philosophical genius of the Greeks made that nation the chosen people of art and philosophy, or the juridical and political genius of the Romans made them the chosen people of law and politics.
—In Rabbinical Literature:
According to the Rabbis, Israel has not been chosen as the people of the Law on account of its racial superiority. "Israel is of all nations the most wilful or headstrong one [ ], and the Torah was to give it the right scope and power of resistance, or else the world could not have withstood its fierceness" (Beẓah, 25b). "The Lord offered the Law to all nations; but all refused to accept it except Israel" (Mek. Yitro, Pes. R. K. 103b, 186a, 200a). "A Gentile who consecrates his life to the study and observance of the Law ranks as high as the high priest," says R. Meïr, by deduction from Lev. xviii. 5; II Sam. vii. 19; Isa. xxvi. 2; Ps. xxxiii. 1, cxviii. 20, cxxv. 4, where all stress is laid not on Israel, but on man or the righteous one (Sifra, Aḥare Mot, 86b; Bacher, "Ag. Tan." ii. 31). Israel is likened to the olive. Just as this fruit yields its precious oil only after being much pressed and squeezed, so Israel's destiny is one of great oppression and hardship, in order that it may thereby give forth its illuminating wisdom (Ex. R. xxvi.). Poverty is the quality most befitting Israel as the chosen people (Ḥag. 9b). Only on account of its good works is Israel among the nations "as the lily among thorns" (Cant. R. ii. 2), or "as wheat among the chaff" (Midr. Teh. i. 4; Weber's "System der Altsynagogalen Theologie," etc., pp. 59-69, is full of glaring errors and misstatements on the subject of Israel as the chosen people).
Consciousness of Selection.
Unlike any other nation, the Jewish people began their career conscious of their life-purpose and world-duty as the priests and teachers of a universal religious truth; and their whole history, with all its tragic sternness, was and to the end of time will be devoted to the carrying out of this purpose and the discharge of this duty. This view is expressed in all the Biblical and rabbinical passages referring to Israel as the chosen people, or to Abraham as their ancestor. "For I have singled him out [A. V., "have known him"] to the end that he may command his children and his house after him, that they may keep the way of the Lord to do justice and judgment" (Gen. xviii. 1, Hebr.; compare Neh. ix. 7, "Thou art the Lord, the God who didst choose Abram").
Conditions of Choice.
That Israel's character as the chosen people is conditioned by obedience to God's commandments is stated in the very words of the Sinai covenant: "Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people; for all the earth is mine: and ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation" (Ex. xix. 5, 6). "The Lord did not set his love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in number than any people; for ye were the fewest of all people; but because the Lord loved you, and because he would keep the oath which he had sworn unto your fathers" (Deut. vii. 7, 8). The great obligation imposed upon Israel as the chosen people is especially emphasized by the prophet Amos (iii. 2): "You only have I singled out [R. V., "known"] of all the families of the earth: therefore will I visit upon you all your iniquities." Compare Deut. xiv. 2: "Thou art an holy people unto the Lord thy God, and the Lord hath chosen thee to be a peculiar people unto himself, above all peoples that are upon the face of the earth," and ib. xxiv. 18, 19, R. V.
God's Witnesses and Their Inheritance.
Particularly is the world-mission of the chosen people dwelt upon by Deutero-Isaiah, the seer of the Exile (Isa. xli.; xlii. 1-7; xliii. 10. "Ye are my witnesses, saith the Lord, and my servant whom I have chosen"; ib. verse 21, R. V., "The people which I formed for myself that they might set forth my praise"; compare xliv. 1, 2; xlix. 6, 7).
As God's chosen people, Israel is also called His "inheritance" (Deut. iv. 20; ix. 26, 29; xxxii. 9; Ps. xxxiii. 12: "The people whom he hath chosen for his own inheritance"; I Kings viii. 53, Jer. x. 16; and elsewhere). As the children of the Patriarchs they are His chosen ones (Ps. cv. 6).
Reference: http://www.jewishdictionary.com/
Apostolic succession – Speaks for itself
Apostolic succession, in Christian theology, the doctrine asserting that the chosen successors of the apostles enjoyed through God's grace the same authority, power, and responsibility as was conferred upon the apostles by Jesus. Therefore present-day bishops, as the successors of previous bishops, going back to the apostles, have this power by virtue of this unbroken chain. For the Orthodox, Roman Catholic, and Anglican churches, this link with the apostles is what guarantees for them their authority in matters of faith, morals, and the valid administration of sacraments. Essential to maintaining the apostolic succession is the right consecration of bishops. Apostolic succession is to be distinguished from the Petrine supremacy. Protestants (other than Anglican) see the authority given to the apostles as unique, proper to them alone, and hence reject any doctrine of a succession of their power. The Protestant view of ecclesiastical authority differs accordingly.
Apostolic succession is the doctrine in some of the more ancient Christian communions that the succession of bishops, in uninterrupted lines, is historically traceable back to the original Twelve Apostles. Apostolic succession is not the same as the Petrine supremacy. As a general rule, Protestantism rejects the doctrine of apostolic succession. Protestants consider the authority given to the apostles as having been unique, and therefore proper to them alone without being inherited by later prelates. Thus, they reject any doctrine of a succession of the original apostles' authority.
Reference: The Columbia Encyclopedia. Copyright © 2001-09 Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.
Heliogabalus hē′lēōgăb'ələs or Elagabalusĕləgăb'ələs, c.205–222, Roman emperor (218–22). GOD’s chosen - were those in leadership.
He was a priest of the local sun god, Elagabalus, at Emesa and was named Varius Avitus Bassianus. He was a cousin of Caracalla; according to the claims (almost certainly false) of his ambitious mother and grandmother, he was the son of Caracalla. He was chosen by the troops in Syria as emperor in opposition to Macrinus, who had killed and succeeded Caracalla. When Macrinus was defeated and killed at Antioch, Heliogabalus became emperor as Marcus Aurelius Antoninus. His reign was a tragic farce. He imported the cult of which he was priest, and Rome was shocked and disgusted by the indecency of the rites as well as by the private life of the emperor, who gave high offices to an actor, a charioteer, and a barber. His grandmother, Julia Maesa, induced him to adopt his young cousin, Alexander Severus, but Heliogabalus later tried to have the boy killed. Heliogabalus and his mother were murdered in an uprising of the Praetorian Guard. Alexander Severus succeeded.
Sol
Sol sŏl, in Roman religion, sun god. An ancient god of Mesopotamian origin, he was introduced (c.220) into Roman religion as Sol Invictus by emperor Heliogabalus. His worship remained an important cult of Rome until the rise of Christianity.
Reference: The Columbia Encyclopedia. Copyright © 2001-09 Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.
Bhakti (Devanāgarī: भक्ति, Sanskrit: devotion, or portion)[1] in practice signifies an active involvement by the devotee in divine worship. The term is often translated as "devotion", though increasingly "participation" is being used as a more accurate rendering, since it conveys a fully engaged relationship with God.[2] One who practices bhakti is called a bhakta,[3] while bhakti as a spiritual path is referred to as bhakti marga, or the bhakti way.[4][5] Bhakti is an important component of many branches of Hinduism, defined differently by various sects and schools.[6]
Bhakti emphasises devotion and practice above ritual. Bhakti is typically represented in terms of human relationships, most often as beloved-lover, friend-friend, parent-child, and master-servant.[7] It may refer to devotion to a spiritual teacher (Guru) as guru-bhakti,[8][9] to a personal form of God,[10] or to divinity without form (nirguna).[11] Different traditions of bhakti in Hinduism are sometimes distinguished, including: Shaivas, who worship Shiva and the gods and goddesses associated with him; Vaishnavas, who worship forms of Vishnu, his avataras, and others associated with; Shaktas, who worship a variety of goddesses. Belonging to a particular tradition is not exclusive—devotion to one deity does not preclude worship of another.[12]
The Bhagavad Gita is the first text to explicitly use the word "bhakti" to designate a religious path,[13] which the Bhagavata Purana develops more elaborately.[7] The so-called Bhakti Movement saw a rapid growth of bhakti beginning in Southern India with the Vaisnava Alvars (6th-9th century CE) and Saiva Nayanars (5th-10th century CE), who spread bhakti poetry and devotion throughout India by the 12th-18th century CE.[14][15] Bhakti influence in India spread to other religions,[16][17][18][19] coloring many aspects of Hindu culture to this day, from religious to secular, and becoming an integral part of Indian society.
Reference: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia © 2001-2006 Wikipedia contributors (Disclaimer)
Bhakti bŭk'tē [Skt.,=devotion], theistic devotion in Hinduism. Bhakti cults seem to have existed from the earliest times, but they gained strength in the first millennium A.D. The first full statement of liberation and spiritual fulfillment through devotion to a personal god is found in the Bhagavad-Gita. The Puranas (from the 1st cent. A.D.) further elaborated theistic ideas. Devotion to Shiva and Vishnu and to the latter's avatara (incarnations), Rama and Krishna, continues to be practiced throughout India. Intense love for God and surrender to Him, reliance on His grace rather than on rituals, learning, or austerities, and the continuous repetition of His name are the means to the goal of His constant presence. The devotee may worship the chosen deity as child, parent, friend, master, or beloved. The bhakti tradition has tended to stress authentic inner feelings as opposed to institutional forms of religion and to disregard caste distinctions. Great devotees and saints such as the Alvars of S India (a Vaishnavite group of wandering singers), Mirabai, Tukaram, Tulsidasa, Kabir, and Chaitanya have continuously inspired the cults, founded their own sects, and produced a great literature of songs and poems in their vernaculars.
Reference: The Columbia Encyclopedia. Copyright © 2001-09 Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.
Hermetic - “Know Thyself” In knowing thyself you can reach souls perfection and be part of the chosen.
The Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn (or, more commonly, the Golden Dawn) was a magical order founded in Great Britain during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, which practiced theurgy and spiritual development. It has been one of the largest single influences on 20th-century Western occultism. Concepts of magic and ritual at the center of contemporary traditions, such as Wicca[1][2] and Thelema, were inspired by the Golden Dawn.
The three founders, William Robert Woodman, William Wynn Westcott, and Samuel Liddell MacGregor Mathers were Freemasons and members of Societas Rosicruciana in Anglia (S.R.I.A.).[3] Westcott appears to have been the initial driving force behind the establishment of the Golden Dawn.
The Golden Dawn system was based on hierarchy and initiation like the Masonic Lodges, however women were admitted on an equal basis with men. The "Golden Dawn" was the first of three Orders, although all three are often collectively referred to as the "Golden Dawn". The First Order taught esoteric philosophy based on the Hermetic Qabalah and personal development through study and awareness of the four Classical Elements as well as the basics of astrology, tarot divination, and geomancy. The Second or "Inner" Order, the Rosae Rubeae et Aureae Crucis (the Ruby Rose and Cross of Gold), taught proper magic, including scrying, astral travel, and alchemy. The Third Order was that of the "Secret Chiefs", who were said to be highly-skilled but no longer incarnate; they supposedly directed the activities of the lower two orders by spirit communication with the Chiefs of the Second Order.
This article covers the meaning of the self in spirituality (both the egoic self and the witnessing Self). For other meanings of 'self', see Self.
The Self is a complex and core subject in many forms of spirituality. Two types of self are commonly considered - the self that is the ego, also called the learned, superficial self of mind and body, an egoic creation, and the Self which is sometimes called the "True Self", the "Observing Self", or the "Witness". [1]
The Self is pure consciousness or Being in Self-awareness. Whereas, the I am principle is individuality made manifest. They are separate and distinguishable. Even the I-sense eventually dissolves. MMY
Further information: Ego (spirituality)
Ken Wilber describes the Witnessing (or Observing) Self in the following terms:
"This observing Self is usually called the Self with a capital S, or the Witness, or pure Presence, or pure Awareness, or Consciousness as such, and this Self as transparent Witness is a direct ray of the living Divine. The ultimate "I AM" is Christ, is Buddha, is Emptiness itself: such is the startling testimony of the world's great mystics and sages." [8]
He adds that the Self is not an Emergent, but an aspect present from the start as the basic form of awareness, but which becomes increasingly obvious and self aware "as growth and transcendence matures." As Depth increases, consciousness shines forth more noticeably, until:
"shed[ding] its lesser identification with both the body and the mind ... in each case from matter to body to mind to Spirit... consciousness or the observing Self sheds an exclusive identity with a lesser and shallower dimension, and opens up to deeper and higher and wider occasions, until it opens up to its own ultimate ground in Spirit itself. And the stages of transpersonal growth and development are basically the stages of following this Observing Self to its ultimate abode, which is pure Spirit or pure Emptiness, the ground, path and fruition of the entire display." [8]
In a similar vein, Evelyn Underhill[9] states:
"It is clear that under ordinary conditions, and save for sudden gusts of "Transcendental Feeling" induced by some saving madness such as Religion, Art, or Love, the superficial self knows nothing of the attitude of this silent watcher—this "Dweller in the Innermost"—towards the incoming messages of the external world: nor of the activities which they awake in it. Concentrated on the sense-world, and the messages she receives from it, she knows nothing of the relations which exist between this subject and the unattainable Object of all thought. But by a deliberate inattention to the messages of the senses, such as that which is induced by contemplation, the mystic can bring the ground of the soul, the seat of "Transcendental Feeling," within the area of consciousness: making it amenable to the activity of the will. Thus becoming unaware of his usual and largely fictitious "external world," another and more substantial set of perceptions, which never have their chance under normal conditions, rise to the surface. Sometimes these unite with the normal reasoning faculties. More often, they supersede them. Some such exchange, such "losing to find," appears to be necessary, if man's transcendental powers are to have their full chance."
Reference:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Self_(spirituality)
http://www.referencecenter.com/ref/reference/GoldenDa/Hermetic_Order_of_the_Golden_Dawn?invocationType=ar1clk
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hermetic_Brotherhood_of_Light
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