sacred, primarily related to religious worship and ritual. In the general cultural sense, it is used in application to cultural phenomena, to spiritual values. Sacred values ​​are values ​​that are eternal for a person and humanity, those that people cannot and do not want to give up under any circumstances.

Great Definition

Incomplete definition ↓

SACRED

from lat. sacrum - sacred) - everything that relates to the cult, the worship of especially valuable ideals. Sacramental - consecrated, holy, cherished. S. is the opposite of secular, profane, worldly. What is recognized as a shrine is subject to unconditional and reverent veneration and is guarded with special care by all possible means. S. is the identity of faith, hope and love, its "organ" is the human heart. The preservation of a sacred relationship to the object of worship is primarily ensured by the conscience of the believer, who values ​​the shrine more than his own life. Therefore, in case of a threat of desecration of a shrine, a true believer rises to its defense without much thought and external coercion; sometimes he can sacrifice his life for this. S. in theology means subject to God.

The symbol of sacralization is consecration, that is, such a ceremony, as a result of which the ordinary worldly procedure acquires a transcendental meaning. Initiation is the elevation of a person through an established sacrament or church rite to one or another degree of spiritual service. Priest - a person who is at the temple and performs all the sacraments, except for the priesthood. Sacrilege - property encroachment aimed at sacred and consecrated objects and accessories of the temple, as well as an insult to the religious feelings of believers; in a broader sense, it means an attempt on a shrine.

In addition to the theological understanding of S. as a derivative of God, there is a broad philosophical interpretation of it. For example, E. Durkheim used this concept to designate the natural-historical basis of truly human existence, its social essence, and contrasted it with the concept of individualistic (egoistic) existence. Some religious scholars consider the procedure of sacralization as an essential distinguishing feature of any religion - pantheistic, theistic and atheistic: religion begins where a system of sacralization of especially valuable ideals is formed. The church and the state are developing a complex and subtle system of protection and transmission of the sacred attitude of people to the basic ideals of the established culture. Broadcasting is carried out by coordinated methods and means of all forms of social life. Among them are strict rules of law and soft methods of art. An individual from the cradle to the grave is immersed in the system C generated by the family, clan, tribe and state. He is involved in ceremonies, ritual actions, performs prayers, rituals, observes fasts and many other religious prescriptions. First of all, norms and rules of relation to the near and far, the family, the people, the state and the absolute are subjected to sacralization.

The system of sacralization consists of. a) the amount of ideas sacred for a given society (ideology); b) psychological methods and means of persuading people of the unconditional truth of these ideas?) specific sign forms of embodiment of shrines, sacramental and hostile symbols; d) a special organization (for example, a church); e) special practical actions, rituals and ceremonies (cult). It takes a long time to create such a system, it absorbs past and newly emerged traditions. Thanks to sacred traditions and the currently existing system of sacralization, society achieves the reproduction of a certain religion in all its horizontals (social groups, classes) and verticals (generations). When the chosen object is sacralized, its reality is believed more strongly than empirically given things. The highest degree of S.'s relationship is holiness, that is, righteousness, piety, godliness, penetration by active love for the absolute and liberation of oneself from the impulses of selfishness. All religiosity is associated with S., but not every believer in practice is able to become a saint. There are few saints, their example serves as a guide for ordinary people. Degrees of S. attitude - fanaticism, moderation, indifference. S. feeling is whole, and the poison of doubt is deadly for him.

Great Definition

Incomplete definition ↓

The end of the 20th - the beginning of the 21st century is a unique time in many respects. Especially for our country and for its spiritual culture in particular. The fortress walls of the former world outlook collapsed, and the hitherto unknown sun of foreign spirituality rose over the world of the Russian man. American evangelism, Eastern cults, various kinds of occult schools over the past quarter of a century have managed to take root deeply in Russia. It also had positive aspects - today more and more people think about the spiritual dimension of their lives and strive to harmonize it with the highest, sacred meaning. Therefore, it is very important to understand what the sacred, transcendental dimension of being is.

Etymology of the word

The word "sacred" comes from the Latin sacralis, which means "sacred". The stem sac seems to go back to the Proto-Indo-European saq, the probable meaning of which is "to protect, to protect". Thus, the original semantics of the word "sacred" is "separated, protected". over time, deepened the understanding of the term, introducing into it a shade of purposefulness of such a branch. That is, the sacred is not just separated (from the world, as opposed to the profane), but separated with a special purpose, as intended for a special higher service or use in connection with cult practices. The Jewish "kadosh" has a similar meaning - holy, consecrated, sacred. If we are talking about God, the word "sacred" - the otherness of the Almighty, his transcendence in relation to the world. Accordingly, as connected with this transcendence, any object dedicated to God is endowed with the quality of sacredness, that is, sacredness.

Areas of distribution of the sacred

Its scope can be extremely wide. Especially in our time - in the flourishing boom of experimental science, sacred meaning is sometimes attached to the most unexpected things, for example, erotica. Since ancient times we have known sacred animals and sacred places. There have been in history, however, they are still being waged today, sacred wars. But what the sacred political system means, we have already forgotten.

sacred art

The theme of art in the context of sacredness is extremely extensive. In fact, it covers all types and directions of creativity, not excluding even comics and fashion. What needs to be done to understand what sacred art is? The main thing is to learn that its purpose is either to transfer sacred knowledge, or to serve a cult. In the light of this, it becomes clear why sometimes a picture can be equated, say, with. It is not the nature of the craft that is important, but the purpose of the application and, as a result, the content.

Types of such art

In the Western European world, sacred art was called ars sacra. Among its various types, the following can be distinguished:

Sacred painting. This refers to works of art of a religious nature and/or purpose, such as icons, statues, mosaics, bas-reliefs, etc.

sacred geometry. The whole layer of symbolic images falls under this definition, such as, for example, the Christian cross, the Jewish star "Magen David", the Chinese yin-yang symbol, the Egyptian ankh, etc.

sacred architecture. In this case, we mean the buildings and buildings of the temple, monastic complexes and, in general, any buildings of a religious and mystical nature. Among them may be the most unpretentious examples, such as a canopy over a holy well, or very impressive monuments such as the Egyptian pyramids.

sacred music. As a rule, this refers to cult music performed during divine services and religious rites - liturgical chants, bhajans, accompaniment of musical instruments, etc. based on traditional sacred music, as, for example, many samples of new age.

There are other manifestations of sacred art. In fact, all of its areas - cooking, literature, tailoring, and even fashion - can have a sacred meaning.

In addition to art, such concepts and things as space, time, knowledge, texts and physical actions are endowed with the quality of sanctification.

sacred space

In this case, space can mean two things - a specific building and a sacred place, not necessarily associated with buildings. An example of the latter is the sacred groves, which were very popular in the old days of pagan dominion. Even today, many mountains, hills, glades, reservoirs and other natural objects have sacred significance. Often such places are marked with special signs - flags, ribbons, images and other elements of religious decor. Their meaning is due to some miraculous event, for example, the appearance of a saint. Or, as is especially common in shamanism and Buddhism, the veneration of a place is associated with the worship of the invisible creatures living there - spirits, etc.

Another example of a sacred space is a temple. Here, the determining factor of holiness most often becomes not the holiness of the place as such, but the ritual character of the structure itself. Depending on the religion, the functions of the temple may vary slightly. For example, somewhere it is entirely the house of a deity, which is not intended for public visitation for the purpose of worship. In this case, the retribution of honors is carried out outside, in front of the temple. This was the case, for example, in ancient Greek religion. At the other extreme are Islamic mosques and Protestant prayer houses, which are specialized halls for religious meetings and are more for man than for God. In contrast to the first type, where holiness is inherent in the temple space itself, here it is the fact of cult use that transforms any room, even the most ordinary, into a sacred place.

Time

A few words should also be said about the concept of sacred time. It's still more difficult here. On the one hand, its flow is often synchronous with normal everyday time. On the other hand, it is not subject to the action of physical laws, but is determined by the mystical life of a religious organization. A vivid example is the Catholic Mass, the content of which - the sacrament of the Eucharist - over and over again takes believers to the night of Christ and the apostles. The time, marked by special holiness and otherworldly influence, also has sacred significance. These are some segments of the cycles of the day, week, month, year, etc. In culture, they most often take the form of festivities or, conversely, days of mourning. Examples of both are Holy Week, Easter, Christmas time, solstice days, equinoxes, full moons, etc.

In any case, the sacred time organizes the ritual life of the cult, determines the sequence and frequency of the performance of rituals.

Knowledge

Extremely popular at all times was the search for secret knowledge - some secret information that promised its owners the most dizzying benefits - power over the whole world, superhuman strength and the like. Although all such secrets are classified as secret knowledge, they are not always, strictly speaking, sacred. Rather, it's just secret and mysterious. Sacred knowledge is information about the abode of gods and beings of a higher order. Theology is the simplest example. And it is not only about confessional theology. Rather, science itself is meant, studying the world and the place of man in it on the basis of some supposed otherworldly revelation of deities.

sacred texts

Sacred knowledge is recorded primarily in sacred texts - the Bible, the Koran, the Vedas, etc. In the narrow sense of the word, only such scriptures are sacred, that is, they claim to be the conductors of knowledge from above. They seem to contain, in a literal sense, sacred words, not only the meaning of which, but also the form itself has a meaning. On the other hand, the semantics of the definition of sacredness makes it possible to include another type of literature in the circle of such texts - the works of outstanding teachers of spirituality, such as the Talmud, The Secret Doctrine by Helena Petrovna Blavatsky or the books of Alice Beilis, quite popular in modern esoteric circles. The authority of such works of literature can be different - from absolute infallibility to dubious comments and author's fabrications. However, by the nature of the information contained in them, these are sacred texts.

Action

Sacred can be not only a specific object or concept, but also movement. For example, what is a sacred action? This concept generalizes a wide range of gestures, dances and other physical movements that have a ritual, sacramental character. Firstly, these are liturgical events - the offering of a host, the burning of incense, blessings, etc. Secondly, these are actions aimed at changing the state of consciousness and transferring the internal focus to the sphere of the other world. Examples are the already mentioned dances, asanas in yoga, or even simple rhythmic rocking of the body.

Thirdly, the simplest of the sacred actions are called upon to express a certain, most often prayerful, disposition of a person - arms folded on the chest or raised to the sky, bow, and so on.

The sacred meaning of physical actions consists in separating, following the spirit, time and space, from the profane everyday life and elevating both the body itself and matter in general to the realm of the sacred. For this, in particular, water, housing and other items are consecrated.

Conclusion

As can be seen from all of the above, the concept of sacredness is present wherever there is a person or the concept of the other world. But often those things that belong to the realm of the ideal, most important ideas of the person himself fall under this category. Indeed, what is sacred if not love, family, honor, devotion and similar principles of social relations, and if more deeply - the characteristics of the inner content of the individual? It follows from this that the sacredness of an object is determined by the degree of its difference from the profane, that is, guided by instinctive and emotional principles, the world. At the same time, this separation can arise and be expressed both in the external world and in the internal.

The end of the 20th - the beginning of the 21st century is a unique time in many respects. Especially for our country and for its spiritual culture in particular. The fortress walls of the former world outlook collapsed, and the hitherto unknown sun of foreign spirituality rose over the world of the Russian man. American evangelism, Eastern cults, various kinds of occult schools over the past quarter of a century have managed to take root deeply in Russia. It also had positive aspects - today more and more people think about the spiritual dimension of their lives and strive to harmonize it with the highest, sacred meaning. Therefore, it is very important to understand what the sacred, transcendental dimension of being is.

Etymology of the word

The word "sacred" comes from the Latin sacralis, which means "sacred". The stem sac seems to go back to the Proto-Indo-European saq, the probable meaning of which is "to protect, to protect". Thus, the original semantics of the word "sacred" is "separated, protected". Religious consciousness over time deepened the understanding of the term, introducing into it a shade of purposefulness of such a separation. That is, the sacred is not just separated (from the world, as opposed to the profane), but separated with a special purpose, as intended for a special higher service or use in connection with cult practices. The Jewish "kadosh" has a similar meaning - holy, consecrated, sacred. If we are talking about God, the word "sacred" is a definition of the otherness of the Almighty, his transcendence in relation to the world. Accordingly, as connected with this transcendence, any object dedicated to God is endowed with the quality of sacredness, that is, sacredness.

Areas of distribution of the sacred

Its scope can be extremely wide. Especially in our time - in the flourishing boom of experimental science, sacred meaning is sometimes attached to the most unexpected things, for example, erotica. Since ancient times we have known sacred animals and sacred places. There have been in history, however, they are still being waged today, sacred wars. But what the sacred political system means, we have already forgotten.

sacred art

The theme of art in the context of sacredness is extremely extensive. In fact, it covers all types and directions of creativity, not excluding even comics and fashion. What needs to be done to understand what sacred art is? The main thing is to learn that its purpose is either to transfer sacred knowledge, or to serve a cult. In light of this, it becomes clear why sometimes a picture can be equated, say, with a scripture. What is important is not the nature of the craft, but the purpose of the application and, as a result, the content.

Types of such art

In the Western European world, sacred art was called ars sacra. Among its various types, the following can be distinguished:

Sacred painting. This refers to works of art of a religious nature and/or purpose, such as icons, statues, mosaics, bas-reliefs, etc.

sacred geometry. The whole layer of symbolic images falls under this definition, such as, for example, the Christian cross, the Jewish star "Magen David", the Chinese yin-yang symbol, the Egyptian ankh, etc.

sacred architecture. In this case, we mean the buildings and buildings of the temple, monastic complexes and, in general, any buildings of a religious and mystical nature. Among them may be the most unpretentious examples, such as a canopy over a holy well, or very impressive monuments such as the Egyptian pyramids.

sacred music. As a rule, this refers to cult music performed during divine services and the performance of religious rites - liturgical chants, bhajans, accompaniment of musical instruments, etc. based on traditional sacred music, as, for example, many samples of new age.

There are other manifestations of sacred art. In fact, all of its areas - cooking, literature, tailoring and even fashion - can have a sacred meaning.

In addition to art, such concepts and things as space, time, knowledge, texts and physical actions are endowed with the quality of sanctification.

sacred space

In this case, space can mean two things - a specific building and a sacred place, not necessarily associated with buildings. An example of the latter is the sacred groves, which were very popular in the old days of pagan dominion. Even today, many mountains, hills, glades, reservoirs and other natural objects have sacred significance. Often such places are marked with special signs - flags, ribbons, images and other elements of religious decor. Their meaning is due to some miraculous event, for example, the appearance of a saint. Or, as is especially common in shamanism and Buddhism, the veneration of a place is associated with the worship of invisible creatures living there - spirits, etc.

Another example of a sacred space is a temple. Here, the determining factor of holiness most often becomes not the holiness of the place as such, but the ritual character of the structure itself. Depending on the religion, the functions of the temple may vary slightly. For example, somewhere it is entirely the house of a deity, which is not intended for public visitation for the purpose of worship. In this case, the retribution of honors is carried out outside, in front of the temple. This was the case, for example, in ancient Greek religion. At the other extreme are Islamic mosques and Protestant prayer houses, which are specialized halls for religious meetings and are more for man than for God. In contrast to the first type, where holiness is inherent in the temple space itself, here it is the fact of cult use that transforms any room, even the most ordinary, into a sacred place.

Time

A few words should also be said about the concept of sacred time. It's still more difficult here. On the one hand, its flow is often synchronous with normal everyday time. On the other hand, it is not subject to the action of physical laws, but is determined by the mystical life of a religious organization. A vivid example is the Catholic Mass, the content of which - the sacrament of the Eucharist - over and over again takes believers to the night of the last supper of Christ and the apostles. The time, marked by special holiness and otherworldly influence, also has sacred significance. These are some segments of the cycles of the day, week, month, year, etc. In culture, they most often take the form of festivities or, conversely, days of mourning. Examples of both are Holy Week, Easter, Christmas time, solstice days, equinoxes, full moons, etc.

In any case, the sacred time organizes the ritual life of the cult, determines the sequence and frequency of the performance of rituals.

Knowledge

Extremely popular at all times was the search for secret knowledge - some secret information that promised its owners the most dizzying benefits - power over the whole world, the elixir of immortality, superhuman strength and the like. Although all such secrets are classified as secret knowledge, they are not always, strictly speaking, sacred. Rather, it's just secret and mysterious. Sacred knowledge is information about the other world, the abode of gods and beings of a higher order. Theology is the simplest example. And it is not only about confessional theology. Rather, science itself is meant, studying the world and the place of man in it on the basis of some supposed otherworldly revelation of deities.

sacred texts

Sacred knowledge is recorded primarily in sacred texts - the Bible, the Koran, the Vedas, etc. In the narrow sense of the word, only such scriptures are sacred, that is, they claim to be the conductors of knowledge from above. They seem to contain, in a literal sense, sacred words, not only the meaning of which, but also the form itself has a meaning. On the other hand, the semantics of the definition of sacredness makes it possible to include in the circle of such texts another type of literature - the works of outstanding teachers of spirituality, such as the Talmud, The Secret Doctrine by Helena Petrovna Blavatsky or the books of Alice Beilis, quite popular in modern esoteric circles. The authority of such works of literature can be different - from absolute infallibility to dubious comments and author's fabrications. However, by the nature of the information contained in them, these are sacred texts.

Action

Sacred can be not only a specific object or concept, but also movement. For example, what is a sacred action? This concept generalizes a wide range of gestures, dances and other physical movements that have a ritual, sacramental character. Firstly, these are liturgical events - the offering of a host, the burning of incense, blessings, etc. Secondly, these are actions aimed at changing the state of consciousness and transferring the internal focus to the otherworldly sphere. Examples are the already mentioned dances, asanas in yoga, or even simple rhythmic rocking of the body.

Thirdly, the simplest of the sacred actions are called upon to express a certain, most often prayerful, disposition of a person - arms folded on the chest or raised to the sky, the sign of the cross, bow, and so on.

The sacred meaning of physical actions consists in separating, following the spirit, time and space, from the profane everyday life and elevating both the body itself and matter in general to the realm of the sacred. For this, in particular, water, housing and other items are consecrated.

Conclusion

As can be seen from all of the above, the concept of sacredness is present wherever there is a person or the concept of the other world. But often those things that belong to the realm of the ideal, most important ideas of the person himself fall under this category. Indeed, what is sacred if not love, family, honor, devotion and similar principles of social relations, and if more deeply - the characteristics of the inner content of the individual? It follows from this that the sacredness of an object is determined by the degree of its difference from the profane, that is, guided by instinctive and emotional principles, the world. At the same time, this separation can arise and be expressed both in the external world and in the internal.

Sacred

Sacred(from English. sacred and lat. sacrum- sacred, dedicated to God) - in a broad sense - everything related to the divine, religious, heavenly, otherworldly, irrational, mystical, different from ordinary things, concepts, phenomena.

Holy, sacred, sacral - comparison of concepts

Holiness is an attribute of the Divine and the Divine. holy- this is possessing Divine qualities or unique grace-filled properties, close or dedicated to God, marked by the Divine presence.

sacred usually means specific objects and actions dedicated to God or gods, and used in religious rituals, sacred rites. Concept meanings sacred And holy partially overlap, but sacred expresses the religious purpose of the subject to a greater extent than its internal properties, emphasizes its separation from the worldly, the need for a special attitude towards it.

Unlike both previous concepts, Sacred appeared not in the religious, but in the scientific lexicon and is used to describe all religions, including paganism, original beliefs and mythology. There are several positions with which the concept of the sacred is associated. Among them are numinosity, chthonic, indifferent attitude to the system of sign exchange, inconsistency with the idea of ​​quantitative, non-articulated and hidden character, the idea of ​​the sacred as the Other. Sacred- this is everything that creates, restores or emphasizes the connection of a person with the other world.

What is the meaning of the word "sacred"?

The meaning of the word sacred can be found in ancient literature. The word is associated with religion, something mysterious, divine. The semantic content refers to the origins of everything that exists on Earth.

What do the dictionary sources say?

The meaning of the word "sacred" carries the meaning of inviolability, something irrefutable and true. Calling things or events by this term implies a connection with unearthly things. There is always a certain cult, holiness in the origin of the described properties.

Let's track what the word "sacred" means, according to existing dictionaries:

• The semantic content of the word is opposed to the existent and mundane.
• Sacred refers to the spiritual state of a person. It is assumed that the meaning of the word is learned by the heart at the expense of faith or hope. Love becomes a tool for understanding the mysterious meaning of the term.
• Things called the word "sacred" are carefully guarded by people from encroachment. It is based on an undeniable holiness that does not require proof.
• The meaning of the word "sacred" refers to such definitions as holy, true, cherished, unearthly.
• Sacred signs can be found in any religion, they are associated with valuable ideals, more often spiritual.
• The origins of the sacred are laid down by society through the family, the state, and other structures.

Where does mysterious knowledge come from?

The meaning of the word "sacred" is passed down from generation to generation through the sacraments, prayers, through the upbringing of the growing offspring. The semantic content of sacred things cannot be described in words. It can only be felt. It is intangible and accessible to people only with a pure soul.

The meaning of the word "sacred" lies in the scriptures. Only a believer has access to the tools to achieve knowledge of the omnipresent knowledge. Sacred can be an object, the value of which is undeniable. For a man, he becomes a shrine, for her sake he could give his life.

A sacred object can be defiled by a word or action. For which the culprit will receive wrath and curses from people who believe in the sacraments. Church rituals are based on ordinary earthly actions, which acquire a different significance for the participants in the process.

Religion and sacraments

Sacred actions can only be performed by a person who has earned the recognition of believers. He is a link with a parallel world, a guide to the other world. It is understood that any person can be enlightened and attached to the mysteries of the universe through a rite.

The sacred meaning is the more accessible, the higher the level of the spiritual component in a person. The priest refers to the bearer of the sacrament, and they turn to him in order to get closer to God, who is the source of everything sacred on Earth. One way or another, all people strive to know the immutable truth and join the clergy, following the established canons.

Additional definitions of the term

Historians and philosophers use the meaning of the definition of sacredness in a slightly different sense. In the works of Durkheim, the word is designated as the concept of the authenticity of the existence of all mankind, where the existence of community is opposed to the needs of the individual. These sacraments are transmitted through communications between people.

Sacredness in society is stored in many areas of human life. The knowledge base is formed due to the norms, rules, general ideology of behavior. From childhood, every person is convinced of the immutability of true things. These include love, faith, the existence of the soul, God.

It takes centuries to form sacred knowledge; a person does not need proof of the existence of mysterious knowledge. Confirmation for him are the miracles that occur in daily life due to rituals, prayers, and the actions of the clergy.

What is sacredness?

User deleted

Sacred (lat. sacrum - a sacred object, a sacred rite, sacraments, mystery), the meaning is revealed in relation to the profane. The term was introduced by Mircea Eliade.
- sacred, cherished; about words, speech: having a kind of magical meaning, sounding like a spell.

I wish you happiness

SACRED - (from lat. sacrum - sacred) - everything that relates to a cult, worship of especially valuable ideals. Sacramental - consecrated, holy, cherished. S. is the opposite of secular, profane, worldly. What is recognized as a shrine is subject to unconditional and reverent veneration and is guarded with special care by all possible means. S. is the identity of faith, hope and love, its "organ" is the human heart. The preservation of a sacred relationship to the object of worship is primarily ensured by the conscience of the believer, who values ​​the shrine more than his own life. Therefore, in case of a threat of desecration of a shrine, a true believer rises to its defense without much thought and external coercion; sometimes he can sacrifice his life for this. S. in theology means subject to God. The symbol of sacralization is consecration, that is, such a ceremony, as a result of which the ordinary worldly procedure acquires a transcendental meaning. Initiation is the elevation of a person through an established sacrament or church rite to one or another degree of spiritual service. Priest - a person who is at the temple and performs all the sacraments, except for the priesthood. Sacrilege - property encroachment aimed at sacred and consecrated objects and accessories of the temple, as well as an insult to the religious feelings of believers; in a broader sense, it means an attempt on a shrine. In addition to the theological understanding of S. as a derivative of God, there is a broad philosophical interpretation of it. For example, E. Durkheim used this concept to designate the natural-historical basis of truly human existence, its social essence, and contrasted it with the concept of individualistic (egoistic) existence. Some religious scholars consider the procedure of sacralization as an essential distinguishing feature of any religion - pantheistic, theistic and atheistic: religion begins where a system of sacralization of especially valuable ideals is formed. The church and the state are developing a complex and subtle system of protection and transmission of the sacred attitude of people to the basic ideals of the established culture. Broadcasting is carried out by coordinated methods and means of all forms of social life. Among them are strict rules of law and soft methods of art. An individual from the cradle to the grave is immersed in the system C generated by the family, clan, tribe and state. He is involved in ceremonies, ritual actions, performs prayers, rituals, observes fasts and many other religious prescriptions. First of all, norms and rules of relation to the near and far, the family, the people, the state and the absolute are subjected to sacralization. The system of sacralization consists of. a) the sum of ideas sacred for a given society (ideology); b) psychological methods and means of persuading people of the unconditional truth of these ideas?) specific sign forms of embodiment of shrines, sacramental and hostile symbols; d) a special organization (for example, a church); e) special practical actions, rituals and ceremonies (cult). It takes a long time to create such a system, it absorbs past and newly emerged traditions. Thanks to sacred traditions and the currently existing system of sacralization, society achieves the reproduction of a particular religion in all its horizontals (social groups, classes) and verticals (generations). When the chosen object is sacralized, its reality is believed more strongly than empirically given things. The highest degree of S.'s relationship is holiness, that is, righteousness, piety, godliness, penetration by active love for the absolute and liberation of oneself from the impulses of selfishness. All religiosity is associated with S., but not every believer in practice is able to become a saint. There are few saints, their example serves as a guide for ordinary people. Degrees of S. attitude - fanaticism, moderation, indifference. S. feeling is whole, and the poison of doubt is deadly for him. D. V. Pivovarov

Alexey

holiness
SACRALIZATION - sacred. Involvement in the sphere of religion of public, group, individual consciousness, activities and behavior of people, social relations and institutions. In addition, endowing material objects, persons, actions, speech formulas, norms of behavior, etc. with magical properties and raising them to the rank of sacred (see), sacred, saints.
SACRED - sacred, sacred - fictitious creatures endowed with supernatural qualities - characters of religious myths. Religious values ​​- faith, the truths of religion, the sacraments, the church. In addition, the totality of things, persons, actions, texts, language formulas, buildings, etc., which is part of the system of a religious cult. Contrasted with the mundane.

What does the word "sacred" mean?

How to understand "sacred"? What it is? Is it a mystical word? Sacred can be magical? Is this some big secret?

Andrey Golovlev

The word sacred is associated with the Latin words sacralis - sacred, sacrum - sacrum, os sacrum - sacred bone.

It seems to be a strange combination of sacred and bone. But in fact, there is nothing strange, since holiness is a connection with God (such people who deserve this from God with their lives are called saints). And like a holy spirit connects people with God, and the main bones of the sacrum, vertebrae I bind tons of human tissue into a single body of the physical body. That is, we can say that the sacred in all cases matters " main link", and it can be: a bone; a holy spirit; a rite with objects used in it (baptism, wedding, ...); a special teaching for a person that connects him with (religion, special practice (including magic) , ..) Since it is a binding basis, the sacred is guarded: usually difficult to access and/or trusted only by the elite.

The sacred is protected from understanding by other people. It cannot be proven rationally. The sacred must first be taken for granted. Yes, it is often mystical and even supernatural. Another understanding the word sacred- it's sacred. Sacrum is translated from Latin as sacred. It is kept secret so as not to desecrate.

Shika

Sacred, th, th, th
meaning (1): rationally unprovable, accepted only on faith, sometimes in the sense of mystical, supernatural.
meaning (2): sacred.
sample text: Indeed, there is a sacred power in that place. Not only lovers of sacred music came to the concerts. Where did the sacred number 54 come from? I don't rub (another sacred word of today's informals) emo/goth/punk. And I want to be true! The source of this knowledge is often various kinds of secret signs, signs and prophetic dreams - which emphasizes its mystical, and therefore indisputable, sacred character. (T. Shchepanskaya). The tradition of sacred dance is widespread in Europe as a form of dance therapy. There was an idea to create a sacred center of the state on its border. The sacred meaning of our Russian coat of arms.
origin: lat. sacrum - sacred.
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The end of the 20th - the beginning of the 21st century is a unique time in many respects. Especially for our country and for its spiritual culture in particular. The fortress walls of the former world outlook collapsed, and the hitherto unknown sun of foreign spirituality rose over the world of the Russian man. American evangelism, Eastern cults, various kinds of occult schools over the past quarter of a century have managed to take root deeply in Russia. It also had positive aspects - today more and more people think about the spiritual dimension of their lives and strive to harmonize it with the highest, sacred meaning. Therefore, it is very important to understand what the sacred, transcendental dimension of being is.

The word "sacred" comes from the Latin sacralis, which means "sacred". The stem sac, apparently, goes back to the Proto-Indo-European saq, the probable meaning of which is "to protect, protect." Thus, the original semantics of the word "sacred" is "separated, protected". Religious consciousness over time deepened the understanding of the term, introducing into it a shade of purposefulness of such a separation. That is, the sacred is not just separated (from the world, as opposed to the profane), but separated with a special purpose, as destined for a special higher service or use in connection with cult practices. The Jewish "kadosh" has a similar meaning - holy, consecrated, sacred. When it comes to God, the word "sacred" is a definition of the otherness of the Almighty, his transcendence in relation to the world. Accordingly, as connected with this transcendence, any object dedicated to God is endowed with the quality of sacredness, that is, sacredness.

Areas of distribution of the sacred

Its scope can be extremely wide. Especially in our time - in the boom of the flourishing of experimental science, sacred meaning is sometimes attached to the most unexpected things, for example, erotica. Since ancient times we have known sacred animals and sacred places. There have been in history, however, they are still being waged today, sacred wars. But what the sacred political system means, we have already forgotten.

sacred art

The theme of art in the context of sacredness is extremely extensive. In fact, it covers all types and directions of creativity, not excluding even comics and fashion. What needs to be done to understand what sacred art is? The main thing is to learn that its purpose is either to transfer sacred knowledge, or to serve a cult. In light of this, it becomes clear why sometimes a picture can be equated, say, with a scripture. What is important is not the nature of the craft, but the purpose of the application and, as a result, the content.

Types of such art

In the Western European world, sacred art was called ars sacra. Among its various types, the following can be distinguished:

— Sacred painting. This refers to works of art of a religious nature and/or purpose, such as icons, statues, mosaics, bas-reliefs, etc.

— Sacred geometry. The entire layer of symbolic images falls under this definition, such as, for example, the Christian cross, the Jewish star "Magen David", the Chinese yin-yang symbol, the Egyptian ankh, etc.

— Sacred architecture. In this case, we mean the buildings and buildings of the temple, monastic complexes and, in general, any buildings of a religious and mystical nature. Among them may be the most unpretentious examples, such as a canopy over a holy well, or very impressive monuments such as the Egyptian pyramids.

- Sacred music. As a rule, this refers to cult music performed during divine services and the performance of religious rites - liturgical chants, bhajans, accompaniment of musical instruments, etc. based on traditional sacred music, as, for example, many samples of new age.

There are other manifestations of sacred art. In fact, all of its areas - cooking, literature, tailoring, and even fashion - can have a sacred meaning.

In addition to art, such concepts and things as space, time, knowledge, texts and physical actions are endowed with the quality of sanctification.

sacred space

Space in this case can mean two things - a specific building and a sacred place, not necessarily associated with buildings. An example of the latter is the sacred groves, which were very popular in the old days of pagan dominion. Even today, many mountains, hills, glades, reservoirs and other natural objects have sacred significance. Often such places are marked with special signs - flags, ribbons, images and other elements of religious decor. Their meaning is due to some miraculous event, for example, the appearance of a saint. Or, as is especially common in shamanism and Buddhism, the veneration of the place is associated with the worship of the invisible creatures living there - spirits, etc.

Another example of a sacred space is a temple. Here, the determining factor of holiness most often becomes not the holiness of the place as such, but the ritual character of the structure itself. Depending on the religion, the functions of the temple may vary slightly. For example, somewhere it is entirely the house of a deity, which is not intended for public visitation for the purpose of worship. In this case, the retribution of honors is carried out outside, in front of the temple. This was the case, for example, in ancient Greek religion. At the other extreme are Islamic mosques and Protestant prayer houses, which are specialized halls for religious meetings and are more for man than for God. In contrast to the first type, where holiness is inherent in the temple space itself, here it is the fact of cult use that transforms any room, even the most ordinary, into a sacred place.

Time

A few words should also be said about the concept of sacred time. It's still more difficult here. On the one hand, its flow is often synchronous with normal everyday time. On the other hand, it is not subject to the action of physical laws, but is determined by the mystical life of a religious organization. A vivid example is the Catholic Mass, the content of which - the sacrament of the Eucharist - over and over again takes believers to the night of the last supper of Christ and the apostles. The time, marked by special holiness and otherworldly influence, also has sacred significance. These are some segments of the cycles of the day, week, month, year, etc. In culture, they most often take the form of festivities or, conversely, days of mourning. Examples of both are Holy Week, Easter, Christmas time, solstice days, equinoxes, full moons, etc.

In any case, the sacred time organizes the ritual life of the cult, determines the sequence and frequency of the performance of rituals.

Knowledge

Extremely popular at all times was the search for secret knowledge - some secret information that promised its owners the most dizzying benefits - power over the whole world, the elixir of immortality, superhuman strength and the like. Although all such secrets are classified as secret knowledge, they are not always, strictly speaking, sacred. Rather, it's just secret and mysterious. Sacred knowledge is information about the other world, the abode of gods and beings of a higher order. Theology is the simplest example. And it is not only about confessional theology. Rather, science itself is meant, studying the world and the place of man in it on the basis of some supposed otherworldly revelation of deities.

sacred texts

Sacred knowledge is recorded primarily in sacred texts - the Bible, the Koran, the Vedas, etc. In the narrow sense of the word, only such scriptures are sacred, that is, they claim to be the conductors of knowledge from above. They seem to contain, in a literal sense, sacred words, not only the meaning of which, but also the form itself has a meaning. On the other hand, the semantics of the definition of sacredness makes it possible to include in the circle of such texts another type of literature - the works of outstanding teachers of spirituality, such as the Talmud, The Secret Doctrine by Helena Petrovna Blavatsky or the books of Alice Beilis, which are quite popular in modern esoteric circles. The authority of such works of literature can be different - from absolute infallibility to dubious comments and author's fabrications. Nevertheless, by the nature of the information contained in them, these are sacred texts.

Action

Sacred can be not only a specific object or concept, but also movement. For example, what is a sacred action? This concept generalizes a wide range of gestures, dances and other physical movements that have a ritual, sacramental character. Firstly, these are liturgical events - the offering of a host, the burning of incense, blessings, etc. Secondly, these are actions aimed at changing the state of consciousness and transferring the internal focus to the sphere of the other world. Examples are the already mentioned dances, asanas in yoga, or even simple rhythmic rocking of the body.

Thirdly, the simplest of the sacred actions are called upon to express a certain, most often prayerful, disposition of a person - arms folded on the chest or raised to the sky, the sign of the cross, bow, and so on.

The sacred meaning of physical actions consists in separating, following the spirit, time and space, from the profane everyday life and elevating both the body itself and matter in general to the realm of the sacred. For this, in particular, water, housing and other items are consecrated.

Conclusion

As can be seen from all of the above, the concept of sacredness is present wherever there is a person or the concept of the other world. But often those things that belong to the realm of the ideal, most important ideas of the person himself fall under this category. Indeed, what is the sacred if not love, family, honor, devotion and similar principles of social relations, and if more deeply - the characteristics of the inner content of the individual? It follows from this that the sacredness of an object is determined by the degree of its difference from the profane, that is, guided by instinctive and emotional principles, the world. At the same time, this separation can arise and be expressed both in the external world and in the internal.

3 Sooner or later, every person comes to the conclusion that the world in which he lives is not as simple and understandable as they explain to us at school. Strange coincidences, unusual disappearances, terrible deaths that cannot be explained from a materialistic point of view, baffle a person. That's when he tries to figure out what is really happening in our reality. Today we will talk about another word, this is Sacral which means you can read a little below. Add this interesting site to your bookmarks so you don't have to look for it again.
However, before I continue, I would like to show you some more useful publications on random topics. For example, what does Kripovo mean, decoding of the abbreviation LP, who is Niga, which means Nedotrakh, etc.
So let's continue Sacred meaning words? This term was borrowed from the Latin "sacralis", and is translated as "sacred".

Sacral- in a broad sense means everything that has to do with the mystical, otherworldly, religious, irrational, heavenly, divine

Sacred- this is everything that emphasizes, restores or creates a connection between people and the mystical world

Synonym of Sacred: ritual, sacred.

When people call certain things or actions sacred, they give them an otherworldly or sacred meaning.
Concept " sacral"is different from "holiness", since it was first formed not in a religious, but rather in a scientific lexicon. Usually this term is used to refer to all known religions, including paganism, mythology and the very first beliefs of ancient people.
This word is used to describe things or phenomena related to esotericism, mysticism and magic.

The variety of sacred objects and concepts is quite large. These include all things, objects of art that are directly related to the divine. As a rule, we can talk about church "utensils" here.

sacred time has nothing to do with the usual countdown of "flying" seconds and minutes, with its help, the initiates determine the order of mysterious rituals and sacrifices.

sacred books allow you to look at the presented religious teachings from different points of view. Sometimes this literature serves as an object of worship for believers.

sacred place is intended for communication with the higher world, the supernatural, otherworldly forces.

sacred actions are intended to express worship to their deity, through worship or various rites.

By reading this post, you have learned Sacred meaning words, and now you will not fall into a stupor if you find this word again.