The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions (104 page)

BOOK: The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions
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Aki no Higan
(festival)
:
see
FESTIVALS AND FASTS
(Japanese).
Aki no Shanichi
(protective festival)
:
see
FESTIVALS AND FASTS
(Japanese).
Akiva
/Aqiba
(
c.
50–135 CE).
Jewish scholar and
martyr
. Akiva was one of the leading scholars of his age and is credited with systematizing the
midrash
. He set up his own school at Bene Barak, and his pupils included R.
Meir
and R.
Simeon bar Yo
ai
. He recognized Simeon bar Kokhba as the
messiah
in his revolt against the Romans in 132 CE, applying to him the verse (Numbers 24. 17) Ultimately he died as a martyr, being flayed alive by the Romans.
Ak
ara
(Skt., ‘unchangeable’). That which cannot perish, the immutable, a name for
Brahman
.
Ak
ara-puru
a
(Skt., ‘unchangeable’ +
puru
a
). The uninvolved Self which keeps aloof and detached from the changes which occur in
prak
ti
, and simply observes its processes.

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