Pleroma

(Revision as of 04:16, 10 Mar 2005)

Pleroma is a Greek word meaning "fullness, completion, whole." It is equivalent to the Sanskrit Purna, meaning "wholeness'" and used in Tantric texts to refer to the ground state of all that exists.

In Gnostic metaphysics, the Pleroma is understood as the Godhood or the primal ground of being. It is concieved as being both unitary and plural. It consists of a central power, the Unknown God, and a set of dynamic powers called Aeons. In other words, there is both one God and a company of Gods in the Pleroma. A related concept in the Book of the Law is the "unveiling of the company of heaven." (Liber AL, Ch. I, v. 2).

A related term used in Buddhism is Shunyata: the Void. This void is sometimes misunderstood as emptiness or nullity. This is not an accurate understanding of the concept: the Void is a fullness which cannot be further increased. Such a void is termed a Plenum Void, or in Qabalistic terms, Ain Soph Aur, the Limitless Light.

References

• Crowley, Aleister. (1997). The Book of the Law [Liber AL vel Legis]. York Beach, Me. : S. Weiser.
• Wikipedia (2005). Pleroma (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pleroma). Retrieved 9 March 2005.

External Links

• Pleroma in the Metahistory Lexicon (http://www.metahistory.org/lexicon_P.asp).