The word Cosmic comes from the word Cosmos, a word originated by Pythagoras meaning ‘order’ and ‘adornment’. “The Pythgoreans viewed the visible heavens as an ‘adornment’ of pure principles, the number of visible planets relating to the principles of proportional harmony.”*
A similar word to Cosmos you’ve seen me use here? Lila. Laws of nature (order) creating the divine appearance (adornment).
However, Lila is more in the direction of the way I use Cosmic. Rather than meaning stellar or the universe, Cosmic I associate with the space that universes arise in (creation). The space of the mind of God rather than of manifest form.
Maharishi Mahesh Yogi picked up Bucke’s term ‘Cosmic Consciousness’ for Self Realization. In that instance, Cosmic has the meaning of boundless or infinite as in liberated. Knowledge of the Cosmic (as above) typically comes later. English’s lack of words for such things leads to less specific usage.
Davidya
Not for your sake was the world (Cosmos) generated – but you were born for its sake.
– Iamblichus
*From the Foreword of Quadrivium, a book on the 4 disciplines of number Pythagoras developed: Arithmetic, Geometry, Harmony, and Astronomy (by their modern names).
Last Updated on June 16, 2016 by
Thank you for this post David.
I just enjoyed looking up Iamblichus (not, I realise, that he was the main point of your post!).
You’re welcome, Amaryllis
The Greeks where an interesting culture, establishing much of todays science, philosophy, democracy, etc. Although that was lost for a time before being revived.