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Glossary

A - B - C - D - E - F - G - H - I - J - K - L - M - N - O - P - Q - R - S - T - U - V - W - X - Y - Z

A

Ahamkara The sense of ego.
Ajapâjapa A Hindu who has practiced japa for a period of years may experience the grace of ajapâjapa. When this happens, recitation of the mantra continues in the person’s heart without him/her consciously willing it to happen.
Apâna Vital energy associated with the in-breath.
Atman Self; the divine innermost soul in every creature.

B

Bhagavan God manifesting Himself as a person. Worshipping God as a person enables people to assume human-like relationships with Him. For example: they can worship him as a child worships a parent.
Bhairava The God Shiva in one of his most fearsome, terrifying forms with the power to destroy the false self.
Bhakta A follower of the path of bhakti, divine love; a worshipper of the personal God (see above).
Brahmajnana Knowledge of Brahman (God).
Brahman Supreme godhead, beyond all distinctions or forms.

C


D

Dharana Concentrating the mind on God when meditating during yoga.
Divine Mother Refers to any female manifestation of God. She represents Brahman’s power or energy.

E

F

G

Gita Short for the Bhagavad Gita, arguably the most revered of all Hindu scriptures.

H

Householder A layperson, as opposed to a monk.

I

Incarnation In some branches of Hinduism, it is quite common to regard an enlightened individual as an incarnation of God.

J

Japa A mantra is usually one of God’s names, or a brief statement or plea directed toward God. Japa means repeating the mantra over and over again as a continuous invocation of God.
Jivanmukta A person who is liberated (enlightened) while living
Jivan-mukti The state of being liberated (enlightened) while alive.
Jnanayoga The path of knowledge involving discrimination, renunciation, and other disciplines.

K

Kali One of the female manifestations of God, symbolising the power of time. Her physical appearance is fearsome and symbolizes her boundless power of destruction and her ability to take away everything that is transitory.
Krishna An incarnation of God. He was the friend and charioteer of Arjuna, who lived in ancient India. While waiting on the battlefield of Kurukshetra before the outbreak of fighting, Arjuna was overcome with despondency. When Krishna offered Arjuna his advice, Arjuna became aware for the first time that his long-time friend was in fact God. Krishna’s advice to Arjuna on the battlefield was recorded in the Bhagavad Gita, one of the most cherished of Hindu scriptures.
Kundalini Spiritual energy. In most people, it is said to lie dormant at the base of the spine. When activated through one’s spiritual practices, it ascends from one spiritual centre (chakra) in the body to another.

L

M

Maya The power that creates and sustains the universe’s diversity. In other words, maya is the force that causes the One to appear as many.
Moksha Liberation, enlightenment

N

Nirvikalpa A state in which the mystic loses awareness of his/her surroundings, and becomes totally absorbed in concentrating on God.
Non-dualist Someone whose ideal is to merge with Brahman totally, losing all sense of individuality.

O

P

Pandita A person with self-knowledge; a liberated person.
Prâna Vital energy often associated with the out-breath.

Q

R

Rama An incarnation of God. The story of His earthly life is told in the Hindu epic, the Ramayana. In this story, Rama’s dearly beloved wife is kidnapped by a demon. After much difficulty, Rama eventually succeeds in slaying the demon, rescuing his wife, and restoring her to her former position. This represents God’s salvation of the individual soul.

S

Samadhi Focusing away from creation toward the uncreated. The individual is ecstatically transported and becomes unaware of his/her surroundings. In Christian mystical literature, this state is known as rapture.
Satchidananda Another name for Brahman. It is a combination of the words Sat (being), Chit (consciousness), and Ananda (bliss).
Shiva and Shakti Generally speaking, God is referred to as Shiva while His power is referred to as Shakti.
Spanda This refers to a state of spiritual vibration in the heart, which is regarded as the seat of consciousness.

T

Tantra A system of religious philosophy in which the Divine Mother, or Power, is the ultimate reality. The word also applies to the scriptures dealing with this philosophy.

U

Unmilana samadhi This samadhi permits the individual to see God everywhere.

V

Vaidhi-bhakti Devotion to God associated with rites and ceremonies laid down in the scriptures.
Vasana Self-imposed limitations imposed on people by their mental conditioning.

W

X

Y

Yoga Awareness, transformation of the human consciousness into divine consciousness.
Yogi Someone who practices yoga.

Z
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