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Section 8. Religious studies
Section 8. Religious studies Секция 8. Религиоведение
Yerzhanova Feruza Meribekovna, Kazakh National Pedagogical University named Abay, PhD., Department of Philosophy and Methodology of Science
E-mail: f_yerzhanova@mail.ru
«Esoteric knowledge» in the context of the Turkic worldview
Abstract: This article provides a conceptual analysis of the phenomenon of “knowledge" in the ancient Turkic language picture of the world.
Keywords: language picture of the world, the concept of “knowledge”, holistic knowledge, Turkic worldview, Tengriism.
The concept of “knowledge”, which has many ancestral categories in the ancient Turkic language, had an enormous influence on formation of mentality and worldview of the ancient Turks: an — (acknowledge, understand); es — (thought, reason); og — (mind, thought); oi-oyun (mind, thought); sab-sav (mind, intelligence); bilig (knowledge); bogu — (wisdom); say — (mind, intelligence); san — (think, acknowledge); saq — (think, consider); tetig — (smart, quick-witted); uq — (understand, acknowledge); us — (thinking).
The category of «mind», «reason», «ingenuity» occupies a special place in the ancient Turkic mentality. Creator — Tengri gives kagans a «mind», and only then puts them to rule over the Turkic people. Epithet «wise» even becomes one of the names, maybe even one of the titles of kagan and their advisers. «Bilga-Kagan», « bilga-beg», «bilga-khan», «bilga-taluj» etc. are met often as the title name with the component «bilga» — «omni-scient», «wise» in the ancient Turkic sources [1, p.87].
The word «bilig» — one of the most ancient forms expressing the ancient Turkic concept of «knowledge», its etymology goes back to the original form of «bil.» In «The etymological dictionary of Turkic languages» edited by E. Sevortyan, it is noted that «all the basic lexical meaning of the verb bil — in the developed type are presented in the earliest written records.
The word «bilig» within the meaning of the thought process in the mind of a modern man, as in the ancient language, is still leading.
In Orkhon monuments «bilig» (wisdom) is presented as the supreme value of unity of the people, as a
spiritual and ethic rod of state: «When there was a blue sky at the top, and bottom — brown earth, between both of them having the sons of men. My ancestors sat down above the children of men! .... They were wise kagans, they were courageous kagans; and their clerks were wise, were courageous; and their children, and people were unanimous . » [2, p.18].
Al-Farabi also puts the «wisdom» in the head of «Righteous City». «If there was ever going to happen so that the guide will have no wisdom — says Al-Fara-bi, — let them, and if it meets all other conditions, the righteous city inevitably perish» [3, p.50].
Thus, wisdom inherently is not specialized. Wisdom is universal being of mind and manner of its manifestation. Wisdom as a holistic knowledge of being is dysfunctional and unprofessional. In humans, there is no a higher title than «wise».
In turn, as demonstrated by sources and researches of Turkic knowledge, reading and writing, reading and writing based on the runic script was a commonplace for the Turkic population. Turkic elite believed that education is for their high dignity. In this context, one of the following Turfan songs attracts attention as follows:
Bilig bilih ya bhgim!
Bilig shnga hsh bulur,
Bilig bilghn ol hrkh Bir kln tavlat tush bolur.
Read the knowledge, my Beck!
Knowledge is fit to your face,
To the person with knowledge Once comes happiness [4, p.93].
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Секция 8. Религиоведение
In the ancient consciousness «mind» — is a cosmic principle, the essence of being in general, whereas in the west, the mind forms the precondition of knowledge, and therefore the world as representation. Axiom of reasonableness of the world is the order of the cosmos, is the understanding that being is «knowable» that all in the world is «reasonable.»
The concept of reasonableness in the ancient mentality is multidimensional, combines «faith knowledge» and «life pragmatism». Reasonableness here performs as reasonably practicable (biliglik — practical wisdom) and as cognitive (bogubilig). «Knowledge», «mind», «wisdom» in the ontological key are defined as: regularity, correctness, order, lying in the ground of being.
Popular astronomy should be noted also as one of the most important elements of the ancient «knowledge», which became the first type of proto-scientific knowledge. Observations of cyclical phenomena of nature and frequency of weather events formed the basis of the national calendar «Mushel.» The basic principle of the national calendar was cyclical repetition: «Time of Mushel giving — and takes, taking, — returns. There is no end of time, there is no end of life. All united by the same rhythm: — life of the Cosmos, life of the Nature, life of a Man. People are born and die, and it is said about the dead «^aytys baldy» — «back», and people know that with a new circle of time they return again, but from that world to this « [5, p.2]. In the endless cycle, there is a special life behavior of a man, his high morality. Ancient society knew and believed that good or evil committed once, not only have direct effects chain, but also carry a different level of consequences — in the form of mandatory cyclical repetitions. It is a «sacred knowledge» has formed a special responsibility wise non-hastiness, endurance. So, maybe the folk calendar «Mushel» in Turkic view ofthe world is not just «knowledge» of time as a cyclical cycle, but philosophy with its ethics and aesthetics.
Interestingly, the practical knowledge, as well as sacred one, is vital to the Turkic tradition and the very desire for these types of knowledge precludes any motivation to develop theoretical knowledge.
Based on semantics «jas» («individual year») and «jil» («calendar year»), you can again see how the «concept of time» has appeared in the ancient Turkic language and that «practical knowledge» was not acquired by reasoning and evidence, but was revealed to consciousness itself, through observing the cycles of nature.
«Jas» (zhas) — the basis of the word is the concept of age. Traditional chronology by years of age, individ-
ual years of age are understood from now as defining a private individual situation and has several meanings 1) green, young (there was green grass); 2) Year (about age) «In this battle Cul tegin was 30 years» (otuz jasyna).
«Jil» (zhyl) — a one-year measure of time, which corresponds only to the calendar year, definitely exactly and accurately adjusted astronomical calendar: 1) year (period of time) jilan jili — year of the snake MK; «Ten moons she wore (me) my mother» (AK 1.7); 2) life, existence (no matter how much good will live, not age) (QBN, p.267). This period from the concept of age year, year lived by the individual, to the standard year lived by the whole social group, clearly reflects logical thinking, therefore, specific development of logic and scientific thinking. Calendar year represented a decisive progress for the ancient Turks compared with the chronology of age years. Due to it, there was made the leap from the concept of time lived individually, to the concept of universal time.
Language picture of the world allows to identify the old Turkic system of major divisions of time, clearly stated in the ancient texts:
1) Kesin — the length of time in two months (DTC, p.302);
2) Öd — time; short period of time, hour (DTC, p.377);
3) Qolu — (measure of time equal to ten seconds) (TTVII, DTC p.454);
4) Ksan — the shortest period of time, a moment, an instant (DTC, p. 321).
Philosophical problem of immortality is closely related with the concept of time in the worldview of the ancient Turks. The soul is in everything, that it allows to connect everything with everything, that is most evident in the transitions into another world, while traveling of kams and ordinary mortals, as this is carried out their souls. Ability to communicate with the elements, mountains, trees, animals appears in a man only because of a kindred spirit, they are of the same nature. The subject of the soul, consciousness is information, knowledge. The world endowed with consciousness is literally packed with information, so it is not surprising that a gust of wind, and the flight of a bird, and a leave of tree give necessary knowledge for magical acts. This relation of everything with everything serves as a basis for fortunetelling practice, sorcery, magic, dream interpretation, etc. Siberian scientists, authors of the book “The traditional worldview of Turks of Southern Siberia” note that the elaboration of the theme of “soul” in the Turkic world is amazing, but the surprise is replaced by bewilderment
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when one realizes that, with one Russian term lies a number of heterogeneous phenomena [6, p.161].
In tengrian “esoteric knowledge” the world tree or world mountain guides souls of the deceased to one or another part of the macrocosmic vertical. In religious ideas, it is from here a transition from one zone to another space, i. e. circulating of life. Death of someone living in the Upper world meets birth of someone in the Middle and death in the Middle — birth in the Lower. Hence the concept of death and fate does not have the properties of inevitability: you can change the fate by sacrifice and ritual, and the soul of the deceased can be reborn in the next generation of the family [7, p.22]. “Mangi» «Tanir», i. e. Tengri as a universal eternal Time constitutes involvement of a man and thus a man overcomes the horror of short as a moment of human life: «Time distributes Tengri, but somehow, all the sons of men are born in order to die» (DTC, p.130).
According to ancient legend («The Book ofour father Korkut»), death is presented as a gift to the people, because in this world who is not dead, is not truly alive. Life has a meaning only if there is a death. Death is the birth in a new state. It is a natural extension of life, its apotheosis, and that’s why the battle cry of the Turkic warriors in ancient times was the words: «ölim zho^, Omir jas» — «There is no death, life is forever young» [8, p.42].
One of the features of Turkish culture, as well as all Eastern culture, is the translation of knowledge and wisdom of life associated with a sacral figure «sage-teacher.» Mahmud of Kashgar in his the «Dictionary» describes in detail the activities of servants of Tengrism.
«Tengrikanys» (supreme servants of Tengrism), the most educated in the sciences and religion, dealing with
knowledge of the world, «ialabashi» (conductors and performers of religious ideas) explain to the people the laws of religion, «tywyns» perform religious rites, dealing with issues of knowledge and practice, «camas» engage in charms («okysh»), treatment using charms, writing amulets «tumar yezish», deliver babies, conduct ceremonies of treatment. «Awliya» (holy men) have the wisdom and supercapabilities, dealing with witchcraft and sorcery, «bakhsi» possess psychic abilities, provide treatment, charms.
So, the mentality of the ancient Turks included practical, philosophical, esoteric and religious knowledge in their entirety. And there is constant enrichment of Tengrism spirituality as a holistic internal content deployment and inclusion in its orbit of new ideas. If we consider the ethical concepts of Tengrism, then there are dominate four starters, «Kut» (soul, force), « Bilig » (knowledge, wisdom), « °g » (reason), «Ar-Namys» (conscience), and excesses, even highly spiritual — as «beauty», «religion», «love» — not honored and subjected to ridicule, if passed a limit and began to «work for themselves.
Thus, if we turn to the problem of «knowledge», it should be noted that this concept has a fundamental value and gets its status as not a result of the logical design, justification, test, evidence, but based on faith, and that as such it (knowledge) receives not only the social significance, begins to function in the culture, but also acquires the divine essence and is included in various forms of spiritual activity. Faith is defined as the spiritual level of existence. Consequently, the knowledge as a spiritual experience as a whole, not only serves as a source of religious faith, but of spiritual culture with its moral and life values.
References:
1. Suleimenov O. Turks in prehistory. On the origin of ancient Turkic languages and scripts. - Almaty, - 2002. - p.87.
2. Zholdasbekov M., Sartkozhauly K. Atlas of Orkhon monuments. - Astana, - 2006. - 360p.
3. Al-Farabi. Philosophical treatises. - Almaty, - 1972. - 192p.
4. Kyzlasov I. L. Runic writing of Eurasian steppes. - М: - 1994. - p.79.
5. Muhambetova A. Kazakh traditional calendar. - Illustrated magazine «Nomad Kazakhstan» http://nomad-kazakhstan.kazakh.ru/nomad-kazakhstan/298.php.
6. Sagalaev A. M., Octyabrskaya I. V. Traditional worldview of Turks. Sign and ritual. - М., Nauka, - 1990.- 208p.
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9. ДТС (DTC) - Ancient Turkic Vocabulary.
10. ACT - monument in honor of Kul Tegin; Turkic inscription in Orkhon-Yenisei script.
11. QBN - the oldest list of the Arabic script, Namangan option «Kutadgu bilig».
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