The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions (62 page)

 
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(Skt., non-duality). The essential nature of things when truly understood, according to Buddhist thought.
The term is more commonly encountered in the literature of the
Mah
y
na
. In the
Prajñ
p
ramit
(see
PERFECTION OF WISDOM
) corpus it is often found as a synonym of suchness (
tathat
) since, from the ultimate point of view, reality cannot be determined on the basis of dichotomies, such as subjectivity and objectivity, which operate according to worldly convention.

 
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(Lat.,
adventus
, ‘coming’, i.e. of Christ). The season of the church year preceding
Christmas
. Originally a season of fasting, in the
Orthodox Church
it begins in November. In the W. Church, fasting is no longer obligatory, and the season is shorter, beginning on the Sunday closest to 30 Nov. Concerned with the
Four Last Things
, Advent prepares for the
parousia
, as well as for Christmas.

 
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Adventists
.

Members of Christian sects who believe that the Second Coming of Jesus Christ is literal and imminent. Seventh Day Adventists, derived from William Miller (1781–1849) who predicted the end of the world in 1843–4, believe that the Advent is delayed because of the failure to keep the
Sabbath
. Sabbath-keeping was confirmed in the visions of Ellen G. White (d. 1915), who was a prolific writer of Adventist literature.
Dietary laws
from the Old Testament are also observed, and the further belief, that the Advent will occur when the
gospel
has been proclaimed throughout the world, leads to vigorous proselytization.

 
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